cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Airway blood flow distribution and lung edema after histamine infusion in awake sheep

The present study was designed to evaluate the distribution of bronchial blood flow to major airways and peripheral lung and to quantitate lung edema during a 2-h histamine infusion (2 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) in unanesthetized sheep. By the use of radioactive microspheres, the blood flow to trachea and to tracheal cartilage, smooth muscle, and mucosa/submucosa was determined along with measurements of blood flow to different sized airway segments and the systemic blood flow to lung parenchyma. Histamine greatly increased blood flow to medium-sized (5- to 10-mm-diam) central airways in which blood flow increased 5-10 times base line, whereas in small (1- to 5-mm-diam) central airways the increase was 10-15 times. Blood flow in tracheal mucosa/submucosa increased six times base line, but in tracheal smooth muscle the increase was only three times base line, and in cartilage it remained at base line. Most of the systemic blood flow to the lung perfuses less than 1-mm-diam peripheral airways, and these airways demonstrated less vasodilation during histamine infusion. Mean blood flow to whole-lung parenchyma (whole lung minus trachea) was only two times base line during histamine infusion. Water content of trachea and main stem bronchi was significantly increased after histamine. Histopathologic findings after histamine infusions included congestion and edema of airways with only minor effects noted in alveoli. We conclude that histamine is a potent and selective vasodilator of bronchial vessels and particularly affects blood flow to central airways and to airway mucosal/submucosa.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mining the Web to Suggest Concepts during Concept Mapping: Preliminary Results

Resumo: The most challenging aspect of constructing a concept map is not coming up with the list of concepts to include, but linking the concepts into meaningful propositions creating a coherent structure that reflects the learner’s understanding of a domain. We present an algorithm that, during the process of concept mapping, takes the partially constructed map as input to mine the web, and presents to the user a list of suggested concepts that are relevant to the map under construction. Testing a preliminary implementation of the algorithm with a set of users during a concept-mapping workshop seems to validate its viability. Depending on the size of the suggestion list, the algorithm presented on average between 47% and 69% of the concepts in the final maps before the users added them to the map, showing that the algorithm is able to retrieve concepts relevant to the concept mapping effort. Abstract: The most challenging aspect of constructing a concept map is not coming up with the list of concepts to include, but linking the concepts into meaningful propositions creating a coherent structure that reflects the learner’s understanding of a domain. We present an algorithm that, during the process of concept mapping, takes the partially constructed map as input to mine the web, and presents to the user a list of suggested concepts that are relevant to the map under construction. Testing a preliminary implementation of the algorithm with a set of users during a concept-mapping workshop seems to validate its viability. Depending on the size of the suggestion list, the algorithm presented on average between 47% and 69% of the concepts in the final maps before the users added them to the map, showing that the algorithm is able to retrieve concepts relevant to the concept mapping effort.
Other Errors to Avoid

This chapter continues the discussion of errors that can be avoided without requiring an extraordinary amount of time or resources but that would, when not avoided, seriously weaken the study design. The errors discussed in this chapter are typically made when researchers want to speed up the evaluation process by spending less time on applied tasks such as collecting test data or installing comparison systems. These errors are made when researchers reuse test data during the evaluation or when they use a demo or default version of comparison systems. Both cases result in an unfair comparison of the new system with another: the first because the system has been tuned to the test data and will perform unusually well, and the second because the comparison system is used in a substandard version and will perform unusually poorly. Then, two other types of errors are discussed, one when no time is spent verifying that the randomization of subjects was successful, and lastly when carelessly constructed Likert scales are used.
Two-Queen Colony Management

A strong colony is first divided temporarily into two colony units for the purpose of introducing the second queen. The old queen is confined to the lower brood chamber with an excluder. This chamber should contain reserve honey and pollen, half the brood (mostly eggs and larvae), and approximately 40 percent of the population. Two supers of drawn comb are added above the excluder. The inner cover, with the escape hole screened, is placed above these supers and the the upper brood nest placed on top. The upper brood chamber should contain approximately 60 percent of the original population. Some of the bees will drift back to the lower entrance, but this division tends to give a fairly equal balance to the two colony units. The more mature brood is used in the upper unit, because fewer bees will be required to protect this brood, and the division will be strengthened by emerging bees. A 1-inch auger hole just below the front handhold provides an entrance for the upper colony.
Harmonisation du Hayek et Posner: Posner, Hayek et l'Analyse Économique Du Droit (Harmonising Hayek and Posner: Posner, Hayek & the Economic Analysis of Law)

