cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydraulic and Geochemical Framework of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Vadose Zone

Questions of major importance for subsurface contaminant transport at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) include (i) travel times to the aquifer, both average or typical values and the range of values to be expected, and (ii) modes of contaminant transport, especially sorption processes. The hydraulic and geochemical framework within which these questions are addressed is dominated by extreme heterogeneity in a vadose zone and aquifer consisting of interbedded basalts and sediments. Hydraulically, major issues include diverse possible types of flow pathways, extreme anisotropy, preferential flow, combined vertical and horizontal flow, and temporary saturation or perching. Geochemically, major issues include contaminant mobility as influenced by redox conditions, the concentration of organic and inorganic complexing solutes and other local variables, the interaction with infiltrating waters and with the contaminant source environment, and the aqueous speciation of contaminants such as actinides. Another major issue is the possibility of colloid transport, which inverts some of the traditional concepts of mobility, as sorbed contaminants on mobile colloids may be transported with ease compared with contaminants that are not sorbed. With respect to the goal of minimizing aquifer concentrations of contaminants, some characteristics of the vadose zone are essentially completely favorable. Examples include the great thickness (200 m) of the vadose zone, and the presence of substantial quantities of fine sediments that can retard contaminant transport both hydraulically and chemically. Most characteristics, however, have both favorable and unfavorable aspects. For example, preferential flow, as promoted by several notable features of the vadose zone at the INEEL, can provide fast, minimally sorbing pathways for contaminants to reach the aquifer easily, but it also leads to a wide dispersal of contaminants in a large volume of subsurface material, thus increasing the opportunity for dilution and sorption.
A COMPARISON OF DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS FOR CALCULATION OF PHASE EQUILIBRIA OF CONTINUOUS MIXTURES

Ill-defined fluid mixtures containing too many components for complete analysis are often described in terms of continuous distribution functions of boiling point or molecular weight or in terms of pseudo-components. For many systems, the choice of the pseudo-component method or one of the standard distribution-function approaches can significantly affect the calculated phase equilibria. For three sample systems, a comparison is made of the pseudo-component method, the method of moments, the Lobatto quadrature method, and our new method in which cubic-spline approximations are incorporated. The accuracy of representation of the composition distribution function is compared, as well as the calculated phase equilibria and CPU times. Although each method has advantages for specific types of systems and calculations, the cubic-spline method was found, in general, to be most accurate and adaptive, with only slight increases in computation times
Photocatalytic degradation of simulated pesticide rinsates in water and water+soil matrices

Abstract Degradation of active biocide compounds in five commercially available pesticides ranged from 0–75% after a 24 hr irradiation period in the presence of anatase (TiO 2 ). Nearly identical results, with the exception of triadimefon, were obtained from simulated rinsates with and without admixed soil. This study provides a realistic assessment of the photocatalytic treatment of rinsates in a slurry reactor by utilizing a mixture of commercial products, high concentrations, admixed soil, and solar equivalent UVA lighting.
Vibrational frequencies and structural determination of thiocyanogen

Abstract The vibrational frequencies and corresponding normal mode assignments of thiocyanogen are examined theoretically using the Gaussian03 set of quantum chemistry codes. All normal modes were successfully assigned to one of six types of motion (C N stretch, C–S stretch, S–S stretch, S–C N bend, C–S–S bend, C–S–S–C torsion) utilizing the C 2 symmetry of the molecule. Molecular orbitals and bonding are examined.
Effects of different sources of organic matter on soil aggregate formation and stability: A laboratory study on a Lithic Rhodoxeralf from Turkey

Abstract In this study the influences of three different organic sources on aggregate formation and stability in soil were investigated. Our approach involves establishing plot experiment in the greenhouse with a Lithic Rhodoxeralf and a variety of carbon sources having specific chemical properties applied to the soil of individual plots. Treatments include K-Humate (KH, 25, 50 and 100 kg/ha), Concentrated Plant Extract (CPE, 50, 100, 200 kg/ha) and Molasses (M, 50, 100, 200 kg/ha). After a seven-month incubation period, aggregate formation and their stability were determined and their correlation to different C sources was developed. The effect of KH on aggregate formation was significant for 2–1 mm aggregates (P
Rice consumption and urinary concentrations of arsenic in US adults

Exposure to inorganic arsenic in the general population occurs mainly from drinking water and food sources. This study examined the association between rice consumption and urinary concentrations of arsenic in US adults, aged 20-85 years, in the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Significantly higher geometric means of creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations of total arsenic (TAs) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were found in participants who consumed rice more than twice per week, compared to the reference group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a statistically significant association between rice consumption and urinary concentrations of TAs [odds ratio (OR) = 1.51 (1.08, 2.09)] and DMA [OR = 2.24 (1.57, 3.21)] after adjustment for demographic variables, seafood intake (the main source of organic arsenic), and source of drinking water. Furthermore, significant variations in rice consumption and urinary concentrations of arsenic were observed in different racial groups. This study demonstrated that rice consumption contributed to inorganic arsenic exposure in US adults.
Objective indicators, personal characteristics, and satisfaction with safety from crime and violence: An interaction model

