cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Persistent polar distortions from covalent interactions in doped BaTiO 3

The discovery of polar metals, bulk band conductors which combine broken inversion symmetry and metallic conductivity, has disrupted the long-standing assumption that polar order and metallicity are incompatible. Despite recent progress, however, the circumstances which allow for this property convergence remain ambiguous. Here, we perform a first-principles analysis of the evolution in the polar distortions in perovskite ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$ under electrostatic doping to ascertain the dependencies of acentricity and electrical conductivity at the microscopic level. We focus on the role of local off-centering displacements, driven by the second-order Jahn-Teller effect, rather than discussing bulk homogeneous and cooperative lifting of inversion symmetry, which relies on long-range Coulombic interactions. We show that $n$-type doping disrupts the Ti-O covalent bond and advocate for using chemical bonding arguments as a framework for understanding the interplay between local distortions and free charge carriers rather than solely principles of dielectric screening in metals. In the process, we develop several tools and electronic descriptors that we expect could enable a more direct comparison between the behavior of doped ferroelectrics, such as ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$, and polar metals, such as ${\mathrm{LiOsO}}_{3}$, helping us to better understand their similarities and differences under external perturbation.
The Use of Clevidipine for Hypertension in Pediatric Patients Receiving Mechanical Circulatory Support.

Objectives Limited data exist regarding the management of hypertension in pediatric patients on mechanical circulatory support. Hypertension is a known risk factor for stroke and low cardiac output in patients requiring mechanical circulatory support and a narrow therapeutic window of blood pressure is often targeted. Traditional short-acting infusions to treat hypertension, such as sodium nitroprusside, may lead to accumulation of toxic metabolites in patients with renal dysfunction. Our primary objective was to describe use of clevidipine, a continuous short-acting calcium channel blocking medication, for blood pressure control in pediatric patients on mechanical circulatory support. Design Single-center retrospective cohort study. Setting A 26-bed quaternary cardiovascular ICU in a university-based pediatric hospital in California. Patients Mechanical circulatory support patients admitted to cardiovascular ICU who received clevidipine infusions between October 1, 2016, and March 31, 2019. Interventions Clevidipine infusion. Measurements and main results Data from a cohort of 38 patients who received a total of 45 clevidipine infusions were reviewed. The cohort had a median age of 2.7 years and included neonates. No patient had record of hypotensive events, code events, or received low-dose epinephrine or code-dosed epinephrine related to a clevidipine infusion. Median duration of clevidipine infusion was 4.1 days (1.5-9.2 d). Eleven patients transitioned from clevidipine to enteral antihypertensive agents, and 26 clevidipine infusions were administered as a single agent without sodium nitroprusside. Seven patients were switched from sodium nitroprusside to clevidipine to avoid cyanide toxicity, a majority of whom had elevated serum creatinine. Conclusions In this pediatric cardiac cohort, clevidipine infusions were effective at hypertension management and were not associated with hypotensive or code events. This report details the largest cohort and longest duration of clevidipine administration within a pediatric population and did not demonstrate hypotensive events, even among neonatal populations. Clevidipine may be a reasonable cost-effective alternative antihypertensive medication compared to traditional short-acting agents.
Brachial plexus chloroma as a presenting feature of relapse in a child with KMT2A-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a case report.

Leukemic relapse occurring in sites other than the bone marrow is referred to as extramedullary relapse. Approximately 30–40% of relapses in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are extrame...
Universals and diversity in gesture: Research past, present, and future

Abstract At the dawn of anthropology, gesture was widely considered a “universal language”. In the 20th century, however, this framing fell out of favor as anthropologists rejected universalism in favor of relativism. These polemical positions were largely fueled by high-flying rhetoric and second-hand report; researchers had neither the data nor the conceptual frameworks to stake out substantive positions. Today we have much more data, but our frameworks remain underdeveloped and often implicit. Here, I outline several emerging conceptual tools that help us make sense of universals and diversity in gesture. I then sketch the state of our knowledge about a handful of gestural phenomena, further developing these conceptual tools on the way. This brief survey underscores a clear conclusion: gesture is unmistakably similar around the world while also being broadly diverse. Our task ahead is to put polemics aside and explore this duality systematically – and soon, before gestural diversity dwindles further.
Identification of Faults in Microgrid Using Artificial Neural Networks

This paper presents Artificial Neural Networks (ANN)-based method to identify faults in a microgrid. The microgrid model considered has a wind generator, a solar photovoltaic system, and a diesel generator. Normal operation and fault conditions are simulated for the microgrid in Simulink. The simulated fault conditions represent faults experienced by a distribution line. The fault voltages and currents are used for training the ANN. The feedforward neural network in MATLAB trained well using Levenberg-Marquardt method. The trained ANN is then tested using simulated data to detect various faults. The ANN is successful in identifying faults using trained and untrained data for the microgrid.
Impact on Self-Efficacy on End of Life Care Discussions: Before and after Structured Educational Training on Licensed Nurses

