cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nickels Not Pennies: Granularity in Analysts’ EPS Forecasts and Forecast Revisions

This paper extends the study of Herrmann and Thomas (2005) on granularity in analyst forecasts at multiples of nickels and finds that forecasts at multiples of nickels are more optimistic, and induce weaker market responses. Granularity in analyst forecasts combined with managers’ incentive to meet forecasts help explain discontinuity in actual EPS at multiples of nickels documented in Thomas (1989). In addition, this paper documents a hitherto unrecorded phenomenon that forecast revisions also exhibit granularity at multiples of nickels and shows that analysts are more likely to make nickel forecast revisions when they lack precise information. Forecasts that revise prior forecasts by multiples of nickels are less accurate.
XX/XO mosaicism in patients with secondary amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea☆

Abstract Twenty-five patients with secondary amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea were studied with buccal smear, nuclear sex analysis, and leukocyte karyotyping. XX/XO Chromosomal mosaicism was found in 3 patients (12 per cent). The data, although preliminary, suggest that a buccal smear should be performed on all patients with secondary amenorrhea of greater than 6 months' duration or on those with oligomenorrhea.
Studies in Russian and Soviet Cinema

Produced by Intellect, an academic publisher with titles focusing on the performing arts, film, culture, and media studies, Studies in Russian and Soviet Cinema explores film history, genre, trends...
Mechanisms of puerperal lactation.

During pregnancy estrogen-medicated augmented prolactin secretion is presumably responsible for a 10-20 fold increase in circulating plasma prolactin; significant differences in basal levels between nursing and nonnursing women persist into the puerperium reflecting the influence of sucking on maternal plasma prolactin. The release of prolactin is induced via a neurogenic pathway from nipple to hypothalamus and it is proportionate to the length of nursing and to the intensity of the stimulus. There is evidence supporting catecholamine/serotonin control of prolactin release and the influence of changes in hypothalamic dopamine turnover. The composition of human milk is dependent on various factors; overall fat composition is 2-5% and protein 9% at 3 weeks and 5% thereafter; milk delivers 20-25 calories per ounce; total fluid and nutritional requirements of the newborn can be met by breastfeeding up to 6 months postpartum. Maternal malnutrition negatively affects lactation; gestational rather than progestational food intake influences lactation. Immunity in the newborn is provided also by breast milk through immunoglobulins thus enhancing the childs protection against internal pathogens. The incidence of gastrointestinal disorders is 1.5/1000 in breastfed infants and 84.7/1000 in bottle fed infants; the incidence of respiratory infection is .4/1000 and 48/1000 respectively. Prolactin may exert an inhibitory influence on ovarian steroidogenesis and gonadotropin secretion is disrupted by nipple stimuation; this may account for the low percentage of ovulation among nursing mothers. Lactational amenorrhea has been proven to have great demographic impact; dramatic variations in fertility on the basis of variations in lactational amenorrhea have been described in rural areas of Latin America Asia and Africa. Reduction of lactational amenorrhea results not only from changes in sociocultural patterns but from improved maternal nutrition often through nutrition programs. When nursing has to be interrupted because of complications full lactation may be restored by oral administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Breastfeeding is possible in 99% of women; the denial of lactation may cause the retention of unwanted weight which can be compounded by the use of oral contraceptives. Moreover infantile obesity may stem from the lack of a satiety signal in bottle fed newborns.
Effects of Leaf Surface Moisture and Relative Humidity on the Efficacy of Sugar Esters from Nicotiana gossei Against the Tobacco Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae)

The effects of leaf surface moisture and relative humidity on the toxicity of sugar esters extracted from Nicotiana gossei Domin to the tobacco aphid, Myzus nicotianae Blackman, were examined in the laboratory and the field. The efficacy of sugar esters applied at a concentration of mg/ml against tobacco aphids was >5 times higher under moist conditions (either wet leaf surface or wet filter paper in petri dishes) than under dry conditions (dry leaf surface plus dry filter paper) in the laboratory. The effect of moisture on the efficacy of sugar esters was greater as the lethal concentration value increased from LC 30 to LC 90 . There was no significant difference in aphid mortality between the red and green color forms of tobacco aphids at the same moisture and relative humidity levels. Regression analysis showed a linear relationship between aphid mortality from sugar esters and relative humidity. The toxicity of sugar esters to aphids increased with higher relative humidity. Preliminary field evaluations also demonstrated increased aphid mortality under higher relative humidity.
INVITED EDITORIAL COMMENT: Avoiding a Billion Dollar Federal Financial TechnologyRat Hole

1. David Leinweber 1. is co-founder of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Computational Research Division’s Center for Innovative Financial Technology in Berkeley, CA . The Flash Crash, and an ongoing series of minicrashes, some upward, have made many of us nervous. Some buy-side
Role of MicroRNAs in Breast Cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs involved in post-transcriptional gene silencing. Deregulation of miRNA expression has been implicated in the initiation and progression of many human cancers, including breast. Expression profiling in many breast cancer subtypes and characterization of deranged miRNA expression has lead to the development of multiple miRNA expression signatures with implications for diagnosis, treatment, and prognostication. These small RNAs will be important targets in the development of novel molecular classification systems for the individualized treatment of breast cancer.
Socioeconomic factors and dietary intake of elderly Missourians.

