cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Conference Call Content on Market Perceptions of Value Uncertainty and Firm Risk

Quarterly earnings conference calls convey fundamental information as well as manager and analyst opinion about the firm. This study examines how the market’s uncertainty regarding firm valuation is affected by the abnormal content of earnings conference calls. Using textual analysis of all publicly available conference call transcripts, we find that measures of abnormally positive conference call linguistic tones are negatively related to measures of firm value uncertainty from the equity options market. The market trusts analysts’ linguistic tone more so than management’s, consistent with active shareholder monitoring. Overly optimistic managerial tone increases investor perception of crash risk under certain circumstances, particularly during the financial crisis.
Discovering patterns in real-valued time series

This paper describes an algorithm for discovering variable length patterns in real-valued time series. In contrast to most existing pattern discovery algorithms, ours does not first discretize the data, runs in linear time, and requires constant memory. These properties are obtained by sampling the data stream rather than processing all of the data. Empirical results show that the algorithm performs well on both synthetic and real data when compared to an exhaustive algorithm.
Psychometric properties of subjective workload measurement techniques: implications for their use in the assessment of perceived mental workload

This paper examines fundamental measurement issues that have largely been ignored in scaling techniques for assessing perceived mental workload. It is argued that both theoretical and practical advances in workload assessment have been unnecessarily slowed by a lack of concern for measurement issues. Typical of this impedance are some recently reported “empirical results“ comparing various workload assessment techniques which actually follow directly from some misunderstood statistical properties of the scales. The commonly used subjective workload assessment procedures have distinct psychometric properties that make each procedure sensitive to different kinds of workload measurement. Examination of the properties for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA TLX) support its potential as a general prediction model for experienced workload and for the Subjective Workload Assessment Technique (SWAT) as a cognitive model sensitive to individual differences.
REPEATED EVOLUTION OF CROP THEFT IN FUNGUS-FARMING AMBROSIA BEETLES

Ambrosia beetles, dominant wood degraders in the tropics, create tunnels in dead trees and employ gardens of symbiotic fungi to extract nutrients from wood. Specificity of the beetle-fungus relationship has rarely been examined, and simple vertical transmission of a specific fungal cultivar by each beetle species is often assumed in literature. We report repeated evolution of fungal crop stealing, termed mycocleptism, among ambrosia beetles. The mycocleptic species seek brood galleries of other species, and exploit their established fungal gardens by tunneling through the ambient mycelium-laden wood. Instead of carrying their own fungal sybmbionts, mycocleptae depend on adopting the fungal assemblages of their host species, as shown by an analysis of fungal DNA from beetle galleries. The evidence for widespread horizontal exchange of fungi between beetles challenges the traditional concept of ambrosia fungi as species-specific symbionts. Fungus stealing appears to be an evolutionarily successful strategy. It evolved independently in several beetle clades, two of which have radiated, and at least one case was accompanied by a loss of the beetles' fungus-transporting organs. We demonstrate this using the first robust phylogeny of one of the world's largest group of ambrosia beetles, Xyleborini.
Application of the GLM technique to a production planning problem

Generalized Lagrange Multipliers (GLM) are used to develop an algorithm for a type of multiproduct single period production planning problem which involves discontinuities of the fixed charge variety. Several properties of the GLM technique are developed for this class of problems and from these properties an algorithm is obtained. The problem of resolving the gaps which are exposed by the GLM procedure is considered, and an example involving a quadratic cost function is explored in detail.
Improved class preparation and learning through immediate feedback in group testing for undergraduate nursing students.

Abstract PURPOSE A mixed-method educational evaluation project to increase learning through testing was conducted in a required senior nursing course. METHOD The Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF-AT) was used to motivate preparation for optimal final examination performance. Students took multiple-choice final exams in small groups, used critical thinking and collaboration to select best answers, and then used scratch-off answer sheets indicating correct answers. A causal-comparative evaluation design was used to assess effectiveness of the IF-AT technique in improving learning as measured by final exam scores compared with results of traditional individual multiple-choice final exams. FINDINGS Results indicated that the IF-AT format was significantly more effective than traditional testing in enhancing learning. CONCLUSION Descriptive and qualitative evaluation data from students indicated students increased their learning, engaged in critical thinking, and prepared adequately for the exam. Stu...
Accelerating the Inbreeding of Multi-Parental Recombinant Inbred Lines Generated By Sibling Matings

Inbred model organisms are powerful tools for genetic studies because they provide reproducible genomes for use in mapping and genetic manipulation. Generating inbred lines via sibling matings, however, is a costly undertaking that requires many successive generations of breeding, during which time many lines fail. We evaluated several approaches for accelerating inbreeding, including the systematic use of back-crosses and marker-assisted breeder selection, which we contrasted with randomized sib-matings. Using simulations, we explored several alternative breeder-selection methods and monitored the gain and loss of genetic diversity, measured by the number of recombination-induced founder intervals, as a function of generation. For each approach we simulated 100,000 independent lines to estimate distributions of generations to achieve full-fixation as well as to achieve a mean heterozygosity level equal to 20 generations of randomized sib-mating. Our analyses suggest that the number of generations to fully inbred status can be substantially reduced with minimal impact on genetic diversity through combinations of parental backcrossing and marker-assisted inbreeding. Although simulations do not consider all confounding factors underlying the inbreeding process, such as a loss of fecundity, our models suggest many viable alternatives for accelerating the inbreeding process.
Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Fractionation Between Brucite and Aqueous NaCl Solutions from 250 to 450°C

