cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MeV Implantation In Semiconductors

The residual damage distributions created by MeV dopant implantation in semiconductors show that in-situ annealing is important for defect formation. Device-quality silicon can be obtained at the top few microns of the silicon substrate after a post-implant annealing cycle. A family of majority-carrier and minority-carrier devices have been fabricated by incorporating a MeV implantation step with conventional integrated-circuit processing.
An integrated approach to database visualization

We present an architecture that enables information visualization activities within a database environment. Our approach presents an abstraction of this transformation process, which we call mapping. The implementation of the mapping process is controlled by the end-user through a Map, which can be used to add order and scale to data.
Are SPECT measurements of myocardial blood flow and flow reserve ready for clinical use

SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) well-documented diagnostic accuracy for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) has promoted the widespread clinical use of this modality. Nevertheless, SPECT MPI’s success has been attained using the basic SPECT camera design which is over 50 years old [1], using the basic filtered backprojection reconstruction algorithm which is even older, dating to over 90 years ago [2], and using Tc-99m based perfusion agents with limited extraction fractions [3]. Moreover, although SPECT MPI is inherently a digital, quantitative technique, our clinical approach to quantify hypoperfusion has depended on a database approach where a patient’s left ventricular perfusion pattern is statistically compared to an expected normal perfusion pattern generated from patients with low likelihood of CAD [4–6]. In spite of the success of SPECT MPI using these established conventional approaches, recent innovations are poised to bring SPECT MPI to the next level. In a recent article in EJNMMI, Hsu et al. [7] report on the use of dynamic SPECT with a SPECT/CT camera, to measure absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial blood flow reserve (MBFR) in patients. The authors conclude that their flow quantitation method is a clinically effective approach to enhance CAD detection. Thus it is pertinent to ask: Are SPECT measurements of myocardial blood flow and flow reserve ready for clinical use?
Young Achilles in the Roman World

This paper considers the representation of Achilles in Roman poetry and art and, in particular, Roman interest in his childhood, culminating in the ‘exposure’ on Scyros. It is argued that common features in literature and art support the existence of illustrated mythographic handbooks. The relationship of Statius' Achilleid to the cycle of scenes representing Achilles' early years known from wall-paintings, mosaics, sarcophagi and the Kaiseraugst plate is discussed. Although the surviving book of the Achilleid concerns the pre-Troy years, it is suggested that Statius' real focus was the Trojan War itself.
Variational CEPA: Comparison with different many-body methods

Abstract A slightly modified form of the recently proposed variational CEPA (CEPA-2V) method, a functional based size-consistent many-body technique, has been implemented. The main advantage of the method, as compared with coupled pair and perturbation methods, is that it allows efficient evaluation of the energy gradient, and eliminates ambiguities in the definition of expectation values. Calculations are reported on BH, NH3, H2O, 2H2O and HF with small basis sets, and the results are compared with full CI, doubles CI, CEPA-2, CPMET, and perturbation theory. The potential curves of HF and CO have been determined using both CEPA-2 and variational CEPA, with large basis sets; the CEPA-2 and CEPA-2V results are virtually identical.
Biomarker expression patterns that correlate with high grade features in treatment naive, organ-confined prostate cancer

The early detection of prostate cancer has resulted in an increase in the number of patients with localized prostate cancer and has paralleled the reported reduction in prostate cancer mortality. The increased rate of detection of patients with localized prostate cancer may also increase the risk of potentially morbid therapy in a patient with indolent cancer. Defining the biomarker correlates of prostate cancer virulence will facilitate the appropriate application and development of therapy for patients with early disease. A 255 core prostate cancer tissue microarray (TMA) from 47 prostatectomy specimens with organ confined tumor was constructed. Prostate cancer foci of transition and peripheral zone origin were represented on the TMA. Further, replicate cores of the two Gleason grades comprising the Gleason score, representative of Gleason scores 5-9, were arrayed from each prostatectomy specimen. Standard immunohistochemical techniques were used to assess expression of nine, cell death and cell cycle regulatory proteins implicated in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer (bax, bcl-2, bcl-xL, bin1, CD95, mdm2, p21, p53, and NFkB). The Spearman correlation coefficient revealed a strong correlation of bax, bin1, FAS, p65 and p21 expression with Gleason grade. Spearman correlation coefficients showed that expression of, bax and bin1, bax and MDM2, Bax and p21, and bax and p65 NFkB was highly associated. Other significant associations were identified between bin1 and p21, bin1 and MDM2, bin1 and p65 NFkB and between p21 and p65 NFκB. A model for predicting the biological potential of Gleason score 7 prostate cancer using multivariable logistic regression methods was developed. The findings also indicate that the profile of specific markers for Gleason grade 3 prostate cancer correlates with the overall context of the Gleason score. These data support the view that important molecular differences exist among and between the Gleason scores. Furthermore, there is significant molecular heterogeneity among prostatectomy specimens containing Gleason grade 3 cancer. This observation may have broader implications regarding the determination of risk among patients with prostate cancer that is currently considered to be of either good prognosis or unclear prognosis, i.e. Gleason score 7 tumors.
Hemoglobin E diseases: Hematological, analytical, and biosynthetic studies in homozygotes and double heterozygotes for α-thalassemia

