cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Economics of the Columbia River Treaty

Abstract For more than 50 years the Columbia River Treaty has amplified the power and flood risk benefits for Canada and the United States by regulating flows on the Columbia River. The Columbia River Treaty resolved the externality of downstream benefits but created another when ecosystems were adversely affected. In addition, the power sharing calculations have become obsolete and the flood risk provision will revert to an annual operation in 2024. All this has precipitated a new negotiation between Canada and the United States to modernize the Treaty. This research analyses the objectives for this negotiation and strategies to achieve it in terms of economic principles.
The international political economy of global inequality

While national inequality has made headlines in recent years, income is far more unequally distributed globally than it is within any state. It is striking that global economic inequality has garne...
Coronary Vasospasm After Dobutamine Stress Echocardiogram Triggered by Esmolol.

Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is a commonly utilized method for coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosis, and it provides important long-term prognostic information. We report a case of a 53-year-old female with multiple cardiovascular risk factors who underwent DSE for evaluation of underlying CAD. The examination was complicated by wide complex tachycardia and promoted administration of esmolol, which shortly led to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Coronary angiography showed complete absence of CAD. Coronary vasospasm was a possible suggested mechanism due to the pharmacologic interaction between beta-blockers and dobutamine on alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors.
Drifts and volatilities: monetary policies and outcomes in the post WWII US

For a VAR with drifting coefficients and stochastic volatilities, we present posterior densities for several objects that are pertinent for designing and evaluating monetary policy. These include measures of inflation persistence, the natural rate of unemployment, a core rate of inflation, and ‘activism coefficients’ for monetary policy rules. Our posteriors imply substantial variation of all of these objects for post WWII US data. After adjusting for changes in volatility, persistence of inflation increases during the 1970s, then falls in the 1980s and 1990s. Innovation variances change systematically, being substantially larger in the late 1970s than during other times. Measures of uncertainty about core inflation and the degree of persistence covary positively. We use our posterior distributions to evaluate the power of several tests that have been used to test the null hypothesis of time-invariance of autoregressive coefficients of VARs against the alternative of time-varying coefficients. Except for one, we find that those tests have low power against the form of time variation captured by our model.
Gas Particle Radiator

The performance of a new space radiator concept, the gas particle radiator (GPR), is studied. The GPR uses a gas containing submicron particles as the radiating medium contained between the radiator's emitting surface and a transparent window. For a modest volume fraction of submicron particles and gas thickness, it is found that the emissivity is determined by the window transmittance. The window must have a high transmittance in the infrared and be structurally strong enough to contain the gas-particle mixture. When the GPR is compared to a proposed titanium wall, potassium heat pipe radiator, with both radiators operating at a power level of 1.01 MW at 775 K, it is found that the GPR mass is 31 percent lower than that of the heat pipe radiator.
Fly Ash Analysis Supports Emergent Mississippian Agricultural Features at the Lunsford-Pulcher Site (11-S-40) in the American Bottom, Illinois

The Lunsford-Pulcher site in the American Bottom of Illinois was suggested by Melvin Fowler to include a buried agricultural ridged field system. An alternative hypothesis suggests that the apparent ridges andfurrows are the result of a contemporary agricultural soil horizon buried by aeolian loess in 1954 windstorms. Soils recovered from test excavations in the putative garden beds at the site were subjected to techniques developed by agronomists at the University of Illinois to recover diagnostic magnetite spherules that constitute a fraction of the fly ash output from high temperature industrial processes. The presence of fly ash magnetite in a sample would indicate that the soil was at the surface during the industrial era, which began in the St. Louis area around 1850. Samples from the putative agricultural layer at Lunsford-Pulcher yielded little or no fly ash, suggesting that they were laid down and buried before the industrial era. This does not constitute absolute proofthat the features were garden beds. We must, however, reject the alternative hypothesis that the features were created in the twentieth century.
Use of a Bidentate Ligand Featuring an N-Heterocyclic Phosphenium Cation (NHP+) to Systematically Explore the Bonding of NHP+ Ligands with Nickel

A novel bidentate ligand featuring an N-heterocyclic phosphenium cation (NHP(+)) linked to a phosphine side arm is used to explore the coordination chemistry of NHP(+) ligands with nickel. Direct P-Cl bond cleavage from a chlorophosphine precursor [PP]-Cl (1) by Ni(COD)2 affords the asymmetric bimetallic complex [Cl2Ni(μ-PP)2Ni] (2) via a nonoxidative process. Abstraction of the halide with either NaBPh4 or K[B(C6F5)4] prior to metal coordination to form the free phosphenium ligand [PP](+) in situ, followed by coordination to Ni(COD)2, afforded the halide-free Ni(0) complexes [(PP)Ni(COD)] [B(C6F5)4] (4) and [(PP)Ni(COD)][BPh4] (5). Chloride abstraction from 1 is problematic in the presence of a PF6(-) counterion, however, as evident by the formation of [(PP)Ni(PP-F)][PF6] (3). The COD ligand in 5 can be readily displaced with PMe3 or PPh3 to afford [(PP)NiL2][BPh4] (L = PMe3 (6), PPh3 (7)). Complexes 2-7 feature planar geometries about the NHP(+) phosphorus atom and unusually short Ni-P distances, indicative of multiple bonding resulting from both P → Ni σ donation and Ni → P π backbonding. This bonding description is supported by theoretical studies using natural bond orbital analysis.
Communist Multiculturalism: Ethnic Revival in Southwest China

