cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 139: Renal Afferent Nerve Sensitivity and the Pathophysiology of Salt-sensitive Hypertension

Aim: Altered renal afferent nerve responsiveness contributes to hypertension in the Spontaneously Hypertensive rat. We hypothesized that increased salt-intake differentially impacts the renal afferent nerve sensitivity in salt-resistant vs salt-sensitive rats. Methods: Groups of naive Sprague-Dawley (SD), Dahl Salt-Resistant (DSR), Dahl Salt-Sensitive (DSS) or SD rats receiving a s.c. norepinephrine (NE:600ng/min) infusion were fed a 0.4% (NS) or 8% NaCl (HS) diet for 14 (SD) or 21 days (DSR & DSS). Following HS intake MAP and plasma NE content were determined. Via a renal pelvis preparation afferent nerve activity was assessed as NE-evoked (6250 pmol) substance P (SP) release (N=5/gp). Results: Salt-resistant phenotypes (SD & DSR) remain normotensive and exhibit HS-evoked suppression of plasma NE and increased renal afferent nerve release of substance P. In contrast in salt-sensitive phenotypes (DSS and NE infused SD) a high salt diet evoked hypertension, increased plasma NE and abolished sodium evoked increased responsiveness of the renal afferent release of substance P. Significance symbols: *p<0.05 vs. resp. NS gp; τ p<0.05 vs. resp. SD Naive gp. value. Conclusion: These data support a role of the afferent renal nerves in blood pressure regulation during high salt-intake. Increased responsiveness of the renal afferent nerves contributes to the maintenance of normotension in a salt-resistant rat phenotype. Conversely, our data suggest that in salt-sensitive phenotypes excess release of NE triggers impaired activation of the renal afferent nerves, a factor we postulate contributes to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Adjustment of a Group of Vietnamese People to the United States

The authors collected data on 50 Vietnamese families living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by individual and group interview questionnaire. They also used interviews of all of the Vietnamese people who...
Yield of venom from the Osage copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster.

Abstract Venom was extracted from eighteen Osage copperheads, Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster , by electrical stimulation. Mean venom yield was 43.4 mg/snake and mean body length was 57.5 cm (snout-vent). Solid content was 28.3 mg dry venom/100 ml fresh venom. These yields were comparable to those obtained for three other subspecies.
Debt Relief to African Nations: A Viable Strategy for Economic Growth and Social Progress

Debt among African nations is a widespread and pervasive problem particularly among developing nations. Debt has significant, profound and long-lasting consequences for the social, economic and political development of African nations. All too often poorer nations have been forced to set aside significant portions of their annual budgets for debt maintenance. Beginning in 2008, the eight largest and wealthiest nations will cover the total cost all loans owed to the World Bank and the African Development Bank by 19 African nations. There are benefits and drawbacks to this arrangement. This paper is a critical assessment of the impact of the debt relief initiatives of the world's eight wealthiest nations on the social and economic development of those African nations directly affected by this agreement. This paper also examines the impact of Sudan, Nigeria, Congo and Angola on this process given the ability of these nations to destabilize regions and force programs like debt relief to be halted. Finally, this paper examines the specific measurable changes realized by debt relief initiatives on housing, healthcare, agriculture, education and poverty.
Tensile Properties and Notch Toughness of Aluminum Alloys at -452°F in Liquid Helium

The mechanical properties of aluminum alioys have been well documented at temperatures down to -320°F for many years [1–3] and, within the past few years, a reasonable amount of information has been developed at -423°F with liquid hydrogen as the cooling agent [4–7]. Nevertheless, little has been known of the properties of aluminum alloys at -452°F, the temperature of liquid helium; only one alloy, 5083, has been thoroughly evaluated prior to 1966 [8].
Cervical Osteochondroma Causing Myelopathy in Adults: Management Considerations and Literature Review

Background Osteochondromas are the most frequent benign bone tumors but only rarely occur along the spinal column and even more rarely induce symptoms from spinal cord compression. Case Descriptions We report 2 adult patients, both with a history of hereditary multiple exostoses, who presented with cervical myelopathy secondary to osteochondromas. The first patient is a 22-year-old man with numbness and weakness of his right upper limb and neck pain. Radiologic images showed a bony tumor arising from the C3 lamina with evidence of severe spinal cord compression. The second patient is a 20-year-old woman with weakness of her left upper and lower limbs and progressive numbness of the left hand, as well as neck and back pain. Radiologic images showed a bony tumor arising from the C4 lamina with evidence of significant spinal cord compression and cord signal abnormality. Both patients underwent surgical excision of the epidural mass and pathology confirmed a diagnosis of osteochondroma. Conclusions We discuss the role of surgical intervention, management, and postoperative follow-up in adult patients with cervical osteochondromas. Recommended management includes radiographic imaging and surgical intervention, particularly when evidence of spinal cord impingement occurs. Consistent postoperative follow-up is necessary to ensure appropriate recovery of neurologic function. Surgical management of cervical osteochondromas typically results in excellent and stable clinical outcomes with rare recurrence.
Estimation of Round-Trip Outer-Middle Ear Gain Using DPOAEs

