cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progress in intra-articular therapy

Diarthrodial joints are well suited to intra-articular injection, and the local delivery of therapeutics in this fashion brings several potential advantages to the treatment of a wide range of arthropathies. Possible benefits over systemic delivery include increased bioavailability, reduced systemic exposure, fewer adverse events, and lower total drug costs. Nevertheless, intra-articular therapy is challenging because of the rapid egress of injected materials from the joint space; this elimination is true of both small molecules, which exit via synovial capillaries, and of macromolecules, which are cleared by the lymphatic system. In general, soluble materials have an intra-articular dwell time measured only in hours. Corticosteroids and hyaluronate preparations constitute the mainstay of FDA-approved intra-articular therapeutics. Recombinant proteins, autologous blood products and analgesics have also found clinical use via intra-articular delivery. Several alternative approaches, such as local delivery of cell and gene therapy, as well as the use of microparticles, liposomes, and modified drugs, are in various stages of preclinical development.
AC coupled backplane communication using embedded capacitor

Surface mount capacitors can be replaced with a buried capacitor in backplane interconnect applications requiring blocking capacitance, such as FiberChannel. This replacement improves cost, reliability and parasitic inductance. The smaller nominal capacitance value can be compensated for by using an equalizing receiver filter. Tradeoffs in capacitance choice are explained in detail. A nominal capacitance of around 1 pF provides a good choice for the analyzed scenarios.
Rate-determining Step in the Action of L-Amino-acid Oxidase

ALTHOUGH detailed information concerning the substrate specificity1,2, co-factor requirement and physico-chemical properties2 of L-amino-acid oxidase is available, our knowledge of the mechanisms of the reactions catalysed by this enzyme leaves much to be desired. Radda3 has recently proposed a mechanism for the oxidation of phenylglycines by L-amino-acid oxidase which involves the elimination of the α-hydrogen as a hydride ion (or radical) followed by hydrolysis of the imine and dissociation of the enzyme-product complex.
Record of a larval Parataeniophorus brevis from Hawaii

A 7.2 mm notochordal-length larva of Parataeniophorus brevis is described and illustrated from the fifth and the smallest specimen, collected near Hawaii. This larva is compared to all other described species of the family Mirapinnatidae, and is unique in having the unpaired fin rays developing in the finfold. The three species of Parataeniophorus can be distinguished on the basis of the number of dorsal-fin and anal-fin rays: bertelseni, 18–20 and 16–18; brevis, 13–16 and 13–15; gulosus 28–33 and 23–29, respectively.
Transposition with minimal errors during training trials

Abstract Twenty-six Ss were trained to respond to the larger of two stimulus squares under a procedure whereby the smaller, unrewarded stimulus was faded in, starting with a 2 10 - inch line and increasing in 30 equal increments until it was completed on the last training trial. One S verbalized the principle of “bigger than” in explaining her choice of the larger stimulus. Of the remaining 25 Ss, 18 completed the training series while making only one or less responses to the unrewarded stimulus. These Ss were divided into three groups and treated under the following schedule: Group I—immediate transposition test; Group II—15 additional training trials with both stimuli complete, followed by the transposition test; and Group III—30 additional training trials with both stimuli complete, followed by the transposition test. The seven Ss who made two or more errors on the original 30 fading-in trials made up a fourth group that was tested immediately after the training series. The Ss in all groups showed a significant tendency to transpose. The present results, like other findings cited herein, demonstrated certain conditions under which Spence's theory of transposition does not appear to hold for human Ss.
Turbulent mixed convection flow over a forward-facing step—the effect of step heights

Abstract Measurements of heat transfer and fluid flow of turbulent mixed convection boundary-layer air flow over an isothermal two-dimensional, vertical forward-facing step are reported. The upstream and downstream walls and the step itself were heated to a uniform and constant temperature. Air velocity and temperature distributions and their turbulent fluctuations are measured simultaneously by using, respectively, a two-component laser-Doppler velocimeter (LDV) and a cold wire anemometer. The present study examines the effect of forward-facing step heights on turbulent mixed convection flow along a vertical flat plate. The experiment was carried out for step heights of 0, 11, and 22 mm, at a free stream air velocity, u ∞ , of 0.55 m⋅s−1, and a temperature difference, ΔT, of 30 °C between the heated walls and the free stream air (corresponding to a local Grashof number Gr x i = 6.45 × 10 10 ). It was found that the turbulence intensity of the streamwise and transverse velocity fluctuations and the intensity of temperature fluctuations downstream of the step increase as the step height increases. Also, it was found that both the reattachment length and the heat transfer rate from the downstream heated wall increase with increasing step height.
DEPOSITION OF ATMOSPHERIC MINERAL PARTICLES IN THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN

Total deposition of atmospheric mineral particles (wet plus dry) has been measured during consecutive two-week sampling intervals from January, 1981 to March, 1982 at four island stations (Midway, Oahu, Enewetak, and Fanning) of the SEAREX Asian Dust Study Network in the North Pacific. The total deposition of mineral aerosol during the period from February to June is higher than that during the period from July to January at most of the stations. A systematic geographical trend is apparent in the dust flux, with greater fluxes at higher latitudes. The deposition values are correlated with the atmospheric mineral particle concentrations at these stations. The mineral particles are transported from arid regions in Asia to the North Pacific, and the annual dust deposition to the ocean appears to be dominated by sporadic dust events of short duration. Wet deposition dominates the removal of dust particles from the atmosphere over the North Pacific. The total deposition of atmospheric mineral material to the central North Pacific is estimated to be ∼20×1012 g yr-1.
Suárez and the doctrine of the transcendentals

This article discusses Suarez's views concerning the transcendentals, that is, being and those attributes of it that extend to everything. In particular it explores Suarez's notion of transcendentality and the way in which he conceived the transcendental attributes of being are related to it. It makes two claims: First, that Suarez has an intensional, rather than an extensional understanding of transcendentality; and, second, that Suarez's understanding of truth and goodness, as expressing real extrinsic denominations based on real relations, appears to contain an inconsistency.
Plasma-breakdown retropulse isolators for the infrared.

The design and performance of a passive plasma isolator for suppressing retropulses in high-power CO2 laser-fusion systems are described. The device uses a gas-filled spatial filter designed to produce a plasma at the focal plane iris. General design criteria for these isolators are discussed, and the performance of a specific isolator is evaluated. For the unit tested, retropulse attenuations of 33 dB for focal plane intensities of 1.5 TW/cm2 have been demonstrated.
2 × 2 Permanental Ideals of Hypermatrices

We analyze the structure of ideals generated by some classes of 2 × 2 permanents of hypermatrices, generalizing [9] on 2 × 2 permanental ideals of generic matrices. We compare the obtained structure to that of the corresponding determinantal ideals in [11]: as expected, the permanental ideals have many more (minimal) components. In the last two sections, we examine a few related classes of permanental ideals.
Attitudes of parents, teachers, and health professionals toward child disabilities

Attitudes toward 20 different handicaps in children were investigated by requesting groups of psychologists, parents of children with handicaps, parents of children without handicaps, special education teachers, and regular classroom teachers to respond to three different attitudinal measures. The measures consisted of an Adoption Scale, calling for degree of acceptance of each condition for adoption; a version of the Semantic Differential Scale, involving ratings of each condition on seven bipolar scales; and a Social Distance scale, measuring the acceptability of children having these handicapping conditions within the community, school, social group, and home. The findings indicated major differences in attitudes attributable to disparate rating groups, handicapping conditions, and measures employed.
On the influence of strain-path changes on fracture

Abrupt changes in strain path between uniaxial and equibiaxial tension are shown to have a large effect on plane-strain ductility. Data for titanium sheets, both with and without hydrides, show that a significant ductility enhancement occurs at a final strain state of plane-strain tension following multi-stage deformation sequences comprised of uniaxial and equibiaxial tension. While the dependence of ductile fracture on both accumulated damage and strain hardening suggests that failure strains should be sensitive to a nonproportional strain-path history, the detailed cause(s) of the present effect is not known.
The organization of serotonergic projections to cerebral cortex in primates: regional distribution of axon terminals.

Abstract Serotonergic axons are widely distributed in the primate forebrain and represent the most abundant ascending projection from the reticular formation. Immunocytochemical methods have been utilized to examine the density, laminar distribution and morphology of serotonergic axons in both primary projection (motor, somatosensory) and association areas (dorsolateral prefrontal, area 5) as well as in the hippocampus and in cingulate cortex of rhesus and cynomolgus macaques. Serotonergic axons are present in all areas of cortex examined, and all cortical layers receive serotonergic afferents. However, the intracortical distribution of serotonergic axon terminals is not uniform; rather, different regions of cortex exhibit dissimilarities in both the density and laminar distribution of serotonergic axons. Thus, there are local patterns of serotonin innervation that are characteristic of each cortical area. Highly diverse patterns of serotonin innervation are found in heterotypical areas of cortex; more subtle variations are present among homotypical areas. Two morphologic types of serotonergic axon terminals, fine and beaded, are present in all cortical areas, and they typically exhibit different laminar distributions: in most areas of neocortex, beaded axons predominate in layer I while fine axons predominate in layers II—VI. However, exceptions to this pattern were observed in primary visual cortex and in the hippocampal formation. The distinctive local patterns of serotonin innervation observed in this study indicate that raphe-cortical projections are likely to have differential influences on particular cytoarchitectonic areas of cerebral cortex in the primate. Moreover, the discrete laminar distribution of serotonin axons suggests that serotonergic projections selectively innervate particular neuronal elements in cerebral cortex. The present findings suggest that the two classes of serotonergic axons, fine and beaded, which have different patterns of termination, affect different sets of cortical neurons. In addition, these two serotonergic projections may be associated with different sets of serotonergic receptors and thus produce selective effects on cortical function.
The preparation and purification of monoglycerides. II. Direct esterification of fatty acids with glycerol

