cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Quality Improvement Principles to Enhance Long-Term Completion of Patient-Reported Outcomes after Ventral Hernia Repair

Background Ventral hernia repair (VHR) is a commonly performed surgical procedure. Unfortunately, long-term prospective information about quality of life and outcomes after VHR has been challenging to obtain. Decoupling follow-up from clinical visits via patient-reported outcomes (PROs) has been proposed as a means of achieving better long-term assessments after VHR. The Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative (AHSQC) is a national quality improvement (QI) effort in hernia repair that uses PROs to obtain long-term follow-up. However, the modality of PRO engagement to maximize participation has not been well established. A formal QI initiative was undertaken to determine if long-term PRO follow-up could be increased at a single AHSQC site by adding telephone communication to email communication for long-term postoperative VHR assessment. Methods Between September 2015 and July 2016, the long-term (greater than 1 year) AHSQC PRO completion rates after VHR at our institution were analyzed using plan-do-study-act cycles. Two interventions were implemented: contacting patients by telephone and changing timing of telephone calls. Results Two hundred thirty-two patients were identified, of whom 99 (42.7%) met eligibility criteria. Before this initiative, the long-term PRO completion rate was 16.3% in postoperative VHR patients. The completion rate after introducing telephone calls (intervention 1) was 35.7% and after changing the timing of telephone calls (intervention 2), was 55.1%. The mean participation rate was 45.4% (± 9.7%). Conclusions A telephone-based approach markedly improved long-term PRO participation rates in postoperative VHR patients. Ultimately, a combination of email and telephone communication may be necessary to achieve higher levels of PRO follow-up in the VHR population.
Nesting substrate and water-level fluctuations influence wading bird nesting patterns in a large shallow eutrophic lake

Water-level fluctuations determine the ecological function of shallow lakes and wetlands. Wading birds (Pelecaniformes and Ciconiiformes) are reliable indicators of the biotic conditions at multiple trophic levels, thereby reflecting an ecosystem response to water-level changes. We used a historic nesting record dating back to 1977 and an information-theoretic approach to identify environmental factors that were most important for predicting the number of wading bird nests at Lake Okeechobee, a highly managed reservoir in Florida. The three top models accounted for 71% of the Akaike weight. Model variables included area of willow (Salix spp.) for nesting substrate, maximum depth of the lake on January 1, and foraging habitat availability over the nesting season. Collectively, the results suggest that the number of nests was greatest when area of nesting substrate was high and water levels were moderate (3.9–4.4 m). Nesting substrate was greatest when water levels fell below 3.9 m at least once every three years. Nest numbers dropped when either nesting substrate or foraging habitat was limited. This study identifies key hydrological parameters that support large populations of breeding wading birds and thus promote healthy, functioning wetland ecosystems.
SV40 T Antigen Transgenic Mice: Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes as a Selective Force in Tumor Progression

The specific immune response to some antigenic determinants expressed on the initiated cell can be a contributing factor to the prevention of tumor appearance. Indeed, one aspect of tumor progression may be the evolution and selection of tumor cell variants capable of avoiding the immune response of the host. The oncogenic virus-induced tumors have provided the most direct evidence for these points; viral gene products elicit specific immune responses, and the normal cell-virus infected cell-virally transformed cell praxis provides an experimental system to test these concepts. However, in vivo tumorigenicity testing of cells transformed by viruses in vitro does not provide proof for these hypotheses since the characteristics of these cells following growth in vitro cannot reflect those of the analogous tumor cells arising in the selective environment of the intact organism. The development of the simian virus (SV40) tumor (T) antigen (ag) transgenic mouse1 has provided a model system in which the specific contribution, if any, of host immunity to the control of these endogenous tumors can be evaluated. Moreover, because expression of the viral transforming gene can be targeted to different tissues, by linking the sequences encoding the SV40 T/t antigens to those controlling transcription of other genes in specific cell types, a wide range of tumor types are available for comparison2–5. Expression of sufficient levels of the viral oncogene potentiates tumor formation but their appearance is controlled by subsequent events which may vary depending on the cell type and on the developmental time in which SV40 Tag is expressed.
Time Series Analysis: Forecasting and Control, 5th edition

(2017). Time Series Analysis: Forecasting and Control, 5th edition. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 418-419.
Internalizing a Fiduciary Mindset to Put the Client First

Every client needs to trust that his or her lawyer is dedicated to care for the client with all of the lawyer’s ability. Deep care for the client is the principal foundation for client trust in both the individual lawyer and the profession itself. This is essentially a fiduciary disposition or fiduciary mindset, using “fiduciary” in the general meaning of founded on trustworthiness. Each law student and new lawyer must learn to internalize a responsibility to put both the client’s and the legal system’s interests before the lawyer’s self-interest. This article explores how to foster each student’s fiduciary mindset. The teacher must help each student internalize the core principles and ideals of the profession into the student’s existing tradition regarding the question “what are my responsibilities to others?” The article presents several stage development models to help clarify the developmental process each student is undertaking.
Who among European youth are active citizens at the EU level and why

The current generation of European youth is coming of age in the European Union. Compared to the generation of their parents and grandparents, this generation has been afforded new opportunities of...
Single-nephron responses to systemic administration of amino acids in dogs.

