cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Micro-Credit Programs on Self-Employment Profits, the Do Non-Credit Program Aspects Matter?

Micro-credit programs provide a two-tiered approach to poverty alleviation: credit for the purchase of capital inputs to promote self-employment and non-credit services and incentives. These non-credit aspects may be an important component of the success of micro-credit programs. This paper uses primary data on household participants and non-participants in Grameen Bank and two similar micro-credit programs to measure the total and non-credit effects of micro-credit program participation on productivity. I find large positive effects of participation and the non-credit aspects of participation on self-employment profits.
How Spacing and Variable Retrieval Practice Affect the Learning of Statistics Concepts

This research investigated key factors in learning conceptual material about statistics, and tested the effect of variability during retrieval practice. The goal was to build a model of learning for schedule-based interventions. Participants (n = 230) completed multiple reading and test trials with fill in the blank sentences about basic statistics concepts. The experiment was a 2 (trial type: read or drill) × 3 (learning trial spacing: wide medium, or narrow) × 2 (fill-in term during learning: variable or constant) × 2 (fill-in term during posttest: variable or constant) within-subjects design. The model of the results captures the data with recent and long-term components to explain posttest transfer and the testing and spacing effects. These results, and data on the conceptual confusions amongst statistical terms, are discussed with respect to implications for future intelligent learning systems.
Waterborne Enteric Viruses: Diversity, Distribution, and Detection

Enteric viruses are a leading cause of gastroenteritis and they constitute a diverse group. The viruses commonly implicated in gastroenteritis (cases or outbreaks) are classified into the families Picornaviridae (polioviruses, enteroviruses, coxsakieviruses, and echoviruses), Adenoviridae (adenovirus 40 and 41), Caliciviridae (noroviruses, Sapporoviruses,), and Reoviridae (reoviruses). Although enteric virus infections are mainly associated with diarrhea and self-limiting gastroenteritis in healthy humans, they have also been linked to aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, myocarditis and insulin-dependent diabetes. Currently, about 140 waterborne viruses are known to infect humans. The waterborne viruses not only show wide diversity in the illness (including diarrhea, fever, hepatitis, paralysis, meningitis, respiratory and heart diseases, they also show broad diversity in their size, shape, infection process and replication mechanisms. Most of waterborne enteric viruses have icosahedral capsid; however, the structural feature on the surface of capsids varies among different virus groups. The rotavirus capsid is composed of three concentric protein layers and the outermost layer comprises the proteins VP4 and VP7. The PV4 forms spike like structures which are responsible for virus attachment to host cell. Adenovirus has an icosahedral capsid composed of hexon the major capsid protein. In addition, capsid has penton with elongated fibers projecting out of each penton. The distal ends of these fibers have a globular "knob" which functions as the major attachment site for host cell receptors. In general, the members of enteroviruses and caliciviruses / norovirus have capsid with less pronounced surface features; but members of these groups have significantly different annotation of their capsid.
Changing PL Intensity from GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As Heterostructures due to the Chemisorption of SO2: Effects of Heterostructure Geometry

Chemical adsorption of gases onto semiconductor surfaces results in a change in the density of electronic surface states. The corresponding change in the number of surface charges gives rise to a measurable change in the bulk charge distribution within the semiconductor. This phenomenon forms the basis of a novel solid-state chemical sensor device using the intensity of photoluminescence (PL) as a measurement technique. We have observed changes in the PL intensity from MOVPE-grown GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As heterostructures due to the chemisorption of SO2 onto “photowashed” GaAs surfaces. The photowashing technique is believed to reduce the density of preexisting surface states by removing As from the GaAs surface oxide. The PL signal-to-noise ratio and PL sensitivity characteristics of these chemical sensors may be dramatically improved by varying semiconductor structure. We have observed a range of PL enhancements upon exposure to 0.6% SO2 in flowing N2 from heterostructure layers with various thicknesses and doping densities. These results are explained by comparison with a FEM numerical model derived to correlate the relative PL intensity from various heterostructures to the surface charge density.
Leukemic Infiltration of the Lungs in the Chemotherapeutic Era

Involvement of the lung in acute leukemia is common. To evaluate the effect of modern treatment and correlation with respiratory symptoms, leukemic infiltration of the lungs was studied at autopsy. True parenchymal infiltration was distinguished from involvement of hilar lymph nodes, visceral pleura, or vascular lumina (leukostasis). The incidence of leukemic pulmonary infiltration was unaltered by current therapy, being similar in treated (32% of 38 cases) and untreated (35% of 31 cases) patients. Clinical respiratory impairment was of equal frequency in treated and untreated groups (39%). Leukemic infiltration of the lungs in these patients with symptoms was rare, and always accompanied by either pulmonary infection, severe edema, or hemorrhage. Thus, although well documented in the literature, isolated, uncomplicated leukemic infiltration was not a direct cause of clinical pulmonary symptoms in this study.
Permeability of latex and polyvinyl chloride gloves to carmustine

