cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of tissue factor-induced signaling by endogenous and recombinant tissue factor pathway inhibitor 1

Tissue factor (TF) triggers upstream coagulation signaling via the activation of protease-activated receptors (PARs) of relevance for inflammation and angiogenesis. TF pathway inhibitor 1 (TFPI-1) is the physiologic inhibitor of TF-initiated coagulation, but its role in regulating TF signaling is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that endogenous, endothelial cell-expressed TFPI-1 controls TF-mediated signaling through PARs. In endothelial cells transduced with TF to mimic exacerbated TF expression in vascular cells, TF-VIIa-Xa ternary complex-dependent activation of PAR1 remained intact when TF-mediated Xa generation was blocked with 2.5 to 5 nM recombinant TFPI-1 (rTFPI-1). Concordantly, inhibition of signaling in PAR1-expressing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells required about 30-fold higher rTFPI-1 concentrations than necessary for anticoagulation. Studies with proteoglycan-deficient CHO cells document a crucial role of accessory receptors in supporting the anticoagulant and antisignaling activities of rTFPI-1. Coexpression of PAR2 with TF enhanced rTFPI-mediated inhibition of TF-VIIa-Xa-mediated PAR1 signaling, suggesting an unexpected role of PAR2 in the inhibitory control of TF signaling. These experiments are of potential significance for the limited therapeutic benefit of rTFPI-1 in systemic inflammation and recommend caution in using anticoagulant potency as a measure to predict how efficacious TF-directed inhibitors block cell signaling during initiation of coagulation.
Narrowband Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) tunable bandpass filters at X-band

A 3rd-order combline tunable filter with very narrow bandwidth at X-band is implemented utilizing ferroelectric Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) interdigitated varactors. The filter and its varactors are integrated on a ceramic substrate together with a simple resistive biasing circuit. Upon the application of a bias voltage ranging from 0 to 90 V the passband of the filter tuned from 8.127 to 9.973 GHz while maintaining a fractional bandwidth of approximately 4.8–5.9 %. Over the tuning band the passband insertion loss varied from 10.7 dB to 7.5 dB while the return loss was better than 15 dB. The tuning ratio is 23 %.
Connected vehicles in a connected world

In the current era of ubiquitous connectivity, wireless communication technologies have enabled a kaleidoscopic array of applications that revolutionize many aspects of commercial activities and public services. Quietly, but not entirely inconspicuously, in recent years the very revolution that redefines the landscape of user experience and business models is encroaching into the next frontier – automobiles. Research and commercial activities around the globe are exploring the feasibility and benefits of providing safety, mobility, efficiency, and environment-friendly services to users based on the concept of connected vehicles. The exploitation of wireless communication for automobiles and for transportation as a whole presents exciting opportunities as well as intriguing challenges.
Bimodal DC-DC converter with an efficient pass-through zone

A new, efficient DC-DC converter is formed by combining buck and boost stages and controlling the switches to provide a pass-through zone such that when the value of the input is close to the output voltage no switched-mode processing occurs. Efficiency is improved throughout the entire range of operation. It is ideally suited as a preregulator in automotive applications
Neuropsychological abnormalities in obsessive-compulsive disorder and their assessments

Neuropsychological test performance of children, adolescents and adults with OCD was very variable. As a group, children and adolescents with OCD had persistent difficulties with executive functions, and show attentional and inhibitory deficits on a continuous performance test. As a group, adults with OCD showed consistent differences in allocation of attention, whether measured by evoked potential, eye movement or reaction time paradigms. They also showed inconsistent problems with visual perceptual discrimination, visual memory and working memory, as well as visuomotor tasks. However, these latter studies all failed to assess attentional capacity concurrently. Traditional measures of lateral prefrontal cortex-basal ganglia functioning tended to be depressed only in those subjects with comorbid depression, obsessional slowness, a large number of neurological soft signs, Tourette's syndrome, and/or lower IQ. Only tasks requiring inhibition of an automatic response correlated with severity of OCD symptoms;...
Electric Explosion of Aluminum Metallized Film

Two types of capacitor-grade aluminum metallized polypropylene film were studied to investigate the factors that affect specific action integral and energy dissipation in the electrical explosion of a film, a phenomenon that occurs when a film is exposed to a high-density current pulse on the order of 107 - 108 A/cm2. The factors studied include film cross-sectional area, film length, film sheet resistance, and discharge circuit inductance. All film samples were subjected to a 2.5-kV capacitive discharge. The basic principles of the exploding-film phenomenon and the detailed effects of the stated factors are discussed.
Posttraumatic stress disorder and health: a preliminary study of group differences in health and health behaviors.