The reported research introduces a noninvasive approach to estimate round-trip outer-middle ear pressure gain using distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). Our ability to hear depends primarily on sound waves traveling through the outer and middle ear toward the inner ear. The role of the outer and middle ear in sound transmission is particularly important for otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), which are sound signals generated in a healthy cochlea and recorded by a sensitive microphone placed in the ear canal. OAEs are used to evaluate the health and function of the cochlea; however, they are also affected by outer and middle ear characteristics. To better assess cochlear health using OAEs, it is critical to quantify the effect of the outer and middle ear on sound transmission. DPOAEs were obtained in two conditions: (i) two-tone and (ii) three-tone. In the two-tone condition, DPOAEs were generated by presenting two primary tones in the ear canal. In the three-tone condition, DPOAEs at the same frequencies (as in the two-tone condition) were generated by the interaction of the lower frequency primary tone in the two-tone condition with a distortion product generated by the interaction of two other external tones. Considering how the primary tones and DPOAEs of the aforementioned conditions were affected by the forward and reverse outer-middle ear transmission, an estimate of the round-trip outer-middle ear pressure gain was obtained. The round-trip outer-middle ear gain estimates ranged from -39 to -17 dB between 1 and 3.3 kHz.
Incidence of wound complications after cesarean delivery: is suture closure better?

AbstractBackground: Wound complications (WC) following cesarean delivery (CD) result in significant morbidity. A randomized trial in 2013, which demonstrated lower WC rates with suture closure compared to staple closure, resulted in a practice change within our academic institution.Objective: To determine the impact of this practice change on WC rates and identify other modifiable risk factors for WC.Study design: This is a retrospective cohort study of all women undergoing CD at the University of California, San Diego between 1 March 2011 and 28 February 2012 (primarily staple) and 1 March 2013 and 28 February 2014 (primarily suture). WC rates were compared between the two time intervals using Chi-square and Student’s t-tests. Risk factors (OR, 95%CI) for WC were assessed using multiple logistic regression modeling.Results: Of 1580 women delivered by CD, rates of WC were higher with staple closure compared to sutures (10.1% versus 4.5%; OR 2.4, 1.4–4.1). Additionally, WC were more likely with vertical sk...
A variation on the Donsker-Varadhan inequality for the principal eigenvalue

The purpose of this short paper is to give a variation on the classical Donsker-Varadhan inequality, which bounds the first eigenvalue of a second-order elliptic operator on a bounded domain Ω by the largest mean first exit time of the associated drift-diffusion process via [Formula: see text]Instead of looking at the mean of the first exit time, we study quantiles: let [Formula: see text] be the smallest time t such that the likelihood of exiting within that time is p, then [Formula: see text]Moreover, as [Formula: see text], this lower bound converges to λ1.
Dark matter interpretation of the Fermi-LAT observation toward the Galactic Center

The center of the Milky Way is predicted to be the brightest region of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-rays generated by self-annihilating dark matter particles. Excess emission about the Galactic center above predictions made for standard astrophysical processes has been observed in $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray data collected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. It is well described by the square of a Navarro, Frenk, and White dark matter density distribution. Although other interpretations for the excess are plausible, the possibility that it arises from annihilating dark matter is valid. In this paper, we characterize the excess emission as annihilating dark matter in the framework of an effective field theory. We consider the possibility that the annihilation process is mediated by either pseudoscalar or vector interactions and constrain the coupling strength of these interactions by fitting to the Fermi Large Area Telescope data for energies 1--100 GeV in the $15\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}15\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ region about the Galactic center using self-consistently derived interstellar emission models and point source lists for the region. The excess persists and its spectral characteristics favor a dark matter particle with a mass in the range approximately from 50 to 190 (10 to 90) GeV and annihilation cross section approximately from $1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}26}$ to $4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}25}$ ($6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}27}$ to $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}25}$) ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}/\mathrm{s}$ for pseudoscalar (vector) interactions. We map these intervals into the corresponding WIMP-neutron scattering cross sections and find that the allowed range lies well below current and projected direct detection constraints for pseudoscalar interactions, but are typically ruled out for vector interactions.
Monitoring Structured Experiences during Youth Programs: Development of Brief Measures of Perceived Value and Engagement

