cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neural Synchrony in Schizophrenia: From Networks to New Treatments

Evidence is accumulating that brain regions communicate with each other in the temporal domain, relying on coincidence of neural activity to detect phasic relationships among neurons and neural assemblies. This coordination between neural populations has been described as “self-organizing,” an “emergent property” of neural networks arising from the temporal synchrony between synaptic transmission and firing of distinct neuronal populations. Evidence is also accumulating that communication and coordination failures between different brain regions may account for a wide range of problems in schizophrenia, from psychosis to cognitive dysfunction. We review the knowledge about the functional neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of neural oscillations and oscillation abnormalities in schizophrenia. Based on this, we argue that we can begin to use oscillations, across frequencies, to do translational studies to understand the neural basis of schizophrenia.
Comparison of traditional otoscope to iPhone otoscope in the pediatric ED

Abstract Objective Acute otitis media (AOM) is a common diagnosis under age 5 years. The primary objective was to determine if the CellScope Oto (CSO) improves tympanic membrane (TM) visualization and diagnostic precision compared to traditional otoscope. The secondary objective was to determine physician, patient, and parent device preference. Methods This is a prospective cross-sectional study of patients younger than 18 years presenting with ear pain, fever, or upper respiratory infection symptoms. Patients were examined by a resident then attending physician with a traditional wall-mounted otoscope followed by CSO. Each was blinded to the other's findings. Intrarater and interrater diagnostic agreement was compared. Physicians, parents, and patients were surveyed regarding their experience. Results A total of 51 patients completed the study. There was substantial intrarater agreement between traditional otoscope and CSO for residents: right ear ( κ = 0.74) and left ear ( κ = 0.74); CSO use changed reported view for 16 of 102 TM examinations (16%), of which 7 (7%) had clinically relevant change in diagnosis to/from AOM. There was substantial to almost-perfect agreement for attending physicians: right: ( κ = 0.86) and left ( κ = 0.79); CSO use changed reported view for 12 (12%), with 6 (6%) clinically relevant. Resident/attending physician interrater agreement was moderate for both traditional otoscope ( κ = 0.40) and CSO ( κ = 0.47). Physicians agreed CSO was easy to use, enhanced TM visualization and diagnostic precision, and was a good teaching tool. Patients and parents also found the CSO images very helpful. Conclusion CellScope Oto was preferred by physicians, patients, and parents. Use of the CSO changed final diagnosis a significant number of times, including clinically relevant changes to/from AOM.
Astrovirus-like, coronavirus-like, and parvovirus-like particles detected in the diarrheal stools of beagle pups

Astrovirus-like, coronavirus-like, and parvovirus-like particles were detected through electron microscopic (EM) examination of loose and diarrheal stools from a litter of beagle pups. Banding patterns obtained from equilibrium centrifugations in CsCl supported the EM identification. Densities associated with the identified particles were: 1.34 g/ml for astrovirus, 1.39 g/ml for "full" parvovirus and 1.24-1.26 g/ml for "typical" coronavirus. Convalescent sera from the pups aggregated these three particle types as observed by immunoelectron microscopy (IEM). Only coronavirus-like particles were later detected in formed stools from these same pups. Coronavirus and parvo-like viruses are recognized agents of canine viral enteritis, however, astrovirus has not been previously reported in dogs.
Elementary Career Intervention Programs: Social Action Initiatives

This paper examines several conceptual frameworks that can inform elementary career intervention programming. Equity, social justice, and the development of intrinsic motivation are key concepts in the promotion of social action initiatives aimed at improving academic achievement and expanding future career options for all students. Early career interventions provide the ideal venue for prevention efforts in elementary schools. Relevant career theory forms the basis for the design and delivery of elementary career intervention programming.
A risk prediction model for mortality in the moribund general surgical patient.

Abstract Introduction Surgeons struggle to counsel families on the role of surgery and likelihood of survival in the moribund patient. We sought to develop a risk prediction model for postoperative inpatient death for the moribund surgical candidate. Materials and methods Using 2007-2012 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data, we identified American Society of Anesthesiologists class 5 (moribund) patients. The sample was randomly divided into development and validation cohorts. In the development cohort, preoperative patient characteristics were evaluated. The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality. Factors significant in univariate analysis were entered into a multivariable model; points were assigned based on β coefficients. A scoring system was generated to predict inpatient mortality. Models were developed separately for operations performed within and after 24 hours of admission, and tested on the validation cohort. Results A total of 3120 patients were included. In-hospital mortality was 50.6%. In multivariable analysis, patient characteristics associated with in-hospital mortality were age, functional status, recent dialysis, recent myocardial infarction, ventilator dependence, body mass index, and procedure type. The scoring system generated from this model accurately predicted in-hospital mortality for patients undergoing surgery within and after 24 hours. Conclusion A simple risk prediction model using readily available preoperative patient characteristics accurately predicts postoperative mortality in the moribund surgical patient. This scoring system can assist in decision making.
Beyond Measurement and Reward: Methods of Motivating Quality Improvement and Accountability

