cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential human impact on the survival of genetically distinct avian lineages

Summary At the present time the earth is facing an anthropogenic (human-caused) mass extinction event that may eventually rival previous mass extinction events caused by drastic changes in the physical environment; however, the impact of this event on the earth's biotic diversity remains difficult to predict. Patterns of extinction and endangerment in birds, one of the best known taxonomically among major groups of organisms, showed that the distribution of human impact has been non-uniform relative to phylogenetic relationships. Fifteen major avian lineages differed over 35-fold with respect to the frequency of historical extinction and over threefold with respect to frequency of current threat; and overall rates of both extinction and threat were significantly higher in non-passerine orders than in passerines. Moreover, among both passerines and non-passerines, the rate of historic extinction has been significantly higher for species in monotypic genera than for other species; and in passerines, the rate of current threat is significantly higher for species in monotypic genera than for other species. Thus, the anthropogenic extinction and threat to avian species has specifically targeted species that are phylogenetically and thus, presumably genetically, unique.
NMDA hypofunction as a convergence point for progression and symptoms of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a disabling mental illness that is now recognized as a neurodevelopmental disorder. It is likely that genetic risk factors interact with environmental perturbations to affect normal brain development and that this altered trajectory results in a combination of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Although the exact pathophysiology of schizophrenia is unknown, the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), a major glutamate receptor subtype, has received great attention. Proper expression and regulation of NMDARs in the brain is critical for learning and memory processes as well as cortical plasticity and maturation. Evidence from both animal models and human studies implicates a dysfunction of NMDARs both in disease progression and symptoms of schizophrenia. Furthermore, mutations in many of the known genetic risk factors for schizophrenia suggest that NMDAR hypofunction is a convergence point for schizophrenia. In this review, we discuss how disrupted NMDAR function leads to altered neurodevelopment that may contribute to the progression and development of symptoms for schizophrenia, particularly cognitive deficits. We review the shared signaling pathways among the schizophrenia susceptibility genes DISC1, neuregulin1, and dysbindin, focusing on the AKT/GSK3β pathway, and how their mutations and interactions can lead to NMDAR dysfunction during development. Additionally, we explore what open questions remain and suggest where schizophrenia research needs to move in order to provide mechanistic insight into the cause of NMDAR dysfunction, as well as generate possible new avenues for therapeutic intervention.
Does bladder preservation (as a surgical principle) lead to retaining bladder function in bladder/prostate rhabdomyosarcoma? Results from intergroup rhabdomyosarcoma study iv.

ABSTRACTPurpose:: We determine patient and tumor characteristics, event-free and overall survival, methods of local control, rate of bladder preservation and proportion with normal bladder function for patients with localized bladder/prostate (BP) rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) treated on the Fourth Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS IV).Materials and Methods:: We reviewed the records of 90 patients with nonmetastatic BP RMS enrolled on IRS IV for presenting characteristics, details of therapy and outcome.Results:: Of the 90 records 88 had sufficient information for review. Patient age distribution was less than 1 year for 7 patients, 1 to 9 years for 71 and 10 or greater years for 10. Tumors commonly arose in the bladder (70%), had favorable histology (embryonal or botryoid 80%), large (69% greater than 5 cm), unresectable (84% group III) and invasive (56% T2). Local therapy included radiation in 74 patients, and most patients underwent second-look operations after radiation. All patients received alkylating...
Resource leveling of linear schedules with singularity functions

This paper builds on a new methodology of modeling linear schedules with singularity functions. These unique functions have been used successfully for criticality and float analyses. The approach is extended to deriving one flexible equation for the complete resource profile of a schedule, including any changes in the resource rates of activities. A subsequent equation describes the first moment of area of the resource profile. Minimizing the moment is the objective function for leveling the resource profile. A genetic algorithm with inverse ranking is computerized to perform successive iterations. Chromosomes contain different permutations resource rates at which the activities can be performed. Probabilistic reproduction, crossover, and mutation steps mimic a biological selection process. Step-by-step descriptions of the calculations and a detailed example of a construction project illustrate how singularity functions can provide a powerful model that integrates the linear schedule with its resource profile and facilitates the overall optimization process.
Serendipity and Vision: Two Methods for Discovery Comments on Nickles

Thomas Nickles challenges my thesis that innovative discoveries can be based on deliberately chosen problems and research strategies. He suggests that all significant innovation can be seen as such only in retrospect and that its generation must be serendipitous. Here I argue in response that significant innovations can and do often arise from self conscious critical appraisal of orthodox practice combined with regulated though speculative abductive argumentation to alternative explanatory schemata. Orthodox practice is not based upon monolithic systems of belief about the subject of inquiry. Rather major domains of scientific practice often are approached from different conceptualizations that provide grounds for critical dialectic and consilient empirical information. Abductive arguments that meet appropriate conditions of likelihood, probability and analogy are an important means of justifying allocating resources to innovative practices that have yet to produce products that can rival those of established orthodoxy.
Manipulation Arguments, Basic Desert, and Moral Responsibility: Assessing Derk Pereboom’s Free Will, Agency, and Meaning in Life

