cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Probing flavor-changing top-charm-scalar interactions in e+e- collisions.

Because of the very large mass of the top quark, probing the flavor-changing top-charm-scalar vertex is clearly very important. Fortunately the largeness of ${\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{t}}$ endows a unique signature to the resulting reaction, i.e., ${\mathit{e}}^{+}$${\mathit{e}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}tc\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}(t\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}c), that should be helpful in identification of such events. A two Higgs doublet model, without natural flavor conservation, is used to give an illustrative estimate for the rate for these reactions. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
A simple radioisotope assay for phenylalanine hydroxylase

Abstract An isotopic assay for phenylalanine hydroxylase activity has been devised. The assay involves incubation of the enzyme with p -tritio- l -phenylalanine followed by the addition of N -iodosuccinimide to iodinate the tyrosine produced. The tritium released by this combination appears as tritiated water and is proportional to the amount of phenylalanine hydroxylated. Among the advantages of this method are its speed, simplicity, applicability to crude preparations, and utility in studies of the effects of p -phenols on hydroxylating systems. It should also prove valuable in the study of clinical or experimental phenylketonuria.
Collagen Network of the Myocardium: Function, Structural Remodeling and Regulatory Mechanisms

A collagen network, composed largely of type I and III fibrillar collagens, is found in the extracellular space of the myocardium. This network has multiple functions which includes a preservation of tissue architecture and chamber geometry. Given its tensile strength, collagen is a major determinant of tissue stiffness. Its disproportionate accumulation, in the form of either a reactive or a reparative fibrosis, further increases stiffness. A degradation of collagen tethers, on the other hand, is an anatomic requisite for a distortion in tissue architecture and a reduction in stiffness that can lead to chamber dilatation, wall thinning, and even rupture of the myocardium. Collagen turnover in the myocardium is dynamic. When synthesis exceeds degradation, an adverse accumulation of collagen appears to distort tissue structure. This is true for either the hypertrophied and/or nonhypertrophied ventricle. Factors that contribute to the appearance of myocardial fibrosis are largely different from those that promote cardiac myocyte growth. Included amongst these fibrogenic factors are effector hormones of the reinin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Studies conducted both in intact animals (relative to dietary sodium intake) and in cultured adult cardiac fibroblasts have pointed toward the association between collagen accumulation and chronic elevations in circulating angiotensin II and aldosterone. A tissue hormonal system involving angiotensin II, endothelins and bradykinin, may likewise regulate fibrogenesis. In this regard, angiotensin converting enzyme is found in connective tissue of the normal heart, including the matrix of heart valves and the adventitia of the intramural coronary arteries, and fibrous tissue that forms following infarction or with chronic RAAS activation. The importance of ACE in the regulation of local angiotensin II and bradykinin levels and their contribution to collagen turnover is a fruitful area of research with important clinical implications. The myocardium also contains a proteolytic system, including collagenase. The characteristics and regulation of matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors in various cardiovascular disease states requires further investigation.
What is the Significance of Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodules in Patients Undergoing Resection for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Objective The significance of indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPNs) in patients undergoing resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is unknown. We sought to define the prevalence and impact of IPN in such patients.
Dopaminergic Mechanisms and Luteinizing Hormone Secretion. I. Acute Administration of the Dopamine Agonist Bromocriptine Does Not Inhibit Luteinizing Hormone Release in Hyperprolactinemic Women

The concept that domapinergic mechanisms control LH secretion by modulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) has been recently investigated in man. Since hyperprolactinemia is associated with increased hypothalamic dopamine turnover (which may reflect increased dopaminergic activity), inhibition of GnRH by dopamine in this situation would be maximal. Additional stimulation of dopamine receptors by a dopamine agonist would not be expected to result in further inhibition of LH release. Twelve hyperprolactinemic women were studied on 2 days during which measurements of serum PRL and LH were made over 11.5 h. Day 1 served as a control for day 2 when 2.5 mg of the dopamine agonist bromocriptine were administered orally at 0900 h. While serum PRL and LH levels on day 1 showed small fluctuations (+/- 10%), serum PRL on day 2 fell by 82%. Serum LH concentrations on day 2 remained unchanged. The demonstration or the efficacy of bromocriptine in lowering PRL levels documents the expected increase in dopaminergic tone; however, the lack of effect of bromocriptine in surpressing LH release suggests that either there is already maximal endogenous inhibition of GnRH in hyperprolactinemic women or, alternatively, that dopaminergic mechanisms are unimportant in the control of LH secretion.
Risk factors associated with acute lower extremity ischemia after coronary revascularization

