cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Androgen Metabolism and the Menopause

The concentration of androgens in the blood peaks in early adulthood. While the concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) decline steadily, the concentrations of androstenedione (A) and testosterone (T) decline just before or at the menopause. DHEAS is bound strongly to albumin, resulting in a very low metabolic clearance rate (MCR) of about 12 L/day. DHEA and A are bound weakly to albumin and their MCRs are 1800 to 2000 L/day. T is bound strongly to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and the MCR of T is about 500 L/day. There are no significant changes in the MCRs at the menopause or with age. The pathways of metabolism are not altered at the menopause but aromatization of DHEA, A, and T to estrone and estradiol all increase with age. Thus, androgen metabolism in general is affected more by age than by the menopause itself.
Pathophysiologie, évaluation et traitement médical de l’incontinence fécale

L’incontinence fecale est un probleme frequent en pratique medicale mais souvent sous-estime et mal traite. Cet artiele revoit l’epidemiologie, les mecanismes pathophysiologiques et les approaches diagnostiques des patients souffrant d’incontinence fecale. De plus, je ferai une synthese des traitements medicaux de l’incontinence fecale. Une anamnese systematique et une etude de la morphologie et de la physiologie anorectales permet souvent de mettre en evidence les mecanismes pathogeniques sous-jacents et d’orienter le traitement.
Exploring the middle infrared region for urban remote sensing: seasonal and view angle effects

This letter explores key variables affecting radiance observed in the middle infrared (MIR) region (3−5 μm) over urban areas. To date, MIR has received little attention in urban remote sensing. Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) band 23, which spans 4.02–4.08 μm, we examine (1) the seasonality of MIR, (2) the relationship between MIR radiance and percent impervious surface area (percentage ISA) and (3) sensor view zenith angle (VZA) effects on observed MIR radiance over cities. We find the effects of sensor VZA and percentage ISA to be two important factors influencing MIR radiance in urban areas, which allows settlements to emerge as islands of MIR brightness amidst MIR-dark vegetated landscapes.
Eating beyond metabolic need: How environmental cues influence feeding behavior

Animals use current, past, and projected future states of the organism and the world in a finely tuned system to control ingestion. They must not only deal effectively with current nutrient deficiencies, but also manage energy resources to meet future needs, all within the constraints of the mechanisms of metabolism. Many recent approaches to understanding the control of ingestive behavior distinguish between homeostatic mechanisms concerned with energy balance, and hedonic and incentive processes based on palatability and reward characteristics of food. In this review, I consider how learning about environmental cues influences homeostatic and hedonic brain signals, which may lead to increases in the affective taste properties of food and desire to over consume. Understanding these mechanisms may be critical for elucidating the etiology of the obesity epidemic.
Homosexual twin incest avoidance

(1983). Homosexual twin incest avoidance. The Journal of Sex Research: Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 296-302.
Crop nitrogen utilization and soil nitrate loss in a lettuce field

Low N use efficiency and high nitrate (NO 3 - ) pollution potentials are problems in intensive vegetable production systems. The purpose of this study was to quantify N utilization by lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv Salinas), and identify periods of NO 3 - loss in an on-farm study in the Salinas Valley in coastal California. During autumn and winter, surface moisture remained low, and NO 3 - concentrations increased, reflecting high net mineralizable N, as determined by anaerobic incubation, and nitrification potential, as determined by the chlorate inhibition method. At the onset of a large winter storm, tracer levels of15NO 3 - were injected in the top 5 mm of soil in 30 cm-deep cylinders. After two weeks, most of the15N was present as15NO 3 - at 10–30 cm depth. By difference, losses to denitrification accounted for ~ 25% of the surface-applied15N. Leaching below 30 cm did not occur, since no15N enrichment of NO 3 - -N was measured in anion-exchange resin membranes placed at the base of each cylinder. During the crop period, NO 3 - losses were most pronounced after irrigation events. Uptake of N by two crops of lettuce (above- and belowground material) was approximately equal to fertilizer inputs, yet simulation of N fates by the Erosion/Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) model indicated losses of 14.6 g-N m−2 by leaching and 2.5 g-N m−2 by denitrification during the 6-month crop period. The large NO 3 - losses can be attributed to accumulation of soil NO 3 - during winter that was leached or denitrified during the irrigated crop period.
Cervical flexion-relaxation response to neck muscle fatigue in males and females.