Two families with Hb E diseases are described. In the Laotian family S, three homozygous Hb E were found. In the Vietnamese family H, double heterozygous Hb E-alpha-thalassemia-2 and Hb E-Hb H diseases were found. Anemia or hemolysis was absent in Hb E carriers, unless complicated by iron deficiency, the presence of severe alpha-thalassemia gene (Hb H disease), or oxidative drug (paraaminosalicylic acid). Moreover, iron deficiency or concurrent alpha-thalassemia genes resulted in a decreased amount of Hb E in its heterozygous carriers. Mild microcytosis and hypochromia were observed in Hb E heterozygotes, whereas the microcytosis and hypochromia were more pronounced in Hb E homozygotes. Globin chain synthesis studies yielded unbalanced alpha/non-alpha ratios in both heterozygotes and homozygotes (average ratios were 1.13 and 1.56, respectively). The unbalanced biosynthetic ratios with microcytosis and hypochromia in Hb E carriers represented a beta-thalassemia phenotype, which could be a result of reduced synthesis of beta E-globin mRNA, as suggested by recent hybridization studies.
Social Work Education and Clinical Learning: Towards Evidence-Based Practice?

The article on Social Work Education and Clinical Learning by Simpson, Williams and Segall (2007) is a courageous and useful effort to describe the definitional features of clinical social work and of what should constitute core pedagogical elements in such graduate training programs. While well articulated in many ways, this is a traditionally crafted position statement, one that differs little from similar views expressed in various venues over the past 30 years. I find the statement to suffer from several sins of commission (e.g., overly prescriptive in terms of human behavior and practice theory; overly focused on relational variables) and omission (e.g., neglect of the role of specific treatment techniques; ignoring advances made in evidence-based practice; ignoring the crucial role of accreditation standards). These problems have tended to exclude large numbers of clinical social workers such as the author from significant involvement in the work of the Clinical Social Work Association. I suggest a number of steps which might be adopted to bring about absolution and reconciliation, resulting in more effective social work education and clinical training, and a stronger CSWA, an organization that could lead the profession in promoting evidence-based practice, and one that is more inclusive of clinicians who do not subscribe to the human behavior and practice theories that are now officially endorsed.
Role of Ag additions in the microstructural development, strain tolerance, and critical current density of Ag-sheathed BSCCO superconducting tapes

Ag-sheathed tapes of Bi–Sr–Ca–Cu–O (BSCCO) and BSCCO–Ag superconducting cores were made by a powder-in-tube technique and subjected to repeated cycles of pressing and heat treatments. These thermomechanical treatments resulted in enhanced texturing and grain growth that improved the critical current density (Jc). Additions of Ag to the BSCCO core further increased texturing and brought an additional improvement in Jc. Strain tolerance of the tapes was evaluated by measuring Jc before and after application of a predetermined level of tensile strain in a uniaxial mode. The fraction of Jc retained after the strain application was higher in the BSCCO–Ag composite tapes than in the monolithic BSCCO. For a 1.2% applied strain, 90% of the initial Jc was retained in the BSCCO–Ag composite tape, compared to only 40% in the monolithic BSCCO tapes. The higher strain tolerance of the BSCCO–Ag tapes may be related to improved mechanical properties (strength, flexibility, and fracture toughness) and grain connectivity due to Ag addition.
DAMAGE-RESISTANT ALUMINA-BASED LAYER COMPOSITES

A new philosophy for tailoring layer composites for damage resistance is developed, specifically for alumina-based ceramics. The underlying key to the approach is microstructural control in the adjacent layers, alternating a traditional homogeneous fine-grain alumina (layer A) for hardness and wear resistance with a heterogeneous alumina : calcium-hexaluminate composite (layer C) for toughness and crack dispersion, with strong bonding between the interlayers. Two trilayer sequences, ACA and CAC, are investigated. Hertzian indentation tests are used to demonstrate the capacity of the trilayers to absorb damage. In the constituent materials, the indentation responses are fundamentally different: ideally brittle in material A, with classical cone cracking outside the contact; quasi-plastic in material C, with distributed microdamage beneath the contact. In the ACA laminates, shallow cone cracks form in the outer A layer, together with a partial microdamage zone in the inner C layer. A feature of the cone cracking is that it is substantially shallower than in the bulk A specimens and does not penetrate to the underlayer, even when the applied load is increased. This indicates that the subsurface microdamage absorbs significant energy from the applied loads, and thereby “shields” the surface cone crack. Comparative tests on CAC laminates show a constrained microdamage zone in the outer C layer, with no cone crack, again indicating some kind of shielding. Importantly, interlayer delamination plays no role in either layer configuration; the mechanism of damage control is by crack suppression rather than by deflection. Implications for the design of synergistic microstructures for damage-resistant laminates are considered.
Development of a Computer-Based Instructional System in Pharmacokinetics: Efficacy in Clinical Pharmacology Teaching for Senior Medical Students

