cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review of the Persistence of Herpes Zoster Vaccine Efficacy in Clinical Trials

Abstract Purpose The live attenuated herpes zoster vaccine * was approved for the prevention of shingles in 2006. Initial Phase III clinical trials proved vaccine efficacy persisted during the study duration; however, assessment of long-term efficacy required additional studies. This article reviews efficacy data for the zoster vaccine that have been published since 2004. It focuses on studies assessing declining vaccine efficacy. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and CINAHL databases were searched for zoster vaccine efficacy trials. Randomized controlled trials published from 2004 to 2015 were included in the review. Findings Six studies were included in the review. The zoster vaccine reduced the risk of herpes zoster by 51.3% to 72.4% in 2 Phase III trials. Primary and other analyses showed the vaccine was effective at reducing the burden of illness (61.1%), postherpetic neuralgia (66.5%), disease interference on functional status (66.2%), and disease impact on health-related quality of life (55%) compared with placebo. Surveillance studies showed a decrease in vaccine efficacy for reducing the incidence of herpes zoster during follow-up years 3.3 to 7.8 (39.6% relative reduction) and 4.7 to 11.6 (21.1% relative reduction). Implications Initial zoster vaccine efficacy is significant, but declines in post-vaccination years 3 to 11. This raises the question about the need for possible revaccination with the zoster vaccine. Clinicians should consider the declining efficacy when administering the zoster vaccine to patients. Future studies will need to address the impact of the varicella vaccine on the incidence of shingles and whether this impacts the efficacy of the zoster vaccine.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Medical professionals have often called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) a “mysterious” illness because its confusing symptomatology has baffled the medical community for centuries. It is the product of an immune system gone awry, and, for this reason, it is capable of producing a variety of curious symptoms in virtually any organ or system of the body. A formal definition of SLE is “a chronic, inflammatory disease in which the body’s immune system, instead of serving its normal protective function, forms antibodies that attack healthy tissues and organs” (Lupus Foundation of America, Inc., 1990, p. 2). SLE is sometimes fatal, often debilitating, and, once diagnosed, always present; to date, research has found no definite cause, course, or cure. Current classifications list three types of lupus: (1) discoid lupus, which affects only skin by causing rashes and lesions; (2) drug-induced lupus, caused by a reaction to medications; and (3) systemic lupus erythematosus, which is most serious and systemwide. Although all three types of lupus receive mention in this chapter, the primary focus is on the most severe form, SLE., tracing the history, diagnosis, treatment, and implications for the field of psychology.
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: A Reasonable Clinical Approach

The reasonable clinical approach to the patient who has low back pain includes a search for any of the red flags that would prompt consideration of additional diagnostic testing for serious underlying disease. The common patterns of back pain would be explored in an effort to categorize the patient's symptoms and to begin formulation of a diagnostic impression. Re-evaluation of the patient in light of his response (or lack of response) to these measures is an essential component of the clinical assessment. Finally, some consideration must be given to the various biopsychosocial factors that may affect prognosis, particularly in patients who have more chronic pain and disability-related issues.
Submicron-Gap Photoconductive Switching in Silicon

In recent years there has been an increased interest in fast photo conductive switches: switches based on the use of a liant pulse to modulate the resistivity of a semiconducting gap in a high-speed transmission line. To make such a switch fast, one has to restore the gap resistivity to its dark value as soon as possible after the light pulse is turned off. Thus, the ob.iect is to reduce the lifetime of carriers in the gap. In previous work with silicon, this has been achieved by increasing the carrier recombination rate through the use of radiation damaged or amorohous materials [1, 2]. This introduction of recombination centers, however, also reduces carrier mobility and thus switch sensitivity. An alternative technique, the one used in this work, is to sweep the carriers out of the gap with an applied electric field.
Pelvis and Sacrum

This chapter deals with injuries of the pelvis and sacrum. Various types of fractures and other injuries are presented. MR is discussed where it significantly adds to evaluation of these injuries.
Cohesion, Entrainment and Task Success in Educational Dialog

Researchers often study dialog corpora to better understand what makes some dialogs more successful than others. In this talk I will examine the relationship between coherence/entrainment and task success, in several types of educational dialog corpora: 1) one-on-one tutoring, where students use dialog to interact with a human tutor in the physics domain, 2) one-on-one tutoring, where students instead interact with a spoken dialog system, and 3) engineering design, where student teams engage in multi-party dialog to complete a group project. I will first introduce several corpus-based measures of both lexical and acoustic-prosodic dialog cohesion and entrainment, and extend them to handle multi-party conversations. I will then show that the amount of cohesion and/or entrainment positively correlates with measures of educational task success in all of our corpora. Finally, I will discuss how we are using our findings to build better tutorial dialog systems.
Effect of inhibitors of gastric secretion on polarization of gastric potential by voltage clamping

