cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Janus kinase inhibition prevents cancer- and myocardial infarction-mediated diaphragm muscle weakness in mice

Respiratory dysfunction is prevalent in critically ill patients and can lead to adverse clinical outcomes, including respiratory failure and increased mortality. Respiratory muscles, which normally sustain respiration through inspiratory muscle contractions, become weakened during critical illness, and recent studies suggest that respiratory muscle weakness is related to systemic inflammation. Here, we investigate the pathophysiological role of the inflammatory JAK1/3 signaling pathway in diaphragm weakness in two distinct experimental models of critical illness. In the first experiment, mice received subcutaneous injections of PBS or C26 cancer cells and were fed chow formulated with or without the JAK1/3 inhibitor R548 for 26 days. Diaphragm specific force was significantly reduced in tumor-bearing mice receiving standard chow; however, treatment with the JAK1/3 inhibitor completely prevented diaphragm weakness. Diaphragm cross-sectional area was diminished by ∼25% in tumor-bearing mice but was similar to healthy mice in tumor-bearing animals treated with R548. In the second study, mice received sham surgery or coronary artery ligation, leading to myocardial infarction (MI), and were treated with R548 or vehicle 1 h postsurgery, and once daily for 3 days. Diaphragm specific force was comparable between sham surgery/vehicle, sham surgery/R548 and MI/R548 groups, but significantly decreased in the MI/vehicle group. Markers of oxidative damage and activated caspase-3, mechanisms previously identified to reduce muscle contractility, were not elevated in diaphragm extracts. These experiments implicate JAK1/3 signaling in cancer- and MI-mediated diaphragm weakness in mice, and provide a compelling case for further investigation.
‘the behavioural revolution’? a genealogy of a concept

For this article, I ask the question ‘Where is the behavioural revolution?’ My aim is to illuminate the discursive evolution of the behavioural revolution in American political science through a ‘non-rhetorical’ history of the behavioural revolution. I examine the way the analytic construct of the behavioural revolution evolved in the discourse of the discipline over time. I begin with an illustrative example drawn from contemporary reference material and then turn to an analysis of the writing of behaviouralists authors in the 1950s and early 1960s: Robert Dahl, Heinz Eulau, and David Easton. I then discuss the emergence of the behavioural revolution in the discourse of the discipline more generally and contrast a proponent of behaviouralism with a critic. I end the article with a discussion of the way that contemporary disciplinary historians understand the behavioural revolution. While the importance of the concept of the behavioural revolution is shown to be ongoing, the origin of the conventional use of ‘the behavioural revolution’ is traced to the late 1960s.
Advantages and Complications Following Fassier-Duval Intramedullary Rodding in Children. Pilot Study.

Background The report presents the authors' experience with Fassier-Duval rods in children and an analysis of advantages and complications. Material and methods Over a period of 15 months, the authors operated on 10 children and 18 rod implantation procedures were performed. In five cases, the implantation was a primary procedure, while in the remaining 13 cases Fassier-Duval rods were used to replace short Rush rods. Results The mean follow-up was 18 months. Four children developed the following complications: lateral rod displacement within the distal epiphysis, male rod displacement outside the epiphysis ("negative telescoping"), retrograde displacement of the male rod from the distal epiphysis to the metaphysis and retrograde displacement of the female element beyond the greater trochanter. Conclusions 1. FD rodding allows for decreasing the number of operations because the nails need not be replaced as the child grows older. 2. FD rod implantation is limited by the size of the medullary cavity of the bone, and thus the age of the patient.
Childhood trauma, PTSD, and psychosis: Findings from a highly traumatized, minority sample

Trauma, especially early life trauma, is a risk factor for the development of both posttraumatic stress disorder and psychosis. The goal of the present study was to determine specific associations between exposure to childhood abuse, PTSD symptoms, and current psychotic disorder. Subjects were recruited from a public, urban hospital (N=328, >90% African American). Psychotic disorders were measured using the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview, PTSD was measured using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale, child abuse was measured with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and lifetime trauma exposure was measured with the Traumatic Events Inventory. Logistic regression analyses showed that both child abuse and current PTSD were statistically significant predictors of psychotic disorder beyond the effects of lifetime trauma load. When PTSD symptom clusters were examined, avoidance and numbing symptoms showed unique association with psychotic disorder independent of demographic variables and trauma exposure. Using bootstrapping techniques, we found a full indirect effect of PTSD on the association between child abuse and, suggesting a particularly important role of PTSD symptoms in relation to psychotic disorder in the presence of early life trauma. Because this is a cross-sectional study, continued research is needed to determine causality of such models. Identifying co-occurring psychosis and PTSD, particularly in populations with high levels of trauma exposure, is critical and will likely aid in more successful treatment interventions.
The Most Frequent Values of the Largest Prime Divisor Function

