cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Off-Target Deposition of Pesticides from Agricultural Aerial Spray Applications

Drift of pesticides at the times of aerial spray application is a source of concern because of potential impacts on human health, contamination of crops and livestock, and endangerment of sensitive ecological resources. A substantial body of information from field trials aimed at evaluating off-target deposition of pesticides from aerial spray applications was analyzed. Forty-five trials previously reported in the open literature were extrapolated and normalized and quantitatively compared to trials performed during the summer of 1992 in Plainview, TX, by the Spray Drift Task Force (SDTF). In general, the results observed in the SDTF studies are consistent with those reported in the open literature. Both sets of data show median values of pesticide deposition dropping from ∼5% of the nominal application rate at 30 m downwind to ∼0.5% at 150 m during low-flight applications. Based on results from these trials and others reported in the literature, droplet size is consistently the primary application variable controlling off-target drift during low-flight applications. Application of a fine spray with a volume median diameter (VMD) 500 μm) can reduce drift 10-fold relative to conventional application equipment producing a medium spray (VMD ∼300 μm). Off-target drift increases with increasing wind speeds, but the magnitude of the effect is less significant than effects of droplet size. The SDTF trials were performed under neutral to unstable atmospheric conditions and the effects of stability for this range of conditions were not distinguishable from the effects of wind speed. In previously reported studies under a wider range of conditions, stability effects are most significant 100 m downwind and beyond with an increase in deposition of more than 10-fold reported on occasion between unstable and very stable conditions. Currently, pesticide use labels restrict application during strongly stable atmospheric conditions and during high winds. In conjunction with these weather-related restrictions, clear specification of nozzles and operating conditions is the best approach for effective control of off-site drift and deposition from aerial applications.
The bilingual education of cuban‐american children in dade county's ethnic schools

Abstract. An ethnographic study was conducted in seven private, low‐tuition ethnic schools attended mostly by working‐class Cuban‐American children. Our study was initially guided by questions that frame the discussion about the education of Hispanic children from these same socio‐economic backgrounds in public bilingual programmes. They are the following: — Should schools maintain and develop Spanish? Should all Hispanic children receive instruction in two languages or should Spanish be used only with those not proficient in English? — How does one determine language dominance and is there a difference in the curriculum for Spanish dominant children and English dominant children? — How much instruction in English as a second language should children receive and when should it stop? — Which language should initial reading be in? When should reading in the second language start? The most significant finding of our study was that these four questions were irrelevant in these ethnic community schools. Biling...
Effect of an Educational Intervention on Attitudes Toward and Implementation of Evidence‐Based Practice

Purpose: Transitioning to an evidence-based practice (EBP) environment is a new and often overwhelming challenge for many organisations. The most effective strategies to implement EBP have yet to be determined. In this study an accelerated development EBP program, which was administered to nurses from five hospitals was evaluated. At each hospital, nurses were selected as an “EBP champion” whose role would be to help facilitate the transition within that organisation. Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an accelerated educational program on the attitudes toward and implementation of EBP among nurses employed in acute-care facilities. Methods: Forty-nine nurses from five acute-care facilities participated in an 8-week program to develop into EBP champions. Participants attended a 2-hour class each week conducted by four faculty members of a local university. Pre- and post-test mean scores of the EBP barriers (EBPB) and EBP implementation (EBPI) scales were compared using paired t tests to determine the effect of the accelerated development program. Results: Respondents reported higher scores on both the beliefs and implementation scales at the end of the program. Paired t tests indicated a significant difference in means for both the EBPB (p < .01) and EBPI (p < .01). Conclusions: Nurses who attend an accelerated educational program have the potential to significantly improve beliefs and attitudes about EBP. Administrative support and collaboration between academia and service are essential for successful intervention.
Phrenic Nerve Palsy and Parsonage-Turner Syndrome

This report describes 2 symptomatic patients with phrenic nerve palsy due to Parsonage-Turner syndrome who were managed by diaphragmatic plication. The characteristics of the underlying syndrome are defined.
Benthic oxygen flux, bottom water oxygen concentration and core top organic carbon content in the deep northeast Pacific Ocean

A general and quantitative correlation between benthic oxygen flux (FO2, μmol cm−2 yr−1), bottom water oxygen concentration ([O2]BW, μmol kg−1), and core top organic carbon content (Corg, %) has been derived from existing data from the deep northeast Pacific Ocean: FO2 = φCorg[O2]BW(126+[O2]BW) where π = 44.4 has the units of μmol cm−2 yr−1 (% dry organic C)−1 . Environments described by this equation include suboxic basins, the continental slope, the continental rise, and oxic open ocean sediments. This relationship and the data set it represents show that FO2 increases with the increase of [O2]BW away from the continental slope and borderlands and then decreases with the decrease of Corg from the continental rise towards the open ocean. The reaction rate constant for aerobic respiration estimated from the above equation ranges from 5 × 10 11−1 in sediments from the open ocean to 5 × 10−9 s−1 in sediments from continental slopes. With this equation, FO2 values may also be predicted for other areas of the World Ocean, and such predictions agree with recent measurements in the Atlantic Ocean. The existence of this broad-based relationship indicates that benthic oxygen consumption rate in the deep ocean is controlled by the availability of both organic carbon and oxygen.
UV-light enhanced oxidation of carbon nanotubes

