Zoster patients on earth and astronauts in space share similar immunologic profiles.

Background: On long-duration spaceflight, most astronauts experience persistent immune dysregulation and the reactivation of latent herpesviruses, including varicella zoster virus (VZV). To understand the clinical risk of these perturbations to astronauts, we paralleled the immunology and virology work-up of astronauts to otherwise healthy terrestrial persons with acute herpes zoster.

Methods: Blood samples from 42 zoster patients - confirmed positive by PCR for VZV DNA in saliva (range from 100 to >285 million copies/mL) were analyzed for peripheral leukocyte distribution, T cell function, and plasma cytokine profiles via multi-parametric flow cytometry and multiplex bead-based immune-array assays.

Robust Reference Powered Association Test of Genome-Wide Association Studies.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified abundant genetic susceptibility loci, GWAS of small sample size are far less from meeting the previous expectations due to low statistical power and false positive results. Effective statistical methods are required to further improve the analyses of massive GWAS data. Here we presented a new statistic (Robust Reference Powered Association Test) to use large public database (gnomad) as reference to reduce concern of potential population stratification.

Risks and predictive biomarkers of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy patient.

Purpose Of Review: The current review updates our knowledge regarding sudden unexpected death in epilepsy patient (SUDEP) risks, risk factors, and investigations of putative biomarkers based on suspected mechanisms of SUDEP.

Recent Findings: The overall incidence of SUDEP in adults with epilepsy is 1.2/1000 patient-years, with surprisingly comparable figures in children in recently published population-based studies.

Healthcare Utilization and Missed Workdays for Parents of Children With Traumatic Brain Injury.

Background: We enrolled patients in a prospective study in which we obtained estimates of the direct and indirect burden for families of children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) relative to a control group of families of children with orthopedic injury (OI).

Methods: Parents were surveyed at 3 time points following injury: 3, 6, and 12 months. At each follow-up contact, we asked parents to list the number of workdays missed, number of miles traveled, amount of travel-related costs, and whether their child had an emergency department (ED) visit, hospital admission, any over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and any prescription medications during that time period.

knnAUC: an open-source R package for detecting nonlinear dependence between one continuous variable and one binary variable.

Background: Testing the dependence of two variables is one of the fundamental tasks in statistics. In this work, we developed an open-source R package (knnAUC) for detecting nonlinear dependence between one continuous variable X and one binary dependent variables Y (0 or 1).

Results: We addressed this problem by using knnAUC (k-nearest neighbors AUC test, the R package is available at https://sourceforge.

Steady State Hydration Levels of Career Firefighters in a Large, Population-Based Sample.

Objectives: To establish the extent of steady state hypohydration among firefighters and examine factors associated with their hydration status.

Methods: Data on 450 career firefighters from 11 randomly selected fire departments had their body composition, total body water (TBW), and hypohydration status assessed using bioelectrical impedance. Measured height and weight were used to determine body mass index (BMI) and weight classification.

Nuclear Norm Clustering: a promising alternative method for clustering tasks.

Clustering techniques are widely used in many applications. The goal of clustering is to identify patterns or groups of similar objects within a dataset of interest. However, many cluster methods are neither robust nor sensitive to noises and outliers in real data.

Unique Contribution of Haptoglobin and Haptoglobin Genotype in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Survivors of cerebral aneurysm rupture are at risk for significant morbidity and neurological deficits. Much of this is related to the effects of blood in the subarachnoid space which induces an inflammatory cascade with numerous downstream consequences. Recent clinical trials have not been able to reduce the toxic effects of free hemoglobin or improve clinical outcome.

Bagging Nearest-Neighbor Prediction independence Test: an efficient method for nonlinear dependence of two continuous variables.

Testing dependence/correlation of two variables is one of the fundamental tasks in statistics. In this work, we proposed an efficient method for nonlinear dependence of two continuous variables (X and Y). We addressed this research question by using BNNPT (Bagging Nearest-Neighbor Prediction independence Test, software available at https://sourceforge.

Outcomes after concomitant traumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic shock: A secondary analysis from the Pragmatic, Randomized Optimal Platelets and Plasma Ratios trial.

Background: Often the clinician is faced with a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma in patients with concomitant traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hemorrhagic shock (HS), as rapid deterioration from either can be fatal. Knowledge about outcomes after concomitant TBI and HS may help prioritize the emergent management of these patients. We hypothesized that patients with concomitant TBI and HS (TBI + HS) had worse outcomes and required more intensive care compared with patients with only one of these injuries.

Random Bits Forest: a Strong Classifier/Regressor for Big Data.

Efficiency, memory consumption, and robustness are common problems with many popular methods for data analysis. As a solution, we present Random Bits Forest (RBF), a classification and regression algorithm that integrates neural networks (for depth), boosting (for width), and random forests (for prediction accuracy). Through a gradient boosting scheme, it first generates and selects ~10,000 small, 3-layer random neural networks.

How Did They Grow: An Intervention to Reduce Stunted Growth in Low-Income Mexican-American Children.

