cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A qualitative exploration of chronic pain and opioid treatment among HIV patients with drug use disorders

Objective: The study explored high-risk participants' experiences with pain management regarding clinical access to and use of prescription opioids. Design: Qualitative semistructured interviews and focus groups. Setting: Data were collected August 2014 to May 2015 at an urban community-based research facility in Baltimore City, MD. Participants: HIV participants with chronic pain and a history of illicit drug use. Methods: Qualitative coding and analysis used an iterative, inductive, and thematic approach and coders achieved inter-coder consistency. Results: The authors identified two major themes. First, participants had positive and negative interactions with healthcare providers regarding chronic pain treatment. Participants perceived that providers lacked empathy for their pain and/or were not adequately managing their pain. These interactions resulted in participants seeking new providers or mistrusting the medical system. Further, providers’ surveillance of participants’ pain treatment regimen contributed to distress surrounding pain management. The second theme centered on participants’ pain management experiences with prescribed opioid analgesics. Participants felt they were receiving dosages and classes of analgesics that did not sufficiently address their pain, and consequently modified their dosages or rationed prescription opioids. Other participants were reluctant to take analgesics due to their history of illicit drug use. Some participants relapsed to illicit drug use when they felt their prescription opioids did not adequately address their pain needs. Conclusions: Participant struggles with receiving and managing prescribed opioid analgesics suggest a need for: therapies beyond these medications; guidelines for providers specific to this population; and harm reduction trainings for providers.
Sintering Behavior of Calcium Lanthanum Sulfide Ceramics in Field Assisted Consolidation

In the present study, calcium lanthanum sulfide (CaLa2S4, CLS) ceramics with the cubic thorium phosphate structure were sintered at different temperatures by field assisted sintering technique (FAST). Densification behavior and grain growth kinetics were studied through densification curves and microstructural characterizations. It was determined that the densification in the 850-950 °C temperature range was controlled by a mixture of lattice or grain boundary diffusion, and grain boundary sliding. It was revealed that grain boundary diffusion was the main mechanism controlling the grain growth between 950 °C and 1100 °C. The infrared (IR) transmittance of the FAST-sintered CLS ceramics was measured and observed to reach a maximum of 48.1% at 9.2 μm in ceramic sintered at 1000 °C. In addition, it was observed that the hardness of the CLS ceramics first increased with increasing temperature due to densification, and then decreased due to a decrease in dislocations associated with grain growth. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Viirs rsbautocal refinements to allow DNB dark signals & gain ratios transition to automated operation mode

The Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Reflective Solar Band Automated Calibration (RSBAutoCal) Day Night Band (DNB) dark signal and gain ratio calculations exhibit two issues: gain ratio trending instability and gain ratio differences relative to those calculated using the VIIRS Recommended Operating Procedures (VROP) monthly look-up table (LUT) generation tool. These issues have thus far prevented transition of RSBAutoCal to automated mode for these two DNB calibration parameters. In this paper we describe the successful diagnosis of the gain ratio stability issue. We also present a solution to stabilize the gain ratios, thereby clearing the way for their tuning to match the VROP derived gain ratios and transition of RSBAutoCal to automated mode for both dark signals and gain ratios. This solution has been fully and successfully tested with Matlab code developed to simulate RSBAutoCal gain ratio and dark signal calculations and is ready for delivery for operational implementation.
Constraints from Planets in Binaries

In this chapter I will discuss how planets place powerful constraints on the formation and early evolution of binary star systems. In addition, these systems demonstrate extreme modes of planet formation that can inform models of our own Solar System. I begin with a very brief overview of the theoretical mechanisms for forming binaries and their planets. I will present as case studies two triple-star systems comprising at least one planet orbiting one of the stars. Combining the information from these studies reveals that (1) many binaries with periods of 10–100 s of days form in their current orbital configurations as part of the star formation process (2) the frequency of tertiary companions in close binary systems may be indicative of three body instabilities other than the Kozai-Lidov mechanism (3) planet formation can proceed in highly perturbed, truncated disks, (4) a reservoir of material beyond the ice line may not be required to instigate planet formation.
A robust power delivery design strategy for platform on DIMM

Higher capacity, lower latency, and more efficient data management are the elements that are driving the design of future memory modules on server platforms. For this reason, the DIMM needs to evolve from a peripheral device with an external power supply into a platform that includes voltage regulators and a more complex power delivery network. The design of the power delivery network for a platform on DIMM represents a challenging task that is addressed in this document.
Personalization to New Website Users: The Role of Trust and Culture

In ecommerce, many market followers would like to have personalization systems in place to more effectively compete with market leaders. However, retailers face a significant challenge in forming initial trust with new customers, especially when the new customers are culturally diverse. Acknowledging this dilemma, this study examines the moderating cultural effects of espoused individualism/collectivism and uncertainty avoidance on the relationships between four different types of trust, namely, propensity to trust, institutional based trust, cognitive trust, and emotional trust, relative to the intention to use personalization system. Drawing on the theory of reasoned action, we first present different types of trust. We then develop a process model to explain how cultural differences affect types of trust. This study contributes to current literature by theoretically accounting for the impact of espoused cultural dimensions on online trust, and practically suggesting ways to increase the utilization of personalization system.
An Exhalent Problem for Teaching Statistics

A dataset concerning the relationship between respiratory function (measured by forced expiratory volume, FEV) and smoking provides a powerful tool for investigating a wide variety of statistical m...
A Catholic Higher Education Collaborative: Focusing on New Ways of Supporting Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools.

