cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overdrive, a T-DNA transmission enhancer on the A. tumefaciens tumour-inducing plasmid.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens incites crown gall tumors on many dicotyledonous plants when viable bacteria infect wounded tissue (2, 22). Virulent strains contain a 190 kilobase (kb) tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid that carries genes essential for tumorigenesis (8, 38). During tumorigenesis a specific segment of the Ti plasmid, the T-DNA, integrates into plant nuclear DNA (5, 19). Plant tumor cells express T-DNA genes responsible for tumorous growth, but T-DNA transmission does not require tumorigenesis or T-DNA encoded proteins (20, 29). Similar 23 bp direct repeats lie at both ends of four different T regions (1, 33, 40), and these repeats signal the T-DNA borders since T-DNA ends occur in or near these repeats in several different tumors (11, 32, 34, 41). Deletions that remove the T region right border severely attenuate virulence on most plants even though the tumor maintenance genes remain intact (11, 15, 24, 26-27, 31, 39). Such deletion mutants provide an assay for right border function: we can reintroduce T-DNA borders to the right of the T region and measure their ability to restore virulence. T-DNA transmission requires only a right border repeat in cis (26–27, 39), but Ti plasmid sequences that lie to the right of the right border repeat greatly stimulate its function (13, 25–27).
Application of linear multivariable control design for the GE-21 turbofan jet engine

Novel designs are proposed for use in the multivariable control of the GE-21 engine. The designs utilize linear multivariable control theory to generate a new linear quadratic regulator (LQR) followed by loop transfer recovery (LTR) to obtain a robust linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) controller. The engine control problem and the design process are described. The design techniques involve the analysis of the singular values of the return ratio at both the plant input and output. LQR/LTR compensators are designed to meet the required robustness and performance specifications. Step response analysis utilizing these designs is presented. >
Rabbit esophageal cells possess K+ channels: Effect of hyposmotic stress on channel activity

Abstract Background: In many cell types, basolateral K + channels are important in maintaining transepithelial Na + absorption and regulatory volume decrease (RVD) after hyposmolar stress. However, in the esophagus the effect of K + transport in maintaining baseline short-circuit current (SCC) (Na + absorption) and RVD is unknown. Methods: Ussing chambers were used to evaluate changes in SCC of rabbit esophageal mucosa in response to serosal Ba 2+ (4 mmol/L), quinine (1 mmol/L), and increasing serosal [K + ]. To determine whether K + channel(s) are activated in RVD, changes in SCC in response to serosal hyposmolarity (156 mOsm) were assessed in the presence or absence of serosal quinine. Results: Serosal Ba 2+ , quinine, or increased serosal [K + ] caused a decline in baseline SCC. Serosal hyposmolarity caused an increase in SCC that was not blocked by mucosal application of amiloride (10 −4 mmol/L). In contrast, serosal quinine completely blocked the hyposmolar-induced increase in SCC. Conclusions: These studies suggest that rabbit esophageal cells possess Ba 2+ - and quinine-sensitive basolateral K + channel(s) that are active under baseline conditions. Potassium conductance(s) also appear to be activated by external serosal hyposmolarity and may be involved in the process of RVD.
Endothelialization after arterial and venous micro-anastomosis:

Knowledge of the initial time required to repair the endothelial surface of small vessels after microsurgical vascular anastomosis of veins and arteries is required to determine the preferable dura...
A Case of Primary Subglottic Malignant Melanoma with a Successful Surgical Treatment

Primary subglottic malignant melanoma is a very rare and underdiagnosed neoplasm. We are reporting a case of primary malignant melanoma of subglottic mucosa in a 78-year-old woman who presented to our hospital with shortness of breath and hoarseness of voice. Laryngoscopy and excisional biopsy along with immunoreactivity to S-100 and human melanoma black-45 (HMB-45) confirmed the diagnosis. The patient was treated with laryngectomy followed by radiotherapy. Five years following surgical treatment, she continues to be asymptomatic. To our knowledge, there is only one reported case of primary malignant melanoma of subglottic mucosa in the medical literatures.
Attitudes toward abortion and prenatal diagnosis of fetal abnormalities: implications for educational programs.

Abstract Genetic counseling, second trimester amniocentesis, reliable techniques for analyzing fetal amniotic fluid and selective abortion together have the potential to prevent a variety of serious birth defects. Advances in technique and/or changing patterns of childbearing may place a large number of women in age groups where genetic counseling programs are recommended. However, attitudes toward abortion may be a critical variable in ascertaining the potential of genetic counseling programs to reduce birth defects. If opposition to abortion is based on a moral commitment, greater awareness of genetic counseling programs will lead to opposition to these programs. If attitudes toward abortion are based upon an evaluative process, such opposition is less likely to occur. Using a sample of women from the Rochester, New York, area (N = 1,616) whose attitudes toward abortion match U.S. estimates, we find that the greater the knowledge about prenatal screening, the less prevalent are attitudes opposed to abor...
Assessing internet survey data collection methods with ethnic nurse shift workers.

