cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tillage effects on shear strength and bulk density of soil aggregates

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of four tillage systems (moldboard plow, chisel plow, Paraplow and no-till) on soil aggregate shear strength and bulk density. Two soils, a Canisteo clay loam (fine-loamy, mixed (calcareous), mesic, Typic Haplaquoll) and a Haig silt loam (fine, montmorillonitic, mesic, Typic Argiaquoll) were used in this study. Soil samples were collected from the 0.075–0.15-m-depth increment in 1983 and the 0.075–0.15- and 0.225–0.30-m-depth increments in 1985. Shear strength of soil aggregates 0.02–0.03 m in diameter was measured by a fall-cone penetrometer and bulk density of the same aggregates was measured by gamma-ray attenuation. Aggregates were tested at soil water matric potentials (ψm) of −0.2, −1.1 and −4.0 kPa in 1983 and at ψm of −0.2, −1.1, −4.0 and −7.9 kPa in 1985. Tillage for the 1983 growing season was conducted under very wet conditions, whereas tillage for the 1985 growing season was conducted under much drier conditions. Samples collected in 1983 showed little tillage effect on shear strength or bulk density. In 1985, tillage had an effect on shear strength and bulk density for the Haig soil, but not for the Canisteo soil. Much of the tillage effect on soil aggregate shear strength could be explained by tillage-induced changes in the aggregate bulk density. As bulk density decreased, soil aggregate shear strength decreased. Sampling depth had no effect on soil aggregate shear strength or bulk density. Matric potential had an effect on soil aggregate shear strength and bulk density. As matric potential decreased, both shear strength and bulk density increased.
Revisiting the Effectiveness of Base Crisis Response Strategies in Comparison of Reputation Management Crisis Responses

This experimental study found that employing reputation management crisis-response strategies was no better than adopting only the base crisis-response strategy (i.e., instructing and adjusting information) in terms of generating positive responses from the public. Two-sided messages (i.e., sharing both positive and negative information) in crisis communication were found to be more effective than one-sided messages in a victim crisis. In addition, even in a preventable crisis, one-sided messages (i.e., sharing only positive information) were not more effective than two-sided messages. Finally, the study found little support for Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT)'s recommendations for the best crisis response strategy selections.
Nonclassical effects of a driven atoms-cavity system in the presence of an arbitrary driving field and dephasing

We investigate the photon statistics of light transmitted from a driven optical cavity containing one or two atoms interacting with a single mode of the cavity field. We treat arbitrary driving fields with emphasis on departure from previous weak field results. In addition effects of dephasing due to atomic transit through the cavity mode are included using two different models. We find that both models show the nonclassical correlations are quite sensitive to dephasing. The effect of multiple atoms on the system dynamics is investigated by placing two atoms in the cavity mode at different positions, therefore having different coupling strengths.
Managed care and recovery: Opportunities and challenges for psychiatric nursing

The current crisis in mental health services is related to the "bottom line" focus of managed care. This trend as well as the consumer-led recovery movement challenge psychiatric nurses in both educational and clinical settings to carefully examine their knowledge, skills, and attitudes and to develop new partnerships with consumers in nontraditional settings to promote quality. The development of consumer-run peer support services serves as a model of consumer/professional partnerships.
G378(P) Domiciliary administration of intravenous albumin in the management of congenital nephrotic syndrome: case series

Traditional management of congenital nephrotic syndrome has been early bilateral nephrectomy with renal replacement therapy and subsequent transplantation. Management in the United Kingdom has moved towards unilateral nephrectomy and pharmacotherapy with ACE inhibition and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories to limit renal function and hence protein leak. The frequent administration of intravenous albumin is a mandatory requirement in almost all patients in the early stages of the disease. We report a series of seven patients in whom parents were trained in the administration of albumin via a central line in the home setting, with reduction in the need for prolonged hospital admission or attendance. We demonstrate that albumin can be safely administered in the home setting, over a short period of time per infusion, and is well tolerated. No mortality was directly attributable to the home albumin program. Complication rates were favourable compared to other home parenteral therapies. Administration of intravenous albumin can be safely performed in the home setting, reducing the length of in-patient stay and potentially delaying the need for nephrectomy and renal replacement therapy.
Orthogonalisation for power-system computations

In this paper, orthogonalisation of sparse matrices by a modified Given's method is discussed, a reordering policy to minimize fill-in is postulated and Shamanski's method is extended to orthogonalisation. The method so defined is compared to “Optimally Ordered Factorisation” as used at present for load-flow, economic-dispatch, short-circuit and state-estimation calculations. The comparison of efficiency (time), storage space required and accuracy shows that the method advocated here is often better.
Superficial thrombophlebitis of the breast (Mondor's disease): mammographic findings.

