cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
(216) Pain and Addiction: Screening Patients at Risk

Introduction: Addictive disease is a common co-morbidity in chronic pain patients [1]. 26% of patients on methadone treatment believed that prescribed opioids led to their addiction [2]. We report initial validation of a Screening Tool for Addiction Risk (STAR). Methods: Questions based on prior studies of pain and addiction, addiction-screening tools [3,4], discussions with clinicians experienced in pain medicine and addiction, and our clinical experience were used to develop the STAR. After obtaining IRB approval, chronic pain patients completed the 14-item STAR questionnaire. 14 patients with chronic pain and history of drug addiction (DSM-IV Criteria) and 34 additional chronic pain patients completed the survey as part of their initial clinical evaluation. Patient responses were compared to determine which were questions accounted for statistically significant differences. Results: Questions related to respondent classification of addict based on chi-square analysis and Fisher's exact test were: prior treatment in a drug rehabilitation facility (p < 0.00001), nicotine use (p < 0.0032), feeling of excessive nicotine use (p < 0.0007), and treatment in another pain clinic (p < 0.018). A factor analysis linked addiction to first three questions mentioned above. Question: “Have you ever been treated in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation facility?” had a positive predictive value of 93% for addiction. Responses to recreational substance use, alcohol abuse, recent anxiety or depression, unemployment, emergency room visits, family history of drug or alcohol abuse, multiple physicians prescribing pain medication, or a prior history of physical or emotional abuse were not different between either patient group. Discussion: Screening for addiction is an important part of management of chronic pain patients. A history of treatment in drug or alcohol rehabilitation facility and questions related to cigarette smoking may be useful to screen for potential risk of addiction. Further investigations needed to validate results of this study.
Carbon monoxide stimulates Ca2+-dependent big-conductance K channels in the cortical collecting duct

We used the patch-clamp technique to examine the role of carbon monoxide (CO) in regulating Ca2+-activated big-conductance K (BK) channels in the principal cell of the cortical collecting duct (CCD). Application of CORM3 or CORM2, a CO donor, activated BK channels in the CCD, whereas adding inactivated CORM2/3 had no effect. Superfusion of the CCD with CO-bubbled bath solution also activated the BK channels in the cell-attached patches. The effect of CO on BK channels was not dependent on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) because the effect of CORM3 was also observed in the CCD treated with l-NAME, an agent that inhibits the NOS. Adding a membrane-permeable cGMP analog, 8-bromo-cGMP, significantly increased the BK channel in the CCD. However, inhibition of soluble guanylate cyclase failed to abolish the stimulatory effect of CORM3 on BK channels. Moreover, inhibition of cGMP-dependent protein kinase G did not block the stimulatory effect of CORM3 on the BK channels, suggesting that the stimulatory effect of CO on the BK channels was, at least partially, induced by a cGMP-independent mechanism. Western blot demonstrated that heme oxygenase type 1 (HO-1) and HO-2 were expressed in the kidney. Moreover, a high-K (HK) intake increased the expression of HO-1 but not HO-2 in the kidney. A HK intake also increased renal HO activity defined by NADPH-dependent CO generation following addition of heme in the cell lysate from renal cortex and outer medulla. The role of HO in regulating BK channel activity in the CCD was also suggested by experiments in which application of hemin increased the BK channels. The stimulatory effect of hemin on the BK channels was blocked by SnMP, a HO inhibitor. But, adding CORM3 was still able to activate the BK channels in the presence of SnMP. We conclude that CO activates the BK channels, at least partially, through a NO-cGMP-independent pathway and that HO plays a role in mediating the effect of HK intake on the BK channels in the CCD.
Air quality impacts of a CicLAvia event in Downtown Los Angeles, CA

CicLAvia in Los Angeles, CA is the open streets program that closes streets to motorized vehicles and invites people to walk, run, play or ride their bicycles on these streets, allowing them to experience the city in a new way and get exercise at the same time. Since the events reduce the motorized traffic flow, which is a significant source of air pollution, on the streets, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the CicLAvia events can reduce the concentrations of traffic-emitted air pollutants during the road closure. This study is the first experiment to test this hypothesis. The on-road and community-wide ultrafine particle (UFP) and PM2.5 were measured on the Event-Sunday (October 5th, 2014) and the Pre- and Post- Sundays (September 28(th) and October 12(th), 2014). Data analysis results showed the on-road UFP and PM2.5 reduction was 21% and 49%, respectively, and the community-wide PM2.5 reduction was 12%.
New tricks against an old foe: molecular dissection of metastasis tissue tropism in breast cancer.

