cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Occupational medicine: The case for reform

The specialty of occupational medicine is in peril, in large part because of its reliance on financing by industry, which has powerful incentives to limit costs and to favor physicians who are useful to their employers. Occupational physicians generally practice within the framework of the workers' compensation system. Serious flaws in the incentive structure of workers' compensation constrain objectivity in their practice. Under present law they are unavoidably subject to perverse influences from employers and insurance companies. A fundamental reform of workers' compensation law and practice is urgently needed to separate occupational physicians from the control of employers and workers' compensation insurers, whose interests should not be allowed to override the physicians' integrity or to compromise the specialty.
Be Stars as Rotating Stars: Observations

The classical rotational hypothesis for Be stars is reviewed and discussed. Methods of measuring rotational velocities are considered and the particular difficulties that Be stars pose in this respect are pointed out. Several tests of the rotational hypothesis are discussed and shown to support this idea. New observations of Balmer emission-line widths in the spectra of 46 Be stars show a correlation with rotational velocity, also in support of the rotational hypothesis. The very large emission widths found for some Be stars are discussed and possible reasons for the broadening are presented.
Interpreting the Constitution: Stability v. Needs

When the United States Supreme Court uses the Constitution to decide a case how should the court apply the document? Should the justices look at the Constitution as a stable historical written document and only apply the text as written? What if the text does not speak to the exact situation? Should the court try to discern the intent of the framers of the Constitution and interpret from that intent to the present situation? Suppose the situation the court is trying to resolve does not lend itself to either of these methods of constitutional interpretations. Should the Supreme Court then resolve the situation based on the values explicit and/or implicit in the Constitution? Maybe the needs of society should be considered when interpreting the Constitution in its modern day setting. Should the judges create constitutional law on the basis of contemporary value judgments? One way of framing the issue of constitutional interpretations is to ask: Should constitutional law be viewed as law generating from the text of the Constitution or should it be viewed as the written document elaborated by various Supreme Court decisions? This article attempts to answer these questions focusing on the interpretation problem and interpretivists-originalists or value analysis, while defining and analyzing the Constitution.
Improving Natural Language Inference with a Pretrained Parser.

We introduce a novel approach to incorporate syntax into natural language inference (NLI) models. Our method uses contextual token-level vector representations from a pretrained dependency parser. Like other contextual embedders, our method is broadly applicable to any neural model. We experiment with four strong NLI models (decomposable attention model, ESIM, BERT, and MT-DNN), and show consistent benefit to accuracy across three NLI benchmarks.
Frameworks, Committed Testers, and Science as a Form of Life

In light of the complex, crisis-ridden, and fast-changing world we live in today, I will argue that we should not be “teaching science” in school. It hasn’t worked anyway. Most Americans know little about science, and a great many don’t understand or respect scientific empirical evidence. We live, too, in a world where ideology and religious beliefs are deeply polarized and often lead to conflict and sometimes violence. I will advocate that schools need to motivate and teach people to be what I will call “committed testers.” Committed testers realize that any claim to know something is based on a network of related claims, not just a single claim all by itself. I will call any such network of related claims a “framework.” It is a perspective on or a theory about something that someone believes and acts on. Such frameworks can be tested against the world’s reactions to it when we act on it and in critical discussions with other people who have a different framework on some issue than we do. The goal of testing frameworks is not truth as a final destination or conversion of others. The goal is truth as a shared journey toward frameworks that work better in the world and lead to peace, not conflict. This approach is equally relevant to scientific claims and religious ones. This view of frameworks and committed testers was the foundation of much of Karl Popper’s work in the philosophy of science (see, e.g., his book The Myth of the Framework: In Defense of Science and Rationality) and is the basis of the Iranian philosopher of science and religion Abdolkarim Soroush’s highly influential work (see, e.g., Reason, Freedom, and Democracy in Islam: Essential Writings of Abdolkarim Soroush).
Austria’s Indirect Cinema. Avoiding representation in Kurz davor ist es passiert (2006)

Contemporary documentary films are faced with the challenge of an oversaturation of certain images that have lost all power. One strategy to address this issue is the employment of artifice, the ob...
How Americans Talk about Separation of Church and State: Moral Frameworks of Justice and Care

This paper draws on data from 12 focus group discussions of a faith-based prison ministry program to examine how ordinary Americans talk about the separation of church and state. The focus groups –...
Slow Conduction and Reentry in the Ventricular Conducting System I. RETURN EXTASYSTOLE IN CANINE PURKINJE FIBERS

Depression of excitability and responsiveness provoked by the action of high K + and epinephrine on short bundles of excised canine Purkinje fibers yields reentrant excitation. An impulse entering a depressed area undergoes marked slowing of conduction; the impulse then may continue forward while also returning through the pathway by which the initiating impulse entered the depressed area. The impulse may be delayed or blocked in either the forward or the retrograde direction. The reentrant excitation can occur in the absence of premature excitation. Various methods of depression of excitability produce return extrasystoles in Purkinje fibers. The common factor is very slow conduction which depends upon the abolition of the fast upstroke and the appearance of a low-voltage, slowly propagated action potential that is readily blocked.
Comparing Image Segmentation Techniques for Determining 3D Orbital Cavernous Hemangioma Size on MRI.

