cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Evolutionarily-Conserved Switch in Response to GABA Affects Development and Behavior of the Locomotor Circuit of Caenorhabditis elegans

The neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is depolarizing in the developing vertebrate brain, but in older animals switches to hyperpolarizing and becomes the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in adults. We discovered a similar developmental switch in GABA response in Caenorhabditis elegans and have genetically analyzed its mechanism and function in a well-defined circuit. Worm GABA neurons innervate body wall muscles to control locomotion. Activation of GABAA receptors with their agonist muscimol in newly hatched first larval (L1) stage animals excites muscle contraction and thus is depolarizing. At the mid-L1 stage, as the GABAergic neurons rewire onto their mature muscle targets, muscimol shifts to relaxing muscles and thus has switched to hyperpolarizing. This muscimol response switch depends on chloride transporters in the muscles analogous to those that control GABA response in mammalian neurons: the chloride accumulator sodium-potassium-chloride-cotransporter-1 (NKCC-1) is required for the early depolarizing muscimol response, while the two chloride extruders potassium-chloride-cotransporter-2 (KCC-2) and anion-bicarbonate-transporter-1 (ABTS-1) are required for the later hyperpolarizing response. Using mutations that disrupt GABA signaling, we found that neural circuit development still proceeds to completion but with an ∼6-hr delay. Using optogenetic activation of GABAergic neurons, we found that endogenous GABAA signaling in early L1 animals, although presumably depolarizing, does not cause an excitatory response. Thus a developmental depolarizing-to-hyperpolarizing shift is an ancient conserved feature of GABA signaling, but existing theories for why this shift occurs appear inadequate to explain its function upon rigorous genetic analysis of a well-defined neural circuit.
Metabolic Alterations in Developing Brain After Injury: Knowns and Unknowns

Brain development is a highly orchestrated complex process. The developing brain utilizes many substrates including glucose, ketone bodies, lactate, fatty acids and amino acids for energy, cell division and the biosynthesis of nucleotides, proteins and lipids. Metabolism is crucial to provide energy for all cellular processes required for brain development and function including ATP formation, synaptogenesis, synthesis, release and uptake of neurotransmitters, maintaining ionic gradients and redox status, and myelination. The rapidly growing population of infants and children with neurodevelopmental and cognitive impairments and life-long disability resulting from developmental brain injury is a significant public health concern. Brain injury in infants and children can have devastating effects because the injury is superimposed on the high metabolic demands of the developing brain. Acute injury in the pediatric brain can derail, halt or lead to dysregulation of the complex and highly regulated normal developmental processes. This paper provides a brief review of metabolism in developing brain and alterations found clinically and in animal models of developmental brain injury. The metabolic changes observed in three major categories of injury that can result in life-long cognitive and neurological disabilities, including neonatal hypoxia-ischemia, pediatric traumatic brain injury, and brain injury secondary to prematurity are reviewed.
The Events that Led to the Treaty of Tordesillas

The events leading to the Treaty of Tordesillas began when Columbus returned from his first voyage. Spain and Portugal competed in the attempt to obtain their desired rights of navigation and conquest in the Atlantic Ocean and to be the first Europeans to the Indies. The combined versions of what happened by Davenport (1917) and Nowell (1945) exemplify the historical narrative of these events. The present paper’s version of the narrative considers for inclusion ten items absent from these two previous accounts. Three of these ten new items are considered here to be highly probable: King Joao’s pony express, his 1488 threat of war with Spain over the marriage of his son, and Freire’s discovery not only of missing chancery records, presumably of King Joao’s southern Atlantic voyages, but also of contemporaneous records containing the ship’s biscuit data suggesting long Atlantic voyages. The other seven new items must await additional documentation if they are to be considered highly probable. Using some hig...
Teaching systemic design in the context of organizational communication

Courses emphasizing systemic design are taught in the Communication Management and Design program at Ithaca College for undergraduate students who seek to positively impact organizations and society through communication and learning. In a first-year course, students engage in a wide variety of learning activities and challenges through which they come to a basic understanding of systems thinking, design, and systemic design. This understanding creates a broad foundation for, and begins to develop connecting threads across, their studies of corporate communication, and workplace learning and performance. Then in their senior year capstone course students engage in a systemic design inquiry, which combines research and design in an attempt to address a critical current issue in organizations. Described here is the pedagogical approach for these courses, including underlying assumptions, links to strategy, and a rich set of concepts and tools that promote systems thinking in design, and which have potential applications beyond pedagogy. Also described is how these have all been informed by research.
Targeting the Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifier Pathway as a Novel Treatment of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

METHODS: The NCDB was queried from 1998 to 2006 to include patients with T1-4M0 PTC undergoing near, sub, or total thyroidectomy, who had a minimum of 5 cervical LN concomitantly removed. MLNR was calculated by dividing the number of positive LN by the total number of LN removed. Patient survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method. The impact of MLNR on overall survival (OS) was analyzed using a multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusted for relevant covariates.
Quantifying instabilities of a plasma cutting arc through analysis of schlieren images

