cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A cross-sectional survey of the prevalence of the hepatobiliary lithiasis and urolithiasis in a village of Yichang

Objective To survey the prevalence,epidemic characteristics and influence factors of the lithiasis in rural areas,in order to provide a scientific basis for control and prevention. Method Cross-sectional survey was done by questionnaires,and descriptive statistics was used to analyze the collected data of lithiasis cases. Results A total of 2189patients in the village were investigated. There were 314 people with the lithiasis,with a prevalence rate of 14.34%.There were 83 people with hepatobiliary lithiasis and 231 people with urinary lithiasis,with prevalence rates of 3.79%and 10.55%,respectively.The prevalence rate for male to female is 16.06% to 12.63%,the difference has statistical significance(χ2=5.250,P=0.022).The test result for 24 water samples shows total number of bacteria and fecal coliforms are over that of national standard in 8 rural groups.In 2189 questionnaire forms,1 053 people know clinical symptoms for hepatic calculus and urinary calculi with rate of 48.10%,1511 people know the main cause of lithiasis from water hardness with rate of 69.02%,198 people know the close relation with lithiasis and drinking water volume with rate of9.05%,the rate of people who know the danger facts for relation with lithiasis and sports amount, food structure,life habit is less than 3%. Conclusions Rural residents were lack of the knowledge about lithiasis. The rural health knowledge propaganda should be strengthened to advocate a healthy lifestyle, and pay more attention to the safety of rural drinking water.
Accuracy and Safety of 1,055 Transjugular Liver Biopsies in Postliver Transplant Patients.

Author(s): Lee, Edward Wolfgang; Sue, Megan J; Saab, Sammy; DiNorcia, Joseph; McWilliams, Justin P; Kaldas, Fady; Ding, Peng-Xu; Padia, Siddharth A; Agopian, Vatche; Farmer, Douglas; Busuttil, Ronald W | Abstract: IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to investigate the rates of complications and diagnostic yield of transjugular liver biopsy (TJLB) in deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) recipients.MethodsFrom January 2009 to December 2019, 1,055 TJLBs were performed in 603 adult DDLT recipients with a mean age of 54 (±12 years). Data were retrospectively reviewed to determine the diagnostic efficacy and incidence of major and minor complications in the 3-day and 1-month period after TJLB. In addition, data were stratified according to platelet count and international normalized ratio to determine the safety of TJLB in patients with varying degrees of coagulopathy.ResultsTJLB yielded diagnostic rate of 98.1% (1,035/1,055), with an overall complication rate of 8.3% (88/1,055). Major complications accounted for 0.85% (9/1,055), and minor complications occurred in 7.48% (79/1,055). When patients were stratified by platelet count (0-50, 51-100, 101-200, 201-300, and g300 × 103 platelets/μL), no significant difference was noted in complication rates (9.5%, 8.6%, 7.6%, 8.5%, and 10.7%, respectively). When grouped by international normalized ratio (0-1, 1.1-2.0, 2.1-3.0, and g3.0), there was no statistical difference in complication rates (8.3%, 8.5%, 7.7%, and 0%, respectively).DiscussionTJLB is a safe, adequate, and effective method to investigate hepatic disorders in DDLT recipients with severe coagulopathy.
Surgical intervention for late gastric conduit obstruction.

Objectives Gastric emptying delay after oesophagectomy may occur in conduits exposed to pleural forces of respiration or anatomic obstruction. Remedial operations addressing both causes are rarely reported. The study aim was to categorize severe gastric conduit obstruction (GCO) and report the outcome of surgical revision. Methods A single-institution, retrospective study of gastric conduit revision following oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer investigated incidence, risk factors and categories of conduit obstruction. Evaluation consisted of contrast studies, computed tomogram and endoscopy. Interventions were categorized according to obstructive cause and included pyloroplasty, hiatal hernia reduction and thoraco-abdominal conduit repositioning. Results Among 1246 oesophagectomies over a 17-year period, 14 patients (1.1%) required post-oesophagectomy relief of GCO. Two additional patients presented after oesophagectomy elsewhere. Before oesophagectomy, 18.8% (3/16) and 62.5% (10/16) of patients were on chronic opioid and psychotropic medications, respectively. Distinct anatomic features separated obstruction into 3 categories: pyloric in 31% (5/16), extrinsic in 12.5% (2/16) and combined in 56.3% (9/16). Operative revision led to complete symptom resolution in 50% (8/16) of patients and symptom improvement in 43.8% (7/16) of patients. One patient (1/16, 6.25%) in the combined obstruction group did not improve with surgical revision. Conclusions GCO after oesophagectomy rarely requires surgical revision. Potential association with medications affecting oesophageal and gastric motility requires further investigation. Classification of obstruction identifies a patient subset with lower success after surgical revision.
Dopamine-dependent cAMP dynamics in basal amygdala glutamatergic neurons