Breast cancer inflicts casualties by metastasizing to a variety of distant organs, including lung, bone, liver and brain. Although the tissue tropism for breast cancer metastasis has been recognized and studied for a long time, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this process remain sketchy. Recent technological breakthroughs in functional genomics, in vivo imaging, and genetic manipulation of cancer cells in animal metastasis models have enabled the discovery and analysis of tissue-specific metastasis genes. These genes play vital roles in mediating tumor-stroma interactions during metastasis and are likely candidates for therapeutic interventions. Analysis of tissue-specific metastasis not only enriched our understanding about the malignancy of breast cancer, but also provided elegant experimental support for the century-old "seed and soil" hypothesis.
Desert wildfire impacts on plant community function

Dramatic increases are occurring in the size and frequency of wildfires in arid ecosystems. The objective of this study was to characterize the composition of plant communities after desert wildfires and evaluate plant functional responses to post-fire environments. Plant community characteristics and functional traits were assessed from 2009 to 2011 along paired burned–unburned transects of multiple independent fires that occurred in the Mojave Desert in 2005. We measured plant community composition and diversity; xylem water potential; and foliar nitrogen, phosphorus, and non-structural carbohydrates of Yucca brevifolia and Larrea tridentata. Fire effects on the plant community remained evident on burned landscapes 6 years post-fire with 81, 86, and 42 % less shrub abundance, cover, and diversity. Plant functional traits had neutral to positive responses to burned landscapes that varied by species and season. Plants on burned and unburned landscapes had similar xylem water potentials following wetter periods but were significantly better in burned landscapes during dry periods and were more pronounced for L. tridentata than Y. brevifolia. Both species tended to maintain higher foliar nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in burned areas across seasons. Post-fire conditions increased non-structural carbohydrates in L. tridentata leaves in summer and fall periods. L. tridentata had 50 % greater canopy leaf area index in burned landscapes compared to unburned areas. Improvements in water and nutrient relations of surviving desert shrubs in burned landscapes may be associated with competitive release from neighboring plants or altered root-shoot ratios and may enhance reproductive capacity that could facilitate the post-fire recovery of woody shrubs.
Recurrent ventricular tachycardia after catheter ablation in post-infarct cardiomyopathy: "failure" of ablation or progression of the substrate?

The use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) in patients with reduced ejection fraction after myocardial infarction (MI) has been shown to reduce cardiovascular death and total mortality ([1][1]). However, defibrillator shocks for recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT) can be painful and
Modulating Optoelectronic Properties of Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Semiconductors by Photoinduced Charge Transfer.

Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have attracted great interest as a new class of two-dimensional (2D) direct band gap semiconducting materials. The controllable modulation of optical and electrical properties of TMDCs is of fundamental importance to enable a wide range of future optoelectronic devices. Here we demonstrate a modulation of the optoelectronic properties of 2D TMDCs, including MoS2, MoSe2, and WSe2, by interfacing them with two metal-centered phthalocyanine (MPc) molecules: nickel Pc (NiPc) and magnesium Pc (MgPc). We show that the photoluminescence (PL) emission can be selectively and reversibly engineered through energetically favorable electron transfer from photoexcited TMDCs to MPcs. NiPc molecules, whose reduction potential is positioned below the conduction band minima (CBM) of monolayer MoSe2 and WSe2, but is higher than that of MoS2, quench the PL signatures of MoSe2 and WSe2, but not MoS2. Similarly, MgPc quenches only WSe2, as its reduction potential is situ...
RNA interference with DNA polymerase and synthesis

RNA can catalyze and participate in many chemical and biochemical reactions. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) can regulate cellular transcription and translation reactions. We have demonstrated biochemically that RNA can also interfere with DNA polymerization via transforming DNA polymerase into deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate diphosphatase (dNTP-DPase). RNA, even with six nucleotides, can transform DNA polymerase into dNTP-DPase, and the dNTP-DPase activity causes the hydrolysis of dNTPs into dNMPs and pyrophosphate. Moreover, we have found that DNA polymerases from several families generally have similar RNA-dependent dNTP-DPase activity. We have also observed that in the presence of RNA, when the dNTP concentrations are relatively low, and that the dNTP-DPase activity can deplete dNTPs and interfere with DNA polymerization. Thus, we have discovered for the first time that in the presence of RNA, DNA polymerase can behave as a diphosphatase and inhibit DNA synthesis when dNTP quantity is low. These in vitro observations might imply a plausible role of RNA in vivo, such as suppressing DNA synthesis during a resting phase (G0) of the cell cycle, when RNA quantity is high and dNTP quantity is low.
Plausible Primitives: Kafka and Jewish Primitivism

This article analyzes Kafka's works as an exemplar of Jewish primitivism. The eastern European Jew had, from the turn of the century, become increasingly aestheticized and anthropologized, a confluence that bespeaks the concurrent and intertwined development of anthropology and of a modernist fascination with those who were identified as the authentic bearers of culture. Eastern European Jews became subjects for the exploration of ‘authentic’ culture much like South Seas Islanders, with the crucial difference lying in their linguistic, ethnic, religious, and geographic propinquity to the German-speaking Jews of central Europe; this propinquity created what I term a plausible primitivism, the central defining characteristic of Jewish primitivism. This transferal of the ethnographic object from far away to near at hand offered a new mode of primitivism that privileged the ethnographic encounter over formalist primitivism. As such, it brought primitivist discourses into the center of debates over identity and modernity among German Jews.
Energetics of sodium-coupled active transport mechanisms in invertebrate epithelia.

