cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Survival, Damage, and Growth for Western White Pine in a 16-Year-Old Spacing Trial in Western Washington

ABSTRACT: Information about effects of planted spacing on growth and development of western white pine is scant because white pine blister rust disease has severely limited the survival of trees in young plantations. In the early 1980s, we established a western white pine spacing trial in the southern Cascades of Washington, using seedlings from a seedlot comprised primarily of open-pollinated seed from trees screened and certified as resistant to white pine blister rust. Initial square spacings ranged from 2 to 6 m; treatment plots were 0.4 ha in size and were replicated three times (six times for the 3 m spacing). Permanent measurement plots were installed at age 8, and the lower portion of all stems was pruned in the 10th growing season to reduce blister rust infections. The plots were remeasured at ages 11 and 16. Sixteen years after planting, survival averaged 80%; most mortality was associated with blister rust, but the rate of new infections and mortality diminished substantially between ages 11 and 16; 71% of the planted trees were free of blister rust at age 16. Trees averaged 8.4 m tall (ranging from 7.6 m in the 2 m spacing to 8.8 m in the 4 and 5 m spacings) and 12.7 cm dbh (10.3 in the 2 m spacing to 14.0 cm in the 5 m spacing). Periodic annual growth from 11 to 16 yr in the three wider spacings averaged 0.7 m in height and 1.0 cm in diameter. Antler rubbing by elk caused substantial damage to stems, but wounds on most trees were overgrown in 2 to 4 yr. Rub damage did not appear directly related to spacing but rather to stem diameter, with damage limited primarily to stems >6 and <15 cm. Early growth rates in this trial were much greater than those attained in older, natural stands (as inferred from site index curves and yield tables) and in progeny tests and other young silvicultural trials planted elsewhere. We believe rust-resistant stock of western white pine merits grea ter consideration for planting in the Douglas-fir region. West. J. Appl. For. 18(1):35-43.
The Tolman Surface Brightness Test for the Reality of the Expansion. V. Provenance of the Test and a New Representation of the Data for Three Remote HST Galaxy Clusters

A new reduction is made of the HST photometric data for E galaxies in three remote clusters at redshifts near z=0.85 in search for the Tolman surface brightness (SB) signal for the reality of the expansion. Because of the strong variation of SB of such galaxies with intrinsic size, and because the Tolman test is about surface brightness, we must account for the variation. In an earlier version of the test, Lubin & Sandage calibrated the variation out. In contrast, the test is made here using fixed radius bins for both the local and remote samples. Homologous positions in the galaxy image at which to compare the surface brightness values are defined by radii at five Petrosian eta values ranging from 1.0 to 2.0. Sersic luminosity profiles are used to generate two diagnostic diagrams that define the mean SB distribution across the galaxy image. A Sersic exponent, defined by the r^n family of Sersic profiles, of n=0.46 fits both the local and remote samples. Diagrams of the dimming of the with redshift over the range of Petrosian eta radii shows a highly significance Tolman signal but degraded by luminosity evolution in the look-back time. The expansion is real and a luminosity evolution exists at the mean redshift of the HST clusters of 0.8 mag in R_cape and 0.4 mag in the I_cape photometric rest-frame bands, consistent with the evolution models of Bruzual and Charlot.
Extracting maximal information on positive muon diffusion in metals

We discuss how combining zero- and longitudinal-field μSR can give more information on the motion of the μ+ in the target than zero-field studies alone.
Fracture Response of Externally Flawed Cylindrical Shells to Internal Gaseous Detonation Loading

Experiments were performed to observe the fracture behavior of thin-wall and initially-flawed aluminum tubes to internal gaseous detonation loading. The pressure load, with speeds exceeding 2 km/s, can be characterized as a pressure peak (ranging from 2 to 6 MPa in these experiments) followed by an expansion wave. Flaws were machined as external axial surface notches. Cracks ran both in the upstream and downstream directions as the hoop stress opened up the notch. Different kinds of crack propagation behavior were observed for various loading amplitudes and flaw sizes. For low-amplitude loading and short flaws, cracks tend to run in a helical fashion, whereas for high-amplitude loading and long flaws, cracks tend to bifurcate in addition to running helically. Unless the cracks branched and traveled far enough to meet, resulting in a split tube, they were always arrested. Strain gages were used to monitor the hoop strains at several places on the tubes’ external surface. Far away from the notch, tensile vibrations were measured with frequencies matching those predicted by the steady-state Tang (1965) and Simkins (1987) models. Near the notch, compressive strains were recorded as a result of the bulging at the notch. Features in the strain signals corresponding to different fracture events are analyzed.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
GaAs ASIC technology

The state of the GaAs IC industry is summarized from an application-specific product perspective. Presently available products, packaging technology, applications, reliability, and future product directions are discussed. >
Diurnal rhythmicity of human cholesterol synthesis: normal pattern and adaptation to simulated "jet lag".

