cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial properties of three lactic acid bacterial cultures and their cell free supernatants against Listeria monocytogenes

Control of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) food products is a significant challenge and improved means for control are needed. In this study, the anti-listerial effects of three lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were investigated. Spot-on-lawn assays demonstrated the largest zones of inhibition against L. monocytogenes were produced by the Pediococcus acidilactici strain, with zone diameters ranging from 13 to 18 mm. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) experiments using cell free supernatant (CFS) from the LAB revealed that while two of the strains were effective at inhibiting L. monocytogenes growth only up to a 1:4 dilution, P. acidilactici was able to inhibit growth up to a 1:256 dilution. Survival assays performed at 7°C determined that the P. acidilactici strain was capable of producing a 4.5 log reduction in L. monocytogenes counts and maintaining the reduction for 21 days. The effectiveness of P. acidilactici was reduced under log phase growth, autoclaving for longer than 15 min (121°C and...
The root invariant in homotopy theory

FOR THE last thirty years the EHP sequence has been a major conceptual tool in the attempt to understand the homotopy groups of spheres. It is a collection of long exact sequences of homotopy groups induced by certain fibrations in which all three spaces are loop spaces of spheres. These fibrations are due originally to James, G. W. Whitehead, and Toda. The Freudenthal suspension theorem and the Adams vector field theorem (which is a strengthened form of the Hopf invariant one theorem) can each be interpreted as statements about the EHP sequence. James periodicity, the Hopf invariant and the Whitehead product all fit into the EHP framework in a very simple way. An expository survey of this material is given in the last section of the first chapter of [36]. More recently the work of Morava led the second author and various collaborators to formulate the chromatic approach to stable homotopy theory and the notion of a v,-periodic family (see [32], [35], [29] and the last three chapters of 11361). The recent spectacular work of Devinatz, Hopkins and Smith [l l] is a vindication of this point of view. The purpose of this paper is to describe the partial understanding we have reached on how the chromatic and EHP points of view interact. The central concept here is the root invariant, which is defined in 1.10 using Lin’s theorem. This assigns to each element in the stable homotopy of a finite complex a nonzero coset in a higher stem. The main conjecture (still unproved) in the subject is that this root invariant converts v,-periodic families to v,+ 1-periodic families. The full implications of this are still not understood. In the first section we will recall the relevant properties of the EHP sequence including James periodicity and define the root invariant in the homotopy of the sphere spectrum. Regular and anomalous elements in the EHP sequence will be defined (1.11). In the second section we will generalize the definition to finite complexes, describe Jones’ connection between the root invariant and the quadratic construction and develop various computational tools. In the third section we will indicate the relation between the root invariant and the Greek letter construction. In the fourth section we will consider unstable homotopy and define the progeny (4.1) and the target set (4.3) of an element in the EHP sequence. In the fifth section we will prove that an element is anomalous if and only if it is a root invariant. In the last section we will give a method of improving James periodicity in many cases. Finally we will construct some similar spectral sequences in which the theorem connecting anomalous elements and root invariants (1.12) does not hold; these will be parametrized by the p-adic integers.
MATURATION OF THE HUMORAL IMMUNE RESPONSE IN MICE

In spite of the prenatal appearance of immunoglobulin-bearing lymphocytes and θ-positive lymphocytes in the spleens of Swiss-L mice, these mice are not able to produce detectable levels of humoral antibodies in response to antigen until after 1 wk of age. Adult levels of response are not achieved until 4–8 wk of age. In the presence of bacterial lipopolysaccharides, which can substitute for or enhance T-cell function, the B cells from young Swiss-L mice were found to be indistinguishable in function from adult B cells, both with respect to the numbers of plaque-forming cells (PFC) produced in vitro in response to antigen and with respect to the kinetics of PFC induction. The spleen cells from young Swiss-L mice are significantly less sensitive than adult spleen cells, however, to stimulation by the T cell mitogens, concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Very few Con A-responsive cells could be detected at birth but the numbers increased sharply with age until 3 wk after birth. On the other hand, PHA-responsive cells could not be detected in the spleen until about 3 wk of age. The latter cells were found to respond also to Con A, but at a lower dose (1 µg/ml) than that required for the bulk of the Con A-responsive cells (3 µg/ml). The cells that respond both to PHA and to Con A appear in the spleen at about the time that Swiss-L mice acquire the ability to produce humoral antibodies, and these cells can be depleted from the spleen by the in vivo administration of antithymocyte serum. The development of humoral immune responses in these mice therefore appears to be correlated with the appearance of recirculating T lymphocytes that are responsive both to PHA and to Con A.
Why Do Some Kinds of Stars Get the Calls

Over a period of seasons the good hitters have proven they know a strike when they see one. So when Carew doesn't swing at a pitch, I have to believe it's off the plate. If a future Hall of Famer like Yastrzemski doesn't think it's a strike, is Ron Luciano going to argue with him?"
DIURNAL VARIATION IN TOTAL AND UNDERCARBOXYLATED OSTEOCALCIN : INFLUENCE OF INCREASED DIETARY PHYLLOQUINONE

