cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular mechanism of mitochondrial membrane fusion.

Mitochondrial fusion requires coordinated fusion of the outer and inner membranes. This process leads to exchange of contents, controls the shape of mitochondria, and is important for mitochondrial function. Two types of mitochondrial GTPases are essential for mitochondrial fusion. On the outer membrane, the fuzzy onions/mitofusin proteins form complexes in trans that mediate homotypic physical interactions between adjacent mitochondria and are likely directly involved in outer membrane fusion. Associated with the inner membrane, the OPA1 dynamin-family GTPase maintains membrane structure and is a good candidate for mediating inner membrane fusion. In yeast, Ugo1p binds to both of these GTPases to form a fusion complex, although a related protein has yet to be found in mammals. An understanding of the molecular mechanism of fusion may have implications for Charcot–Marie–Tooth subtype 2A and autosomal dominant optic atrophy, neurodegenerative diseases caused by mutations in Mfn2 and OPA1.
Two alternative HPLC separation methods for reduced and normal cellooligosaccharides

Abstract Two HPLC separation methods have been developed, one using the Whatman PXS-1025 PAC column; the other, a Waters Microbondapak carbohydrate column, which will separate both reduced and normal cellooligosaccharides. Residual substrate, as well as the products of the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellohexaitol and/or cellopentaitol, can be separated. The advantages of these methods over thin-layer, paper, and charcoal chromatographic methods are straightforward quantification and rapidity. For these separations the Whatman column affords better resolution allowing faster and simpler analyses.
Flow Pattern Analysis of the Baylor Total Artificial Heart

: To obtain an optimal design of the left blood chamber of the total artificial heart (TAH), flow visualization studies were performed. Information on velocities in critical areas of the left chamber was gathered using sectional pulsed laser light. The flow patterns on the entire pumping duration were photographed frame by frame. The inflow port, the opposite of the inflow and outflow of the pump (bottom area), and the diaphragm/ housing junction were the focal areas. The pump conditions, such as chamber pressure, preload and afterload pressure, pumping rate and roller screw, and displacement were recorded. Major stagnations and a low washout effect were observed in the bottom region. The closing of the inflow valve was irregular. In order to solve this problem, the inflow valve angle was changed 20 degrees. A comparison study showed a better valve closing characteristic, and no stagnation areas were observed with this new valve angle. Various velocity profiles confirmed the results. The valve closing characteristic is described in relationship to back flow.
VISUAL MATE DETECTION IN A TERRITORIAL MALE BUTTERFLY (ASTEROCAMPA LEILIA): EFFECTS OF DISTANCE AND PERCH LOCATION

Summary We experimentally investigated proximate factors influencing the visual detection of flying conspecifics by male butterflies (Asterocampa leilia) engaged in a sit-and-wait matesearching tactic. Model butterflies were presented to perched males in the field using an apparatus that permitted us to control the path and speed of a model while varying minimum distance of the model from the male, height of the model above the ground, and model size. The dependent variable in all cases was whether or not the male left his perch and pursued the model. Males responded to normal-size models up to but not beyond distances of 3 m, and, because doubling the model surface area increased the distance at which males responded, we conclude that males do not detect conspecifics if they are more than 3 m away. At distances of 2 m or less males perched on the ground were more likely to detect conspecifics than males perched off the ground. This is likely to be due to differences either in the background against which the perched male typically views conspecifics or how large an angle conspecifics subtend from a perched male's perspective. These results suggest that thermally-driven changes during the activity period in perch preferences have consequences for success in mate detection that may be evolutionarily significant.
A marriage theorem with Lebesgue measure

A transversal, or marriage, is an injective choice function from a set A to a set B with: graph contained in a given set S. P. Hall [1] gave necessary and sufficient conditions on S for the existence of a marriage when these sets are finite. His theorem has been extended to infinite sets where the "size" of a set is its cardinality; see [4] and [5]. This kind of function arises in many branches of analysis, but usually the correct notion of the size of a infinite set is its Lebesgue measure. Also, instead of being injective, the functions are required to be measurepreserving. Measure-preserving transformations of the unit interval are important in ergodic theory; see Halmos [2]. In real analysis, they often arise as a change of variables; see Royden I-6]. In harmonic analysis and differential equations, they are often called rearrangements; see Stein [7]. It is natural to ask about the existence of such transformations. Examples given below show that any analog of Hall's theorem involving Lebesgue measure must include a certain incompleteness, or error. This paper provides two such analogs. In each case, it is shown that the error can be made arbitrarily small. So, for most analytical purposes, the error is negligible. The author has shown in [-3] that the hypotheses of the marriage theorem are closely related to the important class of weak-type linear operators [7]. To make this more precise, let I [ 0 , 1] equipped with the usual Lebesgue measure. Suppose S c I x I (which represents all (x, y) such that x is "compatible" with y). If J~_I, let E ( J ) = {yEI: ( x , y )~S , for some x e J}. We will call ~b a marriage on I within S if it is a bijection from I to I such that for all x~I , (x, ~ ( x ) ) e S and for all J~_I, Iff(J)J = IJJ. The natural conjecture would be the following;
Glucose and other insulin secretagogues induce, rather than inhibit, expression of Id-1 and Id-3 in pancreatic islet beta cells.

