cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The N-terminal BTB/POZ Domain and C-Terminal Sequences Are Essential for Tramtrack69 to Specify Cell Fate in the Developing Drosophila Eye

The BTB/POZ (broad complex Tramtrack bric-a-brac/Pox virus and zinc finger) domain is an evolutionarily conserved protein-protein interaction motif. Many BTB-containing proteins are transcriptional regulators involved in a wide range of developmental processes. However, the significance of the BTB domain in development has not been evaluated. Here we present evidence that overexpression of the Tramtrack69 (Ttk69) protein not only blocks neuronal photoreceptor differentiation but also promotes nonneuronal cone cell specification in early Drosophila eye development. We show that the BTB domain is essential for Ttk69 function and single amino acid changes in highly conserved residues in this domain abolish Ttk69 activity. Interestingly, the Ttk69 BTB can be substituted by the BTB of the human Bcl-6 protein, suggesting that BTB function has been conserved between Drosophila and humans. We found that the Ttk69 BTB domain is critical for mediating interaction with the Drosophila homolog of C-terminal-binding protein (dCtBP) in vitro, and dCtBP(-) mutations genetically interact with ttk69. Furthermore, the C-terminal region downstream of the DNA-binding zinc fingers is shown to be essential for Ttk69 function. A dCtBP consensus binding motif in the C terminus appears to contribute to Ttk69 activity, but it cannot be fully responsible for the function of the C terminus.
A Global View of Non-Gaussian SST Variability

The skewness and kurtosis of daily sea surface temperature (SST) variations are found to be strongly linked at most locations around the globe in a new high-resolution observational dataset, and are analyzed in terms of a simple stochastically forced mixed layer ocean model. The predictions of the analytic theory are in remarkably good agreement with observations, strongly suggesting that a univariate linear model of daily SST variations with a mixture of SST-independent (additive) and SST-dependent (multiplicative) noise forcing is sufficient to account for the skewness–kurtosis link. Such a model of non-Gaussian SST dynamics should be useful in predicting the likelihood of extreme events in climate, as many important weather and climate phenomena, such as hurricanes, ENSO, and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), depend on a detailed knowledge of the underlying local SSTs.
Stochastic Analysis of Pesticide Transport in the Shallow Groundwater of Oatland Island, Georgia, USA

Analytical models, when used in stochastic analysis mode, may provide an effective tool for making informed management decisions for simplified environmental systems. This approach was used to evaluate migration of an organochlorine pesticide plume in a shallow, unconfined aquifer underlying a barrier island in coastal Georgia, USA. The contaminant plume at the site consists of four isomers of benzene hexachloride (BHC), also known as hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH). The deterministic analysis conducted at the site, which used calibrated, single-value input parameters, indicates that the contaminant plume will not reach wetlands that are downgradient of the source. Given the uncertainties involved in the deterministic analysis, this outcome was not considered to be sufficient to make effective management decisions at the site. Subsequently, probabilistic analysis using a range of input parameter values was conducted to estimate the risk that the pesticide plume would reach the downgradient wetlands. The two-stage Monte Carlo analysis that was conducted indicates the probability that contaminant levels will exceed the detection limit of BHC (0.044 micrograms per liter) at the wetlands increases from 1 percent to a maximum of 13 percent during the period 2005–2065. This represents an 87% or greater confidence level that the pesticide plume will not reach the wetlands. This outcome was used to inform environmental management decisions at the site. The modeling analysis was conducted using the publicly available analytical contaminant transport analysis system (ACTS) software.
EVOLUTION OF SEXUAL DICHROMATISM. 2. CAROTENOIDS AND MELANINS CONTRIBUTE TO SEXUAL DICHROMATISM IN NEW WORLD ORIOLES (ICTERUS SPP.)

Abstract Several recent studies have investigated how different proximate mechanisms of color production contribute to sexual dichromatism. These studies suggest that carotenoid pigments—which are frequently subject to sexual selection—are more strongly associated with sexual dichromatism than melanins. This reasoning implicitly assumes that increased male elaboration leads to sexual dichromatism. However, sexual dichromatism can be generated through multiple evolutionary pathways, including decreases in female elaboration. We examined whether evolutionary changes in carotenoid- and melanin-based plumage were correlated within New World orioles (Icterus spp.), a genus in which male elaboration is ancestral and only female elaboration varies. We found a significant correlation between evolutionary changes in the degree of carotenoid and eumelanin sexual dichromatism. These findings differ from those of previous comparative studies and suggest the possibility of interesting differences when different evolut...
Shear-zone thickness and the seismicity of Chilean- and Marianas-type subduction zones