In this paper I critically assess Derk Pereboom’s book, Free Will, Agency, and Meaning in Life. In it, I resist Pereboom’s manipulation argument for incompatibilism and his indictment of desert-based accounts of moral responsibility.
Illustrations of Fungi—XII

The figures on the accompanying plate1 were all drawn from specimens collected in and near Bronx Park, New York City, and represent a few of the many attractive and highly-colored species included in the genus Ruzssula. This very difficult genus is now being monographed for NORTH AMERICAN FLORA by Dr. Gertrude S. Burlingham, who has kindly determined for me the species here figured. Most of the members of this genus are edible, and some of them are particularly good, but they are usually scattered, are fragile and perishable, become infested early with a variety of insects, are eaten by squirrels and other animals, and resemble one another so closely that it is advisable to go to the trouble of tasting nearly every specimen before selecting it for the table. There are no violently poisonous species known in this genus, and if specimens have a mild taste and an agreeable odor they are probably harmless, but it must always be remembered that it is necessary to test each new species thoroughly before using it in any quantity for food. The botanical characters of the genus are not difficult to learn, and it may be distinguished from the nearest related genus, Lactaria, by the absence of a milky juice in the tissues of the sporophore.
Congenital Cerebrospinal Otorrhea

Four locations for congenital cerebrospinal fluid fistula in the region of a normal labyrinth are reviewed. A congenital leak may occur through the petromastoid canal, a wide cochlear aqueduct, Hyrtl's fissure, or the facial canal. A fistula through the initial segment of the fallopian canal was successfully repaired in a two-year-old boy who had three episodes of meningitis following otitis media. Knowledge of these four sites of congenital defects provides a guideline for the surgeon in the identification and repair of cerebrospinal fluid leaks in the region of the labyrinth.
Highly Sensitive Absorption Measurements in Organic Thin Films: Charge Transfer Complexes and Light-Induced Changes

Using the sensitive absorption technique of Photothermal Deflection Spectroscopy (PI1S) it is possible to detect subtle spectral features in the absorption spectra of polymeric thin films that cannot be detected by other means. This paper describes observations of weak charge-transfer complex (CIC) formation and also light-induced changes in various organic films. The filns studied were those commonly used as charge transport materials in organic photoconductors, comprised of a small transport molecule and a polymer binder. The optically measured CTC bands can be used to establish single electron energy levels of the constituents. Reproducible photo-induced changes are manifest both in the strong UV transitions as well as in the “sub-gap” absorption and appear to be correlated with the photo-chemical stability of the constituents. The light-fatigue has both a reversible as well as irreversible component.
Empirically Studying Participatory Sense-Making in Abstract Drawing with a Co-Creative Cognitive Agent

This paper reports on the design and evaluation of a co-creative drawing partner called the Drawing Apprentice, which was designed to improvise and collaborate on abstract sketches with users in real time. The system qualifies as a new genre of creative technologies termed "casual creators" that are meant to creatively engage users and provide enjoyable creative experiences rather than necessarily helping users make a higher quality creative product. We introduce the conceptual framework of participatory sense-making and describe how it can help model and understand open-ended collaboration. We report the results of a user study comparing human-human collaboration to human-computer collaboration using the Drawing Apprentice system. Based on insights from the user study, we present a set of design recommendations for co-creative agents.
Strategic HRM at the Mayo Clinic

For many decades, Mayo Clinic has been ranked as one of the top medical institutions in the world. The entire health care industry has been experiencing immense challenges. Given the current and historic success of Mayo, what does Mayo need to do from an HR perspective to maintain this standard of excellence? This case identifies the strategies used by Mayo to achieve excellence in employee and patient satisfaction. The case describes how this complex service organization fosters a culture that exceeds customer expectations and earns deep loyalty from both customers and employees. The role of HR is analyzed to explain how strategic HRM enables the organization to achieve its strategic business objectives.
Computer Controlled Thermophysical Test Facility — 2) Software

The Division of Building Research (NRC of Canada) has developed a mini-computer centered data acquisition and control system to run a test laboratory in which the thermophysical properties of materials are measured. At present the laboratory has five guarded hot plate apparatus and two heat flow meter apparatus with provision for connecting three more apparatus to the system. The laboratory runs on a 24-hour, 7-day basis and is unattended during non-working hours. The computer system is used to control the temperatures of the apparatus, to read, process and log the test results, and to monitor the operation of the equipment for alarm conditions. The system is designed to take corrective action in the event of an alarm condition being sensed.
Citizen Science: Connecting to Nature Through Networks

