cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidemic situation of schistosomiasis in Tongling City, 2007-2013

Objective To master the epidemic situation and control effect of schistosomiasis in Tongling City from 2007 to 2013.Methods The data of the epidemic situation and control measures of schistosomiasis in Tongling City from 2007 to 2013 were collected and analyzed for the trend of schistosomiasis epidemic situation and changes of status of Oncomelania snails.Results From 2007 to 2013,the population positive rate of schistosome serological examination and stool examination decreased from 8.42％(5 427/64 436) to 0.40％ (50/12 372) and from 3.20％(3 587/11 976) to 0 (0/14 818) respectively; the infection rate of cattle decreased from 2.45％(91/3 712) to 0 (0/700),all the bovines were killed in 2013.The snail area decreased from 3 107.37 hm2 (1 hm2=10 000 m2) in 2007 to 2 775.09 hm2 in 2013,the infected snails were not found since 2012.Conclusion Through the implementation of comprehensive treatment of schistosomiasis with infectious source control projects,the schistosomiasis epidemic in Tongling City decreased significantly,and kept in low endemic situation. Key words: Schistosomiasis; Epidemic situation; Oncomelania hupensis; Tongling City
Nanomaterial-based therapeutics for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections

Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections arising from acquired resistance and/or through biofilm formation necessitate the development of innovative 'outside of the box' therapeutics. Nanomaterial-based therapies are promising tools to combat bacterial infections that are difficult to treat, featuring the capacity to evade existing mechanisms associated with acquired drug resistance. In addition, the unique size and physical properties of nanomaterials give them the capability to target biofilms, overcoming recalcitrant infections. In this Review, we highlight the general mechanisms by which nanomaterials can be used to target bacterial infections associated with acquired antibiotic resistance and biofilms. We emphasize design elements and properties of nanomaterials that can be engineered to enhance potency. Lastly, we present recent progress and remaining challenges for widespread clinical implementation of nanomaterials as antimicrobial therapeutics.
Formulating another’s report of troubles in peer support

This study stems from an interest in peer support talk, an underexplored area of research, and in how supportive actions such as formulated summaries function in comparison to more professional healthcare settings. Using conversation analysis, this study explores 35 instances of formulations within 65 calls to four different ‘warm lines’, a term for peer-to-peer telephone support within the community mental health system in the United States. Formulations can be characterized across two related axes: client versus professional perspective, and directive versus nondirective. The findings show that formulations within peer support were overwhelmingly nondirective, in terms of meeting institutional agendas to let callers talk. However, formulations ranged from client-oriented ones that highlight or repeat caller reports to those which transform caller reports through integrating past caller experiences or implicit caller emotions. These tactics are found to have similarities to how formulations function in professional healthcare settings.
A Versatile and Flexible Chiplet-based System Design for Heterogeneous Manycore Architectures

Heterogeneous manycore architectures are deployed to simultaneously run multiple and diverse applications. This requires various computing capabilities (CPUs, GPUs, and accelerators), and an efficient network-on-chip (NoC) architecture to concurrently handle diverse application communication behavior. However, supporting the concurrent communication requirements of diverse applications is challenging due to the dynamic application mapping, the complexity of handling distinct communication patterns and limited on-chip resources. In this paper, we propose Adapt-NoC, a versatile and flexible NoC architecture for chiplet-based manycore architectures, consisting of adaptable routers and links. Adapt-NoC can dynamically allocate disjoint regions of the NoC, called subNoCs, for concurrently-running applications, each of which can be optimized for different communication behavior. The adaptable routers and links are capable of providing various subNoC topologies, satisfying different latency and bandwidth requirements of various traffic patterns (e.g. all-to-all, one-to-many). Full system simulation shows that AdaptNoC can achieve 31% latency reduction, 24% energy saving and 10% execution time reduction on average, when compared to prior designs.
Taxonomic status of the Columbia duskysnail (Truncatelloidea, Amnicolidae, Colligyrus).

Undescribed freshwater snails (Amnicolidae: Colligyrus) from the Mount Hood region (northwestern United States) identified as a new species (commonly known as the Columbia duskysnail) in grey literature have been provided federal protection under the “survey and manage” provisions of the Northwest Forest Plan and have been placed on conservation watch lists. However, there are no published studies of the identity of these snails aside from a molecular phylogenetic analysis which delineated a close relationship between the single sampled population and Colligyrus greggi, which is distributed more than 750 km to the east of the Mount Hood area. Here we examine the taxonomic status of the Columbia duskysnail based on additional molecular sampling of mitochondrial DNA sequences (COI) and morphological evidence. We found that the Columbia duskysnail is not a monophyletic group and forms a strongly supported clade with Colligyrus greggi. The COI divergence between these broadly disjunct groups (2.1%) was somewhat larger than that within Colligyrus greggi (1.0%) but considerably less than that among the three currently recognized species of Colligyrus (8.7–12.1%). Additionally we found that the Columbia duskysnail and Colligyrus greggi cannot be consistently differentiated by previously reported diagnostic characters (size and shape of shell spire, pigmentation of body and penis) and are closely similar in other aspects of morphology. Based on these results we conclude that the Columbia duskysnail is conspecific with Colligyrus greggi.
The Social Learning Theory of Crime and Deviance