Purpose To measure orbital cavernous hemangioma size using 3 segmentation methods requiring different degrees of subjective judgment, and to evaluate interobserver agreement using these methods. Methods Fourteen patients with orbital cavernous hemangiomas were included in the study. Pretreatment T2-weighted MRIs were analyzed by 2 observers using 3 methods, including 1 user-dependent image segmentation method that required high degrees of subjective judgment (ellipsoid) and 2 parameter-dependent methods that required low degree of subjective judgment (GrowCut and k-means clustering segmentation). Interobserver agreement was assessed using Lin's concordance correlation coefficients. Results Using the ellipsoid method, the average tumor sizes calculated by the 2 observers were 1.68 ml (standard deviation [SD] 1.45 ml) and 1.48 ml (SD 1.19 ml). Using the GrowCut method, the average tumor sizes calculated by the 2 observers were 3.00 ml (SD 2.46 ml) and 6.34 ml (SD 3.78 ml). Using k-means clustering segmentation, the average tumor sizes calculated by the 2 observers were 2.31 ml (SD 1.83 ml) and 2.12 ml (SD 1.87 ml). The concordance correlation coefficient for the ellipsoid, GrowCut, and k-means clustering methods were 0.92 (95% CI, 0.83-0.99), 0.12 (95% CI, -0.21 to 0.44), and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.90-0.99), respectively. Conclusions k-means clustering, a parameter-dependent method with low degree of subjective judgment, showed better interobserver agreement compared with the ellipsoid and GrowCut methods. k-means clustering clearly delineated tumor boundaries and outlined components of the tumor with different signal intensities.
Targeting of atherosclerotic plaque is achieved with polymeric nanoparticles encapsulating Nrf2 activator and LDL-like nanoparticles

Atherosclerotic vascular disease is the leading cause of death world-wide with few novel therapies available in spite of the ongoing health burden. Oxidative stress is a well-established driver of atherosclerotic progression; however the clinical translation of redox-based therapies is lacking. One of the challenges facing redox-based therapies is their targeted delivery to cellular domains of redox dysregulation. In the current study we sought to develop NPs encapsulating redox-based interventions that exploit passive means of targeting to selectively accumulate in atherosclerotic plaque with the aim of enhancing the intra-plaque bioavailability of interventions. Herein we present two types of nanoparticles (NPs): (i) We have employed flash nanoprecipitation to synthesize polymeric NPs encapsulating the hydrophobic Nrf2 activator drug, CDDO-Methyl, (ii) we have generated LDL-like NPs encapsulating the anti-inflammatory compound, oleic acid (OA). Nrf2-activators are a promising class of redox-active drug molecules whereby activation of Nrf2 results in the expression of several antioxidant and cyto-protective enzymes. Moreover, local activation of Nrf2 within the atherosclerotic plaque can be athero-protective. In this study we characterize the physiochemical properties of these NPs as well as confirm in vitro association of NPs with murine macrophages. In vitro drug release of CDDO-Me from polymeric NPs was determined by Nrf2-ARE-driven GFP fluorescence. In vivo localization was assessed through immunofluorescence of histological sections. We show that CDDO-Me-NPs and LDL-OA-NPs selectively accumulate in atherosclerotic plaque of two widely-used murine models of atherosclerosis: ApoE-/- and LDLr-/- mice. Overall, these studies underline that passive targeting of atherosclerotic plaque is an effective means to enhance delivery of redox-based interventions. Future work will assess the therapeutic efficacy of intra-plaque Nrf2 activation or anti-inflammatory actions with CDDO-Me-NPs or LDL-OA-NPs, respectively.
Iban on the Infobahn: Can We Integrate the Global Village without Annihilating Cultures?.

As a teacher of Elizabethan drama, I've learned to appreciate dialectics. While "teaching Shakespeare," I've discovered, as Altman points out, that the plays evolve from questions puzzling the playwright, the dramas giving form to debates that those questions inspire. This may explain why my initiation to global, educational telecomputing prompted investigation of the questions and debates inspired by such endeavors. Some of the most troubling questions stem from the issue of "integration" itself. While state, national, and international initiatives focus upon Internet connectivity, we would be wise to consider the cultural ramifications of integrating technology into classrooms and curricula. Though they are seductive, we ought to resist the fallacy that computer networks will inevitably integrate communities divided by race, ethnicity, and culture. No media will compensate for human flaws; they merely enable human expression. What's essential, therefore, is to begin with a fundamental question when we consider the impact of computer networks upon humanity: Can we integrate disparate groups and cultures without annihilating them in the process? Such questions became especially poignant when I moved to Malaysia in 1992 to take a teaching position at the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL). Malaysia, after all, is an interesting place from which to argue such questions, if you can find people brave enough to venture an opposing viewpoint. And that is what the Internet meant to me during my four-year stint in that country: opposing or, at least, alternative viewpoints. Before locating the entrance ramp to the Infobahn, I felt as isolated as the Iban of Sarawak, but by the time I departed in June of 1996, the Internet made it possible to engage in dialectics rather than embrace the official story. Recent events in Southeast Asia not only challenge the concept of a global village, they also underscore the difficulty of integrating multinational, multicultural students through educational telecomputing.
Modeling of Inverter-Based Resources Using Equivalent Current Sources in EMTP-RV

