Wien : A. Pichlers Witwe, 1904.

A group of Vermont high school students backed by a powerful conservative Christian legal organization is accusing the state of religious discrimination.

Motion synthesis in a dynamic environment has been a long-standing problem for character animation. Methods using motion capture data tend to scale poorly in complex environments because of their larger capturing and labeling requirement. Physics-based controllers are effective in this regard, albeit less controllable. In this paper, we present CARL, a quadruped agent that can be controlled with high-level directives and react naturally to dynamic environments. Starting with an agent that can imitate individual animation clips, we use Generative Adversarial Networks to adapt high-level controls, such as speed and heading, to action distributions that correspond to the original animations. Further fine-tuning through the deep reinforcement learning enables the agent to recover from unseen external perturbations while producing smooth transitions. It then becomes straightforward to create autonomous agents in dynamic environments by adding navigation modules over the entire process. We evaluate our approach by measuring the agent's ability to follow user control and provide a visual analysis of the generated motion to show its effectiveness.

The new findings raises questions about the authenticity of a collection of texts known as the "post-2002" scrolls

Participants promote a family-oriented fellowship of friends who like to beat each other up while wearing skates

This photo was taken from the Tunnel View at Yosemite National Park. The photo is of Bridalveil Fall consumed by smoke due to controlled burning on the Yosemite Valley floor.

With the release of Trolls World Tour, and a new generation entranced by the ugly-but-cute toy, it appears the troll's lucky streak lives on

Spring has arrived. While some of us may have an opportunity to carefully step outside and view blossoms in our own neighborhood, others may not. Wherever you are, you can take a virtual stroll among the shoots and blossoms planted among the collections of the Prints & Photographs Division. Many images of gardens can be […]

Application deadline: 17 May 2020 | Banking Settlements Centre | Location: Basel, Switzerland

History’s census enumerators came back with the numbers and some very tall tales

Bike the Sites of the Nation's Capital! It's the fun and easy way to get to get up close and personal with Washington's landmarks

Voted "Washington's Best Tour" by Washingtonian Magazine. See the best of Washington aboard on our 2 hour tour with live narration

The Flint Registry is holding in-person enrollment across the city of Flint all week. Officials are trying to track the health of residents made ill by the Flint Water Crisis.

As truckers move vital supplies such as food, hand sanitizer and ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic, they're pleading with governments to allow more truck stops to reopen so they can get meals, showers and rest. Social media groups and individual businesses are doing their part to thank truckers.

CNA Staff, May 8, 2020 / 04:15 pm (CNA).- As parishes and dioceses across the country deal with a drop in collections and the prospects of layoffs amid the pandemic, many parishes have managed to avail themselves of government loans designed to cover eight weeks of payroll expenses.

CBS News reported Friday that an estimated 12,000-13,000 of the 17,000 Catholic parishes in the U.S. had applied for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) payroll loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA), and 9,000 so far had received them.

Guidance from the SBA on eligibility for the loans states that “no otherwise eligible organization will be disqualified from receiving a loan because of the religious nature, religious identity, or religious speech of the organization.”

Religious organizations are eligible for the loans as long as they meet the requirements of Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit and employ 500 or fewer people, the SBA said.

“The PPP isn't about the federal government assisting houses of worship or churches,” Pat Markey, the executive director of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, told CBS News.

“PPP is about keeping people on payrolls, and a large segment of our society [in] the not for profit world...are churches and houses of worship. And they have people on payrolls too. So, if what this is about is keeping people on payrolls, then we all should have availability to do that.”

The Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference did not reply by press time to CNA’s request for additional comment.

Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act March 27 to help relieve the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

The CARES Act initially authorized some $350 billion in loans to small businesses, intended to allow them to continue to pay their employees. The loans were given on a first come, first serve basis.

The second round of funding, with some $310 billion in additional funds available, began April 27.

The loans were capped at $10 million, were open to businesses with fewer than 500 employees per location, and were intended to cover two months of payroll costs.

The federal government promised to forgive the loans if a business used at least 75% of the funds to maintain its payroll at “pre-pandemic levels” for eight weeks after the loan is disbursed, the New York Times reports.

The remaining money could be used only to pay for certain expenses, such as a mortgage, rent, and utilities, according to the Times.

A survey of Protestant pastors by LifeWay Research found that about 40% had applied for PPP loans with more than half of them reporting being approved.

NPR reports that synagogues have also applied for government funding, though in a smaller proportion— of nearly 4,000 synagogues in the United States, about 250 were approved for PPP loans in the first round of lending, according to surveys by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

The PPP has been subject to some criticism since its launch, including from those who say business owners with criminal records have been excluded from the program thus far.

In addition, several large companies, such as Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, have received multi-million dollar loans through the program. Some of these large companies, such as Shake Shack, have since returned their loans.

