cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The action of the Torelli group on the homology of representation spaces is nontrivial

Abstract The mapping class group and its subgroup, the Torelli group, of a Riemann surface M has a natural action on the space R SU(2) (M) of SU(2) -representations of the fundamental group of M and its subspace R SU(2) (M)) irred of irreducibles. In this paper we compute the cohomology H ∗ (R SU(2) (M)), H ∗ (R SU(2) (M) irred ) of both of these spaces and show that the induced action of the Torelli group is non-trivial.
Aggressive and evasive behaviors in Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) larvae: Defenses against entomopathogenic nematode attack

Larvae of the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica , respond to attack by infective juveniles of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora with aggressive and evasive behaviors. Brushing with the legs and rubbing with the abrasive raster were key aggressive behaviors associated with nematode attack in petri dish assays. Remarkably, contact with even a single live nematode triggered behavioral countermeasures directed at eliminating the attacker. Unrestrained P. japonica free to display aggressive behaviors removed more than 60% of attacking nematodes from their cuticle and experienced significantly less parasitism than larvae restrained from displaying defensive behaviors (13% or less of the nematodes removed). Unrestrained larvae were also capable of killing 20.6 ± 4.7% of the attacking nematodes. Observations of aggressive behavior in soil assays supported our petri dish results. Moreover, larvae were observed to respond to the presence of nematodes with evasive behavior. These defense behaviors are so generalized it appears unlikely that they evolved as a specific scarab evolutionary response to selection pressure from entomopathogenic nematodes, but rather to any threat or irritant.
Cargo selection in vesicular transport : the making and breaking of a coat

Intracellular traffic is mediated by vesicular/tubular carriers. The carriers are formed by the activity of cytosolic coat proteins that are recruited to their target membranes and deform these membranes into buds and vesicles. Specific interactions between recruited coat subunits and short peptide sequences (transport motifs) on cargo proteins direct the incorporation of cargo into budded vesicles. Here, we focus on cargo selection reactions mediated by COPII and AP-2/clathrin vesicle coat complexes to explore common mechanisms by which coat assembly support localized and selective cargo sorting. Recent findings suggest that multiple, low-affinity interactions are employed in a cooperative manner to support coat assembly and enable cargo recognition. Thus low-binding affinities between coat subunits and transport motifs are transiently transformed into high-avidity, multivalent and selective interactions at vesicle bud sites. The temporal and regulated nature of the interactions provide the key to cargo selection.
Race, Roll Calls, and Redistricting: The Impact of Race-Based Redistricting on Congressional Roll-Call:

The congressional redistricting following the 1990 Census resulted in the creation of a number of majority-minority congressional districts. While the descriptive representation of various minority...
Activity affects intraspecific body-size scaling of metabolic rate in ectothermic animals

Metabolic rate is commonly thought to scale with body mass (M) to the 3/4 power. However, the metabolic scaling exponent (b) may vary with activity state, as has been shown chiefly for interspecific relationships. Here I use a meta-analysis of literature data to test whether b changes with activity level within species of ectothermic animals. Data for 19 species show that b is usually higher during active exercise (mean +/- 95% confidence limits = 0.918 +/- 0.038) than during rest (0.768 +/- 0.069). This significant upward shift in b to near 1 is consistent with the metabolic level boundaries hypothesis, which predicts that maximal metabolic rate during exercise should be chiefly influenced by volume-related muscular power production (scaling as M (1)). This dependence of b on activity level does not appear to be a simple temperature effect because body temperature in ectotherms changes very little during exercise.
Commonly Used Data-collection Approaches in Clinical Research

We provide an overview of the different data-collection approaches that are commonly used in carrying out clinical, public health, and translational research. We discuss several of the factors that researchers need to consider in using data collected in questionnaire surveys, from proxy informants, through the review of medical records, and in the collection of biologic samples. We hope that the points raised in this overview will lead to the collection of rich and high-quality data in observational studies and randomized controlled trials.
Replication Forks Stalled at Ultraviolet Lesions Are Rescued via RecA and RuvABC Protein-catalyzed Disintegration in Escherichia coli*

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is not known to induce chromosomal fragmentation in sublethal doses, and yet UV irradiation causes genetic instability and cancer, suggesting that chromosomes are fragmented. Here we show that UV irradiation induces fragmentation in sublethal doses, but the broken chromosomes are repaired or degraded by RecBCD; therefore, to observe full fragmentation, RecBCD enzyme needs to be inactivated. Using quantitative pulsed field gel electrophoresis and sensitive DNA synthesis measurements, we investigated the mechanisms of UV radiation-induced chromosomal fragmentation in recBC mutants, comparing five existing models of DNA damage-induced fragmentation. We found that fragmentation depends on active DNA synthesis before, but not after, UV irradiation. At low UV irradiation doses, fragmentation does not need excision repair or daughter strand gap repair. Fragmentation absolutely depends on both RecA-catalyzed homologous strand exchange and RuvABC-catalyzed Holliday junction resolution. Thus, chromosomes fragment when replication forks stall at UV lesions and regress, generating Holliday junctions. Remarkably, cells specifically utilize fork breakage to rescue stalled replication and avoid lethality.
RESTRAINT ON REASONS AND REASONS FOR RESTRAINT: A PROBLEM FOR RAWLS’ IDEAL OF PUBLIC REASON