This paper presents a time-domain, equivalent current source model (CSM) for inverter-based resources in EMTPRV for evaluating their harmonic impacts, behavior, and interactions with the grid. Whereas detailed inverter models can be accurate if the inverter design and parameters are precisely known, their simulations are time-consuming. Moreover, the lack of information about topology and control schemes from inverter manufacturers makes these models difficult to hand-tune and leads to loss of accuracy. The CSM proposed in this paper, simple yet reasonably accurate, represents an inverter-based resource along with its step-up transformer as a parallel combination of harmonic current sources. The development and validation of a CSM is presented using a grid-connected detailed inverter model as a basis. CSMs can be used to represent multiple inverter-based resources like solar farms in a network – to study harmonic interactions between them, evaluate their impact on weak grids, and develop mitigation solutions.
Augmented Reality Assisted Orbital Floor Reconstruction

The orbital floor is a thin boney plate that supports the eye and its muscles. When sufficiently large, a fracture of the orbital floor leads to malposition or entrapment of the eye, necessitating surgical reconstruction. To reconstruct the orbital floor, the surgeon must retract the eyeball and dissect deeply through a small incision in order to safely place a synthetic plate beneath the eye, thus replacing the fractured bone. Conventionally, the accuracy of implant placement relies on the surgeon’s expertise. Intraoperative imaging and navigation are rarely used due to their cost and setup times, so erroneous implant positioning is often unrecognized until postoperative imaging. This confers risk to the patient’s eyeball, orbital vasculature, optic nerves, and stereotactic vision. In this work, we develop the workflow and user interface of an Augmented Reality (AR) system to aid surgeons with intraoperative placement of an orbital floor implant and ultimately reduce rates of implant malposition. The preliminary evaluation of workflow and user interface shows good potential of this platform. With improvements in accuracy through advancements in hardware and sensing method, the proposed method can become a successful AR solution to improve clinical performance.
Sexual Identity in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer or Questioning Emerging Adults: The Role of Parental Rejection, and Sexuality Specific Family Support:

The present study provides critical contributions to the study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) emerging adults by examining the role of family and sexuality...
Final Analysis of a Phase II Trial of Once Weekly Hypofractionated Whole Breast Irradiation for Early Stage Breast Cancer.

Purpose We hypothesize that 5-fraction once weekly hypofractionated (WH) whole breast irradiation (WBI) would be safe and effective after breast-conserving surgery for medically underserved patients with breast cancer. We report the protocol-specified primary endpoint of in-breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) at 5 years. Methods and Materials After provided informed consent, patients were treated with WH-WBI after breast-conserving surgery were followed prospectively on an institutional review board–approved protocol. Women included in this study had stage 0-II breast cancer treated with negative surgical margins and met prespecified criteria for being underserved. WH-WBI was 28.5 or 30 Gy delivered to the whole breast with no elective coverage of lymph nodes. The primary endpoint was IBTR at 5 years. Secondary endpoints were distant disease-free survival, recurrence-free survival, overall survival, adverse events, and cosmesis. Results One hundred fifty-eight patients received WH-WBI on protocol from 2010 to 2015. Median follow-up was 5.5 years (range, 0.2-10.0 years). Stage distribution was 22% ductal carcinoma in situ, 68% invasive pN0, and 10% invasive pN1. Twenty-eight percent of patients had grade 3 tumors, 10% were estrogen receptor negative, and 24% required adjuvant chemotherapy. There were 6 IBTR events. The 5-, 7-, and 10-year risks of IBTR for all patients were 2.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89-6.34), 4.7% (95% CI, 1.4-11.0) and 7.2% (95% CI, 2.4-15.8), respectively. The 5-, 7-, and 10-year rates of distant disease-free survival were 96.4%, 96.4%, and 86.4%; the recurrence-free survival rates were 95.8%, 93.6%, and 80.7%; and the overall survival rates were 96.7%, 88.6%, and 76.7%, respectively. Improvement in IBTR-free time was seen in ductal carcinoma in situ, lobular histology, low-grade tumors, T1 stage, Her2-negative tumors, and receipt of a radiation boost to the lumpectomy bed. Conclusions Postoperative WH-WBI has favorable disease-specific outcomes that are comparable to those seen with conventional and moderately hypofractionated radiation techniques. WH-WBI could improve access to care for underserved patients with stage 0-II breast cancer.
The Effect of Flexible Service Rates in Appointment Scheduling Systems