The Na+ gradient has been implicated as the sole or primary energy source for accumulative transport of organic solutes (e.g., sugars, amino acids) across the mucosal membrane of a variety of epithelial cells. A basic question concerning the Na+-coupled transport process in epithelia is whether the energy available from the transmucosal Na+ electrochemical difference is sufficient to sustain an accumulated organic solute steady-state level. Measurements of Na+ activities, with Na+-sensitive microelectrodes, gave accurate estimates of the Na+ electrochemical potential difference across the mucosal membrane of Aplysia californica gut. The results suggest that the transmucosal Na+ gradient can furnish sufficient energy to sustain the observed intracellular levels of the cotransported species. Many other species sustain large intracellular-extracellular gradients (less than 10(6):1) of free solutes. Theoretical models suggest that secondary active transport mechanisms in these epithelia operate by energetic multiple coupling to the Na+ electrochemical gradient; coupling coefficients of approximately 3 may represent an evolutionary optimization of these epithelial cotransporters. To properly investigate the cotransport mechanisms and energetics in invertebrate membranes, prototype mammalian vesicle experiments should be extended to the invertebrate laboratory.
Detecting Information Pooling: Analysts' Forecasts after Brokerage Firm Mergers

Forecast improvements can be expected if the two partners involved in a brokerage merger pool information and expertise. We examine four large mergers of brokerage firms in the last decade to study the incidence of and explanations for forecast improvements after the mergers. At the brokerage-level, we find that for two of the four mergers, forecast improvements appear more pronounced in subsamples of stocks for which both of the pre-merger analysts were retained in the merged brokerage. At the analyst-level, we find only weak evidence of forecast improvements after the merger. However, we find evidence that after a merger, a stock is more likely to be assigned to an analyst with overall better forecasting performance before the merger. This suggests that analyst selection can be a mechanism generating the post-merger forecasting improvements.
An Empirical Investigation of Emulators in Mobile Web Research

In spite of affordability, portability, and convenience of mobile handheld devices, there are a number of usability problems associated with Web access through those devices, largely attributable to their inherent physical constraints. In the past decade, there have been increasing empirical studies on interface issues and usability of mobile handheld devices and mobile Web. However, researchers have been frequently using emulators of handheld devices running on desktop computers instead of real, physical handheld devices in those studies. Such a phenomenon raises validity and generalizability concerns given the differences between emulators and physical devices. This research empirically investigates whether the user performance and perception of mobile Web on an emulator is equivalent to or at least consistent with that on a physical device. The findings suggest that an emulator may not be able to emulate user performance and perception with physical handheld devices, and thus should be used with caution.
Application of Modern Optimum Algorithms to Protein Structure Prediction

Modern optimum algorithms have great importance in the field of prediction of protein structure.The paper briefly introduces some modern optimum algorithms of simulated annealing、 genetic algorithms,neural networks and graphic algorithms in and applied in prediction of protein structure.Specifically it applied in the problem of protein conformation searching and recent studies on solving protein structure prediction problems using these methods are then reviewed.The effect and feature of these methods are also analyzed and compared.
Postgraduate Pharmacy Fellowships (1984–85)

During July and August 1984, the Pharmacy Services Department of the Brigham and Women's Hospital conducted its fourth annual national mail questionnaire survey of postgraduate pharmacy fellowships. It was found that 91 fellowships are offered at 36 fellowship sites. Information regarding type of specialty fellowship, fellowship characteristics, fellowship location and contact person, and qualifications of applicants is presented.
Reduced Set KPCA for Improving the Training and Execution Speed of Kernel Machines.

This paper presents a practical, and theoretically wellfounded, approach to improve the speed of kernel manifold learning algorithms relying on spectral decomposition. Utilizing recent insights in kernel smoothing and learning with integral operators, we propose Reduced Set KPCA (RSKPCA), which also suggests an easy-toimplement method to remove or replace samples with minimal effect on the empirical operator. A simple data point selection procedure is given to generate a substitute density for the data, with accuracy that is governed by a user-tunable parameter `. The effect of the approximation on the quality of the KPCA solution, in terms of spectral and operator errors, can be shown directly in terms of the density estimate error and as a function of the parameter `. We show in experiments that RSKPCA can improve both training and evaluation time of KPCA by up to an order of magnitude, and compares favorably to the widely-used Nystrom and density-weighted Nystrom methods.
Lipid coating as a mode of protecting free methionine from ruminal degradation.