Summary Dopaminergic inputs to basal amygdala (BA) instruct learning of motivational salience. Here, we investigated the dynamics of dopamine release and downstream signaling during multiple salient events occurring within tens of seconds. We established in vitro and in vivo real-time tracking and manipulation of cAMP – a key intracellular plasticity signal downstream of dopamine receptor activation. Optogenetically-evoked release of dopamine drove proportional increases in cAMP in almost all BA glutamatergic neurons, suggesting widespread actions of dopamine across neurons preferring positive or negative valence. These cAMP responses decayed more slowly than dopamine release, potentially extending the window of plasticity. cAMP levels accumulated following direct photostimulation of cAMP but not repeated stimulation of dopamine axons, due to potent depression of dopamine release. cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA) responses to repeated appetitive or aversive stimuli also exhibited pronounced depression. Thus, history-dependent dynamics of dopamine and cAMP may regulate learning of temporally clustered, salient stimuli.
A systematization of statistical data management/manipulation tasks and a comparison of statistical data management/manipulation capabilities of SAS and SPSS base programs

The general purpose of this study was to systematize statistical data management/manipulation (SDMM) tasks and to evaluate the SDMM capabilities of two popular statistical program packages, the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The objectives of this study were to: (1) identify commonly used SDMM tasks and construct an SDMM task system; (2) comparatively review and evaluate SDMM capabilities of SAS and SPSS base programs; (3) produce a comparative and concise list of SDMM commands/statements for the two packages; and (4) make suggestions about the improvement of SDMM capabilities of the statistical analysis packages. The considerations of definition and classification techniques for SDMM systematization were from a logical angle. The SDMM task system was conceptualized and constructed by identifying and defining its individual tasks and by systematizing and explaining the general intrarelations among these tasks within the SDMM system and the interrelations between the SDMM system and the statistical data analysis (SDA) system. Three basic criteria (i.e., availability, flexibility, and simplicity) were used in the evaluation of the SDMM capabilities of the SAS and SPSS packages. Similarities and differences as well as advantages and disadvantages for each specific capability of SAS and SPSS were addressed. The results indicated that SDMM can be perceived as a system. The SDMM task system consists of five blocks (i.e., control, input, process, output, and database) and many tasks/subtasks. The objects of these SDMM tasks have three basic levels: variables, records, and files. The SDMM blocks, tasks, and subtasks are interrelated, by having the same general purpose, acting on the same operation object, being hierarchically structured, being interdependently organized, and/or being dynamically executed. Four items of comparison in a more general setting were found. (1) Similarities in overall SDMM capabilities between the two packages overweigh dissimilarities. (2) Each package has its own distinguishing features. (3) These two packages are not without shortcomings. (4) Advantages and disadvantages are relative concepts, and are also changeable.
SU-E-T-78: A Study of Dose Falloff Gradient in RapidArc Planning of Lung SBRT

Purpose: Rapid dose falloff beyond PTV is an important criterion for normal tissue sparing in SBRT. RTOG protocols use D2cm and R50% for plan quality evaluation. This study is aimed at analyzing the dose falloff gradient beyond the PTV extending into normal tissue structures and to ascertain the impact of PTV geometry and location on the dose falloff gradient in RapidArc planning of lung SBRT Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed 39 clinical RapidArc lung SBRT treatment plans that met RTOG-0915 criteria. Planning was done on Eclipse 8.9 for delivery on either Novalis NTx or TrueBeam STx equipped with HD MLCs. PTV volumes ranged between 5.3 and 113 cc (2.2 to 6 cm sphere equivalent diameter respectively) and their geographic locations were distributed in both lungs. 6X, 6X-FFF, 10X, and 10X-FFF energies were used for planning. All of these SBRT plans were planned using either 2 or 3 full or hemi arcs, with moderate couch kicks. Dose falloff gradients were obtained by generating 7 concentric 5 mm rings beyond PTV surface. Mean dose in each ring is used to evaluate percentage dose falloff gradient as a function of distance from the PTV surface. Results: The mean percentage dose falloff beyond PTV surface in all plans followed an exponential decay and the data was modeled with double exponential decay fit. Photon energy selection in the plan had a minimal impact on the mean percentage dose fall off beyond PTV surface. Conclusion: Dose falloff beyond PTV surface as a function of distance can be ascertained by the use of the double exponential decay fit coefficients in RapidArc planning of lung SBRT. This will help also in plan quality evaluation in addition to D2cm and R50% defined by RTOG.
A Faulty Survey of Algebra's Roots

Unknown Quantity . A Real and Imaginary History of Algebra. By John Derbyshire . Joseph Henry Press, Washington, DC, 2006. 382 pp. $27.95, C$31.95. ISBN 0-309-09657-X. The author describes his account of what algebraic ideas are like, how they developed historically, and who were responsible for them as written for the nonmathematician, but that has not stopped him from including numerous formulae.
Decomposition Kinetics of Plutonium Hydride

Actinide hydrides are frequently employed as intermediates for preparing the nitrides or the powdered metals and, therefore, are particularly important compounds of elements employed as nuclear fuels. Of the three actinides (Th, U, Pu) of interest to the nuclear-reactor industry, the least is known about the properties of the plutonium-hydrogen system.
Capability-market matrix analysis for economic development policy

