cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ecological correlates of single-seededness in a woody tropical flora

A reduction in seed number per fruit is recognized as a common evolutionary trend among flowering plants. In order to evaluate the ecological role of single-seededness and its possible adaptive significance, we used van Roosmalen's (1985) descriptions of fruits for woody species in the Guianan flora to identify fruit and seed characters and dispersal syndromes associated with the single-seeded trait. We coded the following characters: seed number (one seed or more than one seed), fleshiness (dry or fleshy), dehiscence (dehiscent or indehiscent), dispersal syndrome, seed size (length), and fruit size (length). We ordered the data in a multi-dimensional contingency table and used maximum likelihood logistic regression to identify traits significantly correlated with single-seededness. Seed size and fruit size were treated as quantitative variables. Indehiscence and endozoochory are positively associated with single-seededness, with indehiscence contributing most to the best-fit model. Fruit size and seed size are also important with the probability of single-seededness generally increasing with seed size and decreasing with fruit size, although a (fruit size) x (seed size) interaction term is significant. Dry fruits are positively associated with single-seededness and dispersal by synzoochory or myrmecochory negatively associated when the full data set is examined, but neither parameter is significant in two models constructed to remove effects of phylogeny. A nested ANOVA revealed that most variation occurs below the family level for almost all of the traits considered, with the exception of the dry vs. fleshy trait for which there is no variation within genera. We argue that the strong association between indehiscence and single-seededness suggests selective advantages for single-seeded dispersal units but acknowledge that energetic trade-offs between seed number and seed size probably also occur. We suggest that the post-dispersal fates of seeds - especially those deposited in clumps by endozoochory - should be examined with the idea of identifying selective pressures on seed number per fruit.
Capacity and power control for CDMA microcells

Capacity and power control issues are considered for urban CDMA microcells that operate on channels characterized by log-normal shadowing and Nakagami fading. The effects of fading on the desired and interfering signals, variations in the shadow standard deviation, imperfect power control, and the required E_b / N_o for satisfactory link operation are investigated. It is shown that the reverse channel is relatively insensitive, and the forward channel very sensitive, to shadow and fading variations. Power control error is shown to significantly degrade reverse channel capacity. Two biased forward channel power control strategies are introduced to enhance existing unbiased balancing forward channel power control algorithms.
Cerebral dominance and lateral differences in perception and memory.

Abstract The present investigation was designed to replicate a previous finding that tachistoscopically presented complex forms of low verbal association value would be more accurately recognized when presented to the left visual field than to the right, thus implying dominance of the right hemisphere for the perception of this type of stimulus material. The successful replication of this finding was important because of previous unsuccessful attempts to show such an effect. This finding, in conjunction with the well established right visual field (i.e. left hemisphere) superiority for the perception of verbal material, strongly supports the hypothesis that asymmetry in human perceptual performance reflects hemispheric asymmetry of function rather than peripheral factors. The second question investigated concerned the role of memory in producing perceptual asymmetry. Complex figures were presented for 15–25 msec in either the left or right visual field; after a delay of 0–20 sec, the subject was required to indicate whether or not a form presented in central vision was the target form. The results indicate that the observed left visual field superiority for these complex forms appears to arise from hemispheric differences in memory rather than from purely perceptual processes.
Picture perception: effects of luminance on available information and information-extraction rate.

SUMMARY In each of four experiments, complex visual stimuli--pictures and digit arrays--were remembered better when shown at high luminance than when shown at low luminance. Why does this occur? Two possibilities were considered: first that lowering luminance reduces the amount of available information in the stimulus, and second that lowering luminance reduces the rate at which the information is extracted from the stimulus. Evidence was found for both possibilities. When stimuli were presented at durations short enough to permit only a single eye fixation, luminance affected only the rate at which information is extracted: decreasing luminance by a factor of 100 caused information to be extracted more slowly by a factor that ranged, over experiments, from 1.4 to 2.0. When pictures were presented at durations long enough to permit multiple fixations, however, luminance affected the total amount of extractable information. In a fifth experiment, converging evidence was sought for the proposition that within the first eye fixation on a picture, luminance affects the rate of information extraction. If this proposition is correct and, in addition, the first eye fixation lasts until some criterion amount of information is extracted, then fixation duration should increase with decreasing luminance. This prediction was confirmed.
Stratospheric Ozone Protection: An EPA Engineering Perspective

Chlorine released into the atmosphere is a major factor in the depletion of the protective stratospheric ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol, as amended in 1990, and the Clean Air Act Amendments of ...
Human recombinant IL-2 augments immunoglobulin and induces rheumatoid factor production by rheumatoid arthritis lymphocytes engrafted into severe combined immunodeficient mice