The teaching of pharmacokinetics is acknowledged to be a key aspect of the core curriculum in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, but is also widely acknowledged to be a very difficult part of the curriculum to teach. In order to assess the potential efficacy of interactive computer instruction in clinical pharmacokinetics we have developed a prototype computer-based instructional package. The courseware contains a comprehensive learning system including tutorial, simulation, and problem solving components. To determine the efficacy of this approach we randomly assigned senior medical student volunteers enrolled in the fourth year clinical pharmacology and therapeutics course to receive conventional teaching in clinical pharmacokinetics and/or adjuctive teaching using the computer-based instructional system. There was a high degree of acceptance of the program and over the short term of the trial those students using the computer program scored significantly higher [35%, P less than 0.05] on the mid-term pharmacokinetics quiz. The data suggests that a computerized instructional system in pharmacokinetics may significantly improve the teaching of clinical pharmacokinetics to medical students.
The effects of stimulus timing features on P300 speller performance

Abstract Objective Despite numerous examinations of factors affecting P300 speller performance, the impact of stimulus presentation parameters remains incompletely understood. This study examines the effects of four distinct stimulus presentation parameters (stimulus-off time [ISI ∗ ], interstimulus interval [ISI], flash duration, and flash-duration:ISI ratio) on the accuracy and efficiency of the P300 speller performance. Methods EEG data from a 32-electrode set were recorded from six subjects using a row–column paradigm of the speller task and analyzed offline. Results P300 speller accuracy is affected by the number of trial repetitions ( F (14,354)=69.002, p ∗ times resulted in higher accuracy and characters per minute [CPM] rates. Subsets of the entire group (i.e. good vs. poor performers) were compared to show consistency of performance trends despite great variance among subjects. Moreover, the same significant effects were observed whether using the entire 32-electrode dataset or the reduced 8-channel set described by Sharbrough et al. (1991). Conclusions Despite variability in user performance, both ISI ∗ and ISI can affect P300 speller performance. Significance P300 system optimization must consider critical stimulus timing features including ISI ∗ and ISI. Further characterization of the impact of these timing features in online experiments is warranted and the differential effect on accuracy and CPM should be more comprehensively explored.
Characterization of dissolved organic matter from a restored urban marsh and its role in the mobilization of trace metals.

Abstract Dissolved organic matter (DOM), although highly variable and not very well characterized, plays a role in many important environmental reaction and transport processes, including trace metal mobilization. This study characterizes heterogeneous DOM from the pore-water of a restored urban tidal marsh, using chemical, optical, and electrochemical methods for dissolved organic carbon/nitrogen ratios (C:N: 1.8–6.4), spectroscopic characteristics (decreased aromaticity in amended sediments), element ratios (maximum sediment-associated trace metal concentrations measured Pb: 9.5 ± 0.1 > Cr: 7.3 ± 0.1 > Cu: 5.07 ± 0.53), all as a function of sediment depth. Specific DOM properties from the restored marsh were then compared to pore-water samples from a natural marsh and a simulated wetland microcosm which resulted in similar values, while the reference humic acid significantly differed in properties from field DOM. The results revealed that reference humic acids do not accurately represent the complexity of natural heterogeneous DOM, whereas a simulated wetland microcosm may provide a reasonable representation of natural DOM. Clear differences between amended and original soil (transition below 30 cm) were observed in DOM and trace metal properties including: lower DOM content, higher log Kc values, less DOM complexity, development of a iron-sulfide redox buffering pool, and greater affinity for metals in the solid phase occurring in the amended sediments.
Governance Issues in the Transition to Accountable Care: A Case Study of Silver Cross Hospital

Recent developments in healthcare reform legislation and in the private-payer marketplace have increased impetus toward clinical integration. Industry changes require that healthcare delivery institutions confront fundamental scope and scale structural issues that may lead to increased vertical integration. To accomplish integration, firms must decide the organizational form of integration (alliance or merger/acquisition). One form of integration, accountable care organizations (ACOs), has featured prominently in recent legislation. Clinical integration and ACOs present significant shared-governance challenges that must be understood by hospital boards. The author outlines these governance issues using a case study of Silver Cross Hospital's governance structure for its ACO.
A Landscape Approach for Ecologically Based Management of Great Basin Shrublands

