cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
III Matrix Treatment of Partial Coherence

Publisher Summary The study of partially coherent wave fields by means of observable quantities such as the auto- and cross-correlation functions of wave amplitude forms an important area of progress in modern optics. The properties of partially coherent wave fields are treated by a method using a positive semi-definite Hermitian matrix. An intensity matrix is constructed for a quasi-monochromatic wave field. Its transformation due to optical transmission, and detection by means of practical photodetectors, is then described. The mutual intensity is considered in this chapter as an operator in the functional space, and is shown to be equivalent to the intensity matrix, an operator in the vector space. There exists an apparent parallelism between the mutual intensity and the intensity matrix. The various expansion theorems connect the two procedures. One of the important advantages of the matrix treatment over the ordinary one involving the mutual intensity is the possibility of a straightforward derivation of the thermodynamic entropy of partially coherent wave fields. This is achieved in terms of principal waves representing eigenvalues of the intensity matrix. Various quantities prescribing the degree of incoherence over the entire field can also be easily derived.
Adsorption of hydrophobically-modified, ethoxylated urethane thickeners on latex and titanium dioxide disperse phases

Abstract Early developments in the use of water-soluble polymers as rheology modifiers in water-borne latex coatings are discussed, with an emphasis on the adsorption of hydrophobically-modified, ethoxylated urethane (HEUR) on the disperse phases, latex and TiO2. The surfaces of the latex and pigment are distinctly different and this influences the nature of the adsorption. The amount of latex surface acid stabilizer, pH of the dispersion, neutralization cation, and the median size of the latex are important parameters in the adsorption process. In addition to the associative thickener, there will be various types of surfactants in a coating formulation, and their influence on the adsorption of HEURs in aqueous dispersions are considered. When the traditional HEUR thickener with only terminally active hydrophobes is used as a thickener and stabilizer, the size and concentration of its terminal hydrophobes relative to that of the free surfactant are important to the amount of HEUR adsorbed. Adsorption on TiO2 offers a significantly different set of variables. The adsorption is influenced by the dispersion's pH and the pKa, of the metal oxide treatment of the TiO2 surface. Adsorption on these surfaces is determined by the acid–base or hydrogen-bonding interactions. When the traditional HEUR thickener with only terminally active hydrophobes is used as a thickener and stabilizer, interaction with the TiO2 particle requires a preadsorbed co-oligomerized dispersant that contains hydrophobic groups. This is not a requirement for adsorption when HEURs have hydrophobes placed pendant to the chain (i.e. as teeth in a comb). The comb HEURs also appear to destabilize the small particle latex dispersions.
An improvement to fine granularity scalability based on H.26L

FGS scheme has received much attention for its advantage of adaptation to various bandwidths. Incorporation of FGS into recently emerged H.26L can further improve its adaptation to the network communication. In this paper, we propose an improvement, which contains two parts, to the original FGS encoding scheme. First, we use run coding of the skipped macroblocks/blocks in the most significant bit planes. This is due to such fact that generally there are only few macroblocks/blocks encoded in these bit planes. The experimental results show that it can greatly reduce the coded size of some bit planes, up to more than 90% for first bit planes. Second, for the least significant bit planes, another improved coding method, adaptive pixel-by-pixel coding, was developed. It can save up to 14000 bits in the first LSBP and 3% of whole FGS size. Meanwhile, the increase in complexity and memory requirement are both negligible.
Reasoning About Pipelines with Structural Hazards

We have developed a formal definition of correctness for pipelines that ensures that transactions terminate and satisfy a functional specification. This definition separates the correctness criteria associated with the pipelining aspects of a design from the functional relationship between input and output transactions. Using this definition, we developed and formally verified a technique that divides the verification of a pipeline into two separate tasks: proving that the pipelining circuitry meets the pipelining correctness criteria and that the datapath and control circuitry meet the functional specification. The first proof is data independent (except for pipelines that use data-dependent control). The second proof is purely combinational: there is no notion of time and each possible input transaction can be dealt with independently. In addition, we have created a framework that structures and simplifies the proof of the pipelining circuitry.
Evolving Phase Boundaries in the Presence of Deformation and Surface Stress

Recent papers of Gurtin [1986, 1988a, 1988b], Angenent and Gurtin [1989], and Gurtin and Struthers [1990] form an investigation whose goal is a nonequilibrium thermomechanics of two-phase continua based on Gibb’s notion of a sharp phase-interface endowed with energy, entropy and superficial force. In all of these studies except the last the crystal is rigid, an assumption that forms the basis of a large class of problems discussed by material scientists, but there are situations in which deformation is the paramount concern, examples being shock-induced transformations and mechanical twinning. In this note I discuss the results of Gurtin and Struthers [1990]1, who consider deformable crystal-crystal systems with coherent interface.
Enhanced snow cover mapping using combined optical and passive microwave data

