cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Lockups in Initial Public Offerings

In a sample of 2,794 initial public offerings (IPOs), we test three potential explanations for the existence of IPO lockups: lockups serve as (i) a signal of firm quality, (ii) a commitment device to alleviate moral hazard problems, or (iii) a mechanism for underwriters to extract additional compensation from the issuing firm. Our results support the commitment hypothesis. Insiders of firms that are associated with greater potential for moral hazard lockup their shares for a longer period of time. Insiders of firms that have experienced larger excess returns, are backed by venture capitalists, or go public with high-quality underwriters are more likely to be released from the lockup restrictions. An initial public offering (IPO) often represents the first opportunity that a firm’s founders and initial investors have to begin the process of realizing the value for their ownership stake in the firm. 1 We explore one particular aspect that regulates this cashing out by insiders, namely the structure of, the price reaction to, and the compliance with investment banker lockups, which restrict the ability of the firm’s management and prepublic investors from selling their stock in the aftermarket for a period of time after the IPO. Our article provides three contributions on going public and financial markets. First, we explore why prepublic insiders agree to long holding periods after the IPO. We test three potential explanations: (i) lockups as a signal of quality, (ii) as a commitment device to alleviate moral hazard problems, and (iii) as a means for investment banks to extract additional compensation from issuing firms. Our analysis supports the commitment hypothesis. Specifically, investment banks impose longer lockups when the moral hazard in the aftermarket is higher. We conduct several tests of the signaling hypothesis and find no support for the idea that insiders signal their “quality” by locking
Spin and Parity of the First Excited State of Na 23

The angular distributions of the 440-kev gamma radiation resulting from the ${\mathrm{Na}}^{23}(p, {p}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\gamma}){\mathrm{Na}}^{23}$ reaction have been measured for proton bombarding energies of 1.288 and 1.460 Mev. Decay by inelastically scattered protons is particularly favorable for these two well-isolated resonances in ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{24}$. The results show a marked anisotropy, thereby ruling out the possibility that the first excited state of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{23}$ has spin $J=\frac{1}{2}$. Otherwise the experiments do not permit a completely unambiguous assignment. Evidence is presented, however, showing that the most plausible assignment is $J=\frac{5}{2}+$.
4-Point FDF of Muskingum method based on the complete St Venant equations

Abstract Using the Froude number, a nonlinear convection–diffusion equation was derived from the St Venant equations of continuity and momentum. It was made applicable to discrete space using a mixing-cell method, resulting in a first-order nonlinear ordinary differential equation. A 4-point finite difference scheme was used to solve the first-order nonlinear ordinary differential equation to achieve a nonlinear algebraic form that is very similar in structure to the traditional Muskingum form thus its naming as the ‘4-point FDF of Muskingum Method (4-point FDF M-M)’. In this method, the space interval Δ x is a characteristic channel length and a variable that is dependent on flow discharge, water depth, and flow velocity. An iterative search method was applied to simultaneously obtain the flow discharge and the optimal space interval Δ x . The method developed was tested with both synthetic numerical examples and observed events and the results were compared with those of the Lambda scheme and the method of characteristics. The outflow hydrographs produced by this new 4-point FDF M-M were of comparable accuracy. The parameters used in the new method are based on the physical attributes of the channel and thus do not need calibration as required for the Muskingum method.
High-Frequency Oscillations Detected in Epileptic Networks Using Swarmed Neural-Network Features

Localizing epileptic networks is a central challenge in guiding epilepsy surgery, deploying antiepileptic devices, and elucidating mechanisms underlying seizure generation. Recent work from our group and others suggests that high-frequency epileptic oscillations (HFEOs) arise from brain regions constituting epileptic networks, and may be important to seizure generation. HFEOs are brief 50–500 Hz pathologic events measured in intracranial field and unit recordings in patients with refractory epilepsy. They are challenging to detect due to low signal to noise ratio, and because they occur in multiple channels with great frequency. Their morphology is also variable and changes with distance from intracranial electrode contacts, which are sparsely placed for patient safety. Thus reliable, automated methods to detect HFEOs are required to localize and track seizure generation in epileptic networks. We present a novel method for mapping the temporal evolution of these oscillations in human epileptic networks. The technique combines a particle swarm optimization algorithm with a neural network to create features that robustly detect and track HFEOs in human intracranial EEG (IEEG) recordings. We demonstrate the algorithm’s performance on IEEG data from six patients, one pediatric and five adult, and compare it to an existing method for detecting high-frequency oscillations.
Dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering thermometry in a sooting turbulent pool fire