Objective The article examines public policies designed to improve quality and accountability that do not rely on financial incentives and public reporting of provider performance. Principal Findings Payment policy should help temper the current “more is better” attitude of physicians and provider organizations. Incentive neutrality would better support health professionals’ intrinsic motivation to act in their patients’ best interests to improve overall quality than would pay-for-performance plans targeted to specific areas of clinical care. Public policy can support clinicians’ intrinsic motivation through approaches that support systematic feedback to clinicians and provide concrete opportunities to collaborate to improve care. Some programs administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including Partnership for Patients and Conditions of Participation, deserve more attention; they represent available, but largely ignored, approaches to support providers to improve quality and protect beneficiaries against substandard care. Conclusions Public policies related to quality improvement should focus more on methods of enhancing professional intrinsic motivation, while recognizing the potential role of organizations to actively promote and facilitate that motivation. Actually achieving improvement, however, will require a reexamination of the role played by financial incentives embedded in payments and the unrealistic expectations placed on marginal incentives in pay-for-performance schemes.
EEG Power spectra in sleep-onset insomnia

EEG power spectra of 12 primary, drug-free, sleep-onset insomniacs and 12 age-matched normal sleepers were compared. Subjects slept for 3 consecutive nights in the laboratory, during which EEGs from C3A2 and O1A2 were continuously recorded on FM tape, in addition to standard EOG and EMG leads. The first unambiguous minute of record from each sleep stage, including wakefulness prior to sleep, was selected from the first sleep cycle of night 3. Analog EEG data from 0.5 to 30.5 Hz were digitized at 128 samples/sec, cosine tapered, and subjected to FFT with a resolution of 1 Hz. Sleep latencies of insomniacs (52.0 min) and normals (12.6 min) differed (P less than 0.001). There were no other sleep stage differences. Non-parametric statistics showed that, during wakefulness, insomniacs had significantly more beta activity and less alpha activity than normals. During stage 1, insomniacs had significantly more beta activity than normals. There were no differences during stages 2, 3, or 4. During REM sleep the insomniacs again had significantly more beta activity than the normals. Data from both EEG leads were generally consistent. Thus, insomniacs have increased beta and decreased alpha activity relative to normals prior to the onset of stage 2 sleep. This agrees with our previous finding of increased presleep physiological activity in insomniacs. However, the present data also suggest that a CNS component of this activity, reflected by increased beta EEG, is reactivated during REM sleep.
Adjustable aperture stop to control the divergence and orientation of the beam emerging from a vacuum ultraviolet monochromator.

An adjustable aperture stop for use in controlling the direction and angular divergence of the beam of radiant flux emerging from a MacPherson 225 VUV monochromator is described. Such a stop facilitates measurements of specular reflectance vs angle of incidence and measurements of diffraction grating efficiency. A discussion of the degree of control exercised by the aperture over the beam cross section is given that is applicable to any monochromator fitted with an aperture stop. For this application, the distance from the grating to the aperture stop is larger than the grating focal length. The result is an imaging effect that provides sharper definition of the beam cross section when the aperture stop is between the entrance slit and grating than if the stop is between the grating and exit slit. This sharp definition persists up to distances of several meters beyond the exit slit and is useful when measuring the efficiency of concave diffraction gratings. A fixed direction of the beam from the MacPherson instrument can only be obtained with the aperture between the grating and exit slit which results in some loss of definition of the beam cross section. However, as long as the pathlength beyond the exit slit is restricted to a few tens of cm, the definition is sufficiently good for measurements of reflectance vs angle of incidence.
How many loci does it take to DNA barcode a crocus

Background DNA barcoding promises to revolutionize the way taxonomists work, facilitating species identification by using small, standardized portions of the genome as substitutes for morphology. The concept has gained considerable momentum in many animal groups, but the higher plant world has been largely recalcitrant to the effort. In plants, efforts are concentrated on various regions of the plastid genome, but no agreement exists as to what kinds of regions are ideal, though most researchers agree that more than one region is necessary. One reason for this discrepancy is differences in the tests that are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed regions. Most tests have been made in a floristic setting, where the genetic distance and therefore the level of variation of the regions between taxa is large, or in a limited set of congeneric species. Methodology and Principal Findings Here we present the first in-depth coverage of a large taxonomic group, all 86 known species (except two doubtful ones) of crocus. Even six average-sized barcode regions do not identify all crocus species. This is currently an unrealistic burden in a barcode context. Whereas most proposed regions work well in a floristic context, the majority will – as is the case in crocus – undoubtedly be less efficient in a taxonomic setting. However, a reasonable but less than perfect level of identification may be reached – even in a taxonomic context. Conclusions/Significance The time is ripe for selecting barcode regions in plants, and for prudent examination of their utility. Thus, there is no reason for the plant community to hold back the barcoding effort by continued search for the Holy Grail. We must acknowledge that an emerging system will be far from perfect, fraught with problems and work best in a floristic setting.
Time of origin and distribution of a new cell type in the rat cerebellar cortex

