cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determinants of Audit Committee Diligence

The number of audit committee meetings is the only publicly available quantitative signal about the diligence of audit committees, and private sector bodies and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officials have emphasized the need for frequent meetings of the audit committee. Prior research indicates that the number of audit committee meetings is associated with many “good” outcomes related to financial reporting, but there is little empirical evidence related to the determinants of audit committee diligence. In this paper we examine the association between firm characteristics and the number of audit committee meetings as a proxy for audit committee diligence. Our sample includes 319 firms from the S&P SmallCap600 with a December 31, 2003 fiscal year‐end. We find that there are more audit committee meetings in firms that (1) are larger, (2) have high outsider block‐holdings, (3) are in litigious industries, or (4) have more board meetings. The number of audit committee meetings increases with audit...
SAX-7/L1CAM and HMR-1/cadherin function redundantly in blastomere compaction and non-muscle myosin accumulation during Caenorhabditis elegans gastrulation

Gastrulation is the first major morphogenetic movement in development and requires dynamic regulation of cell adhesion and the cytoskeleton. Caenorhabditis elegans gastrulation begins with the migration of the two endodermal precursors, Ea and Ep, from the surface of the embryo into the interior. Ea/Ep migration provides a relatively simple system to examine the intersection of cell adhesion, cell signaling, and cell movement. Ea/Ep ingression depends on correct cell fate specification and polarization, apical myosin accumulation, and Wnt activated actomyosin contraction that drives apical constriction and ingression (Lee et al., 2006; Nance et al., 2005). Here, we show that Ea/Ep ingression also requires the function of either HMR-1/cadherin or SAX-7/L1CAM. Both cadherin complex components and L1CAM are localized at all sites of cell-cell contact during gastrulation. Either system is sufficient for Ea/Ep ingression, but loss of both together leads to a failure of apical constriction and ingression. Similar results are seen with isolated blastomeres. Ea/Ep are properly specified and appear to display correct apical-basal polarity in sax-7(eq1);hmr-1(RNAi) embryos. Significantly, in sax-7(eq1);hmr-1(RNAi) embryos, Ea and Ep fail to accumulate myosin (NMY-2Colon, two colonsGFP) at their apical surfaces, but in either sax-7(eq1) or hmr-1(RNAi) embryos, apical myosin accumulation is comparable to wild type. Thus, the cadherin and L1CAM adhesion systems are redundantly required for localized myosin accumulation and hence for actomyosin contractility during gastrulation. We also show that sax-7 and hmr-1 function are redundantly required for Wnt-dependent spindle polarization during division of the ABar blastomere, indicating that these cell surface proteins redundantly regulate multiple developmental events in early embryos.
Remote sensing and geographical information systems: Their past, present and future use in global marine fisheries

Historically, the fishing community (e.g., fishermen, resource managers) has used remotely sensed products either in the form of direct Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) reception on a ship or FAX charts transmitted from land-based stations. Both these products have severe limitations within the context of near real-time support/management of an operational fishery. Moreover, relatively little use of geographical information systems (GIS) technologies has been made by either the fishing industry, fishery resource managers, or by the general oceanographic community. This latter omission is unfortunate because GIS has the potential to overcome two long-standing problems associated with satellite-directed fisheries: 1) the absence of information due to clouds; and 2) the general lack of support for nonpelagic fisheries. This report gives the background, motivation, and essential design elements for use of a combined remote sensing/geographical information system (RS/GIS) in an operational fishery and illustrates how a combined RS/GIS approach can be used to mitigate some of the traditional limitations in satellite-directed fisheries. Finally, an attempt is made to provide some possible directions this new technology may take during the 1990s.
Microbial contamination of herbs marketed to HIV- infected people in Nairobi (Kenya)

Herbal products are used by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals regardless of safety or efficacy concerns. In this study, we examined the microbiological quality of herbal preparations marketed to HIV-infected individuals. A convenience sample ( N = 24) of herbal products was obtained from retailers in Nairobi, Kenya in 2007. Petrifilm plate count methods were used to estimate total aerobic bacteria (APC), coliform, Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus and yeast and mould counts. APC counts ranged from an estimated 1.5 × 10 1 colony forming units (CFU)/g to 7.1 × 10 8 CFU/g. Total and faecal coliform counts ranged from an estimated <10 CFU/g to 3 × 10 6 CFU/g. E. coli load ranged from <10 CFU/g to 5 × 10 1 CFU/g and S. aureus counts ranged from an estimated <10 CFU/g to 2.5 × 10 3 CFU/g. Yeast and mould counts ranged from an estimated <10 CFU/g to 9 × 10 4 CFU/g. An evaluation using the World Health Organization limits for medicinal herbs found a percentage of samples to contain microorganisms above allowable limits: 33% (APC), 50% (coliforms) and 33% (yeast and moulds). A total of 67% of samples contained S. aureus loads above the United States Pharmacopeia standard. We suggest that the introduction of quality-control measures and safe handling practices for the selling of medicinal herbs and botanicals in Kenya would be beneficial in reducing the potential health risks for immunocompromised consumers of these products.
Two Neglected Factors in Language Comparison