ABSTRACTWe consider the distribution of the largest prime divisor of the integers in the interval [2, x] and investigate in particular the mode of this distribution, the prime number(s) which show up most often in this list. In addition to giving an asymptotic formula for this mode as x tends to infinity, we look at the set of those prime numbers which, for some value of x, occur most frequently as the largest prime divisor of the integers in the interval [2, x]. We find that many prime numbers never have this property. We compare the set of “popular primes,” those primes which are at some point the mode, to other interesting subsets of the prime numbers. Finally, we apply the techniques developed to a similar problem which arises in the analysis of factoring algorithms.
A rapid PMU-based load composition and PMU estimation method

Abstract Advanced protection and operation of power systems, especially microgrids, requires rapid detection and estimation of system states. Microgrids, however, are a challenge due to the high variability of distributed generation and modern load profiles. Setting of relays and establishing Remedial Action Schemes on these systems requires rapid detection and state estimation and modeling of complex loads. This work demonstrates the design and operation of a high-speed method for estimating states and load composition across a 286-bus campus test-bed utilizing only a few PMUs. The method is based on training data that is analyzed offline via Singular Value Decomposition to determine clustering vectors that can be utilized for state estimation in real-time. This is combined with a priori bus studies to estimate load composition in terms of residential, industrial, and commercial in real-time. A case-study using the Oregon State University campus grid is presented, and it is shown that the estimation method is accurate (to within 1% in the test shown) while requiring less than 0.2 ms computation time.
Understanding the Trade-Off Between Maximum Passenger Throughput and Airline Equity in Allocating Capacity Under Severe Weather Conditions

When the capacity at an airport is reduced because of weather conditions, a ground delay program (GDP) is implemented to resolve the discrepancy between demand for arrival slots and the available arrival slots on a given day. GDPs currently ration the available arrival slots via the proportion of arrivals that exist in the schedule by airline (this practice is termed ration by schedule) with an emphasis on equity among the airlines. Existing rationing schemes do not explicitly consider the number of passengers delayed. This study examined the passenger impacts of a focus on seat throughput in reduced capacity conditions for a GDP at a single airport with consideration for airline equity. An optimization model was developed by using the number of seats available in an aircraft as a proxy for number of passengers and an equity term to estimate airline equity implications. A comparison of the current GDP rationing scheme with one focused on seat delay showed that with no change in the total flight delay time...
One Decision Tree is Enough to Make Customization

The ability to customize instruction to individuals is a great potential for adaptive educational software. Unfortunately, beyond mastery learning and learner control, there has not been much work with adapting instruction to individuals. This paper provides an approach to determine what type of learner does best with a different intervention. We focused on constructing a decision tree that discriminated difference between tutoring interventions, and thus to make customization for each student. We evaluated our model on simulated and on real data. In the simulated data set, it outperformed other methods and the constructed models captured a pre-defined customization structure. With the real data, the customized learning approach achieved stronger learning gains than simply picking the best overall teaching option. Surprisingly, it was difficult to outperform a decision tree that simply used how quickly students tended to learn a skill. That is, more features and more complex models did not result in a more effective system.
Evolving disparities in colorectal cancer control in Texas in the first decade of twenty-first century and implications for cancer control.

e14643 Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death among Texans although it is potentially one of the most preventable and curable cancers. In 2000, an intensive public education and screening was launched throughout Texas with goal by 2015 to increase up to 75% the number of 50 year and older individuals undergoing screening per the national guidelines, to reduce age-adjusted CRC incidence to 34.8/100,000 and mortality to 12.0/100,000. The purpose of this study is to identify disparities challenging meeting the 2015 objectives. Methods: The Texas Cancer Registry 2000 to 2009 data of the at risk population was queried for CRC cases diagnosed, number of deaths, age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates, and correlation with gender, race and anatomical location and evolving 10 year trend. Results: Incidence: of 91,260 CRC diagnosed 71.8% originated in colon (CoCa), 19.7 in rectum (ReCa) and 8.5 % in Rectosigmoid juction (RSJ). Age-adjusted rates (AAR) declined for CoCa by 6...
Influence of surface acid and base sites on the Guerbet coupling of ethanol to butanol over metal phosphate catalysts

