cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of overlap and pass number in CO2 laser skin resurfacing: a study of residual thermal damage, cell death, and wound healing.

Background Newer CO2 laser systems incorporating short pulse and scanning technology have been used effectively to resurface the skin. As the number of resurfacing cases has increased, hypertrophic scarring has been reported more commonly. Previous dermabrasion and continuous wave CO2 studies have suggested that depth of injury and thermal damage are important predictors of scarring for a given anatomic region. To determine whether rapid overlapping of laser pulses/scans significantly altered wound healing, we examined residual thermal damage, cell death, and histologic and clinical wound healing in a farm pig. Methods and Materials Two popular CO2 systems were used, with a range of radiant exposures, degrees of overlap, and numbers of passes. Thermal damage was assessed by histology, and dermal cell viability was measured with nitrotetrazolium blue staining. Presence or absence of clinical scarring was determined by textural change and loss of skin markings. Results We observed that dermal thermal damage did not increase significantly with pass number when performed as in the normal clinical setting (for 2–4 passes); however, by delivering rapidly overlapping pulses and scans, residual thermal damage and cell death depth were increased as much as 100% over areas without immediate overlap of laser impacts. Conclusions Immediate overlapping of CO2 laser pulses and scans is a significant risk factor in increasing thermal damage, cell death, and possibly scarring. Lasers Surg. Med. 24:103–112, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Influence of popular erotica on judgments of strangers and mates

Two studies were done to investigate the influence of exposure to centerfold erotica on sexual attraction judgments. In Experiment 1, college students judged a photograph of a nude female after being exposed either to control stimuli (abstract art or other average nudes) or to photographs taken from popular erotic magazines. The target was judged as less sexually attractive after subjects had been exposed to popular erotica. Male and female subjects showed parallel patterns of attraction ratings. In Experiment 2, male and female subjects were exposed to opposite sex erotica. In the second study, there was an interaction of subject sex with stimulus condition upon sexual attraction ratings. Decremental effects of centerfold exposure were found only for male subjects exposed to female nudes. Males who found the Playboy-type centerfolds more pleasant rated themselves as less in love with their wives. Results are discussed in light of general gender differences in sexual behavior, and are related to the current controversy about pornography.
Radiative and Non-Radiative Lifetime Engineering of Quantum Dots in Multiple Solvents by Surface Atom Stoichiometry and Ligands.

CdTe quantum dots have unique characteristics that are promising for applications in photoluminescence, photovoltaics, or optoelectronics. However, wide variations of the reported quantum yields exist, and the influence of ligand–surface interactions that are expected to control the excited state relaxation processes remains unknown. It is important to thoroughly understand the fundamental principles underlying these relaxation processes to tailor the QDs properties to their application. Here, we systematically investigate the roles of the surface atoms, ligand functional groups, and solvent on the radiative and nonradiative relaxation rates. Combining a systematic synthetic approach with X-ray photoelectron, quantitative FT-IR, and time-resolved visible spectroscopies, we find that CdTe QDs can be engineered with average radiative lifetimes ranging from nanoseconds up to microseconds. The nonradiative lifetimes are anticorrelated to the radiative lifetimes, although they show much less variation. The den...
Apparatus for Total Collection of Urine from Steers

Abstract An inexpensive apparatus for total collection of urine from steers was constructed from cotton belting, Lexan, ® Velcro, ® an obstetrical sleeve, and surgical tubing. When attached, it enclosed a 13 by 18-cm oval area over the sheath and penis and was detachable for repeated use. It allowed reliable total collection of urine from steers without surgical intervention. Applications include urine collections during short radioisotope experiments and longer metabolic studies.
Our Blood Your Money

On June 3, 1939, Donegal-born James C. Magee was appointed U.S. Army Surgeon General by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. On May 31, 1940, Magee appointed Professor Walter B. Cannon of Harvard University as Chairman of the U.S. National Research Council Committee on Shock and Transfusion. In 1938 Brigadier Lionel Whitby was appointed Director of an autonomous U.K. Army Blood Transfusion Service (ABTS). Whitby thereupon appointed Professor John Henry Biggart, Professor of Pathology, Queen’s University, his Northern Ireland Head of Blood Transfusion and Blood Banking. Winston S. Churchill was aware that Biggart’s service would be responsible for the needs of the Allied Forces and later for the United States Forces in Northern Ireland. Professor J.H. Biggart was known to Churchill from their 1926 post-prandial encounter in Belfast. The United States in 1941 determined that they were not able or prepared to fly U.S.-donated blood to Europe or Africa. The shortage of whole blood for United States forces required Whitby’s ABTS to supply all the blood for the Mediterranean Theatre and in Europe from the St. Lo breakout from Normandy until after the capture of Brussels on September 3, 1944 and then again in December 1944 for the Battle of the Bulge. Winston S. Churchill took Whitby to Quebec in September 1944 to meet with President Roosevelt and the combined U.S. Chiefs of Staff. Churchill used the supply of British blood to meet the needs of American Forces to prevent the U.S. threats to bankrupt the British Empire. President Roosevelt, already involved in his fourth campaign for the U.S. Presidency, accepted most of the British proposals for further credits. By Okinawa in the spring of 1945, under ABTS tutelage, all the Allies were adept in long-range transport and storage of large, 100,000 pint quantities of whole blood. Subsequently, Whitby and John Henry Biggart were knighted; U.S. Army Surgeon General Magee was sacked.
Asymptotic behavior of discretely attached corrugated shear webs

