cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Employment outcomes of substance use disorder patients enrolled in a therapeutic workplace intervention for drug abstinence and employment.

Abstract Poverty is common among people who have substance use disorder. The therapeutic workplace addresses some of the interrelated and chronic problems of poverty, such as unemployment, lack of education and job skills, and drug use. A prior controlled trial showed that the therapeutic workplace was effective in promoting drug abstinence and self-reported community employment in unemployed adults in medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. The current study extends this research by providing a detailed and objective analysis of employment outcomes using objective data abstracted from participants' pay stubs. Secondary analyses examined the types and patterns of employment that participants (N = 44) obtained during the trial, and the extent to which participants gained and maintained financially sufficient employment. Although most participants had relatively long histories of unemployment and underemployment, many participants (n = 26; 59%) obtained employment at some point during the intervention. Most participants worked part time and were employed in low-wage jobs, however. The mean number of hours worked per week was 20.6 h (range 5.5 to 41.3 h per week) and the mean hourly pay was $11.00 per hour (range $9.00 to $15.50 per hour). The most common type of employment was in food preparation and serving-related occupations (e.g., waiters and waitresses, restaurant cooks, and fast food counter workers). Many participants (n = 17; 65%) maintained employment in these jobs over several weeks, while others (n = 9; 35%) were employed sporadically for short durations. Additional supports may be needed for some chronically unemployed adults with substance use disorder to promote consistent employment in well-paying jobs.
Human transcriptional activation domains require hydrophobic and acidic residues

Abstract Transcription factors activate gene expression with separable DNA binding domains and activation domains (Latchman, 2008). High-throughput studies have uncovered rules for how DNA binding domains recognize their cognate DNA motifs, but the design principles of activation domains remain opaque. For over thirty years it has been a mystery why activation domains are acidic and unstructured (Sigler, 1988). Activation domains require hydrophobic motifs to bind coactivators and join transcriptional condensates, but low evolutionary conservation and intrinsic disorder have made it difficult to identify the design principles that govern the sequence to function relationship (Boija et al., 2018; Chong et al., 2018; Cress and Triezenberg, 1991; Dyson and Wright, 2016). Consequently, activation domains cannot be predicted from amino acid sequence (Finn et al., 2016). Here, we resolve the functional roles of acidity and disorder in activation domains and use these insights to build a new predictor. We designed sequence variants in seven acidic activation domains and measured their activities in parallel with a high-throughput assay in human cell culture. Our results support a flexible model in which acidic residues solubilize hydrophobic motifs so that they can interact with coactivators. This model accurately predicts activation domains in the human proteome. We identify three general rules for activation domain function: hydrophobic motifs must be balanced by acidic residues; acidic residues make large contributions to activity when they are adjacent to motifs; and within motifs, the presence of aromatic or leucine residues reflects the structural constraints of coactivator interactions. We anticipate these design principles will aid efforts to predict activations from amino acid sequence and to engineer new domains.
Plasma Cell-Free DNA to Differentiate Malignant from Benign Thyroid Nodules.

BACKGROUND Molecular testing is increasingly used to identify malignancy in thyroid nodules (especially indeterminate category). Measurement of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) levels from plasma has been useful in diagnosis of cancers of other organs/tissues; herein we analyze cfDNA levels in patients with thyroid nodules to explore the possibility of establishing a cutoff for identification of malignancy. METHODS Patients underwent ultrasonography (USG) and USG-guided fine needle aspiration as well as surgery, where indicated. Cell-free DNA was extracted from plasma and quantified. In initial analysis (determination of cutoff), cfDNA levels were compared between Bethesda 2 and Bethesda 5 &6 to establish a cutoff value that could differentiate malignant from benign nodules. In the subsequent analysis, the aforementioned cutoff was applied (validation of cutoff) to those with indeterminate nodules to check ability to predict malignancy. RESULTS Fine needle aspiration (n = 119) yielded patients with Bethesda 2 (n = 69) Bethesda 5 & 6 (n = 13) who underwent histopathological confirmation. Cell-free DNA levels in these 2 groups were 22.85 ± 1.27 and 96.20 ± 8.31 (ng/mL) respectively. A cfDNA cutoff of 67.9 ng/mL, with area under the curve of 0.992 (95% CI, 0.97-1.0) with 100% sensitivity and 93% specificity was established to identify malignant lesions. Indeterminate group (Bethesda 3 & 4) underwent surgery (malignant n = 24), (benign n = 13), and using the previously identified cutoff for cfDNA, we were able to identify malignant lesions with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 92.3%. There was a very strong agreement between cfDNA-based classification with histopathology-based classification of benign and malignant nodules (Cohen's kappa 0.94; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Plasma cfDNA estimation could help differentiate malignant from benign thyroid nodules.
Use of Dry Period Intramammary Antibiotic Therapy and Other Forms of Mastitis Control in Dairy Cows

