cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic accuracy of a new cardiac electrical biomarker for detection of electrocardiogram changes suggestive of acute myocardial ischemic injury.

Objective A new cardiac “electrical” biomarker (CEB) for detection of 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) changes indicative of acute myocardial ischemic injury has been identified. Objective was to test CEB diagnostic accuracy. Methods This is a blinded, observational retrospective case-control, noninferiority study. A total of 508 ECGs obtained from archived digital databases were interpreted by cardiologist and emergency physician (EP) blinded reference standards for presence of acute myocardial ischemic injury. CEB was constructed from three ECG cardiac monitoring leads using nonlinear modeling. Comparative active controls included ST voltage changes (J-point, ST area under curve) and a computerized ECG interpretive algorithm (ECGI). Training set of 141 ECGs identified CEB cutoffs by receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analysis. Test set of 367 ECGs was analyzed for validation. Poor-quality ECGs were excluded. Sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. Adjudication was performed by consensus. Results CEB demonstrated noninferiority to all active controls by hypothesis testing. CEB adjudication demonstrated 85.3–94.4% sensitivity, 92.5–93.0% specificity, 93.8–98.6% negative predictive value, and 74.6–83.5% positive predictive value. CEB was superior against all active controls in EP analysis, and against ST area under curve and ECGI by cardiologist. Conclusion CEB detects acute myocardial ischemic injury with high diagnostic accuracy. CEB is instantly constructed from three ECG leads on the cardiac monitor and displayed instantly allowing immediate cost-effective identification of patients with acute ischemic injury during cardiac rhythm monitoring.
Photovoltaic Concentrator Technology in the USA

One of the alternate electrical energy technologies that has progressed most rapidly over the past several years is photovoltaic concentrator technology. In the US, with funding of approximately $40 million over the past 7 years, this solar electric technology has been transferred from the conceptual stage to the point where several promising designs have been fabricated and tested. The experience of concentrator research and development thus far strongly supports the initial hope that it could be a practical alternative to flat plate photovoltaics. Three major conclusions have emerged from the experience of PV concentrator technology to date: PV concentrators are far more efficient than flat plate PV modules Designing PV concentrators with 20 year lifetimes appears feasible Totally installed PV concentrator array costs are projected to reach $1 to $2 per peak watt.
Stress analysis of the field-assisted sintering: Electrothermal mechanical interaction

Abstract. The ﬁeld-assisted sintering techniques have the potential to produce bulk nanostructured materials from micro- andsubmicron particles. Using the perturbation theory, the electrothermal, elastic deformation of a consolidated material has beenanalyzed. The material carries a uniform, axial electric current. Explicit expression of the temperature and stress ﬁelds hasbeen obtained to the ﬁrst order of approximation. The maximum temperature difference is proportional to the electric energyinput to the material, and the average pressure applied to the pressing die is a nonlinear function of the electric current. 1. Introduction Using ﬁeld-assisted processing, various sintering methods have been proposed for preparing bulkmaterials from micron and submicron particles [1–6], especially the preparation of bulk nanostructuredceramics from micrometer-sized powders [6]. These methods have demonstrated numerous advantagesover conventional consolidation processes, such as low processing temperatures and short processingtime. It has beenbelievedthat the basic principle controlling the ﬁeld-assistedprocessingis the interplaybetween electric Joule heating and local electromechanical stresses which removes the layer of surfaceoxideandenhancesatomicmigration, suchassurfacediffusion, grain boundarydiffusionanddislocationmotion [7].To understand the ﬁeld-assisted processing, several analyses have been performed with most of themfocusing on the temperature evolution due to the Joule heating [3,8–11]. Recently, the evolution ofthermal stresses has been considered by Wang et al. [12] and Cincotti et al. [13]. Due to the complexityof the problem, most of analyses relied on numerical simulation, which provided some insight to theﬁeld-induced thermal ﬁeld and stress ﬁeld in the sintering processes. There are only a few simplemodels, which gave the closed-form solution of the temperature distribution inside the consolidatedgreen compaction. There is no analysis on the electromechanical interaction present in the ﬁeld-assistedprocessing.Thepassofanelectriccurrentthroughaconductingmaterialwillcausetheincreaseinlocaltemperaturedue to the Joule heating and mechanical deformation due to Maxwell’s stresses. Both the Joule heatingand the Maxwell’s stresses are a function of the electrical current, which need to be carefully analyzed
Stellantriebe für die Verfahrens‐ und Wärmetechnik

Es werden die wesentlichen Kriterien aufgezeigt, die fur die Auswahl eines Stellantriebs entscheidend sind. Da ein Dampferzeuger hohe Anforderungen an die Regeleinrichtung stellt, wurde im Verlauf der Jahre ein umfassendes, spezielles Sortiment von Ventilen, Antrieben und Regelgeraten fur die Prozesregelung in thermischen und nuklearen Kraftwerken sowie in Industriedampfnetzen entwickelt. Dabei gilt es, den verschiedensten Betriebsbedingungen, wie Explosionsschutz, korrosive Atmosphare und radioaktive Bestrahlung, Rechnung zu tragen. Dies wird durch einfache, robuste Bauart erreicht (ohne mechanische Schalter fur Ansteuerung und Drehmomentuberwachung) sowie durch Verlegen der entsprechenden Steuergerate in den Reglerraum.
Do People Who Believe in God Report More Meaning in Their Lives? The Existential Effects of Belief.