A new cell type was identified in the granular layer of the rat cerebellum. It has a lightly staining nucleus with a nucleolus, it is spherical in shape and is larger than granule cells and smaller than Golgi cells. These pale cells are preferentially concentrated in the nodulus, the ventral uvula, the lingula, the flocculus, and parts of the paraflocculus. According to autoradiographic (3H-thymidine) evidence, over 60% of these pale cells are formed on embryonic days 19 and 20, and their production comes to an end soon after birth, prior to the differentiation of granule cells. The possible relation of pale cells to vestibular afferents of the cerebellar cortex is discussed.
The effect of diphenylhydantoin (Dilantin) on the positive inotropic action of ouabain.

Abstract Diphenylhydantoin (Dilantin), 5 mg/kg., given intravenously over five minutes during the infusion of ouabain, 45 μg/kg. per hr., transiently but significantly reduced the augmentation in right ventricular contractile force which had been produced by the glycoside in 10 anesthetized open chest dogs (group I). The magnitude of the reduction in contractile force and the duration of this effect were similar to those which occurred in 10 animals given Dilantin alone (group III). The administration of Dilantin during the infusion of isoproterenol (group IV, 6 animals) or after propranolol (group V, 5 animals) produced a decrease in contractile force, the magnitude of which was similar to that observed in the dogs given Dilantin alone. The duration of this effect of Dilantin in the dogs receiving isoproterenol also was similar to that observed in the groups I and III. Dilantin resulted in the deaths of 2 animals pretreated with propranolol and caused prolonged periods of contractile force alternans in another 2 animals in this group. The administration of Dilantin during the infusion of ouabain did not significantly increase the amount of glycoside required to produce arrhythmias or affect the maximal increase in contractile force produced by ouabain before the appearance of an arrhythmia. It is concluded that Dilantin does transiently reduce the positive inotropic action of ouabain. However, this effect of Dilantin is not directed specifically against the inotropic effect of the glycosides and apparently occurs as a result of the direct myocardial depressant properties of Dilantin.
A National Outbreak of Salmonella Serotype Tennessee Infections From Contaminated Peanut Butter: A New Food Vehicle for Salmonellosis in the United States

Background Salmonella serotype Tennessee is a rare cause of the estimated 1 million cases of salmonellosis occurring annually in the United States. In January 2007, we began investigating a nationwide increase in Salmonella Tennessee infections. Methods We defined a case as Salmonella Tennessee infection in a patient whose isolate demonstrated 1 of 3 closely related pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and whose illness began during the period 1 August 2006 through 31 July 2007. We conducted a case-control study in 22 states and performed laboratory testing of foods and environmental samples. Results We identified 715 cases in 48 states; 37% of isolates were from urine specimens. Illness was associated with consuming peanut butter more than once a week (matched odds ratio [mOR], 3.5 [95% confidence interval {95% CI}, 1.4-9.9]), consuming Brand X peanut butter (mOR, 12.1 [95% CI, 3.6-66.3]), and consuming Brand Y peanut butter (mOR, 9.1 [95% CI, 1.0-433]). Brands X and Y were produced in 1 plant, which ceased production and recalled products on 14 February 2007. Laboratories isolated outbreak strains of Salmonella Tennessee from 34 Brands X and Y peanut butter jars and 2 plant environmental samples. Conclusions This large, widespread outbreak of salmonellosis is the first linked to peanut butter in the United States; a nationwide recall resulted in outbreak control. Environmental contamination in the peanut butter plant likely caused this outbreak. This outbreak highlights the risk of salmonellosis from heat-processed foods of nonanimal origin previously felt to be low risk for Salmonella contamination.
Biomarkers of multiorgan injury in a preclinical model of exertional heat stroke

It is likely that the pathophysiology of exertional heat stroke (EHS) differs from passive heat stroke (PHS), but this has been difficult to verify experimentally. C57Bl/6 mice were instrumented wi...
Dynamic investigation of defects induced by short, high current pulses of high energy lithium ions

We employ intense and short pulses of energetic lithium (Li+) ions to investigate the relaxation dynamics of radiation induced defects in single crystal silicon samples. Ions both create damage and track damage evolution simultaneously at short time scales when we use the channeling effect as a diagnostic tool. Ion pulses, ~20 to 600 ns long and with peak currents of up to ~1 A are formed in an induction type linear accelerator, the Neutralized Drift Compression experiment at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. By rotating silicon ( ) membranes of different thicknesses and changing the incident ion energy, the fraction of channeled ions in the transmitted beam could be varied. In preliminary experiments we find that the Li ion intensity is not high enough to generate overlapping cascades (in time and space) that would be necessary to measure a change in the shape of the current waveform of the transmitted ion beam. We discuss the concept of pump-probe type experiments with short ion beam pulses to access defect dynamics in materials and outline a path to increasing damage rates with heavier ions and by the application of longitudinal and lateral pulse compression techniques.
High-Fidelity Fluid Structure Coupled Simulations for Underwater Propulsion Using Flexible Biomimetic Fins

