cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partitioning of strontium between plagioclase and melt: A comment

Abstract The origin of the partition coefficient (D) for Sr in plagioclase is ascribed by Blundy and Wood (1991) mainly to the chemistry of the crystal rather than that of the liquid. However, a major data set used to support this conclusion also demonstrates an important correlation of D with the augite content of the liquid. One truth cannot be used to deny another from the same data set. Moreover, it appears that D has a limiting value of 1.0 in the system An-Ab, confirming the importance of liquid composition. The data base of natural magmas said to justify the conclusions of the paper omits the important troctolitic and noritic, low-augite varieties for which the augite effect was specifically claimed, and therefore cannot be used to discount the effect. The data base is skewed toward silicic igneous rocks for which a high value of D is experimentally known. The attempt to rationalize the data from the Kiglapait Intrusion by supposing the escape of low-Sr material ignores the evidence of the chilled margin, which matches the Sr budget of the cumulates, and neglects to mention that the vented mass would have to be equal to that of the entire intrusion to account for the small variation in Sr observed. Much work remains to be done, but it is clear that the liquid plays a much more important role in this partitioning effect than allowed by the authors.
Organic Synthesis in Experimental Impact Shocks

Laboratory simulations of shocks created with a high-energy laser demonstrate that the efficacy of organic production depends on the molecular, not just the elemental composition of the shocked gas. In a methane-rich mixture that simulates a low-temperature equilibrium mixture of cometary material, hydrogen cyanide and acetylene were produced with yields of 5 x 10(17) molecules per joule. Repeated shocking of the methane-rich mixture produced amine groups, suggesting the possible synthesis of amino acids. No organic molecules were produced in a carbon dioxide-rich mixture, which is at odds with thermodynamic equilibrium approaches to shock chemistry and has implications for the modeling of shock-produced organic molecules on early Earth.
Exploring the Time Preferences by Procrastinators: Night or Day, Which is the One?

In study 1, trait procrastinators compared to nonprocrastinators claimed they were ‘night persons’, individuals who are most alert and active in the late afternoon and evening hours. However, there were no significant individual differences in time preference for a set of social and individual activities considered pleasurable. In study 2, participants kept daily records for six straight days of when they had engaged in activities. Proneness toward behavioral (but not decisional) procrastination was significantly related to number of activities performed in the evening. Together, these studies suggest that procrastinators may be ‘late starters’ who prefer to engage in daily activities later in the day than early in the morning. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
2005 Special Issue: A hierarchical classifier using new support vector machines for automatic target recognition

A binary hierarchical classifier is proposed for automatic target recognition. We also require rejection of non-object (non-target) inputs, which are not seen during training or validation, thus producing a very difficult problem. The SVRDM (support vector representation and discrimination machine) classifier is used at each node in the hierarchy, since it offers good generalization and rejection ability. Using this hierarchical SVRDM classifier with magnitude Fourier transform (|FT|) features, which provide shift-invariance, initial test results on infra-red (IR) data are excellent.
The diagnosis of cancer of the biliary tract and pancreas by endoscopic retrograde cannulation.

The authors' experience indicates that where cancer of the biliary tract or pancreas is highly suspected but not proven, ERC will provide important positive or negative findings to assist in the decision for surgical exploration.
Familial aggregation of gastroesophageal reflux in patients with Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma are complications of gastroesophageal reflux disease. The aim of this study was to look for evidence of a familial predisposition to reflux. METHODS: Index patients with adenocarcinoma (n = 27), Barrett's esophagus (n = 40), and reflux esophagitis (n = 55) were recruited from tertiary care and community populations. Parents and siblings of patients (n = 243) and their spouses' relatives (n = 230) completed reflux symptom questionnaires (response rate, 86%). RESULTS: Reflux symptoms were significantly more prevalent among parents and siblings of patients with adenocarcinoma (43% vs. 23%) and Barrett's esophagus (46% vs. 27%) than spouse control relatives. No significant difference was found for the reflux esophagitis group (33% vs. 29%). Reflux was more prevalent in siblings than spouses of patients with Barrett's esophagus (41% vs. 12%) and adenocarcinoma (40% vs. 6%), a difference that was not found with reflux esophagitis (24% vs. 32%). Reflux was associated with obesity, 41% vs. 28% in the nonobese; smoking, 45% vs. 31% in nonsmokers; and men, 39% vs. 27% in women. CONCLUSIONS: There may be a genetic predisposition to the development of reflux in families of patients with Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma. For uncomplicated reflux esophagitis, environmental factors appear more important. (Gastroenterology 1997 Nov;113(5):1449-56)
Use of Empirical Estimates of Shrinkage in Multiple Regression: A Caution