Recent research offers overwhelming evidence that service workers, including healthcare providers in ambulatory care settings, exercise flexible service rates. While theoretical models of service rate control in steady-state queues explain service rate changes in response to queue length, there are no comparable models explaining the drivers of optimal service rate in appointment systems. In this paper, we analyze service rate control when the provider is responsible for serving a finite number of patients who arrive by prior appointments in a session of finite duration. Under general assumptions on random service times, we show that a provider should optimally increase the service rate in response to the queue length and the delay in starting a patient's service. In addition to the novel analytical finding on delay-driven speed-up behavior, we show that both congestion-driven and delay-driven speed-up behaviors persist even when the patient wait is costless. We also show that the provider may speed-up or slow-down while serving sequential arrivals in the appointment schedule, depending on the relative magnitudes of the cost of patient waiting and the cost of the provider's time. Finally, we explore implications of flexible service rates on the operational performance of appointment systems, and find that flexible service rates result in shorter, fairer, and less uncertain waiting times for patients in most situations.
Painter training in virtual reality: conceptualization, design, and implementation

This thesis describes the conceptualization, design, and implementation of a tool which simulates the activity of spray painting, intended to augment the training of industrial spray painters at John Deere. Spray painting is a difficult task, and current methods of training do not result in the desired level of trainee expertise and performance. Through close cooperation with stakeholders at John Deere, a virtual reality-based simulation tool has been created, which provides a realistic recreation of the spray painting experience--particularly the feedback offered by the behavior and visual appearance of paint sprayed onto a surface. This paper discusses the motivation, intent, structure, and technical details which define and direct that simulation. A number of technologies were used in this simulation, and a number of algorithms developed, in order to provide an accurate and effective reproduction of the spray painting experience. These include the use of a physical paint spray gun, the software modeling of various system components and their interactions with each other, the creation of several different tools and features for feedback and review, and the detailed simulation of both the behavior and the visual appearance of wet paint applied to a surface, in accordance with the specific attributes of the paint. These features provide feedback similar to—and in some cases greater than—the feedback available during the actual paint spraying process, allowing a trainee to develop the skills necessary to ensure proper paint application without incurring the monetary, material, and environmental costs associated with physical painting.
DETERMINANTS OF ACCESS TO JOB-RELATED HEALTH INSURANCE

Given that employer-sponsored health insurance plans are the single largest source of private health insurance, understanding the characteristics of those occupations that provide access to job-related health insurance may help researchers and policy makers focus on ways to broaden health insurance coverage. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether occupational and worker characteristics explain access to job related health insurance. It also examines the significance of those characteristics on having the employer or union pay for at least part of any job related health insurance. This study aggregates the Current Population Survey data on individuals into occupation level data to distinguish between jobs and occupations. This paper highlights some general trends in the characteristics of both occupations and workers that relate to the likelihood that an occupation will provide access to health insurance.
ICEBE 2008 Keynote I

Web services are featured with application, platform and provider independence. The Web services technology has had quick evolution and broad acceptance during the past seven years, and has been widely applied in developing industrial applications, particularly Web-based e-business applications. Software agents are characterized with key features including autonomy, cooperation, and proactiveness. They have been extensively studied for almost two decades. They are evolving slowly (compared with Web services), and are adopted progressively by the industry. Since each of these two technologies has its own advantages and disadvantages, integrating them by taking their advantages and avoiding their shortcomings has been an active research topic since the Web services technology emerged. This talk presents our first-hand R&D experience on the integration of service-oriented computing (Web services in particular) and software agent technologies with applications to e-engineering, collaborative design, multidisciplinary design optimization, distributed manufacturing, and enterprise collaboration. We also discuss future trends, R&D opportunities and challenges in this area.
The Functional Neuroanatomy of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor

Descriptions of the central distribution of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) have been taken as generally supporting the proposition that this neuropeptide is involved in the mediation of complementary neuroendocrine, autonomic and behavioural responses to stress. The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is recognized as the principal source of CRF in hypophysial portal plasma; CRF mRNA and peptide expression in parvocellular neurosecretory neurons are regulated negatively by adrenal steroids and positively by many stressors. Consistent with the latter, the hypophysiotropic zone of the PVN receives a rich, and biochemically differentiated, afferent supply that provides visceral, somatic and special sensory systems with access to the 'CRF neuron'. Within the PVN, CRF is also expressed, and differentially regulated, in oxytocinergic magnocellular neurosecretory neurons and in autonomic-related projection neurons. CRF expression in at least some extrahypothalamic cell groups (olfactory bulb, Barrington's nucleus) is responsive to certain stressful stimuli, but not to perturbations of the steroid environment. Refinement of our understanding of the central distribution of CRF has been provided by the recognition that most CRF antisera cross-react with an amidated dipeptide encoded by the melanin-concentrating hormone precursor, and by the likelihood that some central sites of CRF peptide expression may be muted or masked by the presence of a CRF-binding protein (CRF-BP). The CRF-BP is expressed prominently in the telencephalon, where it is co-localized with CRF in some neurons, and in anterior pituitary corticotrophs.
Substance Abuse Recovery in College: Community Supported Abstinence, by H. Harrington Cleveland, Kitty S. Harris, and Richard Wiebe (Eds.)