Abstract Acute lower extremity ischemia (ALEI) is a recognized complication of coronary revascularization that can lead to emergent lower extremity revascularization, amputation, and death. Patients with correctable coronary artery disease have a high incidence of lower extremity arterial occlusive disease (AOD). But, despite the known high correlation between AOD and coronary artery disease, the status of the lower extremity vasculature in patients undergoing coronary revascularization may be overlooked until the lower extremity becomes profoundly ischemic. Data from a retrospective review of 35,000 coronary revascularization procedures identified 55 patients who developed ALEI, subsequent to their cardiac procedures. Risk factors for ALEI included femoral artery instrumentation, previous coronary revascularization, hemodynamic instability, and documented AOD. Means of identifying patients at risk for ALEI are discussed. (J Vasc Nurs 2002;20:78-83)
Phosphorus Distribution in Five Highly Weathered Alabama Soils

A major nutritional problem to crops grown in highly weathered Alabama soils is phosphorus (P) deficiency linked to their low availability and the capacity of the soils to fix P in highly insoluble forms. This work, examines factors that might influence the distribution, availability, and adsorption of P in five typical highly weathered Alabama soils. The total P contents range from 199 to 543 mg P kg−1 soil. Soil inorganic P fractions were determined by a sequential-fractionation procedure (NH4Cl–P, NH4F–P, NaOH–P, CDB–P, and H2SO4–P). The comparative rankings of the various inorganic P fractions on the average were in the order: NaOH–P>NH4F–P>H2SO4–P>NH4Cl–P>CDB–P. Most of the inorganic P occurred in the least available NaOH–P form. The following soil test P on the average, extracted P in this order: Mehlich 3 (16.78 mg kg−1), Bray 1 (14.72 mg kg−1), Mehlich 1 (9.01 mg kg−1), Olsen (8.09 mg kg−1), H2O (1.55 mg kg−1), and CaCl2 (0.39 mg kg−1). The correlation results suggest that the extractants removed ...
Analysis of six foraging behaviors as toxicity indicators, using juvenile smallmouth bass exposed to low environmental pH.

Six foraging behaviors were evaluated for use in toxicity bioassays with fishes. Response time and strike frequency were used to measure fish activity, average and longest fixation distance, to measure visual acuity, while prey capture frequency and strike success were used to measure fish coordination and agility. In this study, the feeding behaviors were used to evaluate the effects of chronic exposure to acidic water on juvenile smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui). Feeding responses to two types of live prey, tubificids andDaphnia magna, were recorded for bass exposed to pH 4.7 and 4.2. Fish held at the lower pH level had significantly lower fixation distances, prey capture success and capture frequencies with both prey types, indicating that high levels of acidity may impair visual acuity, coordination, and agility. The foraging behaviors evaluated herein appear to be useful in toxicity testing because they are easily quantified and indicate changes that may affect growth and survival in long-term exposures.
Effects of choline on Na+- and K+-interactions with the Na+/K+-ATPase

Abstract Choline chloride, 100 mM, stimulates Na + /K + -ATPase activity of a purified dog kidney enzyme preparation when Na + is suboptimal (9 mM Na + and 10 mM K + ) and inhibits when K + is suboptimal (90 mM Na + and 1 mM K + ), but has a negligible effect at optimal concentrations of both (90 mM Na + and 10 mM K + ). Stimulation occurs at low Na + to K + ratios, but not at those same ratios when the actual Na + concentration is high (90 mM). Stimulation decreases or disappears when incubation pH or temperature is increased or when Li + is substituted for K + or Rb + . Choline + also reduces the K m for MgATP at the low ratio of Na + to K + but not at the optimal ratio. In the absence of K + , however, choline + does not stimulate at low Na + concentrations: either in the Na + -ATPase reaction or in the E 1 to E 2 P conformational transition. Together, these observations indicate that choline + accelerates the rate-limiting step in the Na + /K + -ATPase reaction cycle, K + -deocclusion; consequently, optimal Na + concentrations reflect Na + accelerating that step also. Thus, the observed K 0.5 for Na + includes high-affinity activation of enzyme phosphorylation and low-affinity acceleration of K + -deocclusion. Inhibition of Na + /K + -ATPase and K + -nitrophenylphosphatase reactions by choline + increases as the K + -concentration is decreased; the competition between choline + and K + may represent a similar antagonism between conformations selected by choline + and by K + .
Investigating Influenza A Virus Infection: Tools To Track Infection and Limit Tropism

Influenza A viruses display a broad cellular tropism within the respiratory tracts of mammalian hosts. Uncovering the relationship between tropism and virus immunity, pathogenesis, and transmission will be critical for the development of therapeutic interventions. Here we discuss recent developments of several recombinant strains of influenza A virus. These viruses have inserted reporters to track tropism, microRNA target sites to restrict tropism, or barcodes to assess transmission dynamics, expanding our understanding of pathogen-host interactions.
Four methods for partial overstory removal in tropical forests in Mexico.

