cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Keepers of the Flame: NFL Films and the Rise of Sports Media

NFL Films changed the way Americans view football. Keepers of the Flame: NFL Films and the Rise of Sports Media traces the subsidiary's development from a small independent film production company to the marketing machine that Sports Illustrated named "perhaps the most effective propaganda organ in the history of corporate America." Drawing on research at the NFL Films Archive and the Pro Football Hall of Fame and interviews with media pioneer Steve Sabol and others, Travis Vogan shows how NFL Films has constructed a consistent, romanticized, and remarkably visible mythology for the National Football League. The company packages football as a visceral and dramatic sequence of violent, beautiful, graceful, and heroic gridiron battles. Historically proven formulas for presentation--such as the dramatic voiceovers once provided by John Facenda's baritone, the soaring scores of Sam Spence's rousing background music, and the epic poetry found in Steve Sabol's scripts--are still used today. From the Vincent Price-narrated Strange but True Football Stories to the currently running series Hard Knocks, NFL Films distinguishes the NFL from other sports organizations and from other media and entertainment. Vogan tells the larger story of the company's relationship with and vast influence on our culture's representations of sport, the expansion of sports television beyond live game broadcasts, and the emergence of cable television and Internet sports media. Keepers of the Flame: NFL Films and the Rise of Sports Media presents sports media as an integral facet of American popular culture and NFL Films as key to the transformation of professional football into the national obsession commonly known as America's Game.
Abstract T P100: Effect of Carotid Endarterectomy on Cerebral Hemodynamics Using Quantitative Magnetic Resonant Angiography

Objective: To examine the effect of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on cerebral hemodynamics using quantitative magnetic resonance angiography (QMRA). Methods: A total of 42 patients with severe carotid artery stenosis were studied (6 patients had asymptomatic stenosis). 6 of 42 patients had contralateral carotid artery occlusion. Pre- and post-op blood flow measurements of major cerebral arteries were performed using QMRA (NOVA,Vasol, Inc.). Results: Patients ranged from 39 to 85 (mean 66) years old, 17 female. Ipsilateral carotid artery flow was significantly increased after CEA, 253 ± 110 ml/min compare to 159 ± 79 ml/min (p<0.001). Middle cerebral artery (MCA) flow was not significantly increased (p=0.11), 127 ± 39 ml/min versus pre-op 115 ± 33 ml/min after CEA. Ipsilateral anterior cerebral artery (ACA) flow direction of 6 patients changed to anterograde, 5 patients’ ipsilatral posterior communicating artery (PCOM) flow direction changed to posterior, 1 patient had both flow direction of Ipilateral ACA and PCOM changed after CEA. Post-op Ipsilateral hemisphere flow (IHF), defined as the sum of MCA, ACA2, and PCA flows, was increased (p=0.05) from 220 ± 45 ml/min to 251 ± 83 ml/min. Conclusions: Carotid stenosis can result in ICA flow compromise, and CEA can increase the flow rate of the ipsilateral carotid artery significantly. However, the collateral capacity of the circle of Willis appears to be the more important determinant of Intracranial ipsilateral MCA flow.
Pleiotropic menaquinone-deficient mutant of Bacillus subtilis.

Abstract A multiple aromatic amino acid auxotroph of Bacillus subtilis 168 has been isolated which is unable to synthesize menaquinone-7 (MK-7) unless supplied with shikimic acid (SHK). The mutant, RB163, was isolated by selecting for resistance to low levels (1.5 μg/ml) of kanamycin. Enzymatic and genetic analyses show that the strain is an aroD mutant lacking 5-dehydroshikimate reductase. Under growth conditions in which its MK-7 deficiency is expressed, RB163 is deficient in cytochromes a, b, and c, exhibits low growth yields, and does not sporulate. Genetic analysis indicates that this pleiotropic phenotype is the result of a single genetic event. All phenotypic characteristics are reversible when the mutant is grown under conditions such that MK is synthesized. Comparison of strain RB163 with other aro mutants blocked before SHK (“early-aro” mutants) reveals interesting differences. Most early-aro mutants are cytochrome- and MK-sufficient, sporogenous, and sensitive to kanamycin when grown in the absence of SHK. However, in addition to strain RB163, two other aro mutants were found to show the pleiotropic phenotype. These three mutants have in common, and differ from other early-aro strains in, the inability to synthesize MK. It is suggested that the phenotypically wild-type aro mutants are bradytrophic, allowing enough substrate flow through the common aromatic pathway to satisfy the MK requirement. The pleiotropic mutants are thought to be completely blocked in the common pathway, thus accounting for their inability to synthesize MK.
High-Speed High-Resolution Subsurface Defect Detection in Ceramics Using Optical Gating Techniques

