cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonsense shielding: protecting RNA from decay leads to cancer

Despite intense scrutiny, the signals that determine whether a given RNA is degraded by the highly conserved and selective nonsense‐mediated RNA decay (NMD) pathway remain murky. In this issue of The EMBO Journal , Kishor et al shed light on this issue by demonstrating that the RNA‐binding protein, hnRNP L, protects a subset of RNAs from degradation by NMD. This mechanism is responsible for stabilizing the mRNA encoding the pro‐survival “oncogenic” protein, BCL‐2, in B‐cell lymphoma.
“It’s Hard Out Here if You’re a Black Felon”: A Critical Examination of Black Male Reentry:

Formerly incarcerated Black males face many barriers once they return to society after incarceration. Research has long established incarceration as a determinant of poor health and well-being. Whi...
A Multidimensional Data Set for Diesel Combustion Model Validation: I - Initial Conditions, Pressure History and Spray Shapes

Time and spatially resolved measurements have been made of the tangential gas velocity component and the gas temperature at the time of fuel injection in a diesel combustion bomb. Velocities were measured using a laser doppler velocimeter and temperatures were measured using a fine wire thermocouple. Turbulence measurements are also presented and they indicate that at the time of fuel injection the turbulence field is approximately homogeneous and isotropic. An integral length scale of 15 mm is deduced from the decay rate. The pressure during the diesel burn is time resolved using a piezoelectric pressure transducer. High speed color schlieren photographs provide information about the fuel spray trajectory and the shape of the burning plume. Luminous photography is used to discover the time and place of the first ignition site.
Effects of the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin on southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala) tadpole behavior

Neonicotinoid insecticides are highly water soluble with relatively long half-lives, which allows them to move into and persist in aquatic ecosystems. However, little is known of the impacts of neonicotinoids on non-target vertebrates, especially at sublethal concentrations. We evaluated the effects of the neonicotinoid clothianidin on the behavior of southern leopard frog tadpoles (Rana sphenocephala) after a 96-h exposure at 6 concentrations, including 0 (control), 0.375, 0.75, 1.5, 3.0, 6.0 µg/L. We quantified total displacement, mean velocity, maximum velocity, and time spent moving of tadpoles for 1 h post-exposure. Total displacement and mean velocity of tadpoles decreased with clothianidin exposure. Maximum velocity decreased linearly with concentration, but there was no relationship between time spent moving and clothianidin concentration. Our results suggest exposure to clothianidin at sublethal concentrations can affect movement behavior of non-target organisms such as tadpoles.
More frequent cooking at home is associated with higher Healthy Eating Index-2015 score

Objective:To examine the association between cooking frequency and Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015, overall and by income, among US adults.Design:Cross-sectional analysis using multivariable linear regression models to examine the association between cooking frequency and total HEI-2015 score adjusted for sociodemographic variables, overall and stratified by income.Setting:Nationally representative survey data from the USA.Participants:Adults aged ≥20 years (with 2 d of 24 h dietary recall data) obtained from the 2007 to 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n 8668).Results:Compared with cooking dinner 0–2 times/week, greater cooking frequency was associated with higher HEI-2015 score overall (≥7 times/week: +3·57 points, P < 0·001), among lower-income adults (≥7 times/week: +2·55 points, P = 0·001) and among higher-income adults (≥7 times/week: +5·07 points, P < 0·001). Overall, total HEI-2015 score was higher among adults living in households where dinner was cooked ≥7 times/week (54·54 points) compared with adults living in households where dinner was cooked 0–2 times/week (50·57 points). In households in which dinner was cooked ≥7 times/week, total HEI-2015 score differed significantly based on income status (lower-income: 52·51 points; higher-income: 57·35 points; P = 0·003). Cooking frequency was associated with significant differences in HEI-2015 component scores, but associations varied by income.Conclusions:More frequent cooking at home is associated with better diet quality overall and among lower- and higher-income adults, although the association between cooking and better diet quality is stronger among high-income adults. Strategies are needed to help lower-income Americans consume a healthy diet regardless of how frequently they cook at home.
Behavioral features of motivated response to alcohol in Drosophila

Abstract Animals avoid predators and find the best food and mates by learning from the consequences of their behavior. However, reinforcers are not always uniquely appetitive or aversive but can have complex properties. Most intoxicating substances fall within this category; provoking aversive sensory and physiological reactions while simultaneously inducing overwhelming appetitive properties. Here we describe the subtle behavioral features associated with continued seeking for alcohol despite aversive consequences. We developed an automated runway apparatus to measure how Drosophila respond to consecutive exposures of a volatilized substance. Behavior within this Behavioral Expression of Ethanol Reinforcement Runway (BEER Run) demonstrated a defined shift from aversive to appetitive responses to volatilized ethanol. Behavioral metrics attained by combining computer vision and machine learning methods, reveal that a subset of 9 classified behaviors and component behavioral features associate with this shift. We propose this combination of 9 behaviors can be used to navigate the complexities of operant learning to reveal motivated goal-seeking behavior.
Semiconducting Bipolar Membranes: Photochemical Salt Pumps