I conduct the first large-N study explicitly exploring the association between belief in God and sense of purpose in life. This relationship, while often discussed informally, has received little empirical attention. Here I use the General Social Survey to investigate how form of and confidence in belief in God is related to sense of purpose in life, as measured by a Likert item level of agreement with the statement “In my opinion, life does not serve any purpose.” Using logistic regression analysis, I find that those who indicate that they are confident in God's existence report a higher sense of purpose compared to nonbelievers, believers in a higher power, and those who believe but occasionally doubt.
Model-based reconstruction of the time response of electrochemical air pollutant monitors to rapidly varying concentrations

Electrochemical sensors are commonly used to measure concentrations of gaseous air pollutants in real time, especially for personal exposure investigations. The monitors are small, portable, and have suitable response times for estimating time-averaged concentrations. However, for transient exposures to air pollutants lasting only seconds to minutes, a non-instantaneous time response can cause measured values to diverge from actual input concentrations, especially when the pollutant fluctuations are pronounced and rapid. Using 38 Langan carbon monoxide (CO) monitors, which can be set to log data every 2 s, we found electrochemical sensor response times of 30–50 s. We derived a simple model based on Fick's Law to reconstruct a close to accurate time series from logged data. Starting with experimentally measured data for repetitive step input signals of alternating high and low CO concentrations, we were able to reconstruct a much improved 2-s concentration time series using the model. We also utilized the model to examine errors in monitor measurements for different averaging times. By selecting the averaging time based on the response time of the monitor, the error between actual and measured pollutant levels can be minimized. The methodology presented in this study is useful when aiming to accurately determine a time series of rapidly time-varying concentrations, such as for locations close to an active point source or near moving traffic.
Structural basis of carcinogenicity in rodents of genotoxicants and non-genotoxicants

A set of 189 chemicals tested in the National Toxicology Program Cancer Bioassay was subjected to analysis by CASE, the Computer-Automated Structure Evaluation system. In the data set, 63% of the chemicals were carcinogens, approx. 40% of the carcinogens were non-genotoxic, i.e., they possessed neither "structural alerts" for DNA reactivity as defined by Ashby and Tennant, 1988, nor were they mutagenic for Salmonella. The data base can be characterized as a "combined rodent" compilation as chemicals were characterized as "carcinogenic" if they were carcinogenic in either rats or mice or both. CASE identified 23 fragments which accounted for the carcinogenicity, or lack thereof, of most of the chemicals. The sensitivity and specificity were unexpectedly high: 1.00 and 0.86, respectively. Based upon the identified biophores and biophobes, CASE performed exceedingly well in predicting the activity of chemicals not included among the 189 in the original set. CASE predicted correctly the carcinogenicity of non-genotoxic carcinogens thereby suggesting a structural commonality in the action of this group of carcinogens. As a matter of fact biophores restricted to non-genotoxic carcinogens were identified as were "non-electrophilic" biophores shared by genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens. The findings suggest that the CASE program may help in the elucidation of the basis of the action of non-genotoxic carcinogens.
The Effect Of A Changing Spectrum On Transform Spectrometry

The effect of input source varia-tions during the time of the measurement interval is analyzed in relation to transform spectrometry. Both over-all and relative spectral changes are considered. Hadamard and Fourier transform spectrometry are used as examples. The Fourier spectrometer (interferometer) is shown to be capable, after correction, of generating the mean value of the input spectrum over the measurement interval, while the so-called "Hadamard" spectrometer fails to do so. These conclusions are demonstrated experimentally using synthetic spectra.© (1973) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Evolution of the Definite Article in Old High German

This paper is an investigation of the early use of the Old High German demonstrative as a definite article. Previous work has often failed to take into account the many ways that the definite article can be employed or the fact that new grammatical structures sometimes evolve over great lengths of time. This paper discusses the evolutionary process and stages of article use in three individual OHG documents, the Isidor translation, the Tatian translation, and Otfrid's Evangelien-buch, the three longest OHG documents in Franconian dialects. It proposes that a definite article did exist from the earliest recorded examples of OHG although with differing uses at different times (and places).*
RhBMP-2 is superior to iliac crest bone graft for long fusions to the sacrum in adult spinal deformity: 4- to 14-year follow-up.

