cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Devaluation and its consequences in developing countries

To analyze the role of the trade and payments regime in economic development the National Bureau of Economic Research undertook a major research project on this issue. In this article a brief report on some of the findings pertaining to the effect of exchange rates, i. e. devaluation under exchange control is provided.
Cryo electron microscopy of spherical viruses: An application to rotaviruses☆

Abstract Cryo electron microscopy of frozen, hydrated specimens coupled with computer image processing has emerged as a powerful tool for studying 3-dimensional structures of spherical viruses without the use of any stains or fixatives. Images of ice embedded double-shelled rotavirions show good preservation of structural features including surface spikes which were not seen previously by conventional techniques of electron microscopy. A 3-dimensional reconstruction has revealed the locations of these spikes and other structural features.
The effect of imperfect mixing on stirred combustion reactors

Mixed gas reactors, even when special pains have been taken to ensure good mixing, often depart quite noticeably from the ideal of instantaneous mixing on the micro-scale. The present paper offers a quantitative measure of the extent of this departure, and shows how it is related to the reactor performance. The intensity of the mixing is characterized by a single parameter that measures the time scale of decay of nonuniformities in composition in the reactor. This is related to the design parameters of a gas reactor by dimensional arguments drawn from the theory of isotropic turbulence. The analysis of reactor performance is carried out in terms of a coalescence model for the micro-mixing that incorporates this time scale. The mixing model is borrowed from chemical engineering studies. Calculations are presented for adiabatic reaction systems, showing the shift in the effective reaction-rate curve, and especially the reduction in blow-out limit, with decreasing mixing intensity. Such calculations permit one to see how high a mixing intensity is needed to approximate perfect mixing, and how this level depends on the reaction kineties.
Reforming Medicare's physician payment system.

This past July, Congress stepped in to prevent physicians who provide care to Medicare patients from seeing a 4.5% reduction in their fees. Gail Wilensky writes that when the latest adjustment craters in January 2010, physicians' payments are supposed to revert to a 20% reduction in fees.
Machine Learning in Value-Based Software Test Data Generation

Software engineering research and practice thus far are primarily conducted in a value-neutral setting where each artifact in software development such as requirement, use case, test case, and defect, is treated as equally important during a software system development process. There are a number of shortcomings of such value-neutral software engineering. Value-based software engineering is to integrate value considerations into the full range of existing and emerging software engineering principles and practices. Machine learning has been playing an increasingly important role in helping develop and maintain large and complex software systems. However, machine learning applications to software engineering have been largely confined to the value-neutral software engineering setting. In this paper, we advocate a shift to applying machine learning methods to value-based software engineering. We propose a framework for value-based software test data generation. The proposed framework incorporates some general principles in value-based software testing and can help improve return on investment.
ES18, a general transducing phage for smooth and nonsmooth Salmonela typhimurium

Abstract Bacteriophage ES18, derived from typing phage 18 of the Salmonella typhimurium phage-typing scheme of Callow, is hear-labile and serologically and morphologically unlike phage P22 (a typical phage of Boyd's group A). Unlike phage P22 it attacks all classes of nonsmooth, as well as smooth, derivatives of LT2 lines “cured” of prophage Fels 2. A host-range variant, ES18.h1, overcomes the (partial) resistance conferred by lysogeny for Fels 2. Phage ES18 does not lysogenize pro deletion mutants lacking the preferred P22 prophage integration site. Lysogeny for P22 confers immunity to ES18, but ES18 lysogens are still sensitive to P22. Phage ES18 is a general transducing phage, effecting both complete and abortive transduction. Experiments to demonstrate transduction must take account of the very slow adsorption rate of this phage. The observed frequency of (complete) transduction of various loci by ES18 was lower, by a factor of 10–100, than the corresponding rates of transduction by phage P22. Lysogeny of the recipient for P22 increased the yield of transductants evoked by ES18 (though it lowered the yield of P22 transductants). For several pairs of linked loci the rates of cotransduction by ES18 and by P22 were about the same; this suggests that the chromosome fragments present in transducing particles of the two phages are of similar lengths. The activity of ES18 and ES18.h1 on nonsmooth mutants makes them useful for the transductional mapping of rfa genes in S. typhimurium.
Spectrin loss during in vitro red cell lysis.