Two New York dioceses— Rochester and Buffalo— are suing the Small Business Administration for access to PPP funds, after they were denied loans because of their bankruptcy status.

An SBA rule stipulated that the funds would not go to bankruptcy debtors. Both the dioceses of Rochester and Buffalo have filed for bankruptcy in the past several months, after being named in hundreds of clergy sex abuse lawsuits filed under New York Child Victims Protection Act.

 

Legislative “reform” is hurting legitimate inventors.

CNA Staff, May 8, 2020 / 04:15 pm (CNA).- As parishes and dioceses across the country deal with a drop in collections and the prospects of layoffs amid the pandemic, many parishes have managed to avail themselves of government loans designed to cover eight weeks of payroll expenses.

CBS News reported Friday that an estimated 12,000-13,000 of the 17,000 Catholic parishes in the U.S. had applied for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) payroll loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA), and 9,000 so far had received them.

Guidance from the SBA on eligibility for the loans states that “no otherwise eligible organization will be disqualified from receiving a loan because of the religious nature, religious identity, or religious speech of the organization.”

Religious organizations are eligible for the loans as long as they meet the requirements of Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit and employ 500 or fewer people, the SBA said.

“The PPP isn't about the federal government assisting houses of worship or churches,” Pat Markey, the executive director of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, told CBS News.

“PPP is about keeping people on payrolls, and a large segment of our society [in] the not for profit world...are churches and houses of worship. And they have people on payrolls too. So, if what this is about is keeping people on payrolls, then we all should have availability to do that.”

The Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference did not reply by press time to CNA’s request for additional comment.

Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act March 27 to help relieve the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

The CARES Act initially authorized some $350 billion in loans to small businesses, intended to allow them to continue to pay their employees. The loans were given on a first come, first serve basis.

The second round of funding, with some $310 billion in additional funds available, began April 27.

The loans were capped at $10 million, were open to businesses with fewer than 500 employees per location, and were intended to cover two months of payroll costs.

The federal government promised to forgive the loans if a business used at least 75% of the funds to maintain its payroll at “pre-pandemic levels” for eight weeks after the loan is disbursed, the New York Times reports.

The remaining money could be used only to pay for certain expenses, such as a mortgage, rent, and utilities, according to the Times.

A survey of Protestant pastors by LifeWay Research found that about 40% had applied for PPP loans with more than half of them reporting being approved.

NPR reports that synagogues have also applied for government funding, though in a smaller proportion— of nearly 4,000 synagogues in the United States, about 250 were approved for PPP loans in the first round of lending, according to surveys by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

The PPP has been subject to some criticism since its launch, including from those who say business owners with criminal records have been excluded from the program thus far.

In addition, several large companies, such as Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, have received multi-million dollar loans through the program. Some of these large companies, such as Shake Shack, have since returned their loans.

Two New York dioceses— Rochester and Buffalo— are suing the Small Business Administration for access to PPP funds, after they were denied loans because of their bankruptcy status.

An SBA rule stipulated that the funds would not go to bankruptcy debtors. Both the dioceses of Rochester and Buffalo have filed for bankruptcy in the past several months, after being named in hundreds of clergy sex abuse lawsuits filed under New York Child Victims Protection Act.

 

In conjunction with the soft launch, Apple uploaded 10 YouTube videos that explain how consumers can apply for the credit card and use it. Sign up in the iPhone's Wallet app.

The Rolling Stones have released their first new song in eight years. Unlike everything else they've done in the last three decades, it's bang up to date. It even references the coronavirus crisis.

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) has been the initial respiratory support for many preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Nasal intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) seems to increase the beneficial effects of NCPAP by combining it with ventilatory inflations.

This study suggests that NIPPV, as an intial respiratory support for preterm infants with RDS, is feasible and safe and may have beneficial effects, when compared with NCPAP. (Read the full article)

The prevalence of asthma and smoking among adolescents in Jordan is high. Well-designed, school-based, peer-led education programs can have a positive impact on asthma self-management in adolescents. Student peer leaders can be useful and responsible partners in health promotion programs.

A peer-led asthma education program —Adolescent Asthma Action—for adolescents developed in Australia was adapted to suit non–English-speaking cultures in the Middle East. Peer-led education led to improved self-management of asthma and motivated students to avoid smoking. (Read the full article)

Prematurely born children have an increased prevalence of behavioral problems in the long term. Knowledge regarding the effects of early intervention programs is sparse, and more randomized controlled trials are warranted.

A modified version of the Mother-Infant Transaction Program showed beneficial effects on behavioral outcomes reported by both parents of preterm infants with birth weights of <2000 g at a corrected age of 5 years. (Read the full article)

Lactoferrin is a glycoprotein with anti-infective activities being part of the innate defensive network. Bovine and human lactoferrin share high homology. Bovine lactoferrin can prevent late-onset sepsis in preterm very low birth weight neonates.

