cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Internal Curing of Concrete Bridge Decks in Utah: Preliminary Evaluation

The objectives of this research were (a) to monitor in situ bridge deck properties such as moisture and diffusivity for both conventional concrete and concrete containing prewetted lightweight fine aggregate, which is intended to provide internal curing; (b) to compare deck performance in terms of early-age cracking; and (c) to evaluate the compressive strength and chloride permeability of concrete mixtures in the laboratory using cylinders cast in the field at the time of deck construction. The research scope included four bridges—two constructed with conventional concrete and two containing prewetted lightweight fine aggregate—in northern Utah. Data from sensors embedded in the concrete decks indicated that the moisture content of the internally cured concrete was 2% to 3% higher at 28 days than the moisture content of the conventional concrete. Although the internally cured concrete had a higher moisture content, the electrical conductivity values were approximately the same for all decks after a few m...
Self-Organized Replication of 3D Coherent Island Size and Shape in Multilayer Heteroepitaxial Films

A model is proposed to elucidate the evolution of the morphology of strained 3D islands in multilayer heteroepitaxial films. The model explains the experimental observation that islands grown in successive layers not only replicate, forming individual island columns, but self-organize to reach a common size and shape, independent of their initial density.
Visualizing Chemical Phenomena in Microdroplets

Phenomena that occur in microdroplets are described to the undergraduate chemistry community. Droplets having a diameter in the micrometer range can have unique and interesting properties, which arise because of their small size and, especially, their high surface area-to-volume ratio. Students are generally unfamiliar with the characteristics of small droplets. However, with the increasing importance of miniaturization in chemistry and biochemistry, especially in the burgeoning field of microdroplet microfluidics, it would be beneficial for students to become aware of some of the features that differentiate chemistry on a small scale. To better acquaint students with these features, microdroplet systems that model microfluidics in a “stop-action” manner are described. Using a micropipet manipulation technique combined with video microscopy, chemical reactions and physical phenomena that occur in one or more individual water droplets surrounded by an immiscible liquid are shown. Real-time visualizations of the unfolding chemical phenomena at the single, isolated droplet level are provided. The outcomes of various types of physical and chemical phenomena, including redox reactions, precipitation reaction, interfacial extraction of metals, solubility of water in oils, and crystallization are illustrated. Each system is understood as a dramatic exploitation of the small size of microdroplets having a large surface area-to-volume ratio.
Prevalence and pattern of prescribed medication in 2-year-old children

The parents of 1601 two-year-old children, randomly sampled from Ohio birth records, were surveyed regarding the children’s current medications. Use of antibiotics and analgesics was noted only if taken for more than 3 months, whereas all other medications were recorded if taken within 24 hours of the interview. In all, 5.6% of the children were taking some prescribed medication. The most prevalent drug groups were allergy/asthma drugs (2.50%), antibiotics (1.44%), antihistamines (1.00%), vitamins (0.87%), and anticonvulsants (0.56%). No instances of psychotropic drug prescription were recorded. A broad array of survey variables was analyzed for their possible relationship to drug variables. A variety of physical variables such as presence of a “chronic limiting condition” (problem expected to last 3 or more months), developmental delay, history of CAT scan or EEG, and history of serious sickness were all associated with use of two or more types of medication. Certain variables suggestive of social disadvantage or lower SES were also linked to greater medication use.
Photoinduced structural transformations in mixed monolayer assemblies

Abstract In mixed monolayers with stearic acid at the air-water interface, paranaric acid undergoes photochemical reaction, which, in turn, triggers marked structural change in the monolayer assembly. Changes in the fluid-expanded and fluid-compressed regimes are qualitatively different and are interpreted in terms of a simple model.
Dry Matter Intake and Digestibility of ‘Coastal’, ‘Tifton 44’, and ‘Tifton 85’ Bermudagrass Hays Grown in the U.S. Upper South

'Coastal' bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (Pers.) L.] is the major warm-season grass grown across the U.S. upper south. More recent hybrids of 'Tifton 44' (T44) and 'Tifton 85' (T85) (Cynodon sp.) offer improved nutritive value. Compared are dry matter (DM) intake and digestion of Coastal bermudagrass (CB), T44, and T85 hays grown under different soil and climate conditions and harvested at either the same or different maturities. In the comparison of CB and T44 with steers (Bos taurus L.), DM intake was greater for CB in one of three experiments, whereas intakes did not differ in the other two. Greater intake for CB was associated with greater DM digestion. In the other two experiments, T44 had greater DM digestion than did CB in one trial but did not differ in the other. Hays of CB, T44, and T85, harvested in 2 yr, were compared by means of sheep (Ovis aries L.). In Year 1, sheep consumed more CB than either T44 or T85, whereas in Year 2, no differences in intake were detected. Coastal was digested least in both experiments compared with T44 and T85, and T85 had greatest DM digestion in one of the two years. Samples of masticate of CB had the least in vitro true dry matter disappearance (IVTDMD) with T44 intermediate and T85 generally greatest. In general, animal response data showed little advantage of T44 in comparison with CB; however, Tifton 85 appears to have greater digestible fiber and offers potentially greater DM digestion and digestible intake compared with CB.
A semi-analytical method for calculating rates of new sulfate aerosol formation from the gas phase

