cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safety concerns regarding binge drinking in pregnancy: a review.

BACKGROUND There is ongoing debate about the risks to the fetus associated with maternal binge drinking. This makes it difficult to counsel patients about the potential risks associated with their use of alcohol during pregnancy. METHODS This article reviews the literature on animal and human studies regarding binge drinking (four to five drinks at one time in humans, or the equivalent in laboratory animals). RESULTS Animal studies provide evidence that high doses of alcohol over a short period of time can be more damaging than lower doses over a long period of time. Human data are more inconsistent, especially in terms of the association with malformations. Although neurobehavioral effects are the most commonly reported adverse outcome, some studies do not find such an association. Conclusions are confounded by the design of many studies, which fail to document pattern and total amount of alcohol consumption at one time. In addition, it has been suggested there is a bias against the null effect in publications. CONCLUSION Although the evidence in humans is not conclusive, the incidence of binge exposures in pregnancy is high, and it appears prudent to counsel patients to avoid this exposure whenever possible. Women inadvertently exposed to a single binge episode of alcohol early in the first trimester before pregnancy recognition can be reassured that the risks for adverse effects in their baby are likely low if they are able to discontinue use for the duration of the pregnancy. Unfortunately, there may be some residual fetal risk. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 94:570–575, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Related Causal Frameworks for Surrogate Outcomes

Summary. Four major frameworks have been developed for evaluating surrogate markers in randomized trials: one based on conditional independence of observable variables, another based on direct and indirect effects, a third based on a metaanalysis, and a fourth based on principal stratification. The first two of these fit into a paradigm we call the causal-effects (CE) paradigm, in which, for a good surrogate, the effect of treatment on the surrogate, combined with the effect of the surrogate on the clinical outcome, allow prediction of the effect of the treatment on the clinical outcome. The last two approaches fall into the causal-association (CA) paradigm, in which the effect of the treatment on the surrogate is associated with its effect on the clinical outcome. We consider the CE paradigm first, and consider identifying assumptions and some simple estimation procedures; we then consider the CA paradigm. We examine the relationships among these approaches and associated estimators. We perform a small simulation study to illustrate properties of the various estimators under different scenarios, and conclude with a discussion of the applicability of both paradigms.
Assurance of Learning for Principles of Marketing Students: A Longitudinal Study of a Course-Embedded Direct Assessment.

This article describes the process one marketing faculty followed to demonstrate assurance of learning for marketing students and presents longitudinal results associated with a course-embedded direct assessment device in the Principles of Marketing course. The process follows closely the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) new requirements for demonstrating assurance of learning and illustrates a methodology used to satisfy the requirements of multiple accrediting agencies. Although AACSB does not mandate assurance of learning at the major level, other accrediting bodies (i.e., regional agencies) do require this effort. Our focus on the Principles of Marketing course informs the assurance of learning in the foundations of knowledge for all business students, while simultaneously enabling continuous improvement with regard to education of marketing majors.
Response time analysis of software transactional memory-based distributed real-time systems

We consider distributed real-time systems where concurrency control is managed using software transactional memory (or STM). For such a method we propose an algorithm to compute an upper bound on the response time. We compare the result of the proposed algorithm to a simulation of the system being studied in order to determine its efficacy. The results of our study indicate that it is possible to provide timeliness assurances for systems programmed using STM.
Optical-optical double resonance, laser induced fluorescence, and revision of the signs of the spin-spin constants of the boron carbide (BC) free radical

The cold boron carbide free radical (BC X (4)Σ(-)) has been produced in a pulsed discharge free jet expansion using a precursor mixture of trimethylborane in high pressure argon. High resolution laser induced fluorescence spectra have been obtained for the B (4)Σ(-)-X (4)Σ(-) and E (4)Π-X (4)Σ(-) band systems of both (11)BC and (10)BC. An optical-optical double resonance (OODR) scheme was implemented to study the finer details of both band systems. This involved pumping a single rotational level of the B state with one laser and then recording the various allowed transitions from the intermediate B state to the final E state with a second laser by monitoring the subsequent E-X ultraviolet fluorescence. In this fashion, we were able to prove unambiguously that, contrary to previous studies, the spin-spin constant λ is negative in the ground state and positive in the B (4)Σ(-) excited state. It has been shown that λ″ < 0 is in fact expected based on a semiempirical second order perturbation theory calculation of the magnitude of the spin-spin constant. The OODR spectra have also been used to validate our assignments of the complex and badly overlapped E (4)Π-X (4)Σ(-) 0-0 and 1-0 bands of (11)BC. The E-X 0-0 band of (10)BC was found to be severely perturbed. The ground state main electron configuration is …3σ(2)4σ(2)5σ(1)1π(2)2π(0) and the derived bond lengths show that there is a 0.03 A contraction in the B state, due to the promotion of an electron from the 4σ antibonding orbital to the 5σ bonding orbital. In contrast, the bond length elongates by 0.15 A in the E state, a result of promoting an electron from the 5σ bonding orbital to the 2π antibonding orbitals.
Clinical deterioration in older adults with delirium during early hospitalisation: a prospective cohort study

