cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Waveguiding in retinal photoreceptors: and overview

Since the pioneering work of Enoch in 1960, it has been experimentally well established that photoreceptors (rods and cones in the retina) of the human eye exhibit waveguiding properties. Photoreceptors behave as classical fiberoptic elements. It can be inferred that photoreceptors have specific orientation properties and it is found that they are aligned toward the exit pupil of the eye. This can be studied by non-invasive psychophysics and is known as the Stiles Crawford Effect of the First Kind. This refers to the feet that the eye is sensitive to the direction of incidence of light. Modeling the behavior of single photoreceptors as weakly guiding waveguide to incident light has greatly enhanced our knowledge of the optical properties of the visual system. In more recent work, the spatial impulse response of a single variable-cross-section photoreceptor has been characterized by assuming the incoming radiation to be an initial field propagating under confinement conditions inside the receptor. Using techniques of Fourier analysis the total transfer function is obtained. Both inner and outer segments of the photoreceptor are characterized as low-pass filters. The dependence of the transfer function on the modal parameter has been analyzed. In this article, I will review psychophysical and other evidence for waveguiding in photoreceptors as well as theoretical models of the Stiles-Crawford effect.
A Cyclotron Resonance Laser Accelerator

A laser acceleration mechanism which utilizes a strong static, almost uniform, magnetic field together with an intense laser pulse is analyzed. The interaction and acceleration mechanism relies on a self resonance effect. Since the laser field is assumed to be diffraction limited, the magnetic field must be spatially varied to maintain resonance. The effective accelerating gradient is shown to scale like l/?Eb, where Eb is the electron energy. For a numerical illustration we consider a 1 × 1013 W/cm2, CO2 laser and show that electrons can be accelerated to more than 500 MeV in a distance of 15 m (approximately two Rayleigh lengths).
Defining ‘Mental Illness’ In Mental Health Policy

Mental health policy is shaped fundamentally by the definition of mental illness associated with the policy. Changing policies reflect changing definitions. At various times, the definition may be narrow or broad with respect to the scope of conditions covered by a specific policy. The priority accorded to impairment severity is the most crucial and enduring policy issue related to the definition of mental illness and the scope of that definition. This paper explores the role of definitions in framing mental health policy, using examples from the history of policy making over the past half-century.
FOOD PROVISIONING BY WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRDS: EFFECTS ON THE DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERN OF CHICKS'

Food provisioning of White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) chicks by their individually identified parents was studied at Cayo Luis Pefia, Puerto Rico, in 1985- 1986. This paper describes the pattern of this provisioning from the perspectives of both the chick receiving the food, and the individual parents delivering the food. The interval between feedings delivered by an individual adult was more variable than food payload mass (higher coefficients of variation), and there was no day-to-day relationship between the feeding interval and feed mass. Moreover, adults demonstrated the ability to lift and transport food payloads substantially larger than the mean feed mass. Energetic considerations suggest that there is strong selection for parents to decrease the feeding frequency and increase feed mass, to some limit imposed by either the limits of the parents' delivery capabilities, or the limits of the chick's food receiving (swallowing) capabilities (the volume a chick can ingest in one feeding bout). In fact, the limits of the chick's swallowing capabilities occur well before the parents' delivery limits are reached, and thereby set the feed mass at a weight and volume that is easily within the adults' lifting and transporting capabilities. The mean feed mass is viewed as reflecting a particular "target" payload mass that parents strive to collect as quickly as conditions, and their own individual foraging abilities, will allow, and is a practical compromise between the short- term interests of the chick and those of the adult. While parents are able to collect an abundance of food for their single chick, their pelagic foraging creates an intermittent, or "feast or famine" feeding situation for the chick, which promotes the characteristic developmental pattern of slow growth and large fat accumu- lations. The developmental pattern of White-tailed Tropicbirds and other pelagic birds may be better understood by examining the temporal pattern of feeding, and thus there is a need for more comparative and experimental ecological and physiological studies focusing on patterns of food delivery and their possible effects, as well as the average rate of energy flow.
Assessing the role of gender in college students’ evaluations of faculty

This study investigates whether students’ assessments of male and female professors are influenced by traditional gender schema. Nearly 500 university students were surveyed about their perceptions of male and female faculty. Analysis of five factors reflecting teaching characteristics consistent with both stereotypically masculine and feminine traits revealed a significant interaction between student gender and professor gender. Female students rated female faculty especially high across five teaching dimensions and male faculty comparatively lower, while male students did not evaluate male and female professors as significantly different. Qualitative analysis reveals, however, that assessments of faculty were further influenced by the strength of students’ gender schema, and that gender schema may also lead to differential preference for particular teaching styles.
Condensed-matter physics. Nickel probes superconductivity.

