cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial effects of a bioactive glycolipid on spore-forming spoilage bacteria in milk.

ABSTRACT The growth of psychrotolerant aerobic spore-forming bacteria during refrigerated storage often results in the spoilage of fluid milk, leading to off-flavors and curdling. Because of their low toxicity, biodegradability, selectivity, and antimicrobial activity over a range of conditions, glycolipids are a novel and promising intervention to control undesirable microbes. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of a commercial glycolipid product to inhibit spore germination, spore outgrowth, and the growth of vegetative cells of Paenibacillus odorifer, Bacillus weihenstephanensis, and Viridibacillus arenosi, which are the predominant spore-forming spoilage bacteria in milk. For spore germination and outgrowth assays, varying concentrations (25–400 mg/L) of the glycolipid product were added to commercial UHT whole and skim milk inoculated with ∼4 log10 spores/mL of each bacteria and incubated at 30°C for 5 d. Inhibition of spore germination in inoculated UHT whole milk was only observed for V. arenosi, and only when glycolipid was added at 400 mg/L. However, concentrations of 400 and 200 mg/L markedly inhibited the outgrowth of vegetative cells from spores of P. odorifer and B. weihenstephanensis, respectively. No inhibition of spore germination or outgrowth was observed in inoculated UHT skim milk for any strain at the concentrations tested (25 and 50 mg/L). The effect of glycolipid addition on vegetative cell growth in UHT whole and skim milk when inoculated with ∼4 log10 cfu/mL of each bacteria was also determined over 21 d of storage at 7°C. Glycolipid addition at 50 mg/L was bactericidal against P. odorifer and B. weihenstephanensis in inoculated UHT skim milk through 21 d of storage, whereas 100 mg/L was needed for similar control of V. arenosi. Concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/L inhibited the growth of vegetative cells of B. weihenstephanensis and P. odorifer, respectively, in inoculated UHT whole milk, whereas 200 mg/L was also bactericidal to B. weihenstephanensis. Additional studies are necessary to identify effective concentrations for the inhibition of Viridibacillus spp. growth in whole milk beyond 7 d. Findings from this study demonstrate that natural glycolipids have the potential to inhibit the growth of dairy-spoilage bacteria and extend the shelf life of milk.
Whither the “Hindoo Invasion”? South Asians in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, 1907–1930

The first decade of the twentieth century saw several thousand men migrate from India to the North American West Coast. While most settled in British Columbia or California, a smaller number moved ...
What Female Bisexual Couples Want Therapists to Know: An Exploratory Investigation Using Thematic Analysis

While scholarship on the clinical treatment of bisexual individuals is growing, there is little focused on bisexual couples in therapy, and much of it is theoretical. To address that gap, this arti...
Family Law for the Next Cenutry: Background and Overview of the Conference

cles that follow are the report of that conference. "Family Law for the Next Century" brought together not only leaders from the Family Law Section and prominent professors of family law from across the nation, but also distinguished scholars of the family and family law from a range of other disciplines including sociology, psychology and psychiatry, his tory, and anthropology. About fifty participants worked together over three days, largely in small group discussions led by Georgetown's Judy Areen, Michigan's David Chambers, and Brooklyn's Marsha Garrison to see what could be learned from each other and what common ground might be shared over several difficult issues that are central to the direc tion family law might take in the year 2000 and beyond. The conference addressed three broad themes:
Isolation and characterization of a mouse fully replication-dependent H1 gene within a genomic cluster of core histone genes.

Abstract We have used an oligonucleotide complementary to a sequence coding for the conserved central globular domain of H1s to screen a mouse genomic library for H1 genes. We then used a series of universal histone oligonucleotides to identify five different H1 genes which were linked to core histone genes. We characterized one of the H1 genes which was linked to an H2a, an H2b, an H3, and an H4 histone gene. This characterization involved: 1) sequencing of the coding region of the gene and several hundred base pairs of flanking region. 2) Comparison of this sequence to other H1 sequences from other organisms. This sequence analysis clearly showed that the gene coded for an H1 and identified H1 consensus sequences in the 5'- and 3'-flanking region. 3) Mapping of the 5'- and 3'-ends of the mRNA complementary to this gene by S1 nuclease analysis. 4) Identifying this gene and an adjacent H3 gene as being of the fully replication-dependent expression class, by measuring changes in the steady state levels of their mRNAs in the presence of hydroxyurea and during differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells.
Molecular mechanism of tissue-specific regulation of mouse renin gene expression by cAMP. Identification of an inhibitory protein that binds nuclear transcriptional factor.

