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BACKGROUND: Hypofibrinogenemia has been shown to predict massive transfusion and is associated with higher mortality in severely injured patients. However, the role of empiric fibrinogen replacement in bleeding trauma patients remains controversial. We sought to determine the effect of empiric cryoprecipitate as an adjunct to a balanced transfusion strategy (1:1:1). STUDY DESIGN: This study is a subanalysis of patients treated at the single US trauma center in a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Trauma patients (more than 15 years) were eligible if they had evidence of active hemorrhage requiring emergent surgery or interventional radiology, massive transfusion protocol (MTP) activation, and received at least 1 unit of blood. Transfer patients, those with injuries incompatible with life, or those injured more than 3 hours earlier were excluded. Patients were randomized to standard MTP (STANDARD) or MTP plus 3 pools of cryoprecipitate (CRYO). Primary outcomes included all-cause mortality at 28 days. Secondary outcomes were transfusion requirements, intraoperative and postoperative coagulation laboratory values, and quality-of-life measures (Glasgow outcome score-extended). RESULTS: Forty-nine patients (23 in the CRYO group and 26 in the STANDARD group) were enrolled between May 2021 and October 2021. Time to randomization was similar between groups (14 vs 24 minutes, p = 0.676). Median time to cryoprecipitate was 41 minutes (interquartile range 37 to 48). There were no differences in demographics, arrival physiology, laboratory values, or injury severity. Intraoperative and ICU thrombelastography values, including functional fibrinogen, were similar between groups. There was no benefit to CRYO with respect to post-emergency department transfusions (intraoperative and ICU through 24 hours), complications, Glasgow outcome score, or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In this study of severely injured, bleeding trauma patients, empiric cryoprecipitate did not improve survival or reduce transfusion requirements. Cryoprecipitate should continue as an "on-demand" addition to a balanced transfusion strategy, guided by laboratory values and should not be given empirically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operant behavior can reflect the influence of goal‐directed and habitual processes. These can be distinguished by changes to response rate following devaluation of the reinforcing outcome. Whether a response is goal directed or habitual depends on whether devaluation affects response rate. Response rate can be decomposed into frequencies of bouts and pauses by analyzing the distribution of interresponse times. This study sought to characterize goal‐directed and habitual behaviors in terms of bout‐initiation rate, within‐bout response rate, bout length, and bout duration. Data were taken from three published studies that compared sensitivity to devaluation following brief and extended training with variable‐interval schedules. Analyses focused on goal‐directed and habitual responding, a comparison of a habitual response to a similarly trained response that had been converted back to goal‐directed status after a surprising event, and a demonstration of contextual control of habit and goal direction in the same subjects. Across experiments and despite responses being clearly distinguished as goal directed and habitual by total response rate, analyses of bout‐initiation rate, within‐bout rate, bout length, and bout duration did not reveal a pattern that distinguished goal‐directed from habitual responding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have considered how signal detection parameters evolve during acquisition periods. We addressed this gap by training mice with differential prior experience in a conditional discrimination, auditory signal detection task. Naïve mice, mice given separate experience with each of the later correct choice options (Correct Choice Response Transfer, CCRT), and mice experienced in conditional discriminations (Conditional Discrimination Transfer, CDT) were trained to detect the presence or absence of a tone in white noise. We analyzed data assuming a two-period model of acquisition: a pre-solution and solution period (Heinemann EG (1983) in The Presolution period and the detection of statistical associations. In: Quantitative analyses of behavior: discrimination processes, vol. 4, pp. 21–36). Ballinger. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.536.1978andrep=rep1andtype=pdf). The pre-solution period was characterized by a selective sampling of biased response strategies until adoption of a conditional responding strategy in the solution period. Correspondingly, discriminability remained low until the solution period; criterion took excursions reflecting response–strategy sampling. Prior experience affected the length and composition of the pre-solution period. Whereas CCRT and CDT mice had shorter pre-solution periods than naïve mice, CDT and Naïve mice developed substantial criterion biases and acquired asymptotic discriminability faster than CCRT mice. To explain these data, we propose a learning model in which mice selectively sample and test different response-strategies and corresponding task structures until they exit the pre-solution period. Upon exit, mice adopt the conditional responding strategy and task structure, with action values updated via inference and generalization from the other task structures. Simulations of representative mouse data illustrate the viability of this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine astigmatic changes of intrastromal limbal-relaxing incisions (LRIs) performed during femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS). Design: Retrospective case series. Patients and Methods: Patients undergoing FLACS with adjunctive astigmatism management with intrastromal LRIs were included. All eyes had preoperative corneal cylinder (Kcyl) ≥ 0.20 D on ocular biometry. An intrastromal LRI nomogram of single, non-paired LRIs placed at the 9 mm optical zone was used. Keratometry was measured preoperatively, and postoperatively at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months (POM3). Alpins astigmatism analysis was used to calculate target-induced astigmatism (TIA, equivalent to preoperative Kcyl), surgically induced astigmatism (SIA), difference vectors (DV), and correction indices (CI). Secondary analysis included multivariable binary logistic regression to determine clinical factors associated with corrections > 125% (CI >  1.25). Results: A total of  154 eyes (125 patients) were studied. Mean preoperative Kcyl was 0.87± 0.42 D (SD), which did not significantly differ from POM3 Kcyl (0.87± 0.51 D, p=0.470). Only the against-the-rule (ATR) subgroup demonstrated a small but significant reduction in Kcyl from preoperative (0.96± 0.51D) to POM3 (0.89± 0.55D, p=0.032). Sixteen eyes (10.4%) had Kcyl ≤ 0.5 D preoperatively, compared to 46 eyes (29.9%) at POM3 (p< 0.0001). Mean SIA was 0.80± 0.52 D. Mean DV was 0.85± 0.47. Mean CI was 0.79. Fifty-one eyes (33%) had astigmatism correction > 125%. On multivariable regression analysis, ATR astigmatism class (p=0.026) and lower arc lengths (30º) (p=0.005) were associated with correction > 125%. Lower preoperative corneal astigmatism was inversely correlated with CI (p< 0.001). Conclusion: Although intrastromal LRIs can be conveniently performed during FLACS and appear safe, only patients with ATR astigmatism demonstrated a significant reduction in corneal astigmatism 3-months postoperatively under the current nomogram. Areas for future refinements to the nomogram were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Article challenges two widely-embraced theories about how public intimate spaces (e.g., toilets, locker rooms, showers, etc. hereinafter called "bathrooms") first became separated by sex. The first challenged theory claims that the very first instance of sex-separation in public bathrooms occurred in 1739 at a ball held at a restaurant in Paris. Under this first view, sex-separation first emerged as a sign of upper-class gentility and elitism. The second challenged theory argues that a consistent practice of differentiating bathrooms by sex did not emerge until the late nineteenth century. According to this view, bathroom sexseparation was imposed when authorities overreacted to the notion of the intermingling of the sexes as women entered the workplace during the Industrial Revolution. Thus, the second view holds that bathroom sexseparation is rooted in sexism, paternalism, and outdated Victorian notions of modesty. This Article argues that both of these theories are wrong. With respect to the first theory, the author's research indicates that the ball in question was not at a restaurant. It was an invitation-only, royal masquerade ball for some 14,000 people. It was hosted by King Louis XV at the Hotel de Ville in Paris to celebrate his daughter's wedding. Moreover, it was not the first instance of sex-separation in bathrooms. That ball may, however, evidence an attempt to extend heterosexually-centered bathroom norms into spaces like the masquerades. The author argues that the masquerades were likely a "safe space" for sexual minorities and places where, by consent, flexible sex and gender norms usually prevailed. The expansion of sex-separation into the masquerades and similar gatherings was likely driven by religious and royal authorities, and were likely supported by powerful sexual minorities among them. The result was that less powerful sexual minorities were pushed further into the closet. As for the second theory, which argues that sex-separation first emerged in the late nineteenth century, the Article establishes that sexseparation well preceded that time and, indeed, dates back to ancient times. Generally speaking, as public policy, the practice was rooted primarily in safety and privacy concerns, although patriarchal norms affected it. Indeed, this Article argues that nineteenth century laws mandating sex-separation in factories were among the earliest anti-sexual harassment laws in the nation. These laws fell short in the effort, however, because they lacked supporting legal structures, because the problems of sexual assault and sexual harassment proved enduring, especially for the female-bodied, and because they did not sufficiently consider the safety of male-bodied persons who were similarly vulnerable to assault and harassment. The Article concludes that the alternative bathroom histories fail. As they propose an explanation of sex-separation that advances the interests of some sexual minorities, they offer a narrative that oppresses women and the female-bodied. They ignore the stories of women's lives and, in particular, their struggles with sexual assault and sexual harassment. They similarly ignore the struggles of the poor for safe intimate spaces. Women and others must push back on approaches that contort women's history, for they are rooted in sexism and patriarchy, even when they may be intended to advance the freedom of other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common assumption in the study of fixed-interval (FI) timing is that FI performance is largely stable within sessions, once it is stable between sessions. Within-session changes in FI performance were examined in published data (Daniels and Sanabria, 2017), wherein some rats were trained on a FI 30-s schedule of food reinforcement (FI30) and others on a FI 90-s schedule (FI90). Following stability, FI90 rats were pre-fed for five sessions. Response rates declined as a function of trial, due more to latency lengthening than to run-rate reduction. Latencies were best described by a dynamic gamma-exponential mixture distribution, in which latency lengthening was driven by the growth of the criterion pulse count for a response and not by a reduction in the speed of an endogenous clock. The speed of the clock was selectively sensitive to the length of the FI; the prevalence and length of exponentially-distributed latencies were selectively sensitive to pre-feeding. These findings reveal (a) that parameters governing FI latencies are selectively sensitive to a range of manipulations, (b) a potential degradation of the criterion pulse count between consecutive sessions, and (c) a subsequent recovery of the criterion pulse count within sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which investigated the niobium nitride/silicon/niobium tunnel junctions with hydrogenated amorphous silicon barriers for several hydrogen concentrations used during barrier deposition. Information on the penetration depth of the niobium nitride-base electrode material; Results of hydrogen doping of the siicon barrier; Increase in the barrier height with increasing hydrogen concentrations in the sputter gas.

Provides information on a study which investigated the properties of rf-magnetron-sputtered niobium nitride (NbN) for substrate temperatures as a function of the partial pressure of methane introduced into a sputtering gas mixture. Effect of hydrogen doping on NbN; Factors that make an attractive junction electrode material; Preparation for the NbN films used; Definition of substrate temperature.

