cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Technique for Isolated Airway Segment Lavage

A novel technique has been developed for the isolation and lavaging of a central airway segment in humans. The procedure uses a double-balloon airway-sampling catheter that is placed into the airways with fiberoptic bronchoscopic guidance. A protocol using this technique was attempted in 32 subjects (18 normal subjects and 14 subjects with mild asthma), and 27 of the subjects were able to complete all phases of the protocol, including bronchoalveolar lavage and lavage of an isolated airway segment. There was no significant complication in any subject. Cellular composition of the lavages demonstrated differences in cell differential and total cell counts for the two different sampled regions (central airway vs alveolar spaces). We believe that this technique of lavage of an isolated airway segment is safe and has potential usefulness in many areas of pulmonary research.
The Effect of Carbapenem Antibiotics on Plasma Concentrations of Valproic Acid

Objective:To critically evaluate the mechanisms of the interaction between valproic acid and carbapenem antibiotics.Data Sources:A PubMed search (January 1971–June 2009) was performed to identify literature on the interaction between valproic acid and carbapenem antibiotics. Additional references were identified through review of bibliographies of identified articles.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Data on the mechanisms of the interaction between valproic acid and carbapenem antibiotics were extracted from identified references that were published in English.Data Synthesis:Valproic acid plasma concentrations fall markedly during concomitant administration with carbapenem antibiotics due to a combination of absorption, distribution, and metabolism mechanisms. Carbapenems appear to inhibit the intestinal transporter of valproic acid, thereby reducing absorption of orally administered valproic acid. In vivo experiments in rats demonstrate a 57% reduction in absorption of orally administered valproic aci...
Short-term effect of fenofibrate on C-reactive protein: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background C-reactive protein (CRP) is positively associated with risk for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Some but not all randomized and non-randomized clinical trials found significant associations between fenofibrate therapy and CRP but the direction and magnitude of the association varied across studies. The duration of treatment, patient populations and sample sizes varied greatly, and most short-term studies (i.e., ≤ 12 weeks) had fewer than 50 patients. In this study we meta-analyzed randomized clinical trials to determine the short-term effect of fenofibrate on CRP.
Inhibition of the Na+/H+ Exchanger Confers Greater Cardioprotection Against 90 Minutes of Myocardial Ischemia Than Ischemic Preconditioning in Dogs

Background—This study compared the efficacy of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and sodium-hydrogen exchanger (NHE)-1 inhibition to reduce infarct size (IS) induced by a 90-minute ischemic insult and examined the interaction between NHE-1 inhibition and IPC. Methods and Results—In a canine infarct model, either IPC, produced by 1 or four 5-minute coronary artery occlusions, or the specific NHE-1 inhibitor BIIB 513, 0.75 or 3.0 mg/kg, was administered 15 minutes before either a 60- or 90-minute coronary artery occlusion followed by 3 hours of reperfusion. IS was determined by TTC staining and expressed as a percentage of the area at risk (IS/AAR). Although both IPC and BIIB 513 at 0.75 mg/kg produced comparable and significant reductions in IS/AAR in the 60-minute occlusion model, insignificant reductions in IS/AAR were observed in the 90-minute occlusion model. However, BIIB 513 at 3.0 mg/kg markedly reduced IS in both models (P<0.05). Next, to examine the interaction between NHE-1 blockade and IPC, BIIB 0....
A tissue-engineered conduit for peripheral nerve repair.

Background: Peripheral nerve repair using autograft material has several shortcomings, including donor site morbidity, inadequate return of function, and aberrant regeneration. Recently, peripheral nerve research has focused on the generation of synthetic nerve guidance conduits that might overcome these phenomena to improve regeneration. In our laboratory, we use the unique chemical and physical properties of synthetic polymers in conjunction with the biological properties of Schwann cells to create a superior prosthesis for the repair of multiply branched peripheral nerves, such as the facial nerve. Objectives: To create a polymeric facial nerve analog approximating the fascicular architecture of the extratemporal facial nerve, to introduce a population of Schwann cells into the analog, and to implant the prosthesis into an animal model for assessment of regeneration.
Grb10 mediates insulin-stimulated degradation of the insulin receptor: a mechanism of negative regulation