A diurnal variation exists in blood levels of the vitamin K-dependent bone protein osteocalcin. However, it is not known whether the carboxylated and undercarboxylated constituents of osteocalcin also vary. Therefore, osteocalcin and undercarboxylated osteocalcin were measured in specimens collected every 4 hours over a 24-hour period in nine healthy subjects (five males, four females) ages 20–33 years who were consuming a mixed diet containing 100 μg of phylloquinone. Osteocalcin and undercarboxylated osteocalcin were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) before and after treatment with barium sulfate. Although the percent undercarboxylated osteocalcin did not change, a diurnal variation was observed in total osteocalcin, carboxylated osteocalcin, and undercarboxylated osteocalcin, with peak concentrations at 4 a.m. and the lowest concentrations between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. The difference between the total osteocalcin peak and trough concentrations averaged 28 ± 7 (SEM)%. There were no gender differences in these rhythms. The effect of dietary phylloquinone as a modulator of these rhythms was evaluated in a randomized study by increasing phylloquinone intake to 420 μg/day with fortified corn oil, split between the lunch and dinner meals. Total and carboxylated osteocalcin fluctuations and concentrations were not affected by the dietary treatment. The diurnal variation in undercarboxylated osteocalcin was abolished with supplementation and concentrations at 8 a.m. (14 hours following supplementation) (2.3 ± 0.2 ng/ml) were significantly lower than the unsupplemented levels (2.7 ± 0.2 ng/mL, P= 0.006). The percentage of undercarboxylated osteocalcin was similarly decreased after supplementation (19.7 ± 1.3%) in relation to the mixed diet cycle (24.2 ± 1.6%, P= 0.006) at 8 a.m. on the second day. Dietary supplementation induced a fluctuation in percentage undercarboxylated osteocalcin with a decline in levels starting at approximately 12 a.m. Therefore, additional dietary phylloquinone does not appear to modulate the total osteocalcin diurnal rhythm, but can influence its undercarboxylated component.
Police Officer Job Satisfaction A Multidimensional Analysis

The literature on police officers’ job satisfaction to date has focused primarily on individual officers’ demographic characteristics, while a few recent studies have demonstrated that officers’ jo...
Natural History of Cervical Infection with Human Papillomaviruses

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that has been studied primarily in the context of its role as an epidemiological risk factor for cervical cancer and as a biological agent capable of modifying cellular growth and differentiation. Chronic cervical HPV infection appears to be etiologically linked to neoplastic changes of the cervix. However, it has recently become apparent that HPV is highly prevalent in the general population, including a substantial number of cytologically normal women. Although HPV detection is often transient in these individuals, it is not known whether the virus is truly eliminated or whether it remains below the threshold of detection in a latent state. Little is known about the interaction between HPV and other risk factors for cervical cancer, but it is possible that variables such as pregnancy, immunosuppression, and use of oral contraceptives may alter the natural history of HPV infection.
Effects of spacer layer on growth, stress and magnetic properties of sputtered permalloy film

Abstract A microelectromechanical (MEMS) flux concentrator (J. Appl. phys. 91 (2002) 7795), is a device that will minimize 1/f noise in magnetic sensors by modulating the magnetic field at the position of the sensor. This requires high permeability and low stress permalloy (Py) films to be deposited on the MEMS flaps (J. Appl. phys. 91 (2002) 7795). Py (Ni 80 Fe 20 ) films from 100 to 560 nm thick were deposited on Si substrates using DC magnetron sputtering. The effects of deposition conditions on the grain morphology, texture, stress and magnetic properties were studied. Lower sputtering pressure changes film stress from tension to compression and increases the 〈1 1 1〉 out of film plane texture, while higher power increases tension and texture. Neutral film stress was obtained with 100 W of sputtering power and 1.25 mTorr of Ar gas pressure. With increasing thickness, the Py film was found to develop a stripe-like domain configuration at low fields because of strong out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy. The critical thickness is around 180 nm.This may be explained by a competition between planar demagnetization fields and columnar magnetic anisotropy. Adding 5 nm of Ta or Cr layer as spacer successfully broke up the continuity of the magnetic structure and allowed us to produce high-permeability films by fabricating (Ta/Py) or (Cr/Py) multilayer films with each Py layer thinner than the critical thickness.
Reduced saccharin preference in CXBK (opioid receptor-deficient) mice

The preference for sweet solutions in opioid receptor-deficient (CXBK) and control (C57BL/6By) mice was compared. CXBK and C57BL/6By (C57) mice were presented for 2 h/day with 2 tubes, one always containing water and the other containing either water or various concentrations of saccharin solution. Fifteen minutes before the drinking session, half of the mice in each strain were injected with naltrexone (0.2 mg/kg) and the other half with saline. Compared to C57 mice, CXBK mice had significantly lower saccharin preference. Naltrexone reduced the saccharin preference in both strains, almost completely abolishing preference in CXBK mice. The results support the hypothesis that brain opioid receptors are involved in mediating sweet palatability and suggest that genetic differences in opioid receptor density contribute to differences in the palatability of sweet solutions.
Hydrothermal synthesis of sodium and potassium bismuth titanates