This article discusses highlights from the Catholic Higher Education Collaborative conference (CHEC) held at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in January 2009. The conference, a result of a 2007 dialogue on Catholic schooling hosted by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, was the first of six to be held at Catholic colleges and universities throughout the country. The purpose of the conference was to seek new and creative ways for Catholic higher education to partner with the nation’s K-12 Catholic schools. The theme of the LMU conference was “Catholic Schools and The Immigrant Church: Lessons from the Past and a Bridge to the Future.” This article includes information about the development of CHEC, a brief review of the history of immigrants and Catholic schools, an overview of conference keynote talks, and concludes with future initiatives developed from the conference in support of Catholic schools.
Mutations and karyotype predict treatment response in myelodysplastic syndromes

We examined the influence of mutations and karyotype on conventional treatment response, specifically hematological improvement in anemia, in primary myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Cytogenetic and next generation sequencing (NGS)-derived mutation information was available in 357 patients (median age 74 years; 70% males); the revised international prognostic scoring system risk distribution was very high in 11%, high 15%, intermediate 17%, low 40% and very low 16%. At least one mutation was detected in 81% of patients; most frequent were SF3B1 (32%), ASXL1 (27%), TET2 (24%) and U2AF1 (15%). At median follow-up of 24 months, treatment with hypomethylating agents (HMAs) was documented in 121 (34%) patients, lenalidomide (LEN) in 55 (15%), and erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) in 136 (38%). ASXL1 mutations adversely affected response to HMAs (27% vs 48%; P = 0.02) and LEN (9% vs 43%; P = 0.04), but not ESAs (P = 0.6). LEN response was also adversely affected by U2AF1 mutations (0% vs 42%; P = 0.02) and high risk karyotype (0% vs 41% in intermediate vs 47% in low risk; P = 0.01). Patients with SF3B1 mutations were more likely to respond to LEN (56% vs 27%; P = 0.04). Contrary to previous reports, we found no association between TET2 mutations and HMA treatment response (40% vs 41%; P = 0.9), even in the absence of ASXL1 mutations (P = 0.4).We conclude that ASXL1 mutations in MDS predict inferior response to treatment with both HMAs and LEN; response to LEN was also compromised by U2AF1 mutations and high risk karyotype; SF3B1 mutations identified patients likely to respond to LEN.
The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement — Strategic Lessons for Addressing Public Health Problems

The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement Numerous public health problems could be targets for litigation or settlements similar to the Master Settlement Agreement, including the opioid epidemic, firearm violence, excessive consumption of fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages, alcohol use, and climate change.
Assessing test-retest reliability of patient-reported outcome measures using intraclass correlation coefficients: recommendations for selecting and documenting the analytical formula.

Purpose The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2009 guidance for industry on patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures describes how the Agency evaluates the psychometric properties of measures intended to support medical product labeling claims. An important psychometric property is test–retest reliability. The guidance lists intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and the assessment time period as key considerations for test–retest reliability evaluations. However, the guidance does not provide recommendations regarding ICC computation, nor is there consensus within the measurement literature regarding the most appropriate ICC formula for test–retest reliability assessment. This absence of consensus emerged as an issue within Critical Path Institute’s PRO Consortium. The purpose of this project was to generate thoughtful and informed recommendations regarding the most appropriate ICC formula for assessing a PRO measure’s test–retest reliability.
Long Short-Term Memory Network Design for Analog Computing

We present an analog-integrated circuit implementation of long short-term memory network, which is compatible with digital CMOS technology. We have used multiple-input floating gate MOSFETs as both the front-end to obtain converted analog signals and the differential pairs in proposed analog multipliers. Analog crossbar is built by the analog multiplier processing matrix and bitwise multiplications. We have shown that using current signals as internal transmission signals can largely reduce computation delay, compared to the digital implementation. We also have introduced analog blocks to work as activation functions for the algorithm. In the back-end of our design, we have used current comparators to achieve the output to be readable to external digital systems. We have designed the LSTM network with the matrix size of 16 × 16 in TSMC 180nm CMOS technology. The post-layout simulations show that the latency of one computing cycle is 1.19ns without memory, and power dissipation of the single analog LSTM computing core with 2 kilobytes SRAM at 200MHz is 460.3mW. The overhead of power dissipation due to SRAM access is 8.3%, in which the computing of each LSTM layer requires one computing cycle. The energy efficiency is 0.95TOP/s/W.
100.51 Comparison of Rotational Versus Orbital Atherectomy for Multi-Vessel PCI in Patients With High-Risk Disease Who Are Turned Down for CABG

