cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
‘Revenge for My Two Eyes’: Talion and Mimesis in the Samson Narrative

The Samson narrative is notable for its cycles of violence and revenge. Sometimes this has been understood to be an expression of lex talionis (‘an eye for an eye’); indeed, Samson appears to assert as much, though his actions do not match up to the ideal. This paper argues that while the narrator permits Samson to make this claim, he demonstrates that a far more sinister dynamic is at work: namely, Girardian mimesis and scapegoating. At the centre of the rivalry between Israel and the Philistines is Samson, ‘monsterised’ by both sides, and represented in hulk-like terms. His sexual rivalry with his Philistine ‘companions’ embodies the rivalry between the two nations. Using a Girardian hermeneutic reveals how the cycles of violence are, in fact, an escalating form of mimesis, which twice approach crisis, but conclude with Samson escaping from the scapegoating role by taking matters into his own hands.
A study of long-lived asset impairment under U.S. GAAP and IFRS within the U.S. institutional environment

Abstract This paper explores whether differences in accounting standards influence reporting behavior within the U.S. institutional environment where both IFRS and U.S. GAAP are used for reporting purposes. We focus on the accounting for impairment of long-lived assets, an area where significant differences exist between U.S. GAAP and IFRS. We identify all U.S.-listed firms who have recognized long-lived asset impairment losses during the 2004–2012 period. From these firms, we identify firms following IFRS, then develop a matched sample of U.S. GAAP firms, using a propensity score matching procedure. We examine the relation between impairment loss and unexpectedly high or low earnings in the year of impairment using a two-stage Heckman regression model, controlling for industry, country, year of write-down, and firm-level economic factors. We find that the association between impairment losses and unexpectedly high and low earnings is significantly greater for U.S. GAAP firms as compared to IFRS reporting firms, implying differences in accounting standards influence firm financial reporting. Our findings are robust to alternative measures of country level institutional factors and macro-economic variables, as well as inclusion of asset impairment reversals.
Reconsidering vasectomy reversal over assisted reproduction in older couples.

Objective To provide pregnancy and live birth rates from a contemporary series of vasectomy reversals in men with female partners aged ≥35 years and to correlate the results with IVF. Setting Tertiary academic referral center. Design Retrospective comparative study of prospectively collected database. Patient(s) Two hundred forty-six men who underwent vasectomy reversal for fertility with female partner aged ≥35 years. Intervention(s) Vasovasostomy or vasoepididymostomy. Main Outcome Measure(s) Correlation of pregnancy and live birth rate of this cohort by age groups with most recently published pregnancy and live birth rate per IVF cycle. Result(s) One hundred thirty-six men who underwent vasectomy reversal between 2006 and 2014 met our inclusion criteria. Overall pregnancy and live birth rates were 35% and 30%, respectively. Subgroup analysis by female age groups (35–37, 38–40, >40 years) demonstrated pregnancy and live birth rates comparable to those per IVF cycle by age groups according to a recently published (2015) national report. Conclusion(s) Vasectomy reversal should be strongly considered in men with a partner aged ≤40 years. Additionally, vasectomy reversal can be considered in carefully selected patients even with a partner aged >40 years.
Activation of protein kinase C by short chain phospholipid micelles.

Protein Kinase C (PKC) plays an important role in the regulation of cellular responses to external stimuli (reviewed in 1). Inactive cytosolic kinase translocates to the membrane in response to the phospholipase Cmediated release of diacylglycerol (DAG) and mobilization of Ca2+. Treatment of cells with phorbol esters, a potent class of tumor promoters, also causes a translocation of kinase (2,3). Once active, PKC phosphorylates a large number of both membrane and cytosolic proteins (1). It is unclear whether these phosphorylation events occur at the membrane, or whether the kinase is released from the membrane subsequent to activation.
Photoluminescence and Photoconductivity Study of the 1.10 eV Energy Level in Fe-Doped InP

Photoluminescence and photoconductivity measurements in Fe-doped high-resistivity InP have been performed in the temperature range 4–300 K. Particular emphasis was placed on the explanation of the 1.06 eV emission. The emission spectrum has phonon structure at lower temperatures. The observed band shape and peak position are well explained by the configuration co-ordinate model. A nearest neighbour molecular-like centre (Fe)In— (V)p is responsible for the 1.06 eV emission as well as the ~ 1.10 eV emission present in doped and undoped InP. Both d.c. and a.c. photoconductivity spectra show a strong photoconductivity onset at 1.1–1.2 eV for T=7–300 K. This onset can be ascribed to the defect centre (Fe)In-(V)p which has a carrier trapping level of 0.24 eV.
Preparedness and Coping Strategies for Agricultural Drought Risk Management: Recent Progress and Trends

