Did the price control achieve its goal?

As a result of the 1973 oil embargo and the subsequent increase of world oil prices, the oil price control program took place in order to reduce the impact of sharply higher external oil prices. In this regard, since the domestic price for oil was below that of the world market, the price control effort seemed to be regarded as successful. Did the oil price control achieve its goal? Maybe not. This study shows that the price control for the domestically produced crude oil was ineffective and enhanced the ability of external suppliers to manipulate prices.Oil Price Price Control

Income Inequality and Marriage

This study examines the extent to which changes in household formation exacerbated income inequality in the United States during the last two generations. Using a time-varying parameter model, the impact on how marriage decisions, changes in human capital, and fertility choices influence inequality are estimated. The estimation results show that marital sorting evolves over time and positively and increasingly affects the degree of income inequality and intergenerational human capital transmission induces path-dependent income distribution dynamics. This suggests that intrahousehold choices explain a substantial proportion of income distribution dynamics.

A PWM/PFM Dual-Mode DC-DC Buck Converter with Load-Dependent Efficiency-Controllable Scheme for Multi-Purpose IoT Applications

This paper presents a dual-mode DC-DC buck converter including a load-dependent, efficiency-controllable scheme to support multi-purpose IoT applications. For light-load applications, a selectable adaptive on-time pulse frequency modulation (PFM) control is proposed to achieve optimum power efficiency by selecting the optimum switching frequency according to the load current, thereby reducing unnecessary switching losses. When the inductor peak current value or converter output voltage ripple are considered in some applications, its on-time can be adjusted further. In heavy-load applications, a conventional pulse width modulation (PWM) control scheme is adopted, and its gate driver is structured to reduce dynamic current, preventing the current from shooting through the power switch. A proposed dual-mode buck converter prototype is fabricated in a 180 nm CMOS process, achieving its measured maximum efficiency of 95.7% and power density of 0.83 W/mm(2)

Measurement of PM2.5 Mass Concentration Using an Electrostatic Particle Concentrator-Based Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most critical air pollutants, and various instruments have been developed to measure PM mass concentration. Of these, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) based instruments have received much attention. However, these instruments are subject to significant drawbacks: particle bounce due to poor adhesion, need for frequent cleanings of the crystal electrode, and non-uniform distribution of collected particles. In this study, we present an electrostatic particle concentrator (EPC)-based QCM (qEPC) instrument capable of measuring the mass concentration of PM 2.5 (PM smaller than 2.5 ??m), while avoiding the drawbacks. Experimental measurements showed high collection efficiencies (~99% at 1.2 liters/min), highly uniform particle distributions for long sampling periods (up to 120 min at 50 ??g/m 3 ), and high mass concentration sensitivity [0.068(Hz/min)/(??g/m 3 )]. The enhanced uniformity of particle deposition profiles and mass concentration sensitivity were made possible by the unique flow and electrical design of the qEPC instrument

Physical collection and viability of airborne bacteria collected under electrostatic field with different sampling media and protocols towards rapid detection

Electrostatic samplers have been increasingly studied for sampling of viral and bacterial aerosols, and bioaerosol samplers are required to provide concentrated liquid samples with high physical collection and biological recovery, which would be critical for rapid detection. Here, the effects of sampling media and protocols on the physical collection and biological recovery of two airborne bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens and Micrococcus luteus) under electrostatic field were investigated using a personal electrostatic particle concentrator (EPC). Deionized (DI) water with/without sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and phosphate buffered saline were tested as sampling media. A polystyrene container was mounted onto the collection electrode of the EPC for stable storage and vortexing after capture. Many bacterial cells were found to be deposited on the bottom surface of the container submerged in the media via electrophoresis, and among the tested sampling protocols, wet sampling with a container and subsequent vortexing offered the most bacteria in the collection suspension. Experiments with several sampling media showed that 0.001-0.01% SDS-DI water demonstrated the highest recovery rate in the EPC. These findings would be valuable in the field of sampling and subsequent rapid detection of bioaerosols

Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway Is Necessary for the Specification but Not the Maintenance of the Mouse Retinal Pigment Epithelium

β-Catenin (Ctnnb1) has been shown to play critical roles in the development and maintenance of epithelial cells, including the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Ctnnb1 is not only a component of intercellular junctions in the epithelium, it also functions as a transcriptional regulator in the Wnt signaling pathway. To identify which of its functional modalities is critically involved in mouse RPE development and maintenance, we varied Ctnnb1 gene content and activity in mouse RPE lineage cells and tested their impacts on mouse eye development. We found that a Ctnnb1 double mutant (Ctnnb1dm), which exhibits impaired transcriptional activity, could not replace Ctnnb1 in the RPE, whereas Ctnnb1Y654E, which has reduced affinity for the junctions, could do so. Expression of the constitutively active Ctnnb1∆ex3 mutant also suppressed the development of RPE, instead facilitating a ciliary cell fate. However, the post-mitotic or mature RPE was insensitive to the loss, inactivation, or constitutive activation of Ctnnb1. Collectively, our results suggest that Ctnnb1 should be maintained within an optimal range to specify RPE through transcriptional regulation of Wnt target genes in the optic neuroepithelium.</p

Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway Is Necessary for the Specification but Not the Maintenance of the Mouse Retinal Pigment Epithelium

β-Catenin (Ctnnb1) has been shown to play critical roles in the development and maintenance of epithelial cells, including the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Ctnnb1 is not only a component of intercellular junctions in the epithelium, it also functions as a transcriptional regulator in the Wnt signaling pathway. To identify which of its functional modalities is critically involved in mouse RPE development and maintenance, we varied Ctnnb1 gene content and activity in mouse RPE lineage cells and tested their impacts on mouse eye development. We found that a Ctnnb1 double mutant (Ctnnb1$^{dm}$), which exhibits impaired transcriptional activity, could not replace Ctnnb1 in the RPE, whereas Ctnnb1$^{Y654E}$, which has reduced affinity for the junctions, could do so. Expression of the constitutively active Ctnnb$^{1∆ex3}$ mutant also suppressed the development of RPE, instead facilitating a ciliary cell fate. However, the post-mitotic or mature RPE was insensitive to the loss, inactivation, or constitutive activation of Ctnnb1. Collectively, our results suggest that Ctnnb1 should be maintained within an optimal range to specify RPE through transcriptional regulation of Wnt target genes in the optic neuroepithelium