Aims/hypothesis. Basic helix loop helix transcription factors regulate insulin gene transcription. Therefore, molecules that regulate their function should affect insulin production and secretion. As Id proteins inhibit basic helix loop helix function, it is important to determine whether they are expressed in beta cells and if insulin secretagogues regulate their expression. Methods. Human islets or insulinoma cells were cultured in different glucose concentrations or treated with secretagogues. Insulin secretion was measured using RIA. The Id mRNA and protein concentrations were measured using northern blots, RT-PCR, and western blots. Transfections of promoter-reporter constructs were used to estimate Id-1 gene transcription. Results. The Id-1 mRNA concentrations were twofold higher in islets cultured overnight in 10 mmol/l than in 2.5 mmol/l glucose. Addition of high glucose to islets previously cultured in low glucose, increased Id-1 mRNA concentrations within 30 min. Analyses using insulinoma cells revealed that Id-1 and Id-3 mRNA concentrations peaked 30 min after glucose was added, returned to near basal concentrations by 2 h and then progressively increased for 24 h. The Id-1 protein concentrations changed in a similar pattern. Insulin secretagogues that act through different signaling pathways also induced Id expression. The Id response required glucose metabolism, calcium, and RNA synthesis but not protein synthesis. Glucose-responsive elements are confined to the 5'-region of the Id-1 gene. Conclusion/interpretation. The concomitant induction of Id-1 and Id-3 expression, insulin gene transcription, and insulin secretion suggests that physiological concentrations of Ids do not inhibit insulin gene transcription and Ids could play unexpected and novel roles in promoting beta-cell function. [Diabetologia (2001) 44: 453–463]
The Contribution of the Pauli Moment to π-Meson Production by Photons

The photon-nucleon production of $\ensuremath{\pi}$-mesons has been calculated incorporating in the interaction a Pauli-type term representing the interaction of the photon with the anomalous magnetic moments of the nucleons. The effect of the added interaction for the scalar theory is to increase somewhat the charged meson production while leaving the neutral production virtually unchanged. For the pseudoscalar theory the charged meson production is relatively unaffected while the neutral meson production is greatly enhanced. Comparison with the neutral meson experiments in hydrogen therefore favors the pseudoscalar theory.
TÆMS agents: enabling dynamic distributed supply chain management

Abstract Some dynamic supply chain problems are instances of a class of distributed optimization problems that TAEMS and other intelligent agents were made to address. In this paper we define a discrete distributed dynamic supply chain management problem and specify how TAEMS agents, equipped with new coordination mechanisms, automate and manage the supply chain. The agents increase the level of flexibility in the chain and enable members of the supply chain to be more responsive through producer/consumer negotiation and reasoning about manufacturing availability, raw material requirements, and shipping time requirements. Planning/scheduling and coordination research enables the agents to perform this level of automation on-line , responding to change as it happens in the environment, rather than relying on precomputed solutions or reasoning via abstract flow characterizations.
THE EFFECT OF CALPROTECTIN ON THE NUCLEATION AND GROWTH OF STRUVITE CRYSTALS AS ASSAYED BY LIGHT MICROSCOPY IN REAL-TIME

AbstractPurpose: To use light microscopy to observe the urease-induced growth of struvite crystals in real-time, and to compare the effects of various proteins on that growth.Materials and Methods: Artificial urine, with and without citrate, and a minimal urine solution containing only urea and the components of struvite and apatite were incubated with urease and test proteins in the depressions of culture slides. The number and size of rectangular and X-shaped struvite crystals were recorded using a low-power phase contrast microscope.Results: The formation of crystalline struvite appears to occur after the formation of an amorphous calcium- and magnesium-containing phase. The extent of this amorphous phase is dependent on the presence of calcium and citrate, both of which strongly promote its formation over the crystalline phase. alpha-globulin, gamma-globulin and chymotrypsin inhibitor all result in the same amount of crystalline struvite as bovine serum albumin which is used as a control. Calprotectin...
Quantum theory of solitons in optical fibers. II. Exact solution.

In the preceding paper [paper I of a two-part study; Lai and Haus, Phys. Rev. A 40, 844 (1989)] we have used the time-dependent Hartree approximation to solve the quantum nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation. In the present paper, the eigenstates of the Hamiltonian are constructed exactly by Bethe's ansatz method and are superimposed to construct exact soliton states. Both fundamental and higher-order soliton states are constructed and their mean fields are calculated. The quantum effects of soliton propagation and soliton collisions are studied in the framework of this construction. It is shown that a soliton experiences dispersion as well as phase spreading. The magnitude of this dispersion is estimated and is shown to be very small when the average photon number of the soliton is much larger than unity. The phase and position shifts due to a collision and the uncertainty of these shifts are also calculated.
Seed biology and technology: At the crossroads and beyond. Introduction to the Symposium on Seed Biology and Technology: Applications and Advances and a prospectus for the future

