cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MATLAB Image Processing as a Viable Tool to Study Low Surface Roughness

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study comparing an old technique for measuring low surface roughness with a new technique of data acquisition and processing that is potentially cheaper, quicker and more automated. It offers the promise of in-process quality monitoring of surface finish.Since the late 1800s, researchers have investigated the light scattering effects of surface asperities and have developed many interferometry techniques to quantify this phenomenon. Through the use of interferometry, the surface roughness of objects can be very accurately measured and compared. Unlike contact measurement such as profilometers, interferometry is nonintrusive and can take surface measurements at very wide ranges of scale. The drawbacks to this method are the high costs and complexity of data acquisition and analysis equipment. This study attempts to eliminate these drawbacks by developing a single built-in MATLAB function, to simplify data analysis, and a very economically priced digital microscope (less than $200), for data acquisition. This is done by comparing the results of various polishing compounds on the basis of the polished surface results obtained from MATLAB’s IMHIST function to the results of stylus profilometry methods. The study with the MATLAB method is also to be compared to 3D microscopy with a Keyence microscope.With surface roughness being a key component in many manufacturing and tribology applications, the apparent need for accurate, reliable and economical measuring systems is prevalent. However, interferometry is not a cheap or simple process. “Over the last few years, advances in image processing techniques have provided a basis for developing image-based surface roughness measuring techniques” [1]. One popular image processing technique is through the use of MATLAB’s Image Processing Toolbox. This includes an array of functions that can be used to quantify and compare textures of a surface. Some of these include standard deviation, entropy, and histograms of images for further analysis. “These statistics can characterize the texture of an image because they provide information about the local variability of the intensity values of pixels in an image. For example, in areas with smooth texture, the range of values in the neighborhood around a pixel will be a small value; in areas of rough texture, the range will be larger. Similarly, calculating the standard deviation of pixels in a neighborhood can indicate the degree of variability of pixel values in that region” [2].By combining the practices of interferometry with the processing techniques of MATLAB, this fairly new method of roughness measurement proved itself as a very viable and inexpensive technique. This technique should prove to be a very viable means of interferometry at an affordable cost.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Xenon-enhanced CT: clinical applications

A constant challenge for health care providers caring for the neurologically injured patient is to restore function and/or prevent permanent disability. Advances in technology have led to the development of diagnostic studies that assist in determining potential and actual neuronal injury. Xenon-enhanced computed tomography (CT) provides reproducible quantitative information coupled with anatomic CT imaging. Not only does it provide accurate estimation of cerebral blood flow, but it also reflects regional alterations in flow. This technique is useful for identifying those patients who have, or are at risk for, ischemic compromise. Xenon-enhanced computed tomography is useful when assessing the patient with an acute neurologic change who is being considered for thrombolytic therapy and for patients with carotid artery stenosis to evaluate cerebrovascular reserve. This article will focus on the clinical applications of xenon-enhanced CT.
Introduction - 'The Future of Online Journalism: News, Community, and Democracy in the Digital Age'

This is the introductory essay in the "I/S: A Journal of Law and Policy for the Information Society" symposium on the future of online journalism. It argues that, notwithstanding the innovative journalism practices enabled by digital technologies, market-driven online enterprises alone will prove insufficient to provide local communities the accountability journalism they need in order for democracy to thrive.
Managing Cutaneous Side Effects From Targeted Molecular Inhibitors for Melanoma and Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer.

Background Targeted anticancer therapies can cause cutaneous adverse events different from classical chemotherapeutic toxicities. Objective To review the literature on dermatologic adverse events (DAEs) of targeted molecular inhibitors for melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers with a focus on management options. Materials and methods A comprehensive literature search related to the side effects and management of these side effects from vemurafenib, dabrafenib, trametinib (BRAF inhibitors), pembrolizumab (antiprogrammed-death-receptor-1 antibody), imatinib (tyrosine kinase inhibitor), ipilimumab (anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 antibody), cetuximab (epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor), sorafenib (multikinase inhibitor), and vismodegib (smoothened receptor inhibitor). Results No large controlled studies specifically examining the management of DAEs of targeted molecular inhibitors exist, although there are case report-based recommendations and algorithms developed by expert panels to manage these adverse events. Conclusion Many options for managing the cutaneous side effects of targeted molecular inhibitors are similar to those used in general dermatology practice. When used effectively, drug dosing and patient quality of life may be optimized.
Extraction of Blebs in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Videos

