cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural Variant Prediction in Extended Pedigrees Through Sparse Negative Binomial Genome Signal Recovery

Structural variants (SVs) are rearrangements, such as deletions, insertions, duplications, inversions, and translocations, in an individual’s genome relative to a reference. SV detection is often marred by high false positive rates due to errors in sequencing and mapping. In previous work, we proposed a maximum likelihood approach to SV prediction that incorporated low-coverage sequencing data and coverage distribution. In particular, we developed a negative binomial framework to reflect a more realistic representation DNA fragment distributions sampled from an individual’s genome. In this paper, we leverage relationships between an off spring and both parents, in addition to the negative binomial framework, to improve SV identification accuracy. We present numerical results on both simulated genomes as well as two sequenced parent-child trios from the 1000 Genomes Project.
Coordination of Loads for Ancillary Services With Fourier Domain Consumer QoS Constraints

Flexible loads can provide virtual energy storage (VES) by varying their demand around a baseline, just like charging and discharging a battery. Since the capacity of each load is small, the actions of many loads must be coordinated. We propose a decentralized coordination architecture to provide VES in the time-scale of minutes to hours. This is achieved through one-way broadcast from a balancing authority to all the loads, and local measurement of the grid frequency at each load. The local controller at a load uses a Model Predictive Control scheme which ensures consumers’ quality of service by constraining the Fourier transforms of the control signal (the demand variation). The algorithm has provable convergence and robustness (to measurement noise) guarantees. Simulation studies with IEEE 39-bus system are provided to show its performance under various scenarios.
3 Perceptual Development

Infants' perceptual systems are the primary means to acquire and interpret knowledge about events, objects, and people in the world around them. This chapter begins with discussion of theories of perceptual development and its consequences for children's cognitive and social development. We then discuss neural foundations of perception and the emergence and maturation of sensory systems before and after birth, followed by detailed sections on audition, vision, and intermodal perception. Throughout, we focus on questions of how the developing child extracts meaningful information from the sensory array—that is, how the observer detects, synthesizes, and interprets sensory input so as to yield perception of structured events and objects—and how effects of experience on perceptual development interact with developmental timing and what has already been acquired. We focus also on developmental mechanisms—growth, experience, and learning—and we examine as well the malleability, or plasticity, of perceptual systems during development. The chapter concludes with discussion of how different theoretical views may be reconciled in light of the developing child in a wider context. Keywords: audition; cognitive development; intermodal perception; neurobiological development; perceptual development; social development; theories of development; vision
Educating the Providers: CLS Educators Offer Their Expertise

An interprofessional activity designed to be constructive in developing a good relationship with Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) educators and healthcare providers was planned. Specifically, competency in performing and interpreting waived and moderate complexity laboratory tests accurately was discussed as an issue often viewed as a challenge by certain providers. Registered nurse practitioners (RNPs) from varied backgrounds and CLS educators worked together to overcome this challenge. CLS educators familiar with point-of-care testing provided a session for RNPs to review the basics of point-of-care test (POCT) performance and interpretation. These RNPs are typically distance education students attending contact sessions to fulfill requirements for their specialty practice. Lab testing procedures and interpretation of drug screens, strep and flu screens, urinalysis, and wet preps were reviewed and discussed in this session using a PowerPoint presentation, instrument demos and brief quizzes. The critical nature of quality control use with these tests was stressed to the RNPs. CLIA 988 was explained to illustrate the need for standardization of all lab testing from waived to high complexity testing. A brief questionnaire provided at the end of the presentation indicated overall attainment of the objectives including the provision of helpful information and clarification of issues regarding POCT performance and QC.
A new method for embedding predefined interfaces in finite elements

Abstract A new method for embedding predefined interfaces within an arbitrary finite element mesh is proposed and demonstrated. The algorithm for generating these predefined surfaces is detailed and subsequently applied to, but by no means limited to, masonry problems to demonstrate its efficacy. Within a given finite element, the initiation of fracture or slippage may occur simultaneously along a predefined interface and in the bulk of the element. In order to determine which surface is critical, we feature a criterion which aids in determining the correct surface upon which all further slippage due to fracture will occur. This interface method is cast in the framework of an enhanced strain finite element which is capable of capturing softening along an embedded strong discontinuity.
Quantification of the Humidity Effect on HR by Ion Leakage Assay

We describe a protocol to measure the contribution of humidity on cell death during the effector-triggered immunity (ETI), the plant immune response triggered by the recognition of pathogen effectors by plant resistance genes. This protocol quantifies tissue cell death by measuring ion leakage due to loss of membrane integrity during the hypersensitive response (HR), the ETI-associated cell death. The method is simple and short enough to handle many biological replicates, which improves the power of test of statistical significance. The protocol is easily applicable to other environmental cues, such as light and temperature, or treatment with chemicals.
Global Elimination of Chronic Hepatitis

Global Elimination of Hepatitis Chronic viral hepatitis is a public health hazard, leading to cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Vaccination, reduction of transmission, and med...
Oomycete metabarcoding reveals the presence of Lagenidium spp. in phytotelmata.