STUDY DESIGN Matched cohort comparison. OBJECTIVE To compare the use of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) or iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) on the long-term outcomes in patients undergoing long fusions to the sacrum for adult spinal deformity. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA No long-term studies beyond a 2-year follow-up have been performed comparing the use of BMP versus ICBG for fusion rates in long fusions to the sacrum in adult spinal deformity. METHODS A total of 63 consecutive patients, from 1997-2006, comprised of 31 patients in the BMP group and 32 patients in the ICBG group, operated on at a single institution with a minimum 4-year follow-up (4-14 yr) were analyzed. Inclusion criteria were ambulators who were candidates for long fusions (thoracic as the upper level) to the sacrum. Exclusion criteria were revisions, neuromuscular scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis, and patients who had both BMP and ICBG used for fusion. Oswestry Disability Index and 3 domains of the Scoliosis Research Society score were used to assess outcomes. RESULTS The 2 groups were similar with respect to age, sex, smoking history, comorbidities, BMI, number of fusion levels and Cobb angles. Eight patients in the BMP group underwent a posterior only, whereas 23 underwent combined anterior and posterior (A/P) surgery. All 32 patients in the ICBG had A/P fusion. The average BMP level was 11.1 mg (3-36 mg). The rate pseudarthrosis was 6.4% (2/31) in the BMP and 28.1% (9/32) in the ICBG group (P = 0.04) using Fisher exact test and odds ratio = 5.67. The fusion rates for BMP group were 93.5% and 71.9% for the ICBG group. Oswestry Disability Indexes were similar between groups. However, the BMP group demonstrated superior sum composite Scoliosis Research Society scores in pain, self-image and function domains (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION BMP is superior to ICBG in achieving fusion in long constructs in adult deformity surgery. The rate of pseudarthrosis was significantly higher in the ICBG group than BMP group. The concentration and dosage of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) used seems to have an effect on the rate of fusion and pseudarthrosis rate because no patient receiving more than 5 mg per level had apparent or detected pseudarthroses (n = 20/20). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3.
Evidence based dentistry: Design architecture

It is important for clinicians to understand the type of clinical studies that appear in the literature and the inherent strengths and limitations of each study. The three possible alternative explanations, chance, bias, and confounding, must be considered for any research study. Thus, it is important to evaluate research studies critically in light of this discussion and not simply to summarize the findings. Finally, conclusions about causality can only be made on the body of evidence, not on any single study.
Three methods of forecasting late blight of potato and tomato in northeastern United States

Three methods were compared for possible use in forecasting late blight of potato and tomato in northeastern United States. Two of the methods were based on relative humidity and temperature data, and the other one on rainfall and temperature data.
The "Hard-Bottoming" Technique in Nuclear Instrumentation Circuit Design

It is very desirable to operate vacuum tubes in such a manner that the operation of the over-all circuit is essentially independent of large changes in tube characteristics. The technique of "hard-bottoming" of vacuum tubes in two-state circuits obtains operation that, in many cases, is unchanged until the vacuum tubes are almost completely inoperative by ordinary standards. Negative feedback has, of course, been used for many years to stabilize amplifier circuits, but the use of hard bottoming has not become as widespread. The Physical Electronics Group of the Physics Division, ORNL, has, over the last few years, applied the hard-bottoming principle to many circuits used in nuclear instrumentation. In scaling circuits, it represents as large a step forward in design as did the addition of coupling diodes by Higinbotham. Precision timing circuits are made possible by use of this principle. These applications are described.
The role of the International Commission for Optics (ICO) in optics training and education

ICO coordinates the advancement and dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge in optics and photonics. Its Education Committee plans to survey, cross-reference and provide web links for syllabi, curricula, course materials, laboratory experiments and textbooks for K-12 through professional educational programs. We invite discussion and comment on near-term and long-term goals.
The nonrandom location of synonymous codons suggests that reading frame-independent forces have patterned codon preferences.

Biased codon usage is common in eukary- otic and prokaryotic genes. Evidence from Escherichia, Saccharomyces, and Drosophila indicates that it favors translational efficiency and accuracy. However, to date no functional advantages have been identified in the codon-anticodon interactions involving the most fre- quently used (preferred) codons. Here we present evi- dence that forces not related to the individual codon- anticodon interaction may be involved in determining which synonymous codons are preferred or avoided. We show that the "off-frame" trinucleotide motif preferences inferrable from Drosophila coding regions are often in the same direction as Drosophila's "in-frame" codon preferences, i.e., its codon usage. The off-frame prefer- ences were inferred from the nonrandomness of the lo- cation of confamilial synonymous codons along coding regions—a pattern often described as a context depen- dence of nucleotide choice at synonymous positions or as codon-pair bias. We relied on randomizations of the lo- cation of confamilial codons that do not alter, and cannot be influenced by, the encoded amino acid sequences, codon usage, or base composition of the genes examined. The statistically significant congruency of in-frame and off-frame trinucleotide preferences suggests that the same kind of reading-frame-independent force(s) may also influence synonymous codon choice. These forces may have produced biases in codon usage that then led to the evolution of the translational advantages of these motifs as preferred codons. Under this scenario, tRNA pool size differences between preferred and nonpreferred codons initially were evolved to track the default over- representation of codons with preferred motifs. The mo- tif preference hypothesis can explain the structuring of codon preferences and the similarities in the codon us- ages of distantly related organisms.
eyeDog: an assistive-guide robot for the visually impaired