The papers in this special section of Seed Science Research are products of a symposium on Seed Biology and Technology: Applications and Advances, held in Fort Collins, Colorado, on 13–16 August, 1997. The symposium was convened as a cooperative effort of Regional Research Project W-168 within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative States Research, Extension and Education Service (CSREES) system. Regional Research Projects are authorized by the Hatch Act, which established the Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) system in the United States (US Code). This is a system in which land-grant institutions in each state conduct research and education programmes relevant to agriculture, the environment and society. Regional Research projects are a mechanism ‘for cooperative research in which two or more State agricultural experiment stations are cooperating to solve problems that concern the agriculture of more than one state.’ Such projects ‘can provide the solution to a problem of fundamental importance or fill an important gap in our knowledge from the standpoint of the present and future agriculture of the region’
The Subpolar Mode Water of the North Atlantic Ocean

Abstract The warm waters of the subtropical and subpolar basins of the North Atlantic have tight regional temperature-salinity relationships, and are conventionally called the regional “Central Waters.” A volumetric census of the temperature-salinity characteristics of the North Atlantic by Wright and Worthington (1970) shows that waters characterized by certain segments of the T-S relationships have large volumes compared to those of other segments: volumetric “Mode Waters.” Such Mode Waters appear as layers with increased vertical separation between isopycnals-pycnostads. The present study reports on the existence of pycnostads in the central and eastern North Atlantic. These Subpolar Mode Waters are formed by deep winter convection in the subpolar North Atlantic, and participate in the upper water circulation of the northern North Atlantic. The seasonal outcropping of the pycnostads occurs within and adjacent to the North Atlantic Current, the Irminger Current, the East and West Greenland Currents, and...
Uncertainties in slip-rate estimates for the Mission Creek strand of the southern San Andreas fault at Biskra Palms Oasis, southern California

This study focuses on uncertainties in estimates of the geologic slip rate along the Mission Creek strand of the southern San Andreas fault where it offsets an alluvial fan (T2) at Biskra Palms Oasis in southern California. We provide new estimates of the amount of fault offset of the T2 fan based on trench excavations and new cosmogenic 10Be age determinations from the tops of 12 boulders on the fan surface. We present three alternative fan offset models: a minimum, a maximum, and a preferred offset of 660 m, 980 m, and 770 m, respectively. We assign an age of between 45 and 54 ka to the T2 fan from the 10Be data, which is significantly older than previously reported but is consistent with both the degree of soil development associated with this surface, and with ages from U-series geochronology on pedogenic carbonate from T2, described in a companion paper by Fletcher et al. (this volume). These new constraints suggest a range of slip rates between ∼12 and 22 mm/yr with a preferred estimate of ∼14–17 mm/yr for the Mission Creek strand of the southern San Andreas fault. Previous studies suggested that the geologic and geodetic slip-rate estimates at Biskra Palms differed. We find, however, that considerable uncertainty affects both the geologic and geodetic slip-rate estimates, such that if a real discrepancy between these rates exists for the southern San Andreas fault at Biskra Palms, it cannot be demonstrated with available data.
HENRY THORNTON IN THE HISTORY OF ECONOMICS: CONFUSIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS*

Some past writers have misinterpreted Henry Thornton's contributions, confusing Henry and his brother Samuel, denigrating his importance, and incorrectly attributing some of his ideas to David Ricardo. Thornton's rediscovery during the interwar period focused on the international transfer mechanism. In a previously unrecognized, strikingly modern discussion, he also anticipated the role of interest rates and expected exchange depreciation in interest rate parity and he attributed international interest rate differentials to disparities in risk. Thornton's exchange rate analysis supports Hicks's interpretation that Thornton was short-run Keynesian but long-run classicist. Copyright 1995 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd and The Victoria University of Manchester
Long-term successional forest dynamics: species and community responses to climatic variability

Question: Are tree dynamics sensitive to climatic variability, and do tree species differ in their responses to climatic variability? Hence, is vulnerability of forest communities to climatic variability depending on stand composition? Location: Mixed young forest at Walker Branch Watershed near Oak Ridge, East-Tennessee, USA. Methods: Using a long-term data set (1967-2006), we analyzed temporal forest dynamics at the tree and species level, and we analyzed community dynamics for forest stands that different in their initial species composition (i.e., Chestnut Oak, Oak-Hickory, Pine, and Yellow poplar stands). Using summer drought and growing season temperature as defined climate drivers, we evaluated relationships between forest dynamics and climate across levels of organization. Results: Over the 4-decade studied period, forest communities underwent successional change and substantially increased their biomass. Variation in summer drought and growing season temperature contributed to temporal biomass dynamics for some tree species, but not for others. Stand-level responses to climatic variability were shown to be related to responses of specific component species; however, not for Pine stands. Pinus echinata, the dominant species in stands initially identified as Pine stands, decreased over time due to periodical outbreaks of the pine bark beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis). The outbreaks on Walker Branch couldmore » not be directly related to climatic conditions. Conclusions: Our results imply that vulnerability of developing forests to predicted climate conditions is stand-type dependent, and hence, is a function of species composition. Autogenic successional processes (or insect outbreaks) were found to prevail over climatic variability in determining long-term forest dynamics for stands dominated by sensitive species, emphasizing the importance of studying interactions between forest succession and climate change.« less
Image Quality Evaluation Of A Digital Fluorographic Imaging Device

