cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of injection-seeded, pulsed optical parametric generator/oscillator systems for high-resolution spectroscopy

We report the development and application of pulsed optical parametric generator (OPG) and optical parametric oscillator (OPO) systems that are injection seeded with near-infrared distributed feedback diode lasers. The OPG is injection seeded at the idler wavelength without the use of a resonant cavity. Two counter-rotating, beta-barium-borate (β-BBO) crystals are used in the OPG. These crystals are pumped by the third harmonic, 355-nm output of an injection-seeded Nd:YAG laser. An OPO version of the system has also been developed by placing two flat mirrors around the two β-BBO crystals to form a feedback cavity at the signal wavelength. The OPO cavity length is not actively controlled. The output signal beam from the OPG or OPO is amplified using an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) stage with four β-BBO crystals. The frequency bandwidths of the signal and idler laser radiation from OPG/OPA and OPO/OPA systems have been determined to be slightly greater than 200 MHz. The temporal pulses from each system are smooth and near-Gaussian. High-resolution optical absorption measurements of acetylene (C2H2) were performed as another check of the frequency spectrum of the idler beam. The frequency-doubled signal output of the OPO/OPA system was used to perform high-resolution, single-photon, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopic studies of the (0,0) vibrational band of the A 2Σ+−X 2Π electronic transition of nitric oxide (NO) at low pressure. Excellent agreement was obtained between the theory and the experiment. The signal output of the OPG/OPA system was also used for sub-Doppler, two-photon LIF spectroscopic studies of the same vibration–rotation manifold of NO.
A query-aware document ranking method for geographic information retrieval

Geographically oriented search must consider both the thematic and geographic dimensions of relevance when matching documents to queries. We propose a dynamic document ranking scheme to combine the thematic and geographic relevance measures on a per-query basis. Query specificity is introduced to determine the relative weights of different sources of ranking evidence for each query. A preliminary evaluation comparing with human judgment shows that our method to distinguish different types of geo-referenced queries based on query specificity is promising to address the issue of relevance combination in GIR document ranking. In addition, we explore the possibility of using Dempster-Shafer's theory to combine the two different sources of ranking evidence.
Effects of para-aminobenzoic acid, insulin, and gentamicin on Plasmodium falciparum development in anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae).

Anopheles gambiae Giles sensu lato (s.l.) and An. stephensi Liston were exposed as adults to para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), human insulin, or gentamicin sulfate, an antimicrobial solution, to determine their effects on Plasmodium falciparum Welch development to the oocyst stage. For both mosquito species, concentrations of PABA from 0.001 to 0.05% had no effect on either oocyst infection rates or oocyst densities. At higher concentrations, PABA-fed mosquitoes had decreased oocyst infection rates when they were exposed after, but not before, experimental infections. Insulin-fed mosquitoes had significantly higher oocyst infection rates than controls and increased oocyst densities in both An. gambiae s.l and An. stephensi . The most dramatic impact on parasite development was observed for mosquitoes fed on gentamicin. For An. gambiae s.l. fed 0.05% gentamicin, oocyst infection rates were 3.7-fold higher than in controls, whereas oocyst densities were 5.7 times greater than in controls. Anopheles stephensi fed on diets of 0.1% gentamicin had 2.4-fold higher infection rates and increased oocyst densities. Concentrations of gentamicin above 0.1% had deleterious effects on mosquito survival and their ability to digest blood meals. These findings provide insight into how antibiotics, hormones, and metabolites may affect the development of P. falciparum in An. gambiae s.l. and An. stephensi .
Nicotine effects on immediate and delayed verbal memory after substance use detoxification

Decrements in verbal memory are commonly reported by detoxified treatment-seeking individuals. Although acute nicotine has been shown to improve attentional performance, its effects on verbal memory in substance abusers have not been addressed. Treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent (ALCs, n = 29; 14 male), illicit-stimulant-dependent (predominantly cocaine; STIMs, n = 25; 15 male), and alcohol- and illicit-stimulant-dependent (ALC/STIMs, n = 50; 35 male) participants with comorbid nicotine dependence were studied. Subjects had been abstinent from their drugs of choice for 41 (±18) days and were in short-term abstinence from tobacco (∼8–10 hours). Subjects received double-blind administration of either transdermal nicotine (high dose: 21/14 mg for men and women, respectively, or low dose: 7 mg) or placebo. The Logical Memory (LM) subtest from the Wechsler Memory Scale–Revised (WMS–R) was used to assess immediate and delayed verbal memory recall. Results indicated that STIMs receiving the high dose of nicotin...
Synthesis of aromatic polyethers by scholl reaction. VIII. On the polymerizability of 1,5‐bis(phenoxy)pentanes and 1,5‐bis(phenylthio)pentane

