171 research outputs found
Who Should Govern Congress? Access to Power and the Salary Grab of 1873
We examine the politics of the %u201CSalary Grab%u201D of 1873, legislation that increased congressional salaries retroactively by 50 percent. A group of New England and Midwestern elites opposed the Salary Grab, along with congressional franking and patronage-based civil service appointments, as part of reform effort to reshape %u201Cwho should govern Congress.%u201D Our analyses of congressional voting confirm the existence of this non-party elite coalition. While these elites lost many legislative battles in the short-run, their efforts kept reform on the legislative agenda throughout the late-nineteenth century and ultimately set the stage for the Progressive movement in the early-twentieth century.
Kepler Presearch Data Conditioning II - A Bayesian Approach to Systematic Error Correction
With the unprecedented photometric precision of the Kepler Spacecraft,
significant systematic and stochastic errors on transit signal levels are
observable in the Kepler photometric data. These errors, which include
discontinuities, outliers, systematic trends and other instrumental signatures,
obscure astrophysical signals. The Presearch Data Conditioning (PDC) module of
the Kepler data analysis pipeline tries to remove these errors while preserving
planet transits and other astrophysically interesting signals. The completely
new noise and stellar variability regime observed in Kepler data poses a
significant problem to standard cotrending methods such as SYSREM and TFA.
Variable stars are often of particular astrophysical interest so the
preservation of their signals is of significant importance to the astrophysical
community. We present a Bayesian Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) approach where a
subset of highly correlated and quiet stars is used to generate a cotrending
basis vector set which is in turn used to establish a range of "reasonable"
robust fit parameters. These robust fit parameters are then used to generate a
Bayesian Prior and a Bayesian Posterior Probability Distribution Function (PDF)
which when maximized finds the best fit that simultaneously removes systematic
effects while reducing the signal distortion and noise injection which commonly
afflicts simple least-squares (LS) fitting. A numerical and empirical approach
is taken where the Bayesian Prior PDFs are generated from fits to the light
curve distributions themselves.Comment: 43 pages, 21 figures, Submitted for publication in PASP. Also see
companion paper "Kepler Presearch Data Conditioning I - Architecture and
Algorithms for Error Correction in Kepler Light Curves" by Martin C. Stumpe,
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Flagging and Correction of Pattern Noise in the Kepler Focal Plane Array
In order for Kepler to achieve its required less than 20 PPM photometric precision for magnitude 12 and brighter stars, instrument-induced variations in the CCD readout bias pattern (our "2D black image"), which are either fixed or slowly varying in time, must be identified and the corresponding pixels either corrected or removed from further data processing. The two principle sources of these readout bias variations are crosstalk between the 84 science CCDs and the 4 fine guidance sensor (FGS) CCDs and a high frequency amplifier oscillation on less than 40% of the CCD readout channels. The crosstalk produces a synchronous pattern in the 2D black image with time-variation observed in less than 10% of individual pixel bias histories. We will describe a method of removing the crosstalk signal using continuously-collected data from masked and over-clocked image regions (our "collateral data"), and occasionally-collected full-frame images and reverse-clocked readout signals. We use this same set to detect regions affected by the oscillating amplifiers. The oscillations manifest as time-varying moir pattern and rolling bands in the affected channels. Because this effect reduces the performance in only a small fraction of the array at any given time, we have developed an approach for flagging suspect data. The flags will provide the necessary means to resolve any potential ambiguity between instrument-induced variations and real photometric variations in a target time series. We will also evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques using flight data from background and selected target pixels
Systemic influences of mammary cancer on monocytes in mice
