cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
INVESTORS’ REACTION TO THE PASSING OF THE INDIAN COMPANIES ACT, 2013

This research seeks to determine whether mandated corporate social responsibility (CSR) is value relevant to investors. Specifically, this study is centered around the Companies Act, 2013 passed in India on August 29. The legislation requires companies with a net worth of at least five hundred crore rupees (Rs 5 billion), or with a turnover of at least one thousand crore rupees (Rs 10 billion), or a with a net profit of at least five crore rupees (Rs 50 million) to spend at least 2% of the average net profits of its last three financial years on supporting social initiatives. Using the event study methodology, this study observes the share prices of companies listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) around the passing of the legislation. It was found that the cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) surrounding the passing of the legislation are significantly different from zero and negative, indicating, negative reaction from investors. The analysis than focuses on companies that were affected by the legislation. The study tests for difference in CAR of affected companies that were included in the S&P BSE Greenex Index and the S&P BSE Carbonex Index with CAR of affected companies that were not included in these index. These two index include companies that are considered environmentally friendly. The analysis finds that CAR of affected companies included in the S&P Greenex and S&P Carbonex Index are significantly different from CAR of other affected companies. The CAR of companies that are considered environmentally friend is significantly better compared to other affected firms. This finding suggests that mandating CSR is relevant to investors. Furthermore, firms that are already involved in CSR, thus, considered environmentally friendly, are the least affected by the legislation. These companies are large companies that were part of the S&P BSE 100, the 100 largest companies in BSE, hence, are arguably scrutinized more compared to smaller companies. Their asset size, net worth, and profitability, may put them under the spotlight and, therefore, increase the costs of compliance and monitoring. The required CSR outlay outlined in the legislation may be perceived as positive information due to its ability to reduce uncertainty regarding required CSR expenditure. The passing of the legislation may also serve as affirmative confirmation in regards to these companies’ CSR strategy.
The Practice of Mutual Change

Several supportive techniques can be mobilized to effectuate and intensify the mutual change process. In assuming responsibility for this change, caregivers need to have the skills to enable the establishment of feelings of companionship. This is much easier said than done since each marginalized individual brings unique emotional challenges to the situation. Some might fear the caregiver and rebel against any interactions. Others might be consumed by an overwhelming sadness and withdraw from any contact. Some individuals will be mentally ill, others, mentally retarded, and still others, aged. Some will have strong supportive networks while others will be alone and abandoned. Some will be destitute, unemployed, and homeless while others will have material goods and yet still be burdened by feelings of apartness.
Rational selection of antimicrobial drugs for treatment of infections of horses.

Rational drug therapy entails selection of the proper drug to be administered according to a dosage regimen appropriate to the patient after due appraisal of potential benefits and risks of that therapy. Those benefit-risk considerations must be extended to our clients and to those people administering the medications as well as to our patients. Prior to selecting an appropriate antimicrobial drug, one must make etiologic and pathophysiologic diagnoses, understand the pathophysiologic mechanism(s) of the disease, establish therapeutic objectives, and consider the pharmacology and clinical pharmacology of the potentially useful drugs.
Identity and Access Management for Cloud Services Used by the Payment Card Industry

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) mandates that any entity of the cardholder data environment (CDE) involved in the credit card payment process has to be compliant to the requirements of the standard. Hence, cloud services which are used in the CDE have to adhere to the PCI DSS requirements too. Identity and access management (IAM) are essential functions for controlling the access to the resources of cloud services. The aim of this research is to investigate the aspects of IAM required by the PCI DSS and to describe current concepts of IAM for cloud services and how they relate to the requirements of the PCI DSS.
OCEAN SURFACE FEATURES OBSERVED BY HF COASTAL GROUND-WAVE RADARS: A PROGRESS REVIEW

High Frequency (HF) coastal radar systems measure and employ the Doppler spectrum of the sea-echo signal to extract relevant ocean surface parameters. The dominant first-order spectral peaks provide mean surface currents; at medium frequencies (MF) they have been used to yield directional information about the wave height spectrum. The second-order spectral continuum is related to the wave height directional spectrum through a nonlinear integral equation. This integral equation has been inverted for narrow-beam coastal radars having large antennas to demonstrate the validity of the theoretical model upon which inversion techniques are based.
Surveillance and Survey Techniques

According to the American Heritage Dictionary (1991), the word surveillance comes from the Latin verb viglare (to be watchful), and the French verb surveiller (to watch over). As a medical term, surveillance is defined as watching or monitoring (Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 1988). The notion of surveillance as it relates to the goals of occupational and public health is probably best illustrated by analogy to the concept of immunological surveillance: A hypothesized monitoring function by which the immune system protects against cancer. According to the theory, tumor cells constantly arise throughout life by malignant transformation of normal cells, but almost all are recognized and destroyed by the immune system. Only a few somehow escape or circumvent immune surveillance to grow and become clinically detectable cancers. (Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 1988)
Cyber-Working or Cyber-Shirking?: A First Principles Examination of Electronic Privacy in the Workplace