Nurses played an essential role in initiating end of life care discussions. Initiating advance discussions on end of life care options provides the patient and family the opportunity to start the process of preparing and planning end of life care. The discussions included choosing options specific to their own needs, goals, wishes, and preferences. Research studies findings demonstrated an evident lack of end of life care discussions and advance care planning initiation by nurses because of reported lack of education, training, and skills in this topic. The following DNP project used a quantitative, comparative, quasi-experimental before and after design to evaluate changes in the licensed nurses' self-efficacy in conducting end of life care discussions. The Advance Care Planning Self-Efficacy Scale was used to compare the licensed nurses' self-efficacy in conducting end of life care discussions before and after completing a structured educational activity. The data collected from the surveys were analyzed using a Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test matched-pair revealed a statistically significant change in advance care planning self-efficacy scores following completion of the structured educational training on end of life care discussions. The DNP project findings demonstrated that structured education that includes allowing licensed nurses to practice end of life care conversations improved licensed nurses' self-efficacy in conducting these conversations, filling a gap in the research literature. A further research study that measures the frequency of licensed nurses' holding end of life care conversation will be beneficial for future research.
Promoting resilience for children of parents with opioid use disorder: A pilot study of a directed intervention.

Problem Having a parent with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a childhood adverse experience (ACE), magnified by other accompanying ACEs. Outcomes for these children tend to include developing mental illness and/or Substance Use Disorders themselves. Few studies address these children's experiences and needs. Without child-focused interventions to foster their resilience, generational ramifications of the OUD crisis will persist. Methods Nine children (ages 12-17), in Department of Social Services' custody, participated in this pilot study. The intervention delivered was Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's Children's Program Kit (CPK): Supportive Education for Children of Addicted Parents. Measures included OUD knowledge pre/posttests and the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS-2). Findings Findings from paired-samples t tests showed a significant increase in youth OUD knowledge from pre to posttest. Affective strength on the parent version (foster parent or social worker's perception of participant) and overall strength index on the youth's version BERS-2 increased significantly from pre to posttest. Career strength, a separate strength index, showed significant increased scores on both youth and parent BERS-2 versions pre to posttest. Conclusions Results support Psychiatric Mental Health nurses to lead development and implementation of interventions, such as the CPK, with a strength-based approach to promote the knowledge and resilience of these children.
Impact of variability in thermal properties of SFRM on steel temperatures in fire

Abstract For structural steel components protected by spray-applied fire-resistive materials (SFRMs), variations in the thermal properties and thickness of SFRM may influence steel temperatures during fires. This paper presents a sensitivity analysis of the influence of assumed thermal properties and thickness of SFRM on predicted steel temperatures in fire. For this purpose, material test data in the literature on the thermal properties of SFRMs were used to determine reasonable bounds for three variables: thermal conductivity, volumetric heat capacity, and insulation thickness. Fifteen material models were developed assuming temperature-independent values for these variables based on a face-centered central composite experiment design. Finite element models were developed for three structural fire experiments. In addition, a fourth model of a composite beam was developed with localized hole in the SFRM representing an ID tag, which in practice is affixed to beam webs. Each model was analyzed using the fifteen material models. The choice of SFRM thermal properties had a significant influence on steel temperatures, and statistical analysis of the experimental design showed that steel temperatures increased with increasing thermal conductivity, and decreased with increasing thickness and volumetric heat capacity. The influence of volumetric heat capacity was smaller than that of thermal conductivity and thickness.
Generating structural colors from dielectric surface resonances

We proposes a new structural color generation mechanism that produces colors by the Fano resonance effect. We experimentally realize the proposed idea by fabricating the samples that show resonance-induced colors with weak angular dependence.
Extending Rights: Innovations in Global Internet Governance

Highlighting the extension of rights to participate in Internet governance related dialogue, this paper makes a distinction between e-government and internet governance, although it identifies an e-government trend toward a focus on civic engagement and thus, ‘participation’. It focuses on the almost six year old institutional innovation, the Internet Governance Forum, a part of the complex Internet governance ecosystem. Using findings from the environmental governance and the public administration literatures, it identifies important elements for successful multistakeholder engagement including network management, cross-cultural communication, and the ability to co-create knowledge. It also lists three findings that possess implications for higher education curricula design today.
Celebixanthone : A combined chemical and crystallographic structure proof

Abstract Celebixanthone is shown by both chemical and crystallographic methods to be 3,4,8-trihydroxy-2-methoxy-1-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-xanthone (VIIIa).
Tight control of mycotoxin biosynthesis gene expression in Aspergillus flavus by temperature as revealed by RNA-Seq

