cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Principles And Policies To Strengthen Child And Adolescent Health And Well-Being

Four recent reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine framed around the issues of poverty; mental, emotional, and behavioral health; adolescence; and young family health and education build on extensive recent evidence of what can be done to improve the health and well-being of children, youth, and families. We describe the process of generating the reports, briefly summarize each report's content, and identify crosscutting themes and recommendations. We also note how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlights major disparities and systemic problems addressed in the reports and heightens the relevance of their policy recommendations. The reports issue a unified, urgent call for measures with the potential to change the trajectory and outcomes for children and youth. Among these are basic income supports, other family supports, universal health care structured to meet family needs, and a broad national policy that prioritizes children and youth.
Psychotropic medication use patterns in home-based primary care: A scoping review.

Introduction Up to a third of patients seen by home-based primary care (HBPC) providers suffer from mental health problems. These conditions tend to be underrecognized and undertreated for patients receiving HBPC. The purpose of this scoping review is to evaluate current psychotropic use patterns for patients receiving HBPC services. Methods The following databases were searched for articles reporting on studies conducted in HBPC settings that identified patterns of psychotropic medication prescription and use: Ovid/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycInfo. Studies that only reported on patients in hospice, rehabilitation, or long-term care facilities were excluded as were drug trials, opinion pieces, case studies, case series, meeting abstracts, and other reviews. Results Of 4542 articles initially identified, 74 were selected for full text screening. Of these, only 2 met full criteria and were included in the data extraction and analysis. In 1 study, 41.7% patients enrolled were prescribed an antidepressant, 21.5% were prescribed an antipsychotic (12.7% prescribed both), and 5% to 7% of patients were prescribed benzodiazepines/hypnotics. In the other study, 9% of patients were prescribed an antipsychotic, and 7% were prescribed a benzodiazepine. Discussion There are extremely limited data on psychotropic prescribing patterns in HBPC in published studies. Because a significant number of HBPC patients suffer from mental health conditions in addition to other chronic illnesses, treatment can be complex. More studies are needed on current psychotropic prescribing trends to help determine what type of interventions are needed to promote patient safety in this setting.
Slave Narrative Inquiry and Content Analysis

This paper explores qualitative research by reviewing Slave Narratives and providing thematic content analysis
Optical stochastic cooling with an arc bypass in the Cornell Electron Storage Ring

A proposed experiment to demonstrate optical stochastic cooling (OSC) in the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) based on an arc-bypass design is presented. This arc bypass provides significantly longer optical delay than the dog-leg style chicane, opening up the possibility of a multipass or staged optical amplifier that can achieve the gains required for effective cooling of hadron or heavy ions. Beyond introducing the arc bypass, in this paper we study the stability requirements for the dipoles comprising it and investigate the use of an optical feedback system to relax the dipole and light-path stability tolerances.
Ultrastructure of epithallial cells and trichocyte initials in Amphiroa (Corallinales, Rhodophyta), and possible systematic value of trichocyte development in corallines

To better understand the dynamics of the coralline algal thallus surface, scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine the structure and development of epithallial cells and t...
Evidence of solution-diffusion-with-defects in an engineering-scale pressure retarded osmosis system

Abstract An engineering-scale seawater reverse osmosis-pressure retarded osmosis (SWRO-PRO) system was designed and deployed to evaluate the energy recovery during seawater desalination through salinity gradient energy. Experimental data on energy recovery and consumption were collected from a PRO system composed of up to five 4040 spiral-wound membrane elements, utilizing freshwater and RO concentrate to drive permeation. During experimental testing, specific energy recoveries as high as 0.14 kW h/m3 were achieved; however, energy consumption due to pressure losses in the system reduced the net specific energy recovery to a maximum of −0.07 kW h/m3. A 100% increase in energy recovery or 50% decrease in energy consumption would be necessary to yield a positive net energy recovery. Also, a combined approach of simultaneously increasing energy recovery and decreasing energy consumption would be a more desirable path for SWRO-PRO to become an energy positive technology. Experimental data were then paired with modeling software utilizing a solution-diffusion-with-defects model to demonstrate the presence and extent of defects in the membrane structure that allow for pressure-driven pore flow. The solution-diffusion-with-defect model explains the lower than expected water permeability and salt rejection often seen in experimental PRO results. Integrating this model into future software will allow for more accurate simulation of larger systems and aid in investigations of PRO scale-up.
Centers of coordination : a case and some themes.