Snow cover is an important variable for climate and hydrologic models due to its effects on energy and moisture budgets. Over the past several decades both optical and passive microwave satellite data have been utilized for snow mapping at the regional to global scale. Snow mapping using optical data is based primarily on the magnitude of the surface reflectance, and in some cases on specific spectral signatures, while microwave data can be used to identify snow cover because the microwave energy emitted by the underlying soil is scattered by the snow grains resulting in a sharp decrease in brightness temperature and a characteristic negative spectral gradient. We present results which describe the respective advantages and disadvantages of these two types of satellite data for snow cover mapping and demonstrate how a multi-sensor product is optimal. Passive microwave and optical data sets for the Northern Hemisphere indicate similar patterns of inter-annual variability, although annual maximum snow extents and monthly variability derived from the optical data consistently exceed those provided by the microwave data. Because of the significant differences between snow products derived from passive microwave and optical data, especially during early winter, our current efforts to produce climate data records for snow cover focus on methods which combine the advantages of both data types. For the period 1978 to 2004 we combine data from the manually generated NOAA weekly snow charts, produced primarily from AVHRR and GOES data, with passive microwave data from the SMMR and SSM/I brightness temperature record. For the current and future time period we blend NASA EOS MODIS and AMSR-E data sets. Prototype snow cover maps from AMSR-E compare well with maps derived from SSM/I. Our current EASE-Grid blended product incorporates MODIS data from the Climate Modelers Grid (CMG) at approximately 5 km (0.05 deg.) with microwave-derived SWE at 25 km. resulting in a blended product that includes percent snow cover in the larger grid cell whenever the microwave snow water equivalent (SWE) signal is absent
Tres casos de innovación institucional inducida

La interpretacion del cambio tecnico e mstitucional como endogeno en lugar de exogeno al sistema economico es una tendencia relativamente nueva en el pensamiento economico. En un libro publicado a comienzos de los anos 70, Yujiro Hayami y yo ampliamos y probamos la teoria del cambio tecnologico inducido a la luz de la historia del desarrollo agricola en los Estados Unidos y en el Japbn (1). Demostramos que en ambos paises el cambio tecnologico en la agricultura habia sido inducido a lo largo de un camino eficiente, compatible con las dotaciones de recursos y los precios relativos de factores.
Neuroprotective efficacy of caramiphen against soman and mechanisms of its action

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Caramiphen is a muscarinic antagonist with potent anticonvulsant properties. Here, we investigated the efficacy of caramiphen against behavioural seizures and neuropathology induced by the nerve agent soman, and revealed two mechanisms that may underlie the anticonvulsant efficacy of caramiphen. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Rats were given caramiphen at 30 or 60 min after treatment with soman. Neuronal loss in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and neuronal degeneration in the amygdala, hippocampus, piriform cortex, entorhinal cortex and neocortex, were investigated 24 h after soman, using design-based stereology and FluoroJade-C staining. The effects of caramiphen on NMDA-, AMPA- and GABA-evoked currents were studied in the BLA region of in vitro brain slices from un-treated rats, using whole-cell recordings. KEY RESULTS Caramiphen given either 30 min or 60 min after soman, suppressed behavioural seizures within 10 min, but required 1∼4.5 h for complete cessation of seizures. Neuronal loss and degeneration were significantly reduced in the caramiphen-treated, soman-exposed rats. Postsynaptic currents evoked by puff-application of NMDA on BLA principal cells were reduced by caramiphen in a dose-dependent manner (100 µM, 300 µM and 1 mM), while GABA-evoked currents were facilitated by 100 µM and 300 µM, but depressed by 1 mM caramiphen. AMPA-evoked currents were not affected by caramiphen. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Caramiphen offered partial protection against soman-induced seizures and neuropathology, even when given 60 min after soman. NMDA receptor antagonism and facilitation of GABAergic inhibition in the BLA may play a key role in the anticonvulsive and neuroprotective properties of caramiphen.
Poliovirus: Generation, Quantification, Propagation, Purification, and Storage

Poliovirus (PV) is the prototypical picornavirus. It is a non-enveloped RNA virus with a small (~7.5-kb) genome of positive polarity. It has long served as a model to study RNA virus biology, pathogenesis, and evolution. cDNA clones of several strains are available, and infectious virus can be produced by the transfection of in vitro transcribed viral genomes into an appropriate host cell. PV infects many human and non-human primate cell lines including HeLa and HeLa S3 cells, and can grow to high titer in culture. Protocols for the production, propagation, quantification, and purification of PV are presented.
An algebraic compression framework for query results

