cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lang’s Survivals

Andrew Lang’s ideas on the nature and sources of originality seem fated for renewed attention due to the ways they appear to have forecast or anticipated modern attempts to get beyond the celebration of individual creativity. But rather than simply illustrating recent theoretical truisms, Lang’s formulations, whether developed in his writings on myth or in his texts devoted to literary topics, present subtle and not easily resolved challenges to attempts to dissolve individuality and agency into a greater communal whole. For Lang, because the effective use of material from the past to arrive at new forms is the measure of individual creativity, no work can ever make a claim to absolute originality. However, the prestige of the author, though hedged about by survivals from a lost past, is not for that reason lost. To recognize the tension between inherited material and new achievement is to begin to do justice to the historical place and conceptual force of the Andrew Lang effect.
Picture the Child Soldier

It's in the eyes, vacant, chilling. A general sense of the lives of child soldiers exists for most people in the West through ideas such as these: young children who have been abducted, children wh...
The confusion of crowds: non-dyadic help interactions

Help-giving interactions in open source technical support often involve more people than the conventional help-giver help-seeker pair. Contributions include lightweight but useful me-too contributions from fellow help-seekers. Problems with the reuse of help documentation may be resolved by contextualized discussions, and those discussions themselves are found to be substantially reused.
Stephen Jay Gould on species selection: 30 years of insight

Stephen Jay Gould made impressive contributions to macroevolutionary theory; one of the topics in this area that particularly interested him was how to define and recognize species selection. Here we explore how and why Gould's ideas on concepts related to species selection evolved over 30 years, from the punctuated equilibria paper of 1972 to his “Structure of Evolutionary Theory” magnum opus published in 2002. Throughout his career his ideas on species selection shifted between three phases. Initially, Gould favored a definition of species selection that was more descriptive. Later, he came to distinguish between species sorting, which he called species selection in the broad sense, and true species selection, which is tied to the concept of species-level aptations. Finally, he came to view species selection in a broader, more inclusive way, effectively merging the two earlier viewpoints. His ideas on species selection changed over the years because he was trying to square his views on complex concepts like adaptation, natural selection, emergence, and the independence of macroevolutionary theory. Gould's thoughts on species selection not only help to define the history of debate on the concept but also help set a course for the future.
Maturity and Lint Yield of Nitrogen- and Phosphorus-Deficient Pima Cotton

The Pima cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) plant is inherently late maturing and unsuitable for production in areas where highly probable late-season rainfall coincides with boll opening. A field study was conducted between 1990 and 1992 to determine if the maturity of Pima cotton can be enhanced with applied N and P without reducing lint yield. Five preplant-applied N rates up to 180 kg ha −1 in 1990 and up to 269 kg ha −1 in 1991 and 1992 were tested. Four P rates from 0 to 45 kg ha −1 in a factorial combination with N were tested in 1991 and 1992. Nitrogen did not affect yield, days to first flower, or estimated percent open bolls in 1990. Nitrogen deficiency significantly enhanced maturity in 1991 and 1992. In 1991, > 70% of the total bolls opened by 153 days after planting (DAP) where no N was applied, compared with 178 DAP where 202 or 269 kg N ha −1 was applied [...]
Significance of lymph node metastases in patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing curative resection

Background Recent reports suggest an improved survival following resection for patients with pancreatic carcinoma. However, the prognosis for patients with lymph nodes metastases remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to determine if the presence of lymph node metastases significantly alters survival in patients with otherwise potentially curable pancreatic carcinoma. Patients and Methods Between 1970 and 1995, 401 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, including 327 patients with pancreatic head tumors, were evaluated and treated. Results One hundred (31%) patients underwent pancreatoduodenectomy. Operative mortality was 3% and morbidity was 22%. Median survival for 97 patients discharged from the hospital following resection was 14 months (range 2 to 293). The estimated 1-, 2-, and 5-year survivals were 61%, 43%, and 20%, respectively. Median survival was 11.5 months (range 2 to 87) for patients with positive lymph nodes (n = 56) and 24 (range 0 to 293) months for patients with negative lymph nodes (n = 41; P = 0.0003). Ten patients (10%) survived longer than 5 years, and 9 (90%) of them had negative lymph nodes. Elderly patients (≥70 years) had a median survival twice as long as younger patients (24 versus 12 months, P = 0.03). Conclusions Lymph node metastases are found in 56% of patients undergoing resection. Pancreatoduodenectomy can be performed with low operative mortality in patients of all ages. It offers good palliation for patients with lymph nodes metastases and encouraging long-term survival rates as well as a chance for cure in patients with negative lymph nodes.
Polymer/Alginate Amalgam for Cartilage- Tissue Engineering