IKE all titles, this one is no doubt misleading and not representative of the material to be treated in this paper. The title probably should be: Two factors which are generally overlooked but which should be taken into consideration in making language comparisons. The first of these factors is the tendency of many students of a second language to extend the use of a pattern or the forms that make up a pattern beyond the limits required of them in the normal, colloquial language. Here, this phenomenon, dubbed the misapplication of analogical formations, is similar to the child's production of foots or feets instead of feet when he is learning English. The second of the two neglected factors deals with the frequency of occurrence of forms and structures in language and some evidence that indicates the relevance of this frequency to language comparisons. For the first of these, usually there is no explanation or attempted explanation in language comparisons for the overextended use of forms or patterns that occur as misapplied analogical formations. Kleinjans, for instance, in his comparison of English and Japanese noun-headed structures mentions how Japanese students produce such patterns as The Michigan State University,' but he offers no explanation for the occurrence of this pattern nor does he explain how he arrived at the knowledge of this pattern's occurrence through language comparison. Now, from a point of view of a com-
How Institutions Deprive: Ethnography, Social Work, and Interventionist Ethics Among the Hypermarginalized

Hypermarginalized populations, such as homeless drug users with acute health problems, are subject to multiple intersecting adversities that result in social exclusion and chronic suffering. Despite this population's high need for health and social services, institutions provide services that are fragmented and often punitive, contributing to further marginality. In this article, we present a hybrid methodological approach that combines clinical social work and ethnography in a study of intensive case management for HIV-positive indigent adults in Oakland, California. We investigate two primary research questions. First, we consider the challenges this population faces in navigating institutions to meet their basic needs, and we demonstrate how organizational irrationality has severe consequences for this population. Second, we grapple with the question of how to ethically engage hypermarginalized participants in research by presenting a clinically informed intervention that is responsive to individual vu...
Power in Movement: Mechanisms and Processes of Contention

In Part II of this book, we moved progressively through four of the main powers in movement: In Chapter 5, we saw that it is disruption – not violence or convention – that characterizes the most vital insurgent movements. But movements that rely only on disruptive mass action risk slipping into violence and conflict with the police, while those that adopt conventional forms of action may suffer from cooptation of their goals and decline, as the public becomes bored and activists defect. In Chapter 6, we saw that social movements depend to a varying extent on three levels of organization: the social networks at their base, the organization of collective action, and some degree of formal organization – however rudimentary. The key to movement dynamism is the social networks that lie at the heart of formal organization and can survive even when these organizations disappear or are repressed. Chapter 7 showed that collective action is constructed not only out of organizations, but also out of cognitive frames, collective identities, and emotion work. An uneasy balance is always present between inherited – but passive – mentalities, and action-oriented – but unfamiliar – transformative frames. Finally, in Chapter 8, we saw that movements form in the context of widening opportunities and collapsing constraints, but in making opportunities for others, for opponents, and for elites, movements may create the conditions for their own irrelevance or repression.
Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis from oesophageal cancer, presenting as meningitis

A 47-year-old woman presented with headache, neck pain, dizziness, nausea and vomiting for 4–5 days. She also had a history of weight loss and difficulty in swallowing. On physical examination, she had nuchal rigidity with a positive Kernig9s sign. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed mild pleocytosis but some atypical cells were also noted. Cytopathological analysis of the atypical cells showed high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratios and eccentric nuclei with prominent nucleoli, consistent with malignancy. A CT scan of the head and neck showed multiple lytic lesions involving the left calvarium, and diffuse thickening and enhancement of meninges over the left cerebral area. Extensive osteolytic lesions were also noted on the vertebral bodies, pedicles and lamina, at multiple levels of the cervical spine. An endoscopy revealed a mass at the gastro-oesophageal junction, and biopsy confirmed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. The patient was started on chemotherapy along with radiation therapy.
Simultaneous Localization And Mapping Without Linearization.

We apply a combination of linear time varying (LTV) Kalman filtering and nonlinear contraction tools to the problem of simultaneous mapping and local- ization (SLAM), in a fashion which avoids linearized approximations altogether. By exploiting virtual synthetic measurements, the LTV Kalman observer avoids errors and approximations brought by the linearization process in the EKF SLAM. Fur- thermore, conditioned on the robot position, the covariances between landmarks are fully decoupled, making the algorithm easily scalable. Contraction analysis is used to establish stability of the algorithm and quantify its convergence rate. We pro- pose four versions based on different combinations of sensor information, ranging from traditional bearing measurements and radial measurements to optical flows and time-to-contact measurements. As shown in simulations, the proposed algorithm is simple and fast, and it can solve SLAM problems in both 2D and 3D scenarios with guaranteed convergence rates in a full nonlinear context.
In Vitro Comparison of Porcelain Fused to Metal Crown Retention after Endodontic Access and Subsequent Restoration: Composite, Amalgam, Amalgam with Composite Veneer, and Fiber Post with Composite.

