cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison between bone marrow transplantation and antithymocyte globulin in treatment of young patients with severe aplastic anemia

Fifty-seven patients younger than 25 years with severe aplastic anemia underwent either bone marrow transplantation or antithymocyte globulin therapy (ATG) to ascertain which approach should be used in young patients. Thirty-five patients who had an HLA-identical sibling donor underwent bone marrow transplantation after conditioning with cyclophosphamide and low-dose total-body radiation. Twenty-two patients who did not have an HLA-identical donor received ATG. The 2-year actuarial survival of patients after transplant is 72% (95%, CI 64% to 80%), versus 45% (95%, CI 29% to 61%) in those given ATG therapy ( P =0.18). In those patients surviving 6 months after treatment, return of peripheral blood counts to normal values was more common in patients who received marrow transplant compared with those given ATG therapy ( P 90%, compared with only five of 13 ATG survivors. These data suggest that bone marrow transplantation is the preferred therapy for severe aplastic anemia in young patients who have an HLA-identical sibling donor. ATG should be reserved for those young patients with severe aplastic anemia who do not have a histocompatible marrow donor.
A high-temperature oxidation-resistant Fe-Mn-Al-Si alloy

To develop satisfactory alloys without Cr or Ni for high-temperature application up to 1100†C, three alloys based on Fe-10%Al-Si with differing fourth (or fifth) element additions were oxidized in air at 1100°Cfor 24 hr. A low carbon, Fe-30Mn-10Al-Si alloy exhibited excellent high-temperature oxidation resistance. The total weight gain for 24 hr oxidation in air at 1100°C was only 1.03 mg/cm 2. After air oxidation for 6 days at 1100°C, no nodule formation or breakthrough oxidation occurred. Post-oxidation SEM and EDAX examination showed that a thin, compact, protective alumina scale formed on the alloy.
Scintillation counting of the ninhydrin-amino acid-C14 reaction products from an automatic amino acid analyzer.

Abstract The effluents of an amino acid analyzer which contain C14-labeled amino acids may be collected and aliquots of the ninhydrin colored solution counted in a scintillation counter. The colored ninhydrin reaction product does not quench the counting when as much as 0.4 ml containing 0.2 μmole amino acids is added to 20 ml of counting solution. Since there is loss of the carboxyl group in the reaction, only those amino acids with C14 in positions other than the carboxyl will be detected by this method. An analysis of commercially available uniformly labeled amino acids from protein hydrolyzates by this procedure suggests that each carbon in the amino acids may not have the same specific activity and that the carboxyl carbon may have a disproportionate share of the activity. The technique has been applied to studies of proline metabolism.
Radiotherapeutig management of carcinoma of the posterior pharyngeal wall

The clinical course, radiotherapeutic management, and results of 42 patients with carcinoma of the posterior pharyngeal wall are presented. Radiation therapy remains the treatment of choice. Of 15 patients without metastatic lesions, almost one half lived without the disease for more than 3 years following aggressive irradiation. The patients with nodal disease had an extremely poor prognosis.
The evolutionary consequences of erroneous protein synthesis

Errors in protein synthesis disrupt cellular fitness, cause disease phenotypes and shape gene and genome evolution. Experimental and theoretical results on this topic have accumulated rapidly in disparate fields, such as neurobiology, protein biosynthesis and degradation and molecular evolution, but with limited communication among disciplines. Here, we review studies of error frequencies, the cellular and organismal consequences of errors and the attendant long-range evolutionary responses to errors. We emphasize major areas in which little is known, such as the failure rates of protein folding, in addition to areas in which technological innovations may enable imminent gains, such as the elucidation of translational missense error frequencies. Evolutionary responses to errors fall into two broad categories: adaptations that minimize errors and their attendant costs and adaptations that exploit errors for the organism's benefit.
Laparoscopic Colectomy for Crohn’s Colitis. A Large Prospective Comparative Study

The purpose of this study was to compare short-term outcomes of laparoscopic (LC) vs open colectomy (OC) in patients with Crohn’s colitis. We collected data on all patients undergoing colectomy for primary or recurrent Crohn’s disease confined to the colon from July 2002 to August 2008. Patient and disease-specific characteristics and perioperative and short-term postoperative outcomes were prospectively collected and analyzed. A total of 125 patients underwent colectomy during the study period, 55 (44%) LC. There were six conversions (10.9%). Median operative time was shorter in the LC group (212 min, interquartile range (IQR) 180–315 LC vs 286 min, IQR 231–387 OC, p = 0.032). Estimated blood loss was less for the LC group (100 ml, IQR 90–250 LC vs 250 ml, IQR 100–400 OC, p = 0.002). Earlier return of bowel function was noted in the LC group (3 days vs 4 days, OC). Length of post-op stay was shorter in the LC group (6 days, IQR 5–8 vs 8 days, IQR 6–10 OC, p = 0.001). There was one death in the OC group. Postoperative complications occurred in eight (14.5%) LC patients vs 16 (22.9%) OC. Disease recurrence rate was 16%, 10.9% LC and 20% OC, respectively. Laparoscopic colectomy is a safe and effective technique in the hands of experienced surgeons. Benefits of laparoscopic colectomy in Crohn’s disease include reduced operative blood loss, quicker return of bowel function, and shorter hospital length of stay.
Probabilistic Multi-Factor Interaction Model for Evaluating Continuous Smooth Curves