Voltage clamping across the frog gastric mucosa, nutrient positive to secretory, results in an increase in the open-circuit potential difference (OCPD). The increase in OCPD, or polarization, induced by voltage clamping could be caused by a redistribution of ions across the plasma membrane or by a polarization of pump electromotive forces, such as the Na(+)-K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) located in the nutrient (serosal) membrane or the proton pump located in the secretory (luminal) membrane. The polarization induced by voltage clamping was not affected by removing Cl- and Na+ or by increasing the K+ concentration to 79 mM but was markedly reduced by placing in the nutrient solution 10(-3) M famotidine or 10(-4) M omeprazole. These data suggest that there is a strong contribution of the proton pump to the polarization induced by voltage clamping with some contribution of ion redistribution and/or the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. The data support the electrogenicity of the proton pump.
Characterizing metastability

Determining metastability characteristics is challenging. Devising reliable and repeatable experiments and procedures requires time, patience, care and knowledge. This discussion presents practical measurement techniques to accurately determine the Resolving Time Constant (/spl tau/) and Metastability Window (W). Also included is a method for observing the metastability failure rate at a designated time following the clock. By converting this failure rate to observed MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure), a comparison is made to a predicted MTBF.
Development and validation of a cystic fibrosis patient and family member experience of care survey.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to develop a cystic fibrosis (CF)-specific patient and family experience of care survey that CF care centers could use to inform quality improvement efforts. METHODS A literature search and query of CF care centers was conducted to identify existing surveys. Individuals with CF, their families, and health care professionals were also asked what to include. Following this process, a draft survey was developed and then reviewed by focus groups. Finally, a version was piloted at 25 CF care centers to validate and further refine the instrument. RESULTS No CF-specific surveys were found in the literature. Focus group participants stated that they understood the survey questions and that they covered important aspects of care, particularly infection control. The pilot test of the instrument with 485 participants supported its validity by demonstrating significant differences across centers and that most of the 3 care dimensions had acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach α: adults, 0.71-0.85; children, 0.68-0.79). CONCLUSION A CF-specific patient and family experience of care survey was developed with input from individuals with CF, their families, and health care professionals. The instrument was validated and has been deployed to CF care centers.
When to stop the search for an elusive source of gastrointestinal bleeding.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: This analysis investigates the clinical parameters that should drive decisions about when to continue or stop the search for an elusive source of gastrointestinal bleeding. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The number of endoscopies necessary to find a source of bleeding was estimated using the geometric distribution. A threshold analysis was used to develop a stop rule for the search for a site of bleeding. Bayes' formula served to estimate changes in the probability of achieving a diagnosis associated with a series of consecutive endoscopic tests. RESULTS: With decreasing probability of diagnostic success associated with an individual endoscopic procedure, such as P = 50 %, 33 %, or 25 %, the mean (standard deviation [SD]) number of procedures needed to find the source of bleeding increases to 2 (1.41), 3 (2.45), or 4 (3.46), respectively. The threshold analysis suggests that work-up should be discontinued if the expected rise in diagnostic probability does not exceed the ratio of work-up cost to bleeding cost, that is, Δ P < work-up cost/bleeding cost. For instance, a 10-fold higher cost of bleeding than endoscopy would justify continued work-up if it can improve diagnostic probability by 10 %. Bayesian analysis shows that after three negative tests the diagnostic probability drops below such a threshold. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis suggests the following basic rules. The search for a site of gastrointestinal bleeding will take on average 2 procedures with a range of 1 - 4. The search should be continued as long as the diagnostic probability is expected to rise by more than 10 %, which is unlikely after three consecutive negative tests.
Seasonal patterns of photosynthetic light response in Douglas-fir seedlings subjected to elevated atmospheric CO2 and temperature