To better understand the effect of temperature on mycotoxin biosynthesis, RNA-Seq technology was used to profile the Aspergillus flavus transcriptome under different temperature conditions. This approach allowed us to quantify transcript abundance for over 80% of fungal genes including 1153 genes that were differentially expressed at 30 and 37 °C. Eleven of the 55 secondary metabolite clusters were upregulated at the lower temperature, including aflatoxin biosynthesis genes, which were among the most highly upexpressed genes. On average, transcript abundance for the 30 aflatoxin biosynthesis genes was 3300 times greater at 30 °C as compared with 37 °C. The results are consistent with the view that high temperature negatively affects aflatoxin production by turning down transcription of the two key transcriptional regulators, aflR and aflS. Subtle changes in the expression levels of aflS to aflR appear to control transcription activation of the aflatoxin cluster.
M 87 — TEN YEARS OF TEV GAMMA-RAY OBSERVATIONS

The giant radio galaxy M 87 is located 16.7 Mpc away and harbours a supermassive black hole in its center. Structures of its relativistic plasma jet are resolved at radio, optical and X–ray energies. M 87 belongs to the class of active galactic nuclei and is one of only a few radio galaxies detected at very-high energies (E > 100 GeV). This makes it a unique laboratory to study jet physics and the corresponding emission processes. The results obtained from TeV gamma-ray observations during the last decade are discussed.
Efficient and Tunable Light Trapping Thin Films

Using the discrete dipole approximation method, we demonstrated enhanced absorption efficiencies, which are close to 100%, at tunable wavelengths in a two-layer silver thin film. The film is composed of a 100 nm thick perforated layer facing the incident light and a 100 nm thick solid layer. Resonance wavelengths are determined by the distances between perforated holes in the first layer as well as the separation between the two layers. The resonance wavelengths shift to the red with increasing separation distance between the two layers or the periodic distance of the hole arrays. Geometries of conical frustum shaped holes in the first layer are critical for the improved absorption efficiencies. When the hole bottom diameter equals the periodic distance and the upper diameter is about one-third of the bottom diameter, close to unit absorption efficiency can be obtained. The simulations provide a proof of concept example for designing ultrathin antireflection films.
Atomic and electronic structure of the corundum ( alpha -alumina) (0001) surface.

Using a tight-binding, total-energy model, we predict the atomic and electronic structure of the relaxed (1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1) corundum (0001) surface. The surface shows a large, bond-length-conserving relaxation, which is allowed by the topology of the surface. The relaxation is driven by a rehybridization of the surface Al atoms to ${\mathit{sp}}^{2}$, and an accompanying drop in the energy of occupied surface states, during the relaxation. Displacements of surface atoms from bulk positions are as large as 0.7 \AA{}, and should be observable using a low-energy electron diffraction intensity analysis. Full relaxed atomic positions are reported, as well as a wavelength-resolved surface band structure, including orbital characters of surface states.
Observable preferences for public goods: A note on the incentive compatibility of inferring demand for public goods from private goods demand

Abstract Bradford and Hildebrandt show that under certain conditions preferences for public goods can be inferred from the demand for complementary private goods. They conjecture that their method overcomes consumers' incentives to misrepresent their public goods preferences, but this paper shows that in general this is not the case.
Paradigm redux--Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis-macrophage interactions show clear variations between bovine and human physiological body temperatures.

Abstract The physiological conditions encountered by pathogenic mycobacteria inside their hosts significantly influence their adaptation, virulence, and gene expression. Current in vitro models investigating host-pathogen interactions of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis use 37 °C, the normal body temperatures of mice and humans. However since the physiological temperature of MAP's natural host is 39 °C, we hypothesized that host and pathogen behavior to vary considerably in comparison to 37 °C. Our MAP-macrophage interaction studies show striking differences in regards to velocity of cell invasion of MAP as well as bacterial and host gene regulation at 39 °C compared with 37 °C. Upregulation of host genes (nod2, tlr2, mapkp38 and il-10) follow a similar trend at 37 °C and 39 °C; however, there is over a five-fold increase as early as 0.5 and 2 h in 39 °C treatments. While host signaling is completed by 48 h p.i. at 39 °C in MDMs cultures due to early cell death, signaling and infection is sustained at 37 °C. Surprisingly, transcription of MAP genes did not show a set pattern and were upregulated at different time points for both temperatures. Interestingly, MAP genes encoding a lipase (lipN) and an oxidoreductase (MAP3464) are staggered at 39 °C, while they increase steadily at 37 °C. In conclusion, infection and culture at a physiologically relevant temperature influences host-pathogen interaction, which may have far reaching ramifications including for currently used animal models, in vitro culture methods, bacterial pathogenesis and host responses, and vaccine candidate design and screening.
Genocide and the Plight of Children in Rwanda