Chilean-type convergent margins have many large (M > 7.6) earthquakes, whereas Marianas-type ones do not. This dichotomy is enigmatic if the plate interface is viewed as a thin frictional decollement, whereas it becomes understandable if it is viewed as a relatively thick, sediment-filled shear zone, which thins or thickens arcward depending on subduction speed and sediment supply. Chilean-type margins have thick trench fills, and their shear zones generally thin arcward from inlets as much as several thousand metres high, the most pronounced thinning being located near backstops. Tall (up to several kilometres) seamounts are subducted essentially intact to relatively great depths and confining pressures before jamming into the roof of the channel and becoming seismogenic asperities. Their near-basal ruptures can generate large thrust-type earthquakes, mainly concentrated in seismic fronts near backstops. Marianas-type margins, in contrast, have thin trench fills, and their shear zones generally thicken arcward from inlets that can be as little as 300 m high. Seamounts are truncated near the inlet at low confining pressures and generate only small earthquakes. After passing the inlet, they do not touch the roof and therefore cannot generate large earthquakes. A similar mechanism may explain seismic gaps at sediment-poor regions of subduction zones.
Flavonoids activate pregnane × receptor-mediated CYP3A4 gene expression by inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinases in HepG2 liver carcinoma cells

Background The expression of the drug-metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is regulated by the pregnane × receptor (PXR), which is modulated by numerous signaling pathways, including the cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) pathway. Flavonoids, commonly consumed by humans as dietary constituents, have been shown to modulate various signaling pathways (e.g., inhibiting Cdks). Flavonoids have also been shown to induce CYPs expression, but the underlying mechanism of action is unknown. Here, we report the mechanism responsible for flavonoid-mediated PXR activation and CYP expression.
The evolution of a test process for spacecraft software

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory formed an embedded software group in 2001. In addition to defining the process for developing and testing flight software, the group had to quickly apply those new processes to a series of four different spacecraft missions from 2001 through the present. The paper describes the evolution of the software testing approach for embedded flight software during this time. After a brief description of the four spacecraft missions, this paper presents our initial approach to testing and how that approach changed with each mission, as our resources were overextended and our schedules were compressed. The final section of the paper presents the changes that we believe had the most significant impact on our testing efforts and our proposed test approach for the next mission.
Translational regulation of GluR2 mRNAs in rat hippocampus by alternative 3′ untranslated regions

The glutamate receptor 2 (GluR2) subunit determines many of the functional properties of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate subtype of glutamate receptor. The roles of untranslated regions (UTRs) in mRNA stability, transport, or translation are increasingly recognized. The 3' end of the GluR2 transcripts are alternatively processed to form a short and long 3'UTR, giving rise to two pools of GluR2 mRNA of 4 and 6 kb in length, respectively, in the mammalian brain. However, the role of these alternative 3'UTRs in GluR2 expression has not been reported. We demonstrate that in the cytoplasm of rat hippocampus, native GluR2 mRNAs bearing the long 3'UTR are mostly retained in translationally dormant complexes of ribosome-free messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP), whereas GluR2 transcripts bearing the short 3'UTR are predominantly associated with actively translating ribosomes. One day after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE), the levels of both long and short GluR2 transcripts were markedly decreased in rat hippocampus. However, GluR2 mRNAs bearing the long 3'-UTRs were shifted from untranslating mRNP complexes to ribosome-containing complexes after SE, pointing to a selective translational derepression of GluR2 mRNA mediated by the long 3'UTR. In Xenopus oocytes, expression of firefly luciferase reporters bearing alternative GluR2 3'UTRs confirmed that the long 3'UTR is sufficient to suppress translation. The stability of reporter mRNAs in oocytes was not significantly influenced by alternative 5' or 3'UTRs of GluR2 over the time period examined. Overall, our findings that the long 3'UTR of GluR2 mRNA alone is sufficient to suppress translation, and the evidence for seizure-induced derepression of translation of GluR2 via the long 3'UTR strongly suggests that a regulatory signaling mechanism exists that differentially targets GluR2 transcripts with alternative 3'UTRs.
Epidemiology of the Insulin Resistance Syndrome

The insulin resistance syndrome consists of the co-occurrence of metabolic risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, including overall obesity, central obesity, dyslipidemia (characterized by elevated levels of triglycerides and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), hyperglycemia, and hypertension. Using criteria proposed by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III, national survey data suggest the insulin resistance syndrome is very common, affecting about 24% of US adults aged greater than 20 years. The syndrome is more common in older people and in Mexican Americans, and will increase in prevalence as populations age and become more obese. Identification of the syndrome warrants aggressive interventions known to prevent type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, including weight reduction, increased physical activity, and control of hypertension and dyslipidemia.
SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VISUALIZATION OF GASES AND VAPOURS IN AIR USING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY. NUMERICAL STUDIES

