cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Majimaji and the Millennium: Abrahamic Sources and the Creation of a Tanzanian Resistance Tradition

Writing thirty years ago the historian of the Majimaji rebellion, Gilbert Gwassa, emphasized the purely Tanzanian nature of the uprising, as seen in the ideology which he believed was the inspiration for the widespread war against German colonialism. To Gwassa, southern Tanzanians created an innovative, secular ideology after the turn of the twentieth century which enabled Africans to resist German colonialism supra-ethnically rather than locally. Gwassa was adamant that the Majimaji ideology owed nothing to outside influences. Gwassa's contention has been largely unchallenged despite obvious paradoxes. Majimaji emerged in a region widely permeated with Islamic influences by 1905, the time of the rebellion. Moreover, the Christian colonial power structure had been present in the outbreak region for some twenty years by 1905, while Christian missionaries had been active in Tanzania for almost forty years. By the time the Majimaji historical tradition was being written in Tanzania in the 1960s, the nation included many Muslims and Christians, including many of Gwassa's research informants, who helped shape his interpretation of Majimaji. Aside from these circumstantial suggestions of the possibility of an externally-influenced Majimaji tradition, a close reading of archival sources from the German period, including several documents which have not been considered in the historiographical tradition, suggest that Christian and Islamic influences helped to shape the writing of Majimaji, if not the resistance movement itself. This paper will examine some of these "Abrahamic" sources of the Majimaji tradition, and consider how they might have been used to formulate a Majimaji epic which has become a standard icon of early African colonial history.'
Flexible and Transparent Nanogenerators Based on a Composite of Lead‐Free ZnSnO3 Triangular‐Belts

A flexible and transparent lead-free triangular-belt ZnSnO(3) nanogenerator is demonstrated. When a mechanical deformation of ≈0.1% is applied to the triangular-belt ZnSnO(3) nanogenerator, the output voltage and current reached 5.3 V and 0.13 μA, respectively, which indicated a maximum output power density of ≈11 μW·cm(-3). This is the highest output power that has been demonstrated by lead-free ZnSnO(3) triangular-belts.
Pheromone transduction in the vomeronasal organ.

Abstract Single-cell physiology and cloning efforts have extended studies of the vomeronasal organ to cellular and molecular levels. Recent work has shown that transduction in the vomeronasal organ is probably mediated by signaling pathways distinct from those that mediate transduction in the main olfactory system. An advance in understanding transduction has come with the cloning from rat vomeronasal organ of a family of putative pheromone receptor genes that bear no sequence similarity to previously cloned receptors. Other work has examined the expression of putative signalling components and found a zonal organization of the epithelium. Patch-clamp studies have described the basic electrical properties of vomeronasal neurons and explored second-messenger pathways.
Anatomical and behavioral correlates of a xenograft-mediated pupillary reflex

Retinae from mouse embryos were transplanted to the midbrain of neonatal rats which were unilaterally enucleated at the time of transplantation. At maturity the host's remaining optic nerve was cut and the skull over the transplant was removed. Illumination of the transplant caused pupilloconstriction of the host eye, a response abolished by removal of the transplant or damage to the olivary pretectal nucleus which is the pupilloconstriction center of the brain stem. The degree of constriction correlated with the intensity of transplant illumination. Using mouse-specific monoclonal antibodies, we demonstrated that the grafts projected only to areas of the brain stem normally innervated by the eye. The density of label in the olivary pretectal nucleus did not, however, correlate with the briskness of the graft-mediated pupillary reflex. In summary, this study shows that ectopic neural xenografts are capable of making specific connections which can drive an appropriate response to a natural stimulus in the host animal. While important in showing the ability of transplants to make specific connections, this study also provides a simple assay system for examining conditions which may influence the efficacy of host innervation by the transplant.
Measuring computer program comprehension

While improved programming methodologies, better computer languages and more sophisticated programming aids have helped alleviate some problems associated with software development, a software crisis continues to exist. The software crisis continues partly because many of the suggested improvements in software development have emphasized the role of the computer, rather than the programmer, in the development process. Researchers are beginning to realize that the ultimate resolution of the software crisis will come only when we understand the human processes involved in software development.Computer program comprehension has been one of the human processes which has been studied by researchers.Two basic approaches have been used to study program comprehension. Using the first approach, an objective measure of comprehension is proposed based on the author's suppositions about the sources of complexity.A second approach used in the study of program comprehension is to empirically investigate factors which might affect comprehension.In the next section, a methodology is proposed to measure the comprehension of statements and programs. It is applied to study expression complexity in section three and selection statement complexity in section four. Implications for teaching programming are described in section five and the paper is concluded in section six.
The Fertility and Hatchability of Estrogen-Fed Pullets and Carry-Over Effects on Their Progeny