Abstract A study was carried out to identify an efficient and low-cost method to kill seven tropical tree species as a means of achieving overstory removal. Four methods were tested: two chemical injection techniques (Banvel CST Herbicide and Esteron 47 M) and two physical treatments (girdling bands 20 cm and 40 cm wide). Overall, there was a substantial difference among the four treatments. Esteron 47 M was the most effective treatment, with 68% mortality. Banvel and girding 20-cm bands and 40-cm bands resulted in 57, 57 and 53% mortality, respectively. Mortality varied considerably among the species. Although girding is more time-consuming than using chemicals, it is recommended, when possible, because, of low application cost and avoidance of chemical pollution and danger to workers. Safety equipment is not readily available in tropical areas. Even if it were, it is not comfortable to use under tropical conditions. People living in the tropics are usually accustomed to the use of machete and hatchet, and accidents very seldom occur.
First measurement of mechanical cell loading

Endothelial cells experience shear and pressure forces (dependent on flow and cell shape), which have been estimated computationally. Varying importance of the role and magnitude of pressure has been noted. For the first time, actual total mechanical loading was measured experimentally on cells with a novel bioreactor. Human Endothelial Cells (ECs) cultured on Dacron were exposed to 4 dyn/cm2 of continuous wall shear stress (SS) in a flow device allowing visualization of cells by fluorescent microscopy and performance of μscale particle image velocimetry. Particles were seeded into medium, laser illuminated, and imaged to determine velocity. Measurements made in multiple planes created 3-dimensional information. SS at a location on fluorescently labeled ECs was quantified using the difference between adjacent velocity vectors divided by the physical spacing between the vectors, providing the cell membrane location (surface height) and SS. The pressure field over cells was calculated by solving the Navier-Stokes equations and integrated over the measurement plane. SS on the cell varied between 3.7 and 5.0, mean 4.3 dyn/cm2. The peak values of SS were noted in regions of higher elevation. The pressure varied ± 1.5 dyn/cm2 above mean. High- and low-pressure zones were observed, upstream and downstream, of an elevated region. The pressure over a cell is on the order of the SS, thus finally proving the necessity for considering both pressure and shear stress effects on endothelial cells. Cell adaptation to force can now be studied, allowing coupled, dynamically changing, measurements of load and response. Figure options Download full-size image Download as PowerPoint slide
Numerical modeling of fold initiation at thrust ramps

Abstract The movement of the hangingwall over the footwall at thrust ramps produces a variety of structures found commonly at different scales in fold-and-thrust belts. The nature of the structure depends on the relative rigidity of the hangingwall and footwall, friction along the fault, fault ‘dip’, fault displacement, and the boundary conditions of the deformation. Structures include fault-bend style folds, fault-propagation style folds and wedge folds. We investigate the initial stages of development of such structures using the finite-difference code FLAC. The rock layers are represented as continua with elastic-plastic Mohr-Coulomb constitutive relations, and the fault and bounding bedding planes are assigned normal and shear stiffnesses and coefficients of friction. Under conditions with all layers compressed, antisymmetric fault-propagation style folds develop in both the hangingwall and footwall. With rigid footwall and restricted far-field slip in the hangingwall, a single fault-propagation style fold develops. With far-field displacement of the hangingwall allowed, broader antisymmetric wedge folds develop if hangingwall and footwall are deformable, and a single fault-bend style fold develops if the footwall is rigid. All structures become accentuated with increasing slip on the fault. Where both hangingwall and footwall are deformable, the deformation reduces the ramp angle and tends to minimize distortion of the rock adjacent to the fault. Fault-propagation style folds, paired wedge folds and fault-bend style folds are common in nature, and small-scale examples can be found in various stages of development. Continued slip on thrust faults may lead to the mature structures commonly seen in fold-and-thrust belts.
The organization of projections to selected points of somatosensory cortex from the cat ventrobasal complex.

Abstract The organization of neurons in the cat ventrobasal complex (VB) which project to somatosensory cortex (SI) was investigated by the use of the retrograde transport of the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Two histochemical procedures were used to visualize retrogradely transported HRP. Injections of HRP in electrophysiologically characterized points of SI cortex labeled distinctive zones of neurons in VB ipsilateral to the injections. Injections placed in the forelimb or hindlimb cortical areas labeled laminar-like aggregates of neurons whose long axis corresponded to the long axis of VB. Injections of the SI trigeminal representation resulted in very compact aggregates of HRP positive neurons which were less clearly laminar. The density of projection from VB to various portions of SI parallel the general innervation density of the peripheral skin. Injections of the cortical vibrissal, face and forepaw representations labeled a greater number of neurons in VB per unit area of cortex injected than did injections of the hindpaw or trunk representations. For a given somatotopic area, the number of labeled neurons in VB increased linearly as the area of the cortical HRP injection increased. Differences in the sensitivity of each histochemical procedure and the relationship of differing sensitivities to the observed results are also discussed.
Effect of quenching of molecular triplet states in organic dye lasers

The effect of quenching of metastable triplet states upon the efficiency of organic dye lasers is considered in detail by solving the coupled differential equations describing the laser process. It is shown that specific quenching agents for excited triplet states can 1) cause a dramatic increase in the laser efficiency, 2) negate the previous requirements of very fast pumping sources, and 3) permit the use of dyes with relatively small fluorescence quantum yields. The addition of quenching agents that quench both singlet and triplet states (such as molecular oxygen) generally improves the efficiency although not as dramatically. Steady-state solutions were developed that lead to analytical expressions for the laser efficiency and the concentrations of the excited states as a function of time.
Management of urinary incontinence in Veterans Administration nursing homes.

