THE INFLUENCE OF THE THREAT OF FLOODING ON HOUSING VALUES IN FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA AND MOORHEAD, MINNESOTA

The hedonic valuation method (HVM) was used to quantify the impact of the threat of flooding on housing values in Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota (Fargo-Moorhead). Prices of 3,783 Fargo-Moorhead homes sold between 1995 and 1998 were regressed against structural housing characteristics, neighborhood and environmental indicators, and three flood risk variables. Being located in the 100-year floodplain lowered the sale price of an average home by $8,990 and approximately 81 percent of the price depreciation was associated with required flood insurance premiums. After the extensive 1997 flood, homes in the 100-year floodplain were on average priced$10,241 less than similar homes located outside the floodplain and before the 1997 flood event. The aftermath of publicity of the 1997 flood was specifically responsible for average 100-year floodplain homes being reduced by an additional $1,350. In contrast, homes in the 500-year floodplain on average sold for$3,100 more than similar homes not in the floodplain. It was concluded that homebuyers in Fargo-Moorhead place a value on flooding risk, that more disclosure is needed regarding the location of the 500-year floodplain, and that substantial housing value related benefits are likely to be generated by various flood mitigation projects in the area that result in a re-designation and reduction of the 100-year floodplain.Hedonic valuation method, flooding, floodplain, Fargo, Moorhead, Red River of the North, housing values, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Effectively Treated with High-flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is typically treated by administration of oxygen via non-rebreather mask (NRB). High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is an alternative to NRB in a variety of disease states. We report a case of the novel use of HFNC in the treatment of acute CO poisoning. A 29-year-old man presented with a carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level of 29.8%. He was treated with HFNC, and COHb levels declined to 5.4% in 230 minutes. Given several theoretical advantages of HFNC relative to NRB, HFNC is a potential option for use in the treatment of CO poisoning

SDSS J142625.71+575218.3: A Prototype for A New Class of Variable White Dwarf

We present the results of a search for pulsations in six of the recently discovered carbon-atmosphere white dwarf ("hot DQ") stars. On the basis of our theoretical calculations, the star SDSS J142625.71 + 575218.3 is the only object expected to pulsate. We observe this star to be variable, with significant power at 417.7 s and 208.8 s ( first harmonic), making it a strong candidate as the first member of a new class of pulsating white dwarf stars, the DQVs. Its folded pulse shape, however, is quite different from that of other white dwarf variables and shows similarities with that of the cataclysmic variable AM CVn, raising the possibility that this star may be a carbon-transferring analog of AM CVn stars. In either case, these observations represent the discovery of a new and exciting class of object.NSF AST-0507639, AST-0602288, AST-0607480, AST-0307321Astronom

Complete Genomic Sequences of Three Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Muenchen Strains from an Orchard in San Joaquin County, California.

We present here the complete genome sequences of three Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Muenchen strains, LG24, LG25, and LG26. All three strains were isolated from almond drupes grown in an orchard in San Joaquin County, California, in 2016. These genomic sequences are nonidentical and will contribute to our understanding of S. enterica genomics

Youth Single-Sport Specialization in Professional Baseball Players.

Background: An increasing number of youth baseball athletes are specializing in playing baseball at younger ages. Purpose: The purpose of our study was to describe the age and prevalence of single-sport specialization in a cohort of current professional baseball athletes. In addition, we sought to understand the trends surrounding single-sport specialization in professional baseball players raised within and outside the United States (US). Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A survey was distributed to male professional baseball athletes via individual team athletic trainers. Athletes were asked if and at what age they had chosen to specialize in playing baseball at the exclusion of other sports, and data were then collected pertaining to this decision. We analyzed the rate and age of specialization, the reasons for specialization, and the athlete\u27s perception of injuries related to specialization. Results: A total of 1673 professional baseball athletes completed the survey, representing 26 of the 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations. Less than half (44.5%) of professional athletes specialized in playing a single sport during their childhood/adolescence. Those who reported specializing in their youth did so at a mean age of 14.09 ± 2.79 years. MLB players who grew up outside the US specialized at a significantly earlier age than MLB players native to the US (12.30 ± 3.07 vs 14.89 ± 2.24 years, respectively; Conclusion: This study challenges the current trends toward early youth sport specialization, finding that the majority of professional baseball athletes studied did not specialize as youth and that those who did specialize did so at a mean age of 14 years. With the potential cumulative effects of pitching and overhead throwing on an athlete\u27s arm, the trend identified in this study toward earlier specialization within baseball is concerning

Tobacco Usage in France: An Epidemiological Study

A survey of tobacco and alcohol consumption was conducted among 3,453 noninstitutionalized men and women in 65 départements in France. Over four-fifths of the men and half of the women surveyed had smoked cigarettes. Men were far more likely than women to have stopped smoking, especially older men in higher social classes. Fifty-five percent of the men smoked cigarettes made with black tobacco (Gauloises, Gitanes), while women preferred blond tobacco products. Younger smokers of both sexes preferred filtered cigarettes, while older respondents smoked nonfiltered ones. Filter usage among men, but not women, increased with education. Inhalation was more prevalent among men than women, among the young than the old, and among the more educated than the less educated. “Drooping” or carrying a lighted cigarettes in the mouth without inhaling, was a practice more common in older, less educated male smokers. These data also provide some evidence in support of the hypothesis that black tobacco, with its higher pH, provides unprotonated nicotine which is easily absorbed by oral mucosa, thus making deep inhalation of the smoke less important to the smoker. The observed differences between the smoking practices of the French and those in the United States and United Kingdom along with the relatively higher alcohol consumption noted throughout France, may partially explain the lower rates of lung cancer and higher rates of larynx, esophagus, and oral cavity cancer found in French men