Abstract Introduction The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different access opening restorative materials on crown retention. Methods Thirty-eight extracted molars were mounted in resin and prepared for porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crowns. The crowns were fabricated and cemented with zinc phosphate, and the force to displace it was measured with a tensile-testing machine before and after endodontic access preparations. The endodontic access area, crown preparation axial wall, and preparation surface area were measured for comparison. The crowns were then recemented, and access openings were restored with either amalgam or composite before displacement force was remeasured. The restorative material was removed from each access opening; access area was measured and restored again (amalgam with composite or fiber post with composite) for displacement force to be remeasured. Paired t test was used to compare the means of displacement between groups. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the mean outcome measure within the groups. Results Statistical analyses showed retention after unfilled access was significantly lower than intact crowns. Amalgam, composite, amalgam + composite, and fiber post + composite increased retention beyond the original value. There was no statistical difference among the different restorative protocols. Qualitative results indicate that the restorative material remains in the crown after displacement regardless of the material used to restore the access. Conclusions The results from this study suggest that an endodontic access cavity decreases retention of a PFM crown. However, subsequent restoration with amalgam, composite, amalgam + composite, or post + composite may increase the original retention of the crown.
Use of Standardized Patients to Enhance Simulation of Medication Administration.

One of the most challenging tasks for faculty who teach beginning nursing students is preparing them for the first experience with real patients. In a controlled laboratory setting, students practice basic skills, such as communication, assessment, personal hygiene, patient safety, and medication ad
Operational Mechanisms of Copulation and Oviposition in Speyeria (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

The morphology and myology of the copulatory and ovipositional mechanisms of Speyeria (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) are described, to explain the skeleto-muscular operational mechanisms of copulation and oviposition. The male and female copulatory apparatuses of Speyeria do not have to be appreciably everted to be ready for mating. The male's genitalia are everted by the sequential contraction of the pre-genital segments, and by the dorsal and ventral longitudinal muscles of each segment which also creates an increased intra-abdominal pressure and pushes the hemolymph posterad against the diaphragma. No true morphological ovipositor, nor external genitalia are present in female Speyeria . Thus, the understanding of the copulatory mechanism in the female is based upon the morphology and the manipulative maneuverability of the abdominal segments themselves. The female prepares herself for the reception of the male by raising and retracting the apical portion of her abdomen. This exposes her ostium bursae, which has dilated through the action of six muscle pairs and is ready for the intermittent organ of the male. With the extrusion of the male external genital apparatus, he extends his tegumen and then lowers it with the ankylosed uncus upon the dorsum of the anal papillae. The valves spread laterally, allowing the anal papillae to rest in his membranous fusiform pouches and then extend to securely fix the position of the female. The aedeagus is then introduced into the bursa copulatrix and the vesica exerted as the ejaculate passes through it. At the time of oviposition, a fertilized egg lies in the posterior portion of the membranous common oviduct. Since the female does not possess a true ovipositor, the combined effect of the compression of the anterior segments, the extension of segments IX and X, the increase in intra-abdominal pressure, the peristaltic movements of the oviducts, plus the compression segment VIII, all combine to literally squeeze each egg out of the membranous common oviduct.
The Failure of an Ideal: Autonomy and Previously Expressed Wishes

In “Comfort measures for severe diffuse axonal injury: A patient's last wish,” Baek (2016) argues that the previously expressed wishes of the patient—relayed by the patient's health care proxy thou...
The Reflection on the Publicized System of Auditing

The publicized system of auditing is a realization of auditing supervision,public supervision and media supervision and it is important to govern the police and carry out the principle of serving the people by justice of law enforcement.Therefore,the system should be used widely in all levels of public security departments and in proper ways;and the system should also be applied according to the right process accurately and carefully.
Oligohydramnios: Ultrasonically detected incidence and subsequent fetal outcome

Oligohydramnios is a hallmark for intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and has been evaluated in populations suspected of having IUGR. We chose to evaluate its incidence in a routine obstetric population. During a 16-month period, ultrasound scans were performed on 1,408 patients. Severe oligohydramnios was identified in six patients (0.43%): Two infants had congenital malformations, and four had severe IUGR. A subset of 317 patients scanned within 2 weeks of delivery was reviewed. Although none of the patients fulfilled our original criterion of oligohydramnios (absence of a pocket of amniotic fluid 1 cm or more in broadest diameter), three of six small–for–gestational age infants had a subjective decrease in amniotic fluid volume for their stated gestational age. By changing the criterion of oligohydramnios to a subjective decrease in amniotic fluid volume, the sensitivity of this ultrasonic marker was increased to 50% and the specificity to 100%. We believe that the semiquantitative assessment of amniotic fluid volume can effectively screen for IUGR and thereby delineate a population, regardless of gestational age, that is at risk for perinatal morbidity and mortality.
The Theory of Plaque Growth Kinetics for a Lymphocyte Source