Renin gene expression in the mouse kidney and submandibular gland (SMG) are differentially regulated by cAMP. In this study, we examined the potential molecular mechanism responsible for this tissue-specific regulation. 32P end-labeled synthetic oligonucleotide containing mouse renin cAMP-responsive element (CRE) was incubated with kidney nuclear extracts from either control or cAMP-treated mice and analyzed by gel mobility shift assay. Our results demonstrated that cAMP induced a nuclear protein which complexed with the CRE oligonucleotide in a specific manner. This nuclear protein-DNA binding was competed effectively by the oligonucleotide containing human chorionic gonadotropin alpha-subunit CRE but not by the mouse renin DNA fragment from which the CRE was deleted by site-directed mutagenesis. In contrast, no DNA-protein complex formation could be detected when this [32P]CRE oligonucleotide was incubated with the SMG nuclear extract from control or cAMP-treated mice. However, CRE-binding protein complex formation was demonstrated in the SMG nuclear extract when the incubation was performed in the presence of 0.8% sodium deoxycholate and 1.2% Nonidet P-40, detergents that dissociate protein-protein complexes. Furthermore, in the absence of deoxycholate, we observed that SMG nuclear extract attenuated the binding of the kidney CRE-binding protein to mouse renin CRE in a dose-dependent manner and this inhibitory effect of SMG nuclear extract disappeared in the presence of sodium deoxycholate. This inhibitory nuclear protein in SMG is specific for CRE-binding protein since it does not affect nuclear protein binding to synthetic DNA oligonucleotides of human collagenase AP-1 and human metallothionein AP-2. Our data further suggest that inhibitory nuclear protein is present in lower quantities in other extrarenal tissues, i.e. testes, liver, brain, heart, but is not detectable in the kidney. Taken together, these results suggest that the SMG and certain extrarenal tissues contain nuclear trans-acting factor(s) that interact with CRE-binding protein, thereby interfering with its binding to mouse renin CRE. The presence of this inhibitory protein in the mouse SMG nucleus may contribute to the tissue-specific regulation of the renin gene expression by cAMP.
Multiple boundary condition test (MBCT) approach to update mathematical models of large flexible structures

A major challenge to the structural dynamicist is to validate mathematical models of large space structures which cannot be ground tested because of its size and/or flexibility. The paper presents a Multiple Boundary Condition Test (MBCT) approach which allows a systematic validation of the mathematical model by performing a number of ground tests on a large structure with variable boundary conditions. A numerical simulation is presented which illustrates the validity of the MBCT including some of the potential limitations.
The Invisible Handcuffs of Capitalism: How Market Tyranny Stifles the Economy by Stunting Workers

Mainstream, or more formally, neoclassical, economics claims to be a science. But as Michael Perelman makes clear in his latest book, nothing could be further from the truth. While a science must be rooted in material reality, mainstream economics ignores or distorts the most fundamental aspect of this reality: that the vast majority of people must, out of necessity, labor on behalf of others, transformed into nothing but a means to the end of maximum profits for their employers. The nature of the work we do and the conditions under which we do it profoundly shape our lives. And yet, both of these factors are peripheral to mainstream economics.By sweeping labor under the rug, mainstream economists hide the nature of capitalism, making it appear to be a system based upon equal exchange rather than exploitation inside every workplace. Perelman describes this illusion as the invisible handcuffs of capitalism and traces its roots back to Adam Smith and his contemporaries and their disdain for working people. He argues that far from being a basically fair system of exchanges regulated by the invisible hand of the market, capitalism handcuffs working men and women (and children too) through the very labor process itself. Neoclassical economics attempts to rationalize these handcuffs and tells workers that they are responsible for their own conditions. What we need to do instead, Perelman suggests, is eliminate the handcuffs through collective actions and build a society that we direct ourselves."
X‐Ray Diffraction Techniques for Liquid Surfaces and Monomolecular Layers

X-ray and neutron scattering techniques are probably the most effective tools employed to determine the structure of liquid interfaces on molecular-length scales. These are not different in principle from conventional x-ray diffraction techniques that are usually applied to three-dimensional crystals, liquids, solid surfaces etc. However, special diffractometers that enable scattering from fixed horizontal surfaces are required to carry out the experiments. Indeed, systematic studies of liquid surfaces had not begun until the introduction of the first liquid surface reflectometer. A basic property of a liquid-gas interface is the length scale over which the molecular density changes from the bulk value to that of the homogeneous gaseous medium. Molecular size and capillary waves, which depend on surface tension and gravity, are among the most important factors that shape the density profile across the interface and the planar correlations. In some instances the topmost layers of liquids are packed differently than in the bulk, giving rise to layering phenomena at the interface. Monolayers of compounds different than the liquid can be spread at the gas-liquid interface, and are termed Langmuir monolayers. The spread compound might “wet” the liquid surface to form a film of homogeneous thickness or cluster to form an inhomogeneous rough surface. The x-ray reflectivity (XR) technique allows one to determine the electron density across such interfaces, from which the molecular density and the total thickness can be extracted. The grazing angle diffraction (GID) technique is commonly used to determine lateral arrangements and correlations of the topmost layers at interfaces. GID is especially efficient in cases where surface crystallization of the liquid or spread monolayers occurs. Both techniques (XR and GID) provide structural information that is averaged over macroscopic areas, in contrast to scanning probe microscopies (SPMs), where local arrangements are probed. For an inhomogeneous interface, the reflectivity is an incoherent sum of reflectivities, accompanied by strong diffuse scattering, which, in general, is difficult to interpret definitively and often requires complementary techniques to support the x-ray analysis. Therefore, preparation of well-defined homogeneous interfaces is a key to a more definitive and straightforward interpretation.
Pile design in sandy soils