Heavy drinking and other drug use is commonplace among college students. As one of the heaviest drinking groups in society, college students experience myriad serious alcohol-related problems rangi...
Gene X of bacteriophage f1 is required for phage DNA synthesis: Mutagenesis of in-frame overlapping genes☆

Abstract The gene II protein of bacteriophage f1 is a site-specific endonuclease required for initiation of phage viral strand DNA synthesis. Within gene II is another gene, X, encoding a protein of unknown function identical to the C-terminal 27% of the gene II protein, and separately translated from codon 300 (AUG) of gene II. By oligonucleotide mutagenesis, we constructed phage mutants in which this codon has been changed to UAG (amber) or UUG (leucine), and propagated them on cells carrying a cloned copy of gene X on a plasmid. The amber mutant makes no gene X protein, and cannot grow in the absence of the complementing plasmid; the leucine-inserting mutant can make gene X protein, and grows normally without the plasmid. Without gene X protein, phage DNA synthesis (particularly viral strand synthesis) is impaired. We discuss this finding in the context of other known in-frame overlapping genes (particularly genes A and A∗ of phage φX174), many of which are also involved in the specific initiation of DNA synthesis, and suggest applications for the mutagenic strategy we employed.
Placebo non-response measure in sequential parallel comparison design studies.

The Sequential Parallel Comparison Design (SPCD) is one of the novel approaches addressing placebo response. The analysis of SPCD data typically classifies subjects as ‘placebo responders’ or ‘placebo non-responders’. Most current methods employed for analysis of SPCD data utilize only a part of the data collected during the trial. A repeated measures model was proposed for analysis of continuous outcomes that permitted the inclusion of information from all subjects into the treatment effect estimation. We describe here a new approach using a weighted repeated measures model that further improves the utilization of data collected during the trial, allowing the incorporation of information that is relevant to the placebo response, and dealing with the problem of possible misclassification of subjects. Our simulations show that when compared to the unweighted repeated measures model method, our approach performs as well or, under certain conditions, better, in preserving the type I error, achieving adequate power and minimizing the mean squared error. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Epigenetic modulation with histone deacetylase inhibitors in combination with immunotherapy

Understanding the contribution of dysregulated gene silencing to epigenomic alterations in cancer development provides the rationale for the use of epigenetic modulators, such as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, in cancer therapy. HDAC inhibitors have been approved as single agents for cutaneous and peripheral T-cell lymphoma and have shown promising activity in reversing therapy resistance in other tumor types. The effects of HDAC inhibitors on immune modulation have created a recent interest in their potential role in immunotherapy. This review describes the current understanding on integrating HDAC inhibitors into various immunotherapeutic approaches, such as cancer vaccines, adoptive T-cell transfer and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Furthermore, it summarizes promising treatment strategies in epigenetic immune priming from clinical trials that are currently underway.
Diode-pumped regenerative amplifier for the OMEGA laser system

Summary form only given. The 60-beam OMEGA Nd:glass-based laser irradiates ICF targets with 30-kJ UV pulses with an arbitrary temporal pulse shape predetermined by the target design. The OMEGA front-end design requires a regenerative amplifier (regen) capable of boosting the shaped pulses from the nJ level to /spl sim/400 /spl mu/J. The required output energy stability is better than 2%. The amplification must be reliable, cause minimal pulse-shape distortions, and allow output pulse-shape prediction regardless of the input pulse shape. These requirements must be demonstrated with a large safety margin to allow reliable OMEGA operation on a daily basis over a long period of time. We present the design and performance data of the diode-pumped and feedback-controlled regen for the OMEGA laser system. The efficient end-pumping geometry provides high gain and a high-quality spatial output profile. The diode-pumping and negative feedback control make the regen operation highly stable and reliable.
Role of μ-opioid receptors in formalin-induced pain behavior in mice

Intraplantar formalin injection is widely used as an experimental model of tonic pain. We investigated the role of endogenous micro-opioid receptor mechanisms in formalin-induced nocifensive behavior in mice. The flinching response induced by formalin (2%, 20 microl) was studied in mice with normal (wild type, n = 8) and absent (homozygous micro-opioid receptor knockout, n = 8) micro-opioid receptor levels. The flinch responses were counted every 5 min for 60 min post-formalin injection. Lumbar spinal cord (L4, 5) was harvested 2 h post-formalin injection to examine c-Fos expression using immunohistochemistry. The effects of naloxone (5 mg/kg, sc) administered 30 min before the intraplantar formalin injection on the flinching response of wild-type mice (n = 7) were also recorded. The second-phase formalin response (10-60 min after formalin) was higher in homozygous micro-opioid receptor knockout mice compared to the wild-type mice (P 0.05). The c-Fos expression induced by formalin injection in the knockout mice was not different from that observed in wild-type mice. Our results suggest that the endogenous micro-opioid system is activated by intraplantar formalin injection and exerts a tonic inhibitory effect on the pain behavior. These results suggest an important modulatory role of endogenous micro-opioid receptor mechanisms in tonic pain states.
Resilient silk captures prey in black widow cobwebs