French Abstract: Ce document vise a mettre en evidence le consensus Posner et Hayek sur l'importance de la decentralisation, ainsi que l'importance de l'integration des acteurs non juridiques comme des outils pour faciliter l'allocation efficace des ressources dans le droit commun. En plus de souligner le consensus sur les points de vue des Posner et Hayek, en ce qui concerne de centralisation de l'information dans le processus judiciaire, ce document vise a expliquer pourquoi de la centralisation sert comme un outil essentiel dans la facilitation de l'objectif du droit commun comme une repartition de l'efficacite mecanisme.Alors il est soutenu que juges des tribunaux inferieurs peuvent pas et ne doivent pas etre administres tels flexibilite pour faire et defaire la loi, les principes et les decisions des lords juristes agissant en qualite de legislateur, ont egalement illustre conduisant dans plusieurs cas que la flexibilite voulue par Le Parlement peut etre mal interprete et mal applique dans les cas futurs. Cela a egalement entraine dans la critique des aides extrinseques a l'interpretation des lois. Ce document analyse et elargit ces observations.English Abstract: This paper is aimed at highlighting Posner and Hayek’s consensus on the importance of decentralization, as well as the significance of the incorporation of non-legal actors as tools for facilitating the efficient allocation of resources in common law. In addition to highlighting the consensus on the views of Posner and Hayek, in respect of decentralization of information within the judicial process, this paper aims to address why decentralization serves as a vital tool in facilitating the objective of common law as an efficiency allocation mechanism. Whilst it is argued that lower court judges may not and should not be given such flexibility to make and unmake the law, the principles and decisions of law lords acting in the capacity of legislature, have also illustrated in several leading cases that the flexibility intended by Parliament may be misinterpreted and wrongly applied in future cases. This has also resulted in the criticism of extrinsic aids to statutory interpretation. This paper analyses and expands on these observations.
A Mount Artificial Surfing Reef – A Failure?

On 16 April 2014 Bay of Plenty Regional Council announced its decision to partially remove the artificial surf reef that lies off the Tay Street beach. The reef was initiated by the Artificial Reef Programme (ARP) led by Professor Kerry Black who held a joint appointment at Waikato University and NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) in the mid-1990s. At the time well-used methods of preventing shoreline erosion were to create groynes, sea walls or reefs to protect shorelines from erosive wave energy. These tended to be single purpose structures, rather unnatural in appearance, detracting from the enjoyment of the amenity values of the coast. Because roads and other highly modified areas have been developed behind often thin areas of shore and dune, there is also potential for sea level rise to result in the exposure of such areas in the future.
Empirical Acceptance-Resistance Agent-Based Modeling Approach for Simulating the Adoption of Water Reuse

Though water reuse provides a promising and sustainable alternative for urban water supply, wide-scale implementation of water reuse within an existing water infrastructure system is challenged by the need for community-wide public acceptance and adoption. The public has historically perceived recycled water negatively, and, as a consequence, water reuse is typically omitted in the development of municipal water management plans. Consumer’s base acceptance and rejection of new technologies on an intuitive analysis of their risks and benefits, and their perceptions may change over time, based on interactions with other consumers, decision makers, and engineering infrastructure systems. This research creates a modeling framework to simulate the changing perceptions of consumers and their adoption of water reuse. The modeling framework is used to develop understanding about the mechanisms that drive the dynamic evolution of perceptions, which can aid the planning and decision making process for the integration of water reuse within existing water systems. This research develops an acceptance-resistance agent-based model to simulate the adoption and rejection of water reuse based on a “risk publics” framework, which is a theoretical model of how different groups perceive new technologies. The risk publics framework uses the perception of risk and benefits to determine the potential of households to adopt or resist new technology. Consumers are represented as agents, and their behaviors and attributes are developed using survey data of the US population, which measures attitudes, knowledge, and behavioral intentions for recycled water. The data is analyzed to determine empirical relationships among individuals; the presence of social groups; and informational and communicative variables governing individual use of reclaimed water. The variables are encoded in the agent-based modeling framework to simulate the key social mechanisms that impact consumer acceptance of water reuse. The framework couples the acceptance-resistance agent-based model of consumers, an agent-based model of utility management, and water distribution system models of the drinking and reclaimed water systems. The framework will be used to explore the interactions
A Novel Method for Orientation Estimation in Highly Corrupted Fingerprint Images

New approaches are introduced for the fundamental components of a fingerprint reconstruction system, namely, fingerprint segmentation, scratch detection and, orientation smoothing in large degraded regions. The orientation information in corrupted regions is restored without relying on the singular points. The simulation results show that the error between the predicted orientation fields and the ground truth values is negligible in terms of Mean Absolute Error, and is comparable with the error produced by other competitive reconstruction methods. The computer simulations are conducted on 180 images of FVC2004 DB3_A and 80 images FVC2000 DB1_B databases of fingerprint images. The presented tools are tested using a Fingerprint Recognition System and demonstrated a great ability in improving the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve and Equal Error Rate.
Earthquakes Triggered by Hydraulic Fracturing in South‐Central Oklahoma