Abstract We present a dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) instrument, which has been constructed for the probing of temperature fluctuations in turbulent pool fires of meter-scale. The measurements were performed at the Fire Laboratory for Accreditation of Models and Experiments (FLAME) facility at Sandia National Laboratories, which provides a canonical fire plume in quiescent wind conditions, with well-characterized boundary conditions and access for modern laser-diagnostic probes. The details of the dual-pump CARS experimental facility for the fire-science application are presented, and single-laser-shot CARS spectra containing information from in-fire N2, O2, H2, and CO2 are provided. Single-shot temperatures are obtained from spectral fitting of the Raman Q-branch signature of N2, from which histograms that estimate the pdf of the enthalpy-averaged temperature fluctuations at the center of the fire plume are presented. Results from two different sooting fire experiments reveal excellent test-to-test repeatability of the fire plume provided by FLAME, as well as the CARS-measured temperatures. The accuracy and precision of the CARS temperatures is assessed from measurements in furnace-heated air, where the temperature can be accurately determined by a thermocouple. At temperatures in excess of 500 K, the furnace results show that the CARS measurements are accurate to within 2–3% and precise to within ±3–5% of the measured absolute temperature.
General technique for N-dimensional vector summation of bipolar signals

A method is described for computing the vector sum of any number of bipolar input signals, using 4-quadrant multipliers in a difference-of-squares configuration. Accuracies of better than ± 0.1% have been measured.
Poliatrics: Physicians and the Physician Analogy within Fourth-century Athens

The physician analogy in politics is not inherently elitist or antithetical to constitutional government, as modern critics have claimed. On the contrary, in its original development among the orators offourth-century Athens, it epitomized the aims of conservative democrats, offering both a perspective that reinforced the ideal of a prescriptive constitution grounded in tradition and a conception of leadership compatible with the egalitarian animus of the restored democracy. Moreover, this conception of the political physician enjoyed the full sanction of Greek medicine. The norms, concepts, and techniques adduced in the Hippocratic writings closely parallel those of conservative democrats.
Altered Acidic and Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Expression Following Spinal Cord Injury

In normal spinal cord, acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) immunoreactivity was localized in the cytoplasm of ventral motor neurons and sensory fibers in the dorsal columns. Basic FGF (bFGF) immunoreactivity was restricted to astrocyte nuclei and the cytoplasm of a few neurons in the intermediate gray matter. Spinal cord lesions resulted in complete destruction of the dorsal columns at T8. Two days postlesion, aFGF immunoreactivity was increased in ventral motor neurons and was now seen in intermediate gray matter neurons. Acidic FGF was not detected in the lesioned fasciculus gracilis at T4-5, but markedly increased in the fasciculus cuneatus. At L1-2, aFGF-immunoreactive fibers in the fasciculus gracilis also increased. This aFGF immunostaining was maintained 5 and 12 days postlesion. A lesion-induced loss of aFGF immunoreactivity in the nucleus gracilis suggests that aFGF is anterogradely transported in ascending sensory fibers. Two days postlesion, glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity increased at the lesion site, as well as at T4-5 and L1-2, with no change in bFGF staining. Five days postlesion, increased bFGF immunoreactivity appeared at the edge of the cystic cavity and the dorsal columns at T4-5 in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of reactive astrocytes, and was increased at 12 days postlesion. The differential cellular, temporal, and spatial expression of aFGF and bFGF following spinal cord lesion suggest they subserve distinct roles in the response to CNS injury.
Effects of anticonvulsant drugs on nerve terminals.

SUMMARY The anticonvulsant agents diphenyrhydantoin(DPH) and diphenylthiohydantoin (DPTH) suppress repetitive after-discharges originating in the motor nerve endings of the cat soleus nerve. Since these repetitive after-discharges are responsible for virtually all of the posttetanic potentiation in this neuromuscular junction, DPH, DPTH and to a lesser degree certain other anticonvulsants reduce PTP. The repetitive after-discharge seems to arise by a process of intra-neuronal potential difference leading to high-frequency firing, a process postulated to play a role in epileptogenic focal firing. The capacity of DPH to suppress hyperpolarization of nerve endings subjected to high-frequency stimulation probably accounts for DPH's efficacy in suppressing repetitive after-discharges and its previously described capacity to suppress posttetanic potentiation in spinal cord monosynaptic pathways. RESUME Les medicaments anticonvulsifsdiphenylhydantoine (DPH)etdiphenylthiohydantoine (DPTH) suppriment les post-decharges repetitives qui se produisent dans les termi-naisons du nerf soleus du chat. Puisque ces post-decharges repetitives sont respon-sables de presque toute la potentiation post-tetanique (PPT) dans cette jonction neuro-musculaire, DPH, DPTH et a un moindre degre certains autres medicaments anti-convulsifs font diminuer la PPT. La post-decharge repetitive semble se produire par une difference de potentiel intra-neuronale qui est aľorigine ďune decharge de haute frequence, un processus qui jouerait un role dans la decharge ďun foyer epileptogene. La capacitye de DPH de supprimer ľhyperpolarisation des terminaisons neuronales soumises a une stimulation a haute frequence explique probablement ľefficacite de DPH de supprimer des post-decharges repetitives et sa capacitye de supprimer la PPT dans le trajet monosynaptique spinal qui a dejaete decrite.
Benefit cost analysis of riverboat gambling