A brief questionnaire that can be used to routinely monitor the quality of structured experiences for youth is discussed in this paper. Structured experiences are discrete periods of time in which youth gather for activity under the supervision of adult or youth leaders. Four-item measures of perceived value and engagement were created. A questionnaire including these measures along with items from the 4-H Common Measures was administered to 219 youth from 11 4-H clubs. Data were analyzed for evidence of reliability and validity. Alpha reliability estimates were .82 and .71 for the two multiple-item monitoring instruments. Correlations (validity coefficients) ranged from .48 to .61. Multiple regression results were consistent with predictions. Significant relations were found between perceived value, engagement, meaningfulness and supportiveness of social climate and safety of social climate. Results thus suggest that these instruments may be appropriate for use in monitoring structured experiences for youth.
A flexible nonlinear diffusion acceleration method for the S N transport equations discretized with discontinuous finite elements.

Abstract This work presents a flexible nonlinear diffusion acceleration (NDA) method that discretizes both the S N transport equation and the diffusion equation using the discontinuous finite element method (DFEM). The method is flexible in that the diffusion equation can be discretized on a coarser mesh with the only restriction that it is nested within the transport mesh and the FEM shape function orders of the two equations can be different. The consistency of the transport and diffusion solutions at convergence is defined by using a projection operator mapping the transport into the diffusion FEM space. The diffusion weak form is based on the modified incomplete interior penalty (MIP) diffusion DFEM discretization that is extended by volumetric drift, interior face, and boundary closure terms. In contrast to commonly used coarse mesh finite difference (CMFD) methods, the presented NDA method uses a full FEM discretized diffusion equation for acceleration. Suitable projection and prolongation operators arise naturally from the FEM framework. Via Fourier analysis and numerical experiments for a one-group, fixed source problem the following properties of the NDA method are established for structured quadrilateral meshes: (1) the presented method is unconditionally stable and effective in the presence of mild material heterogeneities if the same mesh and identical shape functions either of the bilinear or biquadratic type are used, (2) the NDA method remains unconditionally stable in the presence of strong heterogeneities, (3) the NDA method with bilinear elements extends the range of effectiveness and stability by a factor of two when compared to CMFD if a coarser diffusion mesh is selected. In addition, the method is tested for solving the C5G7 multigroup, eigenvalue problem using coarse and fine mesh acceleration. While NDA does not offer an advantage over CMFD for fine mesh acceleration, it reduces the iteration count required for convergence by almost a factor of two in the case of coarse mesh acceleration.
Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Plasticity and Memory and Their Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer disease (AD), the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, causes progressive cognitive decline and degeneration of synapses and neurons. Some neurological impairments in AD may reflect reversible network dysfunction rather than loss of neurons. Biochemical and genetic studies have identified several molecules that may play a causal role in AD pathogenesis. We will review how these molecules impair memory. Many molecules that are important for synaptic plasticity are altered in AD, including receptors, channels, kinases, and neuromodulators. We will discuss how these molecular alterations, as well as cellular and network level alterations, could contribute to deficits in synaptic plasticity and memory.
Evacuation Route Planning

Evacuation route planning (ERP) is an important component of emergency management that seeks to minimize the loss of life or harm to the public during natural disasters or terrorist attacks. Given a transportation network, a population, and a set of destinations, the goal of the Evacuation Route Planning problem is to produce routes that minimize the evacuation time for the population. The problem is challenging because of the large size of network data, the large number of evacuees, and the need to account for capacity constraints in the road network. Efficient spatial network query processing mechanism are essential to identify routes and schedules to evacuate affected populations to safety in the event of natural disasters. This chapter presents algorithms for ERP that explicitly exploit the spatial structure of road networks to minimize the computational time.
Fighting labor market discrimination with ban the box (BTB): Are there racial implications?

We develop a theoretical commentary on the implementation and expansion of the ban the box (BTB) movement as a legal response to the formal and informal discrimination ex-offenders face every day in the labor market, in particular the racial impacts of such policies. We first provide a thorough overview of the numerous laws that have created barriers to ex-offender employment. Then we focus on the advent of BTB legislation across the U.S. and the impact these policies might have in the long run. An emphasis on the racial implications is necessary to explore the potential of BTB policies to exacerbate statistical discrimination that would marginalize young minority males with clean records. While we do not advocate the removal of BTB policies, our discussion aims to clarify the risks associated with limiting employers' access to applicants' information in the job market and to highlight the unintended consequences such policies could have on those without criminal records.
Role of A2B adenosine receptors in tumor growth