the corrugations, and obey Hooke's law. The corrugations are assumed to be sufficiently long (compared to their pitch and to the spacing of the attachments) so that the deformations of a discretely attached web, under a given shear load, will differ from those of the same web continuously attached mainly by a St. Venant effect. This permits a simple deformation model to be postulated for the discretely attached case, and the analysis of this model leads to a simple formula for the shear stiffness of the web as a function of the length of the corrugations. Another simple formula is obtained for the maximum transverse flexural strain, occurring at the ends of the corrugations, as a function of the length of the corrugations. The simple formulas referred to above are compared with the results of accurate calculations and found to be in very good agreement with them, even for relatively small length-to- pitch ratios. It is suggested that the main use of the present work will be for extrapolation purposes; that is, to infer data for a large range of length-to-pitch ratios from calculations or experiments on just a few length-to-pitch ratios.
Annual variation in respiratory syncytial virus season and decisions regarding immunoprophylaxis with palivizumab.

Progress in the field of passive immunoprophylaxis for protection of high-risk infants and children against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection has achieved remarkable success. Palivizumab was licensed by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998 for monthly intramuscular administration for prevention of RSV lower respiratory tract infections in high-risk infants and children. The annual rate of hospitalization due to RSV infection among infants in high-risk groups who do not receive immunoprophylaxis varies between 10% and 20%, a figure that is ∼5 times higher than the hospitalization rate among non–high-risk infants. Results from 2 blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trials involving 2789 infants and children with prematurity, chronic lung disease, or congenital heart disease demonstrated a reduction in RSV hospitalization rates of between 39% and 78% in different groups.1,2 Results from postlicensure, observational studies suggest that monthly immunoprophylaxis with palivizumab may reduce rates of RSV-induced hospitalization to an even greater extent than rates reported in the well-conducted IMpact-RSV trial, which led to licensure by the FDA.3 Data confirming the safety of palivizumab have been published in a report from the FDA.4 In view of the welcome advancement in disease prevention offered by palivizumab immunoprophylaxis against the most common cause of hospitalization in the first year of life, why does controversy surround the use of this intervention? Consideration of an intervention that has been proven effective needs to include its costs and benefits and recognize that dollars spent on this intervention may …
Parent emotion coaching buffers the psychological effects of poor peer relations in the classroom

Parent emotion coaching (i.e., child-reported parental responses to sadness and anger) was examined as a moderator of peer relations in the classroom (i.e., peer-rated sociability, number of mutual friends, and respect nominations) and self-perceptions of social competence (i.e., loneliness and optimism). Participants were 129 (44% boys; 66% Caucasian) fourth through sixth graders. If parents were perceived as low in emotion coaching, low sociability and low peer respect were associated with greater loneliness; low peer respect was also associated with low peer optimism when combined with low emotion coaching. Importantly, with high parent emotion coaching, there was no significant association between problematic peer relations and negative self-perceptions of social competence. Parent emotion coaching may buffer the effects of poor peer relations.
Developmental roles of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in Drosophila

The formation of complex patterns in multi-cellular organisms is regulated by a number of signaling pathways. In particular, the Wnt and Hedgehog (Hh) pathways have been identified as critical organizers of pattern in many tissues. Although extensive biochemical and genetic studies have elucidated the central components of the signal transduction pathways regulated by these secreted molecules, we still do not understand fully how they organize gradients of gene activities through field of cells. Studies in Drosophila have implicated a role for heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) in regulating the signaling activities and distribution of both Wnt and Hh. Here we review these findings and discuss various models by which HSPGs regulate the distributions of Wnt and Hh morphogens. Published in 2003.
Cloning of the human cholesteryl ester hydrolase promoter: identification of functional peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor responsive elements.

