cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
El Niño and our future climate: where do we stand?

El Nino and La Nina comprise the dominant mode of tropical climate variability: the El Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. ENSO variations influence climate, ecosystems, and societies around the globe. It is, therefore, of great interest to understand the character of past and future ENSO variations. In this brief review, we explore our current understanding of these issues. The amplitude and character of ENSO have been observed to exhibit substantial variations on timescales of decades to centuries; many of these changes over the past millennium resemble those that arise from internally generated climate variations in an unforced climate model. ENSO activity and characteristics have been found to depend on the state of the tropical Pacific climate system, which is expected to change in the 21st century in response to changes in radiative forcing (including increased greenhouse gases) and internal climate variability. However, the extent and character of the response of ENSO to increased in greenhouse gases are still a topic of considerable research, and given the results published to date, we cannot yet rule out possibilities of an increase, decrease, or no change in ENSO activity arising from increases in CO2. Yet we are fairly confident that ENSO variations will continue to occur and influence global climate in the coming decades and centuries. Changes in continental climate, however, could alter the remote impacts of El Nino and La Nina. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
A parametric study of the cathode catalyst layer of PEM fuel cells using a pseudo-homogeneous model

Abstract A pseudo-homogeneous model for the cathode catalyst layer performance in PEM fuel cells is derived from a basic mass–current balance by the control volume approach. The model considers kinetics of oxygen reduction at the catalyst/electrolyte interface, proton transport through the polymer electrolyte and oxygen diffusion through porous media. The governing equations, a two-point boundary problem, are solved using a relaxation method. The numerical results compare well with our experimental data. Using the model, influences of various parameters such as overpotential, proton conductivity, catalyst layer porosity, and catalyst surface area on the performance of catalyst layer are quantitatively studied. Based on these results, cathode catalyst layer design parameters can be optimized for specified working conditions.
A rapid dichromate procedure for routine estimation of total nitrogen in soils

Abstract A simple procedure for routine estimation of total nitrogen (N) in soils is described. It involves (a) digestion of the soil sample with an acidified dichromate (K2Cr2O7‐H2SO4) solution for 45 minutes in a Pyrex digestion tube in a 40‐tube block digester preheated to 170°C, (b) titrimetric determination of the ammonia‐N liberated by direct steam distillation of the digest with alkali (NaOH), and (c) calculation of the total‐N value by application of a correction factor (1.1) to the measured NH3‐N value. Studies using 14 soils selected to obtain a wide range in total N content and other properties showed that the uncorrected recovery of N by the procedure described ranged from 88.5% to 92.3% and averaged 90.5%. When a correction factor of 1.1 was applied to the results, the recovery of N ranged from 97.4% to 101.5% and averaged 99.6%. The dichromate procedure described is rapid and precise, and it permits at least 80 analyses in a normal working day. The only equipment required for its use is equi...
Pancuronium dose-response revisited

Summary We were interested in determining the cumulative dose-response relationship of pancuronium in infants and children during nitrous oxide–halothane anaesthesia. Neuromuscular blockade was monitored by recording the electromyographic activity of the adductor pollicis muscle from supramaximal stimulation of the ulnar nerve at 2 Hz for 2 s at 10 s intervals. Forty patients were divided into four equal groups according to age: 3–6 months, 7–12 months, 13–47 months and 48–83 months. The effective dose, ED50 (mean ± SEM), of pancuronium in these age groups was 24 ± 2, 30 ± 2, 34 ± 3, 29 ± 2 μgμkg-1, respectively; the ED95 (mean ± SEM) was 45 ± 2, 52 ± 3, 62 ± 6, 62 ± 4 μgμkg-1, respectively. The ED95 of pancuronium was significantly less (P < 0.05) for infants from 3 to 6 months of age than for children from 13 to 83 months of age. Infants thus appear to be more sensitive than children to the neuromuscular blocking effects of pancuronium during halothane anaesthesia.
Ethylene and coadsorbed hydrogen on Si(100)-(2×1): Structure, bonding, and decomposition

Abstract The effect of post-adsorbed atomic hydrogen on adsorption, desorption and decomposition of ethylene on Si(100)-(2×1) has been studied using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). HREEL spectra show that ethylene, in the absence of hydrogen, rehybridizes from sp2 to sp3 and forms a diσ bonded structure to the surface. After low post-exposures to atomic hydrogen, the observed Si-H mode and the absence of significant change in the chemisorbed ethylene spectrum indicate that the surface dangling bonds still exist after ethylene adsorption, and that the adsorption of ethylene is accompanied by cleavage of the original SiSi dimer bond. In addition, the hydrogen-saturated danging bonds are found to stabilize the diσ bonded ethylene, leading to increased decomposition at higher temperatures. However, higher exposures of atomic hydrogen convert the initial (2×1) reconstruction of the ethylene-saturated surface to a (1×1) structure. Furthermore, the thermal desorption peak of molecular ethylene is shifted up by approximately 100 K. HREELS data show that the CC bond still exists, and, by using atomic deuterium, a C-D mode is observed. We explain our data by an atomic hydrogen-driven conversion of the diσ bonded ethylene to a monoσ bonded surface ethyl. Thermal activation leads to decomposition of about 60% of the initial ethylene in contrast to the mainly molecular desorption in the absence of hydrogen.
Poisson structures on twistor spaces of hyperkähler and HKT manifolds