Abstract Ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the interactions between selected semiconducting and metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) (as well between single and double graphene sheets) and single oxygen molecules are carried out in order to provide a rationale for the recent experimental observations of UV-light accelerated oxidation of carbon nanotubes and the accompanying changes in the thermoelectric power. The computational results obtained show that these experimental findings can be related to UV-light excitation of oxygen molecules from their ground spin-triplet state into a higher-energy spin-singlet state. Such excitation lowers the activation energy for molecular-oxygen chemisorption to a nanotube, increases the adsorption energy and promotes charge transfer from the nanotube to the oxygen molecule. Lattice defects such as 7-5-5-7 and Stone–Wales defects are found to play a critical role in enhancing oxygen molecule/nanotube bonding and in affecting the extent of charge transfer. Contrary to this, the effects of nanotube diameter and chirality and the number of walls appear to be less significant.
In SituInfrared Study of Methanol Synthesis from CO2/H2on Titania and Zirconia Promoted Cu/SiO2

Abstract In situ infrared studies of methanol synthesis from H 2 /CO 2 have been conducted over Cu/SiO 2 promoted with ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , and a mixture of TiO 2 /ZrO 2 , with the aim of establishing the means by which the added oxide influences the activity of the catalyst for methanol synthesis. While ZrO 2 and TiO 2 individually enhance the methanol synthesis activity of Cu/SiO 2 , a significantly greater enhancement is achieved by addition of both oxides simultaneously. In the absence of oxide addition, infrared spectra taken under reaction conditions suggest that methanol synthesis from CO 2 takes place on the surface of Cu exclusively. When ZrO 2 is added to the catalyst, there is strong evidence for methanol synthesis on the surface of both Cu and ZrO 2 . Catalysis on the surface of ZrO 2 occurs as a consequence of CO 2 adsorption to form b –HCO 3 –Zr, which then undergoes progressive hydrogenation to form methanol. The required atomic hydrogen is supplied from the surface of Cu particles by spillover. When TiO 2 is added there is no evidence for catalysis occurring on the oxide surface, but strong evidence for an enhancement in the level of reaction occurring on the surface of Cu. The observed increase in the rate of methanol synthesis is attributed to a reconstruction of the Cu particles to expose the (100) surface, which have been demonstrated to be significantly more active than the (110) or (111) surfaces. The infrared spectra observed when a mixture of ZrO 2 and TiO 2 is added to Cu/SiO 2 resembles a composite of the spectra observed upon addition of the individual oxides, and hence, the enhanced rate of methanol synthesis is ascribed to the combined effects of ZrO 2 and TiO 2 .
Pulsed High-Voltage Breakdown of Thin-Film Parylene C

Measurements of polymer dielectric high-voltage (HV) strength at thicknesses in the 1- to 10- μm range have always been difficult to validate and repeat. We report results of experiments done using parylene-C films of 2-, 4-, and 6- μm thicknesses in a series of configurations intended to determine the HV breakdown of the material itself with a minimum of externally undefined parameters. The experiments used an alumina substrate coated with a conductive gold film with a parylene-C film deposited on top of the lower gold film. One edge of the lower gold film was exposed to provide electrical connection, and a triangular or circular gold electrode was deposited on the surface of parylene C. The intent was to test the dielectric breakdown strength of bare parylene C, as well as to evaluate the effects of field enhancements produced by the two electrode shapes. Initial data analysis shows the presence of at least two regimens of electron transport at breakdown: 1) ohmic or “trap dominated” and 2) space charge or “trap free”.
Theories of ion-atom collisions

Abstract A brief critical review of some commonly used theories of ion-atom collisions is presented.
Photodissociation of bromoform at 248 nm: Single and multiphoton processes

We have performed photodissociation experiments on CHBr 3 at 248 nm using VUV ionization photofragment translational spectroscopy. Prompt C-Br bond fission is the dominant single-photon dissociation channel. In addition to primary Br and CHBr 2 signals, we observe Br, CHBr, CBr, HBr, and Br 2 products attributed to secondary photodissociation of CHBr 2 and CHBr. There are three competing fragmentation channels from the photodissociation of CHBr 2 : CHBr + Br, CH + Br 2 , and CBr + HBr. The conclusion that Br 2 fragments do not arise from a single-photon channel in appreciable yield is supported by transient FM absorption measurements of the CHBr radical. Because the molecular HBr and Br 2 detachment channels are multiphoton processes, they will have very little impact on the atmospheric chemistry of CHBr 3 . We conclude that the most important photodissociation channel of CHBr 3 in the UV region is C-Br bond breaking.
Nature of the high molecular weight fraction of fibrinolytic digests of human fibrinogen.