Decision-support applications in emerging environments require that SQL query results or intermediate results be shipped to clients for further analysis and presentation. These clients may use low bandwidth connections or have severe storage restrictions. Consequently, there is a need to compress the results of a query for efficient transfer and client-side access. This paper explores a variety of techniques that address this issue. Instead of using a fixed method, we choose a combination of compression methods that use statistical and semantic information of the query results to enhance the effect of compression. To represent such a combination, we present a framework of "compression plans" formed by composing primitive compression operators. We also present optimization algorithms that enumerate valid compression plans and choose an optimal plan. Our experiments show that our techniques achieve significant performance improvement over standard compression tools like WinZip.
On the existence of stationary states in general road networks

Our daily driving experience and empirical observations suggest that traffic patterns in a road network are relatively stationary during peak periods. In numerous transportation network studies, there has been an implicit conjecture that stationary states exist in a network when origin demands, route choice proportions, and destination supplies are constant. In this study, we first rigorously formulate the conjecture within the framework of a network kinematic wave theory with an invariant junction model. After defining stationary states, we derive a system of algebraic equations in 3-tuples of stationary link flow-rates, demands, and supplies. We then introduce a new definition of junction critical demand levels based on effective demands and supplies. With a map in critical demand levels, we show that its fixed points and, therefore, stationary states exist with the help of Brouwer's fixed point theorem. For two simple road networks, we show that the map is well-defined and can be used to solve stationary states with a brute-force method. Finally we summarize the study and present some future extensions and applications.
Medical Education: Yesterday's Reforms, Today's Problems

Book reviewed in this article: Learning to Heal: The Development of American Medical Education. By Kenneth M. Ludmerer Getting Rid of Patients: Contradictions in the Socialization of Physicians. By Terry Mizrahi
Solute Size and Valence Effect in Some Superconducting Alloys of Transition Elements

The use of the concept of an effective electron-atom ratio, ${N}_{\mathrm{eff}}$, which contains a solute size correction (rather than the usual ratio $N$ used in Matthias' rule), introduced earlier in correlating superconducting critical temperatures of some dilute solutions of transition elements of the 4th, 5th, and 6th columns in niobium, has been extended to include some other transition-metal solutes of columns 7, 8, 9, and 10 in niobium. The concept has also been tried on some other transition-metal solid solutions of wider range of composition. For these latter alloys the analysis reveals that peaks in the curve of ${T}_{c}$ versus electron-atom ratio occur at ${N}_{\mathrm{eff}}\ensuremath{\sim}4.4$ and \ensuremath{\sim}6.6, whereas with the uncorrected electron-atom ratio, these peaks tend to occur near $N\ensuremath{\sim}4.7$ and \ensuremath{\sim}6.4. The variation of ${H}_{c2}$ with ${N}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ for alloys of transition metals of columns 4 and 5 suggests that the maximum values of ${H}_{c2}$ also occur near ${N}_{\mathrm{eff}}\ensuremath{\approx}4.4$. Both peaks in ${T}_{c}$ versus ${N}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ and ${H}_{c2}$ versus ${N}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ seem to be independent of whether the solvent or solute atom is in the $3d$, $4d$, or $5d$ series.
Band bending near the surface in GaN as detected by a charge sensitive probe

We measured the absolute value of the surface band bending in GaN layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy with a charge sensitive surface microprobe. Surface potential measurements showed an upward band bending from 0.7 to 1.4 eV in undoped and Si-doped GaN. The samples stored in dark for one week showed an increase in band bending by up to 0.1 eV. The effect of ultraviolet (UV) exposure (with a lamp or a pulsed nitrogen laser) on band bending was also studied. Typically, the surface barrier decreased by about 0.2–0.5 eV under UV light. The barrier was restored very slowly (by a logarithmic law) in the dark at room temperature. These and other similar phenomena are tentatively attributed to thermionic transfer of free electrons from the bulk to the surface states. Photo-induced desorption of oxygen may also play a role in the observed effects.
Minimally invasive lateral mass screws in the treatment of cervical facet dislocations: technical note.