Abstract Spectrin was extracted from washed erythrocyte ghosts in 1 mM EDTA buffer (pH 8.0) and purified to homogeneity by gel filtration. Anti-human spectrin was raised in rabbits. Specificity of the antibody was demonstrated by immunodiffusion, immunoelectrophoresis and immunofluorescent techniques. Membrane-free hemolysate prepared by lysing red cells in 5 mM phosphate buffer (pH 8.0) for variable intervals (5–60 min) at 4°C was found to contain spectrin identifiable by immunodiffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, immunofluorescence and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel elctrophoresis. Spectrin was demonstrable in ultracentrifuged membrane-free hemolysate and, in progressively decreasing amounts, in membrane washes. Membrane-free hemolysate contained more spectrin when erythrocytes were lysed for 60 min than for 5 min. The data indicate that a significant amount of spectrin is detached from the membrane following lysis in hypotonic buffer for different time intervals. Spectrin lost in this manner might be part of spectrin attached to the lipid bilayer.
Regulation of bacterial RNA polymerase σ factor activity: a structural perspective

In bacteria, sigma factors are essential for the promoter DNA-binding specificity of RNA polymerase. The sigma factors themselves are regulated by anti-sigma factors that bind and inhibit their cognate sigma factor, and 'appropriators' that deploy a particular sigma-associated RNA polymerase to a specific promoter class. Adding to the complexity is the regulation of anti-sigma factors by both anti-anti-sigma factors, which turn on sigma factor activity, and co-anti-sigma factors that act in concert with their partner anti-sigma factor to inhibit or redirect sigma activity. While sigma factor structure and function are highly conserved, recent results highlight the diversity of structures and mechanisms that bacteria use to regulate sigma factor activity, reflecting the diversity of environmental cues that the bacterial transcription system has evolved to respond.
In Situ Determination of Lead in Paint by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Using a Fiber-Optic Probe

On-site determination of leaded paint in houses is important for minimizing the costs of renovations. A simple fiber-optic probe suitable for remote elemental analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been developed for this purpose and is used to determine the lead concentration in samples of dry paint. Optical fibers transport the laser pulse to the sample and transfer the emission signal to the spectrometer. The use of separate excitation and collection fibers allows coupling of the probe to a conventional spectrometer using simple optics. The measurement takes less than 1 min to perform, requires no sample preparation, and can be made through overlayers of non-lead-containing paint. The limit of detection is 0.014% Pb in latex paint, on a dry weight basis, with relative sample standard deviations of 5−10%.
Utility and self-sufficiency in the selection of educational alternatives

Methods of deciding among educational programs usually have taken too narrow a focus or have been unsystematic. A set of guidelines for selecting among alternative programs would be helpful to the decision-maker who must design new programs, continue existing ones, or modify and synthesize the old and the new. This paper provides a possible set of decision rules for identifying and choosing among educational programs based on the underlying requirement that each learner reach at least self-sufficiency. It proposes a two-level decision model that is intended to accommodate people in society who are self-sufficient or who are “on target” for reaching that state and those in society who are neither self-sufficient nor moving toward that state. Both a rational and mathematical model are presented; both require empirical validation and continued thought.
Recent advances on the complement system of teleost fish

The complement system plays an essential role in alerting the host of the presence of potential pathogens, as well as in their clearing. In addition, activation of the complement system contributes significantly in the orchestration and development of an acquired immune response. Although the complement system has been studied extensively in mammals, considerably less is known about complement in lower vertebrates, in particular teleost fish. Here we review our current understanding of the role of fish complement in phagocytosis, respiratory burst, chemotaxis and cell lysis. We also thoroughly review the specific complement components characterized thus far in various teleost fish species. In addition, we provide a comprehensive compilation on complement host-pathogen interactions, in which we analyze the role of fish complement in host defense against bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. From a more physiological perspective, we evaluate the knowledge accumulated on the influence of stress, nutrition and environmental factors on levels of complement activity and components, and how the use of this knowledge can benefit the aquaculture industry. Finally, we propose future directions that are likely to advance our understanding of the molecular evolution, structure and function of complement proteins in teleosts. Such studies will be pivotal in providing new insights into complement-related mechanisms of recognition and defense that are essential to maintaining fish homeostasis.
Characterization of the targeting, binding, and phosphorylation site domains of an A kinase anchor protein and a myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate-like analog that are encoded by a single gene.

Abstract A novel Drosophila A kinase anchor protein, Drosophila A kinase anchor protein 200 (DAKAP200), is predicted to be involved in routing, mediating, and integrating signals carried by cAMP, Ca2+, and diacylglycerol (Li, Z., Rossi, E. A., Hoheisel, J. D., Kalderon, D., and Rubin, C. S. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 27191–27200). Experiments designed to assess this hypothesis now (a) establish the function, boundaries and identity of critical amino acids of the protein kinase AII (PKAII) tethering site of DAKAP200; (b) demonstrate that residues 119–148 mediate binding with Ca2+-calmodulin and F-actin; (c) show that a polybasic region of DAKAP200 is a substrate for protein kinase C; (d) reveal that phosphorylation of the polybasic domain regulates affinity for F-actin and Ca2+-calmodulin; and (e) indicate that DAKAP200 is myristoylated and that this modification promotes targeting of DAKAP200 to plasma membrane. ΔDAKAP200, a second product of the DAKAP200 gene, cannot tether PKAII. However, ΔDAKAP200 is myristoylated and contains a phosphorylation site domain that binds Ca2+-calmodulin and F-actin. An atypical amino acid composition, a high level of negative charge, exceptional thermostability, unusual hydrodynamic properties, properties of the phosphorylation site domain, and a calculatedM r of 38,000 suggest that ΔDAKAP200 is a new member of the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate protein family. DAKAP200 is a potentially mobile, chimeric A kinase anchor protein-myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate protein that may facilitate localized reception and targeted transmission of signals carried by cAMP, Ca2+, and diacylglycerol.
Gray and green?: Stewardship and sustainability in an aging society