Growth factor receptor-bound protein 10 (Grb10) is an adapter protein that interacts with a number of tyrosine-phosphorylated growth factor receptors, including the insulin receptor (IR). To invest...
Effects of prednisone and genetic polymorphisms on etoposide disposition in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Etoposide is a substrate for P-glycoprotein, CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and UGT1A1. Glucocorticoids modulate CYP3A and P-glycoprotein in preclinical models, but their effect on clinical etoposide disposition is unknown. We studied the pharmacokinetics of etoposide and its catechol metabolite in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, along with polymorphisms in CYP3A4 , CYP3A5 , MDR1 , GSTP1 , UGT1A1 , and VDR . Plasma pharmacokinetics were assessed at day 29, after 1 month of prednisone (n = 102), and at week 54, without prednisone (n = 44). On day 29, etoposide clearance was higher (47.4 versus 29.2 mL/min/m2, P < .0001) than at week 54. The day 29 etoposide or catechol area under the curve (AUC) was correlated with neutropenia ( P = .027 and P = .0008, respectively). The relationship between genotype and etoposide disposition differed by race and by prednisone use. The MDR1 exon 26 CC genotype predicted higher day 29 etoposide clearance ( P = .002) for all patients, and the CYP3A5 AA and GSTP1 AA genotypes predicted lower clearance in blacks ( P = .02 and .03, respectively). The UGT1A1 6/6, VDR intron 8 GG, and VDR Fok 1 CC genotypes predicted higher week 54 clearance in blacks ( P = .039, .036, and .052, respectively). The UGT1A1 6/6 genotype predicted lower catechol AUC. Prednisone strongly induces etoposide clearance, genetic polymorphisms may predict the constitutive and induced clearance of etoposide, and the relationship between genotype and phenotype differs by race.
Quantum-chromodynamic estimates for heavy-particle production

The associated production of hadrons containing heavy quarks is studied in the framework of a model based on quark-gluon color gauge field theory [quantum chromodynamics (QCD)]. We assume that the dominant mechanism for the production of heavy quarks in real and virtual photon beams is $\ensuremath{\gamma}({Q}^{2})V\ensuremath{\rightarrow}c\overline{c}$ where $V$ denotes a vector gluon and $c$ an arbitrary heavy quark. For $\ensuremath{\pi}$, $p$, and $\overline{p}$ beams we consider the mechanisms $\mathrm{VV}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}c\overline{c}$ and $q\overline{q}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}c\overline{c}$. The cross sections for the internal subprocesses are calculated at lowest order in the perturbation expansion for QCD. We include a brief discussion of higher-order corrections to our calculation.
Analysis of Escherichia Coli Variants of the Molecular Biology Detection Methods

Objective: Escherichia coli is a kind of important variants——enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157-H7 several detection methods are comparative study.Methods: The automated immunomagnetic beads collection system(AIMS),automatic enzyme immunoassay test system(VIDAS) and traditional and separation method for comparative analysis.Results: The use of automated immunomagnetic beads collection system(AIMS) on80may contain enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157-H7samples for detection,detection of copy number is 6,the detection rate was 7.5%,and within a week to all of the above can be detected samples for identification.AIMS method can detect concentration at 10cfu / mL simulation samples of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157-H7,then this method and CHROMagar 0157agar plate combination,the effect is more obvious.Automatic enzyme immunoassay test system(VIDAS) and traditional and separation method detection effect is poor,the detection rate is 0.Conclusion: The use of automated immunomagnetic beads collection system(AIMS) combined with CHROMagar0157agar plates for hemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157-H7were detected,the detection rate is higher,higher sensitivity and fast and convenient,can be used in O157-H7environment detection and food contamination sources of practical investigation,should be widely promoted and applied.
Analysis of the the serological detection results of suspected measles and rubella in Futian district of Shenzhen during 2007-2013

Objective This study aims to provide scientific evidence for the prophylaxis and treatment of measles and rubella by understanding the epidemiological trends of measles and rubellacases in Futian district of Shenzhen during 2007-2013. Methods ELISA was utilized to detect the Ig M antibody in serum samples of suspected measles and rubella cases in Futian district of Shenzhen during 2007-2013. The statistic analysis of the results was performed. Results 449 suspected serum samples were tested in seven years. 205 samples showed measles positive results( positive rate = 45. 66%); 47 samples presented rubella positive results( positive rate = 10. 47%). Paroxysm of measles mainly occurs from April to September,presenting a bimodal pattern. Paroxysm of rubella mainly occurs from March to June,with May as the peak time. The ages of onset of measles are mainly below 5 years with a positive rate of 40. 49%,while the ages of onset of rubella are mainly between 10 years old and 30 years old with a positive rate of 70. 21%. There is no statistical significance of the distribution of measles and rubella cases between the two genders. Conclusion The paroxysm of measles increases significantly in the recent two years. The paroxysm of measles tends to occur in the populations with smaller and larger ages,showing a dipolar pattern. The paroxysm of rubella tends to occur in youth. It is suggested to increase the vaccination rate of measles and rubella and to strengthen the immunity of focus groups.
Internuclear ophthalmoplegia from intracranial tumor

Bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO) is most often demyelinative in origin. Rarely, structural lesions may present with this finding, but in these cases the age at onset and the associated signs of increased intracranial pressure and widespread brainstem dysfunction usually make the distinction. This report describes the 13th published case of tumor-induced INO, produced by an atypical adult medulloblastoma. Potential pathophysiologic mechanisms are discussed.
Critical function of the necroptosis adaptor RIPK3 in protecting from intestinal tumorigenesis

