cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Papillomaviruses and Interferon

Papillomaviruses are infectious agents which cause benign tumours, or warts, of cutaneous, uterine cervical and laryngeal epithelia. These infections are very common, yet no uniformly effective therapy exists. Current treatments do not selectively inhibit viral processes but destroy the infected epithelial cells. Since interferons have antiviral effects in vivo and in vitro, it was hypothesized that they might be useful for treating papillomavirus-induced conditions. Interferons have now been demonstrated to be effective in several forms of papillomavirus infection. In vitro, chronic treatment of bovine papillomavirus-transformed cells led to the loss of the papillomavirus genomes and return of the cells to a normal morphology. In humans, interferons have been used for treating laryngeal papillomatosis, cutaneous and anogenital warts and epidermodysplasia verruciformis. Partial and total remissions have been achieved with both intralesional and systemic administration. Ongoing studies aim to identify which conditions are most responsive, the optimal dosage and regimen and the most effective class of interferon. The mechanisms by which these responses occur are unknown, but are thought to depend on interferon inducing specific cellular proteins.
Trophic links’ length and slope in the Tuesday Lake food web with species’ body mass and numerical abundance

Summary 1 Previously unnoticed patterns emerged in the lengths and slopes of trophic links of the food web of Tuesday Lake, Michigan, USA, when species were plotted on axes of log body mass (vertical) vs. log numerical abundance (horizontal). Link length was defined as equal to the number of orders of magnitude difference in mean body size between predator and prey plus the number of orders of magnitude difference in numerical abundance between predator and prey. 2 The average length over all trophic links was 6·2 [SD (standard deviation) = 2·8] orders of magnitude in 1984, and 5·8 (SD = 2·6) in 1986. Thus, for the average link, the ratio of the mean body mass of predator to prey, times the ratio of the numerical abundance of prey to predator, was about one million (106 ±). To a first approximation the typical predator was 10 times as long as its prey but 1000 times less numerically abundant. Link length distributions were approximately normal. Mean link lengths in 1984 and 1986 were not statistically different, but were more than an order of magnitude larger than the mean distance between all possible ordered pairs of species in each year. Ordered pairs of species that were between 9 and 11 orders of magnitude apart were the most likely to be links in both years. 3 The angle of a (non-cannibalistic) link was defined so that an angle of 135° indicates that the predator was larger than the prey by exactly as many orders of magnitude as the prey was numerically more abundant than the predator, and so that the biomass (mean body mass times numerical abundance) of predator and prey were equal. For all non-cannibalistic links, the median angle was 132° in 1984 and 129° in 1986. Both of these angles were significantly less than 135°. Angle deviated much from its median value only for short links. When the link was short or had the median angle, the predator species’ biomass was probably greater than that of the prey species. 4 Several models of food web structure failed to reproduce the observed normal distribution of link lengths. Observed predation matrices with species ordered by body mass had links arranged in blocks suggesting functional groups. Models that incorporated this block structure reproduced the normal link length distribution, but a model that forced a normal link length distribution did not produce blocks. The cascade model explained the median angle of trophic links.
Acute Ischemic Stroke Trials

To the Editor: We congratulate Duncan and colleagues on their illuminating report regarding outcome measures in acute stroke trials.1 However, we wish to point out that their claim to have analyzed all “phase II and phase III randomized trials of pharmacological interventions in the acute phase of stroke, published in English in 1980 or later” may be overstated. They review only 51 trials. Our systematic review of all randomized acute ischemic stroke trials reported in English has …
Databases for Microbiologists

ABSTRACT Databases play an increasingly important role in biology. They archive, store, maintain, and share information on genes, genomes, expression data, protein sequences and structures, metabolites and reactions, interactions, and pathways. All these data are critically important to microbiologists. Furthermore, microbiology has its own databases that deal with model microorganisms, microbial diversity, physiology, and pathogenesis. Thousands of biological databases are currently available, and it becomes increasingly difficult to keep up with their development. The purpose of this minireview is to provide a brief survey of current databases that are of interest to microbiologists.
Immunoglobulin M red blood cell alloantibodies are frequently adsorbed by rabbit erythrocyte stroma

