cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of acid hydrolysis and mechanical polishing on surface residual stresses of low-fusing dental ceramics

Abstract Statement of problem Cracks may arise in a ceramic restorative material over time, resulting in sudden fractures at stresses well below the yield stress. Purpose This study evaluated by means of indentation technique the effects of acid hydrolysis and mechanical polishing on the surface residual stresses of low-fusing ceramic materials. Material and methods A total of 64 ceramic bars were formed to produce 4 groups of 16 bars each for 4 ceramic materials (Duceram-LFC Dentin, Duceram-LFC Enamel, Finesse Dentin, and Finesse Enamel). Four surface-treatment groups (n=4) were then formed for each of the 4 materials. The 4 surface treatments were control (autoglaze), hydrolysis, glaze/polish, and polish/glaze. A Vickers indenter contacted the Duceram-LFC specimens with a 5-N load and the Finesse specimens with a 3-N load for 10 seconds. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study surface texture before and after hydrolysis and polishing. Differences in mean crack lengths were analyzed with 1-way analysis of variance and least significant difference test (α=.05.) Results SEM showed obvious surface flaws as a result of hydrolysis on Duceram-LFC Enamel and Dentin specimens. However, statistical analysis of the resulting crack lengths revealed no significant differences between values for the control groups (58.16 ± 3.88) (53.53 ± 2.67) and hydrolysis groups (57.11 ± 4.09) (54.54 ± 3.15) for Enamel ( P =.081) and Dentin ( P =.093) respectively. When comparing polished groups and nonpolished groups, the mean crack lengths were significantly shorter for polished specimens of Duceram-LFC Enamel (53.76 ± 3.17), Finesse Enamel (40.56 ± 3.31), and Finesse Dentin (39.76 ± 3.81) porcelains compared with their control groups (58.16 ± 3.88) (43.54 ± 4.12) (41.19 ± 3.47), respectively ( P P Conclusion Within the limitations of this study, hydrolysis did not improve surface residual stresses of Duceram-LFC and Finesse ceramic materials. Mechanical polishing improved surface residual stresses of all materials tested, except Duceram-LFC Dentin porcelain.
Generational differences in attitudes and socioeconomic status among Hispanics in Houston

The complex variety of experiences that characterize the current wave of immigration have prompted revisions in the classic model of straight-line assimilation; the most important alternative theory is based on the concept of “segmented” assimilation. This paper assesses the validity of these two perspectives with data on three generations of Hispanic immigrants in Houston. Contrary to the standard assimilation model, third-generation Hispanics are not staying in school longer, nor are they earning higher wages than members of the second generation. But contrary to the segmented-assimilation model, third-generation Hispanics also give no evidence at all of having assimilated into an “adversarial” culture that rejects mainstream American values and is presumably responsible for restricting their upward mobility. The data reaffirm the pivotal role of education in determining occupational mobility, and they point to the importance of identifying the external societal factors that account for the stalled progress in educational achievement among third-generation Hispanic Americans.
Pebble Bed Boiling Water Reactor Concept With Superheated Steam

An Advanced Nuclear Reactor concept is presented which extends Boiling Water Reactor technology with micro-fuel elements (MFE) and produces superheated steam. A nuclear plant with MFE is highly efficient and safe, due to ceramic-clad nuclear fuel. Water is used as both moderator and coolant. The fuel consists of spheres of about 1.5 mm diameter of UO2 with several external coatings of different carbonaceous materials. The outer coating of the particles is SiC, manufactured with chemical vapor disposition (CVD) technology. Endurance of the integrity of the SiC coating in water, air and steam has been demonstrated experimentally in Germany, Russia and Japan. This paper describes a result of a preliminary design and analysis of 3750 MWt (1500 MWe) plant with standard pressure of 16 MPa, which is widely achieved in the vessel of pressurized-water type reactors. The superheated steam outlet temperature of 550 °C elevates the steam cycle to high thermal efficiency of 42%.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Lightweight Bytecode Verification

In this paper, we provide a theoretical foundation for and improvements to the existing bytecode verification technology, a critical component of the Java security model, for mobile code used with the Java “micro edition” (J2ME), which is intended for embedded computing devices. In Java, remotely loaded “bytecode” class files are required to be bytecode verified before execution, that is, to undergo a static type analysis that protects the platform's Java run-time system from so-called type confusion attacks such as pointer manipulation. The data flow analysis that performs the verification, however, is beyond the capacity of most embedded devices because of the memory requirements that the typical algorithm will need. We propose to take a proof-carrying code approach to data flow analysis in defining an alternative technique called “lightweight analysis” that uses the notion of a “certificate” to reanalyze a previously analyzed data flow problem, even on poorly resourced platforms. We formally prove that the technique provides the same guarantees as standard bytecode safety verification analysis, in particular that it is “tamper proof” in the sense that the guarantees provided by the analysis cannot be broken by crafting a “false” certificate or by altering the analyzed code. We show how the Java bytecode verifier fits into this framework for an important subset of the Java Virtual Machine; we also show how the resulting “lightweight bytecode verification” technique generalizes and simulates the J2ME verifier (to be expected as Sun's J2ME “K-Virtual machine” verifier was directly based on an early version of this work), as well as Leroy's “on-card bytecode verifier,” which is specifically targeted for Java Cards.
Structural Evaluation of Precast Concrete Channel Beams in Bridge Superstructures