Rationale Prolonged use of nicotine appears to enhance incentive salience, a motivational-cognitive process that transforms an otherwise neutral stimulus into a Bwanted stimulus. It has been suggested that nicotinic enhancement of incentive salience contributes to the potential of relapse in individuals with tobacco addiction. However, there are two main limitations of prior research that caution this claim: (a) the use of passive experimentally delivered nicotine and (b) the use of sign-tracking as an index of incentive salience, without acknowledging the competing nature of goal- and sign-tracking responses. Objectives To determine whether nicotinic enhancement of incentive salience attributed to non-nicotinic stimuli occurs when rats self-administer nicotine, and whether it is facilitated by a prior history of nicotine self-administration. Methods Twenty-three male rats were trained daily, for 24 days, on a nicotine self-administration (SA) paradigm in the morning, and on a four-conditioned-stimuli Pavlovian conditioned approach (4-CS PCA) task in the afternoon. Self-administration was followed by extinction and cue reinstatement. A subcutaneous nicotine challenge was performed during the last 7 days of the study. Results Nicotine self-administration selectively enhanced sign-tracking in the 4-CS PCA. Upon extinction, sign-tracking quickly declined to control levels. Experimenter-administered nicotine enhanced sign-tracking similarly regardless of nicotine history. Conclusions The results suggest that nicotinic enhancement of incentive salience is transient, and a previous history of nicotine use does not cause further sensitization. Taken together, these results suggest that nicotine enhances incentive salience, particularly-- and perhaps exclusively--while onboard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined how systemic low doses of nicotine affect the microstructure of reinforced food-seeking behavior in rats. Rats were first given an acute saline or nicotine treatment (0.1–0.6 mg/kg, with an inter-injection interval of at least 48 h), and then a chronic saline or nicotine treatment (0.3 mg/kg/day for 10 consecutive days). Immediately after each injection, rats were required to press a lever five times to obtain food that was available at unpredictable times (on average every 80 s) with constant probability. Acute nicotine dose-dependently suppressed behavior prior to the delivery of the first reinforcer, but enhanced food-reinforced behavior afterwards. These effects were primarily observed in the time it took rats to initiate food-seeking behavior. Enhancing effects were also observed in the microstructure of food-seeking behavior, with lower nicotine doses (0.1–0.3 mg/kg) increasing the rate at which response bouts were initiated, and higher doses (0.3–0.6 mg/kg) increasing within-bout response rates. A pre-feeding control suggests that changes in appetite alone cannot explain these effects. Over the course of chronic nicotine exposure, tolerance developed to the suppressive, but not to the enhancing effects of nicotine on food-seeking behavior. These results suggest that (a) lower doses of nicotine enhance the reward value of food and/or food-associated stimuli, (b) higher doses of nicotine enhance motoric activity, and (c) ostensive sensitization effects of nicotine on behavior partially reflect a tolerance to its transient suppressive motoric effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 1000× uranium exists in the oceans than exists in terrestrial ores. With nuclear power generation expected to increase over the coming decades, access to this unconventional reserve is a matter of energy security. With origins in the mid-1950s, materials have been developed for the selective recovery of seawater uranium for more than six decades, with a renewed interest in particular since 2010. This review comprehensively surveys materials developed from 2000-2016 for recovery of seawater uranium, in particular including recent developments in inorganic materials; polymer adsorbents and related research pertaining to amidoxime; and nanostructured materials such as metal -- organic frameworks, porous-organic polymers, and mesoporous carbons. Challenges of performing reliable and reproducible uranium adsorption studies are also discussed, as well as the standardization of parameters necessary to ensure valid comparisons between different adsorbents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) was established in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY), and Wistar rats, using a multiple fixed-time (FT) schedule of food delivery, with 30- and 90-s components. Thereafter, animals were exposed to methylphenidate (MPH; 2.5 mg/kg/d) for six consecutive SIP sessions. A test to assess possible sensitization effects was also conducted four days after termination of the drug treatment. At baseline, FT 90-s produced longer and more frequent drinking episodes in SHR than in WKY. An analysis of the distribution of inter-lick intervals revealed that drinking was organized in bouts, which were shorter in SHR than in WKY. Across strains and schedules, MPH shifted drinking episodes towards the beginning of inter-food intervals, which may reflect a stimulant effect on SIP. MPH transiently reduced the frequency of drinking episodes in WKY in FT 30-s, and more permanently reduced the frequency of licking bouts in Wistar rats. MPH also increased the length of licking bouts in Wistar rats. Overall, SHR displayed a hyperactive-like pattern of drinking (frequent but short bouts), which 2.5 mg/kg MPH appears to reduce in WKY and Wistar but not in SHR rats. It appears that therapeutic effects of MPH on hyperactive-like SIP require higher doses in SHR relative to control strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capture of radioactive iodine is a significant consideration during reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and disposal of legacy wastes. While silver-exchanged mordenite (AgZ) is widely regarded as a benchmark material for assessing iodine adsorption performance, previous research efforts have largely focused on bulk material properties rather than the underpinning molecular interactions that achieve effective iodine capture. As a result, the fundamental understanding necessary to identify and mitigate deactivation pathways for the recycle of AgZ is not available. We applied X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to investigate AgZ following activation, adsorption of iodine, regeneration, and recycle, observing no appreciable degradation in performance due to the highly controlled conditions under which the AgZ was maintained. Fits of the extended XAFS (EXAFS) data reveal complete formation of Ag0 nanoparticles upon treatment with H2, and confirm the formation of α-AgI within the mordenite channels in addition to surface γ/β-AgI nanoparticles following iodine exposure. Analysis of the nanoparticle size and fractional composition of α-AgI to γ/β-AgI supports ripening of surface nanoparticles as a function of recycle. This work provides a foundation for future investigation of AgZ deactivation under conditions relevant to spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the superconducting and structure properties of rf magnetron sputtered niobium nitride (NbN) films prepared at eleveted temperatures as a function of rf substrate bias. Effect of substrate bias on low-temperature resistivity; Details on the preparation of NbN films; Measurements of superconducting temperatures.

