cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preemptive use of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation in pediatric burn patients

There is a high incidence of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in pediatric patients with major burns, and this development leads to higher mortality. High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) has been used to treat pediatric patients with severe ARDS. The decision of when to start HFOV in the pediatric burn victim with ARDS is debatable. We hypothesize that earlier institution of HFOV in these patients may lead to better outcomes. A single center, retrospective chart review of pediatric burn patients with ARDS from 1996 to 2007 was completed. Daily partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (P(a)O(2)):fraction of inspired oxygen (F(i)O(2)) and oxygenation index was calculated for each patient. Means and SDs were compared for those treated with early (0-48 hours) institution of HFOV with those who received it late (48-72 hours). We found a trend toward improved P(a)O(2):F(i)O(2) and oxygenation index (OI) in the early treated group; however, this trend was not statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference in length of stay, length of time on HFOV, or adverse events. There was, however, a trend toward more barotraumas in the late treated group. Early (within 24-36 hours of burn injury) HFOV may improve P(a)O(2):F(i)O(2) and OI in patients with major burns. A multicenter prospective trial is needed to have enough statistical power to answer questions of P(a)O(2):F(i)O(2) and OI improvement at statistically significant level, as well as to determine whether there is any overall survival benefit.
The effects of biuret-complex formation and of salts on the collagen helix and on the gelation of gelatin.

Abstract The melting points, conformational transition temperatures, helix contents and gel strengths of gelatin-copper biuret-type complexes were measured and compared with similar data for systems of gelatin with denaturing salts. Copper reduces the helix content and gel strength approximately linearly with its concentration, but has little effect on transition temperatures. One bound copper prevents helix formation in 8–25 residues. The data are compatible with the proposal of Von Hippel and Wong that helix formation in an imino acid rich region is an all-or-none event, although other possibilities are not eliminated. The reduction of transition temperature and gel strength, but not of helix content, is linear with salt concentration. The data for salt denaturants are compatible with either of two general mechanisms of denaration: action on the protein or action on the solvent.
What Happens When Predators Do Not Completely Consume Their Prey

Abstract A mathematical model is presented for the dynamics of predator-prey interactions when predators do not consume prey (or clumps of prey) in their entirety. Using a combination of analytical and numerical methods, I demonstrate that predator-mediated changes in the distribution of intact and partially consumed prey can affect the outcome of competition between predators in unexpected ways. In some cases, two predators can coexist on a single prey species owing to tradeoffs between the ability to consume prey completely and other competitive abilities. In other cases, predators exhibit frequency-dependent dynamics in which the first predator to occupy the habitat can prevent the other from invading. Conditions for stable coexistence usually expand if the larger predator scatters uneaten prey parts, if prey renewal includes both small and large items, or if the predator with the smaller retrieval capacity is poor at catching intact prey relative to the other predator.
A theory-based measure of coping strategies used by teachers: The problems in teaching scale

Abstract The Problems in Teaching Scale (PITS) was developed to assess the strategies used by teachers to cope with school stressors. The measure was developed based on the theory of Lazarus and Folkman [Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer] which emphasizes a coping process in which individuals appraise potential stressors and based on these appraisals develop adaptive and/or maladaptive coping strategies to deal with them. A study with 105 middle, junior high, and senior high school teachers was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PITS. Teachers indicated how they coped with three types of stressors: a serious student problem, a serious problem with an administrator or teacher; and typical problems with preparing for class. Factor analytical results suggested that three dimensions underlie the PITS and that these dimensions tend to generalize across the three types of stressors. In addition, consistent with the coping theory, the pattern of means for the PITS varied as a function of the type of stressor. These and other results generally supported the use of the PITS to assess the coping strategies of teachers.
Movies of nanoscale dynamics by soft x-ray microscopy

We demonstrate a novel table-top nanoscale filmmaking technique employing compact laser-based soft x-ray microscope capable of capturing sequenced single-shot images with ∼ 50 nm spatial resolution and nanosecond temporal resolution.
A superconducting quadrupole magnet array for a heavy ion fusion driver

A multi-channel quadrupole array has been proposed to increase beam intensity and reduce space charge effects in a heavy ion fusion driver. A single array unit composed of several quadrupole magnets, each with its own beam line, will be placed within a ferromagnetic accelerating core whose cost is directly affected by the array size. A large number of focusing arrays will be needed along the accelerating path. The use of a superconducting quadrupole magnet array will increase the field and reduce overall cost. The authors report here on the design of a compact 3/spl times/3 superconducting quadrupole magnet array. The overall array diameter and length including the cryostat is 900/spl times/700 mm. Each of the 9 quadrupole magnets has a 79 mm warm bore and an operating gradient of 50 T/m over an effective magnetic length of 320 mm.
Mechanotransduction of shear stress occurs through changes in VE-cadherin and PECAM-1 tension: Implications for cell migration

