cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuroendocrine mechanisms that control seasonal changes of luteinizing hormone secretion in sheep are sexually differentiated.

The apparent earlier onset of seasonal breeding activity of adult male versus adult female sheep suggests that the neuroendocrine mechanisms that control onset of the breeding season may be sexually differentiated in this species. However, it is difficult to compare gradual onset of testicular growth to abrupt changes in ovarian activity. To determine the relative timing of seasonal transitions in neuroendocrine reproductive activity, we compared temporal changes of LH concentrations in adult, gonadectomized, estradiol (E)-treated (experiment 1), or testosterone (T)-treated (experiment 2) Suffolk male and female sheep held outdoors for 18 mo. In addition, we compared the rates at which E-treated males and females become photorefractory to a winter solstice hold (WSH) photoperiod. In all three experiments, blood samples were collected weekly. In addition, serial blood samples were collected every 12 min for 4 h at approximately 2-mo intervals for experiment 1 and at monthly intervals for experiment 2. Neither plasma E nor T concentrations differed (p > 0.05) between sexes. In E-treated animals, mean LH changed (p 0.05) sex x time interaction. LH pulse frequency varied significantly over time in E-treated females (p < 0.001) but not in males (p < 0.05). The amplitude of the annual oscillation of mean LH was greater (p < 0.01) in E-treated females than in males.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Lanthanide Coordination with α-Amino Acids under Near Physiological pH Conditions: Polymetallic Complexes Containing the Cubane-Like [Ln4(μ3-OH)4]8+ Cluster Core

Tetranuclear lanthanide−hydroxo complexes of the general formula [Ln4(μ3-OH)4(AA)x(H2O)y]8+ (1, Ln = Sm, AA = Gly, x = 5, y = 11; 2, Ln = Nd, AA = Ala, x = 6, y = 10; 3, Ln = Er, AA = Val, x = 5, y = 10) have been prepared by α-amino acid controlled hydrolysis of lanthanide ions under near physiological pH conditions (pH 6−7). The core component of these compounds is a cationic cluster [Ln4(μ3-OH)4]8+ whose constituent lanthanide ions and triply bridging hydroxo groups occupy the alternate vertexes of a distorted cube. The amino acid ligands coordinate the lanthanide ions via bridging carboxylate groups. Utilizing l-glutamic acid as the supporting ligand, a cationic cluster complex (4) formulated as [Er4(μ3-OH)4(Glu)3(H2O)8]5+ has been obtained. Its extended solid-state structure is composed of the cubane-like [Er4(μ3-OH)4]8+ cluster building units interlinked by the carboxylate groups of the glutamate ligands. All compounds are characterized by using a combination of spectroscopic techniques and microana...
Pediatric Posttraumatic Headache: A Review.

Head injuries are common in pediatrics, and headaches are the most common complaint following mild head trauma. Although moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries occur less frequently, headaches can complicate recovery. There is currently an intense spotlight on concussion and there has been a corresponding increase in the number of children seeking care for headache after mild traumatic brain injury or concussion. Understanding the natural history of, and recognition of factors that are associated with posttraumatic headache will help providers and families to limit disability and may prompt earlier intervention to address disabling headaches. While there are few studies on the treatment of posttraumatic headache, proper evaluation and management of posttraumatic headaches is essential to prevent further injury and to promote recovery. In this article, we will review the current definitions and epidemiology of pediatric posttraumatic headache and discuss current recommendations for the evaluation and...
Mini-Ureteroneocystostomy: A Safe and Effective Outpatient Treatment for Unilateral Vesicoureteral Reflux

Purpose: Medically refractory vesicoureteral reflux is a common condition that can be cured by open surgery. Extravesical ureteroneocystostomy is a safe and effective surgical procedure. We determined whether this could be accomplished with limited dissection via an approximately 2 cm inguinal incision (mini-ureteroneocystostomy).Materials and Methods: All patients with unilateral vesicoureteral reflux who underwent mini-ureteroneocystostomy from 2003 to 2007 were evaluated. We present preoperative characteristics, surgical technique and outcomes in this analysis.Results: From 2003 to 2007, 57 children underwent mini-ureteroneocystostomy for unilateral vesicoureteral reflux. The group was predominantly female (48 of 57 patients or 84%) with median age of 4.8 years. Median vesicoureteral reflux grade was 3 (range 2 to 5). Duplication anomalies were present in 8 patients, while 5 had a Hutch diverticulum and 5 had a solitary kidney. A total of 47 patients (82%) underwent postoperative voiding cystourethrogr...
The Rotational Potential of Solid Nitromethane

The properties of the rotational potential of the methyl group in solid nitromethane have been studied, principally by neutron scattering. There are Raman scattering studies which corroborate several assignments of the energy levels obtained from the neutron measurements. The crystal structure has been determined by a combination of single crystal X-Ray measurements and neutron powder diffraction. The pressure dependence of the rotational energy levels exhibited a behavior different from that of most other systems previously studied and proved essential in the understanding of the potential in nitromethane.
Parabrachial nucleus modulation of vasopressin release

