cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Children's Physiological Regulation and Sibling Conflict as Correlates of Children's Conscience Development

Children's conscience, including the ability to experience guilt and engage in rule-compatible behavior, develops across early childhood. The current study investigated whether within-family variation in children's baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and sibling conflict behavior were associated with individual differences in children's guilt and internalized conduct. Between-family differences across sibling dyad gender compositions were also examined. A within-family design that included 70 families with two siblings between the ages of 2 and 5 was utilized. Children's baseline RSA was measured while sitting quietly with their family. Mothers and fathers completed questionnaires that assessed siblings’ conflict behavior, guilt, and internalized conduct. Older siblings had higher levels of guilt and internalized conduct than younger siblings. Results from actor-partner interdependence models indicated that there were no direct effects of children's baseline RSA. The interaction effects approached significance (p's ≤ .08) suggesting that older siblings’ conflict moderated the association between older siblings’ baseline RSA and both older and younger siblings’ guilt. In contrast, older siblings’ conflict was positively associated with older and younger siblings’ internalized conduct. Guilt and internalized conduct also differed for older and younger siblings in different dyad gender compositions. The results underscore the need for greater clarity regarding the function that siblings serve in promoting children's moral development during early childhood.
Are New Homes Special

This article describes alternative ways of identifying new homes and, using a large dataset of property sales in Las Vegas, Nevada, tests for the extent to which new homes sell at a price premium relative to otherwise similar existing homes. We also investigate whether the results differ across time and location, including before and after the housing bust. Our results suggest that price premia for new homes arise primarily in circumstances in which the supply of new houses is relatively low. In some cases rising to over 20% relative to otherwise similar existing homes. When new homes are plentiful, they are not special and the premium disappears.
Friction, Wear, Lubrication, and Materials Characterization Using Scanning Probe Microscopy

The atomistic mechanisms and dynamics of the interaclions of two materials during relative motion, need to be understood in order to develop fundamental understanding of adhesion, friction, wear, indentation, and lubrication processes. At most solid-solid interfaces of technological relevance, contact occurs at many asperities. Consequently the importance of investigating single asperity contacts in studies of the fundamental micromechanical and tribological properties of surfaces and interfaces has long been recognized.. The recent emergence and proliferation of proximal probes, in particular scanning probe microscopies (the scanning tunneling microscope and the atomic force microscope) and the surface force apparatus, and of computational techniques for simulating tip-surface interactions and interfacial properties, has allowed systematic investigations of interfacial problems with high resolution as well as ways and means for modifying and manipulating nanoscale structures. These advances have led to the appearance of the new field of micro/nanotribology, which pertains to experimental and theoretical investigations of interfacial processes on scales ranging from the atomic- and molecular- to the microscale, occurring during adhesion, friction, scratching, wear, nanoindenlation, and thin-film lubrication at sliding surfaces (Singer and Pollock, 1992; Persson and Tosatti, 1996; Bhushan,.1995, 1997, 1998a, b, 1999a, b, c, 2001; Bhushan et al., 1995a; Guntherodt et al., 1995).
Peer-Mediated Reading and Writing in a Digital, Multimodal Environment.

ABSTRACTThe goals for engaging students in peer learning range from positioning students as knowledgeable others to promoting social-emotional learning goals to providing contexts in which students...
Discovery of Non-linear Optical Materials by Function-Based Screening of Multi-component Solids

Summary Non-centrosymmetric arrangement in the solid state is a prerequisite for a molecule to exhibit second harmonic generation (SHG), yet the majority of achiral molecules crystallize in centrosymmetric lattices. Despite advances in circumventing the molecular preference for centrosymmetric structures, current screening methods of discovering SHG active materials need large quantities of parent material. Here, we present a function-based screening method that is designed to consume small quantities of parent material for screening a large pool of coformers that enhance the probability of discovering SHG active materials. With this method, ∼30 mg of a non-linear optical (NLO) chromophore, N -(2-aminoethyl)-4-nitro-2-ansidine ( 1 ), was sufficient for screening 50 coformers, resulting in five SHG active compounds. Crystal-structure analysis revealed that non-covalent interactions influence the disposition of NLO-phore dipoles and thus affect the bulk SHG properties. Quantum chemical calculations highlighted the coformer contribution toward the second-order susceptibility coefficients, providing a deeper understanding of the structure-property relationships in these SHG materials.
Notebooks and Children's Drawings, or the Inter-Authorship of Peter Handke's Kindergeschichte

In 1981 Peter Handke published the semi-autobiographical text Kindergeschichte, containing reflections on the early years of life with his daughter Amina. During these years, Amina frequently wrote...
Middle Class Welfare Effects

The minimum wage needs to be understood as a reference point for the larger low-wage labor market. By constructing ten wage contours on data from the CPS, it becomes clear that there are welfare effects for the middle class from raising the minimum wage. In years when there were increases in the statutory minimum wage, there were also increases in the median wages of each contour. And in years when there were no increases in the statutory minimum wage, the median wages in each contour remained the same. As those earning at the top of the tenth contour in 2015 were earning the equivalent of $125,000, it would appear that the minimum wage may have positive welfare effects. A policy that places upward pressure on wages can also reduce income inequality. To the extent that the minimum wage does reduce income inequality it again serves as a tool to bolster the middle class. Institutions, in other words, do matter.
Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) of germline DNA to identify genetic predisposition to gastric cancer (GC) in patients with CDH1-mutation negative early-onset (EO) or familial GC (FGC).