Recent work has shown that cadherins at cell-cell junctions bear tensile forces. Using novel FRET-based tension sensors, we showed first that in response to shear stress, endothelial cells rapidly reduce mechanical tension on vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin. Second, we observed a simultaneous increase in tension on platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM)-1, induced by an interaction with vimentin. In this commentary, we discuss how our results fit with existing data on cadherins as important mediators of mechanotransduction, in particular, in cell migration where mechanical tension across cadherins may communicate the direction of movement. The ability of PECAM-1 to bear mechanical tension may also be important in other PECAM-1 functions, such as leukocyte transmigration through the endothelium. Additionally, our observation that vimentin expression was required for PECAM-1 tension and mechanotransduction of fluid flow suggests that intermediate filaments are capable of transmitting tension...
Laboratory Efficacy of Amoxicillin for the Control of Streptococcus iniae Infection in Blue Tilapia

Abstract Experimental feeding trials were performed to evaluate the efficacy of amoxicillin (AMX) in controlling Streptococcus iniae infection in blue tilapia Oreochromis aureus. The doses of AMX active ingredient tested were 0, 5, 10, 30, and 80 mg/kg of fish body weight (BW) per day. Administration of medicated feed started within 22–24 h postchallenge by waterborne exposure to S. iniae (after skin scraping) and continued for 12 consecutive days, followed by a 17-d posttreatment observation. Oral administration of AMX-medicated feed for 12 d at a daily rate of 10, 30, and 80 mg/kg BW significantly increased the survival of S. iniae−infected tilapia from 3.8% in the challenged, nonmedicated positive control to 45, 75, and 93.8%, respectively. The survival rate was significantly higher in the 80-mg treatment (93.75%) than the 10-mg treatment (45%) but did not differ significantly between the 10-mg (45%) and 30-mg (75%) treatments. At the conclusion of the experiment, no carriers were detected in any chall...
Ignition of supercritical fluds during natural convection from a heated vertical surface

Abstract The ignition of a combustible liquid near a heated vertical surface was investigated theoretically and experimentally for laminar natural convection conditions. Only pressures greater than the critical pressure were considered, where the combustible is a single-phase fluid. Analysis of ignition involved solution of the nonsimilar boundary layer equations for flow along the surface and in the plume, allowing for the nonideal properties of supercritical fluids. Ignition was prescribed as the surface conditions which separated regimes where decomposition waves either quenched or developed in the plume. Experiments were conducted with ethylene oxide at pressures of 5.50–19.30 MPa. Predictions could be matched to the measurements for supercritical conditions, using global first-order kinetics. The results indicate a slight increase in ignition resistance as pressure is decreased, for first-order kinetics, due to property variations near the critical point. Limited measurements at subcritical conditions indicated that ignition occurs when the heat flux exceeds the critical heat flux for nucleate boiling, at pressures somewhat below the critical pressure, since the minimum surface temperature for ignition is not accessible for conventionally heated surfaces in this region. This change in ignition mechanism is probably responsible for the unusual variation of ignition properties frequently observed near the critical pressure of combustibles.
Severe leprosy reactions due to Mycobacterium lepromatosis

Abstract Leprosy is caused by the well-known Mycobacterium leprae and the newly discovered M lepromatosis . Here, the authors describe 2 cases of leprosy with unusual clinical presentation caused by M lepromatosis . The patients, a 32-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman, both of Mexican origin, manifested high fever, lymphadenopathy and florid skin lesions in the form of erythema nodosum and Lucio's phenomenon as the first clinical presentation. Heavy infiltration of acid-fast bacilli was identified in the tissues that led to the diagnosis of lepromatous leprosy or diffuse leprosy. The patients were treated with multidrug regimen and responded appropriately. From the lymph node tissue, the authors showed the bacillus to be M lepromatosis , not M leprae as presumed previously, by differential polymerase chain reactions and analysis of gene sequences. These cases add to the growing studies on this organism, expand its endemic regions in Mexico and provide more clinical insight.
Selective Combinatorial Studies on Ce and Zr Promoted Cu/Zn/Pd Catalysts for Hydrogen Productio via Methanol Oxidative Reforming

The activity and selectivity for partial oxidation of methanol to H2 and CO2 on Zr, Ce, promoted Cu/Zn/Pd catalysts, have been studied using a high-throughput method of screening and analysis. In this work, infrared thermography was first used as a descriptor of overall catalytic activity. Then, activity and selectivity of samples with high infrared signal were measured in a flow reactor and characterized by BET, XRD, and XPS. Catalysts promoted with 10% Zr and showed H2 selectivity >95% with methanol conversion approaching 100% at ~200 °C.
Human endothelial cell growth and coagulant function varies with respect to interfacial properties of polymeric substrates.