The synthesis and the oxidative polymerization of 1,5-bis(phenoxy)pentane, 1,5-bis(phenoxy)pentane substituted with various electron-donating groups, and 1,5-bis(phenylthio)pentane is described. The polymers derived from methyl substituted 1,5-bis(phenoxy)pentane monomers contain diphenyl methane, 1,2-diphenylethane, and benzyl chloride structural units. The mechanism for the generation of these structural units is presented. It consists of the proton transfer reactions from the cation-radical propagating species and subsequent reactions of the resulting benzyl radicals. The polymerizability of monomers with 1,5-pentanedioxy group is lower than that of the monomers with diphenyl sulfone group. This dissimilarity was attributed to the difference between both the reactivity and the concentration of the cation-radical propagating species resulted from these two classes of monomers.
Nonequilibrium critical poisoning in a single-species model

Abstract A simple model is introduced, which exhibits a poisining transition similar to that observed in studies of catalyc surface reactions. Steady-state behavior and critical exponents are determined via series expansion and Monte Carlo simulations. The relation between catalytic surface models and reggeon field theory is examined.
A critical analysis of social development programs in elementary education

Abstract Four social development programs in elementary education are examined. The four programs are (1) A “Causal” Approach to Human Behavior, developed by Ralph Ojemann; (2) the Human Development Program, developed by Harold Bessell and Uvaldo Palomares; (3) Reality Therapy: Schools without Failure, developed by William Glasser; and (4) Developing Understanding of Self and Others, developed by Don Dinkmeyer. Published literature and research studies provided the information sources for the article. The major criticisms of each of the programs can be summarized into four major points: none of the programs (1) has a clearly articulated developmental rationale, (2) focuses heavily on a concern for others, (3) has ongoing programmatic research, and (4) has a rationale for its implementation strategy.
Probing the electronic structure and Au-C chemical bonding in AuC2(-) and AuC2 using high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy.

We report photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and high-resolution PE imaging of AuC2− at a wide range of photon energies. The ground state of AuC2− is found to be linear (C∞v, 1Σ+) with a …8π44δ417σ29π418σ2 valence configuration. Detachments from all the five valence orbitals of the ground state of AuC2− are observed at 193 nm. High-resolution PE images are obtained in the energy range from 830 to 330 nm, revealing complicated vibronic structures from electron detachment of the 18σ, 9π, and 17σ orbitals. Detachment from the 18σ orbital results in the 2Σ+ ground state of neutral AuC2, which, however, is bent due to strong vibronic coupling with the nearby 2Π state from detachment of a 9π electron. The 2Σ+–2Π vibronic and spin-orbit coupling results in complicated vibronic structures for the 2Σ+ and 2Π3/2 states with extensive bending excitations. The electron affinity of AuC2 is measured accurately to be 3.2192(7) eV with a ground state bending frequency of 195(6) cm−1. The first excited state (2A′) of AuC2, ...
Natural food and feeding behavior of Culicoides furens larvae (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

The gut contents of Culicoides furens (Poey) larvae were compared with the relative abundance of potential food items in the natural larval habitat. Additional experiments examined the predatory behavior of the larvae by means of video recordings. Gut analyses indicated that filamentous green algae were the most frequently consumed food items. Diatoms, despite their high density in the soil, were not a major food source and many may have been ingested accidentally with algae. Gut content and video recording analyses indicated that nematodes, although occasionally eaten, probably were not the major dietary item. Moreover, fourth instars seemed to feed on nematodes more frequently during the day than during the night, possibly related to diel, small-scale vertical migrations of larvae in response to changes in light. When starved, larvae seemed to ingest nematodes more readily, as indicated by the absence of other items when nematodes were present in the gut. Overall, the results indicated that C. furens larvae are trophic generalists rather than solely predators.
Modeling and Simulation of a Carrier-based PWM Voltage Source Inverter for a Nine Phase Induction Machine Drive

The analysis of a carrier-based PWM two level voltage source inverter for a nine phase induction machine drive system is presented in this paper. Methods for generating zero-sequence signals during balanced and unbalanced condition are established. Simulation results for the analysis are presented. Two fault conditions involving the voltage source inverter and the nine-phase squirrel cage induction machine load are investigated. For the two fault scenarios considered, the effects on the performance characteristics of the induction machine load are highlighted. The simulation results obtained show that the two imbalance conditions considered result in substantial oscillations on the electromagnetic torque of the machine with attendant reduction in the torque rating. There is also large slip in the rotor speed. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijpeds.v5i1.6175
Transient thermal-hydraulics considerations of tandem mirror LiPb cooled blankets during start-up/shutdown operations