Marrow stroma-derived cells (MSC) are highly proliferative, multipotential cells that have been considered as ideal candidate cells for autologous tissue engineering applications. In this study, we have characterized the chondrogenic potential of human MSCs in both a PLA/alginate amalgam and pure PLA macrostructure as model three-dimensional constructs to support both chondrogenic differentiation and proliferation following TGF-beta treatment. MSCs were seeded in experimental groups that consisted of PLA-loaded constructs and PLA/alginate amalgams with and without recombinant human TGF-beta1. Chondrogenesis of the PLA and the PLA/alginate amalgam cultures was assessed at weekly intervals by histology, immunohistochemistry, scanning electron microscopy, sulfate incorporation, and RT-PCR. Chondrogenic differentiation occurs within a polymeric macrostructure with TGF-beta1 treatment as indicated by histological, immunohistochemical, sulfate incorporation, and gene expression profiles. This macrostructure can be further encased in an alginate gel/solution to optimize cell shape and to confine growth factors and cells within the polymer construct, while the polymeric scaffold provides appropriate mechanical/tissue support. The stable three-dimensional PLA/alginate amalgam represents a novel candidate system of mesenchymal chondrogenesis, which is amendable to investigation of mechanical and biological factors that normally modulate cartilage development and formation as well as a potential tissue engineering construct for cartilage repair.
Aggregation of Crowdsourced Ordinal Assessments and Integration with Learning to Rank: A Latent Trait Model

Existing approaches used for training and evaluating search engines often rely on crowdsourced assessments of document relevance with respect to a user query. To use such assessments for either evaluation or learning, we propose a new framework for the inference of true document relevance from crowdsourced data---one simpler than previous approaches and achieving better performance. For each assessor, we model assessor quality and bias in the form of Gaussian distributed class conditionals of relevance grades. For each document, we model true relevance and difficulty as continuous variables. We estimate all parameters from crowdsourced data, demonstrating better inference of relevance as well as realistic models for both documents and assessors. A document-pair likelihood model works best, and it is extended to pairwise learning to rank. Utilizing more information directly from the input data, it shows better performance as compared to existing state-of-the-art approaches for learning to rank from crowdsourced assessments. Experimental validation is performed on four TREC datasets.
Void Formation Mechanism of Flip Chip in Package Using No-Flow Underfill

This paper investigates the void formation mechanism induced by chemical interaction between eutectic solder (Sn63/Pb37) wetting and no-flow underfill material curing during flip chip in package assembly. During the process, low weight molecular components, such as fluxing agents and water molecules, could be induced by the chemical interaction between solder wetting and underfill curing when these components are heated to melt and cure, respectively. The low weight molecular components become volatile with exposure to temperatures above their boiling points; this was found to be the main source of the extensively formed underfill voiding. This mechanism of chemically and thermally induced voids was explained using void formation study, differential scanning calorimetry thermogram comparison, and gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy chemical composition identification on the suggested chemical reaction formula. This finding can enhance understanding of the mechanism that drives no-flow underfill voiding and can develop a void-free flip chip assembly process using no-flow underfill material for cost effective and high performance electronics packaging applications. Furthermore, this study provides the design guideline to develop an advanced no-flow underfill having high performance at high temperature range for the lead-free application.
Long-term outcome of patients treated with prophylactic nesiritide for the prevention of acute kidney injury following cardiovascular surgery.

Background Previously, we reported that the prophylactic use of nesiritide did not reduce the incidence of dialysis or death following cardiovascular (CV) surgery despite reducing the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in the immediate postoperative period. Therefore, we investigated whether the observed renal benefits of nesiritide had any long-term impact on cumulative patient survival and renal outcomes. Methods Participants of the Nesiritide Study, a previously reported prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial investigating the effect of nesiritide on the incidence of dialysis or death at 21 days in adult patients undergoing high-risk CV surgery, were included in the study. Data of the participants' most recent health and renal function status were obtained using institutional review board-approved patient questionnaires, medical records, and the database of the Social Security Administration. Results Data on all 94 patients from the Nesiritide Study were obtained. The mean follow-up period was 20.8 ± 10.4 months. No differences in cumulative survival between the groups were noted at follow-up (nesiritide 77.7% vs placebo 81.6%, P = 0.798). Patients with in-hospital incidence of AKI had a higher rate of mortality than those with no AKI (AKI 41.4% vs no AKI 10.7%, P = 0.002). However, differences in survival time were not significant between the groups when the analysis was restricted to patients with AKI (nesiritide 16.8 ± 4 months vs placebo 18.5 ± 2.3 months, P = 0.729). Conclusions Renoprotection provided by nesiritide in the immediate postoperative period was not associated with improved long-term survival in patients undergoing high-risk CV surgery. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
MJO structure associated with the higher-order CEOF modes

