cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Risk Factor Analysis of Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole— and Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Escherichia coli Infection among Emergency Department Patients with Pyelonephritis

Background High rates of resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) among uropathogenic Escherichia coli are recognized, and concerns exist about emerging fluoroquinolone resistance. Methods Adults presenting to 11 US emergency departments with (1) flank pain and/or costovertebral tenderness, (2) temperature >38 degrees C, and (3) a presumptive diagnosis of pyelonephritis were enrolled; patients for whom 1 uropathogen grew on culture were analyzed. Epidemiologic and clinical data were collected at the time of care. The prevalence of E. coli in vitro antibiotic resistance and risk factors associated with TMP-SMX-resistant E. coli infection were determined. Results Among 403 women with uncomplicated pyelonephritis caused by E. coli, the mean site rate of E. coli resistance to TMP-SMX was 24% (range, 13%-45%). Mean site rates of E. coli resistance to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin were 1% and 3%, respectively. Only TMP-SMX exposure within 2 days before presentation and Hispanic ethnicity were associated with E. coli resistance to TMP-SMX (compared with resistance rates of approximately 20% among women lacking these risk factors); antibiotic exposure within 3-60 days before presentation, health care setting exposure within 30 days before presentation, history of urinary tract infections, and age >55 years were not associated with E. coli resistance to TMP-SMX. Among 207 patients with complicated pyelonephritis, mean site rates of E. coli resistance to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin were 5% and 6%, respectively. Conclusions These results suggest that the prevalence of TMP-SMX-resistant infection among patients with uncomplicated pyelonephritis is > or =20% in many areas of the United States, and risk stratification cannot identify patients at low risk of infection. Rates of fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli infection appear to be low among patients with uncomplicated pyelonephritis but higher among those with complicated infections. Fluoroquinolones should remain to be the preferred empirical treatment for women with uncomplicated pyelonephritis.
Winter Plumage Coloration in Male American Goldfinches: Do Reduced Ornaments Serve Signaling Functions in the Non‐Breeding Season?

The signaling role of sexual ornaments that are displayed during the mating season is well known for many species, but dimorphisms that occur in the nonbreeding season have received much less attention, particularly when individuals only partially express their breeding condition during reproductively inactive periods. I assessed variation in the expression of colorful breeding and nonbreeding plumages in male American goldfinches (Carduelis tristis), a species in which males molt out of their colorful breeding ornaments in the fall but still display reduced carotenoid- and melanin-based sexual dichromatism during the winter. I found that variability in the saturation of carotenoid-based plumage pigmentation did not differ significantly between the breeding and non-breeding seasons. Moreover, the area of melanin coloration in the cap was more variable in winter than when it is fully displayed during breeding. I also detected a significant positive correlation between the extent of melanin coloration during the winter and the saturation of non-breeding carotenoid-based plumage. Because of such variation in and correlated expression of these two color ornaments in winter, it is conceivable that male goldfinches display these hints of non-breeding coloration for use as conspecific social or sexual signals. Natural selection pressures like predation and energetic demands are traditionally thought of as factors that restrict sex ornaments to breeding times alone, but this should not preclude animals from simply reducing their exaggerated features during winter and finding an expression optimum that balances signal costs and value. Such remnant winter ornaments might be expected to evolve not only in animals that live in large non-breeding groups (e.g. status-signaling systems) but also in those where mates begin associating before breeding onset.
Memory processes in elderly eyewitnesses: What we know and what we don't know

Research is reviewed on the memory abilities of elderly eyewitnesses. Two major issues are addressed: First, how credible are elderly witnesses? Second, how accurate are they? Despite negative stereotypes regarding elderly eyewitnesses, they do not necessarily lack credibility at trial. In terms of their memory performance, older witnesses are as accurate as young adults in many respects, but they are particularly vulnerable to misleading information that is presented after the witnessed event. Furthermore, their performance varies depending on the type of information that is sought and the manner in which their memory is assessed. Recommendations are made for improving the reliability of testimony that is offered by elderly eyewitnesses.
Beyond Meaningful Use: A Model for Evaluating Electronic Health Record Success

This paper presents a conceptual model for the evaluation of electronic health records. The model is grounded in IS models for evaluating system success and task-technology fit, and integrates concepts of meaningful use and outcome research to arrive at a holistic conceptualization of evaluating the success of EHR. The paper presents numerous issues and challenges to the practice of health care outcomes research, and offers practical solutions for overcoming them.
Nosocomial Antibiotic Resistance in Multiple Gram-Negative Species: Experience at One Hospital with Squeezing the Resistance Balloon at Multiple Sites

Increased use of antibiotics has led to the isolation of multidrug-resistant bacteria, especially in intensive care units and long-term care facilities. Resistance in specific gram-negative bacteria, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is of great concern, because a growing number of reports have documented mechanisms whereby these microorganisms have become resistant to all available antibacterial agents used in therapy. Reduction in the selection of these multidrug-resistant bacteria can be accomplished by a combination of several strategies. These include having an understanding of the genetics of both innate and acquired characteristics of bacteria; knowing resistance potentials for specific antibacterials; monitoring resistance trends in bacteria designated as problematic organisms within a particular institution on a routine basis; modifying antibiotic formularies when and where needed; creating institutional education programs; and enforcing strict infection-control practices. Strategies appropriate for primary prevention of nosocomial resistance may differ from those required for control of existing epidemic or endemic resistance.
Student Beliefs about the Causes of Success and Failure in Music: A Study of Achievement Motivation.