Abstract We characterize HKT structures in terms of a nondegenerate complex Poisson bivector on a hypercomplex manifold. We extend the characterization to the twistor space. After considering the flat case in detail, we show that the twistor space of a hyperkahler manifold admits a holomorphic Poisson structure. We briefly mention the relation to quaternionic and hypercomplex deformations on tori and K3 surfaces.
Analysis of secretory dynamics and development of media for the controlled secretion of insulin-related peptides from βTC-3 insulinoma cells

Controlled secretion of proteins from endocrine-derived cell lines has been proposed as a means to produce some classes of post-translationally modified proteins in bioreactors. Under the right biological and environmental conditions it may be possible to improve the product purity or quality relative to that obtained through steady (constitutive) secretion. The pancreatic-islet-derived cell line, βTC-3, was selected as a model system to explore the secretory dynamics of insulin under various combinations of stimulatory or inhibitory environmental conditions. The βTC-3 cells exhibited a glucose-mediated stimulus-response pattern which was saturated above 1 mM glucose and with an apparent “Kg” of 0.1 mM glucose. However, the kinetics of insulin synthesis were closely coupled to those of secretion such that βTC-3 cells cycled between saturating and basal levels of glucose were never perturbed far from an intracellular synthesis-secretion equilibrium. When more powerful and selective agents were used to control secretion, the system performance improved markedly. A combination of 1 mM isobytylmethylxanthine (IBMX) and 1 μM carbachol (with saturating levels of glucose) could discharge 75% of stored insulin in 2 h. When this treatment was followed by incubation in media adjusted to attenuate the influx of calcium into the cells, intracellular pools were efficiently replenished within 24 h. Calcium attenuating treatments included hyperpolarization with reduced potassium (1 mM), calcium channel blockade with the dihydropyridine verapamil (1 μM), and the direct mass-action effect of reduced environmental calcium (0.5 mM versus 1.8 mM). Other inhibitory treatments were explored, but these tended to reduce both insulin synthesis and secretion. The best recharging treatment found was a combination of verapamil (1 μM) with reduced calcium level (0.5 mM). To demonstrate the feasibility of a controlled secretion process, βTC-3 T-flask cultures were grown to confluence, then cycled through two periods of discharging (2 h) and recharging (20 h) with the best combinations of secretagogues and calcium attenuators. The overall process was quite efficient: Only 15% of the overall insulin secretion took place during the recharging episodes, and this residual secretion represented only 10% of the net insulin synthesis during these episodes. Discharging was very effective in the first episode (80% recovery of stored insulin), but slightly less efficient in subsequent discharging episodes, possibly due to a desensitization effect of the calcium attenuating media. Nevertheless, the regulated secretory pathway of βTC-3 cells could be successfully harnessed to a controlled secretion process for the selective recovery of stored insulin. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng53: 274–282, 1997.
The effect of school starting age policy on crime: Evidence from U.S. microdata

Abstract Does school starting age policy have an impact on the propensity of individuals to commit crime as adults? Using microdata from the U.S. Census, we find that a higher school starting age cutoff leads to lower rates of incarceration among both those directly affected by the laws and those only indirectly affected. However, the reduction in incarceration among those directly affected is smaller in magnitude, implying that the delay itself was harmful with respect to crime outcomes. These findings provide further support for early childhood interventions influencing future criminal activity.
On the stability of finite numerical procedures

Many procedures, for example Gaussian elimination with partial pivoting, have been shown to be stable in the following sense. The effect of round-off errors is to produce a computed solution which is the exact solution for slightly different data. Sometimes that is equivalent to the computed solution being close to the exact solution. In this paper we study this equivalence.
ANTIGEN RECOGNITION AND THE IMMUNE RESPONSE STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS IN THE SIDE CHAIN OF TYROSINE FOR IMMUNOGENICITY OF L-TYROSINE-AZOBENZENEARSONATE

The low molecular weight compound L-tyrosine-azobenzenearsonate (RAT) induces a cellular immune response in guinea pigs. The contribution of the side chain of tyrosine to the immunogenicity of RAT and the structural requirements at that position for immunogenicity were assessed by synthesizing a series of analogs of RAT containing modifications in the side chain of tyrosine and employing them as immunogens. Removal of either the carboxyl or amino group did not markedly affect immunogenicity, measured by the induction of delayed cutaneous sensitivity, whereas deletion of both completely abolished it. However, a charged group was not required since side chains containing a polar hydroxyl group could substitute for chains bearing an amino or carboxyl group. The size of the side chain exerted a pronounced influence; the charged or polar substituent had to be extended from the phenolic ring by at least two carbon atoms in order to confer immunogenicity.
Bladder cancer angiogenesis and metastasis—translation from murine model to clinical trial