Controlling ion flow with light is important to developing ion-based systems that store and convert light energy for useful purposes such as desalination or signaling. Light-driven ion release from...
Surgical Technique for Management of Severe Calcaneofibular Impingement: Case Series:

Background:Calcaneofibular impingement is characterized by lateral hindfoot pain and is commonly resulting from calcaneal fracture malunion or severe flatfoot deformity. Lateral calcaneal wall deco...
Music is similar to language in terms of working memory interference

Some researchers theorize that musicians' greater language ability is mediated by greater working memory because music and language share the same processing resources. Prior work using working memory sentence processing dual-task paradigms have shown that holding verbal information (e.g., words) in working memory interferes with sentence processing. In contrast, visuospatial stimuli are processed in a different working memory store and should not interfere with sentence processing. We tested whether music showed similar interference to sentence processing as opposed to noninterference like visuospatial stimuli. We also compared musicians to nonmusicians to investigate whether musical training improves verbal working memory. Findings revealed that musical stimuli produced similar working memory interference as linguistic stimuli, but visuospatial stimuli did not-suggesting that music and language rely on similar working memory resources (i.e., verbal skills) that are distinct from visuospatial skills. Musicians performed more accurately on the working memory tasks, particularly for the verbal and musical working memory stimuli, supporting an association between musicianship and greater verbal working memory capacity. Future research is necessary to evaluate the role of music training as a cognitive intervention or educational strategy to enhance reading fluency.
Navigating slow-onset risks through foresight and flexibility in Fiji: emerging recommendations for the planned relocation of climate-vulnerable communities

The multifaceted relationships that exist between communities and the environment in Fiji are increasingly threatened by the cross-temporal impacts of climate change. Recent literature on the relocation of vulnerable communities as a means to avoid slow-onset climate change impacts in Fiji highlights the complexity of these relationships and the range of considerations that must be factored in when assessing relocation options and strategies. A review of prominent case studies conducted in Fiji suggests there is agreement on the importance of ensuring wide stakeholder participation and empowering community agency when designing strategies to address slow onset events and risks. Recent literature on community-driven adaptive management practices suggests there is significant value that can be derived from structured collaborative conversations about the future. Such conversations and exercises can help to identify community preferences, uncover key concerns and motivations and help guide the design of adaptation options. Ultimately, structured community engagement approaches can help replace or supplement efforts to pre-determine a standard approach to the assessment of adaptation options. This review concludes that participatory scenario-building exercises may be particularly well-suited as a means and platform for communities to self-navigate relocation issues.
Hyperspectral Nonlinear Unmixing via Generative Adversarial Network

Hyperspectral nonlinear unmixing (HNU) is an extremely challenging problem as it is very difficult, if possible at all, to derive an explicit model to describe the underlying nonlinear mixing process. This paper gives the first attempt to tackle this problem by taking advantage of recent advances in deep learning, in specific, the development in generative adversarial network (GAN). The biggest contribution of GAN is that upon training, the network can generate samples with the same probabilistic distribution as that of the training samples, without explicitly knowing what the distribution actually is. Hence, we ask a similar question: can we unmix a hyperspectal image without explicitly knowing the nonlinear mixing model? In order to test this hypothesis, this paper proposes a data-driven supervised HNU method as compared to the traditional model-based approaches and uses a specific GAN framework, CycleGAN to solve the challenging nonlinear unmixing problem. We exploit the linkage between the cycle consistency loss used in CycleGAN and the spectral reconstruction loss used in traditional methods. We make the essential discovery that the usage of the cycle consistency loss enables the learning of the mixing and unmixing processes to be dependent on the training data only, without the need of an explicit mixing model. We refer to the proposed approach as CycleGAN unmixing net, or CGU net. Experimental results indicate that the proposed CGU net exhibits stable and competitive performance on different datasets as compared to traditional HNU methods that are model-based.
Covid-19 and substance consumption: A narrative review of available evidence

The coronavirus pandemic, the etiologic agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has had sanitary, socioeconomic and psychosocial consequences associated to greater levels of anxiety, stress and emotional alterations on general population. An increase in substance consumption in the general population is presumed, as well as problematic consumption. In this line, people with substance use disorder constitute a more vulnerable population to the impact of the pandemic, especially in lockdown. We conducted a systematic search in the main databases about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on substance consumption, performing a narrative synthesis of the available evidence based on the main substances addressed by the publications. We discuss the trends of alcohol, tobacco, opioids and cannabis consumption, and the recommendations regarding follow-up and therapeutic support. Mostly, the level of the evidence of the articles included is low, since they correspond to expert opinions and exploratory observational studies. Most of the conclusions derive from the extrapolation of data obtained during infectious outbreaks of previous forms of coronavirus. We suggest conducting primary studies on substance consumption and maintaining the clinical surveillance of people with substance use disorders in the post-pandemic period. © 2021 Sociedad de Neurologia Psiquiatria y Neurocirugia. All rights reserved.
Investigating Antimicrobial Peptide-Membrane Interactions Using Fast Photochemical Oxidation of Peptides in Nanodiscs