The oomycete genus Lagenidium, which includes the mosquito biocontrol agent L. giganteum, is composed of animal pathogens, yet is phylogenetically closely related to the well characterized plant pathogens Phytophthora and Pythium spp. These phylogenetic affinities were further supported by the identification of canonical oomycete effectors in the L. giganteum transcriptome. In this study, culture-independent, metabarcoding analyses aimed at detecting L. giganteum in bromeliad phytotelmata (a proven mosquito breeding ground) microbiomes were performed. Two independent and complementary microbial detection strategies based on the amplification of cox1 DNA barcodes were used and produced globally concordant outcomes revealing that two distinct Lagenidium phylotypes are present in phytotelmata. A total of 23,869 high quality reads were generated from four phytotelmata, with 52%, and 11.5% of these reads taxonomically associated to oomycetes, and Lagenidium spp., respectively. Newly designed Lagenidium-specific cox1 primers combined with cloning/Sanger sequencing produced only Lagenidium spp. sequences, with a majority of variants clustering with L. giganteum. High throughput sequencing based on a Single Molecule Real Time (SMRT) approach combined with broad range cox1 oomycete primers confirmed the presence of L. giganteum in phytotelmata, but indicated that a potentially novel Lagenidium phylotype (closely related to L. humanum) may represent one of the most prevalent oomycetes in these environments (along with Pythium spp.). Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that all detected Lagenidium phylotype cox1 sequences clustered in a strongly supported, monophyletic clade that included both L. giganteum and L. humanum. Therefore, Lagenidium spp. are present in phytotelmata microbiomes. This observation provides a basis to investigate potential relationships between Lagenidium spp. and phytotelma-forming plants, and reveals phytotelmata as sources for the identification of novel Lagenidium isolates with potential as biocontrol agents against vector mosquitoes.
Effect of Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon Signal on Operational Performance Measures at the Mid-block Location and Adjacent Signalized Intersection

Pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB) signals, formerly known as High-intensity Activated crossWalK (HAWK) signals, are used at mid-block crosswalk locations to assist pedestrians safely cross high traffic volume/high-speed/multi-lane roads. The PHB signals help decrease pedestrian crashes and increase their safety. However, interrupting the flow of traffic and bringing vehicles to a complete stop at mid-block crosswalk locations could increase delay and reduce operational performance, in particular, along coordinated signal corridors. The reduction in the operational performance may extend to downstream and upstream intersections, making it overall operationally ineffective. This study focuses on evaluating the effect of PHB signals on operational performance measures at the mid-block crosswalk location as well as the adjacent signalized intersection. VISSIM traffic microsimulation software was used to compute the delay and maximum queue length at three different PHB signal locations and their adjacent signalized intersections in Charlotte, North Carolina. The effect of an increase in pedestrian volume and traffic volume on delay and maximum queue length at each PHB signal location and adjacent signalized intersection was studied. Further, the effect of the distance between a PHB signal location and the nearest signalized intersection on delay and maximum queue length was also studied. The findings indicate that a PHB signal location nearer to a signalized intersection has a significant effect on delay and maximum queue length at the signalized intersection. As the distance of the PHB signal location from the signalized intersection increases, delay decreases. Further, an increase in the pedestrian volume and traffic volume will increase delay and maximum queue length at the PHB signal location and adjacent signalized intersection only up to some extent.
No evidence for early fitness penalty in glyphosate-resistant biotypes of Conyza canadensis: Common garden experiments in the absence of glyphosate.

Strong selection from herbicides has led to the rapid evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds, greatly complicating weed management efforts worldwide. In particular, overreliance on glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp®, has spurred the evolution of resistance to this herbicide in ≥40 species. Previously, we reported that Conyza canadensis (horseweed) has evolved extreme resistance to glyphosate, surviving at 40× the original 1× effective dosage. Here, we tested for underlying fitness effects of glyphosate resistance to better understand whether resistance could persist indefinitely in this self-pollinating, annual weed. We sampled seeds from a single maternal plant ("biotype") at each of 26 horseweed populations in Iowa, representing nine susceptible biotypes (S), eight with low-level resistance (LR), and nine with extreme resistance (ER). In 2016 and 2017, we compared early growth rates and bolting dates of these biotypes in common garden experiments at two sites near Ames, Iowa. Nested ANOVAs showed that, as a group, ER biotypes attained similar or larger rosette size after 6 weeks compared to S or LR biotypes, which were similar to each other in size. Also, ER biotypes bolted 1-2 weeks earlier than S or LR biotypes. These fitness-related traits also varied among biotypes within the same resistance category, and time to bolting was inversely correlated with rosette size across all biotypes. Disease symptoms affected 40% of all plants in 2016 and 78% in 2017, so we did not attempt to measure lifetime fecundity. In both years, the frequency of disease symptoms was greatest in S biotypes and similar in LR versus ER biotypes. Overall, our findings indicate there are no early growth penalty and possibly no lifetime fitness penalty associated with glyphosate resistance, including extremely strong resistance. We conclude that glyphosate resistance is likely to persist in horseweed populations, with or without continued selection pressure from exposure to glyphosate.
Comparison of survival of stage I-III colon cancer by travel distance and hospital volume.