A low contrast phantom designed specifically for the evaluation of the image quality obtained from a digital fluorographic imaging device (DFID) is described. The design rationale and the image quality evaluation procedure utilizing the phantom are discussed along with the test results.
Recent neutron sputtering results and the status of neutron sputtering

Abstract Extensive (d, t) and (d, Be) fast neutron sputtering results obtained by Batelle-Northwest are summarized for Nb and Au. The measured sputtering ratios are in the range of 10 −5 atoms/fast neutron. These results are compared to other available experimental results and to theoretical estimates. Some implications of fast neutron sputtering for future reactors are summarized.
Interviewer Knowledge and Preschoolers' Reasoning About Knowledge States Moderate Suggestibility

Abstract Fifty-one preschoolers listened to a story and were interviewed about the details by a knowledgeable and a naive interviewer. Half the questions were straightforward and half were misleading. One-week later, children completed a recognition test to measure story memory and a set of theory-of-mind tasks to measure reasoning about mental states related to knowing. All children showed a misinformation effect at the initial interview. At the recognition test, a knowledgeable interviewer misled children who passed false-belief tasks more often than a naive interviewer did. Knowledgeable and naive interviewers misled children who failed false-belief tasks equally often. False-belief scores predicted the tendency to be misled more often by a knowledgeable interviewer relative to a naive interviewer, after controlling for age and memory when not misled. Elaborated cognitive processing and/or memory source monitoring may mediate the results.
Pathology and Diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Tumors: Lung Neuroendocrine

Neuroendocrine (NE) tumors of the lung include a spectrum from low-grade typical carcinoid (TC) and intermediate-grade atypical carcinoid (AC) to high-grade large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). Although NE lung tumors are frequently discussed together, as in this article, carcinoids are very different from high-grade SCLC and LCNEC. SCLC and LCNEC are found in heavy-smoking, older patients, whereas smoking is not strongly associated with carcinoid tumors. On a molecular level, SCLC and LCNEC have extensive genetic abnormalities, but there are few in TC and slightly more in AC.
Chemical Evaluation of Lactobacillus Addition to Alfalfa, Corn, Sorghum, and Wheat Forage at Ensiling

Abstract Fifty-five kilograms of fresh forage of alfalfa, corn, sorghum, or wheat were ensiled in .21-m 3 steel drums lined with plastic. Treatments included addition of dry Lactobacillus acidopbilus and Candida sp. at 5 g/kg fresh forage. Control and inoculated drums for each crop were opened on days 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 after filling. Samples were analyzed for pH, dry matter, proximate analysis, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and lignin. Alfalfa, corn, and sorghum silages had recoveries of at least 90% for all nutrients. There was no difference between control and inoculated silages for nutrient recoveries. Wheat silage had fermentation with high pH (5.15 control, 5.30 inoculated) and small recoveries of dy matter (80.7% control, 77.8% inoculated), crude protein (69.3% control, 71.7% inoculated), and nitrogen-free extract (63.8% control, 62.8% inoculated). Alfalfa and wheat forages were ensiled in concrete stave silos to provide material for a digestibility trial. Ensiling was on the same day that drums for the fermentation study were filled. Control and inoculated (5g dried L. acidopbilus and Candida sp./kg fresh forage) silages were prepared. Silages were fed to mature wether sheep at 2% of body weight. No difference from inoculation was significant. Data showed no advantage of addition of L. acidopbilus and Candida sp. to crops at ensiling.
A study on swing and buckling of Y-type insulator strings under strong wind action for ±800kV UHDV transmission lines

Y-type insulator string is a new suspension insulator structure used in high voltage transmission lines. But the study on kinetic characteristics of the Y-type string under the strong wind action is scarce and non-systematic. The purpose of the present paper is to study the optimal structure of the Y-type insulator string structure by analyzing the swing and buckling characteristics under strong wind action for ±800kV UHDV transmission lines. Two parameters, deviation displacement and buckling ratio, are proposed to characterize the influence of the fluctuating wind load. The advantages of the Y-type string are discussed compared with the V-type string. The influence on the cross arm length of the tower is discussed by the contrast on different angles of the V limb. The tower head size can be further optimized by analyzing the kinetic characteristics of Y-type strings under the strong wind action.
Climate System Response to External Forcings and Climate Change Projections in CCSM4

AbstractResults are presented from experiments performed with the Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4) for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5). These include multiple ensemble members of twentieth-century climate with anthropogenic and natural forcings as well as single-forcing runs, sensitivity experiments with sulfate aerosol forcing, twenty-first-century representative concentration pathway (RCP) mitigation scenarios, and extensions for those scenarios beyond 2100–2300. Equilibrium climate sensitivity of CCSM4 is 3.20°C, and the transient climate response is 1.73°C. Global surface temperatures averaged for the last 20 years of the twenty-first century compared to the 1986–2005 reference period for six-member ensembles from CCSM4 are +0.85°, +1.64°, +2.09°, and +3.53°C for RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5, respectively. The ocean meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the Atlantic, which weakens during the twentieth century in the model, nearly recovers to early...
Laparoscopic hysterectomy with manual morcellation of the uterus: An original technique that permits the safe and quick removal of a large uterus

We present an original technique to rapidly extract a large uterus during laparoscopic hysterectomy. Manually morcellating the uterus is a safe and effective technique that overcomes the technical difficulties associated with traditional electrical morcellators.
Early duplex scanning after infrainguinal endovascular therapy.

