cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diatom—chemistry relationships in Yellowstone Lake (Wyoming) sediments: Implications for climatic and aquatic processes research

We analyzed sediment elemental composition (C, N, P, and Si) and planktonic diatom fossils from the top 32 cm of a short core (55 cm) from Yellowstone Lake (Wyoming), tracking deposition from about 1650 to 1998. Associations between fossil communities and sediment chemistry were measured by rank-order correlation to gauge decadal scale relationships between lake chemistry and phytoplankton community composition. Strong associations were found between the abundance of individual diatom species and the chemical composition of sediments, suggesting that sediment chemistry can directly track the elemental composition of seston. Among three fossil measures (relative frustule abundance, relative biovolume, and absolute biovolume), associations between sediment chemistry and relative biovolume were strongest. We then compared measures and trends in sediment elemental composition to in-lake seston chemistry to assess transport processes that alter sediment composition relative to source material. On the basis of elemental stoichiometry, sediments were enriched in P and depleted in C and N compared with seston. Trends of increasing C and N accumulation along with decreasing Si accumulation were consistent with patterns of increasing productivity, increasing lake N levels, and decreasing dominance of diatoms, respectively. A sharp increase in sediment C : N ratio, with a decrease in diatom absolute biovolume and absolute C and N levels, was associated with a prolonged drought in the 1930s. These trends suggest alteration of ecosystem properties by a combination of climatic variation and increasing N availability, adding complexity to larger goals of climatic reconstruction by diatom‐nutrient chemistry‐climate transfer functions in large lakes of the region. Lacustrine sediments hold a wealth of natural history that allows the reconstruction of changes in aquatic and ecosystem processes with both direct and indirect metrics. In particular, diatom fossil records alone are most often used to reconstruct lake chemistry. Transfer functions between diatoms and/or chrysophytes found in surface sediment communities and lake chemistry have been constructed using weighted averaging regression and calibration models that allow correlation of diatom community composition with water chemistry in a defined regional series of lakes (e.g., Dixit et al. 1992). The fossil stratigraphy in those and similar lakes can then be assessed by means of the calibration model to reconstruct historical water chemistry. These models make the general assumption that the chemistry‐community relationship has remained within the range of the modern calibration set throughout the historical period recorded in the lake sediments. The reconstructed aquatic conditions then allow us to infer environmental change on a broader scale. For instance, transfer functions developed between diatom communities and
Parental depression: animal models of an adverse life event.

OBJECTIVE: This article reviews findings in preclinical research on the adverse impact of parental depression on the development of offspring, with emphasis on the relevance of this research for the psychiatric care of depressed parents. METHOD: The authors reviewed literature from the last 40 years reporting laboratory animal studies pertaining to the persistent effects of parental stress and parenting deficits on neurobehavioral and neurobiological development in offspring. RESULTS: Animal studies indicate that disrupted parenting produces a persistent, deleterious biobehavioral impact on offspring. Stressors, including maternal separation, variable foraging, and a variety of prenatal maternal challenges, produce offspring behaviors reminiscent of the cardinal features of anxiety and affective disorders. The stress paradigms also uniformly produce persistent hyperresponsivity in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity secondary to hypersecretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone. These findings be...
Workforce development: using role delineation research findings for policy-making and professional practice.

For the health education profession in the United States, role delineation research has been ongoing to identify valid professional competencies as the basis for workforce development. During 1998—2004, a multi-phase national research study, the National Health Educator Competencies Update Project (CUP), was designed to re-verify the role of the entry-level health educator, and further define and verify the role of advanced level health educators. The CUP findings are the evidence that has influenced the professional preparation, credentialing, and professional development of health educators. The lessons learned include the importance of employing role delineation research with a discipline-specific representative sample to appropriately affect workforce development and sustainability through an empirically-based model.
Electrochemical processes and mechanistic aspects of field-effect sensors for biomolecules

Electronic biosensing is a leading technology for determining concentrations of biomolecules. In some cases, the presence of an analyte molecule induces a measured change in current flow, while in other cases, a new potential difference is established. In the particular case of a field effect biosensor, the potential difference is monitored as a change in conductance elsewhere in the device, such as across a film of an underlying semiconductor. Often, the mechanisms that lead to these responses are not specifically determined. Because improved understanding of these mechanisms will lead to improved performance, it is important to highlight those studies where various mechanistic possibilities are investigated. This review explores a range of possible mechanistic contributions to field-effect biosensor signals. First, we define the field-effect biosensor and the chemical interactions that lead to the field effect, followed by a section on theoretical and mechanistic background. We then discuss materials used in field-effect biosensors and approaches to improving signals from field-effect biosensors. We specifically cover the biomolecule interactions that produce local electric fields, structures and processes at interfaces between bioanalyte solutions and electronic materials, semiconductors used in biochemical sensors, dielectric layers used in top-gated sensors, and mechanisms for converting the surface voltage change to higher signal/noise outputs in circuits.
The effect of a holistic supplement on bone growth, bending strength, and gene expression during embryonic development of a chicken in ovo