: It appears that one of the aims of John Rawls’ ideal of public reason is to provide people with good reason for exercising restraint on their nonpublic reasons when they are acting in the public political arena. I will argue, however, that in certain cases Rawls’ ideal of public reason is unable to provide a person with good reason for exercising such restraint, even if the person is already committed to Rawls’ ideal of public reason. Because it is plausible to believe that such cases are widespread, the issue I am raising represents a serious problem for Rawls’ account of public reason. After posing this problem, I consider potential responses on behalf of Rawls’ view, and I reply to those responses. The moral of this story, as I see it, is that the kind of duty an ideal of public reason aims to place on citizens must be more modest than Rawls supposes.
Cognitive Impairment and Mortality in the Community-dwelling Elderly

The effects on mortality of cognitive impairment and 3-year declines in cognitive function were examined among community-dwelling adults aged 68 years or more. Data were taken from a population-based cohort study that enrolled noninstitutionalized elderly residents of New Haven, Connecticut, and followed them by conducting in-home interviews in 1982, 1985, 1988, and 1994. The cognitive function of 1,997 respondents was assessed by using the 30-point Mini-Mental State Examination in 1985; 1,372 respondents (86% of those alive) were retested in 1988. Responses were classified as high normal (28-30), low normal (24-27), mild impairment (18-23), or severe impairment (0-17); cognitive decline was defined as a transition to a lower category. After control for multiple potential confounders, both severe and mild cognitive impairment were strongly predictive of subsequent mortality among respondents aged less than 80 years. Upon closer examination, the elevated mortality risk was observed primarily among respondents whose cognitive decline was recent rather than among those whose cognitive performance was compromised but stable. Among respondents aged 80 years or more, declines to severe cognitive impairment were predictive of mortality, but it was not clear whether the decline per se signaled an unfavorable prognosis not accounted for by the resulting impairment level. Cognitive declines, especially those in the young elderly, have a marked adverse impact on survival.
Consuming Culture (Genuine and Spurious) as Style

Sacred Places: American Tourist Attractions in the Nineteenth Century. John F. Sears George Washington Slept Here: Colonial Revivals and American Culture, 1876–1986. Karal Ann Marling The Real Thing: Imitation and Authenticity in American Culture, 1880–1940. Miles Orvell
Simplified Point Defect Model for Growth of Anodic Passive Films on Iron

We present a simplified point defect model to describe the growth of the primary passive oxide film on the surface of iron. The model postulates a reduced set of elementary interfacial reactions to describe the formation and dissolution of the oxide film. By casting the model in dimensionless form, we obtain a relatively small set of parameters that must be assigned values. Parameter values are set by matching the film thickness predicted by the model with one experimental data point. The model is then used to predict variations in film thickness with time, temperature, and applied potential, yielding reasonable agreement with experimental data. The model also gives the correct qualitative trend in the dependence of film thickness on electrolyte pH. Although the model parameters used in our comparisons are probably not unique, they suggest that physical picture embodied in the model provides a suitable starting point for modeling the growth of passive films on Fe.
The preservation of aqueous preparations containing nonionic surfactants II. Preservative studies in solutions and products containing nonionic surfactants

Forty-eight substances and combinations were studied for their possible effectiveness as preservatives for solutions of nonionic surfactants of the sorbitan partial fatty acid ester and polyoxyethylene ester types. Results indicated that sorbic acid (0.2 per cent w/v); phenylmercuric borate (0.007 per cent w/v); phenylmercuric nitrate (0.01 per cent w/v); phenylmercuric acetate (0.007 per cent w/v); n -trichloromethylmercapto-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide (Vancide® 89 RE, 0.04 per cent w/v); diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (methyl Carbitol, 3 per cent w/v); hexylene glycol (3 per cent w/v); and benzalkonium chloride (0.1 per cent w/v) are effective in preserving these solutions. The failure of various phenolic preservatives to preserve these surfactant solutions is attributed to complex formation between phenolic and polyether groups. Studies on various cosmetic formulations containing nonionic surfactants indicate that sorbic acid (0.2 per cent w/w) and combinations of sorbic acid and hexylene glycol are effective preservatives. These preservatives were also found effective in products containing sorbitol as well as nonionic surfactants.
Efficient block-coordinate descent algorithms for the Group Lasso