An increasing number of ethnic minorities are expected to enter the United States workforce based on projected demographic changes. This includes American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) nurses. Soci...
Contraceptives for teenagers

The contraceptive options suitable for teenagers are presented and discussed. Condoms have the advantage of preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and oral contraceptives are probably the most effective in preventing pregnancy. Other options include the barrier contraceptives available to women, spermicides, sponges, intrauterine devices, periodic abstinence, and the morning after pill.
Scaling law and photon-count distribution of a laser time-of-flight velocimeter

The equations for performance evaluation of the laser time-of-flight velocimeter (LTV) for atmospheric wind-speed measurement with single-particle digital-correlation analysis have been derived theoretically. Using an inverse power law for aerosol-size distribution and a simple expression for backscatter-differential cross section, the minimum-detectable number of signal photon counts, the photon-count distribution of signal particles, and the scaling law for LTV measurement rate are expressed in terms of correlator settings and parameters of a Gaussian laser beam. It is shown, both theoretically and experimentally, that these equations can be used to evaluate the system performance and assess the potential usefulness of the single-particle LTV.
Assessing the Impact of the 1996 Thai Prostitution Law: A Study of Police Arrest Data

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the impact of the Thai Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act of 1996 in ten geographical regions of the country. This paper also addresses law enforcement approaches in controlling prostitution. Data for prostitution arrests from 1995 to 1998 were obtained from official police sources (Statistics of Reported Crimes of Thailand). ARIMA intervention analysis was employed; revealing the arrest rates of prostitutes between pre- and post-enactment of the present Prostitution Act did not differ statistically within the regions except for Region 8 (Phuket). The paper reaches two general conclusions: (1) the 1996 Thai prostitution law did not significantly reduce the arrest rate for prostitution across the country; and (2) further consideration must be given to the idea of decriminalizing prostitution, which might allow for licensure, improving health and living conditions as well as potentially limiting exploitation and impact crimes associated with the prostitution industry.
Role of Nb3Si in high temperature deformation of a cast Nb - 10 a/o Si in-situ composite

This paper reports on intermetallic compounds based on refractory metals such as Nb, Mo, and W which possess properties conducive to high temperature applications. Many of these intermetallics have very high melting points and retain their strength and stiffness to a high temperature. A serious impediment to the application of these materials is their low room temperature fracture toughness. A viable solution to this problem is to form in-situ composites of a brittle intermetallic compound and metallic phase. Room temperature toughness is improved in such composites by the ductile phase ligaments bridging cracks. However, since the deformation of the continuous phase controls the overall deformation behavior of the composite, the role of the intermetallic matrix is also important, especially at temperatures where the intermetallic phase undergoes plastic deformation.
CONFIDENCE INTERVAL PROCEDURES FOR RETEST, ALTERNATE-FORM, VALIDITY, AND ALPHA COEFFICIENTS

Formulas for constructing confidence intervals for retest, alternate-form, validity, and alpha coefficients are given. Examples are provided.
Expression and role of integrins in adhesion of human colonic carcinoma cells to extracellular matrix components

We have examined integrin expression and function in the human colon carcinoma cell line HT29, and in clonal sublines derived from the HT29 line. These cells express several different integrin subunits including beta 1, alpha 2,3, 6 and alphav, but do not express the classic alpha S/beta 1 fibronectin receptor. Clonal variation in the pattern of integrin expression was quite limited. The profile of integrin expression correlates well with the adhesive behavior of HT29 cells. Thus the cells adhere well to vitronectin, laminin and type IV collagen, but not at all to fibronectin. Adhesion to collagen was completely blocked by an antibeta 1 monoclonal antibody, indicating that beta 1 integrins mediate this process. Adhesion to laminin was strongly blocked by anti-beta 1 monoclonal or anti-beta 6 monoclonal, suggesting that the alpha 6/beta 1 complex functions in attachment to laminin; this was somewhat surprising since immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that most of the alpha 6 subunit seems to be associated with the beta 4 subunit. Despite their strong adherence to laminin, collagen and vitronectin, HT29 cells are not very motile and, in response to gradients of these proteins, do not migrate nearly as well as CHO cells tested under similar conditions. Since HT29 cells can undergo an enterocyte-like differentiation in glucose-free medium, we compared integrin expression in HT29 and its subclones during the process of differentiation. There was no correlation between the state of differentiation, as assessed by expression of brush-border hydrolases, and the level of expression of any of the integrin subunits measured. Thus the pattern of integrin expression in these colonic tumor cells seems to be a characteristic of the cell line, and is not readily modified by changes in cell growth or differentiation.
From Apple to Omega: an analysis of brand placement in 2010 top-earning films

