cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental Percutaneous Mitral Commissurotomy

Abstract Experimental mitral stenosis was produced in 10 dogs by means of a closed heart approach. Using televised fluoroscopy, a flexible guide wire was placed into the left ventricle through the external jugular vein after septal puncture. A new instrument consisting of a dilating head operated by coaxial tubing was threaded on the guide wire and passed into the mitral ostium, and the commissurotomy was performed. Relief of the stenosis was demonstrated by angiography and pressure monitoring. This method, but using the internal jugular vein, was applied in 8 cadavers without difficulty.
Requirements engineering: the state of the practice

Little contemporary data exists for document actual practices of software professionals for software requirements elicitation, requirements specification, document development, and specification validation. This exploratory survey and its quantitative results offer opportunities for further interpretation and comparison.
PRESENCE OF VIRULENCE PLASMID IN YERSINIA ENTEROCOLITICA AFTER ITS EXPRESSION AT 37C1

The phenotypic characteristics associated with the virulence plasmid in Yersinia enterocolitica are expressed only at 37C, a temperature which facilitates the loss of the plasmid. This report investigated the stability of the virulence plasmid in Y. enterocolitica after its phenotypic expression at 37C. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of plasmid DNA showed that Y. enterocolitica did not loose the virulence plasmid during phenotypic expression as assayed by crystal violet binding, Congo red uptake, low calcium response, hydrophobicity and autoagglutination at 37Cfor 24 h. Prolonged incubation of at least 48 h at 37C is needed to trigger the loss of the plasmid.
Teaching problem‐solving strategies to bilingual students: what do research results tell us?†

In this study error patterns and areas of difficulty in several problem‐solving tasks are isolated for a group of bilingual Hispanic technical college students. The results of tests covering reading speed and comprehension, arithmetic computation, algebraic manipulations and word problems suggest two major areas of difficulty, namely problem‐solving speed and expressing word problems in mathematical terminology. Examples are given which illustrate how several errors made in translating problems into mathematical terminology derive from misinterpreting problems. It is argued that traditional methods for teaching problem solving may not be very effective for Hispanics such as those in this study. Suggestions for modifications are given which address the specific needs of these students. †Work supported by grants G‐79‐0094 and G‐83‐0072 from the U.S. National Institute of Education. The contents herein do not necessarily reflect the position, policy or endorsement of that agency.
Studies on the Gm factors: comparison of the agglutinators in serum from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and in serum from healthy donors.

Titration and absorption studies of the agglutinators used to detect genetically determined human γ-globulin groups showed that (a) the agglutinators in rheumatoid arthritis serum and in normal serum are probably the same, (b) the inhibition of R.A. sera by Gm (−) serum is due to a non-specific reaction, and (c) R.A. sera have at least two kinds of β2M molecules, those with rheumatoid factor activity and those with both rheumatoid and gamma group activity. Studios de titration e absorption del agglutinatores usate pro deteger in human-os gruppos de geneticamente determinate globulina gamma monstrava que (a) le agglutinatores in sero ab patientes con arthritis rheumatoide e in sero normal es probabilemente identic; (b) le inhibition de seros ab patientes con arthritis rheumatoide per le sero Cm-negative es attribuibile a un reaction non-specific; e (c) seros ab patientes con arthritis rheumatoide ha al minus duo classes de moleculas β2M, i.e., illos con activitate attribuibile a factor rheumatic e illos con activitate tanto de factor rheumatoide como etiam del gruppo de globulina gamma.
Mechanical site preparation effects on understory plant diversity in the Piedmont of the southern USA.

Diversity of understory vegetation was compared among four intensities of site preparation and an adjacent 50-year-old pine-hardwood forest. The study site was a six-year-old loblolly pine (Pines taeda) plantation in the lower Piedmont of Georgia. Species richness and Shannon diversity indices were used to evaluate vine and woody (trees and shrubs) species diversity. Biomass distribution was compared among four plant categories: vines, forbs, grasses, and woody. Moderate intensity treatments (chainsaw and shear and chop) consistently ranked highest overall in diversity, with the mature pine-hardwood forest ranking lowest. Distribution of the four plant categories was not significantly affected by intensity of site preparation.
Short wavelength infrared frequency conversion in ultra-compact fiber device

Linear and nonlinear characteristics of devices using millimeter-scale spools of highly nonlinear fiber are experimentally investigated within 2000-2400nm spectral range. Coils with radius larger than 3.5 mm indicate that macro-bending induced radiation loss is negligible up to 2400nm. Devices with smaller diameter coiling resulted in macro-bending losses that dominate over micro-bending losses beyond 2200nm. A tunable short-wave infrared source was constructed using a coin-sized fiber module to demonstrate an efficient nonlinear conversion from 1.26 to 2.2 μm.
Cell division—Enhancement of the anti-mitotic effects of colchicine by low temperature and high pressure in the cleaving eggs of Lytechinus variegatus☆