Background: Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to undertake harmful health behaviors like substance use. Less is known about the association of PTSD with healthful behaviors such as healthy diet and exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine differences across physical health indicators and health behaviors in individuals with and without PTSD. Methods: A cross-sectional, case–control study of health indicators and self-reported health behaviors in a community and military veteran sample was used. Results: Based on a structured psychiatric interview, 25 participants had PTSD, and the remaining 55 without PTSD served as the comparison group. Participants were 40 years old on average and 45% were female. Multivariate analysis of variance analyses revealed that participants with PTSD had significantly higher body mass index (p = 0.004), had more alcohol use (p =0 .007), and reported fewer minutes of vigorous exercise (p = 0.020) than those without PTSD. Chi-square analysis of diet content and eating behavior constructs found that individuals with PTSD ate fewer fruits (p =0 .035) and had more guilt after overeating (p = 0.006). Conclusions: These findings replicate prior research on the link between PTSD and negative health outcomes and engagement in harmful health behaviors and highlight the need for further examination of the association between PTSD and other health behaviors like diet content, eating behaviors, and exercise.
On smooth reformulations and direct non-smooth computations for minimax problems

Minimax problems can be approached by reformulating them into smooth problems with constraints or by dealing with the non-smooth objective directly. We focus on verified enclosures of all globally optimal points of such problems. In smooth problems in branch and bound algorithms, interval Newton methods can be used to verify existence and uniqueness of solutions, to be used in eliminating regions containing such solutions, and point Newton methods can be used to obtain approximate solutions for good upper bounds on the global optimum. We analyze smooth reformulation approaches, show weaknesses in them, and compare reformulation to solving the non-smooth problem directly. In addition to analysis and illustrative problems, we exhibit the results of numerical computations on various test problems.
Measurement of interstation phase and group velocities and Q using Wiener filtering

abstract A method for calculating interstation phase and group velocities and attenuation coefficients using a Wiener (least-squares) filtering technique is presented. The interstation Green9s (or transfer) function is estimated from surface wave data from two stations laying along the same great circle path. The estimate is obtained from a Wiener filter which is constructed to estimate the signal recorded at the station further from the source from the signal recorded at the nearer station. The interstation group velocity is obtained by applying the multiple-filtering technique to the Green9s function, and the interstation phase velocity from the phase spectrum of the Green9s function. The amplitude spectrum of the Green9s function is used to calculate average attenuation between the two stations. Using synthetic seismograms contaminated by noise, it is shown that the Q values calculated from the Green9s function are significantly more stable and accurate than those obtained by taking spectral ratios. The method is particularly useful for paths involving short station separations and is applied to a surface wave path crossing the Iranian Plateau.
Comparison of Near Wake-Flow Structure Behind a Solid Cap With an Attached Bubble and a Solid Counterpart

An experimental study was conducted on the flow structure in the near-wake of a hollow cap with an air bubble attached underneath and a solid object possessing a bubble-like shape. The objective of the study was to elucidate distinguishing wake flow characteristics of the capped bubble relative to the solid. The experiment was performed in a square channel, 80×80mm2 in cross section. The bubble and solid were separately suspended in downward flow of purified water. Both the capped bubble and the solid were ellipsoidal in shape (the cap was shaped to represent the front of an ellipsoidal bubble) and had an approximate volume of 0.8ml. The Reynolds number for the flow, based on the objects’ equivalent diameter and average downward flow velocity (U = 25cm/s), was Re ≅ 2800. Velocity measurements were taken using Particle Image Velocimetry. The obtained velocity data were analyzed to deduce vorticity, turbulent kinetic energy, production, and Reynolds stress. Graphic and numerical comparisons between the two cases were made. The results to date are discussed.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Can Cross-Group Friendships Influence Minority Students' Well-Being at Historically White Universities?

Past research has demonstrated the negative impact of race-based rejection sensitivity (RS-race) on institutional belonging and satisfaction among minority-group students in predominantly White universities. Given research documenting the benefits of cross-group friendship for intergroup attitudes, we tested whether friendships with majority-group peers would attenuate the effects of RS-race within these contexts. In a longitudinal study of African American students (Study 1), cross-group friendships with majority-group peers buffered students high in RS-race from lack of belonging and dissatisfaction at their university. An experimental intervention (Study 2) that induced cross-group friendship replicated the findings and established their specificity for minority-group students. We discuss implications for efforts toward diversifying educational settings.
Promoting Awareness and Understanding of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy in Young School Aged Children: An Interdisciplinary Approach

