cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barriers and facilitators to older adults' use of nonpharmacologic approaches for chronic pain: a person-focused model.

ABSTRACT In the context of the opioid epidemic and the growing population of older adults living with chronic pain, clinicians are increasingly recommending nonpharmacologic approaches to patients as complements to or substitutes for pharmacologic treatments for pain. Currently, little is known about the factors that influence older adults' use of these approaches. We aimed to characterize the factors that hinder or support the use of nonpharmacologic approaches for pain management among older adults with multiple morbidities. We collected semistructured qualitative interview data from 25 older adults with multiple morbidities living with chronic pain for 6 months or more. Transcripts were coded to identify factors that hindered or supported participants' use of various nonpharmacologic approaches. We used the constant comparative method to develop a person-focused model of barriers and facilitators to participants' use of these approaches for chronic pain management. Participants described a wide range of factors that influenced their use of nonpharmacologic approaches. We grouped these factors into 3 person-focused domains: awareness of the nonpharmacologic approach as relevant to their chronic pain, appeal of the approach, and access to the approach. We propose and illustrate a conceptual model of barriers and facilitators to guide research and clinical care. This study identifies numerous factors that influence patients' use of nonpharmacologic approaches, some of which are not captured in existing research or routinely addressed in clinical practice. The person-centered model proposed may help to structure and support patient-clinician communication about nonpharmacologic approaches to chronic pain management.
Antibiotic Resistance in Bacillus-based Biopesticide Products

Abstract The crisis of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections is one of the most pressing public health issues. Common agricultural practices have been implicated in the generation of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Biopesticides, live bacteria used for pest control, are non-pathogenic and considered safe for consumption. Application of bacteria-based pesticides to crops in high concentrations raises the possibility of unintentional contributions to the movement and generation of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. However, the presence of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes and their resistance phenotypes are currently unknown. Here we use a combination of multiple bioinformatic and microbiological techniques to define resistomes of widely used biopesticides and determine how the presence of suspected antibiotic resistance genes translates to observable resistance phenotypes in several biopesticide products. Our results demonstrate that biopesticide products are reservoirs of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes and bear resistance to multiple drug classes. Importance This is the first study to specifically address antibiotic resistance in widely distributed bacterial strains used as commercial biopesticides. Safety assessments of commercial live bacterial biopesticide products do not include antibiotic resistance phenotype identification. We identify antibiotic resistance genes in all live bacterial strains examined, and resistant phenotypes in all strains tested for antibiotic susceptibility. This work demonstrates that biopesticides potentially play a critical role as reservoirs and vectors of antibiotic resistance in the broader environmental resistome that is to date, unstudied.
Tattoos and the interaction process: managing a tattooed identity

The practice of tattooing is something which has undergone a dramatic shift in recent years. Once something deemed worthy for only the lower-class echelons of society, tattooing is now practiced by those from a wide variety of classes, statuses, and demographic compositions. After providing a brief account of the historical and contemporary views associated with tattooing, this paper will discuss the ways in which tattooed individuals manage and negotiate their tattooed identity in relation to audience perceptions and expectations. It is argued that through utilizing various forms of identity work and impression management techniques, an individual’s tattooed identity is activated or deactivated dependent upon the interaction process with others.
Hunting and the Politics of Violence before the English Civil War: Honor, property, and the symbolism of the hunt in Stowe, 1590–1642

Some of them being armed with guns, some of them with swords, and some with clubs or pikestaves, were a hunting upon Sir Peter Temple's ground in the parish of Stowe, and killed a deer upon Sir Peter's ground, and gave out many bragging and daring words, some of them swearing that the deer was theirs and that they would carry him away or else they would lose their lives in the place. John Symons, June 1642 On 7 June 1642, John Symons, a servant of Sir Peter Temple, uttered this challenge, attempted to seize the deer, and received a painful blow to the head from John Rands, a servant of Peter Dayrell, his master's enemy. This violent wrangling over a dead animal in an obscure corner of northwestern Buckinghamshire may seem like a dubious place to begin a discussion of the common notions of order and hierarchy expressed in hunting. Most forms of violence, personal and collective, are taken as expressions of disorder, as evils usually banished from prescriptive notions of a rightly ordered world. John Symons himself held this view of the matter. According to Symons, the trespass on Sir Peter Temple's “ground” in Stowe, a disorderly and perhaps criminal action, caused the violent affray that culminated in the assault on his person. But even discounting Symons's obvious interest in redress for a sore head, violence is seldom construed as a part of the way order is made.
Early Outcomes With Marginal Donor Hearts Compared With Left Ventricular Assist Device Support in Patients With Advanced Heart Failure.

