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The collection of real-time air quality measurements while in motion (i.e., mobile monitoring) is currently conducted worldwide to evaluate in situ emissions, local air quality trends, and air pollutant exposure. This measurement strategy pushes the limits of tra- ditional data analysis with complex second-by-second multipollutant data varying as a function of time and location. Data reduction and filtering techniques are often applied to deduce trends, such as pollutant spatial gradients downwind of a highway. However, rarely do mobile monitoring studies report the sensitivity of their results to the chosen data processing approaches. The study being reported here utilized a large mobile monitoring dataset collected on a roadway network in central North Carolina to explore common data processing strategies including time-alignment, short-term emissions event detection, background estimation, and averaging techniques. One-second time resolution measurements of ultrafine particles ⩽ 100nm in diameter (UFPs), black carbon (BC), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were collected on twelve unique driving routes that were repeatedly sampled. Analyses demonstrate that the multiple emissions event detection strategies reported produce generally similar results and that utilizing a median (as opposed to a mean) as a summary statistic may be sufficient to avoid bias in near-source spatial trends. Background levels of the pollutants are shown to vary with time, and the estimated contributions of the background to the mean pollutant concentrations were: BC (6 %), PM2.5-10 (12 %), UFPs (19 %), CO (38 %), PM10 (45 %), NO2 (51 %), PM2.5 (56 %), and CO2 (86 %). Lastly, while temporal smoothing (e.g., 5 s averages) results in weak pair-wise correlation and the blurring of spatial trends, spatial averaging (e.g., 10 m) is demonstrated to increase correlation and refine spatial trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is a single-site quality improvement project within pediatric primary care involving the implementation of a digital version of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers–Revised. We evaluated the impact of the digital screener on the likelihood of physician referral for a developmental evaluation or autism diagnosis, and the age of the patients at the time of the event. Patients were children 16–30 months old seen for 18 and 24 months' well-child visits (1279 encounters), who screened positive for risk for autism spectrum disorder on the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers–Revised without a previously documented autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Comparisons were made between a cohort of children screened with the paper and pencil version of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers–Revised before the digital version was implemented and a cohort of children screened during the intervention period. Patients were followed until 48 months and referrals were obtained from electronic health records. Patients screened with the digital Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers–Revised were five times more likely to be referred for a developmental evaluation. The automatic scoring, risk assessment, and referral decision support features helped to improve screening outcomes. In this clinic, process change to a digital screening method with automatic guidance for next steps improved adherence to evidence-based clinical care. This was a project in primary care for young children (1–2 years old). We tested a parent questionnaire on a tablet. This tablet questionnaire asked questions to see whether the child may have autism. We compared the paper and pencil version of the questionnaire to the tablet questionnaire. We read the medical charts for the children until they were 4 years old to see whether they ended up having autism. We found that doctors were more likely to recommend an autism evaluation when a parent used the tablet questionnaire. We think that the tablet's automatic scoring feature helped the doctors. We also think that the doctors benefited from the advice the tablet gave them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the donation of drawings and papers by landscape architect Gil Wheless to the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries. Wheless is an alumnus of NCSU School of Design and studied under faculty members Richard Moore and Lewis Clarke in the 1960s. Highlights of his career are reported including principal partnership in landscape architecture firm Environmental Design Associates. Details of his clients and projects are discussed.

East Carolina University recently hosted the first Virtual Worlds in Education Conference, a meeting held entirely in Second Life. The conference provided 135 faculty and administrators from around the world the ability to communicate and share their experiences on teaching, learning, and technology support in an online, multi-user virtual environment (MUVE). The MUVE Second Life has attracted a great deal of attention from educators and the press recently (Ananthaswamy, 2007; Berge, 2008; Brown & Green, in press; Bugeja, 2007; Galagan, 2008). East Carolina University (ECU) has maintained a virtual campus presence in Second Life since late 2007. The university leases several "islands" from the New Media Consortium. The university's Division of Academic and Student Affairs (2009) runs Academic Outreach Technology Services (AOTS), which has as one of its goals to "provide stable synchronous and asynchronous learning platforms for ECU faculty and students." The AOTS office oversees the development and maintenance of an in-world campus complete with replicas of real-life ECU buildings as well as more fanciful creations, including a full-size, floating pirate ship. Academic Outreach employs a number of student workers to build and maintain the virtual campus. A full-time staff member with Academic Outreach is responsible for ECU's Second Life activity, which includes providing support and development opportunities for faculty.

