bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-Labeling Enzyme Tags for Analyses of Translocation of Type III Secretion System Effector Proteins
Authors: Göser Vera , Kommnick Carina , Liss Viktoria , Hensel Michael
Published: June 2019

Type III secretion systems mediate translocation of effector proteins into mammalian cells. These proteins interfere with host cell functions, being main virulence factors of Gram-negative pathogens. Analyses of the process of translocation, the subcellular distribution, and the dynamics of effector proteins in host cells have been hampered by the lack of suitable tags and detection systems. Here we describe the use of self-labeling enzyme tags for generation of fusions with effector proteins that are translocated and functional in host cell manipulation. Self-labeling reactions with cell-permeable ligand dyes are possible prior to or after translocation. We applied the new approach to superresolution microscopy for effector protein translocation. For the first time, we show the dynamic properties of effector proteins in living host cells after translocation by intracellular bacteria. The new approach of self-labeling enzyme tags fusions will enable analyses of type III secretion system effector proteins with new dimensions of temporal and spatial resolution.
Characterization of the Streptomyces coelicolor Glycoproteome Reveals Glycoproteins Important for Cell Wall Biogenesis
Authors: Keenan Tessa , Dowle Adam , Bates Rachel , Smith Margaret C. M.
Published: June 2019

In prokaryotes, the role of protein glycosylation is poorly understood due to our limited understanding of their glycoproteomes. In some
Actinobacteria
, defects in protein O-glycosylation have been shown to retard growth and result in hypersensitivity to cell wall-targeting antibiotics, suggesting that this modification is important for maintaining cell wall structure. Here, we have characterized the glycoproteome in
Streptomyces coelicolor
and shown that glycoproteins have diverse roles, including those related to solute binding, ABC transporters, and cell wall biosynthesis. We have generated mutants encoding two putative cell wall-active glycoproteins and shown them to be hypersensitive to cell wall-targeting antibiotics. These findings strongly suggest that both glycoproteins are required for maintaining cell wall integrity and that glycosylation affects enzyme function.
Sulfur-Oxidizing Symbionts without Canonical Genes for Autotrophic CO
2
Fixation
Authors: Seah Brandon K. B. , Antony Chakkiath Paul , Huettel Bruno , Zarzycki Jan , Schada von Borzyskowski Lennart , Erb Tobias J. , Kouris Angela , Kleiner Manuel , Liebeke Manuel , Dubilier Nicole , Gruber-Vodicka Harald R.
Published: June 2019

Many animals and protists depend on symbiotic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria as their main food source. These bacteria use energy from oxidizing inorganic sulfur compounds to make biomass autotrophically from CO
2
, serving as primary producers for their hosts. Here we describe a clade of nonautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing symbionts, “
Candidatus
Kentron,” associated with marine ciliates. They lack genes for known autotrophic pathways and have a carbon stable isotope fingerprint heavier than other symbionts from similar habitats. Instead, they have the potential to oxidize sulfur to fuel the uptake of organic compounds for heterotrophic growth, a metabolic mode called chemolithoheterotrophy that is not found in other symbioses. Although several symbionts have heterotrophic features to supplement primary production, in Kentron they appear to supplant it entirely.
DNA-Membrane Anchor Facilitates Efficient Chromosome Translocation at a Distance in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Radzinski Nikolai P. , Besprozvannaya Marina , McLean Eric L. , Talwalkar Anusha , Burton Briana M.
Published: June 2019

To properly segregate their chromosomes, organisms tightly regulate the organization and dynamics of their DNA. Aspects of the process by which DNA is translocated during sporulation are not yet fully understood, such as what factors indirectly influence the activity of the motor protein SpoIIIE. In this work, we have shown that a DNA-membrane tether mediated by RacA contributes to the activity of SpoIIIE. Loss of RacA nearly doubles the time of translocation, despite the physically distinct locations these proteins and their activities occupy within the cell. This is a rare example of an explicit effect that DNA-membrane connections can have on cell physiology and demonstrates that distant changes to the state of the chromosome can influence motor proteins which act upon it.
Emerging Roles for NlpE as a Sensor for Lipoprotein Maturation and Transport to the Outer Membrane in Escherichia coli
Authors: Simpson Brent W. , Trent M. Stephen
Published: June 2019

Outer membrane biogenesis is a complex process for Gram-negative bacteria as the components are synthesized in the cytoplasm or at the inner membrane and then transported to the outer membrane. Stress pathways monitor and respond to problems encountered in assembling the outer membrane. The two-component system CpxAR was recently reported to be a stress pathway for transport of lipoproteins to the outer membrane, but it was unclear how this stress is sensed. May et al. [K. L. May, K. M.
Sports injury and illness incidence in the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games: a prospective study of 2914 athletes from 92 countries
Authors: Soligard Torbjørn , Palmer Debbie , Steffen Kathrin , Lopes Alexandre Dias , Grant Marie-Elaine , Kim DooSup , Lee Sae Yong , Salmina Natalia , Toresdahl Brett G , Chang Joon Young , Budgett Richard , Engebretsen Lars
Published: June 2019

Objective

To describe the incidence of injuries and illnesses sustained during the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, hosted by PyeongChang on 9–25 February 2018.