This chapter identifies a class of worksites characterizable in terms of participants’ ongoing orientation to problems of space and time, involving the deployment of people and equipment across distances according either to a timetable or to the emergent requirements of a time-critical situation. To meet simultaneous requirements of mobility and control, centers of coordination must function as centers to which participants distributed in space can orient, and which at any given moment they know how to find. At the same time, to coordinate activities distributed in space and time, personnel within the site must somehow have access to the situation of co-workers in other locations. One job of technologies in such settings is to meet these requirements through the reconfiguration of relevant spatial and temporal relations. This general characterization is explored through ethnographic materials from an investigation of the work of airline ground operations at a metropolitan airport on the west coast of the United States.
Corporate General Partners of Limited Partnerships

The traditional limited partnership is essentially a financing device that permits passive investors (the limited partners) to participate in the profits of a firm managed by other persons (the general partners) without fear of personal liability. The general partners are personally liable for all partnership obligations, including breaches of fiduciary duties owed to the limited partners. A limited partnership with a nominally financed corporation as its sole general partner departs radically from this model and becomes a limited liability entity not unlike a corporation. Since there is no prohibition against limited partners serving as shareholders, directors or officers of the corporate general partner, the organizers and managers of the venture may participate in the sharing of profits and losses as limited partners as well as through the corporate general partner. After discussing the unique features of the limited partnership with a corporate general partner, and the problems it poses in relation to fiduciary duties owed by the directors and managers of the corporate general partner to the limited partners, the author analyzes recent cases and proposes that courts should uniformly impose fiduciary duties on directors and managers of the corporate general partner. Additionally, the author analyzes the issues raised when control over the general partner is transferred to a third party and concludes that the appropriate analysis for determining whether a transfer is valid is whether the transfer poses an increased risk of harm to the limited partners.
The representation of the TTL in a tropical channel version of the WRF model

[1] In this study, the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model is used to investigate key physical processes controlling the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL) temperature and water vapor distributions in December 2005 to January–February 2006. The model domain is configured as a tropical channel with a horizontal grid spacing of 36 km, a vertical grid spacing of 500 m, and a top at 0.1 hPa. Initial and boundary conditions are set using the ERA-Interim reanalysis data set. An ozone distribution computed from satellite and ozonesonde measurements is used for radiative forcing calculations. The model's ability to replicate observed TTL temperatures is evaluated via comparisons with radiosonde data and reanalyses (MERRA and ERA-Interim). The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) water vapor measurements are used to evaluate WRF-simulated water vapor in the TTL. Results of the simulations show that the model reproduces the mean temperature and its variability above 50 hPa as well as the tropical tropopause height. However, the model cold point tropopause temperature is colder than the reanalyses by ~1.2 K. The model captures the location of TTL water vapor minimum in the Western Pacific but is drier than the MLS observations in the TTL. To assess possible reasons for the tropopause temperature discrepancy, an additional WRF experiment was conducted using analysis nudging for water vapor. This experiment produces more tropical cirrus clouds in the upper troposphere and a warming of ~1.5 K of the cold point tropopause. This suggests that the radiative effects of cirrus clouds and water vapor must be considered for accurate temperature simulations in the TTL.
The Benefits of Decentralized Decision-Making in Supply Chains

The inefficiency of decentralized decision-making is one of the most influential findings of the supply chain coordination literature. This paper shows that with the possibility of continuing trade, decentralization can be beneficial in improving supply chain performance. In a supply chain with decentralized decision-making and continuing trade, it is easier to incentivize players to coordinate on efficient actions. There are more gains to be shared from coordination, and by virtue of each player being a smaller influence on the system, any individual player’s opportunism is less of a threat to coordination. These stronger incentives to coordinate manifest themselves in higher profits of supply chains with decentralized decision-making and additional terms of contracting acceptable to all players. Our analysis demonstrates that the widely accepted inefficiency of decentralized decision making is an artifact of the simplifying assumption of one-off trade, and identifies conditions for departures from this result with continuing trade. The newly identified phenomena provide a possible explanation for the paradoxically good performance of very decentralized supply chains seen in emerging market cooperatives, urban logistics, micro-retailing, and other settings.
Inhibition of Bacteriophage φX174 DNA Replication in dnaB Mutants of Escherichia coli C

Abstract Bacteriophage X174 DNA replication was examined in temperature-sensitive dnaB mutants of Escherichia coli C to determine which stages require the participation of the product of this host gene. The conversion of the infecting phage single-stranded DNA to the double-stranded replicative form (parental RF synthesis) is completely inhibited at the nonpermissive temperature (41 C) in two of the three dnaB mutants tested. The efficiency of phage eclipse and of phage DNA penetration of these mutant host cells at 41 C is the same as that of the parent host strain. The defect is most likely in the synthesis of the complementary strand DNA. The semiconservative replication of the double-stranded replicative form DNA (RF replication) is inhibited in all three host mutants after shifting from 30 to 41 C. Late in infection, the rate of progeny single-stranded phage DNA synthesis increases following shifts from 30 to 41 C. Approximately the same amounts of phage DNA and of infectious phage particles are made following the shift to 41 C as in the control left at 30 C. The simplest interpretation of our data is that the product of the host dnaB gene is required for X174 parental RF synthesis and RF replication, but is not directly involved in phage single-stranded DNA synthesis once it has begun. The possible significance of the synthesis of parental RF DNA at 41 C in one of the three mutants is discussed.
Limit cycle behavior and convergence to zero error in learning control with stick-slip friction