Optical gating techniques and in particular optical coherence tomography (OCT) have recently been used as a noninvasive probe in the medical field[l,2] and as a nondestructive probe in material analysis[3–5]. Indeed, any medium which has some light penetration below the surface can potentially be analyzed with OCT. The depth at which a signal can be detected depends both on light absorption and scattering, with the second playing a more critical role in most materials of interest. In this work we concentrate on the application of OCT towards defect detection in ceramic materials. For the various ceramics that we have analyzed in the laboratory, the maximum penetration depths ranged from a few tens of microns to approximately one millimeter below the surface. Because of this limited penetration depth, OCT can not be applied to detect defects buried deep below the surface in ceramic materials. However, because operational stresses of many ceramic components are greatest in the near-surface region, the defects at or just below the surface are the most important to detect.
Risk Premia, Diverse Belief and Beauty Contests

We present a theoretical and empirical evaluation of the role of market belief in the structure of risk premia. To that end we employ a familiar asset pricing model for which we develop in detail the belief structure. The novelty in this development is the treatment of individual and market beliefs as Markov state variables. Moreover, the market belief is observable and the paper explains how we extract it from the data. The advantage of our formulation is that it permits a closed form solution of equilibrium prices hence we can trace the exact effect of market belief on the time variability of equilibrium risk premia. We present a model of asset pricing with diverse beliefs. We then explore the conditions under which diverse beliefs arise. We then derive the equilibrium asset pricing and the risk premium which the model implies. Since asset prices are affected by the dynamics of market belief, the component of market risk which is determined by the belief of agents is thus termed “Endogenous Uncertainty.” The theoretical conclusions are tested empirically for investments in the futures markets, the bond markets. Our main theoretical and empirical result is that fluctuations in the market belief about state variables are a dominant factor determining the time variability of risk premia. More specifically, we show that when the market holds abnormally favorable belief about future payoffs of an asset the market views the long position as less risky and hence the risk premium on that asset declines. This means that fluctuations in risk premia are inversely related to the degree of market optimism about future prospects of asset payoffs. This effect is very strong and empirically very dominant. The strong effect of market belief on market risk premia offers two additional perspectives. First, it offers an additional way of showing (for those who have any doubt) that fundamental factors affect market dynamics but perceptions have equally important effect on volatility. Second, that market belief is actually an observable data which can be used for a deeper understanding of the basic causes of stochastic volatility and time variability of risk premia.
MAST CELL PROTEASES AS PROTECTIVE AND INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS

Proteases are the most abundant class of proteins produced by mast cells. Many of these are stored in membrane-enclosed intracellular granules until liberated by degranulating stimuli, which include cross-linking of high affinity IgE receptor FceRI by IgE bound to multivalent allergen. Understanding and separating the functions of the proteases is important because expression differs among mast cells in different tissue locations. Differences between laboratory animals and humans in protease expression also influence the degree of confidence with which results obtained in animal models of mast cell function can be extrapolated to humans. The inflammatory potential of mast cell proteases was the first aspect of their biology to be explored and has received the most attention, in part because some of them, notably tryptases and chymases, are biomarkers of local and systemic mast cell degranulation and anaphylaxis. Although some of the proteases indeed augment allergic inflammation and are potential targets for inhibition to treat asthma and related allergic disorders, they are protective and even anti-inflammatory in some settings. For example, mast cell tryptases may protect from serious bacterial lung infections and may limit the “rubor” component of inflammation caused by vasodilating neuropeptides in the skin. Chymases help to maintain intestinal barrier function and to expel parasitic worms and may support blood pressure during anaphylaxis by generating angiotensin II. In other life-or-death examples, carboxypeptidase A3 and other mast cell peptidases limit systemic toxicity of endogenous peptideslike endothelin and neurotensin during septic peritonitis and inactivate venom-associated peptides. On the other hand, mast cell peptidase-mediated destruction of protective cytokines, like IL-6, can enhance mortality from sepsis. Peptidases released from mast cells also influence nonmast cell proteases, such as by activating matrix metalloproteinase cascades, which are important in responses to infection and resolution of tissue injury. Overall, mast cell proteases have a variety of roles, inflammatory and anti-inflammatory, protective and deleterious, in keeping with the increasingly well-appreciated contributions of mast cells in allergy, tissue homeostasis and innate immunity.
Effects of housing space and litter size on play behavior in rats

The effect of housing space and litter size on the play behavior of young rats was investigated in two experiments. Male play increased steadily with increasing space, whereas female play decreased in the largest environment. These effects indicate a sex-dependent suppression of play by limited housing space. When litter size was reduced at the time of weaning, the play of the split litters differed from that of litters comparable in size or housing space. This suggests that litter size may also be an important determinant of play in young rats.
Promoting Research Productivity in Colleges of Business

(1990). Promoting Research Productivity in Colleges of Business. Journal of Education for Business: Vol. 66, No. 1, pp. 52-56.
Spectral analysis of late Pleistocene-Holocene sediments

Spectral analysis of deep-sea sediments indicates that the fluctuations in compositional parameters are not random fluctuations with time. Spectra show significant peaks representing periodicities in the data of 380, 1300, and 2600 years. Two of these periods are similar to periods reported in 14C fluctuations. Analysis of a paleotemperature curve from the North Atlantic shows that the characteristics of the fluctuations within interglacial and glacial stages of the climate are similar, and that the spectrum has a significant peak at 2600 years.
Management of the "violated neck" in the era of chemoradiation.