This study utilized a content analysis to measure brand placements in the top 25 films released in 2010 and compared results to a similar population of top-earning films released in 1991. The content analysis measured the frequency and modality of each placement, character interaction, visual placement and visual prominence, and accounted for the valence of each scene containing a product placement in terms of positive or negative hedonic values. Findings revealed there were substantially more brand placements and more prevalent use of prominent placement and character interaction in the 2010 films, compared with those in 1991. The study's findings provide rationale for future studies exploring the effectiveness of product placements and set a comparable benchmark for future analysis examining product placement trends.
Interactive exploration of multidimensional data

This paper describes a system called diamond for interactive exploration of multidimensional data. Diamond takes advantage of human pattern recognition and processing capacity, and puts major emphasis on performance and responsiveness. This creates a highly productive symbiosis between the human and the system. The basic philosophy of diamond is to depict the data with pictures, and to help the user manipulate the pictures to rapidly gain insight. Examples of some of the data visualizations the system provides are histograms, 2- and 3- dimensional scatter plots, parametric snake plots, parallel coordinate plots, and novel fractal foam plots. Numerous data presentations can be simultaneously displayed, and easily compared and contrasted. New data visualizations can be dynamically created at any time by making selections among the currently existing ones. The formulation and testing of hypotheses by the human user is expedited by permitting classifications and transformations upon the data from whichever perspective is convenient or interesting.
Numerical Analysis of Metal Transfer in Gas Metal Arc Welding under Modified Pulsed Current Conditions

A method has been proposed to pulsate current in gas metal arc welding (GMAW) to achieve a specific type of desirable and repeatable metal transfer mode, i.e., one drop per pulse (ODPP) mode. This method uses a peak current lower than the transition current to prevent accidental detachment and takes advantage of the downward momentum of the droplet oscillation to enhance the detachment. A numerical model with advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques, such as a two-step projection method, volume of fluid (VOF) method, and continuum surface force (CSF) model, was used to carry out the simulation for the metal transfer process. The Gauss-type current density distribution was assumed as the boundary condition for the calculation of the electromagnetic force. The calculations were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in achieving the desired metal transfer process in comparison with conventional pulsed current GMAW. Also, the critical conditions for effective use of this proposed method were identified by the numerical simulation. Comparison showed good agreement between calculation and experimental results.
The Modern Design of Experiments: A Technical and Marketing Framework

A new wind tunnel testing process under development at NASA Langley Research Center, called Modern Design of Experiments (MDOE), differs from conventional wind tunnel testing techniques on a number of levels. Chief among these is that MDOE focuses on the generation of adequate prediction models rather than high-volume data collection. Some cultural issues attached to this and other distinctions between MDOE and conventional wind tunnel testing are addressed in this paper.
Semi-Concurrent On-Line Testing of Transition Faults Through Output Response Comparison of Identical Circuits

We describe a method for on-line testing of delay faults based on the comparison of output responses of identical circuits. The method allows one of the circuits to participate in useful computations during the testing process, while the other circuit must be idle. We refer to this method as semi-concurrent on-line testing. While unknown input vectors are applied to the circuit that participates in useful computations, the proposed method applies modified vectors to the idle circuit. In this way, different conditions are created for the detection of delay faults, allowing identical delay faults that affect both circuits to be detected. In designing the modified vectors, we ensure that the expected fault free responses of the two circuits are identical. We also ensure that the hardware for modifying the vectors applied to the idle circuit will be easy to implement on-chip.
Dynamic Load Balancing of the Adaptive Fast Multipole Method in Heterogeneous Systems

Simulations of colliding galaxies or fluid dynamics at immersed flexible boundaries are most accurately and efficiently accomplished using the adaptive fast multipole method (AFMM) to solve an underlying n-body problem whose localized density varies with the time-dependent evolution of the system under study. Parallelization of the AFMM presents a challenging load balancing problem that must be addressed dynamically as the system evolves. We consider parallelization of the AFMM for time dependent problems using a heterogeneous shared memory compute node consisting of multi-core processors and GPU accelerators. OpenMP task parallelism is used within the CPU cores to parallelize the construction and maintenance of the adaptive spatial decomposition tree and its traversal to compute far-field interactions at each leaf node in the tree. Concurrently, GPUs evaluate all near-field interactions using all-pairs computations. In addition to accurately resolving many physical phenomena out of reach using the uniform FMM, the more complex AFMM permits the number of bodies in leaf cells to be globally and locally varied in order to minimize the CPU and GPU time. We present a cost model and incremental adjustment strategy to load balance the AFMM on a heterogeneous system. We demonstrate using these techniques that a simulation can maintain load balance over hundreds of time steps on a heterogeneous system with 10 CPU cores and 4 GPUs with less than 2% overhead, while achieving a 98X speedup over a serial computation using a single CPU core.
Boundary valuation domains

Abstract A half factorial domain (HFD) R is an atomic domain where, for any collection of irreducibles {α1,α2,…,αm,β1,β2,…,βn}, with α1α2⋯αm=β1β2⋯βn we have n=m. In a paper by J. Coykendall [Comm. Algebra 27 (1999) 3153–3159], a generalization of the length function of Zaks [Israel J. Math. 37 (1980) 281–302], called the boundary map, was introduced. A new class of HFD's—called boundary valuation domains—are defined and studied using this map.
A projectile point for penetrating whale blubber

