cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
John Hick on whether God could be an Infinite Person

"Who or what is God?," asks John Hick. A theist might answer: God is an infinite person, or at least an infinite personal being. Hick disagrees: "God cannot be both a person and infinite." Moreover, he says, the distinction between being a person and being a personal being "is a distinction without a difference." Thus, God cannot be an infinite personal being either. In this essay, I assess Hick's reasons for drawing these conclusions.
Residue fields for a class of rational E∞-rings and applications

Abstract Let A be an E ∞ -ring over the rational numbers. If A satisfies a noetherian condition on its homotopy groups π ⁎ ( A ) , we construct a collection of E ∞ -A-algebras that realize on homotopy the residue fields of π ⁎ ( A ) . We prove an analog of the nilpotence theorem for these residue fields. As a result, we are able to give a complete algebraic description of the Galois theory of A and of the thick subcategories of perfect A-modules. We also obtain partial information on the Picard group of A.
Development of inCVAX, In situ Cancer Vaccine, and Its Immune Response in Mice with Hepatocellular Cancer.

Manipulation of immune system toward the rejection of established cancers has become the standard of care in some patients. Here we propose the development of an in situ autologous cancer vaccine, inCVAX, for the treatment of hepatocellular cancer (HCC). inCVAX is based on the induction of local immunogenic cancer cell death combined with local dendritic cell stimulation by intratumoral injection of the immune-activator N-dihydro-galactochitosan (GC). In a first set of experiments, cellular and molecular studies were performed to investigate the effect of inCVAX on immune activation in a murine model of HCC that we previously developed. Once large tumors were formed in mice, the tumor is surgically exposed and a laser fiber was inserted into the center of an individual tumor mass. Using a 10 mm diffuser tip, laser irradiation of 1.5 W was applied to heat the tumor at different durations (6-10 min) to assess tolerability of photothermal application at different temperatures. The laser application was followed by immediate injection of GC, and each mouse received one laser treatment and one GC injection. ELISA was used to assess the level of cytokines; immunohistochemical staining was conducted to analyze the effect of inCVAX on immune cell tumor-filtration and expression of tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) and tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). Results indicate that survival correlated to thermal exposure. At lower temperatures the photothermal effect was sufficient to induce tumor necrosis, but without obvious complication to the mice, although at these temperatures the treatment didn’t alter the level of TSAs and TAAs, so further optimization is suggested. Nevertheless, in response to the inCVAX treatment, cytotoxic cytokine IFN-γ was significantly increased, but suppressive cytokine TGF-β was dramatically reduced. Furthermore, inCVAX prompted tumor infiltration of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells; but modulated macrophage subsets differently. In conclusion, while the protocol needs further optimization, it would appear that inCVAX for the treatment of HCC activates an immune response in tumor-bearing mice, which in turn may have potential for the treatment of HCC.
The Relationship Between Psychological Climate And Salesperson-Sales Manager Trust in Sales Organizations

It is imperative that salespeople gain and maintain the trust of prospects and clients. Similarly, the ability of management to develop and preserve trusting relationships with their salesforces exerts a critical influence on the success of sales organizations. The extent to which psychological climate of sales organizations influences the level of trust that salespersons place in their sales managers is investigated in this study. “Low-trust” and “high-trust” salespersons were distinguished by their significantly different perceptions of the levels of autonomy, cohesiveness, fairness, innovativeness, recognition and ethicality present which compose the psychological climate of their sales units. Recommendations regarding how sales managers can foster a trust-facilitating psychological climate are offered.
Comment on “Gender-Based Differences and Barriers in Skin Protection Behaviors in Melanoma Survivors”

In a recent published article in this journal, Chen and colleagues reported gender-based differences in skin protection behaviors among melanoma survivors [1]. This is a significant contribution to the growing literature in the area of skin cancer prevention among population groups at high risk for the development of future skin cancers. We would like to commend the authors for their research and build on their contributions by putting forth some practical implications.
HMGB1 Expression in Sickle Cell Disease: A Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine and Potential Therapeutic Target.

Background: HMGB1 is traditionally known as a DNA binding protein involved in gene transcription. When released into the extracellular milieu, HMGB1 activates vascular endothelial cells and macrophages/monocytes to express proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules. Therefore, HMGB1 may be a good marker for disease activity in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a chronic inflammatory state. Methods: After informed consent as per Institutional guidelines, plasma was obtained, frozen, and batch run for HMGB1 levels by ELISA technique in patients with SCD during non-crisis and crisis states. The detection limit of HMGB1 was achieved at concentrations above 1 ng/ml. Each experiment was repeated at least five times to ensure reproducibility. Results: 12 patients enrolled, 6 patients have gone into crisis. HMGB1 levels were measured on consecutive days for 5 five days during a crisis. We established mean HMGB1 expression levels of 32.83 ± 27.13ng/ml during a non-crisis state and 52.57± 15.22 ng/ml during a crisis, respectively (p Conclusion: We have demonstrated, for the first time, a persistent expression of HMGB1 in SCD patients. Although recruitment is on going, this data is consistent with pre-clinical data indicating that HMGB1 may be an important diffusible signal of necrosis-mediated inflammation. Additionally, our laboratory has previously demonstrated therapeutic benefit by neutralization of HMGB1 in sepsis. Thus if confirmed in a larger cohort, anti-HMGB1 therapy to reduce the effects of inflammation may be an attractive therapeutic target in sickle cell disease.
The fat‐but‐fit paradigm within the context of cognitive function