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of Akers’ social learning theory including its theoretical foundations and four central explanatory concepts of differential association, definitions, differential reinforcement, and imitation. Akers (Social learning and social structure: a general theory of crime and deviance. Northeastern University Press, Boston, 1998) has extended social learning theory to the macro-level, and thus we provide a look at the assumptions, concepts, and propositions of his social structure social learning model (SSSL). This discussion is followed by an examination of empirical research that has investigated the ability of social learning theory to account for variation in criminal and deviant behavior and a review of the evidence on the SSSL model pointing toward future directions for social learning and social structure. The chapter concludes with a look at the applications of social learning theory to programs and policies.
Molecular cloning and development analysis of a new glutamate receptor subunit isoform in cerebellum

The glutamate receptor gene GluR-4 is proposed to generate two spliced isoforms (Sommer et al., 1990). Screening a rat cerebellar cDNA library, we have now identified a third type of transcript derived from GluR-4 gene by differential RNA processing. This transcript encodes a protein with a “flop” module between transmembrane regions 3 and 4, but with a C-terminus segment of 36 amino acids different from the previously described GluR-4 flip/flop cDNAs. This subunit was therefore designated as GluR-4c flop. Transcripts synthesized in vitro from GluR- 4c cDNA form kainate/AMPA-activated channels when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The current-voltage relationship for kainate-evoked responses in oocytes injected with GluR-4c showed strong inward rectification. The different transcripts derived from the GluR-4 gene were studied on Northern blots hybridized with either a cDNA probe or oligonucleotides specific for the GluR-4 flip/flop and C-terminal domains. Three transcripts of 6.2, 4.2, and 3.0 kilobases (kb) derived from the GluR-4 gene were identified on Northern blots containing total RNA prepared from different brain regions, using a cDNA probe or an oligonucleotide corresponding to the N-terminal region common to all transcripts. These transcripts were much more abundant in the cerebellum than in other brain areas, and their levels increased during cerebellar development. The maximal increase was observed between postnatal days 1 and 20, an age corresponding to the division and maturation of granule neurons. The flip/flop and the C-terminal oligonucleotides hybridized to the two higher molecular weight transcripts but did not hybridize to the small RNA. Interestingly, using cerebellar cells that were cultured for up to 12 d, we observed that the three transcripts are present in granule neurons, but that astrocytes only express the 6.2 and the 4.2 kb transcripts. The 3.0 kb transcript accumulates in cerebellar granule cells during development in vitro. Furthermore, in situ hybridization histochemistry revealed that the GluR-4c transcripts are preferentially expressed in cerebellar granule cells and Bergmann glial cells, whereas the expression of GluR-4 flip mRNAs is restricted to Bergmann glial cells. Interestingly, we also show that granule cells already express GluR-4c in the premigratory zone of the external granular layer, indicating that intrinsic or highly localized cues induce GluR-4c expression before these cells reach their final position.
Multicompartment kinetic model for lead. III. Lead in blood plasma and erythrocytes.

Abstract Multicompartment models have been fitted to experimental data on plasma lead and blood lead concentrations of subjects studied by P. E. deSilva (Brit. J. Ind. Med. 38, 209–217, 1981) and one subject studied by W. I. Manton and C. R. Malloy (Brit. J. Ind. Med. 40, 51–57, 1983) . Nonlinear models for plasma lead vs blood lead in populations provide significantly better descriptions than does a linear model. Short-term kinetic data do not clearly resolve the precise nonlinear mechanism, however, Parameters of plasma and erythrocyte distribution in a single subject were significantly different on two occasions.
Patient Perceptions of Pre-Implementation of Personal Health Records (PHRs): A Qualitative Study of People Living With HIV in New York City

The purpose of this study was to describe patient perceptions of two different electronic personal health records for patients living with HIV/AIDS in New York City. Seven focus groups were conducted with a total of 54 patient participants. Focus group participants anticipated benefits including increased patient responsibility, health awareness, efficiency, security, and provider benefits (e.g., time savings). Concerns and barriers related to password recall, computer access, and computer literacy. Future research efforts are needed to further delineate the personal health records features and functions necessary to meet the complex health care, social service, and self-management needs of low-income populations of patients living with HIV/AIDS, design effective strategies to overcome barriers to personal health records use, and evaluate the impact of personal health records use on patient empowerment, shared decision making, and HIV-related patient outcomes.
Reducing Levels of Toxic Chemicals in Cigarette Smoke: A New Healthy People 2010 Objective