In January 2011, a sequence of earthquakes occurred in close proximity to a well, which was being hydraulically fractured in south‐central Oklahoma. The hydraulic fracturing of the Picket Unit B Well 4–18 occurred from 16 January 2011 18:43 through 22 January 16:54 UTC. This vertical well penetrated into the mature Eola‐Robberson oil field. Earthquakes were identified by cross correlating template waveforms from manually identified earthquakes and cross correlating these templates through the entire operation period of the Earthscope USArray Transportable Array (TA) station X34A. This produced a series of 116 earthquakes, which occurred from 17 January 2011 19:06 through 23 January 3:13 UTC with no other similar earthquakes identified at other times prior to or post‐hydraulic fracturing. The identified earthquakes range in local magnitude ( M L) from 0.6 to 2.9, with 16 earthquakes M L 2 or greater and a b ‐value of 0.98. There is a strong temporal correlation between hydraulic fracturing and earthquakes. This correlation is strengthened because hydraulic fracturing operations ceased for ∼2 days due to bad weather, and earthquakes can be observed to cease during this period and resume after hydraulic fracturing had resumed. Earthquakes were relocated using cross‐correlated phase arrivals and bootstrap iterations of hypoDD. Locations were well constrained for 86 earthquakes. These earthquake locations clearly delineate a fault which strikes ∼166°, subparallel to the mapped minor fault sets in the area, and dips steeply to the west. The earthquakes appear to have occurred at shallow depths from ∼2 to 3 km and within ∼2.5 km horizontally of the well. The first earthquake occurred ∼24 hrs after hydraulic fracturing began at the well. This delay is consistent with the diffusion of pore pressure in the subsurface over a distance of ∼2 km. Online Material: Results from bootstrap hypoDD relocations using cross‐correlation phase arrivals.
Abstract A155: Unmasking cancer to innate sensing by anti-CD47 antibody triggers adaptive immune-mediated destruction of immunogenic tumors

Blocking macrophage phagocytosis of tumor cells by anti-CD47 antibody (Ab) has demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in xenograft models. We have observed that in an immunocompetent host, a CTL adaptive response is essential for immungenic tumor regression after anti-CD47 Ab treatment. Furthermore, anti-CD47 Ab treatment promotes DC but not macrophage-mediated cross priming of CTLs in a type I IFN dependent fashion. In addition, we found that anti-CD47 Ab-mediated immunity requires the functional adaptor protein STING, but not MyD88, suggesting that cytosolic sensing of DNA from tumor cells is enhanced by anti-CD47 Ab treatment futher bridging the innate and adaptive responses. Importantly, we observed that the timing of standard chemotherapeutics impacts anti-CD47 Ab-initiated anti-tumor immunity. Together, our study reveals that anti-CD47 antibody can trigger DNA sensing pathway for adaptive immune-mediated destruction of immungenic tumors. Citation Format: Meng Xu. Unmasking cancer to innate sensing by anti-CD47 antibody triggers adaptive immune-mediated destruction of immunogenic tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; September 16-19, 2015; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A155.
Fibrinogen turnover: demonstration of multiple pathways of catabolism.

Abstract Studies have been conducted to identify early in vivo products of normal fibrinogen catabolism, focusing on 2 normal variants: (1) the high solubility, low molecular weight (269,000) fibrinogen (LMWF) of Mosesson and co-workers 3 and (2) the cryofibrinogen/fibrin complex (cryoprofibrin) characterized by Shainoff and Page. 5 In normal rabbits, LMWF has been demonstrated to be derived in vivo from the low solubility, high molecular weight fibrinogen (HMWF) which is the bulk of the plasma pool. 1 In the present study, 125 I-HMWF was injected into normal rabbits and the gradual appearance of radioactivity noted not only in the LMWF, but also in cryoprofibrin. By day 2 the specific activity of cryoprofibrin equaled that of HMWF, and by day 3 the specific activity of LMWF equaled that of HMWF. Thereafter, the specific activities of cryoprofibrin and LMWF slightly exceeded that of HMWF. The HMWF t12 was 47 hours, and total fibrinogen t12 was 6312 hours. In separate experiments, the t12 of 125 I-LMWF and 125 I-cryoprofibrin were 2612 and 13 hours, respectively. These studies support a concept of several normal catabolic pathways for fibrinogen (1) by low grade proteolysis to LMWF and (2) limited, partial, soluble, fibrin formation (cryoprofibrin). There is indirect evidence to suggest these processes also occur in man.
Comparative study of PCR, microscopic examination and culture-based methods for detection and identification of fungi in onychomycosis

