899 research outputs found
Modeling the Effects of Multiple Myeloma on Kidney Function
Multiple myeloma (MM), a plasma cell cancer, is associated with many health
challenges, including damage to the kidney by tubulointerstitial fibrosis. We
develop a mathematical model which captures the qualitative behavior of the
cell and protein populations involved. Specifically, we model the interaction
between cells in the proximal tubule of the kidney, free light chains, renal
fibroblasts, and myeloma cells. We analyze the model for steady-state solutions
to find a mathematically and biologically relevant stable steady-state
solution. This foundational model provides a representation of dynamics between
key populations in tubulointerstitial fibrosis that demonstrates how these
populations interact to affect patient prognosis in patients with MM and renal
impairment.Comment: Included version of model without tumor with steady-state analysis,
corrected equations for free light chains and renal fibroblasts in model with
tumor to reflect steady-state analysis, updated abstract, updated and added
reference
Discovering Beaten Paths in Collaborative Ontology-Engineering Projects using Markov Chains
Biomedical taxonomies, thesauri and ontologies in the form of the
International Classification of Diseases (ICD) as a taxonomy or the National
Cancer Institute Thesaurus as an OWL-based ontology, play a critical role in
acquiring, representing and processing information about human health. With
increasing adoption and relevance, biomedical ontologies have also
significantly increased in size. For example, the 11th revision of the ICD,
which is currently under active development by the WHO contains nearly 50,000
classes representing a vast variety of different diseases and causes of death.
This evolution in terms of size was accompanied by an evolution in the way
ontologies are engineered. Because no single individual has the expertise to
develop such large-scale ontologies, ontology-engineering projects have evolved
from small-scale efforts involving just a few domain experts to large-scale
projects that require effective collaboration between dozens or even hundreds
of experts, practitioners and other stakeholders. Understanding how these
stakeholders collaborate will enable us to improve editing environments that
support such collaborations. We uncover how large ontology-engineering
projects, such as the ICD in its 11th revision, unfold by analyzing usage logs
of five different biomedical ontology-engineering projects of varying sizes and
scopes using Markov chains. We discover intriguing interaction patterns (e.g.,
which properties users subsequently change) that suggest that large
collaborative ontology-engineering projects are governed by a few general
principles that determine and drive development. From our analysis, we identify
commonalities and differences between different projects that have implications
for project managers, ontology editors, developers and contributors working on
collaborative ontology-engineering projects and tools in the biomedical domain.Comment: Published in the Journal of Biomedical Informatic
The Application of Little\u27s Law to Enrollment Management: Improving Student Persistence in Part-Time Degree Programs
Littleās Law is applied to enrollment management in part-time degree programs. Using institutional data by program, on number of graduates per year, as well as number of credits taken and number of active students per semester, the calculated average time to graduation is compared to the average flow time predicted by Littleās Law. Despite significant variability among students who enter with varying transfer credits and take varying credits per semester, Littleās Law provides a simple model for measuring program growth trends, student productivity, and persistence to graduation. Implications for marketing, admissions, advising, course scheduling, and curriculum design are discussed
Quantum Communication with an Accelerated Partner
An unsolved problem in relativistic quantum information research is how to
model efficient, directional quantum communication between localised parties in
a fully quantum field theoretical framework. We propose a tractable approach to
this problem based on solving the Heisenberg evolution of localized field
observables. We illustrate our approach by analysing, and obtaining approximate
analytical solutions to, the problem of communicating coherent states between
an inertial sender, Alice and an accelerated receiver, Rob. We use these
results to determine the efficiency with which continuous variable quantum key
distribution could be carried out over such a communication channel.Comment: Additional explanatory text and typo in Eq.17 correcte
ILā12āpolarized Th1 cells produce GMāCSF and induce EAE independent of ILā23