// Dominique Bozec 1, 2 , Alina C. Iuga 3 , Giulia Roda 4, 5 , Stephanie Dahan 1, 2, 6, * , Garabet Yeretssian 1, 2, 7 1 Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA 2 Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA 3 Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA 4 The Leona M. Harry B. Helmsley Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, The Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA 5 Gastroenterology Unit, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy 6 Sobi, Inc., Waltham, MA 02452, USA 7 Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA * The author changed affiliation after the course of the work and currently is employed by Sobi, Inc., but that the article in no way represents the work product, views or opinions of Sobi, Inc. Correspondence to: Garabet Yeretssian, email: garabet.yeretssian@mssm.edu Keywords: colorectal cancer, IBD-related CRC, necroptosis, RIPK3 Received: May 05, 2016 Accepted: June 03, 2016 Published: June 17, 2016 ABSTRACT Necroptosis is a programmed form of non-apoptotic cell death that requires the kinase activity of the receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3). Although in vitro data suggests that cancer cells lacking expression of RIPK3 are invasive, the physiological role of RIPK3 in a disease-relevant setting remains unknown. Here we provide evidence that RIPK3 has a critical role in suppressing colorectal cancer (CRC). RIPK3-deficient mice were highly susceptible to colitis-associated CRC and exhibited greater production of pro-inflammatory mediators and tumor promoting factors. Tumorigenesis in RIPK3-deficiency resulted from uncontrolled activation of NF-κB, STAT3, AKT and Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathways that enhanced the ability of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) to aberrantly proliferate in the face of the sustained inflammatory microenvironment and promote CRC. We found that RIPK3 expression is reduced in tumors from patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, and further confirmed that expression of RIPK3 is downregulated in human CRC and correlated with cancer progression. Thus, our results reveal that the necroptosis adaptor RIPK3 has key anti-inflammatory and anti-tumoral functions in the intestine, and define RIPK3 as a novel colon tumor suppressor.
Tobacco control in Australia: what aren't you doing and why aren't you doing it?

The anti-smoking crusade in Australia is in a sorry state, say the leaders of California's Tobacco Control Program.
Forced Migration in the Spanish Pacific World: From Mexico to the Philippines, 1765-1811

Nearly 4,000 Mexican troops and convicts landed in Manila Bay in the Philippines from 1765 to 1811. The majority were veterans and recruits; the rest were victims of vagrancy campaigns. Eva Maria Mehl follows these forced exiles from recruiting centers, jails and streets in central Mexico to Spanish outposts in the Philippines, and traces relationships of power between the imperial authorities in Madrid and the colonial governments and populations of New Spain and the Philippines in the late Bourbon era. Ultimately, forced migration from Mexico City to Manila illustrates that the histories of the Spanish Philippines and colonial Mexico have embraced and shaped each other, that there existed a connectivity between imperial processes in the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, and that a perspective of the Spanish empire centered on the Atlantic cannot adequately reflect the historical importance of the richly textured transpacific world.
A Self-Organizing Map Based Approach to Adaptive System Formation

Multi-agent systems are considered to be potential solutions to complex tasks. Cellular self-organizing (CSO) multi-agent systems have been proposed that take a field-based approach to regulate agent behaviors. One difficulty in designing CSO systems is to generate rules to map given tasks to agent behaviors. This paper proposes an approach for adaptive system formation based on a field analysis and self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm. The tasks are captured as multiple task fields. The relationship among the agents is translated into a social field. Each agent has multiple function modes corresponding to the task fields. SOM and a function mode selection algorithm are devised to match the social field of the system with the task fields. Computer simulations have demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach and its potential in designing CSO systems for solving system formation tasks.
BZR1 Positively Regulates Freezing Tolerance via CBF-Dependent and CBF-Independent Pathways in Arabidopsis

Cold stress is a major environmental factor that adversely affects plant growth and development. The C-repeat binding factor/DRE binding factor 1 (CBF/DREB1) transcriptional regulatory cascade has been shown to play important roles in plant response to cold. Here we demonstrate that two key components of brassinosteroid (BR) signaling modulate freezing tolerance of Arabidopsis plants. The loss-of-function mutant of the GSK3-like kinases involved in BR signaling, bin2-3 bil1 bil2, showed increased freezing tolerance, whereas overexpression of BIN2 resulted in hypersensitivity to freezing stress under both non-acclimated and acclimated conditions. By contrast, gain-of-function mutants of the transcription factors BZR1 and BES1 displayed enhanced freezing tolerance, and consistently cold treatment could induce the accumulation of dephosphorylated BZR1. Biochemical and genetic analyses showed that BZR1 acts upstream of CBF1 and CBF2 to directly regulate their expression. Moreover, we found that BZR1 also regulated other COR genes uncoupled with CBFs, such as WKRY6, PYL6, SOC1, JMT, and SAG21, to modulate plant response to cold stress. Consistently, wrky6 mutants showed decreased freezing tolerance. Taken together, our results indicate that BZR1 positively modulates plant freezing tolerance through CBF-dependent and CBF-independent pathways.
Identification and involvement with the gay community among men who have sex with men in Atlanta who use geosocial-networking smartphone applications