This work was supported by a grant from the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Students to da Cunha KC. Onychomycosis is the most common disease of the nails and represents about a half of all nail abnormalities worldwide. It affects, in particular, males, the elderly, diabetics, and immune-compromised individuals, with toenails being affected to a greater extent than fingernails. The diagnosis of onychomycosis cannot be done only based on clinical presentation, due to the similarity with other onychopathies. Traditionally, fungi identification is based on direct microscopic examination of clinical samples as well as microscopic and macroscopic examination of cultures, and when needed in metabolism tests. However, it is time-consuming, laborious, costly, and requires a certain level of morphological and taxonomical expertise. Furthermore, in the case of onychomycosis the culture sensitivity is only about 50%. Moreover, the identification of cultured isolates is sometime challenging especially when strains do not produce typical characteristics or when Non Dermatophytes Molds (NDM) are the causative agent. With the growing number of organisms recognized as possible fungal pathogens in nails, it is becoming important to ensure the accurate identification of the causative organism. This will help clinicians in selecting the most appropriate therapy. Indeed antifungal agents, such as terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole have a broad spectrum with activity against fungi but some NDM may be poorly responsive or unresponsive to systemic treatments. We have introduced the identification based on DNA extraction directly from human nail samples. We use PCR amplification of DNA coding nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS). The clinical specimen consisted of 80 nails samples with 60 being positives under microscope using blankophor and 20 were negative. As expected PCR allows detection of fungi in all nail specimen that were positive by microscopy and culture. Moreover, PCR also allows detection of fungal DNA in nails with negative culture but with positive microscopy. In some samples, PCR lead to the amplification of more than one amplicon, which suggests mixed infection. Sequencing of purified amplicons permitted identification of the implicated fungi in the vast majority of case. The results of the present study indicated that PCR is highly advantageous as a diagnostic tool for detection and identification of fungi on direct application to nail specimens. Because during the last decade, cost for DNA sequencing have been dramatically reduced and given the poor sensitivity of culture in onychomycosis, it is becoming reasonable to use PCR/sequencing as a first line method for the diagnosis of onychomycosis. This will provide a quick identification of the implicated fungi and will help clinicians in making rational and effective therapeutic decisions. This will be a direct benefit to patients with dermatophytosis.
Molecular Combing of λ-DNA using Self-Propelled Water Droplets on Wettability Gradient Surfaces.

Surface wettability gradients were used to elongate and align double stranded λ-DNA. Gradients were prepared by vapor phase deposition of octyltrichlorosilane (C8-silane) and fluorinated octyltrichlorosilane (F-silane) precursors. Gradient formation was confirmed by water contact angle and ellipsometric film thickness measurements. Placement of a droplet of aqueous DNA solution on the hydrophobic end of each gradient led to spontaneous motion of the droplet toward the hydrophilic end and deposition of the DNA. Fluorescence imaging of surface-adsorbed YOYO-1 labeled DNA molecules revealed that they are elongated and aligned perpendicular to the droplet-surface contact line at all positions along the gradient, consistent with a dominant role played by surface tension forces in elongating the DNA. The density of adsorbed DNA was found to be greatest on the C8-silane gradient at its hydrophobic end. DNA density decreased toward the hydrophilic end, while the length of the elongated DNA was less dependent on p...
Segregation and binding energetics at grain boundaries in fluorite oxides

Improving oxygen conductivity in fluorite oxides is currently one of the main focus areas in the research of solid electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells. In the past few years, significant efforts have been made to understand oxygen diffusion mechanisms at grain boundaries to leverage the high conductivity in nanocrystalline oxides. However, the results have remained controversial where both increase and decrease in oxygen conductivities have been observed in nanocrystalline oxides. Recent work shows that dopant segregation could be playing a key role in deciding the ultimate fate of oxygen conductivity at grain boundaries. In this work, using atomistic interatomic potential calculations on six different tilt grain boundaries in three fluorite materials, i.e., CeO2, ZrO2 and UO2, we elucidate dopant segregation and dopant-oxygen vacancy binding energetics at grain boundaries. Using a variety of +3 dopants of different ionic radii, we show that the tendency of dopant segregation could be largely dependent on the difference in the ionic radii of the dopant and the host cation. We find that dopants with the least ionic radius difference could show minimum segregation. We also show that dopant-oxygen vacancy binding at grain boundaries could significantly affect oxygen diffusivity at grain boundaries. Both high and low binding energies are observed at grain boundaries compared to the bulk. We suggest that such wide differences in binding energies possibly explain the wide diversity of oxygen conductivity results that have been previously observed experimentally. Finally, we suggest that dopant-radius based strategies to prevent dopant segregation could help improve oxygen conductivity in the design of fast-ion conducting nanocrystalline oxides.
Using Zebrafish to Study Kidney Development and Disease