BACKGROUND: Rabbit erythrocyte stroma (RESt, Immucor) adsorption is often used to remove cold autoantibodies from patient samples to facilitate detection of underlying alloantibodies. However, reports in the literature show that adsorption of clinically significant alloantibodies can occur. A 2006 study by Storry and colleagues suggested that immunoglobulin (Ig)M antibodies are adsorbed by RESt regardless of antigen specificity. In our study, we further investigated the adsorption of IgM red blood cell alloantibodies by RESt. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 12 sera containing monoclonal IgM antibodies of various specificities (anti- D, -C, -c, -E, -e, -K, -Jkb, and -S) and titers, which were all shown to exhibit only IgM reactivity after dithiothreitol treatment, and two sera with polyclonal IgG (anti-Fya and -K) were all adsorbed by RESt. Titers of unadsorbed, once-adsorbed, and twice-adsorbed IgM and IgG antibodies were determined in parallel. RESULTS: Ten of the 12 monoclonal IgM samples showed significant (more than fourfold) reduction in titer after RESt adsorptions. Both of the polyclonal IgG samples tested showed insignificant (fourfold or less) reduction in titer. CONCLUSIONS: RESt is known to effectively remove IgM cold autoantibodies. Our results show that monoclonal IgM alloantibodies are also frequently adsorbed by RESt with significant reduction in titer. Adsorption is variable and some IgM alloantibodies are not adsorbed. Further studies may elucidate the effect of RESt adsorption on IgG alloantibodies. Caution is needed when RESt is employed to remove interferences by cold autoantibodies in pretransfusion testing, and the risk of missed IgM alloantibodies must be considered.
Effect of Signal Strength and Improper Alignment on the Variability of Stratus Optical Coherence Tomography Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Measurements

● PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of signal strength and improper scan alignment on retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurement variability. ● DESIGN: Retrospective, longitudinal clinical study. ● METHODS: All eyes of healthy subjects with at least 2 fast RNFL scan sessions were selected from the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study. The chronological first scan was considered to be the baseline. Absolute differences in signal strength and RNFL thickness measurements between baseline and subsequent scans were calculated. Regression analysis was conducted to assess whether signal strength and scan shifts along the horizontal (nasal‐temporal) but not the vertical (superior‐inferior) axis affect average RNFL thickness measurements. ● RESULTS: Ninety-four eyes of 94 subjects were included. All eyes were tested twice or more on the same visit, whereas 30 eyes were followed up longitudinally for 32.4 13.3 months (1 scan per annual follow-up). For quadrants, absolute differences from baseline were greater than for average RNFL thickness and were significantly larger for scans acquired on separate visits. Average RNFL thickness increased only when the difference between the nasal and temporal quadrants increased (R 2 0.16; P < .0001), suggesting it may be affected by horizontal but not vertical scan shifts. Differences in signal strength were associated with differences in average RNFL thickness (R 2 0.19; P < .0001). ● CONCLUSIONS: Even under optimal testing conditions, scan quality can adversely effect the ability to detect change over time. Therefore, caution is warranted when detecting glaucomatous progression using scan series of different quality. Careful overall assessment of quadrants and average RNFL thickness measurements is suggested to help identify scan misalignment. (Am J Ophthalmol 2009;148:249‐255. © 2009 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Data Modeling of Knowledge Rules: An Oracle Prototype

Knowledge rules are outlined declaratively in a knowledge base repository. Each rule is created independently for storage in the repository. This paper provides an approach to apply the techniques of traditional entity-relationship data modeling to structure the knowledge rules for storage as a database schema in a relational database management system. Utilization of entity relationship model and relational database for modeling knowledge rules provides for a more standardized mechanism for structuring knowledge rules. Storage of knowledge rules in a relational database shall also bring about improved integration with business applications, besides having the availability of services provided for transactional database applications. The paper utilizes the Oracle database for illustrating the application of the concepts through a sample set of knowledge rules. The approach is explained through a prototype in Oracle's PL/SQL Server Pages.
Catalyst-free InGaN/GaN nanowire light emitting diodes grown on (001) silicon by molecular beam epitaxy.

Catalyst-free growth of (In)GaN nanowires on (001) silicon substrate by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy is demonstrated. The nanowires with diameter ranging from 10 to 50 nm have a density of 1−2 × 1011 cm−2. P- and n-type doping of the nanowires is achieved with Mg and Si dopant species, respectively. Structural characterization by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) indicates that the nanowires are relatively defect-free. The peak emission wavelength of InGaN nanowires can be tuned from ultraviolet to red by varying the In composition in the alloy and “white” emission is obtained in nanowires where the In composition is varied continuously during growth. The internal quantum efficiency varies from 20−35%. Radiative and nonradiative lifetimes of 5.4 and 1.4 ns, respectively, are obtained from time-resolved photoluminescence measurements at room temperature for InGaN nanowires emitting at λ = 490 nm. Green- and white-emitting planar LEDs have been fabricated and characterized. ...
Discrete neurochemical coding of distinguishable motivational processes: insights from nucleus accumbens control of feeding

Background and objectives The idea that nucleus accumbens (Acb) dopamine transmission contributes to the neural mediation of reward, at least in a general sense, has achieved wide acceptance. Nevertheless, debate remains over the precise nature of dopamine’s role in reward and even over the nature of reward itself. In the present article, evidence is reviewed from studies of food intake, feeding microstructure, instrumental responding for food reinforcement, and dopamine efflux associated with feeding, which suggests that reward processing in the Acb is best understood as an interaction among distinct processes coded by discrete neurotransmitter systems.
Ultra‐fast imaging using low flip angles and fids