The ability of fish to maneuver in tight places, perform stable high acceleration maneuvers, and hover efficiently has inspired the development of underwater robots propelled by flexible fins mimicking those of fish. In general, fin propulsion is a challenging fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problem characterized by large structural deformation and strong added-mass effect. It was recently reported that a simplified computational model using the vortex panel method for the fluid flow is not able to accurately predict thrust generation. In this work, a high-fidelity, fluid-structure coupled computational framework is applied to predict the propulsive performance of a series of biomimetic fins of various dimensions, shapes, and stiffness. This computational framework couples a three-dimensional finite-volume Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver and a nonlinear, finite-element computational structural dynamics (CSD) solver in a partitioned procedure. The large motion and deformation of the fluid-structure interface is handled using a validated, state-of-the-art embedded boundary method. The notorious numerical added-mass effect, that is, a numerical instability issue commonly encountered in FSI simulations involving incompressible fluid flows and light (compared to fluid) structures, is suppressed by accounting for water compressibility in the CFD model and applying a low-Mach preconditioner in the CFD solver. Both one-way and two-way coupled simulations are performed for a series of flexible fins with different thickness. Satisfactory agreement between the simulation prediction and the corresponding experimental data is achieved.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
THE EXTENT OF SKELETAL CHANGE AFTER AMPUTATION

1. After amputations of both upper and lower extremities, the outstanding feature is a generalized osteoporosis in the bones of the mutilated limb, at first patchy but rapidly becoming uniform. It occurs especially near articular ends and muscular attachments and it involves the secondary trabeculae of the cancellous tissue but not the primary architectural features. After lower limb and forearm amputations, rarefaction is obvious in ten days and ceases to progress after three weeks from the date of amputation. 2. After amputations above the elbow, the osteoporosis continues to progress beyond the three-week limit but without destroying the architectural pattern at first. Within a few years there is actual reduction in dimensions of humeral stump, scapula, and clavicle, not explicable on the basis of failure of growth, though precocious union of epiphyses occurs after amputation during or before adolescence. 3. These postamputation phenomena of the upper arm differ from the subsequent changes in infantile and spastic palsy in their erratic distribution and the ultimate disorganization of architecture.
Dichotomous Roles of Cationic Polypeptides Targeting HIV

Cationic antimicrobial polypeptides have classically been considered the principal effector molecules of innate host defense against microbes and viruses. This chapter describes the role of human cationic antimicrobial polypeptides in modulating HIV-1 infection and is presented in the biologically relevant context of sexual HIV-1 transmission. The cationic polypeptides described herein have been identified in either the genital or anorectal mucosa, which are the main target tissues for HIV-1 transmission, or are contained in human semen that is the source of most transmitted HIV-1. Emphasis is placed not only on the ability of cationic polypeptides to inhibit HIV-1 infection but also on the growing body of evidence suggesting an increasing number of cationic polypeptides enhance HIV-1, often robustly.
Geology of Cairo, Egypt

The engineering geology of Cairo, Egypt, is essentially influenced by the Quaternary alluvial deposits of the River Nile and the adjacent desert dry streams, as well as by the Tertiary shallow marine carbonates of the ancient Mediterranean Sea and the terrestrial quartzitic sandstone. The alluvial deposits, developed mainly into a top silty clay layer and a lower sandy and gravel layer, have a thickness of about 300 m. The white Tertiary carbonates and the red quartzitic sandstone dominate the elevated plateau and the disconnected buttes and mesas in the area east of the Nile and have a thickness of about 500 m. These are locally overlain by gypsiferous clay deposits having a thickness of about 50 m. Buildings and other structures in the lower Nilotic Cairo are dominantly supported by drilled pier piles and/or continuous mat foundations, but in the elevated or hilly portions of Cairo the structures are supported by raft foundations and/or isolated footings. Cairo is located on the southern side of the “mobile folded belt” on the edge of the “Mediterranean Geosyncline.” That belt is oriented NE-SW and is dominantly crossed, in the northwest-southeast direction, by a belt of normal faults. The intersection of the two geological structural belts has a bearing upon the seismicity of Cairo. Ecological constraints in Cairo comprise the shifting sand and dust, particularly in spring time, the continuous rising of the ground-water surface and the air pollution.
A Progression of Projectiles: Examples from Sports

(1994). A Progression of Projectiles: Examples from Sports. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 25, No. 5, pp. 436-442.
Modeling of the solubilities of NiO/NiAl2O4 and FeO/FeAl2O4 in cryolite melts at 1300 K