Studies have been made on the direct esterification reaction with various saturated and unsaturated fatty acids using more than theoretical concentration of glycerol (for maximum monoglyceride production) at 180C reaction temperature and in presence and absence of alkaline catalyst. The results show that the maximum monoglyceride formed is in the range of 55–60% of the fatty product at equilibrium stage of the reaction. The alkaline catalyst substantially increases the initial rate of reaction without appreciably lowering the time required for reaching the equilibrium concentration of monoglyceride in the resulting reaction mixture. Catalyst helps in depressing diglyceride formation.
Edge effects in lacunarity analysis

Abstract Lacunarity results can be skewed by edge effects and this may have negative implications for research projects in ecological pattern analysis and modeling. The problem occurs because the standard gliding-box algorithm over-samples the center of a map and under-samples along its edges. This effect is particularly strong when the scale of inquiry is large relative to the extent of the map, as fewer box mass estimates are utilized to form the distribution from which lacunarity is calculated. We devised a new algorithm where we allowed the gliding-box to overlap beyond the edge of the map and wrap back around to the opposing side, thereby solving both problems. In this study, we compare the standard lacunarity algorithm with this new periodic boundary algorithm (a method often used in cellular automata modeling) to quantify the differences between the two approaches and to determine when the standard algorithm may suffer from deleterious effects. We performed our analysis upon several neutral landscapes to evaluate the importance of pattern as well. We found that the standard algorithm skews results when the pattern is strongly heterogeneous or aggregated, especially when the classes are not evenly distributed around the center of the map or when percent cover p i is low. The advantages and disadvantages of both algorithms, as well as other potential remedies such as up-weighting samples along the edges, are discussed.
The Role of Copulas in the Housing Crisis

Abstract Due to its simplicity and familiarity, the Gaussian copula is popular in calculating risk in collaterized debt obligations, but it imposes asymptotic independence such that extreme events appear to be unrelated. This restriction might be innocuous in normal times, but during extreme events, such as the housing crisis, the Gaussian copula might be inappropriate. This paper explores various copula specifications and finds that the degree to which housing prices are related based on the Gaussian copula is too small compared with real housing price data.
Functional relation between PRF and inductive or capacitive systems

A useful theorem is derived for associating a more general PRF impedance Z(s) with any given RL?RC function z (s). The theorem indicates a functional relation between inductive/capacitive systems and the more general class of RLC. Z(s) = z(1)?z(s) 2s 1 / 1?s 1 + s z'(1) This relation, which is a functional tie rather than a frequency transformation, consolidates the binding relationship between PRF and its two important subclasses.
The Practice and Prohibition of Self-Castration in Early Christianity

L'A. focalise son attention sur la pratique de l'auto-castration et son interdiction dans le christianisme ancien. Il commence par examiner les positions opposees de saint Justin et de Basile d'Ancyre sur le sujet. Puis il examine les eunuques chretiens et les confronte a la pratique des orthodoxes. Enfin, il pose la question de l'auto-castration comme expression de la continence chretienne en se placant sur le terrain des relations sociales entre ascetes hommes et femmes
Coriolis interaction and intramolecular vibrational redistribution: A high-resolution spectroscopic probe of the rotational contribution to vibrational

Abstract We present here high-resolution fluorescence excitation spectra of the 12 0 2 band of pyrimidine in a molecular beam, which provide compelling ev
Application of two-point probability distribution functions to predict properties of heterogeneous two-phase materials

Abstract An investigation was conducted in order to determine the viability of using two-point probability distribution functions to predict the material properties of two-phase heterogeneous materials. The material of interest in this investigation was Titanium Diboride/Alumina ceramic (TiB2 + Al2O3). In TiB2 + Al2O3 ceramics, it has been noted that the connectivity of the TiB2 second phase plays a major role in the mechanical properties of the TiB2 + Al2O3 ceramic, spall strength in particular. Two-point distribution functions were obtained for the four types of microstructures of TiB2 + Al2O3 and were compared to experimental results that have been previously reported. The two-point distribution functions showed very good correlation to connectivity and spall strength results.
Cancer information-seeking behaviors and information needs among Korean Americans in the online community.

Korean Americans tend to have less access to health service and cancer screening tests than all US population. It is necessary to understand their current cancer information-seeking behaviors and information needs to more effectively provide adequate cancer information. However, there is little known about their cancer information seeking behaviors and needs. The purpose of the study was to understand cancer information seeking behaviors and information needs among Korean Americans. Data were collected from MissyUSA, which is one of the biggest websites for the Korean community in the USA. A total of 393 free-texts from January to June 2013 were reviewed; 120 were deleted because the messages were not related to cancer health information. A total of 273 posted free-texts were analyzed for this study, using an open source text-mining software program called AntConc 3.2.4. The extracted terms were categorized based on coding systems, after linguistic variations were handled. Terms such as “surgery,” “breast cancer,” “examination,” “cancer” (unspecified), “Korea,” and “pain” were most frequently identified. Medical topics accounted for 71.4 % of the main topics of the postings. Treatment was the most frequently discussed in the medical topics while in the non-medical category, the most frequently discussed topic was recommendations for hospitals or doctors. In relation to types of cancer, breast cancer was the greatest concern, followed by cervical and liver cancer. The findings from this study can help in establishing more effective strategies to provide better cancer information among Korean Americans by assessing their cancer information seeking trends and information needs.
Assessment of ischemic organ injury by optical spectroscopy

