cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inflation, expectations and qualitative government policy in Ecuador, 1970–1982☆

Abstract A model of constrained money demand for a dominated domestic currency is specified. It is found that the model traces the evolution of the course of inflation when applied to the experience of Ecuador and provides an interpretation for the differing statistical relationship between money and prices during the estimation period.
Buckling and ultimate strength of plates with openings

Openings can be seen on almost every main supporting member of all types of ships. These openings are mainly used for inspection and may be fitted for passing pipes or reducing steel weight. There has been a need for refined strength criteria with which scantlings of main supporting members in the way of and around openings can be more rationally determined. A plate with an opening behaves in a very complex manner when subjected to compressive or shear stress. The mechanisms that can possibly take place are yielding, buckling, stress concentration and cracking. To better understand the complex behaviour, a total of 954 linear and non-linear FEM (finite element method) analyses were performed. Both buckling strength (eigenvalues) and ultimate strength were calculated. Plate panels were analysed as the idealised structural model of main supporting members with openings. Parametric studies were conducted and the investigated variables were slenderness ratio and aspect ratio of panels, shape and dimensions of...
Overexpression of catalase delays G0/G1- to S-phase transition during cell cycle progression in mouse aortic endothelial cells

Abstract Although it is understood that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) promotes cellular proliferation, little is known about its role in endothelial cell cycle progression. To assess the regulatory role of endogenously produced H2O2 in cell cycle progression, we studied the cell cycle progression in mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAECs) obtained from mice overexpressing a human catalase transgene (hCatTg), which destroys H2O2. The hCatTg MAECs displayed a prolonged doubling time compared to wild-type controls (44.0 ± 4.7 h versus 28.6 ± 0.8 h, p
Single-molecule magnets: a Mn25 complex with a record S = 51/2 spin for a molecular species.

The reaction of MnCl2·4H2O (3 equiv), pyridine-2,6-dimethanol (pdmH2) (10 equiv), and NaN3 (10 equiv) in MeOH/MeCN (1:2 v/v) with NMe4OH (1 equiv) gave [Mn25O18(OH)2(N3)12(pdm)6(pdmH)6](Cl)2·12MeCN (1·12MeCN) in ∼30% yield. The cation of complex 1 comprises five Mnx layers of three types in an ABCBA arrangement. Fitting of variable-temperature and -field magnetization data establishes that 1 has an S = 51/2 ground state, the largest value for a molecular species. The complex also displays hysteresis loops below 0.6 K in magnetization vs applied field sweeps, establishing it as the largest spin single-molecule magnet to date.
Regulation of adult hematopoietic stem cells fate for enhanced tissue-specific repair.

The ability to control the differentiation of adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) would promote development of new cell-based therapies to treat multiple degenerative diseases. Systemic injection of NaIO3 was used to ablate the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) layer in C57Bl6 mice and initiate neural retinal degeneration. HSCs infected ex vivo with lentiviral vector expressing the RPE-specific gene RPE65 restored a functional RPE layer, with typical RPE phenotype including coexpression of another RPE-specific marker, CRALBP, and photoreceptor outer segment phagocytosis. Retinal degeneration was prevented and visual function, as measured by electroretinography (ERG), was restored to levels similar to that found in normal animals. None of the controls (no HSCs, HSCs alone and HSCs infected with lentiviral vector expressing LacZ) showed these effects. In vitro gene array studies demonstrated that infection of HSC with RPE65 increased adenylate cyclase mRNA. In vitro exposure of HSCs to a pharmacological agonist of adenylate cyclase also led to in vitro differentiation of HSCs to RPE-like cells expressing pigment granules and the RPE-specific marker, CRALBP. Our data confirm that expression of the cell-specific gene RPE65 promoted fate determination of HSCs toward RPE for targeted tissue repair, and did so in part by activation of adenylate cyclase signaling pathways. Expression by HSCs of single genes unique to a differentiated cell may represent a novel experimental paradigm to influence HSC plasticity, force selective differentiation, and ultimately lead to identification of pharmacological alternatives to viral gene delivery.
A Planetary Crisis of Consciousness: The End of Ego-based Cultures and Our Dimensional Shift Toward A Sustainable Global Civilization

This essay presents central themes from my forthcoming book, The Awakening of the Global Mind. This book seeks to open a new frontier of Global Consciousness that has been long emerging in human evolution through the ages. When we step back from our more localized perspectives and expand into a more integral, holistic, and global space through the awakening of the global mind we are able to discern striking mega-trends in cultural evolution across diverse cultural and religious worldviews and perspectives through time. One striking finding through this global lens is that the collective wisdom of humanity is quite clear that we make our living realities through the conduct of our consciousness: our technology of minding. And when we make ourselves and worlds through egocentric patterns of thinking we get polarized and fragmented worlds that are not sustainable. This essay joins a growing chorus of visionary thinkers and futurists which recognizes that in the 21st Century we face grave planetary crises and...
High-temperature magnetic order in dilute Cu2+ ions in LaCuO3−δ