Hydrogen and oxygen isotope fractionation factors between brucite and aqueous NaCl solutions (1000lnαbr-sw) have been calibrated by experiment from 250 to 450°C at 0.5 Kb. For D/H fractionation, 1000lnα br-sw values are as follows: −32 ± 6‰ (250°C, 3.2 wt% NaCl), −21 ± 2‰ (350°C, 10.0 wt% NaCl), and −22 ± 2‰ (450°C, 3.2 wt% NaCl), indicating that brucite is depleted in D relative to coexisting aqueous NaCl solutions. These results are in good agreement with previous D/H fractionation factors determined in the brucite-water system, indicating that any effects of dissolved salt on D/H fractionation are relatively small, particularly in solutions with near seawater salinity. The maximum salt effect (+4‰) was observed in 10.0 wt% NaCl solutions at 350°C, suggesting that the addition of dissolved NaCl increases the amount of deuterium fractionated into mineral structures. For 18O/16O fractionation, 1000lnαbr-sw values in 3.0 wt% NaCl solutions are −6.0 ± 1.3‰, −5.6 ± 0.7‰ and −4.1 ± 0.2‰, at 250, 350, and 450°C, respectively, and −5.8 ± 0.6‰ in 10.0 wt % NaCl at 350°C. These data indicate that brucite is depleted in 18O relative to coexisting aqueous NaCl solutions and that the degree of depletion decreases slightly with increasing temperature and is not strongly dependent on salinity. We calculated 18O/16O brucite-water fractionation factors from available calibrations of the salt-effect on 18O/16O fractionation between coexisting phases. The resulting values were fit to the following equation that is valid from 250 to 450°C 1000ln αbr-w = 9.54 × 106T−2 − 3.53 × 104T−1 + 26.58 where T is temperature in Kelvins. These new data have been used to improve the prediction of 18O/16O fractionation factors in the talc-water and serpentine-water systems by modifying existing empirical bond-water models. The results of this analysis indicate that the δ18O composition of talc-brucite and serpentine-brucite pairs could be used as a geothermometer and that these coexisting phases should display the following order of 18O enrichment: talc > serpentine > brucite.
Enabling Courageous Collective Action: Conversations from United Airlines Flight 93

On September 11, 2001, the passengers and crew members aboard Flight 93 responded to the hijacking of their airplane by organizing a counterattack against the hijackers. The airplane crashed into an unpopulated field, causing no damage to human lives or national landmarks beyond the lives of those aboard the airplane. We draw on this story of courageous collective action to explore the question of what makes this kind of action possible. We propose that to take courageous collective action, people need three narratives---a personal narrative that helps them understand who they are beyond the immediate situation and manage the intense emotions that accompany duress, a narrative that explains the duress that has been imposed upon them sufficiently to make moral and practical judgments about how to act, and a narrative of collective action---and the resources that make the creation of these narratives feasible. We also consider how the creation of these narratives is relevant to courageous collective action in more common organizational circumstances, and identify how this analysis suggests new insights into our understanding of the core framing tasks of social movements, ways in which social movement actors draw on social infrastructure, the role of discourse and morality in social movements, the formation of collective identity, and resource mobilization.
Directed self assembly of nanocrystals within macroscopic to nanoscopic features

This paper discusses a kinetically-driven patterning scheme to marry top-down and bottom-up assembly of nanoparticle arrays. We explain how Ge atoms interact with different dielectric surfaces to either etch the surface or to accumulate and self assemble into nanocrystals during chemical vapor deposition. By exploiting the different reactivity of these dielectrics, the accumulation of adatoms is controlled and thus subsequent self assembly of nanocrystals is controlled. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy are used to determine particle densities. We have achieved dense (>1011 cm-2) arrays of self-assembled Ge nanocrystals within ∼100 µm sized features (defined by optical lithography) with no Ge deposition on the adjacent SiO2 sacrificial mask region. Electron beam lithography was used to pattern smaller (100 µm to 500 nm) features in which to direct the self assembly. As features shrink below 10 µm, nanoparticle nucleation within the feature is sharply affected. Finally, diblock copolymers are used to pattern 20 nm features to template self assembly of nanoparticles at a scale useful for device applications.
Cyclic nucleotides and gluconeogenesis by rat liver cells.