This chapter analyzes the design of piles in sandy soils. A modified version of the Terzaghi bearing capacity equation is widely used for pile design. When a pile is driven, the effective stress of the existing soil around and below the pile changes. The effective stress prior to and after driving the pile is shown. Many researchers have provided techniques to compute bearing capacity factors. The end bearing capacity is a function of friction angle, dilatancy of soil, and relative density Different methods of obtaining the bearing capacity factor value are elaborated. It is necessary to investigate lateral earth pressure coefficients in general. An equation based on the SPT (N) value is proposed to compute the ultimate end bearing capacity of driven piles. Equation based on the SPT (N) value to compute the ultimate end bearing capacity of driven piles. Various reasons have been put forward to explain reasons that skin friction does not increase with depth indefinitely as suggested by the skin friction equation. Pile end bearing capacity in sandy soils is related to effective stress. Experimental data indicates that end bearing capacity does not increase with depth indefinitely. Engineers use the same critical depth concept adopted for skin friction for end bearing capacity as well.
Derivative Expansion of the One-Loop Effective Action in QED

The one-loop effective action in QED at zero and finite temperature is obtained by using the worldline approach. The Feynman rules for the perturbative expansion of the action in the number of derivatives are derived. The general structure of the temperature dependent part of the effective action in an arbitrary external inhomogeneous magnetic field is established. The two-derivative term in the effective action for spinor and scalar QED in a static magnetic background at $T\neq 0$ is calculated.
CCL20/MIP3alpha is a novel anti-HIV-1 molecule of the human female reproductive tract.

Problem CCL20/MIP3α is a chemokine for immature dendritic cells as well as an antibacterial against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The role of CCL20/MIP3α as an antiviral is unknown. In this study, we have examined the production of CCL20/MIP3α by epithelial cells from the upper female reproductive tract as well as its activity as an antiviral molecule.
Why Mortgage 'Formalities' Matter

This Article argues that adherence to mortgage formalities regarding foreclosure is valuable for expressive reasons and also as a potential deterrent to future undesirable underwriting and securitization practices. The Article reviews how some courts have in effect written procedural requirements for foreclosure out of the law, and asks why these courts have done so and whether lenders' behavior might have been improved during this housing crisis had the state courts uniformly afforded equal respect to the legal rights of homeowners and those of lenders.
Explicit solutions of the one-dimensional Vlasov–Poisson system with infinite mass

A collisionless plasma is modelled by the Vlasov–Poisson system in one dimension. A fixed background of positive charge, dependent only upon velocity, is assumed and the situation in which the mobile negative ions balance the positive charge as |x| ∞ is considered. Thus, the total positive charge and the total negative charge are infinite. In this paper, the charge density of the system is shown to be compactly supported. More importantly, both the electric field and the number density are determined explicitly for large values of |x|. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The application of genetic information for regulatory standard setting under the clean air act: a decision-analytic approach.

In 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an "Interim Policy on Genomics," stating a commitment to developing guidance on the inclusion of genetic information in regulatory decision making. This statement was followed in 2004 by a document exploring the potential implications. Genetic information can play a key role in understanding and quantifying human susceptibility, an essential step in many of the risk assessments used to shape policy. For example, the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) requires EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria pollutants at levels to protect even sensitive populations from adverse health effects with an adequate margin of safety. Asthmatics are generally regarded as a sensitive population, yet substantial research gaps in understanding genetic susceptibility and disease have hindered quantitative risk analysis. This case study assesses the potential role of genomic information regarding susceptible populations in the NAAQS process for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) under the CAA. In this initial assessment, we model the contribution of a single polymorphism to asthma risk and mortality risk; however, multiple polymorphisms and interactions (gene-gene and gene-environment) are known to play key roles in the disease process. We show that the impact of new information about susceptibility on estimates of population risk or average risk derived from large epidemiological studies depends on the circumstances. We also suggest that analysis of a single polymorphism, or other risk factor such as health status, may or may not change estimates of individual risk enough to alter a particular regulatory decision, but this depends on specific characteristics of the decision and risk information. We also show how new information about susceptibility in the context of the NAAQS for PM 2.5 5 could have a large impact on the estimated distribution of individual risk. This would occur if a group were consequently identified (based on genetic and/or disease status), that accounted for a disproportionate share of observed effects. Our results highlight certain conditions under which genetic information is likely to have an impact on risk estimates and the balance of costs and benefits within groups, and highlight critical research needs. As future studies explore more fully the relationship between exposure, genetic makeup, and disease status, the opportunity for genetic information and disease status to play pivotal roles in regulation can only increase.
Estrogen receptor antagonist ICI182,780 exacerbates ischemic injury in female mouse