The results of this study suggest that elderly individuals most likely to be at nutritional risk are women, persons with the least education, and persons who have recently experienced a drastic change in life style.
Effect of umbilical blood flow on transplacental diffusion of ethanol and oxygen

We studied the effect of varying umbilical blood flow (F) on transplacental diffusion of ethanol and O2 before and during partial occlusion of the fetal abdominal aorta. At steady state, samples of umbilical and uterine arterial and venous blood were drawn simultaneously from chronically indwelling catheters and analyzed for the concentration of ethanol. O2 capacity, O2 saturation, PO2, PCO2, and pH. A decrease in F from 507 to 289 ml/min (P less than 0.001) was associated with a significant (P less than 0.02) increase of the umbilical-uterine venous ethanol concentration difference. This increase was indicative of a 25% diffusional shunt for ethanol on the fetal side of the placenta. The decrease in F caused a decrease in the umbilical O2 delivery-to-control O2 uptake ratio from 3.1 to values between 2.2 and 0.8 and was associated with a decrease in fetal O2 uptake to values between 94 and 56% of control. Uterine venous PO2 increased in response to the decrease in fetal O2 uptake. Umbilical venous PO2 correlated with uterine venous PO2 (r = 0.8, P less than 0.02). The response of fetal O2 uptake to decrease in umbilical O2 delivery was nonlinear and confirmed previous studies, showing that the normal umbilical O2 delivery rate exceeds approximately twofold the minimum necessary to sustain a normal rate of fetal oxidative metabolism.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Coronary Artery Disease in a VA Population.

OBJECTIVES Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Although AMD shares multiple risk factors with coronary artery disease (CAD), the association between AMD and CAD has not been established. The objective of our study was to demonstrate an association between the diagnosis of AMD and CAD and/or major cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS We performed a retrospective chart review of >13,000 patients at the Lexington Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Patients diagnosed as having AMD served as cases, and patients diagnosed with cataract and no AMD served as controls. We examined the prevalence of CAD and associated risk factors in both groups using univariate analysis followed by multivariate analyses to examine the association between AMD and CAD after adjusting for known common risk factors. RESULTS We identified 3950 patients with AMD and 9166 controls. Patients with AMD were on average 6 years older than controls (P < 0.001) and had a significantly higher prevalence of CAD (39% vs 34%) and hypertension (88% vs 83%) but lower incidence of diabetes mellitus and smoking. Estimated odds ratio relating CAD to AMD was 1.22 (95% confidence interval 1.13-1.32; P < 0.001). The association between CAD and AMD remained significant in multivariate analyses in older individuals (76 years and older). When we conducted a secondary analysis and matched the AMD and non-AMD groups based on age, the association between CAD and AMD remained significant (39.4% in the AMD group vs 36.6% in the non-AMD group; P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS These findings support the existence of an association between CAD and AMD, particularly in older adult patients in the predominantly male Veterans Affairs population. Such an association between AMD and systemic vascular disease justifies the potential coscreening for these conditions.
Candida endocarditis with femoral emboli. Treatment with surgery and 5-fluorocytosine.

A case of primary Candida endocarditis with massive embolization of mycotic material to the vessels of the legs is presented. Treatment by bilateral femoral embolectomies, early aortic valve replacement by a fresh-frozen stented homograft, and intensive medical therapy with 5-fluorocytosine was successful. Despite an early perivalvular leak requiring valve replacement with another homograft, the patient survived. The Candida growth was controlled with initial treatment. The successful outcome in this patient would seem to strengthen further the case for an early aggressive surgical approach in combination with antifungal therapy.
Review: The Waters of Rome: Aqueducts, Fountains, and the Birth of the Baroque City by Katherine Wentworth Rinne