An interaction model is presented which allows crime rates, personal characteristics, or both to determine satisfaction with safety from crime and violence. The model is tested with data from recent migrants from California to southern Oregon. Those households which are most vulnerable, particularly those with young children, older people, females, and those with more wealth, would derive the highest levels of satisfaction from reductions in crime rates.
Applications of Anthropogenic Lead ArchaeoStratigraphy (ALAS Model) to Hydrocarbon Remediation

A model, which employs the use of high precision stable lead isotopic analyses, has been developed to estimate the age of hydrocarbon releases. The ALAS Model (Anthropogenic Lead ArchaeoStratigraphy) is based on calibrated, systematic increases in lead isotope ratios of gasolines caused by shifts in sources of lead ores used by the U.S. lead industry, including manufacturers of alkylleads, to more radiogenic Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) deposits. Acquisition of high quality samples (free product, gasoline-impacted soil and groundwater) of known age and subsequent analyses of the hydrocarbon component by high precision lead isotopic analyses by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) have produced the ALAS Model calibration curve. Age uncertainties range from - 1 to 2 years for gasoline releases which occurred between 1965 and 1990, the major era of leaded gasoline usage. Analytical methods required to measure lead isotope ratios on ~5 nanograms of lead with precisions and accuracy of < - 0.1% (2 SEM ...
Gene expression profiling of two related soft corals, Sinularia polydactyla and S. maxima, and their putative hybrid at different life-history stages.

Abstract The soft coral species, Sinularia polydactyla and Sinularia maxima are abundant in shallow coral reef habitats in Guam. Both species are gonochoric and mass spawning events can result in an apparent S. polydactyla–S. maxima hybrid exhibiting morphological characteristics of both parents. These morphological differences prompted our investigation of potential differences in gene expression patterns among these closely related species. In concert with interspecific level differences, intraspecific level differences in transcriptome diversity and complexity were also studied among juvenile, adult male, and adult female S. polydactyla colonies. To uncover these transcriptome-level differences, RNA was extracted from RNAlater®-preserved samples and cDNA libraries constructed using a nano-scale synthesis strategy. Changes in transcriptome complexity (mRNA sequence composition) of these libraries were measured using reannealing rate assays that employ an informatics-based analysis of kinetic profiles. This method allows for quick, high-throughput analysis of sequence complexity and has been used to compare transcriptome-level differences in other marine invertebrates. Comparisons of transcriptome data revealed diagnostic differences in the transcriptome pools. Examination of transcriptome changes in closely related species experiencing similar environmental parameters may enable us to understand developmental, morphological, and sex-specific changes in gene expression patterns.
On a q-Analogue of the McKay Correspondence and the ADE Classification of sl̂2 Conformal Field Theories

Abstract The goal of this paper is to give a category theory based definition and classification of “finite subgroups in Uq( s l 2)” where q=eπi/l is a root of unity. We propose a definition of such a subgroup in terms of the category of representations of Uq( s l 2); we show that this definition is a natural generalization of the notion of a subgroup in a reductive group, and that it is also related with extensions of the chiral (vertex operator) algebra corresponding to s l 2 at level k=l−2. We show that “finite subgroups in Uq( s l 2)” are classified by Dynkin diagrams of types An,D2n,E6,E8 with Coxeter number equal to l, give a description of this correspondence similar to the classical McKay correspondence, and discuss relation with modular invariants in ( s l 2)k conformal field theory. The results we get are parallel to those known in the theory of von Neumann subfactors, but our proofs are independent of this theory.
Diffusivities of Lysozyme in Aqueous MgCl2 Solutions from Dynamic Light-Scattering Data: Effect of Protein and Salt Concentrations

Dynamic light-scattering (DLS) studies are reported for lysozyme in aqueous magnesium chloride solutions at ionic strengths 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 M for a temperature range 10−30 °C at pH 4.0. The diffusion coefficient of lysozyme was calculated as a function of protein concentration, salt concentration, temperature, and scattering angle. A Zimm-plot analysis provided the infinitely-dilute diffusion coefficient and the protein-concentration dependence of the diffusion coefficient. The hydrodynamic radius of a lysozyme monomer was obtained from the Stokes−Einstein equation; it is 18.6 ± 1.0 A. The difference (1.4 A) between the hydrodynamic and the crystal-structure radius is attributed to binding of Mg2+ ions to the protein surface and subsequent water structuring. The effect of protein concentration on the diffusion coefficient indicates that attractive interactions increase as the temperature falls at fixed salt concentration. However, when plotted against ionic strength, attractive interactions exhibit a ma...
Four-Layer Models of Finite-Amplitude Baroclinic Waves