In the majority of cases, death from bladder cancer results from metastatic disease. Understanding the closely linked mechanisms of invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis in bladder cancer has allowed us to develop new therapeutic strategies that harbor the promise of decisive improvements in patient survival. The essential link between cell based experiments and the translation of novel agents into human patients with bladder cancer is the animal model. With emphasis on the orthotopic xenograft model, this review outlines some key mechanisms relevant to angiogenesis and the development of metastasis in bladder cancer. We highlight especially pathways related to MMP-9, IL-8, VEGF and EGFR. Most commonly, expression patterns of these markers in patients have correlated to disease progression and patient survival, which has led to laboratory investigations of these markers and eventually novel targeted therapies that are translated back into the clinic by means of clinical trials. Although imperfect in their translatability into clinical efficacy, animal models remain a critical tool in bladder cancer research.
Increased abundance, but reduced nest predation in the chestnut-backed antbird in costa rican rainforest fragments: surprising impacts of a pervasive snake species

Abstract Understory insectivorous birds often disappear from fragmented tropical rainforest landscapes before mechanisms such as increased rate of nest depredation can be evaluated. Here, we took advantage of chestnut-backed antbird (Myrmeciza exsul), a representative rainforest understory insectivore that persists in fragments (unlike many other understory species), to identify variables influencing nest predation rate and to test the hypothesis that nest predation underlies avian extirpation in tropical fragments. We compared nest predation rates, bird density, and predator identities in three habitats of lowland Caribbean Costa Rica: two fragments, a peninsular reserve (La Selva Biological Station), and unfragmented rainforest. Our results suggest an inversely density-dependent nest predation pattern: In fragments, chestnut-backed antbirds reached their highest density and—contrary to predictions—experienced their lowest nest predation rates; La Selva on the other hand experienced the lowest density and highest predation rate. Because nest predation decreased with fragmentation, it appears not to explain declines of understory insectivores from forest fragments generally. Nest survival models indicated that habitat best explained nest predation likelihood, whereas edge, annual, and nest age effects were unimportant. Video surveillance documented both bird-eating snake (Pseustes poecilonotus) causing 80% of nest loss overall (37 of 46 nests) and a larger variety of predators in fragments; thus, landscape factors influenced an understory bird’s nest predation. Given the large effect on our focal species, Pseustes likely affects other understory nesters, a topic warranting further study. Tropical reserve conservation plans should consider potential impacts of specialized nest predators on vulnerable understory birds.
Discharge and retention of psychogeriatric long-stay patients in a state mental hospital.

In the table accompanying the paper entitled "Discharge and Retention of Psychogeriatric Long-Stay Patients in a State Mental Hospital" by Gary S. Moak, M.D., in the April 1990 issue (pages 445-447), the headings of the second and third columns were reversed. The second column, in which data on a group of 24 patients are reported, should have been labeled "Nondischarged," and the heading for the third column, in which data on 18 patients are reported, should have read "Discharged." Also, the proportion of assaultive patients in the nondischarged group was incorrectly reported as 16 percent; a total of 46 percent of the nondischarged patients were assaultive. The corrected table appears below. The editors regret the errors.
Disseminated coccidioidomycosis in a patient with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Abstract Disseminated coccidioidomycosis is a recognized but infrequent accompaniment of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). A patient with AIDS, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and disseminated coccidioidomycosis occurring outside of an endemic area is described. Fungal infection presented atypically with progressive thoracic adenopathy and the development of cold soft tissue abscesses. As is often the case with AIDS, serologic testing proved to be unreliable and tissue biopsy the only means of accurate diagnosis.
Effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water in a sandplain setting

An experiment was conducted at a depressional (lowland) and an upland site in sandy soils to evaluate the effects of surface run-off on the transport of agricultural chemicals to ground water. Approximately 16.5 cm of water was applied to both sites during the experiment, representing a natural precipitation event with a recurrence interval of approximately 100 years. Run-off was quantified at the lowland site and was not detected at the upland site during the experiment. Run-off of water to the lowland site was the most important factor affecting differences in the concentrations and fluxes of the agricultural chemicals between the two sites. Run-off of water to the lowland site appears to have played a dual role by diluting chemical concentrations in the unsaturated zone as well as increasing the concentrations at the water table, compared to the upland site. Concentrations of chloride, nitrate and atrazine plus metabolites were noticeably greater at the water table than in the unsaturated zone at both sites. The estimated mass flux of chloride and nitrate to the water table during the test were 5–2 times greater, respectively, at the lowland site compared to the upland site, whereas the flux of sulfate and atrazine plus metabolites was slightly greater at the upland site. Results indicate that matrix flow of water and chemicals was the primary process causing the observed differences between the two sites. Results of the experiment illustrate the effects of heterogeneity and the complexity of evaluating chemical transport through the unsaturated zone. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
The production of Te atoms by the multiphoton dissociation of diethyltelluride

