cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laminar flow in certain ducts of symmetric cross section

Viscous flow in certain symmetrical ducts can be solved by a modified Levy's method with internal matching. The method is simple, efficient and accurate. Approximate analytic formulas are also derived for the extreme cases. It is found that cutting convex corners has little effect on the flow rate, but a centered core, however slender, decreases flow dramatically. The graphs for flow rates are useful for the design of ell, cross and nested square ducts and also for the prediction of the permeability of parallel-structured porous media. L'ecoulement visqueux dans certaines conduites symetriques peut etre resolu par une methode de Levy modifiee a calage interne. La methode est simple, efficace et precise. Des formules analytiques approximatives sont egalement etablies pour les cas extremes. On a trouve que de couper les angles convexes avait peu d'effet sur le debit, mais qu'un noyau centre, quoique mince, diminuait considerablement le debit. Les diagrammes de debits sont utiles pour la conception de conduites carrees en L, transversales et imbriquees et egalement pour la prediction de la permeabilite de milieux poreux paralleles-structures.
Jamaican children's representations of tourism

Abstract The utility of using children's drawings and open-ended survey responses as a way to learn about how Jamaican children view tourists and tourism is examined. A sample of six primary schools located near tourism centers completed an “activity book” containing openended sentence completion items and a space for drawing a picture of “a visitor who has come to Jamaica from far away”. The responses are analyzed using an inductive content analytic protocol. The children express generally positive views of “visitors”, often indicating concern for the visitor's experience of Jamaica. Comparison of rural, tourism-area, and elite preparatory school representations suggests potentially important differences in the socialization experiences of the sample.
The synthesis of proximal‐benzolumazine, proxirnal‐benzoxanthine, proximal‐benzotheophylline and proximal‐benzocaffeine

The synthesis of pyrazino[2,3-f]quinazolin-8,10-(7H,9H)dione(proximal-benzolumazine, 1), imidazo[4,5-f]-quinazolin-7,9-(6H,8H)-dione (proximal-benzoxanthine, 2), 6,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinazolin-7,9-(6H,8H) dione (proximal-benzotheophylline, 3), and 1,6,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinazolin-7,9-(6H,8H)dione (proximal-benzocaffeine, 4) is reported by commencing with 2-amino-6-chlorobenzamide and proceeding via a variety of 5,6-disubstituted-2,4-(1H,3H)quinazolinediones. Methylation of 3 is shown to yield 3,6,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinazolin-7,9-(6H,8H)dione (15) and 4 in a ratio of 4:1.
An examination on multiple celebrity endorsers in advertising

Celebrity endorsement advertising is a prevailing advertising technique. Some marketers choose to utilize multiple celebrities to promote their products or brands. Nevertheless, it is surprising that so little research has focused on this phenomenon. This research discussed advantages and potential concerns of multi‐celebrity endorsement advertising and documented the actual use of multiple celebrity endorsers in the milk mustache campaign in the USA. We analyzed the content of the 50 milk mustache ads appearing on the http://www.whymilk.com Web site on a list of celebrity‐ or product‐related dimensions. Overall, we found that these milk mustache ads have matched their celebrities’ gender, age and type of milk attributes in appealing to their female/male, teen/adult consumers. The results support that fit between the endorsed product and various celebrities is a key factor for using multiple celebrity endorsers in advertising.
Activation of cardiac Cdk9 represses PGC‐1 and confers a predisposition to heart failure

Hypertrophy allows the heart to adapt to workload but culminates in later pump failure; how it is achieved remains uncertain. Previously, we showed that hypertrophy is accompanied by activation of cyclin T/Cdk9, which phosphorylates the C-terminal domain of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II, stimulating transcription elongation and pre-mRNA processing; Cdk9 activity was required for hypertrophy in culture, whereas heart-specific activation of Cdk9 by cyclin T1 provoked hypertrophy in mice. Here, we report that αMHC-cyclin T1 mice appear normal at baseline yet suffer fulminant apoptotic cardiomyopathy when challenged by mechanical stress or signaling by the G-protein Gq. At pathophysiological levels, Cdk9 activity suppresses many genes for mitochondrial proteins including master regulators of mitochondrial function (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 (PGC-1), nuclear respiratory factor-1). In culture, cyclin T1/Cdk9 suppresses PGC-1, decreases mitochondrial membrane potential, and sensitizes cardiomyocytes to apoptosis, effects rescued by exogenous PGC-1. Cyclin T1/Cdk9 inhibits PGC-1 promoter activity and preinitiation complex assembly. Thus, chronic activation of Cdk9 causes not only cardiomyocyte enlargement but also defective mitochondrial function, via diminished PGC-1 transcription, and a resulting susceptibility to apoptotic cardiomyopathy.
Gene therapy for genetic diseases

