cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimax controller using rate feedback: Latest results

Abstract The complete analytic characterization and solution construction for the minimax control problem using optimal rate feedback is given when the plant consists of a known fixed set of coupled oscillators of cardinality three. The case when the cardinality is four is also considered based on the use of Grobner bases. In general, the problem is analytically intractable and suboptimal solutions based on numerical techniques are then the only recourse.
A microfluidic sensor for single cell detection in a continuous flow

We present a microfluidic sensor for single cell detection based on Coulter counting technology and magnetic bead assay. This device can identify single cells in terms of the transit time difference of the cell through the two micro Coulter counters. Each single target cell can be differentiated from non-target cells even if they have similar sizes. Additionally, we demonstrated that HUVECs can be detected in situ from the cell mixture, and the corresponding HUVECs ratios can be accurately measured. With the simple device structure and easy sample preparation, this method could be applied to facilitate general cell detection applications.
Reliable Detection of Herpes Simplex Virus Sequence Variation by High-Throughput Resequencing

High-throughput sequencing (HTS) has resulted in data for a number of herpes simplex virus (HSV) laboratory strains and clinical isolates. The knowledge of these sequences has been critical for investigating viral pathogenicity. However, the assembly of complete herpesviral genomes, including HSV, is complicated due to the existence of large repeat regions and arrays of smaller reiterated sequences that are commonly found in these genomes. In addition, the inherent genetic variation in populations of isolates for viruses and other microorganisms presents an additional challenge to many existing HTS sequence assembly pipelines. Here, we evaluate two approaches for the identification of genetic variants in HSV1 strains using Illumina short read sequencing data. The first, a reference-based approach, identifies variants from reads aligned to a reference sequence and the second, a de novo assembly approach, identifies variants from reads aligned to de novo assembled consensus sequences. Of critical importance for both approaches is the reduction in the number of low complexity regions through the construction of a non-redundant reference genome. We compared variants identified in the two methods. Our results indicate that approximately 85% of variants are identified regardless of the approach. The reference-based approach to variant discovery captures an additional 15% representing variants divergent from the HSV1 reference possibly due to viral passage. Reference-based approaches are significantly less labor-intensive and identify variants across the genome where de novo assembly-based approaches are limited to regions where contigs have been successfully assembled. In addition, regions of poor quality assembly can lead to false variant identification in de novo consensus sequences. For viruses with a well-assembled reference genome, a reference-based approach is recommended.
The nomenclature of two hybrid taxa in Carex sect. Vesicariae (Cyperaceae) currently assigned as Carex rostrata var. borealis and Carex stenolepis

In a recent study of Carex sect. Vesicariae in northern Europe, two hybrid species were identified using microsatellite markers. Whereas both taxa already have names associated with them, we find that these names are not appropriate for use. In this study, the taxon previously described as C. rostrata var. borealis is raised to species level as the hybrid taxon Carex × saamica (from C. rostrata × C. rotundata ). We furthermore show that the name C . stenolepis , after designation of a lectotype, becomes a synonym of C. rostrata , and hence accept C. × grahamii as the priority name for the hybrid taxon (from C. saxatilis × C. vesicaria ) previously denoted as C. stenolepis . Arguments for these choices are given. Four other species names that have been assigned to the two hybrid taxa are discussed. Types are identified or designated for the names C. rostrata var. borealis , C. stenolepis , and C. × grahamii . A key to the hybrid taxa and their parents is given.
Motivating Research Technicians: How behavioral science theory can be applied in a research and development organization

(1968). Motivating Research Technicians: How behavioral science theory can be applied in a research and development organization. Research Management: Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 183-191.
The Hyaluronic Acid System is Intact in Menstrual Endometrial Cells in Women With and Without Endometriosis.

To characterize the production and degradation of hyaluronic acid (HA) in menstrual endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) and endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) in women with and without endometriosis. To identify the presence of CD44, the primary receptor of HA, in menstrual EECs and ESCs in women with and without endometriosis. In vitro study. Academic center. Deidentified patient samples from women with and without endometriosis. EECs and ESCs were isolated from menstrual endometrial biopsies performed on women with (N = 9) and without (N = 11) endometriosis confirmed by laparoscopy. Main Outcome Measure: Real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess hyaluronic acid synthase (HAS) isoforms 1, 2, and 3; hyaluronidase (HYAL) isoforms 1 and 2; and standard CD44. Student t test was used to analyze the results. There was no significant difference in messenger RNA (mRNA) or protein expression of HAS2, HAS3, HYAL1, or HYAL2 in EECs or ESCs from women with or without endometriosis. HAS1 mRNA was variably detected, whereas HAS1 protein was similarly expressed in EECs and ESCs from women with and without endometriosis. Standard CD44 was expressed in both cell types, and expression did not differ in cells from women with or without endometriosis. The HA system is expressed in eutopic menstrual ESCs and EECs from women with and without endometriosis. There are no differences in expression in HA production or degradation enzymes in EECs or ESCs from women with and without endometriosis. Standard CD44 expression does not differ in eutopic menstrual endometrial cells from women with and without endometriosis.
Modified NAM Microphysics for Forecasts of Deep Convective Storms

