What Are You Doing Now? Activity-Level Responses and Recall Failures in the American Time Use Survey

Questions about people's pasts are common in many surveys, but memories are error prone. The current research focuses on recall failures in the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). The ATUS most commonly encourages respondents to report all of their activities of the previous day in a forward chronological fashion, from the beginning to the end of the day. Even with a short reference period, the ATUS is prone to recall errors. We explore these errors, taking into account the response process, respondent, and interviewer as possible contributors to a recall failure. Importantly, we posit that the chronological recall of events leads to earlier activities affecting recall of the current activity. Events are more easily recalled when they are more distinct (less frequent) or additional contextual information about the event is available. While research has focused on these characteristics of the target event, the previous event recalled may also provide distinctiveness and context. Results suggest that periods following a more frequent activity are likely to be followed by a failure, although this is modulated by the duration of the event. The presence of others and the location of the event also have significant effects. The elapsed time since the event is also important, with a higher chance of recall failure for more distant activities. Although results highlight the importance of the response level in understanding outcomes, respondent characteristics still matter, as those with apparently lower cognitive ability are more likely to have a failure. Interviewers also contribute to the variance of recall failures, with interview experience not having an apparent effect, while interviewers who make other types of errors, surprisingly, show lower likelihoods of recall failure. The results shed light on the relationship between memory and survey errors and have implications for future survey design

Conformational activation of ADAMTS13

A disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin motifs 13 (ADAMTS13) is a metalloprotease that regulates von Willebrand factor (VWF) function. ADAMTS13-mediated proteolysis is determined by conformational changes in VWF, but also may depend on its own conformational activation. Kinetic analysis of WT ADAMTS13 revealed ∼2.5-fold reduced activity compared with ADAMTS13 lacking its C-terminal tail (MDTCS) or its CUB1-2 domains (WTΔCUB1-2), suggesting that the CUB domains naturally limit ADAMTS13 function. Consistent with this suggestion, WT ADAMTS13 activity was enhanced ∼2.5-fold by preincubation with either an anti-CUB mAb (20E9) or VWF D4CK (the natural binding partner for the CUB domains). Furthermore, the isolated CUB1-2 domains not only bound MDTCS, but also inhibited activity by up to 2.5-fold. Interestingly, a gain-of-function (GoF) ADAMTS13 spacer domain variant (R568K/F592Y/R660K/Y661F/Y665F) was ∼2.5-fold more active than WT ADAMTS13, but could not be further activated by 20E9 mAb or VWF D4CK and was unable to bind or to be inhibited by the CUB1-2 domains, suggesting that the inhibitory effects of the CUB domains involve an interaction with the spacer domain that is disrupted in GoF ADAMTS13. Electron microscopy demonstrated a “closed” conformation of WT ADAMTS13 and suggested a more “open” conformation for GoF ADAMTS13. The cryptic spacer domain epitope revealed by conformational unfolding also represents the core antigenic target for autoantibodies in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. We propose that ADAMTS13 circulates in a closed conformation, which is maintained by a CUB–spacer domain binding interaction. ADAMTS13 becomes conformationally activated on demand through interaction of its C-terminal CUB domains with VWF, making it susceptible to immune recognition

Phonon pressure coefficients and deformation potentials of wurtzite AlN determined by uniaxial pressure-dependent Raman measurements

© 2014 American Physical Society. We studied bulk crystals of wurtzite AlN by means of uniaxial pressure-dependent Raman measurements. As a result, we derive the phonon pressure coefficients and deformation potentials for all zone center optical phonon modes. For the A1 and E1 modes, we further experimentally determined the uniaxial pressure dependence of their longitudinal optical-transverse optical (LO-TO) splittings. Our experimental approach delivers new insight into the large variance among previously reported phonon deformation potentials, which are predominantly based on heteroepitaxial growth of AlN and the ball-on-ring technique. Additionally, the measured phonon pressure coefficients are compared to their theoretical counterparts obtained by density functional theory implemented in the siesta package. Generally, we observe a good agreement between the calculated and measured phonon pressure coefficients but some particular Raman modes exhibit significant discrepancies similar to the case of wurtzite GaN and ZnO, clearly motivating the presented uniaxial pressure-dependent Raman measurements on bulk AlN crystals

Multiple shifts and fractional integration in the us and uk unemployment rates

This paper analyses the long-run behaviour of the US and UK unemployment rates by testing for possibly fractional orders of integration and multiple shifts using a sample of over 100 annual observations. The results show that the orders of integration are higher than 0 in both series, which implies long memory. If we assume that the underlying disturbances are white noise, the values are higher than 0.5, i.e., nonstationary. However, if the disturbances are autocorrelated, the orders of integration are in the interval (0, 0.5), implying stationarity and mean-reverting behaviour. Moreover, when multiple shifts are taken into account, unemployment is more persistent in the US than in the UK, implying the need for stronger policy action in the former to bring unemployment back to its original level

Pleosporales

One hundred and five generic types of Pleosporales are described and illustrated. A brief introduction and detailed history with short notes on morphology, molecular phylogeny as well as a general conclusion of each genus are provided. For those genera where the type or a representative specimen is unavailable, a brief note is given. Altogether 174 genera of Pleosporales are treated. Phaeotrichaceae as well as Kriegeriella, Zeuctomorpha and Muroia are excluded from Pleosporales. Based on the multigene phylogenetic analysis, the suborder Massarineae is emended to accommodate five families, viz. Lentitheciaceae, Massarinaceae, Montagnulaceae, Morosphaeriaceae and Trematosphaeriaceae

