cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of central sensitization in symptoms beyond muscle pain, and the evaluation of a patient with widespread pain.

Patients with widespread pain or fibromyalgia syndrome have many symptoms besides musculoskeletal pain: e.g. fatigue, sleep difficulties, a swollen feeling in tissues, paresthesia, cognitive dysfunction, dizziness, and symptoms of overlapping conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, headaches and restless legs syndrome. There is evidence for central sensitization in these conditions, but further studies are needed. Anxiety, stress and depression are also present in 30–45% of patients. Other factors that may contribute to symptoms include endocrine dysfunction, psychosocial distress, trauma, and disrupted sleep. Evaluation of a patient presenting with widespread pain includes history and physical examination to diagnose both fibromyalgia and associated or concomitant conditions. Fibromyalgia should be diagnosed by its own characteristic features. Some patients with otherwise typical symptoms of fibromyalgia may have as few as four to six tender points in clinical practice. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus should be evaluated for fibromyalgia, since 20–30% of them have associated fibromyalgia, requiring a different treatment approach.
Rhodium Phosphinates as Catalysts for Metal-Stabilized Carbene Chemistry: Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Rh2(O2PMe2)4

The first rhodium(II) phosphinate complex, Rh2(O2PMe2)4, is described and is shown to act as an effective catalyst for the decomposition of α-diazo compounds.
Metal-insulator transition in cluster dynamical mean field theory: Intersite correlation, cluster size, interaction strength, and the location of the transition line

To gain insight into the physics of the metal-insulator transition and the effectiveness of cluster dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) we have used 1, 2-, and 4-site dynamical mean field theory to solve a polaron model of electrons coupled to a classical phonon field. The metal to polaronic insulator phase boundary is determined along with electron spectral functions and cluster correlation functions. Pronounced cluster size effects occur in the intermediate coupling region in which the cluster calculation leads to a gap and the single-site approximation does not. Differences in spectra (in particular a sharper band edge in the cluster calculation) persist in the strong-coupling regime. A partial density of states is defined encoding a generalized nesting property of the band structure; variations in this density of states account for differences between the dynamical cluster approximation and the cellular-DMFT implementations of cluster DMFT, as well as for differences in behavior between the single-band models appropriate for cuprates and the multiband models appropriate for manganites. A pole or strong resonance in the self-energy is associated with insulating states; the momentum dependence of the pole is found to distinguish between Slater-like and Mott-like mechanisms for metal-insulator transition. Implications for the theoretical treatment of doped manganites are discussed.
Uniquely insidious: Yersinia pestis biofilms

Bubonic plague, one of history's deadliest infections, is transmitted by fleas infected with Yersinia pestis. The bacteria can starve fleas by blocking their digestive tracts, which stimulates the insects to bite repeatedly and thereby infect new hosts. Direct examination of infected fleas, aided by in vitro studies and experiments with the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, have established that Y. pestis forms a biofilm in the insect. The extracellular matrix of the biofilm seems to contain a homopolymer of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, which is a constituent of many bacterial biofilms. A regulatory mechanism involved in Y. pestis biofilm formation, cyclic-di-GMP signaling, is also widespread in bacteria; yet only Y. pestis forms biofilms in fleas. Here, the historical background of bubonic plague is briefly described and recent studies investigating the mechanisms by which these unique and deadly biofilms are formed are discussed.
Transient hot spot temperatures at a sliding ceramic contact including surface coating effects

Abstract Prediction of hot spot temperatures at a sliding contact is important primarily from a wear viewpoint. The predictions are based on heat conduction models involving moving heat sources. In the present study, two new concepts are analyzed. The first concept is the prediction of transient hot spot temperatures with temperature-dependent properties (material and thermal) and time-dependent sliding speed. The solution of this non-linear problem with the data representing partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) and Si3N4 indicates that the duration for the contact to reach 1000 °C was between 1 μs and 1 ms depending on the magnitude of the sliding speed. Accounting for thermal softening during the transient contact resulted in a slower temperature rise and lower peak values than those predicted by the constant hardness models. The contact area was shown to grow to twice its initial size due to thermal softening. The second concept analyzed is the effect of a surface layer on the transient hot spot temperatures. In this context, an equivalent resistance model is introduced which reduces the lengthy algebra usually associated with heat transfer modeling of layered solids. This model is used with the data representing a PSZ coating on a cast iron substrate. A PSZ coating on the order of 10 μm raised the steady hot spot temperature by an order of magnitude from what it would have been with a cast iron substrate alone. A thin PSZ film (e.g. 0.05 μm), whose steady state effect was negligible, had a significant effect at the beginning of the transient.
CENTRAL MONOAMINES IN FREE-RANGING LIZARDS : DIFFERENCES ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL ROLES AND TERRITORIALITY