The in vitro coagulant function of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) was investigated when grown on a series of polymer surfaces that ranged from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. The polymer interface materials were prepared by radiofrequency plasma polymerization from hexamethyl-disilazane, γ-butyrolactone, and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and deposited onto tissue culture Permanox. The three plasma polymers were noncytotoxic. When precoated with fibronectin (FN), HAECs on all four polymer surfaces were similar with respect to cell proliferation and coagulant function. Without FN precoating, cell proliferation and spreading increased with increasing surface hydrophilicity. Normalized production of tissue-type plasminogen activator increased with increasing hydrophilicity of the polymers during early incubation times, as did tissue plasminogen activator/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 ratios. In comparison, normalized von Willebrand factor release decreased on the more hydrophilic surfaces. Thus, both endothelial cell growth and some coagulant/fibrinolytic functions are improved with increasing substrate hydrophilicity. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Arginine supplementation of sickle transgenic mice reduces red cell density and Gardos channel activity

Nitric oxide (NO), essential for maintaining vascular tone, is produced from arginine by nitric oxide synthase. Plasma arginine levels are low in sickle cell anemia, and it is reported here that low plasma arginine is also found in our sickle transgenic mouse model that expresses human alpha, human beta(S), and human beta(S-Antilles) and is homozygous for the mouse beta(major) deletion (S+S-Antilles). S+S-Antilles mice were supplemented with a 4-fold increase in arginine that was maintained for several months. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) decreased and the percent high-density red cells was reduced. Deoxy K(+) efflux is characteristic of red cells in sickle cell disease and contributes to the disease process by increasing the MCHC and rendering the cells more susceptible to polymer formation. This flux versus the room air flux was reduced in S+S-Antilles red cells from an average value of 1.6 +/- 0.3 mmol per liter of red cells x minute (FU) in nonsupplemented mice to 0.9 +/- 0.3 FU (n = 4, P < .02, paired t test) in supplemented mice. In room air, V(max) of the Ca(++)-activated K(+) channel (Gardos) was reduced from 4.1 +/- 0.6 FU (off diet) to 2.6 +/- 0.4 FU (n = 7 and 8, P < .04, t test) in arginine-supplemented mice versus clotrimazole. In conclusion, the major mechanism by which arginine supplementation reduces red cell density (MCHC) in S+S-Antilles mice is by inhibiting the Ca(++)-activated K(+) channel.
Local interactive patterns of dispersed and swarm particles in a circulating fluidized-bed riser

Motion of glass beads of 0.4 mm mean diameter is observed in the central region of a circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) riser by coupling a reflective-type particle image scope (RPIS) with a high-speed video system of 3,1000 frames s{sup {minus}1} recording rate. Transient changes in the particle velocity are measured under both dilute and dense conditions. The observed speed of ascending particles ranges from 0 to 3.0 m/s at a superficial gas velocity of 6.0 m/s. Descending particles are also observed, and their speed ranges from 0 to 1.6 m/s. The structure and motion of particle swarms are analyzed with a special emphasis on particle collision. It is confirmed that the speed, moving direction, and packed density of the particle swarms are subjected to persistent time variations. Various patterns of particle motions are identified in1 the CFB riser, induced by a diversity of collision mechanisms. These include momentum transfer from a colliding particle to other particles being contacted, grazing followed by particle rotation, roundabout motion of a particle around another, simultaneous collision involving more than three particles and successive particle collisions.
Poly(dG) spacers lead to increased surface coverage of DNA probes: an XPS study of oligonucleotide binding to zirconium phosphonate modified surfaces.

A spacer is often employed between the surface linking group and the probe sequence to improve the performance of DNA microarrays. Previous work demonstrated that a consecutive stretch of guanines as a spacer increased target capture during hybridization relative to probes with either no spacer or a similar stretch of one of the other nucleotides. Using zirconium phosphonate modified surfaces with 5′-phosphorylated ssDNA probes, the present study compares the surface coverage of ssDNA probes containing either a poly(dG) spacer or a poly(dA) spacer. Surface coverages are quantified by XPS using a modified overlayer model. The results show that after treatment to mimic conditions of the passivation and hybridization steps the probe with the poly(dG) spacer has about twice the surface coverage as the probe with the poly(dA) spacer, indicating that increased target capture is due to higher probe coverage. When monitoring the surface coverage after each rinsing step, it is observed that the probe with the poly...
Contaminant-Adaptation and Community Tolerance in Ecological Risk Assessment: Introduction

Contaminant tolerance, either at the level of the community or an adaptation within populations, has important implications to the risk assessment field. Such tolerance has alternatively been described as a nuisance variable, complicating the extrapolation of toxicity data to field conditions, or as a ‘good weather indicator’, suggesting environmental resilience to a contaminant. These and other issues are explored in this set of invited papers, in which experienced workers from the field of contaminant tolerance have been invited to comment on the relationship between tolerance and the analysis of environmental risk. In addition, recent decades have seen the use of tolerance as a tool for assessing contaminant stress, particularly when establishing causality between specific contaminant exposure and significant ecological impact. The paradigm suggests that an increased tolerance to a contaminant is powerful causal evidence that this contaminant has exerted significant stress. Review, commentary and origi...
The question of selecting pump outputs on a hydraulic press for refractory materials

