cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ABA Applications in the Prevention and Treatment of Medical Problems

Abstract Applied behavior analysts are interested in solving problems that matter to people, and there is little that matters more to people than their physical health. As a result, applied behavior analysts have been tackling problems of physical health for decades. But this research is not always easy to find, as it is often disseminated via conferences and journals outside of applied behavior analysis. This chapter reviews three programs of research in applied behavior analysis that have addressed prevention and treatment of chronic medical problems in children, including: recurrent headaches, distress during invasive dental procedures, and vocal dysphonias. All three demonstrate the application of behavioral principles to solve significant health-related problems. These reviews provide guidance in the treatment of these specific medical problems, and also serve as a model for how applied behavior analysts might conduct programs of research with medical problems. The review demonstrates the scope of ABA in addressing issues of social significance, hopefully encouraging others to see opportunities for extending the reach of ABA into the mainstream of physical health care.
Managing Social Responsibility in Multitier Supply Chains

We study the management of social responsibility in a three-tier supply chain in which a Tier 2 supplier sells to a Tier 1 supplier, which in turn sells to a Tier 0 buyer. The Tier 2 supplier potentially violates social and environmental standards, resulting in harm to the Tier 0 and 1 firms. Each member of the supply chain can exert effort to improve the responsibility in Tier 2, and the efforts of Tiers 0 and 1 are substitutable with one another and complementary to the efforts of Tier 2. We show that in this scenario the buyer’s optimal strategy is one of extremes, consisting of direct control (only Tier 0 works with Tier 2), delegation (only Tier 1 works with Tier 2), or no effort (neither firm works with Tier 2), and we characterize the features of Tiers 0, 1, and 2 that lead the buyer to favor each strategy. Under the buyer’s optimal strategy, we find that selection of Tier 1 and 2 suppliers for greater responsibility or lower cost, as well as increased pressure from external stakeholders (consumers, NGOs, and governments), may increase the chance of a responsibility violation when the buyer shifts from control to delegation. We further illustrate how responsibility management differ in three- and two-tier supply chains, and show that perverse reactions to better supplier selection and greater external stakeholder pressure never occur in a two-tier system, demonstrating the unique challenges associated with multitier responsibility management. Lastly, we show that appropriately designed non-compliance penalties to either Tier 0 or 1 when a Tier 2 violation occurs can coordinate the three-tier supply chain, i.e., make it perform like a two-tier system, though such penalties face implementation challenges in practice.
NEXRAD Quantitative Precipitation Estimations for Hydrologic Simulation Using a Hybrid Hydrologic Model

AbstractA hybrid hydrologic model (lumped conceptual and distributed feature model), Distributed-Clark, is introduced to perform hydrologic simulations using spatially distributed NEXRAD quantitative precipitation estimations (QPEs). In Distributed-Clark, spatially distributed excess rainfall estimated with the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) curve number method and a GIS-based set of separated unit hydrographs are utilized to calculate a direct runoff flow hydrograph. This simple approach using few modeling parameters reduces calibration complexity relative to physically based distributed (PBD) models by only focusing on integrated flow estimation at watershed outlets. Case studies assessed the quality of NEXRAD stage IV QPEs for hydrologic simulation compared to gauge-only analyses. NEXRAD data validation against rain gauge observations and performance evaluation with model simulation result comparisons for inputs of spatially distributed stage IV and spatially averaged gauged data for four study waters...
Standard model flavor from an S U (2 ) symmetry

We propose that the flavor structure of the standard model is based on a horizontal $SU(2)$ symmetry. It generically predicts (i) a parametrically small mass for the lightest charged fermions, (ii) small mixings in the quark sector, and (iii) suppression of flavor-changing neutral currents. Supplemented with the assumption of a strong hierarchy between the second- and third-generation masses, it also predicts (iv) a large $CP$-violating phase in the quark sector. Only Majorana neutrinos allow for large mixings in the lepton sector. In this case, this framework further predicts (v) near-maximal ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{23}^{l}$, (vi) a normal hierarchy of neutrino masses, and (vii) large $CP$ violation in the lepton sector.
Manipulation of Weighted Voting Games via Annexation and Merging

We conduct an experimental study of the effects of manipulations (i.e., dishonest behaviors) including those of manipulation by annexation and merging in weighted voting games. These manipulations involve an agent or agents misrepresenting their identities in anticipation of gaining more power at the expense of other agents in a game. Using the well-known Shapley-Shubik and Banzhaf power indices, we first show that manipulators need to do only a polynomial amount of work to find a much improved power gain, and then present two enumeration-based pseudopolynomial algorithms that manipulators can use. Furthermore, we provide a careful investigation of heuristics for annexation which provide huge savings in computational efforts over the enumeration-based method. The benefits achievable by manipulating agents using these heuristics also compare with those of the enumeration-based method which serves as upper bound.
The Role of Mesoscale-Convective Processes in Explaining the 21 November 2016 Epidemic Thunderstorm Asthma Event in Melbourne, Australia