Magnetism usually destroys superconductivity, but a magnetic nickel atom inserted into a high-temperature superconductor has surprisingly little effect on its local environment.
Improvements in light oil combustion by adding small quantities of alcohol. Possible application in cold starts up, in thermal power stations

The state of the art techniques concerning the mixing of alcohol with liquid fuels for combustion in furnaces is briefly presented. The test equipment consisting of a combustion chamber is described. Results when alcohol is added to traditional fuel in certain proportions are presented. Finally, conclusions of the mixtures behaviour are derived.
On establishing initial inventory levels in the rent-to-own industry: an empirical analysis

A theoretic model is developed to calculate the optimal inventory investment for a firm in the rent-to-own industry. This investment question is shown to be equivalent to a queueing problem and queueing technology is employed to fashion a solution. The initial inventory level is a critical decision which should be made to maximise expected profit. The decision is complicated by the fact that the arrival process of new customers, the total number of times that an item will be rented, and the length of time an item is kept by a customer are all random variables. Despite this, the model is able to provide closed-form solutions for various parameters, e.g., the probability that a potential customer will be lost due to product unavailability. A compelling feature of the current study is our access to a large and detailed transactional database. This is used to gain insight into actual contract usage and to numerically estimate the input parameters to our model. The resultant optimal inventory level is then compared against the actual levels providing a clear goodness-of-fit test for our overall approach.
In Vitro Activity of Tobramycin and Gentamicin

The in vitro antimicrobial activity of tobramycin and gentamicin was compared against 362 bacterial isolates. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tobramycin was fourfold less than the MIC of gentamicin against most of 119 Pseudomonas organisms. Gentamicin and tobramycin had similar in vitro activity against Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus aureus. Proteus rettgeri were commonly resistant to both tobramycin and gentamicin. The 10-μg tobramycin disc separated resistant (MIC ≥5 μg/ml) and susceptible (MIC <5 μg/ml) organisms in 359 of 362 tested. In disc diffusion testing, the tobramycin and gentamicin zone diameters were found to vary significantly with concentrations of magnesium ions in the media employed. The MIC of tobramycin varied with the size of the inoculum, and tobramycin was most effective at a neutral pH.
The growing need for a unified biopsychosocial approach in mental health care

Abstract Psychology has been remarkably successful as a scientific discipline and field of clinical practice. Despite its remarkable growth, however, the field has also experienced substantial conflict and controversy. There has been great diversity in the approaches counselors and psychologists have used to understand development, psychopathology, and the goals and processes of psychotherapy. This has led to large numbers of conflicts and controversies that have distracted the field from its primary purposes. A biopsychosocial approach has the potential to bring the field together around a unified science-based framework for understanding mental health practice that will avoid these conflicts.
Dichromatic vision in a fruit bat with diurnal proclivities: the Samoan flying fox ( Pteropus samoensis )

A nocturnal bottleneck during mammalian evolution left a majority of species with two cone opsins, or dichromatic color vision. Primate trichromatic vision arose from the duplication and divergence of an X-linked opsin gene, and is long attributed to tandem shifts from nocturnality to diurnality and from insectivory to frugivory. Opsin gene variation and at least one duplication event exist in the order Chiroptera, suggesting that trichromatic vision could evolve under favorable ecological conditions. The natural history of the Samoan flying fox (Pteropus samoensis) meets these conditions—it is a large bat that consumes nectar and fruit and demonstrates strong diurnal proclivities. It also possesses a visual system that is strikingly similar to that of primates. To explore the potential for opsin gene duplication and divergence in this species, we sequenced the opsin genes of 11 individuals (19 X-chromosomes) from three South Pacific islands. Our results indicate the uniform presence of two opsins with predicted peak sensitivities of ca. 360 and 553 nm. This result fails to support a causal link between diurnal frugivory and trichromatic vision, although it remains plausible that the diurnal activities of P. samoensis have insufficient antiquity to favor opsin gene renovation.
Modified HNO3 seasonality in volcanic layers of a polar ice core - Snow-pack effect or photochemical perturbation?