How a Diverse Research Ecosystem Has Generated New Rehabilitation Technologies: Review of NIDILRR’s Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers

Over 50 million United States citizens (1 in 6 people in the US) have a developmental, acquired, or degenerative disability. The average US citizen can expect to live 20% of his or her life with a disability. Rehabilitation technologies play a major role in improving the quality of life for people with a disability, yet widespread and highly challenging needs remain. Within the US, a major effort aimed at the creation and evaluation of rehabilitation technology has been the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. As envisioned at their conception by a panel of the National Academy of Science in 1970, these centers were intended to take a “total approach to rehabilitation”, combining medicine, engineering, and related science, to improve the quality of life of individuals with a disability. Here, we review the scope, achievements, and ongoing projects of an unbiased sample of 19 currently active or recently terminated RERCs. Specifically, for each center, we briefly explain the needs it targets, summarize key historical advances, identify emerging innovations, and consider future directions. Our assessment from this review is that the RERC program indeed involves a multidisciplinary approach, with 36 professional fields involved, although 70% of research and development staff are in engineering fields, 23% in clinical fields, and only 7% in basic science fields; significantly, 11% of the professional staff have a disability related to their research. We observe that the RERC program has substantially diversified the scope of its work since the 1970’s, addressing more types of disabilities using more technologies, and, in particular, often now focusing on information technologies. RERC work also now often views users as integrated into an interdependent society through technologies that both people with and without disabilities co-use (such as the internet, wireless communication, and architecture). In addition, RERC research has evolved to view users as able at improving outcomes through learning, exercise, and plasticity (rather than being static), which can be optimally timed. We provide examples of rehabilitation technology innovation produced by the RERCs that illustrate this increasingly diversifying scope and evolving perspective. We conclude by discussing growth opportunities and possible future directions of the RERC program

Using co-authorship networks to map and analyse global Neglected Tropical Disease research with an affiliation to Germany

Neglected tropical disease research has changed considerably in recent decades, and the German government is committed to addressing its past neglect of NTD research. Our aim was to use an innovative social network analysis of bibliometric data to map neglected tropical disease research networks that are inside of and affiliated with Germany, thereby enabling data-driven health policy decision-making. We created and analysed co-author networks from publications in the SCOPUS database, with a focus on five diseases. We found that Germany's share of global publication output for NTDs is approximately half that of other medical research fields. Furthermore, we identified institutions with prominent NTD research within Germany and strong research collaborations between German institutions and partners abroad, mostly in other high-income countries. This allowed an assessment of strong collaborations for further development, e.g., for research capacity strengthening in low-income-countries, but also for identifying missed opportunities for collaboration within the network. Through co-authorship network analysis of individual researcher networks, we identified strong performers by using classic bibliometric parameters, and we identified academic talent by social network analysis parameters on an individual level

Evidence for methane and ammonia in the coma of comet P/Halley

Methane and ammonia abundances in the coma of Halley are derived from Giotto IMS data using an Eulerian model of chemical and physical processes inside the contact surface to simulate Giotto HIS ion mass spectral data for mass-to-charge ratios (m/q) from 15 to 19. The ratio m/q = 19/18 as a function of distance from the nucleus is not reproduced by a model for a pure water coma. It is necessary to include the presence of NH_3 , and uniquely NH_3 , in coma gases in order to explain the data. A ratio of production rates Q(NH_3)/Q(H20) = 0.01-Q.02 results in model values approximating the Giotto data. Methane is identified as the most probable source of the distinct peak at m/q = 15. The observations are fit best with Q(CH_4)/Q(H_20) = 0.02. The chemical composition of the comet nucleus implied by these production rate ratios is unlike that of the outer planets. On the other hand, there are also significant differences from observations of gas phase interstellar material

Measurement of CP-violation asymmetries in D0 to Ks pi+ pi-

We report a measurement of time-integrated CP-violation asymmetries in the resonant substructure of the three-body decay D0 to Ks pi+ pi- using CDF II data corresponding to 6.0 invfb of integrated luminosity from Tevatron ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV. The charm mesons used in this analysis come from D*+(2010) to D0 pi+ and D*-(2010) to D0bar pi-, where the production flavor of the charm meson is determined by the charge of the accompanying pion. We apply a Dalitz-amplitude analysis for the description of the dynamic decay structure and use two complementary approaches, namely a full Dalitz-plot fit employing the isobar model for the contributing resonances and a model-independent bin-by-bin comparison of the D0 and D0bar Dalitz plots. We find no CP-violation effects and measure an asymmetry of ACP = (-0.05 +- 0.57 (stat) +- 0.54 (syst))% for the overall integrated CP-violation asymmetry, consistent with the standard model prediction.Comment: 15 page

Search for Second-Generation Scalar Leptoquarks in ppˉ\bm{p \bar{p}} Collisions at s\sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV

Results on a search for pair production of second generation scalar leptoquark in $p \bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$=1.96 TeV are reported. The data analyzed were collected by the CDF detector during the 2002-2003 Tevatron Run II and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 198 pb$^{-1}$. Leptoquarks (LQ) are sought through their decay into (charged) leptons and quarks, with final state signatures represented by two muons and jets and one muon, large transverse missing energy and jets. We observe no evidence for $LQ$ production and derive 95% C.L. upper limits on the $LQ$ production cross sections as well as lower limits on their mass as a function of $\beta$, where $\beta$ is the branching fraction for $LQ \to \mu q$.Comment: 9 pages (3 author list) 5 figure