In this study the effect of muscle fatigue on the cervical spine flexion–relaxation response was studied. Twenty healthy participants (10 males and 10 females) were recruited for data collection. The Sorenson protocol was utilized to induce neck muscle fatigue. Surface electromyography and optical motion capture systems were used to measure neck muscle activation and head–neck posture, respectively. A post-fatigue reduction in the Flexion–Relaxation Ratio (FRR) and higher FRR for females compared to males were observed. A post-fatigue decrease was also observed in the onset and offset angles resulting in an expansion of the myoelectric silence period. Gender had no effect on the onset and offset angles of the silence period. Post-fatigue shift in the onset and offset angles and the expansion of the silence period indicate an increased contribution by the passive viscoelastic tissues in stabilizing the cervical spine under fatigued condition.
Low Operating Voltage Single ZnO Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors Enabled by Self-Assembled Organic Gate Nanodielectrics

The development of nanowire transistors enabled by appropriate dielectrics is of great interest for flexible electronic and display applications. In this study, nanowire field-effect transistors (NW-FETs) composed of individual ZnO nanowires are fabricated using a self-assembled superlattice (SAS) as the gate insulator. The 15-nm SAS film used in this study consists of four interlinked layer-by-layer self-assembled organic monolayers and exhibits excellent insulating properties with a large specific capacitance, 180 nF/cm2, and a low leakage current density, 1 × 10-8 A/cm2. SAS-based ZnO NW-FETs display excellent drain current saturation at Vds = 0.5 V, a threshold voltage (Vth) of −0.4 V, a channel mobility of ∼196 cm2/V s, an on−off current ratio of ∼104, and a subthreshold slope of 400 mV/dec. For comparison, ZnO NW-FETs are also fabricated using 70-nm SiO2 as the gate insulator. Implementation of the SAS gate dielectric reduces the NW-FET operating voltage dramatically with more than 1 order of magnit...
Upper-Bound Velocity Limit for Free-Jet Melt Spinning

The upper bound for the production of uniform amorphous ribbons during free-jet melt spinning is predicted by coupling a mass balance condition for the melt-pool with a simple boundary layer model for momentum transfer. The relationships between melt-pool length, ribbon thickness and wheel speed are investigated, and a criterion is developed for the onset of unsteady melt-pool behavior, which has previously been associated with increased surface roughness, porosity, and the formation of crystalline phases at high wheel speeds.
Multicriterion decision support for a conflict over stream diversion and land-water reallocation in Hawaii

With the demise of the Hawaiian island of Oahu's sugarcane cultivation in mid-1995, policymakers have been grappling with two related questions: how should former cane lands be used, and what portion, if any, of the diverted flow of windward streams should be returned to those streams. This paper proposes and illustrates a multiobjective methodology to aid decision making regarding this and similar problems. It consists of the elicitation of concerns and the structuring of criterion hierarchies, the use of multicriterion optimization to formulate potential solutions, and the employment of discrete multicriterion methods to compare and evaluate those proposals. A discussion of the institutionalization of multicriterion decision support concludes the paper.
Improved knee extensor strength with resistance training associates with muscle specific miRNAs in older adults

Regular exercise, particularly resistance training (RT), is the only therapy known to consistently improve muscle strength and quality (force per unit of mass) in older persons, but there is considerable variability in responsiveness to training. Identifying sensitive diagnostic biomarkers of responsiveness to RT may inform the design of a more efficient exercise regimen to improve muscle strength in older adults. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. We quantified six muscle specific miRNAs (miR-1, -133a, -133b, -206, -208b and -499) in both muscle tissue and blood plasma, and their relationship with knee extensor strength in seven older (age=70.5 ± 2.5 years) adults before and after 5 months of RT. MiRNAs differentially responded to RT; muscle miR-133b decreased, while all plasma miRNAs tended to increase. Percent changes in knee extensor strength with RT showed strong positive correlations with percent changes in muscle miR-133a, -133b, and -206 and with percent changes in plasma and plasma/muscle miR-499 ratio. Baseline level of plasma or plasma/muscle miR-499 ratio further predicts muscle response to RT, while changes in muscle miR-133a, -133b, and -206 may correlate with muscle TNNT1 gene alternative splicing in response to RT. Our results indicate that RT alters muscle specific miRNAs in muscle and plasma, and that these changes account for some of the variation in strength responses to RT in older adults.
Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy: 5-Year Oncological and Biochemical Outcomes

Purpose: We investigated oncological outcomes in patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy more than 5 years previously.Materials and Methods: Between June 2002 and August 2006 we prospectively followed 435 consecutive patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Five patients were excluded from analysis, including 4 lost to followup and 1 with prior therapy. Biochemical recurrence was denoted as 1) adjuvant therapy or 2) 2 prostate specific antigen values above 0.2 ng/ml. Biochemical recurrence-free survival, and patient and tumor characteristics were investigated.Results: Mean ± SD patient age was 61.4 ± 7.1 years. A total of 289 patients (63%) had 5 or more years of followup and 4 (1%) were lost to followup. Median time to biochemical recurrence was 18 months (range 1 month to 9.1 years). Four patients (0.93%) died of prostate cancer. The 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival rate was 84.9% (95% CI 81.4–88.4). Five-year biochemical recurrence-free survival was 94...
Application of Kalman Filtering in Computer Relaying