Empirical techniques to estimate the shrinkage of the sample R2 have been advocated as alternatives to analytical formulae. Although such techniques may be appropriate for estimating the coefficient of cross-validation, they do not provide accurate estimates of the population multiple correlation. The accuracy of four empirical techniques (simple cross-validation, multi-cross-validation, jackknife, and bootstrap) were investigated in a Monte Carlo study. Random samples of size 20 to 200 were drawn from a pseudopopulation of actual field data. Regression models were investigated with population coefficients of determination ranging from .04 to .50 and with numbers of regressors ranging from 2 to 10. Substantial statistical bias was evident when the shrunken R2 values were used to estimate the population squared multiple correlation. Researchers are advised to avoid the empirical techniques when the parameter of interest is the population coefficient of determination rather than the coefficient of cross-val...
Effects of nitrogen availability on pigmentation and carbon assimilation in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain SH-94–5

Because pigments of phototrophs can be involved either in photosynthesis or photoprotection, pigmentation changes in response to nutrient availability can affect how cells interact with their solar environment. We investigated the impact of nitrogen availability both on pigmentation of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain SH-94–5 and on carbon assimilation by this strain in the presence or absence of UV radiation. Pigmentation changes in strain SH-94–5 due to ammonium exhaustion included phycobiliprotein degradation, an exponential decline in chlorophyll a content, and a net increase in β-carotene. Following its replenishment, ammonium stimulated non-photosynthetic carbon assimilation for several hours prior to the resumption of photosynthesis and growth. Carbon fixation during this lag phase was concurrent with the metabolism of glycogen reserves, and it is likely that inorganic carbon was incorporated into glycogen-derived carbon skeletons primarily for amino acid synthesis. In contrast, carbon fixation was almost exclusively photosynthetic during exponential growth. UV-A radiation (320–400 nm) inhibited photosynthetic but not non-photosynthetic carbon assimilation. Only growing cells were inhibited, and the disappearance of inhibition following nitrogen depletion appeared to result from the reduction of cellular photosensitizing targets below a threshold level rather than from the inactivation of photosynthesis.
The parahydrogen conversion on palladium-silver alloy films

Abstract The para-ortho hydrogen conversion has been studied on a series of evaporated silver-palladium alloy films, of composition 50% Ag-50% Pd, 70% Ag-30% Pd, 80% Ag-20% Pd, and 100% Ag, in the temperature range 273 ° to 413 °K. Details are given for the preparation and characterization of homogeneous palladium-silver alloy films (~2000-A thickness), which were formed by controlled evaporation from palladium-silver alloy wires. X-Ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence techniques were used to analyze the films throughout the reaction vessel. The compositions were constant to within 3% over geometric film areas of 120 cm2. The activation energy for the conversion increased with silver content of the alloy, with a sharp rise between the 50% Ag and 70% Ag alloy. A linear compensation effect between the activation energy and frequency factor for the conversion on the alloy series was observed. Heats of adsorption of hydrogen on the alloy films were calculated from the pressure dependency of the reaction at constant temperature. By comparing the experimentally determined entropy changes upon adsorption with calculated values it is concluded that the adsorbed hydrogen film, on the silver-rich alloys, is mobile.
Vortex dynamics for nonlinear Klein–Gordon equation

Abstract We consider the vortex motion laws governed by the nonlinear Klein–Gordon equation. Three limits are determined when the light speed c → ∞ and ϵ → 0 . It is shown that the vortex motion law governed by the nonlinear Klein–Gordon equation is an intermediate state that connects both the Kirchhoffʼs law for the Schrodinger equation and the vortex motion law for the wave equation.
Detection of viral deoxyribonucleic acid in the amniotic fluid of low-risk pregnancies by polymerase chain reaction

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether viral deoxyribonucleic acid is detectable in the amniotic fluid of pregnancies at low risk for fetal viral infection. STUDY DESIGN: Amniotic fluid samples were prospectively collected from 277 patients. Selected primer pairs amplified deoxyribonucleic acid sequences unique to adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and parvovirus. Amplified deoxyribonucleic acid was detected by gel electrophoresis. Sensitivity of the adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes virus primers were determined by serial dilution of 10 3 PFU/ml controls. RESULTS: Of the 277 extracted samples, 243 had detectable deoxyribonucleic acid. None of these samples had detectable viral deoxyribonucleic acid by polymerase chain reaction. The sensitivity of the adenovirus primer pairs was 10 −3 PFU/ml, cytomegalovirus 10 −2 PFU/ml, and herpes simplex virus 10 −1 PFU/ml. CONCLUSION: This study did not detect viral deoxyribonucleic acid in a low-risk population, supporting the clinical significance of detecting viral deoxyribonucleic acid in pregnancies at risk for infection.
Das Auftreten von Viruspartikeln inAbutilon-Chloroplasten

The leaves ofAbutilon striatum v. Thompson infected with chlorosis proved to contain spheroid virus particles of about 800 A diameter. Each particle consisted of a central dark staining core of about 160 A. This central core is surrounded by an inner and an outer envelope. The particles are found in the cytoplasm, and there is evidence to show that virus particles are able to penetrate into the chloroplasts.
Phacoemulsification efficiency with a radiused phaco tip.