A thermodynamic model of electrolyte solutions has been used as a tool for equilibrium calculations in the Na−Bi−Ti−H2O and K−Bi−Ti−H2O systems. To perform the calculations, unknown standard-state properties for Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (NBT), K0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (KBT) and other solid compounds that exist in these systems were established. As a result of the calculations, stability and yield diagrams of the investigated systems were computed. Thus, the optimum conditions (i.e., temperature, synthesis precursor concentrations, solution pH) for the hydrothermal synthesis of phase-pure KBT and NBT are presented in a graphical form. They show the concentrations of precursors and pH-adjusting agents required for the formation of phase-pure alkaline bismuth titanates. The computed diagrams show that the formation of phase-pure sodium and potassium bismuth titanates takes place in highly alkaline solutions (e.g., at pH above 11.4 and 12.2, respectively, at 473 K). Results of our experiments validated the newly developed yield d...
MR Imaging Evaluation of Cancer Extent: Is There Clinical Relevance?

The traditional methods for selecting women for breast conservation therapy (BCT), coupled with adjuvant radiation therapy, have reduced recurrence rates of BCT to acceptable levels. These recurrence rates are still significant, however. They may be further affected by the application of more anatomically targeted radiation therapy. Preoperative MR imaging should theoretically reduce the local failure rate of BCT by at least 5%, with only a modest increase in the mastectomy rate. The evolution of BCT to include more targeted radiation therapy and ablation should place an even larger emphasis on accurate tumor localization and has the potential to allow BCT to become more prevalent and effective.
Pharmacological potency and biodisposition of phencyclidine via inhalation exposure in mice

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to characterize the pharmacological effects and biodisposition of phencyclidine (PCP) following inhalation exposure to mice. Results from these studies indicate that PCP was easily volatilized when heated in a glass pipe. Volatilization was efficient with no significant formation of pyrolytic products. Exposure to the volatilized PCP resulted in a dose-dependent impairment in motor performance in both the rotorod and inverted-screen tests. PCP was equally effective in disrupting performance on the inverted-screen and rotorod with ED 50 values corresponding to the volatilization of 10.7 and 13.2 μmol, respectively. The time courses were comparable to those produced following intravenous (i.v.) administration of PCP. In order to determine the dose of drug absorbed by inhalation, mice were exposed to [ 3 H]-PCP. The ED 50 values of PCP following i.v. administration were 4.1 and 6.2 μmol/kg in the inverted screen and rotorod, respectively. The biodisposition of PCP following inhalation exposure was similar to that after i.v. injections. At doses that produced approximately 50% of the maximum motor impairment by either administration route, higher ratios of the total drug equivalents were found following i.v. injection than that after inhalation, with the brain/plasma ratios of 1.3 ± 0.2 versus 0.58 ± 0.02, and brain/body ratios of 0.59 ± 0.06 versus 0.35 ± 0.1 for i.v. and inhalation, respectively. However, the brain/plasma ratios of the concentrations of PCP were similar, 1.1 versus 0.9. The body concentration of PCP equivalents that produced 50% of the maximum effect after inhalation was 4.7 ± 0.6 μmol/kg. These results indicate that inhalation of PCP produces a similar pharmacological profile to that of i.v. administration and suggest that the drug is equipotent by these two administration routes. Moreover, these findings are consistent with the observation that smoking is becoming the most common route of administration among drug users.
Reversibility in nonconservation of weight

Contrary to Piaget’s position (Piaget, 1960, 1967, 1968), we argue that reversibility is both logically and psychologically irrelevant to conservation, because logically, simply inverting the conservation transformation provides no information about the property being conserved, and psychologically, because nonconservers give evidence of reversibility. Specifically, the data indicate that nonconservers think that an increase in a clay ball’s temperature reduces its weight, and a decrease in its temperature increases weight.
A peptide derived from the human leptin molecule is a potent inhibitor of the leptin receptor function in rabbit endometrial cells.