Abstract THE effects of estrogenic hormones on reproduction and growth in the domestic fowl have not been studied intensively. Koch (1935) fed an I. G. Farben extract of follicular hormone (Unden) and noticed a marked improvement in fertility and hatchability. Ebbell (1940) repeated this work using far greater numbers of birds and found no significant differences in either fertility or hatchability. According to Landauer (1948), Prufer (1936) also made extensive tests of follicular hormone, failing to find any beneficial effect and Simon (1939) found that follicular hormone improved hatchability in some instances but in the majority of cases had no such effect. Pearl (1916) reported that corpus luteum substance retarded growth when fed to young chicks. Due to the manner in which the corpus luteum substance was prepared, there is some doubt that the residue had steroid components present in appreciable amounts so that probably estrogen and progesterone were not involved. . . .
Simulation and Control of Porosity in a Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cell

This work focuses on the simulation and control of a three-dimensional (3D) porous silicon thin-film deposition process that is used in the manufacture of thin-film solar cell systems. Initially, a solid-by-solid 3D kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) model is introduced to simulate the porous silicon thin-film deposition process, and the simulation parameters are tuned to generate porous silicon films with porosity values that match available experimental data. A closed-form differential equation model then is introduced to predict the dynamics of the film porosity computed by the kMC model, and the parameters in this model are identified by appropriate fitting to open-loop kMC simulation results. Subsequently, a model predictive controller (MPC) is designed and implemented on the kMC model. Closed-loop simulation results demonstrate that the thin-film porosity can be regulated to desired values.
Reflection of SH in the Presence of a Magnetic Field

Summary The hypothesis that the geomagnetic field at the core-mantle boundary can induce an effective viscosity sufficient to give SH reflection coefficients significantly different from unity is investigated in detail for incident SH waves with the magnetic field in the plane of incidence. For earthlike parameters the effective viscosity is found to be smaller than any theoretical estimates. Here μ is viscosity, β cos θ the normal component of the magnetic field, p density, σ electrical conductivity and ω the frequency of the incident wave. Primed quantities are measured in the mantle and unprimed in the core. It is suggested that a (comparatively) thin zone of high effective viscosity, 5–10 km thick, could resolve the discrepancy between theoretical and seismic core viscosity estimates.
A computer graphics approach for understanding of prosthetic heart valve characteristics

The present investigation applies fluid dynamics principles and numerical analysis techniques in an attempt to study stress distributions in blood caused by the motion of the occluder in a prosthetic heart valve. An interactive computer graphics program is developed for control of the computer simulation of the flow process and the pictoral presentation of the solution for analysis. A simplified model of a disc-type heart valve is used in the analysis to demonstrate the capability of the interactive graphics program. Resulting displays show the stress distribution and other useful information describing the movement of a disc occluder from almost full-closed position to almost full-open position. The possible contribution of this study to the understanding of hemolysis and thrombosis is discussed.
Schedule-induced vs. home cage ethanol consumption: Influence of food deprivation

Four rats at 80% of their free-feeding body weights received six daily 1-h sessions of schedule-induced polydipsia training with 9.5% (v/v) ethanol solution on a fixed-time 2-min food schedule for a total of 20 days. Then choice testing with ethanol vs. water was conducted for 10 days during the polydipsia sessions. Next, the four rats were returned to home cages, where choice testing continued for 7 days under ad-lib feeding conditions and then 10 days under reinstated food-deprivation conditions. While ethanol consumption was high during both polydipsia and home cage choice testing at 80% body weight, it decreased to nearly zero when the rats were given ad-lib access to food in the home cage choice testing condition. These data support a “caloric hypothesis” interpretation of ethanol ingestion in rats.
A low-loss planar microwave balun with an integrated bias scheme for push-pull amplifiers

We report a new planar low loss microstrip balun with radial stub RF grounding. This structure achieves a good RF ground for a Marchand-type balun and facilitates microstrip balun characterization. Moreover, a simplified biasing scheme for a push-pull amplifier was designed using this concept and this approach has been used successfully in a push-pull amplifier. The measured balun insertion loss was less than 0.5 dB over a 5-11 GHz band.
Novel network test-bed simulators

The novel network testbed simulators are described: the request protocol simulator and the link protocol simulator. These testbeds are useful for evaluating delay-throughput performances of demand-assisted multiple-access (DAMA) protocols in mobile fading environments. The request protocol testbed simulates the multiple-access scheme for making connection requests in the DAMA protocol. The link protocol testbed simulates the link-layer protocol for data transmissions. In both testbeds a physical layer simulator is utilized to perform channel encoding and decoding, interleaving and deinterleaving, modulation and demodulation, and fading channel propagation. The authors present the architecture and some simulation results of both testbed simulators. >
Deterministic approximation of stochastic evolutionary dynamics