Abstract Hydroxyapatite (HAP; Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) is a well-recognized catalyst for the Guerbet coupling of ethanol to butanol. In an effort to explore the role of the anion components of the catalyst, steady-state, gas phase catalytic coupling of ethanol to butanol was investigated at 633 K and atmospheric pressure over beta tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP; β-Ca3(PO4)2) and fluorine-substituted hydroxyapatite (FAP; Ca10(PO4)6F2). Both β-TCP and FAP catalysts were catalytically active for butanol formation, leading to ∼35% selectivity at low conversion, suggesting that the PO43− group contributes to the active acid-base site pair for butanol formation during ethanol coupling over HAP. Co-feeding water, a product of ethanol coupling, revealed weaker inhibition of the rate over HAP relative to MgO, confirming the potential negative influence of strong base sites on coupling catalysts. Catalytic reactions of ethanol over Mg3(PO4)2, β-TCP, and Sr3(PO4)2 catalysts demonstrated the importance of Lewis acidity of the metal phosphates on the reaction. Relatively strong Lewis acid sites on the Mg3(PO4)2 surface (Mg2+ cations) favored undesired ethanol dehydration to ethene (36% selectivity) and diethyl ether (52% selectivity) whereas the Sr3(PO4)2 catalyst predominantly catalyzed ethanol dehydrogenation to acetaldehyde (91% selectivity) at a rate significantly higher than that observed over the other catalysts. Evidently, the β-TCP exposes intermediate-strength Lewis acid sites provided by surface Ca2+ cations that enable the material to effectively convert ethanol to butanol with 35% selectivity.
Constraints on primary and secondary particulate carbon sources using chemical tracer and 14C methods during CalNex-Bakersfield.

Abstract The present study investigates primary and secondary sources of organic carbon for Bakersfield, CA, USA as part of the 2010 CalNex study. The method used here involves integrated sampling that is designed to allow for detailed and specific chemical analysis of particulate matter (PM) in the Bakersfield airshed. To achieve this objective, filter samples were taken during thirty-four 23-hr periods between 19 May and 26 June 2010 and analyzed for organic tracers by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Contributions to organic carbon (OC) were determined by two organic tracer-based techniques: primary OC by chemical mass balance and secondary OC by a mass fraction method. Radiocarbon (14C) measurements of the total organic carbon were also made to determine the split between the modern and fossil carbon and thereby constrain unknown sources of OC not accounted for by either tracer-based attribution technique. From the analysis, OC contributions from four primary sources and four secondary sources were determined, which comprised three sources of modern carbon and five sources of fossil carbon. The major primary sources of OC were from vegetative detritus (9.8%), diesel (2.3%), gasoline (
Pharmacy resident-led student mentoring program: A focus on developing mentoring skills

Abstract Background and purpose Formalized mentoring programs are often credited for influencing professional development of mentees. Unfortunately, little information exists regarding advancement of mentoring skills. We report the development and evaluation of a program to cultivate mentoring skills in pharmacy residents. Educational activity and setting Advanced pharmacy practice experience students and pharmacy residents were contacted for program participation. Resident mentors were paired with a student mentee for the program. Mentors were provided resources and support throughout the program. Sessions were held to facilitate mentoring relationships and to discuss professional development topics. Pre- and post-perception surveys were administered to mentors to measure changes in mentoring comfort and ability. Only matched pre- and post-surveys were included for analysis. The program was held and evaluated over two separate academic years Findings Fifty-three residents mentored 54 students over two cycles of the program. Mentors' matched perception surveys (n = 26) reported increased comfort in mentoring (p Discussion and summary Overall, this formal resident-led student mentoring program improved resident comfort serving in a mentoring role.
High-performance low-energy implementation of cryptographic algorithms on a programmable SoC for IoT devices

Due to severe power and timing constraints of the "things" in the Internet of things (IoT), cryptography is expensive for these devices. Custom hardware provides a viable solution. However, implementations of cryptographic algorithms in the devices need to be upgraded frequently compared to the longevity of these "things". Therefore, there is a critical need for reconfigurable, low-power and high-performance cryptography implementations for IoT devices. In this paper, we propose to use an FPGA as the reconfigurable substrate for cryptographic operations. We demonstrate our proposed approach on a Zedboard, which has two ARM cores and a Zynq FPGA. The implemented cryptographic algorithms include symmetric cryptography, asymmetric cryptography, and secure hash functions. We also integrate our cryptographic engines with the OpenSSL library to inherit the library's support for block cipher modes. Our approach shows that the FPGA-based reconfigurable cryptographic components consume between 1.8× and 4033× less energy and run between 1.6× and 2983× faster than the software implementation. At the same time, the FPGA implementation of cryptographic operations is more flexible compared to custom hardware implementations of cryptographic components.
Modification of experimental colon carcinogenesis by dietary fibers.