We developed and implemented a national surveillance system to monitor and reduce the levels of toxicchemicals in tobacco smoke. A developmental Healthy People 2010 (HP 2010) objective was revised to report on levels of three categories of chemicals--tobacco-specific nitrosamines, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds--in the smoke of leading U.S. cigarette brands. Unit-based sales-weighted average levels were calculated for each chemical category. The target for the new HP 2010 objective is a 10% reduction in unit-based sales-weighted average levels of each chemical category. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided the baseline, target data, and laboratory analyses. A national data source, national baseline data, and target were presented to the Healthy People Steering Committee during 2005 Midcourse Review. Approval of the revised objective initiated the surveillance of three major classes of toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke. The approved objective provides a feasible, innovative approach for monitoring and supporting measurable population-based reductions in levels of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals in tobacco smoke.
Tracking multiple chaotic systems from a single observed sequence

Sequences generated by by chaotic systems have been proposed as replacements for the traditional pseudo-noise sequences used in direct-sequence spread spectrum systems. Such systems often require that the receiver maintain synchronization by tracking the sequence generated by the transmitter. A method previously introduced to track the state of a chaotic system from an observed sequence is extended to track the states of multiple, independent chaotic systems, again based on a single observed sequence. One possible use of this scheme might be in a modified code-division multiplexing arrangement where the "codes" are actually the outputs of chaotic systems. >
Vitamin D vs broad spectrum phototherapy in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is prevalent when vitamin D stores are typically low. Broad-spectrum light therapy includes wavelengths between 280-320 nm which allow the skin to produce vitamin D. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency might play a role in SAD. A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted in a group of 15 subjects with SAD. Eight subjects received 100,000 I.U. of vitamin D and seven subjects received phototherapy. At the onset of treatment and after 1 month of therapy subjects were administered the Hamilton Depression scale, the SIGH-SAD, and the SAD-8 depression scale. All subjects also had serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH D) measured before and 1 week after intervention therapy. All subjects receiving vitamin D improved in all outcome measures. The phototherapy group showed no significant change in depression scale measures. Vitamin D status improved in both groups (74% vitamin D group, p < 0.005 and 36% phototherapy group, p < 0.01). Improvement in 25-OH D was significantly associated with improvement in depression scale scores (r2=0.26; p=0.05). Vitamin D may be an important treatment for SAD. Further studies will be necessary to confirm these findings.
Eosinophils in health and disease: The LIAR hypothesis

Discussions of eosinophils are often descriptions of end-stage effector cells with destructive capabilities mediated predominantly by released cytotoxic cationic granule proteins. Moreover, eosinophils in the medical literature are invariably associated with the pathologies linked with helminth infections or allergic diseases such as asthma. This has led to an almost fatalist view of eosinophil effector functions and associated therapeutic strategies targeting these cells that would make even William of Ockham proud - eosinophil effector functions have physiological consequences that increase patient morbidity/mortality and 'the only good eosinophils are dead eosinophils'. Unfortunately, the strengths of dogmas are also their greatest weaknesses. Namely, while the repetitive proclamation of dogmatic concepts by authoritative sources (i.e. reviews, meeting proceedings, textbooks, etc.) builds consensus within the medical community and lower the entropies surrounding difficult issues, they often ignore not easily explained details and place diminished importance on alternative hypotheses. The goal of this perspective is twofold: (i) we will review recent observations regarding eosinophils and their activities as well as reinterpret earlier data as part of the synthesis of a new paradigm. In this paradigm, we hypothesize that eosinophils accumulate at unique sites in response to cell turnover or in response to local stem cell activity(ies). We further suggest that this accumulation is part of one or more mechanisms regulating tissue homeostasis. Specifically, instead of immune cells exclusively mediating innate host defence, we suggest that accumulating tissue eosinophils are actually regulators of Local Immunity And/or Remodeling/Repair in both health and disease - the LIAR hypothesis; (ii) we want to be inflammatory (pun intended!) and challenge the currently common perspective of eosinophils as destructive end-stage effector cells. Our hope is to create more questions than we answer and provoke everyone to spend countless hours simply to prove us wrong!
Imaging the Sun's Eruptions in Three Dimensions

A better understanding of solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the Sun will require knowledge of the structural details of these events. Yet most solar imaging only provides two-dimensional information. In his Perspective, Raymond discusses results reported in the same issue by Moran and Davila, in which polarization of the light scattered by electrons in coronal mass ejections has been used to recover three-dimensional information. Combined with other imaging approaches, the reconstructed images should greatly improve the prediction of violent space weather and the understanding of the physical processes behind solar events.
The Impact of Intensive Insulin Protocols and Restrictive Blood Transfusion Strategies on Glucose Measurement in American Burn Association (ABA) Verified Burn Centers