AbstractA major thunderstorm asthma epidemic struck Melbourne and surrounding Victoria, Australia, on 21 November 2016, which led to multiple deaths, a flood of residents seeking medical attention for respiratory problems, and an overwhelmed emergency management system. This case day had all the classic ingredients for an epidemic, including high rye grass pollen concentrations, a strong multicellular thunderstorm system moving across the region, and a large population of several million people in the vicinity of Melbourne. A particular characteristic of this event was the strong, gusty winds that likely spread the pollen grains and/or allergenic contents widely across the region to increase population exposure. This exploratory case study is the first to examine the usefulness of low-to-middle-atmospheric thermodynamic information for anticipating epidemic thunderstorm asthma outbreaks by allowing the forecast of strong downdraft winds. The authors investigated the utility of several mesoscale products d...
Mental Accounting in Retirement

Mental Accounting is an important tool enabling us to make countless decisions each day. We code, categorize and evaluate our expenses using a system that we typically develop with our first paycheck. We routinely allocate some portion of our money to many buckets, and often over commit ourselves. 25% to housing, 25% to food, 25% to loans, and of course, another 50% to entertainment. We don't necessarily make the best decisions, but if we make a mistake we have time on our side. Mental Accounting in Retirement involves a key change in mindset. Time is no longer on our side and (hopefully) our level of wealth is higher. Rather than allocate some funds to many buckets we propose fully funding one bucket before moving on to the next. This framework offers transparency into the age old question of how much guaranteed lifetime income each household needs while simultaneously offering savers insight into which goals they are on track to meet.
Human protein C and activated protein C

Protein C, the zymogen form of the anticoagulant protein, activated protein C, is a member of the vitamin K-dependent class of proteins that function in generation and control of formation of blood clots. This plasma protein consists of a series of domain regions that are qualitatively similar to those present in human coagulation factors VII, IX, and X, and that appear to be related to specific properties of these proteins. With the recent advent of rigorous application of genetic engineering strategies to this system, and the continuing discoveries and characterization of genotypes and phenotypes of protein C in patients, great progress has been made in understanding structure-function relationships of protein C and activated protein C. This review is a summary and synthesis of recent pertinent studies with an emphasis on these topics.
Forming Focus Groups for Pediatric Pain Research in Nursing: A Review of Methods

Abstract Within current priorities for pain research set by the American Society for Pain Management Nursing, there is a paucity of pediatric pain research. Qualitative approaches are helpful when researching topics about which little is known. Focus groups are one method of qualitative data collection and have been successfully implemented with children and parents. The purpose of this paper was to identify ideal conditions for nurse researchers to employ when using focus groups as a data collection method for studies aiming to investigate pain in children. The aims of this paper are to identify focus group conditions (1) facilitating adequate scientific rigor and trustworthiness and (2) eliciting the richest data from participants. A critique of research studies that used focus groups with children, parents/caregivers, or nurses in hospital or community settings was performed to achieve the stated aims. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines directed the process of selecting studies for inclusion in this review. The final sample for critique included four studies. Methods such as transcription processes and approaches to analysis used in the four publications were appraised for scientific rigor and usefulness in pediatric pain research. Researchers investigating priority areas must consider trustworthiness and strategies to eliciting quality data when planning to employ focus groups as a data collection method. Nurses in the clinical setting can use findings of this report to strengthen pain assessment practices as well as evaluate qualitative work for inclusion in evidence-based policies.
Ion Channels and Pumps in Cardiac Function

Ion channels and pumps are intrinsic membrane proteins that regulate the membrane potential and transport of ions and substrates, controlling excitation and excitation-contraction coupling. Several have been cloned and an example of our progress in structure-function correlation is the identification of the pore region of the Na channel.
The Impact of Environmental Design on Teamwork and Communication in Healthcare Facilities: A Systematic Literature Review:

The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate the current knowledge about the impact of healthcare facility design on teamwork and communication by exploring the relevant literature. Teamwork and communication are behavioral factors that are impacted by physical design. However, the effects of environmental factors on teamwork and communication have not been investigated extensively in healthcare design literature. There are no published systematic reviews on the current topic. Searches were conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar databases in addition to targeted design journals including Health Environmental Research & Design, Environment and Behavior, Environmental Psychology, and Applied Ergonomics. Inclusion criteria were (a) full-text English language articles related to teamwork and communication and (b) involving any healthcare built environment and space design published in peer-reviewed journals between 1984 and 2017. Studies were extracted using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. In the first phase, 26 of the 195 articles most relevant to teamwork and 19 studies of the 147 were identified and reviewed to understand the impact of communication in healthcare facilities. The literature regarding the impact of built environment on teamwork and communication were reviewed and explored in detail. Eighteen studies were selected and succinctly summarized as the final product of this review. Environmental design, which involves nurses, support staff, and physicians, is one of the critical factors that promotes the efficiency of teamwork and collaborative communication. Layout design, visibility, and accessibility levels are the most cited aspects of design which can affect the level of communication and teamwork in healthcare facilities.
Clifford Algebras and Geometry

