cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Semiquantitation of cannabinoid immunoassays? A reexamination of the EMIT 20-ng/mL assay.

Concerns regarding the ability to semlquantitate drugs-ofabuse urine immunoaasay results, particularly THC-COOH, prompted us to reexamine EMIT results. The Syva EMIT d.a.u. cannabinold 20-ng/mL assay was performed on the Cobas BIo centrifugal analyzer, and positive samples were confirmed by ToxI-Lab or GC/MS. Of 39 specimens tested, 17 were confirmed positive. However, four specimens were not accurately semlquantitated by EMIT. These four had very high levels (>100 ng/mL) of the primary metabolite but yielded EMIT results between the low and medium calibrator (20-75 ng/mL). Llnearity studies confirmed that the absorbance changes with the EMIT immunoassay plateau near the medium calibrator. In addition, we obtained false positive EMIT results due to sample carryover when samples containing 500 ng/mL (or greater) of THC-COOH preceded a negative specimen. Significant carryover was not observed when concentrations up to 1,300 ng/mL were used with the 100-ng/mL immunoassay, and this effect may be explained by the higher cutoff used. Because EMIT cannabinoid results on the Cobas Bio analyzer can be affected by carryover and a hook effect, they should not be reported even semiquantitatively.
Tracking controller design for a class of nonminimum-phase systems via the method of system center

A method of approximate output tracking for a class of causal nonminimum-phase multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems with nonlinear time-varying uncertainties and unmeasurable disturbances is considered. The nonminimum-phase output-tracking problem is transformed into a state-tracking problem. The technique presented employs linear algebraic methods and the internal model principle. A sliding mode control approach is used in the example to illustrate a complete constructive algorithm.
Direct Effects of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Isomers on P815 Mast Cells in vitro

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a dietary fatty acid which causes extensive remodeling and mast cell recruitment in the mouse mammary gland. Two CLA isomers, 9,11- and 10,12-CLA, have differing effects in vivo, with only 10,12-CLA increasing mast cell number. The purpose of this project is to test the hypothesis that CLA acts directly on the mast cell. The P815 mastocytoma cell line was assayed for the effects of CLA on mast cell number, proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Both CLA isomers decreased viable mast cell number, with no effect on membrane integrity, or cell cycle distribution. 10,12-CLA induced an increase in apoptosis, assessed by Annexin-FITC binding. Both isomers increased mast cell granularity, and secretion of MMP-9. The complex effects of CLA isomers on mast cells in the mammary gland are distinct from direct effects on mast cells in vitro, and may require interactions between multiple cell types present in vivo.
LOCAL HYPERTHERMIA IN COMBINATION WITH DEFINITIVE RADIOTHERAPY: INCREASED TUMOR CLEARANCE, REDUCED RECURRENCE RATE IN EXTENDED FOLLOW-UP

Abstract Fifty-nine patients with superficial malignancies appropriate for treatment with definitive radiotherapy and technically suitable for application of local microwave hyperthermia were available for at least 6 months follow-up. Thirty one of these patients presented with two lesions, only one of which was heated, the other serving as internal control. The responses of the lesions which were heated were compared with those receiving only radiation. The heated lesions responded more quickly, reconfirming observations previously made. However, at subsequent 6 months, 1 year, 18 months and 2 years follow-ups, tumor clearance was shown to be significantly more complete as compared with the internal controls. At 6 months follow-up complete response with combined therapy was observed in 27 of 31 lesions (87%) in contrast to complete response in 12 of 31 (39%) lesions treated with radiotherapy alone. At one year combined modality treatment produced complete response in 19 of 19 lesions (100%) while radiotherapy alone yielded complete response in 10 of 19 lesions (53%). At 18 months, 8 of 9 lesions (89%) treated with combined therapy remained controlled, l having recurred. Seven of 9 (78%) treated by radiotherapy alone were controlled, 2 having recurred. At 2 years, 6 patients were available for follow-up and 6 of 6 (100%) of lesions treated with combined modality remained controlled. Among those treated by radiotherapy alone, 5 of 6 (83%) remained controlled, while 1 recurred. The rate of tumor recurrence among the heated lesions was significantly lower than was found among the controls. The recurrence rate among the controls was similar to that expected in a similar group of patients treated with definitive radiotherapy. Therefore, in addition to its established capability to shrink tumors, hyperthermia in combination with radiotherapy has been shown to increase the rate of overall tumor clearance and reduce recurrences compared with that obtained from radiotherapy alone.
Acute effect of systemic versus intracoronary dipyridamole on coronary circulation.