Increases in atmospheric CO(2) concentration and temperature are predicted to increase the light response of photosynthesis by increasing light-saturated photosynthetic rates and apparent quantum yields. We examined the interactive effects of elevated atmospheric CO(2) concentration and temperature on the light response of photosynthesis in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings. Seedlings were grown in sunlit chambers controlled to track either ambient (~400 ppm) CO(2) or ambient + 200 ppm CO(2), at ambient temperature or ambient + 4 degrees C. Photosynthetic light response curves were measured over an 18-month period beginning 32 months after treatments were initiated. Light-response curves were measured at the growth CO(2) concentration, and were used to calculate the light-saturated rate of photosynthesis, light compensation point, quantum yield and respiration rate. Elevated CO(2) increased apparent quantum yields during two of five measurement periods, but did not significantly affect light-saturated net photosynthetic rates, light compensation points or respiration rates. Elevated temperature increased all parameters. There were no significant interactions between CO(2) concentration and temperature. We conclude that down-regulation of photosynthesis occurred in the elevated CO(2) treatments such that carbon uptake at a given irradiance was similar across CO(2) treatments. In contrast, increasing temperature may substantially increase carbon uptake rates in Douglas-fir, assuming other environmental factors do not limit photosynthesis; however, it is not clear whether the increased carbon uptake will increase growth rates or be offset by increased carbon efflux through respiration.
Evaluation of an Adaptive Interface for Fault Management

Adaptive interfaces support the performance of human operators by providing the appropriate aid, information or functionality at any point in operation. This study presents an experimental evaluation of an adaptive interface. Comparing an adaptive interface to a non-adaptive one for the same process through experimentation can reveal its relative weaknesses and strengths. A sample simulation environment that controls a thermal-hydraulic process is used for this study. Using four performance criteria, the adaptive interface performed significantly better than the non-adaptive one.
The evaluation of pulmonary function during bronchoscopic examination.

Summary A method to compare the separate function of the lungs during bronchoscopic examination is described. The technique measures the breath-by-breath excretion of CO2. A difference in the end-expiratory CO2 concentration is thought to correspond to a difference in pulmonary function. The results from 40 patients suggest that the technique can provide meaningful data.
‘The Coming Clash of East and West’: syncretism, cosmopolitanism, and disaffection in the colonial public sphere

This essay analyses the modernist Indian journal ‘East and West’, published in Bombay from 1901 to 1921, as a significant instance of how and why syncretic ideals circulated in the colonial public ...
The Effect of Relative Encoding on Memory-Based Judgments

Several models of judgment propose that people struggle with absolute judgments and instead represent options on the basis of their relative standing. This leads to a conundrum when people make judgments from memory: They may encode an option’s ordinal rank relative to the surrounding options but later observe a different distribution of options. Do people update their representations when making judgments from memory, or do they maintain their representations based on the initial encoding? In three studies, we found that people making memory-based judgments rely on a stimulus’s relative standing in the distribution at the time of encoding rather than attending to absolute quality or updating the stimulus’s ordinal ranking in light of the distribution at the time of the later judgment.
Statistical Elements of Quantitative Research

Back to the game – you’re at the plate. Will the next pitch be a fastball? Is this pitch in the strike zone and are you going to swing? Now you’re in the field. Should you be satisfied with a force at second or go for a double play? Do you try to pick off the runner on first and risk a balk? Decisions, decisions! Taking action at the plate or in the field requires you to process evidence and make a decision.
Information Disclosure, Finance and Growth. Evidence from an Unbanked Industry in the US

This paper uses a unique setting of an unbanked industry with high information costs to study the impact of information dissemination by the government on the future growth. Specifically, the paper studies the US Marijuana industry. Marijuana is considered an illegal drug by Federal law and hence it is significantly costly for the banks and other financial institutions to serve the industry. I exploit the passage of the Cole Memo and a unique information disclosure experiment by Washington state that lowered banking access costs for its marijuana industry compared to other legal marijuana states such as Colorado. This paper uses micro-level panel data and instrumental variable (IV) regression to study the causal impact of information generation and banking access on the growth of the industry. Firm-level analysis shows that access to banking and subsequent sales growth increased following the state official's enforcement visits to the firm's facilities, supporting the claim that information generated through these visits significantly lowered information costs faced by the banking industry. Consistent with the causal effect of information disclosure on banking access, the increase in sales growth is concentrated for single-license firms which are more dependent on external finance as compared to multi-license firms. The results are robust to placebo tests and alternative specifications.
The effect of the incidence function on the existence of backward bifurcation