Objective The technique of lateral mass screw and rod or plate fixation is a major advancement in the posterior instrumentation of the cervical spine. This technique provides rigid three-dimensional fixation, restores the dorsal tension band, and provides highly effective stabilization in patients with many types of traumatic injuries. Methods Patient 1 was a 32-year-old man who had been in a motor vehicle accident. He presented with right C5 radiculopathy. X-ray findings included 45% anterolisthesis of C4 on C5, bilateral facet disruption, and right unilateral C4-C5 facet fracture and dislocation. The patient was placed in Gardner-Wells tongs, and the fracture was reduced with 25 pounds of traction. Patient 2 was a 56-year-old woman who had been in a motor vehicle accident that resulted in complete quadriplegia. Her initial imaging studies revealed a C3-C4 right unilateral facet fracture with subluxation. She was placed in traction, and her neurological status was reassessed. The findings of her neurological examination revealed improvement: she was found to have Brown-Sequard syndrome. Patient 3 was a 33-year-old man who was involved in a diving accident that resulted in bilaterally jumped facets at C3-C4. The patient was neurologically intact, and attempts at closed reduction were not successful. Results Patients 1 and 2 underwent anterior cervical discectomy with iliac crest autograft fusion and plating. They were then placed in the prone position, and a dilator tubular retractor system was used to access the facet joint at the level of interest. The facet joints were then denuded and packed with autograft. Lateral mass screws were then placed by means of the Magerl technique, and a rod was used to connect the top-loading screws. Patient 3 underwent posterior surgery that included only removal of the superior facet, intraoperative reduction, and bilateral lateral mass screw and rod placement. Conclusion This technical note describes the successful placement of lateral mass screw and rod constructs with the use of a minimally invasive approach by means of a tubular dilator retractor system. This approach preserves the integrity of the muscles and ligaments that maintain the posterior tension band of the cervical spine.
Combining stochastic geometry and statistical mechanics for the analysis and design of mesh networks

We consider a two-dimensional mesh network comprising several source-destination pairs, each communicating wirelessly in a multihop fashion. First, we introduce a novel transmission policy for multihop networks according to which all the buffering in the network is performed at source nodes while relays just have unit-sized buffers. We demonstrate that incorporating this buffering scheme in conjunction with minor amendments to the medium access control (MAC) layer yields several benefits such as keeping packet delays small and helping regulate the traffic flow in a completely distributed fashion. Second, we employ a novel combination of tools from stochastic geometry and statistical mechanics to characterize the throughput and end-to-end delay performances of multihop wireless networks for two different channel access mechanisms, Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) and ALOHA. Our study also offers valuable insights from a system design stand-point such as determining the optimum density of transmitters or the optimal number of hops along a flow that maximizes the system's throughput performance. We corroborate our theoretical analyses via simulations.
Meningococcal Meningitis Prevention Programs for College Students: A Review of the Literature

Background and Purpose: The incidence of meningococcal meningitis in college students is higher than in other populations. College students, especially 1st-year students living in dormitories or residence halls, are among those at highest risk of developing the disease. It is estimated that immunization can prevent up to 83% of cases among adolescents and college students. A review of the literature was undertaken to identify and critique the research-based prevention programs that are focused on college students. Method: An extensive search of the Cochrane Database of systematic reviews, Medline, PubMed, and CINAHL was undertaken. The Journal of American College Health was hand searched, and bibliographies were reviewed for studies not otherwise identified. Four publications met the search criteria. These studies were reviewed and graded for level of evidence. Findings: One study could not be compared with the other three because of its lack of detail. Of the other three studies, two were descriptive and factors were identified that related to vaccination and nonvaccination in the college student population (both Evidence Grade C). Only one study was described that included an educational intervention, which resulted in increased vaccination rates in a college student population (Evidence Grade B). Conclusions and Implications: The published literature is severely limited in the area of meningococcal meningitis prevention programs in the at-risk college student population. A critical need exists for controlled studies to test the interventions that are most effective in this population as well as broader-based studies to further identify those students at increased risk for the disease as well as for nonvaccination.
Recognition in swine: recognition through familiarity or genetic relatedness?

Intense aggression is the most common behavioural response when pigs from two different groups are put together. The triggering mechanism which elicits the aggressive response appears to be the lack of recognition between the groups. However, recognition among animals may include elements of both previous exposure (familiarity) and genetic relatedness, which are confounded when re-grouping pigs. Two experiments were conducted to determine if recognition among piglets is based on familiarity alone or also involves genetic relatedness. In the first experiment, 80 crossbred piglets from litters crossfostered within 3 days of birth were regrouped in pens of five pigs following weaning at 28 days of age. Each test group was composed of two siblings reared together (ST), an alien (non-related) piglet reared with the two siblings (AT), a sibling reared apart (SA), and an alien piglet reared apart from the other group members (AA). Each pen was videotaped for 6 h following regrouping and the tapes were analyzed to determine the duration of fighting among pairs of pigs and the proportion of time spent lying in contact with other pigs. Dyads which had been reared together spent less time fighting than those reared apart (67 vs. 252 s, respectively; P < 0.0001, general linear model). Related dyads spent a similar amount of time fighting as unrelated pairs (187 s and 131 s, respectively). Although 80% of the piglets demonstrated preferences for lying partners during the observation, no consistent pattern existed across pens for specific pairings. In the second experiment, five litters were each divided into two groups within 72 h after birth and reared on separate sows. At 6 weeks of age pigs were paired either with a full sibling (16 pairs) or a non-sibling (14 pairs), either of which had been reared separately. Reunited full siblings spent a similar amount of time fighting, within the 4 h following regrouping, compared to non-siblings (1425 vs. 1814 s, respectively). Based on the patterns of aggression observed in the two experiments, recognition among young piglets appears to be based on familiarity gained through rearing associations, and does not involve genetic relatedness.
Visual snapshots of intracellular kinase activity at the onset of mitosis.