Abstract Introduction: There is currently no efficient and reliable means of assessing the degree of ischemic damage in a potential donor kidney for transplantation. Photonic analysis of tissue is quick, noninvasive and portable. We hypothesized that ischemic damage to kidneys can be assessed by two novel photonic methods utilizing laser autofluorescence and polarized light scattering spectroscopy. Methods: Warm ischemia was induced in 35Lewis rat kidneys by clamping the renal pedicle for 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes (5 rats at each time point). Next, ischemic and control (non-injured) kidneys from each rat were flushed with Euro-Collins solution and stored on ice at 4°C. A laser wavelength of 335 nm was used to excite tissue on the surface of each kidney at 4°C, and autofluorescence images at different spectral bands as well as emission spectra from various points in every kidney were measured. In addition, cross-polarized light scattering images at 700 nm and 800 nm were recorded. The degree of tissue change was assessed by calculating the ratio of the average signal intensity of the injured kidney to that in the control kidney of the same animal. Results: The figure shows autofluorescence (dots) and light-scattering at 800 nm (triangles) intensity ratios for the studied ischemic injury times (± standard error bars). Correlation factors of auto-fluorescence and light scatte-ring with ischemic time were -0.65 and -0.84 (p Download : Download high-res image (117KB) Download : Download full-size image
The Myth of the Borderless World: Refugees and Repatriation Policy

This essay explores the impact of the end of the Cold War on the counter-refugee-crisis policies of the United Nations and its strongest member states. I argue that during the Cold War, state interests were subordinated to the refugee interests for two reasons. First, refugees were few in number and tended to be educated, skilled, and informed (valuable). Second, the WWII experience of the Holocaust in Europe led to the institutionalization of concern for the fate of persecuted groups at the expense of state interests. After the end of the Cold War, however, a number of the Soviet Union's allies and successor states began to fail, and these state failures, combined with unprecedented access to information about living conditions abroad, led to refugee flows that impacted powerful states. Whereas the preferred counter-refugee crisis policy during the Cold War was resettlement, after the Cold War it shifted to repatriation: voluntary repatriation in the best cases, and forced repatriation in the worst. The ...
Conditioning of Racial Attitudes and Color Concepts in Children

This investigation sought to determine whether or not attitudes of kindergarten children could be modified through classical conditioning procedures. Ss in Exp. I were asked to evaluate Negroes fol...
Radiative Transfer In An Atmosphere-Ocean System: A Matrix Operator Approach

It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate how the matrix operator method can be effectively implemented to couple the radiation fields of the atmosphere and ocean. Azimuthally averaged radiances and irradiances are presented as a function of optical depth for a conservative Rayleigh scattering medium of total optical thickness τmax = 1000 with a dielectric interface placed at optical depths of 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0, and for various solar incident angles.© (1978) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Energy analysis in the screw pressing of whole and dehulled flaxseed

Specific Mechanical Energy (SME) is an important parameter of screw press design and performance. Analysis of SME and its dissipation will improve our understanding of temperature increase during screw pressing, and will in turn lead to better protection of heat sensitive materials, such as alpha-linolenic acid in flaxseed oil. SME, net enthalpy change, and heat loss were estimated from steady state data for screw pressing whole flaxseed and flaxseed with different fraction of hull removal (FHR). The decrease of moisture content and FHR all resulted in significant increases of both oil and meal temperature and net enthalpy change. Conduction dissipated up to half of the mechanical energy input, while convection was low. SME increased significantly from 81.1 to 104.7 kJ/kg when the moisture content of whole flaxseed decreased from 12.6% to 6.3%. SME when pressing whole flaxseed was significantly higher than when pressing dehulled flaxseed.
Detection of granulocyte reactive oxygen species formation in whole blood using flow cytometry

We have developed a technique for analysis of granulocyte reactive oxygen species formation in whole blood using flow cytometry and two color immunofluorescence. This technique relies upon the use of specific fluorescent dye (LDS-751) to stain nucleated cells, eliminating erythrocytes from analysis. Using LDS-751, forward angle light scatter, and 90 degrees side scatter, a granulocyte gate, monocyte gate, and lymphocyte gate were identified. Analysis with multiple FITC conjugated monoclonal antibodies demonstrated greater than 95% purity of a flow cytometrically identified granulocyte population in whole blood without physical manipulation of the blood. Utilizing 2'7' dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA), we were able to measure granulocyte intracellular reactive oxygen species production. Dose response curves were obtained for the effect of granulocyte agonists phorbol myristate acetate, FMLP, and heat fixed Staphylococcus aureus on reactive oxygen species production. The techniques described in this paper should be useful for measuring granulocyte activation in vivo with flow cytometry.
FROM ACCOMMODATION TO LIBERATION A Social Movement Analysis of Lesbians in the Homophile Movement