Over the past decade, there has been significant interest in regions, and communities worldwide to attract and incubate growth oriented high technology companies as an approach to economic development. In this paper, we introduce a simple method (CM Matrix) for analyzing the strengths of a community to grow high technology companies. The method can be applied to distinguish the relative strengths of a region based on the available talent pool in that region. The model is illustrated using data collected in the Champaign-Urbana region in Illinois, USA. Several hypotheses for future research are also suggested.
Publicly verifiable partial key escrow

A partial key escrow cryptosystem based on publicly verifiable encryption is proposed. Partial key escrow adds a great deal of difficulty to mass privacy intrusion interested by malicious authorities (e.g., a human rights abusive government. Public verifiability improves efficiency and guarantees correctness in the establishment of partially escrowed key.
Social Security Reform and Male Labor Force Participation Around the World

The goal of this paper is to carefully document the characteristics of within-family monetary transfers in the United States, using all nine waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Using the HRS, we construct a novel child-level longitudinal dataset and augment it with detailed information at the parent level. Consistent with previous studies, we document that intra-family transfers are significant in their incidence and magnitude and that, on average, they flow downward, from parents to children. Since we observe families for as long as 18 years, we are able to document new facts and establish a link between the early parental transfers and children’s characteristics later in life. Among many facts we document, we find a strong incidence of parental transfers during child episodes of negative financial shocks, such as a job loss or divorce. We also find that children receiving larger transfers early in life are more likely to belong to a higher income class later. Parental giving is positively related to parental wealth, age, and liquidity, and children’s permanent income, while it is related negatively to children’s age and children’s income category at the time of giving. We find that providing parents with help and attention is not a significant determinant of parental transfers overall. However, after conditioning on the parental decision to give to at least one child, levels of attention and help provided by a given child are important determinants of the relative (to one’s siblings) parental transfers. Overall, we find that, independent of the motive for giving, parental transfers help improve children’s welfare.
Quick fast off-axis parabolas

The design and fabrication of four ultrafast, off-axis parabolas was required as quickly as possible.1 Each parabola couples a 10-cm diam beam of submillimeter radiation to a Schottky-Barrier detector.
HIV Treatment and Prevention: A Simple Model to Determine Optimal Investment

Objective. To create a simple model to help public health decision makers determine how to best invest limited resources in HIV treatment scale-up and prevention. Method. A linear model was developed for determining the optimal mix of investment in HIV treatment and prevention, given a fixed budget. The model incorporates estimates of secondary health benefits accruing from HIV treatment and prevention and allows for diseconomies of scale in program costs and subadditive benefits from concurrent program implementation. Data sources were published literature. The target population was individuals infected with HIV or at risk of acquiring it. Illustrative examples of interventions include preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), community-based education (CBE), and antiretroviral therapy (ART) for men who have sex with men (MSM) in the US. Outcome measures were incremental cost, quality-adjusted life-years gained, and HIV infections averted. Results. Base case analysis indicated that it is optimal to invest in ART b...
Oxidation of cyclopropane fatty acids by Ochromonas danica.

Abstract Cyclopropane fatty acids labeled with 14 C in the methylene carbon of the cyclopropane ring were administered to Ochromonas danica . 14 CO 2 was produced, showing that this organism, unlike the rat, is capable of oxidizing the ring portion of the cyclopropane fatty acids.
Fluctuation of serum phenytoin concentrations during autologous bone marrow transplant for primary central nervous system tumors.

We reviewed our experience for adult patients receiving oral anticonvulsant therapy during high-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow re-infusion for primary malignant tumors of the central nervous system. Nineteen patients received either iv carmustine (BCNU) 900–1050 mg/m2 and 6120 cGy cranial irradiation (N = 10), iv carmustine 900–1050 mg/m2 and iv cisplatin 200 mg/m2 (N = 8), or iv carmustine 600 mg/m2, iv cisplatin 200 mg/m2, and iv etoposide 2400 mg/m2 (N = 1). Anticonvulsant therapy consisted of phenytoin alone (N = 8), phenobarbital alone (N = 4), carbamazepine alone (N = 2), phenytoin and carbamazepine (N = 2), carbamazepine and phenobarbital (N = 1), and no anticonvulsant therapy (N = 2). Serum anticonvulsant concentrations were monitored frequently and doses adjusted to keep values in the therapeutic range. While phenobarbital and carbamazepine doses remained relatively stable, all patients required increased doses of phenytoin anticonvulsant therapy after beginning chemotherapy (mean onset 3.7 days after initiation of chemotherapy). The increase in phenytoin dose ranged from 50% to 300% above baseline (mean 134%). By the time of discharge from the hospital (approximately 3–4 weeks after the start of chemotherapy) anticonvulsant dose was decreased to near pre-therapy levels. These swings coincided with the initiation of dexamethasone therapy for antiemetic effect and were more pronounced in patients also receiving cisplatin therapy. Due to close monitoring of serum phenytoin concentrations, no instances of toxicity due to excessive drug concentration, or seizures due to subtherapeutic doses, were noted in patients with primary CNS malignancies. Serum phenytoin concentrations fluctuate markedly during high-dose chemotherapy and must be analyzed frequently during the course of therapy.
Exploring the Secrets of the Aurora, 2nd edition