Cholesteryl ester hydrolase (CEH) is responsible for hydrolysis of stored cholesterol esters in macrophage foam cells and release of free cholesterol for high-density lipoprotein-mediated efflux. PCR-based screening of human genomic libraries with human macrophage CEH specific primers resulted in amplification and cloning of 1.7 kb promoter sequence. Analysis of the sequence revealed a lack of consensus TATA-box but presence of a GC-rich proximal sequence, a CAAT box and several binding sites for the transcription factor Sp1. Three putative response elements for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPRE) were identified at position -176, -779, and -1316. Down-regulation of promoter activity was observed in the presence of either PPARalpha- or PPARgamma-specific ligands and introduction of a 4-point transverse mutation in the PPRE at -176 completely abolished the effect of PPAR ligands on the promoter activity. Analogous to other genes involved in macrophage cholesterol homeostasis, human CEH may also be regulated by PPAR.
A bovine jugular vein conduit: a ten-year bi-institutional experience

Background We retrospectively reviewed the 12-year (1999 to 2010) clinical and echocardiographic performance of 232 bovine jugular vein conduits for extracardiac right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in non-Ross patients. Methods The bovine jugular vein conduit cohorts, group 1 (12 to 14 mm), group 2 (16 to 18 mm), and group 3 (20 to 22 mm), had mean follow-up of 48 ± 30 months. Graft dysfunction is defined as right ventricular outflow tract obstruction with peak echo Doppler gradient greater than 40 mm Hg or grade 3/4 valve regurgitation. Graft failure is the need for conduit replacement or transcatheter or surgical reintervention. Results Early mortality (4 of 232; 2%) and late mortality (8 of 228; 3.5%) were not conduit related. Twenty-four conduits (10%) were explanted. Mean implant Z score was significantly lower for group 1 (1.7 ± 0.08 versus group 2, 2.7 ± 0.6, or group 3, 2.5 ± 1.5; p = 0.001). Ten-year actuarial survival (group 1, 84% versus 2, 100%, and 3, 99%; p = 0.001) and freedom from conduit dysfunction (group 1, 64%; group 2, 92%; and group 3, 90%) and failure (group 1, 75%; 2, 82%; and 3, 91%; p = 0.002) were significantly better for groups 2 and 3. Conclusions Bovine jugular vein is an excellent immediate substitute for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction, with early durability superior to that of pulmonary homografts reported at similar follow-up. Conduits larger than 14 mm have improved performance. Longer follow-up will define the structural integrity and efficacy of this prosthesis.
To phase or not to phase in planar near field measurements: Overcoming large probe positioning error

The introduction of phaseless techniques in antenna near-field measurement techniques has revived this field by the promise of operation in higher frequencies. Stepping forward toward the measurements in millimeter frequencies and beyond is highly obviated by the high cost or unavailability of vector instruments. The phaseless methods can provide practical approaches for the antenna measurement requirements at these high frequencies. Apart from the appealing cost effectiveness and practicality at higher frequencies the robustness of these methods against certain planar near-field errors is also demonstrated [1–2]. The probe-positioning error is an important type of error which can severely affect the extracted far-field patterns of antennas measured over planar near-field facilities. It is the purpose of this paper to study this type of error using both a conventional amplitude-phase and phaseless planar near-field technique. Although this effect is previously examined by simulations [1–2] but to the best of the authors knowledge it is for the first time that the effect of this error has been measured in an extreme condition through measurements. Both simulation and measurement results correspond to the extremely high level of this specific error to prove the concept. Errors in the order of the frequency of operation wavelength are studied by simulating different type of antennas. A novel approach is also implemented to explore the effect of this type of error in a real measurement environment. The measurements are taken using the UCLA bi-polar nearfield facility to assess all the predicted results.
Probabilistic Fault-tolerance of Distributed Services: A Paradigm for Dependable Applications

The paper deals with a study of probabilistic methods to manage the dependability of a networked distributed system, in the presence of inaccuracies and partial knowledge of system models pertaining to failures. A distributed networked system (DIS) that collects raw data from sensors deployed in the field and delivers a composite data to an end-user is faced with two types of uncertainties: at 'information level' due to the multi-modal nature of raw data collected from the environment, and at 'control level' due to the incompleteness in knowledge about the application model. These have a compounded effect on the quality of fault-tolerance exhibited by a DIS. Based on service-layer abstractions, the paper identifies application-oriented metrics to quantify the quality of information flowing through a DIS. Even with imperfect information, the paper demonstrates how the high-level quality metrics and control algorithms enable achieving a reasonable degree of fault-tolerance in a probabilistic manner. A case study of replicated web services is also described.
Measurement of Umbilical Arterial Blood Flow to the Sheep Placenta and Fetus in Utero: DISTRIBUTION TO COTYLEDONS AND THE INTERCOTYLEDONARY CHORION

A method of estimating the magnitude and distribution of umbilical blood flow by means of radioactive microspheres in sheep fetuses in utero is described. Simultaneous measurements of total umbilical flow by this method and the steady-state diffusion technique showed agreement within ±11%. In 11 fetuses of 90 to 150 days gestational age, the distribution of umbilical flow to the intercotyledonary chorion was 6.2±0.8% of the total. This information has been used to estimate the effect of venous admixture of cotyledonary and noncotyledonary blood on the umbilical vein-uterine vein concentration difference of inert molecules with flow-limited transplacental clearance.
Is anterior genital tract trauma associated with complaints of postpartum urinary incontinence