SUMMARY Public awareness and understanding of the professions of occupational therapy and physical therapy are limited. In this study, we examined perceptions of young school-aged children about occupational therapy and physical therapy as part of a larger grant project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R25 DA 12168 and R25 DA13522). One hundred three elementary school children (55 boys and 48 girls), grades 3 to 7, from local schools attended a one-day neuroscience and allied health profession exposition held at a local Boys & Girls Club. Children's understanding of occupational therapy and physical therapy was assessed through a pre/post questionnaire prior to and immediately after attending the exposition. At five of the 18 exhibition booths, faculty members and students from occupational therapy and physical therapy introduced and explained what occupational and physical therapists do at their work through interactive demonstrations. The results of the current study revealed that prior to attending the exposition, children's understanding of occupational therapy and physical therapy was limited. On pre-test, children reported they have some understanding of occupational therapy (18.6%) and physical therapy (34.9%). Children's understanding of occupational therapy and physical therapy, however, dramatically increased after the exposition (75.6% vs. 18.6%, 98.9% vs. 34.9%, respectively). Furthermore, the scope and depth of children's understanding also improved considerably. This finding suggests that an interactive neuroscience exposition including occupational therapy and physical therapy is an effective way to promote children's awareness and understanding of the professions. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed in the study.
From River to Sea: Evidence for Egyptian Seafaring Ships

Questions over when and how the ancient Egyptians went to sea continue to engage scholars in debate. Recent excavations of ship timbers at a pharaonic harbor on the Red Sea provide direct evidence for technological approaches that affirm Egypt’s idiosyncratic patterns of ship and boat construction (as familiar from Nile riverboats, which provide the largest and most ancient assemblage of watercraft before the classical period). This technological patterning illustrates comparable antiquity to other artisanal products of the upper hierarchies of the state. Reconstruction of a twenty-meter vessel—based on archaeological evidence from seagoing timbers, representations, models, and river hulls—resulted in an efficient and effective sailing ship. DOI:10.2458/azu_jaei_v02i3_ward
The Impact of Vascular Complications on Survival of Patients on Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Background There are various factors that can influence the survival of patients receiving venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO). Vascular complications from femoral cannulation are common and are potentially serious. We analyzed the impact of vascular complications on survival of patients receiving VA ECMO. Methods Patients supported with VA ECMO by means of femoral cannulation from October 2010 to November 2014 were enrolled in this study. Data were gathered retrospectively by reviewing our institutional database. Patients were separated into two groups depending on the presence of major vascular complications, defined as patients who required surgical intervention. We evaluated predisposing factors for vascular complications and compared survival of patients in each group. Results There were 84 patients enrolled in the study. The rates of overall ECMO survival and survival to hospital discharge were 60% and 43%, respectively. Major vascular complications requiring surgical intervention were seen in 17 (20%) patients. Ten patients (12%) had compartment syndrome requiring prophylactic fasciotomy, and 10 patients (12%) had bleeding or hematoma requiring surgical exploration. The only significant predisposing factor for vascular complications was the absence of a distal perfusion catheter (odds ratio, 14.8; p = 0.03). The rate of survival to discharge was 18% and 49% in patients with and without vascular complications, respectively ( p = 0.02). Vascular complications were an independent factor of significantly worse survival in patients receiving VA ECMO by multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 2.17; p = 0.02). Conclusions Vascular complications negatively affect survival in patients receiving VA ECMO support by means of femoral cannulation. The utilization of a distal perfusion catheter can decrease the incidence of complications.
Relative Significance of Water and of Protein Loss in Dehydration Shock

ConclusionsShock which follows the subcutaneous injection of hypertonic NaCl solution can be explained by a loss of fluid at the site of injection. This fluid contains only small amounts of protein, and it is suggested that it consists partly of water derived from the blood and partly of water derived from the interstitial tissue spaces. The presence of hemoconcentration is due to a loss of the aqueous fraction of the plasma rather than to a loss of whole plasma. Rapid loss of water from the blood is capable of producing acute circulatory failure.
High-density carbon capsule experiments on the national ignition facility.

Indirect-drive implosions with a high-density carbon (HDC) capsule were conducted on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to test HDC properties as an ablator material for inertial confinement fusion. A series of five experiments were completed with $76\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$-thick HDC capsules using a four-shock laser pulse optimized for HDC. The pulse delivered a total energy of $1.3$ MJ with a peak power of 360 TW. The experiment demonstrated good laser to target coupling $(\ensuremath{\sim}90%)$ and excellent nuclear performance. A deuterium and tritium gas-filled HDC capsule implosion produced a neutron yield of $1.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{15}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{13}$, a yield over simulated in one dimension of $70%$.
Minority Entity Disability, Health, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Productivity Facilitators A Review and Synthesis of the Literature and Policy

The U.S. federal research agency’s (i.e., National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research [NIDRR], National Institutes of Health [NIH]) sponsored research capacity building (RCB) effor...
Hybrid warm water cooled supercomputing system

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has implemented a state-of-the-art facility which tightly integrates campus and datacenter thermal management and allows for a chiller-less system with substantially lower capital and operating expenses than a traditional data center. To further lower these expenses, NREL recovers waste heat for use in climate control of offices and laboratories co-located with its data center.
Effects of Saturated and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Plasma Lipids, Platelets and the Vascular System

