cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physiological Characterization of Root Zn2+ Absorption and Translocation to Shoots in Zn Hyperaccumulator and Nonaccumulator Species of Thlaspi

Radiotracer techniques were employed to characterize 65Zn2+ influx into the root symplasm and translocation to the shoot in Thlaspi caerulescens, a Zn hyperaccumulator, and Thlaspi arvense, a nonaccumulator. A protocol was developed that allowed us to quantify unidirectional 65Zn2+ influx across the root-cell plasma membrane (20 min of radioactive uptake followed by 15 min of desorption in a 100 [mu]M ZnCl2 + 5 mM CaCl2 solution). Concentration-dependent Zn2+ influx in both Thlaspi species yielded nonsaturating kinetic curves that could be resolved into linear and saturable components. The linear kinetic component was shown to be cell-wall-bound Zn2+ remaining in the root after desorption, and the saturable component was due to Zn2+ influx across the root-cell plasma membrane. This saturable component followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics, with similar apparent Michaelis constant values for T. caerulescens and T. arvense (8 and 6 [mu]M, respectively). However, the maximum initial velocity for Zn2+ influx in T. caerulescens root cells was 4.5-fold higher than for T. arvense, indicating that enhanced absorption into the root is one of the mechanisms involved in Zn hyperaccumulation. After 96 h 10-fold more 65Zn was translocated to the shoot of T. caerulescens compared with T. arvense. This indicates that transport sites other than entry into the root symplasm are also stimulated in T. caerulescens. We suggest that although increased root Zn2+ influx is a significant component, transport across the plasma membrane and tonoplast of leaf cells must also be critical sites for Zn hyperaccumulation in T. caerulescens.
Three Questions in Gromov-Witten Theory

Three conjectural directions in Gromov-Witten theory are discussed: Goren­ stein properties, BPS states, and Virasoro constraints. Each points to basic structures in the subject which are not yet understood.
A numerical study of periodically forced flows using a spectral-projection method

Recent experiments (Weisberg, Kevrekidis & Smits 1997) have demonstrated that the centrifugal instability leading to Taylor vortex flow can be controlled by harmonic oscillations of the inner cylinder in the axial direction. Marques & Lopez (1997) used linear Floquet analysis to study the control of the instability for the flow between two infinite length co-axial cylinders. However, nonlinear end-wall effects have not been investigated previously for the physically realistic case of finite length co-axial cylinders. In this paper, we use an accurate and efficient spectral-projection scheme for the nonlinear axisymmetric Navier-Stokes equations to examine the endwalls effects and the breaking of space-time symmetries.
An efficient method for performing record deletions and updates using index scans

We present a method for efficiently performing deletions and updates of records when the records to be deleted or updated are chosen by a range scan on an index. The traditional method involves numerous unnecessary lock calls and traversals of the index from root to leaves, especially when the qualifying records' keys span more than one leaf page of the index. Customers have suffered performance losses from these inefficiencies and have complained about them. Our goal was to minimize the number of interactions with the lock manager, and the number of page fixes, comparison operations and, possibly, I/Os. Some of our improvements come from increased synergy between the query planning and data manager components of a DBMS. Our patented method has been implemented in DB2 V7 to address specific customer requirements. It has also been done to improve performance on the TPC-H benchmark.
Contraceptive practices of wives of obstetricians.

Abstract A mail survey of a sample of the wives of obstetrician-gynecologists in New York state was conducted in 1972 to investigate changing contraceptive practices. This group was of special interest because it represented women with the best access to the most sophisticated information on contraception. Demographic and attitudinal data, collected from the physicians in an earlier survey, were related to the contraceptive preferences of their wives. Among the physicians' wives who were using contraception reported usage was: oral contraceptive, 27 per cent; intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD), 23 per cent; diaphragm, 14 per cent; condom, 12 per cent; foam, douche, withdrawal, or rhythm, 15 per cent; voluntary sterilization (tubal ligation or vasectomy), 9 per cent. These figures reflect a reported decrease in pill usage from 2 years ago and an increase in the use of the IUD. Among the 64 per cent of physicians who, in a prior survey, said they recommended the pill to their patients post abortion, 28 per cent of their own wives were using it, while among the 12 per cent who had recommended the IUD, 52 per cent of their own wives were using the IUD. A surprisingly large percentage of the wives reported the diaphragm or condom as their means of contraception relative to their husbands' recommendation of these methods. While approximately half of the obstetricians' wives depended on the pill or IUD for contraception, the 1970 National Fertility Survey indicated that only a quarter of white women age 30 to 44 used either of these two methods. This latter group showed a considerably higher tendency to use voluntary sterilization. The contraceptive usage of both groups differs from the general recommendations of the obstetric profession which, in the majority, favors the pill. This would indicate that other, more individual factors operate in determining a woman's contraceptive choice.
Genetic Differentiation by Nucleic Acid Homology I. Relationships Among Mycoplasma Species of Man