Abstract The operational aspects of fusion reactors are being recognized as important ingredients of the design process. In this paper, we present analyses and modeling relevant to the understanding of blanket performance during transients. The use of LiPb as a blanket coolant is considered in this paper from the viewpoint of transient operation during initial start-up. When LiPb is first introduced into the blanket tubes in the form of a molten metal, freezing/blockage and thermal shock to the tubes may occur. We first model the transient thermal behavior of the coolant (LiPb)-tube system. We then proceed to analyze the thermal shock to the blanket tubes upon contact with the hot LiPb. It is shown that freezing/blockage due to excessive heat losses from the LiPb coolant is not a major design consideration. However, thermal stresses caused by differential expansion during transients should be mitigated by appropriate pre-heating of blanket modules.
Effect of Impurities on the Strength of Polycrystalline Magnesia and Alumina

The bending strength of pure and alloyed magnesium oxide and aluminum oxide was studied. The magnesium oxide was doped with nickel oxide and cobalt oxide, both of which form a complete series of solid solutions with magnesia. The aluminum oxide was doped with ferric oxide which has limited solid solubility in aluminum oxide, with titanium dioxide which also has limited solid solubility in alumina, and with chromic oxide which forms a complete series of solid solutions with alumina. The modulus of rupture was corrected to a standard grain size and porosity to determine the intrinsic effects of the impurities on the modulus of rupture. The results indicate that the formation of NiO-MgO and Coo-MgO solid solutions increases the strength of MgO. The formation of Cr2O3-Al2O3, Fe2O3-Al2O3, and TiO2-Al2O3 solid solutions, however, has no intrinsic effect on the strength of sintered alumina.
Quantification of in-vehicle gaseous contaminants of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide under varying climatic conditions

This study quantifies the monitored in-vehicle contaminants of carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) under varying climatic conditions using advanced statistical methods of regression trees and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The independent influential variables affecting vehicular CO2 and CO are first identified by using regression trees after considering meteorology, monitoring periods, indoor sources, on-road vehicles, and ventilation. Next, ANOVA is used as a complementary analysis to regression tree results to determine the statistical significance of the identified influential variables and to prioritize the statistically significant variables based on the F value. Passenger ridership and month are observed to have a predominant influence on in-vehicle CO2, while month and sky conditions showed a predominant influence on vehicular CO levels. High passenger ridership on a warm/hot day with good ventilation resulted in high CO2 buildup inside the vehicle. High levels of CO are observed inside the vehicle during fall, spring, and summer months on overcast days, with low to medium indoor temperatures, moderate to good ventilating conditions, low indoor relative humidity, and low wind speeds.
Charge transfer in time-dependent density-functional theory: Insights from the asymmetric Hubbard dimer

We show that propagation with the best possible adiabatic approximation in time-dependent density-functional theory fails to properly transfer charge in an asymmetric two-site Hubbard model when beginning in the ground state. The approximation is adiabatic but exact otherwise, constructed from the exact ground-state exchange-correlation functional that we compute via constrained search. The model shares the essential features of charge-transfer dynamics in a real-space long-range molecule, so the results imply that the best possible adiabatic approximation, despite being able to capture nonlocal ground-state step features relevant to dissociation and charge-transfer excitations, cannot capture fully time-resolved charge-transfer dynamics out of the ground state.
Real-Time Airborne Analysis of Aircraft Data Supporting Operational Hurricane Forecasting

Abstract The Hurricane Research Division has developed a technique for real-time airborne analysis of aircraft data from reconnaissance and research flights in tropical cyclones. The technique uses an onboard workstation that analyzes flight-level observations, radar reflectivity patterns, radial Doppler velocities, and vertical soundings from Omega dropwindsondes (ODWs). Many of the workstation analyses are in storm-relative coordinates that depend upon interactive identification of the cyclone center from the radar reflectivity data. Displays of the lower fuselage radar reflectivity, composited for 1–2 h, provide an overall perspective of the horizontal patterns of precipitation and a framework for interpretation of thermodynamic and kinematic observations. The workstation runs algorithms for estimation of the horizontal wind field in the hurricane core using radial velocities measured by the airborne Doppler radar during one or more penetrations of the storm center. Interactive software also supports r...
Scanning electron microscopic examination of ultrasonic and effervescent methods of surface contaminant removal from complete dentures

Dentures were examined by scanning electron microscopy to evaluate removal of surface contaminants such as plaque, calculus, microflora, and cigarette smoke. Ten complete dentures were obtained during patient appointments and prepared for SEM examination. Samples from 10 control surfaces, 10 surfaces cleaned with effervescent cleansers, and 10 surfaces ultrasonically cleaned were photographed at x5000. One photograph of each sample was evaluated in random order by five judges for a total of 150 observations. Photographs were compared with one of a clean denture sample. Statistical analysis of the results validated the superiority of the ultrasonic method for cleaning dentures.
Facile synthesis of glycosylated Fmoc amino acid building blocks assisted by microwave irradiation.