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with successful stent deployment is becoming increasingly feasible in severely calcified coronary arteries with the help of plaque modification systems. Coronary atherectomy is a popular alternative to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with
Lie Groups and Algebras: Matrix Approach

The Lie algebra g of a Lie group G is by definition the tangent space to G (considered as an analytic manifold) at the identity. When G is a matrix Lie algebra the elements of g may be obtained by differentiating curves of matrices. For example, the curve in SO(2) given by $$ R(\theta ) = (_{\sin \theta }^{\cos \theta }{}_{\cos \theta }^{ - \sin \theta }) $$ has as its tangent vector at the identity \( \delta R = \dot R(0) = (_1^0{}_0^{ - 1}) \).
What Should a Theory of Metabolic Control Offer to the Experimenter

In his preparations for this symposium, Athel Comish-Bowden mentioned a desire to present control theory to experimentalists in such a way as to persuade them that their subject could advance more rapidly with more attention to theoretical ideas. He is also inviting some experimentalists to indicate what they think a useful theory should offer, and has asked me to attempt to assess in the final chapter the extent to which the others have offered experimentalists a workable approach to metabolic control.
Wind direction and cool surface strategies on microscale urban heat island

Abstract The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, defined as the temperature difference between urban and rural areas, is caused by the increased absorption and storage of solar energy by artificial surfaces as compared to natural vegetation. In addition to surface material, the urban form and wind direction also affect the UHI intensity. A model was developed to study the effect of various cool surface strategies on the microscale UHI intensity for hypothetical urban blocks in Chicago, USA. The statistically warmest hour of the year was analyzed for eight wind directions, whose probabilities were obtained from existing climatic data. Pavements, walls, and roofs with high albedo and high diffusivity had the lowest UHI intensity, approximately 0.05∘C above the mesoscale intensity, while those with low albedo and low diffusivity had the greatest increase of about 0.6∘C. The UHI intensity varied with spatial location within the urban area because of constricted airflow. The UHI intensity of an urban canyon averaged over the probability of wind blowing from different directions, was found to have a strong correlation (R = 0.94) with the probability that it is an interior canyon that experiences lower wind speed on account of turbulent dissipation.
Comparison of Time and Cost Savings Using Different Cost Methodologies for Patient-Specific Instrumentation vs Standard Referencing in Total Ankle Arthroplasty:

Background:Patient-specific 3-D printing cutting blocks (PSI) have been used instead of traditional intramedullary cutting guides. We hypothesized that PSI would lead to significantly decreased ope...
Car pose in context: Accurate pose estimation with ground plane constraints

Scene context is a powerful constraint on the geometry of objects within the scene in cases, such as surveillance, where the camera geometry is unknown and image quality may be poor. In this paper, we describe a method for estimating the pose of cars in a scene jointly with the ground plane that supports them. We formulate this as a joint optimization that accounts for varying car shape using a statistical atlas, and which simultaneously computes geometry and internal camera parameters. We demonstrate that this method produces significant improvements for car pose estimation, and we show that the resulting 3D geometry, when computed over a video sequence, makes it possible to improve on state of the art classification of car behavior. We also show that introducing the planar constraint allows us to estimate camera focal length in a reliable manner.
Weight Gain Over Time in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Patients: Trends and Implications

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is often seen in overweight and obese patients. However, little is documented about weight gain over time in HS patients. Methods: From August 2009 to March 2018, all patients in the UCLA HS clinic were asked at initial examination about their weight gain since high school. Results: A cohort of 143 HS patients were found to have a significant mean BMI increase of 4.7 (25.5 to 30.2, p<0.0001) from high school until time of presentation (approximately a 15-year interval). Of the patients with ≥10 point BMI increase, 85.2% were women. 59.6% of women were normal weight in high school with an average BMI of 24.8 (SD 6.41, range 14-50) and 78.7% were overweight or obese at time of HS clinic intake. Hispanic HS patients were found to have more weight gain than other ethnic groups, (p=0.09) which may be clinically significant. Conclusions: Although many HS patients were normal weight or mildly overweight in high school, most become obese in early adulthood. Since obesity is thought to increase HS severity, weight management should be stressed in HS patients early on before weight gain occurs.
Social Network Advertising: The Moderating Role of Processing Fluency, Need for Cognition, Expertise, and Gender

In this study, we contribute to the social network advertising literature by examining the impact of individual differences (e.g. need for cognition, processing fluency, expertise, and gender) on t...
The Societal Consequences of Higher Education

