cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physiology of Turkey Embryos During Pipping and Hatching. V. Plasma Total Calcium, Magnesium Concentrations, and Total Calcium to Magnesium Ratios

Abstract Plasma total calcium to magnesium ratios were observed as an index of muscular activity during pipping and hatching of chick and poult embryos. No significant changes were observed in plasma calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg) concentrations, but the total Ca to Mg ratio increased significantly just prior to pipping. Lighting the incubator during the last 5 days of incubation significantly increased plasma Ca and Ca:Mg ratios. Lighting also resulted in significantly better hatchability and less late embryonic mortality. An increased plasma Ca:Mg ratio may be a physiological mechanism to provide increased muscular activity for the embryo in breaking the shell and emerging from it.
Hall–Petch relationship in nanocrystalline Ni and Be–B alloys

Abstract An overview of the plastic deformation of crystalline solids with different grain sizes are presented. Special emphases are on materials with a grain size less than ∼20 nm. This is the region where the classical Hall–Petch (H–P) relationship breakdowns (or the inverse H–P relationship) are often reported. In the present paper, two alloy systems, pure nickel and Be–B binary alloys, are studied and the results discussed. The nanocrystalline nickel and Be–B alloys were produced by electrodeposition and sputter deposition, respectively. In the case of n-Ni, we used both nanohardness and nanoscratch experiments to demonstrate successfully a H–P breakdown at a grain size of about 14 nm. In the case of Be–B alloys, we illustrated that an apparent H–P breakdown is, in fact, an artifact. The apparent inverse HP relation was actually caused by the presence of relatively soft amorphous Be–B phases when the grain size of Be was significantly refined by B alloying.
Imprint switch mutations at Rasgrf1 support conflict hypothesis of imprinting and define a growth control mechanism upstream of IGF1

Rasgrf1 is imprinted and expressed preferentially from the paternal allele in neonatal mouse brain. At weaning, expression becomes biallelic. Using a mouse model, we assayed the effects of perturbing imprinted Rasgrf1 expression in mice with the following imprinted expression patterns: monoallelic paternal (wild type), monoallelic maternal (maternal only), biallelic (both alleles transcribed), and null (neither allele transcribed). All genotypes exhibit biallelic expression around weaning. Consequences of this transient imprinting perturbation are manifested as overall size differences that correspond to the amount of neonatal Rasgrf1 expressed and are persistent, extending into adulthood. Biallelic mice are the largest and overexpress Rasgrf1 relative to wild-type mice, null mice are the smallest and underexpress Rasgrf1 as neonates, and the two monoallelically expressing genotypes are intermediate and indistinguishable from one another, in both size and Rasgrf1 expression level. Importantly, these data support one of the key underlying assumptions of the “conflict hypothesis” that describes the evolution of genomic imprinting in mammals and supposes that equivalent amounts of imprinted gene expression produce equivalent phenotypes, regardless of which parental allele is transcribed. Concordant with the difference in overall body size, we identify differences in IGF-1 levels, both in serum protein and as liver transcript, and identify additional differential expression of components upstream of IGF-1 release in the GH/IGF-1 axis. These data suggest that imprinted Rasgrf1 expression affects GH/IGF-1 axis function, and that the consequences of Rasgrf1 inputs to this axis persist beyond the time period when expression is restricted via epigenetic mechanisms, suggesting that proper neonatal Rasgrf1 expression levels are critical for development.
Distributed garbage collection

There are two basic approachs to the problem of storage reclamation, process- and processor-based, named for the view point used to recognize when a particular piece of storage can be reclaimed. Examples of the processor approach include mark/sweep and copying algorithms and their variants, while reference counting schemes use a process view of the collection. It is argued that the process approach is better suited for distributed computation where links between dynamically allocated objects may cross processor boundaries. In addition, the process approach allows the heap to be more conveniently shared with other processes in those cases when different processes might not have their own virtual address spaces. A new algorithm using the process approach is given. Its space requirement per object is better than that for reference counting. In addition, a restricted form of pointer replacement is supported which allows circular structures so constructed to be properly collected.
High-Momentum Excitations in Liquid He 4

The effects of 3-phonon processes on the excitations in liquid ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ at $T=0$ \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K are taken into account in a formalism based on the method of correlated wave functions combined with Green's function theory. The connection between the properties studied and experimental data from neutron scattering is discussed. In the high-momentum limit, the equations which describe the excitations are solved and numerical results are presented.
Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) item response bias found with Mantel-Haenszel method was successfully replicated using latent variable modeling.

