cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Self-Assembled Rhombohedral DNA Crystal Scaffold with Tunable Cavity Sizes and High-Resolution Structural Detail

DNA is an ideal molecule for the construction of 3D crystals with tunable properties owing to its high programmability based on canonical Watson-Crick base pairing, with crystal assembly in all three dimensions facilitated by immobile Holliday junctions and sticky end cohesion. Despite the promise of these systems, only a handful of unique crystal scaffolds have been reported. Herein, we describe a new crystal system with a repeating sequence that mediates the assembly of a 3D scaffold via a series of Holliday junctions linked together with complementary sticky ends. By using an optimized junction sequence, we could determine a high-resolution (2.7 A) structure containing R3 crystal symmetry, with a slight subsequent improvement (2.6 A) using a modified sticky-end sequence. The immobile Holliday junction sequence allowed us to produce crystals that provided unprecedented atomic detail. In addition, we expanded the crystal cavities by 50 % by adding an additional helical turn between junctions, and we solved the structure to 4.5 A resolution by molecular replacement.
Abstract 4155: ARID1A loss leads to chemotherapy resistance and is associated with a poor clinic outcome for patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose: ARID1A (AT-rich interactive domain 1A) is a member of the switch/sucrose nonfermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex, and plays important roles in the regulation of gene transcription and DNA damage responses. ARID1A mutations occur frequently in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the functions of ARID1A loss in the initiation, progression and maintenance of NSCLC remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the clinical, pathological, and functional significance of ARID1A in NSCLC. Experimental design: We first analyzed the prognostic value of ARID1A using a gene-expression microarray from the Director9s Challenge Lung Study. Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank tests were used to estimate the correlation between ARID1A expression and overall survival (OS). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to investigate the relationship between ARID1A and other clinical covariates. We further established stable ARID1A knockdown H1299 and H358 cell lines, and ARID1A exogenously expressing H460 and A549 cell lines. We performed functional assays to study the effects of ARID1A on proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle progression, sensitivity to chemotherapy, and in vivo tumor growth. Results: In the Director9s Challenge Study, decreased expression of ARID1A was associated with lymph node dissemination, higher T-stage (T3/T4), and worse survival compared with high expression in patients in the whole group (n=440) and subgroup who received surgery alone and no adjuvant therapy (n=328). ARID1A ablation by shRNA suppressed cell proliferation, promoted cell mobility, increased G2/M phase cell cycle distribution, and protected NSCLC cells from chemotherapy; whereas overexpression of ARID1A showed the opposite biological effects. Consistent with in vitro findings, in vivo tumor xenografts demonstrated ARID1A depletion led to reductions in cell growth but resistance of NSCLC to chemotherapy. Conclusions: Our results suggest that loss of ARID1A suppresses NSCLC cell growth perhaps by inducing G2/M arrest, but promotes cell migration/invasion, and protect cells from chemotherapy. Further study of ARID1A is needed to better define its roles in the initiation and progression of NSCLC and response to chemotherapy. Citation Format: Linlin Yang, Changxian Shen, Xiaokui Mo, Terence M. Williams. ARID1A loss leads to chemotherapy resistance and is associated with a poor clinic outcome for patients with non-small cell lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4155.
Organized Variations in MBL Cloud Microphysical Properties Observed by Aircraft and Satellite and Simulated by Model

Abstract. Marine boundary layer (MBL) clouds in subtropical regions strongly impact global energy balance, but complete understanding of the processes that control their microphysical properties remain elusive. We analyze aircraft in-situ measurements of MBL clouds for two selected cases from the ACE-ENA field campaign that contain mesoscale convective cells (MCCs) on the order of tens of kilometers embedded in the large-scale overcast cloud field. The aircraft flight tracks aligned with the MCC organization, such that vertically-stacked, horizontal flight legs alternated between sampling clouds along organized MCCs and sampling clouds between MCCs. This alignment is well-suited to study the distinctly different microphysical properties for the two cloud regimes. Clouds within organized MCCs had lower droplet concentrations, but larger droplet sizes and liquid water contents with enhanced drizzle relative to clouds between MCCs. While observed aerosol properties below these two cloud regimes are generally consistent with their corresponding cloud microphysical properties, preexisting organization of the aerosol field was probably not required in the development of the MCC organization. In contrast, the lower aerosol and CCN concentrations observed below the MCC cloud layer most likely developed from precipitation and coalescence scavenging. A cloud-resolving WRF model simulation with realistic large-scale forcing reproduces the MCC organization of the cloud field suggesting that updraft velocity is the key to explain the differences in cloud microphysics. Both observations and model simulations indicate that under moderate-heavy drizzling conditions, precipitation and coalescence scavenging dominates and drives spatial gradients of cloud droplets, aerosols and CCN concentrations rather than local sources.
Risk Stratification of Patients With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Intact Atrial Septum Using Fetal MRI and Echocardiography