Numerical studies were performed to evaluate a new method for human exposure assessment and source monitoring, based upon optical remote sensing (ORS) and computed tomography (CT). With an ORS-CT system, two-dimensional maps of chemical concentrations in air, with good spatial and temporal resolution, can be created over a confined space such as a workplace room. The ORS-CT system was evaluated using 15 simulated test maps that model the generation and dispersion of contaminant plumes over time. A program simulated field measurements from these maps assuming different remote sensing scan times. Using these measurements, reconstructed maps were generated and compared with original maps. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to evaluate the effect on reconstruction quality of sample time, number of iterations used by the maximum likelihood expectation maximization reconstruction algorithm and sample density. For this study, scanning an entire room in 10 min was adequate for exposure evaluation, source monitoring and leak detection.
Meniscal tears of the knee: accuracy of detection with fast spin-echo MR imaging and arthroscopic correlation in 293 patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging strategy that uses primarily fast spin-echo (SE) sequences for the diagnosis of meniscal tears. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The original clinical interpretations of MR images in 293 patients who underwent imaging for suspected internal derangement of a knee joint were correlated with results from subsequent arthroscopy. MR examination included a double-echo fast SE sequence as the only imaging in the sagittal plane. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity for 143 confirmed tears of the medial meniscus were 89% and 84%, respectively, while the values for 96 confirmed tears of the lateral meniscus were 72% and 93%. These values are within the ranges of values recently reported for imaging strategies relying predominantly on conventional SE sequences. CONCLUSION: Fast SE imaging of the knee can be an alternative to conventional SE imaging for the detection of meniscal tears.
Colloidal Silica Films as Substrates for High Density DNA Arrays

Two processes for depositing colloidal silica films that can be used as high surface area substrates for DNA arrays are presented. The films boost the hybridization signal above that obtainable from the same lateral area of a “flat” array. In the first process, colloidal silica is deposited directly from solution. In the second, a templating technique is introduced to give added control over the pore size and porosity of the film. Polymer latex is co -deposited with the silica and then pyrolyzed, resulting in larger pores and higher porosity. Both types of films are tested for functional performance with DNA arrays and show promising results.
Oxidation of AU-SI Alloy Films

We have investigated silicon oxide formation on co-deposited Au-Si alloy films at low temperatures. Alloy compositions spanning the Au-Si binary phase diagram have been examined. It was found that alloys with compositions above 40 at. % Au were most efficient in promoting oxide formation. These results are compared with the Au on Si sample configuration where Si is transported through the Au before oxidizing. The possibility of using alloys to form Au lines with a self passivating oxide coating after patterning and oxidation is discussed.
BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY IN THE PARTHENOGENETIC GRASSHOPPER WARRAMABA VIRGO (KEY) AND ITS SEXUAL RELATIVES. II. THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN TAXA.

The genus Warramaba is a complex of seven species of morabine grasshoppers (Eumastacidae, Morabine) occurring in southern Australia. This complex includes W. virgo (Key) (formerly Moraba virgo), a parthenogenetic species reproducing by obligate thelytoky, and six sexually reproducing taxa. All but one of the latter are taxonomically undescribed and carry the code designations of the Australian National Insect Collection, i.e., W. picta Key, P196, P169, P152, P125 and P188. The geographic distribution of this complex of species is highly disjunct. Only the parthenogenetic form occurs in eastern Australia but it is widely distributed. About 30 clones are known primarily occurring in the sandy areas of New South Wales and northern Victoria. In this region, virgo is associated with three different species of Acacia which is the primary food plant. Additional clones of virgo were recently discovered in Western Australia with an approximate 1000 mile break in the distribution between the clones in eastern and western Australia. No intermediate clones are known between Broken Hill, N. S.W., and Kalgoorlie, W. A. Further, the six sexually reproducing taxa are confined to Western Australia. In eastern Australia, the parthenogenetic species has been extensively studied cytogenetically (White et al., 1963; White, 1966; White and Webb, 1968; Webb and White, 1975), electrophoretically (Wilks, 1973) and morphometrically (Atchley, 197 7a). However, the western Australian populations of virgo and the sexual species have not been studied although preliminary cytogenetic analyses have been carried out on some of the species (White and Webb, 1966; White et al., 1973). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to extend a series of morphometric analyses on the parthenogenetic grasshopper Warramaba virgo (Key) to the parthenogenetic and sexually reproducing taxa occurring in Western Australia. In the analyses reported here, we are interested in 1 ) ascertaining the relative morphometric divergence and variability in the parthenogenetic species W. virgo and a closely related sexually reproducing species; 2) providing a mechanism to discriminate between virgo and the closely related species P196; and 3) elucidating the phenetic relationships among the various virgo group taxa.
Hegel's Theory of Modern Bureaucracy

I make three contentions. First, Hegel's theory of bureaucracy is as comprehensive as Weber's ideal type of bureaucratic organization. I argue this by making a sociological reformulation of Hegel's model and comparing it with the Weberian paradigm. Second, Hegel adapts the Aristotelian category of practical judgment in characterizing the bureaucratic activity as subsumption. This characterization is contrary to the dominant view that bureaucracy embodies mere instrumental rationality and solves some difficulties in Hegel's political thought. Third, Hegel's conceptualization can contribute to a liberal theory of bureaucracy that apprehends modern political reality more adequately than the skepticism of classical liberals and contemporary libertarians about bureaucratic organization.
LOCAL GENE DISPERSAL IN PHLOX.