Permeability of latex and polyvinyl chloride gloves to the antineoplastic agent carmustine was studied. The latex gloves were of two types: sterile surgical gloves and disposable utility gloves. Polyvinyl chloride gloves of two thicknesses (0.20 mm and 0.35 mm) were tested. Both single and double thicknesses of each material were exposed to carmustine 3.33 mg/ml in a 10% aqueous solution of ethanol, and to the solvent alone, for 5-90 minutes. Permeation of carmustine was tested using a mutagenicity assay and a chemical assay. A time-dependent increase in carmustine permeation was observed for all types of materials (both double and single thicknesses). Mean amounts of carmustine permeating single gloves at 90 minutes ranged from 53 to 86 micrograms for the mutagenicity assay and 49 to 78 micrograms for the chemical assay. Double thicknesses of glove material (especially of the thicker polyvinyl chloride) reduced the amount of drug permeation. These latex and polyvinyl chloride glove materials offer only limited protection against contact exposure to carmustine. Latex surgical gloves may be slightly less permeable than the other types tested.
Analysis of Fault in Nuclear Power System by Improved Genetic Algorithm and Probability Causal Model

A novel diagnosis method is proposed based on probabilistic causal-effect model and genetic algorithm,which takes advantage of calculating probability function from the causal-effect model as the fitness function instead of the original complex system.Improved algorithms and probabilistic causal fault diagnosis smodel is constructed to carry out the diagnosis analysis of marine nuclear power equipment.The analysis result is of importance to the fault diagnosis of marine nuclear power equipment,and improved genetic algorithm is an effective and practical way to diagnose the fault of marine nuclear power equipment.
A survey rodent situation from 2010 to 2013 in Ningshan county

Objective In order to provide evidence for control and prevention of rodent borne diseases,a survey of rodent situation was carried out from 2010 to 2013 in Ningshan county. Methods 5 meter clamp( cage) line method was used for the field nocturnal rodents density survey and night trap method for house rodents density survey. The descriptive epidemiology method was adopted to analyze surveillance results. Results 650 rats were captured and authenticated to be 4 families 9 genera 15 species. The annual average density of field rodent was 4. 06%,and house mouse was 4. 68%. Conclusion The dominant species of rats in Ningshan county are Rattus tanezumi and Rattus norvegicus. The rodent density fluctuation is closely related to deratization activities. According to this survey,the action of appropriate mass deratization is important for control of rodent density and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome( HFRS) in the epidemic season.
A Spectral Learning Approach to Knowledge Tracing

Knowledge Tracing (BKT) is a common way of determining student knowledge of skills in adaptive educational systems and cognitive tutors. The basic BKT is a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) that models student knowledge based on five parameters: prior, learn rate, forget, guess, and slip. Expectation Maximization (EM) is often used to learn these parameters from training data. However, EM is a time-consuming process, and is prone to converging to erroneous, implausible local optima depending on the initial values of the BKT parameters. In this paper we address these two problems by using spectral learning to learn a Predictive State Representation (PSR) that represents the BKT HMM. We then use a heuristic to extract the BKT parameters from the learned PSR using basic matrix operations. The spectral learning method is based on an approximate factorization of the estimated covariance of windows from students' sequences of correct and incorrect responses; it is fast, local-optimum-free, and statistically consistent. In the past few years, spectral techniques have been used on real-world problems involving latent variables in dynamical systems, computer vision, and natural language processing. Our results suggest that the parameters learned by the spectral algorithm can replace the parameters learned by EM; the results of our study show that the spectral algorithm can improve knowledge tracing parameter- fitting time significantly while maintaining the same prediction accuracy, or help to improve accuracy while still keeping parameter-fitting time equivalent to EM.
Motivational factors in self-directed informal learning from online learning resources

AbstractLearning is becoming more self-directed and informal with the support of emerging technologies. A variety of online resources have promoted informal learning by allowing people to learn on demand and just when needed. It is significant to understand self-directed informal learners’ motivational aspects, their learning goals, obstacles, and successes when using online resources. However, scant knowledge exists about self-directed learning factors, such as informal learners’ behaviors and motivations, which would suggest guidelines for improving their learning performance. The goal of this study was to contribute to the understanding of learners’ motivational factors and self-directed learning aspects of informal learning when using online learning resources. In this study, a survey of learners from various informal learning websites was conducted. Quantitative analysis including descriptive and frequency analysis regarding informal learning experiences was conducted. The results show that the main ...
Amygdala—Pain Processing and Pain Modulation