Visual snapshots of intracellular kinase activity can be acquired with exquisite temporal control by using a light-activatable (caged) sensor, thereby providing a means to interrogate enzymatic activity at any point during the cell-division cycle. Robust protein kinase activity transpires just prior to, but not immediately after, nuclear envelope breakdown (NEB). Furthermore, kinase activity is required for the progression from prophase into metaphase. Finally, the application of selective protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, in combination with the caged sensor, correlates the action of the PKC β isoform with subsequent NEB.
Nonparametric estimation of the percentile residual life function

A smooth nonparametric estimator for the percentile residual life function is proposed using kernel density estimators. The estimators are provided for complete and censored data. The asymptotic properties of these estimators are examined. A Monte Carlo study is conducted to compare the new estimators with the empirical estimators.
A note on the dispersionless growth law for single cells

A population of initially synchronized cells is considered wherein each cell grows according to a dispersionless growth law and the probability of cell division is determined by cell age. The first and second moments of the distribution of birth volumes are considered as functions of time and it is shown that it is impossible for both moments to approach finite, nonzero limits ast→∞. This implies that the volume distribution of the population will not approach a limiting distribution on any finite, nonzero volume interval and that the population will not attain balanced exponential growth. An illustrative example is worked out in detail. The distribution of birth volumes is also analyzed as a function of generation number and it is found that the logarithm of the birth volume in thejth generation is normally distributed asj→∞, with an unbounded variance. Generalizations and implications of these results are briefly discussed.
Abstract 4372: Radiation induces Notch-dependent de novo generation of breast cancer stem cells via expression of OCT-4/SOX2/NANOG

Like in normal tissues, the self-renewal of cancer stem cells (CSCs) might be also under tight control of developmental pathway like the Notch, Wnt, Sonic Hedgehog or TGFβ pathways. The Notch pathway plays an important role in normal breast development, cell fate, and normal stem cell self-renewal, and its deregulation has been shown to play a role in cancer. Aberrant Notch signaling has been implicated in the development and progression of both preinvasive ductal carcinomas in situ and invasive breast cancers. Interestingly, in breast cancer, the Notch pathway plays major role for CSCs maintenance. We previously published that BCSCs (Breast Cancer Stem Cells) are relatively resistant to radiation and we demonstrated a link between BCSCs radio-resistance and the Notch pathway. Irradiation of MCF-7 and T47D cells increased the number of CSCs and this correlated with the induction of Notch signaling protein expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Jagged 1 expression was quickly (1h) increased 28-fold after 2Gy, DLL1 expression was increased 15-fold, 3 to 6h after irradiation with 2 or 4 Gy, Notch 2 expression was increased 16-fold 6h after 2, 4, 6 or 8 Gy, while DLL3 was increased 10-fold after the highest doses (6 to 12 Gy). Inhibition of Notch signaling pathway by a γ-secreatase inhibitor prevented enrichment for CSCs and reduced radiation-induced Notch protein expression. Most importantly, we demonstrated that radiation-induced Notch signaling contributes to the phenotype plasticity of BCSCs and their progeny. Using 2 different cancer stem cell markers (low proteasome activity and ALDH1) to found that radiation causes de novo generation of induced BCSCs (iBCSCs) from non-tumorigenic cells and this correlated with radiation-induced the expression of OCT-4, SOX2, and NANOG, key transcription factors of used to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4372. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4372
Factorization in exclusive semileptonic radiative B decays

We derive a new factorization relation for the semileptonic radiative decay B-->pi[script-l]nugamma in the kinematical region of a slow pion |p-->pi|~Lambda and an energetic photon Egamma>>Lambda, working at leading order in Lambda/mb. In the limit of a soft pion, the nonperturbative matrix element appearing in this relation can be computed using chiral perturbation theory. We present a phenomenological study of this decay, which may be important for a precise determination of the exclusive nonradiative decay.
Damage Multipliers in Market Relationships

It is sometimes said that the optimal sanction is the external harm caused by the offense multiplied by one over the probability of punishment. Prior analyses have identified several factors that could raise or lower this optimal multiplier. This article identifies an additional adjustment when victims are customers of the offender and the sanction is paid to victims in the form of damages. In these market relationships, higher sanctions translate into higher prices for customers. If customers are risk-neutral, this will not matter; but if customers are risk-averse, higher sanctions increase the variance of their returns (even if third-party insurance is available). If customers are risk-averse, the optimal number of violations and the optimal quantity of purchases could also change. The net effect could either raise or lower the optimal multiplier, but simulations suggest reductions on the order of 4-40 percent.
Intracellular fate of strains of Escherichia coli isolated from dairy cows with acute or chronic mastitis