Abstract. Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue. Understanding the effect of mineral supplementation on bone growth may lead to the development of treatments for bone deteriorating diseases. Trace Minerals® Essential Elements (Entrenet Nutritionals, Cuddy, PA) is a holistic supplement designed to improve mineral balance and deficiency in humans. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of in ovo mineral supplementation with or without calcium on bone growth, bending strength, and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) and histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) gene expression during chicken development. Treatment groups consisted of a saline control (S), Essential Elements (E), and Essential Elements plus calcium (C) injected on the 6th day of embryonic development. Growth parameters and whole embryo samples were collected on the 18th day of incubation. Measurements of various morphological features showed no significant difference between the...
Shear waves in cubic crystals

Abstract A thorough study is made of the elastic shear waves which can exist in cubic crystals. The waves are viewed as weak structural discontinuities or pulses in the medium and the work is based on the stress-strain relations for cubic crystals recently formulated by the author.
An allelic series of Trp63 mutations defines TAp63 as a modifier of EEC syndrome

Human Ectrodactyly, Ectodermal dysplasia, Clefting (EEC) syndrome is an autosomal dominant developmental disorder defined by limb deformities, skin defects, and craniofacial clefting. Although associated with heterozygous missense mutations in TP63, the genetic basis underlying the variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance of EEC is unknown. Here, we show that mice heterozygous for an allele encoding the Trp63 p.Arg318His mutation, which corresponds to the human TP63 p.Arg279His mutation found in patients with EEC, have features of human EEC. Using an allelic series, we discovered that whereas clefting and skin defects are caused by loss of Trp63 function, limb anomalies are due to gain- and/or dominant-negative effects of Trp63. Furthermore, we identify TAp63 as a strong modifier of EEC-associated phenotypes with regard to both penetrance and expressivity.
Dysphagia caused by a fetus-in-fetu in a 27-year-old man

Mechanical obstruction of the distal esophagus by a fetus-in-fetu is an extremely rare condition that has not been previously reported. We present the case of a 27-year-old man who presented with dysphagia caused by fetus-in-fetu contained within a retroperitoneal cystic cavity. The tumor, noticed since childhood, did not cause any symptoms until a year before presentation when symptoms of dysphagia developed. We propose including this entity in the differential diagnosis of a retroperitoneal mass.
Kellogg's Six-Hour Day: A Capitalist Vision of Liberation through Managed Work Reduction

Historians have recently tried to explain why the century-long work-reduction movement ended in the 1940s. A history of Kellogg's Six-Hour day program reveals that the loss of business and management support contributed to this demise. Mainstream corporations such as Kellogg's once thought that managed work reduction would save capitalism, and they developed a capitalist vision of freedom from work remarkably similar to recent socialist writings. But Kellogg's management reversed course and ultimately opposed the Six-Hour day. Instead they developed more conventional corporate views: that industrial progress is defined by more work for more people, that increasing the number of jobs is a primary economic goal (but not the responsibility of the individual firm), and that work can be perfected to become the most satisfying part of life.
Association between Interleukin-8 Gene Alleles and Human Susceptibility to Tuberculosis Disease

Interleukin (IL)-8 is involved in the pathogenesis of human tuberculosis (TB). However, the contribution of polymorphisms of the IL-8 gene and its receptor genes CXCR-I and CXCR-2 to human TB susceptibility remains untested. In a case-control study, white subjects with TB disease were more likely to be homozygous for the IL-8 -251A allele, compared with control subjects (odds ratio [OR], 3.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52-7.64). African Americans with TB also showed an increased odds of being homozygous for this allele (OR, 3.46; 95% Cl, 1.48-8.08). To exclude population artifacts in the case-control study, a separate analysis that used a transmission-disequilibrium test with 76 informative families confirmed that the IL-8 -251A allele was preferentially transmitted to TB-infected children (P = .02). CXCR-I and CXCR-2 did not demonstrate significant associations with TB susceptibility. These data suggest that IL-8 is important in the genetic control of human TB susceptibility.
Pivalate-Generating Prodrugs and Carnitine Homeostasis in Man