Gene therapy provides the potential to permanently cure selected genetic diseases. However, a major obstacle is the effective delivery of the normal gene to specific target sites of pathology and continuous expression at therapeutic levels. A variety of viral and non-viral vectors have been developed to deliver genes to various cells, tissues and organs by ex vivo and in vivo strategies. Among the viral-based vectors, retroviruses, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus and herpes virus have been the most extensively studied. Among non-viral-based vectors, liposomes have been used to introduce plasmid DNA directly into animals, and DNA protein conjugates are being developed to exploit receptor-mediated uptake pathways. Each of these gene delivery systems is reviewed here and their advantages and disadvantages compared. In addition, the current status and future prospects for human gene therapy trials for genetic diseases are discussed.
Effect of lime, P, and Mg on growth and elemental concentrations of mugwort

Abstract There is evidence that mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) may have potential for use as a livestock forage. This study was undertaken to determine mugwort growth response to lime, P, and Mg, and their effect on elemental concentration of plant material. Factorial combinations of 0, 5.6, and 11.2 mt lime/ha; 0, 112, and 224 kg P/ha; and 0, 224, and 448 kg Mg/ha were applied to low pH soil in greenhouse pots and planted to mugwort. In the absence of lime and Mg, growth was very poor. Lime was the most effective treatment in promoting mugwort growth. Growth response to Mg was greatest in the absence of lime, and response to P was dependent on lime and/or Mg application. Macronutrient concentrations of mugwort plants were considered adequate for use as forage for non‐lactating beef cows. Concentrations of several of the micronutrients were very high, especially at low lime and Mg. Copper was high at all treatments.
Using a Primary Nurse Manager to Implement DCCT Recommendations in a Large Pediatric Program

PURPOSEthis study was conducted to determine whether recommendations from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) could be implemented in a large pediatric population using a diabetes clinical nurse specialist program coordinator dedicated to intensive management.METHODSPatients' charts were reviewed to examine HbAic levels from before the results of the DCCT were published and again 1 year after the recommendations were implemented. Patients who met the following criteria (N=124) were enrolled: type 1 diabetes, less than 18 years old, followed at Yale for 1 year prior to the results of the DCCT and 1 year after, and HbA1c level recorded in the medical chart.RESULTSHbA1c levels were significantly lower 1 year after implementing the DCCT protocol; 3 years later these same patients improved even further as evidenced by another decrease in HbAlC levels. The patients were taking more insulin (more Ultralente and regular insulin and less NPH) and had an increased number of injections at both the 1-...
Improving delay estimation using the Pade approximation

It is shown that the online estimate of a unknown delay time using the Pade approximation can be improved substantially. Based on the initial online estimate, a sequence of the estimate of delay time is then constructed, which converges to the true delay. >
Granular Phononic Crystals as Tunable Functional Switches

Abstract In this work, we discuss a strategy for spatial and modal wave manipulation in granular phononic crystals based on the use of nonlinearity as a trigger to reversibly activate different combinations of wave modes in the crystals response. Our approach revolves around the concept of modal mixing, whereby, through the generation of higher harmonics in crystals with complex modal structures, we can induce jumps in the response across the available propagation modes; as a result, the system experiences a blend of modes and the simultaneous activation of complementary functionalities. To demonstrate the versatility of this approach, we numerically study a family of dimer granular crystal configurations featuring a variety of wave control functionalities. This approach based on modal mixing features the ability to yield a wide variety of functional configurations without changes in the shape, size or topology of the nonlinear phononic crystal.
Prevention of Meningococcal Disease: Current Use of Polysaccharide and Conjugate Vaccines

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), although uncommon, is difficult to diagnose and can be rapidly fatal, even in healthy young persons. IMD is cyclic, and serogroups responsible for disease vary by age group, although the prevalence of the serogroups changes over time and by geographical location. Two quadrivalent vaccines are licensed in the United States to prevent IMD caused by serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine vaccination with quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine of adolescents 11‐18 years of age and vaccination of persons 2‐55 years of age who are at elevated risk of IMD. Efforts to prevent IMD remain challenging, because there is neither an immunogenic vaccine for infants nor a vaccine to prevent serogroup B disease that is currently licensed. Obstacles to achieving optimal vaccine coverage among adolescents persist, and strategies are needed to address these shortcomings. Although widespread use of conjugate vaccines has dramatically reduced the incidence of meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae [1] and Haemophilus influenzae type b [2], Neisseria meningitidis remains a leading cause of meningitis and septicemia in the United States. Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by N. meningitidis is relatively uncommon, but the consequences can be devastating. Even when treated in an otherwise healthy person, IMD can be fatal within 48 h. Case-fatality rates exceed 10%, and up to 20% of survivors sustain permanent sequelae, including neurologic complications, loss of limbs, hearing loss, and paralysis [3, 4]. This review summarizes current recommendations for vaccine prevention of meningococcal disease and strategies to improve vaccine coverage among adolescents.
Retaining HIV-Infected Patients in Care: Where Are We? Where Do We Go from Here?

