cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic determination of kinetic parameters, computer simulation, and probabilistic analysis of growth of Clostridium perfringens in cooked beef during cooling ☆

Abstract The objective of this research was to develop a new one-step methodology that uses a dynamic approach to directly construct a tertiary model for prediction of the growth of Clostridium perfringens in cooked beef. This methodology was based on simultaneous numerical analysis and optimization of both primary and secondary models using multiple dynamic growth curves obtained under different conditions. Once the models were constructed, the bootstrap method was used to calculate the 95% confidence intervals of kinetic parameters, and a Monte Carlo simulation method was developed to validate the models using the growth curves not previously used in model development. The results showed that the kinetic parameters obtained from this study accurately matched the common characteristics of C. perfringens, with the optimum temperature being 45.3 °C. The results also showed that the predicted growth curves matched accurately with experimental observations used in validation. The mean of residuals of the predictions is − 0.02 log CFU/g, with a standard deviation of only 0.23 log CFU/g. For relative growths 0.4 log CFU/g, while only 1.5% are > 0.8 log CFU/g. In addition, the dynamic model also accurately predicted four isothermal growth curves arbitrarily chosen from the literature. Finally, the Monte Carlo simulation was used to provide the probability of > 1 and 2 log CFU/g relative growths at the end of cooling. The results of this study will provide a new and accurate tool to the food industry and regulatory agencies to assess the safety of cooked beef in the event of cooling deviation.
Segregation analysis of speech and language disorders

Complex segregation analysis was performed on pedigrees ascertained through 45 probands (26 males, 19 females) with a history of preschool speech and language disorders. Hypotheses concerning mode of inheritance were, tested using the POINTER segregation analysis program. Although there is strong evidence for familial transmission of this trait, we were unable to distinguish between a major gene and multifactorial transmission model using likelihood-ratio chi-square tests. Future studies with quantitative measures of speech and language disorders are needed to resolve the issue of mode of inheritance for this trait.
Sub)millimeter VLBI science with ALMA

ALMA will be one of the most powerful millimeter and submillimeter ground-based observatories for many years to come. Its sensitivity and location make it an excellent candidate site for very long baseline interferometry with existing millimeter VLBI networks, including the VLBA, the Global Millimeter VLBI Array, and the Event Horizon Telescope. An international team is proposing to construct a phased-array processor to enable ALMA participation in these VLBI networks. This presentation will focus on the broad science impact of millimeter VLBI with phased ALMA on the high-resolution study of supermassive black holes, pulsars, AGN jets, and other astronomical objects.
Theoretical Analysis of Field Potentials in Anisotropic Ensembles of Neuronal Elements

Synchronous excitation of an ensemble of elements in the nervous system generates field potentials in and around the ensemble. Experimental analysis of these potentials can provide information about neuronal function.
Headache in primary care.

Headache is a common problem. There are nearly 14,000 visits each year to ambulatory care settings for headache; half of these are to a primary care physician. One out of four households has at least one member who suffers from migraine headache, and migraine headaches cost American employers $13 billion a year. Tension headaches are more prevalent; 95% of women and 90% of men experience at least one tension headache in their lifetime. Headaches are classified commonly as primary or secondary. This article examines the diagnosis and treatment of the three most common types of headaches that are seen in primary care practices: migraine, tension, and chronic daily headaches.
Dysregulation of the IL-23/IL-17 axis and myeloid factors in secondary progressive MS

Objective: In the current exploratory study, we longitudinally measured immune parameters in the blood of individuals with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), and investigated their relationship to disease duration and clinical and radiologic measures of CNS injury. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma were obtained from subjects with RRMS, SPMS, and from healthy controls on a monthly basis over the course of 1 year. MRI and Expanded Disability Status Scale evaluations were performed serially. PBMCs were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay to enumerate myelin basic protein–specific interleukin (IL)-17- and interferon (IFN)-γ-producing cells. Plasma concentrations of proinflammatory factors were measured using customized Luminex panels. Results: Frequencies of myelin basic protein–specific IL-17- and IFN-γ-producing PBMCs were higher in individuals with RRMS and SPMS compared to healthy controls. Patients with SPMS expressed elevated levels of IL-17–inducible chemokines that activate and recruit myeloid cells. In the cohort of patients with SPMS without inflammatory activity, upregulation of myeloid-related factors correlated directly with MRI T2 lesion burden and inversely with brain parenchymal tissue volume. Conclusions: The results of this exploratory study raise the possibility that Th17 responses and IL-17–inducible myeloid factors are elevated during SPMS compared with RRMS, and correlate with lesion burden. Our data endorse further investigation of Th17- and myeloid-related factors as candidate therapeutic targets in SPMS.
The influence of geometry on grain boundary motion and rotation