The diurnal rhythm of cholesterol synthesis was determined by deuterium incorporation from body water in five normolipemic men studied during a 24-h baseline period and on the 1st, 2nd, and 4th day...
Ab initio band bending, metal-induced gap states, and Schottky barriers of a carbon and a boron nitride nanotube device

We have characterized the fully self-consistent electronic properties of a prototypical metal/nanotube interface using a combined nonequilibrium Green's function and density-functional-theory-based formalism, under different conditions of gate and bias voltages. Both carbon and boron nitride nanotubes between Al electrodes were considered. The electronic properties of the interface are dominated both by a dipole and by metal-induced gap states formed through the transfer of charge between the metal and the nanotube. In addition, first-principles estimates---within the local density approximation---of the Schottky barrier heights are given.
CFD for Cyclone Optimization for Liquid Extraction From Solid Particles in Turbulent Air Flows

CFD based design optimization for liquid extraction using cyclone is presented in this paper. The extraction process is liquid extraction from solid particles in turbulent air flows. The solid particles contain a certain amount of liquid, so call wet-particles. The simulations were performed using commercial ANSYS-FLUENT software. The software is an excellent tool for simulating turbulent flows. However, the software does not have the direct capability of simulating this particular liquid-extraction process. External user defined functions and subroutines (UDFs) were developed and incorporated in the software to conduct the simulation for this particular process. Several design configurations were tested to obtain the best extraction performance. Investigations of the physics of the extraction process in turbulent flows were also conducted using the new “hybrid” software tool.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Beam steering performance of electrowetting microprism arrays

We perform numerical calculations for the diffraction efficiency of single-sided microprism designs with optical beams spread over several microprisms. For small angles (less than 1.5 degrees) the far-field diffraction efficiency exceeds 90% and the far-field angles can be extended to more than 10 degrees with better than 80% diffraction efficiency. For the microprism array the diffraction angles are discrete and the angles between the diffraction peaks can be covered by applying a tilted phase to the input field.
Deposition of fibers in the rat lung

Abstract The deposition and clearance of inhaled particles in the lungs of different mammals have been the subject of many investigations. Any analysis on the particle removal from the lung requires a knowledge of the initial deposition pattern of inhaled particles at different sites. In this study, a deposition model is employed in conjunction with the data of the airway geometry to calculate the deposition of fibers at various locations in the rat lung. In the process, the simultaneous effect of Brownian rotation and velocity shear on the fiber orientation is considered. The results show that although long fibers are effectively filtered by the airways in the head and tracheobronchial regions, a smaller fraction of those fibers can penetrate into the pulmonary region and deposit there. The calculated results compared favorably with the experimental data of Morgan et al. (Inhaled Particles IV. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1977) and Hammad et al. (Ann. occup. Hyg.26, 179–187, 1982).
Political participation and city county consolidation: jacksonville-duval county

This article analyzes the effect of consolidation on the perception of power and influence in city and county government. It focuses specifically on the political effects of consolidated government by examining the extant literature and assessing the political impacts of consolidated government in Jacksonville-Duval County. Using an interrupted time series analysis of voter participation, taxes, and expenditures were examined to determine the impact on consolidation and to explore the consequences of administrative reform.
Direct and indirect effects of unionization on the wage levels of nurses: A case study of New Jersey hospitals

This study examines the determination of wage rates for nurses in hospital employment. Of particular concern is the effect of the recent increase in unionization by nurses on their wages, both directly and indirectly via threats from competing hospitals’ unionization. To improve on earlier work, the data are disaggregated and gathered from only one state to standardize for the legal, licensing, and reimbursement systems. We also look at the difference between highly skilled professional nurses, RN’s, and more general and less professional nurses, LPN’s. The results show that working conditions and competition in the market influence the wage rate as one would expect. The unionization of nurses, however, affects the wage levels differently for the two groups.
Standardization Procedures in the Analysis of Cross-National Variations in Illegitimacy Measures

Although an interest in illegitimacy as a societal phenomenon is often limited by the scarcity of data, we may utilize recognized procedures of standardization in estimating illegitimacy ratios and rates where none are reported. When we know only the age-specific marital status of women in the childbearing years (15 to 44) we may utilize age-specific legitimate and illegitimate fertility rates of the high and low illegitimacy countries, Jamaica and Japan, to estimate the range within which a national ratio would fall. In all there are sixty-eight major countries of the world for which we have that minimum data on age and marital status of females. Some of those countries also report the number and percentage of illegitimate births but offer no information on age-specific rates. In those cases we may compare the ratios produced by the four model sets of rates (run against actual age and marital status for the sixty-eight nations) with the ratio actually reported by individual countries. Where the ratio produced by a model matches the reported ratio, with similar crude birth rates, we may assume similar age-specific legitimate and illegitimate fertility rates. Even where there is no perfect match we still learn something of the general pattern of rates. Finally, the output of the standardization procedure also allows a comparison of the relative importance of marital status versus differential illegitimate fertility rates in determining the percentage of births out of wedlock. While we must recognize the problems inherent in international comparisons of illegitimacy, the subject is of such significance that we cannot and we need not wait for more, or more perfect, data to be available. Rather, an increased interest in maximizing whatever comparative data we do find, may, in itself, aid in the improvement of methods and reliability of collection and publication of relevant information.
Accelerating Irregular Algorithms on GPGPUs Using Fine-Grain Hardware Worklists