Abstract A projectile point for penetrating blubber was designed for use on a radio whale tag. Five point shapes were compared and tested on fresh finback carcasses brought to the whaling station in Iceland. One shape consistently performed better than the others, penetrating blubber in a straight line with the trajectory of the tag projectile, even at low impact angles. The radio tag with this point penetrated sperm whale blubber at low angles better than the Discovery whale mark. The best point for blubber had cutting edges for efficient penetration and relief channels to avoid the build-up of high pressure in front of the point.
MEASUREMENT OF WR-2721, WR-1065, AND WR-33278 IN PLASMA

Alkaline phosphatase was used in developing two new assays for WR-2721; one involved simple spectrophotometric titration with Ellman's reagent and the other was based upon HPLC analysis of a monobromobimane derivative. Both methods gave acceptable results when applied to whole plasma. Assays for WR-1065 and disulfide forms of the drug were also developed but were found to give unreliable results with whole plasma owing to apparent rapid reaction of these drug forms with plasma constituents. The methods were applied to the analysis of blood samples in rat 0-70 min after i.v. injection of WR-2721.
An Eye-Opener!

This book, a pint-sized paperback about five by eight inches, has only 248 pages of text, but it packs a wallop. At only $17.40 at Amazon, it's a steal. For all the social and behavioral sciences, it offers an exciting boost to our "craft or sullen art." If you are in the business of research, don't hesitate: read it immediately. No matter your persuasion, you won't be sorry. The otherwise helpful Glossary offers only an abstract definition of the key word heuristic: A discipline that aims to facilitate invention and discovery of new facts and ideas in the sciences. But Abbott
Backbone NMR assignments of DFP-inhibited mature subtilisin E.

Here we report the backbone chemical shifts of the DFP-inhibited mature subtilisin E, which was uniformly labeled by 13C, 15N with a supplement of excess calcium.
A New Predaceous Midge in Brachypogon (Brachypogon) from Alabama and Florida, U.S.A. and New Distibution Records for Brachypogon woodruffi Spinelli and Grogan (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Abstract. Brachypogon (Brachypogon) laneae Swanson and Grogan, new species is described from the Mobile—Tensaw Delta of Alabama, and additional collection localities are provided from Florida. A second species of Brachypogon (Brachypogon) Kieffer from Florida is described, but not named, based on a single male and a tentatively associated female. Brachypogon (Brachypogon) woodruffi Spinelli and Grogan is reported for the first time from Florida and the Cayman Islands, and the male terminalia are re-illustrated to depict certain diagnostic features. An identification key is provided for males and females of the subgenus Brachypogon in North America north of Mexico.
Factors influencing calculus aptitude

Eleven different factors were considered for their influence on calculus aptitude. It was found that past high school as well as current college academic performance significantly relate to calculus aptitude.
Actinomyces infection associated with the transobturator sling

We present a case of Actinomyces infection associated with the transobturator sling. The patient had a transobturator sling complicated only by a left vaginal sulcal perforation. She subsequently developed mesh erosion that led to two partial mesh resections performed in the operating room at 6 weeks and again at 6 months after the initial surgery. She subsequently required a groin dissection and removal of the entire left side of the sling due to persistent infection. The presence of a foreign body is believed to create an environment that makes growth of the bacteria more likely. With increased use of artificial mesh in incontinence and prolapse surgery, we may see increasing numbers of these types of infections.
Design and implementation of a high performance e-beam tester

Abstract This paper describes a complete E-beam testing system that has been constructed for the electrical probing of VLSI Integrated Circuits. The instrument comprises a custom built electron optical column optimized for E-Beam test, control and signal processing electronics and a Microvax II computer and custom software for user interface. In addition high speed impedance controlled vacuum signal feedthroughs, to enable the Device Under Test (DUT) to be exercised from a VLSI tester, have also been built. The instrument has been used to electrically probe complex logic and memory products including Intel's line of 80X86 Microprocessors and EPROMS. The system has been used primarily to support failure analysis and chip debug. This paper describes in detail the overall system implementation together with details of the optical and software design. Instrument performance and application results are also presented.
A dynamic adaptation of the propensity score adjustment for effectiveness analyses of ordinal doses of treatment.