Abstract The natural environment has been a missing part of the context in public policy forums and educational programs when discussing the implications of an aging society. We believe that stewardship and the sustainability of natural resources should be considered in addition to economics and health care when addressing the themes of well-being and quality of life for future generations. This article presents on overview of the usage of the concept environment in aging studies and presents critically important concepts such as sustainability, stewardship, natural capital, carrying capacity, and ecological footprint in recognizing the relevancy of including the natural environment in discussions about our aging society. Also we propose directions for future research and discuss advocacy and organizational activities related to ecology and aging studies.
Live View Video Capsule Endoscopy Enables Risk Stratification of Patients with Acute Upper GI Bleeding in the Emergency Room: A Pilot Study

Risk stratification of patients with acute upper GI bleeding (UGIB) in the emergency room (ER) enables appropriate triage to urgent endoscopy and therapeutic intervention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of Live View Video Capsule Endoscopy (VCE) with Pillcam Eso® to accurately identify high and low risk patients with UGIB. Twenty-four patients with a history of UGIB within 48 h of admission to the ER were randomized to VCE versus standard clinical assessment. VCE was read real-time at the bedside and later reviewed after download. Positive VCE findings included coffee grounds, blood clot, red blood, or a bleeding lesion. VCE positive patients underwent EGD within 6 h. Control patients and VCE negative patients underwent EGD within 24 h. Seven of 12 patients were VCE positive. All seven had confirmatory stigmata at EGD. Of the five VCE negative patients, four had no stigmata at EGD and one was not endoscoped due to comorbidities. The actual lesion was visualized at VCE in four of 12 patients during live view and in an additional two patients after download (6/12). Time to endoscopy in the VCE positive group was significantly shorter than control patients (2.5 vs. 8.9 h, P = 0.029). There was no mortality. Blood transfusion requirement and length of stay were not significantly different in the two groups. Live view VCE accurately identifies high and low risk ER patients with UGIB. Use of VCE to risk stratify these patients significantly reduced time to emergent EGD and therapeutic intervention.
Estimating the Error in the Koebe Construction

In 1912, Paul Koebe proposed an iterative method, the Koebe construction, to construct a conformal mapping of a non-degenerate, finitely connected domain D onto a circular domain C [9]. In 1959, Gaier provided a convergence proof of the construction which depends on prior knowledge of the circular domain [5]. We demonstrate that it is possible to compute the convergence rate solely from information about D. We do so by computing a suitable bound on the error in the Koebe construction (but, again, without knowing the circular domain in advance) by using a relatively recent result on the distortion of capacity by Thurman [12] and a generalization of Schwarz-Pick Lemma by He and Schramm [7].
ECDYSONE 20-HYDROXYLATION IN MANDUCA SEXTA MIDGUT : KINETIC PARAMETERS OF MITOCHONDRIAL AND MICROSOMAL ECDYSONE 20-MONOOXYGENASES

The larval midgut of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, has high ecdysone 20-monooxygenase (EZOMO) activity, located both in the mitochondria and in the microsomes. The apparent kinetic parameters for E20MO in mitochondria and microsomes were determined. The K,s (for ecdysone) of the rnitochondrial and microsomal enzymes were 1.63 x 1 0-5 and 3.67 x 1 O-’ M, respectively. The V,,, was 82.7 prnol/min/rng protein for mitochondria and 32.0 pmol/min/mg protein for microsomes. Although the mitochondria1 E20MO has the higher V,,,, at physiological ecdysone concentrations (1 0-’ ~ 1 O-’ M) it is only one-eighth to one-tenth as active as the rnicrosornal enzyme. It is concluded that the rnicrosornal E20MO is the primary, if not the only, enzyme involved in ecdysone 20-hydroxylation in M. 5exta midgut. o 1996 Wey-Liss, Inc *
Multi-image CAD employing features derived from ipsilateral mammographic views