Abstract Detection of Te atoms in the ground 3P2,1,0 states has been accomplished using two-photon laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and “2 + 1” multiphoton ionization (MPI). Te atoms were produced by multiphoton dissociation of (C2H5)2Te in the region 358–395 nm. The LIF and MPI experiments utilize selective excitation of the 6p 3PJ′←5p 3PJ″ and 7p 3PJ′←5p 3P2 transitions by two-photon absorption. Line strength intensities for the individual J′ ← J″ fine structure pairs of the 6p 3PJ′ ← 5p 3PJ″ two-photon transitions were calculated and compared to the LIF data. Intensities of these transitions of Te atoms are compared to analogous 3P ← 3P transitions in S and O atoms.
A direct comparison of 14C and 230Th ages at Searles Lake, California

Thorium-230 dating on saline of the Lower Salt unit in pluvial Searles Lake, California, shows that this unit was formed between 24,500 and 32,000 years ago. The initial apparent 14C age of the lake is estimated to be about 900 years. After correcting for nonradiogenic 230Th and for the initial 14C age, excellent agreement between 230Th and 14C ages is obtained. The reliability of 230Th dating on salt deposit opens a new way for continuation of absolute chronology below the Lower Salt in Searles Lake.
The influence of climate state variables on Atlantic Tropical Cyclone occurrence rates

[1] We analyzed annual North Atlantic tropical cyclone (TC) counts from 1871-2004, considering three climate state variables—the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), peak (August-October or ‘ASO’) Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) over the main development region (‘MDR’: 6-18°N, 20-60°W), and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)—thought to influence variations in annual TC counts on interannual and longer timescales. The unconditional distribution of TC counts is observed to be inconsistent with the null hypothesis of a fixed rate random (Poisson) process. However, using two different methods, we find that conditioning TC counts on just two climate state variables, ENSO and MDR SST, can account for much or all of the apparent non-random variations over time in TC counts. Based on statistical models of annual Atlantic TC counts developed in this study and current forecasts of climate state variables, we predicted m = 15 ± 4 total named storms for the 2007 season.
Photocycle dynamics in bacteriorhodopsin in an ethanol perturbed lipid environment using time-resolved infrared spectroscopy

We examine the dependence of the native bacteriorhodopsin (bR) photocycle on ethanol, a solvent thought to perturb lipid structure, and monitor protein and chromophore absorption changes using time-resolved Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Ethanol treated samples under two pH conditions, 7 and 8, and two temperatures are examined. A faster M to N transition and slower N to O/bR transition are observed with 3 M ethanol at pH 8. These rates are determined by monitoring several different infrared bands associated with the bR proton pump. An examination of the positions of the infrared bands associated with Asp85 and Asp96 (crucial bR proton transport amino acids) indicates that ethanol produces no obvious differences attributable to bR protein structural changes. Lipid-specific infrared bands in the CH stretching region and methylene region in the bR-lipid system and a model diphytanyl lipid undergo shifts in the presence of ethanol consistent with conformational changes in the lipid acyl chai...
A Microscopical Study of Residual Oily Soil Distribution on Fabrics of Varying Fiber Content

Microprobe techniques were used to study the distribution of residual triolein, a major constituent of human sebum, within yams of varying fiber content. Fabrics of acrylic, polyester, nylon, cotton, and polyester/cotton were soiled with triolein, aged for 16 hours at 38°C, and washed at 38°C with a heavy-duty, unbuilt liquid detergent. After five soil-age-wash cycles, specimens were prepared for analysis by electron microscopy. For fibers of all chemical types, backscattered electron images and electron beam X-ray microanalysis showed high concentrations of triolein in the interfiber capillaries of the yarns and on the fiber surfaces. Oil appeared in beads on the surfaces of acrylic and nylon fibers and on polyester fibers from the polyester/ cotton blend that had a durable press finish. Unfinished polyester fibers, both round and trilobal, had a more uniform coating of oil around the fiber surfaces.Radiotracer analysis indicated that less residual oil was present on the nylon fabric than on the fabrics ...
Biologically inspired recognition model with extension fields

A recognition model which defines a measure of shape similarity on the direct output of multiscale and multiorientation Gabor filters does not manifest qualitative aspects of human object recognition of contour-deleted images in that: (a) it recognizes recoverable and nonrecoverable contour-deleted images equally well whereas humans recognize recoverable images much better, and (b) it distinguishes complementary feature-deleted images whereas humans do not. Adding some of the known connectivity pattern of the primary visual cortex to the model in the form of extension fields (connections between collinear and curvilinear units) among filters increased the overall recognition performance of the model and: (a) boosted the recognition rate of the recoverable images far more than the nonrecoverable ones, and (b) increased the similarity of complementary feature-deleted images, but not part-deleted ones, more closely corresponding to human psychophysical results. Interestingly, the performance was approximately equivalent for narrow (/spl plusmn/15/spl deg/) and broad (/spl plusmn/90/spl deg/) extension fields. The described method is most promising for the processing of noisy input images.
Beyond bags of words: effectively modeling dependence and features in information retrieval