On November 26, 1991, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives rejected a bill to legalize riverboat gambling by a vote of 118-81. Six months prior, we undertook a study, the outcome of which was essentially to convince the Pennsylvania legislature and the world-at-large that it is not to the advantage of Pittsburgh to authorize this bill. Here is what we did and a brief description of the outcome. It is known that Governor Robert Casey would have vetoed the bill if it had passed. Also, Representative Frank Gigliotti, the original sponsor of the plan and its most vocal supporter, said he was inclined to wait for a new governor in three years before trying again.
Sequential dependencies and regression in psychophysical judgments

A tendency for judgments of stimulus magnitude to be biased in the direction of the value of the immediately preceding stimulus is found in magnitude estimations of loudness. This produces a bias in the empirical psychophysical function that results in underestimation of the exponent of the unbiased function presumed to relate number and stimulus intensity, N = aSn. The biased judgment can be represented as a power product of focal and preceding stimulus intensity, Nij= aS m Sj b. A bias-free estimate of the correct exponent, n, can be obtained from the relation n = m + b.
Topography of the retinal projection upon the superior colliculus of the cat.

Abstract The distribution of receptive field locations in the visual field was determined for the entire surface of the superior colliculus of anesthetized cats by recording impulse discharges in the superficial layers with microelectrodes. A reconstruction of the visual projection reveals an alinear binocular topography with marked expansion of the representation of the area centralis. At the rostral pole, a small zone displays a separate contralateral projection from the temporla retina (nasal field) containing monocularly excited units with distinctive properties. For the remainder of the colliculus. homonymous points in the visual field for each hemiretina overlap, with a tendency for contralateral dominance. A bilateral projection of the retinal area concerned with central vision may be related to the evolutionary acquisition of an uncrossed optic pathway.
In-plane aligned superconducting Tl0.78Bi0.22Sr1.6Ba0.4Ca2Cu3O9 films on rolling assisted biaxially textured substrates

Abstract In-plane aligned superconducting Tl 0.78 Bi 0.22 Sr 1.6 Ba 0.4 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 9 ((Tl,Bi)-1223) films on R olling A ssisted Bi axially T extured S ubstrates (RABiTS) with J c of 4.25×10 5 A/cm 2 at 77 K and zero-field have been synthesized by laser ablation and post-ablation annealing. The as-ablated films were amorphous due to the low substrate temperature during ablation. The amorphous films were then wrapped together with an unfired Tl 0.95 Bi 0.22 Sr 1.6 Ba 0.4 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 9 pellet in silver foil. The whole package was finally annealed in a tube furnace at 780–810°C for 40–60 min in flowing argon to crystallize the films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that the annealed films consist of mainly c -axis aligned (Tl,Bi)-1223 phase with a small amount of (Tl,Bi)-1212 phase. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) values of XRD peaks show that both phases are epitaxial, with in-plane and out-of-plane alignments comparable to those of the underlying Ni and buffer layers (CeO 2 and YSZ). Four-probe transport measurements showed superconducting transition temperatures ( T c s) of 105–109 K depending on the annealing conditions. With external magnetic field applied parallel to the c -axis, irreversibility magnetic fields reached beyond 3 T at 77 K and beyond 5 T at 64 K.
Preparation and characterization of nanosized nickel oxide

Nanosized nickel oxide was synthesized by a simple liquid-phase process to obtain the hydroxide precursor and then calcined to form the oxide. The precursor and the nickel oxide were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermal analysis (TG) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). The results indicated that the particle size of nickel oxide was controlled by the calcined temperature (TC). Mixed phases of nickel oxide and nickel hydroxide were present as the TC was lower than 300 °C. Non-stoichiometric nickel oxide (NiO x , x = 1.2) was formed between 250 °C and 400 °C and a pure nickel oxide was formed as the TC arrived 500 °C. The particle size of nickel oxide changed as the calcined temperature was controlled under 250 °C, 300 °C, 400 °C and 500 °C, the order was 5.6 nm, 6.5 nm, 11 nm and 17 nm, respectively.
Anisotropic channel flow of fiber suspensions

The two-dimensional flow of fiber suspensions in a straight channel is numerically studied by using a rheological model for anisotropic fluids. The fibers are assumed to be rigid cylindrical bodies with negligible inertia. Considering the suspension as a homogeneous medium, the orientation field is described by a fourth-order tensor which relates velocity gradients to bulk stresses generated by the fibers. The orientation evolution equation for the fourth-order orientation tensor is implemented using a sixth-order quadratic approximation that satisfies the required tensorial symmetry. The final form of the equations presents a convenient and tractable model for spatially nonuniform flows. This constitutive model is used to analyze the flow field resulting from the introduction of randomly oriented fibers in a fully developed channel flow. Before the steady conditions are obtained, significant transients in the velocity and orientation fields are observed up to several channel widths downstream. The two-dimensional orientation and velocity fields are presented for a number of cases corresponding to different fiber concentrations and aspect ratios.
An examination of male and female attitudes toward career and family issues