During the first cycle following a power system fault, a high speed computer relay has to make a decision usually based on the 60 Hz information, which is badly corrupted by noise. The noise in this case is the nonfundamental frequency components in the transient current or voltage, as the case may be. For research and development purposes of computer relaying techniques, the precise nature of the noise signal is required. The autocorrelation function and variance of the noise signal was obtained based on the frequency of occurrence of the different types of faults, and the probability distribution of fault location. A new technique for modelling the signal and the measurements is developed based on Kalman Filtering theory for the optimal estimation of the 60 Hz information. The results indicate that the technique converges to the true 60 Hz quanitities faster than other algorithms that have been used. The new technique also has the lowest computer burden among recently published algorithms and appears to be within the state of the art of current microcomputer technology.
Objective Analysis of Pseudostress over the Indian Ocean Using a Direct-Minimization Approach

A technique not previously used in objective analysis of meteorological data is used here to produce monthly average surface pseudostress data over the Indian Ocean. An initial guess field is derived and a cost functional is constructed with five terms: approximation to initial guess, approximation to climatology, a smoothness parameter, and two kinematic terms. The functional is minimized using a conjugate-gradient technique, and the weight for the climatology term controls the overall balance of influence between the climatology and the initial guess. Results from various weight combinations are presented for January and July 1984. Quantitative and qualitative comparisons to the subject analysis are made to find which weight combination provides the best results. The weight on the approximation to climatology is found to balance the influence of the original field and climatology.
Spoken Language Support for Software Development

Software development environments have changed little since their origins as low-level text editors. Programmers with repetitive strain injuries and other motor disabilities can find these environments difficult or impossible to use due to their emphasis on typing. Our research adapts voice recognition to the software development process, both to mitigate this difficulty and to provide insight into natural forms of high-level interaction. Our contribution is to use program analysis to interpret speech as code, thereby enabling the creation of a program editor that supports voice-based programming. We have created spoken Java, a variant of Java which is easier to verbalize than its traditional typewritten form, and an associated spoken command language to manipulate code. We are conducting user studies to understand the cognitive effects of spoken programming, as well as to inform the design of the language and editor
Porcine follistatin gene structure supports two forms of mature follistatin produced by alternative splicing.

Follistatin (FS), a novel gonadal protein which inhibits specifically the secretion of pituitary follicle stimulating hormone(FSH), has recently been isolated from porcine follicular fluid, cDNA cloning of the porcine ovarian FS precursor revealed two populations of cDNAs which differed at the 3′-region of the open reading frames; one population encodes a precursor of 317 amino acids while the other encodes another precursor having the same 317 amino acids, but with an additional 27 amino acids at the carboxy-terminal. Herein, we report the cloning of the porcine FS gene whose DNA structure reveals that the two populations of mRNA are generated by alternative splicing. In addition, restriction endonuclease mapping and DNA sequencing show that the FS gene is approximately 6 Kb long and consists of six exons separated by five introns. The first exon encodes the putative signal sequence, followed by four exons which encode the four domains of FS, three of which are highly homologous to each other. The last exon encodes the extra 27-amino acid carboxy-terminal domain of the 344-residued precursor.
Promoter Use by ς38 (rpoS) RNA Polymerase AMINO ACID CLUSTERS FOR DNA BINDING AND ISOMERIZATION

Abstract ς38 is a non-essential but highly homologous member of the ς70 family of transcription factors. In vitro mutagenesis and in vivo screening were used to identify 22 critical amino acids in the promoter interaction domain of Escherichia coliς38. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay studies showed that residues involved in duplex DNA binding largely segregated into distinct regions that coincided with those of ς70. However, the majority of these amino acids were in non-conserved positions. Analysis indicates that this region of the two ςs probably has a common overall organization but differs in how its amino acids are used to form functional open complexes. Placement of the mutations on the known ς70 holoenzyme structure shows two clusters; one appears to be used for duplex DNA recognition and the other for the subsequent isomerization events. Permanganate assays for DNA melting support this view.
CHEMOTHERAPY OF TRYPANOSOME AND SPIROCHETE INFECTIONS : CHEMICAL SERIES. I. N-PHENYLGLYCINEAMIDE-p-ARSONIC ACID.

