cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TCR/CD3-Induced Activation and Binding of Emt/Itk to Linker of Activated T Cell Complexes: Requirement for the Src Homology 2 Domain

Expressed in mast and T cells/inducible T cell tyrosine kinase (Emt/Itk), a Tec family protein tyrosine kinase, is critical for the development and activation of T lymphocytes. The mechanism through which Emt/Itk mediates its effector functions is poorly understood. In this study, we show that the Emt/Itk Src homology 2 (SH2) domain is critical for the transphosphorylation and activation of Emt/Itk catalytic activity that is mediated by TCR/CD3 engagement. Furthermore, we find that the Emt/Itk SH2 domain is essential for the formation of TCR/CD3-inducible Emt/Itk-LAT complexes, whereas the SH3 domain and catalytic activity are not required. The Emt/Itk-linker of activated T cells (LAT) complexes are biologically important because Jurkat T cells with deficient LAT expression (JCaM2) fail to increase Emt/Itk tyrosine phosphorylation upon TCR/CD3 stimulation. Confocal microscopy reveals that in activated cells, LAT complexes colocalize with TCR/CD3. The present data suggest that upon TCR/CD3 engagement, the Emt/Itk SH2 domain mediates the formation of a molecular complex containing Emt/Itk, LAT, and TCR/CD3; this complex is essential for Emt/Itk activation and function.
The Self and Social Conduct: Linking Self-Representations to Prosocial Behavior

Two studies examined how situational variables and personal factors affect peoples' immediate representations of self and how, once activated, these representations guide behavior
Regulation of a Senescence Checkpoint Response by the E2F1 Transcription Factor and p14 ARF Tumor Suppressor

Normal cells do not divide indefinitely due to a process known as replicative senescence. Human cells arrest growth with a senescent phenotype when they acquire one or more critically short telomeres as a consequence of cell division. Recent evidence suggests that certain types of DNA damage, chromatin remodeling, and oncogenic forms of Ras or Raf can also elicit a senescence response. We show here that E2F1, a multifunctional transcription factor that binds the retinoblastoma (pRb) tumor suppressor and that can either promote or suppress tumorigenesis, induces a senescent phenotype when overexpressed in normal human fibroblasts. Normal human cells stably arrested proliferation and expressed several markers of replicative senescence in response to E2F1. This activity of E2F1 was independent of its pRb binding activity but dependent on its ability to stimulate gene expression. The E2F1 target gene critical for the senescence response appeared to be the p14(ARF) tumor suppressor. Replicatively senescent human fibroblasts overexpressed p14(ARF), and ectopic expression of p14(ARF) in presenescent cells induced a phenotype similar to that induced by E2F1. Consistent with a critical role for p14(ARF), cells with compromised p53 function were immune to senescence induction by E2F1, as were cells deficient in p14(ARF). Our findings support the idea that the senescence response is a critical tumor-suppressive mechanism, provide an explanation for the apparently paradoxical roles of E2F1 in oncogenesis, and identify p14(ARF) as a potentially important mediator of the senescent phenotype.
Preventive services delivery in patients with chronic illnesses: parallel opportunities rather than competing obligations.

PURPOSE Whether patients with 1 or more chronic illnesses are more or less likely to receive recommended preventive services is unclear and an important public health and health care system issue. We addressed this issue in a large national practice-based research network (PBRN) that maintains a longitudinal database derived from electronic health records. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study as of October 1, 2011, of the association between being up to date with 10 preventive services and the preva- lence of 24 chronic illnesses among 667,379 active patients aged 18 years or older in 148 member practices in a national PBRN. We used generalized linear mixed models to assess for the association of being up to date with each preven- tive service as a function of the patient's number of chronic conditions, adjusted for patient age and encounter frequency. RESULTS Of the patients 65.4% had at least 1 of the 24 chronic illnesses. For 9 of the 10 preventive services there were strong associations between the odds of being up to date and the presence of chronic illness, even after adjustment for visit frequency and patient age. Odds ratios increased with the number of chronic conditions for 5 of the preventive services. CONCLUSIONS Rather than a barrier, the presence of chronic illness was posi- tively associated with receipt of recommended preventive services in this large national PBRN. This finding supports the notion that modern primary care prac - tice can effectively deliver preventive services to the growing number of patients with multiple chronic illnesses.
Contributions of the individual ankle plantar flexors to support, forward progression and swing initiation during walking.