In many countries, drought is responsible for the greatest loss of agricultural production. For example, in the United States, drought was the predominant source of indemnities paid because of crop losses between 1970 and 2003. These losses totaled more than $15 billion (USDA/RMA). In China during the period from 1949 to 2000, drought affected an average of 21 million hectares. More than 60 million tons of grain was lost in China as a result of the drought of 2000, the highest loss in 51 years (Zhang et al. 2005). Recent droughts in Europe, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Southern Africa, and many other regions have also resulted in devastating impacts in the agricultural sector. With growing pressure on water and other natural resources because of population increases and other factors, there is an increasing need to reduce both the impacts of drought on agriculture and other sectors and the demand for government- or donor-sponsored drought assistance programs. These programs are costly and largely ineffective in reducing societal vulnerability to future drought episodes.
A Tutorial Markov Analysis of Effective Human Tutorial Sessions

This paper investigates what differentiates effective tutorial sessions from less effective sessions. Towards this end, we characterize and explore human tutors’ actions in tutorial dialogue sessions by mapping the tutor-tutee interactions, which are streams of dialogue utterances, into streams of actions, based on the language-as-action theory. Next, we use human expert judgment measures, evidence of learning (EL) and evidence of soundness (ES), to identify effective and ineffective sessions. We perform sub-sequence pattern mining to identify sub-sequences of dialogue modes that discriminate good sessions from bad sessions. We finally use the results of sub-sequence analysis method to generate a tutorial Markov process for effective tutorial sessions.
Third-Year Medical Students' Reactions to Surgical Patients in Pain: Doubt, Distress, and Depersonalization.

Abstract Context Medical students have limited instruction about how to manage the interpersonal relationships required to care for patients in pain. Objectives The objective of this study was to characterize the experiences of medical students as they encounter pain, suffering, and the emotional experiences of doctoring. Methods We used qualitative analysis to explore the content of 341 essays written by third-year medical students who described their experiences with surgical patients in pain. We used an inductive process to develop a coding taxonomy and then characterized the content of these essays related to empathy, patient-clinician interaction, and descriptions of clinical norms. Results Students found it difficult to reconcile patient suffering with the therapeutic objective of treatment. They feared an empathic response to pain might compromise the fortitude and efficiency required to be a doctor and they pursued strategies to distance themselves from these feelings. Students described tension around prescription of pain medications and worried about the side effects of medications used to treat pain. Students felt disillusioned when operations caused suffering without therapeutic benefit or were associated with unexpected complications. Although patients had expressed a desire for intervention, students worried that the burdens of treatment and long-term consequences were beyond patient imagination. Conclusion These observations about patient-doctor relationships suggest that there is a larger problem among clinicians relating to patient distress and personal processing of the emotional nature of patient care. Efforts to address this problem will require explicit instruction in skills to develop a personal strategy for managing the emotionally challenging aspects of clinical work.
Environmental and birth characteristics as predictors of short stature in early childhood.

AIM To evaluate for environmental and birth characteristic predictors of short stature in a large nationally representative sample. METHODS We evaluated 10 127 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten 2011 cohort, using univariate and multivariable linear and logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with short stature (height <3rd percentile) at kindergarten through second grade. Predictors included birthweight, preterm status, sex, parental education, parental income and race/ethnicity. RESULTS Lower birthweight was associated with short stature, with each decreasing kilogram having a 2.45 adjusted odds ratio (aOR; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.81, 3.33) of short stature for term children in second grade. Preterm children (compared to term children) had an aOR of 2.23 (CI 1.32, 3.78) for short stature. Other predictors of short stature included female sex and lower parental income. African American children had a lower risk of short stature (aOR 0.34, CI 0.14, 0.82) compared to white children. CONCLUSION Predictors of short stature include lower birthweight, preterm status, female sex and parental income. Socio-economic disparities and race/ethnicity further influenced height. These data may assist paediatricians in considering contributors to stature outcomes by early school age.
Improvement in Residents’ Attitudes Toward Individuals with Substance Use Disorders Following an Online Training Module on Stigma:

BackgroundResident physicians have been shown to possess negative attitudes toward individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs), even if the residents believe they have adequate knowledge and sk...
Discovery of novel octane hyperboosting phenomenon in prenol biofuel/gasoline blends

Abstract This work describes the first documented case of an effect defined herein as “octane hyperboosting” by an oxygenated fuel compound, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol (prenol). Octane hyperboosting is characterized by the Research Octane Number (RON) of a mixture (e.g. an oxygenate biofuel blended into gasoline) exceeding the RON of the individual components in that mixture. This finding counters the widely held assumption that interpolation between the RON values of a pure compound and the base fuel provides the bounds for the RON performance of the blend. This is clearly distinct from the more commonly observed synergistic blending of oxygenates with gasoline, where the RON never exceeds the performance of the highest performing component. Octane hyperboosting was observed for blends of prenol and six different gasoline fuels with varying composition. Testing of compounds chemically similar to prenol yielded no qualitatively similar instances of octane hyperboosting, which suggests that the effect may not be widespread among fuel candidates. The phenomenon suggests an unexplored aspect of autoignition kinetics research for fuel blends, and may provide a new mechanism for significantly increasing fuel octane number, which is necessary for increasing combustion efficiency in spark ignition engines. This phenomenon also increases the potential candidate list of biofuels, as compounds hitherto discounted due to their lower pure component RON may exhibit hyperboosting behavior, and thereby enhanced performance, in blends.
Presacral masses and sacrococcygeal teratomas in patients with and without anorectal malformations: A single institution comparative study.