20Background: While GC arises as part of several hereditary cancer syndromes, a genetic etiology is not identified for most FGC kindreds and EOGC patients. We hypothesize that NGS of germline DNA may reveal previously unsuspected genomic alterations that predispose to EOGC/FGC. Methods: We identified 42 Pts from a prospective GC registry with CDH1-mutation negative EOGC (≤50 years old) and/or with FGC. Germline DNA was analyzed by MSK-IMPACT, a 468-gene targeted NGS panel that includes > 70 genes associated with known cancer predisposition syndromes. GATK HaplotypeCaller (HTC) was used to call SNVs and Indels simultaneously from the sequence read data and joint calling of all samples was used to generate VCF files. We annotated the VCF with public annotators and public allele frequencies from large sequencing studies. Manual variant curation was performed and were classified by ACMG criteria (Genet Med 2015;17:405), with only likely pathogenic and pathogenic variants included. Results: 41 Pts (98%) had ea...
The use of explanations for similarity-based learning

Due to the difficult nature of Machine Learning, it has often been looked at in the context of "toy" domains or in more realistic domains with simplifying assumptions. We propose an integrated learning approach that combines Explanation-Based and Similarity-Based Learning methods to make learning in an inherently complex domain feasible. We discuss the use of explanations for Similarity-Based Learning and present an example from a program which applies thee ideas to the domain of terrorist events.
Microfluidic synthesis of [18F]FLT

1473 Objectives We report here the automated production of 3’-deoxy-3’-[F-18]fluoro-thymidine using a flow-based microfluidic chemistry system. Methods The NanoTek LF is a modular flow-based microreactor assembly. Using the ABX Boc-dimethoxytrityl-nosyl-thymidine precursor in the “Discovery Mode” of the NanoTek LF software, the incorporation of the fluoride was optimized for temperature and flow rates through the reactor. The optimum flow rate used in the radiosynthesis was 200 µl/min with a reaction temperature of 170° C on a 100 µm i.d. X 2 m reactor and resulted in an incorporation yield of fluoride of 82 ± 3% (n=20) as determined by radio-TLC. The product from the microreactor was then hydrolyzed, followed by neutralization and purified by semi-prep HPLC, using PBS with 8% ethanol (v:v). Results Starting with 500 mCi of [18F]-fluoride (recycled O-18 water), the radiochemical yield of [18F]FLT was 18-25% (uncorr.) after semi-prep HPLC, with a reaction time of 65 minutes, specific activity of 2 Ci/µmol and rad. purity of >99%. The material was then used for imaging pulmonary tumors in C57Bl/6 mice that had been injected with 50,000 B16F10 tumor cells in 0.2 mL of PBS in the lateral tail vein. After a 21-day period of tumor growth the animals received ~ 220 µCi (8.1 MBq) of [18F]FLT and were left for 1 h before being imaged by PET/CT using an energy window of 350-650 keV. The data were reconstructed onto a 256 × 256 × 159 matrix (0.22 × 0.22 × 0.80 mm voxel dimensions) using a maximium a posteriori (MAP) algorithm with zoom set at 2 and a β value of 0.001. Conclusions This work has demonstrated the use of microfluidics to rapidly radiolabel and purify 3’-deoxy-3’-[18F]fluoro-thymidine (FLT) in sufficient quantity, purity and specific activities for small animal imaging. Research Support University of Tennessee Physician9s Medical Education and Research Fund (PMERF
In Use Performance of Catalytic Converters on Properly Maintained High Mileage Vehicles

A test program to evaluate the performance of catalytic converters from fifty-six 1981 and 1982 model year high mileage properly maintained in-use vehicles (from 21 engine families) was performed by the Certification Division of the Office of Mobile Sources (EPA). The program is called the Catalyst Change Program. All program vehicles were screened for proper maintenance and for mileages that ranged from 35,000 to 60,000 miles. Among vehicles belonging to 21 high sales volume and high technology engine and emission control system designs tested, poor catalyst performance was determined to be a significant contributor to emissions failure of properly-maintained vehicles at or near their warranted useful life mileage.
Source reconciliation of atmospheric aerosols

Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the major emission sources contributing to suspended particulates in air collected over a small mixed land use watershed. Aerosol samples were collected at 5 different land use types in 1976 and 1977 and analyzed for 10 elements. Aerosol composition was then compared to emission source composition to obtain the relative contribution by each emission source. Two examples of source reconciliation by multivariate regression analysis for typical samples are given. An industrial land use type clearly shows increased contributions from anthropogenic activity when compared to a rural site only 15 km distant in a crosswind direction. Differences in calculated and measured ambient aerosol concentrations can lead to specific interpretations about emission sources. The implications of errors in concentration data are discussed. A weighting technique can aid in correcting problems caused by incomplete or inaccurate data for 1 or 2 elements.
Language Experience Camp: Connecting Schools, Students and Families in Southeast Rural Georgia

For four years, ESOL teachers in Effingham County have partnered with Georgia Southern University to provide a no cost Language Experience Camp for English learners and their families. Our Language Experience Camp has three goals: 1) provide continued language development opportunities, 2) develop a sense of connectedness among ELs, their families, the school system, and the larger community, and 3) create a fun and engaging learning environment. It has become a place where students and families connect with ESOL teachers and the ESOL director as well as students from across the county. It is an example of how one county has adjusted to their changing student demographic in a way that supports students academically and also helps them integrate socially.
Contemporary Review and Case Report of Botulinum Resistance in Facial Synkinesis

Background Botulinum resistance poses significant treatment challenges for both patients and healthcare practitioners. We first present a case highlighting botulinum resistance in a patient who failed to respond to alternative formulations but who responded remarkably to incobotulinum toxinA, an identical toxin free of complexing proteins. Secondly, we provide a treatment algorithm and a review of the literature detailing clinical and immunochemical botulinum resistance. Results Patients with botulinum resistance show a predisposition to failure on subsequent injections and possess a propensity toward neutralizing and nonneutralizing antibody development. The mechanisms of resistance are not entirely understood but thought to be secondary to an immunologic response. Risk factors for resistance include higher botulinum doses, more frequent injections, and high total lifetime dosage. Patients may still respond to other botulinum formulations or subtypes; however, this effect may be temporary. Conclusion This case report describes a patient who responded to incobotulinum toxinA after failing treatment with the identical toxin compounded with buffer proteins, ultimately supporting the possibility of immune-mediated resistance to the surrounding proteins and not the toxin itself. Often, impending treatment resistance is preceded by a poor or limited clinical response. Antibody testing is not indicated because it is neither sensitive nor specific and does not change clinical practice. Initially, higher doses of botulinum may overcome resistance without increasing treatment frequency, and side effects are far less common in those with clinical resistance. If higher dosages fail to produce a response, alternative botulinum formulations or subtypes can be considered. Laryngoscope, 129:2269-2273, 2019.
Comparing inhaled medications reported by adolescents with persistent asthma and their caregivers

Objectives: To compare concordance (agreement) between teens with persistent asthma and their caregivers on the reported number of inhaled asthma medications used (rescue and controller); examine c...
Self-care in caregivers of children with FASD: How do caregivers care for themselves, and what are the benefits and obstacles for doing so?

Abstract Background Caregivers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have elevated levels of stress, which can negatively impact family functioning and caregivers’ mental and physical health. Self-care is a critical resource to address caregivers’ stress. Aims This study describes strategies and obstacles related to self-care reported by caregivers of children with FASD. It also examines how caregivers’ perceived confidence in and frequency of self-care is related to stress, parenting attitudes, and family needs. Methods & procedures Forty-six caregivers of children with FASD identified self-care strategies and obstacles and rated their confidence and frequency of self-care. Additional measures of perceived parenting efficacy, stress, family needs, child behavior, and family demographics were administered. Correlation analyses examined associations between self-care and measures of child and family functioning. Results Self-care strategies and obstacles were varied. Greater reported confidence in self-care was associated with less parental distress and more satisfaction in the parenting role. Frequency of self-care was positively associated with confidence in self-care but not with any other measure of family functioning. Conclusions Caregivers use a variety of strategies and face significant obstacles in self-care. Confidence in self-care may be associated with lower stress and greater satisfaction in the parenting role.
Risk factors and outcomes for hyperbilirubinaemia after heart surgery in children

Introduction:Liver dysfunction, associated with morbidity and mortality, is common in patients with CHD. We investigate risk factors for and outcomes of hyperbilirubinaemia in neonates and infants after cardiac surgery.Materials and methods:In a retrospective analysis of neonates and infants undergoing cardiac surgery at our institution between January 2013 and December 2017, we identified those with post-operative conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia. We tested various demographic and surgical risk factors, and use of post-operative interventions, for an association with conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia. We also tested hyperbilirubinaemia for association with post-operative mortality and prolonged length of stay.Results:We identified 242 post-operative admissions, of which 45 (19%) had conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia. The average conjugated bilirubin level in this group was 2.0 mg/dl versus 0.3 mg/dl for peers without hyperbilirubinaemia. The post-operative use of both extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (OR 4.97, 95% CI 1.89–13.5, p = 0.001) and total parenteral nutrition (OR 2.98, 95% CI 1.34–7.17, p = 0.010) was associated with conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia. No demographic variable analysed was found to be a risk factor. Hyperbilirubinaemia was associated with higher odds of mortality (OR 3.74, 95% CI 2.69–13.8, p = 0.005) and prolonged length of stay (OR 2.87, 95% CI 2.02–7.97, p = 0.005), which were independent of other risk factors.Discussion:We identified the post-operative use of total parenteral nutrition and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as risk factors for hyperbilirubinaemia. These patients were more likely to experience morbidity and mortality than control peers. As such, bilirubin may be marker for elevated risk of poor post-operative outcomes and should be more frequently measured after cardiac surgery.
Oral Processing Behavior of Diana Monkeys (Cercopithecus diana) in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire.