Objectives: To determine if patients who have undergone an open neck biopsy (a “violated” neck) have improved disease control and survival with completion neck dissection. Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of patients who underwent open cervical biopsy for diagnosis prior to definitive treatment between February 1997 and February 2010 at two academic tertiary referral centers. Results: Ninety-four patients met study criteria, with completion neck dissection performed in 53 patients (56%). The majority of patients (84%) had oropharyngeal tumors. Human papilloma virus (HPV) status was positive in 55 of 63 patients (87%). Chemotherapy was used more often in patients treated nonoperatively (88%) compared to patients who underwent neck dissection (49%; P < .001). Five-year disease-specific survival (DSS) was 84% for patients treated with neck dissection and 82% for nonoperative treatment (P = .5806), and disease-free survival (DFS) was 82% for patients treated with neck dissection and 70% for nonoperative treatment (P = .6047). Five-year DSS was 84% for patients with HPV-positive disease and 63% for HPV-negative disease (P = .0086), and DFS was 79% for HPV-positive disease and 50% for HPV-negative disease (P = .0004). Only advanced primary tumor (T3/T4) stage (hazard ratio [HR] = 8.8, P = .004) was associated with DSS, whereas advanced primary tumor stage (HR = 5.3, P = .008), N3 disease (HR = 5.6, P = .036), and HPV-positive disease (HR = 0.2, P = .032) were significant predictors of DFS, after controlling for all other variables. Conclusions: In the era of chemoradiation, completion neck dissection following an open cervical biopsy does not appear to provide a survival advantage. A high proportion of HPV-positive oropharyngeal tumors may explain the favorable outcomes observed.
Long-term prediction of MPEG video traffic for broadband cable networks

In this paper, we evaluate the accuracy of a new long-term prediction model for MPEG video traffic. With this model, a video headend in a broadband cable network can forecast bandwidth usage well ahead of time and this can help minimize packet losses during periods of peak bandwidth demands or prefetching of video data. Although the model can be applied to a wide variety of compressed video traffic, we apply our model to several high-definition MPEG-4 AVC videos. First, we estimate the Hurst parameter values, which is used to investigate the long-range dependency or self-similarity of the videos. This leads us to design a new algorithm to predict the size of the I-, P- and B-frames, and the group of pictures (GOP) in the long term. Although long-term prediction may potentially suffer degraded prediction accuracy compared to short-term prediction, we will show that this is not always the case, especially when the prediction is applied to videos encoded with high quality resolution. In addition, we will demonstrate that the bit rate variability of multiplexed videos tends to smooth due a weaker long-range dependency.
Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids and heme oxygenase-1 interaction attenuates diabetes and metabolic syndrome complications.

MSCs are considered to be the natural precursors to adipocyte development through the process of adipogenesis. A link has been established between decreased protective effects of EETs or HO-1 and their interaction in metabolic syndrome. Decreases in HO-1 or EET were associated with an increase in adipocyte stem cell differentiation and increased levels of inflammatory cytokines. EET agonist (AKR-I-27-28) inhibited MSC-derived adipocytes and decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines. We further describe the role of CYP-epoxygenase expression, HO expression, and circulating cytokine levels in an obese mouse, ob/ob−/− mouse model. Ex vivo measurements of EET expression within MSCs derived from ob/ob−/− showed decreased levels of EETs that were increased by HO induction. This review demonstrates that suppression of HO and EET systems exist in MSCs prior to the development of adipocyte dysfunction. Further, adipocyte dysfunction can be ameliorated by induction of HO-1 and CYP-epoxygenase, i.e. EET.
The relationship between conceptual understanding and performance

An operator's understanding of a threatening event within a system was investigated to determine if understanding was predictive of successful operation. Using the domain of driving, we hypothesized that participants who performed higher on a written measure of situational judgment would also attend to and categorize threats better in a card-sort activity. Results indicated that participants who were able to classify threats in a guided card sort performed better on the situational judgment test than those who classified threats poorly. The results suggest that a relationship exists between conceptual understanding of threats in a system and safer operation. Language: en
The Effect of Quantum Well Structures on the Thermoelectric Figure of Merit

Currently the materials with the highest thermoelectric figure of merit, Z, are Bi2Te3 alloys. Therefore these compounds are the best thermoelectric refrigeration elements. However, since the 1960's only slow progress has been made in enhancing Z, either in Bi2Te3 alloys or in other thermoelectric materials. So far, the materials used in applications have all been in bulk form. In this paper, it is proposed that it may be possible to increase Z of certain materials by preparing them in quantum well superlattice structures. Calculations have been done to investigate the potential for such an approach, and also to evaluate the effect of anisotropy on the figure of merit. The calculations show that layering has the potential to increase significantly the figure of merit of a highly anisotropic material like Bi2Te3, provided that the superlattice multilayers are made in a particular orientation. This result opens the possibility of using quantum well superlattice structures to enhance the performance of thermoelectric coolers.
A qualitative response model of student performance on a standardized test

