cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Figure of Loki in Germanic Mythology

Iceland, that island of marvels, has preserved for us, as it has done in most other fields of Germanic culture, nearly all of what we know about the religion of our pagan ancestors. The two Eddas, the Elder (Poetic) and the Younger (Prose) Edda, furnish the whole body of coherent mythology accessible to us. As for the cults themselves, we are much less well informed, but such knowledge as we have is drawn mainly from the Sagas, prose tales dealing with men and events, real and fictitious, of the heathen time, written down two or three centuries after the adoption of Christianity as the state religion in the year 1000, yet seeking to give a faithful picture of the manners and beliefs of the old days, and with scarcely a trace of the intolerance which almost obliterated the pagan traditions in other parts of Germanic territory. The distribution and popularity of the cults, their relative age and gradual expansion have been revealed by the brilliant researches of Professor Magnus Olsen on the Norwegian place-names and by the subsequent studies inspired by his work.
Commentary: television, children's health and safety behavior, and pediatric psychology

American children watch an unfathomable number of hours of television per week. The effects of television have been fairly well-studied through the years as social scientists, politicians, and laypersons have expressed concern over the social, cognitive, and behavioral effects on children of watching so much of this medium (Huston et al., 1992). In multiple studies and topical areas, communications and psychology research has demonstrated that children acquire modeled behavior and will imitate it under conducive circumstances. Indeed, so much research and position taking has occurred that many psychologists and the lay public seemingly assume that everything is known. Fortunately, every now and then, exceptional researchers come along to challenge such assumptions. Richard Potts and Lisa Swisher (in this issue) have demonstrated that effects of television can be demonstrated for the topic of childhood injuries. They used an elegantly simple research design reminiscent of that employed by Albert Bandura in the inflated clown studies. Potts and Swisher found that, when shown a safety educational video program for children, children's self-reported willingness to take physical risks decreased and identification of injury hazards increased. In another condition involving an animated cartoon with minor background safety components, children showed an increase in hazard identification, but did not show a significant decrease in their willingness to take physical risks. Results from this study sug-
Drinking Water Treatment Plant Design Incorporating Variability and Uncertainty

Both inherent natural variability and model parameter uncertainty must be considered in the development of robust and reliable designs for drinking water treatment. This study presents an optimization framework for investigating the effects of five variable influent parameters and three uncertain model parameters on the least-cost treatment plant configuration contact, direct, or nonsweep conventional filtration that reliably satisfies an effluent particulate matter concentration constraint. Incorporating variability and uncer- tainty within the decision-making framework generates information for investigating: 1 impacts on total cost and treatment reliability; 2 shifts on the least-cost treatment configuration for providing reliable treatment; and 3 the importance of the individual variable and uncertain parameter distributions for reliably satisfying an effluent water quality constraint. Increasing the magnitude of influent variabil- ity and model parameter uncertainty results in a greater expected design cost due, generally, to increases in process sizing required to reliably satisfy the effluent concentration constraint. The inclusion of variability and uncertainty can also produce a shift in the locations of the least-cost configuration regions, which are dependent on the expected influent water quality and the magnitude of variability and uncertainty. The additional information provided by incorporating the variable and uncertain parameters illustrates that parameter distri- butions related to the primary removal mechanism are critical, and that contact and direct filtration are more sensitive to variability and uncertainty than conventional filtration.
A fourier series approach for comparing groups of subjects on ambulatory blood pressure patterns

We develop an approach to the statistical analysis of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring where we represent each subject's profile by a different mathematical model. We first smooth the data and then use a Fourier series approach to determine the best model for each subject. We then estimate summary variables based on each subject's model to compare distinct groups of subjects. In comparing 15 adult black male hypertensives to eight adult black male normotensives we found that the two groups differ on the shift away from the mesor for both the systolic and the diastolic blood pressure profile.
Development of a Multi-modality Compatible Flow Loop System for the Functional Assessment of Mitral Valve Prostheses