During the period from the mid-1950s through the mid-1970s a large number of bridges were constructed throughout Arkansas using a 5.79-m (19-ft) long, precast, non-prestressed, concrete channel beam that was then standard. A survey of highway departments has identified 12 states that have used a similar bridge element in the past. It has been determined that nearly 400 of these bridges remain in use in Arkansas alone. Recently, the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department discovered that a number of these sections are exhibiting potentially serious deterioration. The deterioration appears to have been initiated by corrosion of the flexural reinforcement in the beam stems. An additional issue is that these beams were fabricated without any shear reinforcement. Moreover, some sections are showing signs of concrete degradation. The need to determine the in-place load capacity, serviceability, and durability of these sections has reached a critical level. To date, 20 beams have been removed from existing structures and tested for their flexural load capacity and the material properties of the concrete and longitudinal reinforcement. Results have varied depending on the extent of deterioration. However, in nearly every case shear failure has controlled the load capacity of a section. Based on this research, a draft field guide, intended for use by inspection crews, is being prepared. This guide will aid inspectors in prioritizing sections for repair, rehabilitation, and removal.
Gradual Emergence of Developmental Language Disorders

This article presents a theory of normal and delayed development of language. According to the theory, linguistic capacity develops in critically timed phases that occur gradually and sequentially....
Presentation and Treatment of Macrodactyly in Children

Purpose To characterize the presentation, treatment, and early outcomes of children with isolated congenital macrodactyly of the hand. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of isolated hand macrodactyly cases treated at our institution over a 15-year period. Data on clinical presentation, procedure details, and outcomes were collected. Results A total of 21 patients, 8 boys and 13 girls, were identified. Patients had a mean of 1.8 affected digits (median, 2; range, 1–3); most (n = 12; 57%) presented with multiple affected digits. The middle finger was most commonly affected (67%). Most patients had progressive overgrowth (n = 13; 67%). Twelve patients (57%) had nerve territory–oriented macrodactyly, whereas 9 (43%) presented with lipomatous type. There were no differences between the types of macrodactyly in sex, affected side, rate of growth, digits affected, or number of procedures. Patients underwent a mean of 3.2 staged corrective operations (median, 2; range, 1–12), including soft tissue debulking (n = 19 patients; 90%), ostectomy for volume reduction or partial amputation (n = 9; 43%), closing wedge osteotomy (n = 11; 52%), epiphysiodesis (n = 7; 33%), digit transfer (n = 3; 14%), toe transfer (n = 1; 5%), and ray amputation (n = 6; 29%). Patients with progressive growth underwent more procedures than patients with static growth. No major complications were reported. Conclusions The diagnosis of macrodactyly should be reserved for patients with isolated congenital digit overgrowth affecting all tissue types, but clinical presentation and natural history of macrodactyly can vary greatly among patients. A variety of surgical techniques exist to reconstruct rather than amputate affected digits primarily. Although reconstruction will not result in a normal digit and requires multiple operations, our observations suggest that they are well tolerated and may offer some restored function and aesthetics. More long-term outcomes and insight into the biological basis of this disorder are needed to make better-informed treatment decisions. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
Access to Music Education with Regard to Race in Two Urban Areas

This quantitative study examined access to school music instruction with regard to race in two urban areas: Detroit, Michigan, and Washington, DC, in 2009–2010. We found significant differences in the provision of music instruction between schools with high and low proportions of nonwhite enrollment, in categories including curricular offerings, extracurricular offerings, and resources. In the Detroit area, only 31 percent to 60 percent of schools with high percentages of nonwhite students offered any music instruction at all. We contrast our findings with those of a National Center for Educational Statistics report to demonstrate how regional and national averages can obscure information that should guide policy, such as the influence of location and racial demographics of schools on the provision of public school music instruction. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of using flawed data in the creation of policy and suggestions for more comprehensive and accurate data collection...
Recent developments in the manufacture of 173 lutetium targets