As part of the limbic system the amygdala plays a key role in the emotional evaluation of sensory stimuli, emotional learning and memory, and affective states and disorders. The amygdala receives information about all sensory modalities and contains a nociceptive area, the latero-capsular part of the central nucleus (CeLC), which receives and integrates nociceptive and affect-related information. The amygdala also connects to pain modulatory systems through fore-brain and brainstem connections. Electrophysiological data show pain-related sensitization and synaptic plasticity in the CeLC, which depends on presynaptic group I metabotropic glutamate receptors and postsynaptic NMDA receptors. Pain-related plasticity in the CeLC results in increased nocifensive and affective pain behavior, although the amygdala can also contribute to endogenous pain inhibition under certain circumstances. Thus, it appears that the amygdala has a dual pain-enhancing and pain-inhibiting function, which may play an important role in the state-dependent modulation and experience of pain.
Reducing Antagonism between Behavioral Diversity and Fitness in Semantic Genetic Programming

Maintaining population diversity has long been considered fundamental to the effectiveness of evolutionary algorithms. Recently, with the advent of novelty search, there has been an increasing interest in sustaining behavioral diversity by using both fitness and behavioral novelty as separate search objectives. However, since the novelty objective explicitly rewards diverging from other individuals, it can antagonize the original fitness objective that rewards convergence toward the solution(s). As a result, fostering behavioral diversity may prevent proper exploitation of the most interesting regions of the behavioral space, and thus adversely affect the overall search performance. In this paper, we argue that an antagonism between behavioral diversity and fitness can indeed exist in semantic genetic programming applied to symbolic regression. Minimizing error draws individuals toward the target semantics but promoting novelty, defined as a distance in the semantic space, scatters them away from it. We introduce a less conflicting novelty metric, defined as an angular distance between two program semantics with respect to the target semantics. The experimental results show that this metric, in contrast to the other considered diversity promoting objectives, allows to consistently improve the performance of genetic programming regardless of whether it employs a syntactic or a semantic search operator.
Intra-Individual and Cross-Partner Associations Between the Five Facets of Mindfulness and Relationship Satisfaction

Research has established that mindfulness may be useful to individual and dyadic well-being among both early-stage and long-term relationships. Nonetheless, it remains unclear which mechanisms of mindfulness are most relevant to relationship satisfaction among long-term married couples. Furthermore, although previous research suggests that an individual’s total mindfulness is not related to his or her partner’s relationship satisfaction, we have yet to determine whether any specific facets of mindfulness may evidence a significant cross-partner association with relationship satisfaction. The present study seeks to address these gaps in the literature using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Data were collected from 164 long-term married couples (M relationship length = 28.30 years, SD = 8.43 years). Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that one’s Nonjudgment of Inner Experience uniquely predicts one’s own relationship satisfaction above and beyond the other facets, and that an individual’s Nonreactivity to Inner Experience uniquely predicts his or her spouse’s relationship satisfaction above and beyond the other facets. Implications for utilizing mindfulness aimed at both intra-individual and cross-partner relationship enhancement will be discussed.
Physical Exercise for Treatment of Mood Disorders: A Critical Review.

Purpose of the review The purpose of this review is to critically assess the evidence for exercise as an adjunct intervention for major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, chronic conditions characterized by frequent comorbid conditions as well as interepisodic symptoms with poor quality of life and impaired functioning. Individuals with these mood disorders are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death in part because of increased rates of obesity, inactivity, and diabetes mellitus compared to the general population. Exercise may not only mitigate the increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but could also potentially improve the long term outcomes of mood disorders.
Abstract B78: Histamine dihydrochloride in the treatment of mesothelioma

Our recent adoptive T cell transfer trial for mesothelioma revealed a striking anti-tumor response in a patient which was accompanied by anaphylaxis, suggesting endogenous histamine release. In animal models, histamine has direct and immune-based anti-tumor effects. In fact, histamine dihydrochloride is approved in Europe in combination with interleukin-2 (IL2) for leukemia treatment. We thus explored the anti-tumor role of histamine in mesothelioma. An in vitro MTT assay was used to measure cell proliferation. Daily doses of histamine (1 mg/kg) – alone, or in combination with other immunotherapies – was used to treat four subcutaneous flank tumor models in three different mouse strains. Flow cytometric analyses were subsequently performed on tumors. Histamine had in vitro anti-tumor activity against all five cell lines tested with an IC50 of 1.8 mM. Histamine also significantly reduced tumor volume in all four in vivo models without toxic side effects. Immunodepletion studies revealed that the effect was partially due to T cells. When combined with two immunotherapy approaches (adenovirally-delivered interferon-α or a tumor antigen), anti-tumor efficacy was augmented. Histamine resulted in more interferon-γ and IL2 production by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), downregulation of CD206 expression on tumor-infiltrating macrophages, and reduced numbers of T regulatory cells (Tregs). Histamine has direct anti-tumor effects and immune-stimulatory effects within the tumor microenvironment (as seen with macrophage polarization, increase in cytokine production, and reduction in Tregs). This pre-clinical data suggests that histamine alone, or in combination with immunotherapy, should be explored in the treatment of mesothelioma. Citation Format: Kheng Newick, Shaun O9Brien, Veena Kapoor, Liang-chuan Wang, Edmund Moon, Andrew Haas, Evan Alley, Daniel Sterman, Steven Albelda. Histamine dihydrochloride in the treatment of mesothelioma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy: A New Chapter; December 1-4, 2014; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2015;3(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B78.
Human Sexuality and Aging