Background The shortage of donor hearts has limited cardiac transplantation for end-stage heart failure, leading to the increased use of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as bridge-to-transplant (BTT) and marginal donor hearts; however, outcomes have been mixed. This study examines differences in wait list survival of patients with continuous flow LVADs and post-transplantation survival of patients receiving a marginal donor heart. Methods The United Network of Organ Sharing database was retrospectively queried from January 2005 to June 2013 to identify adult patients listed for heart transplant. Marginal donor criteria included age greater than 55 years, hepatitis C positive, cocaine use, ejection fraction less than 0.45, or donor to recipient body mass index mismatch of greater than 20%. The primary endpoint was wait list survival of patients with LVADs compared with post-transplant survival of marginal donor heart recipients using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results A total of 2,561 and 4,737 patients received LVAD support or a marginal donor heart, respectively. The 30-day, 1-year, and 2-year survival was 96%, 89%, and 85%, for patients with LVAD support on the waiting list and 97%, 89%, and 85%, respectively, for recipients of marginal donor hearts ( p = 0.213). Recipients of marginal hearts had worse survival than non-marginal heart recipients at 3 years ( p = 0.011). Conclusions There was no significant difference between waiting list survival of patients with LVAD support as BTT and post-transplant survival of recipients with marginal donor hearts. There could be clinical benefits for using LVAD support as BTT to allow time for better allocation of optimal donor hearts as opposed to transplantation with a marginal donor heart.
Carbon particle phase stability as a function of size

The stability of particulate carbon formed in the detonation of high explosives has been investigated with first-principles and semiempirical molecular orbital calculations carried out on atomic clusters designed to represent the graphite and diamond phases. In order to compare the accuracy of different computational approximations, the dangling bonds were first capped with hydrogen atoms to maintain the sp2 or sp3 hybridization at the surface and then the surface contributions were removed by extrapolating the cohesive energies as a function of the cluster size. Calculations were also carried out on geometry optimized carbon clusters without capping atoms, resulting in reconstructed surfaces that may be a more realistic model for carbon formed under the extreme conditions of detonation. Comparison of the calculated heat of formation of graphite and diamond particles as a function of size predicts that the graphite phase becomes more stable for 104–105 carbon atoms.
Electromagnetic Response in Nuclei in Terms of the Quark Structure

In the short space available for this presentation, I would like to emphasize that three topics of current interest in nuclear physics: the EMC effect [1], the quenching of the longitudinal response seen in inclusive (e,e’) reactions [2], and the use of the Dirac equation to describe nucleon motion in nuclei [3–5], are all related to a single effect, the modification of the gluon condensate in nuclei [6]. We will argue that, in all three cases mentioned above, we are seeing the effects of a change of a QCD mass (or length) scale away from its vacuum value. The order parameter describing this scale change is an order parameter of the gluon condensate [7]. In the absence of current quark masses, there is only a single mass scale developed dynamically in QCD. It is possible to construct an effective Lagrangian for QCD [7] which only contains a single dimensional order parameter. A change in this parameter will lead to a corresponding change of all dimensional quantities. In particular, we have shown [6,7] how a length scale may be specified for QCD by making use of the gauge and Lorentz invariant parameter, $$ \left\langle {vac\left| {\frac{{{g^2}}}{{4{\pi^2}}}G_{{\mu \nu }}^aG_a^{{\mu \nu }}} \right|vac} \right\rangle = \frac{3}{{32{\pi^2}}}{g^2}\phi_0^2 $$ (1) Here g2 is the QCD coupling constant renormalized at the mass scale, µ2. (Equation (1) may be taken as a definition of the quantity g2φ 0 2 .) We remark that a value of 0.012 (GeV)4 has been obtained for the left-hand side of (1) in work on QCD sum-rules [8]. (Note that this quantity is a renormalization group invariant in a physical gauge.)
Medical Genetics in Britain: Development Since the 1940s

Medical genetics refers to the use of genetic information in the healthcare setting. This can include services such as providing an assessment of risk for the occurrence of gene-based disorders, employing tests to determine an individual's actual genetic status and using genetic approaches as part of treatments. Keywords: blood group research; genetic counseling; cytogenetics; Rh disease; polymorphism concept; medical genetics
The Miniaturization of Deep Space Telecommunications Systems

ABSTRACT As part of NASA's Discovery program, which focuses on exploring the solar system with inexpensive scientific spacecraft, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) was launched on February 17, 1996. It will rendezvous with the asteroid Eros in early 1999. With NEAR, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) continued its tradition of building small spacecraft and demonstrated that new technologies can be included in a cost-capped program. APL is currently working on the next generation of deep space and low Earth orbiting spacecraft. Next generation missions will require the use of smaller, more capable spacecraft, and some missions will use spacecraft clusters to perform multipoint scientific data collection. To reduce the size of the spacecraft, APL has defined a new architecture that incorporates spacecraft subsystems into an integrated electronics module to reduce mass, volume, and cost. This ”spacecraft in a box” not only includes subsystems that lend themselves to circuit board architecture, but also attacks the difficult problem of packaging the RF telecommunications system onto a set of cards. These cards use off-the-shelf monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) as well as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to provide the functionality that previously required a separate box. An innovative technique for noncoherent Doppler tracking permits the use of a transceiver-based system instead of a coherent transponder. This paper discusses the deep space telecommunications technology that will enable fiiture small spacecraft missions and presents recent APL technology developments and their applications to current flight programs.
Follow the Leader: Party Cues, Partisans, and Public Opinion in Old and New Democracies