Visually impaired people can navigate unfamiliar areas by relying on the assistance of other people, canes, or specially trained guide dogs. Guide dogs provide the impaired person with the highest degree of mobility and independence, but require expensive training and selective breeding. In this paper we describe the design and development of a prototype assistive-guide robot (eyeDog) that provides the visually impaired person with autonomous vision-based navigation and laser-based obstacle avoidance capabilities. This kind of assistive-guide robot has several advantages, such as robust performance and reduced cost and maintenance. The main components of our system are the Create robotic platform (from iRobot), a net-book, an on-board USB webcam and a LIDAR unit. The camera is used as the primary exteroceptive sensor for the navigation task; the frames captured by the camera are processed in order to robustly estimate the position of the vanishing point associated to the road/corridor where the eyeDog needs to move. The controller will then steer the robot until the vanishing point and the image center coincide. This condition guarantees the robot to move parallel to the direction of the road/corridor. While moving, the robot uses the LIDAR for obstacle avoidance.
Gender moderates the impact of stereotype threat on cognitive function in cannabis users

Research reveals mixed results for the effects of cannabis on cognitive functioning. These divergent results might stem from stereotype threat (ST), which occurs when individuals believe that a group to which they belong is inferior, resulting in poor test performance. Widespread media coverage of purported cannabis-related deficits in cognitive functioning may elicit ST among cannabis users, particularly among men, who may be more likely than women to identify with the cannabis-user stereotype. To investigate this hypothesis, cannabis users (30 male, 27 female) read a summary of research indicating either that cannabis produced deficits (ST condition), or that cannabis actually created no changes in cognitive functions. Participants then completed cognitive tests. Examination of the gender x condition interaction revealed significant results on 4 tests: the California Verbal Learning Test-II immediate recall task, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test for number of words generated and number of switches between clusters, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Task. Males exposed to ST performed worse on all tests compared to men not exposed to ST, while women exposed to ST performed better than women not exposed. These results suggest that cognitive deficits observed in male cannabis users may be attributed to ST rather than decreased functioning. Surprisingly, women in the ST condition scored higher than controls. Perhaps female users do not identify with the typical cannabis stereotype. This study highlights the importance of disconfirming relevant stereotypes prior to examination of the cognitive abilities of cannabis users.
Spatial discounting, place attachment, and environmental concern: Toward an ambit-based theory of sense of place

Abstract Sense of Place (SOP) theory can connect environmental discourse across disciplines, provided it is supported by an adequate suite of conceptual tools. Sense of place encompasses both objectivist notions of spatial discounting, generally advanced by economists and geographers, and the subjectivist, phenomenological and psychometric aspects of place attachment emphasized by environmental psychologists. This paper introduces ambit as an integrative tool for developing theories about sense of place that include both subjective and objective aspects of human activity. Signifying the spatial extent of activity over time, the human ambit anchors spatial dimensions of environmental concern to alternative theories about sense of place. We conceptualize ambit as the focal level of a tri-level hierarchy stratifying mechanisms, behavior, and reflexivity associated with place. After developing the observable ambit as integral to a hierarchical theory of place-based behavior, we explore its use in providing a more empirical understanding of human behavior in space–time.
Hepatic glutaminase gene expression in the tumor-bearing rat.

Previous studies have documented an increase in hepatic plasma membrane glutamine transport in the tumor-bearing rat, but the effects of tumor burden on hepatic glutaminase expression have not been carefully studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of tumor burden and food intake on hepatic glutaminase expression. Rats were implanted with syngeneic methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma tumor tissue; control rats were sham operated and pair-fed every 24 hr. Northern blotting was used to assay the effect of tumor burden and fasting on hepatic glutaminase mRNA levels, using β-actin mRNA as a control. Hepatic glutaminase mRNA levels in livers of pair-fed controls were found to be 4-fold greater than levels in livers of tumor-bearing animals. Examination of food intake patterns in these animals indicated that pair-fed controls ate their allotted chow quickly while tumor-bearing rats ate small amounts throughout each 24 hr period. This observation suggested that the differences in glutaminase mRNA levels may be due to a period of fasting by pair-fed animals which was not experienced by the tumor-bearing group. Hepatic glutaminase mRNA levels rapidly increased in normal rats during acute fasting to levels 5.5-fold greater than fed animals. Glucose feeding and insulin injection rapidly reversed the effect of fasting on hepatic glutaminase mRNA levels in normal rats. Tumor-bearing rats also exhibited upregulation of hepatic glutaminase mRNA levels in response to fasting. Conclusions: (1) Tumor burden itself does not alter hepatic glutaminase expression, at least at the pre-translational level. Instead, differences in hepatic glutaminase mRNA content are due to differences in food intake patterns. (2) Hepatic glutaminase mRNA levels are rapidly upregulated in response to fasting, an effect which appears to be linked to a decrease in plasma insulin concentrations. Because tumor-bearing rats eat regularly over a 24 hr period (albeit in small increments), thereby maintaining the plasma insulin concentration, hepatic glutaminase mRNA may not rise as it does in pair-fed controls whose daily chow intake is complete within hours of food allocation. (3) This study indicates that differences in the timing of food intake between tumor-bearing rats and pair-fed controls can alter the expression of genes that are influenced by nutrient availability. These differences should be taken into account when designing studies which involve pair-feeding to control nutrient intake.
Keynote talk: A comprehensive approach to HW/SW codesign