The advent of mass schooling played a pivotal role in European societies of the later nineteenth century, transforming rural peasants into national citizens. The late-twentieth-century global expan...
Attachment of Agrobacterium Tumefaciens to Plant Host Cells

Tumor formation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens involves the transfer of bacterial DNA from the bacteria to the plant host cell. It is thus not surprising that one of the first steps in tumor formation is the attachment of the bacteria to the plant cell surface. This process is more complicated than it was originally thought to be. At least two steps are involved and preliminary evidence suggests that there are additional factors whose role is not yet clearly understood. The first step in bacterial attachment is the loose reversible binding of the bacteria to the plant cell surface. At this stage each bacterium is bound directly to a receptor(s) on the host cell. In the second step the bacteria elaborate cellulose fibrils which anchor the bacteria tightly to the plant cell surface. At this stage many bacteria continue to be bound directly to receptors on the host cell, but a much larger number of additional bacteria are trapped and bound indirectly to the plant cell surface by bacterial cellulose fibrils. The result is the formation of large aggregates of bacteria projecting from the host cell surface. A scanning electron micrograph showing Agrobacterium bound both directly and indirectly to carrot cells is shown in Figure 1 and a model of bacterial attachment which is based on these observations is shown in Figure 2 (Matthysse et al 1981).
Myeloid-Derived IL-33 Limits the Severity of Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis.

IL-33 is an IL-1 family cytokine that signals through its cognate receptor, ST2, to regulate inflammation. Whether IL-33 serves a pathogenic or protective role during inflammatory bowel disease is controversial. Herein, two different strains of cell-specific conditionally deficient mice were used to compare the role of myeloid- versus intestinal epithelial cell–derived IL-33 during dextran sodium sulfate–induced colitis. Data show that loss of CD11c-restricted IL-33 exacerbated tissue pathology, coinciding with increased tissue Il6 levels and loss of intestinal forkhead box p3+ regulatory T cells. Surprisingly, the lack of intestinal epithelial cell–derived IL-33 had no impact on disease severity or tissue recovery. Thus, we show that myeloid-derived IL-33 functionally restrains colitic disease, whereas intestinal epithelial cell–derived IL-33 is dispensable.
Improving Localization of Cardiac Geometry Using ECGI

Introduction: Electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) requires a model of the torso, and inaccuracy in the position of the heart is a known source of error. We previously presented a method to localize the heart when body and heart surface potentials are known. The goal of this study is to extend this approach to only use body surface potentials. Methods: We used an iterative coordinate descent optimization to estimate the positions of the heart for several consecutive heartbeats relying on the assumption that the epicardial potential sequence is the same in each beat. The method was tested with data synthesized using measurements from a isolated-heart, torso-tank preparation. Improvement was evaluated in terms of both heart localization and ECGI accuracy. Results: The geometric correction resulted in cardiac geometries closely matching ground truth geometry. ECGI accuracy increased dramatically by all metrics using the corrected geometry. Discussion: Future studies will employ more realistic animal models and then human subjects. Success could impact clinical ECGI by reducing errors from respiratory movement and perhaps decrease imaging requirements, reducing both cost and logistical difficulty of ECGI, widening clinical applicability.
Pioneering the developmental frontier.

Summary Coordinated changes in gene expression allow a single fertilized oocyte to develop into a complex multi-cellular organism. These changes in expression are controlled by transcription factors that gain access to discrete cis-regulatory elements in the genome, allowing them to activate gene expression. Although nucleosomes present barriers to transcription factor occupancy, pioneer transcription factors have unique properties that allow them to bind DNA in the context of nucleosomes, define cis-regulatory elements, and facilitate the subsequent binding of additional factors that determine gene expression. In this capacity, pioneer factors act at the top of gene-regulatory networks to control developmental transitions. Developmental context also influences pioneer factor binding and activity. Here we discuss the interplay between pioneer factors and development, their role in driving developmental transitions, and the influence of the cellular environment on pioneer factor binding and activity.
High frequency EMI sensing for detection and location of underground metallic utilities

Detecting and locating underground metallic and non-metallic pipes and utilities remains a pressing problem for the US Department of Energy. Old and deteriorating pipes pose a public safety and environmental hazard but often can be difficult to locate due to poor mapping or broken tracing wires. Many geophysical sensing techniques have been applied to the problem, including: acoustic methods, ground penetrating radar, passive magnetic fields, and low frequency electromagnetic fields – each with its own advantages and pitfalls. This paper investigates a new technique for detecting subsurface pipes: high frequency electromagnetic induction (HFEMI) sensing. Utilizing a frequency range of 10 kHz – 15 MHz, HFEMI has been used successfully in the past for detecting and locating low-conducting subsurface targets such as improvised explosive devices (IED). In this paper, we show HFEMI can be used to induce a linear current in a target pipe which produces a secondary electromagnetic field that can be detected by an above-ground magnetic field receiver. Comparisons between numerical and experimental studies are presented for subsurface elongated conductors. The data is inverted and then validated against ground truth.
Gender and mental health.