The prevalence of intensive insulin and restrictive blood use protocols in burn centers is unknown, which may be problematic as the combined impact of these therapies is to concomitantly increase the prevalence of anemia and hypoglycemia in intensive care unit patients. Such a development is important because point-of-care (POC) glucometers report erroneously high values in the presence of low hematocrit (HCT), potentially masking the presence of hypoglycemia. We hypothesized that most American Burn Association (ABA) verified burn centers have adopted intensive insulin therapy while simultaneously restricting blood transfusions potentially increasing risk of hypoglycemia. All ABA verified burn centers (N = 44) were contacted. Clinical practices regarding intensive insulin therapy, restrictive transfusion practices, and the use of POC glucometers were evaluated. Intensive insulin protocols were implemented at 73% of ABA centers (defined as upper glucose target of < or = 120 mg/dl) and POC glucometers measurement was nearly universal; 95% of ABA centers use them routinely. Anemia is prevalent in intensive care units and may be increasing because of recent changes in practice. Defined hemoglobin and HCT levels trigger blood transfusion at 84% of centers, and of these, 51% restrict transfusion to hemoglobin < 7 g/dl or HCT < 22%. Most ABA centers now use intensive insulin protocols, many in combination with restrictive transfusion strategies. The combination of a higher prevalence of hypoglycemia in the presence of near universal anemia is concerning, particularly given the pervasiveness of glucometer use among burn centers.
Temporal binding as an inducer for connectionist recruitment learning over delayed lines

The temporal correlation hypothesis proposes using distributed synchrony for the binding of different stimulus features. However, synchronized spikes must travel over cortical circuits that have varying length pathways, leading to mismatched arrival times. This raises the question of how initial stimulus-dependent synchrony might be preserved at a destination binding site. Earlier, we proposed constraints on tolerance and segregation parameters for a phase-coding approach, within cortical circuits, to address this question [Proceedings of the International Joint Conference on Neural Networks, Washington, DC, 2001]. The purpose of the present paper is twofold. First, we conduct simulation experiments to test the proposed constraints. Second, we explore the practicality of temporal binding to drive a process of long-term memory formation based on a recruitment learning method [Biol. Cybernet. 46 (1982) 27].A network based on Valiant's neuroidal architecture [Circuits of the mind, 1994] is used to demonstrate the coalition between temporal binding and recruitment. Complementing similar approaches, we implement a continuous-time learning procedure allowing computation with spiking neurons. The viability of the proposed binding scheme is investigated by conducting simulation studies which examine binding errors. In the simulation, binding errors cause the perception of illusory conjunctions among features belonging to separate objects. Our results indicate that when tolerance and segregation parameters obey our proposed constraints, the assemblies of correct bindings are dominant over assemblies of spurious bindings in reasonable operating conditions.
Effect of Ad-Irrelevant Distance Cues on Persuasiveness of Message Framing

This research suggests that the relative persuasiveness of message framing depends on psychological distance induced by seemingly irrelevant cues in the ad environment. Positively (negatively) framed messages are more persuasive when the ad-irrelevant cues induce psychological remoteness (proximity). Across four studies and two different product categories, participants evaluated positively (negatively) framed messages more favorably when induced with social remoteness (proximity), spatial remoteness (proximity), and an abstract (concrete) construal. The findings contribute theoretically to the extant literature on message framing and offer actionable implications to ad managers for strategically designing ad environments to enhance the effectiveness of message framing.
Natural convection in enclosures containing an insulation with a permeable fluid-porous interface

Abstract A numerical study was performed to analyze steady-state natural convective heat transfer in rectangular enclosures vertically divided into a fluid-filled region and a fluid saturated porous region. The interface between the two regions was permeable, allowing the fluid to flow from one region to the other. The vertical boundaries of the enclosures were isothermal and the horizontal boundaries were adiabatic. The flow in the porous region was modeled using the Brinkman-extended Darcy's law to account for no-slip at the walls and the interface. Numerical experiments were performed for different enclosure aspect ratios, Rayleigh numbers, Darcy numbers, thermal conductivity ratios and thicknesses of the porous region. The effects of the governing parameters on heat transfer were established. It was found that, when compared to the case where the fluid and porous regions were separated by an impermeable partition, heat transfer across the enclosure was higher. Also, for certain values of the governing parameters, heat transfer across the enclosure could be minimized by filling the enclosure partially with a porous material instead of filling it entirely.
Calorimetric Study of the Diastereomeric Interactions of Enantiomeric Iso-octyl-benzoyloxybenzoate Solutes with a Chiral Liquid Crystal

Abstract Precision differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analysis of the effect of doping cholesteryl nonanoate with the enantiomers of 4-(4-n-hexyloxybenzoyloxy)-isooctyl benzoate (R811 and S811) has been performed. Depressions of the enthalpies of both phase transitions, from crystalline to cholesteric and from cholesteric to isotropic phases, were found to be ∼ 1.5 times greater for the samples of cholesteryl nonanoate doped with left-handed S811. Depressions of the temperatures of phase transitions are also more pronounced in the case of S811. Thus, the left-handed enantiomer S811 affects the molecular packing of cholesteryl nonanoate much more strongly than its right-handed counterpart R811. Remarkably, the difference between the enthalpy of melting of samples containing only 1 wt% of either enantiomer reaches ∼ 20% of the enthalpy of fusion of pure cholesteryl nonanoate, indicating strong diastereomeric discrimination in the system. This calorimetric manifestation of diastereomer discrimination o...
Adiabatic decompression of aqueous solutions: Applications to hydrothermal fluid migration in the crust

