cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative impacts of white grub (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) control products on the abundance of non-target soil-active arthropods in turfgrass.

Summary A study was conducted over 3 years on an experimental home lawn to detect, measure and contrast the effects of white grub (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) control products on the abundance of soil-active arthropods. Both short-term effects (those caused by a single application) and cumulative effects (those attributed to repeated yearly applications) were evaluated for five different control regimes: trichlorfon, imidacloprid, halofenozide, entomopathogenic nematodes and elemental sulfur. Treatments were applied to replicated plots (10 m×10 m) from 2000 to 2002. Invertebrates were sampled monthly from July to October in 2001 and 2002 by extracting soil cores in modified Tullgren funnels. All 293,868 captures were identified to class (arthropods) and order (hexapods). Overall extraction rate was 37,772 individuals/m 2 of turf and associated topsoil. The ten most abundant taxa were analyzed in more detail to compare impacts across treatments. A consistent short-term effect due to individual applications was not detected. But when data were examined across both seasons, a significant cumulative effect of treatment was detected for total hexapods, Collembola, Thysanoptera and Coleoptera adults, but not oribatid mites, non-oribatid mites, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera larvae or Diptera. Contrary to predictions, only imidacloprid – a systemic neonicotinoid applied early in the life cycle to target neonate white grubs – had a discernible impact on non-target abundance. Relative to the untreated check, it suppressed the abundance of those broad taxonomic groups by 54–62%. The implications of these results are discussed with respect to their functional relevance and to the role of neonicotinoids for white grub management in turfgrass.
Scanning X-Ray Diffraction: A Technique With High Compositional Resolution for Studying Phase Formation in Co-Deposited Thin Films

Investigation of the formation of new metastable phases in alloy thin films requires ways of quickly determining the crystalline structure of samples with different compositions. We report a novel technique for acquiring structural information from films intentionally grown with a composition gradient. For example, binary metal alloy films were deposited using a phase-spread sputtering method. In this way essentially the entire composition range could be grown in a single deposition. By using a narrow incident x-ray beam and a translating sample stage combined with a position sensitive x-ray detector technique, detailed information of the metastable phase diagram can be obtained rapidly. Compositional resolution of the order of {plus_minus}0.2% can be achieved, and is limited by the brightness of the x-ray source. Initial results from studies of phase formation in Zr-Ta alloys are presented. Extensions of the analysis technique to ternary systems are discussed.
Lithium hydride powered PEM fuel cells for long-duration small mobile robotic missions

This paper reports on a study to develop power supplies for small mobile robots performing long duration missions. It investigates the use of fuel cells to achieve this objective, and in particular Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells. It is shown through a representative case study that, in theory, fuel cell based power supplies will provide much longer range than the best current rechargeable battery technology. It also briefly discusses an important limitation that prevents fuel cells from achieving their ideal performance, namely a practical method to store their fuel (hydrogen) in a form that is compatible with small mobile field robots. A very efficient fuel storage concept based on water activated lithium hydride (LiH) is proposed that releases hydrogen on demand. This concept is very attractive because water vapor from the air is passively extracted or waste water from the fuel cell is recycled and transferred to the lithium hydride where the hydrogen is “stripped” from water and is returned to the fuel cell to form more water. This results in higher hydrogen storage efficiencies than conventional storage methods. Experimental results are presented that demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.
Preparing Teachers for a New Era: Building Bridges in the Learning-to-Teach Professional Sequence

Teacher preparation, historically, has involved learning experiences offered by personnel in four distinct settings—faculty in Colleges of Letters and Science, faculty in Colleges of Education, pra...
Autoreactive epitope defined as the anticodon region of alanine transfer RNA

Autoantibodies to aminoacyl-transfer RNA (tRNA) synthetases are common in the human autoimmune diseases polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Sera of the PL-12 specificity contain separate antibodies reacting with alanyl-tRNA synthetase and alanine tRNA (tRNAAla). The antibodies to tRNA recognize at least six distinguishable human tRNAAla species grouped into two sequence families. The antibody-reactive determinants on the tRNA were identified through ribonuclease protection and oligonucleotide binding experiments. The antibody binding site is a seven- to nine-nucleotide sequence containing the anticodon loop and requires an intact anticodon. No requirement for anticodon stem structure or sequence is observed, although the 5' portion of the stem is protected from nuclease attack. Antibodies from several patients appear to share the same specificitym, indicating that the antibodies are induced by a unique sequence feature in the immunogen.
Relation between bacteriophage T4 DNA replication and late transcription in Vitro and in Vivo