373 Due to rapid growth, solid tumors experience severe hypoxia and produce high levels of extracellular adenosine. We have previously shown that A2B adenosine receptors up regulate VEGF and other angiogenic factors. To test the hypothesis that A2B adenosine receptors contribute to tumor growth, we used an isograft model of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) in A2B adenosine receptors knockout and control mice. We found that genetic ablation of A2B adenosine receptor in the host mice reduced tumor growth and significantly increased median animal survival. Tumor weight, vascular density, and VEGF protein levels were significantly lower in A2B-/- mice compared to control mice when assessed at 14 and 21 day after s.c. LLC injection. At these time points, single cell suspension from tumor tissue was prepared using enzymatic method with a collagenase type I and hyaluronidase and CD45+ cells were isolated by positive selection with magnetic microbeads. Host derived CD45+ cells represented approximately 30% of total tumor cell populations in both A2B knockout and control mice. Tumor-associated CD45+ cells isolated from A2B-/- mice produced significantly lower levels of VEGF (37±5 vs. 149±8 pg per 106 cells in cells from control mice) when stimulated with the stable adenosine analog NECA (10 µM). In contrast, there was no difference in VEGF production between LLC cells (CD45-negative fraction after magnetic isolation) from A2B knockout and control mice. Importantly, we found that the number of Gr1+CD11b+ myeloid immune suppressive cells in spleen and tumor tissue was greatly decreased in A2B knockout mice compared to wild type animals. We conclude that stimulation of A2B adenosine receptor expressed on tumor-infiltrating CD45+ cells promotes tumor vascularization and growth by stimulation of VEGF production. Pharmacological blockage of A2B adenosine receptor has potential to improve anti-tumor immunity by bringing down the number of Gr1+CD11b+ myeloid immune suppressive cells.
Comminuted fractures of the femoral shaft treated by intramedullary nailing.

Summary We evaluated 245 cases of comminuted femoral fractures treated by intramedullary nailing and graded them by fracture pattern and degree of stability as segmental fractures, and grade I, grade II, grade III, and grade IV comminuted fractures. The infection rate was 0.4 per cent, and the nonunion rate was 0.8 per cent. Shortening of more than 2 cm. was seen in seven cases (3 per cent), and malrotation of more than 20 degrees was noted in four cases (1.7 per cent). These more common problems of shortening and rotation were almost eliminated by the increased use of cerclage wire and postoperative traction and spica casts. Knee range of motion averaged 128 degrees. These fractures provide interesting and difficult challenges. Intramedullary nailing of the segmental fractures is technically demanding but offers excellent results in these otherwise difficult fractures. Patients with grade I and grade II comminuted fractures do well with intramedullary nailing and the bones remain stable. Grade III and grade IV comminuted fractures are unstable and pose the risk of shortening and rotation. Therefore, to gain anatomic restoration in a young person we believe that it is reasonable to perform an open reduction and cerclage wiring of these fractures. The postoperative treatment of the comminuted femoral fracture is determined by both fracture stability and patient reliability, and frequent roentgenograms are indicated. Most importantly, the surgeon should be prepared to apply whatever form of treatment he believes to be necessary to gain optimal results in each individual.
Computerized and Traditional Administration of Questionnaires: Psychometric Quality and Completion Time for Measures of Self-Concept

In two independent studies of questionnaire administration, respondents completed multidimensional self-concept inventories within four randomized research conditions that mirrored the most common ...
Fundamentals of Fuzzy Logic Control — Fuzzy Sets, Fuzzy Rules and Defuzzifications

A review of the fundamentals of fuzzy sets, fuzzy rules and fuzzy inference systems is provided in this chapter. Beginning with crisp or classical sets and their operations, we derived fuzzy sets and their operations. Classical set membership functions and fuzzy membership functions are discussed in detail following set theory. Fuzzy rules are described using an air conditioner control example. The different defuzzification techniques and their processes are discussed with the same example step by step. Finally, some other fuzzy techniques are discussed such as off-line and on-line fuzzy control systems as well as a fuzzy closed-loop control system including multiple lookup tables.
National Assessment Programs: The Example of the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress

National testing programs of students are fairly common around the world. They can have different purposes, ranging from deciding which students go on to which secondary or postsecondary school, to being a core component of accountability systems, designed to find out which schools are doing a better job than others, to acting as a more general indicator of how well a province, a region, or a country is doing over time. In the United States, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the nation's report card, is a large nationally representative assessment of what America's students know and can do. This article examines the history and development of NAEP and explores its various publications and databases.
A Lang Exceptional Set for Integral Points

In 1986 and 1991, Serge Lang defined holomorphic, diophantine, and geometric exceptional sets of a complete variety over C, over a number field, or over a field of characteristic zero, respectively, and conjectured that they should coincide when defined.
Gut feelings: microRNAs tune protein quality control and ageing to odours.

A new study in C. elegans identifies a microRNA-dependent mechanism that enables olfactory neurons to rapidly regulate protein degradation in the intestine and therefore organismal ageing.
Conjugal Transfer, Whole-Genome Sequencing, and Plasmid Analysis of Four mcr-1-Bearing Isolates from U.S. Patients.