The objective of this report is to present preliminary results from a survey of producers regarding their use of mastitis control practices. However, the overall objective of a larger study, which will utilize the survey data summarized here, is to determine tbe economics of OCT. OCT economics will be considered conditional on the predominant mastitis agents in a herd. The study has three components: a microbiologic assessment of herd bulk tank samples, evaluation of herd SCC, and evaluation of herd mastitis control practices.
Methoxy groups increase water and decrease salt permeability properties of sulfonated polysulfone desalination membranes

Abstract A promising desalination membrane material, sulfonated polysulfone, was structurally modified to increase its water/salt transport selectivity. The structural modification was achieved by adding methoxy groups to the polymer backbone. This modification simultaneously increased water permeability and decreased salt permeability. These changes in properties are both favorable for desalination applications, and they may result from changes in polymer density and the free volume element size distribution. Relative permittivity and salt sorption data for these charged polysulfones suggest that Donnan exclusion may influence salt sorption properties to a greater extent than electrostatic or dielectric exclusion forces, which is reasonable for charged polymers. The Donnan-Manning model did not quantitatively describe the salt sorption properties of the sulfonated polysulfone materials perhaps due to a combination of low water content and a heterogeneous distribution of fixed charge groups throughout the polymer. Interestingly, addition of methoxy groups to the charged polysulfone backbone more strongly influenced the diffusion properties than the sorption properties, and this observation may be important to guide the engineering of highly selective polymeric materials for desalination applications.
A Comparison of gel (Hydragel 30) and capillary (Capillarys III Tera) electrophoresis for the characterization of human serum proteins

Abstract Objectives To compare gel (Hydrasys 2 from Sebia) and capillary (Capillarys III Tera, Sebia) electrophoresis for the characterization of human serum proteins. Design and methods 304 sera tested by gel electrophoresis during 8 routine laboratory days were concurrently tested by capillary electrophoresis. Gels were read by an experienced medical technologist while capillary profiles by a Sebia representative and the same technologist. Most sera (214 of 304, 70%) were also analyzed by immunofixation electrophoresis, used here as the gold standard to calculate sensitivity and specificity of the gel and capillary systems. Results Gel and capillary estimated the concentration of albumin, gamma region, and M-spikes nearly perfectly, and that of beta, alpha-2, and alpha-1 regions with excellent correlation. The two systems classified concordantly 268 of 304 sera (88% agreement) as having no, one, or two M-spikes, but differed in the remaining 36 sera (12%). Gel electrophoresis correctly identified M-spikes in 82 of 112 sera that were shown to have monoclonal band(s) by immunofixation (73% sensitivity), and correctly did not reveal M-spikes in 97 of the 102 sera that had no immunofixation bands (95% specificity). Capillary achieved slightly higher sensitivity (85 of 112, 76%) and slightly lower specificity (94 of 102, 92%), but the two areas under the ROC curves were nearly identical at 0.84. Conclusions Gel and capillary electrophoresis systems perform similarly to estimate the concentration of serum protein fractions and detect M-spikes.
Glucocorticoids and Pheochromocytoma- a Recipe for Disaster?

Background: Pheochromocytomas are catecholamine-secreting tumors that arise from the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. The catecholamine release manifests as episodic headaches, diaphoresis, and palpitations which can lead to hypertensive emergency known as a pheochromocytoma crisis(PC). This crisis can be precipitated by commonly used medications including corticosteroids, metoclopramide, and anesthetic agents like ketamine and halothane. Case report: We present a 60 year old Caucasian male with a past medical history significant for SVT on metoprolol and diltiazem and long-standing hypertension. He was admitted directly from the clinic to the ED after complaining of severe abdominal pain, multiple episodes of vomiting, and diaphoresis following prednisone intake for a presumed gout flare. He had a blood pressure of 180/100 and tachycardic to 120s on arrival. He was also found to be hypoxemic with a chest x-ray concerning for pulmonary edema along with evidence of a demand related type II NSTEMI. He underwent a CT abdomen pelvis with contrast which showed evidence of high grade distal ileum obstruction with no obstructing mass or inflammatory process. There was also 5-cm solid right adrenal mass which was initially thought to be an incidentaloma. Following stabilization, he underwent an exploratory laparotomy which did not show an obvious mechanical etiology of bowel obstruction. This raised concerns for a pheochromocytoma. Oral verapamil with doxazosin was started to provide appropriate alpha blockade. Subsequently, metoprolol was reintroduced for beta blockade. He was officially diagnosed with glucocorticoid-induced pheochromocytoma after his labs returned with elevated levels of serum metanephrines 43.7(0.00 - 0.49 nmol/L), serum normetanephrine 22.2 (0.00 - 0.89 nmol/L),), 24-hr urine epinephrine 1021 ug/g (0 - 20 ug/g), and 24-hr urine norepinephrine 838 ug/g (normal: 0 - 45 ug/g). Ultimately 3 weeks later he underwent successful R sided adrenalectomy and is doing well. Conclusion: This case demonstrates a rare but life-threatening adverse reaction associated with commonly used glucocorticoids in a patient with an undiagnosed pheochromocytoma. Pheochromocytomas are exceedingly rare and can go undiagnosed in up to 50 percent of patients (1). Failure or delays in diagnosis of PC can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. When managing a pheochromocytoma crisis, it is imperative to avoid selective beta-blockers, as it can worsen hypertension due to unopposed alpha agonism by the secreted catecholamines. This also demonstrates the importance of keeping a broad differential in order to avoid anchoring bias, particularly when there is conflicting clinical information. References: 1. Sutton MG, Sheps SG, Lie JT. Prevalence of clinically unsuspected pheochromocytoma. Review of a 50-year autopsy series. Mayo Clin Proc. 1981 Jun;56(6):354–60. PMID: 6453259.
In vitro production and multiplex quantification of 2',3'-cyclic phosphate-containing 5'-tRNA half molecules.