Previous studies have demonstrated improved outcomes at high-volume colorectal surgery centers; however, the benefit for patients who live far from such centers has not been assessed relative to local, low-volume facilities. The 2010–2015 National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for patients with stage I–III colon adenocarcinoma undergoing treatment at a single center. A ‘local, low-volume’ cohort was constructed of 12,768 patients in the bottom quartile of travel distance at the bottom quartile of institution surgical volume and a ‘travel, high-volume’ cohort of 11,349 patients in the top quartile of travel distance at the top quartile of institution surgical volume. In unadjusted analysis, patients in the travel cohort had improved rates of positive resection margins (3.7% vs. 5.5%, p < 0.001), adequate lymph-node harvests (92% vs. 83.6%, p < 0.001), and 30- (2.2% vs. 3.9%, p < 0.001) and 90-day mortality (3.7% vs. 6.4%, p < 0.001). On multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for patient demographic, tumor, and facility characteristics, the cohorts demonstrated equivalent overall survival (HR: 0.972, p = 0.39), with improved secondary outcomes in the ‘travel’ cohort of adequate lymph-node harvesting (OR: 0.57, p < 0.001), and 30- (OR 0.79, p = 0.019) and 90-day mortality (OR 0.80, p = 0.004). For patients with stage I–III colon cancer, traveling to high-volume institutions compared to local, low-volume centers does not convey an overall survival benefit. However, given advantages including 30- and 90-day mortality and adequate lymph-node harvest, nuanced patient recommendations should consider both these differences and the unquantified benefits to local care, including cost, travel time, and support systems.
Investigation of VO 2 Thin Film Grown on III-Nitride Epitaxial Layer

VO 2 film was incorporated with GaN microcantilevers, and proved to be highly sensitive detector to detect acoustic waves at resonance frequency, but the VO 2 film was not of very high quality. In order to produce high quality VO 2 mesa to be used for microcantilevers, VO 2 thin films were synthesized using low pressure chemical vapor deposition technique (LPCVD) on AlGaN/GaN epitaxial layer on Si (111) substrate, and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine their material quality. Electrical and optical imaging methods were also used as characterization methods to determine the changes in properties due to the metal-insulator transition (MIT) of VO 2 . Resistance transition ratio before and after MIT transition was found to be > 1100, which indicates high quality of the material, suitable for a variety of sensing applications. Optical images taken before, during and after transition clearly indicate reflectivity changes caused by the MIT transition.
A Letter Highlighting Matrix Mapping in Minimal 4D, ${\mathbf {\cal N}}$ = 1 On-Shell Supermultiplet Representations

On the basis of comparing eigenvalues of an operator ${\hat {\mathbf{\cal C}}}{}^{({\cal R})}$, that proved useful in distinguishing how off-shell 4D, $\cal N$ = 1 supermultiplets become off-shell 4D, $\cal N$ = 2 supermultiplets, the double tensor supermultiplet is shown to be radically different for other known multiplets. This suggests difficulties, if not impossibilities, to embed it into an off-shell structure.
CACO-2 cells: A continuous cell line with sensitive and broad-spectrum utility for respiratory virus culture.

BACKGROUND: Primary rhesus monkey kidney cells (RhMK) can be used for the detection of respiratory viruses, including influenza and parainfluenza. The human colon adeno-carcinoma cell line, CACO-2, has been previously used for the growth of multiple influenza viruses, including seasonal, novel and avian lineages. OBJECTIVE: We compared CACO-2, Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK), and RhMK cells for the isolation of viruses from patients presenting with influenza like-illness (ILI). STUDY DESIGN: Nasopharyngeal specimens from patients with ILI in primary care settings were processed for conventional viral culture in MDCK, RhMK, and CACO-2. Cells were examined microscopically for cytopathic effect (CPE) and confirmatory testing included immunofluorescent antigen (IFA) detection and real-time RT-PCR. Additionally, 16 specimens positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by PCR were inoculated on CACO-2 cells. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test with IBM Statistical Program. RESULTS: Of 1031 respiratory specimens inoculated, viruses were isolated and confirmed from 331 (32.1 %) in MDCK cells, 304 (29.5 %) in RhMk cells, and 433 (42.0 %) in CACO-2 cells. These included influenza A/(H1N1)pdm09, influenza A(H3N2), influenza B, parainfluenza virus (PIV) types 1, 2, and 3, human coronavirus 229E (CoV-229E), human adenovirus (HAdV), herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV 1), and enterovirus (EV). Influenza A viruses grew best in the CACO-2 cell line. Time to observation of CPE was similar for all three cell types but unlike RhMK and MDCK cells, virus-specific morphological changes were indistinguishable in CACO-2 cells. None of the 16 specimens positive for RSV by PCR grew on CACO-2 cells. CONCLUSIONS: The overall respiratory virus culture isolation rate in CACO-2 cells was significantly higher than that in RhMK or MDCK cells (p < 0.05). CACO-2 cells also supported the growth of some viruses that did not grow in either RhMK or MDCK cells. Except for RSV, CACO-2 cells provide a worthwhile addition to culture algorithms for respiratory specimens.
On Keynes’s Formal Development of the Logical Theory of the Multiplier in the A Treatise on Probability in 1921: It Was Keynes Who Helped Kahn, Not Kahn Who Helped Keynes