On mammograms, certain kinds of features related to masses (e.g., location, texture, degree of spiculation, and integrated density difference) tend to be relatively invariant, or at last predictable, with respect to breast compression. Thus, ipsilateral pairs of mammograms may contain information not available from analyzing single views separately. To demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating multi-view features into CAD algorithm, `single-image' CAD was applied to each individual image in a set of 60 ipsilateral studies, after which all possible pairs of suspicious regions, consisting of one from each view, were formed. For these 402 pairs we defined and evaluated `multi-view' features such as: (1) relative position of centers of regions; (2) ratio of lengths of region projections parallel to nipple axis lines; (3) ratio of integrated contrast difference; (4) ratio of the sizes of the suspicious regions; and (5) measure of relative complexity of region boundaries. Each pair was identified as either a `true positive/true positive' (T) pair (i.e., two regions which are projections of the same actual mass), or as a falsely associated pair (F). Distributions for each feature were calculated. A Bayesian network was trained and tested to classify pairs of suspicious regions based exclusively on the multi-view features described above. Distributions for all features were significantly difference for T versus F pairs as indicated by likelihood ratios. Performance of the Bayesian network, which was measured by ROC analysis, indicates a significant ability to distinguish between T pairs and F pairs (Az equals 0.82 +/- 0.03), using information that is attributed to the multi-view content. This study is the first demonstration that there is a significant amount of spatial information that can be derived from ipsilateral pairs of mammograms.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A semiconductor detector cryostat

Abstract This report describes in detail the mechanical design of a multipurpose cryostat system for nonencapsulated Ge(Li) and Si(Li) semiconductor radiation detectors. We have attempted to provide a standardized system that will accept many styles and sizes of detectors, and that lends itself to many kinds of experiments.
Achieving strong scaling with NAMD on Blue Gene/L

NAMD is a scalable molecular dynamics application, which has demonstrated its performance on several parallel computer architectures. Strong scaling is necessary for molecular dynamics as problem size is fixed, and a large number of iterations need to be executed to understand interesting biological phenomenon. The Blue Gene/L machine is a massive source of compute power. It consists of tens of thousands of embedded Power PC 440 processors. In this paper, we present several techniques to scale NAMD to 8192 processors of Blue Gene/L. These include topology specific optimizations, new messaging protocols, load-balancing, and overlap of computation and communication. We were able to achieve 1.2 TF of peak performance for cutoff simulations and 0.99 TF with PME.
Dynamic Compressive Response of Damaged and Interlocked SiC–N Ceramics

The dynamic compressive responses of a damaged but interlocked hot-pressed silicon carbide were determined as a function of loading rates, damage, and confinement. A novel experimental technique based on a split Hopkinson pressure bar was used to conduct the high strain-rate experiments. The ceramic specimen was loaded by two consecutive stress pulses to determine the responses of the intact and damaged specimen under valid testing conditions. The results show that, once critically damaged, the compressive response of the damaged ceramic was insensitive to increasing strain rates and further damage but varied with increasing lateral confinement. Under 104-MPa confinement and damaged to three different levels, the flow stress remained at 1 GPa at strain rates of 600-1600 s -1 . The flow stress reduced to 500 and 350 MPa under confinement of 56 and 26 MPa, respectively.
ISOLATION OF SNAKE RIVER ISLANDS AND MAMMALIAN PREDATION OF WATERFOWL NESTS

Abstract In 1990–1992, we studied predation of waterfowl nests by mammalian predators on 30 islands in a 64-km reach of the Snake River in southwestern Idaho, USA, to identify river flows necessary to protect and enhance migratory bird use of Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge. We monitored 235–314 Canada goose (Branta canadensis) nests each year and 122 duck nests, primarily mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), in 1991. We calculated island isolation as the flow energy (width × average water velocity [m2/sec]) a predator encountered in crossing to an island. Density of goose nests increased as island isolation increased (P < 0.001). In contrast, visits of terrestrial predators to islands, mammalian predation of goose nests, and variance in predation rates decreased as island isolation increased (P < 0.01). Nests were most frequently depredated by raccoons (Procyon lotor), coyotes (Canis latrans), badgers (Taxidea taxus), and mink (Mustela vison). Multiple regression models explained 67% of the variance in nest ...
Radar observations of asteroid 1862 Apollo

Arecibo radar echo spectra show the Q-class asteroid 1862 Apollo to have an elongation within 10% of 1.27, a pole-on silhouette with an average dimension of about 1.7 km, and disc-integrated radar properties that are typical for radar-detected near-Earth asteroids.
An interactive framework for examining prefrontal cognitive processes.

This article presents an interactive framework for understanding prefrontal cognitive processes that suggests that action selection results from a dynamic interaction among a person's working memory resources; the working memory demands of a task; and the strength of prepotent, but misleading, action alternatives. One prediction of the framework is that specific inhibition difficulties can result directly from nonoptimal working memory functioning. The framework is used to describe the commonalties across a wide variety of tasks that are sensitive to prefrontal dysfunctions; empirical support for the model is presented. The framework is also used for understanding everyday action errors and for examining normal and abnormal cognitive development.
Effects of depression on work loss and disability bed days in individuals with diabetes.