In this article we show that rabbit endometrial cells express leptin receptor and that human leptin triggers phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and up-regulates the expression of interleukin-1 receptor type I as was previously found in human endometrial cells. Interestingly, leptin also upregulates the secretion of leukemia inhibitory factor and expression of its receptor by rabbit endometrial cells. Analysis of a structural model of the leptin-leptin receptor complex suggested that helices I and III of the human leptin structure were likely sites of interaction with the cytokine binding domain of leptin receptor. Accordingly, we synthesized a peptide (LPA-2) comprising helix III (residues 70–95) and investigated its ability to inhibit leptin receptor function. The effects of LPA-2 were assayed in rabbit endometrial cells, and an antileptin receptor antibody and a scrambled version of LPA-2 were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. LPA-2 binds specifically and with high affinity (K i ∼ 0.6×10−10 M) to leptin receptor and is a potent inhibitor of its functions in rabbit endometrial cells. Because leukemia inhibitory factor and interleukin-1 have been implicated in embryo implantation, our results raise the possibility that the LPA-2-induced inhibition of leptin receptor may be exploited to study the actions of leptin in endometrium and in other tissues under conditions characterized by abnormal leptin production.
Immune surveillance in the skin: mechanisms and clinical consequences

The skin, as the primary interface between the body and the environment, provides the first line of defence against a broad array of microbial pathogens and trauma. In addition to its properties as a physical barrier, the skin has many active defence mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the interaction between the innate and adaptive immune systems in the skin as a model for immune function at epithelial-cell interfaces with the environment. How these mechanisms account for the robust nature of cutaneous immune surveillance and how their dysregulation drives the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin disorders and skin-based tumours are the subjects of this review.
Racial differences in salivary slgA concentrations in postmenopausal women

The purpose of this study was to compare sIgA salivary concentrations between Caucasian and African-American postmenopausal women. The age, height, weight and history of hormone replacement therapy were recorded and the BMI was calculated for each individual. Whole, stimulated saliva was assayed for sIgA and total protein. Logistic regression analysis evaluated the relationships between the outcome variables. Total salivary sIgA and adjusted sIgA (adjusted for protein) concentrations were significantly higher in the African-American women (p<0.01). There were significant statistical correlations between sIgA concentrations and race (p<0.01). Our data suggest that racial differences in salivary sIgA concentrations in elderly women could be an important variable for planning future studies utilizing salivary samples as biological markers.
Single electrocytes produce a sexually dimorphic signal in South American electric fish,Hypopomus occidentalis (Gymnotiformes, Hypopomidae)

Hypopomus occidentalis is a weakly electric Gymnotiform fish with a pulse-type electric organ discharge (EOD).Hypopomus used in this study were taken from one of the northernmost boundaries of this species, the Atlantic drainage of Panama where the animals breed at the beginning of the dry season (December). In normal breeding populations,Hypopomus occidentalis exhibit a sexual dimorphism in EOD and morphology. Mature males are large with a broad tail and have an EOD characterized by a low peak power frequency. Females and immature males are smaller, having a slender tail and EODs with higher peak power frequencies (Fig. 1). This study describes differences in the EOD and electric organ morphology between breeding field populations of male and femaleHypopomus. Changes in physiology, morphology and EOD shape which may accompany this seasonal change were examined in steroid injected fish, using standard histological and physiological techniques. A group of females were injected with hormones (5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), estrogen or saline) to assess changes in their morphology and EOD. Animals treated with DHT developed characteristics which mimicked the sexually dimorphic characteristics of a male, while the other groups did not (see Fig. 5). Tissue from the tails of breeding males and females, and females treated with DHT, were sampled to measure the size of the electrocytes in the tail. The broader tail of males and DHT-females is composed of large electrocytes, whereas the slender tail of normal females is composed of smaller electrocytes. Therefore, the increase in the tail width in the female DHT group is caused by an enlargement of the electrocytes in this area. Intracellular recordings from the electrocytes of saline and DHT injected females show a difference in the responses of the rostral faces of the electrocytes from the two groups, which reflect the differences in their EODs. Saline-treated animals had symmetrical EODs (the first and second phase of the EOD were equal in duration and amplitude), while the physiological responses from each face of the electrocytes yielded responses that were similarly equal in duration and amplitude. DHT-treated animals had asymmetrical EODs (the first phase of the EOD was similar to that of saline treated fish and larger in amplitude and shorter in duration than the second phase) and the physiological responses of the electrocytes reflected this asymmetry. The differential recordings across the caudal face were similar to those from saline treated fish, while the responses from the rostral face were longer in duration and smaller in amplitude. These data suggest that the effects of androgens underlie the changes in single electrocytes which produce the sexually dimorphic signals and morphology present in natural breeding populations ofHypopomus occidentalis.
Cellular response to mycobacteria: balancing protection and pathology

There has been a recent increase in our understanding of T cell responses during mycobacterial infection; however, we have not yet identified the protective mechanisms capable of mediating vaccine-induced protection in the lung. Novel approaches have allowed the determination of the kinetics and location of naive T cell activation, as well as the factors that affect of antigen-specific T cell responses, and the balance between protective and immunopathological consequences during the chronic stages of infection. With an urgent need for new and more efficient vaccination strategies, the integration of these data will result in improved vaccine strategies.
Optimization of a continuous roll-to-roll reactor for atmospheric plasma surface treatment using a vaiable gap glow discharge plasma