THE RWANDAN genocide of 1994 will be remembered as one of the greatest human tragedies of our time. In less than 3 months, extremists systematically slaughtered more than 500 000 people, including thousands of children. 1 The massacres reignited a bloody civil war that forced more than 4 million people to flee their homes. 2 Today, nearly 3 years later, Rwanda remains a highly traumatized society, where children are its most vulnerable members. Among those most at risk are more than 100000 children who were orphaned or separated from their parents (United Nations Children's Fund, unpublished data, press release 94/26, May 24, 1994). Between August 1994 and February 1996, we traveled on 3 occasions to Rwanda and northeastern Zaire as representatives of Medecins du Monde and Physicians for Human Rights. Our task was to assess the nature and scope of the Rwandan genocide and its effects on children. We also
Creation of AUG initiation codons by addition of uridines within cytochrome b transcripts of kinetoplastids.

Abstract The cytochrome b gene of Trypanosoma brucei has an ATG codon near its 5' end but the cytochrome b genes of the related kinetoplastids Leishmania tarentolae and Crithidia fasciculata lack an ATG. Recent results have shown that 34 uridines that are not encoded in the genome are added within the 5' end of T. brucei cytochrome b transcripts during or after transcription. These additions create an AUG in the transcript that is 20 amino acids upstream of the AUG predicted from the genomic sequence. We report here that the cytochrome b transcripts of L. tarentolae and C. fasciculata also contain added uridines within their 5' ends. The additions occur in similar numbers and positions and an in frame AUG is created at a similar site in all three species. These data strongly suggest that the created AUG functions as the initiation codon for cytochrome b in these species. Since some other kinetoplastid mitochondrial genes also lack conventional initiation codons, creation of initiation codons may be an important function of uridine addition.
ARCES: an echelle spectrograph for the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) 3.5m telescope

A new echelle spectrograph was commissioned in 1999 for the ARC 3.5 meter telescope. The key features of the instrument are that it has a resolution of 9 km/sec, limited by the pixel size of the CCD; has no moving parts behind the slit during observation; provides complete spectral coverage from 3200A to 10000A, limited by the prism cross disperser material on the blue side and by the CCD sensitivity on the red side; provides blazeless spectra; achieves S/N>3000; and is remotely operable. The instrument is being used for studies of abundances in stars and for a large survey of diffuse interstellar bands.
Computational biology and high-performance computing

Understanding evolution and the basic structure and function of proteins are two grand challenge problems in biology that can be solved only through the use of high-performance computing.
Effects of Neuregulin 3 Genotype on Human Prefrontal Cortex Physiology

The neuregulin 3 gene (NRG3) plays pleiotropic roles in neurodevelopment and is a putative susceptibility locus for schizophrenia. Specifically, the T allele of NRG3 rs10748842 has been associated with illness risk, altered cognitive function, and the expression of a novel splice isoform in prefrontal cortex (PFC), but the neural system effects are unexplored. Here, we report an association between rs10748842 and PFC physiology as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging of human working memory performance, where a convincing link between increased genetic risk for schizophrenia and increased activation in some PFC areas has been established. In 410 control individuals (195 males, 215 females), we detected a highly significant effect of NRG3 genotype manifesting as an unanticipated increase in ventrolateral PFC activation in nonrisk-associated C allele carriers. An additional analysis including 78 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (64 males, 14 females) and 123 unaffected siblings (53 males, 70 females) revealed a whole-brain significant genotype by group interaction in right dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC), manifesting as a relative activation increase in healthy controls and siblings (C > T/T) and as a hypoactivation in patients (T/T > C). These observed genotype-dependent effects in PFC were not explained by task performance and did not conform to established locales of prefrontal inefficiency linked to genetic risk for schizophrenia. Our data indicate a complex modulation of brain physiology by rs10748842, which does not fit the simple inefficiency model of risk association in DLPFC and suggests that other neurobiological mechanisms are involved.
Fracture Mechanics based Estimation of Fatigue Life of Welds

Abstract This paper presents a mechanism based approach for lifetime prediction of welded joints, subjected to a multiaxial non- proportional loading. Assuming the existence of crack-like flaws after the welding process, the stage of a fatigue crack initiation becomes insignificant and the threshold for the initial crack propagation can be taken as a criterion for very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) whereas crack growth analysis can be used for low and high cycle fatigue (LCF, HCF). The proposed deterministic method, which is based on the welding process simulation, thermophysical material modeling and fracture mechanics, considers the most important aspects for fatigue of welds. Applying worst case assumptions, fatigue limits derived by this method can be then used for the fatigue assessment of complex welded structures. The capability of the approach is validated by S-N curves provided at the Recommendations of the IIW.
Chiroptical spectroscopy of lanthanide complexes

