cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term outcomes of spinal cord stimulation with paddle leads in the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome and failed back surgery syndrome.

Introduction Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is frequently used to treat chronic, intractable back, and leg pain. Implantation can be accomplished with percutaneous leads or paddle leads. Although there is an extensive literature on SCS, the long-term efficacy, particularly with paddle leads, remains poorly defined. Outcome measure choice is important when defining therapeutic efficacy for chronic pain. Numerical rating scales such as the NRS-11 remain the most common outcome measure in the literature, although they may not accurately correlate with quality of life improvements and overall satisfaction. Methods We reviewed the medical records of patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) or complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) implanted with SCS systems using paddle leads between 1997 and 2008 at the Cleveland Clinic with a minimum six-month follow-up. Patients were contacted to fill out a questionnaire evaluating outcomes with the NRS-11 as well as overall satisfaction. Results A total of 35 eligible patients chose to participate. More than 50% of the patients with CRPS reported greater than 50% pain relief at a mean follow-up of 4.4 years. Approximately 30% of the FBSS patients reported a 50% or greater improvement at a mean follow-up of 3.8 years. However, 77.8% of patients with CRPS and 70.6% of patients with FBSS indicated that they would undergo SCS surgery again for the same outcome. Conclusion Patients with CRPS and FBSS have a high degree of satisfaction, indexed as willingness to undergo the same procedure again for the same outcome at a mean follow-up of approximately four years. The percentage of satisfaction with the SCS system is disproportionally greater than the percentage of patients reporting 50% pain relief, particularly among patients with FBSS. This suggests that the visual analog scale may not be the optimal measure to evaluate long-term outcomes in this patient population.
Comparative Analysis of Methane-Oxidizing Archaea and Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in Anoxic Marine Sediments

The oxidation of methane in anoxic marine sediments is thought to be mediated by a consortium of methane-consuming archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria. In this study, we compared results of rRNA gene (rDNA) surveys and lipid analyses of archaea and bacteria associated with methane seep sediments from several different sites on the Californian continental margin. Two distinct archaeal lineages (ANME-1 and ANME-2), peripherally related to the order Methanosarcinales, were consistently associated with methane seep marine sediments. The same sediments contained abundant 13C-depleted archaeal lipids, indicating that one or both of these archaeal groups are members of anaerobic methane-oxidizing consortia. 13C-depleted lipids and the signature 16S rDNAs for these archaeal groups were absent in nearby control sediments. Concurrent surveys of bacterial rDNAs revealed a predominance of delta -proteobacteria, in particular, close relatives of Desulfosarcina variabilis. Biomarker analyses of the same sediments showed bacterial fatty acids with strong 13C depletion that are likely products of these sulfate-reducing bacteria. Consistent with these observations, whole-cell fluorescent in situ hybridization revealed aggregations of ANME-2 archaea and sulfate-reducing Desulfosarcina and Desulfococcus species. Additionally, the presence of abundant 13C-depleted ether lipids, presumed to be of bacterial origin but unrelated to ether lipids of members of the order Desulfosarcinales, suggests the participation of additional bacterial groups in the methane-oxidizing process. Although the Desulfosarcinales and ANME-2 consortia appear to participate in the anaerobic oxidation of methane in marine sediments, our data suggest that other bacteria and archaea are also involved in methane oxidation in these environments.
Selective pruning and crop removal increase early-season fruit production of carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.)

Carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.) trees grow and bear fruit year-round in their native, tropical environment. Fruits of this species are borne mainly on the canopy periphery, and the delicate skin is easily damaged during windy conditions (wind-scar). Pruning, as well as fruit drop caused by strong winds, stimulates re-bloom of carambola trees. In subtropical southern Florida, cool temperatures and dry winds during the winter inhibit tree growth and shorten the production season to July‐February. Crop value is greatest during the early part of the season. We evaluated manual, selective pruning and crop removal as techniques for increasing production of early-season fruit in ‘Arkin’ carambola. Pruning 3‐4-year old branches to their main axes in early March (late winter in the Northern Hemisphere) resulted in flowering during mid-April (mid-spring) and a crop by the end of June (early summer), whereas harvest of intact, non-pruned trees began 4‐5 weeks later. Pruned branches produced 15 kg (November pruning) to 24 kg of fruit (July pruning). Selectively pruned branches deep within the tree canopy did not appear to be moved by wind as much as branches along the canopy periphery. Thus, fruit from pruned branches were nearly 100% free of wind-scar and had excellent appearance. In comparison, more than 58% of fruit harvested from the canopy periphery had wind-scar, with only ca. 20% free from such damage. Crop removal in November or December (mid‐late-autumn) increased early bloom and the amount of early fruit produced in the summer. De-fruited trees produced an average of 48 kg per tree of early fruit, harvested July 7, whereas non-de-fruited trees produced an average of only 5 kg per tree. # 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Relations between the amplitudes of spontaneous saccades and visual responses.

