cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intraventricular thrombus after cocaine-induced myocardial infarction

1. Feldman AM, Banghman KL. Myocardial infarction associated with a myocardial bridge. AM HEART J 1986;111:784-7. 2. Bestetti RB, Finzi LA, Amaral FTV, Secches AL, Oliveira JSM. Myocardial bridging of coronary arteries associated with an impending acute myocardial infarction. Clin Cardiol 1987;10:129-31. 3. Angelini P, Trivellato M, Donis J, Leachman RD. Myocardial bridges: a review. Prog Cardiovasc Dis 1983;26:75-88. 4. Morales AR, Romanelli R, Boucek RJ. The mural left anterior descending coronary artery, strenuous exercise and sudden death. Circulation 1980;62:230-7. 5. Noble J, Bourassa MG, Petitclerc R, Dyrda I. Myocardial bridging and milking effect of the left anterior descending coronary artery: normal variant or obstruction? Am J Cardiol 1976;137:993-9. 6. Grover M, Mancini GBJ. Myocardial bridge associated with pacing-induced coronary spasm. AM HEART J 1984;108:1540-3.
Diffraction of a plane wave by a sector with Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions

The problems of diffraction by a screen occupying an infinite sector with Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions are addressed by the random walk method. The solution is represented as a superposition of the wave field completely determined by an elementary ray analysis and of the field formed by the waves diffracted by the tip of the screen. The diffracted field is explicitly represented as a mathematical expectation of a specified functional on trajectories of a random motion whose behavior is determined by the configuration of the problem and by the boundary conditions. The numerical results confirm the efficiency of the random walk approach to the analysis of diffraction by wedge-shaped screens of different angles.
Convergence in parameters and predictions using computational experimental design.

Typically, biological models fitted to experimental data suffer from significant parameter uncertainty, which can lead to inaccurate or uncertain predictions. One school of thought holds that accurate estimation of the true parameters of a biological system is inherently problematic. Recent work, however, suggests that optimal experimental design techniques can select sets of experiments whose members probe complementary aspects of a biochemical network that together can account for its full behaviour. Here, we implemented an experimental design approach for selecting sets of experiments that constrain parameter uncertainty. We demonstrated with a model of the epidermal growth factor–nerve growth factor pathway that, after synthetically performing a handful of optimal experiments, the uncertainty in all 48 parameters converged below 10 per cent. Furthermore, the fitted parameters converged to their true values with a small error consistent with the residual uncertainty. When untested experimental conditions were simulated with the fitted models, the predicted species concentrations converged to their true values with errors that were consistent with the residual uncertainty. This paper suggests that accurate parameter estimation is achievable with complementary experiments specifically designed for the task, and that the resulting parametrized models are capable of accurate predictions.
Studies of the inhibition of serum pseudocholinesterase activity in vitro by commonly used drugs.

We studied the effect of 17 commonly used drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter medications, on the activity of serum pseudocholinesterase (PCE) in vitro. Normal pooled human serum was incubated for 120 minutes at 37°C with therapeutic serum concentrations of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and the postincubation PCE activity was measured. Morphine, quinidine, and thioridazine depressed PCE activity by more than 5% while no or negligible effect was noted following incubation with acetaminophen, chlordiazepoxide, chlorpromazine, desipramine, doxepin, imipramine, methamphetamine, nortriptyline, phenobarbital, phenytoin, procainamide, salicylic acid, theophylline, and valproic acid. Depression of PCE activity can prolong the half-life of coadministered agents with metabolism mediated by PCE.
Transient plasma: Energy, engines, and aerospace applications

Summary form only given. Transient plasma in atmospheric pressure fuel-air mixtures, that is, plasma during a formative, short time period prior to equilibration of the plasma electron energy distribution, is studied for applications to the fundamental improvement of fuel-burning engine efficiency. Transient plasma has been demonstrated to substantially reduce ignition delay, and shows promise for improving engine efficiency through improved combustion efficiency. This transient plasma requires operation with short (&#60;100ns) pulsed high voltage, and typically requires only small pulse energy (typ. 10mJ to &#60;1J), require nanosecond-range pulsed power generation. Results for studies of several varied engine types including internal combustion engines and pulse detonation engines will be reviewed, and ideas for future directions will be presented.
Knowledge Extraction and Extrapolation Using Ancient and Modern Biomedical Literature

Extraction of knowledge from biomedical literature is one of the major problems for researchers. This primarily involves identification of novel associations between biological objects (genes, proteins, diseases, medicines etc.). These associations are commonly extracted by mining biomedical resources such as the PUBMED which contains a large volume of information. An automated approach towards this end will reduce a substantial amount of time for biomedical researchers. In this paper we discuss a methodology to extract such associations and to assign a significance measure to the generated hypotheses. The computed significance value for the extracted knowledge can be considered as association strength between biological objects. The generated hypotheses with large significance can be considered for further experimental validation by biologists. In this paper we conduct two different validation studies of the results, which provide justification for the approach that was followed to generate the hypotheses.
Relative performance evaluation in CEO pay contracts: evidence from the commercial banking industry