Several states had an assessment that they considered to be an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS) in place, or in development, when the April 2007 federal regulations on modified achievement standards were finalized. This article uses publicly available information collected by the National Center on Educational Outcomes to analyze changes in states' AA-MAS between 2007 and 2008. The article compares across the 2 years the number of states that had an assessment they considered to be an AA-MAS, states' participation guidelines, and the characteristics of these assessments. We also provide information about the number of students who participated in this assessment option during the 2006-07 school year. In 2007, six states (Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma) either had or were in the process of developing an assessment they considered to be an AA-MAS. In 2008, California, Connecticut, and Texas also offered this assessment option. Six of the nine states that have been early implementers of the AA-MAS were states that had offered an out-of-level testing option until federal policies required that option to be phased out. Most states had fewer items on their AA-MAS than on their regular assessment. States that had participation guidelines for the AA-MAS in 2007 developed them prior to finalization of the federal regulations, and some changes between 2007 and 2008 in states' participation guidelines appear to have been made to better align the guidelines with the regulations. The characteristics of the assessments states consider to be AA-MASs are changing rapidly and will probably continue to change rapidly over the next few years as more is learned about the advantages and limitations of this assessment. (Contains 5 tables and 4 footnotes.)

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the intersection of cultural processes and immigration in parental understanding of adolescent mental health and mental health seeking behaviors among African immigrants in Western countries. The present study examines the perspectives of Congolese immigrant parents on adolescent mental health in Brussels, Belgium, and Raleigh, North Carolina, USA – two geographic regions with relatively large Congolese migrant populations. This study highlights a needed understanding of cultural and acculturative context in shaping the beliefs of Congolese immigrants and explores potential barriers of seeking health services. Additionally, it recognizes health issues among this underrepresented and underserved population. Design/methodology/approach: Fifteen Congolese immigrant parents, eight in the USA and seven in Belgium, participated in structured qualitative interviews using an adapted version of Kleinman Questions and behavioral scenarios on depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. Interviews were audio recorded, and participants were assigned pseudonyms to de-identify responses. English interviews were transcribed verbatim by a trained team of undergraduate research assistants, and French interviews were transcribed verbatim by the first author and a graduate research assistant. Following transcription, the first and second authors used a rapid analytic approach (Hamilton, 2013). The first and second authors conducted a matrix analysis to observe thematic patterns. Findings: Parents interpreted adolescent behavior to be more problematic when the scenarios were overtly outside of their cultural realm of values and beliefs. Parents preferred methods of intervention through religious practices and/or family and community efforts rather than seeking mental health services in their host countries as a secondary option. The authors' findings provide an understanding of the values and beliefs of this underrepresented demographic, which may be useful to guide health professionals on how to support this community in a culturally responsive way. Research limitations/implications: Limitations to the current study include the structured nature of the interview guide that did not allow for in-depth qualitative exploration. Interviewed participants had lived in their host countries for more than 10+ years. Thus, the authors' findings are not reflective of new immigrants' experiences. Parents' perspectives were likely shaped by exposure to Western beliefs related to support for mental health (e.g. knowledge of psychologists). Future studies should focus on recent refugees due to exposure to traumatic events and experiences reflective of the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC's) current socio-political situation, and how these are understood in the context of adolescent mental health. Further, due to the hypothetical nature of the scenarios, the authors cannot be sure that participants would engage in the identified approaches with their