cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The good engineer

So why be a good engineer? There are basically three reasons: 1) possible detection and the harm that dishonorable acts might cause, 2) a common responsibility to the professional engineering community, and 3) a negative impact on one’s own integrity when one behaves badly. But what if, in the face of these arguments, one is still not convinced? I must admit that there appears to be no knock-down ethical argument available to change the mind of a person set on behaving badly. There remains the option to act in whatever way one may wish. Engineers must realize however that bad manners and/or immorality and/or illegality, even if undetected, will most likely result in harm to themselves and thus rational behavior should result in honorable conduct of professional duties.
The effect of 2,6-bis(diethanolamino)-4-piperidinopyrimido [5,4-d]-pyrimidine (RA233) on growth, metastases and lung colony formation of B16 melanoma.

Abstract The dissemination of malignant cells from a primary tumor to distant host sites appears to be influenced by blood platelets of the hemostatic system. Under conditions that did not inhibit primary tumor growth, RA233 decreased both the incidence and frequency of spontaneous lung metastases by 66% and 69%, respectively. Although RA 233 effectively inhibited the formation of spontaneous metastases, oral administration of RA233 prior to and after the intravenous inoculation of 1 × 105 B16F10 murine melanoma cells failed to inhibit subsequent lung colony formation. These findings indicate that RA233 has antimetastatic activity, and that inhibition of platelet aggregation is not the sole determinant of this action.
Glucocorticoids stimulate the release of a viral tumor marker (MMTV gp52) while inhibiting tumor cell growth.

Abstract The influence of glucocorticoid treatments on the release of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) envelope antigen (gp52) has been studied in C3H mammary tumor cell cultures and compared to treatment-mediated effects on tumor cell growth. Simultaneous assessment of extracellular viral antigen levels and tumor cell growth has indicated that both are coordinately affected by glucocorticoid treatment. While gp52 release is stimulated by treatment, this effect is accompanied by an inhibition of tumor cell growth. These stimulatory and inhibitory effects are mediated by dexamethasone (DEX) in a dose-dependent fashion, and both effects are more pronounced with the synthetic glucocorticoids DEX or triamcinolone acetonide (TA). Quantitation of media gp52 levels by RIA revealed the following hierarchy of glucocorticoid enhancement: TA > DEX > prednisolone > hydrocortisone > triamcinolone. A similar order of activity was observed in terms of inhibition of cell growth. The ability of TA to enhance gp52 release was 2.4–2.7 times greater than DEX, a previously proven stimulator of MMTV expression. Cell density of B9 mammary tumor cells was reduced 73% following 72 h of 10 −8 MTA treatment while C3H Mm5mt/cl mammary tumor cells were reduced by 53%. Hormone-mediated changes in in vitro gp52 release suggest that hormones might also influence plasma levels of MMTV gp52 as a systemic marker for the presence and status of murine mammary tumors. Coordinate stimulatory and inhibitory effects suggest that glucocorticoids may play a complex role in murine mammary tumorigenesis and subsequent mammary disease.
IGNITION DYNAMICS OF BORON PARTICLES IN A SHOCK TUBE

Small crystalline boron particles (1-15 (J,m) in a pure oxygen atmosphere are ignited at the endwall of a high pressure (8.5 atm) shock tube to study the effect of particle size on ignition delay time. An infrared detector is used to observe 6263 oxide layer removal from the boron particles, while a visible wavelength photodiode is used simultaneously to observe BO2 emission. Both infrared and visible data are presented showing particle size and temperature effects. Results compare favorably to theoretical predictions from a recent model.
Rapid Growth of Long, Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes through Efficient Catalyst Optimization Using Metal Film Gradients

Pulsed laser deposited, orthogonally overlapping metal film gradients are introduced as a versatile method to optimize desired nanomaterial characteristics simultaneously as a function of catalyst ...
A procedure for purification of the ryanodine receptor from skeletal muscle

In this paper, we describe a simple and reproducible method for purifying large quantities of ryanodine receptor from skeletal muscle membranes. The procedure involves the use of ion exchange chromatography and sucrose gradient centrifugation to purify the protein which has been identified as the calcium release protein of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (Imagawa, T., Smith, J., Coronado, R. and Campbell, K. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262:16,636–16,643). Addition of micromolar quantities of unlabeled ryanodine prior to solubilization and throughout the isolation procedure appears to stabilize the tetrameric structure of the ryanodine receptor. The purified receptor, consisting predominantly of a 400K polypeptide on SDS-PAGE, binds [3H]ryanodine with a binding affinity similar to that in membranes. Overall recovery of ryanodine binding activity was 21% of the initial activity with a 30-fold purification of the receptor.
The Effects of Vocational Interventions on the Complexity and Positivity of Occupational Judgments.