The formation of new aerosol from the gas phase is commonly represented in atmospheric modeling with parameterizations of the steady state nucleation rate. Present parameterizations are based on classical nucleation theory or on nucleation rates calculated with a numerical aerosol model. These parameterizations reproduce aerosol nucleation rates calculated with a numerical aerosol model only imprecisely. Additional errors can arise when the nucleation rate is used as a surrogate for the production rate of particles of a given size. We discuss these errors and present a method which allows a more precise calculation of steady state sulfate aerosol formation rates. The method is based on the semi-analytical solution of an aerosol system in steady state and on parameterized rate coefficients for H2SO4 uptake and loss by sulfate aerosol particles, calculated from laboratory and theoretical thermodynamic data.
Isolation and quantitation of several new peptides from the canine neurotensin/neuromedin N precursor.

Abstract Using antisera towards the bioactive peptides, neurotensin and neuromedin N, as well as towards the N -terminal and C -terminal regions of their shared 170-residue precursor, peptides representing various portions of the precursor were isolated from extracts of canine ileum. In total, seven peptides were isolated, two of which had not been previously identified. One was the C -terminal tail of the precursor (Gly-Ser-Tyr-Tyr-Tyr) and the other was the tail peptide extended N -terminally to include neurotensin (Glp-Leu-Tyr-Glu-Asn-Lys-Pro-Arg-Arg-Pro-Tyr-Ile-Leu-Lys-Arg-Gly-Ser-Tyr-Tyr-Tyr). By comparing the measured concentrations for each of the identified peptides, it was established that processing at the three Lys-Arg cleavage sites within the precursor did not occur to the same extent. Cleavage at the N -terminus of neuromedin N was ∼10% complete, that between neurotensin and the tail was ∼90% complete, and that between neuromedin N and neurotensin was ∼95% complete. Three immunoreactive proteins were also identified by immunochemical and chromatographic analyses: N -terminally extended neuromedin N (125 residues), N -terminally extended neurotensin (140 residues), and the entire 147-residue precursor. It was concluded that neurotensin, tail and large molecular neuromedin N were the primary products of processing for this precursor in canine ileum, while minor products included neuromedin N, neurotensin tail, and large molecular neurotensin.
The soybean Eu3 gene encodes an Ni-binding protein necessary for urease activity

Summary Mutation in Eu3 eliminates activity of both soybean ureases, the embryo-specific (encoded by Eu1) and the tissue-ubiquitous (encoded by Eu4). eu3-e1 is a completely recessive null allele. Eu3-e3 is a semi-dominant specifying 0.1% wild-type urease activity in the homozygous state and 5–10% as a heterozygote ( Meyer-Bothling et al. 1987 ). Antibodies to plant UreG, a homologue of the bacterial urease accessory protein, revealed a 32 kDa protein (p32) in embryos of the Eu3/Eu3 precursor genotype. p32 is identical to UreG by the criteria of size, antigenicity, and its ability to bind Ni2+, a trait expected from the deduced histidine-rich N-terminus of UreG. UreG was absent in eu3-e1/eu3-e1, and lack of UreG co-segregated with eu3-e1. Eu3-e3 specified a UreG transcript which coded valine in place of alanine at residue 142 (A142V) confirming thatEu3 encodes UreG, which is renamed Eu3. Eu3 (A142V) retained Ni-binding ability. Eu3 is directly involved in urease activation, since anti-Eu3 (UreG) antibodies inhibited the in vitro activation of urease. Eu1 (embryo urease) and Eu3 accumulated in parallel in the developing embryo. The presence of Eu1 was not necessary for the high embryonic level of Eu3. However, the presence of Eu3 appeared to be important for accumulation of Eu1, perhaps by stabilizing it by Ni insertion. At the level of sensitivity employed Eu3 was detected in crude extracts of embryos but not non-embryonic tissues which have 1/500th the embryo urease activity. Functional Eu3, however, is necessary for activation of the ubiquitous urease in non-embryonic tissues.
Temporal changes in pCFC-12 ages and AOU along two hydrographic sections in the eastern subtropical North Pacific

