cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Optimal Assignment of Facilities to Locations by Branch and Bound

The problem of assigning facilities to locations consists of the following: in the general case there are n fixed locations to which n facilities must be assigned. Each facility may be assigned to one and only one location. There are n! feasible assignments. The "distance" between any pair of locations is the cost of transporting a unit of material between the locations. The "traffic intensity" is the rate at which units of material are transferred between a given pair of facilities in both directions. An optimal assignment is one in which the sum of the product of distance times traffic intensity for all pairs of facility-location assignments is a minimum. The branch-and-bound technique with modifications is used to give an optimal assignment.
Dental wear, wear rate, and dental disease in the African apes.

The African apes possess thinner enamel than do other hominoids, and a certain amount of dentin exposure may be advantageous in the processing of tough diets eaten by Gorilla. Dental wear (attrition plus abrasion) that erodes the enamel exposes the underlying dentin and creates additional cutting edges at the dentin-enamel junction. Hypothetically, efficiency of food processing increases with junction formation until an optimal amount is reached, but excessive wear hinders efficient food processing and may lead to sickness, reduced fecundity, and death. Occlusal surfaces of molars and incisors in three populations each of Gorilla and Pan were videotaped and digitized. The quantity of incisal and molar occlusal dental wear and the lengths of dentin–enamel junctions were measured in 220 adult and 31 juvenile gorilla and chimpanzee skulls. Rates of dental wear were calculated in juveniles by scoring the degree of wear between adjacent molars M1 and M2. Differences were compared by principal (major) axis analysis. ANOVAs compared means of wear amounts. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to compare the relationship between molar wear and incidence of dental disease. Results indicate that quantities of wear are significantly greater in permanent incisors and molars and juvenile molars of gorillas compared to chimpanzees. The lengths of dentin–enamel junctions were predominantly suboptimal. Western lowland gorillas have the highest quantities of wear and the most molars with suboptimal wear. The highest rates of wear are seen in Pan paniscus and Pan t. troglodytes, and the lowest rates are found in P.t. schweinfurthii and G. g. graueri. Among gorillas, G. b. beringei have the highest rates but low amounts of wear. Coefficients between wear and dental disease were low, but significant when all teeth were combined. Gorilla teeth are durable, and wear does not lead to mechanical senescence in this sample. Am. J. Primatol. 72:481–491, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Three-dimensional image reconstruction in highly scattering turbid media

A novel inverse algorithm, which combines a 2D matrix inversion with a 1D Fourier transform inversion, is designed for obtaining an image of 3D hidden objects in scattering media. The existence of 2D boundaries, on which source- detector pairs are located around, violates the condition for using a 3D Fourier transform inverse imaging. This effect has been handled in our approach. This method greatly reduces the computational burden, compared to standard 3D matrix inversion methods. The result of image of hidden objects using time- resolved simulated data is presented.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Transmission of chloramphenicol-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis: epidemiologic and laboratory studies.

closed population. There is little information, however, on the epidemiology of the coagulase-negative strains (Staphylococcus epidermidis). Studies of S. epidermidis resistant to antibiotics have revealed several differences between S. epidermidis and S. aureus. S. epidermidis spreads more rapidly and to a greater extent in both treated and untreated patients, so that resistant strains of S. epidermidis are found more often than resistant strains of S. aureus before treatment with antibi-
Cross relaxation between the spin levels of phosphorescent 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene and photochemical products of the durene host

Abstract At certain magnetic fields, intensity changes have been observed in the phosphorescence of 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene (TCB) doped in a single crystal o Following the application of a magnetic field of the proper magnitude and direction to induce CR, the phosphorescence intensity of TCB displays an obse
On some nonparametric tests for profile analysis of several multivariate samples

Abstract For profile analysis of independent samples from several multivariate populations, a nonparametric analog of the hypothesis of parallelism of population profiles is formulated. A class of asymptotically distribution-free statistics is offered to test this hypothesis. These are based on generalized U statistics and are in some sense modifications of statistics offered previously by one of the authors for testing the homogeneity hypothesis. Consistency of these statistics is established for suitable alternatives and also asymptotic power is investigated.
Organic and Inorganic Supplements in a Purified Type Diet for Chicks

Abstract THE OCCURRENCE of unidentified factors necessary for optimum growth, feed efficiency, and reproductive performance in the chicken and turkey has been reported in a number of feed ingredients (Arscott and Combs, 1955; Ferguson et al., 1956; Dannenberg et al., 1955; Kurnick et al., 1956; and Kratzer et al., 1959). A growth promoting effect of corn steepwater, when added as a supplement to a practical type of broiler diet, has also been reported by Camp et al. (1957). The data obtained from three feeding trials with a total of 4,200 broiler-type chicks suggested the presence of an unknown chick growth factor in corn steepwater solubles. Three percent of liquid corn steep-water was adequate for maximum growth of broilers under the condition of the experiment. The data suggested that the factor in corn steepwater was similar to that found in dried whey. The effects of condensed fish solubles, dried whey, hydrolyzed whey, …
Mediating effects of smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on the relation between the CHRNA5‐A3 genetic locus and lung cancer risk