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Susan K. McCarthy Year: 2009 Pages: 248 Publisher: University of Washington Press ISBN: 9780295989082 (hard cover). Prices: $70.00 USD(hard cover).
Error correction codes

“HiTech” devices, which permeate our life, carry out an infinite number of operations thanks to the information stored inside. The memory contained in these devices, like the memory of human beings, is neither infallible nor eternal. We all live with these devices, accepting the risk that, every now and then, they might fail. It is up to electronic systems designers to evaluate, for every specific application, an “acceptable” error probability. The acceptable error probability in the control unit of an automobile engine or of the car’s ABS is, for obvious reasons, very different from the acceptable error probability for the memory of a video game; and the impact of this reliability on the cost of the device is surely different.
CLIMATE AND THE OCEAN CIRCULATION

Abstract The ocean model used in a calculation of the earth's climate is described in detail. Compared with earlier numerical models used in ocean circulation studies, the present model includes several new features. Temperature and salinity are treated separately. Density is calculated with an accurate equation of state for sea water. The model also includes a method for calculating the growth and movement of sea ice. Due to the very slow adjustment of the deep water in the ocean model, a numerical integration extending over the equivalent of a century fails to reach a climatic equilibrium. At the termination of the run, the surface layers of the ocean show little change with respect to time, but the average heating rate for the ocean as a whole is 2° per century. The salinity patterns at the termination of the run are highly realistic compared to observations. A halocline forms in the Arctic Zone and a surface salinity maximum is present in the subtropics. A weak salinity minimum at a depth of 1 km indi...
Reduced germination of Clostridium botulinum type A spores in vitro by polymorphonuclear leukocytes from chronic granulomatous disease.

Leukocytes from two patients with chronic granulomatous disease of childhood (CGD) and from one female carrier were examined for their capacity to induce germination of Clostridium botulinum type A spores in vitro. Normal human leukocytes induced germination of C. botulinum spores to the same extent as guinea pig neutrophils. Germination was depressed by more than half when cells from CGD patients were used. A noticeable, but less severe, abnormality was present in leukocytes from a female carrier for this X-linked trait. CGD leukocytes are defective in cellular production of H2O2, and the latter is known to be effective in inducing germination of clostridial spores. Lysozyme is also known to be effective in spore germination and is present in CGD leukocytes in normal amounts. The posibility that C. botulinum spores require a mechanism which sensitizes them to the action of H2O2 and lysozyme is raised, and it is suggested that the methodology used in this work measures a defect of such a mechanism in CGD leukocytes.
Bis­[(μ‐1,3‐di­phenyl­propane‐1,3‐dionato‐O,O′:O′)di­methyl­thallium], [(CH3)2Tl(bzbz)]2

The title compound, [Tl2(CH3)4(C15H11O2)2], contains two five-coordinate Tl atoms. Two crystallographically independent mol­ecules, symmetries 1 and \overline 1, have essentially the same geometry except for the rotations of the phenyl rings. The Tl—O distances in the monomer chelate ring average 2.467 (15) A. The Tl—O distances between the two monomer units average 2.78 (2) A. The Tl—C distances average 2.123 (11) A. The Tl atoms are not coplanar with the chelate rings. The independent mol­ecules are related by an approximate pseudosymmetry.
NMR coupling, hybrid orbital character, and bond distances in boron hydrides

Abstract Boron-boron coupling constants for B(1)-B(3) of B 4 H 10 , B(1)-B(4) of CB 5 H 9 , and a number of other compounds have been determined. From both J ( 11 B-H) and J ( 11 B- 11 B) values for B,.H6, 11,11,0, and B 5 H 9 a set of s B -orbital populations have been derived, and found to compare favorably to those obtained from PRDDO wavefunctions. Also, J ( 11 B-H) is shown to be a function of bond distance and from this a more reasonable bond length of 1.30 A is suggested for the unique bridge hydrogen, bonded to the apex boron of B 5 H 11 ; and predictions of J = 14 (±10%) Hz for B(2)-H μ2,3 and J = 41 (±10%) Hz for B(3)-H μ2,3 of B 5 H 11 , as well as 24 (±10%) Hz for B(5)-H μ of 2,3-C 2 B 4 H 8 , are made.
Plasmid-Mediated Production of Staphylococcin in Bacteriophage Type 71 Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcin production by Staphylococcus aureus strain C55 was eliminated when producing strains were exposed to various curing treatments. Acridine orange, ethidium bromide, and sodium dodecyl sulfate each effected less than 15% cure rates in treated cells. Rifampin eliminated the staphylococcin in 83% of treated isolates, and growth at 42 C resulted in a 97% cure rate. Curing of staphylococcin production and elimination of penicillinase plasmid were independent of one another. Several characteristics of the cured strains were examined and compared with the bacteriocin-producing strains. Whereas bacteriocin-producing cells were resistant to the bactericidal action of the staphylococcin and failed to adsorb it, cured cells adsorbed the staphylococcin and were susceptible to its lethal effect.
Magnetically tunable Nanocomposites for microwave applications