The local population ideally is composed of an aggregation of organisms sharing in a common gene pool and exchanging genes freely (Wright, 1931, 1943a, 1949). Such freedom, however, rarely is achieved in nature, for the dispersal of genes is highly leptokurtic (Dobzhansky and Wright, 1943, 1947; Bateman, 1947a, 1950; Griffiths, 1950; Colwell, 1951). Within a local population of outbreeding organisms, this form of gene dispersal leads to the formation of a series of overlapping panmictic units referred to as "neighborhoods" (Wright, 1940, 1943a, 1946). Knowledge of the neighborhood structure of plant and animal populations is meager. In animals, neighborhood studies have been conducted only on Drosophila (Dobzhansky and Wright, 1941, 1943, 1947), Cepaea (Lamotte, 1951) and Sceloporus (Kerster, 1964). In plants neighborhood investigations have dealt almost exclusively with wind-pollinated trees including Fraxinus, Pseudotsuga, Populus, Ulmus, Picea, Cedrus (J. Wright, 1953) and Pinus (Bannister, 1965); a notable exception is the work on the entomophilous, annual herb, Linanthus parryae (Wright, 1943b). To the authors' knowledge, the neighborhood structure of populations of perennial herbs has never been determined. The work discussed below was undertaken to fill this void. The purpose of this paper is to consider intrapopulation gene dispersal and the type of neighborhood engendered by the dispersal pattern in the self-incompatible, perennial herb, Phlox pilosa L. Phlox pilosa is one of the most highly diversified species in the genus, and has evolved a series of subspecies and races fitting its ecologically diversified area (Wherry, 1930, 1955; Levin and Smith, 1965). The species is a conspicuous element of the spring flora of mesic prairies and open woodlands throughout much' of the eastern United States. Colonies of P. pilosa contain from tens to thousands of individuals, and often display marked exomorphic variation. Pollination is performed by an array of insects, the Lepidoptera being especially suited for the task (Grant and Grant, 1965). Seed-set in natural populations is about 40%, i.e., the triovulate capsule yields an average of 1.2 seeds (Levin and Kerster, 1967a). Seeds are ripened during the early summer and scattered by the force of the dehiscing capsule; there are no special mechanisms for longdistance dispersal. Neighborhood determinations were made on three colonies in Cook County, Illinois. The colonies inhabited undisturbed sand prairies, and each was composed of several thousand plants which occupied an area in excess of 1000 M2. Colony designation (I, II, III) is assigned on the basis of density, colony I being the most dense. Data on pollen and seed dispersal and density were collected from each colony, and synthesized for neighborhood calculations.
Thermal therapy of pancreatic tumours using endoluminal ultrasound: Parametric and patient-specific modelling.

AbstractPurpose: The aim of this study is to investigate endoluminal ultrasound applicator configurations for volumetric thermal ablation and hyperthermia of pancreatic tumours using 3D acoustic and biothermal finite element models. Materials and methods: Parametric studies compared endoluminal heating performance for varying applicator transducer configurations (planar, curvilinear-focused, or radial-diverging), frequencies (1–5 MHz), and anatomical conditions. Patient-specific pancreatic head and body tumour models were used to evaluate feasibility of generating hyperthermia and thermal ablation using an applicator positioned in the duodenal or stomach lumen. Temperature and thermal dose were calculated to define ablation (> 240 EM43 °C) and moderate hyperthermia (40–45 °C) boundaries, and to assess sparing of sensitive tissues. Proportional-integral control was incorporated to regulate maximum temperature to 70–80 °C for ablation and 45 °C for hyperthermia in target regions.Results: Parametric studies ...
Preparation and Interrogation of Vibronic Coherences in Condensed Media: I2 Isolated in Condensed Rare Gases

Time domain measurements using chirped pulses, and frequency domain spectroscopy of I2 isolated in rare gas solids is exploited to connect experimental observables to molecular dynamics through semiclassical simulations.
Acetabular Center Axis Registration Is More Relevant to Impingement in Navigated Hip Replacement