BACKGROUND: Recent genome-wide association studies of lung cancer have shown that the CHRNA5-A3 region on chromosome 15q24-25.1 is strongly associated with an increased risk of lung cancer and nicotine dependence, and is thought to be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well. However, it has not been established whether the association between genetic variants and lung cancer risk is a direct one or one mediated by nicotine dependence. METHODS: The authors applied a rigorous statistical approach, mediation analysis, to examine the mediating effect of smoking behavior and self-reported, physician-diagnosed emphysema (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD]) on the relation between the CHRNA5-A3 region genetic variant rs1051730 and the risk of lung cancer. RESULTS: Our results showed that rs1051730 is directly associated with lung cancer risk, but it is also associated with lung cancer risk through its effect on both smoking behavior and COPD. Furthermore, we showed that COPD is a mediating phenotype that explains part of the effect of smoking behavior on lung cancer. Our results also suggested that smoking behavior is a mediator of the relation between rs1051730 and COPD risk. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking behavior and COPD are mediators of the association between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1051730 and the risk of lung cancer. Also, COPD is a mediator of the association between smoking behavior and lung cancer. Finally, smoking behavior also has mediating effects on the association between the SNP and COPD. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
A 23.5 GHz PLL With an Adaptively Biased VCO in 32 nm SOI-CMOS

A 23.5 GHz 32 nm SOI-CMOS PLL with 30% frequency tuning range features an adaptively biased VCO. The adaptive biasing scheme lowers the average PLL power consumption from 34 mW to 27.2 mW, while keeping the jitter below 1.3° RMS across all frequency bands.
Possible role of marine bacteria in providing the creosote-resistance of Limnoria tripunctata

Electron microscopic examination of thin-sectioned Limnoria tripunctata from creosoted and untreated wood substrates from Panama, Florida, and laboratory aquaria, coupled with limnorian behavioral studies revealed that bacteria may contribute to the wood boring, nutrition, and creosote-resistance of these isopods. Ingested along with wood fragments and encased in a peritrophic membrane in the isopod intestine, these bacteria, upon lysis, may provide supplemental nutrition to the nitrogen-poor wood diet of L. tripunctata. Ingested material has never been observed in the digestive diverticula of limnorians and the presence of the peritrophic membrane in the isopod intestine has been correlated with feeding. Isopods from creosoted wood differed from those inhabiting untreated wood in that the former contained relatively larger and more diverse bacterial populations both on their exoskeletons and in their gut contents. These isopods harbored bacteria, which apparently bypassed the peritrophic membrane and lived in association with the isopod intestinal lining. These gut-associated bacteria were lost when laboratory isopods reared on creosoted wood were transferred to untreated wood. Laboratory isopods reared solely on creosoted or untreated wood were exposed to creosoted and untreated wood substrates, both sterilized and unsterilized. Boring and mortality data from these studies indicated that the creosote-reared population had a microbial flora whose activity facilitated isopod colonization of creosoted substrates. We present the hypothesis that creosote hydrocarbons provide nutrition for isopod-associated bacterial populations and that L. tripunctata may benefit from a concomitant bacterial detoxification of the creosote.
Evolutionary loss of sepals and/or petals in detarioid legume taxa Aphanocalyx, Brachystegia, and Monopetalanthus (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae)

Floral development using scanning electron microscopy is compared in several taxa of the Brachystegia subtribal group of caesalpinioid tribe Detariae. This group is characterized by missing sepals and/or petals. In Aphanocalyx djumaensis, Monopetalanthus durandii,and two Brachystegia species, one sepal is initiated in median abaxial position. In the first two, one or two additional sepal rudiments may initiate late. Brachystegia species have all five sepals, which remain scalelike. In Aphanocalyx and Monopetalanthus, one petal initiates adaxially and medianly (a position atypical for the first initiated petal in the family); additional petal rudiments may form in lateral sites. In Brachystegia, five petals are initiated unidirectionally on a meristem ring, but all are suppressed after initiation. In all taxa, ten stamens are initiated on a ring meristem: unidirectionally in Monopetalanthus, bidirectionally in Brachystegia, vs. in erratic order in Aphanocalyx. Carpel and petal initiation are concurrent. Different organ whorls overlap in time in Monopetalanthus and Brachystegia. In all, the floral apex characteristically is elongate radially and narrow tangentially after bracteole initiation. Two ontogenetic features, the meristem ring and the radially elongate post-bracteole floral apex, appear to be possible synapomorphies for the Brachystegia group. The Caesalpinioid tribe Detarieae sensu lato (s.l.) includes ;80 genera, half of the total in the legume subfamily Caesalpinioideae, and yet it is the least known tribe of the four in the subfamily. The taxa of Detarieae share a tendency toward ‘‘repeated and spectacular modification of the flower’’ (Cowan and Polhill, 1981a), with a continuous range of floral modification among Detarieae sensu stricto (s.s.) and the former Amherstieae. Tribe Amherstieae is currently subsumed into Detarieae, mainly because no apomorphies separate the two. The tribe is currently under intensive study by several investigators who are using a variety of approaches to study systematic relationships within Detarieae s.l. Bracteoles are a significant character in Detarieae (Cowan and Polhill, 1981a). The type of aestivation of —
Immunotherapy for cat asthma