Abstract Electron paramagnetic resonance and magnetic susceptibility measurements in the tetragonally distorted metallic perovskite LaCuO 3−δ with δ≈0.001 show that the highly diluted Cu 2+ “impurities” interact ferromagnetically at long range and undergo a phase transition at an unusually high temperature of ∼ 240 K.
Retinoic Acid Induces Expression of Early Growth Response Gene-1 (Egr-1) in Human Skin In Vivo and in Cultured Skin Fibroblasts

Abstract The early growth response gene, Egr-1 (NGFI-A, krox 24, zif 268, TIS 8), is a member of a family of genes with suggested importance in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. Retinoic acid has been shown to markedly induce Egr-1 gene expression in mouse embryonal carcinoma cells and rat preosteoblastic cells. In this study we demonstrate that treatment of cultured human skin fibroblasts with retinoic acid results in a rapid transient four-fold induction of Egr-1 transcripts, being maximum at 60 min and returning to a basal level by 120 min. However, treatment of cultured human keratinocytes with retinoic acid did not significantly induce Egr-1 transcripts. Expression of Egr-1 message in keratinocytes was observed to be induced by fetal bovine serum and tetra-decanoyl phorbol acetate, whereas calcium, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , and cyclic adenosine monophosphate caused little or no induction. Topical application of 0.1% retinoic acid cream in vivo resulted in a two- to threefold induction of Egr-1 transcripts following treatment for 24 and 48 h, returning to nearly basal levels by 96 h. Taken together, these data are consistent with the possibility that Egr-1 is a proximal component of an intracellular molecular cascade that may give rise to alterations in cell phenotype in response to retinoic acid.
S = 1 2 , XY Model on Cubic Lattices. I. Susceptibility and Fluctuation near Critical Temperature

For the $S=\frac{1}{2}$, $\mathrm{XY}$ model of a quantum lattice fluid or a ferromagnet the conventional order parameter does not commute with the Hamiltonian. As a result, the mean-square fluctuation of the order parameter and the isothermal susceptibility are not related in the usual way the general fluctuation theorem. For the above model, arguments are here presented to support the idea that as $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{T}_{c}$ the quantum effect due to the noncommutation becomes masked and the two quantities have the same critical behavior. This work is consistent with the exact results of Falk and Bruch who defined a certain moment of the spectral density and used inequalities to establish that if the moment \ensuremath{\rightarrow} 0 as $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{T}_{c}$, then the susceptibility-fluctuation ratio becomes unity thus ensuring coinciding critical behavior. The latter result applies to a large class of models including the one considered here.
Development of the Imaging Spectrometer for Shuttle and Space Platform Applications

The concept of the Imaging Spectrometer is becoming established as a major new thrust in remote sensing of the earth. A future step will be the Shuttle Imaging Spectrometer (SISEX) currently planned for a 1990 flight. This paper describes the current state of development of SISEX, including the development of a modular concept which will allow major elements of SISEX to be used on NASA's Space platform, the Earth Observing System. This modular approach is expected to result in a substantial overall cost saving.
Synchronous tree-adjoining grammars

The unique properties of tree-adjoining grammars (TAG) present a challenge for the application of TAGs beyond the limited confines of syntax, for instance, to the task of semantic interpretation or automatic translation of natural language. We present a variant of TAGs, called synchronous TAGs, which characterize correspondences between languages. The formalism's intended usage is to relate expressions of natural languages to their associated semantics represented in a logical form language, or to their translates in another natural language; in summary, we intend it to allow TAGs to be used beyond their role in syntax proper. We discuss the application of synchronous TAGs to concrete examples, mentioning primarily in passing some computational issues that arise in its interpretation.
Development Of Foam Glass Structural Insulation Derived from Fly Ash

In the first part of this study, fly ash has been used as a main component in developing glass compositions which are cellulated through carbonization and oxidation processes. The resulting foam glasses have highly uniform closed pore structure and negligible water permeability with densities ranging from 140 kg/m 3 to >800 kg/m 3 . Foam glasses with open pore structure have also been produced and characterized. In the second part, mechanical and thermal properties are discussed. These include the stressing rate effect on the fracture strength in compressive and flexural loading for different densities. Variations of thermal conductivity and overall strength with density and pore size are also described.
Making meaning of meaning-making research Using qualitative research for studies of social and personal relationships*

Qualitative research continues to have a larger presence in the interdisciplinary field of relationship studies. This essay presents the basic tenets of interpretive theory, the basis for many qualitative relationship studies, as well as four revelations that can occur from examining data through a qualitative lens. It also introduces the essays included in, “Qualitative studies of relationships: Prevailing norms and exciting innovations,” a special issue of the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
Dysfunctional cognitions in hospitalized patients with psychotic versus nonpsychotic major depression