Retaining human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in medical care at regular intervals has been shown to be linked to positive health outcomes. This article examines the available literature and research on retention and engagement in care of HIV-infected patients. We identify the extent of the problem of keeping patients engaged in care, as well as analyze which groups of patients are likely to be lost to follow-up. A review of different ways to measure patient retention is considered, as well as some preliminary data that suggest successful ways to re-engage patients in care. The need to ensure that HIV-infected patients are retained in care is a pressing public health issue and one that affects multiple populations. Further research and exchange of information are needed to keep patients in continuous care and to ensure that all patients are provided with regular, high-quality care that achieves both desired patient and population health outcomes.
APRIL/TRDL-1, a tumor necrosis factor-like ligand, stimulates cell death.

We have examined the activity of a new member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family identified through Expressed Sequence Tag database searching using TNFα protein as the search query. We have termed this protein TNF-related death ligand-1α (TRDL-1α). Traditional cDNA library screening identified two additional splice variants designated TRDL-1β and TRDL-1γ that differed from TRDL-1α by the deletion of two small regions within the protein coding region. TRDL-1α is identical in sequence to the recently described molecule, APRIL, that may induce cell proliferation. We found, however, that purified, FLAG-tagged TRDL-1α caused Jurkat cell death with kinetics that paralleled FasL. In vitro binding experiments demonstrated that TRDL-1α coprecipitated Fas and HVEM and suggested TRDL-1α as an alternate ligand for these receptors. TRDL-1 localized to chromosome 17p13.3 and its expression was widespread in normal tissues. Examination of 48 tumor samples revealed high levels of TRDL-1 expression in several tumors, including those from the gastrointestinal tract. Expression of TRDL-1 in COS-1 cells confirmed membrane association of TRDL-1, typical of TNF family members.
Discontinuation of Risperidone and Reversibility of Weight Gain in Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Although atypical antipsychotics generally have a good side effect profile and are clinically very effective, weight gain and associated problems accompany their use. The authors followed up 14 subjects who were in studies of risperidone for management of disruptive behavior disorders. The subjects exited after a mean exposure of 8.9 months because of excessive weight gain, or excessive appetite, or insufficient clinical response. Weight was monitored for the full cohort before risperidone treatment, at termination, and (for various subgroups) at 3, 9-12, and 24 months after termination. Analysis of standardized weight scores in relation to standardized BMI scores suggested marked similarity between them at all time points. Comparison of standardized weights at time of drug termination with 3, 9-12, and 24 months after termination indicated that weight gain during risperidone treatment is reversible (i.e., significantly less weight after risperidone was discontinued) at all time points after termination. Furthermore, standardized weight at 12 and 24 months after discontinuation of risperidone was not distinguishable from standardized weight before risperidone. The prospect of reversibility may provide some comfort for clinicians and parents alike, but far more data are needed before an assumption can be made that this is the case for all children. The authors provide several recommendations for clinicians and researchers working with atypical antipsychotics.
Nurse Care Coordination in Community-Based Long-Term Care

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of a nurse care coordination program for people receiving services from a state-funded home and community-based waiver program called Missouri Care Options (MCO). Design: A quasi-experimental design was used to compare 55 MCO clients who received nurse care coordination (NCC) and 30 clients who received MCO services but no nurse care coordination. Methods: Nurse care coordination consists of the assignment of a registered nurse who provides home care services for both the MCO program and Medicare home health services. Two standardized datasets, the Minimum Data Set (MDS) for resident care and planning and the Outcome Assessment Instrument and Data Set (OASIS) were collected at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months on both groups. Cognition was measured with the MDS Cognitive Performance Scale (CPS), activities of daily living (ADL) as the sum of five MDS ADL items, depression with the MDS-Depression Rating Scale, and incontinence and pressure ulcers with specific MDS items. Three OASIS items were used to measure pain, dyspnea, and medication management. The Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) method was used to test the association between the NCC intervention and clinical outcomes. Findings: At 12 months the NCC group scored significantly better statistically in the clinical outcomes of pain, dyspnea, and ADLs. No significant differences between groups were found in eight clinical outcome measures at 6 months. Conclusions: Use of nurse care coordination for acute and chronic home care warrants further evaluation as a treatment approach for chronically ill older adults.
Adaptive line enhancement of steady-state visual evoked potentials

An adaptive line enhancer is used to obtain estimates of the single sweep steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP). The method is seen to enhance the estimated signal to noise ratio of the single sweep SSVEP by as much as 10 dB. >
Minireview: Mitochondrial Energetics and Insulin Resistance

Obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and aging are associated with impaired skeletal muscle oxidation capacity, reduced mitochondrial content, and lower rates of oxidative phosphorylation. Several studies have reported ultrastructural abnormalities in mitochondrial morphology and reductions in mitochondrial mass in insulin-resistant individuals. From lower organisms to rodents, mitochondrial membrane structure, function, and programmed cell death are regulated in part by the balance between the opposing forces of mitochondrial fusion and fission, suggesting they may also play an important role in human physiology.
An integral equation solution for the RCS of large dihedral corner reflectors