Objective To evaluate the association of the Fat-but-Fit paradigm with cognitive function in an older adult population. Methods Data from the 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used (N = 2,336 adults 60–85 yrs). Physical activity was assessed via open-ended questions asking about participation in 48 leisure-time activities over the previous 30 days. Using Metabolic Equivalent of Task calculations for each activity, participants were classified as either active or inactive. Participants were then classified into one of six groups (Normal BMI and Inactive [referent], Overweight BMI and Inactive, Obese BMI and Inactive, Normal BMI and Active, Overweight BMI and Active, Obese BMI and Active), based on their activity status and body mass index (BMI). The Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) was employed to assess cognitive function. Results Compared to those who had a normal BMI and were inactive (referent), those who had a normal BMI and were active had a 4-unit higher DSST score (β = 4.0; 95% CI: 1.0–6.9; P = 0.009); those with an overweight BMI and active had a 4.5-unit higher DSST score (β = 4.5; 95% CI: 1.3–7.6; P = 0.008); and those who had an obese BMI and active had a 3.7-unit higher DSST score (β = 3.7; 95% CI: 0.96–6.4; P = 0.01). Conclusion Being active, regardless of weight classification (normal, overweight, or obese) was positively associated with cognitive function in this sample of older adults. This suggests that perhaps the best strategy to promote cognitive health in this population may be to encourage adequate levels of physical activity.
Intraoperative Esophagoscopy, Gastroscopy, Colonoscopy, and Endoscopy of the Small Bowel

Intraoperative endoscopy of the gastrointestinal tract is probably much more widely used than has been publicized in the recent literature. Application of this new tool to the surgical armamentarium depends only on the limits of the imagination of the operating surgeon and his endoscopist colleague, in most cases, the gastroenterologist. The operative maneuverability of current endoscopes make every portion of the gastrointestinal tract accessible to direct visualization without incision into it, both by the operating surgeon and by the endoscopist. For the full potential of this modality to be realized, the same sort of cooperation between gastrointestinal surgeon and gastroenterologist must be achieved as currently exists between cardiac surgeon and cardiologist and between transplant surgeon and nephrologist. Once this cooperation has been established, application of these tools to gastrointestinal diseases should become commonplace in gastrointestinal surgery.
A Fast Algorithm for Solving the Space-Time Fractional Diffusion Equation

Abstract In this paper, we propose a fast algorithm for efficient and accurate solution of the space–time fractional diffusion equations defined in a rectangular domain. The spatial discretization is done by using the central finite difference scheme and matrix transfer technique. Due to its nonlocality, numerical discretization of the spectral fractional Laplacian ( − Δ ) s α / 2 results in a large dense matrix. This causes considerable challenges not only for storing the matrix but also for computing matrix–vector products in practice. By utilizing the compact structure of the discrete system and the discrete sine transform, our algorithm avoids to store the large matrix from discretizing the nonlocal operator and also significantly reduces the computational costs. We then use the Laplace transform method for time integration of the semi-discretized system and a weighted trapezoidal method to numerically compute the convolutions needed in the resulting scheme. Various experiments are presented to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of our method.
Influence of prey size on reproduction among populations of Diamond-backed Watersnakes (Nerodia rhombifer)

Mean prey size often varies across landscapes, resulting in predator populations having differing access to energetic resources. Shifts in resource quality are likely to cause differences in energy...
Collagen Fibrils, Spongin, Matrix Substances

Collagen fibrillogenesis is a universal process in sponges and in some species represents the secretory process while in others it is overshadowed by mineralization. In some ceractinomorph demosponges, colossal quantities of collagen are elaborated and requirements for precursors are undoubtedly very high. Although a major process, fibrillogenesis is a relatively slow one that presents challenging problems experimentally as does the resistance of sponge collagens to enzymatic degradation. Sponges also elaborate glycoproteins, and proteoglycans, and evidence is accumulating that some of these are associated with cell surfaces and collagen fibrils in addition to their presumed role in forming the intercellular ground substance. Some aspects of these substances as well as sponge lectins are dealt with further in Chapter Nine. Collagen has been best studied and an outstanding monograph on sponge collagens has recently appeared (Garrone, 1978). There is a wealth of information in this volume, including some original data not reported elsewhere, and reference to it is mandatory for those requiring complete details.
Using Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Data to Analyze the Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Dry Season Rice Production in Bangladesh