AbstractThe Ferrier-Aligo (FA) microphysics scheme has been running operationally in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) North American Mesoscale Forecast System (NAM) since August 2014. It was developed to improve forecasts of deep convection in the NAM CONUS nest, and it replaces previous versions of the NAM microphysics. The FA scheme is the culmination of extensive microphysical scheme sensitivity experiments made over nearly a dozen warm and cool season severe weather cases, as well as an extensive real-time testing in a full, system-wide developmental version of the NAM. While the FA scheme advects each hydrometeor species separately, it was the mass-weighted rime factor (RF) that allowed rimed ice to be advected to very cold temperatures aloft and improved the vertical structure of deep convection. Rimed ice fall speeds were reduced in order to offset an increase in bias of heavy precipitation as a consequence of the mass-weighted RF advection. The FA scheme also incorporated f...
Demographic differences in patterns in the incidence of smoking cessation: United States 1950-1990.

Abstract PURPOSE: Current measures of successful quitting are insensitive to changes induced by tobacco control activities. We evaluated whether changes in the incidence of successful quitting, a new measure of cessation, can inform policy makers how population subgroups responded. METHODS: Smokers from National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) (1965 through 1992, n = 140,199) were used to determine the number of current smokers eligible to quit at the beginning of each year from 1950 through 1990. Incidence of quitting, computed for different demographic subgroups, was the ratio of those newly successfully quit each year to those eligible to quit. RESULTS: Overall, incidence increased over fivefold, from CONCLUSION: Incidence of quitting is a sensitive indicator of relatively short-term changes in successful quitting in population subgroups and should facilitate evaluation efforts.
Geometry of Space

In the last section of Chapter 5, we referred to curvature as being intrinsic. We will explore the notion of intrinsic and extrinsic properties of a geometric object in this section, ending with a rough description of Bernhard Riemann’s reformulation of geometry.
Community Dynamics in Coping with Toxic Contaminants

This was a crisis situation with no specificed reaction. There was no “grief” ritual. You don’t know what to do. There are divergent emotions and reactions needed to cope. People prefer that this didn’t happen. They can’t see water pollution; they don’t feel bad. They believe it, yet they can’t cope, so they rationalize it. Even I have a point where I said, “Enough, I can’t believe anymore.” When the [neighbor’s] child died, I reached my breaking point. I couldn’t believe that he died from the water because I couldn’t live here with the kids if I believed this. Other people shut off at the beginning. One person got an ulcer and the next didn’t believe that there was anything wrong.... We didn’t know what we were supposed to be doing! Are we paranoid, hypocritical crazies? —Comment of a community leader, Legier section of Jackson, New Jersey (quoted in Edelstein, 1982, p. 132)
A formalization of explanation-based macro-operator learning

In spite of the popularity of Explanation-Based Learning (EBL), its theoretical basis is not well-understood. Using a generalization of Probably Approximately Correct (PAC) learning to problem solving domains, this paper formalizes two forms of Explanation-Based Learning of macro-operators and proves the sufficient conditions for their success. These two forms of EBL, called "Macro Caching" and "Serial Parsing," respectively exhibit two distinct sources of power or "bias": the sparseness of the solution space and the decomposability of the problem-space. The analysis shows that exponential speedup can be achieved when either of these biases is suitable for a domain. Somewhat surprisingly, it also shows that computing the preconditions of the macro-operators is not necessary to obtain these speedups. The the oretical results are confirmed by experiments in the domain of Eight Puzzle. Our work suggests that the best way to address the utility problem in EBL is to implement a bias which exploits the problem-space structure of the set of domains that one is interested in learning.
Changing from paper to paperless hospitals in busy academic centers

To decide to change from paper to a paperless hospital, one decides to go on a journey. This chapter will outline the destination, the reasons to make the journey and describe the best route to the destination. Becoming paperless is the route taken to the destination.
Identifying Locus of Control in Social Media Language.