Methods

We recorded the daily number of athlete injuries and illnesses (1) through the reporting of all National Olympic Committee (NOC) medical teams and (2) in the polyclinic and medical venues by the PyeongChang 2018 medical staff.

Results

In total, 2914 athletes (1210 women, 42%; 1704 men, 58%) from 92 NOCs were observed for occurrence of injury and illness. NOC and PyeongChang 2018 medical staff reported 376 injuries and 279 illnesses, equalling 12.6 injuries and 9.4 illnesses per 100 athletes over the 17-day period. Altogether, 12% of the athletes incurred at least one injury and 9% at least one illness. The injury incidence was highest in ski halfpipe (28%), snowboard cross (26%), ski cross (25%), snowboard slopestyle (21%) and aerials (20%), and lowest in Nordic combined, biathlon, snowboard slalom, moguls and cross-country skiing (2%–6%). Of the 376 injuries recorded, 33% and 13% were estimated to lead to ≥1 day and >7 days of absence from sport, respectively. The highest incidences of illness were recorded in biathlon (15%), curling (14%), bobsleigh (14%) and snowboard slalom (13%). Thirty per cent of the illnesses were expected to result in time loss, and 70% affected the respiratory system. Women suffered 61% more illnesses than men.

Conclusion

Overall, 12% of the athletes incurred at least one injury during the Games and 9% an illness, incidences that are similar to the Olympic Winter Games of 2010 and 2014.
Enabling factors and barriers to the sustainability and scale-up of drowning reduction interventions in Vietnam: a qualitative assessment
Authors: Jagnoor Jagnoor , Christou Aliki , Pham Cuong , Ivers Rebecca Q , Nguyen Ha
Published: June 2019

Background

Vietnam has some of the highest rates of drowning deaths in the Western Pacific Region, particularly among children aged 19 years or younger. Several policies aimed at drowning prevention have been developed over the last decade; however, despite policy support, generally these have not been sustained beyond a pilot phase or have been limited to small geographical regions. The present study aims to explore barriers and facilitators for sustainability and scale-up of drowning prevention initiatives in Vietnam, identifying ways forward for future implementation.

Methods

This was a qualitative study using semistructured indepth interviews with key stakeholders (n=12) engaged in drowning prevention in Vietnam. The Framework Method was used to analyse the data drawing on Schell’s theoretical framework for public health programme sustainability. The Framework Method is most commonly used for the thematic analysis of semistructured interview transcripts, particularly as the data were fairly homogeneous.

Results

Four key factors were identified that facilitated implementation of drowning reduction activities in Vietnam. Strong political support at all levels, underpinned by policy; effective partnerships with the community; widespread communication; and programme adaptation to local contexts and application of innovative approaches, for example, strengthening organisational capacity in limited resource settings, were the key enablers. Barriers include the instability of the funding sources; inadequate programme evaluations to generate evidence of effectiveness and lack of consistent and timely data collection; and insufficient strategic planning for long-term implementation of drowning prevention interventions.

Conclusion

Ensuring the sustainability and scale-up of drowning prevention programmes in Vietnam requires a continued focus on enablers such as on community engagement, communication activities and partnership approaches, and importantly concerted efforts to mobilise resources for continued long-term funding, improvements in planning and intersectoral coordination, and ensuring that future programmes are robustly evaluated for effectiveness.
Microsatellite instability diagnosis using the fully automated Idylla platform: feasibility study of an in-house rapid molecular testing ancillary to immunohistochemistry in pathology laboratories
Authors: Samaison Laura , Grall Mélanie , Staroz Frédéric , Uguen Arnaud
Published: June 2019

Aim

To study the performances of the Idylla MSI Assay in the diagnosis of microsatellite instability (MSI) or microsatellite stability (MSS).

Methods

We selected 12 tumour samples previously tested for MSI focusing on cases with discrepant results between MLH1, PMS2, MSH2 and MSH6 immunohistochemistry and microsatellite molecular analyses (five cases) or doubtful immunohistochemistry (two cases). Idylla MSI Assay was compared with retrospective immunohistochemistry and molecular results.

Results

Idylla MSI Assay showed an almost perfect concordance with microsatellite analysis results previously obtained (only one case with not fully conclusive analysis due to sample exhaustion). The full molecular analysis took less than 150 min per sample and revealed no mutation in any of the seven microsatellite sequences in five MSS samples and four to six mutated ones in seven MSI-High samples.