Four Enterobacteriaceae clinical isolates bearing mcr-1 gene-harboring plasmids were characterized. All isolates demonstrated the ability to transfer colistin resistance to Escherichia coli; plasmids were stable in conjugants after multiple passages on nonselective media. mcr-1 was located on an IncX4 (n = 3) or IncN (n = 1) plasmid. The IncN plasmid harbored 13 additional antimicrobial resistance genes. Results indicate that the mcr-1-bearing plasmids in this study were highly transferable in vitro and stable in the recipients.
A Low-Dose 4F-PCC Protocol for DOAC-Associated Intracranial Hemorrhage.

Purpose:Current guidelines favor 4F-PCC over plasma for reversal of warfarin. Uncertainty remains on the hemostatic effectiveness and thrombotic risk of 4F-PCC for direct-acting oral anticoagulants...
Recent Developments of Retinal Image Analysis in Alzheimer’s Disease and Potential AI Applications

Alzheimers disease (AD) is the most common progressive neurodegenerative illness and cause of dementia in the elderly. The critical barriers for primary prevention in AD are the lack of rapid, non-invasive, sensitive and low-cost biomarkers. As the eye and brain share essential structural and pathogenic pathways, non-invasive eye biomarkers could be identified to obtain new insights into the onset and progression of AD and its complications in the eye. In this short review, recent developments of retinal image analysis in AD and potential artificial intelligence (AI) applications are presented. Some approaches are still very much novel research techniques, others are more established and transitioning into the clinical diagnostic arena. Together they provide us with the capability to move AD detection research forwards by using novel peripheral biomarkers.
Memory editing from science fiction to clinical practice

Science fiction notions of altering problematic memories are starting to become reality as techniques emerge through which unique memories can be edited. Here we review memory-editing research with a focus on improving the treatment of psychopathology. Studies highlight two windows of memory vulnerability: initial storage, or consolidation; and re-storage after retrieval, or reconsolidation. Techniques have been identified that can modify memories at each stage, but translating these methods from animal models to humans has been challenging and implementation into clinical therapies has produced inconsistent benefits. The science of memory editing is more complicated and nuanced than fiction, but its rapid development holds promise for future applications.
Kete – Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora: Chapman Nyaho, William (2020). Kete – Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora, Volume 3. Newtown, USA. MSR Classics. MS1708. Compact Disc $12.95, also available via streaming or digital download.

(2020). Kete – Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora. Journal of the Musical Arts in Africa: Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 125-127.
Exploring the 3D Ising gauge-Higgs model in exact Coulomb gauge and with a gauge-invariant substitute for Landau gauge

The Z2 gauge-Higgs model in three dimensions has two different types of phase transition, confinement-deconfinement and Higgs magnetization. Here they are explored through two order parameters, the Coulomb magnetization which is a local order parameter for confinement, and a replica-based gauge-invariant order parameter which tracks the Higgs transition in a way similar to Landau-gauge magnetization. Minimal Coulomb gauge is set exactly, using the polynomial-time minimum-weight matching algorithm of Edmonds. This is a tremendous speed improvement over relaxation/annealing methods and completely eliminates the systematic error. The replica-overlap is also an improvement over relaxation methods for setting Landau gauge, in that it has an easily controllable and measurable systematic error. These simulations show the phase transitions not ending at the first-order endpoint but bifurcating near there and continuing even through the expected analyticity region. The specific heat critical exponents, $\alpha$, are highly negative, explaining the lack of strong signals in the energy. Nevertheless, energy moments are seen to follow curves consistent with the predictions from the order parameters, showing these to be true thermal transitions, albeit weak ones. These results cast further doubt on Fradkin-Shenker analyticity. They also suggest one or more new yet to be explored phases in gauge-Higgs models in the bifurcated region.
Modeling the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire-International Version

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are related to a host of deleterious physical and mental health outcomes. The ACE-International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) was developed to assess categories of ACEs (e.g., sexual, emotional, and physical abuse) in internationally representative samples. Though the ACE-IQ has been used world-wide, little work has examined the structure of this measure. Further, much of the modeling techniques implemented lacked theoretical rationale. The present work used two principal components analyses (PCA) to evaluate the ACE-IQ structure using both the identified ACE categories as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and using the ACE-IQ items as individual indicators. Using the WHO method, a two-component structure was indicated. Alternatively, a PCA of the individual items yielded a six-component structure. Results highlight the importance of theoretically grounded measure evaluation and the potential distinctions amongst types of ACEs. Implications and future directions for research and practice are discussed.
Timber supply fundamentals for extension forestry professionals.