Individuals express their locus of control, or “control”, in their language when they identify whether or not they are in control of their circumstances. Although control is a core concept underlying rhetorical style, it is not clear whether control is expressed by how or by what authors write. We explore the roles of syntax and semantics in expressing users’ sense of control –i.e. being “controlled by” or “in control of” their circumstances– in a corpus of annotated Facebook posts. We present rich insights into these linguistic aspects and find that while the language signaling control is easy to identify, it is more challenging to label it is internally or externally controlled, with lexical features outperforming syntactic features at the task. Our findings could have important implications for studying self-expression in social media.
Identification of the Epstein Barr Virus portal

Little is known about Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) proteins that participate in viral DNA cleavage and packaging. Genes encoding potential terminase subunit and portal protein homologs include BGRF1/BDRF1, BALF3, BFRF1A and BBRF1 respectively. EBV mutants with deletions in one or more of these genes were impaired for DNA packaging (Pavlova et al., 2013). In the current study, BBRF1 oligomers were purified from recombinant baculovirus infected insect cell extracts. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that purified EBV portals retained features typically found in other portals including a central channel with clip, stem and wing/crown domains. Although compounds have been identified that target DNA encapsidation in human cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex viruses and varicella-zoster virus, the identification of new EBV targets has lagged significantly. Characterization of the EBV portal will direct studies aimed at developing potential small molecular inhibitors of the EBV encapsidation process.
Reader Self-Perceptions of Secondary Students With and At Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders:

Perception of one’s ability as a reader is a key construct for improving adolescent literacy outcomes, but this research has not yet been extended to students with disabilities. The current study a...
Design and Implementation of an Activity-Based Introductory Computer Science Course (CS1) with Periodic Reflections Validated by Learning Analytics

This research to practice full paper provides preliminary evidence that integrating reflections is a significant feature to identify at-risk students early in a semester as verified and validated by a sequence-based learning analytics model. We’ve devised an active learning classroom model which incorporates reflection at multiple points in students’ learning experience. This active learning model adopts Kolb’s Learning model to provide a coherent and connected set of activities before, during, and after the class. Unlike periodic assessment through testing, reflections can provide nearly-real-time information about student’s experiences in class. We extract sentiment feature vectors to capture students’ affect from written reflections. These features typically aren’t assessed on tests or during in-class activities. These features were extracted automatically using LIWC (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count) is a tool for applied natural language processing) which is less cumbersome to implement than manually reading the written reflections. We find that using these sentiment feature vectors extracted from the reflections in our learning model increased accuracy while decreasing time-to-detect at-risk students significantly.
Mechanistic Studies of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer in a Calorimetry Cell.

Mechanistic studies of proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) reactions in proteins are complicated by the challenge of following proton transfer (PT) in these large molecules. Herein we describe ...
Validity and Reliability of the 8-Item Inventory of Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood in a Sample of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients.

Background and purpose The purpose was to examine the 8-item Inventory of Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA-8) among 61 emerging adults (ages 18-29) with the chronic condition of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods An online continence sample of participants' ages 18-29 years with a self-reported diagnosis of IBD completed a questionnaire including IDEA-8, demographic, and clinical characteristics. Results The exploratory factor analysis identified a three-factor structure. The three subscales had acceptable internal consistency (α = .74-.86). Two factors (identity exploration/feeling in-between and instability) were associated with demographics. The factors were not associated with clinical characteristics. Conclusions Developmental features of emerging adults, as measured by the IDEA-8 for those with IBD, may retain conceptual consistency with healthy adults, but demonstrate a restructuring in factor analysis.
Polymer Nanocomposites for Ion Transport

Directional movement of ions between electrodes in a safe, rapid, and efficient manner requires rational design of functional solid-state electrolytes. Although liquid and polymer electrolytes have resulted in major technological breakthroughs, the next generation structures aim to make green energy solutions more widespread and feasible. Nanostructures offer the ability to construct complex, tailored assemblies that can address the current limitations to ion mobility in solid materials by providing liquid-like movement in the solid state, expanding operational voltage windows, and improving durability and temperature stability. Two types of polymeric nanocomposites will be addressed here: (1) Hybrid materials that consist of organic polymers with inorganic nanoparticles and (2) Porous coordination polymers, including metal organic frameworks and zeolitic imidazolate frameworks. The ability to tailor such porous coordination polymers in all aspects—the metal, the organic linker, and the identity of the guests—make these viable candidates for future green energy solutions. The current progress in applications toward fuel cells (acidic and basic), batteries, supercapacitors, and solar cells will be summarized and described here, along with a perspective on challenges and future directions.
Stretched to the Max: The Successful Medical Management of Ogilvie Syndrome in a Pediatric Patient.