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an important part of the innate immune system and demonstrate promising applications in the fight against antibiotic resistant infections due to their unique mechanism of targeting bacterial membranes. However, it is challenging to study the interactions of these peptides within lipid bilayers, making it difficult to understand their mechanisms of toxicity and selectivity. Here, we used fast photochemical oxidation of peptides, an irreversible footprinting technique that labels solvent accessible residues, and native charge detection-mass spectrometry to study AMP-lipid interactions with different lipid bilayer nanodiscs. We observed differences in the oxidation of two peptides, indolicidin and LL-37, in three distinct lipid environments, which reveals their affinity for lipid bilayers. Our findings suggest that indolicidin interacts with lipid head groups via a simple charge-driven mechanism, but LL-37 is more specific for E. coli nanodiscs. These results provide complementary information on the potential modes of action and lipid selectivity of AMPs.
Load Restoration in Islanded Microgrids: Formulation and Solution Strategies.

Extreme weather events induced by climate change can cause significant disruptions to the normal operation of electric distribution systems (DS), including isolation of parts of the DS due to damaged transmission equipment. In this paper, we consider the problem of load restoration in a microgrid (MG) that is islanded from the upstream DS because of an extreme weather event. The MG contains sources of distributed generation such as microturbines and renewable energy sources, in addition to energy storage systems. We formulate the load restoration task as a non-convex optimization problem with complementarity constraints. We propose a convex relaxation of the problem that can be solved via model predictive control. In addition, we propose a data-driven policy-learning method called constrained policy optimization. The solutions from both methods are compared by evaluating their performance in load restoration, which is tested on a 12-bus MG.
An Honest Presidential Address on the Iraq Situation

This essay is a mock Presidential address designed to highlight the long-term consequences of the US occupation of Iraq.
MALDI-TOF-MS Platform for Integrated Proteomic and Peptidomic Profiling of Milk Samples Allows Rapid Detection of Food Adulterations

Adulteration of ovine, caprine, and buffalo milks with more common bovine material occurs for economic reasons and seasonal availability. Frauds are also associated with the use of powdered milk instead of declared, fresh material. In this context, various analytical methods have been adapted to dairy science applications with the aim to evaluate adulteration of milk samples, although time-consuming, suitable only for speciation or thermal treatment analysis, or useful for a specific fraud type. An integrated MALDI-TOF-MS platform for the combined peptidomic and proteomic profiling of milk samples is here presented, which allows rapid detection of illegal adulterations due to the addition of either nondeclared bovine material to water buffalo, goat, and ovine milks or of powdered bovine milk to the fresh counterpart. Peptide and protein markers of each animal milk were identified after direct analysis of a large number of diluted skimmed and/or enriched diluted skimmed filtrate samples. In parallel, marke...
Reversible Effect of Lithium Chloride on Ribosomes

Abstract The binding of aminoacyl transfer RNA to ribosomes either in the presence (specific binding) or in the absence (nonspecific binding) of messenger RNA was inhibited by LiCl. This effect was partially reversible by NH4+ or K+. The ribosomes were completely dissociated into 50 S and 30 S subunits in the presence of 0.2 m LiCl. When LiCl was removed, the subunits associated again. The activity of ribosomes to synthesize polyphenylalanine in the presence of polyuridylic acid was recovered upon removal of LiCl. This reversible effect of LiCl was antagonized by the presence of a low concentration of NH4+.
The Problems of Rural Reindustrialization: A Case Study of Monroe, Massachusetts

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Faculty Publication Series by an authorized administrator ofScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact scholarworks@library.umass.edu.
Color Stability of Denture Teeth and Acrylic Base Resin Subjected Daily to Various Consumer Cleansers