The real-time multivariate Madden–Julian oscillation (RMM; MJO) index has been widely employed to monitor the amplitude, phase, and time evolution of MJO events, as the index is formulated from the leading two combined-empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) modes of daily anomalous OLR and 850- and 200-hPa zonal winds, and the modes describe the MJO dynamics well. These two CEOF modes, however, are known to dominate in power spectra at zonal wavenumber one and may underestimate the power and structure at wavenumbers 2–5 where many MJO events are also prominent. This study approximated a baseline for MJO by applying band-pass filters to daily anomalies on 30–100 day periods and at 1–5 eastward propagating waves, as slightly different bands led to the same conclusions. Following the procedures to develop the RMM index, the daily anomalous data were derived and subjected to the CEOF analysis with all modes archived for diagnosis. Different numbers of the leading modes were compared in explained variance, standard deviation (STD), and wavenumber power spectra to describe the overall MJO magnitude and structure, and on the Hovmoller diagrams to represent the evolution of three distinct MJO events. Results show that the two leading CEOF modes explain only a small portion of the power spectra at wavenumbers 2–5. This spectral leakage notably reduces the MJO amplitude, particularly of the OLR in the western Pacific. The CEOF modes 3–10 can withhold power sufficiently such that the anomalies reconstructed by the first 10 modes contribute most of the baseline variance; their structures agree well with the baseline by constituting nearly the same proportion in the region from the central Indian Ocean to the dateline and by providing more complete evolutions of the three MJO events on the Hovmoller diagrams. Meanwhile, these modes introduce a notable amount of power for the equatorial Rossby and Kelvin waves that are partially embedded in the evolution of MJO. The first 50 of the total 432 CEOF modes retain all variance of the baseline MJO, while those higher than 10 contain less information and more noise and can be discarded. Furthermore, this study indicated that the longitudinal STD of the reconstructed anomalies detects the MJO phases and magnitudes in the western Pacific with more physical meaning and in better agreement with the Hovmoller diagrams than the RMM-like amplitude. The results provide an integral figure of the MJO structure from the CEOF analysis and a more robust RMM framework for monitoring the MJO’s evolution in real time and for validating its numerical forecast and simulations.
EARLY STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLASTID FINE STRUCTURE IN RED AND FAR-RED LIGHT.

Developmental changes in fine structure were studied in plastids of etiolated bean leaves during the time required for the protochlorophyllide-chlorophyllide transformation and the following lag phase prior to chlorophyll accumulation. In agreement with some other workers, two distinct stages of change in the fine structure of proplastids were found to occur upon illumination during this period. The first involves a dissociation of the previously fused units in the prolamellar bodies of the proplastids and occurs simultaneously with the protochlorophyllide-chlorophyllide conversion in light of 655 mµ, but not of 682, 700, or 730 mµ. The effect of the red light could not be reversed by a simultaneously supplied stronger far-red irradiation. The energy requirements for these structural changes parallel those for the pigment conversion. During the following step the vesicles which arose from the fused units of the prolamellar body were dispersed in rows through the stroma, and the prolamellar bodies themselves disappeared. For these changes to occur, higher light energies were required and the leaves had to be illuminated for longer periods. A red preillumination seemed to accelerate the development somewhat. The structural changes could be induced by light of 655 mµ, but also, to a lesser degree, of 730 mµ. No measurable additional chlorophyll accumulated during this period. Thus, the structural changes observed were independent of major changes in pigment content.
Longitudinal relationships among posturography and gait measures in multiple sclerosis.

Objective: Gait and balance dysfunction frequently occurs early in the multiple sclerosis (MS) disease course. Hence, we sought to determine the longitudinal relationships among quantitative measures of gait and balance in individuals with MS. Methods: Fifty-seven ambulatory individuals with MS (28 relapsing-remitting, 29 progressive) were evaluated using posturography, quantitative sensorimotor and gait measures, and overall MS disability with the Expanded Disability Status Scale at each session. Results: Our cohort9s age was 45.8 ± 10.4 years (mean ± SD), follow-up time 32.8 ± 15.4 months, median Expanded Disability Status Scale score 3.5, and 56% were women. Poorer performance on balance measures was related to slower walking velocity. Two posturography measures, the anterior-posterior sway and sway during static eyes open, feet apart conditions, were significant contributors to walk velocity over time (approximate R 2 = 0.95), such that poorer performance on the posturography measures was related to slower walking velocity. Similarly, the anterior-posterior sway and sway during static eyes closed, feet together conditions were also significant contributors to the Timed 25-Foot Walk performance over time (approximate R 2 = 0.83). Conclusions: This longitudinal cohort study establishes a strong relationship between clinical gait measures and posturography. The data show that increases in static posturography and reductions in dynamic posturography are associated with a decline in walk velocity and Timed 25-Foot Walk performance over time. Furthermore, longitudinal balance measures predict future walking performance. Quantitative walking and balance measures are important additions to clinical testing to explore longitudinal change and understand fall risk in this progressive disease population.
The structure of toluene-doped counterflow gaseous diffusion flames