Adiabatic decompression may result in the heating of geologic aqueous fluids on the order of tens of degrees Celsius. Adiabatic expansion may be either reversible, in which case geologically important fluids cool on decompression, or irreversible. If the irreversible adiabatic expansion involves a significant pressure loss due to internal work generation (and kinetic and gravitational effects can be ignored) and the Joule-Thompson coefficient is large and negative, fluids heat up upon decompression. The Joule-Thompson coefficient becomes increasingly negative (i.e., the heating effect dominates) at high pressures, low temperatures, high m NaCl , and high X CO 2 . We predict that high concentrations of divalent and trivalent ions in solution will also increase the magnitude of the heating effect.
Droplet growth in binary liquid systems

Experimental measurements of the growth of liquid drops suspended in three different, supersaturated, binary liquid mixtures were made with cinephotomicrography. Diameters up to 5μ were reached in from 5 to 500 sec. Results for acetone drops and for isoamyl alcohol drops growing in glycerol solutions agree within 20 and 40% of the theoretical expression of Scriven with mass diffusivities estimated from the Wilke-Chang correlation. For glycerol drops in acetone, free convection was evident, and the experimental growth rates were lower than predicted by a factor of 5. Scriven's equation seems to be substantiated. Therefore, drop-growth measurements is a new method for obtaining liquid-liquid diffusivities, limited however to systems with negligible free convection.
Ciliogenesis in sea urchin embryos – a subroutine in the program of development

One major milestone in the development of the sea urchin embryo is the assembly of a single cilium on each blastomere just before hatching. These cilia are constructed both from pre-existing protein building blocks, such as tubulin and dynein, and from a number of 9 + 2 architectural elements that are synthesized de novo at ciliogenesis. The finite or quantal synthesis of certain key architectural proteins is coincident with ciliary elongation and proportional to ciliary length. Upon deciliation, the synthesis of architectural proteins occurs anew, a new cilium grows, and the stores of various building blocks are replenished. This routine of coordinated ciliary gene expression may be replayed experimentally many times without delaying normal development. The ability to regenerate cilia has allowed elucidation of these various protein synthetic relationships and has led to the discovery of the pathways by which membrane-associated tubulin and axoneme-associated architectural proteins are conveyed into the highly compartmentalized growing cilium. The sea urchin embryo thus provides a very convenient model system for studies of ciliary assembly and maintenance, coordinate gene expression and membrane dynamics.
Ammonia Regulation of Carbon Metabolism in Photosynthesizing Leaf Discs

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., var. El Unico) leaf discs, floating on buffer containing NH4Cl and photosynthesizing with 14CO2, produced more labeled amino acid and less sucrose than did control discs (no added NH4Cl). The level of pyruvate increased and that of phosphoenolpyruvate decreased. These and other changes in levels of labeled compounds led us to conclude that pyruvate kinase was activated by ammonia, resulting in increased transfer of photosynthetically incorporated carbon to synthesis of amino acid skeletons at the expense of sucrose synthesis. Carbon flow through enzymes catalyzing the anaplerotic reactions was apparently stimulated.
The geochemistry of the stable isotopes of chlorine

Abstract A procedure for measuring small differences in ClCl37-Cl35 ratios was developed. It was tested by measuring the chlorine isotope fractionation in the following isotopic exchange reactions: (a) ammonium chloride, hydrogen chloride; (b) solid sodium chloride, aqueous chloride ion; (c) chlorine, hydrogen chloride; (d) aqueous hexachloroplatinate (IV), chloride ion. The Cl37-Cl35 ratio in eighty-one samples of natural occurrence was investigated. No significant variations in the ratio was observed. The results are discussed in terms of the geochemical cycle of chlorine.
Number of Pregnancies and Risk for Stroke and Stroke Subtypes

Objective: To examine the effect of the number of pregnancies on the subsequent risk for stroke and stroke subtypes. Design: Prospective cohort study. Participants: National cohort of 3852 women aged 45 to 74 years who participated in the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiology Follow-up Study. Main Outcome Measures: Stroke, cerebral infarction, and intracerebral hemorrhage during a 20-year follow-up period. Results: After adjusting for differences in age, women with 6 or more pregnancies were at an increased risk for any type of stroke (relative risk [RR]=1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-2.3) and cerebral infarction (RR=1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.3). Adjustment for stroke risk factors explained some but not all of the risk associated with pregnancy (RR=1.3; 95% CI, 0.9-1.9 for all stroke, and RR=1.3; 95% CI, 0.9-1.9 for cerebral infarction). The rate of intracerebral hemorrhage was 3-fold higher among women who had been pregnant when compared with nulligravida women; however, this finding did not reach statistical significance possibly because of the small number of intracerebral hemorrhages (n=33). Conclusion: The number of pregnancies may influence the risk for stroke, particularly cerebral infarction, in women.
A Bex-cycle built for two.