It has been suggested that the tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) system is responsible for renal vasodilation during systemic infusion of amino acid solutions. We evaluated the effect of intravenous administration of amino acids (serine, alanine, proline, and glycine; total dose of 0.075 mmol of amino acids.kg body wt-1.min-1) on whole kidney and single-nephron hemodynamics in pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized dogs. At spontaneous renal arterial pressure (RAP; 125.4 +/- 4.7 mmHg), measurements of single-nephron function obtained during tubular blockade, stop-flow pressure (SFP; 48.2 +/- 2.0 vs. 58.9 +/- 2.3 mmHg, P less than 0.01), and proximally determined single-nephron glomerular filtration rate (SNGFR-TPC; 73.9 +/- 7.0 vs. 93.4 +/- 7.6 nl/min, P less than 0.01) increased in parallel to the increases of outer cortical blood flow (OCBF; 15.4 +/- 1.1 vs. 19.1 +/- 1.5 units, P less than 0.05), renal blood flow (RBF; 4.60 +/- 0.18 vs. 5.73 +/- 0.22 ml.min-1.g kidney wt-1, P less than 0.01), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR; 0.885 +/- 0.034 vs. 1.116 +/- 0.034 ml.min-1.g kidney wt-1, P less than 0.01). Free-flow tubular fluid-to-plasma inulin ratios, determined from late proximal recollections during saline (control) and amino acid infusions failed to provide evidence for altered proximal reabsorption rate (1.63 +/- 0.12 vs. 1.58 +/- 0.17 during amino acids, NS). At reduced RAP (92.6 +/- 1.9 mmHg), where it is presumed that TGF-mediated vasodilation is already near maximal, the vasodilatory response to amino acid infusion was intact and single-nephron parameters measured during tubular blockade increased to the same extent as OCBF, RBF, and GFR.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Influenza Infection Induces RBC Alloimmunization By a Type 1 Interferon Dependent Mechanism

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion exposes recipients to hundreds of non-ABO antigens that are not matched between donors and recipients. Alloantibodies formed against these antigens can cause potentially fatal hemolytic events and limit availability of compatible blood products, resulting in anemia-associated morbidity and mortality. Multiple studies have established that certain autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders are associated with an increased frequency of alloimmunization. However, underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. A recent study reported that pre-treatment of the transfusion recipient with a pro-inflammatory stimulus (poly(I:C), a double-stranded RNA), induces type 1 interferons (IFNα/β) that promote RBC alloimmunization in mice. This finding suggests that IFNα/β-inducing infections may increase the risk of alloimmunization in transfusion recipients. Here, we hypothesized that infection with influenza, known to induce multiple cytokines including IFNα/β, may promote RBC alloimmunization. Wildtype mice were infected with 10 plaque forming units of PR8 influenza A virus 3 days prior to transfusion with transgenic RBCs expressing the KEL antigen (KEL RBCs). Anti-KEL IgM and IgG responses were measured by flow cytometry 5 and 14-28 days, respectively, following transfusion. Although mock-infected transfused wildtype mice produced low baseline levels of anti-KEL antibodies (IgG peak response mean MFI = 18.5 ± 5.7, standard error), influenza-infected mice produced significantly elevated levels of anti-KEL IgM and IgG (IgG, MFI = 675.7 ± 150.5, p -/- ) or transcription factors required for IFNα/β production (IRF3 -/- IRF7 -/- ). As shown in Figure 1a, both IFNAR1 -/- and IRF3 -/- IRF7 -/- mice produced significantly lower levels of anti-KEL IgG following transfusion, compared to infected wildtype mice, in 3/3 experiments. Finally, treatment of infected wildtype mice with an IFNAR1-blocking antibody 1 day prior to infection and 1 day prior to KEL-RBC transfusion profoundly inhibited anti-KEL IgG production, compared to isotype control treated mice in 3/3 experiments (Figure 1b). Collectively, these results indicate that influenza infection of mice promotes alloimmunization to an RBC antigen by an IFNα/β dependent mechanism. These data contribute to a growing appreciation of the role that IFNα/β plays in RBC alloimmunization in animal models, and suggest that an investigation into the role of type 1 interferons in human alloimmunization may be informative. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
P300 amplitude attenuation in high risk and early onset psychosis youth.