Mondon’s disease, on thrombophlebitis of the subcutaneous veins of the breast, is uncommon. The thrombophlebitis has been associated with direct trauma, breast surgery, extensive physical activity, and rarely with breast carcinoma. Although the diagnosis is usually made clinically, occasionally the radiologist has the opportunity to explain that a palpable mass is actually the cord of a thrombosed superficial vein. Unfamiliarity with this condition may result in an unnecessary recommendation for a biopsy. The radiologist should therefore be aware of this clinical entity and its mammographic findings.
Antileukemic Activity Studies and Cellular Pharmacology of the Analogues of 2-Hydroxy-1H-Isoindole-1,3-Dione (Hisd) Alone and in Combination with Cytosine Arabinoside (ara-C) Against Human Leukemia Cells Cem/O

The 2-hydroxy-1H-isoindole-1,3-dione (HISD) derivatives are inhibitors of ribonucleotide reductase (RR). Among the seven new compounds of the PL series, three were found to be active in cell lines sensitive (CEM/0) or resistant to ara-C (CEM/ara-C/7A; CEM/dCk[-]). The compounds PL4, PL7 and PL8 exhibited IC50 values in micromolar range against the three CEM cell lines. The 3 compounds showed 100- to 1000-fold higher cytotoxicity compared to HU against all three CEM cell lines. Combination of each of the three active PL compounds with ara-C showed high degree of synergism in comparison to the combinations of HU with ara-C against both CEM/0 and CEM/ara-C/7A cell lines. The DNA synthetic capacity of CEM/0 cells treated with 10 μM PL4 for 24 or 48 h was inhibited ≥ 99.8% simultaneously the cellular NTP pools were severely depleted. Treatment of CEM/0 cells with 10 μM PL4 showed steady depletion in all the dNTP pools at 1 or 2 h and complete depletion by 4 h. The enzyme activity did not recover up to 48 h in ...
Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infection: Epidemiology and Treatment

Herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) are highly prevalent viruses capable of establishing lifelong infection. Genital herpes in women of childbearing age represents a major risk for mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HSV infection, with primary and first-episode genital HSV infections posing the highest risk. The advent of antiviral therapy with parenteral acyclovir has led to significant improvement in neonatal HSV disease mortality. Further studies are needed to improve the clinician's ability to identify infants at increased risk for HSV infection and prevent MTCT, and to develop novel antiviral agents with increased efficacy in infants with HSV infection.
Transferring ideas from engineering to the social sciences

Shifting socioeconomic forces have led many engineers to focus their professional attention on Societal and managerial problems, as opposed to those for which they were trained. Many of theories one carries as an engineer appear to be quite applicable to socioeconomic problems, but as several case histories show, there are subtle conditions which may prevent a direct transfer of ideas. Some guidelines for improving one's chances of successfully bringing his knowledge to bear on socioeconomic problems are suggested.
1+1 ' resonant multiphoton ionisation of OH radicals via the A(2)sigma(+) state: insights from direct comparison with A-X laser-induced fluorescence detection

A 1+1′ resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionisation (REMPI) scheme for OH X2Π radicals is characterised for a broad range of intermediate A2Σ+ (v = 1, J, Fi) levels. The intensities of OH A-X (1,0) transitions detected by subsequent fixed-frequency VUV ionisation are compared with those obtained by near simultaneous laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements. The ratios of the 1+1′ REMPI to LIF signals are used to derive enhancement factors which reflect the VUV absorption to the OH A3Π, 3d, v = 0 Rydberg state and/or the fast autoionisation process that yields OH+ ions. The determination of the enhancement factors permits 1+1′ REMPI to be utilised as a quantitative state-specific probe of OH X2Π radicals.
The sequence of hepatitis E virus isolated directly from a single source during an outbreak in China

In this study an IgM antibody-mediated antigen-capture procedure for direct extraction of hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA from clinical specimens was developed and used with an efficient method for generating viral cDNA that was subsequently sequenced using the dideoxy chain termination method. This is the first time the complete HEV genome has been isolated directly from a single human clinical specimen obtained during an outbreak of enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis. When the Chinese-derived sequence was compared with the original isolate of Burmese HEV from an experimentally infected cynomolgus macaque, the homology between the two sequences was 94% and 98.5% at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively. The methods we developed for generating and sequencing genomic HEV cDNA dramatically improved the efficiency of cloning the viral genome and should be helpful for continued analysis of this virus as well as other RNA viruses that have proven to be difficult to clone and sequence directly.
Stereospecific Alkenylation of C−H Bonds via Reaction with β-Heteroatom-Functionalized Trisubstituted Vinyl Triflones1

Aryl and alkyl β-heteroatom-trisubstituted vinyl triflones react with THF and cyclohexane to undergo trifluoromethyl radical-mediated C−H functionalization reactions to afford E and Z β-heteroatom-trisubstituted olefins. Most reactions proceed with both high yield and high stereospecificity (retention of configuration). β-Substituents which have been employed in this study are iodine, bromine, fluorine, benzoate, ethylcarbonate, and phthalimide. β-Substituents bearing powerful electron-releasing groups such as alkoxy or amino render the vinyl triflone unreactive.
Action-Based Learning: a New Form of Developmental Plasticity in Bird Song