Previous research suggests that psychotic major depression (PMD) is associated with greater illness severity and functional impairment as well as poorer treatment response to antidepressants and psychotherapies compared with nonpsychotic major depression. Although patients with PMD exhibit a number of neurobiological abnormalities, little research has been conducted to date on possible psychological factors that are related to illness in this depression subtype. In the current study, baseline data were pooled from 2 clinical trials in which depressed patients (n = 235) were recruited during a psychiatric hospitalization for an acute episode. Twelve percent (n = 28) of this treatment-seeking sample met criteria for PMD and showed elevated levels of depression severity and dysfunctional beliefs compared with individuals with nonpsychotic major depression. However, even after controlling for depression severity and other relevant baseline variables, only a measure of common dysfunctional beliefs differentiated those with vs those without psychotic features. Furthermore, higher levels of depressive cognitions were related to poorer psychosocial functioning and suicidality in PMD patients. Results suggest that elevated levels of common negative cognitions in depressed patients may be associated with the presence of more severe psychotic symptoms. Adapted cognitive-behavioral treatments may be useful for treating patients with PMD specifically.
Gases in Marine Sediments

Mass-spectrometer analyses were made of gases extracted under vacuum from sediments of marshes and deep marine basins off southern California. The results show that gases other than oxygen, nitrogen, and argon are much more abundant in sediments than in the overlying water. Carbon dioxide and methane increase markedly with depth in the sediment, more or less paralleling the previously known increases of ammonia and hydrogen sulphide. Although data for them are less complete, ethane, butane, hexane plus, isopentane, cyclobutane, cyclopentane, benzene, and toluene also exhibit general increases with depth. Methane in sediments 124 to 148 inches deep at the bottom of the Santa Barbara Basin weighs nearly as much as the total of all non-volatile heavy hydrocarbons in the sedi ent, thus providing a gas-oil ratio similar to that of oil fields. A very high methane-ethane ratio of the sediment gases contrasts with the low ratios in oil fields and indicates that further diagenesis is required before the sediments gases are like those in oil fields.
The jogger's problem: accounting for body dynamics in real-time motion planning

The existing approaches to sensor-based motion planning tend to deal solely with kinematic and geometric issues, and ignore the system dynamics. This work attempts to incorporate body dynamics into the paradigm of sensor-based motion planning. The authors consider the case of a point mass mobile robot operating in a planar environment with unknown stationary obstacles of arbitrary shape. Given the constraints on the robot's dynamics, sensing, and control means, conditions are formulated for generating collision-free trajectories with guaranteed convergence. The approach calls for continuous computation and is fast enough for real time implementation. Based on its velocity and sensing data, the robot continuously plans its motion based on the canonical solution which presents the time-optimal path within the robot's current sensing range. For a special case of a sudden potential collision an option of a safe emergency stopping path is always maintained. Simulated examples demonstrate the algorithm's performance.
High Reynolds Number Experiments on Bypass Duct and Strut Flows

Experiments on a high Reynolds number flow around a thick strut in a duct, such as is typical downstream of the exit-flow guide vanes in the bypass duct of modern large turbofan engines, are reported. Measurements of total and static pressure fields, and velocity magnitude and direction, are made by scanning a small 7-hole pressure probe in planes at three streamwise locations. The effects of a span-wise nonuniform velocity profile on the flow are examined. Sources of error in the 7-hole pressure probe measurements are examined. Wall proximity, velocity shear, and flow distortions from the support arm are modeled. Corrections for these error sources are performed on the data.
Attraction of the Orange Mint Moth and False Celery Leaftier Moth (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to Floral Chemical Lures

Orange mint moths, Pyrausta orphisalis (Walker) (Crambidae), were initially trapped in a study of noctuid moth attraction to floral volatiles. A subsequent series of trapping experiments in commercial mint fields determined that phenylacetaldehyde and 4-oxoisophorone were attractive to P. orphisalis, whereas benzyl acetate, eugenol, cis-jasmone, limonene, linalool, methyl-2-methoxybenzoate, methyl salicylate, beta-myrcene, and 2-phenylethanol were not. When used in combination with phenylacetaldehyde, 4-oxoisophorone and methyl-2-methoxybenzoate increased catches of P. orphisalis in traps by -50%, and beta-myrcene tripled the trap catch. A second crambid species, the false celery leaftier moth, Udea profundalis Packard, was also attracted to phenylacetaldehyde, but was not attracted to any other single-chemical lure. Cis-jasmone, limonene, and 4-oxoisophorone increased catches of U. profundalis by -50% when presented in traps with phenylacetaldehyde, while linalool increased the catch 2.5-fold, and beta-myrcene tripled the trap catch. Both sexes of each species were similarly attracted to most of these lures. These findings provide chemical lures for trapping males and females of both P. orphisalis and U. profundalis.
Conservation tillage and macropore factors that affect water movement and the fate of chemicals