Primates are hypothesized to "fall back" on challenging-to-process foods when preferred foods are less available. Such dietary shifts may be accompanied by changes in oral processing behavior argued to be selectively important. Here, we examine the oral processing behavior of Diana monkeys (Cercopithecus diana) in the Tai Forest across their dietary breadth, testing relationships among food intake, fruit availability, preference, and oral processing behaviors including those involved in food ingestion and breakdown. We conducted 1,066 focal follows from April 2016 to September 2017 documenting frequencies of incisor, canine, and cheek tooth mastications (i.e., chews) per ingestive action (n = 11,906 feeding events). We used phenological survey and scan sample data collected between 2004 and 2009 to examine dietary preference and food availability. Our analyses show that Diana monkeys processed foods in significantly different ways (H2 = 360.8, p 0.05); however, preferred fruits were processed with significantly fewer mastications (i.e., less chewing) than nonpreferred fruits (U = 6,557, p < 0.001). We thus demonstrate that, when preferred foods are scarce, Diana monkeys do not fall back on difficult-to-process foods. Changes in processing profiles occurred throughout the year and not solely when preferred foods were in short supply. Though preferred fruits required less processing than nonpreferred fruits, we found no relationship between fruit preference and fruit availability. Diana monkeys' lack of readily identifiable fallback foods may be attributable to the relatively high tree diversity and productivity of the Tai Forest. We conclude that Diana monkeys engage in resource switching, consuming a relatively easy-to-process diet year-round.
Seismic response of yielding structures equipped with inerters

Abstract This paper investigates the seismic response of one- and two-degree-of-freedom yielding structures equipped with inerters at the first story. Inerters are mechanical devices that their resisting force is proportional to the relative acceleration at their end-nodes. This class of response modification devices complements the traditional supplemental damping devices that their resisting force is proportional to the relative velocity at their end-nodes, also examined in this study for comparison. The paper develops a stable nonlinear response analysis methodology that implements a state-space formulation. Given that the engagement with an inerter lengthens the apparent preyielding period of the inelastic structure, the paper shows that when a yielding structure is equipped with supplemental rotational inertia, the equal-displacement rule is valid starting from lower values of the preyielding period. The effectiveness of a single inerter versus the use of a pair of clutching inerters that can only resist the motion of the yielding structure is examined, and the paper concludes that a single inerter suppresses effectively the displacement response of inelastic structures by outperforming the response modification with supplemental damping in particular when the supporting frame of the response modification devices is compliant.
Answering Why-Questions for Subgraph Queries

Subgraph queries are routinely used to search for entities in richly attributed graphs e.g., social networks and knowledge graphs. With little knowledge of underlying data, users often need to rewrite queries multiple times to reach desirable answers. Why-questions are studied to clarify missing or unexpected query results. This paper makes a first step to answer Why-questions for entity search in attributed graphs. We consider three common types of Why-questions: Why-not, Why, and Why-rank, which suggest query manipulations that are responsible for user-specified missing, unexpected, and undesirably ranked entities, respectively. (1) We approach a general query rewriting paradigm that suggests to identify desired entities that are specified by Why-questions. We introduce measures that characterize good query rewrites by incorporating both query editing cost and answer closeness. (2) While computing optimal query rewrites is intractable, we develop feasible algorithms, from approximation to fast heuristics, and provide query rewrites with (near) optimality guarantees whenever possible, for Why, Why-not and Why-rank questions. Using real-world graphs, we experimentally verify that our algorithms are effective and feasible for large graphs. Our case study also verifies their application in e.g., knowledge exploration.
Increased Disclosure Requirements and Corporate Governance Decisions: Evidence from Chief Financial Officers in the Pre- and Post-Sarbanes-Oxley Periods: increased disclosure requirements

I study how increased internal control disclosure requirements mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) affect annual corporate governance decisions regarding CFOs. Using non-CEO, non-COO executive officers as a control group, I find that CFOs of firms with weak internal controls receive lower compensation and experience higher forced turnover rates after the passage of SOX. In contrast, CFOs of firms with strong internal controls receive higher compensation and do not experience significant changes in forced turnover rates. These results are consistent with the “disclosure of type” hypothesis, which suggests that the mandatory internal control disclosures under SOX are a credible mechanism that effectively distinguishes good CFOs from bad ones by revealing the firm's internal control quality. The empirical evidence thus supports the notion that mandated increases in disclosure reduce information asymmetry in the executive labor market.
Bystander responses to bias-based bullying and retaliation: Is retaliation perceived as more acceptable than bias-based bullying?