Abstract RNA cleavages by many ribonucleases generate RNA molecules that contain a 2′,3′-cyclic phosphate (cP) at their 3′-termini, and many cP-containing RNAs (cP-RNAs) are expressed as functional molecules in cells and tissues. 5′-tRNA half molecules are representative examples of functional cP-RNAs, playing important roles in various biological processes. We here show in vitro production of cP-containing 5′-tRNA half molecules that is able to prepare abundant synthetic cP-RNAs enough for functional analyses. Furthermore, we report a multiplex TaqMan RT-qPCR method which can simultaneously quantify multiple cP-containing 5′-tRNA half species. The method enabled us to efficiently quantify 5′-tRNA halves using samples with limited amounts, such as human plasma samples, revealing drastic enhancement of 5′-tRNA half levels at approximately 1,000-fold in patients infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These in vitro production and multiplex quantification methods can be applied to any cP-RNAs, and they provide cost-effective, in-house techniques to accelerate expressional and functional characterizations of 5′-tRNA halves and other cP-RNAs.
Tb3+,Mn3+ co-doped La2Zr2O7 nanoparticles for self-referencing optical thermometry

Abstract In optical thermometry based on fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of two thermally coupled energy states, the sensitivity and signal discriminability are limited by the energy gap between two thermally coupled excited states. Here, we have employed the strategy of combining rare earth ion Tb3+ and transition metal ion Mn3+ with completely different thermal-quenching behaviors to obtain high thermometric sensitivity using uniform La2Zr2O7:Tb3+,Mn3+ nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by a molten salt synthesis method. We have proposed a model to describe the electronic transitions of Mn3+ ion doped in the compound. Based on Tanabe-Sugano diagram, the excitation peaks centered at 345 and 450 nm are assigned to the 5E → 3E and 1E transitions. Due to the strong Jahn-Teller effect, the 5E ground state is split into two components, namely 5E′ and 5E΄΄. The excitation at upper 3E state is followed by two emission bands to the split ground state (3E → 5E′ and 5E″) which are dominated upon heating. Additionally, two transitions from lower excited level of 1E to the split ground states are possible (1E → 5E′ and 5E″) which are strengthened upon cooling. Mn3+ ion featuring d-d transitions and Tb3+ with f-f transitions have high and low temperature dependencies, which allow their use as luminescence probe and reference, respectively. The emissions intensity ratio of Tb3+ at 543 nm to Mn3+ at 719 nm is explored over the temperature range of 98–338 K. The maximum relative sensitivity value from our La2Zr2O7:Tb3+,Mn3+ NPs is obtained as high as 1.82%·K−1 with a minimum temperature uncertainty of ~0.27K at 298 K. The temperature-dependent FIR has also shown repeatable results which indicate that the La2Zr2O7:Tb3+,Mn3+ NPs are a promising material for dual activator ratiometric optical thermometry.
Agglomeration, Institution, and Social Capital: Main Concepts and Methodologies

The concepts and methodologies used to develop the survey questionnaires are discussed here. The dualism and inequality are not merely the results of policies but also the consequence of agglomeration forces and the interplay of policies and prevailing institution. On the other hand, potential benefits of the same forces could provide incentives for MSMEs to operate in clusters for collective action, the effectiveness of which depends crucially on the interplay of policies and social capital.
McCollum, Elmer Verner

1879–1967 US nutritionist who pioneered the use of small animals in nutritional studies and discovered vitamin A. Keywords: vitamin A; nutritional research; rickets; scurvy
An approach to relieving warehouse pain points