Current state of the art information retrieval models treat documents and queries as bags of words. There have been many attempts to go beyond this simple representation. Unfortunately, few have shown consistent improvements in retrieval effectiveness across a wide range of tasks and data sets. Here, we propose a new statistical model for information retrieval based on Markov random fields. The proposed model goes beyond the bag of words assumption by allowing dependencies between terms to be incorporated into the model. This allows for a variety of textual and non-textual features to be easily combined under the umbrella of a single model. Within this framework, we explore the theoretical issues involved, parameter estimation, feature selection, and query expansion. We give experimental results from a number of information retrieval tasks, such as ad hoc retrieval and web search.
Automated Combined Kinetic and Static Perimetry: An Alternative to Standard Perimetry in Patients With Neuro-ophthalmic Disease and Glaucoma

Objectives To create a fully automated, combined perimetry program consisting of a static examination and a kinetic examination, and to compare the results of this test with standard static and kinetic visual fields (VFs). Methods Fifty-six patients (74 eyes) undergoing neuro-ophthalmic or glaucoma evaluation who had standard static or kinetic perimetry examinations underwent the combined perimetry test. This automated, combined test, performed on the Octopus 101 perimeter, consisted of a static tendency-oriented perimetry examination and a preprogrammed kinetic examination. Three masked physician reviewers independently classified all of the VFs. The VF pairs were considered a match if the consensus descriptions of the standard and combined VFs matched. Results Thirty-seven eyes underwent evaluation for neuro-ophthalmic disease (comparison standard test, 20 static and 17 kinetic) and 37 for glaucoma (comparison standard test, 17 static and 20 kinetic). The VP pairs matched in 32 eyes (86%) in the neuro-ophthalmic group and 28 (76%) in the glaucoma group. On inspection by a fourth reviewer, many of the nonmatching VF pairs were those for which a consensus was not reached, but still conveyed similar information. Two glaucomatous eyes demonstrated central scotomata not delineated by the combined examination findings. Two subtle nasal steps were detected solely by the combined examination. The combined test ranged in time from 6 to 12 minutes per eye. Conclusions The Octopus 101 perimeter can be used to create an automated test that combines the advantages of static and kinetic perimetry and produces equivalent results while not requiring examiner expertise.
Robust gate sizing by geometric programming

We present an efficient optimization scheme for gate sizing in the presence of process variations. Using a posynomial delay model, the delay constraints are modified to incorporate uncertainty in the transistor widths and effective channel lengths due to the process variations. An uncertainty ellipsoid method is used to model the random parameter variations. Spatial correlations of intra-die width and channel length variations are incorporated in the optimization procedure. The resulting optimization problem is relaxed to be a Geometric Program and is efficiently solved using convex optimization tools. The effectiveness of our robust gate sizing scheme is demonstrated by applying the optimization on the ISCAS '85 benchmark circuits and testing the optimized circuits by performing Monte Carlo simulations to model the process variations. By varying the size of the uncertainty ellipsoids, a trade-off between area and robustness is explored. Experimental results show that the timing yield of the robustly optimized circuits improves manifold over the traditional deterministically sized circuits. As compared to the worst-case design, the robust gate sizing solution having the same area, has fewer timing violations.
Broadcast capacity of a WSN employing power control and limited range dissemination

The broadcast capacity of a wireless sensor network (WSN) is defined as the maximum rate at which the network may generate messages intended for distribution to the entire network subject to coverage and delay constraints. Broadcast capacity depends on factors such as topology, collisions, node failures and queueing delays that may be incurred during heavy load conditions. In our previous work, we studied the improvements in efficiency and collision reduction through the use of information coordination (IC) and communication coordination (CC) respectively. In this paper we extend our work in three aspects: (i) we look at a more realistic topology for sensor networks, a Poisson cluster process, (ii) we allow for variable transmission distances as an abstraction of power control, and (iii) messages have a limited dissemination range, implying that each message may only permeate up to a certain distance r from its originator. We quantify the additional improvement in broadcast capacity when power control is added to IC and CC. We also show that broadcast capacity greatly increases when the reach of the message is restricted irrespective of whether IC and/or CC are employed, however the penalty incurred is reduced coverage.
Supergravity and the inverted gauge hierarchy

Abstract We generalize a class of O'Raifeartaigh models with Witten's inverted gauge hierarchy to N = 1 supergravity. Radiative corrections induce a grand unification scale that is several orders of magnitude below the Planck mass. This scale is obtained naturally, without having to fine tune the parameters.
Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse History and Leukocyte Telomere Length among Women in Middle Adulthood.