Neurotrophins promote neuronal survival, but it has been recognized that they also stimulate differentiation. Indeed, in early studies by Hamburger, Levi‐Montelcini and Cohen, nerve growth factor (NGF) not only promoted survival, but also caused marked neurite outgrowth when added to explants of sensory ganglia (Cohen et al , 1954). The ability of NGF to promote differentiation was particularly well illustrated when Greene & Tischler (1976) showed that a pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12) treated with NGF exited the cell cycle and differentiated into a sympathetic neuron‐like phenotype. Since then, it has been established that the survival and differentiation effects of the neurotrophins are primarily mediated by binding to members of the Trk family of tyrosine kinase receptors (Huang & Reichardt, 2003); however, the first receptor identified for NGF was a 75‐kDa protein referred to as p75 (Chao et al , 1986; Radeke et al , 1987). In the past few years, the p75 receptor has received a lot of attention because of its multifunctional signalling ability. This receptor can promote cell survival or induce apoptosis, regulate neurite outgrowth and promote peripheral myelination, depending on the specific cellular context, the expression of co‐receptors and the activating ligand (Barker, 2004). The role of p75 in promoting differentiation and cell‐cycle arrest has been largely overlooked in recent years, even though this was one of the first cellular responses to be shown to result from the binding of NGF to the receptor. Long considered to be simply a co‐receptor for the Trks, p75 came to be recognized as a bona fide signalling molecule when it was shown to activate sphingomyelinase. This resulted in the production of ceramide, which led to the differentiation of T9 glioma cells as indicated by their cell‐cycle arrest and process outgrowth (Dobrowsky et al , 1994). Although the focus of most subsequent research …
Growth Hormone and Pit-1 expression in bovine fetal lymphoid cells

Bovine fetal lymphoid cells were examined for growth hormone (GH) and the transcription factor Pit-1/GHF-1 mRNA. GH and Pit-1/GHF-1 transcripts were detected in thymocytes and splenocytes from fetuses at 60, 90, 120, and 270 d of gestation using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Northern analysis indicated that the lymphoid GH mRNA was approximately 350 nucleotides larger than in the pituitary. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the coding regions as well as 3' untranslated region of the lymphocyte GH and pituitary transcripts were the same. Analysis of the 5'-untranslated region of the lymphocyte GH mRNA showed that transcription began upstream from the start site in the pituitary gland, suggesting differences in regulation in these tissues. Fetal thymocytes and splenocytes expressed Pit-1/GHF-1 mRNA; however, they contained only the 2.5-kb transcript. The GH and Pit-1/GHF-1 mRNA in fetal lymphoid cells supports the hypothesis that lymphocyte-derived GH may function as an autocrine and/or paracrine factor during the development and maturation of the bovine fetal immune system.
Balancing the budget with implicit domestic default: The case of Brazil in the 1980s

Abstract This paper examines the breakdown of the Brazilian government's budget-balance mechanism, which began in the mid-1980s. The Brazilian government became unable to balance its budget through tax increases or expenditure decreases. Evidence presented in this paper suggests that the government began to rely on unannounced reductions in the indexed inflation compensation on its debt. These reductions can be thought of as an implicit default on domestically held debt. While the “temporary asset freeze” of the March 1990 Collor plan was a highly publicized instance of such a default, it was not the first.
Formal test specifications in IEEE POSIX

The role of formal methods is examined in the context of the process of developing and adopting open standards. Against the broad backdrop of concerns for improving the quality of standards, issues of conformance assessment, test specification, and test methodology guidelines are considered. The experience gained from the attempts to formalize the test specifications for POSIX 2003.5 is presented as lessons learned. The tradeoffs associated with the various formal methods are considered in terms of the properties of common semantic model for assertions languages. The intent here is to collect the common features in a form that provides insights on issues such as encapsulation and inheritance of specifications, inter-operation semantics, state and control structures for assertions, and name space management conventions.
The Effect of Temperature on Dislocation Structures in Ni3Al

The deformation structures present in polycrystalline Ni3Al after tensile testing at temperatures from 77 to 1023 K are examined using transmission electron microscopy. Dislocations are present as APB-pairs. In addition, at low temperatures S–ISF pairs are common, usually in the form of truncated elongated loops. A transition from {111} to {100} slip around the temperature of the peak yield stress is found, in agreement with the observations of earlier workers on other Ll2 alloys. Dislocations are usually straight at low strains but can be bowed at higher strains. At high temperatures rows of perfect loops are common and dynamic recrystallization occurs. Mit Hilfe der Elektronenmikroskopie werden die Verformungsstrukturen untersucht, die in polykristallinem Ni3Al im Temperaturbereich von 77 bis 1023 K vorhanden sind. Verlagerungen sind als APB-Paare vorhanden. Zusatzlich treten haufig bei niedrigen Temperaturen S–ISF-Paare auf, gewohnlich in der Form von abgeflachten langlichen Schleifen. Im Bereich der Temperatur der maximalen Elastizitatsspannung wird ein Ubergang von der {111}- auf {100}-Gleitung gefunden; dies stimmt mit den Beobachtungen anderer Autoren an Ll2 Legierungen uberein. Die Verlagerungen sind gewohnlich unter niedrigen Spannungen gerade ausgerichtet, konnen aber bei hoheren Belastungen gebogen oder gekrummt sein. Bei hoheren Temperaturen sind Reihen von perfekten Schleifen haufig und eine dynamische Rekristallisation tritt auf.
Visual loss "at stool".