We present two algorithms to solve the Group Lasso problem (Yuan and Lin in, J R Stat Soc Ser B (Stat Methodol) 68(1):49–67, 2006). First, we propose a general version of the Block Coordinate Descent (BCD) algorithm for the Group Lasso that employs an efficient approach for optimizing each subproblem exactly. We show that it exhibits excellent performance when the groups are of moderate size. For groups of large size, we propose an extension of ISTA/FISTA SIAM (Beck and Teboulle in, SIAM J Imag Sci 2(1):183–202, 2009) based on variable step-lengths that can be viewed as a simplified version of BCD. By combining the two approaches we obtain an implementation that is very competitive and often outperforms other state-of-the-art approaches for this problem. We show how these methods fit into the globally convergent general block coordinate gradient descent framework in Tseng and Yun (Math Program 117(1):387–423, 2009). We also show that the proposed approach is more efficient in practice than the one implemented in Tseng and Yun (Math Program 117(1):387–423, 2009). In addition, we apply our algorithms to the Multiple Measurement Vector (MMV) recovery problem, which can be viewed as a special case of the Group Lasso problem, and compare their performance to other methods in this particular instance.
Prognostics-Based Identification of the Top- $k$ Units in a Fleet

This paper considers a fleet of identical units where each unit consists of the same critical components. The degradation state of each critical component is assumed to be monitored by an on-board sensor. The paper presents a methodology for identifying the top-k (the k most reliable) units in a fleet using sensor-based prognostic information. Specifically, we develop a prognostics-based ranking (PBR) algorithm that combines stochastic degradation models with computer science database ranking algorithms. The stochastic degradation modeling framework is used to compute and update, in real-time, residual life distributions (RLDs) of the critical components of each unit. Using a base case exponential degradation model, we identify conditions necessary to establish stochastic ordering among the RLDs of similar components. A preference relationship, consistent with the stochastic ordering results, is then used to sort the units of the fleet based on the RLDs of their respective components. A database ranking algorithm, known as the threshold algorithm (TA), is then used to identify the top-k units without necessarily computing all the RLDs. The paper concludes with an illustrative example.
Extensive clinical experience: a simple guide to basal insulin adjustments for long-distance travel

Long-distance travel across multiple time zones presents unique challenges for patients taking insulin, requiring adjustments in both timing and dosage of basal insulin when several times zones (≥5) are traversed. Travel across the International Date Line adds to the confusion, as existing resources and dosing calculators often do not account for the date change. We review recommendations from available guidelines and dosage calculators used for long-distance travel basal insulin adjustments and then present our patient handouts which allow for a safe, specific, single dose adjustment for eastward and westward travel. The included handouts are easy to use and can be freely reproduced for use in diabetes clinics.
Time-resolved nonlinear refraction in femtosecond laser gain media

We present time-resolved measurements of the electronic and the nuclear contributions to the third-order nonlinearities of Ti:sapphire and Cr:LiSGaF.?The results suggest that nonlinear refraction in Ti:sapphire is resonantly enhanced relative to that of undoped sapphire. The implications of the nonlinear responses for short-pulse formation are discussed.
On Journal Ranking: A Conundrum for Interior Design

Systems of journal ranking can be arbitrary and problematic, particularly in highly specialized academic fields where journals are of limited scope and circulation. One field in which journal ranking is problematic is interior design. This article addresses existing ranking systems for academic journals and explores the limitations of these ranking systems. An attempt is made to suggest effective methods that could be developed for ranking interior design journals. The multiple factors that need to be considered in ranking journals in such a specialized field are discussed, including ranking bias, categorical specialization, and geographic and institutional variables. Implications of this review indicate that journal ranking for interior design should be considered within the context of relevant specialized journals rather than the current practice that places interior design in a broad comparative ranking system outside of its field. Multiple cross-referencing measurements, including impact factors, subject-specific citation rates, and acceptance rates, as well as prestige factors based on peer perceptual ranking of interior design journals need to be implemented. Faculty and institutional evaluations need to be based on composite factors that take into account not only a meaningful journal ranking system, but also a broader, and at the same time more accurate, metric to include the actual value of the publication itself, the focus of research, and the goals of the individual and of the institution.
THE IMPACT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON TEACHER LEARNING, PRACTICE AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS: A STUDY ON THE INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE TEACHING OF WRITING

This study reports on the design, implementation, and outcomes of a research-based professional development program aimed at helping teachers integrate technology in the teaching of writing. The program was funded by the National Writing Project (NWP), a pioneer professional development model for teachers of writing across the United States. Specifically, the study investigates the ways in which key features of the professional development program influenced teacher knowledge, practices, beliefs, and leadership skills with regard to the role of technology in the teaching of writing. Findings of the study indicated that the program had a positive impact on four aspects of teacher learning: (a) acquisition of new knowledge, (b) application of technology into the teaching of writing, (c) beliefs toward using technology in writing, and (d) opportunities for exercising leadership roles. Findings from this work have important implications for professional development designers, as well as school and district personnel directly involved in the design and implementation of technology professional development programs for teachers that target specific content areas.
Fuzzy Set Theory

Relevant concepts of fuzzy set theory are introduced in this chapter to make the book self-contained. The focus is on standard fuzzy sets, but an overview of well-known nonstandard fuzzy sets is also included. The following concepts are covered for standard fuzzy sets: ?>-cut representation, operations on fuzzy sets, fuzzy numbers and fuzzy arithmetic, fuzzy relations, approximate reasoning, and basic ideas regarding fuzzy systems.
File Compression and Expansion of the Genetic Code by the use of the Yin/Yang Directions to find its Sphered Cube.