To better model nuclear processes there is an interest in measuring neutron capture cross sections of lanthanide radioisotopes. A natural hafnium target was irradiated with 100 meV protons at the Los Alamos Isotope Production Facility at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) to produce neutron poor lutetium radioisotopes. After irradiation, the target was allowed to cool to allow shorter lived lutetium isotopes to decay. This left predominately 173Lu with small amounts of 174Lu. The hafnium target was then chemically processed to isolate the lanthanide fraction through ion exchange techniques. Recent efforts have focused on the separation of lanthanide species to produce an elementally pure lutetium product, the manufacture of small high density lutetium targets, and neutron capture cross section measurements.
Freezing and drying of biological tissues with a toggle‐link helium freezer and an improved freeze‐drying apparatus: Application to neuropeptide immunocytochemistry

A freezing apparatus has been developed for bringing blocks of tissue into contact with a block of sapphire chilled to 17°K. A toggle linkage minimizes rebound by slowing the rate of approach of the tissue to the cold surface to a velocity of zero. A glove box limits condensation on the surface of the sapphire, and a miniature moist chamber protects the specimen from drying and premature freezing. About 50 blocks of tissue can be frozen in an hour and a half by using 5 liters of liquid helium. The tissue is then frozendried at controlled temperature, fixed with OsO4 vapor, and infiltrated with epoxy resin in a simple bench-top freeze-drier without breaking vacuum. About two-thirds of the blocks are useful for electron microscopy. Brain tissue frozen and dried by using these methods retains enough immunoreactivity for enkephalin in plastic sections to permit its detection with immunohistochemistry by using both the light microscope (with immunofluorescence) and the electron microscope (with colloidal gold).
Multiple cerebral abscesses because of Listeria monocytogenes: Three case reports and a literature review of supratentorial listerial brain abscess(ES)

BACKGROUND Central nervous system involvement often follows bacteremia because of Listeria monocytogenes. Meningitis is clinically the most common manifestation, while brain abscess occurs in about 1% of patients. Brain abscess is usually solitary but in recent years, probably in part because of the availability of computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, several reports have described two or more separate supratentorial abscesses. METHODS We have described three patients with listerial brain abscesses and reviewed the North American and European literature of brain abscess(es) because of L. monocytogenes through December 2001. We have evaluated the role of underlying diseases and therapeutic immunosuppression on the development of solitary or greater than one brain abscess. RESULTS In contrast to meningitis, where immunosuppression does not predispose either to disease incidence or to higher mortality, patients with solitary and particularly those with more than one supratentorial abscess usually are immunosuppressed either by disease or by therapy. Corticosteroids in particular are significant predisposing factors, especially in those patients with two or more brain abscesses. Mortality resulting from listerial brain abscess, whether solitary or multiple, is nearly three times higher than nonlisterial brain abscess, probably in part because of both underlying diseases and immunosuppressive therapy. CONCLUSIONS Therapy with high-dose ampicillin in combination with gentamicin appear to be the drugs of choice, followed by trimethoprim/sufamethoxazole and vancomycin. In general, antimicrobial therapy appears to be satisfactory treatment without surgical intervention.
Signatures of epitaxial graphene grown on Si-terminated 6H-SiC (0 0 0 1)

Abstract Epitaxial graphene layers thermally grown on Si-terminated 6H-SiC (0 0 0 1) have been probed using Auger electron spectroscopy, Raman microspectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The average multilayer graphene thickness is determined by attenuation of the Si (L 23 VV) and C (KVV) Auger electron signals. Systematic changes in the Raman spectra are observed as the film thickness increases from one to three layers. The most striking observation is a large increase in the intensity of the Raman 2D-band (overtone of the D-band and also known as the G′-band) for samples with a mean thickness of more than ∼1.5 graphene layers. Correlating this information with STM images, we show that the first graphene layer imaged by STM produces very little 2D intensity, but the second imaged layer shows a single-Lorentzian 2D peak near 2750 cm −1 , similar to spectra acquired from single-layer micromechanically cleaved graphene (CG). The 4–10 cm −1 higher frequency shift of the G peak relative to CG can be associated with charge exchange with the underlying SiC substrate and the formation of finite size domains of graphene. The much greater (41–50 cm −1 ) blue shift observed for the 2D-band may be correlated with these domains and compressive strain.
Using resource allocation theory and dual-task methods to increase the sensitivity of assessment in aphasia

Background: Quantifying the severity of language impairment and measuring change in language performance over time are two important objectives in the assessment of aphasia. The notion of cognitive effort as understood from a resource allocation perspective provides a potentially useful complement to traditional constructs employed in aphasia assessment. Aims: The series of experiments described in this paper used resource allocation theory and dual‐task methodology (1) to assess whether a language comprehension task (Story Retell Procedure) and a visual‐manual tracking task trade performance under dual‐task conditions, and (2) to investigate the potential utility of these methods in clinical assessment of aphasia. In Experiment 1, the validity of a difficulty manipulation of the SRP was investigated. In Experiments 2 and 3, the reliability and validity of the visual‐manual tracking task were evaluated. Experiment 4 investigated whether the two tasks trade performance under dual‐task conditions. Methods &...
Site-directed mutagenesis of mouse thymidylate synthase: alteration of ARG44 to VAL44 in a conserved loop guarding the active site has striking effects on catalysis and nucleotide binding