Abstract A 25-year-old white man presented with a history of loss of consciousness and visual loss associated with a Valsalva maneuver. Examination revealed a visual acuity “no light perception” in his right eye with a flat visual evoked potential. The patient was subsequently found to have a giant aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery which was treated by direct clipping via a transfrontal craniotomy. The patient slowly recovered good visual function in his right eye.
Relaxation nuclear magnetic resonance imaging investigation of heterogeneous aging in a hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene-based elastomer

Relaxation nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (R-NMRI) was employed to investigate the effects of thermooxidative aging in a hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB)-based elastomer. A series of three-dimensional (3D) Hahn-echo-weighted single-point images (SPI) of the elastomer were utilized to generate a 3D parameter map of the aged material. NMR spin−spin relaxation times (T2) were measured for each voxel producing a 3D NMR parameter (T2) map of the aged polymer. These T2 maps reveal a dramatic reduction of local polymer mobility near the aging surface with the degree of T2 heterogeneity varying as a function of aging. Using correlations between NMR T2 and material modulus, the impact of this heterogeneous thermooxidative aging on the material properties is discussed.
Towards a Science of Motivated Learning in Technology-Supported Environments.

This commentary reviews seven papers that study motivation with new media, contained in this special issue of Educational Technology Research & Development edited by Ruth Small. For each paper, this commentary summarizes exemplary contributions, offers an assessment of what is exciting, and suggests directions for future research. Some exciting contributions include using new media in an attempt to promote motivation such as game-making, collaborative wiki construction, and interaction with onscreen agents. Some important challenges for future research on motivation with new media are to develop testable theories and to collect evidence based on rigorous methodologies including evidence concerning the relation between motivation and learning outcomes
Positive Perceptions of Hurtful Communication: The Packaging Matters

This project examined two message-specific features—message content and message form—to gain a better understanding of the factors that may facilitate positive perceptions of hurt-evoking comments. Hurtful statements negatively characterizing individuals were viewed as more supportive than hurt-evoking messages that impugned their intelligence or abilities. Similarly, hurtful comments revealing new information or focusing on people's value as relational partners were seen as displaying more sensitivity than messages that dealt with their abilities and intelligence. People evaluated hurtful messages in the form of advice to be more supportive than directives. Overall, these findings reinforce the important role of language in shaping people's perceptions of emotion-eliciting communication.
Integrating Theory With Practice: An Alternative Approach to Reported Speech in English

Standard characterizations of reported speech in English grammars and ESL textbooks are shown to be incomplete. A more explicit description is proposed emphasizing (a) a clear differentiation between direct and indirect speech using prosodic, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic criteria; (b) the role of deixis in explaining the internal syntactic adjustments in indirect speech; and (c) the importance of semantic concerns. A checklist based on this more complete analysis of English reported speech is provided for evaluating the presentation of English reported speech, as well as a short critique of the coverage of English reported speech in six current ESL textbooks. Finally, a more explicit characterization of English reported speech-intended for the ESL classroom-is presented.
High reliability and implications for nursing leaders

Aim To review high reliability theory and discuss its implications for the nursing leader. Background A high reliability organization (HRO) is considered that which has measurable near perfect performance for quality and safety. Evaluation The author has reviewed the literature, discussed research findings that contribute to improving reliability in health care organizations, and makes five recommendations for how nursing leaders can create high reliability organizations. Key issues Health care is not a safe industry and unintended patient harm occurs at epidemic levels. Health care can learn from high reliability theory and practice developed in other high-risk industries. Conclusions Viewed by HRO standards, unintended patient injury in health care is excessively high and quality is distressingly low. HRO theory and practice can be successfully applied in health care using advanced interdisciplinary teamwork training and deliberate process design techniques. Implications for nursing management Nursing has a primary leadership function for ensuring patient safety and achieving high quality in health care organizations. Learning HRO theory and methods for achieving high reliability is a foremost opportunity for nursing leaders.
What is it like to be Oscar

“Oscar” is going to be the first artificial person — at any rate, he is going to be the first artificial person to be built in Tucson's Philosophy Department. Oscar's creator, John Pollock, maintains that once Oscar is complete he “will experience qualia, will be self-conscious, will have desires, fears, intentions, and a full range of mental states” (Pollock 1989, pp. ix–x). In this paper I focus on what seems to me to be the most problematical of these claims, viz., that Oscar will experience qualia. I argue that we have not been given sufficient reasons to believe this bold claim. I doubt that Oscar will enjoy qualitative conscious phenomena and I maintain that it will be like nothing to be Oscar.
Formant Frequency Fluctuation as an Index of Motor Steadiness in the Vocal Tract