Abstract An in vitro system for DNA and late RNA synthesis in extracts of phage T4-infected Escherichia coli has been devised. Here we describe the DNA synthesis properties of the system, as derived from T4 wild type- or replication mutant-infected cells. When the system is prepared from wild type phage-infected cells, DNA synthesis in vitro is sustained for a longer time at 25 than at 37°; both dCMP and hmdCMP can be incorporated into DNA. When the system is derived from E. coli infected with replication-defective T4 mutants, DNA synthesis in vitro parallels, at least qualitatively, the in vivo replication properties of these infections. T4 late RNA synthesis in vitro , even that RNA synthesis which should be initiated in vitro , can occur in the absence of concurrent DNA synthesis, both at 25 and at 40°. Nevertheless, bacteria infected with a temperature-sensitive T4 DNA polymerase (gp 43) mutant, ts P36, generate cell-free systems with the property of temperature-sensitive T4 late RNA synthesis in the absence of concurrent DNA synthesis. Bacteria-infected with a temperature-sensitive T4 dCMP hydroxymethylase (gp 42) mutant, ts LB3, do not show a comparable temperature sensitivity. Stimulated by this finding, certain aspects of the connection between T4 DNA replication and late RNA synthesis in vivo have been analyzed (or reanalyzed) The quantitative and qualitative effects, on T4 late RNA synthesis, of blocking DNA synthesis with FUdR and of inactivating temperature-sensitive T4 DNA replication proteins (gp 42 and gp 43) are shown to differ. The outcome of these in vitro and in vivo experiments is consistent with the notion that at least some of the T4 DNA replication proteins interact with the late gene transcription system.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Abused Children and Adolescent and Adult Victims of Rape: Review of Selected Literature

Sexual assault (defined as sexual relations with another person obtained through physical force, threat, or intimidation) of children includes genital fondling, photographing, or viewing for sexual gratification; exposure of the child to pornographic material or to adult sexual activity; and attempted or successful penetration of any of the child's orifices. The purpose of this investigation was to review the medical literature published since 1988 that reported on the prevalence of particular sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in populations of sexually assaulted adults and adolescents and sexually abused children, as well as the prevalence of sexual abuse among children who present with an STD. These data will be helpful for managing cases of sexual assault involving children, adolescents, or adults; estimating the risk of abuse among children with specific STDs; and identifying research priorities in this area.
Blood use by inpatient elderly population in the United States

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to characterize inpatient blood use by the US elderly population during 2001. As the US population ages the demand for blood is expected to grow. There have been no comprehensive studies, however, detailing blood use by the elderly in the United States. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study of blood utilization was conducted with the 5 percent Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data file obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Each record of the file represented a billing record of an inpatient stay. Blood use was identified by either a nonzero blood pints furnished quantity or a procedure code for transfusion of whole blood or red blood cells (RBCs). RESULTS: Among 635,700 stays, 43,220 (6.8%) recorded transfusion of whole blood or RBCs. Blood use prevalence was approximately 4.5 times higher for stays with at least one medical procedure compared to stays without procedures. Of 15,579 stays with number of blood pints furnished recorded, the top 20 principal procedures with the largest quantities of blood accounted for about 56 percent of total blood pints furnished; however, these procedures represented only about 19 percent of all stays. CONCLUSION: Our study shows a strong association between medical procedures and blood use among inpatient stays for the elderly. Some of the highest blood utilization occurred with surgical procedures. More precise information on blood utilization may serve as the basis for estimating risks associated with blood transfusion and may inform decisions that maintain an adequate supply of blood.
“Cloning” in academe: Mentorship and academic careers

Mentor professors were surveyed with respect to their most successful “proteges” regarding scholarly production, the mentorship role, and their careers. Career stage, network stratification, and weak-tie theories provided the conceptual frameworks. The 62 mentors were highly productive professors who were predominantly both graduates and employees of research universities. Mentors overwhelmingly nominated as their most successful proteges those whose careers were essentially identical to their own—i.e., their “clones.” Women mentors named as most successfully proteges more than twice as many females and males than men did. More productive mentors linked with a greater number of proteges but were less knowledgable about their personal lives, as Granovetter's theory would predict. The results also demonstrate the openness of the network within stratified levels.
Comparative evaluation of laser-assisted micro-milling for AISI 316, AISI 422, TI-6AL-4V and Inconel 718 in a side-cutting configuration

This paper is focused on numerical modeling and experimental evaluation of laser-assisted micro-milling (LAMM). An experimental setup consisting of a 25 W CO2 laser, three-axis CNC linear stages and a high-speed spindle was used to implement the LAMM process. Micro-endmills between 100 and 300 µm in diameter were used to perform side-cutting operations with and without laser preheat on four materials: AISI 316, AISI 422, Ti-6Al-4V and Inconel 718. A three-dimensional transient finite-volume-based thermal model was used to analytically predict appropriate process parameters on the basis of material-removal temperatures. The effects of LAMM on the machined surface finish, edge burrs, tool wear and workpiece microstructure were evaluated experimentally.
Visualizing cross section forces