Abstract Chiroptical properties of lanthanide complexes are extraordinarily sensitive to electronic state structure, ligand coordination geometry, ligand stereochemistry, and interactions between a complex and its environment (in solution or in crystals). The chiroptical properties most frequently measured for lanthanide systems are circular dichroism (the differential absorption of left- and right-circularly polarized light), and circularly polarized luminescence (the differential spontaneous emission of left- and right circularly polarized light). All systems may exhibit circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) in their absorptive and luminescent transitions when subjected to an externally applied magnetic field (aligned parallel to the direction of light propagation in a CD experiment and parallel to the direction of emission detection in a CPL experiment). However, in the absence of any externally applied fields, CD and CPL are exhibited only by systems that have net chirality in their structures or are subject to chiral perturbations by their environment. In lanthanide complexes, overall ( net ) chirality may reflect chiral arrangements of ligands about the lanthanide ion and/or chiral conformations and atomic centers located within one or more coordinated ligands or chelate rings. Natural CD and CPL exhibited by the 4f-4f transitions of chiral lanthanide systems offer very sensitive probes of coordination and structure in solution media. Applications are limited to systems which possess some element of chirality, but in many cases this merely requires that at least one ligand of interest have a chiral atom ( e.g. an asymmetric carbon atom) or carry a chiral label (such as a chiral substituent group). Recent CD and CPL studies reported for chiral lanthanide complexes in crystals demonstrate the utility of chiroptical measurements for characterizing 4f N state structure and 4f-4f transition mechanisms.
Effects of heat-induced damage on the radial component of thermal diffusivity of bovine aorta.

The extent of the change in thermal diffusivity of soft tissues due to heat-induced damage is not well known. Reported here are the results of using the flash method to measure the through-the-wall component of thermal diffusivity of bovine aorta before and after the tissue has undergone two hours of heating at 75°C. The measurements indicate a 10.1 percent increase in the thermal diffusivity of the tissue post-heating. While this change may not result in a significant change in the tissue temperature profile, further study is needed to quantify the thermal diffusivity in other coordinate directions, as well as the mechanisms by which this change in properties occurs.
Where Have All the Players Gone

Abstract This paper examines the relationship of play and language to the development of the sense of self. The value of playful, affectively charged interchanges between caregivers and children is highlighted. This developmental framework gives guidelines to diagnose where children may be on the play continuum. For children who seem developmentally delayed in terms of language and play, an intervention model is proposed which parallels the playful interventions good parents use to enhance the optimal self-development of their children.
Nutrition Camp—A Method for Human Nutrition Research

The nutrition camp has been a successful vehicle for balance studies with preadolescent children. This method requires a large staff for supervision of subjects, diet preparation, recreation, and laboratory analyses. The advantages, potential problems, and successful operating procedures are discussed. The method has general applicability for use with sev eral age groups. Though very expensive, the method can be justified as an approach to pro vide reliable data about the nutritional needs of normal human subjects.
Rapid Flood Exposure Assessment of Vermont Mobile Home Parks Following Tropical Storm Irene

AbstractTropical Storm Irene and spring flooding in 2011 exposed the vulnerabilities of mobile home parks in Vermont when 154 mobile homes in parks were destroyed. The question of mobile home parks’ relationship to floodplains was a pressing concern to state officials as displaced households sought to resettle. Little analysis had been done about the extent to which Vermont’s mobile home parks were exposed to flooding and the data to do this analysis had not been assessed or assembled. A spatial overlay analysis largely using multiple sources of existing data revealed that nearly 32% of all mobile home parks in the state have some of their land in floodplains, and more than 20% of all mobile home parks have at least one house in the floodplain. Statewide, nearly 12% of mobile homes in parks are in floodplains. A key element in this assessment was an existing geographic information system (GIS) data set showing the location and E911 addresses of residences, an outcome of Vermont’s decision to geolocate all...
Superarming Common Glycosyl Donors by Simple 2-O-Benzoyl-3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl Protection

A complementary concept for superarming glycosyl donors through the use of common protecting groups was previously discovered with S-benzoxazolyl (SBox) glycosyl donors. As this strategy can be of benefit to existing oligosaccharide methodologies, it has now been expanded to encompass a wide array of common, stable glycosyl donors. The versatility of this developed technique has been further illustrated in application to a sequential chemoselective oligosaccharide synthesis, wherein a superarmed ethyl thioglycoside was incorporated into the conventional armed-disarmed strategy.
Atmospheric fate of methyl vinyl ketone and methacrolein