Although GPGPUs are traditionally used to accelerate workloads with regular control and memory-access structure, recent work has shown that GPGPUs can also achieve significant speedups on more irregular algorithms. Data-driven implementations of irregular algorithms are algorithmically more efficient than topology-driven implementations, but issues with memory contention and memory-access irregularity can make the former perform worse in certain cases. In this paper, we propose a novel fine-grain hardware work list for GPGPUs that addresses the weaknesses of data-driven implementations. We detail multiple work redistribution schemes of varying complexity that can be employed to improve load balancing. Furthermore, a virtualization mechanism supports seamless work spilling to memory. A convenient shared work list software API is provided to simplify using our proposed mechanisms when implementing irregular algorithms. We evaluate challenging irregular algorithms from the Lonestar GPU benchmark suite on a cycle-level simulator. Our findings show that data-driven implementations running on a GPGPU using the hardware work list outperform highly optimized software-based implementations of these benchmarks running on a baseline GPGPU with speedups ranging from 1.2 -- 2.4× and marginal area overhead.
Does ammonia hydrogen bond

Spectroscopic characterizations of the stereochemistry of complexes of ammonia (NH(3)) have strongly confirmed some long-held ideas about the weak interactions of NH(3) while casting doubt on others. As expected, NH(3) is observed to be a nearly universal proton acceptor, accepting hydrogen bonds from even some of the weakest proton donors. Surprisingly, no evidence has been found to support the view that NH(3) acts as a proton donor through hydrogen bonding. A critical evaluation of the work that has been done to gather such evidence, as well as of earlier work involving condensed-phase observations, suggests that NH(3) might well be best described as a powerful hydrogen-bond acceptor with little propensity to donate hydrogen bonds.
A comparison of pregnancy outcome in overweight and normal weight women.

From a population of singleton pregnancies, 152 overweight women (greater than 110% of standard) were matched with normal weight women (95-110%) for age, height, parity, race, and smoking habits. Comparisons were made of initial weight (weight at the first prenatal visit) and gestational weight gain and pregnancy outcome. Mean birth weights and gestational ages of infants of normal and overweight women were not significantly different. For normal weight women birth weight increased significantly as height, initial weight, and body mas index increased (p less than 0.01), but no such relationship existed for overweight women. The lack of effect of initial weight on birth weight in overweight women is attributable, in part, to the significantly less gestational weight gains of these mothers (6.3 kg vs 8.2 kg). When normal and overweight gravida had gestational weight gains of less than 7 kg, offspring of overweight mothers were significantly heavier. Gestational weight gain was positively correlated with bir...
The general problem of data return from deep space.

A summary of the essential data system parameters for the Surveyor, Lunar Orbiter Pioneer, and Mariner projects is given in Table III. Because of the different mission objectives and basic design constraints, there is little correlation among the various projects and basic design constraints, there is little correlation among the various left to right, and Mariner probably represents the most sophisticated approach to data retrieval from deep space of the systems considered here. Three of the projects represent extremely successful data system designs, each of which has been proven on a considerable number of space missions. The Mariner 1969 spacecraft has yet to be launched, but the succcess of preceding Mariners affords some confidence in the basic design philosophy.
X-43C Plans and Status

X-43C Project is a hypersonic flight demonstration being executed as a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Air Force (USAF). X-43C will expand the hypersonic flight envelope for air breathing engines beyond the history making efforts of the Hyper-X Program (X-43A). X-43C will demonstrate sustained accelerating flight during three flight tests of expendable X-43C Demonstrator Vehicles (DVs). The approximately 16-foot long X-43C DV will be boosted to the starting test conditions, separate from the booster, and accelerate from Mach 5 to Mach 7 under its own power and autonomous control. The DVs are to be powered by a liquid hydrocarbon-fueled, fuel-cooled, dual-mode, airframe integrated scramjet engine system developed under the USAF HyTech Program. The Project is managed by NASA Langley Research Center as part of NASA s Next Generation Launch Technology Program. Flight tests will be conducted by NASA Dryden Flight Research Center over water off the coast of California in the Pacific Test Range. The NASA/USAF/industry project is a natural extension of the Hyper-X Program (X-43A), which will demonstrate short duration (~ 10 seconds) gaseous hydrogen-fueled scramjet powered flight at Mach 7 and Mach 10 using a heavyweight, largely heat sink construction, experimental engine. The X-43C Project will demonstrate sustained accelerating flight from Mach 5 to Mach 7 (~ 4 minutes) using a flight-weight, fuel-cooled, scramjet engine powered by much denser liquid hydrocarbon fuel. The X-43C DV design flows from integrating USAF HyTech developed engine technologies with a NASA Air Breathing Launch Vehicle accelerator-class configuration and Hyper-X heritage vehicle systems designs. This paper describes the X-43C Project and provides background for NASA s current hypersonic flight demonstration efforts.
Lagrangian blocking in highly viscous shear flows past a sphere