The Multi-Factor Interaction Model (MFIM) is used to evaluate the divot weight (foam weight ejected) from launch external tanks. The MFIM has sufficient degrees of freedom to evaluate a large number of factors that may contribute to the divot ejection. It also accommodates all interactions by its product form. Each factor has an exponent that satisfies only two points the initial and final points. They are selected so that the MFIM will generate a common curve to fit the individual point data. The results show that the approach used generates the continuous curve.
Possible function of IL-6 and TNF as intraadrenal factors in the regulation of adrenal steroid secretion.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and their mRNAs are present in the human, rat, and bovine adrenal cortex. The release of these cytokines from adrenal cells is regulated by factors that alter adrenal function (e.g., ACTH, angiotensin II, interleukin-1). IL-6 and TNF type 1 receptors are also present on adrenocortical cells. Exposure to IL-6 increases cortisol or corticosterone release from human, bovine, and rat adrenal cells. IL-6 increases basal and ACTH-stimulated aldosterone release, but inhibits angiotensin II-stimulated aldosterone secretion from bovine adrenal cells. IL-6 increases dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) release from human cells, but decreases DHEA secretion from bovine cells. TNF alpha inhibits corticosterone release from normal rat adrenal cells or fragments, but increases corticosterone release from cholestatic rat adrenal slices. TNF alpha decreases cortisol release from bovine and fetal human adrenal cells, but increases cortisol release from adult human adrenal cells. TNF alpha inhibits aldosterone secretion from rat and bovine adrenocortical cells. TNF alpha does not affect DHEA secretion from fetal human adrenocortical cells, but inhibits basal and ACTH-stimulated DHEA release from bovine adrenal cell. Because IL-6 and TNF alpha are produced in the adrenal gland and modify adrenal steroid secretion, these cytokines may function as intraadrenal factors in the regulation of adrenal steroid secretion.
A comparison of operator performance in manual and automated versions of a dynamic decision-making task

The study of operator performance in manual and automated versions of dynamic decision tasks is proposed. The two microcomputer paradigms of simple and complex, dynamic scheduling tasks are described. Error detection accuracy and latency of assignment, and fault detection and correction for the two tasks are to be analyzed.
An Analysis of Specific Life Satisfaction Domains and Disordered Eating among College Students

Research has revealed that overall life satisfaction (LS) is negatively related to disordered eating. This study examined whether specific LS domains (e.g., family, friends, etc.) were more strongly associated with eating behaviors/weight perceptions (e.g., exercising to lose weight, using laxatives to lose weight, etc.) in 723 randomly selected college students analyzed separately by gender. Data were analyzed using logistic and multiple regression procedures. Results supported the hypotheses in the expected directions. College students’ weight perceptions had the strongest relationships with Satisfaction with Self and Satisfaction with Physical Appearance, and these relationships were stronger among females than males. Worrying about weight, self-described weight, and binge eating were significantly correlated with all LS domains (p < .05). Results suggest potential contributions of differentiating among the domains of LS in efforts to understand disordered eating among males and female college students. Implications for practice are discussed briefly.
Crohn's disease: Influence of age at diagnosis on site and clinical type of disease

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Crohn's disease has a bimodal age distribution of disease onset diagnosis. The peaks (20 and 50 years) may represent different phenotypes or different genetic and/or environmental influences between younger- and older-onset individuals. The aim of this study was to examine the influences of age at diagnosis of Crohn's disease on disease site, type, and course. METHODS: Records of 552 consecutive patients with Crohn's disease were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Younger age at diagnosis (younger than 20 years), compared with an older age (40 years or older), was associated with a greater prevalence of a family history of Crohn's disease (29.9% vs. 13.6%), greater small bowel involvement (88.7% vs. 57.5%), more stricturing disease (45.8% vs. 28.8%), and a higher frequency of surgery (70.6% vs. 55.3%). Older age at diagnosis was associated with a greater prevalence of colonic disease (84.8% vs. 71.2%) and the inflammatory subtype (54.5% vs. 34.4%). A conditional logistic regression analysis confirmed an independent effect of age at diagnosis on ileal disease and surgery for intractable disease. CONCLUSIONS: In Crohn's disease, early age at diagnosis is associated with more complicated disease and a greater likelihood of having affected relatives. Stratification of Crohn's disease by age at diagnosis provides support for the concept of genetic heterogeneity. (Gastroenterology 1996 Sep;111(3):580-6)
Civic Associations and Authoritarian Regimes in Interwar Europe: Italy and Spain in Comparative Perspective:

What is the relationship between civic associations and authoritarian regimes? While Tocquevillian theories have concentrated mostly on the connection between civic associationism and democracy, this article develops a Gramscian approach, suggesting that a strong associational sphere can facilitate the development of authoritarian parties and hegemonic authoritarian regimes. Two countries are used for comparison, Italy from 1870 to 1926 and Spain from 1876 to 1926. The argument here is that the strength of the associational sphere in north-central Italy provided organizational resources to the fascist movement and then party. In turn, the formation of the party was a key reason why the Italian regime developed as a hegemonic authoritarian regime. The absence of a strong associational sphere in Spain explains why that regime developed as an economic corporate dictatorship, despite many similarities between the two cases.
Flow field due to free convection in dead-end channels

The velocity and temperature distributions in a long dead-end channel, where the convective flow is driven by the buoyancy flux across the free surface, were investigated. The longitudinal variations of the temperature and velocity were determined using the similarity profiles for the vertical distribution of the temperature and velocity. The governing partial differential equations were reduced to ordinary differential equations by substituting the expressions for the longitudinal variations of the temperature and velocity. The resulting ordinary differential equations were solved numerically by employing a shooting method and a fourth order Runge-Kutta technique. The sensitivity to the temperature and velocity distributions of the various parameters were studied.
Codes, Standards, and Institutions—Pressures for Change

Understanding the U.S. building regulatory system and the roles of standards and their development organizations is essential to the introduction of new products or practices and to the improvement of the building regulatory system. U.S. practices for development and enforcement of building standards and codes are described for the guidance of those who seek to develop or apply improved building products or practices. The paper reviews current and near-future expected changes in the international construction market for products and services. The importance of standards as a basis for regulations, contracts, and quality-assurance systems is discussed. A review of building and construction standards and their development and use in the United States is covered, including product approval systems that are supported by laboratory accreditation and certification. The European EC 92 programs, the development and use of international standards, and the related certification and testing programs are reviewed.
The putative monomeric G-protein GBP1 is negatively associated with fumonisin B1 production in Fusarium verticillioides

SUMMARY Fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium verticillioides that contaminates maize. FB(1) has been linked to a number of human and animal mycotoxicoses worldwide. Despite its significance, our understanding of the FB(1) biosynthesis regulatory mechanisms is limited. Here, we describe F. verticillioides GBP1, encoding a monomeric G-protein, and its role in FB(1) biosynthesis. GBP1 was discovered as an expressed sequence tag (EST) up-regulated in the F. verticillioides fcc1 mutant that showed reduced conidiation and no FB(1) biosynthesis when grown on maize kernels. Sequence analysis showed that GBP1 encodes a putative 368-amino-acid protein with similarity to DRG and Obg subclasses of G-proteins that are involved in development and stress responses. A GBP1 knockout mutant (Deltagbp1) exhibited normal growth, but increased FB(1) production (> 58%) compared with the wild-type when grown on corn kernels. Complementation of Deltagbp1 with the wild-type GBP1 gene restored FB(1) production levels to that of the wild-type. Our data indicate that GBP1 is negatively associated with FB(1) biosynthesis but not with conidiation in F. verticillioides. The deletion of GBP1 led to up-regulation of key FB(1) biosynthetic genes, FUM1 and FUM8, suggesting that the increased FB(1) production in Deltagbp1 is due to over-expression of FUM genes.
Porous resins as a cavitation enhancer for low-frequency sonophoresis.

The application of low-frequency ultrasound enhances drug transport through the skin, a phenomenon referred to as low-frequency sonophoresis. This enhancement is mediated through cavitation, the formation and collapse of gaseous bubbles. We hypothesized that the efficacy of low-frequency sonophoresis can be significantly enhanced by provision of nuclei for cavitation. In this study, we used two porous resins, Diaion HP20 and Diaion HP2MG (2MG), as cavitation nuclei. We measured the effect of these resins on cavitation using pitting of aluminum foil. 2MG showed a higher efficacy in enhancing cavitation compared with Diaion HP20. 2MG was also effective in enhancing transdermal mannitol transport. These results confirm that the addition of cavitation nuclei such as porous resins further increases the effect of low-frequency ultrasound on skin permeability.
Life history dynamics and biogeography of a nudibranch with contrasting developmental modes: A hypothesis for the evolution of larval types

The biogeographical distribution of invertebrates with different life history traits has frequently been linked with surrounding ecological factors selecting for these characteristics. This study documents the distribution of congeneric nudibranchs with lecithotrophic and planktotrophic larvae in the Gulf of Maine. Representative coastal study sites in the north‐east and south‐west regions of the Gulf of Maine were monitored for seasonal abundance of two Dendronotus species and their thecate hydroid prey, and mean water temperatures. The different dispersal potentials of the larvae from the two incipient species of nudibranch may correlate with differences in seasonal resource availability of the north‐east and south‐west coastal regions of the Gulf of Maine, while seasonal water temperature variability may be an indirect indicator of the trophic stability of the region. Seasonal resource stability (i.e. hydroid abundance) is the most likely selective agent for the distribution of these two species and th...
Hemispheric Asymmetries in the Behavioral and Hormonal Effects of Sexually Differentiating Mammalian Brain

