cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Statistical Issues Arising in Disparate Impact Cases and the Use of the Expectancy Curve in Assessing the Validity of Pre‐Employment Tests

Summary Disparate impact cases concern the potential adverse effect seemingly neutral employment practices, such as passing a pre-employment test or possessing a fixed level of education, have on minority applicants. Their purpose is to eliminate discrimination by subterfuge, i.e., imposing a requirement that eliminates many minority individuals who could do the job but who do not meet the requirement. When a significantly higher fraction of applicants from minority groups fail the requirement compared to majority applicants, the requirement needs to be shown to be job-related. Statistical techniques used at the various stages of a disparate impact claim are described. Properties of the expectancy curve, which describes the utility of a pre-employment test and helps in defining a band of scores defining “equivalently skilled” applicants are discussed. Resume De nombreuses nations ont des lois qui prohibent la discrimination contre les groupes minoritaires. L'effect de disparie est directement affecte par le rapport qui existe entre les testes de pre-emploi donnes, le travail en question et les qualifications demandees. S'il y a une hausse signifiante d'echec parmi les groups minoritaires dans le domaine de qualifications demandees par rapport a la majorite des interesses, les qualifications doivent etre justifiees. Cet article decrit quelques methodes statistiques utilisees afin d'analyser les donnees qui apparaissent dans ces cas.
Imaging Carbon Nanotubes in High Performance Polymer Composites via Magnetic Force Microscope

Application of carbon nanotubes as reinforcement in structural composites is dependent on the efficient dispersion of the nanotubes in a high performance polymer matrix. The characterization of such dispersion is limited by the lack of available tools to visualize the quality of the matrix/carbon nanotube interaction. The work reported herein demonstrates the use of magnetic force microscopy (MFM) as a promising technique for characterizing the dispersion of nanotubes in a high performance polymer matrix.
Thyroid Peroxidase Autoantibodies of IgE Class in Thyroid Autoimmunity

Abstract Recently, we converted a thyroid peroxidase (TPO)-specific human autoantibody Fab (SP1.4) into an IgE molecule (IgE-SP1.4) which permits antigen capture via Fc epsilon receptors on B cells and presentation to T cells. An important question which arose was whether IgE class TPO autoantibodies are presentin vivo.By ELISA, TPO autoantibodies of IgG1 and IgG4 subclasses, but not IgE, were readily detectable in patients’ sera. However, such negative data were not definitive because high concentrations of IgG class TPO autoantibodies could obscure the presence of much lower concentrations of IgE class autoantibodies. We, therefore, established a specific assay based on IgE “capture” to remove other isotypes before incubation with TPO. In an initial survey,125I-TPO binding was higher in sera from 16 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease than in 6 controls (8.4 ± 0.8% versus 0.7 ± 0.2%; mean ± SEM). Unlabeled TPO (10−8M) inhibited125I-TPO binding by patients’ (but not controls’) IgE. Further, TPO binding by IgE-SP1.4 was unaffected by IgG class TPO autoantibodies. Titers of IgE class TPO autoantibodies were low, detectable at a 1/60 dilution in 4/5 sera studied. In a larger series, IgE class TPO autoantibodies were present in 13 of 18 Graves’ and in 12 of 17 Hashimoto patients (sera diluted 1/6). Sera were considered to be positive with TPO binding greater than the mean + 3 SD of values for 23 control sera (1.8%). In conclusion, we provide the first evidence for TPO autoantibodies of IgE class in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. Because of their low concentration, these autoantibodies are unlikely to play a role in antigen presentationin vivo.However, their presence strengthens the link between autoimmune thyroid disease and immune responses involving TH2 cells.
Three-dimensional viscous analysis of a Mach 5 inlet and comparison with experimental data

A time-marching three-dimensional full Navier-Stokes code is applied to simulate the flow for a Mach 5 inlet experimental configuration using the data obtained in the 10x 10-ft supersonic wind tunnel at the NASA Lewis Research Center. For the first time, a solution is obtained for this configuration with the actual geometry, the tunnel conditions, and all the bleed zones modeled in the computation. Computed pitot pressure profiles and static pressures at various locations in the inlet are compared with the corresponding experimental data. The effect of bleed zones is simulated reasonably well using approximations for the bleed boundary conditions and the turbulence model.
Determinants of chemotactic signal amplification in Escherichia coli.

Abstract A well-characterized protein phosphorelay mediates Escherichia coli chemotaxis towards the amino acid attractant aspartate. The protein CheY shuttles between flagellar motors and methyl-accepting chemoreceptor (MCP) complexes containing the linker CheW and the kinase CheA. CheA-CheY phosphotransfer generates phospho-CheY, CheY-P. Aspartate triggers smooth swim responses by inactivation of the CheA bound to the target MCP, Tar; but this mechanism alone cannot explain the observed response sensitivity. Here, we used behavioral analysis of mutants deleted for CheZ, a catalyst of CheY-P dephosphorylation, or the methyltransferase CheR and/or the methylesterase CheB to examine the roles of accelerated CheY-P dephosphorylation and MCP methylation in enhancement of the chemotactic response. The extreme motile bias of the mutants was adjusted towards wild-type values, while preserving much of the aspartate response sensitivity by expressing fragments of the MCP, Tsr, that either activate or inhibit CheA. We then measured responses to small jumps of aspartate, generated by flash photolysis of photo-labile precursors. The stimulus-response relation for Δ cheZ mutants overlapped that for the host strains. Δ cheZ excitation response times increased with stimulus size consistent with formation of an occluded CheA state. Thus, neither CheZ-dependent or independent increases in CheY-P dephosphorylation contribute to the excitation response. In Δ cheB Δ cheR or Δ cheR mutants, the dose for a half-maximal response, [Asp] 50 , was ca 10 μM; but was elevated to 100 μM in Δ cheB mutants. In addition, the stimulus-response relation for these mutants was linear, consistent with stoichiometric inactivation, in contrast to the non-linear relation for wild-type E. coli . These data suggest that response sensitivity is controlled by differential binding of CheR and/or CheB to distinct MCP signaling conformations.
Modeling flow pathways through pores and cracks in aerated soils

[1] Knowledge of how chemical contaminants spread through soil is of vital importance to those who manage groundwater and agricultural resources, superfund sites, landfills, and mines. Of particular interest to contaminant transport studies is crop management—though crops can be victims of pollution from elsewhere, fertilizers and other agricultural chemicals can leach through the soil and infiltrate groundwater. The spread of such contaminants from farmland not only is influenced by the amount of chemicals used for farming but also depends on how agriculture affects soil—activities such as mechanized farming, irrigation scheduling, swelling and shrinking properties, crop-rooting characteristics, and earthworm or other biological activity can influence the amount and size of air pockets in the soil. These “macropores”—so named because they are typically about 1 millimeter or larger in diameter—can allow agricultural contaminants to move through the soil more rapidly, along preferential flow paths. (Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/2010WR009451, 2011)
High-Temperature Rubber Made from Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes have been among the most studied materials for the past two decades ( 1 ); they display several remarkable properties, such as extremely high tensile strength and electrical conductivity. On page 1364 of this issue, Xu et al. ( 2 ) report another case of extreme mechanical performance of a carbon material—viscoelastic behavior of nanotubes in a wide temperature range—that no other solid has shown so far.
Control of Caribbean fruit fly (Diptera : Tephritidae) in navel orange by forced hot air

A single-stage, hot-air quarantine treatment was used to kill Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew), mature 3rd instars in Florida-grown 'Golden' navel orange, Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck. Treating infested navel orange with 48 ± 0.3°C forced air for 55.9 ± 0.3, 73.7 ± 1.3, and 119.4 ± 0.7 min, to reach final center pulp temperatures of 36-37, 40-41, and 44-45°C, respectively, when initial center pulp temperatures were 22.3 ± 0.2, 21.2 ± 0.2, and 20.5 ± 0.3°C, respectively, reduced the number of surviving puparia that developed from treated larvae. The exposure time needed to reach Q99.9968% mortality was 108.6 min (lower and upper fiducial limits were 88.4 and 200.3 min, respectively) when the final mean center pulp temperature was ≥44°C. A large-scale confirmatory test resulted in no survivors when 113,676 Caribbean fruit fly larvae in 1,200 manually infested navel oranges were heated with 48 ± 0.3°C forced air at an average 0.75 m 3 /s air flow rate until the center pulp temperatures were ≥44°C, which required 100.2 ± 3.0 min of heating when initial center pulp temperatures were 23.2 ± 0.4°C. Relative humidity ranged from 63.5% at the start of the test to 77.3% when the test was finished. After treatment at 48 ± 0.3°C for 105 min and 1 mo of storage at 5°C, there was no significant difference in quality characteristics between heated and unheated navel oranges.
Ultrastructure of hemoglobin-depleted human erythrocyte resealed ghosts.

Abstract Both negative-stain and freeze-fracture electron microscopic techniques revealed that the ultrastructure of resealed white ghosts prepared at high dilution during the hemolysis step is very different from that of resealed ghosts prepared at low or moderate dilution (pink ghosts). The negative-stained resealed white ghosts showed light halo substructures on membrane surfaces and protrusions at the edge of the ghosts. Freeze-fracturing of these ghosts showed that membrane blebbing had occurred and that fragments of the membranes resealed to form small right-side-out vesicles ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 μm in diameter.
From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890-1967

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, more Americans belonged to fraternal societies than to any other kind of voluntary association, with the possible exception of churches. Despite the stereotypical image of the lodge as the exclusive domain of white men, fraternalism cut across race, class, and gender lines to include women, African Americans, and immigrants. Exploring the history and impact of fraternal societies in the United States, David Beito uncovers the vital importance they had in the social and fiscal lives of millions of American families. Much more than a means of addressing deep-seated cultural, psychological, and gender needs, fraternal societies gave Americans a way to provide themselves with social-welfare services that would otherwise have been inaccessible, Beito argues. In addition to creating vast social and mutual aid networks among the poor and in the working class, they made affordable life and health insurance available to their members and established hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the elderly. Fraternal societies continued their commitment to mutual aid even into the early years of the Great Depression, Beito says, but changing cultural attitudes and the expanding welfare state eventually propelled their decline. |David Beito's book establishes the enormous impact of fraternal societies on the social lives and fiscal circumstances of millions of Americans between 1890 and 1967. In addition to creating vast social and mutual aid networks for the poor and the working class, fraternal organizations offered insurance policies to members and established hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the elderly.
Frameworks for pricing greenhouse gas emissions and the policy objectives they promote

Abstract Four cost-effective frameworks for pricing greenhouse gas emissions currently receive widespread attention: cap-and-trade, emission fees, and hybrid cap-and-trade approaches that include upper or lower limits on permit prices (price ceilings or floors). This paper develops a fifth framework that uses an emission fee with an upper limit on the quantity of emissions—a quantity ceiling—and compares the impact of each framework on emission prices and quantities. Cap-and-trade with a price ceiling minimizes price increases for emitting activities in all cases whereas an emission fee with a quantity ceiling maximizes emissions reductions. Thus, the choice of framework influences policy outcomes because each framework is more or less suited to particular policy goals. Whether pursuing one potential policy goal serves society's interests best depends on the eventual consequences of climate damage and emissions pricing, which are uncertain when policy choices are made. Policy updating over time may reduce but likely cannot entirely eliminate the differences in outcome that arise due to framework choice. Therefore, the “best” framework for emissions pricing depends on subjective preferences regarding the relative importance of different policy objectives, most notably whether one is more risk averse to climate damages or emissions price increases.
Maternal cell traffic in allogeneic embryos

Abstract Blastocysts from CBA and/or C57BL/6 mice were transferred into the uterus of allogeneic, syngeneic or semi-syngeneic pseudopregnant female mice. Observations of embryo status, relative embryo position in the uterus and immunofluorescent staining of embryonic cells for determination of H-2 antigen type shows that cell movement occurs between the maternal host and the fetus and apparently among embryos. Both in-utero maternal cell traffic in the fetus and the rate of fetal resorptions depend on the proximity of allogeneic embryos in utero and the genetic inter-relationship of the surrogate mother to the fetus.
Usability and Performance of Tablet Keyboards: Microsoft Surface vs. Apple iPad

This study was an evaluation of typing performance and user satisfaction of three tablet keyboards: Surface TouchCover Keyboard, Surface Onscreen Keyboard, and iPad Onscreen Keyboard. Results show ...
Optimal Multiple-Impulse Satellite Evasive Maneuvers

Minimum-fuel, impulsive solutions are obtained for the evasive maneuver of a satellite followed by a rendezvous with the original orbit station. The evasion distance and time are constrained. Both free and constrained final time cases are considered. Primer vector theory is used to obtain optimal solutions, which include threeimpulse solutions for an arbitrarily oriented evasion radius vector of a specified magnitude, and two-impulse free-return trajectories for certain specific evasion radius vectors. On some three-impulse solutions the primer vector indicates that the addition of a fourth impulse to the return trajectory will lower the fuel cost. Nomenclature A =3X3 coefficient matrix in CW equations, Eq. (2) B =3X3 coefficient matrix in CW equations, Eq. (3) D = determinant of the matrix N, Eq. (A6) H = Hamiltonian function, Eq. (B9) / = velocity-change cost of nominal three-impulse trajectory K = time interval between initial and midcourse impulse, tm ~ t0
Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of factor B and C2 genes in H-2 recombinant mouse strains

To determine if recombination has occurred between complement genes, we have analyzed recombinant mouse strains by RFLP analysis with cDNA probes to factor B and C2
Drought and salt tolerance: towards understanding and application

Abstract Only a few desirable traits in plants are understood at the molecular level. Fewer still are amenable to manipulation by molecular biological techniques currently available. The accumulation of glycine betaine, an osmoprotectant compound implicated in drought and salt tolerance, may be one such trait.
Axial flow, multi-stage turbine and compressor models

Design models of multi-stage, axial-flow turbine and compressor are developed for high temperature nuclear reactor power plants with Closed Brayton Cycle for energy conversion. The models are based on a mean-line through-flow analysis for free-vortex flow, account for the profile, secondary, end wall, trailing edge and tip clearance losses in the cascades, and calculate the geometrical parameters of the blade cascades. The effects of the mean-stage work coefficient, flow coefficient and stage reaction on the design and performance of helium turbine and compressor are investigated. The results compare favorably with those reported for 6 stages helium turbine and 20 stages helium compressor. Also presented and discussed are the results of parametric analyses of a 530-MW helium turbine, and a 251-MW helium compressor.
Is Market Share all that It's Cracked up to Be?:

The market share-ROI relationship is examined to determine the extent of the causal versus spurious association. By making use of the PIMS data base, it is found that a large proportion of the asso...
Enough is enough! Patients who do not conceive on 600 IU/d of gonadotropins show no improvement from an additional 150 IU of LH activity

Studies have suggested that supplemental LH improves outcomes in assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles. In this retrospective review, an additional 150 IU of LH activity did not improve ART outcomes in women undergoing a second round of IVF/ intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) after an initial failed cycle using 600 IU of gonadotropins.
The binding site for an inhibitor of squalene:hopene cyclase determined using photoaffinity labeling and molecular modeling

Background The squalene:hopene cyclases (SHCs) are bacterial enzymes that convert squalene into hopanoids, a function analogous to the action of oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs) in eukaryotic steroid and triterpenoid biosynthesis. We have identified the binding site for a selective, potent, photoactivatable inhibitor of an SHC. Results SHC from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius was specifically labeled by [ 3 H]Ro48-8071, a benzophenone-containing hypocholesteremic drug. Edman degradation of a peptide fragment of covalently modified SHC confirmed that Ala44 was specifically modified. Molecular modeling, using X-ray-derived protein coordinates and a single point constraint for the inhibitor, suggested several geometries by which Ro48-8071 could occupy the active site. Conclusions A covalent complex of a potent inhibitor with a squalene cyclase has been characterized. The amino acid modification and molecular modeling suggest that Ro48-8071 binds at the junction between the central cavity and substrate entry channel, therefore inhibiting access of the substrate to the active site.
Generalized labeling on the basis of structural response classes by two young children

Abstract Two-year-old children were trained through differential reinforcement and imitation to label nine pairs of color-figure combinations with labels specific to each color and each figure. Subsequently, they were taught to label one of the nine pairs of stimuli with a new form of utterance involving the same labels. The form of response prompted and reinforced to this one stimulus pair alternated between the two response forms over the course of the study. The remaining eight stimulus pairs were presented as probes for the S to label without benefit of modeling or reinforcement. After learning both response forms to each set of stimuli, the Ss would label the eight probe stimulus sets with the grammatical response form being modeled and reinforced with respect to the one training stimulus set. The results of the study were discussed in terms of the formation of response classes based on structural differences among responses. The generalized labeling that occurred was related to current research on generalized imitation.
Modeling directionality in wireless networks: extended abstract

The physical-layer models commonly used in current networking research only minimally address the interaction of directional antennas and radio propagation. This paper compares the models found in popular simulation tools with measurements taken across a variety of links in multiple environments. We find that the effects of antenna direction are significantly different from the models used by the common wireless network simulators. We propose a parametric model which better captures the effects of different propagation environments on directional antenna systems. We believe that adopting this model will allow more realistic simulation of protocols relying on directional antennas, supporting better design and more valid assessment of those protocols.
Adipose-derived stem cells and BMP2: Part 1. BMP2-treated adipose-derived stem cells do not improve repair of segmental femoral defects

Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP2) has been shown to induce both in vitro osteogenic differentiation and in vivo bone formation, with the capacity of rhBMP2 to elicit the repair of numerous bony defects (calvaria, spinal fusion, femora, and so on) well documented. In addition, rhBMP2 has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for selected human indications. Despite the fact that healing is often achieved, the challenge still remains to optimize the therapeutic use of rhBMP2. One avenue may be through the combination of rhBMP2 with stem cells capable of osteogenic differentiation. This study investigates the ability of rhBMP2 at various doses in combination with human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) to heal critical-sized rat segmental femoral defects. For this, different doses of rhBMP2 were incorporated with apatite-coated porous poly(l-lactide-co-dl-lactide) (70 : 30) (PLDLA) scaffolds, seeded with ASCs, and implanted into athymic rats. After 8 weeks, all implan...
Effect of Phenobarbital on Serum Digoxin Concentrations During Administration of Liposome-Entrapped Digoxin: an Examination of Possible Drug Interactions

ABSTRACTThe effect of concomitant administration in normal dogs of phenobarbital with either oral free digoxin, oral liposome-entrapped digoxin or intravenous liposome-entrapped digoxin were examined Phenobarbital induced a transient rise in serum digoxin concentrations during concomitant administration of oral free digoxin, Phenobarbital did not affect serum concentrations of either oral or intravenous liposome-entrapped digoxin. The results suggest that liposome-entrapped digoxin may be protected against transient fluctuations in serum concentrations during concomitant administration of phenobarbital. The protective liposome encapsulation of digoxin may prevent digoxin toxicosis in dogs induced by elevations in serum digoxin concentrations during concomitant administration of phenobarbital.
Numerical multiconfiguration self-consistent-field calculations on the first excited state of LiH−

Etude de l'importance de la correlation electronique dans les etats excites d'anions de molecules fortement polaires, sur l'exemple de LiH − . Discussion des procedures de selection des configurations et d'optimisation des orbitales
Bone marrow necrosis

Bone marrow necrosis is regarded as an uncommon entity that is associated with a poor prognosis. However, organized studies using either bone marrow biopsy specimens or autopsy material showed that bone marrow necrosis can be demonstrated in approximately one third of specimens. It is found in a large number of both malignant and nonmalignant disorders, in addition to occurring following large exposures to radiation or high dose cancer chemotherapy. In the absence of radiation or cancer chemotherapy, it probably eventuates from either vascular occlusion or blood stasis in small blood vessels. When bone marrow necrosis is prolonged, it may be associated with the development of bone marrow fibrosis, and it may serve as a predisposing etiology for idiopathic myelofibrosis. Most patients discovered with bone marrow necrosis have few symptoms, and they are eventually lost to follow-up without evident progression or development of a clinical illness. In acute disorders and in those who undergo effective therapy, recovery appears to occur without complications. This frequently overlooked finding is the subject of many case reports in the medical literature, but it has only been rarely systematically investigated. The latter is probably warranted because of the potential role of bone marrow necrosis in the pathophysiology of a number of disorders and the paucity of information for treatment of this pathological finding.
Utilizing Need for Cognition and Perceived Self-Efficacy to Predict Academic Performance1

A study was conducted to determine whether academic performance could be predicted on the bases of the constructs need for cognition (NFC) and academic self-efficacy. Two hypotheses were generated: Positive correlations will be found between academic self-efficacy, NFC, and grade point average (GPA); and efficacy and NFC will serve as significant predictors of GPA. The path mediation technique recommended by Baron & Kenny (1986) for testing mediated relationships was also performed in order to assess the causal direction of the NFC and academic self-efficacy variables. Participants were 138 undergraduate students. The first hypothesis was generally supported in that significant correlations were found between NFC, efficacy beliefs, and GPA. In support of the second hypothesis, path analysis revealed that NFC and academic self-efficacy were significant predictors of GPA. Furthermore, the NFC-GPA relationship was shown to be mediated by efficacy beliefs.
Structural and decelerator design options for Mars entry.

Structural design options for decelerative aeroshell configurations for atmospheric entry on unmanned planetary explorations
Executive Power and Media Freedom in Central and Eastern Europe

Political executives often influence how effectively citizens can monitor them, yet the link between executives and government transparency is not well developed in the literature. I begin filling that void by illuminating the relationship between media freedom—one dimension of transparency—and executive power. I theorize that politicians prefer to avoid monitoring and negative publicity, and that both presidents and prime ministers often can do something about it via their constitutional powers and influence accrued through partisan support. Using new panel data on Central and Eastern European prime ministers and presidents, I find that proactive legislative powers for both executive types and increased partisan support for prime ministers negatively affect media freedom. My model explains most of the variation in Central and Eastern European media freedom, predicts high press freedom in Western Europe, and has important implications for the broader relationships between executive power, transparency, an...
Heuristic algorithms for routing and wavelength assignment in WDM optical networks

We evaluate the average-case performance of eight offline heurisic algorithms to solve the routing and wavelength assignment problem and the related throughput maximization problem in wavelength division multiplexing optical networks. Our experimental performance evaluation is conducted by extensive simulations on a wide range of WDM optical networks. We find offline routing and wavelength assignment algorithms and throughput maximization algorithms which perform better than previously studied online algorithms.
Characterization of microsatellite loci in the widely introduced estuarine anemone Nematostella vectensis

We characterized 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci from Nematostella vectensis, a burrowing anemone recently introduced to estuaries along the Pacific coast of North America and the southeast coast of England. Preliminary results indicate high variability and significant departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, the latter likely the result of population genetic structure and reproductive plasticity. Both results are consistent with earlier genetic analyses. These markers will be useful for resolving global patterns of introduction and for describing spatio-temporal genetic structure at local and regional scales.
High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Assays: What Analytical and Clinical Issues Need to Be Addressed before Introduction into Clinical Practice?

The guidelines of the Global Task Force for the Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (MI)1 and the complementary laboratory medicine practice guidelines of the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB), both published in 2007, established cardiac troponin (cTn) as the standard biomarker for the diagnosis of MI. Ongoing improvements in technology over the past several years have advanced the analytical detection of low concentrations of cTn (I and T) in blood, serum, and plasma. “Contemporary” assays demonstrate excellent diagnostic accuracy for detection of MI by using the recommended 99th percentile concentration as the medical decision cutoff value in specimens obtained at presentation. Optimal accuracy is seen with these assays in samples obtained 6 or more hours after presentation. However, there are 2 important biomarker issues mentioned in these guidelines that will be critical in defining the next and possibly final generation of high-sensitivity (hs) cTn assays. (1) In both guidelines, total assay imprecision is recommended but not required to be ≤10% at the 99th percentile. As previously shown and discussed in the literature, cTn assay imprecision ≤20% CV at the 99th percentile value does not lead to substantial increases in false-positive or -negative misclassifications. (2) Whereas study of a normal reference population is advocated in both guidelines for calculation of the 99th percentile before assay implementation in clinical practice, the specifications of that population (age, sex, ethnicity, race) and the number of individuals that should be included in the “normal” group have not been clearly stipulated. An opinion paper recently published in this journal suggested that hs-cTn assays need to have a total imprecision ≤10% at the 99th percentile and that >95% of apparently healthy subjects need to have measurable concentrations for the assay to be “guideline acceptable.” An assay with an imprecision between >10% and ≤20% was deemed …
Cigarette Smoking Does not Increase the Risk for Early Failure of Dental Implants

Article Title and Bibliographic Information The influence of tobacco on early dental implant failure. Sverzut AT, et al. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2008;66(5):1004-9. Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence. Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable. Purpose/Question The study's specific aim was to identify the risk of early loss of dental implants associated with cigarette smoking. Source of Funding Government-State of Sao (the a should have the curvy line above it) Paulo Research Support Foundation, Sao (same as above for the a) Paulo, Brazil. Type of Study/Design Historical cohort study.
Replicase-Binding Sites on Plus- and Minus-Strand Brome Mosaic Virus RNAs and Their Roles in RNA Replication in Plant Cells

The cis-acting elements for Brome mosaic virus (BMV) RNA synthesis have been characterized primarily for RNA3. To identify additional replicase-binding elements, nested fragments of all three of the BMV RNAs, both plus- and minus-sense fragments, were constructed and tested for binding enriched BMV replicase in a template competition assay. Ten RNA fragments containing replicase-binding sites were identified; eight were characterized further because they were more effective competitors. All eight mapped to noncoding regions of BMV RNAs, and the positions of seven localized to sequences containing previously characterized core promoter elements (C. C. Kao, Mol. Plant Pathol. 3:55-62, 2001), thus suggesting the identities of the replicase-binding sites. Three contained the tRNA-like structures that direct minus-strand RNA synthesis, three were within the 3' region of each minus-strand RNA that contained the core promoter for genomic plus-strand initiation, and one was in the core subgenomic promoter. Single-nucleotide mutations known previously to abolish RNA synthesis in vitro prevented replicase binding. When tested in the context of the respective full-length RNAs, the same mutations abolished BMV RNA synthesis in transfected barley protoplasts. The eighth site was within the intercistronic region (ICR) of plus-strand RNA3. Further mapping showed that a sequence of 22 consecutive adenylates was responsible for binding the replicase, with 16 being the minimal required length. Deletion of the poly(A) sequence was previously shown to severely debilitate BMV RNA replication in plants (E. Smirnyagina, Y. H. Hsu, N. Chua, and P. Ahlquist, Virology 198:427-436, 1994). Interestingly, the B box motif in the ICR of RNA3, which has previously been determined to bind the 1a protein, does not bind the replicase. These results identify the replicase-binding sites in all of the BMV RNAs and suggest that the recognition of RNA3 is different from that of RNA1 and RNA2.
Where do channels begin

The closer channels begin to drainage divides, the greater will be the number of channels that occupy a unit area, and consequently the more finely dissected will be the landscape. Hence, a key component of channel network growth and landscape evolution theories1–7, as well as models for topographically controlled catch-ment runoff8, should be the prediction of where channels begin. Little field data exist, however, either on channel head locations9–14 or on what processes act to initiate and maintain a channel14–17. Here we report observations from several soil-mantled regions of Oregon and California, which show that the source area above the channel head decreases with increasing local valley gradient for slopes ranging from 5 to 45 degrees. Our results support a predicted relationship between source area and slope for steep humid landscapes where channel initiation is by landsliding, but they contradict theoretical predictions for channel initiation by overland flow in gentle valleys. Our data also suggest that, for the same gradient, drier regions tend to have larger source areas.
Heterogeneity of Kir4.1 channel expression in glia revealed by mouse transgenesis

The weakly inwardly rectifying K 1 channel Kir4.1 is found in many glial cells including astrocytes. However, questions remain regarding the relative contribution of Kir4.1 to the resting K 1 conductance of mature astrocytes in situ. We employed a bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic approach in mice to visualize Kir4.1 expression in vivo. These mice (Kir4.1-EGFP) express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the transcriptional control of the Kir4.1 promoter. The brains of adult Kir4.1-EGFP transgenic mice showed co-expression of EGFP and Kir4.1 in astrocytes. In addition, weaker expression of EGFP was detected in NG21 glial cells when compared with EGFP expression in GFAP1 glial cells. Whole-cell voltage clamp recordings of EGFP1 glial cells in the CA1 area of the adult mouse hippocampus indicated astrocytes displaying properties consistent with both the ‘‘passive’’ and ‘‘complex’’ subpopulations. EGFP1 cells with bright fluorescence had the linear current‐voltage (I‐V) relationships and extensive gap junctional coupling characteristic of passive astrocytes. However, EGFP1 glia with weaker fluorescence displayed properties associated with complex astrocytes including nonlinear I‐V relationships and lack of intercellular gap junctional coupling. Pharmacological blockade of inward currents implied that Kir4.1 channels constitute the dominant resting K 1 conductance in both glial cell types and are more highly expressed in passive astrocytes. These results suggest differential expression of Kir4.1 in glia and that this channel likely underlies the resting K 1 conductance in passive and complex astrocytes. V C 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Snail: a target for treating basal-like breast cancer

259 ISSN 1758-1923 10.2217/BMT.13.32 © 2013 Future Medicine Ltd Breast Cancer Manage. (2013) 2(4), 259–262 Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that can be divided into five biological subtypes based on gene-expression profiling: luminal A, luminal B, ErbB2, normallike and basal-like [1]. Of all the molecular subtypes, basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is of particular clinical significance, as it associates with an aggressive clinical history, development of recurrence, distant metastasis and shorter survival, and usually occurs in younger women [2,3]. The terminology ‘basal-like’ stems from the similarity between the molecular profiling of tumors pertaining to this subgroup with that of undifferentiated breast stem cells, which reside with basal/myoepithelial cells (termed basal-like cells) of the normal breast [3]. In addition to BRCA1 germline mutations or a dysfunctional BRCA1 pathway [3], BLBC is commonly characterized by the lack of expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2, and positive expression of basal markers (CK5/6 and CK14) [2,3]. The consequent absence of effective targeted therapies, such as endocrine and anti-HER2 therapies, and poor response to standard chemotherapy, which is common among patients, often results in a rapidly fatal clinical outcome for this disease. This type of breast cancer has a tendency towards early metastatic spread to the brain and lung, which are sites known to be associated with a poor prognosis and short survival [2,3]. Thus, novel treatment strategies based on the biology of BLBC are urgently needed to combat this life-threatening disease. Intriguingly, BLBC possesses many epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) characteristics and exhibits robust cancer stem cell (CSC)-like features [4,5]. EMT is an essential phenotypic conversion during embryonic development, tissue remodeling, wound healing and metastasis [6,7]. In these EMT processes, epithelial cells acquire f ibroblast-like properties and exhibit reduced intercellular adhesion and increased motility; they can also break through the basal membrane and migrate over long distances, owing to profound changes in their cytoskeletal architecture. Activation of this normally latent EMT program confers a distinct advantage on cancer cells for invasion and metastasis to distant organs or tissues. In addition to enhancing the invasiveness and metastatic
The “Conscious Id”: A Game Changer with Lots of Challenges

By integrating contemporary neurobiology with early Freud, Mark Solms opens up the possibility of a major restudying of metapsychology, a project that must continue after his article. My commentary is written not as a critique but as an ally seeking to help Solms fine-tune his article in order to preempt critiques from likely quarters. Four areas are addressed: general issues of approach and clarity; neurobiology; theory/metapsychology; and political issues within the realm of neuropsychoanalysis.
PREVALENCE OF PARASITISM BY Amblyomma americanum ON WILD TURKEY POULTS AS INFLUENCED BY PRESCRIBED BURNING

Captive-raised eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) poults were allowed to forage on either recently burned plots or on plots that had not been burned during the previous 3 years. Following a two hour exposure on the study plots, external parasites were recovered from all poults. The louse (Menacanthus stramineus) and the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) were the only parasites recovered. Fifty-nine poults exposed to the burned plots had a significantly (P<0.001) lower prevalence of A. americanum infestation than did 57 poults exposed to the unburned plots. Thirty-five percent of the poults exposed to the unburned plots were infested by A. americanum. A single A. americanum was recovered from one poult exposed to burned plots.
President Taft and the Discipline of Patronage

S EVERAL YEARS after he left the Presidency, William Howard Taft endorsed the familiar political maxim that the distribution of patronage often breeds "one ingrate and ten enemies."' Although his remarks primarily referred to the congressmen who bestowed federal appointments upon constituents during his administration, Taft's appraisal also may have reflected a growing pessimism concerning the effectiveness of patronage generally.2 As a system of incentives for securing desired political action, patronage can be used either to reward loyal followers or to discipline potential opponents. The significance of patronage as a means of rewarding political friends has been subjected to severe criticisms Few, however, have questioned seriously the effectiveness of patronage as a method of punishment when it is invoked by party leaders against dissident members to "defend themselves against challenges and exercise discipline."4 The failure to study the withdrawal of patronage as a means of discipline hardly can be reconciled with the importance of this device to the goal of party responsibility. Unless a party is able to impose such sanctions upon disloyal subordinates, the objective of a coherent party policy would seem nearly unattainable. The deprivation of patronage may be one of the few resources available to a party for quashing the disruptive consequences of factionalism and disobedience. Likewise, the refusal of patronage may be one of the few
Beyond Pleasure: Emotion Activity Affects the Relationship Between Attitudes and Behavior

The research examined an additional proposed moderator of the attitude-behavior relationship: the activity level of emotions associated with an attitude object. In Experiment 1, participants who self-generated active rather than passive emotions as being associated with gay men displayed greater attitude-behavior consistency in hiring recommendations for a gay job applicant, as did participants who rated active rather than passive experimenter-provided emotions as being associated with gay men. In Experiment 2, participants who were instructed to associate active rather than passive emotions with gay men subsequently displayed greater attitude-behavior consistency in similar hiring recommendations. It is suggested that future research on the affective component of attitudes might benefit from going beyond consideration of whether the associated emotions entail displeasure or pleasure.
Decay of the 4a-hydroxy-FAD intermediate of phenol hydroxylase.

The oxidative half-reaction of phenol hydroxylase involves the formation of three spectrally distinct intermediates (Detmer, K.M., and Massey, V. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 5998-6005). Addition of an aerobic NADPH-regenerating system, phenol, and azide quantitatively converted oxidized enzyme to the third intermediate, a 4a-hydroxy-FAD species (Detmer, K.M., and Massey, V. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 11265-11272). This intermediate was isolated in the presence of azide and a wide variety of phenolic ligands. Decay rates were followed for the dehydration of 4a-hydroxy-FAD enzyme resulting in the original oxidized form. Deviation from the rate observed in the absence of phenolic ligands was presumed to be indicative of a binding interaction. Several phenols displayed further stabilization of the 4a-hydroxyflavin species. These ligands exhibited saturation kinetics with respect to the decay half-lives, consistent with a mechanistic model in which both free and bound 4a-hydroxy-FAD enzyme may be directly dehydrated to produce the oxidized species. The lack of stabilization by catechol, the natural product, suggests that product is released from the enzyme during turnover by the time that this intermediate is formed. A pH profile, generated for the decay rates in the absence and presence of phenolic ligand, suggests both acid and base catalysis by hydronium ion and hydroxide, respectively.
Using Transfer Learning to Assist Exploratory Corpus Annotation

We describe an under-studied problem in language resource management: that of providing automatic assistance to annotators working in exploratory settings. When no satisfactory tagset already exists, such as in under-resourced or undocumented languages, it must be developed iteratively while annotating data. This process naturally gives rise to a sequence of datasets, each annotated differently. We argue that this problem is best regarded as a transfer learning problem with multiple source tasks. Using part-of-speech tagging data with simulated exploratory tagsets, we demonstrate that even simple transfer learning techniques can significantly improve the quality of pre-annotations in an exploratory annotation.
Intellectual Property Issues in Electronic Collaborations

Scientific research is increasingly performed via on-line collaboration, including the potential for virtual research environments or collaboratories. Lessons learned from the analysis of law as applied to the Internet may illuminate the issues that will arise in such collaborations. Although the ideal of open science pushes scientists toward communal ownership of scientific results, increasingly the ownership and control of research results in such collaborations will be effected by a variety of intellectual property regimes. Patent, copyright, trade secrecy, and trademark law all potentially have a bearing on the results of collaborative research. Additionally, because such laws vary by jurisdiction, the legal result of transborder electronic collaboration may prove particularly complex. Regimes of licensing and of technological content protection may be applied to address some of this complexity, but offer their own complications.
Search Behavior of the Large Milkweed Bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae)

Laboratory experiments found that free-flying adult Oncopeltus fasciatus located a milkweed plant even when it was hidden from sight. Field observations indicate that the search for mates, as well as for host plants, is olfactory. Bugs released in large patches of host plant stayed longer than those in very small patches, showing that host dispersion influences tenure. Sharp drops in host density, as at the edges of plant clusters, may be important cues guiding bugs into areas of concentrated resource.
Interacting cytokines regulate in vitro human megakaryocytopoiesis.

The effects of hematopoietic growth factors on in vitro human megakaryocytopoiesis were studied using a serum-depleted culture system. Both recombinant interleukin-3 (r-IL-3) and recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rGM-CSF) increased megakaryocyte (MK) colony formation (P less than .01) above that observed in baseline cultures. Recombinant interleukin-4 (rIL-4) and interleukin 1 alpha (rIL-1 alpha) failed either to promote MK colony formation alone or to increase rIL-3 or rGM-CSF promoted colony formation. Recombinant erythropoietin (rEpo) and purified thrombocytopoiesis-stimulating factor (TSF) did not increase (P greater than .05) MK colony formation when added alone but synergized with rIL-1 alpha, leading to a twofold increase in MK colony formation. Such a synergistic relationship was not observed between rIL-4 and rEpo. In addition, TSF enhanced the ability of rIL-3 but not rGM-CSF to promote MK colony formation. Addition of rEpo to optimal or suboptimal concentrations of rGM-CSF or suboptimal concentrations of rIL-3 resulted in a significant increase (P less than .05) in the total number of MK-containing colonies, due to the appearance of multilineage colonies containing MKs. The addition of rEpo to optimal concentrations of rIL-3 resulted in increased numbers of multilineage colonies containing MKs; however, the number of total MK-containing colonies was not significantly increased when compared to assays containing rIL-3 alone. By contrast, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) inhibited both rIL-3, and rGM-CSF promoted MK colony formation, with optimal inhibition resulting in a 35%-45% reduction of MK colony formation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)