In this paper the instabilities of plasma arc cutting was investigated using Schlieren images recorded with high speed CCD camera. Fluctuations of the arc width and of the light intensity in the boundary layer between the arc and the cold gas using Fourier transforms and wavelet analysis indicate that slight imperfections of the arc nozzle e.g. through erosion as well as its alignment with respect to the work piece can influence arc symmetry and fluid dynamic stability of the boundary layer. The results indicate that these diagnostic approaches can be used to evaluate different nozzle geometries which may lead to more stable arcs.
Book Review: The Structural Prevention of Mass Atrocities: Understanding Risk and Resilience

Scholarship on the structural prevention of genocide and mass atrocities is, for the most part, saturated with identifying the ‘root causes’ of deadly violence. Conversely, the causes of peace and the processes that de-escalate tensions – in effect, “what goes right” – remain comparatively under researched. In his book The Structural Prevention of Mass Atrocities, Stephen McLoughlin contends that positioning prevention simply on identifying and ameliorating risk factors erroneously assumes a linear inevitability between cause and outcome, and thus “fails to explain why some at-risk countries experience mass atrocities, yet others do not” (3). McLoughlin convincingly advocates an analytical framework, which broadens structural prevention to include local and national conditions that mitigate risk by fostering resilience and stability. He then applies this framework to the cases of Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania and (an internal, relatively autonomous area within Tanzania), Zanzibar. By introducing a model that navigates the complex relationship between risk and resilience, McLoughlin complements the chorus of scholars asking “why?” mass atrocities occur, by asking “why not?” This book gently reminds readers that there are invaluable lessons to be learnt from peaceful non-events as much as from international tragedies.
Promoting Stewardship of New Commons: Lessons from WakeNature Partnership

Protecting natural areas of landscapes at varying geographic scales of interest has preoccupied activists in the United States for a number of decades. Protected areas typically reside in the public sector of ownership and become a resource common to all members of the populace. They most often have not fit easily the notion of commons as the term is used in European, especially British, contexts. Prior individual ownership of property most typically would preclude utilization of resources and even access by neighbours. Indeed, limitation of use and access may be the factor that has made these properties most desirable for acquisition and protection. Thus, we might call such acquired and protected lands our “new commons.”
Synthetic studies toward tetrapetalone A: attempted palladium π-allyl cascades toward a fused tricyclic intermediate

Efforts to install the core azepine ring in tetrapetalone A via a palladium π-allyl cascade reaction failed due to competing pathways that included an unexpected and interesting TMM-like cycloaddition reaction that delivers a complex tricyclic ring system.
Effects of Estrogen and Epidermal Growth Factor on Prolactin and Pit-1 mRNA in GH3 Cells:

The effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and 17 beta-estradiol (E2) on the expression of prolactin (PRL), the transcription factor Pit-1/GHF-1 (Pit-1), and on dopamine D2 receptor mRNA in GH3 cells were analyzed by immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization, and Northern analysis in a defined serum-free cell culture medium. Radioimmunoassay was used to determine PRL secretion. Both EGF and E2 stimulated PRL mRNA and PRL secretion, although the effects of EGF were more rapid than those of E2. Pit-1 mRNA levels were not significantly changed in spite of the 2- to 8-fold increases in PRL mRNA levels and significant increases in PRL secretion. Analysis of dopamine D2 receptor mRNA by in situ hybridization and Northern hybridization detected expression of dopamine receptor in GH3 cells, but the receptor mRNA levels were not modified by EGF or E2 treatment in complete serum or in serum-free media. These observations suggest that EGF and E2 modulate PRL mRNA levels and PRL secretion significantly in vitro, while the mRNA levels of Pit-1 do not change significantly in GH3 cells cultured in a defined culture medium.
Fast Constructive Recognition of Black-Box Unitary Groups

In this paper, the author presents a new algorithm to recognise, constructively, when a given black-box group is a homomorphic image of the unitary group SU(d, q) for known d and q. The algorithm runs in polynomial time, assuming the existence of oracles for handling SL(2, q) subgroups, and for computing discrete logarithms in cyclic groups of order q ± 1.
All Optical Switch based on Nonlinear Directional Coupler with Saturable Absorber

All-optical switch based on nonlinear coupler with saturable absorber is proposed. FDTD simulation shows that this compact (15μm) device is capable of low-power (14μW), high-speed (100GHz) switching with 10-100x switching gain using realistic semiconductor materials.
Expert system model research for classified evaluation based on fault tree