The definitions given in chapter 28 of Weyl and Clifford algebras were purely algebraic, based on a choice of generators and relations. These definitions do though have a more geometrical formulation, with the definition in terms of generators corresponding to a specific choice of coordinates. For the Weyl algebra, the geometry involved is symplectic geometry, based on a non-degenerate antisymmetric bilinear form.
On the design of bandwidth and power efficient coded modulation

We examine continuous phase modulation (CPM) as a candidate for a constant envelope modulation that is spectrally and power efficient. We place the quadrature representations of CPM by Aulin, Rimoldi and Simon in a common context and adapt their views to a general quadrature representation of CPM. We show how Simon's representation of CPM as an encoder followed by a memoryless mapper can be applied to several representative modulations. We also consider the effect of the waveforms in the memoryless mapper along with the encoder on the spectral efficiency of the modulation.
Taking Trade-offs Seriously: Examining the Contextually Contingent Relationship Between Social Outreach Intensity and Financial Sustainability in Global Microfinance

A key insight from research on hybrid organizing is that the joint pursuit of competing goals exposes an enterprise to potentially problematic tensions and trade-offs. Yet while studies have examin...
Scattered field formulation applied to 3D models for buried targets

Calculation of the acoustic scattering from buried targets in a seafloor environment is a task ideally suited for finite element software. A complication arises though when the target’s environment is modeled as two infinite half spaces of water and sediment, each surrounded by perfectly matched layers (PML’s) to satisfy the Sommerfeld radiation condition. Each half space requires a surrounding PML tailored to its material properties, resulting in abrupt discontinuities in PML structure at the corners where the sand-water interface meets the edges of the physical domain. Acoustic energy incident on these corners results in nonphysical reflections directed back into the physical domain. It has previously been shown in a 2D axisymmetric geometry [Zampolli et al., JASA 122, 2007] that using a scattered field formulation, where the incident, reflected, and transmitted fields are applied as background fields, bypasses the discontinuity and eliminates these spurious reflections. Here, the theory is extended to full 3D geometries, allowing the scattering from 3D buried objects to be evaluated and tested against experimental and analytical benchmark results. Once complete, the 3D model template is easily modified to consider any target at any level of burial. [Work supported by Applied Research Laboratories IR&D and ONR, Ocean Acoustics.]Calculation of the acoustic scattering from buried targets in a seafloor environment is a task ideally suited for finite element software. A complication arises though when the target’s environment is modeled as two infinite half spaces of water and sediment, each surrounded by perfectly matched layers (PML’s) to satisfy the Sommerfeld radiation condition. Each half space requires a surrounding PML tailored to its material properties, resulting in abrupt discontinuities in PML structure at the corners where the sand-water interface meets the edges of the physical domain. Acoustic energy incident on these corners results in nonphysical reflections directed back into the physical domain. It has previously been shown in a 2D axisymmetric geometry [Zampolli et al., JASA 122, 2007] that using a scattered field formulation, where the incident, reflected, and transmitted fields are applied as background fields, bypasses the discontinuity and eliminates these spurious reflections. Here, the theory is extended to ...
Theory of the Production and Properties of Polymer Nanoparticles: Quantum Drops

small (<_15 µm) average diameters have been used to create nano-polymer particles. This technique makes the initial volume of a dilute solution of any polymer material sufficiently small so that the solvent evaporation occurs on a very short time scale leaving behind a polymer particle. For micro and nano-scale generated polymer particles, the refractive index obtained from the data analysis is consistent with bulk (nominal) values and the level of agreement with Mie theory indicates that the particles are nearly perfect spheres. presented results of calculations showing that polymer nanoparticles with excess electrons exhibit discrete electronic structure and chemical potential in close analog with semi -conductor quantum dots.2,3 The dynamics of the formation of polymer nanoparticles can be simulated by the use of molecular dynamics and the morphology of these particles may be predicted. The production method that is used for the creation of these polymer particles can also be used to mix polymer components into a nanoparticle when otherwise they are immiscible in the bulk Quantum drops, unlike the semiconductor quantum dots, can be generated on demand and obtained in the gas phase. In the gas phase, these new polymer nanoparticles have the capacity to be used for catalytic purposes which may involve the delivery of electrons with chosen chemical potential. Finally, quantum drops have unusual properties in magnetic and electric fields, which make them suitable for use in applications ranging from catalysis to quantum computation. We have previously
5 – THERMODYNAMICS OF SOLIDS