The hypothesis that alterations in dietary fat intake may influence the development of atherosclerosis and thrombogenesis has been intensely studied for several decades (1). For example, in the early 1950’s, it was shown that the feeding of a diet high in saturated fat to humans would raise plasma cholesterol, whereas the substitution of polyunsaturated fatty acids into the diet would reduce the plasma cholesterol (2,3). Since atheromatous lipid deposits may occur in the arterial vasculature when plasma levels of cholesterol are high, a reduction in circulating cholesterol and low density lipoproteins may result in a reduced incidence of occlusive vascular disease in man (4). Diets rich in saturated fat may also predispose to vascular thrombosis as evidenced by a series of studies in animals and man which have been published in the last several decades (1). In one such study, the intravenous infusion of saturated fatty acids into animals led to thrombosis of the great vessels, whereas long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids did not (5). Further, Renaud showed that animals fed butter or specific saturated fatty acids were more prone to venous thrombi after the infusion of endotoxin (6). Another animal model was developed by Hornstra, et al., who measured the number of hours required for the thrombotic occlusion of a polyethylene cannula inserted into the aorta of rats.
The impacts of electric power market simulation on engineering education

Harmonization of traditional education with computer-aided instruction is a trending method to achieve high standards in college level education. An online simulation is developed as a computer-aided instruction tool and added to curriculum for a power economics course. This simulation may provide engineering students with artificial energy market trading experience that allows for their participation within various ‘real world’ economic market structures. To date no study has examined the impact of power market simulation on students' learning. The purpose of the present study is to fill this gap by examining the effects of simulation on various cognitive learning categories as defined by Bloom and Fink. 9 survey questions were specifically designed for this purpose by following previous studies' recommendations and avoiding the threat of bias. The self-evaluation survey responses showed that simulation has less impact on Synthesis and Caring than any other categories of learning. The findings and suggestions for educators to improve these categories are presented.
No-Reference Quality Assessment of Tone-Mapped HDR Pictures

Being able to automatically predict digital picture quality, as perceived by human observers, has become important in many applications where humans are the ultimate consumers of displayed visual information. Standard dynamic range (SDR) images provide 8 b/color/pixel. High dynamic range (HDR) images, which are usually created from multiple exposures of the same scene, can provide 16 or 32 b/color/pixel, but must be tonemapped to SDR for display on standard monitors. Multi-exposure fusion techniques bypass HDR creation, by fusing the exposure stack directly to SDR format while aiming for aesthetically pleasing luminance and color distributions. Here, we describe a new no-reference image quality assessment (NR IQA) model for HDR pictures that is based on standard measurements of the bandpass and on newly conceived differential natural scene statistics (NSS) of HDR pictures. We derive an algorithm from the model which we call the HDR IMAGE GRADient-based Evaluator. NSS models have previously been used to devise NR IQA models that effectively predict the subjective quality of SDR images, but they perform significantly worse on tonemapped HDR content. Toward ameliorating this we make here the following contributions: 1) we design HDR picture NR IQA models and algorithms using both standard space-domain NSS features as well as novel HDR-specific gradient-based features that significantly elevate prediction performance; 2) we validate the proposed models on a large-scale crowdsourced HDR image database; and 3) we demonstrate that the proposed models also perform well on legacy natural SDR images. The software is available at: http://live.ece.utexas.edu/research/Quality/higradeRelease.zip .
Lesson Plans for Moving in the Language Arts Classroom

This chapter features seven full-length lesson plans designed to address the main areas of language arts represented in the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). As with any lesson plan, the activity can be adjusted in any number of ways to accommodate students’ specific needs and developmental levels. Extension activities are provided that may extend the lesson beyond the estimated time allotment; however, these lessons may be modified or extended depending on the needs of your specific students.
Hyperphosphorylation of Cdc25C may lead to radiation-induced mitotic catastrophe in the human non-small cell lung cancer cell line HCC2279.