A new ultra-fast imaging technique that does not place extreme demands on the speed of the gradient system is described. When used with comparable MRI systems, the rotating ultra-fast imaging sequence (RUFIS) can acquire images 4 to 5 times faster than gradient-moment nulled EPI and more than twice as fast as DUFIS, OUFIS, or BURST techniques. Because the technique uses free induction decays instead of echoes, it can be made particularly insensitive to effects of motion, flow, and diffusion. Preliminary images of turbulent flow are presented to demonstrate this insensitivity. However, with appropriate encoding, flow effects may be imaged.
Slide rule: making mobile touch screens accessible to blind people using multi-touch interaction techniques

Recent advances in touch screen technology have increased the prevalence of touch screens and have prompted a wave of new touch screen-based devices. However, touch screens are still largely inaccessible to blind users, who must adopt error-prone compensatory strategies to use them or find accessible alternatives. This inaccessibility is due to interaction techniques that require the user to visually locate objects on the screen. To address this problem, we introduce Slide Rule, a set of audio-based multi-touch interaction techniques that enable blind users to access touch screen applications. We describe the design of Slide Rule, our interaction techniques, and a user study in which 10 blind people used Slide Rule and a button-based Pocket PC screen reader. Results show that Slide Rule was significantly faster than the button-based system, and was preferred by 7 of 10 users. However, users made more errors when using Slide Rule than when using the more familiar button-based system.
Computationally Efficient, Explicit Finite Element Model for Evaluation of Patellofemoral Mechanics

Patient-specific finite element (FE) models can provide clinically relevant information about contact mechanics and kinematics that may be difficult or infeasible to obtain otherwise, and have potential to guide pre-operative planning. However, substantial uncertainty in model variables exists in patient-specific modeling, and suggests a probabilistic approach. Although efficient probabilistic methodology has been recently developed, multiple analyses are still required, and computational time for a fully deformable FE model throughout a flexion cycle has typically made this impractical. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to develop an explicit FE model of the patellofemoral joint with deformable cartilage and deformable, wrapping extensor tendons, and to compare kinematic and contact mechanics results with a model modified for computational efficiency. The efficient model incorporated rigid femoral and patellar cartilage representation with an optimized contact pressure–surface overclosure relationship, and composite-fiber tendons.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
The effect of the poloidal divertor neutralizer geometry on the scrape-off plasma temperature and density

Abstract The poloidal magnetic divertor operating in the cool-high density plasma mode represents a good solution to the tokamak first wall erosion and impurity transport problems. It also, in general, improves the energy confinement time in the beam-heated discharges. In the existing experiments, the neutralizer plates are oriented close to normal to the flux surfaces in the poloidal plane, but the planned high-power experiments require that the plate be sharply angled to reduce the power flux density. We have studied the effect of changing the plate angle on the radial plasma temperature and density profiles at the plate. We find that some plate orientations shift the electron flux profile relative to the power flux profile, resulting in unfavorable temperature profiles. The question of existence of a steady-state solution was also addressed. For a steady state to exist, the radial neutral fluxes have to exactly cancel the radial diffusive ion fluxes. Depending on the diffusion coefficients, the plasma density may have to increase with radius to satisfy this condition. The implications of these conclusions for the INTOR, and CIT experiments is also discussed.
A NEW SCHEME FOR WIDEBAND ELECTRONICALLY OPTIC TUNABLE FREQUENCY SHIFTING USING MAGNETOOPTIC BRAGG DIFFRACTION

Integrated optic frequency shifters which provide wideband electronically tunable frequency shift and output light propagating at a fixed angle, irrespective of the amount of frequency shift, are highly desirable [1,2]. In this paper, a new optical frequency shifting scheme which utilizes noncollinear guided-wave magnetooptic (MO) Bragg diffraction by magnetostatic forward volume waves (MSFVW) in yttrium iron garnet-gadolinium gallium garnet (YIG-GGG) -based optical waveguide structure [3] (Fig. 1) is presented. The constancy of output angle of the frequency-shifted light is facilitated by maintaining a constant wave number for the MSFVW using a dual-tuning mechanism which involves synchronous tuning between the carrier frequency of the RF driving signal (and thus the MSFVW) and the bias magnetic field (Fig.2). In so doing the spatial scan of the frequency-shifted light beam resulting from the tuning of the RF driving frequency is exactly compensated by that resulting from the synchronous tuning of the bias magnetic field. As a result, the Bragg-diffracted light propagates at a constant output angle, irrespective of the RF driving frequency, and thus enables a very large bandwidth be achieved.
Molecular Characterization of the VIP Receptor Transcriptional Repressor Protein