Abstract The structure of gaseous counterflow diffusion flames perturbed with the addition of hundreds of ppm of prevaporized toluene is studied in two distinct flame environments: a blue methane flame stabilized on the fuel side of the gas stagnation plane and an incipiently sooting ethylene flame stabilized on the oxidizer side. The goal is to provide a well-defined testbed in terms of temperature–time history, major species and part of the radical pool, for the examination of reference fuels that are critical components of practical fuel blends. Gas samples are extracted from the flame with fused silica microprobes for subsequent GC/MS analysis and thermocouples and thin filament pyrometry are used to characterize the temperature field. Profiles of critical toluene pyrolysis products and stable soot precursors are compared with computational models using two semi-detailed chemical mechanisms. Results show that in the methane flame some oxygen containing radicals like O and OH are contributing early on to the toluene destruction path. In the incipiently sooting ethylene flame, the primary attack is from H alone. This finding confirms the different challenges that such flames pose to the validation of a chemical kinetic mechanism. The onset of toluene decay in these flames begins at relatively modest temperatures, on the order of 800 K. This reactivity is captured reasonably well by both chemical mechanisms in the methane flame, in the absence of reactants larger than C2, but not so in the ethylene flame, in the presence of a richer, more complex mixture. The aromatic ring opening mechanisms are not adequately modeled in either case. This discrepancy has implications for the modeling of practically relevant fuel blends with both aliphatic and aromatic compounds. The dominant species larger than toluene in the doped methane flame is ethylbenzene, which at least one of the mechanisms reproduces quite well. The largest measured species in the incipiently sooting flame is indene, whose concentration increase due to toluene addition is properly captured by one of the models. The experimental dataset reported here may help identifying future improvements to chemical kinetic mechanisms and complement other reactor datasets lacking the coupling of kinetics and transport of flame environments.
Measuring the benefits of school closure interventions to mitigate influenza.

In the absence of an effective vaccine, public health interventions that provide social distancing may reduce infectious disease transmission by limiting contact of infectious and noninfectious per...
Wired to Connect: Evolutionary Psychology and Social Networks:

Social networks dominate modern life. Social networks have always existed and have been around in nonelectronic forms throughout the entirety of our species' history. It is only recently that the I...
AN ABSOLUTE POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTE CONCENTRATION OF > 15,000/MM 3 IS HIGHLY PREDICTIVE OF OCCULT BACTEREMIA IN FEBRILE CHILDREN

AN ABSOLUTE POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTE CONCENTRATION OF > 15,000/MM 3 IS HIGHLY PREDICTIVE OF OCCULT BACTEREMIA IN FEBRILE CHILDREN
Some newly discovered coronal emission lines from high altitude infrared observations of the 7 March, 1970, solar eclipse

A survey of the infrared coronal spectrum between 1 μ and 3 μ was made from a high altitude aircraft during the 7 March, 1970, solar eclipse. The observations were made with a Fourier transform spectrometer and were confined to the outer chromosphere and inner corona. In addition to well known chromospheric lines of Hi and Hei, nine additional lines were seen. Evidence is presented for the tentative assignment of these lines to forbidden transitions in highly ionized atoms of magnesium, aluminum, silicon, sulphur, and chromium.
Microchannel plate imaging photon counters for ultraviolet through NIR detection with high time resolution

Cross strip and cross delay line readout microchannel plate detectors in 18 mm, 25 mm and 40 mm active area formats including open face (UV/particle) and sealed tube (optical) configurations have been constructed. These have been tested with a field programmable gate array based electronics for single event encoding. Using small pore MCPs (6 μm) operated in a pair, we achieve gains of >1 x 106 which is sufficient to provide spatial resolution of ~17 μm FHWM with the 18 mm and 40 mm cross strip readouts. New cross strip electronics can process high output event rates (> 4 MHz) with high spatial resolution, and self triggered event timing accuracy of ~1.5 ns for sealed tube XS optical sensors. A peak quantum efficiency of between 13% and 19% at 500 nm has been achieved with SuperGenII photocathodes with response from 400 nm to 900 nm for both cross strip and cross delay line sealed tubes. Local area counting rates of up to 40 kHz (100μm spot) have been attained with XS sealed tubes, along with image linearity and stability to better than 50 μm. 25mm cross delay line tubes achieve ~50 μm resolution and > 2 MHz output event rates.
Whole -root iron(III)-reductase activity throughout the life cycle of iron-grown Pisum sativum L. (Fabaceae): relevance to the iron nutrition of developing seeds