An integral equation solution is obtained by careful application of the moment method and the utilization of the symmetric property. The authors present guidelines that make it possible to avoid redundant computations of the impedance elements and that reduce the computation time as well as the memory space through dedicated matrix computation routines. Computed RCS patterns for a 90 degrees C corner reflector for both vertical and horizontal polarizations are shown and found to compare well with high-frequency predictions and experimental data. >
IBM Power Edge of Network Processor: A Wire-Speed System on a Chip

The IBM Power Edge of Network processor combines the attributes of a general-purpose processing subsystem with function accelerators and networking interfaces to create a system on a chip that's targeted for applications at the edge of network. This article discusses in detail the processing, accelerator, and network interface subsystems and explores applications well suited to the PowerEN processor.
A Robust Iris Localization Method Using an Active Contour Model and Hough Transform

Iris segmentation is one of the crucial steps in building an iris recognition system since it affects the accuracy of the iris matching significantly. This segmentation should accurately extract the iris region despite the presence of noises such as varying pupil sizes, shadows, specular reflections and highlights. Considering these obstacles, several attempts have been made in robust iris localization and segmentation. In this paper, we propose a robust iris localization method that uses an active contour model and a circular Hough transform. Experimental results on 100 images from CASIA iris image database show that our method achieves 99% accuracy and is about 2.5 times faster than the Daugman’s in locating the pupillary and the limbic boundaries.
The Rothschild Scale for Antidepressant Tachyphylaxis: reliability and validity.

Abstract Objective After successful treatment of an episode of major depression, many patients complain of symptoms of apathy or decreased motivation (described by patients as "the blahs"), fatigue, dullness in cognitive function, sleep disturbance, weight gain, and sexual dysfunction; however, the characterization of this phenomenon of antidepressant tachyphylaxis has been hampered by the lack of an accepted definition and a reliable and valid assessment tool. To address this problem, the development and assessment of the Rothschild Scale for Antidepressant Tachyphylaxis (RSAT) are described. Method The RSAT consists of 6 self-report items assessing energy level, motivation and interest, cognitive functioning, weight gain, sleep, and sexual functioning. A seventh item, affect, is assessed by the interviewer. Each item is measured within a 5-point ordinal scale with anchor points developed to illustrate each rating. This study assesses the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the RSAT. Results The RSAT demonstrated excellent internal consistency and scale reliability (Cronbach α = .902). The RSAT also demonstrated strong test-retest reliability (for depressed patients: r = 0.822, P r = 0.887, P Conclusion The RSAT is a reliable measure of antidepressant tachyphylaxis.
Astaxanthin, a xanthophyll carotenoid, inhibited and reversed the activation of mouse primary hepatic stellate cells via the modulation of histone deacetylases (39.1)

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) is a major event in the development of liver fibrosis. Previously, we have shown that astaxanthin (ASTX), a xanthophyll carotenoid, has a potent anti-fibr...
From Caring as a Relation to Culturally Relevant Caring: A White Teacher's Bridge to Black Students

Though, in theory, black students may have access to equal educational opportunity by occupying the same classroom space as their peers, they do not necessarily enjoy the same quality of experience. This inequality results from the race-related beliefs and norms and white privilege embedded in United States society. This study deconstructed one white teacher's practices with respect to the literature on effective teachers of black students and caring. The idea of culturally relevant caring emerged and was explored in relation to the teacher's actions that enabled black students to access the quality of experience enjoyed by their white counterparts.
Optical performances of human eyes derived from double-pass measurements

Point-spread functions (PSF’s) of human eyes at medium pupil size (3.5 mm) were derived from double-pass measurements. It was demonstrated that reliable information on PSF shape in the central 7-arcmin radius can be obtained in spite of uncertainty about the height and extent of the tail of the double-pass image. Measurements from some healthy young eyes (of subjects 21–31 years old) and several older eyes (of subjects 63–75 years old) with good acuity revealed little difference in the half-width at half-height of the PSF, but, owing to the higher tail in their PSF’s, the Strehl ratio of the older eyes is much lower. Computation of the modulation transfer functions of the older eyes revealed a more prominent loss at low spatial frequencies.
Effect of Mitomycin C on Thymidine‐Methyl‐H3 Utilization by Entamoeba histolytica Propagated in CLG Medium*