Native shrublands dominate the Great Basin of western of North America, and most of these communities are at moderate or high risk of loss from non-native grass invasion and woodland expansion. Landscape-scale management based on differences in ecological resistance and resilience of shrublands can reduce these risks. We demonstrate this approach with an example that focuses on maintenance of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats for Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a bird species threatened by habitat loss. The approach involves five steps: (1) identify the undesired disturbance processes affecting each shrubland community type; (2) characterize the resistance and resilience of each shrubland type in relation to the undesired processes; (3) assess potential losses of shrublands based on their resistance, resilience, and associated risk; (4) use knowledge from these steps to design a landscape strategy to mitigate the risk of shrubland loss; and (5) implement the strategy with a comprehensive set of active and passive management prescriptions. Results indicate that large areas of the Great Basin currently provide Sage-grouse habitats, but many areas of sagebrush with low resistance and resilience may be lost to continued woodland expansion or invasion by non-native annual grasses. Preventing these losses will require landscape strategies that prioritize management areas based on efficient use of limited resources to maintain the largest shrubland areas over time. Landscape-scale approaches, based on concepts of resistance and resilience, provide an essential framework for successful management of arid and semiarid shrublands and their native species.
Crystal structure and acyl chain selectivity of Escherichia coli LpxD, the N-acyltransferase of lipid A biosynthesis.

LpxD catalyzes the third step of lipid A biosynthesis, the R-3-hydroxyacyl-ACP-dependent N-acylation of UDP-3-O-(acyl)-α-d-glucosamine, and is a target for new antibiotic development. Here we repor...
Antagonism by picrotoxin of 5-hydroxytryptamine-induced excitation of primary afferent neurons.

Pharmacological studies have revealed that the effects of certain putative neurotransmitters on peripheral neurons in autonomic and sensory ganglia are very similar to the effects of these agents on primary afferent terminals in the central nervous system1,2, 4 15,17,18,23,34. Thus it was suggested that peripheral ganglia might be useful model systems for examining the 'presynaptic' actions of drugs 4,1°-1~A7. In this regard it was shown that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) a transmitter which hyperpolarizes central nerve cells 6 depolarizes peripheral ganglion cells and primary afferent terminalsl,2,4-15,1s, 34. The depolarizing responses were blocked by picrotoxin and bicuculline, agents which also block neurally-evoked primary afferent depolarization and presynaptic inhibition in the spinal cord5-7A6,e4, 31. These observations provided support for the view that GABA was a presynaptic inhibitory transmitter. The present investigation was undertaken to study the response of sensory ganglion cells to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), a substance that has also been implicated in presynaptic inhibition in the spinal c0rd3,27,29,~2,~, 36. It is well known that 5-HT depolarizes and excites afferent nerves as well as peripheral ganglion cells14,2°,e5,26,28,a°, 35. In autonomic ganglia its excitatory effects are blocked by picrotoxin14, 30. The present experiments demonstrate that picrotoxin also blocks the excitatory effects of 5-HT on afferent neurons in the nodose ganglion and afferent axons in the carotid sinus nerve. Experiments were performed on 14 cats anesthetized with a mixture of diallylbarbiturate (70 mg/kg), urethane (280 mg/kg) and monoethylurea (280 mg/kg). After intubation of the trachea, the nodose ganglion, the carotid sinus nerve and vagus nerve on the left side were dissected free from underlying connective tissue. Potentials were recorded from the surface of the ganglion with silver-silver chloride electrodes connected to a resistance-coupled preamplifier. One electrode was placed in direct
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Systematic Analysis of Transverse Sinus Stenting

Background: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a disorder characterized by signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure without structural cause seen on conventional imaging. Hallmark treatment after failed medical management has been CSF shunting or optic nerve fenestration with the objective of preserving vision. Recently, there have been multiple case reports and case series on dural sinus stenting for this disorder. Objective: We aim to review all published cases and case series of dural sinus stenting for IIH, with analysis of patients' presenting symptoms, objective findings (CSF pressures, papilledema, pressure gradients across dural sinuses), follow-up of objective findings, and complications. Methods: A Medline search was performed to identify studies meeting prespecified criteria of a case report or case series of patients treated with dural sinus stent placement for IIH. The papers were reviewed and data were extracted. Results: A total of 22 studies were identified, of which 19 studies (including a total of 207 patients) met the criteria and were included in the analysis. Only three major complications related to the procedure were identified. Headaches resolved or improved in 81% of patients. Papilledema improved in 90% of cases (172 of 189 patients). Sinus pressure decreased from an average of 30.3 to 15 mm Hg. Sinus pressure gradient decreased from 18.5 mm Hg (n = 185) to 3.2 mm Hg (n = 172). Stenting had an overall symptom improvement rate of 87%. Conclusion: Although all published case reports and case series are nonrandomized, the low complication and high symptom improvement rate make dural sinus stenting for IIH a potential alternative surgical treatment. Standardized patient selection and randomization trials or registry are warranted.
Population-Based Analysis of Venous Thrombotic Events Following Saphenous Ablation