The synthesis of glycosylated Fmoc amino acids by reaction of mono- and disaccharide peracetates with Fmoc amino acids having free carboxyl groups was rapidly promoted by Lewis acids (SnCl4, BF3·Et2O) under microwave irradiation. The products are useful building blocks for the synthesis of glycopeptides.
An RNA Paradigm

The judicious application of various combinations of isolation techniques constitutes a systematic method for understanding the role of transcriptional products in the regulation of gene expression. Any experimental model can be well-characterized by assaying specific mRNAs as one parameter of gene expression, although having protein expression data from Western analysis, immunochemical assay, or proteomics array analysis, generally provide a more complete understanding of gene regulation under the prevailing conditions. A typical RNA-based experimental design includes an assessment of steady-state levels of RNA and, perhaps, the rate of transcription in control and experimental cell populations. A more complete format for transcript quantification is known as solution hybridization, epitomized in the form of the nuclease protection assays and, of course, the polymerase chain reaction. Gene expression at the cellular level culminates in the form of a functional polypeptide. The more sensitive quantitative assays of transcription are those based on solution hybridization, such as in nuclease protection and the various microarray and PCR-based assays. In this age of technology, bioinformatics, email, and all types of online tools provide a platform for literature search or a great deal of background reading without leaving one’s desk. There are a number of different Internet-based bulletin boards where scientists with difficulties can post specific questions and hope for an answer from the readership.
Portfolio Theory for Independent Assets

This paper presents several new concepts for portfolio problems with independently distributed asset prices. A criterion is developed for including or excluding assets in an optimal portfolio for an investor maximizing the expected value of a von Neumann-Morgenstern utility function. The central concept of the generalized harmonic mean is introduced: it is shown to be the analogue of the riskless rate of return for problems without a riskless asset. A new ordering theorem is proven, showing that an optimal portfolio always consists of positive amounts of the assets with the largest mean values. Next, the concept of independence from irrelevant alternatives is introduced for portfolio problems; this is a property of utility functions and is proven to be true for most of the commonly used utility functions. Altogether, the results provide new insights and tools for portfolio problems with independent assets and extend earlier results by Samuelson, and Fishburn and Porter.
Two-dimensional line defects in anisotropic elastic solids

The Stroh formalism and analytic continuation approach are used to develop a systematic study for two-dimensional line defects in anisotropic elastic solids. The line defects are classified as either belonging to the craze type or line inhomogeneity type. A crack and rigid line are considered as two special cases of these categories. The governing equations, given in terms of the Stroh matrix notation, show many complementary features between these two line defects. In addition, a discussion is given showing why the line defect field cannot in general be developed from the Eshelby inclusion solution [1], except for the special cases of a crack and rigid line inhomogeneity.
Constraint modules: An introduction

We describe a methodology for solving convex constraint problems using analog circuits. We demonstrate how this methodology can be used to design circuits that solve function-fitting problems through iterated gradient descent. In particular, we show how to build a small circuit that can model a nonlinearity by observation, and predistort to compensate for this nonlinearity. The system fits into a broader effort to investigate non-traditional approaches to circuit design. First, it breaks the traditional input-output abstraction barrier; all ports are bidirectional. Second, it uses primarily local properties of the circuit to show stability. Such stability arguments can be scaled to much more complex systems than traditional stability criteria.
Thin liquid films containing micelles or nanoparticles

The stratification/microstructure formation inside suspended thin liquid films containing micelles or other nanoparticles is reviewed with the aim of clarifying some key issues and suggesting unresolved questions requiring further investigation. New experiments reveal that the micellar layer thinning phenomenon is a reversible process in films formed from non-ionic micellar solutions. The important factors contributing to the correlation between the ordered microstructure formation that leads to a high structural stabilization force in a single free suspended film and the stability of macrodispersions (such as foams and emulsions and particle suspensions) are also discussed.
A Proof of Concept Experiment for Reducing Skin Friction by Using a Micro-Blowing Technique

A proof of concept experiment for reducing skin friction has been conducted in the Advanced Nozzle and Engine Components Test Facility at the NASA Lewis Research Center. In this unique concept, called the micro-blowing technique (MBT), an extremely small amount of air was blown vertically through very small holes to reduce the surface roughness and to control the gradient of the flow velocity profile on the surface thereby reducing skin friction. Research revealed that the skin was the most important factor to make this concept achievable. The proposed skin consisted of two layers. The inner layer was a low permeable porous skin for distributing the blowing air evenly while the outer layer with small holes controlled the vertical or nearly vertical blowing air. Preliminary experimental results showed that the MBT has the potential of a very large reduction in skin friction below the skin friction of a nonporous plain flat plate. Of the skins tested, three have been identified as the MBT skins. They provided very low unblown skin friction such that a large skin friction reduction, below a flat plate value, was achieved with very small amounts of blowing air. The reduction in skin friction of 55 percent was achieved at the Mach number of 0.3 for the exhaust pressure of 0.85 atm, and 60 percent reduction was obtained for the exhaust pressure of 0.24 atm (corresponding to 10 700-m altitude) at the same Mach number. A significant reduction in skin friction of over 25 percent was achieved for the exhaust pressure of 0.24 atm at the Mach number of 0.7. This implied that the MBT could be applied to a wide range of flight conditions. It is also believed that additional 10 percent reduction could be obtained by eliminating the gap between the inner layer and the outer layer. The aspect ratio of the vertical small holes for the outer layer of the MBT skin should be larger than 4 based on the preliminary conclusion from this test. Many experiments are needed to find out the optimal MBT skin. The penalty associated with the MBT needs to be assessed. However, preliminary results indicated that the MBT could provide a 25 to 35 percent reduction for real-world application. The concept can be applied to not only an airplane, but also a missile, a submarine (micro-blow water instead of air), and an ocean liner.
Variation and opacity