The propensity score adjustment is a method to reduce bias in observational studies. We propose a strategy that involves a novel combination of three data analytic techniques, which adapts the propensity adjustment for additional perturbations of longitudinal, observational studies. First, ordinal logistic regression examines propensity for ordinal doses of treatment. Second, a mixed-model approach incorporates the multiple treatment trials and multiple episodes that are characteristic of chronically ill subjects. Finally, a mixed-effects grouped-time survival model incorporates the propensity score in treatment effectiveness analyses. The strategy that is applied here to an observational study of affective illness can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for other chronic illnesses.
The solubility of noble gases in water and in NaCl brine

A direct-sampling, mass-spectrometric technique has been used to measure simultaneously the solubilities of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe in fresh water and NaCl brine (0 to 5.2 molar) from 0° to 65 °C, and at 1 atm total pressure of moist air. The argon solubility in the most concentrated brines is 4 to 7 times less than in fresh water at 65 °C and 0°C, respectively. The salt effect is parameterized using the Setschenow equation. ln [βio(T)βi(T) = MKiM(T) where M is NaCl moiarity, βio(T) and βi(T) the Bunsen solubility coefficients for gas i in fresh water and brine, and KiM(T) the empirical salting coefficient. Values of KiM(T) are calculated using volumetric concentration units for noble gas and NaCl content and are independent of NaCl molarity. Below about 40°C, temperature coefficients of all KiM are negative. The value of KHeM is a minimum at 40°C. KArM decreases from about 0.40 at 0°C to 0.28 at 65 °C. The absolute magnitudes of the differences in salting coefficients (relative to KArM) decrease from 0° to 65°C. Over the range of conditions studied, all noble gases are salted out, and KHeM ≲ KNeM < KArM < KKrM < KXeM. From the solubility data, we calculated ΔG0tr, ΔS0tr, ΔH0tr and ΔCOp,tr for the transfer of noble gases from fresh water to 1 molar NaCl solutions. At low temperatures ΔS0tr, is positive, but decreases and becomes negative at temperatures ranging from about 25°C for He to 45°C for Xe. At low temperatures, the dissolved electrolyte apparently interferes with the formation of a cage of solvent molecules about the noble gas atom. At higher temperatures, the local environment of the gas atom in the brine appears to be slightly more ordered than in pure water, possibly reflecting the longer effective range of the ionic fields at higher temperature. The measured solubilities can be used to model noble gas partitioning in two-phase geothermal systems at low temperatures. The data can also be used to estimate the temperature and concentration dependence of the salt effect for other alkali halides. Extrapolation of the measured data is not possible due to the incompletely-characterized minima in the temperature dependence of the salting coefficients. The regularities in the data observed at low temperatures suggest relatively few high-temperature data will be required to model the behavior of noble gases in high-temperature geothermal brines.
Characterization of dentin and enamel by polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography

We present characterization of dentin and enamel as well as dental caries using polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT). The results may provide useful information for detection of dental caries in both enamel and dentin.
Implications of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) for Test Development and Use

Implications of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) on the development and use of tests in school settings are enumerated. We predict increased demand for b...
Understanding physicians' attitudes towards hormone therapy.

Objective We sought to understand the relationship among components of residency education about hormone therapy (HT), knowledge about HT, and provider attitudes toward HT during a time of rapidly changing practice guidelines. Methods We surveyed residents in the University of Pittsburgh Internal Medicine residency programs between February to April 2002 (after the release of the Heart Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study and prior to the release of preliminary Women’s Health Initiative data) regarding demographics, educational (didactic and experiential) exposures to HT and menopause management, knowledge about HT, and attitudes toward HT. Results Sixty-nine of 92 (75%) eligible residents completed the survey; 38% were women. The race and gender of responders did not differ from nonresponders. Residents had significant didactic exposure to HT and menopause management with 80% reporting more than one didactic exposure. Despite this, HT knowledge was low (mean knowledge score 47 ± 16%) and only 26% of residents felt prepared to counsel patients about HT. We identified four factors related to provider attitudes toward HT: “persistence” in universally recommending HT, confidence in “HT benefits,” concern about “HT cardiac risks,” and concern about “HT noncardiac risks.” More appropriate attitudes were associated with attending a lecture, having a rotation with a discussion of menopause management (i.e., Women’s Health), and a continuity practice including more than 30% women. Pharmaceutical detailing and self-directed study were associated with less appropriate attitudes. Knowledge did not influence attitudes. Strongly held beliefs about the benefits of HT, appropriate or inappropriate, were associated with increasing “persistence.” Conclusions In an area of rapidly changing information, such as the risks and benefits of HT, knowledge is low. Experiential learning appropriately influences attitudes, while pharmaceutical detailing was associated with inappropriate attitudes toward HT risks.
New prenylated benzoic acid and other constituents from almond hulls (Prunus amygdalus Batsch).

One new prenylated benzoic acid derivative, 3-prenyl-4-O-β-d-glucopyranosyloxy-4-hydroxylbenzoic acid, and three known constituents, catechin, protocatechuic acid, and ursolic acid, have been isolated from the hulls of almond (Prunus amygdalus). Complete assignments of the proton and carbon chemical shifts for the new prenylated benzoic acid derivative were accomplished on the basis of high-resolution 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance data. All of these compounds except ursolic acid are being reported from almond hulls (P. amygdalus) for the first time. Keywords: Almond hulls; Prunus amygdalus; prenylated benzoic acid derivative
Plasmon-enhanced terahertz near-field microscopy for nanometer-scale sensing