AbstractBlebbing is an important biological indicator in determining the health of human embryonic stem cells hESC. Especially, areas of a bleb sequence in a video are often used to distinguish two cell blebbing behaviors in hESC: dynamic and apoptotic blebbings. This paper analyzes various segmentation methods for bleb extraction in hESC videos and introduces a bio-inspired score function to improve the performance in bleb extraction. Full bleb formation consists of bleb expansion and retraction. Blebs change their size and image properties dynamically in both processes and between frames. Therefore, adaptive parameters are needed for each segmentation method. A score function derived from the change of bleb area and orientation between consecutive frames is proposed which provides adaptive parameters for bleb extraction in videos. In comparison to manual analysis, the proposed method provides an automated fast and accurate approach for bleb sequence extraction.
Emerging stool-based and blood-based non- invasive DNA tests for colorectal cancer screening: the importance of cancer prevention in addition to cancer detection

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening can be undertaken utilizing a variety of distinct approaches, which provides both opportunities and confusion. Traditionally, there has often been a trade-off between the degree of invasiveness of a screening test and its ability to prevent cancer, with fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and optical colonoscopy (OC) at each end of the spectrum. CT colonography (CTC), although currently underutilized for CRC screening, represents an exception since it is only minimally invasive, yet provides accurate evaluation for advanced adenomas. More recently, the FDA approved a multi-target stool DNA test (Cologuard) and a blood-based test (Epi proColon) for average-risk CRC screening. This commentary will provide an overview of these two new non-invasive tests, including the clinical indications, mechanism of action, and diagnostic performance. Relevance to radiology practice, including a comparison with CTC, will also be discussed.
The importance of prognostic factors in advanced prostate cancer.

Three factors were identified in a multivariate analysis of prognostic in men with metastatic prostate cancer as significantly associated with their progression-free survival: 1) extent of disease on the bone scan, 2) pretreatment serum testosterone, and 3) performance status
Multi-use high-technology testbed

The efficient use of energy is one method of potentially reducing the amount of fossil fuels that are used world-wide to generate electricity. Nuclear energy presents a promising sustainable energy source for the future that generates few to no greenhouse gases. While it creates energy that can be used for electricity it also has many byproducts that are treated as waste or not utilized to their full potential. Waste heat is a major product of nuclear energy that should be harnessed and applied to other processes. These include water desalination/water purification hydrogen production, use in industrial chemical operations, or electricity production. Nuclear energy is most often base load following power and very inflexible. One way to address this is to use Hybrid Energy Systems (HES). By doing this the system can be load following and hence more efficient and sustainable. Therefore, the goal of this project is to create a system that mimics the waste heat from a reactor, demonstrate how to utilize that heat, and show that when energy demand is low the reactor does not need to reduce power; the energy can be directed elsewhere to create goods. This paper presents the details of the Energy Conversion Loop (ECL) that was developed to act as a test bed for experimentation of the aforementioned processes and test the possibility of nuclear HES. Further, the paper presents a proposed intelligent control system that can adapt to the system requirements for the ECL. In addition, the system has great potential for education on critical infrastructure protection and testing of future control logic systems and mechanical systems.
Oligometastatic prostate cancer: definitions, clinical outcomes, and treatment considerations

The oligometastatic state has been proposed as an intermediate stage of cancer spread between localized disease and widespread metastases. With improvements in diagnostic modalities such as functional imaging, oligometastatic prostate cancer is being diagnosed with greater frequency than ever before. Furthermore, the paradigm for treatment of advanced prostate cancers is shifting toward a more aggressive approach. Many questions surround the understanding of the process and consequences of oligometastasis, meaning that the contemporary literature offers a wide variety of definitions of oligometastatic prostate cancer. Until genomic data exist to provide a biological component to the definition of oligometastatic disease, a clinical diagnosis made on the basis of up to five extrapelvic lesions is reasonable for use. Retrospective studies suggest that interventions such as radical prostatectomy and local or metastasis-directed radiotherapy can be performed in the metastatic setting with minimal risk of toxic effects. These therapies seem to decrease the need for subsequent palliative interventions, but insufficient data are available to draw reliable conclusions regarding their effect on survival. Thus, a protocol for clinicians to manage the patient presenting with oligometastatic prostate cancer would be a useful clinical tool.
Hyaluronic acid injection therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee: concordant efficacy and conflicting serious adverse events in two systematic reviews