ABSTRACTGeosocial-networking smartphone applications represent an increasingly common virtual context in which men who have sex with men (MSM) meet one another. The purpose of the current study is to describe levels of involvement with the mainstream gay community among a sample of MSM in Atlanta who use apps (n = 92) and assess their associations with condomless anal intercourse. Among the sample, 53.3% agreed that they felt distant from the gay community and 72.8% reported going to a gay bar/club once a month or less. No associations between involvement with the gay community and condomless anal intercourse were observed.
Addressing a Discovery Tool’s Shortcomings with a Supplemental Health Sciences-Specific Federated Search Engine

ABSTRACTSome discovery tools may not necessarily be the best resources for searching the health sciences literature. This is especially true when the discovery tool is not a vendor-neutral product or when it does not deep search full-text electronic resources. Therefore, supplementing a discovery tool with a health sciences-specific federated search engine could be a viable option. This is a review of one university’s decision-making and implementation process for adding a health sciences-specific supplemental federated search engine. Included is a 30-month usage analysis of the federated search engine, along with website usability testing results.
Single-mode nonlinear Langevin emulation of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence.

Based on the Langevin equation of Brownian motion, we present a simple model that emulates a typical mode in incompressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, providing a demonstration of several key properties. The model equation is consistent with von Karman decay law and Kolmogorov's symmetries. We primarily focus on the behavior of inertial range modes, although we also attempt to include some properties of the large-scale modes. Dissipation scales are not considered. Results from the model are compared with results from published direct numerical simulations.
Wireless and Pervasive Healthcare: Applications, Requirements, and Research Problems

With an increasingly mobile society and the worldwide deployment of mobile and wireless networks, the wireless infrastructure can support many current and emerging healthcare applications. In this tutorial, we present pervasive healthcare applications and requirements, and discuss how the current and emerging wireless and mobile technologies can be used to support these applications.
Prevention of Post-Rape Psychopathology: Preliminary Findings of a Controlled Acute Rape Treatment Study

Violent sexual assault such as rape typically results in extremely high levels of acute distress. The intensity of these acute psychological reactions may play a role in later recovery, with higher levels of immediate distress associated with poorer outcome. Unfortunately, post-rape forensic evidence collection procedures may serve to increase, rather than reduce initial distress, potentially exacerbating future psychopathology. To address these concerns, an acute time-frame hospital-based video intervention was developed to: (a) minimize anxiety during forensic rape exams, and (b) prevent post-rape posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic, and anxiety. Preliminary data indicated that (1) psychological distress at the time of the exam was strongly related to PTSD symptomatology 6 weeks post-rape, and (2) the video intervention successfully reduced distress during forensic exams.
GLUTATHIONE CONJUGATION: A MECHANISM FOR HERBICIDE DETOXICATION AND SELECTIVITY IN PLANTS

Glutathione conjugation of herbicides appears to be a common reaction in plants and mammals. However, the terminal product in plants is not the mercapturic acid formed in mammals. In plants, glutathione conjugation is a detoxication mechanism which effectively reduces the active internal concentration of the herbicide and prevents irreversible injury.
Roles for ClpXP in regulating the circadian clock in Synechococcus elongatus

In cyanobacteria, the KaiABC posttranslational oscillator drives circadian rhythms of gene expression and controls the timing of cell division. The Kai-based oscillator can be reconstituted in vitro, demonstrating that the clock can run without protein synthesis and degradation; however, protein degradation is known to be important for clock function in vivo. Here, we report that strains deficient in the ClpXP1P2 protease have, in addition to known long-period circadian rhythms, an exaggerated ability to synchronize with the external environment (reduced “jetlag”) compared with WT strains. Deletion of the ClpX chaperone, but not the protease subunits ClpP1 or ClpP2, results in cell division defects in a manner that is dependent on the expression of a dusk-peaking factor. We propose that chaperone activities of ClpX are required to coordinate clock control of cell division whereas the protease activities of the ClpXP1P2 complex are required to maintain appropriate periodicity of the clock and its synchronization with the external environment.
Patch Before Exploited: An Approach to Identify Targeted Software Vulnerabilities

The number of software vulnerabilities discovered and publicly disclosed is increasing every year; however, only a small fraction of these vulnerabilities are exploited in real-world attacks. With limitations on time and skilled resources, organizations often look at ways to identify threatened vulnerabilities for patch prioritization. In this chapter, an exploit prediction model is presented, which predicts whether a vulnerability will likely be exploited. Our proposed model leverages data from a variety of online data sources (white hat community, vulnerability research community, and dark web/deep web (DW) websites) with vulnerability mentions. Compared to the standard scoring system (CVSS base score) and a benchmark model that leverages Twitter data in exploit prediction, our model outperforms the baseline models with an F1 measure of 0.40 on the minority class (266% improvement over CVSS base score) and also achieves high true positive rate and low false positive rate (90%, 13%, respectively), making it highly effective as an early predictor of exploits that could appear in the wild. A qualitative and a quantitative study are also conducted to investigate whether the likelihood of exploitation increases if a vulnerability is mentioned in each of the examined data sources. The proposed model is proven to be much more robust than adversarial examples—postings authored by adversaries in the attempt to induce the model to produce incorrect predictions. A discussion on the viability of the model is provided, showing cases where the classifier achieves high performance, and other cases where the classifier performs less efficiently.
PHENIX study of the initial state with forward hadron measurements in 200 GeV p(d)+A and 3He+Au collisions