A method of protecting free methionine from partial ruminal degradation utilizing a lipid-protein matrix was developed. Eight wether lambs were fitted with abomasal cannulae and utilized in a 4 X 4 Latin square design experiment to determine the effectiveness of the protection matrix. The squares were blocked by animal and time, with each animal receiving each of the four diets. The diets were: (1) a negative control tall fescue and corn-based diet containing no added methionine; (2) a positive control diet that contained 3 g of methionine with ground corn, zein, coconut oil and methionine each added individually; (3) the control diet 1 supplemented with a methionine, ground corn, zein and coconut oil matrix that provided 3 g methionine/d; and (4) the control diet 1 containing the methionine matrix to provide 6 g methionine/d. Digestibility and balance data were obtained by collecting feces and urine over a 7-d period, followed by a day of blood sampling at 2, 4 and 6 h postfeeding. Abomasal samples were then subsequently collected over 3 d on a time schedule that represented every 2 h. Feeding protected methionine decreased (P less than .08) urinary N by .69 g/d and increased (P less than .08) N retention by 1.07 g/d. Plasma urea N was decreased (P less than .003) by 2.06 mg/100 ml and plasma free methionine increased (P less than .001) by 1.94 mumol/100 ml in lambs fed the protected methionine matrix. These data indicate that coating free methionine with the preparation described herein was partially effective in delivering methionine to the absorptive sites and subsequently to the tissues of the ruminant animal.
Reply to 'Comment on "Enlarged cells for the conformal FDTD method to avoid the time step reduction"'

For original article by T. Xiao and Q.H. Liu see ibid., vol.14, no.12, p.551-3, Dec. 2004. For comments by R. Schuhmann, I.A. Zagorodnov and T. Weiland see ibid., vol.16, no.1, p.55, Jan. 2006
Noninvasive experimental bladder pain assessment in painful bladder syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To compare bladder sensitivity between patients with pelvic pain and patients who were pain free, undergoing noninvasive, controlled bladder distension via diuresis. We also sought to measure potential mechanisms underlying bladder sensitivity. DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING Community teaching hospital. POPULATION Reproductive-age women with non-bladder chronic pelvic pain (CPP, n = 23), painful bladder syndrome (PBS, n = 23), and pelvic pain-free controls (n = 42) METHODS: Participants were compared on cystometric capacity, pelvic floor pressure-pain thresholds (PPTs), pelvic muscle function, O'Leary-Sant bladder questionnaire, and psychosocial instruments using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Multivariate regression was used to identify factors underlying bladder pain phenotypes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Pelvic floor pain thresholds; self-reported bladder distension pain. RESULTS Participants with PBS exhibited higher bladder distension pain than those with CPP, with both groups reporting higher pain levels than controls (P < 0.05). No significant associations were found between bladder distension pain and pelvic muscle structure or pain sensitivity measures; however, bladder distension pain positively correlates with both vaginal PPTs adjacent to the bladder (r = 0.46) and pain with transvaginal bladder palpation (r = 0.56). Pain at maximal distension was less influenced by somatic sensitivity than bladder symptoms (r = 0.35 versus r = 0.59; P < 0.05). Multivariate regression identified three independent components of bladder symptoms in PBS: bladder distension pain, bladder sensation, and somatic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Diuresis-induced bladder pain differentiates CPP from PBS. Experimental bladder pain is not predicted by pelvic floor sensitivity. Compared with patient-reported outcomes it appears less influenced by psychological factors. Further study is needed to determine whether screening for experimental bladder pain sensitivity could predict future risk of PBS. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT Controlled, water ingestion-provoked bladder pain can objectively identify visceral pain sensitivity.
Abstract 79: Knockdown of ACE2 in the Paraventricular Nucleus Partially Reverses the Protective Effects of Brain ACE2 in DOCA-salt Hypertension

