cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resistance to pyrethroid insecticides and analysis of knockdown resistance(kdr)gene mutations in Aedes albopictus from Haikou City

Objective To investigate the resistance to deltamethrin and permethrin in Aedes albopictus in Haikou City,and to detect the knockdown resistance(kdr)mutants of A.albopictus,elucidating the association of resistant phenotype with kdr mutation.Methods The A.albopictus samples were collected from Xinfu Island,Longtang Town,Shishan Town,Baishamen Park,and the flower market in Haikou City.Their susceptibility to deltamethrin and permethrin was tested by larval bioassay.The resistance level was determined by the R/S ratio.The kdr gene was amplified and analyzed,and the relationship between the resistant phenotype and kdr mutation was determined by Chi-square test.Results The A.albopictus samples from the flower market and Baishamen Park showed resistance to deltamethrin and permethrin,of which the flower market population had an R/S ratio of up to 436.36,indicating a high level of resistance.The A.albopictus samples from Longtang Town and Shishan Town were sensitive to permethrin,but had low(R/S ratio,9.09)and moderate(18.18)degrees of resistance to deltamethrin,respectively.The Xinfu Island population was sensitive to both deltamethrin and permethrin.The codon 1 534 kdr was detected point mutations among 317 A.albopictus samples,with two mutant alleles,TGC/C and TCC/S.The five genotypes were wild-type TTC/TTC(frequency,62.15%),wild/mutant heterozygous TTC/TGC(0.63%)and TTC/TCC(16.09%),homozygous mutant TCC/TCC(20.82%),and mutant heterozygous TGC/TCC(0.32%).Chi-square test revealed significant differences in the frequency of kdr mutant genotype between A.albopictu sensitive to the insecticides(31.97%)and those resistant to the insecticides(42.94%),P0.05.Conclusion Some A.albopictus populations in Haikou City have developed resistance to both deltamethrin and permethrin.The resistant phenotype and kdr mutant genotype are closely associated.This study has also discovered for the first time the novel TCC/S point mutation of kdr.
Advanced communication skills: Teaching during a pandemic

Introduction: In the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was recognised there would be an increased demand on clinicians to provide patients and relatives with bad news. The national ban on hospital visiting rapidly changed the way in which this news would be delivered. In recognition of these new challenges, our team sought to design a teaching course that could be implemented quickly and cost effectively, with the aim of improving clinician's confidence around these difficult skills. Methods: A teaching programme was created using senior geriatric and palliative care clinicians as simulated patients, open to any grade and speciality. Learners were required to break bad news (BBN) without any visual feedback, to simulate skills required when using the telephone. Surveys were collected to determine self -assessed confidence across four domains (Table 1) before, immediately after and 4-20 weeks after the course. Participants were asked to rank their confidence for each skill on a 5 point scale with 1 being very unsure and 5 being very confident. Results: Pre-teaching scores showed an average of 3 (neither confident nor unsure) across all domains. After the course all domains improved, most notably around discussing end of life (EoL) care and discussing information over the phone. Conclusion: This project has highlighted a lack of confidence across all skill levels when it comes to BBN. This confidence is easily improved by a short, cost-effective teaching course. It remains to be seen if this improved confidence translates to better communication with relatives. (Table Presented).
Why should we screen for male fertility

An increasing number of studies show declining sperm counts; however, semen analyses are uncommon until the evaluation for infertility. Semen analysis is a safe, reliable and relatively inexpensive screening test, assessing male fertility and directing further work-up. In young men, the use of semen analysis may identify disease prior to attempted conception and result in improved fertility potential when combined with lifestyle changes, medical or surgical therapy. Furthermore, if sperm counts are significantly low, evaluation and management for genetic causes can be initiated. Our commentary outlines why screening for male infertility in young adult men may be beneficial. We discuss options for early intervention, including sperm cryopreservation, if defects in sperm parameters are identified.
Remote Tracking of Distributed Dynamic Sources over A Random Access Channel with One-bit Updates

In this work, we consider a network, where n distributed information sources whose states evolve according to a random process transmit their time-varying states to a remote estimator over a shared wireless channel. Each source generates packets in a decentralized manner and employs a slotted random access mechanism to transmit the packets. In particular, we are interested in networks with a large number of low-complexity devices that share low-capacity random access channels. Accordingly, we investigate update strategies for remote tracking of source states that require each update to constitute as few bits as possible. To that end, we develop update strategies requiring only one-bit of information per update. We first consider a natural benchmark update policy and reveal that the benchmark policy cannot guarantee stability under all conditions. We then introduce an improvement of the benchmark policy that employs a local cancellation strategy, which makes the system always stable. We further analyze and optimize the performance of the cancellation-enabled update policy to bound the estimation error at the receiver. Through simulations, we compare the proposed cancellation-enabled one-bit update policy with zero-wait sampling and threshold-based sampling policies that require more than one-bit of information per update. The comparisons show that the cancellation-enabled update policy at its optimal threshold level outperforms the multi-bit update policies. This suggests that the cancellation-enabled one-bit update policy could be greatly beneficial for applications where transmission power or shared channel capacity are limited.
Functional and structural changes in response to psychosocial stimulation