Deterministic dynamical systems are often used in economic models to approximate stochastic systems with large numbers of agents. A number of papers have provided conditions that guarantee that the deterministic models are in fact good approximations to the stochastic models. Much of this work has concentrated on the continuous time case with systems of differential equations approximating discrete time stochastic systems, although some important early work in this field considered discrete time approximations. A crucial aspect of the existing work is the assumption that the stochastic models involve agents of finitely many types. However, many existing economic models assume agent types may take on infinitely many distinct values. For example, some models assume agents hold divisible amounts of money or goods, and therefore agent types form a continuum. In this paper we examine discrete time deterministic approximations of stochastic systems, and we allow agent attributes to be described by infinitely many types. If the set of types that describe agents is a continuum, then individuals, in some sense, are unique, and it is not obvious that the stochastic models that rely on random matching of agents as the source of uncertainty can be approximated in a deterministic manner. Indeed, we give two examples that show why a law of large numbers may not lead to deterministic approximations. In the positive direction, we provide conditions that allow for good deterministic approximations even in the case of a continuum of types.
Repeated Intravenous Infusions of Oxypolygelatin (OPG) Solution in Irradiated Rabbits

Seven-hundred r whole irradiation increased the mortality rate of rabbits given eleven consecutive daily intravenous infusions of a modified oxypolygelatin solution. Irradiated but noninfused control animals all survived the thirty-day experiment. Early deaths in the irradiated infused animals, 2 5 per cent within one an one-half to five hours after injections were started, were attributed to cardiac failure. Later deaths, 62 per cent occurring one to eleven days after X-irradiation, were accompanied by hypervolemia, edema, hemorrhage, infection, and pathological changes in the liver, lung, and kidney.
General approach for in vivo recovery of cell type-specific effector gene sets

Differentially expressed, cell type-specific effector gene sets hold the key to multiple important problems in biology, from theoretical aspects of developmental gene regulatory networks (GRNs) to various practical applications. Although individual cell types of interest have been recovered by various methods and analyzed, systematic recovery of multiple cell type-specific gene sets from whole developing organisms has remained problematic. Here we describe a general methodology using the sea urchin embryo, a material of choice because of the large-scale GRNs already solved for this model system. This method utilizes the regulatory states expressed by given cells of the embryo to define cell type and includes a fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) procedure that results in no perturbation of transcript representation. We have extensively validated the method by spatial and qualitative analyses of the transcriptome expressed in isolated embryonic skeletogenic cells and as a consequence, generated a prototypical cell type-specific transcriptome database.
Career Counseling Research and Hispanics A Review of the Literature

This article presents an extensive review of the research literature related to career counseling with Hispanics in the U.S. from 1970 to the present. Most of the research reviewed dealt with Mexican-Americans, and only a few studies included Puerto Ricans in their sample. The article is organized into four areas: occupational aspirations, vocational interests, on-the-job behavior; and educational attainment. It was found that Hispanic students tend to have high occupational and educational aspirations, Holland 's hexagonal model of career interests seem to apply to Hispanics, middle-class and college-educated Hispanics and Anglos are similar in terms of work values and career progression behaviors, and educational attainment among Hispanics varies according to their national origin, generational status, and social class. It was concluded that, in general, the career counseling research related to Hispanics is very limited in terms of content, and for the most part lacks a theoretical base. The findings o...
HIV-1 Matrix Dependent Membrane Targeting Is Regulated by Gag mRNA Trafficking

Retroviral Gag polyproteins are necessary and sufficient for virus budding. Productive HIV-1 Gag assembly takes place at the plasma membrane. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which thousands of Gag molecules are targeted to the plasma membrane. Using a bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay, we recently reported that the cellular sites and efficiency of HIV-1 Gag assembly depend on the precise pathway of Gag mRNA export from the nucleus, known to be mediated by Rev. Here we describe an assembly deficiency in human cells for HIV Gag whose expression depends on hepatitis B virus (HBV) post-transcriptional regulatory element (PRE) mediated-mRNA nuclear export. PRE-dependent HIV Gag expressed well in human cells, but assembled with slower kinetics, accumulated intracellularly, and failed to associate with a lipid raft compartment where the wild-type Rev-dependent HIV-1 Gag efficiently assembles. Surprisingly, assembly and budding of PRE-dependent HIV Gag in human cells could be rescued in trans by co-expression of Rev-dependent Gag that provides correct membrane targeting signals, or in cis by replacing HIV matrix (MA) with other membrane targeting domains. Taken together, our results demonstrate deficient membrane targeting of PRE-dependent HIV-1 Gag and suggest that HIV MA function is regulated by the trafficking pathway of the encoding mRNA.
Digital Inverse Timing Generator with Wide Dynamic Range

