Effects on soil carbon storage from municipal biosolids application to agricultural fields.

This study investigated the influence of biosolid applications on soil carbon storage and evaluated nutrient management strategies affecting soil carbon dynamics. The research assessed alterations in soil pH, soil carbon stock, and soil nitrogen content within short-term and long-term biosolids-amended soils in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Canada, extending to a depth of 0-60 cm. The findings indicated an increase in soil pH with alkaline treatment biosolids (ATB) applications across both study sites, with a legacy effect on soil pH noted in the long-term biosolids-amended soil following a single ATB application over 13 years. Both sites demonstrated significant increases in soil total carbon (STC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) within the 0-30 cm soil depth after biosolid application, and soil inorganic carbon (SIC) accounted for approximately 5-10% of STC, specifically in the surface soil layer (0-15 cm). In the long-term study site, annual 14, 28 and 42 Mg ATB ha-1 treatments resulted in a substantial rise in soil carbon stock (59.5, 60.1 and 68.0 Mg C ha-1), marking a 25% increase compared to control soil. The SOC content in biosolids-amended soil showed a declining trend with increasing soil depth at both study sites. Notably, the carbon stock in the short-term site was observed in composted biosolids (COMP) > ATB > liquid mesophilic anaerobically digested biosolids (LMAD) from the 0-60 cm soil depth. Approximately 79-80% of the variation in SOC response at both sites was concentrated within the top 30 cm soil. Soil total nitrogen (STN) showed no significant differences at the short-term site, and STN in biosolids-amended soil decreased with increasing soil depth at the long-term site. Biosolids-induced C retention coefficients (BCR) for ATB remained consistent at both sites, ranging from -13% to 31.4% with a mean of 11.12%. BCR values for COMP ranged from 1.9% to 34.4% with a mean of 18.73%, while those for LMAD exhibited variability, spanning from -6.2% to 106.3% with a mean of 53.9%.