Research on mastitis in dairy cows caused by Escherichia coli has reported the emergence of strains capable of inducing chronic mastitis and that these strains adhered to and internalized into bovine mammary epithelial cells better than strains of E. coli isolated from acute mastitis. To understand mechanisms and strategies used by chronic E. coli strains to survive intracellularly internalization studies using bovine mammary epithelial cells treated with inhibitors of caveolae-mediated endocytosis (CME) and receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME), double immunofluorescence labeling confocal laser and fluorescence microscopy were conducted. Internalization studies showed that strains chronic E. coli strains persisted intracellularly longer than acute E. coli strains. Treatment of bovine mammary epithelial cells CME or RME inhibitors resulted in lower numbers of intracellular E. coli strains associated with chronic or acute mastitis than untreated controls. In addition, when selective CME inhibitors were used significantly fewer chronic E. coli were detected intracellularly than acute E. coli or untreated controls. Confocal laser microscopy showed that chronic E. coli strains colocalized preferentially with caveolae whereas acute strains did so with early endosomes, an early step of RME. These results suggest that strains of E. coli associated with chronic mastitis exploit lipid rafts/CME to internalize into and move through mammary epithelial cells. By exploiting this endocytosis pathway, chronic E. coli strains avoid bactericidal mechanisms such as endosome acidification and endosome-lysosome fusion, thus allowing intracellular survival. Data from this study helps to explain how these strains are capable of causing chronic E. coli mastitis.
Stimulation of ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens reduce receptive fields for hypothalamic biting reflex in cats.

Stimulation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NA) suppressed attack behavior elicited by hypothalamic stimulation. Because the nondirected somatic motor and autonomic components of attack were not affected by VTA or NA stimulation, and previous work had demonstrated the importance of sensory guidance in attack, the mechanism for suppression was postulated to be on the sensory component of the attack reaction. We investigated the effects of VTA and NA stimulation on the biting reflex, one of the sensory-controlled components of hypothalamically elicited attack behavior. The receptive field for biting was measured during hypothalamic stimulation with and without concurrent VTA and NA stimulation. At stimulation parameters that inhibited attack, the extent of the receptive field was reduced. Thus, VTA and NA may produce inhibition of attack by acting on the sensory component of the response mechanism. We suggest that reduction of receptive fields is a mechanism by which behavioral inhibition is mediated in the central nervous system.
Arsenic growth on the gallium arsenide surface during oxidation

Abstract Crystalline arsenic was observed to grow on the surface of GaAs during exposure to continuous-wave laser radiation. A study of the time development of the arsenic growth as revealed by Raman backscattering indicated that a surface diffusion process was responsible for limiting the growth process. Temperature measurements were performed from which the diffusion barrier energies were obtained for various GaAs samples. From these results the diffusion process was shown to depend on the Fermi level of the sample.
The Attribution of Positive and Negative Qualities to Social Actions

Abstract This research reports on the manner in which extrinsic qualities are attributed to different forms of social action. Particular concern was given to the question of how such attribution of properties might be related to a person's desire to be involved in the action. Two findings seemed to be relatively clear. First, quite arbitrary qualities are attributed to various social actions with a high degree of consistency. Because these qualities cannot be considered intrinsic to the action, the consistent attribution of such qualities must come from some source other than the actions themselves. Second, of the several qualities examined, the most powerful attributed quality for purposes of social motivation appeared to be the general concept of display. Actions perceived as having a high degree of display potential for an actor were also actions that respondents were willing to commit themselves to or become involved in to a profound degree.
Discussion of: Nicolò Manuzzi (1639-1717) and the first report of the Indian Rhinoplasty.

E-mail address: mfelix.freshwater@gmail.com 1 McDowell F. The ‘B.L.’ bomb-shell (B. Lucas). Plast Reconstr Surg 1969; 44: 67e73. McDowell was so obsessed with his theory that Lucas was B.L. that he assigned the last name Lucas to B.L. and literally ignored the name ‘‘Longmate’’ that was visible underneath Cowasjee’s nose in the Gentleman’s Magazine! Moreover, McDowell was either unaware of or chose to ignore Zeis who in 1863 wrote that Longmate had engraved the Gentleman’s Magazine plate. http://tinyurl.com/8nzwon Zeis, E. Die Literatur und Geschichte der Plastichen Chirurgie. Leipzig: Engelmann; 1863. pp. 60e61 item 455. 2 McDowell F. The Case of the Elusive Mr. Lucas, the Mysterious Major Heitland, et al. Plast Reconstr Surg 1972; 49: 77. Commenting on note 5, McDowell wrote: ‘‘In spite of Mr. Freshwater’s objections to the idea, five gets you one that he [Lucas] wrote the ‘B.L.’ letter.’’
Dispersion of the salt-marsh periwinkle Littoraria irrorata : Effects of water level, size, and season