Abstract The effects of temperature on the anti-mitotic potency of colchicine and hydrostatic pressure, acting separately and in combination, have been studied in the range of 15 °–25 °C. Inhibition of the first cleavage division in the eggs of Lytechinus variegatus served as the anti-mitotic criterion. In all cases, lowering the temperature enhanced the anti-mitotic activity. For colchicine alone, the concentration required to effect a 50 per cent blockage dropped from 9.5 × 10−5 M at 25 °, to 8.5 at 20 ° and to 4.8 at 15 °C. Similarly the pressure required to produce 50 per cent inhibition dropped from 3400 psi at 25 °, to 3100 psi at 20 ° and to 1000 psi at 15 °C. Moreover, for combined treatments with colchicine and pressure, the 50 per cent blocking pressure level dropped from 2200 psi at 25 ° to 2000 psi at 20 °C, using 4 × 10−5 M colchicine as the immersion medium and to 700 psi at 15 °, using 1 × 10−5 M colchicine. In short, a distinct synergism was found with reference to the anti-mitotic activities of colchicine, high pressure and low temperature. This is in contrast to the antagonism found between high pressure and D2O with reference to anti-mitotic action, although in this latter case low temperature did tend to fortify the high pressure effect. As to basic mechanism, the evidence indicates that colchicine, low temperature and high pressure all exert a similar action in inhibiting polymerization of subunits of a fibrous protein which constitutes an important structural component of the mitotic apparatus, or by fostering a depolymerization of the mitotic protein, if it already has been formed at the time of treatment.
b/HLH without the zip.

Recent structures of the DNA-bibding proteins E47 and MyoD provide new variations on the basic helix-loop-helix motif.
Work safety climate and safety practices among immigrant Latino residential construction workers.

BACKGROUND: Latino residential construction workers experience high rates of occupational fatality and injury. Work safety climate is an especially important consideration for improving the safety of these immigrant workers. This analysis describes work safety climate among Latino residential construction workers, delineates differences in work safety climate by personal and employment characteristics, and determines associations of work safety climate with specific work safety behaviors. METHODS: Data are from a cross-sectional survey of 119 Latino residential framers, roofers, and general construction workers in western North Carolina; 90 of these participants also provided longitudinal daily diary data for up to 21 days using an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. Measures included the Perceived Safety Climate Scale, and daily reports of five individual and five collective safety practices. RESULTS: Work safety climate was mixed among workers, with roofers (19.9) having lower levels than framers (24.3) or general construction workers (24.3). Days reported for several individual (glove-related risks, not doing something known to be unsafe) and collective safety practices (attended daily safety meeting, not needing to use damaged equipment, not seeing coworker create an unsafe situation) were positively associated with work safety climate. CONCLUSIONS: Work safety climate predicts subsequent safety behaviors among Latino residential construction workers, with differences by trade being particularly important. Interventions are needed to improve safety training for employers as well as workers. Further research should expand the number of workers and trades involved in analyses of work safety climate. Am. J. Ind. Med. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
A local environment description of hyperfine fields and atomic moments in Fe3−xTxSi alloys

This paper presents a comprehensive description of a local interaction model of the systematic variations with concentration of the atomic moments and hyperfine fields in Fe3Si and its 3d transition metal ternary alloys, which had previously been presented only in parts. The model which accounts for the internal fields requires two principle contributions, one linearly dependent on the site moment and the other on the average moment of the first-near neighbors. The good results obtained by applying these ideas to Fe3-xMnxSi alloys at concentrations where they have complex spin structures, is a further confirmation of the validity of the model. The different behavior of both the Fe and solute moments for substitutions of atoms from the left and right of Fe in the periodic table is discussed. The effect of electron concentration in Fe3Si systems on the bulk magnetization (very like the left side of the Slater-Pauling curve), on the limits of solubility of transition metals in Fe3Si and on the stability of the DO3 structure is presented. Much of this material had not been presented previously. Finally, some preliminary comments are made on conduction electron changes with concentration and charge and spin transfer in these alloys.
Resonant parametric perturbations of the Hopf bifurcation

Abstract The effects of periodic parametric perturbations on a system undergoing Hopf bifurcation are studied in detail. Of primary interest is the case of resonance between the Hopf bifurcation frequency and the perturbation frequency. Method of alternative problems is used to obtain the small nonlinear periodic solutions. It is shown that for a certain range of parameters, the Hopf solution is modified to give rise to jump response as well as isolated solutions. For some parameter combinations, stable solutions can get unstable and may bifurcate into aperiodic or amplitude modulated motions.
Processing and secretion of ROP13: A unique Toxoplasma effector protein.