: The rat type 1 VIP receptor transcriptional repressor protein (VIPR-RP) is a recently isolated novel transcription factor. In the study reported here, the functional domains of VIPR-RP were characterized. To map the DNA binding domain, various regions of VIPR-RP were either transcribed and translated in vitro or expressed in and purified from E. Coli as a glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion. The ability of the truncated proteins to bind to VIPR-RP specific binding sequence was tested by gel mobility shift assays. The results indicated that the amino acid sequences between 367 and 475 play an essential role for VIPR-RP DNA binding. To determine the amino acid sequences required for transcriptional repression, fusion proteins containing the GAL4 DNA binding domain and various parts of VIPR-RP were constructed, and their ability to repress transcription of the reporter gene containing GAL4 DNA binding sequences were tested in transiently transfected COS7 cells. The results showed that VIPR-RP contains two separate transcriptional repression domains located between amino acids 50 to 101 and 470 to 527.
Creating Geographers: Evaluating Teacher Participation in a Geography-Based Summer Academy.

As part of a geography-based minority recruiting program (MRP), teachers were asked to serve as mentors for teams of high school students interested in both postsecondary education and geography as a major discipline or career path. The goal was to determine whether teacher participation in MRP programs was an effective tool to mentor underrepresented populations in geography. One component of the program evaluation examined the impact of teacher participation in a MRP by analyzing participating teachers’ classroom strategies and students’ performance in the school year following the summer program. Teachers were surveyed and participated in follow-up interviews during the school year following their participation in the MRP to determine the effects of the program's professional development components. The research hoped to reveal: (a) the participant-teachers’ function and role as mentors for students and the changes of participant-teachers’ behaviors, and (b) how any changes in their classrooms have aff...
A Multilevel Evaluation of a Comprehensive Child Abuse Prevention Program

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which participation in a county-wide prevention program leads to improvements in protective factors associated with child abuse prevention (CAP) and whether improvements in measured protective factors relate to decreased odds of child abuse. Method: Using multilevel growth modeling, our analyses focus on an economically poor, culturally diverse sample of 1,184 mothers who maintained their involvement in the program for at least 6 months. Results: Our results support a limited association between program participation and improvements in maternal protective factors. Nevertheless, pursuant to the working theory of many CAP programs, improvements in maternal social support and mental health, when evident, were significantly associated with reduced odds of child abuse. Conclusion: More robustly specified interventions and supports are needed to enhance outcomes for the majority of families targeted by the program, including those who present the greatest vulnerability for child abuse. Language: en
Ethanol-reinforced responding and intake as a function of volume per reinforcement.

Abstract Number of ethanol reinforcements obtained and ethanol intake (mg/100 g body weight/hr) of 3 food-deprived rats were measured over a range of dipper volumes during daily 1 hr sessions. The rats had free access to water in their home cages between sessions. Ethanol concentration was 8 percent (W/V); each response was reinforced. As the volume per reinforcement increased, ethanol intake tended to increase, while the number of reinforcements obtained decreased systematically. Responding was maintained by 8 percent (W/V) ethanol but not by water.
Measuring the Treatment Outcome of Short-Term School-Based Social Skills Groups

ABSTRACT Short-term groups are frequently being used in schools today to address the ever-increasing needs among at-risk students. This research was intended to address some of the current gaps in our understanding of how short-term groups affect the functioning of children and adolescents. A combination of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods was utilized in the study to measure the treatment outcome of these school-based groups. A comparison of the results surfaced from this two evaluation methods was very informative and adds to our current knowledge and understanding of the treatment impact of short-term groups. Study participants and the group facilitators reported more internal areas of change as opposed to external behavioral changes. Future research questions and suggestions for designing more rigorous studies of short-term groups for at-risk students are delineated based on the results of this study.
Fast Sweeping Methods for Factored Anisotropic Eikonal Equations: Multiplicative and Additive Factors

The viscosity solution of static Hamilton-Jacobi equations with a point-source condition has an upwind singularity at the source, which makes all formally high-order finite-difference scheme exhibit first-order convergence and relatively large errors. To obtain designed high-order accuracy, one needs to treat this source singularity during computation. In this paper, we apply the factorization idea to numerically compute viscosity solutions of anisotropic eikonal equations with a point-source condition. The idea is to factor the unknown traveltime function into two functions, either additively or multiplicatively. One of these two functions is specified to capture the source singularity so that the other function is differentiable in a neighborhood of the source. Then we design monotone fast sweeping schemes to solve the resulting factored anisotropic eikonal equation. Numerical examples show that the resulting monotone schemes indeed yield clean first-order convergence rather than polluted first-order convergence and both factorizations are able to treat the source singularity successfully.
Globalization of Production: Insights from the Hard Disk Drive Industry