The gumfoot thread of a black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) spider’s cob web is a spring-loaded trap that yanks walking insects into the web. Since spider silks are known as energy dissipating materials, we investigated this trap to find out where the energy is stored. Using previously measured material properties, we modeled the gumfoot thread as a damped harmonic oscillator and compared it to high speed video analysis of prey capture. These measurements show that the gumfoot thread is plastically deformed during prey capture and cannot be the site of energy storage. We then measured the material properties of scaffolding silk that makes up the upper portion of the cob web. Scaffolding silk is highly resilient (90%) at strains less than 3%. This energy storage is sufficient to drive the oscillations seen in prey capture and is consistent with the measured kinematics. This study is the first demonstration of energy-storage as a primary biological function for spider silk.
Self versus Environment Motion in Postural Control

To stabilize our position in space we use visual information as well as non-visual physical motion cues. However, visual cues can be ambiguous: visually perceived motion may be caused by self-movement, movement of the environment, or both. The nervous system must combine the ambiguous visual cues with noisy physical motion cues to resolve this ambiguity and control our body posture. Here we have developed a Bayesian model that formalizes how the nervous system could solve this problem. In this model, the nervous system combines the sensory cues to estimate the movement of the body. We analytically demonstrate that, as long as visual stimulation is fast in comparison to the uncertainty in our perception of body movement, the optimal strategy is to weight visually perceived movement velocities proportional to a power law. We find that this model accounts for the nonlinear influence of experimentally induced visual motion on human postural behavior both in our data and in previously published results.
Cassini Saturn-escape trajectories to Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune

Abstract Potential encore-mission scenarios have been considered for the Cassini mission. In this paper we discuss one of the end-of-life scenarios in which the Cassini spacecraft could perform a Saturn escape via gravity assists from Titan. It is shown that such satellite-aided escape requires a small deterministic maneuver (e.g., Δv
Storm Overwash and the Knickpoint Effect: Northwest Florida Coast, USA

Abstract Storm overwash is a critical issue in coastal management efforts to mitigate damage to infrastructure. This paper contributes to those efforts by documenting the findings of a field survey at the Perdido Key, Florida, section of Gulf Islands National Seashore following the landfall of tropical cyclone Isidore in September 2002. The poststorm survey of overwash sites detected scouring along the northern edge of an access road that faced away from the Gulf of Mexico and the oncoming storm surge. Most sites experienced removal of minor amounts of sand and roadbed material, which left the edge of the overlying asphalt road surface unsupported. However, more severe scouring at one site caused the overlying asphalt road surface to fracture and collapse. An extreme example of this process was observed following the landfall of Hurricane Opal at Pensacola Beach, Florida, in 1995. The scouring process and its effects were consistent with a process recognized in fluvial systems as knickpoint development. R...
Anticoagulant Treatment of Rats with Walker 256 Carcinosarcoma

Various anticoagulant, antiplatelet, and fibrinolytic agents have been found to be effective in reducing metastatic growth of experimental animal tumors. This effectiveness is attributed to the requirement for hemostatic factors in the implantation and growth of metastases. However, clotting and platelet factors are also present at the site of a primary tumor, the Walker 256 carcinosarcoma. Yet maximally tolerated doses of heparin or warfarin did not affect the primary growth of this rat tumor.
Kinaesthetic Discrimination: The Difference Limen for Finger Span

(1961). Kinaesthetic Discrimination: The Difference Limen for Finger Span. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 165-168.
Reverse micelle synthesis of perovskite oxide nanoparticles

Abstract La0.6Sr0.4CoxFe1−xO3−δ (LSCF), La0.6Sr0.4Cu0.2Fe0.8O3−δ, Ba0.5Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ and LaFeO3−δ nanoparticles were synthesized by a reverse micelle procedure. Controlling the size of the micelles through the water:oil phase ratio enabled synthesis of phase pure perovskite particles with average sizes from 14 nm to 50 nm. Small amounts of an impurity phase, likely cobalt oxide, were detected in the XRD spectrum of high cobalt content samples of LSCF (x = 0.8). La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ nanoparticles were utilized to coat the surface of a dense thin-film La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ solid oxide fuel cell cathode. The polarization resistance of the nanoparticle coated electrode, measured at open circuit in air at 973 K, was 20% lower than an equivalent un-coated electrode.
Spatial-Resolution in 31P Metabolite Imaging of the Human Brain at 4.1 T