Abstract Background Despite variability at presentation, presacral masses in patients with and without anorectal malformations (ARM) appear histologically similar. The purpose of this study was to identify differences in oncologic outcomes between these two groups. Methods A retrospective review was performed utilizing our institutional cancer and colorectal and pelvic reconstruction databases for patients with presacral masses and sacrococcygeal teratomas between 1990 and 2017. Data captured included age at surgical resection, type of ARM, tumor location within the pelvis, tumor histopathology, tumor size, adjuvant chemotherapy, recurrence, and follow-up. Results Forty-six patients comprised our cohort, of whom 12 had an ARM. The median age was older at resection for those with an ARM (1.4 years; range 1 day to 29.4 years) compared to those without an ARM (9 days; range 0 days to 6.9 years) (p = 0.01). The mean tumor size was 2.5 cm in patients with an ARM compared to 6.0 cm in patients without an ARM (p = 0.036). All patients with ARM had exclusively intrapelvic tumors, and histopathology included mature teratoma (8), yolk sac tumor (1), lipoma (1), and unknown (2). Tumor location for patients with sacral and presacral masses without ARM included exclusively extrapelvic (10), primarily extrapelvic with large intrapelvic component (7), primarily intrapelvic with extrapelvic component (1), exclusively intrapelvic (8), and unknown (8). Histopathology for patients with presacral masses without ARM included mature teratoma (20), immature teratoma (7), yolk sac tumor (3), ganglioneuroma (1), neuroblastoma (1), benign epithelial cyst (1), and unknown (1). Tumor recurrence rate was similar between patients with ARM (n = 3, 25%) and those without an ARM (n = 5, 15%) (p = 0.41). The 5-year event free survival was 65% (95% CI: 25%–87%) in the group with ARM and 81% (95% CI: 60%–92%) in the group without ARM (p = 0.44). Conclusion Sacral and presacral masses in patients with ARM are resected at a later age and are more likely to be intrapelvic. They appear histologically similar and have similar rates of recurrence and malignancy when compared to patients without ARM. Level of Evidence III Type of Study Retrospective comparative study.
Variation in Antibiotic Selection and Clinical Outcomes in Infants <60 Days Hospitalized With Skin and Soft Tissue Infections.

OBJECTIVES: To describe variation in empirical antibiotic selection in infants METHODS: Using the Pediatric Health Information System, we conducted a retrospective study of infants hospitalized with SSTI from 2009 to 2014. We analyzed empirical antibiotic selection in the first 2 days of hospitalization and categorized antibiotics as those typically administered for (1) staphylococcal infection, (2) neonatal sepsis, or (3) combination therapy (staphylococcal infection and neonatal sepsis). We examined the association of antibiotic selection and outcomes using generalized linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS: A total of 1319 infants across 36 hospitals were included; the median age was 30 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 17–42 days). We observed substantial variation in empirical antibiotic choice, with 134 unique combinations observed before categorization. The most frequently used antibiotics included staphylococcal therapy (50.0% [IQR: 39.2–58.1]) and combination therapy (45.4% [IQR: 36.0–56.0]). Returns occurred in 9.2% of infants. Compared with administration of staphylococcal antibiotics, use of combination therapy was associated with increased LOS (adjusted rate ratio: 1.35; 95% confidence interval: 1.17–1.53) and cost (adjusted rate ratio: 1.39; 95% confidence interval: 1.21–1.58), but not with 30-day returns. CONCLUSIONS: Infants who are hospitalized with SSTI experience wide variation in empirical antibiotic selection. Combination therapy was associated with increased LOS and cost, with no difference in returns. Our findings reveal the need to identify treatment strategies that can be used to optimize resource use for infants with SSTI.
What State Regulators Should Learn from FTC Experience in Regulating Advertising

Advertising regulators should recognize that advertising enhances competition, that regulation cannot prevent every possible misinterpretation, and that advertising cannot provide complete informat...
Race-Related Traumatic Events Online and Mental Health Among Adolescents of Color.