Recent theoretical and simulation studies indicate that grain boundary motion is coupled to the translation and rotation of the adjacent grains. However, the geometry of the system can strongly modify this coupling. We simulate the evolution of grains in two geometries that are similar to experimental systems that have been studied. The first, a small circular grain embedded in a matrix consisting of two other grains, shows that rotation can be suppressed by geometric frustration, but the coupling slows the grain boundary motion. The second, a bicrystal cut into a wedge shape, shows that free boundaries can act as sinks for grain boundary dislocations thereby stopping or even reversing the rotation caused by grain boundary motion. These results show that an experimentally relevant theory of grain boundary motion needs to consider the effects of microstructure and sample geometry.
Tsunami hazard along the U.S. Atlantic coast

This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. The definitive version was published in Marine Geology 264 (2009): 1-3, doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2009.03.011.
Cryo-EM Visualization of a Viral Internal Ribosome Entry Site Bound to Human Ribosomes: The IRES Functions as an RNA-Based Translation Factor

Internal initiation of protein synthesis in eukaryotes is accomplished by recruitment of ribosomes to structured internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs), which are located in certain viral and cellular messenger RNAs. An IRES element in cricket paralysis virus (CrPV) can directly assemble 80S ribosomes in the absence of canonical initiation factors and initiator tRNA. Here we present cryo-EM structures of the CrPV IRES bound to the human ribosomal 40S subunit and to the 80S ribosome. The CrPV IRES adopts a defined, elongate structure within the ribosomal intersubunit space and forms specific contacts with components of the ribosomal A, P, and E sites. Conformational changes in the ribosome as well as within the IRES itself show that CrPV IRES actively manipulates the ribosome. CrPV-like IRES elements seem to act as RNA-based translation factors.
Structural relationships between glycerides of pig serum and adipose tissue.

Structural analyses have been performed on the triacylglycerols and phosphoglycerides isolated from adipose tissue, serum chylomicrons, and serum lipoproteins from pigs. The triacylglycerols from adipose tissue contained mainly palmitate esterified at the 2 position of the glycerol moiety, whereas those from the serum had predominately
Neocortical involvement in the acquisition and retention of learned alcohol aversions in rats

In one experiment, rats lacking gustatory neocortex (GN) were compared with control (both normal and control lesion) rats in the acquisition of a learned alcohol aversion. In a second experiment, the effect of GN ablations on preoperatively learned alcohol aversions was examined. Results showed that rats lacking GN both learned and retained alcohol aversions in a normal manner. These same GN rats, however, extinguished the alcohol aversions significantly faster than controls. These results are in contrast to previous data which indicated that the integrity of the GN was necessary for normal acquisition and retention of learned taste aversions. It is suggested that the odor qualities present in the alcohol stimulus account for the relatively normal performance of GN rats.
Relationships Between Blogs as EWOM and Interactivity, Perceived Interactivity, and Parasocial Interaction

AbstractThe purpose of this research was to examine the effects of a political candidate’s blog-a form of eWOM (electronic Word-of-Mouth)-on attitudes toward the website, attitudes toward the political candidate, and intentions to vote. The results showed that interactivity in the form of a blog significantly influenced attitude toward the website, but not attitudes toward the candidate or voting intention. However, perceived interactivity influenced all three dependent variables, but did not interact with interactivity, suggesting that these are two separate constructs. The effects were mediated by parasocial interaction.
Fatigue crack growth at arbitrary angles to bimaterial interfaces

The fracture characteristics of monotonically loaded cracks located parallel to, in the vicinity of, and at arbitrary angles to the interface between two elastic solids have the subjects of considerable theoretical research in the literature. The present experimental work on steel-steel bimaterials clearly demonstrates that, for essentially the same elastic properties, the plastic mismatch between the constituent layers of bilayer composite can dictate whether a fatigue crack approaching the interface at various angles continues to advance through the interface or arrests prior to penetrating the interface. The former crack arrest phenomenon occurs when the fatigue crack approaches the interface from the plastically weaker material, whereas continued crack growth results when the crack approaches the interface from the plastically stronger material. The observed experimental trends are qualitatively consistent with the numerical predictions of crack-tip shielding or amplification from the interaction of the near-tip plastic zone with an interface oriented normal to the plane of the crack. When the fatigue crack is initiated parallel to the interface, it deviates from the strongly bonded interface to advance in one of the two steels. This trend appears to experimentally confirm predictions of the possible evolution of strong mode mixity ahead of interface cracks subjectedmore » to cyclic tensile loading.« less
Haptic Lateralization, Field Dependence, and Sex

This study was designed to examine the relationship between lateralization and field dependence-independence. Through prior screening, 48 right-handed college students (24 men and 24 women) were identified as either field dependent or field independent on the Embedded Figures Test. Using a unilateral haptic task, field-independent men were more lateralized than field-dependent men. No such differences were found for women. These results are discussed in relation to Witkin's theory of psychological differentiation. Possible differences between men and women are also discussed.
Fixed-interval schedules of intravenous cocaine presentation in rats

