Classification of Internal and External Distractions in an Educational VR Environment Using Multimodal Features.

Virtual reality (VR) can potentially enhance student engagement and memory retention in the classroom. However, distraction among participants in a VR-based classroom is a significant concern. Several factors, including mind wandering, external noise, stress, etc.

Development of a Cellular Assay as a Personalized Model for Testing Chronic Wound Therapeutics.

Exudates of nonhealing wounds contain drivers of pathogenicity. We utilized >800 exudates from nonhealing and healing wounds of diverse etiologies, collected by 3 different methods, to develop a wound-specific, cell-based functional biomarker assay. Human dermal fibroblast proliferation served as readout to (i) differentiate between healing and nonhealing wounds, (ii) follow the healing process of individual patients, and (iii) assess the effects of therapeutics for chronic wounds ex vivo.

Sex and ethnic differences in unrecognized myocardial infarctions: Observations on recognition and preventive therapies from the multiethnic population-based HELIUS cohort.

Background: Epidemiological studies suggest sex differences in the prevalence and characteristics of unrecognized and recognized myocardial infarction (uMI, rMI). Despite increasingly diverse populations, observations are limited in multiethnic contexts. Gaining better understanding may inform policy makers and healthcare professionals on populations at risk of uMI who could benefit from preventive measures.

Sexually Transmitted Dermatophytes Can Cause Severe Infection Among Men who Have Sex With Men as Tinea Genitalis.

Very limited data on tinea genitalis, a potentially severe dermatophytosis transmitted during sexual intercourse affecting the genital area, suggest its potential to cause outbreaks. Thus, we investigated genital dermatophyte infections at an HIV/sexually transmitted infection clinic and identified 17 men who have sex with men (all people with HIV or pre-exposure prophylaxis users) diagnosed with tinea genitalis.

Dermatologic Manifestations of Noninflammasome-Mediated Autoinflammatory Diseases.

Autoinflammatory diseases (AIDs) arise from disturbances that alter interactions of immune cells and tissues. They give rise to prominent (auto)inflammation in the absence of aberrant autoantibodies and/or autoreactive T cells. AIDs that are predominantly caused by changes in the inflammasome pathways, such as the NLRP3- or pyrin-associated inflammasome, have gained substantial attention over the last years.

A multimodal sensor dataset for continuous stress detection of nurses in a hospital.

Advances in wearable technologies provide the opportunity to monitor many physiological variables continuously. Stress detection has gained increased attention in recent years, mainly because early stress detection can help individuals better manage health to minimize the negative impacts of long-term stress exposure. This paper provides a unique stress detection dataset created in a natural working environment in a hospital.

Cutaneous signs and mechanisms of inflammasomopathies.

The emerging group of autoinflammatory diseases (AIDs) is caused by a dysregulation of the innate immune system while lacking the typical footprint of adaptive immunity. A prominent subgroup of AIDs are inflammasomopathies, which are characterised by periodic flares of cutaneous signs as well as systemic organ involvement and fever. The range of possible skin lesions is vast, ranging from urticarial, erysipelas-like and pustular rashes to erythematous patches, violaceous plaques and eventual necrosis and ulceration.

Role of clinical and biochemical inflammation in structural progression of patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Objective: To determine the contribution of clinical and biochemical inflammation to structural progression of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: We analysed patients from the Infliximab Multinational Psoriatic Arthritis Controlled Trial 2 trial (infliximab vs placebo). We obtained total modified Sharp/van-der-Heijde Scores from baseline and year one images, and swollen joint counts (SJC) and levels of C reactive protein (CRP) throughout the second half of year 1 (5 measurements) from 74 placebo-treated patients.

Very low prevalence of ultrasound-detected tenosynovial abnormalities in healthy subjects throughout the age range: OMERACT ultrasound minimal disease study.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ultrasound-detected tendon abnormalities in healthy subjects (HS) across the age range.

Methods: Adult HS (age 18-80 years) were recruited in 23 international Outcome Measures in Rheumatology ultrasound centres and were clinically assessed to exclude inflammatory diseases or overt osteoarthritis before undergoing a bilateral ultrasound examination of digit flexors (DFs) 1-5 and extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) tendons to detect the presence of tenosynovial hypertrophy (TSH), tenosynovial power Doppler (TPD) and tenosynovial effusion (TEF), usually considered ultrasound signs of inflammatory diseases. A comparison cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was taken from the Birmingham Early Arthritis early arthritis inception cohort.

Mutational mechanisms shaping the coding and noncoding genome of germinal center derived B-cell lymphomas.

B cells have the unique property to somatically alter their immunoglobulin (IG) genes by V(D)J recombination, somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class-switch recombination (CSR). Aberrant targeting of these mechanisms is implicated in lymphomagenesis, but the mutational processes are poorly understood. By performing whole genome and transcriptome sequencing of 181 germinal center derived B-cell lymphomas (gcBCL) we identified distinct mutational signatures linked to SHM and CSR.

"The Noblest Roman of them all?" Professional versus Popular Views of America's Country Doctors.

