cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EPR of Cr 2 + in II-VI lattices

The EPR spectra of ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{2+}$ in cubic ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, and CdTe, and in hexagonal ZnS and CdS are reported. For each, $\ensuremath{\Delta}M=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4, \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2, \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$ transitions are observed allowing complete analysis of the $S=2$ spin Hamiltonian. A static tetragonal Jahn-Teller distortion is observed in all cases. Stress-alignment studies are described which allow a direct estimate of the Jahn-Teller coupling coefficients. From these, the magnitudes of the Jahn-Teller energies are estimated to be \ensuremath{\sim}500 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. A ligand-field model is developed which satisfactorily accounts for the fine-structure parameters and their large variation from one crystal to another. In this treatment, ligand contributions to the spin-orbit interaction with excited ${d}^{4}$ terms are also included and found to be important. Strain-coupling coefficients, describing the changes in the fine-structure terms under externally applied stress, have been experimentally determined for CdTe (${\mathrm{Cr}}^{2+}$). A simple theory for this effect is developed which includes ligand contributions to the spin-orbit interactions but relies on point-ion estimates for the strain matrix elements. Agreement with experiment is reasonable for the tetragonal coefficients, but the wrong sign is predicted for the trigonal coefficients. The calculated trigonal coefficients for CdS do, however, satisfactorily account for the small departures from tetragonal symmetry observed in the spin Hamiltonian for ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{2+}$ in this hexagonal wurtzite lattice.
Some Comparisons between Mining-induced and Laboratory Earthquakes

Although laboratory stick-slip friction experiments have long been regarded as analogs to natural crustal earthquakes, the potential use of laboratory results for understanding the earthquake source mechanism has not been fully exploited because of essential difficulties in relating seismographic data to measurements made in the controlled laboratory environment. Mining-induced earthquakes, however, provide a means of calibrating the seismic data in terms of laboratory results because, in contrast to natural earthquakes, the causative forces as well as the hypocentral conditions are known. A comparison of stick-slip friction events in a large granite sample with mining-induced earthquakes in South Africa and Canada indicates both similarities and differences between the two phenomena. The physics of unstable fault slip appears to be largely the same for both types of events. For example, both laboratory and mining-induced earthquakes have very low seismic efficiencies\(\eta = \tau _a /\bar \tau\) where τa is the apparent stress and\(\bar \tau\) is the average stress acting on the fault plane to cause slip; nearly all of the energy released by faulting is consumed in overcoming friction. In more detail, the mining-induced earthquakes differ from the laboratory events in the behavior of η as a function of seismic momentM0. Whereas for the laboratory events η≃0.06 independent ofM0, η depends quite strongly onM0 for each set of induced earthquakes, with 0.06 serving, apparently, as an upper bound. It seems most likely that this observed scaling difference is due to variations in slip distribution over the fault plane. In the laboratory, a stick-slip event entails homogeneous slip over a fault of fixed area. For each set of induced earthquakes, the fault area appears to be approximately fixed but the slip is inhomogeneous due presumably to barriers (zones of no slip) distributed over the fault plane; at constant\(\bar \tau\), larger events correspond to largerτa as a consequence of fewer barriers to slip. If the inequality τa/\(\bar \tau\) ≤ 0.06 has general validity, then measurements of τa=µEa/M0, where μ is the modulus of rigidity andEa is the seismically-radiated energy, can be used to infer the absolute level of deviatoric stress at the hypocenter.
A nanometre-scale resolution interference-based probe of interfacial phenomena between microscopic objects and surfaces

Interferometric techniques have proven useful to infer proximity and local surface profiles of microscopic objects near surfaces. But a critical trade-off emerges between accuracy and mathematical complexity when these methods are applied outside the vicinity of closest approach. Here we introduce a significant advancement that enables reflection interference contrast microscopy to provide nearly instantaneous reconstruction of an arbitrary convex object's contour next to a bounding surface with nanometre resolution, making it possible to interrogate microparticle/surface interaction phenomena at radii of curvature 1,000 times smaller than those accessible by the conventional surface force apparatus. The unique view-from-below perspective of reflection interference contrast microscopy also reveals previously unseen deformations and allows the first direct observation of femtolitre-scale capillary condensation dynamics underneath micron-sized particles. Our implementation of reflection interference contrast microscopy provides a generally applicable nanometre-scale resolution tool that can be potentially exploited to dynamically probe ensembles of objects near surfaces so that statistical/probabilistic behaviour can be realistically captured.
Cultivar differences for nitrogen uptake and dry matter partitioning in hydroponically‐grown sweet potato

‘Centennial’ and ‘Jewel’ sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas(L.) Lam.] plants were grown in hydroponic sand culture in either 3.5 or 15 mM nitrogen solutions for 65 days. Petioles, leaf blades, stems, fi...
Drinking saccharin increases food intake and preference--III. Sensory and associative factors.