We evaluated whether anterior genital trauma is associated with urinary incontinence after vaginal birth. A prospective cohort of midwifery patients consented to mapping of trauma at birth and assessment of continence postpartum. Trauma was categorized into intact, anterior (periuretheral, clitoral, labial), perineal or both. Incontinence was defined as a positive response to the question, “Since the birth of your baby, have you leaked urine when you did not mean to?” and social impact assessed by the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7). Of 554 eligible women, 436 (79%) provided incontinence data 3 months postpartum. Genital trauma was common, occurring in 80% of women: in 148 (34%) trauma was anterior, 119 (27%) had both anterior and perineal trauma and 80(18%) had only perineal trauma. Since delivery, 27% (118/436) women leaked urine. Fewer had IIQ-7 scores greater than 0, at 55/436 (12%). Women with anterior trauma, 29/148 (20%), were less likely to complain of incontinence than all others, 89/288 (31%) (P = 0.01). Urinary incontinence is common after giving birth, although most women have mild symptoms. Anterior trauma is not associated with increased complaints of urinary incontinence.
Jitter optimization based on phase-locked loop design parameters

This paper investigates the effects of varying phaselocked loop (PLL) design parameters on timing jitter. The noise due to voltage-controlled oscillator (WO), input clock and buffering clock are considered. First, a closed-form equations are derived that relate PLL output clock jitter to parameters of a second-order PLL, i.e., damping factor and bandwidth. Then the second-order analysis is extended to a third-order PLL with inherent feedback/sampling delay. The sensitivity study clearly illustrates how to select design parameters to obtain minimum output jitter. To verify the analysis experimentally, a digitally tunable PLL architecture is designed and fabricated that allows independent adjustment of loop parameters. The design not only demonstrates the agreement between analysis and theory, but also shows an architecture that minimizes jitter.
Cospeciation between the nasal mite Ptilonyssus sairae (Acari: Rhinonyssidae) and its bird hosts

Abstract The parasitic nasal mite Ptilonyssus sairae Castro has been classified as one species, but we find that significant sequence divergence exists between host-specific mite populations. The low level of gene flow between conspecifics is probably a result of the parasites' low rate of dispersal among different bird host species. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene from P. sairae populations was sequenced and used for phylogenetic inference and subsequently compared to their passerine bird host phylogeny. In addition to finding restricted gene flow between host-associated parasites, the reconciliation of host and parasite gene trees reveals statistically significant levels of strict cospeciation between bird hosts and host-specific mite populations. Our findings suggest that cryptic speciation may be common in this group of mites.
Enforcement and Price Controls in Emissions Trading

This paper examines how enforcement affects the structure and performance of emissions trading programs with price controls under uncertainty about firms' abatement costs. The analysis highlights how an enforcement strategy can cause abatement-cost risk to be transmitted to enforcement costs via the price of permits. When this occurs, accommodating the effect of abatement-cost risk with an optimal policy results in higher expected emissions and lower expected permit price than their second-best optimal values. However, it is possible to design an enforcement strategy that shields enforcement costs from abatement-cost risk by tying sanctions directly to permit prices. This enforcement strategy stabilizes enforcement effort, the optimal permit supply and price controls are independent of enforcement costs, and the policy produces the second-best optimal outcome.
Whole Grains Are Associated with Serum Concentrations of High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein among Premenopausal Women

In premenopausal women, elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations have been associated with an increased risk of negative reproductive outcomes. Whole grain consumption has been associated with lower CRP concentrations in older women; however, less is known about this relationship in younger women. We investigated whether whole grain intake was associated with serum high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) concentrations in young women. BioCycle was a prospective cohort study conducted at the University of Buffalo from 2005 to 2007, which followed 259 healthy women aged 18–44 y for le 2 menstrual cycles. hs-CRP concentrations were measured longitudinally le 8 times/cycle with visits standardized to menstrual cycle phase. Whole grain intake was estimated by 24-h recalls le 4 times/cycle. Servings were defined as 16 g or 125 mL of a 100% whole grain food. Whole grain intake was inversely associated with hs-CRP concentrations after adjusting for age, race, BMI, illness, and antiinflammatory drug use. Consumers of between 0 and 1 serving/d of whole grains had, on average, 11.5% lower hs-CRP concentrations (P = 0.02) and consumers of ge 1 serving/d had 12.3% lower hs-CRP concentrations (P = 0.02) compared with nonconsumers. Women who consumed ge 1 serving/d of whole grain had a lower probability of having moderate (P = 0.008) or elevated (P = 0.001) hs-CRP according to the AHA criteria compared with nonconsumers. Given that elevated concentrations of hs-CRP have been linked to adverse reproductive outcomes and pregnancy complications, interventions targeting whole grain consumption may have the potential to improve health status among young women.
Hidp: A hierarchical data parallel language