To combination classified evaluation,risk assessment and expert system,this paper proposed a model for classified evaluation based on fault tree and expert system.The model changed evaluation standards into rules,and analyzed knowledge by fault tree,result was inference by uncertainty facts and uncertainty rules-base.The classified evaluation requirements were combination with users' requirement.And provided a new thinking for combination classified evaluation with risk assessment.Furthermore,this system can auto get rules from information security events using rough set theory.
Being Given Orthodoxy: G. K. Chesterton, Jean-Luc Marion, and the Converting Event

In the following, I argue that approaches from Jean-Luc Marion’s recent phenomenology unpack Chesterton’s autobiography account in Orthodoxy. I examine how the arrival of an event or a revelation tasks him with a response, even if an unintegrated one, and how Chesterton’s undertaking illustrates this manifestation of converting events by virtue of gradual transformation. To do this, I look at how the phenomenologically rich givenness of an event overcomes the limits of the Kantian imperial ego, and in its place, offers paradoxical and thick experience of that which saturates the one who is given the revelation.
Multiple sclerosis should be treated using a step-down strategy rather than a step-up strategy–Commentary

In this issue of Multiple Sclerosis Journal, Prof. Gavin Giovannoni and Dr Robert Naismith have argued, respectively, that initiation of disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS) should utilize a step-down approach (i.e. beginning with a high-efficacy induction strategy)1 versus a step-up or escalation approach.2 This is a critically important issue as we all would like to be able to provide people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) the most effective, safe, and well-tolerated DMT possible. Both authors have provided cogent, but flawed, arguments in support of their positions.
Solution-Phase Singlet Fission in a Structurally Well-Defined Norbornyl-Bridged Tetracene Dimer

The photophysics of a norbornyl-bridged covalent tetracene (Tc) dimer BT1 and a monomer analogue Tc-e were studied in room-temperature nonpolar solvents. Notably in BT1, a Davydov-split band is observed in UV absorption, heralding interchromophore electronic interactions. Emission spectra indicate an acene-like vibronic progression mirroring the lowest-energy visible absorption. For BT1, this argues against excited-state excimer formation. Evidence of intramolecular singlet fission (SF) comes from a comparison of time-resolved emission decay signals collected for BT1 versus Tc-e in toluene. In BT1, the multiexcitonic 1TT state is produced in 70 ns in 6% yield. A ratio of fission versus fusion rate constants provides an experimental measure of the SF reaction free energy at 52 meV in good agreement with previous calculations. The low SF yield corroborates our expectations that orbital symmetry effects on diabatic coupling for SF are important for dimers that cannot rely on more favorable thermodynamics.
Energy and Exponentials

The vague presumption that modern technology is overcoming our dependence on the physical universe is sufficiently widespread to cause alarm, for it signals a general ignorance of the laws of matter and energy. This chapter, which relates the principles of energy to modern life, should dispel any such misconceptions.
Safety and efficacy of outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy in an academic infectious disease clinic.

SummaryWhat is known and objective Outpatient parenteral therapy (OPAT) has become a safe and effective modality for patients requiring intravenous or prolonged antimicrobial therapy since the 1970s. It is being increasingly utilized in various settings; however, studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of clinic-based OPAT are limited. Since 2012, patients being considered for OPAT have required an infectious disease (ID) consultation at our institution. Candidates receiving once-daily antimicrobials who were ineligible for home infusion or nursing home placement as determined by their insurance companies and those who preferred the clinic over nursing home or home infusion were referred to the ID clinic. This study assessed the safety and outcome of patients receiving OPAT in an academic inner-city ID clinic in Detroit, Michigan. Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of electronic medical records of patients, identified through clinic records, who received at least 2 days of OPAT from December 2012 to December 2015. Demographics, types of infections, antimicrobial regimen used, adverse events and outcome were evaluated. Results A total of 122 cases were identified during the study period. Mean age was 62 years with 55% male; 102 (84%) of 122 patients had peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC). Fifty-five per cent of patients participated in the clinic-based OPAT programme for insurance reasons, and 43% preferred the clinic over nursing home or home infusion. The most common infections were bone and joint (36%), followed by skin and soft tissue (18%) and urinary tract infections (12%). Ertapenem (44%) and daptomycin (41%) alone or in combination were used most frequently with 40% of patients receiving at least 4 weeks of treatment. Thirteen patients (11%) experienced one or more adverse drug events on daptomycin and/or ertapenem; of these, nine (69%) patients were receiving daptomycin monotherapy. Gastrointestinal symptoms (29%), cramping and myalgias (29%) and asymptomatic creatine phosphokinase (CPK) elevation (24%) were the most common adverse events. Three (3%) of 102 patients had PICC-related complications. Fourteen (88%) of 16 patients with adverse events or PICC-related complications required changing or stopping antibiotics; two (2%) had infection-related readmission. Conversely, 113 (93%) of 122 patients who completed treatment were considered cured and none had treatment failure at the end of 30 days of treatment. No patients died as a result of treatment or infection-related complications. What is new and conclusion Outpatient parenteral therapy in our academic ID clinic was a safe and effective alternative to home infusion or skilled nursing facilities for patients requiring long-term antibiotics with few adverse events and complications.
Development of A Novel Murine Model of Combined Radiation and Peripheral Tissue Trauma Injuries