Abstract Rats that drink saccharin solution increase their short-term food intake and develop a preference for flavored food eaten when saccharin is ingested. Here we describe experiments that examined whether these changes in feeding behavior were due to learning and/or the reinforcing sensory properties of saccharin solution. It was found that learning was unnecessary for the feeding response, as rats that drank saccharin increased food intake whether or not their food contained saccharincontingent flavor cues. However, learning helped support and maintain the response, as rats repeatedly given flavored food together with saccharin to drink later increased intake when given the flavored food without saccharin (i.e. in extinction). The rewarding or hedonic effects of the immediate orosensory properties of saccharin were not responsible for its effects on feeding, as drinking saccharin before but not after eating flavored food increased food intake and food preference. Furthermore, hungry rats developed an aversion to flavored food paired with saccharin ingestion when the quantity of food was limited. This implies that the flavored food preference produced by drinking saccharin involves an association between sensory aspects of the food and the metabolic consequences of food ingestion, which interact with a postingestive action of drinking saccharin that is related to the rat's metabolic state.
A Total Evidence Approach to Inferring the Phylogenetic Relationships within Aulacoseira (Bacillariophyta)

Phylogenies provide the context in which hypotheses about character evolution can be tested. But the phylogenetic understanding of many diatom taxa, including some of the more spatially and temporally ubiquitous genera, is insufficient to fruitfully pursue questions about character evolution within them. Consequently, we have estimated the phylogeny of Aulacoseira using a combination of nucleotide sequence data and data derived from morphological characteristics of the silica cell wall. In addition to the use of traditional ‘discrete’ or ‘qualitative’ morphological characters, we have assessed the use in our cladistic analyses of ‘continuous’ or ‘quantitative’ characters, including descriptors of the ontogenetic trajectories of these characters over a species' life cycle (size range). Also, molecular characters gathered from a chloroplast genome marker (rbcL) as well as a nuclear genome marker (18S rRNA) were used simultaneously in the cladistic estimation of the phylogeny of approximately 12 species of Aulacoseira. In order to have more thorough taxon sampling for a better estimate of phylogeny, we included several fossil species, as well as taxa where cultures were unavailable, by utilizing the morphologically based characters despite the absence of molecular characters for these taxa.
Discussion on “Optimal Sequential Surveillance for Finance Public Health, and Other Areas” by Marianne Frisén

Abstract The present article reviews various criteria and approaches for an early detection of abrupt changes in the parameters of stochastic sequences. The discussion focuses on two issues: (i) the distributions of the stopping variables employed; and (ii) the probability of false alarm and the conditional expected delay characteristics.
Fatigue crack initiation in hot isostatically pressed Ti-6Al-4V castings

Precision castings of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy containing pore defects were hot isostatically pressed (HIP) in an attempt to improve the high cycle fatigue strength. Although all defects were healed, the fatigue strength was still low when compared to β-processed wrought material with a similar microstructure. Fatigue-crack initiation analysis, which included precision sectioning, indicated that early fatigue-crack initiation sites were related to relatively large α-platelet colonies and massive grain-boundary α(GBα) phase. Shear across the large colonies or along the GBα interfaces provided large initial cracks which resulted in the fatigue-life degradation. Large colonies and massive GBα developed in the HIP healed zones of the casting pores. In spite of the total HIP pore closure, the fatigue-strength improvement was small when compared to wrought material due to the coarse microstructure that developed in some locations during the HIP cycle. Large planar-shear initiation facets across several colonies were also observed. The multicolony faceted shear is the result of the Burgers relation between the colony orientations and increases the chance of early fatigue-crack inititation.
Restoration and Photometry of Full-Disk Solar Images

Daily, photometric, full-disk digital solar images have been taken at the San Fernando Observatory (SFO) in several wavelengths for more than 10 years. This work describes a project to evaluate and remove the effects of scattered light from the images, while preserving the photometry. We model both the solar limb and the point-spread function analytically, and the algorithm uses a least-squares fitting technique that does not require artificial extension of the data. Image restoration is carried out using standard techniques, with the exception of a method for estimating a non-white noise component. We show using artificial solar images with "sunspots" and "faculae" that the effects of blurring are greater near the solar limb, but that the restorations recover most of the actual contrast of surface features. Images taken with two different telescopes, after restoration, show surface feature contrasts that are in better agreement than before the restoration. In addition, the measured umbral contrast of approximately -90% on restored images at 6723 A is the expected contrast value for umbral temperatures near 3000 K. Modeling of the solar irradiance using restored images instead of the original images from a 3 month period in 1988 shows no advantage if we use variations in sunspot deficit and facular excess to model irradiance variations. However, a new parameter, the model total irradiance derived from restored broadband red images, can model the actual solar irradiance during this period with an R2 value of 0.96.
Effect of Dose Rate on Residual γ-H2AX Levels and Frequency of Micronuclei in X-Irradiated Mouse Lymphocytes