Reviews previous research on the effects of CEO compensation structure, outlines the criteria for relative performance evaluation (RPE) and notes the paucity of empirical evidence to support it. Reports a study of the use of RPE for US bank CEO compensation 1976‐1988; and its relationship to shareholder, market and industry returns. Explains the methodology and presents the results, which suggest that CEO pay is positively linked to firm performance, but negatively linked to market/industry performance; and that performance is positively linked to CEO option wealth. Adds that both the pay/performance link and the use of RPE increased after bank deregulation in the early 1980s. Considers consistency with other research and concludes that the reduction in compensation risk offered by RPE should reduce compensation cost and thus provide a good reason for the banking industry to increase its use.
Folk conceptions of fairness and unfairness

This study sought to identify the standards people invoke when judging the fairness or unfairness of outcomes of everyday events, and to determine whether their standards of judgment vary according to the fairness of the outcome and to their perspective, i.e. whether the outcomes are ones they personally experienced or witnessed. The standards of fairness laypeople were found to invoke, even when unprompted, coincided with the standards social scientists have emphasized (e.g. distributive, procedural) in their theories of psychological justice. However, laypeople emphasized these standards differently when accounting for the fairness–unfairness of personal experiences versus those they had witnessed, and when accounting for fair versus unfair outcomes. As predicted, they were more likely to invoke procedural and interpersonal criteria when judging the fairness–unfairness of their own outcomes, but more likely to invoke distributive criteria when judging others' outcomes. Regardless of perspective, laypeople cited procedural criteria as the major determinants of their fairness judgements; but cited procedural, distributive and interpersonal criteria as comparably influential in determining their unfairness judgments. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A nonlinear inverse problem inspired by three-dimensional diffuse tomography: Explicit formulas

We use time of flight information to obtain explicit inversion formulas for a simple model of optical tomography. This can be considered as an instance of a more general nonlinear inversion problem for multi-terminal networks. In this case the network is nonplanar with lots of cycles but the underlying physical model yields a highly structured situation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol 12, 198–203, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ima.10031
Comparisons of Hamaker constants for ceramic systems with intervening vacuum or water : From force laws and physical properties

SiO2 ,S i 3 N 4, and rutile TiO2, separated by vacuum or water. These were compared to Hamaker constants calculated from physical due to experimental difficulty in obtaining accurate data. At properties using the Tabor‐Winterton approximation, a single present, there are several techniques in use for the quantifioscillator model, a multiple oscillator model, and A’s calculated cation of these phenomena. using force vs separation data from surface force apparatus and In this work, the Hamaker constant is viewed as a systematomic force microscope studies. For materials with refractive indi- specific physical constant whose value for a given system ces between 1.4 and 1.8 separated by vacuum, all methods produce and geometry must be independent of the method of measimilar values, but for indices larger than 1.8 separated by vacuum, surement. Therefore, the value of the Hamaker constant meaand any of these materials separated by water, results span a sured by any accurate technique will agree well with that broader range. The present level of accuracy for the determination from any other accurate measurement technique. To date of Hamaker constants, here taken to be represented by the level there has been no comparison of the results of all the techof agreement between various methods, ranges from about 10%
Abstract P370: Cardiovascular Health Metrics, Lifetime Risks of Cardiovascular Disease and Chronic Disease Mortality, and Life Expectancy in Men and Women