Abstract Objective This study reexamines findings reported by Cole et al. of item response bias in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression (CES-D) scale by age, gender, and race. We use an item response theory–based latent variable conditioning approach. Study Design and Setting We used the multiple indicators, multiple causes (MIMIC) model framework to estimate measurement bias in the CES-D responses of participants in the New Haven Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly study ( N = 2,340). Results Measurement bias attributable to race was significant for the following two CES-D items: people “are unfriendly” and “dislike me”. The proportional odds of a higher-category response by blacks relative to whites on these items were 2.35 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.65, 3.36) and 3.11 (95% CI: 2.04, 4.76), respectively. The proportional odds were higher among women (2.03 [95% CI: 1.35, 3.06]) relative to men for the CES-D item “crying.” Conclusion Our findings confirm that three items on the CES-D show strong evidence of item response bias. The MIMIC model is preferable to the Mantel–Haenszel approach because it conditions on a latent variable, although the effect estimates can also be interpreted using a proportional odds framework.
Automatically Selecting the Number of Aggregators for Collective I/O Operations

Optimizing collective I/O operations is of paramount importance for many data intensive high performance computing applications. Despite the large number of algorithms published in the field, most current approaches focus on tuning every single application scenario separately and do not offer a consistent and automatic method of identifying internal parameters for collective I/O algorithms. Most notably, published work exists to optimize the number of processes actually touching a file, the so-called aggregators. This paper introduces a novel runtime approach to determine the number of aggregator processes to be used in a collective I/O operation depending on the file view, process topology, the per-process write saturation point, and the actual amount of data written in a collective write operation. The algorithm is evaluated on two different file systems with multiple benchmarks. In more than 80\% of the test cases, our algorithm delivered a performance close to the best performance obtained by hand-tuning the number of aggregators for each scenario.
Chronopotentiometric reduction of thallium(I) at a spherical mercury electrode

Abstract Transition times and current densities observed in chronopotentiometric reduction of thallium(I) in 1 M sodium sulfate at a hanging mercury drop electrode are in accord with the equation derived by Delahay and Mamantov for a spherical electrode.
The Articulated Peasant: Household Economies in the Andes

The Articulated Peasant: Household Economies in the Andes. Enrique Mayer. Boulder: Westview Press, 2002. xi. 390 pp., figures, tables, maps, photographs, references, index.
An Aphid Flight Chamber

IN studying the settling responses of winged aphids and their reactions to different host conditions it is desirable to use insects which have flown freely. Kennedy1 mentioned a chamber for giving single aphids flight exercise, and the same author2 has recently described a modified apparatus for maintaining a swarm of flying aphids for experiments on optomotor attraction.
Quark-gluon plasma versus hadron gas. What one can learn from hadron abundances.

We use a phenomenological equation of state to describe the phase transition between a hot and dense hadron resonance gas and a quark-gluon plasma. Our analysis covers the entire temperature-baryon density plane. The consequences for the phase diagram of strangeness conservation during nuclear collisions are analyzed. The flavor composition of the quark plasma and an equilibrated hadron resonance gas is studied and compared along the phase transition surface. We emphasize the need to compare systems with equal total baryon number and entropy contents in order to be consistent with the dynamics of the hadronization process and to obtain results relevant to nuclear collisions. From our results we conclude that the flavor composition of the hadronization debris from a quark-gluon plasma formed in a nuclear collision is probably hard to distinguish from that of a chemically equilibrated hadron gas, although in both cases the production level of strange and nonstrange antibaryons will be much higher than observed in proton-proton collisions.
Biochemotherapy in patients with metastatic anorectal mucosal melanoma.

BACKGROUND Patients with metastatic anorectal melanoma generally have an unfavorable prognosis, but no effective systemic therapy has been reported. METHODS The authors retrospectively evaluated the medical records of all patients with metastatic anorectal melanoma treated with biochemotherapy between January 1991 and December 2001 at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX). RESULTS The search yielded 18 patients. Of these patients, 14 had undergone treatment with cisplatin (CDDP), vinblastine (VB), dacarbazine (DTIC), interferon alpha-2b (IFN), and interleukin 2 (IL-2); 2 had undergone treatment with CDDP, VB, DTIC, and IFN; 1 had undergone treatment with CDDP, IFN, and IL-2; and 1 had undergone treatment with CDDP, VB, temozolomide, IFN, and IL-2. All IL-2 treatments were administered intravenously. The median follow-up time was 12.2 months (range, 3.5–43.7 months). Eight patients (44%) had major responses, including two (11%) complete responses (CRs). Three patients were lost to follow-up evaluation after the completion of treatment. The median time to progression among the 15 remaining patients was 6.2 months. Four patients, including 1 with a CR, were alive at their last documented follow-up visits (survival: 14.0, 20.7, 31.3, and 43.7 months, respectively). The median overall survival was 12.2 months. Among 13 patients who received biochemotherapy as first-line systemic therapy, 6 patients (46%) had major responses, including two (15%) CRs. The median time to progression for this group was 6.2 months, and the median overall survival was 12.9 months. CONCLUSIONS Biochemotherapy had substantial activity against metastatic anorectal melanoma and should be considered for use in the treatment of metastatic disease from primary anorectal melanoma. Cancer 2004;100:1478–83. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Development and characterization of a biodegradable polyphosphate