Antibody heterogeneity is inextricably involved in the specificity and dynamics of the humoral response, and hence the latter cannot be fully understood without detailed knowledge of the former. At the same time, however, the presence of heterogeneity complicates the analysis of conventional experiments which would be used to elucidate its features. This problem might, in principle, be avoided by studies at a single cell level. That means using a method for isolating, enumerating, and identifying individual antibody secreting cells and adapting it to physical chemical studies.
Review of Robert E. Horns Visual Language

(1999). Review of Robert E. Horns Visual Language. Journal of Visual Literacy: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 225-226.
Dorsal Capsular-Based Vascularized Distal Radius Graft for Scaphoid Nonunion

A 27-year-old right-hand dominant manual laborer was referred to our clinic with a 7-month history of persistent right radial wrist pain after a fall onto his outstretched hand. He was initially diagnosed with a proximal pole scaphoid fracture and treated with a removable short-arm thumb spica splint. The patient denied tobacco use, and his prior medical history was noncontributory. At the time of presentation, the patient had mild swelling over the dorsum of the right wrist and marked tenderness to direct palpation in the anatomic snuffbox. Wrist extension was 70° with pain, and wrist flexion was 60° with pain. Sensation was intact in the median, radial, and ulnar nerve distributions. Motor strength was 5/5 in all distributions except wrist extension and wrist flexion, which were graded 4/5 secondary to pain.
A point process adaptive filter for time-variant analysis of heart rate variability

Estimating time-variant heart variability indices from R-R interval beat series has been widely investigated by current research involving cardiovascular control. Most of the currently accepted approaches in time-variant heart rate analysis ignore the underlying discrete structure of human heart beats, and usually require minutes of data. We derive an adaptive point process Bayes' filter based on a statistical model which considers the stochastic structure of heart beat intervals as a point process. From the explicit inverse Gaussian probability density describing heart rate and heart rate variability we are able to extract and recursively update, at any time resolution, a set of indices related to the first and second moments of this probability density. We apply our algorithm in an analysis of human heart beat intervals from a tilt-table experiment. Our results describe real instantaneous estimates of heart rate variability and may have important implications for research studies of cardiovascular and autonomic regulation. Our algorithm is easy to implement for on-line analysis of heart rate variability in the intensive care unit, operating room or labor and delivery suits.
Trapezius Myocutaneous Flap

The trapezius myocutaneous flap is a reliable option for soft tissue coverage of the posterior upper trunk. Its indications can be further extended to include reconstruction of the mandible and parts of the aerodigestive tract. Sacrifice of the trapezius muscle is usually well tolerated but may result in decreased strength with shoulder and arm elevation. In this chapter we discuss the various iterations of the trapezius flap as well as describe a technique for its most common application.
Writing poetry in Rwanda: a means for better listening, understanding, processing, and responding

ABSTRACTThis article reports on the early stages of a multi-year project using writing to facilitate healing among university-aged survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Working with genocide survivors carries with it expected and unexpected personal and professional complexities. Drawing on early versions of her own published and unpublished poems, the author demonstrates by way of example the role that writing poetry and the use of poetic inquiry played in addressing those complexities. The article includes an overview of the project that took place in Rwanda and describes the challenges inherent in working with survivors, then lays out the role that poetry and poetic inquiry can play as a means of engaging with this sort of difficult research. Through the inclusion of the poems themselves, the author explores the ways poetry affords opportunities for listening, understanding, processing, and responding to others. The article concludes with an explication of the broader implications...
Electrode Screening of Two Dimensional Disordered Systems

Experiments on two dimensional disordered systems often use devices with an electrode near the two dimensional system. We use computer simulation to explore the screening effects of such an electrode. The main focus is on elastic tunneling through mesoscopic MOSFETs.
Which perseverative behaviors are symptoms of spatial neglect

Spatial neglect is a characterized by a failure to attend or make movements towards left-sided stimuli. Common paper-and-pencil tasks to diagnose spatial neglect are sensitive to perseverative errors, including additional marks over already cancelled targets and "scribbling" out a target. Here, we examine whether functionally distinct perseverative behaviors are related to spatial neglect. Line cancellation tasks of 45 healthy controls and 220 right-hemisphere stroke survivors were examined for recurrent marks (RM) and continuous marks (CM) perseverations. We found that RM perseveration correlated with neglect severity, while CM perseveration did not. Examination of lesion profiles for the two groups indicated distinct anatomical correlates, with RM lesions overlapping regions implicated in spatial neglect including the rolandic operculum, superior temporal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule.
Assessment of General Aviation Cognitive Weather Tasks: Recommendations for Autonomous Learning and Training in Aviation Weather:

General aviation (GA) operations incur the majority of fatal weather-related accidents. Previous research highlights the lack of aviation weather knowledge and skills as a possible contributing fac...
Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri [Pursh] Poir.)