This paper documents horizontal and vertical dispersion patterns of a Texas population of the saltmarsh periwinkle, Littoraria irrorata, over a 15-month period. The study was conducted within a tidal marsh on the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Galveston Bay. Two mark-recapture experiments demonstrated that L. irrorata rarely move more than 2 m from their release point over long periods of time and do not home to individual Spartina plants. Adult L. irrorata forage farther away from the base of Spartina stalks at low tide than do juvenile snails. Remaining near the plant base may decrease both temperature and desiccation stress on juveniles. During warm months, L. irrorata climb grass stalks with tidal inundation and forage on the substratum at low tide. Snails are inactive and aggregate in detrital debris at the base of Spartina clumps during the winter. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY058 00016
ONIOM quantum chemistry study of cyclic nucleotide recognition in phosphodiesterase 5

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are enzymes that contribute to the regulation of cyclic nucleotides in the cell by catalyzing the hydrolysis reaction of the O3′-phosphorous bond, yielding the noncyclic nucleotide as the product. The principal substrates are cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine and -guanosine monophosphate (cAMP and cGMP). PDE5, an important target of drug inhibition, is known to be highly selective for hydrolysis of cGMP. We use all-quantum hybrid calculations to accurately describe the binding interactions between PDE5 and cAMP/cGMP for the first time. The main reasons for cGMP preference in PDE5 are found to be to the fixed orientation of a conserved glutamine residue (Gln 817) together with the fixed orientation of a nonconserved glutamine residue (Gln 775). We report ONIOM(B3LYP/6-31g(d):PM3MM) binding energies, which reflect favorable guanine alignment with Gln 817 and steric crowding of adenine by Gln 775. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007
Detection of eviscerated poultry spleen enlargement by machine vision

The size of a poultry spleen is an indication of whether the bird is wholesomeness or has a virus-related disease. This study explored the possibility of detecting poultry spleen enlargement with a computer imaging system to assist human inspectors in food safety inspections. Images of 45-day-old hybrid turkey internal viscera were taken using fluorescent and UV lighting systems. Image processing algorithms including linear transformation, morphological operations, and statistical analyses were developed to distinguish the spleen from its surroundings and then to detect abnormal spleens. Experimental results demonstrated that the imaging method could effectively distinguish spleens from other organ and intestine. Based on a total sample of 57 birds, the classification rates were 92% from a self-test set, and 95% from an independent test set for the correct detection of normal and abnormal birds. The methodology indicated the feasibility of using automated machine vision systems in the future to inspect internal organs and check the wholesomeness of poultry carcasses.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Postorder trees and Eulerian numbers

Binary search trees built from the postorder traversal sequence of other binary search trees are characterized in terms of their binary tree structure. A connection is established between this structure and the Eulerian numbers. This yields considerable information concerning the “average” binary search tree with a given number of nodes. Periodicity is established for the process of repeatedly taking postorder sequences and building binary search trees. Finally, the average depth of a node in a postorder tree withn nodes is determined.
A method to convert MRI images of temperature change into images of absolute temperature in solid tumours.

AbstractPurpose: During hyperthermia (HT), the therapeutic response of tumours varies substantially within the target temperature range (39–43 °C). Current thermometry methods are either invasive or measure only temperature change, which limits the ability to study tissue responses to HT. This study combines manganese-containing low temperature sensitive liposomes (Mn-LTSL) with proton resonance frequency shift (PRFS) thermometry to measure absolute temperature in tumours with high spatial and temporal resolution using MRI.Methods: Liposomes were loaded with 300 mM MnSO4. The phase transition temperature (Tm) of Mn-LTSL samples was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The release of manganese from Mn-LTSL in saline was characterised with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. A 2T GE small animal scanner was used to acquire dynamic T1-weighted images and temperature change images of Mn-LTSL in saline phantoms and fibrosarcoma-bearing Fisher-344 rats receiving hyperthermia...
Submicro Determination of Copper and Zinc in Needle Biopsy-Sized Cardiac and Skeletal Muscles by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Using Stoichiometric Air-Acetylene Flame

Abstract A highly sensitive and rapid procedure is described for submicro quantitation of copper and zinc contents from the nitric acid extract of fat free-dry-tissue (FFDT) by a double beam atomic absorption spectrophotometer using stoichiometric air-acetylene flame. Simultaneous background correction was afforded with a deuterium lamp for Zn analysis to eliminate interferences from non-atomic absorption at 213.9 nm. Cu and Zn standards, as well as the muscle extracts, were prepared in an aqueous medium containing 0.75 M Ultrex quality HNO3 for spectral analysis which did not quench or enhance the relevant absorbance signals. Inherent mineral constituents of muscle such as Ca, Mg, Na, K, and P, when added upto ∼10-60 fold greater than the physiological concentration, did not cause either analytical or chemical interferences. Muscle specimens weighing between 0.8-12.0 mg FFDT were extracted in 5 ml of 0.75 M HNO3 and directly aspirated into the flame. Muscle Cu and Zn contents were expressed in mg/kg FFDT...
Technology transfer through group research