The literature concerning the effect of individual dietary fibers on the experimental induction of colorectal cancer was reviewed. It has become increasingly apparent that the effect of dietary fibers on colon carcinogenesis depends on many factors, including the type and amount of fiber; the other dietary components, particularly fat; animal species, strain, and sex; and the type of carcinogen and its dose and route of administration. Despite such variations in design, most experiments with wheat bran and cellulose have shown evidence of a significant protective effect. In contrast, numerous other fiber supplements have been shown to enhance tumor development. These include pectin, corn bran, undegraded carageenan, agar, Metamucil, and alfalfa. Possible mechanisms by which fibers may inhibit colon tumorigenesis include dilution and adsorption of any carcinogens or promoters contained within the intestinal lumen and faster transit time and therefore less opportunity for carcinogen/promoter interaction with the intestinal epithelium. Modulation of colonic microbial metabolic activity by dietary fibers may also be important in the activation and detoxification of carcinogens and promoters. Dietary fibers produce structural and functional changes in the intestinal epithelium and modify rates of cell proliferation and migration. Evidence suggests that if this stimulus to cell proliferation occurs during the stage of initiation, it may lead to enhancement of the carcinogenic process. Dietary fibers bind not only carcinogens, bile acids, and other potentially toxic agents but also essential nutrients that themselves can modify the carcinogenic process. Fermentation of fibers within the large bowel results in production of volatile fatty acids, which in vitro have been shown to be antineoplastic. Fermentation also produces a lower luminal pH, which in turn affects colonic microbial populations and their metabolic activities. The presence of lignans in higher plants and their bacterial synthesis from precursors present in fiber-rich foods provide an additional source of antineoplastic agents, whose relative importance in colon carcinogenesis is unknown. Because dietary fibers differ in their physiochemical properties, it has been difficult to identify a single mechanism by which fibers prevent or inhibit colon carcinogenesis. Clearly, more investigation is needed regarding the mechanism(s) by which certain fibers inhibit while others enhance experimental colon carcinogenesis.
The cancer treatment revolution.

A revolution in cancer drug therapy has been brewing for the past twenty years. The three decades of clinical research carried out between 1955 and 1985 were largely devoted to the discovery and clinical trials of combinations of DNA-damaging agents that might best be described as carpet-bombing therapeutics. Great strides were made with these agents in certain diseases such as the hematological malignancies (particularly childhood leukemia), Hodgkin's lymphoma, and the malignancies of the head and neck, colorectum, ovaries and testes and, to a certain extent, breast cancer. But the major epithelial cancers, including lung, colon and prostate, remain largely recalcitrant. Melanomas, pancreatic, hepatic, and brain cancers and most sarcomas are also generally unresponsive, while the toxic/therapeutic ratios of the broadly active carpet-bombing drugs are problematic. A new paradigm is sorely needed.
Toward multimarker and functional assays from crude cell lysates: controlling spacing and signal amplification in DNA-CT–based bioelectrochemical devices

Abstract DNA-based electrochemical biosensors that rely on charge transport through DNA (DNA-CT) to detect biomarkers of interest have shown great promise in proof-of-principle studies because of their specificity, sensitivity, and low cost. However, this approach has not translated successfully into real clinical applications. One significant barrier has been the need to measure biomarkers in unpurified, complex cell and tissue lysates, which is difficult with DNA-modified electrodes because of crowding and nonspecific adhesion of biomolecules to the surface. Here, we discuss recent achievements in the control of DNA monolayer formation and the amplification of DNA CT signals that help to facilitate the detection of meaningful biomarkers from unprocessed, clinically relevant lysate samples.
Adaptive design of a clinical decision support tool: What the impact on utilization rates means for future CDS research.

OBJECTIVEWe employed an agile, user-centered approach to the design of a clinical decision support tool in our prior integrated clinical prediction rule study, which achieved high adoption rates. T...
Stochastic Principal Component Analysis Via Mean Absolute Projection Maximization

Principal-Component Analysis (PCA) is a data processing method with numerous applications in signal processing and machine learning. At the same time, standard PCA has been shown to be very sensitive against faulty/outlying data. On the other hand, L1-norm-based PCA (L1-PCA), seeking to maximize the aggregate absolute projections of the processed data, has demonstrated sturdy corruption resistance. At the same time, in our big data era, there is a need for online (stochastic) algorithms for data analysis with limited storage and computation requirements. To this end, in this paper we extend batch L1-PCA and propose a novel algorithm for stochastic PC calculation based on mean absolute projection maximization, with formal convergence guarantees. Our numerical studies demonstrate the convergence and corroborate the corruption resistance of the proposed method.
Newton’s Law of Cooling

One of the applications of integration arising in Calculus II is the separable ordinary differential equation. Separating variables and integrating both sides of the differential equation is an excuse for practicing integration. However, the assigned exercises usually involve skills far different than just the skills of integration.
Security Price Elasticity and the Role of Institutional Investment Constraints

This study assess the existence of institutional investment constraints. Institutional investors face constraints due to their restrictive investment policies which are not binding on individuals. These additional restrictions are a mitigation of the legal liability imposed on institutional fiduciaries by laws and regulations such as ERISA and the Prudent Investor Rule. The lack of a legal standard for determining the risk of an investment magnifies the uncertainty of liability and is a sufficient condition for the specification of minimum firm characteristics in institutional investment policy statements. Two events are studied to ascertain the extent o which institutional investment constraints are binding. The violation of an institutional investment constraint is studied with a sample of firms instituting large dividend cuts. A sample of firms added to the S&P 500 Index is sued to examine the satisfaction of an institutional investment constraint. A sub-sample of the S&P 500 additions demonstrates price behavior consistent with downward sloping demand curves. In both samples, institutional investors exhibit behavior which can be explained by the existence of binding investment constraints.
Neuroinflammation alters the phenotype of lymphangiogenic vessels near the cribriform plate