Ogilvie syndrome, or acute colonic pseudo-obstruction, is a rare disease in adults, and it is seldom seen in pediatric patients. It was first described in 1948 by Dr. William Ogilvie. Unless promptly recognized and treated, it carries the risk of colonic ischemia and perforation. In this report, we present the case of a 10-year-old patient who developed Ogilvie syndrome and was successfully treated with conservative medical management including bowel rest, rectal decompression, along with the addition of erythromycin. The patient responded well to the treatment and was able to be discharged home without event.
Complete atrioventricular block due to ingestion of Visine eye drops

Visine eye drops are a commonly used topical drug for irritation of the eye. The active component in Visine eye drops is tetrahydrozoline. Tetrahydrozoline is an imidazoline derivative found in several ophthalmic and nasal decongestants. Exposure is common in young children, who unintentionally ingest it, but cases have been rising in the adult population. The main systemic effects are bradycardia and hypotension due to activation of the central alpha-adrenergic receptors. In this case report, a 76-year-old man presents with bradycardia after 24 hours following ingestion of 120 mL of 0.05% tetrahydrozoline (eight bottles of Visine eye drops) in a suicide attempt. His initial ECG demonstrated complete heart block and QT prolongation. Subsequent ECGs showed unremitting first-degree atrioventricular block and QT prolongation. Here, we are presenting the first case of complete heart block following tetrahydrozoline consumption.
DEFINING LIMB DOMINANCE: A COMPARISON OF PERFORMANCE-BASED AND SELF-SELECTED MEASURES:

Background:Limb dominance implies asymmetrical performance due to preferential strength or motor control within a single limb. While dominance may be easy to define and quantify within the upper ex...
Coastal Erosion Assessment of the Nile Delta Coast using Remote Sensing, GIS, and Modified Coastal Vulnerability Index

The coastal zones are very much dynamic and are changing very fast, so it is completely important to study them in a temporal domain, for which remote sensing and GIS are the best tools. The coastal zone along the Governorates of Kafr El Sheikh, Dakahlia, and Damietta in north Egypt are reported to be facing serious environmental challenges. This study evaluates the coastline erosion and accretion and coastal vulnerability index (CVI) along these three Governorates, with a total length of 153Km over the past 34 years are analyzed using satellite images of TM 1984, ETM+ 2001, and ASTER 2018. The results showed that the study area was exposed to remarkable and non-expected changes over the study periods. Erosion and accretion were found variable over time and place, ranging from 0.14 ha/year in Dakahlia governorate during 1984-2001 to 66.12 ha/year in Kafr El Sheikh Governorate during 2001-2018 for erosion, and from 3.15 ha/year in Dakahlia Governorate at 2001-2018 to 42.45 ha/year in Kafr El Sheikh Governorate at 1984-2001 for accretion. Total land loss due to erosion as high as about 2034.68 ha of shoreline, and land gain as high as about 1459.71 ha of coastline was estimated in the study area with a net of lost lands of about 574.97 ha. In general, Kafr El Sheikh Governorate was more affected by erosion. According to Modified CVI, about 9.66%, 11.03%, 33.10%, and 46.21% of the length of the coastline is classified as very high, high, moderate, and low vulnerability, respectively.
A High Efficiency Solar Cell and System

Solar cells have been a cost-effective technology of producing a sustainable electricity using renewable sun energy. In this paper we have focused our research on an innovative yet simple approach including concentrated PV (Photovoltaic) cells using Fresnel lens. In our findings we tried to expound the refracting properties of the Fresnel lens to concentrate the solar spectrum on to a photovoltaic cell. MATLAB Simulink simulation was used to demonstrate that the intensity of the incident light (photons energy) prominently influences the output power and hence efficiency of a given PV cell. The final conclusion of the paper was helpful in achieving the overall increase in efficiency of a PV cell.
Contingency and opportunity: The first century of Hong Kong's public parks

The port city and British colony of Hong Kong had from its inception been characterized by a capitalist ethic and by dense settlement on land hemmed in between hills and sea. Preserving public land for general recreation was rarely prioritized as a primary government goal. Yet in Hong Kong’s first century (the 1840s to the 1940s) several public parks came into being and were resilient, while others were compromised. The history of these parks reveals no overall scheme, but responses to contingencies, each shaped by moments when public interest necessitated preserving open spaces and fostering green spaces for recreation.
Contributions of Viruses and Immunity as Causes of Diabetes and Development of Strategies for Treatment and Prevention of Autoimmune Disease

This chapter introduces and explains the rat insulin promoter (RIP)-lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) model of vitally induced autoimmune diabetes. Special emphasis is given to the issues of molecular mimicry, the potential involvement of several viral infections in inducing or abrogating insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), new therapeutic perspectives, and pathogenically important findings that stem from the use of this model. The chapter discusses these issues, as well as other factors that precipitate or prevent IDDM. The RIP-LCMV transgenic mouse model differs in some important aspects from other established antigen-specific models of autoimmunity as well as from the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse model of spontaneous IDDM. The RIP-LCMV transgenic mouse model is ideally suited for the testing of novel approaches to antigen-specific immune therapy. The induction of IDDM by viral infection can be controlled and is directed to a known and well-characterized self-antigen, the LCMV transgene expressed by the B cells. Mice that expressed LCMV-NP as a transgene in their β cells developed IDDM after LCMV infection. Subsequent inoculation of plasmid DNA that encoded the insulin B chain reduced the incidence of this virally induced autoimmune diabetes by 50%. The protection provided by insulin B-chain DNA proceeded through induction of anti-self, regulatory CD4 lymphocytes that reacted with the insulin B chain, secreted IL-4, and locally reduced the activities of LCMV-NP autoreactive cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) in the pancreatic draining lymph nodes.
Diffusion-driven high-order matching of partial deformable shapes