The biological risks associated with low-dose-rate (LDR) radiation exposures are not yet well defined. To assess the risk related to DNA damage, we compared the yields of two established biodosimetry end points, γ-H2AX and micronuclei (MNi), in peripheral mouse blood lymphocytes after prolonged in vivo exposure to LDR X rays (0.31 cGy/min) vs. acute high-dose-rate (HDR) exposure (1.03 Gy/min). C57BL/6 mice were total-body irradiated with 320 kVP X rays with doses of 0, 1.1, 2.2 and 4.45 Gy. Residual levels of total γ-H2AX fluorescence in lymphocytes isolated 24 h after the start of irradiation were assessed using indirect immunofluorescence methods. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used to determine apoptotic cell frequency in lymphocytes sampled at 24 h. Curve fitting analysis suggested that the dose response for γ-H2AX yields after acute exposures could be described by a linear dependence. In contrast, a linear-quadratic dose-response shape was more appropriate for LDR exposure (perhaps reflecting differences in repair time after different LDR doses). Dose-rate sparing effects (P < 0.05) were observed at doses ≤2.2 Gy, such that the acute dose γ-H2AX and TUNEL-positive cell yields were significantly larger than the equivalent LDR yields. At the 4.45 Gy dose there was no difference in γ-H2AX expression between the two dose rates, whereas there was a two- to threefold increase in apoptosis in the LDR samples compared to the equivalent 4.45 Gy acute dose. Micronuclei yields were measured at 24 h and 7 days using the in vitro cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus (CBMN) assay. The results showed that MNi yields increased up to 2.2 Gy with no further increase at 4.45 Gy and with no detectable dose-rate effect across the dose range 24 h or 7 days post exposure. In conclusion, the γ-H2AX biomarker showed higher sensitivity to measure dose-rate effects after low-dose LDR X rays compared to MNi formation; however, confounding factors such as variable repair times post exposure, increased cell killing and cell cycle block likely contributed to the yields of MNi with accumulating doses of ionizing radiation.
Healing in Primary Care: A Vision Shared by Patients, Physicians, Nurses, and Clinical Staff

PURPOSE We wanted to understand the views of patients and clinicians on the central concept of healing and to identify major facilitators of and barriers to promoting healing in primary care. METHODS We undertook a qualitative analysis of focus group discussions. Participants were drawn from primary care clinics of a large, integrated, health care system in Washington State in 2005. Nine focus groups included 84 participants: 28 patients, 23 primary care physicians (19 family physicians), 20 registered nurses, 11 licensed practical nurses, and 2 medical assistants. Randomly sampled established patients were aged from 21 to 65 years; 71% were female. RESULTS We found remarkable concordance across focus groups and among types of participants in the definition of healing: Healing is a dynamic process of recovering from a trauma or illness by working toward realistic goals, restoring function, and regaining a personal sense of balance and peace. Healing is a multidimensional process with physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. The key themes are as follows: (1) healing is multidimensional and holistic; (2) healing is a process, a journey; (3) the goal of healing is recovery or restoration; (4) healing requires the person to reach a place of personal balance and acceptance; and (5) relationships are essential to healing. Factors that facilitate healing help build relationships, improve communication, and share responsibility between the patient and clinician. Major barriers are logistical factors that limit high-quality time with healing professionals. CONCLUSIONS Patients and health care team members share a vision of healing and agree on ways to enhance the process in primary care.
The generation of shared cryptographic keys through half duplex channel impulse response estimation at 60 GHz

Methods to generate private keys based on wireless channel characteristics have been proposed as an alternative to standard key-management schemes. In this paper, we discuss recent results in the implementation of a system for the generation of private keys for cryptographic communications using channel impulse-response estimation at 60 GHz. The testbed is composed of commercial millimeter-wave VubIQ transceivers, laboratory equipment, and software implemented in MATLAB. Novel cognitive enhancements are demonstrated, using channel estimation to dynamically change system parameters and estimate cryptographic key strength. We show for a complex channel that secret key generation can be accomplished on the order of 100 kb/s.
A Redox-Sensitive Cysteine in Zta Is Required for Epstein-Barr Virus Lytic Cycle DNA Replication

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation from latency is known to be sensitive to redox regulation. The immediate-early protein Zta is a member of the basic-leucine zipper (bZIP) family of DNA binding proteins that stimulates viral and cellular transcription and nucleates a replication complex at the viral lytic origin. Zta shares with several members of the bZIP family a conserved cysteine residue (C189) that confers redox regulation of DNA binding. In this work, we show that replacement of C189 with serine (C189S) eliminated lytic cycle DNA replication function of Zta. The mechanistic basis for this replication defect was investigated. We show that C189S was not significantly altered for DNA binding activity in vitro or in vivo. We also show that C189S was not defective for transcription activation of EBV early gene promoters. C189S was deficient for transcription activation of several viral late genes that depend on lytic replication and therefore was consistent with a primary defect of C189S in activating lytic replication. C189S was not defective in binding methylated DNA binding sites and was capable of activating Rta from endogenous latent viral genomes, in contrast to the previously characterized S186A mutation. C189S was slightly impaired for its ability to form a stable complex with Rta, although this did not prevent Rta recruitment to OriLyt. C189S did provide some resistance to oxidation and nitrosylation, which potently inhibit Zta DNA binding activity in vitro. Interestingly, this redox sensitivity was not strictly dependent on C189S but involved additional cysteine residues in Zta. These results provide evidence that the conserved cysteine in the bZIP domain of Zta plays a primary role in EBV lytic cycle DNA replication.
Globalization of Alzheimer's disease clinical trials

Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapies are increasingly being tested in global clinical trials. A search of ClincalTrials.gov revealed that of 269 currently active trials, 28% are currently being conducted in the United States; the majority of trials and the majority of trial sites are ex-US. The US has the largest number of trial sites of any single country; cumulatively, nearly half of all sites are outside the US. The US conducts more trials in all phases of drug development but has a greater proportion of phase 3 trials. The increasing importance of global participants in clinical trials emphasizes the importance of considering the ethnic and international factors that may influence trial outcome. The International Conference on Harmonization guidelines divide ethnic factors that may affect drug development into intrinsic and extrinsic influences. These include language, cultural factors, educational levels, the general level of health and standard of care, as well as nutrition and diet. Ethnic influences on pharmacokinetics are known for some metabolic pathways. The biology of AD may also differ among the world's populations. The frequency of the apolipoprotein e4 allele, a major risk factor for AD, differs internationally. Genetic variations might also affect inflammatory, excitotoxic, and oxidative components of AD. Diagnostic standards and experience vary from country to country. Levels of practitioner training and experience, diagnostic approaches to AD, and attitudes regarding aging and AD may differ. Experience and sophistication with regard to clinical trial conduct also vary within and between countries. Experience with conducting the necessary examinations, as well as the linguistic and cultural validity of instrument translations, may affect trial outcomes. Operational and regulatory aspects of clinical trials vary and provide important barriers to seamless conduct of multiregional clinical trials. Collection and testing of biological samples, continuous provision of drug substance, and protection of the integrity of supply lines may be difficult in some international circumstances. Attention to these potential influences on clinical trials will determine the success of global drug development programs and the utility of global trials for developing new AD therapeutics.
Cumulant-based order determination of non-Gaussian ARMA models

The objective is the order determination of non-Gaussian and nonminimum phase autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models, using higher-order cumulant statistics. The two methods developed assume knowledge of upper bounds on the ARMA orders. The first method performs a linear dependence search among the columns of a higher-order statistics matrix by means of the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization procedure. In the second method, the order of the AR part is found as the rank of the matrix formed by the higher-order statistics sequence. For numerically robust rank determination the singular value decomposition approach is adopted. The argument principle and samples of the polyspectral phase are used to obtain the relative degree of the ARMA model, from which the order of the MA part can be determined. Statistical analysis is included for determining the correct MA order with high probability, when estimates of third-order cumulants are only available. Simulations are used to verify the performance of the methods and compare autocorrelation with cumulant-based order determination approaches. >
Electronics for micromachined inertial sensors

Capacitive interface circuits for micromachined sensors are described. The focus is on the position sense electronics for accelerometers and gyroscopes. Special attention is given to the characteristics of the interface between the sensor and electronic circuits, and on practical and fundamental noise mechanisms that limit the achievable resolution.
Reflection of visible light on the anisotropic slab of DPS-DNG layers

Recently, electromagnetic materials with negative permittivity and permeability have been given much attention. Propagation of electromagnetic waves in double negative (DNG) media and also in photonic crystals has been studied analytically and experimentally. The materials' optical parameters are complex and frequency dependent to account for both dispersion and absorption. Here we have studied theoretically the dispersion as well the transmission and reflection of the visible light on a one-dimensional heterostructure combining anisotropic DNG and isotropic double positive (DPS) materials. Here our center of attention is the study of the non-Bragg band gaps, which are not based on interference, in a one-dimensional photonic crystal composed of alternating layers of DNG and DPS materials. We find that this type of photonic crystal in the visible wavelength range exhibits negative refraction in a wider frequency range than does a single DNG material.
Electrophoretic Mobility of Red Cells and Their Ghosts as Observed with Improved Apparatus

Two new techniques for measuring the electrophoretic mobility of red cells and ghosts are described. In the first, the mobilities are measured in a vertical electrophoresis cell in which they are seen by phase contrast. This enables mobilities to be measured even when ghosts contain so little Hb as to be invisible with the ordinary microscope. The second method uses an Antweiler electrophoresis apparatus to give measurements of the mobility of moving boundaries between columns of red cells or ghosts and the suspension medium. It can be shown by these methods that the usual statement that the mobilities of ghosts are the same as those of the red cells is an over-simplification. The mobilities, under comparable conditions, are more generally dependent on the method used to prepare the ghosts and on the time which has elapsed after lysis. The statement that the isoelectric point of watery ghosts is as low as pH 2.0 or even less is confirmed, as is also the general shape of the pH-mobility dependence. This investigation was carried out under Army Contract No. DA-49-007-MD-458.
Interdependence Theory and the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model Where Theory and Method Converge