Increasingly, humans are exposed to drug/chemical mixtures. These exposures can result from therapeutic interventions or environmental sources. Of interest is the interaction that may occur among the components of these mixtures. Since interaction can be dose-dependent, it is important to determine exposure levels to either exploit the benefits of the interaction in a therapeutic application or to avoid the effect of the interaction in the case of an environmental risk assessment. We propose generalized linear models that permit the estimation of interaction threshold boundaries. The methods developed are applied to the combination of ethanol and chloral hydrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early-stage evaluation of biofuel and bioproduct technologies is extremely complicated and involves many disparate feasibility criteria, including technical, financial, environmental, logistic, legal, social, and other aspects. Problems can arise for decision-makers when evaluating renewable technologies at this early stage due to bias, shifting preferences or priorities, occurrence of trade-offs, and decision-making complexity. Thus, a method is needed for evaluating disparate, typically non-comparable criteria concurrently. In Part 1 of this research, cradle-tograve environmental LCA was conducted for biomass delivery to a biosugar refinery using Ecoinvent v2.2 data and the TRACI 2 impact assessment method for midpoint impacts. Biomass availability, delivered cost, sugar yield, transportation distance, harvestable months per year, and other aspects of supply chain feasibility were measured for eighteen feedstock biomass types. In Part 2, stochastic multi-attribute analysis (SMAA) was used alongside LCA to develop an environmental preference single-score probability distribution function for feedstock alternatives. Weighted single-scoring and ranking, using multi-criteria decision-making analysis (MCDA), was conducted considering five criteria of biomass supply feasibility: biomass delivered cost, biosugar yield, harvestable months, transport distance, and environmental preference single-score. Corn was shown to cost the most, followed by switchgrass and U.S. primary forest products. Transport distance was found to be highest for residues due to low yield per acre and low covered area. Results of MCDA show that Brazilian eucalyptus and Malaysian empty fruit bunch biomass types were consistently preferred relative to other biomass types. In the U.S., Genera biomass sorghum is most holistically preferred. It is shown that SMAA is helpful for translating LCA data for decision science. It was shown that MCDA can be useful for early-stage biorefinery technology commercialization decision-making, using the novel decision science tool described herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informed by density functional theory calculations, a novel bifunctional chelator, (Z)-2-[2-(N'-hydroxycarbamimidoyl)phenoxy]benzoic acid, was designed and synthesized for ultrahigh uranium uptake from seawater. Investigation of the ligand for uranium sorption was conducted in artificial seawater (pH = 8.2). An exceptional uranium uptake of 553 mg of uranium (g of sorbent)-1 was obtained with a theoretical saturation capacity of 710 mg g-1 obtained by fitting isotherm data with the Langmuir-Freundlich model. The resulting yellow precipitate was characterized via X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) at the U LIII-edge, with the extended XAFS spectra best fitted by a model where uranyl is coordinated by monodentate amidoxime, one chelating carboxylic acid, and two water molecules. These results are consistent with the formation of a uranium coordination polymer. The ultrahigh uranium uptake capacity obtained by the bifunctional chelating ligand makes it a promising candidate for deployment as a uranium adsorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capillary force drives the edges of solid thin films to retract. The distance a film edge has retracted over time is usually fitted to a power law. However, experiments and numerical simulations suggest that edge retraction does not follow a power-law. In this work, a simple geometric model for edge retraction is presented that reproduces the retraction distance versus time scalings of simulations for both isotropic and highly-anisotropic films, and is consistent with experiments. The earliest time at which a power-law fit becomes a reasonable approximation is calculated as a function of substrate–film contact angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical production from crude oil represents a substantial percentage of the yearly fossil fuel use worldwide, and this could be partially offset by renewable feedstocks such as woody biomass and energy crops. Past techno-economic and environmental analyses have been conducted for isolated feedstocks on a regional or national scope. This study encompasses complete supply chain logistics analysis, delivered cost financial analysis, national availability, and environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) for 18 selected cellulosic feedstocks from around the world. A biochemical conversion route to monomeric sugars is assumed for estimated sugar yields and biosugar feedstock cost analysis. US corn grain was determined to have the highest delivered cost, while rice hulls in Indonesia resulted in the lowest cost of the feedstocks studied. Monomeric sugar yields from literature ranged from 358 kg BDMT-1 for US forest residues to 700 kg BDMT-1 for corn syrup. Environmental LCA was conducted in SimaPro using ecoinvent v2.2 data and the TRACI 2 impact assessment method for mid-point impacts cradle-to-incoming biorefinery gate. Carbon absorption during biomass growth contributed most substantially to the reduction of net global warming potential. Rice hulls and switchgrass resulted in the highest global warming potential, followed closely by corn and Thai sugarcane bagasse. Contribution analysis shows that chemical inputs such as fertilizer use contribute substantially to the net environmental impacts for these feedstocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a risk factor for tobacco use and dependence. This study examines the responsiveness to nicotine of an adolescent model of ADHD, the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). The conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure was used to assess nicotine-induced locomotion and conditioned reward in SHR and the Wistar Kyoto (WKY) control strain over a range of nicotine doses (0.0, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.6 mg/kg). Prior to conditioning, SHRs were more active and less biased toward one side of the CPP chamber than WKY rats. Following conditioning, SHRs developed CPP to the highest dose of nicotine (0.6 mg/kg), whereas WKYs did not develop CPP to any nicotine dose tested. During conditioning, SHRs displayed greater locomotor activity in the nicotine-paired compartment than in the saline-paired compartment across conditioning trials. SHRs that received nicotine (0.1, 0.3, 0.6 mg/kg) in the nicotine-paired compartment showed an increase in locomotor activity between conditioning trials. Nicotine did not significantly affect WKY locomotor activity. These findings suggest that the SHR strain is a suitable model for studying ADHD-related nicotine use and dependence, but highlights potential limitations of the WKY control strain and the CPP procedure for modeling ADHD-related nicotine reward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the evidence for nicotine-induced acceleration of the internal clock when timing in the seconds-to-minutes timescale, and proposes an alternative explanation to this evidence: that nicotine reduces the threshold for responses that result in more reinforcement. These two hypotheses were tested in male Wistar rats using a novel timing task. In this task, rats were trained to seek food at one location after 8 s since trial onset and at a different location after 16 s. Some rats received the