Studies of the effects of aging on human sexual behavior have been consistent in finding decreased sexual libido and activity in both sexes as aging occurs. Beginning at approximately age 50, there appears to be a gradual continuous decline in sexual interest and activity. Some of this decline in sexual activity appears to be a function of normal aging. Some is clearly associated with age-related disease processes and their treatment. A minority of individuals remain sexually active on a once a week to once a month basis into their 80s and 90s.
Clinical Studies in Hematologic Microtransplantation

The anti-tumor effects of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation depend upon engraftment of donor cells followed by a graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect. However, pre-clinical and clinical studies have established that under certain circumstances, anti-tumor responses can occur despite the absence of high levels of durable donor cell engraftment. Tumor response with little or no donor engraftment has been termed "microtransplantation." It has been hard to define conditions leading to tumor responses without donor cell persistence in humans because the degree of engraftment depends very heavily upon many patient-specific factors, including immune status and degree of prior therapy. Likewise, it is unknown to what degree donor chimerism in the blood or tissue is required for an anti-tumor effect under conditions of microtransplantation. In this review, we summarize some key studies supporting the concept of microtransplantation and emphasize the importance of recent large studies of microtransplantation in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). These AML studies provide the first evidence of the efficacy of microtransplantation as a therapeutic strategy and lay the foundation for additional pre-clinical studies and clinical trials that will refine the understanding of the mechanisms involved and guide its further development as a treatment modality.
Comparison of denture tooth movement between CAD-CAM and conventional fabrication techniques

Abstract Statement of problem Data comparing the denture tooth movement of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) and conventional denture processing techniques are lacking. Purpose The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the denture tooth movement of pack-and-press, fluid resin, injection, CAD-CAM-bonded, and CAD-CAM monolithic techniques for fabricating dentures to determine which process produces the most accurate and reproducible prosthesis. Material and methods A total of 50 dentures were evaluated, 10 for each of the 5 groups. A master denture was fabricated and milled from prepolymerized poly(methyl methacrylate). For the conventional processing techniques (pack-and-press, fluid resin, and injection) a polyvinyl siloxane putty mold of the master denture was made in which denture teeth were placed and molten wax injected. The cameo surface of each wax-festooned denture was laser scanned, resulting in a standard tessellation language (STL) format file. The CAD-CAM dentures included 2 subgroups: CAD-CAM-bonded teeth in which the denture teeth were bonded into the milled denture base and CAD-CAM monolithic teeth in which the denture teeth were milled as part of the denture base. After all specimens had been fabricated, they were hydrated for 24 hours, and the cameo surface laser scanned. The preprocessing and postprocessing scan files of each denture were superimposed using surface-matching software. Measurements were made at 64 locations, allowing evaluation of denture tooth movement in a buccal, lingual, mesial-distal, and occlusal direction. The use of median and interquartile range values was used to assess accuracy and reproducibility. Levene and Kruskal-Wallis analyses of variance were used to evaluate differences between processing techniques (α=.05). Results The CAD-CAM monolithic technique was the most accurate, followed by fluid resin, CAD-CAM-bonded, pack-and-press, and injection. CAD-CAM monolithic technique was the most reproducible, followed by pack-and-press, CAD-CAM-bonded, injection, and fluid resin. Techniques involving compression during processing showed increased positive occlusal tooth movement compared with techniques not involving compression. Conclusions CAD-CAM monolithic dentures produced the best combination of accuracy and reproducibility of the tested techniques. The results from this study demonstrate that varying amounts of tooth movement can be expected depending on the processing technique. However, the clinical significance of these differences is unknown.
Creativity: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations

The first section of the review covers all major theoretical formulations of creativity and the second section presents research and methodological problems inherent in the assessment of creativity. The theoretical views presented include: psychoanalytic, associationistic, Gestalt, existential, interpersonal, and trait. Comparisons and contrasts between theories are made when appropriate. Research stemming from these theoretical viewpoints stressed the kinds of creativity measures developed and utilized. Torrance, Guilford, and Getzels and Jackson’s works are emphasized. The last section deals with a major obstacle of research in this field, the validation of measures to suitable criteria.
Charge transport in organic molecular semiconductors from first principles: The bandlike hole mobility in a naphthalene crystal

Predicting charge transport in organic molecular crystals is notoriously challenging. Carrier mobility calculations in organic semiconductors are dominated by quantum chemistry methods based on charge hopping, which are laborious and only moderately accurate. We compute from first principles the electron-phonon scattering and the phonon-limited hole mobility of naphthalene crystal in the framework of ab initio band theory. Our calculations combine GW electronic bandstructures, ab initio electron-phonon scattering, and the Boltzmann transport equation. The calculated hole mobility is in very good agreement with experiment between $100--300\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, and we can predict its temperature dependence with high accuracy. We show that scattering between intermolecular phonons and holes regulates the mobility, though intramolecular phonons possess the strongest coupling with holes. We revisit the common belief that only rigid molecular motions affect carrier dynamics in organic molecular crystals. Our paper provides a quantitative and rigorous framework to compute charge transport in organic crystals and is a first step toward reconciling band theory and carrier hopping computational methods.
The Simultaneity of Compliance and Resistance (既顺从又抗爭：佛教、虛雲與五十年代的中共政权)

To examine the history of Chinese Buddhism in the early Communist regime, I propose to study Xuyun (虛雲, 1840–1958), one of the pre-eminent monks in modern China. I will delineate the ways in which Xuyun brought his religion in line with Marxist politics. To help Buddhism secure a place in the early People’s Republic of China, he took part in the construction of a new Buddhism compatible with socialist ideology. However, I would venture to conceptualize as resistance some of Xuyun’s efforts to preserve Buddhism. This article examines his resistance at two levels. First, while working hard to prove the value of Buddhism to the state, Xuyun mounted what can be regarded as rightful resistance. When possible, he confronted policies and authorities that hurt the sangha, but did so without challenging the legitimacy of the CCP . Second, in the 1950s, Xuyun strove to instruct Chinese Buddhists in self-cultivation. As he shared his experience and knowledge about spiritual practice with fellow Buddhists, he showed them, especially monastics, how to uphold Buddhist ideals in a political context marked by hostility towards religions.為了探究五十年代中共政權下的佛教歷史，本文探討現代中國最傑出的法師之一，虛雲法師 (1840–1958) 如何調整自己的宗教来適應馬克思主義政權。為了使佛教能夠在新中國成立之初生存，虛雲法師參與了構建與社會主義意識形態相適應的新佛教。但是，本文進一步嘗試把虛雲法師保存佛教的一些努力定義為抗爭，細究他在如下兩個方面的反抗：首先，在向國家證明佛教價值的同時，虛雲始終在正當性的名義下進行抗爭。在不挑戰中共政權合法性的前提下，他試圖抵抗對僧團不利的政策和政治權威。其次，虛雲法師在50年代堅持延續佛教、特别是禪宗的修行傳統。他希望佛門弟子，尤其是僧人，能在反宗教的政治氣候下繼續延續佛教的理念—这，對虛雲而言，是更重要的抗爭。
Use of parental disability as a removal reason for children in foster care in the U.S.

Abstract This study uses a large administrative dataset, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), to explore how public child welfare agencies in the United States use parental disability in their data collection efforts through examining the use of parental disability as a removal reason. Using data from the 2012 AFCARS foster care file, this study explores how the parental disability removal reason is used and how this removal reason relates to parent and child demographics. The study found that 19% of foster children had parental disability as a removal reason. Children with disabilities and children of certain races had higher odds of having parental disability as a removal reason, as did both younger and older parents. The study also found great variation amongst states in the use of parental disability as a removal. Recommendations for more appropriate collection of parental disability related data are suggested, as basing child welfare decisions on diagnoses versus behavior contradicts guidance jointly put forth by the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services.
Temperature and competition interact to structure Himalayan bird communities.