A national sample of high school students who took the Test of Economic Literacy was analyzed by the use of probit analysis and OLS to determine what factors influence high levels of performance on an achievement test. The statistically significant factors were combined SAT scores, the teacher's course work in the subject matter, whether the teacher has a high degree of enthusiasm toward the teaching of the subject, and, for students who scored over 30 on the TEL, whether the student does more than two hours of homework a night.
Optical imaging of bilingual cortical representations

✓ The organization of language in the brains of multilingual persons remains controversial. The authors investigated language representations in a proficient bilingual patient by using a novel neuroimaging technique, intraoperative optical imaging of intrinsic signals (iOIS), and a visual object naming task. The results indicate that there are cortical areas that are activated by the use of both English and Spanish languages (superior temporal sulcus, superior and middle temporal gyri, and parts of the supramarginal gyrus). In addition, language-specific areas were identified in the supramarginal (Spanish) and precentral (English) gyri. These results suggest that cortical language representations in bilingual persons may consist of both overlapping and distinct components. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the utility of iOIS in detecting topographical segregation of cognitively distinct cortices.
Solidarity and subsidiarity: "Organizing principles" for corporate moral leadership in the new global economy

One of the crucial intellectual and social challenges facing corporation leaders is to foster a new way of thinking about business and society which recognizes the multinational corporation as a key player in society's responsibility to support and maintain fairness in the global reorganization of markets. In order to establish a sound global social economy, we are in need of the organizing and directing principles of solidarity and subsidiarity. Both of these principles speak to the need of transforming our public and private institutions in such a way that all persons are placed in positions whereby they can share in the benefits of the newly-formed global economy.
Geostatistics applied to short-term mine planning

Abstract Geostatistics is being used today for long-term mine planning (e.g., ore reserve estimation and mine model development) and for production scheduling (e.g., ore-waste selection) at many of metal mines in the U. S. Geostatistics is not as yet used for short-term mine planning, although geostatistics provides ideal tools to satisfy several goals of short-term mine planning. This paper reviews the probable reasons for the lack of geostatistical applications in short-term mine planning and demonstrates the practicality of routine implementation of the University of Arizona's short-term mine planning system, if there exists either an economic or a political incentive to do so.
Sympathetic flaring with BATSE, GOES, and EIT data

Abstract Sympathetic flaring is defined as the initiation of a solar flare as a result of a transient phenomenon occurring elsewhere on the Sun. Discovery of sympathetic flaring or lack thereof, may lead to a greater understanding of the physics of flare initiation. Knowledge of a mechanism for initiating solar flares would also aid in predicting at least some solar flares. Two studies of sympathetic flaring are presented in this paper. The first part of the paper presents a test for sympathetic flaring in flares observed with the Burst and Transient Source Experiment. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to compare the distribution of solar X-ray flares in time to that expected from a time-varying, Poisson distribution. No evidence for sympathetic flaring is found, though it cannot be ruled out. The X-ray flare data also do not allow discovery of sympathetic flares occurring within 2 min of the initial flare. Because the observations do allow for at least some flares to occur sympathetically, the second part of the paper examines one possible mechanism for initiating flares. The mechanism examined is large-scale coronal transients observed by the SOHO/Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope: EIT waves. A comparison of the rate of flaring in the interval prior to an EIT wave to the rate of flaring while the wave traverses the solar disk shows no increase in the number of flares due to the EIT wave.
Measurement of diffusivity of a liquid diamine in solid epoxies using attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (FTIR‐ATR)

A number of studies on thermosetting polymeric composite materials have indicated the existence of a three dimensional region of the matrix in the vicinity of the fiber, which exhibits distinct properties. A key factor in the interphase formation of epoxy-diamine mixtures is the diffusivity of the diamine relative to the epoxy prepolymer. A technique for measuring diffusion coefficients of a liquid through solid polymeric thin layers is described. Infrared attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy is used to analyze diffusion couples with infrared distinguishable bands. A cylindrical germanium crystal, coated with the polymeric layer of interest, is immersed in a boat cell filled with the diffusant, and infrared spectra of the system are taken in real time. By those means, only the region close to the solid surface is scanned without interferences from the bulk. The temperature dependence of diffusivity can also be evaluated by the use of a heated cell. Diffusivities that are evaluated in this way can be used to predict stoichiometric gradients during the curing reaction of the system and, therefore, the structure and property gradients of the material around the fiber. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Public fantasy and the logic of sacrifice in the Physician's tale.