Laser trabeculoplasty for open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Open-angle glaucoma (OAG) is an important cause of blindness worldwide. Laser trabeculoplasty, a treatment modality, still does not have a clear position in the treatment sequence. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of laser trabeculoplasty for treating OAG and ocular hypertension (OHT) when compared to medication, glaucoma surgery or no intervention. We also wished to compare the effectiveness of different laser trabeculoplasty technologies for treating OAG and OHT. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register) (2021, Issue 10); Ovid MEDLINE; Ovid Embase; the ISRCTN registry; LILACS, ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO ICTRP. The date of the search was 28 October 2021. We also contacted researchers in the field. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing laser trabeculoplasty with no intervention, with medical treatment, or with surgery in people with OAG or OHT. We also included trials comparing different types of laser trabeculoplasty technologies. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methods expected by Cochrane. Two authors screened search results and extracted data independently. We considered the following outcomes at 24 months: failure to control intraocular pressure (IOP), failure to stabilise visual field progression, failure to stabilise optic neuropathy progression, adverse effects, quality of life, and costs. We graded the 'certainty' of the evidence using GRADE. MAIN RESULTS: We included 40 studies (5613 eyes of 4028 people) in this review. The majority of the studies were conducted in Europe and in the USA. Most of the studies were at risk of performance and/or detection bias as they were unmasked. None of the studies were judged as having low risk of bias for all domains. We did not identify any studies of laser trabeculoplasty alone versus no intervention. Laser trabeculoplasty versus medication Fourteen studies compared laser trabeculoplasty with medication in either people with primary OAG (7 studies) or primary or secondary OAG (7 studies); five of the 14 studies also included participants with OHT. Six studies used argon laser trabeculoplasty and eight studies used selective laser trabeculoplasty. There was considerable clinical and methodological diversity in these studies leading to statistical heterogeneity in results for the primary outcome "failure to control IOP" at 24 months.  Risk ratios (RRs) ranged from 0.43 in favour of laser trabeculoplasty to 1.87 in favour of medication (5 studies, I2 = 89%). Studies of argon laser compared with medication were more likely to show a beneficial effect compared with studies of selective laser (test for interaction P = 0.0001) but the argon laser studies were older and the medication comparator group in those studies may have been less effective. We considered this to be low-certainty evidence because the trials were at risk of bias (they were not masked) and there was unexplained heterogeneity. There was evidence from two studies (624 eyes) that argon laser treatment was associated with less failure to stabilise visual field progression compared with medication (7% versus 11%, RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.16) at 24 months and one further large recent study of selective laser also reported a reduced risk of failure at 48 months (17% versus 26%) RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.81, 1178 eyes). We judged this outcome as moderate-certainty evidence, downgrading for risk of bias. There was only very low-certainty evidence on optic neuropathy progression. Adverse effects were more commonly seen in the laser trabeculoplasty group including peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS) associated with argon laser (32% versus 26%, RR 11.74, 95% CI 5.94 to 23.22; 624 eyes; 2 RCTs; low-certainty evidence); 5% of participants treated with laser in three studies of selective laser group had early IOP spikes (moderate-certainty evidence). One UK-based study provided moderate-certainty evidence that laser trabeculoplasty was more cost-effective.  Laser trabeculoplasty versus trabeculectomy Three studies compared laser trabeculoplasty with trabeculectomy. All three studies enrolled participants with OAG (primary or secondary) and used argon laser. People receiving laser trabeculoplasty may have a higher risk of uncontrolled IOP at 24 months compared with people receiving trabeculectomy (16% versus 8%, RR 2.12, 95% CI 1.44 to 3.11; 901 eyes; 2 RCTs). We judged this to be low-certainty evidence because of risk of bias (trials were not masked) and there was inconsistency between the two trials (I2 = 68%). There was limited evidence on visual field progression suggesting a higher risk of failure with laser trabeculoplasty. There was no information on optic neuropathy progression, quality of life or costs. PAS formation and IOP spikes were not reported but in one study trabeculectomy was associated with an increased risk of cataract (RR 1.78, 95% CI 1.46 to 2.16) (very low-certainty evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Laser trabeculoplasty may work better than topical medication in slowing down the progression of open-angle glaucoma (rate of visual field loss) and may be similar to modern eye drops in controlling eye pressure at a lower cost. It is not associated with serious unwanted effects, particularly for the newer types of trabeculoplasty, such as selective laser trabeculoplasty.

Seasonal changes in the abundance and activity of bacterial and fungal denitrifying communities associated with different compost amendments.

Composts can be efficient organic amendments in potato culture as they can supply carbon and nutrients to the soil. However, more information is required on the effects of composts on denitrification and nitrous oxide emissions (N2O) and emission-producing denitrifying communities. The effects of three compost amendments (municipal source separated organic waste compost (SSOC), forestry waste mixed with poultry manure compost (FPMC), and forestry residues compost (FRC)) on fungal and bacterial denitrifying communities and activity was examined in an agricultural field cropped to potatoes during the fall, spring, and summer seasons. The denitrification enzyme activity (DEA), N2O emissions, and respiration were measured in parallel. N2O emission rates were greater in FRC-amended soils in the fall and summer, whereas soil respiration was highest in the SSOC-amended soil in the fall. A large number of nirK denitrifying fungal transcripts were detected in the fall, coinciding with compost application, while the greatest nirK bacterial transcripts were measured in the summer when plants were actively growing. Denitrifying community and transcript levels were poor predictors of DEA, N2O emissions, or respiration rates in compost-amended soil. Overall, the sampling date was driving the population and activity levels of the three denitrifying communities under study.