children. Additionally, hearing from the youth's perspective would provide a clearer insight on how mental health and seeking professional help is viewed in a parent–child relationship. Finally, the data for this study were collected in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the authors cannot speak directly to Congolese refugee and immigrant experiences during this significant historical period, given the rise in mental health concerns in refugee populations more broadly (Logie et al., 2022), the authors' findings speak to how parents may have responded to increased mental health symptoms and point to additional barriers that these populations may have faced in accessing support. The authors' study emphasizes the need for dedicating resources and attention to this population, especially the development of culturally tailored messaging that invites community members to support the mental health needs of their community. Practical implications: The authors' findings provide important implications for mental health professionals. This study provides a clearer understanding of how Congolese immigrant parents view mental health and help-seeking within their cultural frame. Although parents may seek professional help, a distrust of mental health services was expressed across both cohorts. This suggests that mental health professionals should acknowledge potential distrust among this population and clarify their role in supporting the mental health of adolescent immigrants. Clinicians should inquire about familial cultural beliefs that are parent- and child-centered and modify their interventions to fit these belief structures. Originality/value: This paper addresses the gap in knowledge about mental health perspectives of Sub-Saharan African immigrant populations, specifically those from the DRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the literature on entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) proliferates, we still do not understand whether local ESOs benefit some founders more than others. Drawing on organizational sponsorship and inclusive ecosystems literatures, this paper empirically examines whether founder characteristics of gender, immigrant, and racial minority group membership moderate the relationship between participation in different types of ESO services (incubator, mentoring, and education programs) and funding received from state, federal, and venture capital (VC) sources. Relying on a detailed database of life sciences firms founded in North Carolina's Research Triangle region, the paper uncovers how funding outcomes differ depending on the funding source and the moderating ESO and founder traits. The paper concludes with practical implications for how women, immigrant, and minority founders may be better supported by ESOs for broader, inclusive ecosystem building. Plain English Summary: Do entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) have different benefits for different founders? This paper finds the answer is yes, which has implications for how to create a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. While the literature continues to reveal more about the role of organizations like accelerators, business incubators, and mentoring programs for entrepreneurial success, we lack understanding of the different roles these organizations might play in fostering more inclusive entrepreneurial regions. This research analyzes whether women, immigrant, and racial minority founders benefit differently from participating in different types of mainstream entrepreneurial support organization programs including incubation, education, and mentoring. Results show great variation in how founders benefit from these programs with implications for inclusive ecosystem building. Since these organizations are often publicly funded or supported, the findings have implications for policy and economic development practice as well as for entrepreneurial firm strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A paucity of research exists regarding the relative strengths and limitations and effects on practice in gifted education state policies. The purpose of this five-state study is to shed light on selected states' gifted education policies. Four data sources were probed and comparisons were made within each state and across the five states. Additionally, a deductive analysis was conducted of each state's written policies against the National Association for Gifted Children program standards (NAGC, 1998), which serve as benchmarks for evaluating policies and services. Suggestions are given for policy development and research, based on five-state findings of existing gifted programs, services, and student accountability systems and the way in which selected policy components are integrated within state school reform efforts. (Contains 3 tables.)