Abstract Ninety-two subjects, who were pretested for levels of cognitive complexity and occupational positivity, participated in one of four self-administered vocational interventions in which they completed (1) J. L. Holland's (1970 , The self-directed search , Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press) Self-Directed Search, (2) J. Bodden's (1970) , Journal of Counseling Psychology , 17 , 364–368) Occupational Information, (3) a computer interactive career program, or (4) an attention-control condition. Post-test and 2-week follow-up assessments indicated that, across groups, subjects decreased in levels of complexity but increased in levels of occupational positivity over time. These effects were qualified by significant interactions which suggested the differential impact of various types of career interventions on vocational judgments. Results are discussed in relation to the literature on cognitive complexity and vocational information processing.
FRET microscopy to visualize transcription factor dimerization in the nucleus of the living cell

Cells respond to environmental cues or developmental programs by modifying protein complexes in the nucleus to alter patterns of gene transcription. Recent advances in digital imaging coupled with the development of new fluorescent probes provide the tools to begin to study where and when changes in protein interactions take place in the nucleus of the living cell. Here, we describe the application of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) using both wide-field and 2-photon (2P) microscopy to visualize the interactions of the transcription factor CAATT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBP(alpha) ) in living pituitary cells. The efficiency of FRET will be improved if the overlap of the donor emission spectra with the absorption spectra for the acceptor is increased. The trade off for this improved efficiency, however, is that there will be an increase in the background signal from which the weak sensitized acceptor emission must be extracted. Here, we compare and contrast the FRET signals obtained from dimerized C/EBP(alpha) proteins fused to several different color variants of the jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP). We use both wide-field and 2P FRET microscopy to characterize the spectral cross-talk and FRET signals for each of the donor and acceptor pairs.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Control-Theoretic Analysis of a Closed-Loop PPC System

Abstract An analysis of a production planning and control system with closed-loop control of backlog and work-in-progress is presented in this paper, illustrating integration of methods of control engineering with methods of production engineering. The architecture of the system is described and a control-theoretic dynamic model is developed that includes uncertainties in capacity and work input that result from equipment failures, rush orders, etc. Transfer function analysis is used to model dynamic relationships between system inputs and variables including backlog and work-in-progress. The results are used to select control laws for desired system performance and to calculate system response.
Effects of charging-energy fluctuations on an anomalous behavior of mesoscopic Josephson junctions.

A theory is proposed for mesoscopic Josephson junctions in the low-temperature intermediate quantum regime in which such junctions are characterized by a large single-electron charging energy {ital E}{sub {ital c}} that is of the order of the Josephson energy, {ital E}{sub {ital J}}. This contrasts with the classical Josephson junctions where the Josephson energy {ital E}{sub {ital J}} is usually dominant. In this intermediate regime the phase difference of the order parameters for left and right superconductors is no longer localized. In particular, it is believed that at low temperature the quantum phase fluctuations play a very important role. By employing functional-integral methods to the junction Hamiltonian, the resistive regimes of the mesoscopic Josephson junctions below the critical current are studied. It is shown that the Josephson current acquires a spectral decomposition, characterized by the spectral width {Delta}{sub {omega}}. The relative values of {Delta}{sub {omega}} and the voltage {ital V} are shown to determine the resistive regimes in the junction.
Noninvasive Diagnostic Techniques for Coronary Disease in Women

Significant advances in medical treatment, medical technology, and the focus on sex-specific research have contributed to a reduction in cardiovascular mortality in women. Despite these advances, coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of cardiovascular death of women in the Western world. In the past 2 decades, the focused research on women at risk for CAD has helped to clarify our understanding of some of the sex-specific factors that are important in the detection of CAD. In women, the detection and evaluation of physiologically significant CAD can be challenging. Many of the traditional tests that are designed to detect focal areas of coronary artery stenosis are less sensitive and specific in female patients, who have a greater burden of symptoms, higher atherosclerotic burden, and lower prevalence of obstructive coronary disease. In this article, we review the available evidence on the role of contemporary noninvasive diagnostic techniques in the evaluation of women with symptoms of CAD. The authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.
Argon predissociation infrared spectroscopy of the hydroxide–water complex (OH−·H2O)

Abstract We report the first vibrational spectrum of the degenerate proton transfer system OH−·H2O. The complex is cooled by attachment of argon atoms and the spectrum is observed by argon predissociation spectroscopy in the OH stretching region. A strong, sharp transition is observed just below the region usually associated with the free OH stretch, while broader bands appear lower in energy and are weaker than the dominant free OH peak. The latter are assigned with the aid of ab initio calculations to the first overtone of the coupled intramolecular bend and strongly red-shifted H-bonded OH stretching modes.
Changing practices in agriculture and their effect on the environment

With less man hours and acreage per production unit, agricultural productivity has increased significantly. The increased efficiency has been associated with a number of environmental quality problems. This review emphasizes animal production as an example of the changes that have occurred in agriculture. The major topic areas include land disposal of wastes, runoff, odors, water pollution, and waste management.
Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol induced inhibition of predatory aggression in the rat.

Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol inhibits predatory aggression in rats. Increases in the degree of inhibition are obtained with increasing dosages of the drug. Although sex and strain of the subjects varied nonsystematically, inhibition of predatory aggression uniformly was found to be dose related. Readministration of Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol did not effect motor activity measures at dose levels which inhibit aggression. Administration of Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol increases whole brain serotonin, while norepinepherine is largely unaffected, indicating that the anti-aggressive effect may be mediated, in part, by serotonergic mechanisms.
TGFBETA AND RETINOIC ACID INTERSECT IN IMMUNE-REGULATION

Transforming growth factor (TGFβ) prevents TH1 and TH2 differentiation and converts naive CD4 cells into Foxp3-expressing T regulatory (Treg) cell1, 2. In sharp contrast, in the presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, TGFβ not only inhibits Foxp3 expression but also promotes the differentiation of pro-inflammatory IL17-producing CD4 effector T (TH17) cells3-5. This reciprocal TGFβ-dependent differentiation imposes a critical dilemma between pro- and anti-inflammatory immunity and suggests that a sensitive regulatory mechanism must exist to control TGFβ-driven TH17 effector and Treg differentiation. A vitamin A metabolite, retinoic acid (RA), was recently identified as a key modulator of TGFβ-driven immune deviation capable of suppressing TH17 differentiation while promoting Foxp3+Treg generation 6-10.
Family Planning Use among Urban Poor Women from Six Cities of Uttar Pradesh, India

Family planning has widespread positive impacts for population health and well-being; contraceptive use not only decreases unintended pregnancies and reduces infant and maternal mortality and morbidity, but it is critical to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals. This study uses baseline, representative data from six cities in Uttar Pradesh, India to examine family planning use among the urban poor. Data were collected from about 3,000 currently married women in each city (Allahabad, Agra, Varanasi, Aligarh, Gorakhpur, and Moradabad) for a total sample size of 17,643 women. Participating women were asked about their fertility desires, family planning use, and reproductive health. The survey over-sampled slum residents; this permits in-depth analyses of the urban poor and their family planning use behaviors. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are used to examine the role of wealth and education on family planning use and unmet need for family planning. Across all of the cities, about 50% of women report modern method use. Women in slum areas generally report less family planning use and among those women who use, slum women are more likely to be sterilized than to use other methods, including condoms and hormonal methods. Across all cities, there is a higher unmet need for family planning to limit childbearing than for spacing births. Poorer women are more likely to have an unmet need than richer women in both the slum and non-slum samples; this effect is attenuated when education is included in the analysis. Programs seeking to target the urban poor in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere in India may be better served to identify the less educated women and target these women with appropriate family planning messages and methods that meet their current and future fertility desire needs.
Modeling aspects of low plastic strain amplitude multiaxial cyclic plasticity in conventional and ultrafine grain nickel

Abstract Aspects of the cyclically saturated responses of initially annealed, conventional grain size (average grain diameter of approximately 50 μm) and electrodeposited, ultrafine grain (grains from 20 to 500 nm) nickel to reversed proportional and 90° out-of-phase axial-torsional, strain-controlled cycling at a nominally constant equivalent inelastic strain amplitude of approximately 100 μ strain are reported. An anisotropic, axial-torsional subspace version of Abdel-Karim and Ohno’s kinematic hardening model is presented. Within the framework of conventional small strain, rate-independent plasticity, this approach is used to model the responses. An anhysteretic, phenomenolically based, magnetomechanical model is coupled to the rate-independent plasticity model to include the cyclic magnetostriction response. The kinematic hardening parameter determination scheme, using the proportional path responses, is described. The model correlations achieved are presented and the ability of the resulting models to capture the 90° out-of-phase responses is examined. The model parameter sets, as determined from the proportional responses, require small changes to result in more accurate correlation of the 90° out-of-phase responses and the implications of this are discussed. The relative values of the model parameters between the two materials reflect the initial microstructures. Persistent mean stresses associated with mean total strains imposed are successfully modeled for the proportional strain path responses but not for the 90° out-of-phase responses.
Morphology changes due to anodic treatment of glassy carbon electrodes

Etude de la morphologie des electrodes en carbone a l'etat vitreux apres activation electrochimique par microscopie electronique balayage et par microscopie a detection de phase
PREDICTIVE CONTROL OF BLOOD GLUCOSE CONCENTRATION IN TYPE-I DIABETIC PATIENTS USING LINEAR INPUT-OUTPUT MODELS

Abstract Intra- and inter-patient variability poses a challenging task to control blood glucose concentration in diabetic patients. A data based model predictive control with state and disturbance estimation has been developed to control the blood glucose concentration in the type-I diabetic patients in the presence of meal disturbances under patient-model mismatch. Simulation studies were performed on three distinct patient models generated as a result of sensitivity analysis, which revealed that the proposed control strategy is able to control the blood glucose concentration well within the acceptable limits and also able to compensate for the slow parametric drifts.
A new approach for implementation of associative memory using volume holographic materials