Walking is a motor task requiring coordination of many muscles. Previous biomechanical studies, based primarily on analyses of the net ankle moment during stance, have concluded different functional roles for the plantar flexors. We hypothesize that some of the disparities in interpretation arise because of the effects of the uniarticular and biarticular muscles that comprise the plantar flexor group have not been separated. Furthermore, we believe that an accurate determination of muscle function requires quantification of the contributions of individual plantar flexor muscles to the energetics of individual body segments. In this study, we examined the individual contributions of the ankle plantar flexors (gastrocnemius (GAS); soleus (SOL)) to the body segment energetics using a musculoskeletal model and optimization framework to generate a forward dynamics simulation of normal walking at 1.5 m/s. At any instant in the gait cycle, the contribution of a muscle to support and forward progression was defined by its contribution to trunk vertical and horizontal acceleration, respectively, and its contribution to swing initiation by the mechanical energy it delivers to the leg in pre-swing (i.e., double-leg stance prior to toe-off). GAS and SOL were both found to provide trunk support during single-leg stance and pre-swing. In early single-leg stance, undergoing eccentric and isometric activity, they accelerate the trunk vertically but decelerate forward trunk progression. In mid single-leg stance, while isometric, GAS delivers energy to the leg while SOL decelerates it, and SOL delivers energy to the trunk while GAS decelerates it. In late single-leg stance through pre-swing, though GAS and SOL both undergo concentric activity and accelerate the trunk forward while decelerating the downward motion of the trunk (i.e., providing forward progression and support), they execute different energetic functions. The energy produced from SOL accelerates the trunk forward, whereas GAS delivers almost all its energy to accelerate the leg to initiate swing. Although GAS and SOL maintain or accelerate forward motion in mid single-leg stance through pre-swing, other muscles acting at the beginning of stance contribute comparably to forward progression. In summary, throughout single-leg stance both SOL and GAS provide vertical support, in mid single-leg stance SOL and GAS have opposite energetic effects on the leg and trunk to ensure support and forward progression of both the leg and trunk, and in pre-swing only GAS contributes to swing initiation.
Robust Control for Linear Stages in Electronic Manufacturing

This paper considers the control of an x-y linear stage commonly used in electronic manufacturing. The challenge of the control problem includes coupled and nonlinear dynamics, flexibility due to the air bearing dynamics, geometric nonlinearity due to the interferometer position measurement, and tight cross-axis positioning requirements. We evaluate two control design approaches: robust control and gain scheduling. For the robust controller, a nominal linear time invariant design model is chosen with nonlinear dynamics considered as uncertainties. The choice of uncertainty characterization and weighting functions significantly affect the performance of the controller. For the gain scheduling controller design, robust controllers based on linearized models at several operating points within the workspace are combined. From the nonlinear simulation, it is shown that with suitable tuning, good performance is obtained throughout the work volume.
Pharmacokinetics of the glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of genistein and daidzein in men and women after consumption of a soy beverage.

Background: The soy isoflavones genistein and daidzein are found in blood and tissues as aglycones, glucuronides, and sulfates. Isoflavone conjugates may serve as sources of aglycones at specific target tissues and may have bioactivity. Yet, very little is known about the plasma pharmacokinetics of isoflavone conjugates after soy ingestion. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the plasma pharmacokinetics of glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of genistein and daidzein in humans after the consumption of a drink made with soy-protein isolate. Design: Six men and 6 women (x ± SD age: 40.8 ± 3 y) consumed a soy-protein-isolate drink. The pharmacokinetics of isoflavone glucuronide and sulfate conjugates were studied with the use of � -glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.31) and sulfatase (EC 3.1.6.1) digestion and liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Results: Glucuronides of genistein and daidzein made up a significantly lower percentage (P < 0.05) of the total isoflavone concentration in plasma (48% and 33%, respectively) than in urine. The percentages of sulfates of genistein and daidzein in plasma (8% and 26%, respectively) were 2- to 6-fold those in urine (P < 0.05). Approximately 30% of the total genistein or daidzein was comprised of mixed conjugates (one glucuronide and one sulfate). For daidzein sulfate, genistein sulfate, daidzein glucuronide, and genistein glucuronide, the time to peak (tmax) was 4.5, 4.5, 4.5, and 6.0 h, respectively, and the apparent half-life (t1/2� z) was 3.1, 5.7, 3.2, and 8.4 h, respectively. Conclusions: These data suggest that there are significant differences in the pharmacokinetics of sulfate and glucuronide conjugates of isoflavones. This may have important implications for the meal frequency and maintenance of target tissue bioactivity required to elicit potential health benefits. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76:588‐94.
Shoulder Pain in Patients with Hemiplegia