(2002). Public Fantasy and the Logic of Sacrifice in The Physician's Tale. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 30-33.
Community-level Response to Habitat Structure Manipulations: An Experimental Case Study in a Tropical Ecosystem

Across the globe, environmental change is resulting in novel ecosystems that have altered habitat structure and functioning. Research is needed to understand how changes in habitat structure in these new ecosystems impact community interactions, especially when these manipulations are being proposed to reduce invasive species. We conducted an experiment in Hawaii to determine how changes in habitat structure, represented by leaf litter and understory vegetation, affect the abundance of an invasive generalist predator, the coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui) and its potential prey (invertebrates). This study consisted of four treatments: two vegetation treatments (50% and 100% removal of vegetation with diameter at breast height <5 cm) and two leaf litter treatments (50% and 100% removal). Removal of 50% of habitat structure, either vegetation or leaf litter, was not sufficient to produce long-term changes in coqui or invertebrate densities. Only full removal of habitat structure resulted in reduced densities of coqui after four months. The abundance of leaf litter invertebrates and invertebrates flying close to the forest floor was higher in the 100% vegetation removal treatment compared to leaf litter removal treatments, and the abundance of foliage invertebrates was higher in the 100% leaf litter removal treatment compared to vegetation removal treatments. Invertebrate responses were complicated because they not only responded to the loss of habitat but also the reduction of coquis in treatments. Coquis in treatments moved to microhabitats that contained increased prey. Treatments appeared to impact coquis by removing structure needed for diurnal retreats, breeding and foraging. In summary, both the 100% removal of leaf litter or vegetation can reduce coqui densities in relatively small (20 m � 20 m) areas, even when surrounded by intact, invaded forest. This study provides greater understanding of the impact of habitat structure manipulation, a typical management employed to control an invasive frog, in a novel ecosystem.
Realization of power spectra from partial covariance sequences

In this paper, we address the problem of realization of a spectral density function from incomplete information about the underlying stochastic process. The standing assumption is the availability of an (incomplete) partial sequence of covariance samples of the process. We study the set of rational extensions of this finite sequence to an infinite covariance function that agrees with the available samples. The classical theory of orthogonal polynomials (with respect to the unit circle) and the theory of moments have been utilized extensively in a variety of engineering problems, including the one we are dealing with. These have been known to provide a unifying framework for a variety of current spectral estimation techniques (maximum entropy method, Pisarenko's harmonic decomposition, etc.). In this work, we consider and study the set of all covariance realizations of dimension lower than or equal to the length of the partial sequence (and equal to the dimension of the maximum entropy realization). The ME solution is a point in this set. Other points correspond to "pole-zero" models. A general formula is obtained for recursively updated "pole-zero" models of dimension increasing with the data record. Information about the "zeros" is obtained from the asymptotic behavior of the "partial autocorrelation coefficients." Our approach combines techniques from the theory of orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle, the theory of moments, and also techniques from degree theory/topology. Our objective is to develop a theory that will provide a frame for constructing recursively "pole-zero" realizations of increasing dimension.
Interactions of caffeine with various amphetamines on rat food consumption and avoidance responding.

Abstract Pretreatment of rats with caffeine potentiated the actions of the p-chloro- and p-methyl analogues of amphetamine and benzphetamine as depressants of deprivation-induced food consumption, although no such effects were seen with the unsubstituted compounds. Similar caffeine pretreatment completely antagonized the stimulant effect of amphetamine and p-chloroamphetamine on continuous avoidance responding. In contrast, combined dosage of caffeine potentiated the actions of p-methyl-amphetamine, or benzphetamine, drugs normally showing decreased avoidance responding. Caffeine, in combination with benzphetamine, caused a slight decrease in avoidance responding.
Correlation of indoor radon concentration to commonly available geologic data

Over the last several years, the inhalation of decay products coming from radon-222 has become a national health concern. It is estimated that somewhere between 16,000 and 20,000 people die annually in the United States from lung cancer due to exposure to these decay products. Nationwide, 95% of all homes have not been tested for radon, and so it would seem that any methodology that could give a general idea of indoor radon concentrations (without actually testing the house itself) might be useful. While not intended to replace a radon test, which is both simple and inexpensive, our project attempts to predict indoor radon concentrations based on easily obtainable information from Soil Conservation Service county soil surveys and US Geological Survey surficial geology maps. We have chosen four parameters: soil permeability, surficial geology, soil shrink-swell potential, and distance to the nearest geologic fault. Of these four variables, surficial geology and distance to fault correlated well to winter indoor radon concentrations as measured by short-term (48-h) tests. While it is understood that there are limits to this methodology, primarily because of map scale problems, the correlations mentioned above were very strong and suggest further study would be useful.
Teaching Orientalism in Introductory Human Geography

This article explores efforts to bring postcolonial theory into the undergraduate human geography classroom. Through a case study of teaching Edward Said's Orientalism in introductory human geography, we discuss the relevance of postcolonial theory to critical pedagogy in geography. We lay out how instructors can teach Orientalism in introductory courses, what happens when they do so, and where efforts to use postcolonial theory to help students analyze the “colonial present” can be improved. We suggest that postcolonial theory is particularly well suited pedagogically to show students the mechanisms and uneven power relations producing and sustaining past and present geographies of difference.
Glyconanobiotics: Novel carbohydrated nanoparticle antibiotics for MRSA and Bacillus anthracis.