Abstract Meningeal lymphatic vessels residing in the dural layer surrounding the dorsal regions of the brain, basal regions, and near the cribriform plate have all been implicated in the management of neuroinflammation and edema. Interestingly, only the lymphatic vessels near the cribriform plate undergo functional lymphangiogenesis in a mouse model of Multiple Sclerosis, suggesting these particular lymphatics uniquely undergo dynamic changes in response to neuroinflammation and may have distinct access to pro-lymphangiogenic factors in the CNS. However, it is unknown if these newly formed lymphangiogenic vessels are functionally similar to steady-state or if they have any other functional changes during neuroinflammation. In this study, we generated a novel protocol to isolate lymphatic endothelial cells from the cribriform plate for single cell analysis. We demonstrate that neuroinflammation-induced lymphangiogenic vessels undergo unique changes, including the capture of CNS-derived antigens, upregulation of adhesion and immune-modulatory molecules to interact with dendritic cells, and display IFN-γ dependent changes in response to the microenvironment. Single-cell trajectory analysis showed that cribriform plate lymphangiogenic vessels are post-proliferative and not generated from trans-differentiation of myeloid cells. Additionally, we show that these lymphangiogenic vessels have access to a CSF reservoir, express the water pore Aquaporin-1, and may have direct access to the CSF due to gaps in the arachnoid epithelial layer separating the dura from the subarachnoid space. These data characterize cribriform plate lymphatics and demonstrate that these vessels are dynamic structures that engage in leukocyte interactions, antigen sampling, and undergo expansion to drain excess fluid during neuroinflammation. Neuroinflammation not only induces efficient drainage of CSF but also alters the functions of lymphatic vessels near the cribriform plate.
Scattering-Based Light-Sheet Microscopy for Rapid Cellular Imaging of Fresh Tissue.

Background and objectives Light-sheet microscopy (LSM) is a novel imaging technology that has been used for imaging fluorescence contrast in basic life science research. In this paper, we have developed a scattering-based LSM (sLSM) for rapidly imaging the cellular morphology of fresh tissues without any exogenous fluorescent dyes. Study design/materials and methods In the sLSM device, a thin light sheet with the central wavelength of 834 nm was incident on the tissue obliquely, 45° relative to the tissue surface. The detection optics was configured to map the light sheet-illuminated area onto a two-dimensional imaging sensor. The illumination numerical aperture (NA) was set as 0.0625, and the detection NA 0.3. Results The sLSM device achieved a light sheet thickness of less than 6.7 µm over 284 µm along the illumination optical axis. The detection optics of the sLSM device had a resolution of 1.8 µm. The sLSM images of the swine kidney ex vivo visualized tubules with similar sizes and shapes to those observed in histopathologic images. The swine duodenum sLSM images revealed cell nuclei and villi architecture in superficial lesions and glands in deeper regions. Conclusions The preliminary results suggest that sLSM may have the potential for rapidly examining the freshly-excised tissue ex vivo or intact tissue in vivo at microscopic resolution. Further optimization and performance evaluation of the sLSM technology will be needed in the future. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Recent climate change is creating hotspots of butterfly increase and decline across North America

Some insect populations are experiencing dramatic declines, endangering the crucial ecosystem services they provide. Yet, other populations appear robust, highlighting the need to better define patterns and underlying drivers of recent change in insect numbers. We examined abundance and biodiversity trends for North American butterflies using a unique citizen-science dataset that has recorded observations of over 8 million butterflies across 456 species, 503 sites, nine ecoregions, and 26 years. Butterflies are a biodiverse group of pollinators, herbivores, and prey, making them useful bellwethers of environmental change. We found great heterogeneity in butterfly species' abundance trends, aggregating near zero, but with a tendency toward decline. There was strong spatial clustering, however, into regions of increase, decrease, or relative stasis. Recent precipitation and temperature appeared to largely drive these patterns, with butterflies generally declining at increasingly dry and hot sites but increasing at relatively wet or cool sites. In contrast, landscape and butterfly trait predictors had little influence, though abundance trends were slightly more positive around urban areas. Consistent with varying responses by different species, no overall directional change in butterfly species richness or evenness was detected. Overall, a mosaic of butterfly decay and rebound hotspots appeared to largely reflect geographic variability in climate drivers. Ongoing controversy about insect declines might dissipate with a shift in focus to the causes of heterogeneous responses among taxa and sites, with climate change emerging as a key suspect when pollinator communities are broadly impacted.
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Pediatric Feeding Using a Decision Tree