Recent findings in animals emphasize that experimental ischemic brain damage can be strikingly reduced by estrogen: however, the neuroprotective mechanisms are not well understood. It was hypothesized that estrogen signaling via cognate estrogen receptors (ERs) within the vasculature is an important aspect of cerebral ischemic protection in the female brain, in part by amplifying intraischemic cerebral blood flow (CBF). In the present study, the hypothesis that chronic treatment with the pure ER antagonist ICI182,780 (ICI) would increase ischemic brain damage by a blood flow-mediated mechanism was investigated. Adult C57B1/6J mice were pretreated with either subcutaneous ICI (100 microg/day) or oil/ethanol vehicle for 1 week before 2 hours of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and 22 hours of reperfusion. End-ischemic regional CBF was evaluated in additional cohorts using [14C]iodoantipyrine autoradiography. Infarction volume as measured by cresyl violet histology was greater in the striatum of ICI-treated females (70 +/- 3% of contralateral striatum vs. 40 +/- 12% in vehicle-treated females). Cortical injury was not enhanced relative to control animals (39 +/- 6% of contralateral cortex in ICI group vs. 27 +/- 8% in vehicle-treated group). Physiologic variables and ischemic reduction of the ipsilateral cortical laser-Doppler flow signal were similar between groups. Further, ICI treatment did not alter end-ischemic cortical or striatal CBF. The deleterious effect of ICI was limited to females, as there were no differences in stroke damage or CBF between male treatment groups. These data suggest that estrogen inhibits ischemic brain injury in striatum of the female by receptor-mediated mechanisms that are not linked to preservation of intraischemic CBF.
In vivo human time-exposure study of orally dosed commercial silver nanoparticles

Human biodistribution, bioprocessing and possible toxicity of nanoscale silver receive increasing health assessment. We prospectively studied commercial 10- and 32-ppm nanoscale silver particle solutions in a single-blind, controlled, cross-over, intent-to-treat, design. Healthy subjects (n = 60) underwent metabolic, blood counts, urinalysis, sputum induction, and chest and abdomen magnetic resonance imaging. Silver serum and urine content were determined. No clinically important changes in metabolic, hematologic, or urinalysis measures were identified. No morphological changes were detected in the lungs, heart or abdominal organs. No significant changes were noted in pulmonary reactive oxygen species or pro-inflammatory cytokine generation. In vivo oral exposure to these commercial nanoscale silver particle solutions does not prompt clinically important changes in human metabolic, hematologic, urine, physical findings or imaging morphology. Further study of increasing time exposure and dosing of silver nanoparticulate silver, and observation of additional organ systems are warranted to assert human toxicity thresholds.
Circular Esophageal Myotomy in the Rhesus Monkey: Anatomical and Physiological Effects

Abstract Thirty-one rhesus monkeys were divided into six groups: a control group of 4 monkeys in which resection of 33% of the thoracic esophagus with end-to-end anastomosis was performed with-out myotomy, and test groups of 4 to 6 monkeys each in which circular myotomy in the proximal segment, distal segment, or both was combined with a 25% or 33% resection. In the control group, 2 of 4 monkeys survived. In the test groups, myotomy reduced longitudinal tension by 20 to 58%. Among the survivors were 4 of 6 animals that had 25% resection with proximal myotomy, 3 of 5 having 25% resection with distal myotomy, and 3 of 4 having 25% resection with combined proximal and distal myotomy. However, 4 of 5 monkeys that had 33% resection plus proximal myotomy and all 5 having 33% resection plus distal myotomy died of anastomotic leaks or strictures. Cineesophagography in surviving monkeys showed no motility disturbance at the myotomy sites. Manometry in 5 monkeys showed no change in resting lower esophageal sphincter pressure from that measured preoperatively. Postmortem examination in long-term survivors showed no stricture or dilatation at the myotomy sites. It is concluded that circular myotomy in the rhesus monkey reduces longitudinal tension, but compromise of the esophageal blood supply limits the usefulness of the procedure in bridging long gaps in the esophagus. Myotomy did not result in any motility disturbance or late anatomical sequelae, and therefore is still a valid procedure to facilitate the repair of short defects.
The transition probabilities of a bounded bivariate pure death process

Abstract Billiard [1] derived an expression for the transition probabilities of a bounded pure death process describing the competition between two species for survival. This expression involves some recursively defined constants. In this paper we derive a simplified nonrecursive expression for the transition probabilities of any bounded bivariate pure death process. We apply our result to Billard's competition model, to a stochastic prey-predator model based on the original Lotka-Volterra equations, and to the Weiss pre-predator model. Finally, we consider two bivariate generalizations of the simple stochastic epidemic model.
Two approaches to adolescent weight reduction