Phonological variation and phonological opacity have been extensively studied independently of each other. This paper examines two phonological processes that simultaneously exhibit both phenomena: Assibilation and Apocope in Finnish. The evidence converges on two main conclusions. First, variation results from the presence of multiple metrical systems within Finnish. Assibilation and Apocope are metrically conditioned alternations and the segmental variation reflects metrical variation. The metrical analysis explains a number of apparently unrelated phenomena, including typological asymmetries across dialects, quantitative asymmetries within dialects, differences between nouns and verbs, differences among noun classes, and the loci of lexical frequency effects. Second, phonological opacity arises from morphological level ordering. By interleaving transparent phonologies with independently motivated morphosyntactic constituents (stems, words, phrases) we derive the transparent and opaque interactions of four phonological processes, including Assibilation and Apocope.
Functional outcome measures of patients following hemipelvectomy.

Background:Major amputations are indicated for curative treatment of some tumors of the pelvis. Previous literature suggests that patients with a hemipelvectomy amputation are more efficient walking with crutches than using a prosthesis.Objectives:The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether modern prosthetic use after hemipelvectomy may be a viable option for patients than in the past.Study Design:Case control trial.Methods:We identified five patients who underwent hemipelvectomy amputation and fit with high-level prosthetic components. Patients were evaluated using a timed up and go, 5-m walk, 400-m walk, and stair climb tests to evaluate functional performance with a prosthesis and without. Short Form–36 scores were collected as well. These results were compared to matched controls.Results:There was a trend for faster locomotion using crutches over wearing a prosthesis in the timed up and go, and 5-m and 400-m walk; no difference was seen in stair climbing. Short Form–36 scores showed decreased ph...
Posttraumatic stress symptomatology as a mediator of the association between military sexual trauma and post-deployment physical health in women.

This study examined posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PSS) as a mediator of the association between military sexual trauma and post-deployment physical health. Relationships were examined in a sample of 83 female veterans of the first Gulf War (1990–1991) approximately 10 years post-deployment. Participants reported on the frequency of sexual harassment and sexual assault experienced during deployment. Physical health was measured using participants' self-reports of pre-deployment and post-deployment symptoms within 7 body systems. Sexual harassment exposure was not found to be associated with PSS-mediated associations with physical health symptoms. However, sexual assault during deployment was found to be associated with PSS and 4 of the 7 health symptom clusters assessed: gastrointestinal, genitourinary, musculoskeletal, and neurological symptoms. Furthermore, PSS was found to be a significant mediator of the sexual assault–physical health relationship in each of these domains, with the indirect path...
PRIMARY CULTURES OF DISSOCIATED SYMPATHETIC NEURONS III. Changes in Metabolism with Age in Culture

Several biochemical parameters of dissociated sympathetic neurons from superior cervical ganglia of the newborn rat were monitored as a function of age in culture. The neurons, which were grown in the virtual absence of non-neural cells, displayed a striking increase in their ability to synthesize and accumulate catecholamines. This capacity increased 50-fold during a 3-wk period in vitro, after which it appeared to reach a steady level. The major change took place during the second week. The time course of this change was not affected by plating the neurons at a higher cell density. The change in the catecholamine metabolism was far greater in magnitude and quite different in time course from the overall growth of the cells which was monitored by the incorporation of radioactive tyrosine into protein, lipid synthesis from radioactive choline, and incorporation of radioactive uridine into acid-precipitable material. Of the total tyrosine used by the cultures, the proportion devoted to catecholamine synthesis increased to 25% (a 10-fold rise) during the 3-wk period. This changing pattern of metabolism in the cultures suggested a process of maturation which may be similar to neuronal development in vivo.
Phenomenological Modeling and Numerical Simulation of Relaxation in Bolted Composite Joints