Dipyridamole has been proposed as an ideal agent to evaluate coronary vascular reserve because it produces selective coronary vasodilation without systemic hemodynamic effect. The actions of intracoronary (IC) and intravenous (IV) dipyridamole on coronary blood flow and systemic hemodynamics were compared in 15 patients with chest pain syndrome and normal coronary arteries. They received IC dipyridamole, followed 10 minutes later by 0.5 mg/kg of IV dipyridamole. IC dipyridamole produced a 73% increase in coronary sinus flow without hemodynamic changes, except for a slight increase in pulmonary systolic and diastolic pressures. IV dipyridamole administration produced an additional 88% increase in coronary sinus flow, reaching 172% over baseline; it was also associated with a significant (p < 0.01) increase in heart rate (78 ± 14 vs 102 ± 19 beats/min), cardiac index (4 ± 0.7 vs 6.3 ± 1.7 liters/min/m2), and pulmonary artery systolic (27 ± 5 vs 34 ± 7 mm Hg) and diastolic pressures (12 ± 4 vs 19 ± 7 mm Hg). These data suggest that the coronary vasodilatory effect seen after IV dipyridamole administration is related to mechanisms other than direct coronary vasodilation.
Hammerstein system identification using nuclear norm minimization

This paper presents a new method for the identification of Hammerstein systems. The parameter estimation problem is formulated as a rank minimization problem by constraining a finite dimensional time dependency between signals. Due to the unknown intermediate signal, the rank minimization problem cannot be solved directly. Thus, the rank minimization problem is reformulated as an intermediate signal construction problem. The main assumption used in this paper is that static nonlinearity is monotonically non-decreasing in order to guarantee a unique combination of a static nonlinear block and a Finite Impulse Response (FIR) linear block. The rank minimization is then relaxed to a convex optimization problem using a nuclear norm. The main contribution of this paper is that the proposed method extends the rank minimization approach to Hammerstein system identification, and does not need a bilinear parametrization and singular value decomposition (SVD), which are commonly used in two-step approaches for Hammerstein system identification.
zUpdate: updating data center networks with zero loss

Datacenter networks (DCNs) are constantly evolving due to various updates such as switch upgrades and VM migrations. Each update must be carefully planned and executed in order to avoid disrupting many of the mission-critical, interactive applications hosted in DCNs. The key challenge arises from the inherent difficulty in synchronizing the changes to many devices, which may result in unforeseen transient link load spikes or even congestions. We present one primitive, zUpdate, to perform congestion-free network updates under asynchronous switch and traffic matrix changes. We formulate the update problem using a network model and apply our model to a variety of representative update scenarios in DCNs. We develop novel techniques to handle several practical challenges in realizing zUpdate as well as implement the zUpdate prototype on OpenFlow switches and deploy it on a testbed that resembles real DCN topology. Our results, from both real-world experiments and large-scale trace-driven simulations, show that zUpdate can effectively perform congestion-free updates in production DCNs.
Effective hemodynamic diameter: an intrinsic property of vein grafts with predictive value for patency.

Abstract Introduction: Conduit size and quality are major determinants of the long-term success of infrainguinal autologous vein grafting. However, accurate measurement of the internal diameter of vein grafts is difficult given their variable wall thickness and taper. The purpose of this study was to define the "effective" internal diameter of a vein graft according to its hemodynamic properties and to determine its significance for graft patency. Methods: Sixty infrainguinal bypass grafts performed on 57 patients were evaluated intraoperatively. Proximal and distal graft pressure and blood flow (Q meas ) were measured with fluid-filled catheter transduction and ultrasonic transit-time flowimetry, respectively, after unclamping. Waveforms were recorded digitally at 200 Hz under baseline conditions and after stimulation with 60 mg of papaverine. According to Fourier transformation of the measured pressure gradient (ΔP), the Womersley solution for fluid flow in a straight rigid tube was used to calculate theoretical flow waveforms (Q calc ) for a range of graft diameters. The theoretical waveforms were then compared with the measured flow waveforms and the best-fit diameter chosen as the "effective hemodynamic diameter" (EHD). Only grafts in which the correlation coefficient of Q calc versus Q meas was more than 0.90 were accepted (n = 47) to assure validity of the hemodynamic model. After a mean follow-up of 12.5 months (range, 0.1-43.9 months), patency was determined by the life table method. Hemodynamic and clinical variables were tabulated, and their effect on patency determined the use of univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Results: Mean EHD was 4.1 ± 0.1 mm with a range of 2.5 to 5.7 mm. Administration of papaverine caused profound changes in ΔP (+78% ± 17%) and Q meas (+71% ± 12%) as expected, but had no effect on EHD (+0.05% ± 0.1%). Univariate regression identified five variables associated with decreased secondary patency ( P mean , female sex, and redo operation. Of these, only low EHD was significant after multivariate analysis ( P =.03). Patency of small diameter grafts (EHD 3.6 mm; n=36) to test a frequently espoused clinical guideline. Grafts with an EHD less than 3.6 mm exhibited significantly lower secondary patency compared with larger grafts ( P =.0001). The positive and negative predictive values for an EHD less than 3.6 mm for secondary graft failure for grafts with at least 1 year follow-up were 86% and 88%, respectively. Conclusion: An EHD is a unique parameter that quantifies conduit size and has a significant impact on vein graft patency. An EHD less than 3.6 mm portends graft failure. (J Vasc Surg 2000;31:910-7.)
Cognition and Human Computer Interaction in Health and Biomedicine