Keynes had completely developed the Logical Theory of the Multiplier in his A Treatise on Probability in 1921 in chapter 26 on page 315 and in footnote 1 on page 315. This same analysis appears in his second, 1908, Fellowship Dissertation at Cambridge University. Keynes, however, had no interest in actually publishing a worked out application of the Logical Theory of the Multiplier where one would use arithmetic to actually calculate a worked out example of the process. As pointed out by Kent, Keynes did work out all of the arithmetic steps involved in the multiplier process in 1929, but also made an arithmetic error which he was not concerned with since he already knew that the Multiplier process was mathematically and logically airtight. Keynes left the actual presentation of the arithmetic of a completely worked out example of a Multiplier problem, which would be based on the Logical Theory of the Multiplier that he had already worked out in 1908 and 1921, to Kahn. The mathematics of the Investment multiplier, presented on pp. 114-115 of chapter 10 of the General Theory in 1936, is identical to the mathematics used by Keynes in both 1908 and 1921 with respect to his example involving a series of reinsurances aimed at shifting the risk. The main problem in the vast literature of the Keynesian Multiplier concept is that no economist was familiar with Keynes’s Risk model in chapter 26 of the A Treatise on Probability. The only economist in the 20th Century to take Keynes’s risk model seriously was Paul Samuelson in a paper published in 1977 in the Journal of Economic Literature. Unfortunately, Samuelson overlooked the footnote that contained Keynes’s worked out analysis in which he took the limit of a geometrical, infinite, declining series to arrive at a finite single number answer.
Rational Expectations Has No Foundation in Any Coherent, Existing Theory of Probability

The theory of rational expectations has no foundation in any extant theory of probability. None of the five existing theories of probability (Logical, Subjective, Classical, Propensity, and Limiting (relative) Frequency) lend any support at all to the Muthian conjecture that the subjective probability distributions are distributed about an objective, true probability distribution. This statement is incoherent and incomprehensible because in all subjective theories of probability there are no objective theories of probability, while in all objective theories of probability there are no subjective probability distributions.
Employee lactation: A review and recommendations for research, practice, and policy

Abstract Recent social justice movements call for an increased focus on workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. Given the large proportion of working mothers who return to work after having a baby, research about lactation, work, and human resources issues is sorely needed to increase knowledge and understanding of working and lactating mothers' needs so that they feel welcome, respected, and supported in the workplace. For mothers who feed their baby breastmilk, concurrently managing work responsibilities and lactation demands can be a substantial source of employee stress and can create work-family conflict. Research on workplace lactation across a variety of disciplines has increased over the past decade. As attention to lactation is slowly increasing in the management and organizational behavior literature, synthesizing research from other domains into the organizational and managerial sciences is a critical precursor to facilitating future research in the field as well as translating that research into meaningful action in organizations. We contribute to filling this gap, by reviewing and coalescing research across relevant domains, grounding it in extant theory, and offering a conceptual model suggesting the critical antecedents that facilitate employee lactation behaviors, and the work-related moderators that meaningfully impact those relationships. Finally, we offer recommendations to guide future research both methodologically and substantively so as to advance management theory and research surrounding employee lactation at work, and offer practical implications for organizations as well as for public policy.
The anomalous Zbb¯ couplings at the HERA and EIC

Abstract To resolve the long-standing discrepancy between the precision measurement of bottom quark forward-backward asymmetry at LEP/SLC and the Standard Model prediction, we propose a novel method to probe the Z b b ¯ coupling by measuring the single-spin asymmetry A e b of the polarized lepton cross section in neutral current DIS processes with a b-tagged jet at HERA and EIC. Depending on the tagging efficiency of the final state b-jet, the measurement of A e b at HERA can already partially break the degeneracy found in the anomalous Z b b ¯ coupling, as implied by the LEP and SLC precision electroweak data. In the first year run of the EIC, the measurement of A e b can already break the degeneracy, due to its much larger luminosity and higher electron beam polarization. With enough integrated luminosity collected at the EIC, it is possible to either verify or exclude the LEP data and resolve the A FB b puzzle. We also discuss the complementary roles between the proposed A e b measurement at EIC and the measurement of g g → Z h cross section at the HL-LHC in constraining the anomalous Z b b ¯ coupling.
Transvenous occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus in a domestic chicken (Gallus gallus).