Abstract Forward hadron measurements in p(d)+A provide a signal to study nuclear shadowing, initial state energy loss and/or gluon saturation effects as a function of rapidity, centrality and energy. High p T identified π 0 measurements are an essential first step toward measuring prompt photon production. The π 0 measurements are enabled by the PHENIX MPC-EX detector, a Si-W preshower detector located in front of the Muon Piston Calorimeter (MPC), expanding the neutral pion reconstruction capabilities in the rapidity range 3.1 η E η | PHENIX collected d+Au data with the MPC-EX in the 2016 run at s N N = 200 , 62 , 39 and 19.6 GeV ; and p+p and p+Au(Al) data with the FVTX in 2015 at 200 GeV. In this talk, we will present first results for high p T π 0 production from the s N N = 200 GeV dataset, the status of the prompt photon measurement, as well as charged hadron nuclear modification factors in p+Au(Al) and 3 He+Au.
Evaluation of toolbox safety training in construction: The impact of narratives.

Background Construction is a dangerous industry with a large number of small businesses. Because they require minimal resources to deliver, toolbox talks may be an ideal training format for small construction contractors. Methods Eight toolbox talks were developed, each with two versions. One version of each toolbox talk was standard and one version included a narrative and discussion questions. Participants were randomly assigned to receive the standard or the narrative version. Pre- and post-intervention surveys measured demographics, workplace safety climate, and knowledge. The post-intervention survey also measured training impact. Results Including narratives with discussion questions significantly increased knowledge gain and led to increased training impact. Less experienced workers were more likely to gain knowledge and training impact compared to more experienced workers. There were no significant changes in workplace safety climate. Conclusions The results suggest that including a narrative and discussion questions increases toolbox talk effectiveness.
Differin® and depilation, a word of warning.

Background Retinoid products are becoming increasingly popular due to their efficacy and mild side effect profile. A few cases of epidermal stripping with wax depilation have been reported, but all have been associated with oral retinoid use. Aims We aim to increase awareness of this adverse effect. Methods N/A Results: N/A Conclusion: While retinoid products are effective and have a low side effect profile, they may still cause adverse effects including the possibility of epidermal stripping with wax depilation.
Effects of surface recombination on the charge collection in h-BN neutron detectors

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) epilayers have been recognized as a promising material for applications in solid-state neutron detectors. However, the highest detection efficiency of 58% attained so far for 1 mm2 detectors fabricated from 50 μm thick B-10 enriched h-BN films still falls short of the expected theoretical value of 64%. This is due to the less than perfect charge collection efficiency. In this work, we have fabricated and analyzed the photocurrent-voltage characteristics of 11 h-BN neutron detectors. The dependence of the charge collection efficiency (ηc) on the charge carrier mobility-lifetime (μτ) product of the bulk trapping parameter reveals that ηc is nearly perfect at a bias voltage of 200 V if we neglect the effects of surface recombination. Our results have clearly demonstrated that the surface recombination of charge carriers is the dominant factor that prevents a further enhancement in the charge collection efficiency in our current detectors. The surface recombination field ES (=s/μ), defined as the ratio of the surface recombination velocity (s) to the carrier mobility (μ) of holes, was found to have a linear relationship with that of electrons and has a magnitude of the order of 104 V/cm. The present study indicates that it is critical to reduce ES in h-BN in order to further push the charge collection and hence the total detection efficiency of h-BN neutron detectors to 100%.
Heart Rate Based Face Synthesis for Pulse Estimation

With the technological advancements in non-invasive heart rate (HR) detection, it becomes more feasible to estimate heart rate using commodity digital cameras. However, achieving high accuracy in HR estimation still remains a challenge. One of the bottlenecks is the lack of sufficient facial videos annotated with corresponding HR signals. In order to prevent this bottleneck, we propose to create videos enriched with different HR values from existing data sets with an attempt to increase the data size in a controllable manner. This paper presents a new method to generate facial videos with various heart rate values through a video synthesis procedure. Our method involves the synthesis of heart beat effects from skin colors of a face. New face video is generated with various heart rate values while taking identity information into account. The quality of the synthetic videos is evaluated by comparing to the original ground truth videos at the pixel level as well as by computing their differentiability across the synthetic face videos. Furthermore, the usability of the new data is assessed through the application of HR estimation from remote video approaches.
RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GRIP STRENGTH AND FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS: RESULTS FROM NHATS 2010-2014