The detection of trace quantities of aromatic compounds is important to defense and security applications, including the detection of CB agents, explosives, and other substances. These pose threats to forces and the environment. This paper explores an approach to the detection and identification of quantities as little as single molecules of explosives. It can in principle provide instant warning. Apertureless near-field scanning optical microscopy (ANSOM) is one of several promising methods for obtaining spatial resolution below the diffraction limit at various wavelengths, including in the terahertz regime. By scattering incident light off the junction between a probe with a sub-wavelength tip and the surface of a sample, spatial resolution on the order of the tip size can be obtained. For terahertz time-domain spectroscopy where the wavelength-limited resolution is ~1 millimeter, this is a significant advantage. In the case of a sufficiently small probe tip and a thin metallic substrate, plasmonic interaction between the tip and sample provides an enhancement of the near-field in the junction. This effect is dramatically enhanced for nanometer-scale metal layers, since surface plasmon states from both sides of the film can contribute to the overall field enhancement. We present preliminary results of THz plasmonic field enhancements, using a thin (500 nm) gold film evaporated on glass. We observe an enhancement in the scattered THz wave, which we attribute to the large density of plasmonic states extending throughout the THz range. This result indicates a route to single-molecule spectroscopy at terahertz frequencies.
Optimization complexity of linear logic proof games

A class of linear logic proof games is developed, each with a numeric score that depends on the number of preferred axioms used in a complete or partial proof tree. The complexity of these games is analyzed for the NP-complete multiplicative fragment (MLL) extended with additive constants and the PSPACE-complete multiplicative, additive fragment (MALL) of propositional linear logic. In each case, it is shown that it is as hard to compute an approximation of the best possible score as it is to determine the optimal strategy. Furthermore, it is shown that no efficient heuristics exist unless there is an unexpected collapse in the complexity hierarchy.
Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a G-type Lyapunov function

Abstract We discuss the problem of absolute stability and the Aizerman conjecture. Necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for the Lurie-Postnikov system to be absolutely stable by using a G-type Lyapunov function. The conditions that we give will be easily verified in practical applications.
Sequence Analysis of the Small Subunit Ribosomal Rnas of Three Zoosporic Fungi and Implications for Fungal Evolution

The small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences of the chytridiomycete Blastocladiella emersomi and the oomycetes Lagenidium giganteum and Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. glycinea were determined and...
7087 Argon plasma coagulation in endoscopic therapy.

The goal of the study was to review the experience of a single institution in using Argon Plasma Coagulation (APC) to obliterate gastrointestinal vascular and mass lesions. Background: APC is a non-contact electrocoagulation in which current is applied to tissues by means of ionized argon gas.The maximum coagulation depth is 3-4 mm. The absence of adhesion between the coagulation electrode and the tissue as well as symmetric spread of the coagulation through surrounding mucosa provide a theoretical advantage over standard electrocoagulation. Methods: The medical records, endoscopic findings, and complications for all patients treated with APC between April 1997 and October 1999 were reviewed. Results: During this period, APC was performed on 36 patients in 61 sessions. Argon flow was set at 0.4 L/min and electrical power at 55 Watts (mean; range 40-60 Watts).The diameter of the probe was 2.3 mm (manufactured by ERBE Inc, Marietta, GA).Treated lesions were Gasric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE; 14 sessions; 8 patients),AVM (13 sessions; 9 patients), radiation proctitis (16 sessions; 8 patients), radiation enteritis (1 session), esophageal tumor (2 sessions; 1 patient), base of a large polyp post polypectomy (7 sessions; 6 patients), flat sessile polyps (2 sessions; 2 patients), 3 cm villous adenoma (1 session), and malignant colon cancer in a non-surgical candidate (1 session). Hemostasis was observed and lesions obliterated after all sessions, although mass lesions were not rebiopsied. There were no immediate complications. Three months after treatment, one patient with AVM and one with radiation proctitis had ulcers at the site of APC application.Conclusion:AVM s and the lesions in GAVE and radiation proctitis were effectively obliterated by APC,but often required more than one treatment session. Preliminary results of APC treatment in mass lesions are encouraging, but more data are required.APC is safe and easy to perform.
Reliability of the contingent negative variation and the auditory evoked potential.

Abstract Contingent negative variations (CNVs) composed of 32 trials had a median subject consistency of 0.68 in retests separated from 5 min to 7 days. Hand measurement of the CNV was highly reliable with a median reliability of 0.96. Subject consistencies for the amplitudes and latencies of N 1 and P 2 components of an auditory evoked potential (AEP) had a median of 0.59 when 265 trials were averaged. These consistencies for N 1 and P 3 components had a median of 0.45 when only 16 trials were averaged. Median measurement reliabilities for the AEP were 0.92 for amplitudes and 0.66 for latencies.
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Interrupted Inferior Vena Cava, Biliary Atresia