Utilization of the electrocardiogram in the pediatric emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: Review pediatric electrocardiogram (ECG) result severity classification and describe the utilization of ECG testing, and rate of clinically significant results, in the pediatric emergency department (PED). METHODS: This was a review of patients ≤18 years who had an ECG performed in a tertiary children's hospital PED 2005-2017. Using established guidelines and expert consultation, ECG results were categorized: Class 0 = normal, Class I = mild abnormality (no cardiology follow-up), Class II = moderate abnormality (cardiology follow-up), Class III = severe abnormality (immediate intervention). Chi-square tests were used to examine differences between patients with clinically insignificant (Class 0/I) and clinically significant (Class II/III) results. Multivariable regression was used to examine factors associated with clinically significant results. RESULTS: 16,147 unique PED encounters with ECG performed were included for analysis. The most common ECG indications were chest pain (32.5%), syncope (22.0%), arrhythmia (11.8%), toxicology/ingestion (9.4%), and seizure (5.7%). Overall, 12.7% (n = 2056) of ECGs had clinically significant (Class II/III) results, and only 2.0% (n = 325) had severe abnormality (Class III) that would require immediate intervention or cardiologist input. Factors associated with increased odds of clinically significant ECG were age ≤ 1 year (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.02-1.41), male (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.20-1.46), and indications of arrhythmia (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.59-2.13), cardiac (OR = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.99-3.31), blank indication (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.17-1.98), and electrolyte abnormality (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.03-1.95). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we provided a valuable review of ECG result severity classification in the pediatric population. We found that chest pain and syncope represented over half of all ECGs performed. We found that clinically significant results are rare in the pediatric population at 12.7% of all ECGs performed, and very few (2.0%) have severe abnormalities that would require immediate intervention. Those with increased odds of a clinically significant ECG include young patients ≤1 year of age, male patients, and certain ECG indications.

Link prediction for tree-like networks.

Link prediction is the problem of predicting the location of either unknown or fake links from uncertain structural information of a network. Link prediction algorithms are useful in gaining insight into different network structures from partial observations of exemplars. However, existing link prediction algorithms only focus on regular complex networks and are overly dependent on either the closed triangular structure of networks or the so-called preferential attachment phenomenon. The performance of these algorithms on highly sparse or treelike networks is poor. In this letter, we proposed a method that is based on the network heterogeneity. We test our algorithms for three real large sparse networks: a metropolitan water distribution network, a Twitter network, and a sexual contact network. We find that our method is effective and performs better than traditional algorithms, especially for the Twitter network. We further argue that heterogeneity is the most obvious defining pattern for complex networks, while other statistical properties failed to be predicted. Moreover, preferential attachment based link prediction performed poorly and hence we infer that preferential attachment is not a plausible model for the genesis of many networks. We also suggest that heterogeneity is an important mechanism for online information propagation.

Pathogenic Streptomyces spp. Abundance Affected by Potato Cultivars.

Potato cultivars vary in their tolerance to common scab; however, how they affect common scab-causing Streptomyces spp. populations over time is poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of potato cultivar on pathogenic Streptomyces spp. abundance, measured using quantitative PCR, in three spatial locations in a common scab-infested field: (i) soil close to the plant (SCP); (ii) rhizosphere soil (RS); and (iii) geocaulosphere soil (GS). Two tolerant (Gold Rush, Hindenburg) and two susceptible cultivars (Green Mountain, Agria) were tested. The abundance of pathogenic Streptomyces spp. significantly increased in late August compared with other dates in RS of susceptible cultivars in both years. Abundance of pathogenic Streptomyces spp., when averaged over locations and time, was significantly greater in susceptible cultivars compared with tolerant cultivars in 2014. Principal coordinates analysis showed that SCP and RS soil properties (pH, organic carbon, and nitrogen concentrations) explained 68 and 76% of total variation in Streptomyces spp. abundance among cultivars in 2013, respectively, suggesting that cultivars influenced common scab pathogen growth conditions. The results suggested that the genetic background of potato cultivars influenced the abundance of pathogenic Streptomyces spp., with five to six times more abundant Streptomyces spp. in RS of susceptible cultivars compared with tolerant cultivars, which would result in substantially more inoculum left in the field after harvest.