Changes in atmospheric HNO3 chemistry following the Laki (1783), Tambora (1815), and Katmai (1912) volcanic eruptions are presently investigated in view of a central Greenland ice core's chemical composition. Attention is given to the concentration of several cations and anions, using ion chromatography. Following the eruptions, the ratio of winter to summer depositions of NO3(-) was significantly higher than during nonvolcanic periods. While this may be due to ice pack effects, it is proposed that large concentrations of the stratospheric H2SO4 particles ejected by the volcanoes favored HNO3 removal during Arctic winter.
Structure and function of quinones in biological solar energy transduction: a differential pulse voltammetry, EPR, and hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy study of model benzoquinones

Quinones are widely used electron transport cofactors in photosynthetic reaction centers. Previous studies have suggested that the structure of the quinone cofactors and the protein interactions or "smart" matrix effects from the surrounding environment govern the redox potential and hence the function of quinones in photosynthesis. In the present study, a series of 1,4-benzoquinone models are examined via differential pulse voltammetry to provide relative redox potentials. In parallel, CW and pulsed EPR methods are used to directly determine the electronic properties of each benzoquinone in aprotic and protic environments. The shifts in the redox potential of the quinones are found to be dependent on the nature of the substituent group and the number of substituent groups on the quinone molecule. Further, we establish a direct correlation between the nature of the substituent group and the change in electronic properties of the benzosemiquinone by analysis of the isotropic and anisotropic components of the electron-nuclear hyperfine interactions observed by CW and pulsed EPR studies, respectively. Examination of an extensive library of model quinones in both aprotic and protic solvents indicates that hydrogen-bonding interactions consistently accentuate the effects of the substituent groups of the benzoquinones. This study provides direct support for the tuning and control of quinone cofactors in biological solar energy transduction through interactions with the surrounding protein matrix.
Fiscal Incentives and Shared Revenue Sources with Differentiated Sharing Rates

A closer look at the estimating procedures that have been used to examine the empirical evidence of weak fiscal incentives at the local level in Russia in 1990s shows serious flaws in the treatment of proceeds from shared revenue sources with differentiated sharing rates widely employed in the intergovernmental fiscal relations in Russia at that time. This work analyzes two approaches suggested earlier to deal with proceeds from these sources when estimating fiscal incentives, and it develops an alternative method. Empirical results from this alternative approach suggest that the lack of fiscal incentives in Russia in mid-1990s was not as overwhelming as it appears from the estimates reported in the earlier works, which implies that the regional intergovernmental fiscal relations policies might have not been the likely cause of poor performance of the government and the economy in Russia at that time.
Nucleic acid binding characteristics of group A/B hnRNP proteins.

Summary hnRNP proteins are primarily defined by their specific sedimentational, reconstitutional, and extraction properties and are presumed to be RNA binding. However, it is not clear whether all these proteins have RNA binding capabilities. Recently, using two monoclonal antibodies, fA12 and AC88, we reported that the abundance of a subclass of the highly basic A/B hnRNP proteins was specifically down regulated during terminal differentiation of human and murine cells in vitro . In this report we have examined the nucleic acid binding characteristics of this subclass and other members of the A/B hnRNP proteins in vitro . All members of class A/B hnRNP proteins appear to have similar but not identical nucleic acid binding characteristics. However, the subclass of proteins recognized by AC88 and fA12 exhibit stronger binding affinities and are shown to be highly selective in their binding to RNA vs DNA in vitro . These proteins also preferentially bind poly(U) RNA, suggesting that in vitro they may bind effectively to uridine rich motifs critical in pre-mRNA processing.
Confident Predictability: Identifying reliable gene expression patterns for individualized tumor classification using a local minimax kernel algorithm

Molecular classification of tumors can be achieved by global gene expression profiling. Most machine learning classification algorithms furnish global error rates for the entire population. A few algorithms provide an estimate of probability of malignancy for each queried patient but the degree of accuracy of these estimates is unknown. On the other hand local minimax learning provides such probability estimates with best finite sample bounds on expected mean squared error on an individual basis for each queried patient. This allows a significant percentage of the patients to be identified as confidently predictable, a condition that ensures that the machine learning algorithm possesses an error rate below the tolerable level when applied to the confidently predictable patients. We devise a new learning method that implements: (i) feature selection using the k-TSP algorithm and (ii) classifier construction by local minimax kernel learning. We test our method on three publicly available gene expression datasets and achieve significantly lower error rate for a substantial identifiable subset of patients. Our final classifiers are simple to interpret and they can make prediction on an individual basis with an individualized confidence level. Patients that were predicted confidently by the classifiers as cancer can receive immediate and appropriate treatment whilst patients that were predicted confidently as healthy will be spared from unnecessary treatment. We believe that our method can be a useful tool to translate the gene expression signatures into clinical practice for personalized medicine.
Dechanneling by twins

Abstract Twinned regions in Si exhibit enhanced dechanneling and narrower critical angles than the host crystal. MeV 4He backscattering spectra along in twinned Si can be interpreted on the basis of additive contributions from host and twinned lattices.
The McCarthy Scales: Predictive Validity and Stability of Scores for Urban Black Children