This paper presents the results of a study designed to investigate attitudes toward various career and family issues. The sample for the study consists of 240 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in business courses. Results indicate differences in men's and women's perceptions of such issues as employer and government support for child care, parental responsibility, traditionally defined sex roles, and the impact of nonwork issues on work effectiveness. Gender differences were also evident in decisions made by study participants in response to several career-family scenarios developed by the researchers.
Evaluation of laser ablation of knee cartilage as an alternative to microfracture surgery: pilot investigations

An emerging clinical treatment option for articular cartilage injury includes bone marrow stimulation techniques, such as microfracture, which has grown increasingly popular among athletes. During the microfracture procedure, the surgeon penetrates the subchondral bone with an awl and creates "microholes" deep enough to ensure bleeding from the bone marrow. This procedure triggers a spontaneous repair response that results in the formation of fibrocartilaginous repair tissue. This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the potential use of femtosecond lasers and Erbium:YAG lasers as alternatives to microfracture surgery of the knee by assessing the effects of ablation on bovine femoral condyles. Bovine femoral condyles were obtained and 8mm cube blocks were extracted. The specimen were ablated with various laser dosimetry parameters and observed using a high power dissecting microscope to examine the effects of the lasers. Further imaging with conventional histology (hematoxylin and eosin staining) was done to provide more accurate information. Preliminary results show some carbonization but demonstrate little thermal damage to surrounding tissues. The femtosecond laser offers a more precise and efficient ablation than the Erbium:YAG laser, but both are demonstrated to be possible alternatives to the surgical-skill dependent microfracture procedure.
Particles, 4-vector solitons, and the modified Dirac equations

Abstract If one takes as given that particles are solitons, the nature of those solitons is investigated along with form of the Dirac equations interpreted as scattering equations. The mathematical structure of 4-vector Bessel functions suggests a 4-vector generalization of the sine-Gordon equation as a possible nonlinear soliton equation. It is also found that the Dirac equations are not suitable as inverse scattering equations as normally given. A set of modified Dirac equations are proposed which replace the point scalar mass with a 4-vector mass-energy potential function which must satisfy a solition equation.
Spiral CT: use in the evaluation of chest masses in the critically ill neonate

The radiologic evaluation of neonatal chest masses may be carried out with a number of different imaging modalities, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. While it is necessary clinically to rapidly and accurately diagnose these lesions, this may be difficult when the neonate is critically ill. We report the use of spiral (helical) CT (SCT) scanning with reconstructed images to diagnose chest masses in two critically ill neonates undergoing oscillating ventilation. We describe the technique used to image the masses and compare this technique with other available imaging modalities.
Downsized Weather Satellite Program on track, but uncertainty remains

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) was downsized after a review that was required when the program far exceeded its budget and schedule. A year later, NPOESS—a major civilian and military weather satellite program—appears to be proceeding well with its new schedule and budget. However, whether the program will remain on track is uncertain. In July 2006, NPOESS was scaled back from six satellites in three orbits to four satellites in two orbits, and several climate and space weather sensors were cancelled (see Eos 87(25), 2006). Since then, NOAA and NASA held an internal review to determine which of the cancelled climate sensors were most important and to develop recommendations to ensure continuity of those data sets (the December 2006 internal white paper has now been posted at http://www.climatesciencewatch.org).
Subexponential-complexity exact sequence detection in the presence of frequency and phase uncertainty

The problem of joint data detection and frequency/phase estimation is considered in this work. The traditional belief regarding exact generalized-likelihood-based joint detection and estimation is that its complexity is exponential in the sequence length N. This belief is justified due to the memory imposed on the transmitted sequence by the lack of knowledge of the auxiliary channel parameters. In this paper, we show that the exact solution can be performed with O(N/sup 5/) worst-case complexity regardless of the operating signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, based on the exact solution, we propose an approximate algorithm with O(N/sup 3/) complexity and demonstrate its performance through simulations.
Tension-type headache

#### Summary points Tension-type headache is a neurological disorder characterised by a predisposition to attacks of mild to moderate headache with few associated symptoms. The diagnosis is based on the history and examination. Over the past few decades research on headache has centred on migraine, and much of the best quality evidence for the treatment of tension-type headache is decades old. Some consensus based treatment guidelines are available (see Additional Educational Resources box towards the end of this article). Treatment has changed little over the past two decades. Many patients self treat acute attacks and seek advice when attacks become frequent or chronic. This review focuses on how to identify and manage patients who require medical advice about acute attacks and preventive treatment to minimise further attacks. Box 1 summarises the criteria for tension-type headache outlined in the second revision of the international classification of headache disorders, in which such headache is classified according to whether it is episodic or chronic and whether muscle tenderness is present.1 #### Box 1 Diagnostic criteria for tension-type headache*
A knowledge-based orientation potential for transcription factor-DNA docking