Objective: The objective of this article is to demonstrate that the genetic code can be studied and represented in a 3-D Sphered Cube for bioinformatics and for education by using the graphical help of the ancient “Book of Changes” or I Ching for the comparison, pair by pair, of the three basic characteristics of nucleotides: H-bonds, molecular structure, and their tautomerism. Methods: The source of natural biodiversity is the high plasticity of the genetic code, analyzable with a reverse engineering of its 2-D and 3-D representations (here illustrated), but also through the classical 64-hexagrams of the ancient I Ching, as if they were the 64-codons or words of the genetic code. Results: In this article, the four elements of the Yin/Yang were found by correlating the 3x2=6 sets of Cartesian comparisons of the mentioned properties of nucleic acids, to the directionality of their resulting blocks of codons grouped according to their resulting amino acids and/or functions, integrating a 384 codon Sphered Cube whose function is illustrated by comparing six brain peptides and a promoter of osteoblasts from Humans versus Neanderthal, as well as to Negadi’s work on the importance of the number 384 within the genetic code. Conclusions: Starting with the codon/anticodon correlation of Nirenberg, published in full here for the first time, and by studying the genetic code and its 3-D display, the buffers of reiteration within codons codifying for the same amino acid, displayed the two long (binary number one) and older Yin/Yang arrows that travel in opposite directions, mimicking the parental DNA strands, while annealing to the two younger and broken (binary number zero) Yin/Yang arrows, mimicking the new DNA strands; the graphic analysis of the genetic code and its plasticity was helpful to compare compatible sequences, while further exploring the wondrous biodiversity of nature for educational purposes.
Mechanisms of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Concerted Integration Related to Strand Transfer Inhibition and Drug Resistance

The “strand transfer inhibitors” of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN), so named because of their pronounced selectivity for inhibiting strand transfer over 3′ OH processing, block virus replication in vivo and ex vivo and prevent concerted integration in vitro. We explored the kinetics of product formation and strand transfer inhibition within reconstituted synaptic complexes capable of concerted integration. Synaptic complexes were formed with viral DNA donors containing either two blunt ends, two 3′-OH-processed ends, or one of each. We determined that one blunt end within a synaptic complex is a sufficient condition for low-nanomolar-range strand transfer inhibition with naphthyridine carboxamide inhibitors L-870,810 and L-870,812. We further explored the catalytic properties and drug resistance profiles of a set of clinically relevant strand transfer inhibitor-resistant HIV-1 IN mutants. The diketo acids and naphthyridine carboxamides, mechanistically similar but structurally distinct strand transfer inhibitors, each select for a distinct set of drug resistance mutations ex vivo. The S153Y and N155S IN resistance mutants were selected with the diketo acid L-841,411, and the N155H mutant was selected with L-810,812. Each mutant exhibited some degree of catalytic impairment relative to the activity of wild type IN, although the N155H mutant displayed near-wild-type IN activities. The resistance profiles indicated that the S153Y mutation potentiates susceptibility to L-870,810 and L-870,812, while the N155S mutation confers resistance to L-870,810 and L-870,812. The N155H mutation confers resistance to L-870,810 and potentiates susceptibility to L-841,411. This study illuminates the interrelated mechanisms of concerted integration, strand transfer inhibition, and resistance to strand transfer inhibitors.
Patterns of inflammation associated with peripheral arterial disease: the InCHIANTI study.

Objective To determine whether peripheral arterial disease is associated with high circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, independent of confounders. Methods Participants were 955 men and women aged 60 years and older representative of the population in 2 Italian communities (107 with peripheral arterial disease). Measurements included the ankle brachial index, comorbidities, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, and these inflammatory factors: albumin, α-2 macroglobulin, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-6, IL-6 receptor, IL-10, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor α, and transforming growth factor β. Results Adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, comorbidities, HDL-C, and total cholesterol, participants with peripheral arterial disease had higher levels of IL-1 receptor antagonist (147.97 vs 131.24 pg/mL, P = .002), IL-6 (1.65 vs 1.37 pg/mL, P = .026), fibrinogen (362.49 vs 345.50 mg/dL, P = .039), and C-reactive protein (3.18 vs 2.56 mg/dL, P = .043) compared with those without peripheral arterial disease. These associations were attenuated after additional adjustment for physical activity. Conclusion In a community population, peripheral arterial disease is associated with increased circulating levels of IL-6, IL-1 receptor antagonist, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein compared to persons without peripheral arterial disease. Further study is needed to determine whether reducing levels of certain inflammatory factors lowers the incidence and progression of peripheral arterial disease.
Propagation and radiation behavior of dielectric-loaded plural hybrid mode multiflare conical horn antennas