Longstanding theory predicts that competitive interactions set species9 range limits in relatively aseasonal, species-rich regions, while temperature limits distributions in more seasonal, species-poor areas. More recent theory holds that species evolve narrow physiological tolerances in aseasonal regions, with temperature being an important determining factor in such zones. We tested how abiotic (temperature) and biotic (competition) factors set range limits and structure bird communities along strong, opposing, temperature-seasonality and species-richness gradients in the Himalayas, in two regions separated by 1500 km. By examining the degree to which seasonal elevational migration conserves year-round thermal niches across species, we show that species in the relatively aseasonal and speciose east are more constrained by temperature compared with species in the highly seasonal west. We further show that seasonality has a profound effect on the strength of competition between congeneric species. Competition appears to be stronger in winter, a period of resource scarcity in the Himalayas, in both the east and the west, with similarly sized eastern species more likely to segregate in thermal niche space in winter. Our results indicate that rather than acting in isolation, abiotic and biotic factors mediate each other to structure ecological communities.
Sociology of Gender and Sport

Despite the seeming affinity between gender in sports contexts and the theoretical and methodological orientations of the field of sociology of gender, research studies of sport have, for the most part, been marginalized. With few exceptions, most edited collections and anthologies on sociology of gender do not include a chapter on sport (Malcolm in Sport and Sociology. Routledge, London, 2012). In this chapter, I offer insights into several factors that explains the marginalization of sport within the field of sociology of gender despite sport’s relevance to gender scholars. Next, I provide a brief overview of key thematic trends in the research relevant to sociology of gender scholars, and offer a discussion and critique of the relevant approaches. I conclude with a few comments regarding future directions in the field of sociology of sport and gender.
The Value Relevance of Accounting Information in Thailand around the 1997 Decline in the Value of the Baht

This study examines the value relevance of financial accounting in Thailand prior to and during the decline in the value of the Baht in July 1997. The study examines the association between security prices from the Stock Exchange of Thailand and accounting book values and earnings from first quarter 1992 through third quarter 1997. Our results show that Thai earnings and book values are positively and significantly related to security prices although to a lessor extent than for United States and British firms. Thai book values and earnings each have incremental information content relative to the other. We find that the value relevance of book values in Thailand are increasing significantly over time, particularly after the decline in the value of the Baht in July 1997. However, the number of Thai firms reporting losses increased in the second and third quarters of 1997. Thus, our evidence that the value-relevance of Thai book values increased is consistent with evidence from US firms that value relevance shifts from earnings to book values when earnings are negative. We find no evidence, however, of change in the value relevance of earnings.
Scheduled Controllers for Robust, Non-Linear Control: Introduction and Application to the Shell Standard Control Problem

This paper presents a beginning philosophy for robust control using non-linear controllers. The motivation for the approach is the potential offered by a combination of variations on non-linear dynamic programming combined with scheduled or table-look up type controllers. The paper also analyzes and presents a solution to the Shell standard control problem using these ideas. Finally, it suggests that a steady state form of the IMC controller may provide a simple yet satisfactory control option for certain types of MIMO problems.
A Natural Miniature of the Cicada Zammara calochroma Walker, 1858 (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae)

Abstract. A miniature example of the cicada Zammara calochroma Walker, 1858 was found among undetermined material from Costa Rica. The specimen has a body length of 81.20% of the average determined for the species. Other morphological variables range from 51.88%-86.36% of average size and all structures are outside the 95% Confidence Interval Estimate for the species suggesting the miniature specimen is different from the population as a whole. The specimen was collected in the wild and is a naturally occurring miniature of an adult and appears to be the first analysis of a miniature cicada.
Contextual correlates of energy-dense snack food and sweetened beverage intake across the day in African American women: An application of ecological momentary assessment.

Abstract This study examined relationships between contextual factors and within-person variations in snack food and sweetened beverage intake in African American women (n = 79), aged 25–65 years living in metropolitan Chicago. For seven days, participants wore a global positioning system (GPS) logger and were signaled five times per day to complete an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) survey assessing behaviors and environmental, social, and other contextual factors via smartphones. Within-person associations between snack food and beverage intake and contextual factors were analyzed using three-level logistic regressions. Participants reported consuming a snack food at 38.4% of signals and a sweetened beverage at 17.9% of signals. Fast food restaurant and convenience store density within the daily activity space was not associated with either snack food or sweetened beverage intake. However, perceptions of close proximity to fast food restaurants and convenience stores making it easier to eat/drink, while accounting for one's usual proximity, were associated with increased odds of snack intake (O.R. 2.1; 95% C.I. 1.4, 3.0) but not sweetened beverage. We also found engaging in activities such as watching television (O.R. 1.8; 95% C.I. 1.2, 2.7) and talking (O.R. 1.7; 95% C.I. 1.1, 2.6) while eating were associated with higher snack intake. These factors were not related to sweetened beverage intake. Public health interventions addressing fast food restaurant and convenience store accessibility and food offerings and marketing within these outlets may help reduce snack food intake. Additionally, to reduce concurrent activities while eating, real-time interventions using smart technology could be used to enhance attentive eating in this population.
Additivity of apparent and standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids in wheat, canola meal, and sorghum distillers dried grains with solubles in mixed diets fed to broiler chickens