The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) was admin istered to 80 urban black children when they were preschoolers. Five years later, 68 of these children were retested with this scale. Scores on these two administrations were interrelated and were also corre lated with reading test scores, IQ scores of parents, and amount of parental education. The summary MSCA score, called the General Cognitive Index, proved valid in the five-year predictive correlation. Both preschool and school year scores on the MSCA were related to parent IQ scores and standing on reading scales. Although less con sistent, each of the five scale scores demonstrated validity in the cor- relational analysis. The data supported the conclusion that the MSCA demonstrated predictive and concurrent validity with dis advantaged urban children.
The consumer psychology of brands

Abstract This article presents a consumer-psychology model of brands that integrates empirical studies and individual constructs (such as brand categorization, brand affect, brand personality, brand symbolism and brand attachment, among others) into a comprehensive framework. The model distinguishes three levels of consumer engagement (object-centered, self-centered and social) and five processes (identifying, experiencing, integrating, signifying and connecting). Pertinent psychological constructs and empirical findings are presented for the constructs within each process. The article concludes with research ideas to test the model using both standard and consumer-neuroscience methods.
Gel permeation chromatography and polymer additive systems

Abstract Chromatograms obtained on solvent extracts of polymer systems can be used to identify the vendor of the polymer in much the same manner as absorption spectra are used to identify the base polymer. The chromatogram in its entirety is compared to reference chromatograms obtained on similar extracts of known polymers from known vendors. The individual components can be identified by comparison of the individual peaks to chromatograms of known compounds. The same procedure can be used to follow depletion of additive components during environmental testing and/or field exposure by determining peak heights or peak areas. Quantitative determination of additives can be made by either or both of the above measurements. Chromatograms of the additive systems in several commercially available polymer compounds are shown along with quantitative calibrative curves for various additive components. Chromatograms illustrating the effects of processing and environmental conditioning on additive concentrations are also presented.
Expanding the scope of drug repurposing in pediatrics: The Children’s Pharmacy Collaborative™

Drug repurposing is the use of 'old' drugs for new indications, avoiding the need for time- and cost-intensive toxicity studies. This approach should be particularly attractive for pediatrics, but its use in this population has been limited. One obstacle has been the lack of a comprehensive database of drugs for which there already is at least one indication in children. We describe the development of The Children's Pharmacy Collaborative, which should grow over time, serve as a resource for professionals and families, and stimulate drug-repurposing efforts for a range of pediatric disorders.
The murine LIM-kinase gene (limk) encodes a novel serine threonine kinase expressed predominantly in trophoblast giant cells and the developing nervous system

Abstract Throughout vertebrate embryogenesis, membrane bound and intracellular protein kinases govern the fundamental decisions necessary for coordinated cell growth and differentiation. Here we have characterized limk , a novel protein kinase with serine threonine substrate specificity which also contains two LIM domains. We used Northern blot and in situ hybridization techniques to determine its pattern of expression in early mouse development. Between 7.5 and 8.5 d.p.c., limk is expressed in three broad domains within the embryo, the neuroectodermal of the prospective forebrain and mid-brain regions, the cardiac mesoderm, and the newly formed definitive endodermal derivatives the foregut and hindgut. By 10.0 d.p.c. limk remains prominently expressed in the ventromedial regions of the developing forebrain and midbrain, with continued expression in the hindgut. In adults limk is expressed most prominently in the brain. Additionally we have shown that limk is most abundantly expressed in the trophoblast giant cells, from 4.5 d.p.c onwards. Moreover, high levels of limk expression is associated with the overt formation of giant cells from diploid progenitors, suggesting an involvement for limk in the differentiation of this highly specialized extra-embryonic cell type.
Rickettsia rickettsii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) in Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) from Kansas

The role of lone star ticks as vectors for Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) remains poorly described. We compared the entomological inoculation rates (EIRs) for Rickettsia spp. for representative sites in Missouri and Kansas, states that frequently report RMSF each year. Host-seeking ticks were collected during 2006 and pooled tick homogenates analyzed by polymerase chain reaction to detect probable R. rickettsii, with confirmation for multiple gene targets performed on individual ticks from pools that screened positive. Of 870 adult and nymphal lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (L.), 0.46% contained DNA of Rickettsia rickettsii. Interestingly, two of these positive ticks were concurrently infected by R. amblyommii. More than 90% of lone star tick pools contained R. amblyommii DNA. Of 169 dog ticks that were analyzed, none were infected by R. rickettsii. The entomological inoculation rate for spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae within lone star ticks was an order of magnitude greater than that for dog ticks. We conclude that lone star ticks may be epidemiologically significant vectors of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and of spotted fever group rickettsiae.
Comorbid Insomnia and Sleep Disordered Breathing