Thermodynamics is very definite about denying the impossible and defining limits for a behavior that is possible. But, for a possible event, thermodynamics is noncommittal as to the extent to which it will occur, or even whether it will occur at all. For example, amorphous SiO 2 should crystallize and Fe 3 C should thermodynamically decompose into iron and graphite at 300 K, but both can be retained indefinitely in metastable equilibrium. This is true of many other solid-state materials and reactions whether they are chemical in nature or involve physical transformations of state. Only reactions that lower the free energy of the system can proceed; and if the free energy of the system reaches a minimum and cannot be lowered further, true thermodynamic equilibrium is attained. Minimization of free energy is a cardinal principle used to establish the configuration of material states in equilibrium. Thermodynamic driving forces include the gradients or spatial derivatives of temperature, pressure, and chemical potential. When the temperature in all parts of the system is the same there are no temperature gradients or driving forces for heat flow. This constitutes a state of thermal equilibrium. Similarly, mechanical equilibrium implies a balance of pressures. If pressure is not equilibrated there will be bulk flows and deformations of matter in parts of the system. Chemical equilibrium implies no tendency for chemical change. The chemical potential, a type of thermodynamic concentration, is the most difficult of the variables to understand. It is defined as the free energy per unit mass of a given atomic species. If there is a gradient in chemical potential, then a driving force is established that causes individual atoms to diffuse. Systems are only in true thermodynamic equilibrium when all gradients, and the driving forces they create, vanish
Mechanisms of Ion Transport through Plant Cell Membranes

Publisher Summary Plant cells exhibit unique features of ion transport. Historically, transport investigations have been confined largely to the characterization of the kinetics of the passage of a plethora of substances through biological membranes. This chapter discusses the transport of ions in Neurospora, describes the asexual part of the growth cycle of Neurospora, and identifies the developmental stages that have been used for transport studies. The chapter also discusses the properties of a variety of transport systems characterized in Neurospora. The characteristics of ion transport in roots include its competence in coping with spatial and temporal variations, high affinity for nutrient ions, great selectivity, and maintenance of a state of nonequilibrium with an ambient medium. Evidence for passive, diffusional movements of ions across uninjured plasmalemmas of the cells of higher plants in a state of active absorption is neither extensive nor firm; this favors the view that active transport agents or carriers must mediate the movement of ions across these membranes. The chapter presents evidence, mainly kinetic, for carrier-mediated transport to deduce certain properties of active agents or carriers, especially those related to the specificity or selectivity of ion transport.
On Search and Equilibrium Price Distributions

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the search for optimal equilibrium price distributions while appreciating the characteristics of such equilibrium. Conventional economic theory has focused on the analysis of markets with zero transaction costs presumably in the belief that if these costs are not too great, the equilibrium in the economy will look much like it if there were zero transaction costs. As Scitovsky has suggested, this does not appear to be the case. A costly search (information) on the market equilibrium has several implications; what is not so obvious are the implications of these observations for the market equilibrium, particularly when the markets are characterized by a large number of producers and there is free entry. Subsequently, simple models can be constructed in which the effects of costly search on the market equilibrium can be assessed.
Cushing’s Disease: Common Pitfalls in Diagnosis

Establishing the diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome can be very challenging. The available screening tests for diagnosing Cushing’s are highly accurate, but it is important to consider their limitations. We review the available screening tests for Cushing’s and illustrate examples of their limitations.
Prozessmanagement: Optimierung des Kernprozesses Kraftfahrt durch Digitalisierung

Die Fokussierung auf die Kundenbedurfnisse in digitalen Geschaftsmodellen erfordert bei Versicherern eine gesamthafte Umstellung auf die digitale Welt. Digitale Prozesse mussen end‐to‐end verarbeitbar sein. Die zukunftigen Transformationen benotigen Prozessoptimierungen als Grundlage fur eine vollstandige Digitalisierung der gesamten Wertschopfungskette. Wesentlicher Treiber fur hochwertige Ergebnisse bei Digitalisierungsprojekten ist vor allem eine prozessorientierte Herangehensweise.
Perceived needs and coping resources of newly hired nurses

Objective:Newly hired nurses who do not transition well often leave their first nursing position or nursing prematurely, at great cost to themselves, the profession, hiring organizations and patien...
The Structural Dimensions of Race: Lock Ups, Systemic Chokeholds, and Binary Disruptions

Disrupting traditional conceptions of structural inequality, state decision making power, and the presumption of Black criminality, this Essay explores the doctrinal and policy implications of James Forman, Jr.’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, Locking Up Our Own, and Paul Butler’s evocative and transformative book, Chokehold. While both books grapple with how to dismantle the structural components of mass incarceration, state legitimized police violence against Black bodies, and how policy functions to reify oppressive state power, the approaches espoused by Forman and Butler are analytically distinct. Forman locates his analysis in the dynamics of decision-making power when African American officials wield power to combat crime with unintended consequences. He argues for incremental change focusing on discrete aspects of the system. By contrast, Butler offers a full conceptual attack on the oppressive machinery of mass incarceration—he seeks to break the grip of the systemic chokehold that threatens to strangle the life prospects of communities of color. Both books disrupt binary conceptions of the criminal justice system in the wake of Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow and its progeny.
Mobile Home Parks and Disasters: Understanding Risk to the Third Housing Type in the United States