5174 Purpose: The human non-small cell lung cancer cell line HCC2279 derived from a primary adeno-squamous tumor exclusively undergoes radiation-induced mitotic catastrophe. The purpose of the study is to elucidate the underlying mechanism of the observed phenomenon. Methods: Mitotic catastrophe was scored morphologically after staining the nuclear DNA with Hoechst 33342. Immunoblot analyses were performed to analyze the cell cycle checkpoint functions in this cell line at different time-points after exposure to 10Gy ionizing radiation. Subcellular localization of Cdc25A and Cdc25C were analyzed by immunofluorescence. Results: (i) In HCC2279 cells, radiation caused measurable mitotic catastrophe at doses as low as 4Gy. About 30% of the cells were found to undergo mitotic catastrophe 48h after exposure to a dose of 10Gy. We observed mitotic catastrophe as early as 24h after 10Gy.(ii) Cdc25A was found to be transiently phosphorylated in this cell line in response to radiation. This phosphorylation was detected at 1h, reached maximum at 2h and disappeared at 8h after radiation. (iii) In contrast, Cdc25C was found to be constitutively phosphorylated (Ser216) and localized in the cytoplasm. Conclusion: (i) Our results suggest that the transient phosphorylation of Cdc25A indicates a functional radiation-induced G2/M checkpoint in this cell line. (ii) Our results also demonstrated that the observed mitotic catastrophe is possibly due to the functional inactivation of Cdc25C leading to a lack of maintenance of radiation-induced G2/M arrest. We are currently investigating the potential kinases that are responsible for the constitutive phosphorylation of Cdc25C in this cell line.
Environmental evaluation of high-value agricultural produce with diverse water sources: case study from Southern California

Meeting agricultural demand in the face of a changing climate will be one of the major challenges of the 21st century. California is the single largest agricultural producer in the United States but is prone to extreme hydrologic events, including multi-year droughts. Ventura County is one of California's most productive growing regions but faces water shortages and deteriorating water quality. The future of California's agriculture is dependent on our ability to identify and implement alternative irrigation water sources and technologies. Two such alternative water sources are recycled and desalinated water. The proximity of high-value crops in Ventura County to both dense population centers and the Pacific Ocean makes it a prime candidate for alternative water sources. This study uses highly localized spatial and temporal data to assess life-cycle energy use, life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, operational costs, applied water demand, and on-farm labor requirements for four high-value crops. A complete switch from conventional irrigation with groundwater and surface water to recycled water would increase the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with strawberry, lemon, celery, and avocado production by approximately 14%, 7%, 59%, and 9%, respectively. Switching from groundwater and surface water to desalinated water would increase life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by 33%, 210%, 140%, and 270%, respectively. The use of recycled or desalinated water for irrigation is most financially tenable for strawberries due to their relatively high value and close proximity to water treatment facilities. However, changing strawberry packaging has a greater potential impact on life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas emissions than switching the water source. While this analysis does not consider the impact of water quality on crop yields, previous studies suggest that switching to recycled water could result in significant yield increases due to its lower salinity.
Proxy and patient reports of health-related quality of life in a national cancer survey.

Proxy respondents are frequently used in surveys, including those assessing health-related quality of life (HRQOL). In cancer, most research involving proxies has been undertaken with paired proxy-patient populations, where proxy responses are compared to patient responses for the same individual. In these populations, proxy-patient differences are small and suggest proxy underestimation of patient HRQOL. In practice, however, proxy responses will only be used when patient responses are not available. The difference between proxy and patient reports of patient HRQOL where patients are not able to report for themselves in cancer is not known. The objective of this study was to evaluate the difference between patient and proxy reports of patient HRQOL in a large national cancer survey, and determine if this difference could be mitigated by adjusting for clinical and sociodemographic information about patients. Data were from the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance (CanCORS) study. Patients or their proxies were recruited within 3–6 months of diagnosis with lung or colorectal cancer. HRQOL was measured using the SF-12 mental and physical composite scales. Differences of ½ SD (=5 points) were considered clinically significant. The primary independent variable was proxy status. Linear regression models were used to adjust for patient sociodemographic and clinical covariates, including cancer stage, patient age and education, and patient co-morbidities. Of 6471 respondents, 1011 (16%) were proxies. Before adjustment, average proxy-reported scores were lower for both physical (−6.7 points, 95% CI -7.4 to −5.9) and mental (−6 points, 95% CI -6.7 to −5.2) health. Proxy-reported scores remained lower after adjustment (physical: −5.8 points, −6.6 to −5; mental: −5.8 points, −6.6 to 5). Proxy-patient score differences remained clinically and statistically significant, even after adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical variables. Proxy-reported outcome scores for both physical and mental health were clinically and significantly lower than patient-reported scores for these outcomes. The size of the proxy-patient score differences was not affected by the health domain, and adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical variables had minimal impact.
ECG based authentication for remote patient monitoring in IoT by wavelets and template matching

Internet of things (IoT) security development is still under transition stage and still require a lot of improvements. Due to hardware limitations, computational efficiency is one of the biggest challenges in IoT's security. Iot based patient monitoring is a hot field of research now a day. This paper proposes a technique to remotely measure the ECG of a patient that may be near to a doctor or far from doctor. The main objective of research is to authenticate the patient using ECG based classification. For ECG Pyhsionet ECG-ID Database (IDDB) is utilized. For authentication template matching using Sum of Squared Difference (SSD) is used. Initial results of classification show promising future of the developed technique in the field of IoT security.
Interferon Regulation of the Innate Response to Bacteria