Summary form only given. Energy/performance results for parallel (and sequential) computing are still, usually hard to predict and often disappointing. A model using invariant-based equations is being applied to predict energy/performance as HW and SW are changed in codesign studies. The physical model consists of HW nodes chosen to match architectural issues, together with automatically extracted SW codelets that are easy to measure and model. HW/SW measurements of computational capacity (BW used) and power [based on HW counters and SW modification (Decan)] are used by the Cape tool to evaluate tradeoffs quickly and find optimal solutions to various codesign problems. Codelets from a number of real applications are being analyzed and modeled.
Use of Antiserum‐Coated Latex Particles for Serotyping Streptococcus pneumoniae

The Quellung reaction provides a standard means for serotyping Streptococcus pneumoniae, but it requires microscopic examination with skillful technique. We have developed an improved agglutination method with anti-rabbit IgG-coated latex particles, which are sensitized with pooled antisera for serotyping/serogrouping S. pneumoniae. Our method is as specific and sensitive as the Quellung test, and much easier to perform.
An application of grey level image processing to an industrial dimensional inspection problem

Abstract Quality inspection systems using binary methods have been applied to many simple problems with success. (1,2,3) Attempts have been made to develop adaptive threshold techniques to glean subtle features from grey level data. (4) Some interesting results have been obtained but as the images become more complex reliability suffers and grey level techniques become necessary. (5,6) This paper describes an application of functional approximation and syntactic analysis to the inspection of small blind holes in a metal casting.
Topological actions from twisted supersymmetric theories

Abstract It has recently been shown that a certain twisting of N=2 supersymmetric gauge theory yields a purely topological Yang-Mills action invariant under a fermionic transformation that resembles BRST. In this paper we construct more of these topological models, including one with an N=2 BRST-antiBRST symmetry, from twists of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills.
Tetrapyrroles. IV. A highly efficient synthesis of homochiral dihydropyrromethenones via Pdo mediated coupling of iodopyrroles and acetylenic amides

Abstract Homochiral dihydropyrromethenones of type 20 have been synthesized in a highly efficient manner by Pd o mediated coupling of iodopyrrole 14 with acetylenic amides 18 , followed by F - catalyzed 5-exo-dig cyclization. In analogous fashion, phytochrome ( 8 ) precursor 25a has been prepared in 85% overall yield from iodopyrrole 22 .
An XUP–UNM educational platform: A dual‐FPGA platform for reconfigurable logic

We present a new educational platform for teaching reconfigurable logic. The new platform includes two FPGAs, separate instruction and data buses, serial and parallel port connections, and extensive I/O connections for interfacing with other reconfigurable computing boards. The platform was successfully tested at the University of New Mexico, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at El Paso, and the West Point military academy. Online documentation details the entire design, fabricating, assembly, and testing phases. All design information is freely available online. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 17: 232–239, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae20192
Long-term potentiation in the hippocampus induced by platelet-activating factor

Abstract Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is an ether phospholipid that serves as an autacoid in a wide range of biological processes. We found that when PAF was added to hippocampal slices, it induced a stable and concentration-dependent increase in excitatory postsynaptic potential and population spike recordings (long-term potentiation [LTP]). The PAF effect was blocked by the PAF receptor antagonists BN 52021 and WEB 2086 and the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists MK 801 and 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate. However, these PAF receptor antagonists did not block LTP induced by high frequency stimulation. The facilitation induced by PAF could not be reversed by PAF receptor antagonists. Induction of either PAF-or tetanus-triggered facilitation occluded the subsequent expression of the other, suggesting a common pathway. LTP is a type of synaptic plasticity associated with the formation of memory, and PAF may play an important modulatory role in this process.
Avena fatua L. seed and seedling nutrient dynamics as influenced by mycorrhizal infection of the maternal generation