During the breeding season different social classes of field-active lizards, Sceloporus jarrovi, exhibit regionally specific changes in central monoaminergic activation. Changes in
A Suggested Pioneer Organism for the Wächtershäuser Origin of Life Hypothesis

A suggested pioneer organism for the Wachtershauser origin of life hypothesis is presented. In this scenario, a cubic pyrite crystal edge serves as a catalytic surface for the production of a proto-nucleic acid. Computational analysis demonstrates how the vacant cubic pyrite edge could be populated by iron(II) and hydrogen phosphate, capped with a distorted iron pentacarbonyl. A bridging iron sulfide then forms blocking one side of the edge. The carbonyl on the other side of the edge can then react with either existing uracil or cytosine, to produce a nitrogen-iron carbonyl intermediate. This intermediate serves as a free radical initiator for a polymerization of carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen. After the fourth carbon is added to the chain, the polymerization is terminated by ring formation yielding a condensed ribose. The resultant product is a proto-nucleic acid, a pioneer organism.
Dimensional salience as a function of educational attainment and method of discrimination training

The effects of three methods of selective-attention training with 4-sided forms on the salience of an invagination physical dimension in discrimination judgments with a stimulus domain of 12-sided forms were examined for 6-year-old Ss of low and high educational attainment. The results demonstrated that training procedures involving perceptual demonstration or manipulation increase the invagination dimension salience in the 12-sided stimulus domain more than a verbal training procedure for low educational attainment Ss. Implications for the psychophysical study of relatedness of stimulus domains are discussed.
Evaluation of a Teleform-based data collection system: A multi-center obesity research case study

Utilizing electronic data capture (EDC) systems in data collection and management allows automated validation programs to preemptively identify and correct data errors. For our multi-center, prospective study we chose to use TeleForm, a paper-based data capture software that uses recognition technology to create case report forms (CRFs) with similar functionality to EDC, including custom scripts to identify entry errors. We quantified the accuracy of the optimized system through a data audit of CRFs and the study database, examining selected critical variables for all subjects in the study, as well as an audit of all variables for 25 randomly selected subjects. Overall we found 6.7 errors per 10,000 fields, with similar estimates for critical (6.9/10,000) and non-critical (6.5/10,000) variables—values that fall below the acceptable quality threshold of 50 errors per 10,000 established by the Society for Clinical Data Management. However, error rates were found to widely vary by type of data field, with the highest rate observed with open text fields.
Optimization for dynamic inverted index maintenance

For free-text search over rapidly evolving corpora, dynamic update of inverted indices is a basic requirement. B-trees are an effective tool in implementing such indices. The Zipfian distribution of postings suggests space and time optimizations unique to this task. In particular, we present two novel optimizations, merge update, which performs better than straight forward block update, and pulsing which significantly reduces space requirements without sacrificing performance.
Highly Efficient Gene Silencing Activity of siRNA Embedded in a Nanostructured Gyroid Cubic Lipid Matrix

RNA interference (RNAi) is an evolutionarily conserved sequence-specific post-transcriptional gene silencing pathway with wide-ranging applications in functional genomics, therapeutics, and biotechnology. Cationic liposome-small interfering RNA (CL-siRNA) complexes have emerged as vectors of choice for delivery of siRNA, which mediates RNAi. However, siRNA delivery by CL-siRNA complexes is often inefficient and accompanied by lipid toxicity. We report the development of CL-siRNA complexes with a novel cubic phase nanostructure, which exhibit efficient silencing at low toxicity. The inverse bicontinuous gyroid cubic nanostructure was unequivocally established from synchrotron X-ray scattering data, while fluorescence microscopy revealed colocalization of lipid and siRNA in complexes. We attribute the efficient silencing to enhanced fusion of complex and endosomal membranes, facilitated by the cubic phase membrane's positive Gaussian modulus, which may enable spontaneous formation of transient pores. The findings underscore the importance of understanding membrane-mediated interactions between CL-siRNA complex nanostructure and cell components in developing CL-based gene silencing vectors.
Direct electrochemical oxidation of hydrocarbon fuels on SOFCs: Improved carbon tolerance of Ni alloy anodes

We show that Sn/Ni alloy anode electrocatalysts (0.5―1 wt % nominal loading of Sn with respect to Ni) exhibit improved tolerance to carbon-induced deactivation in the internal utilization of hydrocarbon fuels on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) compared to conventional monometallic Ni electrocatalysts. The Sn/Ni electrocatalysts were tested in the direct electrochemical oxidation of methane and isooctane. It was observed that the electrochemical activity and electronic conductivity of Ni were not compromised significantly by introduction of Sn. We postulate that the improved carbon tolerance of Sn/Ni compared to monometallic Ni electrocatalysts is due to the formation of Sn/Ni surface alloys, which, unlike monometallic Ni, preferentially oxidize carbon atoms and fragments, removing these from the surface of the electrocatalyst rather than forming carbon―carbon bonds.
White American Style in Rhyme