Objective This study evaluated color stability of acrylic denture teeth and base resins after 48 weeks of commercial denture cleanser simulation. Materials and Methods Two brands of denture teeth (Trubyte Portrait IPN, TP; SR Vivodent DCL, SR) in shades A1, B1, and C1 and three acrylic base resins (Lucitone, LU; Paragon, PA; Valplast, VA) prepared to manufacturer's specifications were exposed 10 hours daily to four cleansers (Clorox Bleach, CB; Polident 3 minute, PO3; Efferdent, EF; and Kleenite, KL) and distilled water control, approximating consumer overnight use. Color measurements used the standard Commision International de l'Eclairage (International Commission on Illumination, CIE L*a*b*) color space (0, 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks.) Color differences (ΔE*) at 48 weeks were subjected to four-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Mean values were compared with Fisher's (protected least significant difference) intervals (0.05 significance level). Results Mean color differences (ΔE*) demonstrated color changes in each material. ANOVA-indicated color changes in teeth were significantly affected by both cleansers and teeth brand (p < 0.05), but not shade. Color changes in base resins were significantly affected by cleansers (p < 0.05), but not brand alone. Overall, KL produced the least color change while CB and PO3 produced the most for all materials. Conclusions After 48 weeks of daily simulation, TP teeth were more color stable than SR in all cleansers except EF (p < 0.0001). Base resin VA was less color stable than LU and PA. Cleanser KL resulted in the lowest color changes. Clinical Significance All tested materials yield clinically acceptable color changes (ΔE* < 3.5); all cleansing methods tested can be recommended, although Kleenite demonstrated the least change after 48 weeks.
Chapter 8 The Roles and Action Mechanisms of p160/SRC Coactivators and the ANCCA Coregulator in Cancer

Chromosomal aberrations involving genes encoding members of the p160/SRC transcriptional coactivator family such as AIB1/ACTR and TIF2 implicated the coactivators in malignancy of human cells. Significant progress has been made in the last decade toward uncovering their roles in the development and progression of solid tissue tumors as well as leukemia and understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, we review their genetic aberrations and dysregulation in expression in breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other nonhormone‐responsive cancers. The experimental evidence gathered from studies using cell culture and animal models strongly supports a critical and, in some circumstances, their oncogenic function. We summarize results that the SRCs may contribute to tumorigenesis and disease progression through transcription factors such as E2F, PEA3, and AP‐1 and through an intimate control of signaling pathways of growth factors‐Akt and the receptor tyrosine kinases. The finding that a recently identified nuclear receptor coregulator ANCCA, like the SRCs, is frequently overexpressed in many types of cancers again underscores their broader roles in cancer.
Treatment of experimental intracranial glioblastoma (GBM) with adenoviruses expressing TK and Flt3L induce intratumoral infiltration of phagocytic immature plasmacytoid dendritic cells

2856 We previously demonstrated that adenoviral vectors (Ads) expressing TK (Ad-TK) and Flt3L (Ad-Flt3L) increase the survival of rats bearing large intracranial GBM. This approach combines the cytotoxic effect of TK that kills glioma cells in the presence of ganciclovir (GCV), and the immunostimulatory effect of Flt3L, which attracts antigen presenting cells (APCs) to the brain tumor mass. Here, we characterized the APCs that infiltrate the tumor mass after Ad-TK/GCV+Ad-Flt3L treatment. We implanted CNS1 tumors in the striatum of Lewis rats and 10 days later treated them intratumorally with Ad-TK/GCV+Ad-Flt3L. We extracted immune cells from the intracranial tumors 5 and 12 days after the treatment using Percoll gradient, and characterized them by flow cytometry. We found that this immunotherapy induces active recruitment of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) into the tumor mass and increases the infiltration of macrophages when compared to controls. To study the ability of intratumoral pDCs to uptake tumor antigen we injected fluorescent beads (1μm FluoSpheres) intratumorally 4 days after Ad-TK/GCV+Ad-Flt3L treatment. We found that the beads were rapidly taken up by intratumoral APCs 24 h after administration. APCs containing beads were detected 1, 4 and 7 days after delivery in the tumor mass and approaching or entering tumor blood vessels. Four days after bead delivery, APCs containing beads were detected in the draining cervical limph nodes. Intratumoral immune cells containing beads were positively labeled for CD68, a marker for macrophages/activated microglia, and CD45R, a marker for pDCs and B cells.To specifically characterize the intratumoral pDCs, immune cells from the tumor were collected by Percoll gradient 5 days after the treatment and pDCs were purified by flow cytometry (CD3-, CD4+, CD45R+). We studied the expression of activation markers (CD86, MHCII), their ability to release IFN-α and their phagocytic activity in vitro. We found that intratumoral pDCs recruited by Ad-TK/GCV+Ad-Flt3L do not express CD86 or MHCII and are capable of phagocytosis of beads in vitro. Also, while intratumoral pDCs do not release IFN-α basally, they can be activate in vitro after 24 h incubation with the TLR-9 agonist ODN Cpg2216 (50 µg/ml), releasing IFN-α and upregulating MHCII expression. Our results suggest that APCs infiltrating intracranial GBMs after Ad-TK/GCV+Ad-Flt3L treatment are macrophages and immature phagocytic pDCs and that these cells can phagocytose tumor Ag and migrate to the draining limph node. This mechanism could elicit immune-mediate tumor regression in our model after treatment with Ad-TK/GCV+Ad-Flt3L. Support: NIH/NINDS R01 NS44556.01, R21-NSO54143.01; UO1 NS052465.01; RO3 TW006273-01 (MGC).; RO1 NS 054193.01; RO1 NS 42893.01; U54 NS045309-01, R21 NS047298-01 (PRL); F32 NS058156.01 (MC)
Quantitative island size determination in the chemisorbed layer W(110) p(2 × 1)-O: I. Instrument response function and substrate perfection