Prodrugs that liberate pivalate (trimethylacetic acid) after hydrolysis have been developed to improve the bioavailability of therapeutic candidates. Catabolism of pivalate released by activation of a prodrug is limited in mammalian tissues. Pivalate can be activated to a coenzyme A thioester in cells. In humans, formation and urinary excretion of pivaloylcarnitine generated from pivaloyl-CoA is the major route of pivalate elimination. Because the total body carnitine pool is limited and can only slowly be replenished through normal diet or biosynthesis, treatment with large doses of pivalate prodrugs may deplete tissue carnitine content. Animal models and long-term treatment of patients with pivalate prodrugs have resulted in toxicity consistent with carnitine depletion. However, low plasma carnitine concentrations after pivalate prodrug exposure may not reflect tissue carnitine content and, thus, cannot be used as a surrogate for potential toxicity. The extent of tissue carnitine depletion will be dependent on the dose of pivalate, because carnitine losses may approximate the pivalate exposure on a stoichiometric basis. These concepts, combined with estimates of carnitine dietary intake and biosynthetic rates, can be used to estimate the impact of pivalate exposure on carnitine homeostasis. Thus, even in populations with altered carnitine homeostasis due to underlying conditions, the use of pivalate prodrugs for short periods of time is unlikely to result in clinically significant carnitine depletion. In contrast, long-term treatment with substantial doses of pivalate prodrugs may require administration of carnitine supplementation to avoid carnitine depletion.
West Nile Virus Disease: A Descriptive Study of 228 Patients Hospitalized in a 4-County Region of Colorado in 2003

Background Risk factors for complications of West Nile virus disease and prognosis in hospitalized patients are incompletely understood. Methods Demographic characteristics and data regarding potential risk factors, hospitalization, and dispositions were abstracted from medical records for residents of 4 Colorado counties who were hospitalized in 2003 with West Nile virus disease. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with West Nile encephalitis (WNE), limb weakness, or death by comparing factors among persons with the outcome of interest with factors among those without the outcome of interest. Results Medical records of 221 patients were reviewed; 103 had West Nile meningitis, 65 had WNE, and 53 had West Nile fever. Respiratory failure, limb weakness, and cardiac arrhythmia occurred in all groups, with significantly more cases of each in the WNE group. Age, alcohol abuse, and diabetes were associated with WNE. Age and WNE were associated with limb weakness. The mortality rate in the WNE group was 18%; age, immunosuppression, requirement of mechanical ventilation, and history of stroke were associated with death. Only 21% of patients with WNE who survived returned to a prehospitalization level of function. The estimated incidence of West Nile fever cases that required hospitalization was 6.0 cases per 100,000 persons; West Nile fever was associated with arrhythmia, limb weakness, and respiratory failure. Conclusions Persons with diabetes and a reported history of alcohol abuse and older persons appear to be at increased risk of developing WNE. Patients with WNE who have a history of stroke, who require mechanical ventilation, or who are immunosuppressed appear to be more likely to die. Respiratory failure, limb weakness, and arrhythmia occurred in all 3 categories, but there were significantly more cases of all in the WNE group.
Conscious sedation of pediatric patients with combination oral benzodiazepines and inhaled nitrous oxide.

Background.Pediatric patients undergoing surgical procedures may experience considerable anxiety. Use of conscious sedation may be helpful in managing mild to moderate anxiety.Objective.To assess the effectiveness of combination oral benzodiazepines and inhaled nitrous oxide conscious sedation in pe
Defect Relaxation Dynamics in Amorphous Silicon

Using transient capacitance and transient spin techniques, we have the determined the manner in which the mobility gap energy of the D defect is altered following a change in its charge state. This relaxation process gives rise to a power law rather an exponential thermal release of defect electrons with time and also causes the charge emission and spin transients to obey a scaling law. We also deduce that the D°/D+ transition rate depends on the tenure of the proceeding D−/D° transition. This last aspect of the D defect emission behavior implies that it must be treated as a non-Markovian process. Such relaxation dynamics have profound consequences for the steady state distribution of D defect energies. Using the relaxation parameters determined by the transient measurements we have been able to solve a set of coupled differential equations under steady-state conditions to provide the energy distributions of both the D° and D− defect sub-bands. The results of these calculations agree remarkably well with the experimental distributions determined by modulated photocurrent and steady-state capacitance measurements. This implies that the statistical variations in the occupation history of the defect may be the dominant factor determining both distributions.
Carbon nanotube-textured sand for controlling bioavailability of contaminated sediments

Sand particles textured with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can efficiently control the mobility and bioavailability of contaminants found in aquatic sediments. Adsorption measurements for a wide variety of aquatic contaminants (chlorinated hydrocarbons) on MWCNT-textured sand showed orders of magnitude increase in their sorption coefficients compared to traditional materials (sand) when used for physically separating contaminated sediments from overlying water. Molecular dynamics simulations performed on model experimental systems emphasize that the hydrophobic interactions of the MWCNT surfaces play a crucial role in driving the water molecules away, promoting such enhanced contaminant uptake. The MWCNT-textured sand significantly reduced the migration of contaminants from sediments to overlying water and possesses suitable parameters needed for contaminant sequestration and sediment remediation technologies. The single step and scalable procedure described here for synthesizing robust MWCNT-textured sand surfaces will provide important improvements in the field of remediation/aquatic environment restoration technologies.
Consumer Health Concepts That Do Not Map to the UMLS: Where Do They Fit?