SYNOPSIS. Autoradiographic studies were done which tested the effect of a potent DNA inhibitor, mitomycin C (MC) on the utilization of tritium from exogenous thymidine-methyl-H3 (TMH3) in Entamoeba histolytica grown with Bacteroides sp. in CLG medium. Concentrations of MC (0.0002%) which inhibited growth of amebae by ca. 50%, caused an overall depression of tritium utilization by both associate cell and amebae. However, no reduction in percent cells with nuclear activity was apparent. The effect of MC on utilization of tritium in amebae propagated with Bacteroides which were prelabeled with TMH3 was also studied. The extent of labeling and percent amebae with cytoplasmic label was not appreciably depressed by MC. MC did, however, cause a depression of the percent amebae with nuclear label. This would indicate that the utilization of bacterial DNA products for nuclear DNA (reported in a previous communication) is reduced in the presence of MC. These data on the effect of MC on use of exogenous TMH3 and prelabeled Bacteroides provide some evidence that at least some of the nuclear DNA of amebae can be synthesized from the exogenously supplied isotope. Amebae grown with exogenous TMH3 and resuspended in unlabeled medium for 24–28 hrs. with and without MC had a considerable reduction of the extent of label whether MC was present or not. This suggests that the primary effect of MC is not to degrade DNA.
Expansion and Polarity Sorting in Microtubule-Dynein Bundles

Interactions of multiple molecular motors with dynamic polymers, such as actin and microtubules, form the basis for many processes in the cell cytoskeleton. One example is the active ‘sorting’ of microtubule bundles by dynein molecular motors into aster-like arrays of microtubules; in these bundles dynein motors cross-link and slide neighboring microtubules apart. A number of models have been suggested to quantify the active dynamics of crosslinked bundles of polar filaments. In the case of densely packed bundles, however, a major complication arises from the fact that each microtubule interacts with multiple neighboring filaments. To explicitly take these interactions into account we performed detailed computer simulations in which the equations of motion for all microtubules in the bundle were iteratively solved. Our simulations demonstrate the phenomenon of polarity sorting and reveal the variable-rate of the concurrent bundle expansion and its dependence on the nature of the microtubule-motor interactions.
Dual-mode integrated circuit for imaging and HIFU with 2-D CMUT arrays

Successful high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) operation requires a reliable guidance and monitoring method such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound imaging. However, both widely used modalities are typically separate from the HIFU system, which makes co-registration of HIFU with cross-sectional imaging difficult. In this paper, we present a dual-mode integrated circuit (IC) that can perform both ultrasound imaging and HIFU with a single 2D capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array, combining these two systems for ease of use. The dual-mode IC consists of pulsers, transmit beamforming circuitry, and low-noise amplifiers for imaging mode and switches for HIFU mode. By turning this switching network on and off, the system can alternately operate the imaging mode and HIFU mode on demand. The dual-mode IC was designed and fabricated in the 0.18-µm HV 4LM process provided by Maxim Inc. We fabricated a 32×32-element CMUT array that has a center frequency of 5 MHz using a sacrificial release process and flip-chip bonded this CMUT array to the IC. With the back-end system, real-time volumetric imaging on the wire phantom and HIFU ablation on ex-vivo tissue were performed respectively.
Hypertrophy of clitoral hood : presenting sign of neurofibromatosis in female child

Although clitoral involvement with neurofibromatosis is rare, all cases previously reported have described clitoral hypertrophy due to neurofibromas of the clitoral corpora. We report on a patient who had localized enlargement of the prepuce only, with no evidence of neurofibromatous infiltration. In all cases, diagnosis of clitoromegaly requires basic chromosomal and endocrinologic evaluation. However, recognition of its association with neurofibromatosis due to either neurofibromas of the genitalia or localized genital hypertrophy may spare the patient an unnecessary or invasive evaluation. Because of an association with urinary tract neurofibromas, the patient with genital involvement should have cystoscopy. Clitoroplasty with sparing of the neurovascular bundle and glans is the preferred method of management of the enlarged clitoris.
Shape modeling and clustering of white matter fiber tracts using fourier descriptors

Reliable shape modeling and clustering of white matter fiber tracts is essential for clinical and anatomical studies that use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography techniques. In this work we present a novel scheme to model the shape of white matter fiber tracts reconstructed from DTI and cluster them into bundles using Fourier descriptors. We characterize a tract's shape by using Fourier descriptors which are effective in capturing shape properties of fiber tracts. Fourier descriptors derived from different shape signatures are analyzed. Clustering is then performed on these multi-dimensional features in conjunction with mass centers using a k-means like threshold based approach. The advantage of this method lies in the fact that Fourier descriptors achieve spatial independent representation and normalization of white matter fiber tracts which makes it useful for tract comparison across subjects. It also eliminates the need to find matching correspondences between two randomly organized tracts from whole brain tracking. Several issues related to tract shape representation and normalization are also discussed. Real DTI datasets are used to test this technique. Experiment results show that this technique can effectively separate multiple fascicles into plausible bundles.
Using Voter-choice Modeling to Plan Final Campaigns in Runoff Elections