SIMPLE SUMMARY: Using a mouse model of breast cancer driven by the mammary epithelial expression of the polyoma middle T oncoprotein in which the tumors progress from benign to malignant metastatic stages, we show that cancer causes an increase in circulating monocytes and a splenomegaly. This increase in monocyte number is due to their increased proliferation in the bone marrow and not turnover rates in the blood. Single cell sequencing also shows that new populations of monocytes do not arise during cancer. Cancer also drives systemic changes in the monocyte transcriptome, with a notable down-regulation of interferon signaling. These systemic influences start in the bone marrow but intensify in the blood. Comparison of cancer prone and cancer resistant mouse inbred strains carrying the same oncogene reveals that the genetic background of the strain causes different monocyte transcriptional changes. Similarly, a comparison of the mouse transcriptome to human breast cancer monocyte profiles indicates limited similarities, to the extent that interferon signaling is enhanced in humans. Systemic responses are different in the same model of cancer on different genetic backgrounds within a species and even greater changes are found across species. These data suggest that at the very least this mouse model will be limited when it comes to exploring the mechanism behind systemic changes in humans. ABSTRACT: There is a growing body of evidence that cancer causes systemic changes. These influences are most evident in the bone marrow and the blood, particularly in the myeloid compartment. Here, we show that there is an increase in the number of bone marrow, circulating and splenic monocytes by using mouse models of breast cancer caused by the mammary epithelial expression of the polyoma middle T antigen. Cancer does not affect ratios of classical to non-classical populations of monocytes in the circulation nor does it affect their half-lives. Single cell RNA sequencing also indicates that cancer does not induce any new monocyte populations. Cancer does not change the monocytic progenitor number in the bone marrow, but the proliferation rate of monocytes is higher, thus providing an explanation for the expansion of the circulating numbers. Deep RNA sequencing of these monocytic populations reveals that cancer causes changes in the classical monocyte compartment, with changes evident in bone marrow monocytes and even more so in the blood, suggesting influences in both compartments, with the down-regulation of interferon type 1 signaling and antigen presentation being the most prominent of these. Consistent with this analysis, down-regulated genes are enriched with STAT1/STAT2 binding sites in their promoter, which are transcription factors required for type 1 interferon signaling. However, these transcriptome changes in mice did not replicate those found in patients with breast cancer. Consequently, this mouse model of breast cancer may be insufficient to study the systemic influences of human cancer
First Kepler results on compact pulsators VIII: Mode identifications via period spacings in mode pulsating Subdwarf B stars
We investigate the possibility of nearly-equally spaced periods in 13 hot
subdwarf B (sdB) stars observed with the Kepler spacecraft and one observed
with CoRoT. Asymptotic limits for gravity (g-)mode pulsations provide
relationships between equal period spacings of modes with differing degrees and
relationships between periods of the same radial order but differing degrees.
Period transforms, Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, and linear least-squares fits have
been used to detect and determine the significance of equal period spacings. We
have also used Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the likelihood that the
detected spacings could be produced randomly.
Period transforms for nine of the Kepler stars indicate ell=1 period
spacings, with five also showing peaks for ell=2 modes. 12 stars indicate ell=1
modes using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test while another shows solely ell=2 modes.
Monte Carlo results indicate that equal period spacings are significant in 10
stars above 99% confidence and 13 of the 14 are above 94% confidence. For 12
stars, the various methods find consistent regular period spacing values to
within the errors, two others show some inconsistencies, likely caused by
binarity, and the last has significant detections but the mode assignment
disagrees between methods.