Reich, Paul R. (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.), Norman L. Somerson, Carol J. Hybner, Robert M. Chanock, and Sherman M. Weissman. Genetic differentiation by nucleic acid homology. I. Relationships among Mycoplasma species of man. J. Bacteriol. 92:302-310. 1966.—Genetic relatedness among human mycoplasmas was evaluated by measuring the amount of nucleic acid hybrid retained on a membrane filter. Hybrids were formed from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) derived from representative strains of seven serologically distinct human Mycoplasma species. The results indicate that serologically distinct human Mycoplasma species can also be distinguished by the homology techniques. Low-level cross-reactivity was observed among nucleic acids derived from the seven species. Genetic heterogeneity was demonstrated among three strains of M. salivarium and between two strains of M. orale type 2. In contrast, comparison of three strains and three passage levels of M. pneumoniae revealed them to be indistinguishable. M. pneumoniae appears to be the most distinct of all human mycoplasmas, as shown by both homology and the high buoyant density value of its DNA. Nucleic acids from mycoplasmas which had identical buoyant densities were in some cases differentiable. Mycoplasmas with different DNA buoyant densities were invariably distinguishable by the homology technique.
Theoretical Studies of Electron Impact Excitation of Positive Ions

Electron impact excitation of impurity ions is a dominant mechanism for producing the radiation emitted by CTR-type plasmas.1 In addition, the relative intensities of impurity lines excited by electron impact provide a sensitive diagnostic of temperature and density in the plasma. For the densities and temperatures found in magnetically confined plasmas we can assume, as a good approximation, that the ions behave as if they were isolated, and thus neglect any plasma effects on either their structure or their interactions with electrons.
Gene activation during early stages of lens induction in Xenopus

Several stages in the lens determination process have been defined, though it is not known which gene products control these events. At mid-gastrula stages in Xenopus, ectoderm is transiently competent to respond to lens-inducing signals. Between late gastrula and neural tube stages, the presumptive lens ectoderm acquires a lens-forming bias, becomes specified to form lens and begins differentiation. Several genes have been identified, either by expression pattern, mutant phenotype or involvement in crystallin gene regulation, that may play a role in lens bias and specification, and we focus on these roles here. Fate mapping shows that the transcriptional regulators Otx-2, Pax-6 and Sox-3 are expressed in the presumptive lens ectoderm prior to lens differentiation. Otx-2 appears first, followed by Pax-6, during the stages of lens bias (late neural plate stages); expression of Sox-3 follows neural tube closure and lens specification. We also demonstrate the expression of these genes in competent ectoderm transplanted to the lens-forming region. Expression of these genes is maintained or activated preferentially in ectoderm in response to the anterior head environment. Finally, we examined activation of these genes in response to early and late lens-inducing signals. Activation of Otx-2, Pax-6 and Sox-3 in competent ectoderm occurs in response to the early inducing tissue, the anterior neural plate. Since Sox-3 is activated following neural tube closure, we tested its dependence on the later inducing tissue, the optic vesicle, which contacts lens ectoderm at this stage. Sox-3 is not expressed in lens ectoderm, nor does a lens form, when the optic vesicle anlage is removed at late neural plate stages. Expression of these genes demarcates patterning events preceding differentiation and is tightly coupled to particular phases of lens induction.
Applications of terahertz imaging

The recent advances involving imaging with sub-picosecond terahertz pulses have opened up a wide range of possibilities in the applications of far-infrared technology. For the first time, a commercially viable terahertz imaging spectrometer seems a realizable prospect. However, several substantial engineering research challenges remain to be overcome before this goal can be achieved. One of these involves the necessity for a femtosecond laser system, required for gating the emitter and receiver antennas used in the THz-TDS system. The demonstration experiments performed to date have employed rather crude signal processing algorithms. The shortcomings of these are evident in some of the results presented here, highlighting the need for a more sophisticated treatment.
Mucosal tissue injury in cancer therapy. More than muscositis and mouthwash.

purpose: The purpose of this article is as follows: 1) to describe the characteristics and scope of mucosal tissue injury associated with cancer treatment; 2) to discuss recent advances in related basic and clinical science; and 3) to articulate research needs and opportunities to be addressed through collaborative interdisciplinary research. overview: Mucosal tissue injury is both a direct and indirect consequence of cancer therapy, with manifestations that include damage and a number of other potentially serious sequelae. Current research in mucosal tissue injury is focused on the biology, immunology, and genetics of mucosal injury; clinical problems; assessment and management; and processes and outcomes of care. clinical implications: Results from these various areas of research enhance the understanding of the mechanisms of mucosal tissue injury, provide direction for the development of policy and for clinical practice, and help to define research needs and opportunities. Future research on the complex process of mucosal tissue injury will be interdisciplinary and will cross the boundaries among basic, translational, and clinical science.
Fiction and the Ontological Landscape