This work describes an application of the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) that allows researchers to test hypotheses in terms of interdependence theory (IT). The authors' goal is to move beyond the obvious similarities of these two frameworks by providing a detailed conceptual integration. This analysis demonstrates that aspects of APIM analysis reveal a useful perspective on interdependence not explicitly articulated by IT. They also expand on ideas presented by Kenny and Ledermann by exploring the relationship between their ratio parameter k and IT, and introducing two additional ratios (h and c) also suggested by IT. A complete worked example of APIM analysis from the perspective of IT, along with a SAS MACRO that produces confidence intervals for k, h, and c, is provided.
Dropout Prevention and Intervention Programs: Effects on School Completion and Dropout among School-Aged Children and Youth.

Dropping out of high school is associated with numerous detrimental consequences, including low wages, unemployment, incarceration, and poverty. There are a large number of school and community-based prevention and intervention programs for general population and at-risk students, and there are a number of programs designed specifically to encourage school completion among pregnant and parenting teens. No comprehensive systematic reviews have examined these programs’ overall effectiveness.The objectives of this systematic review were to summarize the available evidence on the effects of prevention and intervention programs aimed at primary and secondary students for increasing school completion or reducing school dropout. The primary focus of the meta-analysis was to examine the comparative effectiveness of different programs and program approaches in an effort to identify those with the largest and most reliable effects on school completion and dropout outcomes. We also sought to summarize the effects of programs designed for pregnant and parenting teens.
Noninferiority trial designs for odds ratios and risk differences.

This study presents constrained maximum likelihood derivations of the design parameters of noninferiority trials for binary outcomes with the margin defined on the odds ratio (ψ) or risk-difference (δ) scale. The derivations show that, for trials in which the group-specific response rates are equal under the point-alternative hypothesis, the common response rate, π(N), is a fixed design parameter whose value lies between the control and experimental rates hypothesized at the point-null, {π(C), π(E)}. We show that setting π(N) equal to the value of π(C) that holds under H(0) underestimates the overall sample size requirement. Given {π(C), ψ} or {π(C), δ} and the type I and II error rates, or algorithm finds clinically meaningful design values of π(N), and the corresponding minimum asymptotic sample size, N=n(E)+n(C), and optimal allocation ratio, γ=n(E)/n(C). We find that optimal allocations are increasingly imbalanced as ψ increases, with γ(ψ) 2.5), trial results that are presented on both scales will differ in power, with more power lost if the study is designed on the risk-difference scale and reported on the odds ratio scale than vice versa.
Optimization of an automotive generator using evolutionary programming

One of the primary design requirements of automotive generation systems is maximizing power density subject to the constraint of minimizing overall system cost. However, with progress made in reduction of automotive drive train noise, the torque ripple of the generator has been found to be a dominant noise source under idle conditions at high electrical load. Thus, an added design constraint is the minimization of torque ripple produced by the machine. In order to meet these objectives, numerical tools have been developed to automate the design process. A primary tool is an evolutionary algorithm that has been integrated within a customized magnetic equivalent circuit based model of the machine. In this paper, a description of the optimization procedure is provided, along with results that demonstrate its use in selecting optimal rotor pole geometry.
Promoting and Protecting Against Stigma in Assisted Living and Nursing Homes

Purpose of the Study: T o determine the extent to which structures and processes of care in multilevel settings (independent living, assisted living, and nursing homes) result in stigma in assisted living and nursing homes. Design and Methods: Ethnographic in-depth interviews were conducted in 5 multilevel set tings with 256 residents, families, and staff members. Qualitative analyses identified the themes that resulted when examining text describing either structures of care or processes of care in relation to 7 codes associated with stigma. Results: F our themes related to structures of care and stigma were identified, including the physical environment, case mix, staff training, and multilevel settings; five themes related to processes of care and stigma, including dining, independence, respect, privacy, and care provision. For each theme, examples were identified illustrating how structures and processes of care can potentially promote or protect against stigma. Implications: In no instance were examples or themes identified that suggested the staf f intentionally promoted stigma; on the other hand, there was indication that some structures and processes were intentionally in place to protect against stigma. Perhaps the most important theme is the stigma related to multilevel settings, as it has the potential to reduce individuals’ likelihood to seek and accept necessary care. Results suggest specific recommendations to modify care and reduce stigma.
Emergent pelvic fixation in patients with exsanguinating pelvic fractures.