A neonate was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, heterotaxy syndrome, and interrupted inferior vena cava soon after birth. At 6 days old she underwent the Norwood procedure using Sano modification. Postoperatively she had persistent direct hyperbilirubinemia and was diagnosed with biliary atresia for which she underwent a Kasai procedure at 29 days old. At 10 months she underwent the Kawashima procedure. She is now 20 months old and has been thriving without any jaundice. This case report illustrates that even in the presence of major multiple congenital anomalies, staged reconstruction for hypoplastic left heart syndrome can be successfully performed.
Lithium dilution cardiac output measurement: A clinical assessment of central venous and peripheral venous indicator injection

OBJECTIVE The lithium indicator dilution technique has been shown to measure cardiac output (CO) accurately by using central venous injection of lithium chloride (Li-CCO). This study aimed to compare the measurement of CO by using peripheral venous administration of lithium chloride (Li-PCO) with Li-CCO. DESIGN Prospective, observational human study. SETTING Surgical intensive care unit. PATIENTS Thirty-one patients were studied after major surgery. All patients had arterial, central, and peripheral venous catheters. A total of 24 patients had pulmonary artery catheters. MEASUREMENTS Serial measurements of Li-CCO and Li-PCO were made during hemodynamically stable conditions. CO was also measured using thermodilution (TDCO) when a pulmonary artery catheter was present. Data were analyzed by linear regression, the generalized estimating equation, and the comparison method described by Bland and Altman. MAIN RESULTS There were 93 Li-CCOs, 93 Li-PCOs, and 216 TDCOs recorded. The ranges of COs were similar: Li-CCO, 2.36-11.52 L/min (mean, 5.22 L/min; n = 31); Li-PCO, 1.63-9.99 L/min (mean, 5.22 L/min; n = 31), and TDCO, 3.28-10.4 L/min (mean, 5.75 L/min; n = 24). There was good linear correlation between Li-CCO and Li-PCO (R2 =.845). The mean difference for Li-CCO-Li-PCO was very small and insignificant (p =.97), and the limits of agreement were acceptable (mean difference +/- sd, 0.0005 +/- 0.64 L/min). The mean difference for Li-CCO-Li-PCO was smaller if the peripheral injection site was proximal rather than distal to the wrist (p =.053). Li-PCO and Li-CCO values were lower than simultaneously obtained TDCO measurements (Li-PCO-TDCO, -0.538 +/- 0.95 L/min, p =.003; Li-CCO-TDCO, -0.526 +/- 0.67 L/min, p =.0001). CONCLUSIONS Li-PCO gives a measurement that agrees well with Li-CCO. Accuracy of Li-PCO is probably improved if a proximal arm vein is used. Li-PCO provides accurate measurements of CO without the risks of pulmonary artery or central venous catheterization.
Synthesis of unsaturated aldehydes by hydroboration of propargyl alcohols and from aldehydo sugar precursors

Abstract Propargyl acetates obtained by ethynylation of aldehydo sugar derivatives, followed by acetylation, can be converted by hydroboration with bis(isoamyl)borane and subsequent treatment with hydrogen peroxide into α,β-unsaturated aldehydes; the latter may also be obtained by treating the original aldehydo sugar derivative with formylmethylenetriphenylphosphorane. By these two routes the aldehydo sugars 2,3- O -isopropylidene- aldehydo - D -glyceraldehyde ( 1 ), 2,3,4,5-tetra- O -acetyl- aldehydo - D -arabinose ( 5 ), and 2,3:4,5-di- O -isopropylidene- aldehydo - D -arabinose ( 9 ) have been converted with 2-carbon chain-extension into the corresponding trans -unsaturated aldehydes 3, 7, and 11 , respectively. Likewise, by the acetylene route, 1,2:3,4-di- O -isopropylidene-6- aldehydo -α- D - galacto -hexodialdo-1,5-pyranose ( 13 ) was converted into the C 8 unsaturated aldehyde 15 , although the Wittig route was unsuccessful in this instance, as it was with methyl 2,3-di- O -acetyl-4-deoxy-6- aldehydo -β- L - threo -hex-4-enodialdo-1,5-pyranoside ( 16 ).
Infection by the systemic fungus Epichloë glyceriae alters clonal growth of its grass host, Glyceria striata

Parasites and pathogens are hypothesized to change host growth, reproduction and/or behaviour to increase their own transmission. However, studies which clearly demonstrate that parasites or pathogens are directly responsible for changes in hosts are lacking. We previously found that infection by the systemic fungus Epichloe glyceriae was associated with greater clonal growth by its host, Glyceria striata. Whether greater clonal growth resulted directly from pathogen infection or indirectly from increased likelihood of infection for host genotypes with greater clonal growth could not be determined because only naturally infected and uninfected plants were used. In this study, we decoupled infection and host genotype to evaluate the role of pathogen infection on host development and clonal growth. We found that total biomass production did not differ for clones of the same genotype, but infected clones allocated more biomass to clonal growth. Disinfected clones had more tillers and a greater proportion of their biomass in the mother ramet. Infected clones produced fewer tillers but significantly more and longer stolons than disinfected clones. These results support the hypothesis that pathogen infection directly alters host development. Parasite alteration of clonal growth patterns might be advantageous to the persistence and spread of host plants in some ecological conditions.
Constructal three-dimensional trees for conduction between a volume and one point