In this work, tunability of the microwave properties of Magneto-Dielectric Polymer Nanocomposites (MDPNCs) has been demonstrated for the first time. Particularly, permeability, permittivity and loss factor were tuned by an externally applied DC magnetic field with strength achievable by commercial permanent magnets. The considerable tunability, ease of manufacturing, compatibility with multilayer RF laminates and substrate implementation make this material well-suited for use in tunable microwave circuits. Two custom-built microstrip test fixtures using multi-layer substrates were employed to extract the permeability, permittivity and loss tangent of MDPNCs using S-parameter measurements.
Moduli spaces of 2-stage Postnikov systems

Abstract Using the obstruction theory of Blanc, Dwyer and Goerss, we compute the moduli space of realizations of 2-stage Π-algebras concentrated in dimensions 1 and n or in dimensions n and n + 1 . The main technical tools are Postnikov truncation and connected covers of Π-algebras, and their effect on Quillen cohomology.
Cardiovascular Regulation of Vasopressin Neurons in the Supraoptic Nucleus

Abstract This paper reviews the regulation of hypothalamic vasopressin and oxytocin neurosecretory cells in the neural response to plasma volume expansion. Many questions remain unanswered regarding how an increase in volume affects neurohypophysial hormone secretion, what receptors are important in mediating this response, and which neural pathways are responsible for conveying the signal from those receptors to the hypothalamus. Plasma volume expansion activates regions of the central nervous system associated with inhibition of vasopressin release, oxytocin secretion, and inhibition of sympathetic nerve activity. Cardiac receptors, not arterial baroreceptors, are primarily responsible for activation of the regions associated with regulation of vasopressin secretion and sympathetic outflow. Other stimuli that as yet are undefined account for activation of oxytocin-secreting neurons. Electrophysiology experiments have measured the inhibition of vasopressin-secreting magnocellular neurons in the supraoptic nucleus by select stimulation of cardiac receptors in the caval–atrial junction. Further experiments suggest that the perinuclear zone, a population of neurons surrounding the supraoptic nucleus, is a necessary part of the pathway by which caval–atrial stretch decreases the excitability of vasopressin neurons. The perinuclear zone is also a necessary synapse for arterial baroreceptor-mediated inhibition of vasopressin neurons. This suggests that the neural pathways that inhibit vasopressin release in response to an increase in blood pressure and an increase in blood volume may overlap at the perinuclear zone of the supraoptic nucleus. Finally, the integration of various neural pathways activated by multiple receptors to ultimately determine the activity of magnocellular neurons and vasopressin secretion is discussed.
Palladium-catalyzed alpha-arylation of esters with chloroarenes.

Palladium-catalyzed α-arylations of esters with chloroarenes are reported. The reactions of chloroarenes with the sodium enolates of tert-butyl propionate and methyl isobutyrate occur in high yields with 0.2−1 mol % of {[P(t-Bu)3]PdBr}2 or the combination of Pd(dba)2 and P(t-Bu)3 as catalyst. The reactions of chloroarenes with the Reformatsky reagent of tert-butyl acetate were most challenging but occurred in high yields for chlorobenzene and electron-poor chloroarenes catalyzed by 1 mol % of Pd(dba)2 and pentaphenylferrocenyl di-tert-butylphosphine (Q-phos).
The Sterols and Triterpenes of Banana Pulp

SUMMARY: Using thin-layer chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography the following substances were identified in banana pulp (Musa saplentum L.): Cycloartenol, cycloeucalenol, 24-methylene cycloartanol, campesterol, β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. The major triterpene was 24-methylene cycloartanol while β-sitosterol accounted for greater than 72% of the sterol fraction.
A comparative analysis of three electronically monitored home detention programs

During the 1980s correctional officials focused considerable energy on the development of intermediate sanctions as alternatives to incarceration. One such alternative is electronically monitored home detention. Although the electronic monitoring equipment was not commercially available until late in 1984, programs were operating in all 50 states by 1990. This study presents a comparative analysis of three electronic monitoring programs: a program for adults charged with a criminal offense and unable to obtain pretrial release; a program designed as an alternative to incarceration for convicted adult offenders; and a program for adjudicated juvenile burglars. Each program operated in the same jurisdiction, used essentially the same equipment, and imposed similar rules and restrictions on behavior. The analysis focuses on comparisons of program delivery, clients' performance, and programmatic sources of variation. The implications of the findings for future program development and evaluation are discussed.
Antarctic Marine Geology

It is a distinct pleasure to have reviewed the recent synthesis produced by John Anderson on the marine geology of Antarctica because I have been aware of the growth of this literature since its inception nearly 30 years ago. Marine geology plays a much more significant role to our understanding of the continent of Antarctica than for any other continent. This is largely due to the glacial carapace that envelops more than 95% of the landmass. Hence an understanding of the surrounding marine geological context for Antarctica provides the clearest picture of the geologic evolution of the continent, especially for the Cenozoic period.
Biophysical properties and regulation of GABAA receptor channels