Pioneers in science invariably have struggled with ideas that future scientists learn and accept with almost casual indifference. Perhaps the basis for progress in science is that the energy and creativity of young scientists need not be expended on rediscovering truths that earlier scientists spent whole careers uncovering. Nevertheless, an appreciation for the process by which these truths were painstakingly unveiled is a lesson from which scientists of all ages can learn. Exploring the Secrets of the Aurora, by Syun-Ichi Akasofu, should be read for that reason alone, but the book has other merits as well.
Efficient subband analysis of images by the method of moments

An efficient parallel structure that uses multirate techniques is introduced for the analysis of images by the method of moments. The basic idea of the proposed method is to split the original image into a set of subband signals using a bank of bandpass filters. The subband signals are then low-pass translated by down-sampling resulting in a set ofsubimages oflower dimensions, which are analyzed separately using the method of moments. In image analysis using the method of moments, the major timeconsuming task is the computation of the moments. Moreover, it is hard to reconstruct details of the images from the moments since only moments of higher orders carry the fine detail of an image and they are vulnerable to white noise, such as the quantization noise. With the proposed technique, the computation time is reduced due to the parailel structure, the computational complexity is reduced by using only the dominant subimage in most applications, and the fine detaiofthe image ifnecessary can be provided by the moments of upper-band subimages.
Surgical correction of childhood intermittent exotropia and the risk of developing mental illness.

Purpose To assess whether successful surgical intervention for intermittent exotropia, or the timing of intervention, has any effect on the development of mental illness. Design Retrospective, observational case series. Methods All patients ( Results Ninety-six (52%) of the 184 children identified were diagnosed with a mental illness at a mean age of 23.3 years (range, 6 to 41 years). Thirty-five (36%) of the 96 children in whom mental illness developed underwent strabismus surgery. Success at surgery ( P = .30). Of the 88 patients in whom mental illness did not develop, strabismus surgery was not more commonly performed ( P = .54), nor was it performed at a younger age ( P = 1.0), when compared with the 96 patients in whom mental illness developed later. Conclusions Strabismus surgery for children with intermittent exotropia, regardless of success or age at surgery, did not alter the development of mental illness by early adulthood.
Selective use of splenectomy after liver transplantation in children.

In a series of 106 pediatric liver transplantations, five patients were identified with recurrent rejection who could not tolerate the addition of azathioprine (Aza) to their immunosuppressive therapy because of leukopenia. Splenectomy was performed posttransplantation to allow the use of Aza. The number and severity of rejection episodes were compared before and after splenectomy in these patients. In addition, presplenectomy and postsplenectomy rejection frequencies were compared with rejection frequencies in 35 patients who did not require splenectomy and had at least 1 1/2 years of follow-up. Mild, moderate, and severe rejection episodes were defined by the treatment (mild, steroid bolus only; moderate, steroid recycle; and severe, monoclonal antibodies or Minnesota antilymphocyte globulin) required to produce complete resolution. There was a mean of 342 +/- 111 days from transplantation to splenectomy and a mean of 674 +/- 109 days of follow-up after splenectomy. Follow-up in the control group was 934 +/- 44 days. After splenectomy, the average platelet count increased from 78 +/- 15 to 514 +/- 113 (P = .020) and white blood cell count increased from 3.2 +/- 0.6 to 16.7 +/- 2.7 (P = .010). Splenectomy permitted the implementation of Aza therapy in one patient who previously was not a candidate because of hypersplenism and allowed uncomplicated Aza therapy in four patients who became severely leukopenic during previous Aza trials. All five patients who underwent splenectomy demonstrated a statistically significant (P less than .05) decrease in the total number of rejection episodes. Rejection frequency after splenectomy was no different from the rejection frequency in patients who did not require splenectomy (P = .682).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Synthesis of Polycyclic Cyclohexadienyl Ruthenium(II) Complexes from η6-Arene Precursors via Phosphine-Promoted Intramolecular Nucleophilic Aromatic Addition

An experimentally straightforward procedure for the synthesis of structurally elaborate cyclohexadienyl ruthenium(II) complexes has been developed along the lines of the Morita−Baylis−Hillman reaction. Coordination of (cyclopentadienyl)Ru(II) fragments to N-benzyl and N-phenethyl acrylamides was found to facilitate conversion to stable cyclohexadienyl complexes via Bu3P-mediated intramolecular cyclization. An ipso cyclization was observed in all but one case, resulting in formation of five- or six-membered spirolactams at C6 positions of cyclohexadienyl ligands. Acrylamides prepared from dihydroindene and tetrahydronaphthalene precursors were suitable substrates for this transformation, affording access to novel tricyclic cyclohexadienyl complexes. One such complex was characterized by X-ray crystallography.
Venous leg ulceration pathophysiology and evidence based treatment