Electroretinograms and visually evoked cortical potentials, dependent on the occurence of spontaneous saccadic eye movements, were recorded from human observers. A computer system was used to isolate average-response waveforms that result from saccadic displacements of the retinal image. The responses were recorded as the observer fixed his eye on the center of a steady pattern of vertical stripes presented in maxwellian view. The responses depended on the spatial frequency of the pattern being viewed; in all cases, they were proportional to the extent of saccadic movement. The results are interpreted in terms of response additivity and the numbers of cones stimulated by the image displacement.
A 92 GHz Bandwidth Distributed Amplifier in a 45 nm SOI CMOS Technology

A low-power cascode distributed amplifier is demonstrated in a 45 nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) CMOS process. The amplifier achieves a 3 dB bandwidth of 92 GHz. The peak gain is 9 dB with a gain-ripple of less 1.5 dB over the 3 dB bandwidth. The group-delay variation is under ±4.7 ps over the 3 dB bandwidth. The amplifier consumes 73.5 mW from a 1.2 V supply and results in a gain-bandwidth efficiency figure of merit of 3.53 GHz/mW. The chip occupies an area of 0.45 mm2 including the pads.
Shaping Formal Networks throug the Regulatory Process

Recent research has shown that, at the federal level, new or amended programs typically create networks consisting of multiactor structures spanning governments, sectors, and/or agencies. This study examines the implementation structures created through the regulatory process. We find that in a majority of cases the regulatory process adds to the complexity of implementation patterns; previously simple implementation structures often became more complicated and new actors are brought into the process. Rules also serve a key function in clarifying the general language that is often used by Congress. These findings have implications for the study and practice of public administration.
Characterization of a novel EF-hand homologue, CnidEF, in the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima

The superfamily of EF-hand proteins is comprised of a large and diverse group of proteins that contain one or more characteristic EF-hand calcium-binding domains. This study describes and characterizes a novel EF-hand cDNA, CnidEF, from the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima (Phylum Cnidaria, Class Anthozoa). CnidEF was found to contain two EF-hand motifs near the C-terminus of the deduced amino acid sequence and two regions near the N-terminus that could represent degenerate EF-hand motifs. CnidEF homologues were also identified from two other sea anemone species. A combination of bioinformatic and molecular phylogenetic analyses was used to compare CnidEF to EF-hand proteins in other organisms. The closest homologues identified from these analyses were a luciferin binding protein (LBP) involved in the bioluminescence of the anthozoan Renilla reniformis, and a sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein (SARC) involved in fluorescence of the annelid worm Nereis diversicolor. Predicted structure and folding analysis revealed a close association with bioluminescent aequorin (AEQ) proteins from the hydrozoan cnidarian Aequorea aequorea. Neighbor-joining analyses grouped CnidEF within the SARC lineage along with AEQ and other cnidarian bioluminescent proteins rather than in the lineage containing calmodulin (CAM) and troponin-C (TNC).
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Estradiol Interact to Stimulate Glutathione Synthesis in Rat Ovarian Follicles and Granulosa Cells

Glutathione (GSH), the most abundant intracellular nonprotein thiol, is critical for many cellular functions. The rate-limiting step in GSH synthesis is catalyzed by glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL), a heterodimer composed of a catalytic (GCLC) and a modifier (GCLM) subunit. The tissue-specific regulation of GSH synthesis is poorly understood. We showed previously that gonadotropin hormones regulate ovarian GSH synthesis. In the present study, we sought to clarify the ovarian cell type-specific effects of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol on GSH synthesis. Immature female rats were treated with estradiol to stimulate development of small antral follicles. Granulosa cells (GCs) from these follicles or whole follicles were cultured in serum-free media, with or without FSH and 17beta-estradiol. The GSH and GCLC protein and mRNA levels increased in GCs treated with FSH alone. The effects of FSH on GCLC and GCLM protein and mRNA levels, GCL enzymatic activity, and GSH concentrations in GCs were significantly enhanced by the addition of estradiol. Estradiol alone had no effects on GSH. Dibromo-cAMP mimicked and protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitors prevented FSH stimulation of GCL subunit protein levels. In cultured small antral follicles, FSH stimulated estradiol synthesis and robustly increased GCL subunit mRNA and protein levels and GSH concentrations. The GCL subunit mRNA expression increased in both the granulosa cells and theca cells of follicles with FSH stimulation. These data demonstrate that maximal stimulation of GSH synthesis by FSH in granulosa cells and follicles requires estradiol. Without estradiol, FSH causes lesser increases in GCL subunit expression via a PKA-dependent pathway.
The Career Cycle Approach To Defining The Interior Design Profession's Body Of Knowledge