Abstract A visualization technique is presented that can significantly advance the comprehension of the forces and moments that exist throughout a structure during a crash event. This is made possible through colored, scaled vector display of the forces at individual cross sections. Animating the deformed geometry while displaying cross section forces gives the analysts a detailed view of what is happening in the structure. This deeper understanding can be used to help design a structure for optimum crashworthiness performance.
Generating edge detectors from a training ensemble

Our objective is to automatically generate an efficient edge detector given an ensemble of training images with known edge maps. This paper shows how to construct linear machines for edge detection from such an ensemble. Linear machines categorize data vectors into N categories by maximizing N - 1 linear functions (convolutions). The detector, that derives from artificial images with step edges, is significantly different from that derived from Canny's criteria. These differences suggest a new theory for edge detectors -- optimal operators that generate a fixed width response to edges. The preliminary suboptimal results from applying our linear machine are already comparable to that of the state of the art in edge detection.
A class of tests for testing ‘new is better than used’

A class of tests is proposed for testing H0 F(x) = e−λx, λ > 0, x≥0 vs. H1 F(x + y) ≤ F(x)F(y), x, y≥0, with strict inequality for some x, y ≥ 0 (F = new is better than used). Efficiency comparisons of some tests within the class are made and a new test is proposed on the basis of these comparisons. Consistency and the asymptotic normality of the class of tests is proved under fairly broad conditions on the underlying entities.
Plant-based food resources, trophic interactions among alien species, and the abundance of an invasive ant

Recent research on invasive ants suggests that their success may be facilitated by increased resources at introduced locations stemming from the emergence of novel trophic interactions with abundant honeydew-producing Hemiptera. Moreover, those Hemiptera may themselves often be introduced or invasive. To test the importance of mutualisms for invasive species, we conducted a study in the southeastern United States of factors hypothesized to affect the abundance of an invasive ant native to South America, Solenopsis invicta. The study was conducted within grazing pastures, where S. invicta can be extremely abundant while also exhibiting substantial variability in abundance. A path analysis showed that the abundance of S. invicta was strongly and positively affected by the abundance of an invasive honeydew-producing mealybug native to Asia, Antonina graminis, and by the mealybugs’ host grasses because of their strong positive effect on mealybug abundance. Abundance of the mealybug was primarily attributable to an invasive host grass native to Africa, Cynodon dactylon. The abundance of S. invicta was also positively affected by the abundance of other arthropods that they are likely to consume, and those arthropods were positively affected by the abundance of both the A. graminis host grasses and other plants. Thus the study shows that the distribution and abundance of different plant species could have important effects on the abundance of S. invicta through their effect on the ants’ food resources. The results are also consistent with the hypothesis that the emergence of novel trophic interactions among invasive species can promote the abundance of invasive ants.
2.5-D Time-Domain Finite-Differencing of the Quasistatic Maxwell's Equations

This paper describes a new electromagnetic forward modeling algorithm. The algorithm is a explicit finitedifference solution to reduced quasistatic Maxwell’s equations for electromagnetic fields excited by 3-D finite sources in a 2-D medium (i.e. a 2.5-D model). The reduced quasistatic Maxwell’s equations are derived from the standard Maxwell’s equations by taking the advantage of 2-D media. In these reduced equations, three components, h, , h,, and er , ae decoupled from the six components of h and e and can be solved directly. The main advantages of the new algorithm are: (1) the optimal efficiency in both computer time and memory because the time step are adapted to the diffusion physics of electromagnetic fields and only three components are need to be directly computed, (2) the applicability to complex resistivity models with possibly large resistivity contrasts (e.g. lOOO:l), (3) the flexibility of modeling varies sources, such as horizontal magnetic dipoles, vertical magnetic dipoles, ydirection electric dipoles and the superposition of these dipoles (e.g. long wire sources and horizontal ground loops), and (4) the simplicity of coding because the algorithm is explicit and the “time” step used in the algorithm is constant. The numerical results calculated by the finite-difference scheme match the analytical solutions very well. INTRODUCTION Mineral explorations are frequently performed with transient electromagnetic (TEM) systems. Physical and numerical modelings are important for the interpretations of real data and inversions of physical parameters. In some situations, the media are approximately 2-D (invariant in the y-direction), and often with sources localized to a small region or a point and receivers distributed in a plane. In such cases, a 2.5-D modeling method is adequate to calculate the electromagnetic response. A time domain 2.5-D TEM numerical modeling method has not been published to date. In this paper, I will derive reduced quasistatic Maxwell’s equations from the standard quasistatic Maxwell’s equations for a 2.5-D case, and propose a time domain explicit finite-difference scheme for implementing these reduced equations. This 2.5-D modeling method will be referred to ET, which stands for “Electromagnetic field modeling in the time domain”. Fist, the theory of ET method will be formulated, followed by the discussion on the numerical implementation of the ET, and then some numerical results calculated by the finite-difference scheme based on the ET. Numerical results for homogeneous media will be compared with analytical solutions. Here, e is the electric field intensity in V/m, b is the magnetic Induction in Wb/ m2, d is the dielectric displacement in C/ m , h is the magnetic field intensity A/m, j is the electric current density in A/ m2, sity in coulombs. and pe is the electric charge denDue to attenuations in the earth, geophysical EM surveys usually utilize only low frequen or late time data, for which the displacement currents (quasistatic approximation). Letting
On evaluating story grammars.