Objectives To measure the prevalence and incidence of delirium in older adults as they transition from the emergency department (ED) to the inpatient ward, and to determine the association between delirium during early hospitalisation and subsequent clinical deterioration. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Urban tertiary care hospital in Bronx, New York. Participants Adults aged 65 years or older admitted to the inpatient ward from the ED (n=260). Measurements Beginning in the ED, delirium was assessed daily for 3 days, using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit. Outcomes (1) Clinical deterioration, defined as unanticipated intensive care unit (ICU) admission or in-hospital death (primary outcome); (2) decline in discharge status, defined as discharge to higher level of care, hospice or in-hospital death. Results 38 of 260 participants (15%) were delirious at least once during the first 3 days of hospitalisation. Of the 29 (11%) patients with delirium in the ED (ie, hospital day 1), delirium persisted into hospital day 2 in 72% (n=21), and persisted for all 3 days in 52% (n=15). In multivariate analyses, as little as 1 episode of delirium during the first 3 days was associated with increased odds of unanticipated ICU admission or in-hospital death (adjusted OR 8.07 (95% CI 1.91 to 34.14); p=0.005). Delirium that persisted for all 3 days was associated with a decline in discharge status, even after adjusting for factors such as severity of illness and baseline cognitive impairment (adjusted OR 4.70 (95% CI 1.41 to 15.63); p=0.012). Conclusions Delirium during the first few days of hospitalisation was associated with poor outcomes in older adults admitted from the ED to the inpatient ward. These findings suggest the need for serial delirium monitoring that begins in the ED to identify a high-risk population that may benefit from closer follow-up and intervention.
Blood Pressure in Mexican Americans, Whites, and Blacks The Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Previous studies of Mexican Americans have shown mean diastolic and systolic blood pressures and prevalence rates of hypertension which are either lower than or similar to those for non-Hispanic whites despite the predominance of obesity in Mexican Americans. However, those results are based on restricted samples from California and Texas. Using data from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1976-1980) and the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1982-1984), the authors examined ethnic differences in blood pressure and hypertension. Regression analyses, stratified by sex, were used to compare mean blood pressures and rates of hypertension in Mexican Americans with those for whites and blacks. Mean diastolic and systolic blood pressures, as well as the prevalence of hypertension, were lower in Mexican Americans than in non-Hispanic whites or in blacks, with whom they shared a remarkably similar risk profile. This effect was unchanged after adjustment for age, body mass index (weight (kg)/height (cm)2 x 100), and education, indicating that blood pressure differences between Mexican Americans, whites, and blacks were not explained by the established correlates of high blood pressure. There are several possible reasons for lower blood pressure in Mexican Americans, including genetic, life-style, and cultural factors.
The relative value of various somatic therapies in schizophrenia.

Intellectual impairment and disease severity tend to parallel one another in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the pattern of development of the neuro psychological impairments contributing to the overall intellectual decline is unknown. This problem was addressed by comparing neuropsychological performance in the early and later stages of PD. Impairment of recent memory, impairment of cognition, and somatic features of depression were seen early and worsened with more advanced disease. Impairment of visuospatial skills, remote memory, language, and mood were observed only in the later stages of PD. These findings suggest that neuropsychological impairments do not develop in a uniform manner with progression of PD. I n his original essay on “the shaking palsy,” James Parkinson’ suggested this disease leaves the senses and intellect intact. Many researchers disagree and feel that most, perhaps all, Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients eventually develop cognitive disturbances. Many also agree that the overall severity of intellectual disturbance and severity of the clinical disease are positively correlated,2� although which specific quantitative and/or qualitative neuropsychological factors produce the overall intellectual decline at different stages of PD remain unclear. We compared early PD patients to patients in advanced stages and to normal controls with a neuropsychological test battery that measures several areas of cognitive function. Our purpose was to identify neuropsychological features that are impaired early and determine whether they worsened in more advanced PD (quantitative differences), and to identify processes that are normal in the early stages and become impaired only in advanced stages of PD (qualitative changes).
Numerical Calculation and Analysis of Transient Enclosure Voltage Rising Caused by Operating Disconnectors

To assess the insulation coordination under transient condition of GIS and improve the operating reliability of power system,the transient enclosure voltage(TEV)rising caused by operating disconnectors is investigated in this paper.The principle of TEV in GIS housing is elaborated.TEV produced by disconnectors at 550 kV Dongqing GIS substation is calculated,the factors affecting TEV and possible harm by TEV is analyzed.
Length-adaptive graph search for automatic segmentation of pathological features in optical coherence tomography images