Men and women experience different kinds of mental health problems. While women exceed men in internalizing disorders such as depression and anxiety, men exhibit more externalizing disorders such as substance abuse and antisocial behavior, which are problematic for others. These differences also vary by race and social class: for example, African Americans possess better mental health and, thus, a smaller gender gap in psychiatric problems. What explains these differences? We concentrate on conceptions of gender and gender practices. Research on gender and mental health suggests that conceptions of masculinity and femininity affect major risk factors for internalizing and externalizing problems, including the stressors men and women are exposed to, the coping strategies they use, the social relationships they engage in, and the personal resources and vulnerabilities they develop. This chapter investigates explanations in these areas for gender differences both in general and by race and class.
On the study of global oscillations of the sun via fluctuations in the solar limb darkening function

Global solar oscillations have been shown to be primarily observable through changes in the solar limb darkening function. The observational search for these changes is hampered by problems associated with changes in the earth's atmosphere. Attempts by several investigators to deal with these problems are reviewed and the results are reproduced from the most successful of these. The pros and cons of the various techniques used in these observations are brought into focus by an analysis of their individual ability to deal with the earth's atmosphere.
Metastatic Breast Cancer with Extensive Osseous Metastasis Presenting with Symptomatic Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura and Anemia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Background: Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a rare acquired bleeding disorder with an estimated incidence of 1 in 10,000 people in the general population. The association of ITP with breast cancer is an even rarer entity with very limited reports in the English literature. Case Presentation: We report a case of a 51-year-old female with no significant past medical history who presented with sudden onset of malaise, syncope, gingival bleed and epistaxis. She was found to have severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count 6,000/μl) and anemia (hemoglobin 7.2 g/dl). Her workup led to the diagnosis of metastatic ductal breast cancer with extensive bone metastasis. Bone marrow biopsy demonstrated myelophthisis which was initially thought to be consistent with her presentation of thrombocytopenia and anemia. Therefore, the patient was started on hormonal therapy for the treatment of her metastatic breast cancer. After 3 months of therapy, she did not improve and developed severe mucosal bleeding. Her clinical presentation was suspicious for ITP and immune-mediated anemia, and hence she was started on steroids and intravenous immunoglobulin. The patient had a dramatic response to therapy with normalization of her platelet count and hemoglobin within 2 weeks. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of metastatic breast cancer presenting with symptomatic ITP and anemia, and both symptoms are postulated to be immune-mediated.
Formation and Properties of T Factor Complexes

Abstract 1. A modified procedure is presented for the isolation from Escherichia coli Q13 of the protein Factor T necessary for GTP-dependent polyuridylate-directed synthesis of polyphenylalanine. 2. Factor T forms a stable ternary complex with GTP and phenylalanyl-tRNA, as determined by gel filtration, but not with either one alone. Other nucleoside triphosphates cannot substitute for GTP in complex formation nor can N-formylmethionyl-tRNA or deacylated tRNA replace phenylalanyl-tRNA. Factor T also forms a complex with GDP, but this reaction is not stimulated by phenylalanyl-tRNA. 3. Competition and labeling studies reveal that the predominant species bound to membrane filters by T factor is GDP and not GTP. Label from 3H-GTP is bound primarily as the result of hydrolysis to 3H-GDP by a GTPase activity which is associated with the T factor preparation. In the absence of aminoacyl-tRNA, T-GTP-aminoacyl-tRNA is not retained on membrane filters. 4. Two complexes of T factor, T-GDP and T-GTP-Phe-tRNA, are interchangeable through a dynamic equilibrium. T-GTP*-Phe-tRNA + GDP ⇌ T-GDP + GTP* + Phe-tRNA 5. The ternary complex (T-GTP-Phe-tRNA) efficiently transfers phenylalanyl-tRNA to ribosomes in the presence of polyuridylate with the concomitant hydrolysis of GTP to GDP and Pi; this reaction is unaffected by fusidic acid. The GDP formed is bound to protein, presumably T factor. For every molecule of phenylalanyl-tRNA transferred to ribosomes, 1 molecule of GTP is hydrolyzed and 1 molecule of the resulting GDP is bound to protein.
Convenient and reproducible in vivo gene transfer to mouse parotid glands.