Abstract A linear stability analysis is performed for a four-layer quasi-geostrophic model of zonally uniform flow in a channel. Models are then constructed to correspond with the continuous models of Green (1960), Gill et al. (1974), and the four-level model of Staley and Gall (1977). The linear results show the existence of at least two modes of instability in each model—a major one and a secondary one at longer wavelengths. It is found that the waves on the short-wave side of the major mode tend to be bottom-trapped if the flow is eastward or top-trapped if the flow is westward. Through the use of multiple scales the finite-amplitude behavior of slightly unstable waves in these models is examined. The interaction between the wave and the mean flow and the equilibration equation are determined. It is found that waves which have the highest linear growth rates are not always the most favored for growth. Waves which are trapped near the bottom or the top have their growth severely restricted by the wave-m...
On thermodynamic active control of shape memory alloy wires

We propose a model for the control of high-frequency oscillations in shape memory alloy wires. We introduce a notion of generalized solution for a generalized control and in this context prove a local exact controllability result effectively corresponding to an approximate controllability result for the nonconvex pseudoelastic material system.
Preferential chemical etching of terrestrial And lunar olivines

A new chemical etching technique has been developed to study defect structures in terrestrial and lunar olivine crystals. Dislocations, low-angle dislocation boundaries, dislocation arrays and pile-ups have been observed on the (010, (100), and (001) faces of both polished and cleaved naturally deformed single crystal olivine, on various orientations of crystals in dunite, and in an experimentally deformed olivine crystal. Etching of Apollo 12 igneous rocks revealed dislocations and radiation damage tracks in lunar olivine. Dislocation etching of the (001) face of olivine is reported for the first time in this paper.
Inpatient suicide prevention: promoting a culture and system of safety over 30 years of practice

In April 2012, the Joint Commission (JC) report noted that psychiatric hospitals were the most frequent setting for a sentinel event. In 2010–12, suicide was among the top 5 causes of a sentinel event and was a more frequent cause of sentinel events than medication errors. Suicide was ranked as the
Risk Factors for Hypoxemia During Ambulatory Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in ASA I–II Patients

Background Most studies identify the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) classification as the most significant risk factor for hypoxemia. The risk factors operative within ASA I and II patients are not well defined. Therefore, we analyzed prospectively collected data to identify the risk factors of hypoxemia in such patients. Methods A combination of a narcotic and benzodiazepine was used for sedation and oxygen was supplemented if hypoxemia (oxygen saturation ≤90%) developed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed and correlations estimated for predetermined clinical variables. Results 40 of 79 patients (51%) developed hypoxemia, which occurred more frequently in the obese (71%; 10/14) than the nonobese (46%; 30/65) group (P = 0.08). On multivariate analysis, the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for developing hypoxemia were age ≥ 60 years 4.5 (1.4–14.3) P = 0.01, and incremental 25-mg doses of meperidine 2.6 (1.02–6.6) P = 0.04. Body mass index (BMI) significantly correlated with the number of hypoxemic episodes (rho 0.26, 95% CI 0.04–0.48, P = 0.02). Conclusion In ASA I and II patients, BMI significantly correlated with the number of hypoxemic episodes, whereas age ≥ 60 years and meperidine dose were significant risk factors for hypoxemia.
Induction of NF-κB, IκB-α, and iNOS in Rat Gastric Mucosa during Endotoxemia

Upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) contributes to the development of gastric injury during endotoxemia. The molecular mechanisms related to its induction are unknown. Because the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) regulates inflammatory genes in response to endotoxemia, we hypothesized that its activity in gastric mucosa would increase while its inhibitor IkappaB-alpha would decrease commensurate with changes in iNOS expression. Rats were given intraperitoneal saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 20 mg/kg) for 5, 15, or 30 min, or for 1, 3, or 5 h, and killed, and the gastric mucosa was prepared for determination of iNOS and IkappaB-alpha by Western immunoblotting, iNOS mRNA by quantitative real-time RT-PCR, and NF-kappaB by electrophoretic mobility-shift assay. LPS caused a significant increase in iNOS mRNA and protein immunoreactivity at 1, 3, and 5 h compared to controls. NF-kappaB-binding activity increased in the nuclear fraction of gastric mucosa at 1 h and steadily increased over time after LPS administration. The activated NF-kappaB consisted mainly of p50 with a lesser amount of p65 subunits as demonstrated by a supershift assay. IkappaB-alpha decreased in gastric cytosolic fractions over time, consistent with its degradation. These data suggest that during endotoxemia expression of the inflammatory mediator iNOS in the gastric mucosa may be upregulated by degradation of IkappaB-alpha and subsequent translocation of NF-kappaB into the nucleus and increased NF-kappaB activity.
The Association of Perioperative Blood Transfusion With Colorectal Cancer Recurrence