The present studies examine the contribution of the ventrolateral lateral parabrachial nucleus (VLLPBN) to the regulation of plasma arginine vasopressin (PAVP) release in response to either a baroreceptor or osmotic stimulus. These studies were carried out in rats with bilateral electrolytic lesions of the VLLPBN. Baroreceptor-induced stimulation of PAVP was achieved by decreasing blood pressure with combined blockade of the renin-angiotensin system with captopril (3 mg/kg iv) and the sympathetic nervous system with chlorisondamine, (11 mg/kg sc). Osmotic release of vasopressin was elicited by a 2-h intravenous infusion of hypertonic saline, (3.0 meq/ml, 0.01 ml/min). Blood pressure and heart rate were monitored throughout the experiments. Blood samples for determination of PAVP, plasma osmolality (posm), plasma sodium (PNa), and plasma potassium (PK) were taken before (base line) and after treatment in each study. The VLLPBN-lesioned rats secreted significantly more vasopressin in response to hypotension produced by combined renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous system blockade than did control rats. There was no significant difference between groups in Posm, PNa, or PK, or cardiovascular changes. In contrast, hypertonic saline infusion did not produce any differential changes between groups.
Pattern recognition of Hodgkin-Huxley equations by auto-regressive Laguerre Volterra network

A nonparametric, data-driven nonlinear auto-regressive Volterra (NARV) [1] model has been successfully applied for capturing the dynamics in the generation of action potentials, which is classically modeled by Hodgkin-Huxley (H-H) equations. However, the compactness still need to be improved for further interpretations. Therefore, we propose a novel Auto-regressive Sparse Laguerre Volterra Network (ASLVN) model (shown in Figure ​Figure1A),1A), which is developed from traditional Laguerre Volterra Network (LVN) and principal dynamic mode (PDM) framework [2]. Figure 1 A Structure of ASLVN for modeling H-H equations, where the input x(n) is the randomly injected current and the output y*(n) is the membrane potential. B The predictions results, z(1) represents the exogenous output, z(2) represents the autoregressive ... We adopt stochastic global optimization algorithm Simulated Annealing [3] to train the ASLVN instead of Back-propagation method [2] to avoid local minima and convergence problems. We also use lasso regularization [4] to enhance the spasity of the network and prune redundant branches for parsimony. The prediction results are shown in Fig.1B, it can be seen that the exogenous output z(1) represents the subthreshold dynamics in phase III, and the autoregressive output z(2) dominates in the spike shape in phase I, and the cross term output z(x) helps to maintain the refractory period by cancelling the effect of z(1) in phase II and we also observe that refractory inhibition effect decays after initiation of AP, which explains the absolute refractory period and relative refractory period in physiology.
Bayesian Dynamic Learning and Pricing with Strategic Customers

We consider a seller who repeatedly sells a nondurable product to a single customer whose valuations of the product are drawn from a certain distribution. The seller, who initially does not know the valuation distribution, may use the customer's purchase history to learn, and wishes to choose a pricing policy that maximizes her long-run revenue. Such a problem is at the core of personalized revenue management where the seller can access each customer's individual purchase history and offer personalized prices.In this paper, we study such a learning problem when the customer is aware of the seller's policy, and thus may behave strategically when making a purchase decision. By using a Bayesian setting with a binary prior, we first show that a naive myopic Bayesian policy (MBP) by the seller may lead to incomplete learning -- the seller may never be able to ascertain the true type of the customer and the regret may grow linearly in time. The failure of the MBP is due to the strategic action taken by the customer. To resolve this issue, we propose a randomized Bayesian policy (RBP), which updates the posterior belief of the customer in each period with a certain probability. We show that the seller can learn the customer type exponentially fast with the RBP even if the customer is strategic, and the regret is bounded by a constant. We also propose policies that achieve asymptotically optimal regrets when only a finite number of price changes is allowed.
Can you recognize a patient at risk for a hypercoagulable state

EARN CATEGORY I CME CREDIT by reading this article and the article beginning on page 39 and successfully completing the posttest on page 44. Successful completion is defined as a cumulative score of at least 70% correct. This material has been reviewed and is approved for 1 hour of clinical Category
Spinal Anesthesia in Winter Frogs.