Abstract Rapid change in the geographical location of production raises important questions regarding the welfare, development potential, and competitive position of different countries and regions. This paper explores in detail the geography of economic activity in a specific industry, the hard disk drive (HDD) component of the computer industry. Firms in the HDD industry are breaking the production system into ever smaller distinct steps, and spreading the physical location of these steps around the world. Firms from the United States dominate the industry. Our findings suggest that globalization has enabled US firms to sustain their dominant position in the industry, preserve employment in the United States (and possibly expand it), and increase employment worldwide, most notably in Southeast Asia.
Near-Field Microwave Detection of Disbond in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites Used for Strengthening Cement-Based Structures and Disbond Repair Verification

The use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites has been investigated in the past few years as a means to rehabilitate aging concrete structures. The detection of disbonds and delaminations between CFRP laminate and the concrete substrate is a critical issue in this area, as the presence of such defects adversely affects the effectiveness of the reinforcement. Thus, the development of a nondestructive testing (NDT) technique to detect these types of defects is of great interest in this field. Furthermore, any such method should also be capable of verifying the quality of the repair of such defects. Near-field microwave NDT techniques, utilizing open-ended rectangular waveguides, have shown great potential in the past for detecting delaminations and disbonds in complex composite structures. Microwave NDT techniques have the added advantages of providing real-time, noncontact, one-sided, rapid, and robust measurements. This paper presents the experimental results of detecting disbonds in a specially prepared CFRP reinforced mortar sample using near-field microwave NDT techniques, as well as the preliminary results showing the capability of this technique for verifying repair quality.
EXPERIMENTS ON THE RELATION OF THE INHIBITORY TO THE ACCELERATOR NERVES OF THE HEART

The experiments described in Part IV of this paper show that in whatever manner the problem of the relation of the vagus to the accelerators is approached, whether the accelerators are stimulated during a stimulation of the vagus, or the vagus during a stimulation of the accelerators, or both are stimulated simultaneously, either for a short or for a longer period, the result is the same, viz., the effect upon the rate of the heart is determined entirely by the relative strength of the stimuli applied to the two nerves. If the stimuli are of approximately the same strength, as judged by the effect of stimulating the nerves separately, the rate of the heart is but slightly affected; if the stimulus applied to the vagus is the stronger, the heart is slowed; if it is weaker, the heart is accelerated. In all cases the result of stimulating the two nerves simultaneously is approximately the algebraic sum of the results of stimulating them separately; sometimes the inhibitory effect slightly predominates, but not more frequently than does the accelerator effect. Moreover, the two nerves may be stimulated simultaneously for a considerable period of time without either completely overcoming the effect of the other. Thus as far as their effect upon the rate of the ventricular beat is concerned, the vagus and accelerator nerves seem to be purely antagonistic; the statement that a minimal stimulation of the one can completely overcome a maximal stimulation of the other is undoubtedly incorrect, and the hypotheses as to the mode of action of these nerves upon the heart, based upon this statement, lose their chief support.
Vertical Slit Field Effect Transistor in ultra-low power applications

Vertical Slit Field Effect Transistors (VeSFETs) are novel twin-gate and junction-less devices with nearly ideal sub-threshold swing and manufactured using SOI infrastructure. In this paper, we analyze VeSFETs as potential components of ultra-low power circuits. We compare circuits built with VeSFETs, FinFETs, and bulk-MOSFETs, all in 65nm technology node. Our experiments demonstrate that VeSFET has the smallest intrinsic capacitance and the lowest minimum energy among the studied devices. The Tied-Gate (TG) VeSFET-based circuit operating at the minimum energy point achieves a lower energy and a higher frequency than its Independent-Gate (IG) VeSFET-based counterpart. IG VeSFET achieves lower energy for circuits working at extremely low and relatively wide frequency range.
PARCS: NASA’s laser-cooled atomic clock in space

The Primary Atomic Reference Clock in Space (PARCS) mission is designed to perform certain tests of relativity theory, to study the performance of individual GPS space-vehicle clocks, to study the dynamics of atom motion in microgravity, to advance the state-of-the art for space clocks, and to serve as a pathfinder for precision instruments based on laser cooling of atoms. After a brief overview of the project, this paper discusses the specific objectives of PARCS, describes the key subsystems, and discusses the systematic frequency shifts that limit the accuracy of the clock. � 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.
Thermal conductivity of single crystal C60.