AbstractResearch on affordable housing and disasters in the United States largely focuses on owned and rented housing, the nation’s two most common housing tenures. Researchers have largely overloo...
The Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment: Mission and conceptual design

Abstract Mastering Plasma Material Interactions (PMI) is key for obtaining a high performance, high duty-cycle and safe operating fusion reactor. Numerous gaps exist in PMI which have to be addressed before a reactor can be built. In particular the lack of data at high ion fluence, fusion reactor divertor relevant plasma conditions and neutron displacement damage requires new experimental devices to be able to develop plasma facing materials and components. This has been recognized in the community and the U.S. fusion program is addressing this need with a new linear plasma device—the Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX). MPEX will be a superconducting linear plasma device with magnetic fields of up to 2.5 T. The plasma source is a high-power helicon source (200 kW, 13.56 MHz). The electrons will be heated via Electron Bernstein Waves with microwaves using multiple 70 GHz gyrotrons (up to 600 kW in total). Ions will be heated via ion cyclotron heating in the so-called “magnetic beach heating” scheme in the frequency range of 6−9 MHz (up to 400 kW in total). An overview of the conceptual design and the project/design requirements is given.
Intelligent Environments and Public Art

Els entorns intel·ligents combinen la promesa de la computacio ubiqua amb la intel·ligencia artificial i s’utilitzen cada vegada mes en l’art public. L’enfocament basat en agents de la intel·ligencia artificial (IA) utilitza la funcio intel·ligent per caracteritzar el comportament basat en agents. Les entrades a la funcio intel·ligent, la percepcio de l’entorn i l’estat intern de l’agent, combinades amb les sortides de la funcio, l’actuacio i els canvis en l’estat intern, proporcionen un barem amb el qual classificar l’art public basat en IA. Aquestes obres es poden classificar com a generatives, reactives, interactives, d’aprenentatge o estatiques. Per il·lustrar aquesta taxonomia, aquest article proporciona exemples d’obres d’art publiques que s’ajusten a cadascuna de les cinc categories i utilitza la taxonomia per suggerir noves arees de recerca creativa.
Management of hypertriglyceridemia

Hypertriglyceridemia is one of the most common lipid abnormalities encountered in clinical practice. Many monogenic disorders causing severe hypertriglyceridemia have been identified, but in most patients triglyceride elevations result from a combination of multiple genetic variations with small effects and environmental factors. Common secondary causes include obesity, uncontrolled diabetes, alcohol misuse, and various commonly used drugs. Correcting these factors and optimizing lifestyle choices, including dietary modification, is important before starting drug treatment. The goal of drug treatment is to reduce the risk of pancreatitis in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia and cardiovascular disease in those with moderate hypertriglyceridemia. This review discusses the various genetic and acquired causes of hypertriglyceridemia, as well as current management strategies. Evidence supporting the different drug and non-drug approaches to treating hypertriglyceridemia is examined, and an easy to adopt step-by-step management strategy is presented.
Cognitive Correlates of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Performance in Parkinson Disease Without Dementia.

Objective To investigate cognitive correlates of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) performance among people with Parkinson disease (PD) without dementia. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Academic medical center. Participants Volunteer sample (N=161) comprising participants with PD without dementia (n=102) and healthy comparison (HC) participants (n=59). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Performance-based assessment of cognitively-demanding IADL (meal preparation, bill paying, shopping, medication management, small home repair), neuropsychological tests (attentional control/flexibility, planning, working memory, memory, crystallized intelligence), and measures of motor function and other characteristics (eg, depressive symptoms). Results There were no group differences in neuropsychological test performance (P>.06). The PD group performed more poorly than the HC group on a number of cognitive IADL tasks (P<.04). After accounting for the effects of motor impairment and other disease-related characteristics, neuropsychological test performance accounted for a small but unique portion of the variance in performance of all cognitive IADL combined, meal preparation, shopping, and medication management in the PD group (R2=4%-13%; P≤.01). Conclusions The PD group had cognitive IADL performance limitations despite being unimpaired on neuropsychological tests. Within PD, neuropsychological test performance accounted for a small but significant portion of the variance in cognitive IADL performance over and above the effects of motor and other impairments. These results support the added value of using performance-based IADL assessments in functional evaluations of individuals with early and mild PD without dementia.
A Constructivist Rapprochement and an Epistemic Stance

Part III has three chapters. In Chap. 7, we propose a synthesis of the empiricist, rationalist, and pragmatist AI worldviews seen in Part II. This synthesis is then reflected in a set of five assumptions that ground an epistemic stance. These assumptions support eight conjectures that together offer the components of a modern epistemology. In Chap. 8, we present Bayes’ theorem and probabilistic reasoning as sufficient examples of this synthesis. In Chap. 9, we offer several further AI examples and summarize our project, proposing an epistemology called an active, pragmatic, model-revising realism.
Failure to Thrive or Growth Faltering: Medical, Developmental/Behavioral, Nutritional, and Social Dimensions.