Purpose Despite continued improvements in survival for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), for the 5-10% of patients with an intact or restrictive atrial septum (HLHS/IAS), morbidity and mortality remain high. The purpose of this retrospective study is to add our center';s experience with diagnostic and management strategies for patients with HLH/IAS and to describe our experience with fetal pulmonary vein Doppler (PVD) flow patterns and fetal MRIs as predictors for morbidity and mortality. Methods Infants born with HLHS between January 1, 2009 and October …
Teacher Preparation in Communication Instruction for Students With Extensive Support Needs

In this investigation, we surveyed 51 faculty members who were involved in teacher preparation programs in the area of extensive support needs (ESN) across a range of institutions of higher educati...
Novel composite hydrogels containing fractionated, purified lignins for aqueous-based separations

Herein, a series of novel, lignin-based hydrogel composites was fabricated by incorporating ultraclean lignins (UCLs), of controlled molecular weight and low dispersity, into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The UCLs were obtained from a novel liquid–liquid fractionation of high dispersity crude bulk lignins (CBLs) obtained from Kraft black liquor. A complementary series of composite hydrogels was fabricated using these CBLs. Both the CBLs and UCLs were functionalized with vinyl-containing acrylate groups allowing the lignins to chemically crosslink with themselves, forming an interpenetrated network with the thermally-crosslinked network of PVA chains. Successful functionalization of the UCLs was demonstrated by proton and phosphorous nuclear magnetic resonance. PVA–lignin hydrogels containing 20 wt% UCL saw a reduction in methylene blue (MB) permeability by approximately two orders of magnitude when compared to neat PVA. Further, for composite hydrogels containing either 50 wt% UCL or CBL, no MB was detected in the receiving reservoir over the duration of the permeation experiment. In general, an increase in Young's moduli was observed in PVA–lignin hydrogels containing CBLs, where hydrogels composed of 50 wt% CBLs exhibited ∼40% increase when compared to neat PVA. In contrast, a ∼10% reduction in Young's moduli was observed for composite hydrogels containing 20 wt% UCLs or less, though these membranes exhibited the lowest MB permeabilities of all membranes investigated. However, the largest increase in membrane stiffness was observed for composite hydrogels containing 50 wt% UCLs, where a ∼70% increase in Young's modulus was observed. Finally, the concentration and functionalization of the lignins was seen to have a direct impact on the network structure of the soft composites, where in general, the molecular weight between crosslinks is seen to decrease with increasing lignin concentration.
Aperiodic bandgap structures for enhanced quantum two-photon sources

In this paper, we propose a novel approach to enhance the efficiency of the two-photon spontaneous emission process that is driven by the multifractal optical mode density of photonic structures based on the aperiodic distributions of Eisenstein and Gaussian primes. In particular, using the accurate Mie–Lorenz multipolar theory in combination with multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis, we compute the local density of states of periodic and aperiodic systems and demonstrate the formation of complete bandgaps with distinctive fractal scaling behavior for scattering arrays of dielectric nanocylinders. Moreover, we systematically study the Purcell enhancement and the most localized optical mode resonances in these novel aperiodic photonic systems and compute their two-photon spontaneous emission rates based on the general Green’s tensor approach. Our results demonstrate that excitation of the highly resonant critical states of Eisenstein and Gaussian photonic arrays across broadband multifractal spectra gives rise to significantly enhanced emission rates compared to what is possible at the band edges of periodic structures with comparable size. Besides defining a novel approach for enhanced quantum two-photon sources on the chip, the engineering of aperiodic bandgap structures with multifractal mode density may provide access to novel electromagnetic resonant phenomena in a multi-scale-invariant vacuum for quantum nanophotonics applications.
Characterization of the structural transition in Na0.75CoO2

In the Nax CoO2 chemical system, a two-phase region is found at ambient temperature near x = 0.75. The manner in which that two-phase region is formed on cooling from a uniform single phase at temperatures above 340 K is reported here. The driving force that induces the phase separation appears to be a difference in Na composition of the two phases, which, though small, is accompanied by substantial differences in the unit cell parameters. Hysteretic behaviour in the transition is observed. One of the phases exhibits negative thermal expansion in the narrow temperature region where the phases are in the process of separating.
Hobbes's Law of Nature and International Conflict

Hobbes tells us that the law of nature is the law of nations. This is sometimes taken for the claim that there is no law of nations, that the international arena is an anomic war of all against all. But that badly misunderstands Hobbes’s account of the laws of nature. These laws are a set of moral norms discovered by reason that can bind even in the absence of any policing authority or set of social conventions.
Location of Sulfate-binding Protein in Salmonella typhimurium