The relationship between blood transfusion, disease-free survival, and other potential prognostic factors was prospectively studied in 339 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer. Admission and discharge hematocrit, Dukes' stage, and blood loss were significantly related to both blood transfusion and disease-free survival. Using Cox proportional hazards model, however, the association of transfusion with disease-free survival was significant (p = 0.0196) after controlling for age, sex, blood loss, procedure, tumor differentiation, stage, admission hematocrit, duration of surgery, length of the specimen, and tumor size. Dukes' stage (p < 0.0001) and blood transfusion (p < 0.0001) were the only variables independently related to disease-free survival. Forty per cent (44) of the 110 patients who received transfusions developed cancer recurrence, compared with 22% (50) of the 229 patients who did not receive blood (p < 0.0001). Five-year disease-free survival of the transfused patients was 57%, compared with 77% for nontransfused patients. Patients who developed recurrence received an average of twice as much blood as patients without recurrence (1.26 versus 0.61 units, p = 0.0128). Perioperative blood transfusion is a significant independent prognostic factor for colorectal cancer.
Reactor production and processing of therapeutic radioisotopes for applications in nuclear medicine

In this paper the reactor production of a variety of therapeutic radionuclides of current clinical interest are discussed. Examples include radioisotopes produced by single neutron capture and those which are available from β−/decay of reactor-produced parent radioisotopes. Two examples of generator parents produced by double neutron capture of targets are also discussed. One key example in this category is188W, produced from irradiation of enriched186W. The production of188W in the ORNL High Flux Isotope Reactor and the fabrication and performance of the first production level large-scale clinical prototype188W/188Re generators are also described.
Biological parametric mapping with robust and non-parametric statistics☆

Mapping the quantitative relationship between structure and function in the human brain is an important and challenging problem. Numerous volumetric, surface, regions of interest and voxelwise image processing techniques have been developed to statistically assess potential correlations between imaging and non-imaging metrices. Recently, biological parametric mapping has extended the widely popular statistical parametric mapping approach to enable application of the general linear model to multiple image modalities (both for regressors and regressands) along with scalar valued observations. This approach offers great promise for direct, voxelwise assessment of structural and functional relationships with multiple imaging modalities. However, as presented, the biological parametric mapping approach is not robust to outliers and may lead to invalid inferences (e.g., artifactual low p-values) due to slight mis-registration or variation in anatomy between subjects. To enable widespread application of this approach, we introduce robust regression and non-parametric regression in the neuroimaging context of application of the general linear model. Through simulation and empirical studies, we demonstrate that our robust approach reduces sensitivity to outliers without substantial degradation in power. The robust approach and associated software package provide a reliable way to quantitatively assess voxelwise correlations between structural and functional neuroimaging modalities.
Alternative Route Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs Guidelines

With the proliferation of alternative route (AR) special education teacher preparation programs, many teacher educators are likely to be involved in AR program design and implementation. Unfortunat...
Time-interleaved A/D converter with channel randomization

Gain errors and offsets in time-interleaved structure A/D converters result in distortion in the output spectrum. To reduce these effects, a new method utilizing randomization technique is proposed. Simulation results show that the distortion level caused by gain errors and offsets was lowered. One of the advantages of this proposed method is that it requires low hardware cost to implement when compared to other auto-calibrating methods.
Quantifying the amount of missing information in genetic association studies

Many genetic analyses are done with incomplete information; for example, unknown phase in haplotype-based association studies. Measures of the amount of available information can be used for efficient planning of studies and/or analyses. In particular, the linkage disequilibrium (LD) between two sets of markers can be interpreted as the amount of information one set of markers contains for testing allele frequency differences in the second set, and measuring LD can be viewed as quantifying information in a missing data problem. We introduce a framework for measuring the association between two sets of variables; for example, genotype data for two distinct groups of markers, or haplotype and genotype data for a given set of polymorphisms. The goal is to quantify how much information is in one data set, e.g. genotype data for a set of SNPs, for estimating parameters that are functions of frequencies in the second data set, e.g. haplotype frequencies, relative to the ideal case of actually observing the complete data, e.g. haplotypes. In the case of genotype data on two mutually exclusive sets of markers, the measure determines the amount of multi-locus LD, and is equal to the classical measure r(2), if the sets consist each of one bi-allelic marker. In general, the measures are interpreted as the asymptotic ratio of sample sizes necessary to achieve the same power in case-control testing. The focus of this paper is on case-control allele/haplotype tests, but the framework can be extended easily to other settings like regressing quantitative traits on allele/haplotype counts, or tests on genotypes or diplotypes. We highlight applications of the approach, including tools for navigating the HapMap database [The International HapMap Consortium, 2003], and genotyping strategies for positional cloning studies.
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: An Advanced Practice Role for RN First Assistants