Sufficient evidence has accumulated to warrant conceptualization of comorbid insomnia and sleep disordered breathing (SDB) as a distinct clinical syndrome. As such, diagnostic and treatment approaches should be founded on an integrated and multidisciplinary approach with equivalent clinical attention and priority given to both insomnia and respiratory aspects of patients’ presenting complaints. Several well established and effective treatments exist for both insomnia and SDB. Although questions of optimal treatment combination and sequence remain to be examined, current evidence provides preliminary guidance regarding the sequential or concurrent management of insomnia and sleep disordered breathing when comorbid. Unsatisfactory response to pharmacotherapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia should trigger evaluation for comorbid sleep-related breathing disturbance prior to more aggressive or off label pharmacotherapy. Presence and course of insomnia symptoms should be monitored closely in SDB patients with persistence of insomnia symptoms following SDB treatment prompting targeted treatment of insomnia. Aggressive treatment of insomnia prior to or in combination with SDB treatment may be particularly indicated in situations where insomnia is suspected to interfere with diagnosis or treatment of SDB. Insomnia and sleep disordered breathing appear to uniquely contribute to the morbidity of patients with this comorbidity. With this in mind, active engagement and monitoring of SDB and insomnia will often be necessary to achieve optimal outcomes.
Identification and Localization of an Actin-binding Motif That Is Unique to the Epsilon Isoform of Protein Kinase C and Participates in the Regulation of Synaptic Function

Individual isoforms of the protein kinase C (PKC) family of kinases may have assumed distinct responsibilities for the control of complex and diverse cellular functions. In this study, we show that an isoform specific interaction between PKC epsilon and filamentous actin may serve as a necessary prelude to the enhancement of glutamate exocytosis from nerve terminals. Using a combination of cosedimentation, overlay, and direct binding assays, we demonstrate that filamentous actin is a principal anchoring protein for PKC epsilon within intact nerve endings. The unusual stability and direct nature of this physical interaction indicate that actin filaments represent a new class of PKC-binding protein. The binding of PKC epsilon to actin required that the kinase be activated, presumably to expose a cryptic binding site that we have identified and shown to be located between the first and second cysteine-rich regions within the regulatory domain of only this individual isoform of PKC. Arachidonic acid (AA) synergistically interacted with diacylglycerol to stimulate actin binding to PKC epsilon. Once established, this protein-protein interaction securely anchored PKC epsilon to the cytoskeletal matrix while also serving as a chaperone that maintained the kinase in a catalytically active conformation. Thus, actin appears to be a bifunctional anchoring protein that is specific for the PKC epsilon isoform. The assembly of this isoform-specific signaling complex appears to play a primary role in the PKC-dependent facilitation of glutamate exocytosis.
Time-Domain Optimal Experimental Design in Human Seated Postural Control Testing

We are developing a series of systems science-based clinical tools that will assist in modeling, diagnosing, and quantifying postural control deficits in human subjects. In line with this goal, we have designed and constructed a seated balance device and associated experimental task for identification of the human seated postural control system. In this work, we present a quadratic programming (QP) technique for optimizing a time-domain experimental input signal for this device. The goal of this optimization is to maximize the information present in the experiment, and therefore its ability to produce accurate estimates of several desired seated postural control parameters. To achieve this, we formulate the problem as a nonconvex QP and attempt to locally maximize a measure (T-optimality condition) of the experiment's Fisher information matrix (FIM) under several constraints. These constraints include limits on the input amplitude, physiological output magnitude, subject control amplitude, and input signal autocorrelation. Because the autocorrelation constraint takes the form of a quadratic constraint (QC), we replace it with a conservative linear relaxation about a nominal point, which is iteratively updated during the course of optimization. We show that this iterative descent algorithm generates a convergent suboptimal solution that guarantees monotonic nonincreasing of the cost function value while satisfying all constraints during iterations. Finally, we present successful experimental results using an optimized input sequence.
Early In Vitro Fertilization Improves Development of Bovine Ova Heat Stressed During In Vitro Maturation

The objectives were to examine the development of embryos derived from control (38.5 degrees C) or heat-stressed ova [41.0 degrees C during the first 12 h of in vitro maturation (hIVM)] when in vitro fertilization (IVF) was performed at 16, 18, 20, 24, or 30 hIVM. Effects of heat stress in compromising ovum development depended on when IVF was performed (in vitro maturation temperature x IVF time interaction). When IVF was performed at 24 or 30 hIVM, fewer heat-stressed ova developed to the blastocyst stage compared with the respective controls. In contrast, when IVF was performed at 16, 18, or 20 hIVM, more heat-stressed ova developed to the blastocyst stage compared with the respective controls. Performing IVF earlier than usual was beneficial, because the ability of heat-stressed ova to develop to the blastocyst stage was improved when IVF was performed at 18 or 20 vs. 24 hIVM. Blastocyst stage and quality were equivalent to non-heat-stressed controls regardless of IVF time. Control ova undergoing IVF at 20, 24, 30, or 32 hIVM and heat-stressed ova undergoing IVF at 16, 18, 20, or 24 hIVM were compared for blastocyst development by multisource regression. Although linear and quadratic slopes were similar, heat stress reduced the peak and shifted the developmental response of ova by 7.3 h. In other words, obtaining optimal blastocyst development from heat-stressed ova would depend on performing IVF at 19.5 hIVM compared with 26.7 hIVM for non-heat-stressed controls. Heat-induced reductions in peak blastocyst development significantly reduced the window of time available to perform IVF and obtain > or = 20% blastocyst development. In summary, results support an effect of heat stress to hasten developmentally important events during oocyte maturation. The inability of earlier IVF to fully restore the development of heat-stressed ova to that of non-heat-stressed controls highlights the importance of further study.
Platform-specific timing verification framework in model-based implementation