The past few decades have produced a cumulative body of experiential and practical knowledge about user experience, adoption and implementation to guide future design work. However, knowledge solely based on practical experience or empirical studies are not adequate to account for the immense variety of health information technologies and the rich array of contexts that constitute the practice of medicine. Theoretical knowledge is needed to develop a more complete understanding of the user experience as well as to produce robust generalizations and sound design principles. In this chapter, we describe theories of cognition in the context of human-computer interaction (HCI) in healthcare domains. In the first sections, we review the family of theories subsumed by information-processing approach. The subsequent sections focus on theories of external cognition and distributed cognition, which greatly expand the focus of HCI framework for healthcare contexts. This chapter also examines related research investigations and draws implications for the science of HCI and foundations of design. Although cognitive theory cannot provide all of the needed insights, it remains a powerful tool for advancing knowledge and furthering the pursuit of science.
Surveillance of adverse events after the first trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine produced in mammalian cell culture (Flucelvax(®)) reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), United States, 2013-2015.

Background In November 2012, the first cell cultured influenza vaccine, a trivalent subunit inactivated influenza vaccine (Flucelvax®, ccIIV3), was approved in the US for adults aged ≥18 years. Objective To assess adverse events (AEs) after ccIIV3 reported to the US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a spontaneous reporting surveillance system. Methods We searched VAERS for US reports after ccIIV3 among persons vaccinated from July 1, 2013–March 31, 2015. Medical records were requested for reports classified as serious (death, hospitalization, prolonged hospitalization, disability, life-threatening-illness), and those suggesting anaphylaxis and Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS). Physicians reviewed available information and assigned a primary clinical category using MedDRA system organ classes (SOC) to each report. Empirical Bayesian data mining was used to identify disproportional AE reporting following ccIIV3. Results VAERS received 629 reports following ccIIV3 of which 313 were for administration of vaccine to persons <18 years. Among 309 reports with an AE documented, 19 (6.1%) were serious and the most common categories were 152 (49.2%) general disorders and administration site conditions (mostly injection site and systemic reactions) and 73 (23.6%) immune system disorders with two reports of anaphylaxis. Four reports of GBS were submitted. Disproportional reporting was identified for ‘drug administered to patient of inappropriate age.’ Conclusions Review of VAERS reports did not identify any concerning pattern of AEs after ccIIV3. Injection site and systemic reactions were the most commonly reported AEs, similar to the pre-licensure clinical trials. Reports following ccIIV3 in persons <18 years highlight the need for education of healthcare providers regarding approved ccIIV3 use.
Evaluating the Impact of the ADEA Admissions Committee Workshops

Drawing on the interconnection of workforce diversity and oral health access, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is leading a novel approach to improve student body diversity in U.S. dental schools through an admissions committee development program. With funding provided by the Pipeline, Profession, and Practice: Community-Based Dental Education program and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, ten dental directors/deans of admissions from a cross-section of U.S. dental schools were selected through a competitive application process to participate in a Train-the-Trainers Admissions Committee Workshop. After completing intensive training that was built on legally sound admissions practices, these new trainers copresented ADEA Admissions Committee Workshops in two-member teams at six U.S. dental schools. This report summarizes the evaluation of both the train-the-trainers workshop and six workshops held in summer 2009. Also summarized are post-workshop outcomes relative to structural diversity at the participating schools.
How Corporations Became Litigation Averse: The Previously Unperceived Risks of Litigation

Social responsibility has become a watchword in transnational corporate culture, and such a commitment has been manifested in policies meant to mitigate all sorts of risk. Corporate risk management has focused on the risk of harm to others posed by negligent corporate actions, as well as the risk those actions pose for litigation. Scholars in the field tend to focus on the internal conversations about the former, neglecting the latter. Specific work on corporate litigation aversion has focused on corporate roles in tort reform movements, or corporate trial strategies. Our paper traces the internal movement to corporate litigation aversion, which we date from the early moments of the Reagan administration. Scholarship on class actions as diverse as toxic and environmental torts, sexual harassment, and tobacco does not focus on this movement – but such scholarship provides evidence that, initially, corporate leaders ignored the risks associated with trials (primarily the risks of financial and reputational loss), ignored the advice of their own lawyers, and refused to settle in suits that now seem improbably against them. This paper proposes an historical analysis that investigates the internal conversations within particular corporate sectors, which focused on the understanding of the harms and risks posed by litigation itself. In it, we attempt to identify the moments at which corporate leaders began to listen to their lawyers, and avoid trial all together.
Quantitative Study of Effect of Antrum Resection on Gastric Secretion in Pavlov Pouch Dogs.