An analytical and computational study of Lagrangian trajectories for linear shear flow past a sphere or spheroid at low Reynolds numbers is presented. Using the exact solutions available for the fluid flow in this geometry, we discover and analyse blocking phenomena, local bifurcation structures and their influence on dynamical effects arising in the fluid particle paths. In particular, building on the work by Chwang & Wu, who established an intriguing blocking phenomenon in two-dimensional flows, whereby a cylinder placed in a linear shear prevents an unbounded region of upstream fluid from passing the body, we show that a similar blocking exists in three-dimensional flows. For the special case when the sphere is centred on the zero-velocity plane of the background shear, the separatrix streamline surfaces which bound the blocked region are computable in closed form by quadrature. This allows estimation of the cross-sectional area of the blocked flow showing how the area transitions from finite to infinite values, depending on the cross-section location relative to the body. When the sphere is off-centre, the quadrature appears to be unavailable due to the broken up-down mirror symmetry. In this case, computations provide evidence for the persistence of the blocking region. Furthermore, we document a complex bifurcation structure in the particle trajectories as the sphere centre is moved from the zero-velocity plane of the background flow. We compute analytically the emergence of different fixed points in the flow and characterize the global streamline topology associated with these fixed points, which includes the emergence of a three-dimensional bounded eddy. Similar results for the case of spheroids are considered in Appendix B. Additionally, the broken symmetry offered by a tilted spheroid geometry induces new three-dimensional effects on streamline deflection, which can be viewed as effective positive or negative suction in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the background flow, depending on the tilt orientation. We conclude this study with results on the case of a sphere embedded at a generic position in a rotating background flow, with its own prescribed rotation including fixed and freely rotating. Exact closed-form solutions for fluid particle trajectories are derived.
The role of feeds and feeding in aquatic animal production

The goal in aquaculture systems is to maximize the efficiency of the flow of energy and nutrients toward the animal output. This is more complex than in terrestrial animal agriculture since the cultured organism is immersed in its aquatic environment and is often only one member of a food web system. The organic and inorganic inputs into the system are critical not only to the extent that they feed the cultured species directly, but they may also positively or negatively affect the environment supporting the animal, as well as fertilize other aspects of autotrophic and heterotrophic food webs within the system. Aquaculture systems are characterized by the density of animal biomass in a given area of water, which determines the intensity of management inputs required. Extensive systems rely on natural productivity for food; intensive systems require a high degree of management inputs including a complete diet for the species; systems between the two extremes are optimized by balancing applied feed with natural productivity. Balanced nutrient delivery remains an indispensable requirement, regardless of source, for growth of adults as well as larvae, for reproductive success and for generation of a high quality product.
Calculating feature importance in data streams with concept drift using Online Random Forest

Large volume data streams with concept drift have garnered a great deal of attention in the machine learning community. Numerous researchers have proposed online learning algorithms that train iteratively from new observations, and provide continuously relevant predictions. Compared to previous offline, or sliding window approaches, these algorithms have shown better predictive performance, rapid detection of, and adaptation to, concept drift, and increased scalability to high volume or high velocity data. Online Random Forest (ORF) is one such approach to streaming classification problems. We adapted the feature importance metrics of Mean Decrease in Accuracy (MDA) and Mean Decrease in Gini Impurity (MDG), both originally designed for offline Random Forest, to Online Random Forest so that they evolve with time and concept drift. Our work is novel in that previous streaming models have not provided any measures of feature importance. We experimentally tested our Online Random Forest versions of feature importance against their offline counterparts, and concluded that our approach to tracking the underlying drifting concepts in a simulated data stream is valid.
Species structure and temporal stability of mesopelagic fish assemblages in the Central Gyres of the North and South Pacific Ocean

Species compositions of mesopelagic fish assemblages were studied as inclusively as possible from 1969 through 1974 in the North Pacific Gyre and in the South Pacific Gyre, two oceanic regions where physical factors remained relatively constant within and between years. Both gyres were rich in mesopelagic fish species (228 and 144 were identified in the north and in the south, respectively). Species composition differed between the north and in the south in some details, which are discussed. A typical trawl sample contained 30 to 50 species, of which 5 or fewer accounted for over half of the individuals; this marked dominance tended to increase with sample size. By several statistical measures of community structure, species composition of fish assemblages in both gyres was shown to remain nearly constant within and between years, the only significant variations being in biomass from one year to the next. The results as a whole indicate that the central gyres show no evidence of advective processes influencing community structure. All important processes evidently take place in situ, suggesting that the gyres can be considered self-regulated and semi-closed ecosystems with a high degrce of biological regulation.
Exploring entitlement as a moderator and mediator of the relationship between masculine gender role conflict and men's body esteem.