When calculating the output of pumping equipment for the individual drive of a hydraulic press, the consumption of liquid needed to compensate the elastic deformation of the press elements and the liquid compression in the hydrosystem should be considered.
Religion and Commodification: ‘Merchandizing’ Diasporic Hinduism, by Vineeta Sinha, Routledge: New York and London, 2011, xiii + 228pp. ISBN 978 0 415 87363 5, US$125 (hbk)

Religion and Commodification: ‘Merchandizing’ Diasporic Hinduism , by Vineeta Sinha, Routledge: New York and London, 2011, xiii + 228pp. ISBN 978 0 415 87363 5, US$125 (hbk) Religion and Commodific...
Improving the electrical and mechanical behavior of electrically conductive paint by partial replacement of silver by carbon black

Partial replacement of silver particles by carbon black (low cost) in electrically conductive paint was found to decrease the electrical resistivity and increase the scratch resistance of the resulting thick film, which is for use in electrical interconnections. An effective carbon black content is 0.055 of the total filler volume. By using a total solid volume fraction of 0.1969 and a silane-propanol (1:1 by weight) solution as the vehicle, a paint that gives a thick film with resistivity 2 × 10−3 Ω·cm has been attained.
Genetic marker analysis of spatial and temporal relationships among existing populations and new infestations of the Mediterranean fruit fly ( Ceratitis capitata )

Genetic marker analysis of spatial and temporal relationships among existing populations and new infestations of the Mediterranean fruit fly ( Ceratitis capitata )
Infrasonic attenuation in the upper mesosphere-lower thermosphere: a comparison between Navier-Stokes and Burnett predictions.

This paper presents the results of a pilot study comparing the use of continuum and non-continuum fluid dynamics to predict infrasound attenuation in the rarefied lower thermosphere. The continuum approach is embodied by the Navier–Stokes equations, while the non-continuum method is implemented via the Burnett equations [Proc. London Math. Soc. 39, 385–430 (1935); 40, 382–435 (1936)]. In the Burnett framework, the coupling between stress tensor and heat flux affects the dispersion equation, leading to an attenuation coefficient smaller than its Navier–Stokes counterpart by amounts of order 0.1 dB/km at 0.1 Hz, 10 dB/km at 1 Hz, and 100 dB/km at 10 Hz. It has been observed that many measured thermospheric arrivals are stronger than current predictions based on continuum mechanics. In this context, the consistently smaller Burnett-based absorption is cautiously encouraging.
Reassessment of the role of gut alkalinity and detergency in insect herbivory.

Previously it was reported that significant amounts of the tomato phenolic, chlorogenic acid, were oxidized in the digestive system of generalist feedersSpodoplera exigua andHelicoverpa zea. The covalent binding of the oxidized phenolic (i.e., quinone) to dietary protein exerts a strong antinutritive effect against larvae. In this study, we examined the fate of ingested chlorogenic acid in larvalManduca sexta, a leaf-feeding specialist of solanaceous plants. Significant amounts of chlorogenic acid were bound to excreted protein byM. sexta when larvae fed on tomato foliage. However, in the case ofM. sexta we suggest that the strong alkalinity and detergency of the midgut may minimize the antinutritive effects of oxidized phenolics. The solubility of tomato leaf protein is significantly greater at pH 9.7, representative of the midgut ofM. sexta, than at pH 8.0, representative of the midguts ofH. zea and S. exigua. We suggest that this increase in solubility would compensate for any loss in bioavailability of essential amino acids caused by the covalent binding of chlorogenic acid to amino acids. Furthermore, lysolecithin, a surfactant likely to contribute to the detergent properties of the midgut fluid, was shown to enhance protein solubility as well as inhibit polyphenol oxidase activity. The adaptive significance of gut alkalinity and detergency is discussed.
Amodal completion of moving objects by pigeons

In a series of four experiments, we explored whether pigeons complete partially occluded moving shapes. Four pigeons were trained to discriminate between a complete moving shape and an incomplete moving shape in a two-alternative forced-choice task. In testing, the birds were presented with a partially occluded moving shape. In experiment 1, none of the pigeons appeared to complete the testing stimulus; instead, they appeared to perceive the testing stimulus as incomplete fragments. However, in experiments 2, 3, and 4, three of the birds appeared to complete the partially occluded moving shapes. These rare positive results suggest that motion may facilitate amodal completion by pigeons, perhaps by enhancing the figure – ground segregation process.
Reproduction-inhibiting and parasiticidal effects on Plasmodium gallinaceum and Plasmodium lophurae during initial infection and homologous superinfection in chickens