Katherine Wentworth Rinne. The Waters of Rome: Aqueducts, Fountains, and the Birth of the Baroque City . New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2010, 262 pp., 47 color and 120 b/w illus. $65, ISBN 9780300155303 The copious literature on Rome's water supply extends back to Sextus Julius Frontinus's treatise on the ancient aqueducts, written late in the first century. Frontinus memorably remarked, “With such an array of indispensable structures carrying so many waters, compare, if you will, the idle Pyramids or the useless, though famous, works of the Greeks.” The Waters of Rome shares much with Frontinus's book, the fons et origo of studies on Rome's hydraulic infrastructure, including the emphasis that Katherine Rinne places on engineering over art and utility over display. In stressing utility, she also recalls Vitruvius, who considered water to be “the chief requisite for life, happiness, and for everyday use.” By comparison with the aqueducts supplying ancient Rome, the revival of the city's water supply in the Renaissance has received relatively less scholarly attention. Art historical interest has centered on the striking fountain displays of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, to the neglect of the more modest and utilitarian fountains of the sixteenth century. This neglect is even more evident where the largely invisible system of settling tanks and conduits that supply Rome's fountains, together with the drains that recycle and ultimately dispose of the water that flows from them, are concerned. The Waters of Rome, by telling the story of how the city's water supply came to be revived in the period 1560–1630, not only fills a significant gap in the scholarly literature but also underscores the linkage between water and urban development. Technology and topography figure prominently in Katherine Rinne's account. So, too, do patronage and social history; the question of how water was used by people from different strata of Roman society, from fullers and laundresses to princes and popes, emerges as a recurrent theme. The nine chapters comprising the book examine a number …
Genome-Scale Assessment of Phenotypic Changes During Adaptive Evolution

Adaptive evolution is a process that influences and alters all biological organisms over time. Changes involved in adaptive evolution begin with genetic mutations and can lead to large changes in phenotypic behavior. Thus, the relationship between genotype and phenotype is a central issue in studying adaptive evolution.
THE USE OF ANTIBODY-RICIN A CHAIN IMMUNOTOXINS FOR THE THERAPY OF A B CELL LEUKEMIA (BCL 1 ) IN MICE

ABSTRACT. Using anti-Ig on anti-δ antibodies coupled to the A chain of the plant toxin, ricin, we have demonstrated that we can effectively kill neoplastic B cells both in vitro and in vivo. This was accomplished using the murine BCL 1 leukemia model, in which 1-10 cells are sufficient to cause tumor. Our results suggest that tumor-reactive anti-Ig immunotoxins are potent tumoricidal agents and may have important applications in autologous bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy.
Zygomatic Arch Reduction (Gillies Approach)

The zygomatic arch is formed by the articulation of the temporal process of the zygoma and the zygomatic process of the temporal bone. It serves as an attachment point for the masseter and plays a significant role in maintaining facial contour. Isolated arch fractures are often the result of a direct lateral force to the arch that drives the fragments of the zygomatic arch medially (Surgery of the eyelid, orbit, and lacrimal system, Oxford, 212–217, 220–222, 1995). Isolated zygomatic arch fractures yielding significant contour deformity or trismus are managed surgically (Ophthalmology 109:1207–1210, 2002). In the Gillies approach, a temporal incision is made anterior and superior to the root of the helix and carried through to a plane just deep to the superficial layer of the deep temporal fascia. An elevator is inserted through this incision, navigated to a location medial to the zygomatic arch, and used to reduce the zygomatic arch to its anatomic position. The main complication of this procedure is facial asymmetry or contour deformity.
Iron and Oxygen Isotope Signatures of the Pea Ridge and Pilot Knob Magnetite-Apatite Deposits, Southeast Missouri, USA

New O and Fe stable isotope ratios are reported for magnetite samples from high-grade massive magnetite of the Mesoproterozoic Pea Ridge and Pilot Knob magnetite-apatite ore deposits and these results are compared with data for other iron oxide-apatite deposits to shed light on the origin of the southeast Missouri deposits. The δ 18 O values of magnetite from Pea Ridge ( n = 12) and Pilot Knob ( n = 3) range from 1.0 to 7.0 and 3.3 to 6.7‰, respectively. The δ 56 Fe values of magnetite from Pea Ridge ( n = 10) and Pilot Knob ( n = 6) are 0.03 to 0.35 and 0.06 to 0.27‰, respectively. These δ 18 O and the δ 56 Fe values suggest that magnetite crystallized from a silicate melt (typical igneous δ 56 Fe ranges 0.06–0.49‰) and grew in equilibrium with a magmatic-hydrothermal aqueous fluid. We propose that the δ 18 O and δ 56 Fe data for the Pea Ridge and Pilot Knob magnetite-apatite deposits are consistent with the flotation model recently proposed by Knipping et al. (2015a), which invokes flotation of a magmatic magnetite-fluid suspension and offers a plausible explanation for the igneous (i.e., up to ~15.9 wt % TiO 2 in magnetite) and hydrothermal features of the deposits.
HIVE-heptagon: A sensible variant-calling algorithm with post-alignment quality controls.