OBJECTIVE: Abuse victimization in childhood is associated with a variety of age-related cardiometabolic diseases, but the mechanisms remain unknown. Telomeres, which form the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, have been proposed as measures of biological age, and a growing body of research suggests that telomere attrition may help to explain relationships between stress and cardiometabolic degradation. We examined the association between childhood abuse victimization and leukocyte telomere length among 1,135 participants in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII). METHODS: The NHSII ascertained physical and sexual child abuse histories in 2001. Telomere length was measured in genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes collected between 1996 and 1999. The ratio of telomere repeat copy number to a single gene copy number (T/S) was determined by a modified version of the quantitative real-time PCR telomere assay. Telomere length was log-transformed and corrected for assay variation across batch. We regressed telomere length on childhood abuse exposure variables and covariates using linear regression. RESULTS: We observed a reduction in telomere length associated with moderate physical abuse versus no physical abuse, but there was no evidence of a dose-response relationship for increased severity of physical abuse. No associations were noted for sexual abuse. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence of an association between severity of childhood physical or sexual abuse and leukocyte telomere length in the NHSII. Language: en
Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane Modified Colloidal Silica Coatings

Coatings were prepared from a suspension of colloidal silica particles containing glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPS) and a polyamine curing agent. GPS was first added to an aqueous silica suspension which contained ethanol (30 wt%) to enhance mixing. The addition of GPS to a basic silica suspension favored condensation among the silane monomers and oligomers, resulting in precipitation. By contrast, acidic conditions resulted in slower condensation which allowed adsorption of the silane on silica, as followed by ATR-FI’IR. After GPS addition and aging, the pH of the suspension was increased, a polyamine was added, and coatings were prepared on polyester web. Coatings with GPS modification were denser, adhered better to the polymer substrate, and could be made thicker than unmodified silica coatings.
Rivers, Lakes, Dunes, and Rain: Crustal Processes in Titan's Methane Cycle

Titan exhibits ample surface and crustal processes including lakes and seas, fluvial erosive features, possibly subsurface reservoirs of liquid, and rainfall. Together these constitute strong evidence for a multicomposition hydrological system, composed mostly of methane and ethane as well as trace amounts of other alkanes. Estimates of the volume of liquid methane required in streams and rainfall to produce erosional features suggest that these could be relatively recent phenomena, perhaps periodically renewed as the overall climate cycles between dry and wet periods. The end state of the longer-term chemical processing of methane in the upper atmosphere is expressed on the surface in the form of deposits of solid organics organized into dunes, and lighter hydrocarbons such as ethane (in the lakes), acetylene, and other hydrocarbons and nitriles. The long-term evolution of the methane cycle may have involved episodic resupply of methane to the surface or gradual depletion of a larger surface reservoir of...
The Use of Copper Electrodes for the Comparative Tracking Index Test

If failure of electrical insulation occurs after a product has been in service for a considerable time, the mechanism involved is usually that of a carbonaceous track which develops between electrodes under conditions of intermittant moisture. A number associated with specific insulations and designed to rank insulations in order of their ability to avoid tracking is known as the comparative tracking index (CTI). There is little doubt as to the importance of the test that establishes the CTI value but there is much concern about its accuracy. This paper proposes modifications of the test equipment in an attempt to make the test more closely represent the conditions in the field and to make determination of the CTI value less subject to individual interpretation of the data. The proposed changes have been tested by laboratories in this country and Europe.
Predicting internal distance to the stomach for positioning nasogastric and orogastric feeding tubes in children

Title. Predicting internal distance to the stomach for positioning nasogastric and orogastric feeding tubes in children Aim: This paper is a report of a study to examine how well direct morphological distances commonly used for nasogastric or orogastric tube insertion and other methods perform as predictors of the internal distance to the targeted position for the tube pores in the stomach. Background: Previous studies with very small samples have indicated that commonly used distances give malplacements, either above the oesophagogastric junction or below the body of the stomach, perhaps as much as 33% of the time. Methods: We compared the predicted distances to the endoscopic and manometric distances to the oesophagogastric junction and to the body of the stomach in a prospective study of 494 children, 2 weeks to 19 years (231 months) of age. Data were collected from 1991 to 1998 and in 2005. Results: The nose–ear–xiphoid distance commonly used in nursing, and other morphological distances, often gave estimates that were either shorter than that to the oesophagogastric junction or longer than that to the distal margin of the body of the stomach. Age-specific methods for predicting the distance to the body of the stomach based on height gave highly accurate predictions of the internal distances. Conclusion: Age-specific methods have the potential to predict accurately the distances to the body of the stomach in 98·8% of children from 0·5 to 100 months of age and in 96·5% of children over 100 months of age. Where age-specific prediction methods cannot be used, the next best choice is the nose or mouth to ear–mid-xiphoid–umbilicus span.
Parents’ Report of Child’s Response to Sibling’s Death in a Neonatal or Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Background Research on sibling death in a pediatric/neonatal intensive care unit is limited, despite many qualitative differences from deaths at home or in hospitals’ general care areas and has overlooked cultural differences.
Detection of T-Cell Receptor-γ Gene Rearrangement in Lymphoproliferative Disorders by Temperature Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

