War, captives, and human sacrifice were parts of Late Postclassic (AD 1250–1524) Maya culture in highland Guatemala. Las Casas (1958:152) wrote that the supreme lord “put the heads of the sacrificed on some poles on a certain altar dedicated only to this, where they had these for some time, after which they buried them.” These cultural aspects show up in human remains excavated at Iximche’, the Kaqchikel Maya capital. Here, we integrate previously published and unpublished results of stable isotope analyses and explore their implications for diets and the geographic origins of individuals who were buried at the site on the eve of the Spanish conquest. Data from Iximche’ are compared with available results from other ancient Maya sites.

Because of their structural versatility, fast redox reactivity, high storage capacity, sustainability, and environmental friendliness, soluble organic redox molecules have emerged as materials that have potential for use in energy-storage systems. Considering these advantages, this paper reviews recent progress in implementing such materials in aqueous soluble organic redox flow batteries and organic alkali metal/air batteries. We identify and discuss major challenges associated with molecular structures, cell configurations, and electrochemical parameters. Hopefully, we provide a general guidance for the future development of soluble organic redox materials for emerging energy-storage devices used in the electricity grid.

Antidepressant prescribing patterns and factors influencing the choice of antidepressant for the treatment of depression were examined in the Factors Influencing Depression Endpoints Research (FINDER) study, a prospective, observational study in 12 European countries of 3468 adults about to start antidepressant medication for their first episode of depression or a new episode of recurrent depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were the most commonly prescribed antidepressant (63.3% patients), followed by serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs, 13.6%), but there was considerable variation across countries. Notably, tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants (TCAs) were prescribed for 26.5% patients in Germany. The choice of the antidepressant prescribed was strongly influenced by the previous use of antidepressants, which was significantly associated with the prescription of a SSRI (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.54, 0.76), a SNRI (OR 1.49; 95% CI 1.18, 1.88) or a combination of antidepressants (OR 2.78; 95% CI 1.96, 3.96). Physician factors (age, gender, speciality) and patient factors (severity of depression, age, education, smoking, number of current physical conditions and functional syndromes) were associated with initial antidepressant choice in some models. In conclusion, the prescribing of antidepressants varies by country, and the type of antidepressant chosen is influenced by physician- as well as patient-related factors.

The VAST survey is a wide-field survey that observes with unprecedented instrument sensitivity (0.5 mJy or lower) and repeat cadence (a goal of 5 seconds) that will enable novel scientific discoveries related to known and unknown classes of radio transients and variables. Given the unprecedented observing characteristics of VAST, it is important to estimate source classification performance, and determine best practices prior to the launch of ASKAP's BETA in 2012. The goal of this study is to identify light-curve characterization and classification algorithms that are best suited for archival VAST light-curve classification. We perform our experiments on light-curve simulations of eight source types and achieve best-case performance of approximately 90% accuracy. We note that classification performance is most influenced by light-curve characterization rather than classifier algorithm.

Los modelos de prescripción de antidepresivos y los factores que influyen en la elección del antidepresivo para el tratamiento de la depresión se estudiaron en el estudio de los Factores que Influyen en la Investigación de los Criterios de Valoración de la Depresión (FINDER), un estudio prospectivo de observación realizado en 12 países europeos con 3.468 adultos sobre el comienzo de la medicación antidepresiva en el primer episodio de depresión o en un nuevo episodio de depresión recurrente. Los inhibidores selectivos de la recaptación de serotonina (ISRS) son los antidepresivos más prescritos más frecuentemente (63,3% de los pacientes), seguidos de los inhibidores de la recaptación de serotonina-noradrenalina (IRSN, 13,6%), pero hubo una variación considerable entre los distintos países. Debemos destacar que se prescribieron antidepresivos tricíclicos y tetracíclicos (ATC) al 26,5% de los pacientes en Alemania. La elección del antidepresivo prescrito estaba bajo una influencia muy fuerte del uso anterior de antidepresivos, que se asoció considerablemente con la prescripción de un ISRS (CP 0,64; IC 95% 0,54, 0,76), un IRSN (CP 1,49; 1C 95% 1,18, 1,88) o una combinación de antidepresivos (CP 2,78; IC 95% 1,96, 3,96). Los factores del médico (edad, sexo, especialidad) y de los pacientes (gravedad de la depresión, edad, educación, tabaquismo, número de enfermedades físicas y síndromes funcionales actuales) se asociaron con la eleccción del antidepresivo inicial en algunos casos. Para concluir, la prescripción de antidepresivos varía en función del país, y el tipo de antidepresivo escogido está bajo la influencia de factores relacionados con el médico y con el paciente.

In education, a popular model employed to represent the learning process is typically portrayed as a four-stage process signified by a cycle in a two-dimensional circular path. This cycle can be repeated by revisiting topics at increasing levels of sophistication in order to produce what is known as a spiral curriculum.