Conclusion

At the era when the determination of MSI/MSS status is becoming important for rapid treatment choices, the Idylla MSI Assay consists of a valuable easy-to-perform diagnostic tool that allows, complementary to MLH1, PMS2, MSH2 and MSH6 immunohistochemistry, the diagnosis of MSI/MSS status in a single day.
Psychedelic crossings: American mental health and LSD in the 1970s
Authors: Richert Lucas , Dyck Erika
Published: June 2019

This article places a spotlight on lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and American mental health in the 1970s, an era in which psychedelic science was far from settled and researchers continued to push the limits of regulation, resist change and attempt to revolutionise the mental health market-place. The following pages reveal some of the connections between mental health, LSD and the wider setting, avoiding both ascension and declension narratives. We offer a renewed approach to a substance, LSD, which bridged the gap between biomedical understandings of ‘health’ and ‘cure’ and the subjective needs of the individual. Garnering much attention, much like today, LSD created a cross-over point that brought together the humanities and arts, social sciences, health policy, medical education, patient experience and the public at large. It also divided opinion. This study draws on archival materials, medical literature and popular culture to understand the dynamics of psychedelic crossings as a means of engendering a fresh approach to cultural and countercultural-based healthcare during the 1970s.
Shift of estuarine type in altered estuaries
Authors: Shin Hyun-Jung , Lee Guan-hong , Kang KiRyong , Park Kyeong
Published: June 2019

To better understand the alteration of the estuarine circulation caused by estuarine dams, four major Korean estuaries were classified by using the Hansen and Rattray stratification–circulation classification scheme. The stratification and circulation parameters were calculated for both discharge and no-discharge periods from the tidally averaged salinity and velocity data obtained from these four Korean estuaries. The estuarine types of the altered Korean estuaries were compared with the previous results for natural estuaries in other countries of similar magnitude in tidal range, water depth, and discharge. This comparison revealed that the estuarine types of the altered Korean estuaries have been shifted from a partially mixed to a well-mixed type (Nakdong River Estuary), from a partially mixed to a coastal bay or a fjord type (Yeongsan River Estuary), and from a well-mixed to a well-mixed type with less tidal modulation (Geum River Estuary). The controlling factors that determined the type in natural estuaries were tide, discharge, and water depth, whereas for altered estuaries, they were the controlled river discharge and water depth. The different estuarine dam gate types with their different modes of operation (surface or bottom discharge) played an important role in the mixing and circulation of the altered estuaries.
Roadside-curve lateral offsets for roadway reverse horizontal curves with intermediate tangents
Authors: You Qing Chong , Easa Said M.
Published: June 2019

Following the roadside design curve of a spiraled roadside curve (SRC) previously proposed by the authors, this paper examines the characteristics of the required lateral offset ratios defined by the SRC on roadway reverse horizontal curves, including two reverse spiraled horizontal curves with and without an intermediate tangent. The radius ratio of two reverse simply horizontal curves, the spiral curve lengths of two reverse spiraled horizontal curves, and the intermediate tangent length were found to be the major influential factors of the offset ratios. A complete set of design tables was developed for reverse simple horizontal curves and reverse spiraled horizontal curves respectively, which would have significant engineering implications to roadside design of roadway reverse horizontal curves.
Effect of thermotolerant bacterial inoculation on the microbial community during sludge composting
Authors: Fang Yu , Jia Xianbo , Chen Longjun , Lin Chenqiang , Zhang Hui , Chen Jichen
Published: June 2019

A thermophilic bacterium (Geobacillus stearothermophilus CHB1) was inoculated in a sludge compost, and the effects of the inoculation on the abundance and structure of the bacterial community in the sludge compost were investigated using quantitative PCR and Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The results showed that the high-temperature stage (>50 °C) of the CHB1 and CK (control without inoculum) piles started on days 5 and 8, respectively, and lasted for 7 and 2 days, respectively, indicating the extension of the thermophilic phase by CHB1 inoculation in the sludge compost. At the end of composting, the CHB1 piles showed a higher loss of total organic carbon, lower C/N ratio, and lower moisture content. The abundance of bacteria in the CHB1 piles was significantly higher in the heating and thermophilic phase of composting but were lower than those of the CK in the cooling phase. The richness and diversity of the bacterial community in the thermophilic phase increased after inoculation with CHB1. After inoculation of CHB1, there were higher relative abundances of Firmicutes, Thermopolyspora, Thermobacillus, Thermomonas, Thermomonospora, and Thermovum, which can grow in a high-temperature environment. Furthermore, redundancy analysis indicated that total organic carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratio, pH, temperature, and moisture were the significant parameters that affected the bacterial community structure during sludge composting. Our findings suggested that inoculation with CHB1 would enhance the quality and efficiency of composting.
Generalized Elko theory
Authors: Nieto J. A.
Published: June 2019

By using a totally antisymmetric spinor field, we generalize Elko theory. We compare our proposed theory with traditional totally antisymmetric spinor field theory based on the Dirac equation. As an application of our formalism, we comment about the possibility to link our generalized Elko theory with matroids, qubits and surreal numbers.
The late cosmic acceleration and the coincidence problem in Bianchi type I Universe
Authors: Muharlyamov Ruslan K. , Pankratyeva Tatiana N.
Published: June 2019