Even though runoff elections are the most common form of presidential elections in the world, voter-choice behavior in these two-round elections have not received the attention they deserve in the literature. Two-round elections provide political consultants and candidates with rich and factual data on voter preferences, revealed through the voting behavior observed in the first round, which can guide the planning and implementation of their final campaign. They also allow political analysts to apply their voter-choice models to actual voting behavior (rather than voting intentions) in a multi-party election during the first round, and validate their predictions in a two-party election in the final round. I use results from the four most recent Brazilian presidential elections to demonstrate how voter-choice models can be applied to guide political campaigns in runoff elections.
Mutation of the murC and murB Genes Impairs Heterocyst Differentiation in Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120

ABSTRACT To stabilize cellular integrity in the face of environmental perturbations, most bacteria, including cyanobacteria, synthesize and maintain a strong, flexible, three-dimensional peptidoglycan lattice. Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 is a filamentous cyanobacterium capable of differentiating morphologically distinct nitrogen-fixing heterocyst cells in a periodic pattern. While heterocyst development has been shown to require proper peptidoglycan remodeling, the role of peptidoglycan synthesis has remained unclear. Here we report the identification of two peptidoglycan synthesis genes, murC (alr5065) and murB (alr5066), as required for heterocyst development. The murC and murB genes are predicted to encode a UDP-N-acetylmuramate:l-alanine ligase and a UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase, respectively, and we confirm enzymatic function through complementation of Escherichia coli strains deficient for these enzymes. Cells depleted of either murC or murB expression failed to differentiate heterocysts under normally inducing conditions and displayed decreased filament integrity. To identify the stage(s) of development affected by murC or murB depletion, the spatial distribution of expression of the patterning marker gene, patS, was examined. Whereas murB depletion did not affect the pattern of patS expression, murC depletion led to aberrant expression of patS in all cells of the filament. Finally, expression of gfp controlled by the region of DNA immediately upstream of murC was enriched in differentiating cells and was repressed by the transcription factor NtcA. Collectively, the data in this work provide evidence for a direct link between peptidoglycan synthesis and the maintenance of a biological pattern in a multicellular organism. IMPORTANCE Multicellular organisms that differentiate specialized cells must regulate morphological changes such that both cellular integrity and the dissemination of developmental signals are preserved. Here we show that the multicellular bacterium Anabaena, which differentiates a periodic pattern of specialized heterocyst cells, requires peptidoglycan synthesis by the murine ligase genes murC (alr5065) and murB (alr5066) for maintenance of patterned gene expression, filament integrity, and overall development. This work highlights the significant influence that intracellular structure and intercellular connections can have on the execution of a developmental program.
Reframing the Conversation About Students With Limited or Interrupted Formal Education: From Achievement Gap to Cultural Dissonance

U.S. schools face increasing pressure to ensure that all students succeed, yet the dropout rate for English learners is alarmingly high, especially for those with limited or interrupted formal schooling (SLIFE). Serving SLIFE can be challenging because they not only need to master language and content but also need to develop literacy skills and learn to operate in formal classroom settings. We describe a culturally responsive instructional model that prepares SLIFE to access curriculum and instruction, and succeed on standardized testing.
Crystal-Structure-Guided Design of Self-Assembling RNA Nanotriangles.

RNA nanotechnology uses RNA structural motifs to build nanosized architectures that assemble through selective base-pair interactions. Herein, we report the crystal-structure-guided design of highly stable RNA nanotriangles that self-assemble cooperatively from short oligonucleotides. The crystal structure of an 81 nucleotide nanotriangle determined at 2.6 A resolution reveals the so-far smallest circularly closed nanoobject made entirely of double-stranded RNA. The assembly of the nanotriangle architecture involved RNA corner motifs that were derived from ligand-responsive RNA switches, which offer the opportunity to control self-assembly and dissociation.
Study on Energy Foundation Design in South Louisiana

Geothermal energy is an increasingly demanding energy source in Europe and USA. Louisiana has a huge potential for geothermal energy. This paper describes the potential use of geothermal energy which can be extracted in Louisiana. In the paper, a 4-story building was chosen in New Orleans, Louisiana, which has a pile foundation with a total of 145 driven piles. A total of 16 energy piles from 16 pile groups were simulated in the analysis, and it is found that each 24.38 m-long single pile can extract a maximum of 1.83 (kW/hr) cooling load and 1.68 (kW/hr) heating load. Altogether, the 16 energy piles can give almost 19.9% of the total cooling demand and 68.12% of the total heating demand of the entire building. Further analysis was also done to compare the economic and environmental effects by gas, propane, oil, electricity and geothermal energy to heat/cool the building. If the total demand of heating and cooling is done by each of these energy sources, it is found that natural gas will be 13.6 and electricity will be 16 times more costly than geothermal energy. Moreover, natural gas and electricity will emit 1.8 and 1.7 times more CO2 than geothermal energy.
Partial oxidation of surrogate Jet-A fuel over SiO2 supported MoO2