Introduction: Current pelvic plane software is not accurate and do not address normal acetabular center axis that has minimum impingement and maximum stability relation with femur in navigated THA Methods: A retrospective study of 137 consecutive THA, comparing ACA and APP registration data with postoperative pelvic CT, independently measuring acetabular and cup inclination and version. APP registration points were anterior superior iliac spines and symphysis pubis. Computer identifies preoperative ACA as ‘zero’ after averaging superior, anterior and posterior rim points of registration of acetabulum. Reaming and cup orientation is kept within 4 mm of ACA or within 5 degrees of inclination and anteversion of APP software to avoid impingement. Results: Of 134/137 eligible subjects, mean CT acetabular version = 19°(S.D. ± 5.9), ACA = 19° (S.D. ± 7.6), APP = 14.5°(S.D. ± 6.9), and CT Cup version = 22.9°(S.D. ± 9.4), ACA = 23.0°(S.D. ± 8.4) (p = 0.89), and APP = 12.7°(S.D. ± 12.1) (p = 0.0002 denoting APP inferiority to CT). However, CT inclination angles of APP and ACA showed no statistical difference). Reamer and Cup Center was maintained within 2 mm of ACA in 127(95%) cases (mean Harris score (H.S.) at 6 months = 96.14, range 91.2–100). 7 cases were more than 2 mm off center of the acetabulum of which 4 were more than 4 mm (3% with mean HS = 75.98, range 48–85). Conclusion: Unlike software that relies on points outside acetabulum, ACA provides both accurate cup orientation and identifying cup center in relation to acetabular center of rotation minimizing impingement in THA. Cups with good inclination and version angles may continue to impinge with lower Harris score because their orientation was more than 2 mm away from the center of acetabular axis. ACA concept will accurately add to our knowledge of the ideal acetabular cup position, helping surgeons to decrease the risk of impingement that results in dislocation, and unexplained pain.
Proportionality and the Relevance of Rights

It is now well known that proportionality-based balancing has become the dominant approach to the judicial review of legislation that limits constitutional rights. But has proportionality outgrown rights? In other words, are specific constitutional rights — as opposed to, say, a general right to proportional treatment — necessary, or desirable, once courts have adopted proportionality analysis? This issue animates the debate between Professors Luc Tremblay and Matthias Klatt in the International Journal of Constitutional Law. In this comment, I weigh in on the Tremblay/Klatt debate, and make a case for the continued relevance of rights in proportionality balancing.
Multimedia Networking: Digital image coding

Image compression is the application of data compression techniques to two-dimensional digital images I(x, y) , to reduce the redundancy of the image data for storage or transmission in an efficient form. Image compression can be classified into two categories: lossless or lossy. Lossless compression, which achieves smaller compression ratios than lossy compression, mainly takes advantage of the image contents containing a non uniform probability distribution for a variable-length representation of the image pixels. Such images include technical drawings, icons or comics, and high-value contents such as medical imagery or image scans made for archival purposes. However, lossy compression methods, especially when they achieve a very high compression ratio, can introduce compression artifacts. Nevertheless, lossy compressions are especially suitable for natural images, such as photos, in applications where a minor (sometimes imperceptible) loss of fidelity is acceptable when it is desirable to achieve a substantial reduction in bitrate. Most of the stateof-the-art image compression standards use a combination of lossy and lossless algorithms to achieve the best performance. The Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) [1], a discrete cosine transform(DCT)-based technique, is the most widely used standardized lossy image compression mechanism; it was designed for compressing either full-color or gray-scale images of natural, real-world, scenes. It works well for photographs, naturalistic artwork and similar material if the compression ratio is about 20 : 1, which is much better than the 4 : 1 compression ratio provided by a lossless compression method such as the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) [2]. However, it does not work so well for lettering, simple cartoons, or line drawings.
Diversity of Serratia marcescens Strains Associated with Cucurbit Yellow Vine Disease in Georgia

Cucurbit yellow vine disease (CYVD), caused by the squash bug (Anasa tristis)-transmitted bacterium Serratia marcescens, was first identified in Oklahoma and Texas in 1988 and in Georgia in 2012. S. marcescens is a highly diverse species found in many ecological niches. In previous studies, CYVD strains of S. marcescens formed a closely related group separate from non-CYVD strains based on biological and molecular characterization techniques. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of six housekeeping genes and repetitive elements-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) using the BOX and ERIC primers were used to assess the genetic diversity of CYVD strains of S. marcescens collected in Georgia together with a strain from Texas and seven non-CYVD strains of S. marcescens. rep-PCR results revealed genetic diversity among CYVD strains while MLSA results showed a 100% similarity across the six loci for all but one of the CYVD strains, which differed at the icd locus by five polymorphisms. For both methods, CYVD strains clustered separately from nonplant-pathogenic S. marcescens strains and were most similar to a rice endophyte strain. One CYVD strain isolated from a squash bug shared genetic similarities with non-CYVD strains, and may be the result of a recombination event between CYVD and non-CYVD strains.
Breath-Holding Spells, Erythroblastopenia, & Iron

An 8-month-old boy with a 1-month history of breath-holding spells and erythroblastopenia is reported from the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, CA.
Corrigendum to Climate Change Impacts on Maize-yield Potential in the Southwestern United States: [Procedia Environmental Sciences (2015) 279–280]

The authors regret for the typo error in the co-author's name. The name is Robert Walko and not Rovert Walko. The authors apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused.
Using Empirical Results to Validate Performance Standards