Oral Diseases (2010) 17, 77–82 Objectives: Published studies of gene transfer to mouse salivary glands have not employed the parotid glands. Parotid glands are the likely target tissue for most clinical applications of salivary gene transfer. The purpose of the present study was to develop a convenient and reproducible method of retroductal gene transfer to mouse parotid glands. Methods: The volume for vector delivery was assessed by infusion of Toluidine Blue into Stensen’s ducts of Balb/c mice after direct intraoral cannulation. Recombinant, serotype 5 adenoviral vectors, encoding either firefly luciferase or human erythropoietin (hEpo), were constructed and then administered to parotid glands (107 vector particles/gland). Transgene expression in vivo was measured by enzyme activity (luciferase) or an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (hEpo). Vector biodistribution was measured by real-time quantitative (Q) PCR. Results: The chosen volume for mouse parotid vector delivery was 20 μL. Little vector was detected outside of the targeted glands, with both QPCR and luciferase assays. Transgene expression was readily detected in glands (luciferase, hEpo), and serum and saliva (hEpo). Most secreted hEpo was detected in saliva. Conclusion: These studies show that mouse parotid glands can be conveniently and reproducibly targeted for gene transfer, and should be useful for pre-clinical studies with many murine disease models.
TIME-RESOLVED STUDIES OF ULTRARAPID SOLIDIFICATION OF HIGHLY UNDERCOOLED MOLTEN SILICON FORMED BY PULSED LASER IRRADIATION.

In this paper we report new results of nanosecond-resolution time-resolved optical reflectivity measurements, during pulsed excimer (KrF, 248 nm) laser irradiation of Si-implanted amorphous (a) silicon layers, which, together with model calculations and post-irradiation TEM measurements, have allowed us to study both the transformation of a-Si to a highly undercooled liquid (l) phase and the subsequent ultrarapid solidification process.(1–3) The melting temperature (Ta) of a-Si is apparently some 150–300 K below the melting temperature (Tc = 1683 K) of c-Si;4–9 thus, molten l-Si that is undercooled by hundreds of Kelvins can be prepared by pulsed laser melting of a-Si layers, using laser pulses of low El. By melting only partially through an a-Si layer, the undercooled l-Si remains isolated from the c-Si beneath because of the low thermal conductivity (Ka ≃ 0.02 W/cm-K)1,3 of the remaining a-Si. This makes it possible to study the subsequent process of resolidification from a highly undercooled melt under relatively we 11-controlled experimental conditions. Preliminary studies of this kind were carried out using pulsed Nd (532 nm) laser irradiation.1–3 Typical TEM micrographs1,10 following low El laser irradiation of a 500-nm-thick a-Si layer on a c-Si substrate showed a region of fine-grained (FG) polycrystalline Si (p-Si) at the surface, followed at increasing depth by the remaining a-Si, the a-c interface, and the c-Si substrate.
Health consequences of behaviors: injury as a model

Injury is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause for children, adolescents, and young adults. Injury results from multiple factors and so may its prevention. The first and simplest approach toward preventing injuries has been to innovatively and aggressively apply a traditional public health model. Strategically, the goal has been to remove harmful agents of injury and to make the environment safer. Tactics such as public information, product regulation, legislative action, and the like have been credited with reductions in mortality and morbidity. To expand our understanding and our prevention strategies across multiple injuries, other scientific knowledge bases and intervention models from fields such as psychology and child development are being used to study childhood injury. These approaches show that in addition to environmental determinants, psychosocial factors involving both the care giver and the child are related to injury. The research programs described here illustrate the advantage of investigating psychosocial factors at both molar and molecular levels. General characteristics of mothers and children related to injury help define families at risk, as well as suggesting vehicles for intervention. Behavioral factors influencing risk perception highlight the etiology of increased risk in adolescence. Injury episodes, even slight, as well as "near injuries" and dangerous and risky behavior can be quantified and analyzed by retrospective ("postmortem") approaches yielding data on commonly occurring consequences (and the lack thereof) for minor injury. Finally, approaches that simulate dangerous situations can identify interaction patterns that result in childhood injury. Based on such research, we are coming to view injuries as the result of patterns of behaviors that develop and persist over time, and as such these patterns can be detected and, one hopes, altered before a serious medical event occurs. The role of the pediatrician after injury occurs is clear. With regard to prevention of injuries, pediatricians' roles are being defined by those individuals who have begun to investigate causes, educate families, and advocate for regulation and prevention. However, like the causes and methods for prevention, the disciplines involved in the study and prevention of injury are multiple. Such a multidisciplinary approach that considers multiple factors, theories, models, and interventions to prevent injury may be the approach that is as simple as possible.
Six enzymes from mayapple that complete the biosynthetic pathway to the etoposide aglycone

Podophyllotoxin is the natural product precursor of the chemotherapeutic etoposide, yet only part of its biosynthetic pathway is known. We used transcriptome mining in Podophyllum hexandrum (mayapple) to identify biosynthetic genes in the podophyllotoxin pathway. We selected 29 candidate genes to combinatorially express in Nicotiana benthamiana (tobacco) and identified six pathway enzymes, including an oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase that closes the core cyclohexane ring of the aryltetralin scaffold. By coexpressing 10 genes in tobacco-these 6 plus 4 previously discovered-we reconstitute the pathway to (-)-4'-desmethylepipodophyllotoxin (the etoposide aglycone), a naturally occurring lignan that is the immediate precursor of etoposide and, unlike podophyllotoxin, a potent topoisomerase inhibitor. Our results enable production of the etoposide aglycone in tobacco and circumvent the need for cultivation of mayapple and semisynthetic epimerization and demethylation of podophyllotoxin.
Representational issues in genetic optimization