BACKGROUND: An alternative to embolization or external pelvic fixation (EPF) in patients with multiple pelvic fractures and hemorrhage is a pelvic orthotic device (POD), which may easily be placed in the resuscitation area. Little published information is available about its effectiveness. This study evaluated the efficacy of the POD compared with EPF in patients with life-threatening pelvic fractures. STUDY DESIGN: We evaluated patients with blunt pelvic fractures over a 10-year period. Inclusion required multiple pelvic fractures with vascular disruption and severe retroperitoneal hematoma, open book fracture with symphysis diastasis, or sacroiliac disruption with vertical shear. Patients with EPF were compared with those in whom a POD was used. Outcomes included transfusions, hospital stay, and mortality. RESULTS: Therewere3,359patientswithpelvicfractureswhowereadmitted:186(6%)metentrycriteria; 93 had EPF and 93 had POD.There were no differences in age or shock severity. Both 24-hour (4.9versus17.1U,p0.0001)and48-hourtransfusions(6.0versus18.6U,p0.0001)were reduced with POD. Twenty-three percent of each group underwent pelvic angiography, and 24-hour transfusion amounts for those patients were also reduced with POD (9.9 versus 21.5 U, p 0.007). Hospital length of stay (16.5 versus 24.4 days, p 0.03) was less with POD. Although there was decreased mortality with POD (26%) versus EPF (37%), it was not statistically significant (p 0.11). CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic shift to POD has substantially reduced transfusion requirements and length of hospital stay, and has reduced mortality in patients with unstable pelvic fractures. POD has made a major contribution to the care of critically injured patients with the most severe pelvic fractures. (J Am Coll Surg 2007;204:935–942. © 2007 by the American College of Surgeons)
Do Amino Acids Reverse the Sickling of Erythrocytes Containing Hemoglobin S

Homoserine, asparagine and glutamine do not restore the deformability of deoxygenated sickle cells in spite of noticeable morphological changes. These amino acids also do not raise the minimum gelling concentration of deoxyhemoglobin S. The use of these compounds as anti-sickling agents is therefore doubtful.
Mother-to-Infant Hepatitis C Virus Transmission and Breastfeeding

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a blood-borne virus that is transmitted most efficiently by direct percutaneous exposures to blood. Infants are at risk of HCV infection primarily as a result of transmission from their infected mothers. However, there is no evidence of mother-to-infant transmission from breastfeeding. According to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics, maternal HCV infection is not a contraindication to breastfeeding. It may be prudent for mothers who are HCV-infected and who choose to breastfeed to consider abstaining from breastfeeding if their nipples are cracked and bleeding.
Effects of a Nonpheromonal Attractant on Movement and Distribution of Adult Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Responses of adult Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte to a nonpheromonal attractant (4-methoxycinnamaldehyde) were monitored in commercial fields of maize, Zea mays L. Plots (16 by 16 m) were treated with 4, 16, or 64 cotton dental rolls (wicks) that each contained 2.5, 10, or 40 mg of attractant or with 252 wicks at 2.5 mg each. Counts of D. v. virgifera on maize plants in plots were not significantly affected by any of the treatments, but unbaited yellow sticky panels in plots with 64 wicks at 40 mg each captured significantly (four times) more females than those in untreated plots. Ratios of beetles captured on sticky traps baited with attractant to those on unbaited traps were not affected significantly by the amount of attractant per wick but declined from ≈8:1 in plots with four wicks to 2:1 in plots with 64 or 252 wicks. A similar trend was observed using traps constructed from medicine vials that were or were not baited with 1.0 mg of 4-methoxycinnamaldehyde. In another study, beetles were marked and released 20 m away from either of two rows of maize that had been treated with 4-methoxycinnamaldehyde at 75 mg/m; capture in unbaited sticky traps that surrounded each release site provided no evidence that beetles were attracted toward treated rows. The attractant also did not appear to influence orientation of beetles that were observed taking flight from tops of posts 3 or 20 m from the treated rows. Given the results of these and earlier studies, nonpheromonal attractants may be of limited value in semiochemical-based broadcast baits for management of D. v. virgifera in maize.
The effect of aspect ratio on the three-dimensional vortex formation of rotating flat-plate wings