Results and conclusionsIn all animals, antrum resection was followed by a pronounced reduction in pouch secretion (Table I). The average reduction in the 24 volume was 73%, and in free acidity, 57%. The reductions in average 24 hour hydrochloric acid output were 79, 99, 64, and 95% respectively, averaging 84%. These data indicate that the antrum is important in the chemical or hormonal phase of gastric secretion, and supports Edkins' hypothesis.
Regulating the Cities

When the federal government has a domestic policy job to do, it increasingly relies on an intergovernmental grant to do it. If the goal has been to train workers for new jobs, to rebuild deteriorating cities, to provide general financial support, or any of a host of other objectives, national policy has tended more and more toward using grants to achieve them in concert with the nation's subgovernments. Federal aid, in fact, increased from 8.8 percent of domestic federal outlays in 1950 to an estimated 22.1 percent in 1979.1 Since the mid-1960s, however, the character of the aid has changed. Some of the narrow, often competitive categorical grants have been replaced by new programs that give state and local governments more discretion: General Revenue Sharing and five block grant programs that entitle state and local governments to a guaranteed share of the grant pie and to broad discretion on how to use the money. The reasons for the change are familiar. The categorical programs, critics had charged, had brought excessive red tape, federal interference, and inappropriate categories.2 At the core of the new programs was a key premise: that federal grant programs would work better if decisions were made in the nation's state capitols and city halls instead of in Washington.3 Compared with the categorical grant programs, where the federal government oversaw all phases of the process, the new programs more evenly split responsibility for achieving national goals. The federal agen-
Diagnosing and Forecasting In-Flight Icing Conditions in Alaska

In-flight icing is a significant hazard in Alaska as the atmospheric environment is complex and ranges from maritime to continental and temperate to polar. An analysis of radiosonde data conditions for different climate zones reveals a high frequency of icing conditions year-round, varying with season and altitude. Many locations in Alaska depend on air travel for transportation, especially in smaller aircraft that fly at icing-prone altitudes. Thus, accurate diagnoses and forecasts of the icing environment, tuned to these varying conditions, are needed. Icing products are currently under development that are anticipated to meet the needs of aviation users in Alaska. The forecast product will be available first and is based on the Forecast Icing Product, originally developed for use in the CONUS, and predicts icing probability, supercooled large drop potential, and severity. The current spatial resolution is 13 km; high-resolution (3-km) model runs have also been used in the Alaska forecast algorithm to assess their value. An icing diagnosis algorithm that combines observations with model output, much like the Current Icing Product, is also in early development. To improve that product, the use of polar orbiting satellite data is being explored. These observations may be added to the diagnosis algorithm to provide observations where geostationary satellite data are not available.
Characterization of a photoswitching chelator with light-modulated geometric, electronic, and metal-binding properties.

Photoswitching molecules are utilized for a variety of applications where the rapid manipulation of the molecules’ chemical properties and spatial orientations allows for new spatiotemporal control over molecular-scale interactions and processes. Here, we present a hydrazone-containing transition metal chelator, HAPI ((E)-N′-[1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethyliden]isonicotinoylhydrazide), that displays dual-wavelength photoswitching behavior. Several of its metal complexes, however, are inert to photoreaction and thereby add another layer of control over the photoswitch system. The light-induced twist in HAPI structure is accompanied by a dramatic change in electronic properties as well as chelator strength. This work introduces HAPI as the prototype for a class of molecules with properties that may be optimized for a variety of experimental applications that take advantage of phototriggered molecular changes.
Preparation and evaluation of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems containing tanshinone II_A

Objective To optimize the formulation of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems containing tanshinone ⅡA(tanshinone ⅡA-SMEDDS) and assess the quality of tanshinone ⅡA-SMEDDS. Methods Pseudoternary phase diagrams were used to choose the oil,emulsifier,co-emulsifier,and their proportion in the formulation on the basis of the ability to form emulsions and regions. Then the self-emulsifying time,droplet and morphology,size distribution,ζ-potential,stability,and other aspects of the quality were evaluated. Results The formulation of tanshinone ⅡA-SMEDDS was as follows:ethyl oleate-Labrasol-PEG 400=10%:45%:45%,drug loading ratio was 2.25 mg/g. The self-microemulsifying time of tanshinone ⅡA-SMEDDS in 0.1 mol/L hydrochloric acid solution was less than 1 min,the emulsion drops were spherical shape with average particle size of (84.9±2.1) nm and the average ζ-potential (-24.0±1.15) mV (n=3). So tanshinone ⅡA-SMEDDS was stable. Conclusion In this paper,the tanshinone ⅡA-SMEDDS has a good self-emulsifying performance. It is expected to further stabilize the preparation of tanshinone ⅡA self-microemulsifying agents.
Dietary fat modification and the risk of future cardiovascular events and mortality.