Abstract Functions are partially characterized as easy or hard for genetic algorithms to optimize. The failure modes of inappropriate embedding, crossover disruption, and deceptiveness are introduced, analyzed, and resolved in part. Virtually all optimizable (by any method) real valued functions defined on a finite domain are shown to be theoretically easy for genetic algorithms given appropriately chosen representations. Unfortunately, problems that are easy in theory can be difficult in practice because of sampling error. Also, the transformations required to induce favorable representations are generally arbitrary permutations, and the space of permutations is so large that search for good ones is intractable. The space of inversions is amenable to search, but inversions are insufficiently powerful to overcome deceptiveness. On the other hand, affine transformations (over the diadic group) are shown to be sufficiently powerful to transform at least selected deceptive problems into easy ones. These new ...
State ‘documents to the people”

Abstract Based upon a speech before the Indiana Counterpart Group on Government Documents in April 1976, this article provides an overview of selected recent developments in the area of state publications. It discusses academic reference service and suggests possible topics for further research and publication.
Power Law or Lognormal? Distribution of Normalized Hurricane Damages in the United States, 1900–2005

AbstractRecent research indicates that the energy generated by hurricanes follows a power law distribution. The authors hypothesize that economic damages caused by hurricanes also follow a power law distribution. Using yearly hurricane damage data from 1900 to 2005 the authors show that the distribution of yearly damages due to hurricanes in the United States may follow either a power law or lognormal distribution. Furthermore, if the distribution of damages follows a power law, then for the best-fit distribution, the tail of the distribution is so fat that the variance of damages, conditional on being in the tail, is potentially unbounded.
Green’s Functions for a Half-Space and Two Half-Spaces Bonded to a Thin Anisotropic Elastic Layer

The Green’s function for an anisotropic elastic half-space that is bonded to a thin elastic material of different anisotropy subject to a line force and a line dislocation is presented. Also presented is the Green’s function for two different anisotropic elastic half-spaces that are bonded to a thin elastic material of different anisotropy subject to a line force and a line dislocation in one of the half-spaces. The thickness h of the thin layer is assumed to be small compared with a reference length. Thus, instead of finding the solution in the thin layer and imposing the continuity conditions at the interface(s), we derive and apply effective boundary conditions for the interface between the layer and the body that take into account the existence of the layer.
The effects of income source, context, and income level on tax compliance decisions in a dynamic experiment

Abstract This study employs a laboratory experiment to explore the joint effect of income source (earned versus endowed) and decision context (tax versus nontax) on tax compliance behavior. During the experiment, subjects faced various income levels and made multiple reporting decisions. The results indicate that overall compliance is not significantly affected by the interaction of income source and context. However, this joint effect influences the relationship between income level and compliance and how compliance behavior evolves over time. In both cases, the treatment group with earned income in a tax context displays behavior that is distinct from the other three groups.
Estradiol abolishes reduction in cell death by the opioid agonist Met5-enkephalin after oxygen glucose deprivation in isolated cardiomyocytes from both sexes

There is evidence for differences in the response to the treatment of cardiovascular disease in men and women. In addition, there are conflicting results regarding the effectiveness of pharmacologi...
Vitamin B complex therapy in chronic arthritis

1. Spasticity of the colon is commonly associated with chronic atrophic and hypertrophic arthritis.
Comparison of Nucleation Site Density for Pool Boiling and Gas Nucleation

It has been well established that the rate of heat transfer associated with boiling systems is strongly dependent on the nucleation site density. Over many years attempts have been made to predict nucleation site density in boiling systems using a variety of techniques. With the exception of specially prepared surfaces, these attempts have met with little success. This paper presents an experimental investigation of nucleation site density measured on roughly polished brass and stainless steel surfaces for gas nucleation and pool boiling over a large parameter space. A statistical model used to predict the nucleation site density in saturated pool boiling is also investigated. The fluids used for this study, distilled water and ethanol, are moderately wetting and highly wetting, respectively. Using distilled water it has been observed that the trends of nucleation site density versus the inverse of the critical radius are similar for pool boiling and gas nucleation. The nucleation site density is higher for gas nucleation than for pool boiling. An unexpected result has been observed with ethanol as the heat transfer fluid, which casts doubt on the general assumption that heterogeneous nucleation in boiling systems is exclusively seeded by vapor trapping cavities. Due to flooding, few sites are active on the brass surface and at most two are active on the stainless steel surface during gas nucleation experiments. However, nucleation sites readily form in large concentration on both the brass and stainless steel surfaces during pool boiling. The pool boiling nucleation site densities for ethanol on rough and mirror polished brass surfaces are also compared. It shows that there is not a significant difference between the measured nucleation site densities on the smooth and rough surfaces. These results suggest that, in addition to vapor trapping cavities, another mechanism must exist to seed vapor bubble growth in boiling systems.
The cell population in pancreatic islets of Amphisbaenidae--a light and electron microscopic study.