Abstract. Remote sensing in the optical domain is widely used in agricultural monitoring; however, such initiatives pose a challenge for developing countries due to a lack of high quality in situ information. Our proposed methodology could help developing countries bridge this gap by demonstrating the potential to quantify patterns of dry season rice production in Bangladesh. To analyze approximately 90,000 km2 of cultivated land in Bangladesh at 30 m spatial resolution, we used two decades of remote sensing data from the Landsat archive and Google Earth Engine (GEE), a cloud-based geospatial data analysis platform built on Google infrastructure and capable of processing petabyte-scale remote sensing data. We reconstructed the seasonal patterns of vegetation indices (VIs) for each pixel using a harmonic time series (HTS) model, which minimizes the effects of missing observations and noise. Next, we combined the seasonality information of VIs with our knowledge of rice cultivation systems in Bangladesh to delineate rice areas in the dry season, which are predominantly hybrid and High Yielding Varieties (HYV). Based on historical Landsat imagery, the harmonic time series of vegetation indices (HTS-VIs) model estimated 4.605 million ha, 3.519 million ha, and 4.021 million ha of rice production for Bangladesh in 2005, 2010, and 2015 respectively. Fine spatial scale information on HYV rice over the last 20 years will greatly improve our understanding of double-cropped rice systems, current status of production, and potential for HYV rice adoption in Bangladesh during the dry season.
Threats to Belonging Threaten Health: Policy Implications for Improving Physical Well-Being:

Human beings have an innate need to form caring social bonds and be loved by others. Thwarting this basic human need should have negative health consequences. This article begins by reviewing empir...
Care of the Patient with Liver Failure Requiring Transplantation

Patients undergo liver transplantation to address chronic liver failure, acute fulminant liver failure, or primary liver cancer. Depending on acuity, patients with decompensated chronic or acute fulminant liver failure generally require preoperative intensive care unit admission to manage organ dysfunction. Those with chronic liver failure are allocated an organ based on waiting list position determined by their local organ procurement organization (OPO). This position is dependent upon blood type and Model for End- Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. These patients thus are critically ill and require preoperative ICU monitoring and care. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who require liver transplantation are given a MELD exception and rarely require preoperative ICU care. The patient’s ability to undergo liver transplant in the setting of HCC is determined by the Milan criteria or the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) criteria.
Wear and surface cracking in early retrieved highly cross-linked polyethylene acetabular liners.

Background: A higher degree of cross-linking has been shown to improve the tribological properties of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in laboratory studies; however, its effect on in vivo behavior has not been well established. We investigated in vivo wear mechanisms in retrieved highly cross-linked polyethylene acetabular liners in order to determine if early in vivo wear behavior is accurately predicted by hip-simulator studies. Methods: A total of twenty-four liners (twenty-one explanted and one unimplanted highly cross-linked liners and two explanted ethylene-oxide-sterilized non-cross-linked liners) were examined for this study. The average age of the patients was 59.9 years, and the average time in vivo was 10.1 months. Articular surface damage on the front and back sides of the liners was assessed with an optical scoring system. Surface quadrants were assigned a grade from 0 to 3 according to the observed wear mechanisms and the percentage of surface affected. The micromechanisms of liner damage were evaluated with use of scanning electron microscopy. Results: The average front and back-side explant damage scores were 11 (range, 2 to 26.5) and 6.7 (range, 3.7 to 13.3), respectively. There was consistent evidence of early surface deformation and cracking. All explants exhibited some form of surface change, including surface cracking, abrasion, pitting, or scratching. The original machining marks on the liner surface were observed to be either unaltered, drastically distorted, or absent. Conclusions: Highly cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene acetabular liners that were retrieved at an average of ten months after implantation exhibited signs of surface damage that had not been predicted by in vitro hip-simulator studies. These devices had not failed clinically as a result of wear. The discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo wear surfaces may be due to variability in terms of in vivo lubrication and cyclic loading or may represent early surface damage mechanisms that are not well demonstrated by long-term simulator studies.
Consumer-ISP Security Notification and Remediation Strategies: An International Analysis