Earlier, we (1945) studied the immological relationships of Plasmodium gallinaceum and Plasmodium lophurae by testing homologous and heterologous immunity to superinfection of sporozoites and erythrocytic stages in chickens previously infected with each species. The present work is limited to a study of initial infection and homologous superinfection by erythrocytic stages with special reference to merozoite production and survival and death rates of the parasites formed, as has been done by us for initial infections of Plasmodium brasilianum in Central American monkeys (1944), Plasmodium cynomolgi (1947) and Plasmodium knowlesi (1949a) in rhesus monkeys, and by Thompson (1944) for Plasmodium fioridense in lizards. These studies followed from work on Plasmodium cathemerium by Boyd and Allen (1934) and Boyd (1939) on initial infection and by Boyd and Gilkerson (1942) on superinfection. Our results are of particular interest in that they give direct evidence that much of the lowering of the number of merozoites produced by segmenters, which reaches its maximum near the crisis, is due to acquired immunity. This study carries further an analysis previously made on reproduction-inhibiting and parasiticidal effects during the course of a few initial infections with
Behavioural syndromes in Steller's jays: the role of time frames in the assessment of behavioural traits.

Behavioural syndromes describe consistent and correlated individual differences in behavioural traits. Quantifying individual differences often requires researchers to capture and hold animals in captivity while short-term behavioural assays are recorded. We compared behavioural responses of adult, territorial Steller’s jays in short- and long-term field assessments of behavioural traits in two ecological contexts, risk taking and exploration. Individuals’ risk taking was similar in short-term and long-term contexts (i.e. alarm calling in the presence of a predator mount and while re-entering a trap, respectively). However, a measure of short-term exploration of a novel object in a feeding context was not related to a long-term index of annual habitat exploration (i.e. travel distance outside home territory). Risk-taking and exploration indices were correlated across ecological contexts, indicating that these traits contributed to a behavioural syndrome in jays. Annual assessments of risk-taking and exploration behaviours were repeatable. Individuals with high scores in risk taking and exploration were more likely to be recaptured in a familiar trap. We conclude that short-term experiments are adequate measures of specific behavioural strategies, but because short-term responses did not necessarily predict long-term annual behaviours in related contexts, expression of behavioural types and associated ecological strategies should be regarded as species and context specific. Long-lived residents are useful study species to overcome sampling biases for traits measured in captivity, because they provide opportunity to evenly sample a population over all personality types, including trap-shy individuals.
Field Applications of Entomopathogenic Fungi Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae F52 (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) for the Control of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae)

Two commercial formulations of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin were applied to residential sites in Old Lyme, CT, for the control of nymphs of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, in 1999 and 2000. The pyrethroid bifenthrin was applied to other premises for comparison with B. bassiana. A wood chip barrier was installed and maintained at six of the treated properties. In 1999, control of I. scapularis nymphs ranged from 74.5 to 83.0% on lawns without wood chips and from 88.9 to 90% on lawns with wood chip barriers. As a control check, no ticks (n = 23) collected at pretreatment or control sites died from B. bassiana, although 15 of 18 nymphs from treated lawns developed mycoses. Control of I. scapularis on the lawns in 2000 with the two B. bassiana products was lower, as follows: 38.0 and 58.7% without the barrier and 56.9 and 55.1% with the wood chip barrier. Posttreatment differences in nymphal numbers between treatments and control were significant (P = 0.005 and P = 0.039, 1999 and 2000, respectively). The bifenthrin provided 86 and 87% control each year, respectively. The application of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin strain F52 to 9 residential sites in Westport and Weston, CT, in 2002 provided significant (P = 0.034; P = 0.039) reductions in nymphal tick abundance with 55.6 and 84.6% fewer ticks on lawn and woodland plots, respectively. These results suggest the application of entomopathogenic fungi could provide another approach for the control of I. scapularis nymphs in residential or similar landscapes.
France and the German Question, 1945-1955

This article challenges the traditional view that France was “obsessed” with the German threat in the decade after World War II and that French leaders only grudgingly accepted the policy that the United States and Britain had decided to pursue. The official rhetoric of the postwar period should not to be taken at face value. In reality, French leaders understood the logic of the “western strategy” for Germany and at a basic level endorsed it. Even on the question of West German rearmament—a critical issue in 1950—the French government was not nearly as opposed to moving ahead as many scholars have argued.
Teaching Statistical Concepts, Fundamentals and Modelling

Over the past several years, statistical educators have been involved in teaching ‘service courses,’ where our audiences often come from the social sciences and humanities. As such, it is unlikely that these students will ever become ‘producers’ of statistics – rather, they will be ‘consumers’ or ‘users’ of statistics. Thus, the courses we teach these students should reflect this fact – instead of focusing on calculations and derivations, our courses are becoming much more conceptual. This paper highlights some of the author’s experiences with the transition from ‘number crunching’ to ‘conceptual’ basic statistics courses, focusing on in-class activities, student projects, writing assignments, and using computer packages.
Feeding Young Children in Group Settings: Using Scenarios for Staff Development