Venous leg ulceration (VLU) is one of the most predominate medical disorders worldwide and in the western hemisphere it affects around 1.5% of the general population and up to 5% of the elderly population. Unfortunately, this trend will only increase given the growth of an aging population worldwide. Understanding its pathophysiology that begins with venous hemodynamic abnormalities and leads to inflammatory alterations with microcirculatory changes is critical to delivering effective curative therapy. As such, the main component to treatment is reversing the underlying venous hypertension and pro-inflammatory milieu using compression treatment along with various adjuvant therapies. Given its impact, a comprehensive multi-pronged approach to care, treatment and prevention is required to reverse the increasing trend that is observed worldwide.
Regulation of Angiogenesis by Histone Chaperone HIRA-mediated Incorporation of Lysine 56-acetylated Histone H3.3 at Chromatin Domains of Endothelial Genes

Angiogenesis is critically dependent on endothelial cell-specific transcriptional mechanisms. However, the molecular processes that regulate chromatin domains and thereby dictate transcription of key endothelial genes are poorly understood. Here, we report that, in endothelial cells, angiogenic signal-mediated transcriptional induction of Vegfr1 (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1) is dependent on the histone chaperone, HIRA (histone cell cycle regulation-defective homolog A). Our molecular analyses revealed that, in response to angiogenic signals, HIRA is induced in endothelial cells and mediates incorporation of lysine 56 acetylated histone H3.3 (H3acK56) at the chromatin domain of Vegfr1. HIRA-mediated incorporation of H3acK56 is a general mechanism associated with transcriptional induction of several angiogenic genes in endothelial cells. Depletion of HIRA inhibits H3acK56 incorporation and transcriptional induction of Vegfr1 and other angiogenic genes. Our functional analyses revealed that depletion of HIRA abrogates endothelial network formation on Matrigel and inhibits angiogenesis in an in vivo Matrigel plug assay. Furthermore, analysis in a laser-induced choroidal neovascularization model showed that depletion of HIRA significantly inhibits neovascularization. Our results for the first time decipher a histone chaperone (HIRA)-dependent molecular mechanism in endothelial gene regulation and indicate that histone chaperones could be new targets for angiogenesis therapy.
Solid phase extraction cleanup for non-polar and moderately polar molecular markers of PM2.5 sources

Abstract A solid phase extraction cleanup step substantially improved analytical efficiency and data quality for measurements of non-polar and moderately polar organic molecular marker concentrations in airborne particulate matter. Rapid gas chromatography column deterioration was evident after very few samples in the absence of a cleanup step, resulting in the need for frequent recalibration. High molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were among the species most strongly impacted by the deterioration, exhibiting deviations as high as 30–40% from expected calibration verification standard values after only a few injections. Column deterioration and calibration verification failure were eliminated by introducing a solid phase extraction step prior to analysis and a total of 58 samples were analyzed with no unacceptable deviation of calibration verification standards from target values
Deregulation of H3K27 methylation in cancer

A new study now reports recurrent somatic mutation of EZH2, a histone methyltransferase that modifies H3K27, in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). There is now evidence for both increased and decreased activity of enzymes controlling H3K27 methylation in cancer, suggesting that a precise balance of this methylation is critical for normal cell growth.
Sensory control of locomotion in insects

Insects represent ideal model systems in which to tackle issues of sensory-motor integration. There have recently been important results in several fields encompassing the development and plasticity of reflex pathways, the mapping of mechanosensory information in thoracic neuropils, the biophysics of integration in local premotor interneurons, and the behavioral study of a resistance reflex and inter-leg coordination.
Synchronization of the menstrual cycle through the use of an oral progestin in the rhesus monkey

This study was undertaken to demonstrate the feasibility of using oral progestins for menstrual cycle synchronization in female rhesus monkeys. After a control cycle, four subjects were treated for 21 consecutive days with 0.044 mg/kg/day of the oral progestin altrenogest. During the subsequent 6-wk period the timing and occurrence of menses and ovulation were observed. During the control cycle, the four subjects ovulated over a 6-d period; following progestin treatment all subjects menstruated within a 4-d range, and three of the four subjects ovulated within 24 h of each other. This should prove to be a sufficient degree of ovulation synchrony to allow for successful embryo transfer between females.
Analysis of the Binding of Ligands to Large Numbers of Sites: The Binding of Tryptophan to the 11 Sites of thetrpRNA-Binding Attenuation Protein

Abstract Analysis of the cooperative binding of ligands may provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of biological control. Binding of l -tryptophan at each juncture in the ring of 11 subunits of the trp RNA-binding attenuation protein exhibits cooperativity. To analyze binding of this kind we have developed both the matrix and combinatorial procedures for binding to large numbers of sites. A new, exact, and fast combinatorial procedure is presented. In this procedure the sites may be single or overlapping in a linear lattice or in the form of a ring. The dimensions of the ring of 11 binding sites for l -tryptophan on the trp RNA-binding attenuation protein are such as to prevent direct interactions between the l -tryptophan molecules. Reasonable and explicit assumptions on analyzing the binding data lead to the conclusion that binding of l -tryptophan raises the energy level of (destabilizes) the 11 membered structure.
Addendum: Regularization and variable selection via the elastic net