Fraser fir ( Abies fraseri [Pursh] Poir.) is a coniferous species native to the Southern Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States. Fraser fir has high economic and recreational value but is vulnerable to extinction due to introduced pests and global warming. Somatic embryogenesis may assist in the clonal production of Christmas trees and conservation of rare and valuable germplasm via cryopreservation. Improved protocols for embryogenic tissue initiation, culture capture and growth, somatic embryo development and maturation and cryogenic storage are presented based on the findings of Pullman (47:453–480, 2016).
Long-term results of latissimus dorsi transfer for internal rotation contracture of the shoulder in patients with obstetric brachial plexus injury

Background This study evaluated the long-term outcome of patients with obstetric brachial plexus injury who underwent transfer of the latissimus/teres major tendon to restore shoulder external rotation and determined whether loss of internal rotation would affect their quality of life. Methods All patients with a history of obstetric brachial plexus injury who underwent latissimus dorsi transfer for internal rotation contracture were included. Results from 3 clinic visits (preoperative, and short-term and long-term postoperatively) were recorded. Quality of life was evaluated with a questionnaire. Internal rotation impairment was evaluated using the Activities of Daily Living which require active Internal Rotation scoring system. Results The study included 45 patients. At a mean 5 months postoperatively, shoulder motion was significantly improved in abduction and external rotation. This was associated with a significant loss of active internal rotation. These results deteriorated over time (at a mean 7.64 years postoperatively), especially in internal rotation (from being able to reach the sacrum to only being able to reach the trochanter) and in external rotation with the arm abducted. This decrease in function led 10 patients (22%) to undergo revision surgery. The mean score on the activities of daily living which require active internal rotation (ADLIR) at the last follow-up was 53. Conclusion Although the short-tem results of latissimus dorsi transfer and subscapularis release are encouraging, these gains deteriorated over a longitudinal follow-up period. Abduction is maintained over the long-term, but external rotation deteriorates. Internal rotation deteriorated over a long-term longitudinal follow-up, leading to functional impairment.
Immune mediated clearance of JHM virus from the central nervous system.

The study of viral pathogenesis has revealed how animals respond to viral infection and the subsequent damage which results. It has become evident that the immune response plays the central role in determining the outcome of viral infection. Many studies have demonstrated the capacity of the immune system to combat viruses with a variety of weapons including interferons, T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, macrophages, antibody, and polymorphonuclear granulocytes (1). The T lymphocytes that respond to viral infection are traditionally recognized as helper, cytotoxic, or supressor cells. In the mouse, each of these groups posess cell surface molecules which confer distinct antigenic phenotypes to these various T cell subsets. Although recent evidence shows there are exceptions to this phenotypic classification of functional activity (2, 3), this approach remains useful in examining the population(s) responding to viral infection and their functions in clearance of the infectious agent from the host.
ATP Synthesis: Mitochondrial Cyanide-Resistant Terminal Oxidases

Mitochondria from all eukaryotic organisms contain cytochrome c oxidase as the standard terminal oxidase that serves to transport electrons to oxygen, the terminal electron acceptor in the process of aerobic respiration, and brings about the four-electron reduction of oxygen to produce two molecules of water. However, many organisms also contain a second terminal oxidase in their mitochondrial electron transfer chain in addition to cytochrome c oxidase. Functionally, this alternative oxidase is a ubiquinol oxidase, receiving electrons from reduced ubiquinone and transferring them to oxygen, which is reduced to water. Electron flow from reduced ubiquinone to cytochrome c oxidase includes two sites for transporting protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane to form a proton gradient across the membrane that drives adenosine triphosphate (ATP) formation. Electron flow through the alternative oxidase involves no proton translocation and therefore wastes all the free energy released during electron transfer that would otherwise be conserved in the proton gradient to produce ATP. The role of such an energetically wasteful pathway has yet to be fully elucidated; however, in plants it appears to be associated with response to a variety of stresses, possibly acting to prevent over-reduction of the quinone pool and the subsequent formation of harmful reactive oxygen species.
Conclusion: Pomponne, Lionne and Louis XIV

We may smue at the absoluteness of Keith Feiling’s judgment that Arnauld de Pomponne was the greatest of French envoys, and still appreciate the spirit which moved him to such exaggeration. Pomponne did embody, to a remarkable degree, the qualities of a great diplomat.
Multi-Point Measurements and Low-Dimensional Models: Tools for the Characterization and Control of Turbulent Flows