A biodegradable polyphosphate polymer (Mn = 18,000, Mw/Mn = 3.2) matrix system was developed as a potential delivery vehicle for growth factors. As a model system, release of recombinant human osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) from this polymer was evaluated. The polyphosphate was synthesized using a triethylamine catalyst in an argon environment, and characterized using elemental analysis, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Degradation kinetics of the polyphosphate polymer in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were represented by a second-order polynomial while degradation in bovine serum was linear with time. The polymer degraded faster in PBS than in bovine serum. In vitro release of OP-1 was also faster in PBS than in serum. Release kinetics of OP-1 in PBS and serum were represented by second-order polynomials. The OP-1 release from this physically dispersed polymeric matrix may be described by several possible mechanisms: diffusion, bulk polymer degradation, ion complexation, and interactions among the protein (OP-1), polymer, proteins, and enzymes in the media. This polyphosphate may be an effective carrier for morphogens, growth factors, or other classes of bioactive molecules. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Multicomputer architectures for real-time perception (abstract only)

This paper examines the computing demands that must be met by a system capable of scene description and perception of real-world moving objects. A brief survey is made of the major different kinds of computer systems that have been built, or designed, and of the different sources of potential speed-up of processing that have been exploited. Finally, a number of alternative possible hardware architectures that might be capable of handling real-time perception of moving objects are suggested, and examined.
The Visual Elements of Computer-based Language Assessment: Aspects and Effects

The advent of computers and computer assisted technologies has certainly influenced many aspects of our personal and professional lives. The field of second language education is no exception, where such technologies first exerted their influence on conventional teaching methods, and from there moved onto methods of testing in second language acquisition. This transition from the “world of paper” to that of a computer screen and the associated technologies is arguably one of the most significant changes witnessed in second language education since the invention of the printing press. One of the questions that many studies tried to answer in regard to this change was: what effect do the visual elements of computer-based language tests have on test-takers?
A Brief History of U.S.-Iranian Nuclear Negotiations

Long before their current nuclear crisis, the united States and Iran overcame concerns about proliferation and sovereign rights to negotiate a nuclear accord. Can they do it again?
Bilateral reversible corneal edema associated with amantadine use.

Purpose: In this article, we report a case of bilateral severe reversible corneal edema caused by amantadine therapy. Case: A 39-year-old women was referred to us for evaluation of bilateral corneal edema. Her past medical history was significant for multiple sclerosis, anorexia, and seizures. She developed painless progressive bilateral loss of vision for the past 6 months. She was evaluated by several ophthalmologists elsewhere who felt that the patient’s visual loss was secondary to a nutritional deficiency as opposed to related to multiple sclerosis. She was started on vitamin B-12 medication without improvement in her symptoms. She was then evaluated by neuro-ophthalmology. The examination revealed severe bilateral corneal edema and was referred to our corneal service for further evaluation of her corneal condition. Our examination revealed best corrected visual acuity of 20/400 bilaterally. Corneal thickness was 940 µm in the right eye and 802 µm in the left. Color vision was intact. Conjunctivas we...
MR colonography: Development of optimized method with ex vivo and in vivo systems

An ex vivo magnetic resonance (MR) colonographic system with a bovine colon with polyps of predetermined dimensions was developed for evaluation and optimization of different combinations of imaging sequences and intraluminal contrast agents. Findings were then applied during in vivo testing in human subjects. The results show that optimized contrast and lesion conspicuity and minimized motion artifacts can be obtained with true fast imaging with steady-state precession combined with water as an intraluminal contrast agent. © RSNA, 2002
Metal-Coated Zinc Oxide Nanocavities

We theoretically demonstrate that metals can be useful for increasing the quality factor and confinement factor of a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocavity. For small cavities, the advantages of low radiation loss and significant mode confinement due to metal coating outweigh the disadvantage of absorption loss from metal and efficiently lower the threshold material gain. The performances of ZnO cavities without metal coating, with aluminum (Al) coating, and with silver (Ag) coating are investigated. The results indicate that while surface-wave-like plasmonic modes are lossy due to metal loss, the performances of well-confined dielectric modes are indeed improved significantly as a result of metal. Both Al and Ag can significantly reduce the threshold material gain of the uncoated ZnO cavity from 16 613 cm-1 to less than 5000 cm-1. In particular, the threshold material gain of Ag-coated cavity is reduced to only 3206 cm-1.
Proto-oncogenes of the fos/jun family of transcription factors are positive regulators of myeloid differentiation