We missed an important reference in Section 3.4. In page 309 we stated that ‘. . . which is based on the recently proposed algorithm LARS of Efron et al. (2004). They proved that, starting from zero, the lasso solution paths grow piecewise linearly in a predictable way. They proposed a new algorithm called LARS to solve the entire lasso solution path efficiently by using the same order of computations as a single OLS fit. . . .’ The following sentence should have been included. The piecewise linearity of the lasso solution path was first proved by Osborne et al. (2000), who also described an efficient algorithm for calculating the complete lasso solution path. Reference Osborne, M. R., Presnell, B. and Turlach, B. A. (2000) A new approach to variable selection in least squares problems. IMA J. Numer. Anal., 20, 389–403.
Finite-element analysis of effects of the laser-processed bimaterial component size on stresses and distortion

Processing of bimaterial parts via a moving laser beam has been investigated using three-dimensional (3D) finite-element modeling. Effects of the size of parts on the temperature distribution, thermal transient stresses, residual stresses, and distortion have been evaluated. The result indicates that the size of the part to be processed has strong influence on the transient temperature, transient stresses, residual stresses, and distortion of the part. Distortion is small when the size of the part is small and can be predicted from the thermal-expansion mismatch between the two materials. However, when the size of the part becomes large, both distortion and residual stresses increase. Furthermore, both distortion and residual stresses, in this case, cannot be predicted based on the thermal-expansion mismatch alone. The distortion, in this case, is mainly determined by the asymmetrical plastic deformation driven by transient thermal stresses, while residual stresses are dictated by the thermal-expansion mismatch and the temperature gradient of the part before and during cooling.
Transfusion of predonated autologous blood in elective cardiac surgery.

Despite blood conservation techniques, the average transfusion requirement in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgical procedures remains 1 to 3 units. We studied the efficacy of predonated autologous blood in decreasing homologous transfusion in two matched groups of 58 patients each. Group 1 received homologous blood perioperatively, and Group 2 was transfused with predonated autologous blood. An average of 1.97 units was predonated in Group 2 over 18 days. This resulted in a decline in whole blood hemoglobin concentration of 2.2 gm/dl. No complications resulted from phlebotomy in this ambulatory population consisting predominantly of patients with coronary artery disease. Transfusion of an average of 1.7 units of autologous blood in Group 2 reduced the volume of homologous transfusion by 46% compared with Group 1 (p less than .01). In Group 1, 38% of patients required no homologous transfusion compared with 64% in Group 2 (p less than .02). There were no complications related to autologous blood transfusion. Total transfusion requirement was related to the length of cardiopulmonary bypass. We conclude that autologous predonation is a simple, safe, and cost-effective method of reducing homologous transfusion and thereby decreasing the risk of transfusion-related reactions and infections.
VLSI implementable neural networks for target tracking

This paper describes part of an integrated system for target tracking. The image is acquired, edge detected, and segmented by a subsystem not discussed in this paper. Algorithms to determine the centroid of a windowed target using neural networks are developed. Further, once the target centroid is determined, it is continuously updated in order to track the trajectory, since the centroid location is not dependent on scaling or rotation on the optical axis. The image is then mapped to a log-spiral grid. A conformal transformation is used to map the log-spiral grid to a computation plane in which rotations and scalings are transformed to displacements along the vertical and horizonal axes, respectively. The images in this plane are used for recognition. The recognition algorithms are the subject of another paper. A second neural network, also described in this paper, is then used to determine object rotation and scaling. The algorithm used by this network is an original line correlator tracker which, as the name indicates, uses linear instead of 2D correlations. Simulation results using ICBM images are presented for both the centroid neural net and the rotation-scaling detection network.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Impacts of Freeway Traffic Congestion on En-route Traveler's Diversion

Traveler information delivered through variable message signs and other mobile devices has been proved beneficial for traffic network performance. Understanding travelers’ en-route responses to real-time traffic conditions is essential for integrated corridor management and strategic investment in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) targeting congestion mitigation. Identifying the availability of spare capacity on alternative routes is the indispensable first step for diversion guidance on congested routes. Otherwise, diversion may not be beneficial for either the travelers who made the decision or the roadway network because diverting to an alternative route without spare capacity will aggravate the congestion and further delay the travel. In order to evaluate traveler’s diversion and its impact, many studies have tried various approaches, such as survey study and traffic simulations. This paper describes a threshold-based method to replicate different scenarios using loop detector data on freeways and arterials. Unlike the traffic simulation approaches, the threshold-based method can quantitatively capture en-route travelers’ real-time decision on diversion and the diversion’s impact on the alternative route without the need for theoretical assumptions. By monitoring the freeway congestion level, the proposed method extracts three types of scenarios, normal congestion, worse-than-expect, and abrupt-traffic-change condition to investigate travelers’ decisions on diversion. This method was applied to the City of Bellevue in WA and achieved encouraging results.
Mobilization of the Planet from the Spirit of Self-Intensification