In locally rotationally symmetric (LRS) Bianchi-I spacetime, we are considering a special kind of a scale factor, called the hybrid expansion law (HEL). The HEL provides a description of the transition from deceleration to cosmic acceleration. A non-minimal interaction between dark energy (DE) and dark matter (DM) allows to combine the transition from matter dominance to the era of the DE dominance with the transition from decelerated to accelerated expansion. In the proposed model, the linear interaction of the two components solves the coincidence problem of our present Universe. We present examples of numerical values of the HEL parameters compatible with the constructed model and the observational data.
Single production of vector-like top partner in the Wb channel at eγ collision in the LHT model
Authors: Yang Guang , Yang Bingfang , Hou Biaofeng , Bi Hengheng
Published: June 2019

In the framework of the littlest Higgs Model with T-parity (LHT), we investigate the single production of vector-like top partner [Formula: see text] decaying to [Formula: see text] in the leptonic channel at the high energy [Formula: see text] collision. We utilize the polarized electron beam and photon beam to enhance the signal and propose a search strategy by performing a detector simulation. On the basis of the current limits from the precision electroweak data and Higgs data, we find that the top partner mass can be excluded up to 1350 (1380) GeV with integrated luminosity of 1000 fb[Formula: see text] and 1400 (1470) GeV with integrated luminosity of 3000 fb[Formula: see text] for the [Formula: see text] TeV (2.4 TeV) at the [Formula: see text] level. If the center-of-mass energy can be improved to 3.0 TeV, the limits on the top partner mass will reach 1450 (1550) GeV with integrated luminosities of 1000 (3000) fb[Formula: see text].
US/MRI Guided Robotic System for the Interventional Treatment of Prostate
Authors: Bi Jintao , Zhang Yongde
Published: June 2019

Needle-based percutaneous prostate interventions include biopsy and brachytherapy and the former is the gold standard for the diagnosis of prostate cancer and the latter is often used in the treatment of prostate cancer. This paper introduces a novel robotic assistant system for prostate intervention and the system architecture and workflow are described, which is significant for the design of similar systems. In order to offer higher precision and better real-time performance, a Ultrasound (US)/Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) fusion method is proposed to guide the procedures in this study. Moreover, image registration is a key step and a hot issue in image fusion, especially in multimodal image fusion. In this work, we adopt a novel registration method based on active demons and optic flow for prostate image fusion. To verify the availability of the system, we evaluate our approach of the US/MRI image fusion by using data acquired from six patients, and root mean square error (RMSE) for anatomical landmarks is 3.15[Formula: see text]mm. In order to verify the accuracy and validity of the system developed in this paper, a system experimental platform was built and used for bionic tissue puncture of prostate under the guidance of MR and Transrectal Ultrasound (TRUS) fusion images. The experimental results show that the deviations of the final actual needle points of the three target points on the bionic tissue model measured in the laboratory environment are less than 2.5[Formula: see text]mm.
3D study of centrifugal acceleration in isotropic photon fields
Authors: Bakhtadze G. G. , Berezhiani V. I. , Osmanov Z.
Published: June 2019

In this paper, we study relativistic dynamics of charged particles corotating with prescribed trajectories, having the shape of dipolar magnetic field lines. In particular, we consider the role of the drag force caused by the photon field the forming of equilibrium positions of the charged particles. Alongside a single particle approach, we also study behavior of ensemble of particles in the context of stable positions. As we have shown, the together they create surfaces where particles are at stable equilibrium positions. In this paper, we examine these shapes and study parameters they depend on. It has been found that under certain conditions, there are two distinct surfaces with stable equilibrium positions.
Thermodynamic stability of a Schwarzschild thin-shell wormhole
Authors: Forghani S. Danial , Mazharimousavi S. Habib , Halilsoy M.
Published: June 2019

The thermodynamic stability of a thin-shell wormhole in a Schwarzschild bulk is considered. From the first law, entropy function is found which satisfies the local intrinsic stability conditions. Heat capacity emerges as a well-defined regular function justifying the stability of a Schwarzschild thin-shell wormhole. Our method applies only to static thin-shell wormholes and in this sense it may be considered as supplementary to the classical method of stability. The scope of applications of the method is not limited by the Schwarzschild wormhole.
Strange stars with MIT bag model in the Rastall theory of gravity
Authors: Shahzad M. R. , Abbas G.
Published: June 2019

The aim of this paper is to study the charged anisotropic strange stars in the Rastall framework. Basic formulation of field equations in this framework is presented in the presence of charged anisotropic source. To obtain the solutions of the Rastall field equations in spherically symmetric Karori and Barua (KB) type space-time, we have considered a linear equation of state of strange matter, using the MIT bag model. The constraints on the Rastall dimensionless parameter [Formula: see text] are also discussed to obtain the physically reasonable solution. We explore some physical features of the presented model like energy conditions, stability and hydrostatic equilibrium, which are necessary to check the physical viability of the model. We also sought for the influence of the Rastall dimensionless parameter on the behavior of the physical features of obtained solution. We plot the graphs of matter variables for different chosen values of the parameter [Formula: see text] to inspect more details of analytical investigations and predict the numerical values of these variables exhibited in the tabular form. For this analysis, we choose four different arbitrary models of strange stars with compactness [Formula: see text] 0.25, 0.30, 0.35 and 0.40. We observed that all the necessary physical conditions are satisfied and the presented model is quite reasonable to study the strange stars.
In vitro and in vivo effects of HAL on porphyrin production in rat bladder cancer cells (AY27)
Authors: Gederaas Odrun A. , Husebye Harald , Johnsson Anders , Callaghan Susan , Brunsvik Anders
Published: June 2019