To understand the whole-plant processes which influence the Fe nutrition of developing seeds, we have characterized root Fe(III)-reductase activity and quantified whole-plant Fe balance throughout the complete 10-week (10-wk) life cycle of pea (Pisum sativum L., cv. Sparkle). Plants were grown hydroponically in complete nutrient solution with a continuous supply of chelated Fe; all side shoots were removed at first appearance to yield plants with one main shoot. Root Fe(III)-reductase activity was assayed with Fe(III)-EDTA. Flowering of the experimental plants began on wk 4 and continued until wk 6; seed growth and active seed import occurred during wks 5–10. Vegetative growth terminated at wk 6. Iron(III) reduction in whole-root systems was found to be dynamically modulated throughout the plant's life cycle, even though the plants were maintained on an Fe source. Iron(III)-reductase activity ranged from 1–3 μmol Fe reduced · g −1 DW · h−1 at early and late stages of the life cycle to 9.5 μmol Fe reduced · g−1 DW · h−1 at wk 6. Visual assays demonstrated that Fe(III)-reductase activity was localized to extensive regions of secondary and tertiary lateral roots during this peak activity. At midstages of growth (wks 6–7), root Fe(III)-reductase activity could be altered by changes in internal shoot Fe demand or external root Fe supply: removal of all pods or interruption of phloem transport from the reproductive portion of the shoot (to the roots) resulted in lowered root Fe(III)-reductase activity, while removal of Fe from the nutrient solution resulted in a stimulation of this activity. Total shoot Fe content increased throughout the 10-wk growth period, with Fe content in the non-seed tissues of the shoot declining by 50% of their maximal level and accounting for 35% of final seed Fe content. At maturity, total seed Fe represented 74% of total shoot Fe; total Fe in the roots (apoplasmic and symplasmic Fe combined) was minimal. These studies demonstrate that the root Fe(III)-reductase system responds to Fe status and/or Fe requirements of the shoot, apparently through shoot-to-root communication involving a phloem-mobile signal. During active seed-fill, enhanced root Fe(III)-reductase activity is necessary to generate sufficient Fe2+ for continued root Fe acquisition. This continuing Fe supply to the shoot is essential for the developing seeds to attain their Fe-content potential. Increased rates of root Fe(III) reduction would be necessary for seed Fe content to be enhanced in Pisum sativum.
Ribonuclease inhibition of mevalonic acid utilization.

SummaryUtilization of mevalonic acid as determined by incorporation of the 2-C14-labeled compound into non-saponifiable material or into cholesterol or by disappearance of microbiological activity attributable to mevalonic acid in rat liver homogenates was found to be abolished by a preliminary digestion with ribonuclease.
A fast sweeping method for Eikonal equations

In this paper a fast sweeping method for computing the numerical solution of Eikonal equations on a rectangular grid is presented. The method is an iterative method which uses upwind difference for discretization and uses Gauss-Seidel iterations with alternating sweeping ordering to solve the discretized system. The crucial idea is that each sweeping ordering follows a family of characteristics of the corresponding Eikonal equation in a certain direction simultaneously. The method has an optimal complexity of O(N) for N grid points and is extremely simple to implement in any number of dimensions. Monotonicity and stability properties of the fast sweeping algorithm are proven. Convergence and error estimates of the algorithm for computing the distance function is studied in detail. It is shown that 2 n Gauss-Seidel iterations is enough for the distance function in n dimensions. An estimation of the number of iterations for general Eikonal equations is also studied. Numerical examples are used to verify the analysis.
Evaluating the hazard ranking system

The hazard ranking system is used by the EPA to evaluate the relative risk of hazardous waste facilities. The original system and its newly expanded form have a structured value approach and arrive at a facility's rank through a combination of addition and multiplication of factor scores. The most dangerous sites have the highest scores. This research demonstrates that small increases in data can significantly increase a facility's score if applied to influential system factors. However, the identification of influential factors is difficult. The work shows that factor importance is site specific, that it is, dependent upon the values of other system criteria, and that its evaluation is impeded by the additive/multiplicative structure of the ranking system. Tools for guiding data acquisition are developed to assess generally the influence of two factors, but it is shown that an additive system provides a better method for assessing risk.
Yucca filamentosa and Yucca flaccida (Agavaceae) Are Distinct Taxa in Their Type Localities

Abstract There has been question whether the taxon known as Yucca filamentosa (Agavaceae) is to be distinguished from the taxon known as Yucca flaccida. Much of the uncertainty lay in the absence of sure knowledge of the forms intended by their original authors. A neotype of Y. flaccida from Florida was selected in 2006. Here, the type locality in Virginia of Y. filamentosa is revisited and an epitype is selected. The two taxa, as represented by plants from these two type localities, differ markedly in a number of characteristics. It is suggested that Y. filamentosa and Y. flaccida be retained at specific rank.
Possible interpretations of high-energy cross-sections

The high-energy total cross-sections for KN andNN scattering are interpreted in terms of the hypothesis of Regge poles (in the crossed channel) and generalized isospin independence (GII).
What’s Left and Who’s Right? A Q-method Study of Individual and Contextual Influences on the Meaning of Ideological Labels

Left–right semantics are commonly employed by scholars, the media, and politicians in reference to Latin American politics. Yet, how do citizens understand these terms and what determines the meanings they assign to them? I investigate the significance of left–right labels, as potential political heuristic devices, among and across a selected group of citizens in Mexico and Argentina. Subjective understandings of the left–right semantics were tapped using Q-sort methods. Analyses of these data reveal quite different conceptions across individuals and national contexts. Further, and as hypothesized in the text, the analyses demonstrate that ideological labels (a) reference valence issues, in addition to political actors and policy stances; (b) differ across contexts in ways that correspond to elite packaging; and, (c) vary by individual partisan leanings and political sophistication.
Reasonableness, bias, and the untapped power of procedure