Problem domains are commonly decomposed hierarchically to fully utilize parallel resources in modern microprocessors. Such decompositions can be provided as library routines, written by experienced experts, for general algorithmic patterns. But such APIs tend to be constrained to certain architectures or data sizes. Integrating them with application code is often an unnecessarily daunting task, especially when these routines need to be closely coupled with user code to achieve better performance. This paper contributes HiDP, a high-level hierarchical data parallel language. The purpose of HiDP is to improve the coding productivity of integrating hierarchical data parallelism without significant loss of performance. HiDP is a source-to-source compiler that converts a very concise data parallel language into CUDA C++ source code. Internally, it performs necessary analysis to compose user code with efficient and architecture-aware code snippets. This paper discusses various aspects of HiDP systematically: the language, the compiler and the run-time system with built-in tuning capabilities. They enable HiDP users to express algorithms in less code than low-level SDKs require for native platforms. HiDP also exposes abundant computing resources of modern parallel architectures. Improved coding productivity tends to come with a sacrifice in performance. Yet, experimental results show that the generated code delivers performance very close to handcrafted native GPU code.
Goal-oriented system identification for safe operation of engineering systems

The goal of this paper is to use existing results and methods to propose a new type of closed-loop system configuration that maximizes safety and robustness of operation. The plant is assumed to be unknown in the beginning of the process. Two competing system identification methods (based on neural networks and Kalman filters) are combined, exploiting the advantages of each. The neural networks based system identification is used for fault detection, while a linear time-varying ARMA model, estimated in real time by a Kalman filter, is used for controller design so that the plant output follows a predetermined trajectory (setpoint).
KSHV-mediated ROS induction defines novel therapeutic targets in Kaposi’s sarcoma

Background Kaposi’s sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiological agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). Understanding the interplay of viral and host factors in KS carcinogenesis is critical for the rational development of new therapies. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have a recognized broad function in oncogenesis mediated by signaling cascades leading to the Rac1 activation of NADPH oxidases (Nox) [1]. ROS play a role in cell cycle regulation and angiogenesis, yet the specific molecular events linking ROS and these cancer hallmarks are still elusive. KSHV encodes a constitutively active G protein-coupled receptor (vGPCR) [2], which triggers KS-like sarcomagenesis via Rac1 [3]. It has been shown that Rac1-activated mutant induces tumors resembling Kaposi’s sarcoma by a ROS-mediated mechanism in transgenic mice [4,5]. Moreover, Rac1 is overexpressed in AIDS-KS lesions and in KSHV-infected mECK36 tumors, pointing to a role for KSHV-induced Rac1-mediated production of ROS in KS pathogenesis [5]. The current study explored the induction of oxidative stress pathways in the KSHVinduced mouse model mECK36.
The Ironies of Shi'i Law

Within Shi’i Islam, certain high jurists, known as mujtahids, continue to pronounce religious doctrine over vast areas of law that are concurrently the subject of state jurisdiction. The presumption is that this pits Shi’i religious doctrine in a form of perduring conflict with the state, to which it has reacted either through Quietism (that is, treating the state as a product of the profane world from which the true believer is alienated to the fullest extent possible) or, more recently, through juristic attempts to seize entire control of the state, as per the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Yet experiences beyond Iran challenge these assumptions. Specifically, the jurists of Najaf currently continue to seek recognition for religious rules in particular contexts that lie in considerable tension with state law, while at the same time neither delegitimizing the state and its concomitant rulemaking capacities, nor seeking to assume control over them. The jurists, that is, and the believers over whom they exert substantial influence, seem to occupy a space wherein they engage in the simultaneous acceptance and rejection of the law of the state. This paper explores these tensions and anomalies in the particular context of Iraq, the nation state where the Najaf jurists reside, and maintain that they are not at all unusual or surprising. In fact, they are merely a manifestation of the type of legal pluralism that prevails around the globe.
Functional identification of complex cells from spike times and the decoding of visual stimuli

Neural circuits built with complex cells play a key role in modeling the primary visual cortex. The encoding capability of an ensemble of complex cells has not been systematically studied, however. Can visual scenes be reconstructed using the spike times generated by an ensemble of complex cells? Can the processing taking place in complex cells be identified with high accuracy? Processing by complex cells has the complexity of Volterra models [1]. General Volterra based models call, among others, for efficient functional identification and decoding algorithms. We demonstrate that complex cells exhibit Volterra dendritic stimulus processors (Volterra DSPs) that are analytically and computationally tractable. Decoding and identification problems arising in neural circuits built with complex cells can be efficiently solved as rank minimization problems [2]. We provide (i) an algorithm that reconstructs the visual stimuli based on the spike times generated by circuits with widely employed complex cells models (Complex Cell Time Decoding Machines), and (ii) propose a mechanistic algorithm for functionally identifying the processing in complex cells using the spike times they generate (Complex Cell Channel Identification Machines). These algorithms are based on the key observation that the functional identification of processing in a single complex cell is dual to the problem of decoding stimuli encoded by an ensemble of complex cells. In addition, we show that the number of spikes needed for perfect reconstruction of a band-limited stimulus is proportional to the dimension of the stimulus space rather than the square of its dimension, thereby reducing the required number of neurons/measurements to a physiologically plausible range. This result demonstrates that visual stimuli can be efficiently reconstructed from the amplitude information carried in the complex cells alone. Similar results obtained for identification establish the computational tractability of higher order Volterra DSPs. We provide examples of perfect reconstruction of space-time stimuli (Figure ​(Figure1A)1A) and examples of identification of complex cell DSPs (Figure ​(Figure1B).1B). We demonstrate that our identification algorithms substantially outperform algorithms based on spike-triggered covariance (STC) (Figure ​(Figure1C).1C). Finally, we evaluate our identification algorithms by reconstructing novel stimuli in the input space using identified Volterra DSPs (Figure ​(Figure1D)1D) [3]. Figure 1 A. SNR of reconstruction when varying the number of measurements/spikes (dimension of the input space: 117). B. Mean SNR of identified complex cell DSP when varying the number of input trials used in identification. C. Comparison of identification by ...
The Role of Labor Law in Challenging English-Only Policies