Diabetes is highly prevalent in the U.S. and is associated with significant disability and increased health care costs (1–3). Depression is also highly prevalent and is a leading cause of disability, work place absenteeism, diminished or lost productivity, and increased use of health care resources (4,5). Coexisting depression occurs in 10–30% of people with diabetes, and people with diabetes have twofold increased odds of having depression compared with people without diabetes (6,7). The objectives of this study were to determine 1 ) the effect of coexisting depression on mean work loss and disability bed days and 2 ) the effect of coexisting depression on odds of extended (defined as ≥7 days) work loss and disability bed days in individuals with and without diabetes. It was hypothesized that coexisting depression in people with diabetes would be associated with significant increases in mean disability days and odds of extended disability days. Data from the sample adult core of 1999 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (8) were analyzed. The NHIS is a nationally representative household survey of U.S. adults aged ≥18 years. The sample is selected by a complex sampling design involving stratification, clustering, and multistage sampling, with a nonzero probability of selection for each person. Final weights allow estimates from the NHIS to be generalized to the adult civilian population of the U.S. (9). Work loss …
THE HlSTORY AND USE OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY IN OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma has a rich history of direct democracy. It was the first slate to incorporate direct democracy into its constitution and it has been used frequently throughout the past century. This paper reexamines the origin of the initiative and referendum and how they were both used to implement major policy changes in the state.
Primary atony of the lower uterine segment as a distinct cause of early postpartum haemorrhage: A case series and management recommendations

Primary atony of the lower uterine segment appears to be a distinct cause of postpartum haemorrhage. We report a case series of women with postpartum haemorrhage where ultrasound and clinical findings revealed a well contracted fundus and upper uterine segment and a ballooned out lower uterine segment, a condition we have called primary atony of the lower uterine segment. We hope that this case series will lead to increased recognition of this condition, stimulate others to report their experience and lead to additional studies to better characterise this entity, and develop more effective therapies.
Discrete Anamorphic Transform for Image Compression

To deal with the exponential increase of digital data, new compression technologies are needed for more efficient representation of information. We introduce a physics-based transform that enables image compression by increasing the spatial coherency. We also present the Stretched Modulation Distribution, a new density function that provides the recipe for the proposed image compression. Experimental results show pre-compression using our method can improve the performance of JPEG 2000 format.
Social Correlates of Variation in Male Calling Behavior in Blanchard's Cricket Frog, Acris crepitans blanchardi

I studied variation in male calling behavior and its social correlates in Blanchard's cricket frog, Acris crepitans blanchardi. Calls were produced in distinct call groups, and they increased in duration and complexity from the beginning to end of a call group. Dominant frequency was the only character of 18 quantified consistently correlated with male snout-vent length. Calls from the beginning of a call group varied independently of calls from the middle and end of a call group, and only calls from the beginning of a call group exhibited significant variation among males, thus relative consistency within males. Other characters varied greatly within individual males. Unlike most other anurans, dominant frequency also exhibited tremendous within-male variation. The relative influence of caller density, local caller density, nearest neighbor distance, and nearest neighbor sound pressure level on variation in male calling behavior was examined. Nearest neighbor distance, mediated through the sound-pressure level of neighbor calls, appeared to have the greatest influence on variation in male calling behavior. The most profound changes in calling behavior occurred during aggressive encounters; males altered their calling behavior in a manner suggesting that they respond to competitors with graded aggressive signals. Furthermore, the structure of the communication system suggests that calls are graded not only in response to the level of social competition, but graded over a call group as well.
The Role of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: Current Evidence and Future Directions

The use of stem cell therapies for the treatment of orthopaedic injuries continues to advance. The purpose of this review was to provide an update of the current role and future directions of stem cell strategies in sports medicine. The application of cell-based treatments in the sports medicine arena has expanded in recent years. Promising preclinical results have led to translation of these novel therapies into the clinical setting. Early well-designed comparative clinical studies have also shown positive outcomes. Despite significant advances in this arena, there remains a need for additional high-powered and well-designed clinical trials to confirm the safety and efficacy of treatment.
Human-animal interaction: a concept analysis.

PURPOSE: A concept analysis was performed on human–animal interaction (HAI). DATA SOURCE: Nursing, psychology, and behavioral sciences literature. DATA SYNTHESIS: Uses and definitions associated with HAI were used to articulate the attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents. Model, borderline, and contrary cases were developed. CONCLUSIONS: HAI is operationally defined. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Including HAI as a health promotion behavior, within a theoretical framework, appears to be a promising intervention and may be linked to physical activity.
Recovering human body configurations using pairwise constraints between parts