Like most intracellular pathogens, Toxoplasma synthesizes and secretes an arsenal of proteins to successfully invade its host cell and hijack host functions for intracellular survival. The rhoptries are key secretory organelles that inject proteins into the host cell where they are positioned to co-opt host processes, although little is known regarding how these proteins exert their functions. We show here that the rhoptry protein ROP13 is synthesized as a pre-pro-protein that is processed in the parasite. Processing occurs at a conserved SφXE cleavage site as mutagenesis of glutamic acid to alanine at the P1 position disrupts ROP13 maturation. We also demonstrate that processing of the prodomain is not necessary for rhoptry targeting and secretion. While gene disruption reveals that ROP13 is not essential for growth in fibroblasts in vitro or for virulence in vivo, we find that ROP13 is a soluble effector protein that can access the cytoplasm of host cells. Exogenously expressed ROP13 in human cells remains cytosolic but also appears toxic, suggesting that over-expression of this effector protein is disrupting some function within the host cell.
The Study of Congruence in Organizational Behavior Research: Critique and a Proposed Alternative

Abstract Numerous studies in organizational behavior research have examined the congruence (i.e., fit, match, agreement, similarity) between two constructs as a predictor of some outcome. The vast majority of these studies have operationalized congruence by collapsing two or more measures into a single index, such as an algebraic, absolute, or squared difference, or an index of profile similarity (D, D2, etc.). Unfortunately, these indices present numerous substantive and methodological problems that severely threaten the interpretability and conclusiveness of the obtained results. This article summarizes problems with congruence indices, presents an alternative approach that overcomes these problems, and illustrates this approach using data from two samples. Recommendations regarding the use and further development of this approach are offered.
Abdominal wall hernias: risk factors for infection and resource utilization

Background. Abdominal wall hernia repairs are common surgical procedures. Several recent reports have studied the outcomes of elderly patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair and documented a morbidity rate ranging from 5–57% and a mortality rate ranging from 1.6–14%. However, there has been limited data documenting the risk factors associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality from abdominal wall hernia repairs in general. Therefore, we sought to investigate the incidence of complications in patients undergoing abdominal wall hernia repair and to evaluate the risk factors for infection and resource utilization in these patients. Methods. Prospective data (NSQIP) were collected on 6301 noncardiac surgical patients at the VA Maryland Healthcare System from 1995 to 2000. From this data set, 487 (7.7%) patients underwent abdominal wall hernia repairs and comprised the study cohort. Logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for infection and hospital length of stay. Results. The mean age of the study cohort was 60 ± 14 and the mean ASA class was 2.4 ± 0.7. Descriptive data revealed 99% were male, 43% used tobacco, 8.4% were diabetic, 7.4% used alcohol, 6.3% had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 2.1% were malnourished (defined as ≥ 10% weight loss over prior 6 months), 1.6% used steroids, 1.2% had ascites, and 0.2% had coronary artery disease (CAD). The mortality rate was low at 1% but the morbidity rate was higher with a 4.3% incidence of wound infections and a 15.1% incidence of recurrent hernias. The mean preoperative serum albumin level was 4.1 ± 0.6 g/dL, and the mean hospital length of stay was 1.4 ± 4.8 days. Multiple logistic and linear regression analyses documented that CAD, COPD, low preoperative serum albumin, and steroid use were independent risk factors for increased postoperative wound infections (P < 0.05) and increased hospital length of stay (P < 0.05). Conclusions. Abdominal wall hernia repair is associated with significant morbidity in this predominantly elderly cohort but mortality rates were low. COPD and low preoperative serum albumin were independent predictors of wound infections and CAD, COPD, low preoperative serum albumin, and steroid use were independent predictors of increased hospital length of stay. Therefore, consideration should be given to optimizing patient’s cardiopulmonary and nutritional status before abdominal wall hernia repair.
Should the classical variance be used as a basic measure in standards metrology

Since a measurement is no better than its uncertainty, specifying the uncertainty is a very important part of metrology. One is inclined to believe that the fundamental constants in physics are invariant with time and that they are the foundation upon which to build internationl system (SI) standards and metrology. Therefore clearly specifying uncertainties for these physical invariants at state-of-the-art levels should be one of the principal goals of metrology. However, by the very act of observing some physical quantity we may perturb the standard, thus introducing uncertainties. The random deviations in a series of observations may be caused by the measurement system, by environmental coupling or by intrinsic deviations in the standard. For these reasons and because correlated random noise is as commonly occurring in nature as uncorrelated random noise, the universal use of the classical variance, and the standard deviation of the mean may cloud rather than clarify questions regarding uncertainties; i.e., these measures are well behaved only for random uncorrelated deviations (white noise), and white noise is typically a subset of the spectrum of observed deviations. The assumption that each measurement in a series is independent because the measurements are taken at different times should be called into question if, in fact, the series is not random and uncorrelated, i.e., does not have a white spectrum. In this paper, studies of frequency standards, standard-volt cells, and gauge blocks provide examples of long-term random-correlated time series which indicate behavior that is not “white” (not random and uncorrelated). This paper outlines and illustrates a straightforward time-domain statistical approach, which for power-law spectra yields an alternative estimation method for most of the important random power-law processes encountered. Knowing the spectrum provides for clearer uncertainty assessment in the presence of correlated random deviations, the statistical approach outlined also provides a simple test for a white spectrum, thus allowing a metrologist to know whether use of the classical variance is suitable or whether to incorporate better uncertainty assessment procedures, e.g., as outlined in the paper.
Minimax rules under zero–one loss for a restricted location parameter