Abstract Changes in chlorofluorocarbon-12 (CFC-12) derived ventilation ages (pCFC-12 ages) and in apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) are investigated in the eastern subtropical North Pacific, where a portion of a 1991 WOCE cruise along 152°W was repeated in 1997 and a portion of a 1985 WOCE cruise along 24°N was repeated in 2000. The effects of mixing biases and possible gas undersaturations at the isopycnal outcrops are carefully examined during the calculation of pCFC-12 ages and oxygen utilization rates ( OUR = AOU / age ). The most conspicuous and robust change observed in the data is an increase in pCFC-12 ages and in AOU that occurs at the subtropical–subpolar gyre boundary at 152°W and is centered at σ θ = 26.65 kg m - 3 . pCFC-12 ages (including a correction for mixing biases) and AOU increased by as much as 5 years and 40 μ mol kg - 1 from 1991 to 1997 here, which corresponds to a change of about 40%. These data are in agreement with previous studies suggesting a reduction of ventilation in the subpolar gyre. A proposed mechanism for these changes is a reduction or cessation of the outcropping of the core isopycnal ( σ θ = 26.65 kg m - 3 ) that most likely occurred prior to 1991. Since mixing-bias-corrected pCFC-12 ages and AOU changed in approximately equal proportions, OURs close to the core isopycnal remained roughly constant. In contrast, OURs in the 24°N sections appear to have decreased off the coast of California from 1985 to 2000. The average OUR difference here reduces to 1 μ mol kg - 1 yr - 1 when a mixing-bias correction and gas saturations less than 100% (90% for CFC-12 and 95% for oxygen) are applied, but it remains significant at the 95% confidence level. A robust change in ventilation ages is not observed in the 24°N sections.
Does the presence of thyroid cancer increase the risk of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing thyroidectomy

Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. We evaluate the association between thyroid cancer (TCA) and VTE in thyroidectomy patients and assess the impact of TCA status on risk level using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) Best Practices guideline. Methods A retrospective cohort study of thyroidectomy patients using the ACS NSQIP database (2005–2008) was performed. Patients were stratified by the presence (TCA) or absence (non-TCA) of TCA. The incidence of 30-day postoperative VTE and VTE risk factors were compared between groups. Risk factor scores (RFS) for VTE were computed with and without TCA as a factor. Results Fifteen VTE events were documented in 19,640 patients. The incidence of VTE was 0.08% in the TCA and 0.07% in non-TCA groups (P = .783). TCA patients were younger, had a lower body mass index, and had longer operations than non-TCA patients. TCA patients had slightly higher RFS before inclusion of TCA (mean of 4.26 vs 4.16; P Conclusion TCA does not seem to be independently associated with VTE in patients undergoing thyroidectomy. The decision for anticoagulation should therefore be determined by individual patient risk factors.
Variability in resource consumption rates and the coexistence of competing species

Abstract A model which incorporates random temporal variation in resource consumption rates is used to investigate the effects that such variation has on the coexistence of competitors. The analysis of the model and several extensions of it suggests that such variation in consumption rates will often allow two or more competitors to coexist while limited by the same resource. For variability to promote coexistence, it is necessary that the time scale of resource population dynamics be fast relative to the time scale of environmental change. Variability is especially likely to promote coexistence if there is a large variance in consumption rates, negative correlation between the consumption rates of different species, and a linear or concave relationship between resource consumption and per capita population growth. Many previous studies which have found coexistence of two or more species on one resource can be interpreted as examples of coexistence due to varying resource consumption rates.
Ado-trastuzumab Emtansine: A HER2-Positive Targeted Antibody-Drug Conjugate

Objective: To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, adverse effects, drug-drug interactions, dosage and administration, and formulary considerations for ado-trastuzumab emtansine. Data Sources: Sources of information were identified through a PubMed search (1966 to June 2014) using the key terms ado-trastuzumab emtansine, trastuzumab-DM1, trastuzumab-MCC-DM1, and T-DM1. Other information was obtained from clinicaltrials.gov, product labeling, and press releases. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language clinical trials and abstracts evaluating ado-trastuzumab emtansine in humans were reviewed for inclusion. Data Synthesis: Overexpression or amplification of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) occurs in approximately 20% of breast cancers and is associated with more aggressive tumors and poorer prognosis in the absence of treatment. Although effective therapies for the initial management of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) exist, many patients will exp...
Grades and Graduation: An Ethical Dilemma

This case was written for use in courses dealing with school administration, philosophy of education, or ethics in educational leadership. It deals with the ethical dilemma of an assistant principal at a low-performing, urban high school. Caught between a principal and a teacher who have different views on plagiarism, the assistant principal must decide whether to bring to light allegations of illegal grade-changes for two students that could threaten their status as high school graduates. Students reading the case should assume the role of the assistant principal and, considering the perspectives of the opposing parties, resolve the situation in an ethical manner.
“The Man Transformed into a Maiden”? Languages of Grievance and the Politics of Class in Germany, 1850–1914

In most German histories of industrialization and labor the legend of the separation of home and work serves as a crucial marker for the onset of modernization and working-class formation. Contests about the meanings of the purported separation of home and work had a formative role in delineating the perimeters of class in Imperial Germany, not least because the Social Democratic labor movement cast class in terms of a rigid demar cation between the spheres of work and "non-work," production and re production. The textile industry, as the first German industry to relocate production from household to factory and the largest factory employer of female workers before the First World War, forms an excellent site at which to examine the consequences of the purported "separation of home and work" for the process of working-class formation. This article explores the ways in which the social identity of class was bounded by gender during the protracted transition from proto-industrial household production of tex tiles to centralized mechanized factories, a crucial phase in the process of working-class formation among German textile workers. The two brief case studies of this transition in the Rhineland, presented in the first part of this article, point to the complex ways in which the separation of home and work became a cornerstone of the emergence of the new identity of male citizens as "male breadwinners," of their languages of grievance, and of their politics of class during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centu ries.
Bill Clinton's Operational Code: Assessing Source Material Bias