Despite much progress made in the development and integration of systems and automation in warehouses, manufacturers, retailers, and distribution centers are still confronted with many formidable challenges in improving the efficiencies in operating a variety of warehouses. Inefficient cycle counting, inaccuracy, and costly labor expense are typical pain points for a warehouse, which frequently are caused by inefficient flow of information. This article presents an innovative approach to relieving these pain points by taking advantage of radio frequency identification technology. Global identification codes are used to identify individual items, packaging boxes or cases, and storing pallets. As the data on items and their locations are collected in a timely manner, the pertinent data, information, and knowledge on jobs at hand can be promptly provided (e.g., to operators, machines, and devices), resulting in that a warehouse can be operated in a much more cost-effective and efficient manner.
Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland by Pasi Sahlberg

About four decades ago, Finland introduced major reforms to Grades 1–12 and teacher education, with noteworthy results. In 1970, less than 10% of its students graduated from high school. By 2010, m...
Absorbing boundary condition convergence comparisons

The authors compare second-order Mur, first-order Mur with superabsorption technique and second-order Liao outer radiating boundary conditions (ORBCs). The convergence rate of the ORBCs are compared for a variety of scattering and radiation problems by successively increasing the white space border. This parametric study is designed to see which ORBC has the fastest convergence rate for various typical real world applications. The ORBCs were applied to the scattered fields on the outer surface of the problem space using the Yee algorithm in a scattered field formulation. Although each of the three ORBCs requires roughly the same amount of CPU time and storage, the convergence rates for various problems can be quite different. >
Trolleys and Transplants: Derailing the Distinction Between Doing and Allowing

Two key elements in Judith Jarvis Thomson’s most recent response to the famed Trolley Problem produce a tension that threatens to undermine her account. First, in a reversal of part of her 1985 position, Thomson now argues that a bystander is not permitted to divert a threat. Second, her use of the Doctrine of Doing and Allowing (DDA) to explain intuitions about the permissibility of threat diversion conflicts with her constraint of an agent’s available options to the present tense, which is designed to prevent past bad acts from justifying bad acts in the present. I contend that the conflict between DDA and the tense constraint creates an inconsistency in Thomson’s current position and supports the conclusion that no one, including the trolley driver, is permitted to turn the trolley. In order to resolve this conflict, Thomson must either abandon one of the core features of her explanation or reject a fundamental intuition driving the Trolley Problem, that the driver may divert the trolley to save lives. Two key elements of Judith Jarvis Thomson’s 1985 and 2008 responses to the famous Trolley Problem produce a tension that threatens to undermine her account. 1 In order to explain intuitions about the permissibility of threat diversion, Thomson appeals to the Doctrine of Doing and Allowing (DDA), according to which it is more objectionable to do harm than to allow it to be done. Thomson also endorses what I call the Present Choice Constraint (PCC), which is designed to place limits on the circumstances under which threat diversion is permissible, in order to prevent past bad acts from justifying bad acts in the present. I contend that a conflict between DDA and PCC renders Thomson’s current position on the Trolley Problem untenable. In order to resolve this conflict, Thomson must either abandon one of the core features of her explanation or reject a fundamental intuition driving the Trolley Problem (an intuition Thomson shares) that the driver may divert the trolley to save lives. To demonstrate the difficulty, I first explore Thomson’s position on the Trolley Problem, contrasting her 1985 and 2008 accounts, both of which appeal to DDA understood in terms of positive and negative rights to explain why an agent may
Plastics from bacteria and for bacteria: Poly(β-hydroxyalkanoates) as natural, biocompatible, and biodegradable polyesters

A wide variety of different types of microorganisms are known to produce intracellular energy and carbon storage products which have been generally described as being poly(β-hydroxybutyrate), PHB, but which are, more often than not, copolymers containing different alkyl groups at the β-position. Hence, PHB belongs to the family of poly(β-hydroxyalkanoates), PHA, all of which are usually formed as intracellular inclusions under unbalanced growth conditions. Recently, it became of industrial interest to evaluate PHA polyesters as natural, biodegradable, and biocompatible plastics for a wide range of possible applications such as surgical sutures or packaging containers. For industrial applications, the controlled incorporation of repeating units with different chain lengths into a series of copolymers is desirable in order to produce polyesters with a range of material properties because physical and chemical characteristics depend strongly on the polymer composition. Such “tailormade” copolymers can be produced under controlled growth conditions, in that if a defined mixture of substrates for a certain type of microorganisms is supplied, a well defined and reproducible copolymer is formed.
Geometrically proper models in statistical training

In deformable model segmentation, the geometric training process plays a crucial role in providing shape statistical priors and appearance statistics that are used as likelihoods. Also, the geometric training process plays a crucial role in providing shape probability distributions in methods finding significant differences between classes. The quality of the training seriously affects the final results of segmentation or of significant difference finding between classes. However, the lack of shape priors in the training stage itself makes it difficult to enforce shape legality, i.e., making the model free of local self-intersection or creases. Shape legality not only yields proper shape statistics but also increases the consistency of parameterization of the object volume and thus proper appearance statistics. In this paper we propose a method incorporating explicit legality constraints in training process. The method is mathematically sound and has proved in practice to lead to shape probability distributions over only proper objects and most importantly to better segmentation results.
Federal Land Grants in Aid of Canals