Abstract Little research has investigated the use of electrophysiological biomarkers in childhood and adolescence to distinguish early onset psychosis and the clinical high risk state. The P300 evoked potential is a robust neurophysiological marker of schizophrenia that is dampened in patients with schizophrenia and, less consistently, in those with affective psychoses and those at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR). How it may differ between patients with psychotic disorders (PS) and CHR is less studied, especially in youth. The current study compared P300 activity among children and adolescents, aged 5–18 years, at CHR (n = 43), with PS (n = 28), and healthy controls (HC; n = 24). Participants engaged in an auditory event-related potential (ERP) task to elicit a P300 response and completed clinical interviews to verify symptoms and diagnoses. Linear regression analyses revealed a decrease in P300 amplitude with increased severity of psychotic symptoms. PS participants showed a diminished P300 response compared to those at CHR and HC, particularly among adolescents aged 13–18. This response was most evident at centroparietal and parietal locations in the right hemisphere. The findings suggest that high risk and psychotic symptomatology is linked to attenuated parietal P300 activity in youth as young as 13 years. Further exploration of the P300 as a biomarker for psychosis in very young patients could inform tailored, appropriate interventions at early stages of disease progression. Future research should evaluate whether specific phenotypic and genotypic characteristics are differentially associated with neurophysiological biomarkers and whether P300 attenuation in CHR youth can predict later symptom severity.
Exploiting Edge Computing for Privacy Aware Tourism Demand Forecasting

Taking advantage of the processing power that the modern smartphones possess, we advocate a privacy aware approach to predict and suggest to travelers' places of interest. This approach solves a significant privacy flaw that exists in prevalent tourism applications.
Time Series Analysis of Word Length in Oedipus the King

A time-series analysis of word length from the iambic portions of several plays of Sophocles shows where verses begin and end, and the locations of principle caesuras within them. This result is shown to be a function of sentence length and Wackernagel’s law. It illustrates an author’s freedom to choose whatever word s/he wishes, modified by the choice of the previous word, and by certain features of Greek syntax and style functioning within the strictures of meter.
Monitoring of snow surface near-infrared bidirectional reflectance factors with added light-absorbing particles

Abstract. Broadband snow albedo can range from 0.3 to 0.9 depending on microphysical properties and light-absorbing particle (LAP) concentrations. Beyond the widely observed direct and visibly apparent effect of darkening snow, it is still unclear how LAPs influence snow albedo feedbacks. To investigate LAPs' indirect effect on snow albedo feedbacks, we developed and calibrated the Near-Infrared Emitting and Reflectance-Monitoring Dome (NERD) and monitored bidirectional reflectance factors (BRFs) hourly after depositing dust and black carbon (BC) particles onto experimental snow surfaces. After comparing snow infrared BRFs to snow specific surface areas (SSAs), we found that both measured and modeled snow infrared BRFs are correlated with snow SSA. These results, however, demonstrate a considerable uncertainty of ±10 m 2 kg −1 in the determination of snow SSA from our BRF measurements. The nondestructive technique for snow SSA retrieval that we present here can be further developed for science applications that require rapid in situ snow SSA measurements. After adding large amounts of dust and BC to snow, we found more rapid decreasing of snow BRFs and SSAs in snow with added LAPs compared to natural (clean) snow but only during clear-sky conditions. These results suggest that deposition of LAPs onto snow can accelerate snow metamorphism via a net positive snow grain-size feedback.
On crack branching angles in glasses and ceramics

Abstract Cracks branch when they run unstably at high velocities and there is sufficient energy to create new fracture surfaces. Observations of crack branching angles are useful in component fractographic analysis since they can be used to estimate the stress state in a part when it breaks. Uniaxial loading causes branch angles of 30–45 degrees, although scatter can be large. Biaxial tensile loading causes larger branching angles. The first quantitative trend of crack branching angle with stress state was shown by Frank Preston in a brief paper in 1935. Over the decades many researchers have obtained smaller branching angles than those shown by Preston. A review of the literature and some new data in this work show that Preston’s 1935 trend must be corrected. A new version is presented.
A Case Study of the Physical Processes Associated with the Atmospheric River Initial-Condition Sensitivity from an Adjoint Model

AbstractAnalysis of a strong landfalling atmospheric river is presented that compares the evolution of a control simulation with that of an adjoint-derived perturbed simulation using the Coupled Oc...
Standard test method ASTM D 7998-19 for the cohesive strength development of wood adhesives