Experiments to measure the solubilities of NiO/NiAl2O4 and FeO/FeAl2O4 were performed, and the results confirmed existing literature values. The solubilities of NiAl2O4 and FeAl2O4 in Al2O3-saturated cryolite melts at 1300 K were modeled thermodynamically in terms of the Ni-containing complexes Na2NiF4 and Na4NiF6, and the Fe-containing solutes FeF2, Na2FeF4, and Na4FeF6. The experimental solubility data were fitted to multiple simultaneous equilibria. Equilibrium constants and ΔGf0 values for the formation reactions of the these solutes were thereby estimated. The solubilities of NiO/NiAl2O4 and FeO/FeAl2O4 and solute distributions in Al2O3-undersaturated cryolite melts were calculated for a number of melt compositions from the present model. The existence of several competitive solute species is inherent to highly buffered ionic cryolite solutions where the traditional log-log methodology had previously failed to identify dominant single solutes. In such solutions, individual solutes of oxides are not likely to dominate over a wide composition range so that a more global modeling is required. The principal solute species identified in the present study exhibit reasonable three-dimensional (3-D) anion geometries.
Vocal performance affects metabolic rate in dolphins: implications for animals communicating in noisy environments

ABSTRACT Many animals produce louder, longer or more repetitious vocalizations to compensate for increases in environmental noise. Biological costs of increased vocal effort in response to noise, including energetic costs, remain empirically undefined in many taxa, particularly in marine mammals that rely on sound for fundamental biological functions in increasingly noisy habitats. For this investigation, we tested the hypothesis that an increase in vocal effort would result in an energetic cost to the signaler by experimentally measuring oxygen consumption during rest and a 2 min vocal period in dolphins that were trained to vary vocal loudness across trials. Vocal effort was quantified as the total acoustic energy of sounds produced. Metabolic rates during the vocal period were, on average, 1.2 and 1.5 times resting metabolic rate (RMR) in dolphin A and B, respectively. As vocal effort increased, we found that there was a significant increase in metabolic rate over RMR during the 2 min following sound production in both dolphins, and in total oxygen consumption (metabolic cost of sound production plus recovery costs) in the dolphin that showed a wider range of vocal effort across trials. Increases in vocal effort, as a consequence of increases in vocal amplitude, repetition rate and/or duration, are consistent with behavioral responses to noise in free-ranging animals. Here, we empirically demonstrate for the first time in a marine mammal, that these vocal modifications can have an energetic impact at the individual level and, importantly, these data provide a mechanistic foundation for evaluating biological consequences of vocal modification in noise-polluted habitats.
Trouble in Paradise: The Treadmill of Production and Caribbean Tourism

Beginning in the 1950s with the rise of modern mass tourism (McElroy and de Albuquerque 1998; Potter et al. 2004), the tourism industry has grown dramatically and now ranks as the world's fourth la...
Using a Wheelchair Seating System to Measure Postural Effects on User Comfort and Typing Performance

Many people who experience chronic low back pain find that sitting upright for long periods of time can cause discomfort. For some, a measure of relief is achieved by lying down periodically throughout the work day. Devices exist that allow computer operators to work from a significantly reclined or supine posture. However, very little has been written to describe the impact of these alternate postures on typing performance and user comfort. The ability to move from an upright to a supine posture is also important for the health of many wheelchair users. Tilt and recline wheelchair seating systems are frequently used to address this need. This study used a modified tilt and recline wheelchair seating system to measure the impact of five different postures on typing performance and user comfort. Preliminary analyses indicate discomfort in upper extremities may cause significant differences in typing speed and user comfort in supine positions.
251 ADVERSE EFFECT OF MATERNAL MEDICATION TEMPERATURE OF NEONATES

The effect of meperidine, promazine and scopolamine given to women in labor on the temperature of the newborn (NB) on admission to the nursery was studied. 475 healthy term vaginally delivered NB (BW 2500-4000 gm, 1 min Apgar > 6) were reviewed. Delivery rooms were maintained at 23-24°C and there was no significant difference between cold (< 36°C) and warm babies in time of arrival in nursery. 113 women received medications for pain relief. Some women in both medicated and non-medicated groups received regional anesthesia (RA). The incidence of hypothermia in the infants is shown below: A significant increase in percentage of cold NB was noted in the medicated group whose mothers received regional anesthesia. The difference was less apparent when mothers without regional anesthesia were also included (numbers small). Meperidine causes peripheral vasodilatation which may cause the hypothermia noted.
Attitudes of dentists toward emerging competencies for health care practitioners.

Dentists9 attitudes about the importance of formal training in a variety of skills were assessed as a part of the Pew Health Professions Commission initiative to help health professional schools prepare for the future. Through a telephone survey with a 54 percent participation rate, attitudes of a national sample of practitioners were determined concerning the importance of training in 16 competencies that reflect skills, attitudes, and behaviors identified by the commission. Most respondents indicated that competency in treating and preventing disease, practicing ethically, communicating with patients, applying problem solving techniques, and continuing to learn were very important. Conversely, less than half of dentists indicated that competency in managing information, responding to cultural diversity, supporting community agencies, and working in managed care settings were very important. The opinions of graduates since 1980 about their own training in the competencies tended to mirror their ratings of importance. These results demonstrate the continuing need for dental educators to consider prevailing opinion of practicing professionals as a part of any evaluation or planning effort.
Intention and Origination: An Inside Look at Large-Scale Bot Queries.