Abstract In preparation for determining the island size in the chemisorbed layer W(110) p(2 × 1)- O , the instrument response function of the LEED system has been determined and the limiting factors identified. As a result, a measure of the substrate surface perfection has been obtained. The surface contains monatomic steps at the bulk spacing with a density of roughly 2%.
Energy and trace-gas fluxes across a soil pH boundary in the Arctic

Studies and models of trace-gas flux in the Arctic consider temperature and moisture to be the dominant controls over land–atmosphere exchange1,2, with little attention having been paid to the effects of different substrates. Likewise, current Arctic vegetation maps for models of vegetation change recognize one or two tundra types3,4 and do not portray the extensive regions with different soils within the Arctic. Here we show that rapid changes to ecosystem processes (such as photosynthesis and respiration) that are related to changes in climate and land usage will be superimposed upon and modulated by differences in substrate pH. A sharp soil pH boundary along the northern front of the Arctic Foothills in Alaska separates non-acidic (pH > 6.5) ecosystems to the north from predominantly acidic (pH < 5.5) ecosystems to the south. Moist non-acidic tundra has greater heat flux, deeper summer thaw (active layer), is less of a carbon sink, and is a smaller source of methane than moist acidic tundra.
Reduced functional loads alter the physical characteristics of the bone-periodontal ligament-cementum complex.

Background Adaptive properties of the bone-PDL-tooth complex have been identified by changing the magnitude of functional loads using small-scale animal models such as rodents. Reported adaptive responses as a result of lower loads due to softer diet include decreased muscle development, change in structure-function relationship of the cranium, narrowed PDL-space, changes in mineral level of the cortical bone and alveolar jaw bone, and glycosaminoglycans of the alveolar bone. However, the adaptive role of the dynamic bone-PDL-cementum complex due to prolonged reduced loads has not been fully explained to date, especially with regards to concurrent adaptations of bone, PDL and cementum. Hence, the temporal effect of reduced functional loads on physical characteristics such as morphology and mechanical properties, and mineral profiles of the bone-periodontal ligament (PDL)-cementum complex using a rat model was investigated.
Multidecadal variability of the North Brazil Current

[1] The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which carries warm water to high northern latitudes near the surface and returns cold water in the deep ocean to the Southern Hemisphere, affects and is affected by global climate change. There has been debate as to whether the AMOC has begun slowing down due to global warming, but research on AMOC variability based on instrumental records is limited. One possible indicator of change in the AMOC is the North Brazil Current (NBC), a strong current that flows northward in the tropical South Atlantic, connecting the North and South Atlantic oceans, and plays an important role as a major pathway for surface return flow in the AMOC. Zhang et al. calculated how NBC varies on multidecadal time scales based on a record of 50 years of observations off the coast of Brazil. They found that NBC transport changes are correlated with Labrador Sea deep convection (important for deepwater formation) and with a broad pattern of sea surface temperature anomalies in the Atlantic (sometimes referred to as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation or Atlantic Multidecadal Variability), both of which have previously been linked to AMOC fluctuations. The researchers therefore suggest that observed NBC variability is a useful indicator of AMOC variations. They confirm this using a climate model simulation. Furthermore, the authors note that although some studies have suggested that the AMOC is slowing down due to global warming, NBC shows multidecadal variability but no significant slowing trend over the past 50 years. (Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, doi:10.1029/2010JC006812, 2011)
A Diffusion-Multiple Approach for Mapping Phase Diagrams, Hardness, and Elastic Modulus

This paper seeks to illustrate the power of a diffusion-multiple approach in efficient mapping of phase diagrams and materials properties for multicomponent alloy systems, showing that many ternary phase diagrams can be mapped from a single diffusion multiple. The diffusion profiles also allow evaluation of diffusion coefficients. Moreover, the composition variations created in the diffusion multiple allow efficient mapping of hardness and elastic modulus as a function of composition and phases. Examples will be given for precious metal systems currently used in high-temperature sensors. For these systems, the diffusion-multiple approach also produces a tremendous cost saving compared to making heats of various alloys, preparing samples, and measuring properties. This approach uses several microanalytical techniques, such as electron probe microanalysis, electron backscatter diffraction, and instrumented nanoindentation.
The Use of a High Fidelity Simulator to Improve Aircraft Inspection Performance: The ASSIST Program