The properties of cured wood adhesives are difficult to study because of the loss of water and other components to the wood, the influence of wood on the adhesive cure, and the effect of adhesive penetration on the wood interphase; thus, normal testing of a neat adhesive film is generally not useful. Most tests of wood adhesive bond strength are slow, laborious, can be strongly influenced by the wood and do not provide information on the kinetics of cure. Test method ASTM D 7998-19, however, can be used for fast evaluation of the strength of wood bonds. The use of a smooth, uniform, and strong wood surface, like maple face-veneer, and sufficient bonding pressure reduces the adhesion and wood strength effects on bond strength. This method has three main applications. The first is to provide consistent data on bond strength development. The second is to measure the dry and wet strengths of bonded lap shear samples. The third is to better understand the adhesive heat resistance by quickly evaluating thermal sensitivity and distinguishing between thermal softening and thermal degradation.
An Evaluation of the Presence of Spin in the Abstracts of Tonsillectomy Systematic Reviews.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Spin-the practice of adding or omitting information intentionally or unintentionally to make the results of a study more favorable-may influence clinical decision making, especially when present in study abstracts. Here, we quantify and characterize the presence of spin in the abstracts of systematic reviews regarding tonsillectomy. METHODS This study is an analysis of systematic review abstracts. Searches were conducted on September 23, 2019 on PubMed and Embase using the advanced search feature to retrieve systematic reviews regarding tonsillectomies. The nine most severe forms of spin were then evaluated. Spin was classified by two investigators in parallel, with each blinded to the classifications of the other. Study characteristics were also recorded in duplicate. Consensus meetings between investigators were held to resolve disagreements. RESULTS In the 85 included systematic reviews, at least one form of spin was present in 44.7% (38/85) of abstracts. Journals with higher impact factors were less likely to contain spin in the abstracts of systematic reviews (point biserial correlation coefficient of -0.30). No statistically significant associations were found between the presence of spin and intervention type (P = .56) or adherence to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (P = .08); however, there was a significant association between spin and funding source (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS Spin was common in the abstracts of our sample of tonsillectomy systematic reviews. Researchers, clinicians, and peer reviewers could benefit from learning to recognize spin in medical literature. Further research is needed into the effects of spin on clinical decision making. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA Laryngoscope, 2020.
Regulatory T Cells: Promises and Challenges

Soon after their discovery in 1972, regulatory T cells (Tregs) appeared as nature’s gift to induce tolerance in auto- and alloimmune settings. We review here the barriers to the use of these bona fide cells and the strategies implanted to overcome them. Tregs are extremely rare and heterogenous, rendering them difficult to isolate and expand in vitro. Furthermore, their adoptive transfer was hurdled by their phenotypic instability and lack of intrinsic survival signals. Most studies in the field have focused on identifying distinctive Tregs markers for their pure isolation. This has also led to the discovery of different subtypes within this regulatory population, such as TR1 cells and CD8 + Tregs. In parallel, a myriad of techniques has been implanted for the targeted delivery of IL-2 as well as the bioengineering of Tregs with antigen-specific chimeric antigen receptors. Despite the drawbacks of the use of Tregs, strategies based on targeted delivery of IL-2 and hijacking conventional CD4 cells into suppressive cells are emerging as a promising tool in the field of transplantation. However, more studies are still required, as the long-term safety and stability of these bioengineered cells remain under investigation.
Interferon Gamma Inhibits Equine Herpesvirus 1 Replication in a Cell Line-Dependent Manner.

The sole equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) immediate-early protein (IEP) is essential for viral replication by transactivating viral immediate-early (IE), early (E), and late (L) genes. Here, we report that treatment of mouse MH-S, equine NBL6, and human MRC-5 cells with 20 ng/mL of IFN-γ reduced EHV-1 yield by 1122-, 631-, and 10,000-fold, respectively. However, IFN-γ reduced virus yield by only 2–4-fold in mouse MLE12, mouse L-M, and human MeWo cells compared to those of untreated cells. In luciferase assays with the promoter of the EHV-1 early regulatory EICP0 gene, IFN-γ abrogated trans-activation activity of the IEP by 96% in MH-S cells, but only by 21% in L-M cells. Similar results were obtained in assays with the early regulatory UL5 and IR4 promoter reporter plasmids. IFN-γ treatment reduced IEP protein expression by greater than 99% in MH-S cells, but only by 43% in L-M cells. The expression of IEP and UL5P suppressed by IFN-γ was restored by JAK inhibitor treatment, indicating that the inhibition of EHV-1 replication is mediated by JAK/STAT1 signaling. These results suggest that IFN-γ blocks EHV-1 replication by inhibiting the production of the IEP in a cell line-dependent manner. Affymetrix microarray analyses of IFN-γ-treated MH-S and L-M cells revealed that five antiviral ISGs (MX1, SAMHD1, IFIT2, NAMPT, TREX1, and DDX60) were upregulated 3.2–18.1-fold only in MH-S cells.
Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and Epstein-Barr virus: a complex relationship with diverse origins, expression and outcomes