This article begins by establishing the failure of statutory law or common law in the U.S. to guarantee a right of electronic privacy in the workplace. Unlike Europe, we do not recognize a universal right of privacy or human dignity, and it is unlikely that we will see a legally guaranteed, zone of privacy in the American workplace. Proceeding on that basis, I then ask how this issue can be addressed through a market-based, contractarian framework, and what principles should inform employer-employee e-policies that are typically being developed by U.S. firms. To set the stage, I explicate the underlying concerns of employers and employees regarding access to e-mail and the Internet and electronic privacy at the workplace. Relying on insights from microeconomic, principal-agent theory, I show that in the modern computerized workplace, the difficulty in establishing supervision and control over the agent's activities, the difficulty in controlling the flow of information to and from the firm, together with the firm's need to employ the Internet to capitalize on the enhanced efficiencies resulting from an online presence, contributes to an overall loss in the principal's (i.e., the employer's) power and lessens her ability to take effective, unilateral action against the agent. As a result, it is possible to define an incentive-compatible, benefit-maximizing contract between employers and employees based on the following principles: employee participation in defining e-policies; full disclosure of all implementation schemes pursuant to these e-policies; and employer monitoring to ensure compliance with such e-policies. Such an incentive-compatible contract is superior to other solutions based solely on self-interested behavior by either the principal or the agent. Further, it is not only a lower cost result, it also promotes mutual trust and cultivates the development of fairness norms, thereby, increasing productivity and contributing to higher profits. I also present some specific implementation details of e-policies designed along the lines described above. Finally, should Congress decide to act, the principles outlined above can serve as the basis for new legislation in this arena.
TROPICAL METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATE | Tropical Climates

Radiative forcing and diurnal and local circulations are crucial in the tropical circulation and climate system. On the large scale there is prevailing subsidence and high surface pressure in the subtropics, in the lower layers heat and moisture transport equatorward, and convergence, ascending motion and abundant rainfall in the equatorial zone. Seasonality is very pronounced in the monsoon regions of southern Asia and Africa. Equatorial zonal circulations develop over the oceans. Interannual variability of circulation can have severe climatic implications in some tropical regions.
Sequential Nonlinear Filtering of Local Motion Cues by Global Motion Circuits.

Summary Many animals guide their movements using optic flow, the displacement of stationary objects across the retina caused by self-motion. How do animals selectively synthesize a global motion pattern from its local motion components? To what extent does this feature selectivity rely on circuit mechanisms versus dendritic processing? Here we used in vivo calcium imaging to identify pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms for processing local motion signals in global motion detection circuits in Drosophila. Lobula plate tangential cells (LPTCs) detect global motion by pooling input from local motion detectors, T4/T5 neurons. We show that T4/T5 neurons suppress responses to adjacent local motion signals whereas LPTC dendrites selectively amplify spatiotemporal sequences of local motion signals consistent with preferred global patterns. We propose that sequential nonlinear suppression and amplification operations allow optic flow circuitry to simultaneously prevent saturating responses to local signals while creating selectivity for global motion patterns critical to behavior.
Insertion position as well as the inserted TRS and gene sequences differentially affect the retention of foreign gene expression by simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV).

Abstract Recombinant SHFV infectious cDNA clones expressing a foreign gene from an additional sg mRNA were constructed. Two 3′ genomic region sites, between ORF4′ and ORF2b and between ORF4 and ORF5, were utilized for insertion of the myxoma M013 gene with a C-terminal V5 tag followed by one of the three inserted transcription regulatory sequences (TRS), TRS2′, TRS4′ or TRS7. M013 insertion at the ORF4′/ORF2b site but not the ORF4/ORF5 site generated progeny virus but only the recombinant virus with an inserted TRS2′ retained the entire M013 gene through passage four. Insertion of an auto-fluorescent protein gene, iLOV, with an inserted TRS2′ at the ORF4′/ORF2b site, generated viable progeny virus. iLOV expression was maintained through passage eight. Although regulation of SHFV subgenomic RNA synthesis is complex, the ORF4′/ORF2b site, which is located between the two sets of minor structural proteins, is able to tolerate foreign gene insertion.
Distribution of OCT Features within Areas of Macular Atrophy or Scar after 2 Years of Anti-VEGF Treatment for Neovascular AMD in CATT.