The rate coefficients for the reaction of OH with methyl vinyl ketone (MVK,CH3C(O)CHCH2) and methacrolein (MACR, CH2C(CH3)CHO) between 232 and 378 K were measured using the pulsed laser photolysis-pulsed laser induced fluorescence (PP-PLIF) technique. The rate coefficient data can be expressed in the Arrhenius form as k1(OH + MVK) = 2.67±0.45) × 10−12exp((452±130)/T) and k2(OH + MACR) = (7.73±0.65) × 10−12exp((379±46)/T) cm3 molecule −1 s−1, where the error limits are 2σ and include estimated systematic error. The UV absorption cross-sections of MVK and MACR were measured over the wavelength range 250–395 nm using a diode array spectrometer. Absolute quantum yields for loss of MVK and MACR were measured at 308, 337, and 351 nm. The MACR quantum yield, ФMACR, was <0.01. The MVK quantum yield was both pressure and wavelength dependent and is represented by the expression:: Ф0(λ,P) < exp[ −0.055 (λ−308)]/(5.5 + 9.2 × 10−19N) where λ is measured in nm and N is the number density in molecule cm−3. Atmospheric loss rate calculations using these results show that the primary loss process for both MVK and MACR is the reaction with OH radicals throughout the troposphere.
LIQUIDITY AND PRICE VARIABILITY IN FUTURES MARKETS

This paper tests the hypothesis that market liquidity affects the price variability of futures contracts. The analyses used take into account the maturity effect and various sources of nonstationarity. Empirical testing involved eleven commodities in various markets. The evidence strongly suggests that futures contracts in distant and thinly traded months exhibit different price variability than contracts in near to maturity and liquid traded months, and that the behavior is commodity dependent. These findings could help investors better evaluate risks and provide a better basis for hedging strategies. Also, monthly averages of open interest can be used interchangeably with volume to measure liquidity in determining which pattern applies to a given commodity.
Techniques for the interactive visualization of volumetric data

Some ideas and techniques for visualizing volumetric data are introduced. The methods presented are different from both the volume rendering techniques and surface contour methods. Volumetric data is data with a domain of three independent variables. The independent variables do not have to indicate a position in space and can be abstract in the sense that they can represent any quantity. The authors cover only the case where the dependent data is a single scalar. The authors describe a collection of techniques and ideas for graphing cuberille grid data. All of these techniques are quite simple and rather easy to implement. During the development of these techniques, the authors were particularly concerned with allowing the user to interact with the system in order to interrogate and analyze the relationships indicated by the volumetric data. >
Scleral permeability varies by mouse strain and is decreased by chronic experimental glaucoma.

PURPOSE To determine differences in scleral permeability, as measured by diffusion of macromolecules, by using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), with reference to differences by mouse strain, scleral region, and the effect of experimental glaucoma. METHODS In three mouse strains (B6, CD1, and B6 mice with mutation in collagen 8α2 [Aca23]), we used FRAP to measure the diffusion of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran, molecular weight 40 kDa, into a photobleached zone of sclera. Scleral regions near the optic nerve head (peripapillary) and two successively more anterior regions were compared. Sclera from mouse eyes subjected to chronically elevated intraocular pressure after bead injection into the anterior chamber were compared to fellow eye controls. FRAP data were compared against estimated retinal ganglion cell axon loss in glaucomatous eyes. RESULTS Diffusion rates of dextran molecules in the sclera were significantly greater in Aca23 and B6 mice than in CD1 mice in a multivariate model adjusted for region and axial length (P < 0.0001). Dextran diffusion significantly decreased in glaucomatous eyes, and the decline increased with greater axon loss (P = 0.0003, multivariable model). Peripapillary scleral permeability was higher in CD1 than B6 and Aca23 mice (P < 0.05, multivariable model, adjusted by Bonferroni). CONCLUSIONS Measurement of the diffusion rates of dextran molecules in the sclera showed that glaucoma leads to decreased scleral permeability in all three mouse strains tested. Among mouse strains tested, those that were more susceptible to glaucomatous loss of retinal ganglion cells had a lower scleral permeability at baseline.
Efficiencies in Variance Estimation for Complex Survey Data

Abstract Data from complex survey designs require special consideration, with regard to variance estimation and analysis, because of design components that include unequal selection probabilities, stratification, and clustering. Using data from the National Medical Care Expenditure Survey, which is characterized by a complex survey design, four variance estimation programs are compared: SESUDAAN/RATIOEST, SUPERCARP, PSALMS, and HESBRR. The comparisons concentrate on program capabilities, computational efficiency, and user facility.
Mesenchymal stem cell injection induces cardiac nerve sprouting and increased tenascin expression in a Swine model of myocardial infarction.