Summary form only given. A new plasma reactor system has been developed to provide controlled and consistent surface treatment of textiles and films. These webs can be continuously and uniformly treated by proper control of gas flow, plasma parameters, fabric speed and tension. A main goal of this research is to relate independently-variable plasma parameters to deposition results. The exposure time required to make the surface wettable (having a contact angle less than 20 degrees) was drastically reduced in order for the fabric to be processed as quickly as possible. This was accomplished using a variable gap curved-to-flat plate geometry in combination with optimized plasma parameters. In this configuration, a one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma (OAUGDP)reg exists at the minimum gap, but transitions to a more filamentary glow discharge as the gap widens. This filamentation was minimized by proper gas flow, reducing any negative impact on processing results. The gas flow to the plasma volume was controlled with a porous ceramic diffuser in conjunction with a gas nozzle incorporating three degrees of freedom of motion. With this system, the optimum angle of laminar and axially uniform gas flow into the active volume of the plasma can be achieved. Contact angle measurements and dyeability tests were conducted to confirm proper operation
Hybridization behavior of mixed DNA/alkylthiol monolayers on gold: characterization by surface plasmon resonance and 32P radiometric assay.

Nucleic acid assay from a complex biological milieu is attractive but currently difficult and far from routine. In this study, DNA hybridization from serum dilutions into mixed DNA/mercaptoundecanol (MCU) adlayers on gold was monitored by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Immobilized DNA probe and hybridized target densities on these surfaces were quantified using 32P-radiometric assays as a function of MCU diluent exposure. SPR surface capture results correlated with radiometric analysis for hybridization performance, demonstrating a maximum DNA hybridization on DNA/MCU mixed adlayers. The maximum target surface capture produced by MCU addition to the DNA probe layer correlates with structural and conformational data on identical mixed DNA/MCU adlayers on gold derived from XPS, NEXAFS, and fluorescence intensity measurements reported in a related study (Lee, C.-Y.; Gong, P.; Harbers, G. M.; Grainger, D. W.; Castner, D. G.; Gamble, L. J. Anal. Chem. 2006, 78, 3316−3325.). MCU addition into the DNA adlayer ...
EFFECTS OF CHRONIC ETHANOL INGESTION ON BRAIN AMINOACYL‐tRNA SYNTHETASES AND tRNA

— The effects of chronic ethanol ingestion on the in vivo aminoacylation of brain transfer RNA (tRNA) were examined in C57BL/6J mice. A pronounced inhibition in the formation of [14C]leucy]-tRNA and [14C]phenylalanyl-tRNA was observed in the ethanol drinking mice. Properties of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and tRNA were examined following their separation and isolation on a DEAE-cellulose column. Synthesis of [14C]leucyl-tRNA was found to have a complete dependence on ATP and Mg2+. Incubations were carried out by cross-matching tRNA from control rat brain with synthetases obtained from the brains of control or ethanol-drinking mice. Under these conditions, a decreased ability for aminoacylation could be demonstrated when the source of enzyme was derived from ethanol-treated brain. The data indicate that the major effect of ethanol ingestion on the aminoacylation reaction is exerted on aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.
A control profile of adult children of alcoholics: a preliminary investigation.

In order to more precisely investigate the nature of control and self-control issues for adult children of alcoholics (ACA), a group of ACAs was compared to a group of sex and age matched healthy normals and a sex matched group of college students on the Shapiro Control Inventory (SCI). The SCI provides a profile that is both general domain (positive sense of control, desire/efforts for control, agency of control, and mode of control) and domain specific (body, mind, interpersonal, self, career, environment). Analysis of variance and subsequent planned comparisons on the SCI showed significant differences between the AC A and the two comparison groups in general domain sense of control, in three of the four general domain mode quadrants, and in the domain specific areas of body, mind, interpersonal, and career. Individual areas where ACA subjects felt most out of control were weight, significant other, and family of origin; 89.5% felt concern with self-concept, stress, and relationship with significant ot...
Natural History of Biochemical Progression After Radical Prostatectomy Based on Length of a Positive Margin

OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of length of positive margin on prognosis in men after radical prostatectomy. METHODS The positive surgical margin without either seminal vesicle invasion or lymph node metastases was identified in 117 men undergoing prostatectomy between 1991 and 1999. The length of positive margin was obtained by adding together the lengths of all areas of the tumor in contact with the inked surface. Biochemical failure was defined as a serum prostate specific antigen level 0.1 ng/mL or greater. Statistical analyses were performed to compare times with progression and to determine factors for progression. RESULTS The median follow-up duration was 43 months, and the overall 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 74.6%. The differences in prognoses between men with a positive margin 1 mm or less and those with a margin 1.1 to 3 mm was not significant; however, there was a significant difference in prognosis between men with a margin 3 or less and those with a margin greater than 3 mm (P <0.01). Multivariate analyses revealed that both Gleason score 8 or greater and a margin 3 mm or greater were independent predictors. The prognoses in men with neither of these risk factors was statistically better than that of men with either or both of these risk factors (5-year PFS rates 93% versus 57%, respectively; P <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The length of positive margin is significantly associated with disease progression. The Gleason score and the extent of positive margin can be used to stratify the risk for recurrence in patients with positive margin.
Nanoparticulate fillers improve the mechanical strength of bone cement