To identify which brain regions are critical for ACE2 regulation of blood pressure (BP), we generated transgenic mice harboring a loxP-flanked human ACE2 transgene specifically in the brain (hACE2 flox ) and tested the impact on DOCA-salt hypertension. hACE2 flox and non-transgenic (NT) mice were implanted with telemetry probes for conscious BP monitoring. DOCA (1 mg/g, sc) was implanted following baseline BP recording and drinking water was replaced by 1% NaCl solution. Two weeks later, hACE2 flox mice were divided into 2 groups (n=7/group) and injected bilaterally with an adenovirus encoding Cre recombinase (Ad-Cre) or a control virus (LacZ) to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN; 10 7 particles/200 nl; ±0.3 mm lateral, 0.6 mm caudal, 5.0 mm ventral). NT mice were also injected with LacZ. BP was continuously recorded for 1 more week. Autonomic function was analyzed using a pharmacological method involving ip injection of propranolol (4 mg/kg) and atropine (1 mg/kg). Changes in heart rate (ΔHR, bpm) were used as index of sympathetic and parasympathetic tones. Baseline mean BP was not different among NT+LacZ (105 ±3 mmHg), hACE2 flox +LacZ (107 ±2 mmHg) and hACE2 flox +Ad-Cre (106 ±2 mmHg) groups, nor was sympathetic (-91 ±4, -101 ±8, -101 ±14 bpm) or vagal tones (+169 ±7, +152 ±10, +168 ±9 bpm). Three weeks after DOCA-salt treatment, mean BP was dramatically increased in NT+LacZ mice (141 ±3 mmHg, P flox +LacZ mice (127 ±4 mmHg, P P flox +LacZ mice (sympathetic drive: -119 ±7 bpm, vagal tone: +146 ±9 bpm, P flox , compared to LacZ transfected hACE2 flox mice. These data suggest that ACE2 overexpression in the brain blunts the development of hypertension by preventing autonomic dysfunction, and PVN might not be essential for the ACE2-mediated blunting of neurogenic hypertension.
Shakespeare and History Writing

This article addresses recent developments in literary-critical studies of Shakespeare's status within the wider field of early modern historiography. Since the advent of new historicist criticism, Shakespeare's plays have been read with increasing regularity as contributing to a broader early modern historical culture, in which writers of traditionally “literary” and traditionally “historiographical” texts alike considered questions of politics, philosophy, and religion. Complementing this opening up of the category of historical writing is a similarly expanding sense of what it is that might be considered a “history play.” Along with the plays dramatizing medieval English history, scholars have begun to examine the Roman tragedies and the late plays addressing the legendary history of Britain for their contributions to cultural discourses of nationalism, sovereignty, citizenship, and identity. In addition, performance studies criticism has challenged the field to consider theatrical performance itself as a discrete and heretofore overlooked mode of historical representation, while attention to the historiographical status of material objects has shed light on the different ways in which non-textual artifacts can both shape and produce multiple aspects of cultural history. Further work with specifically early modern conceptions of material history and renewed and deliberate efforts to open the field of literary and theatrical studies to scholars in other fields promise to add a great deal to this newly emerging version of a historiographically engaged Shakespeare, who appears in many ways to exhibit more strikingly humanist sympathies than scholars have acknowledged during the last several decades.
Globular deposits of immunoglobulins and complement in the papillary dermis. Clinical significance

Globular deposits of immunoglobulins in the papillary dermis have been reported to occur in certain dermatoses, particularly in lichen planus. The clinical correlation of these deposits in 52 skin biopsy specimens reviewed by light and fluorescent microscopy was studied. These cases included five of lichen planus, 24 of lupus erythematosus or related diseases, four of dermatitis herpetiformis, three of drug eruption; two each of bullous pemphigoid, erythema nodosum, porphyria cutanea tarda; one each of vitiligo, pyoderma gangrenosum, neurodermatitis, erythema multiforme, granuloma annulare, vasculitis, epidermolysis bullosa simplex, Rothmund-Thompson syndrome, and four of unspecified dermatoses. Using an arbitrary scale of 1-4 based on the frequency of deposits, 3+ and 4+ deposits were identified in all five cases of lichen planus, as well as in six cases of lupus erythematosus, one of drug eruption, one of bullous pemphigoid, one of erythema nodosum, the vitiligo, vasculitis, and Rothmund-Thompson syndrome cases, and two cases of unspecified dermatoses; other cases showed only 1+ and 2+ deposits. In all five cases of lichen planus, the deposits contained IgM and C3, and in addition, IgA was present in four, IgG and fibrinogen in three. Among non-lichen planus cases, C3 was detected in 11 of 49, and fibrinogen in only four of 49. These findings indicate that globular deposits of Ig in the dermis, though suggestive, are not pathognomonic of lichen planus.
Heavy-Ion Testing Results for Several Commercial and Military Grade Parts

We report the results of testing seven components for single event effects at the 88-inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Hegel on Kant's Analytic–Synthetic Distinction