ABSTRACT ACUTE CARE NURSE PRACTITIONERS (ACNPs) are advanced practice RNs who are educationally prepared to provide advanced nursing care to patients with complex acute, critical, and chronic illness. THE EDUCATION of advanced practice nurses should prepare them for the setting in which they practice; ACNPs are well prepared for hospital and specialty practice, particularly if they have experience as RN first assistants (RNFAs). THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES a brief overview of the ACNP opportunity for RNFAs and the importance of additional training for ACNPs without OR experience who may be first assisting. AORN J 87 (June 2008) 1205-1215. © AORN, Inc, 2008.
Quick recovery of left ventricular dyssynchrony after anticoagulation in acute pulmonary embolism.

a Department of Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, First Avenue at 16th Street, New York, NY 10003, United States b Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, First Avenue at 16th Street, New York, NY 10003, United States c Department of Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, United States
Materialism and Quality of Life

An attempt is made in this paper to establish a foundation for a theory of materialism and quality of life. The theory posits that overall life satisfaction (quality of life) is partly determined by satisfaction with standard of living. Satisfaction with standard of living, in turn, is determined by evaluations of one's actual standard of living compared to a set goal. Materialists experience greater dissatisfaction with their standard of living than nonmaterialists, which in turn spills over to overall life causing dissatisfaction with life in general. Materialists experience dissatisfaction with their standard of living because they set standard of living goals that are inflated and unrealistically high. These goals set by materialists are more influenced by affective-based expectations (such as ideal, deserved, and need-based expectations) than cognitive-based ones (such as predictive, past, and ability based expectations). Materialists' ideal standard-of-living expectations are influenced by social comparisons involving remote referents, more so than comparisons involving standards that are situationally imposed. Examples of situationally-imposed standards are perceptions of wealth, income, and material possessions of family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and so on. In contrast, examples of standards based on remote sources are perceptions of standard of living of others in one's community, town, state, country, other countries; perceptions of standard of living of others based on gender, age, education, ethnicity, occupation, and social class. This tendency to use remote referents in social comparisons may account for materialists' inflated and value-laden expectations of their standard of living. Materialists' deserved standard-of-living expectations are influenced by the tendency to engage in equity comparisons involving income and work. Thus, materialists compare themselves with others that seem to have more income and worked no harder. These equity comparisons generate feelings of inequity, injustice, anger, or envy. These emotions may also account for materialists' inflated and value-laden expectations of their standard of living. Materialists' standard-of-living expectations based on minimum needs are influenced by the tendency to spend more than generate income. This proclivity to overconsume and underproduce may be partly responsible for materialists' inflated and value-laden expectations of their standard of living.
Pathology of the Mononuclear Cell Leukemia of Fischer Rats. III. Clinical Chemistry

Serum biochemical analyses were done on F344 rats in the early and late stages of mononuclear cell leukemia. There were marked increases in serum bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phospha- tase. Increases in these parameters generally were more severe in the late stages of leukemia. Both direct and indirect-reacting bilirubin were increased with the unconjugated form predominating early and the conjugated form predominating late in the course of the disease. Lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme determination correlated with histological examination indicated that liver damage was responsible for the observed changes. Urinalysis revealed marked hemoglobinuria, bilirubinuria and increased urine urobilinogen. Serum protein electrophoresis revealed marked reductions in the alpha globulin fractions. Mononuclear cell leukemia initially was recognized in Wistar Furth rats ( 101 and then F344 rats (9) in 1970. Since that time mononuclear cell leukemia has been reported in several studies on spontaneous diseases of F344 rats (2, 3, 7, 14, 151. Recently a more complete characterization of the lesions noted frequent and extensive infiltration of the hepatic sinusoids as well as severe hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis often ( 161. Hemostasis tests demonstrated prolonged prothrombin times and marginally elevated partial thromboplastin times as well as hypofibrinogenemia ( 171. These changes suggest potential derangements in liver function. The frequent occurrence of mononuclear cell leukemia in Fischer rats makes it likely that interpretation of clinical chemistry data in chronic toxicity studies will be obscured by alterations induced by the disease. This study was initiated to define these changes so toxicologic pathologists could interpret clinical chemistry data from experimental rats more precisely as well as to more completely characterize the lesions in the liver of rats with mononuclear cell leukemia.
Sisters' curse: sexually antagonistic effects constrain the spread of a mitochondrial haplogroup superior in sperm competition