Nursing Home Care Units in Veterans Administration Medical Centers across the country were surveyed to determine methods of management of urinary incontinence (UI) in the nursing home (NH) setting. Information was obtained from 90 of the VA NHs on demographic aspects of the NH population, prevalence and severity of urinary and fecal incontinence, common problems encountered, and specific strategies and techniques. Written guidelines for bladder training and catheter care from many of the NHs were analyzed. The results of the survey reinforce the need for research designed to improve the care of the incontinent NH patient. J Am Geriatr Soc 33:33, 1985
Treatment of Osteomyelitis and Septic Arthritis with Cefamandole

Abstract Fourteen patients with bone and joint infections caused by a variety of bacterial pathogens were treated with intravenous cefamandole, 4 to 12 g/day; ten received additional therapy with 2 g/day of cefaclor and one with 2 g/day of cephalexin. Ten of 14 patients were cured. Of those cured, infecting pathogens had minimal inhibitory concentrations of cefamandole of 4 μ g or less/ml. Of those who were not cured, two had recurrent infections that had not responded to other previously administered antibiotics, one had a mixed infection with resistant strains, and one had positive bone cultures five months after a favorable clinical response. Peak and valley cefamandole serum concentrations were 48.0 to 173.0 μ g/ml and 23.4 μ g or less/ml, respectively. Synovial fluid concentrations were 11.1 to 16.7 μ g/ml and bone concentrations were 0.2 to 20.4 μ g/g. Adverse effects included leukopenia in one and hepatic enzyme elevations in four patients. Cefamandole, with and without cefaclor, was efficacious in therapy of bone and joint infections caused by susceptible organisms.
Unavoidable Traces Of Set Systems

Sauer, Shelah, Vapnik and Chervonenkis proved that if a set system on n vertices contains many sets, then the set system has full trace on a large set. Although the restriction on the size of the groundset cannot be lifted, Frankl and Pach found a trace structure that is guaranteed to occur in uniform set systems even if we do not bound the size of the groundset. In this note we shall give three sequences of structures such that every set system consisting of sufficiently many sets contains at least one of these structures with many sets.
Quantitative surface analysis of layered materials

The effects of concentration variation with depth, C(X), on the quantitative reduction of electron spectroscopic data is discussed. It is shown that when the concentration varies with depth, quantitation of the data is affected by the escape depth of the electron transitions chosen for quantitation. Therefore, accurate quantitation is impossible without knowledge of C(X). A Laplace transform method to determine C(X) from angle-resolved electron spectroscopic data is reviewed, along with potential problems caused by variation with angle of the escape depth of electrons in the solid, channeling, forward scattering, matrix corrections and surface roughness.
Rethinking Optical Fiber: New Demands, Old Glasses

This summary highlights the extraordinary properties of a new class of optical fibers derived from otherwise “boring” crystals such as YAG, sapphire, spinel, and BaO using the scalable and straight-forward molten core method.
Development of Equilibrium Mode Distribution (EMD) in a Fiber - A Characterization of the Transient Behavior and Steady State Mandrel (SSM) for Corning Data Broadband Fiber (dBF)

Contained in this paper are empirical results leading to a better understanding of the development of a steady state power distribution in an optical fiber, commonly referred to as Equilibrium Mode (Power) Distribution (EMD). First, three terms are defined and the importance of their measurement given: Transient Loss, Steady State Mandrel (SSM) Prescription, and Mode Power Distribution (MPD) Measurement. Second, the results of the transient loss testing and the mandrel wrap experiment, which determined the SSM (a mandrel which can be used for convenient attenuation measurement), are given for 85μm core fiber (Corning Data Broadband Fiber (dBF)). Third, MPD measurements verifying the conclusions drawn concerning the establishment of EMD or steady state are given as a function of fiber length and for various launch conditions.This paper has two primary conclusions. First, by actual measurement of the relative mode power distribution in sample fibers, steady state or EMD has been shown to have been established. Second, a mode filter in the form of a mandrel around which the sample was wrapped five times has been chosen such that the steady state power distribution was reproduced.
Laboratory diagnosis of herpesvirus infections