Objective: This study has two objectives: first, to identify and characterize consumer health terms not found in the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus (2007 AB); second, to describe the procedure for creating new concepts in the process of building a consumer health vocabulary. How do the unmapped consumer health concepts relate to the existing UMLS concepts? What is the place of these new concepts in professional medical discourse? Design: The consumer health terms were extracted from two large corpora derived in the process of Open Access Collaboratory Consumer Health Vocabulary ( OAC CHV ) building. Terms that could not be mapped to existing UMLS concepts via machine and manual methods prompted creation of new concepts, which were then ascribed semantic types, related to existing UMLS concepts, and coded according to specified criteria. Results: This approach identified 64 unmapped concepts, 17 of which were labeled as uniquely “lay” and not feasible for inclusion in professional health terminologies. The remaining terms constituted potential candidates for inclusion in professional vocabularies, or could be constructed by post-coordinating existing UMLS terms. The relationship between new and existing concepts differed depending on the corpora from which they were extracted. Conclusion: Non-mapping concepts constitute a small proportion of consumer health terms, but a proportion that is likely to affect the process of consumer health vocabulary building. We have identified a novel approach for identifying such concepts.
Potential ameliorators of aflatoxicosis in weanling/growing swine.

Three trials using 207 crossbred pigs were conducted to evaluate the effects of aflatoxin- contaminated corn on young pigs and to determine whether several nutritional and nonnutritional die- tary amendments would benefit performance or health in situations of aflatoxin B1 contamination. In Trial 1 using 90 pigs in a 49-d trial, linear (P < .01) and quadratic (P < .05) decreases in ADG were observed with increasing (0, 420, 840 ppb) dietary aflatoxin level. This growth decrease was associated with linear reductions ( P < .O 1) in ADFI and decreases in gain/ feed. Serum indicators of protein synthetic capabilities and of liver damage were also adversely affected. Improvements in growth rate for the total trial period in the presence of 840 ppb of aflatoxin were obtained with the addition of the 2 ppm of folic acid (P < .05) or 3% hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (H S CAI ( P < .Ol); the magnitude of improvement was greater for the HSCA. The addition of HSCA to the contami- nated diet also restored the serum clinical chemistry profile to that exhibited by pigs fed the diet without contaminated corn. The addition of .6 ppm of Se to a basal diet containing .3 ppm of Se was generally without effect. In Trial 2, 63 pigs were used in a 42-d trial to further assess the effectiveness of both folic acid and HSCA, as well as of two sodium bentonites, in reducing the effects of aflatoxin from naturally contaminated diets (800 ppb of aflatoxin). Folic acid had no positive effect in this trial, but HSCA improved ADG ( P < .01) and all clinical chemistry indicators that had been negatively affected by the contaminated diet (P < .05). Both sodium bentonites provided as much improvement in ADG (P < .01) as the HSCA and also improved all clinical chemistry indicators that had been adversely affected by the aflatoxin (P < .05). In Trial 3 using 54 pigs in a 42-d trial, linear (P < .05) and quadratic (P < .025) improvements in ADG and ADFI and linear ( P < .05) improvements in those serum clinical chemistry indi- cators adversely affected by the contaminated diet were observed with additions of .25, 50, and .75% sodium bentonite to a diet naturally contaminated with 800 ppb of aflatoxin. There was no benefit to including more than 30% sodium bentonite to the contaminated diet. In situations of aflatoxin contami- nation, dietary alterations or additions can be made to diminish the adverse effects of aflatoxin.
Procedural Sedation: Is Two Better Than One? : Answers to the May 2011 Journal Club Questions

concept? How did the authors define respiratory depression? Do you think their operational definition is too broad, too narrow, or just right? Why? What are the advantages and disadvantages of choosing an operational definition of respiratory depression that includes a 5 mm Hg increase in carbon dioxide compared with an operational definition that includes a 10 mm Hg increase
A finite-temperature Hartree–Fock code for shell-model Hamiltonians

Abstract The codes HFgradZ.py and HFgradT.py find axially symmetric minima of a Hartree–Fock energy functional for a Hamiltonian supplied in a shell model basis. The functional to be minimized is the Hartree–Fock energy for zero-temperature properties or the Hartree–Fock grand potential for finite-temperature properties (thermal energy, entropy). The minimization may be subjected to additional constraints besides axial symmetry and nucleon numbers. A single-particle operator can be used to constrain the minimization by adding it to the single-particle Hamiltonian with a Lagrange multiplier . One can also constrain its expectation value in the zero-temperature code. Also the orbital filling can be constrained in the zero-temperature code, fixing the number of nucleons having given K π quantum numbers . This is particularly useful to resolve near-degeneracies among distinct minima. Program summary Program title: HFgradZ.py, HFgradT.py Catalogue identifier: AFAX_v1_0 Program summary URL: http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AFAX_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen’s University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: GNU General Public License , version 3 No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 9547 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 80195 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Python (2.7). Computer: PCs. Operating system: Unix, Apple OSX. RAM: 10 MBy Classification: 4.9, 17.22. External routines: Numpy (1.6) Nature of problem: Find Hartree–Fock minima of shell-model Hamiltonians Solution method: Gradient method with a preconditioner Running time: A few minutes
The evaluation of eccentricity-related amplitude modulation and bundling in paleoclimate data: An inverse approach for astrochronologic testing and time scale optimization