The existence and importance of large scale structures in turbulent flows has long been established. One of the most important tools of the fluid dynamicist for structure identification has been the ability to visualize the fluid motions in the problem of interest. Flow visualization by tagging fluid material has a long and rich history, and has stimulated scientist, engineer and artist alike. It is an unfortunate fact of nature that the same fluids whose mysterious motions we seek to unravel, conspire through molecular diffusion and other processes to invalidate these simple tools. Thus most have had to recognize the futility of such efforts in a large number of flow environments, and have had to settle for far less information about what the flow is really doing.
Ethnic enterprise informality and entrepreneurship in a minority-majority region in the United States: Latinos in South Texas

By choice and necessity, Latinos engaged in informal entrepreneurship abound in the “minority-majority” region of South Texas. By choice, some South Texans work “off the books” in order to supplement incomes, support families, and improve lifestyles through self-employment. By necessity, many self-employed South Texans scrape together informal work in order to survive. South Texas is an impoverished region populated primarily by Latinos (90%), many of whom are recent immigrants, both documented and undocumented. This chapter explores Latino informal entrepreneurship in the region with a focus on the rationale for business start-up and enterprise persistence. Additional emphases on the changing border context in the “Age of Trump” including public policy implications are discussed.
New Characterization of V{N(SiMe3)2}3: Reductions of Tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)amido]vanadium(III) and -chromium(III) To Afford the Reduced Metal(II) Anions [M{N(SiMe3)2}3]- (M = V and Cr).

During the preparation of V{N(SiMe3)2}3 (1), a discrepancy between the violet color that we observed and the brown color previously reported prompted further investigation of this compound. As a result, a new spectroscopic study and a full structural characterization are presented. The synthesis, spectroscopy, and structural characteristics of its reduced salt, [K(18-crown-6)(Et2O)2][V{N(SiMe3)2}3] (2), and its chromium congener, [K(18-crown-6)(Et2O)2][Cr{N(SiMe3)2}3] (3), are also described. The 1H NMR spectra for 1–3 and Cr{N(SiMe3)2}3 as well as their cyclic voltammograms are also reported.
Phosphoproteome Analysis Reveals Estrogen-ER Pathway as a Modulator of mTOR Activity Via DEPTOR.

ER-positive breast tumors represent ∼70#x0025; of all breast cancer cases. Although their treatment with endocrine therapies is effective in the adjuvant or recurrent settings, the development of resistance compromises their effectiveness. The binding of estrogen to ERα, a transcription factor, triggers the regulation of the target genes (genomic pathway). Additionally, a cytoplasmic fraction of estrogen-bound ERα activates oncogenic signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR (nongenomic pathway). The upregulation of the estrogenic and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways are frequently associated with a poor outcome. To better characterize the connection between these two pathways, we performed a phosphoproteome analysis of ER-positive MCF7 breast cancer cells treated with estrogen or estrogen and the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin. Many proteins were identified as estrogen-regulated mTORC1 targets and among them, DEPTOR was selected for further characterization. DEPTOR binds to mTOR and inhibits the kinase activity of both mTOR complexes mTORC1 and mTORC2, but mitogen-activated mTOR promotes phosphorylation-mediated DEPTOR degradation. Although estrogen enhances the phosphorylation of DEPTOR by mTORC1, DEPTOR levels increase in estrogen-stimulated cells. We demonstrated that DEPTOR accumulation is the result of estrogen-ERα-mediated transcriptional upregulation of DEPTOR expression. Consequently, the elevated levels of DEPTOR partially counterbalance the estrogen-induced activation of mTORC1 and mTORC2. These results underscore the critical role of estrogen-ERα as a modulator of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in ER-positive breast cancer cells. Additionally, these studies provide evidence supporting the use of dual PI3K/mTOR or dual mTORC1/2 inhibitors in combination with endocrine therapies as a first-line treatment option for the patients with ER-positive advanced breast cancer.
Design of stapled antimicrobial peptides that are stable, nontoxic and kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria in mice.

The clinical translation of cationic α-helical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) has been hindered by structural instability, proteolytic degradation and in vivo toxicity from nonspecific membrane lysis. Although analyses of hydrophobic content and charge distribution have informed the design of synthetic AMPs with increased potency and reduced in vitro hemolysis, nonspecific membrane toxicity in vivo continues to impede AMP drug development. Here, we analyzed a 58-member library of stapled AMPs (StAMPs) based on magainin II and applied the insights from structure–function–toxicity measurements to devise an algorithm for the design of stable, protease-resistant, potent and nontoxic StAMP prototypes. We show that a lead double-stapled StAMP named Mag(i+4)1,15(A9K,B21A,N22K,S23K) can kill multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, such as colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a mouse peritonitis–sepsis model, without observed hemolysis or renal injury in murine toxicity studies. Inputting the amino acid sequences alone, we further generated membrane-selective StAMPs of pleurocidin, CAP18 and esculentin, highlighting the generalizability of our design platform. The authors designed stapled antimicrobial peptides that have potent antibacterial activity in mice and limited toxicity.
Comparison of Stand-alone Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion Versus Open Laminectomy and Posterolateral Instrumented Fusion in the Treatment of Adjacent Segment Disease Following Previous Lumbar Fusion Surgery.