Infections with herpesviruses are common and usually are mild or inapparent. However,serious and often fatal illness can occur in neonates and immunocompromised hosts. Virological methods, including viral culture, cytology, direct viral antigen and nucleic acid detection assays, and serology, are important and useful adjuncts to the clinical assessment of patients with suspected herpesvirus infections. Because tremendous advances have been made in clinical laboratory technology over the last decade, the choice of tests and the interpretation of results and have become more complex. With this review, both conventional and rapid methods for the diagnosis of herpesviruses are presented, with emphasis on specimen collection, the appropriate use and understanding of such tests, and a description of recent advances in field.
Abnormal Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone Patterns Contrasting with Normal Estradiol and Progesterone Secretion in Women with Longstanding Unexplained Infertility

Six women with unexplained longstanding infertility and regular menstrual cycles were studied. All had luteal structures identified at laparoscopy on normal appearing ovaries and normal plasma androgen levels. Daily or every other day determinations of FSH, LH, estradiol (E2), and progesterone (P) were performed in one cycle. The results were compared to similar data obtained in five apparently normal women. All six infertile women had normal patterns of E2 secretion, with a characteristic midcycle rise, followed by a normal sustained elevation of plasma P. Contrasting with the above were grossly abnormal secretory patterns of FSH and LH in five of six patients. Two types of alterations were observed. 1) Four women had plasma LH persistently higher than FSH, with absolute LH concentrations above control levels in three. Midcycle LH surges were identifiable in all four, while a FSH surge was present in only one. The LH to FSH ratio was consistently above 2. 2) One patient had plasma FSH and LH levels fluctuating between high normal and the menopausal range. At midcycle, there was a synchronized rise of both FSH and LH though not as high as on other occasions in the same cycle. This was preceded by an E2 rise and followed by P elevation. The latter type (no. 2) of endocrine changes have been previously observed in much older women, during menopausal transition. The study indicates that normal E2 and P secretion, suggestive of normal ovarian function, may occur in the absence of characteristic FSH and LH patterns. The abnormal gonadotropin patterns may well be causally related to the patient's infertility.
A Theory of Change for Positive Developmental Approaches to Improving Outcomes Among Emerging Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions

Recent evidence attests to the shortcomings of typical services for improving outcomes among emerging adults with serious mental health conditions (SMHCs). Researchers and providers have responded by developing new programs and interventions for meeting the unique needs of these young people. A significant number of these programs and interventions can be described as taking a positive developmental approach, which is informed by a combination of theoretical sources, including theories of positive development, self-determination, ecological systems, and social capital. To date, however, there has been no comprehensive theoretical statement describing how or why positive change should occur as a result of using a positive developmental approach when intervening with this population. The goal of this article is to propose a general model that “backfills” a theory behind what appears to be an effective and increasingly popular approach to improving outcomes among emerging adults with SMHCs.
Preferences for the balance between true image detail and noise

We designed a series of experiments to measure user preference for the noise-detail tradeoff, including tests of the assumption that all true image detail is preferred. We generated samples with noise-detail tradeoff by designing a sequence of coring filters with increasing strength. A user study method is developed using magnitude estimation approach. In the first experiment the coring filter sequence is applied to original video samples without any additional noise. It is observed that the subjective quality score increases as coring strength is increased, reaches a peak and then decreases. Thus users prefer slightly cored images compared to original images. In the second experiment the coring filter sequence is applied to video samples with additive noise of different strength. It is observed that the most preferred coring strength increases as the amount of noise in the image increases. The results from our experiments can be used to design parameters for various image/ video post-processing and noise removal algorithms.
THE HISTOCHEMISTRY AND ULTRASTRUCTURE OF JACK PINE MICROSPORANGIA DURING THE WINTER

Analyse quantitative des variations histochimiques en ADN, ARN et proteines et observations ultrastructurales des memes populations de cellules sporogenes au cours de leur developpement
Average complexity of divide-and-conquer algorithms

Abstract The goal of this paper is to describe a rather general approach for constructing upper and lower bounds for the average computational complexity of divide-and-conquer algorithms.
Reconstruction of pictures from their projections

There are situations in the natural sciences and medicine (e.g. in electron microscopy and X-ray photography) in which it is desirable to estimate the gray levels of a digital picture at the individual points from the sums of the gray levels along straight lines (projections) at a few angles. Usually, in such situations, the picture is far from determined and the problem is to find the “most representative” picture. Three algorithms are described (all using Monte Carlo methods) which were designed to solve this problem. The algorithms are applicable in a large and varied number of fields. The most important uses may be the reconstruction of possibly asymmetric particles from electron micrographs and three-dimensional X-ray analysis.
TWO-NUCLEON INTERACTION IN A COMMON HARMONIC OSCILLATOR POTENTIAL