Abstract Advances in high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies have greatly increased the availability of genomic data and potential discovery of clinically significant genomic variants. However, numerous issues still exist with the analysis of these data, including data complexity, the absence of formally agreed upon best practices, and inconsistent reproducibility. Toward a more robust and reproducible variant-calling paradigm, we propose a series of selective noise filtrations and post-alignment quality control (QC) techniques that may reduce the rate of false variant calls. We have implemented both novel and refined post-alignment QC mechanisms to augment existing pre-alignment QC measures. These techniques can be used independently or in combination to identify and correct issues caused during data generation or early analysis stages. The adoption of these procedures by the broader scientific community is expected to improve the identification of clinically significant variants both in terms of computational efficiency and in the confidence of the results. Availability: https://hive.biochemistry.gwu.edu /
Resistance State Locking in CBRAM Cells Due to Displacement Damage Effects

Two different displacement damage experiments were performed on CBRAM cells. In one experiment, conductive bridging random access memory (CBRAM) cells were exposed to 14 MeV neutrons to a total fluence of $3.19 \times 10^{13}$ n/cm2. In the second test, CBRAM cells were bombarded with 200 keV Si2+ ions. In both the experiments, the high resistance and low resistance states (LRSs) of the cells were observed to converge with increasing particle fluence. After reaching a 14 MeV neutron fluence of $2.93 \times 10^{{{13}}}$ n/cm2, the CBRAM cells became irrecoverably locked into their final resistance state. In situ testing during heavy ion exposure showed a steady decrease in the resistance state of each cell with each successive exposure to the beam. The devices eventually became locked in an LRS.
Chronic Social Stress: Effects on Neuroendocrine Function

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the importance of neuroethologically valid animal models of social stress, what information these models have produced, and how they may relate to the human condition. Interpersonal conflict, hostile work environments, perception of low socioeconomic status, or lack of social support can result in social stress exposure, which can negatively affect health. It is important to choose an appropriate species and model when testing hypotheses. Acknowledgement of the species' natural environment and behavioral repertoire has contributed greatly to our understanding of psychosocial stress. In humans, low socioeconomic status (SES) and lack of emotional support is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other characteristics of the metabolic syndrome. The relationship between social stress and obesity is complicated and somewhat paradoxical, since stress has been found to be associated with both decreased and increased food intake and body weight in animals. Social stress can have profound and paradoxical effects on the immune system, as the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and immune system have reciprocal interactions.
Adaptive methods for stochastic differential equations via natural embeddings and rejection sampling with memory

Adaptive time-stepping with high-order embedded Runge-Kutta pairs and rejection sampling provides efficient approaches for solving differential equations. While many such methods exist for solving deterministic systems, little progress has been made for stochastic variants. One challenge in developing adaptive methods for stochastic differential equations (SDEs) is the construction of embedded schemes with direct error estimates. We present a new class of embedded stochastic Runge-Kutta (SRK) methods with strong order 1.5 which have a natural embedding of strong order 1.0 methods. This allows for the derivation of an error estimate which requires no additional function evaluations. Next we derive a general method to reject the time steps without losing information about the future Brownian path termed Rejection Sampling with Memory (RSwM). This method utilizes a stack data structure to do rejection sampling, costing only a few floating point calculations. We show numerically that the methods generate statistically-correct and tolerance-controlled solutions. Lastly, we show that this form of adaptivity can be applied to systems of equations, and demonstrate that it solves a stiff biological model 12.28x faster than common fixed timestep algorithms. Our approach only requires the solution to a bridging problem and thus lends itself to natural generalizations beyond SDEs.
Reducing Unnecessary Imaging for Patients With Constipation in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVES: Constipation is a common diagnosis in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Children diagnosed with constipation may undergo an abdominal radiograph (AXR) as part of their diagnostic workup despite studies that suggest that an AXR in a patient suspected of being constipated is unnecessary and potentially misleading. We aimed to decrease the percentage of low-acuity patients aged between 6 months and 18 years diagnosed with constipation who undergo an AXR in our pediatric ED from 60% to 20% over 12 months. METHODS: We conducted an interventional improvement project at a large, urban pediatric ED by using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Model for Improvement. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients ultimately diagnosed with constipation who had an AXR during their ED visit. Analysis was performed by using rational subgrouping and stratification on statistical process control (SPC) charts. RESULTS: Process analysis was performed by using a cause-and-effect diagram. Four plan-do-study-act cycles were completed over 9 months. Interventions included holding Grand Rounds on constipation, sharing best practices, metrics reporting, and academic detailing. Rational subgrouping and stratification on SPC charts were used to target the interventions to different ED provider groups. Over 12 months, we observed a significant and sustained decrease from a mean rate of 62% to a mean rate of 24% in the utilization of AXRs in the ED for patients with constipation. CONCLUSIONS: The use of rational subgrouping and stratification on SPC charts to study different ED provider groups resulted in a substantial and sustained reduction in the rate of AXRs for constipation.
Amending the Johnson Amendment in the Age of Cheap Speech