Maternal inheritance of mitochondria creates a sex-specific selective sieve with implications for male longevity, disease susceptibility and infertility. Because males are an evolutionary dead end for mitochondria, mitochondrial mutations that are harmful or beneficial to males but not females cannot respond directly to selection. Although the importance of this male/female asymmetry in evolutionary response depends on the extent to which mitochondrial mutations exert antagonistic effects on male and female fitness, few studies have documented sex-specific selection acting on mitochondria. Here, we exploited the discovery of two highly divergent mitochondrial haplogroups (A and B2) in central Panamanian populations of the pseudoscorpion Cordylochernes scorpioides. Next-generation sequencing and phylogenetic analyses suggest that selection on the ND4 and ND4L mitochondrial genes may partially explain sexually antagonistic mitochondrial effects on reproduction. Males carrying the rare B2 mitochondrial haplogroup enjoy a marked advantage in sperm competition, but B2 females are significantly less sexually receptive at second mating than A females. This reduced propensity for polyandry is likely to significantly reduce female lifetime reproductive success, thereby limiting the spread of the male beneficial B2 haplogroup. Our findings suggest that maternal inheritance of mitochondria and sexually antagonistic selection can constrain male adaptation and sexual selection in nature.
Post-hatching syrinx development in the zebra finch: an analysis of androgen receptor, aromatase, estrogen receptor α and estrogen receptor β mRNAs

In zebra finches, the vocal organ (syrinx) is larger in males than in females. Specific details about the mechanisms responsible for this dimorphism are not known, but may involve sex differences in steroid hormone action early in post-hatching development. The distribution of androgen receptor (AR), aromatase (AROM), estrogen receptor α (ERα), and estrogen receptor β (ERβ) mRNAs was examined at post-hatching days 3, 10 and 17. A low level of AR was equivalently expressed in the syrinx muscles of both sexes at all three ages. We detected no specific expression of AROM or ERα mRNAs. In contrast, ERβ mRNA was detected in chondrocytes of the forming bone. The density of this expression increased with age as the chondrocytes hypertrophied, but did not differ between the sexes. Taken together, these data suggest that estrogens may act on cartilage/bone, and androgens may act on muscle fibers in early post-hatching development to influence syrinx morphology. However, the lack of a sex difference in steroid receptor mRNA expression in the syrinx suggests that, similar to the forebrain regions that control song, the interaction of androgens and estrogens with their receptors is not sufficient to induce full sexual differentiation of this organ.
Using Theory and Research To Shape the Practice of Continuing Professional Development.

As research has expanded in scope and diversity, application of new ideas to the programs that facilitate learning and change should have grown accordingly. However, the gap between the theories of how and why physicians learn and change their practices and the practical application of these theories appears to be wider. The research component of research and development in continuing professional development appears to be strong, but the development function appears to be weak. This presentation will describe some of the factors that have led to this gap between theory and practice and suggest some actions that may be taken to reduce this gap. Among the factors leading to the gap are the different perspectives of practitioners and scholars as to the purposes of research, the appropriate foci of studies, and the attributes of quality of studies related to continuing professional development. A traditional model of research is discussed and analyzed for its strengths and weaknesses as they relate to writing research that is relevant to practitioners. The role and function of the research problem and the conclusions of studies are described in terms of how these two parts of a research report can assist in the translation of theory and evidence into the practice. In order to illustrate how theory may be translated into practical tools and procedures, the application of the theory of change and learning to the assessment of readiness to change is reviewed briefly. Implications of this experience are described and steps that may be helpful in bridging the gap between theory and practice will be proposed. Finally, a system of research and development that can ensure a tighter link between research and practice is proposed. The next steps to achieve this kind of system are suggested in the conclusions.
Mode dispersion in biperiodic photonic crystal waveguides

We propose and analyze biperiodic photonic crystal waveguides, where there are two sets of discrete translational symmetry along the propagation direction of the photonic crystal waveguides. We present a general method based on a spatial Fourier transform for the calculation of mode dispersion in such biperiodic waveguides. We demonstrate that by modifying the periodicity of only two rows of air holes adjacent to the guiding region, we can achieve guiding through the entire frequency band gap and greatly reduce the group velocity dispersion of the waveguide mode.
Phase I/II investigation of paclitaxel, ifosfamide and carboplatin for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate feasibility and tolerability of the three-drug combination of paclitaxel, ifosfamide and carboplatin (TIC) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. The specific objectives of the study were: (i) to define the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and the maximum-tolerated dose of ifosfamide administered as part of the combination; and (ii) to determine the overall response rate and overall survival of patients treated with this regimen. Patients and methods Patients with untreated, stage IIIB (pleural effusion) or stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer were enrolled in one of three cohorts. Patients received paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 as a 1-h infusion on day 1 with carboplatin at an area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) of 6 mg·min/ml on day 2. For dose level I, ifosfamide was administered at a dose of 2 g/m2 on days 1 and 2. For dose levels II and III, the dose of ifosfamide was decreased to 1.5 g/m2 on days 1 and 2 and the dose of carboplatin was decreased to AUC 5 mg·ml/min. Therapy for dose levels I and III included filgrastim support (5 µg/kg/day), which was initiated on day 3 and continued until after day 11 or until an absolute neutrophil count >10 000/µl. Treatment cycles were repeated every 21 days. Once the phase II dose was established, a full cohort of patients received therapy at this dose level to examine further the regimen’s activity and tolerability. Results Neutropenia was the DLT encountered for dose levels I and II. No DLT was encountered inthe initial six patients treated at dose level III, and therefore this dose level was declared the recommended phase II dose. A total of 49 patients were treated at the recommended phase II dose. The predominant non-hematological toxicity encountered with this triplet regimen was cumulative peripheral neuropathy. Of the 65 eligible patients enrolled in this study, 17 (26%) responded. There were 15 patients with partial responses (23%), two with regression, and 26 with stabilization of disease (40%). Median progression-free and overall survival were 4.8 and 9.4 months, respectively. Conclusions The combination TIC is well-tolerated. This triplet regimen produced response and survival rates in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer similar to those of other current combination chemotherapy regimens.
Interactions Between HIV/AIDS and the Environment: Toward a Syndemic Framework