Fixed-interval schedules of intravenous cocaine presentation were examined as a function of injection dose (0.32 to 0.64 mg/kg) and interval duration (200 to 400 sec) in two rats. Cocaine was found to exert a dose-related temporal control over the initiation of responding that was unaffected by the fixed-interval contingency. Fixed-interval pause duration was linearly related to injection dose and was the same duration as the interresponse time found on continuous reinforcement schedules of cocaine presentation. The fixed-interval pause remained constant with changes in interval duration. Characteristic fixed-interval patterns of responding were observed. However, overall response rates were inversely related to injection dose and directly related to interval duration. Running response rates varied unsystematically with both variables. These findings are at variance with results typically found in studies of fixed-interval food and electric shock presentation.
Changes in a West Indian bird community since the late Pleistocene

Aim To establish a chronology for late Quaternary avian extinction, extirpation and persistence in the Bahamas, thereby testing the relative roles of climate change and human impact as causes of extinction. Location Great Abaco Island (Abaco), Bahamas, West Indies. Methods We analysed the resident bird community as sampled by Pleistocene (> 11.7 ka) and Holocene (< 11.7 ka) fossils. Each species was classified as extinct (lost globally), extirpated (gone from Abaco but persists elsewhere), or extant (still resident on Abaco). We compared patterns of extinction, extirpation and persistence to independent estimates of climate and sea level for glacial (late Pleistocene) and interglacial (Holocene) times. Results Of 45 bird species identified in Pleistocene fossils, 25 (56%) no longer occur on Abaco (21 extirpated, 4 extinct). Of 37 species recorded in Holocene deposits, 15 (14 extirpated, 1 extinct; total 41%) no longer exist on Abaco. Of the 30 extant species, 12 were recovered as both Pleistocene and Holocene fossils, as were 9 of the 30 extirpated or extinct species. Most of the extinct or extirpated species that were only recorded from Pleistocene contexts are characteristic of open habitats (pine woodlands or grasslands); several of the extirpated species are currently found only where winters are cooler than in the modern or Pleistocene Bahamas. In contrast, most of the extinct or extirpated species recorded from Holocene contexts are habitat generalists. Main conclusions The fossil evidence suggests two main times of late Quaternary avian extirpation and extinction in the Bahamas. The first was during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition (PHT; 15–9 ka) and was fuelled by climate change and associated changes in sea level and island area. The second took place during the late Holocene (< 4 ka, perhaps primarily < 1 ka) and can be attributed to human impact. Although some species lost during the PHT are currently found where climates are cooler and drier than in the Bahamas today, a taxonomically and ecologically diverse set of species persisted through that major climate change but did not survive the past millennium of human presence.
Role of the PEWY glutamate in hydroquinone-quinone oxidation-reduction catalysis in the Qo Site of cytochrome bc1.

The glutamic acid residue of the conserved PEWY motif of the Qo site of cytochrome bc1 is widely discussed as central to reversible Qo site catalysis of two-electron, two-proton hydroquinone−quinone oxidation−reduction. Extensive mutation of this glutamate (E295) to A, V, F, H, K, and Q in purple photosynthetic Rhodobacter capsulatus results in hydroquinone oxidation rates that are between 5 and 50-fold slower than that in the wild type. However, the mutants show little or no detectable effects on hydroquinone or quinone exchange and binding at the Qo site nor on subsequent Qo site-mediated redox equilibria in the c-chain and b-chain from pH 5−10. Lack of effects of mutations on the Em/pH plots rules out involvement of E295 in the strong electron−proton coupling evident in either the FeS center or heme bL. These detailed equilibrium and kinetic analyses demonstrate that E295 is not irreplaceable in the Qo site catalytic mechanism. Rather, E295 and several other Qo site residues that can also be widely var...
Effects of Supervisor Style and Empathy on Counselor Perceptions in Simulated Counseling

Effects of supervisor style (techniques type and counseling type) and supervisor empathy upon counselor perceptions in a supervision analogue were examined. Three groups of 14 students heard two sets of recorded client statements and responded as counselors. The two experimental (E) groups had 20-minute conferences with supervisors between the first and second sets. Controls (C) received no supervision. Counselor perceptions were measured by questionnaire responses. Although subjects supervised by an emphasis on techniques rated themselves less relaxed and less confident about the meaning of empathy than those with an emphasis on counseling, their performance on the criterion of empathy was higher. Both E groups perceived themselves as higher than C's in amount learned, but they were no higher on the performance measure. No differences were found for reactions to supervision (items given E's only) or reactions to participation in the experiment. Empathy of supervisors did not appreciably affect counselor perceptions.
MS-275 sensitizes osteosarcoma cells to Fas ligand-induced cell death by increasing the localization of Fas in membrane lipid rafts