In a previous communication1 a simple method for producing spinal anesthesia in the frog was described. In addition, a series of 10 local anesthetics were studied in summer frogs, kept at temperatures of from 26° to 29°C. The data obtained on each drug included the determination of the minimal anesthetic dose, minimal lethal dose, duration of anesthesia produced by a sublethal dose, and the calculation of a therapeutic coefficient from the fraction M.L.D./M.A.D. Comparatively, this coefficient gives evidence of the usable therapeutic range for each local anesthetic.In this paper similar results are described in which 7 local anesthetics were injected intraspinally into winter frogs kept before, during and after the experiments at 10° to 12°C. This series includes those local anesthetics showing, experimentally, the best possibilities for use in human spinal anesthesia. Five of these drugs had been studied previously in summer frogs, but because of the relatively high temperature prevailing at that time, i...
Kantianism and Pragmatism: A Response to Margolis

In this piece I respond to Joseph Margolis’ article “The Future of Pragmatism’s Second Life.” I make two arguments. First, I argue that Margolis misinterprets the true contest between Kantianism and Pragmatism, and that his vision of Pragmatism’s second life is overly Kantian. Second, I question his conclusion that truths about our agential norms can only ever be ‘second best’.
Abstract 2729: Galectin-4 in colorectal cancer

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading diseases in the western world and is curable if diagnosed at an early stage. The normal-adenoma-carcinoma sequence concept suggests that the normal epithelia in the colorectal region transform into adenomas, which progress to invasive carcinomas. The role of galectin-4 (gal-4) a protein abundantly expressed in normal colonic epithelia, hereto considered a differentiation marker, on the onset or progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) is unknown. The main aim of this study is to evaluate gal-4 as a potential biomarker in detecting the onset of CRC and to determine the function of gal-4 in CRC development. Methods: We analyzed the paraffin-embedded normal, adenomatous polyps and invasive carcinomas of the human colon biopsies and tissue microarrays for gal-4 expression by immunohistochemistry. Gal-4 expression in CRC cell lines was characterized by RT-PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence microscopy and FACS analysis. The functional role of gal-4 was examined by cell proliferation, migration, motility, transfection and RNAi experiments. Results: Biopsies immunostained for gal-4 were quantified using ImageJ software. The normal tissue as well as normal tissue adjacent to cancer contained highest amount of gal-4. Gal-4 intensity decreased in all the disease-states, which was found to be statistically significant (P Conclusions: We conclude that galectin-4 plays a key role the maintenance of epithelial cells in a differentiated state, and its loss allows the cells to de-differentiate, leading to increased cell proliferation, migration and motility, which are hallmark features of cancer. Galectin-4 brings about these changes through cell cycle regulation by modulating the cyclin D1, p15 and p21 levels. Finally, our findings that extracellular galectin-4 retards the migratory potential raise a possibility for it to serve as a therapeutic agent in controlling CRC progression. Thus beyond shedding light on the role of tumor-suppressor gal-4 in CRC, this study underscores the potential clinical value of gal-4 in prognosis and diagnosis of CRC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2729.
Gaps in Food Safety Professionals' Knowledge about Noroviruses

Noroviruses (NoVs) are the most common etiologic agents of endemic and epidemic foodborne disease in the United States. Food safety professionals play an important role in protecting the public from foodborne illness. A survey of food safety professionals (n = 314) was conducted to characterize their knowledge of NoVs and to identify gaps in this knowledge. To recruit individuals, 25 professional organizations promoted the survey via their Web sites, newsletters, and/or e-mail distribution lists. The survey used true or false and open-ended questions to assess knowledge about NoVs, including attribution, transmission, and prevention and control strategies, including food handling practices. The online survey was available from mid-October 2012 to mid-January 2013. Of the 314 respondents, 66.2% correctly identified NoVs as one of the three most common causes of foodborne disease in the United States. Only 5.4% of respondents correctly identified the three most common settings for NoV infections, and 65.0% ...
Glucocorticoid induced protection in experimental traumatic shock.

SummaryMethylprednisolone (45 mg/kg) given to rats subjected to drum trauma (LD85) significantly increased survival time from 2.4 to 4.5 hr. Coincident with the prolonged survival was a higher mean arterial blood pressure. Methylprednisolone exerted no effect on blood pressure in nontraumatized control rats. Furthermore, traumatic shock resulted in a fourfold increase in circulating cathepsin D activity and a threefold increase in circulating MDF activity. Methylprednisolone significantly (p < 0.01) prevented the increase in both substances. The data suggest that methylprednisolone protects in traumatic shock by a mechanism involving lysosomal membrane stabilization rather than by an active hemodynamic action.
Medical Information Resources Construction under Health Informatization Perspective

The paper introduces the connotation of medical information resources construction under health infonnatization perspective,namely,information ordering and information classification.It concretely elaborates the process of medical information resources construction,including selection,integration,processing and sharing.Under the new circumstances,medical information resources construction characteristics are put forword,so as to satisfy the researchers' requirements.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GRAIN PLUMPNESS AND SPIKELETS PER PANICLE IN MID-SEASON HYBRID RICE

Eighteen cross combinations of mid-season hybrid rice were grown with 2 densities and 2 N rates to study the relationship between grain plumpness and the sink-source structure.A highly significant correlation was observed between spikelets per panicle and grain filling rate and therefore the former can replace the latter as the indicator in the test of grain plumpness.It is recommended that the maximum spikelets per panicle be less than 239 in determination of the cross combinations in big panicle hybrid breeding.
Emulation analysis on a joint multiple layer restoration scheme for IP over WDM networks