In this paper, we obtain minimax and near-minimax nonrandomized decision rules under zero–one loss for a restricted location parameter of an absolutely continuous distribution. Two types of rules are addressed: monotone and nonmonotone. A complete-class theorem is proved for the monotone case. This theorem extends the previous work of Zeytinoglu and Mintz (1984) to the case of 2e-MLR sampling distributions. A class of continuous monotone nondecreasing rules is defined. This class contains the monotone minimax rules developed in this paper. It is shown that each rule in this class is Bayes with respect to nondenumerably many priors. A procedure for generating these priors is presented. Nonmonotone near-minimax almost-equalizer rules are derived for problems characterized by non-2e-MLR distributions. The derivation is based on the evaluation of a distribution-dependent function Qc. The methodological importance of this function is that it is used to unify the discrete- and continuous-parameter problems, and to obtain a lower bound on the minimax risk for the non-2e-MLR case.
Analysis of stakeholder benefits of NextGen Trajectory-Based Operations

Trajectory-Based Operations is a NextGen initiative that seeks to increase the effective-capacity of the National Airspace System by adding flexibility to the 4-D trajectories as flights traverse airspace.
Incorrect analyses of radiation and mesothelioma.

The recent article, “Analyses of Radiation and Mesothelioma in the US Transuranium and Uranium Registries,” by Gibb et al.1 examines seven mesothelioma deaths among a small population of 329 deceased registrants in the US Transuranium and Uranium Registries (USTUR). Using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Life Table Analysis System with the referent group being all deaths in the United States,2,3 the study finds a proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) of 62.40 (P < .05) for mesothelioma, the highest PMR ever observed and more than an order of magnitude higher than any other published studies.1 Mesothelioma has been coded as a separate underlying cause of death (C45.0-C45.9) since 1999 when International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10)4 was implemented. Before 1999, mesothelioma was coded as malignant neoplasm of pleura, unspecified (ICD-9:163.9); malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung, unspecified (ICD-9:162.9); malignant neoplasm without specification of site (ICD-9:199); and so on. Life Table Analysis System has no death data in the mesothelioma disease category for the United States before 19992,5 and therefore does not support PMR analysis for mesothelioma deaths before 1999. More than 80% of USTUR deaths occurred before 1999 including six of seven USTUR mesothelioma cases.6,7 Life Table Analysis System calculates PMR as a ratio of weighted sums of the proportion of deaths from a specific cause in the exposed versus the comparable weighted sum in the unexposed (often the US population deaths). Adjustment for age, race, gender, and calendar time is accomplished by stratification and indirect standardization.2,3 The formula to calculate the PMR is presented below. where the variables are defined as follows: Pi1= the ith stratum-specific proportion in the observed cohort (the exposed cohort) Pi0 = the ith stratum-specific proportion in the reference population (unexposed population) Wi = the ith stratum-specific number of observed deaths in the exposed cohort. Because all strata before 1999 have zero Pi0 and only 20% (one fifth) of USTUR deaths contribute the weighted sum of the denominator in the formula, the PMR for mesothelioma by Gibb et al. is greatly overestimated. If one assumes that the age distributions of deceased registrants (who were overwhelmingly White and male) are similar before and after 1999, and the stratum-specific proportions for mesothelioma in the reference populations are the same before and after 1999, the PMR for mesothelioma is a five-fold overestimate. The USTUR death data are not compatible and therefore should have not been compared with the Life Table Analysis System US death data in the PMR analysis for mesothelioma because there is no specific code for it before 1999. The analyses were conducted incorrectly from the beginning, resulting in an artificially high–reported PMR for mesothelioma. Caution should be exercised when using Life Table Analysis System or similar analytic software for mortality studies in which the rules for coding cause of death are different over the time frame of a study.
Stratigraphy and Petrography of Upper Silurian Williamsport Sandstone, West Virginia: ABSTRACT