Abstract Gluconeogenesis from lactate, pyruvate, fructose, alanine, and other substrates was accelerated by glucagon or epinephrine in hepatocytes isolated from rat liver. Glucagon and epinephrine also increased cyclic AMP accumulation by rat hepatocytes. Isoproterenol increased cyclic AMP but not gluconeogenesis, while phenylephrine accelerated gluconeogenesis. The activation of gluconeogenesis by epinephrine was unaffected by propranolol but blocked by dihydroergotamine. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP added to hepatocytes stimulated gluconeogenesis at concentrations as low as 1 μ M . Exogenous cyclic GMP (0.1–1 μ M ) inhibited gluconeogenesis due to either glucagon or epinephrine without affecting basal gluconeogenesis. However, carbamylcholine did not affect gluconeogenesis by hepatocytes. Basal gluconeogenesis and the increases due to all agents were inhibited by removal of extracellular calcium or the presence of A-23187, D-600, or tetracaine. In contrast, added 0.1 μ M cyclic GMP, 2 m M NH 4 Cl, and 10 μ M phenethylbiguanide inhibited glucagon- or epinephrine-stimulated gluconeogenesis without affecting basal values. Studies with hepatocytes indicate that the hormonal activation of gluconeogenesis is not limited to substrates entering prior to triose phosphate formation. Glucagon may act by increasing cyclic AMP which acts via unknown mechanisms to increase gluconeogenesis. In contrast, epinephrine acts via a cyclic AMP-independent mechanism which does not appear to involve cyclic GMP, Ca 2+ flux, or K + flux.
Nasal mucosal hyperpermeability to macromolecules in atopic rhinitis and extrinsic asthma

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that patients with atopic rhinitis and extrinsic asthma have a nasal mucous membrane defect that allows inhaled macromolecules access to immunocompetent cells. Three groups were studied: normal subjects, patients with extrinsic asthma, and patients with atopic rhinitis. Albumin 125I(20 muc) was applied to the nasal mucosa and venous blood samples were drawn at set intervals up to 4 hours. Thirty-two minutes after administration, a significantly greater percentage of the dose was found in the plasma of patients with atopic rhinitis than in that of normal subjects (p smaller than 0.001). Transport of intact albumin across the nasal mucosa was demonstrated by dialysis, gel filtration, and immunopercipitation experiments in 3/9 normal subjects, 1/9 patients with asthma, and 9/10 patients with rhinitis (p smaller than 0.02). These studies suggest that large, potentially antigenic molecules pass more readily across the nasal mucous membrane of patients with allergic rhinitis than that of normal subjects. No increase in nasal transport was seen in patients with extrinsic asthma. It has not been determined whether this defect is a cause or an effect of atopic rhinitis.
Self-Critiques of Audiotaped Therapy Sessions: A Motivational Procedure for Facilitating Feedback During Supervision

Although supervision is an important mechanism for developing clinical competencies, trainees some-times find it difficult to accept critical feedback. The procedure of using written self-critiques ofaudiotaped therapy sessions, based on motivational interviewing (MI) principles, was used to facilitateacceptance of feedback for doctoral clinical psychology students. MI techniques have been shown todecrease resistance and enhance motivation to change. The self-critiques were evaluated very positivelyby trainees as helping them accept critical feedback and allowing them to provide suggestions for theirown clinical skill development. The use of self-critiques based on MI techniques is a promisingadjunctive supervisory procedure that warrants additional evaluation.Keywords: self-critiques, audiotapes, clinical supervision, motivational interviewing
USES OF VITAL RECORDS FOR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL RESEARCH.

Abstract John Snow's follow-back study of deaths during a London cholera epidemic was made over 100 years ago. The technique he used was simple and direct. The nature of epidemiological studies is now more complex. Elaborate methodology has been developed, so that the administrative aspects of epidemiological research now require as much, if not more, attention than the technical problems. A review of epidemiological studies involving vital records is impressive. Vital records have been utilized in many ways here and abroad to better elucidate the factors relating to the prevalence of various diseases. The death certificate has played an essential role in numerous studies involving survivorship of a cohort. The death record has also provided a starting point in many retrospective studies. The birth certificate has been utilized as a source of data on perinatal factors associated with various conditions. Cohorts of prospective studies have also been selected from files of birth records. Personal particulars on birth and marriage records have served to identify family units as well as individuals, and have made possible more positive linking of different records. Despite certain limitations of vital records, their usefulness in epidemiological research has been amply demonstrated by various investigators. The potentials of these records are just now being tapped in the form of record linkage systems. Improvements in the quality and completeness of reported data will enhance the value of vital records for research purposes. The potentials of vital records have not yet been fully exploited in studies of determinants of disease. However, neither vital records nor elaborate methodology will serve as substitutes for the clear conceptualization of the problem and of the hypotheses to be tested. As in the past, the imagination, ingenuity and clarity of thinking of the investigator in testing hypotheses will be more significant than the vehicle of the study.
Intimate Partner Violence and Children's Reaction to Peer Provocation : The Moderating Role of Emotion Coaching

The current study examined the relation between intimate partner violence (IPV) and children's reactions to a stressful peer interaction in a community-based sample. The moderating role of parental emotion coaching in buffering children from negative reactions to a peer was also examined. Children participated in a peer provocation paradigm and mothers completed the Parent Meta-Emotion Interview. Both adaptive (i.e., laughing, ignoring) and maladaptive (i.e., hostile/challenging, odd behaviors) reactions to the provocative peer were examined. IPV was positively related to children's laughing and odd behaviors but was unrelated to ignoring and hostile/challenging behaviors. Additionally, emotion coaching was found to moderate relations between IPV and children's laughing and odd behaviors. The importance of understanding protective factors in families experiencing IPV and of developing emotion coaching parenting programs is discussed.
An Investigation of Personal Learning in Mentoring Relationships: Content, Antecedents, and Consequences

To examine antecedents and consequences of learning in the context of mentoring relationships, we developed a new measure of personal learning, relational job learning and personal skill development. The presence of a mentor and mentoring functions were found to be antecedents of personal learning. Job satisfaction, role ambiguity, intentions to leave a job (turnover intentions), and actual leaving (turnover) were found to be consequences of personal learning. This study also explored personal learning as a mediator between mentoring functions and organizational consequences. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
The mechanism by which ethanol inhibits rat P2X4 receptors is altered by mutation of histidine 241.