The aircraft maintenance industry is a complex system consisting of several interrelated human and machine components. The linchpin of this system, however, is the human. Recognizing this, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has pursued human factors related research. In the maintenance arena the research has focused on the aircraft inspection process and the aircraft inspector. Training has been identified as the primary intervention strategy to improve the quality and reliability of aircraft inspection. In response to this need, the paper outlines the development of a high fidelity inspection training simulator (ASSIST: Automated System of Self Instruction for Specialized Training) focused on improving aircraft inspection performance and ultimately aviation safety. The research was funded by the Federal Aviation Administration and conducted by the Advanced Training Systems Laboratory of the Department of Industrial Engineering, Clemson University and was conducted in cooperation with Delta Airline...
Experimental determination of silica/copper interfacial toughness

Experiments designed to measure the fracture toughness of ceramic-metal interfaces over a wide range of phase angles are described, and a simple approach to data analysis accounting for plasticity effects in specifying interfacial toughness is outlined. A modified version of a fixture proposed by Richard and Benitz [Int. J. Fract.22, R55 (1983)] is used to apply mixed-mode loadings to silica/copper sandwich specimens. The experimentally observed crack trajectories depend on the phase angle of loading. In general, the tendency for initial propagation of the crack to occur in the ceramic increases as the magnitude of the phase angle increases. The introduction of a modest amount of mixed-mode loading resulted in a substantial increase in fracture toughness, from approximately 2.2 J/m2 at 3° to 6.4 J/m2 at 16° and 8.7 J/m2 at −10°. The data clearly indicate that plasticity effects become increasingly important as the magnitude of the phase angle increases.
Risk of Death for Children with Down Syndrome and Sepsis

Objective To determine differences in case fatality rates between children with and without Down syndrome. Study design We used the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database, which includes demographic and diagnostic data from freestanding children's hospitals. Using Poisson regression, we determined the risk of mortality from sepsis for children with Down syndrome, after controlling for potential confounding factors. Results A total of 35,645 patients met our inclusion criteria, of which 3936 (11%) died during hospitalization. Altogether, 620 of the included patients also had a diagnosis of Down syndrome; 106 (17%) of these died during hospitalization. Children with Down syndrome had significantly elevated risk of mortality (mortality rate ratio = 1.30; 95% confidence interval = 1.06 to 1.59) after adjusting for potential confounding factors including demographics, pathogens, and concomitant conditions. Conclusions Children with Down syndrome and sepsis have elevated risk of mortality. These findings have implications for treatment decisions, communications about prognosis, and future research.
Being “Cool” is Not Enough: Interrogations on White-Ethnic Privilege and Student-Teacher Relations

In this reflective essay, Critical Race Theory's (CRT) focus on “interrogating” racial representations is used to reveal the ways racial and ethnic privilege shape teaching practices and the relations between White teachers and their non-White students. The essay suggests that the progressive identity of White-ethnic teachers and professors works to obscure the social distances between White educators and their non-White students thereby silencing student subjectivity and reproducing distances based on race and ethnic-class privilege. Borrowing from CRT, the author utilizes a narrative style to highlight the importance of stories in theorizing the way race functions to sustain domination. This essay contributes to the work of White women teachers who interrogate their own privilege, the growing body of literature that integrates CRT with education and to Critical White Studies by exemplifying the way narrative can capture the complex and socially constructed nature of race and ethnicity.
Low caloric expenditure in cardiac rehabilitation

Abstract Background Total physical activity energy expenditure is a determinant of weight loss and risk factor modification in adults. There has been very little study of physical activity energy expenditure in cardiac rehabilitation populations. Methods Exercise-related energy expenditure was calculated in 112 patients with coronary artery disease in an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program. Gross energy expenditure was estimated with the heart rate/oxygen consumption relation as measured during metabolic exercise testing with expired gas analysis. Results The average exercise training energy expenditure (ETEE) per cardiac rehabilitation exercise session was quite low at 270 ± 112 kcal. Baseline fitness level (peak oxygen consumption), body weight, total exercise duration per session, age, and body mass index were all significant determinants of ETEE ( r = 0.56 to –0.37, all P r = –0.43 and –0.45, respectively), although no such relation was observed in men. Conclusion Cardiac rehabilitation exercise training, as currently structured, burns surprisingly few calories and has little impact in the short term (3 months) on measures of obesity and lipid risk factors. Alternative training programs should be considered to maximize caloric expenditure and modify specific risk factors such as obesity and dyslipidemia. (Am Heart J 2000;140:527-33.)
Heat-shock protein 90 complexes in resting and thrombin-activated platelets.

Heat-shock protein 90 (hsp90) is a chaperone important for the function of many signaling proteins. In this study, we show that hsp90 exists in resting platelets as a complex with the heat-shock cognate protein 70 (hsc70), the α- and β-subunits of protein kinase CK2, and other unidentified phosphoproteins. Platelet activation by thrombin caused the rapid dissociation of hsc70 and CK2α from the hsp90 complex, the ex vivo phosphorylation of many protein components, and the stimulation of protein kinase(s) associated with the hsp90 complex. These results suggest that the hsp90 complex, with its associated protein kinase(s), which may include CK2, and their substrates, is involved in thrombin-induced platelet activation.
Econospinning: How to Read Between the Lines When the Media Manipulate the Numbers . By Gene Epstein. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2006.