Our goal in this paper is to reinvigorate the comparative study of partisan effects in an effort to begin to answer the following question: is partisanship a phenomenon that travels beyond the shores of the United States? If so, does it have different effects in different political contexts and, if that is the case, then why? To do so, we conduct experiments to test the impact of party cues on policy opinions of both partisans and non-partisans in one of the oldest democracies in the world, Great Britain, and two new post-communist democracies, Hungary and Poland. Our experiments test the effects of party cues on public opinion formation in two ways: Single Party Cue (SPC) experiments examine whether being told that one’s preferred party supports a particular policy proposal makes the respondent more likely to support that proposal; while Multiple Party Cue (MPC) experiments test whether the explicit linking of positions on a policy question to a number of political parties makes respondents more likely to select their preferred party’s position on that issue. Our findings are nuanced but clear: party cues can indeed have effects on public opinion formation by partisans outside of the United States, and these effects are both stronger and are more sharply distinguished between partisans and non-partisans in the established democracy of Great Britain. That being said, at least some of our findings from Hungary look surprisingly more similar to the results from Great Britain than they do to the results from Poland.
Criteria for Evaluating Pesticide Leaching Models

Mathematical models which permit query of “what if” scenarios are timely tools for assessing pesticide leaching potentials. Well-defined evaluation procedures for these important models have not, however, been firmly established. In this paper criteria for model evaluation are presented. Three examples of model testing are given. The models tested include a simple index of mobility and a deterministic-empirical simulation algorithm. The model testing examples make use of pesticide leaching data from Georgia and Hawaii.
Possible Explanation for Observed Effectiveness of Voltage-Controlled Anisotropy in CoFeB/MgO MTJ

Voltage-controlled switching of CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junctions has been analyzed using micromagnetic simulation that includes thermal fluctuations and surface roughness. It is shown that the large samples typically studied experimentally switch by domain wall motion, nucleated at points where the CoFeB is slightly thicker. This is a consequence of small thickness variations producing large percentage changes in the anisotropy owing to the near balance of interface anisotropy and shape anisotropy in these films. It is also found that these films are likely never saturated at the experimental fields employed owing to the importance of thermal fluctuations in the near 2-D geometry.
On the interplay between resource-management overhead and performance in sensor networks: An information theoretic approach

Resource management (RM) is a critical action in systems with limited resources such as sensor networks. Efficient RM depends heavily upon the availability of accurate information on the state of available resources. However, exchange of state information incurs an overhead on the system. In this paper, the sensing and computing resource management in sensor networks is considered. A lossless, distributed source-coding framework is presented to model the exchange of state information. The framework enables the characterization of the interplay between the performance and overhead of RM by leveraging the correlation among the state information of various nodes. Moreover, the proposed framework enables an improved estimate of the lower bound for the minimum control overhead necessary to accurately describe the state of nodes in the network. This improvement is achieved by exploiting the correlation among the state information of nodes as well as the available information on prior resource allocation actions as side information.
Relationship between Maternal Clinical Factors and Mother-Reported Child Problems

Maternal depression has been associated with mothers' elevated reports of child problems. However, it is unclear the extent to which elevations in mother ratings reflect having a depression diagnosis, having any mental illness diagnosis, or having a diagnosis vs. symptom levels. As part of a NIMH-funded, longitudinal study of mothers with serious mental illness (N=379), we examined the relationship between mother-reported adolescent behavior problems (N=78) and maternal depression vs. other diagnoses, as well as the effects of depression diagnosis vs. symptom levels. Mothers were recruited from the public mental health system in an urban area, and are primarily African-American and low income. We found that maternal psychiatric symptoms made a unique and significant contribution to explaining the variance in mother-reported child problems, independent of controls (e.g., teacher reports and child demographics), while maternal diagnosis did not. Implications of findings are discussed.
Synthesizing Short Run Production and Marketing Decisions

Abstract Marketing mix decisions influence the demand for a firm's products, but most production-smoothing models treat forecast demand as an exogenous quantity. Here a model for evaluating the benefits of a closer coordination of short-run production and marketing decisions is presented. Ease of implementation in a typical functionally organized firm was a key consideration in the specific design of this model. Numerous experiments have been run and a few typical results are discussed in this paper.
A test of optimal foraging and the effects of predator experience in the lizards Sceloporus jarrovii and Sceloporus virgatus