This paper addresses a timing generator with an output inversely proportional to a binary input without involving cost/area intensive digital division hardware or DSP processor based solution. The timing generation is based on interpreting a binary input as a floating point number (step value) and successively accumulating it to a predefined count. A unique scaling process generates the step value required for accumulation from the binary input and also alleviates the requirement for a high clock frequency. The functionality of the proposed architecture was experimentally verified with implementation on an ALTERA CPLD EPF10K70 clocked at 25.175MHz. The dynamic range extends from 355ns to 17mus.
Performance of space-time adaptive airborne radar

The authors study how internal clutter motion, channel mismatch, platform interaction and nonstationary jammer multipath limit the effectiveness of an airborne adaptive radar. Approaches to mitigate these effects are discussed. >
Association between sense of coherence and health-related quality of life among primary care patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain

Sense of Coherence (SOC) is a measure of an individual’s capacity to use various coping mechanisms and resources when faced with a stressor. Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent and disabling conditions in clinical practice. This study examines the extent to which a strong SOC is associated with less pain and better health related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with chronic pain. We analyzed data from the Stepped Care to Optimize Pain care Effectiveness (SCOPE) trial which enrolled 250 patients with persistent (3 months or longer) musculoskeletal pain who were receiving care in an United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care clinic. The abbreviated three-item SOC scale was used to measure personal coping capability. Participants were categorized into Strong SOC (score 0–1) and Weak SOC (score 2–6). The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) was used to assess the severity and disability associated with pain. Additionally, pain self-efficacy (ASES) and catastrophizing (CSQ) were assessed. HRQoL was assessed with the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) social functioning, vitality, and general health subscales. Multiple linear regression models were performed to examine whether SOC was independently associated with pain-specific and HRQoL outcomes, after adjusting for sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, medical comorbidities and major depression. Of the 250 study patients, 61% had a strong SOC whereas 39% had a weak SOC. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that a strong SOC was significantly associated with better general health, vitality, social functioning and pain self-efficacy as well as less pain catastrophizing. These significant findings were partially attenuated, but remained statistically significant, after controlling for major depression. SOC was not significantly associated with pain severity or pain disability. A strong SOC is associated with better HRQoL and self-efficacy as well as less catastrophizing in patients with chronic pain. SOC may be an important coping mechanism (strategy) for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00926588 .
Comparative Study of Convolution and Order Reduction Techniques for Blackbox Macromodeling Using Scattering Parameters

In this paper, a fast convolution method using scattering parameters is presented for the macromodeling of blackbox multiport networks. The method is compared to model-order reduction passive macromodeling techniques in terms of robustness and computational efficiency. When scattering parameters are used as the transfer functions, convolution calculations can be accelerated to achieve superior performance and the resulting procedure leads to a robust, accurate, and efficient macromodel generation scheme. This paper examines the formulation of the convolution method. Model-order reduction techniques are reviewed and benchmark comparisons are performed.
Side effects of using nitrates to treat angina

Nitrates are very effective antianginal and anti-ischaemic agents. Provision of a long nitrate-free interval or low plasma nitrate levels prior to the morning dose prevents the loss of clinical efficacy by preventing the development of tolerance. However, side effects during nitrate therapy are common. Headache is the most common side effect of nitrates; often dose-related and reported by up to 82% of patients in placebo-controlled trials. Nearly 10% of patients are unable to tolerate nitrates due to disabling headaches or dizziness. In others, headaches are mild-to-moderate in severity and either resolve or diminish in intensity with continued nitrate therapy. Nitrate-induced hypotension is common, but often asymptomatic. In rare instances, nitrate-induced hypotension is severe and accompanied by marked slowing of the heart rate and syncope. Use of nitrates in patients who experience syncope after administration of nitrates is contraindicated. Nitrates rarely cause coronary steal and myocardial ischaemia. Nitrate rebound may occur and patients may experience nocturnal anginal episodes during intermittent therapy with nitroglycerin patches. Administration of nitrates is contraindicated with concomitant use of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, as combination therapy may lead to profound hypotension and even death. There are disturbing observational reports in the literature that continuous, prolonged use of nitrates may lead to increased mortality and recurrent myocardial infarctions. Large, randomised, placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm or refute these reports; until then, the use of nitrates to treat angina is here to stay.
Lead-free flip chip interconnect reliability for DCA and FC-PBGA packages