Two forms of developmental plasticity in bird song are contrasted. The classical 'memory-based' or sensorimotor process includes a sensory phase during which a song model is memorized followed by a motor phase during which the bird matches his own song to the model via auditory feedback. In contrast, 'action-based learning' refers to the selection of songs that are already produced for retention in the mature repertoire. Evidence for action-based learning appears in the form of a large (overproduced) repertoire of songs in the plastic phase of song development. During the transition from plastic to crystallized song, social interactions selectively reinforce performance of certain song types, while non-reinforced song types are discarded. We review evidence from three species of sparrow which suggests that song sharing among territorial males, a common form of vocal plasticity usually thought to solely involve memory-based learning, may be the result of action-based learning. These forms of song learning are complementary in that memory-based learning provides the raw song material upon which the selective forces of action-based learning act. We suggest that action-based learning may be widespread among behaviour patterns that involve overproduction of motor patterns in youth.
Exalite 392E: a new laser dye for efficient cw operation between 373 and 408 nm.

Exalite 392E is found to offer significant improvements in the preparation of dye solutions for efficient ultraviolet dye lasers./AIP/.
Effects of temperature on acid and base excretion in a lizard,Dipsosaurus dorsalis

1. Temperature induced changes in blood pH inD. dorsalis may be accounted for by constant plasma strong ion difference ([SID]), constant total weak acid concentration ([Atot]) and observed in vivo partial pressure of CO2 (\(P_{CO_2 }\)) (Fig. 1). I studied renal and cloacal function at different body temperatures (Tb) to learn how constant plasma [SID] is preserved. I considered acid and base excretion in terms of the independent variables of acid-base status: [SID], [Atot] and\(P_{CO_2 }\). I analyzed changes in urinary [SID] and [Atot] in terms of glomerular filtration and net postglomerular transport of strong ions (Na+, K+, Mg++, Ca++, Cl−) and uric acid. 2. Plasma [SID] did not change withTb (Table 1). The excretion of urine of constant [SID] at different temperatures, except for cooling to 18°C, is consistent with preservation of plasma [SID] between 25 and 42°C. 3. At different constantTb's net excretion of strong ions, uric acid and total CO2 of ureteral and cloacal urine increased with temperature. During changes ofTb between 25 and 42°C similar patterns were seen (Table 2). Increased excretion of solutes at higherTb's was accompanied by increased glomerular filtration rates (GFR) and relatively constant fractional excretion (Table 4). Constant [SID] of urine was due to parallel adjustments in the excretion of strong ions (primarily Na+, K+ and Cl−). 4. In contrast to water breathing animals, temperature induced changes in blood pH inDipsosaurus, over the short term, probably do not involve net extra-pulmonary excretion of CO2, strong ions, or weak acids. 5. Changes in\(P_{CO_2 }\) via changes in lung ventilation appear to be the major controlling element in temperature induced acid-base adjustments inDipsosaurus. This conclusion is discussed in terms of the normal thermal history ofDipsosaurus and the time courses of acid-base adjustments by the various organ systems in ectotherms.
Effects of alloying, ordering, and strain on the exchange parameters of II-VI dilute magnetic semiconductors

Using the band-structure method, we have studied the coupling between the magnetic ion $d$ states and the itinerant valence and conduction states in ${\mathrm{Be}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{x}\mathrm{Te}$, ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{x}\mathrm{Se}$, ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{x}\mathrm{Te}$, and ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{x}\mathrm{Te}$ semiconductor alloys. We show that alloying, atomic ordering, and interfaces in semiconductor heterostructures have large effects on the ${N}_{0}\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and ${N}_{0}\ensuremath{\beta}$ exchange parameters. General chemical trends on the variation of the exchange parameters as a function of the alloy concentration are revealed. Our results successfully explain recent puzzling experimental results, which show that ${N}_{0}\ensuremath{\beta}$ in ${\mathrm{Be}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{x}\mathrm{Te}$, measured in the ${\mathrm{Be}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{x}\mathrm{Te}∕\mathrm{Zn}\mathrm{Se}$ superlattice, is much smaller than one would expect for bulk ${\mathrm{Be}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{x}\mathrm{Te}$.
The effects of psychotropic drugs on the double alley frustration effect.