Abstract A 2.5-year-old intact female Marans domestic chicken was presented for lethargy, open beak breathing, and hyporexia. Echocardiography noted left atrial and left ventricular enlargement and computed tomography angiography revealed a type III left-sided patent ductus arteriosus. Retrograde catheterization of the ductus was performed via percutaneous access of the right external jugular vein, and transvenous ductal occlusion was achieved using an 8-mm Amplatzer™ Vascular Plug 4. Transient bradycardia and hypotension occurred during right heart catheterization, which were successfully treated with atropine and epinephrine. A two-week follow-up postoperative cardiac computed tomography scan confirmed appropriate placement of the occluder within the ductus, and echocardiography demonstrated reduced left heart size. The chicken showed an improvement in clinical signs and remains apparently well six months after the intervention. This report describes the computed tomographic findings of a patent ductus arteriosus in an avian species, minimally invasive transvenous closure of this congenital anomaly with a low-profile occlusion device, and the associated challenges and considerations specific to cardiac intervention in an avian patient.
Phosphodiesterase regulation of alcohol drinking in rodents

Alcohol use disorders are chronically relapsing conditions characterized by persistent drinking despite the negative impact on one's life. The difficulty of achieving and maintaining sobriety suggests that current treatments fail to fully address the underlying causes of alcohol use disorders. Identifying additional pathways controlling alcohol consumption may uncover novel targets for medication development to improve treatment options. One family of proteins recently implicated in the regulation of alcohol consumption is the cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs). As an integral component in the regulation of the second messengers cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP, and thus their cognate signaling pathways, PDEs present intriguing targets for pharmacotherapies to combat alcohol use disorders. As activation of cAMP/cGMP-dependent signaling cascades can dampen alcohol intake, PDE inhibitors may provide a novel target for reducing excessive alcohol consumption, as has been proposed for PDE4 and PDE10A. This review highlights preclinical literature demonstrating the involvement of cyclic nucleotide-dependent signaling in neuronal and behavioral responses to alcohol, as well as detailing the capacity of various PDE inhibitors to modulate alcohol intake. Together these data provide a framework for evaluating the potential utility of PDE inhibitors as novel treatments for alcohol use disorders.
Models of Cyberinfrastructure-Based Enterprises and Their Engineering

The object of the analysis here is to understand how to simultaneously maximize the value to customer and the economy of scale, for enterprises that rely on knowledge workers and digital production factors. Cyber-infrastructure, in this study, is defined to be the fusion of information technology and information resources, including the elements that integrate persons and the environment with the enterprises. Computerized manufacturing, e-commerce/e-business, and on-demand business/services all represent the evolution of cyber-infrastructure-based/assisted enterprises. The evolution is analyzed to be driven by a new mode of micro-economical production function: the Output-Input Fusing paradigm. In this context, the value to client/customer is acquired with on-demand co-production, and the economy of scale is achieved through concurrent co-productions with the assistance of the cyber-infrastructure. Basic principles for planning such enterprises are derived from previous results. A “thought model” for the design, administration, and processing of the new cyber-infrastructure is presented. Particular new results, including a specific design for person-environment-enterprise interaction, are proposed.
A meaning-based approach to the study of complexity in L2 writing: The case of grammatical metaphor

Abstract This article argues for an alternative approach to complexity in L2 writing that foregrounds the link between aspects of linguistic complexity and its discourse-semantic function of constructing particular types of meanings in written texts. To illustrate a meaning- and form-integrating approach, the paper focuses on nominalizations as a linguistic form recently identified as a potentially significant indicator of complexity of advanced L2 writing. In line with the linguistic theory of meaning making, systemic functional linguistics (SFL), nominalizations are explored as realizations of grammatical metaphor (GM), a concept that helps capture the complexity of the semantic dimension of these linguistic forms. Furthermore, exploring nominalizations as GMs helps explain their discourse function as meeting the demands of more complex communicative tasks typical of advanced literacy contexts. Application of such conceptualization of complexity is illustrated by an analysis of an advanced L2 writing task that demonstrates precisely how nominalizations as GMs enable the L2 writer to meet the complexity of these demands through conceptual refiguration of experience and configuration or development of concepts in texts. The paper concludes with the implications of such an approach for L2 writing research, curriculum construction, and L2 writing pedagogy.
Ambivalent or Indifferent? Examining the Validity of an Objective Measure of Partisan Ambivalence

This article examines the validity of an objective measure of partisan ambivalence. More generally ; it draws attention to the idea that measurement is an active step taken by the researcher and therefore should be subjected to empirical examination. It is also argued that treating a variable at a higher level of measurement than warranted will cause a valid measure to cease to be so, and that the appropriate level of a variable is determined not by the underlying concept or the measurement procedure, but by the researcher. I demonstrate the measure examined can distinguish between various attitudinal states, but only at the nominal level. This is largely driven by individuals who offer no responses to open-ended questions, who are termed indifferent. Furthermore, different coding schemes result in different conclusions. For example, the finding that indifferent individuals are less likely to rely on partisanship than ambivalent individuals when evaluating candidates is obscured when treating the measure as interval. The findings suggest the measure should be coded to account for indifferent individuals, and that even well developed measures of clearly defined concepts need to be subjected to empirical examination. The measurement of key concepts is a subject of interest to methodologists and substantive researchers alike. The spotlight is justified: different measures of the same concept often lead to different conclusions; indeed, different coding of the same measure can be enough to alter conclusions. In particular, this article deals with an objective measure of partisan ambivalence and examines the appropriate level of measurement and how different coding schemes result in different substantive conclusions. More broadly, the article draws attention to the idea that measurement is an active step taken by the researcher. Thinking about measurement this way illuminates the fact that how one decides to measure a concept and code a variable are decisions that can influence results in exactly the same way that
Mixture of Distribution Hypothesis