Malware and other sources of malicious activity are becoming more prevalent on home networks. In addition to traditional PC-based malware, new classes of threats (e.g., botnets of Internet of Things, or IoT, devices engaging in denial of service attacks) have emerged. Many of these threats are opaque for an end user. Unless a user is appropriately notified about a threat (e.g., via consumer anti-virus or commercial intrusion detection mechanisms) or the user notices degradations in service quality, threats may go undetected. Put another way, these threats may cause their harms without causing noticeable performance problems for the infected end-user. Since network security threats generate negative externalities on a local scale (e.g., malware entering a corporate network), as well as for the greater Internet ecosystem (e.g., botnets in a DoS), a number of stakeholders have championed a range of network security notification and remediation schemes as useful strategies to combat these new types of emergent threats. This paper reviews the efficacy and potential of both past and proposed end-user notification schemes. It begins by tracing the origin of notification schemes from other Internet security governance initiatives (such as the anti-spam push) and those that emerged following large, defining security events such as the Conficker worm. Next, it catalogs 13 prior and current notification and remediation schemes enacted across various jurisdictions and contexts in the U.S. and abroad. These schemes are evaluated in terms of their scope, similarity, efficacy, and applicability. We conclude that, while some prior schemes may have been effective in the past, existing initiatives and standards work on notification is often rooted in an older threat landscape that does not scale well beyond the older “one modem-one PC” home network paradigm, and hence does not address the challenges confronted in an IoT world. A common theme in notification and remediation schemes is their dependence on timely notification to end-users of threats, along with actionable remediation advice appropriate to the threat. Implementing this paradigm in today’s novel threat landscape will require cooperation across the multiple stakeholders that need to be involved in sharing information and in implementing the actions required by any proposed scheme. The chain of stakeholders is diverse and includes network operators, ISPs, standards bodies, governments, equipment providers, consumers, and various alliances of these groups. We discuss key technical and policy issues that must be resolved in order to ensure a trusted notification and incentive-compatible remediation scheme is in place to address these threats effectively. By highlighting existing schemes that effectively act at the intersection of stakeholder interests, we show that meeting the two notification and remediation goals is possible if future designs are rooted in the lessons of existing schemes.
Measuring methane emissions from abandoned and active oil and gas wells in West Virginia.

Abstract Recent studies have reported methane (CH4) emissions from abandoned and active oil and gas infrastructure across the United States, where measured emissions show regional variability. To investigate similar phenomena in West Virginia, we measure and characterize emissions from abandoned and active conventional oil and gas wells. In addition, we reconcile divergent regional CH4 emissions estimates by comparing our West Virginia emissions estimates with those from other states in the United States. We find the CH4 emission factors from 112 plugged and 147 unplugged wells in West Virginia are 0.1 g CH4 h−1 and 3.2 g CH4 h−1, respectively. The highest emitting unplugged abandoned wells in WV are those most recently abandoned, with the mean emission of wells abandoned between 1993 and 2015 of 16 g CH4 h−1 compared to the mean of those abandoned before 1993 of 3 × 10−3 g CH4 h−1. Using field observations at a historic mining area as a proxy for state-wide drilling activity in the late 19th/early 20th century, we estimate the number of abandoned wells in WV at between 60,000 and 760,000 wells. Methane emission factors from active conventional wells were estimated at 138 g CH4 h−1. We did not find an emission pattern relating to age of wells or operator for active wells, however, the CH4 emission factor for active conventional wells was 7.5 times larger than the emission factor used by the EPA for conventional oil and gas wells. Our results suggest that well emission factors for active and abandoned wells can vary within the same geologic formation and may be affected by differences in state regulations. Therefore, accounting for state-level variations is critical for accuracy in greenhouse gas emissions inventories, which are used to guide emissions reduction strategies.
Equalization or Selection? Reassessing the “Meritocratic Power” of a College Degree in Intergenerational Income Mobility:

Intergenerational mobility is higher among college graduates than among people with lower levels of education. In light of this finding, researchers have characterized a college degree as a great e...
A community-informed list of key speciation concepts for undergraduate education

Many topics in evolutionary biology have been the focus of little research about student thinking and learning. This lack of research limits the evidence base on which instructors can draw to inform their teaching. A key starting place for education research about evolutionary topics is determining what concepts are important for undergraduates to learn. This work develops a community-informed list of key concepts about speciation. Speciation is commonly taught in undergraduate biology education, yet has been the focus of almost no research on teaching and learning. We gathered input from over 110 evolution educators and speciation researchers to create a comprehensive list of speciation concepts for undergraduate education. The community-informed list includes 24 concept statements organized within 4 overarching concepts. At least 80% of experts rated these statements as scientifically accurate and clear. Over 90% of experts rated the statements as important or somewhat important for a graduating senior in biology to understand. This list provides a foundation for both education researchers and evolution educators. Education researchers who investigate student thinking and who develop research-based measurement tools can use this list to determine key concepts on which to focus their future work. Educators can use this list to guide the development of learning objectives for speciation instruction. Future work should investigate what concepts are reasonable for an undergraduate to master in a 4-year degree.
The crossover of negative emotions between former prisoners and their family members during reunion: A test of general strain theory

Prior reentry research illustrates the challenges former prisoners face during reentry. However, the challenges their family members experience are understudied. This study investigates the strain ...
Room-Temperature-Ionic-Liquid Coated Graphitized Carbons for Selective Preconcentration of Polar Vapors