A variety of Pb-free solders and under bump metallurgies (Cu, Ni, NiP) were investigated for flip chip packaging applications. The result shows that Sn-0.7Cu exhibits the most desirable mechanical properties (shear, tensile, aging, etc.) during deformation under a variety of stress conditions and has the most favorable failure mechanism under both mechanical and thermomechanical stress testing regardless of UBM type. The eutectic Sn-0.7Cu failed through bulk solder while the eutectic Sn-37Pb, Sn-3.5Ag and Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu failed at the solder and UBM interface, involving their respective intermetallic compounds. Cu UBM is more favorable for better reliability than NiP UBM from both interface IMC morphology and electromigration points of view. The current carrying capability for all alloys had no failures when stressed up to 2,338 hours at 2.6/spl times/10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/ and 170/spl deg/C. However, when stressed at 5.1/spl times/10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/, there is a significant migration of Pb toward the anode, creating a multiple layered Pb-rich and Sn-rich microstructure. An observation of excessive Ni migration away from the NiP UBM towards the anode after only 30 hours of current stressing at 5.1/spl times/10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/ and 150/spl deg/C raised the reliability concern for solders with NiP UBM, especially for high power applications. The Sn-0.7Cu/Cu UBM and Sn0.7Cu/Ni UBM exhibit greater than 5,300 cycles of thermal fatigue characteristic life under -55/spl deg/C 1+150/spl deg/C and -40/spl deg/C /+125/spl deg/C air-to-air thermal cycling conditions, respectively.
Using natural-mode basis functions to represent broadband responses of a thin-wire scatterer

A method of augmenting the singularity expansion method (SEM) is proposed to facilitate numerical calculations by addressing the slow convergence of the SEM series. This augmentation is a first step in applying natural modes (NMs) to antenna modeling. The series is augmented by adding to each modal coefficient polynomial functions whose unknown weights are determined by satisfying boundary conditions. Improved convergence is demonstrated for a thin-wire scatterer illuminated by a plane-wave excitation.
Minnelide effectively eliminates CD133(+) side population in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease hallmarked by limited patient survival. Resistance to chemotherapy, a major cause of treatment failure in PDAC patients, is often attributed to Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs). Pancreatic CSCs are a small subset of quiescent cells within a tumor represented by surface markers like CD133. These cells are responsible not only for tumor recurrence, but also poor prognosis based on their “stem-like” characteristics. At present, conventional therapy is directed towards rapidly dividing PDAC cells and thus fails to target the CSC population. MIA PaCa-2, S2-013 and AsPC-1 were treated with 12.5 nM triptolide (12 T cells) for 7 days. The surviving cells were recovered briefly in drug-free growth media and then transferred to Cancer Stem cell Media (CSM). As a control, untreated cells were also transferred to CSM media (CSM). The 12 T and CSM cells were tested for stemness properties using RNA and protein markers. Low numbers of CSM and 12 T cells were implanted subcutaneously in athymic nude mice to study their tumorigenic potential. 12 T and CSM cells were sorted for CD133 expression and assayed for their colony forming ability and sphere forming ability. Invasiveness of 12 T cells, CSM and MIA PaCa-2 were compared using Boyden chamber assays. Treated 12 T cells displayed increased expression of the surface marker CD133 and the drug transporter ABCG2 compared to untreated cells (CSM cells). Both 12 T and CSM cells formed subcutaneous tumors in mice confirming their tumor-initiating properties. When tested for invasion, 12 T cells had increased invasiveness compared to CSM cells. CD133+ cells in both CSM and 12 T showed greater colony and sphere forming ability compared to CD133− cells from each group. Consistent with these data, when injected subcutaneously in mice, CD133− cells from CSM or 12 T did not form any tumors whereas CD133+ cells from both groups showed tumor formation at a very low cell number. Despite pre-exposure to triptolide in 12 T CD133+ cells, treatment of tumors formed by these cells with Minnelide, a triptolide pro-drug, showed significant tumor regression. Our results indicated that triptolide enhanced and enriched the “stemness” in the PDAC cell lines at a low dose of 12.5 nM, but also resulted in the regression of tumors derived from these cells.
Self-Reinforcement by Children

Apres avoir analyse les bases theoriques de l'auto-renforcement, les auteurs exposent les moyens d'apprendre aux enfants a utiliser ce type de procedures, puis ils en examinent l'efficacite et enfin, ils proposent quelques orientations de recherche
The Pectin Methylesterase Gene Complement of Phytophthora sojae: Structural and Functional Analyses, and the Evolutionary Relationships with Its Oomycete Homologs

Phytophthora sojae is an oomycete pathogen that causes the disease known as root and stem rot in soybean plants, frequently leading to massive economic damage. Additionally, P. sojae is increasingly being utilized as a model for phytopathogenic oomycete research. Despite the economic and scientific importance of P. sojae, the mechanism by which it penetrates the host roots is not yet fully understood. It has been found that oomycetes are not capable of penetrating the cell wall solely through mechanical force, suggesting that alternative factors facilitate breakdown of the host cell wall. Pectin methylesterases have been suggested to be important for Phytophthora pathogenicity, but no data exist on their role in the P. sojae infection process. We have scanned the newly revised version of the annotated P. sojae genome for the presence of putative pectin methylesterases genes and conducted a sequence analysis of all gene models found. We also searched for potential regulatory motifs in the promoter region of the proposed P. sojae models, and investigated the gene expression levels throughout the early course of infection on soybean plants. We found that P. sojae contains a large repertoire of pectin methylesterase-coding genes and that most of these genes display similar motifs in the promoter region, indicating the possibility of a shared regulatory mechanism. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the evolutionary relatedness of the pectin methylesterase-coding genes within and across Phytophthora spp. In addition, the gene duplication events that led to the emergence of this gene family appear to have occurred prior to many speciation events in the genus Phytophthora. Our results also indicate that the highest levels of expression occurred in the first 24 hours post inoculation, with expression falling after this time. Our study provides evidence that pectin methylesterases may be important for the early action of the P. sojae infection process.
Marching Off a Cliff