Abstract Purpose Viral videos of the detainment of undocumented immigrants in cages and police killings of unarmed citizens are two of the most pressing traumatic events facing adolescents of color. However, little is known about whether these online experiences are linked to mental health outcomes. This study examines the association between exposure to such events online and mental health in a sample of African American and Latinx adolescents. Methods Data were collected from a national sample of 302 African American and Latinx adolescents aged 11–19 years. Participants reported their exposure to traumatic events online (TEO), depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and other sociodemographics. Multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results Analyses indicated a significant association between TEO and both PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms, indicating that more frequent experiences of TEO were associated with higher levels of PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms. In addition, regression analyses further indicated that girls reported higher PTSD and depressive symptoms than boys. Latinx participants also reported increased depressive symptoms. Conclusions This study extends recent research that suggests police killings, as well as viewing distressing news directed at members of one's own racial–ethnic group or those who share the same immigration status, are related to poor mental health outcomes. Researchers should also explore what protective factors may buffer youth against the outcomes typically associated with these events.
Abrasion resistance of polymer and polymer–ceramic composite coatings for steel hydraulic structures

There is an increased demand for abrasive wear-resistant coatings that add durability to steel hydraulic structures, particularly for those subjected to flowing water with debris and alternate wet/dry cycles. These coating systems provide not only corrosion and chemical resistance, but also good erosion and abrasion resistance to the metallic surfaces, which are constantly exposed to flowing water containing sand particles and debris. Generally, vinyl-based coatings are used on hydraulic steel structures to protect them from corrosion and abrasion. However, due to the existence of high water force and debris, the coating is abraded at a faster rate leading to significant maintenance and repair costs. In this study, abrasive wear resistance of conventional vinyl-based coating systems currently used on lock and dam steel structures by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been compared with polymer matrix composite coatings, fibrous polymer coatings, and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Six coating systems were evaluated through two-body abrasion tests using a reciprocating abrader under dry and wet conditions. Furthermore, wettability of the coating systems and its effect on the wear rate under the presence of water was studied. In addition, scanning electron microscopy of the wear tracks on different coatings was conducted to study and identify their failure mechanisms. Based on the results, UHMWPE and polymer–ceramic composite coatings were found to perform significantly better than the conventional vinyl-based coatings.
60 GHz Waveguide-Fed Cavity Array Antenna by Multistepped Slot Aperture

This letter presents a center-feed high-gain and high-efficiency 4 × 4-element slot array antenna in the 60 GHz band. The antenna feed network is designed using only a single-layered square quad-ridge cavity structure, which is excited through a rectangular slot that has the same size as that of a standard WR-15 rectangular waveguide. The proposed antenna avoids any conventional power dividers in the feed network, which reduces the complexity of the design and fabrication process. To enhance the operating bandwidth of the antenna and prevent the grating lobes effects, a stepped design is used for each radiating slots of the array. Furthermore, the overall radiating aperture of the antenna is equipped with a dielectric layer, which decreases the mutual coupling among array elements. As a result, a broad bandwidth antenna with high efficiency and low sidelobes in both E - and H -planes is developed over the 60 GHz band. The antenna has been fabricated and tested. Measurement results show an operating bandwidth of 11.6% from 57.7 to 64.7 GHz. A gain of more than 23 dBi, sidelobes of less than −15.2 dB, and an antenna efficiency of better than 60% are achieved.
Bimanual load carriage alters sway patterns and step width.

Abstract Many workplace falls occur during tasks involving carrying a load with both hands. Successful balance and gait during bimanual load carrying may be attributed to the adaptability of a system to navigate changing environments (e.g. construction site). This study investigates how bimanual load carrying affects adaptability of balance and gait, using 0%, 5%, and 10% of body mass in 14 young adults. Regularity of balance, and measures of range and center of pressure distance, and gait measures of stride length and step width were quantified using sample entropy. When carrying 5% load, anterior-posterior balance became less adaptable relative to 0%. As load increased from 0% to 5%–10%, step width narrowed and variability increased significantly, indicating possible increased fall risk while walking. Healthy, young adults may be at an increased risk of falls when carrying a load due to a loss in adaptability in a dynamic workplace environment.
Lane Change Behavior Research Based on NGSIM Vehicle Trajectory Data

This paper adopts the database from Next Generation Simulation (NGSIM) collected by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and analyzes the lane change behavior of vehicles comprehensively. Based on NGSIM data set, the internal relationship between data and lane change behavior is researched in depth, and the preprocessing method of original data is proposed, including data cleaning, feature adding and data initialization. Finally, according to the characteristics of the decision stage and the execution stage of the lane change, the data after preprocessing are processed further, including data extraction, feature selection, label making and so on. The data processed in this paper can be applied to the subsequent research.
Modeling of plasticity-induced martensitic transformation to achieve hierarchical, heterogeneous, and tailored microstructures in stainless steels