1. Margot N. Tang, MD, MPH* 2. Soukaina Adolphe, MD* 3. Stephen R. Rogers, MD† 4. Deborah A. Frank, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 2. †Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA * Abbreviations: AAP: : American Academy of Pediatrics ASD: : autism spectrum disorder ASPEN: : American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition CDC: : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention FASD: : fetal alcohol spectrum disorder GI: : gastrointestinal HIV: : human immunodeficiency virus IgA: : immunoglobulinA SGA: : small for gestational age SNAP: : Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program WHO: : World Health Organization WIC: : Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Beyond recognizing the medical and nonmedical dimensions that often interact to cause childhood growth faltering and malnutrition, it is important to understand the role of pediatric feeding disorders, to screen for and address social determinants of health, and to understand the multidisciplinary model of treatment. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Diagnose growth faltering and childhood malnutrition. 2. Understand the pathogenesis and differential diagnosis of growth faltering. 3. Take a complete relevant history starting with the prenatal period that includes parental heights (if appropriate), nutritional and feeding details, developmental progress, and social determinants of health. 4. Understand the role of diagnostic testing, including first-line laboratory examinations such as complete blood cell count with differential count, iron studies, lead, chemistry panel, and celiac evaluation with immunoglobulin A and tissue transglutaminase antibodies. 5. Evaluate growth faltering in special populations of children with a history of prematurity, intrauterine growth retardation, small for gestational age, autism, and prenatal substance exposures. 6. Understand the role of social determinants in child undernutrition and the screening and resources to address conditions of poverty and inequality, including but not limited to food insecurity. 7. Demonstrate cultural competence when counseling families regarding growth, nutrition, and feeding. 8. Understand multidisciplinary treatment, including medical, nutritional, and often behavioral/feeding therapy, and developmental and psychosocial support, with close follow-up, use of pharmacotherapy when needed, and collaboration among providers and programs. Failure to thrive is an archaic term—now often replaced with growth faltering, weight faltering, or poor weight gain —to describe a symptom of many forms of primary and secondary undernutrition, usually in young children. (1)(2) We use the term growth faltering herein. Worldwide, childhood malnutrition is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality, with 45% of mortality in children younger than 5 years linked to undernutrition. (3) In the United States, the epidemiology of …
Application of the Z-transform technique for modeling lumped load in the FDTD

In this paper, we present a Z-transform technique to derive an updating algorithm for the finite difference time domain (FDTD) technique dealing with a lumped load. Such a load can be used to simulate equivalent circuits of some parts of microstrip structures, far field pattern calculation of a patch antenna fed by infinite feed lines, backing with including integrated circuits or digital devices. To validate the technique, we investigate the problem of a lumped circuit termination of a uniform microwave stripline.
Neuromotor functioning and behavior problems in children at risk for psychopathology

Previous studies have found that early neuromotor deficits may be a precursor of later psychopathology. The present study examined the relationship between neuromotor dysfunction and behavioral deviance in children characterized by a variety of risk factors (parental schizophrenia, parental psychiatric disorder other than schizophrenia, and parental maltreatment). The sample consisted of 108 children (average age 9.75 years) who were assessed twice, approximately 1 year apart. It was found that maltreated children had poorer neuromotor functioning and more behavior problems than children who were not maltreated, regardless of parental psychiatric status. The results also indicated that the relationship between neuromotor functioning and problem behaviors varied as a function of parental psychiatric status. These findings suggest that, although the effects of maltreatment are generalized and pervasive, there are distinctive relationships between neuromotor functioning and behavioral deviance depending on the nature of the risk factors a child has been exposed to.
Automatic Deformable Shape Segmentation for Image Database Search Applications

A method for shape based image database indexing is described. Deformable shape templates are used to group color image regions into globally consistent configurations. A statistical shape model is used to enforce the prior probabilities on global, parametric deformations for each object class. The segmentation is determined in part by the minimum description length (MDL) principle. Once trained, the system autonomously segments deformed shapes from the background, while not merging them with adjacent objects or shadows. The formulation can be used to group image regions based on any image homogeneity predicate; e.g., texture, color, or motion. Preliminary experiments in color segmentation and shape-based retrieval are reported.
Melanoma Arising in Blue Nevus