In this paper, I argue, first, that Hegel defended a version of the analytic/synthetic distinction—that, indeed, his version of the distinction deserves to be called Kantian. For both Kant and Hegel, the analytic/synthetic distinction can be explained in terms of the discursive character of cognition: insofar as our cognition is discursive, its most basic form can be articulated in terms of a genus/species tree. The structure of that tree elucidates the distinction between analytic and synthetic judgments. Second, I argue that Hegel has an interesting and so far unexplored argument for the analytic/synthetic distinction: Hegel argues that the systematic relationship between concepts expressed in a genus/species tree can only be expressed through synthetic judgments. Third and finally, I explore some of the implications that the arguments in the first two parts of the essay have for understanding the way in which Hegel differs from Kant. I argue that Hegel accepts Kant's point that discursive cognition cannot be used to cognize the absolute. However, Hegel thinks that we can, nevertheless, cognize the absolute. I explore the character of this non-discursive cognition and argue that we can understand Hegel's glosses on this form of cognition—as simultaneously analytic and synthetic and as having a circular structure—through contrasting it with his account of discursive cognition. As a consequence, I argue that we must give up on attempts to understand ‘the dialectical method’ and ‘speculative cognition’ on the model of discursive cognition.
A plant-based diet and stroke.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States and globally. Each year, approximately 795,000 Americans experience a stroke.[1] Total annual costs of stroke, both direct and indirect, amount to $33 billion. Ischemic stroke is predicted to cost more than $2.2 trillion between 2005 and 2050.[2] In the United States, 87% of all strokes are ischemic, 10% are due to intracerebral hemorrhage, and 3% are due to subarachnoid hemorrhage.[1] There are numerous risk factors for stroke, including advanced age, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, smoking, physical inactivity, poor nutrition, family history, chronic kidney disease, obesity, coronary heart disease, sleep apnea, and depression.[1] Several of these risk factors are modifiable lifestyle factors or are affected by modifiable lifestyle factors thus leading to the understanding that certain lifestyle choices may have a significant impact on stroke risk. The purpose of this review is to briefly examine selected evidence suggestive of nutrition, particularly plant-based nutrition, being a determinant of stroke incidence and mortality.
Ubiquitous Tracking Using Motion and Location Sensor with Application to Smartphone

In this paper, a cost efficient fusion scheme, Ubiquitous Tracking with Motion and Location Sensor (UTMLS), is proposed for the accurate localization and tracking in mixed GPS-friendly, GPS-challenging, and GPS-denied scenario. The proposed drift-reduction method in UTMLS addresses the cumulating error issue in the indoor tracking with the consumer grade motion sensor. The proposed hypothesis test method in UTMLS improves the tracking sensor fusion precision by detecting distorted GPS reports and intelligently switching between GPS and inertial sensor based schemes. The proposed scheme is instantiated and implemented on an Android smartphone platform. Experiments have been conducted to evaluate and validate the accuracy. Experimental results show that 1) the proposed drift-reduction method effectively suppresses the non-GPS tracking error accumulation due to the integration of acceleration noise with time 2) UTMLS realizes robust indoor/outdoor seamless tracking, preventing GPS fault estimates introduced tracking error in the conventional Kalman filtering process.
Impact of comorbidities on outcomes of elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

International prognostic index (IPI) has remained the primary prognostic tool in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) for more than 20 years. Even though the disease is more common in older population, the impact of comorbidities, dose reductions, and treatment-related adverse events (TAEs) on the outcome in elderly DLBCL patients has not been well established. We studied 413 consecutive patients aged ≥ 60 years who were treated at the Cleveland Clinic. The median age at diagnosis was 69 years, 58% of patients had high IPI score, and 85% had low Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Forty percent of patients required dose reductions during treatment, 78% achieved CR, and 70% experienced at least one grade II-IV TAE. High IPI score, high CCI, reduced dose chemotherapy, TAE, and hospitalization were significant predictors of death and relapse. In multivariable analysis, high IPI and CCI were independent predictors of overall and progression free survival. A simple model combining IPI and CCI could reliably distinguish three prognostically separate risk groups. Our results suggest that incorporation of CCI in current prognostic models can improve prognostication of older DLBCL patients and CCI might be a valuable tool in evaluating the eligibility of older patients for clinical trial enrollment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Kinetics and electrochemical evolution of binary silicon–polymer systems for lithium ion batteries

Silicon is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries owing to its high specific capacity and low discharge potential. To diminish Si structural degradation and its anode-capacity fading due to the vast volume change during alloying and dealloying, effective binders assisted in the encapsulation of Si anode materials and enhanced their integral stability. Herein, two conducting-hydrogel coatings, polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPy), are formed to trap the Si surface via a facile and environmentally benign sol–gel polymerization process. Functional groups from polymer hydrogels chemically promote the confinement of conducting shells on the Si surface, rendering the Si-hydrogel frameworks without resistive binders and carbon black. The effects of coating thickness and conductivity of PPy and PANI coatings on the electrochemical properties of Si anodes have been investigated, and compared to insulating polyacrylic acid (PAA)–Si blended electrodes. The kinetics and the physical evolution of the binary Si–polymer systems during electrochemical reactions have been systematically studied via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It has been observed that the degree of improvement of the cycling stability and the rate capability of the three Si–polymer systems decrease in the order of PPy > PANI > PAA.
ON THE BILINGUALISM OF SOCIOLECT TEXTS TRANSLATORS

The article is devoted to the phenomenon of professional translator’s bilinguism from the point of view of sociolinguistics. The correlation between the types of translator’s mistakes and the degree of translator’s language skills, his/her professional experience and sociolect nature of the source text are analyzed. The article deals with a specific substandard fragment of the Russian language - Soviet prison speech, which is studied with the method of sociolinguistic analysis. The major results of our research are as follows: the evaluation of the degree of a translator’s professional bilingualism should take into account polysocilectal nature of the language of the source/target language. Furthermore, it requires from the translator mastering of the two types of “intralinguistic capacity”: excellent knowledge of both literary and substandard (sociolect) varieties of the source language, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the knowledge of the target language and skills in handling the specificity of the original sociolect text if there are no lexical means for its rendering into the target language.
BET Proteins Exhibit Transcriptional and Functional Opposition in the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.