Motivation: Computational modeling of protein–DNA complexes remains a challenging problem in structural bioinformatics. One of the key factors for a successful protein–DNA docking is a potential function that can accurately discriminate the near-native structures from decoy complexes and at the same time make conformational sampling more efficient. Here, we developed a novel orientation-dependent, knowledge-based, residue-level potential for improving transcription factor (TF)-DNA docking. Results: We demonstrated the performance of this new potential in TF–DNA binding affinity prediction, discrimination of native protein–DNA complex from decoy structures, and most importantly in rigid TF–DNA docking. The rigid TF–DNA docking with the new orientation potential, on a benchmark of 38 complexes, successfully predicts 42% of the cases with root mean square deviations lower than 1 A and 55% of the cases with root mean square deviations lower than 3 A. The results suggest that docking with this new orientation-dependent, coarse-grained statistical potential can achieve high-docking accuracy and can serve as a crucial first step in multi-stage flexible protein–DNA docking. Availability and implementation: The new potential is available at http://bioinfozen.uncc.edu/Protein_DNA_orientation_potential.tar. Contact: jguo4@uncc.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Intravenous estrogens increase insulin clearance and action in postmenopausal women.

To test the hypothesis that estrogens alter insulin action, we evaluated the effects of intravenous conjugated estrogens (CE) on insulin-stimulated steady-state glucose infusion rate (SSGIR) and su...
Tim-2 regulates T helper type 2 responses and autoimmunity

Identification of the T cell immunoglobulin mucin-domain containing (Tim) gene family introduced a new family of cell surface molecules that is involved in the regulation of immune responses. We previously demonstrated that Tim-3 is expressed on terminally differentiated T helper (Th)1 cells, and serves to regulate Th1 immune responses. Here, we describe the identification and function of Tim-2, a novel member of the Tim gene family. In contrast with Tim-3, we demonstrate that Tim-2 is expressed preferentially in differentiated Th2 cells. Blockade of the Tim-2/Tim-2 ligand interaction, by administration of soluble Tim-2 fusion protein (Tim-2 immunoglobulin [Ig]), results in T cell hyperproliferation and the production of Th2 cytokines. Administration of Tim-2 Ig during the induction phase reduces the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a Th1-mediated autoimmune disease model of multiple sclerosis. We propose that Tim-2, an orthologue of human Tim-1, is critical for the regulation of Th2 responses during autoimmune inflammation.
Self-Reported Energy Intake by Age in Overweight and Healthy-Weight Children in NHANES, 2001–2008

OBJECTIVE: Variation in energy intake by weight status at different ages may explain inconsistencies in previous research on energy intake and obesity. Therefore, our objective was to determine the relationship between reported daily energy intake and categorized weight status across childhood. METHODS: We examined dietary reports of children ages 1 to 17 years by using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001–2008 ( N = 12 648). Using measured height and weight, we categorized weight status based on weight-for-length percentile (age RESULTS: Weight status and age both have positive associations with self-reported energy intake. However, the interaction between weight and age demonstrates a negative effect throughout childhood, such that young obese/overweight children reported consuming significantly more calories and obese/overweight adolescents reported consuming fewer calories than their same-age healthy-weight peers. CONCLUSIONS: In a nationally representative cross-sectional sample, overweight and obese girls older than 7 years and boys older than 10 years reported consuming fewer daily calories than their healthy-weight peers. One explanation for this would be that increased energy intake in early childhood is related to the onset of obesity, but other mechanisms, such as differences in energy expenditure, may contribute more to maintaining obese/overweight status through adolescence.
Primary cilia control hedgehog signaling during muscle differentiation and are deregulated in rhabdomyosarcoma

The primary cilium acts as a cellular antenna, transducing diverse signaling pathways, and recent evidence suggests that primary cilia are important in development and cancer. However, a role for cilia in normal muscle development and rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) has not been explored. Here we implicate primary cilia in proliferation, hedgehog (Hh) signaling, and differentiation of skeletal muscle cells. Cilia and Hh signaling are highly dynamic during the differentiation of myoblasts. We show that cilia are assembled during the initial stages of myogenic differentiation but disappear as cells progress through myogenesis, concomitant with the destruction of proteins critical for cilia assembly and shortly after the Hh effector, Gli3, leaves the cilium. Importantly, we show that ablation of primary cilia strongly suppresses Hh signaling and myogenic differentiation while enhancing proliferation. Interestingly, our data further indicate that both cilia assembly and Hh signaling are deregulated in RMS, and cilia respond to Hh ligand in certain subsets of RMS cells but not others. Together, these findings provide evidence for an essential role for both primary cilia assembly and disassembly in the control of Hh signaling and early differentiation in muscle cells. We suggest that the temporally orchestrated destruction of centrosomal and ciliary proteins is a necessary antecedent for removal of the primary cilium and cessation of Hh signaling during myogenic differentiation. Additionally, our results further stratify RMS populations and highlight cilia assembly and disassembly as potential RMS drug targets.
Hobbes: optimized gram-based methods for efficient read alignment