1 We investigated ethanol inhibition of the rat P2X4 receptor and the contribution of the three histidine residues in the extracellular loop of this receptor to ethanol inhibition of receptor function, using site-directed mutagenesis and electrophysiological characterization of recombinant receptors. 2 In the wild-type receptor, 50, 200 and 500 mM ethanol increasingly shifted the ATP concentration–response curve to the right in a parallel manner, increasing the EC50 value without affecting Emax. However, 750 or 900 mM ethanol did not produce a further increase in the EC50 value of the ATP concentration–response curve, suggesting that this inhibition is not competitive. 3 The P2X4 receptor mutations H140A and H286A did not significantly alter ethanol inhibition of ATP-activated current. By contrast, the mutation H241A changed the mechanism by which ethanol inhibits receptor function; viz., ethanol inhibition was not associated with an increased EC50 value of the ATP concentration–response curve, instead, ethanol decreased the maximal response to ATP without affecting the EC50 value of the ATP concentration–response curve. 4 Ethanol inhibition of the H241A mutant was voltage independent between −60 and +20 mV and ethanol did not alter the reversal potential of ATP-activated current. In addition, ethanol decreased the desensitization rate of the H241A-mediated current. 5 The purinoceptor antagonists, suramin and pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulphonic acid (PPADS), did not alter the magnitude of ethanol inhibition of ATP-activated current in the H241A mutant. 6 The results suggest that ethanol inhibits the wild-type rat P2X4 receptor by an allosteric action to increase the EC50 value of the ATP concentration–response curve, the P2X4 receptor mutation H241A alters the mechanism by which ethanol inhibits P2X4 receptor function, and ethanol and PPADS or suramin appear to inhibit H241A-mutated receptors at independent sites. British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 145, 576–586. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706192
The externalities of Search 2.0: The flow of personal information in the drive for the perfect search engine

Web search engines have emerged as a ubiquitous and vital tool for the successful navigation of the growing online informational sphere. As Google puts it, their goal is to “organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful” and to create the “perfect search engine” that provides only intuitive, personalized, and relevant results. Meanwhile, new Web 2.0 infrastructures have emerged with the promise to empower creativity, to democratize media production, and to celebrate the individual while also relishing the power of collaboration and social networks. The (inevitable) combining of Google's suite of information-seeking products with Web 2.0 infrastructures – what I call Search 2.0 – intends to capture the best of both technical systems for the benefit of users. By capturing the information flowing across Web 2.0, search engines can better predict users' needs and wants, and deliver more relevant and meaningful results. While intended to enhance intellectual mobility in the online sphere, this paper argues that the drive for Search 2.0 necessarily requires the widespread monitoring and aggregation of a users' online personal and intellectual activities, bringing with it particular value externalities, such as the privacy of individuals' online intellectual activities. These search-based infrastructures of dataveillance contribute to a rapidly emerging “soft cage” of everyday digital surveillance, where they, like other dataveillance technologies before them, contribute to the curtailing of individual freedom, affect users' sense of self, and present issues of deep discrimination and social justice.
Horizontal Distribution and Characteristics of Shear Layers in the Seasonal Thermocline

Abstract High-resolution velocity shear, CTD, and microstructure measurements were made simultaneously from the research submarine Dolphin in Monterey Bay in October 1984. During three consecutive dives, the Dolphin cycled between the surface and 110 m along predetermined tracks 10 miles northwest of Monterey. Inside the seasonal thermocline, the vertical velocity shear appeared to be concentrated in layers 10 m thick extending several kilometers horizontally. The thickness of the shear layers is consistent with the typical size of turbulent patches encountered in the seasonal thermocline. In contrast, no large shear layers were observed below a 50 m depth. The depth levels at which the shear layers were observed were nearly constant throughout each dive, suggesting that the shear layers, with some unknown degree of intermittency, might extend horizontally over several square kilometers. The shear vector inside the seasonal themocline (at σt = 25.5) rotated 360° over an inertial period, but did appear to ...
The synthesis and reactions of A-ring aromatic steroid complexes of manganese tricarbonyl