The current study examined intergroup-related and social-cognitive correlates of bystanders' acceptability judgements and their responses to bias-based bullying of immigrant peers and to possible retaliation for the bullying. Participants included 179 immigrant-origin and non-immigrant-origin youth (Mage = 13.23; SD = 1.55; 79 immigrant-origin youth). Participants' bystander judgements and responses to bullying and retaliation were examined via a hypothetical scenario. Further, participants' intergroup attitudes towards immigrants and their social-cognitive skills were evaluated. ANOVA results showed that immigrant-origin youth judged bullying as less acceptable and retaliation as more acceptable compared to non-immigrant-origin youth, documenting that group membership is related to adolescents' judgements. A similar pattern was observed in active bystander responses. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that immigration background, intergroup process in the context of immigration, and social-cognitive skills predict bystander responses to bullying and retaliation. This study provides important implications for anti-bullying intervention programmes to overcome the negative consequences of retaliation in the escalation of aggressive behaviours.
The effects of large-scale breakwaters on shoreline vegetation

Abstract In response to shoreline erosion and coastal wetland loss, living shorelines have been implemented as a natural alternative to shoreline hardening. In high wave energy systems, “hybrid” living shoreline designs incorporating large-scale breakwaters have been increasingly chosen to restore and conserve wetlands. However, evaluations of the effectiveness of breakwaters at preserving natural shorelines and promote the growth of shoreline plantings are limited. To evaluate the effectiveness of large-scale breakwaters at protecting or restoring marshes in high wave energy environments, we conducted an experimental planting and shoreline monitoring program landward of eight-year-old breakwaters and adjacent no breakwater sites along Bon Secour Bay, Alabama. Results showed that breakwaters help natural marsh to maintain its cover at a high level (70%), but have little impact on shoreline planting. Furthermore, breakwater presence reduced the pressure for upland migration, allowing natural marsh patches to expand seaward. Without breakwater protection, fringing marsh retreated upland significantly. Cumulatively, this study suggests that large-scale breakwaters could have an impact on preserving fringing marsh vegetation in high wave energy environments though their effectiveness into the future will require adaptive management in response to local sea-level rise.
Temporal coding of ERK signalling in β-cells.

A new study has reported genetic evidence that MEK–ERK signalling is needed by β-cells, both for maintenance of β-cell mass and for optimization of insulin release. Their results point towards a new challenge of disentangling ERK signalling across multiple time scales.
Results and Conclusion

In this monograph we have examined evidence for the existence of an instructional design construct, the message. We have provided several historical cases that show that the message construct has been used by instructional designers for over 70 years, although due to shifting fashions in technology and learning theory it has not been specifically identified.
Literacy and Literacies: Introduction: texts, power, and identity

Puzzles and pluralities of literacy Literacy is a curious thing. It seems to envelope our lives and be central to modern living, yet most of humanity has done without it for most of human existence. As a term, it points to a striking range of possibilities – such that we now speak not only of “school literacy” and “vernacular literacy” but also “cultural literacy,” “computer literacy,” “moral literacy,” and even “emotional literacy” (Steiner, 1997). But the term is also subject to notable recent efforts to define and restrict its essence, for example, through legislating a particular way that reading or writing must be taught in school. As a field of study, literacy entangles some of the most difficult problems in social analysis – among them the question of text, that is, of language, situation, and meaning – yet it is also a very familiar topic, the source of many proclaimed crises and the subject of many slogans and sound-bites about how to live, raise children, and prepare for the rigors and excitements of the new century. Literacy often seems to pervade our lives. Increasing numbers of people make their living interacting with a computer screen. Many find reading a welcome escape, and they “bury” themselves in a good book, perhaps a romance or a futuristic fantasy or, if young, a tale of the wise doings of the cleverly marketed Harry Potter.
Causal Analysis of Hidden Variables

My contribution to this symposium is focused on the retreat from strong conditions of causality that have been forced upon us by quantum mechanics. My intent is to describe in more or less successive stages the retreat from the paradise of deterministic causation. This retreat has taken place through a thicket of quantum-mechanical details. It is my intention to describe the general principles involved but to refer to the literature for proofs and full technical elaboration, even of matters that are crucial to the conceptual development.
Factors contributing to high ThinPrep® Pap test unsatisfactory rates in an academic medical center laboratory

Specimen adequacy is a key component in the cytologic evaluation of cervical Pap tests. At our institution, yearly unsatisfactory rates continue to be high, placing our laboratory in the 95th percentile for CAP benchmark data for unsatisfactory Pap test rates. Using the 2001 Bethesda System criteria, unsatisfactory Pap test rates were calculated over a ten year period (January 2002 to December 2011) and contributing factors were analyzed. Of the 124,457 ThinPrep Pap tests performed, 4,163 (3.3%) were unsatisfactory for evaluation, the majority (90%) due to too few squamous epithelial cells. Peri/postmenopausal women and those who had received radiation/chemotherapy had the highest unsatisfactory rates; 55% and 25%, respectively. Higher unsatisfactory Pap test rates are related to the patient population served. Defined, reproducible adequacy criteria need to be defined for Pap tests from patients in certain clinical conditions. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2014;42:380–383. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Designing an Option Plan that Rewards Relative Performance: Indexed Options Revisited