It is estimated that approximately one in four typically developing children have feeding problems (Benjaswantep et al., 2013; Eddy et al., 2015; Korth & Rendell, 2015), and three out of four children with developmental disabilities have feeding difficulties (Korth & Rendell, 2015). The high prevalence of feeding difficulties is widely known, yet the treatment remains a specialty area of practice, in part due to the complexity of feeding. In addition to the specialize knowledge and skills required by clinicians, feeding evaluations should be conducted with an interdisciplinary approach. Ideally a feeding team would consist of the child, caregiver(s), an occupational therapist, speech and language pathologist, nurse, dietician/nutritionist, psychologist/behavior specialist, a physician, a dentist, and gastroenterologist (Marcus & Brenton, 2013); however the luxury of a team approach is often limited to large hospital networks. In the absence of a feeding team, there is a need for an evidence-based decision tree to help clinicians problem solve and apply clinical reasoning with the input from the interdisciplinary team. Although clinicians support the use of evidence-based practice, using the latest research to guide clinical reasoning is under-utilized (McCurtin & Healy, 2017). Using an evidence based decision tree can guide the clinical process in order to make appropriate referrals and treatment recommendations. The decision tree has 4 main branches reflecting the 4 main domains of feeding concerns identified by the conceptual framework of pediatric feeding disorders; medical, nutritional, feeding skills and psychosocial (Goday et al., 2019). For the medical branch, for example, the clinical questions may include: “Does the child have reflux or a history of reflux?” Other considerations on the medical branch may include constipation, allergies, aspiration, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder (PANDAS), renal and liver functions, and dental pain. All of these considerations have been proven to cause feeding difficulties. Using a multidisciplinary approach and viewpoint for evaluation has been deemed critical in feeding due to a combined medical and oral motor problem in most children with feeding concerns (Rommel et al., 2003). Linked to each clinical question is the appropriate referral and/or therapeutic intervention recommended. Practitioners can use the decision tree template and then fill in the referral contact information specific to their geographical location. The decision tree can be used in all pediatric settings including, hospitals, outpatient services, home based care, rural clinics and schools. The decision tree for pediatric feeding difficulties can only be sustainable if the tree is a working document that is to be updated on a regular basis. Treatment of a pediatric feeding disorder is critical to the emotional and social development of a child (Zucker et al., 2015). Providing clinicians with the tools to help assess the complex nature of pediatric feeding disorders with an interdisciplinary approach will improve patient outcomes.
Protein interaction methods--toward an endgame.

In their TechView, Mendelsohn and Brent review the myriad of current techniques that are available for assessing protein-protein interactions in cells.
R&D consortia as state-based technology initiatives: what types of firms participate and what benefits do they receive?

Summary form only given, as follows. States establish technology initiatives such as RD and (2) are they delivering what the firms want? This empirical study addresses both questions.
Computational Methods to Extract Meaning From Text and Advance Theories of Human Cognition

Over the past two decades, researchers have made great advances in the area of computational methods for extracting meaning from text. This research has to a large extent been spurred by the development of latent semantic analysis (LSA), a method for extracting and representing the meaning of words using statistical computations applied to large corpora of text. Since the advent of LSA, researchers have developed and tested alternative statistical methods designed to detect and analyze meaning in text corpora. This research exemplifies how statistical models of semantics play an important role in our understanding of cognition and contribute to the field of cognitive science. Importantly, these models afford large-scale representations of human knowledge and allow researchers to explore various questions regarding knowledge, discourse processing, text comprehension, and language. This topic includes the latest progress by the leading researchers in the endeavor to go beyond LSA.
A Review of Some Basic Statistical Concepts

One chapter cannot possibly review what one learned in one or two pre-requisite courses in statistics. This is an econometrics book, and it is imperative that the student have taken at least one solid course in statistics. The concepts of a random variable, whether discrete or continuous, and the associated probability function or probability density function (p.d.f) are assumed known. Similarly, the reader should know the following statistical terms: Cumulative distribution function, marginal, conditional and joint p.d.f ’s. The reader should be comfortable with computing mathematical expectations, and familiar with the concepts of independence, Bayes Theorem and several continuous and discrete probability distributions. These distributions include: the Bernoulli, Binomial, Poisson, Geometric, Uniform, Normal, Gamma, Chi-squared (χ2), Exponential, Beta, t and F distributions.
Balance and Motor Deficits and the Role of Occupational Therapy in Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: A Critical Appraisal of the Topic