In 22 patients with cat asthma who were highly sensitive to cat, we compared, double-blind, the effects of immunotherapy with cat-hair and dander extract (11 patients) with effects of placebo (11 patients). Patients were matched by the dose of the cat extract expressed in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) units of Fel d I (previously called cat allergen 1) required for end point reaction in intradermal skin test end point titration (STEPT), for in vitro leukocyte histamine release (LHR), and for the dose of cat extract producing a 20% fall in FEV1 (cat-extract PD20) in bronchoprovocation test. Patients were matched also for bronchoprovocation dose of methacholine producing a 20% fall in FEV1 (methacholine PD20). Patients were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. During immunotherapy, doses were increased to maintenance dose of 4.56 FDA units of Fel d I, or, if this were less, to the highest tolerated dose. Systemic reactions to cat-extract immunotherapy were mild and infrequent. Before and during immunotherapy, we measured (in FDA units of Fel d I) cat-extract PD20, cat-extract intradermal STEPT, cat-extract in vitro LHR, serum levels of cat IgG and cat IgE, and methacholine PD20. After they had received 1 year of immunotherapy, patients receiving cat extract, in comparison to patients receiving placebo, had decreased cat-extract PD20 (p less than 0.01), diminished responses to cat-extract intradermal STEPT (p less than 0.025), increased IgE antibodies toward cat extract (p less than 0.01), increased IgG antibodies toward cat extract, Fel d I, and cat albumin (p less than 0.001), but no significant change in cat-extract in vitro LHR or in methacholine PD20. We conclude that cat-extract immunotherapy was well tolerated, significantly decreased skin and bronchial responses to cat extract, and significantly increased IgE antibodies to cat extract and IgG antibodies to cat extract, Fel d I, and cat albumin.
Role of hormones and neurosteroids in epileptogenesis

This article describes the emerging evidence of hormonal influence on epileptogenesis, which is a process whereby a brain becomes progressively epileptic due to an initial precipitating event of diverse origin such as brain injury, stroke, infection, or prolonged seizures. The molecular mechanisms underlying the development of epilepsy are poorly understood. Neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration appear to trigger epileptogenesis. There is an intense search for drugs that truly prevent the development of epilepsy in people at risk. Hormones play an important role in children and adults with epilepsy. Corticosteroids, progesterone, estrogens, and neurosteroids have been shown to affect seizure activity in animal models and in clinical studies. However, the impact of hormones on epileptogenesis has not been investigated widely. There is emerging new evidence that progesterone, neurosteroids, and endogenous hormones may play a role in regulating the epileptogenesis. Corticosterone has excitatory effects and triggers epileptogenesis in animal models. Progesterone has disease-modifying activity in epileptogenic models. The antiepileptogenic effect of progesterone has been attributed to its conversion to neurosteroids, which binds to GABA-A receptors and enhances phasic and tonic inhibition in the brain. Neurosteroids are robust anticonvulsants. There is pilot evidence that neurosteroids may have antiepileptogenic properties. Future studies may generate new insight on the disease-modifying potential of hormonal agents and neurosteroids in epileptogenesis.
Nonlinear blackbox modeling of MR-dampers for civil structural control

Protecting civil engineering structures from severe impacts like strong earthquakes has demanded intensive research in the past two decades. One of the most promising devices proposed for structural protection is the magnetorheological (MR) fluid dampers. To fully explore their potentials in the real-time feedback control implementations, accurate and robust modeling of the devices is a prerequisite. This paper first proposes a general nonlinear blackbox structure to model the MR damping behavior on the displacement-velocity phase plane. Two constructive parameter estimation algorithms are subsequently developed which are based on the recent mathematical advances in wavelets and ridgelets analysis. Compared with the traditional physical modeling, this research aims at improving model numerical stability and model structure generality. The achievement of these objectives is evaluated in the modeling of an experimental MR-damper in a base-isolation structural control system.
RPGRIP1s with distinct neuronal localization and biochemical properties associate selectively with RanBP2 in amacrine neurons