The kidneys are a crucial pair of organs that are responsible for filtering the blood to remove waste, maintain electrolyte and water homeostasis, and regulate blood pressure. There are a number of factors, both genetic and environmental, that can impair the function of the kidneys resulting in significant morbidity and mortality for millions of people affected by kidney disease worldwide. The zebrafish, Danio rerio, has emerged as an attractive vertebrate model in the study of kidney development and disease and has proven to be a powerful tool in the advancement of how kidney development occurs in vertebrates and how the kidney repairs itself after injury. Zebrafish share significant similarities in kidney development and composition of nephrons, the functional unit of the kidney. This makes the zebrafish a very promising model to study the mechanisms by which renal developmental defects occur. Furthermore, zebrafish are ideally suited for the study of how vertebrate kidneys respond to injury and have provided researchers with invaluable information on repair processes after kidney injury. Importantly, zebrafish have profound potential for discovering treatment modalities and, in fact, studies in zebrafish models have provided leads for therapeutics for human patients suffering from kidney disease and kidney injury. Here, we discuss the similarities and differences in zebrafish and mammalian kidney models, and highlight some of the major contributions the zebrafish has made in the understanding of kidney development and disease.
Amilase-producing mikromycetes isolated from soils of South Caucasus

Abstract Production of stable enzymes is one of the actual problems in bio- and enzyme technology. Conducting of the fermentation processes at pasteurization temperature is of great importance (2800 strains) because of making possible to minimize pollution of the reaction medium. Collection of micellar fungi isolated from different ecological niches of the Caucasus has been created in Sergi Durmishidze Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology. 39 strains - producers of amylase were revealed in the collection as a result of screening. Most of these strains belong to the genus Aspergillus. The temperature optimum of thermophilic strains was studied. In the cultural liquids obtained after the submerged cultivation of selected strains α-amylase producers were tested in the temperature range 30 –45° C, at 5 °C intervals. The temperature optimum of there strains was establishid to be within the range 65 –70° C, making possible to use them in bio and enzymatic technologies to diminish the pollution of the reaction medium while conducting the fermenteition process at pasteurization temperature (65°).
Soil mechanics fundamentals, by Muni Budhu

I came across Soil Mechanics Fundamentals when I was looking for a textbook for one of my former students. The book was intended to cover all the essential information on the mechanics of soils and...
The effect of lexical competition on vowel duration before voiced and voiceless English stops

One source of phonetic variation is lexical competition, which has been shown to cause both hyperarticulation, especially of vowel formants (e.g., Wright 2004), and reduction, manifested as shorter segment and word durations (Kilanski 2009, Gahl et al. 2012). Studies have found that lexical competition (e.g., having a minimal pair competitor, having more phonological neighbors) causes contrastive hyperarticulation of the initial stop voicing contrast in English: greater competition makes VOT longer for voiceless stops and/or shorter for voiced stops (Baese-Berk & Goldrick 2009, Nelson & Wedel 2017). I conducted a corpus study that looked for contrastive hyperarticulation of the final stop voicing contrast in English. The cue examined was preceding vowel duration. I did not find contrastive hyperarticulation: neither minimal pair competitor existence nor higher neighborhood density caused vowels to be longer before final [d] or shorter before final [t]. Instead, both competition metrics correlated with shorter vowel durations before [t] and [d]. This result is consistent with Goldrick et al. (2013)’s failure to find contrastive hyperarticulation of the final stop voicing contrast and their hypothesis that competition affects initial and final contrasts differently. It is also consistent with Gahl et al’s (2012) finding that high neighborhood density causes reduction.
Continuing to Provide and Fund a Mix of Ryan White Title I HIV/AIDS Services: Support from “The Voices of Experience” Needs Surveys in Massachusetts

Abstract Consumer Research Associates from the Suffolk University Center for Public Management conducted three needs surveys in 1997,2000, and 2005 titled “Voices of Experience,” with approximately 450 peer interviews conducted each year. These surveys were used to assess changing service needs, outcomes, and consumer satisfaction for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) and to monitor service delivery in the Boston Eligible Metropolitan Area (EMA) located in Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire of the Ryan White Care Act Title I and Massachusetts Title II and state-funded programs. The assessments support the importance of continuing to adequately fund a broad mix of services to support the medical and social service needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Electrodiagnostic findings in pediatric patients with winged scapula (P5.128)