Early twentieth-century scientists had long been attempting to treat trypanosomiasis, or African Sleeping Sickness, with arsenic-based compounds. Unfortunately, these compounds were largely ineffective and highly toxic. In light of this, Heidelberger and Walter Jacobs began work to formulate an alternate treatment for the disease. This article describes the pair's successful creation of a simple, non-toxic, and easily made arsenic compound to treat sleeping sickness, which Simon Flexner, director of the Rockefeller Institute, named "tryparasamide."
Immunoassay on Free-standing Electrospun Membranes

For the purpose of immunoassay, electrospun membranes can be thought as the threadlike self-assembling of nano/microbeads. Nonwoven membranes of electrospun poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) fibers display excellent tenacity, flexibility and suitable surface energy. These PCL membranes exhibit easy handling in air, fast spreading, and wetting in aqueous solution, and rapid adsorption of protein molecules by hydrophobic interaction. After a fold-and-press process, the membrane porosity was reduced from ∼75% to less than 10%, whereas the thickness increased from 5.3 to 280 μm. The resulting fluorescence signal from adsorbed protein increased >120×. With anti-HSA and HSA-FITC as an immunoassay model, a linear detection range from 500 ng/mL down to 1 ng/mL is obtained, with a detection of limit (LOD) of ∼0.08 ng/mL. By comparison, conventional nitrocellulose and a 24.3 μm PCL fiber electrospun membrane displayed a much higher LOD of ∼100 ng/mL. Immunoassay on free-standing electrospun membrane successfully combines ...
Effects of overlearning on retention and relearning of gross-motor skill by mentally retarded males.

Summary.-To study the effects of gross-motor skill overlearning on retention and relearning by mild, moderate, and severe institutionalized male retardates 79 mentally retarded males were randomly assigned to a learning group or an overlearning group. Learning to throw a bean bag at a target at 8 ft. occurred when Ss accumulated 10 points in 3 consecutive throws, and at 16 ft. when 6 points were accumulated in three consecutive throws. The learning group reached criterion at one time at each distance, but the overlearning group was given three consecutive trials at criterion. All Ss were retrained after 5 wk. Trials to criterion for original acquisition and relearning indicated overlearning gave superior performance on retention. Research supports the assumption that the mentally retarded learn and retain very differently from the nonretarded. It has been suggested that the retarded can learn motor skills as efficiently as the nonretarded. There are increased data to support the contention that many obvious and subde variables may inhibit motor skill learning of retarded children. When complex learning casks are presented to retarded children learning is not equal to that of nonretarded children, and some data suggest that retarded persons have difficulty in learning manual skills. Literature concerning gross-motor skill learning by retarded Ss is scarce indeed. Before programming in gross-motor skills can be logically and sequentially initiated and/or implemented, a body of knowledge relating to the mentally retarded must be established. Overlearning or extra practice is used to reinforce learning so that a skill will be retained longer. The limited mental ability of the mentally retarded may require extra practice during initial motor learning sessions. The retarded and the nonretarded are equal in long-term memory (Belrnont, 1966) and the emphasis should be on teaching and practice techniques that will most effectively encowage retention. With nonretarded SS, motor skills are well retained over long periods and what loss occurs is quickly regained (e.g., Ammons, er al., 1958; Battig, Nagel, Voss, & Brogden, 1957; Bell, 1750; Jahnke, 1758; Jones & Bilodeau, 1953; Leavitt & Schlosberg, 1744; Mengelkoch, Adams, & Gainer, 1958; Reynolds & Bilodeau, 1952 ) . One of the most prominent reviews of retention by the mentally retarded 'The project presented herein was performed pursuant to a Grant P.L. 88-164 as amended by Title V, P.L. 90-170, from the U. S. Office of Education, HEW. However. the o~inions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U. S..~fficdof Education, and no official endorsement by the U. S. Office of Education should be inferred. Tresently with the John F. Kennedy Center for Research on Education and Human Development, Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee.
Long-Term Outcomes in Patients with Radiation-Associated Angiosarcomas of the Breast Following Surgery and Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer

Radiation-associated angiosarcoma (RAAS) is a devastating disease occasionally observed in breast cancer patients treated with radiation. Due to its rarity, our knowledge—of disease risk factors, epidemiology, treatment, and outcome—is extremely limited. Therefore, we sought to identify clinicopathologic factors associated with local and distant recurrence and disease-specific survival (DSS). Radiation-associated angiosarcoma was defined as pathologically confirmed breast or chest wall angiosarcoma arising within a previously irradiated field. A comprehensive search of our institutional tumor registry (1/1/93 through 2/28/11) was used to identify patients (n = 95 females). Patient, original tumor, RAAS treatment, and outcome variables were retrospectively retrieved and assembled into a database. The median follow-up for all RAAS patients was 10.3 (range, 2.4–31.8) years. The latency period following radiation exposure ranged from 1.4 to 26 (median, 7) years. One-year and 5-year DSS rates were 93.5 and 62.6 %, respectively. Reduced risk of local recurrence was observed in patients who received chemotherapy (P = 0.0003). In multivariable analysis, size was found to be an independent predictor of adverse outcome (P = 0.015). Our study demonstrates that RAAS exhibits high recurrence rates. It also highlights the need for well-designed, multicenter, clinical trials to inform the true utility of chemotherapy in this disease.
Occasionalism and mechanism: Fontenelle's objections to malebranche

It is well known that the French Cartesian Nicolas Malebranche (1638–1715) was both an occasionalist in metaphysics and a mechanist in physics. He consistently argued that God is the only true caus...
Effectiveness of GPS-Based Telemetry to Determine Temporal Changes in Habitat use and Home-Range Sizes of Red Wolves