Abstract 1. 1.|The high molecular weight fraction (Fraction D) of complete plasmin digests of human fibrinogen gave a regular pattern of six clearly marked bands on starch or acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Comparable, but different, patterns were found at earlier stages of the digestion. No new antigenic determinants were revealed by this separation. 2. 2.|An equal or greater number of bands was found by starch gel electrophoresis in 6 M urea both before and after reduction and alkylation. 3. 3.|Gel filtration experiments suggested that the weight average molecular size of Fraction D (about 83 000) was not reduced in the presence of 6 M urea either before or after reduction and alkylation and was identical with that of each of the individual components. 4. 4.|These results indicate that Fraction D, which contains one of the antigenic determinants of fibrinogen as well as the ‘fibrin polymerization inhibitor’ of fibrinolytic digests, is not a single species but a mixture of molecules of closely related structure.
Contribution of restricted rotors to quantum sieving of hydrogen isotopes

The rotational eigenvalues of isotopically substituted hydrogen molecules adsorbed into single-walled carbon nanotubes are calculated using a semiclassical method and using a model potential. The resulting eigenvalues are used to calculate the separation factors due to rotational confinement between different isotopic species as a function of temperature and nanotube size. The results show that even for small shifts in the eigenvalues, significant fractionations should occur, suggesting possible application as an isotope-separation technique.
The Management of Depression in Older Nursing Home Residents

Objectives Depression remains underrecognized and undertreated in older people. We estimated the prevalence of depression in older nursing home (NH) residents and described its pharmacological management. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Residents in 1,492 NHs in five states (Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, New York, South Dakota). Participants Forty-two thousand nine hundred one residents aged 65 and older with depression documented as an active clinical condition on the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment. Measurements Data were from the Systematic Assessment of Geriatric drug use via Epidemiology database. We grouped antidepressant medications by class: tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), tetracyclics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and others. Logistic regression models revealed predictors of receipt of any antidepressant and, among those treated, predictors of receipt of an SSRI. Results Eleven percent of the residents were identified as depressed on the MDS. Of these, 55% received antidepressant therapy. Of depressed residents receiving antidepressant therapy, 32% received doses less than the manufacturers' recommended minimum effective dose for treating depression, with residents on TCAs more likely to receive less than the recommended dose for treating depression. The oldest-old (> or = 85 years) (odds ratio (OR) = 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.88-0.98), black residents (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.75-0.92), and those with severe cognitive impairment (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.64-0.75) were the least likely to receive an antidepressant. In those treated, cardiovascular diseases were associated with an increased likelihood of SSRI use. Despite control for comorbid conditions, women were less likely than men to receive an SSRI (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.72-0.82). Conclusions Although depression is a treatable illness, the majority of NH residents may be inadequately treated.
HIGH SPEED CROSSPOINT SWITCHES

Technology and performance of electronic crosspoint switches with data rates above 1 Gb/s/channel are reviewed. Switch applications and architectures are described, as well as the principal problems in achieving low output jitter. Recent results for different IC technologies are summarized. As a particular example, a 10 Gb/s crosspoint switch implemented in GaAlAs/GaAs-HBT technology is described, including details of design, packaging, testing methodology, and performance results.
Participatory action research and hospice: a good fit.

While research has always been an important component of the hospice movement in this country, increasingly hospices are involved in research as a result of demands for outcome measures and greater...
Functional genomics of cell elongation in developing cotton fibers

Cotton fibers are single-celled seed trichomes of major economic importance. Factors that regulate the rate and duration of cell expansion control fiber morphology and important agronomic traits. For genetic characterization of rapid cell elongation in cotton fibers, ∼ 14,000 unique genes were assembled from 46,603 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from developmentally staged fiber cDNAs of a cultivated diploid species (Gossypium arboreumL.). Conservatively, the fiber transcriptome represents 35–40% of the genes in the cotton genome. In silico expression analysis revealed that rapidly elongating fiber cells exhibit significant metabolic activity, with the bulk of gene transcripts, represented by three major functional groups – cell wall structure and biogenesis, the cytoskeleton and energy/carbohydrate metabolism. Oligonucleotide microarrays revealed dynamic changes in gene expression between primary and secondary cell wall biogenesis showing that fiber genes in the dbEST are highly stage-specific for cell expansion – a conclusion supported by the absence of known secondary cell wall-specific genes from our fiber dbEST. During the developmental switch from primary to secondary cell wall syntheses, 2553 “expansion-associated” fiber genes are significantly down regulated. Genes (81) significantly up-regulated during secondary cell wall synthesis are involved in cell wall biogenesis and energy/carbohydrate metabolism, which is consistent with the stage of cellulose synthesis during secondary cell wall modification in developing fibers. This work provides the first in-depth view of the genetic complexity of the transcriptome of an expanding cell, and lays the groundwork for studying fundamental biological processes in plant biology with applications in agricultural biotechnology.
Effect of small silica additions on the properties and structure of calcium aluminate glasses