Extant literature has suggested that entitlement stemming from masculine gender role socialization may moderate and/or mediate the relationship between gender role conflict and intrapersonal variables. This study tested this assertion with 236 college men, with body esteem serving as the intrapersonal variable. Results revealed that both conceptualizations of entitlement (i.e., self-assertive and narcissistic) moderated the relationships between two components of gender role conflict (i.e., success/power/ competition and work-family conflict) and body esteem, with self-assertive entitlement (i.e., a more adaptive form) buffering these relationships and narcissistic entitlement (i.e., a more maladaptive form) strengthening these relationships. Narcissistic entitlement also strengthened the relationship between restricted affection between men and body esteem. In addition, self-assertive entitlement mediated the relationships between (a) restricted emotionality and body esteem, and (b) work-family conflict and body esteem.
The conditioning of textual responses using "extrinsic" reinforcers.

Six 4-year-old Ss were presented with a textual program consisting of 26 words arranged so the word stimuli were gradually combined into sentences and then short “stories.” Three Ss were given the No-Reinforcement condition first, and only social reinforcers were presented. They were switched to the Reinforcement condition as soon as they requested discontinuance of the activity. The other three Ss were given Reinforcement—No Reinforcement—Reinforcement treatments. The No-Reinforcement treatment in this case lasted until S requested discontinuance of the activity. The reinforcers were mixed edibles and trinkets, as well as tokens backed up by small plastic toys on a 1:24 ratio. The unit of response was the number of new texts acquired as a result of each of the 45-min experimental sessions. It was demonstrated that the program, procedure, and reinforcement conditions produced curves which are analogous to those produced in common operant-conditioning procedures. The results indicate that other operant principles may be studied in this significant area of human behavior, with important practical consequences.
Bridging system level HW/SW co-design to HW/SW implementation

The growing complexity of SOC design has focused attention on tools supporting hardware-software co-design at the system level. Successful co-design tools and methodologies have to enable re-use of system level intellectual property. Furthermore critical design decisions have to be supported by estimation and modeling of performance prior to the actual implementation. After the decisions have been evaluated and simulated at the abstract system level, design information has to be exported to implementation level tools. This paper describes methodologies and tools to gradually refine an abstract system level description by adding the implementation level information. We furthermore introduce a methodology and tools to perform communication synthesis to synthesize the HW/SW “glue” for the communication between re-usable IP blocks. Finally a methodology and tools are described which automatically export the complete integrated HW/SW implementation of the system. In addition we also describe how to customize this flow for different targets and tools, for example different processors, real-time operating systems, debuggers, and hardware implementation tools. Using methodologies and tools described in this paper, users will be able to dramatically increase predictability and productivity of their SOC HW/SW design flows enabled by reuse of system level IP. (9 pages)
The Introductory Psychology Textbook Market: Perceptions of Authors and Editors

Introductory psychology textbook authors and psychology editors representing the publishers of these texts were surveyed on their perceptions of the introductory psychology text market. Three major findings emerged from their responses. First, the market seems roughly divided into three segments: upper, middle, and lower level texts. Second, like professors, authors and editors are not familiar with most of the texts in this market. Third, the growth of used book companies and the escalation of supplementary packages have greatly diminished the profit margin for introductory texts, leading to higher prices and a decreasing number of competing texts. The nature of this decrease is analyzed by examining directories of introductory psychology texts in print during the last 12 years. The role of the professor in these market problems is discussed.
The effects of locus of control instructions and reinforcement contingency on performance in a two-choice situation

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of locus of control instructions and reinforcement contingency on performance in a two-choice situation. Results indicated that Ss made significantly more correct responses under reinforcement for dominant than non-dominant responses, but that contrary to the results of previous experiments, locus of control instructions failed to produce a significant effect upon performance.
Liver Position Is a Prenatal Predictive Factor of Prosthetic Repair in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Objective: To determine whether any common maternal-fetal variable has prenatal predictive value of prosthetic repair in congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Methods:
Double-exchange-driven spin pairing at the (001) surface of manganites