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus with rare but severe potential for lymphoproliferative complications. EBV is associated with a variety of presentations of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). HLH is a life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome that can occur in patients with genetic defects associated with dysregulation of the immune response (familial HLH) or arise in patients with underlying infection or malignancy (non-familial or secondary HLH). EBV can both serve as the incidental trigger of familial HLH or as the driving factor in patients with selective inherited vulnerability (e.g. X-linked lymphoproliferative disease). Alternatively, acute infection can idiosyncratically cause non-neoplastic HLH in patients without inherited predisposition (i.e. secondary HLH), while EBV-associated T/natural killer (NK)-cell lymphoproliferative disorders and lymphomas can cause neoplasia-associated HLH. The present review will discern between EBV-associated familial and non-familial HLH and highlight diagnostic and therapeutic considerations. Non-familial EBV-associated HLH is a major diagnostic dilemma, as it represents a diverse spectrum of disease ranging from highly curable (non-neoplastic EBV-HLH) to indolent but incurable (chronic active EBV) to acutely fatal (systemic EBV-positive T-cell lymphoma of childhood). Increased clinical awareness and understanding of this rare and potentially devastating subset of EBV-related complications is desperately needed to improve survival for patients with neoplasia-associated HLH.
DNA-facilitated target search by nucleoproteins: Extension of a biosensor-surface plasmon resonance method

Abstract To extend the value of biosensor-SPR in the characterization of DNA recognition by nucleoproteins, we report a comparative analysis of DNA-facilitated target search by two ETS-family transcription factors: Elk1 and ETV6. ETS domains represent an attractive system for developing biosensor-based techniques due to a broad range of physicochemical properties encoded within a highly conserved DNA-binding motif. Building on a biosensor approach in which the protein is quantitatively sequestered and presented to immobilized cognate DNA as nonspecific complexes, we assessed the impact of intrinsic cognate and nonspecific affinities on long-range (intersegmental) target search. The equilibrium constants of DNA-facilitated binding were sensitive to the intrinsic binding properties of the proteins such that their relative specificity for cognate DNA were reinforced when binding occurred by transfer vs. without nonspecific DNA. Direct measurement of association and dissociation kinetics revealed ionic features of the activated complex that evidenced DNA-facilitated dissociation, even though Elk1 and ETV6 harbor only a single DNA-binding surface. At salt concentrations that masked the effects of nonspecific pre-binding at equilibrium, the dissociation kinetics of cognate binding were nevertheless distinct from conditions under which nonspecific DNA was absent. These results further strengthen the significance of long-range DNA-facilitated translocation in the physiologic environment.
Gossip and Addiction Recovery in Rural Communities

Features of rural life, such as low population density and greater distances from urban areas, could worsen the prospects of addiction recovery for rural residents. Gossip is a central feature of rural life, and studies have shown that being the target of it can worsen health and well-being. However, no previous study has focused on the impact of gossip on addiction in rural communities. The current study employed semi-structured interviews with individuals in recovery, as well as addiction providers, to create a conceptual model of the relationship between gossip and addiction recovery in a rural region of Minnesota. The conceptual model depicted a bi-directional relationship between the individual and the community and suggested that gossip transforms from negative to positive over the course of addiction, early recovery, and long-term recovery. These data demonstrate that education at both the community and individual levels could support the transition to long-term recovery.
Fungal dysbiosis and survival after allo-HCT.

Dysbiosis of the gut mycobiota is associated with increased mortality after allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation.
Clinical translation: Smart technologies for health assessment and intervention

Smart technologies that can adapt, sense, infer, learn, anticipate and intervene offer possibilities for improving health care delivery. Continuous data collection afforded by smart technologies has the potential to enrich patients' clinical pictures by augmenting self- and informant-report data and testing data collected during an office visit. Smart technologies also offer possibilities for assisting in real-time with rehabilitation and proactive health interventions. This keynote will discuss issues of importance in creating technologies that can be translated into clinical practice. For example, improving clinical translation of smart technologies for use by health-care professionals will require demonstrating that developed health-related algorithms are reliable and valid, easily visualized and of value in clinical decision-making. The clinical translation of prompting interventions will require answers to questions regarding the best timing, content and delivery of prompts in addition to issues related to motivation and the changing clinical needs of patients. These points and others will be illustrated with examples from our research using sensor data and machine learning techniques to develop algorithms that recognize activities, provide insights on functional status and automate interventions.
Racially based disparities in pain management: something old, something new, but what to do?

In this issue of Pain Medicine , Montague and Green report data that add to a growing body of evidence of disparities in pain management correlated with race and ethnicity. In their study of breakthrough pain in 96 adults with advanced-stage solid neoplasms (breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal) and myeloma, they observed that self-identified “minorities” reported statistically significantly greater baseline pain severity and greater severity for BTP than whites did [1]. Other characteristics of pain and function, such as duration, quality, or location of breakthrough flares, and health-related quality of life scores were not statistically different between minorities and whites but trended to be worse in minorities. In one sense, this is the same, old story. As Montague and Green note, using the same measure that they used in this study—the Pain Management Index—Cleeland et al. reported in a serious of studies over more than 10 years that minorities (African Americans and Hispanics) were at higher risk for poorer cancer pain management than whites [2,3]. The new findings in this study extend the reporting of disparate outcomes in cancer pain management to the realm of breakthrough pain. In addition, the authors reported an interesting negative finding: there were no significant ethnic differences in patient coping as measured by the John Henryism Acting Coping Scale (JHACS), although men had higher scores than women. The JHACS scale is named for a mythical figure in African American culture who tried to succeed in work and life by controlling behavioral stressors through a single-minded coping strategy of hard work …
The Future of Mobile TV: When Mobile TV Meets the Internet and Social Networking