Timber supply is a term forestry professionals often misuse. It is not the same as timber availability. Competing uses for timber, like bioenergy and carbon credits, make a proper definition important. Timber supply has three subsets: biological potential and physical and economic timber supplies. Plus, there is a temporal aspect that creates a relationship between stock and short-run and long-run timber supplies. A change in stock supply automatically triggers a long-run timber supply response in the opposite direction. Timber supply is a complex issue, and this discussion may help Extension professionals educate landowners and avoid mistakes when using the term.
Banking-industry specific and regional economic determinants of non-performing loans: Evidence from US states

The present study examines state-level banking-industry specific as well as region economic determinants of non-performing loans for all commercial banks and savings institutions across 50 US states and the District of Columbia for 1984–2013. Using both fixed effects and dynamic-GMM estimations, I find greater capitalization, liquidity risks, poor credit quality, greater cost inefficiency and banking industry size to significantly increase NPLs, while greater bank profitability lowers NPLs. Moreover, higher state real GDP and real personal income growth rates, and changes in state housing price index reduce NPLs, while inflation, state unemployment rates, and US public debt significantly increase NPLs. The findings imply that regular stress tests on banks’ loan quality that typically underpin scenarios for a rise in NPLs, should take into account the impact of ‘micro’ or state-level economic conditions on NPLs, in addition to banks’ capital and credit quality, and effective cost management in assessing banks financial health.
ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 negatively regulates thymocyte and peripheral lymphocyte proliferation.

Cholesterol is a key component of cell membranes and is essential for cell growth and proliferation. How the accumulation of cellular cholesterol affects lymphocyte development and function is not well understood. We demonstrate that ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) regulates cholesterol homeostasis in thymocytes and peripheral CD4 T cells. Our work is the first to describe a cell type in Abcg1-deficient mice with such a robust change in cholesterol content and the expression of cholesterol metabolism genes. Abcg1-deficient mice display increased thymocyte cellularity and enhanced proliferation of thymocytes and peripheral T lymphocytes in vivo. The absence of ABCG1 in CD4 T cells results in hyperproliferation in vitro, but only when cells are stimulated through the TCR. We hypothesize that cholesterol accumulation in Abcg1−/− T cells alters the plasma membrane structure, resulting in enhanced TCR signaling for proliferation. Supporting this idea, we demonstrate that B6 T cells pretreated with soluble cholesterol have a significant increase in proliferation. Cholesterol accumulation in Abcg1−/− CD4 T cells results in enhanced basal phosphorylation levels of ZAP70 and ERK1/2. Furthermore, inhibition of ERK phosphorylation in TCR-stimulated Abcg1−/− T cells rescues the hyperproliferative phenotype. We describe a novel mechanism by which cholesterol can alter signaling from the plasma membrane to affect downstream signaling pathways and proliferation. These results implicate ABCG1 as an important negative regulator of lymphocyte proliferation through the maintenance of cellular cholesterol homeostasis.
On the mechanism of action of cytochrome P-450. Spectral intermediates in the reaction with iodosobenzene and its derivatives.

Abstract Cytochrome P-450 is known to catalyze the following oxygen transfer reaction: RH + PhIO----ROH + PhI where RH represents a variety of hydroxylatable substrates and PhIO a variety of iodosobenzene derivatives that serve as oxygen donors, and neither molecular oxygen nor an external electron donor is required. To determine whether the cytochrome functions in such reactions by a peroxidase-type mechanism, the kinetics of its interaction with a variety of substituted iodosobenzenes and iodobenzene diacetates have been determined by stopped flow spectrophotometry. The reaction of phenobarbital-induced rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 form 2 with iodosobenzenes or iodobenzene diacetates leads to the reversible formation of three spectral intermediates, termed E, F, and G. Complex E is characterized by a type I difference spectrum, representing the iodosobenzene-dependent partial shift of the low spin hexacoordinate form of the ferric enzyme to the high spin pentacoordinate form, F represents a transient intermediate whose spectrum cannot be determined for kinetic reasons, and G represents a blue-shifted intermediate with an absorption maximum at about 393 nm in the absolute spectrum. The striking and principal feature of these observations is that the spectrum of Complex G does not vary with structural differences in the iodosobenzene derivatives, in contrast to the transient species observed in previous studies in this laboratory in the reaction between cytochrome P-450 form 2 and aromatic peroxy compounds. Complex G exhibits the spectral properties one might anticipate for an iron-oxo intermediate containing only one oxygen atom derived from the starting iodosobenzene.
Do students benefit? Writing-to-learn in a digital design laboratory course