Abstract Treatment of the A-ring aromatic steroids estrone 3-methyl ether and β-estradiol 3, 17-dimethyl ether with Mn(CO) 5 + BF 4 − in CH 2 Cl 2 yields the corresponding [(steroid)Mn(CO) 3 ]BF 4 salts 1 and 2 as mixtures of α and β isomers. The X-ray structure of [(estrone 3-methyl ether)Mn(CO) 3 ]BF 4 · CH 2 Cl 2 ( 1 ) having the Mn(CO) 3 moiety on the α side of the steroid is reported: space group P 2 1 with a =10.3958(9), b =10.9020(6), c =12.6848(9) A, β=111.857(6)°, Z =2, V =1334.3(2) A 3 , ϱ calc =.481 cm −3 , R =0.0508, and wR =0.0635. The molecule has the traditional ‘piano stool’ structure with a planar arene ring and linear MnCO linkages. The nucleophiles NaBH 4 and LiCH 2 C(O)CMe 3 add to [(β-estradiol 3,17-dimethyl ether)Mn(CO) 3 ]BF 4 ( 2 ) in high yield to give the corresponding α- and β-cyclohexadienyl manganese tricarbonyl complexes ( 3 ). The nucleophiles add meta to the arene -OMe substituent and exo to the metal. The α and β isomers of 3 were separated by fractional crystallization and the X-ray structure of the β isomer with an exo -CH 2 C(O)CMe 3 substituent is reported (complex 4 ): space group P 2 1 2 1 2 1 with a =7.5154(8), b =15.160(2), c =25.230(3) A, Z =4, V =2874.4(5) A 3 , ϱ calc =1.244 g cm −3 , R =0.0529 and wR 2=0.1176. The molecule 4 has a planar set of dienyl carbon atoms with the saturated C(1) carbon being 0.592 A out of the plane away from the metal. The results suggest that the manganese-mediated functionalization of aromatic steroids is a viable synthetic procedure with a range of nucleophiles of varying strengths.
Squaramide hydroxamate-based chemidosimeter responding to iron(III) with a fluorescence intensity increase.

The synthesis and in vitro evaluation of a squarate hydroxamate−coumarin conjugate, 12, as a chemodosimeter for Fe(III) and other oxidants, such as Cr(VI) and Ce(IV), is described. As 12 was originally designed to become a chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF)-type sensor for Fe(III), the competence of the squarate diamide platform to relay a CHEF response was demonstrated using a zinc-binding, cyclen-substituted squarate coumarin amide. Due to a photo electron transfer process, 12 possesses a low fluorescence yield. Upon exposure of 12 to Fe(III) (or other oxidants), an irreversible 9-fold fluorescence intensity increase is observed as the result of an oxidation/hydrolysis reaction. The (aminomethyl)coumarin portion of 12 is oxidized to an iminocoumarin that hydrolyzes to produce a highly fluorescent coumarinaldehyde. Fe(III) acts as a catalyst in this transformation, thereby enhancing the sensitivity of the system for the detection of Fe(III) down to 1 ppm in aqueous buffer solution. The identities of ...
A pilot study to identify pre- and peri-operative risk factors for airway complications following adenotonsillectomy for treatment of severe pediatric OSA.

Abstract Objective A pilot study to identify risk factors predicting post-operative complications in children with severe OSA undergoing adenotonsillectomy. Methods Retrospective review in a tertiary care academic institution. Two-stage least squares regression analysis and instrumental variable analysis to allow for modeling of pre- and peri-operative risk factors as having significance in predicting post-operative morbidity. Results Eighty-three children (mean age 4.88 ± 3.09 years) with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥10 who were observed overnight following adenotonsillectomy were evaluated for rates of major (increased level of care, CPAP/BiPAP use, pulmonary edema and reintubation) and minor (oxygen saturation p 24 ( p p p 100 min ( p Conclusions This pilot study identified pre- and peri-operative risk factors that collectively can be investigated as predictors of post-operative airway complications in a prospective study. By identifying preliminary results comparing the complication rates between those children with and without these risk factors, we will be able to calculate the sample size for a future prospective validation study. Such a study is necessary to understand the safety and potential significant cost savings of observing children without risk factors on the pediatric floor and not in an ICU setting. A best practice algorithm can be created for children with severe OSA only after completing this prospective study.
The end of the sauropod dinosaur hiatus in North America

Abstract Sauropod dinosaurs reached their acme in abundance and diversity in North America during the Late Jurassic. Persisting in lesser numbers into the Early Cretaceous, sauropods disappeared from the North American fossil record from the Cenomanian until the Campanian or Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous. This ca. 25–30 million-year long sauropod hiatus has been attributed to either a true extinction, perhaps due to competition with ornithischian dinosaurs, or a false extinction, due to non-preservation of sediments bearing sauropods. The duration of the sauropod hiatus remains in question due to uncertainty in the ages and affinities of the specimens bounding the observed gap. In this paper, we re-examine the phylogenetic affinity of materials from Campanian-aged sediments of Adobe Canyon, Arizona that currently mark the end of the sauropod hiatus. Based on the original description of those remains and new specimens from the same formation, we conclude that the Adobe Canyon vertebrae do not pertain to titanosaurs, but to hadrosaurid dinosaurs. Other reports of Campanian North American titanosaurs are imprecisely or erroneously dated and/or identified. Based on this reassessment, the sauropod hiatus extended until the last 5 million years of the Cretaceous. Reintroduction of sauropods into North America in the Maastrichtian is first registered ca. 30 million years after the first recorded dispersals of dinosaur taxa between the continent and Asia (e.g., ceratopsians, pachycephalosaurids, theropods), but is nearly coincident with the dispersal of derived hadrosaurids to South America.
Exploiting Sri Lanka's Free Trade Agreements with India and Pakistan: An Exporter's Perspective