The articles in this first installment of a series on choreography that considers the relationship between philosophy and dance interrogate conceptions of the body, movement, and language. Translat...
Misrepresentative language samples and rt-tl

Coleman (1979) noted that if one considers any single language experiment to be a finite sample from a larger population then the correlation between the population Treatment effects and the population Treatment-by-Language effects can cause the actual probability of either Type 1 or Type 2 errors to be greater than the calculated value. The type of error is determined by whether the correlation is positive or negative. Marler (1981) thought he had discovered a flaw in Coleman's logic by computing two correlations between Treatment effects and Treatment-by-Language effects which always equal zero. The present article demonstrates that both of Marler's correlation are irrelevant.
The Institutionalization of COSSA: An Innovative Response to Crises by American Social Science

Over the past seventy-five years, separate disciplinary associations have been created for each of the social sciences in the United States. As a consequence, cooperation among the associations has only been periodic and delimited. These associations have been primarily focused on member services and have been less concerned than the biological and physical science associations with issues of governmental science policy. The first Reagan budget was constructed to reduce the already sparse research support by the federal government for the social sciences. That intent mobilized the national social science community to develop collective and coordinated action. Building on a latent structure that had emerged from the common Washington location of the disciplinary associations, the Consortium of Social Science Associations was institutionalized to make a response. COSSA's initial success minimized some of the potential negative consequences. That success suggested the value of such cooperative efforts and also confirmed the necessity of the continuation of COSSA in the future.
Critical care monitoring considerations for the diabetic patient

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common endocrine disease encountered in the emergency and critical care setting. The diabetic ketoacidotic (DKA) animal represents an extreme of the DM patient with regard to hyperglycemia and acid-base and electrolyte derangements. Prompt diagnosis of DKA in a critical patient and rapid initiation of appropriate therapy are necessary for a positive outcome. The steps of treatment, in order of importance, include initiation of intravenous fluid therapy, insulin therapy, electrolyte replacement, and reversal of the metabolic acidosis. The main goals of therapy—including correction of dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities and acidosis via aggressive fluid therapy with electrolyte supplementation and correction of ketoacidosis and hyperglycemia via initiation of insulin therapy—can be achieved if these steps are followed. Because of the severity of metabolic alterations in the DKA anima, frequent and careful monitoring are paramount because they will allow the clinician to tailor treatment to each case.
Temperature-adaptive Insulation Based on Multicomponent Fibers of Various Cross-sections

We have developed a thermal insulation based on bi-component fibers that adapts to its thermal environment, providing greater insulation at low temperatures than at warmer temperatures. The analysis of bi-metallic strips done by Timoshenko [1] for strips of rectangular cross-section concluded that “…curvature is proportional to the difference in elongation of the two metals and inversely proportional to the thickness of the strip.” We have extended Timoshenko’s formulation and applied it to bi-component fibers of circular and triangular cross-sections. In each case, the curvature resulting from the balance of the axial forces and bending moments has been brought into a standard form inversely proportional to (A+Bn+C/n) where n is the ratio of the moduli and A, B, and C are functions of the geometry of the two components. An important consequence of this result is that for any “n” there is a maximum curvature where (A+Bn+C/n) is a minimum. We have used the process of melt-spinning to produce fibers with circular and triangular cross-sections, varying the proportion of the two components. The polymers used have widely different coefficients of thermal expansion. These fibers spontaneously form mats at room temperatures. The experimentally measured thickness changes are in good agreement with the analytical results for fiber bending. The most effective samples to date change thickness by more than 1.5% per degree C (30% over a temperature range from approximately 20°C to 0°C).
Identification of development and tissue‐specific gene expression in the fathead minnow Pimephales promelas, Rafinesque using computational and DNA microarray methods

The fathead minnow Pimephales promelas serves as a model organism for assessing the effects of environmental contaminants on early life stage growth and development. Yet, the utilization of genomic tools has been hindered by the lack of genome sequence and genomic information known from this model species. Utilizing published cDNA library sequences, the authors used sequence similarity to compare 4105 cDNAs isolated from fathead minnow fry (<14 days old) with over 250 000 adult cDNA sequences derived from whole body and various tissue types. The objectives of the computational subtraction were to (1) assess the extent of sequence similarity between developing and adult cDNA libraries and (2) predict which cDNA clones are expressed only in developing organisms. The results of the computational predictions were assessed through the construction of a development-specific DNA microarray targeting all 4105 sequences in the fry cDNA library as well as 56 known mRNAs in P. promelas. Gene expression was determined by comparing total RNA isolated from fry with total RNA isolated from adult samples (whole animal, kidney, liver, brain, ovary and testes). The results showed that 1381 of the targeted fry cDNA sequences (34%) displayed expression across all sample comparisons, and of these, only 166 genes were found to harbour fry-specific expression (i.e. no expression in adult samples). Of note, 69% of the genes computationally predicted to be fry specific were found across all experimental results; yet, only 27% of the computationally predicted fry-specific sequences were experimentally confirmed to be fry specific. An important result was the identification of many novel mRNA sequences specific to the developing minnow, which lack homology with any other known sequence. In addition, the study results included tissue-specific expression in adult samples. These results demonstrate the capabilities and limitations of inter-library sequence comparisons as a predictor of gene activity in non-sequenced organisms and tissues, as well as DNA microarray gene expression studies in non-sequenced organisms.
On the stability of vapor grown palladium particles supported on amorphous alumina