Background: Venous thrombotic events following great and small saphenous vein ablation procedures for varicose veins have been reported. Current knowledge of these events is based on single institution studies with small sample sizes. Methods: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database (2005-2009) was used to identify a total of 3,874 patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) of the great and small saphenous veins with or without stab phlebectomy. Outcome variables included clinically documented postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with venous thrombotic events after ablation procedures. Results: A total of 2,897 (74.8%) patients underwent RFA and 977 (25.2%) underwent EVLA for lower extremity varicose veins. Patients who underwent RFA were more likely to be older (53.8 y vs 51.8 y, P .0001), obese (42.8% vs 38%, P .009), diabetic (8.5% vs 6.4%, P .01) hypertensive (31.9% vs 26.8%, P .002) and to have undergone procedures involving both veins (24% vs 4%, P .0001). Patients who underwent EVLA were more likely to have received general anesthesia (56.9% vs 40.8%, P .0001), to have undergone concomitant stab phlebectomy (44.9% vs 31.7%, P .0001), and had longer operative times (63.6 min vs. 57.3 min, P .0001). The incidence of DVT (1.74% vs 1.52%, P .63) and pulmonary embolus (0.07% vs 0%, P 1) were similar between EVLA and RFA. No significant predictors of DVT in the postoperative period were identified on bivariate or multivariate analyses. In the subgroup of patients who underwent ablation procedures only (no stab phlebectomy, N 2514), there was a trend toward higher incidence of DVT in patients undergoing EVLA (2.6% vs 1.4%, P .057). After adjusting for patient demographics, patients presenting with lower extremity ulcers were 2.4 times more likely to develop DVT compared to those without ulcers (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.01-6.11, P .04). In the multivariate model when only ablation procedures were performed, EVLA was associated with an 83% increase in odds of DVT compare to RFA, although not statistically significant (OR 1.83, 95% CI 0.95-3.52, P .06). Conclusions: The incidence of venous thrombotic events after saphenous ablation is low. However, given that patients with lower extremity ulcers experienced an increased risk of DVT, care should be taken to ensure that the ablation catheter is positioned an appropriate distance from the sapheno-femoral or sapheno-popliteal junction, and postprocedural preventative measures such as early ambulation and lower extremity compression should be emphasized. The finding of a trend toward increased venous thrombotic events in patients undergoing EVLA warrants further investigation in a large patient population.
Variations in proanthocyanidins of japanese‐type plums during maturation and storage

Proanthocyanidins in epicarp and mesocarp tissue of dark-red-fleshed (Rubysweet) and yellow-fleshed (Byrongold) plums remained unchanged during the third stage of fruit development and storage of green and midripe fruit for 6 days at 18 °C, 80% RH. Differences were significant by cultivar and tissue type. Red-fleshed plums and epicarps of both cultivars contained greater quantities of proanthocyanidins. Degree of polymerization, indicated by vanillin/proanthocyanidin ratios, did not increase in either cultivar with maturity or storage time.
The influence of water on the performance of concrete

Abstract The powerful and pervasive influence of water on the performance of Portland cement concrete begins with the removal of water from either moist or wet raw cement feed and ends with application of curing water. Heat of hydration is normalized by mass of water. Due to its low density, water content mass in fresh concrete translates to porosity in hardened concrete, affecting both strength and durability. Water-cement ratio is here interpreted in terms of average spacing between adjacent cement particles, and workability, air, shrinkage, and service life are normalized to water content. Mixture proportioning and control of water content in the field are addressed.
Effects of biological soil crusts on seed germination of four endangered herbs in a xeric Florida shrubland during drought

Soil crusts of rosemary scrubs in south-central Florida were examined for effects on seed germination of four herbs that are killed by fire and must recruit from seed: Eryngium cuneifolium (Apiaceae), Hypericum cumulicola (Hypericaceae), Polygonella basiramia (Polygonaceae), and Paronychia chartacea ssp. chartacea (Caryophyllaceae). Biological soil crusts in these sites are dominated by algae, cyanobacteria, fungi, and bacteria. Because crusts can change soil stability, water, and nutrients, they can affect seed germination. A series of greenhouse and field experiments were designed to first examine the effects of crusts in isolation and then to determine their role in the context of other environmental factors – time since fire and distance to the dominant shrub in this system, Ceratiola ericoides. In the greenhouse experiment, germination in autoclaved crusts was dramatically reduced relative to germination in living crusts for all but P. basiramia. In four field experiments where crusts were left intact, disturbed (mechanically or by flaming), or completely removed, the effects of crusts were variable and species-specific, but were significant enough to impact aboveground population sizes. More germination was consistently observed in recently burned sites away from C. ericoides shrubs. Overall rates of germination were generally very low during this study, possibly as a result of seasonal droughts that could have reduced germination, increased seed dormancy, and/or decreased seed viability. The importance of water for germination was confirmed in an experiment with two watering regimes and three crust treatments designed to create a gradient of soil water availability. Germination was significantly greater in the high water treatment and unaffected by soil crust moisture. Dry years are not uncommon in scrub and the results of this study help us to understand how scrub herbs fare during drought and what role biological soil crusts play in germination.
The neoliberalization of Contemporary Christian Music’s new Social Gospel