Network reliability gains importance with the huge volume of traffic carried by such networks.The emergence of MPLS and its extension,MPλS,opens up new possibilities for developing simple integrated protection/restoration schemes that can be coordinated at both the IP and optical layers.This article first presents an overview of existing MPLS/MP S recovery mechanisms.Then we propose a joint two-layer recovery scheme for IP-centric WDM based optical networks where the optical layer will take the recovery actions first,and subsequently the upper IP layer initiates its own recovery mechanism,if the optical layer does not restore all affected services.A simulation-based analysis shows the benefits of the proposed two-layer recovery scheme over single-layer recovery schemes.We demonstrate the advantages of finer granularity in IP layer recovery and the effectiveness in speed on the optical layer.
Car ownership prediction method based on principal component analysis and hidden Markov model

The usual prediction methods of car ownership were analyzed,a new car ownership prediction method based on principal component analysis(PCA) and hidden Markov model(HMM) was put out.The 11 indexes including gross national income,per capita GDP,total population number,urbanization rate,total fixed asset investment,gross import and export,urban resident disposable income,steel output,highway passenger transport volume,highway freight transport volume,total retail sales of consumer goods were taken as the main influence factors of car ownership,and PCA was used to extract the principal components of main influence factors.The principal component and car ownership were taken as independent variable and dependent variable respectively,and the regression analysis model was set up.The annual growth rates of regression prediction values for car ownership were taken as hidden state,the relative errors between regression prediction values and actual values were taken as visible signal,the hidden Markov model was built,and the regression prediction values of car ownership were modified.Analysis result shows that based on car ownerships and the historical data of main influence factors in 1994-2008,the numbers of modified car ownership in 2009 and 2010 are 6.220 96×107 and 7.825 12×107 by using the proposed method.Compared with the actual values of car ownership in 2009 and 2010,relative errors are-0.95% and 0.30% respectively.So car ownership prediction method based on PCA and HMM has a high prediction accuracy and is suitable for short-term prediction.
Storage Humidity and Temperature Affect Dormancy Loss and Viability of Tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus) Seeds

Tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus) is a drought- and fire-tolerant native Hawaiian grass that possesses seed dormancy on shedding. Although adry after-ripening period is known to break dormancy, specific storage conditions to optimize this are not known. This study examined the effects of storage temperature and equilibrium relative humidity (eRH) on tanglehead seed dormancy loss and viability. Fresh seeds harvested in Mar.andOct.2011werestoredfor30daysinthreeeRHlevels(12%,50%,and75%)and then incubated for 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months at three temperatures (10, 20 (ambient in laboratory), and 30 8C). The eRHs were maintained during incubation by sealing seeds in airtight packages. Seed germination and tetrazolium tests were conducted after each incubation periodto determine dormancylossand seed viability.Analysis of germination and seed viability data indicated a significant interaction among eRH, storage temper- ature, incubation period, and seed harvest month. Storage at 12% eRH and 30 8C for 12 months optimized dormancy loss of tanglehead seeds. Seeds remained viable in all eRH and temperature combinations except those stored at either 75% eRH and 20 8C or 75% eRHand30 8C.Inthesetreatmentcombinations,significantseeddeteriorationandlossof viability were recorded. Harvest time (i.e., harvest month) within the year also affected the rate of dormancy loss of seeds. March-harvested seeds achieved maximum dormancy loss 3 months earlier than seeds harvested in October.
Biologic mesh spacer placement facilitates safe delivery of dose-intense radiation therapy: A novel treatment option for unresectable liver tumors

Abstract Introduction Patients with unresectable liver tumors who fail initial treatment modalities have a poor prognosis ( Methods From 2012 to 2014 seven patients with unresectable hepatic malignancy (6 IHCC, 1 CRLM) underwent BMS (acellular human dermis) placement (2 open, 5 MIS) prior to radiation therapy. Prospective registry data were reviewed for tumor and treatment details, progression, metastasis and survival. RTOG guidelines were used to define radiation toxicities. Results Mean patient age was 50.4 years (30–62 years) and 4 patients were male (57.1%). Prior to surgery, all patients had been treated for an average of 12.5 months with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and/or TACE. After surgery, all patients recovered well and received a mean radiation dose of 76.1 Gy (58.1–100 Gy) over 13–25 fractions. 1 patient received SBRT; 4 fractions, 10 Gy each. Maximum dose delivered was 100 Gy (Biologic Equivalent Dose of 140 Gy, α/β = 10). Mean time to initiation of radiation therapy was 24 days (12–48 days) from surgery. No significant GI toxicity was recorded, and no GI bleeding or ulcers were observed. Mean follow-up after XRT was 18.2 months (5.5–31 months). Three patients had no loco-regional progression of disease. 2 patients had infield progression of liver disease and another had progressive lymphadenopathy. 3 patients developed pulmonary metastasis, at a mean time to distant failure of 3 months. There are 4 survivors over 2-years from surgery. Conclusion For patients with unresectable liver tumors, placement of a BMS enhances the safety and efficacy of high-dose radiotherapy, providing a survival benefit via delay in time to progression compared to traditional treatments with no significant short or long term GI toxicity.
Is psychoanalysis an experimental procedure or a reflection of subjective life