Associative memory, also known as fault tolerant or content-addressable memory, has gained considerable attention in last few decades. This memory possesses important advantages over the more common random access memories since it provides the capability to correct faults and/or partially missing information in a given input pattern. There is general consensus that optical implementation of connectionist models and parallel processors including associative memory has a better record of success compared to their electronic counterparts. In this article, we describe a novel optical implementation of associative memory which not only has the advantage of all optical learning and recalling capabilities, it can also be realized easily. We present a new approach, inspired by tomographic imaging techniques, for holographic implementation of associative memories. In this approach, a volume holographic material is sandwiched within a matrix of inputs (optical point sources) and outputs (photodetectors). The memory capacity is realized by the spatial modulation of refractive index of the holographic material. Constructing the spatial distribution of the refractive index from an array of known inputs and outputs is formulated as an inverse problem consisting a set of linear integral equations.
Botulinum Toxin Injection for the Treatment of Upper Esophageal Sphincter Dysfunction

Objectives:We sought to review the dysphagia-related outcomes and quality of life in a series of patients with upper esophageal sphincter (UES) dysfunction treated with cricopharyngeal (CP) botulinum toxin (BTX) injection, and to identify patient characteristics or CP muscle histologic features that predict efficacy of BTX injection.Methods:A retrospective chart review was performed on patients with UES dysfunction who underwent CP BTX injection. Dysphagia-related quality-of-life questionnaires based on the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) were mailed to patients.Results:Forty-nine patients (30 female, 19 male; average age, 59 ± 16 years) with UES dysfunction have been treated at our institution with CP BTX injection since 2000. Seventeen of these patients also underwent CP myotomy. Injections of BTX were occasionally repeated after the treatment effect subsided, and the BTX dose varied widely (average, 39 ± 19 units). Improvement in symptoms was noted by 65% of patients. The overall complication rate was ...
Sintering of Dental Porcelain Enamels

This study showed the effects of sintering temperature and atmospheric pressure on the density, tensile strength, and microstructure of porcelain enamels. Although the densities of the opaque porcelains were higher, they were weaker than the gingival porcelains. Gingival porcelains also glazed and sintered at lower temperatures than the opaque porcelains.
Methyl farnesoate and the effect of eyestalk ablation on the morphogenesis of the juvenile female spider crab Libinia emarginata

Summary The effect of eyestalk ablation on morphogenesis and levels of methyl farnesoate (MF) in the hemolymph were investigated in juvenile females of the spider crab Libinia emarginata. The ablated crabs had significantly increased levels of MF in the hemolymph as early as 7 days post-ablation, which continued to increase during premolt. In the intact controls, MF levels in the hemolymph remained low throughout the intermolt and premolt periods. All ablated animals molted to giant juveniles, while the intact controls molted to the adult form. These results strongly suggest that there is a period of the molt cycle which is sensitive to elevated levels of MF in the hemolymph, and that MF has a juvenilizing effect on morphogenesis in L. emarginata and probably in other crustaceans as well.
Adiabatic coupling to extended Bloch modes of photonic crystals

A robust scheme is proposed to adiabatically couple the light into and out of propagation modes of photonic crystal structures out of photonic bandgap. It is shown that group index plays the main role in reflection from layers with slight variations. This principle is used to design smoothly varying structures to adiabatically match the incident region to the transmission region. The smooth variation is obtained by modifying the size of holes and the aspect ratio of the unit cells in the buffer layers. It is shown that this method is insensitive to incident angle and wavelength and is therefore appropriate as general-purpose input and output buffer stages for dispersion-based applications of photonic crystal such as superprism-based demultiplexing, diffraction-free propagation, diffraction compensation, and dispersion compensation.
Hypercode: The building code as a hyperdocument

The Canadian National Building Code serves as a model document for several other legal documents that govern the construction of buildings, and as such it consists primarily of a list of definitions, prescriptive rules, and performance requirements, and contains cross-references to other legal and quasilegal documents. There are many different users of this document, each using the Code for its own ends. There is also a considerable amount of variance among the individual user groups. The concept of hypertext, developed in late 1930s and mid-1940s, exhibits characteristics that make it an ideal medium for the development of an electronic Code. The National Building Code conceived as a hyperdocument would allow for much greater flexibility in accessing the information contained therein. A HyperCode would also enable users to tailor the document to their specific needs.
A superconducting quadrupole “collector” with large solid angle for high energy heavy-ion experiments

Abstract We propose using superconducting quadrupole elements to collect small angle reaction products. Very large solid angles can be obtained because the full reaction cone is collected.
Identification and Instruction of Important Business Communication Skills for Graduate Business Education

Despite academia's best efforts there still remains a gap in communication skills desired by business practitioners and those delivered by new graduates. The authors suggest that this may be the result of practitioners demanding outcome-based skills and academia teaching basic non-business-specific fundamentals of communications. An examination of the literature suggested that outcome-motivated skills can be successfully taught, but that comprehensive outcome skills sets do not exist. Thus, the authors conducted a thorough review of the literature to identify those outcome-based communication skills that management experts, leadership theorists, business education professionals, communication skills researchers, and business development writers have stated are in greatest need in business organizations. They conclude with recommendations and implications for business management and education.
Fluorescence Characterization of IHSS Humic Substances: Total Luminescence Spectra with Absorbance Correction