Study of the (001) surface of the ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{x}{\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ system in various magnetic orderings points to a general occurrence: ${z}^{2}$ dangling bond charge---which is ``invisible'' in the formal valence picture---is promoted to the bulk gap and/or Fermi level region. This unexpected occurrence, obtained from first-principles calculations, drives a double-exchange-like process that serves to align the surface Mn spin with its subsurface neighbor, regardless of the bulk magnetic order. For heavy doping, the locally ``ferromagnetic'' coupling is very strong and the moment enhanced by as much as 30% over the bulk value.
Effect of extended cross-clamp time during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Abstract Background . In previous studies of the neurologic outcome of patients undergoing thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair with the simple cross-clamp technique, cross-clamp time of greater than 30 minutes was identified as an important risk factor. We retrospectively examined the effect of clamp time of 30 minutes or greater on outcome for patients undergoing repair with the addition of surgical adjuncts. Methods . Between February 1991 and June 1996 we operated on 370 patients for thoracoabdominal or descending thoracic aortic aneurysm. Two hundred seventy-one of these patients with cross-clamp times of 30 minutes or greater were included in this study. One hundred twelve patients underwent simple cross-clamp repair, whereas 159 were operated on with the surgical adjuncts of distal aortic perfusion and cerebrospinal fluid drainage. Results . By multivariate analysis, acute dissection, surgical adjuncts, and aneurysm extent proved most significant in overall patient outcome. The overall rate of early neurologic deficits was 23 of 271 (8.5%). For highest risk patients with type II thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, the rate of neurologic deficits was 11 of 29 (38%) for cross-clamp versus 6 of 82 (7.3%) for adjunct operation patients (odds ratio=0.13; p Conclusions . The adjuncts of cerebrospinal fluid drainage and distal aortic perfusion decreased the risk of extended cross-clamp time during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair, particularly for highest risk type II.
Designing asymmetric and branched petals for planet-finding occulters

One of the proposed methods for finding small extrasolar planets is through use of an occulter, a spacecraft which flies in formation with a space-based telescope to block the light from a star, while leaving nearby planets unaffected. This is accomplished by placing the occulter far enough from the telescope to give it a small angular size, and by carefully choosing the shape to strongly suppress the starlight at the telescope aperture. For most designs, this shape takes the form of a number of bilaterally-symmetric structures called petals, arrayed about a circular central disk. In this paper, we show that the necessary number of petals may be reduced by the introduction of an asymmetry in the petal shape, and describe a a general procedure for producing such a shape by optimization for any occulter with petals. In addition, we show that permitting openings within each petal allows a number of additional modifications to be made without affecting the suppression.
Unrelated marrow transplantation for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in second remission

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) may be curative for more patients than chemotherapy for the child with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This study reviewed the outcomes of 363 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in second remission who received unrelated donor BMT from 1988 to 2000 in order to define prognostic factors that affect leukemia-free survival (LFS). Median patient age was 9 years (range, 0-19 years), and median follow-up 29 was months (range, 0-125 months). The median duration of first remission was 24 months (range, 0-109 months). Prognostic factors, including age, duration of first remission, HLA matching, and graft-versus-host (GVH) disease, were analyzed using both univariate and multivariate analyses. Overall survival was 38%, and LFS was 36% at 5 years. LFS was significantly worse for patients 15 years or older (log-rank, P =.009). HLA matching was associated with improved LFS. Acute GVH disease developed in 71%, with 29% having grades III-IV. The incidence of chronic GVH disease was 39% for patients who survived more than 80 days and was significantly higher for female patients receiving marrow from female donors (P =.0009). Transplantation-related mortality was 42% and was associated with HLA mismatches, age 15 years and older, and first remission less than 12 months. The 5-year estimate for relapse was 22%, with first remission at least 6 months associated with a lower risk. Results of unrelated donor BMT appear similar to multi-institutional studies of matched related donor BMT, and this approach appears to be curative for many patients. However, innovative approaches are needed for patients with initial remissions of less than 6 months and for older teenagers.
Survival vs FiO2 after Day of Life (DOL) 3: Are illness severity assessments ethically relevant in the NICU? ♦ 1159

Survival vs FiO2 after Day of Life (DOL) 3: Are illness severity assessments ethically relevant in the NICU? ♦ 1159
Comparing alternative risk-adjustment models.