Abstract This paper explores how Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) forges neoliberal subjectivities. CCM, popular music featuring evangelical Christian lyrics, is one of the most widely consumed forms of commercial entertainment for America’s 70–80 million white evangelical Christians. I argue that by synthesizing evangelical individualism and an insular community ethos, the everyday practices of CCM help constitute particularly neoliberal senses of self and power relations with others. These ostensibly apolitical subjectivities sustain neoliberal ventures such as the reinvention of the Social Gospel through Christian non-governmental organizations (NGOs). As well as demonstrating the role of religious and musical practices in cultivating neoliberal subjectivities, CCM helps illuminate neoliberalism’s fractures, dynamism, and multiplicities.
Explaining change in party identification in adolescence

Abstract What are the roots of party identification? Credit (or blame) often falls to parents, who have been shown to play a central role in development of partisan identification in adolescence. Usually in models of parental transmission of partisanship, children are seen as unquestioning recipients of partisan messages. I consider whether this is so, investigating whether differences in young people's levels of political interest, attention, and engagement direct the development of partisan identity. I also explore the effects of factors beyond the household such as the state campaign context in producing partisan instability across a midterm campaign season. I find that the development of adolescent partisanship reflects both the political personality of adolescents and their wider political environment.
Heat of formation determination of the ground and excited state of cyanomethylene (HCCN) radical

Ab initio electronic structure theory has been used to characterize the structure of the ground triplet and lowest singlet excited states of cyanomethylene. The geometries, vibrational frequencies, and heats of formation have been determined using second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation, single and double excitation configuration interaction, and quadratic configuration interaction theory. The heat of formation is predicted with isodesmic reaction and Gaussian-2 theory (G2) for the ground triplet and first excited singlet states of cyanomethylene. For the ground state Delta-H(sub 0)(sup f,0) is 114.8+/-2 kcal/mol while for the excited single state it is 126.5+/-2 kcal/mol.
Chemical Reactions in CF2Cl2/Water (Ice) Films Induced by X-ray Radiation

The chemical reactions initiated by high-energy radiation (Mg or Al Kα X-rays) in amorphous CF2Cl2/H2O(ice) films have been studied using a combination of reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). Following deposition, the structure of the CF2Cl2/H2O(ice) film resembles an amorphous ice phase having CF2Cl2 molecules caged within the film, and a smaller number of CF2Cl2 molecules adsorbed on the ice surface. X-ray irradiation produces a broad distribution of low-energy secondary electrons whose interactions with CF2Cl2/H2O(ice) films are associated with the production of H3O+, CO2, and COF2 (carbonyl fluoride) as detected by RAIRS. COF2 is identified as an intermediate species whose electron-stimulated decomposition leads to CO2 production. The product partitioning is dependent on the film's initial composition; in water rich films, CO2 and COF2 production is favored, whereas a more thermally stable, partially h...
The Irreducibility of the County in the South and America, Past and Present

In the United States county government has remained powerful since before the Revolution, via legal or extralegal arrangements. Even during the nineteenth-century debate over nationalism versus states' rights, they were the governmental power that had the most direct impact on American lives, especially in the South. Challenges to constitutional guarantees of equal protection often come about on the county level. Neoliberal economics and suburbanization have renewed the scope of county government in some places, often in ways that echo the nineteenth century. Although most historians have shown little interest in them, counties could provide them with a framing device for dissecting little-studied sectors of American society and an escape from the problems inherent to American exceptionalism.
Force-frequency relation in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and failure

Genetic and acquired left ventricular hypertrophy are generally considered disorders of principally diastolic function (11, 13, 14, 27, 28). Reduced chamber compliance, delayed relaxation, and small and often deformed cavities all conspire to limit pump performance and reserve capacity while raising pulmonary venous pressures. Typically, patients have supranormal rest systolic function, intracavitary pressure gradients, dynamic obstruction, and ejection fractions well above 75%. Clinical symptoms include angina-like chest discomfort, orthostatic intolerance, and exertional dyspnea. Both the chest pain and dyspnea have been linked to subendomyocardial hypoperfusion with worsened diastolic failure (2, 4, 5, 15, 16, 38).
Comparative Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Eptifibatide and Tirofiban HCl in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (The TAM1 Study)

We performed a comparative analysis of platelet aggregation inhibition achieved with the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors eptifibatide and tirofiban HCl in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and used light transmission aggregometric assays with D-phenylalanyl-L-prolyl-L-arginine chloromethyl ketone as an anticoagulant and 20 micromol of adenosine diphosphate as an agonist. Taking into account the differences in clinical efficacy of these 2 drugs in large trials investigating percutaneous coronary intervention, we hypothesized that the variable clinical effects might be related to variability in the magnitude and consistency of platelet aggregation inhibition achieved with dosing regimens of these glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors.
Two-stage management of severe postprostatectomy bladder neck contracture associated with stress incontinence