A method is described for location of proteins in bacteria. It depends upon two techniques. One technique is the inactivation of the protein by a reagent which is incapable of penetrating the bacterial membrane (permeability barrier). Proteins inside this membrane cannot be inactivated unless the cells are disrupted; proteins on or outside the membrane can be inactivated. The second technique depends upon inactivation of the protein by specific antibody. Antibody should not penetrate the external bacterial wall, and therefore should only inactivate proteins that are on the wall surface. Thus, proteins can be localized inside the membrane, in the wall-membrane area, or outside the wall. One reagent developed for use with the first technique is diazo-7-amino-1,3-naphthalene-disulfonate. It inactivated β-galactoside transport, but not β-galactosidase of intact Escherichia coli. Similarly, it inactivated sulfate binding and transport but not uridine phosphorylase activity of Salmonella typhimurium. This indicates that the sulfate-binding protein is on or outside the cell membrane, and that uridine phosphorylase is inside the cell. The organic mercurial compounds used also showed that the sensitive parts of the sulfate and α-methylglucoside transport systems are less reactive than the sensitive part of the β-galactoside system. Antibody to the sulfate-binding protein inactivated the purified protein but did not inactivate this protein when intact bacteria were employed. Thus, it appears that the sulfate-binding protein does not protrude outside the cell wall. The conclusion that the binding protein is located in the wall-membrane region is supported by its release upon spheroplast formation or osmotic shock, and also by its ability to combine with sulfate in bacteria which cannot transport sulfate into the cell.
Sisterhood across different races and ethnicities

This article argues that sisterhood among women characters from different races and ethnicities is possible and can help women characters fight against victimization and struggle for empowerment. To illustrate this idea Toni Morrison’s novel A mercy is analyzed and discussed.
Nature and Subject of Biophysics

The subjects of biophysics are the physical principles underlying all processes of living systems. This also includes the explanation of interactions of various physical influences on physiological functions, which is a special sub-area, called environmental biophysics.
Evaluating the diffusive equilibrium models: Comparison with the IMAGE RPI field‐aligned electron density measurements

The diffusive equilibrium models that are widely used by the space physics community to describe the plasma densities in the plasmasphere are evaluated with field-aligned electron density measurements from the radio plasma imager (RPI) instrument onboard the IMAGE satellite. The original mathematical form of the diffusive equilibrium model was based on the hydrostatic equilibrium along the magnetic field line with the centrifugal force and the field-aligned electrostatic force as well as a large number of simplifying approximations. Six free parameters in the mathematical form have been conventionally determined from observations. We evaluate four sets of the parameters that have been reported in the literature. The evaluation is made according to the equatorial radial distance dependence, latitudinal dependence at a given radial distance, and the combined radial and latitudinal dependences. We find that the mathematical form given in the diffusive equilibrium model is intrinsically incompatible with the measurements unless another large number of free parameters are artificially introduced, which essentially changes the nature of a theoretical model to an empirical model.
Developing a multimedia courseware in structural engineering

Summary form only given. A project is underway to develop a courseware for a typical first course in structural steel design in civil or architectural engineering programs. The software, called Steel Design Educational Module (SteelDEM), is an intelligent tutor and teaching aid that utilizes the state-of-the-art in multimedia to enhance teaching/learning of design and development of steel structures. The module integrates full motion video, computer graphics, animations, text, and audio to allow users to investigate different structural steel members and their behavior, limit states, and design. An on line data base of structural steel shapes as well as the latest engineering design specifications and aids from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Manual of Steel Construction are available to users at all times. The software will help better prepare students for their professional careers through coverage of "real world" situations not typically covered in the classroom. All screens in SteelDEM have a series of buttons which give users access to a number of features. They include; Menu, Index, AISC Manual, Glossary, Notebook, Bookmarks, Calculator, and Help. Each screen will also display the screen number within each chapter and user's score on exercises and questions. The course instructor can use existing problems at the end of each chapter or enter his/her own problems and allow students to print those problems. SteelDEM is a Windows based application which may be used on single or networked computers. It may also be viewed over the World Wide Web through a web browser.
EFFECTS OF SALINITY ACCLIMATION ON THE ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION AND ACUTE TOXICITY OF BIFENTHRIN IN FRESHWATER AND EURYHALINE STRAINS OF ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS

The pyrethroid insecticide bifenthrin is frequently detected at ng/L concentrations in tributaries of the San Francisco Bay Delta. The estuary is also experiencing increasing salinity through climate change and water redirection. To evaluate the impacts of hypersaline conditions on bifenthrin toxicity in anadromous salmonids of the San Francisco Bay Delta (CA, USA), a 14-d laboratory exposure was performed using 2 strains of Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout and steelhead) acclimated to freshwater and to 8 g/L and 17 g/L salinity. The fish were then exposed to nominal concentrations of 0 µg/L, 0.1 µg/L, and 1.5 µg/L bifenthrin. Rainbow trout exhibited significant mortality following exposure to 1.5 µg/L (1.07 ± 0.35 µg/L measured) bifenthrin in freshwater. Elevated levels of Na+/K+ adenosine triphosphatase α1A mRNA subunit expression was observed in the gill of rainbow trout acclimated to hypersaline conditions relative to freshwater animals. No significant difference was noted in Na+/K+ adenosine triphosphatase subunit levels in brains of either strain in freshwater or hypersaline conditions. Likewise, significant differences were not observed in plasma vitellogenin or steroid hormone concentrations in either strain whether maintained in freshwater or saltwater. Saltwater acclimation significantly reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate–catalyzed biotransformation of bifenthrin in liver microsomes of rainbow trout but not of steelhead. The present study showed that, relative to steelhead, rainbow trout have different responses to bifenthrin acute toxicity as well as different rates of hepatic bifenthrin biotransformation and regulation of Na+/K+ adenosine triphosphatase subunits in gills. These data indicate that significant differences exist between the strains and that animal life history may have important effects on the susceptibility of each strain to environmental contaminants. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:2779–2785. © 2013 SETAC
A review of techniques of crown fabrication for existing removable partial dentures

Fourteen methods for making a crown to fit an RPD have been described. The techniques have been briefly reviewed and classified to indicate whether crown pattern construction is direct, direct-indirect, or indirect, and whether the RPD is needed in the laboratory phase. The choice of a technique appears to be a matter of personal preference for the dentist.
Portraying mental illness and drug addiction as treatable health conditions: effects of a randomized experiment on stigma and discrimination.

Abstract Despite significant advances in treatment, stigma and discrimination toward persons with mental illness and drug addiction have remained constant in past decades. Prior work suggests that portraying other stigmatized health conditions (i.e., HIV/AIDS) as treatable can improve public attitudes toward those affected. Our study compared the effects of vignettes portraying persons with untreated and symptomatic versus successfully treated and asymptomatic mental illness and drug addiction on several dimensions of public attitudes about these conditions. We conducted a survey-embedded randomized experiment using a national sample (N = 3940) from an online panel. Respondents were randomly assigned to read one of ten vignettes. Vignette one was a control vignette, vignettes 2–5 portrayed individuals with untreated schizophrenia, depression, prescription pain medication addiction and heroin addiction, and vignettes 6–10 portrayed successfully treated individuals with the same conditions. After reading the randomly assigned vignette, respondents answered questions about their attitudes related to mental illness or drug addiction. Portrayals of untreated and symptomatic schizophrenia, depression, and heroin addiction heightened negative public attitudes toward persons with mental illness and drug addiction. In contrast, portrayals of successfully treated schizophrenia, prescription painkiller addiction, and heroin addiction led to less desire for social distance, greater belief in the effectiveness of treatment, and less willingness to discriminate against persons with these conditions. Portrayal of persons with successfully treated mental illness and drug addiction is a promising strategy for reducing stigma and discrimination toward persons with these conditions and improving public perceptions of treatment effectiveness.
The persistence of a normally transient cerebrocerebellar pathway in the cat.

Abstract A direct, although transient, projection from the sensorimotor cortex to the cerebellum has been described previously in the neonatal kitten. The present report demonstrates that this pathway can be induced to persist into juvenile stages of the cat by partially denervating the deep cerebellar nuclei. Most of the cerebellar cortex on one side was removed in kittens within the first week after birth, but the deep cerebellar nuclei were preserved, in an effort to destroy most of the input into the deep nuclei. After 6–11 weeks the remaining white matter and deep nuclei on the lesioned side were injected with WGA-HRP in most of the animals, while a few received injections of either WGA-HRP or HRP in the sensorimotor cortex ipsilateral to the lesion. Results from these experiments showed that the normally transient cerebrocerebellar pathway persisted to some degree in young adults lesioned as neonates. However, the functional significance of this pathway, as well as other transient pathways, is still unknown.
Motives to drink as mediators between childhood sexual assault and alcohol problems in adult women

Two models are proposed to relate maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and alcohol-related problems for women with a history of childhood sexual assault (CSA). The distress coping model suggests only one motive-drinking to cope with negative emotions-mediates the relationship between CSA and alcohol problems. The emotion regulation model suggests two motives mediate the relationship between CSA and alcohol problems: drinking to cope with negative emotions and drinking to enhance positive emotions. These models were tested in a random community sample of 697 women, ranging from 25 to 75 years old. Both motives partially mediated the relationship between CSA and alcohol problems. Effects were small, but reliable.
Surgical management of pediatric cerebral arteriovenous malformations

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are the most common cause of intracerebral hemorrhage in children. Different options exist for their successful management consisting of surgery, endovascular embolization, stereotactic radiosurgery, or a combination of these treatments. In this paper, we discuss the different treatment modalities in the treatment of pediatric cerebral AVMs emphasizing the role of surgery and endovascular embolization as a preoperative strategy.
Google: The World's First Information Utility?