We extend to three-dimensional heat conduction the geometric constructal method of minimizing the overall thermal resistance between a finite-size volume and a small heat sink. The volume contains (i) low-conductivity material that generates heat at every point, and (ii) a small amount of high-conductivity material that must be distributed optimally in space. The given volume is covered in a sequence of building blocks (volume sizes) that starts with the smallest volume element, and continues toward larger assemblies. The overall shape of each building block can be optimized for minimal volume-to-point resistance. The relative thicknesses of the high-conductivity paths can also be optimized. These optima are developed analytically and numerically for the smallest elemental volume and the first assembly. The high-conductivity paths for, a tree network that is completely deterministic
Physiologic and self-report comparisons between tension headache sufferers and nonheadache controls

Tension headache sufferers and nonheadache controls were compared with respect to (1) frontal EMG during both baseline and presentation of an imagined stressor, (2) trait anxiety, (3) locus of control expectancies for health related behaviors, and (4) exposure to stressful life events. Tension headache sufferers displayed higher resting muscle tension levels than did nonheadache controls. However, both groups responded similarly to the imagined stress stimulus and displayed significant muscle tension elevations of similar magnitude. While tension headache sufferers reported higher levels of trait anxiety, no differences were found between the two groups for locus of control expectancies and exposure to stressful life events. The diagnostic and treatment implications of these findings are discussed.
The dynamics of finger tremor in multiple sclerosis is affected by whole body position

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that results in widespread damage to the nervous system. One consequence of this disease is the emergence of enhanced tremor. This study was designed to (1) compare the tremor responses of persons with MS to that of healthy adults and to (2) examine the impact of whole body position (i.e., seated/standing) on tremor. Bilateral postural tremor was recorded using accelerometers attached to each index finger. Results revealed some similarity of tremor between groups in regard to the principal features (e.g., presence of peaks in similar frequency ranges). However, significant differences were observed with tremor for the MS persons being of greater amplitude, more regular (lower ApEn) and more strongly coupled across limbs compared to the elderly. The effects of body position were consistent across all subjects, with tremor increasing significantly from sitting-to-standing. However, the tremor increase for the MS group was greater than the elderly. Overall, the tremor for MS group was negatively affected by both this disease process and the nature of the task being performed. This latter result indicates that tremor does not simply reflect the feed-forward output of the neuromotor system but that it is influenced by the task constraints.
Further work on the prediction of gas-mixture adsorption equilibrium using the potential theory

Abstract The use of the potential theory for calculating gas-mixture adsorption equilibrium was further examined. Algorithms for calculating adsorption equilibrium for three situations most commonly encountered in practical use were developed. A number of sample calculations were carried out to illustrate the utility and accuracy of these algorithms.
Can the rotation of a bacterial flagellum appear quantized

Abstract Under certain experimental conditions, the angular velocity ascribed to the relative rotation of a bacterial flagellum has observed values which are given by the rotational quantization condition ω = m h : I r , where Ir is the moment of inertia associated with the rigid rotating part of the flagellum and m (the apparent rotational quantum number) has been observed to equal + 1, −1 and zero. It is conjectured that the biological design values for ω stem from an evolutionary antecedent of the bacteria, a protoform without flagellar filament development and viscous-dominated dynamics, in which the rigid part of a flagellum had rotated freely in accord with the quantization condition.
Congenital oesophageal stenosis

Clinical and radiographic observations in 34 infants and children with congenital stenosis of the oesophagus are reported. (1) Congenital stenosis of the oesophagus occurs more frequently than the previous literature suggests. (2) A congenital stenosis most commonly affects the lower oesophagus at the junction of its middle and distal thirds. (3) High oesophageal stenosis is less common, usually producing respiratory distress. Low oesophageal stenosis is more frequent, usually producing vomiting and oesophageal obstruction at the time the patients begin eating solid foods. (4) Oesophageal stenosis persists into adult life although its clinical course is benign. (5) An infant who vomits undigested food should have an oesophagram for evaluation of possible congenital oesophageal stenosis. (6) A child who impacts a foreign body in the oesophagus, particularly in the distal half of the oesophagus, should have a follow-up oesophagram after removal of the foreign body to assess the possibility of congenital oesophageal stenosis.
A three dimensional representation of the odontogenic epithelium of the rat incisor.

A three dimensional reconstruction of the basal end of the rat incisor, together with analytical data attesting to the reproducibility of the method is presented. The size and shape of the tooth varies little from animal to animal, while the sizes of the functional compartments are much less uniform. The odontogenic sheath is divided into three zones: Proliferation, differentiation and apposition. The proliferative zone is subdivided into two segments: The basal segment which gives rise to ameloblasts shows the highest cell production; an anterior segment located around the pulp opening which will give rise to the part of the tooth covered by cementum and has a much lower cell production. Total cell production can be obtained only in transverse sections, while mid-sagittal sections can serve only for comparative purposes.