The article looks at the impact of preference, given under the bilateral free trade agreements Sri Lanka has signed with India and Pakistan. The focus here is on the export side and away from the import angle. This article identifies where the greatest preferences are offered to Sri Lanka-based exporters and analyzes the relationship between preferences and the export outturn. Preferences are calculated incorporating the current levels of protection in India and Pakistan. The article argues that successful Sri Lankan exportersâ penetration of the large Indian market, as reflected by the doubling of total exports over 2003â05, actually reflects a very concentrated increase in exports of a few products. Controlling for industry effects, preferences do not have a statistically significant impact on exporting to India.
Microsomal cytochromes P-450 from marine crabs

Abstract 1. Cytochromes P-450 were isolated from the hepatopancreas of several species of crabs (Libinia emarginata, Callinectes sapidus, Menippe mercenaria and Uca minax). 2. Elution profiles from an ion exchange column showed similar profiles for all species, indicating one broad cytochrome P-450 peak eluting at 0.2 M KCl. Hydroxyapatite chromatography resolved the P-450 into three forms (cytochromes P-450I, P-450II and P-450III). 3. The forms of cytochrome P-450 in the different crabs were compared with respect to their spectra and molecular weights. 4. Cytochromes P-450, and P-450III from Callinectes, Menippe and Uca had slightly different spectral properties. The Soret peaks of the oxidized spectra had wavelength maxima of 414–416 nm, while the reduced spectra was 417–424 nm. The Soret peak of Libinia P-450II was 417 nm and 415 nm, for the oxidized and reduced forms, respectively. 5. Molecular weights for cytochromes P-450I and P-450III ranged from 51,000 to 53,000. Libinia P-450II had a molecular weight of 49,000.
ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF HIDE‐ON AND HIDE‐OFF CALF CARCASSES

In 60 unsplit calf carcasses, effects were determined of hide removal (before or after chilling) and electrical stimulation (SO impulses of 0.5-4.0 set duration of 440 volts; 45–75 min post-exsanguination) on certain characteristics of carcasses and loin steaks. Chilling of carcasses with the hide on improved color of the subcutaneous fat, but did not (P > 0.05) affect flavor, juiciness, tenderness or overall palatability of cooked loin steaks. Electrical stimulation lowered pH of longissimus muscles in carcasses at 2-11 hr postmortem, increased tenderness of cooked loin steaks and enhanced overall palatability ratings, but did not (P > 0.05) affect color, length of sarcomeres, thawing-cooking losses, flavor or juiciness of longissimus muscles. Comparison of hide-off, electrically stimulated carcasses with hide-on carcasses that were not electrically stimulated showed that carcasses from the latter treatment had more desirable color of subcutaneous fat, while loin steaks from carcasses in the former treatment were more tender and more satisfactory in overall palatability. Electrical stimulation can be used to enhance the tenderness of loin steaks from calf carcasses, irrespective of dressing style (hide-on vs hide-off).
The immigration–crime relationship: Evidence across US metropolitan areas

Despite popular commentary claiming a link between immigration and crime, empirical research exploring this relationship is sparse. Especially missing from the literature on immigration and crime is a consideration of how immigration affects rates of crime at the macro-level. Although individual-level studies of immigrant criminality and victimization tend to demonstrate that immigrants typically engage in less crime than their native-born counterparts, the effect of immigration on aggregate criminal offending is less clear. In this research, we attempt to address this weakness in the literature by examining the effects of aspects of immigration on crime rates in metropolitan areas. We combine 2000 US Census data and 2000 Uniform Crime Report data to explore how the foreign-born population influences criminal offending across a sample of metropolitan areas. After controlling for a host of demographic and economic characteristics, we find that immigration does not increase crime rates, and some aspects of immigration lessen crime in metropolitan areas.
Special Interest Groups and Economic Growth in the United States

Using a direct measure of special interest group (SIG) strength from Thomas and Hrebenar, I analyze the effects of SIGs on economic growth across 48 contiguous US states. Thomas and Hrebenar categorize the strength of SIGs in each state into five categories: dominant, dominant/complementary, complementary, complementary/subordinate, and subordinate. I find a negative relationship between the SIG strength and economic growth supporting Olson. Holding everything else constant, the growth rate of median income over a decade is almost 12 percentage points lower in states in which SIGs are dominant than it is in states in which interest groups are complementary/subordinate. The results are robust to endogeneity between economic growth and SIG strength.
Using a life course approach and a bio-cultural perspective to understand the food insecurity and obesity paradox