On November 2, 2017, the House Ways and Means Committee released its proposed tax reform legislation. It includes a provision amending the provision of the Internal Revenue Code, sometimes called the Johnson Amendment, that prohibits charities, including churches, from intervening in campaigns for elected office, at risk of loss of their exemption under section 501(c)(3). Under the Ways and Means proposal, as later revised and passed by the House, organizations exempt as charities under section 501(c)(3) would be permitted to engage in campaign intervention if “the preparation and presentation of such content . . . is in the ordinary course of the organization’s regular and customary activities in carrying out its exempt purpose and . . . results in the organization incurring not more than de minimis incremental expenses.” If such legislation becomes law, the IRS and the Department will be faced with the difficult task of giving guidance as to the meaning of “regular and customary,” “de minimis,” and “incidental.” It would likely have to address whether donations could be earmarked for campaign intervention so long as they were within the organization’s de minimis limit and involved regular and customary activities. Whatever rules are announced are sure to be controversial and complicate enforcement of the prohibition for campaign intervention that is more than de minimis. Given the lack of IRS resources and controversy regarding its attempts to regulate political activities of exempt organizations, the IRS may well hesitate to take action against possible violations. However these terms are defined and enforced, a de minimis exception raises significant issues that demand attention in an era of what Professors Eugene Volokh and Richard Hasen have called “cheap speech.” These are issues that require consideration whether or not a de minimis exception is adopted in the current tax reform legislation. After giving background on the Johnson Amendment, this essay discusses the impact of any de minimis exception regarding campaign intervention in the age of cheap speech. It concludes that the availability of cheap speech may have undermined the most common constitutional justification for the prohibition – that the government has no duty to subsidize speech – such that a new approach to limiting the political speech of charities is needed.
Demonstrating Multistage Compressor Blockage Calculations Using Pressure Measurements for Large Tip Clearances

With future gas turbine designs seeking increased overall pressure ratios, blade heights in the rear stages of high-pressure compressors are expected to decrease. As this will lead to an increase o...
Dialectical Processes in Developmental Psychopathology

There is a set of dialectical contradictions inherent in any discipline that is not resolvable, and it is within these contradictions that the sources of progress can be found. Some of these contradictions are inherent in the study of psychology, others in the study of development, and still others are unique to the study of developmental psychopathology. One of the basic contradictions in each of these domains is between the labels we use to divide and categorize the phenomena with which we are concerned and the dynamic reality that comprises the phenomena themselves. Unique to the study of pathology is the contradiction between the abstracted diagnostic schemes we use for categorizing individuals and the complex dynamic processes of the individuals themselves.
The Role of Silicates in the Synthesis of Sugars Under Prebiotic Conditions

Polyhydroxy compounds with the appropriate stereochemistry, including sugars, react with sodium silicate. The resulting complexes contain pentacoordinate silicon or, at higher pH, hexacoordinate silicon. These complexes are stable under these highly basic conditions. In the case of sugars, the reacting species has the five-membered furanato structure. Sugars too small to form the five-membered ring (C2, C3) oligomerize under the conditions to form C4–C6 sugars, which are sequestered as silicates. These reactions provide a model for the prebiotic synthesis of sugars.
Stable, Don’t Touch Nothing

Stable, Don’t Touch Nothing Each contraction of Mr. M.’s diaphragm inflated just the fraction of his lungs that was not invaded by cancer. It was hard for him to finish his sentences, so a young doctor brought him pen and paper to write what he needed, what was working for him, and how he felt.
Sexism and the Black Male

(1973). Sexism and the Black Male. The Black Scholar: Vol. 4, Black Women's Liberation, pp. 2-11.
Industrial Rehabilitation: An Overview

Industrial rehabilitation is one of the fastest-growing segments of medical practice. Over the past two decades, providers of services to injured employees have instituted many new programs, including work conditioning and work hardening. These programs have increased the medical and cost effectiveness of industrial rehabilitation and have become popular with workers' compensation carriers because of the resultant high return-to-work rates. Industrial rehabilitation is now a spectrum of care programs. When well organized, a seamless progression of services is provided to prevent workers from "falling through the cracks." This article provides an overview and brief summary of the common components of a modern industrial rehabilitation program.
The Memory Function of Sleep Across the Life Span

Sleep is the single most common form of human behavior, indicating that sleep likely has an important evolutionary function. Yet the functions of sleep are still debated. Intriguingly, sleep is not static across the life span, changing in duration, pattern, structure, and physiology. This chapter reviews the transformations of sleep, from the first appearance of sleep prenatally to sleep in older adulthood, and assesses how the functions of sleep may change in response. This review focuses on the memory function of sleep and examines sleep-dependent consolidation across declarative, procedural, and emotional memory domains. With respect to the memory function of sleep, changes in SWS in particular appear to have the greatest impact on the resultant age-related alterations in sleep-dependent memory consolidation.
Use of Collaborative Problem Solving to Reduce Seclusion and Restraint in Child and Adolescent Inpatient Units