A thorough understanding of how conservation tillage influences water quality is predicated on knowledge of how tillage affects water movement. This paper summarizes the effects of conservation tillage on water movement and quality mainly based on long-term experiments on Luvisols at the North Appalachian Experimental Watershed near Coshocton, OH, USA. Conservation tillage can have a much larger effect on how water moves through the soil than it does on the total amount percolating to groundwater. Soil macroporosity and the proportion of rainfall moving through preferential flow paths often increase with the adoption of conservation tillage and can contribute to a reduction in surface runoff. In some medium- and fine-textured soils most of the water that moves to the subsoil during the growing season (May-October) is probably transmitted by macropores. If a heavy, intense storm occurs shortly after surface application of an agricultural chemical to soils with well-developed macroporosity, the water transmitted to the subsoil by the macropores may contain significant amounts of applied chemical, up to a few per cent, regardless of the affinity of the chemical for the soil. This amount can be reduced by an order of magnitude or more with the passage of time or if light rainstorms precede the first major leaching event. Because of movement into the soil matrix and sorption, solutes normally strongly adsorbed by the soil should only be subject to leaching in macropores in the first few storms after application. Even under extreme conditions, it is unlikely that the amount of additional adsorbed solute transported to groundwater will exceed a few per cent of the application when conservation tillage is used instead of conventional tillage. In the case of non-adsorbed solutes, such as nitrate, movement into the soil matrix will not preclude further leaching. Therefore, when recharge occurs during the dormant season thorough flushing of the soil, whether macropores are present or not, can move the remaining solutes to groundwater. Thus, the net effect of tillage treatment on leaching of non-adsorbed solutes should be minimal.
EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS LACKING LATENT MEMBRANE PROTEIN 2 IMMORTALIZES B CELLS WITH EFFICIENCY INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THAT OF WILD-TYPE VIRUS

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a human herpesvirus that efficiently transforms and immortalizes human primary B lymphocytes. In this study, the role of latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2) in EBV growth transformation was investigated. LMP2 is a virally encoded membrane protein expressed in EBV-immortalized B cells previously shown to be nonessential for EBV transformation. However, a recent study reported that LMP2 may be an important determinant for efficient B cell transformation (Brielmeier et al., Journal of General Virology 77, 2807–2818, 1996). In this study a deletion mutation was introduced into the LMP2 gene using an E. coli mini-EBV construct containing sufficient EBV DNA to result in growth transformation of primary B cells. In an alternative approach, the introduction of the gene encoding the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) by homologous recombination into the LMP2 gene of EBV strain B95-8, generating the same LMP2 deletion mutation is reported. Careful quantification of B cell transformation using the EGFP+LMP2− recombinant virus determined that in liquid culture medium or in culture medium containing soft agarose there was no difference in the ability of LMP2− virus to immortalize primary human B cells when compared to that of wild-type virus.
Optimality of design and sensitivity analysis of beam theory

This paper attempts to formulate perturbation and sensitivity analyses and develops the basic equations of design sensitivity for an optimal control process, damping the vibration of an elastic beam. The set of differential equations forming a necessary condition of process optimality and design optimality is given, and an approximate necessary condition is devoloped subject to additional ‘ smallnes3 ’ assumptions concerning some terms of the original set of equations. Finally a sensitivity analysis is performed concerning the design parameter alone.
Distributions of iron, phosphorus and sulfur along trichomes of the cyanobacteria Trichodesmium.

The nonheterocystous cyanobacterium Trichodesmium fixes C and N concurrently during the light period in tropical and subtropical oceans. Synchrotron mapping of Fe, P and S in trichomes of Trichodesmium erythraeum Erhenberg IMS 101 (CCMP 1985) collected during exponential and senescent growth revealed that 16% of trichomes contained sections of up to 25 cells with ca. 2-fold elevated Fe and S but ca. 2-fold lowered P in comparison to neighboring trichome sections. The correlation between Fe and S in these trichomes was moderate to strongly positive (R > 0.35), while the correlation between Fe and P was moderate to strongly negative (R < 0.35). Higher Fe in theses trichome sections might indicate the presence of nitrogenase. Increase in S in conjunction with Fe is likely driven by other S-containing compounds in addition to Fe–S proteins. Furthermore, the concurrent increase in S and decrease in P in these Fe-rich trichome sections might indicate a switch from P- to S-containing compounds. Diurnal changes and growth phase-related differences in the correlation between Fe and P both point to Trichodesmium's ability to re-allocate elements depending on their physiological need. Concurrent P depletion and Fe and S enrichment in trichome sections is a strong indication that Trichodesmium is able to develop special trichome regions consisting of multiple cells with a unique chemical composition. Whether these cells are uniquely dedicated to N2-fixation (i.e., diazocytes) is an open question.
Secondary sewage treatment in pipeline contactors