(DHS), Schlussel et al. examine the association between household food insecurity (HFI) and excess body weight/obesity among adult women, female ad-olescents, and children under five. Their results suggest that the nature of the relationship is a function of the life course stage. Historically, HFI has been associated with undernutrition in chil-dren and adults (females in particular), especially in poorer countries where adequate nutrition, sanitation, and healthcare are in short supply. More recently however, the paradoxical situa-tion of HFI and overweight and obesity has been demonstrated in high-income, middle-income, and in ascending- or transitional-income coun-tries. In addition to the life course stage, what is particularly interesting about this paradox is that the strength of the relationship between food se-curity status and excess body weight is also in-fluenced by environmental conditions and that there is a synergistic relationship between hu-man biology and culture and behaviors.In this paper, while the positive association between HFI and child obesity is not statistically significant, food-insecure adolescent females are about two times more likely to have excess weight when compared to their food-secure counter-parts. The likelihood of excess weight is nearly 1.5 times higher among food-insecure adult females than among food-secure women. On one hand, adult females with moderate food insecurity are at a 49% higher risk of being obese than their food-secure counterparts. On the other hand, the risk of excess weight among adolescent females is significantly higher for those with severe HFI (rather than moderate HFI) when compared to their food-secure counterparts.The authors suggest that the differences in excess weight gain/obesity by severity of food insecurity between adult women and adoles-cent females reflect that the latter are resistant to fat accumulation because of the physiologi-cal changes associated with puberty (e.g., ado-lescent growth spurt which requires additional energy for increases in skeletal dimensions and developmental changes associated with repro-ductive maturation). Additionally, the authors point to cultural practices and behavior related to body image and ideal body types as a pos-sible mechanism to explain the difference in
Causes for Soft Flesh in Giant Grenadier (Albatrossia pectoralis) Fillets

Abstract The causes of soft flesh in giant grenadier (Albatrossia pectoralis) were investigated. The softness of giant grenadier flesh was related to its high moisture and low protein content, averaging 91.4% and 6.8%, respectively, and its muscle structure. The ratio of water to protein (13.4) was almost three times higher than for Dover sole (5.9) and Alaska pollock (4.7). Compared to Alaska pollock, giant grenadier muscle had large myotomes in loose bundles, characteristic of soft fleshed fish. Protease activity was low and as in Alaska pollock not considered a factor in soft flesh.
Coherent fiber-based frequency combs and CW lasers at 1550 nm

Coherent optical sources in the 1550 nm region of the spectrum have a number of applications in frequency metrology, stable frequency transfer, precision spectroscopy and remote sensing. A narrow-linewidth (~ 1 Hz) single-frequency source can be generated by phase-locking a cw fiber laser to a stable optical cavity. A comb of such narrow linewidth sources can be generated by phase-locking a mode-locked, femtosecond fiber laser to a single narrow cw source. We will discuss the current development of our narrow linewidth cw and pulsed sources at 1550 nm and some of the applications that can benefit from such coherent sources.
CD40/CD40L interaction induces Aβ production and increases γ-secretase activity independently of tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor (TRAF) signaling

Abstract CD40, a member of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, and its cognate ligand CD40L are both elevated in the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients compared to controls. We have shown that pharmacological or genetic interruption of CD40/CD40L interaction results in mitigation of AD-like pathology in vivo in transgenic AD mouse models, and in vitro . Recently, we showed that CD40L stimulation could increase Aβ levels via NFκB signaling, presumably through TRAFs. In the present work, using CD40 mutants, we show that CD40L can increase levels of Aβ(1–40), Aβ(1–42), sAPPβ, sAPPα and CTFβ independently of TRAF signaling. We report an increase in mature/immature APP ratio after CD40L treatment of CD40wt and CD40-mutant cells, reflecting alterations in APP trafficking. In addition, results from CD40L treatment of a neuroblastoma cell line over-expressing the C-99 APP fragment suggest that CD40L has an effect on γ-secretase. Furthermore, inhibition of γ-secretase activity significantly reduces sAPPβ levels in the CD40L treated HEK/APPsw CD40wt and the CD40-mutant cells. The latter suggests CD40/CD40L interaction primarily acts on γ-secretase and affects β-secretase via a positive feedback mechanism. Taken together, our data suggest that CD40/CD40L interaction modulates APP processing independently of TRAF signaling.
Development of a new milling cutter for aluminium honeycomb

Abstract Bonded honeycomb structures are widely used in the air space industries and are made of an integral combination of solid aluminium structural parts and a honeycomb core. The main problems in manufacturing honeycomb structures are associated with close tolerances and high surface quality. These requirements are highly important because of the necessity for achieving the highest bonding strength with the facing of various other elements. To meet these goals at increased productivity levels both materials, i.e. solid aluminium and honeycomb have to be cut with the same tool in a single pass. This paper deals with the design of a new cutter which produces high surface quality while machining both honeycomb and solid aluminium. The most relevant parameters were selected based on the analysis of a series of experiments. Once the initial design was obtained, the cutter dimensions were determined by maximizing the cutter volume using an optimization technique. A detailed sensitivity analysis was subsequently carried out to study the effect of change in cutter dimensions for different cutting speeds.
SCO1 and SCO2 Act as High Copy Suppressors of a Mitochondrial Copper Recruitment Defect in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