610 The authors describe “collaborative problem solving,” a cognitive-behavioral approach for working with aggressive children and adolescents. The model conceptualizes aggressive behavior as the byproduct of lagging cognitive skills in the domains of flexibility, frustration tolerance, and problem solving. The goal is to train staff to assess specific cognitive skills that may be contributing to challenging behavior and to teach children new skills through collaborative problem solving. The authors present results from an inpatient unit that dramatically reduced rates of seclusion and restraint. (Psychiatric Services 57:610–612, 2006)
O4 Assessment of New York State Local Wellness Policies

Background Under the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, local educational agencies participating in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Program are required to establish local wellness policies (LWPs). LWPs aim to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity standards and programming in school districts. Objective To evaluate the strength and comprehensiveness of the LWPs of a representative sample of New York State public school districts. Study Design, Settings, Participants We used publicly available district-level data from the Common Core of Data and the American Community Survey. To select our sample, the Generalizer was used to generate six strata, using the following criteria: percentage of students receiving free and reduced lunch, English Language learners, identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian or White, and urbanicity. The Generalizer tool determined how many schools to select from each stratum to obtain a sample (n = 111 districts) that is generalizable to the entire state. Measurable Outcome/Analysis To assess LWPs, we utilized WellSAT. WellSAT is an evaluation tool that scores LWPs and identifies areas for improvement. WellSAT includes items that are required by federal law and items identified as best practices. With WellSAT, the LWPs of the selected districts were assessed using 67 items across six domains: Nutrition Education; Standards for USDA Child Nutrition Programs and School Meals; Nutrition Standards for Competitive and Other Foods and Beverages; Physical Education and Activity; Wellness Promotion and Marketing; and Implementation, Evaluation and Communication. Results The majority of LWPs included most federal requirements. However, many lacked items that are thought of as best practices, such as the incorporation of nutrition education into other subjects. Many policies included vague or weak language. Conclusion While many New York LWPs met federal requirements, they often lack clear language and best practices, which can make it challenging for school personnel to interpret and implement the policy. Additional research is needed to better understand what resources school districts need to strengthen their policies. Funding None.
Identifying neuropsychologically impaired physicians

AbstractObjective: With the increasing focus on reducing medical errors and the aging of the physician workforce has come growing concern for cognitive impairment among physicians. This study sough...
Phase-resolved multi-dimensional coherent spectroscopy with automated polarization control

Automated, polarization-controlled 2D coherent spectroscopy is shown based on liquid-crystal variable retarders. Polarization-dependent rephasing spectra are recorded in a single scan, with absolute phase determined by a single auxiliary measurement.
Distal Biceps Repair: Buttons and Interference Fit Screws

Repair of the complete distal biceps rupture may be categorized into acute, delayed, or chronic based upon the time since injury, retraction of the tendon, and quality of the tissue. Techniques for primary repair of the distal biceps tendon rupture include a cortical button interference screw, cortical button and interference screw fixation with the elbow in flexion, a cortical button only, or augmented with either an acellular dermal allograft to provide improved tissue quality or an Achilles tendon allograft to add tendon length. Surgical treatment should attempt to anatomically repair the tendon to the ulnar aspect of the radial tuberosity to increase biomechanical advantage for the supination motion. Soft tissue cortical buttons have been demonstrated to provide superior fixation stiffness in load to failure, and the addition of an interference screw may place the repaired tendon in a more ulnar position on the radial tuberosity and decrease motion within the tunnel. The structural stiffness and strength at time zero allow for early range of motion and decreased heterotopic ossification and postoperative stiffness.
Chapter 18 – CooA: A Paradigm for Gas-sensing Regulatory Proteins

The heme-containing transcriptional factor CooA (CO-Oxidation Activator protein) regulates the expression of genes involved in the anaerobic oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO) in different prokaryotes, but has primarily been studied in the bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum. In R. rubrum, CooA is both a redox sensor and a specific CO sensor, a combination of properties that is uncommon among heme proteins. Extensive biochemical and genetic analyses, interpreted in the context of structural information, have allowed the creation of hypotheses concerning the mechanism of CooA activation by CO as well as the basis for its CO specificity. This analysis has been enriched by comparison of CooA homologs from other prokaryotes, which typically lack the redox-sensing property and display some differences in their specificity for CO. We provide a hypothesis for the important properties of CooA, detail the experimental support for that hypothesis, and highlight the important areas for future research.
Leaf margins in a deciduous lineage from the Greater Cape Floristic Region track climate in unexpected directions.