The proto-oncogenes c-jun, junB, junD, and c-fos recently have been shown to encode for transcription factors with a leucine zipper that mediates dimerization to constitute active transcription factors; juns were shown to dimerize with each other and with c-fos, whereas fos was shown to dimerize only with juns. After birth, hematopoietic cells of the myeloid lineage, and some other terminally differentiated cell types, express high levels of c-fos. Still, the role of fos/jun transcription factors in normal myelopoiesis or in leukemogenesis has not been established. Recently, c-jun, junB, and junD were identified as myeloid differentiation primary response genes stably expressed following induction of terminal differentiation of myeloblastic leukemia M1 cells. Intriguingly, c-fos, though induced during normal myelopoiesis, was not induced upon M1 differentiation. To gain further insights into the role of fos/jun in normal myelopoiesis and leukemogenicity, M1fos and M1junB cell lines, which constitutively express c-fos and junB, respectively, were established. It was shown that enforced expression of c-fos, and to a lesser extent junB, in M1 cells results in both an increased propensity to differentiate and a reduction in the aggressiveness of the M1 leukemic phenotype. M1fos cells constitutively expressed immediate-early and late genetic markers of differentiated M1 cells. The in vitro differentiation of normal myeloblasts into mature macrophages and granulocytes, as well as the increased propensity of M1fos leukemic myeloblasts to be induced for terminal differentiation, was dramatically impaired with use of c-fos antisense oligomers in the culture media. Taken together, these observations show that the proto-oncogenes which encode for fos/jun transcription factors play important roles in promoting myeloid differentiation. The ability of the M1 leukemic myeloblasts to be induced for terminal differentiation in the absence of apparent fos expression indicates that there is some redundancy among the fos/jun family of transcription factors in promoting myeloid differentiation; however, juns alone cannot completely compensate for the lack of fos. Thus, genetic lesions affecting fos/jun expression may play a role in the development of "preleukemic" myelodysplastic syndromes and their further progression to leukemias.
Antimicrobial Properties of Hydrogen Peroxide and Sodium Bicarbonate Individually and in Combination Against Selected Oral, Gram-negative, Facultative Bacteria

The topical application of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), individually and in combination, has been used empirically in the treatment of periodontal diseases. In this study, we examined both minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of these disinfectants individually and in combination against selected facultative, Gram-negative oral bacteria in a microtiter dilution assay. The bacteria studied included Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Haemophilus aphrophilus, Eikenella corrodens, and Capnocytophaga gingivalis. These bacteria exhibited MBC (one hr) values ranging from 75 mumol/L to greater than 10 mmol/L and MIC from less than 5 to 500 mumol/L for H2O2. The tested bacteria exhibited MIC values for NaHCO3 of from 23 to 182 mmol/L, and the MBC (one hr) exceeded 728 mmol/L for most of the strains examined. At sublethal (sub-MIC) concentrations, sodium bicarbonate antagonized the ability of H2O2 to inhibit bacterial growth in MIC assays, but sublethal concentrations of H2O2 had no effect on the MIC values of NaHCO3. Lethal concentrations of H2O2 and NaHCO3 exhibited synergistic antimicrobial activity in combination in one-hour bactericidal assays. Since the bactericidal properties of these antimicrobial agents are synergistic, we conclude that it may be rational to use them in combination to treat certain forms of periodontal disease. Also, lower and perhaps safer concentrations of H2O2 can be used in combination with NaHCO3 when oxidative antimicrobial chemotherapy is indicated.
The Fox News Factor

This aricle analyzes data from the Pew Research Center’s 1998 to 2004 Biennial Media Consumption Surveys to identify demographic and behavioral factors that predict Americans’ exposure to cable and broadcast nightly news. While many predictors are significant across sources, much of the evidence indicates the audiences are unique. The network news audience is becoming increasingly older, and the Fox News and CNN audiences are becoming increasingly polarized. Compared to the CNN audience, Fox News watchers are less likely to follow stories that are critical of the Bush administration but more likely to follow entertainment-based news stories. The findings also suggest that Fox News watchers enjoy news that shares their personal views, while the CNN and network news audiences prefer news that has more in-depth interviews with public officials. Finally, evidence suggests that the Fox News watchers were more likely than nonwatchers to underestimate rather than overestimate, the number of American casualties i...
Moral Schemas and Tacit Judgement or How the Defining Issues Test is Supported by Cognitive Science

Ideas from cognitive science are increasingly influential and provide insight into the nature of moral judgement. Three core ideas are discussed: modern schema theory, the frequency of automatic decision-making and implicit processes as the default mode of human information processing. The Defining Issues Test (DIT) measures the beginnings of moral understanding, which are largely non-verbal and intuitive, in contrast to the Moral Judgement Interview (MJI), which measures the highest level of verbal understanding. The positive attributes of the DIT and its conceptualisation of moral judgement schemas are more apparent in a time of increasing respect for implicit knowledge and processing. The DIT offers a means of measuring moral judgement that fits with current views in cognitive science. Although the MJI and interview techniques generally are worthwhile for measuring production competence, the DIT is better able to measure understanding at the level that drives most decisions for most people.
The function of dart behavior in the paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus

Dominance behavior in Polistes wasps is a composite trait consisting of various discrete behaviors such as darts, lunges, bites, and mounts. The majority of these behaviors are considered ‘aggressive’, and these aggressive behaviors are considered to form a continuum from mild (e.g., darts) to severe (e.g., falling fights). In this paper we focus on darts, the most common of the dominance behaviors, and investigate their function in un-manipulated post-emergent colonies of the primitively eusocial wasp P. fuscatus. Here we show that darts are correlated with the more severe dominance behaviors, and that dominance ranks do not change with the addition or exclusion of darts. We find no correlation, however, between receiving darts and receiving more severe dominance behaviors. This result suggests that darts are not indicative of aggressive reinforcement of dominance, but rather may serve a different function. Our data suggest that the function of darts is to regulate activity on nests. Both foundresses and workers dart inactive workers significantly more often than by chance, and workers respond to a foundress’s (but not a worker’s) dart by becoming less inactive. We also found that active workers who receive a dart from either a foundress or worker respond mostly by switching from one activity to another. Thus, our data suggest that darts are not aggressive behaviors, that foundresses use this signal to initiate activity, and that foundresses and workers both use the signal to regulate worker activity.
The stability of Seeman JX DNA topoisomers of paranemic crossover (PX) molecules as a function of crossover number

We use molecular dynamics simulations in explicit water and salt (Na + ) to determine the effect of varying the number of crossover points on the structure and stability of the PX65 paranemic crossover DNA molecule and its JXM topoisomers (M denotes the number of missing crossover points), recently synthesized by the Seeman group at New York University. We find that PX65, with six crossover points, is the most stable, and that the stability decreases monotonically with the number of crossover points PX65 > JX1 > JX2 > JX3 > JX4, with 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2 crossover points, respectively. Thus, for PX65/JX1, the strain energy is � 3 kcal/mol/bp, while it is � 13 kcal/mol/bp for JX2, JX3 and JX4. Another measure of the stability is the change in the structure from the minimum energy structure to the equilibrium structure at 300 K, denoted as rootmean-square deviation in coordinates (CRMSD). We
INTERIM STORAGE OF SPENT FUEL IN THE UNITED STATES

▪ Abstract At nuclear power reactors around the United States, quantities of spent or irradiated nuclear fuel are growing while owner-operator companies await the approval of a permanent storage facility. Some reactors have run out of space in their cooling pools and have had to resort to dry cask storage. The first half of this paper looks at the policy history of interim storage in the United States, discusses the current storage status at individual reactors, and then reviews the technologies available to deal with it. The second half of the paper considers the different options for dealing with this hazardous material in the interim, before a permanent high-level nuclear waste repository is opened, and examines the safety, security, transportation, economic, political, and other issues that bear on the choice of option.
A receptaculitid–echinoderm pioneer community in a Middle Ordovician reef

The Elk River Reef of Tennessee has an assemblage of incrusting bryozoans, ‘incrusting’ echinoderms, and receptaculitids (calathids) concentrated near its base. This assemblage is thought to have initially inhabited small local sites in a substrate of pelmatozoan sand containing various amounts of carbonate mud. The gregarious style of growth of these organisms and their close interrelationships stabilized the substrate and produced a biological hardground, later occupied by colonial corals and stromatoporoids to form the main reef body. The anastomosing root structures of the echinoderms helped stabilize the substrate and hindered sediment movement. In an effort to support themselves, these echinoderms achieved additional baffling effects of their incrusting and engulfing growth abilities. They particularly attached themselves to calathids. Calathids are the most noticeable taxon in the community. They differ from other calathids presently known in that they have a ‘porous' convoluted outer wall very much like a sponge in appearance. The Elk River Reef and its contained receptaculitids fall within 10–15° of the presently accepted position of the Ordovician equator. Summary A unique assemblage of incrusting bryozoans, incrusting echinoderms, and upright branching calathids (algae?) occur in the lower parts of the Elk River Reef in south-central Tennessee. Because of their numbers and incrusting and gregarious growth characteristics these taxa stabilized the substrate by limiting the movement of carbonate mud and skeletal debris. The incrusting bryozoans and echinoderms grew over and around each other and each incrusted calathids, eventually forming a biologic hardground. The echinoderms had the peculiar ability to ‘invade’ the living chambers of dead organisms and completely ‘engulf’ entire fragments. The calathids described herein have a thick, commonly amorphous outer layer formed by the expansion of the heads of laterals which extend outward in all directions from the central axis. The fusion of these irregularly shaped heads forms a ‘porous’ sponge-like layer a feature which has not been previously described in calathids. The local sites stabilized by this assemblage were later occupied by stromatoporoids and colonial corals forming the main body of the reef (for a discussion of the upper parts of these reefs see Alberstadt et al. 1974).
Enhancing learning through optimal sequencing of web-based and manikin simulators to teach shock physiology in the medical curriculum