Abstract A SiO 2 -supported MoO 2 nanoparticle catalyst was synthesized by a sol-gel method and tested as catalytic material for the partial oxidation of n -dodecane. MoO 2 nanoparticles supported on SiO 2 are n -dodecane. The formation of Mo O Si bonds at the interface between MoO 2 nanoparticles and SiO 2 support appear to be responsible for the enhanced stability to sintering displayed by the nanoparticles. As a result of this particle size stabilization, SiO 2 supported MoO 2 nanoparticles show an improved reforming activity in terms of syngas generation compared to micron-size commercial MoO 2 . Thus, commercial MoO 2 exhibits a good initial activity at space velocities up to 15 h −1 , but showing only gas-phase reactions at larger values. Conversely, MoO 2 nanoparticles supported on SiO 2 show a high initial reforming activity (e.g., 69% H 2 yield, 82% CO yield and 100% carbon conversion) even at space velocities up to 30 h −1 . Supported MoO 2 nanoparticles also show good stability for the partial oxidation of n -dodecane at 850 °C without any sign of deactivation during the first 24 h on-stream.
2-(Pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethyl-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives as potent and selective histamine-3 receptor antagonists.

On the basis of the previously reported benzimidazole 1,3′-bipyrrolidine benzamides (1), a new class of 2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethyl-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1(2H)-one derivatives (3–50) were synthesized and evaluated as potent H3 receptor antagonists. In particular, compound 39 exhibited potent in vitro binding and functional activities at the H3 receptor, good selectivities against other neurotransmitter receptors and ion channels, acceptable pharmacokinetic properties, and a favorable in vivo profile.
A Simple Test for Urinary Porphobilinogen.

The urines of patients suffering from idiopathic porphyria have often been noted to exhibit strong Ehrlich reactions, in many instances at least, not due to urobilinogen. Waldenstrom's studies1, 2 ...
Retinal Pigment Distribution in Relation to a Diurnal Rhythm in the Compound Eye of Dytiscus.

Conclusions1. The distribution of retinal pigment is similar in the dark-adapted day-phase and dark-adapted night-phase eyes. 2. The distribution of retinal pigment is similar in the light-adapted day-phase and light-adapted night-phase eyes, as well as in the illuminated and non-illuminated eyes of the same animal. 3. The diurnal variations in visual function, described elsewhere, are, therefore, independent of retinal pigment migration and originate in the physiological mechanism of the visual process.
Some Irreducible Polynomials which are Reducible mod p for all p

(1969). Some Irreducible Polynomials which are Reducible mod p for all p. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 76, No. 10, pp. 1125-1125.
Switching between tools in complex applications

Large software applications are made up of many specialized tools. In Microsoft Word the document editor is supported by tools to create and fix drawings and tables. Programming environments have custom views (difference editors) and analyses (performance reports) to help developers make robust code. Every application has tools to help users sift the documentation. In usability, we usually test a tool at a time, yet complex work requires many tools, and this brings a new set of issues. How do I know when I should be using a different tool? What tool do I need when the one I am using is not working? How do I get to it? How quickly can I start using it? In complex or creative work, our observations show that users seldom choose the correct tool as soon as work progress dictates. This erodes productivity and creativity and is a prime target for improved designs. Usability practice needs a procedure to identify, record, count, and highlight tool switch events for study. This paper describes one that supports the trained observers on which User-Centered Design relies to detect problems and causes, and evaluate design changes.
Frog gastric tubular cells: isolation, culture, and some properties.

We have isolated and maintained primary cultures of tubular cells from the gastric mucosae of the frog Rana catesbeiana. During the first few days after isolation and culture, cell surface damage was manifested by enhanced leakage of intracellular pepsinogen and a lack of response to known gastric secretagogues with respect to pepsinogen release and respiration. After several days in culture, the cellular pepsinogen levels increased slightly but significantly and the spontaneous loss of pepsinogen from the cells showed a marked decline, indicating repair of the initial membrane or surface damage. The intact cells possessed p -nitrophenylphosphatase activity. After several days in culture, the respiratory activity became sensitive to the serum concentrations of the culture medium and was relatively stable. Antibiotics used in establishing primary cultures reversibly inhibited respiration and pepsinogen synthesis. A variable response to the gastric secretagogues was observed with regard to respiratory and pepsinogen secretory activities, whereas the p -nitrophenylphosphatase activity remained unaffected. There was no indication that the cells divided under the present culture conditions. Although these cells did not attach firmly to the surface of plastic or glass culture flasks, preliminary evidence indicates that collagen gel may provide an appropriate matrix for cell attachment and permit further studies with a reconstituted epithelium comprised of a homogeneous gastric tubular cell population.
Ginkgo biloba and Memory: An Overview