OBJECTIVE: To describe the electrodiagnostic findings in pediatric patients with winged scapula referred to Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) electromyography (EMG) laboratory between 2006 and 2016. Background: There is paucity of literature on EMG findings in pediatric patients with scapular winging. EMG can be helpful in these cases as both myopatic and neurogenic conditions can present with periscapular muscle weakness. Design/Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of electrodiagnostic studies done from Jan 2006 to June 2016 at Children’s hospital in patients with winged scapula. After IRB approval we collected data for 37 eligible patients’age, gender, clinical presentation, neurological exam, electrodiagnostic findings and final diagnosis per clinician’s impression. Results: Of 37 patient 23 were male. Age at the time of EMG was (mean ± SD) 13.52 ± 4.97 years (range 4–26 years). Eighteen patients had sensory symptoms. Majority patients (28) had scapular winging due to weakness of one the periscapular muscles; 3 patients had facial weakness, 2 had extraocular muscles; 7 had upper limb weakness and 1 proximal leg weakness. CK level was available in 15 of 37 patients, and was elevated in 8. Needle EMG was abnormal in 13 patients; 5 had myopathic and 8 showed neurogenic changes. Of the former, 4 were diagnosed with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy and 1 had mitochondrial myopathy based on gene testing. Of the 8 patients with neurogenic findings, 5 patients had isolated long thoracic neuropathy and one had spinal accessory neuropathy and 2 had brachial plexopathy. Conclusions: Electrodiagnostic study can help in directing specific diagnostic workup by differentiating between neurogenic and myopathic abnormalities in pediatric patients with winged scapula. However, EMG was normal in most of our cases (24 out of 37); suggesting that scapular winging may not be of primary neuromuscular etiology in significant proportion of cases and/or that EMG has limited sensitivity in evaluating these cases. Disclosure: Dr. Gupta has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ghosh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Darras has received personal compensation for activities with UpToDate, Inc., Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc, and Athena Diagnostics. Dr. Vytopil has nothing to disclose.
Solving Large Scale Multicommodity Networks Using Linear—Quadratic Penalty Functions

In this report we summarize current research towards the development of an algorithm for the solution of very large multicommodity network flow problems (MCNFP). The algorithm combines linear—quadratic penalty forms with a linearization technique that takes advantage of the block structure of the constraint set. The resultant procedure solves a sequence of smaller problems and can also be executed in parallel. Complete papers discuss the algorithm, Zenios, Pinar and Dembo [1990], and its parallel implementation, Pinar and Zenios [1990]. We consider the multicommodity network flow problem (MCNFP) with the following structure: commodities flow over a network such that the aggregate flow on each arc does not exceed some joint capacity. Let \(\mathcal{G} = \{ \mathcal{V},\varepsilon \}\) be a graph with a set of vertices \(\mathcal{V} = \langle m\rangle\) (where the notation \(\langle \operatorname{m} \rangle\) represents the set {1, 2,..., m}) and a set of edges \(\varepsilon= \{ (i,j)|i,j \in \mathcal{V}\}\), where \(\left| \varepsilon \right| = \operatorname{n}\). Let \(\langle K\rangle\) be the set of commodities flowing on \(\mathcal{G}\). We will use the notation \(v'\) to denote the transpose of a vector or matrix \(\upsilon\).
Jin: A 16-Year-Old Korean–American Male with Drinking Issues

Jin is a 16-year-old Korean-American male who was referred to your clinic after his parents found him “passed out and dead drunk” for the second time in two months. His parents report that they are very concerned about his drinking and that he has “changed recently,” which includes a decline in his grades at school. He is also “more disrespectful” to his parents. Further, according to his parents, Jin is more interested in his friends than his family. His parents report that they have always been a close family and believe very strongly in having protected family time. Jin appears to be less interested in this and states that he would rather spend time with his friends rather than attend family gatherings.
1501. Comparative Effectiveness of Antibiotic Therapy for the Outpatient Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections Among Otherwise Healthy, Premenopausal Women

Background The comparative effectiveness of antibiotics for empiric therapy for urinary tract infection (UTI) is not well established. We sought to estimate the risk of treatment failure by guideline-recommended agent for treatment of UTI in otherwise healthy, premenopausal women.
Market Segmentation By Contextual Meaning: An Application to the Market Supporting Physical Activity

Personal Investment Theory (PIT) uses the Meaning of the context as the basis for predicting behavior having long-term implications. Antecedents to Meaning proposed by PIT were used as covariates with groups representing four discrete market segments; five measures of activity and purchase participation were the dependent variables submitted to MANCOV A. Findings showed both Meaning and Antecedents to Meaning were helpful in predicting and interpreting market-related behavior involving and supporting physical activity.
The role of diet in the development and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease: why we feel the burn

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common esophageal disorder that is characterized by troublesome symptoms associated with increased esophageal acid exposure. Cornerstones of therapy include acid suppressive agents like proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and lifestyle modifications including dietary therapy, although the latter is not well defined. As concerns regarding long term PPI use continue to be explored, patients and providers are becoming increasingly interested in the role of diet in disease management. The following is a review of dietary therapy for GERD with an emphasis on the effect food components have on pathophysiology and management. Although sequential dietary elimination of food groups is common, literature supports broader manipulation including reduction of overall sugar intake, increase in dietary fiber, and changes in overall eating practices.
Chapter 33 – From Novice to expert

Publisher Summary When a novice begins in a new domain such as using a word processing system, a computerized data retrieval system, an operating system, or a general purpose programming language, he or she makes many errors and requires a lot of time to solve problems. Eventually, over the course of tens or hundreds of hours of experience, the user becomes faster and more accurate. These changes in behavior prompt the deeper question of what cognitive changes occur as a novice becomes an expert. One potentially fruitful way of answering this question is to examine expert-novice differences, that is, to compare what an expert knows and what a novice knows about a particular human-computer interaction domain. This chapter examines differences between how novices and experts interact with computers. Consistent with ongoing trends in software psychology involving a focus on the user and in cognitive science involving a focus on knowledge representation, this chapter examines differences in the knowledge that novice and expert computer users possess.
Using Quality Improvement Principles to Redesign a Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship Program Website.