Stick-slip friction exists in virtually all mechanical systems. Learning control was developed motivated by robots performing repetitive tasks, with the aim of learning to improve performance based on previous experience performing the task. The behavior of learning control applied to nonlinear systems has been studied, but usually under the assumption that the system equations satisfy a Lipschitz condition. Relatively little research has appeared concerning the behavior of learning control in systems having stick-slip friction that does not satisfy such a condition. Here we study the learning behavior for the simplest form of learning control based on integral control concepts applied in the repetition domain. Methods of predicting when it will converge to zero tracking error are developed, and guidelines to producing this situation are given. When the desired trajectory is not physically executable by the mechanical system, then it is shown that limit cycle like behavior can occur, and formulas are given that characterize certain parameters of this behavior. >
Forum Introduction: The Intersection of Gender and Disability: An International Perspective

We would like to welcome you to this special issue of the Review of Disability Studies. This issue focuses upon the intersection of gender and disability within a global perspective. Existing research tells us that disability often presents challenges and barriers to integration and quality of life. The social model of disability (Corker & French, 1999; Shakespeare 2006) assumes that disability is not inherent in the person, but is constructed by society in its failure to provide people with access and treat them with the same respect afforded persons without disabilities.
In Vitro Activity of a New Ketolide Antibiotic, HMR 3647, against Chlamydia pneumoniae

The in vitro activities of HMR 3647, roxithromycin, erythromycin, and azithromycin against 19 strains of Chlamydia pneumoniae were tested. The MIC at which 90% of the isolates are inhibited and the minimum bactericidal concentration at which 90% of the isolates are killed of HMR 3647 were 0.25 μg/ml (range, 0.015 to 2 μg/ml). Nine recently obtained clinical isolates from children with pneumonia were more susceptible (MICs, 0.015 to 0.0625 μg/ml) than older strains that had been passaged more extensively.
On the ductility of laminated materials

Abstract A laminated material is one of the few composite systems for which the effective constitutive behavior can be determined exactly. This is well known for laminated composites with linearly elastic phases in prescribed volume fractions. For these composites, explicit expressions for the effective moduli have been available for at least 30 years. However, it appears that corresponding expressions for the effective energy functions of laminated composites with phases exhibiting nonlinear constitutive behavior are currently unavailable. In this paper, we make straightforward use of a new variational procedure, recently developed by one of the authors, to obtain simple expressions for the effective energy functions of laminated composites with Isotropie ductile phases in prescribed volume fractions. The same expressions are given an alternative derivation, starting directly from the classical variutional principles. Explicit results are then computed for ductile/brittle systems, such as aluminum/alumina laminates, and also for laminated composites made up of two perfectly plastic phases with different yield stresses. The results—which are representative of other anisotropic geometries, such as fiber-reinforced solids—exhibit a strong coupling between different loading modes that is enhanced by material nonlincarity.
Induction of nitric oxide synthase mRNA by shear stress requires intracellular calcium and G-protein signals and is modulated by PI 3 kinase

We have investigated the signaling pathways by which shear stress induces accumulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mRNA in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC). Steady laminar fluid shear stress (20 dyn/cm2) induced a time-dependent increase in eNOS mRNA levels that did not require de novo protein synthesis and was in part transcriptional. Shear responsiveness was conferred on a luciferase reporter by a portion of the eNOS gene promoter encoding the 5'-flanking region between nt -1600 and -779. Shear-mediated induction of eNOS mRNA was abolished by chelation of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) with BAPTA-AM, and inhibited by blockade of calcium entry with SKF96535. In contrast, eNOS mRNA upregulation by shear was potentiated by thapsigargin-mediated depletion of Ca2+i stores. Pertussis toxin (PTX) inhibited both the shear-induced elevation in [Ca2+]i and the subsequent increase in eNOS mRNA, implicating a PTX-sensitive G-protein in both responses. Shear-induced upregulation of eNOS mRNA was unaffected by the calmodulin inhibitor W-7 and by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A, suggesting that neither calmodulin nor tyrosine kinases are required. However, eNOS mRNA upregulation was potentiated by the PI 3-kinase inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002, suggesting that PI 3-kinase inhibits the shear response. Although microtubule integrity is required for the shear-induced regulation of endothelin-1 mRNA and the morphological and cytoskeletal responses to flow, neither microtubule dissolution with nocodazole nor microtubule stabilization with taxol altered shear-induced [Ca2+]i elevation or upregulation of eNOS mRNA. In conclusion, shear stress of BAEC increases eNOS transcriptional rate and upregulates eNOS mRNA levels by a process that requires calmodulin-independent [Ca2+]i signaling and a PTX-sensitive G-protein, is inhibited by PI 3-kinase, and is independent of microtubule integrity and tyrosine kinase activity.
The role of late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance in the assessment of congenital and acquired heart disease