L'A. developpe le theme de raison critique dans la philosophie de I. Scheffler, qui implique l'engagement de l'agent a l'impartialite de ses jugements, et a la realisation de son ideal rationnel
Improving efficiency and robustness of the doubly robust estimator for a population mean with incomplete data

Considerable recent interest has focused on doubly robust estimators for a population mean response in the presence of incomplete data, which involve models for both the propensity score and the regression of outcome on covariates. The usual doubly robust estimator may yield severely biased inferences if neither of these models is correctly specified and can exhibit nonnegligible bias if the estimated propensity score is close to zero for some observations. We propose alternative doubly robust estimators that achieve comparable or improved performance relative to existing methods, even with some estimated propensity scores close to zero.
An analysis of federal mail and wire fraud cases related to marketing

Abstract As marketers increase their communication through both print and electronic channels, the opportunity for fraud is growing rapidly. Consequently, criminal prosecution of marketers for mail and wire fraud in federal courts has increased during recent years, resulting in greater emphasis on the elimination of fraudulent activities. This research provides a review of marketing-related fraud cases found in federal courts through a LEXIS search to determine the nature of the prosecution and judgments. This study provides a foundation for understanding federal cases that can influence all marketing fraud decisions.
Synthesis and characterization of lithium bis(fluoromalonato)borate for lithium-ion battery applications

A new orthochelated salt, lithium bis(monofl uoromalonato)borate (LiBFMB), is synthesized and purifi ed for application in lithium-ion batteries. The presence of fl uorine in the borate anion of LiBFMB increases its oxidation potential and also facilitates ion dissociation, as refl ected by the ratio of ionic conductivity ( σ exp ) and ion diffusivity coeffi cients ( σ NMR ). Half-cell tests using 5.0 V lithium nickel manganese oxide (LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 ) as a cathode and ethylene carbonate (EC)/dimethyl carbonate (DMC)/diethyl carbonate (DEC) as a solvent reveals that the impedance of the LiBFMB cell is much larger than those of LiPF 6 - and lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB)-based cells, which results in lower capacity and poor cycling performance of the former. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results for the cycled cathode electrode suggest that because of the stability of the LiBFMB salt, the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed on the cathode surface is signifi cantly different from those of LiPF 6 and LiBOB based electrolytes, resulting in more solvent decomposition and a thicker SEI layer. Initial results also indicate that using a high dielectric constant solvent, propylene carbonate, alters the surface chemistry, reduces the interfacial impedance, and enhances the performance of LiBFMB-based 5.0 V cell.
Commentary on recent research with the cognitive interview

(1999). Commentary on recent research with the cognitive interview. Psychology, Crime & Law: Vol. 5, No. 1-2, pp. 197-202.
A negative-resistance photoelectric diode

Abstract The fabrication and some of the properties of a silicon photoelectric diode displaying a negative-resistance region in its I-V characteristic are described. The sensitivity to light is particularly pronounced in the negative-resistance region and is determined by the amplitude and wavelength of the radiation applied.
The relationship between cartilage loss on magnetic resonance imaging and radiographic progression in men and women with knee osteoarthritis.

Objective To determine the relationship between radiographic progression of joint space narrowing and cartilage loss on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA), and to investigate the location of MRI-based cartilage loss in the knee and its relation to radiographic progression. Methods Two hundred twenty-four men and women (mean age 66 years) were studied. Radiographs and MRI of the more symptomatic knee were obtained at baseline and at 15- and 30-month followup. Radiographs of the knee (with weight-bearing) were read for joint space narrowing (scale 0–3), with progression defined as any worsening in score. We used a semiquantitative method to score cartilage morphology in all 5 regions of the tibiofemoral joint, and defined cartilage loss as an increase in score (scale 0–4) at any region. We examined the relationship between progression of joint space narrowing on radiographic images and cartilage loss on MRI, using a generalized estimating equation proportional odds logistic regression, adjusted for baseline cartilage score, age, body mass index, and sex. The medial and lateral compartments were analyzed separately. Results In the medial compartment, 104 knees (46%) had cartilage loss detected by MRI. The adjusted odds ratio was 3.7 (95% confidence interval 2.2–6.3) for radiographic progression being predictive of cartilage loss on MRI. However, there was still a substantial proportion of knees (80 of 189 [42%]) with cartilage loss visible on MRI when no radiographic progression was apparent. Cartilage loss occurred frequently in the central regions of the femur and tibia as well as the posterior femur region, but radiographic progression was less likely to be observed when posterior femur regions showed cartilage loss. Radiographic progression appeared specific (91%) but not sensitive (23%) for cartilage loss. Overall findings were similar for the lateral compartment. Conclusion While our results provide longitudinal evidence that radiographic progression of joint space narrowing is predictive of cartilage loss assessed on MRI, radiography is not a sensitive measure, and if used alone, will miss a substantial proportion of knees with cartilage loss.
Crisis IT design implications for high risk systems: systems, control and information propositions