Characterization of potent antiviral response to Interferons (IFNs) led to identification of the JAK-STAT signaling cascade almost two decades ago. More recently, studies have begun to explore how IFNs participate in the innate response to bacterial infections. This includes the activation of classic antibacterial responses, like expression on inducible nitric oxidase (iNOS) and GTPases, as well as the induction of autophagy. Not surprisingly, studies on its anti-bacterial activity of IFNs have provided important new insights into IFN biology and JAK-STAT signaling.
Health Benefits of Phytochemicals in Whole Foods

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer remain as the top two leading causes of death in the United States and industrialized countries. Epidemiological studies consistently show that regular consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as whole grains, is strongly associated with reduced risk of developing chronic diseases such as CVD, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cataracts, and age-related functional decline [1–3]. It is estimated that one-third of all cancer deaths in the United States could be avoided through appropriate dietary modification [3–5]. This suggests that change in dietary behavior, such as increasing consumption of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains, is a practical strategy to significantly reducing the incidence of chronic diseases. In addition, primary prevention of chronic diseases through dietary modification may be as effective, and less costly, than the secondary treatments commonly employed.
The 1st International Workshop on Analytics Services on the Cloud (ASC 2012)

This proceeding contains all the papers that were selected for presentation at the First International Workshop on Analytics Services on the Cloud (ASC 2012), which was held in Shanghai, China, November 12, 2012.
Recipient ecosystem productivity influences effects of resource pulses in mesocosms

Resource pulses are found in a variety of ecosystems and are becoming a prevailing theme in ecology. However, limited information is available regarding how recipient ecosystem productivity influences effects of resource pulses. Our objective was to compare the abundance, stability, and food web responses of nutrients and primary producers and consumers in oligotrophic versus eutrophic aquatic mesocosms receiving resource pulses of decaying fish. Nutrient availability and primary producer and consumer abundance were generally different between trophic states and pulsed treatments. Nitrate decreased and phytoplankton increased as a result of the pulse, whereas total Kjeldahl nitrogen, copepods, and total zooplankton increased following the pulse in oligotrophic but not eutrophic mesocosms. Gastropod density was higher in non-pulsed oligotrophic compared to pulsed eutrophic mesocosms but was not affected by the pulse within a trophic state. Despite temporal variation of all parameters, ecosystem stability was not affected by the pulse. Several differences in δ15N and δ13C values were also observed between biota in oligotrophic and eutrophic mesocosms, but only amphipod δ13C values in eutrophic mesocosms were depleted by the pulse. Overall, our results indicate that recipient ecosystem productivity is an important factor regulating the effects of resource pulses, with implications for ecosystems and food web structure.
Real-Time Autonomous Spacecraft Proximity Maneuvers and Docking Using an Adaptive Artificial Potential Field Approach

In an effort to pursue more advanced missions in space, improved on-board trajectory optimization and path (re)planning capabilities are necessary. Over the past decades, numerous missions have pushed the state of the art in autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations (RPOs). Regardless of the mission, any RPO guidance algorithm must be able to react to a dynamic environment while generating a fuel-efficient trajectory. An adaptive artificial potential function (AAPF) guidance exhibiting these properties has been experimentally evaluated on a spacecraft air-bearing test bed and its performance compared to traditional APF and other real-time guidance methods.
Comparison of Multiplex Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel and Conventional Stool Testing for Evaluation of Diarrhea in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Gastrointestinal pathogen panels (GPPs) are increasingly being used for evaluation of diarrhea. The impact of these tests on patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is unknown. We performed a time-interrupted cohort study comparing GPPs and conventional stool evaluation in patients with IBD with diarrhea. We included 268 consecutive patients with IBD who underwent GPP (BioFire Diagnostics®) (n = 134) or conventional stool culture and Clostridium difficile polymerase chain reaction testing (n = 134) during suspected IBD flare between 2012 and 2016. Primary outcome was composite of 30-day IBD-related hospitalization, surgery, or emergency department visit; secondary outcome was IBD treatment modification. Overall, 41/134 (30.6%) patients tested positive on GPP (18 C. difficile, 17 other bacterial infections, and 6 viral pathogens) versus 14/134 patients (10.4%, all C. difficile) testing positive on conventional testing. Rate of IBD treatment modification in response to stool testing was lower in GPP group as compared conventional stool testing group (35.1 vs. 64.2%, p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, diagnostic evaluation with GPP was associated with three times higher odds of IBD-related hospitalization/surgery/ED visit (95% CI, 1.27–7.14), as compared to conventional stool testing. This negative impact was partly mediated by differences in ordering provider specialty, with non-gastroenterologists more likely to order GPP as compared to gastroenterologists. In patients with suspected flare of IBD, GPPs have higher pathogen detection rate and lead to lower rate of IBD treatment modification. A diagnostic testing strategy based on GPPs is associated with higher hospital-related healthcare utilization as compared to conventional stool testing, particularly when utilized by non-gastroenterologists.
Hierarchical Bayesian models for predicting spatially correlated curves