Detonation of a 10-kiloton nuclear bomb in an urban setting would result in >1 million casualties, the majority of which would present with combined injuries. Combined injuries, such as peripheral tissue trauma and radiation exposure, trigger inflammatory events that lead to multiple organ dysfunction (MOD) and death, with gastrointestinal (GI) and pulmonary involvement playing crucial roles. The objective of this study was to develop an animal model of combined injuries, peripheral tissue trauma (TBX animal model) combined with total body irradiation with 5% bone marrow shielding (TBI/BM5) to investigate if peripheral tissue trauma contributes to reduced survival. Male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to TBX10%, irradiation (TBI/BM5), or combined injuries (TBX10% + TBI/BM5). Experiments were conducted to evaluate mortality at day 7 after TBI/BM5. Serial euthanasia was performed at day 1, 3 and 6 or 7 after TBI/BM5 to evaluate the time course of pathophysiologic processes in combined injuries. Functional tests ...
Single-Site Cobalt Catalysts at New Zr12(μ3-O)8(μ3-OH)8(μ2-OH)6 Metal–Organic Framework Nodes for Highly Active Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes, Nitriles, and Isocyanides

We report here the synthesis of a robust and porous metal–organic framework (MOF), Zr12-TPDC, constructed from triphenyldicarboxylic acid (H2TPDC) and an unprecedented Zr12 secondary building unit (SBU): Zr12(μ3-O)8(μ3-OH)8(μ2-OH)6. The Zr12-SBU can be viewed as an inorganic node dimerized from two commonly observed Zr6 clusters via six μ2-OH groups. The metalation of Zr12-TPDC SBUs with CoCl2 followed by treatment with NaBEt3H afforded a highly active and reusable solid Zr12-TPDC-Co catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroarenes, nitriles, and isocyanides to corresponding amines with excellent activity and selectivity. This work highlights the opportunity in designing novel MOF-supported single-site solid catalysts by tuning the electronic and steric properties of the SBUs.
Corrosion resistance of MCrAlX coatings in a molten chloride for thermal storage in concentrating solar power applications

Corrosion evaluations of Incoloy 800 H (In800H) and stainless steel AISI 310 (310SS), in bare and coated conditions, were performed in 34.42 wt% NaCl – 55.47 wt% KCl at 700 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere. This NaCl–KCl composition has a melting point of 657 °C, which makes it suitable for latent-heat thermal energy storage in concentrating solar power applications. Several nickel-based MCrAlX coatings were tested, where M = Ni and/or Co and X = Y, Ta, Hf, and/or Si. Electrochemical testing was carried out to determine corrosion rates. The bare In800H and 310SS alloys corroded rapidly (~2500 and 4500 µm/yr, respectively, assuming uniform corrosion). Concentrating solar power plants need containment materials with a lifetime of at least 30 years; thus, these corrosion rates are excessive. Corrosion mitigation approaches are being investigated to obtain degradation on the order of 20 µm/yr or lower. The lowest corrosion rate of 190 µm/yr was obtained for atmospheric plasma spray NiCoCrAlY coatings pre-oxidized in air at 900 °C for 24 h with a heating/cooling rate of 0.5 °C/min. Metallographic characterization of the corroded surfaces showed that the formation of a uniform thin alumina scale before exposure to the molten chloride system considerably reduced the corrosion of the alloy. However, the rates of corrosion determined herein are considerable, highlighting the relevance of testing materials durability in solar power applications. Spraying materials used in solar thermal power stations with protective coatings could minimize corrosion and extend their lifetimes. Chloride salts are stable at temperatures above 600 °C and make excellent candidates for fluids that can deliver heat energy captured from the sun to turbines that generate electricity. Unfortunately, these molten salts are prone to corroding the alloys from which power plant components are typically made. Judith Gomez-Vidal at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the US found that spraying and oxidizing NiCoCrAlYTa coatings on inexpensive alloys caused evenly-spread thin alumina films to form, protecting them from corrosion upon exposure to high-temperature salts. Electrochemical measurements revealed that the thicknesses of the coated alloys decreased at rates of 190 microns per year, ever closer to the 20 micron per year rate desired for a 30 year lifespan.
Bayesian Efficient Coding