The primary cause of hemiplegic shoulder pain remains elusive, making prevention and effective management difficult. Several possible causes are discussed, such as passive exercise, subluxation, and shoulder-hand syndrome. Treatment considerations and suggestions for clinical research are presented.
Dynamic Modeling and Control of Engineering Systems: DIGITAL CONTROL SYSTEMS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR THIS CHAPTER 16–1 To develop open-loop and closed-loop transfer functions in the z domain for simple digital control systems. 16–2 To evaluate stability and transient performance of linear discrete-time systems. 16–3 To assess steady-state performance of discrete-time systems. 16–4 To implement a discrete-time equivalent of a PID controller. INTRODUCTION Unprecedented advances in electronics have revolutionized control technology in recent years. Digital controllers, built around microcomputer chips as stand-alone units or implemented with ubiquitous personal computers, have dominated modern industrial process control applications. The computational power and operational speed of digital controllers allow for performance of much more sophisticated algorithms than were possible with analog controllers. Even for relatively simple control tasks, digital controllers are superior to analog controllers by virtue of their improved flexibility, greater reliability, and, more and more often, lower cost. The main objective of this chapter is to introduce the very basic concepts of analysis of digital control systems. Only linear, stationary models are considered. In Section 16.2, a pulse transfer function block diagram of a single-loop digital control system is presented. Section 16.3 deals with transient characteristics determined by the locations of roots of the system characteristic equation; methods for determining stability are also briefly discussed. In Section 16.4, steady-state performance characteristics of digital control systems are reviewed. Section 16.5 provides introductory material on digital control algorithms. A digital version of the PID controller is given special attention because of its popularity in industrial process control applications.
Association of Depressed Anti-HER2 T-Helper Type 1 Response With Recurrence in Patients With Completely Treated HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Role for Immune Monitoring.

Importance There is a paucity of immune signatures identifying patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive invasive breast cancer (IBC) at risk for treatment failure following trastuzumab and chemotherapy. Objective To determine whether circulating anti-HER2 CD4-positive (CD4 + ) T-helper type 1 (Th1) immunity correlates with recurrence in patients with completely treated HER2-positive IBC. Design, Setting, and Participants Hypothesis-generating exploratory translational analysis at a tertiary care referral center of patients with completely treated HER2-positive IBC with median (interquartile range) follow-up of 44 (31) months. Anti-HER2 Th1 responses were examined using peripheral blood mononuclear cells pulsed with 6 HER2-derived class II–promiscuous peptides via interferon-γ (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunospot assay. Main Outcomes and Measures T-helper type 1 response metrics were anti-HER2 responsivity, repertoire (number of reactive peptides), and cumulative response across 6 peptides (spot-forming cells [SFCs]/10 6 cells). Anti-HER2 Th1 responses in treatment-naive patients (used as an immunologic baseline) were compared with those in patients completing trastuzumab and chemotherapy; in the latter group, analyses were stratified by recurrence status. Recurrence was defined as any locoregional or distant breast event, or both. Cox regression analysis estimated the instantaneous hazard of recurrence (ie, disease-free survival [DFS]) stratified by anti-HER2 Th1 responsivity. Results In 95 women with HER2-positive IBC (median [range] age, 49 [24-85] years; 22 treatment-naive, 73 treated with trastuzumab and chemotherapy), depressed anti-HER2 Th1 responsivity (recurrence, 2 of 25 [8%], vs nonrecurrence, 40 of 48 [83%]; P P 6 cells; P P + T-bet + IFN-γ + (Th1)—not CD4 + GATA-3 + IFN-γ + (Th2) or CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + (T reg )—phenotypes, and not attributable to immune incompetence. When stratifying trastuzumab plus chemotherapy-treated patients by Th1 responsivity, Th1-nonresponsive patients demonstrated a worse DFS (median, 47 vs 113 months; P P Conclusions and Relevance Depressed anti-HER2 Th1 response is a novel immune correlate to recurrence in patients with completely treated HER2-positive IBC. These data underscore a role for immune monitoring in patients with HER2-positive IBC to identify vulnerable populations at risk of treatment failure.
The Price of Advice

This article posits that it is both inappropriate and inefficient to allow third-party compensation consultants the sweeping amount of authority they are being currently afforded within the compensation determination process. Moreover, this article argues that such relegation of authority and influence to outside consultants has been both a contributing factor to the current problem of excessive executive compensation and a continuing frustration of our efforts to combat the problem. Historically, efforts to curtail excessive executive compensation levels have proceeded through the promulgation of four distinct policies: promoting director independence, introducing regulation to enhance disclosure, empowering shareholders, and relying on the courts to serve as a remedial check on gross violations of the process. In order to effectively mitigate the pay problem on a substantive level, these policies must first be reevaluated in light of the ubiquitous presence and assumed authority of third party consultants. Next, they need to be reassessed to determine how they might operate to arrest the expanding authority of outside consultants within the corporate compensation determination process, thereby facilitating the production of more equitable executive compensation packages. The article concludes by suggesting potential workable solutions to the problems caused by improper relegation of compensation-setting duties to outside compensation consultants.
Treatment of Severe Aortic Stenosis: Development and Feasibility Testing of an Aortic Valve Bypass Apical Cannula