In the model-based implementation methodology, the timed behavior of the software is typically modeled independently of the platform-specific timing semantics such as the delay due to scheduling or I/O handling. Although this approach helps to reduce the complexity of the model, it leads to timing gaps between the model and its implementation. This paper proposes a platform-specific timing verification framework that can be used to formally verify the timed behavior of an implementation that has been developed from a platform-independent model. We first describe a way to categorize the interactions among the software, a platform, and the environment in the form of implementation schemes. We then present an algorithm that systematically transforms a platform-independent model into a platform-specific model under a given implementation scheme. This transformation algorithm ensures that the timed behavior of the platform-specific model is close to that of the corresponding implementation. Our case study of an infusion pump system shows that the measured timing delay of the system is bounded by the formally verified bound of its platform-specific model.
Taxation of Natural Resources and State Economic Growth

The econometric evidence that has been brought to bear on the question of how state and local taxes affect the location decision of firms among competing states or regions is surprisingly sparse and often contradictory. In this research the question is addressed from a different empirical perspective than has been considered heretofore. Using a pool of cross-section and time-series data, the trends in employment and capital formation in three energy-rich states are analyzed during a period when these states substituted energy-related revenues for more traditional forms of taxation. McLure's general equilibrium model of regional taxation and industrial location forms the theoretical basis for the empirical analysis. The findings suggest that relative changes in state and local taxes on products and labor are of more significance as a location determinant than relative changes in the state corporate income tax.
On the convergence of the cluster model for O/Ni(100)

Chemisorption of oxygen onto the Ni(100) surface is modeled using a three-layer Ni41 cluster. The convergence of the cluster model is considered by comparing the results of the Ni41 cluster to the previously studied two-layer Ni25 model for O/Ni(100). The O vibrational frequency is only slightly changed by the addition of the third layer, while the height of the O above the surface is reduced by 0.11 A, increasing the disagreement with experiment. The O binding energy is reduced to less than half that for the Ni25 cluster.
Impacts of Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors on Spatio-temporal Dynamics of Panda Habitat

Demographic and socioeconomic factors of individual people and households may have significant impacts on their environment, which in turn may affect the spatio-temporal dynamics of wildlife habitat and local biodiversity. In the Wolong Nature Reserve (China) for giant panda conservation, local households live a rural lifestyle that has caused forest degradation by activities such as cutting fuelwood. Based on field data and a spatial agent-based model that integrates cross-scale data and cross-discipline models, we examine how panda habitat would respond to changes in a set of socioeconomic and demographic factors individually, and under a conservation scenario and a development scenario (setting factors to values that would benefit or degrade habitat, respectively). The model simulates each family member's life history (including needs, attitudes, and activities) and the household agents' interactions with each other and with the environment through their activities over 30 years. Our simulations show that among all the factors under consideration, providing cheaper electricity and changing the age structure through increasing marriage age or prolonging the interval between consecutive births could change habitat quantity significantly (at α = 0.05 level); and the differences in panda habitat between the two scenarios escalate over time. In addition to benefiting local policy-making, this study provides a new approach to studying human–environment interactions from the perspectives of individual needs and decisions.
A Critical Subset Model Provides a Conceptual Basis for the High Antiviral Activity of Major HIV Drugs