The use of mental health indicators to compare provider performance requires that comparisons be fair. Fair provider comparisons mean that scores are risk adjusted for client characteristics that influence scores and that are beyond provider control. Data for the study are collected from 336 outpatients receiving publicly funded mental health services in Washington State. The study compares alternative specifications of multiple regression-based risk-adjustment models to argue that the particular form of the model will lead to different conclusions about comparative treatment agency performance. In order to evaluate performance fairly it is necessary to not only incorporate risk adjustment, but also identify the most correct form that the risk-adjustment model should take. Future research is needed to specify, test, and validate the mental health risk-adjustment models best suited to particular treatment populations and performance indicators.
A short term forecasting model for second home construction

Gerking S. D. (1979) A short term forecasting model for second home construction, Reg. Studies 13, 259–267. This paper presents a simple method for predicting second home construction activity that could be used in any economically developed country. It is argued that this problem is of importance since local planners can best work to mitigate the undesirable side-effects of second home construction when their probable numbers have been estimated in advance. The forecasting method itself is a Box-Jenkins univariate time series extrapolation of seasonal residential electric utility connections. These data serve as a proxy variable for the number of second homes. The method, which is illustrated using data from two Arizona counties, is shown to provide within sample period forecasts that are within tolerable error limits.
Modeling Framework for investigating the Influence of Amino Acids on the Planktonic-Biofilm Transition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract The planktonic-biofilm transition is reported to facilitate the survival of disease-causing pathogens in a hostile environment, as the ability of pathogens to resist antibiotic treatment is 10 to 1000 times higher in a biofilm than in the planktonic mode. The availability of nutrient components such as amino acids in the surrounding environment plays an important role in the initiation of the biofilm formation. This work proposes a metabolic modeling framework to study the influence of availability of amino acids on the biofilm formation capability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the major pathogens causing nosocomial infections. Specifically, the genes that are up-regulated during the biofilm initiation were used to determine the metabolic reactions that are positively associated with P. aeruginosa biofilm formation. A criterion was then defined from the change of fluxes of these biofilm-associated reactions and the biomass growth rates to quantify the chance of biofilm formation upon the change of amino acid uptake rates. It was found that adding one of the following eleven amino acids, including Arg, Tyr, Phe, His, Iso, Orn, Pro, Glu, Leu, Val, and Asp, into the minimal medium may trigger P. aeruginosa biofilm formation. These results are perfectly consistent with the existing experimental data. The developed modeling framework was further used as an in silico platform to investigate the impact of the availability of two amino acids on the biofilm formation. It was found that the availability of additional amino acids can enhance biofilm formation and that there may be synergistic mechanisms for multiple amino acids to promote the biofilm formation.
Estimating demand for a new contraceptive method: projections for the introduction of Sayana Press.

Abstract Objective To describe a demand estimation exercise conducted in response to an initiative to introduce Sayana Press in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Methods Secondary data sources were used to develop estimates of the number of Sayana Press units needed for countrywide introductions in 12 countries. To estimate uptake, the number of women who had stated an intention to use injectables was calculated. Two sets of assumptions (one conservative, one more ambitious) were used to assess conversion to actual use. Results Even with the use of very conservative assumptions, and assuming no method switching, Sayana Press was estimated to have the potential to cumulatively reach 3–6 million women by 2016. Conclusion This projected uptake in a relatively short period and at the very beginning of an adoption curve suggests that Sayana Press has promise for countries looking to expand their list of contraceptive choices.
Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone inhibit the growth of U-87MG human glioblastoma in nude mice.

Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone(GH-RH)inhibit the growth of various cancers by mechanisms that involve the suppression of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and/or IGF-II. In view of the importance of the IGF system in glioma tumorigenesis, the effects of GH-RH antagonists MZ-5-156 and JV-1-36 were investigated in nude mice bearing subcutaneous and orthotopic xenografts of U-87MG human glioblastomas. After 4 weeks of therapy with MZ-5-156 or JV-1 -36 at the dose of 20 microg/day per animal, the final volume of subcutaneous U-87MG tumors was significantly (P < .01) decreased by 84% and 76%, respectively, as compared with controls. Treatment with GH-RH antagonists also reduced tumor weight and the levels of mRNA for IGF receptor type I (IGFR-I). A reduction in the mRNA levels for IGF-II was found in tumors of mice treated with MZ-5-156. Treatment with MZ-5-156 or JV-1 -36 also extended the survival of nude mice implanted orthotopically with U-87MG glioblastomas by 81% (P < .005) and 18%, respectively, as compared with the controls. Exposure in vitro to GH-RH antagonists MZ-5-156 or JV-1 -36 at 1 microM concentration for 24 hours decreased the tumorigenicity of U-87MG cells in nude mice by 10% to 30% and extended the latency period for the development of subcutaneous palpable tumors by 31% to 56%, as compared with the controls. Exposure of U-87MG cells to GH-RH antagonists in vitro also resulted in a time-dependent increase in the mRNA levels of IGFR-II or a decrease in the mRNA levels of IGFR-I. mRNA for GH-RH was detected in U-87MG cells and xenografts implying that GH-RH may play a role in the pathogenesis of this tumor. Our results suggest that GH-RH antagonists MZ-5-156 and JV-1-36 inhibit the growth of U-87MG human glioblastoma by mechanisms that involve the suppression of IGF system. Antagonistic analogs of GH-RH merit further development for the treatment of malignant glioblastoma.
Critical evaluation of indications for external electric countershock in the treatment of ventricular tachycardia.