Children who are deaf and hard of hearing (d/hh) have an increased risk of developing balance and gross-motor deficits compared to children with normal hearing. However, postural control and motor assessments are not routinely administered to children who are d/hh unless the child presents with easily observable deficits. The objective of this review is to analyze the literature regarding vestibular function, postural control and balance, and motor skills in children who are d/hh to determine the role for occupational therapy. Information was found using PubMed, OVID, Cochrane, EBSCO, and CINAHL with search terms “occupational therapy,” “children,” “deaf/hard of hearing,” “hearing loss,” “hearing impairment,” “participation,” “motor skills,” “postural control,” “vestibular,” and “balance.” Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts to identify the clinical use of each and identified randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews for full-text review. The reviewe...
The Modeling of Expectations in Empirical DSGE Models: A Survey

This paper surveys the treatment of expectations in estimated Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) macroeconomic models. A recent notable development in the empirical macroeconomics literature has been the rapid growth of papers that build structural models, which include a number of frictions and shocks, and which are confronted with the data using sophisticated full-information econometric approaches, often using Bayesian methods. A widespread assumption in these estimated models, as in most of the macroeconomic literature in general, is that economic agents' expectations are formed according to the Rational Expectations Hypothesis (REH). Various alternative ways to model the formation of expectations have, however, emerged: some are simple refinements that maintain the REH, but change the information structure along different dimensions, while others imply more significant departures from rational expectations. I review here the modeling of the expectation formation process and discuss related econometric issues in current structural macroeconomic models. The discussion includes benchmark models assuming rational expectations, extensions based on allowing for sunspots, news, sticky information, as well as models that abandon the REH to use learning, heuristics, or subjective expectations.
Subscales of the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) as Determinants of Survival in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (P4.094)

OBJECTIVE: To explore the utility of individual ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) subscales as predictors of survival in ALS. BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that the ALSFRS-R is not a unitary construct. Individual subscales within the bulbar and respiratory domain may be better predictors of survival than subscales of fine and gross motor functioning. Thus, the present study aims to determine the utility of individual ALSFRS-R subscales as predictors of survival in ALS. DESIGN/METHODS: 388 cases from the University of Pennsylvania’s ALS Center were included. Cases met El Escorial-Revised criteria for Possible, Probable or Definite ALS at baseline evaluation. The sample was male predominant (209 males) with a mean age of 63.0 (12.6). 257 patients died within the follow-up period; median survival from disease onset was 46.7 months (95%CI: 40.8-62.2), and 22.8 months from baseline evaluation (95%CI: 19.4-28.4). Kaplan Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to identify demographic and functional variables affecting survival. RESULTS: Older age, shorter time from onset to baseline evaluation and decreased Body Mass Index (BMI) were significantly associated with poor prognosis. We used a forward stepwise regression to determine the best predictive model of survival based on these demographic variables and ALSFRS-R subscale vs. total scores. A survival model that included ALSFRS-R subscale scores for speech (HR:0.80; 95%CI: 0.72-0.90, p=.0001), turning in bed (HR:0.74; 95%CI: 0.64-0.85, p<.0001), and dyspnea (HR:0.83; 95%CI: 0.72-0.95, p=.0061) had better prediction (Akaike information criterion (AIC)=2259) than a model that included ALSFRS-R total scores (AIC=2269). CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with previous literature, older age, shorter time from onset to baseline evaluation and decreased BMI are significantly associated with poor prognosis. Our novel finding suggests that individual ALSFRS-R subscales for speech, turning in bed and dyspnea significantly predict survival over and above ALSFRS-R total scores and known demographic predictors of survival for ALS. Study Supported by: Grants AG17586, NS44266, P50-AG016574, P01-AG019724, P50-AG023501, CA DHS 07-65807 Disclosure: Dr. Xie has nothing to disclose. Dr. Boller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Han has nothing to disclose. Dr. McCluskey has nothing to disclose. Dr. Elman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Grossman has received personal compensation for activities with Allon Therapeutics.
A mechanism for establishing policies for electronic commerce

The paper introduces a mechanism for establishing policies for electronic commerce in a unified and secure manner. A commercial policy can be viewed as the embodiment of a contract between the principals involved in a certain type of commercial activity, and it may be concerned with such issues as: ensuring that a payment for services is refunded under specified circumstances; preventing certificates representing e-cash from being duplicated; ensuring that credit card numbers are used only for the transaction they are intended for; and, for certain socially sensitive transactions like the purchase of drugs, ensuring auditability by proper authorities. Our mechanism is based on a previously published concept of law governed interaction. It makes a strict separation between the formal statement of a policy, which we call a "law," and the enforcement of this law, which is carried out by a set of policy independent trusted controllers. A new policy under this scheme is created basically by formulating its law, and can be easily deployed throughout a distributed system. This mechanism enables a single agent to engage in several different activities, subject to disparate policies. Two example policies are discussed in detail: one ensures refundability of payment under certain circumstances; the other provides for payment by means of non copyable tickets.
Characterization of Interleukin-1α Binding to Mouse Brain Endothelial Cells