Workshops for direct-service professionals in settines where children are " fed in groups should include practical application of knowledge. Adult learners benefit when they learn in contexts that reflect how the knowledge can be used in real-life situations.' In our workshops for child care and Head Start staff, we taught key concepts about feeding children supported by authentic scenarios featuring typical issues that occur at mealtimes where children are fed in group settings.The objective for using the scenarioswas to provide opportunity for learners to apply concepts about feeding using practical, real-world situations. The American Dietetic Association standards for feeding children in group settings center on nutrition, environment, and relationships in feeding.2 Literature on feeding children in group settings generally suggests concepts that represent the following guidelines for optimal feeding environments?'
‘Left-Handed’ Hindu Tantrism

Sometimes the scholar can safely take hints for the direction of his scholarship from popular concerns. They may be deeper than they appear. As Erik H. Erikson has remarked in reference to the yearnings of young Americans for the teaching of the Eastern mystics: ‘The need to search for total and final values can often be met only under the condition that these values be foreign to everything one has been taught’.
A Personal Supercomputer for Climate Research

We describe and analyze the performance of a cluster of personal computers dedicated to coupled climate simulations. This climate modeling system performs comparably to state-of-the-art supercomputers and yet is affordable by individual research groups, thus enabling more spontaneous application of high-end numerical models to climate science. The cluster's novelty centers around the Arctic Switch Fabric and the StarT-X network interface, a system-area interconnect substrate developed at MIT. A significant fraction of the interconnect's hardware performance is made available to our climate model through an application-specific communication library. In addition to reporting the overall application performance of our cluster, we develop an analytical performance model of our application. Based on this model, we define a metric, Potential Floating-Pointing Performance, which we use to quantify the role of high-speed interconnects in determining application performance. Our results show that a high-performance interconnect, in conjunction with a light-weight application-specific library, provides efficient support for our fine-grain parallel application on an otherwise general-purpose commodity system.
A Quality Based Assessment Process for Student Work Products

Traditional grading of student work has several inherent problems including a granularity in grades which is too fine, passive student involvement, and a questionable connection between the grade and the learning objectives. We have developed and refined a quality based assessment process that addresses some of these problems. The quality assessment process has three, closely integrated aspects: 1) a three level assessment outcome (Meets Expectations, Exceeds Expectations, Needs Improvement), 2) the use of checklists to define expectations, and 3) the active involvement of students. The three levels of assessment are based on a three level customer needs model developed by Kano. In the context of the Kano model, faculty are viewed as customers and student work is the product. Three part checklists consistent with this model are used; these checklists facilitate the assessment of technical correctness, other course standards, student readiness, as well as the level and quality of the effort. The students are expected to use the checklists to determine how to Meet or Exceed Expectations on the assignment.
Nature as infrastructure: Making and managing the Panama Canal watershed:

The Panama Canal requires an enormous volume of fresh water to function. A staggering 52 million gallons are released into the Atlantic and Pacific oceans with each of the 35–45 ships that transit ...
Differential effects of R5 and X4 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection on CD4+ cell proliferation and activation.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates can be distinguished by their chemokine coreceptor usage. Non-syncytium-inducing (NSI), macrophage-tropic viruses utilize CCR5 and are called R5 viruses; syncytium-inducing (SI) isolates use CXCR4 and are known as X4 viruses. R5 and X4 HIV isolates are both transmitted but, in most cases, R5 viruses predominate in the blood prior to the development of AIDS-related pathogenesis. The reason for the selective growth of the R5 strain is not known, but could reflect a replication advantage of R5 viruses over X4 viruses in CD4+ cells. To explore this possibility, eight phenotypically distinct viruses were used to infect CD4+ cells and cellular proliferation and activation were evaluated. In unstimulated CD4+ cells, R5 virus isolates increased the level of cell activation compared with X4 virus isolates and uninfected control cells. In CD4+ cells that were stimulated with interleukin 2, both R5 and X4 viruses were found to decrease the level of cell proliferation and reduce the majority of the activation markers studied when compared with uninfected control CD4+ cells from the same donors. However, although equal amounts of CD4+ cells were infected, R5 virus-infected CD4+ cells showed a two- to fourfold increase in cellular proliferation over X4 viruses, as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation (P=0·001) and nuclear expression of Ki67 (P=0·001). In addition, a larger proportion of CD4+ T cells infected with R5 viruses had significantly higher levels of activation-marker expression (e.g. CD25, CD71 and HLA-DR) than CD4+ T lymphocytes infected with X4 viruses (P<0·02). Taken together, these results indicate that CD4+ cells infected with R5 virus isolates may have a selective advantage over X4 virus-infected CD4+ T cells for survival and, hence, virus spread.
Contemporary Disorganization Research: An Assessment and Further Test of the Systemic Model of Neighborhood Crime