Abstract When GABA binds to the GABAA receptor, bursts of chloride ion channel openings occur, resulting in membrane hyperpolarization. Barbiturates increase current by increasing mean channel open time, and the convulsant drug picrotoxin decreases current by decreasing mean channel open time. The two drugs bind to allosterically coupled sites on the receptor to regulate channel gating. Benzodiazepines increase and β-carbolines decrease channel opening frequency by binding to the benzodiazepine receptor on GABAA receptor channels. Neurosteroids increase current by increasing mean channel open time and opening frequency, possibly by interacting with a specific site on the GABAA receptor. The convulsant drug penicillin reduces current by producing open channel block. The GABAA receptor subunits contain consensus sequences for phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent kinase, C kinase and tyrosine kinase. The functional consequences of receptor phosphorylation remain unclear. In future studies the use of molecular biological and single channel recording techniques should allow characterization of the properties of GABAA receptor channels, the role of receptor phosphorylation and the specific mechanisms of actions of regulatory drugs.
Factors Contributing to Preservice Teachers' Management of Children's Problem Behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to assess factors that contribute to preservice teachers' choice of a helping or a restrictive strategy to manage social immaturity and social defiance behaviors among children. Levels of tolerance, opinions as to the causes of behavior, perceptions of adverse effects or costs of problem behaviors, and choice of strategy were measured in response to hypothetical samples of problem behavior. Regression analyses indicated that the costs of problem behavior significantly predicted the type of strategy that would be chosen. Training preservice teachers to manage these costs was the main implication for teacher training programs.
The Role of the Cruciate and Posterolateral Ligaments in Stability of the Knee A Biomechanical Study

The role of the posterolateral and cruciate ligaments in restraining knee motion was studied in 11 human ca daveric knees. The posterolateral ligaments sectioned included the lateral collateral and arcuate ligaments, the popliteofibular ligament, and the popliteal tendon at tachment to the tibia. Combined sectioning of the an terior cruciate and posterolateral ligaments resulted in maximal increases in primary anterior and posterior translations at 30° of knee flexion. Primary varus, pri mary internal, and coupled external rotation also in creased and were maximal at 30° of knee flexion. Com bined sectioning of the posterior cruciate and posterolateral ligaments resulted in increased primary posterior translation, primary varus and external rota tion, and coupled external rotation at all angles of knee flexion. Examination of the knee at 30° and 90° of knee flexion can discriminate between combined posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral injury and isolated posterolateral injury. The standard exter...
Radial modulation contrast imaging using a 20-mhz single-element intravascular ultrasound catheter

Contrast-enhanced intravascular ultrasound imaging is a promising tool for the characterization of coronary vasa vasorum proliferation, which has been identified as a marker of, and possible etiologic factor in, the development of high-risk atherosclerotic plaques. Resonance-based nonlinear detection methods have required the development of prototype catheters which are not commercially available, thus limiting clinical translation. In this study, we investigated the performances of a radial modulation imaging approach (25/3 MHz combination) using simulations, implemented it on a clinical 20-MHz rotating catheter, and tested it in a wall-less tissue-mimicking flow phantom perfused with lipid-encapsulated microbubbles (MBs). The effects of the phase lag, low-frequency pressure, and MB concentration on the envelope subtracted radial modulation signals were investigated as a function of depth. Our dual-pulse dual-frequency approach produced contrast-specific images with contrast-to-tissue improvements over B-mode of 15.1 ± 2.1 dB at 2 mm and 6.8 ± 0.1 dB at 4 mm depths. Using this imaging strategy, 200 μm-diameter cellulose tubing perfused with MBs could be resolved while surrounding tissue scattering was suppressed. These results raise promise for the detection of coronary vasa vasorum and may ultimately facilitate the detection of plaque at risk for rupture.
CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells Promote Th17 Cells In Vitro and Enhance Host Resistance in Mouse Candida albicans Th17 Cell Infection Model

Summary Th17 cells and CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + regulatory T (Treg) cells are thought to promote and suppress inflammatory responses, respectively. Here we explore why under Th17 cell polarizing conditions, Treg cells did not suppress, but rather upregulated, the expression of interleukin-17A (IL-17A), IL-17F, and IL-22 from responding CD4 + T cells (Tresp cells). Upregulation of IL-17 cytokines in Tresp cells was dependent on consumption of IL-2 by Treg cells, especially at early time points both in vitro and in vivo. During an oral Candida albicans infection in mice, Treg cells induced IL-17 cytokines in Tresp cells, which markedly enhanced fungal clearance and recovery from infection. These findings show how Treg cells can promote acute Th17 cell responses to suppress mucosal fungus infections and reveal that Treg cells have a powerful capability to fight infections besides their role in maintaining tolerance or immune homeostasis.
Mycoplasma genes: a case for reflective annotation

Although function can be assigned to genome sequence by homology at a macroscopic level, this can be misleading in the absence of data on enzyme activities. Together, such data can reveal whether open reading frames are expressed, identify multienzyme function and point to 'orphan' function. Because of their small size and small genomes, the genome sequences of some Mycoplasma spp. are very amenable to detailed analyses.
A global minimum search algorithm for estimating the distance to uncontrollability