Purpose To evaluate radiused and nonradiused phacoemulsification tips to determine which tip is more efficient in removal of lens fragments using 3 ultrasound (US) modalities. Setting John A. Moran Eye Center Laboratories, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Design Experimental study. Methods Porcine lens nuclei were formalin-soaked for 2 hours or 3 hours and then divided into 2.0 mm cubes. Thirty-degree, 0.9 mm beveled radiused tips and nonradiused tips were used with torsional, transverse, and micropulsed US modalities. Bent tips were used with torsional and transversal US, and straight tips were used with micropulsed US. Efficiency (time to lens removal) and chatter (number of lens fragment repulsions from the tip) were determined. Results The mean phacoemulsification efficiency was statistically significantly decreased (increased time for removal) with the radiused tip compared with the nonradiused tip for torsional US only (2-hour soaked lenses: 2.14 seconds ± 1.94 [SD] versus 1.18 ± 0.69 seconds [ P P Conclusion The radiused tip showed decreased efficiency with torsional US only. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Production of drops of strange matter in fixed-target heavy-ion collisions

Abstract The theoretical possibility that strange matter is more stable than nuclear matter has enormous implications. It has been suggested to search for the possible formation of metastable strange matter with relatively small baryon number A, S-drops, in present fixed-target relativistiv heavy-ion collisions at BNL and CERN. In this paper we estimate the sensitivity required for the above experiments to be successful. These estimates of the production (and lifetimes) of S-drops as a function of A, strangeness, S, and electric charge, Z, should be useful in designing and evaluating searches for S-drops, s A z . For example, the production estimates for metastable S-drops with A ⪅30 indicate that they could be detected with dedicated experiments having high sensitivity. Furthermore, specific searches for metastable S-drops with Z
On the use of a sensitive indicator reaction for the automated glucose oxidase-peroxidase coupled reaction

A study into the substitution of sodium 2-hydroxy-3,5-dichlorobenzenesulfonate for phenol in the indicator reaction for an automated glucose procedure is presented. Apart from having physical properties that are more conducive to easy handling than phenol, the former material affords considerably more sensitivity than does the latter. Results obtained with either of these glucose oxidase-coupled systems demonstrate good correlation not only with each other but also with the glucose oxidase procedure of the Beckman Astra 8. Supported in part by a grant-in-aid from the Michigan Heart Association.
Aureotracin: a combination of aureomycin and bacitracin.

An insoluble compound of bacitracin and aureomycin designated aureotracin is described. The antibacterial properties of both antibiotics are preserved. In this combination the bacitracin is much less nephrotoxic than the soluble drug. This combination may be safely injected into man and produces prolonged blood and urine concentrations.
Image quality comparison of high-energy phase contrast x-ray images with low-energy conventional images: phantom studies

A significant challenge in the field of mammography that has yet to be overcome involves providing adequate image quality for detection and diagnosis, while minimizing the radiation dose to the patient. An emerging x-ray technology, high energy phase contrast imaging holds the potential to reduce the patient dose without compromising the image quality, which would benefit the early detection of breast cancer. The purpose of this preliminary study was to compare the image quality of high energy phase contrast images to conventional x-ray images at typical mammography energies. The experimental settings were selected to provide similar entrance exposures for the high and low energy images. Several phantoms were utilized in this study to provide a comprehensive image quality comparison, in an effort to investigate the clinical potential of high energy phase contrast imaging. An ACR phantom was utilized for quantitative comparison through an observer study, while a new tissue-equivalent phantom was utilized for a qualitative investigation. Finally, an acrylic-edge phantom was employed to provide an illustration of the edge enhancement in the phase contrast images as compared to the conventional images. The results from the multi-faceted comparison indicate the potential of high energy phase contrast imaging to provide comparable image quality at a similar or decreased patient dose.
Psychopharmacologic approaches to therapy for chest pain of presumed esophageal origin

Psychoactive medications have been used to manage chest pain of presumed esophageal origin, especially in syndromes associated with esophageal motor dysfunction. The rationale for their use is based on (a) the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders reported in patient groups with esophageal symptoms and minor motor dysfunction, (b) recognized psychophysiologic effects on esophageal motor activity, (c) the potential benefits that nervemodulating drugs may have on the pathogenesis of the syndromes (independent of psychiatric factors), and (d) observations from treatment trials for chronic pain—including irritable bowel syndrome, a disorder that shares some clinical features with functional esophageal chest pain. Although psychiatric factors may have interactive effects on the presentation and course of reflux disease, the use of psychoactive drugs in reflux disease has not been tested. The effects of psychoactive drugs have been systematically explored and documented in only one study. At present, the mechanisms of esophageal symptom reduction resulting from psychopharmacologic treatments are not clear, but reduced sensitivity to visceral stimuli remains one possibility.
Participation Effects on Workplace Attitudes