Elementary and secondary music students' achievement motivation was characterized by the reasons they cited for success and failure in music. The students' free responses were classified according to the two-dimensional model of Attribution Theory in which the causes of success and failure are categorized by locus of control, internal or external, and stability through time, stable or unstable. The major findings of the study were that 80% of the reasons cited for success and failure in music were internal in nature, a greater number of stable reasons were cited for success while more external-unstable reasons were cited for failure, females cited more internal-stable reasons than males, the frequency of internal-stable reasons increased with grade level while internal-unstable reasons declined, and the school attended significantly influenced the type of reasons students provided. The importance of these findings to music education practice and their relationship to previous research in achievement motiv...
PCB concentrations in sediments from the Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific coast of Costa Rica

Thirty-one sediment samples collected from 1996-2003 from the Gulf of Nicoya estuary on the northwestern coast of Costa Rica, have been obtained for PCB analyses. This is part of the first study to evaluate the PCB contamination in coastal Costa Rica.Overall, the concentrations are low, especially when compared to sediments from more temperate climates and/or sediments from more heavily industrialized areas. Values average less than 3 ng/g dw sediment, however, a few samples contained up to 7 ng/g dw sediment. Sediments with the highest concentrations were located in the Punta Morales area, where muds were sampled from among mangrove roots. The Puntarenas samples had surprisingly low PCB concentrations, likely due to their sandy lithology. The congener distribution within the majority of the samples showed signs of either recent sources or lack of degradation. However, a few sites, specifically some of the inter-gulf islands and more remote samples had congener distributions indicative of airborne contaminants and/or degradation. Considering the presence of airborne PCBs in the Gulf of Papagayo to the north, the lack of airborne PCBs and more varied congener distribution in the Gulf of Nicoya estuary was surprising.
Is it economically feasible for farmers to grow their own fuel? A study of Camelina sativa produced in the western United States as an on-farm biofuel

This paper models the economic feasibility of growing the oilseed crop Camelina sativa (“camelina”) in the western United States to produce value-added protein feed supplement and an SVO-based biofuel. Modeled in eastern Colorado, this study demonstrates that camelina can be grown profitably both as a commodity and as an energy biofuel. These findings, along with the stochastic crop rotation budget and profitability sensitivity analysis, reflect unique contributions to the literature. The study’s stochastic break-even analysis demonstrates a 0.51 probability of growing camelina profitably when diesel prices reach 1.15 $ L ! 1 . Results also show that the sale of camelina meal has the greatest impact on profitability. Yet once the price of diesel fuel exceeds 0.90 $ L ! 1 , the farmer generates more revenue from the ability to offset diesel fuel purchases than the revenues generated from the sale of camelina meal. A risk analysis using second degree stochastic dominance demonstrates that a risk-averse farmer would choose to grow camelina if the price of diesel equals or exceeds 1.31 $ L ! 1 . The article concludes that camelina can offset
Cabaretistas and Indias Bonitas: Gender and Representations of Mexico in the Americas during the Cárdenas Era*

This article examines the promotion of Mexico's national image in the Americas during the Cardenas period, using as a starting point a scandal arising from a 1940 performance of Mexican dancers at a cabaret in Panama. Mexican diplomats found the show objectionable because it clashed with the image of women that they used in their efforts to raise the country's reputation abroad. By investigating these efforts, as well as the career of Eva Perez Caro, the dance troupe's leader, the article contributes to our understanding of the relationship between gender, cultural performance and nationalism, and the role that they played in Mexico's foreign relations.
Telemetering of Ice Loading on a Power Line Conductor

An ice load telemeter station employing unique methods of power supply and measurement has been designed and installed. The completely self-contained installation includes communication circuits, telemetry circuits, control, power supply from a 230-kV power line, and a radio telemeter circuit powered from and installed on an energized 345-kV conductor.
Calorespirometric Determination of the Effects of Temperature on Metabolism of Harmonia axyridis (Col: Coccinellidae) from Second Instars to Adults

The multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), is displacing native coccinellid species in North America. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, it is important to understand its physiological ecology. Hence, this study examined the temperature dependence of the respiratory physiology of this species. Calorespirometry was used to measure metabolic heat and CO2 production rates from second, third, and fourth instars; pupae; and adult beetles at temperatures from 0 to 40°C at 5°C intervals. Mass-specific respiration rates, in terms of either CO2 or heat production, increased with temperature, and, with the exception of pupae, decreased with increasing development. For all developmental stages, the results showed that below 10°C, CO2 was produced primarily from nonoxygen-consuming reactions. CO2 production gradually shifts more to oxygen-consuming reactions with increasing temperature, the fraction of CO2 from oxygen-consuming reactions reaching 0.5–0.7 at 40°C. Adults and second instars were stressed at 35°C and showed high mortality at 40°C, but these conditions were tolerated by all other stages studied. These data agree with field observations of the success of the multicolored Asian lady beetle in the temperature range from 15 to 25°C.
Cardiovascular response to group I metabotropic glutamate receptor activation in NTS.

Glutamate is the proposed neurotransmitter of baroreceptor afferents at the level of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). Exogenous glutamate in the NTS activates neurons through ionotropic and me...
Excessive diagnostic testing in acute kidney injury

The patterns, performance characteristics, and yield of diagnostic tests ordered for the evaluation of acute kidney injury (AKI) have not been rigorously evaluated. We characterized the frequency of AKI diagnostic testing for urine, blood, radiology, and pathology tests in all adult inpatients who were admitted with or developed AKI (N = 4903 patients with 5731 AKI episodes) during a single calendar year. We assessed the frequency of abnormal test results overall and by AKI stage. We manually reviewed electronic medical records to evaluate the diagnostic yield of selected urine, blood, and radiology tests. Diagnostic yield of urine and blood tests was determined based on whether an abnormal test affected AKI diagnosis or management, whereas diagnostic yield of radiology tests was based on whether an abnormal test resulted in a procedural intervention. In sensitivity analyses we also evaluated appropriateness of testing using prespecified criteria. Frequency of testing increased with higher AKI stage for nearly all diagnostic tests, whereas frequency of detecting an abnormal result increased for some, but not all, tests. Frequency of detecting an abnormal result was highly variable across tests, ranging from 0 % for anti-glomerular basement membrane testing to 71 % for urine protein testing. Many of the tests evaluated had low diagnostic yield. In particular, selected urine and blood tests were unlikely to impact AKI diagnosis or management, whereas radiology tests had greater clinical utility. In patients with AKI, many of the diagnostic tests performed, even when positive or abnormal, may have limited clinical utility.
Dsc Communications Corporation

This case concerns a difficult credit decision for a company in a dynamic, high-tech industry. It can be taught in an advanced MBA banking class or to executives as a comprehensive credit analysis. See also the companion case (UVA-F-1072).
Therapeutic advances for the tumors associated with neurofibromatosis type 1, type 2, and schwannomatosis

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), and schwannomatosis (SWN) are tumor-suppressor syndromes. Each syndrome is an orphan disease; however, the tumors that arise within them represent the most common tumors of the nervous system worldwide. Systematic investigation of the pathways impacted by the loss of function of neurofibromin (encoded byNF1) and merlin (encoded byNF2) have led to therapeutic advances for patients with NF1 and NF2. In the syndrome of SWN, the genetic landscape is more complex, with 2 known causative genes (SMARCB1andLZTR1) accounting for up to 50% of familial SWN patients. The understanding of the molecular underpinnings of these syndromes is developing rapidly and offers more therapeutic options for the patients. In addition, common sporadic cancers harbor somatic alterations inNF1(ie, glioblastoma, breast cancer, melanoma),NF2(ie, meningioma, mesothelioma) andSMARCB1(ie, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors) such that advances in management of syndromic tumors may benefit patients both with and without germline mutations. In this review, we discuss the clinical and genetic features of NF1, NF2 and SWN, the therapeutic advances for the tumors that arise within these syndromes and the interaction between these rare tumor syndromes and the common tumors that share these mutations.
Kinetics of Registration, Antiregistration, and Flip-Flop in Phase-Separating Bilayers

Lipid bilayer leaflets are often treated as if they are strongly coupled; i.e., that the two leaflets trivially undergo simultaneous transitions between phases, with domains involving both leaflets together in a tightly registered fashion. We present theory and simulation showing how a competition of interleaflet couplings, hydrophobic mismatch and microstructure leads to complex phase diagrams with multiple metastable two-phase and three-phase states. Many of the states can be discerned in the experiment and simulation literature, and are expected to be especially important in the early stages of coarsening, when domains are sub-micron (and thus perhaps of significance to lipid rafts). We present different kinetic scenarios for transitions between these states. The theory and phase diagrams account for both local and overall compositional asymmetry between leaflets, and lipid flip-flop can naturally be incorporated. This extension predicts both intuitive effects and highly counterintuitive ones, such as a flip-flop induced progression to greater, not lesser, asymmetry.
Quaternion Control for Autonomous Path Following Maneuvers