Central nervous system stimulants (amphetamine, methylphenidate), depressants (sodium amobarbital, reserpine, tetrabenezine, chlorpromazine) and anti-depressants (iproniazid, pargyline) were administered intraperitoneally to rats prior to their daily trials in an Amsel double runway in an attempt to modify the frustration effect using within-subject comparisons. Absolute running speeds following reinforcement and nonreinforcement were markedly affected by the drugs. However, in contradistinction to conditioned frustration which has proven amenable to pharmacological intervention, the primary frustration in the present paradigm, involving a response that immediately follows nonreward, proved highly resistant to modification.
The mechanism of high-pressure-induced ordering in a macromolecular crystal

A previous study showed that the diffraction from cubic crystals of an icosahedral virus, cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), was dramatically improved under elevated hydrostatic pressure. This use of pressure may have a significant impact on structural biology if it is found to be generally applicable. There were two types of cubic crystals assigned in either an I23 or P23 space group. They show the same rhombic dodecahedral morphology at atmospheric pressure. The crystals assigned to the I23 space group diffracted X-rays to higher resolution than those with P23 space group. The assignment of P23 space group was owing to the presence of reflections with indices of h + k + l = (2n + 1) (odd reflections), which are forbidden in space group I23. Analysis of the odd reflections from the P23 crystals at atmospheric pressure showed that they can originate from a rotational disorder in the I23 crystals. The odd reflections were eliminated with the application of 3.5 kbar of pressure, which transformed the crystals from the apparently primitive cell to the body-centered I23 space group with dramatic improvement in diffraction. A mechanistic model is proposed to describe the induction of order by rectifying the imperfection, which is consistent with the experimental data.
Electron reactions in the pulse radiolysis of metal carbonyls dissolved in 2,2,4-trimethylpentane

Abstract The role of electron reactions in the radiolysis of solutions of chromium, molybdenum and tungsten carbonyls in 2,2,4-trimethylpentane was investigated. These compounds are very reactive with the electron and observed rate constants for attachment are: 7, 8 and 5 × 1013 M-1 sec-1 for Cr, Mo and W hexacarbonyls, respectively. The spectra of the metal carbonyl anions were studied by both pulse radiolysis and laser photodetachment methods. The data indicate that there is a maximum in the absorption spectra of Mo(CO)6- at 412 nm and that the anions of the other hexacarbonyls also absorb in this region. Photodetachment from M(CO)6- occurs throughout the visible with thresholds in the IR. The electron affinities of the metal carbonyl are obtained from 3/2's powe law plots of the cross section data.
Early Predictors of In-Hospital Death in Infective Endocarditis

Background— Data on early determinants of outcome in infective endocarditis (IE) are limited. We evaluated the prognostic significance of early clinical characteristics in a large, prospective cohort of patients with IE. Methods and Results— Two hundred sixty-seven consecutive patients with definite or possible IE by modified Duke criteria and echocardiography performed within 7 days of presentation were evaluated. Acute physiology was assessed by the Acute Physiology, Age, Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score at the time of presentation, and early heart failure was diagnosed by Framingham criteria. In-hospital mortality rate in the cohort was 19% and similar for patients with definite or possible IE (20% versus 16%, respectively; P=0.464). Independent predictors of death determined by logistic regression modeling were diabetes mellitus (OR 2.48; 95% CI, 1.24 to 4.96), Staphylococcus aureus as causative organism (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.01 to 4.20), APACHE II score (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.12), ...
Marfan syndrome and related disorders.

Heritable disorders of connective tissue can be due to Mendelian defects in the components of the extracellular matrix, the enzymes that perform post-translational processing, or in the degradation of macromolecules that then get deposited in the matrix. Marfan syndrome is a common, autosomal dominant disorder that affects many organ systems, especially the eye, the skeleton, the lung and the heart and aorta. Creation and study of mouse models of this and other connective tissue disorders have revealed a common pathogenesis, involving dysregulation of TGF-β, Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) and other cytokines. Moreover, new approaches to therapy that impact signaling hold promise for treatment.
Patient opinion of urologists’ reimbursement

Abstract Objectives To determine patient assumptions and opinions of the billing and reimbursement process in an urban urologic practice. Healthcare policy and physician reimbursement has been discussed in political and economic forums; however, few studies exist that reflect a patient’s perspective of reimbursement issues. Methods An anonymous, voluntary 11-question survey was given to 825 patients during a 10-week interval. The instrument measured patient perceptions on the amounts (in percentages) that would, and should, be covered by insurance carriers and collected by their urologist. It also measured the time frames perceived for these events to occur. Our aim was to evaluate their knowledge of office urologic reimbursement. Results Overall, 532 patients (75%) surveyed believed their insurance would cover 80% to 100% of their bill. A total of 309 patients (49%) thought their urologist would receive 80% to 100% of the bill, and 383 (60%) thought they should receive that level of compensation ( P P = 0.004) and should ( P = 0.01) be reimbursed at a greater level than those without prior surgical contact. When asked about the time to reimbursement, 340 (73%) thought their doctor would be paid within 6 weeks compared with 453 (95%) who thought their urologist should be paid within that time ( P Conclusions The survey responses demonstrated patients’ convictions that their urologists should be reimbursed in a timely manner. Additional studies examining both patient and healthcare provider perspectives are needed to better educate both of these groups on the medical billing and reimbursement process.
Buckling Behavior of Honeycomb FRP Core with Partially Restrained Loaded Edges under Out-of-plane Compression