In only ten years, Google has achieved remarkable success from online search-based advertising. Its search engine is dominant, and its IT infrastructure is the most powerful computing system in the world running on over one million computers and serving more than one billion users globally. Google makes money by using its search engine to deliver online advertising alongside responses to user searches for information, goods, maps, directions, and a host of other services. Its capabilities make it likely to become the world’s first information utility – a concept similar to electric utilities that provide services to many corporations and individuals alike. Constant innovation is the key to Google’s success and offers lessons for other companies: hire talented people, have them work in small teams, and give them freedom to excel, but use a rigorous data-based approach to evaluating results and making course adjustments.
Existence and uniqueness of Sobolev type integrodifferential equations

An imbedding method for nonlinear Fredholm integral equations gives rise to a Sobolev type integrodifferential equation. For such equations, sufficient conditions are given to guarantee local existence and uniqueness of solutions. A Picard type theorem utilizing a Lipschitz condition is obtained.
On lineability and additivity of real functions with finite preimages

Abstract We study lineability of real functions with finite preimages. In particular, we prove that the class of n-to-one functions contains a vector subspace of dimension n but not of dimension ( n + 1 ) . Additionally, we give examples of star-like families of functions (closed under multiplication by a non-zero scalar) for which lineability is less than additivity.
Separating Spirituality From Religiosity: A Hylomorphic Attitudinal Perspective

It is truly a logical question to ask what spirituality is. We sustain this position as we review important corollaries from dualistic and hylomorphic views of human nature. We argue that in 21st century America we ought to be able to think of spirituality separately from religiosity and propose con
A study of hyperplane-based vector quantization for distributed estimation

We consider the problem of distributed estimation of a vector parameter in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Due to stringent power and bandwidth constraints, vector quantization is performed at each sensor to convert its local noisy vector observation into one bit of information. The one bit quantized data is then sent to the fusion center (FC), where a final estimate of the vector parameter is formed. The vector quantization problem is studied in such a distributed estimation context. Specifically, our study focuses on a class of hyperplane-based vector quantizers which linearly convert the observation vector into a scalar by using a compression vector and then carry out a scalar quantization. Under the framework of the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) analysis, we study the choice of the quantization thresholds and the design of the compression vectors.
Dietary N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids alter cardiac lipids in hamsters

Abstract Increasing the consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) altered the cardiac lipids in Syrian hamsters. Diets contained 15 wt% total fat with 0 (control), 1.5 or 3.8 % sardine oil (SO). The remaining lipids were supplied as a combination of safflower oil, butterfat and olive oil in ratios that maintained dietary n-6 and saturated fat contents of the diets constant. Dietary n-3 PUFA especially eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were facilely incorporated into the phospholipids (PL) of the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR-PL) with a concomitant reduction of n-6 PUFA, especially arachidonic acid (AA). Ingestion of 1.5 wt% SO was as effective as 3.8 wt% SO in altering the DHA in PL classes.
Upper respiratory tract infection and serum antibody responses in nursing home patients

Residents of a Veterans Administration nursing home care unit (NHCU) were observed for the development of upper respiratory tract infection (URI) during 12 consecutive months to determine the frequency of sporadic cases or outbreaks of URI and to characterize them clinically and by laboratory means. Fifty-nine episodes of URI occurred in 56 residents during the study period. Serologic testing or virus isolation proved or suggested an etiologic agent on 22 occasions. URI was more common in late Fall and Winter and was caused by various agents, including influenza, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus, and parainfluenza viruses. A minor outbreak of influenza B in February 1986 contrasted with previous cases of URI in that the patients had a higher mean temperature and abnormal breath sounds, and they were clinically sicker. This suggests that clinical and epidemiologic surveillance during the influenza season may allow the early recognition of influenza in elderly nursing home residents. Over a 4-year period 147 serum antibody responses after influenza infection or influenza vaccination were compiled. Antibody responses to individual influenza vaccine components were measured 75 to 90 days after vaccination. The geometric mean titer (GMT) and the percentage of samples with antibody levels greater than 1:40 were determined for each of the three antigenic subtypes on 3 consecutive years. The GMT to individual vaccine components was consistently greater than 1:40, except to influenza B/Singapore in 1984 and A/Chile and B/U.S.S.R. in 1985, when these subtypes were first included in the vaccine, suggesting the NHCU residents responded less vigorously to unfamiliar vaccine subtypes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Airborne Inertial Surveying Using Laser Tracking And Profiling Techniques