This paper examines how an option plan that rewards managers for firm performance relative to some market or industry benchmark should be structured. Relative-performance-based compensation advocates contend that conventional stock options do not adequately discriminate between strong and weak managers, typically suggesting "indexed options," that is, options with an exercise prive linked to a market or industry index, as a remedy. A close examination of indexed options, however, reveals a fundamental problem: indexed options do not function as its proponents intend. Instead, their payoff remains highly sensitive to market or industry price movements. This paper proposes as alternative option design, an option on a "performance-benchmarked portfolio," that does remove the effects of the specified market or industry benchmark from the value of the option. This structure uses an option with a fixed exercise price, where the underlying asset is a portfolio comprised of the firm's stock hedged against market and industry price movements.
360/spl times/360 mosaics

Current mosaicing methods use narrow field of view cameras to acquire image data. This poses problems when computing a complete spherical mosaic. First, a large number of images are needed to capture a sphere. Second, errors in mosaicing make it difficult to complete the spherical mosaic without seams. Third, with a hand-held camera it is hard for the user to ensure complete coverage of the sphere. This paper presents two approaches to spherical mosaicing. The first is to rotate a 360 degree camera about a single axis to capture a sequence of 360 degree strips. The unknown rotations between the strips are estimated and the strips are blended together to obtain a spherical mosaic. The second approach seeks to significantly enhance the resolution of the computed mosaic by capturing 360 degree slices rather than strips. A variety of slice cameras are proposed that map a thin 360 degree sheet of rays onto a large image area. This results in the capture of high resolution slices despite the use of a low resolution video camera. A slice camera is rotated using a motorized turntable to obtain regular as well as stereoscopic spherical mosaics.
A Trio of Transition Metals in Anaerobic CO2 Fixation

Certain anaerobic microorganisms can gain energy and biomass using carbon monoxide or dioxide and dihydrogen as sole sources of carbon and energy. In his Perspective, [Peters][1] explains how new results by Doukov et al. illuminate the carbon dioxide fixation pathway. [Doukov][2] et al . report that the enzyme responsible for the process contains a highly unusual metal cluster, with three different transition metals including copper, in one of its active sites. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5593/552 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/298/5593/567
Theoretical white dwarf luminosity functions: DA models

New DA white dwarf models with thick H and He surface layers are presented. Uncertainties in cool WD ages resulting from the lack of opacities in the weakly degenerate regime are estimated at ∼10%. Luminosity functions computed using these DA sequences suggest that the age of the local Galactic disk is in the range 6.5 to 11 Gyr. Phase separation of crystallizing C/O-core models has the potential to add up to ∼20% to the ages of the coolest WDs, but the suggested process by which the matter is redistributed in the core is not sufficiently compelling.
Aplysia synaptosomes. II. Release of transmitters

A subcellular fraction (P3) from Aplysia is enriched in synaptosomes (Chin et al., 1988) and is capable of accumulating 5-HT and choline. At an external 3H-5-HT concentration of 1.8 microM, the P3 fraction took up 0.12 nmol/mg protein in 30 min. Uptake was dependent on external Na+. Electron microscopic autoradiography showed that much of the accumulated 3H-5-HT is localized to synaptosomes. At 0.5 microM 3H- choline, P3 took up 0.11 nmol/mg protein in 30 min and converted 40% to 3H-ACh. This synaptosomal fraction was also capable of releasing transmitter. After 3H-5-HT or 3H-choline was taken up, P3 released about 5% of the total radioactive transmitter in a Ca2+-dependent manner during a 30 sec exposure to a depolarizing concentration of K+ (100 mM). Identified, prelabeled synaptosomes were prepared by injecting 3H-choline into the large cholinergic neuron L10. The abdominal ganglia containing the injected cells were then fractionated, yielding synaptosomes containing radioactivity derived from L10. After this synaptosomal fraction was exposed to high K+, 2% of the radioactivity was released in a Ca2+-dependent manner. This release was completely blocked by 0.1 mM histamine, a modulatory transmitter that has previously been shown to cause presynaptic inhibition in L10.
Shouting at the Legally Deaf: Sin’s Punishment in the Gospels

Exegesis of Matt 13:24–43, 18:23–35, and 25:31–46 reveals themes common to all the Gospels: divine mercy preceding judgment, moral responsibility within the church, and dependable yet surprising justice. This essay considers Matthew’s flamboyant imagery, contemporary skittishness with God as judge, and the place of reconciliation in a theology permitting eternal punishment.
The Colour Changes In Lizards, Particularly In Phrynosoma