Standard setting extends the interpretations of scores by adding a standards-based inference (from test scores to performance levels) to the interpretation/use argument (IUA) for the underlying score scale. For standards-based interpretations and uses to be valid, this additional inference needs to be justified. The supporting evidence can be procedural, internal, and criterion-based. Criterion-based evidence is especially important in high-stakes contexts, where the standards tend to be contentious. Standards are inherently judgmental, and therefore, to some extent, arbitrary. The arbitrariness can be reduced to some extent by employing empirical relationships (e.g., dosage-response curves) to estimate upper and lower bounds on the cut score. In evaluating standards, the question is not whether we got it right, but rather, whether the decisions based on the cut scores are reasonable, broadly acceptable, and have mostly positive consequences (which outweigh any negative consequences).
Government-Business Relations and the Business Environment in Ghana

This chapter argues that while prospects for capitalist expansion by Ghanaian entrepreneurs have vastly improved, no keen observer of capitalism in Africa can fail to notice the continuation of important distinctions in attitudes towards foreign and indigenous African capitalists. Where improvements for Ghanaian entrepreneurs have occurred, many of those improvements are attributable to major politico-institutional changes that began in the 1980s and have continued into the present. Furthermore, considerable upgrades in Ghana’s physical infrastructure have also helped business operations across the country. The persistence of patronage politics, however, remains a problem. Additionally, the impact of neoliberal policies—free trade, devaluation, high interest rates, and so—continue to create challenges for Ghanaian entrepreneurs.
Cardiac amyloidosis is prevalent in older patients with aortic stenosis and carries worse prognosis

Non-invasive cardiac imaging allows detection of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS). Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of clinically suspected CA in patients with moderate and severe AS referred for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in age and gender categories, and assess associations between AS-CA and all-cause mortality. We retrospectively identified consecutive AS patients defined by echocardiography referred for further CMR assessment of valvular, myocardial, and aortic disease. CMR identified CA based on typical late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE) patterns, and ancillary clinical evaluation identified suspected CA. Survival analysis with the Log rank test and Cox regression compared associations between CA and mortality. There were 113 patients (median age 74 years, Q1-Q3: 62–82 years), 96 (85%) with severe AS. Suspected CA was present in 9 patients (8%) all > 80 years. Among those over the median age of 74 years, the prevalence of CA was 9/57 (16%), and excluding women, the prevalence was 8/25 (32%). Low-flow, low-gradient physiology was very common in CA (7/9 patients or 78%). Over a median follow-up of 18 months, 40 deaths (35%) occurred. Mortality in AS + CA patients was higher than AS alone (56% vs. 20% at 1-year, log rank 15.0, P < 0.0001). Adjusting for aortic valve replacement modeled as a time-dependent covariate, Society of Thoracic Surgery predicted risk of mortality, left ventricular ejection fraction, CA remained associated with all-cause mortality (HR = 2.92, 95% CI = 1.09–7.86, P = 0.03). Suspected CA appears prevalent among older male patients with AS, especially with low flow, low gradient AS, and associates with all-cause mortality. The importance of screening for CA in older AS patients and optimal treatment strategies in those with CA warrant further investigation, especially in the era of transcatheter aortic valve implantation.
Parsing with Connectionist Networks

Traditional methods employed in parsing natural language have focused on developing powerful formalisms to represent syntactic and semantic structure along with rules for transforming language into these formalisms. The builders of such systems must accurately anticipate and model all of the language constructs that their systems will encounter. In loosely structured domains such as spoken language the task becomes very difficult. Connectionist networks that learn to transform input word sequences into meaningful target representations may be useful in such cases.
Ambient Air Pollution and Chronic Bronchitis in a Cohort of U.S. Women

Background: Limited evidence links air pollution exposure to chronic cough and sputum production. Few reports have investigated the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and class...
What Will Sunsats Look Like

This chapter suggests several strategic designs for future Sunsats, to include substantially larger photovoltaic arrays in space, solar concentrators, energy converters, wireless power transmitters and power beaming. Technical feasibility and some key technology challenges are addressed, including suitable orbits for Sunsat placement and managing the space environment.
Normal-Tension Glaucoma

In this well-illustrated chapter, the historical definition and understanding of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and its epidemiology are reviewed. An overview of the IOP-related and optic-nerve-related risk factors for NTG is presented. Patterns of disc and visual field damage and progression seen in NTG are discussed, with many clinical examples presented. The significance of optic disc hemorrhages and peripapillary atrophy in NTG is explored. The evidence for the relationship of well-known systemic risk factors, such as migraine, and newly identified risk factors, such as obstructive sleep apnea to NTG, is presented. The appropriate diagnostic evaluation for NTG is outlined. Current guidelines and alternatives for medical, laser (argon and diode LTP and SLT), and surgical IOP-lowering therapy in NTG are discussed. Evidence for the value of non-IOP-lowering therapies, such as the use of calcium channel blockers in NTG, is summarized.
Evaluation of Boron-Doped Beryllium as an Ablator for NIF Target Capsules

We are studying the feasibility of using boron doping to refine the grain structure of sputter-deposited Be for NIF ignition capsule ablators. The goal is to improve the surface finish and homogene...
Effect of Solutionizing Time on Age Hardening Characteristics and Corrosive Wear Behavior of Age Hardenable Al Alloy Composites