Calcium aluminate glasses are transparent to a longer wavelength than silicate gI asses. However it is well known that they are difficult to form into conventional optics due to their high tendency to crystallize. To increase the understanding of aluminate glasses a study of the effect of small silica additions on such properties as viscosity and crystallization tendency has been combined with a study of such optical properties as infrared cut-off and UVVis-NIR spectroscopy. 1.
Influence of thermal quench on fracture strength, elastic modulus and internal friction of glass plates

The fracture strength and residual stress in glass microscope slides for water, oil and air thermal quenching are compared with the authors' prior theoretical analysis. In addition, elastic modulus and internal friction measurements are used to evaluate the effects of the thermal quenching.
Single‐Stage and Serial Production Line Systems with Unreliable Machines and General Probability Distributions

This paper presents stochastic models for analyzing production to stock and production on demand systems with arbitrary demand, production, machine breakdown and repair processes, and a finite buffer. Expressions are developed for the transition probabilities among the different states, the proportion of transitions that take the process to a particular state, the probabilities that the process is at a particular state, and the expected state residence times. Also, expressions are developed for some quantities of interest, like average inventory, percentage of lost sales, and expected waiting time. Applications are discussed for various demand, production, machine breakdown, and repair processes and numerical examples are presented. Guidelines are given for utilizing the models in evaluating the economic performance of production systems. Using an approximation procedure, the models are used for modeling multi-stage serial production to stock and production on demand lines. Simulation results indicated that the quality of the approximation is very good. The multi-stage models are useful in practical situations, because they allow the use of different probability distributions for the various processes (production, machine failure, etc.) of each stage.
Multi-station observations of frequency dependence of amplitude and polarization of the ELF waves generated via ionospheric modification

Generation of Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) and Very Low Frequency (VLF) signals through ionospheric modification has been practiced for many years. In ionospheric heating with high power HF waves, the electron temperature of the lower ionosphere is increased thereby changing the particle collision frequency and conductivity of the medium. Modulating the conductivity allows modulation of natural current systems.
Effect of caffeine on ischemia detection by adenosine single-photon emission computed tomography perfusion imaging.

Objectives The purpose of this research was to study the effect of one cup of coffee taken 1 h before adenosine stress on the results of myocardial perfusion imaging. Background Caffeine is believed to attenuate the coronary hyperemic response to adenosine by competitive blockade of the A2a receptor. Caffeine is commonly withheld before adenosine single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) perfusion imaging so as not to mask ischemia detection. Methods We studied the effect of one 8-oz cup of coffee taken 1 h before adenosine stress in patients who had demonstrable reversible defects on adenosine SPECT perfusion imaging performed while off caffeine. Results There were 22 men and 8 women, age 64 ± 9 years. The blood level of caffeine 1 h after intake was 3.1 ± 1.6 mg/l. There were two patients with ST-segment depression before and one after caffeine intake (p = NS). The summed stress score (SSS) based on 17 segments (scale of 0 to 3, 3 being normal) was 44 ± 5 before and 45 ± 5 after caffeine (p = NS). The summed difference score was 3.8 ± 1.9 before and. 3.9 ± 2.3 after caffeine (p = NS), reflecting that around 50% of the perfusion abnormality was reversible before and after caffeine. Using polar maps, the perfusion abnormality was 12 ± 10% at baseline and 12 ± 10% after caffeine (p = NS) in agreement with SSS. The left ventricular ejection fraction by gated SPECT was 50 ± 13% at baseline and 51 ± 13 % after caffeine (p = NS). Conclusions A cup of coffee does not mask the presence or severity of reversible defects induced by adenosine SPECT imaging.
Electric Currents as the Main Cause of Coronal and Flare Activity in the Sun and in Many Late-Type Stars

Coronal temperatures of late type stars are hundreds to thousands of times higher than the temperatures of their photospheres. Attempts to account for the existence of high coronal temperature in the Sun, by invoking wave heating of various kinds and/or by the annihilation of parts of the magnetic field above the surface and using the resulted energy to heat coronal activity, seem to be unsuccessful. In this paper, I suggest that electric currents are the means by which the Sun and most likely many late type stars produce their coronal activity. To support this idea, I bring evidence from observations occurring in solar and stellar upper atmosphere plasmas that resemble in their appearance phenomena that are the consequence of electric currents flowing in highly ionized plasmas.
Conformational equilibria of 3‐(cis‐styryl)phenanthrene and some benzologues