Four adult male Canis lupus rufus (Red Wolf) were monitored with GPS collars in 2006-2008 on the Albemarle peninsula of North Carolina in the fi rst high temporal resolution (4 locations/day) study of this endangered species in the wild. The Wolves occupied home ranges during 11-18 month observation periods, and the GPS data were divided into 30-day subsets to evaluate changes in the spatial characteristics of the home ranges over time. The subset location data were then combined with land- cover maps derived from Landsat satellite imagery. Proportions of different land-cover types occupied by the Wolves were seasonally cyclic, with increased use of agricultural areas when tall row crops were available from summer to autumn and increased use of adjacent grass, brush, and forest areas from winter to late spring when tall crops were ab- sent. The spatial extents of home ranges (95% fi xed-kernel probability areas) were also seasonally variable, reaching maximum sizes (73-121 km 2 ) in early autumn to winter and contracting by 40% to 63% during whelping and pup-rearing in the spring. Our study shows the potential for GPS collars to provide useful information about space and habitat use by Red Wolves, and that at least a full year of observation may be required to fully determine the variability of home-range characteristics.
Rotating Mirror Streak Camera With An Optional Image Intensifier Camera Back

The Combination Camera described here is a traditional rotating-mirror streak camera with several modern improve-ments, including an optional image intensifier camera back for use with weak light sources. It is intended for use in routine testing of high explosive devices, and for experimental studies of detonation phenomena. The mechanical design is carefully thought out to make precision alignment of the camera to the subject easy, and to make focusing quick and accurate. Interchangeable slit mountings provide single, multiple, and special slits that are accurately aligned to maximize the useful information from an experiment. The image intensifier provides light gains up to 5,000, so that sources with equivalent blackbody temperatures as low as 1500 K can be recorded with exposure times as small as 5 ns. The length of a single slit is 28 mm, and the total height of a multiple slit pattern can be as much as 28 mm. The film back for use without intensification uses 70-mm roll film, and the film back for use with the intensifier uses 4x5 film. Measured resolution on film is 60 1p/mm without intensification, and 16 1p/mm with intensification at maximum gain, and 18 1p/mm at lower gain. The camera has been found especially useful for laser interferometric velocimetry using a Fabry-Perot interferometer as the dispersing element, where light gain is usually necessary even with the largest lasers as light sources.
Temporal trends in the prevalence of malignancy in resected solitary pulmonary lesions.

Study objective To determine whether there has been an increase in the prevalence of malignancy among resected, indeterminate solitary pulmonary lesions (SPL) over the past 14 years. Design A retrospective review of all thoracotomies for indeterminate SPLs from 1981 through 1994. Setting A university-affiliated VA Medical Center. Patients Three-hundred seventy resected indeterminate SPLs (all ≤6 cm) in 360 patients. Measurements and results Virtually all patients were men with an average age of 63±9 years. The average lesion size was 2.5±1.4 cm; 71% were 3 cm or less. Overall, 79% of resected lesions were malignant; 94% of these were bronchogenic carcinomas. Granulomas accounted for more than 50% of benign lesions. The proportion of malignant diagnoses increased from 55 to 60% in 1981 to 1983 to 90 to 100% in 1990 to 1994 (p Conclusion We conclude that there has been a striking increase in the prevalence of malignancy among resected indeterminate SPLs over the past 14 years in our institution. We suspect that this trend reflects improvements in our ability to diagnose benign SPLs preoperatively, primarily through the use of CT. Our results should prompt other institutions to review their recent experience with the diagnosis of indeterminate SPLs to provide more timely information to physicians and their patients who are contemplating resection of SPLs.
Surface Roughness and Internal Boundary Layer Near a Coastline

Abstract Wind profile observations obtained at two sites near the upper Texas coast during onshore winds in June 1968 are used to determine local toughness parameters. Values of 3–4 cm are obtained at a 32 m tower site 90 m inland and 0.81–1.5 cm at 4.8 km inland; both are in close agreement with results of others for similar terrain. The portion of the wind profile obtained at heights between 6.7 and 27 m near the beach is extrapolated downward to obtain a roughness between 0,0001 and 0.0003 cm for the Gulf of Mexico. An internal boundary layer was detected from the data obtained 90 m inland. The mean height was observed to he 6.7 m— a value associated with a mean slope of about 1:13 for an internal boundary originating at the upwind shoreline roughness discontinuity. Daytime values for the internal boundary height are somewhat higher than the mean, averaging 7.2 m, while the nighttime mean is 5.9 m. The data also suggest a wind speed dependence on the height of the internal boundary layer.
Dynamic correction of a distorted image using a photorefractive polymeric composite