RPGR and RPGRIP1 are molecular partners with vital roles in retinal function. Mutations in RPGR are implicated in heterogeneous retinal phenotypes, while those in RPGRIP1 lead to Leber congenital amaurosis. RPGR and RPGRIP1s differentially localize in photoreceptors among species. This may contribute to phenotype disparities among species bearing mutations in RPGR. However, it cannot account for the phenotype heterogeneity associated with RPGR- and RPGRIP1-linked mutations in the human. The existence of RPGRIP1 isoforms with distinct cellular, subcellular localizations and biochemical properties in the retina is shown. High mass RPGRIP1 isoforms, p175/p150, enriched in the outer segment (OS) compartment of photoreceptors are identified. The remaining isoforms are present across subcellular fractions, including nuclei and are soluble. The p175/p150 are predominantly sequestered in the cytoskeleton-insoluble fraction of OS and nuclei. In selective amacrine cells, and in the transformed photoreceptor line, 661W, RPGRIP1s localize at restricted foci to nuclear pore complexes and/or the vicinity of these. Among the nucleoporins, RPGRIP1 isoforms selectively associate in vivo with RanBP2 (Nup358). RPGRIP1s also decorate microtubules in 661W cells and occasionally form coiled-like inclusion bodies in the perikarya. These results support distinct but complementary functions of RPGRIP1 isoforms in cytoskeletal-mediated processes in photoreceptors and amacrine neurons, and may explain the Leber phenotype linked to RPGRIP1 mutations in humans. Moreover, the data implicate a role of RanBP2 in the pathogenesis of neuro(retino)pathies and as a docking station to mediate the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of RPGRIP1s and their interaction with other partners in amacrine and 661W neurons.
Combined treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis with propamidine, neomycin, and polyhexamethylene biguanide.

We developed an intensive treatment regimen of topical neomycin, propamidine, and polyhexamethylene biguanide that was tapered to a maintenance level over a 14- to 28-day period as toxicity developed. Since July 1991, we used this treatment on six eyes of five patients in whom Acanthamoeba keratitis was diagnosed clinically. All patients had positive cultures for microorganisms from their corneas or contact lens cases or had pathognomonic findings of pseudodendritic subepithelial infiltrates and radial keratoneuritis. After therapy, all patients improved within two to four weeks, with regression or resolution of neuritis and infiltrates, healing of epithelial defects, and lessening of pain. By three to four months, visual acuity had returned to 20/20 in all eyes. We believe the addition of polyhexamethylene biguanide to our treatment regimen in Acanthamoeba keratitis dramatically aided and hastened the clinical improvement in five consecutive patients and may, with early diagnosis, increase the number of medical cures.
Toward a Functional Analysis of the Basal Ganglia

Parkinson patients were tested in two paradigms to test the hypothesis that the basal ganglia are involved in the shifting of attentional set. Set shifting means a respecification of the conditions that regulate responding, a process sometimes referred to as an executive process. In one paradigm, upon the appearance of each stimulus, subjects were instructed to respond either to its color or to its shape.In a second paradigm, subjects learned to produce short sequences of three keypresses in response to two arbitrary stimuli. Reaction times were compared for the cases where set either remained the same or changed for two successive stimuli. Parkinson patients were slow to change set compared to controls. Parkinson patients were also less able to filter the competing but irrelevant set than were control subjects.The switching deficit appears to be dopamine based; the magnitude of the shifting deficit was related to the degree to which l-dopa-based medication ameliorated patients' motor symptoms. Moreover, temporary withholding of medication, a so-called off manipulation, increased the time to switch. Using the framework of equilibrium point theory of movement, we discuss how a set switching deficit may also underlie clinical motor disturbances seen in Parkinson's disease.
A Fast Digital Computer Method for Recursive Estimation of the Mean

An improvement in a method for recursive estimation of the mean of a random variable is suggested. The proposed algorithm is faster than conventional "ideal" averaging and only slightly less efficient, i.e., the estimate variance is only slightly larger for the same sample size.
Properties of conic state transition matrices and associated time partials

Transition matrices for conic trajectories are determined for a variety of cutoff constraints, each of which terminates the perturbed trajectory at a different point. The relationships between these transition matrices, by means of their corresponding time partials, are developed. Also, several ways of verifying state transition matrices and their associated time partials are presented including, in some cases, the use of the transition matrix to update the state vector.
PAIN MANAGEMENT IN TRAUMA