We sought to build a robust pulsatile flow model permitting comparison of 3D Color Doppler and phase contrast magnetic resonance (PCMR) flow and orifice area measurements of prosthetic valve function that would provide an in vitro gold standard for evaluation of the accuracy of new imaging techniques. A multi-modality compatible, pulsatile linear actuation system, control software, and mock circulation loop was designed and created using non-ferromagnetic components, NI Labview, and rapid prototyping. The developed system’s ability to create pulsatile, controlled flow was assessed by examining peak diastolic flow, diastolic period, and diastolic flow volume (DFV) of 12 consecutive cardiac cycles at 3 different DFVs. Reproducibility of flow was tested by examining the systems ability to generate the same target DFV after draining and re-configuring the flow loop components. Furthermore, the system was evaluated by CMR and echocardiography to examine image quality, DFV quantification, and an initial functional assessment of prosthetic mitral valve (MV) orifice area by four different imaging methods. The system was able to reproducibly create prescribed flow volumes across 31 mm bioprosthetic and mechanical MV’s under a range of flow conditions. In vitro image quality for the identification of MV sewing ring, struts and leaflets was similar to clinical imaging quality for both echocardiographic and MRI methods. For the quantification of DFV, the PCMR method demonstrated an error range of 1.4–9.2% and a mean difference of 4 ± 2 mL/beat compared to the flowmeter reference standard. Across the three flow conditions the bioprosthetic MV diastolic flow area was statistically similar by MRI planimetry, phase contrast MRI planimetry, and 3D color Doppler planimetry methods (mean area 3.2 ± 0.5 cm2, ANOVA, p = NS), but the effective orifice area by 2D spectral Doppler (continuity) method was smaller (mean area 2.0 ± 0.3 cm2, ANOVA, p < 0.001). We describe the development and initial functional testing of a novel MRI-compatible flow loop system for comparison of multimodality imaging techniques to assess prosthetic valve function.
Usage analysis in a MIMO channel for voice and data

We investigate the effects of the user presence on a multi-antenna design from the channel perspective. Two usage scenarios are investigated, data and voice. The antennas and the user are electromagnetically simulated and are then integrated into the statistical 3GPP spatial channel model. There, the channel statistics are analyzed through the average channel capacity, correlation, and the channel power transfer. It was found that the presence of the user contributed to a loss up to 50% in the channel power. The data position was found to be the lowest in terms of channel capacity. The user orientation caused the most variability in the performance for the voice position, while it had negligible impact on performance in the data position.
FOCUS: a generalized method for object discovery for robots that observe and interact with humans

The essence of the signal-to-symbol problem consists of associating a symbolic description of an object (e.g., a chair) to a signal (e.g., an image) that captures the real object. Robots that interact with humans in natural environments must be able to solve this problem correctly and robustly. However, the problem of providing complete object models a priori to a robot so that it can understand its environment from any viewpoint is extremely difficult to solve. Additionally, many objects have different uses which in turn can cause ambiguities when a robot attempts to reason about the activities of a human and their interactions with those objects. In this paper, we build upon the fact that robots that co-exist with humans should have the ability of observing humans using the different objects and learn the corresponding object definitions. We contribute an object recognition algorithm, FOCUS, that is robust to the variations of signals, combines structure and function of an object, and generalizes to multiple similar objects. FOCUS, which stands for Finding Object Classification through Use and Structure, combines an activity recognizer capable of capturing how an object is used with a traditional visual structure processor. FOCUS learns structural properties (visual features) of objects by knowing first the object's affordance properties and observing humans interacting with that object with known activities. The strength of the method relies on the fact that we can define multiple aspects of an object model, i.e., structure and use, that are individually robust but insufficient to define the object, but can do when combined.
A multi-level intrusion detection method for abnormal network behaviors

Abnormal network traffic analysis has become an increasingly important research topic to protect computing infrastructures from intruders. Yet, it is challenging to accurately discover threats due to the high volume of network traffic. To have better knowledge about network intrusions, this paper focuses on designing a multi-level network detection method. Mainly, it is composed of three steps as (1) understanding hidden underlying patterns from network traffic data by creating reliable rules to identify network abnormality, (2) generating a predictive model to determine exact attack categories, and (3) integrating a visual analytics tool to conduct an interactive visual analysis and validate the identified intrusions with transparent reasons.To verify our approach, a broadly known intrusion dataset (i.e. NSL-KDD) is used. We found that the generated rules maintain a high performance rate and provide clear explanations. The proposed predictive model resulted about 96% of accuracy in detecting exact attack categories. With the interactive visual analysis, a significant difference among the attack categories was discovered by visually representing attacks in separated clusters. Overall, our multi-level detection method is well-suited for identifying hidden underlying patterns and attack categories by revealing the relationship among the features of network traffic data.
Unearthing People from the SaND: Relationship Discovery with Social Media in the Enterprise

The popularity of social media across the Internet re- sults in people-centric data sources that users can potentially leverage for relationship discovery tasks. In this paper, we describe SaNDVis, a visual system that supports tasks like expertise location, team building, and team coordination in the enterprise. By integrating social position, evidence, and facets into SaNDVis, we demonstrate how users can reflect on existing relationships as well as build new relationships in an enterprise setting.
Optimal screening and discovery of sparse signals with applications to multistage high throughput studies