same reward at both times (group SAME); some received a larger reward at 16 s (group DIFF). Steady baseline performance was followed by 3 days of subcutaneous nicotine administration (0.3 mg/kg), baseline recovery, and an antagonist challenge (mecamylamine, 1.0 mg/kg). Nicotine induced a larger, immediate reduction in latencies to switch (LTS) in group DIFF than in group SAME. This effect was sustained throughout nicotine administration. Mecamylamine pretreatment and nicotine discontinuation rapidly recovered baseline performance. These results support a response-threshold account of nicotinic disruption of timing performance, possibly mediated by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. A detailed analysis of the distribution of LTSs suggests that anomalous effects of nicotine on LTS dispersion may be due to loss of temporal control of behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models of interval timing typically include a response threshold to account for temporal production. The present study sought to evaluate the dependent concurrent fixed-interval fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement as a tool for selectively isolating the response threshold in rats, pigeons, and humans. In this task, reinforcement is available either at one location after a short delay or at another location at a longer delay. Because the reinforced location is not signaled, subjects normally respond on the first location and, if reinforcement is not delivered, then switch to the second location. The latency to switch between locations served as the primary dependent measure. After training rats, pigeons, and humans with equal reinforcement magnitudes in the short and long delays, the magnitude of reinforcement was increased threefold on the long-delay location. Consistent with model predictions, this biasing procedure decreased estimates of the response threshold of rats and pigeons, but also reduced temporal control in these species and increased response-threshold estimates in humans. Human and pigeon performance also suggested a magnitude-induced increase in the speed of the internal clock. Collectively, these results suggest that differences in reinforcement magnitude between response alternatives appear to modulate the response threshold, but not selectively, and may provide guidance for better isolating response-threshold effects in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative solid-phase sorbent technologiesare needed to extractradionuclides from harsh media for environmental remediation and inorder to close the nuclear fuel cycle. Highly porous inorganic materialswith remarkable sorptive properties have been prepared by topotactictransformations of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) using bothbasic and acidic solutions. Treatment of Ti and Zr nanoMOFs with NaOH,Na3PO4, and H3PO4yieldsTi and Zr oxides, oxyphosphates, and phosphates via sacrificial removalof the organic ligands. This controlled ligand extraction processresults in porous inorganic materials, which preserve the originalMOF morphologies and impart useful surface functionalities, but aredevoid of organic linkers. Structural investigation by X-ray absorptionspectroscopy reveals preservation of the coordination environmentof the scattering metal. Changing the MOF template introduces differentmetal and structural possibilities, while application of differentdigest solutions allows preparation of metal oxides, metal oxyphosphates,and metal phosphates. The high stability and porosity of these novelmaterials makes them ideally suited as nanosorbents in severe environments.Their potential for several radionuclide separations is demonstrated,including decontamination of high level nuclear waste, extractionof lanthanides, and remediation of radionuclide-contaminated seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial, environmental, and supply chain analyses of empty fruit bunch (EFB) biomass are needed for the development of a sustainable green chemicals industry in Malaysia. Herein, holistic analysis of the supply system and EFB life cycle cradle-to-gate are analyzed in an effort to make recommendations for the commercial-scale collection and delivery of EFB from crude palm oil (CPO) extraction facilities to biorefineries in Malaysia. Supply chain modeling tracked inputs and outputs for financial analysis. The openLCA software was used for life cycle assessment (LCA). Allocation scenarios were used to explore the impact of accounting methodologies on the competitiveness of EFB compared to other feedstocks. Sensitivity analysis on the effect of transportation distance, emission flows, and allocation methods on resulting environmental impacts were conducted. The No Burden, Economic, and Mass allocation scenarios resulted in -1629, -1619, and -1474 kg CO2-eq. BD tonne-1 EFB global warming impacts (GW), respectively. Delivered cost for EFB was calculated to be approximately 45 US$ BD tonne-1. Environmental burdens were sensitive to allocation scenario, covered area, and land use change. Delivered cost was sensitive to transport distance, covered area, and yield. It was shown that there is sufficient Malaysia EFB available for between 9 and 28 biorefineries, depending upon the scale of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Our study tests affect control theory predictions about a specific deviant identity (stripper). [•] Our findings indicate that strippers do not act as predicted by affect control theory. [•] We suggest that strippers (and possibly other deviants) will tend to perceive their own identities generally more positively than will others. [•] We argue that the veracity of affect control theory predictions about deviance is contingent on the perspective of the individual(s) imputing meaning about the behavior. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In nonhuman animals, the transitive inference (TI) task typically involves training a series of four simultaneous discriminations involving, for example, arbitrary colors in which choice of one stimulus in each pair is reinforced [+] and choice of the other color is nonreinforced [−]. This can be represented as A+B−, B+C−, C+D−, D+E− and can be conceptualized as a series of linear relationships: A > B > C > D > E. After training, animals are tested on the untrained non-endpoint pair, BD. Preference for B over D is taken as evidence of TI and occurs because B is greater than D in the implied series. In the present study we trained pigeons using a novel training procedure-a hybrid of successive pair training (training one pair at a time) and mixed-pair training (training all pairs at once)-designed to overcome some of the limitations of earlier procedures. Using this hybrid procedure, we trained five premise pairs (A+B−, B+C−, C+D−, D+E−, and E+F−) which allowed us to test three untrained non-endpoint pairs (BD, CE, and BE). A significant TI effect was found for most subjects on at least two out of three test pairs. Different theories of TI are discussed. The results suggest that this hybrid training is an efficient procedure for establishing mixed-pair acquisition and a TI effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A seriesof functionalized mesoporous carbon (MC) materials wereprepared by covalent grafting with amidoxime, carboxyl, and phosphorylfunctional groups and screened for uranium (U) sorption from aqueousmedia. The MC materials were characterized by nitrogen adsorptionmeasurements and thermogravimetric analysis and investigated for U(VI)extraction from both acidic water (pH 4) and artificial seawater (pH8.2). Under both conditions, a phosphoric acid-functionalized MC exhibitedthe highest U(VI) sorption, with a maximum sorption capacity of 97mg of U(VI)/(g of sorbent) in acidic water and 67 mg of U(VI)/(g ofsorbent) in artificial seawater. The effects of pH on U(VI) sorption,sorption kinetics, and sorption isotherms were obtained for the phosphoricacid-functionalized MC. Quantitative U(VI) removal from U(VI)-loadedsorbents was achieved by washing with