Purpose Macular atrophy and scar increase in prevalence during treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration and are associated with poor visual acuity. We sought to identify the distribution of spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT)-determined features and subretinal lesion thicknesses at sites of macular scar or atrophy after 2 years of treatment in the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials (CATT). Design Cross-sectional analysis. Participants CATT participants with SD-OCT, color photographic (CP) and fluorescein angiogram (FA; CP/FA) images at year 2. Methods Sixty-eight study eyes at year 2 in CATT were selected based on image quality and CP/FA-determined predominant presence of the following: geographic atrophy (GA, n = 25), non-GA (NGA, n = 44), fibrotic scar (FS, n = 26), or non-FS (NFS, n = 7). The CP/FA components were delineated by CP/FA readers; SD-OCT morphologic features and thicknesses were delineated by OCT readers. Using custom software and graphic user interfaces, images were registered, overlaying features and components per pixel; differences were analyzed across groups. Main Outcome Measures OCT features, CP/FA components, and retinal and subretinal lesion thicknesses at each pixel of regional overlays. Results SD-OCT assessment of registered areas of pathology revealed the following: (1) retinal pigment epithelium atrophy (with or without residual lesion material) covered 75% of pixels designated as GA, 22% of NGA, 24% of NFS, and 46% of FS (P Conclusions Retinal pigment epithelium atrophy and photoreceptor layer thinning are common not only in areas of macular atrophy but also in areas of FS. Photoreceptor loss extends beyond the areas of clinically apparent atrophy and FS. Subretinal lesion components were common in areas of scar, but they were also present in nearly one-third or more of areas of macular atrophy.
Elliptic Modules: Algebraic Definition

Definition 2.5 of an elliptic module over a field extension of F ∞ is purely algebraic. So it has a natural generalization defining elliptic modules over any field over A.
Are Corporations People? Book Review of We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights

This is a review of UCLA Law Professor Adam Winkler’s We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights. Among its virtues, the book explains the influence of colonial charters on American constitutional development, turns on its head the conventional wisdom about how “corporate personhood” relates to the granting of constitutional rights to corporations, and explains why the most important expansion of corporate rights was a product of liberal, not conservative, supreme court justices. The review criticizes the book, on the other hand, for neglecting early religious freedom cases involving corporations, conflating free market arguments with pro-corporation ones, neglecting the importance of the incorporation doctrine in establishing corporate rights, wildly overstating the importance of the Powell memo, failing to reckon with the partisan reasons Democrats and liberals support campaign finance reform, and more generally accepting dubious progressive shibboleths such as the “race to the bottom” as valid.
Challenges for wholesale electricity markets with intermittent renewable generation at scale: the US experience

The supply of intermittent wind and solar generation with zero marginal operating cost is increasingly rapidly in the US. These changes are creating challenges for wholesale markets in two dimensions. Short-term energy and ancillary services markets, built upon mid-twentieth century models of optimal pricing and investment, which now work reasonably well, must accommodate the supply variability and energy market price impacts associated with intermittent generation at scale. These developments raise more profound questions about whether the current market designs can be adapted to provide good long-term price signals to support investment in an efficient portfolio of generating capacity and storage consistent with public policy goals. The recent experience of the California ISO (CAISO) is used to illustrate the impact of intermittent generation on supply patterns, supply variability, and market-based energy prices. Reforms in capacity markets and scarcity pricing mechanisms are needed if policy-makers seek to adapt the traditional wholesale market designs to accommodate intermittent generation at scale. However, if the rapid growth of integrated resource planning, subsidies for some technologies but not others, mandated long term contracts, and other expansions of state regulation continue, more fundamental changes are likely to be required in the institutions that determine generator and storage entry and exit decisions.
Optimal retransmission allocation for EDF-based networked real-time applications

Medium access control mechanisms where data transmissions are driven according to their deadlines have proven to offer interesting performance in networked real-time applications. In case of lossy networks, allocating a budget of the available bandwidth, through worst-case schedulability analysis, to retransmission of failed data, permits to combine timeliness and reliability, as typically required by these applications. This paper tackles the problem of allocating retransmissions to a set of time-critical data so as to maximize some meaningful reward function while meeting the imposed deadlines. Few methods are proposed and evaluated, which are based on theoretical analysis, integer linear programming, and solution space exploration.
A Comparative Analysis of Clinical Variables Associated with Hospitalization in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease, characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling and elevation in right ventricular afterload. PAH patients are at an increased risk for right ventricular failure and premature death. Hospitalization is a common precursor to downstream morbidity and mortality in PAH. We sought to characterize clinical variables associated with hospitalization in patients with prevalent PAH. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 124 patients with PAH at our center from 2016 to 2019, comprising demographic data, baseline clinical characteristics, echocardiograms (TTE) and right heart catheterizations (RHC). The cohort was segregated into two groups based on whether patients were admitted to the hospital. A comparative analysis of hospitalized (n=61) vs non-hospitalized (n=63) patients was performed. Regression modeling determined predictors of admission. Results 82% of patients hospitalized were related to cardiac complications of PAH whereas 18% were non cardiac hospitalizations. 67% of cardiac admissions were related to exacerbation of right heart failure or cardiogenic shock, Other causes included acute pulmonary embolism (3%), cardiac surgery (3%), chest pain (2%), supraventricular arrhythmias (5%), and AV block (2%). Hospitalized patients had significantly higher proportions of patients with age >60 years (54 vs 36%), NYHA class III symptoms (57 vs 39%), hypertension (HTN) (61 vs 40%), tricuspid regurgitation (54 vs 33%), baseline oxygen requirement (34 vs 16%), pericardial effusion (21 vs 6%) on TTE and higher mean right atrial (RA) pressure by RHC (8 vs 6 mmHg). Furthermore, admitted patients had significantly lower right ventricular fractional area change (23 vs 34%), and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) (18 vs 21mm) by TTE. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, NYHA class III [OR(CI): 12 (2-62), p=0.004], HTN [OR(CI): 4 (1.1-16.6), p=0.04] were associated with higher odds of hospitalization whereas high TAPSE was associated with lower odds of hospitalization [OR(CI): 0.87 (0.8-0.9), p=0.03]. Conclusion Accurate assessment of risk factors associated with hospitalization in PAH is important as hospitalization is a sentinel event associated with downstream mortality in PAH patients. Our study provides insights into predictors of hospitalization in PAH patients and may help with regards to risk stratification in the outpatient setting.
Billy Sunday, The Baseball Evangelist: The Story of a Remarkable Life, 1862-1935