The efficient coding hypothesis, which proposes that neurons are optimized to maximize information about the environment, has provided a guiding theoretical framework for sensory and systems neuroscience. More recently, a theory known as the Bayesian Brain hypothesis has focused on the brain9s ability to integrate sensory and prior sources of information in order to perform Bayesian inference. However, there is as yet no comprehensive theory connecting these two theoretical frameworks. Here we bridge this gap by formalizing a Bayesian theory of efficient coding. We define Bayesian efficient codes in terms of four basic ingredients: (1) a stimulus prior distribution; (2) an encoding model; (3) a capacity constraint, specifying a neural resource limit; and (4) a loss function, quantifying the desirability or undesirability of various posterior distributions. Classic efficient codes can be seen as a special case in which the loss function is the posterior entropy, leading to a code that maximizes mutual information, but alternate loss functions give solutions that differ dramatically from information-maximizing codes. In particular, we show that decorrelation of sensory inputs, which is optimal under classic efficient codes in low-noise settings, can be disadvantageous for loss functions that penalize large errors. Bayesian efficient coding therefore enlarges the family of normatively optimal codes and provides a more general framework for understanding the design principles of sensory systems. We examine Bayesian efficient codes for linear receptive fields and nonlinear input-output functions, and show that our theory invites reinterpretation of Laughlin9s seminal analysis of efficient coding in the blowfly visual system.
Seeing Like the Fed: Culture, Cognition, and Framing in the Failure to Anticipate the Financial Crisis of 2008:

One of the puzzles about the financial crisis of 2008 is why regulators, particularly the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), were so slow to recognize the impending collapse of the financial sys...
Fast neutron counting in a mobile, trailer-based search platform

Trailer-based search platforms for detection of radiological and nuclear threats are often based upon coded aperture gamma-ray imaging, because this method can be rendered insensitive to local variations in gamma background while still localizing the source well. Since gamma source emissions are rather easily shielded, in this work we consider the addition of fast neutron counting to a mobile platform for detection of sources containing Pu. A proof-of-concept system capable of combined gamma and neutron coded-aperture imaging was built inside of a trailer and used to detect a 252 Cf source while driving along a roadway. Neutron detector types employed included EJ-309 in a detector plane and EJ-299-33 in a front mask plane. While the 252 Cf gamma emissions were not readily detectable while driving by at 16.9 m standoff, the neutron emissions can be detected while moving. Mobile detection performance for this system and a scaled-up system design are presented, along with implications for threat sensing.
UAV Splay State Configuration for Moving Targets in Wind

Cooperative surveillance problems require members of a team to spread out in some fashion to maximize coverage. In the case of single target surveillance, a team of UAVs angularly spaced (i.e. in the splay state configuration) provides the best coverage of the target in a wide variety of circumstances. In this chapter we propose a decentralized algorithm to achieve the splay state configuration for a team of UAVs tracking a moving target. We derive the allowable bounds on target velocity to generate a feasible solution as well as show that, near equilibrium, the overall system is exponentially stable. Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the surveillance algorithm is asymptotically stable for arbitrary initial conditions. We conclude with high fidelity simulation tests to show the applicability of the splay state controller to actual unmanned air systems.
Lung nodule detection from CT scans using 3D convolutional neural networks without candidate selection

Early detection of lung nodules from CT scans is key to improving lung cancer treatment, but poses a significant challenge for radiologists due to the high throughput required of them. Computer-Aided Detection (CADe) systems aim to automatically detect these nodules with computer algorithms, thus improving diagnosis. These systems typically use a candidate selection step, which identifies all objects that resemble nodules, followed by a machine learning classifier which separates true nodules from false positives. We create a CADe system that uses a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) to detect nodules in CT scans without a candidate selection step. Using data from the LIDC database, we train a 3D CNN to analyze subvolumes from anywhere within a CT scan and output the probability that each subvolume contains a nodule. Once trained, we apply our CNN to detect nodules from entire scans, by systematically dividing the scan into overlapping subvolumes which we input into the CNN to obtain the corresponding probabilities. By enabling our network to process an entire scan, we expect to streamline the detection process while maintaining its effectiveness. Our results imply that with continued training using an iterative training scheme, the one-step approach has the potential to be highly effective.
From street trees to natural areas: retrofitting cities for human connectedness to nature

This research is a response to a call for concern over a human–nature disconnect due to urban form that ignores, rather than embraces, nature and natural processes. Connectedness to nature contribu...
An Exploratory Study for Understanding Reasons of (Not-)Using Internet of Things

The potential of things or objects generating and processing data about day-to-day activities of its users has given a new level of popularity to Internet of Things (IoT) among its consumers. Even though the popularity has seen a steady increase, the use of IoT devices has been slow and abandonment rapid. To build on the existing literature and advance our understanding of the sociological processes of use and non-use of these devices, this paper presents results from the survey of 489 IoT users. Our qualitative analysis of open ended questions revealed that the motives for use include multi-functionality of devices that provide control over daily activities, social competitive edge, economic advantage, and habit. The justifications for limiting or stopping the use include privacy concerns, information overload and inaccuracy, demotivation because of the reminders about pending or failed goals, no excitement after satisfying initial curiosity, and maintenance becoming unmanageable in terms of effort, time, and money.
An experimental assessment of the impact of drought and fire on western larch injury, mortality and recovery