PREMISE The functional significance of leaf margins has long been debated. In this study, we explore influences of climate, leaf lobing, woodiness, and shared evolutionary history on two leaf margin traits within the genus Pelargonium. METHODS Leaves from 454 populations of Pelargonium (161 species) were collected in the Greater Cape Floristic Region and scored for tooth presence/absence and degree of lobing. Tooth density (number of teeth per interior perimeter distance) was calculated for a subset of these. We compared five hypotheses to explain tooth presence and density using mixed effect models. RESULTS Tooth presence/absence was best predicted by the interaction of leaf lobing and mean annual temperature (MAT), but often in patterns opposite those previously reported: species were more likely to be toothed with warmer temperatures, particularly for unlobed and highly lobed leaves. In contrast, tooth density was best predicted by the interaction of MAT and the season of most rain; density declines with temperature as consistent with expectations, but only in winter-rain dominated areas. Woody and nonwoody species within Pelargonium have similar associations between tooth presence/absence and MAT, contrary to the expectation that patterns within nonwoody species would be insignificant. CONCLUSIONS We conclude Pelargonium leaf margins show predictable responses to climate, but these responses are complex and can contradict those found for global patterns across plant communities.
Neural connectivity biotypes: associations with internalizing problems throughout adolescence.

Author(s): Chahal, Rajpreet; Weissman, David G; Hallquist, Michael N; Robins, Richard W; Hastings, Paul D; Guyer, Amanda E | Abstract: BackgroundNeurophysiological patterns may distinguish which youth are at risk for the well-documented increase in internalizing symptoms during adolescence. Adolescents with internalizing problems exhibit altered resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of brain regions involved in socio-affective processing. Whether connectivity-based biotypes differentiate adolescents' levels of internalizing problems remains unknown.MethodSixty-eight adolescents (37 females) reported on their internalizing problems at ages 14, 16, and 18 years. A resting-state functional neuroimaging scan was collected at age 16. Time-series data of 15 internalizing-relevant brain regions were entered into the Subgroup-Group Iterative Multi-Model Estimation program to identify subgroups based on RSFC maps. Associations between internalizing problems and connectivity-based biotypes were tested with regression analyses.ResultsTwo connectivity-based biotypes were found: a Diffusely-connected biotype (N = 46), with long-range fronto-parietal paths, and a Hyper-connected biotype (N = 22), with paths between subcortical and medial frontal areas (e.g. affective and default-mode network regions). Higher levels of past (age 14) internalizing problems predicted a greater likelihood of belonging to the Hyper-connected biotype at age 16. The Hyper-connected biotype showed higher levels of concurrent problems (age 16) and future (age 18) internalizing problems.ConclusionsDifferential patterns of RSFC among socio-affective brain regions were predicted by earlier internalizing problems and predicted future internalizing problems in adolescence. Measuring connectivity-based biotypes in adolescence may offer insight into which youth face an elevated risk for internalizing disorders during this critical developmental period.
Controlling Clutter Modulation in Frequency Hopping MIMO Dual-Function Radar Communication Systems

We present a dual-function radar communication (DFRC) system applying signal embedding through a code shift keying (CSK) strategy. The information symbol is phase encoded into a sequence and then modulated by the continuous phase modulation (CPM) before embedding into frequency hopping (FH) radar sub-pulses. The CPM modulated communication symbol phase coded sequence is multiplied with the FH radar waveforms in fast-time and transmitted through multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar platforms. We address the problem of range sidelobe modulation (RSM) and propose the design of the optimum CSK sequences to reduce the degree of change in the range sidelobe levels (RSLs) of the ambiguity function (AF). It is shown that the optimum CSK sequences yield significant reduction in the RSLs of the DFRC system. They also maintain the same degree of correlation between FH sub-pulses regardless of the communication symbol sequences embedded. Additionally, the proposed DFRC system with the optimized waveform design provides good spectrum containment and achieves high communication data rates.
Longitudinal Analysis of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms as Independent Predictors of Neurocognitive Function in Primary Brain Tumor Patients.

ABSTRACT Background Primary brain tumor patients are vulnerable to depression and anxiety symptoms, which may affect their neurocognitive functioning. We performed a prospective longitudinal analysis to examine the association between depression and anxiety symptoms and domain-specific neurocognitive functioning in primary brain tumor patients receiving radiation therapy [RT]. Methods On a prospective trial, 54 primary brain tumor patients receiving RT underwent comprehensive neurocognitive evaluation at baseline (pre-RT), and 3, 6, and 12 months post-RT. Neurocognitive assessments measured attention/processing speed, verbal and visuospatial memory, and executive functioning, including Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Trail-Making Test [DKEFS-TMT], DKEFS Verbal Fluency [DKEFS-VF], and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised [BVMT-R]. Depression and anxiety symptoms were also assessed at each time point with Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories [BDI-II, BAI], respectively. Higher scores reflect more numerous or severe depression/anxiety symptoms. Univariable and multivariable linear mixed-effects models assessed associations between BDI-II and BAI scores and domain-specific neurocognitive scores over time, controlling for pre-existing depression/anxiety disorders and other patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics. Results Higher BAI scores were associated with worse attention/processing speed in univariable analyses: DKEFS-TMT Visual Scanning (p=0.003), Number Sequencing (p=0.011), and Letter Sequencing (p Conclusions Among primary brain tumor patients receiving RT, increased depression and anxiety were independently associated with worsened neurocognition, particularly in attention/processing speed. Depression and anxiety symptoms should be controlled for in prospective clinical trials and managed in the clinical setting to optimize neurocognitive functioning.
High Efficiency Bidirectional DC-DC Converter with Matrix Transformer for Heavy Duty Hybrid Electric Vehicles