Abstract While stainless steels (SS) have excellent corrosion resistance for use in industries such as chemical and food processing, medical implants made of such steels require more stringent specifications, e.g., high strength while maintaining a low weight. A way to design and manufacture such behavior of SS is through the intentional deformation induced manipulation of constituent phases to achieve heterogeneous and hierarchical microstructures. In this paper, an elasto-plastic self-consistent modeling framework incorporating a strain-induced austenite-to-martensite transformation kinetic sub-model is calibrated using a set of SS304L data from the literature to capture stress-strain response and volume fraction of phases. The model is then validated by predicting the mechanical responses of SS316L using a new data set recorded as a function of strain-rate and temperature. By accurately predicting the material behavior, the modeling results can guide the manufacturing process to achieve the desired final part properties.
Urine marker analysis identifies evidence for persistent glomerular podocyte injury across allograft lifespan.

Long-term kidney transplant (KT) survival has remained relatively stagnant. Protocol biopsy studies suggest that glomerulosclerosis is a significant contributor to long-term graft failure. We previously demonstrated that podocyte loss in the 1st year post-transplantation predicted long-term allograft survival. However, whether increased podocyte loss continues over the lifespan of a KT remains unclear. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 1,182 urine samples from 260 KT recipients up to 19-years after transplantation. Urine pellet mRNAs were assayed for podocyte (NPHS2/podocin and nephrin/NPHS1), distal tubule (aquaporin2), and profibrotic cytokine (TGFbeta1). Multivariable generalized estimating equations were used to obtain "population-averaged" effects for these markers over time post-KT. Consistent with early stresses both podocyte and tubular markers increased immediately post-KT. However, only podocyte markers continued to increase long-term. A role for hypertrophic stresses in driving podocyte loss over time is implied by their association with donor BMI, recipient BMI and donor-recipient BMI mismatch at transplantation. Furthermore, urine pellet podocin mRNA was associated with urine TGFbeta1, proteinuria and reduced eGFR, thereby linking podocyte injury to allograft fibrosis and survival. In conclusion we observed that podocyte loss continues long-term post-KT suggesting an important role in driving late graft loss. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Effects of a consumer driven home modification intervention on community participation for people with mobility disabilities.

BACKGROUND Community participation has become a key outcome measure for people with disabilities. This has resulted in a shift in researchers focus from the individual to the environment. However, research has focused primarily on participation barriers in the community with limited research examining the role of the home environment. For people with mobility disabilities the home environment is the starting place for community participation and research is needed to understand the relationship between the home and participation outcomes. OBJECTIVE This study explores the effects of a consumer-driven home modification intervention on community participation for people with mobility disabilities. METHODS We conducted a randomized control trial (from June 2017-April 2019) of the effects of a consumer-directed home modification intervention on community participation. The intervention, the Home Usability Program, was implemented with consumers at two different Centers for Independent Living (N = 195) and included a self-assessment of their home environment and implementation of a home usability change. RESULTS The Home Usability program positively affected the community participation of people with mobility disabilities. Overall, intervention participants reported a 39.5% (p < .05) increase in social and recreational activities immediately following the intervention relative to the control group after controlling for health status and month when outcome data were collected. Six months after the intervention, this effect returned to baseline. CONCLUSIONS Community-based, consumer-driven home modification programs show promise for improving community participation outcomes among people with disabilities, however, more research is needed to understand why results did not persist.
Staging the Shoah: The Persecution of Jews in France Under German Occupation

This chapter calls attention to the too-little-known history of the deportation of nearly 76,000 Jews (including 11,400 children) from France during the German occupation, 1940–1944. Most of the deportees passed through the concentration camp of Drancy, just outside Paris. Drancy has now become a memorial site. I describe the powerful plays about the French Holocaust by Liliane Atlan, Charlotte Delbo, and Armand Gatti. My own accompanying play, Children of Drancy, is a montage of letters written by children and others from the camp (including poems by Max Jacob who perished there), documents from the occupying German forces, and other resources that bring those events to life. The chapter includes a bibliography for further reading.
FATIGUE STRENGTH OF ROLLED AND WELDED STEEL BEAMS

Fatigue tests were conducted on rolled and welded steel beams to provide information that can be used as a basis for the development of design specifications. The principal variables were grade of steel, type of beam and detail, and stress variables. Three grades of steel were included in the study: ASTM A36, A441 and A514. Two of the four basic beam types investigated are examined hereiin, namely plain-rolled and plain-welded beams. It was found that: (1) Stress range was the dominant stress variable for all rolled and welded beams; (2) fatigue life was not significantly influenced by grade of steel; (3) rolled beams provided the longest life and the most scatter of the data; and (4) plain-welded beams without attachments constitute an upper bound for welded beams. The treatment of plain-welded beams the same as base metal or rolled beams grossly overestimates their fatigue life.
Congenital choledochal cysts