C129/U1 is a respiratory defective mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae arrested in cytochrome oxidase assembly due to a mutation in COX17, a nuclear gene encoding a low molecular weight cytoplasmic protein proposed to function in mitochondrial copper recruitment. In the present study we show that the respiratory defect of C129/U1 is rescuable by two multicopy suppressors, SCO1 and SCO2. SCO1 was earlier reported to code for a mitochondrial inner membrane protein with an essential function in cytochrome oxidase assembly (Buchwald, P., Krummeck, G., and Rodel, G. (1991) Mol. Gen. Genet. 229, 413-420). SCO2 is a homologue of SCO1, whose product is also localized in the mitochondrial membrane but is not required for respiration. SCO1 also suppresses a cox17 null mutant, indicating that overexpression of Sco1p can compensate for the absence of Cox17p. In contrast, neither copper, COX17 on a multicopy plasmid, or a combination of the two is able to restore respiration in sco1 mutants. Rescue of cox17 mutants by Sco1p suggests that this mitochondrial protein plays a role either in mitochondrial copper transport or insertion of copper into the active site of cytochrome oxidase. Although SCO2 can also partially restore respiratory growth in the cox17 null mutant, rescue in this case requires addition of copper to the growth medium. SCO2 does not suppress a sco1 null mutant, although it is able to partially rescue a sco1 point mutant. We interpret the ability of SCO2 to restore respiration in cox17, but not in sco1 mutants, to indicate that Sco1p and Sco2p have overlapping but not identical functions.
Estimation of Probability of Failure With Dependent Variables Using Copulas and Support Vector Machines

This paper presents an approach to estimate probabilities of failure in the case of dependent random variables. The approach is based on copulas and support vector machines (SVMs). A copula is used to generate dependent Monte Carlo samples and an SVM is used to construct the explicit boundary of the failure domain. It is shown that this construction of the failure boundary cannot be made in the original space due to the lack of “isotropy” of the probability densities. In this work the SVM is built in the uncorrelated standard normal space and refined using an adaptive sampling scheme. A transformation is used to map SVM training points and Monte-Carlo samples between the original space and the uncorrelated standard normal space. Because SVM is a classification-based approach, it can handle discontinuous responses and, more importantly, several limit states using one single SVM. Several analytical examples are used to demonstrate the methodology.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The effect of different powder particle size on mechanical properties of sintered alumina, resin- and glass-infused alumina.

In this study, the compaction and sintering behavior of fine alumina powders of different particle sizes and the effect of matrix particle size on biaxial strength and fracture toughness of infused matrices were investigated. Three different alumina powders, In-Ceram alumina, A16SG, and RC172 were selected, representing a range of particle size and shape. RC172 and A16SG were dry-pressed. In-Ceram alumina was slip-cast following manufacturer's recommendations. Dry-pressed ceramic blocks were sectioned into disks with a thickness of 1.5-mm. Uninfused disks were sintered at four temperatures between 1250°C and 1400°C. For glass or resin infused specimens, alumina disks were sintered at 1250°C for 2 h and separated into two groups for glass infusion and resin (UDMA/TEGDMA) infusion. Disks were tested for biaxial flexural strength with a universal testing machine (Instron) at 0.5-mm/min crosshead speeds. One-way ANOVA and Duncan's multiple range tests revealed that alumina disks with different smaller particle sizes have significantly higher biaxial strength (p < 0.05). The strength of the alumina matrix was greatly increased by glass and resin infusion. The biaxial strength of resin-infused alumina increased as particle size decreased, whereas strength of glass-infused alumina was constant. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2009
Distinct mechanisms for microRNA strand selection by Drosophila Argonautes.

Summary In Drosophila , miRNA strands are predominantly sorted into AGO1 to regulate seed-matched target transcripts, while their partner miRNA ∗ strands are thought to be mostly degraded. Here, we report that Drosophila Argonautes exhibit different strand preferences for miRNA duplexes, and that in particular, many miRNA ∗ species accumulate in the RNAi effector AGO2. AGO2-loaded miRNA ∗ species require canonical RNAi factors for their accumulation, are efficiently 3′ modified, and are preferentially active on extensively matched target transcripts. Differential miRNA/miRNA ∗ sorting profiles are correlated with specific central mismatches. In vitro assays revealed an active role for Watson-Crick base-pairing at positions 9 and 10 in promoting strand selection by AGO2, with little reciprocal effect on strand selection by AGO1. We conclude that miRNA strand selection and sorting are actually linked processes that stem from distinct loading preferences of AGO proteins and that independent sorting of duplex strands is a general feature of Drosophila microRNA genes.
FAMILY COURT ASSESSMENT:Dissolution of Marriage in Florida—Preliminary Assessment Findings

To obtain the empirical data necessary for the development of an effective family court case management model, staff from Florida's Office of the State Courts Administrator undertook a comprehensive assessment of (a) the movement of dissolution of marriage cases through the court system, (b) the factors affecting case flow and time frames, and (c) the system's responsiveness to the families and children it serves. Findings from this study are guiding the Florida Supreme Court's Family Court Steering Committee in its efforts to design an effective case management system that includes intake and referral, differentiated case management and tracking, case monitoring, and alternative dispute resolution.