A DC-DC converter is an essential component in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) to achieve power transfer from High Voltage bus (HV) to Low Voltage bus (LV) and vice-versa. Very high current on the LV side of the high power DC-DC converter in a heavy-duty hybrid vehicle makes its design extremely challenging. Dual Active Bridge with an integrated matrix planar transformer is considered due to its advantages over other existing topologies, such as the ability to handle very high current on the LV side, bi-directional power flow, high power density, zero voltage switching capability, and high modularity. An integrated planar Matrix transformer is chosen for galvanic isolation, as it helps in handling very high current on the LV side efficiently. Multi-Objective Design Optimization, with low converter loss and low converter volume as its objectives, is used as a basis of parameters and components design. Current-mode control is implemented to achieve a fast response and avoid transformer saturation due to the DC flux injection during the transients. The design algorithm and control scheme has been experimentally verified.
Food insecurity and depression among low-income adults in the USA: does diet diversity play a role? Findings from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Objective: Food insecurity is associated with a greater risk of depression among low-income adults in the USA. Members of food-insecure households have lower diet diversity than their food-secure counterparts. This study examined whether diet diversity moderates the association between food insecurity and depression. Design: Multiple logistic regression was conducted to examine independent associations between food insecurity and depression, between diet diversity and depression, and the moderating effect of diet diversity in the food insecurity–depression link. Setting: Cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2014). Participants: 2636 low-income adults aged 18 years and older. Results: There was a positive association between food insecurity and depression among low-income adults. Diet diversity was not associated with depression. Diet diversity had a moderating effect on the association between food insecurity and depression among low-income adults. Conclusions: Food insecurity is independently associated with depression among low-income adults in the USA. However, this association differs across levels of diet diversity. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the role diet diversity may play in the pathway between food insecurity and depression.
Core Principles in Nutrition: Nutrient Needs, Metabolism, and Potential Influences on Infectious Diseases

In the first half of the twentieth century, evidence started to emerge linking malnutrition, then characterized primarily as protein-calorie deficits, to elevated risk of death from infectious disease. A growing interest in the interactions between nutritional status and infections gained momentum in the second half of the twentieth century following the publication of a World Health Organization monograph on the synergism between malnutrition and infections in predicting mortality. Evidence accrued since the 1950s now points to a potential to improve disease outcomes with macro- and micronutrient interventions, although significant gaps exist in the current understanding of the nature of these interactions. This chapter broadly focuses on the core principles underlying the impact of undernutrition, of macro- and micronutrients, in determining infectious disease outcomes. As a primer, this chapter reviews the needs, sources, and metabolism of specific macronutrients, minerals, and vitamins and potential pathways of their interactions with the immune system and infections.
Protein Disulfide Isomerases Regulate IgE-Mediated Mast Cell Responses and Their Inhibition Confers Protective Effects During Food Allergy.

The thiol isomerase, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), plays important intracellular roles during protein folding, maintaining cellular function and viability. Recent studies suggest novel roles for extracellular cell surface PDI in enhancing cellular activation and promoting their function. Moreover, a number of food-derived substances have been shown to regulate cellular PDI activity and alter disease progression. We hypothesized that PDI may have similar roles during mast cell-mediated allergic responses and examined its effects on IgE-induced mast cell activity during cell culture and food allergy. Mast cells were activated via IgE and antigen and the effects of PDI inhibition on mast cell activation were assessed. The effects of PDI blockade in vivo were examined by treating mice with the irreversible PDI inhibitor, PACMA-31, in an ovalbumin-induced model of food allergy. The role of dietary PDI modulators was investigated using various dietary compounds including curcumin and quercetin-3-rutinoside (rutin). PDI expression was observed on resting mast cell surfaces, intracellularly, and in the intestines of allergic mice. Furthermore, enhanced secretion of extracellular PDI was observed on mast cell membranes during IgE and antigen activation. Insulin turbidimetric assays demonstrated that curcumin is a potent PDI inhibitor and pre-treatment of mast cells with curcumin or established PDI inhibitors such as bacitracin, rutin or PACMA-31, resulted in the suppression of IgE-mediated activation and the secretion of various cytokines. This was accompanied by decreased mast cell proliferation, FceRI expression, and mast cell degranulation. Similarly, treatment of allergic BALB/c mice with PACMA-31 attenuated the development of food allergy resulting in decreased allergic diarrhea, mast cell activation, and fewer intestinal mast cells. The production of TH2-specific cytokines was also suppressed. Our observations suggest that PDI catalytic activity is essential in the regulation of mast cell activation, and that its blockade may benefit patients with allergic inflammation.