The U.S. Geological Survey through a contract with the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory has developed the Aerial Profiling of Terrain System. This is an airborne inertial surveying system designed to use a laser tracker to provide position and velocity updates, and a laser profiler to measure terrain elevations. The performance characteristics of the system are discussed with emphasis placed on the performance of the laser devices. The results of testing the system are summarized for both performance evaluation and applications.
Estimating China's 'Equilibrium' Real Exchange Rate

The number of studies attempting to estimate the 'equilibrium' real value of China's currency has proliferated in recent years as the country's presence in world markets has grown. These studies have sought to establish whether or not a significant part of China's competitive prowess can be attributed to the foreign exchange value of the renminbi. Unfortunately, no consensus has emerged because the studies yield a very wide range of estimates. The paper looks at a sample of these studies, with estimates of undervaluation ranging from zero to nearly 50 percent. It attributes the wide variation in these estimates to the influence of such factors as the different methodologies used, explanatory variables included, subjective judgments of the various researchers in deriving their results, and instability in underlying economic relationships, especially in a rapidly developing economy like China.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm infected with Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus

Abstract We report a survivor of Campylobacter fetus septicemia from an infected abdominal aortic aneurysm who was successfully treated with an anatomic graft reconstruction and antibiotics. According to a survey of the English-language medical literature this was the fourth such patient successfully treated. C. fetus sepsis associated with an abdominal aortic aneurysm was first reported in 1971. The first patient to survive reconstruction of an aortic tube graft aneurysm infected with C. fetus was reported in 1983. Because the natural history of an aneurysm infected by C. fetus appears to be rapid progression to rupture, patients should be operated on promptly. All patients reported in the literature who were operated on before rupture survived. Survival was independent of the type of reconstruction. When the aneurysm ruptured all patients died. Whereas extraanatomic bypass is generally considered the procedure of choice for an infected abdominal aneurysm, the aneurysms of our patient and three other patients cited in the literature were reconstructed with anatomically placed prosthetic grafts. In the absence of other contraindications such as a grossly evident purulent infection, an abdominal aortic aneurysm infected by C. fetus may represent a subset of infected aneurysms that can be treated successfully with an anatomically placed prosthetic graft and antibiotics. (J Vasc Surg 1989;10:193–7.)
ON q - SU(3) GLOBAL GAUGE THEORY

We study the replacement of SU(3) by SUq(3) in standard gauge theories. At the level of a global theory there is a physically sensible SUq(3) formalism with measurable differences from the SU(3) theory.
Individual and ecological assets and positive developmental trajectories among gang and community‐based organization youth

The Search Institute framework for conceptualizing developmental assets was used in a longitudinal study of African American male youth involved in gangs or in community-based organizations (CBOs) serving youth. Analyses of intraindividual change indicated that individual and ecological assets are linked to positive developmental trajectories among these youth.
Xeroradiographic detection of tooth and bone pathology

Abstract Xeroradiography has gained limited use in oral surgery and orthodontics. Its wide exposure latitude, detailed image, and low operating costs recommend its use in general dentistry. In studies on real and simulated hard-tissue lesions, it was found to be slightly superior to conventional radiography in the detection of small lesions. When intraoral plates are marketed and low-KVP techniques are perfected, xeroradiography could assume an important role in dental radiology.
The privatisation of military force: Economic virtues, vices and government responsibility

The article examines aspects of privatisation in the process of defence production and supply from an economic point of view. It argues that the scope and rationale for the privatisation of military output has expanded with the changes in the mode and style of warfare and the decline of defence budgets evidenced in the post‐Cold War era. The article proposes that limited private production can be both cost‐effective and efficacious, provided that the contracts for that service, and the duties described therein, are sufficiently specific. Privatisation is not, however, a panacea for resource misallocation and not necessarily an organisational structure that provides appropriate incentives to firms, consumers and the state. Viewed from the perspective of economic theory, the article concludes, privatisation of military outputs seems to have some, but quite limited, viability.
A climatology of the water vapor band brightness temperatures from NOAA operational satellites

Abstract Measurements of brightness temperature from the water vapor band channels of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration polar satellites from 1981 through 1988 are analyzed. Only clear and cloud-cleared measurements from the operational sounding product are used to produce averages for bins of 2.5° latitude by 2.5° longitude and 5 days. The standard deviations of random errors for these bins are estimated. A unique feature of this dataset is its ability to identify the dry regions in the middle and upper troposphere with unprecedented detail. Results agree with the known climatology in the tropics.
Anthropology: New Developments in Video Ethnography and Visual Sociology—Analyzing Multimedia Data Qualitatively

This article provides an in-depth look at the multimedia aspects of HyperRESEARCH, a computer- assisted program for analyzing qualitative data. The authors describe in detail how the Hyper RESEARCH...
Calibration of a model of declining prices in cattle auctions