In preterm very low birth weight infants, bovine lactoferrin is able to prevent not only late-onset sepsis but also systemic fungal infections. This protection is achieved independently from their colonization status. (Read the full article)

Preterm infants are exposed to inadequately managed painful procedures during their NICU stay, which can lead to altered pain responses. Nonpharmacologic approaches are established for the treatment of single painful procedures, but evidence for their effectiveness across time is lacking.

Oral sucrose with or without the added technique of facilitated tucking has a pain-relieving effect even in extremely premature infants undergoing repeated pain exposures; facilitated tucking alone seems to be less effective for repeated pain exposures over time. (Read the full article)

The demographics of trials that use antenatal consent may not be representative of the populations that they are intended to study.

This study analyzes the difference in clinical outcomes between the enrolled and eligible but not enrolled populations of a trial that required antenatal consent. (Read the full article)

Numerous late preterm infants undergo repetitive heel lancing procedures during their first hours of life to evaluate glycemic control. Heel lances are painful and 25% glucose solution is effective on reducing procedural neonatal pain scores and crying behavior.

This noninferiority randomized controlled trial demonstrated that compared with breast milk, 25% glucose provided lower pain scores and reduced duration of cry. Further research is necessary to clarify breast milk’s mechanisms and efficacy on neonatal pain relief. (Read the full article)

Pneumonia is still a significant problem in young children from developing countries where zinc deficiency is prevalent. Although zinc supplementation reduces the risk of childhood pneumonia, the effect of adjunct zinc on severe pneumonia is unclear with conflicting results.

The overall effect, if any, of zinc as adjuvant therapy for World Health Organization–defined severe pneumonia in young children is small. (Read the full article)

Insulin is commonly used to treat neonatal hyperglycemia, but there are few data to support its use. Tight glycemic control with insulin improves outcome in diabetic patients, but it is not known whether it is effective in hyperglycemic preterm infants.

Tight glycemic control with insulin in hyperglycemic preterm neonates decreases the rate of linear growth despite increased weight and occipitofrontal head circumference gain and increases the risk of hypoglycemia. Insulin may not be a safe and effective treatment in hyperglycemic preterm neonates. (Read the full article)

Dimenhydrinate, an antihistaminic agent, is a widely used drug in Canada and Europe. It limits stimulation of the vomiting center via the vestibular system. Multiple studies have shown its effectiveness in the treatment of vertigo and postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Dimenhydrinate, when given orally, did not significantly decrease the frequency of vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis compared with placebo. The reported adverse effect proportions were similar for the dimenhydrinate and placebo groups. (Read the full article)

Omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) are commonly used as complementary treatments in pediatric psychiatric disorders, including Tourette’s disorder (TD), and are well known to have anti-inflammatory properties. However, no studies to date have examined the effects of O3FA on pediatric TD.

This is the first double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of O3FA in pediatric TD. The results indicate that O3FA supplementation may be beneficial in the reduction of tic-related impairment for some children and adolescents with TD, but not tics per se. (Read the full article)

Numerous studies report disparate use of dental services among poor children. National estimates vary based on the data source, and little is known about how age, race, and health plan affect use of dental services among Medicaid-enrolled children.

Based on of Medicaid claims, dental services improved since 2002 but varied substantially by state, age, and type of insurance. Children entering school had the highest prevalence of care as did children in primary care case management and health maintenance organizations. (Read the full article)

Children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are usually treated by surgical removal of their upper airway lymphadenoid tissue. Recently, medications were offered to patients with nonsevere OSA. Montelukast, for this indication, had never been studied in a randomized controlled manner.

Montelukast effectively reduced polysomnographic findings, symptoms, and the size of the adenoidal tissue in children with nonsevere OSA. The findings support the potential of a leukotriene modifier as a novel, safe, noninvasive alternative for children with mild to moderate OSA. (Read the full article)

Honey is recommended as a cough medication by the World Health Organization. To date, the efficacy of this treatment has been shown in 2 studies: one tested only buckwheat honey and the other study was not blinded.

In a randomized controlled trial, we compared 3 types of honey versus placebo as a treatment of upper respiratory tract infection–associated cough. These types of honey were superior to placebo in alleviating cough. (Read the full article)

Immunization recall systems have been found effective in increasing immunization rates in younger children and adults; however, there have been only a few studies in adolescents and they have produced mixed results.

In this randomized controlled trial, immunization rates were significantly higher 4 weeks after a recall intervention in which both the adolescent’s parents and the adolescent were contacted, but this effect did not persist 1 year after the intervention. (Read the full article)

Declining dietary omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has been associated with rising allergy prevalence and fish oil is therefore of interest in allergy prevention. Supplementation during pregnancy, but not after the age of 6 months, has achieved some allergy reductions.