Policies requiring employees to speaking English only in the workplace disadvantage bilingual and non-English speaking employees. Employees typically challenge these policies under Title VII's prohibition on discrimination on the basis of national origin, however, those challenges have been largely unsuccessful due to (i) permissive business justification analysis, and (ii) lack of deference to EEOC guidelines prohibiting linguistic discrimination. This article proposes that English-only policies violate Section 7 of the NLRA, which protects the right to communicate at the workplace. Because English-only policies naturally interfere with the right of some employees to communicate in the language in which they are most comfortable they can constitute a formidable obstacle to unionization efforts. Moreover, challenges under the NLRA may have a higher likelihood of success because the business justification analysis is more demanding under the NLRA, and there is no deference problem given that Section 7 protections are well-established under Supreme Court precedent. Despite some of the shortcomings of the NLRA, namely a lackluster remedial regime, Section 7 challenges provide a promising avenue for employees or labor organizers seeking to challenge English-only policies.
Incidence of Preoperative Deep Vein Thrombosis in Calcaneal Fractures.

Author(s): Williams, Joan R; Little, Milton TM; Kramer, Patricia A; Benirschke, Stephen K | Abstract: ObjectivesThis study examined the incidence and risk factors of preoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients presenting to an outpatient setting with an isolated calcaneal fracture.DesignRetrospective chart review.SettingAll patients included in the study presented to the treating surgeon at a Level I trauma center with isolated calcaneal fractures as an outpatient between 2005 and 2013.MethodsThese patients were either referred from outside hospitals, had been evaluated in the emergency department initially and presented for definitive care, or presented initially to the outpatient clinic. Patients included were over the age of 18, had a preoperative duplex ultrasonography of bilateral lower extremities per the treating surgeon's protocol, and had at minimum 6 weeks follow-up. Patients were excluded if they were a polytrauma, had a documented hypercoagulable state, or were on baseline pharmacologic anticoagulation for another condition. All patients had a preoperative duplex ultrasound of both lower extremities to evaluate for DVT at least 7 days after injury.Main outcome measurePatients found to have a preoperative DVT were compared with those who did not have preoperative DVT for possible risk factors.ResultsOne hundred fifty-nine patients qualified for our study and of these, 19 (12%) were found to have a DVT preoperatively, almost all of which were in distal veins. All risk factors, including age, sex, and body mass index were analyzed as continuous variables. Older age was found to be a risk factor for DVT (P = 0.009, Odds Ratio = 1.06, 95% CI, 1.01-1.11). All other predictor variables, including body mass index (P = 0.05) and sex (P = 0.08), were not statistically significant predictors in our sample.ConclusionsThe incidence of preoperative DVT found here is almost 2 times as high as any previously published examination of lower extremity injuries. Physicians should be aware of this increase so they may counsel patients about the risks of DVTs and the likelihood of any sequelae from developing a DVT that may affect a patient's recovery.Level of evidencePrognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Pathogenicity in pigs experimentally infected with Eimeria spinosa.

N. americanus in the intestines of YAH. The worm burden in YAH receiving 500 ExNaL3 subcutaneously along with short-term HCA treatment was distinctly higher (22-fold) than other groups (Table I). It would therefore be interesting to see how long N. americanus survive in the intestines of YAH and how they compare with that of baby hamsters. Thus, an experiment was conducted in which YAH received 500 ExNaL3 subcutaneously, followed by HCA treatment on days 5, 6, and 7 after infection. At the same time, baby hamsters were infected with 100 EnNaL3 percutaneously. These experimental protocols enabled both baby, as well as YAH, to carry N. americanus in their intestines. Worm burdens were compared during 4, 6, 8, and 11 wk after infection. There was no significant difference in the worm burdens between baby and young adult hamsters, and N. americanus survived well until examination at 11 wk (Fig. 1). This clearly showed that the experimental modifications adopted rendered YAH suitable for maintaining the enteric phase of N. americanus infection. This new method of infecting young adult hamsters will facilitate the study of hookworm immunology by allowing preinfection handling of experimental hosts. This paper is contribution No. 812 from Hindustan Ciba-Geigy Research Centre. Thanks are extended to Dr. Sheila Talwalker of this research centre for statistical analysis.
Current and wind induced facies patterns in a Devonian atoll; Iberg Reef, Harz Mts., Germany