Summary Three cases of choledochal cysts are added to the English literature, bringing the total number of authentic cases to 242. Of these, 178 had an abdominal mass, 167 jaundice, and 129 abdominal pain. The urinary and blood chemistry findings most commonly associated with this disease entity indicate an obstructive rather than hepatocellular type jaundice. Cholecystogram is usually negative and gastrointestinal series show displacement of the duodenum anteriorly and to the left. The most efficacious therapeutic procedure usually is cystoduodenostomy or Rouxen-Y anastomosis of the cyst to the jejunum. Etiology is discussed with the added hypothesis of sudden increases in pressure in a partially or completely occluded duct being the cause of the initial dilatation.
SU(6) GUT breaking on a projective plane

Abstract We consider a 6-dimensional supersymmetric SU ( 6 ) gauge theory and compactify two extra-dimensions on a multiply-connected manifold with non-trivial topology. The SU ( 6 ) is broken down to the Standard Model gauge groups in two steps by an orbifold projection, followed by a Wilson line. The Higgs doublets of the low energy electroweak theory come from a chiral adjoint of SU ( 6 ) . We thus have gauge-Higgs unification. The three families of the Standard Model can either be located in the 6D bulk or at 4D N = 1 supersymmetric fixed points. We calculate the Kaluza–Klein spectrum of states arising as a result of the orbifolding. We also calculate the threshold corrections to the coupling constants due to this tower of states at the lowest compactification scale. We study the regions of parameter space of this model where the threshold corrections are consistent with low energy physics. We find that the couplings receive only logarithmic corrections at all scales. This feature can be attributed to the large N = 2 6D SUSY of the underlying model.
Democratic Minimalism: Turning the Clock Back from Democracy to Democratization

Attempts to make transnational governance more democratic do not leave the meaning of "democracy" unaffected. The paper argues that in the face of recurrent feedback loops any re-examination of the ideal of democracy in a transnational context needs to resort to elementary strategies of democratization.
The Prophethood of Work and the Gospels of The Souls of Black Folk

AbstractW. E. B. Du Bois, one of the most important American thinkers of the social and the political in the first half of the twentieth century, was involved in labor politics for much of his life, but while some scholars are now beginning to appreciate the extent to which Du Bois is also a thinker of the religious, no one has tried to connect his stance on questions of labor and his religious thought. Yet his early book, The Souls of Black Folk, presents, among other things, a complicated theology of labor. Du Bois criticizes the principle of submission glorified by white American Christianity, and imposed by white Christians on black slaves. At the same time, he confesses a veritable faith in "work, systematic and tireless," but only as it functions as part of a broader cultural renewal, itself dependent on what I describe as a "missiology of cultural knowledge." To accomplish this project, Du Bois must deploy an inegalitarian principle, separating manual laborers from intellectual or cultural laborers...
Professionalism and the Public

To explore the factor of public opinion as a component of professionalism, the prestige ratings of rehabilitation occupations, as given by a representative national sample replicating the North-Hatt technique, are analyzed. Visibility of an occupation does not necessarily increase prestige. Segmental visibility varies by exposure to the needs served by an occupation and by familiarity arising from work experiences. Stereotyping in terms of broad occupational categories, however, appears more likely to form lay opinion than specific job knowledge. Attitudes of particular segments, rather than general public views, are considered critical in professionalism.
Veterinary use of exposure techniques in the treatment of phobic domestic animals

Exposure techniques as a treatment for human phobias are reviewed, as well as exposure's use in the extinction of avoidance behavior in laboratory animal studies. A third arena in which exposure is employed is reconsidered--in the veterinary treatment of phobic domestic animals. Veterinary use of exposure is illustrated, and the advantages and disadvantages of the veterinary study of exposure are discussed.
Providing common data access for the LAMPF and PSR control systems

Abstract The merging of the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF) and the Los Alamos Proton Storage Ring (PSR) controls and operations groups in early 1988 motivated planning for a common, probably workstation-based, operator interface. Application programs driving this interface must be able to communicate with both LAMPF and PSR devices in a uniform manner. We would like this communication to be implemented with minimal changes to the current LAMPF and PSR control systems. A common device-naming scheme has made it possible for remote systems to acquire both LAMPF and PSR data through the use of server processes residing in the appropriate network nodes. Remote supervisory control of LAMPF devices has been provided in a similar manner. Incompatibilities between information in the LAMPF and PSR database has made remote supervisory control of PSR devices somewhat more difficult. This paper discusses our experience providing this common access and plans for providing future common communications.
Probabilistic models for the prediction of target growth interfaces of Listeria monocytogenes on ham and turkey breast products.