HCl at concentrations higherthan 0.01 M. These results indicate that functionalized MC providesa promising platform for the development of novel sorbents for efficientU(VI) extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decade has seen an explosive increase in the number of peer reviewed papers reporting new scientific findings in geomorphology (including fans, channels, floodplains and landscape evolution), geologic mapping, tectonics and faulting, coastal processes, lava flows, hydrology (especially snow and runoff routing), glaciers and geo-archaeology. A common genesis of such findings is often newly available decimeter resolution 'bare Earth' geodetic images, derived from airborne laser swath mapping, a.k.a. airborne LiDAR, observations. In this paper we trace nearly a half century of advances in geodetic science made possible by space age technology, such as the invention of short-pulse-length high-pulse-rate lasers, solid state inertial measurement units, chip-based high speed electronics and the GPS satellite navigation system, that today make it possible to map hundreds of square kilometers of terrain in hours, even in areas covered with dense vegetation or shallow water. To illustrate the impact of the LiDAR observations we present examples of geodetic images that are not only stunning to the eye, but help researchers to develop quantitative models explaining how terrain evolved to its present form, and how it will likely change with time. Airborne LiDAR technology continues to develop quickly, promising ever more scientific discoveries in the years ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In drop-based microfluidics, an aqueous sample is partitioned into drops using individual pump sources that drive water and oil into a drop-making device. Parallelization of drop-making devices is necessary to achieve high-throughput screening of multiple experimental conditions, especially in time-sensitive studies. Here, we present the plate-interfacing parallel encapsulation (PIPE) chip, a microfluidic chip designed to generate 50 to 90 μm diameter drops of up to 96 different conditions in parallel by interfacing individual drop makers with a standard 384-well microtiter plate. The PIPE chip is used to generate two types of optically barcoded drop libraries consisting of two-color fluorescent particle combinations: a library of 24 microbead barcodes and a library of 192 quantum dot barcodes. Barcoded combinations in the drop libraries are rapidly measured within a microfluidic device using fluorescence detection and distinct barcoded populations in the fluorescence drop data are identified using DBSCAN data clustering. Signal analysis reveals that particle size defines the source of dominant noise present in the fluorescence intensity distributions of the barcoded drop populations, arising from Poisson loading for microbeads and shot noise for quantum dots. A barcoded population from a drop library is isolated using fluorescence-activated drop sorting, enabling downstream analysis of drop contents. The PIPE chip can improve multiplexed high-throughput assays by enabling simultaneous encapsulation of barcoded samples stored in a microtiter plate and reducing sample preparation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novelimmunomagnetic method has been developed for the simultaneousmeasurement of organophosphorus nerve agent (OPNA) adducts to butyrylcholinesterase(BuChE) and free OPNAs in serum. This new approach, deemed dual-modeimmunomagnetic analysis (Dual-Mode IMA), combines immunomagnetic separation(IMS) and immunomagnetic scavenging (IMSc) and has been used to measurethe effectiveness of cholinesterase reactivators on OPNA-inhibitedBuChE in serum. BuChE inhibited by the nerve agent VX, uninhibitedBuChE, and unbound VX were measured up to 1 h after the addition ofoxime reactivators pralidoxime (2-PAM) and obidoxime. IMS experimentsconsisted of extracting BuChE and VX-BuChE serum adducts using antibutyrylcholinesterasemonoclonal antibodies conjugated to protein-G ferromagnetic particles.In a parallel set of experiments using IMSc, BuChE-coated magneticbeads were used to extract free VX from protein-depleted serum. Adductsfrom both IMS and IMSc were analyzed using a published IMS liquidchromatography tandem mass spectrometry (IMS-LC-MS/MS) protocol, whichhas also been demonstrated with other OPNAs. By applying this Dual-ModeIMA approach, 2-PAM was observed to be more potent than obidoximein reactivating VX-adducted BuChE. VX-BuChE peptide concentrationsinitially measured at 19.7 ± 0.7 ng/mL decreased over 1 h to10.6 ± 0.6 ng/mL when reactivated with 2-PAM and 14.4 ±1.2 ng/mL when reactivated with obidoxime. These experiments alsoshow that previously published IMS-LC-MS/MS analyses are compatiblewith serum treated with oximes. Dual-Mode IMA is the first immunoaffinitymethod developed for the simultaneous measurement of OPNA adductedBuChE, unadducted BuChE, and free nerve agent in serum and is a promisingnew tool for studying reactivator effectiveness on cholinesterasesinhibited by nerve agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of combinatorial green chemistry (CGC), a more benign approach to combinatorial chemistry, with environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies as an improved process development methodology is discussed. It is expected that the CGC approach will require less labor and result in more globally optimized assay results, leading to more optimized unit process design. The technique utilizes chemical assay stage information to rapidly predict globally optimized process conditions based on techno-economic and LCA indicators. A simplified kraft pulping case study of the application of CGC-LCA is demonstrated herein, but CGC analyses could be applied to virtually any chemical-based project development and implementation project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the optimization of components in a single-wavelength airborne laser bathymeter that is intended for a low-power unmanned aerial vehicle platform. The theoretical minimum energy requirement to detect the submerged sea floor in shallow (<; 5 m) water using a low signal-to-noise ratio (LSNR) detection methodology is calculated. Results are presented from tests of a prototype light detection and ranging (LiDAR) instrument that was developed by the University of Florida, Gainesville. A green wavelength (532 nm), 100-beamlet, low-energy (35-nJ/beamlet), short-pulse (480 ps) laser ranging system was operated from a low-altitude (500-m) aircraft, with a multichannel sensor that is capable of single photoelectron sensitivity and multiple stops. Data that were collected during tests display vertical structure in shallow-water areas based on fixed threshold crossings at a single-photon sensitivity level. A major concern for the binary detection strategy is the reliable identification and removal of noise events. Potential causes of ranging errors related to photomultiplier tube afterpulsing, impedance mismatching, and gain block overdrive are described. Data collection/processing solutions based on local density estimation are explored. Previous studies on LSNR performance metrics showed that short (15-cm) dead time could be expected in the case of multiple scattering objects, indicating the possibility of seamless topographic/bathymetric mapping with minimal discontinuity at the waterline. LiDAR depth estimates from airborne profiles are compared to on-site measurements, and near-shore submerged feature identification is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews several articles including "Medical student mistreatment results in symptoms of posttraumatic stress," by A. Heru, G. Gagne, and D. Strong, "Sexual Health curricula in U.S. medical schools: Current educational objectives," by C. Galletly and colleagues, and "Addressing patient sexual orientation in the undergraduate medical education curriculum," by R. L. Tamas and colleagues, which appeared in the journal "Academic Psychiatry" in the 2009 and 2010 issue.