The preceding chapters outline the mechanisms by which a psychosocial stimulus can lead to a change in autonomic and endocrine activity, whereas this chapter is concerned with the eventual consequences of the regulatory disturbances resulting from these functional and reversible changes of neuroendocrine activity. We are considering a delicate no-man’s land between a purely physiologic shift in equilibrium, which may last for only minutes or hours, and irreversible pathology, such as cardiac hypertrophy with gross arteriosclerosis; pathophysiologic changes in the adrenal cortex; kidney damage by interstitial nephritis; or even formation of malignant tumors. It is precisely at this point, that to many the chain of evidence linking the higher centers of the brain with pathophysiology is the weakest and the arguments are the most strained. This chapter outlines the progress made in this area.
Chapter 10 Analytical Techniques for Isolated Metaphase Chromosome Fractions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the analytical techniques for isolated metaphase chromosome fractions. Metaphase chromosomes represent reproducible precise subfractions of the total genome of an organism. The technology described in this chapter was developed to evaluate isolated chicken chromosomes in experiments designed to locate specific viral DNA sequences integrated into the chicken genome. In principle, the same approach can identify proteins peculiar to specific chromosomes. The chapter presents a discussion on the analysis of chromosome fractions. All chromosome isolation procedures require a hypotonic treatment step to disrupt any spindle remnants and to make the cell susceptible to shear disruption. Isolated chromosomes offer few advantages over isolated whole nuclei, unless some type of sorting of the individual kinds of chromosomes can be achieved. The techniques for fraction analysis are visual inspection and flow microfluorometry. Visual inspection of the various fractions with a phase-contrast microscope confirms the general impression that the chromosomes are distributed in the gradient according to size. In contrast to the qualitative data which visual examination provides, precise quantitative data are readily obtained by the particle analysis technique—flow microfluorometry (FMF)..
Which Elements of Improvement Collaboratives Are Most Effective? A Cluster-Randomized Trial

Aims Improvement collaboratives consisting of various components are used throughout healthcare to improve quality, but no study has identified which components work best. This study tested the effectiveness of different components in addiction treatment services, hypothesizing that a combination of all components would be most effective.
Constructions for Terraces and R-Sequencings, Including a Proof That Bailey's Conjecture Holds for Abelian Groups

Every abelian group of even order with a noncyclic Sylow 2-subgroup is known to be R-sequenceable except possibly when the Sylow 2-subgroup has order 8. We construct an R-sequencing for many groups with elementary abelian Sylow 2-subgroups of order 8 and use this to show that all such groups of order other than 8 also have terraces. This completes the proof of Bailey's Conjecture in the abelian case: all abelian groups other than the noncyclic elementary abelian 2-groups have terraces. For odd orders it is known that abelian groups are R-sequenceable except possibly those with noncyclic Sylow 3-subgroups. We show how the theory of narcissistic terraces can be exploited to find R-sequencings for many such groups, including infinitely many groups with each possible of Sylow 3-subgroup type of exponent at most 312 and all groups whose Sylow 3-subgroups are of the form or .
Heterocyclic synthesis from o-amino-nitriles. 28. Synthesis of some benzo(f)- and benzo(h)quinazolines.

Abstract Starting with 1-cyano-6-methoxynaphthalene, approaches have been made to the synthesis of derivatives of the benzo(f)quinazoline ring system as analogs of the folic acid antagonist and antimalarial agent pyrimethamine, in which the 5-aryl grouping in the latter compound has been tied back to the pyrimidine ring by an ethylene bridge. A series of related 5,6-dihydrobenzo(h)quinazolines (incorporating an ethano bridge) has been prepared from 6-methoxy-1-tetralonevia 2-hydroxymethylene-6-methoxy-1-tetralone. A summary is given of unsuccessful attempts to prepare 1-amino-2-cyano-6-methoxy-3,4-dihydronaphthalene.
Distributed Parameter Estimation for NASA Mini-Mast Truss using Timoshenko Beam Model

The excessively large number of modal parameters of finite element structural models is an obstacle to parameter estimation. For truss structures, distributed parameter models are particularly well suited for parameter estimation. In the authors' previous work, the Bernoulli-Euler beam equation was used to represent bending of the NASA Mini-Mast truss. But a deficiency at higher frequencies was apparent. Because the shear deformation of the beam is neglected, the Bernoulli-Euler beam model produces excessively high estimates of frequency for the higher modes. In this paper, a more accurate Timoshenko beam model is used to characterize the bending behavior of the truss. A maximum likelihood estimator for the Timoshenko beam model has been formulated. A closedform solution of the Timoshenko beam equation, for a uniform cantilevered beam with two concentrated masses, is derived so that the procedure for the estimation of modal characteristics is much improved. The updated model to the NASA Mini-Mast test data is demonstrated.
A multi-solver domain decomposition method for rigorous conductor modeling of signal integrity in integrated circuits