Summary A common feature in large-scale scientific studies is that signals are sparse and it is desirable to narrow down significantly the focus to a much smaller subset in a sequential manner. We consider two related data screening problems: one is to find the smallest subset such that it virtually contains all signals and another is to find the largest subset such that it essentially contains only signals. These screening problems are closely connected to but distinct from the more conventional signal detection or multiple-testing problems. We develop phase transition diagrams to characterize the fundamental limits in simultaneous inference and derive data-driven screening procedures which control the error rates with near optimality properties. Applications in the context of multistage high throughput studies are discussed.
Evaluation of pediatric cataracts and systemic disorders

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to outline those systemic disorders with associated cataracts to help in the evaluation and diagnosis of the patient with pediatric cataract who has systemic abnormalities.Recent findingsWith the profound advancement in genetics, both making and confirm
Antivirulence agents against bacterial pathogens

Resistance to antibiotics has created a severe public health problem worldwide. The development of novel antibacterial agents represents an unmet medical need. An alternative approach to combat bacterial infections is the use of antivirulence agents. These compounds do not kill bacteria as antibiotics do but inhibit the production of toxins and other virulence factors. It is the toxins that cause disease. Prevention of toxin secretion would render the bacteria harmless. We have discovered small-molecule compounds that inhibit the biosynthesis of a series of virulence factors in MRSA strain USA 300, including alpha-toxin, phenol-soluble modulin alpha and RNAIII. These compounds bind to the response regulator AgrA, thereby inhibiting the expression of virulence factors under control of the agr operon. These compounds also inhibit hemolysis of rabbit erythrocytes. One of these compounds is diflunisal, an FDA-approved non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. This represents a new use for an old drug. A combination of diflunisal and vancomycin is more efficacious in improving the survival rate in an MRSA animal model of Galleria melonella. In parallel we have discovered antivirulence compounds against Acinetobacter baumannii by targeting the enzyme acyl homoserine lactone synthase that catalyzes the formation of the signaling molecules in Gram-negative bacteria. These compounds inhibit the growth of A. baumannii in 30% horse serum. Antivirulence compounds may be used in the future for prophylaxis against skin infections or as adjuvants in conventional antibiotic therapy.
Thyroid Hypertrophy as a Response to the Gonad-stimulating Hormone of the Pituitary

For the first time it is shown that 2 anterior pituitary hormones—prolacting and the growth principle—do not cause the thyroid hypertrophy which characteristically follows the injection of various pituitary extracts. Hyperplasia of the normally developed thyroid following pituitary administration is a specific response to the gonad-stimulating hormone, or to another pituitary derivative having very similar solubilities. Good gonad-stimulating preparations do not invariably induce an increase in thyroid weight in doves and pigeons.
One drug, two outcomes after atrial fibrillation ablation: the situational irony of adenosine.

This editorial refers to ‘Adenosine-triphosphate guided pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation: UNmasking Dormant Electrical Reconduction by Adenosine TriPhosphate (UNDER-ATP) trial’, by A. Kobori et al. , doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehv457. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained clinical arrhythmia encountered in medical practices. Catheter ablation for AF has become a frequently used therapy that when successful can provide durable relief from symptoms and can improve AF-related co-morbities.1 AF ablation is founded upon achieving durable pulmonary vein isolation to prevent rapid left atrial stimulation from pulmonary vein ectopy.2 In patients that have a recurrence of AF after ablation, a common procedural finding is persistence of pulmonary vein conduction into the left atrium.3–6 Consequently, much effort has gone into improving technologies and procedural methodology to enhance the likelihood of durable pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). One challenge with catheter ablation for AF is truly recognizing when a durable transmural lesion has developed. A second challenge is making these lesions contiguous to completely encircle the pulmonary veins. Injured, but viable, myocardial tissue can temporarily fail to conduct electricity, falsely suggesting that the pulmonary vein has been electrically isolated from the left atrium. Intravenous adenosine after PVI restores conduction in viable myocardial tissue and can help identify vein segments most likely to develop reconnection after post-procedure healing. The early identification of persistently viable tissue can allow additional ablation to be performed to enhance the likelihood of PVI. Recently the ADVICE trial was published, which was performed to examine the impact of repeat assessment of pulmonary veins after isolation with adenosine.7 This trial included 534 AF ablation patients; adenosine administration unmasked dormant pulmonary vein conduction in 53% …
Automatic Design of Self-Published Media: A Case Study of Magazine Covers

Following progress in technology, the idea of communication has been evolving. Personal communication has been enriched by means of Internet web services such as web blogs, forums, and web magazines. There are several tools that contribute to the creation of a self-publishing medium for the sake of communication over the Internet. These tools support semiautomatic/automatic composition of media.
Lipoprotein Biomarkers and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP) Systematic Review.