Cyclostratigraphic analysis has produced fundamental advancements in our understanding of climate change, paleoceanography, celestial mechanics, geochronology, and chronostratigraphy. Of central importance to this success has been the development of astrochronologic testing methods for the evaluation of astronomical-climate influence on sedimentation. Most pre-Pleistocene astrochronologic testing methods fall into one of two categories: (1) those that test for expected amplitude or frequency modulation imposed by an astronomical signal or (2) those that test for bedding hierarchies (frequency ratios or bundling) that are predicted by the dominant astronomical periods. In this study, a statistical methodology for combining these complementary approaches is developed, which identifies the time scale that simultaneously optimizes eccentricity amplitude modulation of the precession band, and the concentration of power at precession (carrier) and eccentricity (modulator) frequencies. The technique is demonstrated to have high statistical power—it is capable of identifying astronomical cycles when present—under a wide range of conditions, and its application to synthetic models illuminates a range of potential pitfalls that are encountered when more conventional nonoptimization approaches are used. The method is also independent from the interpretation of power spectrum peak significance, resolving previous concerns regarding appropriate confidence level assessment and “multiple testing.” As two case studies, the algorithm is applied to Miocene strata of Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 926B, and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum-Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 interval at ODP Site 1262. The results verify published cyclostratigraphic interpretations and support the theoretical astronomical solutions. This new astrochronologic testing approach can be used to evaluate cyclostratigraphic records spanning the Phanerozoic and potentially beyond.
The Dynamics of Global Power Politics: A Framework for Analysis

We call for a research program focused on the dynamics of global power politics. Rather than link realpolitik to structural-realist theoretical frameworks or the putatively anarchical character of world politics, the program treats power politics as an object of analysis in its own right. It embraces debate over the nature of global power politics among scholars working with distinctive approaches. It sees the structural contexts of power politics as highly variable and often hierarchical in character. It attenuates ex ante commitments to the centrality of states in global politics. And it takes for granted that actors deploy multiple resources and modalities of power in their pursuit of influence. What binds this diverse research program together is its focus on realpolitik as the politics of collective mobilization in the context of the struggle for influence among political communities, broadly understood. Thus, the study of the dynamics of collective mobilization—the causal and constitutive pathways linking efforts at mobilization with enhanced power—brings together approaches to security studies in a shared study of power politics.
Comparing gene expression during cadmium uptake and distribution: untreated versus oral Cd-treated wild-type and ZIP14 knockout mice.

The nonessential metal cadmium (Cd) is toxic only after entering the cell. Proteins possibly relevant to intracellular Cd accumulation include the divalent metal transporter-1 (DMT1) and all 14 zinc-like iron-like protein (ZIP) importers, 10 zinc transporter (ZnT) exporters, and metallothionein chaperones MT1 and MT2. Comparing oral Cd-treated ZIP14 knockout (KO) with wild-type (WT) mice, we predicted Cd uptake and distribution would be diminished in the KO—because ZIP14 is very highly expressed in GI tract and liver; this was indeed observed for Cd content in liver. However, the reverse was found in kidney and lung from 6 or 12 h through 10 days of Cd exposure; at these times, Cd accumulation was unexpectedly greater in KO than WT mice; mRNA levels of the 27 above-mentioned genes were thus examined in proximal small intestine (PSI) versus kidney to see if these paradoxical effects could be explained by substantial alterations in any of the other 26 genes. PSI genes highly expressed in untreated WT animals included seven ZIP and five ZnT transporters, DMT1, MT1, and MT2; kidney genes included 11 ZIP and 7 ZnT transporters, DMT1, MT1, and MT2. Over 10 days of oral Cd, a bimodal response was seen for Cd content in PSI and for various mRNAs; initially, acute effects caused by the toxic metal; subsequently, the up- or down-regulation of important genes presumably to combat the sustained adversity. These data underscore the complex interplay between the gastrointestinal tract and renal proteins that might be relevant to Cd uptake and distribution in animals exposed to oral Cd.
Mechanical ventilation and the role of saline instillation in suctioning adult intensive care unit patients: an evidence-based practice review.