Abstract: Transcriptional programs in embryogenesis and cancer, such as the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), ensure cellular plasticity, an essential feature of carcinoma progression. As effectors of signal transduction, the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) proteins are well suited to support plasticity because they function as co-activators or co-repressors of mammalian transcriptomes. Here, using both hormone-sensitive and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) model systems, we systematically altered EMT transcriptional profiles by manipulating individual BET proteins and found that BRD2 positively regulates EMT, whereas BRD3 and BRD4 repress this program. Knockdown of individual BET proteins revealed independent transcriptional networks that differed from each other and from the small-molecule pan-BET inhibitor JQ1, which previously had been misleadingly asserted to be BRD4-selective. Available small-molecule pan-BET inhibitors, proposed as anti-proliferative agents in cancer clinical trials, obscure these biological differences. Transcriptional profiling reveals that individual BET proteins, inhibited separately, engage in and control EMT through unique processes. Implications: The distinct and opposing functions of BET proteins in the EMT process suggests the need for more member-selective epigenetic targeting agents.
Influence of Social Context on Children's Affect Regulation: A Functionalist Perspective

This study investigated the influence of social context (mothers, fathers, best friends, medium friends) and type of negative affect (anger, sadness, pain) on 66 second-grade and 71 fifth-grade children's goals and strategies for affect regulation. Hypothetical vignette methodology was used. Results indicated that children perceived parents to be more accepting of emotional expressivity than peers. Children endorsed instrumental, prosocial, and rule-oriented goals and verbal regulation strategies more for anger and sadness than pain. Girls endorsed affective more than aggressive strategies, whereas the opposite pattern held for boys. Older children endorsed more regulation strategies than younger children.
Minimizing Thermal Effects of In Vivo Body Sensors

In sensor networks, energy availability is often viewed as a constraint in the long-term sustainability of the network. Duplicate message suppression and message aggregation are high-level layer approaches to reduce power consumption. Body sensor networks have similar constraints however the use of aggregator nodes may increase the heat dissipation in the tissue surrounding these nodes. Due to additional processing, this additional heat may raise the tissue temperature to a level damaging to the individual. We propose a model of data reporting that balances power consumption with body temperature thresholds. We present a generic algorithm along with implementation analysis via simulation.
Points and Regions

In this chapter we summarize the various arrays of discrete points and the various tessellating polygons which we have encountered in the preceding chapters, and introduce some others. Notably, there is a one-to-one correspondence between some of the discrete points and the polygons.
Gamifying HPE Service Manager to Improve IT Service Desks' Knowledge Contribution

Nowadays a common challenge is being confronted by IT service management in many companies, which is how to prompt IT service desks to continuously contribute and share knowledge to peers and organizations, transfer knowledge-centered IT service depending on individual experience to work from collective wisdom. Because sharing and reusing valuable knowledge can greatly shorten response time, provide high-quality service to customers and lower the overall cost of support by boosting productivity. Obviously, quick and good service will enhance customer satisfaction and build their trustworthiness to a company's brand image. As a result, it will increase a company's competitiveness, promote supplemental businesses, and bring new customers.Therefore, we create an effective solution to motivate IT service desks to continuously generate, share, and improve quality of their knowledge which is used for assisting them to achieve desired customer service goals and enhance customer satisfaction by integrating gamification and persuasion as the incentive mechanisms into the existing system.
RUDSEA: recommending updates of Dockerfiles via software environment analysis

Dockerfiles are configuration files of docker images which package all dependencies of a software to enable convenient software deployment and porting. In other words, dockerfiles list all environment assumptions of a software application's build and / or execution, so they need to be frequently updated when the environment assumptions change during fast software evolution. In this paper, we propose RUDSEA, a novel approach to recommend updates of dockerfiles to developers based on analyzing changes on software environment assumptions and their impacts. Our evaluation on 1,199 real-world instruction updates shows that RUDSEA can recommend correct update locations for 78.5% of the updates, and correct code changes for 44.1% of the updates.
Carotid webs and ischemic stroke: Experiences in a comprehensive stroke center.