Fas expression is inversely correlated with the metastatic potential of osteosarcoma (OS) cells to the lungs. Fas+ cells are rapidly eliminated when they enter the lungs via their interaction with constitutive Fas ligand (FasL) on the lung epithelium, whereas Fas− OS cells escape this FasL-induced apoptosis and survive in the lung microenvironment. Upregulation of Fas expression in established OS lung metastases results in tumor regression. Here, we demonstrate that treatment of Fas− OS cells with the histone deacetylase inhibitor MS-275 results in the upregulation of Fas mRNA and sensitizes these cells to FasL-induced apoptosis. However, flow cytometry analysis revealed that Fas cell surface protein expression was not significantly increased. Rather, we observed increased levels of Fas within the membrane lipid rafts, as demonstrated by an increase in Fas expression in detergent-insoluble lipid raft fractions and colocalization with GM1+ lipid rafts. We had previously shown that MS-275 treatment inhibited expression of the anti-apoptotic cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP). Here, we demonstrated that transfection of cells with short hairpin RNA to c-FLIP also resulted in the localization of Fas to lipid rafts. Overall, our studies indicate that MS-275 sensitizes OS cells to FasL by upregulating the expression of Fas in membrane lipid rafts, which correlates with the c-FLIP-dependent distribution of Fas to lipid rafts.
Self-calibrated wireless sleep sensing system for brain injury diagnostics

A wide range of conditions fall under the category of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) diagnosis. In this article, we focus on a new method during sleep to detect mTBI associated with neuro-cognitive impairment that is not apparent using standard neuro-imaging methods. A wireless pressure sensor system comprising a piezo-resistive flexible substrate paired with a microcontroller and a radio is designed and built to provide information relevant to mTBI detection. The collected information is then processed with a software program to remove noise and interference, and detect both sleep states and cardio-respiratory movements. (5 pages)
Inverse Hyperbolic Tangent Model of Fatigue-Crack Growth

A fatigue-crack- propagation model was specifically developed to account for the effects of stress ratio and closely represent the sigmoidal shape of the crack-growth-rate curve. This derived functional relation was fitted to large sets of fatigue-crack -propagation data for 2024-T3, 7075-T6, and 7075-T7351 aluminum alloys, and for TJ-6A1-4V alloy taken from the literature. A statistical comparison was made between the functional relation and some commonly used fatigue-crack-propagation models as applied to these data sets. Improved representation was obtained in all cases by using the inverse hyperbolic-tangent-function model. Nomenclature a = crack length, in. da/dN = crack-growth rate, in./cycle C, n' = Paris regression coefficients C7, C2 = regression coefficients g — specimen geometric scaling function Kc = terminal stress-intensity factor, ksi-(in.)'/2 Agff = effective stress-intensity factor, ksi-(in.)1/2 ^max = maximum stress-intensity factor, ksi-(in.)1/2 K0 —threshold stress-intensity factor, ksi-(in.)1/2 M' = slope of scaling function m — Walker coefficient TV = number of loading cycles n = number of data points R = stress ratio r2 = proportion of variation explained by regression S = nominal stress, ksi SSD = standard error of estimate U = function relation accounting for effect of R W = specimen width, in. Y — dependent variable $ = scaling function $/ = intercept of scaling function
Dynamic aspects of rhodamine dye photosensitization in vitro with an argon-ion laser.

Phototoxicity in cultured human bladder carcinoma cells treated by 514.5-nm argon-ion laser irradiation plus rhodamine-123 (R123) or tetrabromo-R123 (TBR) was assessed by counting total cell number and percent viability at 1, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after irradiation. TBR was markedly more efficient than R123 at causing both reversible and persistent phototoxic cytostasis. Furthermore, TBR photosensitization caused net cytocidal effects at 0.5 J/cm2, which were not seen with R123 photosensitization at up to 40 J/cm2. The reduced phototoxic efficiency of R123 as compared to TBR appears, in part, to reflect the presence of a fraction of cells refractory to R123 photosensitization.
Large-image-format computed tomography imaging spectrometer for fluorescence microscopy.

Multispectral imaging has significantly enhanced the analysis of fixed specimens in pathology and cytogenetics. However, application of this technology to in vivo studies has been limited. This is due in part to the increased temporal resolution required to analyze changes in cellular function. Here we present a non-scanning instrument that simultaneously acquires full spectral information (460 nm to 740 nm) from every pixel within its 2-D field of view (200 im x 200 im) during a single integration time (typically, 2 seconds). The current spatial and spectral sampling intervals of the spectrometer are 0.985 im and 5 nm, respectively. These properties allow for the analysis of physiological responses within living biological specimens.
Elastic K + -Proton Scattering at 970, 1170, and 1970 MeV/ c