The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA)/degenerative joint disease (DJD) is increasing in the USA. Systematic reviews of treatment efficacy and adverse events (AEs) of hyaluronic acid (HA) injections report conflicting evidence about the balance of benefits and harms. We review evidence on efficacy and AEs of intraarticular viscosupplementation with HA in older individuals with knee osteoarthritis and account for differences in these conclusions from another systematic review. We searched PubMed and eight other databases and gray literature sources from 1990 to December 12, 2014. Double-blind placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting functional outcomes or quality-of-life; RCTs and observational studies on delay/avoidance of arthroplasty; RCTs, case reports, and large cohort studies and case series assessing safety; and systematic reviews reporting on knee pain were considered for inclusion. A standardized, pre-defined protocol was applied by two independent reviewers to screen titles and abstracts, review full text, and extract details on study design, interventions, outcomes, and quality. We compared our results with those of a prior systematic review and found them to be discrepant; our analysis of why this discrepancy occurred is the focus of this manuscript. Eighteen RCTs reported functional outcomes: pooled analysis of ten placebo-controlled, blinded trials showed a standardized mean difference of −0.23 (95 % confidence interval (CI) −0.45 to −0.01) favoring HA at 6 months. Studies reported few serious adverse events (SAEs) and no significant differences in non-serious adverse events (NSAEs) (relative risk (RR) [95 % CI] 1.03 [0.93–1.15] or SAEs (RR [95 % CI] 1.39 [0.78–2.47]). A recent prior systematic review reported similar functional outcomes, but significant SAE risk. Differences in SAE inclusion and synthesis accounted for the disparate conclusions. Trials show a small but significant effect of HA on function on which recent systematic reviews agree, but lack of AE synthesis standardization leads to opposite conclusions about the balance of benefits and harms. A limitation of the re-analysis of the prior systematic review is that it required imputation of missing data.
The moving global Everest: A new challenge to global ideal theory as a necessary compass

I present a new challenge to the Rawlsian insistence on ideal theory as a compass orienting concrete policy choices. My challenge, focusing on global politics, consists of three claims. First, I contend that our global ideal can become more ambitious over time. Second, I argue that Rawlsian ideal theory’s level of ambition might change because of concrete policy choices, responding to moral failures which can be identified and resolved without ideal theory. Third, I argue that we currently face such potentially transformative choices. I conclude that these choices are analytically prior to, rather than derivative from, global ideal theory.
Fever: Views in Anthroposophic Medicine and Their Scientific Validity

Objective. To conduct a scoping review to characterize how fever is viewed in anthroposophic medicine (AM) and discuss the scientific validity of these views. Methods. Systematic searches were run in Medline, Embase, CAMbase, and Google Scholar. Material from anthroposophic medical textbooks and articles was also used. Data was extracted and interpreted. Results. Most of the anthroposophic literature on this subject is in the German language. Anthroposophic physicians hold a beneficial view on fever, rarely suppress fever with antipyretics, and often use complementary means of alleviating discomfort. In AM, fever is considered to have the following potential benefits: promoting more complete recovery; preventing infection recurrences and atopic diseases; providing a unique opportunity for caregivers to provide loving care; facilitating individual development and resilience; protecting against cancer and boosting the anticancer effects of mistletoe products. These views are discussed with regard to the available scientific data. Conclusion. AM postulates that fever can be of short-term and long-term benefit in several ways; many of these opinions have become evidence-based (though still often not practiced) while others still need empirical studies to be validated, refuted, or modified.
A systematic model improves hepatitis C virus birth cohort screening in hospital-based primary care.

Despite national and local governing board recommendations in the United States of America to perform an HCV screening test in baby boomers, screening rates remain low. Our goal was to study the impact of an HCV screening and link to care program with patient navigation in two New York City primary care practices. This was a two-year prospective study of patients born between 1945-1965 (“baby boomers”) with encounters at two primary care practices at the Mount Sinai Hospital between November 1, 2013 and November 30, 2015. Baseline HCV screening rates were collected for four months. A multifaceted intervention was sequentially implemented involving electronic alerts, housestaff education, data feedback and patient navigation. HCV screening rates and link to care, defined as attending an appointment with a viral hepatitis specialist, were compared before and after these interventions. There were 14,642 primary care baby boomer patients of which 4,419 (30.2%) were newly screened during the study. There was a significant increase in HCV screening rates from 55% to 75% (p<0.01) and the HCV seropositive rate was 3.3%. Factors associated with being HCV seropositive included older age (p<0.01), male sex (p<0.01), African American race (p<0.01) and receiving care in the housestaff practice (p<0.01). With patient navigation, 78 of 84 (93%) newly diagnosed HCV infected persons were referred to a specialist and 60 (77%) attended their first appointment. A structured, multifaceted HCV screening program using well-studied principles identifies a large number of undiagnosed baby boomers within hospital-based primary care and improves access to specialty providers in a timely manner. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Rethinking memory system design: keynote