What follows is an experiment in presenting data in a nontraditional way. Accounts of the intraracial experiences of White college women were adapted to various traditional forms of poetry including the villanelle, rondeau, and roundel. These traditional 16th-century French poetry forms featured pastoral verses or tales of romance that were often sung and accompanied by music. However, in following the lead of 19th- and 20th-century English and American poets, the author uses the poetry styles to address serious issues of racial identification, identity negotiation, and enactment. The author employs the principles of variation, alliteration, and rhyming to underscore the impact of various ethnicities and nationalities in making Whiteness visible within the United States.
The role of apoptosis in the early corneal wound healing after excimer laser keratectomy in the rat.

Background: The potential role of apoptosis in corneal wound healing after excimer laser keratectomy was investigated in a rat model. Methods: Lewis rats underwent laser keratectomy using a 193-nm excimer laser. The central corneas were ablated in three depths: group A, epithelium; group B, superficial stroma; group C, deep stroma. Eyes were collected at 1, 12, 24, and 36 h and 1 week. Cellular markers associated with apoptosis – Fas, Fas ligand (FasL), Bcl-2, and Bax – were examined by immunohistochemistry. Keratocyte depletion and endothelial changes were evaluated histologically. In situ end labeling of double-stranded DNA breaks was used to demonstrate apoptosis in corneal sections. Results: Keratocyte depletion was observed in 6 (50%) of 12 rats (total from groups A, B, and C) at 12 h, 11 (73%) of 15 at 24 h, 3 (20%) of 15 at 36 h, and 2 (15%) of 13 at 1 week after laser surgery. Corneal endothelial edema was observed in the ablation zone. Expression of Fas, FasL, Bcl-2, and Bax in corneal cells showed dynamics similar to that of keratocyte depletion and endothelial changes. There was less expression of apoptotic molecules in newly generated epithelial cells and more in endothelial cells of the stromal ablation groups. Conclusions: Excimer laser keratectomy triggered apoptosis of corneal keratocytes and endothelial cells. More endothelial edema was observed in the stromal ablation than in the epithelial ablation group. The expression of apoptotic molecules coincided with the period of keratocyte depletion and regeneration and of endothelial recovery, suggesting that apoptosis is a dynamic part of corneal wound healing and remodeling after excimer laser keratectomy.
Thermal Patterns on the Backs of Cold Stressed Babies

A Barnes M-101 Infrared Radiometer was used to map the skin temperature changes occurring on the backs of nine selected unswaddled newborn babies in a room air conditioned at 26.3°C (range 24.4–28.1°C). Polaroid photographs of the serial thermal variations observed during cooling were analysed with a densitometer to provide quantitative support for grossly evident difference in rates of cooling over the surfaces examined. In particular, not only the interscapular but also the posterior flank skin regions cooled significantly less (p < 0.05) than skin over the coccyx, deltoid, midback, and lateral flank regions. Brown fat collections have been identified in the interscapular fat pads of newborns, and thermography may prove a valuable aid in monitoring the activity of this tissue. On tghe other hand only small amounts of multilocular fat have been identified in subcutaneous flank tissue. Since in this ealy experience with thermography the flank tissue has been found to mirror the interscapular tendency to cool relatively little in cold stressed babies, continued caution must be exercized in interpreting the significance of the ‘warm nape of the newborn’ as it relates to brown fat activity. Further experience with radiometry may prove useful in clarifying this and other enigmatic problems relating to the complex flux of hear in newborn babies.
Pilot Performance Measurement Methodology for Determining the Effects of Alcohol and Other Toxic Substances

Equipment and methodology for determining the effects of toxic substances on pilot performance were evaluated using ethyl alcohol as a reference substance, since its effects on flying performance in a flight simulator are well known. Four levels of ethyl alcohol were administered to eight instrument trained pilots in a Latin Square within subjects design. Significant performance decrements were found on instrument holding pattern, Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach, and Sternberg's choice reaction time tasks. Language: en
Combined solution for low degree longitude harmonics of gravity from 12‐ and 24‐hour satellites

Combined solution for low degree longitude harmonics of gravity from twelve and twenty-four hour satellites
Reactions of Hemoglobiniferous Cells to Aced and Basic Dyes under Varying Conditions of H-Ion Activity