In their recent article entitled “An Evaluation of Story Grammars,” Black and Wilensky (1979) offer a critique of the recent work on this topic. They argue that story grammars (or story schemata as I prefer to call them) are not a productive approach to the study of story understanding, and they offer three main lines of argumentation. First, they argue that story grammars are notformully adequate in as much as most of them are represented as a set of context free rewrite rules which are known to be inadequate even for sentence grammars. Second, they argue that story grammars are not empiricully adequate in as much as there are stories which do not seem to follow story grammars and there are nonstories which do. Finally, they argue that story grammars could not form an adequate basis for a comprehension model since in order to apply the grammar you need to have interpreted the story. These arguments are, in my opinion, indicative of a misunderstanding of the enterprise that I and others working on these issues have been engaged in. I believe that they are all based on a misunderstanding about what grammars might be good for and about how comprehension might occur. In this response, I wish to clarify the nature of story schemata as I understand them, clarify the nature of Black and Wilensky’s misunderstandings and show how each of their arguments fails to address the important issues about story grammars and story schemata. I begin by summarizing the basic notions of story grammars and story schemata. Most story grammars are based around the observation that many stories seem to involve a sort of problem solving motif (c.f., Mandler & Johnson, 1977; Rumelhart, 1975; Rumelhart, 1977b; Stein & Glenn, 1979; Thomdyke, 1977). Such stories have roughly the following structure: First, something happens to a protagonist which sets up a goal that must be satisfied. Then the remainder of the story is a description of the protagonist’s problem solving behavior in seeking the goal coupled with the results of that behavior. The
Economic viability and animal health regulation effects on a large scale trout hatchery

Abstract An economic-engineering approach is used to evaluate the economic viability and health regulatory effects on a trout egg production hatchery located in the northeastern region of the United States. The hatchery has an output sufficient to supply the production requirements for the eastern US trout fishery. Analysis was made using AQUASIM, a dynamic, stochastic, capital budgeting simulation model for aquaculture production. The results show that the trout hatchery would be affected by a modest price competition from hatcheries located in the western region. The results also show that it is better to shut down and correct a serious disease problem than try to continue to operate and experience loss of production due to a violation of a regulatory policy.
The Possible Impact of Fuel Pellet Cracking on Inferred Gap Conductance and Fuel Stored Energy

Thermally induced cracking of the UO2 fuel pellets undoubtedly results in some reduction of the effective fuel thermal conductivity, relative to that for solid UO2. This effect may be approximated ...
DEVELOPMENT OF A PHYSIOLOGICALLY BASED PHARMACOKINETIC MODEL FOR METHYL ETHYL KETONE IN F344 RATS

A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to describe the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) in rats was developed. Partition coefficients were experimentally determined in rat tissues and blood samples using an in vitro vial equilibration technique. These solubility ratios were in agreement with previous human-based estimates that MEK is uniformly soluble within all tissues. The in vivo metabolism of MEK was evaluated using groups of three F344 male rats exposed to 100-2000 ppm MEK in a closed, recirculating gas uptake system. An optimal fit of a family of uptake curves was obtained by adjusting Michaelis-Menten metabolic constants, K m (affinity), and V max (capacity) using the PBPK model. At the highest chamber concentration, the uptake curve could not be modeled without the addition of a first-order (K fo ) metabolic pathway. Pretreatment with pyrazole, an inhibitor of oxidative microsomal metabolism, decreased the slope of the gas uptake curv...
Histological characteristics of the fetal inflammatory response associated with neurodevelopmental impairment and death in extremely preterm infants.