Estrogen pellets were placed in either the right or left hypothalamus of newborn female rats so that only one side of this brain area was exposed to the postnatal masculinizing and defeminizing effects of the hormone. The effects of estrogen on gonadotropin secretion and reproductive behavior depended on both the region and the side of implantation. Exposure of the left hypothalamus to estrogen resulted in defeminized development. Exposure of the right hypothalamus to estrogen resulted in masculinized development. Thus the response of the developing hypothalamus to gonadal steroids may be asymmetric.
Comprehension of Linguistic Ambiguity and Development of Classification

This study assessed comprehension of structurally related ambiguous sentences and classification problems by children in Grades K through 5. Each of three ambiguous-sentence tasks and three classification tasks was based on one of the principles of substitution, grouping, and logical relations. Results indicated that these tasks form two factors, the developmentally easier factor composed of those tasks that required a single operation and the developmentally harder factor composed of tasks that required a multiple operation.
ACTION OF COLCEMID IN SEA URCHIN EGGS

The effects of Colcemid, the deacetyl-N-methyl derivative of colchicine, on the eggs of Arbacia punctulata were investigated. Colcemid in concentrations of 2.7 x 10(-5)M or greater blocks syngamy (the fusion of the pronuclei) in these eggs. Although a tenfold decrease in concentration of Colcemid usually permits the pronuclei to fuse, the subsequent division is blocked. In the sea urchin egg, the duration of presyngamy is about 15 min during which time there is no DNA synthesis. However, DNA synthesis is recorded in Colcemid-blocked cells prior to syngamy. Radioautographs of Colcemid-blocked cells which were immersed into thymidine-(3)H exhibited silver grains above each of the pronuclei. The action of Colcemid on Arbacia eggs is reversible. Nevertheless, exposures to 2.7 x 10(-5)M Colcemid for only 3 min, initiated 5 min after insemination, caused delays of 70 min in subsequent division. In general, cells are more sensitive to Colcemid prior to the time when the mitotic spindle is being assembled than at presyngamy stages. The results are discussed in terms of Colcemid action on pronuclear fusion and cell division.
Host-guest Study of the Hypothesis that Different Tropomyosin Quasi-repeats Have Different Effects on Myosin

Tropomyosin is semi-modular protein, comprised of an elongated coiled coil that stretches along the thin filament and weakly interacts with multiple actin monomers. Despite the weakness of these interactions, they accomplish potent regulatory effects. In muscle thin filaments, tropomyosin increases myosin S1-actin binding affinity ∼4-fold (either + or - ADP.) Deletional studies suggest (but do not prove) that this average effect of the entirety of muscle tropomyosin varies among the seven quasi-repeating regions of the molecule. To test this hypothesis, different quasi-repeats of alpha-striated muscle tropomyosin were inserted into Saccharomyces cerevisiae tropomyosin isoform TPM1, swapping out a region of the yeast isoform potentially well suited for such maneuvers. Importantly, TPM1 does not greatly affect myosin-actin binding. Also, its residues 70-107 span one actin, are an internal repeat region, and have heptad phase staggered at each end. A series of chimeric tropomyosins was generated by replacing these 38 residues of TPM1 with heptad phase- and length-corresponding sections of muscle tropomyosin. Five of 7 such chimeric tropomyosins bound poorly to actin and to actin-S1, despite coiled-coil folding. Chimeras containing muscle tropomyosin residues 74-111 and 228-265 bound tightly to actin, and thus could be studied for functional effects of the residue substitutions. When myosin S1 was added, it increased chimera 74-111 binding to actin and decreased chimera 228-265 association with actin. None of the chimeric tropomyosins altered the actin-activated ATPase rate of skeletal muscle S1. Effects on S1-ADP binding to actin are under examination. The results support the concept that the effects of muscle tropomyosin on myosin-actin interactions are not homogeneous along the seven-actin spanning length of this regulatory protein.
Fluid dynamics and flow patterns in stirred tanks with a turbine impeller