The Association of American Medical Colleges has encouraged educators to investigate proper linkage of simulation experiences with medical curricula. The authors aimed to determine if student knowl...
Structure of Sulfate Adsorption Complexes on Ferrihydrite

Sulfate adsorption on mineral surfaces is an important environmental chemical process. However, the structure of sulfate adsorption complexes has remained uncertain. In this study, we have determined the S−Fe distance of sulfate inner-sphere adsorption complexes on iron (Fe) oxyhydroxide (ferrihydrite) surfaces under air-dried conditions using sulfur K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and differential X-ray pair distribution function analysis. Both approaches indicate that the S− Fe interatomic distance of the sulfate adsorption complexes is 3.22−3.25 A, suggesting that sulfate forms bidentate−binuclear adsorption complexes on ferrihydrite surfaces. Outer-sphere complexes are also observed using infrared spectroscopic analysis. This finding clarifies the long-standing debate over the structure of sulfate adsorption complexes and has important implications for understanding the chemistry of sulfate at environmental interfaces.
Predicting Reading Ability for Bilingual Latino Children Using Dynamic Assessment

This study investigated the predictive validity of a dynamic assessment designed to evaluate later risk for reading difficulty in bilingual Latino children at risk for language impairment. During kindergarten, 63 bilingual Latino children completed a dynamic assessment nonsense-word recoding task that yielded pretest to posttest gain scores, residuum gain scores, and modifiability scores. At the end of first grade, the same participants completed criterion reading measures of word identification, decoding, and reading fluency. The dynamic assessment yielded high classification accuracy, with sensitivity and specificity at or above 80% for all three criterion reading measures, including 100% sensitivity for two out of the three first-grade measures. The dynamic assessment used in this study has promise as a means for predicting first-grade word-level reading ability in Latino, bilingual children.
A Comparison of Quadrats Versus Timed Snorkel Searches for Assessing Freshwater Mussels

Abstract Nine sites in the Neosho River (Kansas) were surveyed for unionid mussels during summer 1994 to compare the effectiveness of quadrat sampling vs. timed snorkel searches for evaluating relative abundance, species richness and diversity, size distribution and evidence of recruitment. At each site, timed snorkel searches were conducted in a 100-m stretch, 10-m wide, of wadable habitat. Mussels were returned to their original location following identification and sizing. Next, 40 1 m2 quadrats were sampled from the same stretch. Finally, 15 qualitative substrate samples (approximately 1 m2) were sieved in an attempt to detect recruitment. A total of 786 mussels were caught during 12 h, 11 min of snorkel searches compared to 896 mussels from 360 1-m2 quadrats. Quadrula metanevra was the most abundant species collected by either qualitative or quantitative methods. Differences in assessments of species diversity and relative abundance between methods were not significant; however, timed searches reveal...
"An ounce of prevention": Error prevention in nuclear medicine: Recognition and review

1247 Learning Objectives Various issues can occur in the fast paced daily practice of nuclear medicine which can result in possible errors, most commonly due to failures in communication. Errors can occur from the time the patient enters the nuclear department, including during diagnosis and treatment. The responsibility of safety rests with individuals in the entire healthcare organization, with active communication in the department. Understanding and prevention of errors is solution rather than dealing with such errors after they occur, resulting in improved patient care. We will present many of these issues and solutions in a pictorial poster review. We discuss the fact that many potential errors can occur in the daily practice of nuclear medicine. We discuss the importance and methods of prevention and detection of possible errors which include: -Patient identification issues: We discuss various methods to obtain and confirm identification for patient examinations. -Correct site procedure issues: We discuss ways to identify and confirm that you are performing a study on correct side of the body -Importance of Time Outs: -Detection of Expired products in nuclear department -Issues of Hot Lab Safety and NRC safety issues -How to recognize and deal with errors when they occur -Service recovery in Nuclear Medicine: Dealing with the unhappy patient -Issues with informed consent and language issue conflicts in nuclear medicine -Issues of continued education to all members of the healthcare team for earlier prevention and detection of errors -Discussion of "checklists" in nuclear medicine to help prevent errors -Importance of getting a complete patient history, which includes medications, surgeries and family history, allergies,etc. We also integrate the National Quality Forum endorsed "30 safe practices" as it applies to the practice of nuclear medicine
Deconvolution of Mass Gain and Mass Loss Mechanisms During Carbothermic Reduction to Nitridation of Zirconia