Review of: "Billy Sunday, The Baseball Evangelist: The Story of a Remarkable Life, 1862-1935 by Craig A. Bishop
Is accelerated, high-dose theta burst stimulation a panacea for treatment-resistant depression?

A recent study by Williams et al. (Williams NR, Sudheimer KD, Bentzley BS, Pannu J, Stimpson KH, Duvio D, Cherian K, Hawkins J, Scherrer KH, Vyssoki B, DeSouza D, Raj KS, Keller J, Schatzberg AF. B...
Neural Learning to Rank using TensorFlow Ranking: A Hands-on Tutorial

A number of open source packages harnessing the power of deep learning have emerged in recent years and are under active development, including TensorFlow, PyTorch and others. Supervised learning is one of the main use cases of deep learning packages. However, compared with the comprehensive support for classification or regression in open-source deep learning packages, there is a paucity of support for ranking problems. To address this gap, we developed TensorFlow Ranking: an open-source library for training large scale learning-to-rank models using deep learning in TensorFlow. The library is flexible and highly configurable: it provides an easy-to-use API to support different scoring mechanisms, loss functions, example weights, and evaluation metrics.In this tutorial, we will combine the theoretical and the practical aspects of TF-Ranking, and will cover how TF-Ranking can be effectively employed in a variety of learning-to-rank scenarios, and demonstrate how it can handle advanced losses, scoring functions and sparse textual features. Finally, we will provide a hands-on codelab using a learning-to-rank dataset which shows how to effective incorporate sparse features for ranking.
Human Plasma Melatonin Studies: Effects of Light and Implications for Biological Rhythm Research

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the effects of light and implications for biological rhythm research. In man, daytime stimulation of melatonin secretion is not possible because the doses of adrenergic agonists necessary for stimulation of melatonin secretion would cause untoward cardiovascular effects. The effect of light on human melatonin secretion appears to be similar to that of other species. Exposure to 500 lux of Vita Lite does not significantly affect plasma melatonin levels; exposure at night to 2500 lux incandescent light suppresses melatonin secretion to concentrations similar to those observed during the day. In human beings, the pineal gland apparently is regulated in the same way as in other mammalian species, with the exception that those human beings require much brighter light. The same neuroanatomical pathways identified in other species, which mediate the effects of light on the pineal, are present in man as well. The higher threshold for light intensity in human beings may provide a means for distinguishing between ordinary artificial light and sunlight. Although the action spectra remains to be defined, variation of light intensity provides the essential framework upon which future investigations can be conducted concerning the endocrine and behavioral effects of ocularly-mediated light in man.
Spine Disorders and Regenerative Rehabilitation

The purpose of this review is to evaluate recent advancements in regenerative medicine modalities in the treatment of the most common spinal disorders. Immunomodulatory and trophic effects of the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and growth factors have been studied in the treatment of symptomatic degenerative spine disorders including degenerative disc disease and facet joint arthropathy. Gene therapy and exosomes are investigated as a future generation of biologics with gene therapy most advanced in the treatment of osteoarthritis. While current studies have shown benefit in pain and function using MSCs and PRP treatment for common spine conditions, high-quality controlled clinical trials are needed for assessing the safety and effectiveness of biologics.
AUTOMATED LAND COVER CHANGE DETECTION THROUGH RAPID UAS UPDATES OF DIGITAL SURFACE MODELS