We outline the mixture of distributions hypothesis as a means to explain heavy tails in financial time series. We discuss the hypothesis' historical roots, and present the most popular form of the hypothesis and its implications for modeling asset returns. Original contributions and modern extensions are cited. Keywords: mixtures of distributions; heavy tails; price–volume relationship
Plating on Titanium and Zirconium

Application of adherent coatings on titanium and zirconium alloys can be problematic because of the natural oxide surface film that readily reforms on these metals after being removed. However, in spite of this obstacle, procedures have been developed for applying adherent electroplates or vacuum coatings on these substrates. These methods were quantified by means of a ring shear test wherein cylindrical rods with thick coatings were forced through hardened steel dies. In addition to these data, some solid-state bonding applications for titanium alloys and Zircaloy-2 are reviewed.
Factors Influencing The Thermal Shock Behavior of Ceramics

The application of ceramics often requires resistance to tensile stresses developed by steep thermal gradients. Among the most popular test techniques to evaluate thermal stress/shock resistance is the down-quench test where the strength retained is determined after the sample is quenched from an elevated temperature into a fixed temperature bath. When the temperature difference is sufficient to cause a loss in strength, this temperature difference represents the critical temperature drop, ΔTc The thermal shock resistance becomes greater as ΔTc increases. However, heat conduction within the sample during quenching results in temperature (and surface tensile stresses) gradients that are less in thin samples as compared to thick samples. In fact, the ΔTc values for a given material will decrease and then reach or approach a constant value with increase in sample thickness.
The Value/Revenue Ratio: A Semi-Long-Wave Marketing/Accounting Metric

This paper investigates the performance of a metric that links two measures of critical importance in marketing and accounting. This metric is the market value/sales revenue ratio. We discover several surprising insights when this measure is applied to U.S. markets. First, the long run expected value of the ratio is one, which implies that both capital and product markets in the U.S. are efficient. Second, the time series behaviour of this metric may best be described as a semi-long-wave. It is not just a simple reflection of the movement in stock prices. Third, the VR ratio appears to qualify as a new economic indicator and structural industry variable that yields additional information about how stock and product markets interact. For these reasons, it appears to be a simple yet powerful example of marketing/accounting synergy.
Futures dossier: Toward picture-coded information systems

Abstract From the point of view of information theory, one page of detailed pictures, technical drawings or sophisticated cartoons contains several times more information than one page of printed text. Furthermore, from the point of view of logical types, a picture allows for simultaneous perception of all parts as well as a grasp of interrelations between parts. This enables the user to utilize non-sequential and contextual perceptual ability while verbal information can be processed only sequentially and part-by-part. Information coded into pictures, or pictorial letters consisting of pictorial parts is more efficient than information coded into alphabetic or phonetic letters. This article proposes picture-coded information systems.
Karma: be mindful of your actions

Purpose – This article is an encouragement to current and future business leaders and members of the corporate world to carefully scrutinize their ethical considerations and actions. It has become all too easy to find justifications for a hit and run mentality, which is the very foundation for the growing inequality in the world. Design/methodology/approach – A comparison of data gathered over the course of two years (six courses), captured in responses from workforce members in an MBA program to two moral-based questions. Findings – The data demonstrated that a consistent percentage (35 percent) seeks to justify selfish, unethical behavior. Research limitations/implications – The findings are based on a population of workers from a multitude of industries, yet within the same geographic and cultural setting. Even though this population represented a broad variation of ethnicities, the local culture may have influenced their moral views. It would be recommended to ask the two questions listed in this article in other cultures as well in order to compare findings. Practical implications – While 35 percent is not a majority, it is still a significant number, hence, a good reason for concern, as this is a population of future business leaders. Originality/value – The message in this article is presented through the acronym KARMA, in which each letter represents the initial of a critical point of consideration: kindness, attitude, responsibility, mindfulness, and actions.
Police, Vehicles & the Fourth Amendment – Part Two: Maryland Cases