First-generation mobile TV has involved delivering content to cell phones. But as mobile TV evolves, it will find greater significance as part of a multifaceted video offering that combines multiple screens, devices, networks, and content types. Content, or a particular viewing session, moves with the user, across devices and across networks. Furthermore, in addition to providing an alternate screen, a mobile device may provide complementary functions like programming TiVo remotely, streaming video from the cell phone to the TV set, or creating video content for distribution on the Web and uploading it directly over wireless networks. In the new TV ecosystem, all end-user devices collaborate across the whole video value chain, from content creation to distribution to consumption. Finally, as mobile devices become integral components of the new video ecosystem, their personal nature will drive the development of social TV, defined as a new way of delivering TV based on users sharing all aspects of the experience within the context of social networks. This chapter presents our view of mobile social TV: a shared TV experience that uses the power of the Internet and social networks to “move” from screen to screen and network to network to unite family and friends.
The Greening of Physiatry in a Golden Era of Rehabilitation

I am honored. indeed. to be asked to deliver the 25th 4nnual Walter J. Zeiter Lecture to the American Academv of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. There are few of us who have been so fortunate as to have heard all of the Zeiter lectures from Krusen’s first in 1968 to Kraft’s 24th in I99 I .‘.? Almost halfofthem have been historical and a few philosophical in nature.3” This lecture will span the two themes frolm history to philosophy and attempt to give meaning to recent events. one of which is an action by the Academy’s sibling organization. the American Congress of Rehabilitatton Medicine. In reorganizing and establishing itself on its own, and planning for an independent annual meeting starting in June 1993. this action may significantly intluence the future of AAPM&R. My purpose for this presentation is to make two predictions. each with a different symbolic color. Physiatry is greening and rehabilitation is moving into a golden era! These are robust predictions. We have the unusual opportunity to be aware of the process while it is happening. Usually such events are recognized only in retrospect. Does anyone doubt that change in rehabilitation is inevitable? I point to its growth in numbers and diversity complicated with tiscal constraint. new settings, new team members and new disabling conditions. Does anyone doubt that health care reform is inevitable? Taken together with the national debt and high unemployment. health care is one of the big three issues. It, too, is complicated with such issues as customer satisfaction, new systems of care and continuous quality improvement. At a time when the annual interest on our national debt is almost 75% of our gross national product. any issue that drains the nation’s fiscal largess is potent indeed. Does anyone doubt that we arc entering a golden era of rehabilitation‘? This will also occur even while it IS complicated by such diecult issues as measurement. treatment outcomes, national coordination of services. and the maturation of the rehabilitation model of health care.
Error bars in frequency-resolved-optical-gating measurements of ultrashort laser pulses

Frequency resolved optical gating (FROG) has made it possible to unambiguously measure a pulse's intensity and phase vs. time (and frequency). But just how accurate is a given FROG reconstruction of a pulse? Some indication of the measured pulse accuracy is available from the "FROG error" - the rms difference between the measured and retrieved FROG traces. What is needed, however, is a method for determining the uncertainty in each of the retrieved intensity and phase points. In other words, we need to be able to place error bars on the intensity and phase at each time (and frequency). We present here a simple, robust, and general technique for placing error bars on the intensity and phase retrieved in a FROG measurement. It involves no additional measurements, instead operating with only a single measured trace. We apply this technique both to theoretical and experimental FROG measurements of pulses and show that it gives reasonable results. The technique we use is the "bootstrap" method. This implementation involves running the FROG algorithm several times for the measured FROG trace, but with a different set of points chosen at random, and tabulating the statistics of the retrieved intensity and phase values obtained during these runs. To choose the points, we took our original FROG trace and selected, at random (and with replacement), a number of points equal to the original. By allowing data points to be selected more than once, about 2/3 of the points are represented in the new trace. The FROG algorithm ignores points where no data was selected. This works because the FROG trace vastly over-determines the pulse and so running the algorithm with only a fraction of the points does not harm its accuracy.
A variable-rate natural-quality parametric speech coder

A variable bit rate speech coder operating below 2 kb/s is presented which combines phonetic classification and frequency domain modeling. Each input frame is identified as one of the following classes: mixed voiced, fully voiced, unvoiced, noise, and silence. Based on the class parameter, a suitable parametric coding scheme (spectral analysis, modeling, quantization, and synthesis) is selected. The coder thereby adaptively matches a suitable coding scheme to the character of the input speech leading to variable rates ranging from 0.15 kb/s (for silence) to 2.6 kb/s (for mixed voiced). For typical conversational speech, the coder operates at an average rate of 1.4 kb/s while delivering speech quality that is subjectively preferred over Federal Standard 1016 CELP at 4.8 kb/s by a majority of listeners. >
Comparative evaluation of implant designs: influence of diameter, length, and taper on strains in the alveolar crest. A three-dimensional finite-element analysis.