Economists are familiar with the cliche “lies, damned lies, and statistics,” which puts statistics at the top of the pyramid of lies. ESPN sports radio personality Colin Cowherd, on the other hand, insists, “People lie, the numbers don’t.” Since people create the numbers the line between liars and bad numbers may be less than bright and clear, but Gene Epstein—economics columnist for Barron’s magazine and author of Econospinning—essentially sides with Cowherd. Epstein finds little fault with government’s economic numbers and plenty of fault with the reporters and pundits who use those numbers. Perhaps surprisingly for a promarket, antistatist economist, I agree with Epstein’s assessment. Most of the numbers, especially the labor data produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) upon which Epstein concentrates, are tolerably reliable and accurate, provided the user takes the time to learn their limitations. In 2001–2002 I was chief economist at the labor department, a Bush–Cheney political appointee of all things, and was quickly impressed with the thoroughness and professionalism of BLS personnel and their numerical output. Epstein defines “econospinning” as the “sort of economic journalism that shapes data around a predetermined story rather than the story around the discoverable data.” It is all familiar enough, now is not it? Rather than asking “What happened?” too many observers push their own agenda, fixing the intelligence around the policy as the Downing Street memo on Bush’s Iraq invasion put it. Epstein concedes that no one is completely immune from bias, but given all the scandalous media behavior he documents, he goes rather easy on the sinners. As for media motivation, he is Quart J Austrian Econ (2007) 10:250–253 DOI 10.1007/s12113-007-9016-0
“A Logic of Its Own”: Repetition in Coleridge’s “Christabel”

This essay argues that Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s notoriously disjointed poem “Christabel” displays a consistent concern with repetition: thematically, formally, and psychologically. By looking at the pervasiveness of echoes, I show how “Christabel” produces a coherent exploration of repetition, first in terms of paralysis, and later in terms of creativity.
The Mythology of Debts and Deficits

This paper discusses the role played by mythology in the public's perception, and the formation of public policy with regard to federal debt and deficits. It argues that three myths structure our understanding and prevent us from adopting reasonable policies. These myths suggest that most government action is deleterious, and that the government as an economic agent should be held to the same standard as individual economic agents.
The Windy Ridge quartzite quarry: hunter-gatherer mining and hunter-gatherer land use on the North American Continental Divide

Studies of hunter-gatherer activity at lithic raw material sources are relatively rare and largely descriptive, in part because archaeologists have viewed hunter-gatherer lithic procurement as a casual and low-cost activity. This paper presents the results of fieldwork at a hunter-gatherer quartzite quarry along the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado that suggests that this perspective is incorrect. Hunter-gatherer groups at the site quarried stone intensively, although they did not often transport this stone any great distance. This suggests that it is useful to reconsider the way we think about lithic procurement, and particularly that we rethink the concepts of 'direct' and 'indirect' procurement. The data presented here highlight the ability of quarry sites to expand our understanding of how mobile human groups used the landscape.
Source term modeling for evaluating the potential impacts to groundwater of fluids escaping from a depleted oil reservoir used for carbon sequestration

Abstract In recent years depleted oil reservoirs have received special interest as carbon storage reservoirs because of their potential to offset costs through collaboration with enhanced oil recovery projects. Modeling is currently being conducted to evaluate potential risks to groundwater associated with leakage of fluids from depleted oil reservoirs used for storage of CO 2 . Modeling results reported here focused on understanding how toxic organic compounds found in oil will distribute between the various phases (oil, vapor, and brine) within a storage reservoir after introduction of CO 2 , understanding the migration potential of these compounds, and assessing potential groundwater impacts should leakage occur. Three model scenarios were conducted to evaluate how organic components in oil will distribute among the phases of interest (oil, CO 2 , and brine). The three cases were 50 wt.% oil and 50 wt.% water, 90 wt.% CO 2 and 10 wt.% oil, and 90 wt.% CO 2 , 5 wt.% oil, and 5% wt.% water. Several key organic compounds were considered in this study based upon their occurrence in oil at significant concentrations, relative toxicity, or because they can serve as surrogate compounds for other more highly toxic compounds for which required input data are not available. The organic contaminants of interest (COI) selected for this study were benzene, toluene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and anthracene. Partitioning of organic compounds between crude oil and supercritical CO 2 was modeled using the Peng–Robinson equation of state over temperature and pressure conditions that represent the entire subsurface system of the scenario under investigation (from those relevant to deep geologic carbon storage environments to near surface conditions). Results indicate that for the modeled oil reservoir conditions (75 °C, and 21,520 kPa) negligible amounts of the COI dissolve into the aqueous phase. When CO 2 is introduced into the reservoir such that the final composition of the reservoir is 90 wt.% CO 2 and 10 wt.% oil, a significant fraction of the oil dissolves into the vapor phase. As the vapor phase moves up through the stratigraphic column, pressures and temperatures decrease, resulting in significant condensation of oil components. The heaviest organic components condense early in this process (at higher pressures and temperatures), while the lighter components tend to remain in the vapor phase until much lower pressures and temperatures are reached. Based on the model assumptions, the final concentrations of COI to reach an aquifer at 1520 kPa and 25 °C were quite significant for benzene and toluene, whereas the concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons that reach the aquifer were very small. This work demonstrates a methodology that can provide COI source term concentrations in CO 2 leaking from a reservoir and entering an overlying aquifer for use in risk assessments.
Preseason precipitation probabilities as an aid to corn planting decisions