Abstract Recombinant (r) human IL-2 was administered in vivo to improve homing and engraftment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Human rIL-2 treatment resulted in augmented human Ig production and induced IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) of human origin in SCID-RA chimeras. The increment of human serum IgG in SCID-RA chimeras after IL-2 treatment ranged between 15 and 43% and for IgM between 50 and 98% during 2-8 weeks postengraftment. Human IgM-RF was detectable after 1 to 2 weeks after engraftment and persisted over a period of 10-13 weeks. No RF was produced in SCID mice engrafted with PBMC from healthy individuals with or without exogenous rIL-2 administration. Thus, human rIL-2 expanded autoreactive clones involved in the production of RF in the SCIDRA chimeras. The present study provides a novel approach to establish an in vivo SCID-RA model to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the production of RF and development of a RA-like lesion.
Kinetics of acetylsalicylic acid disposition in man.

ALTHOUGH acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has been in extensive clinical use since 1900, there is surprisingly little known with accuracy about the kinetics of absorption, metabolism, distribution and excretion of this drug in man and animals. Also, much of the present information has been indirectly estimated from the studies of the metabolite salicylic acid (SA). This has been a result of the lack of specific and sensitive methods for the determination of ASA in biological fluids. Further, while ASA has been shown to be present in the blood after an oral dose1–7, only the data of Leonards3 allow an assessment of the elimination half-life of ASA in man (17 min). The latter data were obtained utilizing a method which relies on measuring ASA as the difference between free and total salicylate, however. We therefore decided to investigate in more detail the pharmacokinetics of ASA in man.
Modeling of a solar-assisted HVAC system with thermal storage

Abstract A numerical model of the solar-thermal-assisted heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in a 7000 m2 educational building, situated in a high-desert climate, is used to predict performance and optimize control parameters. Heating, cooling and shoulder seasons are considered in the study. It is found that the solar assist can account for over 90% of the total heating requirements if certain energy conservation strategies are adopted. The solar cooling assist can reduce the total external cooling energy requirement by between 33% and 43%, the latter result achieved, surprisingly, at lower solar array operating temperatures. In the shoulder season, it is possible to operate the building without any external contribution, by heating the building in the coldest hours of the day, and using any excess heat to produce chilled water, to be stored and used when required. Operation of the solar-assisted system within a much larger district energy system makes it possible to achieve maximum performance.
IMAGED INTRACAVITY LASER ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY

Abstract Using a laser resonator design which supports many high order transverse modes it is possible to enhance a spatial variation (i.e., an image) as well as a spectral variation in absorption of a sample inside the optical cavity of an organic dye laser. This technique also enhances the practical sensitivity of intracavity absorption spectroscopy.
Auditory brain stem potentials in monkey (M. Mulatta) and man

Auditory brain stem potentials were mapped over the head of the rhesus monkey following monaural clicks. Latency and amplitude were dependent upon the recording site. No electrically indifferent point could be found on the head or neck. The results are interpreted as showing that waves I and V originate from single generators, whereas waves, II, III and IV originate from bilateral structures. Latency varied in a linear fashion with changes in intensity and click rate. In contrast there were variations in amplitude of the potentials independent of stimulus change. A comparison was made of auditory brain stem potentials in man, monkey, cat and rat to demonstrate the similarity of the responses across species.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF A POLARIZATION CORRELATION ANOMALY

An experiment was performed to search for the anomalous two-photon polarization correlation observed earlier by Holt and Pipkin using a cascade of atomic mercury. The experiment is a sensitive test of various aspects of the foundations of quantum mechanics. Although the present experimental arrangement differed only slightly from theirs, the anomalous results were not observed.
Characteristics of seasonal and spatial variations of primary production over the southeastern Bering Sea shelf

Abstract In situ primary production data collected during 1978–1981 period and 1997–2000 period were combined to improve understanding of seasonal and spatial distribution of primary production in the southeastern Bering Sea. Mean daily primary production rates showed an apparent seasonal cycle with high rates in May and low rates in summer over the entire shelf of the southeastern Bering Sea except for oceanic region due to lack of data. There was also an increasing trend of primary production rates in the fall over the inner shelf and the middle shelf. There was a decreasing trend of primary production rates between late April and mid-May over the inner shelf while there was an abrupt increase between late April and mid-May over the middle shelf and the outer shelf. In the shelf break region, there was an increasing pattern in late May. These suggest that there was a gradual progression of the development of the spring phytoplankton bloom from the inner shelf toward the shelf break region. There was also a latitudinal variability of primary production rate over the middle shelf, probably due to either spatial variations of the seasonal advance and retreat of sea ice or horizontal advection of saline water in the bottom layer. Annual rates of primary production across the southeastern Bering Sea shelf were 121, 150, 145, 110, and 84 g C m −2 yr −1 in the inner shelf, the middle shelf, the outer shelf, the shelf break, and oceanic region, respectively. High annual rates of primary production over the inner shelf can be attributed to continuous summer production based on regenerated nitrogen and/or a continuous supply of nitrogen at the inner front region, and to fall production. There were some possibilities of underestimation of annual primary production over the entire shelf due to lack of measurement in early spring and fall, which may be more apparent over the shelf break and oceanic region than the inner shelf, the middle, and the outer shelf. This study suggests that the response of primary production by climate change in the southeastern Bering Sea shelf can be misunderstood without proper temporal and seasonal measurement.
THE MULTIPLE SOURCES OF WORKPLACE STRESS AMONG LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY FACULTY