We demonstrate, for the first time, the dynamic correction of aberrated images in real-time using a polymeric composite with fast response times. The current novel experimental design is capable of restoring a phase aberrated, image carrying laser beam, to nearly its original quality. The ability to reconstruct images in real-time is demonstrated through the changing of the aberrating medium at various speeds. In addition, this technique allows for the correction of images in motion, demonstrated through the oscillatory movement of the resolution target. We also have demonstrated that important parameters of the materials in the study such as response times, diffraction efficiencies and optical gains all retain high figures of merit values under the current experimental conditions.
A nonlinear, low data requirement model for producing spatially explicit fishery forecasts

Spatial variability can confound accurate estimates of catch per unit effort (CPUE), especially in highly migratory species. The incorporation of spatial structure into fishery stock assessment models should ultimately improve forecasts of stock biomass. Here, we describe a nonlinear time series model for producing spatially explicit forecasts of CPUE that does not require ancillary environmental or demographic data, or specification of a model functional form. We demonstrate this method using spatially resolved (1° × 1° cells) CPUE time series of North Pacific albacore in the California Current System. The spatial model is highly significant (P < 0.00001) and outperforms two spatial null models. We then create a spatial forecast map for years beyond the range of data. Such approaches can guide spatial management of resources and provide a complement to more data-intensive, highly parameterized population dynamics and ecosystem models currently in use.
Hypoxic but not anoxic stabilization of HIF-1α requires mitochondrial reactive oxygen species

The molecular mechanisms by which cells detect hypoxia (1.5% O2), resulting in the stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) protein remain unclear. One model proposes that mitochondria...
Right-left asymmetries in the human brain stem: Auditory evoked potentials

Abstract Right-left asymmetries were found in the amplitudes (but not latencies) of 3 peaks of the brain stem auditory evoked potentials: most consistently in III(+), but also in I(−) and IV(+). In all 3 cases the mean amplitude was significantly larger for right ear stimulation than for left. The similarity between the distribution of cerebral dominance and the asymmetry of peaks III(+) and IV(+) suggests the possibility that cerebral asymmetries for language are related to asymmetries in the brain stem auditory system.
Structures of apo IRF-3 and IRF-7 DNA binding domains: effect of loop L1 on DNA binding

Interferon regulatory factors IRF-3 and IRF-7 are transcription factors essential in the activation of interferon-β (IFN-β) gene in response to viral infections. Although, both proteins recognize the same consensus IRF binding site AANNGAAA, they have distinct DNA binding preferences for sites in vivo. The X-ray structures of IRF-3 and IRF-7 DNA binding domains (DBDs) bound to IFN-β promoter elements revealed flexibility in the loops (L1-L3) and the residues that make contacts with the target sequence. To characterize the conformational changes that occur on DNA binding and how they differ between IRF family members, we have solved the X-ray structures of IRF-3 and IRF-7 DBDs in the absence of DNA. We found that loop L1, carrying the conserved histidine that interacts with the DNA minor groove, is disordered in apo IRF-3 but is ordered in apo IRF-7. This is reflected in differences in DNA binding affinities when the conserved histidine in loop L1 is mutated to alanine in the two proteins. The stability of loop L1 in IRF-7 derives from a unique combination of hydrophobic residues that pack against the protein core. Together, our data show that differences in flexibility of loop L1 are an important determinant of differential IRF-DNA binding.
Firm-specific wage growth and changes in the labor market for managers

This paper analyzes recent changes in the employment relationships between managers and firms. In both Becker's and Lazear's models of firm-specific wage growth, compensation is deferred from early in an employee's tenure with a firm until later in the contract. The deferred compensation bonds the worker to the firm. Based on cross-sectional data from Current Population Surveys, rates of firm-specific wage growth are estimated for the managerial labor market. The findings show that the rate of wage growth that is firm-specific for managers in manufacturing industries declined significantly during the early 1980s. It is estimated, for example, that a manager with 12 years of tenure in a manufacturing firm enjoyed, on average, a 25% wage premium in 1979 over an otherwise similar manager who was a new hire in a firm. By 1983 the firm-specific wage premium for a manager with 12 years of tenure was only 5%. These changes represent a significant reduction in the strength of the employment bond between firms and managers, and a reduction in the incentive effects previously enjoyed by firms from the use of deferred-compensation schemes. This change is consistent with the significant increases in the displacement rates of managers that occurred during the 1980s.
A node-centric load balancing algorithm for wireless sensor networks

By spreading the workload across a sensor network, load balancing reduces hot spots in the sensor network and increases the energy lifetime of the sensor network. In this paper, we design a node-centric algorithm that constructs a load-balanced tree in sensor networks of asymmetric architecture. We utilize a Chebyshev Sum metric to evaluate via simulation the balance of the routing trees produced by our algorithm. We find that our algorithm achieves routing trees that are more effectively balanced than the routing based on breadth-first search (BFS) and shortest-path obtained by Dijkstra's algorithm.
Viral pathogen production in a wild grass host driven by host growth and soil nitrogen.