Abstract Let A ϵ R n,n and B ϵ R n,m . We suggest a new search algorithm for estimating the distance μ( A, B ) of a controllable pair ( A, B ) to the set of uncontrollable pairs by estimating the global minimum of the function σ min ([A – λI,B]), λ ϵ C , where σ min (·) denotes the smallest singular value of a matrix. Using simple properties of this function due to Ralph Byers, one first observes that, provided rank B n , the minimization problem can be transformed to a minimization problem in the bounded region {( x , z ):| x |⩽ ‖ A ‖ 2 , | z |⩽ ‖ A ‖ 2 } in the two-dimensional real plane. The algorithm then progressively partitions this region into simplexes, and by determining whether their vertices ( x j , z j ) satisfy z j > min y ϵ R σ min ([A − (x j +iy)I,B]) ,it computes after a finite number of steps upper and lower bounds for μ( A, B ). The difference between the two is small if μ( A, B ) is small, while the lower bound is larger if μ( A, B ) is large, thus ensuring safe decisions. An error analysis, numerical examples, and an operation count are all presented. Only simple modifications of the search region are necessary to extend the applicability of the algorithm to the case when rank B ⩽ n .
Bridging treatment and stroke.

How Kass-Hout et al. selected which patients to treat with combined therapy and which to treat with endovascular therapy alone is unclear. They list a number of variables that would favor one therapeutic option or the other, including the proximity of the clot and the severity of the patient’s stroke. Similarly, they provide no timeframe for determining the failure of intravenous thrombolysis. These factors taken alone or together certainly complicate the conclusions of this study.
Suffering and its professional transformation: toward an ethnography of interpersonal experience.

The authors define experience as an intersubjective medium of microcultural and infrapolitical processes in which something is at stake for participants in local worlds. Experience so defined mediates (and transforms) the relationship between context and person, meaning and psychobiology in health and illness and in healing. Building on this theoretical background, an approach to ethnography is illustrated through an analysis of suffering in Chinese society. The embodied memory of a survivor of serious trauma during the Cultural Revolution provides an example. From there, the authors go on to describe a framework of indigenous Chinese categories for the analysis of experience — mianzi (face), quanxi (connections), renqing (situated emotion), bao (reciprocity). The paper concludes with a discussion of the existential limits of this and other anthropological approaches to the study of experience as moral process.
Functionalization of nanoparticles for dispersion in polymers and assembly in fluids

The fluorescent, magnetic, and conductive properties of nanoparticles can transform polymer-based materials into composites with higher levels of sophistication than found in polymers alone. The ligand chemistry of nanoparticles is critically important in the development of polymer-nanoparticle composites to prevent nanoparticle aggregation and direct their assembly within polymers. Nanoparticle ligands can also prevent aggregation in solution and direct the assembly of nanoparticles at fluid-fluid interfaces, where interfacial chemistries can be performed to provide new routes to ultrathin composite sheets and capsules.
Adhesive tape remover pads: a risk to the newborn?

To the Editor .—1,1,1-Trichloroethane (TCE), also known as methyl chloroform, is a solvent used to remove grease, oil, or wax from metal surfaces. Disposable gauze pads saturated with TCE have found wide acceptance in hospitals as an adhesive tape remover. In the newborn intensive care unit, these pads are used to remove tape from intravenous sites and from around the nose and mouth when nasal cannulae and endotracheal tubes are removed. 1,1,1-Trichloroethane is rapidly absorbed through the lungs, and its clinical effects are related to its concentration in the air. 1,2 1,1,1-Trichloroethane levels of 160 ppm have been measured in incubator air following the use of adhesive tape remover pads on an infant mannequin. 3 The situation exists, therefore, where appreciable quantities might be inhaled by very small infants. This possibility is enhanced if TCE is applied close to the nares. Furthermore, although TCE absorption through the skin has been
Beyond generalized hair cells: molecular cues for hair cell types.

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) are crucial for inner ear neurosensory development. The proneural TF Atoh1 regulates the differentiation of hair cells (HCs) whereas Neurog1 and Neurod1 regulate specification and differentiation of neurons, respectively, but also affect HC development. Expression of Delta and Jagged ligands in nascent HCs and Notch receptors in supporting cells induce supporting cell differentiation through the regulation of neurogenic bHLH TFs (such as Hes1, Hes5) and suppression of limited Atoh1 expression. In sensorineural hearing loss, HCs are lost followed by supporting cells and progressive degeneration of neurons, at least in rodents. Regaining complete hearing may require reconstituting the organ of Corti from scratch, including the two types of HCs, inner and outer hair cells with the precise sorting of two types of afferent (type I and II) and efferent (lateral and medial olivo-cochlear) innervation. We review effects of bHLH TF dosage and their cross-regulation to differentiate HC types in the organ of Corti. We categorize findings of specific gene expressions in HCs: 1. as markers without meaning for the regeneration task, 2. as stabilizers who are needed to maintain or complete differentiation, and 3. as decision-making genes, expressed and acting early enough to be useful in this process. Only one TF has been characterized that fits the last aspect: Atoh1. We propose that temporal and intensity variations of Atoh1 are naturally modulated to differentiate specific types of HCs. Importantly, the molecular means to modify the Atoh1 expression are at least partially understood and can be readily implemented in the attempts to regenerate specific types of HCs.
Physical Gelation of Organic Fluids by Anthraquinone−Steroid-Based Molecules. Structural Features Influencing the Properties of Gels