Modern attackers increasingly exploit search engines as a vehicle to identify vulnerabilities and to gather information for launching new attacks. In this paper, we perform a large-scale quantitative analysis on bot queries received by the Bing search engine over month-long periods. Our analysis is based on an automated system, called SBotScope, that we develop to dissect large-scale bot queries. Specifically we answer questions of “what are the bot queries searching for?” and “who are submitting these queries?”. Our study shows that 33% of bot queries are searching for vulnerabilities, followed by 11% harvesting user account information. In one of our 16-day datasets, we uncover 8.2 million hosts from botnets and 13,364 hosts from data centers submitting bot queries. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first large-scale effort toward systematically understanding bot query intentions and the scales of the malicious attacks associated with them.
Acute Cervical Spinal Injury

The epidemiology, biomechanics, physiopathology, emergency medical systems, diagnostic criteria, and therapy related to acute cervical spinal cord injury are discussed in this article.
Auditory thalamic circuits and GABAA receptor function: Putative mechanisms in tinnitus pathology

Abstract Tinnitus is defined as a phantom sound (ringing in the ears), and can significantly reduce the quality of life for those who suffer its effects. Ten to fifteen percent of the general adult population report symptoms of tinnitus with 1–2% reporting that tinnitus negatively impacts their quality of life. Noise exposure is the most common cause of tinnitus and the military environment presents many challenging high-noise situations. Military noise levels can be so intense that standard hearing protection is not adequate. Recent studies suggest a role for inhibitory neurotransmitter dysfunction in response to noise-induced peripheral deafferentation as a key element in the pathology of tinnitus. The auditory thalamus, or medial geniculate body (MGB), is an obligate auditory brain center in a unique position to gate the percept of sound as it projects to auditory cortex and to limbic structures. Both areas are thought to be involved in those individuals most impacted by tinnitus. For MGB, opposing hypotheses have posited either a tinnitus-related pathologic decrease or pathologic increase in GABAergic inhibition. In sensory thalamus, GABA mediates fast synaptic inhibition via synaptic GABAA receptors (GABAARs) as well as a persistent tonic inhibition via high-affinity extrasynaptic GABAARs and slow synaptic inhibition via GABABRs. Down-regulation of inhibitory neurotransmission, related to partial peripheral deafferentation, is consistently presented as partially underpinning neuronal hyperactivity seen in animal models of tinnitus. This maladaptive plasticity/Gain Control Theory of tinnitus pathology (see Auerbach et al., 2014 ; Richardson et al., 2012) is characterized by reduced inhibition associated with increased spontaneous and abnormal neuronal activity, including bursting and increased synchrony throughout much of the central auditory pathway. A competing hypothesis suggests that maladaptive oscillations between the MGB and auditory cortex, thalamocortical dysrhythmia, predict tinnitus pathology (De Ridder et al., 2015). These unusual oscillations/rhythms reflect net increased tonic inhibition in a subset of thalamocortical projection neurons resulting in abnormal bursting. Hyperpolarizing de-inactivation of T-type Ca2+ channels switches thalamocortical projection neurons into burst mode. Thalamocortical dysrhythmia originating in sensory thalamus has been postulated to underpin neuropathies including tinnitus and chronic pain. Here we review the relationship between noise-induced tinnitus and altered inhibition in the MGB.
Contextual Emergence of Deterministic and Stochastic Descriptions

Hans Primas laid the groundwork for contextual emergence and also had a long-standing interest in issues of stochasticity and determinism and their consequences. In this contribution we describe contextual emergence and then turn to the question of whether determinism and stochasticity could be regarded as contextually emergent notions. In a first step we demonstrate that the conventional concept of determinism is not fully contained in the fundamental description of dynamical systems but requires some contextual stability condition for the emergence of unique trajectories. Second, we discuss mathematical dilation techniques of deterministic systems for the contextual emergence of stochastic descriptions. Finally, the emergence of deterministic “mean field” descriptions from stochastic Markov processes illustrates another contextual aspect of the nature of determinism. We discuss our results regarding contextual determinism and stochasticity in the framework of relative onticity and indicate its potential relevance for the freewill-determinism debates.
PBUA: A Dynamic User Authentication Mechanism for Secure MobiCloud Environment