The activities of the melanophore system of Phrynosoma in comparison with that of Chamaeleo may be stated categorically in the following way. I. The blanching of Phrynosoma blainvillii is due (1) to the action of its concentrating nerve-fibres on its melanophores, (2) to the action of a hydrohumour, probably adrenalin, on the same cells, (3) to the direct response of these cells to darkness, and (4) to high temperatures. II. The blanching of Chamaeleo is due to the first, third, and fourth of these factors. Whether the second factor is effective in this lizard is not yet determined. III. The darkening of Phrynosoma is due (5) to the action of a pituitary neurohumour on its melanophores, (6) to the direct response of these cells to strong light, and (7) usually, to low temperatures. There are no dispersing nerve-fibres known in Phrynosoma. IV. The darkening of Chamaeleo is due to the sixth and probably to the seventh of these factors. This lizard presents strong indications of possessing dispersing nerve-fibres. Whether it darkens from a pituitary neurohumour or not is unknown.
Effect of alcohol and marihuana on tobacco smoking

Tobacco smoking covaried with alcohol consumption in male social drinkers over 15 days of unrestricted alcohol availability. Increased tobacco smoking was associated with alcohol consumption in occasional, moderate, and heavy smokers. Tobacco smoking was not systematically related to marihuana smoking even though both drugs were often smoked at the same time. During ten days of concurrent access to tobacco, alcohol, and marihuana, tobacco smoking continued to covary with alcohol consumption rather than with marihuana smoking. Marihuana smoking appeared to be independent of alcohol consumption patterns.
The role of rigid unit modes in negative thermal expansion

Abstract The rigid unit mode (RUM) model provides a valuable computational method to investigate correlations of transverse thermal motions of atoms important in negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials. We report here detailed RUM calculations of ten framework oxide structures that have been studied for their negative (or ultra low) thermal expansion properties. The results negate any simple and direct correlation between presence or absence of RUMs in a structure and its NTE property. All the structures considered can be viewed as networks of polyhedral connected by corners only. All evidence supports the importance the transverse motion of the atoms at the corners, but NTE does not correlate well with the presence RUMs for the polyhedra.
Particle decay model

Applying a finite color symmetry group, it is shown that every “elementary particle” can be associated with a unique graph. This graph describes the gluon motions and is called the particle's strong graph. One also has an associated weak graph that describes the photon motions. Using the strong (weak) graph, one can exhibit the various strong (weak) decay modes of a particle. Roughly speaking, the particle graph disintegrates into smaller graphs that represent the decay products. The disintegration is dictated by certain decay operations and these operations have specified probability costs. The costs are then used to predict branching ratios and decay probabilities. For the examples presented, these predictions agree with experiment to within 1%.
Linear stability of viscoelastic cone–plate flow in a bounded domain

Abstract We analyze the elastic instability of torsional flow of a viscoelastic fluid in a cone-and-plate device with gap angle α . Assuming that the flow is axisymmetric and inertialess, we derive a model eigenvalue problem for the perturbation stream function valid for α ≪1. The problem reduces to a singularly perturbed fourth-order boundary value problem related to the biharmonic operator. This problem is solved numerically and the results are compared with those obtained for radially unbounded domains. Assuming that the meniscus perturbation is small enough to preclude capillary instabilities, the flow is found to be slightly more stable than is predicted by the results for radially unbounded regions.
mgr, a Novel Global Regulator in Staphylococcus aureus

The virulence determinants of Staphylococcus aureus are coordinately controlled by several unlinked chromosomal loci. Here, we report the identification of CYL5614, derived from strain Becker, with a mutation that affects the expression of type 8 capsular polysaccharide (CP8), nuclease, alpha-toxin, coagulase, protease, and protein A. This novel locus, named mgr, was linked by transposon Tn917 and mapped by three-factorial transduction crosses. The region containing the mgr locus was cloned and sequenced. Deletion mutagenesis and genetic complementation showed that the locus consisted of one gene, mgrA. Interestingly, mgrA-null mutants exhibited a phenotype opposite to that of CYL5614. This was due to a T-to-C mutation upstream of mgrA that resulted in a four- to eightfold increase in mgrA transcription in strain CYL5614. Thus, these results indicate that mgrA is an activator of CP8 and nuclease but a repressor of alpha-toxin, coagulase, protease, and protein A. In addition, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analyses showed that the mgr locus profoundly affected extracellular protein production, suggesting that the locus may regulate many other genes as well. The translated MgrA protein has a region of significant homology, which includes the helix-turn-helix DNA-binding motif, with the Escherichia coli MarR family of transcriptional regulators. Northern slot blot analyses suggested that mgr affected CP8, alpha-toxin, nuclease, and protein A at the transcriptional level.
Cytocidal activity and proliferative ability of macrophages infiltrating the EMT6 tumor