A dielectric-loaded multiflare conical horn exhibiting the desirable features of low sidelobes and cross-polarization with the additional advantage of increased on-axis gain is reported. This new horn is developed by combining the techniques of multimode operation for low cross-polarization and sidelobe levels, and dielectric loading for aperture efficiency enhancement. The condition for the support of balanced hybrid modes for low cross polar radiation in the dielectric-loaded multimode horn is derived. Also, the equation for the dielectric thickness for maximum aperture efficiency at a given frequency is obtained. This new type of multimode horn is potentially simple to design, analyze, and manufacture, yet it exhibits the desirable features of a corrugated conical horn and hence can be an attractive alternative to corrugated conical horns for communication applications. >
Lyme neuroborreliosis masquerading as a brainstem tumor in a 15-year-old

A 15-year-old boy had onset of unilateral facial weakness. A few days later, he experienced mild vertigo, double vision, and headache. Examination confirmed a peripheral right seventh nerve weakness in addition to an internuclear ophthalmoplegia. The neurologic features suggested a pontine glioma. A T2-weighted MRI scan revealed demyelinating lesions in the pons and in several areas of the cerebrum, including the periventricular region. Subsequent history revealed that he had been diagnosed with Lyme arthritis 7 years earlier while living in Connecticut. The radiographic studies favored a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. However, studies of blood and cerebrospinal fluid established a diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis.
Random effects in censored ordinal regression: latent structure and Bayesian approach.

Summary. This paper discusses random effects in censored ordinal regression and presents a Gibbs sampling approach to fit the regression model. A latent structure and its corresponding Bayesian formulation are introduced to effectively deal with heterogeneous and censored ordinal observations. This work is motivated by the need to analyze interval-censored ordinal data from multiple studies in toxicological risk assessment. Application of our methodology to the data offers further support to the conclusions developed earlier using GEE methods yet provides additional insight into the uncertainty levels of the risk estimates.
Correlation between nanostructural parameters and conductivity properties for molecularly-mediated thin film assemblies of gold nanoparticles

The understanding of the particle size and interparticle spatial effects on the electrical conductivity properties of molecularly mediated thin film assemblies of nanoparticles is important for exploring the unique electrical properties in applications such as chemical sensors and biosensors. This paper reports findings of an investigation of such effects for thin film assemblies of gold nanoparticles of highly-monodispersed sizes (2–4 nm) using alkyl dithiols of different chain lengths (0.8–2 nm). The conductivities of the thin films were measured using interdigitated microelectrodes as the platform. Experimental results have shown that the activation energy increases with chain length and decreases with particle size, and the electron tunneling decay term decreases with particle size. The results have revealed that the experimentally determined conductivity and activation energy data for the nanoparticle films quantitatively match the calculations from electrostatic model of granular metals through the electron tunneling mechanism. The strong correlation between the experimental and calculated data was attributed to a combination of the high monodispersity of the nanoparticles and the uniformity and stability of the thin film assemblies. These findings have provided an important set of systematic data supporting the applicability of the activated electron tunneling theory to the molecularly-mediated thin film assemblies of gold nanoparticles, which have important implications for the design and fine-tuning of nanostructured thin films as chemical and biological sensing materials.
Seroepidemiology of Human Bocavirus Defined Using Recombinant Virus-Like Particles

Background. Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a newly identified human parvovirus for which seroepidemiology and antigenic properties remain undefined. Methods. The HBoV VP2 gene, expressed from a baculovirus vector, produced virus-like particles (VLPs), which were used to raise rabbit anti-HBoV antisera and to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The VLP-based ELISA was used to screen for HBoV-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies in a convenience sample of 270 serum specimens, mostly from children, obtained at Yale-New Haven Hospital; 208 specimens were also screened for erythrovirus B 19-specific antibodies by a B19 VLP-based ELISA. Results. Immunofluorescence and ELISA showed that human parvoviruses HBoV and B19 are antigenically distinct. By the HBoV VLP-based ELISA, 91.8% and 63.6% of serum specimens from infants in the first and second months of life, respectively, were found to be seropositive, as were 45.4% from 3-month-old infants and 25.0% from 4-month-old infants. The percentages of HBoV-seropositive children increased to 40.7%-60.0% for children 5-47 months of age and to >85% for individuals ≥48 months old. However, the overall percentage of B19-seropositive individuals was <40.5% for all age groups screened. Conclusions. HBoV infection is common during childhood, but a minority of children and young adults screened have evidence of B19 infection.
How Words Do the Work of Politics: Moral Foundations Theory and the Debate over Stem Cell Research