Abstract. The objective of this study was to determine how mycorrhizal infection of one generation of plants influences the nutrient dynamics of seeds and seedlings comprising the subsequent generation. We showed that, for Avena fatua L., seeds produced by mycorrhizal (M) plants consistently contained significantly more phosphorus (particularly the phytate P and residual P fractions) than seeds produced by non-mycorrhizal (NM) plants. We also followed the development of spikelets produced by M and NM plants. The rates of increase in spikelet dry weight and nitrogen content were largely unaffected by mycorrhizal infection. However, the rate of P accumulation into spikelets was significantly increased by mycorrhizal infection. Greater endosperm P reserves in seeds produced by M plants were associated with greater rates of P accumulation in resultant seedlings. Moreover, offspring plants (all NM) produced by M mother plants had significantly higher root and rhizosphere phosphatase, ATPase and phytase activities than offspring plants produced by NM mother plants. This persistent maternal effect has never before been described. Our results suggest that mycorrhizal infection of one generation of plants may have substantial positive effects on the offspring generation, and thus, may influence plant population dynamics.
Simultaneous catheter replacement and removal in refractory peritoneal dialysis infections.

Simultaneous catheter replacement and removal in refractory peritoneal dialysis infections. The present report describes more than nine years of experience with simultaneous removal and replacement of the chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter in treating refractory mechanical and infectious complications. Simultaneous catheter replacement and removal not only succeeded in 22 of 23 cases with non-infectious mechanical complications, allowing uninterrupted PD in all but three, but also succeeded in 30 (83%) of 36 additional cases with persisting or recurring infection. Simultaneous procedures failed in six (17%) of 36 infectious cases, due to persistent infection in two cases and to procedure complications in four cases. The clinical characteristics of the 30 successful infectious cases were compared to the characteristics of both the six failures, as well as 29 additional infectious cases in which the peritoneal catheter was removed but was not replaced because of a variety of serious complications (such as pancreatitis, abscess, sepsis, or fluid overload). At the time of simultaneous catheter replacement in successful cases, temporary control of active peritoneal inflammation was achieved more frequently (80% vs. 31%, P
Nitrous oxide emissions from a bermudagrass pasture: Interseeded winter rye and poultry litter

Abstract Adequate use of manure in grasslands may constitute an economical means of manure disposal and an abundant source of nutrients for plants; however, excessive nitrogen (N) additions to these soils could create new environmental risks such as increasing nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions. These potentially adverse effects in grasslands may be mitigated by improved management practices. In pasture systems, the combined effects of poultry litter applications and interseeded rye ( Secale cereale L.) on N 2 O emissions are still not well established. This study was conducted to estimate the magnitude of soil surface N 2 O fluxes as affected by interseeded winter rye forage, annually spring-applied composted turkey litter as well as by weather and soil parameters. Fluxes were measured by vented chambers during 2 yr in a bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.) pasture in moderately well-drained Tonti gravelly silt loam (fine-loamy, active, mesic Typic Fragiudault) located in northwestern Arkansas, USA. During the 60 d following turkey litter applications, N 2 O fluxes were frequently well correlated with soil nitrate (NO 3 − ; r : up to 0.82, P 's 2 O production. Likewise, rainfall patterns strongly influenced N 2 O fluxes. Large rainfalls of 91 and 32 mm occurred within 6 d prior to the maximum N 2 O flux means (263 and 290 μg N m −2 h −1 , respectively). Treatment effects on N 2 O emissions were significant only in spring periods following manure addition, particularly in the second year of our study. In the spring of 2000, additions of composted turkey litter resulted in 1.5-fold increase in seasonal cumulative N 2 O emissions ( P = 0.04) which was directly associated to a numerically greater soil NO 3 − . In the spring of 2001, soils planted to rye exhibited a pronounced significant effect on mitigating N 2 O emissions (30 vs. 112 mg N m −2 ; P = 0.04). During the winter and early spring, rye growth also decreased quantities of both soil NO 3 − and water-filled pore space (WFPS) partly accounting for the lower N 2 O emissions in these fields. These results suggest that because poultry litter additions increased and interseeded rye diminished N 2 O emissions, the combined implementation of both management practices can produce environmental benefits while sustaining productivity in temperate pasture systems.
A program to support small rural hospitals

Abstract: Rural hospitals continue to face the threat of closure. Congress passed legislation in 1989 and 1990 to offer an alternative for small rural hospitals; the legislation encourages hospitals to form networks comprising an essential access community hospital (EACH) and one or more rural primary care hospitals. This legislation is a tightly focused program that will affect no more than an estimated 150 hospitals in seven states; implementation of the program has been controversial, as this Data-Watch demonstrates. The authors describe the profile of rural hospitals that are likely to apply to participate in the program, based on distances between hospitals and number of beds.
Process characterization for direct dispense fabrication of polymer optical multi-mode waveguides