Abstract As part of our community weight control program for adolescents, we offered two different 14-week treatment approaches: a behavioral approach without energy restriction and a behavioral approach combined with energy restriction. We recruited 50 youths 14 to 16 years old and up to 55 percent above ideal weight. Twenty-seven participants completed the program and were available for 1-year follow-up. In comparison to ideal body weight, 3 gained weight, 12 maintained, and 12 lost during the program. At the 1-year follow-up, 11 had lost weight compared with initial weight; 7 of these subjects had also lost weight during the program, and the other 4 had maintained or gained weight during the program. We found no difference in the results of the two approaches. Comparison of pre- and posttest results revealed significant improvement in knowledge about weight control among those who completed the program. We found a strong positive correlation between gain in cognitive knowledge and drop in percent overweight. Parti ipants indicated that the program had been most helpful by increasing individual awareness of eating and exercise habits.
Assembly of sodium soap fibers and fibrillar particles triggered by dissolution of sodium chloride crystals

Fatty acids in the presence of sodium ions are known to self-assemble into sodium soap fibers. Previous work has yielded these fibers only in the form of randomly entangled gels. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate a method to create discrete fibrillar particles from sodium soap fibers. Immersion of sodium chloride crystals in solutions of neutralized fatty acids causes the crystals to dissolve and release sodium ions. Release of sodium triggers the nucleation and assembly of fibers in the solution surrounding the dissolving crystal. This process ultimately yields fibrillar particles with brush layers of sodium soap fibers. The fibers are flexible ribbons that are 1 μm in width, 3 μm in height, and hundreds of microns in length. We extended our method to polystyrene microspheres by encapsulating them with thin shells of sodium chloride microcrystals. Microspheres coated with sodium chloride shells triggered the assembly of encapsulating fibrillar brush layers. Microspheres with such brush layers have dramatically increased surface areas and this property may be applicable to oral drug delivery systems.
Chemical potential and symmetry properties for excess electrons on polymer nanoparticles: quantum drops

Abstract Quantum drops, polymer nanoparticles with excess electrons, can be produced in a monodispersed aerosol from solution. The electronic properties of excess charges on the polymer nanoparticles are predicted to be analogous to those of semiconductor quantum dots and hence these structures are referred to as quantum drops. Quantum drops have controllable physical properties including radius, composition, chemical potential and magnetic properties and can be obtained in the gas phase. We consider the chemical potential and symmetry point groups of electrons confined on the surface of these spherical polymer nanoparticles, using a model Hamiltonian and semiclassical quantization.
The isolation and characterization in vitro of normal epithelial cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts from rat urinary bladder.

Epithelial cells, microvascular endothelial cells, and fibroblasts have been isolated in culture from normal urinary bladders of Fischer rats. Normal epithelial cells were cultured most efficiently when transitional epithelial sheets were plated on to collagen-coated roller flasks. The epithelial sheets were obtained by two micro-dissection techniques. In the first method, the epithelium was peeled as a large coherent sheet from the submucosal connective tissue following subepithelial injection of a collagenase solution, and after incubation of the bladders in the same enzyme solution. Epithelial sheets with intact basal cell layers were essential for culture success. On collagenous matrices, epithelial differentiation was similar to that in vivo. The in vitro transitional epithelium was composed of three cell layers, namely superficial, intermediate, and basal cells. Basal cells were attached to newly synthesized basal lamina by means of hemidesmosomes. Superficial cells were sealed at their apical lateral membranes by a junctional complex, i.e. a terminal bar. Asymmetric luminal membrane plaques were not apparent. In the second method, the epithelium was separated from the underlying connective tissue after collagenase--trypsin digestion of everted urinary bladders. Although the digest consisted mainly of epithelial cells, these rarely survived the first passage when plated on conventional plastic growth surfaces. After the third culture week, epithelial cells usually died and slowly growing colonies of fibroblasts or large flattened epitheloid cells became apparent. Epitheloid cells were identified by their typical ultrastructure as endothelial cells, showing Weibel--Palade bodies and pinocytotic caveolae. These cells were reactive with antiserum against factor VIII. The free surface of monolayer cultures was non-thrombogenic when incubated in the presence of platelets. Fibroblasts were isolated from heavily contaminated epithelial cell cultures after differential trypsinization. These three cells types represent the normal control cells of an in vitro tumor model for the study of invasiveness. All three cell types are involved in the formation and functional maintenance of the epithelial--stromal junction. The study of cell--cell and cell--matrix interactions may provide important clues for the understanding of tumor invasiveness, a process that starts at the epithelial--stromal junction and proceeds with its destruction.
An adolescent group within a milieu setting

A group in a milieu setting is most effective when it uses the shared reality of the milieu in the group. This makes the issues come alive in the group and allows for the learning in the therapy to become applied in the larger environment of the milieu. A clinical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of bringing the “world” of the milieu in the group.
Shell-model studies for the Sn 132 region. I. Few proton cases