Increased worker autonomy and participation are being proclaimed as the foundation for economic competitiveness in the 1990s (Reich, 1991). Management has been generally favorable towards such strategies and surveys of workers also indicate widespread support (Hackman, 1990). However, trade unionists fear that these new organizations of work are, at least in part, being sponsored by management in an attempt to undermine unions and manipulate workers (Grenier, 1988; Parker, 1985). More cautious forms of this argument propose that participation schemes are initiated to extract from workers the important “working knowledge” (Kusterer, 1978) and “tricks of the trade” (Thomas, 1991; Hodson, 1991) that are often workers' resource in bargaining with management over wages and conditions. Participation schemes may also lead to the unraveling of “informal agreements” between workers and front line supervisors concerning work effort and work procedures that both labor and management would prefer to keep hidden (Thomas, 1991:8).
Growth of a highly virulent strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in mice of differing susceptibility to tuberculous challenge

Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain CDC 1551 exhibited unusually high levels of infectivity and virulence during a recent outbreak of tuberculosis in a rural community. Mice infected intravenously or aerogenically with M. tuberculosis CDC 1551 developed infections in the lungs and spleen which were almost identical with those for M. tuberculosis strains Erdman, H37Rv and Indian. There was also no significant difference in the survival rates of mice infected intravenously with CDC 1551, Erdman or H37Rv over a 3-month period. Studies designed to detect differences in the growth rates of CDC 1551 and Erdman in 3 inbred strains of mice failed to explain the high level of infectiousness and virulence expressed by CDC 1551 in human populations exposed to this organism.
Relationships of Equivalent Reflectivity Factor to the Vertical Fluxes of Mass and Kinetic Energy of Hail

Abstract A derivation is given of the relationships of the equivalent reflectivity factor to the vertical fluxes of mass and kinetic energy of hail. It is assumed that the hail is distributed with respect to size according to a truncated exponential distribution and that the hailstones possess backscattering cross sections appropriate to homogeneous ice spheres that are either dry or are coated with a thin layer of liquid water. It is shown that at certain radar wavelengths and water thicknesses the relationships found in this work have potential for accurately determining hail mass flux and kinetic energy flux from conventional radar reflectivity factor measurements. The optimum radar wavelengths are approximately 3 cm for the mass flux and 5 cm for the kinetic energy flux.
Seismic demand sensitivity of reinforced concrete shear-wall building using FOSM method

The uncertainty in the seismic demand of a structure (referred to as the engineering demand parameter, EDP) needs to be properly characterized in performance-based earthquake engineering. Uncertainties in the ground motion and in structural properties are responsible for EDP uncertainty. In this study, sensitivity of EDPs to major uncertain variables is investigated using the first-order second-moment method for a case study building. This method is shown to be simple and efficient for estimating the sensitivity of seismic demand. The EDP uncertainty induced by each uncertain variable is used to determine which variables are most significant. Results show that the uncertainties in ground motion are more significant for global EDPs, namely peak roof acceleration and displacement, and maximum inter-storey drift ratio, than those in structural properties. Uncertainty in the intensity measure (IM) of ground motion is the dominant variable for uncertainties in local EDPs such as the curvature demand at critical cross-sections. Conditional sensitivity of global and local EDPs given IM is also estimated. It is observed that the combined effect of uncertainties in structural properties is more significant than uncertainty in ground motion profile at lower IM levels, while the opposite is true at higher IM levels. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Raising The Insanity Defense: A Comparison Of Rates In Jurisdictions With Differing Insanity Commitment Release Laws

The use of the insanity plea for felony offenses in 18 counties in various parts of the United States is the focus of the study reported here. Two research hypotheses were tested: one predicted that use of the insanity defense would be less frequent in jurisdictions with indeterminate commitments after a successful insanity defense; a second predicted that the insanity defense would be used least frequently for relatively minor offenses in jurisdictions with indeterminate commitments after acquittal for insanity. Neither hypothesis is supported by these findings. The authors conclude that factors other than the laws governing release after a successful insanity plea affect the rate of use. This research shows that variation across study counties was great, and that reporting of statewide rates masks these large differences. Further, this study shows distinct regional variation in the use of the insanity plea, which is associated with degree of urbanization.
Nonthermal pasteurization of liquid foods using high‐intensity pulsed electric fields

Processing foods with high-intensity pulsed electric fields (PEF) is a new technology to inactivate microorganisms and enzymes with only a small increase in food temperature. The appearance and quality of fresh foods are not altered by the application of PEF, while microbial inactivation is caused by irreversible pore formation and destruction of the semipermeable barrier of the cell membrane. High-intensity PEF provides an excellent alternative to conventional thermal methods, where the inactivation of the microorganisms implies the loss of valuable nutrients and sensory attributes. This article presents recent advances in the PEF technology, including microbial and enzyme inactivation, generation of pulsed high voltage, processing chambers, and batch and continuous systems, as well as the theory and its application to food pasteurization. PEF technology has the potential to improve economical and efficient use of energy, as well as provide consumers with minimally processed, microbiologically safe, nutritious and freshlike food products.
Preintubation Application of Oral Chlorhexidine Does Not Provide Additional Benefit in Prevention of Early-Onset Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