Objectives: Authenticating the MobiCloud users using traditional passwords, biometrics is prone to shoulder surfing attack and need external device. Pattern Based User Authentication (PBUA) mechanism is introduced to identify and authenticate the users in MobiCloud environment. Methods/ Statistical Analysis: To authenticate the users, the whole process is divided into two phases namely, identification and authentication. Dynamic patterns are generated using random mathematical function to select the patterns from the Identity Management (IdM) Server. Pattern matching operation is done using the hash-based technique to match the image pattern sequences quickly with the actual pattern. Findings: Experimental results show that the proposed PBUA is strong enough against shoulder surfing attack. The time taken for pattern matching is very less when compared to existing pattern matching mechanisms. Application/Improvement: PBUA does not need any intermediate table as the patterns are matched directly with original patterns. The complexity of the algorithm is reduced by , thus the efficiency is improved n2 times. Pattern updation is not required which reduces the user’s burden.
Bispectral analysis of EEG burst patterns from piglets during recovery from asphyxia

The aim of this study was to study phase coupling among different frequency components in EEC burst patterns observed in piglets during recovery from asphyxia and to compare them with those of the awake baseline EEG data. Phase coupling was quantitated by determining the average bicoherence index within the delta band along the main diagonal in the bifrequency plane. Multiple instances of burst patterns from each experiment were analyzed for phase coupling and compared with the corresponding baseline EEG data. The baseline EEG data did not show any significant phase coupling within the delta band of frequencies in any of the experiments. The raw averaged bicoherence indices within the delta band of bursts was higher than that of corresponding baseline in almost all instances. The authors, therefore, conclude that the delta frequency components of the EEG tend to become more phase coupled during the initial phase of recovery of the brain from an asphyxic injury.
Acute myocarditis following high-dose interleukin-2 treatment

We describe the case of a 49-year-old woman with metastatic renal carcinoma receiving treatment with high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) who developed acutely progressive dyspnea on exertion and an elevated troponin level. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) was used to establish the diagnosis of IL-2-associated cardiotoxicity, differentiating myocarditis from acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and preventing an unnecessary invasive coronary angiogram. .
Mechanochromic fluorescence in epoxy as a detection method for barely visible impact damage in CFRP composites

Abstract The demand for carbon fiber reinforced epoxy as a structural material has greatly increased recently, especially in aerospace and commercial aircraft applications. The need for accurate detection of barely visible impact damage (BVID) in these materials is increasing as well. The relatively unexplored field of mechanochemistry (and its sub-field mechanochromism) offers attractive methods of detecting impact damage, if the materials involved have adequate properties for aerospace applications. With this in mind, we have observed mechanochromic behavior in a little-used combination of epoxy and amine curing agent - tetraglycidyl-4′-4 diaminodiphenylmethane with diethylenetriamine - that produces strong fluorescence in response to compression and impact. The mechanochromic fluorescence is detectable at ∼0.5 GPa, and visible at ∼1.0 GPa, and shows consistent increase with increasing true stress. The fluorescence intensity decreases over time; the decrease follows a decay pattern suggesting that the emission comes from a mechanochemically formed radical species which gradually recombines into a non-fluorescent species. The mechanochromic epoxy system has processing flexibility and can be spray coated onto parts; these coatings activate due to impacts and indentations consistent with BVID events, showing the system's potential as a non-destructive evaluation material and method for composite structures.
Patient and Physician Perceptions of Drug Safety Information for Sleep Aids: A Qualitative Study.

The US Food and Drug Administration uses drug safety communications (DSCs) to release emerging information regarding post-market safety issues, but it is unclear the extent of awareness by patients and providers of these communications and their specific recommendations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with patients and physicians to evaluate their awareness and understanding of emerging drug safety information related to two sleep aids: zolpidem or eszopiclone. We conducted interviews with 40 patients and ten physicians recruited from a combination of insurer claims databases and online sources. We evaluated (1) sources of drug safety information; (2) discussions between patients and physicians about the two medications; (3) their knowledge of the DSC; and (4) preferences for learning about future drug safety information. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Patients cited their physicians, pharmacy inserts, and the Internet as sources of drug safety information. Physicians often referred to medical journals and online medical sources. Most patients reported being aware of information contained in the DSC summaries they were read. Almost all patients and physicians reported discussing side effects during patient-provider conversations, but almost no patients mentioned that physicians had communicated with them key messaging from the DSCs at issue: the risk of next-morning impairment with zolpidem and the lower recommended initial dose for women. Some risks of medications are effectively communicated to patients and physicians; however, there is still a noticeable gap between information issued by the Food and Drug Administration and patient and physician awareness of this knowledge, as well as patients’ decisions to act on this information. Disseminators of emerging drug safety information should explore ways of providing user-friendly resources to patients and healthcare professionals that can update them on new risks in a timely manner.
POSTER: Why Are You Going That Way? Measuring Unnecessary Exposure of Network Traffic to Nation States

In this work, we examine to what extent the Internet's routing infrastructure needlessly exposes network traffic to nations geographically irrelevant to packet transmission. We quantify what countries are geographically logical to see on a network path traveling between two nations through the use of convex hulls circumscribing major population centers, and then compare that to the nation states observed in utilized paths. Our preliminary results show that the majority of paths, 52%, unnecessarily expose traffic to at least one nation. We also explore which nation states are disproportionately allowed to observe and manipulate a larger fraction of Internet traffic than they otherwise should.
Factors in the home environment associated with toddler diet: an ecological momentary assessment study.