Abstract. Up to date geospatial data provide the foundation for the development of smart and connected communities. While high-resolution 2D imagery is becoming widely available at less than monthly intervals and several infrastructure layers (e.g., roads, building footprints) are updated on a continuous basis, digital surface models (DSM) are generated less frequently and become quickly obsolete in rapidly developing regions. We present a methodology for continuous and efficient updates of DSM based on automated change detection from high-resolution satellite imagery that is used to develop UAS deployment plan, data acquisition, and DSM generation for targeted areas. The resulting UAS-derived DSM is then seamlessly fused with existing (usually lidar-based) DSM. We demonstrate our methodology in a rapidly developing watershed in the Triangle Region, North Carolina. The change detection maps were created using pixel-based classification methods on monthly composite data generated from PlanetScope satellites (3m resolution) as input for UAS flight planning, data acquisition, and processing. In future work a GRASS GIS script using a moving window resampling process will create flight areas to resample the change detection output into 10 acres flight areas for the UAS flight planning software, and a plugin for WebODM will be developed using GRASS GIS to enable seamless updates to centralized repositories of DSM.
Single cell tracing reveals heterogeneous drug-, dose-, and time-dependent effects on cancer cell fates

Understanding the molecular basis for drug-induced changes in cellular responses is critical for the identification of effective cancer treatments. Measurement of endpoint viability across a range of drug doses is the standard approach to quantify drug efficacy. While informative, this read-out does not account for the multiple cell fate decisions individual cancer cells undergo in response to drug treatment. As a consequence, the basis for drug-induced changes in cell numbers remains poorly defined. To evaluate the impact of cancer drugs on individual cells, we engineered AU565 breast cancer cells to express a fluorescent cell cycle reporter and then assessed dynamic responses to a panel of drugs. Detailed population and single cell analyses revealed heterogeneous drug-, dose-, and time-dependent effects on cell cycle durations and cell fates. Lapatinib induced dose-dependent extension of G1 duration and limited apoptosis. In contrast, cell fate responses varied with gemcitabine dose: low gemcitabine doses induced extension of S-G2 durations, whereas high doses induced apoptosis after prolonged exposure. Lastly, paclitaxel induced apoptosis and caused only modest cell cycle effects. Overall, our analyses revealed that each drug induced distinct impacts on cell fate that were dependent on the dose and duration of treatment. Understanding these differences has implications for the mechanisms of therapeutic resistance and the identification of effective drug combinations and treatment schedules.
Preparing Code and Data for Computational Reproducibility

Computational analyses are playing an increasingly central role in research and are a feature of many advanced digital libraries. Journals, sponsors, and researchers, including in the digital library field, are calling for published research to include associated data and code. However, many involved in research have not received training in best practices and tools for building systems (e.g., using containers) and implementing methods that facilitate sharing code and data. This tutorial aims to address this gap in training while also providing those who support researchers with curated best practices guidance and tools. This tutorial is unique compared to other reproducibility events due to its practical, step-by-step design. It is comprised of hands-on exercises to prepare research code and data for computationally reproducible publication. Although the tutorial starts with some brief introductory information about computational reproducibility, the bulk of the tutorial is guided work with data and code. The basic best practices for publishing code and data are covered with curated resources. Examples will include from the digital library and information retrieval domains. Participants move through preparing research for reuse, organization, documentation, automation, and submitting their code and data to share. Tools to support reproducibility will be introduced but all lessons will be platform agnostic.
Spatial confinement alters the ultrafast photoisomerization dynamics of azobenzenes.

Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy reveals new excited-state dynamics following excitation of trans-azobenzene (t-Az) and several alkyl-substituted t-Az derivatives encapsulated in a water-soluble supramolecular host–guest complex. Encapsulation increases the excited-state lifetimes and alters the yields of the trans → cis photoisomerization reaction compared with solution. Kinetic modeling of the transient spectra for unsubstituted t-Az following nπ* and ππ* excitation reveals steric trapping of excited-state species, as well as an adiabatic excited-state trans → cis isomerization pathway for confined molecules that is not observed in solution. Analysis of the transient spectra following ππ* excitation for a series of 4-alkyl and 4,4′-dialkyl substituted t-Az molecules suggests that additional crowding due to lengthening of the alkyl tails results in deeper trapping of the excited-state species, including distorted trans and cis structures. The variation of the dynamics due to crowding in the confined environment provides new evidence to explain the violation of Kasha's rule for nπ* and ππ* excitation of azobenzenes based on competition between in-plane inversion and out-of-plane rotation channels.
Constitutional Liquidation, Surety Laws, and the Right to Bear Arms