ABSTRACTFunctional data analysis has emerged as a new area of statistical research with a wide range of applications. In this paper, we propose novel models based on wavelets for spatially correlat...
Electroacoustic tomography (EAT): linear scanning with a single element transducer

In our experiments, a technique has been developed to simultaneously acquire Electroacoustic (EA) signal captured by a single channel ultrasonic traducer in a linear array structure. The system utilizes micro- to nano-second pulsed electric field applied by an excitation source that can be used for clinical purposes (i.e. electroporation applications), and a conventional ultrasound transducer to acquire pulse electric field-induced acoustic signals. In this research, for the first time, we present a new real-time imaging-based technique when applying different electric field distributions that disturb electrically charged particles in the media that leads to a change of temperature which increases on the order of mK per a single high intensive, μ&#119904; −&#119899;&#119904; short-pulse. We demonstrated this new technique by acquiring real-time acoustic signals induce by electric field distribution inside an agar-conductive based phantom. We used low-noise-amplifiers with a maximum gain of 60dB at 500 kHz with a linear scanning structure within less than 20sec, in 500 steps, and delay time of 500 ms to stabilize the transducer, and establish a linear scanning with a single element transducer. The corresponding EA images are reconstructed with a multi-step line back-projection algorithm. The approach can effectively reduce the artifacts associated with a conventional filter back projection algorithm used in other ultrasonic imaging by linear scanning structure because it is able to take information at multiple points to deliver the best possible image. This EAT technique provides a new and unique imaging approach for realtime, in-situ electrotherapy-based clinical practical applications.
Leveling the Field: Playing Technology-Assisted Review by the [Federal] Rules

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, though adept at policing attorney misconduct and discovery failures, have struggled for decades to manage the deluge of potentially discoverable electronic information brought on by the Information Age. The volume of data has threatened to bury the liberal discovery regime in delays and costs. The development of technology-assisted review (“TAR”) promises to help solve this problem by enabling parties to locate relevant documents more accurately and at lower cost than traditional human review. Despite this proven advantage, many courts have deterred adoption of TAR by imposing heightened disclosure requirements on parties who seek to use it. This Article argues that such heightened disclosure is unnecessary and counterproductive. Concerns about TAR are, at bottom, concerns about the attorneys using it — and concerns about attorney misconduct are nothing new. The discovery procedures in the existing Rules are therefore well-equipped to handle TAR productions, and preemptive, elevated disclosure requirements are an ill-advised deviation from the procedures established by the Rules. Rather than discouraging use of this promising new technology by requiring preemptive disclosure, courts should embrace the unique opportunities TAR presents and address any associated discovery abuses using time-tested discovery rules.
Procedural Challenges During Intubation in Patients With Oropharyngeal Masses: A Prospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND:In patients who undergo surgery for oropharyngeal masses, intubation is almost always successful. However, technical aspects of airway management, including bag mask ventilation and oxygenation, may still be difficult. Although rates of airway difficulty and intubation success in these pa
TIME-AVERAGED SPRAY ANALYSIS IN THE NEAR-FIELD REGION USING BROADBAND AND NARROWBAND X-RAY MEASUREMENTS

The characterization of a spray in the near-field region is challenging because of its high optical density in this region. X-ray based techniques, with weak scatter and strong penetration properties, can provide better characterization than optical assessment techniques in this region. In this work, the effects of various operating parameters on the optical depth (defined as the accumulated liquid thickness in the beam path times the X-ray attenuation coefficient) and spray profile of an atomizing spray in the near-field region are evaluated based on time-averaged X-ray analysis techniques. Controlling parameters in the spray structure include swirl ratio, liquid phase Reynolds number, and gas phase Reynolds number. Data from the broadband X-ray radiographs obtained using a tube source at Iowa State University and from focused beam measurements at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory are compared. The X-ray tube source at Iowa State University was operated at two different energy levels, which reveals that the X-ray tube source energy influenced the magnitude of the optical depth but did not change the shape of the distribution. For the no swirl condition, gas flow rate and liquid flow rate had opposite effects on the spray profile, where the spray widens as the gas flow rate increases and narrows as the liquid flow rate increases. As the swirl ratio increases from 0 to 1, the spray widens and then narrows. The critical swirl ratio at which the spray reaches its widest spread differs at different flow conditions.
MCL-1 inhibitors – where are we now (2019)?