A liquid-hydrogen target surrounded by spark chambers was used to study K/sup +/-proton eiastic scattering at 970, 1170, and 1970 Mev/c incident K/sup +/ momentum. In contrast with results at lower energies, the angular distributions were not isotropic; the anisotropy increases with energy, while the elastic cross section decreases. A number of phaseshift solutions using (a) S/sub 1/2/, P/sub 1/2/, and P/sub 3/2/ complex phase shifts; (b) real S/sub 1/2/, P/sub 1/2/, and P/ sub 3/2/, and complex D/sub 3/2/ phase shifts; and (c) complex S/sub 1/2/ and D/ sub 3/2/, and real P/sub 1/2/ and P/sub phase shifts have been found for the 970- and 1170-Mev/c data. The 1970-Mev/c distribution has been fitted by an optical model. The data presented here have been included with other information on K- nucleon scattering in a test of forward-scattering dispersion relations. The data are still insufficient to provide a definitive test; however, an acceptable fit was found for GAMMA (effective pole residue) = -0.1 plus or minus 0.3. (auth)
SITE-SPECIFIC MODIFICATION OF A SINGLE-CHAIN ANTIBODY USING A NOVEL GLYOXYLYL-BASED LABELING REAGENT

A novel, highly specific protein modification approach is described. By using conventional molecular cloning techniques, a protein can be constructed and expressed such that the N-terminal residue is replaced by cysteine. Its 1,2-aminothiol structure reacts very specifically with a glyoxylyl group at pH 7 or below, forming a relatively stable thiazolidine bridge. Therefore, a glyoxylyl-based labeling agent (e.g., radioactive tags, fluorescent probes, biotin) can be used to specifically modify a protein at its N-terminus. To highlight this novel approach, a recombinant anti-insulin single chain antibody (scFv) was specifically biotinylated at its N-terminus even in the presence of other proteins in the total cell lysate. The glyoxylyl-biotinylated scFv retained binding activity similar to unmodified scFv.
Anchizone Metamorphism in Triassic Sedimentary Rocks of the Newark Basin, Pennsylvania-New Jersey: ABSTRACT

The degree of crystallinity of authigenic illite was determined, by x-ray diffraction, for samples from the Lockatong Formation (Triassic) of the Newark basin of southeastern Pennsylvania and adjacent New Jersey. Sixteen samples from approximately 30 m of section in the lowermost Lockatong near Trooper, Pennsylvania, were analyzed. Preliminary results ranging from 22° to 41° ^Dgr2^Thgr, indicate a range of metamorphism extending through the anchizone to the boundary with the greenschist facies, and indicate that the rocks were subjected to temperatures of ~ 300°C for a period of time. An episode of elevated temperature might have resulted from proximity to an intrusive rock body, from burial a short distance beneath a lava flow, or from burial beneath ~ 8-10 km of overlying rock. None of these proposed mechanisms is consistent with the geologic evidence; another explanation for such a high temperature must be sought. Four other samples from widely distributed localities within the Newark basin also fall within this range of illite crystallinity. Samples from the Gettysburg basin and the Connecticut basin are less well crystallized, suggesting that the thermal event hypothesized here was restricted to the Newark basin. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1433------------
Functional genomics in radiation biology: a gateway to cellular systems-level studies

Cells respond to ionizing radiation through an intricate network of interacting signaling cascades that are engaged in the regulation of diverse cellular functions, such as cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, and apoptosis. While changes in protein modification, activity, and sub-cellular localization may directly mediate these responses, alterations in gene expression also represent a central component of the pathways involved. Studies of altered gene expression have historically played an important role in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular radiation response. In recent years, functional genomics approaches, such as microarray profiling, have been developed that can simultaneously monitor changes in gene expression across essentially the entire genome. However, analogous methods for global measurements of protein expression or modification have lagged behind. As global transcription profiling has become increasingly accessible, the quantity of information on gene expression responses to irradiation has increased dramatically. While many such experiments have provided improved insight into various aspects of radiation response, the diversity of experimental models and details of radiation dose, timing, and data analysis that have been employed means that no single consistent picture has emerged yet. More sophisticated methods for data analysis, data mining, and reverse engineering to reconstruct the underlying response pathways are continually being developed, and can extract additional value from profiling studies. As methods for the global study of other biomolecules become more routine, it will be important to integrate the results of radiation response profiling across multiple biological levels, and to build from simpler experimental systems toward more complex multi-cellular and in vivo systems. The future development of "integromic" models of radiation response should add substantially to the understanding gained from gene expression studies alone.
Terrestrial radiation exposure from supernova-produced radioactivities

Abstract Over 1049 erg are released by supernova-produced isotopes, ∼1% of which escapes into space. This can produce a high radiation dose in small bodies of ice or rock. Such radiation may place constraints on the ability of living organisms to be transferred between planets or stellar systems because the mean interval between “sterilizing” doses is less than the expected transit time. In addition, a significant dose (∼1 Gy) may penetrate the Earth's atmosphere with a mean interval of ∼10 million years.
Uniqueness, stability, and some numerical results for the inverse diffusion problem

We review some recent results on identification of leading coefficients of a second order parabolic equation from single or all possible boundary measurements of its solutions. We describe numerical experiments for a linearized version of this inverse problem which potentially has important applications to nondestructive evaluation of physical bodies from measurements of their temperature fields.
Optimal Starting Conditions for the Rendezvous Maneuver, Part 2: Mathematical Programming Approach