The goal of this work is to recover human body configurations from static images. Without assuming a priori knowledge of scale, pose or appearance, this problem is extremely challenging and demands the use of all possible sources of information. We develop a framework which can incorporate arbitrary pairwise constraints between body parts, such as scale compatibility, relative position, symmetry of clothing and smooth contour connections between parts. We detect candidate body parts from bottom-up using parallelism, and use various pairwise configuration constraints to assemble them together into body configurations. To find the most probable configuration, we solve an integer quadratic programming problem with a standard technique using linear approximations. Approximate IQP allows us to incorporate much more information than the traditional dynamic programming and remains computationally efficient. 15 hand-labeled images are used to train the low-level part detector and learn the pairwise constraints. We show test results on a variety of images.
Increased Birefringence in the Meiotic Spindle Provides a New Marker for the Onset of Activation in Living Oocytes

The newly developed Pol-Scope allows imaging of spindle retardance, which is an optical property of organized macromolecular structures that can be observed in living cells without fixation or staining. Experiments were undertaken to examine changes in meiotic spindles during the initial stages of activation of living mouse oocytes using the Pol-Scope. Parthenogenetic activation of oocytes treated with calcium ionophore evoked a dynamic increase in meiotic spindle retardance, particularly of the midregion, before spindle rotation and second polar body extrusion. The pronounced increase in spindle retardance, which could, for the first time to our knowledge, be quantified in living oocytes, was maintained during polar body extrusion. Spindle retardance of newly in vivo fertilized oocytes was significantly higher than that of ovulated, metaphase II oocytes. Pol-Scope imaging of fertilized oocytes did not affect subsequent development. These results establish that increased spindle retardance precedes polar body extrusion and pronuclear formation. The increased birefringence in the spindle provides an early indicator of oocyte activation. Thus, noninvasive, quantitative imaging of the onset of activation in living oocytes might improve the efficiency of assisted fertilization and other embryo technologies.
Elucidating Predator–Prey Interactions Using Aquatic Microcosms: Complex Effects of a Crayfish Predator, Vegetation, and Atrazine on Tadpole Survival and Behavior

Abstract Habitat structure is known to influence community interactions, but its role in amphibian communities is unclear. Our objective was to examine the effect of vegetative habitat structure, in the presence or absence of a crayfish predator (Orconectes rusticus) and the herbicide atrazine, on Green Frog (Rana clamitans) tadpoles reared in 10-L microcosms in the laboratory. Crayfish predators reduced Green Frog survival and affected activity levels and microhabitat use differently depending on the presence or absence of vegetation. In treatments with vegetation, activity levels were greater when the crayfish predator was absent, but in treatments without vegetation activity levels did not differ between predation treatments. Moreover, when a crayfish predator was present, tadpoles in treatments without vegetation spent more time at the water surface than tadpoles in treatments with vegetation. This preference for the water surface may have been a compensatory behavioral change to avoid predation becau...
The Conversion of CESR to Operate as the Test Accelerator, CesrTA, Part 3: Electron Cloud Diagnostics

Cornell's electron/positron storage ring (CESR) was modified over a series of accelerator shutdowns beginning in May 2008, which substantially improves its capability for research and development for particle accelerators. CESR's energy span from 1.8 to 5.6 GeV with both electrons and positrons makes it ideal for the study of a wide spectrum of accelerator physics issues and instrumentation related to present light sources and future lepton damping rings. Additionally a number of these are also relevant for the beam physics of proton accelerators. This paper is the third in a series of four describing the conversion of CESR to the test accelerator, CESRTA. The first two papers discuss the overall plan for the conversion of the storage ring to an instrument capable of studying advanced accelerator physics issues [1] and the details of the vacuum system upgrades [2]. This paper focusses on the necessary development of new instrumentation, situated in four dedicated experimental regions, capable of studying such phenomena as electron clouds (ECs) and methods to mitigate EC effects. The fourth paper in this series describes the vacuum system modifications of the superconducting wigglers to accommodate the diagnostic instrumentation for the study of EC behavior within wigglers. While the initial studies of CESRTA focussed on questions related to the International Linear Collider damping ring design, CESRTA is a very versatile storage ring, capable of studying a wide range of accelerator physics and instrumentation questions.
CHALLENGES IN ASSESSING ASTHMA SEVERITY IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s 1997 National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) classifies asthma severity on the basis of lung function and symptoms, and most clinicians use either or both of these measures to assess patients. Severity-based stratification of patients provides a useful framework for therapeutic decision making, but this approach should not be adopted without an understanding of its delimitations and challenges. Accurate assessment of asthma severity is crucial in ensuring the patient’s health and well-being. The consequences of misappraisal of patients’ clinical status include unnecessary prescription of medication when severity is overestimated and failure to intervene with resulting deterioration of asthma control—possibly culminating in death— when severity is underestimated. This review reveals that applying the NAEPP’s severity-based classification of patients with asthma in clinical practice can be challenging, particularly in the care of patients at the mild end of the asthma severity continuum. The variable nature of asthma, the poor concordance among measures of asthma severity, and patients’ tendency to underreport their asthma symptoms can contribute to inaccurate severity assessments, which can lead to inappropriate therapeutic choices, such as undertreatment. Undertreatment of the patient with mild asthma can be as dangerous as undertreatment of patients with more severe disease. By keeping the challenges associated with severity-based stratification of patients top-of-mind, healthcare providers may be better able to overcome them in clinical practice. (Adv Stud Med. 2003;3(5A):S372-S378)
Using Bayesian networks for daily activity prediction