The purpose of this study was to define and document the interior design profession's body of knowledge at a single point in time. This was done using a career cycle approach and a health, safety, and welfare framework. The method and framework used to define the body of knowledge are presented in the article. The body of knowledge was defined from a career cycle approach using the four stages of a professional interior designer's career cycle: education, experience, examination, and legal regulation (NCIDQa, 2003). A content analysis was conducted of the written documents of the organizations that represent each stage in the cycle. Eighty-one knowledge areas were identified from this content analysis and placed into one of seven categories: Codes; Communication; Design; Furnishings, Fixtures, and Equipment; Human Needs; Interior Building Construction; and Professional Practice. These categories and knowledge areas are what defined the interior design profession's body of knowledge based on this approach. Next, each knowledge area was analyzed using a health, safety, and welfare framework to determine its benefit to the public. Finally, a review of literature was conducted to document that the knowledge areas comprise the specialized knowledge necessary for the professional interior designer to protect the public's health, safety, and welfare. The method used to define the interior design profession's body of knowledge assessed several limited bodies of knowledge that had been developed for a specific purpose, such as education or examination. While this comprehensive body of knowledge reflects a single point in time, it provides a venue for dialogue from which revision can occur and updating can continue, leading to further development of the profession.
Embryonic and larval staging of summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus).

Early development of flatfishes such as the summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus (Pleuronectiformes) has not been extensively documented, largely because of a dearth of material; however, the recent expansion of flatfish aquaculture has made embryos of P. dentatus readily available for developmental studies. We divide development of P. dentatus embryos and larvae into two main periods, pre- and posthatching, and assign stages within each of those primary divisions. Stages from fertilization to hatching loosely follow the general teleost staging scheme suggested by Shardo ([1995] J Morphol 225:125-167); stages from hatching through metamorphosis are aligned with the series used for Japanese flounder, P. olivaceus (Minami [1982] Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi 48:1581-1588; Fukuhara [1986] Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi 52:81-91). Although length, width, and age may serve as approximate indicators of developmental progression in summer flounder, these characteristics are too variable to form the sole basis of a staging table. Therefore, we define stages by morphological criteria drawn from the development of the jaw apparatus and digestive system, eye migration, and notochord tip flexion. Examination of these morphological features in hatched larvae allows accurate and consistent assessment of developmental stage despite variation in timing and size. The staging scheme for flounder embryonic and larval development presented here should facilitate both experimental and comparative research on summer flounder and other flatfish species.
Reduced Rank Ridge Regression and Its Kernel Extensions.

In multivariate linear regression, it is often assumed that the response matrix is intrinsically of lower rank. This could be because of the correlation structure among the prediction variables or the coefficient matrix being lower rank. To accommodate both, we propose a reduced rank ridge regression for multivariate linear regression. Specifically, we combine the ridge penalty with the reduced rank constraint on the coefficient matrix to come up with a computationally straightforward algorithm. Numerical studies indicate that the proposed method consistently outperforms relevant competitors. A novel extension of the proposed method to the reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) set-up is also developed.  2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 4: 612-622, 2011
Acute rejection of allogeneic hemopoietic progenitors by genetically resistant mice

Natural resistance to hemopoietic allograft results in functional elimination of the graft from the host within 24 to 48 h. The resistance is specific and is directed to the cell surface target structures of an unidentified nature. These determinants are controlled by the major histocompatibility complex-linked hemopoietic histocompatibility (Hh) loci and expressed by cells of the hemopoietic system. In this study, the susceptibility of various hemopoietic progenitors, as well as the nature and the kinetics of the early rejection process, were examined by directly following the functional survival of the grafted progenitors by periodic sampling. In both F1 hybrid and inbred allogeneic hosts, multipotential progenitors for granulocyte-erythrocyte-monocyte-megakaryocyte lineages, bipotential progenitors for granulocyte-monocyte lineages and unipotential progenitors of erythrocyte, granulocyte and monocyte were susceptible to elimination. Therefore, within the limited range of comparisons, neither the lineage, nor the degree of commitment or differentiation determines the susceptibility of hemopoietic progenitors to resistance. Functional elimination of the grafted progenitors from the recipient spleen was irreversible upon cultivation in semisolid medium. The frequency of seeding in the spleen at 3 h was comparable in resistant and susceptible hosts; elimination commenced shortly afterwards and by 24 h after transplantation less than 10% of clonogenic progenitors remained functional. Activation of natural killer cells strengthened pre-existing resistance, but did not convert genetically susceptible mice to resistant. Therefore, the resistance is dependent on an effector mechanism with predetermined specificity.
Lanthanide ions as required cofactors for DNA catalysts