Citizen science projects represent an important example of mass collaboration at a global scale where nonscientists can contribute to science research across geographical locations. To more broadly and deeply capitalize on the potential for citizen science to invigorate inquiry-based science at school, we need to better understand how and why citizen science opportunities are taken up by particular teachers. In this chapter, we offer a framework for the analysis of conditions that influence voluntary participation in citizen science efforts. The framework is developed with empirical data from a longitudinal case study. The framework focuses on four dimensions that contributed sustained and evolving participation: (1) alignment between the citizen science opportunity with personal interests and teaching goals, (2) access to a networked community with curricular resources and a technical infrastructure, (3) an integrated indoor and outdoor classroom space that promoted place-based inquiry opportunities, and (4) a set of collaborative practices and networked opportunities that created conditions for an expanding set of partnerships. We close with a discussion of how the design of the socio-technical dimensions of citizen science efforts might be informed by both ethnographic and quantitative studies.
Infant hair cortisol: associations with salivary cortisol and environmental context

Early chronic stress has enduring implications for physical and mental health outcomes. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has emerged as a marker of cumulative cortisol exposure, yet HCC in infants is not well understood. We examined how infant HCC relates to widely used basal salivary cortisol measures, maternal HCC, and environmental context in 111 infants assessed at 6 and 12 months of age. Maternal HCC at 6 and 12 months was correlated with infant HCC at 12 months. At 12 months, infant HCC was positively associated with waking salivary cortisol concentration (SCC), evening SCC, and area under the curve (AUC), but was independent of diurnal slope. Breastfeeding was associated with lower HCC, whereas increased sleep disruption was related to flatter slope. Reduced nighttime sleep duration was related both to higher HCC and to flatter slope. A person-focused analysis indicated that the combination of high HCC and flattened slope was associated with more environmental risks, highlighting the importance of investigating the interplay between HCC and diurnal cortisol slope. Results support the validity of HCC as a marker of cumulative cortisol exposure in infancy, while emphasizing the value of including multiple cortisol measures assessing distinct aspects of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function.
Evacuation of Vitreous Hemorrhage via Pars Plana Vitrectomy

The decision for proceeding to surgery for removal of vitreous hemorrhage is highly dependent on its anticipated cause. Ultrasound imaging should be performed by the surgeon in the clinic prior to scheduling surgery to confirm the presence (or absence) of both traction and rhegmatogenous retinal detachments and choroidal edema or suprachoroidal hemorrhage. If a patient is a diabetic, the presumed cause will be proliferative disease. If the patient is not a diabetic, the most common causes of vitreous hemorrhage would be trauma, retinal tear secondary to PVD, avulsed retinal vessel, macroaneurysm, and neovascularization secondary to retinal vein occlusion. The clinical history and examination of the other eye will often help determine the probable cause. The patient should undergo a detailed informed consent process including the steps needed to correct the suspected cause and the inherent risks associated with vitrectomy-based surgery.
Effects of Ivermectin and Moxidectin on Fecal Egg Count and Egg Reappearance Rate in Horses

Abstract Parasite resistance to some commonly used anthelmintics is increasing and egg reappearance period (ERP) appears to be decreasing. The objective of this project was to evaluate the efficacy of ivermectin (IVE) and moxidectin (MOX) on fecal egg counts (FECs) and ERP in horses. Fecal samples (n = 46) were collected and evaluated for parasite eggs using the Modified McMaster Fecal Egg Count technique. Eggs per gram (EPG) of feces were recorded. Horses were randomly allocated based on prestudy FEC (low, 500 EPG), age (young, ≤15 years; old, ≥16 years), and housing (stall or pasture). Treatments included control (CON, no treatment, n = 10), IVE (n = 10), or MOX (n = 10). Fecal samples were collected and evaluated every 2 weeks for 12 weeks after treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using PROC MIXED of SAS. Fixed effects included treatment, age, and location with week as a repeated measure. Fecal egg count reduction tests were 100% for IVE and MOX, indicating that both anthelmintics were effective. However, parasite eggs began to appear in IVE horses in week 6 and MOX horses in week 8. Currently reported ERP for IVE and MOX are 6 to 8 weeks and 10 to 12 weeks, respectively, suggesting decreased efficacy of MOX. In pastured horses, MOX was more effective in reducing FEC than IVE (1.84 vs. 6.43 EPG, respectively; P = .01). Data suggest that anthelmintic use improved internal parasite control and that MOX may have greater efficacy than IVE; however, the shorter ERP for MOX may indicate that MOX efficacy may be decreasing.
Future Trends in Remote Sensing