We report the first measurement of the thermal conductivity of single crystal ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. We observe that orientational disorder significantly reduces the thermal conductivity, evidenced by a large jump in the thermal conductivity at the 260 K orientational-order transition. The temperature and time dependences of the thermal conductivity below 260 K are shown to be described by a phenomenological model that involves thermally activated jumping motion between two nearly degenerate orientations, separated by an energy barrier of \ensuremath{\sim}260 meV.
Wind forced transport fluctuations of the Florida Current within the straits of Florida

Volume transport fluctuations of the Florida Current (Gulf Stream), generated within the Straits of Florida by local meridional wind stress, is investigated. A simple coastal response model was applied to the Straits of Florida and forced by along-channel winds only. The predicted volume transports were in good agreement with transport estimates derived from moored current meters and cable voltages for winter winds. Surprisingly, good agreement was also found for the annual transport cycle for the two years of available data, suggesting that the seasonal change in local along-channel wind forcing provides a significant contribution to the annual transport cycle of the Gulf Stream.
Microbial technologies in the production of low-lactose dairy foods / Tecnologías microbiológicas para la elaboración de productos lácteos con bajo contenido en lactosa

Low-lactose milk products with 70% or more of the lactose hydrolysed by food grade β-galac tosidase enzymes of yeasts or fungi have become widely accepted for alleviating the symptoms of lactose maldigestion. This condition limits the intake of nutritious dairy foods by large segments of the world's population. Alternative approaches recently proposed for dealing with lactose maldigestion include the supplementation of milk with dormant dairy cultures, treatment of milk with sonicated or permeabilized cultures as food-grade sources of β-galactosidase and the use of cold-active enzymes to hydrolyse lactose in milk under refrigerated storage conditions.
Can We Predict Morbidity and Mortality Before an Operation

Estimation of perioperative morbidity and mortality has been the subject of numerous studies in patients undergoing major lung resection. Multivariate models have been developed with the goal of improving patient selection for surgery, especially with recent impetus for systems-based quality improvement and a need to provide high-quality data for evidence-based decision making for high-risk patients. This article explores relationships between the variables studied and predictors of outcome, and discusses if it is ever possible to accurately predict risk of morbidity and mortality after major lung resection.
Effects of π-Conjugation Attenuation on the Photophysics and Exciton Dynamics of Poly(p-phenylenevinylene) Polymers Incorporating 2,2‘-Bipyridines

The effect of π-conjugation attenuation on the photophysics and exciton dynamics of two conjugated polymers 1 and 2 are examined in solution. The structures of polymers 1 and 2 have 2,2‘-bipyridyl-5-vinylene units that alternate with one and three 2,5-bis(n-decyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene monomer units, respectively. The photophysics and exciton dynamics of polymers 1 and 2 were compared to those of the homopolymer, poly(2,5-bis(2‘-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (BEH−PPV). A series of changes in the photophysics of polymers 1 and 2 were found as a result of π-conjugation attenuation. These changes include blue shifts in absorption and emission spectra, spectral diffusion in stimulated emission, enhancement in photoluminescence quantum yields and lifetimes, and increases in photoinduced absorption intensities and lifetimes. These changes are systematically more pronounced in polymer 1 than in polymer 2 and are correlated with π-conjugation attenuation in the polymers due to twisting of the 2,2‘-bipy...
Single-Cell Behavior and Population Heterogeneity: Solving an Inverse Problem to Compute the Intrinsic Physiological State Functions

The dynamics of isogenic cell populations can be described by cell population balance models that account for phenotypic heterogeneity. To utilize the predictive power of these models, however, we must know the rates of single-cell reaction and division and the bivariate partition probability density function. These three intrinsic physiological state (IPS) functions can be obtained by solving an inverse problem that requires knowledge of the phenotypic distributions for the overall cell population, the dividing cell subpopulation and the newborn cell subpopulation. We present here a robust computational procedure that can accurately estimate the IPS functions for heterogeneous cell populations. A detailed parametric analysis shows how the accuracy of the inverse solution is affected by discretization parameters, the type of non-parametric estimators used, the qualitative characteristics of phenotypic distributions and the unknown partitioning probability density function. The effect of finite sampling and measurement errors on the accuracy of the recovered IPS functions is also assessed. Finally, we apply the procedure to estimate the IPS functions of an E. coli population carrying an IPTG-inducible genetic toggle network. This study completes the development of an integrated experimental and computational framework that can become a powerful tool for quantifying single-cell behavior using measurements from heterogeneous cell populations.
Electronic and optical properties of polypyridylruthenium derivatized polystyrenes: multi-level computational analysis of metallo-polymeric chromophore assemblies.