Objective To test the hypothesis that increasing severity of the fetal inflammatory response (FIR) would have a dose-dependent relationship with severe neurodevelopmental impairment or death in extremely preterm infants. Study design We report 347 infants of 23-28 weeks gestational age admitted to a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit between 2006 and 2008. The primary outcome was death or neurodevelopmental impairment at the 18- to 22-month follow-up. Exposure status was defined by increasing stage of funisitis (stage 1, phlebitis; stage 2, arteritis with or without phlebitis; stage 3, subacute necrotizing funisitis) and severity of chorionic plate vasculitis (inflammation with or without thrombosis). Results A FIR was detected in 110 placentas (32%). The rate of severe neurodevelopmental impairment/death was higher in infants with subacute necrotizing funisitis compared with infants without placental/umbilical cord inflammation (60% vs 35%; P P P = .04) and chorionic plate vasculitis with thrombosis (risk ratio, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.10-4.46; P = .03) were associated with severe neurodevelopmental impairment/death. Conclusion Severe FIR, characterized by subacute necrotizing funisitis and severe chorionic plate vasculitis with thrombosis, is associated with severe neurodevelopmental impairment/death in preterm infants.
Quadratic programming for portfolio optimization

Portfolio optimization is a procedure for generating a portfolio composition which yields the highest return for a given level of risk or a minimum risk for given level of return. The problem can be formulated as a quadratic programming problem. We shall present a new and efficient optimization procedure taking advantage of the special structure of the portfolio selection problem. An example of its application to the traditional mean-variance method will be shown. Formulation of the procedure shows that the solution of the problem is vector intensive and fits well with the advanced architecture of recent computers, namely the vector processor.
Two-level model for near saturated fluorescence in diatomic molecules

The near saturated behavior of diatomic molecules is modeled by considering the interactions of two sets of rotational levels. The molecules are assumed to be subjected to high intensity laser radiation tuned to one particular rotational transition between the sets of levels. Previous two-level models for atomic fluorescence are modified to account for the strong coupling of rotational energy levels in molecules. The steady-state rate equations for the system are manipulated to give a simple expression for the total fluorescence power in terms of the electronic quenching rate Q21, the spontaneous emission rate A21, the stimulated emission rate B21I21, and the population fractions of the lower and upper levels which are directly excited by the laser, F1(e) and F2(e), respectively. When the ratio of the rotational relaxation rates Q22 and Q11 to Q21 is on the order of 100 or less, the distribution of molecules among rotational levels is found to be markedly non-Boltzmann. The influence of the non-Boltzmann distribution on data interpretation is discussed.
Controversies in the Diagnosis and Management of Craniosynostosis: A Panel Discussion

This introductory article summarizes and comments on a group of four papers based in part on a panel discussion of craniosynostosis (CS) held at the 53rd annual meeting of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. The purpose of this panel was to review the differential diagnosis of CS and the evidence for increased intracranial pressure (ICP) and developmental problems in CS patients. First, a correct diagnosis must be made, with true synostosis being differentiated from positional deformities and other normal variants. Second, medical indications must be balanced against the risks of operating on CS patients. Release of fused sutures is commonly undertaken to avoid increased ICP, although studies of ICP in infants and children with CS are hampered by a lack of normative data and by difficulties with measurement techniques. A subgroup of children with isolated craniosynostosis may have increased ICP, which can be deleterious to brain function. Longitudinal studies of children with isolated CS suggest an increased risk of mental retardation and learning disorders; surgical release of the suture may not diminish this risk. Patients with metopic suture fusion appear to be particularly at risk. These findings must be confirmed with a larger sample size. These uncertainties raise ethical issues and complicate medical decision-making for the infant with CS. A trusting and truthful relationship between the parents and the professional is necessary for a balanced discussion of the best interests of the child. All patients with confirmed synostosis should be followed for evidence of progressive deformity, intracranial hypertension, and neurodevelopmental problems.
In search of an API for scalable file systems: under the table or above it?

Abstract : cluster file systems have been used by the high performance computing (HPC) community at even larger scales for more than a decade. These cluster file systems, including IBM GPFS, Panasas PanFS, PVFS and Lustre, are required to meet the scalability demands of highly parallel I/O access patterns generated by scientific applications that execute simultaneously on tens to hundreds of thousands of nodes. Thus, given the importance of scalable storage to both the DISC and the HPC world, we take a step back and ask ourselves if we are at a point where we can distill the key commonalities of these scalable file systems. This is not a paper about engineering yet another 'right' file system or database, but rather about how do we evolve the most dominant data storage API - the file system interface - to provide the right abstraction for both DISC and HPC applications. What structures should be added to the file system to enable highly scalable and highly concurrent storage? Our goal is not to define the API calls per se, but to identify the file system abstractions that should be exposed to programmers to make their applications more powerful and portable. This paper highlights two such abstractions. First, we show how commodity large-scale file systems can support distributed data processing enabled by the Hadoop/MapReduce style of parallel programming frameworks. And second, we argue for an abstraction that supports indexing and searching based on extensible attributes, by interpreting BigTable as a file system with a filtered directory scan interface.
Toward A Model of Competitive International Politics

A NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS have been made in recent years to construct rigorous models of the international system, among which some of the more precise are various models of international equilibrium and other examples of systems analysis.' Most of these efforts have been directed to the application of models more or less directly derived from economics or the natural sciences. It may be, however, that we have overlooked a number of possibilities from closely related aspects of political science. For example, there is a substantial body of theory about competitive national political systems which might profitably be applied to international politics. The relevance may not be immediately apparent. National systems are characterized by institutions empowered to make, execute, and interpret decisions binding on their citizens. Though these institutions are not entirely absent from the international system, they are undeniably weak. But in any society cooperative behavior results not only from the actual or potential threat of sanctions applied by authority. Nor would such institutions guarantee cooperation. In their comparative study of political integration Karl W. Deutsch et al. found the establishment of common governmental institutions and a "monopoly of violence" often more of a hindrance than a help.2 Of the wars between 1820 and 1949 involving more than 31,000 casualties, at least half were internal rather than international
The Role of Sonic Hedgehog Signalling in Craniofacial Development

The unique characteristics of our face contribute to individuality, distinguishing us from other human beings as well as other species. This has led to the face being thought of as an isolated entity, in terms of both embryonic development and postnatal physical characteristics. The artistic intricacy of facial features is a reflection of multiple sophisticated spatial and temporal developmental events and interactions, not only within tissues that give rise to the face but also between these and other tissues such as the brain. The culmination of such interactions transforms planar tissue into readily recognizable complex three-dimensional structures with unique characteristics that we identify as our face. Complexity not simplicity, and interactions not seclusion, are the axioms in craniofacial development.
Conceptualizing Coping: Optimism as a Case Study

Coping involves any effort to deal with difficult or challenging situations, and coping strategies vary, often depending on individual differences and situational circumstances. Research has typically characterized coping as either involving problem-focused or emotion-focused strategies, or sometimes approach or avoidance strategies. The current review suggests that a more useful distinction would be found in crossed dimensions, such as problem-focused approach or avoidance, or emotion-focused approach or avoidance. For example, the individual difference of dispositional optimism has been found to be positively associated with approach coping strategies seeking to solve or control either problems or emotions, depending on the type of stressor. Although widely used, current coping scales may contribute to a skewed view of coping strategies and may not adequately depict coping dimensions. The current review calls for revisions of current scales or creation of new and better scales.
Dual responsive polymeric nanoparticles prepared by direct functionalization of polylactic acid-based polymers via graft-from ring opening metathesis polymerization

Polylactic acid (PLA) has found widespread use in plastics and in biomedical applications due to its biodegradability into natural benign products. However, PLA-based materials remain limited in usefulness due to difficulty of incorporating functional groups into the polymer backbone. In this paper, we report a strategy for PLA functionalization that establishes the preparation of highly derivatized materials in which ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) is employed as a graft-from polymerization technique utilizing a norbornene-modified handle incorporated into the PLA backbone. As a demonstration of this new synthetic methodology, a PLA-derived nanoparticle bearing imidazole units protected with a photolabile group was prepared. The morphology of this material could be controllably altered in response to exposure of UV light or acidic pH as a stimulus. We anticipate that this graft-from approach to derivatization of PLA could find broad use in the development of modified, biodegradable PLA-based materials.
Women's barrier contraceptive methods: poised for change.

Over the past 20 years, the number of women in the United States choosing a cervical barrier contraceptive method has dramatically declined. By 2002, fewer than 3% of women reported using any woman-initiated barrier method, including the diaphragm, female condom, or cervical cap. At the same time, however, research in infectious diseases indicates that cervical barriers may effectively prevent the transmission of several sexually transmitted infection. This possibility has fueled the recent development of two novel devices. This article examines the seven devices currently available in the United States, comparing their characteristics, efficacy, benefits, and drawbacks. Compared to the diaphragm, the new devices do not offer improved odds of pregnancy prevention, and evidence for their efficacy is sparse. Reasons for the limited acceptance of these methods as contraceptives on one hand—and for interest in their potential for limiting sexually transmitted infections on the other—will also be reviewed. Despite the limited acceptance of cervical barrier methods, midwives and other clinicians should promote their availability as an alternative to other reversible contraceptives.
Age-Biased Spring Dispersal in Male Wild Turkeys

In polygamous animal species, the reproductive component of male fitness largely is determined by the number of females to which they can gain access (e.g. Wright 1946). Access to females often is strongly influenced by the possession of high-quality breeding or display grounds by males (Weatherhead and Robertson 1977). For animals that move between winter and breeding areas, access to high-quality breeding or display grounds can be determined by timing and distance of such movements, but ability to hold highquality sites could be determined by local familiarity, as well as social and physiological status (Greenwood 1980, Johnson 1986, Johnson and Gaines 1990, P•irt 1994, Tsuji et al. 1994). Early dispersal and short-distance movements should allow access to best sites and dominant indi-
Faraday rotation density measurements of optically thick alkali metal vapors