The memory system is a fundamental performance and energy bottleneck in almost all computing systems. Recent system design, application, and technology trends that require more capacity, bandwidth, efficiency, and predictability out of the memory system make it an even more important system bottleneck [36, 38]. At the same time, DRAM and flash technologies are experiencing difficult technology scaling challenges that make the maintenance and enhancement of their capacity, energy efficiency, and reliability significantly more costly with conventional techniques (see, for example [13, 17--19, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, 40]). In fact, recent reliability issues with DRAM, such as the RowHammer problem [23], are already threatening system security, predictability and robustness.In this talk, we first discuss major challenges modern memory systems face in the presence of increasing demand for data and its fast analysis. We then examine some promising research and design directions to overcome these challenges and enable scalable memory systems for the future. We discuss three key solution directions: 1) enabling new memory architectures, functions, interfaces, and better integration of memory and the rest of the system (e.g., [1, 2, 4, 12, 22, 27, 28, 32, 42--44]), 2) designing a memory system that intelligently employs emerging non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies (e.g., [24--26, 31, 33, 41, 49--51]), 3) reducing memory interference and providing predictable performance to applications sharing the memory system (e.g., [3, 14--16, 20--22, 35, 37, 39, 45--48]). If time permits, we will also touch upon our ongoing related work in combating scaling challenges of NAND flash memory (e.g., [5--11, 34]).
Cartan-Kaehler Theory

The Cartan-Kahler theorem depends on the the fundamental existence theorem of Cauchy and Kowalewsky dealing with partial differential equations, and the Cauchy-Kowlewsky theorem uses the power series method. Consequently, Cartan-Kahler theory is a real-analytic and local theory.
Racial Differences in Insular Connectivity and Thickness and Related Cognitive Impairment in Hypertension

Hypertensive African-Americans have a greater risk of cognitive impairment than hypertensive Caucasian-Americans. The neural basis of this increased risk is yet unknown. Neuroimaging investigations suggest that the normal neural activity comprises complex interactions between brain networks. Recent studies consistently demonstrate that the insula, part of the salience network, provides modulation effects (information flow) over the default-mode and central-executive networks in cognitively normal subjects, and argue that the modulation effect is declined in cognitive impairment. The purpose of this study is to examine the information flow at the nodes of three networks using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data in cognitively impaired hypertensive individuals with the African-Americans and the Caucasian-Americans races, and to compare the thickness of impaired node between two racial groups. Granger causality methodology was used to calculate information flow between networks using resting state functional MRI data, and FreeSurfer was used to measure cortical thickness from T1-weighted structural images. We found that negative information flow of the insula in both African-Americans and Caucasian-Americans, which was in contrast with previously reported positive information flow in this region of normal individuals. Also, significantly greater negative information flow in insula was found in African-Americans than Caucasian-Americans (Wilcoxon rank sum; Z = 2.06; p < 0.05). Significantly, lower insula thickness was found in African-Americans compared with Caucasian-Americans (median = 2.797 mm vs. 2.897 mm) (Wilcoxon rank sum; Z = 2.09; p < 0.05). Finally, the insula thickness correlated with the global cognitive testing measured by Montreal cognitive assessment (Spearman's correlation; r = 0.30; p < 0.05). These findings suggest that the insula is a potential biomarker for the racial disparity in cognitive impairment of hypertensive individuals.
A broadband damper design inspired by cartilage-like relaxation mechanisms

Abstract In this study, we introduce a broadband damper design inspired by the cartilage-like relaxation mechanisms. In particular, we study broadband (static to 10 kHz) dissipative properties of model cartilage systems by probe-based static and dynamic indentation, and validate that fractional Zener models can simulate the empirical data up to a desirable accuracy within the frequency range of interest. Utilizing these observations, we design a composite damper design where a poroelastic layer is sandwiched between two hard materials, and load transfer occurs across interfaces with multiple length scales. Modeling those interfaces with fractional Zener elements in parallel configuration, and manipulating the distribution of the Zener elements across different peak relaxation frequencies, we obtain a relatively constant loss factor within an unprecedented frequency range (3-3 kHz). We also discuss how these findings can be employed in a practical damping design.
Enhanced Influenza Surveillance Using Telephone Triage and Electronic Syndromic Surveillance in the Department of Veterans Affairs, 2011-2015.

Telephone triage (TT) is a method whereby medical professionals speak by telephone to patients to assess their symptoms or health concerns and offer advice. These services are often administered th...
A Study on Supply Chain Sustainability in Asia

Developed nations such as United States of America and Europe have already learnt to an extent to how to manage their resource movement judiciously but developing countries especially in Asia have a long way to go to reach the level of the developed world. This research will look into the problems faced by the countries in Asia, namely Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Thailand, to develop good supply chain management systems. The objective is to analyse why the emerging Asian countries are not able to manage the supply chain with the same efficiency and conviction as the developed countries.
First Colorado Mathematical Olympiad: April 27, 1984

On April 27, 1984, the few (170 to be exact), the curious, and the brave showed up at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS). They did not know what to expect. Neither did the journalists from the newspapers and television stations. Here is how Julie Bird described the event the next morning on the front page of the Metro Section of The Gazette Telegraph.
Stimulated Brillouin Scattering in Long Fibers and Light Guides

Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) is a typical backward traveling wave parametric interaction1 with inherent spatial feedback between the forward and backward scattered waves and may oscillate under high pump excitation. The pump excitation threshold is normally proportional to the nonlinearity of the medium and the interaction length. For long optical fibers and light guides, the high phonon loss and nonlinear interaction often changes the interacting field distribution into a special whispering mode7 with the phonon loss effectively compensated by pump depletion such that the threshold for pump excitation is nearly independent of the interaction length. In this paper, we will discuss the characteristics of this model of SBS and propose methods to characterize it.
Survey results on adults and cybersecurity education

Cyberattacks and identity theft are common problems nowadays where researchers often say that humans are the weakest link the security chain. Therefore, this survey focused on analyzing the interest for adults for ‘cyber threat eduction seminars’, e.g., how to project themselves and their loved ones. Specifically, we asked questions to understand a possible audience, willingness for paying / time commitment, or fields of interest as well as background and previous training experience. The survey was conducted in late 2016 and taken by 233 participants. The results show that many are worried about cyber threats and about their children exploring the online domain. However, seminars do not seem to be a priority as many individuals were only willing to spend 1-1.5h on seminars.
Interrelations Among Two- and Three-Dimensional Moduli

Consider a d-dimensional linear isotropic homogeneous material with bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young’s modulus, and Poisson’s ratio denoted by K (d), G (d),E (d), and v (d),respectively. These are precisely the moduli contained in the stress-strain relation (13.89) and strain-stress relation (13.90), except that here we explicitly indicate the dependence on dimensionality with the superscript (d).
Model Systems for Studying the Effects of Adenovirus E3 Genes on Virulence In Vivo

Adenoviruses (Ad) are important pathogens in a variety of species. In humans, Ad are most commonly recognized in the respiratory tract and conjunctiva. However, several members of this large family of viruses can cause disease in the gastrointestinal tract, while others infect the urinary tract, liver, and central nervous system (Horwitz 1990b). In dogs, a canine Ad is a major cause of hepatitis, and the murine adenovirus type 1 (MAV-1) can cause multiorgan disease in the mouse (Ishibashi and Yasue 1984). However, the Ad that infect each species are sufficiently different that they do not cross into distantly related species. For example, human Ad replicate poorly in mice or murine tissue culture. There are 49 distinct serotypes that can infect humans, but the majority of Ad disease is caused by approximately one third of this number (Schnurr and Dondero 1993; Hierholzer et al. 1988). Ad are classified into six groups (A-F) based on GC content and genetic relatedness of their DNA, oncogenicity in rodents, and ability to agglutinate red blood cells of different species (Horwitz 1990a). The organ targeted for disease is often related to serotype, such that Ad7 causes pneumonia, Ad2 upper respiratory tract disease, Ad40 and Ad41 cause diarrhea, Ad11 is associated with hemorrhagic cystitis, and Ad34 and Ad35 are often found in the urinary tract of immunosuppressed patients (Horwitz 1990b). However, the reason for tissue-specific damage in relationship to serotype is unknown.
Some Partial Scaling Considerations in Microgravity Combustion Problems

The importance of flame scale is discussed related to role of radiation in microgravity flames. Several types of simulation between microgravity flames and normal gravity flames are discussed. The emphasis is on reproducing selected microgravity features in a normal gravity environment since complete simulation appears to be difficult.
Entanglement as a Learning Text: Reconsidering Knowledge Production at the City Museum

The media reviews published in this journal commonly critique books and occasionally films. While the instructions to authors invite a wide range of critical reviews outside of books, examples of s...
Association of left atrial volume index and all-cause mortality in patients referred for routine cardiovascular magnetic resonance: a multicenter study