We report that micromolar concentrations of lanthanide ions can be required cofactors for DNA-hydrolyzing deoxyribozymes. Previous work identified deoxyribozymes that simultaneously require both Zn(2+) and Mn(2+) to achieve DNA-catalyzed DNA hydrolysis (10(12) rate enhancement); a mutant of one such DNA catalyst requires only Zn(2+). Here we show that in vitro selection in the presence of 10 µM lanthanide ion (Ce(3+), Eu(3+), or Yb(3+)) along with 1 mM Zn(2+) leads to numerous DNA-hydrolyzing deoxyribozymes that strictly require the lanthanide ion as well as Zn(2+) for catalytic activity. These DNA catalysts have a range of lanthanide dependences, including some deoxyribozymes that strongly favor one particular lanthanide ion (e.g., Ce(3+) >> Eu(3+) >> Yb(3+)) and others that function well with more than one lanthanide ion. Intriguingly, two of the Yb(3+)-dependent deoxyribozymes function well with Yb(3+) alone (K(d,app) ~10 µM, in the absence of Zn(2+)) and have little or no activity with Eu(3+) or Ce(3+). In contrast to these selection outcomes when lanthanide ions were present, new selections with Zn(2+) or Mn(2+) alone, or Zn(2+) with Mg(2+)/Ca(2+), led primarily to deoxyribozymes that cleave DNA by deglycosylation and β-elimination rather than by hydrolysis, including several instances of depyrimidination. We conclude that lanthanide ions warrant closer attention as cofactors when identifying new nucleic acid catalysts, especially for applications in which high concentrations of polyvalent metal ion cofactors are undesirable.
Prognostic and Predictive Markers in Breast Cancer: Issues Related to Molecular Determinants of Outcome

: Prognostic and predictive factors related to breast cancer are defined and discussed with a historical perspective, using the estrogen receptor and erbB-2 (HER-2/neu) as examples. Important issues related to translational applicability are discussed from the authors point of view. Emphasis is placed on a recognition of treatment and molecular marker interactions (for predictive factors) and how these may effect, either positively or negatively, their prognostic value.
Knapsack Intersection Graphs and Efficient Computation of Their Maximal Cliques

As an image can easily be modeled by its adjacency graph, graph theory and algorithms on graphs are widely used in imaging sciences. In this paper we define a knapsack graph, which is an intersection graph of integer translates of knapsack polygons, and consider the maximal clique problem on such graphs. A major application of intersection graphs is found in visualization of relations among objects in a scene. Efficient algorithms for the maximal clique problem are applicable to problems of computer graphics and image analysis, while properties of the knapsack polygon have been used in obtaining theoretical results in discrete geometry for computer imagery. We first show that the maximal clique problem on knapsack graphs is equivalent to the maximal clique problem on intersection graphs of homothetic right triangles. The latter was shown to be equivalent to the maximal clique problem on max-tolerance graphs and solvable in optimal O(n 3) time [28]. Thus, if the linear constraints defining the knapsack polygons are known, then the maximal clique problem on knapsack graphs can be solved using the algorithm from [28]. If the polygons are given by lists of their vertices and the defining constraints are unknown, we show how these can be found efficiently in computation time bounded by a low degree polynomial in the polygons size.
Improving the "better law" system: Some impudent suggestions for reordering and reformulating Leflar's choice-influencing considerations

This article is about Professor Robert Leflar’s Better Law System, in which five choice-influencing considerations are used in choice-of-law cases. This article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the system and offers suggestions on how to improve the considerations and the system as a whole. The article focuses on the rearrangement of the five considerations in hierarchical order, the reformulation of the content of each of the considerations, and the revisions of the descriptive titles of some of the considerations.
Using the Lens Model to Magnify Raters' Consistency, Matching, and Shared Bias

In this article the authors discuss research they conducted that used the lens model to interpret how different groups on employees supplied performance ratings. The groups examined were supervisor...
Information Systems Education: The Case for the Academic Cloud