Moral considerations underlie partisan and ideological identification along with a variety of political attitudes, yet we know little about how elites strategically appeal to the public’s moral intuitions. Building on Moral Foundations Theory, we investigate the causes and consequences of elite moral rhetoric in the debate over stem cell research. Through content analysis of 12 years of coverage in the New York Times, we find that proponents and opponents of stem cell research engage in distinctive patterns of moral rhetoric and place different weight on the foundations. We also demonstrate that the prevalence of moral rhetoric increases during periods of legislative activity, and we find some evidence that moral rhetoric increases in response to the opposing side’s use of moral language. Merging our content analysis with seven national surveys, the analysis shows that moral rhetoric has had a substantial effect on public attitudes regarding the fundamental considerations underpinning the debate.
Gene expression changes controlling distinct adaptations in the heart and skeletal muscle of a hibernating mammal.

Throughout the hibernation season, the thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) experiences extreme fluctuations in heart rate, metabolism, oxygen consumption, and body temperatu...
Design and synthesis of a novel photoaffinity taxoid as a potential probe for the study of paclitaxel–microtubules interactions

Abstract A novel and non-radioactive bifunctional photoaffinity probe (BPP) for the study of paclitaxel–microtubules interactions is designed and synthesized. This new BPP-taxoid bears a 3-nitro-5-trifluoromethyldiazirinyl-phenoxyacetyl group at C-3′N for photoaffinity/photocleavage and a biotin subunit at C-7 for affinity chromatography.
Patient-reported benefits from the pre-sleep routine approach to treating insomnia: Findings from a treatment development trial

This uncontrolled trial evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and initial changes in sleep associated with a novel cognitive-behavioral treatment for insomnia, the pre-sleep routine. Patients were encouraged to develop a “sacred” bedroom space only for sleep or sex, and a ritual for entering it. Nine chronic insomniacs (seven women, mean age, 57.9 ± 12.9 years) who met International Classification of Sleep Disorders Diagnostic and Coding Manual, second edition (ICSD-2) criteria for primary insomnia completed daily sleep diaries throughout four weekly sessions and a 15-min booster session. Post-treatment and 1-month follow-up data indicated that the pre-sleep routine was well liked and associated with numerous self-reported improvements in sleep and daytime functioning. These findings need to be interpreted cautiously in light of the small sample and uncontrolled design.
The sociology of health in the United States: recent theoretical contributions

This paper examines recent trends in theory in health sociology in the United States and finds that the use of theory is flourishing. The central thesis is that the field has reached a mature state and is in the early stage of a paradigm shift away from a past focus on methodological individualism (in which the individual is the primary unit of analysis) toward a growing utilization of theories with a structural orientation This outcome is materially aided by research methods (e.g. hierarchal linear modeling, biomarkers) providing measures of structural effects on the health of the individual that were often absent or underdeveloped in the past. Structure needs to be accounted for in any social endeavor and contemporary medical sociology appears to be doing precisely that as part of the next stage of its evolution. The recent contributions to theory in the sociology of health discussed in this paper are fundamental cause, medicalization, social capital, neighborhood disadvantage, and health lifestyle theories.
Evidence-Based Treatment and Management of Asthma and Pressure Ulcers

Asthma and pressure ulcers are two of the major chronic illnesses wherein millions of health-care dollars are spent. Timely assessment and early medical management/intervention with the utilization of the best available evidence and patient education on symptom control, medications, and involvement in his/her care are essential in achieving positive health outcomes, high quality care, and containment of the health-care cost. There are numerous evidence-based strategies available to the clinicians such as clinical guidelines to use for the prevention and/or management of asthma and pressure ulcers. The active participation of patient with asthma in his/her care, for example, is a positive base for prevention and symptom control. On the other hand, adequate nutrition, mobility, and proper surface mattress for the skin, in addition to early detection and identification of the risk factors of pressure ulcer, add to the prevention of the disease and/or progression of the disease and its complications.
Why do vestibular destructive procedures sometimes fail

Vestibular nerve specimens and one temporal bone, from patients with vestibular symptoms after destructive surgery on the vestibular system, were studied by light microscopy. Surviving nerve axons in three specimens that followed retrolabyrinthine vestibular nerve section (RLVNS) were counted and compared to normative data. Results are consistent with persistence of the central processes of primary vestibular neurons in three specimens from patients who had persistent symptoms and ice-water caloric responses after RLVNS. Incomplete neurectomy probably results from anatomic variations in the plane of separation of the vestibular and cochlear portions of the eighth nerve in the posterior fossa. Regeneration neuromas were found in the vestibule after a complete transmastoid labyrinthectomy and a Fick sacculotomy; this indicates that wide degrees of injury to the labyrinth may provoke this response. Disabling unsteadiness after labyrinthectomy may or may not respond to revision surgery (translabyrinthine vest...
- Highly Filled Graphite–Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Processing, and Characterization