Control of HIV-1 replication was first achieved with regimens that included a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) or a protease inhibitor (PI); however, an explanation for the high antiviral activity of these drugs has been lacking. Indeed, conventional pharmacodynamic measures like IC 50 (drug concentration causing 50% inhibition) do not differentiate NNRTIs and PIs from less active nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). Drug inhibitory potential depends on the slope of the dose-response curve ( m ), which represents how inhibition increases as a function of increasing drug concentration and is related to the Hill coefficient, a measure of intramolecular cooperativity in ligand binding to a multivalent receptor. Although NNRTIs and PIs bind univalent targets, they unexpectedly exhibit cooperative dose-response curves ( m > 1). We show that this cooperative inhibition can be explained by a model in which infectivity requires participation of multiple copies of a drug target in an individual life cycle stage. A critical subset of these target molecules must be in the unbound state. Consistent with experimental observations, this model predicts m > 1 for NNRTIs and PIs and m = 1 in situations where a single drug target/virus mediates a step in the life cycle, as is the case with NRTIs and integrase strand transfer inhibitors. This model was tested experimentally by modulating the number of functional drug targets per virus, and dose-response curves for modulated virus populations fit model predictions. This model explains the high antiviral activity of two drug classes important for successful HIV-1 treatment and defines a characteristic of good targets for antiviral drugs in general, namely, intermolecular cooperativity.
Intracellular pH regulation in neurons from chemosensitive and nonchemosensitive areas of the medulla

Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation was studied in neurons from two chemosensitive [nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and ventrolateral medulla (VLM)] and two nonchemosensitive [hypoglossal (Hyp) a...
Histone deacetylase inhibitors facilitate partner preference formation in female prairie voles

In the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), mating induces enduring pair-bonds that are initiated by partner preference formation and regulated by a variety of neurotransmitters, including oxytocin, vasopressin and dopamine. We examined potential epigenetic mechanisms mediating pair-bond regulation and found that the histone deacetylase inhibitors sodium butyrate and trichostatin A (TSA) facilitated partner preference formation in female prairie voles in the absence of mating. This was associated with a specific upregulation of oxytocin receptor (OTR, oxtr) and vasopressin V1a receptor (V1aR, avpr1a) in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), through an increase in histone acetylation at their respective promoters. Furthermore, TSA-facilitated partner preference was prevented by OTR or V1aR blockade in the NAcc. Notably, mating-induced partner preference triggered the same epigenetic regulation of oxtr and avpr1a gene promoters as TSA. These observations indicate that TSA and mating facilitate partner preference through epigenetic events, providing, to the best of our knowledge, the first direct evidence for epigenetic regulation of pair-bonding.
Prime splitting in abelian number fields and linear combinations of Dirichlet characters

Let &#x1d54f; be a finite group of primitive Dirichlet characters. Let ξ = ∑χ∈&#x1d54f; aχ χ be a nonzero element of the group ring ℤ[&#x1d54f;]. We investigate the smallest prime q that is coprime to the conductor of each χ ∈ &#x1d54f; and that satisfies ∑χ∈&#x1d54f; aχ χ(q) ≠ 0. Our main result is a nontrivial upper bound on q valid for certain special forms ξ. From this, we deduce upper bounds on the smallest unramified prime with a given splitting type in an abelian number field. For example, let K/ℚ be an abelian number field of degree n and conductor f. Let g be a proper divisor of n. If there is any unramified rational prime q that splits into g distinct prime ideals in OK, then the least such q satisfies .
Teaching Social Work's Bio-Psycho-Social Assessment

Abstract Teaching a process of case theory construction provides students with a systematic approach to make sense of clients and formulate accurate assessments. Through a theory of the case students can account for problematic factors, explain the client, draw from the relevant literature and successfully intervene. Case material illustrates the importance of students' incorporation of the biological, psychological and social in their case theory construction. These three domains not only provide the requisite social work breadth in assessment, but also build the foundation for a broad-based social work intervention that is germane to client problems.
“PERHAPS YOU ONLY KISSED HER?”: A Contrapuntal Reading of the Penalties for Illicit Sex in the Sunni Hadith Literature

The goal of this essay is to illustrate how Ebrahim Moosa's method of “contrapuntal reading” can be applied fruitfully to the Sunni hadith literature. My case study is the set of penalties (hudud) for illicit sex, which include flogging, stoning, and banishment. I propose a fresh reading of these sacred texts that brings to the fore the ethical dimension of Prophet Muhammad's conduct, especially his strong reluctance to apply these measures. I conclude by identifying four ethical problems that the stoning penalty raises and suggest how the hadith literature can be read to argue against the validity of this specific punishment.
Comparison of Analgesic Outcomes Following Sciatic Nerve Blockade Performed by Resident Trainees and Nurse Anesthetists