Abstract The arginine located at position 44 of mouse thymidylate synthase is in a highly conserved loop that is in close proximity to the active site cleft of the enzyme. Structural analyses have suggested that this arginine forms hydrogen bonds with the α-carboxylate of the C-terminal amino acid and the phosphate of the substrate analog, FdUMP (D. A. Matthews, K. Appelt and S. J. Oatley, (1989) Adv. Enz. Reg., 29, 47–60). We have used protein engineering techniques to change this amino acid residue to valine. This alteration leads to large reductions in the ability of the enzyme to form covalent complexes with substrate (dUMP) or inhibitor (FdUMP) and at least a 100-fold reduction in catalytic activity. These observations show that this arginine plays an important role in maintaining catalytic activity of the enzyme.
Stability analysis of a physical unclonable function based on metal resistance variations

Keying material for encryption is stored as digital bit-strings in non-volatile memory on FPGAs and ASICs in current technologies. However, secrets stored this way are not secure against a determined adversary, who can use probing attacks to steal the secret. Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) have emerged as an alternative. PUFs leverage random manufacturing variations as the source of entropy for generating random bit-strings, and incorporate an on-chip infrastructure for measuring and digitizing the corresponding variations in key electrical parameters, such as delay or voltage. PUFs are designed to reproduce a bitstring on demand and therefore eliminate the need for on-chip storage. In this paper, we evaluate the randomness, uniqueness and stability characteristics of a PUF based on metal wire resistance variations in a set of 63 chips fabricated in a 90 nm technology. The stability of the PUF and an on-chip voltage-to-digital converter are evaluated at 9 temperature-voltage corners.
A Single Residue Unique to DinB-Like Proteins Limits Formation of the Polymerase IV Multiprotein Complex in Escherichia coli

The activity of DinB is governed by the formation of a multiprotein complex (MPC) with RecA and UmuD. We identified two highly conserved surface residues in DinB, cysteine 66 (C66) and proline 67 (P67). Mapping on the DinB tertiary structure suggests these are noncatalytic, and multiple-sequence alignments indicate that they are unique among DinB-like proteins. To investigate the role of the C66-containing surface in MPC formation, we constructed the dinB(C66A) derivative. We found that DinB(C66A) copurifies with its interacting partners, RecA and UmuD, to a greater extent than DinB. Notably, copurification of RecA with DinB is somewhat enhanced in the absence of UmuD and is further increased for DinB(C66A). In vitro pulldown assays also indicate that DinB(C66A) binds RecA and UmuD better than DinB. We note that the increased affinity of DinB(C66A) for UmuD is RecA dependent. Thus, the C66-containing binding surface appears to be critical to modulate interaction with UmuD, and particularly with RecA. Expression of dinB(C66A) from the chromosome resulted in detectable differences in dinB-dependent lesion bypass fidelity and homologous recombination. Study of this DinB derivative has revealed a key surface on DinB, which appears to modulate the strength of MPC binding, and has suggested a binding order of RecA and UmuD to DinB. These findings will ultimately permit the manipulation of these enzymes to deter bacterial antibiotic resistance acquisition and to gain insights into cancer development in humans.
Method of Detecting and Targeting Mutations in Cancer

While there are many differences between tumor and non-tumor cells, the basic underlying distinction is in the DNA. Tumor cells harbor mutations, at least some of which are not present in non-tumor cells. Thus, a method of directly targeting cells containing specific mutations has potential for detection or treatment of cancer without the toxicity associated with more indirect approaches. Also, as mutations are a necessary component of malignancy, such a method is potentially applicable to all tumors. I propose a method by which several recently developed techniques can be utilized in a novel way to accomplish the goal of directly targeting mutations for cancer detection and therapy. The model can be summarized as follows: (1) Determine potential target mutations present in tumor cells but not non-tumor cells. (2) Construct molecules that will bind to DNA at the sites of mutation, but will not bind to DNA in normal cells. And, as a consequence of the molecules binding to the mutation, the cells will be destroyed. (3) Deliver these molecules to all cells (or at least all tumor cells). I hypothesize that such molecules can now be constructed using sequence-specific DNA binding proteins (such as customized zinc-finger DNA binding proteins) fused to transcriptional activator domains (such as VP16) and reporter or toxin genes. The necessary genes can be linked to the DNA binding proteins utilizing a recently described method based on expressed protein ligation.
Mapping Our Way: New Formations in Technical Services: Ohio Valley Group of Technical Services Librarians Annual Conference