Copyright of Journal of Advanced Nursing (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the highlights of research on gender and diversity that was presented at the recent 2009 annual meeting of the Southern Management Association in Asheville, North Carolina. Design/methodology/approach – The papers covering topics relevant to gender and diversity are summarized. The papers vary in terms of research design and methodology. There was a mix of conceptual papers and empirical studies using both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Findings – Overall, the emerging trend of an increase in minority and women employees is becoming greater. Owing to this trend it is necessary for organizations to prepare themselves in order to accommodate and properly manage this workforce. Minority and women employees should also prepare themselves with strategies to combat discrimination at work in order to benefit fully from this emerging trend. Gender impacts the perceptions of both men and women employees, and associated outcomes may vary based on the type of job or position held by the employee. Religion is becoming more important to employees and their religious beliefs and level of spirituality may be linked to both individual performance and interdependent work outcomes. Originality/value – The papers presented contribute to the body of research knowledge and better the understanding of the role that diversity plays in organizations. Ideas for future research and practical implications are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pair of papers examines and describes the state action necessary to make markets function as environmental policy instruments and as strategies of governance. They do this through a detailed look at the mechanics of environmental credit compliance markets in the US states of Oregon, Ohio, and North Carolina in which stream credits are privately created and sold to developers who have impacted protected stream systems. In this paper, we examine the tools, techniques, and people involved in the creation of a value-bearing stream credit out of a physical stream or river site. These observations reveal important principles of how science functions within governance, as well as where gaps and resistances appear that create unforeseen outcomes in market-led policy. We examine the construction and use of instruments that define natural processes as objects with value; these techniques and tools include databases and spreadsheets, algorithms, and field scoring tools that have been scavenged from a wide range of scientific and governance practices and are not themselves inherently capitalist or developed for capitalist purposes. In three different state settings, the move from measure to value is made in different ways that depend on the local institutional and social context. However, they all act to render a network of interacting ecological forces as a field of discrete ecosystem objects amenable to governance with markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments and public health authorities use seroprevalence studies to guide responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seroprevalence surveys estimate the proportion of individuals who have detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. However, serologic assays are prone to misclassification error, and non-probability sampling may induce selection bias. In this paper, non-parametric and parametric seroprevalence estimators are considered that address both challenges by leveraging validation data and assuming equal probabilities of sample inclusion within covariate-defined strata. Both estimators are shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal, and consistent variance estimators are derived. Simulation studies are presented comparing the estimators over a range of scenarios. The methods are used to estimate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence in New York City, Belgium, and North Carolina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on two papers published by protein engineer Homme Hellinga's laboratory at Duke University medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. The work is considered as vital for showing the possibility of using computer algorithms to design proteins that bind to small molecules. However, the papers have been challenged by physical chemist John Richard who found that enzymes from Hellinga's laboratory did not work as reported.

Information about the Fifth Forest Biology Conference, which was hosted by the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) in Raleigh, North Carolina, on May 11-13, 1970, is presented. Topics discussed include silviculture, the effect of phosphorous on the slash and loblolly pine in the South Carolina coastal plain and the evaluation of the wood, fiber and paper properties. Speakers of the event include Bruce Zobel, J. J. Wiley and W. T. Gladstone.

The ninth recommendation in ACTE's high school reform position statement is to move beyond "seat-time" and narrowly defined knowledge and skills. United States high schools operate on a well-established set of expectations for size, time of day and seasons of the year that programs and classes are offered, how instructional material is delivered, and what constitutes success in terms of the students' knowledge and skills. Until reliable assessments of student knowledge and skills are in place and accepted, there will be difficulty in letting go of the seat-time approach. A first step toward the new vision is to continue using existing standardized assessments for accountability and exit requirements, while developing and implementing performance-based demonstrations of skills and knowledge that can give a more in-depth picture of a student's skills. This article more closely examines the last recommendation made in ACTE's high school reform position statement and highlights best practices of two high schools that have already made the changes necessary to teach and assess students' true abilities through project-based and community-based learning opportunities.

The article focuses on the acquisition by the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries of the architectural files of William Roy Wallace, a key architect in the state of North Carolina. Topics include a brief career profile of Wallace, a list of buildings he had designed and the role of the library resources group Special Collection Research Center of the NCSU Libraries in preserving the architectural works. Also mentioned are some of the buildings attributed to the Wallace firm.

Information about several papers discussed at the 2003 World Conference on Natural Resource Modeling that was held on June 17-19 at the Duke University Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, North Carolina is presented. Its theme was Quantifying, Monitoring, and Modeling Ecosystem Health and Sustainability. The featured speakers include Rolfe Leary, Francis M. Fujioka, and Ram Oren.

BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high-production-volume chemical associated with a wide range of health outcomes in animal and human studies. BPA is used as a developer in thermal paper products, including cash register receipt paper; however, little is known about exposure of cashiers to BPA and alternative compounds in receipt paper. OBJECTIVE: We determined whether handling receipt paper results in measurable absorption of BPA or the BPA alternatives bisphenol S (BPS) and 4-hydroxyphenyl 4-isoprooxyphenylsulfone (BPSIP). METHODS: Cashiers (n = 77) and non-cashiers (n = 25) were recruited from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region of North Carolina during 2011-2013. Receipts were analyzed for the presence of BPA or alternatives considered for use in thermal paper. In cashiers, total urine and serum BPA, BPS, and BPSIP levels in post-shift samples (collected ≤ 2 hr after completing a shift) were compared with pre-shift samples. Levels of these compounds in urine from cashiers were compared to levels in urine from non-cashiers. RESULTS: Each receipt contained 1-2% by weight of the paper of BPA, BPS, or BPSIP. The post-shift geometric mean total urinary BPS concentration was significantly higher than the pre-shift mean in 33 cashiers who handled receipts containing BPS. The mean urine BPA concentrations in 31 cashiers who handled BPA receipts were as likely to decrease as to increase after a shift, but the mean post-shift concentrations were significantly higher than those in non-cashiers. BPSIP was detected more frequently in the urine of cashiers handling BPSIP receipts than in the urine of noncashiers. Only a few cashiers had detectable levels of total BPA or BPS in serum, whereas BPSIP tended to be detected more frequently. CONCLUSIONS: Thermal receipt paper is a potential source of occupational exposure to BPA, BPS, and BPSIP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional weather networks—also referred to as mesonets—are imperative for filling in the spatial and temporal data gaps between nationally supported weather stations. The North Carolina Environment and Climate Observing Network (ECONet) fills this regional role; it is a mesoscale network of 44 (as of 2023) automated stations collecting 12 environmental variables every minute across North Carolina. Measured variables include air temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, total solar radiation, photosynthetically active solar radiation, soil temperature, soil moisture, leaf wetness index, and black globe temperature. All data undergo quality control procedures and are made freely available to the public via data portals hosted by the State Climate Office of North Carolina at North Carolina State University. This paper provides a technical overview of ECONet, including a description of the siting criteria, station maintenance procedures, data quality control procedures, and data availability. We also summarize unique aspects of ECONet data collection as well as innovative research and applications that rely on ECONet data. ECONet data are used by many sectors including, but not limited to, emergency management, natural resources management, public health, agriculture, forestry, science education, outdoor recreation, and research. ECONet data and data-powered applications offer valuable insights to local, regional, and federal partners, yet opportunities to expand ECONet research and applications remain. Significance Statement: This paper explains the ongoing and emerging impacts of a statewide weather station network called the North Carolina Environment and Climate Observing Network (ECONet). ECONet consists of 44 (as of 2023) automated stations located across the state. Each station collects 12 environmental variables every minute. ECONet data and data-powered applications offer valuable insights to local, regional, and federal partners. There are many opportunities to expand ECONet-based research and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation agency personnel gain valuable knowledge through their work, but such knowledge is lost if it is not documented properly after the worker leaves the organization. The risk of losing institutional knowledge is a current problem at state departments of transportation, including the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), due to high personnel turnover. State transportation agencies have implemented knowledge repositories in the form of lessons learned/best practices databases to address this problem. However, motivating end-users to use such databases is challenging. This paper addresses this challenge through novel artificial intelligence technology whereby a neural network–based language model is implemented as part of the NCDOT's new knowledge management program: Communicate Lessons, Exchange Advice, Record (CLEAR). The CLEAR program encompasses a database of lessons learned/best practices and a website to access and search the database. The developed methodology involves training a language model on transportation construction texts and using that trained model in a novel algorithm enabling users to search the CLEAR database easily. The developed language-processing model provides an easily accessible interface to suggest the most relevant CLEAR data based on the end-user's searched keywords. The model learns an inference model of construction domain–specific vocabulary extracted from various sources, such as contract documents, textbooks, and specifications, to make meaningful connections between lessons learned/best practices in the CLEAR database and project-specific knowledge. The