Abstract External electric countershock has been recently employed and recommended for the treatment of ventricular tachycardia and other serious arrhythmias, when drug therapy is ineffective and the patient's condition desperate or intolerable. Two cases of ventricular tachycardia are reported in which the use of external countershock was regarded as indicated. In one case, in which other drugs had failed and procaine amide was regarded as contraindicated because of periods of heart block, external countershock was considered urgently necessary because of a deteriorating clinical state. Nevertheless, the tachycardia disappeared spontaneously after withholding all drugs while the patient was carefully observed. In the second case in which drug therapy was considered ineffective after 5 gm. of procaine amide intravenously had caused a widening of the QRS to 0.18 second without conversion, a subsequent, much more rapid infusion of the same drug in a total dose of 1 gm. restored sinus rhythm. An analysis of the cases reported in the literature in which details are presented indicates that procaine amide had been given too slowly or too briefly to regard the drug as ineffective and the urgent need for electric countershock appears questionable. In view of the drastic nature of external electric countershock in the conscious patient and the need for an anesthetic, the requirement of this procedure many different times in some patients, the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation or standstill after counter-shock with the need for further defibrillation or external stimulation, the prompt recurrence of the ventricular tachycardia in some cases, and because of possible fatalities, the indications for such procedure must be most critically assayed in the light of our experience in the two reported cases.
Multiple transcription start sites and 5' alternate splicing of murine IL-3 receptor beta-chain transcripts.

Abstract The murine interleukin-3 receptor β-chain genes, IL-3Rβ IL-3 and IL-3Rβ c , encode the signal transducing chains of the high affinity receptors for IL-3 and IL-3, GM-CSF and IL-5 respectively. Little is known about the regulation of their expression. To enable the study of the promoters of IL-3Rβ IL-3 and IL-3Rβ c , we have characterized their respective 5′ untranslated regions using a modified 5′ RACE protocol. Four classes of alternatively spliced transcripts were isolated that initiate in a 400 nt region upstream from a previously reported start site(1). The initially reported partial IL-3Rβ IL-3 clone belongs to the first class of transcripts(2). The second class starts in the middle of an intron as defined by the first class. The 3rd and 4th class establish 2 novel. splice donor sites. These results were confirmed by RNAse-protection assay. The complex organization as evident from our data establishes an experimental framework for future experiments aimed at the study of the promoters for the murine IL-3Rβ genes.
Monoamines in the early chick embryo: demonstration of serotonin synthesis and the regional distribution of serotonin-concentrating cells during morphogenesis.

Monoamine compounds, such as serotonin (5-HT), have been previously suggested to regulate the early development of the chick embryo. Possible roles for 5-HT in chick morphogenesis were investigated further by examining the distribution of sites that concentrate 5-HT as well as the ability of embryos to synthesize 5-HT during this period. Following the in vitro incubation of chick embryos with 5-HT, cells accumulating 5-HT were localized by the formaldehyde-induced fluorescence (FIF) technique; these sites of 5-HT concentration were mapped and studied with respect to changes in their developmental patterns during morphogenesis. Locations of 5-HT FIF included two regions of the brain within the floor plate of the mesencephalon and caudal myelencephalon, and within scleratome cells of somites advanced in differentiation. Additionally, two separate zones of 5-HT FIF appeared in the neural tube caudal to the somites in conjunction with a small band of intense FIF in the caudal end of the notochord. Once established, the capabilities for 5-HT concentration in the brain and somites persisted at the same locations during development, whereas these capabilities in caudal portions of the embryo were transient and appeared to move down the embryo as the embryo lengthened. These changes in the patterns of 5-HT FIF in caudal segments of the neural tube and notochord correlated spatio-temporally with the progression of caudal neuropore closure. Additional experiments, involving the use of anti-5-HT immunocytochemistry, were undertaken to examine the characteristics of 5-HT concentration. The mechanism(s) of 5-HT concentration at all locations appeared to have a high affinity and specificity for 5-HT; however, in contrast to the transient mechanism situated more caudally in the embryos, the uptake mechanism at rostral locations required energy and was blocked by a 5-HT uptake inhibitor (fluoxetine). The ability of embryos to synthesize 5-HT was demonstrated by the generation of 5-HT (localized by FIF and immunocytochemistry) in embryos treated with the 5-HT precursors, 5-hydroxytryptophan or L-tryptophan. Confirming evidence of 5-HT synthesis was provided by a marked reduction in immunostaining obtained with either precursor in the presence of 5-HT synthesis inhibitors (R04–4602 or para-chlorophenylalanine). Although the sites of synthesis remain uncertain, endogenous 5-HT was detected (after monoamine oxidase inhibition) at all sites of 5-HT concentration. These results provide further support for the suggestion that 5-HT may be involved in various aspects of morphogenesis at specific sites within the chick embryo.