Novel P450nor Gene Detection Assay Used To Characterize the Prevalence and Diversity of Soil Fungal Denitrifiers.

UNLABELLED: Denitrifying fungi produce nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, as they generally lack the ability to convert N2O to dinitrogen. Contrary to the case for bacterial denitrifiers, the prevalence and diversity of denitrifying fungi found in the environment are not well characterized. In this study, denitrifying fungi were isolated from various soil ecosystems, and novel PCR primers targeting the P450nor gene, encoding the enzyme responsible for the conversion of nitric oxide to N2O, were developed, validated, and used to study the diversity of cultivable fungal denitrifiers. This PCR assay was also used to detect P450nor genes directly from environmental soil samples. Fungal denitrification capabilities were further validated using an N2O gas detection assay and a PCR assay targeting the nirK gene. A collection of 492 facultative anaerobic fungi was isolated from 15 soil ecosystems and taxonomically identified by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer sequence. Twenty-seven fungal denitrifiers belonging to 10 genera had the P450nor and the nirK genes and produced N2O from nitrite. N2O production is reported in strains not commonly known as denitrifiers, such as Byssochlamys nivea, Volutella ciliata, Chloridium spp., and Trichocladium spp. The prevalence of fungal denitrifiers did not follow a soil ecosystem distribution; however, a higher diversity was observed in compost and agricultural soils. The phylogenetic trees constructed using partial P450nor and nirK gene sequences revealed that both genes clustered taxonomically closely related strains together. IMPORTANCE: A PCR assay targeting the P450nor gene involved in fungal denitrification was developed and validated. The newly developed P450nor primers were used on fungal DNA extracted from a collection of fungi isolated from various soil environments and on DNA directly extracted from soil. The results indicated that approximatively 25% of all isolated fungi possessed this gene and were able to convert nitrite to N2O. All soil samples from which denitrifying fungi were isolated also tested positive for the presence of P450nor The P450nor gene detection assay was reliable in detecting a large diversity of fungal denitrifiers. Due to the lack of homology existing between P450nor and bacterial denitrification genes, it is expected that this assay will become a tool of choice for studying fungal denitrifiers.

Executive Dysfunction Predicts Delinquency But Not Characteristics of Sexual Aggression Among Adolescent Sexual Offenders.

Our aim in this study was to evaluate executive function and its relationship to delinquency and sexual crime in adolescents incarcerated for sexual crimes. Based on self-report data, 196 male adolescent sexual offenders from a Midwest state reported high rates of executive dysfunction. Although such deficits did not relate to the number of victims of sexual abuse, severity, or degree of force used in commission of the sexual crimes, poor executive function was significantly predictive of both general delinquency and felony theft. In both measures of delinquent conduct, behavioral regulation dysfunction was predictive of the frequency of commission of the crimes, whereas metacognition was not. Research and treatment implications are offered.

Tillage Management and Seasonal Effects on Denitrifier Community Abundance, Gene Expression and Structure over Winter.

Tillage effects on denitrifier communities and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions were mainly studied during the growing season. There is limited information for the non-growing season, especially in northern countries where winter has prolonged periods with sub-zero temperatures. The abundance and structure of the denitrifier community, denitrification gene expression and N2O emissions in fields under long-term tillage regimes [no-tillage (NT) vs conventional tillage (CT)] were assessed during two consecutive winters. NT exerted a positive effect on nirK and nosZ denitrifier abundance in both winters compared to CT. Moreover, the two contrasting managements had an opposite influence on nirK and nirS RNA/DNA ratios. Tillage management resulted in different denitrifier community structures during both winters. Seasonal changes were observed in the abundance and the structure of denitrifiers. Interestingly, the RNA/DNA ratios were greater in the coldest months for nirK, nirS and nosZ. N2O emissions were not influenced by management but changed over time with two orders of magnitude increase in the coldest month of both winters. In winter of 2009-2010, emissions were mainly as N2O, whereas in 2010-2011, when soil temperatures were milder due to persistent snow cover, most emissions were as dinitrogen. Results indicated that tillage management during the growing season induced differences in denitrifier community structure that persisted during winter. However, management did not affect the active cold-adapted community structure.