This paper discusses how cloud computing can be leveraged to add value to academic programs in information systems and other fields by improving financial sustainment models for institutional technology and academic departments, relieving the strain on overworked technology support resources, while adding richness and improving pedagogical delivery of course content. A literature review on cloud definitions and how cloud paradigms are being implemented in academia is conducted. The author suggests that for smaller programs and institutions, cloud hosting of applications, services and platforms in support of information systems programs may be the only financially viable solution to course technology requirements. The impact of transitioning core information systems courses to a cloud paradigm is discussed, and examples of how the transition can improve course content and delivery are provided. Finally, details are presented on how a transition to the cloud is being accomplished in the information systems program of the school of continuing studies at the author’s small liberal arts university.
China's Debt Bomb

As this piece is being written, the Obama administration is exploring the idea of creating one or more aggregator institutions, “bad” banks, to take illiquid assets - mostly mortgages and mortgage-related securities of uncertain value - off the hands of the private banking system. Indeed, by the time you read this, the bad bank(s) may already have been created.
The Deconstruction and Reconstruction of Cultural Elements in Translation from the Perspective of Deconstructionism

Translation is a cross-cultural communication, and because of the widespread cultural differences, translators have to treat cultural elements in original text prudently. From the perspective of Deconstructionism, the process of handling cultural ele ments in translation consists of the deconstruction of the relation between cultural elements and their corresponding original lin guistic signs, as well as the reconstruction of the same relationship in target language and cultural systems with target linguistic signs.
Stimulating Effect on the Development of Chinese Winter Sports from "Bidding for the Olympics"

The stimulation and influence produced by bidding for the Winter Olympics,the comprehensive development and the organic integration of ice and snow sports resources has an extremely important practical significance to promote the development of ice and snow sports in our country. The development of Chinese ice and snow sports shows that natural resources in China is relatively abundant, but needs to be a higher level of development.Popularization rate is relatively narrow,the whole developing layout need to be readjusted and planned.The achievement of some individual projects is outstanding,the overall level is relatively low.Taking this good developing opportunity of bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games,insist on the new normal theory,make a developing plan which is suitable for the development of Chinese conditions.Pay attention to the highlight of the popular characteristics to promote the development of Chinese ice and snow sports in mass.Promote the enrichment and improvement of the baisc facilities for ice and snow sports,promote the sustainable development of ice and snow sports in our country,efficiently expand the audience,which helps to raise the overall level of ice and snow sports.
Antiviral and Antiparasitic Effects of Metal Complexes

At first glance there may not appear to be much similarity between viruses and what we commonly think of as parasites but in fact the virus may be considered to be the most highly developed parasite. They are further related in the context of this monograph by the paucity of information on the effects of coordination complexes, and indeed chemotherapeutic agents in general, on their reproduction. These studies are of importance from mechanistic viewpoints because both viruses and the pathogenic parasites responsible for tropical diseases use the host cell for reproduction. Thus, selectivity is of increasing importance, because, as with bacteria, the basis of selective toxicity with a clear distinction between invader and host is apparent, unlike the situation with cancer. This is especially true of parasitic diseases, where not only is selectivity necessary but, unlike bacteria without a nuclear membrane, there is a well-defined nucleus to enter, exactly as in human cells, before the desired effect is achieved. Specific approaches to selective toxicity may well be more easily studied in these systems which, apart from potential clinical benefit, must obviously improve our overall understanding on the pharmacological effects of metal complexes.
Holocene history of the San Andreas fault between Crystal Springs Reservoir and San Andreas Dam, San Mateo county, California

Abstract The geologic part of a seismic safety investigation of San Andreas Dam focused on a two mile reach of the fault between the dam and Crystal Springs Reservoir. Historical documents and detailed mapping revealed that the 1906 faulting caused 7 to 9 ft of right shear in the left (eastern) abutment and occurred on nearly straight traces that experienced a maximum of 9 ft of slip, 90 per cent of which was concentrated within a zone 100 ft wide. Radiocarbon dates on detrital charcoal from two sites of ponded alluvium established that the 1906 traces have been active for at least the last 3,000 yr. Deflected stream channels further indicate that the 1906 traces have been the locus of right slip for the last 6500 yr and perhaps for all of Holocene time. Detailed geomorphic and stratigraphic analyses of one site showed that five 1906 magnitude slip events have occurred within the last 1130 ± 160 radiocarbon years from which a minimum strain rate of 1.2 cm/yr and an average recurrence frequence of 224 ± 25 yr can be calculated. Trenches excavated across the 1906 traces of the San Andreas fault revealed that the zone of active faulting is marked by a slow upwelling of highly sheared rock materials. This apparent vertical movement of fault gouge, when coupled with right shear and differential stream erosion, has produced most of the distinctive landforms of the rift valley.
Retention maintenance—Conclusion

The orthodontic retention period is often treated with lesser importance; however, it is in this concluding presentation emphasized as a phase of great importance to ensure long-term success. Recommendations are presented, the present status reflected on and a brief look provided into the future with possible additional management options to the continual changes observed in our occlusions.
A sandwich ELISA for porcine alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (pAGP, ORM-1) and further demonstration of its use to evaluate growth potential in newborn pigs.