According to the authors of this Cochrane review, reducing or modifying a patient's dietary fat intake did not lower the rates of either total or cardiovascular-related mortality when compared with usual or control diets. Reducing the intake of total or saturated fats decreased the risk of cardiovascular events by 22 percent in those patients who were able to sustain the modified diet for at least two years. Replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats reduced the risk of cardiovascular events, whereas replacing saturated fat with a protein or a carbohydrate (i.e., a low-fat diet) did not.
Wicking Enhancement in Three-Dimensional Hierarchical Nanostructures.

Wicking, the absorption of liquid into narrow spaces without the assistance of external forces, has drawn much attention due to its potential applications in many engineering fields. Increasing surface roughness using micro/nanostructures can improve capillary action to enhance wicking. However, reducing the structure length scale can also result in significant viscous forces to impede wicking. In this work, we demonstrate enhanced wicking dynamics by using nanostructures with three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical features to increase the surface area while mitigating the obstruction of liquid flow. The proposed structures were engineered using a combination of interference lithography and hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanowires, where structures at two length scales were independently designed to control wicking behavior. The fabricated hierarchical 3D structures were tested for water and ethanol wicking properties, demonstrating improved wicking dynamics with intermediate nanowire lengths. The experimenta...
Optimal design of life testing cost model for Type-II censoring Weibull distribution lifetime units with respect to unknown parameters

A life testing of manufactured units is performed in order to speed up testing through either reducing the time required for testing or establishing a predefined number of failures to stop the test. In this paper, we develop a testing cost model for Weibull distribution life time units embedded with its unknown parameter estimators with respect to Type-II censoring life test. In other words, the life test starts with n units and is terminated at a pre-assigned number of failures r. We then determine the optimum sample size on test which minimizes the expected total cost of performing the life testing subject to the unknown parameters of the Weibull distribution lifetime for a fixed number of failures equal to 2. Several numerical examples based on real failure data applications are presented to illustrate the proposed optimal cost design model.
Developing a robotic colorectal cancer surgery program: understanding institutional and individual learning curves

Robotic colorectal resection continues to gain in popularity. However, limited data are available regarding how surgeons gain competency and institutions develop programs. To determine the number of cases required for establishing a robotic colorectal cancer surgery program. Retrospective review. Cancer center. We reviewed 418 robotic-assisted resections for colorectal adenocarcinoma from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2014, by surgeons at a single institution. The individual surgeon’s and institutional learning curve were examined. The earliest adopter, Surgeon 1, had the highest volume. Surgeons 2–4 were later adopters. Surgeon 5 joined the group with robotic experience. A cumulative summation technique (CUSUM) was used to construct learning curves and define the number of cases required for the initial learning phase. Perioperative variables were analyzed across learning phases. Case numbers for each stage of the learning curve. The earliest adopter, Surgeon 1, performed 203 cases. CUSUM analysis of surgeons’ experience defined three learning phases, the first requiring 74 cases. Later adopters required 23–30 cases for their initial learning phase. For Surgeon 1, operative time decreased from 250 to 213.6 min from phase 1–3 (P = 0.008), with no significant changes in intraoperative complication or leak rate. For Surgeons 2–4, operative time decreased from 418 to 361.9 min across the two phases (P = 0.004). Their intraoperative complication rate decreased from 7.8 to 0 % (P = 0.03); the leak rate was not significantly different (9.1 vs. 1.5 %, P = 0.07), though it may be underpowered given the small number of events. Our data suggest that establishing a robotic colorectal cancer surgery program requires approximately 75 cases. Once a program is well established, the learning curve is shorter and surgeons require fewer cases (25–30) to reach proficiency. These data suggest that the institutional learning curve extends beyond a single surgeon’s learning experience.
Reliability of Split Ring Resonators in a High Power Plasma Environment

Abstract Metamaterials have been a significant branch in the materials sciences because of the performance which cannot be found in nature. In order for better adaptation, plasma was recently proposed as an ingredient contributing negative permittivity in a customized frequency range. Plasmas generated by split ring resonators (SRR) have the potential of altering the overall resonator impedance; however, there are challenges with plasma induced damage within in the ring gap. A protective method is proposed in this article which improves the SRR reliability by extending the duration of plasma working from less than 10 min with an input power of 300 W to more than 5 h with the input power elevated to 1 kW. This improvement is corroborated by microstructural analysis showing that the gap region of the SRR is protected by a dielectric layer.
Cigarette smoke destabilizes NLRP3 protein by promoting its ubiquitination