Recent advances in sequencing technology have enabled the rapid generation of billions of bases at relatively low cost. A crucial first step in many sequencing applications is to map those reads to a reference genome. However, when the reference genome is large, finding accurate mappings poses a significant computational challenge due to the sheer amount of reads, and because many reads map to the reference sequence approximately but not exactly. We introduce Hobbes, a new gram-based program for aligning short reads, supporting Hamming and edit distance. Hobbes implements two novel techniques, which yield substantial performance improvements: an optimized gram-selection procedure for reads, and a cache-efficient filter for pruning candidate mappings. We systematically tested the performance of Hobbes on both real and simulated data with read lengths varying from 35 to 100 bp, and compared its performance with several state-of-the-art read-mapping programs, including Bowtie, BWA, mrsFast and RazerS. Hobbes is faster than all other read mapping programs we have tested while maintaining high mapping quality. Hobbes is about five times faster than Bowtie and about 2-10 times faster than BWA, depending on read length and error rate, when asked to find all mapping locations of a read in the human genome within a given Hamming or edit distance, respectively. Hobbes supports the SAM output format and is publicly available at http://hobbes.ics.uci.edu.
Noise robust speech coding at very low bit rates

We propose a new method for noise robust encoding of speech at very low bit rates. The method constitutes an extension to common speech-recognition/speech-resynthesis schemes, which have become feasible in recent years due to advances in speech recognition and artificial speech synthesis. Most such methods, however, suffer from a significant performance degradation in acoustic environments with background noise. Our proposed procedure is novel since speech enhancement capabilities are built directly into the coding paradigm. Denoising and coding are accomplished jointly by utilizing a statistical description of the parameter space of an underlying speech model (i.e. speech inventory). We conducted experiments with a dedicated speaker in acoustic environments with a signal-to-noise ratio of 10dB. The proposed method was able to improve the perceptual quality of the encoded speech signal by 30% in PESQ measure at an average rate of just under 1.5 kbit/sec.
Effects of androstenedione on in utero development in rats

This study was conducted to characterize the effect of androstenedione on estrous cyclicity, mating behavior and fetal development. Thirty-day old rats received corn oil alone or androstenedione (in corn oil) at one of four concentrations (0, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0 or 30.0 mg/kg body weight) by gavage for two weeks prior to mating, during the mating period and throughout gestation. Dose related increases in serum androstenedione, estradiol and estrone were observed in all androstenedione treated animals at gestation day 20. A statistically significant increase in serum testosterone concentration was observed in the 30 mg/kg dose group. Feed and fluid consumption were not affected by androstenedione treatment during the pre-mating or gestational periods, however a statistically significant decrease in the number of females with regular estrous cycles was observed in the 10.0 and 30.0 mg/kg dose groups. Exposure to androstenedione did not affect mean body weight gain during pre-mating or gestation. Slight not statistically significant reductions in the number of implants, number of viable fetuses and number of viable male fetuses were observed in the 30.0 mg/kg androstenedione group. Reductions were not observed in the number of corpora lutea. Fetal growth in terms of fetal weight, crown-rump length, anogenital distance and the number of external abnormalities was not affected by androstenedione exposure. At the doses given, androstenedione had no specific effect on the development of individual bones, including sternebrae. Dose related effects of androstenedione were not observed on the development of soft tissues. A statistically significant increase in moderately enlarged ureter at the kidney was observed in both the 1.0 and 5.0 mg/kg dose groups. Organ weights (expressed per gram of body weight or per gram of brain weight) were not affected by androstenedione treatment.
The Pharmacology of microbial Modulation in the Induction and Expression of Immune Reactivities

Human life and development are marked by encounters with an infinite range of potentially injurious and destructive microbial agents and their products. Of the various defense systems that establish and sustain homeostasis against such agents and stimuli, this review emphasizes those that involve (1) elements that manage first encounters—the inflammatory response, and (2) elements that utilize experience on reencounters—the specific immune response. These systems, or defense functions, are anatomically, biochemically, and physiopharmacologically interrelated and interdependent. Each is in continuous interplay with elements of the internal milieu of the host as well as with elements of the host’s environment and, therefore, closely linked with neurohumoral defense mechanisms.
Characterization of heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate resistance, MIC and accessory gene regulator (agr) dysfunction among clinical bloodstream isolates of staphyloccocus aureus