Abstract Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has become a cornerstone in the diagnosis and management of congenital heart disease and selected paediatric cardiology patients. This article reviews the relevance of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) CMR in both congenital and acquired heart diseases. Commonly, adult LGE CMR is with a view to understanding myocardial viability in older ischaemic heart disease patients, where the extent, location, pattern and transmurality of LGE relate to longer term outcomes. However, LGE findings also contribute to diagnosing non-ischaemic cardiomyopathies and their potential aetiology. New uses also include using LGE CMR as an outcome measure in the assessment of interventions including pharmacotherapies. With time there is emerging data regarding a potential role for LGE CMR in risk stratification for arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. There is therefore understandable interest in its relevance from clinicians involved in assessing and caring for cardiovascular disease in the young, whether congenital or acquired and early reports in these settings are discussed. After outlining aspects concerning principle, practice and pitfalls of the technique, the described clinical experience of late gadolinium enhancement will be discussed. Robust research will be required to fully understand where LGE CMR will fit in with routine clinical paediatric cardiology and adult congenital practice but it seems likely to have a unique role to improve diagnosis and management strategies, determine response to therapies, and assess long term prognosis, not only in ischaemic heart disease patients, but in these cardiac patients too.
Cerebral perfusion pressure elevation with oxygen-carrying pressor after traumatic brain injury and hypotension in Swine.

Background: Previously, we had shown that elevation of cerebral perfusion pressure, using pressors, improved short-term outcomes after traumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic shock in swine. The current study evaluates outcomes after resuscitation with diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin (DCLHb)-a hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier with pressor activity-in the same swine model of traumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic shock. Methods: Anesthetized and ventilated swine received traumatic brain injury via cortical fluid percussion (6-8 atm) followed by 45% blood volume hemorrhage. One hour later, animals were randomized to either a control group (SAL) resuscitated with normal saline equal to three times shed blood volume or to one of two experimental groups resuscitated with DCLHb. The two experimental groups consisted of a low-dose group, resuscitated with 250 mL of DCLHb (Hb1), and a high-dose group, resuscitated with 500 mL of DCLHb (Hb2). Animals were observed for 210 minutes postresus-citation. Outcomes evaluated were cerebral oxygenation by measuring partial pressure and saturation of oxygen in cerebrovenous blood; cerebral function by evaluating the preservation and magnitude of cerebrovascular carbon dioxide reactivity; and brain structural damage by semiquantitatively assessing beta amyloid precursor protein positive axons. Results: Postresuscitation, cerebral perfusion pressure was higher in the DCLHb groups (p 0.05). At baseline, 5% carbon dioxide evoked a 16 ± 1% increase in cerebrovenous oxygen saturation, indicating vasodilatation. At 210 minutes, this response was nearly absent in SAL (4 ± 4%) (p < 0.05 vs. baseline) and Hb1 (1 ± 5%), but was partially preserved in Hb2 (9 ± 5%). There was no intergroup difference in beta amyloid precursor protein positive axons. Five of 20 SAL and 0 of 13 DCLHb animals developed brain death (flat electroencephalogram) (p = 0.05, SAL vs. DCLHb). Postresuscitation, DCLHb animals maintained higher mean pulmonary arterial pressure (28 ± 1 mm Hg, SAL; 42 ± 1 mm Hg, Hb1; 45 ± 1 mm Hg, Hb2) (p < 0.05, Hbl and Hb2 vs. SAL) and lower cardiac output (3.9 ± 1.6 L/min, SAL; 2.6 ± 0.1 L/min, Hbl; 2.7 ± 0.1 L/min, Hb2) (p < 0.05, Hbl and Hb2 vs. SAL). Three Hb2 animals died as a result of cardiac failure, and one SAL animal died as a result of irreversible shock. Conclusion: In this swine model of traumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic shock, resuscitation with DCLHb maintained a higher cerebral perfusion pressure. Low-dose DCLHb (minimal increase in oxygen carriage) failed to significantly improve short-term outcome. With high-dose DCLHb (significant improvement in oxygen carriage), intracranial pressure was lower and cerebrovascular carbon dioxide reactivity was partially preserved; however, this was at the cost of poorer cardiac performance secondary to high afterload.
Inducing Morphemes Using Light Knowledge

Allomorphic variation, or form variation among morphs with the same meaning, is a stumbling block to morphological induction (MI). To address this problem, we present a hybrid approach that uses a small amount of linguistic knowledge in the form of orthographic rewrite rules to help refine an existing MI-produced segmentation. Using rules, we derive underlying analyses of morphs---generalized with respect to contextual spelling differences---from an existing surface morph segmentation, and from these we learn a morpheme-level segmentation. To learn morphemes, we have extended the Morfessor segmentation algorithm [Creutz and Lagus 2004; 2005; 2006] by using rules to infer possible underlying analyses from surface segmentations. A segmentation produced by Morfessor Categories-MAP Software v. 0.9.2 is used as input to our procedure and as a baseline that we evaluate against. To suggest analyses for our procedure, a set of language-specific orthographic rules is needed. Our procedure has yielded promising improvements for English and Turkish over the baseline approach when tested on the Morpho Challenge 2005 and 2007 style evaluations. On the Morpho Challenge 2007 test evaluation, we report gains over the current best unsupervised contestant for Turkish, where our technique shows a 2.5p absolute F-score improvement.
Functional analysis of the superfamily 1 DNA helicases encoded by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium.