Whether cardiovascular health metrics relates to lifetime risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic disease mortality and life expectancy in U.S. population remains less explored. PURPOSE: We investigated the combined impact of 7 ideal cardiovascular health metrics on lifetime risks of CVD and chronic disease mortality and life expectancy in US men and women at 30 years of age. METHODS: Lifetime risks of CVD and chronic disease mortality to 80 years of age were estimated for men and women, with death free of chronic diseases as a competing event. We followed 11,341 men and women, aged 30 to 80 years, who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. All participants completed baseline lifestyle factors and lifestyle behavior questionnaires. The 7 ideal cardiovascular health metrics was defined as physically active, never smoking, a healthy diet, waist girth (<102/88 cm), untreated blood pressure (<120/80 mmHg), untreated total cholesterol (<200 mg/dL), and untreated fasting glucose (<100 mg/dL) defined by the American Heart Association Strategic Committee. They were further categorized as having 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 combined cardiovascular health metrics. RESULTS: During an average of 13.7 years of follow-up (155,726 person-years), there were a total of 1834 chronic disease deaths (945 CVD, 579 cancer, 217 respiratory disease, 93 diabetes mellitus). The lifetime risks of chronic disease mortality (at 30 years of age) across 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 or 7 ideal health metrics were (95% CI) 46.2% (41.6, 50.7), 40.3% (36.9, 43.8), 33.1% (30, 36.1), 27.2% (23.9, 30.5), 25.8% (21, 30.5), 24.8% (16.8, 32.9), and 12.7% (1.2, 24.1), respectively. Men and women who had adopted increasing number ideal health metrics had a substantially lower lifetime risk of chronic disease mortality. The lifetime risks of CVD mortality across 7 ideal health metrics showed trends similar to chronic disease mortality. After adjustment for multiple risk factors, men and women with all 6 or 7 combined ideal health metrics had a 75% (95% CI: 51% to 88%) lower risk of chronic disease mortality and 93% (95% CI: 53% to 99%) lower risk of CVD mortality, respectively, when compared with men and women with zero ideal health metrics. Men and women with 0 compared with 6 or 7 combined ideal health metrics had a shorter life expectancy by 16 years (95% CI: 13 to 19.1 years). Approximately 63% (95% CI: 26% to 82%) of chronic disease deaths might have been avoided if men and women had maintained all 6 or 7 combined health factors and healthy lifestyle behaviors. CONCLUSION: Maintaining an ideal cardiovascular health metrics is associated with lower lifetime risks of CVD and chronic disease mortality in men and women.
Working beyond the confines of academic discipline to resolve a real-world problem: A community of scientists discussing long-tail data in the cloud

This project interrogates a workshop leader and whole-meeting talk among a group of scientists gathered at a workshop to discuss cyberinfrastructure and the sharing of both ‘light’ and ‘dark’ data in the sciences. This project analyzes discourses working through the workshop talk to interrogate the social relations, interdisciplinary identities, concerns, and commonalities in the sciences and in relation to emerging opportunities for computing and data sharing in the cloud. The findings point to the efficacy of arranging scientists around data collection processes for collaborative work as opposed to groupings around data type, discipline, work sectors, or collection location. This research provides an opportunity to consider the democratization of data, academic boundaries in the sciences, as well as interdisciplinary and collaborative problem-solving processes that happen in groups across academic and applied contexts.
Hormone Inducible Specific Gene Expression in an Isolated Whole Mammary Organ in Serum-Free Culture

Selective gene expression is believed to play a critical role in cellular differentiation associated with developmental processes (1). Functional differentiation (lactogenesis) of the mammary epithelial cells is accompanied by hormone-inducible expression of several specific gene products including the major milk-proteins, the casein (2). In the murine mammary gland, a glucocorticoid (Cortisol or corticosterone) and prolactin are the principal steroid and polypeptide hormones required for lactogenesis including the synthesis of the caseins, a phosphoprotein complex (3,4). Progesterone is also involved in this process and is known to act as a suppressor of lactogenesis (5). This chapter includes a brief discussion of our recent findings on the mode of action of the different steroid and polypeptide hormones involved in the regulation of the expression of the casein genes in an isolated whole mammary organ in vitro. Earlier studies on milk-protein gene expression in the mammary gland in vivo and in vitro have been reviewed in recent years (6–10).
A Rectangular Plate as a Proposed Modal Test Structure

Studies show that a rectangular plate can be used for several purposes, such as comparing various modal systems and modal extraction algorithms, comparing test techniques, and training new personnel in these tasks. Efforts to develop a simple structure for comparison of modal systems led to the plate. A structure was desired which would be easy to analyze, have well defined properties, be easy to fabricate, have both widely spaced and closely spaced modes, and have a moderate amount of damping. The plate, which is roughly 53 cm long by 32 cm wide by 2 cm thick, is constructed of polymethyl methacrylate, a material that provides internal damping of 2% to 3% of critical.
Ectopic decidualization causing massive postpartum intraperitoneal hemorrhage.

Background Spontaneous intraperitoneal hemorrhage during pregnancy or in the postpartum period is a rare but dangerous phenomenon. Case A 41-year-old gravida 3 para 1, 9 days postpartum, presented with lower abdominal pain and hypovolemia. Emergent laparotomy revealed massive intraperitoneal hemorrhage caused by ectopic decidualization with vascular intrusion into the left hypogastric artery in an area of previously documented endometriosis. Conclusion Ectopic deciduosis is usually no more than a pathologic curiosity. In a pregnant patient with spontaneous intraperitoneal hemorrhage, however, it must be considered because it results in a high incidence of maternal and neonatal mortality.
Recent advances in pulmonary medicine (1).

The Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome The past decade has seen an explosion of knowledge and literature about one disease, AIDS, that is unprecedented in medical history. Respiratory complications are among the most common clinical problems associated with AIDS; this section will highlight many of the issues concerning these complications, both infectious and noninfectious125,126. Opportunistic pneumonia due to Pneumocystis carinii is the most common respiratory complication in patients with AIDS. The risk of P. carinii pneumonia is greatly increased once the level of CD4+ lymphocytes falls to 200 per cubic millimeter or less127. The clinical picture, characterized by fever, . . .
Converging to American: Healthy Immigrant Effect in Children of Immigrants.