The use of optical waveguide technology in printed circuit boards offers improvement in high speed data transfer. Transitioning current material deposition techniques for waveguide fabrication from small scale laboratory environments to large scale manufacturing presents significant physical and financial challenges. To address these issues, a syringe based direct dispense tool was characterized for repeatable direct write dispensing of blanket layers of waveguide material over a range of thicknesses (25–220 µm), reducing waste material and affording the ability to utilize large substrates. This tool was also used to directly dispense discrete multimode waveguide cores requiring no UV definition or chemical development. The ability to directly dispense waveguides reduces production costs by eliminating material waste and the need for costly photo-masks. The direct dispense waveguide cores had near circular cross sections ∼50 µm in diameter, with total optical losses in the range of 0.06–0.09 dB cm–1 at 850 nm compared to <0.05 dB cm–1 losses of lithographically fabricated square waveguides. The most critical process variables for dispensing functioning polymer waveguides are identified and discussed.
Behavior of the yolk nuclei during embryogenesis, and development of the midgut diverticulum in the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus

. Classical studies of horseshoe crab development have provided relatively little information about the earliest stages, and the contribution of yolk cells and yolk nuclei—a deficiency due in large part to the difficulty of preparing the eggs and embryos for sectioning. Using newly developed histological resins, we show that the yolk nuclei undergo a series of changes during embryogenesis, before cellularizing and forming the midgut epithelium during the first larval stage. The digestive diverticulum forms in a 2-step process. A mesodermally derived lamina divides the yolk mass into distinct lobes, defining the boundaries of the digestive caeca. The yolk nuclei then cellularize to form the midgut epithelium.
Double photoionization of helium at high photon energies

A study is made of double photoionization of helium at moderate and high incident photon energies. Such regimes may allow information about the nature of the double photoionization process to be elucidated. New theoretical results for single, double and triple differential cross sections are calculated using the time-dependent close-coupling theory and found to be in very good agreement with recent experimental measurements of Knapp et al (2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 033004; 2003 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 35 L521).
Bis(ferrocenylsilyl)thiophenes and ferrocenylene(silylene)thiophene oligomers

Abstract The reaction between 1,1′-dilithioferrocene and 2,5-bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)thiophene ( I ), leads to a series of cyclic oligomers of basic formulation [Fc-SiMe 2 -TH-SiMe 2 ] n ( II ); Fc=(η 5 -C 5 H 4 ) 2 Fe, TH=C 4 H 2 S. The material n =2, IIa , has been completely characterized by spectroscopic and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Cyclic voltammetric analysis of IIa illustrates two reversible redox processes, indicating a significant interaction between the two ferrocenylene units despite the 5 atom bridge. By comparison, the monomeric analog Fc-SiMe 2 -TH-SiMe 2 -Fc ( III ), Fc=(η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Fe(η 5 -C 5 H 4 ), prepared from the reaction of mono-lithioferrocene with I , exhibits a single redox process, even though there is the same bridge between the two Fe centers.
Wet and dry developable photosensitive deep UV resist

Abstract We studied and evaluated a new two-component resist which consists of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and an aromatic bisazide compound (3, 3′-diazidodiphenyl sulfone). This polymer combination acts as a negative working deep UV resist. The resist was successfully applied to contact printings and a one-to-one ratio of toluene and xylene used as the developer gave the best lithographic results in the wet development process. The image was reversed by doping the PMMA with the bisazide photosensitizer and the sensitivity of this new resist was enhanced by a factor of 40 relative to normally used positive tone PMMA. Features down to 0.5μm are clearly observed in this negative resist system. This resist was found to be dry developable using a post-exposure heat treatment followed by oxygen plasma development. The sensitivity of this PMMA-bisazide resist depends on the bisazide concentration in PMMA solution and the optimum concentration (25wt% bisazide) was studied in detail.
Design and performance of capping layers for extreme-ultraviolet multilayer mirrors

Multilayer lifetime has emerged as one of the major issues for the commercialization of extreme-ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). We describe the performance of an oxidation-resistant capping layer of Ru atop multilayers that results in a reflectivity above 69% at 13.2 nm, which is suitable for EUVL projection optics and has been tested with accelerated electron-beam and extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light in a water-vapor environment. Based on accelerated exposure results, we calculated multilayer lifetimes for all reflective mirrors in a typical commercial EUVL tool and concluded that Ru-capped multilayers have ∼40× longer lifetimes than Si-capped multilayers, which translates to 3 months to many years, depending on the mirror dose.
Informed Consent: An Ethical Issue in Conducting Research with Male Partner Violent Offenders

Ethical codes help guide the methods of research that involve samples gathered from "at-risk" populations. The current paper reviews general as well as specific ethical principles related to gathering informed consent from partner violent offenders mandated to outpatient treatment, a group that may be at increased risk of unintentional coercion in behavioral sciences research due to court-mandates that require outpatient treatment without the ethical protections imbued upon prison populations. Recommendations are advanced to improve the process of informed consent within this special population and data supporting the utility of the recommendations in a sample 70 partner violent offenders are provided. Data demonstrate that participants were capable of comprehending all essential elements of consent.
Neuroticism and Extraversion in the MMPI: Empirical Validation and Exploration*