This 20-page 2006 article is titled “Police, Vehicles, & Fourth Amendment: Maryland Cases.” It was published in The Trooper magazine. The article analyzes opinions of the Maryland appellate courts, addressing Fourth Amendment jurisprudence in the context of “cars, cops, and stops.” Topics include (1) “stop/detention” of a vehicle based on articulable suspicion that a felony has been committed, that a crime is about to be committed, or that a safety violation exists; (2) warrant execution; (3) search of a person and/or a vehicle based on consent; (4) frisk of a driver and/or passenger(s) and a search of the interior of the vehicle based on reasonable suspicion that a person is presently armed and dangerous; (5) search incident to a lawful arrest of a driver and/or passenger(s) arrested and a search of the interior of the vehicle as part of that “search incident”; (6) search of the entire vehicle, under the “automobile exception,” based on probable cause to believe that fruits, evidence, and/or instrumentalities of a crime are in the vehicle; and (7) inventory search of the entire vehicle. Also see “Police, Vehicles, & Fourth Amendment: Supreme Court Cases” at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1635904.
Conversion of Ethylene to Hydride and Ethylidyne by an Amido Rhenium Polyhydride

Reaction of (PNPCy)ReOCl2 (PNPCy = N(SiMe2CH2PCy2)2) with Mg and H2 yields (PNPCy)Re(H)4, whose unsaturation is demonstrated by its ability to add H2. “(PNPCy)ReH6” is an equilibrium mixture of a structure where all six H's are on Re and a structure where five H's are on Re and one H is on N. (PNPCy)Re(H)4 reacts with C2H4 within 10 min at 25 °C to give ethane and (PNPCy)ReH(⋮C−CH3), together with its ethylene adduct.
Carbon isotopic ratios of wetland and terrace soil sequences in the Maya Lowlands of Belize and Guatemala

Abstract This article provides new data and synthesizes earlier findings on the carbon isotope ratios of the humin part of soil organic matter from a range of sites in the central Maya Lowlands. Changes down the soil profile in carbon isotope ratios can provide an important line of evidence for vegetation change and erosion over time, especially in well dated aggrading profiles. Research thus far has provided substantial evidence for significant inputs from C4 vegetation in buried layers from the Ancient Maya periods in depositional soils but equivocal evidence from sloping soils. We present new findings from soil profiles through ancient Maya wetland fields, upland karst wetlands, ancient Maya aguadas (reservoirs), and ancient Maya terraces. Most of the profiles exhibited δ13C enrichment greater than the 2.5–3‰ typical from bacterial fractionation. Seven of nine ancient Maya wetland profiles showed δ13C enrichment ranging from 4.25 to 8.56‰ in ancient Maya-dated sediments that also contained phytolith and pollen evidence of grass (C4 species) dominance. Upland karst sinks and ancient reservoirs produced more modest results for δ13C enrichment. These seasonal wetland profiles exhibited δ13C enrichment ranging from 1 to 7.3‰ from the surface to ancient Maya-period sediments. Agricultural terraces produced mixed results, with two terraces having substantial δ13C enrichment of 5.34 and 5.66‰ and two producing only equivocal results of 1.88 and 3.03‰ from modern topsoils to Maya Classic-period buried soils. Altogether, these findings indicate that C4 plants made up c. 25% of the vegetation at our sites in the Maya Classic period and only a few percent today. These findings advance the small corpus of studies from ancient terraces, karst sinks, and ancient wetland fields by demonstrating substantial δ13C and thus C4 plant enrichment in soil profile sections dated to ancient Maya times. These studies are also providing a new line of evidence about local and regional soil and ecological change in this region of widespread environmental change in the Late Holocene.
Cardiolipin Switch in Mitochondria: Shutting off the Reduction of Cytochrome c and Turning on the Peroxidase Activity

Upon interaction with anionic phospholipids, particularly mitochondria-specific cardiolipin (CL), cytochrome c (cyt c) loses its tertiary structure and its peroxidase activity dramatically increases. CL-induced peroxidase activity of cyt c has been found to be important for selective CL oxidation in cells undergoing programmed death. During apoptosis, the peroxidase activity and the fraction of CL-bound cyt c markedly increase, suggesting that CL may act as a switch to regulate cyt c's mitochondrial functions. Using cyclic voltammetry and equilibrium redox titrations, we show that the redox potential of cyt c shifts negatively by 350−400 mV upon binding to CL-containing membranes. Consequently, functions of cyt c as an electron transporter and cyt c reduction by Complex III are strongly inhibited. Further, CL/cyt c complexes are not effective in scavenging superoxide anions and are not effectively reduced by ascorbate. Thus, both redox properties and functions of cyt c change upon interaction with CL in t...
Tumor Progression Locus-2 Is a Critical Regulator of Pancreatic and Lung Inflammation during Acute Pancreatitis