The Brueckner $G$ matrix from the Reid soft-core potential is taken for the leading contribution of the effective two-proton interaction in the $^{132}\mathrm{Sn}$ region. Phenomenological two-body pairing and multipole forces are added to adjust for all neglected effect. Two model spaces are selected; a small space ($0{g}_{\frac{7}{2}}, 1{d}_{\frac{5}{2}}$) and a large space ($0{g}_{\frac{7}{2}}, 1{d}_{\frac{5}{2}}, 0{h}_{\frac{11}{2}}, 2{s}_{\frac{1}{2}}, 2{s}_{\frac{1}{2}}$). For each space the strengths of the phenomenological terms are adjusted to fit the $^{134}\mathrm{Te}$ spectrum. It is found that both of the total interactions have a high statistical correlation with the bare $G$ matrix. The total effective interactions are then used without further adjustment in shell model calculations to obtain good predictions for the spectra of $^{135}\mathrm{I}$, $^{136}\mathrm{Xe}$, and $^{137}\mathrm{Cs}$.NUCLEAR STRUCTURE Shell-model structure of $^{132}\mathrm{Sn}$ core plus valence protons: shell-model effective interactions consisting of Brueckner reaction matrix plus phenomenological multipole corrections.
Sequential induction of angiogenic growth factors by TNF-α in choroidal endothelial cells

Abstract Inflammatory mediators have been proposed to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization, a blinding complication of age-related macular degeneration. We evaluated the expression of TNF-α in human choroidal neovascular membranes and found that it colocalized with cells expressing VEGF, angiopoietin (Ang)-1 and Ang2. In cultured choroidal endothelial cells we found that TNF-α increased Ang2 mRNA (increased transcription) and protein levels prior to those of Ang1 and VEGF. The results raise the possibility that during neovascularization, TNF-α may modulate endothelial plasticity and survival by sequential inactivation of Tie2 followed by activation of Tie2 and VEGF receptors.
A continuum theory of a diatomic, elastic dielectric

Abstract The field equations and boundary conditions of the continuum theory of elastic dielectrics, including the contribution of the polarization gradient, are extended to apply to a compound material. A formula is obtained for the surface energy of deformation and polarization of a cubic crystal. The solution of a problem of plane waves leads to the identification of transverse and longitudinal optical, as well as acoustical, branches in the dispersion relation. A one-dimensional model of the NaCl-type crystal lattice of shell-model atoms is constructed and its finite difference equations of motion are shown to have the corresponding equations of the continuum theory as their long wave limit, without restriction to low frequency.
Slow microwaves in left-handed materials

Remarkably slow propagation of microwaves in two different classes of left-handed materials (LHM's) is reported from microwave-pulse and continuous-wave transmission measurements. Microwave dispersion in a composite LHM made of split-ring resonators and wire strips reveals group velocity ${v}_{g}\ensuremath{\sim}c∕50$, where $c$ is the free-space light velocity. Photonic crystals (PhC's) made of dielectric ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ rods reveal ${v}_{g}\ensuremath{\sim}c∕10$. Group delay dispersion of both the composite LHM and PhC's determined from the experiment is in complete agreement with that obtained from theory. The slow group velocities are quantitatively described by the strong dispersion observed in these materials.
Chisholm's definition of knowledge

GETTIER'S astonishing article "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?"' has inspired a number of attempts to repair the traditional definition of knowledge. One of the most interesting of the recent attempts is found in Chisholm's new book, Theory of Knowledge.2 Using the single primitive epistemic term "more reasonable than," Chisholm makes the following definitions: 1. A proposition is reasonable if believing it is more reasonable than withholding it. 2. A proposition h may be said to be evident for a subject S provided (1) that h is reasonable for S and (2) that there is no proposition i such that it is more reasonable for S to believe i than it is for him to believe h. 3. A proposition e justifies a proposition h provided e and h are such that, for any subject and any time, if e is evident to that subject at that time then h is evident to that subject at that time. 4. A basic proposition is an evident proposition such that the only evident propositions that justify it are propositions that entail it.
Military Intervention and the Myth of Collective Security: the Case of Zaïre

Zaire has been open to external penetration from its earliest days as the Congo Independent State of King Leopold II, but unlike most other weak and vulnerable African states it has experienced repeated military interventions. When President Mobutu Sese Seko addressed the U.N. General Assembly in October 1973 he formally thanked the world organisation for preserving his country during the early 1960s:If a small minority of member countries of this organisation had refused to participate in the Congo operation, at the time, the vast majority had, however, spontaneously put troops at its disposition or intervened in favour of this operation. This permitted the maintenance of peace, unity, and the integrity of the national territory.
Genetic Variation at the IRF7/PHRF1 Locus Is Associated With Autoantibody Profile and Serum Interferon-α Activity in Lupus Patients