This paper tackles the matching problem of partial deformable shapes with changing boundary and varying topology. We compute high-order graph matching directly on manifolds, without global/local surface parameterization. In particular, we articulate the heat kernel tensor (HKT), which is a high-order potential of geometric compatibility between feature tuples measured by heat kernels within bounded time. Inherited from the heat kernel, the HKT is multi-scale, invariant to isometric deformation, resilient to noise, and robust to topology changes. We also build up a two-level hierarchy via feature clustering, by which the searching space of HKT is greatly reduced. To evaluate the proposed method, we conduct experiments in various aspects, including scale, noise, deformation, comparison, and semantic matching.
Neoplastic Transformation of Newborn Rat Oligodendrocytes in Culture

Abstract We have developed a model to study the neoplastic transformation of rat oligodendrocytes in culture. This procedure utilizes a technique previously developed by McCarthy and de Vellis which allows the preparation of 99% pure astrocyte and oligodendrocyte populations from 1- to 2-day-old rat cerebral cortices. Pregnant rats on the 19th day of gestation were given injections with either ethyl nitrosourea (10 µg/g body weight) in phosphate-buffered saline or phosphate-buffered saline, and oligodendrocyte cultures were prepared. Oligodendrocytes appear to be unstable in culture since transformation was observed with cells derived from either pups from pregnant rats either treated with nitrosourea or phosphate-buffered saline. Transformation required 78 to 108 days and 3 to 9 passages, at which time a marked increase in cellular proliferation was observed. The possibility that the transformed cells were derived from a nonoligodendroglial cell was excluded by the following evidence. Light and scanning electron micrographs of the transformed cells revealed cytological features essentially similar to those of primary oligodendroglial cultures. Furthermore, 2 biochemical oligodendroglial markers, the induction of lactate dehydrogenase by N6,O6-dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate and the presence of 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′ phosphohydrolase, were also retained. Conversely, another oligodendroglial marker, the hydrocortisone induction of glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase, was not found in any of the cell lines. These transformed cells grew as tumors when injected intracranially into 21-day-old rats. Histologically, these tumors did not appear as classical oligodendrogliomas, but their oligodendroglial origin was confirmed since the tumor tissue contained 2′:3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase activity, and the cells which grew from tumor explant cultures morphologically appeared similar to the parent cell line. The transformed cells were also characterized for in vitro properties which correlate with the expression of tumorigenicity. The transformed cells exhibited anchorage-independent growth and were agglutinated by concanavalin A treatment. Changes in fibrinolytic activity were not an exclusive property of transformed glial cells. This model should now allow us to study various mechanisms involved in the neoplastic transformation of oligodendrocytes.
Evaluating the importance of multi-sensory input on memory and the sense of presence in virtual environments

322 subjects participated in an experimental study to investigate the effects of tactile, olfactory, audio and visual sensory cues on a participant's sense of presence in a virtual environment and on their memory for the environment and the objects in that environment. Results strongly indicate that increasing the modalities of sensory input in a virtual environment can increase both the sense of presence and memory for objects in the environment. In particular, the addition of tactile, olfactory and auditory cues to a virtual environment increased the user's sense of presence and memory of the environment. Surprisingly, increasing the level of visual detail did not result in an increase in the user's sense of presence or memory of the environment.
Enhanced prolactin inhibition following chronic treatment with haloperidol and morphine.

Abstract Withdrawal from chronic haloperidol or morphine treatment resulted in lower circulating levels of serum prolactin in male rats. A low dose of apomorphine (0.32 mg/kg), which had no effect on serum prolactin in untreated rats, diminished serum prolactin in the treated rats. A lower dose of apomorphine (0.08 mg/kg) also ineffective in control rats, elevated serum prolactin in the treated rats.
Metallo-organic deposition of tungsten oxide films from alkylammonium tungstate solutions

This paper describes a simple and inexpensive metallo-organic deposition (MOD) process for forming electrochromic tungsten oxide (WO3) films on glass. The thin films of WO3 were made by air firing (500–700°C) films from xylene/2-propanol solutions of bis-(di-n-octylammonium) tetratungstate, [(n-C8H17)2NH2]2[W4O13]. The process coats glass with undoped films ranging in colour from faint yellow to dark brown, and can be used to make gradients of these colours. The colour is determined by the firing parameters and results from residual carbon and tungsten suboxides in the film due to incomplete firing. Increased firing temperatures or longer firing times removes the carbon and produces films with higher crystallinity. Electrochemical doping with acid (H+) switches the colour gradient films to a uniformly blue colour.
Teaching Vocabulary, Listening Comprehension, and Reasoning by Means of Analogies