The Upper Silurian Williamsport Sandstone at the type section in Grant County, West Virginia, is typically composed of very fine-grained green and brown sandstone with some siltstone and shale. A local carbonate member, the Cedar Cliff Limestone Member, is present in the middle of the formation in nearby outcrops in western Maryland. On the north in Pennsylvania, the Williamsport can be traced into the Moyer Ridge Sandstone Member of the Bloomsburg Formation. Eastward, in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia and Maryland, the Williamsport pinches out in the middle of the nonmarine red Bloomsburg facies. Farther south the Williamsport undergoes a facies change into clean well-sorted mature sandstone. The subsurface continuation of this sandstone extends to the Ohio borde , where it has been found to be an important reservoir for natural gas. Sandstones of the Williamsport in the subsurface are very fine to fine grained, subrounded to rounded, well sorted, and texturally mature and supermature. In general, sandstone is most abundant in the upper half of the unit, whereas carbonates become interbedded with sandstone layers in the lower half. Syntaxial quartz overgrowths serve as the primary cement in the upper part of the formation, but dolomite becomes important lower in the section. Gypsum, anhydrite, and barite are minor cements. Intergranular porosity is greatest near the top of the formation. The immature sandstones and siltstones of the Williamsport in northeastern West Virginia probably were deposited on low-energy mud flats in front of the Bloomsburg delta. Sediments were supplied by rivers from source lands farther east in Pennsylvania. The limestones and hematitic beds of the Cedar Cliff Member are interpreted as having been deposited in a lagoon associated with this tidal flat. Farther south, the cleaner, coarser, more mature sandstones were deposited in a barrier island-coastal complex. Regression of the shoreline spread a blanket of sand over the underlying subtidal to intertidal McKenzie Formation. As the shoreline and barrier island complex regressed westward the lagoonal sediments of the Wills Creek Formation were superposed on the clean sand of the Williamsport Gas accumulation in the Williamsport is due to a combination of stratigraphic and structural trapping. Salt water is present downdip in all fields, and updip porosity and permeability decrease where the sandstone thins westward. Gas flows in this formation are the greatest recorded in the Appalachian basin, making the Williamsport the most important deep target for drillers in West Virginia. Future exploration should examine the possibility that combination stratigraphic and structural traps exist near the eastern edge of the sand body in central West Virginia and near the southwestern sandstone pinchout in south-central West Virginia. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2109------------
Effects of land-clearing method and soil management on crop production in the Amazon'

Alegre, J.C., Cassel, D.K. and Bandy, D.E., 1990. Effects of land-clearing method and soil manage­ ment on crop production in the Amazon. Field Crops Aes.. 24: 131-141. The success of intensive, continuous cropping of newly cleared land in the humid tropics is highly dependent upon the method ot land cleanng and subsequent soil management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different lind clearing regimes, including initial tillage after clear­ ing and subsequent soil management, on crop pcrform.nce on an Ultisol in the Amazon Basin of Peru. The study was conducted on a Yurinaguas soil (iqne-loamy, siliceous, isohyperthermic Typic Paleu­ dult ) covered by a 20-year-old evergreen forest which was cleared at the start of the experiment. Land­ clearing treatments included slash and burn, bulldozing with a straight blade, and bulldozing with a shear blade. Post-clearing tillage methods were chisel-plowing and disking. Post-clearing soil manage­ ment practices (subplots) included (I) flat-planted, no fertilizer or lime added; (2) flat-planted, fertilizer and lime incorporated; and (3) soil bedded at a 1.1 -mspacing and fertilizer and lime ap­ plied. as in subplot 2. The cropping se-quence was upland rice [Or,:asatva L.I-soybean [G/icne inax (.) Mert. ]-corn [Zea mays L. I-rice-corn. !n general, all crops showed a positivc respoise to the post-clearing tillage pi actices of chiseling and disking. The post-clearing soil-management prac!ice combining fertilization, liming, and bedding generally produced the highest yields of rice and corn. The greatest average relative grain-yields, in descending order, were produced by the following man­ agement systems: slash/bum/flat-plant/ferilizer/lime (94% average relatixe grain-yield)> slash/ bum/bedded/fertilizer/lime (90%)> shear-blade/bum/disk/bedded/fertilizcr/lime (88%)> shear­ blade/bum/disk/flat-plant/fertilizer/lime (86%).
Toward a “theoretical toolbox” for sustainability research in marketing

This paper provides a foundation for future marketing research on sustainability through the application of nine prominent organizational theories. Specifically, we consider the implications for sustainability offered by transaction cost economics, agency theory, institutional theory, population ecology, resource dependence theory, the resource-based view of the firm, upper echelons theory, social network theory, and signaling theory. We consider how each theory can help researchers to better understand the ways that firms engage in sustainable marketing and business practices, and we develop insights that emerge from simultaneous examination of complementary or competing theoretical perspectives.
Low-Level Pilin Expression Allows for Substantial DNA Transformation Competence in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