This paper considers Bill Clinton's operational code as reflected in prepared speeches and spontaneous remarks. Differences between the two types of verbal material, their respective differences over time, and their respective variation after key intervening political events were subjected to analysis of variance as well as descriptive analyses. The results suggest that measurements based on spontaneous comments are preferable, particularly in providing sensitive measures of personal predispositions.
Risk management tools for bridging the expert/ layperson gap

This paper examines the role that insurance, fines and compensation can play as risk management tools in bridging the gap between experts and layper sons. These policy tools are applied to the following two areas: the adoption of protective activities and the siting of hazardous materials disposal facilities. With respect to protective activities, the focus is on the problem of inducing greater voluntary use of manual seat belts and passive restraints. Rather than attempting to alter individual risk perception, we propose a set of economic incentives, such as reduction in insurance premiums or avoidance of a fine, that call attention to the direct benefit of using seat belts and passive restraints. Compensation may be useful in helping to negotiate agreements among differ ent interested parties involved in the siting of hazardous facilities. In this prob lem we explore ways in which some of the benefits to winners can be shared with potential losers, such as the host community. Successful examples of the ...
Balance between vasoconstriction and enhanced oxygen delivery.

BACKGROUND: Hemoglobin (Hb) solutions are potential alternatives to blood transfusion when native oxygen (O2)-carrying capacity is lacking. Polymerized bovine Hb (PBH) solutions are characterized by its vasoactivity, low O2 affinity, oncotic effect, prolonged shelf life, and stability. Responses to facilitated O2 transport, after exchange transfusion with PBH, were studied in the hamster window chamber model during acute extreme anemia to determine how PBH affects microvascular perfusion and tissue oxygenation. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: An anemic state was induced by hemodilution with a plasma expander (70-kDa dextran). After hemodilution, animals were randomly assigned to exchange transfusion groups based on the concentration of PBH used, namely, PBH at 13 gHb per dL (PBH13), PBH diluted to 8 or 4 gHb per dL in albumin solution at matching colloidal osmotic pressure (COP; PBH8 and PBH4), and no PBH only albumin solution at matching COP (PBH0). Measurement of systemic variables, microvascular hemodynamics, capillary perfusion, and intravascular and tissue O2 levels was performed at 11 percent Hct. RESULTS: Restitution of O2-carrying capacity with PBH13 restored higher arterial pressure and triggered vasoconstriction, low perfusion, and higher peripheral resistance. Groups PBH4 and PBH0 had lower arterial pressures than Group PBH13. Groups PBH4 and PBH8 maintained higher perfusion and functional capillary density than Groups PBH13 and PBH0. In all groups, blood gas variables and acid-base balance were recovered proportional to microvascular perfusion. Arterial O2 tensions were improved for Groups PBH4 and PBH8 by preventing O2 precapillary release and increasing O2 reserve. CONCLUSION: Further studies to establish acellular Hb optimal dosage, efficacy, safety, and effects on outcome are indicated before these solutions are implemented in routine practice.
When Does Aerial Bombing Work? Quantitative Empirical Tests, 1917-1999

Coercion through air power has been and continues to be an important tool of foreign policy. Multivariate probit analysis is used to test three hypotheses on all instances of air power coercion from 1917 to 1999: (1) air power coercion attempts are more likely to work if they exploit military rather than civilian vulnerabilities, (2) the regime type of the target affects the chances of success, and (3) success is less likely if the attacker demands that the target change its leadership. Results show that coercion is more likely to work if the target's military vulnerability is higher, but higher levels of civilian vulnerability have no effect on the chances of coercion success; that target regime type has no effect; and that success is less likely when the attacker demands the target change its leadership.
Design Principles for High-Frequency Microwave Cavities

The characteristics of untuned cavities are determined for microwave processing of alumina. Alumina is a low-loss ceramic that is difficult to heat in the lower microwave region. System efficiency is determined as a function of cavity and workpiece size, frequency, and temperature. With operation at 28 GHz, a cavity applicator can be designed which is capable of generating uniform fields at high efficiency and with a reasonable size. 8 refs., 5 figs.
Isolation and Characterization of Five Erwinia amylovora Bacteriophages and Assessment of Phage Resistance in Strains of Erwinia amylovora