We introduce a metric in graph search and demonstrate its application for segmenting retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of macular pathology. Our proposed “adjusted mean arc length” (AMAL) metric is an adaptation of the lowest mean arc length search technique for automated OCT segmentation. We compare this method to Dijkstra’s shortest path algorithm, which we utilized previously in our popular graph theory and dynamic programming segmentation technique. As an illustrative example, we show that AMAL-based length-adaptive segmentation outperforms the shortest path in delineating the retina/vitreous boundary of patients with full-thickness macular holes when compared with expert manual grading.
Kennedy, the Arabs and the Navy’s New Frontier

John F. Kennedy and the men around him were keen to face the challenges of the post-colonial era. As a presidential candidate, Kennedy had denounced Eisenhower’s supposedly lethargic response to world historical movements in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Because of Republican torpor, he declared, freedom was everywhere under attack, and unless America did much more, ‘then freedom fails’. The New Frontier policy makers who took office in January 1961 were men in a hurry, eager to turn the tide of events before it was too late.
RADIOACTIVE AND STABLE ISOTOPES IN THE EARLY SOLAR SYSTEM

Although scientists had previously believed that the chemical elements were synthesized only in stars, the discovery of the Oko reactor has revealed that a nuclear fire had existed in the earth billions of years ago. The existence of 83-m.y. 244 Pu in the early solar system, on the other hand, may be regarded as a direct evidence that elements heavier than uranium were synthesized in supernova. Variations in the ratios of stable isotopes of 0, Ne, Mg, Ca, Ti, Kr, Ag, Te, Xe, Ba, Ce, Nd, Sm, and Gd in meteorites have recently been reported and these anomalies are generally attributed to the heterogeneity of the solar nebula at the time of its condensation. Decay products of 16-m.y. 129 I, 6.5-m.y. 107 Pd and 0.73-m.y. 26 Al have also been identified in various meteorites, but the origins of these extinct radionuclides are not yet fully understood. It seems, however, that the anomalies observed in the stable isotopes of various elements in meteorites and the occurrence of extinct radionuclides such as 129 I, 107 Pd and 26 Al can be explained as due to a combined effect of mass-fractionation, neutron-capture and spallation processes which took place prior to and/or during the formation of the solar system.
Antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents

Numerous antithrombotic agents have been developed and approved for use in patients at risk for recurrent venous and arterial thromboembolism. Presently, the treatment options for anticoagulation extend beyond the conventional vitamin K antagonists and antiplatelet agents. While these novel agents provide increased convenience to the patient, they present unique challenges in the management of patients who experience bleeding or those who require urgent surgery. This chapter examines the strategies available for reversal and perioperative management of patients on various antithrombotic agents.
The Revised Strain Index: an improved upper extremity exposure assessment model

AbstractThe Revised Strain Index (RSI) is a distal upper extremity (DUE) physical exposure assessment model based on: intensity of exertion, frequency of exertion, duration per exertion, hand/wrist posture and duration of task per day. The RSI improves upon the 1995 Strain Index (SI) by using continuous rather than categorical multipliers, and replacing duty cycle with duration per exertion. In a simulation of 13,944 tasks, the RSI and 1995 SI showed good agreement in risk predictions for 1995 SI scores ≤3 (safe) and >13.5 (hazardous). For tasks with 1995 SI scores of >3 and ≤13.5, the two models showed marked disagreement, with the RSI providing much greater discriminations between ‘safe’ and ‘hazardous’ tasks for various combinations of force, repetition and duty cycle. We believe the RSI is a substantially improved model that will be useful for DUE task analysis, intervention and design.Practitioner Summary: RSI is a substantial improvement over the 1995 SI. It should be a valuable tool for designing a...
The effects of skin-to-skin holding on caloric composition of expressed breast milk

Objective : Mothers of premature infants express breast milk for early infant feedings, however problems arise with changes in physiologic stability of the infant. This pilot study examines the relationship of skin-to-skin holding to the caloric composition of maternal breast milk expressed by mothers of premature infants immediately after holding their infants. Methods : Twelve dyads of first-time mothers with medically stable neonates weighing 1,500 grams or less at birth participated in this study. Mothers pumped breast milk on their personal, regular schedules over a 4-day study enrollment, skin-to-skin held their premature infants during the study, and pumped following holding their infants. All expressed breast milk was measured for caloric composition using a Creamatocrit Plus centrifuge. The expressed milk compositions over a four day period were compared using repeated measures ANOVA. Results and conclusions : Four sequential days of pumped breast milk data was collected and tested from each mother. There was a significant increase in caloric composition for every sample of breast milk expressed after skin-to-skin holding as compared to non-holding conditions ( p = .000) in this pilot study. These findings demonstrate clinical importance in that skin-to-skin holding has the potential to improve premature infant growth over time.
Mountains on the Moon

Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) was born in Pisa. As a young boy he attended a monastery school, where he studied Latin classics and Greek. He went on to study medicine and mathematics at the University of Pisa, but left without a degree due to lack of funds. After this, he spent a few years doing private teaching and independent research, then went on to serve as a lecturer at the University of Pisa before he was appointed to chair of mathematics at the University of Padua in 1591. It was here that he carried out the work which would be published in 1610 under the title Sidereus Nuncius—the sidereal, or starry, messenger. The following text selections were translated from the latin text of Galileo’s Sidereal Messenger by Edward Stafford Carlos in 1880 and revised by Maurice A. Finocchiaro in 2008. Galileo’s sketches of the moon, contained herein, have been kindly provided by the History of Hydraulics Rare Book Collection which is maintained by the IIHR at the University of Iowa. Galileo begins this text by describing the spyglass—or telescope—with which his ground-breaking observations were made possible.
Role of molecular complexation in solid-liquid phase diagram of poly-ethylene oxide/urea mixture

Abstract Thermodynamic phase diagram of polyethylene oxide (PEO)/urea blend has been investigated with emphasis on the formation of induced crystals driven by molecular complexation. Of particular interest is that the complexed α crystal is more stable than those of neat constituents. The experimental solid-liquid phase diagram of PEO/urea blends has been analyzed in the context of the combined Flory-Huggins free energy for liquid-liquid demixing and phase field free energy of crystal solidification. The self-consistently calculated coexistence lines of the PEO/urea mixture exhibit an azeotrope type, accompanied by eutectoid reactions in the submerged regions, wherein the complexed α crystal decomposes into two coexistence crystalline phases. These coexistence crystalline phases were further analyzed by means of polarized optical microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and wide-angle x-ray diffraction. A possible phase diagram of the complexed PEO/urea is constructed and discussed.
Birdsong performance studies: a contrary view

Birdsong biologists interested in sexual selection and honest signalling have repeatedly reported confirmation, over more than a decade, of the biological significance of a scatterplot between trill rate and frequency bandwidth. This ‘performance hypothesis’ proposes that the closer a song plots to an upper bound on the graph, the more difficult the song is to sing, and the more difficult the song the higher quality the singer, so that song quality honestly reveals male quality. In reviewing the confirming literature, however, I can find no support for this performance hypothesis. I will argue here that the scatter in the graph for songbirds is better explained by social factors and song learning. When songbirds learn their songs from each other, multiple males in a neighbourhood will sing the same song type. The need to conform to the local dialect of song types guides a male to learn a typical example of each song type for that population, not to take a memorized song and diminish or exaggerate it in trill rate or frequency bandwidth to honestly demonstrate his relative prowess. When data in this scatterplot are coded both by song type and by male, it is the song type and the need to conform that explains the variability, not the quality of different males. There is no consistent, reliable information in the song performance measures that can be used to evaluate a singing male.
The Use of SPARK in a Complex Spacecraft

Building on our previous experience of constructing and operating a successful Earth orbiting satellite, in which the software was primarily written in SPARK, we now describe our new project: writing the flight software for a complex, lunar orbiting spacecraft called Lunar IceCube (LIC). We continue with our use of SPARK for this new mission, extending and enhancing the techniques used in our previous mission. Although this work is ongoing, we have found SPARK to be a manageable technology for us, even in our student-centered development environment.
Evaluating collision avoidance effects on discomfort in virtual environments

Dynamic, moving characters are increasingly a part of interactive virtual experiences enabled by immersive display technologies such as head-mounted displays (HMDs). In this new context, it is important to consider the impact their behavior has on user experiences. Here, we explore the role collision avoidance between virtual agents and the VR user plays on overall comfort and perceptual experience in an immersive virtual environment. Several users participated in an experiment were they were asked to walk through a dense stream of virtual agents who may or may not be using collision avoidance techniques to avoid them. When collision avoidance was used participants took more direct paths, with less jittering or backtracking, and found the resulting simulated motion to be less intimidating, more realistic, and more comfortable.
The Mind and Psyche of Millennials

In this chapter I deal with the psychological makeup of Millennials. I discuss Freud’s topographic hypothesis about the unconscious, preconscious and consciousness, and the role of the unconscious in our lives. I also discuss Freud’s structural hypothesis about the id, ego and superego and their role in our behavior, his ideas about the Oedipus complex and his book on group analysis and the ego. This sets the stage for a discussion of narcissism and Millennials. Are they more narcissistic than other generations? And what impact does narcissism have on Millennials? I then deal with a discussion of the “Millennial Mind” and helicopter parents. This leads to a treatment of Omar Mateen, a Millennial who massacred 49 people in Orlando, Florida on June 17, 2016. I conclude with a discussion of Millennials as fathers.
Pedagogy and Learning in the Virtual World of Second Life