A simple, reproducible sandwich, ELISA was developed to measure porcine alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (pAGP, ORM-1) in pig plasma. Porcine AGP isolated from serum was purchased and a polyclonal antisera was prepared in rabbits using the whole pAGP molecule as immunogen. The antiserum was affinity purified, and a portion of the purified antibody fraction was labeled with horseradish peroxidase. Porcine AGP protein was used as a standard, whereas commercially available buffers and reagents were utilized throughout the assay. The assay was specific for pAGP, had a lower limit of detection of 3.2 ng/mL, and could be used to quantify pAGP in plasma or serum. Using this ELISA, we corroborated our previous findings obtained by RID assay, which demonstrated that the AGP concentration in newborn piglets is negatively associated with preweaning growth rate. The current data were obtained using piglets from a different geographical location and genetic background and showed that elevated AGP at birth was associated with reduced preweaning growth rate (P < 0.001, r = 0.433, n = 19 litters). In addition, litters with a greater average AGP at birth were at a growth disadvantage compared with litters with reduced average AGP plasma concentrations (P < 0.001, r = 0.708, n = 19 litters). Litter average plasma AGP was a better predictor of litter preweaning growth rate than average litter birth weight. The data represent further support for using perinatal AGP concentrations as a tool to identify potential slower growing pigs and as a plasma biomarker for predicting litter growth rate.
Security and Data Privacy of Modern Automobiles

Modern vehicles have become heavily connected. Electronic Control Units (ECUs) are embedded computer systems that are interconnected for driving tasks. ECUs also communicate with external facilities. Innovative vehicle applications enabled by the connectivity are being widely used for safety, navigation, and improved user experience. Consequentially, connected vehicle security requires physical security, communication security, and application security. In this chapter, we survey connected vehicle security and privacy issues. We identify the stakeholders within the automotive ecosystem and the assets they need to protect. Existing attacks on connected vehicles are presented. Discussions of security and privacy solutions are also presented.
Hummingbird Foraging Patterns: Experiments Using Artificial Flowers

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses humming bird foraging patterns through experiments using artificial flowers. Hummingbirds are the smallest of all North American birds; an adult ruby-throated hummingbird weighs only about 3 grams. Their small size and high mass-specific metabolic rate mean that hummingbirds must forage as frequently as 8 times per hour, consuming half their weight in sugar each day. This makes them an ideal species for studying foraging patterns. In the lab, researchers make fake flowers that enable them to easily monitor the time it takes for them to be visited by a hummingbird. In this way, they can investigate what kinds of flower attributes enhance detection and visits by hummingbirds. When a hummingbird visits a flower, it drinks the sugar water out of the tube, leaving it empty. The chapter describes the procedure to conduct the experiment, and record and analyse the data.
Slowing disease progression in the SOD1 mouse model of ALS by blocking neuregulin-induced microglial activation

There are no effective treatments to slow disease progression in ALS. We previously reported that neuregulin (NRG) receptors are constitutively activated on microglia in the ventral horns in both ALS patients and SOD1 mice and in the corticospinal tracts of ALS patients, and that NRG receptor activation occurs prior to significant clinical disease onset in SOD1 mice. Here, we hypothesize that blocking NRG signaling on microglia would slow disease progression in SOD1 mice using a targeted NRG antagonist (HBD-S-H4). Recombinant HBD-S-H4 directly delivered into the central nervous system (CNS) through implanted intracerebroventricular cannulas showed no signs of toxicity and significantly inhibited NRG receptor activation on microglia resulting in reduced microglial activation and motor neuron loss. The treatment also resulted in a delay in disease onset and an increase in survival. The therapeutic effect was dose-dependent that varied as a function of genetic background in two different strains of SOD1 mice. As a complementary drug delivery approach, transgenic mice expressing HBD-S-H4 driven by an astrocytic promoter (GFAP) had slower disease progression in a dose dependent manner, based on the level of HBD-S-H4 expression. These studies provide mechanistic insights into how NRG signaling on microglia may lead to disease progression and demonstrate the utility of a humanized fusion protein that blocks NRG as a novel therapeutic for human ALS.
What Has Been Done? Louisiana After Katrina