The systems view is presented as a complement to the more traditional scientific approach to help reduce and mitigate risk in high risk systems. Implications for this systemic approach are described, principally in the areas of control and information. Most generally, we investigate how high risk systems use information to maintain control, and how IT systems should be designed to support this activity. Two variations in the systems view-the objective and constructive-are distilled and compared, and for each, the implications for crisis IT systems design are discussed. The limitations of the two variations of the systems view are presented, as is a brief annotated bibliography for further reading about the systems view.
Stick it in your ear: building an in-ear jaw movement sensor

The human ear seems to be a rigid anatomical part with no apparent activity, yet many facial and body activity can be measured from it. Research apparatuses and commercial products have demonstrated the capability of monitoring hart rate, tongue activities, jaw motion and eye blinking from the ear. In this paper we describe the design and the implementation of the Outer Ear Interface (OEI) which utilizes a set of infrared proximity sensors to measure the deformation in the ear canal caused by the lower jaw movement. OEI has been used in different applications that requires tracking of jaw activity which includes silent speech recognition, jaw gesture detection and food intake monitoring.
Vitamin D in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Purpose of reviewThere is growing interest in the contribution of vitamin D deficiency to autoimmunity. It is therefore timely to review the immunologic actions of vitamin D and the evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to autoimmune disease in animal models and to systemic lupus erythematosus in ep
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Adolescents’ Perceptions of Current Family Environment

Previous studies of the genetic and environmental components of the Family Environment Scale (FES) have typically reported that scales relating to familial acceptance are moderately to strongly genetically influenced while measures of control are more environmentally influenced. These reports relied on retrospective recall, which is not as reliable as recall of current environment. To investigate the genetic contribution to contemporaneous perceptions of one’s rearing environment, the responses on the FES of 471 17-year-old male twins (141 complete MZ twin pairs, 73 complete DZ twin pairs, 43 incomplete twin pairs) participating in the Minnesota Twin-Family Study (MTFS) were analyzed. Individual FES scales were generally modestly to moderately heritable. Unlike previous research, we did not find evidence that measures of control/structure were less heritable than measures of acceptance/support. These findings support a genetic basis of perceptions of one’s family environment and indicate that reports of control/structure may be more genetically influenced than previously believed based on retrospective reports.
Analysis of Anomalous Diffuse Interstellar Bands in the Spectrum of Herschel 36

The extraordinary DIBs observed toward Herschel 36 (Dahlstrom et al . 2013) have been analyzed (Oka et al . 2013). The analysis led us to a new way to classify the carriers of DIBs depending on whether the molecules are polar or non-polar. The pronounced Extended Tails toward Red (ETR) observed for DIBs λ5780.5, λ5797.1, and λ6613.6 are explained as due to radiative excitation of high rotational levels of polar carrier molecules in an environment with high radiative temperature ~90 K. Other DIBs (e.g., λ5849.8, λ6196.0, and λ6379.3) which do not show ETR are likely due to non-polar molecules. Model calculations taking into account the interplay of radiative and collisional effects reproduce the observed ETR using realistic molecular parameters if the radiative temperature is sufficiently high (~90 K). The calculation suggests that the carriers of DIBs with ETR are likely medium size molecules with 3 - 6 heavy atoms unless the radiative temperature is much higher.
THE EARLIEST ACCOUNT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF HUMAN ARTIFACTS WITH FOSSIL MAMMALS IN NORTH AMERICA.

The discoveries of human artifacts associated with the remains of fossil animals, claimed to have been made by Albert Koch in 1839, have long been discredited. In this paper the evidence is resurveyed in the light of modern discoveries and knowledge, and it is concluded that it is highly probable that Koch actually made the discoveries which he claimed to have made. It is shown that it is not only highly probable that he discovered human artifacts in association with mastodon remains, but that it is also probable that he discovered such artifacts in association with the remains of the fossil ground sloth, Mylodon harlani. Finally, evidence is adduced which suggests that Koch was also the first discoverer of Folsom type points. ON Saturday, January 12, 1839, there appeared in The Presbyterian, a weekly newspaper published at Philadelphia, a most interesting article which gave the first account of the association of human artifacts with a fossil mammal in North America. Here is the original article:
RecA4142 Causes SOS Constitutive Expression by Loading onto Reversed Replication Forks in Escherichia coli K-12