In recent years, some scholars have claimed that early American law did not recognize a general right to bear arms in public. Although most early state court decisions recognized such a right, these scholars contend that these decisions were peculiar to the antebellum South, which had a uniquely permissive weapon carrying culture. Outside the South, they argue, many states heavily restricted the public carry of weapons through surety laws. These surety laws required that, on complaint of a plaintiff who had “reasonable cause to fear an injury, or breach of the peace,” a person would have to post a bond to keep the peace if he went armed “without reasonable cause to fear an assault or other injury.” These scholars argue that the surety laws (which they call the “Massachusetts Model”) were descendants of the common law crime of going armed to the terror of the people, which, they claim, also generally prohibited private citizens from going armed. Based on this historical practice, they argue that the Second Amendment was not understood to encompass a general right to publicly carry weapons. This book chapter challenges that historical narrative, and more importantly, disputes the relevance of the Massachusetts Model for constitutional interpretation. First, this book chapter argues that the relevance of nineteenth-century laws and judicial decisions does not primarily come from their ability to elucidate the original public meaning of the right to bear arms in 1791. Instead, their relevance lies in the idea of “constitutional liquidation,” that postenactment practice can settle the meaning of legal text. Next, this chapter argues that the right to bear arms did not liquidate in favor of the constitutionality of the Massachusetts Model. No evidence has emerged that the passage of the surety laws was the product of thoughtful constitutional interpretation. And no course of practice emerged. As applied to the carriage of weapons for lawful purposes, the surety laws went largely unenforced. Likewise, there is almost no known record of American courts enforcing the common law crime of going armed to the terror of the people against individuals carrying weapons for lawful purposes. Finally, the lack of enforcement meant that the surety laws failed to settle the meaning of the right to bear arms. Quite the contrary, all Massachusetts Model jurisdictions (including Massachusetts) adopted statutory criminal law governing the carriage of weapons in public. None of these states adopted a general ban on public carry. Instead, most states restricted only the carrying of concealed weapons, while a few others (including Massachusetts) had more lenient laws. Ultimately, the “Massachusetts Model” did not serve as a model for restricting public carry anywhere, even in Massachusetts.
Chapter 3 – The Lebesgue Integral

This chapter explains the concept of integration to measurable functions, which are approximated by simple functions to develop the Lebesgue integration theory. The chapter discusses the convergence properties of sequences of Lebesgue integrals and the approximation properties of Lebesgue integrable functions. Lebesgue extended the concept of integration to the space of measurable functions. The Lebesgue Dominated Convergence Theorem is the most frequently used theorem, which allows the operations of integration and limits to be interchanged. The Lebesgue integral is a generalization of the Riemann integral. Lusin's Theorem provides an approximation to a measurable function using continuous functions. The theory of measure and integration in the plane is very much analogous to that for the real line R . The fact that a double integral can be evaluated by iterated integration does not follow immediately from definition, but rather is a famous and difficult theorem called Fubini's Theorem. In practice, it is much easier to check the existence of iterated integrals instead of double integrals.
Professional continuous glucose monitoring and endocrinology eConsult for adults with type 2 diabetes in primary care: Results of a clinical pilot program.

Abstract Background Limitations in access to specialty diabetes care exist. Endocrinology eConsult that integrates professional continuous glucose monitoring (CGM-enhanced eConsult) may improve healthcare delivery, but has yet to be evaluated. We implemented a pilot program for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) managed by primary care clinical pharmacists using CGM-enhanced eConsult and evaluated the acceptability and clinical outcomes in comparison to routine in-person endocrinology consultation. Methods Seventy-four adult patients with established T2DM (age 18–65) were included. Twenty-nine were seen in-person by endocrinology and 45 were seen by pharmacists in primary care. Thirteen patients were referred for CGM-enhanced eConsult. Acceptability was assessed with pre/post clinician acceptability questionnaires and patient assessment of perceived burden. Clinical outcomes included time to first specialty appointment, baseline and 3-month follow-up HbA1c, and antihyperglycemic medication use. Results There were no differences in patient acceptability of the CGM-enhanced eConsult as compared to endocrinology referral or pharmacy care. At baseline, all patients referred for eConsult were prescribed insulin. Three-month glycemic outcomes were comparable, with HbA1c reduction 1% + 2% in endocrinology, 1.5% + 1.1% with CGM-enhanced eConsult, and 1.6% + 1.8% in clinical pharmacy (p = 0.19). Time to an initial diabetes visit with a pharmacist was significantly shorter than with endocrinology, 20 days (IQR 26) for pharmacy vs. 45 days (IQR 54) for endocrinology, (p = 0.0001). Conclusions CGM-enhanced eConsult resulted in more timely access to endocrinology expertise, was acceptable to patients, and resulted in similar short-term glycemic outcomes compared to in-person consultation. Effectiveness of CGM-enhanced eConsults should be further explored.
Influence of functional groups on low-temperature combustion chemistry of biofuels