Treatment of aortic stenosis through surgical replacement has been one of the most successful advances in cardiovascular medicine (1), though use in certain patient populations, specifically in the elderly, has been associated with increased mortality rates (2). A growing alternative surgery is Aortic Valve Bypass (AVB). This therapy offers decreased surgical risk because it does not require cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic crossclamping, aortotomy, or cardioplegic cardiac arrest (3). A one-way conduit between the apex of the left ventricle and the descending aorta increases flow by reducing afterload (Fig. 1, LEFT). Systolic blood from the left ventricle is ejected via both the native stenotic aortic valve and the AVB circuit. In this feasibility study, an apical cannula was developed and tested.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
History, Trauma, and Identity: The Legacy of the Korean War for Korean Americans

These quotes raise three key points: that the foundations of identity include family history and its intersection with collective history, that a historical sensibility runs counter to the American ethos, and that personal memories of past social conflict and injustice have a role to play in reconciling that injustice. These are central tenets in an oral history project described in this article focusing on Korean American family histories encompassing the pivotal event of the Korean War. The project, thus, runs counter to the American "reverence" for the present and future, rather than the past, an inclination that is arguably especially problematic in the case of the Korean War which has already been rendered "forgotten" in popular discourse. Recovering memories of this past can contribute not only to understanding the lasting psychological impacts of intense social and political conflict but also to exploring prospects for personal and social reconciliation. My objective is to examine legacies of the K...
Attenuation of cocaine self-administration by chronic oral phendimetrazine in rhesus monkeys

Chronic treatment with the monoamine releaser d-amphetamine has been consistently shown to decrease cocaine self-administration in laboratory studies and clinical trials. However, the abuse potential of d-amphetamine is an obstacle to widespread clinical use. Approaches are needed that exploit the efficacy of the agonist approach but avoid the abuse potential associated with dopamine releasers. The present study assessed the effectiveness of chronic oral administration of phendimetrazine (PDM), a pro-drug for the monoamine releaser phenmetrazine (PM), to decrease cocaine self-administration in four rhesus monkeys. Each day, monkeys pressed a lever to receive food pellets under a 50-response fixed-ratio (FR) schedule of reinforcement and self-administered cocaine (0.003-0.56 mg/kg per injection, i.v.) under a progressive-ratio (PR) schedule in the evening. After completing a cocaine self-administration dose-response curve, sessions were suspended and PDM was administered (1.0-9.0 mg/kg, p.o., b.i.d.). Cocaine self-administration was assessed using the PR schedule once every 7 days while food-maintained responding was studied daily. When a persistent decrease in self-administration was observed, the cocaine dose-effect curve was re-determined. Daily PDM treatment decreased cocaine self-administration by 30-90% across monkeys for at least 4 weeks. In two monkeys, effects were completely selective for cocaine. Tolerance developed to initial decreases in food-maintained responding in the third monkey and in the fourth subject, fluctuations were observed that were lower in magnitude than effects on cocaine self-administration. Cocaine dose-effect curves were shifted down and/or rightward in three monkeys. These data provide further support for the use of agonist medications for cocaine abuse, and indicate that the promising effects of d-amphetamine extend to a more clinically viable pharmacotherapy.
Progressive partnering: Expanding student and faculty access to information services

A distance learning team, including select faculty, a distance learning librarian, and a distance learning administrator, worked closely to develop a pilot study which actively involves the distance learning librarian as co-instructor in an online library science course. This paper details the results of the study and highlights the successful collaboration among academic, administrative, and support units.
A Method for Isolation of Ascorbic Acid Fermenting Bacteria

The objectives of this preliminary communication are two: to describe a procedure for the isolation of ascorbic acid fermenting bacteria, from suitable material, and to describe briefly the results obtained with this procedure. This preliminary communication does not presume completeness either with respect to the types or strains of bacteria which may actually utilize ascorbic acid for energy, or with regard to the patterns of fermentation of this substance by specific strains of bacteria.Plain, nutrient broth is reinforced with ascorbic acid.∗ Fifteen to 20 mg. per 10 cc. of broth is a preferable amount, both because this is sufficient to indicate unequivocally that decomposition has taken place, and also because within these limits the initial reaction of the broth is not brought below pH 6.0, a point at which the bacteria thus far encountered grow readily. Also, a reaction slightly on the acid side is conducive to the stability of ascorbic acid. The broth, thus prepared is inoculated with stomach cont...
Precontextualization and the rhetoric of futurity: Foretelling Colin Powell’s UN address on NBC News

This article examines precontextualization: the rhetorical act of previewing and contextualizing a future discursive event. I examine how an NBC News broadcast selected verbal–visual representation...
On the Relationship Between Trial-to-Trial Response Time Variability and fNIRS-Based Functional Connectivity

We study the relationship between response time (RT) variability and functional connectivity (FC) estimated by wavelet transform coherence, when performing a visual oddball task. A statistically significant correlation is observed between RT and FC.
The generation of memory B cells is maintained, but the antibody response is not, in the elderly after repeated influenza immunizations