The annual meeting of the Ohio Valley Group of Technical Services Librarians (OVGTSL) was held May 16–18, 2007, at the Holiday Inn-University Plaza in Bowling Green, Kentucky. One hundred twenty technical services librarians from Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and points beyond gathered for programming centered around the theme of “Mapping Our Way: New Formations in Technical Services.”
Research Utilization: The State of the Art

As a field of study, “research utilization” is at a turning point. Despite an accumulation of replicable findings, robust constructs, even a “soft technology” for bridging the gap between theory and practice, we are still largely in the situation of the distance between social problems of, let us say, conflict or inequality and the ability of social science to provide credible, reliable and usable solutions. At the same time, the initial paradigms, suffering from hyperrationalism, have given way to more transactional ones, and have been shaken by the tenets of postmodernism. Shaken, but not undone, as “middle-level” constructs emerge, ones that appear to link the research community with a variety of professional communities in more meaningful and durable ways.
Relationships between military land use and storm-based indices of hydrologic variability

Abstract This paper examines the influence of military land use parameters on dimensionless indices related to storm flow, baseflow, and precipitation for five watersheds with areas ranging from 0.76 to 25.01 km2 within the Fort Benning Military Installation in southeastern US. Average magnitude and variability of these indices are grouped into four key hydrologic regimes—magnitude, frequency, duration, and rate of change. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship among the watershed physical characteristics and indices. A number of significant relationships were found. The correlation results show that the increase in road density increased the variability in the peak discharges and the slopes of the rising limb. The increase in the military training land increased the variability in the time base. The number of roads crossing streams is positively correlated with the response lag. Stepwise multiple correlations showed that the storm-based magnitude and variability in peak discharge, baseflow index, and the bankfull discharge have been significantly affected by military management related watershed characteristics. The relationship among the watershed physical characteristics and the storm-based hydrologic indices indicated that the greatest impact of land management is found with statistically significant predictive models for indices of time base, response lag, and time of rise. Military training land, road density, and the number of roads crossing streams were the three management variables that impacted storm responses.
Biodynamic studies of hamster flank organ growth: hormonal influences.

The biodynamic response of flank organs of male and female hamsters to androgenic stimulation has been studied by autoradiographic and electron microscopic techniques, as well as by routine histology and gross observation. Intraperitoneal administration of 2.5mg of testosterone on alternate days resulted in bilateral increase in palpable bulk, and pigmentation of flank organs of females, males, and castrated males. Topical application of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), methyltestosterone, or androstenedione to one flank organ of females resulted in unilateral stimulation of sebaceous gland growth and pigmentation. Androsterone, epiandrosterone, and progesterone did not cause flank organ growth or increased pigmentation when applied topically. Histologic changes in flank organs of castrated males following testosterone administration are described. Auto0radiographic studies indicate a decrease in the labeling index of flank organ sebaceous gland cells within 20 hours after castration and a subsequent significant increase in the labeling index within 10 hours after a single intraperitoneal administration of 2.5mg of testosterone. Pigmentation of flank organs is due to the presence of dendritic cells in the dermis which contain dense structures resembling stage IV melanosomes.
Simulation techniques for travel demand forecasting

The article presents an overview of some simulation techniques that were developed for use in a recent research effort. The objective of the research was to create a modeling system with the power to evaluate the travel-related impacts of various proposed transportation energy contingency plans, such as increased fuel taxes, reduced speed limits, mandatory vehicle modification, and so on. Traditional modeling efforts in this area have had substantial data requirements which have made their use awkward or impossible in many situations. The use of various simulation procedures in the present model has substantially reduced data requirements while maintaining a high level of forecasting capability.
How Reading Books Fosters Language Development around the World

Research on literacy development is increasingly making clear the centrality of oral language to long-term literacy development, with longitudinal studies revealing the continuity between language ability in the preschool years and later reading. The language competencies that literacy builds upon begin to emerge as soon as children begin acquiring language; thus, the period between birth and age three also is important to later literacy. Book reading consistently has been found to have the power to create interactional contexts that nourish language development. Researchers, pediatricians, and librarians have taken notice of the potential for interventions designed to encourage parents to read with their children. This article reviews research on the connections between language and later reading, environmental factors associated with language learning, and interventions developed in varied countries for encouraging book use by parents of young children.
Stability analysis for boundary element methods for the diffusion equation