: This study developed growth/no growth models for predicting growth boundaries of Listeria monocytogenes on ready-to-eat cured ham and uncured turkey breast slices as a function of lactic acid concentration (0% to 4%), dipping time (0 to 4 min), and storage temperature (4 to 10 °C). A 10-strain composite of L. monocytogenes was inoculated (2 to 3 log CFU/cm2) on slices, followed by dipping into lactic acid and storage in vacuum packages for up to 30 d. Total bacterial (tryptic soy agar plus 0.6% yeast extract) and L. monocytogenes (PALCAM agar) populations were determined on day 0 and at the endpoint of storage. The combinations of parameters that allowed increases in cell counts of L. monocytogenes of at least l log CFU/cm2 were assigned the value of 1, while those limiting growth to <1 log CFU/cm2 were given the value of 0. The binary data were used in logistic regression analysis for development of models to predict boundaries between growth and no growth of the pathogen at desired probabilities. Indices of model performance and validation with limited available data indicated that the models developed had acceptable goodness of fit. Thus, the described procedures using bacterial growth data from studies with food products may be appropriate in developing growth/no growth models to predict growth and to select lactic acid concentrations and dipping times for control of L. monocytogenes. Practical Application: The models developed in this study may be useful in selecting lactic acid concentrations and dipping times to control growth of Listeria monocytogenes on cured ham and uncured turkey breast during product storage, and in determining probabilities of growth under selected conditions. The modeling procedures followed may also be used for application in model development for other products, conditions, or pathogens.
Morphine and delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol: tolerance to the stimulus effects.

Morphine and saline served as discriminative Stimuli for one group of rats in a 2-lever discrimination task. δ 9-THC and vehicle were discriminative stimuli for a second group. Depression of one lever resulted in reinforcement following the administration of morphine or δ 9-THC and the opposite lever was reinforced after vehicle. A high degree of discriminated responding occurred with both drugs. During daily supplemental injections of morphine or δ 9-THC up to several times the training dose for a period of 2 months, subjects still discriminated morphine or δ 9-THC from vehicle. However, the degree of discrimination was reduced indicating a limited tolerance to either drug. Naloxone precipitated narcoticlike withdrawal symptoms in rats chronically treated with either morphine or δ 9-THC, indicating that there is an interaction between chronic administration of δ 9-THC and the narcotic antagonist, naloxone.
Four-Dimensional Vascular Tree Reconstruction Using Moving Grid Deformation

Rationale and Objectives Thinned perforator flaps have been widely used in plastic surgery for greater survivability and decreased morbidity. However, quantitative analysis of three-dimensional (3D) blood flow direction and location has not been examined yet. Such information will benefit and guide the surgical thinning and dissection process. Toward this goal, this study was performed for 3D vascular tree reconstruction with the incorporation of temporal contrast-agent propagation information (three spatial dimensions plus one temporal dimension; ie, 4D). Materials and Methods A novel computational framework by adopting a moving grid deformation method is presented. To take advantage of temporal information of the bolus propagating, a sequential segmentation procedure is proposed. Moreover, the temporal evolution of the vascular tree (4D vascular tree) is reconstructed during the procedure. Results Eight anterolateral thigh perforator flaps from eight cadavers were used for this study. The age range is 60–80 years old and the gender includes four males and four females. The 3D nature of the vascular structure and 4D vascular tree evolving process are showed in comparison with maximum intensity projection images. Conclusion The proposed computational framework demonstrates effectiveness in the modeling of 4D vascular tree. Furthermore, it reveals the ability to detect small vessel tree structures that are beyond the limit of image resolution.
Integrating conservation and development in the field: implementing ecosystem service projects

Ecosystem services can bridge biodiversity conservation and development needs, but there is little information available on how conservation organizations implement such projects. We documented 103 ecosystem service projects – from 37 countries – implemented by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). These projects commonly involved traditional conservation tactics, such as land purchase and restoration, but also adopted new approaches, such as targeting working landscapes, using new financial tools, and drawing new funding and partners from the corporate sector. We identified nine specific project types, characterized by consistent combinations of tools and activities. TNC and WWF used project types differently; TNC focused more on land purchase, whereas WWF concentrated more on developing markets. Both organizations showed some alignment of project type with socioeconomic conditions. For example, land purchases were used in countries with relatively secure property rights, while access to clean water or food was targeted when these human needs were unmet.
Current progress on aptamer-targeted oligonucleotide therapeutics