Pancreatic and lung inflammation during acute pancreatitis is a poorly understood, but clinically important, phenomenon. The proto-oncogene Tpl2 (tumor progression locus-2) has recently been shown to have important immunomodulatory effects on some inflammatory processes, but its importance to pancreatitis has not been previously examined. Our studies were designed to (a) define the effects of Tpl2 on pancreatic and lung inflammation during pancreatitis and (b) identify mechanisms and cell types responsible for those effects. We examined pancreatitis-associated Tpl2 effects in wild type and Tpl2-/- mice subjected to either secretagogue-induced or bile salt-induced pancreatitis. To determine the myeloid or non-myeloid lineage of cells responsible for the Tpl2 effects, we used Tpl2-/- chimeric mice generated by lethal irradiation followed by bone marrow transplantation. Mechanisms responsible for the effects of Tpl2 ablation on caerulein-induced proinflammatory events were evaluated under in vivo and in vitro conditions using the techniques of electrophoretic mobility shift assay, immunoblot analysis, and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. We found that Tpl2 ablation markedly reduced pancreatic and lung inflammation in these two dissimilar models of pancreatitis, but it did not alter pancreatic injury/necrosis in either model. The reduction in caerulein-induced pancreatic inflammation is dependent upon Tpl2 ablation in non-myeloid cells and is associated with both in vivo and in vitro inhibition of MEK, JNK, and AP-1 activation and the expression of MCP-1, MIP-2, and interleukin-6. Non-myeloid cell expression of Tpl2 regulates pancreatic inflammation during pancreatitis by mediating proinflammatory signals and the generation of neutrophil chemoattracting factors.
Mössbauer study of the thermal decomposition of FeS2 in coal

Abstract The Mossbauer effect has been used to study the transformations of FeS2 in four different coals: IL No. 6, Ky 9 14 , Blacksville No. 2, and Powhatan No. 5. The transformations of FeS2 in the coals were studied in an inert atmosphere. It was observed that the pyrrhotites formed from FeS2 have a considerable reduction in the isomer shift at 440 °C as compared to the values obtained in the absence of coal. This effect is associated with the interaction of the pyrrhotites with the coal constituents at high temperatures. There is also a significant line-broadening at 440 °C. This broadening is due either to vacancy motion in the iron sulphides and/or to motional broadening due to particle motion in the coal-derived liquids. The percentage conversion of pyrite to pyrrhotite depends markedly on time as well as type of coal. The weathering of the coal has a detrimental effect on the rate of conversion of pyrite to pyrrhotite. The ferrous sulphate layers covering the pyrite particles hinder the removal of sulphur from that surface. The major factor affecting the Fe S ratio is the total amount of sulphur available for H2S formation. Partial H2S pressure is the crucial quantity controlling the stoichiometry of the pyrrhotites. Hence, a high percentage of H2S in the reactor at high temperature will assure the formation of pyrrhotites with a high number of metal vacancies.
Asthma and farm exposures in a cohort of rural Iowa children.

Epidemiologic studies of farm children are of international interest because farm children are less often atopic, have less allergic disease, and often have less asthma than do nonfarm children—fin...
Direct Deposition and Assembly of Gold Colloidal Particles Using a Nanofountain Probe

We report the direct delivery and assembly of negatively charged gold colloidal particles atop positively charged amino-terminated silicon oxide surfaces using a nanofountain atomic force microscopy probe. The experimental results and fluid simulations indicate that the flow of nanoparticles is confined to the core tip region of the probe. This leads to the assembly of high-resolution submicron patterns (200 nm) on the substrate with feature sizes dependent on the tip-substrate contact time. A diffusion mechanism for the patterning is proposed and discussed.
Pharmacokinetics of Aztreonam in Healthy Elderly and Young Adult Volunteers

Aztreonam is a monobactam exhibiting an antibacterial spectrum similar to that of the aminoglycosides, with activity against aerobic gram-negative bacilli, and is the only related drug that may be given to patients hypersensitive to beta-lactams. The pharmacokinetics of aztreonam were compared in two groups of healthy volunteers. The young group comprised 10 adults between the ages of 18 and 30 years, and the elderly group included 10 adults older than 65 years of age. The two groups each received two doses (1 and 2 g) aztreonam, separated by 1 week. Although the mean peak serum concentrations of aztreonam for the two groups were similar, there were differences in other pharmacokinetic parameters. For example, for the 2-g dose the mean half-life (1.8 +/- .51 versus 3.1 +/- .9 hour), and area under the curve (AUC) (294.42 +/- 64.08 versus 469.01 +/- 144.02 micrograms x hour/mL per 1.73 m2) were less for the younger group compared with the elderly group. The mean total body clearance of aztreonam was greater for the younger than the elderly group. The results were similar to the pharmacokinetic parameters derived from the 1-g dose. These results mirror the lower creatinine clearances and higher serum creatinine levels found in the elderly group. The data suggest that lower doses of aztreonam given at less frequent intervals may be appropriate in the elderly population.
Dental care use and self-reported dental problems in relation to pregnancy.

Objectives. We examined the relationships between risk factors amenable to intervention and the likelihood of dental care use during pregnancy. Methods. We used data from the Washington State Department of Health’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Results. Of the women surveyed, 58% reported no dental care during their pregnancy. Among women with no dental problems, those not receiving dental care were at markedly increased risk of having received no counseling on oral health care, being overweight, and using tobacco. Among women who received dental care, those with dental problems were more likely to have lower incomes and Medicaid coverage than those without dental problems. Conclusions. There is a need for enhanced education and training of maternity care providers concerning oral health in pregnancy.