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sandwich deck panels with sinusoidal honeycomb core geometry have shown to be efficient in both new construction and rehabilitation of highway bridge decks. The sandwich panel consists of top and bottom laminated face sheets bonded to the honeycomb core, which extends vertically between face sheets. This paper is focused on the study of the buckling capacities of the core components under out-of-plane compression. The facesheet and core are attached by contact molding and are, therefore, not rigidly connected. Thus, this problem can be described as the instability of an FRP core panel with two rotationally restrained loaded edges. An elastic restraint coefficient is introduced to quantify the bonding layer effect between the facesheet and core, and a simple and relatively accurate test method is proposed to obtain the restraint coefficient experimentally. A combined analytical and experimental study of compression is presented. By solving a transcendental equation, the criti...
The quality journey: historical and workforce perspectives and the assessment of commitment to quality

This article reviews the international quality movement from historical and workforce perspectives. The impact of the USA, Japan, the European Community, and other regions is discussed, along with the Baldrige National Quality Program, the Deming Prize, ISO, TQM, and other such programmes. Organisational and individual commitment to quality are emphasised, as well as the importance of measuring such commitment to quality and establishing commitment to quality baselines and benchmarks at the early stages of implementing quality programmes. A highly reliable, valid instrument for measuring commitment to quality is then presented and made available to organisations for baseline and comparison purposes.
Cultural differences on visual self-presentation through social networking site profile images

A profile image is one of the most important personal attributes on social networking sites (SNSs). The current study examines whether self-presentation on SNSs is related to national culture and how forms of self-presentation differ between American and Chinese users. We accomplish this by analyzing profile images on two social networking sites, Facebook in the US and Renren in China. Our findings indicate that self-presentation is sensitive to national culture: Chinese users are more likely to customize their profile images than Americans. Our study suggests that there is a need to design social networking website features that better support profile construction for international users.
Theory of the low-temperature Seebeck coefficient in dilute alloys. II. The empty-core pseudopotential calculation

The Seebeck coefficient $S$ in dilute alloys at low temperatures is calculated for an impurity scattering potential derived from the empty-core pseudopotential. In the model considered here, free electrons are scattered by a random array of fixed impurities and interact with longitudinal phonons. The electron-phonon correction to $S$ in alkali-alkali alloys is found to be positive if an impurity is heavier than a solvent and negative otherwise. In most other alloys where the valence of the impurity and the solvent is different, the net electron-phonon enhancement of $S$ is found to be numerically close to the usual mass-enhancement ratio, in accord with the results in the case of the screened Coulomb potential.
Decreased sensitivity in adolescent vs. adult rats to the locomotor activating effects of toluene.

Volatile organic solvent (inhalant) abuse continues to be a major health concern throughout the world. Of particular concern is the abuse of inhalants by adolescents because of its toxicity and link to illicit drug use. Toluene, which is found in many products such as glues and household cleaners, is among the most commonly abused organic solvents. While studies have assessed outcomes of exposure to inhalants in adult male animals, there is little research on the neurobehavioral effects of inhalants in female or younger animals. In attempt to address these shortcomings, we exposed male and female Long-Evans rats to 20 min of 0, 2,000, 4,000, or 8,000 parts per million (ppm) inhaled toluene for 10 days in rats aged postnatal (PN) day 28-39 (adolescent), PN44-PN55, or >PN70 (adult). Animals were observed individually in 29-l transparent glass cylindrical jars equipped with standard photocells that were used to measure locomotor activity. Toluene significantly increased activity as compared to air exposure in all groups of male and female rats with the magnitude of locomotor stimulation produced by 4000 ppm toluene being significantly greater for female adults than during any age of adolescence. The results demonstrate that exposure to abuse patterns of high concentrations of toluene through inhalation can alter spontaneous locomotor behavior in rats and that the expression of these effects appears to depend upon the postnatal age of testing and sex of the animal.
Spatial Taming and Trapping of Molecules

Molecular beam techniques for study of collisional and spectroscopic processes have recently been enhanced by use of static electric or magnetic fields to orient or align molecules with permanent dipole moments. A more general method is now in prospect, applicable both to alignment and to spatial trapping of molecules. This exploits the anisotropic interaction of the electric field vector of intense laser radiation with the dipole moment induced in a polarizable molecule by the laser field. The interaction creates directional superpositions of field-free states that correspond to oblate spheroidal wavefunctions, with eigenenergies that decrease with increasing field strength. We suggest that this polarizability interaction produces the marked alignment found in laser-induced dissociative ionization of CO by the Saclay group. We also present calculations illustrating the feasibility of spattal trapping. In combination with supermirror focussing and buffer-gas cooling, an intense infrared laser can typically confine molecules for long-times (-hours) within a small (-picoliter) and cold (−1°K) “pocket of light.”
Antipredator and social monitoring functions of vigilance behaviour in blue monkeys