The gay and lesbian liberation movement and its predecessor, the homophile movement that originated in the 1950s, have been relatively little studied by sociologists; yet theories of ethnic mobilization, especially competition theory, help us to understand the mobilization of lesbians and gay men. At the same time, lesbian/gay social movement activity provides an important critique of social movement theories. This article focuses on the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), a homophile organization for women founded in 1956. Competition theory furnishes a useful framework for understanding the transformation and decline of the DOB and its publication, the Ladder, at the end of the 1960s, but it cannot fully explain lesbian social and political organization. By viewing group identities as multiple and overlapping, new social movement theory contributes a more complete understanding of the Daughters of Bilitis and its relationship to other social movement groups in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Place branding with native species: Personality as a criterion

Native species are elements of a place that have the potential to represent a tourism destination. The possibility of using native species for destination branding has not been systematically investigated. This research was a preliminary attempt to ascertain the efficacy of using native species in destination branding efforts and hypothesizes that if the perceived personality of a species and the perceived personality of the place of its natural range are similar, there would be a good case for adopting the species as a destination branding tool. Using Salmon as the native species and the state of Alaska as the place, the results of the study indicate that Alaska and Salmon have analogous personalities and that the closer a consumer perceived the personalities to be the more likely they were to think that Salmon represented Alaska well. Initial results verify the potential of native species to uniquely represent place with yet unrealized potential.
Ferrocyanide adsorption on aluminum oxides.

Abstract Ferrocyanide (Fe(CN) 4− 6 ) adsorption onto γ -alumina ( γ -Al 2 O 3( s ) ) and gibbsite (Al(OH) 3( s ) ) was investigated over a wide pH range and at various solid loadings. Batch experiments were performed using 100-ml solutions ( I =0.01 M NaCl) dosed with 1.0 mg l −1 Fe(CN) 4− 6 as CN. Equilibrium adsorption–pH edges were developed for 0.3, 0.6, 1.2, and 2.0 g l −1 γ -Al 2 O 3( s ) and 25 g l −1 Al(OH) 3( s ) . Ferrocyanide adsorption increased as pH decreased, consistent with the general pH dependence for adsorption of anions onto oxide minerals. Ferrocyanide adsorption onto Al(OH) 3( s ) was approximately 300 times lower than onto γ -Al 2 O 3( s ) on a unit weight basis due to the higher surface reactivity of the γ -Al 2 O 3( s ) . Ferrocyanide adsorption onto γ -Al 2 O 3( s ) was significantly greater than has been reported for goethite (FeOOH ( s ) ), and both γ -Al 2 O 3( s ) and FeOOH ( s ) adsorbed ferrocyanide to a greater extent than Al(OH) 3( s ) . The investigation showed that ferrocyanide can adsorb significantly onto aluminum oxides spanning a range of crystallinity and properties, with the extent of adsorption highly dependent on pH, the solid crystalline structure, and associated surface reactivity.
Interband damping of long-wavelength bulk plasmons

Abstract The contribution of interband transitions of electrons to the damping of plasma oscillations in a metal is investigated in the long-wavelength limit using two different approximation schemes: (i) a method using sum rules and (ii) a perturbative approach. We show that the first method leads to unphysical results, but the perturbation theory is justified for those metals in which the lattice periodicity can be represented by a weak pseudopotential. The numerical value of damping is computed for aluminium. The calculated frequency dependence of the imaginary part of the dielectric constant of Al is shown to be in good agreement with the same curve obtained from optical data.
Geometric connectivity of vehicular ad hoc networks : Analytical characterization

Advances in wireless communications are facilitating the development of inter-vehicle communication systems that will benefit mobility and safety objectives. Recently, these systems, referred as vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), are gaining significant prominence from both government agencies and private organizations. VANETs are characterized by high vehicle mobility, unexpected driver behavior and variable traffic environment which bring forth challenges to maintain good connectivity. This study considers VANETs as a nominal system with disturbance. Under the nominal system, the traffic space headway is assumed to follow an approved traffic flow distributions, such as exponential distribution. Disturbance is then used to capture a set of uncertain traffic flow events caused by driver behavior and changes in traffic flow. In addition, robustness factor is incorporated to present the impact of probabilistic disturbance events that disrupt the node connectivity. Under constant disturbance conditions, the lower bound of reachable neighbors for each vehicle to maintain a high connectivity is analytically derived. Furthermore, we obtain the relationship between the number of nodes in a VANET and the reachable neighbors under which the network is asymptotically connected. Finally, in variable disturbance situations, the interaction between robustness factor and macroscopic traffic parameters are investigated based on the simulation data. The validation results demonstrate that the proposed analytical characterization can approximate VANET connectivity very well. Our results facilitate the understanding of VANET connectivity on a freeway segment under different traffic conditions.
Combinations of nisin with organic acids or salts to control Listeria monocytogenes on sliced pork bologna stored at 4°C in vacuum packages