Background Saline instillation in suctioning mechanically ventilated patients remains a common practice in the intensive care unit (ICU). Many respiratory therapists and nurses are using saline with suctioning without an adequate knowledge of the current evidence-based research to guide this practice. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine if this routine method is beneficial or harmful to the patients and provide evidence-based practice recommendations that will serve as a guide for practice. Methods This is a comprehensive review on the use of saline instillation in suctioning mechanically ventilated adult ICU patients. Database such as CINAHL, MEDLINE, Cochrane, PsycINFO, and national guidelines are extracted for the review of literature. The study population consists of patients 18 years or older, who are intubated or have a tracheostomy in place, requiring mechanical ventilation, and who are admitted in the ICU. Results Although most of the evidence suggests not to use saline when suctioning, there are various limitations to the studies such as small sample size, settings, inconsistencies in data collection, or not enough or outdated research clinical trials, which calls for further studies. Conclusion This study does not support the use of saline instillation when suctioning an artificial airway. Further clinical trials are crucial to effectively determine if saline instillation use with suctioning an artificial airway is deemed harmful, which can be strictly enforced as a mandatory clinical guideline for all hospitals to include in their standardized protocol to not use saline instillation with suctioning.
Analyzing the Relationship between Clutch Size and Female Body Size in Reptiles

Ecological studies of reptiles often include linear regression analyses of the relationship between number of eggs or offspring (clutch size) and female body size. Recent issues of Copeia (vol. 1997-1998), Herpetologica (vol. 53-54) and Journal of Herpetology (vol. 3132) include 19 publications in which the relationship between clutch size and female size in reptiles is reported. Length was used as a measure of female size in 16 analyses and mass was used as a measure of female size in three analyses. In only two cases did authors log transform clutch size and female size prior to analysis. Here, I suggest that analysis of log transformed variables is preferred for meeting the assumptions of linear regression and for facilitating biological interpretation and comparisons among studies. Log transformation of variables such as clutch size and
Double Jeopardy For Women And Minorities: Pay Differences With Age

The relation of age to pay rates for 197 Hispanic, black, and white non-managerial workers of both sexes was examined in two organizations. Disparity between the pay rates of women and minority gro...
An Analysis of Yu Guangyuan's "Theory of Four Kinds of Consumer Goods"

Yu Guangyuan thinks that the world today is experiencing major adjustment and characteristics of the times should be found in economics.He divides social products into four kinds of consumer goods by their effects on the development of the productive force.They are the means of subsistence,the means of enjoyment,modern transportation and communication equipments,books and computers and such other means of development.The "theory of four kinds of consumer goods" reflects Yu Guangyuan's matter-of-fact attitude towords the grasp of whole characteristics of the times,theoretical perspective of keeping pace with the times,technological attitude towords the attention to the positive value of technology,and an accurate understanding of the relations between human development and technological development.
Remote Monitoring Service In-car System with Multimedia Based on Sitsang Board

Faced with the problem that the missing cars which use traditional alarm equipment cannot be found again, a car service system integrating security and entertainment is developed. This system adopts the Client/Server architecture. The in-car terminal is based on Intel Sit sang board, running Embedded linux and QT/Embedded as GUI, with the functions of Fingerprint-recognition, Video capture and recording, GPRS wireless communication and so on. The Service Centre is developed with Visual Basic + MapX + Access, having remote control, electronic map, database management and message service capabilities. This design has introduced a new concept of car security.
Principle of MRI device and its troubleshooting

Objective:To enable operators and medical technicians to understand the principles, constructions and ways of troubleshooting of medical equipment and instruments deeply. Methods:We used many diagrams and graphs to elaborates the elementary principle of MRI and introduces a lot of basic concepts ,such as nuclear magnet , relaxation process, relaxation time (T1, spin-lattice relaxation time, T2, spin-spin relaxation time), longitudinal magnetizing vector,transverse magnetizing vector and RF pulses,and classification methods and construction of MRI and analyses of practical examples of the equipment. Results:We promoted the using efficiencies of the equipment, by many maintenance examples, such as the failure analysis and troubleshooting of artificial image(ghost), bad ratio of signal to noise, primary ways of repairing MRI are provided. Conclusion:It is very significant for operators and medical technicians to understand the principles,constructions and ways of troubleshooting of medical equipment and instruments deeply to make full use of various of functions effectively.
Analysis of different enteral nutrition to ventilator associated pneumonia

Objective To discuss the enteral nutrition of naso-gastric tube and naso-intestinal tube to ventilator associated pneumonia.Methods 38 patients from ICU were randomly divided into two groups: the naso-gastric tube group and the naso-intestinal tube group.The following indexes were observed: incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia,adverse reactions and ventilation time in ICU.Results The improvement of the above indexes was more pronounced in the the naso-intestinal tube group than in the naso-gastric tube group with statistical significance(P 0.05).Conclusion Naso-intestinal tube is more appropriate than naso-gastric tube to patients treated with mechanical ventilation,which is worth to be applied widely in clinical practice.
Cervical spine: MR imaging techniques and anatomy.