Foraging efficiency of predators can be evaluated by using optimality or profitability models which incorporate prey choice, handling time and pursuit or search time. Optimality of a diet could vary based on the age, sex, size, predation risk, or foraging experience of the predator. This study tested the effects of a predator's age and foraging experience by observing prey capture attempts and success rate, and by calculating diet profitability for adult and neonate Sceloporus jarrovii and adult Sceloporus virgatus. Prey availability was assessed in order to determine prey preference and profitability. Neonates showed an increased number of prey capture attempts, but success rate was similar for neonates and adults of both species. Total diet profitability of neonates was lower than adults of either species, which could be a result of poor prey choice or gape limitation (although body size showed no direct effect). Overall, the diets of all three groups were less profitable than would be expected based on the types of prey in the environment, although this is likely due to low availability (from the lizard's perspective) of highly profitable items. Lizards seem to be eating prey items in the same proportion as they are found in the environment.
On the colloidal centers in irradiated sodium chloride crystals

Abstract A systematic investigation of the formation and properties of colloidal centers in irradiated sodium chloride crystals is made and the results are compared with our published results on additively colored crystals. The main results and conclusions of this investigation are: (1) The colloid (designated as C 1 centers) evolution is not observed in a ‘lightly’ irradiated (i.e. corresponding to the fast stage of the coloration process) and thermally bleached crystal; it is observed when a ‘heavily’ irradiated (i.e. corresponding to the slow stage of the coloration process) crystal is thermally bleached at any temperature in the range 160–200°C. There is no evidence that the concentration of F centers per se has any influence on the C 1 center evolution. (2) The C 1 centers are found to be unstable under prolonged heating at any temperature in the range 160–200°C whereas in additively colored crystals they are stable up to about 250°C. The peak position of C 1 band is the same in both irradiated and additively colored crystals and it is about 560 nm. The half-width of C 1 band in irradiated crystals (about 0·5 eV) is larger than the half-width of C 1 band in additively colored crystals (about 0·18–0·32 eV). (3) The C 1 band in irradiated crystals is not affected by bleaching with either 560 nm light or F,M,R,N band peak light; it is affected, however, by white-light and u.v. light. In contrast, the C 1 band in additively colored crystals is unaffected by any of the aforementioned light. (4) The presence of slow stage F centers and the electronhole recombination processes appear to play a significant role in the evolution of C 1 centers in irradiated crystals. (5) In view of the genetic relationship between F centers and C 1 centers, it is believed that our earlier proposed tentative mechanism for colloid evolution in additively colored crystals might be applicable in the case of colloid evolution in irradiated crystals.
Separation of the Components of a Commercial Analgesic Tablet: A Two-Week Sequence Comparing Purification by Two-Base Extraction and Column Chromatography

A new laboratory experiment is described in which students compare two benchtop separation methods to isolate the three active components of the commercial analgesic Excedrin. In the two-week sequence, aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine are separated using either a two-base liquid–liquid extraction or silica column chromatography. Students then evaluate the two separation methods based on percent recoveries and on purity, as determined by thin-layer chromatography. This procedure introduces three important techniques using a single theme. The experiment has been designed to minimize cost of chemicals and hazardous waste generation, while challenging students to critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different purification techniques.
Differences in maternal responsiveness between lactating and sensitized rats.

Retrieval in lactating females, sensitized virgin females, and sensitized adult male rats was compared in a T-maze extension of the home cage. The percent of lactating females that retrieved was significantly greater than in either the sensitized virgin of sensitized male groups. No difference was found between the two sensitized groups. The data are discussed in terms of the hormonal involvement in maternal behavior.
The glycogen phosphorylase-2 promoter binding protein in Dictyostelium is replication protein A.

During Dictyostelium development, glycogen degradation is a crucial event that provides glucose monomers used in the synthesis of the essential structural components for cellular differentiation. The product of the developmentally regulated glycogen phosphorylase-2 gene (gp2) catalyzes the degradation. DNA-binding proteins were found to bind to a regulatory site of the gp2 gene in a stage-dependent pattern. Gel-shift analysis of undifferentiated amoebae cell extract revealed a protein migrating at 0.40 Rf, while 17 hour differentiated cell extract produced a species migrating at 0.32 Rf. Both the 0.32 and 0.40 Rf proteins were purified and found to consist of three subunits of 18, 35 and 62 kDa (for 0.40 Rf) or 81 kDa (for 0.32 Rf). Data base searches identified the protein as the Dictyostelium homologue of replication protein A (DdRPA). Amino acid sequence analysis showed identity between the 62 and 81 kDa subunits. Incubation of cell-free extracts under appropriate conditions at low pH, resulted in conversion of the 81 kDa to the 62 kDa subunit. Northern blot analysis revealed that the levels of expression of the large subunit of DdRPA were constant throughout differentiation and the size of the mRNA was the same at all stages of development. The results raise the possibility that pH induced post-translational modifications of DdRPA are involved in events that halt cell proliferation and induce differentiation in Dictyostelium.
The impact of hepatocyte phase imaging from infancy to young adulthood in patients with a known or suspected liver lesion