The problem of two nucleons moving in a common harmonic oscillator potential modified by the effective two-nucleon potential is considered. The two-nucleon potential includes hard core, central, spin-orbit, and tensor parts. It is found that the appropriate Green's function is factorable and hence the solution of the relevant Schr\"odinger equation can be expressed as an expansion in terms of the harmonic oscillator wave functions whose radial arguments are shifted by an amount equal to the radius of the repulsive core. Numerical estimates have been made for ${\mathrm{O}}^{17}$. It turns out that for moderate strength of the effective two-nucleon potential the expansion coefficients become vanishingly small after the first few terms so that the procedure seems to be rapidly convergent.
The forces and behavior of fluids constrained by solids

The force-displacement relationship for a finite amount of fluid attached to a pair of rigid, parallel plates with arbitrary contact angle is calculated, as are the work to separate the plates a given amount, the shapes of the equilibrium surfaces, and the maximum extension that the fluid can withstand. It is found that for contact angles, 0° < Ψ < 90°, the fluid exerts a tensile force; while for angles, 90° < Ψ < 180°, the fluid exerts a compressive force at small displacements and tensile at larger displacements. The maximum displacement that a fluid may withstand is always less than or equal to (π volume)13, equality holding only at Ψ = 90°, which corresponds to half the famous Rayleigh-Plateau result. For Ψ less than about 30°, a bifurcation occurs and two extremal surfaces exist.
Evaluation of adsorption effects on measurements of ammonia, acetic acid, and methanol

[1] We examined how adsorption and desorption of gases from inlets and a cell could affect the accuracy of closed-cell FTIR measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), methanol (CH3OH), acetic acid (CH3COOH), and ammonia (NH3). When standards were delivered to the cell through a stainless steel inlet, temporarily reduced transmission was observed for CH3OH and NH3. However, a halocarbon wax coated inlet (normally used on the system) had excellent transmission (comparable to room temperature Teflon) for both CH3OH and NH3, even at temperatures as low as 5°C. Thus the wax is valuable for coating sampling system components that cannot be fashioned from Teflon. The instrument had a delayed response (∼10–40 s) for NH3 only, which was attributed to passivation of the Pyrex multipass cell. To determine sampling artifacts that could arise from the complex sample matrix presented by smoke, the closed-cell FTIR system was intercompared with an open-path FTIR system (which is immune to sampling artifacts) in well-mixed smoke. A similar cell passivation delay for NH3 was the only artifact found in this test. Overall, the results suggest that ∼10 s is sufficient to detect >80% of an NH3/CO ratio sampled by our fast-flow, closed-cell system. Longer sampling times or consecutive samples return better results. In field campaigns the closed-cell system sampling times were normally 10 to >100 s so NH3 was probably underestimated by 5–15%.
Detection of Gp210 autoantibodies in primary biliary cirrhosis using a recombinant protein containing the predominant autoepitope

Autoantibodies against nuclear pore membrane glycoprotein gp210 have been identified in between 10% and 25% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). These antibodies may be useful in diagnosing PBC and in identifying subgroups of patients. Because previous detection procedures relied on the need to purify hydrophobic proteins and perform immunoblotting, the aim of the present study was to develop a simple assay to detect gp210 autoantibodies. A recombinant polypeptide containing glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fused to the region of gp210 that contains its predominant autoepitope(s) was expressed in bacteria. This fusion protein was purified by glutathione-Sepharose chromatography and used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA was reproducible in detecting gp210 autoantibodies in serum samples from patients with PBC. Compared with immunoblotting, the ELISA was 93% sensitive and 96% specific for the detection of gp210 autoantibodies. In conclusion, autoantibodies against gp210 can be easily and reliably detected in patients with PBC by an ELISA that uses a purified recombinant polypeptide.
Elevated levels of plasma mitochondrial DNA DAMPs are linked to clinical outcome in severely injured human subjects.

Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is a common and potentially fatal consequence of severe injury. Although mitochondrial and bioenergetic dysfunction have been incriminated in the pathogenesis of MODS for many years,1–6 involvement of mitochondria-derived mediators may be more dynamic than previously appreciated. In this regard, fragments of the mitochondrial genome released into the circulation after injury—termed mtDNA damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs)—have been postulated to function as intercellular signals propagating damage from the initial site of injury to distant organs through Toll-like-receptor– mediated activation of inflammatory and resident cells.7,8 The evidence incriminating mtDNA DAMPs in MODS is derived from cell culture studies, isolated perfused organ, and intact animal models and from indirect observations in human subjects.7,9–11 In the latter context, although it is known that mtDNA DAMPs can be mobilized by long bone fracture or reparative operative procedures (eg, femoral reaming), and that isolated mtDNA DAMPs given to intact animals or to immune cells in vitro recapitulate many of the attributes of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome,7 the association between mtDNA DAMPs and human MODS remains largely speculative. Accordingly, to provide evidence linking mtDNA DAMPs to MODS we executed a prospective cohort study to determine the relationships between plasma mtDNA DAMP levels and the occurrence of MODS, SIRS, and mortality in severely injured human patients.
Invasive Vulvar Tumors in Young Women—A Disease of the Immunosuppressed?