Abstract Most adsorbent materials used for preconcentrating and thermally desorbing volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (S/VOCs) in portable or “micro” gas chromatographic (GC/µGC) instruments preferentially capture non-polar or moderately polar compounds relative to more polar compounds. Here, we explore the use of a known trigonal–tripyramidal room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) as a surface modifier for the graphitized carbons, Carbopack B (C-B) and Carbopack X (C-X), with the goal of enhancing their capacity and selectivity for polar S/VOCs. Breakthrough tests were performed by challenging tubes packed with ∼2.5 mg of C-B or RTIL-coated C-B (RTIL/C-B) with 13 individual S/VOCs, including several organophosphorus compounds and reference alkyl and aromatic hydrocarbons of comparable vapor pressures, at concentrations ranging from 14 to 130 mg/m3. The 10% breakthrough volume, Vb10, was used as the measure of capacity. For the RTIL/C-B, the Vb10 values of the five organophosphorus vapors tested were consistently ∼2.5 times larger than those for the untreated C-B, and Vb10 values of the four non-polar reference vapors were 11–26 times smaller for the RTIL/C-B than for the untreated C-B. For compounds of similar vapor pressure the capacity ratios for polar vs. non-polar compounds with the RTIL/C-B ranged from 1.8 to 34. Similar results were obtained with C-X and RTIL/C-X on a smaller set of compounds. Tests at 70% relative humidity or with a binary mixture of a polar and non-polar compound had no effect on the capacity of the RTIL/C-B, and there were no changes in Vb10 values after several months of testing that included cycling from 25 to 250 °C. Capacity was strongly correlated with vapor pressure. Attempts to reconcile the selectivity using models based on linear-solvation-energy relationships were only partially successful. Nonetheless, these results indicate that RTIL coating of carbon adsorbents affords a simple, reliable means of rendering them selective for polar S/VOCs.
Growth, survivorship, and juvenile physiology of triploid steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract Induced triploidy typically causes sterility in teleost fishes, and has therefore been proposed as a tool to manage genetic risks that farmed and hatchery-produced salmon pose to wild populations. Application of this technology for aquaculture has been challenged by inferior growth, survivorship and, in the case of free-ranging anadromous salmonids, relatively low numbers of adult returns. There is little information on whether or not triploidy affects the physiological development of juvenile salmonids in ways that impair their ability to grow, imprint on natal waters, survive, and return from the ocean as adults. In this study we pressure treated fertilized eggs to produce two cohorts of triploid hatchery steelhead trout (i.e., anadromous Oncorhynchus mykiss). We calculated survivorship through early life stages, and measured gill ATPase and plasma thyroxine (T4) for yearling triploids and their full-sibling diploid controls. We found no clear pattern of difference between diploid and triploid steelhead for the biomarkers of smoltification T4 or ATPase. After a year of freshwater rearing, we transferred 448 tagged treatment and control fish to a saltwater tank, and tracked their growth and survivorship for over 15 months. Diploids outperformed triploids in growth and, by the end of our study, survivorship of diploids (72%) was more than twice that of triploids (35%). Our findings suggest that inferior growth and survivorship of triploids in saltwater seriously challenge the application of this technology for free-ranging steelhead and, by extension, Pacific salmon. Additional research is needed to identify and offset the causal mechanisms underpinning triploid attrition during saltwater rearing.
Sex-Based Differences in Inpatient Burn Mortality

Among burn patients, research is conflicted, but may suggest that females are at increased risk of mortality, despite the opposite being true in non-burn trauma. Our objective was to determine whether sex-based differences in burn mortality exist, and assess whether patient demographics, comorbid conditions, and injury characteristics explain said differences. Adult patients admitted with burn injury—including inhalation injury only—between 2004 and 2013 were included. Inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW) and inverse probability of censor weights (IPCW) were calculated using admit year, patient demographics, comorbid conditions, and injury characteristics to adjust for potential confounding and informative censoring. Standardized Kaplan–Meier survival curves, weighted by both IPTW and IPCW, were used to estimate the 30-day and 60-day risk of inpatient mortality across sex. Females were older (median age 44 vs. 41 years old, p < 0.0001) and more likely to be Black (32% vs. 25%, p < 0.0001), have diabetes (14% vs. 10%, p < 0.0001), pulmonary disease (14% vs. 7%, p < 0.0001), heart failure (4% vs. 2%, p = 0.001), scald burns (45% vs. 26%, p < 0.0001), and inhalational injuries (10% vs. 8%, p = 0.04). Even after weighting, females were still over twice as likely to die after 60 days (RR 2.87, 95% CI 1.09, 7.51). Female burn patients have a significantly higher risk of 60-day mortality, even after accounting for demographics, comorbid conditions, burn size, and inhalational injury. Future research efforts and treatments to attenuate mortality should account for these sex-based differences. The project was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Grant Number UL1TR001111.
Analyst reaction to non-articulation between the balance sheet and the statement of cash flows