Abstract Ongoing progress in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and catalysis continues to produce a diverse array of advanced biofuels with complex molecular structure and functional groups. In order to integrate biofuels into existing combustion systems, and to optimize the design of next-generation combustion systems, understanding connections between molecular structure and ignition at low-temperature conditions ( R ˙ ; (ii) competing unimolecular decomposition of R ˙ and bimolecular reaction of R ˙ with O2; (iii) decomposition mechanisms of peroxy radical adducts (RO O ˙ ), including isomerization via RO O ˙ ⇌ Q ˙ OOH. All three categories are influenced by functional groups in different ways, which causes a shift in the balance of chain reactions that unfold over complex temperature- and pressure-dependent mechanisms. The objective of the present review is three-fold: (1) to provide a historical account of research on low-temperature oxidation of biofuels, including initiation reactions, peroxy radical reactions, Q ˙ OOH-mediated reaction mechanisms, and chain-branching chemistry; (2) to summarize the influence of functional groups on chemical kinetics relevant to chain-branching reactions, which are responsible for the accelerated production of radicals that leads to ignition; (3) to identify areas of research that are needed – experimentally and computationally – to address fundamental questions that remain. Results from experimental, quantum chemical, and chemical kinetics modeling studies are reviewed for several classes of biofuels – alcohols, esters, ketones, acyclic ethers and cyclic ethers – and are compared against analogous results in alkane oxidation. The review is organized into separate sections for each biofuel class, which include studies on thermochemistry and bond dissociation energies, rate coefficients for initiation reactions via H-abstraction and related branching fractions, reaction mechanisms and product formation from reactive intermediates, ignition delay times, and chemical kinetics modeling. Each section is then summarized in order to identify areas for which additional functional group-specific work is required. The review concludes with an outline for research directions for improving the fundamental understanding of biofuel ignition chemistry and related chemical kinetics modeling.
Construction stakeholders’ perceived benefits and barriers for environment-friendly modular construction in a hospitality centric environment

Modular construction techniques can not only significantly contribute to improved project cost, schedule, and quality performance, but also sustainability by reducing site disruption and waste generated, creating better relocatability and reusability. However, there are still difficulties in developing and implementing modularization in a hospitality centric environment. Thus, the primary goal of this research is to identify the opportunities and challenges of implementing sustainable modular construction techniques in a hospitality-centric environment. In this study, the approach includes the formulation of a survey, which was distributed to 600 industry professionals in Las Vegas and completed by 63 industry professionals, followed by three personal interviews. The results showed that: 1) 85% percent of survey participants expected an improvement in schedule, and 65% of that elected to use a form of modularization actually experienced an improved schedule; 2) 62% of the participants claimed that they would keep using modular methods in the next 12 months, whereas 44% of the participants claimed they would increase their use of modularization in the next five years; 3) two of the top five expected benefits achieved included less site disruption (noise/traffic and dust) and reduced waste, which contribute towards sustainable construction; 4) transportation/logistics was selected by industry professionals as a key barrier in the implementation of modular construction; 5) to implement more sustainable construction, practitioners require additional research to improve and overcome the key barrier of transportation/logistics; 6) if construction professionals gain more modular project experience, their perceived benefits and barriers could increase and decrease, respectively. The results from this research provide valuable insights for implementing sustainable modular methods in hospitality-centric environments.
What a Pain in the Neck: A 2-month-old with Abnormal Behavior

Introduction: Complementary and alternative medical therapies are growing in popularity in the United States. Neck adjustment is an alternative treatment for torticollis that is growing in popularity particularly in social media. Manipulation of the neck has been associated with coronary artery dissection in adults but has not been studied fully in the pediatric population. Case Report: A 2-month-old male presented to the pediatric emergency department (ED) with abnormal behavior, decreased alertness, and new onset seizures. Four days prior to presentation, parents noted increased fussiness and inconsolable crying. Parents also described periods when he would flex his arms and legs for a few seconds. Patient was afebrile with …
Role of excretion in manganese homeostasis and neurotoxicity: A historical perspective.

The essential metal manganese (Mn) induces incurable neurotoxicity at elevated levels that manifests as parkinsonism in adults and fine motor and executive function deficits in children. Studies on Mn neurotoxicity have largely focused on the role and mechanisms of disease induced by elevated Mn exposure from occupational or environmental sources. In contrast, the critical role of excretion in regulating Mn homeostasis and neurotoxicity has received less attention although (1) studies on Mn excretion date back to 1920s; (2) elegant radiotracer Mn excretion assays in the 1940s-60s established the routes of Mn excretion; and; (3) studies in patients with liver cirrhosis in the 1990s-2000s identified an association between decreased Mn excretion and the risk of developing Mn-induced parkinsonism in the absence of elevated Mn exposure. Notably, the last few years have seen renewed interest in Mn excretion largely driven by the discovery that hereditary Mn neurotoxicity due to mutations in SLC30A10 or SLC39A14 are caused, at least in part, by deficits in Mn excretion. Quite remarkably, some of the recent results on SLC30A10 and SLC39A14 provide explanations for observations made ~40-50 years ago. The goal of the current review is to integrate the historic studies on Mn excretion with more contemporary recent work, and provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art overview of Mn excretion and its role in regulating Mn homeostasis and neurotoxicity. A related goal is to discuss the significance of some of the foundational studies on Mn excretion so that these highly consequential earlier studies remain influential in the field.
Prenatal Diagnosis and Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Isolated Cerebellar Hypoplasia of Suspected Hemorrhagic Etiology: a Retrospective Cohort Study