The effect of solutionizing time on the age hardening characteristics and the corrosive wear of composites consisting of 6061 and 2014 aluminum alloys reinforced with Al2O3 particles has been investigated. The samples of composites containing 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 volume fractions of alumina particles (VFAP) and monoliths were solutionized at 540°C for times ranging from 1.5 to 20 hours and quenched in water at room temperature. The time required to get the peak hardness (TPH) during subsequent aging at 160, 180, 200 and 220°C indicates that it decreases with increasing solutionizing time in monoliths while in composites no such systematic variation was observed. The quenched-in vacancies and dislocations generated due to thermal expansion (CTE) effect contribute heavily to the nucleation sites for the precipitates during the aging process. The rotating cylindrical samples when subjected to impact testing or continuous scratching in a given electrolyte show a generation of transient current which increases with the increase in solutionizing time for all the composites. The CTE dislocations serve as preferred anodic site during the corrosive wear process.
Chlamydial infection and the efficiency of MHC class I self-antigen presentation in a lymphoblastoid cell line

The direct MHC class I antigen presentation pathway presents cytosolic proteins for immune surveillance. While this pathway is an attractive target for therapeutics, we must first understand the efficiency of antigen presentation. Previous studies have shown the presentation efficiency from pathogen-derived antigens ranges from 0.03–25%. The intracellular lifestyle of Chlamydia makes them an attractive model to study class I presentation. It is likely that Chlamydia have developed mechanisms to evade CD8 + T cells through manipulation of this pathway. Here, we investigate the impact of Chlamydial infection on a recombinant fusion protein expressed in a human lymphoblastoid cell line (JY). The fusion protein contains a destabilization domain, an antigenic peptide, and a reporter. Chlamydial infection led to decreased accumulation of the model protein and increased presentation of model protein-derived antigens. This enhanced self-peptide presentation was only observed when antigen presentation was restricted to the DRiP form of the protein. We also investigated the antigen presentation efficiency of different model recombinant proteins in JY cells. We calculated the antigen presentation efficiency to be 0.35%, much lower than was previously observed in murine cells with a similar protein. The skewed antigen presentation phenotype observed following Chlamydial infection was not statistically different from the efficiency observed in the absence of infection. These data suggest that Chlamydia have evolved a mechanism to skew the host antigen presentation machinery toward presentation of DRiPs, and that the efficiency of direct class I presentation may be mechanistically unique among common immune signaling pathways.
Sweet Rewards: An Exercise to Demonstrate Process Theories of Motivation:

Motivation is a fundamental component in management and organizational behavior courses. At the same time, it can be a complicated topic for teaching and learning due to the number of popular model...
A Planar Biaxial Experiment Platform for In Situ High-Energy Diffraction Studies

An experimental platform for multiscale studies of materials subjected to plane stress loads is presented. Coupling with far-field high-energy diffraction microscopy for grain-by-grain measurements of elastic strains and rotations provides an additional benefit; it enables the direct assessment of elastic vs. inelastic deformation of the gauge sections of cruciform specimens subjected to plane stress loadings, without any a priori assumptions of the form of constitutive relationships, resolving a long-outstanding challenge of multiaxial mechanical testing. Specifically, a planar biaxial mechanical load frame with four independent hydraulic actuators capable of applying arbitrary loading paths and ratios of tension and compression was designed and built for in situ diffraction experimentation. The load frame is integrated for use at the Argonne National Laboratory Advanced Photon Source (APS) synchrotron, Sector 1, 1-ID-E endstation and the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) spallation neutron source, Spectrometer for Materials Research at Temperature and Stress (SMARTS) instrument. Cruciform specimen geometries were designed to experience loading ratios in the gauges commensurate with those applied at the grips, and to minimize interference with diffracted X-rays and neutrons. The finite element models used to design the cruciform specimen geometries were experimentally validated using stereo digital image correlation measurements. This complete planar biaxial in situ diffraction platform provides a new capability for studying multiaxial micromechanics of crystalline materials (e.g., elastic, slip, twinning, phase transformation) and their dependencies on grain size, location, texture, and neighborhood characteristics.
History and Trends

The absolute number and total proportion of older adults (persons aged 65 and older) is growing rapidly nationally and globally. This population has unique healthcare needs related to their chronic medical conditions and heterogeneous physiology, leading to a need for tailored healthcare policy, clinical care, education, and research efforts.
Oppressed by Shame: From Auschwitz to a Politics of Revolt

As part of its rejection of the mind-body split, phenomenology rejects the idea that thought and affect are severed from each other. As lived bodies we are affective thinkers, emotionally attuned to and engaged with the world and others. Pursuing this phenomenological attention to affect, this chapter identifies shame as the affect through which the self confronts its vulnerable intersubjectivity. It examines the ways the vulnerability expressed in shame is woven into the structures of our cultural, social, political and moral lives. It distinguishes the ways that shame may become a force that critiques prevailing meanings and norms, from the ways it can be used to enforce structures of oppression. Auschwitz is not only the most extreme example of the oppressive violence of shame, it was, according to Giorgio Agamben, the experiment in violence that in creating a new type of human being, the Musselman, put the very meaning of the human into question. The testimonies of the Auschwitz survivors Primo Levy and Jean Amery link the fate of the Musselman to the violence that, in destroying their capacity for shame, condemned them to an unbearable isolation. Between the Musselman and Levi and Amery shame may be seen as a pharmakon that can be used to poison a person’s humanity or affirm it.
Clinical and Molecular Aspects of Senataxin Mutations in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis 4.