A diffuse-interface model for microstructure with an arbitrary number of components and phases was developed from basic thermodynamic and kinetic principles and formalized within a variational framework. The model includes a composition gradient energy to capture solute trapping and is therefore suited for studying phenomena where the width of the interface plays an important role. Derivation of the inhomogeneous free energy functional from a Taylor expansion of homogeneous free energy reveals how the interfacial properties of each component and phase may be specified under a mass constraint. A diffusion potential for components was defined away from the dilute solution limit, and a multi-obstacle barrier function was used to constrain phase fractions. The model was used to simulate solidification via nucleation, premelting at phase boundaries and triple junctions, the intrinsic instability of small particles, and solutal melting resulting from differing diffusivities in solid and liquid. The shape of metastable free energy surfaces is found to play an important role in microstructure evolution and may explain why some systems premelt at phase boundaries and phase triple junctions, whereas others do not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juvenile drug courts have been developed with the explicit mission of reducing juvenile substance use and related delinquency, and adult crime. Research has shown that juvenile drug courts continue to be popular and effective alternatives to other juvenile court initiatives in terms of decreasing juvenile recidivism. This study is the first to focus on the link between juvenile drug court participation and conviction for adult crime. The juvenile records of 79 former juvenile drug court participants in Tennessee were compared with their adult criminal convictions. Our findings indicate that graduating from juvenile drug court reduced adult felonies, but not misdemeanors, Racial differences between Whites and non-Whites were noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent experimental developments reveal that nanoscale lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) olivine particles exhibit very different phase transition behavior from the bulk olivine phase. A crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition has been observed in nanosized particles in competition with the equilibrium phase transition between the lithium-rich and lithium-poor olivine phases. Here we apply a diffuse-interface (phase-field) model to study the kinetics of the different phase transition pathways in nanosized LiFePO4 particles upon delithiation. We find that the nucleation and growth kinetics of the crystalline-to-crystalline and crystalline-to-amorphous phase transformations are sensitive to the applied electrical overpotential and particle size, which collectively determine the preferred phase transition pathway. While the crystalline-to-crystalline phase transition is favored by either faster nucleation or growth kinetics at low or high overpotentials, particle amorphization dominates at intermediate overpotentials. Decreasing particle size expands the overpotential region in which amorphization is preferred. The asymmetry in the nucleation energy barriers for amorphization and recrystallization results in a phase transition hysteresis that should promote the accumulation of the amorphous phase in electrodes after repeated electrochemical cycling. The predicted overpotential- and size-dependent phase transition behavior of nanoscale LiFePO4 particles is consistent with experimental observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transformations in electrochemical systems are reviewed. Phase transitions in Li MPO4 ( M = Fe, Mn, Ni, Co) olivines are highlighted. The phase transformation phenomena in Li MPO4 are diverse and include thermodynamic effects of particle size and applied overpotential, the appearance of metastable phases, and the effects of defects from atomic disorder and aliovalent doping. Such phenomena also include kinetic effects such as interface motion and diffusion of Li-electron complexes. The nature of phase transitions directly influences electrode performance in battery applications. Reduced particle size and doping can reduce or eliminate room-temperature Li miscibility gaps, which in turn affect characteristics of state of charge versus voltage and the elastic energy due to volume mismatches between phases. Near the conditions for a phase transition, Li diffusion coefficients are reduced. Nucleation and growth kinetics produce a series of phase transition sequences, which can result in the accumulation of noncrystalline phases during electrochemical cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The identification of triple lines as one of a hierarchy of defects is presented. There are several distinct cases of triple junctions, and these are sorted into classes. Viewpoints about open questions and directions for future research are offered, including: (1) the effect of induced order on the structure and energy of a triple line; (2) considerations of interfacial (complexion) transitions; (3) suggestions of methods for the direct measurement of triple line energy; (4) observations of the possibility of triple line anisotropy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents abstracts on medical education which include "Personal health care of residents: Preferences for care outside of the training institution," by L.B. Dunn and colleagues, "Can admissions interviews predict performance in residency," by S.L. Dubovsky, and "Guided mentorship in evidence-based medicine for psychiatry: A pilot cohort study supporting a promising method of real time clinical instruction," by A.J. Mascola and colleagues.