Hepatocyte-specific contrast agents are used to help characterize liver lesions. However, there are no studies evaluating the utility of these agents in detecting or diagnosing pediatric liver lesions. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the hepatocyte phase of imaging on lesion detection, tumor staging and diagnostic confidence. All patients undergoing an MRI between September 2010 and August 2012 using gadoxetate disodium as the contrast agent were included in this study. Each exam was duplicated so that one copy contained all sequences, including the hepatocyte phase of imaging, and the other copy contained all sequences except the hepatocyte phase of imaging. One reviewer evaluated all exams in a blinded, random fashion. Data tracked included imaging diagnosis, confidence in diagnosis, number of lesions and PRETEXT grade. The imaging diagnosis was compared to histopathology, when available. Data were analyzed for the study population as well as the subset of patients diagnosed with focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH). There were 112 patients (56 male; mean age: 9.25 years) included in this study. A total of 33 patients had a malignant tumor and the remainder had either a benign lesion or no lesion. The addition of the hepatocyte phase of imaging significantly improved the diagnostic confidence for all patients (P < 0.0001) as well as specifically for patients diagnosed with FNH (P = 0.003). In nearly a quarter of patients, the hepatocyte phase of imaging allowed the reviewer to detect additional lesions (P = 0.005). In the patients with a malignant tumor, the addition of the hepatocyte phase of imaging changed the PRETEXT grade in 7/30 patients although the results were not significant (P = 0.161). The addition of the hepatocyte phase of imaging helps to improve lesion detection and increase the diagnostic confidence for all liver tumors, as well as for FNH in particular.
ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES: TWO FIELD QUASI-EXPERIMENTS

In the first (N= 140) of two quasi-experimental field studies, trial group employees were changed from a 5/40 to a 4/40 work schedule for four months then returned to a 5/40 schedule. In a second study (N= 102), trial group employees were changed from 5/40 to flextime. Reactions were evaluated using a model for understanding the impact of work schedules. The effects of schedule changes matched those anticipated by pre-intervention surveys of employees. Factors related to organizational effectiveness were enhanced where specific organizational needs were met. Interference with personal activities was reduced where employees had experienced specific difficulties. The most powerful effect, however, was on worker attitudes toward specific work schedules. In addition, a mild positive (perhaps Hawthorne) effect was evident for a wide range of general worker reactions.
The sensitivity of the myelin sheath, particularly the Schwann cell-axolemmal junction, to lowered calcium levels in cultured sensory ganglia.

Abstract Light and electron microscopic observations were made on myelinated cultures of sensory ganglia maintained for 2–12 days on media with low calcium (0.025–0.050mM) or normal calcium (1.5–2.0mM) levels. After 18 h at low calcium levels, lengthening of the node of Ranvier and apparent fluid accumulation between the axon and the myelin sheath were observed in the light microscope. Electron microscopic observations indicated that these changes began with an accumulation of fluid between the Schwann cell terminal loops in the paranodal region, shrinkage and stretching of the terminal loops, and eventual breaking of the junction between the loops and the axolemma. Accompanying these changes was substantial fluid accumulation in the periaxonal space along much of the internode. These changes were found to be slowly reversible upon return to media with normal calcium levels. These observations are discussed in relation to the known properties of various types of intercellular junctions and the physiological properties of the myelinated nerve fiber. It is suggested that the unique structural characteristics of the Schwann cell-axolemmal junction in the paranodal region may relate to the presumed functional requirements of saltatory conduction,i.e., adhesiveness for the maintenance of myelin form and/or sealing of the periaxonal space from the general extracellular space, but without the establishment of low resistance channels between Schwann cell and axon.
Fluorescence Spectroscopy With Picosecond Time Resolution

The measurement of the lifetimes of excited states of molecules by picosecond time-resolved fluorescence methods is discussed. Attention is focused on the methods that involve the use of mode-locked solid-state and dye lasers as excitation sources. Time-correlated photon counting and direct recording using streak cameras are the diagnostic methods that have proved most useful at times of less than 1 ns. The second section of the report outlines some work carried out at the Center for Fast Kinetics Research in which the variation of fluorescence lifetime of some xanthene dyes with changes in their environment has been used to deduce information on the strengths of hydrogen bonds therein. Both neat organic solvents and aqueous surfactant micelles have been employed.
An alternative to conventional overdenture attachments with Molloplast-B: A technique