The Middle to Upper Devonian Iberg Reef was an oceanic atoll within the Rhenish Trough of the Variscan Geosyncline. It existed for at least 15 million years before it was drowned shortly before the turn of the Frasnian-Famennian. The spatial distribution of facies and early diagenetic features within these Frasnian reef limestones confirms the reef's paleogeographical location between the equator and 30° south. The southeastern, windward side of the atoll was dominated by massive stromatoporoids and bulbous corals as well as by encrusting and dendroid stromatoporoids. Reefbuilders were rarely preserved in situ. Several generations of early fibrous cement form thick isopachous crusts on the limestone components, confirming early lithification. On the northwestern, leeward side, platy and branching stromatoporoids and corals predominated. They were mostly preserved in growth position. Fine-grained sediment forms a large portion of the limestone matrix. A leeward lagoon entrance was marked by large thickets of branching rugose corals and a mixture of back reef and fore reef faunal elements in the northwesternmost lagoonal limestones. A chain of stromatoporoid gravel cays formed inside the lagoon due to wave-refraction on the southern reef front. INTRODUCTION
"Walking the dog" to enhance postoperative recovery.

BACKGROUND Nurses on an adult surgical unit perceived a decrease in patients' mobility and an increase in postoperative complications, which led to an initiative to motivate patients to ambulate. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The questions addressed in this study refer to adult patients having surgery: Is there a relationship between ambulation and length of stay (LOS)? Did "walking the dog" affect how early and how many times they ambulated? Did "walking the dog" affect the incidence of postoperative complications? METHODS Photos of dogs were made available and patients were encouraged to "walk the dog" at least three times daily. CONCLUSIONS Although this intervention didn't lead to a significant difference in LOS or complications, patients anecdotally reported an increased motivation to ambulate.
The clinical use of ovulation suppressants.

The history of the development of combinations of estrogen and progesterone which inhibit ovulation without interferring with normal menstruation is reviewed with structural formulas of several synthetic estrogens and progesterones given. Any mature female desiring contraception may use contraceptive therapy provided she is tolerant of some of the side effects. 3 therapeutic regimes are described with instructions for taking the pills. Nausea weight change intermenstrual spotting of bleeding breast symptoms change in cramping are rated for Ortho Novum Provera-estrogen and Envoid. Therapy results in nearly 100% protection with a side effect incidence of from 36% to 15%. Benefits to the patients are relaxation of tension spontaneity of intercourse and possible anticarcinogenic effects. Use of Provest to control dysmenorrhea is described in a case history.() BB-G)
Clinical and Epidemiological Evidence of the Red Queen Hypothesis in Pneumococcal Serotype Dynamics

BACKGROUND The Red Queen hypothesis is an evolutionary theory that describes the reciprocal coevolution of competing species. We sought to study whether introduction of the 7- and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV7 and PCV13, respectively) altered pneumococcal serotype dynamics among children with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) as predicted by the Red Queen hypothesis. METHODS This study examined pneumococcal isolates (n = 641) obtained from children <18 years of age hospitalized with IPD from 1997 to 2014 in Utah. A review of the literature also identified several additional studies conducted in the United States and Europe that were used to test the external generalizability of our Utah findings. Simpson's index was used to quantify pneumococcal serotype diversity. RESULTS In Utah, the introduction of PCV7 and PCV13 was associated with rapid increases in serotype diversity (P < .001). Serotypes rarely present before vaccine introduction emerged as common causes of IPD. Diversity then decreased (P < .001) as competition selected for the fittest serotypes and new evolutionary equilibriums were established. This pattern was also observed more broadly in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Spain. CONCLUSIONS This vaccine-driven example of human/bacterial coevolution appears to confirm the Red Queen hypothesis, which reveals a limitation of serotype-specific vaccines and offers insights that may facilitate alternative strategies for the elimination of IPD.
Optical Properties and Model Density of States

The application of simple model densities of states to account for the optical properties of semiconductors and insulators, and their dependence upon various external parameters, is discussed. Special emphasis is placed on the materials of the diamond-zincblende family; several materials with rocksalt structure are also considered. Our model densities of states are obtained by approximating the real energy bands by perfectly parabolic bands extending to infinity, so as to simulate the strongest interband critical points. Critical points with large effective masses (parallel valence and conduction bands) along one or two dimensions give rise to essentially two- and one-dimensional bands.
Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Nondestructive Evaluation

To meet the increased demand for reliable inspection in complex NDE tasks, artificial intelligence (AI) can provide new and effective approaches to many problems. AI expert systems (often rule-based) offer solutions to problems for which numerical algorithms may not be suitable and for which nonnumeric information is important. Expert systems allow data fusion to utilize information from different NDE sensors, and can deal with uncertainty more effectively. Another advance in AI perhaps is in artificial neural networks which have been increasingly used in NDE. These and other AI capabilities have been applied successfully to several NDE systems which will be discussed in this paper.
Employment and Labor Intermediation Services: What Are They and What Are They Good For?