Background: Controversy exists about the incremental utility of nontraditional lipid biomarkers [e.g., apolipoprotein (apo) B, apo A-I, and non-HDL-C] in improving cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction when added to a conventional model of traditional risk factors (e.g., total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, sex, age, smoking status, and blood pressure). Here we present a systematic review that was conducted to assess the use of nontraditional lipid biomarkers including apo B, apo A-I, apo B/A-I ratio, and non-HDL-C in improving CVD risk prediction after controlling for the traditional risk factors in populations at risk for cardiovascular events. Content: This systematic review used the Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP™) A-6 methods. A total of 9 relevant studies published before and including July 2015 comprised the evidence base for this review. Results from this systematic review indicated that after the adjustment for standard nonlipid and lipid CVD risk factors, nontraditional apolipoprotein biomarkers apo B (overall effect = relative risk: 1.31; 95% CI, 1.22–1.40; 4 studies) and apo B/apo A-I ratio (overall effect = relative risk: 1.31; 95% CI, 1.11–1.38; 7 studies) resulted in significant improvement in long-term CVD risk assessment. Summary: Available evidence showed that nontraditional lipid biomarkers apo B and apo B/apo I ratio can improve the risk prediction for cardiovascular events after controlling for the traditional risk factors for the populations at risk. However, because of insufficient evidence, no conclusions could be made for the effectiveness of apo A-I and non-HDL-C lipid markers to predict the CVD events, indicating a need for more research in this field.
Clinical Approach to Metabolic Myopathies

The clinical and laboratory evaluation of the patient with suspected metabolic myopathy is reviewed from the Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA.
Conference Overview: Through the Patient’s Eyes—Improvement Tools for the New Millennium

Conference-at-a-Glance Background This overview summarizes the work and ideas presented at The Picker Institute's second summer symposium, "Through the Patient's Eyes: Improvement Strategies for the New Millennium," held in Boston July 14–16, 1999. Issues and participants In his opening keynote address, Albert G. Mulley, Jr, MD, MPP, stated that improving the quality of health care requires a new sense of professional responsibility, a vastly improved professional knowledge base about clinical outcomes and patients' experiences of those outcomes, and a model of shared decision making. Jennifer Daley, MD, in her closing plenary presentation, said that many physicians still do not regard patients' perceptions of quality to be a legitimate outcome measure, frustrating efforts to improve the processes of care from the patient's perspective. She pleaded for a broader dissemination of these and related research findings within the skeptical biomedical community. Case studies Health care clinicians, researchers, and administrators reported in breakout sessions on alternative methods of obtaining the patient's perspective on their care and their condition—including patient complaints, interviews, focus groups, Web-based interactions, and even video diaries—to augment survey data and inform quality improvement efforts. They presented success stories on the use of patient data for improvements in care and for the planning and construction of a new hospital and ambulatory care center facilities. Partnerships with patients and their families, involving their participation in advisory committees, have provided the impetus for organizations to reorient themselves from provider-centered to truly patient/family-centered care.
How Do Indifferent Voters Decide? The Political Importance of Implicit Attitudes

A hallmark finding in the study of public opinion is that many citizens approach the political realm with one-sided attitudes that color their judgments, making attitude change difficult. This finding highlights the importance of citizens with weak prior attitudes, since they might represent a segment of the electorate that is more susceptible to influence. The judgment processes of citizens with weak attitudes, however, are poorly understood. Drawing from dual-process models in psychology, I test the idea that citizens with weak explicit attitudes rely on implicit attitudes as they render political judgments. I find support for this conjecture in experimental and observational data. There are two main contributions. First, I show that an important and understudied segment of the electorate arrives at political decisions via automatic (but nonetheless predictable) mental processes. Second, I characterize the conditions under which implicit political attitudes matter more and less.
Relatives as child care givers : After hours support for nontraditional workers

This study uses a sample of 1,841 families from the National Child Care Survey (1990) and accompanying Low-Income Supplement (1990) to determine the amount and timing of child care services offered by relatives to working families with young children. Results indicate that relative care is primarily provided by grandparents. Compared to other parents, single parents and those working nontraditional hours are significantly more likely to use relatives for child care, and their children spend significantly longer periods of time in relative care, especially at nontraditional times of the day. The study conclusion is that relatives are facilitating parental employment by providing child care at times of the day when other market alternatives usually are not available.
Point Defects in Alkaline Earth Fluorides

Alkaline earth fluorides containing substitutional trivalent cations are known to contain fluorine interstitials as well, providing charge balance. It has been customary to assume that at low temperatures association between these impurity cations and interstitial anions controls the anion interstitial concentrations. However, an examination of EPR and optical data on quenched specimens of CaF2: GdF3 shows that this is probably not the case. Rather, interstitial clusters are formed at low temperatures. Sample calculations with a model of quenched crystals based upon this notion reproduces the main features of our previous data on variation of the relative concentrations of associated and unassociated Gd3+ ions with GdF3 content and annealing temperature.
Abstract 11: The Role of Human Osteopontin Isoforms in Post-Ischemic Neovascularization