SUMMARY The anatomy of the cervical spine is well demonstrated by MR imaging, and specific pulse sequences can be chosen to demonstrate a structure of interest. An understanding of the different MR imaging techniques is essential to select the optimal pulse sequences for an examination. The sequences chosen should be those that demonstrate the anatomy and facilitate making the proper diagnosis. With further technological advances, MR imaging will be able to delineate greater anatomic detail with decreased imaging time. These advances will only increase the need to understand the cervical anatomy and its appearance on MR imaging.
Nutritional outcome of 207 very low-birth-weight infants in an intensive care unit

Feeding and growth outcome for 207 critically ill, very low-birth-weight infants were highly correlated with severity of illness.
The Role of Forms of Traumatic Exposure in Relational and Physical Aggression Perpetrated by Incarcerated Men and Women

ABSTRACTThe relationship between history of trauma and violence is well studied. However, the relationship between trauma and relational aggression is not. And yet relational aggression is of considerable relevance to the criminal justice system. This study was designed to extend the literature on trauma and violence by including a measure of relational aggression and testing for sex differences. The sample was comprised of incarcerated men (N = 125) and women (N = 141). Data were collected from inmate interviews and inmate completion of a battery of instruments. Regression analyses revealed that of three types of trauma, only a history of interpersonal nonsexual trauma predicted the perpetration of both relational aggression and physical aggression while incarcerated, although no sex differences emerged. Results provide guidance for intervention efforts.
Measurements of suspended sediment transport and turbulent coherent structures induced by breaking waves using two-phase volumetric three-component velocimetry

Abstract Sediment suspension and transport under plunging regular waves was investigated in a laboratory surf zone using the volumetric three-component velocimetry technique. The two-phase flow measurements captured the motions of sediment particles simultaneously with the three-component, three-dimensional velocity fields of turbulent coherent structures (large eddies) induced by plunging breakers. Sediment particles were separated from fluid tracers based on a combination of particle spot size and brightness in the two-phase flow images. The interactions between the large eddies and bottom sediment were investigated in the outer surf zone. The measured data showed that breaker vortices impinging on the bottom was the primary mechanism that lifted sediment particles into suspension. High suspended sediment concentrations were found in the wall-jet region where the impinging flow was deflected outward and upward. Sediment particles were also trapped by counter-rotating vortices behind the down flow. Suspended sediment concentrations were significantly lower in the impingement zone where the fluid velocities were downward, even though the turbulent kinetic energy in the down flow was very high. Suspended sediment concentration was well correlated with vertical velocity and apparent shear stresses in the deflected flow, and with vorticity magnitude in the counter-rotating vortices. A linear relationship was found between net sediment flux and net turbulent kinetic energy flux over one wave cycle. It was found that a strong deflected flow in front of the impingement zone enhanced onshore sediment transport compared to a more symmetrical flow pattern, while counter-rotating vortices kept sediment particles in suspension for transport offshore after flow reversal. Onshore sediment transport was observed in less than 20% of the breaking waves. In most wave cycles, net sediment flux was directed offshore due to advection by predominantly offshore flow velocities.
Field Studies of Parental Care in Birds: New Data Focus Questions on Variation among Females1

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the present studies of data, questions, and theories about natural selection and parental care in birds. Biparental care is the most common pattern in birds. These field studies include: (1) descriptive studies of what parental care is and how it varies, though most of these seem to be attempts to explain variation in males rather than females; (2) experimental studies about the advantage of male parental care for females' fitness, usually done in an effort to understand the selective forces favoring social monogamy in birds; (3) descriptive studies evaluating the extent of uncertain maternity and paternity, which document the frequency of conspecific brood parasitism and extra-pair paternity using molecular genetic markers; and (4) correlative studies that attempt to evaluate the relationship between paternal care and genetic paternity. Some studies focus more attention on females and include studies about conflicts of interest between females and males cooperating in parental care and the resultant allocations of parental effort. Even newer studies focus uniquely on females' maternal behavior as a function of the quality of their mates. The chapter discusses how attention to variation among females and the environments females are in may change future empirical studies.
Nature and origin of orthopyroxene megacrysts from the St-Urbain anorthosite massif, Quebec

Al-rich orthopyroxene megacrysts (OPM) are found in three distinct field associations (leuconorite, anorthosite and anorthositic veinlets). The presence of plagioclase inclusions in OPM and local development of subophitic textures require cocrystallization of OPM and plagioclase. OPM have 0.66 < Mg/Mg + Fe T ) < 0.72, within the range of other orthopyroxene types in the massif, but contain higher amounts of Ca, Al, Fe (super 3+) and Ti. REE patterns in OPM and other orthopyroxene are essentially parallel, but OPM are enriched up to a factor of ten. Associated plagioclase-rich materials have An contents, REE patterns, Sr contents and Sr isotopic compositions virtually identical to those found in andesine anorthosite and leuconorite comprising most of the massif. These textural, chemical and isotopic features indicate that the OPM crystallized in the outcrops where they presently reside, from the same anorthositic magma that gave rise to the rocks of the massif as a whole, and that OPM are not relics of remote (upper mantle) crystallization from basalt magma. The incorporation of FeTi and Eskola components in original orthopyroxene may be the result of metastable crystallization, where local overstepping of a plagioclase-orthopyroxene cotectic boundary curve has driven the magma to orthopyroxene supersaturation. The localized appearance of OPM supports this. The higher abundances of Ca, Al, Ti, Fe (super 3+) and REE in OPM compared to other orthopyroxene may be related to the ionic adsorption and retention of these cations onto rapidly growing surfaces of the OPM.--Modified journal abstract.
Constraining top-Higgs couplings at high and low energy