Background and purpose Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA-) based bone cement contains micrometer‐size barium sulfate or zirconium oxide particles to radiopacify the cement for radiographic monitoring du...
COMPARATIVE ANALYSES OF THE CSSS CALCULATION IN THE UCSD TOMOGRAPHIC SOLAR OBSERVATIONS

We describe a new method to derive the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) out to 1 AU from photospheric magnetic field measurements. The method uses photospheric magnetograms to calculate a source surface magnetic field at 15R⊙. Specifically, we use Wilcox Solar Observatory (WSO) magnetograms as input for the Stanford Current-Sheet Source-Surface (CSSS) model. Beyond the source surface the magnetic field is convected along velocity flow lines derived by a tomographic technique developed at UCSD and applied to interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations. We compare the results with in situ data smoothed by an 18-h running mean. Radial and tangential magnetic field amplitudes fit well for the 20 Carrington rotations studied, which are largely from the active phase of the solar cycle. We show exemplary results for Carrington rotation 1965, which includes the Bastille Day event.
COORDINATION AND CONVENTION: THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CONCERT WORLD

The organization of collaborative work is generally the focus of formal organization researchers. This article examines collaboration organized through an alternative framework, the “social world.” The substantive focus is the concert world, where the interdependent activities of composition and performance are routinely coordinated to produce concerts. Coordination of these activities takes place through musical conventions, which act as an alternative to administrative processes used in formal organization. But the use of conventions vary in the concert world depending on the organizational characteristics of concert collaboration, called “coordination problems,” and the aesthetic interests of participants. The first part of this article develops a model to assess coordination problems in social worlds, and the second part of the article uses the model to analyze collaboration in repertory, academic, and avant-garde concert activities.
Consumer Response to Changes in Food Labeling: Discussion

will critically analyze FDA's future policies. FDA is very short on policy analysis, because most of the decision makers in FDA are from the "hard" sciences. FDA needs policy analysis from economists in particular, and, I think, on close examination many economists will find there is much work to be done. For example, the work done by Pauline Ippolito (of FTC) on health claims was critical to helping FDA come up with a more effective policy. On the issue of a "right" to information on the food label, I do not believe economists have much of use to say about "rights." This applies particularly to inalienable rights, which , by definition, are restrictions on trade, inasmuch as they may not be alienated. My personal view is that proclamation of rights is a form of expensive rent-seeking for people who wish to avoid the market. Furthermore, couching arguments in the form of rights does not allow us to discriminate at the margin. For example, which of the 45 to 50 essential nutrients, not all of which have a public health significance, do consumers have a right to? For that matter, what about trade secrets, such as quantities of flavors, spices, and processing? In addition, nutrition information is not a free good to manufacturers. It must be produced by them, often at a substantial cost. Even if it were "free" to manufacturers, it certainly would be the property of the manufacturers. It cannot be the case that consumers have the right to someone else's private property. Caswell
Analyzing Shopper's Behavior through WiFi Signals

Substantial progress in WiFi-based indoor localization has proven that pervasiveness of WiFi can be exploited beyond its traditional use of internet access to enable a variety of sensing applications. Understanding shopper's behavior through physical analytics can provide crucial insights to the business owner in terms of effectiveness of promotions, arrangement of products and efficiency of services. However, analyzing shopper's behavior and browsing patterns is challenging. Since video surveillance can not used due to high cost and privacy concerns, it is necessary to design novel techniques that can provide accurate and efficient view of shopper's behavior. In this work, we propose WiFi-based sensing of shopper's behavior in a retail store. Specifically, we show that various states of a shopper such as standing near the entrance to view a promotion or walking quickly to proceed towards the intended item can be accurately classified by profiling Channel State Information (CSI) of WiFi. We recognize a few representative states of shopper's behavior at the entrance and inside the store, and show how CSI-based profile can be used to detect that a shopper is in one of the states with very high accuracy (≈ 90%). We discuss the potential and limitations of CSI-based sensing of shopper's behavior and physical analytics in general.
REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION IN PRIMARY CULTURES OF ADULT RAT HEPATOCYTES ON COLLAGEN GELS