The success of a vaccine in inducing a protective antibody response depends on the longevity of both long-lived plasma cells (PC) and memory B cells. We have previously shown that the in vivo antibody response to a new influenza vaccine, the ex vivo plasmablast response, the in vitro B cell function, measured by AID (activation-induced cytidine deaminase), and the transcription factor E47, are significantly associated and decreased in elderly individuals. We hypothesized that because AID is decreased in the elderly, the ability to generate memory B cells would also be decreased, but our findings here show that memory B cells are maintained in the elderly probably due to further amplification in response to repeated vaccination. We recruited young and elderly individuals immunized in at least two consecutive influenza vaccine seasons in which the influenza A viral strains H1N1 and H3N2 in the vaccine were the same as in the previous year. PBMC were cultured with CpG/IL2 to measure the frequency of IgG vaccine-specific memory B cells. Serum antibody response was measured by hemagglutination inhibition assay. Blood plasmablasts were measured by flow cytometry. Surprisingly, the frequencies of influenza vaccine-specific memory B cells and plasmablasts were similar in young and elderly individuals, but the fold-increase in serum titers after vaccination was lower in the elderly although most of the elderly were seroprotected. We then measured the transcription factor Blimp-1, considered the master regulator of PC differentiation, and found it significantly reduced in cultures of B cells from elderly versus young individuals, as well as E47/AID and IgG secretion. Taken together, these results suggest an impaired memory B cell to PC differentiation in the elderly.
Synthesizing Caged-NAD Molecules to Conduct Laue Time-Resolved Crystallography Measurements on HMGCoA Reductase

Time-resolved x-ray crystallography can be used to collect x-ray diffraction data at femtosecond timescales as an enzymatic reaction progresses in a crystal. Caged compounds are used to trap inactive substrates within crystals that can be phototriggered and released using laser pulses at specific wavelengths before collecting x-ray diffraction data. Crystallizing enzyme cofactors as caged compounds is a technique employed to initialize enzymatic reactions in conjunction with x-ray diffraction data collection, thus giving us temporal control over the reaction.Our research is aimed at studying the reaction mechanism of the enzyme HMGCoA reductase. The enzyme can undergo a conformational change inside a crystal after binding to the reaction substrates HMGCoA and NAD, thereby making it a suitable enzyme for time-resolved studies. In order to obtain time-resolved information about the reaction, we are currently trying to synthesize caged NAD molecules that undergo photolysis at wavelengths greater than the absorbance wavelength of the different protein residues in order to trigger cleavage of the substrate from the caged compound without perturbing the protein. Using the NAD binding proteins, NAD Glycohydrolase and ADP-Ribosyl Cyclase, we hope to synthesize caged NAD molecules using different Nicotinamide derivatives. In this study, we outline properties of Nicotinamide derivatives (solubility, size, steric effects and photocage linker lability) that affect the formation of Caged NAD molecules in NAD Glycohydrolase and ADP-Ribosyl Cyclase. By showcasing, how rate of formation of different caged NAD molecules differs with respect to these properties, we hope to optimize the conditions for forming caged-NAD molecules that can function effectively inside a crystal.
Association of Preoperative Anemia With Postoperative Mortality in Neonates

Importance Neonates undergoing noncardiac surgery are at risk for adverse outcomes. Preoperative anemia is a strong independent risk factor for postoperative mortality in adults. To our knowledge, this association has not been investigated in the neonatal population. Objective To assess the association between preoperative anemia and postoperative mortality in neonates undergoing noncardiac surgery in a large sample of US hospitals. Design, Setting, and Participants Using data from the 2012 and 2013 pediatric databases of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, we conducted a retrospective study of neonates undergoing noncardiac surgery. Analysis of the data took place between June 2015 and December 2015. All neonates (0-30 days old) with a recorded preoperative hematocrit value were included. Exposures Anemia defined as hematocrit level of less than 40%. Main Outcomes and Measures Receiver operating characteristics analysis was used to assess the association between preoperative hematocrit and mortality, and the Youden J Index was used to determine the specific hematocrit cutoff point to define anemia in the neonatal population. Demographic and postoperative outcomes variables were compared between anemic and nonanemic neonates. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with postoperative neonatal mortality. An external validation was performed using the 2014 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Results Neonates accounted for 2764 children (6%) in the 2012-2013 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program databases. Neonates inlcuded in the study were predominately male (64.5%), white (66.3%), and term (69.9% greater than 36 weeks’ gestation) and weighed more than 2 kg (85.0%). Postoperative in-hospital mortality was 3.4% in neonates and 0.6% in all age groups (0-18 years). A preoperative hematocrit level of less than 40% was the optimal cutoff (Youden) to predict in-hospital mortality. Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that preoperative anemia is an independent risk factor for mortality (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.51-4.57) in neonates. The prevalence of postoperative in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in neonates with a preoperative hematocrit level less than 40%; being 7.5% (95% CI, 1%-10%) vs 1.4% (95% CI, 0%-4%) for preoperative hematocrit levels 40%, or greater. The relationship between anemia and in-hospital mortality was confirmed in our validation cohort (National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2014). Conclusions and Relevance To our knowledge, this is the first study to define the incidence of preoperative anemia in neonates, the incidence of postoperative in-hospital mortality in neonates, and the association between preoperative anemia and postoperative mortality in US hospitals. Timely diagnosis, prevention, and appropriate treatment of preoperative anemia in neonates might improve survival.
When Regions Are Status Categories: Does Longer Life Lead to Longer Ill Health?