In the previous chapters, we have discussed how the scientific community, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), private industry, and the general public use the wealth of information provided by airborne and satellite remote sensing data. We have presented specific examples of its cost-effective and timely use in a wide range of disciplines including engineering, forestry, geology, public health, archaeology, humanitarian aid, natural resources, and geography. Finally, we explored the linkages between remote sensing, geographical information systems, and spatial modeling. It is this continued fusion of remote sensing and big data science where the future of remote sensing lies.
Can Simple Interaction Models Explain Sequence-Dependent Effects in Peptide Homodimerization?

The development of rapid methods to explain and predict peptide interactions, aggregation, and self-assembly has become important to understanding amyloid disease pathology, the shelf stability of peptide therapeutics, and the design of novel peptide materials. Although experimental aggregation databases have been used to develop correlative and statistical models, molecular simulations offer atomic-level details that potentially provide greater physical insight and allow one to single out the most explanatory simple models. Here, we outline one such approach using a case study that develops homodimerization models for serine-glycine peptides with various hydrophobic leucine mutations. Using detailed all-atom simulations, we calculate reference dimerization free energy profiles and binding constants for a small peptide library. We then use statistical methods to systematically assess whether simple interaction models, which do not require expensive simulations and free energy calculation, can capture them...
Runge-Kutta Discretization of Optimal Control Problems

Abstract Runge-Kutta integration is used to construct finite-dimensional approximating problems that are consistent approximations, in the sense of Polak (1993), to an original optimal control problem. Stationary points and global solutions of these approximating discrete-time optimal control problems converge, as the discretization level is increased, to stationary points and global solutions of the original problem. The approximating problems involve finite-dimensional spaces of control coefficients. In solving the discrete-time approximating problems, a non-Euclidean inner product should be used on these coefficient spaces to avoid ill-conditioning. This result applies to any discretization method, not just Runge-Kutta integration. Significantly, not all Runge-Kutta methods (even full-order methods) lead to consistent approximations.
Structural Dynamics of Native-Like Ions in the Gas Phase: Results from Tandem Ion Mobility of Cytochrome c

Ion mobility (IM) is a gas-phase separation technique that is used to determine the collision cross sections of native-like ions of proteins and protein complexes, which are in turn used as restraints for modeling the structures of those analytes in solution. Here, we evaluate the stability of native-like ions using tandem IM experiments implemented using structures for lossless ion manipulations (SLIM). In this implementation of tandem IM, ions undergo a first dimension of IM up to a switch that is used to selectively transmit ions of a desired mobility. Selected ions are accumulated in a trap and then released after a delay to initiate the second dimension of IM. For delays ranging from 16 to 33 231 ms, the collision cross sections of native-like, 7+ cytochrome c ions increase monotonically from 15.1 to 17.1 nm2. The largest products formed in these experiments at near-ambient temperature are still far smaller than those formed in energy-dependent experiments (∼21 nm2). However, the collision cross sect...
Privacy and Court Records: Online Access and the Loss of Practical Obscurity

Court records present a conundrum for privacy advocates. Public access to the courts has long been a fundamental tenant of American democracy, helping to ensure that our system of justice functions fairly and that citizens can observe the actions of their government. Yet court records contain an astonishing amount of private and sensitive information, ranging from social security numbers to the names of sexual assault victims. Until recently, the privacy harms that attended the public disclosure of court records were generally regarded as insignificant because court files were difficult to search and access. But this “practical obscurity” is rapidly disappearing as the courts move from the paper-based world of the twentieth century to an interconnected, electronic world where physical and temporal barriers to information are eroding. These changes are prompting courts — and increasingly, legislatures — to reconsider public access to court records. Although this reexamination can be beneficial, a number of courts are abandoning the careful balancing of interests that has traditionally guided judges in access disputes and instead are excluding whole categories of information, documents, and cases from public access. This approach, while superficially appealing, is contrary to established First Amendment principles that require case-specific analysis before access can be restricted and is putting at risk the public’s ability to observe the functioning of the courts and justice system. This article pushes back against the categorical exclusion of information in court records. In doing so, it makes three core claims. First, the First Amendment provides a qualified right of public access to all court records that are material to a court’s exercise of its adjudicatory power. Second, before a court can restrict public access, it must engage in a case-specific evaluation of the privacy and public access interests at stake. Third, per se categorical restrictions on public access are not permissible. These conclusions do not leave the courts powerless to protect privacy, as some scholars assert. We must discard the notion that the protection of privacy is exclusively the job of judges and court staff. Instead, we need to shift the responsibility for protecting privacy to lawyers and litigants, who should not be permitted to include highly sensitive information in court files if it is not relevant to the case. Of course, we cannot eliminate all private and sensitive information from court records, but as long as courts continue to provide physical access to their records, the First Amendment does not preclude court administrators from managing electronic access in order to retain some of the beneficial aspects of practical obscurity. By minimizing the inclusion of unnecessary personal information in court files and by limiting the extent of electronic access to certain types of highly sensitive information, we can protect privacy while at the same time ensuring transparency and public accountability.
Highs and Lows: An Interrupted Time-Series Evaluation of the Impact of North America’s Only Supervised Injection Facility on Crime:

North America is currently experiencing an opioid crisis. One proposed solution to combat problems associated with injection drug use is the use of supervised injection facilities. These facilities provide drug users a space to inject pre-obtained drugs without any legal repercussions. Research on these facilities has focused on public health outcomes, and generally found positive results. Far fewer studies have investigated the impact supervised injection facilities have on crime. The current study provides an interrupted time-series analysis on the impact of North America’s only supervised injection facility on crime. Analyses of city wide crime data evidence no impact of the supervised injection facility on crime. Disaggregated analyses indicate a significant decrease in crimes in the district where the supervised injection facility is located. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Environments of Dysfunction: The Relevance of Primate Animal Models

It has long been known that the environment plays a role in both the production and alleviation of patterns of aberrant behavior. The way in which organisms adapt to their milieux and the processes by which this occurs are concerns shared by most scientists. Developmental psychology, behavioral genetics, psychiatry, ethology, neurophysiology, and systems theory are among the many specialties that contribute to our understanding of the genesis and maintenance of behavior. All have recognized that combinations of environmental stimuli or excesses or deficits of stimuli have behavioral consequences. This adjustment of the animal to internal and external pressures inherent in the demands of survival is reflected in its behavior. Comprehensive understanding of behavior will require both behavioral observation and studies of basic mechanisms involved in the behavior.
Predicting Pediatric Patients Who Require Care at a Trauma Center: Analysis of Injuries and Other Factors

Background Triage decision correctness for children in motor vehicle crashes can be affected by occult injuries. There is a need to develop a transfer score (TS) metric for children that can help quantify the likelihood that an injury is present that would require transfer to a trauma center (TC) from a non-TC, and improve triage decision making. Ultimately, the TS metric might be useful in an advanced automatic crash notification algorithm, which uses vehicle telemetry data to predict the risk of serious injury after a motor vehicle crash using an approach that includes metrics to describe injury severity, time sensitivity, and predictability. Study Design Transfer score metrics were calculated in 4 pediatric age groups (0 to 4, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, 15 to 18 years) for the most frequent motor vehicle crash injuries using the proportions of children transferred to a TC or managed at a non-TC using the National Inpatient Sample years 1998 to 2007. To account for the maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) injury, a co-injury adjusted transfer score (TS MAIS ) was calculated. The TS and TS MAIS range from 0 to 1, with 1 indicating highly transferred injuries. Results Injuries in younger patients were more likely to be transferred (median TS 0.48, 0.35, 0.25, and 0.23 for 0 to 4, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, and 15 to 18 years, respectively). Injuries more likely to be transferred in younger children occurred in the thorax and abdomen. Regardless of age, spine (median TS MAIS 0.59), head (median TS MAIS 0.48), and thorax (median TS MAIS 0.46) injuries had the highest frequency for transfer. Conclusions The TS metrics quantitatively describe age-specific transfer practices for children with particular injuries. This information can be useful in advanced automatic crash notification systems to alert first responders to the possibility of occult injuries and reduce undertriage of commonly missed injuries.
Differences Among Overhand, 3-Quarter, and Sidearm Pitching Biomechanics in Professional Baseball Players

The purpose of this study was to assess biomechanical differences among overhand, three-quarter, and sidearm arm-slot professional baseball pitchers. It was hypothesized that kinematic-and-kinetic differences would be found among the three groups, with sidearm pitchers demonstrating greater movement along the transverse plane, and overhead pitchers demonstrating greater movement along the sagittal plane. Based upon arm-slot-angle at ball-release, 30-overhand, 156-three-quarter, and 21-sidearm pitchers were tested using a 240-Hz-motion-analysis-system, and 37 kinematic-and-kinetic parameters were calculated. One-way-analyses-of-variance (α = 0.01) was employed to assess differences among groups. The comparisons showed the sidearm-group had less shoulder anterior force, whereas the overhand-group had the least elbow flexion torque. At ball release, trunk contralateral tilt and shoulder abduction were greatest for the overhand-group and least for sidearm-group. Additionally, the sidearm-group demonstrated th...
Listeria monocytogenes and Host Hsp60 – An Invasive Pairing