We develop aerobatic maneuvering for obstacle avoidance by autonomous miniature air vehicles (MAVs) using a path following control law. A method for developing maneuver paths that accounts for maneuver boundary conditions is presented along with a method for determining the orthogonal distance (position error) from the vehicle to the path. The control law is constructed as a unit-norm quaternion with position and rate components with a Lyapunov proof to demonstrate stability. The performance of the quaternion path following strategy in tracking various maneuvers appropriate for obstacle avoidance is demonstrated using the Aviones flight simulation environment.
Observations of Large Wind Shear above the Marine Boundary Layer near Point Buchon, California

AbstractParticularly strong winds along the coast of Southern California on 24 May 2012 were measured by the Wyoming King Air research aircraft during the Precision Atmospheric Marine Boundary Layer Experiment (PreAMBLE). The fast flow is bounded laterally by the coastal topography and vertically by a pronounced temperature inversion separating the cool, moist air in the marine boundary layer (MBL) from the warm, dry air aloft. Many studies have investigated the response of this two-layer flow to changes in the coastline by invoking hydraulic theory, which explains the essential characteristics including changes in MBL depth and the attendant wind. Processes occurring just above the MBL are important to the low-level thermodynamic and kinematic structure. Observations on this day demonstrate how the large shear above the MBL can impact the lower atmosphere. A typical two-layer system was observed north of Point Buchon, which was supercritical. Around Point Buchon, the depth of the MBL decreased and wind i...
Reflective Commentary on Amartya Sen: The Idea of Justice

Reflecting on Sen's (2009) Part III - The Materials of Justice has given me a vivid understanding on the importance and value of freedom, capabilities, resources, happiness, and well-being into the lives of people in a given society, community, and/or organization (pp. 225-278). In my perspective, Sen's ideas of freedom, capabilities, resources, happiness, and well-being of individuals are very important variables to consider in designing policies affecting the lives of people in a societal structure. At this point, I can visualize Sen's real analyses on these variables in our societal functionality that will probably affect my involvement in any decision-making process on school's policies as a teacher in public school. In this light, it is important to study and understand Sen's perspective on freedom, capabilities, resources, happiness, and well-being; and how these variables might affect the lives of people in a given societal or institutional environment. In exploring this, I define and explain my understanding of Sen's contentions and perspectives regarding these variables in life. Additionally, as an educator, I correlate Sen's ideas with my acquired teaching experiences in the classroom and involvement in the policy making processes in my school site.
Rural Tourism Development in the United States of America

Rural America has been experiencing a rapid transformation in many aspects over the past 100 years or so.This is particularly true after the Second World War.Globalization and economic restructure of the United States led to a decline in traditional agricultural,forestry,and mining jobs in many rural areas.As a result,rural tourism development has been used as an important and effective means of rural economic revitalization and diversification.This paper reviews the rural tourism development processes and driving forces in the US.Both positive and negative impacts of rural tourism are also discussed.Information provided in this paper could be helpful for sustainable rural tourism development in China.
Human Polynucleotide Phosphorylase (hPNPaseold-35): Should I Eat You or Not—That Is the Question?

RNA degradation plays a fundamental role in maintaining cellular homeostasis whether it occurs as a surveillance mechanism eliminating aberrant mRNAs or during RNA processing to generate mature transcripts. 3'-5' exoribonucleases are essential mediators of RNA decay pathways, and one such evolutionarily conserved enzyme is polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase). The human homologue of this fascinating enzymatic protein (hPNPaseold-35) was cloned a decade ago in the context of terminal differentiation and senescence through a novel "overlapping pathway screening" approach. Since then, significant insights have been garnered about this exoribonuclease and its repertoire of expanding functions. The objective of this review is to provide an up-to-date perspective of the recent discoveries made relating to hPNPaseold-35 and the impact they continue to have on our comprehension of its expanding and diverse array of functions.
An example of inconsistent MLE of spatial covariance parameters under increasing domain asymptotics

Abstract Asymptotic properties of estimators of covariance parameters in spatial statistics are commonly considered under the frameworks of increasing domain and fixed domain asymptotics, respectively. Although inconsistency is a general conclusion under the framework of fixed domain asymptotics, it is generally believed that consistency should generally hold under the framework of increasing domain asymptotics. This article provides an example in which the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of covariance parameters is still inconsistent under the framework of increasing domain asymptotics. Therefore, consistency may still be a problem under the framework of increasing domain asymptotics.
Analysis of amplitude modulation methods for sensorless SRM drives