We investigate experimentally the effect of aspect ratio (AR) on the unsteady, threedimensional vortex structure of low-AR, flat-plate wings rotating from rest with a 45 angle of attack. This configuration is a simplified model of a flapping-wing hovering half-stroke. The objectives are to quantitatively characterize the evolution of the detailed, threedimensional vortex structure and its variation with AR. The experiments are conducted in a glass tank facility containing a mixture of glycerin and water. Plates of AR = 2 and 4 are tested, using a trapezoidal velocity program with a tip Reynolds number of 5,000 for each and a total rotation of 120°. The unsteady, three-dimensional, volumetric velocity data are reconstructed from phase-locked and phase-averaged stereoscopic digital particle image velocimetry measurements in multiple, closely-spaced chordwise planes. The threedimensional vortex formation is characterized using the Q-criterion and the helicity density. For each AR we find that the overall vortex structure is a loop consisting of a connection among the leading-edge, tip, and trailing-edge vortices. For both AR’s the leading-edge vortex (LEV) is larger with increasing span, i.e. conical, which is more pronounced for AR = 4. The LEV for each AR is attached over the inboard portion of the plate up to about 50% span throughout the motion. However, after approximately 30° of rotation it detaches from the plate in the outboard region near the tip, forming an arch-like structure. The arch is anchored at the tip due to the influence of the tip vortex (TV). A second LEV then forms in front of the arch, close to the leading edge. For AR = 2 the overall LEV continues to move with the plate and does not exhibit shedding into the wake. In contrast, for AR = 4 the flow structure in the tip region breaks down significantly and the flow appears to be fullyseparated for the remainder of the run. The emergence of discrete vortices is observed in the separated shear layers at the tip and trailing edges for both AR’s. The smaller vortices of the instability wrap around the primary trailing-edge vortex (TEV) and TV, forming a somewhat helical structure. For AR = 2 the helicity density is significant throughout the vortex loop, indicating a highly three-dimensional structure with flow velocity along the vortex. The AR = 4 case has substantially less helicity. The spanwise (root-to-tip) velocity is higher for AR = 2, in part due to the higher spanwise velocity gradient. The spanwise flow distribution within and near the LEV is complex, exhibiting both positive (outboard) and negative velocity. Significant positive spanwise velocity is distributed over portion of the plate aft of the LEV and within the TEV flow. Overall the AR = 2 and 4 flows are more similar with angular position than chord lengths traveled at the tip.
Do-It-Yourself Medical Devices--Technology and Empowerment in American Health Care.

Do-it-yourself health care technology has become a hot area, as smart devices promise to transform homes, workplaces, and cell phones into accessible sites for health monitoring and intervention. Yet claims of novelty require a decidedly short-sighted view of history.
Current Insights into the Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux in Infants

Gastroesophageal reflux is common and, in most cases, is a self-limited and physiologic process in infants. However, the role of diagnostic testing and pharmacologic interventions in reflux remains controversial among providers. Various diagnostic modalities exist, but most infants do not require invasive testing and many symptoms traditionally attributed to reflux show no correlation on further testing. There are many strategies for managing reflux in infants. Nonpharmacologic approaches include positioning, thickening, changing formulas, and changing the frequency of feedings, with the benefits of these methods shown to be inconsistent. Many medications now exist to address reflux, particularly by way of acid suppression, but these pharmacologic interventions have risks, especially in young infants, and many of these therapies have shown limited success in truly reducing reflux symptoms. In conclusion, nonpharmacologic approaches should be used, because most symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux will ultimately resolve without any intervention.
Real-time optical monitoring of permanent lesion progression in radiofrequency ablated cardiac tissue (Conference Presentation)

Despite considerable advances in guidance of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapies for atrial fibrillation, success rates have been hampered by an inability to intraoperatively characterize the extent of permanent injury. Insufficient lesions can elusively create transient conduction blockages that eventually reconduct. Prior studies suggest significantly greater met-myoglobin (Mmb) concentrations in the lesion core than those in the healthy myocardium and may serve as a marker for irreversible tissue damage. In this work, we present real-time monitoring of permanent injury through spectroscopic assessment of Mmb concentrations at the catheter tip. Atrial wedges (n=6) were excised from four fresh swine hearts and submerged under pulsatile flow of warm (37oC) phosphate buffered saline. A commercial RFA catheter inserted into a fiber optic sheath allowed for simultaneous measurement of tissue diffuse reflectance (DR) spectra (500-650nm) during application of RF energy. Optical measurements were continuously acquired before, during, and post-ablation, in addition to healthy neighboring tissue. Met-myoglobin, oxy-myoglobin, and deoxy-myoglobin concentrations were extracted from each spectrum using an inverse Monte Carlo method. Tissue injury was validated with Masson’s trichrome and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Time courses revealed a rapid increase in tissue Mmb concentrations at the onset of RFA treatment and a gradual plateauing thereafter. Extracted Mmb concentrations were significantly greater post-ablation (p<0.0001) as compared to healthy tissue and correlated well with histological assessment of severe thermal tissue destruction. On going studies are aimed at integrating these findings with prior work on near infrared spectroscopic lesion depth assessment. These results support the use of spectroscopy-facilitated guidance of RFA therapies for real-time permanent injury estimation.
Antibiotic Residues in Animal Waste: Occurrence and Degradation in Conventional Agricultural Waste Management Practices