Current research regarding grip strength highlights the robustness of grip strength as a predictor of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of grip strength over four years with functional limitations among racially/ethnically diverse older adults. We analyzed National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) data 2010-2014. Our sample included 4,413 adults > 65 years old. Functional limitation was defined as a sum of difficulty performing eight ADL/IADLs (range 0-8) at each wave. Grip strength was measured using a digital hand dynamometer and readings were recorded in kilograms (kg) (maximum of 32 kg for men and > 20 kg for women). We estimated stratified linear regression models by race/ethnicity and age, and adjusted for BMI, education, and gender. The majority of the sample was between 65-79 years of age (64%), 55.1% were female and the average BMI was 27.5. We found that differences in ADL/IADL limitations increased and grip strength decreased over the four year period of observation. We also found racial/ethnic differences between waves 1 and 4 with greater ADL/IADL limitations for Hispanics with lower grip strength scores compared to non-Hispanic whites. There were racial/ethnic differences in the association between grip strength and ADL/IADL over time in Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics when compared to Non-Hispanic whites. This is an important issue to address since loss of muscle strength in older adults may lead to several negative outcomes such as limited activities of daily living which may affect older adults differentially based on race/ethnicity.
Association of Disability With Mortality From Opioid Overdose Among US Medicare Adults

Importance Patients qualifying for Medicare disability have the highest rates of opioid use compared with older Medicare beneficiaries and commercial insurance beneficiaries. Research on opioid overdose deaths in this population can help identify appropriate interventions. Objective To assess the rate of opioid overdose death and to identify its associated risk factors. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study included a 20% national sample of Medicare enrollees aged 21 to 64 years whose initial Medicare entitlement was based on disability and who resided in 50 US states and Washington, DC, in 2012 to 2016. Data analyses were performed from March 15, 2019, through September 23, 2019. Exposures Fifty-five chronic or potentially disabling conditions were selected from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Chronic Disease Data Warehouse. Main Outcomes and Measures Opioid overdose death rate estimated from Medicare National Death Index linkage data. Results Among 1 766 790 Medicare enrollees younger than 65 years who qualified for Medicare because of disability, the mean (SD) age was 52.2 (10.2) years, and 866 914 (49.1%) were women. These enrollees represent 14.9% (95% CI, 14.9%-15.0%) of the entire Medicare population and accounted for 80.8% (95% CI, 78.9%-82.7%) of opioid overdose deaths among all Medicare enrollees. Opioid overdose mortality in this population increased from 57.4 per 100 000 (95% CI, 53.9-61.0 per 100 000) in 2012 to 77.6 per 100 000 (95% CI, 73.5-81.8 per 100 000) in 2016. Results from the stepwise logistic regression model revealed that 3 categories of conditions are associated with opioid overdose death: substance abuse, psychiatric diseases, and chronic pain. Among the 11.1% (95% CI, 11.0%-11.2%) of adults with disability who had all 3 conditions, the rate of opioid overdose death was 363.7 per 100 000 (95% CI, 326.7-402.6 per 100 000), which is 23.4 times higher than the rate for individuals with none of the conditions (15.5 per 100 000; 95% CI, 11.6-20.1 per 100 000). Conclusions and Relevance This study identifies differences in opioid overdose mortality among subgroups of Medicare enrollees younger than 65 years who qualify for Medicare because of disability. Understanding the heterogeneity of medical and psychiatric conditions associated with opioid use and misuse is key to developing specific, data-driven interventions targeted to each subgroup of high-risk populations.
The Harmonization of Lending Standards within Banks through Mandated Loan-Level Transparency

We explore whether the introduction of transparent reporting rules increases credit standard harmonization within a bank. We exploit the new loan-level reporting rules imposed on banks that borrow from the European Central Bank using repurchase agreements collateralized by their asset-backed securities. We compare credit terms of similar mortgages issued by a bank across a country’s regions and find that harmonization increases following the adoption of the new reporting rules. Learning and regulatory scrutiny constitute mechanisms underlying this economic effect. We also show that harmonization leads to more favorable lending terms to borrowers and higher loan quality for banks. Overall, these findings suggest that transparent reporting rules incentivize banks to improve their internal decision-making and thereby reduce regional divergence in their credit standards.
Skip constructs in spinal muscular atrophy: outcomes of a novel approach for posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion.

Many children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) develop progressive spinal deformity, worsening already compromised pulmonary function and global spinal balance. Early results demonstrate that intrathecal administration of nusinersen, a recent FDA-approved drug, improves motor function and ventilator-free survival, necessitating preservation of intrathecal access when considering PSIF. The purpose of this study is to assess medium-term outcomes of a specialized approach for posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion (PSIF) to preserve intrathecal access in patients with SMA. A retrospective review of patients with SMA undergoing PSIF at a single tertiary academic medical center during a 3-year period was completed. To facilitate intrathecal drug administration, the traditional approach to PSIF was modified to “skip” one or more intervertebral levels at the thoracolumbar junction. Clinical notes and radiographs were reviewed for postoperative outcomes including major coronal curve correction and complications, including loss of correction, hardware failure and surgical revision. Eight patients were identified, with a mean age of 12.7 ± 1.6 years and follow-up of 4 years. These patients had a mean preoperative major coronal curve of 56.4°, with mean curve correction of 35.2°. At follow-up, no patients experienced rod breakage, loss of correction, or postoperative chronic pain. Only one patient required revision surgery due to bony overgrowth at the skipped level after three and a half years. Implementing the skip construct approach for PSIF in patients with SMA allows for scoliosis correction without compromising intrathecal drug delivery. Follow-up at 4 years reveals no adverse clinical events, hardware failure or loss of correction. IV.
Changes in Donor Heart Availability in Response to State-Level Opioid Antagonist Policy