The use of Molloplast-B within the abutments of mandibular overdentures is an easy and inexpensive method for increasing retention and stability of dentures. The use of a retentive area prepared in natural tooth structure increases retentive capabilities for the overdenture patient. Unlike some silicone denture liners, Molloplast-B has shown an inhibitory effect to the growth of Candida albicans. Molloplast-B can be used in the conventional overdenture method or as described for an immediate overdenture. This type of overdenture can be relined easily to adjust for changes in mouth architecture. How well this material will retain its shape and consistency needs to be observed.
Zinc Supplementation Modifies Tight Junctions and Alters Barrier Function of CACO-2 Human Intestinal Epithelial Layers

Zinc deficiency is known to result in epithelial barrier leak in the GI tract. Precise effects of zinc on epithelial tight junctions (TJs) are only beginning to be described and understood. Along with nutritional regimens like methionine-restriction and compounds such as berberine, quercetin, indole, glutamine and rapamycin, zinc has the potential to function as a TJ modifier and selective enhancer of epithelial barrier function. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of zinc-supplementation on the TJs of a well-studied in vitro GI model, CACO-2 cells. Barrier function was assessed electrophysiologically by measuring transepithelial electrical resistance (Rt), and radiochemically, by measuring transepithelial (paracellular) diffusion of 14C-D-mannitol and 14C-polyethyleneglycol. TJ composition was studied by Western immunoblot analyses of occludin, tricellulin and claudins-1 to -5 and -7. Fifty- and 100-μM zinc concentrations (control medium is 2 μM) significantly increase Rt but simultaneously increase paracellular leak to D-mannitol. Claudins 2 and 7 are downregulated in total cell lysates, while occludin, tricellulin and claudins-1, -3, -4 and -5 are unchanged. Claudins-2 and -7 as well as tricellulin exhibit decreased cytosolic content as a result of zinc supplementation. Zinc alters CACO-2 TJ composition and modifies TJ barrier function selectively. Zinc is one of a growing number of “nutraceutical” substances capable of enhancing epithelial barrier function, and may find use in countering TJ leakiness induced in various disease states.
Generation of monodisperse aerosol particles that consist of sparingly soluble and non-volatile compounds

Abstract A method has been developed to generate monodisperse aerosol particles that consist of compounds that are sparingly soluble and non-volatile. A polydisperse dry bulk sample was initially separated into a narrow particle size range with a centrifugal air classifier. Monodisperse aerosol was then generated by atomizing an aqueous slurry that contained the pre-separated sparingly soluble material. Aerosol generated by this new method was compared with aerosol generated by ultrasonic nebulization. Monodisperse CaCO 3 (sparingly soluble and non-volatile) aerosol was produced via atomization while Na 2 CO 3 (soluble) aerosol was generated with ultrasonic nebulization. Particle size distributions of both aerosols were determined by an optical particle counter. The mass mean particle size and geometric standard deviation of the CaCO 3 aerosol were 3.3 μm, and 1.57, respectively. The Na 2 CO 3 aerosol's mass mean particle size and geometric standard deviation were 3.1 μm and 1.26, respectively. These results indicate that monodisperse aerosol particles that consist of sparingly soluble and non-volatile material can be generated reliably and on a continuous basis. These results are valid for aerosol particles with diameters between 0.3 and 10.0 μm.
Structural basis of cell surface receptor recognition by botulinum neurotoxin B

Botulinum toxins, produced by Clostridia botulinum, are a potential biological hazard to humans and a potential bioweapons threat. The toxins are potent inhibitors of neurotransmitter release at synapses, and it is this property that causes the neuroparalytic syndrome known as botulism. Two related papers now report the crystal structure of botulinum toxin B bound to its receptor on the exposed surface of the neuron. This will provide insight into the high affinity and specificity of this interaction, and aid in the development of antibotulism vaccines and drugs. One of two papers that describe how botulinum toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum are potent inhibitors of neurotransmitter release by elucidating the crystal structure of botulinum toxin B bound to its receptor. Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are potent bacterial toxins that cause paralysis at femtomolar concentrations1 by blocking neurotransmitter release. A ‘double receptor’ model has been proposed in which BoNTs recognize nerve terminals via interactions with both gangliosides and protein receptors that mediate their entry2. Of seven BoNTs (subtypes A–G), the putative receptors for BoNT/A3,4, BoNT/B5,6 and BoNT/G7 have been identified, but the molecular details that govern recognition remain undefined. Here we report the crystal structure of full-length BoNT/B in complex with the synaptotagmin II (Syt-II) recognition domain at 2.6 A resolution. The structure of the complex reveals that Syt-II forms a short helix that binds to a hydrophobic groove within the binding domain of BoNT/B. In addition, mutagenesis of amino acid residues within this interface on Syt-II affects binding of BoNT/B. Structural and sequence analysis reveals that this hydrophobic groove is conserved in the BoNT/G and BoNT/B subtypes, but varies in other clostridial neurotoxins. Furthermore, molecular docking studies using the ganglioside GT1b indicate that its binding site is more extensive than previously proposed and might form contacts with both BoNT/B and synaptotagmin. The results provide structural insights into how BoNTs recognize protein receptors and reveal a promising target for blocking toxin–receptor recognition.
Acriflavine inhibits HIF-1 dimerization, tumor growth, and vascularization