The study of the couplings of the Higgs boson and of the top quark plays a preeminent role at the LHC, and could unveil the first signs of new physics. I will discuss the interplay of direct and indirect probes of certain classes of top and Higgs couplings. Including constraints from collider observables, precision electroweak tests, flavor physics, and electric dipole moments (EDMs), I will show that indirect probes are competitive, if not dominant, for both the CP-even and CP-odd top and Higgs couplings we considered. I will discuss the role of theoretical uncertainties, associated with hadronic and nuclear matrix elements, and indicate targets to further improve the constraining power of EDM experiments.
Absence of Mixed Phase in Organic Photovoltaic Active Layers Facilitates Use of Green Solvent Processing

We examine the morphology of a donor molecule:fullerene organic photovoltaic (OPV) active layer, processed from the “green solvent” 2-methyl-THF (m-THF), as well as the conformation of the two OPV constituent components in the casting solution. We observe that the small molecule (X2) has a weak association with itself in chloroform solvent, whereas it does not self-associate in m-THF. Despite this difference, the morphologies of the final processed films are extraordinarily similar: there is negligible molecularly mixed phase in the layer, and the domain sizes of the pure X2 and pure fullerene are 15–20 nm. We attribute this similarity between the final films to the strong aggregation behavior of X2 upon drying; changes in solvent or solvent additive have therefore only a minor effect on the final bulk heterojunction morphology. This contrasts with the majority of other OPV molecular donor semiconductor systems, which need careful tuning of solvent and/or solvent additive to achieve the optimal morphology...
Intra-continental wildfire smoke transport and impact on local air quality observed by ground-based and satellite remote sensing in New York City

Abstract The wildfires in Fort McMurray of Alberta, Canada, injected large amounts of smoke aerosols in May 2016 and were identified as being one of Canada's major weather events of the year. This paper presents a synergistic remote sensing and in-situ measurement of the resultant smoke plume transport, optical properties, and its impacts on local air quality in New York City (NYC). Comparisons with the operational air quality model forecast (the NOAA National Air Quality Forecasting Capability, NAQFC) performance are presented. The aloft plume intrusions on May 9–13 and 25–29, 2016, and their mixing down into the planetary-boundary layer (PBL) were observed by a combined lidar, ceilometer and other measurement. A decrease in single-scattering albedo and absorption Angstrom exponent near one indicates that the plumes were absorbing aerosol dominated. Dramatic impacts of smoke transport on the ground air quality are demonstrated with a coincident increase of ground PM2.5 (from 5- to 25–30 μg/m3) in NYC urban and upwind rural area, enhancement of the PM2.5 speciation (organic carbon, elemental carbon, potassium ion (K+)) and the ozone exceedance of NAAQS. Using the satellite and model product, we show regional spatial distribution of smoke, multiple transport paths and wildfire sources. Finally, with the lidar vertical profiling observations, we evaluate the model PBL-height (PBLH) and PM2.5 during May 24th to 30th, 2016. The model PBLH shows consistent diurnal variation with the observed mixing layer height (MLH), but is clearly overestimated during the convective daytime hours. On the other hand, when estimating the MLH directly from the model PM2.5 profile, better agreement with observation was indicated. This helps explain the good agreement between the model PM2.5 and surface measurements except for the model overestimate during the morning of May 25 and 26, 2016.
Action Spectra for Partial Reactions of Photosynthesis

We would like to measure action spectra precisely enough to determine whether individual biological forms of chlorophyll are functioning in a photoreaction. Numerous absorption spectra from about 600 to 720 nm of plant material from widely different sources have been analysed with the aid of a digital computer into four major chlorophyll a component bands and two or three smaller bands at longer wavelengths (FRENCH et al. 1971). If we can measure action spectra with chloroplast particles that are small enough to avoid the flattening effect, light scattering distortions and shielding by other pigments, we may discover which of the chlorophyll forms is functioning in a particular photoreaction.
Response of Simple Oscillators to Student’s t Excitations

Probabilistic characteristics are developed for peak responses of simple oscillators subject to stationary and nonstationary Student’s t ground accelerations. The Student’s t model is more general than the Gaussian model, which is usually used in random vibration analyses, and is invariant to linear transformations. Random vibration analyses with Student’s t inputs require slightly more calculations than analyses involving Gaussian excitations.