Twenty-seven patients under the age of 40 years were treated for invasive vulvar cancer at the Women's Cancer Center, University of Minnesota. Seventeen patients had Stage I, five patients had Stage II, two patients had Stage III, and two patients had Stage IV disease. Twenty patients (80%) gave a history of smoking. Associated medical and immunosuppressive conditions present in these patients included vulval HPV (N = 3), diabetes mellitus (N = 3), pregnancy (N = 2), autoimmune connective tissue disease (N = 2), renal transplant (N = 2), previous chemotherapy for invasive malignancies at other sites (N = 1), chronic hepatitis (N = 1), schizophrenia (N = 1), and one patient on Imuran for herpes zoster and multiple sclerosis. Two of the nonsmokers were in this group of immunosuppressed patients. Three patients have died of intercurrent disease while another is currently alive with invasive disease. All others are alive without evidence of disease. The mean duration of follow-up is 45.2 months (range, 1-158 months). Invasive vulvar tumors are uncommon in young women. Smoking and a history of an immunosuppressive medical illness is common in this patient population.
Rapid flow of granular materials with density and fluctuation energy gradients

Abstract A constitutive relationship for the stress tensor of granular materials during the rapid flow regime that includes the effects of density gradient and fluctuating velocity is proposed. Explicit expressions for various stress components are obtained and simple examples are presented. It is shown that this continuum-based model is capable of predicting normal stress differences. The model also contains many earlier models as its special cases. The results also show that the model may be suitable for analyzing rapid, as well as slow, motions of granular materials.
The Moons of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

Voyager 2, launched in August 1977, will fly by Uranus in January, 1986, passing within 29,000 km of that planet's innermost moon, Miranda. It will subsequently encounter Neptune in August 1989, flying within 10,000 km of its inner satellite, Triton; images made of this moon by a high resolution camera are expected to reveal surface features as small as a few hundred meters in diameter. The composition of the Uranian moons will br inferred from their near-IR reflectance spectra and mean densities. While the spacecraft will not fly by Pluto, it is expected that the lessons learned from the Voyager encounters with Neptune and Uranus will expand current understanding of Pluto and its moon, Charon.
Childrearing discipline and violence in developing countries.

The present study examined the prevalence and country-level correlates of 11 responses to children’s behavior, including nonviolent discipline, psychological aggression, and physical violence, as well as endorsement of the use of physical punishment, in 24 countries using data from 30,470 families with 2- to 4-year-old children that participated in UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. The prevalence of each response varied widely across countries, as did the amount of variance accounted for by country in relation to each response. Country-level indicators of life expectancy, educational attainment, and economic well-being were related to several responses to children’s behavior. Country-level factors are widely related to parents’ methods of teaching children good behavior and responding to misbehavior.
SELF AND SUBSTANCE

INowadays the question whether the self is a substance, and whether the identity over time of a person requires the identity of a substance, has a musty smell to it. We recognize it as a question that played a central role in the intriguing discussions of personal identity in Locke, Butler, Hume and Reid; but it has not been the central question in contemporary discussions of personal identity, and in most such discussions it is simply not addressed. Yet the question does have echoes in contemporary discussions. Contemporary "reductionists" about personal identity hark back to Locke and Hume, and contemporary antireductionists hark back to Butler and Reid. As I shall try to show, some of the intuitions of the antireductionists-e.g., their denial that the person who comes out at one end of a "teleportation" process can be the same as the person who went in at the other end-can be seen as expressions of the idea that in some good sense of "individual substance," a person must be an individual substance. And such a view seems at odds with the view of a reductionist like Derek Parfit, who says that while we can allow that a person is a "subject" of experiences, since this is "the way we talk," it is nevertheless true that facts about persons and their experiences admit of an impersonal description that reveals them to be nothing over and above facts about the relations of experiences to one another and to bodies.' There is always a danger that framing a current philosophical issue in traditional metaphysical terms-here, in terms of the concepts of substance, inherence, etc.-will result in obfuscation rather than clarification. But that is a risk I shall take. I shall try to show that it is possible to combine some of the central intuitions that go with the claim that the self is a substance with some, although certainly not all, of the intuitions that go with reductionist views about personal identity. Among other things, I shall be developing the view, which I have presented elsewhere, that the psychological continuity view of personal identity, the contemporary heir to Locke's memory theory, can usefully be seen as complementary to-the "reverse side of the coin of"-a functionalist view about the
Dear Mayor Online Communications with Local Governments in Hangzhou and Nanjing

E-government at the local level in China has emphasized numerous interactive features. One such feature has been the “leader’s mailbox” for citizen communications with the government. In the Yangzi...
Robot path planning using dynamic programming