1. An attempt has been made to apply Loeb's concept of the amphoteric nature of proteins for the discrimination of suspected hemoglobiniferous substances from known hemoglobiniferous substances according to their reactions to acid and basic dyes with reference to the isoelectric point of hemoglobin (pH 6.8).2. The substances in the cytoplasm of known hemoglobiniferous cells (red blood corpuscles, normoblasts and erythroblasts) of the lymph nodes, spleen and bone marrow of the albino rat, when suspended in buffered dye-sucrose solutions, retain eosin on the acid side of pH 7.0, but the substances of the Russell bodies, suspected of being hemoglobiniferous, do not retain eosin at all; and the cytoplasm of the plasma cells, also alleged to be slightly hemoglobiniferous, only retains eosin on the acid side of pH 6.4.3. The only basic dye used which did not precipitate in buffer solutions was methylene blue. This did not react with hemoglobin in accordance with Loeb's concept, because it did not penetrate matu...
Economic Opportunities and Internal Migration: A Case Study of Guangdong Province, China*

Economic opportunities are considered a primary determinant of human migration, but their explanatory power in Communist China has been limited because of strong government intervention in controlling migration and in planned population transfers. Since the late 1970s, however, economic reform has brought about changes in China's regional economies and generated new push and pull forces for migration, and the relaxation of migration restrictions has created greater opportunities for nongovernment-induced migration. Using data primarily from the 1990 census, I review the spatial patterns of migration and the characteristics of the new migrants. A case study of Guangdong Province reveals that its attractiveness to migrants from other provinces and its intra-provincial migration patterns are attributable to differentials in per capita output and foreign investment. The findings support the argument that China has entered a new era of migration in which present and expected economic opportunities are importan...
On multimeron solutions of the Yang-Mills equation

We study a singular boundary value problem introduced by Glimm and Jaffe for the purpose of obtaining solutions of the Euclidean Yang-Mills equations with isolated singularities along an axis. Using comparison techniques, we prove existence, asymptotic behavior and also uniqueness in some special cases.
Association mapping of grain quality and flowering time in elite japonica rice germplasm

Abstract Grain quality traits play an important role in the economic prosperity of commercial rice markets. The objective of our research was to identify candidate molecular markers associated with three grain quality and flowering traits in a collection of elite rice japonica inbred lines evaluated in five U.S. states. Candidate marker effects were associated with the traits mapped within regions reported from previous QTL analyses while several new allelic interactions were also detected. Common markers for each trait were observed across two or more locations, and two-way interactions unique to a single location were also found. Significant genotype × location interactions were detected while broad-sense heritability estimates were low for all characters. All but one selected marker effect was associated with a reduction in apparent amylose content. A reduction in heading date at three locations was observed with one marker as a main effect or as a component of two-way interactions that mapped ∼ 5 cM from the Hd3a flowering locus. The majority of selected effects for head rice were associated with modest to substantial increases in value. Marker loci and their interactions identified in this study highlighted targeted regions for future association studies and marker-assisted breeding efforts of grain quality traits.
Global expression changes of constitutive and hormonally regulated genes during endometrial neoplastic transformation.

Abstract Objective. Endometrioid endometrial carcinoma is caused by a combination of mutational events and hormonal factors. We used large-scale messenger RNA expression analysis to discover genes that distinguish neoplastic transformation and examine the patterns of tumor expression of those genes which are normally regulated during the menstrual cycle. Methods. Expression of approximately 6000 unique genes was quantified in 4 normal (2 proliferative, 2 secretory) and 10 malignant endometria using Affymetrix Hu6800 GeneChip probe arrays. Expression differences between normal and malignant tissue groups were measured by a test of statistical significance comparing the individual t statistic for each gene to the distribution of maximum t statistics among all genes following 1001 permutations of the tissue group assignments (Permax test). Hormonally responsive genes, selected by comparison of proliferative and secretory subsets of normal endometria using a combination of filters applied to the group means and t test rankings, were then examined in the tumors. Results. Fifty genes with a Permax Conclusion. Neoplastic transformation is accompanied by predominant loss of activity of many genes constitutively expressed in normal source tissues and absence of expression profiles which characterize the antitumorigenic progestin response.
Zacopride, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, reduces voluntary ethanol consumption in rats

The effect of the selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, zacopride, was assessed in male Sprague-Dawley rats in free choice (6% ethanol and water) experiments. In Experiment 1, single zacopride (0.01–10 mg/kg, IP) injections failed to alter ethanol (ET) consumption during 1-h restricted ET access. In experiment 2, zacopride (5.0 and 10 mg/kg, IP) injected twice daily for 5 days significantly reduced ET intake and ET preference during 24-h free access to 6% ET and water without altering the total volume of fluid consumed. Thus, the schedule of ET access (i.e., free vs. restricted) and/or the duration of drug treatment may determine the efficacy of pharmacological agents in altering ET preference. 5-HT3 receptor blockade may reduce serotonin/dopamine-mediated maintenance of ET preference; a process that may proceed via extinction mechanisms.
Extending Pummerer Reaction Chemistry. Development of a Strategy for the Regio- and Stereoselective Oxidative Cyclization of 3-(ω-Nucleophile)-Tethered Indoles