In the history of federal aid to transportation in the United States the land grants given to assist in the construction of canals have been almost completely overshadowed by the far more munificent land subsidies to the railroads. The disparity between the two is, indeed, striking: the canals received altogether about 4,500,000 acres, as against the approximately 130,000,000 acres which ultimately passed to the railroads. Nevertheless, the importance of the canal grants is not to be judged solely by the amount of land involved. To the extent that they were effective they contributed to the building of waterways, the influence of which on the economic development of the Middle West was considerably greater than is generally appreciated today. The Ohio canals, for example, are credited with stimulating the growth of that state in a way comparable to the impetus given New York by the Erie Canal; the Wabash and Erie Canal in Indiana, chronically insolvent as it was, produced, within ten years of its opening, a fivefold increase in the population of the counties that it traversed; and the historian of the Illinois and Michigan Canal asserts that this waterway “not only transformed a wilderness into a settled and prosperous community, but it made Chicago the metropolis of the Mississippi Valley.” The natural enthusiasm of authors for their subject may require some discounting of these claims, but not enough, in the face of the evidence that is offered to support them, to detract seriously from the significance of the land-grant canals.
Model-independent effects ofΔexcitation in nucleon polarizabilities

Model-independent effects of $\Delta$(1232) excitation on nucleon polarizabilities are computed in a Lorentz-invariant fashion. We find a large effect of relative order $(M_\Delta - M)/M$ in some of the spin polarizabilities, with the backward spin polarizability receiving the largest contribution. Similar subleading effects are found to be important in the fourth-order spin-independent polarizabilities $\alpha_{E\nu}$, $\al_{E2}$, $\be_{M\nu}$, and $\be_{M 2}$. Combining our results with those for the model-independent effects of pion loops we obtain predictions for spin and fourth-order polarizabilities which compare favorably with the results of a recent dispersion-relation analysis of data.
The experiences of adult/child identity theft victims

Abstract Cases of identity theft are increasing, with incidents of child identity theft rising more quickly than other types of identity theft (Cullen, 2007). Identity theft can be financial, medical, and character-related, with parents being the most common perpetrators (Cullen, 2007; Schmidt & McCoy, 2005). There are two categories of child identity theft victims: child victims and adult/child victims. According to Foley and Nelson (2009), adult/child identity theft victims are those who were victimized while under the age of 18 but did not learn of the crime until they were 18 or older. The sample for this study included six adult/child identity theft victims. This study examined the experiences of adult/child identity theft victims using a phenomenological approach, with Bioecological Theory as a guide to data analysis. The experiences of adult/child identity theft victims are important because of the financial, physical and emotional consequences that may result from this crime. Three themes were identified: Negative Emotional Effects, Lack of Support, and Parent as Perpetrator. A variety of negative emotions were experienced by the participants, including anger and fear. Participants felt a lack of support from their families as well as law enforcement and other agencies from whom help was expected. Half of the participants had their identity stolen by a parent. The person component, context component, and time component of Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological theory helped explain these themes. The results of this research can be used to inform the development of counseling services programs to provide support for adult/child identity theft victims as well as the development of education and training programs for law enforcement and other agencies that interact with adult/child identity theft victims. These trainings need to go beyond how victims are affected financially, and include information about emotional consequences and information about victims' experiences when the perpetrator was a parent. The results of this research can also be used to inform the development of public policy specific to adult/child identity theft victims.
Educational Pathways to Remote Employment in Isolated Communities

Those who live in isolated communities often lack reliable, skilled employment opportunities, which fundamentally undermines their human security. For individuals who wish to remain in their isolated communities for family, religious, philosophical or other reasons, their attachment to their communities creates a disincentive for higher education. This promotes low educational achievement, which in turn results in low socioeconomic status, lack of social mobility, and a generational cycle of poverty. The human misery that results from such a feedback loop is observed in isolated communities throughout North America, including aboriginal communities in Canada. Fortunately, maturation of information and communication technologies now offers individuals the potential to gain high-skilled employment while living in an isolated community, using both (i) virtual work/remote work and (ii) remote training and education. To examine that potential, this study: 1) categorizes high-skill careers that demand a higher education and are widely viable for remote work, 2) examines options for obtaining the required education remotely, and 3) performs an economic analysis of investing in remote education, quantifying the results in return on investment. The results show that the Internet has now opened up the possibility of both remote education and remote work. Though the investment in college education is significant, there are loans available and the return on investment is generally far higher than the interest rate on the loans. The results identified several particularly promising majors and dozens of high-income careers. The ability to both obtain an education and employment remotely offers the potential to lift many people living in isolated communities out of poverty, reduce inequality overall, and provide those living in isolated communities with viable means of employment security, which not only allows personal sustainability, but also the potential for personal growth.
Changing obstetric practices and amelioration of perinatal outcome in a university hospital