Objective Interferon-α (IFNα) is a heritable risk factor for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Genetic variation near IRF7 is implicated in SLE susceptibility. SLE-associated autoantibodies can stimulate IFNα production through the Toll-like receptor/IRF7 pathway. This study was undertaken to determine whether variants of IRF7 act as risk factors for SLE by increasing IFNα production and whether autoantibodies are important to this phenomenon. Methods We studied 492 patients with SLE (236 African American, 162 European American, and 94 Hispanic American subjects). Serum levels of IFNα were measured using a reporter cell assay, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IRF7/PHRF1 locus were genotyped. Results In a joint analysis of European American and Hispanic American subjects, the rs702966 C allele was associated with the presence of anti–double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibodies (odds ratio [OR] 1.83, P = 0.0069). The rs702966 CC genotype was only associated with higher serum levels of IFNα in European American and Hispanic American patients with anti-dsDNA antibodies (joint analysis P = 4.1 × 10−5 in anti-dsDNA–positive patients and P = 0.99 in anti-dsDNA–negative patients). In African American subjects, anti-Sm antibodies were associated with the rs4963128 SNP near IRF7 (OR 1.95, P = 0.0017). The rs4963128 CT and TT genotypes were associated with higher serum levels of IFNα only in African American patients with anti-Sm antibodies (P = 0.0012). In African American patients lacking anti-Sm antibodies, an effect of anti-dsDNA–rs702966 C allele interaction on serum levels of IFNα was observed, similar to the other patient groups (overall joint analysis P = 1.0 × 10−6). In European American and Hispanic American patients, the IRF5 SLE risk haplotype showed an additive effect with the rs702966 C allele on IFNα level in anti-dsDNA–positive patients. Conclusion Our findings indicate that IRF7/PHRF1 variants in combination with SLE-associated autoantibodies result in higher serum levels of IFNα, providing a biologic relevance for this locus at the protein level in human SLE in vivo.
Evidence for baroclinic instability in the Gulf Stream recirculation

Abstract Long term current measurements from Polymode Array 2 are analyzed using the technique of empirical orthogonal functions applied in the frequency domain. The region of especially good instrument coverage and clearest decomposition into empirical modes is also in the Gulf Stream recirculation (∼ 36°N 55°W). On theoretical grounds, this is expected to be an area actively unstable to baroclinic disturbances ( Gill, Green and Simmons , 1974). Both the horizontal and vertical structure of motions with periods ranging from 10 to 120 days are studied. Spectra reveal that kinetic energy is peaked at 30 day periods with a weaker peak at 12 days. The most energetic empirical mode accounts for about 50% of the measured energy although somewhat less than this at higher subinertial frequencies. Consistent with the theoretical calculations of Gill, Green and Simmons it is found that the zonal phase propagation is nearly independent of frequency and averages about 12 cm s −1 toward the west. The 30 and 12 day energy peaks correspond to wavenumbers (wavelengths) of −0.18 km −1 (350 km) and −.033 km −1 (190 km) respectively. These are almost identical to the predicted scales for secondary and primary growth rate maxima for baroclinically unstable disturbances to a zonal current which is horizontally uniform but whose strength decreases exponentially with depth. Energy in these motions increases toward the west at a rate which is statistically indistinguishable from zero but also from the predicted rate. The vertical structure of these motions is also qualitatively similar to the theoretical modes. Phase for velocity decreases with depth, whereas temperature phase increases leading to energy release concentrated in the thermocline near the steering level which is projected to be somewhere above the shallowest observational level (600 m). The 30 day wave is much less depth dependent in amplitude than the 12 day wave and is responsible for the intense deep eddy field observed in this area by Schmitz (1977, 1978, 1980). At this point in the recirculation the instability process is still active and the resulting motions have not yet reached a finite amplitude state.
Ab initio and density functional theory study of the cyanide radical hydrogen abstraction from hydrogen molecules

Abstract The transition state structure for the H 2 + CN reaction was generated with the HF, MP2, and HFB computational methods. Because the reaction is highly exothermic, has low activation barrier and an open shell electron system, it presents a difficult computational problem. This system was evaluated by several ab initio methods (HF, MP2, MP3, MP4, QCISD, G1, G2, and G2MP2) and Density Functional Theory (DEF) methods. The computed data was compared with the experimental value and appropriate methods (G1, G2, G2MP2, and HFB) for computing this and similar systems were suggested.
Surface Area Study of Pretreated Silica Gels

Abstract The surface areas of a series of pretreated silica gels were measured by a frontal-analysis chromatographic technique using benzene for which the cross-sectional area had been obtained by adsorption measurements on a sample of Sterling MT carbon black as a standard. Much smaller surface areas were found than when nitrogen was used. The chromatographic equilibrium constants for aromatic adsorbates, calculated using the surface areas measured with benzene, point to a change in the adsorption mechanism which was not apparent when nitrogen surface areas were used.
Stability and mobility of native point defects in AlH3

Abstract We investigate the properties of native point defects in AlH3 using density functional theory (DFT). The results indicate that mass transport in AlH3 is mediated by positively charged hydrogen vacancies ( V H + ), with an activation energy of 1.72 eV that is in good agreement with experimentally observed values for the dehydrogenation of AlH3. An accurate description of the point-defect properties requires use of an advanced hybrid DFT/Hartree–Fock approach with the functional of Heyd, Scuseria, and Enzerhof (HSE), as revealed by a detailed comparison with results obtained using a conventional generalized gradient approximation functional. The HSE produces a more accurate band gap, and significant differences are found for the formation energies of the defects between HSE and PBE. We discuss the differences in terms of an alignment of the band structures and defect transition levels on an absolute energy scale.
Results one year after using the 193-nm excimer laser for photorefractive keratectomy in mild to moderate myopia.