The brominative cyclization of diastereomeric beta-silyloxy tryptophan derivatives proceeded with divergent regiochemistry (C(2) or C(3) addition), depending on the relative stereochemistry of the silyloxy substituent. This lack of C(2) vs C(3) regiochemical predictability led to the development of a new approach, which featured Pummerer-type chemistry on an indole C(2) sulfoxide or sulfide substrate, for steering nucleophilic addition to C(3) of the indole. Extension of this transformation from carboxylate nucleophiles to carbon analogues such as allylsilane, silyl enol ether, and silyl ketene iminal bearing substrates led to the formation of spirocyclic oxindole derivatives in good yields with complete regioselectivity for C(3) cyclization and with good diastereoselectivity where relevant.
Lithic Technology and the Hunter-Gatherer Sexual Division of Labor

A technological change from formal to expedient core reduction marks the “transition” from mobile to sedentary prehistoric societies in many parts of the world. The phenomenon has often been attributed to changes in the organization of men's activities, particularly hunting. Considering, however, that the change coincides with the adoption of pottery, technology usually attributed to women, an alternative explanation must be considered. From the standpoint of archaeological systematics, the addition of pottery turns our focus away from places where hafted bifaces were discarded toward places where pottery was discarded. The latter are largely domestic contexts: locations at which women, as well as men, employed expedient core technology for a variety of tasks. Thus, the perceived change in core technology reflects the increased visibility of women's activities in the archaeological record. This recognition provides a basis for incorporating gender variables into our interpretations of prehistoric technolo...
Congenital hypopituitarism and microphthalmia. Report of two cases

Two children are described who had microphthalmia (one with unilateral and one with bilateral) noted at birth, and whose early onset of poor linear growth and weight gain led to a diagnosis of hypopituitarism prior to two years of age. Both children had growth hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone deficiencies, and evidence of partial ACTH deficiency. Administration of growth hormone resulted not only in rapid linear growth but it also reversed the poor weight gain and head growth noted in these children. These cases suggest that hypopituitarism and microphthalmia may be associated with each other more frequently than has been recognized previously.
Late-time neutron diffusion and nucleosynthesis in a post QCD inhomogeneous Ωb = 1 universe

Abstract Although recent models concerning the cosmological quark-hadron phase transition and the resulting primordial nucleosynthesis seem attractive in several respects, it could be argued that the high production of 7Li from such models render them of little interest, especially since low-density standard big bang calculations can adequately account for all of the primordial isotopes. However, a dynamic nucleosynthesis calculation taking into account the diffusion of matter, during the nucleosynthesis epoch, between the different density regions produced by the phase transition, has not yet been carried out. We investigate here the consequences of such a diffusion and identify a high-density, Ω b = 1 , universe which under specific conditions can reproduce the observed primordial isotopes including that of 7Li. We discuss how the low deuterium abundance predicted by this early universe can help resolve the problem of deuterium depletion associated with standard galactic chemical evolution models. We further show that the amount of A > 56 isotopes produced in this universe may help explain why second generation stars possess s-process elements in their stellar atmospheres.
Perceptual suppression of afterimages.

Abstract Suppression of afterimages with eye movements has been measured. Two types of afterimages were defined. The emissive type were suppressed with eye movements whereas the transductive type were not suppressed. Suppression followed the smallest possible voluntary (saccadic) movements. Involuntary movements of greater than 30 min of arc consistently produced suppression and suppression was also observed following movements of less than 6 min. The duration of suppression periods increased with the amplitude of voluntary movements up to an amplitude of 5°, above which it appeared constant. Duration of suppression increased with increased time intervals between successive eye movements. Eye movements made during a suppression period prolonged the period of suppression but each additional movement appeared to produce less effect than those preceding it. Suppressive capacity was markedly reduced by rapid, continuous eye movements but a small, irreducible capacity for suppression remained.
Urinary free cortisol levels among depressed men and women: differential relationships to age and symptom severity?