Phages able to infect the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora were isolated from apple, pear, and raspberry tissues and from soil samples collected at sites displaying fire blight symptoms. Among a collection of 50 phage isolates, 5 distinct phages, including relatives of the previously described phages φEa1 and φEa7 and 3 novel phages named φEa100, φEa125, and φEa116C, were identified based on differences in genome size and restriction fragment pattern. φEa1, the phage distributed most widely, had an approximately 46-kb genome which exhibited some restriction site variability between isolates. Phages φEa100, φEa7, and φEa125 each had genomes of approximately 35 kb and could be distinguished by their EcoRI restriction fragment patterns. φEa116C contained an approximately 75-kb genome. φEa1, φEa7, φEa100, φEa125, and φEa116C were able to infect 39, 36, 16, 20, and 40, respectively, of 40 E. amylovora strains isolated from apple orchards in Michigan and 8, 12, 10, 10, and 12, respectively, of 12 E. amylovora strains isolated from raspberry fields (Rubus spp.) in Michigan. Only 22 of 52 strains were sensitive to all five phages, and 23 strains exhibited resistance to more than one phage. φEa116C was more effective than the other phages at lysing E. amylovora strain Ea110 in liquid culture, reducing the final titer of Ea110 by >95% when added at a ratio of 1 PFU per 10 CFU and by 58 to 90% at 1 PFU per 105 CFU.
Bandwidth Selection and Reconstruction Quality in Point-Based Surfaces

We investigate the influence of bandwidth selection in the reconstruction quality of point-based surfaces. While the problem has received relatively little attention in the literature, we show that appropriate selection plays a significant role in the quality of reconstructed surfaces. We show how to compute optimal bandwidths for one class of moving least-squares surfaces by formulating the polynomial fitting step as a kernel regression problem for both noiseless and noisy data. In the context of Levin's projection, we also discuss the implications of the two-step projection for bandwidth selection. We show experimental comparisons of our method, which outperforms heuristically chosen functions and weights previously proposed. We also show the influence of bandwidth on the reconstruction quality of different formulations of point-based surfaces. We provide, to the best of our knowledge, the first quantitative comparisons between different MLS surface formulations and their optimal bandwidths. Using these experiments, we investigate the choice of effective bandwidths for these alternative formulations. We conclude with a discussion of how to effectively compare the different MLS formulations in the literature.
Environmental Characteristics of Convective Systems during TRMM-LBA

In this paper, data collected from 51 days of continual upper atmospheric soundings and TOGA radar at ABRACOS Hill during the TRMM-LBA experiment are used to describe the mean thermodynamic and kinematic airmass properties of wet season convection over Rondonia, Brazil. Distinct multi-day easterly and westerly lower tropospheric wind regimes occurred during the campaign with contrasting airmass characteristics. Westerly wind periods featured modest CAPE (1000 J/kg), moist conditions (>90% RH) extending through 700 mb and shallow (900 mb) speed shear on the order of 10(exp -4)/s. This combination of characteristics promoted convective systems that featured a relatively large fraction of stratiform rainfall and weak convection nearly devoid of lightning. The environment is very similar to the general airmass conditions experienced during the Darwin, Australia monsoon convective regime. In contrast, easterly regime convective systems were more strongly electrified and featured larger convective rain rates and reduced stratiform rainfall fraction. These systems formed in an environment with significantly larger CAPE (1500 J/kg), drier lower and middle level humidities (< 80% RH) and a wind shear layer that was both stronger (10(exp -3)/s) and deeper (700 mb). The larger CAPE resulted from strong insolation under relatively cloud-free skies (owing to reduced column humidity) and was also weakly capped in the lowest 1-2 km, thus contributing to a more explosive growth of convection. The time series of low- and mid-level averaged humidity exhibited marked variability between westerly and easterly regimes and was characterized by low frequency (i.e., multi-day to weekly) oscillations. The synoptic scale origins of these moisture fluctuations are examined, which include the effects of variable low-level airmass trajectories and upper-level, westward migrating cyclonic vortices. The results reported herein provide an environmental context for ongoing dual Doppler analyses and numerical modeling case studies of individual TRMM-LBA convective systems.
Hypermethylation and silencing of the putative tumor suppressor Tazarotene-induced gene 1 in human cancers

A variety of tumor suppressor genes are down-regulated by hypermethylation during carcinogenesis. Using methylated CpG amplification-representation difference analysis, we identified a DNA fragment corresponding to the Tazarotene-induced gene 1 ( TIG1 ) promoter-associated CpG island as one of the genes hypermethylated in the leukemia cell line K562. Because TIG1 has been proposed to act as a tumor suppressor, we tested the hypothesis that cytosine methylation of the TIG1 promoter suppresses its expression and causes a loss of responsiveness to retinoic acid in some neoplastic cells. We examined TIG1 methylation and expression status in 53 human cancer cell lines and 74 primary tumors, including leukemia and head and neck, breast, colon, skin, brain, lung, and prostate cancer. Loss of TIG1 expression was strongly associated with TIG1 promoter hypermethylation ( P < 0.001). There was no correlation between TIG1 promoter methylation and that of retinoid acid receptor β2 ( RARβ2 ), another retinoic-induced putative tumor suppressor gene ( P = 0.78). Treatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine for 5 days restored TIG1 expression in all eight silenced cell lines tested. TIG1 expression was also inducible by treatment with 1 μm all- trans -retinoic acid for 3 days except in densely methylated cell lines. Treatment of the K562 leukemia cells with demethylating agent combined with all- trans -retinoic acid induced apoptosis. These findings indicate that silencing of TIG1 promoter by hypermethylation is common in human cancers and may contribute to the loss of retinoic acid responsiveness in some neoplastic cells.
Ultrasound heating in a tissue-bone phantom