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of non-articulation on analyst earnings forecast quality. The authors look for evidence on the relationship between non-articulation and analyst earnings forecast properties: forecast inaccuracy, forecast dispersion and forecast bias.,The empirical tests are primarily based analyst earnings and cash flow forecasts covered by Institutional Broker Estimate System and financial statement information obtained from Compustat North America database.,The authors hypothesize and find that non-articulation is positively related to analyst forecast dispersion, forecast accuracy and forecast bias for one-year ahead of earnings. The effects of non-articulation on analyst earnings forecast inaccuracy and bias are neutralized when the analyst issues a cash flow forecast and when such forecast provides accurate information regarding the forecasted firm’s operating cash flow. On the other hand, cash flow forecast issuance alone does not mitigate the negative influence of non-articulation.,The sample selection procedure limits the generalizability of the findings.,The findings confirm CFA Institute and prior research asserting that non-articulation deteriorates the quality of earnings forecasts by financial statement users (more specifically, the financial analysts). The authors add to the literature by documenting that accurate cash flow forecasts help analysts mitigate the negative influence of non-articulation on earnings forecast quality.,It remains an empirical question whether non-articulation between the balance sheet and the statement of cash flows has an effect on financial statement users’ ability to assimilate financial information. The paper highlights the detrimental effect of non-articulation by documenting the relationship between the non-articulation and the quality of earnings expectation.
I Surrender to the Sacred Ways and Walk the Inner Places: Donovan’s Poem:

The following is a poetic transcription presented as a 12-part poem. The author constructed the poem from an email interview conducted with “Donovan,” a 61-year-old, White, gay man. The interview w...
Instructional Behaviors Affecting Student Attitudes Towards Science

Community colleges are viewed as essential in the preparation of skilled science professionals in the U.S., and research regarding instructor impacts on student attitudes toward science are timely ...
Contact lens-based lysozyme detection in tear using a mobile and cost-effective sensor (Conference Presentation)

We demonstrate a contact-lens (CL) based mobile sensing system which can be used to measure protein levels in human tear. By using a cost-effective mobile-phone-based well-plate reader and a fluorescent assay, we quantify lysozyme nonspecifically bound to CLs. We monitored the lysozyme levels of 9 healthy volunteers to establish individual baselines, and then compared these measurements to participants who had been diagnosed with Dry Eye Disease (N=6), observing a statistically significant difference in their means. Due to its non-invasive and simple operation, this method could be used for tear-based sensing and health monitoring applications in point-of-care settings and at home.
The Impact of Physical Therapy Following Cervical Spine Surgery for Degenerative Spine Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Study design Systematic review. Objective To characterize the effects of postoperative physical therapy (PT) after surgery for cervical spondylosis on patient-reported outcomes and impairments. Secondarily, to identify associated complications, adverse effects, and health care costs with postoperative PT, and to describe the content, timing, and duration of the PT. Summary of background data Cervical spine surgery is common; however, it is unclear if the addition of postoperative PT leads to improved patient outcomes and decreased health care costs. Materials and methods PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and Web of Science were searched until July 2019. All peer-reviewed articles involving cervical spine surgery with postoperative PT for cervical spondylosis were considered for inclusion. Risk of bias was assessed using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. Findings were described narratively, and GRADE approach was used to define the quality of evidence. Results A total of 10,743 studies were screened. Six studies met inclusion criteria; 2 randomized controlled trials and 4 subsequent follow-up studies containing study arms that included postoperative PT after cervical spine surgery. Meta-analysis was not performed due to study heterogeneity and no study compared PT+surgery to surgery alone. PT treatment included exercise therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and optional vestibular rehabilitation. Included studies indicated PT appeared to have positive effects on patient outcomes, however, there were no treatment control groups and the quality of evidence was very low to low. Timing, duration, and content of PT programs varied. No studies reported complications, adverse effects, or cost-effectiveness relating to PT after surgery. Conclusions Current literature prevents a definitive conclusion regarding the impact of postoperative PT, given the lack of treatment control groups. PT treatment was limited to exercise therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and optional vestibular rehabilitation in the included studies. PT treatment varied, limiting consistent recommendations for content, timing, and treatment duration. Controlled trials are needed to determine the effectiveness of the addition of postoperative PT following cervical spine surgery for cervical spondylosis. Level of evidence Level II.
Evaluation of Hypertriglyceridemia in Critically Ill Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Receiving Propofol