An NMR investigation of cis and trans isomers of styrylphenanthrene and some benzologues was performed, in which Δtrans-cis values (δtrans-δcis), temperature dependence (ΔT) in CS2 and ASIS effects were determined. It was concluded that in the series styryl-phenanthrene (2),-benzo[c]-phenanthrene (1),-dibenzo[c,g]triphenylene (10),-hexahelicene (9) only 1 exists mainly as a cis-synrotamer, whereas in the other compounds the cis-anti rotamer predominates in varying degrees. The introduction of an additional benzo group in 1 and 2 at the ring, containing the styryl substituent, which leads to the styryl-chrysene (11) and styryl-benzo[c]chrysene (12), shifts the conformational equilibrium to the cis-syn rotamer. The introduction of polar substituents at the para-position of 2-styrylbenzo[c]phenanthrene has only a small influence on the syn-anti equilibrium. The observed effects are discussed.
13C-NMR studies of glucose metabolism in osmolarity mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract Understanding the regulatory and metabolic functions of the HOG (High Osmolarity Glycerol) genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae may provide the means to enhance both ethanol production and the ethanol/glycerol ratio in industrial fermentations. High resolution 13C-NMR was used to study the formation of metabolites from [1-13C]-labeled glucose by wild-type and hog1, hog2, and hog1 hog2 mutants under controlled conditions and increased osmolarity with 400 m m NaCl. Time-course spectroscopy of anaerobic suspensions showed [2-13C] ethanol and the osmolyte [1,3-13C] glycerol as the major end products of glycolysis under control and saline conditions. Glycerol and ethanol production increased in all strains after the shift to high-salinity medium; however the rates and yields for glycerol in all mutants were lower than in the wild type. The hog2 mutant showed a smaller decrease in glycerol yields and production rates than the hog1 mutant, and the hog1 hog2 strain showed a quantitatively additive reduction, suggesting that the hog1 and hog2 mutants respond to high salinity by two independent mechanisms. Enhancement of the ratio of ethanol/glycerol production rates was achieved in the hog mutants under control and high salinity conditions.
Dark CO2 uptake by the diatom Chaetoceros simplex in response to nitrogen pulsing

In a continuing investigation of dark CO2 uptake by nitrogen-limited cultures of the marine diatom Chaetoceros simplex (Bbsm), we expanded on several of our earlier conclusions regarding the potential application of this physiological response for measuring the degree and type of nitrogen limitation in phytoplankton populations. First, the duration over which the maximal enhancement of dark 14CO2 uptake was sustained after NH4+enrichment was a function both of the concentration of added NH4+and the standing crop of phytoplankton nitrogen — in effect, the total N demand. Second, pulsing with NH4+for a given degree of N-limitation always produced the same level of enhanced dark CO2 uptake regardless of whether the cultures were preconditioned with oxidized or reduced nitrogen. In contrast, urea pulsing led to reduced dark CO2 uptake, but the effect was most pronounced in cells grown on NO3−. And third, the assay could be used to distinguish readily between no, moderate, and severe N limitation. The degree of severe N limitation was quantitatively correlated with the degree of enhanced dark CO2 uptake, but this relationship was not so clear in the region of moderate N limitation. The main advantage of the assay is that it is a relatively simple and effective alternative to more complicated techniques for gauging the degree and form of N limitation in phytoplankton. Further evaluation will be required, both in the laboratory and field, before the assay can be calibrated for quantitative use.
Relationship between the response of melanophores in the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator, and the concentration of eyestalk extract

1. Eyestalks from the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator, were extracted directly in either water or absolute ethyl alcohol. Dosage-response curves for these extracts were then determined. 2. The melanin-dispersing response produced by the alcohol soluble material increased sharply with increasing concentration of the extract between 1 and 80 eyestalks/ml. In contrast, the dosage-response curves for the extracts prepared directly in water did not rise at all as sharply as did that of the alcohol extract. 3. A water extract seems to contain a substance which at the higher concentrations antagonized the melanin-dispersing hormone. Elimination of this antagonist by the technique of gel filtration resulted in an increased melanin-dispersing activity. 4. The possible action of absolute ethyl alcohol which results in a preparation of melanin-dispersing hormone from the eyestalk that is much more active at higher concentrations than a similar extract prepared in water is discussed.
Measuring the neighborhood environment: associations with young girls' energy intake and expenditure in a cross-sectional study

Background: Neighborhood environments affect children's health outcomes. Observational methods used to assess neighborhoods can be categorized as indirect, intermediate, or direct. Direct methods, involving in-person audits of the neighborhoods conducted by trained observers, are recognized as an accurate representation of current neighborhood conditions. The authors investigated the associations of various neighborhood characteristics with young girls' diet and physical activity. Methods: This study is based on a subset of participants in the Cohort Study of Young Girls' Nutrition, Environment and Transitions (CYGNET). In-person street audits were conducted within 215 girls' residential neighborhoods using a modified St. Louis Audit Tool. From the street audit data, exploratory factor analysis revealed five neighborhood scales: "mixed residential and commercial," "food and retail," "recreation," "walkability," and "physical disorder." A Neighborhood Deprivation Index was also derived from census data. The authors investigated if the five neighborhood scales and the Neighborhood Deprivation Index were associated with quartiles of total energy intake and expenditure (metabolic equivalent (MET) hours/week) at baseline, and whether any of these associations were modified by race/ethnicity. Results: After adjustment for demographic characteristics, there was an inverse association between prevalence of "food and retail" destinations and total energy intake (for a one quartile increase, OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.74, 0.96). Positive associations were also observed between the "recreation" and "walkability" scales with physical activity among Hispanic/Latina girls (for a one quartile increase in MET, OR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.31, 2.88 for recreation; OR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.11, 2.63 for walkability). Among African-American girls, there was an inverse association between "physical disorder" and physical activity (OR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.12, 0.80). Conclusions: These results suggest that neighborhood food and retail availability may be inversely associated with young girls' energy intakes in contrast to other studies' findings that focused on adults. There is considerable variation in neighborhoods' influences on young girls' physical activity behaviors, particularly for young girls of different racial/ ethnic backgrounds.
Dimension/length profiles and trellis complexity of linear block codes