In this paper, the performance of two different sensorless control methods for switched reluctance motor drives based on amplitude modulation techniques are compared. In both the methods, a sinewave diagnostic signal is injected into one of the inactive phases and the rotor position is inferred from the resulting modulated current signal. In the first method, the rotor position sensing is achieved only through hardware means. In the second method, which is introduced in this paper, the diagnostic signal is used to generate an index pulse which occurs every 30/spl deg/ (mech). The rotor position information is obtained at the intermediate positions using the index pulse in conjunction with internal timer available in the microcontroller in order to achieve high resolution. In this paper the position error, resolution, speed range and transient stability of the two methods are systematically analyzed using dynamic model of the 100 V, 500 W, 3000 RPM, 6/4 motor and their advantages and disadvantages are presented. Experimental results are presented in order to validate the two sensorless methods. The analysis results presented in this paper will be useful for the practical design of amplitude modulation based sensorless control schemes for SRM drives.
Flutter suppression for highly flexible wings using passive and active piezoelectric effects

Abstract This paper addresses both active and passive flutter suppressions for highly flexible wings using piezoelectric transduction. An active aeroelastic formulation is used in the studies, featuring a geometrically nonlinear beam formulation coupled with 2-D unsteady aerodynamic equations. The piezoelectric effect is involved in the dynamic nonlinear beam equations, allowing for the aeroelastic studies on multifunctional wings for both piezoelectric energy harvesting and active actuation. In this study, the active piezoelectric actuation is applied as the primary approach for the flutter suppression, with the energy harvesting, as a secondary passive approach, concurrently working to provide an additional damping effect on the wing vibration. The multifunctional system may also convert wing vibration energy to electric energy as an additional function. Moreover, a Linear Quadratic Gaussian controller is developed for the active control of wing limit-cycle oscillations due to the flutter instability. In the numerical studies, both the active and passive flutter suppression approaches are enabled for a highly flexible wing. The impact of the piezoelectric actuator and energy harvester placement on the wing flutter characteristic is explored. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to effectively suppress the aeroelastic instability of highly flexible piezoelectric wings, while allowing to harvest the residual vibration energy. The active multifunctional wing technology that is explored in the paper has the potential to improve the aircraft performance from both aeroelastic stability and energy consumption aspects.
Why Do Firms Defer Internal Control Assessments and Does It Matter? Evidence from M&A Transactions

To inform the debate on the merits of internal control audits, we examine managers’ decisions to temporarily exempt newly acquired businesses from Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We provide evidence that managers are more likely to elect the exemption when expected compliance costs are higher, such as when acquisitions are larger and occur later in the year. We find only modest evidence that managers use the exemption to avoid scrutiny of value-destroying deals. Exemption use, however, is associated with negative post-acquisition outcomes, including lower return-on-assets and higher likelihoods of goodwill impairments and financial statement restatements. These results are consistent with compliance providing benefits by facilitating timely identification and correction of control problems in the newly acquired business. Finally, we document negative abnormal stock returns at the time exemption use is announced and over the subsequent three years, suggesting that investors view exemption use negatively and that their initial price reactions are incomplete.
Coagulopathy as a predictor of mortality after penetrating traumatic brain injury.

Abstract Study hypothesis Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of mortality with penetrating TBI (p-TBI) patients having worse outcomes. These patients are more likely to be coagulopathic than blunt TBI (b-TBI) patients, thus we hypothesize that coagulopathy would be an early predictor of mortality. Methods We identified highest-level trauma activation patients who underwent an admission head CT and had ICU admission orders from August 2009–May 2013, excluding those with polytrauma and anticoagulant use. Rapid thrombelastography (rTEG) was obtained after emergency department (ED) arrival and coagulopathy was defined as follows: ACT ≥ 128 s, KT ≥ 2.5 s, angle ≤ 56°, MA ≤ 55 mm, LY-30 ≥ 3.0% or platelet count ≤ 150,000/μL. Regression modeling was used to assess the association of coagulopathy on mortality. Results 1086 patients with head CT scans performed and ICU admission orders were reviewed. After exclusion criteria were met, 347 patients with isolated TBI were analyzed-99 (29%) with p-TBI and 248 (71%) with b-TBI. Patients with p-TBI had a higher mortality (41% vs. 10%, p p p -value = 0.012). Conclusions This study demonstrates that p-TBI patients with significant coagulopathy have a poor prognosis. Coagulopathy, in conjunction with other factors, can be used to earlier identify p-TBI patients with worse outcomes and represents a possible area for intervention.
Reliability and Validity of the Intergroup Compromise Inventory in Two Bipartisan Samples

Compromise is largely based on being able to come to a common perspective while sacrificing marginal values that would otherwise deny a reconciliation of disparate ideas. Due to the absence of an e...
Crotonaldehyde exposure in U.S. tobacco smokers and nonsmokers: NHANES 2005-2006 and 2011-2012.