BACKGROUND Daily application of oral chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) following intubation to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is now the standard of care in many ICUs. This randomized clinical trial evaluated the benefit of adding a preintubation CHX dose to the known benefit of postintubation CHX to reduce the risk of early-onset VAP. A secondary aim was to test the effect of a preintubation oral application of CHX on early endotracheal tube (ETT) colonization. METHODS Subjects (N = 314) were recruited from two teaching hospitals and were randomly assigned to oral application of 5 mL CHX 0.12% solution before intubation (intervention group, n = 157), or to a control group (n = 157) who received no CHX before intubation. All subjects received CHX bid after intubation. Groups were compared using a repeated-measures model with Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS) as the response variable. In a planned subset of subjects, ETTs were cultured at extubation. RESULTS Application of a preintubation dose of CHX did not provide benefit over the intervention period beyond that afforded by daily oral CHX following intubation. ETT colonization at extubation was CONCLUSIONS Although it is feasible to deliver CHX prior to intubation (including emergent or urgent intubation), the results suggest that preintubation CHX may be inconsequential when the ventilator bundle, including daily oral CHX, is in place. During the preintubation period, providers should focus their attention on other critical activities. TRIAL REGISTRY ClinicalTrials.gov ; No.: NCT00893763; URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
Holding the present and future accountable to the past : History and the maturation of clinical ethics as a field of the humanities

Clinical ethics, like bioethics more generally, until recently has tended to focus on the present and future, with little attention to the history of moral thought about health care that preceded bioethics. As a consequence, clinical ethics and bioethics lack maturity as fields of the humanities. The papers in this year's clinical ethics issue of the Journal put contemporary clinical ethics in critical dialogue with the past, making the former accountable to the latter. The six papers in this issue of the Journal are briefly described, with an emphasis on how they contribute to the maturation of clinical ethics as a field of the humanities.
Comparison of surface contour measurements based on speckle pattern sampling and coordinate measuring machines

A noncontact 3D imaging technique based on tunable lasers is investigated to assess its performance compared to commercially available methods. In this technique, an object is flood illuminated by an external cavity tunable diode laser. As the laser frequency is scanned, the time-varying speckle-intensity pattern provides information about the depth of the scattering object. The patterns are recorded with a CCD camera, and the object's height profile is then extracted from the 3D fast Fourier transform. This paper presents the first quantitative comparison of results using this technique with those from a well-known standard instrument--the coordinate measuring machine. The object used for the comparison is a pressed sheet-metal part with dimensions of approximately 1-- by 100 by 20 mm. We found the standard deviation (sigma) of the difference between the two profiles to be less than 0.2 (Delta) z, where (Delta) z is the raw range resolution of the speckle-pattern-sampling technique.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Immunohistochemical study of the expression of EXON11-containing μ opioid receptor variants in mouse brain

Abstract The cloned μ opioid receptor MOR-1 undergoes alternative splicing. Extensive 3′-splicing downstream from exon 3 leads to a number of C-terminal splice variants that are differentially expressed within the CNS. Recently, 5′-splicing has been observed with eight additional variants containing exon 11, a new exon located approximately 10 kb upstream from exon 1 that is under the control of a different promoter located even further upstream. Three of these variants generate the same protein as MOR-1 itself, but under the control of the new exon 11 promoter. Three variants in which exon 11 is translated have been identified within the brain, including MOR-1G, MOR-1M and MOR-1N. The present paper defines immunohistochemically the distribution of these variants using an exon 11-specific antiserum. The expression of exon 11-like immunoreactivity (-LI) was seen primarily in the olfactory tubercle, caudate-putamen, globus pallidus and substantia nigra. We did not observe exon 11-LI in a number of regions expressing MOR-1. Within the caudate-putamen, the general pattern of labeling was diffuse, in contrast to the pattern seen with an exon 4-generated antiserum that labels MOR-1 itself. However, we did observe in the caudate-putamen co-expression of exon 4- and exon 11-LI in cells that were apposed to dopaminergic terminals. These results provide new insights regarding the potential physiological significance of these exon 11-containing variants.
INTEGRATED PROJECT SCHEDULING AND MATERIAL PLANNING WITH VARIABLE ACTIVITY DURATION AND REWARDS

Integrating project scheduling and material ordering adds more realism to project scheduling and considers additional trade-offs that could lead to reductions in the overall project cost. In this paper we review the evolution of the integrated problem, and investigate the impact of treating the activity duration as a decision variable on the activities schedule and materials plan. The effects of introducing rewards (penalties) for early (late) completion as well as materials quantity discounts on the project schedule and cost are also considered- These additions provide scheduling flexibility that might lead to further reduction in the project's total cost or makespan. Considering the various project costs, we found that there exists an optimal schedule that either starts as early as possible (ai time zero) or completes as late as possible. We also show that if the project starts at time zero, then its duration cannot be longer than that for the case where the schedule ends as late as possible. Ft is also...
Effect of glyphosate on auxin transport in corn and cotton tissues.