developed model has been validated by project managers for projects at various life cycle stages. The automation of information retrieval is intended to encourage NCDOT personnel to use and embrace the CLEAR program as part of their routine work to improve project workflow. In the long run, the NCDOT will benefit from consistent usage of the CLEAR program and its high quality content, thereby leading to enhanced institutional knowledge and organizational innovation. The construction industry, with a particular emphasis on transportation construction, currently faces tremendous challenges in retaining and retraining existing personnel to ensure business continuity on projects. Knowledge gained on projects by project personnel can be lost forever if not properly documented. While knowledge repositories are effective toward ensuring the storing and retrieving of past knowledge, extant literature underlines the need to ensure continued participation by the end-users for the success of such repositories. This research effort uses natural language processing, a subfield artificial intelligence that deals specifically with text sources, as a means to quickly and accurately enhance the quality of search results being displayed to the end-users within the North Carolina Department of Transportation's recently commissioned knowledge management program called CLEAR. As a result, end-users can stay motivated and embrace the CLEAR program, thereby ensuring its long-term success. In the long run, the consistent usage of the CLEAR program and the high quality content that is input to the CLEAR database by the NCDOT end-users will lead to enhanced institutional knowledge and internal organizational innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article relates how the Appalachian workers of Champion Fibre Co. located in Haywood County, North Carolina succeeded in their strike against the reduction in their wages and a stretch-out in their work schedules. The strike of 1924 ended in total victory for the workers of Champion Fibre. Two unions were contacted by the workers to form a committee of workers to negotiate their demands. They picketed and they sought recognition of their role as equals in the business enterprise. The International Papermakers Union supported the employees. As a result of the negotiations, the workers returned to their work at their old pay and on their old schedule.

The early steps of mandated school desegregation, during the freedom of choice period (1965–1969), began with black teachers going into all-white schools and white teachers going into all-black schools. This essay takes up the memory performances of one of the first white teachers in the all-black Marian Anderson High School in rural Camden County, North Carolina. Specifically the essay explores how these performances as they reinvent the past open possibilities for interrupting historic performances of whiteness. At the same time, such performances also risk the reinstantiation of white authority in the present, particularly through the use of humor and the domestication of difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes usage data from Hunter Library's digital collections using Google Analytics for a period of twenty-seven months from October 2013 through December 2015. The authors consider this data analysis to be important for identifying collections that receive the largest number of visits. We argue this data evaluation is important in terms of better informing decisions for building digital collections that will serve user needs. The authors also study the benefits of harvesting to sites such as the Digital Public Library of America, and they believe this paper will contribute to the literature on Google Analytics and its use by libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The share of students attending charter schools has been rising. There is evidence that charter school growth has increased socioeconomic segregation of students between schools. In this paper, we assess whether charter school growth affects how students are organized within nearby traditional public schools (TPS). We use administrative data from North Carolina to estimate the impact of charter school openings on segregation by income within nearby TPS. Our models exploit variation in the presence and location of charter schools over time between 2007 and 2014 for students in Grades 3 to 8. We find limited evidence that the segregation of students by income at the classroom level increases when charters open nearby. We find some evidence of increasing segregation in third grade and fourth grade math and third grade ELA classrooms at TPS within 2 miles of new charters in large urban districts schools. Our results vary somewhat depending on how we control for underlying trends and measure segregation. We find no effect of charter school growth on income segregation in higher grades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local sales tax bases are determined by factors including businesses, residential populations, and nonresidential visitors. This paper capitalizes on the COVID‐19 pandemic, using the sudden absence of in‐commuters, tourists, and college students to estimate the contributions these populations have on the sales tax base in North Carolina's 100 counties. The findings suggest that losing one in‐commuter results in a loss of roughly $1000 a month in taxable sales. Similarly, the loss of one hotel night booking results in a loss in taxable sales of approximately $525. This translates, for the median county, to exporting 17% to in‐commuters and 12% to tourists. The impact on the loss of a