Objectives Duplex ultrasound scanning (DUS) has benefit for intraoperative and subsequent evaluation of surgical bypasses in the lower extremities. The utility of DUS after endovascular revascularizations is not established. This study was performed to evaluate whether DUS findings after infrainguinal endovascular interventions for critical limb ischemia (CLI) were predictive of need for reintervention or amputation. Methods To identify the study cohort, peripheral interventions for CLI (Rutherford grades 4, 5, 6) over a 24-month period (2006-2007) were reviewed. DUS findings were considered indicative of hemodynamic stenosis if the peak systolic velocity (PSV) was ≥180 cm/s or the PSV velocity ratio was ≥2.0. Demographic, clinical, procedural, and outcomes were examined. SVS and TASC II classifications and reporting standards were used. Arteriograms were reviewed and treated segments were categorized as patent ( Results There were 122 infrainguinal interventions for CLI in 113 patients (53% male; mean age 71 years). Risk factors included diabetes: 61%; renal failure: 20%; and smoking (within 1 year): 40%. DUS was performed within 30 days of the index procedure in 90 cases. Fifty patients had an abnormal early duplex and 40 patients had a normal duplex. In patients with a normal duplex ultrasound the amputation rate was 5% vs 20% in the group with an abnormal duplex ( P = .04). Primary patency was 56% in the normal duplex group and 46% in the abnormal duplex group ( P = .18). Early duplex ultrasound was able to identify a residual stenosis not seen on completion angiography in 56% of cases. Conclusions Duplex scanning detects residual stenosis missed with conventional angiography after infrainguinal interventions. An abnormal DUS in the first 30 days after an intervention is associated with an increased risk of amputation. This suggests a possible role for intraprocedural DUS, as well as routine postprocedure DUS, close clinical follow-up, and consideration of reintervention for residual abnormalities in patients treated for CLI.
Geometry‐Dependent R‐Curve for Quasi‐Brittle Materials

Fracture of quasi-brittle materials such as ceramics and cement-based materials can be described by an R-curve, defined as fracture resistance. The R-curve can be constructed as the envelope of the strain energy release rates (G). In this study, R-curve is defined as an envelope of G-curves obtained by varying the dimensions of identical specimens, while keeping the geometry and the initial flaw size constant. By approximating the G-curve with a second-order function of the crack length, a simple formulation of the R-curve is derived by solving a differential equation. Three parameters are needed for the proposed R-curve. These parameters can be obtained by testing a notched-beam specimen and using linear elastic fracture mechanics. The proposed R-curve simulates well the geometry dependency as well as other characteristics of the fracture response of quasi-brittle materials.
A Construction That Produces Wallis-Type Formulas

Generalizations of the geometric construction that repeatedly attaches rectangles to a square, originally given by Myerson, are presented. The initial square is replaced with a rectangle, and also the dimensionality of the construction is increased. By selecting values for the various parameters, such as the lengths of the sides of the original rectangle or rectangular box in dimensions more than two and their relationships to the size of the attached rectangles or rectangular boxes, some interesting formulas are found. Examples are Wallis-type infinite-product formulas for the areas of p-circles with p > 1.
Pulmonary function and 81mKr scans in obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract Pulmonary ventilation in 13 normal subjects and in 18 patients with known chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been characterized with two modalities. Comparison consisted of correlating standard pulmonary function tests (PFT) and scintigraphic images of the lungs under steady state conditions during tidal respiration of krypton-81m. The lung scintigram was evaluated by inspection and a computer generated histogram in which the ratio of low level and high level ventilation of the lung was determined. Pulmonary function tests were the basis for verifying normality in 13 subjects. Scintigraphic imaging and histogram analysis in 18 patients with COPD produced two false negative results by each method. The combined scintigraphic histogram results correctly defined 13 of 13 normal subjects. The two scintigraphic methods differentiated normal subjects from patients with known COPD with a high level of comparability to PFT.
Improving mechanical performance of injection molded PLA by controlling crystallinity

Currently, use of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) for injection molded articles is limited for commercial applications because PLA has a slow crystallization rate when compared with many other thermoplastics as well as standard injection molding cycle times. The overall crystallization rate and final crystallinity of PLA were controlled by the addition of physical nucleating agents as well as optimization of injection molding processing conditions. Talc and ethylene bis-stearamide (EBS) nucleating agents both showed dramatic increases in crystallization rate and final crystalline content as indicated by isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization measurements. Isothermal crystallization half-times were found to decrease nearly 65-fold by the addition of only 2% talc. Process changes also had a significant effect on the final crystallinity of molded neat PLA, which was shown to increase from 5 to 42%. The combination of nucleating agents and process optimization not only resulted in an increase in final injection molded crystallinity level, but also allowed for a decreased processing time. An increase of over 30°C in the heat distortion temperature and improved strength and modulus by upwards of 25% were achieved through these material and process changes. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Surgical Management of Hallux Rigidus: Cheilectomy and Osteotomy (Phalanx and Metatarsal)