Introduction: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation is a promising technique to improve cardiac function. Whether MSC can increase cardiac nerve density and contribute to the improved cardiac function is unclear. Methods and Results: Anterior wall myocardial infarction was created in 16 swine. One month later, 6 swine were given MSC and fresh bone marrow (BM) into infarcted myocardium (MSC group). Four swine were given fresh BM only (BM group), and 6 swine were given culture media (MI-only group). The swine were sacrificed 95.8 ± 3.5 days after MI. Six normal swine were used as control. Immunocytochemical staining was performed using antibodies against growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and three subtypes of tenascin (R, C, and X). Five fields per slide were counted for nerve density. The results show the following. (1) There were more GAP43-positive nerves in the MSC group than in the BM, MI-only, or Control group (P < 0.0001). TH staining showed higher nerve densities in the MSC group than in the MI-only (P < 0.01) or Control group (P < 0.0001) in the atria. (2) There were more sympathetic (TH-positive) nerves in myocardium distant from infarct than in the peri-infarct area (P < 0.05). (3) Optical intensity and color analyses showed significantly higher tenascin R and tenascin C expression in the MSC and BM groups than in the MI-only or Control group (P < 0.01). Conclusion: MSC injected with BM into swine infarct results in overexpression of cardiac tenascin, increased the magnitude of cardiac nerve sprouting in both atria and ventricles, and increased the magnitude of atrial sympathetic hyperinnervation 2 months after injection. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 14, pp. 841-848, August 2003)
3H-catecholamine binding to α-receptors in rat brain: Enhancement by reserpine

(±)-3H-Epinephrine and (−)-3H-norepinephrine bind to rat cortex membranes in a saturable manner with dissociation constants of 16.7 and 27 nM0 respectively. The maximum number f 3H-catecholamine binding sites, 10–12 pmoles/g tissue, and the pharmacological characteristics of (±)-3H-epinephrine binding, indicate that the catecholamines label the same α-noradrenergic receptor in the rat as does 3H-clonidine. At 25°, (±)-3H-epinephrine binding associates rapidly to equilibrium, and dissociates in a biphasic manner. The affinities of α-agonists at the 3H-catecholamine binding site are 2–4 fold weaker in the rat than in the calf cortex under the same experimental conditions. Ergot alkaloids and phenoxybenzamine have similar affinities in the two tissues, whereas phentolamine and WB-4101 are 8–10 times weaker in the rat. Reserpine (0.25 mg/kg s.c. per day for 3 weeks) causes 25 and 46% increases in the numbers of (±)-3H-epinephrine and 3H-WB-4101 α-receptor binding sites respectively, and a 51% increase in the number of 3H-dihydroalprenolol β-receptor sites, in rat forebrain. Reserpine pretreatment does not alter the affinities of either α-or β-receptor 3H-ligands.
A Moment Matching Ensemble Filter for Nonlinear Non-Gaussian Data Assimilation

AbstractThe ensemble Kalman filter is now an important component of ensemble forecasting. While using the linear relationship between the observation and state variables makes it applicable for large systems, relying on linearity introduces nonnegligible bias since the true distribution will never be Gaussian. This paper analyzes the bias of the ensemble Kalman filter from a statistical perspective and proposes a debiasing method called the nonlinear ensemble adjustment filter. This new filter transforms the forecast ensemble in a statistically principled manner so that the updated ensemble has the desired mean and variance. It is also easily localizable and, hence, potentially useful for large systems. Its performance is demonstrated and compared with other Kalman filter and particle filter variants through various experiments on the Lorenz-63 and Lorenz-96 systems. The results show that the new filter is stable and accurate for challenging situations such as nonlinear, high-dimensional systems with spar...
Private sector unions: The myth of decline

Conventional wisdom holds that private sector labor unions are in “crisis” due to the loss of millions of members over the past two decades which has resulted in a dramatic decline in their economic viability and political power. Financial data for selected years between 1960 and 1987 are analyzed to show that, contrary to prevailing opinion, private sector unions are financially prosperous despite membership erosion. Evidence is also presented which indicates that union political efforts and influence have increased rather than declined in recent years. Resources have been allocated to political advocacy to obtain a more favorable public policy environment for labor organizations and to achieve gains that have eluded unions in collective bargaining.
Consultation to residential psychosocial rehabilitation agencies

As non-profit psychosocial rehabilitation agencies take over providing many of the services once provided by governmental facilities in some locales, consultation to the staff of these agencies can be very productive. Using a revised community consultation model, the author lists some of the issues that are regularly raised by staff, and discusses the functions that this kind of consultation can fulfill in this important sector of community mental health services.
Depression and use of a health plan-sponsored physical activity program by older adults.