Communication instruction in engineering education has been formally integrated in numerous engineering programs, as industry and ABET increasingly require oral and written skills for engineering professionals. As engineering programs have adapted to these requirements, the need to understand the benefits of communication instruction to students while they are learning course content is paramount. This paper focuses on the "discipline-specific" method for teaching communication skills and addresses whether or not students learn the discipline-specific material more fully when they are required to write about that material. Data for this research comes from a sophomore-level communication- intensive digital design laboratory course. To assess retention, student answers to a specific final exam question are analyzed over three semesters. During these semesters, different writing assignments were associated with the tested subject matter. The results of this study speak directly to content-driven communication instruction and test performance.
Stages of Change in Physical Exercise and Social Support: An Integrated Socio‐Psycho‐Economic Approach

The present research attempts to integrate behavioral and social science theories (e.g., theory of reasoned action, social cognitive theory, transtheoretical model) in assessing the effect and sources of social support of persons in various stages of physical exercise. Using multinomial regression to analyze the data collected via interviews from a sample of over 1,500 working adults in Jamaica, strong statistical support was found for the role of social support in initiating and maintaining exercise. The importance of various providers depends on the individual's stage of behavioral change. Health workers, relatives, and friends are important during early stages; while friends and physical trainers are important during later stages. Other results, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Frequent incidence of somatic mutations in translocated BCL2 oncogenes of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

The majority of non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphomas contain a t(14;18) translocation that places the bc12 gene into juxtaposition with the transcriptically active Ig heavy-chain locus, thus deregulating the expression of this proto-oncogene. The bc12 gene product is a membrane- associated mitochondrial protein that regulates cell survival through unknown mechanisms. Although overproduction of the normal protein appears sufficient for conferring a selective growth or survival advantage to B cells, point mutations that alter the coding region of translocated bc12 genes have been described previously by others in a lymphoma cell line. However, it is not known whether somatic mutations that alter BCL2 proteins occur in vivo or whether they result from chemotherapy or arise through other mechanisms. For these reasons, we obtained DNA from the t(14;18)-containing tumors of five patients who had not undergone treatment for their disease, and used a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-mismatch technique for rapid identification of point mutations in a portion of the bc12 open reading frame (ORF) corresponding to the first 131 aminoacids (aa) of the 239 aa p26 BCL2 protein. DNAs from two t(14;18)-containing cell lines were also analyzed. Point mutations in this region of the bc12 gene ORF were detected in three of five patients' tumors and in both cell lines. PCR- mismatch analysis of bc12 in cell lines and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases that lacked the t(14;18) translocation was negative, thus establishing the specificity of these results. DNA sequencing determined that these mutations are predicted to produce aa substitutions in the BCL2 proteins of two of the primary tumors and one of the cell lines. Interestingly, two of the patients contained an identical C\---|-T transition that resulted in a nonconservative aa substitution (proline\---|-serine) at position 59 of the BCL2 protein. Further analysis excluded the possibility that these mutations represented hereditary polymorphisms or PCR artifacts. A cluster of four point mutations within the translocation + bc12 allele of one patient had hallmarks of the somatic hypermutation mechanism that is associated with Ig genes and that contributes to antibody diversity. Because of the region of the bcl2 gene analyzed in these t(14;18) translocations is located nearly 300 kbp from the Ig heavy-chain locus, our data suggest that the Ig gene somatic hypermutation mechanism can act over extreme distances of DNA. It remains to be established whether these somatic mutations that alter BCL2 proteins influence the pathobiology of nonHodgkin's lymphomas.
Importing Biological Materials

Scientific cooperation is no longer confined to laboratories at the same institution, nor between laboratories within the boundaries of the United States. More than ever, scientists are forming collaborations with their peers outside the U.S., leading not only to the exchange of knowledge and ideas, but also to the exchange of biological reagents. Thus, investigators need to be aware that an import permit may be required to obtain purified proteins, chemically synthesized materials, cell lines, tissues, and other biological materials from abroad. Before requesting any biological material from a laboratory outside the U.S., it is the responsibility of the “receiver” to ascertain whether an import permit is required, to apply for the permit if one is determined to be necessary, and to provide the “shipper” with an official copy of the permit to be included with the shipped material. This unit identifies the appropriate agencies and steps required to obtain a permit.
Gated amplifiers for data processing in space

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering. Thesis. 1966. Sc. D.
Modeling error-based Adaptive User Interfaces

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi CHAPTER 1. OVERVIEW AND MOTIVATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.
The Crisis of Physical Illness: An Overview

The human capacity to overcome the pain and suffering of severe physical disease is immense. People often continue to function under the most harrowing life circumstances. How can this be? Why don’t people simply give up under the stress of severe physical illness? What are the tasks which they must successfully negotiate? What are the coping skills which facilitate effective recovery? How can medical staff enhance the psychological healing process? This book is addressed to these questions.
Competition and Economic Progress