Total luminescence spectroscopy was applied to the fluorescence characterization of humic substances obtained from the International Humic Substances Society (IHSS). Results show that total luminescence spectra, represented as excitation−emission matrices (EEMs), may be used to discriminate between soil-derived and aquatic-derived IHSS humic substances and between humic and fulvic acids derived from the same source (soil or aquatic). Ionic strength in the range of 0−1 M KCl and humic substance concentration in the range of 5−100 mg/L had little effect on the fluorescence spectral characteristics of the humic substances, while pH had significant effects as expected. Absorbance correction was shown to be essential for accurate representation and comparison of the EEMs of the humic substances at high concentrations.
Salience and contrast effects in reference resolution: The interpretation of Dutch pronouns and demonstratives

We report three experiments on reference resolution in Dutch. The results of two off-line experiments and an eye-tracking study suggest that the interpretation of different referential forms—in particular, “emphatic” strong pronouns, weak pronouns, and demonstrative pronouns—cannot be satisfactorily explained in terms of a single feature of the antecedent. The findings show that while the different preferences of demonstratives pronouns and nonemphatic personal pronouns correlate with the antecedent's grammatical role, the distinction between strong/emphatic personal pronouns and weak personal pronouns cannot be satisfactorily explained by grammatical role. The results suggest that the strong form is sensitive to the presence of contrastive, switched topics. These findings indicate that the form-specific multiple-constraints approach (e.g., Kaiser & Trueswell, 2008) can be extended to the strong/weak distinction and contrast sensitivity. We also discuss the implications of these results for the nature of ...
Lymphovascular Invasion as a Prognostic Indicator in Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is considered a high-risk pathologic feature in resected non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC). The ability to stratify stage I patients into risk groups may permit refinement of adjuvant treatment recommendations. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate whether the presence of LVI is associated with disease outcome in stage I NSCLC patients. Methods A systematic search of the literature was performed (1990 to December 2012 in MEDLINE/EMBASE). Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of the articles and extracted data. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with a random effects model. Two end points were independently analyzed: recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). We analyzed unadjusted and adjusted effect estimates, resulting in four separate meta-analyses. Results We identified 20 published studies that reported the comparative survival of stage I patients with and without LVI. The unadjusted pooled effect of LVI was significantly associated with worse RFS (HR, 3.63; 95% CI, 1.62 to 8.14) and OS (HR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.72 to 3.30). Adjusting for potential confounders yielded similar results, with RFS (HR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.73 to 3.65) and OS (HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.53 to 2.14) both significantly worse for patients exhibiting LVI. Conclusions The present study indicates that LVI is a strong prognostic indicator for poor outcome for patients with surgically managed stage I lung cancer. Future prospective lung cancer trials with well-defined methods for evaluating LVI are necessary to validate these results.
Combinatorial sums and finite differences

We present a new approach to evaluating combinatorial sums by using finite differences. Let {a"k}"k"="0^~ and {b"k}"k"="0^~ be sequences with the property that @Db"k=a"k for k>=0. Let g"[email protected]?"k"="0^nnka"k, and let h"[email protected]?"k"="0^nnkb"k. We derive expressions for g"n in terms of h"n and for h"n in terms of g"n. We then extend our approach to handle binomial sums of the form @?"k"="0^nnk(-1)^ka"k, @?"kn2ka"k, and @?"kn2k+1a"k, as well as sums involving unsigned and signed Stirling numbers of the first kind, @?"k"="0^nnka"k and @?"k"="0^ns(n,k)a"k. For each type of sum we illustrate our methods by deriving an expression for the power sum, with a"k=k^m, and the harmonic number sum, with a"k=H"k=1+1/2+...+1/k. Then we generalize our approach to a class of numbers satisfying a particular type of recurrence relation. This class includes the binomial coefficients and the unsigned Stirling numbers of the first kind.
Observations Concerning the Correlation of In Vitro Sulfonamide Activity with pKa and the Hammett Values

Linear correlations of the in vitro bacteriostatic activity of sulfonamides with pKa provide little evidence in support of there being a definite pKa which a sulfonamide must possess in order to exhibit maximum activity.
Synergistic Effect of Human Lysozyme Plus Ampicillin or β-Lysin on the Killing of Listeria monocytogenes

Although ampicillin is often only bacteriostatic for Listeria monocytogenes in vitro, serum from ampicillin-treated patients was bactericidal. The bactericidal effect of serum was partly removed by bentonite, Seitz-filtration, and addition of FeCl3, suggesting it is mediated by lysozyme and beta-lysin. Partly purified human beta-lysin plus purified human lysozyme or either protein plus ampicillin were bactericidal for L. monocytogenes. Hen egg white lysozyme was not active. Lysozyme and beta-lysin were not synergistic with tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, or chloramphenicol. Thus, lysozyme and beta-lysin may play a role in the natural resistance to L. monocytogenes, and these serum proteins could contribute to the effectiveness of ampicillin in vivo.
Variational calculations of the excited states of liquid 4 He