Velocity profiles were measured in a stirred tank with a turbine impeller using a three-dimensional, pitot tube probe. A tangential jet model was used to describe the flow in the region of the impeller, and two-dimensional potential flow models and a circular jet were used to describe the flow in the rest of the tank. The tangential jet model accurately predicted the measurements from this work and comparable measurements reported in the literature for water and air, for varying impeller diameter and speeds and for different tank diameters. In the rest of the tank a three-dimensional, low velocity, flow field exists; and the center of circulation is not a true stagnation point. The flow at this point is tangential. The two-dimensional models only qualitatively described the flow in this region, and a three-dimensional model would be required. It was experimentally and theoretically confirmed that standard practice of using 10% baffles effectively controls the flow in the tank. On a mesure les profils de velocite dans un reservoir agite et muni d'une roue mobile de turbine, en employant une sonde basee sur un tube de Pitot a trois dimensions. On a utilise un modele de jet tangentiel pour decrire I'ecoulement dans la region de la roue ainsi que des modeles d'ecoulement potentiel a deux dimensions et un jet circulaire pour indiquer I'ecoulement dans le reste du reservoir. Le modele de jet tangentiel a predit avec justesse les mesures ainsi obtenues et celles qu'on a publiees pour I'eau et I'air, dans le cas de divers diametres et vitesses de roues et de diametres differents de reservoirs. On a trouve qu'il y a dans le reste du reservoir un champ d'ecoulement a trois dimensions et faible velocite et que le centre de la circulation n'est pas un vrai point de stagnation; I'ecoulement a ce point est tangentiel. Les modeles a deux dimensions ne decrivent que qualitativement I'ecoulement dans la dite region et il faudrait avoir recours a un modele a trois dimensions. On a confirme experimentalement et theoriquement que I'emploi normal de chicanes a 10% permet de contro'tler efficacement I'ecoulement dans le reservoir.
Increased myocardial adenosine release in heart failure

Volume overload congestive heart failure in dogs is associated with a reduced myocardial inotropic responsiveness to the exogenous administration of β-adrenergic agonists [ 10, 11 ]. This same blunted inotropic responsiveness to β-agonists has now been identified in the failing human myocardium [ 2 ]. Volume overload congestive heart failure in dogs is also associated with a reduced resting coronary vascular resistance [ 7, 12 ] suggesting the possibility of increased myocardial production of a metabolic vasodilator in the failing heart. Adenosine is a metabolic coronary vasodilator [ 1 ] and also has recently been shown to antagonize the inotropic action of β-adrenergic agonists through a mechanism involving action on the sarcolemmal adenylate cyclase system [ 4, 13 ]. Given the findings of blunted inotropic responsiveness of the failing myocardium to β-adrenergic agonists and reduced coronary vascular resistance in heart failure, we hypothesized that heart failure was associated with elevated myocardial production of adenosine. Accordingly we measured myocardial adenosine release in normal dogs and dogs with volume overload heart failure. Basal levels of myocardial adenosine release were found to be elevated three-fold above normal in dogs with heart failure. It is possible that elevated adenosine release in the failing myocardium contributes both to abnormalities of coronary blood flow and to the blunted inotropic responsiveness of the failing heart to catecholamines.
An access control scheme for bursty traffic in CDMA system

In this paper, we examine the traditional power control and associated access control schemes in cellular CDMA systems and analyze their effectiveness for bursty data traffic. We propose a novel access/admission control scheme based on a probabilistic channel usage framework. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme could improve the system capacity considerably without QoS degradation. Compared with existing access control schemes, the algorithm proposed in this paper improves the system capacity by 50% for high traffic load and by 100% for low to medium traffic loads.
Antimicrobial Cycling: The Future or a Fad?

OBJECTIVE:To assess the current evidence of the value of cycling of antimicrobials to control the emergence of resistance or to reverse existing resistance to antimicrobials.DATA SOURCES:Articles were obtained through a MEDLINE search of the English-language literature from 1966 to January 2000. Additionally, references from retrieved publications were reviewed to identify further articles.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:All investigations of switching between or cycling among antimicrobials were evaluated. Studies switching between or cycling among specific drugs or classes of drugs within institutional settings were included in this review.DATA SYNTHESIS:Studies involving cycling among different aminoglycosides suggest that, although temporary decreases in resistance can be documented, resistance usually rebounds rapidly on completion of the cycle and return to the original agent. Switching between classes of antimicrobials has produced inconsistent results and has been shown to replace resistance t...
A Probabilistic-Based Design Methodology for Nanoscale Computation

As current silicon-based techniques fast approach their practical limits, the investigation of nanoscale electronics, devices and system architectures becomes a central research priority. It is expected that nanoarchitectures will confront devices and interconnections with high inherent defect rates, which motivates the search for new architectural paradigms. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic-based design methodology for designing nanoscale computer architectures based on Markov Random Fields (MRF). The MRF can express arbitrary logic circuits and logic operation is achieved by maximizing the probability of state configurations in the logic network. Maximizing state probability is equivalent to minimizing a form of energy that depends on neighboring nodes in the network. Once we develop a library of elementary logic components, we can link them together to build desired architectures based on the belief propagation algorithm. Belief propagation is a way of organizing the global computation of marginal belief in terms of smaller local computations. We will illustrate the proposed design methodology with some elementary logic examples.
A strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae evolved for fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass displays improved growth and fermentative ability in high solids concentrations and in the presence of inhibitory compounds