Temperature rise generated by focused ultrasound beams was tested on semipermanent tissue-bone phantoms. The phantoms were capped (sealed) plastic hollow cylindrical containers filled with tissue-mimicking material (TMM), in which were imbedded 25 microns diameter copper-constantan thermocouples (TC) and a piece of compact human or cow bone. The acoustic frequency specific attenuation coefficient of TMM was adjusted to be 0.3 dB cm-1 MHz-1 as specified by the FDA for a frequency range of 1-5 MHz. A high density 0.318 cm thick polyethylene sheet was chosen as the material to make caps of the phantoms. A formula developed to estimate the upper limit of temperature rises at tissue-bone interfaces generated by focused ultrasound has been proved to be appropriate experimentally using the semipermanent phantoms.
Planar diffraction grating for board-level WDM applications

Optical interconnects in massively parallel processing (MPP) systems will require a variety of optical components regardless of the specific implementation of the optics in such systems. These components span a range of complexity from conceptually simple structures such as connectors to quite complex structures such as VCSELs. While numerous optical components have been developed for fiber-based systems, in general, many of these components do not adequately address the specific needs of MPP systems. Specifically the components must provide specific performance requirements while also lending themselves to automated manufacturing techniques and being highly compatible with current electronic manufacturing techniques. In this work, we present a novel structure for the demultiplexing (and multiplexing) of guided-wave optical signals. This device has the unique feature of being suitable for single-mode as well as multimode systems. In addition, its structure is highly manufacturable due to its planar technology that does not require adding highly reflecting surfaces. The device works using the principal of total internal reflection off a grating surface. In this paper we present a theoretical analysis of the structure and evaluate several performance issues.
Precision of fit: The Procera AllCeram crown

Abstract Statement of problem. Strength, color stability, and precision of fit are requirements for all-ceramic restorations. The Procera AllCeram crown system, composed of a densely sintered high-purity alumina core combined with a low fusing surface porcelain, appears to satisfy most of these requirements. However, evaluation of marginal fit has not been reported. Purpose. This study measured the precision of fit of the Procera AllCeram crown fabricated with Procera CAD/CAM technology for the premolar and molar teeth fit to a die. Material and methods. Five ivorine maxillary first premolars and first molars were prepared for full-coverage crowns. Preparations were standardized with a convergence angle of 10 degrees, chamfer margins of 1.3 to 1.5 mm circumferentially, and occlusal reduction of 2.0 mm. AllCeram crowns were fabricated for the dies, and the fit of the crown to the die was determined by using a standardized procedure with a silicone impression material that served a dual role: (1) as a retrievable luting agent, and (2) to replicate the internal aspects of the crown. Laser videography was used to measure the gap dimension between the crowns and the dies at the marginal opening, the axial wall, the cusp tip, and the occlusal adaptation measurement locations. Mean gap dimensions and standard deviations (SDs) were calculated for marginal opening, internal adaptation, and precision of fit. Results. Mean gap dimensions and standard deviations at the marginal opening for the premolar and molar crowns were 56.0 μm SD ± 21 and 63.0 μm SD ± 13 μm, respectively. The mean gap dimensions and SDs of the internal adaptation were 69.0 μm SD ± 17 μm for axial wall, 48.0 μm SD ± 12 μm for cusp tip, and 36.0 μm SD ± 7 μm for occlusal adaptation for the premolar crowns; and 49.0 μm SD ± 3 μm axial wall, 67.0 μm SD ± 21 μm cusp tip, and 74.0 μm SD ± 29 μm occlusal adaptation for molar crowns. Precision of fit and SDs for premolar and molar crowns were 52.0 μm SD ± 19 μm and 63.0 μm SD ± 20 μm, respectively. Mean marginal openings and precision of fit gap dimensions for the crown groups were not significantly different at the .05 level. However, gap dimensions that defined the internal adaptation at the measurement locations were different ( P ≤.05). Conclusion. Mean gap dimensions for marginal openings, internal adaptation, and precision of fit for the crown groups were below 70 μm. These findings show that the crowns studied can be prescribed with confidence knowing that the precision of fit will consistently be less than 70 μm. (J Prosthet Dent 1998;80:394-404.)
Bounds on worst-case bit-error probability for asynchronous spread-spectrum multiple-access

The Gaussian multiple-access channel shared by K asynchronous transmitters is considered. A simplified model for uncoded bit-error probability is introduced for direct-sequence spread-spectrum multi-access systems with unknown, nonrandom transmitter parameters. Worst-case bit-error probability is investigated in the presence of a maximum-power constraint on the channel interference. A low bound and a Chernoff upper bound are presented for the worst-case bit-error probability. >
Secondand Third-Generation Zoo Exhibits: A Comparison of Visitor, Staff, and Animal Responses