A frequency-domain multi-solver domain decomposition method is presented to accurately analyze signal integrity problems in multi-scale integrated circuits. In particular, we propose a novel formulation to rigorously account for the conductor loss due to finite conductivities in metals. The proposed non-conformal domain decomposition method follows a hierarchical domain partitioning strategy of the original problem. The most suitable computational electromagnetic technique is employed for each of the subregions. To improve the convergence in the DDM iterations, an optimized Robin type transmission condition is introduced to enforce the field continuities across sub-domain interfaces. Moreover, a hierarchical multi-level fast multiple method is adopted to address the low frequency issues particularly in IC applications. Rigorous numerical experiments validate the potential efficiency and benefits offered by the proposed method.
Development of fuzzy-logic processing objects for industrial control applications

Object-oriented programming is introduced as a new approach for implementing software to solve fuzzy logic control problems. The object-oriented approach does a better job in supporting rapid prototyping. It allows users to gradually refine a subset of objects and operations. In the initial program testing phase, C++ fuzzy objects were used to generate a control decision table and control motor speed. The authors experienced no difficulty in modifying the C++ object functions into pure C functions for gaining portability and execution speed, which made this approach more attractive than a pure procedure-oriented approach. The object-oriented approach using C++ appears to be the appropriate technology for an FLC (fuzzy logic controller)-based DC motor speed control application. It enables a more flexible programming environment and reduces the efforts for fuzzy-object development and maintenance. >
Glucocorticoids reduce muscle atrophy-related microRNAs via exosomal microRNA packaging (1163.4)

Several microRNAs, including miR-23a and miR-182, participate in skeletal muscle atrophy by regulating the level of key atrophy-inducing proteins. We recently found that the intracellular levels of these microRNAs are reduced in C2C12 myotubes within 1-2 hours of addition of the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (Dex). The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism underlying the rapid decrease in the intracellular levels of these microRNAs. We tested the hypothesis that miR-23a and miR-182 are incorporated into exosomes and exported from myotubes following glucocorticoid treatment. Administration of Dex (1µM) to C2C12 myotubes for 6 h in exosome-free culture media resulted in decreased intracellular miR-23a and miR-182. Isolation and quantitation of exosomal miR-23a and miR-182 from media revealed an increase in both microRNAs. Interestingly, the total number of exosomes in the culture media of control and Dex-treated cells was not different indicating Dex did not increase exosome export. Levels o...
Comparison of desmethylsertraline with sertraline as a monoamine uptake inhibitor in vivo

1. Desmethylsertraline, a metabolite of the antidepressant drug sertraline, was compared with sertraline for its ability to produce effects characteristic of inhibitors of the serotonin transporter in vivo. Desmethylsertraline antagonized brain serotonin depletion by p-chloroamphetamine, a depletion dependent upon the serotonin transporter, being less potent than sertraline in rats but almost as potent as sertraline in mice. Desmethylsertraline was a weak antagonist of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced depletion of heart norepinephrine in mice; sertraline had no effect at the doses studied. 2. Desmethylsertraline decreased brain concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) in rats as did sertraline, the duration of the effect after both drugs being at least 24 hrs but less than 48 hrs. 3. After sertraline injection, desmethylsertraline was present in rat brain at higher concentrations than the parent drug at 8 hrs and thereafter. 4. In rats, repeated injections of sertraline, at doses previously shown to diminish beta-adrenergic receptor-mediated responses, led to marked accumulation of desmethylsertraline in brain and to inhibition of the catecholamine transporters. 5. In mice, brain concentrations of desmethylsertraline were higher than those of parent drug within 7 hrs after sertraline injection and probably contributed importantly to the antagonism of p-chloroamphetamine effects. 6. These data show that desmethylsertraline is less potent than sertraline as a serotonin uptake inhibitor in vivo, as the in vitro data would have predicted, but that desmethylsertraline may nonetheless contribute to the prolonged inhibition of the serotonin transporter after sertraline administration, perhaps more in mice than in rats.
Coherence Structure and Its Application in Mortality Forecasting

Interaction terms expressed as products of covariates may prove useful in regression problems. A graphical method is presented for identifying potentially useful interaction and related covariates in modeling mortality time series using lagged coherence, a nonlinear extension of the squared coherence, and its residual coherence offshoot. The identified covariates are tested for their significance within a regression model using quasi-likelihood and log link.
Ceratiolin and other flavonoids from Ceratiola ericoides

Abstract Chemical analysis of ground aerial parts of Ceratiola ericoides yielded the two known dihydrochalcones angoletin and 2′,6′-dihydroxy-4-methoxy-3′,5′-dimethyldihydrochalcone, as well as 2′,4′-dihydroxychalcone. Furthermore, the known flavanones 7-hydroxyflavanone, 8-methylpinocembrin and 6,8-dimethylpinocembrin were isolated. Methanol extracts of ground leaves provided catechin, epicatechin and epicatechin-(4β → 8; 2β → 0 → 7)-epicatechin. From water washes of freshly harvested leaves a novel dihydrochalcone, ceratiolin, was isolated. The structures were inferred from NMR, mass spectral and chemical data, and the molecular structure of 6,8-dimethylpinocembrin was determined by single crystal X-ray analysis.
Grammatical Processes of Objectification in a Middle School Science Classroom.