In studies of 31P metabolite imaging in the human brain using a high-field 4.1 T NMR system, resolution and signal-to-noise ratios were measured to determine the potential for spatial-resolution improvements. The results suggest that spatial resolution of FWHM of 2 cm or less, similar to that of radionuclide tomographic functional images, may be feasible.
Corneal epithelial Cl-dependent pump quantified *

Pairs of rabbit corneas were perfused and corneal thickness monitored. The epithelial side of the preparation, and after stabilization also the endothelial side, was covered with silicone oil. A constant thinning of the cornea was observed at a rate of 11·1 μm hr −1 (= 1·0 μm L h −1 cm −2 ) s.d. 2·1, n = 9. This thinning was also present after endothelial removal: 12·3 μm hr −1 , s.d. 1·6 ( n = 5). Epithelial abrasion virtually abolished the thinning (2·5 μm hr −1 , s.d. 1·89, n = 4), as did cooling from 34 to 0°C. When the preparation was perfused with a Cl-free solution (SO 4 2− instead of Cl − , corrected for osmolarity with sucrose) no significant thinning of the preparation was observed (2·4 μm hr −1 , s.d. 2·49, n = 4) after covering both surfaces with silicone oil. This simple set of experiments quantified the epithelial pump mechanism. The epithelial pump rate of about 1·2 μm L hr −1 cm −2 has to be taken into account when endothelial pump rates are measured in the in vitro preparation with intact epithelium.
Quality and age of shallow groundwater in the Bakken Formation production area, Williston Basin, Montana and North Dakota.

The quality and age of shallow groundwater in the Bakken Formation production area were characterized using data from 30 randomly distributed domestic wells screened in the upper Fort Union Formation. Comparison of inorganic and organic chemical concentrations to health based drinking-water standards, correlation analysis of concentrations with oil and gas well locations, and isotopic data give no indication that energy-development activities affected groundwater quality. It is important, however, to consider these results in the context of groundwater age. Most samples were recharged before the early 1950s and had 14C ages ranging from 30,000 years. Thus, domestic wells may not be as well suited for detecting contamination associated with recent surface spills as shallower wells screened near the water table. Old groundwater could be contaminated directly by recent subsurface leaks from imperfectly cemented oil and gas wells, but horizontal groundwater velocities calculated from 14C ages imply that the contaminants would still be less than 0.5 km from their source. For the wells sampled in this study, the median distance to the nearest oil and gas well was 4.6 km. Because of the slow velocities, a long-term commitment to groundwater monitoring in the upper Fort Union Formation is needed to assess the effects of energy development on groundwater quality. In conjunction with that effort, monitoring could be done closer to energy-development activities to increase the likelihood of early detection of groundwater contamination if it did occur.
Millimeter-wave optical double resonance schemes for rapid assignment of perturbed spectra, with applications to the C̃1B2 state of SO2

Millimeter-wave detected, millimeter-wave optical double resonance (mmODR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the analysis of dense, complicated regions in the optical spectra of small molecules. The availability of cavity-free microwave and millimeter wave spectrometers with frequency-agile generation and detection of radiation (required for chirped-pulse Fourier-transform spectroscopy) opens up new schemes for double resonance experiments. We demonstrate a multiplexed population labeling scheme for rapid acquisition of double resonance spectra, probing multiple rotational transitions simultaneously. We also demonstrate a millimeter-wave implementation of the coherence-converted population transfer scheme for background-free mmODR, which provides a ∼10-fold sensitivity improvement over the population labeling scheme. We analyze perturbations in the C state of SO2, and we rotationally assign a b2 vibrational level at 45 328 cm−1 that borrows intensity via a c-axis Coriolis interaction. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of our multiplexed mmODR scheme for rapid acquisition and assignment of three predissociated vibrational levels of the C state of SO2 between 46 800 and 47 650 cm−1.
Modulation of cardiac mast cell-mediated extracellular matrix degradation by estrogen

There are fundamental differences between males and females with regard to susceptibility to heart disease. Although numerous animal models of heart failure have demonstrated that premenopausal fem...
Analysis of promoter sequences from Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ32 and their activity in other lactic acid bacteria.

Y.-S. CHEN AND J.L. STEELE. 2004. Aims: To clone and analyse seven putative promoter fragments (pepC, pepN, pepX, pepO, pepE, pepO2, hsp17) from Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ32 for their expression in Lact. helveticus CNRZ32, Lact. casei ATCC334 and Lactococcus lactis MG1363. Methods and Results: Promoter fragments were fused to the promoter-less b-glucuronidase (gusA) gene on pNZ272 RBS )ATG) . The resulting constructs were evaluated for their ability to drive the expression of active GusA with 0AE5 mmol l )1 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-b-D-glucuronide. All promoters except PpepN::gusA were active in the examined strains. Northern hybridization was performed to examine the promoter strength. Sequence analysis of these promoters identified well conserved putative ribosomal binding and putative ‐10 hexamers sites. Conclusions: Seven promoter fragments from Lact. helveticus CNRZ32 were recognized in the lactic acid bacteria, Lact. casei ATCC334 and L. lactis MG1363, as well as in Escherichia coli. PpepN::gusA could not be maintained in the strains examined because of toxicity associated with heterologous protein over-expression driven by PpepN. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study revealed that desirable levels of heterologous food-grade protein production in GRAS organisms can be obtained with the application of natural promoter fragments from closely related organisms.
Nipagin (p-Methyl Hydroxy Benzoate) as a Pesticide Against a House Dust Mite: Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus

Extensive literature has appeared on control of asthma symptomatically and by desensitization (Dahl, 1968, Acta Allergol. supp. 9 : 1–303). Recently a relationship was demonstrated between pyroglyphid mites, particularly Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart, 1897), and house dust allergen, a frequent cause of asthma (Voorhorst, Spieksma & Varekamp, 1969, House-dust atopy and the house-dust mite, Leiden).
Time of Expression of Genes Controlling Specific Enzymes in Drosophila Embryos

The activities of several enzymes were determined in homogenates of Drosophila melanogaster embryos and early larvae. The dehydrogenases of isocitrate (IDH), α-glycerophosphate (αGPDH), glucose 6-phosphate (G6PD), and 6-phosphogluconate (6PGD) show no increase in activity until late in the embryonic period (about 20 hr). The increase in the activity of these enzymes begins before hatching and continues into the larval period. Embryos heterozygous at loci controlling specific enzymes, IDH, αGPDH, G6PD, and ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase), have only the maternal form of each enzyme throughout most of the embryonic period. Paternal and hybrid forms of the enzymes are found at hatching. This corresponds to the increase in total activity for each of the enzymes. The results are discussed in terms of the control of gene expression in development.
Deuteron and Triton Methods

Some methods are reported of calculating accurately the depths of different shape potentials of the deuteron for non-central forces.
Weekending in PLWH: Alcohol Use and ART Adherence, A Pilot Study

We examined alcohol use patterns and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among 45 people living with HIV (PLWH) in Miami, Florida. Documented provider knowledge of alcohol use was also assessed. Among our sample, 20 % reported “weekending,” a phenomenon we describe as skipping ART due to planned alcohol use and drinking more on the weekend. While 100 % of our sample reported alcohol use, 73 % of providers’ notes reported abstinence. Until larger studies assess the generalizability of these findings among other PLWH, providers should consider probing patients about when they drink, how much they drink, and if they take ART when drinking.
Evolving patterns of tissue composition in benign prostatic hyperplasia as a function of specimen size.

Abstract The tissue composition in 36 transurethral resections and four prostate enucleations for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was quantitated by computerized morphometric techniques using 15 morphologic categories. Data were compared between seven consecutive weight ranges. Nodules of glandular and/or stromal tissue comprised only 5% of tissue in the smallest resections, while bladder neck and anterior fibromuscular tissue represented more than half the specimen. Non-nodular prostatic tissue from the transition zone was the dominant resected component in all but the largest specimens (enucleations) where nodules comprised most of the tissue. Though nodules comprised only 22% of the largest transurethral resections, their contribution to hyperplasia increased more rapidly than any other component. Glandular nodules with a high ratio of epithelium to stroma dominated at all weight ranges. It was concluded that tissue resected for BPH is quite heterogenous, that nodules comprise most of the tissue only in specimens over 50 g in weight, and that the most common hyperplastic component is histologically normal tissue. Benign prostatic hyperplasia undergoes morphologic evolution with increasing weight, and epithelial-rich nodules are the most rapidly evolving component.
Does the welfare state increase welfare? Reflections on hidden negatives and observed positives

The growth of the welfare state and the taxes required to finance it has affected aggregate economic welfare through several channels. Some of the impacts are negative; others are positive. This paper appraises the evidence on the magnitude of a dozen of these impacts, and concludes that for both the Netherlands and the U.S., aggregate gains exceed the losses. At the margin, however, the comparison is not so favorable and a strategy is suggested whereby the welfare state could be reoriented so as to preserve the gains while reducing the losses. This strategy is an alternative to simple retrenchment of the welfare state.
Magnetic depth profiling studies by polarized neutron reflection

Abstract A review is given of the role of polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR) in measuring the magnetic profile close to the surface and in thin films of superconductors and magnetic materials. For type I and type II superconductors PNR provided a new and direct determination of the penetration depth. For very thin ferromagnetic films PNR was able to determine the absolute value of the magnetic moments. In magnetic superlattices, formed by the alternation of ferromagnetic layers and nonmagnetic spacers, PNR was used to confirm the basic magnetic structure as well as to determine the direction of the magnetic moments of the individual layers. In addition to reflectivity, forward magnetic scattering may very well extend the usefulness of PNR to the case of laterally dishomogeneous systems.
Franchise Relocation and Fan Allegiance

This article examines how the fans of four sports teams reacted when their favorite team relocated to another city: the Houston Oilers to Nashville, the Quebec Nordiques to Denver, the Hartford Wha...