Objectives To report the prevalence of, and evaluate risk factors for, the development of hypertriglyceridemia (defined as a serum triglyceride level of > 400 mg/dL) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 who received propofol. Design Single-center, retrospective, observational analysis. Setting Brigham and Women's Hospital, a tertiary academic medical center in Boston, MA. Patients All ICU patients who with coronavirus disease 19 who received propofol between March 1, 2020, and April 20, 2020. Interventions None. Measurements and main results The major outcome of this analysis was to report the prevalence of, and risk factors for, the development of hypertriglyceridemia in patients with coronavirus disease 19 who received propofol. Minor outcomes included the development of acute pancreatitis and description of propofol metrics. Of the 106 patients that were included, 60 (56.6%) developed hypertriglyceridemia, with a median time to development of 46 hours. A total of five patients had clinical suspicion of acute pancreatitis, with one patient having confirmatory imaging. There was no difference in the dose or duration of propofol in patients who developed hypertriglyceridemia compared with those who did not. In the patients who developed hypertriglyceridemia, 35 patients (58.5%) continued receiving propofol for a median duration of 105 hours. Patients who developed hypertriglyceridemia had elevated levels of inflammatory markers. Conclusions Hypertriglyceridemia was commonly observed in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 who received propofol. Neither the cumulative dose nor duration of propofol were identified as a risk factor for the development of hypertriglyceridemia. Due to the incidence of hypertriglyceridemia in this patient population, monitoring of serum triglyceride levels should be done frequently in patients who require more than 24 hours of propofol. Many patients who developed hypertriglyceridemia were able to continue propofol in our analysis after reducing the dose.
Review of Anti-American Terrorism: From Eisenhower to Trump – A Chronicle of the Threat and Response: by Dennis Pluchinsky, (London, UK), World Scientific Publishing - Vol I: The Eisenhower through Carter Administrations, 2020, 425 pp., £50 (UK) (Paperback), ISBN 9781783268726 & Vol II: The Reagan and George H.W.Bush Administrations, 2020, 676 pp., £40 (UK) (Paperback), ISBN 9781786348296

Dennis Pluchinsky is a decorated career professional intelligence analyst who spent the bulk of his service in the United States Department of State focused on terrorism, experiencing numerous terr...
What Urban Cameras Reveal About the City: The Work of the Senseable City Lab

Cameras are part of the urban landscape and a testimony to our social interactions with city. Deployed on buildings and street lights as surveillance tools, carried by billions of people daily, or as an assistive technology in vehicles, we rely on this abundance of images to interact with the city. Making sense of such large visual datasets is the key to understanding and managing contemporary cities. In this chapter, we focus on techniques such as computer vision and machine learning to understand different aspects of the city. Here, we discuss how these visual data can help us to measure legibility of space, quantify different aspects of urban life, and design responsive environments. The chapter is based on the work of the Senseable City Lab, including the use of Google Street View images to measure green canopy in urban areas, the use of thermal images to actively measure heat leaks in buildings, and the use of computer vision and machine learning techniques to analyze urban imagery in order to understand how people move in and use public spaces.
Previous Infection Combined with Vaccination Produces Neutralizing Antibodies With Potency Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants

ABSTRACT SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve in humans. Spike protein mutations increase transmission and potentially evade antibodies raised against the original sequence used in current vaccines. Our evaluation of serum neutralizing activity in both persons soon after SARS-CoV-2 infection (in April 2020 or earlier) or vaccination without prior infection confirmed that common spike mutations can reduce antibody antiviral activity. However, when the persons with prior infection were subsequently vaccinated, their antibodies attained an apparent biologic ceiling of neutralizing potency against all tested variants, equivalent to the original spike sequence. These findings indicate that additional antigenic exposure further improves antibody efficacy against variants. LAY SUMMARY As SARS-CoV-2 evolves to become better suited for circulating in humans, mutations have occurred in the spike protein it uses for attaching to cells it infects. Protective antibodies from prior infection or vaccination target the spike protein to interfere with its function. These mutations can reduce the efficacy of antibodies generated against the original spike sequence, raising concerns for re-infections and vaccine failures, because current vaccines contain the original sequence. In this study we tested antibodies from people infected early in the pandemic (before spike variants started circulating) or people who were vaccinated without prior infection. We confirmed that some mutations reduce the ability of antibodies to neutralize the spike protein, whether the antibodies were from past infection or vaccination. Upon retesting the previously infected persons after vaccination, their antibodies gained the same ability to neutralize mutated spike as the original spike, suggesting that the combination of infection and vaccination drove the production of enhanced antibodies to reach a maximal level of potency. Whether this can be accomplished by vaccination alone remains to be determined, but the results suggest that booster vaccinations may help improve efficacy against spike variants.
Exploring Currency Risk Factors via Corridor Implied Volatility and Its Term Structures Dynamics during Crisis