Softwoods are the dominant source of lignocellulosic biomass in the northern hemisphere, and have been investigated worldwide as a renewable substrate for cellulosic ethanol production. One challenge to using softwoods, which is particularly acute with pine, is that the pretreatment process produces inhibitory compounds detrimental to the growth and metabolic activity of fermenting organisms. To overcome the challenge of bioconversion in the presence of inhibitory compounds, especially at high solids loading, a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was subjected to evolutionary engineering and adaptation for fermentation of pretreated pine wood (Pinus taeda). An industrial strain of Saccharomyces, XR122N, was evolved using pretreated pine; the resulting daughter strain, AJP50, produced ethanol much more rapidly than its parent in fermentations of pretreated pine. Adaptation, by preculturing of the industrial yeast XR122N and the evolved strains in 7% dry weight per volume (w/v) pretreated pine solids prior to inoculation into higher solids concentrations, improved fermentation performance of all strains compared with direct inoculation into high solids. Growth comparisons between XR122N and AJP50 in model hydrolysate media containing inhibitory compounds found in pretreated biomass showed that AJP50 exited lag phase faster under all conditions tested. This was due, in part, to the ability of AJP50 to rapidly convert furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural to their less toxic alcohol derivatives, and to recover from reactive oxygen species damage more quickly than XR122N. Under industrially relevant conditions of 17.5% w/v pretreated pine solids loading, additional evolutionary engineering was required to decrease the pronounced lag phase. Using a combination of adaptation by inoculation first into a solids loading of 7% w/v for 24 hours, followed by a 10% v/v inoculum (approximately equivalent to 1 g/L dry cell weight) into 17.5% w/v solids, the final strain (AJP50) produced ethanol at more than 80% of the maximum theoretical yield after 72 hours of fermentation, and reached more than 90% of the maximum theoretical yield after 120 hours of fermentation. Our results show that fermentation of pretreated pine containing liquid and solids, including any inhibitory compounds generated during pretreatment, is possible at higher solids loadings than those previously reported in the literature. Using our evolved strain, efficient fermentation with reduced inoculum sizes and shortened process times was possible, thereby improving the overall economic viability of a woody biomass-to-ethanol conversion process.
Ceruloplasmin and heart failure in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.

Background—Ceruloplasmin (Cp) decreases nitric oxide bioavailability in blood and has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in clinical studies. We assessed the associations between Cp and incident heart failure (HF), death, and CVD in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Methods and Results—Cp was measured at ARIC visit 4 (1996–1998). We studied 9240 individuals without HF or CVD at ARIC visit 4 and followed them for a mean of 10.5 years. Genome-wide association study was performed to identify genetic determinants of Cp levels and evaluate their association with incident HF in ARIC participants. Cp levels (mean±SD) were higher in women versus men (335±79 versus 258±44 mg/L; P<0.0001), women on versus not on hormone-replacement therapy (398±89 versus 291±60 mg/L; P<0.0001), and African Americans versus whites (299±63 versus 293±74 mg/L; P=0.0005). After adjusting for traditional risk factors, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide, and h...
Bridge detection and robust geodesics estimation via random walks

We propose an algorithm for detecting bridges and estimating geodesic distances from a set of noisy samples of an underlying manifold. Finding geodesics on a nearest neighbors graph is known to fail in the presence of bridges. Our method detects bridges using global statistics via a Markov random walk and denoises the nearest neighbors graph using “surrogate” weights. We show experimentally that our method outperforms methods based on local neighborhood statistics.
Computer vision for locating buried objects

Given two registered images of the Earth, measured with aerial dual-band infrared (IR) sensors, the authors use advanced computer vision/automatic target recognition techniques to estimate the positions of buried land mines. The images are very difficult to interpret, because of large amounts of clutter. Conventional techniques use single-band imagery and simple correlations. They rely heavily on the judgment of the human doing the interpretation, and give unsatisfactory results with difficult data sets of the type analyzed here. The automatic algorithms used by the authors are able to eliminate most of the clutter and give greatly improved indications of regions in the image that could be interpreted as mines. The novelty of the present approach lies in the following aspects: (1) a patented data fusion technique using two IR images and physical principles based on Planck's law; (2) a new region-based texture segmentation algorithm using Gabor transform features and a clustering/thresholding algorithm based on a neural network (self-organizing feature map); (3) prior knowledge of measured feasible temperatures and emissivities; and (4) results with real data using buried surrogate mines. >
Two-dimensional hybrid element image reconstruction for TM illumination

A Newton's iterative scheme for electromagnetic imaging is proposed for reconstruction of the dielectric properties of inhomogeneous, lossy bodies with arbitrary shape. The algorithm is based on a finite element (FE) representation which is coupled to a boundary element (BE) formulation for the forward solution of the electric fields; together these are termed the hybrid element method. It utilizes FE discretization of only the area of interest while incorporating the RE method to match the conditions of the homogeneous background region extending to infinity. This paper presents image reconstruction for the 2D TM polarization case where two classes of dielectric distributions are studied which demonstrate the flexibility of this method along with some of the difficulties associated with larger imaging problems. >
Is subitizing a unique numerical ability