Approximate wave functions of the form $\mathcal{G}\ensuremath{\Phi}(n(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}))$, where $\mathcal{G}$ is a correlation operator that contains two-body, three-body, and momentum-dependent correlations, and $\ensuremath{\Phi}(n(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}))$ is a noninteracting-Bose-gas wave function with occupation numbers $n(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}})$, are used to calculate the energies of excited states of liquid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$. The energy expectation values are calculated by generalizing the Fermi hypernetted-chain methods. The single-quasiparticle excitation spectrum provides stringent tests for the correlation operator $\mathcal{G}$. The calculated phonon, maxon spectra are not in good agreement with the experimental results presumably because of the truncations in the large-distance behavior of the two-body correlations in the $\mathcal{G}$. The results obtained for the roton energies are in good agreement with the experiments over the range of liquid-$^{4}\mathrm{He}$ density.
Ground-state properties of the Hubbard model on a C60 cluster.

Using quantum Monte Carlo techniques, we study the one-band Hubbard model at half filling, on a ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecule. Spin-spin correlations are measured at couplings U/t=4 and 8, and results are compared with similar studies on square lattices. At the lowest temperatures accessible to our simulations, we find that the spin correlations on the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecule tend to vanish at large distances, with a correlation length of 3\char21{}4 lattice spacings. Spin-wave calculations in the Heisenberg limit are also reported, in qualitative agreement with Monte Carlo simulations. These results suggest that the ground state of the half-filled Hubbard model on the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ fullerene is spin disordered (defined as having a correlation length smaller than the cluster size), in contrast with the spin-density-wave state that exists on the two-dimensional square lattice. We believe that a ``dimer'' state may properly describe the undoped ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecule.
Effects of organic solvent vehicles on benzo[a]pyrene metabolism in rabbit lung microsomes.

Abstract In order to study the metabolism of benzo[ a ]pyrene (BP), it must be dissolved in an organic solvent vehicle for delivery to the tissue. We studied the effects of five organic solvent vehicles, i.e. dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), acetone, methanol, ethanol, and ethyl acetate, on benzo[ a ]pyrene hydroxylase activity and the BP metabolite profile in rabbit lung microsomes. Fluorescence detection of 3- and 9-OH-BP was used to evaluate benzo[ a ]pyrene hydroxylase activity, and the BP metabolite profile was obtained by HPLC analysis. All solvent vehicles inhibited benzo[ a ]pyrene hydroxylase in a dose-dependent manner. When the smallest volume of each solvent (10 μl/ml reaction mixture) was employed, the resulting enzyme activities as related to solvent type, from highest to lowest, were DMSO > methanol > ethanol > acetone > ethyl acetate. HPLC analysis of BP metabolites formed in the presence of the five solvent vehicles showed that production of all metabolites was greatest when DMSO was used and that linearity of product formation was retained longer with DMSO. The metabolites produced when DMSO was used as the solvent were BP-9,10-diol, BP-4,5-diol, BP-7,8-diol, BP-l,6-quinone, BP-3,6-quinone and 3-OH-BP. A similar metabolite profile was obtained when reactions were carried out with methanol as the solvent vehicle, although the magnitude of production was less than with DMSO. When acetone was used, there were greater amounts of BP-4,5-diol and BP quinone formation and lesser amounts of 3-OH-BP formed than with DMSO or methanol. When ethanol or ethyl acetate was used as a solvent, BP-9,10-diol and 3-OH-BP were the only metabolites produced. These results indicate that all solvent vehicles studied inhibit benzo[ a ]pyrene hydroxylase from rabbit lung microsomes in a dose-dependent manner and that the magnitudes and types of metabolites formed are highly dependent upon the specific solvent used as the vehicle. The study also indicates that DMSO is probably the solvent vehicle of choice for study of BP metabolism in rabbit lung microsomes.
Unique nucleocytoplasmic dsDNA and +ssRNA viruses are associated with the dinoflagellate endosymbionts of corals.

The residence of dinoflagellate algae (genus: Symbiodinium) within scleractinian corals is critical to the construction and persistence of tropical reefs. In recent decades, however, acute and chronic environmental stressors have frequently destabilized this symbiosis, ultimately leading to coral mortality and reef decline. Viral infection has been suggested as a trigger of coral–Symbiodinium dissociation; knowledge of the diversity and hosts of coral-associated viruses is critical to evaluating this hypothesis. Here, we present the first genomic evidence of viruses associated with Symbiodinium, based on the presence of transcribed +ss (single-stranded) RNA and ds (double-stranded) DNA virus-like genes in complementary DNA viromes of the coral Montastraea cavernosa and expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries generated from Symbiodinium cultures. The M. cavernosa viromes contained divergent viral sequences similar to the major capsid protein of the dinoflagellate-infecting +ssRNA Heterocapsa circularisquama virus, suggesting a highly novel dinornavirus could infect Symbiodinium. Further, similarities to dsDNA viruses dominated (∼69%) eukaryotic viral similarities in the M. cavernosa viromes. Transcripts highly similar to eukaryotic algae-infecting phycodnaviruses were identified in the viromes, and homologs to these sequences were found in two independently generated Symbiodinium EST libraries. Phylogenetic reconstructions substantiate that these transcripts are undescribed and distinct members of the nucleocytoplasmic large DNA virus (NCLDVs) group. Based on a preponderance of evidence, we infer that the novel NCLDVs and RNA virus described here are associated with the algal endosymbionts of corals. If such viruses disrupt Symbiodinium, they are likely to impact the flexibility and/or stability of coral–algal symbioses, and thus long-term reef health and resilience.
Synergy between conventional phosphorus fire retardants and organically-modified clays can lead to fire retardancy of styrenics