We assessed the effect of fish oil supplementation from birth to 6 months, which has not been investigated previously. Our results, together with previous findings, will likely help define a "window of opportunity" for allergy intervention using fish oil supplements. (Read the full article)

Postnatal growth restriction of preterm infants is a universal problem. Early "catch-up growth" has been associated with development of metabolic syndrome. In addition, preterm infants appear to be at major risk for developing increased adiposity and insulin resistance.

The consumption of a nutrient-enriched formula after hospital discharge may be beneficial in adequate for gestational age infants both in terms of head circumference growth and fat-free mass gain. (Read the full article)

Interventions to reduce screen time in preschool-aged children are promising.

A screen time intervention in 3-year-old children implemented in the primary care setting did not reduce screen time or BMI. (Read the full article)

Stressful events adversely affect the immune system, particularly the natural killer (NK) cells. Infants in the NICUs are exposed to stressful stimuli. The effect of massage therapy on the immune system of preterm infants has not been investigated.

This randomized placebo-controlled study found daily massage performed in stable preterm infants for a minimum of 5 days was associated with an increase in NK cell cytotoxicity despite lower absolute NK cell numbers compared with controls. (Read the full article)

In a previous randomized trial, infants from a low-resource country exclusively breastfed for 6 months had lower iron stores at 6 months compared with breastfeeding infants receiving solid foods. Randomized trials of exclusive breastfeeding in high-income countries are lacking.

In a high-income country, infants who receive complementary foods in addition to breast milk from 4 months of age had higher iron stores at 6 months compared with those exclusively breastfed for 6 months. (Read the full article)

A policy of intubation, mechanical ventilation, and surfactant administration is commonly used for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome worldwide; however subsequent development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia remains as risk with this standard approach.

Noninvasive surfactant administration technique during spontaneous breathing (Take Care) along with nasal continuous positive airway pressure support successfully reduces the need for further respiratory support and bronchopulmonary dysplasia rate in very low birth weight infants. (Read the full article)

Children have been shown to imitate behaviors they see on screen.

Modifying what children watch can improve their observed behavior. (Read the full article)

College students with asthma tend to have worse health outcomes than their peers without asthma. Consistent use of controller medication could improve outcomes for these students, but a predictive model of appropriate use of controller medication is needed.

This study adds risk tolerance and time preference to previously studied factors of nonadherence with control medication. These preferences have substantial impacts on use of controller medication and the potential success of asthma education programs. (Read the full article)

Bronchiolitis, a leading cause of infant hospitalization, has few proven treatments. A few small studies have reported the beneficial effects of a mixture of 21% oxygen + 79% helium (Heliox). The 2010 Cochrane Review concluded that additional large randomized controlled trials were needed to determine the therapeutic role of Heliox in bronchiolitis.

The Bronchiolitis Randomized Controlled Trial Emergency-Assisted Therapy with Heliox—An Evaluation (BREATHE) trial is the largest multicenter randomized controlled trial to date to investigate the efficacy of Heliox in acute bronchiolitis. The delivery method for Heliox therapy was found to be crucial to its efficacy. (Read the full article)

Parents of children with chronic cough have poor quality of life and often seek multiple consultations. There are few randomized controlled trials on the management of cough or on the efficacy of management algorithms outside of inpatient settings.

In a multicenter, trial, we found that the management of children with chronic cough, in accordance with a standardized algorithm, improves clinical outcomes. Earlier application of the algorithm leads to earlier cough resolution and improved parental quality of life. (Read the full article)

Cross-sectional studies in children and adults have reported a significant positive association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity.

This controlled, prospective, follow-up study of boys with ADHD found significantly higher BMI and obesity rates in adulthood, compared with men without childhood ADHD, regardless of socioeconomic status and other lifetime mental disorders. (Read the full article)

Preterm infants in the NICU receive the greatest number of transfusions of any patient population. The administration of the long-acting erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) darbepoetin to reduce or eliminate transfusions in preterm infants has not been evaluated.

Infants receiving ESAs received half the number of transfusions and were exposed to approximately half the donors compared with the placebo group. More than half of the ESA recipients (59% darbepoetin recipients, 52% erythropoietin recipients) remained untransfused during their hospitalization. (Read the full article)

Infants born late preterm and early term are at increased risk for short-term morbidities compared with term infants. Longer-term morbidity and disability in this group of infants is not well established.

Massachusetts infants born late preterm and early term are at increased risk of early intervention program enrollment than term infants. Boys and children whose mothers were less educated, older, and with public insurance were most affected. (Read the full article)