Involuntary movement of the articulatory structures can interfere with the accurate placement of the articulators during consonant production and may also result in distortion of vowel quality. An acoustic method was used to assess motor steadiness in the vocal tract musculature superior to the glottis during vowel production by five subjects with abnormal involuntary orofacial movements associated with tardive dyskinesia and 10 normal subjects. A linear predictive coding technique of spectral analysis yielded formant frequencies from the sustained productions of /a/. Based on the premise that changes in vocal tract configuration can be measured as changes in formant frequency, the sequential segment-to-segment fluctuations of the second formant frequency of these vowel samples were computed and used as an index of motor steadiness. Results showed that formant frequency fluctuation measures for four of the five tardive dyskinetic patients were substantially larger than those of the normal subjects, indicating a reduction of motor steadiness in these four subjects. Factors influencing the validity of this procedure and implications for its use are discussed.
Severe alcohol intoxication: a study of 204 consecutive patients.

We report a five month retrospective analysis of 204 consecutive patients seen in an adult medical emergency department with blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) in excess of 400 mg/dl. The average BAC was 467 mg/dl with a range of 400-719 mg/dl. In 153 patients (75%) the BAC was 400-500 mg/dl, in 47 patients (23%) the BAC was 500-600 mg/dl and in 4 patients (2%) the BAC was greater than 600 mg/dl. Eighty-eight percent of the patients were oriented to person, place, and time upon questioning, 12% were disoriented or unresponsive to noxious stimuli. None of the four patients whose BAC was greater than 600 mg/dl were initially alert and oriented and only eight of the unresponsive patients had a BAC below 500 mg/dl (p less than .001). Sixteen patients (8%) were admitted. Three of the admissions were for continued unresponsiveness presumed due to ethanol, the other thirteen were for coexistent medical conditions. There were no significant associations between BAC and vital sign abnormalities.
mRNA for the m4 muscarinic receptor subtype is expressed in adult rat brain cholinergic neurons

A number of pharmacological, anatomical, and immunological studies have previously addressed the subtype identity of the hippocampal muscarinic pre-synaptic autoreceptor. A preponderance of findings indicate that it is of the M2 pharmacological type. Both the m2 and m4 molecular subtypes exhibit M2 pharmacology and there are few drugs that differentiate between these receptors. Pharmacological attempts at defining the hippocampal autoreceptor have yielded conflicting results. The basal forebrain is relatively enriched in m2 muscarinic receptor mRNA and protein, and lesions that denervate the hippocampus of its basal forebrain cholinergic input have shown a decrement in m2, but not m4, receptor protein in the hippocampus. Thus, the anatomical data obtained to date tend to support the view that the m2 subtype is expressed as the hippocampal autoreceptor. We have combined in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH) with immunocytochemistry to choline acetyltransferase to examine whether mRNA for the m4 subtype of muscarinic receptor is expressed in central cholinergic neurons. The m4 muscarinic mRNA was found at moderate levels in all subdivisions of the cholinergic basal forebrain, including the medial septum/diagonal band complex (MS/DB). The m4 mRNA was also found in striatal cholinergic interneurons, in the cholinergic reticular core of the upper brainstem, and in brainstem cholinergic motor neurons. Muscarinic m4 receptor mRNA was also found in many non-cholinergic cells in the brain. For example, the hippocampal pyramidal neurons, dentate gyrus granule cells, and entorhinal cortical pyramidal neurons express relatively high levels of m4 mRNA, while in the brainstem the dorsal raphe and pontine reticular nuclei express relatively high levels of this mRNA. The finding of m4 mRNA in the MS/DB cholinergic neurons suggests that this receptor protein might be expressed as an autoreceptor in hippocampal cholinergic terminals.
Studying cellulose fiber structure by SEM, XRD, NMR and acid hydrolysis

Abstract Cotton linters were partially hydrolyzed in dilute acid and the morphology of remaining macrofibrils was studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) under various magnifications. The crystalline region in cellulose is composed of microfibril bundles instead of separated microfibrils. These microfibril bundles in the macrofibrils were exposed by removing amorphous cellulose on and near the surface of the macrofibers. XRD suggests that the microfibril bundles have diameters of 20–30 nm. Cellulose apparent crystallinity was not altered by hydrolysis, as indicated by XRD and NMR results. These facts suggest that amorphous cellulose in the bulk (not on the surface) is not accessible to hydrolysis and that microfibril bundles are hydrolyzed through a surface reaction process. The observed agglomerization of macrofibers could be the result of the high surface potential from the remaining microfibrils or acid catalyzed intermolecular surface dehydration between macrofibrils.
Inconsistent Response to Rapid Atrial Rhythms in a DDD Pacemaker with the Fallback Feature

Dual chamber pacing may be problematic in patients with paroxysmal atrial arrhythmias. The fallback feature has been incorporated into some devices to avoid tracking of rapid atrial rhythms. A case is reported in which the initiation of fallback was inconsistent during paroxysms of atrial flutter. Evaluation of the ventricular output of an isolated device in response to various applied atrial rates revealed that fallback occurred consistently only when 2xTARP (ms) < or = URL (ms).