Cigarette smoke suppresses innate immunity, making smokers more susceptible to infection. The NLRP3 inflammasome is a multi-protein complex that releases interleukin (IL) -1β and IL -18. These cytokines are critical for a timely host response to pathogens. Whether cigarette smoke affects NLRP3 protein levels, and its ability to form an inflammasome, is not known. Using the human monocyte THP1 cell line and C57BL/6 mice, we show that cigarette smoke decreases NLRP3 levels in cells by increasing ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal processing. Half-life of NLRP3 is shortened with the exposure to cigarette smoke extract. Cigarette smoke extract reduces cellular NLRP3 protein abundance in the presence of lipopolysaccharide, a known inducer of NLRP3 protein, thereby decreasing the formation of NLRP3 inflammasomes. The release of IL-1β and IL-18 by inflammasome activation is also decreased with the exposure to cigarette smoke extract both in THP1 cells and primary human peripheral blood macrophages. Cigarette smoke extract decreased NLRP3 protein abundance via increased ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal processing. The release of IL-1β and IL-18 is also decreased with cigarette smoke extract. Our findings may provide mechanistic insights on immunosuppression in smokers and unique opportunities to develop a strategy to modulate immune function.
Crafting a View of Self-Tracking Data in the Clinical Visit

When self-tracking encounters clinical practices, the data is reshaped by goals and expertise that exist within a healthcare framework. To uncover these shaping practices, we provided a Fitbit Zip step-count sensor to nine patients with Parkinson's disease. Each patient wore the sensor for four weeks and then returned for a clinical visit with their neurologist. Our analysis focuses on this first clinical visit after four weeks of data had been collected. Our use of conversation analysis of both talk and action makes visible the practices engaged in by both collaborative members to 'craft a view' of the data toward shared decision making. Our findings reveal the deliberate guiding of attention to specific interpretations of the data through both talk and actions and we explain how our systematic analysis has uncovered tools for the mutually beneficial crafting practices of the clinician and patient.
Hypoxia treatment reverses neurodegenerative disease in a mouse model of Leigh syndrome

The most common pediatric mitochondrial disease is Leigh syndrome, an episodic, subacute neurodegeneration that can lead to death within the first few years of life, for which there are no proven general therapies. Mice lacking the complex I subunit, Ndufs4, develop a fatal progressive encephalopathy resembling Leigh syndrome and die at ≈60 d of age. We previously reported that continuously breathing normobaric 11% O2 from an early age prevents neurological disease and dramatically improves survival in these mice. Here, we report three advances. First, we report updated survival curves and organ pathology in Ndufs4 KO mice exposed to hypoxia or hyperoxia. Whereas normoxia-treated KO mice die from neurodegeneration at about 60 d, hypoxia-treated mice eventually die at about 270 d, likely from cardiac disease, and hyperoxia-treated mice die within days from acute pulmonary edema. Second, we report that more conservative hypoxia regimens, such as continuous normobaric 17% O2 or intermittent hypoxia, are ineffective in preventing neuropathology. Finally, we show that breathing normobaric 11% O2 in mice with late-stage encephalopathy reverses their established neurological disease, evidenced by improved behavior, circulating disease biomarkers, and survival rates. Importantly, the pathognomonic MRI brain lesions and neurohistopathologic findings are reversed after 4 wk of hypoxia. Upon return to normoxia, Ndufs4 KO mice die within days. Future work is required to determine if hypoxia can be used to prevent and reverse neurodegeneration in other animal models, and to determine if it can be provided in a safe and practical manner to allow in-hospital human therapeutic trials.
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts: The potential impact of yogurt innovation on dietary intakes

Abstract The food supply is dynamic making dietary surveillance challenging. As one example, the recent growth of Greek-style yogurts has the potential to alter the nutritional contribution of this important dairy category. An approach to integrate market supply information into national nutrition surveillance data is proposed to better reflect such trends. This study uses product-level nutrition data from 575 new spoonable yogurts reported in 2005–12 Global New Product Database (GNPD); 92 of these products were Greek-style. Sub-category level nutrient variability is integrated with nationally representative consumption patterns from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2005–12) and used to simulate the potential impact of yogurt innovation; 2-year cycles were used to characterize the dynamic process. The GNPD simulation suggests total fat may be higher than previously estimated but that total sugars may be over-stated. While protein levels on average appear similar in both approaches there is pronounced variability in the food innovation data, which could dramatically change the simulation results. The opportunity for product innovation to influence national consumption estimates is demonstrated and will be pronounced when these products comprise a critical mass of the US food supply.
A chance-constrained programming framework to handle uncertainties in radiation therapy treatment planning