Over the past century, Florida has grown and prospered largely due to a constant influx of wealthy retirees. The state has achieved this status not by accident, but rather by design. For nearly a century, Florida has worked to position itself as a domestic tax haven. By exploiting its senior-friendly climate and completely avoiding unpopular income and estate taxes, the state has attracted an influx of wealthy retirees. In this election year, state leaders across the country seem intent on emulating Florida's retiree-friendly tax policies as a way to attract and/or retain their most wealthy elderly residents and pave the way for future prosperity. However, state leaders following this strategy may be on the path to ruin. There simply aren't enough wealthy retirees to go around. Florida's strategy works only if just a few states pursue it  if a few select governments successfully siphon off wealth from other states. Once Florida's strategy is replicated elsewhere, it loses its magic everywhere. Blinded by the popular media and yielding to current political pressures, modern state leaders seem unable to comprehend this weakness in Florida's growth model. This article seeks to explore the futility of other states' following Florida's lead and proffer an alternative model from the pages of history. Eighty years ago, an upstart Florida first sought to use state estate taxation as a marketing tool. In market contrast to the current political environment, other states met this prior effort not with envy but with indignation, while a progressive Congress worked to undermine Florida's efforts. The article concludes that state governments should consider the true fiscal consequences of emulating Florida, while Congress should endeavor to promote the states' mutual salvation.
Abnormal response to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in canine cyclic hematopoiesis is not caused by altered G-CSF receptor expression

A decrease in responsiveness to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of cyclic hematopoiesis. Using the canine model of cyclic neutropenia, we examined the response of neutrophil precursors to G-CSF in vitro and G- CSF receptor expression in neutrophils from grey collie dogs to determine whether the abnormal response observed to G-CSF in vivo in this disorder is present at the level of the progenitor cell and is caused by defective G-CSF receptor expression. Bone marrow mononuclear cells from grey collie dogs required sevenfold higher G-CSF concentrations than normal dog cells to achieve half-maximal colony growth [56 pmol/L v 8 pmol/L). Receptor binding assays with 125I- labeled G-CSF and Scatchard analyses of the equilibrium binding data were consistent with expression of a single class of high-affinity receptors for G-CSF on neutrophils from both normal dogs and grey collies with similar receptor numbers (56 to 446 sites/cell v 78 to 199 sites/cell) and binding affinities (28 to 206 pmol/L v 84 to 195 pmol/L). Chemical cross-linking studies identified a G-CSF binding protein of approximately 120 kD on neutrophils from grey collies, similar in size to that on normal dog neutrophils. No abnormal G-CSF receptor mRNA transcripts were detected in neutrophils from grey collie dogs by Northern blot analysis. Treatment of both normal and grey collie neutrophils with G-CSF rapidly induced tyrosine phosphorylation of an 80-kD protein that behaved like canine c-rel. These results demonstrate that the abnormal responsiveness to G-CSF in canine cyclic hematopoiesis is present in neutrophil precursors and is not associated with demonstrable alterations in the number, binding affinity, or overall size of the G-CSF receptor in neutrophils, or with defective tyrosine phosphorylation of p80. These data suggest that cyclic hematopoiesis is caused by a defect in the G-CSF signal transduction pathway at a point distal to G-CSF receptor binding that does not involve the early biochemical events leading to p80 tyrosine phosphorylation.
Restricted Diffusion of cAMP is Mediated by Mitochondrial Localized PKA Buffering in Living Cells

Different G-protein coupled receptors can elicit unique functional responses by selectively utilizing specific subsets of spatially restricted cAMP signaling domains. Previous studies have concluded that this can only be achieved if the rate of cAMP movement within cells is much slower than the rate of free diffusion. However, this prediction has not been demonstrated experimentally. In this study, we directly test the hypothesis that the cytoplasmic diffusion of cAMP is indeed slow and then address the long standing question of what regulates its movement. We used Raster Image Correlation Spectroscopy (RICS) to directly measure the diffusion coefficients of various molecules in intact HEK 293 cells and adult ventricular cardiac myocytes to evaluate the effect of particle size and cell morphology on cAMP movement. Fluorescein and pharos-450 (φ450), fluorescent molecules similar in size to cAMP, exhibited diffusion coefficients 3-4 fold slower than their expected rates of free diffusion. The diffusion coefficient of φ450-labeled cAMP (φ450-cAMP) was >6 fold slower than fluorescein or φ450 free dye alone. This extremely slow rate of diffusion could not be explained by its size. In cardiac myocytes, φ450-cAMP co-localized with the type II regulatory (RII) subunit of protein kinase A (PKA). In addition, disruption of RII subunit anchoring to A kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) significantly increased the diffusion coefficients of both RII subunits and φ450-cAMP. Furthermore, RII subunits and φ450-cAMP co-localized with mitochondria. These results demonstrate that the cytosolic movement of cAMP is indeed much slower than the predicted rate of free diffusion and that this is due to interactions with PKA regulatory subunits associated specifically with mitochondria. These findings have important implications with respect to cAMP signaling in all cell types.
Ultra-high resolution band-selective HSQC for nanomole-scale identification of chlorine-substituted 13C in natural products drug discovery