Psychoanalysis fits comfortably into the model of neither an experimental procedure nor a subjective experiencing. Yet it elicits both the deep-running skepticism of science and the passions of everyday life. A structure for incorporating both is suggested.
Immune deficiency diseases

In the past few decades, bedside observation and laboratory investigation have yielded important information concerning the modus operandi of the immune system. This article examines newer basic immunologic information, clinical features of the main immune deficiencies, and tests for investigation of these defects.
Statistical Modeling to Better Understand CS Students

While educational data mining has often focused on modeling behavior at the level of individual students, we consider developing statistical models to give us insight into the dynamics of student populations. In this talk, we consider two case studies in this vein. The first involves analyzing the evolution of gender balance in a college computer science program, showing that focusing on percentages of underrepresented groups in the overall population may not always provide an accurate portrayal of the impact of various program changes. We propose a new statistical model based on Fisher's Noncentral Hypergeometric Distribution that better captures how program changes are impacting the dynamics of gender balance in a population, especially in the case where the overall population is rapidly increasing (as has been the case in CS in recent years). Our second study looks at the performance of student populations in an introductory college programming course during the past eight years to better understand the evolving mix of students' abilities given the rapid growth in the number of students taking CS courses. Often accompanying such growth is a concern from faculty that the additional students choosing to pursue computing may not have the same aptitude for the subject as was seen in prior student populations. To directly address this question, we present a statistical analysis of students' performance using mixture modeling. Importantly, in this setting many variables that would normally confound such a study are directly controlled for. We find that the distribution of student performance during this period, as reflected in their programming assignment scores, remains remarkably stable despite the large growth in course enrollments. The results of this analysis also show how conflicting perceptions of students' abilities among faculty can be consistently explained.The presentation includes work done jointly with Sarah Evans, Chris Piech, and Katie Redmond.
How parents describe picky eating and its impact on family meals: A qualitative analysis

Children are frequently described as being picky eaters. However, this term has been inconsistently defined in prior research. There is limited qualitative research investigating how parent's define picky eating, how they respond to it, or how they see picky eating impacting their child's dietary intake or the family meal. For this study, parents (n = 88) of siblings (ages 2–18 years old) were interviewed in their homes. The semi-structured interviews focused on parent feeding practices and child eating behaviors. A qualitative content analysis approach was used to analyze the data; themes regarding picky eating emerged. Results of this study show that the majority of parents (94% female; mean age 35 years) were from minority and low income homes. The following themes regarding picky eating were identified: 1) children were frequently described as being picky eaters; 2) parents defined picky eating in a variety of ways (i.e., not liking a few foods; limited intake; resisting texture or appearance of foods; resistance to new foods); 3) picky eating impacted the family meal (i.e., promotes meal-related parent stress; impacts meal preparation); and 4) parents responded to picky eating in a variety of ways (i.e., require child tries food; allow child to make separate meal; allow child not to eat; parent makes a separate meal; allows child to choose only food he/she likes; requires child to eat anyway). This study demonstrates that many parents experience child picky eating and report that it impacts family meals. Additionally, study results provide information on the specific ways pickiness impacts the family meal and how parents respond to pickiness. This study also provides guidance for future studies wishing to define picky eating or evaluate the prevalence of child pickiness.
Fehlende Toleranz gegenüber den hämodynamischen Wirkungen von Nitraten bei Patienten mit chronischer Herzinsuffizienz

Die gunstigen akuten hamodynamischen Wirkungen der Vasodilatatoren bei Patienten mit Stauungs-Herzinsuffizienz sind wohlbekannt (1, 2). Die Verwendung von Vasodilatatoren zur Langzeitbehandlung der chronischen Herzinsuffizienz ist heute vordergrundig im Gesprach. In diesem Zusammenhang gehoren Nitrate zu den ersten und am besten untersuchten Arzneistoffen, die zur anhaltenden Reduzierung der Nachlast (afterload) verwendet wurden (3–7). Fur einige Vasodilatatoren wurde der Verlust der hamodynamischen Wirksamkeit bei Patienten mit Herzinsuffizienz nachgewiesen, wahrend fur Nitrate eine Toleranz bei der Verwendung als Antianginosa vermutet wurde (8–10). Auserdem kann die venendilatierende Wirkung der Nitrate mit der Zeit nachlassen (11). Es ist daher auserst wichtig, die anhaltende hamodynamische Wirksamkeit der Nitrate, angesichts ihrer bedeutenden Rolle in der Behandlung der chronischen Herzinsuffizienz, sicherzustellen.
Seeking Standards for the Detection of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus and its Clinical Significance.