Basipetal auxin transport in 6-day-old dark-grown corn coleoptiles was severely inhibited by increasing levels of glyphosate applied during the transport period.The velocity of basipetal transport of [(14)C]indoleacetic acid in hypocotyls from 7-day-old cotton seedlings was significantly reduced when sublethal doses of glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] were applied to the cotyledonary leaves 24 hours before transport measurement. Simultaneous application of glyphosate and indoleacetic acid during transport measurement had no effect on basipetal transport in cotton hypocotyl sections.Slowing of transport was inversely proportional to the dosage applied to both species.
Understanding Side Chain Conformational Variability in Proteins

We present an advanced Monte Carlo method to generate protein side chain conformational ensembles to understand how ensemble properties like entropy can explain the improvement of a marginally performing enzyme. The Monte-Carlo Side Chain Entropy (MC-SCE) method combines the power of knowledge based rotamer libraries and a physics based all-atom force field (Amberff99SB+GB+HPMF) to describe side chain rotamer statistics under cooperative packing. The method was validated by comparing it's prediction with alternate side chain configurations seen in high-resolution X-ray crystal structures as well as χ1 J-coupling constants determined from solution NMR for a large set of proteins. Furthermore, it was observed that side chain entropy can be crucial in identifying native folds from a set of decoys. We have applied the MC-SCE method to understand the two-order improvement in catalytic activity of the designed KE07 enzyme by directed evolution. Currently, there is no rationale behind most of the mutations made and cause for catalytic efficiency that is observed. MC-SCE calculations on KE07 through the rounds of directed evolution suggest a systematic rigidification of the protein scaffold manifested in side chain entropy values and decorrelated motions with the catalytic residue quantified with mutual information. Finally, I will talk about how the MC-SCE analysis can be used to predict further mutations that improve biocatalytic performance.
Extreme points of some classes of analytic functions with positive real part and a prescribed set of coefficients

Let P denote the set of functions f(z) = i + a1z + a2z2 +… that are analytic in the unit disc and satisfy Re f (z)> 0 for |x|< 1. Let Bn={b1, b2,…bn:|bk|< 1, k=1,2,…, n) where n is a natural number, and let P(Bn)={f ∊ P : ak=2bk, k=1,…,n}. We prove that the set of extreme points of P(Bn) consists exactly of the functions of the form where .
Local-regional control in breast cancer patients with a possible genetic predisposition.

Abstract Purpose: Local control rates for breast cancer in genetically predisposed women are poorly defined. Because such a small percentage of breast cancer patients have proven germline mutations, surrogates, such as a family history for breast cancer, have been used to examine this issue. The purpose of this study was to evaluate local-regional control following breast conservation therapy (BCT) in patients with bilateral breast cancer and a breast cancer family history. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively reviewed records of all 58 patients with bilateral breast cancer and a breast cancer family history treated in our institution between 1959 and 1998. The primary surgical treatment was a breast-conserving procedure in 55 of the 116 breast cancer cases and a mastectomy in 61. The median follow-up was 68 months for the BCT patients and 57 months for the mastectomy-treated patients. Results: Eight local-regional recurrences occurred in the 55 cases treated with BCT, resulting in 5- and 10-year actuarial local-regional control rates of 86% and 76%, respectively. In the nine cases that did not receive radiation as a component of their BCT, four developed local-regional recurrences (5- and 10-year local-regional control rates of BCT without radiation: 49% and 49%). The 5- and 10-year actuarial local-regional control rates for the 46 cases treated with BCT and radiation were 94% and 83%, respectively. In these cases, there were two late local recurrences, developing at 8 years and 9 years, respectively. A log rank comparison of radiation versus no radiation actuarial data was significant at p = 0.009. In the cases treated with BCT, a multivariate analysis of radiation use, patient age, degree of family history, margin status, and stage revealed that only the use of radiation was associated with improved local control (Cox regression analysis p = 0.021). The 10-year actuarial rates of local-regional control following mastectomy with and without radiation were 91% and 89%, respectively. Conclusions: Patients with a possible genetic predisposition to breast cancer had low 5-year rates of local recurrence when treated with breast conserving surgery and radiation, but the local failure rate exceeded 50% when radiation was omitted. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that patients with an underlying genetic predisposition develop cancers with radiosensitive phenotypes.
872 CLONING OF cDNA ENCODING HUMAN STEROID 21-HYDROXYLASE