Abstract A stochastic programming framework is proposed for radiation therapy treatment planning. This framework takes into account uncertainty in setting up or positioning patients identically day-to-day during the treatment period. Because uncertainties are unavoidable, constraint violations are tolerated to some degree in practice. Under this assumption, a chance-constrained programming (CCP) framework is developed to handle setup uncertainties in treatment planning. The proposed framework can be employed under different distributional assumptions. The goal of the proposed approach is to maximize both the statistical confidence level of a treatment plan and the homogeneity of the dose distributions. This novel perspective provides a user-centric and personalized optimization model that allows a trade-off between sufficient tumor coverage and sparing healthy tissues under uncertainty. We describe testing of the performance of the proposed CCP models in terms of plan quality, robustness, and homogeneity and confidence level of the constraints using clinical data for a prostate cancer patient. Optimized CCP plans are also compared to plans developed using a deterministic approach that does not take uncertainties into account. Numerical experiments confirmed that the CCP is able to control setup uncertainties in target coverage and sparing of organs-at-risk.
Modeling cortical area 7a using Stochastic Real-Valued (SRV) units

Abstract Area 7a of primate cortex is thought to transform visual stimuli from retinotopic coordinates into a head-centered coordinate system by combining retinal stimuli with proprioceptive feedback of eye position (Andersen, 1989). Two previous neural network models of area 7a (Zipser and Andersen, 1988; Andersen and Zipser, 1988; Mazzoni, Andersen and Jordan, 1990), trained using back-propagation and a variant of the associative reward-penalty ( A r-p ) learning rule, have been shown to replicate the overall function as well as the unique response properties of neurons in area 7a. Validity of neural network models of area 7a remains questionable, however, on the grounds of biological plausibility of the learning mechanisms employed, or because of computational limitations of the network units used in these models. This paper presents a neural network with stochastic real-valued (SRV) units and with architecture similar to that of the previous models, trained on the same coordinate transformation task. It is shown that while capturing the performance features of the previous models, this network is also free from their limitations. This reaffirms the validity of the basic neural network model of the coordinate transformation circuitry of area 7a proposed by Andersen and Zipser.
DOA Estimation for Autonomous Systems in Complex Propagation Environments

We consider the fundamental problem of direction of arrival (DoA) estimation for autonomous agents in obstacle-rich, near-ground channels. Classical phase-based approaches to DoA estimation rely on the impingement of the direct path signal on an antenna array; when line of sight is rare or unobtainable such methods may yield meaningless estimates. In this paper, we present a Bayesian algorithm for DoA estimation based on the received signal strength (RSS) spatial gradient, where RSS measurements are collected while maneuvering in the environment. We develop a Bayesian methodology that incorporates smoothing and is robust to noise and outliers and provides uncertainty quantification. Experiments in both microwave and low VHF bands demonstrate the approach and show how useful DoA information can be obtained in dense cluttered environments. The results can be coupled with autonomous control, and are useful for multi-aaent coordination” source seekina, and localization.
Abstract NS4: Predictors of Ischemic Stroke and Stroke Mimic During Pregnancy

Introduction: The risk of ischemic stroke is significantly higher in pregnancy. However, the neurologic symptoms that accompany stroke can be mimicked by other conditions. Because ischemic stroke has the potential for acute treatment, it is important to identify these patients quickly. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on pregnant patients from 2009-2014 using ICD-9 codes for stroke or other related vascular diseases. The diagnosis was based on the neurologist evaluation and neuroimaging. We identified candidate variables with p<0.2 in univariable analysis and derived a predictive model using interactive variable selection, then fit logistic regression models to the outcome of ischemic stroke. Results: Thirty-eight patients met inclusion criteria, of which 13 had ischemic stroke (Table 1). Mimic diagnoses included: venous sinus thrombosis (8), intracerebral hemorrhage (2), complicated migraine (7), non-epileptic seizure (3), seizure (2), transient ischemic attack (1), and conversion diso...
Rumors and Collective Sensemaking: Managing Ambiguity in an Informal Marketplace

Rumors are an enduring form of communication across socio-cultural landscapes globally. Counter to their typical negative association, rumors play a nuanced role, helping people collectively deal with problems through constructing a representation of an uncertain situation. Drawing on unstructured interviews and participant observation from a technology goods marketplace in Bangalore, India, we study the circulation of rumors related to the government's recent policy of demonetization and entry of online marketplaces and digital wallets, all of which disrupted existing market practices. These rumors emerge as attempts at sensemaking when a community is faced with ambiguity. Through highlighting the relationship of institutional trust with rumors, the paper argues that the study of rumors can help us identify the concerns of a community in the face of differential power relations. Further, rumors are a form of social bonding which help communities make sense of their place in society and shape existing practices.
An Overview and Proposed Research Framework for Studying Co-Occurring Mental- and Physical-Health Dysfunction