Cheilectomy has long been the standard treatment in the orthopedic community for mild to moderate cases of hallux rigidus, with established long-term excellent results. Osteotomies of the proximal phalanx and first metatarsal have been described mainly in the podiatric literature; they have shown good outcomes in small patient groups with short-term follow-up. Proper patient selection is critical to obtaining favorable outcomes with any of the joint-sparing procedures. Patients with severe arthritic changes and pain in the midrange arc of motion have poorer outcomes with these procedures and are better served with joint-destructive procedures, such as arthroplasty or arthrodesis.
An Equation of State for Hypersaline Water in Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA

Great Salt Lake (GSL) is one of the largest and most saline lakes in the world. In order to accurately model limnological processes in GSL, hydrodynamic calculations require the precise estimation of water density (ρ) under a variety of environmental conditions. An equation of state was developed with water samples collected from GSL to estimate density as a function of salinity and water temperature. The ρ of water samples from the south arm of GSL was measured as a function of temperature ranging from 278 to 323 degrees Kelvin (oK) and conductivity salinities ranging from 23 to 182 g L−1 using an Anton Paar density meter. These results have been used to develop the following equation of state for GSL (σ = ± 0.32 kg m−3): $$ \rho - \rho^{0} = { 184}.0 10 6 2 { } + { 1}.0 4 70 8*{\text{S}} - 1. 2 10 6 1*{\text{T }} + { 3}. 1 4 7 2 1 {\text{E}} - 4*{\text{S}}^{ 2} + \, 0.00 1 9 9 {\text{T}}^{ 2} - 0.00 1 1 2*{\text{S}}*{\text{T}}, $$ where ρ 0 is the density of pure water in kg m−3, S is conductivity salinity g L−1, and T is water temperature in degrees Kelvin.
Effects of prostacyclin and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on bone resorption in the presence and absence of parathyroid hormone

Prostaglandins have been shown to stimulate osteoclastic bone resorption in organ culture but morphologic studies of isolated osteoclasts have shown a transient calcitonin-like inhibiting effect of these agents. We looked for a dual effect on bone resorption by comparing the early and late effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), prostacyclin (PGI2), 6 alpha-carbaprostaglandin I2 (C-PGI2), a carbon substituted analog of PGI2, and salmon calcitonin (CT) on the release of previously incorporated 45Ca from fetal rat long bones cultured in the presence of an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, RO-20-5720. Experiments were performed in both the presence and absence of PTH (400 ng/ml), which was administered 24 hours before addition of prostaglandins or CT. In control cultures not stimulated by PTH, CT (100 mU/ml) produced significant decreases in 45Ca release at 48, 72, and 96 hours while PGE1 (10(-6) M), PGI2 (10(-5)), and C-PGI2 (10(-6) M) each produced significant increases in resorption at 24 through 96 hours. PGE1 at 10(-5) M, but not 10(-6) M, caused a significant decrease in medium 45Ca of 21% at 1 and 2 hours. Medium calcium measurements suggest that the change in 45Ca was due to inhibition of release and not to increased uptake. PGI2 (10(-5) M) and C-PGI2 (10(-6) M) caused no significant inhibitory effect. In cultures stimulated by PTH, CT produced significant inhibition of bone resorption of 6 through 96 hours, but no inhibition of bone resorption was noted at either early or late time points with PGE1, PGI2, or C-PGI2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
HER2 status predicts the presence of circulating tumor cells in patients with operable breast cancer

Introduction Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) correlate with worse prognosis in patients with metastatic breast cancer, but there are little data on CTCs in operable patients. We hypothesized that primary tumor characteristics would predict the likelihood of identifying CTCs in patients with operable breast cancer. Methods Clinical and pathological data from 92 patients with operable breast cancer were collected. The CellSearch system was used to detect CTCs in 30 ml of peripheral blood. CTCs were defined as nucleated cells lacking CD45 but expressing cytokeratins 8, 18, or 19. Univariate analysis was performed to determine if the presence of any primary tumor characteristic was predictive of CTCs. As a secondary objective we evaluated if nodal or bone marrow status was predictive of CTCs. Results Thirty-eight percent of patients (35/92) had evidence of CTCs, with a median number of 1.0 CTC per CTC positive patient (range 1–22). HER2 status was the sole primary tumor characteristic that reliably predicted the presence of CTCs (P = 0.01, risk ratio = 3.66). No significant association was found between the presence of CTCs and tumor size (T), estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PR) status, grade, histologic type, degree of nodal involvement (N), lymphovascular invasion (LVI) or Ki-67 proliferation. Bone marrow micrometastases were found in 17/64 (26.6%) of the patients but did not correlate with the presence of CTCs. Conclusion HER2 status was the only primary tumor characteristic that correlated with the presence of CTCs. Long-term follow-up will be required to determine the significance of CTCs in operable breast cancer.
Precipitation and fine structure in medium-carbon vanadium and vanadium/niobium microalloyed steels