Climate change is increasing drought and fire activity in many fire-prone regions including the western USA and circumpolar boreal forest. These changes highlight the need for improved understanding of how multiple disturbances impact trees in these regions. Recent studies linking fire behaviour to plant ecophysiology have improved understanding of how fire affects tree function and mortality but have not investigated interactions between drought stress and fire. In this study, Larix occidentalis saplings were subjected to different levels of water stress followed by low-intensity surface fires in a controlled laboratory setting. Post-fire mortality, recovery and growth were monitored for up to 1 year post fire. Generally, increased pre-fire water stress resulted in decreased post-fire stem diameter (up to 5% lower) and height (up to 19% lower) growth. However, severely water-stressed saplings whose foliage had senesced before the fires had lower 1-year mortality (14%) and significantly greater post-fire bud densities than moderately stressed saplings that did not senesce (86% mortality). The mortality patterns suggest that water-stressed western larch saplings exposed to low-intensity wildfires, or prescribed fires conducted as part of forest management activities, may exhibit lower mortality rates if stress-induced foliar senescence has occurred.
Collection and Handling of Clinical Microbiological Specimens

The quality of a diagnostic microbiology report and its utility for conveying information relevant to the patient’s infection is totally dependent on the quality of the sample submitted for culture. Key factors are sufficient volume of material, avoidance of colonizing normal microbiota, protection from drying, use of proper transport conditions, and rapid delivery to the laboratory. Requirements for specimens sent for molecular testing may be different from those for cultures or direct detection methods. Tissues, aspirates, and fluids are preferred, and swabs are only useful under certain specific circumstances as detailed in this article. Appropriate sample types and requirements for some special microbiological studies are defined.
An Observational Study from Long-Term AAV Re-administration in Two Hemophilia Dogs

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have been successfully applied in hemophilia clinical trials. However, this approach is limited to patients without AAV-neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). In this study, we explored the feasibility of AAV re-administration in hemophilia A dogs treated initially 8 years ago with AAV8.canine FVIII. After the re-administration in two NAb-negative dogs with AAV8 vectors carrying human factor VIII (hFVIII), along with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib, we observed a phenotypic improvement in both dogs that persisted in one dog. Phenotypic improvement disappeared at 59 days after re-administration in the other dog, and specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) to the capsid were detected at day 17, but not to hFVIII. hFVIII inhibitors were observed at day 59 and gradually increased. Mechanistic studies demonstrated an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, a decrease in immunomodulatory cytokines, as well as lower Tregs after re-administration. These results suggest that hFVIII inhibitor development may contribute to the therapeutic failure via immune response activation. Interestingly, it takes about 30–50 days for AAV NAb titers to decrease by half. Collectively, this study suggests that re-administration of the same AAV serotype after long-term follow-up is feasible and that the study of AAV NAb kinetics will provide important information for predicating the efficacy of re-administration.
Safety and efficacy of autologous stem cell transplantation in lymphoma patients in their 70s.

e19003Background: High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) can offer durable remission in many patients with relapsed or high-risk lymphoma. Elderly patients, who make...
Acute and Chronic Kidney Transplant Rejection in Adolescents: Causes and Treatment

Adolescence is a time of exploration, biochemical and immunological transformation, emotional lability, and transition from childhood to adulthood. During this time, adolescent transplant recipients are vulnerable to poor kidney outcomes including the development of acute and chronic transplant rejection. This chapter will focus on the unique challenges that clinicians face when treating adolescent transplant recipients with particular attention to mechanism, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic kidney transplant rejection.
The Effect Of A Newborn Telehealth Program On Transfers Avoided: A Multiple-Baseline Study

Clinicians who rarely perform neonatal resuscitation exhibit skill deterioration. Telehealth addresses this challenge by facilitating video connections between neonatologists at tertiary care cente...
Traditional Use of Autogenous and Non-autogenous Grafts in Head and Neck Reconstruction: Principles of Conventional Bone Grafting

Bony defects of the jaws can be reconstructed with autogenous or non-autogenous grafts. Autogenous bone grafts are considered the most predictable and may be harvested either as vascularized or non-vascularized grafts. This chapter discusses approaches to jaw reconstruction using traditional non-vascularized bone grafts. The use of autogenous block grafts is emphasized since it allows for fixation of the graft in place thus reducing the incidence graft mobility, resorption, or extrusion.
Effects of Presoaked Lightweight Aggregate Addition on Drying Shrinkage

AbstractIt is widely known that presoaked lightweight aggregate (LWA) is greatly beneficial for reducing autogenous shrinkage by providing additional water reservoirs for the mixture. However, in u...
Expert Report for Shareholder Plaintiffs in Enron Securities Litigation