We investigate the measurement of alkali number densities using the Faraday rotation of linearly polarized light. We "nd that the alkali number density may be reliably extracted even in regimes of very high bu!er gas pressure, and very high alkali number density. We have directly veri"ed our results in potassium using absorption spectroscopy on the second resonance (4SP5P). 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
The Changing Engineering Educational Paradigm

The total engineering enterprise has an unparalleled role in our nation's long held precepts of the citizenry's "unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". Whether we translate those words into the current terms of security, defense, health care, wealth production, entertainment, or others, the foundation of that enterprise is its engineering educational system. That system provides the world with the creative talents of emerging professionals who will drive the economic engine, the betterment of society and enrich the human condition in the decades ahead.
Particle physics: Positrons ride the wave.

Experiments reveal that positrons — the antimatter equivalents of electrons — can be rapidly accelerated using a plasma wave. The findings pave the way to high-energy electron–positron particle colliders. See Letter p.442 Conventional radio-frequency particle accelerators are approaching the limits of development in terms of size and cost. The plasma wakefield accelerator is a promising alternative. In this device an electron bunch is accelerated as it 'surfs' on a plasma wave in the wake created by a second electron bunch. Previously, promising results have been obtained in accelerating electrons but making an electron–positron collider also requires accelerated positrons. Here, Sebastien Corde et al. demonstrate a new accelerating regime in which particles in the front of a positron bunch transfer energy to its rear. The positrons gain five gigaelectronvolts in the process, with a low energy spread, over a distance of 1.3 metres. This implies that the accelerating electric fields are two orders of magnitude stronger than in radio-frequency particle accelerators.
Egg-to-Fry Survival of Two Strains of Atlantic Salmon (Salamo salar) in Stream Incubators under Laboratory Conditions

ABSTRACT Egg-to-fry survival of two strains of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was evaluated under laboratory conditions in two commercial stream egg incubators. The survival was also examined based on egg developmental stage (i.e., green eggs, eyed eggs, advanced eggs). There was no significant difference in survival of eggs in the Jordan-Scotty and Whitlock-Vibert incubators. However, the survival of Sebago strain Atlantic salmon eggs was significantly higher than that of Penobscot stream eggs, and survival increased with advanced egg developmental stage.
Is the Trauma Mortality Prediction Model (TMPM-ICD-9) a valid predictor of mortality in pediatric trauma patients?

Abstract Background/Purpose Researchers are constantly challenged to identify optimal mortality risk adjustment methodologies that perform accurately in pediatric trauma patients. This study evaluated the new Trauma Mortality Prediction Model (TMPM-ICD-9) in pediatric trauma patients. Methods Data were analyzed on 107,104 pediatric trauma patients included in the NTDB® in 2010 who had both a valid ISS and probability of death using TMPM-ICD-9. Discrimination was compared using the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) and by age, blunt vs penetrating, intent, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and number of injuries. Results The AUC for TMPM-ICD-9 demonstrated excellent discrimination in predicting mortality versus ISS overall, 11 to 17 years of age (0.96 vs 0.93), by injury type, intent, and in the lowest GCS scores. The TMPM-ICD-9 showed superior discrimination over ISS in patients with more than two injuries. Conclusions The TMPM demonstrated superior discrimination compared to ISS. The TMPM shows promise of a much needed and simple to use risk adjustment tool with application to both adult and pediatric patients. Researchers should continue to validate this tool in robust pediatric data sets.
Complete genome sequence of cell culture-attenuated guinea pig cytomegalovirus cloned as an infectious bacterial artificial chromosome

ABSTRACT The complete genome sequence of attenuated guinea pig cytomegalovirus cloned as bacterial artificial chromosome N13R10 was determined. Comparison to pathogenic salivary gland-derived virus revealed 13 differences, 1 of which disrupted overlapping open reading frames encoding GP129 and GP130. Attenuation of N13R10 may arise from an inability to express GP129 and/or GP130.
Optofluidic Cytometry on a Chip