Abstract Objectives To report our experience using a two-stage, rather than a synchronous, approach in the management of bladder neck contracture (BNC). Anastomotic BNC associated with urinary incontinence is a major complication after radical prostatectomy. Patients may present with a decreased force of stream, urinary retention, or stress, urge, or overflow urinary incontinence. Methods The pertinent data of 15 patients (age range 52 to 78 years, mean 62) with postradical prostatectomy BNC associated with stress urinary incontinence (mean pad use 3 per day) were retrospectively reviewed. Video-urodynamic evaluation in 10 of 15 patients revealed a Valsalva leak point pressure of less than 80 cm H 2 O in all 10 patients. Bladder outlet obstruction was noted in 4 of 10 patients. Of the 15 patients, 2 declined an artificial urinary sphincter (AUS), the other 13 proceeded with our two-stage management. Step one consisted of deep transurethral incision of the BNC (TUIBNC) with Collin’s knife electrocautery. Step two consisted of implantation of an AUS (AMS-800) 6 to 8 weeks after TUIBNC once bladder neck patency had been demonstrated cystoscopically. Results During a mean follow-up of 15 months, 3 patients developed early recurrence of BNC: 2 at the 5-week cystoscopy, 1 at 8 weeks discovered at the scheduled AUS placement. All 3 patients underwent repeat TUIBNC and remained clinically patent at a mean follow-up of 9 months. The remaining 10 patients were clinically patent after a single TUIBNC, with good subjective flow and postvoid residual volume of less than 30 mL at a mean follow-up of 11 months. Of the 13 patients who underwent AUS placement, 12 were socially continent (wearing 0 to 1 thin pad daily). The thirteenth patient remained incontinent after AUS placement. One of the 12 continent patients developed an infection at the device 8 months postoperatively and required explantation. Conclusions We recommend a two-stage approach (TUIBNC followed by AUS insertion) rather than synchronous management for postprostatectomy BNC associated with stress urinary incontinence. Such an approach allows identification of BNC recurrence and its safe management before AUS implantation.
TAPHONOMY OF THE MOTHER'S DAY QUARRY, UPPER JURASSIC MORRISON FORMATION, SOUTH-CENTRAL MONTANA, USA

The Mother's Day Quarry, in the lower part of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of south-central Montana, contains a low-diversity assemblage dominated by immature diplodocoid sauropods. The sauropod bones lie within a ∼3-m-thick, massive, sandy siltstone containing scattered pebbles and carbonate nodules. Clay rip-up clasts indicate a high-energy depositional environment, and high-angle bone orientations are commensurate with a combination of the inferred high-energy burial event and postburial trampling of the assemblage. Since the Morrison Formation records deposition in an alluvial plain setting characterized by little topographic relief, heavy rainfall likely triggered the high-density flow event. Taphonomic analysis shows no indication that the Mother's Day assemblage was transported far by the entombing flow, though many elements may have been reworked. There is no statistically significant orientation of elongate elements and little apparent evidence of hydraulic sorting or transport damage. Remnants of soft tissue recovered from the quarry and the semiarticulated state of many of the bones demonstrate that the sauropod carcasses were buried a relatively short time after death. The cause of death of the sauropods is largely speculative; it is thought to have been related to drought based on the juvenile-dominated age profile of the assemblage and the inferred sequence of limb disarticulation. Comparison with other sauropod-dominated assemblages reveals that burial rates have little influence on the preservation of sauropod remains. Low-transport potential of sauropod bones implies that the sauropod component of dinosaurian assemblages should nearly always represent faunal elements derived from environments proximal to the site of deposition.
Limits on high-performance applications

There is evidence that some high performance applications such as Air Traffic Control and other real time dynamic IT and database tasks are NP-hard. This paper proposes that it is the nature of the basic computing model, not the tasks themselves that results in intractable situations, and that it is the communication component of many high performance IT applications that makes them intractable. Consequently, bigger, faster, higher performance hardware using this model cannot solve these tasks. Networks and clusters of computers simply move the communication bottleneck, ultimately aggravating rather than helping the situation. New models of computing are needed. 'It is no easy matter to root out old prejudices, or to overturn opinions which have acquired an establishment by time, custom and great authorities.' It is proposed that the associative model can significantly reduce if not eliminate this bottleneck for many commercial high-performance applications. Moreover, the associative model is well suited for the coming generation of high performance optical, biological and polymer computers.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Game-Themed Programming Assignment Modules: A Pathway for Gradual Integration of Gaming Context Into Existing Introductory Programming Courses

Despite the proven success of using computer video games as a context for teaching introductory programming (CS1/2) courses, barriers including the lack of adoptable materials, required background expertise (in graphics/games), and institutional acceptance still prevent interested faculty members from experimenting with this approach. Game-themed programming assignment (GTA) modules are designed specifically for these faculty members. The GTA modules are independent, and each is a self-contained game-like programming assignment that challenges students on concepts pertaining to a specific curriculum topic area. A faculty member can selectively pick and choose a subset of GTA modules to experiment with and gradually adopt the materials in his or her own classes. Each GTA module also includes a step-by-step tutorial guide that supports and encourages interested faculty to develop their own expertise and game-themed materials. This paper begins with a survey of previous results. Based on this survey, the paper summarizes the important considerations when designing materials for selective adoption. The paper then describes the design, implementation, and assessment of the GTA modules. The results from ongoing GTA workshops for CS1/2 faculty members and from a yearlong project in adopting the GTA modules in classes are then presented. In this case, the collected results verified that introductory programming concepts can be examined, practiced, and learned by means of GTA modules when neither the faculty nor the students involved have backgrounds in graphics or games. More importantly, these results demonstrated that it is straightforward to blend the GTA modules into existing classes with minimum alterations. In these ways, the GTA modules are excellent catalysts enabling faculty to begin exploring and developing their own expertise and materials to teach with games.
Parametric study of segmented transducers laminated on cylindrical shells, part 1: Sensor patches