Two models that predict the relation between mean enumeration time and numerosity in a speeded enumeration experiment are tested. The first is a bilinear two-process model, and the second is a log-linear single-process model. Previously, support for the bilinear model has provided evidence for the existence of a unique numerical ability called "subitizing." Both models are shown to yield close approximations to the empirical data, but at the same time to consistently violate the robust shape of these data. Two fundamental discrepancies exist: (1) Enumeration of single-element displays is unpredictably fast, both in the data reported here and elsewhere, and (2) the response-time function for multiple elements is continuously convex upward, with a significant log-quadratic component. The findings support the contention that enumeration is a capacity-limited process, but not statistically reliable change in processing character, that is, from subitizing to some other process, is evident in enumeration of displays of up to six elements.
Investigation of Metal/GaAs Reactions by Heavy Ion Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry(HIRBS)

Thermally activated metallurgical reactions between GaAs and various metals of potential importance in contact structures were studied using Heavy Ion Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (HIRBS). The improved mass resolution (/sup 16/O) as projectiles for backscattering measurements facilitated the identification of the various intermetallic compounds formed on GaAs. The metal/GaAs systems investigated in this study included Pt/GaAs, Pd/GaAs, and Ni/GaAs. Three different binary compounds were formed in the Pt/GaAs system during annealing. Complete reaction between 1200A of Pt and GaAs was observed after annealing at 500/sup 0/C for 20 min. Reactions in Pd/GaAs and Ni/GaAs systems were, however, very different from that of Pt/GaAs. Both Pd and Ni formed ternary compounds with GaAs. Detailed information on the various compound compositions of the three systems as measured by HIRBS is presented. Comparisons of results on similar systems obtained by using other analytical techniques are discussed.
Sex Roles and Body Image

The hypothesis that women scoring as Sex-typed have less favorable body image than women scoring as Androgynous or Cross-sexed was tested using the Personal Attributes Questionnaire of Spence and Helmreich and the Body Esteem Scale of Franzoi and Shields. These were completed by 121 Euro-American female undergraduates in psychology. Analysis indicated that women classified as Sex-typed and Undifferentiated scored significantly lower than women classified as Androgynous and Cross-sexed on Sexual Attractiveness, Weight Concern, and Physical Condition subscales of the Body Esteem Scale, and the two groups had a significantly different mean profile. In addition, the Sex-typed group had a significantly different mean profile based on the three body-image subscales from that of women scoring as Androgynous but not those classed as Cross-sexed. As expected, there were no differences on body image between women classed as Sex-typed and Undifferentiated.
Power and rate adaptation in IEEE 802.11a wireless LANs

We present a simple but powerful dynamic link adaptation mechanism for wireless LANs that is compliant with the IEEE 802.11a standard. Using this method, a transmitter is able to estimate the current link quality and, based on this information, to adapt the transmission parameters, namely the transmission data rate or the transmission power level, dynamically. To determine the link quality, the transmitter employs only information that is available locally. Therefore, the proposed method can be implemented without changes or enhancements to the current IEEE 802.11 standard. The efficiency of our method is investigated and evaluated by means of simulations.
A prediction-based real-time scheduling advisor

The real-time scheduling advisor (RTSA) is an entirely user-level system that an application running on a typical shared, unreserved distributed computing environment can turn to for advice on how to schedule its compute-bound soft real-time tasks. Given a list of hosts, a description of the CPU demands of the task, the deadline, and a confidence level, the RTSA will recommend one of the hosts and predict, as a confidence interval, the running time of the task on that host. The RTSA is based on a scalable and extensible shared resource prediction system based on statistical time series analysis. The author first describes how the RTSA builds on this underlying system to provide its service, and then he evaluates its performance using a randomized methodology based on real background workloads, determining the effect of different factors. He also compares it with a random approach and a measurement-based approach.
A legacy of absence Wood removal in US rivers

The historical removal of accumulations of wood on medium to large rivers in the continental United States caused a fundamental change in river corridors that has received relatively little attention in the scientific literature. Although scientific literature discusses the natural wood rafts present on the Red and the Atchafalaya Rivers in the southeastern United States,there islittle awareness that similar extensivemasses of wood are documented in the historical record from forested river catchments as diverse and widespread as those in the northeast, southeast, Texas Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest, and upper Great Lakes regions of the country. While present, these natural wood rafts decreased channel conveyance, increased channel- floodplain connectivity, and facilitated anastomosing channels and floodplain lakes. Removal of natural wood rafts began in the 17th century in the eastern United States and proceeded westward with the movement of Europeansettlers,accelerating duringthe19th-centuryeraofsteamboatsandfloatingofcuttimber.Removal of the natural wood rafts likely forced many rivers from a multi thread planform with high channel-floodplain connectivity into an alternative stable state of single-thread channels with substantially reduced overbank flow, sedimentation, and avulsions. There is now widespread recognition among the geomorphic community of how upland clearance increased sediment yields and floodplain aggradation. I propose that widespread removal of instream wood for steamboat routes, timber rafts, and flood control was equally significant in decreasing floodplain sedimentation and river complexity, and in causing a fundamental, extensive, and inten- sive change in forested river corridors throughout the United States.
Crossbeam wind measurements with phased array Doppler weather radar: theory