Abstract This report describes the synthesis and evaluation of glycosylated polyacrylate nanoparticles that have covalently-bound antibiotics within their framework. The requisite glycosylated drug monomers were prepared from one of three known antibiotics, an N-sec -butylthio β-lactam, ciprofloxacin, and a penicillin, by acylation with 3- O -acryloyl-1,2- O -isopropylidene-5,6 bis((chlorosuccinyl)oxy)- d -glucofuranose ( 7 ) or 6- O -acetyl-3- O -acryloyl-1,2- O -isopropylidene-5-(chlorosuccinyl)oxy-α- d -glucofuranose ( 10 ). These acrylated monomers were subjected to emulsion polymerization in a 7:3 (w:w) mixture of butyl acrylate–styrene in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate as surfactant (3 weight %) and potassium persulfate as a radical initiator (1 weight %). The resulting nanoparticle emulsions were characterized by dynamic light scattering and found to have similar diameters (∼40 nm) and size distributions to those of our previously studied systems. Microbiological testing showed that the N - sec -butylthio β-lactam and ciprofloxacin nanoparticles both have powerful in vitro activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis , while the penicillin-bound nanoparticles have no antimicrobial activity. This indicates the need for matching a suitable antibiotic with the nanoparticle carrier. Overall, the study shows that even relatively large, polar acrylate monomers (MW > 1000 amu) can be efficiently incorporated into the nanoparticle matrix by emulsion polymerization, providing opportunities for further advances in nanomedicine.
BORGES: Blindness and the Art of Seeing

Despite Borges' emphasis on fictional puzzles which can be solved only by the power of reason, conative and affective influences overshadow the conceptual component in his work. This is why Borges elaborates his transcendent ideas in a context of violent fantasies. Borges' flights into intellectualization result from his efforts to repudiate aggressive drives, the residue of unresolved oedipal fears and resentments and his rage because of his blindness. At the same time, Borges is aware of the futility of depending on reason and ignoring passion as a motivating force. Nevertheless, he is compelled to create protagonists who are destroyed because they dare to pursue their abstract ideals in a world of brutal facts and violent impulses. Borges' positive achievement is his creation of a universe of infinite logical possibilities as an antidote to human helplessness and the perdurability of the world of concrete appearances.
Birefringence of photonic crystal fibers with a general lattice

We report on the influence of lattice shape on the birefringence properties of photonic crystal fibers and show novel properties such as very large or vanishing birefringence in nonsymmetric lattices and cores.
On the Malleability of Self-image in Individuals with a Weak Sense of Self

For over four decades, clinical psychologists have claimed that individuals with a weak sense of self have highly malleable self-images, even temporarily taking on aspects of the personalities of interaction partners who have a stronger sense of self. The present Study 1 provided the first empirical test of this claim. In same-sex stranger dyads that paired a weak-sense-of-self member with a strong-sense-of-self member, the “weak” dyad members changed their post-interaction personality ratings in the direction of the “strong” members' pre-interaction personality, but not vice versa. A follow-up analysis ruled out the possibility that this difference could be attributed to differential regression to the mean (average) personality profile. In Studies 2 and 3, individuals with a weak sense of self were also more likely to accept a false (generic) but seemingly specific personality description as describing them well, and this effect persisted even after controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic status, self...
Stereotypes and Racial Images —White, Black and Yellow—

MUTUAL and self-perceptions of the racial images of the Whites, the Blacks and the Japanese Americans are studied among adult, college-student and school-children age-groups in California. For adults and college students, the Katz and Braly's adjective list was used, in which subjects were asked to choose five traits out of 84 to describe each racial group. Children were instructed to describe racial images in their own words.The hypothesis that the Whites occupying the dominant position are endowed with positive traits and the minority groups with negative traits was only partially supported. Another hypothese concerning the minority acceptance of the negative image ascribed by the dominant group, which was true in the 1930's, was invaild in this study. The Whites were portrayed as materialistic and pleasure-loving; the Blacks were musical, aggressive and straightforward; and the Japanese, industrious, ambitious, loyal to family and quiet.
Formation and characterization of phospholipid monolayers spontaneously assembled at interfaces between aqueous phases and thermotropic liquid crystals

This paper reports an experimental investigation of the self-assembly of phospholipids (l-α-phosphatidylcholine-β-oleoyl-γ-palmitoyl (l-POPC), dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), and l-α-dilaur...
A micromethod for fractionation of lipids by silicic acid chromatography.