Abstract Polystyrene–clay nanocomposites combined with phosphorous-containing fire retardants have been prepared and used to explore the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the polymer formed. The amounts of fire retardants and clay used were varied to study the effect of each on thermal stability and mechanical properties of the polymer. The samples were prepared by bulk polymerization and analyzed by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, cone calorimetry, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy and the evaluation of mechanical properties. The thermal stability of the polymers is enhanced by the presence of the phosphorus-containing fire retardants.
Two highly homologous putative DNA-binding proteins in yeast and E. coli

WrbA [tryptophan oar) repressor-binding protein A] is a new 21 kDa protein found in some preparations of Escherichia coil iryp~ophan repressor (TrpR) l which can stimulate binding of TrpR to DNA. By searching the Swissprot database with the program FASTA 2, we found that WrbA has a highly homologous counterpart, YCP4, in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. YCP4 was identified as the hypothetical protein encoded by open reading frame (ORF) YCR042, mapping in the CDCIO--CIT2 intergenic region of yeast chromosome III (Ref. 3). WrbA and YCP4 contain 198 and 247 amino acids, respectively, as deduced from their nucleotide sequences. The two proteins show 46% identity and 65% similarity over 197 amino acids aligned with six residues gapped (Fig. I). These values strongly suggest a structural homology between the two proteins. No biochemical information regarding YCP4 is available to demonstrate that the protein is actually expressed. Neverthe- less, analysis of the promoter region and the calculation of a codon adaptation index (CAD equal to 0.2 had previously suggested that ORF YCR042 is transcribed and translated in vivo 3. This hypothesis is now strengthened by the observation of a strong evolutionary conservation, By uslng the Sharp and Li method 4, we calculated a CAI value for WrbA equal to 0.43, suggesting that this protein is also expressed with high efficiency, The calculated pl for WrbA is 5.7, while for the aligned region of YCP4 (residues 1-202) it is 6.5. For full-length YCP4 the calculated pl is 8 ~, rcficcting a carbo~-terminal extension rich in basic residues (Fig. I). A noteworthy feature of the aligned WrbA and YCP4 ~equences is the presence of a helix-turn-helix (HTH) DNA- binding motif in the carboxy-terminal region (Fig. I). WrbA fits, without mismatches, the motif AX3GXs(I/L/V ) defined by the frequency matrix of Dodd and Egan 5, while YCP4 shows a threonine re::idue in the last position of the motif. Although this substitution is not found among the known sequences of the HTH family, alanine can be observed in this position 5. Secondary structure prediction according to two different methods ~.7 detects a strong helical propensity in the regions adjacent to the central glycine of the motif in both sequences (WrbA, 177-183 and ]89--195; YCP4, 182-189 a;rd 195--207) (Fig. I). These features of WrbA and YCP4 sequences make them possible new members of the HTH family of DNA-
Soy molasses as fermentation substrate for production of butanol using Clostridium beijerinckii BA101

Spray-dried soy molasses (SDSM) contains the sugars dextrose, sucrose, fructose, pinitol, raffinose, verbascose, melibiose, and stachyose. Of the 746 g kg(-1) total sugars in SDSM, 434 g kg(-1) is fermentable using Clostridium beijerinckii BA101. SDSM was used to produce acetone, butanol, and ethanol (ABE) by C. beijerinckii BA101 in batch cultures. Using 80 g l(-1) SDSM, 10.7 g l(-1) ABE was produced in P2 medium. Higher concentrations of SDSM resulted in poor solvent production due to the presence of excessive salt and inhibitory components. C. beijerinckii BA101 in SDSM at 80 g l(-1) concentration produced 22.8 g l(-1) ABE when supplemented with 25.3 g l(-1) glucose. SDSM contains 57.4 g kg(-1) mineral ash and 2% tri-calcium phosphate. Tri-calcium phosphate up to 43.1 g l(-1) was not inhibitory and at a tri-calcium phosphate concentration of 28.8 g l(-1), the culture produced more solvents (30.1 g l(-1)) than the control experiment (23.8 g l(-1)). In contrast, sodium chloride was a strong inhibitor of C. beijerinckii BA101 cell growth. At a concentration of 10 g l(-1) sodium chloride, a maximum cell concentration of 0.6 g l(-1) was achieved compared to 1.7 g l(-1) in the control experiment. The effects of two salts on specific growth rate constant (mu) and specific rate of ABE production (nu) for C. beijerinckii BA101 were examined.
Quinidine therapy of auricular fibrillation.