We analyze children of immigrants' healthy immigrant effect using parental year of arrival and region of birth. Using data from Integrated National Health Interview Survey 2008-2014, we evaluate children of immigrants' health status by using obesity rates and the number of visits to the doctor versus their native counterparts. Consistent with their parents, children of immigrants' health status declines the longer their parents, remain in the United States. Meanwhile, there is an increase in the number of visits to the doctor the more years their parents, have resided in the country. The convergence rate differs by immigrant group.
Neurologic Decline After Spinal Angiography for Dural Arteriovenous Fistula and Improvement with Emergent Surgical Ligation

Background Although angiography does not generally lead to increased clinically significant neurologic deficits, it has been reported that angiography for spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (SDAVFs) can lead to acute neurologic decline. This has been rarely reported, and outcome after decline and the subsequent intervention performed have not been clarified. We describe a patient with SDAVF who experienced acute neurologic decline shortly after spinal angiography. Acute surgical treatment resulted in improvement of symptoms. Case Description A 70-year-old woman presented following 5 months of progressive numbness and weakness in her lower extremities. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging revealed thoracic spinal cord edema. Spinal angiography revealed a type 1 SDAVF. Several hours after spinal angiography, the patient's lower extremity motor strength declined significantly. This neurologic change led to emergent surgical intervention and ligation of the SDAVF. The patient's neurologic decline subsequently improved and ultimately resolved completely. Conclusions Although acute worsening of neurologic deficits is a rare complication following angiography of SDAVFs, the reversibility of these deficits by emergent intervention argues for careful surveillance after angiography with protocols in place to rapidly intervene if needed. Warming and diluting the contrast agent should be considered to reduce contrast viscosity, a potential aggravating factor to the venous congestion of spinal fistulas.
CHAPTER 26 – Fluid Dynamics of the Joint Space and Trafficking of Matrix Products

A large and growing body of literature attests to the broad, continuing interest in cartilage-derived molecules as “markers” of damage and repair across a wide variety of joint diseases. This chapter aims to put such data in the context of normal and pathologic joint physiology. It introduces important caveats in the interpretation of marker data and discusses potential strategies to deal with them. Till date, studies of cartilaginous markers have been limited primarily to measurements of concentration in synovial fluid and plasma. When such data are used to compare different conditions or to follow the same condition serially, the work necessarily assumes that the clearance does not vary between conditions, between individuals, or within the same individual over time. Unfortunately, those assumptions are demonstrably false. To fulfill the marker promise of information regarding “release” from cartilage, the kinetics of these molecules must be examined together with their concentration. Fortunately, relatively simple techniques, largely based on concurrent studies of serum albumin as a reference solute, may go a long way to remedy this situation.
A spline-profiled conical horn antenna assembly optimized for deployable Ka-band offset reflector antennas in CubeSats

With the advent of small-scale satellite technologies, there has been significant interest in developing advanced functionalities for CubeSat and SmallSat projects. Developing high-gain antennas within this paradigm opens the door for many new applications which require high data rates or narrow-beam patterns. In this paper, we discuss the optimization of a compact, spline-profile horn antenna assembly that could be used as a feed for future deployable offset reflector antennas in CubeSats.
Repetitive Negative Thinking: The Link Between Caregiver Burden and Depressive Symptoms.

Purpose/objectives To explore whether repetitive negative thinking (RNT) mediates the pathway between subscales of caregiver burden and depressive symptoms. . Design Cross-sectional pilot study. . Setting Bone marrow unit at the University of Louisville Hospital in Kentucky and caregiver support organizations in Louisville. . Sample 49 current cancer caregivers who were primarily spouses or partners of individuals with lymphoma or leukemia and provided care for a median of 30 hours each week for 12 months. . Methods Caregivers completed questionnaires assessing caregiver burden, RNT, and depressive symptoms. . Main research variables Caregiver burden, RNT, and depressive symptoms. . Findings Results showed that RNT mediated the relationship between burden (as a result of impact on schedule or finances) and depressive symptoms. Although burden from a lack of family support and impact on health was positively related to depressive symptoms, these relationships were not mediated by RNT. In addition, caregiver esteem was not associated with RNT or depressive symptoms. . Conclusions RNT plays an important role in maintaining and potentially exacerbating caregiver distress. Assessment and intervention regarding RNT in cancer caregivers may reduce depressive symptoms prompted by burden from an impact on schedule or finances. . Implications for nursing Nurses may be significant in connecting caregivers experiencing RNT to resources and professionals to enhance adaptive coping and potentially prevent depressive symptoms.
Variety, Idiosyncracy, and Complexity in Language and Language Technologies