Abstract A micromethod has been presented for separating, by silicic acid chromatography, 1–10 mg of a complex mixture of lipid of biological origin into four fractions: I, cholesterol ester; II, triglycerides; III, free cholesterol, free fatty acids, and mono- and diglycerides; and IV, phospholipids. The method was found to be rapid, convenient in handling, quantitative, and eminently suitable for further analysis of the fractions by gasliquid chromatography.
Improvement in efficacy of corticosteroid therapy in an animal model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy by pretreatment

Intraocular injection of the corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide reduces the incidence of retinal detachment in rabbit eyes injected with tissue-cultured fibroblasts. When the steroid was injected simultaneously with the cells, a reduction of retinal detachment from 93% (control) to 75% (treated) was achieved on day 28. When the steroid was injected 24 h preceding cell injection, the reduction of retinal detachment was from 85% (control) to 43% (treated). The development of retinal detachment is caused by proliferation of injected fibroblasts. Reduction of this proliferation is probably achieved partially through direct inhibition of mitosis, but more important may be the reduction of the reactive inflammatory process.
Residual stresses in porcelain-veneered zirconia prostheses

Abstract Objectives Compressive stress has been intentionally introduced into the overlay porcelain of zirconia–ceramic prostheses to prevent veneer fracture. However, recent theoretical analysis has predicted that the residual stresses in the porcelain may be also tensile in nature. This study aims to determine the type and magnitude of the residual stresses in the porcelain veneers of full-contour fixed-dental prostheses (FDPs) with an anatomic zirconia coping design and in control porcelain with the zirconia removed using a well-established Vickers indentation method. Methods Six 3-unit zirconia FDPs were manufactured (NobelBiocare, Gothenburg, Sweden). Porcelain was hand-veneered using a slow cooling rate. Each FDP was sectioned parallel to the occlusal plane for Vickers indentations (n = 143; load = 9.8 N; dwell time = 5 s). Tests were performed in the veneer of porcelain–zirconia specimens (bilayers, n = 4) and porcelain specimens without zirconia cores (monolayers, n = 2). Results The average crack lengths and standard deviation, in the transverse and radial directions (i.e. parallel and perpendicular to the veneer/core interface, respectively), were 67 ± 12 μm and 52 ± 8 μm for the bilayers and 64 ± 8 μm and 64 ± 7 μm for the monolayers. These results indicated a major hoop compressive stress (∼40–50 MPa) and a moderate radial tensile stress (∼10 MPa) in the bulk of the porcelain veneer. Significance Vickers indentation is a powerful method to determine the residual stresses in veneered zirconia systems. Our findings revealed the presence of a radial tensile stress in the overlay porcelain, which may contribute to the large clinical chip fractures observed in these prostheses.
Carrier mediated transport of amino acids, small peptides, and their drug analogs

Abstract The oral absorption of amino acids, small peptides and their analogs has been studied in rats using single pass intestinal perfusion. The experimental data was analyzed using a modified boundary layer method permitting the calculation of intrinsic membrane absorption parameters. Cefatrizine, l -Dopa, α-methyldopa, and l -PHE demonstrated concentration dependent absorption. Furthermore, the absorption of the amino acid analog, l -Dopa, was significantly inhibited by l -Leucine. Cefatrizine absorption was significantly inhibited by the peptide PHE-PHE (20 mM whereas the amino acid l -PHE (100 mM) did not inhibit its absorption. The results clearly demonstrate that l -Dopa and α-methyldopa oral absorption occurs via the amino acid pathway, while cefatrizine absorption occurs via the peptide pathway. These results indicate that nutrient pathways may function as a possible route for the oral delivery of selected drugs.
Wounding and reflex impairment may be predictors for mortality in discarded or escaped fish

Abstract The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that wounding and reflex impairment, measures of fish condition, could be used to predict mortality in flatfish and roundfish that had been towed in a net in the laboratory. The extent of fish wounding resulting from net abrasion was measured with computer analysis of green fluorescence that occurred when fluorescein was retained in wounds and illuminated with ultraviolet light. Reflex impairment was measured in free swimming fish 5 min after towing by observing orientation, and startle responses to visual and mechanical stimuli. Wounding was related to mortality in walleye pollock, a species that was sensitive to net abrasion, but not in other less sensitive species. Wounding may not predict mortality associated with environmental factors and combinations of stressors in fishing, as the effects of these factors can change without corresponding changes in the extent of wounding. Reflex impairment in walleye pollock, sablefish, northern rock sole, and Pacific halibut was significantly related to mortality in biphasic relationships described by sigmoid curves ( y = a / ( 1 + e − ( x − x 0 / b ) ) ) . Measurement of reflex impairment may be a powerful tool for expanding the scope and replication of fishing experiments in the field and for comparing bycatch mortality among various fishing practices and fisheries.
A β-Arrestin/Green Fluorescent Protein Biosensor for Detecting G Protein-coupled Receptor Activation