In modelling, the dynamics of infectious disease, the choice of the specific mathematical formulation of disease transmission (i.e. the incidence function) is one of the initial assumptions to be made. While inconsequential in many situations, we show that the incidence function can have an effect on the existence of backward bifurcation (the phenomenon where a disease can persist even when the basic reproductive number is less than 1). More specifically, we compare mass action (MA) and standard incidence (SI) (the most common incidence functions) versions of two hallmark models in the backward bifurcation literature and an original combination model. Our findings indicate that the SI formation of disease transmission is more conducive to backward bifurcation than MA, a trend seen in all the models analysed.
Intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections for knee osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis is a common but often difficult problem to manage in primary care. Traditional nonsurgical management, consisting of lifestyle modification, physical therapy and pharmacologic therapy (e.g., analgesics, anti-inflammatory medications), is often ineffective or leaves residual symptoms. Viscosupplementation is a newly available option for patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis that involves a series of intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid. The exact mechanism of action is unclear, although increasing the viscoelasticity of the synovial fluid appears to play a role. Clinical experience and studies of the two hyaluronic acid products available, hyaluronan and hylan G-F 20, are inconclusive but seem to indicate beneficial effects with minimal adverse reactions in a significant number of patients. The exact indications for viscosupplementation are still evolving, but it currently can be considered for use in patients who have significant residual symptoms despite traditional nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments. In addition, patients who are intolerant of traditional treatments (e.g., gastrointestinal problems related to anti-inflammatory medications) can be considered for these injections. Family physicians with the ability to perform intra-articular knee injections should consider them an option in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.
Ab Initio Analysis of Charge Carrier Dynamics in Organic-Inorganic Lead Halide Perovskite Solar Cells

Today’s conversion of solar energy into electricity is based on silicon, which is pure, eventually crystalline, and its most efficient transitions are away from solar radiation maximum. The continuous search of efficient photovoltaic materials has recently focused on lead-halide organic-inorganic perovskite materials due to the very flexible, sustainable, and forgiving procedure of their fabrication, which is successful even if the concentrations of precursors, and temperature regimes deviate from optimal values. In addition to simple fabrication, this class of materials provides impressively high efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) cells. Attention to these materials helps to understand the mechanisms of their high efficiencies and to identify other materials with same type of properties. This work presents computational analysis of photo-induced processes in perovskite materials at ambient temperatures.
Detection of Four Distinct Volatile Indicators of Colorectal Cancer using Functionalized Titania Nanotubular Arrays

Screening of colorectal cancer is crucial for early stage diagnosis and treatment. Detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the metabolome present in exhaled breath is a promising approach to screen colorectal cancer (CRC). Various forms of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that show the definitive signature for the different diseases including cancers are present in exhale breathe. Among all the reported CRC VOCs, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, 1,3-dimethyl- benzene and decanal are identified as the prominent ones that can be used as the signature for CRC screening. In the present investigation, detection of the four prominent VOCs related to CRC is explored using functionalized titania nanotubular arrays (TNAs)-based sensor. These signature biomarkers are shown to be detected using nickel-functionalized TNA as an electrochemical sensor. The sensing mechanism is based on the electrochemical interaction of nickel-functionalized nanotubes with signature biomarkers. A detailed mechanism of the sensor response is also presented.
Characterization of Bifunctional Spin Labels for Investigating the Structural and Dynamic Properties of Membrane Proteins Using EPR Spectroscopy.

Site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) coupled with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a very powerful technique to study structural and dynamic properties of membrane proteins. The most widely used spin label is methanthiosulfonate (MTSL). However, the flexibility of this spin label introduces greater uncertainties in EPR measurements obtained for determining structures, side-chain dynamics, and backbone motion of membrane protein systems. Recently, a newer bifunctional spin label (BSL), 3,4-Bis-(methanethiosulfonylmethyl)-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-1-yloxy, has been introduced to overcome the dynamic limitations associated with the MTSL spin label and has been invaluable in determining protein backbone dynamics and inter-residue distances due to its restricted internal motion and fewer size restrictions. While BSL has been successful in providing more accurate information about the structure and dynamics of several proteins, a detailed characterization of the spin label is ...
Role of Acoustics in Combustion Instability

This paper, intended to complement Buckmaster’s position paper on Combustion Instability, examines the role of finite-amplitude gasdynamic disturbances on selected modes of premixed combustion. The dramatic influence exerted by the disturbances on the dynamics of these systems attests to their unstable character. A need for analogous studies on non- premixed combustion is identified.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy associated with buprenorphine precipitated withdrawal.