Deficiency of steroid 21-hydroxylase (21-OH), a cytochrome P-450, is the most common cause of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. It is inherited as a monogenic autosomal recessive trait closely linked to the HLA major histocompatibility complex. We previously used a bovine cDNA clone encoding 21-OH to show that certain patients with 21-OH deficiency carry a deletion involving a 21-OH structural gene. We have now isolated a nearly full length clone encoding 21-OH from a human fetal adrenal cDNA library. This library was constructed by David Russell using the Okayama-Berg system, which tends to yield full-length copies. The library was screened by colony hybridization with the bovine cDNA clone encoding 21-OH, yielding about 0.5% positive colonies. One colony contained an insert of about 2000 base pairs (bp), which was short of a full length copy by about 200 bp corresponding to the 5' end of the mRNA. This clone hybridizes strongly to two Taq I fragments of 3.2 and 3.7 kbp in human genomic DNA, and mapping of cosmid clones shows that these fragments correspond to two 21-OH genes. The 3.7 kbp fragment is deleted on all chromosomes carrying 21-OH deficiency and the HLA haplotype A3;Bw47;DR7, and is also deleted on about 20% of other chromosomes carrying 21-OH deficiency. The 3.2 kbp band is deleted in hormonally normal individuals carrying HLA-A1;B8;DR3, and the corresponding gene may therefore not be active in the adrenal gland. This cDNA clone may be useful in the prenatal diagnosis of 21-OH deficiency.
Non-national Englishes and Their Alternatives: Academics and the Internet in Tunisia

This article challenges the categorisation of English into national forms, arguing that this obscures differences in usage within a nation and ignores genres and registers that exist around the world. Further, I suggest that in addition to examining the spread of English around the world, scholars should study the ubiquity of various discourses that span multiple languages. Based on research carried out in Tunisia, and using the examples from academia, and the Internet, I argue that what is linguistically important about these examples is not the language used, but the global discourses and language ideologies of which they are a part. Whatever language Tunisians use in these discourses, Arabic, French, or English, they use them in similar ways, so that there is standardisation despite linguistic diversity. Frequently, power resides in the mastery of the discourse, rather than mastery of a language.
Determination of 4,6‐Dinitro‐o‐set‐butylphenol Residues in Fruits and Almonds by Electron‐Capture Gas Chromatography

SUMMARY— A procedure for the analysis of 4,6-dinitro-o-set-butylphenol (DNOSBP) in fruits and almonds by electron-capture gas chromatography is described. The alkanolamine salts of DNOSBP are converted to DNOSBP with acid prior to extraction with benzene. The extracted DNOSBP is then cleaned-up by column chromatography, methylated with diazomethane, and analyzed as the methyl ether. The overall average recovery of DNOSBP residues on almonds, cherries, peaches, and apricots (fortified with 0.01–0.5 ppm DNOSBP) was 90%.
Generation of programmable passband chirped electrical pulses using optical interferometry

We present a novel optical interferometric strategy to generate arbitrary linear/nonlinear frequency-chirped electrical pulses with widely tunable center frequency. The Time-Bandwidth Product of these waveforms is twice that of current counterpart techniques.
The effects of age and relatedness on mating patterns in thornbug treehoppers: inbreeding avoidance or inbreeding tolerance?

The social environment of many species includes synchronous maturation of siblings in family groups, followed by limited dispersal of adults from their natal site. Under these conditions, females may experience high encounter rates with same-age siblings during mate searching, increasing their risk of inbreeding. If inbreeding depression occurs, mating with a sibling is often considered maladaptive; however, in some contexts, the inclusive fitness benefits of inbreeding may outweigh the costs, favoring females that tolerate some level of inbreeding depression. We evaluated mating patterns in the treehopper Umbonia crassicornis, a semelparous species in which females encounter same-age siblings during mate searching. A female U. crassicornis that mates with a brother suffers from inbreeding depression. We used a free-choice mating design that offered females simultaneous mating opportunities with three groups of males: siblings, same-age nonsiblings, and older nonsiblings. These groups represent the types of males typically encountered by females during mate searching. Our goal was to assess whether mating patterns were influenced by inbreeding avoidance by evaluating two hypotheses: kin discrimination and age-based mating (older males cannot be siblings in this species). There was no difference in the proportions of females mating with siblings vs nonsiblings, suggesting an absence of kin discrimination. However, females mated with a greater proportion of older vs younger males. Given that females do not avoid siblings as mates despite a cost to inbreeding, our results provide a possible example of inbreeding tolerance. We also discuss some factors that may have contributed to the mating advantage of older males.
Role of Formaldehyde in the Utilization of C1 Compounds via the Ribulose Monophosphate Cycle

Summary Formaldehyde, an intermediate in methanol oxidation, plays an important role in controlling methanol utilization by microorganisms which fix carbon via the ribulose monophosphate (RMP) cycle. The extracellular formaldehyde concentration profiles in batch cultures at low and high starting methanol concentrations with and without the presence of semicarbazide in the media, suggest the role played by formaldehyde. The impact of formaldehyde on growth is demonstrated by the time dependent and the initial methanol concentration-dependent cell-mass-yield coefficient. Kinetic studies of the enzymes involved in the oxidation and incorporation of C, units suggest that enzyme inhibition cannot account for the observed growth inhibition. A mechanism is proposed to explain methanol and formaldehyde utilization that stresses the transcriptional regulation of mass flow around formaldehyde in assimilation and oxidation pathways through repression and induction.
Multi-component contingent auction (MCCA): a procurement mechanism for dynamic formation of supply networks