Second Life® is a computer-based 3-D virtual world environment that is accessible over the Internet and that features massively user-created content. Second Life (SL) involves multiple users, called “avatars,” who create and interact in a spatially-organized ecology of virtual 3-D representations of people, space, time, motion, sound, objects, topography, and tools. First made publicly available in 2003 by Linden Lab®, this 3-D virtual world environment is an emerging convergence of technologies. It represents the robust creative nature of human-centered computing with a rapidly growing population from 100 countries around the world (Linden Lab, 2007). Open virtual world platforms such as SL (that are not games, although games may be played within them), are still in their infancy, and extensive research, development, and investment are on-going as critical challenges continue to emerge. Yet educators are already able to create virtual classrooms, conduct classes, share virtual world teaching strategies, and design virtual research projects. Alongside the limitations of its current iteration, SL provides a complex system of affordances for learning, including synchronous interaction among real persons, an embodied sense of social presence, and virtual spaces where geospatially separated education practitioners are brought together to create situated learning environments. In particular, 3-D virtual world learning environments such as SL feature multiple channels for engagement, communication, collaboration, modeling, data visualization and simulation, sound and spatial relationships, language immersion, and opportunities for crossing physical, geographical, and even temporal boundaries. In December 2007, SL reported 11,396,586 total residents, with resident defined as “a uniquely named avatar with the right to log into Second Life, trade Linden Dollars and visit the Community pages” (Linden Lab, 2007). Gartner, Inc. (2007) estimates that by 2012, 80 percent of active Internet users, including Fortune 500 enterprises, will have a “second life” in some form of 3-D virtual world environment. SL’s currency, the Linden dollar ($L), is tied to the value of the U.S. dollar with exchange rates fluctuating between $250-300 L per $1 U.S. Virtual activity in SL includes major corporations, sports, politics, commerce, real estate, building design and construction, services, religion, culture, art, music, entertainment, museums, libraries, government, environmental studies, non-profit activity, international development, research and education. An estimated 200 universities and colleges have a presence in SL, and this article focuses on some of the issues surrounding that educational activity.
A portable measuring system for a competitive binding glucose biosensor

Central to minimizing the long- and short-term complications associated with diabetes is careful monitoring and maintenance of blood glucose at normal levels. Towards replacing conventionally used finger-prick glucose testing, indwelling continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) based on amperometric electrodes have been introduced to the market. Envisioned to lead to a CGM with an increased lifetime, we report herein a fluorescently-labeled competitive binding assay contained within a hydrogel membrane whose glucose response is measured via a novel portable system. The optical system design included a laser source, bifurcated fiber, laser filter and simple fiber coupled spectrometer to obtain the change in FRET pair ratio of the assay. Glucose response of the assay in free solution was measured using this system across the physiologic range (0-200 mg/dL). The FRET pair ratio signal was seen to increase with glucose and the standard error of calibration was 22.42 mg/dL with a MARD value of 14.85%. When the assay was contained within the hydrogel membrane’s central cavity and similarly analyzed, the standard error increased but the assay maintained its reversibility.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging of divergent and convergent thinking in Big-C creativity.

Abstract The cognitive and physiological processes underlying creativity remain unclear, and very few studies to date have attempted to identify the behavioral and brain characteristics that distinguish exceptional (“Big-C”) from everyday (“little-c”) creativity. The Big-C Project examined functional brain responses during tasks demanding divergent and convergent thinking in 35 Big-C Visual Artists (VIS), 41 Big-C Scientists (SCI), and 31 individuals in a “smart comparison group” (SCG) matched to the Big-C groups on parental educational attainment and estimated IQ. Functional MRI (fMRI) scans included two activation paradigms widely used in prior creativity research, the Alternate Uses Task (AUT) and Remote Associates Task (RAT), to assess brain function during divergent and convergent thinking, respectively. Task performance did not differ between groups. Functional MRI activation in Big-C and SCG groups differed during the divergent thinking task. No differences in activation were seen during the convergent thinking task. Big-C groups had less activation than SCG in frontal pole, right frontal operculum, left middle frontal gyrus, and bilaterally in occipital cortex. SCI displayed lower frontal and parietal activation relative to the SCG when generating alternate uses in the AUT, while VIS displayed lower frontal activation than SCI and SCG when generating typical qualities (the control condition in the AUT). VIS showed more activation in right inferior frontal gyrus and left supramarginal gyrus relative to SCI. All groups displayed considerable overlapping activation during the RAT. The results confirm substantial overlap in functional activation across groups, but suggest that exceptionally creative individuals may depend less on task-positive networks during tasks that demand divergent thinking.
Employee Inventions and Copyrights

Contrary to most other jurisdictions, under German Law inventions and technical improvement proposals belong to the employee. The employer may, however, be able to claim these rights. Following such a successful claim, the rights belong to the employer and the employee will be entitled to a financial compensation. The rules governing inventions and technical improvement proposals are provided for under the German Act on Employee Inventions (Arbeitnehmererfindungsgesetz).
“Hashtag Feminism”: Activism or Slacktivism?