ABSTRACT An experiment was conducted to investigate which method, apparent ileal digestibility (AID) or standardized ileal digestibility (SID), more accurately predicts the digestibility of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in mixed diets fed to broiler chickens. Male Ross 308 broiler chickens received a standard starter diet from d 0 to 16 post hatching, thereafter grouped into 8 blocks, based on body weight (BW), of 10 birds/cage, and randomly allotted to 6 diets in a randomized complete block design. The 6 diets consisted of a nitrogen-free diet, 3 semi-purified diets, and 2 mixed diets to test the additivity of AID and SID in mixed diets. On d 21 post hatching, digesta from two-thirds of the distal ileum was collected. Using the determined AID or SID for CP and AA in wheat, canola meal (CM), or sorghum distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), the AID or SID for 2 mixed diets based on wheat–CM or wheat–CM–DDGS were predicted and compared with determined AID or SID, respectively. The results revealed that the predicted SID of CP and AA in the wheat–CM mixed diet were consistent with determined values except for Asp and Ser, and all the predicted SID of CP and AA were consistent with the determined values in the wheat–CM–DDGS mixed diet. The determined AID of Ile, Met, Thr, Val, Ala, Cys, Ser, and Tyr in the wheat–CM mixed diet were greater (P
Nanoliter-Sized Microchamber/Microarray Microfluidic Platform for Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing.

The rise of antimicrobial resistance is challenging for physicians in clinical practice to prescribe antibiotics that are effective against bacterial infections. Conventional antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) is labor-intensive and time-consuming (18–24 h). Newly emerging technologies such as microfluidics may enable more rapid AST assay time. In this study, we utilize a nanoliter-sized microchamber/microarray-based microfluidic (N-3M) platform to reduce the AST assay time and rapidly determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations of different antibiotics. Bacterial suspensions, with or without antibiotics, are loaded into small nanoliter-sized chambers, and the change in fluorescent intensity emitted from resazurin reduction, which correlated with bacterial growth, is measured. We demonstrate the reproducibility, functionality, and efficiency of our N-3M platform for numerous wild-type clinical bacterial isolates including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis. The tim...
An Education on Race and Forensic Psychiatry.

I recently spent some time in London, where one evening a colleague invited me to dinner at his private club. The building, an ornate nineteenth-century stone structure with an unmarked entrance, was in an area of the city known for its classic style and multi-generational wealth. The club was
Increased RTV in ADHD: A Novel Approach to Detect Inattention [Florida International University]

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder and the second most common mental condition in U.S. children, affecting more than 6.1 million individuals between the ages of 2-17 years. Defined by two behavioral features - inattention and hyperactivity - identifying and studying ADHD, especially related periods of inattention, a defining feature, poses an important limitation. Recent studies have identified elevated reaction time variability (RTV) as a reliable feature of ADHD, that may be related to periods of inattention. However, the neural mechanisms behind RTV, and thereby inattention, are not well understood. The default mode network (DMN) is a functional brain system responsible for internally-directed mental processes, that is active when not engaged in cognitively demanding externally directed tasks. Activation of the DMN during active states, thus, could disrupt externally directed behavior and related neurobiological mechanisms – perhaps acting as an internal distraction. We predicted that activation in the DMN during an externally directed task will be elevated during periods of increased RTV. Further, we anticipated DMN activation to precede abnormally slow responses. We used blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while participants with and without ADHD performed a standard sustained attention to response (SART) task. We then examined the activation of the DMN during episodes of aberrant RTV, defined as reaction times more than two standard deviations from the preceding measure of variability, to ascertain the nature of the aforementioned association. The neurobiological mechanisms that are related to the attention-deficit in ADHD must be better understood to aid in diagnosis and treatment. This study aims to be the first to provide comprehensive evidence of the neural underpinnings behind increased RTV and thereby inattention in individuals with ADHD. The current system to diagnose ADHD in children is based on potentially subjective behavioral observations by parents and teachers. Identifying increased RTV as a behavioral marker of ADHD with a well-characterized neurobiological mechanism may enable a more effective and objective method of diagnosis, resulting in more successful treatment outcomes and decreased costs of care for families of children with the disorder.
Mining Data from the Congressional Record

We propose a data storage and analysis method for using the US Congressional record as a policy analysis tool. We use Amazon Web Services and the Solr search engine to store and process Congressional record data from 1789 to the present, and then query Solr to find how frequently language related to tax increases and decreases appears. This frequency data is compared to six economic indicators. Our preliminary results indicate potential relationships between incidence of tax discussion and multiple indicators. We present our data storage and analysis procedures, as well as results from comparisons to all six indicators.
Characterization of a mouse model of hypereosinophilia-associated heart disease.