Background The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between depression and the likelihood of enrollment in a health plan–sponsored physical activity program and pattern of program participation over 2 years; a secondary aim was to examine the association between participation dose and depression risk. There are no published studies on how depression influences participation in health plan–sponsored physical activity programs and how participation affects depression risk in older adults in nonresearch settings. Methods This study used administrative data from a Medicare Advantage plan. Participants ( n =4766) were enrolled in the plan for at least 1 year prior to participating in the plan-sponsored health club benefit (Silver Sneakers®). Controls were age- and gender-matched to participants ( n =9035). Members were identified as having depression based on ICD-9-CM codes. Multivariate regression and generalized estimating equations models were used. Data were collected between 1998 and 2003 and analyzed in 2008. Results Members who had a history of depression were as likely to participate in Silver Sneakers as nondepressed members (OR: 1.03; 95% CI=0.89, 1.20; p =0.67). The risk of lapse in Silver Sneakers attendance was 28%–55% ( p p =0.002); a similar but statistically nonsignificant association was observed for previously depressed participants (OR=0.51; 95% CI=0.26, 1.02; p =0.06). Conclusions While depressed older adults are as likely to enroll in a health plan–sponsored physical activity as nondepressed members, they were at higher risk of attendance lapses. Greater participation in the physical activity program was associated with lower depression risk.
Malic Enzymes of Higher Plants: Characteristics, Regulation, and Physiological Function

The characteristics and distribution of the malic enzyme in plants is discussed as well as those features which appear to be limited to the plant NAD malic enzyme. Regulation of the malic enzyme as it relates to the physiological roles of this enzyme is also discussed.
Small‐Angle Scattering From Branched Polymers

The single-polymer form factor is determined for branched polymers using a scaling argument in order to recover the low-Q Porod exponent characteristic of the overall structure. The high-Q Porod exponent characterizes the local branching structure. An alternative approach based on a high-Q expansion contains information about functionality, branch length and branch content. The specific case of a starburst dendrimer for which the form factor is known is discussed. The model predictions are compared to small-angle neutron scattering data from a dilute solution of dendrimer in D2O.
Survivability Modeling and Validation in Complex Rib-Skin Structures

Abstract : This paper presents a coordinated effort to model, lest and validate the structural response of complex aerospace rib-skin structures in both undamaged and damaged configurations. Coordinated experimental and finite element model results are presented for cylindrical rib-skin structures each approximately nine foot long, and thirty inches in diameter. The test articles considered are of riveted aluminum construction and include internal structural components including bulkheads and complex stiffeners. Experimental reproduction of the highly idealized loading conditions used in the finite element models required the development of a custom loading rig that is described in detail. In summary, the finite element models were found to predict the structural stiffness of both the damaged and undamaged structures well for small deflections and strains. However, structural failure was not well predicted because large deflect ions and nonlinear material behavior were intentionally not modeled for simplicity.
Biosynthesis and Packaging of Carboxypeptidase D into Nascent Secretory Vesicles in Pituitary Cell Lines

Metallocarboxypeptidase D (CPD) is a membrane-bound trans-Golgi network (TGN) protein. In AtT-20 cells, CPD is initially produced as a 170-kDa endoglycosidase H-sensitive glycoprotein. Within 30 min of chase, the CPD increases to 180 kDa and is resistant to endoglycosidase H as a result of carbohydrate maturation. CPD also undergoes an activation step required for binding to a substrate affinity resin. Blocking the protein exit from the endoplasmic reticulum inhibits the increase in molecular mass but not the step required for affinity column binding, suggesting that enzyme activation precedes carbohydrate maturation and that these reactions occur in distinct intracellular compartments. Only the higher molecular weight mature CPD enters nascent secretory vesicles, which bud from the TGN of permeabilized AtT-20 and GH3 cells. The budding efficiency of CPD into vesicles is 2–3-fold lower than that of endogenous proopiomelanocortin in AtT-20 cells or prolactin in GH3 cells. In contrast, the packaging of a truncated form of CPD, which lacks the cytoplasmic tail and transmembrane domain, was similar to that of proopiomelanocortin. Taken together, the results support the proposal that CPD functions in the TGN in the processing of proteins that transit the secretory pathway and that the C-terminal region plays a major role in TGN retention.
Method for Measuring Dipole Parameters of Isolated Hearts and Muscles-Application to Frog Gastrocnemius

Resistor networks were developed to measure the magnitude, direction, and location of the resultant dipole moment of isolated hearts or muscles located at the center of a fluid-filled dish. With the network connected to the dish electrodes, these quantities could be determined from only four bipolar voltage measurements. Energized muscle strips were simulated by dipping pieces of metal of different lengths into the electrolyte. The resultant location was found to be midway between the centers of the two pieces, rather than at the gap between them.
Magnetic imaging of superconducting tapes to determine current flow

Abstract We have developed a magnetic imaging system that yields quantitative information about the magnetic field near the surface of a superconducting sample while it is carrying current at liquid nitrogen temperatures. We have numerically inverted the external magnetic field data from YBa2Cu3O7−δ bridges and silver-coated YBa2Cu3O7−δ tapes to derive the internal current densities. Preliminary results are consistent with the expected patterns but suggest that the current flow is non-uniform.