Abstract If the time step in boundary element solutions of the diffusion equation is decreased progressively, the quality of the approximation begins to deteriorate, indicating a state of instability. This severely restricts use of the method for study of very small time effects. In this paper the phenomenon is investigated, and for limited cases, conditions which link the space and time discretizations are shown to be sufficient to prevent its occurrence.
COHESIVE ENERGY AND WAVE FUNCTIONS FOR RUBIDIUM

The cellular method was used to calculate the cohesive energy of rubidium. The potential was obtained from a self-consistent field for ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{+}$ supplemented by an exchange potential. Wave functions were obtained to order ${k}^{2}$ in the solid and for the lowest valence electron state in the free atom. A value of 20.7 kcal/mole was obtained for the cohesive energy, including ${k}^{4}$ terms in the Fermi energy, but neglecting any polarization effects. The ratio of $|{\ensuremath{\psi}}^{2}(0)|$ for an electron on the Fermi surface in the metal to that for an electron in the free atom was computed and found to be in good agreement with results of the Knight shift measurements.
Racial and Geographic Differences in Mammography Screening in St. Louis City: A Multilevel Study

To examine racial differences in mammography use and its determinants in the City of St. Louis, MO, USA, we recruited women age 40 or older using random-digit dialing to (1) examine the difference in mammography use between white women and African American women and (2) identify individual- and census-tract-level risk factors of nonadherence to mammography. During telephone interviews, we inquired about mammography use and several demographic, psychosocial, and health behavior variables. We determined the residential census tracts of study subjects using a geographic information system. The rate of mammography use was 68.0% among white women and 74.7% among African American women (P = 0.022). African American women were more likely to have mammograms than white woman (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09–2.69). System-level barriers to mammography and heavy smoking were associated with lower mammography use among both white and African American women. Personal-experience barriers to mammography and no physician recommendation also were independently associated with mammography use among white women. White women residing within a historic geographic cluster area of late-stage breast cancer were less likely to have mammograms (adjusted OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.22–0.80), while African American women residing within a historic geographic cluster area of late-stage breast cancer were equally likely to have mammograms (adjusted OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.28–2.24). Neither individual- nor census-tract-level socioeconomic status was associated with mammography screening. These findings suggest that there may be a greater need for increasing mammography use among white women, especially in the historic cluster area of late-stage breast cancer in St. Louis.
The Sacred Date: Gifts of God in an Omani Town

This article explores the sacredness of dates in an Omani town. It examines how dates are neither incarnations of the divine like fetishes nor representations of the divine like idols. Rather, dates are considered gifts of God that embody and index a quality of God (his generosity) and are central to everyday life. As such, the mundane ‐ through the appreciation of this gift in sociability and care for date palms ‐ is suffused with appropriate piety, rather than being a distinct realm in which the sacred rarely enters. This position of dates, however, is precarious as daily life changes and notions of religiosity are shifting. Dates no longer carry the weight of sacredness they once did. Focusing on an object on the margins of what is considered ‘religious,’ this article thus highlights not only the precariousness of the relationship between materiality and representation, but also of notions of religion.
A contextual inquiry of expert programmers in an event-based programming environment

Event-based programming has been studied little, yet recent work suggests that language paradigm can predict programming strategies and performance. A contextual inquiry of four expert programmers using the Alice 3D programming environment was performed in order to discover how event-based programming strategies might be supported in programming environments. Various programming, testing, and debugging breakdowns were extracted from observations and possible programming environment tools are suggested as aids to avoid these breakdowns. Future analyses and studies are described.
Intercellular Transfer of GPRC5B via Exosomes Drives HGF-Mediated Outward Growth

Summary How cells communicate during development and regeneration is a critical question. One mechanism of intercellular communication is via exosomes, extracellular vesicles that originate by the fusion of multivesicular endosomes with the plasma membrane [1–8]. To model exosome-based intercellular communication, we used Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell cysts grown in 3D gels of extracellular matrix, which form tubules in response to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). We report that GPRC5B, an orphan G protein coupled receptor, is in exosomes produced by HGF-treated cysts and released into the cyst lumen. Exosomal GPRC5B is taken up by nearby cells and together with HGF promotes extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation and tubulogenesis, even under conditions where tubulogenesis would otherwise not occur. Recovery from injury, such as acute kidney injury (AKI), often recapitulates developmental processes. Here, we show that GPRC5B is elevated in urinary exosomes from patients with AKI. Our results elucidate how GPRC5B is carried by exosomes and augments HGF-induced morphogenesis. The unexpected role of exosomes in transporting GPRC5B between cells during morphogenesis and the ability of GPRC5B to predict the disease state of AKI elucidate a novel mechanism for intercellular communication during development and repair.
Touring Katrina: Authentic Identities and Disaster Tourism in New Orleans