This chapter lays out the policy fundamentals of employment services as a principal active labor market policy. It lays out their core functions – job search, job counseling and job placement – and then explains the range of extended services that help transition an employment service into a more modern labor intermediation service. Labor intermediation services go beyond linking job seekers with employment by intermediating on a range of services needed to get people on the road to jobs: training, education, microenterprise, and economic development, to name a few. It concludes with the labor market policy of employment and labor intermediation in its broader labor and social policy context, explaining what the policy can and cannot do.
In Situ Peroxidase Labeling and Mass-Spectrometry Connects Alpha-Synuclein Directly to Endocytic Trafficking and mRNA Metabolism in Neurons

Summary Synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease (PD), are associated with the misfolding and mistrafficking of alpha-synuclein (α-syn). Here, using an ascorbate peroxidase (APEX)-based labeling method combined with mass spectrometry, we defined a network of proteins in the immediate vicinity of α-syn in living neurons to shed light on α-syn function. This approach identified 225 proteins, including synaptic proteins, proteins involved in endocytic vesicle trafficking, the retromer complex, phosphatases and mRNA binding proteins. Many were in complexes with α-syn, and some were encoded by genes known to be risk factors for PD and other neurodegenerative diseases. Endocytic trafficking and mRNA translation proteins within this spatial α-syn map overlapped with genetic modifiers of α-syn toxicity, developed in an accompanying study (Khurana et al., this issue of Cell Systems ). Our data suggest that perturbation of these particular pathways is directly related to the spatial localization of α-syn within the cell. These approaches provide new avenues to systematically examine protein function and pathology in living cells.
Automated Writing Analysis for writing pedagogy: From healthy tension to tangible prospects

This article aims to engage specialists in writing pedagogy, assessment, genre study, and educational technologies in a constructive dialog and joint exploration of automated writing analysis as a potent instantiation of computer-enhanced assessment for learning. It recounts the values of writing pedagogy and, from this perspective, examines legitimate concerns with automated writing analysis. Emphasis is placed on the need to substantiate the construct-driven debate with systematic empirical evidence that would corroborate or refute interpretations, uses, and consequences of automated scoring and feedback tools intended for specific contexts. Such evidence can be obtained by adopting a validity argument framework. To demonstrate an application of this framework, the article presents a novel genre-based approach to automated analysis configured to support research writing and provides examples of validity evidence for using it with novice scholarly writers.
Subconcussive Impact-Dependent Increase in Plasma S100β Levels in Collegiate Football Players

Abstract The current study investigates whether repetitive subconcussive impacts cause changes in plasma S100β levels, and also tests the associations between S100β changes and frequency/magnitude of impacts sustained. This prospective study of 22 Division-I collegiate football players included baseline and pre-season practices (one helmet-only and four full-gear). Blood samples were obtained and assessed for S100β levels at baseline and pre- to post-practices; symptom scores were assessed at each time-point. An accelerometer-embedded mouthguard was employed to measure the number of impacts (hits), peak linear acceleration (PLA), and peak rotational acceleration (PRA). Because we observed a distinct gap in impact exposure (hits, PLA, and PRA), players were clustered into lower (n = 7) or higher (n = 15) impact groups based on the sum of impact kinematics from all five practices. S100β levels significantly changed across the study duration. Although S100β levels remained stable from baseline to all pre-pra...
New and developing diagnostic technologies for urinary tract infections

Timely and accurate identification and determination of the antimicrobial susceptibility of uropathogens is central to the management of UTIs. Urine dipsticks are fast and amenable to point-of-care testing, but do not have adequate diagnostic accuracy or provide microbiological diagnosis. Urine culture with antimicrobial susceptibility testing takes 2-3 days and requires a clinical laboratory. The common use of empirical antibiotics has contributed to the rise of multidrug-resistant organisms, reducing treatment options and increasing costs. In addition to improved antimicrobial stewardship and the development of new antimicrobials, novel diagnostics are needed for timely microbial identification and determination of antimicrobial susceptibilities. New diagnostic platforms, including nucleic acid tests and mass spectrometry, have been approved for clinical use and have improved the speed and accuracy of pathogen identification from primary cultures. Optimization for direct urine testing would reduce the time to diagnosis, yet these technologies do not provide comprehensive information on antimicrobial susceptibility. Emerging technologies including biosensors, microfluidics, and other integrated platforms could improve UTI diagnosis via direct pathogen detection from urine samples, rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and point-of-care testing. Successful development and implementation of these technologies has the potential to usher in an era of precision medicine to improve patient care and public health.