This article describes a new model of heart disease in hypereosinophilia. The model developed as a spontaneous mouse mutant in the colony and is characterized by peripheral blood eosinophilia and i...
CHAPTER 18 – Perfect Measures and Related Topics

This chapter summarizes the classical results and outlines the progress involving perfect measures. The class of perfect probability spaces was introduced to achieve complete harmony between the abstract theory of measures and the theory of measures in metric spaces. Probability measures on the Borel subsets of a Polish space are well-behaved. They are inner regular and approximable from inside by compact sets. The notion of compact classes of sets and compact measures, both due to Marczewski is discussed in the chapter. The collection of compact subsets of any topological space is a compact class. It is shown in the chapter that perfect measures provide a natural setting for the existence of product measures. A charge on the semialgebra of measurable rectangles of the product of two measurable spaces is σ-additive if at least one of the marginals is perfect. There is no measure theoretic analogue for the projection of a measurable set in the product of two probability spaces.. The regular conditional probabilities are also elaborated in the chapter.
I Will Keep You Alive: A Cardiovascular Romance, by Bob and Adele Levin

I Will Keep You Alive begins with a quote by Flannery O’Connor: “In a sense sickness is a place more instructive than a long trip to Europe.” This is an apt introduction to the book, a skillfully n...
Comparison of Univariate and Multivariate Models of 13C SSNMR and XRPD Techniques for Quantification of Nimodipine Polymorphs

The focus of the present investigation was to explore the use of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (13C ssNMR) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) for quantification of nimodipine polymorphs (form I and form II) crystallized in a cosolvent formulation. The cosolvent formulation composed of polyethylene glycol 400, glycerin, water, and 2.5% drug, and was stored at 5°C for the drug crystallization. The 13C ssNMR and XRPD data of the sample matrices containing varying percentages of nimodipine form I and form II were collected. Univariate and multivariate models were developed using the data. Least square method was used for the univariate model generation. Partial least square and principle component regressions were used for the multivariate models development. The univariate models of the 13C ssNMR were better than the XRPD as indicated by statistical parameters such as correlation coefficient, R2, root mean square error, and standard error. On the other hand, the XRPD multivariate models were better than the 13C ssNMR as indicated by precision and accuracy parameters. Similar values were predicted by the univariate and multivariate models for independent samples. In conclusion, the univariate and multivariate models of 13C ssNMR and XRPD can be used to quantitate nimodipine polymorphs.
Annals On Call - HPV Vaccination 2020

In this episode of Annals On Call, Dr. Centor discusses the appropriate use and cost-effectiveness of human papillomavirus vaccination with Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer.
Duration of Antibiotic Therapy for General Medicine and General Surgery Patients Throughout Transitions of Care: An Antibiotic Stewardship Opportunity for Noninfectious Disease Pharmacists.

BackgroundOveruse of antibiotics from the inpatient to outpatient setting is an antibiotic stewardship initiative where noninfectious disease (ID) pharmacists can have a large impact. Our purpose w...
Measurement invariance by race (black, white) of the femininity ideology scale-short form.

The Femininity Ideology Scale – Short Form (FIS-SF) assesses traditional femininity ideology (TFI), which is the internalization of White, Western, heteronormative norms about how women are suppose...
The Faith Once for All Delivered: Liturgical Theology, Scripture, and the Evangelical Free Church Tradition:

This article proposes to explain how the evangelical Free Church commitment to scripture as its primary authority affects their interaction with liturgical theology. Free Church theology is underpi...
Application of Nonlinear Autoregressive Neural Network to Model and Forecast Time Series Global Price of Bananas

The primary purpose of this study was to apply the nonlinear autoregressive neural network to model the long-term records of monthly global price of bananas from January 1990 to November 2020. The development of the optimal architecture for the nonlinear autoregressive neural network requires determination of time delays, the number of hidden neurons, and an efficient training algorithm. Through training of the nonlinear autoregressive neural network models, the prediction performance of the models was evaluated by its mean squared error value, the average squared difference between the observed and predicted values. In this study, the empirical results revealed that the NAR-BR model with 13 neurons in the hidden layer and 6 time delays provided the best performance at its smaller mean squared error value and yielded higher accuracy than the NAR-LM model with 12 neurons in the hidden layer and 4 time delays and NAR-SCG model with 12 neurons in the hidden layer and 6 time delays. Understanding past global price of bananas is important for the analyses of current and future global price of bananas changes. In order to sustain these observations, research programs utilizing the resulting data should be able to improve our understanding and narrow projections of future global price of bananas significantly.
Interviews with Scholars of the Ming

I graduated from UCLA in 1966, having majored in Russian for the first two years (this involved some Greek, required for the Russian major), but then, after reading a thrilling article on the DNA d...