Ginkgo biloba extract has been increasingly popular for the treatment of memory problems. However, it is not commonly understood that this extract is composed of numerous chemicals, including flavonoid glycosides, terpene lactones, biflavones, and other miscellaneous components. It remains to be established exactly which components are biologically helpful. The extracts come from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree which is cultivated extensively for this purpose. Our aging population will consist of approximately 79 million people 65 y.o. or older in the year 2050. Since memory disorders increase dramatically with age, this poses a major challenge to both the pharmaceutical and nutritional industries to provide products which improve or prevent problems with memory. Our culture is based on the ability to recall information, therefore problems with memory are fundamental to our entire social system. Dementias are disorders that affect memory and intellectual functioning, and are caused primarily by Alzheimer's disease and vascular disorders (multi-infarct dementia). New drug therapies have been developed to improve cognition, through stimulation of the cholinergic system. In recent decades, an extract of the leaves of the tree Ginkgo biloba L. has been used to improve memory in these disorders. The European experience with Ginkgo extract is much greater than that of the U.S. Clinical studies to date have indicated a probable therapeutic benefit of Ginkgo biloba extract. Further human studies are needed to identify which clinical population is most responsive to Ginkgo treatment. In addition, it would be very useful to identify which chemical compound or compounds provide therapeutic effects in memory disorders. These bioactive components may be further concentrated for increased benefit in increasing cognitive memory capabilities. In addition, pharmaceutical companies might be able to modify memory-enhancing Ginkgo-derived molecules to increase potency and effectiveness, leading to the next generation of memory-enhancing drugs.
The Role and Resolution of the Compensation Principle in Society: Part One — The Role

In this chapter the compensation problem is explored in the light of radical indeterminacy, selective perception and the nature and operation of the legal system. The compensation principle is shown to be functional as psychic balm and legitimation of the institution of property and the basic organisation of society, and not the protection of particular property rights, except selectively. Conventional legal and economic treatment of compensation issues — for example, the conflicting, conclusionary and tautological taking issue — is thus shown not to reach the fundamentals of the system of property, the legal system and the roles thereof in society.
Patient Satisfaction and Prognosis for Functional Improvement and Deterioration, Institutionalization, and Death Among Medicare Beneficiaries Over 2 Years

Abstract Objective To examine how patient satisfaction with care coordination and quality and access to medical care influence functional improvement or deterioration (activity limitation stage transitions), institutionalization, or death among older adults. Design National representative sample with 2-year follow-up. Setting Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey from calendar years 2001 to 2008. Participants Community-dwelling adults (N=23,470) aged ≥65 years followed for 2 years. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures A multinomial logistic regression model taking into account the complex survey design was used to examine the association between patient satisfaction with care coordination and quality and patient satisfaction with access to medical care and activities of daily living (ADL) stage transitions, institutionalization, or death after 2 years, adjusting for baseline socioeconomics and health-related characteristics. Results Out of 23,470 Medicare beneficiaries, 14,979 (63.8% weighted) remained stable in ADL stage, 2508 (10.7% weighted) improved, 3210 (13.3% weighted) deteriorated, 582 (2.5% weighted) were institutionalized, and 2281 (9.7% weighted) died. Beneficiaries who were in the top quartile of satisfaction with care coordination and quality were less likely to be institutionalized (adjusted relative risk ratio [RRR], .68; 95% confidence interval [CI], .54–.86). Beneficiaries who were in the top quartile of satisfaction with access to medical care were less likely to functionally deteriorate (adjusted RRR, .87; 95% CI, .79–.97), be institutionalized (adjusted RRR, .72; 95% CI, .56–.92), or die (adjusted RRR, .86; 95% CI, .75–.98). Conclusions Knowledge of patient satisfaction with medical care and risk of functional deterioration may be helpful for monitoring and addressing disability-related health care disparities and the effect of ongoing policy changes among Medicare beneficiaries.
Is Teacher Value Added a Matter of Scale? The Practical Consequences of Treating an Ordinal Scale as Interval for Estimation of Teacher Effects.

ABSTRACTResearch shows that assuming a test scale is equal-interval can be problematic, especially when the assessment is being used to achieve a policy aim like evaluating growth over time. However, little research considers whether teacher value added is sensitive to the underlying test scale, and in particular whether treating an ordinal scale as interval might lead to erroneous conclusions about teacher quality. This article addresses the issue by estimating teacher value added, then applying extremely mild nonlinear transformations to the original scale and re-estimating the value added. Although by definition at most one of these scales can be equal-interval, all are treated as if interval-scaled when estimating value added. Results show that value added is sensitive to the scale used. While rank orderings of teachers do not change radically by transformation, even mild departures from the original scale can change a teacher’s odds of being considered high- or low-performing by a factor of 5.
Source and channel coding trade-offs for a pulsed quality video encoder

Dual reference frame video coding uses one short-term and one long-term reference frame for motion compensation. Previous work examined uneven allocation of bits to the long-term reference frames. In this work, we examine uneven allocation of error protection to the long-term reference frames. We use a steepest descent algorithm to allocate source coding bits and channel coding bits to the long- term reference frames and to the other frames. The steepest descent algorithm provides about 2 dB improvement in PSNR compared to equal error protection and to heuristic assignment of unequal protection for the long-term references.