residential college student is less clear. Key Takeaways: Nonresidents, such as commuters, tourists, and college students, are important components to many local governments' sales tax base.A single in‐commuter is estimated to contribute approximately $1000 to the local sales tax base, which translates to about 17% of the tax base for the median county in our sample.The contribution to local sales for a hotel night stay, our proxy for tourism, is estimated to be approximately $525 to the local sales tax base, which translates to about 12% of the tax base for the median county in our sample.We do not find evidence that college students contribute meaningfully to the local sales tax base.This paper informs policy conversations around tax leakage, revenue‐raising capacity, and the benefits and costs of local sales taxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research delves into the intricate dynamics of landslides, emphasizing their consequences on transportation infrastructure, specifically highways and roadway bridges in North Carolina. Based on a prior investigation of bridges in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, we found that bridges above water and situated in valleys can be exposed to both landslide and flooding risks. These bridges faced heightened vulnerability to combined landslides and flooding events due to their low depth on the water surface and the potential for raised flood heights due to upstream landslides. Leveraging a dataset spanning more than a century and inclusive of landslide and bridge information, we employed logistic regression (LR) and random forest (RF) models to predict landslide susceptibility in North Carolina. The study considered conditioning factors such as elevation, aspect, slope, rainfall, distance to faults, and distance to rivers, yielding LR and RF models with accuracy rates of 76.3% and 82.7%, respectively. To establish that a bridge's location is at the bottom of a valley, data including landform, slope, and elevation difference near the bridge location were combined to delineate a bridge in a valley. The difference between bridge height and the lowest river elevation is established as an assumed flooding potential (AFP), which is then used to quantify the flooding risk. Compared to traditional flood risk values, the AFP, reported in elevation differences, is more straightforward and helps bridge engineers visualize the flood risk to a bridge. Specifically, a bridge (NCDOT ID: 740002) is found susceptible to both landslide (92%) and flooding (AFT of 6.61 m) risks and has been validated by field investigation, which is currently being retrofitted by North Carolina DOT with slope reinforcements (soil nailing and grouting). This paper is the first report evaluating the multi-hazard issue of bridges in valleys. The resulting high-fidelity risk map for North Carolina can help bridge engineers in proactive maintenance planning. Future endeavors will extend the analysis to incorporate actual flooding risk susceptibility analysis, thus enhancing our understanding of multi-hazard impacts and guiding resilient mitigation strategies for transportation infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driver characteristics have been linked to the frequency and severity of car crashes. Among these, age and gender have been shown to impact both the possibility and severity of a crash. Previous studies have used standard ordered probit (OP) models to analyze crash data, and some research has suggested heteroskedastic ordered probit (HETOP) could provide improved model fit. The objective of this paper is to evaluate potential improvements of the heteroskedastic ordered probit (HETOP) model compared to the standard ordered probit (OP) model in crash analysis, by examining the effect of gender across age on injury severity among drivers. This paper hypothesizes that the HETOP model can provide a better fit to crash data, by allowing heteroskedasticity in the distribution of injury severity across driver age and gender. Data for 20,222 crashes were analyzed for North Carolina from 2016 to 2018, which represents the state with the highest number of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled amongst available crash data from the Highway Safety Information System. Darker lighting conditions, severe road surface conditions, and less severe weather were associated with increased injury severity. For driver demographics, the probability of severe injuries increased with age and for male drivers. Moreover, the variance of severity increased with age disproportionately within and across genders, and the HETOP was able to account for this. The results of the two applied approaches revealed that HETOP model outperformed the standard OP model when measuring the effects of age and gender together in injury severity analysis, due to the heteroskedasticity in injury severity within gender and age. The HETOP statistical method presented in this paper can be more broadly applied across other contexts and combinations of independent variables for improved model prediction and accuracy of causal variables in traffic safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nationwide shortage of psychiatric providers delays patients from receiving vital mental health (MH) treatments. Mental Health clinical pharmacist practitioners (CPPs) are qualified to provide comprehensive medication management (CMM) services and expand care; however, many MH interdisciplinary teams have not incorporated MH CPPs or have not optimized their role. The purpose of this paper is to highlight how MH CPPs leveraged telemedicine to provide CMM to outpatient MH