Background: Preclinical and clinical models of depression suggest sex differences may be mediated at least in part, by differences in hormonal modulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Unraveling the consequences of moderating influences from the effect of sexual dimorphism will be vital to elaborating models of pathophysiology.
Speciation and age revision of the Atacaman snail Bostryx variabilis Herm

Abstract Field evidence from the Atacama Desert of northern Chile indicates that the stratigraphic position of the land snail Bostryx variabilis Herm has been incorrectly assigned to a marine series of the lower Pleistocene. Isotopic dating proves that the snail is a recently extinct Holocene taxon requiring no special paleoenvironmental explanations for its presence. However, the snail appears to offer an example of stress-induced speciation in confirmation of the “punctuated equilibrium” theory of evolution. It was probably transported from a fog oasis mountain habitat to a lower, hyperarid hostile environment by a sudden mudflow.
A solution to arc correction in cylindrical PET scanner

For a PET scanner with circular array of detectors, the width of line-of-response (LOR) decreases as the distance between the LOR and the center increases. The decrease of width of the LOR leads to problem of non-uniform and under sampling of projections. The consequence of non-uniform sampling is the distortion of high frequency reconstructed images or loss of fine detail. Correcting this non-uniform sampling problem is known as arc-correction. The purpose of this study is to create the best estimate of non-uniformly sampled projections from uniformly spaced sets of LOR. Four polynomial type interpolating algorithms: Lagrange, iterative Neville, natural cubic spline and clamped cubic spline are used to get the best estimate of projections. A set of simulated projections are generated. The simulated projections are divided into two sets: the first set has 10 functions of pulses such that f 11 has one pulse, f 12 has two pulses and so on. In the second set f 21 has one triangular pulse, f 22 has two triangular pulses and so on. For each group interpolated data is compared to the original data. In addition, one projection of a 20cm FDG filled disk is used for comparison with simulated data. It is shown that clamped and natural cubic spline accuracy is superior to the other three algorithms in every case but Lagrange outperforms other algorithms for the speed of execution.
Incongruent fitness landscapes, not tradeoffs, dominate the adaptation of vesicular stomatitis virus to novel host types.

Host radiation refers to the ability of parasites to adapt to new environments and expand or change their niches. Adaptation to one specific environment may involve a loss in adaptation to a second environment. Thus, fitness costs may impose limits to niche expansion and constitute the cost of specialization. Several reports have addressed the cost of host radiation in vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), but in some cases the experimental setup may have resulted in the overestimation of fitness costs. To clarify this issue, experiments were carried out in which a reference strain of VSV was allowed to adapt to HeLa, MDCK and BHK-21 cells, and to a regime of alternation between HeLa and Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Measurement of viral fitness on each cell type showed that most virus populations behaved as generalists, and increased in fitness in all environments. Tradeoffs, where a fitness increase in one environment led to a fitness decrease in another environment, were rare. These results highlight the importance of using appropriate methods to measure fitness in evolved virus populations, and provide further support to a model of evolutionary dynamics in which costs due to incongruent landscapes provided by different environments are more common than tradeoffs.
Preparing first-year radiology residents and assessing their readiness for on-call responsibilities: results over 5 years.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to evaluate the preparedness of postgraduate year (PGY)-2 residents for independent call responsibilities and the impact of the radiology residency training program on call preparedness using an objective DICOM-based simulation module over a 5-year period.MATERIALS AND METHODS. A month-long emergency radiology lecture series, conducted over 5 consecutive years, was designed and given to radiology residents at all levels. A DICOM-based, interactive, computer-based testing module with actual emergency department cases was developed and administered at the end of the lecture series. Comparison was made between first-year and upper-level resident test scores using a Student's t test, generalized estimating equations, and individual fixed effects to determine PGY-2 residents' before-call preparedness and the effectiveness of the simulation module to assess call preparedness. Resident scoring on the simulation module was also plotted as a function of progression through...
What is the Use of Operating Systems

The aim of this paper is to show that computer operating systems are, from the user's point of view, not only inevitable but desirable. It is not intended to be a technical account of operating systems or of particular ways of implementing them, as enough papers and manuals are already available on the subject. The proceedings of the Edinburgh Joint Computer Conference (1964) give a broad survey of users' views on computers, and a more specialized book has recently been published (Wegner, 1964) which represents current thinking in this country on operating systems. It is hoped rather that this paper will serve as an introduction to the subject for those who need to know what all the fuss is about. Another area it is not proposed to tackle is that concerning the physical equipment actually used to implement any particular machine system. Endless arguments can be, and often are, carried on about the relative merits of various forms of "hardware." All the user is concerned about is how the overall system behaves, and whether the hardware the designers chose to implement can be manufactured punctually to be reliable at a reasonable price. (It is blithely assumed in saying this that the user is confident of his ability to make effective use of the equipment if it is installed in working order on time! This raises a whole host of other problems, which again are not the subject of this paper.)
Energy transformation in biological molecular motors

Biological molecular motors transform the metabolic free energy into the directed movement. The physical principles governing this transformation are very different from the principles underlying the manmade macroscopic motors. Theoretical analysis shows that the internal thermal diffusion in motor proteins is a key element of the process, and the chemical energy performs no mechanical work directly but instead it is used for rectifying the diffusion. A few specific motor systems are considered to illustrate the general principle. The principle of rectified thermal diffusion has recently received a great support from the single-molecule studies.
Transport of deslorelin, an LHRH agonist, is vectorial and exhibits regional variation in excised bovine nasal tissue.