This semi-tutorial paper discusses the connections between the dimension/length profile (DLP) of a linear code, which is essentially the same as its "generalized Hamming weight hierarchy", and the complexity of its minimal trellis diagram. These connections are close and deep. DLP duality is closely related to trellis duality. The DLP of a code gives tight bounds on its state and branch complexity profiles under any coordinate ordering; these bounds can often be met. A maximum distance separable (MDS) code is characterized by a certain extremal DLP, from which the main properties of MDS codes are easily derived. The simplicity and generality of these interrelationships are emphasized. >
Lossless compression of list-mode 3D PET data

We describe lossless methods for compression of 3D PET data. Static list-mode data is re-sorted into sinograms and compressed using a combination of run-length and entropic coding. Dynamic list-mode data is compressed using a sinogram/timogram format in which the arrival times of each photon pair are stored in spatial order, indexed by the sinogram. Compression of the timogram is performed using entropic coding of the differential arrival times in each sinograin bin. We describe these compression methods and present results for static and dynamic data. In the dynamic case, we compare compression of multiple frame sinograin data with sinogram/timogram formats. Both formats produce substantial reductions in data size compared to the raw data, with higher compression factors achieved using the sinogram/timogram format when high temporal resolution is required.
Foods and Food Groups Associated With the Incidence of Colorectal Polyps: The Adventist Health Study

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The majority of CRC arise in adenomatous polyps and 25-35% of colon adenoma risk could be avoidable by modifying diet and lifestyle habits. We assessed the association between diet and the risk of self-reported physician-diagnosed colorectal polyps among 2,818 subjects who had undergone colonoscopy. Subjects participated in 2 cohort studies: the AHS-1 in 1976 and the AHS-2 from 2002-2005. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the period risk of incident cases of polyps; 441 cases of colorectal polyps were identified. Multivariate analysis adjusted by age, sex, body mass index, and education showed a protective association with higher frequency of consumption of cooked green vegetables (OR 1 time/d vs. <5/wk = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.59-0.97) and dried fruit (OR 3+ times/wk vs. <1 time/wk = 0.76, 95%CI = 0.58-0.99). Consumption of legumes at least 3 times/wk reduced the risk by 33% after adjusting for meat intake. Consumption of brown rice at least 1 time/wk reduced the risk by 40%. These associations showed a dose-response effect. High frequency of consumption of cooked green vegetables, dried fruit, legumes, and brown rice was associated with a decreased risk of colorectal polyps.
Consumer Sensory Analysis of High Flavonoid Transgenic Tomatoes

UNLABELLED Tomatoes have ameliorative effects on cardiovascular disease and cancer. In this study, metabolic engineering of flavonoids was utilized to improve the nutritional value of tomatoes by increasing flavonol and anthocyanin content. Total flavonol content was significantly increased in both the peel and flesh using the onion chalcone isomerase (CHI) gene. The Delila (Del) and Rosea1 (Ros1) genes from the snapdragon Antirrhinum majus were concomitantly expressed to produce an anthocyanin-rich tomato which was purple in color. Sensory evaluation by a panel of 81 untrained consumers revealed no significant difference in liking of color or texture between CHI, Del/Ros1, and wild-type tomatoes. Consumers reported marginal but significantly higher preference for the flavor and overall liking of CHI tomatoes over Del/Ros1 and wild-type tomatoes. This study is the first to report the results of sensory tests of transgenic tomatoes by a consumer panel representing the general consuming public. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Transgenic procedures were used to increase the flavonol and anthocyanin contents of tomatoes. An untrained consumer panel scored flavor and overall liking of the 2 transgenic tomatoes higher than wild-type tomatoes and reported no difference in liking of texture or color between the 3 tomatoes. After participating in the sensory study, 14% of the panelists changed their attitudes positively toward transgenic vegetables and 96% of the consumers on the panel reported that they would buy transgenic food if they believed that it would promote health.
Postnatal dietary choline supplementation alters behavior in a mouse model of Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome (RTT), a neurodevelopmental disorder primarily affecting females, is accompanied by behavioral and neuropathological abnormalities and decreases in brain cholinergic markers. Because the cholinergic system is associated with cognitive and motor functions, cholinergic deficits in RTT may underlie some of the behavioral abnormalities. In rodents, increased choline availability during development enhances transmission at cholinergic synapses and improves behavioral performance throughout life. We examined whether choline supplementation of nursing dams would attenuate deficits in Mecp2(1lox) offspring, a mouse model of RTT. Dams were given choline in drinking water, and pups nursed from birth to weaning. Offspring were assessed on development and behavior. In Mecp2(1lox) males, choline supplementation improved motor coordination and locomotor activity, whereas in females it enhanced grip strength. Choline supplementation did not improve response to fear conditioning. Postnatal choline supplementation attenuates some behavioral deficits in Mecp2(1lox) mice and should be explored further as a therapeutic agent in RTT.
Evaluation of a minimally invasive cardiac function estimator for patients with rotary VAD support