The preliminary design steps for a secondary sewage treatment process are discussed in a case study format. A tubular contactor with an oxygenator and reactor section is proposed as an alternate design to the conventional open tank process. On discute, en presentant un cas typique, les etapes preliminaires de la conception d'un procede pour traitement secondaire des egouts. On propose un contacteur tubulaire, avec une section pour dispositif d'oxygenation et reacteur, comme alternative a la cuve ouverte qu'on emploie dans le procede ordinaire.
Quantitative Characterization of Filament Dynamics by Single-Molecule Lifetime Measurements

Single-molecule measurements provide a powerful tool for obtaining quantitative information on biological process. However, properly interpreting these measurements can be challenging. Here we present a framework for understanding the turnover dynamics of single molecules in cytoskeletal filaments. We show that the single-molecule lifetime distribution is equivalent to the distribution of first-passage times of the filaments ends. We calculate expected lifetime distributions for a number of models of filament dynamics. We also describe methods to measure single-molecule turnover of tubulin molecules in Xenopus egg extract spindles. We show that analyzing the shape of the lifetime distribution gives insight into the mechanism of microtubule turnover in these spindles and can be used to quantify the effect of molecular perturbations on microtubule stability. Similar methods should prove useful in studying cytoskeletal filaments in other contexts in vitro and in vivo.
LAMP: 3D layered, adaptive-resolution, and multi-perspective panorama—a new scene representation

A compact visual representation, called the 3D layered, adaptive-resolution, and multi-perspective panorama (LAMP), is proposed for representing large-scale 3D scenes with large variations of depths and obvious occlusions. Two kinds of 3D LAMP representations are proposed: the relief-like LAMP and the image-based LAMP. Both types of LAMPs concisely represent almost all the information from a long image sequence. Methods to construct LAMP representations from video sequences with dominant translation are provided. The relief-like LAMP is basically a single extended multi-perspective panoramic view image. Each pixel has a pair of texture and depth values, but each pixel may also have multiple pairs of texture-depth values to represent occlusion in layers, in addition to adaptive resolution changing with depth. The image-based LAMP, on the other hand, consists of a set of multi-perspective layers, each of which has a pair of 2D texture and depth maps, but with adaptive time-sampling scales depending on depths of scene points. Several examples of 3D LAMP construction for real image sequences are given. The 3D LAMP is a concise and powerful representation for image-based rendering.
Superluminal Waveguides Based on Non-Foster Circuits for Broadband Leaky-Wave Antennas

Non-Foster circuits such as negative capacitors can be used to create superluminal waveguides for broadband leaky-wave antennas. The negative capacitors effectively cancel part of the dielectric constant within the waveguide to provide a broadband relative permittivity between 0 and 1. When used as a leaky-wave antenna, the beam angle is independent of frequency over a broad bandwidth because the waveguide provides a frequency-independent phase velocity greater than the vacuum speed of light. Thus, this approach eliminates beam squint, which is a primary drawback of passive leaky-wave antenna designs. Simulation results using ideal negative capacitors are presented, and the effects of causality are analyzed.
Insulin suppresses the increased activities of lysosomal cathepsins and ubiquitin conjugation system in burn-injured rats.

Abstract Background. Burn injury results in increased rate of skeletal muscle protein degradation. In vitro studies on incubated muscles indicate that increased rate of protein degradation is due to activation of multiple proteolytic systems, but the supporting evidence is of an indirect nature. The present study was carried out to investigate the role of various lysosomal cathepsins, ubiquitin conjugation, and proteasome systems in accelerated proteolysis, and the effect of insulin in burn-induced muscle wasting syndrome. Materials and methods. Fifteen to twenty percent total body surface area scald burn injury was inflicted on the shaved dorsum of young growing rats. Insulin-treated rats received a daily single subcutaneous injection for 3 days (0.25–1.0 U/day). The rate of ubiquitin conjugation to endogenous proteins and exogenously added 125I-lysozyme and the activities of various proteases were measured in muscle homogenates. Results. Burn injury resulted in increased rate of ubiquitin conjugation to endogenous proteins and 125I-lysozyme. Activities of cathepsins B, C, H, and L were also up-regulated following burn injury. When the burn-injured rats were treated with insulin, the increased rate of ubiquitin conjugation and cathepsin activities were suppressed to the control levels. Conclusions. The increased ubiquitin conjugation and lysosomal cathepsins contribute to accelerated protein degradation in burn-injured rats and insulin suppresses the muscle protein degradation at least in part by suppressing the activities of lysosomal cathepsins and of ubiquitin conjugation system.
Differential Expression of Gap Junction Proteins in the Canine Sinus Node