Abstract This paper focuses on the discursive and grammatical means by which science students extract and objectify knowledge from the dynamics of the laboratory setting. I argue that nominalization is a particularly important strategy by which this curriculum unit and teacher apprentice students into objectifying the data, evidence, and conclusions from the labs. This paper shows how students are tasked with mastering an unusual locution: the use of the verb ‘to weigh’ as a noun in the subject position, with atypical syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. I suggest that these novel nominalizations are a way that inquiry-based curricula apprentice students into an ideology of scientific research that backgrounds potentially fallible researchers and their technology, and privileges instead the inscriptions that are the products of that lab work. Evidence is presented showing that students adopt and even extend the unusual nominal constructions involving the lexeme ‘weight’.
Oral tolerance in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: serum and salivary antibody responses

Abstract We have recently reported that the oral administration of myelin basic protein (MBP) prior to encephalitogenic challenge results in suppression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We examined the serum and salivary antibody responses to MBP in orally tolerant rats usnig an avidin-biotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum anti-MBP IgA and IgG, but not IgM levels are suppressed in orally tolerant versus control rats. This suppression is time dependent and is confined to the period when animals would otherwise be manifesting EAE clinical signs. In contrast, there is an increase in salivary anti-MBP IgA levels in MBP-fed rats relative to vehicle-fed controls. Thus, MBP-induced unresponsiveness is demonstrable at the humoral level, and moreover, a discrete compartmentalization between the serum and salivary anti-MBP responses exists.
Geochemistry and tectonomagmatic affinity of the Misheguk massif, Brooks Range ophiolite, Alaska

Abstract Petrologic and geochemical data from the type location of the Misheguk igneous sequence (Misheguk massif), clarify the tectonomagmatic origin of the Brooks Range ophiolite. At Misheguk the igneous sequence consists, in ascending order, of (1) mantle peridotite (2) ultramafic cumulates (3) layered gabbro (4) massive gabbro and high level intrusives and (5) out of sequence intrusives. The various units are mostly transitional except for local intrusive and fault relations. Sheeted dikes and volcanic cover sequences associated with Brooks Range ophiolite have not been found at Misheguk, but are documented at the Siniktanneyak body. Distinctive compositional features found at Misheguk and other bodies throughout the ophiolite include a dunite dominate mantle sequence depleted in Ti, Al and Ca, and enriched in Cr and Ni. This sequence is transitional with cumulates with a crystallization sequence of olivine-clinopyroxene-plagioclase that produces a succession of dunite, wehrlite and olivine gabbro. The cumulate sequence is interpreted to reflect source characteristics of melts that are transitional between MORB- and arc-types. Mineral chemistry comparisons show that average compositions of olivine of Fo90.7, orthopyroxene with 0.5-2.7% Al2O3, and Cr-rich spinel with average Cr∗ of 0.58 are intermediate between those from MORB- and arc-type mantle peridotites. Coexisting cumulate olivine and plagioclase compositions are similar to those found in dunite-rich arc complexes. Cr Mg abundances in spinel from various mantle peridotites cluster in distinct groups that reflect various degrees of partial melting. Models of partial melting paths based on Cr Ti abundances in mantle peridotite predict the mantle sequence experienced around 20% melt removal from a fertile (Ligurian) mantle source. These geochemical characteristics are similar to those predicted for, and documented in interarc basins.
Bacillus anthracis cell wall produces injurious inflammation but paradoxically decreases the lethality of anthrax lethal toxin in a rat model.

Objectives The in vivo inflammatory effects of the Bacillus anthracis cell wall are unknown. We therefore investigated these effects in rats and, for comparison, those of known inflammatory stimulants, Staphylococcus aureus cell wall or lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Evaluating the effect of change on change: a different viewpoint.

Rationale When a causal variable and its presumed effect are measured at two time points in a cohort study, most researchers prefer to fit some type of a change model. Many of them believe that such an analysis is superior to a cross-sectional analysis ‘because change models estimate the effect of change on change’, which sounds epistemologically stronger than ‘estimating a cross-sectional association’. Methods In this paper I trace two commonly used regression models of change to their cross-sectional origin and describe these models from the perspectives of time-stable confounders, effect modification, and causal diagrams. In addition, I cite three viewpoints from the statistical literature. Results The so-called change models do not estimate anything conceptually different from cross-sectional models. A change model is superior to a cross-sectional model mainly because it corresponds to a self-matched design. Statistical viewpoints markedly differ about the appropriate parameterization and interpretation of such data. Conclusion Contrary to prevailing thought, a model of changes between two time points does not estimate any special causal idea called ‘longitudinal effect’. The main advantage of regressing ‘change on change’ is complete control of time-stable confounders, a key concern in observational studies. Many analysts fail to realize that that important advantage is usually lost when they fit a random effects model.
Measurements of positronium formation cross sections for positron scattering by K, Na, and Ar atoms.