Workplace stress has received a fair amount of treatment in the research literature over the past decade. What has not been examined, at least not systematically, is this same phenomena inacademe. Our study looked at stress among university faculty at a land-grant university located in the western region of the U. S. Analyses from the self-assessment mail survey (N = 786) reveals that faculty in the Hard Pure Nonlife (e. g., Astronomy, Math, Physics), Hard Applied Nonlife (e. g., Civil Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Computer Science) and Soft Applied Life (e. g., Education Administration, Special Education) experience more stress than faculty in disciplines such as Hard Pure Life (e. g., Botany, Zoology) and Soft Pure Nonlife (e. g., English, Philosophy, Communications). Careful attention was paid to the different levels of stress reported by male and female faculty, with women professors reporting a higher level of stress than their male counterparts. We provide an assessment and explanation for this finding. Research ends with several proposals for individual faculty, department chairs and academic administrators for addressing the problem of workplace pressure and work overload.
Statistical measurement of the deterrence effect: A regression framework

Abstract When the dependent variable is a ratio, and its numerator also appears as the denominator of an explanatory variable, doubts exist with respect to the bias of the estimated effect. Although the problem arises in many contexts, it is posed here in the context of estimating the deterrence effect of punishment on crime. This is the context in which Logan (1978) suggests the method of “part-correlation.” By expressing this method in a regression framework, the results of the analysis of specification error are drawn upon to simplify Logan's procedure, proper measures are derived, and results are generalized. Finally, the effects of measurement errors are introduced and the bias examined.
Treatment of school refusal behavior in children with mixed functional profiles

Many children refuse school for multiple reasons, although this complex type of absenteeism has not been largely addressed in the literature. This article presents two cases that were treated for complex school refusal behavior. Each case was subjected to functional analysis to determine what reasons were primarily maintaining the behavior. Following this process, a multicomponent prescriptive treatment approach was used to reintroduce the children to school. Treatment was effective, even at 1-year follow-up. Challenges in treating cases of complex school refusal behavior are discussed.
Photochemical coupling of benzo(a)pyrene with 1-methylcytosine; photoenhancement of carcinogenicity.

Irradiation of the carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene (I) with 1-methylcytosine hydrochloride IIa (molar ratio 1:10) at 3500 {angstrom} in methanol-acetone produces the 6-(1-methylcytos-5-yl)-benzo[a]pyrene (III). The structure of the product shows the hydrocarbon bound through the most active 6-carbon atom to the nucleophilic 5-position of the base. In the second part, the possibility of observing carcinogenic effects on the mouse skin from non-carcinogenic hydrocarbons under the action of UV light is investigated. Both experiments provide evidence that the 4,5-double bond (K region) of I presumably does not play a role in triggering the cancer process.
Interdimer processing mechanism of procaspase-8 activation

The execution of apoptosis depends on the hierarchical activation of caspases. The initiator procaspases become autoproteolytically activated through a less understood process that is triggered by oligomerization. Procaspase-8, an initiator caspase recruited to death receptors, is activated through two cleavage events that proceed in a defined order to generate the large and small subunits of the mature protease. Here we show that dimerization of procaspase-8 produces enzymatically competent precursors through the stable homophilic interaction of the procaspase-8 protease domain. These dimers are also more susceptible to processing than individual procaspase-8 molecules, which leads to their cross-cleavage. The order of the two interdimer cleavage events is maintained by a sequential accessibility mechanism: the separation of the large and small subunits renders the region between the large subunit and prodomain susceptible to further cleavage. In addition, the activation process involves an alteration in the enzymatic properties of caspase-8; while procaspase-8 molecules specifically process one another, mature caspases only cleave effector caspases. These results reveal the key steps leading to the activation of procaspase-8 by oligomerization.
A Unified Mechanism of Enzymatic Synthesis of Two Calcium Messengers: Cyclic ADP-Ribose and NAADP

Cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) and nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) mobilize Ca2+ from two different types of intracellular stores and through completely independent mechanisms. The two Ca2+ messengers are also structurally distinct. cADPR is a cyclic nucleotide derived from NAD, while NAADP is a linear metabolite of NADP. Systems responsive to these two novel signaling molecules are widespread among eukaryotes and include protozoan, plant, invertebrate, mammalian as well as human cells. Despite their functional and structural differences, cADPR and NAADP are sibling messengers synthesized by a single enzyme, ADP-ribosyl cyclase. In this article the recent progress in understanding the physiological roles of cADPR and NAADP is briefly reviewed. A unified mechanism of catalysis is also proposed, which takes into consideration the crystallographic structure of ADP-ribosyl cyclase and accounts for its novel multi-functionality.
Microscopic Investigations of Areolar Brow Structure in Nonhuman Primates and of Vermiculate Brow Structure in Hominids

The microscopic structure of bone of the brow region was studied in adult human crania showing the vermiculate surface pattern, and in immature nonhuman primates with an areolar surface. Serial sectio
Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Sexual Orientation on Earnings†

Most studies show that gay men earn less and lesbians earn more than their heterosexual counterparts, but the size of estimated sexual orientation differences varies greatly across studies. Using studies published between 1995 and 2012, a meta-regression shows that the gay sample size, sexual orientation measure, and controls for work intensity explain variation in estimates for men. For women, there are few conclusive influences although controlling for work intensity seems to be most important.
Colchicine Antimitosis Abolishes CCl4 Autoprotection

A subtoxic dose of CCl 4 is known to destroy liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 and this is widely accepted as the mechanism of CCl4 autoprotection. Circumstantial evidence suggests that while cytochrome P-450 is significantly decreased, this mechanism alone cannot explain the phenomenon of autoprotection. Previous studies have established that hepatocellular regeneration is stimulated as early as 6 hr after the administration of a low dose of CC14. If the early phase stimulation of hepatocellular regeneration by the protective dose is indeed the mechanism of autoprotection, then ablation of this early phase of tissue healing by colchicine should result in an abolishment of autoprotection. Present studies were conducted to test this conceptual premise. The protection afforded by a low dose of CCl4 (LCCl4, 100 μl/kg, ip) on the toxic effects of a subsequently administered moderately toxic dose of CCl4 (HCCl4, 2.5 ml/kg, ip) was established in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The protective dose provided 100% prote...
Infrared Matrix Spectra of Lithium Fluoride.

Author Institution: National Bureau of Standards; National Bureau of Standards, National Institutes of Health
A Novel Organo-Selenium Bandage that Inhibits Biofilm Development in a Wound by Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Wound Pathogens

Biofilm formation in wounds is a serious problem which inhibits proper wound healing. One possible contributor to biofilm formation in a wound is the bacteria growing within the overlying bandage. To test this mechanism, we used bandages that contained a coating of organo-selenium that was covalently attached to the bandage. We tested the ability of this coating to kill bacteria on the bandage and in the underlying tissue. The bandage material was tested with both lab strains and clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis. It was found that the organo-selenium coated bandage showed inhibition, of biofilm formation on the bandage in vitro (7–8 logs), with all the different bacteria tested, at selenium concentrations in the coating of less than 1.0%. These coatings were found to remain stable for over one month in aqueous solution, 15 min in boiling water, and over 6 years at room temperature. The bandages were also tested on a mouse wound model where the bacteria were injected between the bandage and the wound. Not only did the selenium bandage inhibit biofilm formation in the bandage, but it also inhibited biofilm formation in the wound tissue. Since selenium does not leave the bandage, this would appear to support the idea that a major player in wound biofilm formation is bacteria which grows in the overlying bandage.
Atomic structure of a nitrate-binding protein crucial for photosynthetic productivity

Cyanobacteria, blue-green algae, are the most abundant autotrophs in aquatic environments and form the base of all aquatic food chains by fixing carbon and nitrogen into cellular biomass. The single most important nutrient for photosynthesis and growth is nitrate, which is severely limiting in many aquatic environments particularly the open ocean. It is therefore not surprising that NrtA, the solute-binding component of the high-affinity nitrate ABC transporter, is the single-most abundant protein in the plasma membrane of these bacteria. Here, we describe the structure of a nitrate-specific receptor, NrtA from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, complexed with nitrate and determined to a resolution of 1.5 A. NrtA is significantly larger than other oxyanion-binding proteins, representing a previously uncharacterized class of transport proteins. From sequence alignments, the only other solute-binding protein in this class is CmpA, a bicarbonate-binding protein. Therefore, these organisms created a solute-binding protein for two of the most important nutrients: inorganic nitrogen and carbon. The electrostatic charge distribution of NrtA appears to force the protein off the membrane while the flexible tether facilitates the delivery of nitrate to the membrane pore. The structure not only details the determinants for nitrate selectivity in NrtA but also the bicarbonate specificity in CmpA. Nitrate and bicarbonate transport are regulated by the cytoplasmic proteins NrtC and CmpC, respectively. Interestingly, the residues lining the ligand binding pockets suggest that they both bind nitrate. This implies that the nitrogen and carbon uptake pathways are synchronized by intracellular nitrate and nitrite.
Freiberg and the Frontier: Louis Janin, German Engineering, and ‘Civilisation’ in the American West