Aiding phase unwrapping by increasing the number of residues in two-dimensional wrapped-phase distributions.

In phase unwrapping residues are points of locally inconsistent phase that occur within a wrapped-phase map, which are usually regarded as being problematic for phase-unwrapping algorithms. Real phase maps typically contain a number of residues that are approximately proportional to the subsequent difficulty in unwrapping the phase distribution. This paper suggests the radical use of the discrete Fourier transform to actually increase the number of residues in 2D phase-wrapped images that contain discontinuities. Many of the additional residues that are artificially generated by this method are located on these discontinuities. For example, in fringe projection systems, such phase discontinuities may come from physical discontinuity between different parts of the object, or by shadows cast by the object. The suggested technique can improve the performance of path independent phase-unwrapping algorithms because these extra residues simplify the process of setting the branch cuts in the wrapped image based on the distance to the nearest residue. The generated residues can also be used to construct more reliable quality maps and masks. The paper includes an initial analysis upon simulated phase maps and goes on to verify the results on a real experimental wrapped-phase distribution.

Eating Disordered Behaviors and Body Disapproval in Adolescent Males Adjudicated for Sexual and Nonsexual Crimes.

Using a large sample of adjudicated delinquent male youth (N = 696), we compared data from youth who had been adjudicated for sexually aggressive crimes and those who had been adjudicated for nonsexual offenses on eating dysfunction, body disapproval, history of sexual abuse, and pornography exposure. The sample included 526 (75.8%) youth adjudicated for sexual offenses and 170 (24.4%) youth adjudicated for nonsexual crimes. The average age of the sample was 16.8 years (SD = 1.6), and approximately half of the sample (47.7%, n = 310) self-identified as White. The results of hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that sexually aggressive youth scored significantly higher than nonsexually offending youth on both eating dysfunction and body disapproval measures. Pornography exposure and substance use predicted body disapproval and eating dysfunction in the entire sample of adjudicated youth. History of sexual abuse was a significant predictor of body disapproval in all adjudicated youth but was not a significant predictor of eating dysfunction. Implications for research and practice are offered.

2015 and beyond: 6 predictions for health care and population health.

Significant challenges and opportunities lie ahead for both providers and payers with respect to at-risk contracting and the following five essential building blocks of population health: Population risk evaluation. Network optimization. Quality and safety improvement. Cost reduction. Infrastructure development.

Emergence of nonsexual crimes and their relationship to sexual crime characteristics and the deviant arousal of male adolescent sexual offenders: an exploratory study.

In this study, we explore nonsexual crimes committed by a sample of 437 incarcerated adolescent sexual offenders as well as deviant arousal and its relationships to nonsexual and sexual crimes. Over 50% of the juvenile sexual offenders in this sample have committed nonsexual offenses. In addition, nonsexual crimes, particularly general delinquency, were significantly correlated to a number of characteristics of sexual crimes committed by the youth. Previous research has shown that sexually abusive youth are more likely to recidivate nonsexual crimes, and among the implications of this study is the need for treatment providers and service delivery systems to address nonsexual as well as sexual crimes.

A comparison of Tier 1, 2, and 3 methods for quantifying nitrous oxide emissions from soils amended with biosolids.