In spite of the significant work that has been done to discover and recognize activities in the smart home research, less attention has been paid to predict the future activities that the resident is likely to perform. An activity prediction module can play a major role in design of a smart home. For instance, by taking advantage of an activity prediction module, a smart home can learn context-aware rules to prompt individuals to initiate important activities. In this paper, we propose an activity prediction approach using Bayesian networks. We propose a novel two-step inference process to predict the next activity features and then to predict the next activity label. We also propose an approach to predict the start time of the next activity which is based on modeling the relative start time of the predicted activity using the continuous normal distribution and outlier detection. We evaluate our proposed models using real data collected from two smart home apartments.
Reply to Healy et al.'s Discussion of Auxiliary Tests

In a widely cited study, Healy, Malhotra, and Mo (henceforth HMM) report that college football games influence elections. We reassess this surprising finding and conclude that, despite arising from a sound research design, it is a false-positive result that arose by chance. HMM responded to our study and raised further objections in an online document. We responded to the primary objections of HMM in our own reply, which was limited to 500 words. In this document, we elaborate upon our previous points and respond to the specific criticisms from HMM’s online reply.
Predictors of Changes in Medication Adherence in Blacks with Hypertension: Moving Beyond Cross-Sectional Data.

Many studies have examined the multiple correlates of non-adherence in Blacks. However, they are largely cross-sectional; thus, these studies are unable to examine their predictive value on long-term medication adherence. The purpose of this study is to examine the predictive role of key psychosocial and interpersonal factors on changes in medication adherence over a 1-year period. Data were collected from 815 Black patients with hypertension followed in community health centers. Hypothesized predictor variables included self-efficacy, depressive symptoms, social support, and patient-provider communication measured at baseline, 6, and 12 months. The dependent variable, medication adherence was assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Latent Growth Modeling was used to evaluate the pathways between the latent predictor variables and medication adherence. Participants were mostly female, low-income, with high school education or less, and mean age of 57 years. At baseline, high self-efficacy was associated with low depressive symptoms (β = −0.22, p = 0.05), collaborative patient-provider communication (β = 0.17, p = 0.006), and better medication adherence (β = 1.04, p < 0.001). More social support and collaborative patient-provider communication were associated with low depressive symptoms (β = −0.08, p = 0.02; β = −0.18, p = 0.01). More social support was positively associated with collaborative patient-provider communication (β = 0.32, p < 0.001). In the longitudinal model, increasing self-efficacy over time predicted improvements in medication adherence 1 year later (β = 1.76, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.04; SRMR = 0.04; Chi-Squared Index of Model Fit = 1128.54). Self-efficacy is a key predictor of medication adherence over time in Black patients with hypertension. Initial levels of self-efficacy are influenced by the presence of depressive symptoms as well as the perceived quality of patient-provider communication.
Dynamics and Adaptive Control for Stability Recovery of Damaged Asymmetric Aircraft

This paper presents a recent study of a damaged generic transport model as part of a NASA research project to investigate adaptive control methods for stability recovery of damaged aircraft operating in offnominal flight conditions under damage and or failures. Aerodynamic modeling of damage effects is performed using an aerodynamic code to assess changes in the stability and control derivatives of a generic transport aircraft. Certain types of damage such as damage to one of the wings or horizontal stabilizers can cause the aircraft to become asymmetric, thus resulting in a coupling between the longitudinal and lateral motions. Flight dynamics for a general asymmetric aircraft is derived to account for changes in the center of gravity that can compromise the stability of the damaged aircraft. An iterative trim analysis for the translational motion is developed to refine the trim procedure by accounting for the effects of the control surface deflection. A hybrid direct-indirect neural network, adaptive flight control is proposed as an adaptive law for stabilizing the rotational motion of the damaged aircraft. The indirect adaptation is designed to estimate the plant dynamics of the damaged aircraft in conjunction with the direct adaptation that computes the control augmentation. Two approaches are presented: 1) an adaptive law derived from the Lyapunov stability theory to ensure that the signals are bounded, and 2) a recursive least-square method for parameter identification. A hardware-inthe-loop simulation is conducted and demonstrates the effectiveness of the direct neural network adaptive flight control in the stability recovery of the damaged aircraft. A preliminary simulation of the hybrid adaptive flight control has been performed and initial data have shown the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid approach. Future work will include further investigations and high-fidelity simulations of the proposed hybrid adaptive flight control approach.
Continuity and Change in International Systems