OBJECTIVE To determine the clinical and molecular features in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 4 (ALS4) due to mutations in the senataxin (SETX) gene and to develop tools for evaluating SETX variants. METHODS Our study involved 32 patients, including 31 with mutation in SETX at c.1166 T>C (p.Leu389Ser) and 1 with mutation at c.1153 G>A (p.Glu385Lys). Clinical characterization of the patients included neurological examination, blood tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Fibroblasts and motor neurons were obtained to model the disease and characterize the molecular alteration in senataxin function. RESULTS We report key clinical features of ALS4. Laboratory analysis showed alteration of serum creatine kinase and creatinine in the Leu389Ser ALS4 cohort. MRI showed increased muscle fat fraction in the lower extremities, which correlates with disease duration (thigh fat fraction R2 = 0.35, p = 0.01; lower leg fat fraction R2 = 0.49, p < 0.01). DEXA measurements showed lower extremities are more affected than upper extremities (average fat z scores of 2.1 and 0.6, respectively). A cellular assay for SETX function confirmed that like the Leu389Ser mutation, the Glu385Lys variant leads to a decrease in R loops, likely from a gain of function. INTERPRETATION We identified clinical laboratory and radiological features of ALS4, and hence they should be monitored for disease progression. The molecular characterization of R-loop levels in patient-derived cells provides insight into the disease pathology and assays to evaluate the pathogenicity of candidate mutations in the SETX gene. ANN NEUROL 2020;87:547-555.
Disentangling trait versus state characteristics of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and the PHQ-8 Depression Scale

Background Research on the role of trait versus state characteristics of a variety of measures among persons experiencing pain has been a focus for the past few decades. Studying the trait versus state nature of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) depression scale would be highly informative given both are commonly measured in pain populations and neither scale has been studied for trait/state contributions. Methods The PHQ-8 and PCS were obtained on persons undergoing knee arthroplasty at baseline, 2-, 6- and 12-month post-surgery (N = 402). The multi-trait generalization of the latent trait-state model was used to partition trait and state variability in PCS and PHQ-8 item responses simultaneously. A set of variables were used to predict trait catastrophizing and trait depression. Results For total scores, the latent traits and latent states explain 63.2% (trait = 43.2%; state = 20.0%) and 50.2% (trait = 29.4%; state = 20.8%) of the variability in PCS and PHQ-8, respectively. Patients with a high number of bodily pain sites, high levels of anxiety, young patients and African-American patients had high levels of trait catastrophizing and trait depression. The PCS and the PHQ-8 consist of both enduring trait and dynamic state characteristics, with trait characteristics dominating for both measures. Conclusion Clinicians and researchers using these scales should not assume the obtained measurements solely reflect either trait- or state-based characteristics. Significance Clinicians and researchers using the PCS or PHQ-8 scales are measuring both state and trait characteristics and not just trait- or state-based characteristics.
Food Pattern Modeling as an Alternative Assessment Method to Multiday Dietary Recalls for Iron-Related Nutrients: A Proof-of-Concept Study

There are barriers to in-depth memory-based dietary assessment techniques in community-based research. Food pattern modeling may be an alternative method to traditional assessment techniques. The objective of this study was to pilot a comparison of food pattern modeling to 24 h diet recalls for predicting hematological outcomes of iron status. Data from 3-24 h dietary recalls in 27 women were analyzed by two methods: mean dietary intake estimates or food pattern modeling. Food pattern modeling was used to determine the total inventory of foods consumed with iron, phytate, or ascorbic acid or iron-phytate ratios. Each variable was analyzed for its relationship to hemoglobin, ferritin, and acute iron absorption from a meal challenge study by creating receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. There were no differences in ROC curves or diagnostic accuracies between food pattern modeling or mean dietary intake estimates for iron, vitamin C, phytate, or phytate-iron ratios for estimating hemoglobin or ferritin values (p > 0.05). Food pattern modeling was inferior to mean dietary estimates for acute iron absorption, suggesting that more detailed methods may be necessary for studies with sensitive or acute dietary measurement outcomes. Food pattern modeling for total iron, vitamin C, phytate, and phytate-iron ratios may be comparable to detailed memory-based recalls for larger studies assessing the impact of foods on iron status.