The present study compared visitor, staff, and animal responses to two second-generation and two third-generation exhibits that displayed the same species of animals-Bornean orangutans and Pigmy ch...
On the nature of solutions of the difference equation $mathbf{x_{n+1}=x_{n}x_{n-3}-1}$

We investigate the long-term behavior of solutions of the difference equation[ x_{n+1}=x_{n}x_{n-3}-1 ,, n=0 ,, 1 ,, ldots ,, ]noindent where the initial conditions $x_{-3} ,, x_{-2} ,, x_{-1} ,, x_{0}$ are real numbers. In particular, we look at the periodicity and asymptotic periodicity of solutions, as well as the existence of unbounded solutions.
Dechlorination of substituted trichloromethanes by an iron(II) porphyrin

Iron(II)porphyrins complex with many organochlorinecompounds and oxidizebydechlorinating them. For a series of trichloromethyl derivatives, CCl3R (R = NO2, CHCl2, CN, Cl, COO−, CH3, H, C(O)NH2, and CH2OH), heme oxidation occurred in two consecutive steps: heme-CCl3R complexation, and (usually slower) inner-sphere electron transfer. Stability of the intermediate CCl2R radical, which is strongly correlated with the ability of the R group to delocalize electron density, governed the overall electron transfer rate.
Exploring the ecosystem of software developers on GitHub and other platforms

GitHub provides various social features for developers to collaborate with others. Those features are important for developers to coordinate their work (Dabbish et al., 2012; Marlow et al., 2013). We hypothesized that the social system of GitHub users was bound by system interactions such that contributing to similar code repositories would lead to users following one another on GitHub or vice versa. Using a quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) correlation, however, only a weak correlation among followship and production activities (code, issue, and wiki contributions) was found. Survey with GitHub users revealed an ecosystem on the Internet for software developers, which includes many platforms, such as Forrst, Twitter, and Hacker News, among others. Developers make social introductions and other interactions on these platforms and engage with one anther on GitHub. Due to these preliminary findings, we describe GitHub as a part of a larger ecosystem of developer interactions.
A Review of Intravenous Minocycline for Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter Infections

Options for treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii infections are extremely limited. Minocycline intravenous is active against many MDR strains of Acinetobacter, and Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute breakpoints exist to guide interpretation of minocycline susceptibility results with Acinetobacter. In addition, minocycline intravenous holds a US Food and Drug Administration indication for treatment of infections caused by Acinetobacter. There is an accumulating amount of literature reporting successful use of minocycline intravenous for treatment of serious MDR Acinetobacter infections, particularly for nosocomial pneumonia. These results, coupled with the generally favorable tolerability of minocycline intravenous, support its use as a viable therapeutic option for treatment of MDR Acinetobacter infections.
Tea not Tincture: Hepatotoxicity Associated with Rooibos Herbal Tea

A 52-year-old male presented with signs of acute hepatitis and liver failure. Laboratory investigations for common etiologies were unrevealing, but history suggested liver injury secondary to ingestion of a traditional South African herbal tea made with rooibos and buchu. Livery biopsy confirmed a toxin-mediated liver injury. The patient recovered liver function after stopping the herbal tea. Although hepatotoxicity associated with rooibos and buchu has rarely been reported, anecdotal correspondence with South African physicians confirmed suspected cases. Hepatotoxicity may be due to the heterogeneous composition of herbal teas due to small-batch manufacturing. Our case clearly outlines the need to suspect herbal causes of idiopathic liver injury.
Propagating the Nephrology Research Workforce: A Kidney Research National Dialogue Training Commentary

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases conducted the Kidney Research National Dialogue as an interactive means to formulate and prioritize research goals necessary to address the needs of patients with renal disease. This commentary summarizes the discussion and priorities arising from the training domain of the dialogue and posits three overall strategies to broaden the nephrology research workforce pipeline. The community needs to recruit and provide support for mentors in nephrology, target medical and graduate students earlier in their education for exposure to renal research, and expand the research workforce to include basic scientists from many disciplines as well as under-represented minorities.
Action of Plant Defensive Enzymes in the Insect Midgut

Insect feeding activates the expression of host plant defensive proteins that exert direct effects on the attacker. In addition to the well-studied proteinase inhibitors, the plant’s defensive protein arsenal includes enzymes that disrupt various aspects of insect digestive physiology. In this chapter, we summarize recent studies on isoforms of arginase and threonine deaminase (TD) that degrade the essential amino acids arginine and threonine, respectively, in the alkaline environment of the lepidopteran gut. We also discuss a vegetative storage protein (VSP2) whose phosphatase activity is responsible for potent insecticidal effects on dipteran and coleopteran insects. A common feature of VSP2, TD, and arginase is their wound-inducible expression via the jasmonate signaling pathway. Jasmonate-regulated defensive enzymes may have evolved from pre-existing housekeeping enzymes that catabolize essential nutrients during normal plant development. The application of proteomics-based approaches to identify plant proteins in the digestive tract of phytophagous insects is facilitating the discovery of novel plant proteins with insecticidal activity.
Innovation Science