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) represent the single most important drug targets for medical therapy, and information from genome sequencing and genomic data bases has substantially accelerated their discovery. The lack of a systematic approach either to identify the function of a new GPCR or to associate it with a cognate ligand has added to the growing number of orphan receptors. In this work we provide a novel approach to this problem using a β-arrestin2/green fluorescent protein conjugate (βarr2-GFP). It provides a real-time and single cell based assay to monitor GPCR activation and GPCR-G protein-coupled receptor kinase or GPCR-arrestin interactions. Confocal microscopy demonstrates the translocation of βarr2-GFP to more than 15 different ligand-activated GPCRs. These data clearly support the common hypothesis that the β-arrestin binding of an activated receptor is a convergent step of GPCR signaling, increase by 5-fold the number of GPCRs known to interact with β-arrestins, demonstrate that the cytosol is the predominant reservoir of biologically active β-arrestins, and provide the first direct demonstration of the critical importance of G protein-coupled receptor kinase phosphorylation to the biological regulation of β-arrestin activity and GPCR signal transduction in living cells. The use of βarr2-GFP as a biosensor to recognize the activation of pharmacologically distinct GPCRs should accelerate the identification of orphan receptors and permit the optical study of their signal transduction biology intractable to ordinary biochemical methods.
Operations Research Capstone Courses for Business Majors with Analytical Backgrounds

Clarkson University provides a one-semester capstone design course required for undergraduate seniors majoring in Engineering and Management. In this paper, we discuss how the capstone experience has been facilitated when the projects are operations research OR based. Key aspects include multiple student teams working on a single client's problem, student experience customized to the project, a client focused approach, and coaching of students whose academic background includes a single course dedicated to OR as well as other courses in engineering and management. We suggest why our practices may be applied at other universities with analytically talented business students. Many of our recommended practices apply to industry projects for students from any major e.g., finding projects with appropriate scope.
Light on the Tip of a Needle: Plasmonic Nanofocusing for Spectroscopy on the Nanoscale

The efficiency of plasmonic nanostructures as optical antennas to concentrate optical fields to the nanoscale has been limited by intrinsically short dephasing times and small absorption cross sections. We discuss a new optical antenna concept based on surface plasmon polariton (SPP) nanofocusing on conical noble metal tips to achieve efficient far- to near-field transformation of light from the micro- to the nanoscale. The spatial separation of the launching of propagating SPPs from their subsequent apex confinement with high energy concentration enables background-free near-field imaging, tip-enhanced Raman scattering, and nonlinear nanospectroscopy. The broad bandwidth and spectral tunability of the nanofocusing mechanism in combination with frequency domain pulse shaping uniquely allow for the spatial confinement of ultrashort laser pulses and few-femtosecond spatiotemporal optical control on the nanoscale. This technique not only extends powerful nonlinear and ultrafast spectroscopies to the nanoscal...
Mobility, permeability, and the pseudo-steady-state hypothesis

Abstract The pseudo-steady-state hypothesis that allows a simple kinetic law, such as the Michaelis-Menten, to be derived from a more detailed mechanism can be obtained by assuming either that the enzyme is only present in a very small quantity or that it is immobile. If the enzyme is free to diffuse in a region, but not to permeate its boundaries, then the pseudo-steady-state relation is satisfied in the mean and the region as a whole acts as a distributed catalyst. The interrelationship of these assumptions is illustrated by the Michaelis-Menten kinetics, proved for the general reaction and shown in detail for the linear case A→B→C.
102 Characterization of an Arsenate Reductase Encoded by ORF slr0946 from the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis SP. PCC6803

Arsenic is a human carcinogen that is frequently encountered in high concentrations in both aqueous environments and in human drinking water supplies. Many microorganisms have evolved arsenical detoxification systems in which arsenate (AsV) is enzymatically reduced to arsenite (AsIII). In this study we report the expression and characterization of the first arsenate reductase from a cyanobacterium, the product of slr0946 from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. Slr0946 was expressed as an C-terminally ‘His-tagged’ fusion protein. The recombinant protein efficiently catalyzed the reduction of arsenate to arsenite using reducing equivalents supplied from NADPH via glutathione and glutaredoxin. Thioredoxin, the traditional reductant for previously characterized ArsC's, was ineffective. Slr0946 displayed both relatively high catalytic efficiency, Vmax 3.1 μmol/min/mg, as compared to other arsenate reductases. Its Km for arsenate was 1.25 mM. Slr0946 also exhibited vestigial phosphohydrolase activity toward p-nitrophenyl phosphate. Both arsenate reductase activity and phosphohydrolase activity were dependent upon the presence of the conserved cysteine residue, Cys8. Mutation of either of two closely paired cysteines in Slr0946, Cys80 or Cys82, but not Cys13 to serine eliminated arsenate reductase activity. However, each of these altered forms did catalyze the hydrolysis of pNPP, indicating that these cysteines were not essential to this catalytic function. It has further been suggested that glutathione forms a mixed disulfide with one of these cysteines during catalysis. This suggestion was at least partially supported by the demonstration that Slr0946 forms an SDS-resistant complex with [35S]glutathione in a manner that is dependent on the presence of both Cys8 and arsenate.