Effective management of trauma victims necessitates a multidisciplinary approach that must include pain management specialists. This is because the effect of pain and the related stress response is almost always detrimental to patients. The immediate effects of pain, mediated by metabolic and neurohormonal mechanisms, lead to hyperglycemia, lipolysis, protein catabolism, increased antidiuretic and catecholamine levels, immunosuppression, and a hypercoagulable state (Table 1). 18 Clinically, these manifest as hypertension, tachycardia, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, immobility, splinting, ventilation perfusion mismatch, reduced gastrointestinal motility, water and salt retention, hypoxia, and infections. Collectively, these result in high morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, and higher costs. Adequate pain management in the acute setting also aids earlier rehabilitation and may reduce the incidence of long-term chronic pain syndromes. The purpose of this article is to familiarize readers with the factors that are important in the management of pain in the trauma setting, with emphasis on practicality. Although different regions of the body are considered separately, it is important to realize that trauma patients frequently present with injuries to multiple areas of the body, necessitating flexibility on the part of the pain management specialist. In the management of trauma patients, it is important to communicate with surgical colleagues. Issues such as monitoring of cerebral function need to be addressed in patients with head trauma. In patients with neurologic peripheral injuries, it is also often necessary to avoid the use of analgesic techniques that may reduce the surgeon's ability to evaluate sensory and motor function. 28 At all periods of intervention, the nature of current problems must be understood. This is best achieved by maintaining a current list of active problems because conditions are constantly changing in patients with severe acute trauma, and this may influence the nature of the interventions that pain management specialists can offer. This article is divided into two sections. The first section deals with the management of acute trauma pain, and the second section highlights the commonly encountered chronic pain syndromes resulting from trauma.
PHYSICIAN REFERRAL FREQUENCY FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at risk for developing musculoskeletal complications. Few studies have examined the role of physical therapy (PT) for addressing these complicat...
Substance P and NMDA receptor-mediated slow potentials in neonatal rat spinal cord: age-related changes.

Abstract Slow ventral root potentials (slow VRP's) recorded from 1- to 5-day-old rat spinal cords are implicated in nociception, but there is controversy over their origin and persistence in the adult. The present study investigated changes in the role of substance P and NMDA receptors in slow VRP generation during the postnatal period (1–21 days). Through 9 days, dorsal root stimulation elicits slow VRP's with typical peak amplitudes at 3–4 s, decay time constants of 18–20 s, and durations > 20 s. After 11 days, peak amplitude shortens to
Role of antimicrobial prophylaxis during treatment of adults with acute leukemia

Patients with acute leukemia (AL) are at high risk for developing bacterial, viral and fungal infections during chemotherapy. Because these infections cause considerable morbidity and mortality, prevention is attractive. In recent decades, several trials have established the benefit of prophylactic antimicrobials in patients with AL. Administration of prophylactic fluoroquinolone, acyclovir and triazole is recommended in neutropenic patients with AL by both the USA and European national guidelines. The potential for antimicrobial resistance as a long-term consequence of prophylaxis, however, is a concern. The recent development of nonculture-based diagnostic tests for invasive fungal infections has made early diagnosis and targeted treatment a promising future strategy as an alternative to mold-active prophylaxis.
M cell targeting by a Claudin 4 targeting peptide can enhance mucosal IgA responses

Background: Mucosal immune surveillance is thought to be largely achieved through uptake by specialized epithelial M cells. We recently identified Claudin 4 as an M cell target receptor and developed a Claudin 4 targeting peptide (CPE) that can mediate uptake of nanoparticles through Nasal Associated Lymphoid Tissue (NALT) M cells. Methods: Recombinant influenza hemagglutinin (HA) and a version with the CPE peptide at the C-terminal end was used to immunize mice by the intranasal route along with a single dose of cholera toxin as an adjuvant. Serum and mucosal IgG and IgA responses were tested for reactivity to HA. Results: We found that the recombinant HA was immunogenic on intranasal administration, and inclusion of the CPE targeting peptide induced higher mucosal IgA responses. This mucosal administration also induced systemic serum IgG responses with Th2 skewing, but targeting did not enhance IgG responses, suggesting that the IgG response to mucosal immunization is independent of the effects of CPE M cell targeting. Conclusions: M cell targeting mediated by a Claudin 4-specific targeting peptide can enhance mucosal IgA responses above the response to non-targeted mucosal antigen. Since Claudin 4 has also been found to be regulated in human Peyer’s patch M cells, the CPE targeting peptide could be a reasonable platform delivery technology for mucosal vaccination.
GEOGRAPHY OF SPRING LANDBIRD MIGRATION THROUGH RIPARIAN HABITATS IN SOUTHWESTERN NORTH AMERICA