This paper describes a language teaching technique which uses analogies such as are found on the Miller Analogies Test and makes the claim, based on classroom testing, that students enjoy and learn from the intellectually challenging aspects of working through analogies under the guidance of a teacher. The technique involves the students in vocabulary development, listening comprehension, and reasoning. In order to solve an analogy the students must not only understand each word in the analogy, but more importantly the relationships between the words, thus giving them insights into the semantic network of the target language. Much of the work, that is the decision-making, is the direct responsibility of the student and thus the technique is in keeping with current, more personalized and humanistic trends in language teaching. Fifteen different kinds of analogies are listed with appropriate suggestions for class presentation.
Hierarchical Regulation of Photosynthesis Gene Expression by the Oxygen-Responsive PrrBA and AppA-PpsR Systems of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

In the facultatively phototrophic proteobacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides, formation of the photosynthetic apparatus is oxygen dependent. When oxygen tension decreases, the response regulator PrrA of the global two-component PrrBA system is believed to directly activate transcription of the puf, puh, and puc operons, encoding structural proteins of the photosynthetic complexes, and to indirectly upregulate the photopigment biosynthesis genes bch and crt. Decreased oxygen also results in inactivation of the photosynthesis-specific repressor PpsR, bringing about derepression of the puc, bch, and crt operons. We uncovered a hierarchical relationship between these two regulatory systems, earlier thought to function independently. We also more accurately assessed the spectrum of gene targets of the PrrBA system. First, expression of the appA gene, encoding the PpsR antirepressor, is PrrA dependent, which establishes one level of hierarchical dominance of the PrrBA system over AppA-PpsR. Second, restoration of the appA transcript to the wild-type level is insufficient for rescuing phototrophic growth impairment of the prrA mutant, whereas inactivation of ppsR is sufficient. This suggests that in addition to controlling appA transcription, PrrA affects the activity of the AppA-PpsR system via an as yet unidentified mechanism(s). Third, PrrA directly activates several bch and crt genes, traditionally considered to be the PpsR targets. Therefore, in R. sphaeroides, the global PrrBA system regulates photosynthesis gene expression (i) by rigorous control over the photosynthesis-specific AppA-PpsR regulatory system and (ii) by extensive direct transcription activation of genes encoding structural proteins of photosynthetic complexes as well as genes encoding photopigment biosynthesis enzymes.
Some suggested approaches to the analysis of chronic toxicity and chronic drug adminitration data

Abstract This paper discusses several methods for analyzing data emanating from chronic toxicity and safety-efficacy studies in which repeated measurements are obtained on the same subjects at regular intervals throughout a prolonged period of drug administration. The procedures recommended are described in some detail, and a completely worked example is given. In view of the general availability of high-speed data processing facilities, the routine application, where appropriate, of these or similar methods of analysis should significantly reduce the amount of experimentation necessary to detect various treatment effects over time.
Exact solution of three-dimensional transport problems using one-dimensional models

Several parameters of certain three-dimensional semiconductor devices including diodes, transistors, and solar cells can be determined without solving the actual boundary-value problem. The recombination current, transit time, and open-circuit voltage of planar diodes are emphasized here. The resulting analytical expressions enable determination of the surface recombination velocity of shallow planar diodes. The method involves introducing corresponding one-dimensional models having the same values of these parameters.
Modeling and control of a novel compressed air energy storage system for offshore wind turbine

A novel compressed air energy storage system for wind turbine is proposed. It captures excess power prior to electricity generation so that electrical components can be downsized for demand instead of supply. Energy is stored in a high pressure dual chamber liquid-compressed air storage vessel. It takes advantage of the power density of hydraulics and the energy density of pneumatics in the “open accumulator” architecture. A liquid piston air compressor/expander is utilized to achieve near-isothermal compression/expansion for efficient operation. A dynamic system model as well as control laws for optimizing the turbine power, delivering required electrical power and maintaining system pressure are developed. A set of simulation case studies demonstrate the operation of the system.
High-resolution KLL Auger spectra of multiply ionized oxygen projectiles studied by zero-degree electron spectroscopy.