Routine cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) allows for the measurement of left atrial (LA) volumes. Normal reference values for LA volumes have been published based on a group of European individuals without known cardiovascular disease (CVD) but not on one of similar United States (US) based volunteers. Furthermore, the association between grades of LA dilatation by CMR and outcomes has not been established. We aimed to assess the relationship between grades of LA dilatation measured on CMR based on US volunteers without known CVD and all-cause mortality in a large, multicenter cohort of patients referred for a clinically indicated CMR scan. We identified 85 healthy US subjects to determine normal reference LA volumes using the biplane area-length method and indexed for body surface area (LAVi). Clinical CMR reports of patients with LA volume measures (n = 11,613) were obtained. Data analysis was performed on a cloud-based system for consecutive CMR exams performed at three geographically distinct US medical centers from August 2008 through August 2017. We identified 10,890 eligible cases. We categorized patients into 4 groups based on LAVi partitions derived from US normal reference values: Normal (21–52 ml/m2), Mild (52–62 ml/m2), Moderate (63–73 ml/m2) and Severe (> 73 ml/m2). Mortality data were ascertained for the patient group using electronic health records and social security death index. Cox proportional hazard risk models were used to derive hazard ratios for measuring association of LA enlargement and all-cause mortality. The distribution of LAVi from healthy subjects without known CVD was 36.3 ± 7.8 mL/m2. In clinical patients, enlarged LA was associated with older age, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, heart failure, inpatient status and biventricular dilatation. The median follow-up duration was 48.9 (IQR 32.1–71.2) months. On univariate analyses, mild [Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.35 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.11 to 1.65], moderate [HR 1.51 (95% CI 1.22 to 1.88)] and severe LA enlargement [HR 2.14 (95% CI 1.81 to 2.53)] were significant predictors of death. After adjustment for significant covariates, moderate [HR 1.45 (95% CI 1.1 to 1.89)] and severe LA enlargement [HR 1.64 (95% CI 1.29 to 2.08)] remained independent predictors of death. LAVi determined on routine cine-CMR is independently associated with all-cause mortality in patients undergoing a clinically indicated CMR.
Enhanced Synthesis of Functional Recombinant Factors IX and VII by BHK Cells Engineered to Overexpress VKORC1 Combined with siRNA Silencing of the γ-Carboxylation Inhibitor Calumenin.

Because of the importance and demand for recombinant factors IX, VII and protein C in prophylactic medicine, our laboratory is focused on engineering eukaryotic cells with enhanced capacity to produce fully γ-carboxylated functional forms of these recombinant vitamin K-dependent proteins. Here we report our work on recombinant human factor IX (r-hFIX) and recombinant human factor VII (r-hFVII). Successful engineering was accomplished by overexpressing the vitamin K cofactor producing enzyme VKORC1 of the vitamin K cycle in BHK cells stably overexpressing r-hFIX and r-hFVII respectively. VKORC1 provides the γ-carboxylase with reduced vitamin K 1 (vit.K 1 H 2 ) cofactor and is the rate limiting step in vitamin K-dependent post translational γ-carboxylation of proteins. We have identified the ER chaperone protein calumenin as an inhibitor of vitamin K-dependent γ-carboxylation. Here we show that siRNA silencing of calumenin in BHK cells engineered to overexpress VKORC1 and r-hFIX and r-hFVII respectively significantly increases production of both coagulation proteins as functional fully γ-carboxylated proteins. Engineering of the γ-carboxylation system and silencing of calumenin do not affect total synthesis of r-hFIX and r-hFVII by BHK cells. However the fraction of functional r-hFIX and r-hFVII isolated from the total pool of each recombinant coagulation factor pool was found to be 80 and 85% compared to 12 and 14 % from the pools isolated from non engineered BHK cells stably overexpressing r-hFIX and r-hFVII respectively. This new recombinant technology enforced on the vitamin K-dependent γ-carboxylation system demonstrates that r-hFIX and r-hFVII used as pharmaceuticals can be produced at a much higher yield than currently is accomplished from r-hFIX and r-hFVII overexpressing cells not modified by the new technology.
Observation of Dynamic Adhesive Behavior Using High-Speed Phase Contrast Imaging

Composite sandwich panels provide an increase in buckling resistance to thin composite plates and shells, leading to widespread use in a variety of applications such as boat hulls, rotor blades, and rocket casings. Past research has shown that delamination between the face sheets and core of composite sandwich panels occurs under a variety of both dynamic and quasi-static load conditions. While this failure mechanism has been identified and observed, existing research has not fully investigated the mechanisms behind this adhesive failure. In this study, a carbon fiber bar was adhered using JB Weld epoxy to a variety of substrates. Bulk polymer substrates included polycarbonate, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and Delrin®, while two PMI foam substrates were used: Rohacell® WF200 and Rohacell® HERO200-HT. Experiment samples were impacted using a Kolsky bar apparatus to impart simple shear on the adhesive joint. The adhesive joint was observed in-situ using a synchrotron X-ray source in phase contrast imaging mode. The X-ray source was used in tandem with the Kolsky bar and high-speed camera. In order to introduce simple shear in the adhesive joint, the Kolsky bar was used to impact the carbon fiber bar with an impact velocity of ~7 m/s. Adhesive failure was observed in each of the bulk polymer samples, but no failure was seen in the PMI foam samples.
The relationship between perceived stress and depression in substance use disorder treatment