Vigilance behaviour is often viewed as a predation avoidance strategy, but animals also use visual monitoring to detect conspecific threats. Studies of social vigilance often consider how group size or nearby conspecifics influence vigilance levels. Less is known about how more specific social variables, such as relative rank and kinship of a subject’s neighbours, affect vigilance of wild animals along with predation risk. To evaluate alternative functional hypotheses for vigilance behaviour, including predator detection and both extra- and within-group conspecific monitoring, we investigated how predation risk and social factors account for variation in vigilance in wild blue monkeys, Cercopithecus mitis , which show strong aggressive competition between groups and mild aggression within them. Studying 18 adult females in two groups, we measured time spent vigilant in 90 s focal samples, recording the subject's activity, microhabitat conditions and identity of neighbours. We used data on dominance ranks and kinship to assess subject-specific social context for each sample. We compared generalized linear mixed models corresponding to each hypothesized function of vigilance, relating variation in vigilance to factors associated with a particular function. The best model related vigilance to predictor variables of all three functions, including recency of an antipredator event, height in canopy, position in forest (edge/interior), recency of an intergroup encounter, number of nearby kin, subject rank and presence of high-ranking neighbours. Overall, most variation in vigilance related to predation risk and between-group competition, while within-group social factors had smaller effects. The range of predictors suggests that vigilance behaviour serves multiple functions, including predator detection and both extragroup and intragroup conspecific monitoring. Species with different social systems might be expected to show different balances of factors that influence vigilance behaviour.
Role of site-specific, metal-catalyzed oxidation in lens aging and cataract: A hypothesis

The evidence reviewed here supports the hypothesis that metal catalyzed oxidation reactions occur in the lens and may make a significant contribution to the changes seen in the lens with age and in cataract formation. The major support for this hypothesis is as follows. (1) All of the components of the non-enzymic metal catalyzed oxidation systems are present in the lens normally. Ascorbate, glutathione and oxygen are present in much lower concentrations. Although, even at low concentrations, the reactions could occur over many years with significant consequences. Components of some of the enzymic systems are also present, although primarily in the epithelial layer and outer cortical region. Copper and iron levels may be increased in some cataracts. (2) Protein carbonyl derivatives are increased in both aging and cataractous lenses. Amino acid-derived protein carbonyl derivatives have only been demonstrated in oxidative reactions derived from oxygen radical generation, particularly those catalyzed by metal-catalyzed oxidation systems. (3) Treatment of isolated bovine crystallins with metal catalyzed oxidation systems generates modifications similar to those found in vivo. The proposed mechanism of site-specific metal catalyzed oxidation appears to be a feasible mechanism of oxidation in the lens, and verification of the mechanism requires further study. Although the focus of this manuscript has been on the oxidative modification induced in proteins,m oxidative damage to DNA or membrane resulting from similar mechanisms may also play an important role in alteration of lens function during aging and cataractogenesis.
Anisotropic high temperature superconductors as variable resistors and switches

Several anisotropic high temperature superconductors show critical current densities which are strongly dependent on the direction of an applied external magnetic field. The resistance of a sample can change by several orders of magnitude by applying a magnetic field. The potential for using the field dependent variable resistor or switch for applications in power systems is evaluated. Test results with small samples are presented, The requirements for large scale applications are outlined. The magnetic field triggering requirement, the frequency response of the device, use in 60 Hz AC circuits and heat transfer considerations are investigated. Several application examples are discussed. Use of the variable resistor as a fault current limiter, as a switching element in rectifier circuitry and as an improved dump resistor for a superconducting magnet is presented. >
Transverse instability of spatiotemporal solitons

Summary form only given. Spatiotemporal solitons (STS) result from the simultaneous balance of diffraction and group-velocity dispersion (GVD) by self-focussing and nonlinear phase-modulation, respectively. Liu et al. (1999) reported the formation of pulses that overcome diffraction in one transverse spatial dimension as well as group-velocity dispersion to reach stable or periodically-stable beam size and pulse duration; diffraction occurs in the remaining transverse spatial dimension. These pulses are referred to as 2D STS, to distinguish them from 3D STS, which are localized in all dimensions. In quadratic media, the soliton consists of fundamental and harmonic fields, coupled and mutually trapped by the nonlinear interaction. We report a study of the effects that limit stable STS propagation. The instabilities of waves propagating in nonlinear systems can lead to dramatic physical effects. In particular, we focus on the first observation of transverse instability (or modulation instability) of STS. Experiments were performed with a 25 mm crystal of barium metaborate.
Telluride nanowire and nanowire heterostructure-based thermoelectric energy harvesting