In vivo studies have shown that interleukin (IL)-1α binds to and is transported across brain endothelial cells, whereas in vitro studies have shown that brain endothelial cells respond to IL and contain mRNA for the IL-type 1 receptor. However, these binding sites have yet to be characterized. Herein, we used murine brain microvessels to characterize the binding of IL labeled with 125I. Binding was temperature- and time-dependent with maximal binding after 4 h of incubation at 37°C. The amount of radioactivity determined by HPLC to represent intact 125I-labeled murine IL-1α at 4 h was ∼100% in the incubation fluid and 80 to 90% for radioactive material recovered from the incubated cells. B max was 0.955 fmol and the K d was 292 pM for human 125I-IL and binding was displaced by interleukin-1β and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist but not by tumor necrosis factor α. Binding was dependent on magnesium and glucose. Incubation with antibodies showed that the binding site was not identical with the IL-type 1 receptor but closely resembled the blood-brain barrier transporter. These results show that murine brain endothelial cells have specific binding sites for IL and that these sites more closely resemble the transporter than the type 1 receptor.
58-Year-Old Woman With Melena.

Resident in Internal Medicine, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Rochester, MN (T.G.C., B.A.-B.); Advisor to residents and Consultant in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (C.G.L.). A 58-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a 3-day history of passing dark, tarry stools. Her medical history was notable for symptomatic hemophilia A carrier state, gastroesophageal reflux disease, internal hemorrhoids, papillary thyroid cancer treated with thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine for nodal metastasis with secondary hypothyroidism, and obesity with a recent intentional 22.5-kg weight loss. She reported a 3-day history of passing black, tarry stools, averaging 3 stools per day. She did not have light-headedness on standing, any previous episodes, abdominal pain, vomiting, hematochezia, hematemesis, or history of liver or renal disease or alcohol abuse. She was not taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, iron, bismuth subsalicylate, or antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications. Her family history was notable for adenomatous colonic polyposis (at age 17 years, her son was diagnosed as having adenomatous colonic polyps that necessitated a subtotal colectomy). The patient’s last colonoscopy was 4 years before the current presentation and was negative for masses or polyps. On presentation, she had sinus tachycardia at 110 beats/min with a blood pressure of 111/ 51 mmHg. Examination findings were remarkable for conjunctival pallor and positive results on a fecal occult blood test with melenic stool noted on rectal examination. Examination revealed no abdominal tenderness or stigmata of chronic liver disease. Laboratory testing revealed the following notable results (reference ranges provided parenthetically): hemoglobin, 5.5 g/dL (12.015.5 g/dL); platelets, 179 10/L (150450 10/L); international normalized ratio, 1.0 (0.8-1.2); activated partial thromboplastin time, 27 seconds (28-38 seconds); factor VIII activity, 86% (55%-200%); sodium, 139 mmol/L (135-145 mmol/L); potassium, 4.2 mmol/L (3.6-5.2 mmol/L); serum urea nitrogen, 28 mg/dL (6-21 mg/dL); and creatinine, 0.7 mg/dL (0.6-1.1 mg/dL).
Weight-related self-efficacy in relation to maternal body weight from early pregnancy to 2 years post-partum.

Excessive gestational weight gain may lead to long-term increases in maternal body weight and associated health risks. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal body weight and weight-related self-efficacy from early pregnancy to 2 years post-partum. Women with live, singleton term infants from a population-based cohort study were included (n = 595). Healthy eating self-efficacy and weight control self-efficacy were assessed prenatally and at 1 year and 2 years post-partum. Body weight was measured at early pregnancy, before delivery, and 6 weeks, 1 year and 2 years post-partum. Behavioural (smoking, breastfeeding) and sociodemographic (age, education, marital status, income) covariates were assessed by medical record review and baseline questionnaires. Multi-level linear regression models were used to examine the longitudinal associations of self-efficacy measures with body weight. Approximately half of the sample (57%) returned to early pregnancy weight at some point by 2 years post-partum, and 9% became overweight or obese at 2 years post-partum. Body weight over time was inversely related to healthy eating (β = -0.57, P = 0.02) and weight control (β = -0.99, P < 0.001) self-efficacy in the model controlling for both self-efficacy measures as well as time and behavioural and sociodemographic covariates. Weight-related self-efficacy may be an important target for interventions to reduce excessive gestational weight gain and post-partum weight gain.
Donor states in inverse opals

We calculate the binding energy of an electron bound to a donor in a semiconductor inverse opal. Inverse opals have two kinds of cavities, which we call octahedral and tetrahedral, according to their group symmetry. We put the donor in the center of each of these two cavities and obtain the binding energy. The binding energies become very large when the inverse opal is made from templates with small spheres. For spheres less than 50 nm in diameter, the donor binding can increase to several times its unconfined value. Then electrons become tightly bound to the donor and are unlikely to be thermally activated to the semiconductor conduction band. This conclusion suggests that inverse opals will be poor conductors.