Migration stopover resources, particularly riparian habitats, are critically impor- tant to landbirds migrating across the arid southwestern region of North America. To explore the effects of species biogeography and habitat affinity on spring migration patterns, we syn- thesized existing bird abundance and capture data collected in riparian habitats of the border- lands region of the U.S. and Mexico. We determined the importance of geographic factors (longitude and latitude) in explaining variation in abundances and capture rates of 32 long- distance and three short-distance migrant species. Abundances and capture rates of 13 and 11 species, respectively, increased with increasing longitude, and four species' abundance and capture rates decreased with increasing longitude. Riparian associates, but not nonriparian species, were more abundant in western sites. Their abundance patterns were only weakly influenced by species biogeography. In contrast, biogeography did influence abundance pat- terns of nonriparian birds, suggesting that they choose the shortest, most direct route between wintering and breeding areas. We hypothesize that riparian obligate birds may, to some degree, adjust their migration routes to maximize time spent in high-quality riparian zones, but they are able to find suitable habitat opportunistically when crossing more hostile landscapes. In contrast, nonriparian birds adhere more closely to a hierarchical model in which the migratory route is determined by biogeographic constraints. Conservation of riparian habitats is necessary to meet future habitat stopover requirements of many western Neotropical migrant birds. We advocate a coordinated research effort to further elucidate patterns of distribution and habitat use so that conservation activities can be focused effectively.
A low-voltage compatible two-stage amplifier with /spl ges/120 dB gain in standard digital CMOS

This paper presents a low-voltage compatible 120 dB gain two-stage amplifier in standard digital CMOS with /spl les/3 transistors between V/sub DD/ and V/sub SS/. The first stage uses positive feedback to increase the output impedance and DC gain. A MOS precision voltage attenuator, output level monitoring circuits (OLMC) and a digital tuning network are used to achieve conductance cancellation over large output swings and process and temperature variations. The first stage was fabricated and tested, achieving /spl ges/76 dB DC gains over 2Vpp output swings. A modest-gain 2nd stage eliminates the need for OLMC and significantly improves linearity. The two stage amplifier can achieve /spl ges/120 dB DC gains (by simulation, or 110 dB projected from test results) over 2Vpp output swings with PM /spl ges/56/spl deg/ at UGF /spl ges/ 120 MHz when VDD = 3.5V.
Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) enhances photodimer formation at methyl-CpG sites but suppresses dimer deamination

Spontaneous deamination of cytosine to uracil in DNA is a ubiquitous source of C!T mutations, but occurs with a half life of � 50000 years. In contrast, cytosine within sunlight induced cyclobutane dipyrimidine dimers (CPD’s), deaminate within hours to days. Methylation of C increases the frequency of CPD formation at PyCG sites which correlate with C!T mutation hotspots in skin cancers. MeCP2 binds to m CG sites and acts as a transcriptional regulator and chromatin modifier affecting thousands of genes, but its effect on CPD formation and deamination is unknown. We report that the methyl CpG binding domain of MeCP2 (MBD) greatly enhances C= m C CPD formation at a TC m CG site in duplex DNA and binds with equal or better affinity to the CPD-containing duplex compared with the undamaged duplex. In comparison, MBD does not enhance T= m C CPD formation at aT T m CG site, but instead increases CPD formation at the adjacent TT site. MBD was also found to completely suppress deamination of the T= m CG CPD, suggesting that MeCP2 may have the capability to both suppress UV mutagenesis at Py m CpG sites as
An investigation of widespread ozone damage to the soybean crop in the upper Midwest determined from ground-based and satellite measurements

Elevated concentrations of ground-level ozone (O3) are frequently measured over farmland regions in many parts of the world. While numerous experimental studies show that O3 can significantly decrease crop productivity, independent verifications of yield losses at current ambient O3 concentrations in rural locations are sparse. In this study, soybean crop yield data during a 5-year period over the Midwest of the United States were combined with ground and satellite O3 measurements to provide evidence that yield losses on the order of 10% could be estimated through the use of a multiple linear regression model. Yield loss trends based on both conventional ground-based instrumentation and satellite-derived tropospheric O3 measurements were statistically significant and were consistent with results obtained from open-top chamber experiments and an open-air experimental facility (SoyFACE, Soybean Free Air Concentration Enrichment) in central Illinois. Our analysis suggests that such losses are a relatively new phenomenon due to the increase in background tropospheric O3 levels over recent decades. Extrapolation of these findings supports previous studies that estimate the global economic loss to the farming community of more than $10 billion annually.
Treatment of primary first-episode genital herpes simplex virus infections with acyclovir: results of topical, intravenous and oral therapy