The studies described in this paper demonstrate rather conclusively the efficacy of the study of the regulation of gene expression in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes. The utilization of these cells in completely defined medium allows one to determine the exact environmental conditions for the regulation of the expression of specific genes. In the studies described in this work, we have demonstrated that the regulation of glucokinase involved three hormones, insulin, corticosteroids, and T3. In contrast, the regulation of an enzyme involved primarily in fatty acid metabolism, ATP-citrate lyase, required only insulin and T3 for its full expression. Cyclic GMP appeared to be involved in the regulation of glucokinase, but not ATP-citrate lyase, a fact that would be extremely difficult to demonstrate clearly in vivo. The regulation of the gluconeogenic enzyme, ornithine aminotransferase, in vitro involved only a single hormone, glucagon, the inhibition of induction by corticoid steroids demonstrable in vivo being absent in cell culture. However, the repressive effect of glucose on the induction of this enzyme was quite comparable to that seen in vivo and was not mediated through cyclic AMP or insulin, based on findings in cell culture. Thus, the requirements for and the mechanisms involved in enzyme induction and repression by hormones and glucose may be much more easily studied in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes than in vivo, or even in hepatoma cell lines, where relatively few genes are expressed as compared with adult liver. In addition to the regulation of enzyme levels, the characteristics of protein secretion may be investigated in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes and compared with the biochemical and physiological parameters in the whole organism. This was exemplified by the study of the synthesis and secretion of alpha 2u-globulin that was secreted into the culture medium in both glycosylated and nonglycosylated forms but was maintained in the circulation in vivo, principally as the glycosylated form. Furthermore, the function of glycosylation in this particular instance may be deduced from a combination of the in vivo and in vitro approaches. The advantages of the use of primary hepatocyte cultures for the study of the regulation of gene expression in mammalian tissue has only recently been explored. Future investigations of the regulation of a variety of enzymes in these cultures as well as a study of the regulation of the synthesis of their messenger RNA are now possible and should provide an exciting system in which to understand at a molecular level the regulation of the expression of a number of genes.
Electronics for very high rate tracking detectors

Abstract Results are presented on a system of electronics designed for very high rate tracking detectors at the SSC and LHC. The primary goal was a system for signal detection, time measurement, and readout for the straw tracker for SDC. An integrated circuit incorporating eight channels of amplifier-shaper-discriminator (including detector tail cancellation), and two different integrated circuits for time measurement are described. The performance of tracking measurements up to counting rates of 8 MHz per wire is reported, as well as preliminary results from a baseline restoration circuit.
Colonialism, Property and the State

These essays study the evolution of the colonial state and land distribution in the period. They include discussions of the Madras Presidency and comparative analyses of European colonization in Asia.
Rainfall interception by maize canopy: Development and application of a process-based model

Summary The interaction between rain drops and crop canopies changes the microphysical characteristics of precipitation. Understanding the mechanisms driving these changes is a key step towards unveiling the mechanics of soil water recharge, soil erosion under crop canopies, and evaporation of intercepted rainfall. The latter caused by, for example, the reduced aerodynamic resistance to evaporation of splashed droplets. We propose a model that uses drop-size and velocity distributions as well as the three-dimensional geometry of the maize canopy to simulate the movement of raindrops on the surface of the leaves. The model accounts for the interception, redirection, retention, coalescence, and re-interception of drops to predict the location, size, and velocity of throughfall drops beneath the canopy. The throughfall results are presented as two-dimensional matrices, in which each term corresponds to the accumulated volume of drops that dripped in that location, which offers insight into its spatial distribution under the foliage. We examine the modification of the drop-size distribution by the maize canopy by recalculating the drop velocity based on their size and detachment height. They built the three-dimensional digital canopy that is employed in the simulation by creating modified copies of one photogrammetry-generated digital model of a plant located inside their experimental site. The canopy model accounts for the projected overlap of the single plant leaves. We evaluate the results against measurements obtained during 10 storms that occurred between 14 July 2009 and 28 August 2009 in Shueyville, Iowa. The comparison between observations and simulations corroborates the drop detachment threshold of 3.75 mm and indicates that splashing, as opposed to considering solely the rolling or bouncing of droplets that lack the kinetic energy to attach to the foliage, is the likely source of throughfall drops with diameters smaller than 1 mm. The predicted throughfall spatial distribution unveils localized dripping points, which pose a challenge to the correct sampling of throughfall.
The Construction of Market Society in Latin America: Natural Process or Social Engineering?

Neoclassical economics, in the guise of "neoliberalism," "neoconservatism," and "globalization," is today the hegemonic discipline and discourse in Latin America and most of the rest of the world. As James B. Rule has noted, "When historians of ideas go to work on the last decade of the twentieth century, the market will surely appear as one of our intellectual totems" (1998: 29). This purportedly scientific method is supposedly value-neutral, apolitical, and socially indeterminate. Advocates of neoclassical methods stress their rationality and realistic understanding of human nature. Their principal attraction is the promise of resolving problems of material scarcity by emphasizing market relations no matter what the social context, be it postcommunist Poland and Russia, postauthoritarian Argentina or Chile, or advanced industrial Britain. But in fact, this reigning neoclassical economics, which admittedly embraces a fairly wide range of views, is, as are all social sciences, guided by an ideological worldview with very definite values and preconceptions about "human nature," "justice," and "history." It is usually based on an oversimplified and historically inaccurate picture of the rise of markets. This issue of Latin American Perspectives is devoted to case studies of the historical evolution of markets in different parts of Latin America that reveal the complexity of the process and the extent to which the state actors served as social engineers in creating and shaping them. Indeed, the historical record shows that markets were not just locations of exchange or price-setting
Structure of the conserved GTPase domain of the signal recognition particle.