Summary Mining companies after the Gold Rush depended heavily on foreign expertise, and yet historians of mining have glorified ‘German engineering’ in America. The application of German technology in America was fraught with difficulties, and most advances were micro- rather than macro-innovations, such as Philip Deidesheimer's famous square-set timbering on the Comstock Lode. The problem began at German mining schools, such as the Freiberg Mining Academy, where Americans like Louis and Henry Janin, while they acquired advanced training and adopted an engineering ethos, struggled to learn about Mexican and American mining. Having complemented their course of study to remedy this deficiency, the brothers returned to the US intending to modernize mining on the frontier. Louis attempted the ‘Freiberg Process’ of amalgamation on the Comstock Lode, but locally developed methods proved more feasible, and the experiment failed. He came to apply his training rather toward the micro-level problem of how to reproc...
Two-Dimensional Linear Discriminant Analysis

Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) is a well-known scheme for feature extraction and dimension reduction. It has been used widely in many applications involving high-dimensional data, such as face recognition and image retrieval. An intrinsic limitation of classical LDA is the so-called singularity problem, that is, it fails when all scatter matrices are singular. A well-known approach to deal with the singularity problem is to apply an intermediate dimension reduction stage using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) before LDA. The algorithm, called PCA+LDA, is used widely in face recognition. However, PCA+LDA has high costs in time and space, due to the need for an eigen-decomposition involving the scatter matrices. In this paper, we propose a novel LDA algorithm, namely 2DLDA, which stands for 2-Dimensional Linear Discriminant Analysis. 2DLDA overcomes the singularity problem implicitly, while achieving efficiency. The key difference between 2DLDA and classical LDA lies in the model for data representation. Classical LDA works with vectorized representations of data, while the 2DLDA algorithm works with data in matrix representation. To further reduce the dimension by 2DLDA, the combination of 2DLDA and classical LDA, namely 2DLDA+LDA, is studied, where LDA is preceded by 2DLDA. The proposed algorithms are applied on face recognition and compared with PCA+LDA. Experiments show that 2DLDA and 2DLDA+LDA achieve competitive recognition accuracy, while being much more efficient.
Activity of Colistin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Inhibition by Calcium

Human serum inhibits the antibacterial activity of colistin and polymyxin B against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro. By use of a colony-count assay, the inhibitory factor in serum was identified as calcium. The bactericidal activity of colistin was inhibited by either lO"3 m CaCIs, 1596 human serum, or 1596 heparinized plasma. Colistin was not inhibited by plasma containing chelating agents. Colistin may be less active in vivo than predicted on the basis of in-vitro tests of susceptibility to the antibiotic.
Increased hepatic blood flow during enteral immune-enhancing diet gavage requires intact enterohepatic bile cycling.

Abstract Objectives Total hepatic blood flow (HBF) via the hepatic artery and portal vein is highly dependent on gastrointestinal perfusion. During postprandial hyperemia, intestinal blood flow depends on nutrient composition, gastrointestinal location, and time. Immune-enhancing diets (IEDs) containing n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) selectively augment blood flow in the ileum at 60–120 min via a bile-dependent mechanism. My colleagues and I hypothesized that liver blood flow would be similarly affected by IEDs containing n-3 PUFAs. Methods Mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and effective HBF (galactose clearance) were measured in anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats after gastric gavage of either a control diet (CD, Boost, Novartis) or an IED (Impact, Nestle Nutrition), with or without bile-duct ligation (BDL), and with or without supplemental bile (bovine, dried, unfractionated). Significance was assessed by 2-way ANOVA for repeated measures with the Tukey-Kramer honestly significant difference test. Results Compared with baseline levels, a CD increased HBF (peak at 40 min , * P P P P P Conclusions HBF during absorptive intestinal hyperemia is modulated by a mechanism that requires an intact enterohepatic circulation. The early peaks at 40 min (CD or IED) were prevented by BDL, even though fat absorption in the proximal gut occurs by bile-independent direct absorption. Bile supplementation with the diet (CD + BDL or IED + BDL) was insufficient to restore HBF hyperemia, which implies that a relationship exists between intestinal and hepatic blood flow that is not solely dependent on bile-mediated intestinal fat absorption and bile recirculation.
C. B. Bridges' repeat hypothesis and the nature of the gene.