Abstract This study evaluated dipping solutions of nisin with or without organic acids or salts, as inhibitors of Listeria monocytogenes introduced on sliced cooked pork bologna before vacuum packaging and storage at 4°C for 120 days. Inoculated (102–103 cfu/cm2) slices were immersed in nisin (5000 IU/ml), or in lactic or acetic acid (1, 3, 5 g/100 ml), sodium acetate or diacetate (3, 5 g/100 ml), and potassium benzoate or sorbate (3 g/100 ml), each combined with nisin. Additional slices were immersed in nisin, inoculated and then immersed in acid or salt solutions without nisin. Nisin reduced L. monocytogenes by 1.0–1.5 log cfu/cm2 at treatment (day-0) followed by a listeriostatic effect for 10 days. Thereafter, however, the pathogen multiplied in treatments without acid or salts, with growth being faster on slices immersed in nisin after as compared to before inoculation. Nisin in combination with 3 or 5 g/100 ml acetic acid or sodium diacetate or 3 g/100 ml potassium benzoate, applied individually or as mixtures, did not permit growth before day-90. Other treatments were of variable and lesser effectiveness (20–70 days), whereas in untreated or water-treated (control) bologna L. monocytogenes increased at 6–7 log cfu/cm2 at day-20. Based on the antilisterial efficacy and effects of treatments on product pH, nisin with 3 g/100 ml sodium diacetate may be the most promising combination in dipping solutions to control L. monocytogenes on sliced cured pork bologna.
Electrostatic effects in a network of polar and ionizable groups in staphylococcal nuclease.

Abstract His121 and His124 are embedded in a network of polar and ionizable groups on the surface of staphylococcal nuclease. To examine how membership in a network affects the electrostatic properties of ionizable groups, the tautomeric state and the pKa values of these histidines were measured with NMR spectroscopy in the wild-type nuclease and in 13 variants designed to disrupt the network. In the background protein, His121 and His124 titrate with pKa values of 5.2 and 5.6, respectively. In the variants, where the network was disrupted, the pKa values range from 4.03 to 6.46 for His121, and 5.04 to 5.99 for His124. The largest decrease in a pKa was observed when the favorable Coulomb interaction between His121 and Glu75 was eliminated; the largest increase was observed when Tyr91 or Tyr93 was substituted with Ala or Phe. In all variants, the dominant tautomeric state at neutral pH was the Ne2 state. At one level the network behaves as a rigid unit that does not readily reorganize when disrupted: crystal structures of the E75A or E75Q variants show that even when the pivotal Glu75 is removed, the overall configuration of the network was unaffected. On the other hand, a few key hydrogen bonds appear to govern the conformation of the network, and when these bonds are disrupted the network reorganizes. Coulomb interactions within the network report an effective dielectric constant of 20, whereas a dielectric constant of 80 is more consistent with the magnitude of medium to long-range Coulomb interactions in this protein. The data demonstrate that when structures are treated as static, rigid bodies, structure-based pKa calculations with continuum electrostatics method are not useful to treat ionizable groups in cases where pKa values are governed by short-range polar and Coulomb interactions.
Social work technician program

The increasing use of US emergency departments has resulted in increased patient delays and resultant dissatisfaction on the part of the patients and their families. Furthermore, recent studies have indicated that these delays may jeopardize the health of the ED patient. We describe a program designed to address these concerns. The Social Work Technician Program employs social work students nearing graduation as liaisons between medical personnel and ED patients and their families. This program has been found to promote patient satisfaction and welfare while providing the students with a valuable educational experience.
Cochlear Implantation in Ménière’s Disease

Importance Though the effects of cochlear implantation (CI) on patients with hearing loss has been well described, its effect on the auditory and vestibular symptoms in patients with Meniere’s disease (MD) has not been firmly established. Objectives To determine whether CI in patients with MD improves hearing performance as measured by standard post-CI audiometric testing and to describe the impact of CI on subjective auditory and vestibular quality-of-life measures. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective review of all patients with MD 18 years or older who met diagnostic criteria for definite MD and underwent CI at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, a tertiary care academic medical center, from 2000 through 2012. Interventions Patients were invited to answer questions regarding their current hearing ability, subjective perception of symptoms, and functional status related to their MD before and after CI. Patient records were reviewed for pertinent information. Results were then analyzed for statistical significance. Main Outcomes and Measures Pre-CI and post-CI sentence testing scores, frequency and severity of MD vestibular and auditory symptoms via the MD Functional Level Scale (FLS), and hearing quality of life via the Hearing Handicap Index were reviewed. Results Eleven CIs were performed in 10 patients. Mean long-term follow-up was 41 months. The mean age at first implantation was 64 years. The mean sentence testing scores in quiet improved from 22.8% before CI to 77.0% after CI ( P P = .52). Conclusions and Relevance Patients with MD who undergo CI are capable of achieving substantial receptive communication improvement comparable to the gains experienced by patients without MD. Implantation seems to neither adversely alter the natural history of vestibular function nor notable exacerbate auditory symptoms.
Solar flares: an overview.