Abstract Using data from dairy cattle auctions plus independent appraisals of the cattle sold, this paper is able to verify the existence of the “declining price anomaly”: prices decline over the course of the auction, with the main decline occurring towards the end of the day. We show that the data are consistent with a simple model of sequential auctions of goods with independent values, and examine distributions which replicate the important features of the data. The crucial feature driving the price declines in the model is a limited capacity for purchases by the participants in the auction, which in turn decreases competition for the final units in the auction.
A Review of Research on the Effectiveness of Environmental Education in Promoting Intergenerational Learning

How to design environmental education (EE) programs in ways that encourage children to influence the environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of adults has intrigued researchers for more than a decade. The authors review and synthesize results from 7 studies that sought to answer this question. The studies reviewed were conducted between 1992 and 2003 in England, Costa Rica, Australia, Canada, and the United States. All of the studies involved formal K—12 EE programs that ranged from a 1.5-hr program on endangered species to a 1-year program integrating ecological concepts throughout the curriculum. Based on these studies, the authors identify several factors that contribute to intergenerational learning, including actively involving parents in student activities and focusing on local environmental issues.
Theory of Dipole Interaction in Crystals

It is shown that dipole arrays may be represented as vectors in a many-dimensional vector space. The classical dipole interaction energy is a quadratic form in the components of the dipole moments. Its calculation is reduced to the diagonalization of this form. The characteristic vectors are so called basic arrays. An arbitrary array may be decomposed into a linear combination of basic arrays, the energies are additive and may be obtained from the characteristic values of the quadratic form. The method is demonstrated by the complete solution of the characteristic value problem of a highly symmetric class of cubic arrays. The minimum energy arrays are obtained without and with an external magnetic field for the simple cubic, body-centered cubic, and face-centered cubic lattices. The results are in good qualitative agreement with the experiments of de Haas and Wiersma on Cs Ti alum. Some discrepancies are attributed to quantum effects and to incomplete saturation (entropy $Sg0$). The extension to these more general cases will be considered in a following paper.
ICN photodissociation and predissociation: CN*(A 2Πi) fluorescence excitation spectrum and CN† (X 2Σ+) chemical laser emission

New ICN photochemical experiments [viz., observation of CN† (X 2Σ+)_chemical laser emission in the presence of rare gas atom collision partners and determination of the CN* (A 2Πi) fluorescence excitation spectrum] are reported and are used to clarify the mechanism of ICn photodissociation and predissociation in the 1550–2000 A spectral region.
Analysis and design of parallel concatenated Gallager codes

The convergence characteristics of parallel concatenated Gallager codes using the Gaussian approximation of extrinsic information are analysed. A design strategy is introduced to select the component low-density parity-check codes effectively.
Structural damage to leaf chloroplasts of Elodea densa caused by methylmercury accumulated from water

Abstract Elodea densa plants exposed to low levels of methylmercury in water (7.5 × 10−10 M) accumulate sufficient methylmercury within 25 days to severely damage the surface membrane and the internal structure of the leaf chloroplast.
An experimental study on the influence of structural damping on internal fluid pressure during a transient flow

Experimental study of a piping system performed to measure the influence of structural damping. A pipe system was designed with a loop that could be turned so that its natural frequency would match that of the contained liquid. A properly sized damper on the piping loop greatly accelerates the decay of the fluid pressure transient. The stiffer the damper the more effective it is in reducing dynamic pressure
Applications of synchrotron radiation topography to dynamic processes in single crystal materials

Synchrotron radiation topography has been used to investigate, in situ, large (cm 3 ) single crystals undergoing dynamic processes. These investigations include (1) studies of the plastic deformation of Fe-3.5 wt.% Si single crystals, and (2) studies of the solid state polymerization of PTS single crystals. The uniqueness and versatility of the technique for such studies is clearly demonstrated. The deformation studies have shown that the surface orientation of the Fe-3.5 wt.% Si single crystals relative to the slip Burgers vector exerts a strong influence on the slip morphology even in bulk samples. Results obtained from the solid state polymerization studies have shown that when the reaction is initiated thermally, as opposed to photolytically and radiolytically, dislocations play a role in accelerating the reaction kinetics.
Heterogeneous Semantic Level Features Fusion for Action Recognition

Action recognition is an important problem in computer vision and has received substantial attention in recent years. However, it remains very challenging due to the complex interaction of static and dynamic information, as well as the high computational cost of processing video data. This paper aims to apply the success of static image semantic recognition to the video domain, by leveraging both static and motion based descriptors in different stages of the semantic ladder. We examine the effects of three types of features: low-level dynamic descriptors, intermediate-level static deep architecture outputs, and static high-level semantics. In order to combine such heterogeneous sources of information, we employ a scalable method to fuse these features. Through extensive experimental evaluations, we demonstrate that the proposed framework significantly improves action classification performance. We have obtained an accuracy of 89.59% and 62.88% on the well-known UCF-101 and HMDB-51 benchmarks, respectively, which compare favorably with the state-of-the-art.
Perceptual learning in contrast detection: presence and cost of shifts in response criteria.