Hot-rolled and continuously cooled, medium-carbon microalloyed steels containing 0.2 or 0.4 pct C with vanadium (0.15 pct) or vanadium (0.15 pct) plus niobium (0.04 pct) additions were investigated with light and transmission electron microscopy. Energy dispersive spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microscope was conducted on precipitates of the 0.4 pct C steel with vanadium and niobium additions. The vanadium steels contained fine interphase precipitates within ferrite, pearlite nodules devoid of interphase precipitates, and fine ferritic transformation twins. The vanadium plus niobium steels contained large Nb-rich precipitates, precipitates which formed in cellular arrays on deformed austenite substructure and contained about equal amounts of niobium and vanadium, and V-rich interphase precipitates. Transformation twins in the ferrite and interphase precipitates in the pearlitic ferrite were not observed in either of the steels containing both microalloying elements. Consistent with the effect of higher C concentrations on driving the microalloying precipitation reactions, substructure precipitation was much more frequently observed in the 0.4C-V-Nb steel than in the 0.2C-V-Nb steel, both in the ferritic and pearlitic regions of the microstructure. Also, superposition of interphase and substructure precipitation was more frequently observed in the high-C-V-Nb steel than in the similar low-C steel.
Endothelial cells are required for the cAMP regulation of cardiac contractile proteins.

Abstract The contractile proteins in mammalian cardiac muscle are regulated by a cAMP-dependent reaction that alters the activity of the actomyosin ATPase. The ATPase activity of cardiac actomyosin has also been shown to depend on factors released by small arteries in the myocardial tissue. Endothelial cells have been implicated in the regulation of the contractile force developed by isolated cardiac tissue. To determine whether endothelial cells are required for the cAMP-dependent regulation of the contractile proteins, the effect of cAMP on the actomyosin ATPase activity was measured in cryostatic sections of isolated, quickly frozen rat ventricular trabeculae. In half of the trabeculae, the endocardial endothelial cells had been damaged by a 1-sec exposure to 0.5% Triton X-100. In trabeculae with intact endothelial cells, cAMP increased actomyosin ATPase activity toward an apparently maximum value. In trabeculae with damaged endothelial cells, cAMP did not change actomyosin ATPase activity. The coronary venous effluent from an isolated heart has already been shown to modify the maximum isometric force developed by an isolated trabecula. The extent to which the force of the isolated trabecula is changed by the coronary venous effluent is closely related to the degree to which cAMP has up-regulated the actomyosin ATPase activity in the isolated heart donating the coronary effluent: the greater the degree of up-regulation of ATPase activity, the greater the increase in force produced by the effluent. These results indicate that endothelial cells are required for the cAMP-dependent regulation of cardiac contractile proteins to function, and these results further suggest that the myocardium autoregulates by modulating the cAMP regulation of contractile proteins with endothelial-derived factors.
Utility and limitations of objective measures of asthma.

INTRODUCTION Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by airway inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness, and variable airways obstruction.1 National estimates show that approximately 22 million people currently have asthma in the United States.2 In 2007, the American Lung Association estimated that the annual economic cost of asthma in the United States was $19.7 billion.3 From 1980 to 1996, the number of work and school days missed increased by more than 50% to 14 million days each.4 These increases correspond to increased prevalence because the days missed per person have not changed significantly. The diagnosis of asthma is generally based on a combination of symptoms and demonstration of reversible airflow obstruction on pulmonary function testing or spirometry. Spirometry is used for diagnosis and monitoring of asthma control. Reversibility in adults is defined as an increase in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) of 200 mL or more and 12% or more from the baseline measurement after bronchodilation. Bronchoprovocation testing is often used to help with the diagnosis when, despite symptoms suggestive of asthma, spirometry results are normal or inconclusive and reversibility is not demonstrated. However, bronchoprovocation can also help in monitoring response to therapy and overall asthma control. In addition, bronchoprovocation can also aid in the evaluation of occupational asthma. Agents used for bronchoprovocation can act directly on the airways, such as methacholine and histamine, or indirectly, such as adenosine monophosphate, hypertonic saline, and exercise. More recently, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has been used as a marker of airway inflammation. FeNO has been studied as a tool to not only help in the diagnosis but also follow disease control. Overall, evidence is conflicting on whether objective measures of asthma correlate well with one another. We review 4 commonly used objective measures of asthma: spirometry, methacholine challenge, hypertonic saline challenge, and FeNO (Table 1).
In vitro activity of cefprozil (BMY 28100) and cefepime (BMY 28142) against Streptococcus pneumoniae, Branhamella catarrhalis, and Haemophilus influenzae, and provisional interpretive criteria for disk diffusion and dilution susceptibility tests with Haemophilus influenzae