The first measurements of positronium (Ps) formation cross sections (upper and lower limits) for positron scattering by K (1 to 100 eV) and Na (1 to 20 eV) are reported. They indicate significant Ps formation below 20 eV and, along with recent measurements and calculations of total cross sections, provide evidence that coupling effects between Ps formation and other scattering channels may be very important for energies below 10 eV.
Correlated physiological and ultrastructural studies on specialised muscles. Ic. Neuromuscular junctions in the eyestalk levator muscles of Podophthalmus vigil (Weber)

The ultrastructure of physiologically different motor nerve terminals on fibers of the eye-raising muscle of the crab Podophthalmus vigil is described. The terminals occur wherever branching axons lose part or all of their Schwann cell cover, either in simple grooves on the surface, in invaginated clefts, or even deep within the fiber in invaginated fingers lined by extension from the surface plasma membrane of the muscle fiber. Dense innervation of the surface of the fiber is associated with the occurrence of large, non-facilitating e.p.s.ps., i.e., with “fast” axons. Less dense innervation, with deeply invaginated terminals is associated with small-sized e.p.s.ps. and with facilitation typical of “slow” axons. No differences in either vesicle content, vesicle shape, mitochondrial density or density of other particles could be found in terminals having different associated biophysical properties.
Chaotic normal vibrations and friction at mechanical joints with nonlinear elastic properties

This paper describes an investigation of the dynamics of contact systems that exibit nonlinear stiffness characteristics. A dynamic contact model that accommodates normal motions with either analytical or empirical descriptions of nonlinear interface compliance has been formulated. Other joint nonlinearities, such as play and discontinous changes in friction, which have been considered previously, are avoided in this study. The interface friction is related to the normal motion through the adhesion theory of friction. Numerical analyses of the model using common joint comonent materials and interface finishes under dynamic loads reveal that chaotic joint motion and, by implication, chaotic friction can occur over a significant range of contact parameters and operating conditions
Nest material and food as reinforcers for fixed-ratio responding in mice

Abstract Three experiments investigated the importance of operant-reinforcer distance as a factor affecting continuous reinforcement (CRF) and fixed-ratio (FR) performance in mice, with nest material and food as reinforcers. In Experiment 1, nest material (paper strips) was presented on a series of FR schedules of increasing size, with the operandum located as close as possible to the reinforcer dispenser. Subjects compensated for increases in FR size by proportionately increasing their response output, but ratio strain occurred at low FR values. In Experiment 2, response rate was found to be inversely related to operant-reinforcer distance on a CRF schedule with nest material as reinforcer. In Experiment 3, food was presented on a series of FR schedules at two levels of deprivation, and with three operant-reinforcer distances. Operant-reinforcer distance was found to affect CRF response rate, degree of compensation for increases in FR size, and occurrence of ratio strain, but only when deprivation level was low. The results support the view that nest material and food share fundamentally similar reinforcing properties, but that nest material is a weaker reinforcer under normal test conditions.
Efficiencies of Rounded Optimal Approximate Designs for Small Samples

Optimal exact designs are notoriously hard to study and only a few of them are known for polynomial models. Using recently obtained optimal exact designs (Imhof, 1997), we show that the efficiency of the frequently used rounded optimal approximate designs can be sensitive if the sample size is small. For some criteria, the efficiency of the rounded optimal approximate design can vary by as much as 25% when the sample size is changed by one unit. The paper also discusses lower efficiency bounds and shows that they are sometimes the best possible bounds for the rounded optimal approximate designs.
A Look Back on Two Decades of Doppler Sodar Comparison Studies

Abstract This paper is a compilation of the results obtained from various Doppler sodar comparison experiments conducted over the last 20 years. These studies have attempted to quantify the uncertainties in sodar-derived values of the horizontal wind speed, wind direction, standard deviation of the vertical wind speed sw, and standard deviation of the horizontal wind direction sq. Doppler sodar configurations examined in these studies included bistatic, monostatic, and phased array. In most cases, reference measurements used for comparison were made by tower-based in situ sensors. Many investigators have used simple linear regressions and other statistical measures such as the correlation coefficient, bias (mean difference), comparability (root-mean-square difference), and precision (standard deviation) in an attempt to quantify those errors. The sodar-derived wind speed and wind direction are highly correlated against reference measurements (≈0.92) with a precision of 1.06 m s-1 and 21.5°, respectively, ...
Manifest anxiety, induced anxiety and digit symbol performance.