Ten new molecules containing 2-anthraquinonyl, steroidal groups, and various linking groups have been synthesized. Several structural properties of the new molecules have been found to influence gelation abilities: (1) gelation is facilitated by β stereochemistry at C-3 of the steroidal moiety; (2) minor modifications of the C-17 alkyl chain of the steroidal moiety do not destroy gelling ability; and (3) the length and functionality of the linker group can affect gelation ability significantly, although the number of examples studied is not sufficient to discern a clear correlation. Gelation temperatures (Tg) were measured for several gels by the “inverse-flow” and “ball-drop” methods. Since gels composed of cholesteryl 4-(2-anthraquinonyloxy)butanoate (1) and d-, l-, or dl-2-octanol have virtually the same Tgs over a range of gelator concentrations, specific liquid−gelator interactions do not appear to be a sensitive variable, at least when the liquid molecules being compared are similar in shape. Liqui...
Effects of 1,25(OH)2D3, 25OHD3, and EB1089 on cell growth and Vitamin D receptor mRNA and 1α-hydroxylase mRNA expression in primary cultures of the canine prostate ☆

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) (calcitriol), 25OHD(3), and EB1089 on cell growth and on Vitamin D receptor (VDR) mRNA and 1alpha-hydroxylase (1alpha-OHase) mRNA expression in normal canine prostatic primary cultures. Canine prostatic epithelial cells were isolated, cultured, and treated with vehicle (ethanol), calcitriol, 25OHD(3), and EB1089 at 10(-9) and 10(-7)M. The VDR was present in epithelial and stromal cells of the canine prostate gland. 1,25(OH)(2)D(3), 25OHD(3), and EB1089 inhibited epithelial cell growth at 10(-7)M compared to vehicle-treated controls [calcitriol (P < 0.01), EB1089 (P < 0.01), and 25OHD(3) (P < 0.05)]. Epithelial cells treated with calcitriol and EB1089 at 10(-7)M had slightly increased VDR mRNA expression (0.2-0.3-fold) at 6 and 12h compared to controls. There was no difference in 1alpha-OHase mRNA expression in epithelial cells treated with these three compounds. 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) and its analogs may be effective antiproliferative agents of epithelial cells in certain types of prostate cancer.
An effective system to produce smoke solutions from dried plant tissue for seed germination studies.

Premise of the study: An efficient and inexpensive system was developed to produce smoke solutions from plant material to research the influence of water-soluble compounds from smoke on seed germination. Methods and Results: Smoke solutions (300 mL per batch) were produced by burning small quantities (100–200 g) of dried plant material from a range of species in a bee smoker attached by a heater hose to a side-arm flask. The flask was attached to a vacuum water aspirator, to pull the smoke through the water. The entire apparatus was operated in a laboratory fume hood. Conclusions: Compared with other smoke solution preparation systems, the system described is easy to assemble and operate, inexpensive to build, and effective at producing smoke solutions from desired species in a small indoor space. Quantitative measurements can be made when using this system, allowing for replication of the process.
The behavior of isolated zymogen granules: pH-dependent release and reassociation of protein

Abstract 1. 1. The release of chymotrypsinogen, trypsinogen, and amylase from zymogen granules which were isolated from rat pancreas was studied as a function of pH. Enzyme release was lowest at slightly acid pH and increased progressively as pH was raised above neutrality. When pH was plotted against the percentage of enzyme released from the granules different curves were formed for different enzyme species. 2. 2. At alkaline pH's enzyme release was essentially complete within the time required to separate the granules from the suspending medium by centrifugation, but release kinetics could be followed in “unstable” acid conditions (pH 4.5). At pH 4.5 a time-dependent release of trypsinogen could be followed under conditions in which the homologous protein, chymotrypsinogen, was completely retained within the granules. 3. 3. Granule contents which were released at alkaline pHs could be reassociated or reaggregated when the pH of the suspension was again made acidic. As much as 90 % of the original protein content of the granules could be reassociated. This pH-dependent reassociation required the presence of granule membrane and perhaps a non-secreted lipoidal moiety as well. 4. 4. These experiments support the view that the zymogen granule is either internally ordered or that different granules contain different enzymes or groups of enzymes. Furthermore, the digestive enzymes appear to associate in some manner with molecules forming part of the granule membrane. A hypothesis is proposed to explain the results in which polymers of a particular digestive enzyme form as a result of the association of a molecule of this enzyme with granule membrane.
Improving healthcare worker hand hygiene: show me more!