Ultra-high resolution band-selective HSQC (bsHSQC) has been employed for detection of 35 Cl-37 Cl isotope shifted 13 C NMR signals for assignment of regioisomerism in bromo-chloro natural products. Optimum pulse sequence and instrumental parameters for maximization of detection of the isotope shifts were explored. The chlorine isotope shifts (Δδ) were detected within crosspeaks and were shown to vary with hybridization of 13 C, substitution of 13 C, presence of β-chloro substituents, and their relative configuration. Deconvolution of Cl-substituted CH bsHSQC crosspeaks may provide other useful information, including a potentially MS-independent method for quantitating 37 Cl/35 C isotopic fractionation during the biosynthesis of halogenated natural products. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
STRATIFICATION BY A MULTIVARIATE CONFOUNDER SCORE

The complexity and inefficiency of multiple cross-classification as a means of controlling confounding in etiologic research may be avoided upon summarizing the pattern of confounding factors for each subject in terms of a multivariate score. The control of confounding may be based on stratification by the score, with stratum-specific contingency tables obtained and analyzed in the usual manner.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Rubella and Vaccination Strategies in Zhabei District, Shanghai

[Objective] To describe the incidence and epidemiological trends of rubella in Zhabei District, Shanghai, so as to provide scientific evidence for formulating vaccination strategies for rubella. [Methods] Descriptive epidemiology was used to analyze the national surveillance data on rubella in Zhabei District from 1990-2012. [Results] A total of 9003 cases of rubella were reported during 1990-2012, and the annual incidence rate of rubella was 52.75/100 000. The most yearly reported rubella patients were in 1993 and 8 856 cases were recorded, with an incidence rate of 1 315.45/100 000. There was no rubella case reported during 2007-2008. The male-to-female ratio of rubella patients was 1:1.04. Children aged 5-14 years old accounted for 73.68% of the total cases, and the leading case groups were kids in kindergarten, primary and secondary schools. Two seasonal peaks of rubella occurrence were observed including winter-spring and spring-summer. No geographical aggregation tendency was seen in terms of the case geo-distribution. The incidence of rubella cases has been greatly reduced since rubella containing vaccines were used: 57 cases of rubella were reported during 1995-2012, and the proportions of patients aged 0-4 years and 20- years in the total cases were increased. [Conclusion] Vaccination is an effective approach for rubella control and prevention, and has changed the age distribntion of total rubella cases. It is important to formulate effective vaccination strategies for preventing adult rubella cases, especially among women of childbearing age, to reduce the incidence of congenital rubella syndrome.
Numerical Simulation of the Influence of Number of Argon Blowing Nozzle on Molten Steel Flow Filed and Circulation Flow Rate during Single Snorkel Refining Process

To investigate the effect of different distribution of argon blowing nozzles on molten flow filed and circulation flow rate at the same vacuum degree and flow rate of argon,this numerical simulation,based on Eulerian-Eulerian approach,was carried out to simulate a 150 t single snorkel refining furnace by commercial computation fluid dynamic code CFX.The numerical results show that the flow filed is symmetrical in the case of single nozzle and two nozzles;the flow filed have the structure of one side upward stream and one side downward stream in the case of single nozzle;the circulation flow rate reaches the maximum in the case of single nozzle.
Bellingshausen and the Russian Antarctic Expedition, 1819–21

In 1819 Junior Captain Faddei Faddeyevich Bellingshausen left the Russian port of Kronstadt with a squadron of two ships to explore the Antarctic. Bellingshausen, a Baltic Prussian, was a Russian c...
True, true, unrelated? A review of recent evidence for a causal influence of breakfast on obesity.