The DNA recombination and repair machinery of Mycoplasma pneumoniae is composed of a limited set of approximately 11 proteins. Two of these proteins were predicted to be encoded by neighboring open reading frames (ORFs) MPN340 and MPN341. Both ORFs were found to have sequence similarity with genes that encode proteins belonging to the DNA helicase superfamily 1 (SF1). Interestingly, while a homolog of the MPN341 ORF is present in the genome of Mycoplasma genitalium (ORF MG244), MPN340 is an M. pneumoniae-specific ORF that is not found in other mycoplasmas. Moreover, the length of MPN340 (1590 base pairs [bp]) is considerably shorter than that of MPN341 (2148 bp). Examination of the MPN340-encoded amino acid sequence indicated that it may lack a so-called 2B subdomain, which is found in most SF1 DNA helicases. Also, the MPN340-encoded amino acid sequence was found to differ between subtype 1 strain M129 and subtype 2 strain FH at three amino acid positions. Both protein variants, which were termed PcrAsM129 and PcrAsFH, respectively, as well as the MPN341- and MG244-encoded proteins (PcrAMpn and PcrAMge, respectively), were purified, and tested for their ability to interact with DNA. While PcrAMpn and PcrAMge were found to bind preferentially to single-stranded DNA, both PcrAsM129 and PcrAsFH did not demonstrate significant DNA binding. However, all four proteins were found to have divalent cation- and ATP-dependent DNA helicase activity. The proteins displayed highest activity on partially double-stranded DNA substrates carrying 3′ single-stranded extensions.
Thermal and microstructural effects of welding metallic glasses by self-propagating reactions in multilayer foils

Abstract We have previously demonstrated that Zr-based metallic glass components can be welded using the heat produced by self-propagating exothermic reactions in multilayer metallic foils. Here, we examine the evolution of the temperature field during reactive joining of bulk amorphous Zr 57 Ti 5 Cu 20 Ni 8 Al 10 , as well as the microstructure of the resulting joints. Numerical simulations predict that the metallic glass near the glass/foil interface heats very rapidly (∼10 7 K s −1 ) to temperatures of ∼1350 K, well above the liquidus temperature of the amorphous alloy (∼1115 K), followed by rapid cooling (∼10 5 K s −1 ) once the reaction front has passed. The maximum temperature, heating rate, and cooling rate of the glass all decrease with increasing distance from the interface. Infrared measurements of the temperature of the metallic glass components during joining show that the cooling rate exceeds the critical cooling rate of the alloy. Optical and scanning electron microscopy reveal no evidence of crystallization of the glass components due to the joining process.
Care of acute myocardial infarction by nonivasive and invasive cardiologist: Procedure use, cost and outcome

To determine if physician subspecialization influences practice style and resource utilization, we prospectively studied 292 consecutive emergency room admissions with MI under the care of noninvasive (NON, n = 213) or invasive (INV, n = 79) cardiologists and compared the use of cardiac procedures, cost, and outcome. Results Patient age, gender, CAD risk factors, history of angina, MI, CHF, and prior cardiac catheterization, PTCA or CABG were comparable. Presentation of MI. non-O/Q-wave MI, use of thrombolytic therapy, peak CK, and EF did not differ. Procedures, cost, and length of stay were as follows: NON INV p-value Thall Ett (%) 45 36 NS Catheterization (%) 59 67 NS CABG (all pts, %) 13 12 NS PTCA (3VD, %) 17 35 NS PTCA (1 or 2-VD, %) 39 60 l 0.05 Total hospital days 14 17 l 0.05 ICU days 31 5.4 l 0.01 Hospital costs ($) 19,400 25,500 0.01 There were no differences between groups in the incidence of postMI complications (shock, pulmonary edema, post-MI angina, VT/VF) or reversible thallium perfusion defects. Overall, 61% of patients underwent cardiac catheterization; there were an equal number of patients with 1, 2, and 3-vessel CAD in each group. Multivariate predictors of PTCA in patients with 1 or 2-vessel CAD were previous PTCA, Q-wave MI, and care by INV. Outcome In-hospital reinfarction and mortality (8.7% vs 12.7%) did not differ; during median 12-month follow-up (96% of pts), reinfarction and mortality (11.3% vs 10.3%) were similar, Conclusion In this pilot study, subspecialization impacted upon the cost of care of MI and led to increased PTCA in patients with 1 or 2-vessel CAD; larger studies are needed to determine the influence of subspecialization on long-term clinical outcomes.
Geometry Optimization of Charged Molecules in an External Electric Field Applied to F-·H2O and I-·H2O