Coronary and peripheral artery diseases lead to ischemia, initiating processes that promote neovascularization to restore blood flow and preserve tissue function. We demonstrated previously that osteopontin (OPN), a matricellular cytokine, is critical to ischemia-induced neovascularization. Unlike rodents, humans express 3 OPN isoforms (a, b, and c); however, the roles of these isoforms in neovascularization and cell migration remain undefined. To assess how human OPN isoforms affect neovascularization, OPN -/- mice underwent hind limb ischemia surgery. At the time of surgery, 1.5x10 6 lentivirus particles expressing human OPNa, OPNb or OPNc were delivered by intramuscular injection. While OPNa improved limb perfusion 30.4%±0.8 in OPN -/- mice, OPNc improved perfusion by 70.9%±6.3 (d14; p
Lacrimal and Canalicular Toxicity

The lacrimal drainage system, which is covered by a highly proliferative epithelium, is susceptible to the side effects of chemotherapy drugs, which are secreted in tears. Docetaxel, an antineoplastic agent widely used to treat patients with advanced breast cancer as well as other malignancies, is secreted in tears almost immediately after intravenous administration and thus may cause canalicular inflammation and tear drainage obstructions. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), another frequently used chemotherapeutic agent, commonly causes increased lacrimation. Stenosis of the punctum and canaliculi is a less common side effect of systemic 5-FU therapy. To prevent the need for dacryocystorhinostomy or placement of permanent Pyrex glass lacrimal drainage tubes, patients undergoing treatment with docetaxel or 5-FU should be closely monitored for punctal and canalicular stenosis.
Analysis of total 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) and r-1,t-2,3,c-4-tetrahydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrophenanthrene (PheT) in human blood

460 The tobacco-specific lung carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are believed to play significant roles as causes of lung cancer and other cancers in smokers. Total NNAL (NNAL plus its glucuronides) is a biomarker of NNK uptake that has been widely measured in the urine of smokers, smokeless tobacco users, and non-smokers exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. Total PheT (PheT plus its glucuronides) is a urinary metabolite of phenanthrene that has been introduced by our group as a potential biomarker of PAH uptake plus metabolic activation. Our goal is to use these biomarkers in nested case control and related epidemiologic studies to determine their relationship to lung cancer risk. Ultimately, we hope that these biomarker levels will be part of an algorithm to predict lung cancer risk in smokers. Blood components are most commonly stored in molecular epidemiologic studies, but there are no published methods for the determination of total NNAL and PheT in serum or plasma. For the analysis of total NNAL, the internal standard, [pyridine-D 4 ]NNAL, was added to 1 ml of plasma and the mixture was incubated with β-glucuronidase to catalyze hydrolysis of conjugated NNAL. A mixed mode cation exchange solid phase extraction cartridge was used to enrich NNAL from other plasma components. The eluants containing NNAL were then directly analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry-selected reaction monitoring, for the transition m/z 210 [M + H] + → 180 [(M + H)- NO] + . The limit of quantitation of the assay was approximately 8 fmol total NNAL per ml plasma. Precision and accuracy were excellent. The mean level of NNAL in smokers9 plasma was 42 ± 22 (S.D.) fmol/ml (N = 16). It was not detected in non-smokers. For the analysis of PheT, [D 10 ]PheT was used as internal standard. After hydrolysis by β-glucuronidase, mixed mode cation exchange solid phase extraction, and HPLC purification, the sample was silylated and analyzed by gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization-mass spectrometry-selected ion monitoring at m/z 372 {M - [OSi(CH 3 ) 3 + Si(CH 3 ) 3 ]} - . Precision and accuracy were excellent. Levels of PheT in smokers9 plasma were 62 ± 38 (S.D.) fmol/ml (N = 6) and 29 ± 24 fmol/ml (N = 6) in non-smokers. These results demonstrate the feasibility of quantifying total NNAL and PheT in small human blood component samples.
#IHeartChemistryNCSU: Free Choice, Content, and Elements of Science Communication as the Framework for an Introductory Organic Chemistry Project.