Ventricular pressure-volume relationship or Emax is a reliable index to assess the healthy status of the ventricle. Determining this index usually involves invasive pressure and flow measurements or expensive echo cardiographs. If an indirect index of Emax can be identified from the measurements of a ventricular assist device (VAD) without any indwelling sensor, this would facilitate an effective way to monitor the healthy condition of the patient's heart while the patients are under VAD support. This index can also be used to determine the control strategy of VAD operation and gradually wean the patient from the mechanical circulatory support. In this paper, an amplitude detector was used to determine the amplitude of pump flow through a rotary VAD using data from a computer simulation and from in-vivo experiments. This amplitude depicts a strong correlation with Emax, and thus, can be used as an indirect index to monitor a VAD patient's cardiac function.
Adolescent ethanol sensitivity: hypothermia and acute tolerance.

Abstract: A two-injection paradigm was used to assess acute (within-session) tolerance to ethanol in telemetry-implanted adolescent and adult rats. Male rats were intragastrically pretreated with either 1.0 g/kg of ethanol or water and then challenged with 2.0 g/kg of ethanol or water when blood alcohol levels (BALs) of ethanol-pretreated animals were anticipated to approach zero. Adults showed more rapid and sustained ethanol-induced hypothermia than adolescents. Acute tolerance to ethanol-induced hypothermia did not emerge clearly with the two-injection paradigm; ethanol-pretreated animals of both ages generally did not differ from those pretreated with water in their hypothermic response to ethanol despite higher BALs after the second intubation. Housing condition (paired or isolated) had little influence on ethanol-induced hypothermia. The adolescent attenuation of ethanol-induced hypothermia in this experiment was not associated with greater expression of within-session (acute) tolerance.
Robust Adaptive Control of Coupled Parallel Piezo-Flexural Nanopositioning Stages

Precision control of multiple-axis piezo-flexural stages used in a variety of scanning probe microscopy systems suffers not only from hysteresis nonlinearity, but also from parametric uncertainties and the cross-coupled motions of their axes. Motivated by these shortfalls, a Lyapunov-based control strategy is proposed in this article for simultaneous multiple-axis tracking control of piezo-flexural stages. A double-axis stage is considered for system analysis and controller validation. Hysteresis and coupling nonlinearities are studied through a number of experiments, and it is demonstrated that the widely used proportional-integral (PI) controller lacks accuracy in high-frequency tracking. Adopting the variable structure control method, a robust adaptive controller is then derived with its stability guaranteed through the Lyapunov criterion. It is shown that a parallelogram-type zone of attraction can be explicitly formed for the closed-loop system to which the error phase trajectory converges. Practical implementation of the controller demonstrates effective double-axis tracking control of the stage in the presence of hysteresis and coupling nonlinearities and despite parametric uncertainties for low-and high-frequency trajectories. Moreover, good agreements are achieved between the experiments and theoretical developments.
Mutation spectra of M13 vectors containing site-specific cis-syn, trans-syn-I, (6-4), and Dewar pyrimidone photoproducts of thymidylyl-(3'->5')-thymidine in Escherichia coli under SOS conditions

The mutations spectra of cis-syn, trans-syn-I, (6-4), and Dewar pyrimidone photoproducts of the TT site of AATTAA and TATTAT in the (-) strand of a heteroduplex M13 vector were obtained in an excision and photoreversal repair deficient Escherichia coli host under SOS conditions. Oligonucleotides containing site-specific photoproducts were annealed to a complementary uracil-containing (+) strand that contained one or more unique pairs of nucleotide mismatches and used to prime (-) strand synthesis with a DNA polymerase and dNTPs. Following DNA synthesis, the reaction mixtures were incubated with T4 DNA ligase and ATP and then used to transfect SOS-induced competent CSRO6F' cells (uvrA6 and phr-1). The transfectants were plated, gridded, and probed by oligonucleotides specific for progeny of the (-) and (+) strands. Individual progeny of the photoproduct-containing (-) strands were plaque purified and sequenced by the dideoxy method. The cis-syn and trans-syn-I dimers were found not to be very mutagenic ( C mutations was observed for the (6-4) photoproduct. Evidence that a small percentage of (+) strand repair of a double mismatch to the 3'-side of the photoproduct. Evidence that a small percentage of (+) strand repair of a double mismatch to the 3'-side was obtained from transfection experiments in which a second double mismatch was introduced opposite or flanking the photoproduct. Analysis of the minor tandem mutations induced by the (6-4) and Dewar products suggests that the SOS polymerase complex is able to elongate what amounts to double mismatches opposite these photoproducts and is consistent with the action of a highly processive polymerase that lacks proofreading ability.
On the Probability Structure of Output Noise From a Digital Phase Demodulation System Subject to Biased Intensity-Based Input Noise