Aminolevulinic acid and hexyl-aminolevulinate serve as biological precursors to produce photosensitive porphyrins in cells via the heme biosynthetic pathway. This pathway is integral to porphyrin-based photodynamic diagnosis and therapy. By adding exogenous hexyl-aminolevulinate to rat bladder cancer cells (AY27, in vitro) and an animal bladder cancer model (in vivo), fluorescent endogenous porphyrin production was stimulated. Lipophilic protoporphyrin IX was identified as the dominant species by reverse high-pressure liquid chromatography. Subcellular porphyrin localization in the AY27 cells was evaluated by confocal laser scanning microscopy and showed almost quantitative bleaching after 20 s. From this study, we ascertained that the protocol described herein is suitable for hexyl-aminolevulinate-mediated photodynamic therapy and diagnosis when protoporphyrin IX is the active agent.
PocketCare
Authors: Dong Wen , Guan Tong , Lepri Bruno , Qiao Chunming
Published: June 2019

Mobile phones provide a powerful sensing platform that researchers may adopt to understand proximity interactions among people and the diffusion, through these interactions, of diseases, behaviors, and opinions. However, it remains a challenge to track the proximity-based interactions of a whole community and then model the social diffusion of diseases and behaviors starting from the observations of a small fraction of the volunteer population. In this paper, we propose a novel approach that tries to connect together these sparse observations using a model of how individuals interact with each other and how social interactions happen in terms of a sequence of proximity interactions. We apply our approach to track the spreading of flu in the spatial-proximity network of a 3000-people university campus by mobilizing 300 volunteers from this population to monitor nearby mobile phones through Bluetooth scanning and to daily report flu symptoms about and around them. Our aim is to predict the likelihood for an individual to get flu based on how often her/his daily routine intersects with those of the volunteers. Thus, we use the daily routines of the volunteers to build a model of the volunteers as well as of the non-volunteers. Our results show that we can predict flu infection two weeks ahead of time with an average precision from 0.24 to 0.35 depending on the amount of information. This precision is six to nine times higher than with a random guess model. At the population level, we can predict infectious population in a two-week window with an r-squared value of 0.95 (a random-guess model obtains an r-squared value of 0.2). These results point to an innovative approach for tracking individuals who have interacted with people showing symptoms, allowing us to warn those in danger of infection and to inform health researchers about the progression of contact-induced diseases.
Keyboard Snooping from Mobile Phone Arrays with Mixed Convolutional and Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Giallanza Tyler , Siems Travis , Smith Elena , Gabrielsen Erik , Johnson Ian , Thornton Mitchell A. , Larson Eric C.
Published: June 2019

The ubiquity of modern smartphones, because they are equipped with a wide range of sensors, poses a potential security risk---malicious actors could utilize these sensors to detect private information such as the keystrokes a user enters on a nearby keyboard. Existing studies have examined the ability of phones to predict typing on a nearby keyboard but are limited by the realism of collected typing data, the expressiveness of employed prediction models, and are typically conducted in a relatively noise-free environment. We investigate the capability of mobile phone sensor arrays (using audio and motion sensor data) for classifying keystrokes that occur on a keyboard in proximity to phones around a table, as would be common in a meeting. We develop a system of mixed convolutional and recurrent neural networks and deploy the system in a human subjects experiment with 20 users typing naturally while talking. Using leave-one-user-out cross validation, we find that mobile phone arrays have the ability to detect 41.8% of keystrokes and 27% of typed words correctly in such a noisy environment---even without user specific training. To investigate the potential threat of this attack, we further developed the machine learning models into a realtime system capable of discerning keystrokes from an array of mobile phones and evaluated the system's ability with a single user typing in varying conditions. We conclude that, in order to launch a successful attack, the attacker would need advanced knowledge of the table from which a user types, and the style of keyboard on which a user types. These constraints greatly limit the feasibility of such an attack to highly capable attackers and we therefore conclude threat level of this attack to be low, but non-zero.
Au-Id
Authors: Huang Anna , Wang Dong , Zhao Run , Zhang Qian
Published: June 2019

The advancements of ambient intelligence and ubiquitous computing are driving the unprecedented development of smart spaces where enhanced services are provided based on activity recognition. Meanwhile, user identification, which can enable the personalization of the enhanced services for specific users and the access control of confidential information, becomes increasingly important. Traditional approaches to user identification require either attached wearable sensors or active user participation. This paper presents Au-Id, a non-intrusive automatic user identification and authentication system through human motions captured from their daily activities based on RFID. The key insight is that the RFID tag array can capture human's physical and behavioral characteristics for user identification. Particularly, phase and RSSI data streams of the RFID tag array are fused to incorporate the information from time, space and modality dimensions. Based on this, a novel sequence labeling based segmentation method is proposed for target motion extraction. Then Au-Id leverages a multi-modal Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for user identification and significantly reduces the training efforts by transfer learning. In addition, Au-Id facilitates user authentication by integrating the feature representations extracted by CNN with one-class SVM classifiers. The evaluation shows that Au-Id can achieve accurate and robust user identification and authentication.
NOSE
Authors: Khaloo Pooya , Oubre Brandon , Yang Jeremy , Rahman Tauhidur , Lee Sunghoon Ivan
Published: June 2019