Sir,Buprenorphine is a partial agonist opioid prescribed for the treatment of opioid dependence. Caution is advised when administering buprenorphine to opioid-dependent persons as it may displace f...
Should we plant macrophytes? Restored habitat use by the fish community of Lake Apopka, Florida

Slagle ZJ, Allen MS. 2018. Should we plant macrophytes? Restored habitat use by the fish community of Lake Apopka, Florida. Lake Reserv Manage. 00:00–00.Freshwater resources are impaired worldwide,...
Walkability and Safety Around Elementary Schools: Economic and Ethnic Disparities

Background Children's physical inactivity and obesity are growing public health problems in the U.S., especially among low-income, minority populations. Walking to school may help address these problems. Methods This cross-sectional study examined disparities in the environmental support for walking around 73 public elementary schools in Austin TX. GIS was used to measure the neighborhood-level walkability and safety. Field audits were conducted to assess the street-level walkability. Analyses of variance and regressions were performed to analyze economic and ethnic disparities. Results For the top-quartile schools with higher poverty or Hispanic student percentages, the surroundings showed higher neighborhood-level walkability with shorter distances to school and more sidewalks compared with the bottom quartile. These areas, however, also had higher crash and crime rates and lower street-level walkability captured by visual quality, physical amenities, maintenance, and perceived safety. In predictions of environmental conditions using poverty and Hispanic student percentages, poverty was associated with many adverse conditions on the street level and with only two favorable situations, shorter distances to school and lower traffic volumes, on the neighborhood level. The Hispanic student percentage did not correlate with most street-level variables, but predicted both increased dangers from traffic and crime and higher neighborhood-level walkability with more sidewalks, greater density, and mixed land uses. Conclusions Economic and ethnic disparities exist in the environmental support for walking, suggesting the need for tailored interventions in promoting active living. Low-income, Hispanic children are more likely to live in unsafe areas with poor street environments but with some favorable neighborhood-level conditions.
Coupling Acoustic-Structure Systems Using Dynamic Substructuring

Dynamic substructuring allows analysts to combine component structural dynamics models into system-level models. For purely structural systems, dynamic substructuring techniques are well established. Here, one such technique is adapted to solve the coupled response of elastic structures in contact with acoustic cavities. The inputs to the process are the component natural frequencies and the free-interface structural and acoustic modes. The approach is well suited for use with analytical, finite element and/or empirical component modes. Unlike alternative acoustic-structure interaction approaches, the present technique avoids the cumbersome calculation of coupling coefficients and can result in real-valued system natural frequencies and modes. The technique is applied to a simple acoustic-structure system and the results from the model are used to gain insight into acoustic-structure interaction phenomena that have been observed in test hardware.
Venous thromboembolism risk assessments on trauma patients has suboptimal interobserver reliability among inexperienced clinicians (fourth-year medical students)

Background Venous thromboembolic disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients worldwide. The objective of this study is to compare interobserver reliability for qualitative and quantitative venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessments in hospitalized trauma patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective medical record review of 40 randomly selected trauma patients admitted to a 448-bed urban level-I trauma center from January 2013 to January 2014. Interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated based on a two-way mixed model. The sample was equally distributed between patients admitted to the floor and the intensive care unit (ICU). Eight fourth-year medical students performed the risk assessments by the medical record. Two forms for risk assessment were used: a qualitative screening and a quantitative screening. The composite of intraobserver and interobserver variabilities was determined. Results The ICC for qualitative VTE risk assessments was 0.845 and for quantitative VTE risk assessment was 0.628. Conclusion To optimize accuracy of VTE risk stratification and appropriate prophylaxis, medical students and first-year residents should be formally trained to perform quantitative assessments.
The Houston Conference: The Need for More Discussion

Clinical neuropsychology represents one of the most robust and significant components of psychology’s presence within the health care arena. Indeed, the growth shown in scientific, clinical, and personnel of this psychological specialty has been unprecedented. With this growth has been a parallel concern for the pedagogical and professional aspects of the specialty. Toward that end, during the late 1970s the INS and the APA-Division 40 created a special Task Force chaired by Manfred Meier. An initial guideline for the training of clinical neuropsychologists was proposed. More recently, the Houston Conference represents a more ambitious attempt to remedy the lack of cohesiveness and vision for the training of future neuropsychologists. Not surprisingly, and strikingly similar to other aspects of the specialty (e.g., Board certification), the end result has produced an unusually high level of disagreement, anxiety, and, in some cases, even opposite points of view. This situation appears to have been mirrored in the largely mixed reactions to my paper. Presumably, this discrepancy in opinions reflects the need for further required discussion regarding training models. At this moment of neuropsychological development, we are at a stage of initial discussion and careful analysis. Neuropsychology is a new professional area, and it is not surprising that opinions about training models are mixed. The following comments are an attempt to answer each of the individual commentaries.
Modification of Proteins Encoded by Seed Storage Protein Genes