This paper addresses three issues in language technologies. For each issue, the paper recommends an area of linguistics that is easily accessible to computer scientists and provides some examples that may be thought-provoking. The first issue is linguistic diversity, which is addressed by language typology. Typology provides an insightful view of the syntax and semantics of word order, as presented in Section 2.2. The second issue is the long tail of sparse phenomena. Section 3.3 uses Construction Grammar as a framework for addressing the details of definiteness and modality. Finally, Section 4 addresses how to make error analysis fun. It moves beyond monoclausal sentences and revives some rules from 1970s style transformational grammar as a fun way to analyze complex sentences.
Modeling of Ti-W Solidification Microstructures Under Additive Manufacturing Conditions

Additive manufacturing (AM) processes have many benefits for the fabrication of alloy parts, including the potential for greater microstructural control and targeted properties than traditional metallurgy processes. To accelerate utilization of this process to produce such parts, an effective computational modeling approach to identify the relationships between material and process parameters, microstructure, and part properties is essential. Development of such a model requires accounting for the many factors in play during this process, including laser absorption, material addition and melting, fluid flow, various modes of heat transport, and solidification. In this paper, we start with a more modest goal, to create a multiscale model for a specific AM process, Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS™), which couples a continuum-level description of a simplified beam melting problem (coupling heat absorption, heat transport, and fluid flow) with a Lattice Boltzmann-cellular automata (LB-CA) microscale model of combined fluid flow, solute transport, and solidification. We apply this model to a binary Ti-5.5 wt pct W alloy and compare calculated quantities, such as dendrite arm spacing, with experimental results reported in a companion paper.
DiffuserCam: Diffuser-Based Lensless Cameras

We propose a lensless, diffuser-based camera with a simple calibration scheme. We investigate the resolution, field of view, and depth of field of our system, and we show results from two prototypes.
Open Eye Injury

Anesthetic management of patients presenting for urgent or emergent eye surgery after penetrating eye injury is challenging primarily because of the risk of extrusion of ocular contents if intraocular pressure becomes elevated. Additional concerns include risk of aspiration in patients with a full stomach, and the possibility of associated traumatic injuries (e.g., orbital or cranial trauma). A foreign body in the eye is the most common type of eye trauma, accounting for 35% of all eye injuries. Open wounds and contusions each account for about 25% of injuries, while the rest are burns. Nearly 35% of eye injuries occur in patients ≤17 years old. Although eye injury is not a significant cause of total blindness, it is the most common cause of monocular blindness.
Implementation of a Process for Initiating Naltrexone in Patients Hospitalized for Alcohol Detoxification or Withdrawal.

BACKGROUND Naltrexone trials have demonstrated improved outcomes for patients with alcohol use disorders. Hospital initiation of naltrexone has had limited study. OBJECTIVE To describe the implementation and impact of a process for counseling hospitalized patients with alcohol withdrawal about naltrexone. DESIGN A pre-post study analysis. SETTING A tertiary academic center. PATIENTS Patients hospitalized for alcohol withdrawal. INTERVENTION (1) Provider education about the efficacy and contraindications of naltrexone and (2) algorithms for evaluating patients for naltrexone. MEASUREMENTS The percentages of patients counseled about and prescribed naltrexone before discharge and the percentages of pre- and postintervention patients with 30-day emergency department (ED) revisits and rehospitalizations. RESULTS We identified 128 patient encounters before and 114 after implementation. The percentage of patients counseled about naltrexone rose from 1.6% preimplementation to 63.2% postimplementation (P<.001); the percentage of patients prescribed naltrexone rose from 1.6% to 28.1% (P<.001). Comparing preintervention versus postintervention groups, there were no unadjusted differences in 30-day ED revisits (25.8% vs 19.3%; P=.23) or rehospitalizations (10.2% vs 11.4%; P=.75). When adjusted for demographics and comorbidities, postintervention patients had lower odds of 30-day ED revisits (odds ratio [OR]=0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24-0.94) but no significant difference in rehospitalizations (OR=0.76; 95% CI, 0.30-1.92). In subgroup analysis, postintervention patients counseled versus those not counseled about naltrexone were less likely to have 30-day ED revisits (9.7% vs 35.7%; P=.001) and rehospitalizations (2.8% vs 26.2%; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS The implementation of a process for counseling patients hospitalized for alcohol withdrawal about using naltrexone for the maintenance of sobriety was associated with lower 30-day ED revisits but no statistically significant difference in rehospitalizations.
Clinical Utility of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Spinal Infections.