The effects of various bolt preloads, viscoelasticity, and external applied static and dynamic loads on bolt load relaxation in a carbon/epoxy composite bolted joint have been studied. Both phenomenological modeling and finite element analysis (FEA) of bolt-connected three-point bending specimens were employed in the studies. Relaxation of 1.25—4.25% over a period of 30 h was observed depending on the initial preload and applied external loads. Both static and dynamic applied loads were considered. It was observed that for any magnitude of external load the bolt load relaxation decreases with increasing initial preload. These findings emphasize the importance of the magnitude of the preload. Comparing the bolt load relaxation in steel and composite joints for the duration of 30 h, it was concluded that only about 1/3 of the relaxation in composite specimens is due to viscoelastic behavior of the polymer matrix in the composite, and the remaining 2/3 of the relaxation is due to other mechanisms such as bol...
Host Specificity of Pathogenic Pythium Species: Implications for Tree Species Diversity

In the Janzen—Connell hypothesis, host-specific natural enemies enhance species diversity and influence the structure of plant communities. This study tests the explicit assumption of host specificity for soil pathogens of the genus Pythium that cause damping-off disease of germinating seeds and seedlings. We isolated Pythium spp. from soil of a tropical forest in Panama. Then, in an inoculation experiment, we determined the pathogenic!ty of 75 tropical isolates of unknown pathogenicity and seven pathogenic temperate isolates of Pythium on seeds and/or seedlings of eight tropical tree species. Only three tropical isolates, one identified as P. ultimum and two as P. dphanidermdtum, were pathogenic. Tropical pathogenic isolates were pathogenic on 4—6 of eight tree species. Temperate isolates were pathogenic on 0—4 of eight species, indicating that some tropical tree species are susceptible to novel isolates of Pythium. No tree species was susceptible to all isolates and two species were not susceptible to any isolate. Collectively, these results indicate that these Pythium isolates vary widely in their pathogenicity, causing differential mortality of potential host species; likewise, the tree species vary in their susceptibility to a given Pythium isolate. These differences in pathogenicity and susceptibility indicate some support for the Janzen—Connell assumption of host specificity. While they are not restricted to a single species, their intermediate level of specificity suggests that Pythium spp. have the potential to have some effect on forest community structure and diversity.
Freezing Rain: An Observational and Theoretical Study

Abstract Data from a Doppler radar, an instrumented aircraft, and several rawinsonde observations during freezing rain and ice pellet events have been analyzed for this study. From these data, 34 soundings were obtained that characterized the vertical structure of the atmosphere at the time of the freezing precipitation. These soundings were analyzed to determine the general nature of the vertical structure and the environmental conditions common to these types of winter precipitation events. The state of the hydrometeors reaching the surface (i.e., supercooled liquid or ice) was critically dependent upon the melting and refreezing characteristics. To better understand these characteristics, two theoretical models were used: 1) a heat transfer model to simulate the melting of a dendritic snowflake and 2) a separate heat transfer model to simulate the refreezing characteristics of a liquid droplet. These two models were run using typical values for lapse rates and temperatures as determined from the soundi...
Bridging the accountability divide: male circumcision planning in Rwanda as a case study in how to merge divergent operational planning approaches.

When voluntary medical male circumcision (MC) was confirmed as an effective tool for HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa in 2007, many public health policy makers and practitioners were eager to implement the intervention. How to roll out the tool as part of comprehensive strategy however was less clear. At the time, very little was known about the capacity of health systems to scale delivery of the new intervention. Today, nearly all countries prioritized for the intervention are far behind their targets. To contribute to the discourse on why this is, we develop a historical analysis of medical MC planning in sub-Saharan Africa using our own experience of this process in Rwanda. We compare our previously unpublished feasibility analysis from 2008 with international research published in 2009, which suggested how Rwanda could reduce HIV incidence through a rapid MC intervention, and Rwanda’s eventual 2010 official operational plan. We trace how, in the face of uncertainty, operational plans avoided discussing the details of feasibility and focused instead on defining optimal circumcision capacity needed to achieve country level target reductions in HIV incidence. We show a distinct gap between the targets set in the official operational plan and what we determined was feasible in 2008. With actual data from the ground now available, we show our old feasibility models more closely approximate circumcision delivery rates to date. With an eye toward the future of long-term policy planning, we discuss the mechanics of how accountability gaps like this occur in global health policy making and how practitioners can better create achievable operational targets.
Promise and Performance: A Dynamic Model of Presidential Popularity

The growth of public opinion measurement in the last 40 years has added a new dimension to the study of presidential behavior. Not only have public evaluations become more newsworthy, but the importance of public support as a resource and determinant of political survival has been enhanced. Recent scholarship on the presidency has documented the value of public support, attempted to identify its major determinants, and speculated about the manner in which presidents might influence these evaluations.This research is designed to integrate these concerns into a single model and thereby to examine the interdependence between public support as a product of citizen decisions and as a political resource. First, a characterization of the citizen as an evaluator of the president is developed and used to construct an equation of presidential approval. Next, we develop an equation that explains presidential effectiveness in the legislative arena and illustrates the operation of public support as a presidential resource. The public support and legislative effectiveness equations are specified as a simultaneous equation system, estimated, and evaluated. The results of the model are then used to expand the conventional wisdom about the determinants of public support, to examine the consequences of the reciprocal relationship between public support and legislative success, and to generate ex post forecasts of President Reagan's support from 1981 through 1983.
Differential colchicine effects on the transport of membrane and secretory proteins in rat hepatocytes in vivo: bipolar secretion of albumin.