This paper presents a solution to the problem of minimizing the cost of moving a robotic manipulator along a specified geometric path subject to input torque/force constraints, taking the coupled, nonlinear dynamics of the manipulator into account. The proposed method uses dynamic programming (DP) to find the positions, velocities, accelerations, and torques that minimize cost. Since the use of parametric functions reduces the dimension of the state space from 2n for an n-jointed manipulator to two, the DP method does not suffer from the "curse of dimensionality". While maintaining the elegance of the path planning methods in [1], [11], the DP method offers the advantages that it can be used in the general case where (i) the actuator torque limits are dependent on one another, (ii) the cost functions can have an arbitrary form, and (iii) there are constraints on the jerk, or derivative of the acceleration. As a numerical example, the path planning method is simulated for a two-jointed robotic manipulator. The example considers first the minimum-time problem, comparing the solution with that of the phase plane plot method in [11]. Secondly, the sensitivity of the path solutions to the grid size is examined. Finally, the DP method is applied to cases with interactions between joint torque bounds and with cost functions other than minimum-time, demonstrating its power and flexibility.
A COMPARISON OF FOSSILIZED DINOSAUR BONE AND THE SURROUNDING ROCK USING PIXE ANALYSIS

Six samples of fossilized dinosaur bone and surrounding rock were analyzed by PIXE to investigate general relations between the bone and rock. The powdered samples were brought into an acid solution by a lithium metaborate fusion process. The data were analyzed with chemometric methods to successfully differentiate the bone samples from the complementary rock samples. The Sr/Ca ratio is consistently higher in fossilized bone than the surrounding rock. Ba, Y and U, when found in the rock, appear in significantly higher concentrations in the bone. S and Ti, elements commonly found in rock samples, are not found in the bone samples.
Reply to Y. Mao et al

We appreciate the interest of Mao et al in our article entitled, “Survival Among Patients With Pancreatic Cancer and LongStanding or Recent-Onset Diabetes Mellitus.” In our study, we examined the association of long-standing ( 4 years) and recent-onset diabetes ( 4 years) with survival among patients with pancreatic cancer drawn from two prospective cohort studies and one clinicbased study. We noted a consistent and statistically significant reduction in survival among patients with long-term diabetes in the cohort and clinic-based studies. However, we noted no statistically significant association of recent-onset diabetes with survival in any of the individual studies or in a meta-analysis of the three studies. Mao et al noted that the prevalence of recent-onset diabetes was relatively low in patients enrolled in the prospective cohorts, possibly because of lower ascertainment of diabetes status with the use of biennial questionnaires. We agree that a lower ascertainment of diabetes status near the time of cancer diagnosis is a potential limitation of the cohort study design. Nevertheless, we found no statistically significant heterogeneity (Pheterogeneity .63) in the association of recent-onset diabetes with survival among patients from the prospective cohort studies and clinic-based case series with a meta-analysis hazard ratio (HR) of 1.12 (95% CI, 0.90 to 1.39). HRs for death for recent-onset diabetes were similar for clinic-based studies (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.25) and prospective cohort studies (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.32) in the unpublished meta-analyses presented by Mao et al. Therefore, the results from our three patient populations support a statistically significant association between long-term diabetes and survival. We agree that additional studies are warranted to better understand the relationship of diabetes with pancreatic cancer development and prognosis.
Radiotherapy for carcinoma-in-situ of the glottic larynx

Abstract Purpose: To describe the long-term results of radiotherapy as treatment for carcinoma-in-situ of the glottic larynx. Methods and Materials: Twenty-nine patients with a histologic diagnosis of carcinoma-in-situ (CIS) of the true vocal cord were treated in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University Medical Center over a 32-year period from 1958–1990. Twenty patients were treated at the time of initial diagnosis following biopsy only (12) or vocal cord stripping (8) and the remainder were referred for treatment of recurrent CIS following one or more prior surgical procedures. Treatment was delivered with megavoltage equipment to a total dose of 53–66.5 Gy (mean 62 Gy) in 180–250 cGy fractions. The mean follow-up time is 10 years, with a range of 2–27 years. Results: Two patients relapsed locally. One patient had recurrent CIS 5 months after radiotherapy and was salvaged with vocal cord stripping. The other developed microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma and underwent total laryngectomy. The actuarial freedom from local relapse and overall survival at 10 years are 92% and 64%, respectively. No local failures occurred more than 5 years after treatment. Late complications from radiotherapy were rare, and voice quality was good-to-excellent in 90% of patients. The actuarial risk of a second aerodigestive tract malignancy is 11% at 10 years. Conclusion: Radiation therapy is an effective and safe treatment modality for carcinoma-in-situ of the glottic larynx. Long-term local control is achieved in approximately 90% of patients with 75% having normal voice.
Clinical and Laboratory Features of Ataxia Telangiectasia

Clinical and immunological features of ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) in 104 Iranian patients were evaluated at the Children’s Medical Center, and other centers in Tehran, Iran.