Summary Nutrient limitation is a basic ecological constraint that has received little attention in studies on virus production and disease dynamics. Nutrient availability could directly limit the production of viral nucleic acids and proteins, or alternatively limit host growth and thus indirectly limit metabolic pathways necessary for viral replication. In order to compare direct and indirect effects of nutrient limitation on virus production within hosts, we manipulated soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability in a glasshouse for the wild grass host Bromus hordeaceus and the viral pathogen Barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV. We found that soil N additions increased viral concentrations within host tissues, and the effect was mediated by host growth. Specifically, in statistical models evaluating the roles of host biomass production, leaf N and leaf P, viral production depended most strongly on host biomass, rather than the concentration of either nutrient. Furthermore, at low soil N, larger plants supported greater viral concentrations than smaller ones, whereas at high N, smaller plants supported greater viral concentrations. Our results suggest that enhanced viral productivity under N enrichment is an indirect consequence of nutrient stimulation to host growth rate. Heightened pathogen production in plants has important implications for a world facing increasing rates of nutrient deposition.
Chertification histories of some Late Mesozoic and Middle Palaeozoic platform carbonates

A consistent pattern for the silica sources, depositional environments and timing of chertification was observed in a diverse suite of five Late Mesozoic and Middle Palaeozoic carbonate sequences; the (1) Upper Greensand (Cretaceous) and (2) Portland Limestone (Jurassic) of southern England, (3) the Ramp Creek Formation (Mississippian) of southern Indiana, and the (4) lower Helderberg Group (Devonian) and (5) Onondaga Limestone (Devonian) of New York State. Nodular chert formation in all five limestone sequences occurred in sediments that were largely uncemented. Ghosts of pre-chertification carbonate cements are present in some chert nodules but are volumetrically minor. In every limestone sequence except the Upper Greensand, chertification occurred after burial to a depth sufficient for intergranular pressure solution and mechanical grain deformation of carbonate sand. Nodular chert is most abundant in subtidal, normal marine wackestones and mudstones that were deposited at or below fair-weather wave base, and is absent or rare in supratidal, intertidal and high-energy subtidal limestones and dolomites. An intraformational sponge spicule silica source for chert nodules is suggested by direct evidence, such as calcitized sponge spicules in the host limestone, and circumstantial evidence, such as ghosts of sponge spicules in chert nodules and a correlation of chert abundance with depositional environment. Most molds of siliceous sponge spicules were apparently obliterated by post-chertification intergranular compaction. We propose that these general trends for the depositional environments, silica sources and timing of chertification are representative of most Mesozoic to Middle Palaeozoic platform limestones.
The Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Signaling Pathway: A Therapeutic Target in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies

Angiogenesis is an important component in the progression and metastasis of solid tumors. We now appreciate that angiogenesis is also critically involved in the pathogenesis of hematologic malignancies. Current data suggest important prognostic and therapeutic implications of angiogenesis in a variety of malignancies of the hematopoietic system, including acute and chronic leukemias, myeloproliferative diseases, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and Hodgkin's disease. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major angiogenic factor that regulates multiple endothelial cell functions, including mitogenesis. Cellular and circulating levels of VEGF are elevated in hematologic malignancies and are adversely associated with prognosis. Angiogenesis is a very complex, tightly regulated, multistep process, the targeting of which may well prove useful in the creation of novel therapeutic agents. Current approaches being investigated include the inhibition of angiogenesis stimulants (e.g., VEGF), or their receptors, blockade of endothelial cell activation, inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases, and inhibition of tumor vasculature. Preclinical, phase I, and phase II studies of both monoclonal antibodies to VEGF and blockers of the VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase pathway indicate that these agents are safe and offer potential clinical utility in patients with hematologic malignancies.
Implementation of H.264 encoder and decoder on personal computers

Abstract H.264 is an emerging video coding standard, which aims at compressing high-quality video contents at low-bit rates. While the new encoding and decoding processes are similar to many previous standards, the new standard includes a number of new features and thus requires much more computation than most existing standards do. The complexity of H.264 standard poses a large amount of challenges to implementing the encoder/decoder in real-time via software on personal computers. This work analyzes software implementation of H.264 encoder and decoder on general-purpose processors with media instructions and multi-threading capabilities. Specifically, we discuss how to optimize the algorithms of H.264 encoders and decoders on Intel Pentium 4 processors. We first analyze the reference implementation to identify the time-consuming modules, and present optimization methods using media instructions to improve the speed of these modules. After appropriate optimizations, the speed of the codec improves by more than 3×. Nonetheless, the H.264 encoder is still too complicated to be implemented in real-time on a single processor. Thus, we also study how to partition the H.264 encoder into multiple threads, which then can be run on systems with multiple processors or multi-threading capabilities. We analyze different multi-threading schemes that have different quality/performance, and propose a scheme with good scalability (i.e., speed) and good quality. Our encoder can obtain another 3.8× speedup on a four-processor system or 4.6× speedup on a four-processor system with Hyper-Threading Technology. This work demonstrates that hardware-specific algorithm modifications can speed up the H.264 decoder and encoder substantially. The performance improvement techniques on modern microprocessors demonstrated in this work can be applied not only to H.264, but also to other video or multimedia processing applications.
On optimal approximation

This note presents a new instance of spline approximation in which the observation of a function is its value on an interior contour or hypersurface and the coobservation is its gradient. There follow three comments relevant to the application of the theory of optimal approximation.
Clinical correlates, outcomes and healthcare costs associated with early mechanical ventilation after kidney transplantation.