Tetravalent carbon has several ramications encompassing both good and bad effects on human life. As hydrocarbons, it is the primary source of fossil energy and thus constitutes the fabric of our daily life. It forms the backbone of various dietary nutritional elements such as carbohydrates, fat, and proteins. Lightweight plastic components used in automobiles, aircraft, and space craft and the bulk of rubber materials used in tires are derived from tetravalent carbon compounds primarily of hydrogen. Grocery bags and synthetic clothing materials are made of polymeric tetravalent carbon compounds to satiate the ever increasing demands of consumer industry. The oxides of carbon such as gaseous carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are also tetravalent, but appear as the villain in almost all policy talks on sustainable environment. The environmental impacts of most chemical processes are now evaluated and measured in terms of carbon footprints.
Video gamers and personality: A five-factor model to understand game playing style.

The authors explored personality dimensions of World of Warcraft (WoW) players and examined the differences between the 44-item personality measure Big Five Inventory (BFI) and WoW players. The BFI measures personality traits based on the five broad domains of openness, conscientiousness, extraversi
A deterministic method for studying depolarization in turbid media

There are a number of interesting experimental and Monte Carlo results regarding the persistence of polarization in turbid media; however, there is not a good theoretical understanding of this phenomenon. These results include circular polarization memory in strongly scattering anisotropic media and the impact of polydisperse scatterers on the depolarization rate. In this work we use the spectrum of the discretized vector radiative transport equation to investigate to study circular depolarization in strongly scattering media.
Can Big Data Shed Light on the Origins of Pediatric Cancer

* Abbreviations: AML — : acute myelogenous leukemia aOR — : adjusted odds ratio CI — : confidence interval CLIPS — : California Late Impact of Phototherapy Study ICD-9 — : International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision LIGHT — : Late Impact of Getting Hyperbilirubinemia or Phototherapy Twenty-five years ago, Sir Richard Doll and Sir Richard Peto estimated in their landmark monograph, The Causes of Cancer , that 75% to 80% of adult cancer could be attributed to lifestyle choices and environmental exposures.1 In stark contrast, elucidating the causes of childhood cancer remains one of the most vexing questions in medicine. Despite progress in identifying the molecular causes of many pediatric tumors, whether there are extrinsic environmental causes of pediatric cancer remains an elusive question. Without this evidence, the “primary” prevention of childhood cancer remains out of reach. The inherent epidemiologic challenge of studying the etiology of childhood cancer is simple math. Childhood cancer is a rare event, and the power to detect an association is limited by the small number of incident cases. In this issue of Pediatrics , 2 companion articles by the same set of authors address this conundrum of rarity by using “Big Data” to address whether neonatal phototherapy can be implicated as a cause of childhood cancer. Wickremasinghe et al2 report the results of the California Late Impact of Phototherapy Study (CLIPS), a study of ∼5 million infants who were identified by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development by probabilistically linking vital statistics (birth and death certificates) with patient discharge data between 1998 and 2007. A total of 1100 infants (58 of whom had received phototherapy) developed cancer between 60 to 365 days of life. Because there are many factors previously identified that increase the risk of hyperbilirubinemia that might independently also affect cancer risk and thereby confound the association between phototherapy and infant cancer, the authors developed a “score” for each subject that captured all the reasons known to increase the need/propensity for phototherapy. This propensity score was necessary because it would not have been possible … Address correspondence to A. Lindsay Frazier, MD, ScM, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215. E-mail: lindsay_frazier{at}dfci.harvard.edu
CONVERGENCE OF A LEAST‐SQUARES MONTE CARLO ALGORITHM FOR AMERICAN OPTION PRICING WITH DEPENDENT SAMPLE DATA

We analyze the convergence of the Longstaff–Schwartz algorithm relying on only a single set of independent Monte Carlo sample paths that is repeatedly reused for all exercise time-steps. We prove new estimates on the stochastic component of the error of this algorithm whenever the approximation architecture is any uniformly bounded set of L2 functions of finite Vapnik–Chervonenkis dimension (VC-dimension), but in particular need not necessarily be either convex or closed. We also establish new overall error estimates, incorporating bounds on the approximation error as well, for certain nonlinear, nonconvex sets of neural networks.
Cell-free DNA screening in clinical practice: abnormal autosomal aneuploidy and microdeletion results