The paper examines fictional ontologies in relation to the distinction between sacred and profane ontologies. This distinction suggests that most cultures organize their worldview into various ontological landscapes. Several types of such landscapes are examined and fiction is characterized as a peripheral ontology used for ludic and instructional purposes. This article is available in Studies in 20th Century Literature: http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol6/iss1/8 FICTION AND THE ONTOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE* THOMAS G. PAVEL Universite du Quebec a Montreal Towards the end of the XVIIIth century, a new cosmology was quite established in the European scientific milieux and was constantly conquering new social territories. Earlier, Fontenelle described the pleasure and amazement with which a narrow French elite came in touch with the recent astronomy. The Christian cosmology was far from dead, however. At the very end of the century, the enormous success of Haydn's oratorio, The Creation, an enthusiastic, open celebration of the old cosmology, cannot be attributed only to the beauty of the music. Indeed, in defiance of the musical conventions of the period, The Creation relates the music to the libretto in an almost literal way. Should one think that the public was enjoying the oratorio despite its cosmology or because of it? At least some of the contemporary admirers of Haydn must have heard of the new theories about the planets moving around the sun. They must have been peripherally aware of a certain cosmology, while keeping their central commitments to an entirely different one, similar to a child who at the age when it becomes more and more obvious that Santa Claus doesn't exist, still clings to his old beliefs, while marginally sensing that his convictions may be obsolete. Would thus the utter enjoyment of Haydn's Creation, libretto included,' represent a case of playful ontological regression? Could it be that, conversely, in other cases artistic fiction conveys ontological anticipation? Think of the godless world of some of Marlowe's plays, or of the attributeless characters of Musil. It is clear from such examples that the referential framework posited by literary or more generally by artistic fiction does 149 1 Pavel: Fiction and the Ontological Landscape Published by New Prairie Press 150 STCL., Vol. 6, Numbers 1&2 (Fall, 1981Spring, 1982) not necessarily function by virtue of the ontological structure attributed to the actual world. On the contrary, in many cases, the ontology of fiction enters into complex conflictual relationships with actual ontologies. Our questions will be: how should we understand such conflicts? how are they solved? what are the consequences of these conflicts and their solutions for literary theory?
APPLICATION OF FUZZY LOGIC IN PARAMETER DESIGN AND QUALITY CONTROL — A CASE STUDY ON A TURNING PROCESS

Parameter design has been an effective technique for quality improvement. One of the goals of parameter design for a manufacturing process is to manipulate process parameters to produce an acceptable quality level for the desired quality characteristic. This research explores the concept of implementing parameter design for a turning process using fuzzy logic as an alternative approach for parameter design and quality control. A fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is proposed to manipulate process parameters to find the proper setting for the desired part quality. In this research, we focus on a turning process with surface finish as the desired quality characteristic. The proposed FLC manipulates the most influential parameter, feed rate, while holding other parameters constant to find the proper setting of the parameters necessary for the level of surface finish required by the part. The proposed FLC is found to be an effective method for implementing parameter design for a turning process. In addition, the FLC is shown to be a robust tool through its ability to handle two types of material and two different tool geometries.
Synchronously pumped double mode-locking of a rhodamine 6G-Cresyl violet mixture

Rhodamine 6G-Cresyl violet dye mixtures are synchronously pumped to obtain double mode-locking. Subpicosecond pulses are obtained at two wavelengths in an experimental setup that is easy to implement into existing conventional synchronously pumped systems. In addition, the excitation mechanisms of the secondary dye are discussed and evidence for resonant energy transfer is presented.
Diffraction of Spherical Scalar Waves by an Infinite Half-Plane

A theoretical discussion of the problem of diffraction of spherical scalar waves incident upon a thin black infinite half-plane, which makes use of Maggi’s transformation, has previously appeared in the literature. However, previous treatments have been limited solely to the diffracted component. From the results of previous investigators a simple expression for the total energy distribution, which is suitable for computational purposes, is derived. The results are shown to reduce to Kirchhoff’s formulation of the same problem, for field points not far removed from the shadow-boundary-plane. A rapid approximation method, applicable to the cases of plane and cylindrical waves, is also given. Experimental results were obtained from a photometer employing a refrigerated multiplier phototube. It is shown that the theoretical and experimental intensity distributions agree only when the radius of the point source aperture becomes indefinitely small. Tests with metallic and nonmetallic screens indicate that the nature of the edge of the diffracting screen (for points far removed from the screen) is of minor importance. Possibly of somewhat greater significance, but yet minor, is the nature of the body of the diffracting screen, a metallic screen tending to displace the fringes toward the shadow-boundary-plane.
Dependence of the H-mode power threshold on toroidal plasma rotation in the DIII-D tokamak