Mental- and physical-health conditions co-occur at a rate much higher than chance. Of patients who have a mental-health condition, more than half also have a physical disease, and these cases are associated with increased human suffering and societal cost. Comorbidity research to date has focused on co-occurring mental- and physical-health disorders separately, and relatively little research has examined the co-occurrence of mental- and physical-health dysfunction. In addition, even less is known about why mental- and physical-health dysfunction co-occurs or how to treat these cases. Thus, the aims of this article are to highlight the need for research at the intersection of physical- and mental-health dysfunction and to provide guidance on how to research cases of comorbidity. Toward these ends, we begin by presenting a selective overview of the possible role of biological processes in the co-occurrence of physical- and mental-health dysfunction using specific illustrative examples. Specifically, we outline how biological processes within the immune system and gastrointestinal system could underlie depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and their co-occurrence. We then advance and discuss a proposed research framework, including methodological and analytic guidance, that researchers could use when studying the phenomenon of co-occurring physical- and mental-health dysfunction.
An RNA polymerase ribozyme that synthesizes its own ancestor

The RNA-based organisms from which modern life is thought to have descended would have depended on an RNA polymerase ribozyme to copy functional RNA molecules, including copying the polymerase itself. Such a polymerase must have been capable of copying structured RNAs with high efficiency and high fidelity to maintain genetic information across successive generations. Here the class I RNA polymerase ribozyme was evolved in vitro for the ability to synthesize functional ribozymes, resulting in the markedly improved ability to synthesize complex RNAs using nucleoside 5'-triphosphate (NTP) substrates. The polymerase is descended from the class I ligase, which contains the same catalytic core as the polymerase. The class I ligase can be synthesized by the improved polymerase as three separate RNA strands that assemble to form a functional ligase. The polymerase also can synthesize the complement of each of these three strands. Despite this remarkable level of activity, only a very small fraction of the assembled ligases retain catalytic activity due to the presence of disabling mutations. Thus, the fidelity of RNA polymerization should be considered a major impediment to the construction of a self-sustained, RNA-based evolving system. The propagation of heritable information requires both efficient and accurate synthesis of genetic molecules, a requirement relevant to both laboratory systems and the early history of life on Earth.
The Age Revolution: Benefits and Concerns

The demographic changes in the age structure of developed societies in this century are without precedent in history. It is not surprising that there is much uncertainty in anticipating appropriate adaptations to the changing size of the different age segments. There is not only uncertainty in developed countries, who already face dramatic shifts in the age of their populations but also in developing countries who face rapid age changes in the next century. Uncertainty exists at all levels of societies, institutions, as well as in individuals themselves. This paper will review the background of the changes. It will present some options to reduce intergenerational conflict and to use the growing populations of older persons for the benefit of society, community, and family.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Ambulatory and Operating Room Rhinology Practice in the US.

IntroductionThe pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus virus has altered all facets of clinical practice in the United States. The goal of this study is to better understand the impact of COVID-1...
The Time Course of Face Representations during Perception and Working Memory Maintenance

Successful social communication requires accurate perception and maintenance of invariant (face identity) and variant (facial expression) aspects of faces. While numerous studies investigated how face identity and expression information is extracted from faces during perception, less is known about the temporal aspects of the face information during perception and working memory (WM) maintenance. To investigate how face identity and expression information evolve over time, I recorded electroencephalography (EEG) while participants were performing a face WM task where they remembered a face image and reported either the identity or the expression of the face image after a short delay. Using multivariate event-related potential (ERP) decoding analyses, I found that the two types of information exhibited dissociable temporal dynamics: Although face identity was decoded better than facial expression during perception, facial expression was decoded better than face identity during WM maintenance. Follow-up analyses suggested that this temporal dissociation was driven by differential maintenance mechanisms: Face identity information was maintained in a more "activity-silent" manner compared to facial expression information, presumably because invariant face information does not need to be actively tracked in the task. Together, these results provide important insights into the temporal evolution of face information during perception and WM maintenance.
Prosthesis Controller-Hardware-in-the Loop Simulation

This paper demonstrates the use of hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation to mimic control action scenarios in an active prosthetic leg. The simulation is used to carry out a comparative assessment for model-based controllers such as computed torque, the Slotine and Li approach, and a regressor free approach using adaptive control based on the function approximation technique (FAT). The controller side comprises an embedded single-board computer (SBC) commanding a simulation computer. On the other side, the simulation computer runs a multibody model of a robotic setup that mimics hip motion. The HIL simulation shows that the adaptive FAT controller has better tracking with less control effort compared to the computed torque and Slotine controllers.