Authors Chen, Pain, and Barner address hashtag feminism and its use of hashtags across a variety of digital platforms with an aim toward theorizing about who defines feminism in the digital sphere and how this relates to future directions for feminist media research and theory. They examine how the hashtag provides a potent tool to give voice to the marginalized and silenced, and thus contributes to social media’s role in fomenting social justice, political resistance, and empowerment for women. Drawing on Lauren Berlant’s concept, they argue that the hashtag offers discursive power to galvanize the voiceless into “intimate publics” that produce a coherently robust form of activism online, particularly among those left out of the traditional mainstream media discourse. Yet, at the same time, the agency wrought by the hashtag may offer a constrained empowerment that reinforces hegemonic norms, perpetuates digital subjugation of women, and reifies damaging narratives of victimhood and cultural imperialism.
Linear Filtering Theory

The most valuable achievements to date of the filtering theory of Chapter 8 belong to the linear theory which forms the subject of the present chapter and which is associated with the names of Kalman and Bucy. The Kalman filter (as this theory has come to be known) has a central place in our discussion of linear filtering not merely because of the fact that it is the precursor of the general nonlinear theory treated in Chapter 8 (and is still its most important special case) but because of its extensive applications in the post-Sputnik era to problems of tracking of satellites, signal detection, stochastic control, and aerospace engineering.
Successful rechallenge of cetuximab following severe infusion-related reactions: a case report

Cetuximab, an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody, is associated with a risk of infusion reactions, similar to other infusional agents. Although avoiding a rechallenge with cetuximab following a severe infusion reaction is preferable, this may not be an option if few other reasonable alternatives exist. We report herein a successful case of cetuximab rechallenge, carried out by extending infusion times and using saline dilution in a patient who had severe infusion reactions twice and who required continuation of treatment. Cetuximab reintroduction with saline dilution and a slower infusion rate in an intensive care setting allowed safe continuation of therapy.
Planning Using a Portfolio of Reduced Models

Existing reduced model techniques simplify a problem by applying a uniform principle to reduce the number of considered outcomes for all state-action pairs. It is non-trivial to identify which outcome selection principle will work well across all problem instances in a domain. We aim to create reduced models that yield near-optimal solutions, without compromising the run time gains of using a reduced model. First, we introduce planning using a portfolio of reduced models , a framework that provides flexibility in the reduced model formulation by using a portfolio of outcome selection principles. Second, we propose planning using cost adjustment , a technique that improves the solution quality by accounting for the outcomes ignored in the reduced model. Empirical evaluation of these techniques confirm their effectiveness in several domains.
The 10-year Landscape of United States-Registered Parkinson Disease Clinical Trials: 2007-2016.

Background We know little about how well the goals and results of clinical trials in Parkinson disease (PD) reflect the priorities of patients and the broader PD community. Objectives We conducted a review of registered trials on http://clincialtrials.gov from 2007 to 2016 to explore whether PD trials have moved closer to the therapeutic priority goals articulated by the PD community. Methods Using the search terms: Parkinson, interventional trials, phase "0-4," we categorized therapeutic PD studies from http://clinicaltrials.gov between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2016. Seven hundred and sixty-six trials met the criteria for analysis. We explored temporal trends in the utilization of balance problems and falls; mood symptoms, including stress and anxiety; cognitive dysfunction, including dementia; and dyskinesias as primary outcomes. We analyzed trials where recruitment was listed as "completed" (n = 391) to explore publication rates. Results Balance problems and falls were listed as primary outcome measures in 125 studies (16.3%), cognitive measures in 48 (6.3%), mood features in 37 (4.8%), and dyskinesias in 30 (3.9%). Trials using balance problems and falls as a primary outcome increased in frequency per year between 2007 and 2016 (Z = -2.128, p = 0.033) unlike the proportion of trials evaluating cognitive dysfunction including dementia (Z = -0.380, p = 0.704), mood symptoms including stress and anxiety (Z = 0.345, p = 0.730), or dyskinesias (Z = 0.340, p = 0.734), which did not show temporal changes. 231 (59.1%) completed trials had results published in manuscript form as of 5/1/2017, leaving 40.9% of trials unpublished. Conclusions PD trials focusing on balance problems and falls are becoming more common. About 40% of completed PD trials are unpublished, reflecting suboptimal utilization of participant efforts.
Length of Stay and Discharge Disposition After Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in the United States.

Background: As transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) extends its reach to lower surgical risk patients, the differences between resource utilization for TAVR and surgical AVR (SAVR) will be...
An Evaluation Method for Electromagnetic Environment Complexity

An improved analytic hierarchy process algorithm is proposed to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional evaluation method, which does not take into account the interval floating of the index data and weight and it is applied to evaluate the complexity of electromagnetic environment. First, an evaluation index set for evaluating the complexity of electromagnetic environment is given. An improved interval analytic hierarchy process is proposed to obtain weights. Then the confidence and size of interval numbers are calculated to achieve the assessment of complexity.
The Importance of a Radiologist-Administrator Partnership to Future Health Care.