Data about the neurological prognosis of isolated cerebellar hypoplasia in utero are scant and inconsistent. In this monocentric retrospective study, we describe the neurodevelopmental outcomes in a series of children with isolated cerebellar hypoplasia of presumably hemorrhagic origin prenatally detected with fetal magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all the pregnant women who were referred for a neurological consultation, diagnosed with fetal encephalic malformation/disruption between 2010 and 2020 in the Fetal Therapy Unit of our institution. Fetal MRI (fMRI) was performed in all the pregnancies. Fetuses with cerebellar hypoplasia presumably of hemorrhagic origin were selected for the study. Fetuses exposed to alcohol or with additional malformations in other cerebral or body areas were excluded. All the infants received the postpartum follow-up care adopted in our center, including post-natal MRI, serial neurological examinations, standardized neurodevelopmental tests, and regular parental interviews. Cognitive functions were tested with GRIFFITHS II, WPPSI-III, and WISC-IV according to the child’s age. A total of 14 pregnant women out of 479 fetal consultations were eligible and included in the study group. In 57% of cases, the etiology of the hemorrhage was unknown. In 21% of cases, it was attributed to a blood transfusion, while in the remaining ones, it was attributed to maternal predisposing factors. Among the survivors, two infants were excluded for prematurity, and two were lost to follow-up. Ten patients were thus included in the study. Six patients had normal neurodevelopment and cognition, and three presented mild-moderate neurological signs, i.e., mild dyspraxia and visuoperceptual impairment. Only one child had a severe outcome, i.e., autism spectrum disorder. The cerebellum is particularly vulnerable to disruptions throughout its prolonged development. Extreme caution must be used in prenatal counseling considering that in the acute phase, lesion extension and vermis involvement can be overestimated with fMRI. In cases of uncertainty, performing an additional fMRI could be advisable after 4–8 weeks. However, in our series, infants with isolated cerebellar hypoplasia tended to have a favorable prognosis. Nevertheless, a long-term follow-up is needed and should include a postnatal brain MRI, serial neurological examinations, and neurodevelopmental tests at least up to school age.
Coupling Quantum Antennas to Fibers and Waveguides.

We present a brief overview of the transport of quantum light across a one-dimensional waveguide which is integrated with a periodic string of quantum-scale dipoles. We demonstrate a scheme to implement transparency by suitably tuning the atomic frequencies without applying a coupling field and bring out the pronounced non-reciprocity of this optical device. The fiber-mediated interaction between integrated dipoles allows one to achieve both dispersive and dissipative couplings, level repulsion and attraction, and enhanced sensing capabilities. All these ideas can be translated to a wide variety of experimental setups of topical interest such as resonators on a transmission line, cold atoms near a fiber and quantum dots coupled to plasmonic excitations in a nanowire or photonic crystal waveguides.
Barium strontium titanate thin films by multi-ion-beam reactive sputtering technique

Thin films of barium strontium titanate including BaTiO/sub 3/ and SrTiO/sub 3/ end members were deposited by the multi-ion-beam reactive sputtering (MIBERS) technique using alkaline earth oxides (BaO and SrO) and Ti-metal targets. The MIBERS technique showed convenient and flexible control of the film compositions. The dielectric constants of the films deposited on Pt-coated Si substrates showed thickness dependence. A dielectric constant of 219 at 100 kHz was found for 1.2- mu m-thick films. A charge storage density of 15 fC/gmm/sup 2/ at 5 V and a leakage current density of 5.8 mu A/cm/sup 2/ at an electric field of 0.1 MV/cm can be obtained for 0.3- mu m-thick films and are suitable for application to 64-Mb dynamic random access memories (DRAMs). A charge storage density greater than 30 fC/ mu m/sup 2/ is achievable provided that some extrinsic factors which lower the overall dielectric constant can be eliminated. The films can be used for higher-memory-density DRAMs. >
Expression of the c-raf protooncogene in human hematopoietic cells and cell lines

The murine sarcoma virus 3611 contains the transforming v-raf gene that has partial nucleotide homology with the src family of tyrosine kinase-encoding oncogenes. Although this virus induces fibrosarcomas in mice, a recombinant murine retrovirus carrying both the raf and myc oncogenes induces immunoblastic lymphomas and immortalizes mouse macrophages in vitro. The present study has thus monitored the expression of c-raf in human hematopoietic cells. The results demonstrate the presence of a 3.6-kb c-raf transcript in HL-60 promyelocytic leukemic cells. The induction of HL-60 cell differentiation along the monocytic or granulocytic lineages had no detectable effect on the level of c-raf transcripts. Furthermore, in contrast to c-myc and c-fms expression, inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide had no detectable effect on c-raf expression. Similar levels of c-rafRNA were also found in other human cell lines derived from myeloid, B cell, and T cell tumors, as well as in normal granulocytes, monocytes, and macrophages. These findings suggest that the c-raf protooncogene is widely expressed in multiple hematopoietic lineages.