A diversity of cell types have been found in the pancreatic islets of three species of Amphisbaenidae in a light and electron microscopic investigation. The A cells have been characterized as having phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin and orange G positive secretory granules which are electron opaque and 450–500 mμ, in diameter. The B cells possess aldehyde fuchsin reactive granules which are slightly larger than A granules, approximately 550 mμ, and have a variety of profiles in the electron microscope. The D cells are characterized as being fast green positive and argyrophilic in the light microscope, and in the electron microscope have small, 200–300 mμ, secretory granules with a core of moderate electron opacity. In D cells the Golgi apparatus is more highly developed than in A or B cells. Bipes islets contain a presumptive fourth cell type possessing large secretory granules with irregular profiles and focal internal densities. An additional cell type, found in Amphisbaena manni and Bipes, has small, electron opaque granules.
A novel LBP-1-mediated restriction of HIV-1 transcription at the level of elongation in vitro

Abstract The cellular factor, LBP-1, can repress HIV-1 transcription by preventing the binding of TFIID to the promoter. Here we have analyzed the effect of recombinant LBP-1 on HIV-1 transcription in vitro by using a “pulse-chase” assay. LBP-1 had no effect on initiation from a preformed preinitiation complex and elongation to position +13 (“pulse”). However, addition of LBP-1 after RNA polymerase was stalled at +13 strongly inhibited further elongation (“chase”) by reducing RNA polymerase processivity. Severe mutations of the high affinity LBP-1 binding sites between −4 and +21 did not relieve the LBP-1-dependent block. However, LBP-1 could bind independently to upstream low affinity sites (−80 to −4), suggesting that these sites mediate the effect of LBP-1 on elongation. These results demonstrate a novel function of LBP-1, restricting HIV-1 transcription at the level of elongation. In addition, Tat was found to suppress the antiprocessivity effect of LBP-1 on HIV-1 transcription in nuclear extracts. These findings strongly suggest that LBP-1 may provide a natural mechanism for restricting the elongation of HIV-1 transcripts and that this may be a target for the action of Tat in enhancing transcription.
The optimality of socialist development strategies an empirical inquiry

Abstract This paper examines the optimality with which Czechoslovak planners have allocated investment between 1954 and 1972. Applying optimal control techniques to an econometric model of the Czechoslovak economy we find that greater levels of industrial output and of aggregate welfare could have been obtained by devoting a greater proportion of investment to housing and urban services, thus facilitating rural-urban migration. The optimal pattern of investment is sensitive to the need to restrain domestic inflation and to the existence of potential difficulties in securing imports of raw materials from socialist countries. We conclude that, taking into account the need to restrict domestic inflation and the difficulty in obtaining greater supplies of raw materials from socialist countries, Czechoslovak planners have allocated investment in an effective manner.
Comparison of conductometric humidity-sensing polymers

Abstract Films of differently modified PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), TA (phthalocyaninosilicon) and Nafion in different ionic forms (H+, Li+, and Na+) have been prepared by using casting methods. Impedance changes of the films with relative humidity are examined. The results demonstrate that the content and hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic group in PVA, ionization of TA, and the cation in Nafion have significant effects on sensing properties of the films.
Integrating Hands-On Undergraduate Research in an Applied Spatial Science Senior Level Capstone Course

A senior within a spatial science Ecological Planning capstone course designed an undergraduate research project to increase his spatial science expertise and to assess the hands-on instruction methodology employed within the Bachelor of Science in Spatial Science program at Stephen F Austin State University. The height of 30 building features estimated remotely with LiDAR data, within the Pictometry remotely sensed web-based interface, and in situ with a laser rangefinder were compared to actual building feature height measurements. A comparison of estimated height with actual height indicated that all three estimation techniques tested were unbiased estimators of height. An ANOVA, conducted on the absolute height errors resulting in a p-value of 0.035, concluded the three height estimating techniques were statistically different at the 95% confidence interval. A Tukey pair-wise test found the remotely sensed Pictometry web-based interface was statistically more accurate than LiDAR data, while the laser range finder was not different from the others. The results indicate that height estimates within the Pictometry web-based interface could be used in lieu of time consuming and costly in situ height measurements. The findings also validate the interactive hands-on instruction methodology employed by Geographic Information Systems faculty within the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture in producing spatial science graduates capable of utilizing spatial science technology to accurately quantify, qualify, map, and monitor natural resources.