Summary.-2 groups (N = 144) of female undergraduate Ss from Auburn Universiq were divided into three subgroups with different drive levels according to scores on the Taylor MAS. A group having viewed a stressful film showed a significant depression in Digit Symbol scores when compared with a control group which observed a non-stressful film, regardless of MAS scores. Also, differences in gain scores across pre- and post-test trials were noted, with moderate MAS Ss showing significantly greater improvement regardless of stress condition. Interpretation of impaired Digit Symbol performance on the WAIS and the WISC as a response to situational stress is probably more conservative than predicting motivational levels based on a single 90-sec. trial. Performance on digit symbol tasks (D Sym) has been interpreted within the context of intelligence scales as a reflection of motivation and anxiety. Impaired performance has been attributed to heightened anxiety states (Wechsler, 1958) and to disinterest or low levels of motivation (Glasser & Zimmerman, 1967, p. 94). These interpretations appear partially consistent with the experimental literature regarding the effects of high anxiety and low drive level in causing a performance decrement on complex psychological tasks (Marks & Vestre, 1961; Johnson & Thomson, 1962). However, Taylor (1953) has questioned the exact relationship of drive and clinical anxiery, and this distinction has not been clearly delineated in the interpretations of D Sym performance. Studies in which learning is involved, such as Johnson and Thomson's (1962), suggest that an inverted U-shaped relationship is characteristic. Their results show that Ss having moderate motivational (drive) levels perform significantly better than those with either high or low motivational levels. Reviews of the literature on drive (Malrno, 1959; Campbell & Misanin, 1969) imply the usefulness of making a distinction between clinical anxiety, which may be induced through environmental stress, and drive, which is a relatively endogenous and enduring state of the organism. Consequently, both drive level and clinical anxiety (the latter defined as response to situational stress) might be presumed to influence performance on the D Sym task. This study was designed to measure performance on D Sym where the effects of: (a) readiness to react, i.e., anxiety level, (b) sustained drive level, or (c) a combination thereof could be delineated. PROCEDURE A total of 144 undergraduate women at Auburn University were selected from six classes in introductory psychology. Each class was randomly assigned
Dengue structure differs at the temperatures of its human and mosquito hosts

We report on a conformational transition of dengue virus when changing the temperature from that present in its mosquito vectors to that of its human host. Using cryoelectron microscopy, we show that although the virus has a smooth surface, a diameter of ∼500 A, and little exposed membrane at room temperature, the virions have a bumpy appearance with a diameter of ∼550 A and some exposed membrane at 37 °C. The bumpy structure at 37 °C was found to be similar to the previously predicted structure of an intermediate between the smooth mature and fusogenic forms. As humans have a body temperature of 37 °C, the bumpy form of the virus would be the form present in humans. Thus, optimal dengue virus vaccines should induce antibodies that preferentially recognize epitopes exposed on the bumpy form of the virus.
Making Write Less Blocking for Read Accesses in Phase Change Memory

Phase-change Memory (PCM) is a promising alternative or complement to DRAM for its non-volatility, scalable bit density, and fast read performance. Nevertheless, PCM has two serious challenges including extraordinarily slow write speed and less-than-desirable write endurance. While recent research has improved the write endurance significantly, slow write speed become a more prominent issue and prevents PCM from being widely used in real systems. To improve write speed, this paper proposes a new memory micro-architecture, called Parallel Chip PCM(PC2M), which leverages the spatial locality of memory accesses and trades bank-level parallelism for larger chip-level parallelism. We also present a micro-write scheme to reduce the blocking for read accesses caused by uninterrupted serialized writes. Micro-write breaks a large write into multiple smaller writes and timely schedules newly arriving reads immediately after a small write completes. Our design is orthogonal to many existing PCM write hiding techniques, and thus can be used to further optimize PCM performance. Based on simulation experiments of a multi-core processor under SPEC CPU 2006 multi-programmed workloads, our proposed techniques can reduce the memory latency of standard PCM by 68.5% and improve the system performance by 30.3% on average. PC2M and Micro-write significantly outperform existing approaches.
A case study of a merger in Chinese higher education: The motives, processes, and outcomes

Abstract This paper examines an institutional merger taking place in Chinese higher education beginning from 1994. Using the case study method, the paper examines the pre-merger planning, the post-merger integration process, and the outcomes of the merger. The paper argues that a number of major external and internal factors have led to the decision to merge. The planning and implementation of the merger was largely a top-down process and subject to political intervention. One of the most prominent issues identified in this case is the difficulty of building a unified identity for the new institution as was reflected in the controversies and fights about the name of the new institution. The case studied provides a good example and valuable lessons to higher education institutions considering merger or other forms of organizational change.
Universality of Second-Order Phase Transitions: The Scale Factor for the Correlation Length