Abstract Background Depression is highly prevalent among individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs), especially women, and has been noted to improve during SUD treatment. Perceived stress is independently related to severity of depression and substance use disorders (SUDs) as well as recurrence of symptoms and relapse following treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate among adults enrolled in SUD treatment whether levels of perceived stress and substance use over the course of treatment were related to reduction in depression. Methods This is a secondary analysis of data from the Women’s Recovery Group Study. Women (n = 100) were randomized to either single- or mixed-gender group therapy and men (n = 58) received mixed-gender group therapy. Measures of substance use, perceived stress and depressive symptoms were collected for 6 months following treatment completion. In this study, we used lagged mixed models to investigate whether levels of substance use and perceived stress at each time point were associated with changes in depression at the subsequent time point. Results Results indicated that depressive symptoms significantly improved over time. Both substance use and perceived stress were associated with subsequent depressive symptoms. Importantly, stress was associated with symptoms when controlling for substance use, suggesting that changes in depressive symptoms were not solely attributable to levels of substance use. Conclusions These results suggest that both stress and substance use are associated with improvements in depressive symptoms in substance use disorder treatment. Although preliminary, these results provide further support for the importance of targeting stress reduction in people with substance use disorders.
Strengthening medical specialisation policy in low-income and middle-income countries

The availability of medical specialists has accelerated in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), driven by factors including epidemiological and demographic shifts, doctors’ preferences for postgraduate training, income growth and medical tourism. Yet, despite some policy efforts to increase access to specialists in rural health facilities and improve referral systems, many policy questions are still underaddressed or unaddressed in LMIC health sectors, including in the context of universal health coverage. Engaging with issues of specialisation may appear to be of secondary importance, compared with arguably more pressing concerns regarding primary care and the social determinants of health. However, we believe this to be a false choice. Policy at the intersection of essential health services and medical specialties is central to issues of access and equity, and failure to formulate policy in this regard may have adverse ramifications for the entire system. In this article, we describe three critical policy questions on medical specialties and health systems with the aim of provoking further analysis, discussion and policy formulation: (1) What types, and how many specialists to train? (2) How to link specialists’ production and deployment to health systems strengthening and population health? (3) How to develop and strengthen institutions to steer specialisation policy? We posit that further analysis, discussion and policy formulation addressing these questions presents an important opportunity to explicitly determine and strengthen the linkages between specialists, health systems and health equity.
Mitochondrial division inhibitor (mdivi-1) decreases oxidative metabolism in cancer.

Previous studies suggested that mdivi-1 (mitochondrial division inhibitor), a putative inhibitor of dynamin-related protein (DRP1), decreased cancer cell proliferation through inducing mitochondrial fusion and altering oxygen consumption. However, the metabolic reprogramming underlying the DRP1 inhibition is still unclear in cancer cells. To better understand the metabolic effect of DRP1 inhibition, [U-13C]glucose isotope tracing was employed to assess mdivi-1 effects in several cancer cell lines, DRP1-WT (wild-type) and DRP1-KO (knockout) H460 lung cancer cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Mitochondrial staining confirmed that mdivi-1 treatment and DRP1 deficiency induced mitochondrial fusion. Surprisingly, metabolic isotope tracing found that mdivi-1 decreased mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in the lung cancer cell lines H460, A549 and the colon cancer cell line HCT116. [U-13C]glucose tracing studies also showed that the TCA cycle intermediates had significantly lower enrichment in mdivi-1-treated cells. In comparison, DRP1-WT and DRP1-KO H460 cells had similar oxidative metabolism, which was decreased by mdivi-1 treatment. Furthermore, mdivi-1-mediated effects on oxidative metabolism were independent of mitochondrial fusion. Our data suggest that, in cancer cells, mdivi-1, a putative inhibitor of DRP1, decreases oxidative metabolism to impair cell proliferation.
INFLAMMATORY MARKER, GLYCA, OUTPERFORMS HSCRP IN PREDICTING CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS

GlycA, a novel inflammatory marker, reflects glycosylation of five acute phase reactants and is associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD). We assessed whether GlycA is superior to high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) for CVD risk prediction. GlycA (derived from NMR) and hsCRP
Ultramarathon Plasma Metabolomics: Phosphatidylcholine Levels Associated with Running Performance.

The purpose of this study was to identify plasma metabolites associated with superior endurance running performance. In 2016, participants at the Western States Endurance Run (WSER), a 100-mile (161-km) foot race, underwent non-targeted metabolomic testing of their post-race plasma. Metabolites associated with faster finish times were identified. Based on these results, runners at the 2017 WSER underwent targeted metabolomics testing, including lipidomics and choline levels. The 2017 participants’ plasma metabolites were correlated with finish times and compared with non-athletic controls. In 2016, 427 known molecules were detected using non-targeted metabolomics. Four compounds, all phosphatidylcholines (PCs) were associated with finish time (False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05). All were higher in faster finishers. In 2017, using targeted PC analysis, multiple PCs, measured pre- and post-race, were higher in faster finishers (FDR < 0.05). The majority of PCs was noted to be higher in runners (both pre- and post-race) than in controls (FDR < 0.05). Runners had higher choline levels pre-race compared to controls (p < 0.0001), but choline level did not differ significantly from controls post-race (p = 0.129). Choline levels decreased between the start and the finish of the race (p < 0.0001). Faster finishers had lower choline levels than slower finishers at the race finish (p = 0.028).
Responses of Driver-Athletes to Repeated Driving Stints.