Abstract Successful physician and administrator leader partnerships are a key differentiator in today’s volatile, unpredictable, ever-changing health care landscape. Whether they are leading a division, a department, or an organization, intentional and mindful physician-administrator partnerships affect success from the micro individual level to the macro organizational level. Mayo Clinic's physician and administrative leaders are leveraging a long-held tradition of partnership by elevating their own competence as effective partners to ensure organizational sustainability. Specifically, physician and administrator leaders in the department of radiology have positioned collaboration at the foundation of their leadership practice, surrounded by the institutional values of respect, excellence, stewardship, and teamwork. From this framework, team leaders are better equipped and in a more stable position to prepare themselves and their colleagues for the very complex and unknown future.
HW/SW Configurable LQG Controller using a Sequential Discrete Kalman Filter

A hardware/software configurable architecture for Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control is presented, which is a combination of a Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) control law with a Discrete Kalman Filter (DKF) state estimator. LQG controllers are ideal candidates for hardware acceleration, since the DKF algorithm requires matrix inversion, which is time consuming and potentially parallelizable. In this design, a functionally equivalent DKF method, called the Sequential Discrete Kalman Filter (SDKF), is used to transform the matrix inversion into an iterative scalar inversion. The proposed design acts as an Intellectual Property (IP) Core, where the user can adjust scaling parameters in hardware and configuration parameters in software to tailor the given architecture to a wide range of physical systems. This differentiates the proposed design from other LQG implementations since it is not application specific; in fact, this architecture, which was targeted for a Xilinx Zynq-7020 FPGA, allows for systems of state size 4 to 128 and achieves a speedup of 2.04 to 148 over a 2.7GHz quad-core processor. The goal of this approach is to support a design methodology for bridging the gap between control theory and embedded systems applications. For evaluation, this architecture was compared to a pure software LQG implementation. Additionally, the approach and results of recent LQG and LQG-related hardware designs were analyzed and compared to the proposed design.
Moments of Change: Analyzing Peer-Based Cognitive Support in Online Mental Health Forums

Clinical psychology literature indicates that reframing ir- rational thoughts can help bring positive cognitive change to those suffering from mental distress. Through data from an online mental health forum, we study how these cognitive processes play out in peer-to-peer conversations. Acknowledging the complexity of measuring cognitive change, we first provide an operational definition of a "moment of change" based on sentiment change in online conversations. Using this definition, we propose a predictive model that can identify whether a conversation thread or a post is associated with a moment of cognitive change. Consistent with psychological literature, we find that markers of language associated with sentiment and and affect are the most predictive. Further, cultural differences play an important role: predictive models trained on one country generalize poorly to others. To understand how a moment of change happens, we build a model that explicitly tracks topic and associated sentiment in a forum thread.
PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF FILMS BASED ON BISMUTH AND COPPER VANADATES

BiVO4, BiVO4 / WO3 and Cu3VO4 films were obtained by the method of electrochemical synthesis using interferometric control of the film thickness during their deposition; It is shown that films absorb light in the long-wave region of the solar spectrum. The materials obtained also have good adhesion with the optically transparent substrate SnO2. From the analysis of the photocurrent spectra, it was determined that the photoelectrochemical efficiency of BiVO4 crystalline films depends on the thickness of such films. BiVO4 films with a thickness of 80–150 nm showed high values of the quantum yield of the photocurrent as compared with films with a thickness of 0.5–1 μm. From XRD, it was established that after annealing at 500°C, the films BiVO4 and WO3 crystallize into the structure of monoclinic scheelite. It has been established that the WO3 layer in the BiVO4 / WO3 heterostructure increases its overall photoelectrochemical efficiency in the ultraviolet and near visible regions of the spectrum. It was established that, depending on the heat treatment conditions, the band gap of the obtained Cu3VO4 films is from 1.4 to 2.2 eV, which allows them to be used as photoanods for photoelectrochemical converters of solar energy. Due to the narrow width of the bandgap, Cu3VO4 can absorb visible light in almost the entire long-wave region. But the literature data on photoelectrochemical properties of Cu3VO4 and BiVO4 are limited, in this connection there is a need for the development of techniques for the synthesis of photosensitive films based on Cu3VO4 and BiVO4 and their photoelectrochemical characteristics. In this paper we investigate the photoelectrochemical characteristics of copper vapor and vanadium Cu3VO4 and BiVO4 bismuth which can absorb visible light in the long-wave region of the solar spectrum and work in pairs as a photo anode (BiVO4) and a photocathode of Cu3VO4 in a photoelectrochemical cell for the production of hydrogen and oxygen.
Variations in Morning Serum Cortisol Levels Based on Sex and Pubertal Status.