Purpose In the United States, many jurisdictions have enacted laws aimed at increasing naloxone availability and utilization by first responders and laypersons to combat the opioid epidemic. While there is evidence of some success of such laws in mitigating overdose deaths, the impact on donor organ availability has not been studied. Methods We analyzed U.S. heart donors were drug intoxication was the cause of death from 2010-2017, excluding 12 states with Results A total 2,030 donors died of drug intoxication over the study period (9.9% of all donors). Adoption of opioid antagonist laws varied: 37/38 states adopted a public access policy; only 9/38 expressly legalized possession. Pooled analysis across all states showed no significant change in rate of donors for pre- vs post-implementation periods. (Figure: Effect of opioid antagonist law in states passing law vs states not passing law. Comparison is t=0, the year of passage. Robust confidence intervals are shown consistently crossing the y-axis for t>0, signaling no effect on the rate of heart donors who died of drug intoxication. Flat trendline for t Conclusion Opioid antagonist policies appear to either be a small factor influencing organ availability or counterbalanced by increase in utilization. Given the rise of available donor hearts as a result of opioid-related deaths, implications of policies aimed at curtailing the opioid epidemic should be closely examined to help transplant centers and organ procurement organizations anticipate changes to the donor landscape.
Chapter 5 – Hyperventilation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses hyperventilation syndrome (HVS) that is probably the most common psychophysiological reaction encountered by physicians. Hyperventilation is often the result of anxiety and produces changes in bodily functions that themselves become the focus of apprehension. HVS is a very common response to anxiety; one might almost call it a universal human reaction as it is a part of the automatic response tothreatening situations. It can lead people to seek medical attention, particularly when they are predisposed to conversion reactions, hypochondriasis, or psychosomatic illnesses. The term psychosomatic illness encompasses complicated medical symptoms with negative evaluations, conversion reactions, psychophysiological reactions, and multiple visits to physicians for minor conditions (hypochondriasis).
Perspectives on the Role of T Cell Negative Immune Checkpoint Receptors in Health and Disease

Immune inhibition orchestrated by multiple negative checkpoint receptors (NCRs) is required to control aberrant immune responses and maintain homeostasis. An imbalance between immune activation and inhibition is believed to be an important mechanism driving the development of a number of diseases. Several tumors hijack this delicate balance and are able to increase the expression of various inhibitory receptors on cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) resulting in ineffective anti-tumor CTL responses. T cell immunotherapies that blocks NCR signaling have shown remarkable clinical success and extend median progression-free survival as well as overall survival in a wide range of cancer settings. In chronic infections such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C, CTLs have been found to overexpress various NCRs resulting in an “exhausted” CTL phenotype, which is associated with disease progression and the development of co-morbidities. On the other hand, downregulation of NCRs is thought to lead to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and other neuroinflammatory conditions. In this chapter, we primarily focus on advances in our current understanding of NCRs and the role they play in human health and disease as well as the ongoing efforts to develop novel immunotherapies that target these receptors and reverse immune perturbations impacted by NCR dysregulation.
Interactive Metadata Integration with Brick

Many different digital representations of a building are produced over the course of its lifecycle. While these representations individually contain metadata required to support different stages of the building's lifecycle, they are largely not interoperable due to differences in structure, syntax and semantics. This impedes the development and deployment of data-driven applications providing fault detection and diagnosis, virtual metering or optimal control. [4] introduces a new platform for the continuous curation of a unified, Brick [1]-based metadata model that can be maintained throughout the building lifecycle. In this demonstration, we present a live proof-of-concept implementation of the platform with support for several metadata representations in the context of a simulated building lifecycle.
Fifteen-Year Follow-Up of a Patient with Acinar Cystic Transformation of the Pancreas and Literature Review.