The power required to induce the transition from L-mode to H-mode plasmas (L-H transition) is dependent on the applied beam torque and the edge toroidal plasma rotation. For upper single null discharges in which the ion grad-B drift is away from the X-point, the L-H transition power threshold is reduced by nearly a factor of 3 by changing from predominantly co-injection (~6 MW) to predominantly counter-injection (~2.2 MW). A similar, but less prominent dependence is observed in lower single null discharges, in which the ion grad-B drift is towards the X-point, where the power threshold is reduced by nearly a factor of 2. Over a similar torque range of 2.0 Nm to -0.5 Nm, the USN discharges exhibit a reduction in threshold power of over 50% and the LSN cases show a power reduction of about 30%. The threshold power decreases with decreasing edge toroidal rotation and, at low edge toroidal rotation, large changes in the shear of the poloidal velocity of the edge turbulent eddies are observed prior to the L-H transition that may be strong enough to induce the transition. For the first time, the L-H transition has been induced at constant input power below the nominal threshold power by reducing the input torque from all co-beams to balanced beams. The variation in threshold power with applied torque is not found to be dependent on the ion orbit losses in the plasma.
Developments and challenges in rotorcraft aerodynamics

This paper is a review of rotorcraft Computational Fluid Dynamics (CID) in the light of the major unsolved problems, and some prospects and solution philosophy for solving them. A brief summary of unsolved problems concludes that the most important of these is that of predicting the rotor wake. This is because of the importance of the wake problem (for predicting acoustics, performance and vibrational loading) and because of continuing solution difficulties that ate related to grid size. Resolution of small scales (vortex core or viscous lengths) results in a grid whose size is impracticably large. An alternate approach is to explicitly enforce a core model (rather than accept an implicit model that results from the discretization of a chosen partial differential equation PDE and is subject to numerical dissipation). Examples of this enforced-model approach are “vortex embedding” and “vorticity confinement” and these are discussed in some detail. It is shown that these methods have the ability to represent both wakes and body surfaces and are a basis for a new type of model development. Until such methods are developed (and/or much more powerful computers and solvers become available) the working role of CFD must remain in the less grid-intensive applications, such as local blade-flow solvers coupled to comprehensive codes. Even for these local problems, much development is required.
Benzalkonium chloride induces dephosphorylation of Myosin light chain in cultured corneal epithelial cells.

PURPOSE. Phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) is essential for the contractility of the actin cytoskeleton, which regulates barrier integrity, adhesion, and migration. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of benzalkonium chloride (BAK), a preservative in topical ophthalmic formulations, on MLC phosphorylation in primary cultures of bovine corneal epithelial cells (BCECs). METHODS. MLC phosphorylation was assessed by urea-glycerol gel electrophoresis followed by Western blot analysis. Activation of RhoA, which inhibits MLC phosphatase through Rho kinase, was examined by immunoprecipitation. The release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was measured by the luciferase-luciferin bioluminescence technique. RESULTS. Positive expression of MLC kinase (MLCK) was found at the mRNA and protein levels by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Exposure to BAK for 10 to 20 minutes at concentrations of 0.0005%, 0.001%, and 0.003% reduced MLC phosphorylation by more than 30%. In addition, BAK led to thinning of the cortical actin and a decrease in cell adhesion. However, RhoA activity was found to increase with BAK treatment. Similar to BAK, ATP-depletion (induced by both antimycin-A and hypoxia) led to MLC dephosphorylation. BAK exposure also showed acute ATP release. CONCLUSIONS. BAK induces acute ATP release and concomitant MLC dephosphorylation in bovine corneal epithelial cells. The dephosphorylation, presumably due to ATP loss, is indicative of a loss of contractility of the actin cytoskeleton that could affect cellular functions contributing to the maintenance of epithelial barrier integrity.
Longinus's sublime rhetoric, or how rhetoric game into its own

Abstract This essay argues that Peri Hypsous (On Height or On the Sublime, traditionally attributed to “Longinus") marks an important moment in the history of rhetoric, as rhetoric is presented therein as an autonomous, sublime object. Through notions of hypsos (height) and physis (nature), and an amalgamation of Ciceronian/lsocratean arid Gorgianic notions of rhetoric, “Longinus” frees rhetoric from the project of legitimation. He makes it a marvel that needs no justification—rhetoric “comes into its own.” Even as I account for the emergence of this conception of rhetoric in Peri Hypsous, I question its helpfulness for rhetorical studies.
Congress: The Electoral Connection: Reflections on Its First Quarter-Century

David Mayhew's two wonderful essays that constitute Congress: The Electoral Connection have withstood the test of time admirably well. My thoughts will be organized around two quotations taken from his book, because they reflect the two most remarkable aspects of the book's success: its impact on scholarship over its first quarter-century, and its durable portrait that suggest it will continue to resonate—perhaps with amendment—over the coming years and decades.
Biosynthesis of nitric oxide and citrulline from L-arginine by constitutive nitric oxide synthase present in rabbit corpus cavernosum.