We carried out a comparative investigation on the effects of colchicine (25 μmoles/100 gm body wt) on the intracellular transport, processing and discharge by secretion or proteolytic processing of a membrane protein (i.e., the polymeric IgA receptor) and a secretory protein (i.e., albumin) in rat hepatocytes. The results obtained indicated the following: (a) the transport and processing of polymeric IgA receptor is strongly inhibited and delayed, but the appearance of secretory component in the bile is not arrested; (b) polymeric IgA receptor reaches the sinusoidal plasmalemma in colchicine-treated specimens, as it does in controls; (c) albumin discharge into the plasma is strongly inhibited and markedly delayed in colchicinetreated as compared with control animals; (d) the reverse applies for albumin secretion in the bile, which is increased by a large factor; (e) newly synthesized albumin secreted directly from hepatocytes in control and in colchicine-treated animals is the major source of bile albumin; and (f) colchicine affects in different ways the polymeric IgA receptor and albumin arrival at the sinusoidal front and especially at the biliary front of the hepatocyte. (Hepatology 1992;15:714–721).
Female-specific ornamentation predicts offspring quality in the striped plateau lizard, Sceloporus virgatus

When females vary in reproductive quality, they may be selected to honestly signal that quality and males may be selected to express mate choice based on this variation. In the striped plateau lizard, females with larger and more saturated orange throat patches are of higher phenotypic quality, and males preferentially associate with brighter females. Here, we assess whether this female ornament conveys fitness benefits by relating female ornamentation to offspring quality. We housed groups of male and female Sceloporus virgatus in outdoor enclosures, tracked the seasonal color development of females to determine peak ornament expression, measured offspring body condition from hatching to day 180, and measured offspring sprint speed at day 180. Although we did not eliminate the possibility of assortative mating within enclosures, we controlled for these potential effects by exposing females to small groups of similarly sized males and by including maternal body size, maternal body condition, and egg mass as covariates in our statistical models. Offspring body condition was reliably predicted by female ornament size but not by ornament color intensity or saturation. Similarly, offspring sprint speed was predicted only by ornament size and not by color intensity or saturation. Females with large ornaments tended to produce offspring with higher body condition and faster offspring than did females with small ornaments. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that males may gain fitness benefits from preferentially allocating their reproductive effort toward females with larger orange patches by producing higher quality offspring. Possible mechanisms underlying such female-ornament--offspring-quality relationships are discussed. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.
Metachronous Presentation of Bilateral Leydig Cell Tumors

Leydig cell tumors comprise only 2 to 3% of all testes tumors and they are bilateral in 3 to 9% of cases.' However, long interval metachronous presentation is rare. We report a case of metachronous bilateral Leydig cell tumors with a 14-year interval between presentations. CASE REPORT A 24-year-old white man presented with complaints of painful gynecomastia. Physical examination was remarkable for signs of gynecomastia and a firm tender 2 cm. mass in the upper pole of the right testicle. Laboratory testing revealed elevated serum estradiol of 74 pg./ml. (normal 8 to 38), and normal follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and serum testosterone. Right radical orchiectomy was performed. Pathological evaluation revealed an interstitial Leydig cell tumor with a well defined capsule, low mitotic rate and no vascular or perineural invasion. The patient remained asymptomatic for 14 years after orchiectomy but he presented at age 38 with a painful nodule in the left testicle. Physical examination demonstrated a firm tender 1 cm. mass in the superior pole of the left testicle. Serum estradiol, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, a-fetoprotein and P-human chorionic gonadotropin were normal. Excisional biopsy revealed histological features consistent with testicular malignancy. Radical orchiectomy was performed and testosterone replacement was initiated. Pathological review showed a benign Leydig cell tumor (see figure). DISCUSSION Bilateral metachronous Leydig cell tumors are exceedingly rare. In 1 previous case a tumor developed 16 years after the original lesion.2 Castle and Richardson reported a case of Leydig cell hyperplasia 9 years after orchiectomy for Leydig cell tumor in which no distinct tumor was identified.3 Although these tumors are usually benign, 10% of cases have been associated with a malignant course. Leydig cell tumors are often associated with endocrinological abnormalities
Leaf extracellular ascorbate in relation to O3 tolerance of two soybean cultivars