An average individual’s remaining life expectancy free of disability—referred to as healthy or active life expectancy—is a popular measure of population’s state of health. Such expectancies are often calculated to address the question whether the currently observed increases in total life expectancy are accompanied by increases in active life expectancy. Past studies used to conclude that the positive trends in the prolongation of life had not been matched by similar trends in the extension of healthy life. Typical of their assessments was the pessimistic conclusion that Americans were not living longer healthy lives. Additions to life expectancy, it was argued, were concentrated in the disabled years—primarily years of long-term disability. This chapter challenges such conclusions and demonstrates that a reliance on prevalence rather than incidence rates in the analysis leads to the pessimistic assessment.
The Younger and Adult Children

The plight of millions of children in the United States in the 1980s finally began to be acknowledged by government officials and politicians in the early 1990s as political candidates struggled with issues that could be used for political gain. Children have no voting power, and those that are in grievous distress too often are living with a disturbed, disadvantaged, or demoralized parent(s) who is/are so alienated that he/she/they do not vote. Consequently, the status and well-being of the children in our society have depended on shifting humanitarian sentiments and our national leaders’ often fragile social consciences. The tragedy of children who are hungry, homeless, and/or ill-cared for (if not harmed) has stirred some advocates, who point to the sad statistics about the lack of well-being of children in America and hope that the 1990s will be the decade of our children.
“Knowing Your Status and Knowing Your Partner’s Status Is Really Where It Starts”: A Qualitative Exploration of the Process by Which a Sexual Partner’s HIV Status Can Influence Sexual Decision Making

Gay and bisexual men are at disproportionate risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. While prevention efforts often emphasize consistent condom use, there is growing evidence that men are using seroadaptive safer-sex strategies, such as serosorting and seropositioning. This qualitative analysis of 204 HIV-negative and HIV-positive gay and bisexual men explored the ways that a sexual partner's HIV status can influence safer-sex strategies and sexual decisions. The majority of the respondents reported that they were influenced by their partners' HIV status. Those respondents who reported no influence discussed adhering to safer-sex rules that were not dependent on partner status and a lack of concern about HIV. Conversely, respondents who reported influence identified three primary areas of influence: psychological impacts, partner preference and selection, and specific behavioral intentions and strategies. A conceptual model explicating a potential process by which respondents use partner serostatus information in shaping sexual decisions is presented.
Function of the epithelial channel cells of the body wall of a terrestrial slug, Ariolimax columbianus

The body wall of the land slug Ariolimax columbianus Gould (Arionidae) secretes fluid in response to mechanical stimulation. This fluid is a product of specialized channel cells, with addition of mucus. Channel cell function can be explained in terms of ultrafiltration of blood components into the central channel, and modification of this ultrafiltrate, prior to extrusion from the body surface, by cellular transport of univalent ions but without change in osmotic pressure. Sodium and chloride ions are conserved, and potassium and bicarbonate ions are transferred out into the channel cell product. Agents known to affect epithelial transports and ion processing in a variety of animals - ouabain, amiloride, furosemide, SITS and acetazolamide - depress the function of the slug channel cells.
Neuromorphic hardware acceleration enabled by emerging technologies (Invited paper)

The explosion of big data applications imposes severe challenges of data processing speed and scalability on traditional computer systems. However, the performance of the von Neumann machine is greatly hindered by the increasing performance gap between CPU and memory, motivating the active research on new or alternative computing architectures. As one important instance, neuromorphic computing systems inspired by the working mechanism of human brains have gained considerable attention. In this work, we propose a heterogeneous computing system with neuromorphic computing accelerators (NCAs) that are built with emerging memristor technology. In the proposed system, NCA is designed to speed up the artificial neural network (ANN) executions in many high-performance applications by leveraging the extremely efficient mixed-signal computation capability of nanoscale memristor-based crossbar (MBC) arrays. The hierarchical MBC arrays of the NCA can be flexibly configured to different ANN topologies through the help of an analog Network-on-Chip (A-NoC). A general approach which translates the target codes within a program to the corresponding NCA instructions is also developed to facilitate the utilization of the NCA. Our simulation results show that compared to the baseline general purpose processor, the proposed heterogeneous system can achieve on average 18.2x performance speedup and 20.1x energy reduction over nine representative applications while constraining the computation accuracy degradation within an acceptable range.
A Comparison of Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Incorporated with Manuka Honey of Varying UMF.