In producing the definitive maps of the giant salivary gland chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster, C. B. Bridges (1935) interpreted certain structures as tandem gene duplications that had become established in the species.
Internal wiring fixation of facial fractures

Abstract A simplified method of reduction and fixation of fractures of the maxilla and other facial bones has been described. For the approach, two small incisions are used at the outer or inferior orbital ridge, on one or two sides depending upon whether the involvement is unilateral or bilateral. The procedure requires a minimum amount of time and equipment, a small drill, pair of pliers, spool of small stainless steel wire, and a dissecting set.
Evaluation of Recombinant α-Galactosidase A Therapy for Amelioration of the Cardiovascular Manifestations of Fabry Disease An Important Role for Endomyocardial Biopsy

Fabry disease, or Anderson-Fabry disease, is an X-linked recessive genetic disease caused by a deficiency of α-galactosidase A leading to accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (GL-3) in lysosomes of parenchymal and interstitial cells in multiple organs of the body, including skin, kidneys, and the cardiovascular system.1 Cardiovascular manifestations in typical Fabry patients develop within the fourth decade and include left ventricular hypertrophy mimicking genetic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (disorder of mutant contractile proteins) and accelerated coronary artery disease.1 Cardiovascular manifestations also may develop in “cardiac variant” patients and symptomatic female heterozygotes, but later in life.1 Article see p 2561 Recently, enzyme replacement therapy for Fabry disease has been introduced using intravenously administered recombinant α-galactosidase A (r-hαGalA).2–4 Initial evaluation in a Phase 3 trial focused on the histological clearance of GL-3 from the kidneys and skin on the basis of evaluation of renal and skin biopsies, respectively.2,3 In this issue of Circulation , Thurberg et al report a positive effect of r-hαGalA therapy in terms of altering the vascular pathology in Fabry disease, using endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) coupled with light and electron microscopy as the evaluation method.4 Pre- and posttreatment EMBs were analyzed from 58 Fabry patients enrolled in a 5-month, Phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, followed by a 54-month open-label extension study of r-hαGalA therapy. The r-hαGalA was administered intravenously at 1 mg per kilogram of body weight every 2 weeks. EMBs were taken from the right ventricle from all 58 Fabry patients at baseline and 5 and 12 months after study initiation; 8 patients also had EMB at end-of-study month 60. Five months of treatment with r-hαGalA resulted in complete clearance of GL-3 deposits from cells of the myocardial microvasculature in 72% of treated patients compared with only 3% of placebo patients ( P <0.001). Similar results …
Improving clustering by learning a bi-stochastic data similarity matrix

An idealized clustering algorithm seeks to learn a cluster-adjacency matrix such that, if two data points belong to the same cluster, the corresponding entry would be 1; otherwise, the entry would be 0. This integer (1/0) constraint makes it difficult to find the optimal solution. We propose a relaxation on the cluster-adjacency matrix, by deriving a bi-stochastic matrix from a data similarity (e.g., kernel) matrix according to the Bregman divergence. Our general method is named the Bregmanian Bi-Stochastication (BBS) algorithm. We focus on two popular choices of the Bregman divergence: the Euclidean distance and the Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence. Interestingly, the BBS algorithm using the KL divergence is equivalent to the Sinkhorn–Knopp (SK) algorithm for deriving bi-stochastic matrices. We show that the BBS algorithm using the Euclidean distance is closely related to the relaxed k-means clustering and can often produce noticeably superior clustering results to the SK algorithm (and other algorithms such as Normalized Cut), through extensive experiments on public data sets.
Subsurface temperatures in the southern Denver Basin, Colorado

Equilibrium temperature logs and thermal conductivity values were measured in the Kiowa Cored Well to calculate a heat flow value of 56.4 ± 1.0 mW/m2 for the site. The temperatures in the Kiowa Cored Well are higher than those for a similar interval in the Castle Pines well, a research well located west of the Kiowa Cored Well. This difference in temperature is to be expected because the synorogenic sediments penetrated by the Kiowa Cored Well are finer-grained and more coal-rich than those in the Castle Pines well, resulting in a lower overall thermal conductivity in the Kiowa Cored Well. Temperature logs from groundwater monitoring wells in the Denver Metropolitan area are complicated by intra-borehole downflow and thus are of limited use in assessing regional temperature variations. In contrast, high-quality temperature logs in oil wells along the southeastern margin of the Denver Basin and on the Las Animas Arch yield estimated heat flow values of ∼64 to 70 mW/m2, which are similar to values determined in southwestern Kansas. Fluid flow in the Dakota aquifer in southeastern Colorado has little impact on the temperature regime along the southeastern margin of the basin.
CURVE NUMBER HYDROLOGY IN WATER QUALITY MODELING: USES, ABUSES, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Although the curve number method of the Natural Resources Conservation Service has been used as the foundation of the hydrology algorithms in many nonpoint source water quality models, there are significant problematic issues with the way it has been implemented and interpreted that are not generally recog- nized. This usage is based on misconceptions about the meaning of the runoff value that the method computes, which is a likely funda- mental cause of uncertainty in subsequent erosion and pollutant loading predictions dependent on this value. As a result, there are some major limitations on the conclusions and decisions about the effects of management practices on water quality that can be sup- ported with current nonpoint source water quality models. They also cannot supply the detailed quantitative and spatial informa- tion needed to address emerging issues. A key prerequisite for improving model predictions is to improve the hydrologic algo- rithms contained within them. The use of the curve number method is still appropriate for flood hydrograph engineering applications, but more physically based algorithms that simulate all streamflow generating processes are needed for nonpoint source water quality modeling. Spatially distributed hydrologic modeling has tremen- dous potential in achieving this goal. (KEY TERMS: nonpoint source pollution; curve number; hydrologic modeling; water quality; agricultural hydrology; geographic infor- mation systems.)
Congenital Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis with Placental Involvement