Both laboratory markers and radiographic findings in the setting of spinal infections can be nonspecific in determining the presence or absence of active infection, and can lag behind both clinical symptoms and antibiotic response. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has been shown to be helpful in evaluating brain abscesses but has not been commonly used in evaluating spinal infections. We aimed to correlate findings on DWI of the spine to results of microbiological sampling in patients with suspected spinal infections. Patients who underwent MRI with DWI for suspicion of spinal infections and microbiological sampling from 2002 to 2010 were identified and reviewed retrospectively in this institutional review board approved study. In addition to DWI, scans included sagittal and axial T1, fast-spin echo (FSE) T2, and post-gadolinium T1 with fat saturation. Regions of interest were drawn on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps in the area of suspected infections, and ADC values were correlated with microbiological sampling. Of 38 patients with suspected spinal infections, 29 (76%) had positive microbiological sampling, and 9 (24%) had negative results. The median ADC value was 740 × 10−6 mm2/s for patients with positive microbiological sampling and 1980 × 10−6 mm2/s for patients with negative microbiological sampling (p < 0.001). Using an ADC value of 1250 × 10−6 mm2/s or less as the cut-off value for a positive result for spinal infection, sensitivity was 66%, specificity was 88%, positive predictive value was 95%, negative predictive value was 41% and accuracy was 70%. In patients with suspected spine infection, ADC values on DWI are significantly reduced in those patients with positive microbiological sampling compared to patients with negative microbiological sampling. The DWI of the spine correlates well with the presence or absence of spinal infection and may complement conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Reality Rules I. The Fundamentals; II The Frontier. By John L

(1994). Reality Rules I. The Fundamentals; II The Frontier. By John L. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 101, No. 2, pp. 186-188.
Pain Management in Patients with Chronic Wounds

Chronic wounds are increasing in prevalence and are often associated with significant pain, which can have a major impact on quality of life. Safe and effective pain management can be challenging, an unfortunate reality that is highlighted by the ongoing opioid crisis. This review aims to provide an evidence-based framework for pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic pain management in patients with chronic wounds. As reflected in the new CDC guidelines, no study has shown that long-term opioid use mitigates chronic pain. Non-pharmacologic therapies, including virtual reality and acupuncture, have shown efficacy and are promising adjuvant therapies for pain management. Non-opioid pharmacotherapies and non-pharmacologic therapies are preferable to opioids for chronic pain related to non-healing wounds. The experience of pain is a subjective and complex biopsychosocial process that necessitates a rational, personalized, and often multimodal approach to management.
Cancer Development in Competitive and Hostile Environments

From the perspective of cancer cells, they reside and must survive in a highly stressful and unfriendly environment. From the beginning, the cells have been under tremendous pressure to evolve in order to rid themselves of accumulated glucose metabolites and hence survival via cell division, as discussed in Chap. 5. In order to sustain their proliferation for long-term survival, they must continuously adjust their metabolism to adapt to the micro-environmental stresses and concurrently avoid the detection and destruction by myriad defense mechanisms that are present in humans to neutralize and destroy infectious organisms and aberrant cells. The adaptations of these cells to the challenging environment continue to drive their metabolism to become increasingly more irregular. As they continue to accumulate abnormalities, these cells must also continue to evolve to gain additional protection, thus ensuring their survival in the increasingly hostile environment. The ongoing processes of evolution and adaptation may drive the cellular metabolism to become even more anomalous, thus forming a vicious cycle and serving as a new driver for survival via proliferation. The defense systems that these evolving cells must overcome include: (1) the cellular surveillance and protection systems such as apoptosis and limited growth potential; (2) competition from the neighboring cells, a tissue-level mechanism for eliminating less fit cells and (3) the immune system. The main question addressed in this chapter is: How have the cancer cells evolved to survive these obstacles and become increasingly more malignant? The question of how the cancer cells respond to and overcome other microenvironment-induced stresses will be deferred to Chap. 9.
Abstract WMP106: Haptoglobin is Present as Zonulin in the Brain and Overexpression Improves Intracerebral Hemorrhage Outcomes

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) most commonly results from a hypertensive spontaneous bleed into the brain parenchyma and is a devastating stroke subtype. Hemolysis ensues and large quantities of he...
Multi-Site Harmonization of Diffusion MRI Data via Method of Moments

Diffusion MRI is a powerful tool for non-invasive probing of brain tissue microstructure. Recent multi-center efforts in the acquisition and analysis of diffusion MRI data significantly increase sample sizes and hence improve sensitivity and reliability in detecting subtle changes associated with development, aging, and diseases. However, discrepancies resulting from different scanner vendors, acquisition protocols, and image reconstruction algorithms can cause data incompatibility across imaging centers. In this paper, we introduce a model-free method that is based on the method of moments for the direct harmonization of diffusion MRI data to reduce site-specific variations. Our method directly harmonizes diffusion-attenuated signal without the need to fit any diffusion model. Moreover, our method allows the explicit definition of well-behaved mapping functions with properties such as invertibility, smoothness, and injectivity. We show that our method is effective in lowering the variations of diffusion scalars of traveling human phantoms scanned at different sites from 1%–3% to less than 0.9% for fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity and from 1%–2.5% to 0.3%–1.2% for generalized FA. We also demonstrate its ability in preserving individual differences and in increasing across-site consistency in tractography and white matter connectivity.
Racial disparities in preterm birth in USA: a biosensor of physical and social environmental exposures.