The gonococcal pilus is a major virulence factor that has well-established roles in mediating epithelial cell adherence and DNA transformation. Gonococci expressing four gonococcal pilin variants with distinct piliation properties under control of the lac regulatory system were grown in different levels of the inducer isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). These pilin variants expressed various levels of pilin message and pilin protein in response to the level of IPTG in the growth medium. Moreover, posttranslational modifications of the variant pilin proteins were detected, including S-pilin production and glycosylation. The ratio of the modified and unmodified pilin forms did not substantially change with different levels of pilin expression, showing that these modifications are not linked to pilin expression levels. DNA transformation competence was also influenced by IPTG levels in the growth medium. Substantial increases in transformation competence over an isogenic, nonpiliated mutant were observed when limited amounts of three of the pilin variants were expressed. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that when limited amounts of pilin are expressed, pili are rare and do not explain the pilin-dependent transformation competence. This pilin-dependent transformation competence required prepilin processing, the outer membrane secretin PilQ, and the twitching-motility-regulating protein PilT. These requirements show that a fully functional pilus assembly apparatus is required for DNA uptake when limited pilin is produced. We conclude that the pilus assembly apparatus functions to import DNA into the bacterial cell in a pilin-dependent manner but that extended pili are not required for transformation competence.
The Relationship between Total Fibroid Burden and First Trimester Bleeding and Pain.

Background Few studies comment on the association between fibroids and symptoms among pregnant women. These studies generally are retrospective and do not to assess the influence of number of tumours or their volume on risk of symptoms. Methods Right from the Start is a prospective cohort that enrolled pregnant women from the southeastern USA between 2000 and 2012. In the first trimester, all participants had standardised ultrasounds to determine the presence or absence of fibroids. Symptoms were queried in a telephone survey. We used polytomous logistic regression to model odds of bleeding, pain, or both symptoms in relation to increasing total fibroid number and volume among white and black women. Results Among 4509 participants, the prevalence of fibroids was 11%. Among those reporting symptoms (70%), 11% reported only bleeding, 59% reported only pain, and 30% reported both symptoms. After adjusting for age, race, parity, hypertension, smoking, alcohol use, and study site, increasing number of fibroids was associated with pain [odds ratio (OR) 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00, 1.33] and both symptoms [OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.08, 1.45] but not with bleeding among all women. Fibroid volume was not associated with symptoms among black women, but white women with the smallest fibroid volumes were more likely to report both symptoms than those without fibroids [OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.17, 2.72]. Conclusions Very large tumours are not requisite for experiencing symptoms, as small fibroids and increasing number of tumours are associated with pain and both symptoms.
Stark Complex (Dexter Lake area): Petrology, chemistry, structure, and relation to other green rock complexes and layered gneisses, northern Adirondacks, New York: Summary

INTRODUCTION The origin of green rock complexes in the Adirondacks, their interrelations, and their relations to other Precambrian rock types are obscure. These green rocks have been called syenites (Smyth, 1897), older granites (Buddington, 1939), and charnockites (Berry and Walton, 1962). Buddington (1939), after working in the northern Adirondacks, thought that anorthosite and two generations of granite intruded the Grenville sequence of sediments. De Waard and Walton (1967), after working in the southern Adirondacks, thought that the sequence of sediments was deposited on meta-anorthosite and charnockitic gneiss. Buddington thought that all granitic and charnockitic rocks in the Adirondacks were intruded. De Waard and Walton thought that some belonged to the basement complex upon which the Grenville sediments were deposited, some were initially deposited as Grenville sediments, and some were produced by local melting. The diverse characters and occurrences of granitic and charnockitic gneisses in the Adirondacks show that these rocks formed by several processes. Recent field studies have investigated two green rock complexes: the Tupper Complex (Crosby, 1968; Davis, 1969; Seifert, 1978) and the Diana Complex (Hargraves, 1969; Wiener, 1979). These studies have generally supported Buddington9s conclusions. The Stark Complex is the only green rock complex in the northern Adirondacks that has not been examined since de Waard and Walton published their interpretation of Adirondack geology. Rocks around Jennings Mountain, Lyon Mountain, Taylor Pond, and Loon Lake and between Lake Titus and Blue Mountain are part of the Stark Complex. This paper presents the results of a study on the Stark Complex around Dexter Lake and relates that complex to other green rock complexes, the Grenville sequence, and granitic gneisses that Buddington (1939, p. 135–149) labeled the younger granites.
Measurements of first-passage-time distributions in laser transients near threshold

The first-passage-time (FPT) problem for the time evolution of the optical field produced by a Q-switched laser has been investigated theoretically and experimentally in the neighborhood of the laser threshold. Experiments were performed on a He–Ne laser operating near threshold in its steady state. Measurements for several operating points were made. Q switching was achieved with the help of an intracavity acousto-optic modulator. The measured FPT distributions are compared with the approximate analytic results for the FPT distribution and the numerical solutions of the laser Fokker–Planck equation based on the van der Pol oscillator model of the laser.
Joint chemical agent detector (JCAD): the future of chemical agent detection

The Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) has continued development through 2002. The JCAD has completed Contractor Validation Testing (CVT) that included chemical warfare agent testing, environmental testing, electromagnetic interferent testing, and platform integration validation. The JCAD provides state of the art chemical warfare agent detection capability to military and homeland security operators. Intelligence sources estimate that over twenty countries have active chemical weapons programs. The spread of weapons of mass destruction (and the industrial capability for manufacture of these weapons) to third world nations and terrorist organizations has greatly increased the chemical agent threat to U.S. interests. Coupled with the potential for U.S. involvement in localized conflicts in an operational or support capacity, increases the probability that the military Joint Services may encounter chemical agents anywhere in the world. The JCAD is a small (45 in3), lightweight (2 lb.) chemical agent detector for vehicle interiors, aircraft, individual personnel, shipboard, and fixed site locations. The system provides a common detection component across multi-service platforms. This common detector system will allow the Joint Services to use the same operational and support concept for more efficient utilization of resources. The JCAD detects, identifies, quantifies, and warns of the presence of chemical agents prior to onset of miosis. Upon detection of chemical agents, the detector provides local and remote audible and visual alarms to the operators. Advance warning will provide the vehicle crew and other personnel in the local area with the time necessary to protect themselves from the lethal effects of chemical agents. The JCAD is capable of being upgraded to protect against future chemical agent threats. The JCAD provides the operator with the warning necessary to survive and fight in a chemical warfare agent threat environment.
Contact, Community Context, and Public Attitudes toward Gay Men and Lesbians

Contact theory holds that interaction with members of minority groups makes members of the majority more tolerant. Unfortunately, in the case of homosexuals, previous research has been limited by significant conceptual and methodological problems. In this study, we attempt to alleviate these past problems by reconceptualizing the notion of contact to hypothesize that citizens who live in communities with larger gay populations will have significantly warmer affective attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. We test this hypothesis using data from a 1996 national survey and multivariate, censored-normal regression models. Our findings demonstrate that community context has a robust effect on citizen attitudes toward homosexuals, rivaling the impact of education and age. These results highlight the importance of public policies and group strategies aimed at encouraging openness regarding sexual orientation.
Macro‐ and micro‐ecological reconstruction using plant opal phytolith data from archaeological sediments

Phytolith analysis is rapidly maturing into a robust and powerful paleobotanical data system. Many plant groups can be identified to family or subfamily, and even species identification has been suggested. Distinctive phytoliths occur abundantly in members of the grass family and are also found in several other groups including rushes, sedges, palms, conifers, deciduous trees, and other dicotyledonous plant taxa. Soil phytolith assemblages have provided paleobotanical data on the order of thousands to millions of years ago. Moreover, as test cases for analysis in soil have increased, an emerging pattern indicates that phytolith populations are stable decay-in-place residues following deposition in sediments. Phytolith studies reflect both macroecological as well as subtle microecological, ecotonal differences, and/or very specific ethnobotanical and cultural activities. Phytolith analysis is a superlative source of botanical information in narrowly defined contexts of archaeological sediments.
Evolution of a plume in laser ablation: Dependence on the spot size

The interaction of a powerful laser beam with a target material may result in the formation of a plume, which consists of gas molecules and molecular clusters directly ejected from the surface. A hybrid Molecular Dynamics – direct simulation Monte Carlo scheme capable to model the formation and evolution of the multi-component plume has been proposed recently. In the present study, the first objective is precise characterization of various types of collisions and other reactions among the molecules and clusters with the aid of molecular dynamics simulations. The updated scheme is then applied to study the effect of laser spot size on the evolution of the plume. The increased number of reactions per particle for larger spot size smoothed out a typical two-fold monomer density profile observed for smaller spot sizes.
ADE: STEPS TOWARD A DISTRIBUTED DEVELOPMENT AND RUNTIME ENVIRONMENT FOR COMPLEX ROBOTIC AGENT ARCHITECTURES

In this paper we present the agent architecture development environment (ADE), intended for the design, implementation, and testing of distributed robotic agent architectures. ADE is unique among robotic architecture development environments in that it is based on a universal agent architecture framework called APOC, which allows it to implement architectures in any design methodology, and in that it uses an underlying multi-agent system to allow for the the distribution of architectural components over multiple host computers. After a short exposition of the theory behind ADE, we present the multi-agent system setup and give an example of using ADE in a multi-robot setting. A general discussion then highlights some of the novel features of ADE and illustrates how ADE can be used for designing, implementing, testing, and running agent architectures.
A re-description of the fossil damselfly Eolestes syntheticus Cockerell, 1940 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Eolestidae n. fam.) with description of new taxa from the Eocene of North America

The enigmatic species Eolestes syntheticus Cockerell, 1940, from the Early Eocene of North America, previously attributed to the lestoid family Synlestidae, is re-examined in light of the discovery of new material from the Middle Eocene Kishenehn Formation in northwestern Montana. E. syntheticus and a new species, Eolestes ramosus sp. n. , are attributed to a new family Eolestidae fam. n.. In addition, a new genus and species very closely related to Lestidae but assigned to family unknown, Lutetialestes uniformis sp. n., is described from the Kishenehn Formation.
Using Litigation to Understand Trade Secrets: A Preliminary Exploration