Students in a large introductory organic chemistry class were given the freedom to choose an organic compound of interest and were challenged to develop an educational object (physical or digital) designed to be shared with the broader public via social media. Analysis of the project results shows that most students appreciated the open nature of the assignment, and engaged in self-regulated learning by reflecting and improving on their educational object design along each step of the project. Subjects varied widely depending on the students’ personal interests, and many different educational objects were produced and shared using diverse social media outlets. As a result of this project, students reported positive outcomes including increased interest in organic chemistry and science in general as well as the acquisition of practical skills such as science communication and visual representation of science. These skills were perceived by students as being beneficial for future professional endeavors. This report describes the design and outcomes of the project, including the choice of subjects, representations, and social media channels.
Detection of Cystic Fibrosis Serological Biomarkers Using a T7 Phage Display Library

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder affecting the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). CF is characterized by repeated lung infections leading to respiratory failure. Using a high-throughput method, we developed a T7 phage display cDNA library derived from mRNA isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells and leukocytes of sarcoidosis patients. This library was biopanned to obtain 1070 potential antigens. A microarray platform was constructed and immunoscreened with sera from healthy (n = 49), lung cancer (LC) (n = 31) and CF (n = 31) subjects. We built 1,000 naive Bayes models on the training sets. We selected the top 20 frequently significant clones ranked with student t-test discriminating CF antigens from healthy controls and LC at a False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.01. The performances of the models were validated on an independent validation set. The mean of the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the classifiers was 0.973 with a sensitivity of 0.999 and specificity of 0.959. Finally, we identified CF specific clones that correlate highly with sweat chloride test, BMI, and FEV1% predicted values. For the first time, we show that CF specific serological biomarkers can be identified through immunocreenings of a T7 phage display library with high accuracy, which may have utility in development of molecular therapy.
Using Image Attributes to Assure Accurate Particle Size and Count Using Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis

Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) obtains particle size by analysis of particle diffusion through a time series of micrographs and particle count by a count of imaged particles. The number of observed particles imaged is controlled by the scattering cross-section of the particles and by camera settings such as sensitivity and shutter speed. Appropriate camera settings are defined as those that image, track, and analyze a sufficient number of particles for statistical repeatability. Here, we test if image attributes, features captured within the image itself, can provide measurable guidelines to assess the accuracy for particle size and count measurements using NTA. The results show that particle sizing is a robust process independent of image attributes for model systems. However, particle count is sensitive to camera settings. Using open-source software analysis, it was found that a median pixel area, 4 pixels2, results in a particle concentration within 20% of the expected value. The distribution of these illuminated pixel areas can also provide clues about the polydispersity of particle solutions prior to using a particle tracking analysis. Using the median pixel area serves as an operator-independent means to assess the quality of the NTA measurement for count.
Semiotics in Spain

After the traditional—and traditionalist—scholarship of Marcelino Menendez Pelayo (1856 – 1912), Spanish criticism of the 20th century begins with Ramon Menendez Pidal (1869–1968), director of the Royal Academy and founder of both the Center for Historical Studies and the school whose medium of expression is the Revista de Filologia Espanola. In his treatment of literary works, Menendez Pidal employs historical as well as philological and linguistic methods. And it is in this, precisely, that his originality lies: in his practice of analyzing the linguistic components of the work as well as the historical background of the author and his creation.
Privacy-preserving mobile crowd sensing in ad hoc networks

Abstract The presence of a rich set of embedded sensors on mobile devices has been propelling various sensing applications regarding individual activities and their surrounding environment, and these persuasive sensing-capable mobile devices are pushing the new paradigm of Mobile Crowd Sensing (MCS) from sketch to reality. MCS aims to outsource sensing data collection to Mobile Device Owner (MDO) and it could revolutionize the conventional ways of sensing data collection and processing. Nonetheless, the widespread deployment of MCS gives rise to the privacy concerns from both the MDOs and the Sensing Service Consumers (SSC), especially in the case where MCS relies on untrustworthy third-party infrastructures. This paper proposes three protocols to address the privacy issues of MCS in ad hoc network without depending on any third-parties. It first presents Privacy-Preserving Summation (PPS) protocol to protect the privacy of the SSCs. Next, it puts forward Privacy-Preserving Difference Rank Computation (PPDRC) protocol to ensure the privacy of the MDOs. Finally, it proposes Approximate K-Nearest Neighbor with Privacy Preservation(AKN2P2) to approximately identify the k-nearest neighbors without privacy leaks of both the MDOs and the SSCs. The performance evaluations demonstrate the computation overhead in different settings.
Surgical Instrumentation and Devices

Since the advent of modern vitrectomy in the 1970s, a growing and rapidly evolving armamentarium of tools are available to assist the vitreoretinal surgeon. In this chapter, we review modern vitrectomy platforms, traditional and novel methods to visualize the retina such as intraoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT), three-dimensional “heads-up” viewing systems, as well as surgical devices and instruments including drug delivery implants and retinal prostheses.
Causation of Epidemics and Immunological Diseases