Abstract Transmission electron microscopy studies of small supported metal particles grown by vapor deposition under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions often require stabilizing overcoats (also called “fixing layers”) in order to preserve the initial structure of the deposit. Whether such stabilizing overcoats must be used depends on the specific combination of support and deposit materials and on the stage of deposition to be studied. In this study, the influence of a SiO x overlayer on nanometer-size palladium particles deposited on an in situ cleaned amorphous alumina support film is investigated. For supported palladium particles at the very early stages of metal film growth, deposits coated in situ with SiO x show higher number densities and smaller mean sizes than uncoated ones. The comparison between uncoated and coated palladium deposits shows that the SiO x substantially retards sintering of palladium cluster deposits which had to be exposed to laboratory air during transfer from the UHV deposition environment to a standard transmission electron microscope for size and number density analysis. SiO x also retards but does not prevent electron beam effects during high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.
Rhic Polarized Hydrogen Jet Target, Experience and Prospects

In a conventional atomic beam source hydrogen atoms are produced with an rf discharge inside a pyrex or quartz dissociator tube cooled by a water jacket. To match the atom velocity distribution to the optics of the system the hydrogen atoms are usually cooled with a 50-80 K tapered aluminum nozzle before exiting the dissociator through the nozzle’s 2 mm diameter aperture. Thermal accommodation of atoms in the RHIC jet differs from the conventional design by the addition of a -10 cm long extension to the glass dissociator tube between the region of intense discharge and the cold aluminum nozzle. A thermal gradient is defined over this length by clamping material of intermediate thermal conductivity (stainless steel) around the tubing extension. A good overview of the source layout can be found in Ref. [l]. Beam focusing and spin separation are accomplished by directing a collimated portion of the cooled atoms through a system of Halbach type [2] segmented Ne-Fe-B permanent magnets. Magnets of this type, well described in Ref. [3], produce pole tip fields of typically 1.6-1.7 T with a quadratic radial field dependence inside the magnet bore. Hydrogen atoms experience a force proportional to the gradient of the field with the direc-
Free Radical Reactions Involving Cl•, Cl2-•, and SO4-• in the 248 nm Photolysis of Aqueous Solutions Containing S2O82- and Cl-

Rate constants and other properties are reported for photochemical reactions initiated by laser photolysis (248 nm) of S2O82-(aq) in acidic solutions containing Cl-(aq) at 297 ± 2 K. The absorption spectra of SO4-•(aq) and Cl2-•(aq) are measured and compared to literature values. Equilibrium constants and rate constants involving Cl•(aq), Cl2-•(aq), H2O, SO4-•(aq), and S2O82-(aq) are determined by analyzing the formation and decay of Cl2-•(aq) and SO4-•(aq) in a self-consistent chemical mechanism. For the first time, the anticipated pH dependence is observed unambiguously in the pseudo-first-order decay rate constant of Cl2-•. The rate constants for the reactions Cl•(aq) + Cl2-•(aq) → Cl2(aq) + Cl-(aq) and Cl2-•(aq) + Cl2-•(aq) → Cl2(aq) + 2Cl-(aq) are determined; rate constants for the latter are measured as a function of temperature and ionic strength. In addition, the ionic strength dependence of the reaction SO4-•(aq) + Cl-(aq) → SO42-(aq) + Cl•(aq) is reported. Rate constants for the reactions of Cl•...
Capacity Management in Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems With Stochastic Market Demand

An optimal solution, based on Markov Decision Theory, is presented for the capacity management problem in Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems with stochastic market demand with a time delay between the time capacity change is ordered and the time it is delivered. The optimal policy in this paper is presented as optimal boundaries representing the optimal capacity expansion and reduction levels. The effects of change in the cost function parameters and the delay time on the optimal boundaries are presented for a capacity management scenario. The major differences between this research and the ones in inventory control lie in two folds. One is the fact that unlike inventory, capacity levels can be reduced according to the market demand. The other one is the novel approach presented in this paper to solve the delay problem which unlike the inventory control does not account for the cumulative unmet demand as a decision factor.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Operation of nanomechanical resonant structures in air

We report on the resonant operation of high-quality-factor silicon nanomechanical structures in air and at room temperature. We describe techniques used to actuate and detect nanomechanical structures in atmosphere, resulting in the enhancement of the effective quality factor to above 1000 and demonstrate the potential for successful sensor operation of resonant nanomechanical structures under ambient conditions.