Summary The objective of this study was to determine whether a constitutive isoform of nitric oxide (NO) synthase is present in rabbit corpus cavernosum that could account for the involvement of the L-arginine-NO pathway in neurogenically-elicited relaxation of the corpus cavernosum and, therefore, penile erection. Citrulline was determined by monitoring the formation of 3 H-citrulline from 3 H-L-arginine. NO was determined by monitoring the formation of total NO X (NO + nitrite [NO 2 − ] + nitrate[NO 3 − ]) by chemiluminescence after reduction of NO X to NO by acidic vanadium (III). Equimolar quantities of NO plus citrulline were generated from L-arginine and the formation of both products was time-dependent at 37°C. NO synthase activity was distributed almost entirely to the cytosolic fraction. Enzymatic activity was completely dependent on NADPH, calmodulin, and calcium. Addition of tetrahydrobiopterin increased NO synthase activity by about 30 percent. The NO synthase inhibitor N G -nitro-L-arginine, abolished enzymatic activity. The Km for L-arginine was 17 μ M and the Vmax of the reaction was 18 pmol/min/ mg protein. These observations indicate that a cytosolic, constitutive isoform of NO synthase, like that found in brain neuronal tissue, is present in rabbit corpus cavernosum.
Permanent Prostate Brachytherapy in Men with Clinically Localised Prostate Cancer

Permanent prostate brachytherapy techniques are associated with excellent biochemical control for patients with localised prostate cancer. Ten-year data show that permanent prostate brachytherapy is compatible with external beam irradiation or radical prostatectomy. However, treatment protocols and techniques for prostate brachytherapy vary between centres and there is little conformity of treatment protocols. The selection of patients for monotherapy or combined external beam irradiation and brachytherapy is controversial. The role of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation also remains unanswered in patients with localised prostate cancer. In addition, post-implant dosimetry may in fact be more significant for predicting outcome than the addition of adjuvant therapies, and should be a requirement when performing prostate brachytherapy. Data now seem to support specific computed tomography (CT)-based criteria to evaluate implant quality and delivered dose to the prostate. Unfortunately, prostate oedema and poor imaging techniques are limiting factors for evaluating implant dosimetry. Treatment planning techniques that use new treatment planning computers may assist in improving the implant procedure and dosimetry and are now available.
Fourier domain functional optical coherence tomography

A novel swept laser based Fourier domain functional optical coherence tomography (FD-F-OCT) system using an electro-optic phase modulator was designed and developed. The imaging range was doubled by the cancellation of the mirror image. The elimination of low frequency noises due to DC and autocorrelation terms increased the sensitivity by 20 dB. 3-D volume imaging as well as Doppler and polarization imaging with high speed and high sensitivity is described and demonstrated.
Torsional oscillations in structures subject to ground motion

Abstract A multiple-scale technique has been employed to study nonlinear torsional oscillations in single-storey structures with cubic softening stiffness members subject to a single frequency ground excitation. The structures are studied under free oscillation conditions, primary resonance, and combination resonance. Time history analyses are employed to quantify the dynamic behaviour of a single-storey structure. The instabilities are related to the jump in response which exists in single degree-of-freedom softening oscillators subjected to harmonic excitation. It is shown that this jump can be quantified analytically, and appears as a cusp catastrophe in the bending mode. Time history analyses show that the bending mode can exhibit a limit cycle behaviour of constant amplitude.
CEDAR: An aeronomy initiative

A 3-year process of committee deliberations and community-wide annual workshops by scientists involved in aeronomical studies has led recently to the presentation of a final report to the National Science Foundation, outlining a comprehensive 7-year plan for the ground-based study of the earth's upper atmosphere. The two-volume report, entitled “CEDAR: Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of the Atmospheric Regions,” was assembled under the aegis of the Aeronomy Program of NSF and involved the efforts of a team of 66 active researchers from 32 U.S. and Canadian institutes. The volumes, taken together, contain a review of the present state of the art in current and projected experimental and theoretical capabilities for the field, ranging from the middle atmosphere (mesosphere) through the thermosphere and ionosphere and into the exosphere and protonosphere of the earth. The first volume contains the scientific rationale for a program of careful, measured instrumental development and deployment activities, coupled with related theoretical modeling work using a fully coordinated approach to a series of major outstanding scientific questions.
Effects of reactive ion etching on GaAs/AlGaAs heterostmctures

Abstract The effects of selective reactive ion etching (SRIE) in SiCl4: SiF4 plasmas on modulation-doped GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7 As heterostructures have been investigated. Hall effect measurements were conducted to determine SRIE effects on carrier mobility and electron sheet concentration of the two-dimensional electron gas (2-DEG). Samples were etched at several plasma self-bias voltages and for extended etch periods with Hall effect measurements conducted at 300 and 77 K. Results show reductions in the 2-DEG carrier concentration and mobility with increasing plasma self-bias voltage and increasing etch time at both room and liquid-nitrogen temperatures. The reduction in electron concentration after etching can be attributed to the creation of traps in the AlGaAs donor layer due to bombardment with the low-energy ions present in the plasma. Mobility reduction is due to the increasing importance of remote impurity scattering as electron sheet concentration decreases. These degradations in electron concentration and mobility are sufficiently minimized for low plasma self-bias voltages (−30 V), and short etch time such that the SRIE process should be useful for fabricating modulation-doped field-effect transistors.
Smoking behavior in a Swiss urban population: the role of gender and education.