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare skin cancer associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus in most cases. Prior studies associating Merkel cell carcinoma viral status with prognosis have inconsistent findings. Moshiri et al. used multimodal virus detection to determine that the 81% of patients with virus-positive Merkel cell carcinoma tumors had earlier stage disease and better outcomes relative to virus-negative cases.
Three Simple Models of Neurons in Rodent Brains

Hodgkin and Huxley modeled the giant axon of the squid. Since then, many similar models of neurons in mammalian brains have been proposed. In this chapter, we list three examples, which will be used throughout the book.
A qualitative study of the at-home pain experience for children with an arm fracture.

Objective Most children treated in the emergency department (ED) with painful conditions are discharged home to the care of their parents. There is growing evidence that at-home pain management is inadequate. No studies have evaluated the child's report of their at-home pain experience. Our objective was to explore the child's perspective on the pain experience at home after ED discharge. Methods We performed semistructured interviews with children aged 4 to 14 years discharged from the ED with an arm fracture. Interviews occurred at the child's home and were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Using a narrative analysis, themes were identified. Results A total of 30 children were interviewed. Overall, three distinct themes regarding the pain experience were identified: (1) issues of communication between children and their parents regarding pain management, (2) issues of communication between children and ED health care personnel and (3) misunderstandings by children about pain and pain medication. Conclusion Communication is a critical barrier to optimizing the at-home pain experience. This novel information may be used to develop innovative interventions directed at the child and parent to improve the at-home pain experience.
Sea ice drift in the Southern Ocean: Regional patterns, variability, and trends

Understanding long-term changes in large-scale sea ice drift in the Southern Ocean is of considerable interest given its contribution to ice extent, to ice production in open waters, with associated dense water formation and heat flux to the atmosphere, and thus to the climate system. In this paper, we examine the trends and variability of this ice drift in a 34-year record (1982–2015) derived from satellite observations. Uncertainties in drift (~3 to 4 km day –1 ) were assessed with higher resolution observations. In a linear model, drift speeds were ~1.4% of the geostrophic wind from reanalyzed sea-level pressure, nearly 50% higher than that of the Arctic. This result suggests an ice cover in the Southern Ocean that is thinner, weaker, and less compact. Geostrophic winds explained all but ~40% of the variance in ice drift. Three spatially distinct drift patterns were shown to be controlled by the location and depth of atmospheric lows centered over the Amundsen, Riiser-Larsen, and Davis seas. Positively correlated changes in sea-level pressures at the three centers (up to 0.64) suggest correlated changes in the wind-driven drift patterns. Seasonal trends in ice edge are linked to trends in meridional winds and also to on-ice/off-ice trends in zonal winds, due to zonal asymmetry of the Antarctic ice cover. Sea ice area export at flux gates that parallel the 1000‐m isobath were extended to cover the 34-year record. Interannual variability in ice export in the Ross and Weddell seas linked to the depth and location of the Amundsen Sea and Riiser-Larsen Sea lows to their east. Compared to shorter records, where there was a significant positive trend in Ross Sea ice area flux, the longer 34-year trends of outflow from both seas are now statistically insignificant. Copyright: © 2017 California Institute of Technology. U.S. Government sponsorship acknowledged.
Japan’s CCF Affiliate, Jiyû , and Covert Public Diplomacy

Sherif offers a groundbreaking history of the Japanese affiliate of the Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF). The CCF pursued Japan because of its strategic position as a US Cold War ally. This chapter employs a range of archival materials in its analysis of three aspects of the CCF Japan journal Jiyu: the challenges for a originally transatlantic initiative in establishing an affiliate in the Pacific rim; the extent and reception of the post-1945 CIA and covert public diplomacy initiatives in Japan; and the reasons that the journal Jiyu never became a Japanese Encounter in the context of Japanese intellectual communities and media.
Conducting Clinically Based Intimate Partner Violence Research: Safety Protocol Recommendations.

Background Maintaining safety is of utmost importance during research involving participants who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Limited guidance on safety protocols to protect participants is available, particularly information related to technology-based approaches to informed consent, data collection, and contacting participants during the course of a study. Purpose The purpose of the article is to provide details on the safety protocol developed and utilized with women receiving care at an urban HIV clinic and who were taking part in an observational study of IPV, mental health symptoms, and substance abuse and their relationship to HIV treatment adherence. The protocol presents the technological strategies to promote safety and allow autonomy in participant decision-making throughout the research process, including Voice over Internet Protocol telephone numbers, and tablet-based eligibility screening and data collection. Protocols for management of participants at risk for suicide and/or intimate partner homicide that included automated high-risk messaging to participants and research staff and facilitated disclosure of risk to clinical staff based on participant preferences are discussed. Discussion Use of technology and partnership with clinic staff helped to provide an environment where research regarding IPV could be conducted without undue burden or risk to participants. Utilizing tablet-based survey administration provided multiple practical and safety benefits for participants. Most women who screened into high-risk categories for suicide or intimate partner homicide did not choose to have their results shared with their healthcare providers, indicating the importance of allowing participants control over information sharing whenever possible.
The CUP2 gene product regulates the expression of the CUP1 gene, coding for yeast metallothionein.