Congenital presentations of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) are exceedingly rare, and concurrent placental parenchymal involvement has not been definitively documented in the literature. We present 2 cases of congenital multisystem LCH with placental involvement resembling chronic villitis. Placental examination may provide the initial diagnostic evidence of LCH and may significantly influence patient management and outcome; however, the prognostic implications remain unclear. In a clinical context suspicious for congenital LCH, the observation of chronic villitis should prompt consideration of placental involvement by LCH.
The effect of new cancer drug approvals on the life expectancy of American cancer patients, 1978–2004

This study attempts to determine the extent to which new cancer drugs introduced during the last 40 years have prolonged the lives of Americans diagnosed with cancer. We use a difference-in-differences approach: we analyze the correlation across cancer sites (breast, prostate, lung, etc.) between changes in the hazard rate of people previously diagnosed with that cancer and changes in the number of drugs that have been introduced to treat that cancer, controlling for variables likely to reflect changes in diagnostic techniques: cancer stage distribution, age at diagnosis, number of people diagnosed (incidence), and use of surgery and radiation. The rate of introduction of new cancer drugs varied considerably across cancer sites and over time. Data on cancer-site-specific drug introductions are constructed using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Thesaurus and the Drugs@FDA database. Data on all other variables were obtained from the NCI's surveillance, epidemiology, and end results 9 Registries Database,...
Global surface air temperatures: update through 1987

Data from meteorological stations show that surface air temperatures in the 1980s are the warmest in the history of instrumental records. The four warmest years on record are all in the 1980s, with the warmest years in the analysis being 1981 and 1987. The rate of warming between the mid-1960s and the present is higher than that which occurrred in the previous period of rapid warming between the 1880s and 1940.
Permanently Implanted Transvenous Pacemakers Electrical Measurements of Function

Three patients with complete heart block had a high resistance to electrical stimulation of the endocardium through transvenous pacemaker systems. One patient died; one needed reoperation for implantation of epicardial electrodes; and the third required a generator of higher current. The present enthusiasm for permanent transvenous implantation of pacemakers must be tempered somewhat by the knowledge that high endocardial resistance to pacing represents another cause of failure. Simple and rapid methods of determining the current necessary to stimulate the endocardium are available and should be used prior to permanent implantation of the generator. If a substantial margin of safety does not exist, one should consider substituting a pulse generator with greater output or an epicardial electrode system.
Persistence in Humans of Antibody to Subtypes of Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis (VEE) Virus after Immunization with Attenuated (TC-83) VEE Virus Vaccine

We studied the persistence of antibody to Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus subtypes in sera of 20 volunteers inoculated seven or nine years previously with attenuated TC-83 VEE virus vaccine. Serological patterns were compared with those of 10 other persons from whom samples of serum were obtained 28 days after vaccination with TC-83 virus. Vaccines had no other known exposure to a group A arbovirus. Titers of neutralizing antibody of greater than or equal to 1:10 were measured against the homologous TC-83 strain of virus in all long- and short-term vaccinees. In both groups of vaccinees the percentage of antibody-positive persons and their geometric mean titers of antibody to the epizootic subtypes I-A, I-B, and I-C were higher than titers to the enzootic subtypes I-D, I-E, II, III, and IV. However, proportionally fewer long-term vaccinees than short-term vaccinees had detectable neutralizing antibody reactive with enzootic strains. These results reveal long-lasting circulation of neutralizing antibody to TC-83 virus and closely related epizootic variants in 95%-100% of vaccinees. The relatively lower rate of antibody conversion and the loss of antibody to more antigenically remote enzootic subtypes of VEE virus suggest that vaccinees may be less well protected against infection by these strains.
Phenylmereuric Acetate and Phosphate Control of Light‐Dependent Shrinkage and Reactions in Chloroplasts