OBJECTIVE To identify home environment factors associated with toddler dietary behaviours using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). DESIGN Home environment and toddler's diet were assessed by mothers through EMA (random beeps over ≤8 d and a brief survey). Dietary outcomes were fruit/vegetable consumption, eating episode ('snack' v. 'meal') and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. Home environment factors included interacting with mother, eating alone/with others, eating in a high chair/chair at the table, watching television and movement/translocation. Multilevel logistic mixed-effects regression models assessed both within- (individual toddlers across time) and between- (toddlers-on-average) subject effects. SUBJECTS Low-income mother-toddler dyads (n 277). SETTING Urban and suburban Maryland, USA. RESULTS EMA captured eating/drinking episodes for 249/277 (89·9 %) toddlers (883 eating episodes, 1586 drinking episodes). Toddlers-on-average were more likely (adjusted OR, P value) to eat fruit/vegetables when not moving around (0·43, P=0·043), eat with the television off (0·33, P<0·001) and eat in a high chair/chair (3·38, P<0·001); no within-subject effects were shown. For eating episodes, both toddlers-on-average and individual toddlers were more likely to eat snacks when not in a high chair/chair (0·13, P<0·001 and 0·06, P<0·001, respectively) and when eating alone (0·30, P<0·001 and 0·31, P<0·001, respectively). Also, individual toddlers were more likely to eat snacks when moving around (3·61, P<0·001). Toddlers-on-average were more likely to consume SSB when not in a high chair/chair (0·21, P=0·001), eating alone (0·38, P=0·047) or during a snacking episode (v. a meal: 3·96, P=0·012); no within-subject effects shown. CONCLUSIONS Factors in the home environment are associated with dietary behaviours among toddlers. Understanding the interplay between the home environment and toddler diet can inform future paediatric dietary recommendations.
Determining Performance Metrics for Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing Panels Using Reference Materials

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has developed reference materials for five human genomes. DNA aliquots are available for purchase, and the data, analyses, and high-confidence small variant and homozygous reference calls are freely available on the web. These reference materials are useful for evaluating whole-genome sequencing methods and also can be used to benchmark targeted sequencing panels, which are used commonly in clinical settings. This article describes how to use the Genome in a Bottle samples to obtain performance metrics on any germline-targeted sequencing panel of interest, as well as the limitations of the reference materials. These materials are useful for understanding the limitations of, and optimizing, targeted sequencing panels and associated bioinformatics pipelines. Example figures are presented to illustrate ways to access the performance metrics of targeted sequencing panels, and a table of best practices is included.
Poisonous Medicine in Ancient China

This article introduces the history of toxicology in ancient China. It highlights the paradoxical meanings of toxicity or du in Chinese pharmacology, with perceived potency both to harm as a poison and to cure as a medicine. Instead of avoiding toxic substances entirely, Chinese doctors valued their therapeutic power and used them strategically—by dosage control, drug combination, and drug processing—to cure illnesses. The article uses aconite, a highly toxic herb, to show this key concept in Chinese medicine. The herb, one of the most commonly used drugs in antiquity, could induce strong bodily sensations that were considered therapeutic. It was also deployed as a powerful poison in court murder, hunting, and warfare in ancient China. Finally, the article compares the Chinese concept of du with the Greek notion of pharmakon, and shows both striking similarities and critical differences on the use of toxic drugs between the two medical traditions.
Effect of grape (Vitis labrusca L.) pomace dried by different methods on physicochemical, microbiological and bioactive properties of yoghurt

Abstract In this study, the effect of grape (Vitis labrusca L.) pomace dried by different methods on the functional properties of yoghurt was examined. Oven- and freeze-dried pomaces were added to the yoghurts at the ratios of 1, 3 and 5%. The freeze-dried pomace had the highest levels of bioactive components, with 34.959 mg GAE/g of total phenolics and 12.586 mg/L DPPH of radical scavenging activity, followed by the pomace oven dried at 80 °C (p 0.05) in yoghurt samples during storage. The sensory analysis done at the end of the storage revealed that the yoghurt samples containing pomace dried in the forced air oven were mostly liked by consumers. This study showed that Isabella grape (V. labrusca L.) pomace can be used as a functional food ingredient in yoghurt production.
The power of culture and context on Hispanic/Latina teen pregnancy and birth in Oklahoma: provider and parental perspectives.

ABSTRACTObjective: To explore cultural-contextual factors that impact the high rate of Hispanic/Latina teen pregnancy in Oklahoma from the perspective of providers and parents. Methods: Community B...
Rotational vestibular assessment

It is a rare entity to find a textbook where ‘the more you read, the more you wish to read’. Such is the case with this well-written book. Authored by one professional, the content builds and trans...