Abstract The yeast CUP1 gene codes for a copper-binding protein similar to metallothionein. Copper sensitive cup1s strains contain a single copy of the CUP1 locus. Resistant strains (CUP1r) carry 12 or more multiple tandem copies. We isolated 12 ethyl methane sulfonate-induced copper sensitive mutants in a wild-type CUP1r parental strain, X2180-1A. Most mutants reduce the copper resistance phenotype only slightly. However, the mutant cup2 lowers resistance by nearly two orders of magnitude. We cloned CUP2 by molecular complementation. The smallest subcloned fragment conferring function was approximately 2.1 kb. We show that CUP2, which is on chromosome VII, codes for or controls the synthesis or activity of a protein which binds the upstream control region of the CUP1 gene on chromosome VIII. Mutant cup2 cells produced extremely low levels of CUP1-specific mRNA, with or without added copper ions and lacked a factor which binds to the CUP1 promoter. Integrated at the cup2 site, the CUP2 plasmid restored the basal level and inducibility of CUP1 expression and led to reappearance of the CUP1-promoter binding factor. Taken collectively, our data establish CUP2 as a regulatory gene for expression of the CUP1 metallothionein gene product.
Rapid synthesis of 125I integrated gold nanoparticles for use in combined neoplasm imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy

Abstract The selective delivery of radionuclides to tissues of interest remains a problematic task during treatment. The lack of tissue specificity for many therapeutics limit their efficacy by putting healthy organs and tissues at risk (e.g., side effects). Therefore, high specificity therapeutic strategies are needed to overcome these risks. The objective of this study was to use a modified citrate reduction technique to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) containing 125I in order to combine their unique therapeutic and diagnostic properties. This task was accomplished by varying the insertion time of 125I, which will cause complete aggregation if added too early in the AuNP synthesis process. Even though 125I was utilized in this experiment, studies are underway to see if this approach can be extrapolated to shorter-lived isotopes (e.g., 211At). Characterization of the 125I-AuNPs was carried out using UV–Vis spectrometry and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The appropriate addition time of 125I was determined to be approximately 50 s after the addition of sodium citrate. TEM measured the nanoparticles’ diameters to be in the 10–20 nm range. The AuNPs were found to be extremely stable, with no observable leaching of radioactivity into the solution. 125I-AuNPs could be beneficial as a contrast agent in CT imaging and therapy since AuNPs enhance the bio-delivery of 125I to neoplasms.
Risk Factors for the Development of Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Patients with vesicoureteral reflux and concomitant bladder and bowel dysfunction (BBD) are at high risk for febrile urinary tract infections. Risk factors for BBD have been identified in retrospective studies without validated measures. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux and Careful Urinary Tract Infection Evaluation trials. The outcome of interest in the analysis of these children was the development of BBD, defined by using the dysfunctional voiding questionnaire, during any time point in the studies. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine the independent effects of sex, baseline percentile BMI, cohort status (Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux versus Careful Urinary Tract Infection Evaluation), continuous antibiotic prophylaxis (yes or no), and reflux status (dilating versus nondilating) on the development of BBD. RESULTS: Three hundred and eighteen patients met inclusion criteria. The majority of patients (244 patients, 77%) were not toilet trained at baseline visit. The median baseline age (interquartile range) was 21 months (11–35 months), and 299 (94%) patients were girls. During the study period, 111 (35%) developed BBD. Baseline BMI percentile was not associated with BBD development (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9–1.1), whereas female sex was highly associated with BBD development (aOR = 12.7; 95% CI: 1.6–98). Patients with dilating reflux at baseline were 2.1 times more likely to develop BBD (95% CI: 1.2–3.7). Antibiotic prophylaxis was not associated with BBD development (aOR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.4–1.4). CONCLUSIONS: Dilating reflux and female sex were identified as risk factors for development of BBD, but neither BMI nor prophylactic antibiotics was associated with the development of BBD.
Efficiently solving joint activity based security games

Despite recent successful real-world deployments of Stackelberg Security Games (SSGs), scale-up remains a fundamental challenge in this field. The latest techniques do not scale-up to domains where multiple defenders must coordinate time-dependent joint activities. To address this challenge, this paper presents two branch-and-price algorithms for solving SSGs, SMARTO and SMARTH, with three novel features: (i) a column-generation approach that uses an ordered network of nodes (determined by solving the traveling salesman problem) to generate individual defender strategies; (ii) exploitation of iterative reward shaping of multiple coordinating defender units to generate coordinated strategies; (iii) generation of tighter upper-bounds for pruning by solving security games that only abide by key scheduling constraints. We provide extensive experimental results and formal analyses.
Effects of task complexity and age-differences on task-related functional connectivity of attentional networks.