Objectives: Our aim was to analyze and compare systematically the relative and interactive effects of implant diameter, length, and taper on calculated crestal bone strains. Material and methods: Three-dimensional finite-element models were created of a 20-mm premolar section of the mandible with a single endosseous implant embedded in high- or low-density cancellous bone. Oblique (200-N vertical and 40-N horizontal) occlusal loading was applied. Cortical and cancellous bone were modeled as transversely isotropic and linearly elastic. Perfect bonding was assumed at all interfaces. A two-level factorial statistical design was used to determine the main and interactive effects of four implant design variables on maximum shear strains in the crestal alveolar bone: diameter, length of tapered segment, length of untapered segment, and taper. Implant diameter ranged from 3.5 to 6 mm, total implant length from 5.75 to 23.5 mm, and taper from 0 to 14°, resulting in 16 implant designs. Results: Increasing implant diameter resulted in as much as a 3.5-fold reduction in crestal strain, increasing length caused as much as a 1.65-fold reduction, whereas taper increased crestal strain, especially in narrow and short implants, where it increased 1.65-fold. Diameter, length, and taper have to be considered together because of their interactive effects on crestal bone strain. Conclusion: If the objective is to minimize peri-implant strain in the crestal alveolar bone, a wide and relatively long, untapered implant appears to be the most favorable choice. Narrow, short implants with taper in the crestal region should be avoided, especially in low-density bone.
The Role of Oxidation on the Thermo-mechanical Fatigue of Timetal 21S Matrix Composites

Isothermal fatigue tests were performed on unnotched quasiisotropic SCS-6/Timetal 21S (Ti-15Mo-2.6Nb-3Al-0.2Si) composites at room temperature, 400°C and 500°C with various hold times (0, 1 and 10 seconds). The specimen tested at 500°C showed significant oxidation, especially along the grain boundaries. In addition, there were changes in various physical properties of the composites at elevated temperatures: oxidation, phase transformation, viscoplastic flow of matrix, and interface reaction. The measurement of oxide thickness of both with and without load indicated that the oxidation of the matrix material was more severe with applied load than without load for the same amount of exposure time. Simple spectrum loading tests were conducted to examine the effect of test temperature on the formation of oxidation and its influence on the damage accumulation in the composites. Different numbers of applied cycles per block were used: n 1 and n 2 = 10, 100, and 1000 cycles. The change in temperature along with stress acted as thermal cycle that further introduced damages into the composites and reduced their life. As the number of applied cycles increased, the failure life of the composites was increased. The small number of cycles per block showed a shorter life due to more frequent changes in temperature level.
Feedback decoding of fixed-point arithmetic convolutional codes

This work focuses on convolutional codes defined over Z/sub 2m/ whose underlying generators are binary-based convolutional codes of known performance levels. The algebraic structures describing such codes are finitely generated free modules, and it is shown that the distance structure of these codes are determined by the generating binary codes, in the spirit of previous work on cyclic block codes.
When What You Know Is Not Enough: Expertise and Gender Dynamics in Task Groups

This study investigates how the contribution, identification, and consideration of expertise within groups are affected by gender differences. The authors examined the effects of member expertise and gender on others’ perceptions of expertise, actual and own perceptions of influence, and group performance on a decision-making task. The authors’ findings are consistent with social role theory and expectation states theory. Women were less influential when they possessed expertise, and having expertise decreased how expert others perceived them to be. Conversely, having expertise was relatively positive for men. These differences were reflected in group performance, as groups with a female expert underperformed groups with a male expert. Thus, contrary to common expectations, possessing expertise did not ameliorate the gender effects often seen in workgroups. The findings are discussed in light of their implications for organizational workgroups in which contribution of expertise is critical to group perfor...
K-shell line ratios and powers for diagnosing cylindrical plasmas of neon, aluminum, argon, and titanium.

Abstract Detailed collisional-radiative-equilibrium calculations of the ratios of the first two resonance lines of the hydrogen- and helium-like ionic stages are presented as isocontours in temperature and density space along with the total power emitted from those stages. Taken together, the contours provide a one-to-one correspondence between line ratios and power outputs and the electron temperatures and ion densities of uniform, cylindrically symmetric, optically thick plasmas. The results are given for different sized neon, aluminum, argon, and titanium plasmas, and for temperatures which favor ionization to the K shell. The underlying physics determining the dependencies of the various quantities and some of the limitations of their application are discussed. These results are intended for use in the diagnosis of Z -pinch plasmas, and can provide insight into how their properties depend on generator and load design.
Binary holographic LO beam multiplexer for IR imaging detector arrays.