Interferometry is a common technique used in fiber sensing that requires a demodulation algorithm to extract the signal of interest. Of great interest for sensor characterization is the performance of the demodulation scheme under the influence of input noise. Here we consider correlated, biased intensity noise corrupting an interferometer. We analytically compute a probability density function of this output noise only and use this to compute low-order statistical moments of the output noise. We compare the analytical formulations with simulated data from a representative demodulation scheme used in a currently existing fiber Bragg grating sensor system and find excellent agreement within the example of Gaussian input noise.
Impact of Asian emissions on observations at Trinidad Head, California, during ITCT 2K2

[1] Field measurements of a wide suite of trace gases and aerosols were carried out during April and May 2002, along with extensive chemical transport modeling, as part of the NOAA Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation study. Here, we use a combination of in-situ ground-based measurements from Trinidad Head, CA, chemical transport modeling, and backward trajectory analysis to examine the impact of long-range transport from Asia on the composition of air masses arriving at the California coast at the surface. The impact of Asian emissions is explored in terms of both episodic enhancements and contribution to background concentrations. We find that variability in CO concentrations at the ground site was largely driven by North American emissions, and that individual Asian plumes did not cause any observable pollution enhancement episodes at Trinidad Head. Despite this, model simulations suggest that Asian emissions were responsible for 33% of the CO observed at Trinidad Head, providing a larger mean contribution than direct emissions from any other region of the globe. Surface ozone levels were found to depend primarily on local atmospheric mixing, with surface deposition leading to low concentrations under stagnant conditions. Model simulations suggested that on average 4 ± 1 ppb of ozone (10% of observed) at Trinidad Head was transported from Asia.
Both endogenous and environmental factors affect embryo proliferation in the polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma floridanum.

Summary Copidosoma floridanum is a polyembryonic, parasitic wasp of the moth Trichoplusia ni. Following oviposition into a host, the C. floridanum egg initially undergoes complete (holoblastic) cleavage to form a single morula stage embryo. This embryo then undergoes a proliferation phase in which multiple, secondary morulae develop. C. floridanum has also evolved a caste system whereby some secondary morulae develop into soldier larvae whose function is defense whereas others develop into reproductive larvae that become adult wasps. In the current study, we conducted manipulative and candidate gene studies to identify factors affecting the proliferation phase of C. floridanum development. Transplantation of morulae of different ages into different host stages indicated that both embryo age and host environment affected the total number of offspring produced per morula. Morula age and brood size also significantly affected whether offspring of one or both castes were produced in a brood. In contrast, the host environment did not significantly affect caste formation. A putative homolog of the gene hedgehog (Cf-hh) was partially cloned from C. floridanum. In situ hybridization studies indicated that Cf-hh was expressed in secondary morulae during the proliferation phase of development, suggesting a possible role for the Hh signaling pathway in the evolution of polyembryony.
Axion inflation in type II string theory

Inflationary models driven by a large number of axion fields are discussed in the context of type IIB compactifications with $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetry. The inflatons arise as the scalar modes of the R-R two-forms evaluated on vanishing two-cycles in the compact geometry. The vanishing cycles are resolved by small two-volumes or NS-NS B fields which sit together with the inflatons in the same supermultiplets. String world sheets wrapping the vanishing cycles correct the metric of the R-R inflatons. They can help to generate kinetic terms close to the Planck scale and a mass hierarchy between the axions and their nonaxionic partners during inflation. At small string coupling, D-brane corrections are subleading in the metric of the R-R inflatons. However, an axion potential can be generated by D1 instantons or gaugino condensates on D5-branes. Models with a sufficiently large number of axions admit regions of chaotic inflation which can stretch over the whole axion field range for potentials from gaugino condensates. These models could allow for a possibly detectable amount of gravitational waves with tensor to scalar ratio as high as $rl0.14$.
The Challenges Remain: Needed Next Steps in Alleviating the Burden of Cancer in the LGBT Community

Recently, there have been significant improvements in federal policy that have positively impacted many aspects of healthcare for LGBT patients and their families. Despite this, significant challenges remain. In order to improve outcome and survival in the LGBT community, as well as to reduce suffering in LGBT patients and families, there are steps that we as a community and society need to take. In this chapter we focus on these obstacles and the necessary action steps.