It has been recognized for many years that seed proteins are deficient in amino acids that are “essential” for human and livestock nutrition (15). In general, cereals are most limiting in lysine while legumes are most limiting in the sulfur amino acids, methionine and cysteine. There has been only limited progress by plant breeders to increase the content of these amino acids in crops, primarily because genes encoding storage proteins with higher levels of essential amino acids do not normally exist. Therefore, genetic engineering of genes encoding seed storage proteins would provide a rather straightforward solution to the problem. But regardless of how straightforward the genetic engineering approach might be, it remains to be seen whether it will be practical.
On Spatial Correlation of Nodal Wave Forces in System Reliability Analysis of Offshore Structures

The current practice of wave load modeling for failure path based system reliability analysis consists of using a deterministic wave load pattern (corresponding to the position of a regular design wave with respect to the structure when the base shear is maximum) scaled by the total lateral load (base shear) which is considered random. However, local variations due to uneven marine growth and uncertainties in modeling wave forces result in less than perfect correlation among the nodal wave forces.
Predicting recovery from exertional heat strain in military working dogs.

Abstract A two-compartment (core, skin) rational Canine Thermal Model (CTM) of thermal-physiological responses was developed to predict the core temperature (Tc) of a military working dog (MWD) during recovery from exertional heat stress. Heat storage is represented as the balance among heat loss mechanisms, heat gain from the environment, and heat production from metabolism. Inputs to the CTM include environmental conditions (ambient temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation and wind speed), physical characteristics of the dog (weight, length), and metabolic rate. The CTM was validated against Tc of 16 MWDs measured in a previous study, where training was conducted in October (24 °C, 52% RH), March (14 °C, 74% RH), and August (28 °C, 64% RH). Measured and CTM-simulated Tc were compared at 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 min post-exercise. The CTM was considered acceptable if it was within 0.5 °C of measured Tc for 80% of cases. This occurred in 92% of 37 cases after 30 min recovery, and 86% of 29 cases after 60 min. The mean difference between CTM-simulated and measured Tc was − 0.01 °C at 30 min recovery, with 2 of 37 cases falling outside the range of two standard deviations (Bland Altman comparison). After 60 min recovery the difference was 0.05 °C, with 4 of 29 cases outside the range of acceptance. The root mean squared deviation between CTM-simulated and measured Tc for all time points was 0.3 °C ± 0.3 °C. For comparison, the mean ± standard deviation of resting Tc was 38.2 °C ± 0.3 °C and at peak Tc was 39.4 °C ± 0.7 °C. For this population, the CTM is a valid method for simulating recovery from exertional heat stress. It can be used to develop work / rest cycles during activity in hot environments, and to compare rates of recovery across different environmental conditions.
Management of the products on display shelves using advanced electronic tags equipped with ad hoc network communication capability

Advanced IC tags equipped with ad hoc network communication capability are used for product location management to flexibly deal with frequent changes in product layout on display shelves as is often the case in rental shops. A tag is attached to each product. It manages product and location information. The paper proposes a method in which tags communicate with each other to updating product location information autonomously. It also proposes a method of managing and searching for product information (identification of the shelf on which a given product is located, and product attributes) held by each tag using a distributed hash table. The proposed methods have been implemented on a MANET emulator, and the performance of the methods, such as the probability of successful location information update, and search time, has been evaluated.
Schools as Learning Communities: Unpacking the Concept:

Because the term “learning community” has been used with increasing frequency to describe schools, this article synthesizes theoretical and empirical research to describe learning community as a co...
Quantifying habitat loss and modification from recent expansion of energy infrastructure in an isolated, peripheral greater sage-grouse population.

Abstract New technologies and increasing energy demand have contributed to rapid expansion of unconventional oil and gas development in the U.S. in the past two decades. Quantifying the effects of energy infrastructure on land cover and wildlife habitat is essential for informing land-use policy, developing wildlife conservation strategies, and projecting impacts of future development. The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; GrSG) is a species of concern in sagebrush ecosystems of the western U.S. and Canada and the focus of widespread conservation and management efforts. Increasing energy development within GrSG range has prompted the need to quantify and predict impacts of energy infrastructure on their habitat and populations. We mapped the annual distribution, surface type, and activity level of energy and non-energy infrastructure in the Parachute-Piceance-Roan (PPR), a small, peripheral greater sage-grouse population in Colorado with expanding oil and gas development, from 2005 to 2015. During that time, the footprint of energy infrastructure more than doubled to 3,275 ha (+108.6%), including 195 new well pads, 930 ha of new pipelines, and 230 km of new roads. In contrast, non-energy infrastructure decreased to 532 ha (−8.3%). The majority of energy infrastructure present each year (77–84%) was supporting infrastructure (i.e. facilities, roads, pipelines) rather than well pads, with an average of 2.24 ± 0.52 SE ha of supporting infrastructure per ha of well pad. Pipelines comprised 74–80% of reclaimed surface and roads comprised 54–69% of disturbed surface across years. By 2015, anthropogenic infrastructure covered 2.70% of occupied range and 2.93% of GrSG habitat, and energy infrastructure covered 2.50% and 10.79% of two priority habitat management area zones in the PPR. Three land cover classes most affected by energy infrastructure were also those strongly selected by GrSG. Topographic constraints appear to concentrate energy infrastructure in areas with gentler topography that also have the highest GrSG use. Together, these patterns suggest that future energy development will cause substantial additional loss and modification of GrSG habitat in the PPR. Our findings are valuable for assessing surface disturbance caps for land-use management and projections of energy infrastructure effects on wildlife habitat in this and other expanding oil and gas fields.
Concluding Remarks and Future Perspective