Abstract Introduction Crotonaldehyde is an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound that is a potent eye, respiratory, and skin irritant. Crotonaldehyde is a major constituent of tobacco smoke and its exposure can be quantified using its urinary metabolite N-acetyl-S-(3-hydroxypropyl-1-methyl)-L-cysteine (HPMM). A large-scale biomonitoring study is needed to determine HPMM levels, as a measure of crotonaldehyde exposure, in the general U.S. population. Materials and methods Urine samples were obtained as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2006 and 2011–2012 from participants who were at least six-years-old (N = 4692). Samples were analyzed for HPMM using ultra performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry. Exclusive tobacco smokers were distinguished from non- tobacco users through a combination of self-reporting and serum cotinine data. Results Detection rate of HPMM among eligible samples was 99.9%. Sample-weighted, median urinary HPMM levels for smokers and non-users were 1.61 and 0.313 mg/g creatinine, respectively. Multivariable regression analysis among smokers showed that HPMM was positively associated with serum cotinine, after controlling for survey year, urinary creatinine, age, sex, race, poverty level, body mass index, pre-exam fasting time, and food intake. Other significant predictors of urinary HPMM include sex (female > male), age (children > non-user adults), race (non-Hispanic Blacks Conclusions This study characterizes U.S. population exposure to crotonaldehyde and confirms that tobacco smoke is a major exposure source. Urinary HPMM levels were significantly higher among exclusive combusted tobacco users compared to non-users, and serum cotinine and cigarettes per day were significant predictors of increased urinary HPMM. This study also found that sex, age, ethnicity, pre-exam fasting time, and fruit consumption are related to urinary HPMM levels.
S193. EX VIVO SIGNATURE OF PSYCHOSIS AND TREATMENT RESPONSE IN PATIENT-DERIVED NEURONS

AbstractBackgroundPostmortem studies in schizophrenia show well-replicated neuronal differences in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), specifically showing lower dendritic spine density in upper-layer cortical pyramidal neurons. Animal models that recapitulate features of psychosis also show lower dendritic spine density and synapse number in the PFC, with a more pronounced effect in upper-layer cortical neurons. Furthermore, the decrease in dendritic spines and synapses in animal models have been shown to be reversible with antipsychotic treatment. Results from postmortem brains, animal models and in vitro rodent cultures provide a strong impetus to test the hypothesis that dendritic spine biology plays an important role in the biology of schizophrenia and in mediating the effects of antipsychotic medications.MethodsTo extend these findings, we studied cortical neurons generated from subjects with schizophrenia. We reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from human subjects with schizophrenia and from matched healthy controls. We differentiated human iPSCs along the forebrain lineage to generate mature cortical neurons. We developed a robust experimental approach to delineate and quantify spines in the dendrites as well as methods to outline and measure the spines in order to classify the different spine types. We also developed methodology for functional characterization of individual neurons using calcium imaging in the cortical neuron cultures.ResultsWe found that cortical neurons generated from the iPSCs of schizophrenia patients had a lower density of dendritic spines when compared to cortical neurons generated from the iPSCs of healthy control subjects. We also delineated the different composition of spine types in cortical neurons from schizophrenia patients when compared to those from healthy control subjects. In cortical neurons from schizophrenia subjects, we found that clozapine exposure in vitro leads to a robust increase in dendritic spine density.DiscussionWe found that cortical neurons from iPSCs of schizophrenia subjects recapitulate the dendritic spine differences reported in postmortem brains of schizophrenia subjects. Moreover, we found that human cortical neurons from schizophrenia subjects show increased dendritic spine density when exposed in vitro to clozapine. The ability to delineate cellular features related to disease biology in iPSC-derived neurons opens the door to understand the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and lay the foundations for the development of novel therapeutics.
Exploring variable-length time series motifs in one hundred million length scale

The exploration of repeated patterns with different lengths, also called variable-length motifs, has received a great amount of attention in recent years. However, existing algorithms to detect variable-length motifs in large-scale time series are very time-consuming. In this paper, we introduce a time- and space-efficient approximate variable-length motif discovery algorithm, Distance-Propagation Sequitur (DP-Sequitur), for detecting variable-length motifs in large-scale time series data (e.g. over one hundred million in length). The discovered motifs can be ranked by different metrics such as frequency or similarity, and can benefit a wide variety of real-world applications. We demonstrate that our approach can discover motifs in time series with over one hundred million points in just minutes, which is significantly faster than the fastest existing algorithm to date. We demonstrate the superiority of our algorithm over the state-of-the-art using several real world time series datasets.
Cost Accounting and Financial Management for Construction Project Managers