A general constrained geometry optimization procedure for charged molecules in an external electric field is developed. The procedure uses constraints to neutralize the resultant net force between the charged molecule and the external electric field. Three different constraints are explicitly considered: (1) a fixed center of coordinates, (2) a fixed center of mass, and (3) a fixed single atom. Field-dependent optimized geometries and vibrational frequencies for F-·H2O and I-·H2O are obtained and shown to be constraint-dependent. The constrained center of coordinates appears to simulate the charged system at static equilibrium in the electric field. The fixed atom constraint models the situation when an atom becomes attached to a more extended substrate. The center-of-mass constraint gives optimized structures that are mass sensitive and intermediate between those obtained with the other two constraints. The constrained geometry optimization procedure has applications to modeling different environments o...
COMPARISON OF THE ENHANCEMENT OF TUMOR RESPONSES TO FRACTIONATED IRRADIATION BY SR 4233 (TIRAPAZAMINE) AND BY NICOTINAMIDE WITH CARBOGEN

Abstract Purpose : This study was undertaken to compare in a fractionated regimen, with clinically relevant radiation doses, two radiation response modifiers that function by different mechanisms: SR 4233, a bioreductive agent toxic to hypoxic cells, and nicotinamide with carbogen, a combination that has been shown to improve tumor oxygenation. Methods and Materials : Cell survival assays were used to examine the response of three different tumors: KHT, RIF-1 and SCCVII/St in C3H/Km mice. Regrowth delay studies were also performed with the RIF-1 tumor. A fractionated irradiation schedule, consisting of twice daily 2.5 Gy treatments was investigated with and without drug pretreatment. SR 4233 was given IP at 0.12 mmol/kg one half hour before each irradiation. Nicotinamide (250, 500, 1000 mg/kg) was given IP 1 h before each irradiation with carbogen exposure 5 min prior to and during the irradiation. Results : Both treatment strategies enhanced the response of all three tumors to the fractionated radiation regimen. However, for two of the tumors (KHT and SCCVII), SR 4233 produced a significantly greater enhancement than did the combination of nicotinamide + carbogen. For the RIF-1 tumor (which has the lowest hypoxic fraction of the three), the response was comparable for the two modalities. For nicotinamide + carbogen, there was no significant change in the radiation enhancement at nicotinamide doses between 250 and 1000 mg/kg. Conclusion : Adding the bioreductive cytotoxin SR 4233 or nicotinamide + carbogen to fractionated irradiation enhances the response of the three transplanted tumors used in this study to fractionated irradiation. The radiation enhancement was significantly greater, however, for SR 4233 for two of the tumors with comparable results in the third. The data are consistent with the prediction that killing tumor hypoxic cells can produce a similar or greater enhancement of the efficacy of fractionated radiation in enhancing tumor response than either oxygenating or radiosensitizing these cells.
Understanding the State of Nutrition Education in the Head Start Classroom: A Qualitative Approach

Background Early education is important for establishing healthy eating behaviors among young children; however, the literature describing nutrition education in the preschool environment is limited. Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore teacher experiences related to the incorporation of nutrition education in Head Start preschool classrooms. Methods Between September 2011 and May 2012, investigators conducted 74 in-depth, structured interviews (31 health/nutrition coordinators, 11 center directors, and 32 teachers). Participant interviews were recorded in digital audio format and transcribed verbatim. Results Researchers condensed identified interrelated themes into 4 categories within a substantive-level model. Outcomes revealed that teacher training/education, funding, and policies/regulations were the core factors influencing the quality and quantity of nutrition-related instruction. Discussion The proposed model establishes a framework for understanding the state of nutrition education in...
Surface Raman spectroscopy as an in-situ probe of laser micro chemical processes

Laser-induced chemical processes are now being used in a number of new semiconductor processing techniques. The authors briefly review the technique known as laser microchemistry (or laser direct writing) and describe a device that may be used both as an instrument for laser direct writing and to provide diagnostic information via surface Raman scattering. They include examples from their recent work on deposition of silver from various precursors.
Influence of Long-term Cropping Systems on Soil Physical Properties Related to Soil Erodibility

Crop rotations and manure application are thought to alter soil quality. This study was conducted to quantify the effects of over 100 yr of continuous crop management and annual manure applications on selected soil physical properties at Sanborn Field, Columbia, MO. Intact soil cores (76 mm i.d. by 76 mm) were collected from continuous corn (Zea mays L.), continuous wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), continuous timothy (Phleum pratense L.), and a rotation of corn-wheat-red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). The soil was Mexico silt loam (fine, smectitic, mesic, Aeric Vertic Epiaqualfs). Soil was tested throughout a 1-yr period for aggregate stability, single-drop rainfall splash detachment, and soil shear strength. Cropping systems affected aggregate stability (P < 0.01), soil strength (P < 0.01), and splash detachment (P < 0.01), but not bulk density. Continuous cropping to timothy produced soil that had three to four times greater aggregate stability, 21 to 27% greater soil strength, and 55 to 67% less soil splash compared with continuous wheat or continuous corn. Season significantly affected all measured soil properties, but the effect was inconsistent. The highest aggregate stability was found during July for all treatments. Splash detachment was more sensitive to cropping systems than other soil measures, and thereby the best measure for evaluating changes in soil erodibility. Cropping and soil management that accumulate plant residues can improve soil quality by increasing soil aggregate stability, shear strength, and resistance to splash detachment.
Preparation of nanocrystalline nickel oxide thin films by sol–gel process for hydrogen sensor applications