The EMT6 mouse tumor was selected for use in the study of cytocidal activity and proliferative ability of infiltrating macrophages because of its high plating efficiency when explanted to culture. The plating efficiency for cells directly plated in culture from the tumor was 28 +/- 9.3%, irrespective of the size of the tumor. Of the adherent cells derived from the tumor, the fraction that was macrophages increased from 27% at 7 days to 47% at 28 days after initial injection. Time-lapse cinemicrography was used to directly observe adherent cells derived from the tumor, and macrophages were found to be cytocidal. When grown in the presence of L-cell conditioned medium no macrophage colonies were found when cultures were established from untreated mice even though most tumor cell colonies contained macrophages. When mice were first treated with 0.8 mg BCNU prior to establishment of the cultures, in order to reduce the frequency of colony-forming tumor cells, approximately half the colonies found contained only macrophages. These results show that macrophages in this tumor are cytocidal and capable of proliferation.
Salinity Effects on Phragmites Decomposition Dynamics Among the Hudson River’s Freshwater Tidal Wetlands

Sea level rise due to climate change will expose Hudson River tidal marshes to chronic shifts in salinity, thus altering habitat conditions and biogeochemical processes. Increased salt intrusion may affect macroinvertebrate and microbial communities that are important in the decomposition of a dominant, invasive plant species Phragmites australis. We hypothesized that increased salinity intrusion will negatively affect macroinvertebrate and microbial litter breakdown processes. Field and laboratory experiments were conducted to test the effect of salinity on Phragmites decomposition. Leaf packets were incubated among tidal wetlands along a salinity gradient and used to compare microbial respiration, fungal biomass, and mass loss. In addition, salinity tolerance of a freshwater isopod (Caecidotea sp.) and heterotrophic microbes were examined using laboratory bioassays. Salinity negatively affected isopod survivorship and microbial activity in controlled laboratory experiments; however, salinity did not significantly account for in situ variation in Phragmites mass loss, microbial respiration, and fungal biomass among wetlands. Future studies need to include litter from additional wetland species and consider alternative controls on decomposition (e.g., variation in temperature or inorganic nutrients) in order to best forecast the long-term impact of sea-level rise and salinity increases among tidal freshwater wetlands.
Clinical Utility of Celiac Disease-Associated HLA Testing

Negative predictive value (NPV) of celiac disease (CD)-related human leukocyte antigens (HLA) DQ2 and DQ8 approaches 100 % in individual patients. However, studies evaluating its exclusionary utility in patient groups are lacking. We aim to assess the performance of HLA testing when applied to patient groups with varying characteristics and propose evidence-based recommendations for its clinical use. Demographic and clinical information was recorded in patients undergoing HLA testing. Using predetermined criteria, patients were classified as CD, non-CD, or indeterminate. Diagnostic yield of HLA testing was defined as the percentage of patients in whom CD could be excluded based on negative HLA test. Two hundred and fifty-six patients underwent testing for CD-related HLA DQ2 and DQ8. 102 (100 non-CD, 2 CD) patients tested HLA negative for a 98 % NPV and 39 % diagnostic yield. Diagnostic yield was highest (60 %) in patients with intraepithelial lymphocytosis plus normal IgA tissue transglutaminase antibody (IgA-tTG) and lowest in patients with positive IgA-tTG plus villous atrophy (0 %). CD was diagnosed in two HLA-negative patients, who carried half of DQ2.5 trans genotype. Diagnostic yield of CD-related HLA testing varies widely depending on clinical indication. HLA testing is a practical and valuable test for most patients in whom initial evaluation for CD is inconclusive. A negative HLA result usually obviates the need for further celiac testing including endoscopy and gluten challenge. Rarely, in patients reported as HLA negative, half of HLA DQ2.5 (cis or trans) is sufficient for development of CD.
Towards energy-proportional computing for enterprise-class server workloads

Massive data centers housing thousands of computing nodes have become commonplace in enterprise computing, and the power consumption of such data centers is growing at an unprecedented rate. Adding to the problem is the inability of the servers to exhibit energy proportionality, i.e., provide energy-efficient execution under all levels of utilization, which diminishes the overall energy efficiency of the data center. It is imperative that we realize effective strategies to control the power consumption of the server and improve the energy efficiency of data centers. With the advent of Intel Sandy Bridge processors, we have the ability to specify a limit on power consumption during runtime, which creates opportunities to design new power-management techniques for enterprise workloads and make the systems that they run on more energy proportional.In this paper, we investigate whether it is possible to achieve energy proportionality for an enterprise-class server workload, namely SPECpower_ssj2008 benchmark, by using Intel's Running Average Power Limit (RAPL) interfaces. First, we analyze the power consumption and characterize the instantaneous power profile of the SPECpower benchmark within different subsystems using the on-chip energy meters exposed via the RAPL interfaces. We then analyze the impact of RAPL power limiting on the performance, per-transaction response time, power consumption, and energy efficiency of the benchmark under different load levels. Our observations and results shed light on the efficacy of the RAPL interfaces and provide guidance for designing power-management techniques for enterprise-class workloads.