The spatial characteristics, modal filtering and modal sensitivities of distributed segmented sensor patches laminated on a cylindrical shell are investigated. A sensor equation of a generic shell sensor patch reveals that the output signal is determined by a number of factors, such as geometries, material properties, mode numbers, sensor locations, spatial distributions, strains, etc. An arbitrary sensor patch and also quarterly segmented sensor patches are investigated. All quadruples of shell natural modes are not observable in the quarterly segmented sensor configuration, due to the charge averaging on effective surface electrodes. The total sensor sensitivity of a sensor patch is composed of a membrane sensitivity and a bending sensitivity which are related to the membrane strain and the bending strain, respectively. Based on the modal sensitivities, a number of sensor parameters (e.g., sensor thickness, shell thickness, curvature angles and shell sizes) are evaluated, and their membrane, bending and total sensitivities are compared.
Retinal arteriolar occlusions following amniotic fluid embolism.

Abstract Amniotic fluid embolism is a serious complication of pregnancy resulting in death in the majority of patients. Particulate matter originating in the amniotic fluid has been identified at autopsy in the lung, kidney, and brain. A patient is presented who survived amniotic fluid embolism and developed bilateral retinal arteriolar occlusions, presumably based on entrapment of particulate matter originating in amniotic fluid. Her clinical course and ophthalmic findings are reviewed, and the relationship between amniotic fluid embolism and retinal vascular occlusion is discussed.
Immunophenotype of conjunctival melanomas: comparisons with uveal and cutaneous melanomas.

Objective To characterize the immunophenotypic expression pattern of conjunctival melanomas, with the use of standard melanoma markers as well as microphthalmia transcription factor and p75 neurotrophin receptor. Design Eleven conjunctival melanomas, including 1 caruncular melanoma, were immunolabeled with a panel of antibodies that included S100, tyrosinase, melan-A, HMB-45 and HMB-50 combination, microphthalmia transcription factor, and p75 neurotrophin receptor. The results were tabulated on the basis of intensity and pervasiveness of labeling and compared with a previous study of uveal melanomas. Results Immunolabeling with S100 was at significantly higher levels in conjunctival melanomas than in uveal melanomas. Tyrosinase, HMB-45 and HMB-50 combination, melan-A, and microphthalmia transcription factor were expressed at high levels in conjunctival melanomas, whereas p75 neurotrophin receptor was not expressed. Conclusions Melanomas of the conjunctiva, including the caruncle, expressed S100, tyrosinase, melan-A, HMB-45 and HMB-50 combination, and microphthalmia transcription factor at high levels, suggesting that these are good markers for this melanoma subtype. Expression of S100 was significantly higher in conjunctival melanomas than in uveal melanomas. The immunophenotypic pattern of conjunctival melanomas is most similar to the epithelioid subtype of cutaneous melanomas.
Ionization of cytosine monomer and dimer studied by VUV photoionization and electronic structure calculations.

We report a combined theoretical and experimental study of ionization of cytosine monomers and dimers. Gas-phase molecules are generated by thermal vaporization of cytosine followed by expansion of the vapor in a continuous supersonic jet seeded in Ar. The resulting species are investigated by single photon ionization with tunable vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) synchrotron radiation and mass analyzed using reflectron mass spectrometry. Energy onsets for the measured photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectra are 8.60 ± 0.05 eV and 7.6 ± 0.1 eV for the monomer and the dimer, respectively, and provide an estimate for the adiabatic ionization energies (AIE). The first AIE and the ten lowest vertical ionization energies (VIEs) for selected isomers of cytosine dimer computed using equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOM-IP-CCSD) method are reported. The comparison of the computed VIEs with the derivative of the PIE spectra suggests that multiple isomers of the cytosine dimer are present in the molecular beam. The calculations reveal that the large red shift (0.7 eV) of the first IE of the lowest-energy cytosine dimer is due to strong inter-fragment electrostatic interactions, i.e., the hole localized on one of the fragments is stabilized by the dipole moment of the other. A sharp rise in the protonated cytosine ion (CH+) signal at 9.20 ± 0.05 eV is ascribed to the formation of protonated cytosine by dissociation of the ionized dimers. The dominant role of this channel is supported by the computed energy thresholds for the CH+ appearance and the barrierless or nearly barrierless ionization-induced proton transfer observed for five isomers of the dimer.