Abstract This is a survey of solar phenomena and physical models that may be useful for improving forecasts of solar flares and proton storms in interplanetary space. Knowledge of the physical processes that accelerate protons has advanced because of gamma-ray and X-ray observations from the Solar Maximum Mission telescopes. Protons are accelerated at the onset of flares, but the duration of any subsequent proton storm at 1 AU depends on the structure of the interplanetary fields. X-ray images of the solar corona show possible fast proton escape paths. Magnetographs and high-resolution visible-band images show the magnetic field structure near the acceleration region and the heating effects of sunward-directed protons. Preflare magnetic field growth and shear may be the most important clues to the physical processes that generate high energy solar particles. Any dramatic improvement in flare forecasts will require high resolution solar telescopes in space. Several possibilities for improvements in the art of flare forecasting are presented, among them: the use of acoustic tomography to probe for subsurface magnetic fields; a satellite-borne solar magnetograph; and an X-ray telescope to monitor the corona for eruptions.
Magnetically labeled glial cells as cellular MR contrast agents.

Demyelination is a common pathologic finding in human neurologic diseases and frequently persists as a result of failure of endogenous repair. Recent research has suggested that it is possible to promote remyelination in animal models of abnormal myelination or demyelination (1), either by endogenous glial cells or exogenous myelinating cells. The migratory capacity of transplanted cells is of key importance in determining the extent of remyelination and can, at present, only be evaluated using invasive and irreversible procedures. A technique that could monitor the grafted cell migration continuously and noninvasively is crucial to guide further advances in neurotransplantation research. We hypothesized that tagging grafted cells with a magnetic label might allow magnetic resonance (MR) tracking of their migratory capacity. Because oligodendrocyte progenitors have a greater migratory and myelinating capacity than mature glial cells, we decided to use the rat oligodendrocyte progenitor cell line CG-4 (2) as the graft, with the md (myelindeficient) rat as a recipient (3). We show here that CG-4 cells can be made highly magnetic by the addition of magnetic nanoparticles that are targeted to the transferrin receptor (Tfr). After neurotransplantation, the tagged glial cells appeared to fully retain their migratory and myelinating capacity in vivo, and their migratory pattern could be easily detected by MR imaging.
Dynamics of the Volatile Defense of Winter “Dormant” Balsam Poplar ( Populus balsamifera )

6-Hydroxycylohex-2-en-1-one (6-HCH) has been reported as a major chemical defense of the winter-dormant internodes of balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) against feeding by herbivores such as the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). We report that the concentration of 6-HCH in the fall internodes is triggered by a single hard frost, and then undergoes an exponential decline through volatilization over the winter that results in barely detectable quantities by early spring. We conclude that the role of 6-HCH in the defense of mature balsam poplar is more complex than simply acting as a toxin. Rather, 6-HCH’s role as a defensive agent must evolve over the course of the winter from being a co-toxin to a cue for a conditioned flavor aversion (CFA) to finally having no role by late spring.
Method for the automatic determination of laser beam polarization and intensity parameters for the measurement of Raman optical activity

A method for the quantitative determination of the laser beam deflection on passage through an electro-optic modulator is presented. The hardware used to determine simultaneously the beam polarization parameters and deflections is described, and a procedure for minimizing these deflections is outlined. Examples of artifacts caused by the motion of the laser beam in the observation of Raman optical activity are presented.
Inelastic electron tunnelling spectroscopy of magnetic tunnel junctions with AlN and AlON barriers

Abstract We report on electrical transport properties of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) with AlN and AlON barriers. A series of junctions was made with the structure MnFe/NiFe/barrier/NiFe, where the type of the barrier layer was systematically varied. These samples were compared with a reference sample of MTJs with an alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) barrier. Particularly, the bias dependence of tunnelling magneto resistance was found to be less pronounced in nitride barriers than in alumina, which was attributed to barrier-specific phonon-assisted inelastic electron tunnelling.
Micromechanical properties of glassy and rubbery polymer brush layers as probed by atomic force microscopy

Abstract Carboxylic acid terminated polystyrene and polybutylacrylate were grafted from melt onto a silicon substrate modified with the epoxysilane monolayer. The tethered layers fabricated from polymers of different molecular weights are smooth, uniform, mechanically stable, and cover homogeneously the modified silicon surface. Micromechanical properties of the dry glassy and rubbery brush layers were measured with atomic force microscope. We observed that for the PS layers with the thickness higher than 7 nm, the average value of the elastic moduli reached 1.1 GPa, which is close, but still lower than the expected for bulk polymer. The elastic modulus of PS polymer brush layers dramatically depends upon molecular weight and follows the inverse law with segment molecular weight, M c of 18,000 known for bulk PS. This result indicates that the process of the formation of the physical network within polymer melt of chains tethered to a solid substrate is similar to that occurring in unconstrained polymer melt. Under these conditions, three PS brush layers studied in this work represent different cases of chains without stable entanglements for M M c as well as chains with stable entanglements for brushes with M ∼ M c . This transition shows itself in significant reduction of the compliance reflected in twofold increase in elastic modulus. Our estimation predicts that modest lowering of ‘limiting’ elastic modulus of 1.4 GPa can be expected for thicker polymer brushes.
Age-related changes in the control of attention in depth.