Abstract —Electrical coupling of pacemaker cells at gap junctions appears to play an important role in sinus node function. Although the major cardiac gap junction protein, connexin43 (Cx43), is expressed abundantly in atrial and ventricular muscle, its expression in the sinus node has been a subject of controversy. The objectives of the present study were to determine whether Cx43 is expressed by sinus node myocytes, to characterize the spectrum of connexin expression phenotypes in sinus node pacemaker cells, and to define the spatial distribution of different connexin phenotypes in the intact sinus node. To fulfill these objectives, we performed high-resolution immunohistochemical analysis of disaggregated adult canine sinus node preparations. Using enhanced tissue preservation and antigen retrieval techniques, we also performed immunohistochemical studies on sections of intact canine sinus node tissue. Analysis of disaggregated sinus node preparations revealed three populations of pacemaker cells distinguished on the basis of connexin immunohistochemical phenotype: ≈55% of cells expressed only connexin40 (Cx40); 30% to 35% of cells expressed Cx43, connexin45 (Cx45), and Cx40; and the remaining cells had no detectable connexin expression. In immunostained sections of intact sinus node, Cx43- and Cx45-positive cells were limited in their distribution and were observed in discrete bundles that appeared to abut atrial myocytes. In contrast, Cx40 immunoreactive signal was widely distributed in the sinus node region. These results indicate that subsets of pacemaker cells express distinct connexin phenotypes. Differential expression of connexins could create regions within the sinus node with different conduction properties, thereby contributing to the nonuniform conduction properties seen in this tissue.
Efficacy of Insecticides of Different Chemistries Against Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis and Conventional Cotton

Six insecticides of different chemistries were evaluated against the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), in non-B.t. (Deltapine ‘DP 5415’, Deltapine ‘DP 5415RR’) and transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (B.t.) (Deltapine ‘NuCOTN 33B’, Deltapine ‘DP 458 B/RR’) cotton. In 1998, treatments consisted of three rates each of a pyrethroid (lambda-cyhalothrin), spinosyn (spinosad), carbamate (thiodicarb), pyrrole (chlorfenapyr), oxadiazine (indoxacarb), and avermectin (emamectin benzoate) in a nonirrigated field. In 1999, treatments consisted of three rates each of lambda-cyhalothrin, spinosad, thiodicarb, and indoxacarb in an irrigated and a nonirrigated (dryland) field. The highest rate of each insecticide corresponded to normal grower-use rates. Spinosad and thiodicarb controlled H. zea in non-B.t. cotton, whereas other materials were less effective. Even though H. zea is becoming increasingly resistant to pyrethroid insecticides, lambda-cyhalothrin was highly effective in dryland B. thuringiensis cotton. Spinosad and thiodicarb were equally effective. Data indicated that reduced rates of lambda-cyhalothrin, spinosad, and thiodicarb could be used for control of H. zea in dryland B.t. cotton systems. However, reduced rates of these insecticides in a heavily irrigated B.t. cotton system did not provide adequate control.
Serum thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and TSH levels and TSH release after TRH in aging male and female rats

Serum levels of TSH, T3 and T4, pituitary responsiveness to TRH, and T3-resin uptake were examined in aging male and female rats. Despite normal serum TSH levels, serum T3 and T4, levels were significantly reduced in old male rats (19–26 months of age) when compared to young (120–150 days of age) and middle-aged males (12–18 months of age). In old female rats, serum TSH and T3 levels were not significantly (p >0.05) different from those of young or middle-aged females. Serum T4 levels were significantly lower in old females when compared to younger rats. The To-resin uptake of old rats was not significantly different from the value of young rats. Serum T4 levels, 3 hours after TRH induced TSH release, were significantly depressed in old male and female rats. Pituitary sensitivity to TRH was unaltered in old rats. These findings suggest that thyroidal release of T4 and T3 is depressed, and that the hypothalamic-pituitary axis is insensitive to diminished thyroid hormone feedback in old rats.
Review of Related Research

In the previous two chapters we demonstrated that research on criminal careers, despite some unfavorable criticism, has been a viable part of the research enterprise of criminology since the early days of the Chicago School and it has continued until the present. We also showed how longitudinal approaches to the study of delinquent and criminal careers, in which subjects are followed over a substantial portion of the life course, have come to dominate the criminal career agenda. Moreover, we have also demonstrated that there are significant issues concerning theory development and criminal justice policy formulation that attend research on criminal careers. In particular, we have argued that one of the most significant areas of inquiry concerns the life course perspective, in which interest centers on the transition from the status of youth to that of adult, and the accompanying transition from the venue of delinquent behaviors to that of adult criminality.
Apples and Coconuts: Young Children ‘Kinect-ing’ with Mathematics and Sesame Street

The ability to count objects is a crucial skill for young children. We report on an experimental study that utilized a Kinect Sesame Street TV intervention designed to support two types of counting activities. We conducted quantitative as well as open-coding based analyses, on video data with 3- and 4-year-olds. The complexity of interactive digital media contexts for mathematical learning is unpacked with the assistance of literature from the fields of mathematics education and cognitive science. We conclude by making recommendations for interactive educational design in general.
Benefits of Digital Wireless Technology for Persons with Hearing Aids