HIF-1 is a heterodimeric transcription factor that mediates adaptive responses to hypoxia and plays critical roles in cancer progression. Using a cell-based screening assay we have identified acriflavine as a drug that binds directly to HIF-1α and HIF-2α and inhibits HIF-1 dimerization and transcriptional activity. Pretreatment of mice bearing prostate cancer xenografts with acriflavine prevented tumor growth and treatment of mice bearing established tumors resulted in growth arrest. Acriflavine treatment inhibited intratumoral expression of angiogenic cytokines, mobilization of angiogenic cells into peripheral blood, and tumor vascularization. These results provide proof of principle that small molecules can inhibit dimerization of HIF-1 and have potent inhibitory effects on tumor growth and vascularization.
Analytical applications of ion-molecule reactions

This review covers applications of ion-molecule reactions for solving increasingly complex analytical problems. Because gas-phase reactions are frequently fast and efficient, the use of ion-molecule reactions provides a diverse frontier for extending the boundaries of mass spectrometry. Product distributions from ion-molecule reactions may provide key diagnostic information for structure identification, and particular product ions may afford more structurally informative fragmentation patterns than those patterns of ions that are generated by conventional methods. Applications range from those areas involving the development of novel chemical ionization reagents that show structural specificity upon reactions with analytes, to those areas in which ion-molecule reactions are combined with collisionally activated dissociation in unusual sequences, to those areas involving ion-molecule reactions of species formed by laser desorption or electrospray ionization. In electrospray ionization applications, the use of ion-molecule reactions allows the concentration of ion current into fewer multicharged ions, permits the counting of acidic or basic sites, and provides indirect information about protein structures and thermochemical data about individual sites in large molecules. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Mass Spectrom Rev 16 (2), 91–110, 1997
Reaching Equilibrium in the Market for Obstetricians and Gynecologists

In the past 30 years, more and more women have become physicians, receiving training that is indistinguishable from that of their male counterparts. This standardization of human capital accumulation, together with the existence of well-defined specialty categories and clear productivity measures, renders the physician labor market well suited to economic analysis of gender discrimination. The literature indicates that gender gaps in income have faded somewhat, but still persist even within medical specialties. Much of this literature, however, uses older data, does not look at trends over time, or does not take appropriate account of medical specialties or shifts in the age and gender composition of physicians. This paper focuses on the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology (ob-gyn) to gain insight into gender discrimination among highly educated men and women and its evolution in the last 20 years. Ob-gyn is an attractive choice for a number of reasons. First, human capital and production can be measured consistently and accurately. Second, the number of women in the specialty has grown dramatically. While only 12 percent of ob-gyns were female in 1980, the share of women in the field reached 22 percent by 1990 and 40 percent by 2005. Third, ob-gyn is a surgical specialty with an arduous training process. Such specialties have been traditionally male dominated, stressful, and challenging (Janet Bickel 2000). Fourth, there may be discrimination in favor of females on the part
Critical-Field Study of Superconducting Aluminum

The critical field of pure aluminum has been measured down to 0.28\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Because the measurement technique requires a magnetic field gradient, both normal and superconductive phases were present in the sample, thus avoiding superheating and supercooling effects. The movement of the phase boundary in response to a change in magnetic field was continuously observed, its position at equilibrium leading to a determination of the critical field. Hysteresis in the transition was 0.3% of the critical field, with reduction to arbitrarily small values apparently possible. The deviation curve shows the usual weak-coupling characteristics and, apart from a low-temperature anomaly attributed to uncertainties in the vapor-pressure thermometry, good agreement with BCS theory. The measurements yield ${T}_{c}=1.175\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.001$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and ${(\frac{d{H}_{c}}{\mathrm{dT}})}_{{T}_{c}}=158\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4$ Oe/\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, while analysis of the low-temperature data indicates ${H}_{0}=104.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6$ Oe with $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ in the range 1.23 to 1.30 mJ/mole${(\mathrm{\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}}\mathrm{K})}^{2}$.
Evaluation of accounting students

Abstract This paper points out two disturbing weaknesses in the commonly used method for assigning final grades to students. It demonstrates an alternative method for ranking students based on standardized scores that can result in different individual rankings in comparison to weighted total points. Further, an argument is advanced that professors should allow their professional, subjective judgements to have a major influence on the grade they give.
TwinSpace: an infrastructure for cross-reality team spaces