Abstract Preparation of nanocrystalline NiO thin films by sol–gel method and their hydrogen (H 2 ) sensing properties were investigated. The thin films of NiO were successfully deposited on the glass and SiO 2 /Si substrate by a sol–gel coating method. The films were characterized for crystallinity, electrical properties, surface topography and optical properties as a function of calcination temperature and substrate material. It was found that the films produced by this method were polycrystalline and phase pure NiO. The H 2 gas sensitivity of these films was studied as a function of H 2 concentration and calcination temperature. The results indicated that the sol–gel derived NiO films could be used for the fabrication of H 2 gas sensors to monitor low concentration of H 2 in air quantitatively at low temperature range (
Alabama Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Cooperative Project: baseline data

Abstract Background . The Alabama Cooperative CABG Project is a statewide process-oriented analysis of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The purpose of this report is to present the first information generated by this analysis, which will serve as a baseline for subsequent quality improvement projects. Methods . Medical records of Medicare beneficiaries from Alabama, a comparison state, and a national random sample who had isolated CABG between July 1, 1995, and June 30, 1996, were examined. Fifty-six demographic, procedural, and outcome variables were abstracted. Quality indicators identified by the Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation Study Group included: internal mammary artery use, prescription of aspirin at discharge, duration of postoperative intubation, use of intraaortic balloon pump, readmission to intensive care unit, hospital readmission within 30 days, return to the operating room for bleeding, and in-patient mortality. Benchmark performance rates for quality indicators reflecting care processes were calculated. Results . Alabama, the comparison state, and the national sample consisted of 4,092, 2,290, and 1,119 patients, respectively. The processes of care and outcome, including risk-adjusted mortality, for CABG across the state of Alabama are generally similar to other states and nationwide samples. However, there was considerable variation at the local hospital level in Alabama for each quality indicator. Conclusions . The data provide a "snapshot" of practice patterns for CABG in Alabama. A specific quality indicator (duration of intubation) was identified as a focus for statewide improvement. Hospital-specific variations in quality indicators suggested opportunities for improvement in other indicators at a number of hospitals.
Assessing homosexual stress.

ABSTRACT The present study was designed to replicate and extend an existing technique for assessing homosexual stress using Personal Construct Theory. In addition to using difference scores between present and homosexual self-ratings on subjects' personal construct rating dimensions to determine homosexual stress, difference scores between ideal and homosexual selves were also studied to determine if this method would represent a more accurate assessment of homosexual stress. Levels of homosexual stress were obtained for each subject from each technique and were correlated with attitudes toward homosexuality. The influence of construct meaningfulness and level of homosexual stress on attitudes toward homosexuality was also explored to determine if higher stress on more meaningful constructs yields more negative attitudes. The results of this study revealed that each stress technique was significantly and equivalently positively correlated with negative attitudes toward homosexuality. Homosexual stress was...
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF THE REPULSION MOTOR CONTROLLED VIA STATOR TRIAC

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the solid state speed control of a repulsion motor using a triac in the stator circuit. The speed control is accomplished by varying the triac firing angle. In addition, this paper investigates the harmonic contents of the rotor current, stator current and stator voltage. The waveforms of these variables were generated and then analyzed numerically for their harmonic content using a Fouries Series Subroutine. The results were validated by comparison with obtained experimental results.
The Relation of the 515 Nanometers Absorbance Change to Adenosine Triphosphate Formation in Chloroplasts and Digitonin Subchloroplast Particles

The flash-induced absorbance changes at 515 nanometers has been studied in chloroplasts and in digitonin subchloroplast particles of lettuce. The effect of various conditions and uncouplers was tested on the decay kinetics of this absorbance change and on ATP formation in the presence of phenazine methosulphate, either by continuous or flash illumination. It has been found that in chloroplasts, carbonyl cyanide m-chloromethoxyphenylhydrazone and nigericin in the presence of K(+) accelerate the decay of the 515 change and inhibit ATP formation. However, under a variety of conditions the rate of decay of the 515 absorbance change was found to be unrelated to ATP formation. Preillumination, addition of valinomycin in the presence of K(+), addition of Na(+), or divalent cations accelerate the decay of the 515 absorbance change markedly but have no effect on ATP formation. Addition of phosphorylation reagents has no effect on the decay rate beyond that obtained by Mg(2+) and inorganic phosphate. NH(4)Cl, and to some extent atebrin, while inhibiting ATP formation, do not affect the decay of the 515 absorbance change.In digitonin subchloroplast particles the decay kinetics of the absorbance change resemble that of chloroplasts, but the magnitude of the change is smaller. The pH change in this preparation is reduced much more than the 515 absorbance change.According to the chemiosmotic hypothesis, the sum of DeltaE(membrane potential) and DeltapH is the driving force for ATP formation. The lack of an increase in DeltaE in digitonin subchloroplast particles, which are practically devoid of DeltapH and have a normal ATP-forming activity, is inconsistent with the chemiosmotic hypothesis.
3-Hydroxy-1-alkyl-2-methylpyridine-4(1H)-thiones: Inhibition of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence Factor LasB.