We find a common ell=1 period spacing spanning a range from 231 to 272 s
allowing us to correlate pulsation modes with 222 periodicities and that the
ell=2 period spacings are related to the ell=1 spacings by the asymptotic
relationship . We briefly discuss the impact of equal period
spacings which indicate low-degree modes with a lack of significant mode
trappings.Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures, 17 tables. Accepted for publication in Monthly
Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ
Contamination in the Kepler Field. Identification of 685 KOIs as False Positives Via Ephemeris Matching Based On Q1-Q12 Data
The Kepler mission has to date found almost 6000 planetary transit-like signals, utilizing three years of data for over 170,000 stars at extremely high photometric precision. Due to its design, contamination from eclipsing binaries, variable stars, and other transiting planets results in a significant number of these signals being false positives (FPs). This directly affects the determination of the occurrence rate of Earth-like planets in our Galaxy, as well as other planet population statistics. In order to detect as many of these FPs as possible, we perform ephemeris matching among all transiting planet, eclipsing binary, and variable star sources. We find that 685 Kepler Objects of Interest (KOIs)â12% of all those analyzedâare FPs as a result of contamination, due to 409 unique parent sources. Of these, 118 have not previously been identified by other methods. We estimate that ~35% of KOIs are FPs due to contamination, when performing a first-order correction for observational bias. Comparing single-planet candidate KOIs to multi-planet candidate KOIs, we find an observed FP fraction due to contamination of 16% and 2.4% respectively, bolstering the existing evidence that multi-planet KOIs are significantly less likely to be FPs. We also analyze the parameter distributions of the ephemeris matches and derive a simple model for the most common type of contamination in the Kepler field. We find that the ephemeris matching technique is able to identify low signal-to-noise FPs that are difficult to identify with other vetting techniques. We expect FP KOIs to become more frequent when analyzing more quarters of Kepler data, and note that many of them will not be able to be identified based on Kepler data alone
Transit Timing Observations from Kepler: III. Confirmation of 4 Multiple Planet Systems by a Fourier-Domain Study of Anti-correlated Transit Timing Variations
We present a method to confirm the planetary nature of objects in systems
with multiple transiting exoplanet candidates. This method involves a
Fourier-Domain analysis of the deviations in the transit times from a constant
period that result from dynamical interactions within the system. The
combination of observed anti-correlations in the transit times and mass
constraints from dynamical stability allow us to claim the discovery of four
planetary systems Kepler-25, Kepler-26, Kepler-27, and Kepler-28, containing
eight planets and one additional planet candidate.Comment: Accepted to MNRA
Are mice good models for human neuromuscular disease? Comparing muscle excursions in walking between mice and humans
The mouse is one of the most widely used animal models to study neuromuscular diseases and test new therapeutic strategies. However, findings from successful pre-clinical studies using mouse models frequently fail to translate to humans due to various factors. Differences in muscle function between the two species could be crucial but often have been overlooked. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare muscle excursions in walking between mice and humans
Volume 02
Introduction from Dean Dr. Charles Ross
Mike\u27s Nite: New Jazz for an Old Instrument by Joseph A. Mann
Investigation of the use of Cucumis Sativus for Remediation Of Chromium from Contaminated Environmental Matrices: An Interdisciplinary Instrumental Analysis Project by Kathryn J. Greenly, Scott E. Jenkins, and Andrew E. Puckette
Development of GC-MS and Chemometric Methods for the Analysis of Accelerants in Arson Cases by Scott Jenkins
Building and Measuring Scalable Computing Systems by Daniel M. Honey and Jeffery P. Ravenhorst
Nomini Hall: A Case Study in the Use of Archival Resources as Guides for Excavation at An Archaeological Site by Jamie Elizabeth Mesrobian
Two Stories: In Ohio and How to Stay Out of the Brazilian Army by Thomas Scott
Forgerson des Hommes/Stealing the Steel in Zola\u27s Men by Jay Crowell
Paul Gauguin\u27s Escape into Primitivism by Sarah Spangenberg
Lee Krasner, Abstract Expressionist by Amy S. Eason
Artist Book âParisâ by Kenny Wolfe
Artist Book âSequence of Every Dayâ by Liz Hale
Artist Book âApple Treeâ by Rachel Bouchard
Artist Book âNot so Pretty in Pinkâ by Will Semonco
Artist Book âLook into the Moonâ by Carley York
Artist Books âExtraâ and âGreenâ by Ryan Higgenbothom
Artist Book âRe-growing Appalachiaâ by Adrienne Heinbaugh
Artist Books âCheeziestâ, âUh-ohâ and âThe Girl with the Glassesâ by Melissa Dorton
âSelf-Reflectionâ by Madeline Hunter
Artist Book âThe Princess and the Frogâ by June Ashmore
âHunterâs Nicheâ and âThe Wildâ by Clark Barkley
âTo Thine Own Self be Trueâ by Jay Haley
âNot Funnyâ Ten-Minute Play Festiva
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