This chapter provides an overview and assessment of the progress made in mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters during the period since Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29th, 2005. While the focus of the chapter will be Louisiana, many of the changes that are examined extend far beyond the state and will therefore be included in this chapter. Indeed, a disaster of this magnitude engendered a re-examination of the nation’s readiness that extended far beyond the region. Using the 5-year period before Katrina as a baseline, the chapter assesses the progress made in four major areas: social, technical, and political systems. These areas have been generally accepted as important yardsticks for community resilience and sustainable development, and it is often where two or more of these systems interact that major vulnerabilities in a community’s ability to deal effectively with a disaster will occur.
Social Organizations as Reconstitutable Networks of Conversations.

This essay intends to recover human agency from holistic, abstract, even oppressive conceptions of social organization, common in the social sciences, social systems theory in particular. To do so, I am taking the use of language as simultaneously accompanying the performance of and constructing reality (my version of social constructivism). The essay starts with a definition of human agency in terms of its linguistic manifestation. It then sketches several leading conceptions of social organization, their metaphorical origin and entailments. Finally, it contextualizes the use of these metaphors in conversation, which leads to the main thesis of this essay that the reconstitutability of networks of conversation precedes all other criteria of the viability of organizational forms. The paper transcends the traditional second-order cybernetic preoccupation with individual cognition – observation and description – into the social domain of participation.
Introduction to Sea Urchins

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a brief overview of sea urchin development. Sea urchin embryos offer several important experimental benefits to investigators interested in developmental mechanisms. These features are complementary to benefits of the genetically oriented model species that are commonly used for developmental studies. Sea urchin embryos can be cultured easily, inexpensively, and in large quantities. In particular, it is simple to rear large numbers of synchronously developing embryos and larvae. This makes possible biochemical, molecular, and cellular techniques that would be difficult or costly in many other model systems. The embryos and larvae of sea urchins are transparent and anatomically simple. Together, transparency and rapid development allow the consequences of experimental manipulations to be documented and followed over time in living embryos.
Effects of a Mnemonic Technique on Subsequent Recall of Assigned and Self-generated Passwords

Participants were trained on how to use a mnemonic strategy for memorizing assigned passwords or for generating new passwords. Memory for these passwords was examined at short and long recall delays. There was a significant interaction between type of password and recall delay for both the amount of time and number of attempts needed for participants to accurately recall their passwords. Participants trained in how to use the mnemonic technique to generate their own passwords were able to recall them more quickly and accurately than participants who were trained in how to use the mnemonic technique to memorize their assigned passwords. The impact of self-generated passwords on memory was discussed as well as the relative value of the mnemonic training strategy. Areas of future research were identified that may lead to the development of mnemonic training strategies to better enable users to recall their passwords.
Being Perfect is Not Necessary for Being God

Classic perfect being theologians take ‘being perfect’ (or some careful variant thereof) to be conceptually necessary and sufficient for being God. I argue that this claim is false because being perfect is not conceptually necessary for being God. I rest my case on a simple thought experiment inspired by an alternative I developed to perfect being theology that I call “functional theology.” My findings, if correct, are a boon for theists since if it should turn out that there is no perfect being, there could still be a God.
Generating Information Extraction Patterns from Overlapping and Variable Length Annotations using Sequence Alignment.

Sequence alignments are used to capture patterns composed of elements representing multiple conceptual levels through the alignment of sequences that contain overlapping and variable length annotations. The alignments also determine the proper context window of words and phrases that most directly impact the meaning of a given target within a sentence, eliminating the need to predefine a fixed context window of words surrounding the targets. We evaluated the system using the CoNLL-2003 named entity recognition (NER) task.
Transcriptomic changes due to early, chronic ethanol exposure during cortical development implicates arealization, cell-type specification, Axon Guidance and Synaptogenesis as primary determinants of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are described by a cluster of deficits following in utero alcohol exposure, whose effects disproportionately target the cerebral cortex. In vitro and in vivo models of FASD have successfully recapitulated multiple facets of clinical presentations, including morphological and behavioral deficits, but far less is understood regarding the molecular and genetic bases of FASD. In this study, we utilize an in vitro human pluripotent stem cell-based (hPSC) model of corticogenesis to probe the effect of early, chronic alcohol exposure on the transcriptome of developing cortical neurons. We here identify a relatively limited number of significantly altered biological pathways, including regional patterning, cell-type specification, axon guidance and synaptic function. Significant upregulation of WNT signaling-related transcripts, to the exclusion of other secreted morphogens was also observed in alcohol exposed cultures. Lastly, an overall alcohol-associated shift towards an increased caudal profile, at the expense of rostral molecular identity was observed, representing a potentially previously underappreciated FASD phenotype.
Critical Pedagogies in Cultural Studies: On Teaching Marxism Online