In a companion paper (Part 1, J. Optim. Theory Appl. 137(3), [2008]), we determined the optimal starting conditions for the rendezvous maneuver using an optimal control approach. In this paper, we study the same problem with a mathematical programming approach.
Discontinuous Galerkin method for Krause's consensus models and pressureless Euler equations

In this paper, we apply discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods to solve two model equations: [email protected]?s consensus models and pressureless Euler equations. These two models are used to describe the collisions of particles, and the distributions can be identified as density functions. If the particles are placed at a single point, then the density function turns out to be a @d-function and is difficult to be well approximated numerically. In this paper, we use DG method to approximate such a singularity and demonstrate the good performance of the scheme. Since the density functions are always positive, we apply a positivity-preserving limiter to them. Moreover, for pressureless Euler equations, the velocity satisfies the maximum principle. We also construct special limiters to fulfill this requirement.
Ultrastructural morphometric analysis of human mast cells in normal skin and pathological cutaneous lesions.

Electron micrographs of human mast cells in normal neonatal and adult skin and in cutaneous lesions of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), hemangioma and mastocytosis were assessed by morphometric analysis. Using this quantitative histologic approach, adult skin mast cells were found to be significantly larger (47.7 microns 2 +/- 2.4 SEM vs. 38.3 microns 2 +/- 1.8 SEM, p less than or equal to 0.001) and have larger granules (0.63 micron +/- .02 SEM vs. 0.53 micron +/- .02 SEM, p less than or equal to 0.001) than infant mast cells while both mast cell populations had comparable nuclear sizes (13.7 microns 2 +/- 0.9 SEM vs. 14.3 microns 2 +/- 0.8 SEM) and numbers of cytoplasmic granules (72 +/- 4.0 SEM vs. 66 +/- 4.0 SEM). Morphometric analysis of mast cell infiltrates in the adult skin lesions of BCC and hemangioma revealed that these cells were larger than neonatal mast cells but were similar to normal adult controls. Cutaneous mast cells from 2 mastocytosis patients, however, had significantly larger mean cell surface areas (78.0 microns 2 +/- 3.4 SEM and 70.6 microns 2 +/- 3.2 SEM, p less than or equal to 0.001), nuclear areas (20.8 microns 2 +/- 1.1 SEM and 21.3 microns 2 +/- 1.2 SEM p less than or equal to 0.001) and granule diameters (0.82 micron +/- 0.4 SEM and 0.83 micron +/- .03 SEM, p less than or equal to 0.001) when compared with mast cells in normal adult skin and in the other pathologic lesions. No difference in the total number of cytoplasmic granules was observed in the different mast cell populations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
What to Do With the Resource-Based View: A Few Suggestions for What Ails the RBV That Supporters and Opponents Might Accept

The intention of this essay is to point out the key weaknesses of the resource-based view (RBV) and provide prescriptions for curing them. The authors begin with Gibbert’s (this issue) question of whether the RBV is ready for generalization and concluded generalizability is an inappropriate goal for the RBV. Furthermore, they believe that the RBV is simply not ready for generalization. They argue that the quest for generalizability is counter productive when applied to the RBV. Generalizability is not only the least relevant of the external validity criteria but also can only be assessed after valid operationalizations for constructs are developed across different contexts, industries, samples, and so on. Because they believe that RBV researchers have yet to achieve construct validity within their empirical testing, it appears to them that the RBV is simply not ready for generalizability. Finally, when they incorporate RBV developments that have occurred since Barney such as the knowledge-based view and d...
Validity of selected preschool screening tests

Abstract Data from 188 white and 97 black children supported the following conclusions: (a) A general cognitive factor prevailed throughout a group of tests including the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test administered at age 3 years, the Preschool Inventory, the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts (modified), and the Graham-Ernhart Copy-Forms Test administered at age 4 years; (b) Correlations of three scales of the Preschool Attainment Records and the Verbal Language Development Scale with the other measures were less consistent; (c) the correlations of the Quick Test with other tests were satisfactory for white children but inconsistent for a subsample (N = 18) of black children; (d) the standard deviations of the Quick Test IQs were excessively large; and (e) differential scoring of Preschool Inventory subtests was not supported.
Glucagon Stimulates Thyroid Function