For centuries, we have known that healthcare worker hand hygiene prevents transmission of pathogens between patients, reduces rates of healthcare-associated infections and saves lives. For decades, we have documented low rates of healthcare worker compliance with recommended hand hygiene practices, accepting them with a degree of resignation that might drive a modern-day Semmelweis to an asylum. In recent years, however, as the patient safety movement has gained momentum, increasing calls for safer healthcare environments have come from patients, regulatory agencies, the media, politicians and even some healthcare epidemiologists. Since 2004, The Joint Commission has required US hospitals to demonstrate compliance with hand hygiene guidelines published by either the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization to be accredited.1 2 In this context, studies such as the one by Saint and colleagues3 seek to demonstrate both that hand hygiene can be improved and how it can be improved (see page 429) . This is information we sorely need. Saint’s work might best be seen as a seductive “trailer” …
A computer aided method for symbolic transfer function determination

Abstract To find the corresponding transfer function of a state space model is straightforward ; however, when the system is large, and also we want the original symbols to be preserved, the problem is not a simple one, even with the aid of a computer. In fact, state space models, especially for large dimensional cases, frequently involve sparse matrices. For simplifying the calculation, we should take advantage of the sparse property ; otherwise, the problem will be unnecessarily complicated. This paper mainly uses the outer product in the Grassmann sense to solve the sparse determinant symbolically.
Estimating coefficients of two-phase linear regression model with autocorrelated errors

Abstract From the frequentist's standpoint, here is presented an iterative algorithm for estimating the unknown parameters of two-phase linear regression model with autocorrelated errors. The case in which a change point is unknown is considered. Applications of two-phase linear regression model are mentioned. Also, a numerical example using the sediment settling data is employed to illustrate the proposed algorithm.
Experimental Evaluation of Air Injection for Actuation of Rotating Stall in a Low Speed, Axial Fan

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the effects of air injection on the rotating stall instability in a low speed axial compressor. Two experiments concerning air injection were tried. The first experiment used a continuous forcing perpendicular to the flow in the same or opposite direction of the tip velocity. The results show a dramatic difference between the two directions, with opposite direction forcing causing a significant increase in performance, and same direction forcing causing a significant decrease in performance. This result contradicts the Emmons stall propagation model. The second experiment investigated the differences with respect to different frequencies of air injection, with the injector pointed at the fan, parallel to the flow. We found that the change in the compressor characteristic in the unstalled region was highly dependent upon the forcing frequency with the maximum change occurring near the frequency of stall.Copyright © 1995 by ASME
Photometric and polarimetric properties of the Bruderheim chondritic meteorite

Photometric and polarimetric laboratory measurements were made as a function of phase angle in the U(0.36 microns), G(0.54 microns) and R(0.67 microns) bands for 0, 30 and 60 deg incident illumination on four particle size ranges of Bruderheim, an L6 olivine-hypersthene chondritic meteorite. The four particle size ranges were: 0.25-4.76 mm coated with less than 74 microns powder, 74-250 microns, and less than 37 microns. In addition, normal reflectance measurements were made in the spectral range from 0.31 to 1.1 microns. Comparison with astronomical data reveals that none of the asteroids in the main belt for which adequate observations exist can be matched with Bruderheim, which is representative of the most common meteoritic material encountered by the Earth. However, it appears from the polarization and photometry data that the surface of the Apollo asteroid Icarus is consistent with an ordinary chondrite composition. This suggests the possibility that this material, although common in Earth-crossing orbits, is rare as a surface constituent in the main asteroid belt.
Birefringence control for ion-exchanged channel glass waveguides

We show that at 1.55-mum wavelength the waveguide birefringence of ion-exchanged channel waveguides in glass can be broadly tuned by a potassium and silver double-ion exchange. Two different potassium and silver double-ion-exchange processes are used to make surface waveguides with negligible waveguide birefringence. This process is crucially important in the manufacture of devices for dense wavelength-division multiplexing systems. The dependence of the waveguide birefringence on the channel width is also reported.
Communication apprehension as a determinant of avoidance, withdrawal and performance anxiety

Although communication apprehension (CA) is often presented as having a major impact on communication related behavior, the extant literature provides neither strong nor direct support for such claims. In the present research (1) behavior was viewed as a single index of disjunctively connected response options including avoidance, withdrawal and anxiety and (2) CA was viewed as a categorical rather than a continuous variable. Results of two separate studies provide direct evidence suggesting that CAs avoid communication if possible and report considerable anxiety when forced to communicate.
Acute acalculous cholecystitis in childhood

Abstract Acute acalculous cholecystitis is not frequently encountered at any age. Hoerr and Hazard have attested to the fact that in adults acalculous cholecystitis may occur in 5 per cent of all patients undergoing cholecystectomy for gallbladder disease. 1 The incidence of this disorder in childhood is equally rare. Nevertheless, it occurs sufficiently often for its possible presentation to be kept in mind. The first report of cholecystitis in childhood was made by Gibson in 1722, 2 and the first comprehensive presentation on the subject was made by Potter in 1938. 3 A correlative review of cholecystitis in childhood was made by Ulin, at which time he reviewed all cases reported to 1948 and sifted out 326 proven cases of cholecystitis in childhood. In 68 per cent of these cases cholelithiasis was present, leaving 32 per cent of cases with acalculous cholecystitis. It is of interest that 6 per cent of these cases had choledocholithiasis and that 2 cases of carcinoma of the gallbladder were found in this review. 4,5 Although Arnspiger 6 has reported on a 17-day-old infant and an occasional case of cholecystitis has been seen even earlier, the average age of onset is between 8 and 10 years. Two patients, aged 8 and 9, are reported here with this disorder.
Infant asthma: Genetic predisposition and environmental influences