A 40 year review of obstetric statistics revealed that the perinatal outcome has improved significantly following the introduction of biophysical and biochemical fetal surveillance systems. A simultaneous increase in the cesarean section rate is noted; however, this increase in the cesarean section rate is not related to an increase in the diagnosis of fetal distress. Other factors which may influence an improved perinatal outcome have been examined. It is concluded that biochemical and biophysical fetal surveillance has played a decisive role in the improvement of perinatal results.
AUGUSTINE AND THE CORPOREALITY OF GOD

It has been recognized by at least some scholars that many early Christians, and not only the simpliciores , believed God to be corporeal (materially embodied) or anthropomorphic (humanlike in form), as some biblical narratives portray him. Likewise certain trajectories of Christian mysticism, under the influence of Jewish kabod speculation, maintained that the pinnacle of mystic ascent was the contemplation of the body of God. Among theologians there was also a stoicizing school, prominently represented in Tertullian, who held that God was corpus , even if not anthropomorphic. All of this stands in stark contrast with that Christian theology which developed, primarily under the influence of Platonism, a nonanthropomorphic and incorporeal conception of God that has come to dominate all subsequent theology and philosophy. It is difficult for moderns to transcend these subsequent norms and recognize among early Christians some quite different theological conceptions, or to do so without dismissing them as crude and primitive notions and, hence, as isolated aberrations.
Another Experimental Look at Individual Time Preference

The axiomatic models of intertemporal choice assume that an individual's rate of time discount is constant. Yet a great deal of anecdotal and hypothetical evidence suggests that the discount rate is instead hyperbolic. Likewise, animal studies have also supported the hyperbolic discount rate. Very little empirical evidence exists using human subjects making salient choices. Using experimental economic methodology, support is found for the stationarity component of the discount rate assumption but not for the linearity component.
An experimental basis for implicating excitotoxicity in glaucomatous optic neuropathy.

Abstract Most therapy for glaucoma is directed at the management of the intraocular pressure (IOP). Conventional wisdom holds that excessive pressure within the eye leads to the ganglion cell loss/optic nerve damage seen in this disease. Both glutamate and elevated IOP can selectively damage the retinal ganglion cells in the mammalian eye. We have identified an elevated level of glutamate in the vitreous humor of glaucoma patients (27 μM as compared to 11 μM in the control population). This concentration of glutamate suffices—on its own—to kill retinal ganglion cells. It is plausible that the IOP may represent an initial insult that precipitates the production of excessive glutamate. Therefore, even if glutamate elevation is an epiphenomenon associated with the course of the disease, it may contribute to ganglion cell loss in humans. Lowering the IOP may slow down glutamate production, but if nothing is done to block the toxic effects of glutamate as well, visual loss may result despite excellent IOP control. If interventions can be found to retard the production or toxic effects of glutamate, it may be possible to slow glaucomatous visual loss.
Cat and Mouse

The role of cathepsin B, a lysosomal protease implicated in amyloid-β (Aβ1-42) metabolism, in Alzheimer's disease remains controversial. In this issue of Neuron , Mueller-Steiner et al. manipulate the expression of cathepsin B in aged APP transgenic mice, observing that increased expression degrades preformed oligomeric and fibrillar amyloid, while inactivation accelerates β-amyloidosis.
Nitric oxide inhibition causes intrauterine growth retardation and hind-limb disruptions in rats

OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to determine the effects of nitric oxide synthase inhibition on maternal and fetal health in the last third of pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN Pregnant rats were treated from gestational day 13 to day 19 or 20 with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, which was administered in the drinking water ad libitum. Control animals received the inactive enantiomer NG-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester or no treatment. Maternal blood pressure, blood chemistry studies, and placenta and pup size were determined. A separate group of rats received nitroprusside sodium in conjunction with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. RESULTS NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester caused a dose-dependent reduction in placenta and pup size. Amniotic fluid levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate were significantly reduced at 0.1 mg/ml but not at higher doses. Hemorrhagic necrosis of fetal hind limbs occurred only with treatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and was prevented by coadministration of nitroprusside sodium. Maternal blood pressure and blood and urine chemistry studies were unaffected by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. CONCLUSION Chronic reductions of nitric oxide production in the last third of pregnancy result in significant intrauterine growth retardation and hemorrhagic disruptions of hind limbs. Maternal complications were minimal and did not mimic preeclampsia.
The Macroeconomic Costs and Benefits of Adopting the Euro