Municipal biosolids are a nitrogen (N)-rich agricultural fertilizer which may emit nitrous oxide (N2O) after rainfall events. Due to sparse empirical data, there is a lack of biosolids-specific N2O emission factors to determine how land-applied biosolids contribute to the national greenhouse gas inventory. This study estimated N2O emissions from biosolids-amended land in Canada using Tier 1, Tier 2 (Canadian), and Tier 3 (Denitrification and Decomposition model [DNDC]) methodologies recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Field data was from replicated plots at 8 site-years between 2017 and 2019 in the provinces of Quebec, Nova Scotia and Alberta, Canada, representing three distinct ecozones. Municipal biosolids were the major N source for the crop, applied as mesophilic anaerobically digested biosolids, composted biosolids, or alkaline-stabilized biosolids alone or combined with an equal amount of urea-N fertilizer to meet the crop N requirements. Fluxes of N2O were measured during the growing season with manual chambers and compared to N2O emissions estimated using the IPCC methods. In all site-years, the mean emission of N2O in the growing season was greater with digested biosolids than other biosolids sources or urea fertilizer alone. The emissions of N2O in the growing season were similar with composted or alkaline-stabilized biosolids, and no greater than the unfertilized control. The best estimates of N2O emissions, relative to measured values, were with the Tier 3 > adapted Tier 2 with biosolids-specific correction factors > standard Tier 2 = Tier 1 methods of the IPCC, according to the root mean square error statistic. The Tier 3 IPCC method was the best estimator of N2O emissions in the Canadian ecozones evaluated in this study. These results will be used to improve methods for estimating N2O emissions from agricultural soils amended with biosolids and to generate more accurate GHG inventories.

In situ TEM investigation of congruent phase transition and structural evolution of nanostructured silicon/carbon anode for lithium ion batteries.

It is well-known that upon lithiation, both crystalline and amorphous Si transform to an armorphous Li(x)Si phase, which subsequently crystallizes to a (Li, Si) crystalline compound, either Li(15)Si(4) or Li(22)Si(5). Presently, the detailed atomistic mechanism of this phase transformation and the degradation process in nanostructured Si are not fully understood. Here, we report the phase transformation characteristic and microstructural evolution of a specially designed amorphous silicon (a-Si) coated carbon nanofiber (CNF) composite during the charge/discharge process using in situ transmission electron microscopy and density function theory molecular dynamic calculation. We found the crystallization of Li(15)Si(4) from amorphous Li(x)Si is a spontaneous, congruent phase transition process without phase separation or large-scale atomic motion, which is drastically different from what is expected from a classic nucleation and growth process. The a-Si layer is strongly bonded to the CNF and no spallation or cracking is observed during the early stages of cyclic charge/discharge. Reversible volume expansion/contraction upon charge/discharge is fully accommodated along the radial direction. However, with progressive cycling, damage in the form of surface roughness was gradually accumulated on the coating layer, which is believed to be the mechanism for the eventual capacity fade of the composite anode during long-term charge/discharge cycling.

Effect of nutrient management planning on crop yield, nitrate leaching and sediment loading in Thomas Brook watershed.

Government priorities on provincial Nutrient Management Planning (NMP) programs include improving the program effectiveness for environmental quality protection, and promoting more widespread adoption. Understanding the effect of NMP on both crop yield and key water-quality parameters in agricultural watersheds requires a comprehensive evaluation that takes into consideration important NMP attributes and location-specific farming conditions. This study applied the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to investigate the effects of crop and rotation sequence, tillage type, and nutrient N application rate on crop yield and the associated groundwater [Formula: see text] leaching and sediment loss. The SWAT model was applied to the Thomas Brook Watershed, located in the most intensively managed agricultural region of Nova Scotia, Canada. Cropping systems evaluated included seven fertilizer application rates and two tillage systems (i.e., conventional tillage and no-till). The analysis reflected cropping systems commonly managed by farmers in the Annapolis Valley region, including grain corn-based and potato-based cropping systems, and a vegetable-horticulture system. ANOVA models were developed and used to assess the effects of crop management choices on crop yield and two water-quality parameters (i.e., [Formula: see text] leaching and sediment loading). Results suggest that existing recommended N-fertilizer rate can be reduced by 10-25 %, for grain crop production, to significantly lower [Formula: see text] leaching (P > 0.05) while optimizing the crop yield. The analysis identified the nutrient N rates in combination with specific crops and rotation systems that can be used to manage [Formula: see text] leaching while balancing impacts on crop yields within the watershed.