In this presentation, a variation of Kolb's two-dimensional learning cycle model is offered that represents the learning cycle as if it were a three-dimensional spiral or helix, with successive turns associated with increases in Bloom's Taxonomic level. This representation is explored and developed, with a specific example from a chemical engineering course offered in Industrial Electrochemistry. This more comprehensive concept-centered model for the learning cycle explicitly includes higher order thinking skills to promote creative thinking, through the application of concepts and can be used to develop more effective curricula and course instruction. Specifically, our sample class consists of four teams, each of which is responsible for becoming expert in the concepts associated with an area of science and another of application. Transfer of content is student driven while topics are explored. Students teaching each other allows for synergistic enhanced motivation to explore, with concurrent ultimate improvement in the retention of core concepts by the entire course population.

We evaluated auditory working memory in 41 HIV-seropositive (HIV+) and 37 HIV-seronegative (HIV−) male drug users, employing a modified version of the Letter-Number Span Task developed by Gold and colleagues. We added a control condition to the standard task in order to evaluate more directly the contribution of the processing component to the working memory deficits with the effects of storage demands minimized. HIV+ subjects performed significantly more poorly compared to controls on an index of working memory processing derived from raw scores obtained under the two testing conditions. These findings are consistent with our previous reports that HIV-related working memory deficits are evident across multiple informational domains; further, the deficit appears to involve multiple-component functions of working memory. Converging findings from recent working memory studies and from primate and neuroimaging investigations suggest that functional abnormalities of prefrontal cortex should receive greater emphasis in models of neurocognitive aspects of HIV-1 infection, which have typically emphasized “subcortical” deficits. (JINS, 2001, 7, 20–26.)

Alumina formed by the electrochemical anodization of bulk aluminum has a regular porous structure [1]. Sub-100 nm pores with aspect ratios as high as 1000:1 can easily be formed [2] without elaborate processing. Anodization of aluminum thus provides the basis for the inexpensive, high throughput microfabrication of structures with near vertical sidewalls [2]. In this work we explore the patterned anodic oxidation of deposited aluminum thin films, facilitating the integration of this technique with established microfabrication tools. An anodization barrier of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is deposited onto 300 nm thick aluminum films. The barrier film is subsequently patterned and the exposed aluminum anodized in a 10% sulfuric acid solution. Barrier patterning techniques utilized in this study include optical exposure, ion-beam milling and nano-imprint lithography. Sharp edge definition on micron scale patterns has been achieved using optical methods. Extension of this technique to smaller dimensions by ion-beam milling and nano-imprint lithography is presented. We further report on the observation of contrast reversal of anodization with very thin PMMA barriers, which provides a novel means of pattern transfer. Potential applications and challenges will be discussed.

The effect of dietary intake level on in vivo plasma leucine and plasma palmitate flux rates and on the response to a bolus injection of bovine growth hormone (GH) was investigated in six young steers. Animals were fed on a pelleted diet of dried grass–barley (0.7:0.3, w/w) in quantities sufficient to supply 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0, 2.4 or 2.65 × maintenance energy requirement, offered in hourly portions. Continuous intravenous infusions of [1-13C]leucine or [1-13C]palmi-tate were used to determine the flux of amino acid and fatty acid through the plasma pool before, immediately (1–3 h) after and 22–24 h after a subcutaneous injection of bovine GH (0.55 mg/kg body weight). Hourly blood samples were taken for 27 h to monitor the temporal responses of circulating hormones and metabolites following GH administration. The animal on the lowest plane of nutrition had elevated plasma GH and reduced insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations compared with those fed on higher intake levels. Plasma leucine flux and leucine concentration increased with intake while palmitate flux and plasma non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations were inversely related to intake. Leucine flux rate decreased in the animals fed on the two highest intake levels in response to GH 22–24 h after administration, but plasma leucine concentrations were reduced in all animals at this time. Only the animal fed on the lowest intake level showed an immediate response to GH (within 3 h of administration) with increased palmitate flux and plasma NEFA concentrations but a lipolytic response was apparent in other animals 22–24 h post-administration although the magnitude of the response was markedly reduced at high intakes. We conclude that lipid and protein metabolism are differentially responsive to GH and nutritional status.

A prospective study was performed over a two-year period to determine whether computer-generated reminders of perioperative antibiotic use could improve prescribing habits and reduce postoperative wound infections. During the first year, baseline patterns of antibiotic use and postoperative infection rates were established. During the second year, computer-generated reminders regarding perioperative antibiotic use were placed in the patient's medical record prior to surgery and patterns of antibiotic use and postoperative wound infections monitored.

Hospitalized patients undergoing non-emergency surgery from June to November 1985 (3,263 patients), and from June to November 1986 (3,568) were monitored with respect to indications for perioperative antibiotic use, timing of antibiotic use and postoperative infectious complications. Perioperative antibiotic use was considered advisable for 1,621 (50%) patients in the 1985 sample and for 1,830 (51%) patients in the 1986 sample. Among these patients, antibiotics were given within two hours before the surgical incision in 638 (40%) of the 1985 sample and 1,070 (58%) of the 1986 sample (p<0.001). Overall, postoperative wound infections were detected in 28 (1.8%) of 1,621 patients in 1985 compared with 16 (0.9%) of 1,830 such patients in 1986 (p<0.03).

We conclude that computer-generated reminders of perioperative antibiotic use improved prescribing habits with a concurrent decline in postoperative wound infections.