Background and objectives nbsp Peripheral nerve blockade requires regional anesthesia skills that are taught in several formats and assessing technical proficiency has shifted from fulfillment of quotas to comprehensive procedural evaluation Complete analgesia is the clinical endpoint validating successful nerve blockade but patient technical and procedural factors influence this result The purpose of this study was to determine if physician trainee or nurse anesthetist administered sciatic nerve blockade influence postoperative pain scores and opioid analgesic requirements and if patient factors technique and repetition influence this outcome Method nbsp Sciatic nerve blockade by nerve stimulation and ultrasound based techniques were performed by senior anesthesiology resident trainees and nurse anesthetists under the supervision of regional anesthesia faculty Preoperative patient characteristics including obesity trauma chronic pain opioid use and preoperative pain scores were recorded and compared to the post procedure pain scores and opioid analgesic requirements upon discharge from the post anesthesia care unit and hours following sciatic nerve blockade Results nbsp patients received sciatic nerve blockade from nurse anesthetists and residents during months A significant relation between training background and improved pain scores was not demonstrated but transition from nerve stimulation to ultrasound guided techniques lowered immediate opioid usage in all groups Patients with pre existing chronic opioid use had higher postoperative pain scores and opioid dosages following nerve block Conclusion nbsp Patient analgesia should be an integral measure of proficiency in regional anesthesia techniques and evaluating this procedure outcome for all practitioners throughout their training and beyond graduation will longitudinally assess technical expertise
Introducing Historical Perspectives

Most of us have heard the story of the discovery of penicillin: how in 1928 the Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming discovered a set of Petri dishes contaminated by spores of Penicillium mold that had seemingly destroyed the staphylococcal bacteria he was studying. Less remembered is the fact that Fleming gave up on penicillin within a few months, finding it extremely difficult to extract and purify. His 1929 article went largely unnoticed for nearly 10 years until Howard Florey and his … Address correspondence to Jeffrey P. Baker, MD, PhD, FAAP, Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, and History of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3040 DUMC, Durham, NC 27710. E-mail: baker009{at}mc.duke.edu
Resonant metal-mesh bandpass filters for the far infrared

The spectral performance of freestanding resonant metal-mesh bandpass filters operating with center frequencies ranging from 585 GHz to 2.1 THz is presented. These filters are made up of a 12-μm-thick copper film with an array of cross-shaped apertures that fill a circular area with a 50-mm diameter. The filters exhibit power transmission in the range 97–100% at their respective center frequencies and stop-band rejection in excess of 18 dB. The theoretically predicted nondiffracting properties of the meshes are experimentally verified through high-resolution beam mapping. Scalability of the filter spectra with mesh dimensions is demonstrated over a wide spectral range. Several modeling methods are considered, and results from the models are shown.
Economic liberalisation and the Indian state

(1985). Economic liberalisation and the Indian state. Third World Quarterly: Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 942-957.
Life cycle analysis of batteries using economic input-output analysis

In previous work, the authors illustrated the use of economic input/output models for environmental assessment of industrial sector outputs and the use of economic input/output models to expand conventional life cycle assessment to obviate problems with analysis boundary assumptions. The economic input/output model represents all the supplier relationships in the supply chain for industrial production. This work has used a 519 sector model of the US economy for the input/output analysis and estimated environmental impacts by specific toxic chemical releases and energy demands estimated for each supplier sector. Application of the EIO environmental assessment model was shown to be feasible, rapid and inexpensive. In this paper, the economic input/output model is augmented by a "sector" representing the inputs and demands for a specific product. In this way, the environmental impacts for a specific product rather than an industrial sector can be assessed directly. An application to the assessment of environmental impacts associated with manufacturing storage batteries is featured. We discuss methods to estimate the required data for product specific applications.
A Panegyric on Edwardian Progressivism

It is only a moderate exaggeration to say that the historiography of popular politics in 20th-century Britain has been an open ended coroner's inquest into the fate of Liberalism and the Liberal Party. Subjected to intense scrutiny have been the years 1906-14. How does one explain the 1906 landslide? If Liberalism was on its way out, is not the New Liberalism of J. L. Hammond, L. T. Hobhouse, C. P. Scott, C. F. G. Masterman and others just a bit surprising in light of the subsequent evolution of the welfare state? Does not the apparent vitality-electoral and intellectual of pre-1914 Liberalism call into question the thesis of Labour's "inevitable" rise to power? The question is not whether the Liberal Party actually died. In Trevor Wilson's vivid phrase, "a rampant omnibus (the First World War) . . . mounted the pavement and ran him [the Liberal party] over. After lingering painfully, he expired."' Rather, it is whether the future of the Labour Party was, a fortiori, assured; and, to extend Wilson's image, why the pedestrian happened to be in the neighborhood in the first place. Frank Bealey and Henry Pelling have given the orthodox answer in writing that, "the Labour party, once created, had acquired a momentum of its own'"2 a formulation which is easily dovetailed to Pelling's comment that "it seems that the Liberal associations in the constituencies were too inflexible to adapt themselves to the rise of a new social class."3
Importance of airway blood flow on particle clearance from the lung

Wagner, Elizabeth M., and W. Michael Foster. Importance of airway blood flow on particle clearance from the lung.J. Appl. Physiol. 81(5): 1878–1883, 1996.—The role of the airway circulation in supp...