The infant mortality rate in USA exceeds that of most other developed nations, ranking 26th among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.1 Non-Hispanic black infants in USA die more than twice as often as non-Hispanic white infants (11.4 vs 4.9 per 1000 live births).2 This disparity reflects disparities in preterm birth (PTB) rates, since two-thirds of infant mortality occurs in preterm infants.3 The PTB rate is 52% higher for black (13.8%) than white (9.0%) women. Efforts to reduce PTB and its disparities have failed (figure 1). We propose that racial disparities in PTB are a cumulative biosensor of exposures that vary by race, arising from long-standing inequities. Figure 1 Black-white disparities in preterm birth over 10 years in USA.64 65 RR, relative risk. ### PTB disparities are not due to genetic sequence variation between racial groups While some monogenic diseases track (incompletely) with race, such as sickle cell anaemia and cystic fibrosis, the vast majority of health conditions cannot be mapped to genetic variation between racial groups. Most human genetic variation is found within ancestral groups with only 5%–10% of gene frequencies differing between ancestral groups.4 Nonetheless, different frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by race have led some investigators to search for genetic differences that cause racial disparities in PTB. However, SNPs explain an exceedingly small portion of PTB risk, and are often not replicated.5 6 Some strong evidence supports that disparities in birth outcomes are largely attributable to environmental, as opposed to genetic variation. One example is the phenomenon of erosion of immigrant health over generations. Birth weight (BWT) distributions of infants born to African-born black women and US-born white women nearly overlap, whereas infants born to US-born black women were substantially smaller.7 Indeed in a study of 27 states’ births in 2008, foreign-born black women had significantly lower odds of PTB than US-born black women even …
Response to Comment on Lacy et al. Long-term Glycemic Control and Dementia Risk in Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 2018;41:2339-2345.

We thank Medrano-De-Avila et al. (1) for their interest in our study (2) on long-term glycemic control and dementia risk among older adults with type 1 diabetes. In our study, the principal finding was that individuals with majority exposure to HbA1c 8–8.9% or HbA1c ≥9% had higher rates of dementia. A secondary finding was the suggestion that majority exposure to HbA1c <6% was potentially associated with a slightly (albeit statistically nonsignificant) increased risk of dementia. As Medrano-De-Avila et al. point out, prior studies have identified an association between hypoglycemia and dementia in …
Energy and hygrothermal performance of cross laminated timber single-family homes subjected to constant and variable electric rates

Abstract Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is a panelized mass timber product suitable for sustainable building construction that can reduce building energy use and cooling electricity peak demand. Previous studies have shown that CLT has a market in the US for tall commercial buildings . However, most of the current CLT literature has not consider application in residential construction. Residential building energy use is highly susceptible to weather. Thus, it has the potential to benefit from using CLT as the envelope material given its natural massiveness and enhanced air-tightness. Furthermore, the construction advantages of CLT make it a candidate for rapidly growing residential areas. This study numerically analyzes potential energy savings when CLT is implemented in a single-family home in different US climates. A typical new wood frame home is compared against the same house implemented with CLT construction. The effects of increased thermal mass and reduced infiltration are taken into account in order to determine the impact of CLT on the energy consumption. This study also considers the use of variable thermostat setpoints to introduce precooling strategies with the objective of reducing cooling electricity energy cost when time-of-use (TOU) electricity rates are available. In addition, this study examines temperature and humidity changes in CLT homes using WUFI software, a wall assembly simulator used to analyze thermal and moisture transfer. The thermal changes throughout the wall assemblies indicate the enhanced sensible storage capabilities, insulation performance of CLT, as well as ensure that the CLT assembly is physically practical, with no significant moisture accumulation that can lead to rot or mold.
Israel, Guatemala, and the agricultural roots of an authoritarian internationalism:

On Christmas Eve 2017, less than a month after President Donald Trump unilaterally announced his decision to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Guatemala announced that it wo...
White Matter Language Pathways and Language Performance in Healthy Adults Across Ages