The in vitro activities of two new cephalosporins, an oral agent, cefprozil and a parenteral compound, cefepime, were assessed against recent clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis, and Haemophilus influenzae. In general, both cefprozil and cefepime MICs were higher for beta-lactamase-producing strains of M. catarrhalis in comparison to strains that lacked beta-lactamase. By contrast, beta-lactamase-positive and -negative strains of H. influenzae had similar cefprozil and cefepime minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). The MIC90 values for cefprozil were 0.12, 32, 4.0, and 0.5 micrograms/ml versus S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and beta-lactamase-positive and negative strains of M. catarrhalis, respectively. In comparison to three other oral cephalosporins included in this study, cefaclor, cefuroxime axetil, and cefixime, cefprozil was the most active agent against S. pneumoniae, the least active against B. catarrhalis, and equivalent in activity to cefaclor against H. influenzae. The cefepime MIC values against S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and beta-lactamase-positive and negative strains of M. catarrhalis were 0.03, 0.25, 2.0, and 0.5 micrograms/ml, respectively. Cefepime was less active than ceftriaxone for all three organism groups, however, was in all cases more active than cefixime, cefuroxime, cefaclor, and cefprozil.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Asymptotic limits and zeros of chromatic polynomials and ground-state entropy of Potts antiferromagnets

We study the asymptotic limiting function $W({G},q) = \lim_{n \to \infty}P(G,q)^{1/n}$, where $P(G,q)$ is the chromatic polynomial for a graph $G$ with $n$ vertices. We first discuss a subtlety in the definition of $W({G},q)$ resulting from the fact that at certain special points $q_s$, the following limits do not commute: $\lim_{n \to \infty} \lim_{q \to q_s} P(G,q)^{1/n} \ne \lim_{q \to q_s} \lim_{n \to \infty} P(G,q)^{1/n}$. We then present exact calculations of $W({G},q)$ and determine the corresponding analytic structure in the complex $q$ plane for a number of families of graphs ${G}$, including circuits, wheels, biwheels, bipyramids, and (cyclic and twisted) ladders. We study the zeros of the corresponding chromatic polynomials and prove a theorem that for certain families of graphs, all but a finite number of the zeros lie exactly on a unit circle, whose position depends on the family. Using the connection of $P(G,q)$ with the zero-temperature Potts antiferromagnet, we derive a theorem concerning the maximal finite real point of non-analyticity in $W({G},q)$, denoted $q_c$ and apply this theorem to deduce that $q_c(sq)=3$ and $q_c(hc) = (3+\sqrt{5})/2$ for the square and honeycomb lattices. Finally, numerical calculations of $W(hc,q)$ and $W(sq,q)$ are presented and compared with series expansions and bounds.
Tunable Optomechanical Cavities

We demonstrate broadband tuning of a silicon nitride optomechanical microcavity optical resonance by over 32 nm. The relative static mechanical displacement induced by optical gradient forces is estimated to be as large as 60 nm.
Fiscal consequences of public corruption: Empirical evidence from state bond ratings

Empirical analyses of public corruption focus predominantly on international differences; regional differences in public corruption within a single country receive little attention. We empirically investigate the effect of public corruption in the United States on state bond ratings, which previous research shows are inversely related to net interest costs on public debt. After controlling for various economic influences on bond ratings, we find that more corrupt states have lower bond ratings, which implies that taxpayers in more corrupt states face a negative pecuniary externality by paying a premium for debt.
Risk factors for injury in rural Iowa: Round one of the Keokuk County Rural Health Study

Abstract Background: Unintentional injuries represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality in rural communities. This study aimed to determine the distribution of injury risk factors in a rural Iowa community and to identify the rural subgroups at highest risk for injury. Methods: We reported on 1583 participants, aged ≥25 years, from Round One of the Keokuk County Rural Health Study, a longitudinal panel study of a rural community. The self-reported data were collected during face-to-face interviews. Results: Our data suggested that several risk factors for injury are not uniformly distributed among rural populations. Male farmers were significantly less likely to wear their seatbelts than townspeople or rural nonfarmers. However, farm women were as likely to wear seatbelts as other women. Both male and female farmers were more likely to use all-terrain vehicles than townspeople or rural nonfarmers. In contrast, townspeople were more likely to ride bicycles than either farmers or rural nonfarmers. Townspeople were less likely to have firearms in their homes than either farmers or rural nonfarmers. Farmers were most likely to have fired a gun in the last year. Male farmers aged Conclusions: These differences in risk behavior in a rural county suggest the possibility of targeting specific rural injury prevention interventions at those with the highest risk for dangerous behavior.
Corporate control and bank efficiency

Abstract When the CEO is also chairman of the board, principal-agent conflicts may be exacerbated because of the consolidation of the decision management and the decision control processes. Our results suggest that cost efficiency and return on assets are (1) lower for Chairman-CEO banks, (2) positively (negatively or not) related to Nonchairman-CEO (Chairman-CEO) ownership, and (3) unrelated to institutional and large blockholders ownership, and the proportion of inside (outside) directors. These results suggest top management team structure affects performance and internal monitoring devices may not be as effective as envisioned in the literature.