Abstract Background.Smoking has become more prevalent among U.S. men and women and European men in lower socioeducational groups. The relation between socioeducational status and smoking among European women has been studied less. Methods.A survey assessing the smoking behavior and educational level of 943 women and 961 men ages 35 to 74 years from Geneva, Switzerland, was conducted. Results.The prevalence of never smokers has declined among younger women but has remained stable among men. More men than women have ever smoked, but the difference has decreased among younger generations. Ever smoking was more prevalent among women with secondary (47.6%, age-adjusted OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.29 to 3.18) or tertiary (46.6%, age-adjusted OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.97) education relative to women with primary education (30.7%). Among males, ever smoking was slightly more prevalent among lower levels of education. There were moderate differences in quit ratio (ex-smokers/ever smokers) across educational levels among women (trendP= 0.08). In contrast, men with tertiary education stopped smoking more often (63.6%) than those with secondary (54.2%) or primary (47.6%) education (trendP= 0.008). For most women, primary education was associated with a later age at start of smoking while the inverse was true for men. Conclusion.Smoking behavior is evolving across generations of women in Geneva. It is more prevalent among educated women of the older generations, but this is less so among the younger generations. Women from Geneva may be currently experiencing the transition of smoking from upper to lower social classes.
Identification and characterization of new sources of resistance to Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in soybean lines

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, is a pest of soybean [Glycine max L. (Merrill)] in Asia, and its recent establishment in North America has led to large, recurring outbreaks that have challenged pest management practitioners to seek environmentally responsible means for its control. Growth-chamber experiments identified resistance to A. glycines in soybean lines ‘Perrin’; ‘Tracy-M,’ its glabrous near-isoline ‘D88-5328,’ and its densely pubescent near-isoline ‘D88-5272’; ‘D75-10169,’ its glabrous near-isoline ‘D90-9216,’ and a densely pubescent near-isoline ‘D90-9220.’ Tracy-M and D75-10169 were antixenotic to A. glycines in host-selection tests. In no-choice nymphiposition tests, the number of nymphs deposited by A. glycines on D75-10169, Perrin, and Tracy-M did not differ from that on other lines after 24- and 48-h test periods. Under conditions in which A. glycines were free to distribute on plants over a 48-h period, aphids were found primarily on stems and trifoliolate leaves of Perrin, Tracy-M, D75-10169 and a resistant control, ‘Dowling,’ whereas the majority of aphids infesting susceptible lines ‘91B91’ and ‘Davis’ were distributed on unifoliolate leaves. Irrespective of shoot structure, low numbers of A. glycines were found on Dowling compared to other lines. The mean number of days to reproductive maturity for A. glycines did not differ among lines. Aphis glycines produced fewer nymphs during the first 7 d of reproduction on Perrin, Tracy-M, D75-10169 and Dowling compared to Davis, and fewer A. glycines progeny were produced on D75-10169 and Dowling than on 91B91. Results show that Dowling continues to be a strong source of resistance to A. glycines. Perrin, Tracy-M, and D75-10169 have been used as sources of resistance to other insects, and discovery of resistance to A. glycines in these three lines may increase their utility in soybean breeding programs.
The influence of poly(ethylene oxide) grafting via siloxane tethers on protein adsorption

Amphiphilic PEO-silanes (a-c) having siloxane tethers of varying lengths with the general formula alpha-(EtO)3Si-(CH2)2-oligodimethylsiloxane(n)-block-poly(ethylene oxide)8-OCH3 [n=0 (a), n=4 (b), and n=13 (c)] were grafted onto silicon wafers and resistance to adsorption of plasma proteins was measured. Distancing the PEO segment from the hydrolyzable triethoxysilane [(EtO)3Si] grafting group by a oligodimethylsiloxane tether represents a new method of grafting PEO chains to surfaces. Properties of surfaces grafted with a-c were compared to surfaces grafted with a traditional PEO-silane containing a propyl spacer [(EtO)3Si-(CH2)3-poly(ethylene oxide)8-OCH3, PEO control]. As the siloxane tether length increased, chain density of PEO-silanes grafted onto oxidized silicon wafers decreased and hydrophobicity of the PEO-silane increased which led to a decrease in surface hydrophilicity. Despite decreased surface hydrophilicity, resistance to the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) increased in the order: PEO control<a<b approximately c and to human fibrinogen (HF) increased in the order: PEO control<a<b<c.
Response of invertebrates to glyphosate-induced habitat alterations in wetlands

Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of eastern North Dakota, USA are often overgrown with cattails (Typha spp), providing habitat crop-depredating blackbirds and impeding use by waterfowl. One and two years post-treatment (1992 and 1993), we assessed the response of invertebrates to a catastrophic reduction in cattail coverage caused by glyphosate, a herbicide applied to about 14,000 ha of North Dakota’s wetlands since 1991. Numbers of Crustacea, Hydracarina, Oligochaeta, Copepoda, Ostracoda, and Cladocera were similar between treated and reference wetlands (P≥0.10), while abundance of Gastropoda was greater in the treated wetlands (P=0.10). Insect abundance was greater in treated wetlands (P<0.01), with activity traps yielding highest numbers in July. Corixidae and Chironomidae were more abundant, in treated wetlands (P<0.10), whereas Chaoboridae was consistently more plentiful in the reference wetlands (P=0.05). Our results suggest that populations of some aquatic invertebrates may be enhanced by a reduction in cattail coverage with glyphosate-based herbicide.
Electrical Properties of Thin Intermetallic Platinum-Gallium Films Grown by MBE on Gallium Arsenide and Silicon.