Proper cost accounting and financial management are essential elements of any successful construction job, and therefore make up essential skills for construction project managers and project engineers. Many textbooks on the market focus on the theoretical principles of accounting and finance required for head office staff like the chief financial officer (CFO) of a construction firm. This book's unique practical approach focuses on the activities of the construction management team, including the project manager, superintendent, project engineer, and jobsite cost engineers and cost accountants. In short, this book provides a seamless connection between cost accounting and construction project management from the construction management practitioner’s perspective. Following a complete accounting cycle, from the original estimate through cost controls to financial close-out, the book makes use of one commercial construction project case study throughout. It covers key topics like financial statements, ratios, cost control, earned value, equipment depreciation, cash flow, and pay requests. But unlike other texts, this book also covers additional financial responsibilities such as cost estimates, change orders, and project close-out. Also included are more advanced accounting and financial topics such as supply chain management, activity-based accounting, lean construction techniques, taxes, and the developer’s pro forma. Each chapter contains review questions and applied exercises and the book is supplemented with an eResource with instructor manual, estimates and schedules, further cases and figures from the book. This textbook is ideal for use in all cost accounting and financial management classes on both undergraduate and graduate level construction management or construction engineering programs.
Designing to Support Reflection on Values & Practices to Address Online Disinformation

This research examines crowd and algorithm driven information flows in our current social media ecosystem to understand and address some of the instabilities fueling online misinformation and disinformation. The work combines empirical analysis of social media data, alternative news websites, interviews, and a design intervention to provide insights that are useful for challenging the muddled thinking, passive acquiescence and rote behaviors that give oxygen to online disinformation. Four interrelated studies are synthesized to further our understanding about online disinformation and how we might cultivate new media practices that can aid us in coping under rapidly evolving and challenging conditions.
Single rural elders

This research examined dimensions of life satisfaction of rural lifelong single elders in comparison with their married and widowed counterparts. A random sample including 30 singles, 214 married, and 163 widowed adults aged 65 to 99 years was interviewed. Contrary to much of the literature, the data indicated that single adults lead relatively active lifestyles. Lifelong singles reported experiencing significantly more loneliness and unhappiness than the married, but less loneliness than the widowed. Taken as a whole, self-rated life satisfaction was not significantly different for singles, the married, or the widowed.
Diversifying the police applicant pool: motivations of women and minority candidates seeking police employment

ABSTRACTGiven the media attention to police killings of unarmed men of color, police agencies have increased their focus on the diversity of their applicant pools. Despite their efforts, policing l...
Influence of dietary lysine on growth performance and carcass characteristics of late-finishing gilts.

We conducted two experiments evaluating the lysine requirement of 91- to 113-kg gilts. Gilts (PIC L326 x C-22) with initial body weights of 42 (Exp. 1) or 39 kg (Exp. 2) were blocked by weight in a randomized complete block design. Experiment 1 included 105 gilts, with seven gilts per pen and five replications (pens) per treatment. Experiment 2 included 125 gilts, with eight gilts per pen and four replications (pens) per treatment. Gilts were fed a corn-soybean meal diet (no crystalline lysine) containing 1.0% total lysine from 39 to 68 kg and .80% total lysine from 68 to 91 kg. In Exp. 1, when the average weight of gilts within a block reached 91 kg, gilts were fed corn-soybean meal diets containing .40, .55, or .70% total lysine. Increasing dietary lysine increased (linear, P .10). Daily lysine intake increased (linear, P < .01) with increasing dietary lysine (18.1, 21.1, 23.9, 26.5 g/d). Based on these results, the total dietary lysine requirement for 91- to 113-kg gilts is approximately .60% total lysine, which corresponds to approximately 18 g/d lysine intake.
Predicting wax appearance temperature and precipitation profile of normal alkane systems: An explicit co-crystal model

Abstract Wax precipitation is a major flow assurance issue for petroleum production, oil blending, downstream processing, and oil products usage. While numerous thermodynamic models have been proposed to calculate wax appearance temperature (WAT) and precipitation profile at temperatures below WAT, the existing models are correlative in nature and fail to comply with phase behavior experimentally observed for wax precipitation. This work presents a predictive thermodynamic model for wax precipitation based on an explicit co-crystal formation assumption for precipitated wax, a treatment consistent with experimental findings. With a simple Flory-Huggins expression accounting for the liquid phase nonideality and the treatment of lamella structure for wax precipitation below WAT, the model satisfactorily predicts WAT at low pressures for multicomponent paraffin mixtures and wax precipitation amounts and contents as the temperature drops below WAT.
Forced Oscillations in the Western Interconnection with the Pacific DC Intertie Wide Area Damping Controller

Forced oscillations in power systems are of particular interest when they interact and reinforce inter-area oscillations. This paper determines how a previously proposed inter-area damping controller mitigates forced oscillations. The damping controller modulates active power on the Pacific DC Intertie (PDCI) based on phasor measurement units (PMU) frequency measurements. The primary goal of the controller is to improve the small signal stability of the north south B mode in the North American Western Interconnection (WI). The paper presents small signal stability analysis in a reduced order system, time-domain simulations of a detailed representation of the WI and actual system test results to demonstrate that the PDCI damping controller provides effective damping to forced oscillations in the frequency range below 1 Hz.
The Drug Shortage Era: A Scoping Review of the Literature 2001–2019