Melanoma can develop in a blue nevus. The blue nevus is generally a “cellular” variant (common and cellular are oversimplifications, as there are many more patterns of blue nevus than these), but there are a few recorded cases of malignant change in sparsely cellular dermal melanocytoses such as Ota nevus. In order to make a diagnosis of melanoma arising in a blue nevus, the basic histological characteristics of the latter must be recognizable at the periphery of the lesion, or (less satisfactory) a previous biopsy should unequivocally show a benign blue nevus.
Changes in properties of wheat leaf cuticle during interactions with Hessian fly

Infestation of wheat by Hessian fly larvae causes a variety of physical and biochemical modifications of the host plant. Changes occur in cuticle permeability, lipid composition and gene transcript abundance, and these responses differ substantially between resistant and susceptible wheat lines. Staining assays revealed that susceptible plants exhibited a generalized increase in leaf sheath epidermal permeability during infestation; whereas, epidermal permeability was only minimally affected in resistant plants. Furthermore, temporal profiling using gas chromatographic methods revealed that changes in cuticle lipid (wax and cutin) composition correlated well with differing levels of epidermal permeability in susceptible and resistant plants. Temporal analysis of cuticle-associated gene mRNA levels, by quantitative real-time PCR, indicated a relationship between transcript abundance and changes in cuticle lipid profiles of resistant and susceptible plants. Results suggest that conserving cuticle integrity via induction of specific wax constituents and maintenance of cutin amounts, determined by the accumulation of cuticle-associated transcripts, could be important components of wheat resistance to Hessian fly larvae.
Cosmology: From Alpha to Omega

Abstract. This paper focuses on four passages in the journey of the universe from beginning to end: its origin in the Big Bang, the production of heavy elements in first generation stars, the buzzing symphony of life on earth, and the distant future of the cosmos. As a physicist and a Christian theologian, I will ask how each of these passages casts light on the deepest questions of existence and our relation to God, and in turn how these questions are being explored through ongoing research into the interaction between Christian theology and the natural sciences.
Enantioselective Organocatalytic α-Fluorination of Aldehydes

The first direct enantioselective catalytic α-fluorination of aldehydes has been accomplished. The use of enamine catalysis has provided a new organocatalytic strategy for the enantioselective fluorination of aldehydes to generate α-fluoro aldehydes, an important chiral synthon for medicinal agent synthesis. The use of imidazolidinone 1 as the asymmetric catalyst has been found to mediate the fluorination of a large variety of aldehyde substrates with N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide serving as the electrophilic source of fluorine. A diverse spectrum of aldehyde substrates can also be accommodated in this new organocatalytic transformation. While catalyst quantities of 20 mol % were generally employed in this study, successful halogenation can be accomplished using catalyst loadings as low as 2.5 mol %.
Hemoxidation and binding of the 46-kDa cystalysin of Treponema denticola leads to a cysteine-dependent hemolysis of human erythrocytes

Cystalysin, a 46-kDa protein isolated from the cytosol of Treponema denticola, was capable of both cysteine dependent hemoxidation and hemolysis of human and sheep red blood cells. The activities were characteristic of a cysteine desulfhydrase. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western immunoblotting analysis of the interaction of cystalysin with the red blood cells revealed an interaction of the protein with the red blood cell membrane. Substrates for the enzyme (including L-cysteine and beta-chloroalanine) enhanced the interaction, which occurred with both whole red blood cells as well as with isolated and purified red blood cell ghosts. SDS-PAGE and western immunoblotting employing anti-hemoglobin serum revealed that, during the hemoxidative events, the hemoglobin molecule associated with the red blood cell membrane, forming putative Heinz bodies. Spectrophotometric analysis of the hemoxidative events (cystalysin + cysteine + red blood cells) revealed a chemical modification of the native hemoglobin to sulfhemoglobin and methemoglobin. Hemoxidation also resulted in the degradation of both the red blood cell alpha- and beta-spectrin. The results presented suggest that the interaction of cystalysin with the red blood cell membrane results in the chemical oxidation of the hemoglobin molecule as well as an alteration in the red blood cell membrane itself.
A Survey Analysis of Biomedical Engineering Education

Results of a Biomedical Engineering Educational Questionnaire, which was sent to 222 engineering schools, are analyzed and a summary directory is presented. Of the schools queried, 121 had degrees or programs in Biomedical Engineering, and 49 schools awarded degrees; 38 awarded Ph.D. degrees, 37 awarded M.S. degrees, and 25 awarded B.S. degrees. Options or programs in Biomedical Engineering were available in 88 schools in which the student received some other engineering degree. No degrees or programs were available at 76 schools, and 25 did not reply. The student enrollment for the 1973 fall semester was 3,769, and the total number of graduates since 1965 was 2,889. Current enrollment by degree is 1,530 for the B.S., 1,306 for the M.S., and 933 for the Ph.D. Degrees awarded since 1965 were 574 for the B.S., 1,424 for the M.S., and 891 for the Ph.D.
Critical Notes To Firmicus Maternus, De Errore