Recent investigations have broadened the spectrum of biochemical influence of glucagon in animals and man. We studied effects the of glucagon on sheep thyroid adenylcyclase, endocytosis, glucose oxidation and phospholipogenesis in vitro,and on mouse thyroid radioiodine uptake and release in vivo. Glucagon, 10−6 to 10−4M, caused a doserelated 3- to 5-fold increase in thyroid adenyl cyclase activity. Combinationsof glucagon and maximal doses of thyrotropin (TSH) reduced enzymic stimulation below that achieved with either peptide alone, whereas combinations of glucagon or TSH and maximal concentrations of sodium fluoride were additive on cyclase. The effects of TSH and glucagon, but not of NaF, on thyroid adenyl cyclase were abolished by adrenergic blockers. Glucagon, 10−6 to 10−4M, stimulated sheep thyroid slice glucose oxidation and phospholipogenesis in a dose-related manner.Combinations of submaximal doses of TSH and glucagon produced additive effects on thyroidslice metabolism but maximally effective co...
The nonenforcement role of police in western Alaska and the eastern Canadian arctic: An analysis of police tasks in remote arctic communities

As with those in other geographic locales, police serving Alaska Native villages and Canadian Inuit communities perform a variety of tasks of which law enforcement is only a small part. In these jurisdictions the police fill public safety and community service functions that have more in common with the early period of policing in the west than with contemporary urban policing. The lack of economies of scale requires police officers serving in these remote areas to take a proactive approach and to assume many responsibilities that their urban counterparts would not even consider.
Characterization of glycans on major histocompatibility complex class II molecules in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus.

The glycans associated with mammalian major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules have been studied extensively. Co-translational and post-translational addition of sugar molecules to proteins confers many structural and modulatory functions. In the present study we characterized the glycans associated with MHC class II molecules in the channel catfish to compare glycosylation patterns in a teleost to those known to occur in mammals. This study made use of enzymatic methods and two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis to characterize the N-linked sugars. Unlike mammalian T cells which expressed complex N-linked sugars, channel catfish derived 28S T cells were found to express high-mannose/hybrid N-glycans on class II molecules. However studies with Endoglycosidase H in conjunction with cell surface labeling on peripheral blood leukocytes revealed that catfish possess the machinery to modify the intermediate high-mannose sugars to complex type sugars. Nonetheless, the majority of the class II cell surface glycoproteins were of the high-mannose type. Resolution of catfish MHC class II molecules by 2D gel analyses revealed multiple bands for class II β chains whereas class II α chains focused as a single spot. Glycosylation in the channel catfish, a premier model system for studying the immune system of teleosts, has significant differences from the glycosylation patterns characterized in mammalian systems, likely with functional implications.
Likelihood of methane-producing microbes on Mars

We present a likelihood estimate that methane was a significant component of the gas detected by the Labeled Release (LR) experiment in the Viking Mission to Mars of 1976. In comparison with terrestrial methanogen production of methane we estimate the size of the putative microbe population necessary to produce the LR gas, had it been primarily methane. We extrapolate that figure to estimate the number of methanogens necessary to produce the methane content of the Martian atmosphere. Next, we estimate the amount of Martian soil and the amount of water needed for that global population of microbes. Finally, assuming a globally distributed population of such microbes, we estimate the likely sub-surface depth at which such methanogens could be detected.
Synthesis of a series of aryl kainic acid analogs and evaluation in cells stably expressing the kainate receptor humGluR6.

The synthesis and pharmacological characterization of a novel series of 4-aryl-substituted kainic acid analogs are described. Receptor affinities were determined on recombinantly expressed humGluR6 kainate receptors and on [3H]kainate binding to rat forebrain kainate receptors. Functional agonist potencies were assessed using whole cell voltage clamp recordings in cells expressing humGluR6 receptors. Substitution of phenyl for the methyl at the C-4 position of kainic acid produced 11 which has high affinity and agonist potency at the GluR6 receptor. Substitution on phenyl led to a series of compounds with varying affinity for this kainate receptor. Agonist potency correlated with receptor affinity and with no derivative could antagonist activity be identified. Affinities for the humGluR6 kainate receptor were approximately 10−50 less than the observed affinities at rat forebrain kainate receptors. Furthermore, within the series of 4-aryl-substituted kainic acid analogs, there was a high degree of correlat...
Sucrose in aqueous solution revisited, Part 1: Molecular dynamics simulations and direct and indirect dipolar coupling analysis†

Although the crystal structure of the disaccharide sucrose was solved more than 30 years ago, its conformational distribution in aqueous solution is still a matter of debate. We report here a variety of molecular dynamics simulations (mostly of 100 ns) using the GLYCAM06 force field and various water models, paying particular attention to comparisons to NMR measurements of residual dipolar couplings and electron-mediated spin-spin couplings. We focus on the glycosidic linkage conformation, the puckering phase angle of the fructose ring, and intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the two sugars. Our results show that sucrose is indeed a dynamic molecule, but the crystal conformation is qualitatively the dominant one in dilute solution. A second conformational basin, populated in many force fields, is probably overstabilized in the calculations.
Warfarin: implementing its safe use in hospitalized patients from nursing homes and community through a performance improvement initiative.