Introduction: Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) is an anti-apoptotic member of the B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family of proteins that regulates apoptosis. Elevated levels of MCL-1 contribute to tumorigenesis and resistance, not only to conventional chemotherapies but also to targeted therapies, including the BCL-2 selective inhibitor venetoclax. Accordingly, researchers in both the pharmaceutical industry and academia have been actively seeking MCL-1 inhibitors in the quest for new anti-cancer drugs. Areas covered: This review covers the patent literature on the discovery and development of small-molecule inhibitors of MCL-1 since 2017. Expert opinion: Pharmacologic inhibition of MCL-1's oncogenic activity has certainly come of age with the discovery of numerous inhibitors spanning a variety of chemotypes that selectively inhibit MCL-1 in the picomolar range and with on-target cell activity. Furthermore, seminal research by Servier has demonstrated for the first time that MCL-1 inhibition is tolerable in animal models of cancer, paving the way for the six Phase 1 clinical trials that are currently underway for hematological malignancies, among other cancers. After more than a decade of research, the hurdles and obstacles are mostly behind us, and uncovering the therapeutic impact of disrupting the protein-protein interactions of MCL-1 in humans is imminent.
Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction: Medicolegal Considerations

Liposuction, a most common surgical procedure, includes many facets toward achieving great results including patient selection, patient expectations, informed consent issues, financial issues, and HIPAA, to name a few. This chapter addresses issues not usually discussed to help achieve patient and surgeon goals.
Biomedical Semantic Embeddings: Using hybrid sentences to construct biomedical word embeddings and its applications

word embeddings is a useful method that has shown enormous success in various NLP tasks, not only in open domain but also in biomedical domain. The biomedical domain provides various domain specific resources and tools that can be exploited to improve performance of these word embeddings. However, most of the research related to word embeddings in biomedical domain focuses on analysis of model architecture, hyper-parameters and input text. In this paper, we use SemMedDB to design new sentences called ‘Semantic Sentences’. Then we use these sentences in addition to biomedical text as inputs to the word embedding model. This approach aims at introducing biomedical semantic types defined by UMLS, into the vector space of word embeddings. The semantically rich word embeddings presented here rivals state of the art biomedical word embedding in both semantic similarity and relatedness metrics up to 11%. We also demonstrate how these semantic types in word embeddings can be utilized.
Leading Equity Teams: The Role of Formal Leaders in Building Organizational Capacity for Equity

The current study examined the role formal leaders can play in creating routines and practices to foster and sustain organizational leadership of equity-focused teams of educators, parents, and stu...
Improving communication lines: quality improvement project moving a department away from outdated paging

Introduction Paging systems in Hospitals have been established for some time, but they are now outdated and unreliable. This opinion is shared by the UK government, which has given the NHS until 2021 to become free of these technologies. Given this new mandate, we wanted to implement a change in the way other Healthcare Professionals can contact Orthopaedic Senior House Officer Doctors (SHOs), at Darent Valley Hospital, a District General Hospital in Kent, England. Methods Using the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle model for quality improvement projects, the authors demonstrate two successful cycles improving the way in which HCPs can establish communication with Orthopaedic Junior Doctors. PDSA cycle 1 introduced a ward doctor to be stationed on the orthopaedic wards and to carry a mobile phone. The mobile phone worked well, but there were limitations to having to stay on the wards. PDSA cycle 2 introduced mobile phones for all Orthopaedic Doctor Teams. Impact of changes made was measured using staff questionnaires distributed to a range of Healthcare Professionals. Results After PDSA Cycle 1, 100% of the 36 asked agreed that having a ward doctor had saved time in their day. 72% said they page an Orthopaedic Doctor zero to two times with no reply, compared with 9% before the change was implemented. After PDSA cycle 2, 100% of the 31 asked agreed that using mobile phones was an effective way of communicating with the Orthopaedic Doctors, and 90% said that, on average, they would spend less than 2 min trying to contact an Orthopaedic Doctor, compared with 33% after PDSA cycle 1 intervention. Conclusion This cycle has clearly improved communication in our orthopaedic department. If used in the right way, mobile phone technology can surely improve our clinical environments.
Complex reconstruction following traumatic forequarter amputation

Interscapulothoracic amputation is a radical and morbid procedure used for the management of upper extremity trauma and more commonly for resection of solid tumors. Traumatic forequarter amputation poses a unique challenge for achieving adequate tissue coverage depending on the condition of the muscle and soft tissue of the ipsilateral extremity. We present a case of a 38-year-old construction worker who suffered an almost complete forequarter amputation of his right upper extremity secondary to blunt force trauma from a crane pulley that fell from 60 ft. This is a unique mechanism of injury, as most traumatic forequarter amputations occur as a result of traction injury. Details of the case report including the unique challenges, techniques for tissue salvage, fillet flaps, and chest wall reconstruction are presented.