The effects of global warming, pollution in river effluents, and changing ocean currents can be studied by characterizing variations in phytoplankton populations. We demonstrate the design and fabrication of a microflow cytometer for characterization of phytoplankton. Guided by chevron-shaped grooves on the top and bottom of a microfluidic channel, two symmetric sheath streams wrap around a central sample stream and hydrodynamically focus it in the center of the channel. The lasers are carefully chosen to provide excitation light close to the maximum absorbance wavelengths for the intrinsic fluorophores chlorophyll and phycoerythrin, and the excitation light is coupled to the flow cytometer through the use of an optical fiber. Fluorescence and light scatter are collected using two multimode optical fibers placed at 90-degree angles with respect to the excitation fiber. Light emerging from these collection fibers is directed through optical bandpass filters into photomultiplier tubes. The cytometer measured the optical and side scatter properties of Karenia b., Synechococcus sp., Pseudo-Nitzchia, Alexandrium, Nitzschia, and Thallassiosira pseudonana. The microflow cytometer proved sensitive enough to detect and characterize picoplankton with diameter approximately 1 μm and larger phytoplankton of up to 80 μm in length. The wide range in size discrimination coupled with detection of intrinsic fluorescent pigments suggests that this microflow cytometer will be able to distinguish different populations of phytoplankton on unmanned underwater vehicles. We also studied the effect of the sheath-to-sample flow-rate ratio on the light scatter and fluorescence of these marine microorganisms. Experimental Details
Effectiveness of Weight Control through Weight Watch Programs

Linear probability estimation and survey data are employed to quantify the influence of the lifestyles of individuals on the change in their body mass index (BMI). The analysis also explores the effects of demographic characteristics (age, gender, and ethnicity) in weight management. Results suggest evidence of association between changes in lifestyle and changes in the BMI of individuals.
Diplomatics and Archives

Diplomatics is an auxiliary science of history created by the French monk Dom Jean Mabillon in 1681 to establish the authenticity of medieval charters. It played a major role in legitimizing archival documentation for historical research and in the education and work of European archivists, many of whom in the twentieth century have come to recognize its potential value for the study of modern and contemporary records. Special diplomatics could be developed to assist American archivists in understanding and working with legal documents, accounting records, and other distinctive forms of record-keeping; the same could be done to aid in the identification of forgeries and the authentication of electronic records.
NgBR is essential for endothelial cell glycosylation and vascular development

NgBR is a transmembrane protein identified as a Nogo-B-interacting protein and recently has been shown to be a subunit required for cis-prenyltransferase (cisPTase) activity. To investigate the integrated role of NgBR in vascular development, we have characterized endothelial-specific NgBR knockout embryos. Here, we show that endothelial-specific NgBR knockout results in embryonic lethality due to vascular development defects in yolk sac and embryo proper. Loss of NgBR in endothelial cells reduces proliferation and promotes apoptosis of the cells largely through defects in the glycosylation of key endothelial proteins including VEGFR2, VE-cadherin, and CD31, and defective glycosylation can be rescued by treatment with the end product of cisPTase activity, dolichol phosphate. Moreover, NgBR functions in endothelial cells during embryogenesis are Nogo-B independent. These data uniquely show the importance of NgBR and protein glycosylation during vascular development.
Water Banks: Untangling the Gordian Knot of Western Water

This article examines the use of water banking mechanisms to facilitate the transfer of water to new uses. It provides a look at existing banks in Idaho and California. It discusses proposals for additional banks. Finally it offers a suggested framework for establishing new banks.
Sofosbuvir and ledipasvir for HIV/HCV co-infected patients.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a chronic infection that disproportionately impacts people living with HIV. In the past, HCV therapy was less effective in individuals with HIV co-infection. However, the advent of direct-acting antivirals has revolutionized HCV treatment with high rates of success in patients both with and without HIV.Areas covered: In this paper, we review the evidence supporting the use of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) for the treatment of HCV in patients with HIV co-infection. Articles searchable on MEDLINE/PubMed were reviewed to provide context for use of LDV/SOF in individuals with HCV and HIV co-infection.Expert opinion: This treatment is highly effective in achieving HCV cure or sustained virologic response, however further studies need to done to address efficacy of treatment in people with uncontrolled HIV, concerns regarding drug-interactions with antiretroviral therapy, and potential for shorter duration treatment.
Nuclear Condensation during Mouse Erythropoiesis Requires Caspase-3-Mediated Nuclear Opening

Mammalian erythropoiesis involves chromatin condensation that is initiated in the early stage of terminal differentiation. The mechanisms of chromatin condensation during erythropoiesis are unclear. Here, we show that the mouse erythroblast forms large, transient, and recurrent nuclear openings that coincide with the condensation process. The opening lacks nuclear lamina, nuclear pore complexes, and nuclear membrane, but it is distinct from nuclear envelope changes that occur during apoptosis and mitosis. A fraction of the major histones are released from the nuclear opening and degraded in the cytoplasm. We demonstrate that caspase-3 is required for the nuclear opening formation throughout terminal erythropoiesis. Loss of caspase-3 or ectopic expression of a caspase-3 non-cleavable lamin B mutant blocks nuclear opening formation, histone release, chromatin condensation, and terminal erythroid differentiation. We conclude that caspase-3-mediated nuclear opening formation accompanied by histone release from the opening is a critical step toward chromatin condensation during erythropoiesis in mice.