This paper uses a two-country version of the global economy model to investigate some costs and benefits of a small, emerging economy’s abandoning a flexible exchange rate regime in favor of adopting the currency of its main trading partner. The topic is particularly relevant for countries in central and eastern Europe, which recently joined the European Union and are now preparing to adopt the euro. We begin by evaluating macroeconomic performance in an inflation-targeting regime under various monetary policy rules. The results are then compared with the case where the small economy gives up its flexible exchange rate and joins the monetary union, under a number of alternative assumptions about the magnitude of shocks and structural rigidities. The analysis shows that although the monetary union has the benefit of eliminating exchange rate shocks, the loss of the buffering role of the exchange rate leads to greater volatility in domestic output and inflation. These costs are likely to decline over time, as markets become more competitive,
The aging hypertensive kidney: Pathophysiology and therapeutic options

Abstract The aging kidney undergoes hemodynamic changes characterized by reductions in glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow. These functional changes are associated with loss of renal mass related to changes in the intrarenal vasculature. The reduced glomerular filtration surface area and subsequent microcirculatory adaptations enhance the risk for development of renal diseases associated with systemic diseases. Hypertensive nephrosclerosis accounts for 26% of all end-stage renal disease in the United States; the median age of those affected is 67 years. Hemodynamic and structural changes observed in the essential hypertensive kidney suggest an accentuation of the physiologic aging process. Initially observed hemodynamic changes, which may be reversible with specific drug therapy, suggest that excessive production of angiotensin II plays a role. Progressive renal impairment may occur despite control of systemic hypertension. Renal protection appears to require the therapeutic normalization of both systemic and glomerular capillary pressures. The latter may depend on a drug's ability to attenuate the intrarenal effects of angiotensin II on the renal microcirculation. Drug classes with renal protective potential include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and calcium antagonists. However, long-term clinical trials are required to assess the potential advantages of specific drug therapies in preventing the development and/or progression of hypertensive arteriolar nephrosclerosis.
Hepatic metabolism of [1-14C]oleate in pregnancy.

Abstract Livers from normal ad libitum fed nonpregnant and 20 day pregnant rats were perfused in vitro. Uptake and utilization of [1- 14 C]oleate were measured while the concentrations of free fatty acids in the erythrocyte-free perfusate was maintained at a steady-state level (mean 0.42 ± 0.03 (S.E.) mM). Pregnancy increased the incorporation by the isolated liver of [1- 14 C]oleate into perfusate triacylglycerol and cholesteryl esters and into hepatic triacylglycerol, phospholipid, diacylglycerol and cholesteryl esters. The conversion of [1- 14 C]oleate by the livers into ketone bodies and CO 2 was depressed by pregnancy. With pregnancy, the output of the very low density lipoprotein triacylglycerol, cholesterol, cholesteryl esters and phospholipid was increased significantly by the perfused liver. The relative molar composition of the lipid components of the very low density lipoproteins, however, was not altered by gestation, suggesting that the number of particles secreted was increased by pregnancy. The total output of glucose was decreased by livers from pregnant rats. It may be concluded from these data that livers from pregnant rats in late gestation channel fatty acid (1- 14 C]oleate) preferentially into products of esterification rather than into products of oxidation.
Making the Undergraduate Classroom into a Policy Think Tank: Reflections from a Field Methods Class

This article examines the opportunities and limitations presented by organizing an undergraduate field research methods class as a policy think tank working for a government client. Organized as such, the course had both the learning objectives of a traditional undergraduate methods class and the corporate objectives of a policy think tank (i.e., to produce a high-quality presentation and report for its client). This article finds that the learning and corporate objectives were largely aligned rather than conflicting, leading to anticipated and some unanticipated pedagogical benefits for learning sociological research methods, substantive sociological and policy areas, how to work effectively in goal-directed group work, and public policy generally. Finally, this article considers the pedagogical and ethical concerns with the course-based production of "policy-relevant" knowledge in the context of stark social divisions between student and research subject.
Alternate pathogenesis of systemic neoplasia in the bivalve mollusc Mytilus

The proliferative disease systemic neoplasia, also termed hemic neoplasia or disseminated sarcoma, was studied in four Puget Sound, Washington populations of the bay mussel (Mytilus sp.). Using flow cytometric measurement of DAPI-stained cells withdrawn from the hemolymph, DNA content frequency histograms were generated for 73 individuals affected by the disease. The cells manifesting systemic neoplasia were found to exist as either of two separate types, characterized by G0G1 phase nuclear DNA contents of either approximately 4.9 x haploid (pentaploid form) or approximately 3.8 x haploid (tetraploid form). The two disease forms were found to coexist in all four mussel populations sampled, with overall relative prevalences of 66% pentaploid form, 29% tetraploid form, and 5% exhibiting both disease forms simultaneously. These findings represent the first unequivocal demonstration of multiple cell types in a bivalve neoplasia. The two forms appear to represent separate pathogenetic processes rather than sequential stages of a single pathogenesis. Two cell cycling parameters associated with proliferative activity were employed to compare the alternate forms: (i) the percentage of cells assigned to the DNA Synthesis (S) phase of the neoplastic cell cycle, and (ii) the proportion of neoplastic cell mitotic figures in hemocytological preparations. Mean values for both parameters were significantly higher for mussels with the tetraploid form of the disease, suggesting a higher rate of proliferation relative to the pentaploid form. Qualitatively, cells of the tetraploid form contained slightly lower nuclear and cytoplasmic volumes compared to those of the pentaploid form. An observed wide variation in neoplastic cell nuclear size within either disease form may reflect the distribution of cells in the G0G1, S, and G2M phases of the cell cycle. Potential etiologic relationships between the two forms are discussed.
Hall probe application for the design and development of rotating machines