An investigation of the action of phenylmereuric acetate (PMA) and phosphate on light-induced shrinkage (measured by light scattering and Coulter Counter techniques) and on photosynthetic reactions in spinach chloroplasts led to the following conclusions: 1) PMA stimulated light-induced shrinkage (under conditions of cyclic and non-cyclic electron flow) at concentrations which completely inhibited cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) reduction, though ferricyanide reduction was activated. Although PMA inhibited NADP reduction (probably because this sulfhydryl reagent interfered with the ferredoxin-NADP rednetase) it ean also be considered an uncoiipler (when ferricyanide is the electron acceptor). 2) Phosphate maximized light-induced shrinkage (under conditions of cyclic and non cyclic electron flow) at concentrations which did not affect ferricyanide reduction but caused a 40 to 50 per cent inhibition of NADP reduction. 3) The pattern of the light scattering response to these two compounds was quite different. In the presence of PMA, the forward (light on) and hack (light off) reactions went to completion rapidly. In the presence of phosphate, the back reaction was rapid but, in the light-induced reaction, three phases were discernible. 4) Compared with uncouplers such as NH4Cl, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone, pentachlorophenol, and dicoumarol, all of which inhibited both photophosphorylation and conformational changes in chloroplasts, PMA (like quinacrine) had a specific action since it inhibited photophosphorylation while shrinkage was stimulated. 5) It appeared that PMA acted at a site beyond the formation of high energy inter-mediates and that, in the absence of photophosphorylation, more energy was diverted to mechanical work (shrinkage). It would seem that, in a cyclic electron flow system, in which ATP synthesis is blocked at a late step (e.g. by PMA), shrinkage may be an indirect method for measuring electron flow.
Are Reproductive Health Services a Good Place to Screen for Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem and is associated with many adverse reproductive health outcomes. One intervention that has been used in the United States to address this issue is to train health care providers to screen women for IPV and refer them to services for support and counseling. For this intervention to be used in other countries, it must first be known if violence victims seek health care services. This article examines IPV and the use of reproductive health care services among 607 women who lived in La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia.
Modeling tools built upon the HDL foundation

Hardware description languages, mainly Verilog and VHDL including their analog and mixed-signal extensions, represent a significant investment by the electronic design automation community. Hardware description language technology promises productivity advances such as a medium for intellectual property exchange, model portability, model productivity, greater design collaboration, top-down design for AMS, AMS synthesis, and richer mixed-level, mixed-signal simulation for improved simulation throughput. Modeling tools represent a step toward completion of the dwelling the EDA community seeks to build upon the hardware description language foundation. One such environment of tools is described in this tutorial on Paragon. Paragon is described and demonstrated on both behavioral models using multiple HDLs and compact device modeling applications involving Verilog-A primarily.
Factors affecting forestland owners' allocation of non-forested land to pine plantation for bioenergy in Virginia

Abstract Studies have shown that woody bioenergy can have potential economic, social, and environmental benefits. One of the ways to meet the growing biomass demand for woody bioenergy is by allocating currently non-forested land for growing feedstocks such as pine. Towards this end, we conducted a survey on 900 randomly selected private forestland owners in Virginia and asked what proportion of their non-forested land they would allocate for loblolly pine at given bid prices. We then used recursive partitioning based Tobit regression to analyze data. Our results suggest that the experience of having supplied wood for chip-n-saw mills in the past five years, large land holding, prior experience with state/federal financial/technical support programs, among other factors, lead to smaller proportion of non-forested land being allocated for pine. However, a higher price offer, stronger preference for producing non-timber forest products such as evergreen boughs and grapevine, and lesser dependence on working the land for annual income lead to larger proportion of non-forested land being allocate for pine. Our results could assist policy makers in developing and improving land use and energy policies, certification programs, and extension and outreach services. Our contribution also includes the use of threshold analyses to delineate tipping points in variables associated with different response rates and showing the different effect of variables in terms of how they affect the supply of biomass and the supply of land for bioenergy purposes.
High Resolution PIV and CH-PLIF Measurements and Analysis of a Shear Layer Stabilized Flame

Understanding the mechanisms and physics of flame stabilization and blowoff of premixed flames is critical towards the design of high velocity combustion devices. In the high bulk flow velocity situation typical of practical combustors, the flame anchors in shear layers where the local flow velocities are much lower. Within the shear layer, fluid strain deformation rates are very high and the flame can be subjected to significant stretch levels. The main goal of this work was to characterize the flow and stretch conditions that a premixed flame experiences in a practical combustor geometry and to compare these values to calculated extinction values. High resolution, simultaneous PIV and CH-PLIF measurements are used to capture the flame edge and near-field stabilization region. When approaching lean limit extinction conditions, we note characteristic changes in the stretch and flow conditions experienced by the flame. Most notably, the flame becomes less critically stretched when fuel/air ratio is decreased. However, at these lean conditions, the flame is subject to higher mean flow velocities at the edge, suggesting less favorable flow conditions are present at the attachment point of the flame as blowoff is approached. These measurements suggest that blowoff of the flame from the shear layer is not directly stretch extinction induced, but rather the result of an imbalance between the speed of the flame edge and local tangential flow velocity.© 2015 ASME