Study Design.Retrospective cohort study.Objective.The aim of this study was to compare clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients who underwent stand-alone lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) to those who underwent posterolateral fusion (PLF) for symptomatic adjacent segment disease (ASD).Sum
A Deep Learning Framework for Noise Component Detection from Resting-State Functional MRI

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is a non-invasive functional imaging technique that has been widely used to investigate brain functional connectome. Noises and artifacts are dominant in the raw rs-fMRI, making effective noise removal a necessity prior to any subsequent analysis. Without requiring any additional biophysiological recording devices, directly applying independent component analysis on rs-fMRI data becomes a popular process further separating structured noise from signals. However, fast and accurate automatic identification of the noise-related components is critical. Conventional machine learning techniques have been used in training such a classifier with manually engineered features of the components, which usually takes a long time even in the testing phase because its success relies on exhaustively extraction of spatial and temporal features and assembling multiple complicated classifiers to reach satisfactory results. In this paper, we proposed a novel, end-to-end, deep learning-based framework dedicated for noise component identification via effective, automatic, multilayer, hierarchically embedded feature extraction. The merit that does not require any assumptions on the features guarantees its unprecedented performance on the rs-fMRI data even from very heterogeneous cohorts. The speed of this method can be further accelerated due to its inherent ability of parallel computing with GPU. We validate our method with a challenging infant rs-fMRI dataset with high resolution and high quality, which are very different from the commonly used adult data. Our proposed method is more general, hypothesis-free, fast ( 97% accuracy).
Editorial: Relative Immaturity or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Diagnostic Dilemma?

The rate of diagnosis of ADHD has been rising along with the number of children treated with stimulant medication.5 This has resulted in consternation among the public and the media. Some assert there is overdiagnosis and corresponding overtreatment of children for ADHD.6 However, the best evidence regarding prevalence of ADHD shows that if rigorous diagnostic standards are applied, the prevalence of ADHD has shown little movement over time.1 Are some children misdiagnosed with ADHD owing to lack of appropriate assessment? Are there factors related to assessing children that may confuse the picture? One such factor that may cloud the diagnostic picture relates to a child's age relative to classmates. Children whose birth dates fall just before the school entry cutoff are younger than their classmates by up to a full year. Children who are relatively younger may be less able to sit still, pay attention, and stay on task than their older peers. Teachers may view the behaviors due to this relative immaturity as problematic when they are actually developmentally appropriate. The study by Caye et al.7 addresses the conundrum of relative age to peers and aims to provide additional data for clinicians to use as they determine whether a child truly has ADHD.
Estuarine-terrestrial habitat gradients enhance nursery function for resident and transient fishes in the San Francisco Estuary

Author(s): Colombano, DD; Manfree, AD; O'Rear, TA; Durand, JR; Moyle, PB | Abstract: Nursery functions of US West Coast drowned river valley estuaries are not well understood. Using long-term fish-monitoring data (1995-2017) in Suisun Marsh, San Francisco Estuary, California, USA, we examined spatial and temporal trends in abundance and apparent growth of fishes with diverse life-history types. Focal species were Sacramento splittail Pogon-ichthys macrolepidotus, striped bass Morone saxatilis, tule perch Hysterocarpus traski, and starry flounder Platichthys stellatus, which collectively represented 55% of total catch (n = 140 092). We identified keystone habitat patches that functioned as nursery hotspots during the peak young-of-the-year recruitment window. Deep, flow-through sloughs close to the open estuary were important nursery habitats for the marine transient starry flounder. In contrast, splittail and striped bass mostly migrated through such corridors to rear in shallow, dead-end sloughs transecting tidal marsh plains, managed tidal ponds, and uplands. Tule perch were concentrated in shallow, interior sloughs, reflecting their resident life-history type and adaptations to variable conditions in a small home range. Interactions among freshwater flows and stationary habitat features (e.g. channel depth, land-to-open-water ratio) were related to fish abundance; however, species and age classes differed in their relationships to these interactions, suggesting a mechanism for habitat partitioning in space and time. Overall, we inferred that habitat connectivity - longitudinal, lateral, and vertical - along the estuarine-terrestrial gradient was a driver of fish species diversity and productivity. Consideration of seascape-landscape dynamics across multiple spatial and temporal scales in estuaries should help maintain or increase fish populations and ecological resilience in the face of rising sea levels and other environmental stressors.
Radiation-hard parallel readout circuit for low-frequency voltage signal measurements