Background Websites are primary sources of information for prospective trainees. However, little is known regarding the information deemed most important to cardiothoracic (CT) surgery interviewees when evaluating a program. The objectives of this study were to (1) report informational content important to CT surgery interviewees on a fellowship website and (2) improve the quality of a specific program’s website. Methods Study investigators conducted a survey of interviewees at a traditional 2-year CT surgery fellowship program. Questions were asked to elicit what information interviewees considered important to include in a program website and to identify gaps in the website’s content. After administering the survey to 2018 fellowship interviewees, the website was redesigned, and the survey was readministered to 2019 fellowship interviewees. Results A total of 49 interviewees completed the survey (response rate, 90.7%); 45 (91.8%) of these interviewees had previously visited the program’s website. Interviewees reported that the most important information they sought when accessing fellowship websites included faculty profiles (n = 47), rotation schedules (n = 33), current fellows’ profiles (n = 29), and past fellows’ profiles (n = 26). The website was revamped to include content across each of these domains. After website redesign, there was significant improvement in interviewees reporting that they found the information they sought (mean score, 3.56 to 4.64; P Conclusions CT surgery fellowship websites are accessed by the majority of interviewees and are a critical source of program information. Optimizing website design and content on the basis of survey feedback objectively improved the usefulness of the program website to interviewees.
Systematic Review: System-wide Interventions to Monitor Pediatric Antipsychotic Prescribing and Promote Best Practice.

Objective Rapid growth of antipsychotic use among children and adolescents at the turn of the 21st century led Medicaid programs to implement 3 types of system-wide interventions: antipsychotic monitoring programs, clinician prescribing supports, and delivery system enhancements. This systematic review assessed the available evidence base for and relative merits of these system-wide interventions that aim to improve antipsychotic treatment and management. Method Using PRISMA guidelines, eligible studies were written in English and evaluated system-wide interventions to monitor antipsychotic treatment or promote antipsychotic management among children and adolescents (0–21 years of age). Studies were identified through Ovid MEDLINE and PsychInfo (years 1990–2018) and an environmental scan. From an initial review of 824 publications, 17 studies met eligibility criteria. Two authors independently conducted quality assessments using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool. Findings were summarized descriptively. Results Identified studies (n = 17) evaluated prior authorization programs (n = 10), drug utilization reviews (n = 2), quality improvement (n = 4), care coordination programs (n = 1), and multimodal initiatives (n = 2). Studies were predominantly pre-post analyses, without a comparison group. With the exception of care coordination and drug utilization reviews, more than half of the interventions in each category were associated with significant reduction in antipsychotic treatment or promotion of best practice parameters. Conclusion This evidence review concludes that evaluations of prior authorization programs demonstrate reductions in antipsychotic treatment, though evidence of impact of other system-wide interventions and other outcomes is limited. Additional research is necessary to investigate whether interventions influenced antipsychotic prescribing independent of secular trends, the comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions, the effect on functional outcomes, and the potential for unintended consequences.
Securities Fraud and the Common Law

In early cases, the federal courts held that securities fraud was not limited to common law fraud when a broader reading was deemed necessary to protect investors. But now the courts are holding that securities fraud is narrower than common law fraud, and that it is not the role of the courts to imply private rights of action. The author gives an overview of the cases, beginning in the 1940's, and concludes that, with a few exceptions, on balance the investor has been the loser.
A View from the Recount Room

The 2020 race to represent Iowa’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives proved to be one of the closest federal elections in modern American history. When the race went to a recount, I had the honor of serving on the recount board for Johnson County, the second-largest county in the district. In Part I of this Essay, I briefly explain how we performed the recount. I particularly focus on the role that tabulating machines played in our work, a matter that proved to be contentious districtwide between the two campaigns’ leaders and on which the press’s reporting was sometimes inaccurate. In Part II, I turn to Iowa laws that require recount boards to disregard votes that appear on ballots bearing certain types of markings, as well as laws that limit the types of ballot markings that recount boards may count as valid votes. Using examples from ballots we encountered in Johnson County, I argue that some of these laws should be amended and others should be abandoned altogether.
Introduction: economic methodology and philosophy of economics twenty years since the Millennium

The papers in this special symposium issue of the Journal of Economic Methodology advance a variety of perspectives on the current state and possible future development of economic methodology and ...
Using principal component analysis and process behavior charting to answer “Is Secretariat the fastest U.S. racing thoroughbred to date?”