Driving out waste: a framework to enhance value in clinical care.

Many healthcare providers today are seeking to improve the value of the care they deliver by implementing standardized clinical practice guidelines aimed at reducing variations in care, avoiding complications, and lowering costs. To succeed, such an initiative requires the full support and participation of the clinicians who will use the guidelines. Providers also should have a fully developed infrastructure consisting of a clinical content system, an analytics system, and a deployment system.

Psychophysiology of Monotonous Driving, Fatigue and Sleepiness in Train and Non-Professional Drivers: Driver Safety Implications.

Fatigue and sleepiness are complex bodily states associated with monotony as well as physical and cognitive impairment, accidents, injury, and illness. Moreover, these states are often characteristic of professional driving. However, most existing work has focused on motor vehicle drivers, and research examining train drivers remains limited. As such, the present study psychophysiologically examined monotonous driving, fatigue, and sleepiness in a group of passenger train drivers and a group of non-professional drivers. Sixty-three train drivers and thirty non-professional drivers participated in the present study, which captured 32-lead electroencephalogram (EEG) data during a monotonous driving task. Fatigue and sleepiness were self-evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Karolinksa Sleepiness Scale, and the Checklist of Individual Strength. Unexpectedly, fatigue and sleepiness scores did not significantly differ between the groups; however, train drivers generally scored lower than non-professional drivers, which may be indicative of individual and/or industry attempts to reduce fatigue. Across both groups, fatigue and sleepiness scores were negatively correlated with theta, alpha, and beta EEG variables clustered towards the fronto-central and temporal regions. Broadly, these associations may reflect a monotony-associated blunting of neural activity that is associated with a self-reported fatigue state.

Absolute distance measurement with micrometer accuracy using a Michelson interferometer and the iterative synthetic wavelength principle.

We present a novel system that can measure absolute distances of up to 300 mm with an uncertainty of the order of one micrometer, within a timeframe of 40 seconds. The proposed system uses a Michelson interferometer, a tunable laser, a wavelength meter and a computer for analysis. The principle of synthetic wave creation is used in a novel way in that the system employs an initial low precision estimate of the distance, obtained using a triangulation, or time-of-flight, laser system, or similar, and then iterates through a sequence of progressively smaller synthetic wavelengths until it reaches micrometer uncertainties in the determination of the distance. A further novel feature of the system is its use of Fourier transform phase analysis techniques to achieve sub-wavelength accuracy. This method has the major advantages of being relatively simple to realize, offering demonstrated high relative precisions better than 5 × 10(-5). Finally, the fact that this device does not require a continuous line-of-sight to the target as is the case with other configurations offers significant advantages.

Part II: differences between sexually victimized and nonsexually victimized male adolescent sexual abusers and delinquent youth: further group comparisons of developmental antecedents and behavioral challenges.

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, we assessed the differences between sexually victimized and nonsexually victimized male adolescent sexual abusers ( Burton, Duty, & Leibowitz, 2011 ). We found that the sexually victimized group had more severe developmental antecedents (e.g., trauma and early exposure to pornography) and behavioral difficulties (sexual aggression, arousal, pornography use, and nonsexual offenses). The present study compares sexually victimized and nonsexually victimized adolescent sexual abusers with a group of nonsexually victimized delinquent youth. Findings included that delinquent youth had fewer behavioral and developmental problems than the comparison groups. In addition, sexually victimized sexual abusers had the highest mean scores on trauma and personality measures. Implications for research and treatment are offered.