Abstract: The biochemical mechanism of toxicity of the experimental astrocyte neurotoxicant and food contaminant S-3-chloro-1,2-propanediol (3-CPD) has been proposed to be via inhibition of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). We have confirmed this action in liver, which shows inhibition to 6.0±0.7% control at the neuropathic dose of 140mg/kg. However, GAPDH activity in brain only fell to a minimum of 54±24% control, and the concentrations of lactate and pyruvate (the downstream products of GAPDH), showed no pre-neuropathic decreases in 3-CPD susceptible brain tissue. There was no inhibition of GAPDH activity in primary astrocyte cultures at sub-cytotoxic exposures. We therefore sought alternative mechanisms to explain its toxicity to astrocytes. We were able to show that 3-CPD is a substrate for glutathione-S-transferase and also that, after bioactivation by alcohol dehydrogenase, it generates an irreversible inhibitor of glutathione reductase. In addition, incubation of brain slices from the 3-CPD-vulnerable inferior colliculus produces a depletion of glutathione and an inhibition of glutathione-S-transferase that is not seen in equivalent slices taken from the 3-CPD-resistant occipital neocortex. A smaller but significant and similarly regionally selective decrease in glutathione content is also seen in vivo. We conclude that 3-CPD does not produce its astrocytic toxicity via energy deprivation, and suggest that selective bioactivation and consequent disruption of redox state is a more likely mechanism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The conditions for grain boundary (GB) structural transitions are determined from a diffuse interface model that incorporates structural disorder and crystallographic orientation. A graphical construction and numerical calculations illustrate the existence of a first-order GB order–disorder transition below the bulk melting point. When thermodynamic conditions permit their existence, disordered GB structures tend to be stable at higher temperatures and are perfectly wet by liquid at the melting point, while ordered grain boundaries are meta-stable against preferential melting. We calculate GB phase diagrams which are analogous to those for liquid–vapor phase transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we examine similarities and differences in the academic, social, and behavioral skills of high school students with emotional disturbances (ED) and learning disabilities (LD). Two groups of high school students with ED (n = 45) and LD (n = 49) were compared on nine measures in academic, behavioral, and social domains using multivariate procedures. Results indicated that there were significant differences in the characteristics of these students, with seven of the original nine variables differentiating group membership. In general, adolescent students with LD exhibited higher levels of social competence and lower levels of behavioral problems as compared to adolescent students with ED. Findings also revealed that a substantial percentage of the variance (50%) between adolescents with ED and adolescents with LD could be explained. Furthermore, the variables in this model differentiated between these two groups, with 78.57% of students with ED and 78.95% of students with LD being correctly classified. Limitations of the study are discussed and directions for future research are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article talks about the success of Indian gaming in the U.S. Indian casinos that are most successful are located close to urban markets. The revenue raised by tribes through Indian gaming is often used to provide jobs, housing and education. As a matter of fact, the Indian gaming Regulatory Act specifically requires that all the revenues generated through gaming be reinvested in the tribal community for tribal economic development. In 1988, the U.S. Congress has passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act which gives tribes the exclusive right to regulate gaming on Indian lands within states that do not prohibit such gaming as a matter of criminal law or public policy.

Mechanical hypersensitivity of the colon underlies in part the chronic abdominal pain experienced by patients with irritable bowel syndrome, yet the molecules that confer mechanosensitivity to colon sensory neurons and their contribution to visceral pain are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) are peripheral mechanosensors in colon afferent neuronal fibers that mediate visceral nociceptive behavior in mice. Visceral nociception, modeled by the visceromotor response to colorectal distension, and colon afferent fiber mechanosensitivity were assessed in control (C57BL/6) mice and two congenic knock-out mouse strains with deletions of either TRPV1 or ASIC3. Phasic colon distension (15- 60 mmHg) produced graded behavioral responses in all three mouse strains. However, both TRPV1 and ASIC3 knock-out mice were significantly less sensitive to distension, with an average response magnitude only 58 and 50% of controls, respectively. The behavioral deficits observed in both strains of knock-out mice were associated with a significant and selective reduction in afferent fiber sensitivity to circumferential stretch of the colon, an effect that was mimicked in control preparations by pretreatment with capsazepine, a TRPV1 antagonist, but not amiloride, a nonselective ASIC antagonist (both 500 µM). In addition, whereas stretch-evoked afferent fiber responses were enhanced by chemical inflammatory mediators in control mice, this effect was differentially impaired in both knock-out mouse strains. These results demonstrate a peripheral mechanosensory role for TRPV1 and ASIC3 in the mouse colon that contributes to nociceptive behavior and possibly peripheral sensitization during tissue insult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A statistical approach for modeling fracture in brittle materials is presented. In particular, a microstructural-based finite element code called OOF is used in conjunction with a stochastic representation of failure that relies on the Weibull law. The OOF code, which maps materials microstructures onto finite element meshes, enables to calculate the local stress states; these stresses are used along with the statistical criterion for brittle fracture in order to determine microcrack formation and propagation. Computer simulations are performed on several microstructures of different materials types, e.g., laminates, particulate composites and polycrystals. The damage accumulation due to microcracking is characterized by the stereological measure of failed material and is investigated in order to assess the effect of microstructural features on the failure mechanism. Moreover, the approach allows to analyze the influence of the characteristic parameters for brittle materials on damage evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous numerical methods that calculate equilibrium particle shape to study thermodynamic and kinetic processes depend on interfacial (surface) free energy functions γ( $$\skew7\hat{n}$$) that have cubic symmetry and thus produce Wulff shapes W of cubic symmetry. This work introduces a construction yielding the minimal surface energy density γconvex( W) that can be determined for any W. Each γ( $$\skew7\hat{n}$$) that belongs to the equivalence class γ( W) bounded by γconvex( W) can be used in an energy-minimizing calculation that depends only on W. For practical numerical calculations, this work gives two methods taking directional distance from specified orientation minima as a parameter to produce analytic forms of γ( $$\skew7\hat{n}$$) giving W as the equilibrium shape for (an otherwise unconstrained) fixed volume. Included are several two- and three-dimensional examples that demonstrate the application and utility of the model γ( $$\skew7\hat{n}$$) functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]