The comparative analysis of past and present systems as an approach to the study of international politics has been subjected to its first major test. It can be said at once that the effort is a most creditable one. The approach promises to become increasingly attractive with time. Much of the theoretical writing that uses the data of international politics is becoming the preserve of specialists in abstract theory. And the student committed primarily to international politics and to theory only insofar as it helps order and apprehend significant problems of international politics here and now is quite naturally attracted to the historical perspective. History can be used to illuminate the evolving structural features of contemporary relations and it provides some relief from the politics of the Cold War, which are becoming progressively routinized.
Clinical features of nevus depigmentosus in106children

The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical and histopathologic characteristics of nevus depigmentosus in children and analyze the differences between nevus depigmentosus and other local leukoderma that might enable the clini cians to make a more accurate diagnosis.A clinical survey was done in106children with nevus depigmentosus.One skin biopsy specimen was taken from each of10children.The sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and HMB45.The le sions were mostly present before1year of age(79.2%).The trunk was the mostly common affected sites(43.4%).Sixty-four patients had the isolated type of nevus depigmentosus and42patients had the segmental type.Histopathologic study showed that there were no obvious changes in the numbers of melanocytes in the basal layer.Nevus depigmentosus is a congenital nonpro gressive leukoderma that is stable in its relative size and distribution throughout life.The clinical and histopathologiccharac teristics are different from other leukoderma.
Metabolic neuropathies and myopathies.

Inborn errors of metabolism may impact on muscle and peripheral nerve. Abnormalities involve mitochondria and other subcellular organelles such as peroxisomes and lysosomes related to the turnover and recycling of cellular compartments. Treatable causes are β-oxidation defects producing progressive neuropathy; pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency, porphyria, or vitamin B12 deficiency causing recurrent episodes of neuropathy or acute motor deficit mimicking Guillain-Barre syndrome. On the other hand, lysosomal (mucopolysaccharidosis, Gaucher and Fabry diseases), mitochondriopathic (mitochondrial or nuclear mutations or mDNA depletion), peroxisomal (adrenomyeloneuropathy, Refsum disease, sterol carrier protein-2 deficiency, cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis, α-methylacyl racemase deficiency) diseases are multisystemic disorders involving also the heart, liver, brain, retina, and kidney. Pathophysiology of most metabolic myopathies is related to the impairment of energy production or to abnormal production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Main symptoms are exercise intolerance with myalgias, cramps and recurrent myoglobinuria or limb weakness associated with elevation of serum creatine kinase. Carnitine palmitoyl transferase deficiency, followed by acid maltase deficiency, and lipin deficiency, are the most common cause of isolated rhabdomyolysis. Metabolic myopathies are frequently associated to extra-neuromuscular disorders particularly involving the heart, liver, brain, retina, skin, and kidney.
A Syllabus of Errors

I. An Overview 2 II. Appearing and Disappearing Theses 3 A. No-Harm 3 B. Institutional Competence 4 III. Errors and Falsehoods 10 A. Sexual Abuse 10 B. Employment Discrimination 13 C. The Law of Free Exercise (and Some Miscellany) 16 IV. Conclusion 19
The FDI Recession Has Begun (FDI 衰退期已经开始)

English Abstract: This first Perspective forecasts an FDI recession in the coming year. Chinese Abstract: 本文预测了来年FDI进入衰退期。
Central Venous Catheters: Care and Complications

Central venous catheters are an essential component of care in children and adolescents with cancer and allow for safe and compassionate administration of chemotherapy and supportive medications, infusions, and transfusions in an efficient and cost-effective manner. With these benefits also come a host of decisions and potential complications. Catheter choice includes implanted versus external catheter, those meant for short- versus longer-term usage, as well as catheters that may be utilized for hematopoietic stem cell harvesting. Complications are primarily infection and thrombosis. This chapter provides evidence-based graded recommendations from the medical literature regarding choice and care of catheters specific for each patient and provides techniques for prevention, recognition and treatment of the most common complications.
The Effects of Price on the Consequences of Alcohol Use and Abuse

Economists have examined the impact of alcohol prices on various outcomes related to alcohol consumption, including nonfatal and fatal motor vehicle accidents, other accidents, liver cirrhosis, and other alcohol-related mortality, crime, and education attainment. Price, in the context of this research, includes not only the monetary price of alcoholic beverages, but also a wide variety of other “costs” of drinking and heavy drinking, including the time spent obtaining alcoholic beverages and the legal costs associated with drinking and related behavior. This research clearly demonstrates that increases in the monetary prices of alcoholic beverages, which could be achieved by increasing taxes on alcohol, can significantly reduce many of the problems associated with alcohol use and abuse. In addition, control policies that raise other “costs” of drinking, including reduced availability of alcoholic beverages, higher legal drinking ages, and others, are also effective in reducing t he consequences of alcohol use and abuse.