In recent years, there has been a growth in interest among economists in the litigation of intellectual property, as opposed the traditional focus on the grants of these rights and their subsequent citation in other awards. This new focus is very natural, given the critical importance of the litigation process in enforcing intellectual property rights. To date, though, the literature on litigation of intellectual property rights has almost exclusively focused on patents. This orientation is readily understandable: not only are patents a critically important property right, but they are also relatively straightforward to track. The major alternative forms of protection, such as trade secrets and copyrights, are often more difficult to empirically examine. Despite these challenges, trade secrets are a key form of protection for many firms that either choose not to or cannot patent their discoveries. Thus, in this paper I seek to explore what can be gleaned empirically about this form of protection using the recorded decisions associated with trade secret-related civil litigation.
Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases in Klebsiella pneumoniae Bloodstream Isolates from Seven Countries: Dominance and Widespread Prevalence of SHV- and CTX-M-Type β-Lactamases

A huge variety of extended-spectrum -lactamases (ESBLs) have been detected during the last 20 years. The majority of these have been of the TEM or SHV lineage. We have assessed ESBLs occurring among a collection of 455 bloodstream isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, collected from 12 hospitals in seven countries. Multiple -lactamases were produced by isolates with phenotypic evidence of ESBL production (mean of 2.7 -lactamases per isolate; range, 1 to 5). SHV-type ESBLs were the most common ESBL, occurring in 67.1% (49 of 73) of isolates with phenotypic evidence of ESBL production. In contrast, TEM-type ESBLs (TEM-10 type, -12 type, -26 type, and -63 type) were found in just 16.4% (12 of 73) of isolates. The finding of TEM-10 type and TEM-12 type represents the first detection of a TEM-type ESBL in South America. PER (for Pseudomonas extended resistance)-type -lactamases were detected in five of the nine isolates from Turkey and were found with SHV-2-type and SHV-5-type ESBLs in two of the isolates. CTX-M-type ESBLs (blaCTX-M-2 type and blaCTX-M-3 type) were found in 23.3% (17 of 73) of isolates and were found in all study countries except for the United States. We also detected CTX-M-type ESBLs in four countries where they have previously not been described— Australia, Belgium, Turkey, and South Africa. The widespread emergence and proliferation of CTX-M-type ESBLs is particularly noteworthy and may have important implications for clinical microbiology laboratories and for physicians treating patients with serious K. pneumoniae infections.
Pan Compared to Malaise Trapping for Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) in a Longleaf Pine Savanna

Insects are diverse in their habits and a wide variety of trapping methods have been developed to capture them. Bees are no exception. Although malaise traps have traditionally been the method of choice for Hymenoptera, (Matthew and Matthews, 1971; Masner and Goulet, 1981; Noyes, 1989), netting is used more often for bees because it provides better quality specimens and generates floral visitation data. A disadvantage of netting is that it requires more effort than passive collecting methods and can generate limited samples. To overcome this, a second passive collecting method, pan trapping (Leong and Thorp, 1999), is often combined with netting. In an attempt to standardize collecting methods for bees, a Bee Inventory (Bl) Plot protocol (http://online.sfsu.edu/~beeplot) was developed that combines netting and pan trapping with specified temporal and spatial parameters for each. As a side project of a larger study surveying bee diversity in Louisiana longleaf pine savannas (Bartholomew, 2004), we compared the efficiency of a malaise trap protocol with the Bl Plot protocol. Because we were surveying for a number of different insect orders (ants, beetles, and grasshoppers), we used malaise and flight intercept traps, which catch a wide range of groups. When we discovered the Bl Plot protocol existed, we wanted to know the extent to which our study was compromised, if any, by not using this method. Here, we report results from both trapping protocols over a four month period in one of our savanna sites.
The Cdk-Activating Kinase Cak1p Promotes Meiotic S Phase through Ime2p

CAK1 encodes an essential protein kinase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that is required for activation of the Cdc28p Cdk. CAK1 also has several CDC28-independent functions that are unique to meiosis. The earliest of these functions is to induce S phase, which is regulated differently in meiosis than in mitosis. In mitosis, Cdc28p controls its own S-phase-promoting activity by signaling the destruction of its inhibitor, Sic1p. In meiosis, Sic1p destruction is signaled by the meiosis-specific Ime2p protein kinase. Our data show that Cak1p is required to activate Ime2p through a mechanism that requires threonine 242 and tyrosine 244 in Ime2p's activation loop. This activation promotes autophosphorylation and accumulation of multiply phosphorylated forms of Ime2p during meiotic development. Consistent with Cak1p's role in activating Ime2p, cells lacking Cak1p are deficient in degrading Sic1p. Deletion of SIC1 or overexpression of IME2 can partially suppress the S-phase defect in cak1 mutant cells, suggesting that Ime2p is a key target of Cak1p regulation. These data show that Cak1p is required for the destruction of Sic1p in meiosis, as in mitosis, but in meiosis, it functions through a sporulation-specific kinase.