Abstract Objective.—Polymerase chain reaction amplification of DNA for T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement analysis is helpful in the evaluation of T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Detect...
Hylleraas-configuration-interaction study of the 2 S 2 ground state of neutral lithium and the first five excited S 2 states

High-precision Hylleraas-configuration-interaction (Hy-CI) method variational calculations are reported for the $2\text{ }^{2}S$ ground state of neutral lithium. The nonrelativistic energy is calculated to be $\ensuremath{-}7.478\text{ }060\text{ }323\text{ }451\text{ }9\text{ }\text{hartree}$, demonstrating that the Hy-CI technique is capable of sub-nanohartree accuracy for three-electron systems. A Hylleraas expansion without linked products of odd powers of ${r}_{ij}$ gives $\ensuremath{-}7.478\text{ }060\text{ }323\text{ }452\text{ }\text{hartree}$, showing the relative unimportance of such terms for lithium at the nanohartree level of accuracy. Hy-CI calculations are also reported for the $3\text{ }^{2}S$, $4\text{ }^{2}S$, $5\text{ }^{2}S$, $6\text{ }^{2}S$, and $7\text{ }^{2}S$ lithium excited states.
Bending and Position Hysteresis of Magnetic Microfibers in Nonuniform Magnetic Fields

Magnetic microfibers are fibers that behave as a flexible paramagnetic body, for example, polymer fibers filled with superparamagnetic particles. A cantilevered magnetic microfiber will bend in response to an applied magnetic field. In a nonuniform field, generated for example by a single electromagnet or by a magnetic dipole, a magnetic microfiber displays position hysteresis as the field strength increases and decreases. This paper presents a model for determining stable shapes of a cantilevered magnetic microfiber in a nonuniform magnetic field. The model determines stable shapes by finding local minima of the potential energy using a Rayleigh-Ritz method. The model predicts the position hysteresis behavior observed in magnetic microfibers. Experimental data ware collected using two electromagnets with different geometries. The model simulation and experimental data compare well both qualitatively and quantitatively. The model will be useful for designing actuators based on magnetic microfibers and for characterizing the magnetic properties of fabricated fibers. A rigid bar model is also introduced, which captures the qualitative behavior of the fiber and illustrates the source of the position hysteresis behavior.
Variable Time-Stepping Strategies for Explicit and Parallel Solution of Unsteady Viscous and Inviscid Compressible Hows

Publisher Summary As the usage of parallel computer environments becomes popular in scientific computing, different parallelization algorithms have been developed to further increase the efficiency of computations. The amount of numerical calculations can be considerably decreased by using these variations throughout the computational domain. The Courant number limitation for time steps is based on element size and some flow parameters such as velocity, density, and speed of sound at the location of the element. Therefore, the number of computations and communications done to reach the final time is decreased compared to the fixed time stepping. Also, the amount of communication done at each time step is decreased because each block either sends or receives information, but not both. The processors used may have different speeds and memory capacities. Algorithms that take into account the local Courant number conditions in blocks and interfaces are known to provide improved parallel efficiencies. The advantages of the developed schemes become more apparent in cases with highly unbalanced block sizes and unevenly distributed element sizes, such as complex flow geometries and conditions.
The Effects of Tariffs and Quotas

This note discusses the welfare implications of tariffs for consumers, producers, and the government. A brief survey of the state of protectionism in recent years is included.
Motherhood and Family Health Advocacy in Nutrition and Exercise: “Doing the Tradition”

ABSTRACTStudies tend to subsume women’s routine family healthcare responsibilities under the larger heading of “household labor.” This study argues that, women’s—and particularly mothers’—family healthcare work in the area of diet and physical activity represents a distinctive area for critical family communication research with potentially serious psychological, emotional, and physical consequences for women and their families. Interviews (N = 30) with young adult-family member dyads supported this assertion. Interview data illustrated that mothers struggled to fulfill incongruous health goals for themselves and their family members, and did so at the expense of their familial relationships (particularly with children) and their own health. Moreover, dyadic data analysis highlighted how young adults ascertained and carried on the “tradition” of the established mother-as-healthcare-provider role. Implications for theory and future research directions conclude this study.
Setting the terms of relief: Explaining state policy choices in the devolution revolution