Industry is seeking ways to take advantage of developing technology to improve productivity and compete more effectively in international markets. This article discusses group research as a cost-effective means of disseminating research results, providing participating companies with a basis for innovation and commercialization of new products and processes. It describes the characteristics of group research and the kinds of results that may be expected. The article also includes guidelines for selection, evaluation, and participation in group research projects.
Histological Studies of Post-Mortem Changes in Sarcomere Length as Related to Bovine Muscle Tenderness

SUMMARY The effect of post-mortem muscle contraction on ultimate tenderness was studied in muscles of 12 beef animals of similar weight and grade. State of contraction was determined by measurement of sarcomere lengths. Longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus muscles were observed. Histological samples removed at various intervals post-mortem were treated with ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) to prevent further contraction. A phase-contrast microscope was used to observe muscle fibers, and sareomeres were measured with a filar micrometer. Muscle contraction patterns of each animal were plotted through a 7-day aging period. State of contraction after 7 days appeared to have a greater influence on subsequent (7 days) tenderness than did state of contraction at time of maximum rigor mortis. Although contraction did not seem to be the factor most responsible for final tenderness, it did appear to have a significant influence. Considerable lengthening of sarcomeres normally occurred during the aging period. Semimembranosus muscles routinely contracted less than longissimus dorsi muscles during rigor mortis, and were more relaxed after 7 days of aging. Semimembranosus muscles were consistently less tender than longissimus dorsi muscles at slaughter, but the reverse was usually true after 7 days.
New horizons: Antiretroviral therapy in 1997

Exciting advances in basic and clinical science brought a new strategy for antiretroviral therapy and new hope to people living with HIV in 1996. There are now three major categories of antiretroviral agents available for clinical use. All require replicating virus, and none are virucidal. The goal of antiretroviral therapy is a significant and prolonged reduction of the amount of actively replicating HIV (viral load). Carefully chosen combinations of antiretroviral drugs significantly reduce HIV load and are likely to extend life. However, not all patients respond to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and, for those who do, adjustment to demanding regimens and management of side effects may be difficult. The development of drug resistance is a serious concern, because resistance is associated with rising viral loads and with poorer prognosis in advanced disease.
Validation of a single-day Morris Water Maze procedure used to assess cognitive deficits associated with brain damage

This experiment was designed to validate a single-day Morris Water Maze procedure used to assess cognitive functioning in rats. Separate groups of randomly assigned rats received either bilateral or unilateral fimbria fornix transections, bilateral or unilateral cortical ablations, or a sham surgical control procedure. Subjects were tested 7 days postoperatively with a modified version of the Morris Water Maze procedure that requires only a single day of training. The results indicated that bilateral fimbria fornix transections severely disrupted acquisition. Unilateral fimbria fornix transections and bilateral and unilateral cortical lesions disrupted acquisition less severely but impaired subsequent test performance. In general, unilateral lesions of both types produced less severe deficits than bilateral lesions. The practical and analytical advantages of the single-day procedure are discussed.
FAYALITE IN THE KABA AND MOKOIA CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITES

Abstract The olivines in the Kaba and Mokoia CV3 carbonaceous chondrites range from almost pure forsterite (Fo99.6) to almost pure fayalite (Fa99.9)). Individual grains of fayalite of such high purity have not previously been reported from meteorites; they can reach 100 μm in diameter and occur in the matrix, chondrules, forsterite-enstatite aggregates, and rims around Ca, Al-rich inclusions, chondrules, and aggregates. The fayalite is three to nine times richer in Mn than in bulk CI chondrites. Many grains are associated with magnetite, troilite, and pentlandite, an assemblage that suggests relatively oxidizing conditions. We propose that the fayalite formed through reaction of SiO(g), released by decomposition of enstatite, with magnetite and sulfide. The lower thermal limit for fayalite formation is determined by the above reaction, whereas the upper thermal limit is controlled by magnetite stability. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that fayalite coexisting with magnetite and sulfides could have formed in a nebular environment that had a H 2 O H 2 ratio substantially greater than the canonical solar nebula. Coexisting olivines having endmember compositions indicate that they experienced little or no thermal metamorphism.
Are laparoscopic antireflux procedures useful

Surgical techniques for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have improved in recent years. This viewpoint considers the evidence in favor of surgical therapy as an alternative to medical therapy for GERD. The safety and clinical efficacy of surgery has been demonstrated, particularly in patients with Barrett's esophagus and those with GERD-related respiratory symptoms.