How we cook and prepare our food has an enormous impact on our health and well-being. Specific cooking methods, like deep-frying, are linked to obesity and the degradation of food nutrients, which contribute to various diseases and health issues. We present NOSE, a Novel Odor Sensing Engine, that passively and continuously monitors gas emissions in the kitchen area using an array of six metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors and detects the occurrence of deep-frying. To evaluate NOSE, we collected sensor data from five foods (chicken, fish, beef, potato, and onion) cooked with three methods (deep-frying, grilling, and boiling) and three common frying oils (canola, corn, and soybean) in three different kitchens in a controlled manner. We demonstrate that NOSE can classify cooking by deep-frying with an average F1-score of 0.89. Based on the in-laboratory findings, we deployed NOSE in two different real-world households throughout a three-week period and successfully detected the occurrence of frying cooking with an average F1-score of 0.72, which is a promising result considering the relatively small number of data samples collected. Our results show the potential of using NOSE as an assistive dietary monitoring tool that periodically reports to users about their cooking habits.
How Much is Too Much?
Authors: Kuzminykh Anastasia , Lank Edward
Published: June 2019

While technologies exist that are designed for parents to monitor their toddlers and school-age children, the actual structure and underlying mechanisms of parents information needs have received only limited attention. A systematic understanding of these core components is crucial for designing appropriate solutions and reducing barriers to using this type of technology. Based on accumulated findings from a three-phase study, this paper (1) describes the structure of information that parents seek about their children, (2) explores parents' underlying motivations for seeking this information, (3) presents a classification of major uses of this information, and, (4) through a set of design recommendations, discusses the role that ubiquitous technology can play in addressing information needs and current obstacles to technologically mediated solutions.
Exploring the Efficacy of Sparse, General-Purpose Sensor Constellations for Wide-Area Activity Sensing
Authors: Laput Gierad , Harrison Chris
Published: June 2019

Future smart homes, offices, stores and many other environments will increasingly be monitored by distributed sensors, supporting rich, context-sensitive applications. There are two opposing instrumentation approaches. On one end is full sensor saturation, where every object of interest is tagged with a sensor. On the other end, we can imagine a hypothetical, omniscient sensor capable of detecting events throughout an entire building from one location. Neither approach is currently practical, and thus we explore the middle ground between these two extremes: a sparse constellation of sensors working together to provide the benefits of full saturation, but without the social, aesthetic, maintenance and financial drawbacks. More specifically, we target a density of one sensor per room (and less), which means the average home could achieve full coverage with perhaps ten sensors. We quantify and characterize the performance of sparse sensor constellations through deployments across three environments and 67 unique activities. Our results illuminate accuracy implications across key spatial configurations important for enabling more practical, wide-area activity sensing.
WearBreathing
Authors: Liaqat Daniyal , Abdalla Mohamed , Abed-Esfahani Pegah , Gabel Moshe , Son Tatiana , Wu Robert , Gershon Andrea , Rudzicz Frank , Lara Eyal De
Published: June 2019

Respiratory rate is a vital physiological signal that may be useful for a multitude of clinical applications, especially if measured in the wild rather than controlled settings. In-the-wild respiratory rate monitoring is currently done using dedicated chest band sensors, but these devices are specialized, expensive and cumbersome to wear day after day. While recent works have proposed using smartwatch based accelerometer and gyroscope data for respiratory rate monitoring, current methods are unreliable and inaccurate in the presence of motion and have therefore only been applied in controlled or low-motion settings. Thus, measuring respiratory rate in the wild remains a challenge.

We observe that for many applications, having fewer accurate readings is better than having more, less accurate readings. Based on this, we develop WearBreathing, a novel system for respiratory rate monitoring. WearBreathing consists of a machine learning based filter that detects and rejects sensor data that are not suitable for respiratory rate extraction and a convolutional neural network model for extracting respiratory rate from accelerometer and gyroscope data. Using a diverse, out-of-the-lab dataset that we collected, we show that WearBreathing has a 2.5 to 5.8 times lower mean absolute error (MAE) than existing approaches. We show that WearBreathing is tunable and by changing a single threshold value, it can, for example, deliver a reading every 50 seconds with a MAE of 2.05 breaths/min or a reading every 5 minutes with an MAE of 1.09 breaths/min. Finally, we evaluate power consumption and find that with some power saving measures, WearBreathing can run on a smartwatch while providing a full day's worth of battery life.
Alvus
Authors: Sumiya Kazunobu , Sasatani Takuya , Nishizawa Yuki , Tsushio Kenji , Narusue Yoshiaki , Kawahara Yoshihiro
Published: June 2019