The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between age-related white matter changes, with a specific focus on previously identified language pathways, and language functioning in healthy aging. 228 healthy participants (126 female; 146 right-handed), ages 18 to 76, underwent 3.0 Tesla MR diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and a battery of language assessments including the Boston Naming Test (BNT), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), Semantic Fluency Test (SFT), and a subset of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (CI-BDAE). Using tract based spatial statistics (TBSS), we investigated measurements of fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), and mean diffusivity (MD). TBSS was used to create a white matter skeleton that was then used to analyze white matter changes (indexed by FA, AD, RD, and MD) with age and language performance. Results focused primarily on significant relationships (p < 0.05, cluster-wise FDR corrected for multiple comparisons) in the canonical language white matter pathways. We found a diffuse linear decrease with age in global white matter FA and a significant focal increase in FA with age within the bilateral superior cerebellar peduncles (SCPs). We observed that increased BNT scores were associated with increased FA within the left SLF, and within the posterior and antero-lateral portions of the right inferior frontal-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). Increased SFT and PPVT scores were associated with increased FA within the posterior portion of the right IFOF and increased FA within the left body of the corpus callosum was associated with lower COWAT scores. We found no association between FA and BDAE. MD, RD, and AD, were found to be inversely proportional to FA within the IFOF, with AD showing a negative correlation with SFT, and RD and MD showing a negative correlation with BNT. There was no association between CI-BDAE and any of the white matter measures. Significant differences between sexes included more pronounced FA decrease with age within the right SLF in males vs. females; there were no differences in language performance scores between sexes. We also found that there was no decline in language testing scores with increasing age in our cohort. Taken together, our findings of varying relationships between DTI metrics and language function within multiple regions of the non-dominant IFOF suggest that more robust language networks with bilateral structural connectivity may contribute to better overall language functioning, regardless of age.
Diffuse tensor imaging of lower extremities: a novel MR imaging technique for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is caused by drug-induced damage to the axons which is not detected easily due to lack of reliable, clinically applicable modalities. Diffuse tensor imaging (DTI) allows for quantitative measurements of fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), which have been shown to detect nerve injury by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). We sought to evaluate if DTI could be used for detection of CIPN in patients with breast cancer treated with a taxane. Patients with h/o exposure to neurotoxic chemotherapy, diabetes, or peripheral neuropathy were excluded. Patients completed pre- and post-chemotherapy MRI of bilateral legs and FACT&GOG-Ntx. Genotyping of single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) was performed to detect known associations with CIPN. We had 14 evaluable patients in this prospective trial. Mean FA values post-chemotherapy were significantly lower than baseline at mid-calf (p < 0.0001) and ankle (p = 0.03). We did not find any significant change in mean ADC values. In patients without symptomatic neuropathy, mean FA values decreased more than symptomatic patients at mid-calf (p < 0.001). Of the 41 genotyped SNVs, only rs8110536 was found to be significantly associated with development of CIPN. Our results show that FA values are indicative of CIPN and differential changes in FA values in symptomatic versus asymptomatic patients highlights its potential to be further studied as a predictive biomarker for CIPN. This is the first study to highlight a non-invasive, imaging based, objective biomarker which, if validated, can be translated into clinic easily.
Dislocation-graphene interactions in Cu/graphene composites and the effect of boundary conditions: a molecular dynamics study

Abstract In this paper, systematic molecular dynamics simulations were employed to study dislocation-graphene interactions in Cu/graphene systems using two carefully selected configurations: (i) edge dislocations in the pileup interacting with graphene during nanoindentation and (ii) complex dislocations interacting with graphene in compression of layered nanopillars. The intrinsic and extrinsic size effects were investigated with respect to varying the Cu lamella thickness and pillar sizes, revealing an anomalous extrinsic size effect: the smaller, the weaker. To understand which boundary conditions are physically consistent, both free and periodic graphene were considered. It was seen that edge dislocations in the pileup continuously transmitted across the free graphene through Cu/graphene interfacial sliding and graphene reorientation, whereas transmission was very difficult for periodic graphene as its in-plane deformation was required. In compression of Cu/graphene nanopillars, the strengthening effect of free graphene was found to be less obvious than that of the periodic case, which could be attributed to free graphene edges acting as dislocation sources after the compressed Cu overflowed the graphene sheet from all directions. We therefore conclude that the strengthening effect of periodic graphene inclusions appears to be overestimated, such that free graphene should be more appropriate.
Abstract P720: Primary Stroke Prevention by Primary Care Providers: An Unmet Need

Introduction: The majority of patients who present with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) have known stroke risk factors which are not optimally managed. It has been suggested that a CHADS-VASC score can...
The Role of Wip1 in Regulating the Protumorigenic Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype

Senescent cells are known to accumulate in tissues with age. They are often characterized by a permanent cell cycle arrest and altered secretory profile referred to as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). The release of SASP factors—which include proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors—creates a milieu that can promote preneoplastic cell growth. The mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 (p38MAPK) is a transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulator of various SASP factors. Relative to its activation in response to lipopolysaccharide treatment, p38MAPK phosphorylation due to senescence stimuli is dramatically slower. To elucidate the mechanism of these slow kinetics, we focused on wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1), which inactivates p38MAPK by dephosphorylating a conserved threonine residue. The loss of p53 function results in a more rapid and robust activation of p38MAPK in response to senescence. Additionally, Wip1 is rapidly induced by senescent stimuli, with expression ...