The nasal route is a non-invasive alternative route for the delivery of a number of macromolecules, including peptides, proteins and vaccines. The purpose of this study was to determine the regional variation in excised bovine nasal tissue permeability to deslorelin, a nonapeptide luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist, and to further elucidate its mechanisms of transport. To this end, this study determined the permeability of deslorelin across different regions of freshly excised bovine nasal mucosa, including the medium turbinate anterior (MTA), medium turbinate posterior (MTP) and the inferior turbinate posterior (ITP) regions. At 37 degrees C, mucoal-to-serosal (m-s) transport of deslorelin across excised bovine nasal mucosa exhibited regional variation, with the % cumulative transport in 6 h being in the order: MTA (0.2 +/- 0.06%) MTP > ITP. Thus, deslorelin transport across excised bovine nasal mucosa is vectorial, temperature- and energy-dependent and exhibits regional variation. The regional differences in s-m transport are likely due to differences in the passive transport. Differences in m-s:s-m flux ratios may be due to differential expression of carriers.
A novel longitudinal atlas construction framework by groupwise registration of subject image sequences

Longitudinal atlas construction is a challenging task in medical image analysis. Given a set of longitudinal images of different subjects, the task is how to construct the unbias longitudinal atlas sequence reflecting the anatomical changes over time. In this paper, a novel longitudinal atlas construction framework is proposed. The main contributions of the proposed method lie in the following aspects: (1) Subject-specific longitudinal information is captured by establishing a robust growth model for each subject. (2) The trajectory constraints are enforced for both subject image sequences and the atlas sequence, and only one transformation is needed for each subject to map its image sequence to the atlas sequence while preserving the temporal correspondence. (3) The longitudinal atlases are estimated by groupwise registration and kernel regression, thus no explicit template is used and the atlases are constructed without introducing bias due to the selection of the explicit template. (4) The proposed method is general, where the number of longitudinal images of each subject and the time points at which the images are taken can be different. The proposed method is evaluated on a longitudinal database and compared with a state-of-the-art longitudinal atlas construction method. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves more consistent spatial-temporal correspondence as well as higher registration accuracy than the compared method.
Effect of Water Transport on the Production of Hydrogen and Sulfuric Acid in a PEM Electrolyzer

The thermochemical cycle involving the interconversion between sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid is a promising method for efficient, large-scale production of hydrogen. A key step in the process is the oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid in an electrolyzer. Gaseous SO2 fed to a proton exchange membrane PEM electrolyzer was previously investigated and was shown to be a promising system for the electrolysis step. A critical factor in the performance of this gas-fed electrolyzer is the management of water since it: i is needed as a reactant, ii determines the product sulfuric acid concentration, iii affects SO2 crossover rate, and iv serves to hydrate the membrane. Therefore, we present a coupled mathematical and experimental study on the effect of water on the production of sulfuric acid in a gas-phase PEM electrolyzer. The model is shown to successfully predict the concentration of sulfuric acid as a function of temperature, current density, pressure differential across the membrane, and membrane thickness.
Barrier Layers in Semiconducting Barium Titanate Glass‐Ceramics

Methods were developed for the reduction and subsequent oxidation of glass-crystallized barium titanate for obtaining surface and grain-boundary barrier-layer dielectrics, together with the solid state chemistry compatible with glassmelting, crystallization, and the diffusion processes involved. The material obtained can be described as an interconnected dispersion of semiconducting BaTiO3 crystallites sealed in a mostly glassy silicate matrix. Oxidation of this semiconductor leads to surface layers with very high dielectric strength, up to 106 V/cm, and resistivity of the order of 1014ω·cm. The properties of compound barriers consisting of a space charge layer and a thin insulating film are also described and conditions leading to glass-ceramic materials having a positive temperature coefficient of resistance (PTCR) by the use of an anionic dopant are discussed.
Determination of the kinetic parameters of atom transfer radical polymerizations