Exploiting the power of the RNAi pathway through the use of therapeutic siRNA drugs has remarkable potential for treating a vast array of human disease conditions. However, difficulties in delivery of these and similar nucleic acid-based pharmacological agents to appropriate organs or tissues, remains a major impediment to their broad clinical application. Synthetic nucleic acid ligands (aptamers) have emerged as effective delivery vehicles for therapeutic oligonucleotides, including siRNAs. In this review, we summarize recent attractive developments in creatively employing cell-internalizing aptamers to deliver therapeutic oligonucleotides (e.g., siRNAs, miRNAs, anti-miRs and antisense oligos) to target cells. We also discuss advancements in aptamer-siRNA chimera technology, as well as, aptamer-functionalized nanoparticles for siRNA delivery. In addition, the challenges and future prospects of aptamer-targeted oligonucleotide drugs for clinical translation are further highlighted.
Effects of Na+,K+-pump inhibitors and membrane depolarizing agents on acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation and cyclic GMP accumulation in rat aorta.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of inhibitors of the Na+,K+-pump and membrane depolarizing agents on endothelium-dependent relaxation and elevated cyclic GMP levels induced by acetylcholine in rat thoracic aorta. Ouabain or exposure to K+-free or Mg2+-free Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution, agents and procedures known to inhibit the Na+,K+-pump, inhibited acetylcholine-induced relaxation and the associated increased levels of cyclic GMP. However, the inhibitory effect of ouabain on cyclic GMP levels was abolished in the absence of norepinephrine or in the presence of norepinephrine and the α-adrenergic receptor antagonist phentolamine. The membrane depolarizing agents KCl and tetraethylammonium also inhibited the acetylcholine-induced relaxation and the elevated cyclic GMP levels. Exposure to norepinephrine reduced the increased levels of cyclic GMP due to acetylcholine as compared to rested controls. This effect was inhibited by prior exposure to phentolamine, but not by the β-adrenergic receptor antagonist, propranolol. These results suggest that (1) increased activity of the Na+,K+-pump may mediate, in part, endothelium-dependent relaxation; (2) inhibition of relaxation may be due to membrane depolarization; (3) the endothelium-dependent increased levels of cyclic GMP may increase Na+,K+-pump activity; (4) a complex interaction exists between membrane polarization, the Na+,K+-pump and α-adrenergic stimulation in regulation of cyclic GMP accumulation and relaxation.
Late Paleozoic strike-slip faults and related vein arrays of Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Abstract Strike-slip faults and related quartz vein arrays of Late Paleozoic-age cut gently-dipping metasedimentary rocks at Cape Elizabeth in southern coastal Maine and formed in response to regional dextral shearing along the Norumbega fault system. Vertical quartz veins up to 20 m wide and 10s of meters long were emplaced orthogonal to the local shear zone-parallel elongation fabric, reflecting strain partitioning during transpression. Earlier veins were reoriented by clockwise rotation toward this NE-trending regional shear direction. The later brittle strike-slip faults are oblique to the regional shear direction and interpreted as a 10-km-scale R-shear array on the southeast flank of the Norumbega fault system. These left-stepping en echelon fault zones consist of the three Two Lights fault zones (∼200 m lengths and up to ∼5 m displacements) and the Richmond Island fault zone (∼1.6 km length and ∼40 m displacement). Displacements on these fault zones have developed fine-grained silicified, obliquely-foliated and laminated cataclasites and locally, millimeter-thin pseudotachylyte fault and injection veins. Individual fault core zones are up to 10s of centimeters thick as part of several complex anastamosing zones of faulting 10s of meters wide. Initial segments within each fault zone are typically terminated with oblique extension fractures in horsetail configurations. The left-stepping en echelon relationships between these segments led to dominantly contractional step-over zones where P-shear linkages created a through-going fault that truncated the ends of the earlier-formed terminated segments. This linkage-growth model for fault zone evolution works toward larger scales and longer fault lengths as displacement accumulates, within a limiting maximum displacement/length ratio characteristic of the host lithologies. Length–frequency data for fault segments within these zones suggest a transition to linkage-dominated growth once fault segments were longer than ∼15 m. Continued displacement was accommodated along the P-shear linked en echelon faults through imbrication, contractional duplexing and adhesive wear on the outcrop-scale. Core zone processes on the micro-scale reflect cataclasis and frictional sliding during coseismic slip as well as cataclastic flow and pressure solution during post-seismic creep. The development of foliated-to-laminated cataclasite was accompanied by pore volume collapse, pressure solution and fluid expulsion that, in turn, triggered the development of the late fault-related quartz vein arrays.
An inverse problem in thermal imaging

This paper examines uniqueness and stability results for an inverse problem in thermal imaging. The goal is to identify an unknown boundary of an object by applying a heat flux and measuring the induced temperature on the boundary of the sample. The problem is studied both in the case in which one has data at every point on the boundary of the region and the case in which only finitely many measurements are available. An inversion procedure is developed and used to study the stability of the inverse problem for various experimental configurations.
At the Crossroads of Inflammation and Tumorigenesis

In this issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine , Hudson et al. ([1][1]) report on the identification of a cytokine, the macrophage migration inhibitory factor or MIF, that overcomes p53 function by suppressing its transcriptional activity, thus linking complex programs that govern