This is the expert report that I submitted on behalf of the shareholder plaintiffs in the main Enron securities class action suit, In re Enron Corp. Securities Litigation. It discusses the true nature of Enron's business and profitability, and compares what Enron told investors to what it might truthfully have said.
STRIDE-Based Threat Modeling for MySQL Databases

Online, data-driven applications have become the cornerstone of e-commerce, health care, and our economy as a whole, as well as a part of almost every web application and mobile app in our daily lives. Unfortunately, this reliance on databases encourages attackers to exploit every attack surface to compromise these data-driven systems. While there are many security methodologies in place to protect and preserve the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of data, there are cases where these implementations fail, resulting in unintended consequences. In this paper, the STRIDE threat modeling is used to identify potential threats to the MySQL database management system to assist developers and admins in proactively securing these systems. Overall, this research identified spoofing, tampering, and denial of service as the more common threats facing data-driven applications, each of which can cause significant damage against an insufficiently protected MySQL database. Moreover, this paper suggests potential countermeasures to better protect MySQL databases against adversarial threats.
A tale of two property rights: Knowledge, physical assets, and multinational firm boundaries

Abstract The theory of multinational firm boundaries has been shaped by two major paradigms: an earlier one, emphasizing the role of integration in preventing the dissipation of knowledge, and a more recent one, stressing the role of firm boundaries in mitigating underinvestments into relationship-specific assets in the face of contractual incompleteness. This paper develops a novel model encompassing both approaches in a unifying framework. The model predicts that the attractiveness of integration increases in the importance of the parent firm's knowledge capital and decreases in the importance of the affiliate's physical capital in a joint production process. Furthermore, stronger intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in the affiliate's country is predicted to mitigate the effect of knowledge intensity on the attractiveness of integration. I test these hypotheses using unique panel data on more than 100,000 firm pairs worldwide. In line with the model's predictions, knowledge-intensive parent firms choose higher ownership shares in their affiliates, yet this relationship is less pronounced the stronger the IPR protection in the affiliate's country. In addition, higher physical capital intensity of the affiliate is associated with lower ownership shares. These findings are robust to controlling for unobserved heterogeneity across countries, industries, and firms, providing strong support for the unifying theory of multinational firm boundaries.
Methods for classification of truck trailers using side-fire light detection and ranging (LiDAR) Data

Classification of vehicles into distinct groups is critical for a number of applications including freight and commodity flow modeling, pavement management and design, tolling, air quality monitori...
Chapter 27 – Steroid Hormones

Steroids are a large group of chemical substances that are essential for the proper function of most organ systems in vertebrates. These hormones affect virtually every tissue and organ in the human body and play major roles in the development, differentiation, and homeostasis of normal individuals. They mediate a wide variety of vital physiological functions ranging from antiinflammatory agents to regulating events during pregnancy. The glucocorticoids mometasone, clobetasol, and fluticasone, which are representative of progestins, drospirenone, and two isoenzymes of 5α-reductase inhibitors, finasteride (Proscar and Propecia) and dutasteride (Avodart), are included in the list of Top 200 Drugs by sales for the 2010s.
Abstract TMP81: Artificial Intelligence Beats Conventional Regression Analysis in Predicting Short and Long Term Risk of Stroke in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

Introduction: Ischemic stroke (IS) causes substantial morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with a 5 yr incidence ~ 3%. We sought the test the accu...
On the interpassivity of collecting

Through his concept of “interpassivity,” Robert Pfaller explains a range of cultural practices people employ to delegate belief or enjoyment to an agency or object apart from themselves. In this article, I describe how expanding upon Pfaller’s concept can cast light on the cultural practice of collecting. First, I argue that collecting can either be practiced perversely with pleasure or obsessively without pleasure. Second, using Brazilian millionaire Zero Freitas’s accumulation of a six-million-unit record collection as an example, I illustrate how collections can enjoy their objects for us and save us the trouble of having to take pleasure in them.
Surgeon Scorecards Improve Muscle Sampling on Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor and Recurrence Outcomes in Patients with Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Purpose:The presence of detrusor muscle is essential for accurate staging of T1 cancers. Detrusor muscle presence can be a quality indicator of transurethral resection of bladder tumor for nonmuscl...
InversionNet: An Efficient and Accurate Data-Driven Full Waveform Inversion