The Christian polemic of Firmicus Maternus, De errore profanarum religionum, is known from a solitary manuscript P, Vaticanus Palatinus Latinus 165. After finding this manuscript in Minden in 1559, the Lutheran scholar Flacius produced the editio princeps in 1562. Modern editions, to be mentioned in the following discussion, are those of Ziegler (Teubner, 1907), Heuten (Brussels, 1938), Ziegler in a second edition (Munich, 1953), and Pastorino (Florence, 1956). I propose to discuss the readings in certain disputed passages.
The Fast Peritoneal Equilibration Test

The peritoneal equilibration test (PET) has proved useful for diagnosis of peritoneal alterations (I, 2) and to tailor peritoneal dialysis to patients needs (2-4 ). The protocol is designed to provide for a maximal level of accuracy and reproducibility. However. it is recognized that the PET protocol is labor intensive, requiring multiple samples, precise timing of dialysate flows and more than 4 hours of nursepatient interaction. As a result, the PET protocol is, in many dialysis centers, performed infrequently or not at all. Another approach is to use a test that is less precise but is very easy to perform (5). The availability of such a test might result in more widespread use of peritoneal transport testing with clinicians becoming more adept in the technique. The increased data base. together with the improved skills of the clinicians should, together, more than offset any modest decrease in precision. Therefore, I propose a further simplification of the peritoneal equilibration test, one that. I hope, can be performed frequently ~nd regularly due to its short time commitment and simplicity-the FAST-PET.This test requires only a single dialysate sample. It eliminates the supervised inflow procedure, the baseline and 2-hour measurement and substitutes the absolute dialysate glucose at 4 hours for the ratio of the 4-hour value to baseline dialysate glucose level (D/Do glucose). The interpretation of the results and their clinical implications have been previously published (5-8). The FAST PET protocol is as follows: I. After an overnight dwell of 8 to 12 hours, the patient is instructed to drain completely over at least 20 minutes while in the sitting or standing position, then infuse 2 L of 2.5% dextrose dialysis solution over I 0 minutes. The exact time infusion ends should be noted. 2. The patient then arranges to be at the dialysis
Reducing Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Strategies for Change

Central line–associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) continue to be a common occurrence in the neonatal intensive care unit, often resulting in significant morbidity, mortality, and increased length of stay for survivors. Once thought to be an inevitable consequence of hospital care, device-related infection is now believed to be preventable in most circumstances. Effective change strategies to decrease the incidence of CLABSI depend on a unit culture that supports a model of prevention, with team members understanding the link between lapses in care and an increased risk of infection. Patient safety and quality initiatives have become an integral part of health care. This article will discuss strategies to reduce or eliminate CLABSI in the neonatal intensive care unit using quality improvement methods within a culture of communication and teamwork.
A method for intracellular recording and identification of spinal motoneurons during natural sleep in cats.

Neuronal processes are being studied in behaving animals, as opposed to surgically or pharmacologically altered preparations, with increasing frequency. Among the more recent advances in this direction is the successful intracellular recording of cortical neurons in unanesthetized, uncurarized, and mechanically restrained animals 18,19. Chase et al. 4, (see also ref. 16) have succeeded in recording from inside trigeminal motoneurons during natural sleep. We now report a surgical technique and neuronal identification strategy for the intracellular recording of lumbosacral motoneurons in naturally sleeping and waking cats. Nine cats weighing 2.2-3.5 kg were implanted in a standard manner for sleep recordings and head restraint under pentobarbital anesthesia 17. Electrodes were placed for recording the electrocorticogram (ECoG), electrooculogram (EOG), electromyogram (EMG), and ponto-geniculo-occipital (PGO) waves from the lateral geniculate bodies (LGB). Two 63 #m wires (Stableohm 675, California Fine Wire Co., Grover City, CA) with bared tips were attached to the tibial nerve and run subcutaneously to a cranial connector as described by Bromberg and Fetz z. For eventual recording in the lumbosacral cord, the skin above vertebrae L4, L5, and L6 was incised, the spinal processes removed, and the underlying muscles parted. The laminae were completely exposed, while the body and pedicle were exposed in the middle longitudinal third of each segment. Stainless steel screws (1/4", 4-40) were inserted in the body of the vertebrae as shown in Fig. I. Knurled nuts (6-32) were placed on L4 and L6 and a 12 mm ID plastic cylinder and cap was placed on L5. The entire assembly was fused together with acrylic cement, and the surrounding skin was bonded to the sides of the acrylic mound with cyanoacrylate ester adhesive. Antibiotics and nutritional supplements were regularly administered throughout the survival period. Within two days after surgery the cats walked normally except for lower back rigidity. The experimental apparatus consisted of a simultaneous cranial 17 and lumbar immobilization. The lumbar region was fixed by clamping the two lumbar