The signal-recognition particle (SRP) and its receptor (SR) function in the co-translational targeting of nascent protein–ribosome complexes to the membrane translocation apparatus1. The SRP protein subunit (termed Ffh in bacteria) that recognizes the signal sequence of nascent polypeptides is a GTPase, as is the SR-α subunit (termed FtsY)2,3. Ffh and FtsY interact directly, each stimulating the GTP hydrolysis activity of the other4. The sequence of Ffh suggests three domains: an amino-terminal N domain of unknown function, a central GTPase G domain, and a methionine-rich M domain that binds both SRP RNA and signal peptides5,6. Sequence conservation suggests that structurally similar N and G domains are present in FtsY7,8. Here we report the structure of the nucleotide-free form of the NG fragment of Ffh. Consistent with a role for apo Ffh in protein targeting, the side chains of the empty active-site pocket form a tight network of interactions which may stabilize the nucleotide-free protein. The structural relationship between the two domains suggests that the N domain senses or controls the nucleotide occupancy of the GTPase domain. A structural subdomain unique to these evolutionarily conserved GTPases constitutes them as a distinct subfamily in the GTPase superfamily9.
QUALIFICATION OF JUDGMENT: A LEARNED COGNITIVE STYLE.

Response preferences related to the qualification of judgment were studied by offering Ss a choice of scales to be used in responding to an opinion questionnaire. The results suggested that sex norms, developmental changes, and the educational process affect these response tendencies.
Macro- and micronutrients removed by upland and lowland rice cultivars in West Africa.

Abstract Plant analysis is an important component of soil fertility and plant nutrition research. Plant analysis at harvest of the crop forms the basis for constructing nutrient balances and assessing the nutrient needs of production systems. Amounts of macro‐ and micronutrient elements removed by improved, upland and lowland rice cultivars were determined in field experiments at two sites in Ivory Coast. Amounts of nitrogen (N), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn) removed for 11 rice grain yield by upland and lowland rice cultivars were similar, but the amounts of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) removed were higher for lowland than upland rice. The nutrient element harvest indexes (amount in grain/amount in grain plus straw) varied between the cultivars, but more importantly, among nutrient elements. On average the nutrient harvest index was highest for P (69%) and lowest for K (10%). The results suggest that the nutrient requirement of rice for K can be met to a large extent th...
Assessment of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein as a marker of airway inflammation in asthma.

Background Limited data are available on the presence of a systemic measure of inflammation in asthma. One marker that has been reported is C-reactive protein (CRP). Objective To examine the correlation between high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) and asthma activity. Methods Fifty-four patients with physician-diagnosed asthma, ages 6 to 58 years, were enrolled in the study. In addition to medical history and physical examination, asthma was assessed according to the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) control score, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), and spirometry. The relationships between hsCRP and each of the asthma control measures (ie, NAEPP control scores, presence of wheeze, FeNO, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV 1 ]) were calculated. Results The hsCRP levels in all patients ranged from less than 0.5 to 14.1 mg/L, with a mean (SD) of 2.1(2.9 mg/L), compared with less than 0.5 mg/L expected in healthy individuals. The FEV 1 percentage predicted ranged from 48% to 130%, with a mean (SD) of 96.5% (17.5%). Correlation coefficients for hsCRP vs FEV 1 and FeNO were 0.07 and −0.03, respectively. Neither of these values reached statistical significance. The χ 2 analysis values for hsCRP vs the NAEPP scores, wheeze, FEV 1 , and FeNO were 0.00, 2.16, 1.32, and 2.08, respectively, with none being statistically significant. Conclusions Our study of patients with asthma, mostly of a mild severity, did not reveal any significant correlation between hsCRP and wheeze, NAEPP control score, FEV 1 , or FeNO. Larger studies with a more diverse level of asthma control are warranted in examining the utility of hsCRP in the evaluation of asthma.
Rigidity transitions in binary Ge–Se glasses and the intermediate phase

Abstract Raman scattering measurements, undertaken on bulk GexSe1−x glasses at 0 (ν ES ) Ge ( Se 1/2 ) 4 mode frequencies. A second-order transition from a floppy to an unstressed rigid phase occurs near xc(1)=0.20(1) where both νCS(x) and νES(x) show a kink. A first-order transition from an unstressed rigid to a stressed rigid phase occurs near xc(2)=0.26(1), where νCS2(x) displays a step-like discontinuity between x=0.25 and 0.26 and a power-law behavior at x>xc (2). In sharp contrast, earlier micro-Raman measurements that use at least three orders of magnitude larger photon flux to excite the scattering, showed only one rigidity transition near xc=0.23, the mid-point of the intermediate phase (xc(1)