The landmark welfare legislation of 1996 offers students of politics a unique opportunity to pinpoint the determinants of state-level policy choices-a case in which the fifty states responded virtually simultaneously to a single policy mandate. Taking advantage of this opportunity, we investigate the factors that led states to make restrictive policy choices after 1996 and use this analysis to evaluate general -theories of welfare politics. Specifically, we test six types of explanations for why some states responded by adopting 'get-tough" program rules: theories that identify welfare policy as a site of ideological conflict, as an outcome of electoral politics, as a domain of policy innovation, as an instrument of social control, as an outlet for racial resentments, and as an expression of moral values. The results of our ordered and binary logit models suggest that state policies have been shaped by a variety of social and political forces, but especially by the racial composition of families who rely on program benefits. n 1996, the federal government passed legislation that transformed public assistance provision in the United States. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) abolished the federal entitlement to aid that grew out of the Social Security Act of 1935 and reached fruition through legal victories in the 1960s (Mink 1998; Lurie 1997). In its place, the federal government created Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a system of block grants that gives states more freedom to select among policy tools but also imposes a forceful mandate to promote work, reduce welfare usage, and change poor people's behaviors (Albelda and Tilly 1997). In this article, we present a political analysis of the ways states responded to this new policy environment. Specifically, we investigate the factors that shaped state-level policy choices after 1996 and use this analysis as a basis for evaluating general explanations for welfare policy outcomes. Our study builds on a long tradition of quantitative research that has attempted to illuminate state-level politics by asking why states adopt different welfare policies (Howard 1999; Rom 1999; Brace and Jewitt 1995; Peterson and Rom 1990; Plotnick and Winters 1985). The analysis presented here, however, departs from prior work in two important respects. First, most state-level research has sought to explain interstate differences in benefit levels and spending patterns (Howard 1999, 424-425;
The pressure dependence of the néel temperature in FeF2

Abstract A Mossbauer measurement of the pressure dependence of the Neel temperature in FeF2 is reported. Up to the maximum pressure of 50 kbar TN increases at the rate of 0.27 ± 0.03°K/kbar. When this pressure dependence is converted to volume dependence, the result, d In TN/d In V = 3.2 ± 0.3, is found to obey the “10 3 rule” established by Bloch for a wide variety of antiferromagnetic insulators.
Synthesis and antiviral evaluation of alkoxyalkyl esters of phosphonopropoxymethyl-guanine and phosphonopropoxymethyl-diaminopurine.

Phosphonopropoxymethyl-guanine is the methylene phosphonate analogue of acyclovir. Although not highly active against HSV, 4–38 µM of phosphonopropoxymethyl-guanine has been reported to be active a...
Optical properties of mercury ion thruster exhaust plumes Significance for candidate SEP science instruments

Emission from the exhaust plume of a 30 cm mercury ion thruster was measured from 160 to 600 nm as a function of axial and radial distance from the thruster discharge chamber. The spectrally dispersed absolute intensities were used to construct an empirical volume emission rate function. The function was integrated along a typical instrument field of view, and the resulting apparent brightness was compared with instrument sensitivities to evaluate the extent of optical interference. The intensity levels degraded rapidly with distance from the thruster so that optical interference was negligible for fields of view not intercepting the beam axis. The operation of only one instrument, a zodiacal photopolarimeter was considered incompatible with simultaneous thruster operation.
Pluralism: A Point of View

It is unfortunate, in my opinion, that the terms monism and pluralism have been injected into the discussion of political theory and doubly unfortunate that they have been put forward as rival theories between which we are expected to choose. Both words are in fact very general, both are capable of many meanings and both have about them the connotations of centuries of philosophical dispute. And yet the one clear lesson from these disputes is that both monism and pluralism are inescapable aspects of our world and as such can neither of them be neglected. An effort to set the two in opposition, to picture them as incompatible, and to force a choice between them is surely wasted. The truth is that monism and pluralism are not theories but points of view or modes of attack, and any reasonable political theory will have to take account of both and both will have to be interpreted in such a way that they can be joined in one theory. It is not the purpose of this paper to undertake so large a task as this final reconciliation; but merely to state as exactly as may be what is connoted by such phrases as “a monistic theory of the state” and “a pluralistic theory of the state,” in order that the different points of view may be made as clear as possible and may be compared. By political monism I understand a theory which holds that the state is ultimately a single indivisible authority, not subject to any other authority and therefore able itself to fix the limits and the content of the obligations to which it gives rise.
Using the ABAS-II with Elementary and Middle School Students

Publisher Summary The Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-II (ABAS-II) has made great contributions to the assessment of the adaptive behaviors of elementary and middle school children by providing a pair of rating scales that are well normed and psychometrically sound for this age group. The ABAS-II Parent Form and Teacher Form also have evidenced strong psychometric properties by meeting or exceeding many published criteria for reliability and validity. The scores that stem from the greatest number of items tend to be the most reliable. ABAS-II item content is based on careful review of recent diagnostic classification systems research, and items are selected for inclusion based on both manifest and empirical criteria. ABAS-II has met its design goals and produced instruments that are both easy to administer and score as well as linked to the standard diagnostic nomenclature for assessment of mental retardation and other developmental disabilities.