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars Essex and Forrest that exhibit differences in ozone (O(3)) sensitivity were used in greenhouse experiments to investigate the role of leaf extracellular antioxidants in O(3) injury responses. Charcoal-filtered air and elevated O(3) conditions were used to assess genetic, leaf age, and O(3) effects. In both cultivars, the extracellular ascorbate pool consisted of 80-98% dehydroascorbic acid, the oxidized form of ascorbic acid (AA) that is not an antioxidant. For all combinations of genotype and O(3) treatments, extracellular AA levels were low (1-30nmolg(-1) FW) and represented 3-30% of the total antioxidant capacity. Total extracellular antioxidant capacity was twofold greater in Essex compared with Forrest, consistent with greater O(3) tolerance of Essex. The results suggest that extracellular antioxidant metabolites in addition to ascorbate contribute to detoxification of O(3) in soybean leaves and possibly affect plant sensitivity to O(3) injury.
Considerations of a gold-denominated life insurance policy

Global inflation and economic cyclical fluctuations have accelerated the depreciation rate of monetary assets. Safeguarding the purchasing power of long-term life insurance products’ cash flow becomes an issue of great theoretical and practical significance for life insurance. Using data from China, this article designs a long-term life insurance policy denominated in ounces of gold, and compares it with traditional long-term life insurance policies. For the time frame of interest to this study, we confirm that a long-term life insurance policy denominated in ounces of gold provided significant protection against the effects of inflation and economic cyclical fluctuations. We propose a risk management program aimed at price risk, interest rate risk, currency risk and investment risk as a result of the insurance policy denominated in ounces. Our recommended strategy includes an inducing index method to hedge against the losses caused by price fluctuations of gold.
Application of High-fidelity Simulation Training to the Neonatal Resuscitation and Pediatric Advanced Life Support Programs

Mounting evidence has pointed to communication and principles of teamwork to be the root of optimizing patient safety. This has prompted hospital administrators and leaders in health care to find ways to continuously monitor and improve these elements as part of ongoing quality assurance measures. Providing on-demand, realistic experiences far from patient risk, high-fidelity simulation (HFS) training has begun to emerge as a standard in health care education. HFS includes experiential learning aimed at acquisition and retention of knowledge, technical and behavioral skills, and the development of critical thinking. HFS is useful in training and reinforcement of knowledge, skills, and behaviors related to low-frequency, high-risk events that are part and parcel of caring for the critically ill child and neonate. This article provides an overview of HFS and its application in the education of pediatric health care providers in neonatal resuscitation program (NRP) and pediatric advance life support (PALS).
Longitudinal Relation between Smoking and White Blood Cells

Higher white blood cell counts in smokers compared with nonsmokers have been well documented, but the longitudinal relation between changes in smoking and changes in white blood cells has not been well described. Since 1984, data have been collected semiannually by the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), a four-center prospective cohort study of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in homosexual men. The study population includes 2,435 participants who were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seronegative as of September 1994 and who contributed 20,918 person-visits for this analysis. For individuals who modified their smoking behavior, changes in white blood cell counts occurred primarily during the first 6 months following changes in the amount of cigarettes smoked. Among former smokers who resumed smoking, the extent of the increase in white blood cell count depended on the number of cigarettes smoked. Specifically, increases of 241, 340, and 740 cells/microliter were observed for smokers who resumed smoking or = 2 packs/day, respectively. Conversely, smokers who quit smoking had a decrease of white blood cell count: -32, -629, and -1,122 cells/microliter for men who previously smoked or = 2 packs/day, respectively. Long-term ex-smokers, however, still had higher white blood cell counts than did never smokers. There was a high within-individual correlation of white blood cell count in persons who reported a consistent level of smoking (i.e., average correlations between two white blood cell counts 6 years apart were 0.51 for never smokers, 0.48 for ex-smokers, 0.56 for men who smoked or = 1 pack/day). These analyses indicate an acute effect of changes in smoking on changes in white blood cell count, a residual effect of having been a smoker, and high long-term tracking for white blood cell count.
The use of count data models in biomedical informatics evaluation research

Objectives Studies on the impact and value of health information technology (HIT) have often focused on outcome measures that are counts of such things as hospital admissions or the number of laboratory tests per patient. These measures with their highly skewed distributions (high frequency of 0s and 1s) are more appropriately analyzed with count data models than the much more frequently used variations of ordinary least squares (OLS). Use of a statistical procedure that does not properly fit the distribution of the data can result in significant findings being overlooked. The objective of this paper is to encourage greater use of count data models by demonstrating their utility with an example based on the authors' current work. Target audience Researchers conducting impact and outcome studies related to HIT. Scope We review and discuss count data models and illustrate their value in comparison to OLS using an example from a study of the impact of an electronic health record (EHR) on laboratory test orders. The best count data model reveals significant relationships that OLS does not detect. We conclude that comprehensive model checking is highly recommended to identify the most appropriate analytic model when the dependent variable being examined contains count data. This strategy can lead to more valid and precise findings in HIT evaluation studies.