Great effort is geared toward investigation of new materials for solar energy conversion in recent years. Polymeric chromophore assemblies consisting of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ complexes attached to a polystyrene backbone have gained considerable interest in recent years because of their structural flexibility combined with their ability to efficiently capture solar energy and transport the captured energy in the form of exciton or charges. We employ a combination of computational methods to examine how opto-electronic properties of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ complexes are influenced by the polymer dynamics in these polymeric chromophore assemblies. The covalent linker between the polymer and the light-absorbing Ru complex is thought to play an important role in optimizing the assemblies for solar energy conversion and transport. We find that the presence of –CH2– groups in the linker has a significant impact on the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) energies of the pendants. Generally speaking, a longer linker leads to higher HOMO energies. Without the presence of –CH2– groups, a mixture of cis and trans amide bond in the covalent linker leads to a bimodal distribution for both HOMO and LUMO energies. Importantly, we find that distributions of orbital energies from individual [Ru(bpy)3]2+ pendants have the maximum overlap when there is only one –CH2– group in the linker. Such an isotropic energy distribution is likely to be important for charge transport within the assemblies. We also find that in contrast to the isolated [Ru(bpy)3]2+ complex, the HOMO is generally found on the linker rather than on Ru atom. This does not change the character of the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited states, as these excitations in the pendants do not derive from HOMO/LUMO transitions but rather from HOMO − 2/LUMO transition since HOMO − 2 is located on the Ru atom.
The Maturation of Synthetic Scaffolds for Osteochondral Donor Sites of the Knee An MRI and T2-Mapping Analysis

Objective:The purpose of this study was to analyze the morphological imaging characteristics and incorporation of TruFit bone graft substitute (BGS) plugs using cartilage-sensitive magnetic resonan...
The binding of insulin to mouse leucocytes during viral infections

The effect of viral infections on insulin binding in vivo was evaluated by measuring the binding of 125I-insulin to several different tissues. We found that splenic leucocytes from mice infected with either the diabetogenic (D) or non-diabetogenic (B) variants of encephalomyocarditis virus, herpes simplex virus, or lactic dehydrogenase virus showed up to a 130% increase in insulin binding. As much as a 300% increase in the binding of 125I-insulin to splenic leucocytes was observed in mice given bacterial lipopolysaccharide. In neither virus-infected nor lipopolysaccharide-treated mice was there any substantial change in insulin receptors on thymocytes, liver membranes, or peripheral erythrocytes. Thus, the increased binding of insulin appears to be limited to leucocytes and does not appear to represent a generalized metabolic alteration. These experiments suggest that during infection, the binding of insulin to leucocytes, which is widely used to measure insulin receptors, may not always accurately reflect the insulin receptor status of other tissues.
Supercritical carbon dioxide assisted blending of polystyrene and poly(methyl methyacrylate)

A method for blending polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate), (PMMA), with the addition of supercritical carbon dioxide has been investigated. The first series of blends was a PMMA and polystyrene with similar melt viscosities. The second series of blends was a PMMA and polystyrene with a viscosity ratio (ηPMMA/ ηpolystyrene) of about 20. The results show that a reduction in the size of the minor or dispersed phase is achieved when supercritical carbon dioxide is added to the blend system. A high-pressure mixing vessel was used to prepare the blends under pressure with carbon dioxide for batch blending. The solubilities of CO 2 in PMMA and polystyrene, measured in the high-pressure mixing vessel at 200°C and 13.78 MPa (2000 psi) was 5.8 and 3.6 wt%, respectively. A single screw extruder was used to study the effects of carbon dioxide on the viscosity of polymer melts. The melt viscosity of PMMA was reduced by up to 70% with approximately 0.4 wt% CO 2 . The melt viscosity of polystyrene was reduced by up to 56% with a CO 2 content of 0.3 wt%. A twin screw extruder was used to study the effects of injecting carbon dioxide in a continuous compounding operation.
A test of EcoRI and HindIII restriction fragment length polymorphisms in assessing susceptibility for scrapie in US Suffolk sheep

We investigated the distribution of EcoRI restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and tested EcoRI and HindIII RFLPs to ascertain the occurrence of scrapie in Suffolk sheep. Genomic DNA samples were collected from 527 animals and typed for EcoRI RFLP by Southern blot analysis using the PrP gene clone probe (pNPU42). The average e1 frequency in Suffolk sheep was 64.4% and ranged from 51.5 to 82.2%, which was significantly higher than the average in Cheviot (32.3%) and Rambouillet sheep (17.7%). The association of histopathologic diagnosis with RFLPs was investigated using 82 animals exposed orally with scrapie inoculum in a double-blind, retrospective experimental design. There was a significant (P<0.01) association between EcoRI RFLP and scrapie histopathologic diagnosis in Suffolk sheep with the e1e1 genotype. The use of the EcoRI RFLP phenotype for scrapie-diagnosis, however, was inconsistent for some individual cases. HindIII-produced RFLPs was not significantly related to scrapie diagnosis.
Synthesis of cation-exchanged laponite suspensions by laser ablation of microsized-metal particles in liquid