Introduction Warfarin is increasingly used to prevent thromboembolism but adverse drug events (ADEs) are common. The National Safety Goals (3E) 2008 recommend that institutions develop processes to monitor the safe use of warfarin. Despite these guidelines, adverse events (bleeding) are common. This initiative, in an academic hospital, tracked warfarin use before and after using a PI process aimed at improving safe use of warfarin in hospitalized adults. Methods Retrospective (PRE-initiative, September–December 2007) and prospective (POST-initiative, January–December 2008) data were collected on in-hospital and prior warfarin use, demographics, medical history, initial and in-hospital warfarin maintenance dosing, hematocrit, International Normalized Ratio (INR), hepatic and renal function and adverse events related to warfarin use. Education on the appropriate use of warfarin was provided through formal and informal sessions and during daily hand-off sessions. Results A total of 308 patients receiving oral warfarin were examined (mean age 70 ± 17(SD) years, 47% males, 36% from nursing homes). Age, sex ratios, and place of residence were similar PRE- versus POST-initiative. Overall initial and maintenance warfarin doses were significantly lower POST-initiative (P = .0129 and P = .0319, respectively) and these decreases occurred exclusively in patients with supratherapeutic INR levels (>3.0). During the POST-period, the prevalence of high INR levels and bleeding events during hospitalization also decreased significantly (P = .015 and P Conclusions Most hospitalized patients (PRE- and POST-) presented with INRs in the sub- or supratherapeutic ranges ( 3, respectively), requiring warfarin dose adjustments. Education through this initiative resulted in significantly lower average maintenance doses of warfarin, less use of concomitant anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs, fewer supratherapeutic range INRs, and fewer adverse events during warfarin therapy. Education through a PI initiative is a simple and effective means to implement safer use of warfarin in the in-hospital setting.
Editorial—On the role of the humanities in urban ecology: The case of St. Petersburg

Urban ecology is increasingly interdisciplinary, with biophysical and social scientists joining forces to study how human and built environments and processes interact with non-human nature. Humanistic disciplines that study high culture and intellectual currents also bear upon urban ecology, since cities are not simply aggregates of human and non-human factors but seats of civilization and loci of concentrated creative energy. The Russian city of St. Petersburg, which Dostoevsky called “the most abstract and intentional city in the world,” offers an example of the way individual acts of intellectual and artistic creation affect the energy balance of a city and its interaction with ecological forces. Such concentrated creative energy may be a key to making cities sustainable, and it should not remain outside the calculus of urban ecology.
Natural convection with combined heat and mass transfer buoyancy effects in a porous medium

Abstract This paper describes a comprehensive study of the natural convection phenomenon occurring inside a porous layer with both heat and mass transfer from the side. The natural circulation is driven by a combination of buoyancy effects due to both temperature and concentration variations. The first part of the study consists of an extensive series of numerical simulations conducted in the range 0.01 ⩽ Le ⩽ 100, 50 ⩽ RaH ⩽ 104, − 5 ⩽ N ⩽ +3 and H/L = 1, where Le, RaH, N and H/L are the Lewis number, Dareymodified Rayleigh number, buoyancy ratio and geometric aspect ratio of the porous layer. In the second part, the phenomenon is studied based on scale analysis : the chief conclusions of this part, namely, the order-ofmagnitude predictions for the overall heat and mass transfer rates and their respective domains of validity, are shown to be in agreement with the results produced by discrete numerical experiments. Furthermore, the scale analysis is used to sort out the many effects that influence the overall heat and mass transfer results of numerical experiments.
Compact switched-retroreflection-based 2/spl times/2 optical switching fabric for WDM applications

A low-interchannel-crosstalk 2/spl times/2 optical switch is proposed and analyzed. The switch is polarization independent and is based on a novel switch-retroreflection architecture and standard fiber-optic circulators that offer ease in assembly and compact size. Low interchannel crosstalk is accomplished using passive and active noise filters that suppress the leakage noise due to the passive polarization components and the active devices, respectively. Theoretical analysis of the proposed 2/spl times/2 optical switch is performed, and the switch interchannel crosstalk and optical insertion loss is estimated under different conditions. A novel system architecture is also proposed that uses the switched-retroreflection-based 2/spl times/2 optical switch and wavelength-division multiplexers/demultiplexers to form an add-drop wavelength-division-multiplexed filter with reduced component count.
The polymorphic transformations of zirconia

Abstract The polymorphic transformations of zirconia are elucidated as displacive transformations originating from the softening or partial softening of appropriate elastic constants. From expansions of the free energy in powers of symmetry-adapted homogeneous strains, all the possible symmetry and thermodynamically allowed transformation paths starting from the cubic and tetragonal parent phases are obtained. It is found that transformations that start from the cubic parent phase involve cubic invariants and are necessarily of a discontinuous (first order) nature because of symmetry. However, transformations that start from the tetragonal parent phase do not involve cubic invariants. They can be of a discontinuous or continuous (higher than first order) nature depending on whether the fourth order invariants are negative or positive. It is also found that the orientations of the different variants of each product phase and the stress-free coherent interfaces between them are all predetermined by the symmetry of the starting parent phase.