In this paper, we propose a procurement mechanism for selecting optimal supplier combination when the suppliers have interoperability and cost dependency issue. The proposed mechanism, named Multi-Component Contingent Auction(MCCA), guarantees that the outcome is the combination of the suppliers with the minimum total cost who can work together. The core of the MCCA is a special form of bid: contingent bid. Contingent bids provide the suppliers with a way to express incompatibility and cost dependency. Suppliers can also implement a package bid by submitting multiple contingent bids. Therefore, the MCCA can be considered as a super set of the combinatorial auction.A major problem in the MCCA is the number of computations required for winner determination. We propose a winner determination algorithm that alleviates this computational burden and compare its performance with the depth-first tree search algorithm.
Colonization of the neonatal rat intestinal tract from environmental exposure to the anaerobic bacterium Oxalobacter formigenes.

Oxalobacter formigenes, an anaerobic bacterium that inhabits the mammalian gastrointestinal tract, has an important symbiotic relationship with its vertebrate hosts by regulating oxalic acid homeostasis. Epidemiological studies of O. formigenes colonization in man have shown that colonization occurs in young children, that every child can become colonized naturally, that >20 % lose colonization during adolescence or as adults and that stable colonization can be disrupted by antibiotic use or changes in diet, greatly affecting subsequent health. As O. formigenes is a fastidious anaerobe that seldom re-colonizes adults, the question arises as to how initial colonization occurs. To investigate this question, non-colonized female laboratory rats were placed on diets high in oxalate and were colonized by oesophageal gavage with O. formigenes either before or after being impregnated. Faecal specimens from their offspring were tested for the presence of O. formigenes. Although the bacterium was first detected in a few neonates as early as 7 days post-partum, colonization of all the offspring did not occur until after weaning. In each case, the offspring were colonized with the bacterial strain carried by their mothers. To determine whether O. formigenes colonization occurs vertically or horizontally, newborn rats were placed with foster mothers that were either non-colonized or colonized with an O. formigenes strain different from that of their natural mothers. Colonization occurred temporally in a manner similar to natural colonization but all offspring became colonized only with the O. formigenes strain of the foster mothers. These data indicate that intestinal colonization occurs horizontally, but does not answer the question of how O. formigenes survives the aerobic environment in order to be transmitted.
Book Review: Understanding Situated Literacy Practices: Verisimilitude, Contingency, and Understatement

Although this is a review of Judy Kalman's Writing on the Plaza: Mediated Literacy Practices Among Scribes and Clients in Mexico City, I begin byway of a detour through the world of contemporary film. Not long before reading Writing on the Plaza, I had seen David Lynch's film The Straight Story (Sweeney & Lynch, 1999). As I read Writing on the Plaza, my mind kept racing back and forth between the book and the film. The Straight Story is a documentary written in an ethnographic style reminiscent of pioneering educational ethnographies such as Shirley Brice Heath's Ways With Words. Based on a real event in the life of a real person, the film chronicles Alvin Straight's 6-week trek across parts of Iowa and Wisconsin on a 1966 John Deere lawnmower to visit his
Electric fields induced in cells in the bodies of amateur radio operators by their transmitting antennas

In this paper, an analytical study is made to determine the electric field induced in cells in the bodies of amateur radio operators by radiation from their respective transmitting antennas. Three types of antennas are considered and the electric field from each in the transmitting room of the operator is calculated. The electric field induced in the bodies of the operators is obtained with a cylindrical approximation of the body. The electric field induced in a cell in the central cross section of the body at f=60 MHz when the antenna radiates 1 kW is found to be as high as 50 V/m when the cell is near the surface. Due to skin effect, the field is much smaller in the interior of the body.
The situated critic or the loyal critic? Rorty and Walzer on social criticism

This article addresses the question whether the model of social criticism as 'connected' or 'loyal' which is advanced by Richard Rorty and Michael Walzer offers an adequate picture of social critic...
Characteristics associated with clinician diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia: a descriptive study of afflicted patients and their outcomes.

Background Aspiration pneumonia is a common disease, although less well characterized than other pneumonia syndromes.
Functions of DNA methylation: islands, start sites, gene bodies and beyond

DNA methylation is frequently described as a 'silencing' epigenetic mark, and indeed this function of 5-methylcytosine was originally proposed in the 1970s. Now, thanks to improved genome-scale mapping of methylation, we can evaluate DNA methylation in different genomic contexts: transcriptional start sites with or without CpG islands, in gene bodies, at regulatory elements and at repeat sequences. The emerging picture is that the function of DNA methylation seems to vary with context, and the relationship between DNA methylation and transcription is more nuanced than we realized at first. Improving our understanding of the functions of DNA methylation is necessary for interpreting changes in this mark that are observed in diseases such as cancer.