The systemic model posits that informal control reduces crime and that social networks reduce crime indirectly by stimulating informal control. The systemic literature consistently supports the informal control-crime relationship but reveals wider variation in the measurement and effects of network dimensions. Recognizing this pattern, some scholars advocate an explicit distinction between networks and informal control. We formally address that issue with analysis of the measurement structure of multiple network and informal control indicators using data collected in 300 Seattle neighborhoods. Results reveal several distinct network dimensions that are themselves distinct from informal control. Regression analysis supports the systemic model: informal control reduces crime victimization, and networks exhibit an indirect, negative effect through informal control. Consistent with prior research, some network measures have a positive, direct effect on crime. We conclude that a distinction between networks an...
Unsaturated polyesters from 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol

A series unsaturated polyesters were made from 2,2-di-methyl-l,3-propanediol, propylene glycol, fumaric acid, and isophthalic acid by a two-step fusion process. The effect of catalyst, conversion, composition, unsaturation, and styrene content were studied, and the relationship between composition and properties was established.
Infrared heat treatment reduces food intake and modifies expressions of TRPV3-POMC in the dorsal medulla of obesity prone rats.

Purpose: Infrared heat, a transient receptor potential vanilloid type-3 (TRPV3) sensitive stimulus, may have potential physiological effects beneficial to treating metabolic syndrome.Materials and methods: Obesity prone (OP) and obesity resistant (OR) rats were fed for seven days on a high-fat diet. Heat treated OP rats were exposed twice daily to infrared light for 20 min each, separated by 80 min of rest. Food intake, blood pressure, blood glucose, and body weight measurements were taken daily and compared between treated OP rats, untreated OP rats, and OR controls. The animals were perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde, and immunohistochemistry was performed on the coronal brainstem sections with polyclonal antibodies against TRPV3 and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). The positive-staining cells in the medulla nuclei were quantified using a microscope with reticule grid.Results: Food intake, body weight, and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were higher in OP rats, a diet-induced metabolic syndrome model, acc...
Methods for study of imidazole compounds and application to brain and cancer cells.

Abstract Two-dimensional thin-layer Chromatographic (TLC) methods were developed for the separation of seventeen imidazole compounds of biological interest. Depending on the combinations of these compounds present in the mixture to be analyzed, separations could be achieved employing four different types of TLC plates and eleven solvent mixtures. Visualization procedures were described for the detection of imidazoles both with unsubstituted and substituted rings, and suitable ancillary radioautographic and counting procedures were described for use with labeled substances. A quantitative procedure employing the diazo reaction with sulfanilic acid was developed for the determination of imidazole compounds with an unsubstituted ring after elution from cellulose and Silica gel TLC plates. The above techniques were applied to the identification of imidazoles in extracts of brain of several species as well as to the study of the metabolism of histidine and N -acetyl histidine in Ehrlich ascites cells.
Nonlocal instability analysis of FCC bulk and (1 0 0) surfaces under uniaxial stretching

The objective of this paper is to examine the instability characteristics of both a bulk FCC crystal and a (1 0 0) surface of an FCC crystal under uniaxial stretching along a h 100 i direction using an atomisticbased nonlocal instability criterion. By comparison to benchmark atomistic simulations, we demonstrate that for both the FCC bulk and (1 0 0) surface, about 5000–10,000 atoms are required in order to obtain an accurate converged value for the instability strain and a converged instability mode. The instability modes are fundamentally different at the surface as compared to the bulk, but in both cases a strong dependence of the instability mode on the number of atoms that are allowed to participate in the instability process is observed. In addition, the nonlocal instability criterion enables us to determine the total number of atoms, and thus the total volume occupied by these atoms, that participate in the defect nucleation process for both cases. We find that this defect participation volume converges as the number of atoms increases for both the bulk and surface, and that the defect participation volume of the surface is smaller than that of the bulk. Overall, the present results demonstrate both the necessity and utility of nonlocal instability criteria in predicting instability and subsequent failure of both bulk and surfacedominated nanomaterials.
Geologic origins of salinization in a semi-arid river: The role of sedimentary basin brines

Semi-arid and arid rivers typically exhibit increasing salinity levels downstream, a trend often attributed to irrigated agriculture, primarily due to evapotranspiration. In contrast, the results of our investigations in one salinized river suggest that geological sources of salt added by groundwater discharge are more important than agricultural effects. We performed detailed synoptic sampling of the Upper Rio Grande– Rio Bravo, an arid-climate river with signifi cant irrigated agriculture, and identifi ed a series of salinity increases localized at the distal ends of sedimentary basins. Using Cl/Br, Ca/Sr, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, and 36 Cl/Cl ratios and δ 234 U values as environmental tracers, we show that these increases result from localized discharge of high-salinity groundwater of a sedimentary brine source. These groundwater fl uxes, while very small (<1 m 3 s –1 ), are the dominant solute input and, combined with downstream evapotranspirative concentration, result in salinization. Furthermore, 36 Cl/Cl ratios and δ 234 U values for these brines are close to secular equilibrium, indicating brine ages on the order of millions of years. The recognition of a substantial geologic salinity source for the Rio Grande implies that alternative salinity management solutions, such as interception of saline groundwater, might be more effective in reducing salinity than changes in agricultural practices.
Atmospheric dynamics and bioregenerative technologies in a soil-based ecological life support system: initial results from Biosphere 2.