The presence of antibiotics in animal manure represents a significant concern with respect to the introduction of antibiotic residues to the environment and the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. In this review, we have (1) compiled reported detections of antibiotics in poultry litter, swine manure, and cattle manure; and (2) discussed the treatment of antibiotics during conventional agricultural waste management practices. The most reported antibiotics in animal manure were fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines, all of which the World Health Organization has listed as critically important for human health. Relatively high treatment efficiencies were observed for antibiotics in composting, anaerobic digestion, and aerobic/anaerobic lagooning. Interestingly, active management of compost piles did not demonstrate a significant increase in antibiotic degradation; however, low- and high-intensity compost systems exhibited high treatment efficiencies for most antibiotics. Anaerobic digestion was not effective for some key antibiotics, including lincosamides and select sulfonamides and fluoroquinolones. Given the potential for energy recovery during anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste, efforts to optimize antibiotic degradation represent an important area for future research. Lagoons also exhibited fairly high levels of antibiotic treatment, especially for aerobic systems; however, the operational costs/complexity of these systems inhibit utilization at the full-scale. No overall trends in antibiotic treatment efficiency during these three agricultural waste management practices were observed. Finally, we posit that increased efforts to include analysis of antibiotic residues in animal manure in national surveillance programs will provide important information to address concerns over the continued use of antimicrobials in animal feeding operations.
Present state of stroke emergency in Japan

The currently available emagency systems for the management of acute stroke patients in Japan do not improve the patients' outcome favorably. Currently, thrombolytic therapy using i.v. rt-PA (0.6 mg/kg) has been approved for clinical use, and the safety and efficacy of this treatment have been yerified in routine clinical practices across a wide range of domestic emergency hospitals. However, even 4 years after treatment was approved for clinical use, it is applied in only 2-3% of ischemic stroke patients. Ambulance system for acute stroke patients has been developed all over the country as an essential public service, however, in the most emergency hospitals, stroke unit (SU) involving both a special ward (bed) for stroke patients and a separate stroke-care team is not well-organized or does not function for 24-hours. In urban areas, there is no network of community hospitals for the emergency management of stroke patients, which is based on a rotation system. Analysis of recent data from the Japanese stroke data bank, revealed that there was a regional variation in the time required for the transportation of the patient, i. e., time between the onset of stroke and admissions. These problems surfaced accurately after the introduction of thrombolytic therapy using i.v. rt-PA. Primary stroke centers in the community are necessary for treating acute stroke patients. Stroke emergency network involving primary and comprehensive stroke centers should be constructed in urban areas. Civil education regarding initial stroke management should be provided frequently to civilians. The basic law dealing with stroke care in the community should be legislated to ensure the initiative of both administrative agencies and medical association to reform the community medicine.
Evaluation of genome-enabled selection for bacterial cold water disease resistance using progeny performance data in rainbow trout: Insights on genotyping methods and genomic prediction models

Bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) causes significant economic losses in salmonid aquaculture, and traditional family-based breeding programs aimed at improving BCWD resistance have been limited to exploiting only between-family variation. We used genomic selection (GS) models to predict genomic breeding values (GEBVs) for BCWD resistance in 10 families from the first generation of the NCCCWA BCWD resistance breeding line, compared the predictive ability (PA) of GEBVs to pedigree-based estimated breeding values (EBVs), and compared the impact of two SNP genotyping methods on the accuracy of GEBV predictions. The BCWD phenotypes survival days (DAYS) and survival status (STATUS) had been recorded in training fish (n = 583) subjected to experimental BCWD challenge. Training fish, and their full sibs without phenotypic data that were used as parents of the subsequent generation, were genotyped using two methods: restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing and the Rainbow Trout Axiom® 57K SNP array (Chip). Animal-specific GEBVs were estimated using four GS models: BayesB, BayesC, single-step GBLUP (ssGBLUP) and weighted ssGBLUP (wssGBLUP). Family-specific EBVs were estimated using pedigree and phenotype data in the training fish only. The PA of GEBVs and EBVs was assessed by correlating mean progeny phenotype (MPP) with mid-parent EBV (family-specific) or GEBV (animal-specific). The best GEBV predictions were similar to EBV with PA values of 0.49 and 0.46 vs. 0.50 and 0.41 for DAYS and STATUS, respectively. Among the GEBV prediction methods, ssGBLUP consistently had the highest PA. The RAD genotyping platform had GEBVs with similar PA to those of GEBVs from the Chip platform. The PA of ssGBLUP and wssGBLUP methods was higher with the Chip, but for BayesB and BayesC methods it was higher with the RAD platform. The overall GEBV accuracy in this study was low to moderate, likely due to the small training sample used. This study explored the potential of GS for improving resistance to BCWD in rainbow trout using, for the first time, progeny testing data to assess the accuracy of GEBVs, and it provides the basis for further investigation on the implementation of GS in commercial rainbow trout populations.
TRANSFORMATION CHARACTERISTICS OF A LITHIUM-MAGNESIUM ALLOY

The martensite-type transformation curves for a lithium-magnesium alloy were investigated in detail by X-ray spectrometer methods. Critical temperatures for formation and decomposition of the low-temperature phase were determined, and the influence of previous thermal and mechanical history investigated.