Abstract An analysis of corn yield data from 5 countries and precipitation data from 5 representative locations in eastern Nebraska from a 58-year period 1925–1983 show that yields are above normal when the preseason season precipitation (1 September–15 May) is above average. Long term precipitation records of 80 or more years were used to determine the probability, at different times during a 75-day period prior to planting, that the preseason precipitation at planting time would be average or higher.
Possible role for human papillomavirus 16 in squamous cell carcinoma of the finger.

There are about 20 types of human papillomavi-ruses (HPVs) which are generally believed to be confined to the anogenital tract. HPV 16 is the most common of these. Four squamous cell carcinomas of the finger from three individuals were analyzed for the presence of HPV DNA by Pst 1 restriction enzyme digest and Southern blotting. Under high stringency conditions, all were positive for HPV 16. The DNA from each patient was digested with a panel of restriction enzymes so that integration of HPV into the genome could be evaluated. Three of three samples contained high molecular weight oligomeric circular DNA arranged as catanates. None showed integration. To determine if the HPV was transcriptionally active, RNA was isolated, reverse transcribed, and amplified using primers that amplified the unspliced E6 transcript and the E6I and E6II spliced transcripts. All of the patient biopsies assayed expressed the unspliced E6 transcript and the spliced E6I transcript with the E6I transcript being the most abundant. The E6II transcript was not detected in any of the samples. These findings indicate that HPV plays a role in the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the finger and the role of the malignant genital HPV needs to be carefully looked at in areas outside the genital region. It also suggests that the natural history of HPV in areas outside the cervix may not be identical to that of HPV in the anogenital region. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Narrowband structure in HF waves above the electron plasma frequency in the auroral ionosphere

We report high resolution measurements of the frequency-time structure of HF waves just above the electron plasma frequency in overdense conditions in the auroral ionosphere. Short duration narrowband emissions (HF chirps) are observed whose frequencies predominantly decrease with time. Typical HF Chirp amplitudes are 1 mV/m, typical durations are 100 ms, and typical frequency-time slopes are 50 kHz/s. The emissions often occur in flocks in which pairs of emissions appear simultaneously at frequencies 300-2000 Hz apart and drift in parallel. The observed characteristics are consistent with propagating electromagnetic Z-mode waves.
The structure of oxygen adsorbed on Mo(100) studied by high-reolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy

Abstract Oxygen-modified Mo(100) surfaces with coverages from 0.8 to 1.4 monolayers (ML), prepared by high-temperature annealing, have been investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). The surface with 0.8 ML coverage, a ( 5 × 5 )- R 26°33′ low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) pattern, produces a three-peak pattern associated with modes derived from oxygen located in a three-coordinate site. With increasing oxygen coverage up to 1.1 ML and a change in the LEED pattern to (2×1), the three-peak pattern persists which indicates that the three-coordinate O/Mo structural motif is preserved. As the oxygen coverage exceeds 1 ML, an additional loss peak due to oxygen located on an atop site appears at 985 cm−1. At 1.4 ML the HREELS spectrum is very similar to the vibrational spectrum of MoO2, consistent with the formation of this oxide phase. Time-dependent HREELS measurements at 300 K and coverages ≤1 ML reveal a gradual clustering of adsorbed oxygen and relocation from three-coordinate sites to atop sites.
Computer-Assisted, Outcomes-Based Evaluation for School Programs

~~ has never been greater. The educational reform movement of the 1980s has placed a premium on student achievement and school accountability. The perceived link between education and economic development, together with the need to be economically competitive with other developed nations, has placed the educational system under microscopic scrutiny. The focus is, now more than ever, on the products or outcomes of the educational system. The direction and ultimate impact of reform hinges, to a large extent, on the ability to accurately assess those outcomes, analyze and interpret their meaning, and plan programs accordingly. Tremendous pressure has been brought to bear on local schools to improve the quality of their product. In the present reform climate, that quality is measured by various school and program outcomes, mostly related to student achievement. Various strategies have been (and continue to be) attempted at