When online teaching burst on the scene in the late 1990s, it appeared to be nothing less than the latest stage in the ongoing neoliberal assault on higher education. Online teaching promised to degrade the learning experience and squeeze instructors into a regimented, assembly-line work regime. This essay describes the author’s effort to resist that trend by developing an online graduate course in Marxist Cultural Theory that instead leverages the internet for progressive educational ends, focusing on quality enhancement rather than metrics of quantity and cost-efficiency. Internet technology is used to sharpen the critical production of knowledge with faculty and students from several different universities participating, and to make the course as widely public as possible, with lectures widely viewed on YouTube.
Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors and the kidney: Focus on ibrutinib.

IntroductionTumor lysis syndrome is an oncologic emergency resulting from rapid and massive tumor cell death that may lead to serious clinical complications including acute kidney injury and cardia...
The Effect of Thursday Night Games on In-Game Injury Rates in the National Football League:

Background:Although claims of increased injury rates with Thursday night National Football League (NFL) games exist, a paucity of data exist substantiating these claims.Purpose:To evaluate the effe...
Comparing Two Approaches to Testing Within-Level Interactions Using Panel Data

Organizational scholars are increasingly using panel data to test within-level interaction effects. However, potential confounding in the estimation of such interaction effects may arise because co...
Vehicle Speed and Gear Position Co-Optimization for Energy-Efficient Connected and Autonomous Vehicles

This work proposes a real-time implementable control strategy to optimize vehicle speed and transmission gear position simultaneously for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). Co-optimization of vehicle speed and transmission gear position has the advantage to maximize the fuel benefits. Drivability is considered during the optimization to satisfy the acceleration requirement and avoid shift busyness. The target vehicle’s speed and gear position are controlled intelligently using predicted future traffic conditions based on information enabled by connectivity. The optimal control problem is a hybrid one with both continuous (vehicle speed) and discrete (gear position) control inputs. The problem is formulated and simplified to a mixed-integer programming problem with a convex quadratic objective function and mixed-integer linear constraints. The optimal control solutions are obtained in real time using an efficient numerical solver in the model predictive control (MPC) fashion. Future traffic conditions are anticipated using a traffic prediction method based on a traffic flow model. The traffic prediction method can be applied to scenarios where both connected vehicles and nonconnected vehicles share the road. As a case study, a vehicle platooning scenario on an urban road is evaluated in both simulation and experiment. The target vehicle is at the end of the vehicle platoon and follows the preceding vehicle. The average computational time of the optimization is 0.44 s. By co-optimizing vehicle speed and gear position, the target vehicle can achieve 10.6% fuel benefits compared with the immediate preceding vehicle and 8.9% energy benefits compared with a human-driven vehicle (driven by VISSIM’s car-following model). The proposed control strategy can be potentially extended to various CAV applications and traffic scenarios as well.
Associations Between Obesity and Use for Pediatric Hospitalizations

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with poor outcomes for specific clinical groups of hospitalized children, but few data exist on outcomes of children with obesity on a larger scale during hospitalization. Therefore, we aimed to determine if use outcomes differ between hospitalized children with obesity and hospitalized children without obesity. METHODS: We performed a retrospective longitudinal cohort study of all children aged 2 to 19 years hospitalized at a single academic institution between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2016. BMI was calculated from documented height and weight; obesity was defined by using age- and sex-specific BMI percentile guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only All Patient Refined Diagnosis-Related Groups (APR-DRGs) with >100 admissions during the study period were included. Primary outcome measures included hospital length of stay, hospital cost, and 14-day readmission. Generalized linear and logistic models were used to determine adjusted differences for outcome measures between patients with and without obesity. RESULTS: Of 78 756 included hospitalizations, obesity rates increased from 16.5% in 2009–2010 to 17.3% in 2015–2016 (P = .002). Only 6 (4.7%) of the 128 APR-DRGs examined were associated with increased use for patients with obesity: spinal procedures, tonsil and adenoid procedures, major respiratory procedures, peptic ulcer and gastritis, other musculoskeletal diagnoses, and other kidney and urinary tract diagnoses. There were no APR-DRGs with increased length of stay for children with obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is associated with increased hospitalization cost and readmission rates for a minority of diagnosis groups. Some groups of hospitalized children with obesity may benefit from targeted interventions to reduce obesity-specific risks. Future research should be focused on disparities in other relevant clinical outcomes.