This chapter will review the evidence for causation in two contrasting disease groups. In the first, epidemic diseases, the proof of the means of transmission of the infectious agent goes back to the work of John Snow and the transmission of cholera; the proof of the microbiological cause of an epidemic became possible in the late 1800s, when methods for isolating bacteria became possible. The methods employed in epidemic investigation for seeking both the method of transmission and the proof of causation by a specific infectious agent have become quite standardized, particularly through the work of the Centers for Disease Control in the United States. The second disease group, that of immunological diseases, is one in which the criteria for establishing the nature of an immunological disease and for proof of the relationship of pathological changes to autoimmunization are of recent origin. In fact, there are few published guidelines on establishing causal relationships between exposure to a specific agent and most immune-mediated diseases.
Scene Modeling and Augmented Virtuality Interface for Telerobotic Satellite Servicing

Teleoperation in extreme environments can be hindered by limitations in telemetry and in operator perception of the remote environment. Often, the primary mode of perception is visual feedback from remote cameras, which do not always provide suitable views and are subject to telemetry delays. To address these challenges, we propose to build a model of the remote environment and provide an augmented virtuality visualization system that augments the model with projections of real camera images. The approach is demonstrated in a satellite servicing scenario, with a multisecond round-trip telemetry delay between the operator on Earth and the satellite on orbit. The scene modeling enables both virtual fixtures to assist the human operator and augmented virtuality visualization that allows the operator to teleoperate a virtual robot from a convenient virtual viewpoint, with the delayed camera images projected onto the three-dimensional model. Experiments on a ground-based telerobotic platform, with software-created telemetry delays, indicate that the proposed method leads to better teleoperation performance with 30% better blade alignment and 50% reduction in task execution time compared to the baseline case where visualization is restricted to the available camera views.
Predicting the Future: Using Simulation Modeling to Forecast Patient Flow on General Medicine Units.

Background Hospitals are complex adaptive systems within which multiple components such as patients, practitioners, facilities, and technology interact. A careful approach to optimization of this complex system is needed because any change can result in unexpected deleterious effects. One such approach is discrete event simulation, in which what-if scenarios allow researchers to predict the impact of a proposed change on the system. However, studies illustrating the application of simulation in optimization of general internal medicine (GIM) team inpatient operations are lacking. Methods Administrative data about admissions and discharges, data from a time-motion study, and expert opinion on workflow were used to construct the simulation model. Then, the impact of four changes: aligning medical teams with nursing units, adding a hospitalist team, adding a nursing unit, and adding both a nursing unit and hospitalist team with higher admission volume were modeled on key hospital operational metrics. Results Aligning medical teams with nursing units improved team metrics for aligned teams but shifted patients to unaligned teams. Adding a hospitalist team had little benefit, but adding a nursing unit improved system metrics. Both adding a hospitalist team and a nursing unit would be required to maintain operational metrics with increased patient volume. Conclusion Using simulation modeling, we provided data on the implications of four possible strategic changes on GIM inpatient units, providers, and patient throughput. Such analyses may be a worthwhile investment to study strategic decisions and make better choices with fewer unintended consequences.
Leukocyte Traits and Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter Air Pollution in the Women’s Health Initiative and Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Background: Inflammatory effects of ambient particulate matter (PM) air pollution exposures may underlie PM-related increases in cardiovascular disease risk and mortality, although evidence of PM-a...
Comparing Bleeding and Thrombotic Rates in Spine Surgery: An Analysis of 119 888 Patients.

Study Design:Retrospective, database review.Objectives:Examine the utilization rate of postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis and compare the incidence and severity of bleeding and th...
‘Solidarity, Sisters! We’re All Crazy’: The Moral Madness of Opting Out of High-Stakes Testing

This article explores how moral madness manifests in the Opt Out Florida Network, a group committed to ending high-stakes standardized testing. Using data culled from a critical online ethnography ...
Variations in booster seat use by child characteristics.

Abstract Introduction Child weight and height are the basis of manufacturer and best practice guidelines for child restraint system use. However, these guides do not address behavioral differences among children of similar age, weight, and height, which may result in child-induced restraint use errors. The objective of this study was to characterize child behaviors across age in relation to appropriate restraint system use during simulated drives. Methods: Fifty mother–child (4–8 years) dyads completed an installation into a driving simulator, followed by a simulated drive that was video-recorded and coded for child-induced errors. Time inappropriately restrained was measured as the total amount of the simulated drive spent in an improper or unsafe position for the restraint to be effective divided by the total drive time. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine differences across age in the frequency of error events and overall time inappropriately restrained. Results: Children in harnessed seats had no observed errors during trips. Within children sitting in booster seats there were differences in time inappropriately restrained across age (p = 0.01), with 4 year-olds spending on average 67% (Median = 76%) of the drive inappropriately restrained, compared to the rest of the age categories spending less than 28% (Medians ranged from 3% to 23%). Conclusion: Some children may be physically compatible with booster seats, but not behaviorally mature enough to safely use them. More research is needed that examines how child behavior influences child passenger safety. Practical Applications: Not all children physically big enough are behaviorally ready to use belt positioning booster seats. Primary sources of information should provide caregivers with individualized guidance about when it is appropriate to transition children out of harnessed seats. Additionally, best practice guidelines should be updated to reflect what behaviors are needed from children to safely use specific types of child restraint systems.
Revisiting the Causal Links between Economic Sanctions and Human Rights Violations