Although the social, economic, and political dimensions of the HIV/AIDS epidemic have been studied in considerable depth, the relationship between HIV/AIDS and its environmental causes and consequences remains largely unexplored. We reviewed the evidence of interactions between ecosystem health and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. We hypothesized a syndemic between environmental degradation and HIV/AIDS; they exhibit bidirectional, self-reinforcing interactions. We have presented a syndemic framework detailing multiple synergistic relationships. This framework hinges on the vulnerability of populations as the linchpin between the pandemic and environmental health. A coherent research and practice agenda for addressing the syndemic that focuses on the 2 issues as not only concurrent but also intertwined phenomena is urgently needed.
Study of laser target triggering for spark gap switches

The use of laser targets as a method to decrease the required laser energy to trigger a laser triggered gas switch has been investigated at the University of Missouri. Target materials were identified based on durability, melting point, reactivity and reflection coefficient. Laser targets were placed into a cathode of a laser triggered gas switch. The switch was pulse charged by the Tiger pulsed power machine to between 185 kV and 330 kV. The switch was triggered by directing a 1064 nm or 266 nm wavelength laser pulse from an Nd:YAG laser onto a laser target to ablate material and create plasma, closing the switch. The goal of the project was to trigger a high voltage gas switch with less than 1 mJ of laser energy while maintaining a switch jitter comparable to present electrically triggered switches for LTD based systems. The study successfully demonstrated that triggering the switch using a 1 mJ infrared pulse and a graphite target resulted in a jitter less than 5 ns. Findings will be used in the design of switches for LTD based systems.
Conditional Lethal Amber Mutations in Essential Escherichia coli Genes

The essential genes of microorganisms encode biological functions important for survival and thus tend to be of high scientific interest. Drugs that interfere with essential functions are likely to be interesting candidates for antimicrobials. However, these genes are hard to study genetically because knockout mutations in them are by definition inviable. We recently described a conditional mutation system in Escherichia coli that uses a plasmid to produce an amber suppressor tRNA regulated by the arabinose promoter. This suppressor was used here in the construction of amber mutations in seven essential E. coli genes. Amber stop codons were introduced as “tagalong” mutations in the flanking DNA of a downstream antibiotic resistance marker by lambda red recombination. The drug marker was removed by expression of I-SceI meganuclease, leaving a markerless mutation. We demonstrate the method with the genes frr, gcpE, lpxC, map, murA, ppa, and rpsA. We were unable to isolate an amber mutation in ftsZ. Kinetics of cell death and morphological changes were measured following removal of arabinose. As expected given the wide range of cellular mechanisms represented, different mutants showed widely different death curves. All of the mutations were bactericidal except the mutation in gcpE, which was bacteriostatic. The strain carrying an amber mutation in murA was by far the most sensitive, showing rapid killing in nonpermissive medium. The MurA protein is critical for peptidoglycan synthesis and is the target for the antibiotic fosfomycin. Such experiments may inexpensively provide valuable information for the identification and prioritization of targets for antibiotic development.
Retinal Rod Neurogenesis

The vertebrate eye originally evolved as an underwater visual organ; thus, all vertebrate eyes share a common set of structural properties. This is in striking contrast to the enormous variety of eye types found among invertebrates. Despite the fundamentally similar ocular architecture that exists throughout vertebrate phylogeny, there are still significant differences among eyes. Specifically, fishes, which comprise more than half the extant vertebrate species, have eyes that grow throughout their lifetimes. The advantages of a larger eye are the greater light-capturing ability for deep-sea fish and higher acuity for surface dwellers (for details, see Fernald, 1988).
Prospective Longitudinal Surveys