Statistical evidence is presented to answer the title question using graphical tools from process behavior charting as well as ranking methods based on principal component analysis. These tools pro...
Antigen-Based Testing but Not Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Correlates With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Viral Culture.

BACKGROUND: Individuals can test positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by molecular assays following the resolution of their clinical disease. Recent studies indicate that SARS-CoV-2 antigen-based tests are likely to be positive early in the disease course, when there is an increased likelihood of high levels of infectious virus. METHODS: Upper respiratory specimens from 251 participants with coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms (≤7 days from symptom onset) were prospectively collected and tested with a lateral flow antigen test and a real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Specimens from a subset of the study specimens were utilized to determine the presence of infectious virus in the VeroE6TMPRSS2 cell culture model. RESULTS: The antigen test demonstrated a higher positive predictive value (90%) than rt-PCR (70%) when compared to culture-positive results. The positive percentage agreement for detection of infectious virus for the antigen test was similar to rt-PCR when compared to culture results. CONCLUSIONS: The correlation between SARS-CoV-2 antigen and SARS-CoV-2 culture positivity represents a significant advancement in determining the risk for potential transmissibility beyond that which can be achieved by detection of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA. SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing can facilitate low-cost, scalable, and rapid time-to-result, while providing good risk determination of those who are likely harboring infectious virus, compared to rt-PCR.
Identification of the minimal replicase and the minimal promoter of (-)-strand synthesis, functional in rotavirus RNA replication in vitro.

An in vitro replication system supporting the initiation and synthesis of complete rotavirus (—)-strands on ( + )-strand template RNA (Chen et al., J Virol 68: 7030, 1994) was used to examine several parameters related to rotavirus RNA replication. Coexpression of VP1/2/3 in all possible combinations from baculovirus vectors revealed: [i] Virus-like particles (VLPs) were formed only if VP2 was present, and [ii] VP1/2 and VP1/2/3 VLPs had replicase activity in the in vitro system whereas VP2/3 and VP2 VLPs did not. Thus, the minimal replicase is composed of VP1 and VP2 and replicase activity is associated with VP1. In vitro replication reactions, using T7 transcripts of porcine rotavirus OSU genome segment 9 as reporter template, were performed to map cis-acting elements that regulate replication. Internal deletions and terminal truncations of the reporter RNA localized a replication signal, conferring full template activity, to the 5′-terminal 27 nucleotides (nt 1–27) and the 3′-terminal 26 nucleotides (nt 1037-1062). Further analysis showed that a minimal promoter of (—)-strand synthesis was contained in the 3′-terminal 7 nucleotides (nt 1056-1062); the sequence conserved at the 3′-terminus of all rotavirus genes. Hybrid constructs with this promoter had minimal, but detectable, template activity. This result indicated that upstream sequences between nucleotides 1037-1055 positively regulate the activity of the minimal promoter.
An integrated time-of-flight versus residual energy subsystem for a compact dual ion composition experiment for space plasmas

We have developed a novel concept for a Compact Dual Ion Composition Experiment (CoDICE) that simultaneously provides high quality plasma and energetic ion composition measurements over 6 decades in ion energy in a wide variety of space plasma environments. CoDICE measures the two critical ion populations in space plasmas: (1) mass and ionic charge state composition and 3D velocity and angular distributions of ∼10 eV/q–40 keV/q plasma ions—CoDICE-Lo and (2) mass composition, energy spectra, and angular distributions of ∼30 keV–10 MeV energetic ions—CoDICE-Hi. CoDICE uses a common, integrated Time-of-Flight (TOF) versus residual energy (E) subsystem for measuring the two distinct ion populations. This paper describes the CoDICE design concept, and presents results of the laboratory tests of the TOF portion of the TOF vs. E subsystem, focusing specifically on (1) investigation of spill-over and contamination rates on the start and stop microchannel plate (MCP) anodes vs. secondary electron steering and focusing voltages, scanned around their corresponding model-optimized values, (2) TOF measurements and resolution and angular resolution, and (3) cross-contamination of the start and stop MCPs’ singles rates from CoDICE-Lo and -Hi, and (4) energy resolution of avalanche photodiodes near the lower end of the CoDICE-Lo energy range. We also discuss physical effects that could impact the performance of the TOF vs. E subsystem in a flight instrument. Finally, we discuss advantages of the CoDICE design concept by comparing with capabilities and resources of existing flight instruments.
A Final Speculation About Ultimate Temperatures—A Fourth Law of Thermodynamics?

A lighthearted discussion of the question whether there is an upper limit to the temperature for physical processes.