Three double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluations of acyclovir were performed in first-episode genital herpes infections. In one trial intravenous acyclovir or saline was administered in hospital over 5 days. In the other two trials, 10-day courses of oral, or 7-day courses of topical acyclovir and respective placebos were followed up in the outpatient department. Regular assessments included staging examinations, culture of lesions and blood and serum analyses. No patient discontinued medication because of an adverse reaction, although one quarter of topically treated patients complained of local irritation on application. The placebo-controlled evaluations indicate that, if given within the first 7 days after the onset of lesions, topical, intravenous and oral acyclovir are useful in shortening the course of first-episode primary genital herpes. The clinical and virological effects of intravenous and oral acyclovir were more marked than those of topical treatment in the reduction of viral shedding; the time to complete healing of lesions; and in the reduction of new lesion formation. Systemic preparations of acyclovir also decreased the symptoms of herpes simplex virus urethritis and intravenous acyclovir those of herpes simplex virus cervicitis. Neither systemic treatment, however, was effective in delaying or reducing the frequency of subsequent recurrences, which may be related to the development of early ganglionic infection. Despite this, acyclovir treatment is a significant advance in the management of primary genital herpes.
Researches related to terrestrial magnetism and electricity of the United States Naval Research Laboratory

Equipment is being developed to record automatically and continuously the directions of radio static. It is planned to install the static direction-recorders at stations several hundred miles apart in order to investigate their possibility in locating storms. Ross Gunn has prepared a quantitative theory of the electricity of rain and thunderstorms (Terr. Mag v. 40, pp. 79–106, 1935) which yields agreement with observation. The theory is based on the hypothesis that each droplet of water and its surrounding ionized vapor constitutes a concentration-cell of about 60 millivolts difference of potential. He has dealt with (Terr. Mag., v. 39, pp. 265–276, 1934) the origin of the Sun's electric field from the standpoint of the systematic drift of the ions of the solar atmosphere.
On the structure of putidaredoxin and cytochrome P-450 cam and their mode of interaction.

The 5-exo-methylene hydroxylase of D(+)-camphor of Pseudomonas putida requires three components, a flavoprotein called putidare-doxin reductase, an iron-sulfur protein, putidaredoxin, and a variant b-type cytochrome, P-450cam, all of which show good solubility in aqueous buffers and havebeen obtained in homogeneous form (Tsai et al., 1971). Cytochrome P-450cam, the substrate and oxygen reactive component, is reduced by putidaredoxin which also acts as an effector forming very tight complexes with the hemeprotein in the presence of substrate (Tyson et al., 1972). Since these complexes can be readily formed in vitro, and since the reductase is not very specific and can be effectively replaced by other flavo-proteins, the putidaredoxin-cytochrome P-450cam-substrate complexes are of great interest to the study of tne mechanism of electron transfer in this multienzyme system.
U.S. Congressional Authorization and Appropriations Process

This note provides a guide to the U.S. Congress's budget and appropriations process from the perspective of the nuclear-energy industry.
Assessing Pathways to Tritium Production and its Detailed Spatial Distribution Throughout the VHTR

The content of this work focused on calculating tritium production in the active core region as well as the surrounding components of the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) using detailed Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. This is one of VHTR operational issues that need to be addressed. Permeation models of tritium in the VHTR plant have high levels of uncertainty associated with the initial tritium source from different pathways. In the past, the sources were generally derived from simple neutronics calculations in one dimension and one group. While providing a good estimate for integral pathways such as ternary fission, quantifying system-wide production via impurities in surrounding components may be largely inaccurate. To reduce this inaccuracy, the MAVRIC sequence of the SCALE 6.1 code package was used to calculate tritium production rates using a highly detailed Monte-Carlo model for neutron transport simulations covering the whole volume inside the reactor pressure vessel. It was found that assumptions about impurity concentrations in the graphite reflector and helium coolant could lead to larger tritium production rates than previously assumed from more simplified neutronics models. Previous studies showed that tritium permeation to secondary systems already exceeded EPA standards. Using a more detailed neutronics/shielding model in this study, even higher production rates were calculated than before. Based on these results, more work needs to be done to reduce leakage to secondary systems by improving helium purification systems and reducing impurities in structural components. Sophisticated transport theory simulations are necessary to support such analyses. The knowledge obtained in this study will also be used in tritium production studies related to liquid salt cooled reactors (LSCRs). Finally, it will inform design and selection of appropriate dosimetry needed to validate simulations.
City racial composition as a predictor of African American food deserts