The development of hVISA has been associated with vancomycin clinical failures and is commonly misidentified in clinical microbiology laboratories. Therefore, the objectives of this present study was to improve the reliability of methodologies and criteria for identifying hVISA, evaluate the prevalence of hVISA among clinical bloodstream isolates of S. aureus and determine if there exists a relationship between accessory gene regulator (agr) dysfunction and the hVISA phenotype. The presence of hVISA in 220 clinical S. aureus isolates (121 MSSA, 99 MRSA) from bloodstream infections was examined by CLSI broth microdilution, Macro & Standard Etest. Isolates which were classified as hVISA by Macro Etest, were additionally evaluated using a modified PAP-AUC method using a modified starting inoculum of 1010 CFU/mL, and growth on brain heart infusion agar with 4 mg/L vancomycin (BHIV4) at 108 and 1010 CFU/mL, and agr function was assessed by delta-hemolysin production. Broth microdilution MIC50/90 of S.aureus and hVISA was 1.0/2.0 and 1.5/2.0 mg/L (p= 0.02), respectively. Macro Etest identified 12 (5.5%) hVISA isolates; higher among MRSA (9.1%) versus MSSA (2.5%) (p = 0.03). The mean modified PAP-AUC ratios (> 0.8) of 7 MRSA strains and 3 MSSA strains were significantly different (p = 0.001). 58% of hVISA strains were found to be agr dysfunctional when 21% of MRSA strains were agr dysfunctional. hVISA was detected among S. aureus bloodstream isolates, which were classified as susceptible among clinical microbiology laboratories. Evaluating the correlation between Etest MICs and modified PAP-AUC ratio values will add further improvement of discriminating hVISA, and agr dysfunction may be predictive of strains which display a greater predilection to display the hVISA phenotype.
Impacts of electronic publication

This PDF file contains the editorial “Impacts of electronic publication” for JM3 Vol. 8 Issue 02
Accounting Ethics Education: An Interactive Approach

An interactive and technological approach was used to discuss ethics with accounting students. Students responded anonymously to ethics questions using wireless transmitters. The students’ responses were shown to the group. A customized DVD of movie scenes from “The Producers” and “Wall Street” and a still picture of Enron’s Code of Ethics were used to engage students in discussion. The procedures, the technology, and the benefits of the approach are presented.
Comparative analysis of eukaryotic-type protein phosphatases in two streptomycete genomes

Inspection of the genomes of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) and Streptomyces avermitilis reveals that each contains 55 putative eukaryotic-type protein phosphatases (PPs), the largest number ever identified from any single prokaryotic organism. Unlike most other prokaryotic genomes that have only one or two superfamilies of eukaryotic-type PPs, the streptomycete genomes possess the eukaryotic-type PPs that belong to four superfamilies: 2 phosphoprotein phosphatases and 2 low-molecular-mass protein tyrosine phosphatases in each species, 49 Mg(2+)- or Mn(2+)-dependent protein phosphatases (PPMs) and 2 conventional protein tyrosine phosphatases (CPTPs) in S. coelicolor A3(2), and 48 PPMs and 3 CPTPs in S. avermitilis. Sixty-four percent of the PPs found in S. coelicolor A3(2) have orthologues in S. avermitilis, indicating that they originated from a common ancestor and might be involved in the regulation of more conserved metabolic activities. The genes of eukaryotic-type PP unique to each surveyed streptomycete genome are mainly located in two arms of the linear chromosomes and their evolution might be involved in gene acquisition or duplication to adapt to the extremely variable soil environments where these organisms live. In addition, 56 % of the PPs from S. coelicolor A3(2) and 65 % of the PPs from S. avermitilis possess at least one additional domain having a putative biological function. These include the domains involved in the detection of redox potential, the binding of cyclic nucleotides, mRNA, DNA and ATP, and the catalysis of phosphorylation reactions. Because they contained multiple functional domains, most of them were assigned functions other than PPs in previous annotations. Although few studies have been conducted on the physiological functions of the PPs in streptomycetes, the existence of large numbers of putative PPs in these two streptomycete genomes strongly suggests that eukaryotic-type PPs play important regulatory roles in primary or secondary metabolic pathways. The identification and analysis of such a large number of putative eukaryotic-type PPs from S. coelicolor A3(2) and S. avermitilis constitute a basis for further exploration of the signal transduction pathways mediated by these phosphatases in industrially important strains of streptomycetes.
In Vivo Analysis of Cobinamide Salvaging in Rhodobacter sphaeroides Strain 2.4.1

The genome of Rhodobacter sphaeroides encodes the components of two distinct pathways for salvaging cobinamide (Cbi), a precursor of adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl, coenzyme B12). One pathway, conserved among bacteria, depends on a bifunctional kinase/guanylyltransferase (CobP) enzyme to convert adenosylcobinamide (AdoCbi) to AdoCbi-phosphate (AdoCbi-P), an intermediate in de novo AdoCbl biosynthesis. The other pathway, of archaeal origin, depends on an AdoCbi amidohydrolase (CbiZ) enzyme to generate adenosylcobyric acid (AdoCby), which is converted to AdoCbi-P by the AdoCbi-P synthetase (CobD) enzyme. Here we report that R. sphaeroides strain 2.4.1 synthesizes AdoCbl de novo and that it salvages Cbi using both of the predicted Cbi salvaging pathways. AdoCbl produced by R. sphaeroides was identified and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography and bioassay. The deletion of cobB (encoding an essential enzyme of the de novo corrin ring biosynthetic pathway) resulted in a strain of R. sphaeroides that would not grow on acetate in the absence of exogenous corrinoids. The results from a nutritional analysis showed that the presence of either CbiZ or CobP was necessary and sufficient for Cbi salvaging, that CbiZ-dependent Cbi salvaging depended on the presence of CobD, and that CobP-dependent Cbi salvaging occurred in a cbiZ+ strain. Possible reasons why R. sphaeroides maintains two distinct pathways for Cbi salvaging are discussed.
Medical origins of psychiatric emergencies: the systems approach.