Escherichia coli initiates the SOS response when single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) produced by DNA damage is bound by RecA and forms a RecA-DNA filament. recA SOS constitutive [recA(Con)] mutants induce the SOS response in the absence of DNA damage. It has been proposed that recA(Con) mutants bind to ssDNA at replication forks, although the specific mechanism is unknown. Previously, it had been shown that recA4142(F217Y), a novel recA(Con) mutant, was dependent on RecBCD for its high SOS constitutive [SOS(Con)] expression. This was presumably because RecA4142 was loaded at a double-strand end (DSE) of DNA. Herein, it is shown that recA4142 SOS(Con) expression is additionally dependent on ruvAB (replication fork reversal [RFR] activity only) and recJ (5'-->3' exonuclease), xonA (3'-->5' exonuclease) and partially dependent on recQ (helicase). Lastly, sbcCD mutations (Mre11/Rad50 homolog) in recA4142 strains caused full SOS(Con) expression in an ruvAB-, recBCD-, recJ-, and xonA-independent manner. It is hypothesized that RuvAB catalyzes RFR, RecJ and XonA blunt the DSE (created by the RFR), and then RecBCD loads RecA4142 onto this end to produce SOS(Con) expression. In sbcCD mutants, RecA4142 can bind other DNA substrates by itself that are normally degraded by the SbcCD nuclease.
A Polyphase nonlinear equalization architecture and semi-blind identification method

In this paper, we present an architecture and semi-blind identification method for a polyphase nonlinear equalizer (pNLEQ). Such an equalizer is useful for extending the dynamic range of time-interleaved analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Our proposed architecture is a polyphase extension to other architectures that partition the Volterra kernel into small nonlinear filters with relatively low computational complexity. Our semi-blind identification technique addresses important practical concerns in the equalizer identification process. We describe our architecture and demonstrate its performance with measured results when applied to a National Semiconductor ADC081000.
Physician assessment of family cancer history and referral for genetic evaluation in colorectal cancer patients

Background & Aims: An accurate family history is an essential component of cancer risk assessment. Our aim was to determine the concordance of family history assessments made by physicians with patients' self-reports and the frequency of referral for genetic evaluation in high-risk colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Methods: A self-administered family cancer history questionnaire was completed by 387 consecutive CRC patients at their first visit to a gastroenterology cancer clinic. Physician notes from the first visit were reviewed to determine the concordance of the family cancer history with patients' self-reported history. Prevalence of individuals that satisfied the Bethesda guidelines for hereditary colon cancer were compared with actual rates of referral. Regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with a comprehensive physician evaluation of family history. Results: Oncologists documented a comprehensive family history in 59% (184 of 311) of patients with a first- or second-degree relative with cancer. Young age at diagnosis and a first-degree relative with CRC were not associated with a more comprehensive family history assessment. An increasing number of cancers per family was a strong predictor of a less comprehensive family history assessment (odds ratio=0.63; P Conclusions: Increased complexity in family cancer history leads to a decrease in accuracy of family history, suggesting the need for systematic approaches to facilitate family history assessment. Familial cancer risk remains largely unrecognized and referral rates for genetic evaluation for CRC syndromes are low.
The Geography of Recent Genetic Ancestry across Europe

The recent genealogical history of human populations is a complex mosaic formed by individual migration, large-scale population movements, and other demographic events. Population genomics datasets can provide a window into this recent history, as rare traces of recent shared genetic ancestry are detectable due to long segments of shared genomic material. We make use of genomic data for 2,257 Europeans (in the Population Reference Sample [POPRES] dataset) to conduct one of the first surveys of recent genealogical ancestry over the past 3,000 years at a continental scale. We detected 1.9 million shared long genomic segments, and used the lengths of these to infer the distribution of shared ancestors across time and geography. We find that a pair of modern Europeans living in neighboring populations share around 2–12 genetic common ancestors from the last 1,500 years, and upwards of 100 genetic ancestors from the previous 1,000 years. These numbers drop off exponentially with geographic distance, but since these genetic ancestors are a tiny fraction of common genealogical ancestors, individuals from opposite ends of Europe are still expected to share millions of common genealogical ancestors over the last 1,000 years. There is also substantial regional variation in the number of shared genetic ancestors. For example, there are especially high numbers of common ancestors shared between many eastern populations that date roughly to the migration period (which includes the Slavic and Hunnic expansions into that region). Some of the lowest levels of common ancestry are seen in the Italian and Iberian peninsulas, which may indicate different effects of historical population expansions in these areas and/or more stably structured populations. Population genomic datasets have considerable power to uncover recent demographic history, and will allow a much fuller picture of the close genealogical kinship of individuals across the world.
Error correction scheme for uncompressed HD video over wireless

Digital transmission of uncompressed high-definition video is challenging because of its high data rate and its extreme sensitivity to bit errors. In this paper we propose a simple error correction scheme to reduce the bit error effects in the video at the receiver end of a wireless channel. Our scheme uses the large amount of spatial redundancy already present in uncompressed HD video data to provide an extra layer of protection in addition to that provided by channel coding. Thus, our method requires no change to the video signal being transmitted and is compatible with any existing solution for HD video transmission. Using simulations over a range of byte error rates, we show that our scheme effectively reduces the number of visible artifacts because of uncorrected channel errors, and provides approximately 7 dB improvement in peak signal to noise ratio.