A binary holographic technique for infrared laser beam multiplexing is described. The technique was used to generate amplitude distribution matched and phase matched local oscillators for a heterodyne IR imaging detector array. It uses a high accuracy interlaced binary diffraction grating to multiplex single LO wave fronts.
Post-transplant air-leak syndrome.

A 51-year-old man relapsed with cervical lymphadenopathy 9 years after treatment for a transformed follicular lymphoma. He underwent salvage chemotherapy followed by a nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplant from his human leucocyte antigen-identical brother, after 2-Gray total body irradiation (TBI) and antithymocyte globulin. Unfortunately, the disease relapsed 10 months later. He subsequently received myeloablative doses of cyclophosphamide and 12-Gray TBI, followed by an allogeneic bone marrow transplant from a matched unrelated donor. Tacrolimus and methotrexate were used as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. The post-transplant course was complicated by pneumonitis and acute grade-III GVHD of the skin and gastrointestinal tract. Around day 50 post-transplant, he became dyspnoeic and hypoxaemic. Chest radiograph (CXR) revealed bilateral interstitial infiltrates. All investigations for infectious causes, including bronchoalveolar lavage, were negative. One week later, the dyspnoea worsened. Neck swelling developed, along with dysphonia, dysphagia and chest pain. CXR showed subcutaneous emphysema, cervical emphysema, pneumomediastinum and a tiny right pneumothorax (left). High-resolution computerized tomography of the chest showed diffuse reticulo-nodular infiltrates with multiple bullae, characteristic of bronchiolitis obliterans (right). One month after receiving treatment with increased immunosuppression, the air-leak syndrome and his oxygen requirement had improved considerably. Air-leak syndromes including pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, pneumopericardium, subcutaneous emphysema and cervical emphysema may complicate severe bronchiolitis obliterans, a recognized manifestation of GVHD. Other possible causes of air-leak syndrome, such as aspergillosis and Pneumocystic carinii pneumonia, however, must be excluded. Therapy for this post-transplant complication involves an increase in immunosuppression, though this is often ineffective. Persistent air-leaks may also require pleurodesis or pleurectomy. Post-transplant bronchiolitis obliterans results in irreversible airway obstruction. The condition is usually progressive and fatal.
Quality Management in Radiology: Historical Aspects and Basic Definitions

In today's extremely competitive economic environment, the quality management processes used by industrial companies have become commonplace at hospitals and are proving successful in improving quality and controlling costs. Continuous quality improvement (CQI) methods provide a relatively new way, compared with quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) methods, to improve the quality of health care. Continuous quality improvement should be considered a philosophy rather than simply a methodology; it assumes no endpoints in improvement efforts and does not attempt to replace the older concepts of QA and QC but rather to reap their benefits and take them to a higher conceptual level. Continuous quality improvement has 4 foci: (1) to determine and meet the needs of patients and customers, (2) to approach quality improvement holistically on the basis of the identification of the underlying cause of poor performance, (3) to apply fact-based management and scientific methodology, and (4) to empower its practitioners to improve quality on a daily basis. Health care institutions and radiology departments use a variety of CQI systems or models, including the model of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the Six Sigma model, and the Model for Business Excellence of the European Foundation for Quality Management. The International Organization for Standardization 9000, which creates a suitable organizational environment for the implementation of a CQI system, can be considered an effective QA and QC method.
Windows scheduling as a paradigm for pushing information in wireless networks

Given are n positive integers w1, w2, ..., wn called windows. The windows are associated with n equal length information pages. In the windows scheduling problem, the goal is to schedule all the pages on minimum number of identical broadcasting channels such that the gap between two consecutive appearances of page i on any of the channels is at most wi time slots where a time slot is the broadcasting time of one page.Our main application for windows scheduling is the implementation of efficient push systems for cellular and satellite networks. In such systems, the window size associated with a page corresponds to the quality of service associated with the page. That is, the window size is the maximum number of time slots a client who is listening to all the broadcasting channels needs to wait until it receives a particular page. Push systems are crucial to such wireless systems due to their one-way communication nature in which mobile users cannot use (or it is too expensive for them to use) pull systems to receive information. Push systems are also desirable for very popular information pages that would create bottlenecks if provided only via pull systems.Windows scheduling belongs to the general class of periodic scheduling problems that has applications in many disciplines (e.g., operations research, networking). The pages can be viewed as jobs and the channels as machines. The traditional optimization goal in periodic scheduling is an "average" type goal in which a job should be scheduled 1/wi fraction of the time and the quality of an algorithm is determined by some fairness issues. On the other hand, the windows scheduling problem has a "max" type optimization goal in which the gap between two consecutive appearances of a request must be smaller than wi. Both optimization goals provide practical solutions to the many applications of periodic scheduling.We discuss recent results and open problems for windows scheduling and its variants in off-line and on-line settings.