clinics requiring provisional coverage for other prescribing providers. This paper also reviews supplemental services and barriers to implementation. The Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) 6 Clinical Resource Hub‐Telemental Health (CRH‐TMH) is a centralized interdisciplinary team that provides telemental health services to veterans through coordination with their local Veterans Health Administration Health Care Systems located in North Carolina and Virginia. The MH CPPs serve as advanced practice providers with a scope of practice that authorizes prescriptive authority including controlled substances. The VISN 6 CRH‐TMH program was initiated in 2020 and expanded from one MH CPP to include three MH CPPs and a MH CPP supervisor. Since initiation, the MH CPPs have supported 10 outpatient MH clinics. From October 2021 to March 2023, the MH CPPs have completed 5080 clinical encounters. The MH CPPs decreased phone appointments and increased the percentage of video‐to‐home encounters from 56% in fiscal year 2021 to 91% by March fiscal year 23. Virtual same‐day access was implemented at three locations and the substance use disorder program provided timely access to life‐saving treatments. The joint intake clinic optimized veterans' intake into the MH clinic by the therapist providing diagnostic services and the CPP performing CMM during the same appointment. The telehealth learning experience increased training opportunities for residents. The success of this initiative further supports the expansion of MH CPPs as advanced practice providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa's Just Energy Transition (JET) from coal to renewable energy in response to climate change mitigation policies comes packaged with social costs that these mitigation policies tend to overlook, considering their focus on carbon emission reduction. The paper argues that Social Impact Assessments (SIAs), a component of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) focused on social impact mitigation, can be a long-term approach to closing the social cost gap. Against this backdrop, the paper's arguments were informed by a literature analysis on SIAs and the Just Energy Transition, semi-structured interviews, and surveys with 230 participants, including experts, from Kriel and Carolina in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The findings point to skills development barriers such as poor school attendance, a lack of alignment between existing curriculum design and labour markets, and students' low aptitude for STEM subjects. It also identifies community sustainability issues linked to poor public participation, gender inequalities in land reform and economic participation, and culturally disruptive displacements that will intensify as the energy shift unfolds. The paper submits that SIAs, if incorporated into mainstream energy transition planning, might be a long-term approach to mitigating societal costs and can support socially responsible policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The floods caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 affected Lumberton, a socioeconomically diverse city in North Carolina with 729 public housing units. Public housing residents face unique challenges in accessing resources and post-disaster temporary accommodations, further delaying their recovery compared to other survivors. This paper investigates the obstacles to public housing recovery and the residents' recovery challenges using descriptive statistics, mapping, and qualitative analysis in Lumberton. Findings show the dependency of public housing units' recovery on assistance policies and decisions of various organizations, including local housing authorities. Multiple changes in recovery plans and limited, uncertain, delayed funding and bureaucratic obstacles to funding allocation slow the units' recovery and prolong the residents' displacement, adversely affecting their recovery. Hence, pre-disaster resilience initiatives should address these vulnerabilities and the recovery policy's limitations to support public housing units and residents' recovery. Moreover, affordable housing recovery must become a priority in national housing recovery policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a widespread vector of disease with an expanding range, the mosquito Aedes albopictus Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae) is a high priority for research and management. A. albopictus has a complex life history with aquatic egg, larval and pupal stages, and a terrestrial adult stage. This requires targeted management strategies for each life stage, coordinated across time and space. Population genetics can aid in A. albopictus control by evaluating patterns of genetic diversity and dispersal. However, how life stage impacts population genetic characteristics is unknown. We examined whether patterns of A. albopictus genetic diversity and differentiation changed with life stage at a spatial scale relevant to management efforts. We first conducted a literature review of field‐caught A. albopictus population genetic papers and identified 101 peer‐reviewed publications, none of which compared results between life stages. Our study uniquely examines population genomic patterns of egg and adult A. albopictus at five sites in Wake County, North Carolina, USA, using 8425 single nucleotide polymorphisms. We found that the level of genetic diversity and connectivity between sites varied between adults and eggs. This warrants further study and is critical for research aimed at informing local management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]