Abstract Background Information is lacking on the frequency, clinical implications, and costs of respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation after kidney transplantation. Methods US Renal Data System records for Medicare-insured kidney transplant recipients (1995 to 2007; n=88,392) were examined to identify post-transplantation mechanical ventilation from billing claims within 30 days after transplantation. Results Post-transplantation mechanical ventilation was required among 2.1% of the cohort. Independent correlates of early mechanical ventilation included recipient age, low body mass index, coronary artery disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Post-transplantation mechanical ventilation was twice as likely with delayed graft function (adjusted odds ratio, 2.13; P Conclusions Recognition of patients at risk for post-transplantation respiratory failure may help direct protocols for reducing the incidence and consequences of this complication.
STRESS DIFFUSION EXPERIMENT IN SAND

Plate bearing load tests in a large sand box with boundary lateral stress control showed, by measurements using buried stress cells, that the greater the initial horizontal stress the more rapidly the vertical loading from the plate diffuses or spreads horizontally with depth. The measurements also showed that with horizontal stress constant, an increasing plate load progressively focuses a greater percent of the load into the sand under and along the axis of the plate. These diffusion and focusing results have the same cause and can become linked. The paper compares the experiment results with two elastic half-space theories: simple Boussinesq, nonhomogeneous Boussinesq, and one particulate-probabilistic theory described in Harr. Only Harr predicted the first results qualitatively. None predict the second results. A preliminary study with the PLAXIS finite element program shows promise for predicting both results. The paper also discusses practical applications and notes two principles of load transmission in soils demonstrated in the experiment.
Optical stimulation of the cavernous nerves in the rat prostate

Laser nerve stimulation has recently been studied as an alternative to electrical stimulation in neuroscience. Advantages include non-contact stimulation, improved spatial selectivity, and elimination of electrical stimulation artifacts. This study explores laser stimulation of the rat cavernous nerves, as a potential alternative to electrical nerve mapping during nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. The cavernous nerves were surgically exposed in a total of 10 male rats. A Thulium fiber laser stimulated the nerves, with a wavelength of 1870 nm, pulse energy of 7.5 mJ, radiant exposure of 1 J/cm2, pulse duration of 2.5 ms, pulse rate of 10 Hz, and 1-mm laser spot diameter, for a stimulation time of 60 s. A significant increase in the intracavernosal pressure was detected upon laser stimulation, with pressure returning to baseline levels after stimulation. This study demonstrates the feasibility of non-contact laser stimulation of the cavernous nerves using near-infrared laser radiation.© (2008) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
First order magnetic transitions in the FeMnAs system

Abstract First-order ferrimagnetic to antiferromagnetic transitions with increasing temperature are found in the Fe 1.95− x Mn x As system with 1.19 ⩽ x ⩽ 1.28. Physical properties of the transition are presented and the application of the theory of exchange inversion to this system is considered.
Dolomite from Clay in Argillaceous or Shale-Associated Marine Carbonates

ABSTRACT Postcompactional late-stage ferroan dolomite commonly occurs as 1) finely disseminated rhombic microspar in argillaceous lime mudstone, 2) sparry cement within voids in argillaceous carbonates, and 3) sparry cement within carbonates adjacent to marine shales. The distribution and abundance of these dolomites correspond with that of clay deposited in the marine environment and cannot easily be explained by alternative models of dolomite formation. Conversion of smectite to illite during burial is a common diagenetic process which is capable of releasing large amounts of Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, and Si. Sandstone petrologists have emphasized the significance of this process in generating quartz cements in sandstone-shale sequences. However, the potential of this conversion for producing postcompactional dolomite cement in limestone-shale sequences or in argillaceous limestones has been neglected. Smectite-illite conversion is here invoked as the source of ions that formed late-stage (postcompactional) dolomites in examples of the Pennsylvanian of Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa; the Devonian of Iowa; and the Ordovician of Oklahoma. The smectite-illite conversion model for generating dolomite may be widely applicable to many other ex mples of late-stage dolomitization. It should prove useful in predicting the distribution of late-stage dolomite cement that reduces reservoir quality, and may prove useful for estimating the timing of hydrocarbon migration relative to carbonate cementation.