Purpose. Manuka honey (MH) is an antibacterial agent specific to the islands of New Zealand containing both hydrogen peroxide and a Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). Although the antibacterial properties of MH have been studied, the effect of varying UMF of MH incorporated into tissue engineered scaffolds have not. Therefore, this study was designed to compare silk fibroin cryogels and electrospun scaffolds incorporated with a 5% MH concentration of various UMF. Methods. Characteristics such as porosity, bacterial clearance and adhesion, and cytotoxicity were compared. Results. Pore diameters for all cryogels were between 51 and 60 µm, while electrospun scaffolds were 10 µm. Cryogels of varying UMF displayed clearance of approximately 0.16 cm for E. coli and S. aureus. In comparison, the electrospun scaffolds clearance ranged between 0.5 and 1 cm. A glucose release of 0.5 mg/mL was observed for the first 24 hours by all scaffolds, regardless of UMF. With respect to cytotoxicity, neither scaffold caused the cell number to drop below 20,000. Conclusions. Overall, when comparing the effects of the various UMF within the two scaffolds, no significant differences were observed. This suggests that the fabricated scaffolds in this study displayed similar bacterial effects regardless of the UMF value.
Letter to a Young Female Physician

There is sexism in medicine, but there may also be a more insidious obstacle. I’ve been haunted at every step of my career by the fear that I am a fraud. And not only do we women tend to perseverate over our inadequacies, we also often denigrate our strengths.
Experiencing is believing: prior experience moderates the impact of self-based and socially-based cues in the context of blood donation

Two studies explored how self-based cues (i.e., self-efficacy), socially-based cues (i.e., perceived social norms), and prior blood donation experience differentially influence behavioral intentions. In Study 1, undergraduate students (N = 766) completed an online study that evaluated prior experiences, self-efficacy, perceived norms, and behavioral intentions in the context of blood donation. In Study 2, a community sample (N = 199) from a clinic waiting room completed similar measures. Across both studies, having high self-efficacy was a necessary and sufficient antecedent to high intentions, regardless of norm perception for donors. For non-donors, however, high self-efficacy was necessary but not sufficient; non-donors’ intentions were higher when giving blood was perceived to be normative, but far lower when it was not. When self-efficacy was low, the effects of experience and norms did not exert meaningful effects and donation intentions were quite low. These results demonstrate that the impact of self-based and socially-based cues on behavioral intentions may differ as a function of experience. The findings can inform public health initiatives and enhance the accuracy of theoretical models by directly examining experience as a moderator.
Heme modification contributes to the mechanism-based inactivation of human cytochrome P450 2J2 by two terminal acetylenic compounds

The mechanism-based inactivation of human CYP2J2 by three terminal acetylenic compounds: N-(methylsulfonyl)-6-(2-propargyloxyphenyl)hexanamide (MS), 17-octadecynoic acid (OD), and danazol (DZ) was investigated. The loss of hydroxyebastine (OHEB) carboxylation activity in a reconstituted system was time- and concentration-dependent and required NADPH for MS and OD, but not DZ. The kinetic constants for the mechanism-based inactivation of OHEB carboxylation activity were: KI of 6.1 µM and kinact of 0.22 min-1 for MS and KI of 2.5 µM and kinact of 0.05 min-1 for OD. The partition ratios for MS and OD were ~10 and ~20, respectively. Inactivation of CYP2J2 by MS or OD resulted in a loss of the native heme spectrum and a similar decrease in the reduced CO difference spectrum. A heme adduct was observed in the MS-inactivated CYP2J2. The possible reactive metabolite which covalently modified the prosthetic heme was characterized by analysis of the glutathione conjugates formed by MS or OD following oxygenation of the ethynyl moiety. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that inactivation by MS or OD did not lead to modification of apoprotein. Interaction of CYP2J2 with DZ produced a type II binding spectrum with a Ks of 2.8 µM and the IC50 for loss of OHEB carboxylation activity was 0.18 µM. In conclusion, heme modification by MS and OD was responsible for the mechanism-based inactivation of CYP2J2. The results suggest that the ethynyl moiety of MS and OD faces the heme iron, whereas the isoxazole ring of DZ is preferentially oriented toward the heme iron of CYP2J2.
Automatic Mixed Pixel Classification (AMPC): Unsupervised Mixed Pixel Classification

The automatic mixed pixel classification (AMPC) considered in this chapter is fully computer automated and can be implemented to automatically detect and classify targets with no human intervention. Like the automatic subpixel detection discussed in Chapters 5–6 AMPC can be also categorized into unsupervised mixed pixel classification and anomaly classification. The former classifies mixed pixels in an unsupervised manner, where the required unsupervised target knowledge is the a posteriori target information generated directly from the image data as noted in Chapter 5. By contrast, the latter extends anomaly detection to anomaly classification, in which case the detected anomalies can be classified with no need of unsupervised target knowledge. Depending upon availability of a priori target knowledge two versions of unsupervised MPC, referred to as desired target detection and classification algorithm (DTDCA) and automatic target detection and classification algorithm (ATDCA), are presented in this chapter. The DTDCA is applied to a situation that there is knowledge about specific targets to be classified, whereas ATCDA can be used to classify targets of interest present in an unknown image scene without a priori target knowledge. As a consequence, they result in different applications.
Think about It: Philosophy and Dialogic Advising.