In an attempt to find a novel catalyst system for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), a parameter estimation method based on nonlinear regression was developed to evaluate various catalyst systems by determining kinetic parameters of polymerization. From our model system considering small molecular atom transfer addition reaction, we found that equilibrium constant of atom transfer reaction could be successfully determined using our parameter estimation method. However, the each value of activation rate constant and deactivation reaction constant is hard to be determined ubiquitously because of the poor sensitivities of them and the local minima trapping. By applying second minimization algorithm, the parameter estimation algorithm achieves higher propensity to reach global minimum, yet not all the time. The simulation results using kinetic rate constants determined by our method shows better agreement with the experimental data than that using literature values. This is because the current method uses fewer assumptions than other literature methods in determining rate constants. We also demonstrated the determination of kinetic constants in the polymerization of styrene and MMA using various metal catalysts, and the simulations using these kinetic constants agree well with the experimental data.
Defending young biparentally: female risk-taking with and without a male in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus pustulatus

A positive correlation between the parental effort of a male and female should promote stable biparental care. Risk-taking (as assessed by injuries) against infanticidal intruders by Nicrophorus pustulatus females was expected to be low when females had a low probability of successful defense of the young. I tested the hypothesis that when the presence of a male partner increased the probability of successful defense from low to moderate that female risk-taking would increase. Single females and pairs with first instar larvae were confronted by potentially infanticidal male and female conspecific intruders. Male intruders routinely took over nests from unpaired females (30 of 36 trials). Unpaired females and male intruders were injured infrequently, indicating less intense fights despite the high probability of infanticide. A resident female defending against a male intruder was injured more often when paired than unpaired, suggesting greater risk-taking. A male parent that delays desertion, therefore, receives fitness benefits not only from his own defense of the young, but from greater female defense against male intruders as well. It is hypothesized that the threat of infanticidal takeovers by males promotes extended biparental care in burying beetles. When the intruder was female, on the other hand, a female parent on her own had a moderate probability of successfully defending the brood (22 of 36 trials). The presence of a male partner against female intruders almost guaranteed successful defense (35 of 36 trials) and female intruders did not appear to contest pairs vigorously. Against female intruders the presence of a male partner did not significantly change injury rates of the defending female.
Relationship of education to the racial gap in neonatal and postneonatal mortality.

Objective: To examine the impact of education on race differences in neonatal and postneonatal mortality. Methods: Data were from North Carolina's Linked Birth and Infant Death File for 1988 through 1993. The study population included 169 601 African American births and 400 359 European American births, with 2606 and 3060 deaths, respectively. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the effects of race and education on neonatal and postneonatal mortality, adjusting for sociodemo-graphic, lifestyle, and medical risk factors. Results: Risks of death were higher for African Americans than for European Americans, more so in the neonatal than in the postneonatal period. Odds ratios (with 95% confidence intervals in parentheses) comparing African Americans to European Americans were as follows: neonatal deaths, 2.2 (1.9-2.5), 2.3 (2.1-2.6), and 2.8 (2.5-3.2) for less than 12,12, and more than 12 years of education; and postneonatal deaths, 1.3 (1.1-1.6), 1.5 (1.3-1.7), and 2.1 (1.7-2.6), respectively. The biggest gap was for deaths in the first day of life, with odds ratios ranging from 2.8 to 3.6. Education had no impact on neonatal mortality in either race. Medical factors were more influential in the neonatal than in the postneonatal period, whereas environmental and social factors appeared to play a greater role in the postneonatal period. Conclusions: Racial differences in neonatal death are increasing and may be related to inequities in the provision of health care. The racial gap in the postneonatal period, although declining, has not disappeared and may be more related to environmental, social, and economic factors. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1997;151:787-792
A customized market response model: Development, estimation, and empirical testing

A customized, stepwise, log-linear, distributed lag, restricted market response model is proposed to estimate the effects of various elements of promotion expenditures on sales in the presence of potentially significant effects due to trend and/or seasonality when using time-series data. As distinct from standardized software packages, the customization offers management several benefits: (a) an (optional) imposition of prior restrictions on the directions of the coefficient variables; (b) an empirical determination of the lag structure for selected variables; (c) the detrending of the data to allow for the assessment of incremental marketing mix effects above trend; and (d) a simplified sensitivity analysis. The model is empirically tested and validated using sales data for a brand where the impact of several marketing mix variables is estimated and investigated via policy simulations. A comparison of these results with those obtained from a corresponding unrestricted model illustrates the advantages of this approach. Finally, the limitations of this procedure and directions for future research are discussed.
Building an integrated software maintenance environment From a maintainer's perspective

Describes a process-oriented approach in which software maintainers team up with environment builders to develop a software engineering environment enhancing the support of existing, mature systems. This approach is currently being used to build an integrated work environment based on commercially available tools supporting the entire maintenance lifecycle. A working group, defined by three distinct teams (environment engineering, hardware engineering and tool support), is used to develop the environment. This paper points out important components that are useful to a maintainer and shows an approach to address many of the issues involved in building such an environment. >