Wireless technology for persons with hearing loss began with cumbersome body-worn systems that nevertheless provided speech-recognition benefits in noisy environments. The first ear-level wireless systems were welcomed despite the awkward antenna that extended from the behind-the-ear case. The next-generation, removable, multichannel receiver provided a cost-effective means for school districts to maintain a stock of equipment to be used across students and classrooms. More recently, the advances have been less focused on physical size reductions and more focused on improvements to the signal quality in increasingly noisier environments. Two studies were designed to evaluate the new technological features by Phonak (Phonak, Warrenville, IL) known as adaptive FM and later adaptive digital processing. Each advance in technology resulted in greater gains in speech recognition in noise such that with the adaptive digital system, persons were able to achieve 48% correct in 80- decibels A weighted (dBA) noise levels. Persons with hearing loss using this technology are likely to hear more than persons with normal hearing in high-noise environments.
Hepatotoxicity Secondary to Chemotherapy

The difficult problem faced by multiple generation of practicing physicians is determining the cause of abnormal liver function tests in cancer patients on chemotherapy. Hepatotoxicity from chemotherapy occurs frequently from an unpredictable or idiosyncratic reaction. Despite remarkable advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of action, pharmacodynamics, and interrelationships between the liver and chemotherapy, the underlying etiology of hepatic toxicity for various agents remains unexplained. Here, we present a concise review of the broad differential diagnosis for abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) in oncology patients.
Study on the epidemiological characteristics of fever accompanying by thrombocytopenia syndrome in Suizhou

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome( SFTS) in Suizhou and explore the possible route of transmission,in order to provide evidence for prevention and control of SFTS. Methods Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the surveillance data during 2010-2012. Case survey and etiological test were used to analyze the patients. Villages with confirmed cases were involved for investigation of medium density of ticks, total antibody level of livestock and tick detection. Results From 2010 to 2012,205 SFTS cases were reported in Suizhou. There were 73 confirmed cases and 15 deaths. Cases were sporadic,and the incidence peak occurred between May and July. The age of cases ranged from 38 to 86. Farmers accounted for 98. 63%. The number of cases was positively related to the density and seasonal fluctuation of tick. The positive rate of bunyavirus( SFTSV) nucleic acid in 91 hospitalized cases was 54. 94%. The positive rate of total antibody among healthy population was 3. 82%,while that was 63. 15% among host animals in cases family. The positive rate of SFTSV nucleic acid was 17. 65% in sheep groups. Conclusion The prevalence of SFTS was high in Suizhou. Spring and summer were the incidence peak of SFTS. Farmers were high risk population and tick might be the communication medium,so propaganda concerning protection should be enhanced.
Rapid detection of Yersinia enterocolitica in food using Loopmediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) method

Objective:The loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP)that amplifies DNA with high specificity and rapidity under an isotherm al condition was applied for rapid detection of Yersinina enterocolitica.Methods: A set of five primers,two outer and two inner primers and one Loop Forward,was designed specifically to recognize the thermolabile hemolysin gene(yruI/yruB) of Yersinia enterocolitica.Development of Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification(LAMP)Method for Detection of Yersinia enterocolitica.Results: Genomic DNAs from 8 bacterial strains were amplified using LAMP,and no amplicon was observed in other bacterial strains.The detection limit of this LAMP assay was around 74 fg of Yersinia enterocolitica genomic DNA and 43 colonies forming units for pure cultures.In addition,this method was applied to detect artificially contaminated food samples,and the detection limit was 76 cfu/g for non-cultured artificially contaminated food sample.Conclusion: These results suggested that detection of Yersinia enterocolitica by LAMP is an effective and low-cost procedure with high specificity and sensitivity that needs no specialized equipment.This assay is expected to become a valuable tool for rapid detection and identification of Yersinia enterocolitica.
Probing the Twisted Structure of Sickle Hemoglobin Fibers via Particle Simulations.

Abstract Polymerization of sickle hemoglobin (HbS) is the primary pathogenic event of sickle cell disease. For insight into the nature of the HbS polymer fiber formation, we develop a particle model—resembling a coarse-grained molecular model—constructed to match the intermolecular contacts between HbS molecules. We demonstrate that the particle model predicts the formation of HbS polymer fibers by attachment of monomers to rough fiber ends and the growth rate increases linearly with HbS concentration. We show that the characteristic 14-molecule fiber cross section is preserved during growth. We also correlate the asymmetry of the contact sites on the HbS molecular surface with the structure of the polymer fiber composed of seven helically twisted double strands. Finally, we show that the same asymmetry mediates the mechanical and structural properties of the HbS polymer fiber.
Using R on Public Opinion Monitoring of the National Immunization Program