Abstract 1. 1. Auricular flutter is a common result of quinidine therapy given for conversion of auricular fibrillation to normal sinus rhythm. 2. 2. The appearance of auricular flutter is in itself not a contraindication to continue quinidine therapy. In most instances if the dosage of quinidine is maintained or increased, conversion to a regular sinus rhythm will result. 3. 3. Cardiac enlargement and congestive heart failure in themselves are not contraindications to quinidine therapy. The danger of embolic phenomena remains a possibility, but since this occurs even more commonly if the auricular fibrillation persists, it cannot be considered a definite contraindication.
A Pediatric Acute Wound Service: a novel approach in wound management

Abstract Introduction In 2001, in response to an overwhelming increase in patient visits for various pediatric abscesses, burns, and other wounds, an ambulatory burn and procedural sedation program (Pediatric Acute Wound Service, or PAWS) was developed to minimize operating room utilization. The purpose of this study is to report our initial 7-year experience with the PAWS program. Methods The hospital records of all children managed through PAWS from 2001 to 2007 were reviewed. Outcomes measured include patient demographics, number and location of visits per patient, procedure information, cause of wounds, and reimbursement. χ 2 test and linear regression were performed using GraphPad Prism (GraphPad Software Inc, San Diego, CA). Results Overall, 7620 children (age 0-18 years) received wound care through PAWS from 2001 to 2007. There were no differences in patient age, race, and sex during this time period. Between 2001 and 2007, the percentage of patients seen as outpatients increased from 51% to 68% ( P P = .05). In, 2007, 46% of the children required only 1 visit. In 2007, 74% of the visits were for management of wound and soft tissue infections, compared with only 9% in 2001 ( P Conclusion The creation of PAWS has allowed for the transition in management of most pediatric skin and soft tissue wounds and infections to an independent ambulatory setting, alleviating the need for operating room resources, while functioning at a profitable cost margin for the hospital.
Characterizing the mating behaviours of the Tamesí molly, Poecilia latipunctata, a sailfin with shortfin morphology

The Tamesi molly is an unusual molly species because it has features of both shortfin and sailfin mollies. Morphologically, it is classified as a shortfin species, yet phylogenetic evidence and observations of male courtship behaviour indicate that it should be classified as a sailfin molly. We characterized the mating behavioural profiles of dark and silver male P. latipunctata by varying the competitive environment (presence or absence of male competitors) and the degree of female receptivity (unreceptive versus receptive females), both factors known to increase rates of courtship displays in sailfin species. We measured rates of three mating behaviours: courtship displays, gonoporal nibbles and gonopodial thrusts (forced insemination attempts) under both types of competitive and female receptivity conditions. Rates of courtship displays were strongly influenced by female receptive state; both dark and silver males elevated their rates of courtship displays in the presence of receptive females in either competitive environment. In addition, the influence of competition for mates (presence of a competitor) had a stronger effect on the courtship display rates of dark males, but only in the presence of receptive females; courtship display rates were almost eight times higher for dark males when at least one female in the social group was receptive (≤24 h postpartum). These results suggest that dark males actively compete for receptive females by increasing their reliance on courtship, a behavioural response clearly characteristic of other sailfin molly species.
The nonius horopter. II. An experimental report.

Abstract An analysis is presented of the problem of the ideal center of the eye for disparity calculations during fixed and moving eye views. An apparatus is described which permits both fixed and moving eye nonius measurements. These two curves are reported at various distances and eccentricities. For near views of 1m, the nonius horopter lies well outside of the Vieth-Muller reference circle, and increasingly so into the periphery. However, this deviation decreases significantly as convergence decreases, which we take as evidence for a reorganization of binocular correspondence as a function of convergence. Moreover, especially in the periphery, the moving eye nonius for normal observers is significantly different from the fixed-eye nonius. This is even more obvious in aniseikonia; some reasons are proposed to explain this. Comparable measurements on frontal geodesics and frontal horizons are reported, and the former curves are shown to map into physically equidistant curves. Finally, the reliability of the nonius settings is found to vary inversely with convergence, and this is discussed in relation to stereo-acuity.
Observing Hand Placement and Measurement on a Tabletop Using a Depth Camera

Tabletop computing is a new emerging interface that can be realized with low cost using depth sensor cameras such as the Microsoft Kinect. The optimization of the touch interface using depth measurements must take into account the size variations of a diverse population. In this study, we examine a sample population to understand the differences in hand measurements a depth camera would detect on a large tabletop computer. We have broken down the hand into three measurements (the three joints in the hand) that may be of interest to research working in the field. The hand measurements have been taken at different locations on the table to account for changes in the hand position caused by the user stretching their arm.
Azotobacter Cysts: Reactivation by White Light after Inactivation by Ultraviolet Radiation

Cysts of Azotobacter vinelandii 12837 inactivated by ultraviolet radiation can be reactivated by white light. This photoreactivation mechanism is not seen in the vegetative cells of the same organism.