Doppler weather radars measure only the radial wind component of wind, and thus are limited in providing accurate information of damaging wind potential. The use of a phased array antenna opens the possibility that crossbeam winds can also be measured. This paper examines and compares two alternatives whereby a phased array weather radar can measure crossbeam winds. The theoretical accuracy of the quasi-horizontal component of the crossbeam wind for each of these alternatives is shown to be strongly dependent on turbulence intensity. Crossbeam winds can be measured with accuracies on the order of 2 ms/sup -1/ in less than 10 s if turbulence intensity is less than 1 ms/sup -1/.
The Status of Area Studies and the Logic of the Comparative Method: The Distinctive Role of Cross-Regional Contextualized Comparison

Following more than a decade of marginalization within the field of comparative politics, area-focused scholarship appears to be gaining some credibility once again as evident in a number of eloquent statements reasserting the value of area studies in a post-9/11 world. While concurring with this assessment, this paper is motivated by a concern over just how the field of comparative politics might better facilitate fruitful conversations between different communities of area specialists and those who are more invested in general theories and models in comparative politics. Such conversations are particularly difficult to initiate in view of the prevailing epistemological divides not only within the discipline but also within the area studies and among those employing small-N comparisons of various types. To overcome this challenge, qualitative case studies and Millean small-N approaches need to be complemented by a specific kind of comparative approach that more self-consciously splits the difference between area-bound forms of inquiry and quasi-experimental uses of small-N comparison to build or evaluate general theoretical propositions. This approach, which I term cross-regional contextualized comparison (CRCC), is distinct from other qualitative comparative approaches in that it (i) aspires to construct or refine portable hypotheses that go beyond individual contexts but are limited in ambition to middle-range theoretical propositions; and (ii) draws upon cases chosen from more than one geographic region not only to ensure a degree of quasi-experimental control but also to engage the relevant historiography and contending perspectives within the relevant area studies communities. Though cross-regional small-N comparisons are generally under-represented in the discipline at present, the future dynamism of comparative politics depends on creating more space for CRCC as a distinctive variant of cross-regional comparative analysis precisely because it is best positioned to mediate the dialogue, both “horizontally,” across different communities of area specialists focused on different regions, and “vertically,” between area specialists writ large and those partial to general theories and models.
Effect of Variable Temperature Environments on Egg Development of Three Species of Fruit Flies

Eggs of the oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel, the melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coq., and the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) were incubated under variable temperatures in automatically controlled, air-conditioned bioclimatic chambers. Idealized temperature patterns, with fixed periodicities and diurnal ranges, and natural temperature patterns, characteristic of many United States localities, were studied; the results of both types of thermal environments, which were closely alike, were compared with constant temperature results previously reported. Only at medial thermal levels (65°–85° F.) do egg development rates under regularly fluctuating temperatures agree closely with those at constant temperatures; at these levels, differences in the diurnal temperature range cause little or no change in rates. Below this medial zone, under variable temperatures there is an acceleration, and in the upper thermal levels a deceleration of development relative to that resulting from constant-temperature exposures, and the greater the diurnal variation, the greater are these effects. Exposures at the lower levels temperatures near or even below the constant temperature threshhold; in several cases completed development occurred after exposure to mean temperatures several degrees below that threshhold. Mean temperatures at high-level exposures never exceeded the constant-temperature upper developmental limit. Swiftest egg development under fluctuating temperature conditions occurred at mean temperatures 5 to 10 degrees below the temperature for most rapid growth under constant conditions; this maximum development rate was somewhat less under fluctuating conditions than when temperatures were held constant. When developmental rates for the egg stage of these flies are plotted against means of the fluctuating temperatures encountered during exposure, the resulting curves, though exhibiting some slight sigmoidal character at the extremities, approach rather closely a rectilinear relation. This is in contrast to the much more pronounced sigmoidal relationship of the corresponding curves noted in constant temperature studies.
Vertical vestibuloocular reflex in cat: asymmetry and adaptation.

1. We studied eye velocity during the first 2 s of the vertical vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) elicited from cats placed on their sides (90 degrees roll position) and rotated about an earth vertical ...
INTERNAL FIXATION FOR SMALL JOINT ARTHRODESES IN THE HAND: The Interphalangeal Joints

Interphalangeal arthrodeses are performed frequently for disabling pain and deformity in the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints. Such arthrodeses are the gold standard for eliminating pain in arthritic joints of the fingers. Kirschner wire fixation is simple to perform but often leads to nonunion or delayed union. Fixation with tension band wires and Herbert and Accutrak screws is discussed in this article. The techniques are simple and straightforward, and they afford considerably more stability and a higher union rate than Kirschner wires alone.