High-resolution measurements of oxygen K Auger electrons have been performed using multiply charged 10-MeV ${\mathrm{O}}^{\mathrm{n}+}$ (n=2, 3, and 4) projectiles in collisions with He. Line-broadening effects are strongly reduced so that high-resolution spectroscopy is possible for Auger electrons ejected from fast projectiles. The spectra obtained for ${\mathrm{O}}^{4+}$ and ${\mathrm{O}}^{3+}$ impact show relatively simple structures dominated by lines arising from three-electron (Li-like) and four-electron (Be-like) states, respectively. Using configuration-interaction wave functions, the relativistic energies and fine structures of Li-like states are studied. The relativistic correction, Breit-Pauli operator, and mass-polarization effect are calculated for numerous resonances and metastable autoionizing states in O vi. Excellent agreement with experimental data is obtained. For example, the calculated transition energy of the (1s2s2p${)}^{4}$P\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} state is 416.02 eV. It is to be compared with the corresponding experimental data of 416.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 eV.
Ectopic neurons and the organization of insect sensory systems

The transplantation of appendages from one place to another on the body of crickets (Acheta domesticus) has been used to study the similarities and differences between the sensory systems of various ganglia. Mesothoracic legs have been transplanted to the abdomen in place of a cercus and cerci have been transplanted to thoracic leg stumps. After the ectopic sensory neurons had time to regenerate into the CNS, they were stained and their axonal arborizations examined. The results, which were concerned primarily with bristle receptors, revealed that bristle afferents on ectopic cerci arborized in ventral neuropil (the ventralmost association center) and leg afferents arborized in a ventral anterior region of the terminal abdominal ganglion. The results support the idea that each ganglion contains only a few distinct regions of neuropil (probably three), each receiving separate subsets of the afferent projection. The ectopic cerci were also shown to excite interneurons in the thoracic ganglia whose dendrites were located in the most ventral neuropil. These neurons normally respond to thoracic bristle afferents. Thus, the segregation of afferent axons has a correlate in the interneurons they excite.
Effects of back support on intra-abdominal pressure and lumbar kinetics during heavy lifting

Lumbosacral supports (LSSs) have been used to minimize the risk of lower back injuries. Theoretically, an LSS will raise intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and reduce loads in the lower back region. This investigation compared three different LSSs with an unsupported condition. Nine males lifted a weighted box four times, once per condition, at 90% of their one-repetition maximum. Conditions were compared in terms of effects on IAP and its relieving force on L5-S1 kinetics. A multivariate analysis of covariance revealed no statistically significant differences among the three LSSs and the nonsupport conditions on the aforementioned dependent variables. This suggests that there is no difference among LSSs in terms of their biomechanical effects on the lower back region and that the use of any LSS does not necessarily afford more protection than a proper lift without one.
Stress-Induced Reversible and Mild-to-Moderate Irreversible Thallium Defects: Are They Equally Accurate for Predicting Recovery of Regional Left Ventricular Function After Revascularization?

Background—In patients with coronary artery disease, stress-redistribution-reinjection thallium scintigraphy provides important information regarding myocardial ischemia and viability. Although both reversible and mild-to-moderate irreversible thallium defects retain metabolically active, viable myocardium, we hypothesized that stress-induced reversible thallium defects may better differentiate reversible from irreversible regional left ventricular dysfunction after revascularization. Methods and Results—Twenty-four patients with chronic coronary artery disease underwent prerevascularization and postrevascularization exercise-redistribution-reinjection thallium single photon emission CT, gated MRI, and radionuclide angiography. After revascularization, mean left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 30±9% to 37±13% at rest (P<0.001). Before revascularization, abnormal contraction at rest was observed in 56 of 110 reversible and 20 of 37 mild-to-moderate irreversible thallium defects (51% and 54%, r...
Effect of sodium nitroprusside and trimetaphan on neuromuscular transmission in the frog

In summary, it appears from this and other studies that trimetaphan has the potential for producing neuromuscular blockade when used in large doses or when combined with other muscle relaxants. The mode of action appears to be principally that of non-depolarizing neuromuscular blockade. Sodium nitroprusside, on the other hand, even in doses beyond these accepted clinically, does not affect neuromuscular transmission and unless otherwise contraindicated is safe to use with muscle relaxants.
Chloride Channels of Intracellular Membranes

Proteins implicated as intracellular chloride channels include the intracellular ClC proteins, the bestrophins, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, the CLICs, and the recently described Golgi pH regulator. This paper examines current hypotheses regarding roles of intracellular chloride channels and reviews the evidence supporting a role in intracellular chloride transport for each of these proteins.
Domain orientation and dynamics in multidomain proteins from residual dipolar couplings.

The data most commonly available for the determination of macromolecular structures in solution are NOE based distance estimates and spin−spin coupling constant based dihedral angle estimates. This information is, unfortunately, inherently short-range in nature. Thus, for many multidomain proteins, little information is available to accurately position weakly interacting domains with respect to each other. Recent studies of proteins aligned in dilute liquid crystalline solvents have shown the utility of measuring anisotropic spin interactions, such as residual dipolar couplings, to obtain unique long-range structural information. In this work, the latter approach is taken to explore the relative domain orientation in a two-domain fragment from the protein barley lectin. An approach based on singular value decomposition as opposed to simulated annealing is used to directly determine order tensors for each domain from residual 15N−1H dipolar couplings, and the limitations of the two approaches are discussed...
Does the Early Administration of Beta‐blockers Improve the In‐hospital Mortality Rate of Patients Admitted with Acute Coronary Syndrome?