The present study was an attempt to test the hypothesis that the two recurring MMPI factors are neuroticism (N) and introversion—extraversion (I-E). An initial factor analysis of several MMPI scales was carried out using college student Ss. Factor scores for the first two factors were obtained for seven groups of neurotics and sociopaths and two groups of normals. The scores on the first factor significantly differentiated neurotics from normals and sociopaths from normals. These scores did not differentiate the neurotic groups from each other. The scores estimating the second factor were used in relation to Eysenck's hypothesis that patient groups differ in I-E. If the second factor dimension were I-E, these scores should differentiate dysthymic neurotics from hysterics and sociopaths, and normals should fall in the middle of the two extremes. This hypothesis was confirmed and it was concluded that the two factors were N and I-E. It was also found that when neurotic groups were selected on the basis of extreme scores on the second factor, their clinical diagnoses differed significantly in line with Eysenck's hypothesis. An additional hypothesis that extraverted neurotics would be characterized more by somatic symptoms of anxiety while introverted neurotics are characterized by cognitive anxiety symptoms was tested by selecting two groups of neurotics with extreme I-E scores and comparing their reported symptoms. This hypothesis was also confirmed.
Fine tuning a molecular motor: the location of alternative domains in the Drosophila myosin head

Myosin isoform sequence variation is likely critical for generating differences in contraction velocity and force production exhibited by the various skeletal muscles in an animal. To examine how myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform diversity could affect physiological function, we studied the locations of structural differences in the motor domains of muscle MHCs from Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila has only one muscle Mhc gene. Isoform variation is achieved by alternative splicing of a limited number of exons, clearly delineating the domains of MHC that are critical for muscle-specific functions. There are four alternative regions that contribute to the motor domain of Drosophila myosin. We used the X-ray structure of chicken skeletal S1 as a framework to examine the locations of these four regions. One lies near the ATP-binding pocket in a position where amino acid changes might be expected to modulate entry or exit of the nucleotide. Interestingly, the other three are clustered at the distal end of the molecule, surrounding the reactive cysteine SH1 and the pivot point about which the light chain-containing region swings. These observations underscore the importance of this region, distant from the site of ATP entry and the actin binding interface, as a part of the molecule where modulation of function can be achieved.
Human herpesvirus-6A and -6B encode viral immunoevasins that downregulate class I MHC molecules

Like all other members of the herpesvirus family, the closely related human herpesviruses-6 and -7 (HHV-6,7) persist in their host throughout life. In so doing, without exception, every member of the herpesvirus family has evolved mechanisms to avoid detection by the immune system. In particular, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV), human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), and herpes simplex virus (HSV) all encode multiple proteins that interfere with proper MHC class I antigen presentation. The mechanisms employed by these viruses to effect removal of MHC class I from the cell surface vary. The U21 open reading frame from HHV-7 diverts class I MHC molecules to an endolysosomal compartment using an as-yet unknown mechanism. The two variants of HHV-6, HHV-6A and -6B, both possess a U21 open reading frame which contain only approximately 30% amino acid identity to the U21 sequence from HHV-7. Here we describe the characterization of the U21 gene products from HHV-6A and HHV-6B. Like HHV-7 U21, both of the HHV-6 U21 molecules bind to and divert class I MHC molecules to an endolysosomal compartment, effectively removing them from the cell surface, and providing a possible means of escape from immune detection.
THE EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CHINA'S LABOUR-INTENSIVE MANUFACTURING EXPORTS

Abstract. Chinese policy-makers fear that an RMB appreciation will reduce low technology exports. We investigate this issue using data on China's exports to 30 countries. We find that an appreciation of the RMB would substantially reduce China's exports of clothing, furniture and footwear. We also find that an increase in foreign income, an increase in the Chinese capital stock, and an appreciation among China's competitors would raise China's exports. Because Europe is the second leading exporter of labour-intensive manufactures behind China, these results indicate that the appreciation of the euro relative to the RMB since 2001 has crowded out European exports.
Ab initio derived augmented Tersoff potential for silicon oxynitride compounds and their interfaces with silicon

Coordination-dependent interatomic potentials are proposed for silicon oxides and oxynitrides---also hydrogenated ones---with a functional form based on the widely used Tersoff silicon potential. They are intended for an accurate sampling of the configurational space of realistic silicon oxynitride systems and their interfaces with silicon, including defects and changes of oxidation states. The parameters, which are given in the text, are obtained by simultaneously mapping forces and energies onto the results of density-functional-theory calculations performed for a set of diverse systems and configurations and a wide composition range. Application to a larger set of systems and configurations shows the transferability of these augmented Tersoff potentials and their validity in predicting bulk lattice parameters, energetics of defect relaxation, and vibrational spectra.