In 2 experiments, the authors examined the control of spatial attention in depth in advanced age. Observers viewed 2 sets of lines that overlapped in two-dimensional (2-D) space but that were presented at different depth locations. An exogenous cue indicated the depth at which a colored target line would appear. On some trials, a distracting colored element was also presented. The luminance of this distracter varied from high to low. For both older and younger adults, distractors slowed reaction time less if they were at a different depth from the target. This effect was more robust for older adults with low-luminance distractors, indicating an important role for target features as well as attentional control. Adding another feature (i.e., color) that distinguished between target and distracter reduced the effects of slowing shown by the older observers and eliminated the cost of low-luminance distractors for all observers. The results suggest that attentional control in depth is maintained in aging.
From genome to bedside: are we lost in translation?

The preceding decade has seen a remarkable technical explosion resulting in an entirely new field designated as “omics”. A committee convened by the United States Institute of Medicine (IOM) has defined omics as “characterization of global sets of biological molecules such as DNAs, RNAs, proteins, and metabolites”. The IOM report has established a roadmap for translating a newly discovered signature that emerges from an omics-based exploratory study to a true, analytically valid test that has both clinical validity and clinical utility for a specific intended use. This roadmap requires a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in the technical aspects of high-throughput assay development, bioinformatics, clinical test development, and clinical research and statistics. The investigative team should follow one of the pathways laid out by the IOM committee to establish clinical utility of an analytically validated omics-based test, and therefore acceptance by regulatory and guideline bodies: Prospective retrospective studies, or prospective studies in which the omics-based test is the primary objective of the trial itself. Although developed for omics-based tests, these concepts are applicable to any diagnostic test used to direct care of patients with cancer. These pathways are rigorous, and therefore not easily accomplished. However, if we are to apply these tests to direct management of our patients, we must approach the science of biomarker development with the same rigor that is used for therapeutic agent assessment. A “Bad Tumor Marker Is as Bad as a Bad Drug”.
Platelet shape change and Ca2+ mobilization induced by collagen, but not thrombin or ADP, are inhibited by phenylarsine oxide

Summary. In this report we have examined the effects of the protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor phenylarsine oxide (PAO) on receptor-mediated platelet shape change, secretion and aggregation. PAO was found to inhibit platelet aggregation induced by collagen, thrombin, ADP and epinephrine at IC50 values of 0.35 μmol/l, 2.5 μmol/l, 0.2 μmol/l and 0.3 μmol/l, respectively. Agonist-induced secretion of ATP was inhibited at similar or lower concentrations of PAO. The specificity of the interaction of PAO with platelet proteins was demonstrated by the ability of the disulfhydryl compound 2,3-dimercaptopropanol, which abstracts PAO from proteins to form a stable cyclic adduct, to reverse PAO inhibition of both agonist-induced platelet secretion and aggregation. Dimercaptopropanesulphonic acid, a membrane-impermeable analogue of dimercaptopropanol, did not reverse inhibition of collagen-induced shape change or aggregation by PAO, thereby demonstrating that PAO acted intracellularly. PAO inhibited collagen-induced shape change and internal Ca2+ mobilization but had no effect on these two phenomena when induced by thrombin or ADP. PAO was also unable to prevent arachidonic acid-induced shape change, indicating that PAO acts at a site prior to the phospholipase A2-mediated release of arachidonic acid to inhibit collagen-induced shape change. PAO induced the accumulation of a number of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins and inhibited the collagen-induced phosphorylation of a 40 kD protein. The potency and agonist-specific effects of PAO on platelet activation suggest that this inhibitor will be of value in elucidation of signal transduction pathways involved in receptor-mediated platelet function.
YouTube as a tool for pain management with informal caregivers of cancer patients: a systematic review.

Context Cancer caregivers have information and support needs, especially about cancer pain management. With high Internet use reported among caregivers, YouTube may be an accessible option when looking for information on cancer pain management.
Interaction of preservatives with macromolecules. II. Correlation of binding data with required preservative concentrations of p-hydroxybenzoates in the presence of tween 80.

Data are presented to show that the preservative activity of p -hydroxybenzoic acid esters in the presence of Tween 80 is primarily a function of the concentration of unbound preservative. Prediction of required preservative concentrations from a knowledge of the degree of interaction of the preservative with nonionic surfactants is illustrated.