Full-waveform inversion problems are usually formulated as optimization problems, where the forward-wave propagation operator $f$ maps the subsurface velocity structures to seismic signals. The existing computational methods for solving full-waveform inversion are not only computationally expensive, but also yields low-resolution results because of the ill-posedness and cycle skipping issues of full-waveform inversion. To resolve those issues, we employ machine-learning techniques to solve the full-waveform inversion. Specifically, we focus on applying convolutional neural network (CNN) to directly derive the inversion operator $f^{-1}$ so that the velocity structure can be obtained without knowing the forward operator $f$ . We build a convolutional neural network with an encoder-decoder structure to model the correspondence from seismic data to subsurface velocity structures. Furthermore, we employ the conditional random field (CRF) on top of the CNN to generate structural predictions by modeling the interactions between different locations on the velocity model. To evaluate the performance of our inversion technique, we compare it to both existing physics-driven methods and other data-driven method. Our numerical examples using synthetic seismic reflection data show that the propose CNN-CRF model significantly improve the accuracy of the velocity inversion while the computational time is reduced.
Diphenhydramine protects against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

5447 Cisplatin is used as first line treatment of head and neck cancer, germ cell tumors, and as consolidation therapy for many types of tumors. Diphenhydramine (DPH, Benadryl) is included in some cisplatin-based chemotherapy protocols to prevent cisplatin-induced emesis. We have recently found DPH also protects against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Pretreatment with DPH for 1 to 3 days protected confluent cultures of renal proximal tubule cells from cisplatin toxicity. DPH was not protective when administered concurrently with cisplatin. Pretreatment with DPH did not affect intracellular cisplatin accumulation nor did it protect against the toxicity of amphotericin B, an antifungal drug, which is also toxic to the kidney. Our previous studies have shown that cisplatin kills the proximal tubule cells of the kidney via the metabolism of a cisplatin-glutathione-conjugate to a reactive thiol, a mechanism that is distinct from the anti-tumor activity of the drug. The protective effect of DPH was specific to the nephrotoxic effect of cisplatin. Pretreatment of dividing ovarian tumor cells with DPH did not alter their sensitivity to cisplatin. Dose-dependent and cumulative nephrotoxicity can limit the use of cisplatin. Clinical studies are being developed to evaluate protocols that include DPH pretreatment to prevent cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.
Determining How Long Truck Driver Whole Body Vibration Exposure Data Has to Be Collected to Estimate Actual Daily Exposures

Exposure to Whole body Vibration (WBV) has been associated with an increased prevalence of low back pain in occupational settings. Current WBV directives, guidelines and standards are devoid of any recommendations for the length of time needed to accurately and reliably characterize a vehicle operator’s daily, full-shift exposure to WBV. Using full-shift, seat-measured, tri-axial WBV exposures from a group of 64 regional truck drivers, the daily WBV exposures were cut to simulate different lengths of measurement (5, 7.5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 120, 240 and 480 min). The differing lengths of the data (5 to 240 min) were then normalized to reflect 8-h of vehicle operation [A(8) and VDV(8)]. The analysis of the data demonstrated that the z-axis was the predominant exposure axis and a measurement duration of 30-min or longer would be required to accurately estimate a truck driver’s daily, full-shift A(8) and VDV(8) exposures. Determining the minimum required measurement duration can help reduce the costs associated with WBV exposure assessment.
Ghanaian preservice science teachers’ knowledge of ozone depletion and climate change, and sources of their knowledge

Training a scientific workforce in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change drives an international need for climate science education, including in Ghana. How preservice teachers understand...
The Effect of Low Dose OnabotulinumtoxinA on Cervical Dystonia in Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Background: Many patients with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) suffer from cervical dystonia. Intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin may exacerbate myeloradiculopathy or atlantoaxial subluxation in this patient population.
Assessment of Couples and Families : Contemporary and Cutting-Edge Strategies

Assessment of Couples and Families considers the impact of recent changes on the assessment process and provide practitioners with a review of contemporary techniques and the means by which they can be implemented into practice in conjunction with new reporting inventories and observational methods. These new assessment strategies will be presented collaterally with case material that addresses a specific problem, such as family violence or marital suitability. This unique problem focus will provide practitioners with a handy point of reference to acquaint themselves with modern practice techniques that address issues new to the therapy session while providing a supplement to coursework on assessment.
A novel measure to characterize bus type assignments of realistic power grids

Electric power engineers and researchers need appropriate randomly generated grid network topologies for Monte Carlo experiments to test and demonstrate new concepts and methods. Our previous work proposed a random topology power grid model, called RT-nested-smallworld, based on a comprehensive study of the real-world grid topologies and electrical properties. The proposed model can be used to produce a sufficiently large number of power grid test cases with scalable network size featuring the same kind of small-world topology and electrical characteristics found in realistic grids. However, the proposed RT-power grid model has a shortcoming that is its random assignment of bus types. And our recent study has shown that the bus type assignment of a realistic power grid is not random but a correlated one. Generally speaking, the buses in a power grid can be grouped into three categories: generation buses (G), load buses (L), and connection buses (C). When studying the dynamics of a grid we need to take into account not only its “electrical” topology but also the generation and load settings including their locations, which are equivalent to the bus type assignments in our model.