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115966/1/eji3410.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115966/2/eji3410-sup-0002-PRC.pd
Rioxx 3 : a modernised metadata profile
Rioxx (formerly RIOXX) is a metadata application profile which was originally developed to facilitate reporting to funders in the UK. Since then, over the last 7 years it has proved useful also to aggregator services harvesting metadata records from repositories, and feedback from those services has indicated a number of ways in which Rioxx could be improved. This presentation will explain how Rioxx has a new governance group which has been working since 2019 to prepare a new version, one which is designed to meet a broader range of use-cases. We will focus on the changes we have made, including: - far greater use of persistent identifiers (PIDs); - a greater focus on the Web as the overarching context (i.e. use of HTTP(S) URIs) - greater support for expressing important "events" in the lifecycle of scholarly publications, in a response to requirements from open-access funders We will also compare and contrast Rioxx with OpenAIRE. Finally, we explain the "radically open" approach we have taken to development, involving community feedback at each stage. Rioxx is no longer a UK-specific profile, and we believe that Rioxx v3 has potential value for repositories in the global context
Six-minute walking test performance relates to neurocognitive abilities in preschoolers
This study investigated the relationship between six-minute walking test (6MWT) distance walked and preschool-aged children\u27s academic abilities, and behavioral and event-related potentials (ERP) indices of cognitive control. There were 59 children (25 females; age: 5.0 Ā± 0.6 years) who completed a 6MWT (mean distance: 449.6 Ā± 82.0 m) to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness. The Woodcock Johnson Early Cognitive and Academic Development Test evaluated academic abilities. A modified Eriksen flanker, hearts and flowers task, and auditory oddball task eliciting ERPs (N2, P3) assessed cognitive control. After adjusting for adiposity, diet, and demographics, linear regressions resulted in positive relationships between 6MWT distance and General Intellectual Ability (Ī² = 0.25, Adj
Transformation of Major Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Stilbenoid Phytoalexins Caused by Selected Microorganisms
The peanut plant accumulates defensive stilbenoid phytoalexins in response to the presence of soil fungi, which in turn produce phytoalexin-detoxifying enzymes for successfully invading the plant host. Aspergillus spp. are opportunistic pathogens that invade peanut seeds; most common fungal species often produce highly carcinogenic aflatoxins. The purpose of the present research was to evaluate the in vitro dynamics of peanut phytoalexin transformation/detoxification by important fungal species. This work revealed that in feeding experiments, Aspergillus spp. from section Flavi were capable of degrading the major peanut phytoalexin, arachidin-3, into its hydroxylated homolog, arachidin-1, and a benzenoid, SB-1. However, Aspergillus niger from section Nigri as well as other fungal and bacterial species tested, which are not known to be involved in the infection of the peanut plant, were incapable of changing the structure of arachidin-3. The results of feeding experiments with arachidin-1 and resveratrol are also reported. The research provided new knowledge on the dynamics of peanut stilbenoid transformations by essential fungi. These findings may contribute to the elucidation of the phytoalexin detoxification mechanism involved in the infection of peanut by important toxigenic Aspergillus spp
Hyperattenuated Crescent Sign Observed During Endovascular Aneurysm Repair
Background. Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms have a high mortality rate with only 50% of patients surviving to presentation at the emergency department.1 Of those who present, approximately one-third will demonstrate the classically described triad of sudden onset abdominal pain, shock, and pulsatile abdominal mass.1 With advancements in technology, radiographic studies have become an integral component of patient evaluation for rupture. Methods. Review of one case and corresponding radiographic findings.
Results. Hyperattenuated crescent sign observed intraoperatively without direct correlation with rupture.
Conclusions. The hyperattenuated crescent is an important radiographic finding that one should be alerted to in the evaluation of AAA patients. The presence of the sign does not mandate emergent surgery, but care should be taken to optimize the patientās resuscitation and monitoring in preparation for rupture. Observation of the crescent is not limited to CT imaging and may serve as an important intraoperative finding that may guide operative decision-making
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