This paper extends the application of corridor implied volatility by Andersen et al. (2015) to currency market, empirically measuring currency risks at multiple horizons, and finds its term structure contains useful information, both for profitable trading strategies and for common risk factors constructions on the basis of Lustig et al. (2011). I consistently find that for currencies paired by US dollars, the term structure of currency risk is flat at a low level prior to the 2008 crisis, upward-sloping after the crisis and peaks at a high level with a prominently negative slope during the crisis. This work is believed to be new in the currency research field. I then use this information to build trading strategies, earning a profit by longing currencies with the highest level or slope and shorting ones with the lowest level or slope. The profit by sorting slope is significantly high and robust to the 2008 crisis period, with a low correlation to the Carry Trade return, suggesting extra information in risk than the interest rate. Next, I extract global risk factors by level and slope to help understand the currency excess return, a long-lasting puzzle. The global risk factor by level substantially improves the cross-sectional explanatory power in currency excess returns compared to Lustig et al. (2011). Furthermore, I show that there is certain high risk corresponding to a high level and low slope, and high interest rate currency earns returns co-varying negatively to this risk, implying that it is a risky asset and thus requires a high risk premium, which explains the Carry Trade return well.
Interstellar Matter in Globular Clusters

The source for intracluster matter is seen in various mass loss processes ongoing within clusters and is supported by the theoretical need for mass loss to explain the morphology of cluster color-magnitude diagrams. A variety of techniques ranging from X-ray to radio wavelengths have been employed to search for such matter but with few exceptions has not been found. The amount of material expected to collect between cleansing passages through the galactic plane has variously been estimated at between ∼102 and ∼103 M⊙. In contrast, observed upper limits for many clusters are well below these values, often < 1 M⊙. The few detections are at levels of ≲ 10-2 M⊙.
Study on extracting aluminum hydroxide from reduction slag of magnesium smelting by vacuum aluminothermic reduction

The reduction slag from magnesium smelting by vacuum aluminothermic reduction using dolomite and magnesite as raw materials consists mainly of Al2O3 and CaO. The alumina is more than 67% of the slag and is mainly in the form of CaO • 2Al2O3. The process of producing aluminum hydroxide from the slag by leaching with a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate was studied. This showed that the leaching rate of alumina is more than 86% when leaching temperature is 95°C, and L/S is 5, and leaching time is 2h. The magnesia-alumina spinel which generated in the reduction process and 3CaO•Al2O3•6H2O which is generated in the leaching process, are the two main causes of loss of alumina. The chemical composition of aluminum hydroxide products obtained after carbonation precipitation can meet the quality standard of the alumina plant.
Temporal Variation of the Geopotential: Processes and Interactions among the Earth’s Subsystems

Seasonal variations in the Earth’s gravitational field are investigated through the analysis of LAGEOS I satellite laser ranging measurements and are compared with those produced by atmospheric mass redistribution as inferred from global surface pressure data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalyses. The effect of oceanic tides and groundwater are considered as well. Focusing on the even zonal harmonics, atmospheric pressure fluctuations and ground water are shown to be the dominant cause of the observed zonal gravitational field variation at the annual period. At the semi-annual period, the modeled effect of the self-consistent equilibrium ocean tide dominates. The geographical distribution of the seasonal atmospheric variations are addressed. The potential use of LAGEOS for studies of polar ice sheet variation and the need for good atmospheric pressure data in this region are stressed.
Abstract T P353: Positive Fluid Balance Predicts Poor Clinical Outcomes in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose: Strict maintenance of normovolemia is standard of care in treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and induced hypervolemia is used to treat delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) from vasospasm. Fluid-related complications are not uncommon. We tested the hypothesis that fluid balance affected clinical outcomes in aSAH. Methods: We reviewed 307 patients with aSAH admitted to the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (NICU) from October 2001 to June 2011. We collected data on fluid balance during NICU stay, clinical and radiographic evidence of vasospasm, cardiopulmonary complications, and functional outcomes by modified Rankin scale (mRS) upon follow-up (mean 8 ± 8 months). Poor functional outcome was defined as mRS 3-6. Associations of variables of interest with outcome were assessed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Propensity scores were estimated to account for imbalances between patients with positive versus negative fluid balance and were included in multivariable models. Results: Average net fluid balance was 1153 ± 5586 mL. Results of univariate analysis are shown on the Table. On multivariate analysis, WFNS grade at nadir (p<0.001, OR=3.09, 95%CI 2.38-4.02) and positive fluid balance per liter increase (p=0.0005, OR=1.12, 95%CI 1.05-1.20) were associated with poor functional outcome. For every liter increase in positive net fluid balance, there was a 12% increased risk of a poor functional outcome on adjusted analysis (Area under ROC Curve 0.868). The association between positive net fluid balance and poor functional outcomes was confirmed using propensity score analysis to control for multiple confounding variables. Conclusions: Greater positive net fluid balance is independently associated with poorer functional outcome in patients with aSAH. This association does not appear to be solely explained by an excess of cardiopulmonary complications. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif