cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An initial exploration of a community-based framework for educational equity with explicated exemplars

AbstractEducational equity dominates discussions of US schooling. However, what ‘educational equity’ means is much contested in the scholarly literature and in public discourses. We follow the lead of scholars of color who have problematized the definition of educational equity. They have shown that the dominant, taken-for-granted definitions of equity which disguises the accumulation of societal and educational exclusions of and prejudices toward historically marginalized students, their families, and their communities. In response to this critique, we offer a new definitional framework for ‘educational equity’ that is community-based and, in our specific case, urban community-based. And, then, we will apply this new equity framework to three examples or ‘exemplars’ of education reform to explicate how they do and do not illustrate our framework. We will finish with a brief discussion, recommendations for future scholarship, and some concluding remarks.
Mechanical weathering and rock erosion by climate-dependent subcritical cracking

This work constructs a fracture mechanics framework for conceptualizing mechanical rock breakdown and consequent regolith production and erosion on the surface of Earth and other terrestrial bodies. Here our analysis of fracture mechanics literature explicitly establishes for the first time that all mechanical weathering in most rock types likely progresses by climate-dependent subcritical cracking under virtually all Earth surface and near-surface environmental conditions. We substantiate and quantify this finding through development of physically based subcritical cracking and rock erosion models founded in well-vetted fracture mechanics and mechanical weathering, theory, and observation. The models show that subcritical cracking can culminate in significant rock fracture and erosion under commonly experienced environmental stress magnitudes that are significantly lower than rock critical strength. Our calculations also indicate that climate strongly influences subcritical cracking—and thus rock weathering rates—irrespective of the source of the stress (e.g., freezing, thermal cycling, and unloading). The climate dependence of subcritical cracking rates is due to the chemophysical processes acting to break bonds at crack tips experiencing these low stresses. We find that for any stress or combination of stresses lower than a rock's critical strength, linear increases in humidity lead to exponential acceleration of subcritical cracking and associated rock erosion. Our modeling also shows that these rates are sensitive to numerous other environment, rock, and mineral properties that are currently not well characterized. We propose that confining pressure from overlying soil or rock may serve to suppress subcritical cracking in near-surface environments. These results are applicable to all weathering processes.
Conceptual design of a high real-estate gradient cavity for a SRF ERL

Abstract The term “real-estate gradient” is used to describe the energy gain provided by an accelerating structure per actual length it takes in the accelerator. given that the length of the tunnel available for the accelerator is constrained, the real-estate gradient is an important measure of the efficiency of a given accelerator structure. When designing an accelerating cavity to be efficient in this sense, the unwanted Higher Order Mode (HOM) fields should be reduced by suitable HOM dampers. This is a particularly important consideration for high current operation. The additional RF components might take longitude space and reduce the total accelerating efficiency. We describe a new high efficiency 5-cell cavity with the dampers included. The total length of the cavity is reduced by 13% as compared to a more conventional design without compromising the cavity fundamental-mode performance. In addition, the HOM impedance is reduced for a higher Beam-Break-Up (BBU) threshold of operating current. In this paper, we consider an example, a possible application at the eRHIC Energy Recovery Linac (ERL).
Completeness and coverage of open-access freshwater fish distribution data in the United States

Aim Open-access databases provide unprecedented access to records of species occurrence, but their utility depends on how complete species inventories are at given surveying resolutions and how uniformly distributed surveys are in space and time. Our aims were to assess (1) the completeness of freshwater fish surveys across spatial scales and among habitats and (2) survey coverage along spatial and temporal gradients. Location Contiguous United States. Methods We compiled occurrence records of freshwater fish species from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, the Multi-State Aquatic Resources Information Server and federally administered surveys. We evaluated survey completeness across seven spatial resolutions, and separately for lotic and lentic habitats using three thresholds of two survey completeness indices. We evaluated survey coverage from 1800 to 2016 and along climatic and local environmental gradients using histograms and Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests. Results Over 21 million reliable abundance (>1.5 million incidence) records representing 892 species were available from 1800 to 2016. The proportion of catchments containing >1 record increased as spatial resolution coarsened, as did the proportion of surveyed catchments classified as well-surveyed. Records were distributed among 37,775 lotic reaches, but only 1,626 lentic water bodies. Thirteen percentage of surveyed lotic reaches and 33% of surveyed lentic water bodies were well-surveyed based on the most conservative completeness thresholds. Most well-surveyed lotic reaches (94%) and lentic water bodies (96%) were surveyed since 1980. Climates representative of the west and gulf coasts as well as headwater streams and small ponds were under-represented. Main conclusions Contemporary surveys of freshwater fish communities are abundant and generally representative of environmental characteristics in the contiguous USA. Survey clustering within MARIS-participating states highlights the value of state agency data for biodiversity science and should encourage participation in this—and similar—data compilation endeavours. Future work should focus on surveying more lakes and reservoirs, compiling historical data and filling environmental gaps.
Medical student healthcare consulting groups: A novel way to train the next generation of physician-executives.

AbstractMeeting the challenges of the evolving healthcare environment requires leadership of physicians well-trained in clinical medicine and healthcare management. However, many physicians lack training in business and leadership. While some residency programs have management tracks, training at the medical school level is currently lacking. We developed the Hopkins Health Management Advisory Group, an extracurricular program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine that exposes medical students to healthcare management and fosters development of leadership skills. Teams of students work directly with health system executives on 3–6 month-long projects using management consulting principles to address problems spanning health system domains, including strategy, operations, and quality improvement. Since the program’s inception, 23 students have completed seven projects, with 13 additional students currently working on three more projects. Sponsors leading six out of seven completed projects have im...
Resurrecting the Empathy–Bullying Relationship with a Pro-Bullying Attitudes Mediator: the Lazarus Effect in Mediation Research

The purpose of this study was to determine whether pro-bullying attitudes are capable of mediating the low empathy-bullying relationship in the absence of a significant unmediated correlation between low empathy and bullying behavior. Using three waves of self-report data from 1371 (677 boys, 694 girls) pre-adolescent/early adolescent members of the Illinois Study of Bullying and Sexual Violence (ISBSV), the mediating effect of pro-bullying attitudes on the low empathy-bullying connection was examined. A path analysis revealed that pro-bullying attitudes successfully mediated the pathway running from low empathy to bully perpetration even though the unmediated relationship between low empathy and bullying perpetration was non-significant. A control or comparison pathway running from bully perpetration to pro-bullying attitudes to low empathy was also tested and found to be non-significant. It would appear that low empathy contributes to bullying perpetration by stimulating pro-bullying attitudes which, in turn, promote bullying perpetration. The theoretical, research, and practical implications of these results are discussed.
A population genetic interpretation of GWAS findings for human quantitative traits.

Human genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are revealing the genetic architecture of anthropomorphic and biomedical traits, i.e., the frequencies and effect sizes of variants that contribute to heritable variation in a trait. To interpret these findings, we need to understand how genetic architecture is shaped by basic population genetics processes—notably, by mutation, natural selection, and genetic drift. Because many quantitative traits are subject to stabilizing selection and because genetic variation that affects one trait often affects many others, we model the genetic architecture of a focal trait that arises under stabilizing selection in a multidimensional trait space. We solve the model for the phenotypic distribution and allelic dynamics at steady state and derive robust, closed-form solutions for summary statistics of the genetic architecture. Our results provide a simple interpretation for missing heritability and why it varies among traits. They predict that the distribution of variances contributed by loci identified in GWASs is well approximated by a simple functional form that depends on a single parameter: the expected contribution to genetic variance of a strongly selected site affecting the trait. We test this prediction against the results of GWASs for height and body mass index (BMI) and find that it fits the data well, allowing us to make inferences about the degree of pleiotropy and mutational target size for these traits. Our findings help to explain why the GWAS for height explains more of the heritable variance than the similarly sized GWAS for BMI and to predict the increase in explained heritability with study sample size. Considering the demographic history of European populations, in which these GWASs were performed, we further find that most of the associations they identified likely involve mutations that arose shortly before or during the Out-of-Africa bottleneck at sites with selection coefficients around s = 10−3.
Mental health law in Saudi Arabia

During the past 30 years the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has developed an extensive hospital-based mental health system culminating in the passing of a mental health law in 2014. This legislation embodies many of the international standards promoted by the World Health Organization. However, the mechanisms for protecting the human rights of psychiatric patients are neither sufficiently independent nor adequately robust.
Determination of Stability Correction Parameters for Dynamic Equations of Constrained Multibody Systems

When analyzing mechanical systems with numerical simulation by the Udwadia and Kalaba method, numerical integral results of dynamic equations will gradually deviate from requirements of constraint equations and eventually lead to constraint violation. It is a common method to solve the constraint violation by using constraint stability to modify the constraint equation. Selection of stability parameters is critical in the particular form of the corrected equation. In this paper, the method of selecting and determining of stability parameters is given, and these parameters will be used to correct the Udwadia-Kalaba basic equation by the Baumgarte constraint stability method. The selection domain of stability parameters is further reduced in view of the singularity of the constraint matrix during the integration procedure based on the selection domain which is obtained by the system stability analysis method. Errors of velocity violation and position violation are defined in the workspace, so as to determine the parameter values. Finally, the 3-link spatial manipulator is used to verify stability parameters of the proposed method. Numerical simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Dynamic Aggregation of Poly-N-Isopropylacrylamide Characterized Using Second-Order Scattering.

A second-order scattering (SOS) method is presented for the characterization of aqueous particle suspensions undergoing aggregation. Scattering intensities are measured at 90° by a standard fluorim...
Additive Manufacturing of Metallic Alloys

Additive processes have gained increasing interest within the discussion of digital fabrication and architecture. In general, architects have encouraged limited implementation of this relatively new mode of production beyond conceptual and representational applications. Few examples exist that pursue the large scale application of this technology and these few cases are primarily focused on utilizing polymer and resin-based materials, ceramics, sand and cementitious materials. While additive manufacturing of metals has reached production scaled efficiency and cost feasibility within medical, aerospace, and aviation manufacturing industries, it has yet to make a significant presence as part of architectural discourse. This chapter presents two additive methods of manufacturing in metals most commonly employed for production and their possible applications within the architectural project. The research presented explores the expanded territory for design freedoms, as well as the higher degree of optimizations unique to this manufacturing process. In addition target areas are defined for implementation within a fully integrated design to manufacturing solution space.
The Functional Architecture of Area V2 in the Macaque Monkey

One of the most striking aspects of the primate visual cortex is the remarkable extent of internal structure and organization within V 1, and the second visual area, V2. Architecturally, V2 is composed of an interleaved series of bands specialized for the processing of the visual submodalities of form, color, and depth, known as the V2 stripes. The unique position of V2 in the visual hierarchy at the juncture of the higher visual pathways suggests that its segregated functional architecture facilitates the channeling of visual input into these pathways for handling “what” and “where” visual information. Thus the organization and connectivity of V2 perhaps most clearly embodies the notion of parallel and integrated processing of form, color, motion, and stereopsis, as observed psychophysically in studies of human visual performance. In comparison to primary visual cortex V 1, the architecture and functional role of V2 has only recently been studied in earnest. This chapter reviews the current understanding of the modular organization within stripes, the functional properties of V2 stripes, the visual map with respect to the stripes, and the functional connectivity of V2 stripes with other cortical areas.
A-Band Mass Exceeds Mass of Its Filament Components by 30–45%

We have measured filament lattice spacing in fibrils using X-ray diffraction, and find that STEM-determined mass/length values reported for myofilaments should give 13% w/v as the filament protein concentration in the lattice of the AO-band (filament overlap zone) of both insect flight muscle (IFM) and vertebrate skeletal muscle (VSkM). This is well below the actual mass concentration of AO-bands as measured by immersion refractometry of detergent-washed rigor myofibrils under the phase microscope. This technique identifies an immersion fluid of suitable refractive index (RI) for matching out all image contrast between background and the selected cross-band. We used RI fluids in which the effective RI matching component is a large-particle solute (Percoll or hemocyanin) excluded by the filament lattice. The measured RI indicates that protein concentration in AO-bands is 16–17% in Lethocerus and other IFM fibrils including CAF-digested fibrils, and is 18–19% in rabbit VSkM fibrils. On IFM fibrils we also measured absolute buoyant density in Percoll as ≧ l.042; this supports the value for mass concentration as determined by RI. The mass discrepancy between fibrils and filaments does not seem to arise from faults in the methods used. We therefore accept the STEM-determined mass/length values for thick filaments which indicate 4 myosins/crown in IFM and 3 in VSkM, and we believe there is considerable extra nonfilament material (concentration: 30–50 mg/ml) between the filaments in fibrils. In stretched VSkM, it is the H-bands, not the I-bands, which have an excess over filament mass content. The extra mass has not been identified.
A Novel Microbiosensor Microarray for Continuous ex Vivo Monitoring of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid in Real-Time

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter that is essential for normal brain function. It is involved in multiple neuronal activities, including plasticity, information processing, and network synchronization. Abnormal GABA levels result in severe brain disorders and therefore GABA has been the target of a wide range of drug therapeutics. GABA being non-electroactive is challenging to detect in real-time. To date, GABA is detected mainly via microdialysis with a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system that employs electrochemical (EC) and spectroscopic methodology. However, these systems are bulky and unsuitable for real-time continuous monitoring. As opposed to microdialysis, biosensors are easy to miniaturize and are highly suitable for in vivo studies; they selectively oxidize GABA into a secondary electroactive product (usually hydrogen peroxide, H2O2) in the presence of enzymes, which is then detected by amperometry. Unfortunately, this method requires a rather cumbersome process with prereactors and relies on externally applied reagents. Here, we report the design and implementation of a GABA microarray probe that operates on a newly conceived principle. It consists of two microbiosensors, one for glutamate (Glu) and one for GABA detection, modified with glutamate oxidase and GABASE enzymes, respectively. By simultaneously measuring and subtracting the H2O2 oxidation currents generated from these microbiosensors, GABA and Glu can be detected continuously in real-time in vitro and ex vivo and without the addition of any externally applied reagents. The detection of GABA by this probe is based upon the in-situ generation of α-ketoglutarate from the Glu oxidation that takes place at the Glu microbiosensor. A GABA sensitivity of 36 ± 2.5 pA μM-1cm-2, which is 26-fold higher than reported in the literature, and a limit of detection of 2 ± 0.12 μM were achieved in an in vitro setting. The GABA probe was successfully tested in an adult rat brain slice preparation. These results demonstrate that the developed GABA probe constitutes a novel and powerful neuroscientific tool that could be employed in the future for in vivo longitudinal studies of the combined role of GABA and Glu (a major excitatory neurotransmitter) signaling in brain disorders, such as epilepsy and traumatic brain injury, as well as in preclinical trials of potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of these disorders.
Semi-supervised Adversarial Image-to-Image Translation

Image-to-image translation involves translating images in one domain into images in another domain, while keeping some aspects of the image consistent across the domains. Image translation models that keep the category of the image consistent can be useful for applications like domain adaptation. Generative models like variational autoencoders have the ability to extract latent factors of generation from an image. Based on generative models like variational autoencoders and generative adversarial networks, we develop a semi-supervised image-to-image translation procedure. We apply this procedure to perform image translation and domain adaptation for complex digit datasets.
Wednesday, September 26, 2018 7:35 AM–9:00 AM ePosters: P55. Recognition and management of emergent versus nonemergent spinal pathology amongst first-line providers

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Spinal pathology, particularly spinal emergencies, require prompt identification, management, and surgical referral (if needed) from first-line providers. As such, diagnostic delays from the failure to recognize emergency conditions lead to adverse patient outcomes. In addition, even with nonemergent pathologies, the failure to provide adequate care can result in suboptimal patient outcomes and unnecessary resource utilization. PURPOSE We sought to understand the proficiency with which different types of first-line providers can recognize and manage spinal conditions, particularly spinal emergencies. This may aid in tailoring education resources for first-line providers. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Cross-sectional analysis of collected single-site data. PATIENT SAMPLE A total of 143 internal medicine, family medicine, emergency care, and neurology providers. OUTCOME MEASURES Inter-departmental differences in management of spinal pathology, familiarity, and preparedness for the diagnosis of spinal emergencies. METHODS A pilot survey was distributed to physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners via the REDCap data collection tool. Chi square, Fisher's Exact, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were utilized, as appropriate. RESULTS Participants were predominantly physicians (88.1%, n=126), with a smaller percentage of midlevel providers (11.9%, n=17). Bivariate analyses revealed inter-departmental differences in clinical knowledge pertaining to the management of lumbar radiculopathy (p CONCLUSIONS Disparities exist between the first-line provider specialties with regard to clinical knowledge in managing and proficiently identifying emergent and nonemergent spinal conditions. As appropriate recognition and management of emergent spinal pathologies is essential to patient outcomes and optimal resource utilization, it is necessary that measures be taken educationally to ensure first-line providers are familiar and proficient with the established standard of care for the spinal conditions they will be treating.
Social Integration and Quality of Social Relationships as Protective Factors for Inflammation in a Nationally Representative Sample of Black Women

Social integration and supportive relationships protect against cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, prior studies have examined heterogeneous samples which may obscure unique relationships within groups. We investigate the association between social relationships and inflammation—a known CVD risk factor—in Black women, a population with higher rates of CVD and CVD mortality. Secondary data from wave 4 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) were analyzed. The sample was comprised of 1829 Black women aged 24–34 years. Social integration was a z-score standardized measure of four items (marital/cohabitation status, church attendance, volunteerism, close friendships). Data on the quality of three relationship types was available: perceived happiness with a romantic relationship and perceived closeness to mother and father figure. Inflammation was measured via high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in which levels were categorized based on clinical cut-points for risk of CVD ( 3–10 mg/L = high risk, > 10 mg/L = very high risk). Multivariable logistic regression was conducted accounting for the complex survey design and wave 4 control measures (e.g., body mass index, smoking, medications, acute illness, overall health, sociodemographic factors). No significant associations were found between level of social integration and hs-CRP levels. With respect to relationship quality, women who reported they were very happy with their romantic relationship were less likely than those who were only fairly happy or unhappy to have hs-CRP levels in the moderate- (AOR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.17, 0.75), high (AOR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.08, 0.49), or very high CVD–risk category (AOR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.16, 0.80). Women who reported they were somewhat/quite/very close to their mother figure (AOR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.25, 0.92) and those who reported having no mother figure (AOR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.08, 0.77) were less likely than women reporting being not very close/not close at all with their mother figure to have hs-CRP levels in the moderate- vs. low-risk category. No statistically significant associations were found between father-figure relationship and hs-CRP CVD risk category. In summary, social integration and the quality of specific social relationships were significantly associated with inflammation in young adult Black women. Thus, interventions designed to enhance social connectedness and positive social relationships among Black women may have the potential to be protective for CVD risk. Further researches with the longitudinal social relationship and inflammatory measures are needed to better understand how changes in social relationships may influence CVD risk over the life course.
Assessing the Association Between Precourse Metrics of Student Preparation and Student Performance in Introductory Statistics: Results from Early Data on Simulation-Based Inference vs. Nonsimulation-Based Inference

The recent simulation-based inference (SBI) movement in algebra-based introductory statistics courses (Stat 101) has provided preliminary evidence of improved student conceptual understanding and r...
Introduction—Data, Knowledge, Politics and Localizing the SDGs

This special issue explores the workings of global goals as an instrument of global governance by numbers. These goals can alter power relations, affect the distribution of resources, reorganize na...
Localization of a geophone array in the New England Mud Patch

The "New England Mud Patch" is a 13,000 square kilometer area covered by a layer of fine-grained sediments. A large ocean acoustics experiment was held in the region in 2016 and 2017 involving a number of institutions and three research vessels. One of the receiver systems deployed during the 2017 experiment was a four-element line array of vertically gimbaled geophones. The water depth at the receiver location was 70 m and mud layer thickness was approximately 6 to 8 m. The nominal spacing of geophones in the array was 5 m. Based on the soft nature of the surficial sediments we hypothesized that the sled which housed the data acquisition packages and the geophone array elements sunk into the mud layer. The three-dimensional characterization of the array elements, specifying the shape of the array, actual spacing and depth of penetration in the mud layer, was carried out. Signals from four SUS charges were used to localize the geophones in range. In addition, noise from the R/V Hugh Sharp was used to estimate the geophone position in depth. The localization algorithm using constrained optimization based on time difference of arrivals will be discussed and performance assessed.
Converter-Based Power System Protection Against DC in Transmission and Distribution Networks

The dc in a power system may be caused by geomagnetic disturbances that are the result of solar storms and high-altitude nuclear detonations. Increased inverter-based generation is also contributing to small dc injection into the power systems. The resultant dc could have serious consequences for the power systems as it may drive power transformers into saturation, cause transformer internal heating, cause large draw of reactive power, and misoperation of protective relays. This letter proposes a novel power electronics-based dc mitigation approach that involves a transformerless series active filter integrated between the neutral point and ground of power transformers serving multiple purposes. The first objective is to surpass the effect of dc injection, the second goal is voltage regulation, and the third is to provide harmonic isolation or impedance balancing. The proposed device is currently being developed on a 7.2-kV/240-V single-phase transformer; however, the solution is also relevant for 24–500-kV networks. The system circuitry, operation, and control are implemented and verified for this letter in a controller hardware-in-the-loop (C-HIL) test setup using a Typhoon HIL-402 simulator. Results indicate that our approach is a promising alternative to traditional neutral capacitor-blocking strategies.
Loan commitments and monetary policy

Abstract In this paper, we examine the impact of loan commitment agreements on the way in which monetary policy affects the economy. We estimate a vector autoregressive (VAR) model and find evidence of a smaller impact of monetary policy on loans made under commitment agreements than on loans not made under commitment. Our conclusion is that loan commitments effectively protect borrowers from quantity credit rationing and, thus, force monetary policy to work mainly through interest-rate channels.
The Use of Virtual Reality Through Head-Mounted Display on Balance and Gait in Older Adults: A Scoping Review.

Introduction: Falls are the most prominent cause of injury and injury-related deaths among older adults (OAs). Virtual reality has been utilized as a method of improving balance and gait in OAs. However, the use of virtual reality through a head-mounted display (VR-HMD) in this area is limited. Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to identify research that used VR-HMD in relation to balance and gait in OAs and to evaluate how VR-HMD is being used with this population. Materials and Methods: A systematic search of the literature was carried out from June 2019 to July 2019 through the following databases: Scopus, Web of Science, PUBMED, and PsycInfo. Eligible studies involved the use of VR-HMD to assess or intervene in balance or gait outcomes of OAs (≥65 years). Articles were not limited to any specific study design or by the year of publication. Results: Our search identified 306 possible articles, of which eight citations met the eligibility criteria. Four studies utilized VR-HMD as an assessment tool or to perturb the balance, while the other four used VR-HMD in their interventions. Conclusions: Currently, it is not clear whether VR-HMD alone is an effective tool for improving balance and gait. However, this review suggests that it is feasible to use VR-HMD with OAs to affect balance and gait. More research is needed in this area, although there appears to be great potential in utilizing VR-HMD with OAs to improve balance outcomes.
Leveraging existing GWAS summary data of genetically correlated and uncorrelated traits to improve power for a new GWAS

In spite of the tremendous success of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in identifying genetic variants associated with complex traits and common diseases, many more are yet to be discovered. Hence, it is always desirable to improve the statistical power of GWAS. Paralleling with the intensive efforts of integrating GWAS with functional annotations or other omic data, we propose leveraging other published GWAS summary data to boost statistical power for a new/focus GWAS; the traits of the published GWAS may or may not be genetically correlated with the target trait of the new GWAS. Building on weighted hypothesis testing with a solid theoretical foundation, we develop a novel and effective method to construct single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-specific weights based on 22 published GWAS data sets with various traits, detecting sometimes dramatically increased numbers of significant SNPs and independent loci as compared to the standard/unweighted analysis. For example, by integrating a schizophrenia GWAS summary data set with 19 other GWAS summary data sets of nonschizophrenia traits, our new method identified 1,585 genome-wide significant SNPs mapping to 15 linkage disequilibrium-independent loci, largely exceeding 818 significant SNPs in 13 independent loci identified by the standard/unweighted analysis; furthermore, using a later and larger schizophrenia GWAS summary data set as the validation data, 1,423 (out of 1,585) significant SNPs identified by the weighted analysis, compared to 705 (out of 818) by the unweighted analysis, were confirmed, while all 15 and 13 independent loci were also confirmed. Similar conclusions were reached with lipids and Alzheimer's disease (AD) traits. We conclude that the proposed approach is simple and cost-effective to improve GWAS power.
Properties and Applications of Genetically Engineered Streptavidins

The wide application of magnetic bead technology has been greatly facilitated by the use of streptavidin (avidin)-biotin systems, with which a variety of biological materials can be tightly immobilized on solid surfaces. The streptavidin gene was cloned from Streptomyces avidinii, and it was expressed at high levels in Escherichia coli despite potent antibacterial action of the gene product. The DNA sequence has been modified to provide streptavidin with a number of basic variations in size, stability, and biotin-binding characteristics, and to construct a system that allows the design of multi-functional proteins by making novel gene fusions with the streptavidin gene. These genetically engineered streptavidins are extremely useful for a variety of biotechnological applications, including those with magnetic beads.
Detection of gradients of forest composition in an urban area using imaging spectroscopy.

Abstract Forests play an important role in urban environments by providing a range of ecosystem services. However, forest composition and function in urban ecosystems are ecologically complex because of high heterogeneity of the landscape and long legacies of intensive human management. Accurate quantification and mapping of composition of tree taxa in urban forests using remote sensing require high spatial and spectral resolution imagery. As such, mapping of individual species over large areas is impractical, so instead we map gradients of composition based on canopy traits derived from AVIRIS (Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer) and lidar. This trait-based approach depicts emergent functional overlaps due to pixel-scale mixing of disparate species or genera found in the region. This provides a basis for understanding forest functioning in urban ecosystems where multiple taxa are functionally and spectrally similar. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) to ordinate multi-dimensional forest composition data, where NMDS scores (NMDS1 and NMDS2) represent compositional gradients. Predictive models of NMDS1 and NMDS2 were built using AVIRIS-derived foliar traits such as nitrogen concentration and lidar structural variables. Gradients of composition were strongly related to AVIRIS-derived traits (R 2 = 0.67 for NMDS1 and R 2 = 0.47 for NMDS2). Lidar-derived structural variables provided no improvement to prediction of the first NMDS axis estimates, and a minimal improvement (3% more variance explained) on NMDS2. We applied predictive models of NMDS1 and NMDS2 to maps of predictor traits to map NMDS1 and NMDS2. From the NMDS1 and NMDS2 maps, we mapped potential composition patterns and associated uncertainties by genus from the ordination of the field data. Our maps of composition gradients show the potential for data from imaging spectrometers such as HyspIRI to comprehensively characterize the diversity of ecosystems in heterogeneous landscapes. Moderate resolution satellite imagery may not facilitate detection of individual species, but imaging spectroscopy provides a basis to estimate the potential distribution of particular taxa based on assemblages associated with foliar traits that can be derived from imaging spectroscopy. Comprehensive satellite-based mapping will provide basic understanding and spatially explicit information on forest functioning suitable for monitoring and management of urban ecosystems.
Dynamic Interaction of a Shear Wall with the Soil

An analysis is presented of the interaction between a shear wall, placed on a rigid foundation, and soil when the soil is subjected to a plane shear wave. Due to the particular symmetry of the model adopted an exact closed-form solution is obtained for the steady state response. The base displacements and base shear forces are compared with the corresponding values obtained neglecting the interaction. It is shown that the base displacements are zero for the fixed-base natural frequencies of the shear wall.
Administrative Guidelines: For Community Use of Physical Education and Recreation Facilities

(1978). Administrative Guidelines: For Community Use of Physical Education and Recreation Facilities. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 49, Including Leisure Today, pp. 32-32.
Mediating Meaning in the Social World of the Science Classroom

This article examines science teaching and learning by drawing on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of learning and development as well as a social semiotic perspective. This includes in semiosis the science equipment, science phenomena, teacher and student actions, talk and writing that are involved in science teaching and learning. In much the same way a Vygotskian perspective views science phenomena and equipment as technical tools that mediate both teacher and student meaning making, as do the symbolic products created by the teacher and the students. We suggest an inclusive view in which all are seen as active mediators in science teaching and learning
Visualizing E-mail with a Semantically Zoomable Interface

We introduce a semantically zoomable interface that displays emails as interactive objects rather than files containing lines of text, as in traditional e-mail interfaces. In this system, e-mails are displayed as node objects called e-mail nodes within a 2.5-dimensional world. The e-mail nodes are semantically zoomable and each may be rearranged to different locations within the plane to organize threads, topics, or projects. The prototype for this system was built using the Piccolo toolkit, the successor of Pad++ and Jazz [2, 3].
Inching toward EU supranationalism? Qualified majority voting and unanimity under the Treaty of Lisbon

The European Union’s senior legislative body, the Council, can make decisions either by unanimity or by a qualified majority vote (QMV). When unanimity is required, each Member State can block the action by voting against the matter at hand. When QMV applies, EU action can be taken over the objection of a Member State. Thus, whenever QMV is utilized there is the effect of undermining the sovereignty of an objecting Member State, because it is bound by the action despite its objection. Another way to characterize the phenomenon is to say that where a Member State loses sovereignty the EU becomes increasingly supranational in character.This article examines the EU’s most recent treaty, the Treaty of Lisbon, to determine where it has shifted unanimous decision-making (under the previous treaties) to QMV. In addition, the article examines new subjects for EU action for which QMV has been selected rather than unanimity. The article also identifies all the remaining subjects for unanimity under the amended Treaties and discusses whether any of these subjects may be amenable to being changed to QMV in the future. The author concludes that any supranationalizing tendencies under the Treaty of Lisbon are incremental, and that there is not a significant undermining of Member State sovereignty.
Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Studies of the structure and function of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) evolved out of studies of muscle AChRs. This review will begin with a brief summary of muscle type AChRs because they are the archetype for studies of neuronal nicotinic AChRs in particular and ligand-gated ion channels in general.
Low-temperature thermal transport in high-temperature superconducting Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 via a Y-doped insulating analogue

In order to separate electronic and phonon mechanisms of thermal transport in high temperature superconducting ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8},$ we measured thermal conductivity of single crystals of Y-doped ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8},$ an insulating analog of pure ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8},$ in the temperature range between 40 mK and 2 K. Temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity of insulating samples changes from ${T}^{1.7}$ between 1 and 2 K to ${T}^{2.6}$ below 200 mK, indicating saturation of the phonon mean free path with decreasing temperature. Overall, thermal conductivity of the insulating samples (which is due entirely to phonons) is strongly suppressed in comparison to that of the superconducting samples. Therefore, a large (and at the lowest temperatures, predominant) part of the total thermal transport in superconducting ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8}$ is due to electrons.
Glycine Metabolism I. PROPERTIES OF THE SYSTEM CATALYZING THE EXCHANGE OF BICARBONATE WITH THE CARBOXYL GROUP OF GLYCINE IN PEPTOCOCCUS GLYCINOPHILUS

Abstract Extensive purification of the enzyme system from Peptococcus glycinophilus catalyzing the labilization of the glycine carboxyl group has been accomplished, and some reaction properties of the purified system have been defined. Two protein fractions essential for the exchange of the glycine carboxyl group with bicarbonate were isolated. Each of the proteins was totally inactive by itself in catalyzing the exchange, but combination of the two fractions resulted in high activity. One of the proteins, purified 60-fold, was shown to be a pyridoxal phosphate-containing enzyme and was destroyed by boiling. The other protein, purified 230-fold, was colorless and stable to boiling in 5% ammonium sulfate. Maximal CO2 exchange activity was observed at pH 7.0, required the addition of 10-2 m sulfhydryl groups, and proceeded more rapidly in the presence of 1 mm ethylenediaminetetraacetate than in its absence. The reaction was inhibited by formaldehyde, glyoxylate, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and mercury and copper ions; but it was neither inhibited by avidin nor stimulated by biotin or numerous divalent metals. Glyoxylate and glycolate failed to react in the system which allowed the exchange of bicarbonate with the carboxyl group of glycine.
FAS 142: Developing a Framework for Assessing the Useful Life of Branded Pharmaceutical Products

In 2001 the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued FAS 142 Goodwill and Intangible Assets, which expanded the accounting guidance for intangible assets. These changes were particularly significant for companies in industries that rely heavily on intellectual capital to generate future cash flows, are highly acquisitive, or have invested heavily in intangible assets. The complex nature of branded pharmaceutical products introduces unique challenges in applying the new standard's framework for assessing the useful lives of products. This study examines this issue by considering how the expanded rules surrounding useful life assessment impact branded pharmaceutical products, and proposing a qualitative framework for assessing the useful lives of branded pharmaceutical products. An effective framework for assessing the useful life of pharmaceutical related intangible assets must consider all of the key factors that define a branded pharmaceutical product's value and expected useful life. Most existing frameworks for assessing the useful lives of intangible assets tend to focus exclusively on quantitative metrics such as historical trends for the specific asset or similar assets. Relying solely on quantitative factors, however, can be problematic when assessing the useful lives of intangible assets with unique value propositions. This is particularly the case with branded pharmaceutical products, whose value and longevity is affected by a variety of qualitative product specific factors that uniquely impact the asset's value and associated economic life. This study attempts to expand current theory and practice surrounding the useful lives of intangible assets by proposing a framework for assessing useful lives that considers product specific qualitative factors. This framework results in a less biased useful life estimate for branded pharmaceutical products that is grounded in product specific attributes.
Spinal cord stimulation versus spinal infusion for low back and leg pain.

The relative roles of spinal cord stimulation and the spinal infusion of opioids in the treatment of chronic, non-cancer lower body pain remains unclear. This report contains a retrospective analysis of patients with chronic lower body, neuropathic pain and treated over a 5 year period. Unilateral leg and (insert slash) or buttock pain was treated initially with spinal stimulation and bilateral leg or mainly low back pain was treated initially with spinal infusions. 26 patients received spinal stimulation. Pain relief was ≥ 50% in 16 (62%) with increased activity levels. Stimulator coverage was most difficult or failed in patients with buttock pain. 16 patients received long-term spinal infusions. Pain relief was ≥ 50% in 2 (13%) but 25–49% in another 8 (50%) with stable infusion doses and was best in patients requiring low-dose (< 1 mg (insert slash) h morphine intrathecal) infusions in the trial period. The review indicates that spinal infusions may be best for bilateral or axial pain that has not responded to spinal stimulation. Clonidine appears to be an alternative in high-dose morphine patients. New diamond-shaped electrode and dual quadripolar arrays appear to be very helpful for back, buttock, and (insert slash) or bilateral leg pain patterns.
The Intersection of Robust Intelligence and Trust: Hybrid Teams, Firms and Systems

We are developing the physics of interdependent uncertainty relations to efficiently and effectively control interdependence for autonomous hybrid teams (i.e., arbitrary combinations of humans, robots and machines), which cannot be done presently. Uncertainty is created in states of interdependence between social objects: at one extreme, interdependence reduces to independent agents and certainty but with asocial, low-power solutions generating little meaning or understanding in social contexts; oppositely, the length of interdependence increases across a group, de-individuating its members until individual identity dissolves (e.g., cults, gangs, well-run teams), increasing power, efficiency and meaning internal to a group, but also the chances of mal-adaptation (e.g., tragic mistakes). We focus on how interdependence increases the robust intelligence of a group by increasing its autonomy while decreasing its entropy, but requiring external control to be indirect. For humans, teamwork is an unsolved theoretical problem; solving it should generalize to the effective computational control of hybrid teams, a path forward for the users of a team to trust it to operate safely in hostile environments. Present theories of interdependence, like game theory or social science, are inadequate to formulate strategies to control teams; alternative theories like machine learning can control swarms with pattern formations, but not states of interdependence, such as multi-tasking operations. While alternative theories cannot be used to model teams, decision-making or social conflict at the same time (hostile mergers; checks and balances), ours can.