Extending Small and McDermott’s ‘conditional perspective’, Blalock’s minority competition theory is used to explain how the relationship between African Americans and the number of supermarkets in a zip code depends on the city in which it resides. The 2010 American Community Survey and ZIP Business pattern data are examined with hierarchical general linear models to explore whether the previously observed negative relationship between the percentage of African Americans and the number of supermarkets in a zip code depends on the percentage of African Americans in the city. The results show that the relationship between the percentage of African Americans and the number of supermarkets depends on the percentage of African Americans in the city in the U-shaped pattern predicted by minority competition theory. Applications of minority competition to other theories of the unequal distribution of resources in cities are discussed.
Old-Fashioned Deposit Runs

This paper characterizes the deposit runs that occurred in the commercial banking system during 2008 and compares them with deposit runs during the 1930s. The importance of withdrawals by large depositors is a strong source of continuity across the two eras and reflects the longstanding concentration of deposit holdings. Runs occurred during 2008 despite the presence of national deposit insurance, which does not fully cover large accounts and therefore has limited impact on the incentives of those account holders. Large depositors continue to represent a source of both market discipline and financial instability.
Survey of pharmacy directors' experience with staff vacancies and recruitment

Hospital pharmacy directors were surveyed in September 1987 about staff pharmacist turnover, recruitment, and retention. Questionnaires were mailed to pharmacy directors at 541 hospitals in the United States. Three hundred thirty-nine questionnaires were returned (62.7% usable response rate); more than 50% of the questionnaires sent to each geographic region were completed. Only 129 respondents reported difficulty filling vacant staff pharmacist positions within the past 12 months, although 320 believed there is a pharmacist shortage. Seventy-eight reported having positions that remained unfilled for three to six months. For more than 90% of the vacant positions, two-thirds of the duties were in drug distribution. Five hundred thirty-three pharmacists were reported to have left their positions in the past 12 months; the directors said salary and working hours were the reasons most often given, and that 47.5% left to work at other hospitals and 13.1% at chain community pharmacies. National advertisements and the use of professional recruitment agencies were the recruitment methods most frequently mentioned, and salary increases, recognition through feedback from management, and participation in management decisions were the methods most commonly mentioned for retaining pharmacists. Salary was the most frequently reported reason for hospital pharmacist turnover, and nearly half of the pharmacists leaving their positions went to other hospitals.
Lung transplantation for pulmonary sarcoidosis. Twenty-five years of experience in the USA

Objective Lung transplantation is the ultimate treatment for end-stage pulmonary sarcoidosis. Post-transplant survival outcomes remain unclear. Methods Survival models were used to assess survival and graft outcomes in patients with sarcoid among 20 896 lung transplants performed in the USA. Results 695 lung recipients were transplanted for pulmonary sarcoidosis. Sarcoid lung recipients had similar median survival rate (69.7 months (IQR 60.2–79.3)) compared with the non-sarcoid lung recipients (63.1 months (IQR 61.4–64.8), p=0.88). In multivariate Cox regression, sarcoidosis was not independently associated with worse mortality (HR 0.96 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.08), p=0.51). Among the sarcoid lung recipients, double lung transplantation (HR 0.76 (0.58 to 0.99), p=0.04) and lung allocation score era (HR 0.74 (0.56 to 0.97), p=0.03) were associated with improved survival. Conclusions Recipients of lung transplants for pulmonary sarcoidosis had similar outcomes compared with non-sarcoid lung recipients.
The twenty-first-century legacy of the Beatles: Liverpool and popular music heritage tourism

In the town where I was born (New York City), there are many cultural things known globally to exploit for tourism purposes. However, for Liverpudlian Michael Brocken, there is one obvious commerci...
Computed tomography-guided endoscopic needle knife therapy for ileal pouch sinus

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis surgery can be complicated by anastomotic leaks, leading to the formation of abscess and chronic sinus that have been routinely managed by a surgical approach. We developed the endoscopic needle knife sinusotomy (NKSi) technique, which has become a valid alternative. The basic principle of endoscopic NKSi is dissection and drainage of the sinus through its orifice internally into the lumen of pouch body. The success of NKSi requires an access to the sinus from the pouch side. One of the most challenging situations for NKSi is a closed orifice of the sinus, which leaves an isolated chronic abscess cavity. Here we report a case of complicated presacral sinus with a closed orifice that was not amenable to NKSi, necessitating a CT-guided guide wire placement and subsequent NKSi.
Taste Over Time: The Temporal Dynamics of User Preferences.

We develop temporal embedding models for exploring how listening preferences of a population develop over time. In particular, we propose time-dynamic probabilistic embedding models that incorporate users and songs in a joint Euclidian space in which they gradually change position over time. Using large-scale Scrobbler data from Last.fm spanning a period of 8 years, our models generate trajectories of how user tastes changed over time, how artists developed, and how songs move in the embedded space. This ability to visualize and quantify listening preferences of a large population of people over a multi-year time period provides exciting opportunities for data-driven exploration of musicological trends and patterns.