Following hurricane Katrina in 2005, concern was expressed over the future of the tourism industry in New Orleans. Tourism and residents returned more quickly than predicted by naysayers, yet there was further controversy over certain disaster or Katrina tours that soon began to take place. Questions were raised about the motivation of tour companies and tourists and about the rights of residents whose destroyed homes were main attractions on the tours. Beyond this controversy, the routes and narratives of the tours themselves illuminate lines of division in pre- and post-Katrina New Orleans and the selection of certain sites, like the Convention Center, reflects the pervasive influence of images in the national media. The individual performances of the tour guides and the way in which they utilised unique discourses of authenticity also raise questions about what it means to be a local of New Orleans and how this has changed with the storm. While by 2008 traditional tourism has largely returned to or sur...
Molecular alterations produced in bacterial cells by ionizing radiation

Biochemical effects of high doses of 0.8 Mev electrons onEscherichia coli B were studied using infrared spectroscopy (IR). Aqueous suspensions of the bacterial cells were irradiated in open petri dishes. After exposure, films of these cells were examined for absorption of light between 4000 cm−1 to 600 cm−1. The qualitative aspects of the changes in the absorption spectra indicative of molecular alteration were noted and attempts were made to interpret them. The damage is selective in that some molecular groups are affected more than others. In general the changes indicate breakup of biopolymers and overall oxidation. All exposure doses given were above 1.0×106 Roentgen.
Hyperglycemia increases cerebral intracellular acidosis during circulatory arrest

Phosphorus 31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to assess cerebral high-energy phosphate metabolism and intracellular pH in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic sheep during hypothermic circulatory arrest. Two groups of sheep (n = 8 per group) were placed in a 4.7-T magnet and cooled to 15 degrees C using cardiopulmonary bypass. Spectra were acquired before and during circulatory arrest and during reperfusion and rewarming. Intracellular pH and adenosine triphosphate levels decreased during circulatory arrest. Compared with the normoglycemic animals, the hyperglycemic group was significantly more acidotic with the greatest difference observed during the first 20 minutes of reperfusion (6.40 +/- 0.08 versus 6.08 +/- 0.06; p < 0.001). Intracellular pH returned to baseline after 30 minutes of reperfusion in the normoglycemic group but did not reach baseline until 1 hour of reperfusion in the hyperglycemic animals. Adenosine triphosphate levels were significantly higher in the hyperglycemic group during circulatory arrest. Repletion of adenosine triphosphate during reperfusion was similar for both groups. These results support the hypothesis that hyperglycemia during cerebral ischemia drives anaerobic glycolysis and thus leads to increased lactate production and an increase [corrected] in the intracellular acidosis normally associated with ischemia.
Activation of Amberlyst-70 for Alkene Oligomerization in Hydrophobic Media

We have observed that pretreating Amberlyst-70 with a C9 ketone improves, up to five times, the rate of alkene oligomerization. Physical characterization of Amberlyst-70 reveals minimal changes to the particle dimensions upon exposure to 5-nonanone. Diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy indicates an interaction between the ketone and the acid sites within the catalyst. While the total number of acid sites is similar before and after treatment with nonanone, microcalorimetric studies of butene adsorption and temperature programmed desorption studies of butene desorption reveal that both adsorption and desorption of butene occur more rapidly in the catalyst treated with 5-nonanone, indicating that pretreatment of the catalyst with the ketone decreases the barrier for butene transport by 5–6 kJ/mol. The peak temperature for TPD spectra of butene desorption are observed to shift from 360 K for nonanone-treated Amberlyst-70 to 376 K in the case of untreated sample. The catalytic effect of the treatment with nonanone decreases slowly with time-on-stream, but remains after 200 h on stream (with the rate still being a factor of 2 higher than for the untreated sample); however, catalytic activity can be recovered upon additional treatment with ketone.
Effects of prior experience upon retrograde amnesia produced by hypothermia

Abstract Rats received one of three types of experience prior to hypothermia: familiarization with the apparatus (FAM) prior to training; training, extinction, and retraining (EXT); or training, hypothermia, and retraining (HYPO). Each type of prior experience significantly diminished the amount of retrograde amnesia produced by hypothermia as compared with rats which received a single training trial followed by hypothermia.
Radical excisional therapy and total cardiac transplantation for recurrent atrial myxoma

We describe the management of a recurrent atrial myxoma extending to the pulmonary veins and superior vena cava. Deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest with left atrial and caval excision was required to achieve complete resection of the tumor. The patient is alive and well without evidence of tumor recurrence 18 months after transplantation. Radical en bloc cardiac resection is feasible in selected cases of cardiac tumors.
Diagnostic methodology is critical for accurately determining the prevalence of Ichthyophonus infections in wild fish populations.