Abstract Laser ablation in the liquid technique has been used to synthesize cation-exchanged laponite suspensions. In summary, laser ablation of the microsize-metal powder (Co, Al, and Cu) dispersed in an aqueous solution containing deionized water laponite crystals was carried out using laser beam generated by a single-mode, Q-switched Nd–Yag laser operating at 532 nm with a pulse duration of 5.5 ns and 10 Hz repetition rate. Laser fluence was 0.265 J/cm2 for all tests. For all samples, the mass fraction of laponite was 1%. General observations of the prepared samples indicated that an aqueous suspension of 1 wt% laponite retained its free flowing liquid phase characteristics even after aging for several weeks. When bivalent cationic metals (Cu, Co, Al) were ablated in it for about 1 h, even with a small amount of the metal (0.025% and 0.050%) were generated, the suspension became highly viscous and behaved as a shear-thinning and thixotropic material. That is, the suspension gelled strongly when it was allowed to rest. The gels, however, could easily be reverted to a low viscosity liquid with simple shaking. Information from TEM and XRD analysis indicated that such a sol–gel transformation might be due to the charge exchange between the cationic species produced during the laser ablation and the sodium ions in the interlayers of the clay sheets.
Construction Automation and Robotics in Civil Engineering Education Programs

Applications of automation and robotics are cited as part of the solution to improve productivity, quality, working conditions, and skilled labor shortages in the construction industry. One potential area of importance is that of infrastructure rehabilitation. Since civil engineers play an important role in construction and infrastructure rehabilitation, teaching construction automation and robotics to civil engineering students has become a contemporary issue over the past eight to 10 years. The objective of this paper is to explore the issue of whether dedicated, in-depth courses in construction automation are required or whether it is better to treat the subject with a breadth approach and as part of other construction engineering courses. This paper includes results of a review of current literature, responses from colleagues pursuing the subject, and alternative methods of incorporating construction automation and robotics topics into civil engineering curricula. It is concluded that civil engineering courses fully dedicated to construction automation are not always necessary or appropriate.
Declined neural efficiency in cognitively stable human immunodeficiency virus patients.

Objective—To determine whether brain activation changes in clinically and neurocognitively normal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected and in HIV-seronegative control (SN) participants over a 1-year period. Methods—Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in 32 SN and 31 HIV patients (all with stable combination antiretroviral treatment) at baseline and after 1 year. Each participant performed a set of visual attention tasks with increasing attentional load (from tracking two, three, or four balls). All HIV and SN participants had normal neuropsychological function at both examinations. Results—Over 1 year, HIV patients showed no change in their neurocognitive status or in task performance during fMRI. However, HIV patients showed significant 1-year increases in fMRI signals in the prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices for the more difficult tasks, whereas SN control participants showed only decreases in brain activation in these regions. This resulted in significant interactions between HIV status and time of study in left insula, left parietal, left temporal, and several frontal regions (left and right middle frontal gyrus, and anterior cingulate). Interpretation—Because fMRI task performance remained unchanged in both groups, the HIV patients appeared to maintain performance by increasing usage of the attention network, whereas the control participants reduced usage of the attention network after 1 year. These findings suggest improved efficiency or a practice effect in the SN participants but declined efficiency of the neural substrate in HIV patients, possibly because of ongoing brain injury associated with the HIV infection, despite their apparent stable clinical course. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can invade the brain and cause encephalitis, leukoencephalopathy, axonal damage, and variable neuronal loss.1 These neuropathological processes are accompanied by microglial and glial activation,1 which, in turn, may lead to the release of neurotoxic substances that may further contribute to neuronal apoptosis or neuronal dysfunction. These neuropathological alterations may ultimately lead to the clinical
Growth mechanism of gold nanoparticles decorated on polystyrene spheres via self-regulated reduction

Uniform polystyrene (PS) microspheres prepared for deposition of metallic nanoparticles were synthesized using the surfactant-free emulsion polymerization based on styrene/potassium persulfate/water (St/KPS/H2O) system. Owing to the presence of sulfate groups, the PS microspheres can be utilized to reduce gold nanoparticles without adding extra reducing agent into the mixture. The synthesis and characterization of metal-polystyrene nanocomposites are reported, and a possible reduction mechanism is proposed: by heating the aqueous solution in the presence of metal ions and PS, the sulfate chain end groups of the PS hydrolyzed and transformed to hydroxyl groups firstly. The hydroxyl groups function as a reducing agent, and carboxylic groups provide a site to adsorb the gold nuclei. The Au nanoparticles grow in size with the coalescence and dissolving of nuclei through the Ostwald ripening process. The PS microspheres and Au nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray power diffraction, and thermal gravimetric analysis.
Statistical and quality control standards in the U.S

The U.S. standards system is a system of voluntary consensus standards in the private sector. There are more than 750 orgainzations in the U.S. that issue standards. Two very important standards orgainzations are ASTM Committee E-11 on Statistical Methods and ANSI Committee Z-1 on Quality Assurance develop statistical standards, and standards under the jurisdiction of these committees are listed. The most widely-used statistical standards are the standard tables for sampling inspection, which were developed by the U. S. militart, and have been adopted, modifed or revised to appear in various standard systems, both military and civilian, national and international