In this chapter, concluding remarks are given, and several research challenges and topics that aim at paving the way for future work in the area of IoT security are presented.
Theory of 1attice excitations in predicted alkali halide superlattice

Superlattices of alkali halides might have novel absorption properties if they could be made. In particular extremely low frequency absorption would be expected, due to zone-folding of the dispersion curves, especially if the superlattice lacked inversion symmetry whereby all optic modes are potentially active. It is possible to reasonably explore such superlattices theoretically in view of the success of the ab initio Gordon-Kim theory (1,2) in describing structural and thermal properties of known closed-shell ionic materials. In that theory the energy is expressed in terms of two-body central forces including long range ionic Coulomb forces. The perturbation theory treatment for the dielectric properties in terms of cubic and quartic anharmonic coefficients has been worked out (3), and, combined with the Gordon-Kim theory, can be used to obtain ab initio theoretical predictions of dielectric properties of ionic materials.
Pearls and Pitfalls of Pediatric Scrotal Imaging

Ultrasonography (US) is the primary imaging modality for the evaluation of pediatric scrotal disease. The ability to obtain exceptional anatomical detail and testicular perfusion information without ionizing radiation makes it the essential tool for evaluating scrotal pain and palpable masses. Challenges arise in both the performance and interpretation of scrotal US in the child. Optimizing imaging parameters and recognizing key differentiating US features help minimize misinterpretations that can lead to poor patient outcomes. Key pearls and pitfalls in pediatric scrotal ultrasound methods and diagnoses are reviewed. Knowledge of what is normal for the various ages of childhood from neonate through adolescence is necessary for accurate US analysis. Imaging evaluation of key causes of the acute painful scrotum including testicular appendage torsion, epididymitis, and testicular torsion are discussed. Sonographic features for the diagnosis of benign and malignant scrotal masses, microlithiasis, and cryptorchidism are reviewed.
The European Union’s Impact in South Asia: Norms or Geopolitics?

This chapter explores the EU’s activities comparatively in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh and analyzes the EU’s influence in regional politics and the domestic politics of these states. The main focus will be the interaction between the EU and these states’ political actors in both geopolitical and normative terms. What normative impact can the EU exert, given the region’s post-colonial apprehensiveness and its geostrategic distance from Europe? This chapter argues that despite the recent internal political and economic upheavals which create uncertainty about the EU’s future as a global player, the EU’s geopolitical and normative power in these South Asian states remains intact. In fact, the EU has become a critical Western power whose political muscle in the region is utilized by these states to influence both domestic and regional political dynamics and economics. Therefore, exploring the EU’s challenges and opportunities in this geopolitically sensitive region is of utmost importance.
Using a Mock Rounds Model and Neurology Patients to Teach Neurological Exam Skills in a Medical Neurobiology Course

First-year medical student groups rotated through classrooms, each containing a Neurology patient and physician, as a “Neuro Day” event to make direct clinical connections with the basic sciences. Inspired by post-graduate Clerkships, this event provided timely first-hand experiences focusing on pathological neurologic exam findings. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from end-of-course surveys. The results show how the event served to reinvigorate enthusiasm for learning Clinical Neurobiology outside the traditional lecture environment and could empower patients as educators within a teaching community.
Predicting Survivability in Lost Person Cases