This essay studies the images, perceptions, and values of the professional medical journals, as well as popular sources such as magazine and films, to show that the country doctor was a contested figure in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The country doctor's image embodied competing ideals of a racialized professional and masculine identity that included both place as well as visions of science. Medical professionals pressed an image in their journals and professional advice books that mapped a celebration of science and its predictive value onto urban places that were enshrined in hospitals and laboratory facilities.

Augmented Visual Feedback: Cure or Distraction?

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of augmented feedback on participants' workload, performance, and distribution of visual attention.

Background: An important question in human-machine interface design is whether the operator should be provided with direct solutions. We focused on the solution space diagram (SSD), a type of augmented feedback that shows directly whether two aircraft are on conflicting trajectories.

Pivotal role of PDK1 in megakaryocyte cytoskeletal dynamics and polarization during platelet biogenesis.

During thrombopoiesis, megakaryocytes (MKs) form proplatelets within the bone marrow (BM) and release platelets into BM sinusoids. Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) is required for Ca2+-dependent platelet activation, but its role in MK development and regulation of platelet production remained elusive. The present study explored the role of PDK1 in the regulation of MK maturation and polarization during thrombopoiesis using a MK/platelet-specific knockout approach.

Touchscreens for Aircraft Navigation Tasks: Comparing Accuracy and Throughput of Three Flight Deck Interfaces Using Fitts' Law.

Objective: Use Fitts' law to compare accuracy and throughput of three flight deck interfaces for navigation.

Background: Industry is proposing touch-based solutions to modernize the flight management system. However, research evaluating touchscreen effectiveness for navigation tasks in terms of accuracy and throughput on the flight deck is lacking.

Fronto-parietal coding of goal-directed actions performed by artificial agents.

With advances in technology, artificial agents such as humanoid robots will soon become a part of our daily lives. For safe and intuitive collaboration, it is important to understand the goals behind their motor actions. In humans, this process is mediated by changes in activity in fronto-parietal brain areas.

Patient-centered Outcomes with Concomitant Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and Other Drugs.

Purpose: We performed a systematic review of patient-centered outcomes after the concomitant use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and other drugs.

Methods: We searched 4 databases in July 2016 to find studies that reported mortality and morbidity after the concomitant use of PPIs and other drugs. We conducted direct meta-analyses using a random-effects model and graded the quality of evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation working group approach.

Graphic Novels: A New Stress Mitigation Tool for Military Training: Developing Content for Hard-to-Reach Audiences.

This article describes the development of two graphic novels as a new approach to mental health communication and coping strategies for the Navy and Marine Corps. The novels are intended to capture the attention of the younger target audience and provide vital teaching messages to better prepare personnel for deployment to combat zones. The novels were developed based on embedding the principles of combat and operational stress control (COSC) into realistic and relatable characters, stories, and images.

The 82-plex plasma protein signature that predicts increasing inflammation.

The objective of the study was to define the specific plasma protein signature that predicts the increase of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein from index day to next-day using proteome analysis and novel bioinformatics tools. We performed a prospective study of 91 incident kidney transplant recipients and quantified 359 plasma proteins simultaneously using nano-Liquid-Chromatography-Tandem Mass-Spectrometry in individual samples and plasma C-reactive protein on the index day and the next day. Next-day C-reactive protein increased in 59 patients whereas it decreased in 32 patients.

Interleukin-8 transcripts in mononuclear cells determine impaired graft function after kidney transplantation.

Objective: Interleukin-8 (IL-8) has been associated with ischemia reperfusion injury after renal allograft transplantation. Impaired allograft function may cause major impact on patient morbidity and health care costs. We investigated whether transcript levels in mononuclear cells including IL-8 on the first postoperative day may be involved in immediate allograft dysfunction as defined by reduced relative change in plasma creatinine at the first postoperative day.

Consensus recommendations for systematic evaluation of drug-drug interaction evidence for clinical decision support.

Background: Healthcare organizations, compendia, and drug knowledgebase vendors use varying methods to evaluate and synthesize evidence on drug-drug interactions (DDIs). This situation has a negative effect on electronic prescribing and medication information systems that warn clinicians of potentially harmful medication combinations.

Objective: The aim of this study was to provide recommendations for systematic evaluation of evidence for DDIs from the scientific literature, drug product labeling, and regulatory documents.

Urinary calprotectin and posttransplant renal allograft injury.

Objective: Current methods do not predict the acute renal allograft injury immediately after kidney transplantation. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of urinary calprotectin for predicting immediate posttransplant allograft injury.

Methods: In a multicenter, prospective-cohort study of 144 incipient renal transplant recipients, we postoperatively measured urinary calprotectin using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) after 4 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months.

Which Genetic Determinants Should be Considered for Tacrolimus Dose Optimization in Kidney Transplantation? A Combined Analysis of Genes Affecting the CYP3A Locus.

Background: Tacrolimus is established as immunosuppressant after kidney transplantation. Polymorphism of the cytochrome P450 3A5 (CYP3A5) gene contributes significantly to tacrolimus dose requirements. Recently, CYP3A4*22 was reported to additionally affect tacrolimus pharmacokinetics (PK).