Abstract Hall probes have been used with advantage for flux pattern studies in machines and machine models, in universal current transducers and in a wave shape generator for a core loss tester. With these instruments and techniques significant new information was obtained to improve the design from small motors to large water wheel and turbine generators. Some of these devices are also used in field service for routine tests.
Nucleic acids and their derivatives in alcoholic extracts of rat tumors and normal muscle.

SummarySpectral absorption analyses on alcoholic extracts of tumors revealed that they had a higher specific density/mg of nucleic acid than did similar extracts of normal muscle or than pure DNA or RNA. This high specific density, as well as type of absorption curve, suggested the presence of guanosine or deoxyguanosine. Paper electrophoresis experiments, followed by study of paper strips for the position of ultraviolet-absorbing components, and for presence of ribosides by an orcinol spray, or of deoxyribosides by cysteine: H2SO4 spray, led to the conclusion that tumor extracts contained chiefly deoxyribosides, while muscle extract contained ribosides. The small amount of deoxyribosides in normal muscle extracts in contrast to tumor extracts was supported by chemical analyses and by highly specific bio-assay methods. Moreover, by these methods the relative amounts of purine deoxyribosides and pyrimidine deoxyribosides in tumor extracts differed from those in normal muscle extracts, suggesting that diffe...
Extreme Heterogeneity in Parasitism Despite Low Population Genetic Structure among Monarch Butterflies Inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands

Host movement and spatial structure can strongly influence the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases, with limited host movement potentially leading to high spatial heterogeneity in infection. Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are best known for undertaking a spectacular long-distance migration in eastern North America; however, they also form non-migratory populations that breed year-round in milder climates such as Hawaii and other tropical locations. Prior work showed an inverse relationship between monarch migratory propensity and the prevalence of the protozoan parasite, Ophryocystis elektroscirrha. Here, we sampled monarchs from replicate sites within each of four Hawaiian Islands to ask whether these populations show consistently high prevalence of the protozoan parasite as seen for monarchs from several other non-migratory populations. Counter to our predictions, we observed striking spatial heterogeneity in parasite prevalence, with infection rates per site ranging from 4-85%. We next used microsatellite markers to ask whether the observed variation in infection might be explained by limited host movement and spatial sub-structuring among sites. Our results showed that monarchs across the Hawaiian Islands form one admixed population, supporting high gene flow among sites. Moreover, measures of individual-level genetic diversity did not predict host infection status, as might be expected if more inbred hosts harbored higher parasite loads. These results suggest that other factors such as landscape-level environmental variation or colonization-extinction processes might instead cause the extreme heterogeneity in monarch butterfly infection observed here.
Novel photon-counting detectors for x-ray diffraction applications

A novel sealed gaseous PPAC detector is described which is significantly less prone to discharges and can consequently achieve high gas gains at high counting rates. The detector has demonstrated stable gains greater than 10 4 at counting rates in excess of 10 7 counts/mm 2 -sec.
Cost Comparison of Radiation Treatment Options After Lumpectomy for Breast Cancer

Background Radiation therapy (RT) after lumpectomy for breast cancer can be delivered with several different regimens. We evaluated a cost-minimization strategy to select among RT options.
In vivo occupancy of D2 dopamine receptors by Nafadotride

Nafadotride has been proposed as a selective antagonist for the D3 dopamine receptor. This drug has been shown to exhibit selectivity between D2 and D3 dopamine receptors in in vitro assay systems; however, the in vivo D2/D3 selectivity of the compound has not been determined. In this study, protection against inactivation by EEDQ was used as a measure of in vivo occupancy of D2 receptors by behaviorally relevant doses of nafadotride (0.1–10 mg/kg, SC and IP) in adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats. Ex vivo [3H]spiperone binding was then determined in striatal membranes. l-Nafadotride (10 mg/kg) protected 71% of D2 receptors after SC administration; 40% after IP administration. Protection of 13% of D2 receptors was observed at a dose of 3 mg/kg (SC). These data suggest that blockade of D2 receptors contributes to the pharmacological effects of nafadotride when administered at doses above 1 mg/kg (SC) or 3 mg/kg (IP).