Over 600,000 people go missing each year in the United States. These events can cover situations anywhere from a young child going missing in a park to a group of hikers getting lost on a trail. dbS Productions has collected data on 16,863 searches over the past 30 years to generate an international database for use by search and rescue teams. The data recorded include a variety of fields such as subject category, terrain, sex, weight, and search hours. The data set is currently being underutilized by search and rescue teams due to a lack of applicable predictive tools built upon the aforementioned data. These search and rescue teams are also often volunteer-based and face great resource limitations in their operations. A tool is needed to predict the probability of a missing person’s survival for the operation’s coordinator to aid in resource allocation and the decision to continue or terminate search missions, which can be costly. This paper details an effort to create such a survivability predictor to help with this goal.We applied an Boosted Tree implementation of an Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) model to estimate the probability that a lost person would be found over time, given personal information about the subject, the location, and weather. We engineered several categorical variables and obtained weather data through the National Weather Service API to improve the model performance.Our engineered model recorded a C-index score of .67, which indicates a relatively robust model where industry standard considers 0.7 as "good" and 0.5 on par with random guessing. An analysis of the feature weights suggested that subject age, temperature, population density, mental fitness, and sex are the most critical indicators of survival in a missing person incident.Future work should involve incorporating more specific weather data, such as wind speeds and precipitation, into the model to improve prediction accuracy. Further research directions may include building a geo-spatial model to predict potential paths taken by a missing person based on initial location and the same predictors used in the survivability model.
Numerical modeling of loss mechanisms resulting from non-uniform illumination in multijunction concentrator solar cells

Quasi-3D distributed emitter models utilizing a unit cell-based methodology have been successfully applied to the analysis of lateral current flow in solar cell emitter layers. However, the analysis of the specific loss mechanisms resulting from this flow has not been given adequate attention. In this work, a quasi-3D model for the simulation of effects related to the lateral flow of current in a solar cell emitter layer, particularly under non-uniform illumination, is developed. The model is applied to a specific case in which a GaInP/GaAs-like two-terminal solar cell is illuminated with a Lorentzian irradiance pattern, which is the expected pattern for parabolic trough concentrator. It is shown that bias-point loss, which results from the variation in the local operating condition of the cell, is significant under highly non-uniform illumination at low-moderate optical concentration. Understanding this loss mechanism is useful in considering trade-offs related to the design of the optical concentrator system, as well as, the design of a grid electrode pattern for maximum power output. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
γ-Aminobutyric Acid Pathway and Modified Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle Activity During Growth and Sporulation of Bacillus thuringiensis

Enzymatic analyses of Bacillus thuringiensis extracts suggested that a modified Krebs tricarboxylic acid cycle (without α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase) can operate during sporulation in conjunction with the glyoxylic acid cycle and the γ-aminobutyric acid pathway.
Change in delay discounting and substance reward value following a brief alcohol and drug use intervention

The present study examined (1) the impact of a brief substance use intervention on delay discounting and indices of substance reward value (RV), and (2) whether baseline values and posttreatment change in these behavioral economic variables predict substance use outcomes. Participants were 97 heavy drinking college students (58.8% female, 41.2% male) who completed a brief motivational intervention (BMI) and then were randomized to one of two conditions: a supplemental behavioral economic intervention that attempted to increase engagement in substance-free activities associated with delayed rewards (SFAS) or an Education control (EDU). Demand intensity, and Omax, decreased and elasticity significantly increased after treatment, but there was no effect for condition. Both baseline values and change in RV, but not discounting, predicted substance use outcomes at 6-month follow-up. Students with high RV who used marijuana were more likely to reduce their use after the SFAS intervention. These results suggest that brief interventions may reduce substance reward value, and that changes in reward value are associated with subsequent drinking and drug use reductions. High RV marijuana users may benefit from intervention elements that enhance future time orientation and substance-free activity participation.
Stimulus induced attenuation of rat vocalizations to tail shock: Shock intensity effects

Three studies are reported dealing with inhibition of distress vocalizations to shock by a preceding stimulus. Two factors were considered: shock intensity and postural adjustments. Shock intensity was varied in 2-V steps from 8 to 18 V in Study A, 12 to 22 V in Study B, and 18 to 28 V in Study C. Postural changes were controlled by using a restraining cage and applying shock to the tail. Stimulus-induced suppression was relatively constant at intermediate intensities but at the highest intensities it did not occur. Number and duration of vocalizations increased with intensity. Postural adjustment was not a factor.
Subacute bacterial endocarditis

Abstract In this series subacute bacterial endocarditis was more common among males than among females. In the majority of cases the patients were in the third, fourth, and fifth decades of life. Embolic processes were common. The spleen was almost invariably enlarged, even though not palpable. The Streptococcus mitior was the usual etiological agent but it was not the only one. A rheumatic infection commonly precedes subacute bacterial endocarditis. The degree of previous valvular damage is usually mild. The mitral valve is involved more frequently than is any other valve. In no case was the duration of symptoms more than one year and in 80 per cent of cases it was six months or less.