Abstract Asthma is reportedly the most common chronic disease among children. This inflammatory disease of the respiratory system usually begins during the first years of life in genetically predisposed children exposed to individually specific environmental stimuli. An increased prevalence has occurred worldwide since the early 1980s with the greatest increase (160%) found in children from birth to age 4 years. The reason behind this increase remains unclear since 1) studies indicate incidence in more polluted countries is lower than in less polluted countries that offer better medical treatment options and 2) it is not possible that the genes involved have altered significantly in the past 20 years to effect this type of change. Scientists are currently investigating many areas that might help explain the age and onset of pediatric asthma. These areas of research include the immune system, genetic involvement, and environmental antagonists. This article explores these key areas. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Special classes of generalized coherent rings

1. Preliminaries. For rings with identity, well known proper inclusions exist among the classes of semisimple, left hereditary, left semihereditary, left noetherian, yon Neumann regular, and left coherent rings. Now all but the first two of these classes involve certain notions of finiteness (for example, a ring is left noetherian if and only if all of its left ideals are finitely generated). In this paper, we shall investigate the above inclusions in the setting of rings with several objects, where the finiteness conditions have been replaced by corresponding conditions involving an arbitrary cardinal number Rp. For /~=>0, Rp denotes the/3th cardinal in the wellordered class of infinite cardinals and R-1 denotes any finite cardinal. We remark that, when used in classical finite settings, the R_ ~ either is replaced by "finitely" or does not occur. A ring with several objects is a small additive category, denoted by c~. Note that a ring with a single object is just a ring with identity. We ask that cg be small in order to guarantee that the class of covariant, additive functors from cg to d ~ can be realized as a category, denoted by -~r We remark that for a ring with identity R, the category d ~ R is (isomorphic to) the class of left R-modules RMod. A morphism r/E~c~(M, N) will be denoted by M3~.N. Also, for pElCgl=set of objects of c~, Cg(p, _ ) will denote the covariant horn fuactor from cg to ~r If {M~}a~A is a family of objects of d ~ ~e, we denote by ~M). the coproduct of the lira ~IAfamily. Finally, if {M~M,]2, pEA, )o~#} is a direct system in ~r then --X~,~ denotes the direct limit of the system. The following definitions are basic and will be used throughout this paper. In most cases a particular definition is a natural generalization of the classical definition for a ring with a sing!e object. In all cases, a statement gotten by setting ]~ = 1 is equivalent to the classical single object definition.
All Politics is Not Local: National Forces in State Abortion Initiatives

Objective. Although research suggests that national forces can play a role in local and state elections, most of this work has only recently begun to examine the potential role of national forces in state or local ballot initiative or referenda elections. Methods. Our research addresses this gap in the literature by exploring the influence of national forces, such as the timing of elections, Supreme Court rulings, the activities of interest groups, and public opinion, on state direct legislation elections. We incorporate national forces into the morality politics framework and derive specific hypotheses. We then test these hypotheses by conducting a multivariate analysis of county-level voting patterns across 16 abortion-related direct legislation elections. Results. Our results confirm most of the hypotheses derived from the morality politics framework, including those concerning the role of national forces. Conclusions. Voting patterns on abortion tend to be influenced by the presence of presidential elections, Supreme Court rulings, interest-group activity, public opinion, partisanship, college education, and conservative religious forces. We discuss the implications of our findings for research on elections, abortion policy, and morality politics. In the American political system federalism plays a significant role in
Strength of quasi-isotropic laminates under off-axis loading

Abstract An experimental investigation was carried out to determine the failure properties of quasi-isotropic AS4/3501-6 carbon/epoxy laminates under conditions where the loading axis did not coincide with the fiber axis. A tubular specimen subjected to combinations of pressure and axial tension was used to determine the response under various tension-tension biaxial stress states. The results showed no loss of strength with rotation of the laminate orientation with respect to the loading axes at angles including 22·5°,the maximum possible for the laminate used. Maximum fiber direction strains at failure were essentially independent of the rotation of the laminate as well as the biaxial stress state.
Nuclear spin weights and gas phase spectral structure of 12C60 and 13C60 buckminsterfullerene

Rotational energy levels and high resolution rovibrational spectra of gas phase buckminsterfullerene is strongly effected by the Pauli exclusion principle. Very different rovibrational fine structure patterns will be seen for differing arrangements of 13C and 12C isotopes. Only two extreme cases 12C60 and 13C60 actually have icosahedral symmetry. Those two cases will have relatively uncluttered spectral patterns and simpler rotational dynamics. Their analysis in turn will be a prerequisite to analyses of rotational dynamics of mixed cases. An understanding of gas phase rotational dynamics may also help to understand dynamics of icosahedral hindered rotors in the fullerite solids.