Abstract Background and purpose Carotid webs are intraluminal filling defects at the carotid bulb which are considered rare, though possibly underappreciated entities with recent studies demonstrating a likely casual association with ischemic stroke. The purpose of the study is to describe our recent experience with clinical and imaging manifestations of carotid webs. Materials and methods A retrospective review of CTA neck studies in all adult patients presenting to our institution during the 19-month study interval was performed to determine the presence of carotid webs. Subsequent chart review of these patients with webs was performed to assess their clinical history and to obtain demographic detail. Results A total of 14 patients were identified with carotid webs in the study population. The mean age of patients with webs was 42.1 years (range: 28–54), consisting mostly of African Americans (86%) and females (64%). Ten (71%) of web patients had a history of ischemic stroke, each ipsilateral to the side of web, and at least four of these patients had recurrent ischemic stroke. Conclusion We provide one of the largest sample sizes of webs gathered in a single study. Given its association with ischemic stroke, carotid webs should be assessed for in all patients presenting with ischemic stroke, especially younger African Americans.
A survey of client experiences with orthotics using the QUEST 2.0

Abstract Introduction Hand orthoses are designed to relieve pain, immobilize a body part and protect the injury site, prevent or correct deformity, and promote healing in the body. Practitioners who prescribe and create orthoses are reliant on patient adherence to achieve desired outcomes in treatment. Understanding client preferences may promote better orthotic intervention outcomes. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the level of client satisfaction with device characteristics and service provision of custom-fabricated hand orthotics using the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST) version 2.0 questionnaire. Methods After approval from an institutional review board, participants for this study were obtained through a convenience sample from a hand rehabilitation clinic. Seventy-two participants were administered the QUEST 2.0 to evaluate their satisfaction regarding various aspects of their orthotic devices. The 12 satisfaction categories in the QUEST are dimensions, weight, adjustments, safety, durability, easy to use, comfort, effectiveness, service delivery, repairs/services, professional service, and follow-up service. Each question was scored on a 5-point Likert scale and then recorded in the following 3 sections: device, service, and total score. The mean and standard deviation were calculated for each of the 12 items to determine the primary determinants of orthotic satisfaction. Results The top 3 categories for a participant's orthotic device characteristics were comfort (81%), effectiveness (75%), and ease of use (74%). The participants' mean score for the device section was 4.53. The mean service score was 4.71. The total mean score was 4.61. Conclusion Therapists who are fabricating prescribed orthotic devices for individuals should consider comfort, effectiveness, and ease of use as they fabricate and adjust the device for their client. Identifying the client's desired aspects of the device can help the therapist create a better therapeutic relationship with the client and may improve their overall experience receiving orthotic intervention.
Safety of Overlapping Inpatient Orthopaedic Surgery: A Multicenter Study

Background:Although overlapping surgery is used to maximize efficiency, more empirical data are needed to guide patient safety. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the safety of overlapping inpatient orthopaedic surgery, as judged by the occurrence of perioperative complications.Me
Solar Photovoltaic output prediction using Jackknife Regression

A statistical model for predicting the output power and energy of Solar Photovoltaics (PV) has been developed. The multiple input single output (MISO) system is based on Jackknife regression and generates PV power in kilo-watts in response to inputs that include irradiance, precipitation, ozone, ambient temperature and atmospheric aerosol components. The model is trained and tested on data from National Renewable Energy Laboratory and residual statistical tests are applied to validate the estimation results. An absolute error of less than 1 kW is observed for 90.6 % of the predicted values that corresponds to a percentage error of less than 8.33 % for the 12 kW system under study.
A Study in Function Modeling Preferences and its Variation with Designer Expertise and Product Types

This paper presents a preliminary study of modeler preferences while constructing function models of technical systems.
Quality of life differences between African Americans and Hispanic Americans with multiple sclerosis

In comparison to non-minority patients with multiple sclerosis, minority research in multiple sclerosis continues to be only a few percent of the literature. Often, the comparator group is with the Caucasian populations of the world, who themselves comprise of non-ubiquitous groups. Comparisons between minority groups have not been done as they relate to quality of life, partly because the populations are smaller. Our study will compare the quality life differences between two minority populations living in the same geographic and urban area. This study utilized cross-sectional data from an observational prospective cohort study. A total of 28 minority patients were included in this study. All patients were on a disease modifying therapy. Demographic information was obtained. The primary outcome measure was the MSQLI and all scores were derived from the MSQLI user’s manual. The MSQLI scores of the Mental Health Index were lower in all areas for Hispanic White MS patients as compared to Non-Hispanic African American patients, but 3 of 5 were statistically significant: MHI total score, MHI anxiety, and MHI behavioral control subscores (all p < 0.05). When investigating if EDSS associated with MSQLI measures, independent of minority group, the only noted difference was between the mild (EDSS< or = 3) and the moderate group (EDSS 3.5–5.5) in the Physical Components Score and Health Transition Score (p = 0.028 and p < 0.05). The study begins to elucidate differences in quality life measures between minorities with multiple sclerosis potentially leading to culturally competent care.