Abstract Several different techniques have been employed to detect and identify Ichthyophonus spp. in infected fish hosts; these include macroscopic observation, microscopic examination of tissue squashes, histological evaluation, in vitro culture, and molecular techniques. Examination of the peer-reviewed literature revealed that when more than 1 diagnostic method is used, they often result in significantly different results; for example, when in vitro culture was used to identify infected trout in an experimentally exposed population, 98.7% of infected trout were detected, but when standard histology was used to confirm known infected tissues from wild salmon, it detected ∼50% of low-intensity infections and ∼85% of high-intensity infections. Other studies on different species reported similar differences. When we examined a possible mechanism to explain the disparity between different diagnostic techniques, we observed non-random distribution of the parasite in 3-dimensionally visualized tissue section...
Global Change Research Program releases new strategic plan

Global Change Research Program releases new strategic plan A new 10-year strategic plan released by the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) on 27 April calls for the federal interagency program to focus on four key goals during 2012–2021 to coordinate federal research efforts related to global change. The goals include advancing scientific knowledge of the integrated natural and human components of the Earth system; providing the scientific basis to inform and enable timely decisions on adaptation and mitigation; building sustained assessment capacity that improves the nation's ability to understand, anticipate, and respond to global change impacts and vulnerabilities; and advancing communications and education to broaden understanding of global change and develop the scientific workforce of the future. The goals and related objectives “recognize that to respond effectively to global change will require a deep understanding of the integrated Earth system—an understanding that incorporates physical, chemical, biological and behavioral information,” the plan states. “It is no longer enough to study the isolated physical, chemical, and biological factors affecting global change,” said USGCRP executive director Tom Armstrong.
Controlling cascading failures with cooperative autonomous agents

Cascading failures in electricity networks often result in large blackouts with severe social consequences. A cascading failure typically begins with one or more equipment outages that cause operating constraint violations. When violations persist in a network, they can trigger additional outages which in turn may cause further violations. This paper proposes a method for limiting the social costs of cascading failures by eliminating violations before dependent outages occur. Specifically, our approach places one autonomous software agents at each bus of a power network, each of which is tasked with solving the global control problem with limited data and communication. Each agent builds a simplified model of the network based on locally available data and solves its local problem using model predictive control and cooperation. Through extensive simulations with IEEE test networks, we find that the autonomous agent design meets its goals with limited communication. Experiments also demonstrate that allowing agents to cooperate can vastly improve system performance.
Positron Annihilation in Concentrated Cesium–Ammonia Solutions

The momentum distribution of photons from positrons annihilating in liquid and solid cesium–ammonia solutions was found to be concentration dependent. The narrow component was found to broaden with increasing concentration. The results are compared with those obtained for pure cesium, and one is led to believe that a bound species is formed in these solutions even at very high concentrations. No evidence of a Mott transition is found in cesium–ammonia solutions, and no abrupt change is found in the shape of the momentum distribution in going from 22 to 94 mole % cesium in ammonia. A conduction‐electron‐type analysis is presented for the density of states and the probability density. Methods of preparing relatively stable cesium–ammonia solutions are discussed in some detail.
IS THERE A CYCLICAL TIME UNIT? A COMMENT

by focusing on business-cycle time instead of on calendar time. Neftci addresses both issues in this paper. To address the first issue he provides two tools for measuring concepts related to businesscycle time. To address the second issue he suggests a variety of applications for these tools. He also shows that these measurements are capable of improving the statistical prediction of macroeconomic variables.
An experimental test for the charge state of the "anomalous" helium component.

Observations of phase lags between intensity variations for various particle species and energy ranges in the low-energy galactic cosmic radiation during the general intensity decrease observed in 1974-1975 show that, for particles whose charge state is known (i.e., 'normal' cosmic-ray components), particles with higher rigidities respond more quickly to changes in modulation conditions than do those with lower rigidities. When compared with particles of known energy and charge, the behavior of the 'anomalous' low-energy helium component is consistent with these observations only if the helium is singly rather than doubly charged.
Vaporization studies of mixed lanthanide trifluorides

Abstract A Knudsen effusion-mass spectrometry technique has been used to simultaneously study the congruent high-temperature (~1500 K) vaporization of each component from the mixed lanthanide trifluoride systems (1) HoF 3 +TmF 3 ; (2) TbF 3 + HoF 3 + LuF 3 ; (3) LaF 3 + GdF 3 + LuF 3 ; and (4) LaF 3 + PrF 3 + HoF 3 + LuF 3 . Such investigations provide relative vapor pressures and enthalpies of vaporization for each of the 2–4 components of the mixture that are more reliable than those derived from independent experiments with a single fluoride. The trend in the trifluoride vaporization thermodynamics across the lanthanide series derived from the present investigation is in better accord with comparable systematics for the other lanthanide trihalides, and more regular in nature than was suggested by data from previous studies.