In a recent article, Michael Ghiselin has suggested that what economics has to offer biology is an entrepreneurial conception of the (natural) economy. Creating such a theory would make it possible to explain how the Darwinian view of progress as the outcome of a competitive push (leading to gradual change) and an opportunity pull (generating episodic change) can coexist. However, accomplishing such a task requires the introduction of technological change into the standard economic model, and with it, a broader theory of the competitive process.
Liquid crystal fibers for enhanced nonlinear optical processes

In this paper, we report the results of a series of experiments conducted in liquid crystal cored fibers, where we have observed several nonlinear optical phenomena with relatively much lower optical threshold fluence. In particular, passive all-optical limiting action has been found to occur at threshold fluence a few times smaller than their thin film or bulk cell counterpart. Concomitant to these observations, stimulated back scattering and nonlinear pulse propagation effects also appear. >
Second Language Acquisition and Synchronous Computer Mediated Communication

Before personal computers became popular, social scientists had discussed the potential effects of new forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on society. Hiltz and Turoff (1978) claimed that computerized conferencing would exert a dramatic psychological and sociological influence on various types of group communication in the future. They correctly predicted that computers and the Internet have become a necessity for daily life, and they have greatly changed our lives during just the last decade or so.
Role of control constraints in quantum optimal control

The problems of optimizing the value of an arbitrary observable of a two-level system at both a fixed time and the shortest possible time is theoretically explored. Complete identification and classification along with comprehensive analysis of globally optimal control policies and traps (i.e., policies which are locally but not globally optimal) are presented. The central question addressed is whether the control landscape remains trap-free if control constraints of the inequality type are imposed. The answer is astonishingly controversial: Although the traps are proven always to exist in this case, in practice they become trivially escapable once the control time is fixed and chosen long enough.
Extreme temperatures and thermal tolerances for seedlings of desert succulents

Extreme temperatures near the soil surface, which can reach 70°C at the main study site in the northwestern Sonoran Desert, markedly affect seedling survival. Computer simulations indicated that for the rather spherical barrel cactus Ferocactus acanthodes (Lem.) Britt. & Rose the maximum surface temperature decreased 8°C and the minimum temperature increased 3°C as the seedling height was increased from 1 mm up to 50 mm. Simulated changes in shortwave and longwave irradiation alone showed that shading could decrease the maximum temperature by about 5°C for the common desert agave, Agave deserti Engelm., and raise the minimum 1°C. Actual field measurements on seedlings of both species, where shading would affect local air temperatures and wind speeds in addition to irradiation, indicated that shading decreased the average maximum surface temperature by 11°C in the summer and raised the minimum temperature by 3°C in winter. Seedlings grown at day/iight air temperatures of 30°C/20°C tolerated low temperatures of about -7°C and high temperatures of about 56°C, as measured by the temperature where stain uptake by chlorenchyma cells was reduced 50%. Seedling tolerance to high temperatures increased slightly with age, and F. acanthodes was more tolerant than A. deserti. Even taking the acclimation of high temperature tolerance into account (2.7°C increase per 10°C increase in temperature), seedlings of A. deserti would not be expected to withstand the high temperatures at exposed sites, consistent with previous observations that these seedlings occur only in protected microhabitats. Based primarily on greater high temperature acclimation (4.3°C per 10°C), seedlings of F. acanthodes have a greater high temperature tolerance and can just barely survive in exposed sites. Wide ranges in photoperiod had little effect on the thermal sensitivities of either species. When drought increased the chlorenchyma osmotic pressure from about 0.5 MPa to 1.3 MPa, seedlings of both species became about 2°C less tolerant of high temperatures, which would be nonadaptive in a desert environment, and 2°C more tolerant of low temperatures, which also occurs for other species. In conclusion, seedlings of A. deserti and F. acanthodes could tolerate tissue temperatures over 60°C when acclimated to high temperatures and below -8°C when acclimated to low temperatures. However, the extreme environment adjacent to desert soil requires sheltered microhabitats to protect the plants from high temperature damage and also to protect them from low temperature damage at their upper elevational limits.
The federal Public Relations Administration: history’s near miss

Abstract Given the permanent hostility by Congress to public relations in public administration at the federal level of government, it is surprising how close the federal government came to establishing a wartime agency, entitled the Public Relations Administration (PRA), as part of its administrative structure in World War II. During the interwar years (1918–1941), the civilian and military leadership of the US engaged in elaborate planning for a possible future war, including recommending the creation of a superagency called the PRA. The 1933 version of the Industrial Mobilization Plan (IMP) submitted to Congress by the Army and Navy was the high water mark of institutionalizing public relations in public administration. This one-time opportunity to legitimize and professionalize public relations by the federal government was lost due to the opposition of President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939. This article relates how that planning effort unfolded and the factors that led to its stillbirth.