The term innovation resonates broadly in the cyberspace, books, and journals. A careful analysis of the literature indicates that the knowledge of the underlying science of innovation is limited. Innovation in any domain can be enhanced by principles and insights from different disciplines. However, the process of identifying the linkages between the diverse disciplines and the target domain is not well understood. The innovation process and conditions triggering innovation set the stage for economic progress. The ideas outlined in the paper provide a roadmap for future discovery of innovation science.
Abstract 2630: DNA repair single nucleotide polymorphisms interact with indoor tanning and melanoma

Development of melanoma has previously been associated with compromised DNA repair which can be analyzed by genotyping SNPs in DNA repair genes. The Minnesota Skin Health Study collected DNA samples to investigate the hypothesis that DNA repair SNPs are associated with increased risk for melanoma among tanning bed users. 92 SNPs, with minor allele frequencies greater than 0.05, were analyzed in 20 genes for 1659 samples_893 melanoma cases and 766 controls. The SNPs were genotyped on the Illumina BeadExpress GoldenGate platform. The SNPs were then analyzed for individual SNP associations with melanoma, haplotype associations with melanoma, individual SNP interactions with ever/never indoor tanning, and haplotype interactions with ever/never indoor tanning after adjustments for age, gender, and phenotypic index. There were several SNPs that had an association with melanoma including: six SNPs in three nucleotide excision repair genes ERCC4, ERCC6 (rs4253190, adjusted OR=1.19, 95%CI: 1.04-1.37; rs4838518, adjusted OR=0.86, 95%CI: 0.75-0.99; rs4253121, adjusted OR=0.84, 95%CI:0.71-0.99), and XPC, one SNP in base excision repair gene RFC1, one SNP in direct reversal DNA repair gene MGMT, and one SNP in a novel gene FBRSL1(rs4883571, adjusted OR=0.87, 95%CI: 0.75-1.00). There were four haplotype associations with melanoma including one ERCC6 block (rs10745261, rs6537537, rs4253121: GGA, adjusted OR: 0.84, 95%CI: 0.71-0.99), two MGMT blocks, and one XPC block. Additionally, there was one SNP in FBRSL1 (rs4883557, p=0.0056) and one SNP in ERCC6 (rs10745261, p=0.025) that had an interaction with indoor tanning along with two haplotypes including one block in ERCC6 (rs10745261, rs6537537, rs4253121: AAG, p=0.0355) and one block in MGMT. While the interaction analyses were suggestive, the study is limited because none of the SNPs or haplotypes were only significant (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2630. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2630
Preparation and characterization of lanthanum-promoted cobalt–copper catalysts for the conversion of syngas to higher oxygenates: Formation of cobalt carbide

Abstract A series of La-promoted cobalt–copper catalysts with various Co:Cu ratios have been used to study the conversion of syngas to oxygenates and hydrocarbons. In particular, the effect of the Co:Cu composition on the selectivity to oxygenates versus hydrocarbons has been examined. Three bulk catalysts were synthesized by coprecipitation, reduced in H2/He flow, and then cobalt carbide was formed during CO hydrogenation. The composition of the catalysts was as follows: Cu:Co = 12:9, 7:13, and 0:21 (cobalt only). CO hydrogenation tests were performed at differential conversions and 30 bar, H2/CO = 2/1 and 250 °C. The C1 selectivity (methane + methanol + CO2) was ∼64% for the two catalysts containing Co and Cu, and slightly less for the Co-only catalyst (52%). These products are formed by three mechanisms: (1) CH4: hydrogenation of dissociatively adsorbed CO at metallic cobalt sites, (2) CH3OH: hydrogenation of associatively adsorbed CO at copper sites, and (3) CO2: water gas shift, also at the copper sites. C2+ alcohol selectivity for the two Cu-containing catalysts is greater than for the Co-only catalyst, while the Co-only catalyst has the highest selectivity to acetaldehyde. The formation of C2+ oxygenates is consistent with the CO insertion mechanism, in which associatively adsorbed CO is inserted into the CHx species and forms the first C–C bond, producing a CHxCO intermediate that can be hydrogenated into ethanol or acetaldehyde.
Legal Hermeneutics: The Text and Beyond

This paper discusses legal hermeneutics, the role of interpretation in law. My claim is that legal hermeneutics—and hermeneutics more generally—offers four larger insights. First, legal hermeneutics offers tools for a very sophisticated reading of a text; it allows us to discern more closely what is at work in the text. This discernment requires hermeneutic training in acts of judgment, an acumen that goes beyond the more formulaic and algorithmic resources of much contemporary education. Second, legal hermeneutics requires analysis of the interrelation between meaning and application over time. Often an existing rule cannot be applied mechanically to a new case; hermeneutics shows how the rule must be creatively extended. Third, legal hermeneutics emphasizes the quality of hearing: an attentiveness to the other that demonstrates the humanistic qualities of the law and of legal understanding. Fourth, legal hermeneutics aims to recover insights into human meaning in contrast to more reductive approaches that limit human aspiration to more confining values such as economics. Legal hermeneutics—and hermeneutics as a broader field—is a wager in favor of meaning.