Thin films of the platinum-gallium (Pt-Ga) family have been grown on gallium arsenide (GaAs) and silicon (Si) by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). A partial list of potential uses for these and similar structures is high temperature stable photodetectors, Schottky andOhmic contacts, epitaxial buried contacts, and field effect transistors. In this work the electrical properties of Pt2Ga, PtGa, and PtGa2 on both GaAs andSi will be presented. The resistivity of these thin films has been found to depend on the crystal quality and phase of the material.
Risk-adjusted models for adverse obstetric outcomes and variation in risk-adjusted outcomes across hospitals

Objective Regulatory bodies and insurers evaluate hospital quality using obstetrical outcomes, however meaningful comparisons should take preexisting patient characteristics into account. Furthermore, if risk-adjusted outcomes are consistent within a hospital, fewer measures and resources would be needed to assess obstetrical quality. Our objective was to establish risk-adjusted models for 5 obstetric outcomes and assess hospital performance across these outcomes. Study Design We studied a cohort of 115,502 women and their neonates born in 25 hospitals in the United States from March 2008 through February 2011. Hospitals were ranked according to their unadjusted and risk-adjusted frequency of venous thromboembolism, postpartum hemorrhage, peripartum infection, severe perineal laceration, and a composite neonatal adverse outcome. Correlations between hospital risk-adjusted outcome frequencies were assessed. Results Venous thromboembolism occurred too infrequently (0.03%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02–0.04%) for meaningful assessment. Other outcomes occurred frequently enough for assessment (postpartum hemorrhage, 2.29%; 95% CI, 2.20–2.38, peripartum infection, 5.06%; 95% CI, 4.93–5.19, severe perineal laceration at spontaneous vaginal delivery, 2.16%; 95% CI, 2.06–2.27, neonatal composite, 2.73%; 95% CI, 2.63–2.84). Although there was high concordance between unadjusted and adjusted hospital rankings, several individual hospitals had an adjusted rank that was substantially different (as much as 12 rank tiers) than their unadjusted rank. None of the correlations between hospital-adjusted outcome frequencies was significant. For example, the hospital with the lowest adjusted frequency of peripartum infection had the highest adjusted frequency of severe perineal laceration. Conclusion Evaluations based on a single risk-adjusted outcome cannot be generalized to overall hospital obstetric performance.
Biodegradation kinetics of the nitramine explosive CL-20 in soil and microbial cultures.

The cyclic nitramine explosive CL-20 (C6H6N12O12, 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12 -hexaazaisowurtzitane) is a relatively new energetic compound which could be a persistent organic pollutant. To follow its biodegradation dynamics, CL-20 was added to soil alone or together with organic co-substrates and N-source and incubated under oxic and anoxic conditions. Without co-substrates, the CL-20 degradation was detectable only under anoxic conditions. The highest degradation rate was found under aerobic conditions and with the addition of co-substrates, succinate and pyruvate being more efficient than acetate, glucose, starch or yeast extract. When added to intact soil, CL-20 degradation was not affected by the N content, but in soil serially diluted with N-free succinate-mineral medium, the process became N-limited. About 40% of randomly selected bacterial colonies grown on succinate agar medium were able to decompose CL-20. Based on 16S rDNA gene sequence and cell morphology, they were affiliated to Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Ochrobactrum, Mycobacterium and Ralstonia. In the pure culture of Pseudomonas sp. MS-P grown on the succinate-mineral N(+) medium, the degradation kinetics were first order with the same apparent kinetic constant throughout growth and decline phases of the batch culture. The observed kinetics agreed with the model that supposes co-metabolic transformation of CL-20 uncoupled from cell growth, which can be carried out by several constitutive cellular enzymes with wide substrate specificity.
Growth estimates for solutions to initial-boundary value problems in viscoelasticity

Abstract For the abstract Volterra integro-differential equation u tt − Nu + ∝ −∞ t K( t − τ ) u( τ ) dτ = 0 in Hilbert space, with prescribed past history u (τ) = U (τ), − ∞ u (0) = f , u t (0) = g , we establish conditions on K( t ), − ∞ t t ), belonging to a certain uniformly bounded class, as well as lower bounds for the rate of decay of solutions. Our results are interpreted in terms of solutions to a class of initial-boundary value problems in isothermal linear viscoelasticity.
Fenfluramine treatment in infantile autism. Neurochemical, electrophysiological, and behavioral effects