Biosphere 2 is the first man-made, soil-based, bioregenerative life support system to be developed and tested. The utilization and amendment of local space resources, e.g. martian soil or lunar regolith, for agricultural and other purposes will be necessary if we are to minimize the requirement for Earth materials in the creation of long-term off-planet bases and habitations. Several of the roles soil plays in Biosphere 2 are I) for air purification 2) as a key component in created wetland systems to recycle human and animal wastes and 3) as nutrient base for a sustainable agricultural cropping program. Initial results from the Biosphere 2 closure experiment are presented. These include the accelerated cycling rates due to small reservoir sizes, strong diurnal and seasonal fluxes in atmospheric CO2, an unexpected and continuing decline in atmospheric oxygen, overall maintenance of low levels of trace gases, recycling of waste waters through biological regeneration systems, and operation of an agriculture designed to provide diverse and nutritionally adequate diets for the crew members.
Powerful change part 2: reducing the power demands of mobile devices

Consumers expect their mobile devices to be small and light, have a decent battery lifetime, and still be powerful enough to run all their desired applications. The need to satisfy such consumer demands has driven mobile-device manufacturers to make products (such as PDAs and cell phones) that match these needs. However, this inevitably requires tradeoffs. Building smaller, lighter devices requires sacrificing the device's battery capacity because battery technology is still fairly dense and heavy, and contributes most of a mobile device's size and weight. But, mobile devices with the required resources to run useful desktop applications need additional battery power to run those resources for a reasonable length of time. Because the tension facing manufacturers appears to be in deciding the battery-weight and battery-performance tradeoffs, the solution seems to lie in finding ways to increase a mobile device's battery lifetime.
Observations and numerical simulations of large-eddy circulation in the ocean surface mixed layer

Two near-surface dye releases were mapped on scales of minutes to hours temporally, meters to order 1 km horizontally, and 1–20 m vertically using a scanning, depth-resolving airborne lidar. In both cases, dye evolved into a series of rolls with their major axes approximately aligned with the wind and/or near-surface current. In both cases, roll spacing was also of order 5–10 times the mixed layer depth, considerably larger than the 1–2 aspect ratio expected for Langmuir cells. Numerical large-eddy simulations under similar forcing showed similar features, even without Stokes drift forcing. In one case, inertial shear driven by light winds induced large aspect ratio large-eddy circulation. In the second, a preexisting lateral mixed layer density gradient provided the dominant forcing. In both cases, the growth of the large-eddy structures and the strength of the resulting dispersion were highly dependent on the type of forcing.
Interferometric droplet imaging for in situ aerosol characterization in an inductively coupled plasma

Size, velocity and evaporation rate of droplets in an Ar inductively coupled plasma (ICP) are simultaneously measured for the first time using a novel laser based imaging technique. In interferometric droplet imaging (IDI), an interference pattern created by the reflected and refracted rays from a droplet are collected in an out-of-focus image. The droplet diameter is determined by counting the number of fringes in the collected interference pattern. Combination of IDI and particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) provides the capability of monitoring droplet properties during the journey inside ICP. Using a demountable-direct injection high efficiency nebulizer, droplets in the range of 3–30 μm in diameter traveling at 15–70 m s−1 are observed in the analytical zone of the ICP. The upper velocity threshold for surviving droplets is determined by the nebulizer gas flow rate, whereas the lower threshold is mainly influenced by thermal expansion of the plasma gas. Droplet evaporation rates (0.26–0.36 mm2 s−1) are in good agreement with other reports and theoretical simulations for droplets in a 3000 K Ar environment.
In Their Own Words: Using Self-Assessments of College Readiness to Develop Strategies for Self-Regulated Learning.

The pathway to success in college can be bumpy. To smooth it we first investigated self-assessment of college readiness by undergraduates in terms of skills and habits required for college success. In a survey of almost 700 students, one of every two reported that their college work was more challenging than expected. Although 70% reported that they felt well-prepared for college by their high schools, finer questioning revealed that they recognized deficits for such skills/habits as time management, attention to detail, going beyond minimum requirements and studying to learn deeply. When asked what skills they wished to develop further, 40% identified time management and 39% exam preparation; fewer than 20% identified transferable skills such as effective communication and critical thinking. We then used these data to develop an evolving set of presentations, mini-workshops and course content designed to assist students to develop strategies for self-regulated learning by linking these to the self-assess...