A novel approach was used to understand the effects of processing conditions on the conversion of zirconium dioxide to zirconium carbonitride using a carbothermic reduction to nitridation process. The conversion process was studied through the use of thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy, resulting in an understanding of the nature and progression of conversion. The rate of mass change as measured through thermogravimetric analysis was plotted as a function of reaction progression, guiding the use of XRD in further understanding the conversion process. This approach was then used to characterize the important effect of initial compact morphology on conversion. Coupled analysis techniques allow for advancement of a number of hypotheses regarding the rate-limiting factors along the various steps in the carbothermic reduction to nitridation process. These results demonstrate the value of the proposed approach to aid in deconstruction of competing reaction mechanisms as necessary to understand the system studied here or other systems of scientific and industrial relevance.
Mating system variation in hybridizing irises: Effects of phenology and floral densities on family outcrossing rates

Mating system variation in hybridizing irises: Effects of phenology and floral densities on family outcrossing rates
Labor's Role in the American Corporate Governance Structure (Employees and Corporate Governance)

In analyzing the advantages and disadvantages that result from providing employees with a role in corporate governance, we cannot rely solely on empirical research. In the end, we must engage in an honest discussion of the political issues involved - issues that do not lend themselves to precise mathematical testing. These political issues involve questions such as, "What kind of society do we want to live in?" In defining a "socially optimal" corporate governance system, we should talk about the quality of life, rather than just about gross national product and shareholder value. If corporate governance systems affect disparities in the wealth of citizens, then this relationship bears political scrutiny and debate. However, in addition to debate, we do need more research, especially research that considers the normative or political aspects of the workers' role in corporate governance, both in the United States and abroad.
Investigation of fly infestation in Kalamay

Objective To investigate the community density and carrying status of flies to inform the related control strategies in Kalamay.Methods Cage traps were deployed to monitor fly density.Captured flies were anesthetized,counted and identified.Colony count,coliform and pathogens were detected in accordance with the National Standard Test Method(GB/T 4789-2003).Results The average density of flies was 9.6 per cage in the area.The dominant species was Musca,which accounted for 57.0%of the total captures,while Lucilia accounted for 30.9%and Sarcophaga for 9.1%.Colony count,yeast and fungi and coliform were respectively 4.3×10~5 CFU,1.2×10~5 CFU and 973 MPN per fly.Conclusion Despite low density,the flies in Kalamay are carrying a wide range of microorganisms,including a number of conditioned pathogens.
Long-term changes in precipitation recorded by magnetic minerals in speleothems

Speleothems are important paleoclimate archives. Researchers typically compile measurements of stable isotopic ratios dated using high precision U-Th radiometric techniques to reconstruct regional and global climate. Magnetic material incorporated within speleothems can provide an independent means of connecting large-scale climatic changes with their impact on more localized processes in soils overlying cave systems. Under certain environmental conditions, pedogenic processes can produce magnetite nanoparticles. Enhancement of pedogenic magnetite in soil profiles depends strongly on local precipitation. Pedogenic magnetite can be subsequently transferred via drip-waters into underlying cave-systems and incorporated into speleothems as they grow. Here, we employ high-resolution magnetic methods to analyze a well-dated stalagmite from Buckeye Creek Cave, West Virginia (USA), and find that changes in magnetite concentration follow both changes in stable isotopes measured in the same stalagmite and global climate proxies. We interpret the changes in magnetite concentration as reflecting variations in local pedogenic processes, controlled by changes in regional precipitation. This record demonstrates how magnetic measurements on speleothems can constrain interpretations of speleothem climate proxies.
Complementary Sensor Fusion in Robotic Manipulation

This chapter demonstrates the advantage of using visual sensing in a multiple sensor integration mode in order to manipulate parts in a typical manufacturing work cell that is composed of a robot manipulator, a disc conveyor, and a camera system. Even though the visual computations are performed at a low rate, part position and orientation information can still be updated at the same rate as the feedback loop using an additional encoder sensor. The chapter also demonstrates a practical tracking algorithm that pays attention to the fact that the torque that the robot control system can supply is bounded. The proposed algorithm is primarily based on error feedback, with an extra error reduction term added to force the torque requirement to remain within acceptable bounds. The proposed scheme is implemented on the basis of both time and event. The experimental results clearly demonstrate the advantages of the proposed scheme. A sensor fusion scheme for the control problem of constrained motions of a manipulator is also developed. In order to take advantage of multisensor fusion, a new planning and control scheme is designed. The proposed method is simple to implement and robust against uncertainty in the configuration of the camera, the robot and the surface, and it utilizes an adaptive scheme. A fusion algorithm can be easily developed to utilize the scheme for the case where multiple uncalibrated cameras are available, because the proposed image-based motion planning scheme is implemented on the tangent plane of the contact surface.
ENRICHED ENVIRONMENTS: FACTS, FACTORS, AND FANTASIES