As part of a clinical trial, photorefractive keratectomy using the VISX 2015 193-nm excimer laser was performed on 91 healthy eyes of 91 patients. Preoperative refractive errors (spherical equivalent) ranged from −1.00 to −7.50 diopters (mean, −4.16 ± 1.41 diopters). No patient had more than 1 diopter of refractive astigmatism. Six months postoperatively, the average residual refractive error was +0.09 ± 0.63 diopters (range, −2.13 to +1.63 diopters). Correction within 1 diopter of that attempted was attained in 85 eyes (93%). Uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better was attained in 86 eyes (95%) and was 20/25 or better in 67 eyes (74%). At one year, follow-up information was available on 85 eyes of 85 patients. The average residual refractive error was −0.15 ± 0.65 diopters (range, −2.50 to +1.63 diopters). Correction within 1 diopter of that attempted was attained in 85 eyes (93%). Uncorrected visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 83 eyes (98%) and was 20/25 or better in 68 eyes (80%). One patient lost three lines of best-corrected visual acuity because of corneal haze, dropping from 20/15 to 20/30, whereas all other patients returned to best-corrected visual acuity within one line of their preoperative best-corrected visual acuity. Photorefractive keratectomy with the 193-nm excimer laser appears to be a useful treatment modality for the reduction of mild to moderate myopia.
Time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy impulsively excited by supercontinuum

Time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) impulsively excited by a supercontinuum (SC) is investigated. We show that it is critical to optimize the temporal overlapping of the constituent solitons of a SC in order to impulsively excite vibrational modes over a broad frequency range. The cross-correlation frequency-resolved optical gating technique is utilized to retrieve the optical response function of molecules under SC impulsive excitation, and background-free CARS with spectral resolution significantly better than the bandwidth of the probe pulses is achieved. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abdominal Pain in Infants and Children

The challenges of childhood abdominal pain are to treat the majority of children with self-limited conditions of obscure but benign causes and to identify the child with a rare, life-threatening cause of pain. The diagnostic algorithm of abdominal pain during childhood is best compartmentalized into three groups: infants, preschoolers, and school-age children. In infants, bilious vomiting heralds a life-threatening or surgically indicated disorder. Most nonsurgical conditions are related to gastroenteritis, constipation, and reflux. The majority of children with abdominal pain experience spontaneous resolution of their symptoms without specific management. For every 15 school-age children with abdominal pain, 1, at most, will have a serious condition such as appendicitis. Parents and children appreciate a careful appraisal of the symptoms, and the physician should listen to their concerns and perform a thorough examination. Laboratory or radiologic studies are rarely indicated.
Phylogenetic congruence of armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) and their primary endosymbionts from the phylum Bacteroidetes.

Abstract Insects in the sap-sucking hemipteran suborder Sternorrhyncha typically harbor maternally transmitted bacteria housed in a specialized organ, the bacteriome. In three of the four superfamilies of Sternorrhyncha (Aphidoidea, Aleyrodoidea, Psylloidea), the bacteriome-associated (primary) bacterial lineage is from the class Gammaproteobacteria (phylum Proteobacteria). The fourth superfamily, Coccoidea (scale insects), has a diverse array of bacterial endosymbionts whose affinities are largely unexplored. We have amplified fragments of two bacterial ribosomal genes from each of 68 species of armored scale insects (Diaspididae). In spite of initially using primers designed for Gammaproteobacteria, we consistently amplified sequences from a different bacterial phylum: Bacteroidetes. We use these sequences (16S and 23S, 2105 total base pairs), along with previously published sequences from the armored scale hosts (elongation factor 1α and 28S rDNA) to investigate phylogenetic congruence between the two clades. The Bayesian tree for the bacteria is roughly congruent with that of the hosts, with 67% of nodes identical. Partition homogeneity tests found no significant difference between the host and bacterial data sets. Of thirteen Shimodaira–Hasegawa tests, comparing the original Bayesian bacterial tree to bacterial trees with incongruent clades forced to match the host tree, 12 found no significant difference. A significant difference in topology was found only when the entire host tree was compared with the entire bacterial tree. For the bacterial data set, the treelengths of the most parsimonious host trees are only 1.8–2.4% longer than that of the most parsimonious bacterial trees. The high level of congruence between the topologies indicates that these Bacteroidetes are the primary endosymbionts of armored scale insects. To investigate the phylogenetic affinities of these endosymbionts, we aligned some of their 16S rDNA sequences with other known Bacteroidetes endosymbionts and with other similar sequences identified by BLAST searches. Although the endosymbionts of armored scales are only distantly related to the endosymbionts of the other sternorrhynchan insects, they are closely related to bacteria associated with eriococcid and margarodid scale insects, to cockroach and auchenorrynchan endosymbionts (Blattabacterium and Sulcia), and to male-killing endosymbionts of ladybird beetles. We propose the name “Candidatus Uzinura diaspidicola” for the primary endosymbionts of armored scale insects.