Effective advising requires practitioners to engage in analysis of theory and practice. Philosophical underpinnings regarding notions of self can shape the advising encounter and determine the level of receptiveness of advisors toward the whole student. A brief review of Western philosophies of the self provides context for Martin Buber's radical dialogic philosophy of the self. Buber offered a foundation for an overarching theory of advising and addressed the selection and timing of particular advising methods in response to students. His idea of the dialogic self, I-You, consists of powerful, relational encounters with the other. Advisors bring an openness to students' contextual reality so an advisor is immersed in a student's world for that moment by applying dialogic advising.
Study Abroad and Second Language Use: Constructing the Self

Language plays an essential role in how we portray our personalities. Through social interaction, others develop a picture of us based on our linguistic cues. However, when we interact in a foreign language and in a new country, limitations in linguistic and cultural knowledge can make self-presentation a more difficult task. This book explores the problems faced by language students embarking on 'study abroad' programmes, spending time in a foreign country and having to interact - and express their personalities - in a second language. Drawing on her extensive work with students, Valerie Pellegrino Aveni explores the factors that complicate self-presentation and the strategies students use for overcoming these, looking in particular at issues of anxiety, control, age, gender, risk-taking and self-esteem. Offering rich insights into the study abroad experience, this book will be an invaluable resource for professionals in second language acquisition, and for teachers and students preparing for study abroad.
Michigan Health & Hospital Association Keystone Obstetrics: A Statewide Collaborative for Perinatal Patient Safety in Michigan

Article-at-a-Glance Background Preventable harm to mothers and infants during labor and birth is a significant patient safety and professional liability issue. A Michigan Health & Hospital Association Keystone Center for Patient Safety & Quality Obstetric Collaborative Project involved perinatal teams from 15 Michigan hospitals during an 11-month period in 2009. The purpose of the project was to promote safe care practices during labor and birth using the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP). Consistent with the CUSP model, this project's components included assessing and promoting a culture of safety; interdisciplinary team building; case review; learning from defects through multiple methods of education; team and individual coaching and peer encouragement; administrative support for the establishment of a fundamental safety infrastructure; and ongoing evaluation of care processes and outcomes. Methods Study measures included 32 components of a perinatal patient infrastructure, 6 care processes during labor and birth, and 4 neonatal outcomes. Results Significant improvements were found in the safety culture (Safety Attitudes Questionnaire), the perinatal patient safety infrastructure components, and all care processes. Conclusions Although the project was successful, getting buy-in from all members of the clinical team in each hospital for all of the measures was challenging at times. There was initial resistance to some of the measures and their various expected aspects of care. For example, some of the clinicians were initially reluctant to adopt the recommended standardized oxytocin protocol. Peer encouragement and unit-based feedback on progress in minimizing early elective births proved useful in many hospitals. A CUSP in obstetrics can be beneficial in improving the care of mothers and infants during labor and birth.
Finding multivariate splits in decision trees using function optimization

We present a new method for top-down induction of decision trees (TDIDT) with multivariate binary splits at the nodes. The primary contribution of this work is a new splitting criterion called soft entropy, which is continuous and differentiable with respect to the parameters of the splitting function. Using simple gradient descent to find multivariate splits and a novel pruning technique, our TDIDT-SEH (Soft Entropy Hyperplanes) algorithm is able to learn very small trees with better accuracy than competing learning algorithms on most datasets examined. The process of finding a splitting function at a node of a decision tree is a search problem, and we choose to view it as unconstrained parametric function optimization over the space of hyperplane weight vectors w E Rn. Our objective function is soft entropy, a new continuous approximation to the entropy measure (Quinlan 1986). Soft entropy was chosen for two reasons. First, it is well-established that entropy is a good splitting criterion (Buntine & Niblett 1992). Second, softness is important to get good generalization in continuous spaces, as shown in Figure 1. Related work is similar overall, but the OCl algorithm of Murthy et al. (1993) uses entropy as a criterion, and Brodley and Utgoff (1992) d escribe algorithms using error, also a hard splitting criterion.
Arrow’s Theorem and the Gibbard-Satterthwaite Theorem

In many voting systems, each voter must produce a ranked preference order of all candidates mentioned, and no ties are allowed. Such systems are called ordinal . However some voting systems, called cardinal , allow the voters to evaluate candidates separately, and a voter could say two candidates were equal. For the moment we shall concentrate on ordinal systems; cardinal systems will be studied in Chap. 7.