Abstract Studies investigating the strength and membership of regions within multiple functional networks primarily focus on either resting state or single cognitive tasks. The goals of the current study were to investigate whether task-related functional connectivity changes with task complexity, and whether this connectivity-complexity relationship is age-sensitive. We assessed seed-to-voxel functional connectivity for the default mode network (DMN) and two attentional networks [cingulo-opercular (CO), fronto-parietal (FP)] in three cognitive control tasks of increasing complexity (Single task, Dual task, and Memory Updating), across younger and older adults (N = 52; NYoung = 23; NOld = 29). The three tasks systematically varied in cognitive control demands due to differing maintenance, switching, and updating requirements. Functional connectivity for all networks, resulting from task > rest contrasts, increased with greater task complexity, irrespective of age and gray matter volume. Moreover, between-network connectivity for DMN, CO, and FP regions was greatest for working memory updating, the most complex task. Regarding age-related differences in accuracy, none were observed for Single or Dual tasks, but older adults had poorer accuracy in Memory Updating. More anterior frontal clusters of functional connectivity were observed for older, compared to younger, adults; these were limited to seeds of the two attentional networks. Importantly, increased connectivity in these additional frontal regions in older adults were non-compensatory, because they were associated with detrimental task performance, especially Memory Updating. For the Memory Updating > Rest, the younger > older contrast resulted in greater DMN seed connectivity to regions in the other two attentional networks, implicating increased reliance on between-network connectivity for the DMN seeds during complex cognitive tasks. Our results also implicate functional connectivity between attentional networks and the cerebellum during cognitive control. Reliability of multiple seeds in the seed-to-voxel connectivity is also discussed.
Microseismic monitoring in unconventional reservoirs: are natural fractures hiding in plain sight?

As the shale revolution is adjusting to the realities of the new market and lower oil prices, the operators’ focus is shifting towards unconventional reservoirs and increasing hydrocarbon production efficiencies. The oil and gas operators’ demands are transforming our paradigm of reservoir characterization, forecasting, and monitoring. As such, heterogeneity of an unconventional reservoir is one of the main factors impacting well productivity. Well performance is driven by the size and efficiency of the interconnected fracture ‘plumbing system’ which is influenced by the presence of natural fractures and the process of multistage hydraulic fracturing. A complex, interconnected natural fracture network can significantly increase the size of the stimulated reservoir volume, provide additional surface area contact and enhance permeability. However, the interaction of the natural fracture networks and the completions-induced fractures is complex and can be affected by multiple factors, such as present-day maximum horizontal stress orientation, character of pre-existing natural fractures, presence of faults, lithology types that the horizontal well is being drilled through, as well as the well completions design itself. With a trend of unconventional resource plays’ development, the Niobrara Formation has become a focus of interest for operators. Recent advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic reservoir stimulation have allowed for economic development of tight resource plays. In the presence of heterogeneity optimal well placement, orientation, and spacing are especially important. Natural fractures are expected to significantly influence the completions’ efficiency and have the potential to contribute to SRV (stimulated reservoir volume) and drainage volume. Hydraulic fracturing with evenly-spaced frac stages may not be the most successful stimulation method or yield the greatest production. In the given circumstances the process of reservoir monitoring is essential for accurate assessment of the produced reservoir volume (PRV) and for our understanding of how effectively the target formation is being stimulated. Microseismic data is being called upon with ever increasing frequency to satisfy the industry’s reservoir monitoring needs. In this study we take a look at one of the major unconventional resource plays in the US. The research was designed to conduct dynamic reservoir characterization and to test the strengths and limitations of microseismic monitoring. The study integrated 3D seismic data, microseismic data, geophysical well log and formation image log data, and core and outcrop data within the focal area. One of the goals of the study is to analyse factors capable of affecting the distribution of microseismic events. An important question to be answered: ‘Will microseismic data, taken alone, prove to be a sufficiently representative source of information when evaluating the reservoir response and estimating success of completion strategies?’
A history of internet security

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the history of Internet vulnerabilities and solutions within the social milieu in which question whether the Internet will ever be secure was raised. The Internet and its predecessor networks evolved in an era devoid of home Internet access or personal computers and in a closed and trusted user environment predominantly in academic, research, and military contexts in the United States. Network security was important but did not have the same complexity it later assumed when the network expanded into business environments, across the globe, into homes, and over the open airwaves of wireless. A watershed event occurred in the fall of 1988 when a self-propagating computer program disrupted or crashed thousands of Internet-connected computers. Since this attack, security incidents and challenges—such as worms, viruses, wireless vulnerabilities, denial of service attacks, spam, identity theft, and spyware—have increased annually even while national economies and national security operations have become increasingly dependent on the Internet.