A universality hypothesis relates the amplitude of the singular parts of the coherence length and the specific heat (or surface tension). For the spin-\textonehalf{} Ising model it is exact in two dimensions and numerically accurate to within 1% in three. It is consistent with measurements on the "Ising-like" systems C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, Xe, and $\ensuremath{\beta}$-brass and the "Heisenberg-like" systems RbMn${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$ and EuS to within experimental uncertainties (\ensuremath{\sim} 20%). It provides a sensitive and experimentally convenient indicator of symmetry ("universality") class.
Diagnosis and classification of chronic wounds

The classification of chronic wounds is important for clinical care of patients. The International Classification of Disease codes consider chronic ulcer of the skin with subcategories of decubitus ulcer, lower limb ulcer, ulcer of other specified site, and ulcer of unspecified site.[1] Varicose ulcers, gangrene, and skin infections with ulcers are classified separately. The clinician needs a classification scheme that permits efficient and accurate documentation of a patient's progress toward healing. The therapeutic approach should be based on an understanding of the underlying pathogenesis of the wound, and thus depends on a classification that includes the underlying mechanism for a wound's persistence. This article focuses on methods for recording the size of a wound and reviews the pathogenic mechanisms associated with chronic wounds.
Plasma insulin and glucagon levels in protein-malnourished rats

Abstract The plasma concentrations of insulin and glucagon were measured in an experimental rat model for protein malnutrition. Plasma insulin levels were markedly reduced, while plasma glucagon levels were comparable to adequately fed age controls.
Morphology and tectonics of the inner rift valley at lat 36°50′N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

A segment of the inner rift valley of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge was investigated in detail from the American submersible Alvin . Fifteen traverses were made across the floor and up the first major fault scarps in the valley walls. The asymmetric morphology of the inner floor is found to be the primary result of volcanic activity modified by tectonic activity. Analysis of the tectonic features revealed that the rift is evolving within a single stress field that has its least principal strain axis (the compressional axis) aligned with the valley axis of N20°E. This is in contrast to the direction normal to plate divergence (N0°E). The tectonic elements in the inner floor are primarily vertically dipping tension fractures, whereas the fault scarps of the flanking walls are closer to a 60° dip and reflect a component of downdip shear. The information base obtained from Alvin was broadened with information collected in the area with more conventional techniques. Through an analysis of this information, primarily the topography, it was possible to extrapolate the detailed observations obtained from the submersible to intervening areas to produce a comprehensive geological interpretation of the study area. An evolutionary model was developed which suggests that the inner rift is a product of axial volcanic activity. Shortly after formation, the original volcanic edifice is modified by vertical collapse, which leads to a reduction of the bottom relief. This process is reversed in the outer portions of the valley as uplift begins. Tensional extension changes into vertical shear as the volcanic blocks are incorporated into the walls and elevated. During the various stages of uplift, readjustment takes place on the terraces, which results in the preservation of the original volcanoes as recognizable units. This model, which spans 180,000 yr of inferred time, is examined in detail in an attempt to identify its weaknesses as well as to delineate the specific factual constraints upon which it is built. Alternate interpretations are proposed and tested in a similar fashion; the result is the identification of key problems that need to be solved.
Glucose utilization in islets of hyperglycemic rat models with impaired glucose-induced insulin secretion

Under most experimental conditions islet glucose metabolism is well-correlated with short-term glucose-induced insulin secretion. Two hyperglycemic rat models (neonatal streptozotocin and glucose infusion) have been previously found to have markedly impaired insulin responses to glucose, and the glucose utilization of islets isolated from these models was therefore studied to see if reduced glucose metabolism might be related to the secretory abnormalities. It was found that glucose utilization in the islets of the two models was similar or higher than in comparable control islets. These data suggest that the secretory defect of these models, which is presumably induced by chronic hyperglycemia, is at a step in the secretion process distal to glucose metabolism.
Role of regulatory T cells in coronavirus-induced acute encephalitis.

C57BL/6 mice infected with mouse hepatitis virus, strain JHM (JHMV) develop a rapidly fatal acute encephalitis. Previously, we showed that this disease is partially CD4 T cell-mediated since infection with a recombinant JHMV (rJ) mutated in only a single immunodominant CD4 T cell epitope (epitope M133, rJ.MY135Q) results in a nonlethal disease. Increased mortality correlated with a greater number of JHMV-specific CD4 T cells in the brains of rJ compared to rJ.MY135Q-infected mice. Here, we extend these results to show that the diminished number of virus-specific T cells correlates with a reduced cytokine/chemokine response in the infected brain. We also show that regulatory CD4 T cells (Tregs) are critical for mild disease in rJ.MY135Q-infected mice because their depletion results in increased mortality. Further, a relative paucity of Tregs characterizes lethal infection because adoptive transfer of Tregs into rJ-infected mice increases survival from 0% to 50%. These results support the notion that clinical disease in coronavirus-induced acute encephalitis results from a balance between factors critical for virus clearance, such as virus-specific effector T cells and anti-inflammatory elements, such as Tregs. These findings also show that unlike chronic infections, in which an excessive number of Tregs contributes to pathogen persistence, Tregs in the setting of acute encephalitis may help to limit immunopathological disease without delaying virus clearance.
Rapid development of core-shell column technology: accurate measurements of the intrinsic column efficiency of narrow-bore columns packed with 4.6 down to 1.3 μm superficially porous particles.