Objective To analysis public opinions of the national immunization program by R. Methods We established QQ group chats( an online chatting software) to build and draw network relationships using R. Results With the analysis program,users can selected common topics,major terms,major user and major terms of major user,and hence predict public opinion monitoring. Conclusions The cost of analysis program is low and it can be applied in public opinion monitoring practice for national immunization program.
Viscometric Detection in Size-Exclusion Chromatography: Principles and Select Applications

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) has benefitted from commercially available on-line viscometers for 30 years now. Initial (and continued) interest was mostly in applying the universal calibration concept to obtain molar mass averages and distributions of macromolecules for which no appropriate calibration standards existed, and in obtaining long-chain branching information such as branching number and frequency. During the last three decades, viscometry has shown itself to be able to do much more than this, especially (but not exclusively) when employed in multi-detector set-ups which include light scattering photometers. The purpose of this review is to demonstrate the power of viscometry detection in SEC, through applications which showcase the extreme or, simply, the unusual, oftentimes as encountered by the author. A brief review of history and theory is thus followed by examples of the role of viscometry in the SEC characterization of, among others, solutions with negative viscosity, polymers which undergo morphological transformations during growth, polysaccharides with molar mass distributions extending into the hundreds of millions of g mol−1, and spectroscopically invisible macromolecules.
Correcting for errors due to walk and geometric distortion in the COS FUV detector

The Far Ultraviolet detector of the Cosmic Origin Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is subject to distortions on a range of spatial scales in its two-dimensional format due to its analog nature. Incomplete correction of these effects can lead to errors in wavelength scales and flux measurements in the calibrated spectra. Two of the largest sources of error are geometric distortion and walk. Although they are accounted for separately in the CalCOS calibration pipeline, they are highly coupled and can be considered as manifestations of the same effect. The current calibration pipeline does not apply any walk correction in the dispersion direction even though walk-induced errors can be more than a resolution element in some cases. The current geometric correction, which was derived without considering walk effects, is also known to have inaccuracies. As part of our efforts to improve the wavelength calibration of COS, we have revisited the existing walk and geometric correction using both prelaunch and on-orbit data.
Immune therapy using optimal control with L1 type objective

Treatment of pathogenic infection is formulated as an optimal control problem with an L1 type objective. Being unable to regulate the resulting inflammatory response can be detrimental for the affected patient. A strategy given by a pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediator drug treatment is derived. We apply maximum principle and the optimality system composed of four differential equation and their corresponding adjoint equations are solved numerically. Simulation results are discussed for two commun critical cases.
Return of the Evangelicals: Caribbean Pentecostal Revival Meetings

Corten and Marshall-Fratani point to the open-endedness of Pentecostalism and state that this evangelical brand of Christianity is well suited ‘to work in a multitude of contexts.’ Undoubtedly, this unique feature of open-endedness allows Caribbean Pentecostalism to be included as an offshoot of the global Pentecostal movement (2001:3). This chapter showcases the core elements of Pentecostalism’s belief and practice revealed in worship and evangelization activities within a Caribbean context. Wherever in the world Pentecostal worshippers meet, whether for Sunday worship in large congregations or in small prayer group meetings, retreats and conferences, or in revival meetings, the particular forms of piety they practice can be identified as evangelical, and in particular, Pentecostal.
Methyl-Green-Pyronin as a Differential Nucleic Acid Stain for Peripheral Blood Smears

A differential nucleic acid stain for peripheral blood and marrow smears using methyl-green and pyronin Y and Carnoy’s solution as a fixative is described. Characteristics of the various blood cells are quite distinct so that identification is readily accomplished. If pyroninophilia is assumed to be a measure of RNA, morphologically identical and mature leukocytes are found to vary in the quantity of cytoplasmic RNA. Since cellular immaturity is associated with increased RNA, this must be an indication of the varying "age" of white blood cells in the peripheral blood. With the use of this stain a much more dynamic picture of white cell physiology is obtained than with other more conventional stains. The quantity of cytoplasmic RNA in peripheral blood leukocytes, as measured by a scoring technic, was found to be increased as compared to normal in most infections, leukemias, pernicious anemia in relapse, and a variety of other conditions. With treatment, the score fell to normal levels in pernicious anemia and infections.
Continuous Improvements to USNA SailBots for Inshore Racing and Offshore Voyaging

On-the-water testing and design iterations identified numerous ways to improve the USNA SailBots, resulting in increased speed, reduced power consumption, greater maneuverability, increased power generation of the existing boats and the development of a new boat. Projects included a second-generation voyaging hull and balanced rig, improved bulb, keel and rudder/skeg designs, analysis of multihulls, incorporation of a wind turbine and solar panels for theoretically unlimited voyage duration and a “jibe-only” maneuverability code. On-the-water testing included a 21-nautical mile voyage and oceanographic bottom profiling. The result is an improvement of the probability of success of a transatlantic voyage from last year’s 58% to nearly 90% and the reduction in expected time from 19.4 days to 16.9 days.