Purpose of reviewIt has long been known that breakfast skipping is associated with obesity; however, well controlled clinical trials have only recently been conducted to determine a causative relationship.Recent findingsSkipping breakfast is likely to be detrimental for insulin sensitivity; however,
Funding global emergency medicine research—from seed grants to NIH support

Funding for global health has grown significantly over the past two decades. Numerous funding opportunities for international development and research work exist; however, they can be difficult to navigate. The 2013 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference on global health and emergency care identified the need to strengthen global emergency care research funding, solidify existing funding streams, and expand funding sources. This piece focuses on the various federal funding opportunities available to support emergency physicians conducting international research from seed funding to large institutional grants. In particular, we focus on the application and review processes for the Fulbright and Fogarty programs, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Career development awards, and the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI), including tips and pathways through each application process. Lastly, the paper provides an index that may be used as a guide in determining whether the amount of funding provided by a grant is worth the effort in applying.
Defect-based compact model for circuit reliability simulation in advanced CMOS technologies

A defect-based compact modeling approach for circuit reliability simulation based on surface potential calculations is presented. The modeling approach captures the bias-dependence of stress-induced defects such as (bulk) oxide-trapped charge and interface traps that cannot be described by typical fixed voltage shift models (i.e., threshold voltage, Vth-based models). The defect dynamic charge contribution is modeled under non-equilibrium conditions and for all regions of operation (i.e. from weak to strong inversion) and not just at the threshold (as in Vth-based models). The modeled is verified with 2-D TCAD simulations that incorporate oxide trapped charge and interface trap densities. Spice-level simulations of ring oscillators and SRAM cells reveal inaccuracies in describing aging effects when utilizing typical fixed voltage shift models as compared to the presented defect-based compact modeling approach.
A Dual Linear Polarization Highly Isolated Crossed Dipole Antenna for MPAR Application

The design of a dual-polarization antenna with high isolation between ports has always been a challenge in the antenna community. To overcome this issue, a pair of printed collocated bent dipoles with a unique excitation method, is introduced in this letter. A balun and parallel transmission line are concurrently designed for multifunction phased array radar in the frequency bandwidth of 2.7–3 GHz. To maximize the polarization purity of the antenna and eliminate the parasitic radiation of the balun, the radiating element is isolated from the balun by a set of ground planes. A better than 10-dB return loss and a measured port-to-port isolation of 52 dB over the whole bandwidth are achieved. The cross-polarization pattern remains 40 dB below the copolarization peak in the principal planes. Having a compact geometry, the proposed antenna can readily be extended to form an array.
Computational Visual Attention Models

The human visual system has evolved to have the ability to selectively focus on the most relevant parts of a visual scene. This mechanism, referred to as visual attention, has been the focus of several neurological and psychological studies in the past few decades. These studies have inspired several computational visual attention models which have been successfully applied to problems in computer vision and robotics. Computational Visual Attention Models provides a comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art in computational visual attention modeling with a special focus on the latest trends. By reviewing several models published since 2012, the theoretical advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed. In addition, existing methodologies to evaluate computational models through the use of eye-tracking data along with the visual attention performance metrics used are described. The shortcomings in existing approaches and approaches to overcome them are also covered. Finally, a subjective evaluation for benchmarking existing visual attention metrics is presented and open problems in visual attention are highlighted. This monograph provides the reader with an in-depth survey of the research conducted to date in computational visual attention models and provides the basis for further research in this exciting area.
Real-World Experience With Higher-Than-Recommended Doses of Lamivudine in Patients With Varying Degrees of Renal Impairment

Background Although nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors have been associated with lactic acidosis, lamivudine (3TC) has not been reported to have an increased risk with elevated concentrations. Therefore, some recommend that the lowest tablet strength of 3TC be considered in patients with kidney disease to avoid the inconvenience of liquid formations. Our institution avoids dose-adjusting 3TC until creatinine clearance (CrCl) <30 mL/min and uses 100-150-mg tablets daily in hemodialysis. The aim of this study was to describe the use of higher-than-recommended doses of 3TC in a real-world setting. Methods Blood samples were collected before and 0.5-1.5 hours after 3TC administration in HIV+ adults. Predose (Cmin) and postdose (Cmax) samples were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling was utilized to simulate areas under the curve (AUCs) and profiles by CrCl. Lactic acid levels and patient-reported adverse events were obtained to monitor for safety, and viral suppression was assessed for efficacy. Results Thirty-four patients with varying degrees of renal function were enrolled. Observed 3TC Cmax values were comparable among CrCl cohorts. Simulated 3TC AUC values in patients with CrCl 30-49, 15-29, and 0-15 mL/min were consistent with historical data, and fold-errors were between 0.5 and 2.0. All lactic acid levels were within normal limits, and no adverse effects were reported. Conclusions This study is the first to describe the use of higher-than-recommended doses of 3TC in a real-world setting. 3TC was well tolerated across all levels of renal function. These results can guide providers in their selection of higher 3TC dosing in select patients with renal dysfunction to maximize adherence.
What the "F"?

Finally, a framework for conceptualizing and communicating about longshot treatment attempts worthy of making into a pocket-card: laminate it now! Weiss and Fiester (2018) make a fundamental contri...