Nowhere else in the discipline of Psychiatry is the use of medical model differential diagnosis more relevant than in the evaluation of the psychiatric emergency. This article discusses the psycho-physiological states that present clinically as psychiatric emergencies.
The economic costs of childhood poverty in the United States

This paper attempts to estimate the aggregate annual costs of child poverty to the US economy. It begins with a review of rigorous research studies that estimate the statistical association between children growing up in poverty and their earnings, propensity to commit crime, and quality of health later in life. We also review estimates of the costs that crime and poor health impose on the economy. Then we aggregate all of these average costs per poor child across the total number of children growing up in poverty in the United States to obtain our estimate of the aggregate costs of the conditions associated with childhood poverty to the US economy. Our results suggest that these costs total about $500 billion per year, or the equivalent of nearly 4% of gross domestic product (GDP). More specifically, we estimate that childhood poverty each year: (1) reduces productivity and economic output by an amount equal to 1.3% of GDP, (2) raises the costs of crime by 1.3% of GDP, and (3) raises health expenditures ...
Core-shell structured poly(glycidyl methacrylate)/BaTiO3nanocomposites prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization: A novel material for high energy density dielectric storage

Core-shell structured barium titanate-poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (BaTiO3-PGMA) nanocomposites were prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of GMA from the surface of BaTiO3 nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the grafting of the PGMA shell on the surface of the BaTiO3 nanoparticles cores. Transmission Electron Microscopy results revealed that BaTiO3 nanoparticles are covered by thin brushes (∼20 nm) of PGMA forming a core-shell structure and thermogravimetric analysis results showed that the grafted BaTiO3-PGMA nanoparticles consist of ∼13.7% PGMA by weight. Upon incorporating these grafted nanoparticles into 20 μm-thick films, the resultant BaTiO3-PGMA nanocomposites have shown an improved dielectric constant (e = 54), a high breakdown field strength (∼3 MV/cm) and high-energy storage density ∼21.51 J/cm3. AC conductivity measurements were in good agreement with Jonscher's universal power law and low leakage current behavior was observed before the electrical breakdown field of the films. Improved dielectric and electrical properties of core-shell structured BaTiO3-PGMA nanocomposite were attributed to good nanoparticle dispersion and enhanced interfacial polarization. Furthermore, only the surface grafted BaTiO3 yielded homogenous films that were mechanically stable. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 719–728
Details of the Potential Energy Surface for the Reaction Y + H2CCO: A Crossed-Beams Study

The reaction of ground-state Y (a 2D) atoms with ketene (H2CCO) was studied at two collision energies, 22.7 and 10.4 kcal/mol. At both collision energies, four competing processes were observed corresponding to formation of YCH2, YCCO, YCHCO (with elimination of CO, H2, and H, respectively), and nonreactive scattering. The endoergicity of the YCHCO + H product channel was 10.5 ± 2.0 kcal/mol, leading to D0(Y−CHCO) = 93.4 ± 2.0 kcal/mol. Product branching ratios measured at both collision energies show formation of YCH2 + CO to be dominant. The trend in branching ratios as a function of collision energy, combined with center-of-mass distributions obtained through fits to the experimental data and analogies to the Y + H2CO system, allows a qualitative description of relevant features of the Y + H2CCO potential energy surface.
Surface Microstructural Evolution of Ultrathin films by Real time Spectroscopic Elupsometry

Vapor deposition of smooth, microstructurally uniform amorphous films on dissimilar substrates requires coalescence of clusters that form during initial nucleation. We have developed techniques that provide sub-monolayer sensitivity to this phenomenon, relying on real time spectroscopie ellipsometry observations during ultrathin film growth (thicknesses < 50 A). An investigation of tetrahedrally-bonded amorphous semiconductors lends insights into the role of nucleation density and adatom surface diffusion in determining the ultimate atomic-scale roughness on the film.
The Impact of Broker Vernacular in Residential Real Estate

Real estate brokers develop their own sense of style and methods for entering listings into the MLS. Anecdotally, they may have their own take on what works and what does not, but there is very lit...
The Origin and Inception of Fatigue in Steel — A Probabilistic Model

This paper presents a simple model to simulate the fatigue behavior of materials. The model consists of a system of parallel springs, each with a non-linear stress-deformation behavior. The applied stress is modeled as a random variable. Using a probabilistic analysis, the system is subject to a series of stress applications. Upon each stress application, a certain number of springs fail. When a sufficiently large number of springs fail, the entire system is considered to have failed. The number of stress cycles corresponding to this condition is considered to represent the fatigue life. This system’s behavior is similar to fatigue damage accumulation in materials and fatigue failure. The description of the model is presented in the paper along with a numerical illustration to demonstrate its applicability. The paper also discusses the areas where the model can be further developed to obtain a broader understanding of the fatigue behavior of materials.