Americans have a reputation for being ‘energy hogs’, using more per capita than in most places around the world. We also unnecessarily waste energy through inefficient energy transfer systems that continually leak it into our environment in the form of heat. Most of this waste heat is low-grade, 40 °C to 200 °C, a level that is generally considered economically infeasible for recovering at high efficiency. The rapid development of thermoelectric (TE) materials in the past decade has raised new hopes for the possibility of directly converting some of this waste thermal energy back to electricity through the Seebeck effect. Although the use of nanowires and nanocrystals in TE materials has been recently shown to improve the performance, it remains unclear whether the production of such materials can be made in scalable, reliable, and economical ways. Most of the previous research in this field has been limited to laboratory-scale device fabrication and to measurements performed on single nanowires or thin films of nanocrystals or heterostructures with maximum dimensions of hundreds of micrometers. Usually only milligrams of these nanomaterials can be obtained. Moreover, there are large variations between different batches. In this feature article, we discuss our contribution to solve the scalability challenge in TE nanomaterial production. Through a rational design of compositional-modulated nanowire heterostructures, we can explore new platforms to optimize the TE performance in bulk nanocomposites and to study the beneficial effects at the interfaces, such as energy filtering, modulation doping and phonon scattering.
A one-hour burn prevention program for grade school children: its approach and success

A brief, one-hour program aimed at grade school children combines human moderators, a robot, and cartoons to deliver the burn prevention message. Program efficacy was demonstrated by a pretest and posttest. Performance on the posttest improved with the age of the child.
Anomalously fast decay of the LH–HH exciton Raman coherence

We perform 3-pulse transient four-wave-mixing on a GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well. This allows us to measure both the decay of the Raman coherence between the heavy-hole and light-hole excitons and the decay of the respective optical coherences. We observe that the decay rate of the Raman coherence is greater than the sum of decay rates of the optical coherences. This cannot happen within a Markov approximation for the scattering processes, as verified by simulations. The simulations show that such behavior can occur only in the presence of anti-correlated scattering processes in a non-Markovian regime.
Single-dose caudal anaesthesia for two infants undergoing diagnostic brain magnetic resonance imaging: high risk and nonhigh risk.

Summary We present a case report of two infants given a bupivacaine caudal anaesthetic as a means of achieving sedation for a diagnostic brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patient 1 was born at 27 weeks of gestation and presented to our hospital at 39 weeks postconception with a history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and apnoea/bradycardia spells. He was undergoing a brain MRI for the work up of persistent apnoea and craniofacial abnormalities. Patient 2 was a term infant at 42 weeks postconception undergoing a MRI for the work up of a seizure disorder. Both infants fell asleep shortly after placement of the caudal blocks and the studies were completed successfully without complications. Utilizing this technique, we avoided dealing with a potentially difficult airway (patient 1), exacerbating postoperative apnoea and the negative implications of intravenous sedation during a study where there is limited access to the patient's airway.
Cranial radiation therapy and damage to hippocampal neurogenesis

Cranial radiation therapy is associated with a progressive decline in cognitive function, prominently memory function. Impairment of hippocampal neurogenesis is thought to be an important mechanism underlying this cognitive decline. Recent work has elucidated the mechanisms of radiation-induced failure of neurogenesis. Potential therapeutic interventions are emerging.
Dissolved hydrogen in Eurasian Arctic waters

The distribution of dissolved hydrogen was studied during YMER-80 in the Arctic Ocean and the northern Barents Sea. Water samples were analyzed from a variety of Arctic environments including stations under complete ice cover and along the retreating ice-edge as well as vertical and horizontal sets obtained apart from the ship. The results show localized hydrogen concentrations well below air-sea equilibrium. Levels of undersaturation resemble those found in the Norwegian Sea. 3-8 nl/l (0.13-0.36 nM). Deep water in the Polar Basin contains 4.5 nl/l (0.20 nM). A section northwest of Franz-Joseph Land contains a prominent subsurface maximum with levels above saturation between 75 and 300 m. Supersaturation is also found in surface waters among ice floes at two coastal sites. In the Barents Sea, hydrogen in surface water is near equilibrium and is highly correlated with salinity. Below the surface. the hydrogen level quickly drops to half the H 2 concentration contained in Norwegian Sea water. This distribution suggests that hydrogen is being consumed throughout the Barents while excess H 2 is added to surface waters by low salinity intrusion from the retreating ice pack with secondary fluxes across the air-sea interface and from river runoff. The hydrogen mixing ratio in air samples north of Svalbard is 16% below the mixing ratio measured over the Baltic Sea. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.1984.tb00052.x
Declining Metabolic Control and Decreasing Parental Support Among Families With Adolescents With Diabetes: The Risk of Restrictiveness

Background For children with diabetes, metabolic control typically declines across the adolescent years. Objective The longitudinal interplay between supportive relationships with parents and metabolic control were investigated in families that differ in parents’ restrictiveness. Method The time-dependent links between perceived parental social support and metabolic control were investigated in a sample of 109 German adolescents with diabetes. 3 waves of data were collected at annual intervals; metabolic control (indexed by HbA1c) was assayed by physicians annually. Results Family restrictiveness moderated longitudinal associations between metabolic control and perceived social support. For adolescents reporting high family restrictiveness, poorer initial metabolic control predicted greater subsequent declines in perceived parent social support, and lower initial perceived parental social support predicted greater subsequent deterioration in metabolic control. Conclusion The findings add to the growing body of work suggesting that restrictiveness is a risk factor that exacerbates problems associated with low perceived parental support.
Nodular glomerulosclerosis in the nondiabetic smoker