Drug shortages continue at crisis levels in the United States, with no end in sight. Extensive research in disparate areas has been conducted to explore the impact that shortages have on patients and the healthcare system. We conducted a scoping review to categorize existing work in order to identify opportunities for further research. We considered peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed articles involving non-vaccine, human drug shortages in the United States published in English between January 2001 and May 2019. In total, 430 papers were charted according to the following categories: causes, impacts on care, health outcomes, costs, management, prevention, and federal government response. Of these, 112 papers considered causes; 199 discussed effects, 158 considered management strategies, and 140 discussed prevention. We provide a resource to navigate the vast literature on drug shortages in the United States, identifying areas in need of further research. This review highlights the widespread negative effects that drug shortages have on patients, providers, and health system costs in the United States. Evidence of their ramifications should be sufficient to justify policy change. Future work should move from characterizing the problem to working toward solutions to reduce the impact, occurrence, and effects of shortages.
Toward Non-Invasive Core Body Temperature Sensing

This paper aims to explore the potential of a novel radiometry technique that leverages bio-matched antennas (BMAs), broadband measurements, and forward modeling of layered tissues for non-invasive and accurate core temperature monitoring. Our approach relies on the observation that electromagnetic waves penetrate to different depths depending on their frequency and dielectric properties of the medium and adapts radiative transfer models that have been successfully implemented in the past for layered geophysical media. Preliminary modeling and experimental results confirm feasibility.
Books Addressing Muslims or Islam in the United States (1965-2020) (Bibliography)

For a variety of reasons, Muslims in America are in the public spotlight. As a result, the demand for information and analysis on Muslims and Islam in the United States has risen. In an effort to provide a resource for academics, advocates, journalists, and others, we created this bibliography composed of over 230 books published between 1970 and 2015 focused on Muslims and Islam in the United States. We did not include books that focus primarily on Islam and/or Muslims outside of the United States. The bibliography is categorized by subject matter and chronologically with the most recent publications first. The categories include anthropology, biography, health, history, law, political science, reference, and sociology. If you find any relevant books are not included in this list, we welcome you contacting us with the citation of your suggested book addition.
Operationalizing Agency in Brain Computer Interface (BCI) Research.

As researchers involved in examining ethical issues related to neurotechnologies, we see potential utility in tools like the Qualitative Agentive Competency Tool (Q-ACT) designed to help clinicians...
Corticomotor excitability of gluteus maximus and hip extensor strength: The influence of sex.

Abstract Purpose To compare hip extensor strength and corticomotor excitability (CME) of gluteus maximus (GM) between males and females. A secondary purpose was to determine if CME of GM is predictive of hip extensor strength. Method Thirty-two healthy individuals participated (15 males and 17 females). CME of GM was assessed using the input-output curve (IOC) procedure acquired from transcranial magnetic stimulation (average slope). Hip extensor strength was measured by a dynamometer during a maximal voluntary isometric contraction. Independent t-tests were used to compare CME of GM and peak hip extensor torque between males and females. Linear regression analysis was used to determine whether peak hip extensor torque was predicted by CME of GM. Result Compared to males, females demonstrate lower peak hip extensor torque (4.42 ± 1.11 vs. 6.15 ± 1.72 Nm/kg/m2, p Conclusion Our findings support the premise that corticomotor excitability plays a role in the ability of a muscle to generate torque.
Cooking Matters for Kids Improves Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Related to Healthy Eating and Cooking.

Abstract Objective To assess changes in self-efficacy and attitudes related to healthy eating and cooking in Cooking Matters for Kids participants. Design Prepost study design. Setting Cooking Matters for Kids programs offered by 35 organizations. Participants Predominantly third- to fifth-grade children participating in Cooking Matters for Kids lessons during fiscal years 2012–17 with matched presurvey and postsurveys (n = 18,113). Intervention(s) Cooking Matters for Kids consists of six 2-hour experiential nutrition and cooking education lessons. Main Outcome Measure(s) Self-efficacy related to healthy eating and cooking and attitudes toward healthy foods assessed through the Cooking Matters for Kids Participant Survey. Analysis Changes from the presurvey to postsurvey were assessed using mixed models and repeated measures ordered logistic regression accounting for clustering by course. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen d for repeated measures. A Bonferroni adjustment was used to correct for multiple comparisons (α = 0.025). Results Both overall and individual self-efficacy and attitude scores improved from presurvey to postsurvey (P Conclusions and Implications Participation in Cooking Matters for Kids was associated with improvements in self-efficacy and attitudes related to healthy eating and cooking.
Peptide Mapping and Microsequencing

Peptide mapping is a powerful technique used to determine the structure and composition of proteins. Peptide maps or fingerprints of proteolyzed proteins are usually obtained by resolution on either one-dimensional SDS-PAGE, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), or by two-dimensional separation on thin-layer cellulose (TLC) plates.