Microbial infection has a dramatic impact on host cell function and can induce host stress-response programs, including the heat shock response. Listeria monocytogenes is a human foodborne bacterial pathogen which interacts with the host gastrointestinal epithelium during the initial phase of the systemic disease, listeriosis. The early interaction of L. monocytogenes with the intestinal epithelium is a critical determinant of the outcome of infection, and is mediated by multiple bacterial factors, including Listeria adhesion protein (LAP). The epithelial receptor for LAP is human heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60), and the LAP-Hsp60 interaction facilitates bacterial adhesion to and translocation through intestinal epithelial monolayers. Interestingly, L. monocytogenes infection induces the expression of Hsp60 in epithelial cells, a phenomenon which renders host cells more susceptible to subsequent LAP-mediated L. monocytogenes infection. This chapter describes the importance of the host heat shock response during microbial infection, and highlights the role for LAP and host Hsp60 in mediating infection by L. monocytogenes.
Analysis of Back-Doored Phishing Kits

This paper analyzes the “back-doored” phishing kits distributed by the infamous Mr-Brain hacking group of Morocco. These phishing kits allow an additional tier of cyber criminals to access the credentials of Internet victims. Several drop email obfuscation methods used by the hacking group are also discussed.
The Relation between Stock Prices and Accounting Information

The functional relation between expected stock prices and accounting information is analyzed through the theory of inverse probability. The approach models the mean of the posterior distribution for price, given the information that the accounting process provides. The implications of alternative assumptions about accounting measurement error and the unconditional price distribution are discussed. Our most refined model is consistent with recent empirical evidence showing convexity in the relationship between price and accounting information. Empirical tests, while exploratory, provide further evidence of a nonlinear relation between stock price and accounting measures of earnings and book value.
Micafungin-Induced Hypoglycemia in a Patient With Type 1 Diabetes: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Objective Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are insulin dependent. Infection increases insulin resistance and subsequently increases insulin needs. We are reporting a case of a patient with T1DM and severe infection who has reduced insulin needs after starting micafungin therapy. Participant A 29-year-old Hispanic woman with known history of long-standing, uncontrolled T1DM presented for evaluation of worsening dysphagia and dyspnea. She was found to have cervical necrotizing fasciitis extending into the mediastinum and required several debridement surgeries along with broad-spectrum antibiotics and antifungal therapy. She had uncontrolled diabetes with a glycosylated hemoglobin of 13.4% (18.8 mM) on admission. Her insulin requirements progressively increased as a result of worsening infection, continuous tube feeds, and multiple debridement surgeries. She was started on micafungin, a potent 1,3-β-D glucan synthase inhibitor, to broaden antimicrobial coverage when her insulin requirement decreased to zero for >48 hours. Right after discontinuation of micafungin and her switch to a different antifungal, insulin requirements increased back to her baseline needs. Results This is a report of decreased insulin requirements in a patient with T1DM correlating with micafungin administration. The mechanism of micafungin-induced hypoglycemia is not yet established. Oral administration of linear 1,3-β-D glucan has been documented to decrease blood glucose levels significantly by inhibition of expression of sodium-glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1) in intestinal mucosa. Conclusion We hypothesize that micafungin may inhibit SGLT-1 function and decrease insulin requirements in patient with T1DM.
Battery storage in developing countries: Key issues to consider

Abstract There has been significant excitement around deployment of grid-connected battery storage around the world including many developing countries. As the cost of battery storage followed the sharp drop in solar and wind, batteries hold immense possibility to transform the power systems in the developing world. However, it will require great care in assessing the specific benefits that a battery storage can provide to the power system as a whole, and developing a business model based on a sound economic analysis. The latter assumes special significance in developing countries where electricity markets are yet to be fully developed in most cases, leaving it to the centralized planning process to undertake such cost-benefit analysis.
Use of Accelerometry for Long Term Monitoring of Stroke Patients

Stroke patients are monitored hourly by physicians and nurses in an attempt to better understand their physical state. To quantify the patients’ level of mobility, hourly movement (i.e. motor) assessment scores are performed, which can be taxing and time-consuming for nurses and physicians. In this paper, we attempt to find a correlation between patient motor scores and continuous accelerometer data recorded in subjects who are unilaterally impaired due to stroke. The accelerometers were placed on both upper and lower extremities of four severely unilaterally impaired patients and their movements were recorded continuously for 7 to 14 days. Features that incorporate movement smoothness, strength, and characteristic movement patterns were extracted from the accelerometers using time-frequency analysis. Support vector classifiers were trained with the extracted features to test the ability of the long term accelerometer recordings in predicting dependent and antigravity sides, and significantly above baseline performance was obtained in most instances ( $P ). Finally, a leave-one-subject-out approach was carried out to assess the generalizability of the proposed methodology, and above baseline performance was obtained in two out of the three tested subjects. The methodology presented in this paper provides a simple, yet effective approach to perform long term motor assessment in neurocritical care patients.
Why Do Readers Fail to Change Their Beliefs After Reading Persuasive Text

Aristotle introduced the study of persuasion with advice to orators. Since, rhetoricians have turned to written persuasion as well. The content characteristics of persuasive text are as important in persuading the reader as the text’s structure. Aristotle proposed a taxonomy of content types for persuasion, which continues to influence the advice given to budding authors learning to design persuasive texts. Persuasive text, such as Pharmaceuticals, is predominately a presentation of evidence that can be characterized by the Toulmin argument model. Presumably, the authors assume that readers will carefully weigh the evidence and that some readers will change their beliefs after reading the text. D. Kuhn suggests an ideal model whereby readers compare the evidence they have for their prior beliefs with the evidence in a persuasive text, consider the relative merits of the opposing evidence, and either retain or change their beliefs accordingly.
Spatial distribution of spectrally emitting species in a nitromethane–air diffusion flame and comparison with kinetic models

Abstract Current nitromethane kinetic schemes do not fully capture the intermediate reaction states of deflagrating nitromethane, which is an explosive used in many combustion applications. There is a need for data on these transient species that can be used to validate and improve contemporary kinetic models. This work aims to analyze the evolution of identified transient species present in a nitromethane–air flame stabilized on a wick at ambient pressure. We detect several new emitters in excited electronic states, HNO*(A’), CN* (A2Σ), NO2*, and in ground electronic states, CH, OH, NH, and H2O. We also confirm the presence of previously observed reaction species CH*(A2Δ). Formaldehyde and the characteristic C2*(A3Πg) swan bands are not observed. Results are reported as a function of flame position. Flame simulations for the nitromethane flame using reaction mechanisms by Brequigny et al. (Proc. Combust. Inst. 2014, 35, 703) and Mathieu et al. (Fuel 2016, 182, 597) yield good qualitative agreement to the experimental data for rich stoichiometries. While current mechanisms do not include excited state species, these results also provide insight into potential ground state precursors.
The Legality of Trickery During Interrogation

May police use deception during interrogation? In the United States, the judicial answer to that question has often been a resounding “yes.” The literature suggests four possible objections to this position. The first is empirically-based: deception is simply not necessary to get confessions. The other three objections assume that, in some cases, deception is necessary, but posit that, nonetheless, it must still be prohibited in all or many cases. Objection number two is that lying to suspects undermines the suspect’s dignity and therefore ought to banned completely. The third objection is that, even if the dignity concern can be overcome, deception is often impermissibly coercive. The fourth objection is that, separate and apart from concerns about dignity, even non-coercive trickery ought to be prohibited when it constitutes fraud, which is inherently immoral and perhaps a crime. This chapter, which elaborates on my earlier work on this subject, concludes that, while all of these objections have some merit, some types of interrogation trickery are justified. Specifically, interrogation deception should be permitted if: (1) a judge has determined there is probable cause to believe the person interrogated has committed a crime and that interrogation is necessary to help solve that crime; (2) the police have been unable to obtain a confession through non-deceptive questioning; (3) the police do not engage in negotiation techniques (unless a defense attorney is present), or in fraudulent techniques that verge on criminal actions; and (4) police ensure that they refrain as much as possible from feeding the suspect facts that only the perpetrator would know, so that the reliability of any confession produced can be corroborated.
Travel guides, urban spatial imaginaries and LGBTQ+ activism: The case of Damron guides:

In this paper we focus on LGBTQ+ travel guides and the creation of a North American LGBTQ+ urban imaginary as forms and facilitators of activism. Specifically, we consider one of the few continuous...
Temporal variation of power production via reverse electrodialysis using coastal North Carolina waters and its correlation to temperature and conductivity

Abstract Global estimates of electricity generation from coastal salinity gradient energy resources rely on the underlying assumption that these gradients are spatially and temporally stable. Refining these estimates requires a better understanding of coastal variations in water properties and their impact on power production. This study investigated power output in reverse electrodialysis (RED) cells by coupling seawater samples collected from three different sites along coastal North Carolina at five different sampling dates between 2016 and 2017 with wastewater effluent from a wastewater treatment facility as the dilute solution. We found that power density did not vary substantially across the sampling dates except for one notable drop in power for a sample collected during an approaching hurricane. For all sites, power output peaked during the summer season. Using our experimental results, we developed a semi-empirical predictive model of RED power output as a function of temperature and conductivity. The model was able to predict power density within approximately 20% of the experimental power densities for the seawater samples used in this study and others in the literature. Combining our modeling approach with temporal conductivity and temperature data may help identify promising sites for coastal salinity gradient energy installations.
Streptococcus pneumoniae metal homeostasis alters cellular metabolism