There is some consensus in the literature that economic sanctions might prompt more human rights abuses in target countries. Yet, the causal mechanisms underlining the sanctions–repression nexus re...
An Initial Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Magnetic Resonance-Guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy in Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery

Introduction Magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) is a new technology that provides a clinically efficacious and minimally invasive alternative to conventional microsurgical resection. However, little data exist on how costs compare to traditional open surgery. The goal of this paper is to investigate the cost-effectiveness of MRgLITT in the treatment of pediatric epilepsy. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of pediatric patients who underwent MRgLITT via the Visualase® thermal therapy system (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) between December 2013 and September 2017. Direct costs associated with preoperative, operative, and follow-up care were extracted. Benefit was calculated in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and the cost-effectiveness was derived from the discounted total direct costs over QALY. Sensitivity analysis on 4 variables was utilized to assess the validity of our results. Results Twelve consecutive pediatric patients with medically refractory epilepsy underwent MRgLITT procedures. At the last postoperative follow-up, 8 patients were seizure free (Engel I, 66.7%), 2 demonstrated significant improvement (Engel II, 16.7%), and 2 patients showed worthwhile improvement (Engel III, 16.7%). The average cumulative discounted QALY was 2.11 over the lifetime of a patient. Adjusting for inflation, MRgLITT procedures had a cost-effectiveness of USD 22,211 per QALY. Our sensitivity analysis of cost variables is robust and supports the procedure to be cost--effective. Conclusion Our data suggests that MRgLITT may be a cost-effective alternative to traditional surgical resection in pediatric epilepsy surgery.
The Clinical Implication of Incidental Prostatic Amyloidosis.

Objective To describe the clinicopathologic features of patients with incidental prostatic amyloidosis. Patients and methods We queried the genitourinary pathology database at Mayo Clinic Arizona for prostate specimens which showed amyloid deposits. Congo red stain was used for the diagnosis of amyloidosis and amyloid subtype was performed analysis using Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. We reviewed the patient's medical charts for past or subsequent diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis and clinical course. Results Prostatic amyloidosis was identified in 7 patients between 2008-2018. Median age was 79 years (range 69-84) and median follow-up was 5 years (range 0-11). Benign prostate tissue was found in 4 patients, and prostate cancer was diagnosed in 3 patients. Amyloid subtyping was available in 6 patients and was consistent with Amyloid transthyretin Amyloidosis. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry did not detect an amino acid sequence abnormality in the transthyretin protein in any of the patients. Five of 6 patients were diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, which preceded and followed the diagnosis of prostatic amyloidosis in 1 and 4 patients, respectively. Of these 4 patients, 2 were diagnosed immediately and as a consequence of the diagnosis of prostatic amyloidosis, and the remaining 2 3 and 4 years later. Conclusion Incidental prostatic amyloidosis should prompt systemic and cardiac evaluation for amyloidosis. In patients with suspected cardiac amyloidosis, prior prostate specimens should be reviewed for the presence of amyloidosis.
Erection of a New Genus and Species for the Pathogen of Hard Clams ‘Quahog Parasite Unknown’ (QPX): Mucochytrium quahogii gen. nov., sp. nov.

Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX) is a facultative parasite of the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria. Although it has been observed in clams since the 1960’s and cultivated since the 1990’s, conflicting reports on important aspects of its biology have prevented its formal description. 18S rRNA gene sequences identify QPX as a thraustochytrid, but its production of copious mucus is atypical for this group. There are also conflicting reports about whether QPX shares common features of thraustochytrids, such as the production of an ectoplasmic net and biflagellate zoospores. This study reaffirms the previous descriptions of zoospore production by QPX in culture, in multiple strains from several geographic locations, and provides detail on how to maintain QPX cultures under conditions that promote the production of zoospores. Furthermore, we describe new aspects of the life cycle not previously observed. Finally, we erect Mucochytrium quahogii gen. nov., sp. nov. to accommodate this unusual thraustochytrid.