As part of a multicenter, collaborative project, response to fenfluramine was assessed in 10 autistic outpatients. After 4 months of treatment, blood serotonin concentrations decreased an average of 60 per cent and returned to pretreatment levels after 2 months on placebo. This reduction was accompanied by a decrease in certain behavioral symptoms, including motor activity, distractibility, and mood disturbances. Baseline evoked potential recordings indicated that autistic patients tended to have a larger amplitude of the P3 component to frequent tones as compared to age-matched controls. A tendency toward "normalization" of the P3 effect was observed during the medication trial and during the final placebo period. Treatment response was not related to initial serotonin levels, and no major clinical side effects were associated with fenfluramine.
Neuromuscular control of aerodynamic forces and moments in the blowfly,Calliphora vicina

Flies are among the most agile of flying insects, a capacity that ultimately results from their nervous system's control over steering muscles and aerodynamic forces during flight. In order to investigate the relationships among neuromuscular control, musculo-skeletal mechanics and flight forces, we captured high-speed, three-dimensional wing kinematics of the blowfly, Calliphora vicina, while simultaneously recording electromyogram signals from prominent steering muscles during visually induced turns. We used the quantified kinematics to calculate the translational and rotational components of aerodynamic forces and moments using a theoretical quasi-steady model of force generation, confirmed using a dynamically scaled mechanical model of a Calliphora wing. We identified three independently controlled features of the wingbeat trajectory – downstroke deviation, dorsal amplitude and mode. Modulation of each of these kinematic features corresponded to both activity in a distinct steering muscle group and a distinct manipulation of the aerodynamic force vector. This functional specificity resulted from the independent control of downstroke and upstroke forces rather than the independent control of separate aerodynamic mechanisms. The predicted contributions of each kinematic feature to body lift, thrust, roll, yaw and pitch are discussed.
Characterization of plasmids that encode streptomycin‐resistance in bacterial epiphytes of apple

Streptomycin resistance in strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. papulans, Pantoea agglomerans and a yellow-pigmented, non-fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. (Py), isolated from apple orchards in New York and Washington states, is predominantly associated with strA-strB genes carried on conjugal plasmids (R plasmids). None of 128 resistant Erwinia amylovora strains from the eastern and western USA hybridized with a strA-strB probe, SMP3. Resistant Py strains transfered R plasmids to Ps. syringae pv. papulans and to Py in vitro at frequencies of 10−1–10−2 per recipient cell whereas Ps. syringae pv. papulans transferred its plasmids at frequencies of 10−2 to below detectable levels. Transfer of R plasmids to P. agglomerans was not detected and resistant P. agglomerans did not transfer their R plasmids to any recipients. R plasmids were found to be highly diverse as measured by DNA fingerprint analysis. Transfer-deficient transposon mutants of R plasmid pCPP519 were generated, and 3·9 kb EcoRI and 3·0 kb SmaI fragments that hybridized with a Tn5 probe were cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequences of the 3·9 kb fragment were similar to proteins involved in replication, nicking at oriT, and piliation in other bacteria.
GENE THERAPY FOR LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA

Many strides have been made in the elucidation of the molecular underpinnings of cell cycle regulation and malignant transformation over the past decade, especially with regard to how these mechanisms play a role in leukemias and lymphomas. These new discoveries have led to an ever-increasing interest in therapies that would act at the gene level. Such therapies have so far fallen into four general groups: gene interference, gene replacement, immunopotentiation, and insertion of suicide genes (Table 1). We will review these various approaches and then discuss their current applications in the therapy of leukemia and lymphoma.
Dennard Receives Medal from Benjamin Franklin Institute

Dr. Robert Dennard was honored in a dinner ceremony at Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Institute on 27 April 2007 by Dr. Peter J. Collings, Past Chairman of the Institute's Committee on Science and the Arts, and Dr. Dennis M. Wint, President and CEO, for "inventing the 1-transistor/1-capacitor Dynamic Random Access Memory that significantly reduced the cost of memory, and for contributing to the development of the metal oxide semiconductor scaling principle that guides the design of increasingly small and complex integrated circuits."
A spectroscopic study of the conformational properties of foamed bovine serum albumin

Abstract The spectral properties of resolubilized foamed bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been compared with native BSA and the results interpreted in terms of the conformational properties of the proteins. Far-UV circular dichroism spectra reveal only minor changes in the protein secondary structure evidenced by a small reduction in helix content after foaming, although this may be significant. The biggest differences in conformation appear to be at the tertiary structural level and are readily detected by intrinsic fluorescence. A major, irreversible reduction (>30%) in the intensity of the tryptophan emission is reproducibly observed in the foamed sample. In addition, the emission spectrum of the foamed sample exhibits an ionic strength dependence which is not observed in native BSA. Quenching studies with iodide over a range of ionic strength reveal that the properties of both tryptophans in the foamed sample are affected as they both behave in a different manner from those of the native protein. The change in conformation induced by foaming does not apparently reflect a change in the state of aggregation of the foamed protein. The native and foamed BSA samples used in these experiments contain similar amounts of oligomer as judged by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These data have been used to gain a clearer understanding of the nature of the irreversible conformational change resulting from adsorption of BSA at the air/water interface of a foam.