Acinar cystic transformation (ACT), also known as “acinar cell cystadenoma,” is a rare and newly recognized benign pancreatic cystic neoplasm. However, its true malignant potential remains unknown. Here, we report a case of ACT with 15-year follow-up. A 10-year-old female initially presented with abdominal pain and was found to have a cystic lesion in the region of pancreatic head on computed tomography scan. She underwent an exploratory laparotomy, and the intraoperative biopsy of the cyst wall showed a true pancreatic cyst without malignancy. Her symptoms subsequently resolved, and she was placed under close ultrasound surveillance. For the next fifteen years, the patient was asymptomatic without any complications and had a successful pregnancy. Surveillance showed the tumor grew in size from 4.2 cm to 6.2 cm in diameter. In the latest five months, she noted occasional abdominal pain. A pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed. The resected cystic lesion was multilocular and lined by a single layer of bland epithelium ranging from nondescript flat/cuboidal epithelium to apparent acinar cells which were strongly positive for trypsin, so the final diagnosis was confirmed to be ACT. The prior biopsy was retrospectively reviewed to reveal similar epithelial lining. To the best of our knowledge, this is the longest period of follow-up for ACT to date. Our findings suggest that ACT is a slow-growing neoplasm without malignant transformation after fifteen years. Therefore, we recommend biopsy for histologic diagnosis followed by close ultrasound surveillance without surgical intervention in asymptomatic or young ACT patients.
Health and resource burden of a cancer diagnosis on the caregiver: an analysis of administrative claims data

PURPOSE Cancer diagnosis is known to affect the family; however, administrative claims data are not commonly used to evaluate the broader impact of cancer diagnosis. This study was designed to evaluate the feasibility of using claims data to explore the impact of cancer diagnosis on the caregiver. METHODS IBM Marketscan data were used to identify eligible cancer patients, who were required to have a second adult over the age of 18 (defined as "caregiver" for this study) covered by the same the healthcare policy. Eligible control pairs included any two adults in the same policy with no evidence of cancer; for each pair one adult was randomly assigned to be the "patient control" while their partner was assigned as "caregiver control". Probabilistic stratified sampling was used select control pairs for analysis by matching the relative frequencies within sex and age group strata to those of patient/caregiver pairs. Eligible control pairs were probabilistically sampled without replacement until the stratum with at least 0.5 % relative frequency had been completely sampled. Caregiver and caregiver control healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), new diagnoses, and healthcare costs were compared during the 12-month post-diagnosis period. Subgroup analyses were conducted by cancer subtypes (breast, colorectal, lung, gastric, sarcoma) and by sex of the patient and caregiver. RESULTS A total of 62,893 patient/caregiver pairs and 449,177 control pairs were included. Overall, caregivers used slightly fewer healthcare resources and expended less costs during the 12-month period after the cancer diagnosis than controls (physician visits; 85.8 % vs. 95.7 %; hospitalizations 5.4 % vs. 7.0 %; emergency room visits 15.7 % versus 16.2 %, all p ≤ 0.001). This finding was consistent in all subgroup analyses. New diagnoses were lower in the caregiver cohort, except for mental disorders, which were higher than controls (14.3 % vs. 9.9 %, p < 0.0001). Psychotherapeutic/antidepressant utilization occurred among 21.0 % of caregivers versus 17.2 % of caregiver controls during this period. CONCLUSIONS It is feasible to use administrative claims data to evaluate the impact of a cancer diagnosis on the caregiver to evaluate outcomes such as HCRU, diagnoses and costs. These findings raise hypotheses about deferment of health care and increased mental distress during the caregiving period.
Are Difference-in-Differences Estimates Blowing Smoke? A Cautionary Tale From an Oft-Used Natural Experiment

We illustrate the sensitivity of two-way fixed effects difference-indifferences estimates to innocuous changes in data structure. Using the staggered rollout of state-level bank branching deregulations, three outcome variables are brought to bear on the interventions: personal income growth (a replication), house prices (new to the literature), and per capita cigarette purchases (a falsification test). Estimates are sensitive to panel length, and the data structure creates the false impression of a causal effect of the interventions on all three outcome variables. We contend that any two-way fixed effects regression using this set of interventions is at risk of generating spurious results.
An Intensified Vibratory Milling Process for Enhancing the Breakage Kinetics during the Preparation of Drug Nanosuspensions

As a drug-sparing approach in early development, vibratory milling has been used for the preparation of nanosuspensions of poorly water-soluble drugs. The aim of this study was to intensify this process through a systematic increase in vibration intensity and bead loading with the optimal bead size for faster production. Griseofulvin, a poorly water-soluble drug, was wet-milled using yttrium-stabilized zirconia beads with sizes ranging from 50 to 1500 μm at low power density (0.87 W/g). Then, this process was intensified with the optimal bead size by sequentially increasing vibration intensity and bead loading. Additional experiments with several bead sizes were performed at high power density (16 W/g), and the results were compared to those from wet stirred media milling. Laser diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and dissolution tests were used for characterization. Results for the low power density indicated 800 μm as the optimal bead size which led to a median size of 545 nm with more than 10% of the drug particles greater than 1.8 μm albeit the fastest breakage. An increase in either vibration intensity or bead loading resulted in faster breakage. The most intensified process led to 90% of the particles being smaller than 300 nm. At the high power intensity, 400 μm beads were optimal, which enhanced griseofulvin dissolution significantly and signified the importance of bead size in view of the power density. Only the optimally intensified vibratory milling led to a comparable nanosuspension to that prepared by the stirred media milling.