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has successfully developed and tested a custom-designed low-noise multi-channel digitizer (MCD) application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for operation in harsh radiation environments. The MCD-ASIC is optimized for low-frequency and low-voltage signal measurements from sensors and transducers. It has 20 input channels where each channel is comprised of auto-zeroed chopper variable-gain amplifier, post amplifier, and a second order ΣΔ modulator. ΣΔ analog-to-digital converter (ADC) relies on oversampling and noise shaping to achieve high-resolution conversion. However, the MCD-ASIC requires digital filtering and decimation to convert the output single bit streams from the ADC to useful data words. A parallel digital platform such as a field-programmable-gate-array (FPGA) is highly suitable to fully leverage the capabilities of the MCD-ASIC. The FPGA controls the MCD-ASIC via serial peripheral interface (SPI) protocol and acquires data from it. A Python-script communicates with the FPGA board through a USB interface on a cross operating platform. Using this architecture, the system is capable of monitoring up to 20 voltage readout channels simultaneously in a real-time manner. Each channel’s parameters can be programmed independently allowing maximum user versatility. In this paper, we present analysis of the analog front-end, the implementation of the digital processing unit on the FPGA, and provide noise performance results from the MCD-ASIC readout.
How disunity matters to the history of cybernetics in the human sciences in the United States, 1940–80:

Rather than assume a unitary cybernetics, I ask how its disunity mattered to the history of the human sciences in the United States from about 1940 to 1980. I compare the work of four prominent soc...
Multiple-Hypothesis Vision-Based Landing Autonomy

This paper presents a novel state estimation system for unmanned aerial vehicle landing. A novel vision algorithm that detects a portion of the marker is developed, and this algorithm extends the d...
Outcomes of Glaucoma Drainage Devices in Childhood Glaucoma

Angle surgery is the gold standard for the management of many types of childhood glaucoma, yet glaucoma drainage devices (GDD) are effective tools for refractory advanced cases or secondary childho...
Plants and Pollution

This general discussion begins with definition of pollution and contamination, and identification of the most commonly worried-about pollutants. Pollution sources, transport pathways and the effects of pollutants are also discussed. The relationships between plants and pollution are then discussed, including plants as contributors to pollution, plants as carriers of pollution, plants affected by pollutants, and plants used to minimize pollution problems. 96 references, 1 figure, 1 table.
Sharing and Selling Images: Ethical and Regulatory Considerations for Radiologists.

Abstract Opportunities to share or sell images are common in radiology. But because these images typically originate as protected health information, their use admits a host of ethical and regulatory considerations. This article discusses four scenarios that reflect data sharing or selling arrangements in radiology, especially as they might occur in “big data” systems or applications. The objective of this article is to acquaint radiologists with a variety of regulatory standards and ethical perspectives that pertain to certain data use agreements, such that the attitudes and practices of data holders and their sharers or purchasers can withstand ethical or regulatory scrutiny and not invite undesirable outcomes.
Response to: 'Correspondence on 'Prevalence and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with autoimmune diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis'' by Lee.

We thank Lee1 for his comments to our research article ‘Prevalence and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with autoimmune diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis’.2 In our study, included patients were likely on glucocorticoids (GCs) for their underlying autoimmune diseases (ADs), not for COVID-19-associated pneumonia and cytokine release syndrome. Hence, our data suggested the possibility of harmful effects of chronic use of GCs on the risk of developing SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19. We were unable to analyse the therapeutic effect of GCs in patients with ADs who developed COVID-19 pneumonia. As stated in the correspondence by Lee,1 a systematic review and …
EFFECTS OF HIGH MAGNETIC FIELD ON THE PRECIPITATE AND PROPERTY OF Cu-25%Ag ALLOY

The solidification experiment of Cu-25%Ag alloy used in high field magnet was carried out under high magnetic field,the precipitation of Ag in Cu-rich dendrites,the hardness and the electrical conductivity were investigated.It was found that the Ag phase precipitated exhibites continuous rod-like morphology in the larger Cu-rich dendrites,and exhibites discontinuous particlelike morphology in the smaller Cu-rich dendrites;the number of the Ag particles is more and the size is thinner in the sample solidified under 0 T than under 12 T high magnetic field.The hardness and electrical conductivity of the alloy have changed due to the size variance of Ag precipitates.
Ethical Issues of the Use of AI in Healthcare

Embedded artificial intelligence is gaining popularity. The use of sensors and related technologies is being widely used in smart devices used by professionals in healthcare systems. Machine learning technologies are successfully used in application domains to solve real-word problems in e-health. These smart objects resulted from advancements in electronics that improved performance, reduced operational power, and made it possible to have ubiquitous wireless connectivity. This document discusses the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, ethical and legal issues of using artificial intelligence in healthcare, and solutions to some of the dilemmas of using AI in healthcare.