Abstract The intrinsic heights equivalent to a theoretical plate (HETPs) of 31 narrow-bore and wide-bore columns packed with four different brands of core–shell particles were accurately measured on an optimized vHPLC instrument (1290 Infinity system) that has an extra-column volume variance of 13.6 ± 0.3 μL 2 . These results were derived from the slopes of the linear plots of the apparent plate heights of each column versus the reciprocal of (1 + k′ ) 2 for seven homologous compounds with a linear regression coefficient larger than 0.999. The results show that the kinetic performance of narrow-bore columns packed with core–shell particles increases almost linearly with decreasing particle diameter. The optimum reduced plate heights increase slightly from 1.6 to 1.9 with decreasing particle sizes from 4.6 to 1.3 μm. This confirms that wide-bore columns provide better efficiencies than narrow-bore columns.
Eosinophils and neutrophils of human neonates have similar impairments of quantitative up-regulation of Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) expression in vitro.

Neonatal neutrophils have Mac-1-related functional abnormalities that may contribute to the enhanced susceptibility of neonates to bacterial infections. We developed a flow cytometric method using differences in light scattering and CD16 expression to distinguish eosinophils from neutrophils and studied their responses to stimulation in vitro. Mean forward light scatter was 20–60% greater for adult neutrophils than eosinophils, p ≤ 0.001, and side scatter was 30–60% greater for eosinophils than neutrophils, p ≤ 0.01, both before and after stimulation. Light scatter of neonatal and adult eosinophils did not differ. Mac-1 expression on adult eosinophils increased 60% after warming without specific stimulation and further increased 5-fold after incubation with 1 μM A23187, p < 0.0001. Platelet activating factor and recombinant C5a produced modest increases in eosinophil Mac-1 expression, while N-formyl-met-leu-phe and leukotriene B4 had minimal effects. Histamine and the eosinophil chemotactic factor of anaphylaxis tetrapeptides had no effect on either Mac-1 or CR1 (CD35) expression. After stimulation with 1 μM A23187, eosinophils from eight healthy neonates adt term expressed less Mac-1 than eosinophils from eight adults (mean ± SD: 60.0 ± 17.2 versus 89.1 ± 12.8, p = 0.001) by the same ratio as neonatal to adult neutrophils (121.5 ± 17.9 versus 178.2 ± 11.7, p = 0.0004). We conclude that neonatal eosinophils and neutrophils have similar impairments of quantitative Mac-1 up-regulation. Further studies are needed to determine if neonatal eosinophils also have functional abnormalities related to Mac-1.
An Exterior Differential System for a Generalized Korteweg-de Vries Equation and its Associated Integrability

The method of Cartan is reviewed by applying it to the classical Korteweg-de Vries equation. The method is then applied to a new generalized Korteweg-de Vries equation for which a prolongation is obtained. As a consequence, a Backlund transformation for the equation is derived as well as the associated potential equation.
Studies of the effects of season, temperature, and plant age on glycoside production in Digitalis purpurea.

Abstract A study of several growth conditions indicated that the optimum glycoside production in Digitalis purpurea takes place in young actively growing first‐year plants rather than in older one‐year plants in which metabolic breakdown is dominant. Seasonal factors other than temperature changes exert some influence in the field but do not significantly affect glycoside production under controlled greenhouse conditions.
Glycemic status and incident heart failure in elderly without history of diabetes mellitus: the health, aging, and body composition study.

Background It is unclear whether measures of glycemic status beyond fasting glucose (FG) levels improve incident heart failure (HF) prediction in patients without history of diabetes mellitus (DM).
Angle dependence of magnetization in a single-domain YBa 2 Cu 3 O x sphere

The crystal angle dependence of magnetization has been measured in spherically shaped, single-domain ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{x}$ (YBCO). The single-domain sample is processed by a seeded-melt growth process in which a small ${\mathrm{NdBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{x}$ seed is used to induce domain growth through a peritectic reaction in YBCO. It has been found that the angle dependence of magnetization can be obtained in a series of zero-field-cooled hysteresis loop measurements with warm-ups well above ${T}_{c}$ between each measurement at a specific angle. In contrast to previously reported results, we have found that the angle dependence exhibits a sawtooth wave between 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 360\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} over a wide range of temperatures and fields. Furthermore, we have also measured the angle dependence on a YBCO plate and found similar behavior, indicating that the sawtooth wave is intrinsic to the superconductor. A physical model has been developed to explain the angle dependence of magnetization observed in this experiment.
Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation: Editor's Vision

It is with great enthusiasm and humility that I formally begin my 5-year (2014–2018) term as the fifth editor of the Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation (JEPC). It is truly an hon...