Having overcome old societal stereotypes, the race car driver is now recognized as a true athlete. Research in driver science continues to contribute to this change by expanding its scope to examine multiple forms of racing, like endurance racing, which challenges the driver-athlete beyond that of a traditional race. Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine and quantify the impact of repeated driving stints on the physiologic, metabolic, and hormonal responses of three professional endurance driver-athletes. Methods Core body temperature (Tgi), heart rate, and physiological strain index (PSI) were recorded during the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race using the Equivital Life Monitor system. Blood glucose was monitored continuously during the event using a FreeStyle Libre Pro. Alpha-amylase and cortisol were sampled immediately prior to the beginning of a stint and immediately after. Results First-stint overall and individual driver-athlete responses were similar to those reported in the literature. Later-stint responses diverged from the literature. Reductions in initial core temperature, the absence of increases in heart rate and PSI, and altered glucose and hormonal responses were each observed in the later stint. Conclusion The data supports previous research showing that motorsports has a measurable physiological, metabolic, and hormonal impact on the driver-athlete. This study also shows that multiple stints elicit responses that deviate from the published literature on single stint events. This study is also particularly interesting in that it represents one of the first times that longitudinal data has been gathered on endurance racing driver-athletes.
Designing with Pictographs: Envision Topics without Sacrificing Understanding.

Past studies have shown that when a visualization uses pictographs to encode data, they have a positive effect on memory, engagement, and assessment of risk. However, little is known about how pictographs affect one's ability to understand a visualization, beyond memory for values and trends. We conducted two crowdsourced experiments to compare the effectiveness of using pictographs when showing part-to-whole relationships. In Experiment 1, we compared pictograph arrays to more traditional bar and pie charts. We tested participants' ability to generate high-level insights following Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives via 6 free-response questions. We found that accuracy for extracting information and generating insights did not differ overall between the two versions. To explore the motivating differences between the designs, we conducted a second experiment where participants compared charts containing pictograph arrays to more traditional charts on 5 metrics and explained their reasoning. We found that some participants preferred the way that pictographs allowed them to envision the topic more easily, while others preferred traditional bar and pie charts because they seem less cluttered and faster to read. These results suggest that, at least in simple visualizations depicting part-to-whole relationships, the choice of using pictographs has little influence on sensemaking and insight extraction. When deciding whether to use pictograph arrays, designers should consider visual appeal, perceived comprehension time, ease of envisioning the topic, and clutteredness.
Temporal Changes in Intimate Partner Violence and Relationship Satisfaction

This study examined the impact of temporal changes in intimate partner violence (IPV) on individuals’ romantic relationship. Analyses based on a sample of 8279 young adults from Waves III and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) revealed that greater temporal increases in victimization were related to lower satisfaction. The association between increases in perpetration and satisfaction was not significant. Additionally, for women, greater increases in IPV perpetration were related to higher satisfaction. For men, the association between increases in perpetration and satisfaction was not significant. For both men and women, greater increases in victimization were related to lower satisfaction. Thus, temporal changes in IPV might have differing impacts on relationship satisfaction for men versus women.
Quantitative PCR Techniques

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a primer-mediated, enzymatic amplification of specific genomic DNA or cDNA sequences. RNA-based assays for transcript quantification are arranged vertically, moving down from highest sensitivity to lowest. The sensitivity index ranking is based on three factors: intrinsic difficulty of the technique, reproducibility, and current average level of sensitivity. The final mass of the PCR product(s) is dependent on the efficiency of the reverse transcriptase and the efficiency of the thermostable enzyme(s) used to support PCR, even if said actions occur in the same tube and by the action of the same enzyme. Thus any reliable quantification method must factor in the relative efficiencies of both enzyme-mediated reactions because the overall efficiency of a technique is the product of the efficiencies of the individual steps involved. In “real-time” PCR, which is a fluorescence-based approach, PCR products are quantified as they accumulate, as opposed to performing a fixed number of cycles and then assessing the amount and variety of products by electrophoresis. There are two ways to approach data analysis in real-time PCR applications. The first is the relative quantification method, whereby the amplification of an experimental template is compared to that of a control sample. The other method, known as absolute quantification, is used to calculate the actual copy number of template molecules with statistical confidence; the newest innovation in this area is known as digital PCR. It is very important to include well designed positive, negative, internal, and external controls in all quantitative and semi-quantitative assays. Manuscripts submitted for publication should include information recommended by the MIQE guidelines so as to enable experimental reproducibility.