We introduce TwinSpace, a flexible software infrastructure for combining interactive workspaces and collaborative virtual worlds. Its design is grounded in the need to support deep connectivity and flexible mappings between virtual and real spaces to effectively support collaboration. This is achieved through a robust connectivity layer linking heterogeneous collections of physical and virtual devices and services, and a centralized service to manage and control mappings between physical and virtual. In this paper we motivate and present the architecture of TwinSpace, discuss our experiences and lessons learned in building a generic framework for collaborative cross-reality, and illustrate the architecture using two implemented examples that highlight its flexibility and range, and its support for rapid prototyping.
Many-body effects in a laterally inhomogeneous semiconductor quantum well

Many body effects on conduction and diffusion of electrons and holes in a semiconductor quantum well are studied using a microscopic theory. The roles played by the screened Hartree-Fock (SHE) terms and the scattering terms are examined. It is found that the electron and hole conductivities depend only on the scattering terms, while the two-component electron-hole diffusion coefficients depend on both the SHE part and the scattering part. We show that, in the limit of the ambipolax diffusion approximation, however, the diffusion coefficients for carrier density and temperature are independent of electron-hole scattering. In particular, we found that the SHE terms lead to a reduction of density-diffusion coefficients and an increase in temperature-diffusion coefficients. Such a reduction or increase is explained in terms of a density-and temperature dependent energy landscape created by the bandgap renormalization.
Maximal ideals in near-rings and semigroups

This paper gives conditions that guarantee that a near-ring or a semi-group has maximal right, left, or two-sided ideals. Stronger results are obtained for those semigroups which are adjoint semigroups of rings. Examples are given which illustrate and delimit the theory developed. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000) : 16Y30, 20M12, 16N20 Key words: Near-ring; semigroup; ideal; maximal; idempotent Quaestiones Mathematicae 25 (2002), 259-268
GPU assisted processing of point cloud data sets for ground segmentation in autonomous vehicles

In autonomous ground systems, developing a clear model of the surroundings is crucial for operating in any environment. Three-dimensional light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors, such as the Velodyne HDL-64E S2, are powerful tools for robotic perception. However, these sensors generate large data sets exceeding one million points per second that can be difficult to use on space, power, and processing constrained platforms. We report on GPU assisted processing within a Robotic Operating System (ROS) environment capable of achieving greater than an order of magnitude reduction in point cloud ground segmentation processing time using a gradient field algorithm with only a small increase in power consumption.
Basic fibroblast growth factor in patients with intermittent claudication: results of a phase I trial.

Abstract OBJECTIVES This phase I study was designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of intra-arterial basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in patients with atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease (PVD) and intermittent claudication. We also assessed the effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on calf blood flow as a measure of biologic activity. BACKGROUND Preclinical studies have shown that bFGF, an angiogenic peptide, promotes collateral development in animal models of myocardial and hind limb ischemia. The safety and efficacy of bFGF in patients is unknown, and early clinical trials are underway in coronary and peripheral arterial disease. METHODS A double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial was conducted in patients with claudication demonstrating ankle/brachial index RESULTS Intra-arterial bFGF was safe and well-tolerated. The half-life was 46 ± 21 min. Calf blood flow increased at one month by 66 ± 26% (mean ± SEM) and at six months by 153 ± 51% in bFGF-treated patients (n = 9, p = 0.002). Flow did not change significantly in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS In this initial randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with atherosclerotic PVD and claudication, bFGF was well-tolerated. The data suggest a salutary biologic effect, and initiation of phase 2 trials is warranted.
Management of common arrhythmias and conduction abnormalities

Abstract Cardiac rhythm disturbances are frequently encountered in adult patients with unoperated, palliated, or repaired congenital heart disease. The extent and complexities of arrhythmia management is rapidly expanding as this population increases in both number and in ages, and as a growing array in treatment options become available. For several reasons, the management of these patients presents unique challenges. Pacemakers are frequently required for bradyarrhythmias due to sinus node dysfunction or atrioventricular block, but the anatomy of the defect or surgical palliation/repair may pose technical challenges. Supraventricular tachyarrhythmias are perhaps the most difficult to control, despite an armamentarium of therapeutic options including antiarrhythmic drugs, catheter ablation, surgery, and anti-tachycardia devices. The implications of non-sustained ventricular arrhythmias, as well as the obligation to treat them, are controversial. Sustained ventricular tachycardia warrants electrophysiologic study, and may be successfully treated with drugs, catheter ablation, or surgery. The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is effective and is indicated in patients with previous sustained ventricular tachycardia or cardiac arrest. However, apart from these situations, there is currently no method to adequately risk stratify these patients for sudden death. Management of rhythm disturbances in adults with congenital heart disease requires a thorough understanding of the underlying anatomy, hemodynamic physiology, and potential pitfalls to standard arrhythmia therapy, and must be individualized to the patient.