Introduction: Patients with suspected adrenal insufficiency undergo screening with a serum morning cortisol level and confirmatory testing with an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test. However, much of the data collected to determine appropriate values for morning cortisol levels are derived from adult populations and may not accurately represent pediatric physiology. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mean morning cortisol level in the pediatric population based on pubertal status and sex in order to better understand such influences on laboratory evaluation of adrenal insufficiency. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted using electronic medical records of patients seen at Children’s Mercy Kansas City from 11/01/2007 to 11/01/2017. Patients between 2 and 18 years of age who had pubertal staging assessed by a pediatric endocrinologist and confirmed adrenal sufficiency by high-dose ACTH stimulation testing were included. Two-sample Wilcoxon rank sum (Mann-Whitney) tests or t tests were used to compare morning cortisol levels between females and males – both independent of Tanner stage and by Tanner stage. Multivariable regression models were used to evaluate associations among covariates on two outcomes: morning cortisol levels and peak cortisol values with ACTH stimulation. Results: Morning cortisol levels were greater in females than males independent of Tanner staging (p = 0.0054) and also in Tanner stage 1 (p = 0.0042). No differences in mean morning cortisol levels between Tanner stage 2–5 females and males were found (p = 0.4652). Morning cortisol levels were not significantly different between Tanner 1 patients and Tanner 2–5 patients independent of sex (p = 0.0575). Sex was predictive of serum morning cortisol levels (p = 0.015), and morning cortisol levels were predictive of peak cortisol levels during ACTH stimulation testing (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These data suggest that different normative cortisol values may need to be established for pediatric females and males, and by pubertal status. Larger prospective studies are needed to evaluate the role of sex and pubertal status in identifying adrenal insufficiency in the ­pediatric population.
Sodium, calorie, and sugary drink purchasing patterns in chain restaurants: Findings from NYC.

Abstract To understand how consumer purchases in chain restaurants relate to nutrients of public health concern, sodium, calories and sugary drinks purchased for personal consumption were assessed through a customer intercept receipt study at a sample of New York City quick- and full-service chain restaurants (QSR and FSR) in 2015. The percentages of respondents purchasing ≥2,300 mg sodium, ≥2,000 calories, and a sugary drink, respectively, were 14%, 3% and 32% at QSR, and 56%, 23%, and 22% at FSR. Sodium content of purchases averaged 1,260 mg at QSR and 2,897 mg at FSR and calories averaged 770 at QSR and 1,456 at FSR. 71% of QSR sugary drink purchases contained at least 200 calories. Purchasing patterns that are exceptionally high in sodium and calories, and that include sugary drinks, are common in chain restaurants. Because restaurant-sourced foods are a cornerstone of the American diet, fostering conditions that support healthful purchases is essential to reduce preventable disease and advance health.
Broiler stress responses to light intensity, flooring type, and leg weakness as assessed by heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios, serum corticosterone, infrared thermography, and latency to lie.

Stress and leg weakness are detrimental to broiler production, health, and welfare. Traditional methods to evaluate stress may be stressful to the bird because they are invasive and require handling and restraint. Two studies examined the effects of light intensity and flooring on the following in broilers: 1) traditional methods for assessing stress using heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios and serum corticosterone (CORT) concentrations, 2) noninvasive measures of stress from infrared thermography (IRT) eye and beak surface temperatures, and 3) latency-to-lie (LTL) test times of birds tested individually and in groups of 5. Day-of-hatch male broiler chicks were placed into 6 pens (N = 120 chicks/pen). At 1 wk, pens were allocated to 3 light intensity treatments (2, 5, or 10 lux). At 4 wk, half of the birds from each pen were moved to a pen with wire flooring and the same light intensity. At 1, 4, 5, and 8 wk, blood samples were collected and IRT images of the heads of 5 clinically healthy broilers from each pen were captured. In study 2, IRT images of the heads of birds that became lame in the wire flooring pens were taken. There were no treatment effects on the LTL times of birds tested in groups or individually (P > 0.05). On day 56 in study 1, birds on wire flooring had elevated heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios and CORT concentrations (P ≤ 0.002) and depressed IRT eye and beak temperatures (P < 0.0001). In both studies, there were negative correlations between CORT concentrations and IRT beak surface temperatures (P < 0.05). Lame birds had lower IRT eye and beak surface temperatures than sound birds (P ≤ 0.004), and the IRT beak surface temperatures of lame birds were lower than their eye surface temperatures (P = 0.004) in study 2. These studies indicate that the IRT surface temperatures of the eye, and more distinctly of the beak, can be used as sensitive noninvasive indicators of stress.
Opportunities in the Synthesis and Design of Radioactive Thin Films and Nanoparticles.

Studies of radioactive isotopes at the liquid-solid or gas-solid interface are enabling a detailed mechanistic understanding the effects of radioactive decay on physical, biological, and chemical s...