Background Since its commercial release in 2011 cell-free DNA screening has been rapidly adopted as a routine prenatal genetic test. However, little is known about its performance in actual clinical practice. Objective We sought to investigate factors associated with the accuracy of abnormal autosomal cell-free DNA results. Study Design We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 121 patients with abnormal cell-free DNA results from a referral maternal-fetal medicine practice from March 2013 through July 2015. Patients were included if cell-free DNA results for trisomy 21, trisomy 18, trisomy 13, or microdeletions (if reported by the laboratory) were positive or nonreportable. The primary outcome was confirmed aneuploidy or microarray abnormality on either prenatal or postnatal karyotype or microarray. Secondary outcomes were identifiable associations with in vitro fertilization, twins, ultrasound findings, testing platform, and testing laboratory. Kruskal-Wallis or Fisher exact tests were used as appropriate. Results A total of 121 patients had abnormal cell-free DNA results for trisomy 21, trisomy 18, trisomy 13, and/or microdeletions. In all, 105 patients had abnormal cell-free DNA results for trisomy 21, trisomy 18, and trisomy 13. Of these, 92 (87.6%) were positive and 13 (12.4%) were nonreportable. The results of the 92 positive cell-free DNA were for trisomy 21 (48, 52.2%), trisomy 18 (22, 23.9%), trisomy 13 (17, 18.5%), triploidy (2, 2.2%), and positive for >1 parameter (3, 3.3%). Overall, the positive predictive value of cell-free DNA was 73.5% (61/83; 95% confidence interval, 63–82%) for all trisomies (by chromosome: trisomy 21, 83.0% [39/47; 95% confidence interval, 69–92%], trisomy 18, 65.0% [13/20; 95% confidence interval, 41–84%], and trisomy 13, 43.8% [7/16; 95% confidence interval, 21–70%]). Abnormal cell-free DNA results were associated with positive serum screening (by group: trisomy 21 [17/48, 70.8%]; trisomy 18 [7/22, 77.8%]; trisomy 13 [3/17, 37.5%]; nonreportable [2/13, 16.7%]; P = .004), and abnormal first-trimester ultrasound (trisomy 21 [25/45, 55.6%]; trisomy 18 [13/20, 65%]; trisomy 13 [6/14, 42.9%]; nonreportable [1/13, 7.7%]; P = .003). There was no association between false-positive rates and testing platform, but there was a difference between the 4 laboratories ( P = .018). In all, 26 patients had positive (n = 9) or nonreportable (n = 17) microdeletion results. Seven of 9 screens positive for microdeletions underwent confirmatory testing; all were false positives. Conclusion The positive predictive value of 73.5% for cell-free DNA screening for autosomal aneuploidy is lower than reported. The positive predictive value for microdeletion testing was 0%. Diagnostic testing is needed to confirm abnormal cell-free DNA results for aneuploidy and microdeletions.
Disposition and Prospect Theory: Evidence from Insider Trading

While most researchers agree on the existence of disposition, there still remains question regarding its cause. In this study, I investigate whether prospect theory is a potential cause by observing levels of disposition among insiders relative to information and risk. I find that while disposition increases for more volatile stocks, the increase is due strictly to an increase in the proportion of gains realized, and not in the decrease of the proportion of losses realized as well. This finding is inconsistent with the disjoint utility curve described by prospect theory, which implies risk seeking preferences for losses. Furthermore, I find that disposition doesn't decrease with superior information, a finding also inconsistent with prospect theory. Lastly, I find that disposition does decrease with financial sophistication, and that the belief in mean reversion does appear to contribute to the disposition effect, but not fully explain it.
Vigabatrin in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of oral Vigabatrin (2-3 g/d) as add-on therapy for 31 patients with drug-resistant seizures is reported from the Neurological Clinic, Univ of Bologna School of Med, Italy.
Professional Development Quality in U.S. Music Education: An Analysis of the 2011–2012 Schools and Staffing Survey:

The purpose of this study was to compare differences in the quality of professional development between U.S. music educators and teachers of other disciplines. Data were drawn from the 2011–2012 Schools and Staffing Survey. Factors such as types of professional development, quantity of activities, and levels of satisfaction were analyzed through a series of multiple regressions to determine the relationships between professional development quality for teachers of music and non-music disciplines. Results indicated that music educators were significantly less likely to collaborate with other educators on issues of instruction and engaged in significantly less technology-related professional activity; however, music educators reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction with content-specific professional activity and engaged in significantly more content-specific activity than some higher-stakes disciplines. In light of educational policies and trends, the common assumption that music educators are ...
Exploring sensitivity of joint diagonalization in convolutive blind source separation

This paper investigates several factors affecting the sensitivity of joint approximate diagonalization of a set of time varying cross-spectral matrices for blind separation of convolutive mixtures of speech signals. We study the effect of number of matrices in this set, and show that estimation of demixing system parameters is related to both several statistics of the perturbation term, occurring due to nonvanishing cross-spectra, and uniqueness of the joint diagonalizer measured by modulus of uniqueness parameter. Moreover, the effects of the number of multiple windows, to be used in cross-spectrum estimation, on the separation performance are examined via numerical simulations.