As we prepared to write this chapter and reviewed the varied and sometimes contradictory reactions of some investigators to our reports on effects of environment on brain and behavior, an old story came to mind: A villager was accused of returning a borrowed teapot in poor condition. Vehemently he replied, “In the first place, I never borrowed it; in the second place, I returned it in perfect condition; in the third place, the teapot was already dented when I got it!” Thus the initial criticism of our work was that our results were unlikely or probably unreproducible; that is, the effects didn’t exist in the first place.
Blue transfusions: internet porn and the pirating of queer cinema’s sex scenes

ABSTRACTThe present proliferation of online porn aggregators offers a distinct set of promises and challenges to porn production, consumption, and theorization. This article traces the online pirating of some of queer cinema’s steamiest sex scenes through questions of technology, access, classification, and affect, arguing that the gay-identified porn aggregator comprises a unique kind of counterpublic space. Suggesting a new ‘gay underground’ that honours its avant-garde antecedents despite – or perhaps because of – its torrented trappings, this piracy-driven porn aggregator offers complex and contradictory ways of engaging with queer cinema in the digital age.
Analysis and implementation of scalable clock synchronization protocols in IEEE 802.11 ad hoc networks

This paper studies a fundamental problem, clock synchronization, in IEEE 802.11 ad hoc networks. Clock synchronization is important for frequent hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) to ensure that all stations "hop" at the same time; it is also necessary for FHSS, direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) to perform power management. The synchronization mechanism specified in the IEEE 802.11 standards has a severe scalability problem. Remedies have been proposed to solve the scalability problem, but these solutions either can not handle mobility very well or the protocol is too experimental without solid analysis. In this paper, we analyze the root cause of the scalability problem and propose two protocols with analytical guidance for implementation. The new solutions are distributed, scalable and very adaptive to station mobility. The maximum clock drift is improved from over 4000 /spl mu/s to under 125 /spl mu/s and 50 /spl mu/s respectively for our new protocols.
Hysterectomy for benign conditions: Complications relative to surgical approach and other variables that lead to post-operative readmission within 90 days of surgery.

Objective:To examine variables associated with hysterectomy-related complications, relative to surgical approach and other variables, that lead to readmission within 90 days of surgery.Methods:We c...
Targets of Mechanical Cardiovascular Function That if Affected by Test Articles May Translate to Morbidity and/or Mortality

Toxicology and safety pharmacology are subspecialties initiated to predict adverse drug events in individuals for whom drugs are targeted. They should attempt to interrogate all parameters of function, which if affected might translate to an adverse clinical event. These functions are categorized generally as electrophysiological (e.g., automaticity, conductivity, irritability), hemodynamic (e.g., inotrope, lusitrope), energetic (i.e., ratio of oxygen demand to oxygen delivery), biochemical (e.g., phosphogen status), physicochemical (e.g., ion channels), and integrative (e.g., baroreceptor function). Those that occur electrophysiologically are more devastating since they may terminate in sudden death (e.g., torsades de pointes evolving to ventricular fibrillation), but those that occur in the hemodynamic/energetic arena, although less striking, translate to orders of magnitude greater morbidity and mortality. This review will deal predominately with hemodynamic parameters that are important to determine drug safety, and will be quite different from a general discussion that might be related to diagnosis of disease. Because hemodynamic parameters also determine energetics (i.e., ratio of myocardial oxygen delivery to myocardial oxygen consumption) and are influenced by integrative functions (i.e., baroreceptor sensitivity, neuroendocrine balance), this discussion will focus on vascular pressures as measured in preclinical trials.
Relay leadership and long-term policy: The case of Mars

Abstract Space enthusiasts have long yearned for a human expedition to Mars. Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator, declared in 2016 that NASA was “closer than ever before” to the Red Planet. If so, what have NASA Administrators done or not done, and why, to get their agency there? This article investigates “relay leadership” in relation to human spaceflight to Mars since 1989. It seeks to illuminate connections between decision makers across time. The result of leadership actions has been incremental progress, with one sharp “punctuation” point when the Columbia shuttle disintegrated in 2003. After an abortive start under Richard Truly, and in spite of political instability, successive NASA leaders—Daniel Goldin, Sean O'Keefe, Michael Griffin, and Charles Bolden—have moved the agency closer to Mars.
Range-based volatility, expected stock returns, and the low volatility anomaly

One of the foundations of financial economics is the idea that rational investors will discount stocks with more risk (volatility), which will result in a positive relation between risk and future returns. However, the empirical evidence is mixed when determining how volatility is related to future returns. In this paper, we examine this relation using a range-based measure of volatility, which is shown to be theoretically, numerically, and empirically superior to other measures of volatility. In a variety of tests, we find that range-based volatility is negatively associated with expected stock returns. These results are robust to time-series multifactor models as well as cross-sectional tests. Our findings contribute to the debate about the direction of the relationship between risk and return and confirm the presence of the low volatility anomaly, or the anomalous finding that low volatility stocks outperform high volatility stocks. In other tests, we find that the lower returns associated with range-based volatility are driven by stocks with lottery-like characteristics.