Bacterial resistance coupled to our current arsenal of antibiotics presents us with a growing threat to public health, thus warranting the exploration of alternative antibacterial strategies. In particular, the targeting of virulence factors has been regarded as a “second generation” antibiotic approach. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Zn2+ metalloprotease virulence factor, LasB or P. aeruginosa elastase, has been implicated in the development of P. aeruginosa-related keratitis, pneumonia, and burn infection. Moreover, the enzyme also plays a critical role in swarming and biofilm formation, both of which are processes that have been linked to antibiotic resistance. To further validate the importance of LasB in P. aeruginosa infection, we describe our efforts toward the discovery of nonpeptidic small molecule inhibitors of LasB. Using identified compounds, we have confirmed the role that LasB plays in P. aeruginosa swarming and demonstrate the potential for LasB-targeted small molecules in studying antimicrob...
Media options: a comparison of preservice teachers’ use of video, audio, and print journaling for reflective reading response

Preservice teachers were provided with the choice of using print-based, audio, or video journaling to discuss content and connections to assigned reading material for an undergraduate class including weekly field experiences. Three students chose to use Flip Videos, and two students chose to use iPods provided by the educational technology department to record their responses. The nature of the video and audio journals differed qualitatively and quantitatively from the print-based ones, and all students had interesting comments about the new technology, providing insight into teacher education methods.
Fourier transform infrared study of the effects of irradiation on polyethylene

Fourier transform infrared spectra were obtained for polyethylene $gamma$-irradiated in oxygen and nitrogen atmospheres. The spectra before and after irradiation were compared by digital subtraction. The difference spectra are indicative of changes caused by irradiation. Crosslinking and chain scission reactions produce the observed changes. (auth)
THE DENSITY OF THE UNIVERSE FROM THE DECELERATION OF NEARBY GALXIES

A local cosmological test is described which can determine the world model by relating the Virgo supercluster's density excess to the peculiar velocity field which has been generated, over the age of the universe, by the gravitational deceleration resulting from this density perturbation. Estimates of the peculiar velocity of the local group, relative to the center of Virgo, range from 200 to 500 km/sec, and the mean relative density excess factor in a sphere centered on Virgo, with the local group as its perimeter, is estimated at between 2.0 and 3.0. The disagreement among results can be reconciled if the recession velocity of the Virgo cluster relative to the local group is larger than the mean velocity of the galaxies within 6 deg of its center. This is especially true if the giant elliptical galaxy M87 is at rest at the center of the cluster, in which case the cosmological density factor is in the 0.1-0.2 range, and the universe is open.
Quantum hall studies in Si MOSFETS for υ ⩽ 1

Abstract We have observed inhibition of the Hall effect for densities within the lowest Landau level and demonstrate that a system of non-interacting electrons cannot account for this behavior. We also show that the usual method for determining conductivity paramaters could cause errors at low densities and suggest a new method for determining these parameters.
A promoter polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene is associated with reduced mRNA and protein expression in failing human myocardium.

Abstract Background Alterations of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) enzyme activity via eNOS gene polymorphisms have been associated with significant cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Both the thymidine to cytosine transition mutation (T−786→C) in the promoter region and the missense mutation in the exon 7 coding region of the eNOS gene (G894→T) have been associated with several cardiovascular disease states. We hypothesized that heart transplant recipients who carried at least 1 allele of either of the polymorphisms would have reduced myocardial tissue expression of eNOS measured in the explanted heart. Methods and Results Genomic DNA was isolated from myocardial tissue samples obtained from 43 explanted human hearts using standard methods. Regions of the eNOS gene were amplified from genomic DNA with a polymerase chain reaction using specific primers. Protein expression of eNOS was measured by Western blot analysis. There was a statistically significant decrease in mean eNOS expression in samples containing at least one allele for the T−786→C promoter polymorphism (P = .04) compared with patients homozygous for the T allele. There was no change in eNOS expression associated with the G894→T exonic polymorphisms. Conclusions Our data show in failing human myocardium that the T−786→C promoter polymorphism is associated with reduced eNOS expression, whereas the G894→T polymorphism of exon 7 is not associated with change in either eNOS mRNA or protein expression. Reduced eNOS expression associated with the promoter polymorphism may contribute to the vascular, contractile, and autonomic responses to ventricular failure.