Wireless charging pads such as Qi are rapidly gaining ground, but their limited power supply range still requires precise placement on a specific point. 2-D wireless power transfer (WPT) sheets consisting of coil arrays are one well-known counterpart to extend this range. However, these approaches require custom-made designs by expert engineers; what we need is a WPT system that can be reconfigured by simply placing ready-made modules on the intended surface (e.g., table, floor, shelf board, etc). In this paper, we present "Alvus", a reconfigurable 2-D WPT system which enables such simple construction of WPT surfaces. Our system is based on multihop WPT that composes "virtual power cords" and consists of three types of ready-made resonator modules: (i) transmitter, which outputs energy, (ii) relays, which pass energy down to the next module, and (iii) receivers, which receive energy and charge the loads. We show that power can be transferred efficiently (over 25%) within a range of 19.6 m2 using a single transmitter. We implemented an end-to-end WPT system and demonstrated that Alvus is capable of intuitive construction/reconfiguration of WPT surfaces, as well as automatically deciding the power routes based on the sensed information (e.g., receiver location, module placement, obstructive objects).
Sex, Age, and BMI Modulate the Association of Physical Examinations and Blood Biochemistry Parameters and NAFLD: A Retrospective Study on 1994 Cases Observed at Shuguang Hospital, China
Authors: Tang Zhengli , Pham Minh , Hao Yiming , Wang Fang , Patel Devashru , Jean-Baptiste Lori , Fan Lin , Wang Weijian , Wang Yiqin , Cheng Feng
Published: June 2019

Objective. Previous studies have shown that some metabolic risk factors are related to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This retrospective study was performed to investigate the associations between physical examinations and blood biochemistry parameters and NAFLD status and to identify possible risk factors of NAFLD. Methods. Study participants underwent general physical examinations, blood biochemistry, and abdominal ultrasound evaluations. In addition, data regarding sex, age, ethnicity, medical history, and alcohol consumption of participants were recorded. Among the study participants (N=1994), 57.8% were male, 41.2% over the age of 50, and 52.6% with BMI≥24. 986 patients had NAFLD and 1008 had no NAFLD. We used effect size analysis and logistic regression to determine which physical examinations and blood biochemistry parameters were significant for the association between these parameters and NAFLD status. Results. Both the effect size and logistic regression indicated that BMI, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglycerides (TG), and serum uric acid (SUA) show a significant association with NAFLD. Females are overall at a higher risk of NAFLD, but factors such as high BMI, DBP, TG, and SUA increase the associated risk for both sexes. Compared with males, females have a higher risk of NAFLD given that they are over 50, overweight and obese (BMI at or over 24), or have high SUA. In terms of age, people older than 50 with high SUA, and people younger than 50 with high DBP and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) all increase the risk of NAFLD. For BMI, high DBP and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are risk factors for NAFLD in overweight and obese people (BMI at or over 24), whereas in normal weight and underweight people (BMI under 24), elevated LDL-C increases the risk of NAFLD. Conclusions. Our results revealed sex, age, and BMI modulate the association of physical examinations and blood biochemistry parameters and NAFLD, which may facilitate the development of personalized early warning and prevention strategies of NAFLD for at-risk populations.
Effects of Genital Nerve Stimulation Amplitude on Bladder Capacity in Spinal Cord Injured Subjects
Authors: Yeh Shauh-Der , Lin Bor-Shing , Chen Shih-Ching , Chen Chih-Hwa , Gustafson Kenneth J. , Bourbeau Dennis J. , Rajneesh Chellappan Praveen , Peng Chih-Wei
Published: June 2019

Background/Purpose. Few studies have investigated the effects of changing the amplitude of dorsal genital nerve stimulation (GNS) on the inhibition of neurogenic detrusor overactivity in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The present study determined the acute effects of changes in GNS amplitude on bladder capacity gain in individuals with SCI and neurogenic detrusor overactivity. Methods. Cystometry was used to assess the effects of continuous GNS on bladder capacity during bladder filling. The cystometric trials were conducted in a randomized sequence of cystometric fills with continuous GNS at stimulation amplitudes ranging from 1 to 4 times of threshold (T) required to elicit the genitoanal reflex. Results. The bladder capacity increased minimally and maximally by approximately 34% and 77%, respectively, of the baseline bladder capacity at 1.5 T and 3.2 T, respectively. Stimulation amplitude and bladder capacity were significantly correlated (R = 0.55, P = 0.01). Conclusion. This study demonstrates a linear correlation between the stimulation amplitude ranging from 1 to 4T and bladder capacity gain in individuals with SCI in acute GNS experiments. However, GNS amplitude out of the range of 1-4T might not be exactly a linear relationship due to subthreshold or saturation factors. Thus, further research is needed to examine this issue. Nevertheless, these results may be critical in laying the groundwork for understanding the effectiveness of acute GNS in the treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity.
Adherence to the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research 2018 Recommendations for Cancer Prevention and Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Petimar Joshua , Smith-Warner Stephanie A. , Rosner Bernard , Chan Andrew T. , Giovannucci Edward L. , Tabung Fred K.
Published: June 2019

Background:

The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) 2018 diet, nutrition, and physical activity recommendations aim to reduce cancer risk. We examined adherence to the WCRF/AICR recommendations and colorectal cancer risk in two prospective cohorts.