Social participation has long been linked to health outcomes and survival, but not until the studies published during the past decade has social participation been addressed as an aspect of social capital. Thus, only a limited portion of the previous studies concerning social participation and population health can be acknowledged in the field of social capital and health studies. Some of the studies concerning social participation and survival that will be reviewed below do not refer to social capital as their theoretical starting point. Nevertheless, they are discussed here because they include such characteristics that fit in the common definitions and frameworks of social capital.
Assessing REM sleep in mice using video data.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Assessment of sleep and its substages in mice currently requires implantation of chronic electrodes for measurement of electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG). This is not ideal for high-throughput screening. To address this deficiency, we present a novel method based on digital video analysis. This methodology extends previous approaches that estimate sleep and wakefulness without EEG/EMG in order to now discriminate rapid eye movement (REM) from non-REM (NREM) sleep. DESIGN Studies were conducted in 8 male C57BL/6J mice. EEG/EMG were recorded for 24 hours and manually scored in 10-second epochs. Mouse behavior was continuously recorded by digital video at 10 frames/second. Six variables were extracted from the video for each 10-second epoch (i.e., intraepoch mean of velocity, aspect ratio, and area of the mouse and intraepoch standard deviation of the same variables) and used as inputs for our model. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS We focus on estimating features of REM (i.e., time spent in REM, number of bouts, and median bout length) as well as time spent in NREM and WAKE. We also consider the model's epoch-by-epoch scoring performance relative to several alternative approaches. Our model provides good estimates of these features across the day both when averaged across mice and in individual mice, but the epoch-by-epoch agreement is not as good. CONCLUSIONS There are subtle changes in the area and shape (i.e., aspect ratio) of the mouse as it transitions from NREM to REM, likely due to the atonia of REM, thus allowing our methodology to discriminate these two states. Although REM is relatively rare, our methodology can detect it and assess the amount of REM sleep.
Polymer Crystallization of Partially Miscible Polythiophene/Fullerene Mixtures Controls Morphology

Mixtures of polythiophene and fullerene are intensely studied for organic photovoltaic applications. Control of nanoscale morphology of these materials is critical for device performance, but characterization and understanding of this morphology and how it arises is lacking. We use energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) to obtain high-contrast images of P3HT nanocrystals in organic semiconductor mixtures. Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering correlates well with the length scales obtained from EFTEM images; we combine the two techniques to follow the morphology evolution under different material processing histories. EFTEM also measures local P3HT concentration in PCBM-rich regions, proving that these components are partially miscible. We determine the P3HT-PCBM χ parameter and Flory–Huggins phase diagram, which predicts miscibility for P3HT volume fractions above 0.42. This miscibility suppresses fullerene crystallization. The nanoscale morphology in these materials, critical ...
Anti-surge Fuzzy Control of The Centrifugal-Flow Compressor

The paper introduces the surge phenomenon of the centrifugal-flow compressor and analyzes the surge problems of the natural gas compressor. The anti-surge control system is designed by using the fuzzy control theory. The simulation analysis is also given.
Spatial and temporal correlation between leukocyte behavior and cell injury in postischemic rat skeletal muscle microcirculation.

Background Although leukocyte adhesion and capillary plugging are postulated to play a role in postischemic tissue injury, there is only limited evidence demonstrating the relationship between tissue leukocyte accumulation and cell injury in terms of their temporal sequence and spatial distribution. Experimental design This study was designed to study in vivo neutrophil behavior and its correlation with cell injury in postischemic skeletal muscle microcirculation. The microcirculation of the rat spinotrapezius muscle was observed in vivo using dual-color digital microfluorography to simultaneously visualize leukocyte traffic and cell death (irreversible nuclear damage) on the basis of carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester and propidium iodide, respectively. A 1-hour period of hemorrhagic hypotension (40 mm Hg) followed by reperfusion was carried out to induce muscle injury. Results Hypotension was followed by an increase in leukocyte recruitment in two different ways: capillary obstruction and venular adhesion. Upon reperfusion, a majority of the leukocytes were initially dispersed from the muscle capillaries and venules, but then the number of leukocytes plugging capillaries and adherent to venules increased again in a time-dependent manner. The number of leukocytes obstructing capillaries was closely correlated with the postischemic systemic blood pressure. The cell injury became detectable initially at the end of the hypotensive period and then increased explosively after reperfusion before a significant leukocyte accumulation. Reperfusion-induced early nuclear injury was seen predominantly in reperfused capillaries without plugging leukocytes. A majority of the initially damaged nuclei were those of myocytes in the pericapillary space, but no nuclei of capillary endothelium was involved. Sodium (-)-8-(3-methoxy-4-phenylsulfinylphenyl) pyrazolo [1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine-4-olate monohydrate, a novel inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, significantly attenuated the early increase in muscle injury and subsequent venular leukocyte adhesion after reperfusion. Conclusions These results suggest the involvement of an endothelium-dependent mechanism involving xanthine oxidase in postischemic irreversible myocyte injury. It is conceivable that leukocytes adherent to venules as well as those plugging capillaries play only minor roles in the initial mechanism of reperfusion injury.