Streptococcus pneumoniae colonizes the human nasopharyngeal mucosa and is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia, acute otitis media, and bacterial meningitis. Metal ion homeostasis is vital to the survival of this pathogen across diverse biological sites and contributes significantly to colonization and invasive disease. Microarray and qRT-PCR analysis revealed an upregulation of an uncharacterized operon (SP1433-1438) in pneumococci subjected to metal-chelation by N,N,N',N'-tetrakis-(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPEN). Supplementation of zinc, cobalt, and nickel following TPEN treatment significantly abrogated induction. BLASTP comparisons and protein topology analysis predicted this locus to encode components of ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters involved in multidrug resistance (SP1434-1435) and energy-coupling factor (ECF) transporters (SP1436-1438). Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis identified differences in intracellular metal content in a Δ1434-8 mutant strain compared to parental T4R. Further, analysis of the secreted metabolome of WT and Δ1434-8 strains identified significant changes in pneumococcal glycolytic and amino acid metabolic pathways, indicating a shift towards mixed acid fermentation. Additionally, proteomic analysis revealed differentially expressed proteins in the Δ1434-8 mutant strain, with nearly 20% regulated by the global catabolite repressor, CcpA. Based on these findings, we propose that the transporters encoded by SP1433-1438 are involved in regulating the central metabolism of S. pneumoniae and contributing to bacterial survival during metal stress.
Recent Research on Other PAH's Pertaining to the “Bay-Region” Theory

The chapter presents studies designed to demonstrate the unique biological activity of the appropriate diol epoxides of several carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) that have been conducted in an attempt to determine the generality of the bay-region theory and its significance to the PAH-induced chemical carcinogenesis. In the studies, the weak carcinogen, benzo[a]anthracene, that serves as a reasonable model for studies of more potent derivatives such as 7-methylbenzo[a]anthracene, 7,12-dimethylbenzo[a]anthracene, and 3-methylcholanthrene was the first compound to be examined. Perturbational molecular orbital (PMO) calculations were applied and an index assigned to designate the relative mutagenicity and carcinogenicity for a series of positional isomers of the diol epoxide derived from benzo[a]anthracene. The results confirmed that diol epoxide benzo[a]anthracene in which the oxirane ring forms a part of a bay-region is much more active than others that is in accord with the proposed activity series derived from PMO calculations. Earlier studies of the metabolic activation of the five trans dihydrodiols derived from benzo[a]anthracene to mutagens by a highly purified and reconstituted cytochrome P-448 monooxygenase system are also consistent with the bay-region concept. Further, the studies with 5-methylchrysene provide support for the extension of a bay-region theory to methylated compounds.
Consumer Preferences for E-cigarette Flavor, Nicotine Strength, and Type: Evidence from Nielsen Scanner Data.

INTRODUCTION Many countries regulate e-cigarette attributes such as flavors and nicotine strength. Despite a large literature on consumer preferences for e-cigarette attributes, none used consumer-level longitudinal purchase data. We therefore use a unique large dataset on U.S. adults' e-cigarette purchases as to gain insight into real-world consumer choices and purchasing patterns. METHODS A total of 7098 purchase transactions, made by 1239 households on e-cigarette from various retail outlets for 2013 through 2017, were collected from Nielsen scanner data. We then apply an innovative multinomial logit model to examine which factors affected adult choices over 23 e-cigarettes products broken down by eight brands, three flavors, three nicotine strength levels, and two types. RESULTS We found that tobacco flavor, medium nicotine strength (12< mg/ml ≤18), or disposables lead to higher adult purchases and such preference can vary over cigarette smoking status, purchase frequency, gender, race, and age. Specifically, smokers tend to purchase tobacco flavor, non-smokers or female vapers tend to purchase medium strength, and infrequent vapers tend to purchase disposables. Vapers are quite responsive to e-cigarette prices and also display loyalty (inertia) to e-cigarette brands, flavor, and nicotine strength. CONCLUSIONS When modeled together, e-cigarette flavors, strength, type, price, and previous choice were all found to influence vapers' current purchase decision in the actual retail environment. IMPLICATIONS The evidence presented here indicates that the impacts of certain restrictions on e-cigarette attributes, such as a flavor ban or maximum level of nicotine content, might have heterogeneous impacts on adults.