Growth stunting is a complex phenomenon related to undernutrition that can contribute to developmental delay, cognitive deficits, and small size and obesity in adulthood. Stunted growth, defined as height for age below the 5th percentile, is primarily caused by chronic malnutrition. In this study, a community-based intervention to reduce undernutrition was tested in a quasi-experimental design with 174 low-income, Mexican-American mothers and children recruited from a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinic in a major southwestern city.

Efficient test for nonlinear dependence of two continuous variables.

Background: Testing dependence/correlation of two variables is one of the fundamental tasks in statistics. In this work, we proposed a new way of testing nonlinear dependence between two continuous variables (X and Y).

Results: We addressed this research question by using CANOVA (continuous analysis of variance, software available at https://sourceforge.

Sodium nitrite supplementation improves motor function and skeletal muscle inflammatory profile in old male mice.

Aging is associated with motor declines that lead to functional limitations and disability, necessitating the development of therapies to slow or reverse these events. We tested the hypothesis that sodium nitrite supplementation attenuates declines in motor function in older C57BL/6 mice. Motor function was assessed using a battery of tests (grip strength, open-field distance, rota-rod endurance) in old animals (age 20-24 mo) at baseline and after 8 wk of sodium nitrite (old nitrite, n = 22, 50 mg/liter) or no treatment (old control, n = 40), and in young reference animals (3 mo, n = 87).

Accuracy of self-reported weight, height and BMI in US firefighters.

Background: Obesity is of increasing concern especially among firefighters. Bias in self-reported body weight, height and body mass index (BMI) has received a great deal of attention given its importance in epidemiological field research on obesity.

Aims: To determine the validity of self-reported weight, height and BMI and identify potential sources of bias in a national sample of US firefighters.

Sugar consumption and preference among Mexican, Chinese, and Nigerian immigrants to Texas.

This pilot study investigated the relationship between sugar consumption/ preference and the length of residence in the U.S. among certain immigrant groups.

Sleep disorders, medical conditions, and road accident risk.

Sleep disorders and various common acute and chronic medical conditions directly or indirectly affect the quality and quantity of one's sleep or otherwise cause excessive daytime fatigue. This article reviews the potential contribution of several prevalent medical conditions - allergic rhinitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis/osteoarthritis - and chronic fatigue syndrome and clinical sleep disorders - insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, periodic limb movement of sleep, and restless legs syndrome - to the risk for drowsy-driving road crashes. It also explores the literature on the cost-benefit of preventive interventions, using obstructive sleep apnea as an example.

Rhabdomyosarcoma in children.

Purpose Of Review: Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare childhood cancer that affects only approximately 300 children per year in the United States. The purpose of this review is to provide the reader a greater understanding of the complex diagnosis, assessment and treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma in children.

Recent Findings: This review focuses on the new risk classification that is the foundation of all present rhabdomyosarcoma protocols developed by the Children's Oncology Group of the United States and Canada.

Lack of evidence for bacterial infections in skin in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Background: In some patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), persistent bacterial infection involving dermal microvascular endothelial cells may result in endothelial injury, leading to the obliterative microvasculopathy typical of the disease. Alternatively, in some patients with SSc persistent bacterial infection involving activated dermal fibroblasts or other cells found in scleroderma skin might result in the fibrosing features of this disease. In this study, we investigated bacterial infection in skin in patients with SSc.

Cardioprotective actions of nitrite therapy and dietary considerations.

Nitrite is an intrinsic signaling molecule. Its ability to form nitric oxide (NO) under hypoxic conditions as well as its ability to form S-nitrosothiols under normoxic conditions has transformed this once inert anion into a critical molecule in maintaining NO and nitroso homeostasis throughout the entire physiological oxygen gradient in vivo in addition to serving as the endocrine mediator of NO. Steady state plasma nitrite has historically been used as a biomarker of NO availability.

Discovery of the nitric oxide signaling pathway and targets for drug development.

Nitric oxide is a multifunctional signaling molecule, intricately involved with maintaining a host of physiological processes including but not limited to host defense, neuronal communication and the regulation of vascular tone. Many of the physiological functions first ascribed to NO are mediated through its primary receptor, soluble guanylyl cyclase. Endogenous production of NO is a highly complex and regulated process involving the 5-electron oxidation of L-arginine requiring numerous substrates and cofactors.

Dietary sources of nitrite as a modulator of ischemia/reperfusion injury.

The nitrite anion is an endogenous product of nitric oxide (NO) metabolism, a key intermediate in the nitrogen cycle in plants and bacteria, and a constituent of many foods. Research over the past 6 years has revealed a surprising biological and cytoprotective activity of this anion. Its ability to restore NO homeostasis throughout the physiological oxygen gradient in vivo has transformed this once-thought to be inert anion into a critical molecule in health and disease.

Dietary nitrite restores NO homeostasis and is cardioprotective in endothelial nitric oxide synthase-deficient mice.

Endothelial production of nitric oxide (NO) is critical for vascular homeostasis. Nitrite and nitrate are formed endogenously by the stepwise oxidation of NO and have, for years, been regarded as inactive degradation products. As a result, both anions are routinely used as surrogate markers of NO production, with nitrite as a more sensitive marker.