Emerging evidence supports that the entity known as idiopathic nodular glomerulosclerosis is not idiopathic. A strong causative association with longstanding cigarette smoking and hypertension has been identified. Morphologically, smoking-associated nodular glomerulosclerosis closely resembles diabetic nephropathy. The potential roles of advanced glycation end products, oxidative stress, angiogenesis, and hemodynamic perturbations are explored.
Concurrent schedules of response duration

Three albino rats were exposed to concurrent schedules in which reinforcement could be obtained if a particular lever-holding duration was met or exceeded. The criterion duration was systematically increased on one lever through values of 1.6, 2.4, 3.2, and 4.0 sec, while remaining constant at 1.6 sec on the other lever. All animals demonstrated the ability to make temporal discriminations on both levers with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Changes in criterion duration were found to affect primarily the bias term of the logarithmic matching function.
Using Automated Fix Generation to Secure SQL Statements

Since 2002, over 10% of total cyber vulnerabilities were SQL injection vulnerabilities. Since most developers are not experienced software security practitioners, a solution for correctly fixing SQL injection vulnerabilities that does not require security expertise is desirable. In this paper, we propose an automated method for removing SQL injection vulnerabilities from Java code by converting plain text SQL statements into prepared statements. Prepared statements restrict the way that input can affect the execution of the statement. An automated solution allows developers to remove SQL injection vulnerabilities by replacing vulnerable code with generated secure code. In a formative case study, we tested our automated fix generation algorithm on five toy Java programs which contained seeded SQL injection vulnerabilities and a set of object traceability issues. The results of our case study show that our technique was able remove SQL injection vulnerabilities in five different statement configurations.
Gender specific differences in the pros and cons of smoking among current smokers in Eastern Kentucky: implications for future smoking cessation interventions.

This study investigated gender differences in the perceived “pros” and “cons” of smoking using the constructs of decisional balance (DB) and stage of change from the Transtheoretical Model. The population distribution for stage of change among a population-based, cross-sectional survey of 155 current smokers over 40 years was: precontemplation (22.6%), contemplation (41.9%), preparation (35.5%). Results of stepwise regression models indicated significant gender differences in DB were in the preparation stage of change; scores on the DB measure increased 3.94 points (95% CI: 1.94, 5.93) for male smokers. Interventions targeting the “pros” and “cons” of smoking may need to be gender specific.
RNA interference screening in Drosophila primary cells for genes involved in muscle assembly and maintenance.

To facilitate the genetic analysis of muscle assembly and maintenance, we have developed a method for efficient RNA interference (RNAi) in Drosophila primary cells using double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs). First, using molecular markers, we confirm and extend the observation that myogenesis in primary cultures derived from Drosophila embryonic cells follows the same developmental course as that seen in vivo. Second, we apply this approach to analyze 28 Drosophila homologs of human muscle disease genes and find that 19 of them, when disrupted, lead to abnormal muscle phenotypes in primary culture. Third, from an RNAi screen of 1140 genes chosen at random, we identify 49 involved in late muscle differentiation. We validate our approach with the in vivo analyses of three genes. We find that Fermitin 1 and Fermitin 2, which are involved in integrin-containing adhesion structures, act in a partially redundant manner to maintain muscle integrity. In addition, we characterize CG2165, which encodes a plasma membrane Ca 2+ ATPase, and show that it plays an important role in maintaining muscle integrity. Finally, we discuss how Drosophila primary cells can be manipulated to develop cell-based assays to model human diseases for RNAi and small-molecule screens.
Adolescent Perceptions of Teen Births

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate teens' perceptions of the costs and rewards of teen births, potential interventions to prevent teen pregnancy, and the presence of someone with whom teens could discuss sexuality. Design Seventeen focus groups were conducted to solicit individual views, group interactions, and shared meanings. Purposive methods accessed a sample of teens considered at risk of teen pregnancy based on their membership in selected community service and teen groups. Teen parents and nonparents ( n = 120), from 12 to 19 years of age, were asked about their lives and stresses and the costs and rewards related to teen births. Results This study yielded rich data about the consequences of teen births. Data were organized in the domains of Impact on relationships, Impact on vocation, and Impact on self. The data reflected the cost and reward themes in each domain. Conclusions Though teens believed that there were positives of teen births, early childbearing was considered "hard" in many aspects. These perceptions may be used to guide programs, policies, messages, and curricula with the intent to prevent teen pregnancy. These initiatives may be more effective if informed by teens and guided by their perceptions.