Objectives: Beta-blockade is currently recommended in the early management of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). This was a systematic review of the medical literature to determine if early beta-blockade improves the outcome of patients with ACS. Methods: The authors searched the PubMed and EMBASE databases for randomized controlled trials from 1965 through May 2009 using a search strategy derived from the following PICO formulation of our clinical question: Patients included adults (18+ years) with an acute or suspected myocardial infarction (MI) within 24 hours of onset of chest pain. Intervention included intravenous or oral beta-blockers administered within 8 hours of presentation. The comparator included standard medical therapy with or without placebo versus early beta-blocker administration. The outcome was the risk of in-hospital death in the intervention groups versus the comparator groups. The methodologic quality of the studies was assessed. Qualitative methods were used to summarize the study results. In-hospital mortality rates were compared using a forest plot of relative risk (RR; 95% confidence interval [CI]) between beta-blockers and controls. Statistical analysis was done with Review Manager V5.0. Results: Eighteen articles (total N = 72,249) met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. For in-hospital mortality, RR = 0.95 (95% CI, 0.90–1.01). In the largest of these studies (n = 45,852), a significantly higher rate (p < 0.0001) of cardiogenic shock was observed in the beta-blocker (5.0%) versus control group (3.9%). Conclusions: This systematic review failed to demonstrate a convincing in-hospital mortality benefit for using beta-blockers early in the course of patients with an acute or suspected MI. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:1–10 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Young people’s participation and representation in society

Abstract There has been a surge of interest in the geography of children and childhood. With it has come a growing awareness that children form a marginalised and subordinate group in (adult) society. A culture of non-participation by young people is endemic within the United Kingdom. For the most part, young people are provided with few opportunities to engage in discussions about their economic, social and environmental futures and seldom given chances to express their preferences outside of adult-dominated institutions. It would seem that participation is still conceived to be an adult activity. In this paper, we consider competing perspectives on the appropriateness and capability of children to participate and the form that participation should take; we then examine young people’s participation and representation within the UK at the national level and consider some recent initiatives which encourage closer involvement at a local level; we discuss examples within mainland Europe where the political participation of children has been taken more seriously and where working mechanisms by which children are politically enabled are further developed; and lastly, we engage in further cross-cultural comparison in order to see whether ideas about children’s participation and involvement in public life extends beyond ‘the west’. By making such comparison we seek both to inform the debate on children’s participation and representation within the UK and to draw attention to how an understanding of children’s political engagement contributes to an emerging geography of children and childhood.
A general circulation model of the atmosphere using the full-Galerkin method

A general circulation model using a full-Galerkin method is developed for the simulation of atmospheric climate and variability. Two variants of the Galerkin method, the spectral-transform method and the finite-element method, are used in this model for the horizontal and vertical representation, respectively. The baroclinic dynamics of this model are examined by performing linear normal mode and nonlinear lifecycle calculations of baroclinic waves. The results suggest that the finite-element method resolves the vertical structure of the baroclinic normal mode better than the finite-difference method. The generation, propagation, and decay of baroclinic waves are well simulated in this model. A long-term integration was carried out with a zonally symmetric forcing applied to the GCM. The simulated climate with a flat topography and that produced in the model hemisphere with an idealized mountain are compared. The results suggest that the presence of mountain does not alter the meridional structure of the zonal mean circulation. Comparisons of these time-mean statistics to observed winter time statistics in the real atmosphere indicate that this GCM produces a reasonable general circulation of the atmosphere. © 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. on behalf of IMACS.
The Rise of Skeletal Biominerals

The ability of organisms to synthesize skeletons and functional biomineral structures is one of the most remarkable events in the timeline of mineral evolution. The relatively abrupt rise of such forms in the fossil record marks the beginning of a new type of chemistry whereby biology develops a playbook of mineralization processes whose strategies scientists are only beginning to decipher. The first outlines of an impressive picture are emerging, in which the biochemical machinery and sequence of instructions that pass forward to subsequent generations are being defined. Yet, skeletons are anything but static in the transfer. The fossil record shows the dynamic responses of skeletal structures to shifts in environmental conditions over geologic time.
Spin splitting unconstrained by electron pairing: the spin-vibronic states.

Spin splitting of individual vibronic states was observed in a single molecule where all the electrons are paired, as well as a molecule with one extra electron injected. This observation was made possible by the use of a scanning tunneling microscope capable of reaching $\ensuremath{\sim}800\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mK}$ in a magnetic field up to 9 T and the sharpness of the vibronic states, $\ensuremath{\sim}1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{meV}$. These conditions also led to the resolution of spectral diffusion caused by minute fluctuations at the probing location of the molecule.