Methods:

We followed 68,977 women in the Nurses' Health Study and 45,442 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study from 1986 until 2012. We created cumulatively averaged WCRF/AICR scores using updated diet, adiposity, and physical activity data from questionnaires, and used Cox regression to estimate sex-specific HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for incident colorectal cancer.

Results:

We documented 2,449 colorectal cancer cases. Men in the highest quintile of the WCRF/AICR lifestyle score had a lower risk of colorectal cancer compared with those in the lowest quintile (HRQ5vsQ1 = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.52–0.77). The result was weaker in women (HRQ5vsQ1 = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.72–1.02; Pheterogeneity by sex = 0.006). When analyzing the diet recommendations alone, we similarly observed stronger inverse associations in men (HRQ5vsQ1 = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61–0.90) compared with women (HRQ5vsQ1 = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.77–1.12; Pheterogeneity by sex = 0.06). In men, the lifestyle score was more strongly inversely associated with risk of distal colon cancer compared with proximal colon or rectal cancer (Pcommon effects = 0.03); we did not observe significant differences between anatomic locations in women.

Conclusions:

The 2018 WCRF/AICR cancer prevention recommendations are associated with lower colorectal cancer risk in men, with weaker results in women.

Impact:

Consideration of adiposity and physical activity in conjunction with diet is important for colorectal cancer prevention.
Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Risks of Prostate and Bladder Cancer in the Netherlands Cohort Study
Authors: Schulpen Maya , van den Brandt Piet A.
Published: June 2019

Background:

Prostate cancer and urinary bladder cancer are frequently occurring cancers with few risk factors identified. We examined the relation of Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence with risks of prostate and bladder cancer in the Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS).

Methods:

Data were available for 58,279 men and 62,573 women, who completed a baseline questionnaire on diet and other cancer risk factors. Multiple MD scores, including the alternate Mediterranean diet score without alcohol (aMEDr), were calculated to assess MD adherence. After 20.3 years of follow-up, 3,868 prostate cancer cases (advanced: 1,256) and 1,884 bladder cancer cases could be included in multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses.

Results:

aMEDr was not associated with advanced prostate cancer risk [hazard ratio (HR)per 2-point increment (95% confidence interval, 95% CI) = 1.06 (0.96–1.17)]. In contrast, higher aMEDr values were associated with a significantly increased risk of nonadvanced prostate cancer (Ptrend = 0.04). For bladder cancer risk, no association was observed with aMEDr [HRper 2-point increment (95% CI) = 1.00 (0.92–1.09)]. Absolute scores based on the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) dietary recommendations were not associated with prostate or bladder cancer risk.

Conclusions:

MD adherence, measured by aMEDr or other MD scores, was not associated with decreased risks of advanced prostate cancer and bladder cancer in the NLCS. Higher levels of care-seeking behavior, screening attendance, and prostate cancer awareness in higher educated men with healthier lifestyles could potentially explain the positive associations observed for nonadvanced prostate cancer risk.

Impact:

MD adherence does not seem to reduce the risk of (advanced) prostate cancer or bladder cancer.
TRIB3 Stabilizes High TWIST1 Expression to Promote Rapid APL Progression and ATRA Resistance
Authors: Lin Jian , Zhang Wu , Niu Li-Ting , Zhu Yong-Mei , Weng Xiang-Qin , Sheng Yan , Zhu Jiang , Xu Jie
Published: June 2019

Purpose:

The resistance to differentiation therapy and early death caused by fatal bleeding endangers the health of a significant proportion of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) resistance and uncover new potential therapeutic strategies to block the rapid progression of early death.

Experimental Design:

The important role of TWIST1 in APL leukemogenesis was first determined by gain- and loss-of-function assays. We then performed in vivo and in vitro experiments to explore the interaction of TWIST1 and TRIB3 and develop a potential peptide-initiated therapeutic opportunity to protect against early death and induction therapy resistance in patients with APL.

Results:

We found that the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-inducing transcription factor TWIST1 is highly expressed in APL cells and is critical for leukemic cell survival. TWIST1 and TRIB3 were highly coexpressed in APL cells compared with other subtypes of acute myeloid leukemia cells. We subsequently demonstrated that TRIB3 could bind to the WR domain of TWIST1 and contribute to its stabilization by inhibiting its ubiquitination. TRIB3 depletion promoting TWIST1 degradation reverses resistance to induction therapy and improves sensitivity to ATRA. On the basis of a detailed functional screen of synthetic peptides, we discovered a peptide analogous to the TWIST1 WR domain that specifically represses APL cell survival by disrupting the TRIB3/TWIST1 interaction.

Conclusions:

Our data not only define the essential role of TWIST1 as an EMT-TF in patients with APL but also suggest that disrupting the TRIB3/TWIST1 interaction reverses induction therapy resistance and blocks rapid progression of APL early death.

See related commentary by Peeke and Gritsman, p. 6018