Contemporary theoretical accounts of perceptual learning typically assume that observers are either unbiased or stably biased across the course of learning. However, standard methods for estimating thresholds, as they are typically used, do not allow this assumption to be tested. We present an approach that allows for this test specific to perceptual learning for contrast detection. We show that reliable decreases in detection thresholds and increases in hit rates are not uniformly accompanied by reliable increases in sensitivity (d′), but are regularly accompanied by reliable liberal shifts in response criteria (c). In addition, we estimate the extent to which sensitivity could have increased in the absence of these liberal shifts. The results pose a challenge to the assumption that perceptual learning has limited or no impact on response criteria.
The Morse index, repeller-attractor pairs and the connection index for semiflows on noncompact spaces

Abstract This paper extends the Morse index theory of C. C. Conley to semiflows π on a noncompact meric space X. π is assumed to satisfy a hypothesis related to conditional α-contraction. We collect background material, define quasi-index pairs and the Morse index of a compact, isolated invariant set K, and prove that the Morse index is a connected simple system. We study repeller-attractor pairs in K, define index triples, and prove their existence and several properties leading to the concepts of the connection index, the connection map and the splitting class. Finally, we consider paths (continuous families) of pairs (π, K) and study continuations of the Morse and the connection indices along such paths. The present paper is a sequel to the author's previous work: On the homotopy index for infinite-dimensional semiflows (Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 269 (1982), 351–382).
Atypical behavior of NFATc1 in cultured intercostal myofibers

Background The NFATc transcription factor family is responsible for coupling cytoplasmic calcium signals to transcription programs in a wide variety of cell types. In skeletal muscle, these transcription factors control the fiber type in response to muscle activity. This excitation-transcription (E-T) coupling permits functional adaptation of muscle according to use. The activity dependence of these transcription programs is sensitive to the firing patterns of the muscle, not merely the period of activity, enabling a nuanced adaptation to various functional tasks.
To Waive or Not to Waive: The Right to Trial and Plea Bargaining

Criminal defendants in many countries are faced with a dilemma: If they waive their right to trial and plead guilty, they typically receive charge or sentence reductions in exchange for having done so. If they exercise their right to trial and are found guilty, they often receive stiffer sanctions than if they had pled guilty. I characterize the former as ‘waiver rewards’ and the latter as ‘non-waiver penalties.’ After clarifying the two and considering the relation between them, I briefly explicate the grounds for a moral right to trial. I then assess the defensibility of such rewards and penalties. In addition to considering whether waiver rewards and non-waiver penalties serve the aims of legal punishment, I address the three main arguments for permitting them. The first suggests that defendants willing to plead display more remorse for their crimes and thus are deserving of lighter sentences. The second defends waiver rewards and non-waiver penalties in cases where prosecutors are alleged to know that defendants are guilty but face problems establishing their guilt at trial. The third holds that guilty defendants who are willing to plead conserve scarce state resources and should be rewarded for it, whereas those unwilling to plead squander such resources and should be penalized accordingly. I contend that none of these arguments provides persuasive grounds for waiver rewards or non-waiver penalties, even on the assumption that we can distinguish those defendants who should waive their right to trial from those who should not. This conclusion presents a fundamental challenge to contemporary plea bargaining practices.
Reflections on Academic Librarianship

L'A. fait le point sur l'evolution du travail en tant que bibliothecaire dans une bibliotheque d'enseignement superieur. Elle constate de nombreuses innovations dans l'organisation, un changement de role professionnel incontestable, ainsi qu'un changement des utilisateurs
EFFECTS OF MIXING SOYBEAN FLOUR DOUGHS ON THEIR DYNAMIC MODULI MEASURED IN AN ORTHOGONAL RHEOMETER

An orthogonal rheometer was used to determine the dynamic loss moduli and storage moduli of defatted soybean flour doughs. Doughs of 30 to 50% moisture were prepared by mixing for 1 to 10 min in a Brabender laboratory mixing head. Both moduli decreased as dough moisture increased. Moduli increased as mixing time increased. Moduli were initially constant as percent strain increased. After 1 1/2% strain, moduli decreased with increasing strain. No effect of resting time was found.
A rapid analytical method for persistent pesticides in proteinaceous samples

A recent investigation (1,2) of the relationship between dietary intake of pesticides and subsequent tissue levels required development of a very rapid, simple, and highly sensitive method for the detection and estimation of chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides in proteinaceous materials. The following procedure has been applied successfully to about 3000 samples of this type in our laboratory and has been particularly useful for analysis of DDT and its relatives in small samples of bovine milk and blood.