cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Law of Demand

This article describes one of the fundamental laws of economics. Its description of the relation between price changes and consumer purchases of a good is presented. The economic forces which explain the consumer behavior described in the law are identified. Examples of the law are offered, as are some possible exceptions where the law appears to be violated. Keywords: demand; consumer behavior; price; marginal utility
Modeling Concurrent Systems: Actors, Nets, and the Problem of Abstraction and Composition

This paper reviews the state of the art in building and reasoning about concurrent system using actors. We first provide a brief definition of actors and discuss the status of actor theory. We then describe a number of programming abstractions that are useful in developing and maintaining complex concurrent systems. Defining such abstractions requires a sort of system decomposition that is not supported by standard models of concurrency, including actors and nets. Rather a suitable meta-architecture is needed and its satisfactory formal definition remains elusive. We currently have only rudimentary semantics for the different programming abstractions that we have developed.
The Evolutionary Psychology of Human Mate Choice: How Ecology, Genes, Fertility, and Fashion Influence Mating Strategies

Abstract The recent incorporation of sexual selection theories into the rubric of evolutionary psychology has produced an important framework from which to examine human mating behavior. Here we review the extant empirical and theoretical work regarding heterosexual human mating preferences and reproductive strategies. Initially, we review contemporary evolutionary psychology's adaptationism, including the incorporation of modern theories of sexual selection, adaptive genetic variation, and mate choice. Next, we examine women's and men's mating preferences, focusing on the adaptive significance of material, genetic and fertility benefits, and their relationship to environmental characteristics. Following this, we consider human mate choice in relation to non-adaptive preferences. This discussion ends with a look at context effects for individual differences in mate-preferences and reproductive strategies.
Photoion-photoelectron coincidence studies clusters and transient molecules

Experimental photoion-photoelectron coincidence (PIPECO) spectra have been obtained at different nozzle stagnation pressures for Ar, Kr, Xe, and CO dimers and trimers in the wavelength regions corresponding to the respective ground states through all states accessible with a photon energy of 20 eV. Ionization energies for all ground states were measured and agree well with previously reported values. The formation of stable dimer ions from fragmentation of larger cluster ions initially produced by photoionization is efficient. For nozzle expansion conditions which minimize the formation of clusters larger than dimers, the intensities of the excited PIPECO bands for all clusters, except Ar{sub 2}{sup +} and Ar{sub 3}{sup +}, are found to be negligible with respect to the ground state PIPECO bands. The PIPECO technique has been used successfully to obtain the mass-selected threshold photoelectron spectra of the SO and S{sub 2}O transient molecules formed from a microwave discharge, effusive beam source. Analysis of the PIPECO spectra of all the clusters and transient molecules are presented. 177 refs., 32 figs., 6 tabs.
Posterior Fixation Techniques in the Subaxial Cervical Spine

This article reviews the historical context, indications, techniques, and complications of four posterior fixation techniques to stabilize the subaxial cervical spine. Specifically, posterior wiring, laminar screw fixation, lateral mass fixation, and pedicle screw fixation are among the common methods of operative fixation of the subaxial cervical spine. While wiring and laminar screw fixation are now rarely used, both lateral mass and pedicle screw fixation are technically challenging and present the risk of significant complications if performed incorrectly. With a sound understanding of anatomy and rigorous preoperative evaluation of bony structures, both lateral mass and pedicle screw fixation provide a safe and reliable method for subaxial cervical spine fixation.
Analysis of the Aspergillus fumigatus Biofilm Extracellular Matrix by Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Aspergillus fumigatus is commonly responsible for lethal fungal infections among immunosuppressed individuals. A. fumigatus forms biofilm communities that are of increasing biomedical interest due to the association of biofilms with chronic infections and their increased resistance to antifungal agents and host immune factors. Understanding the composition of microbial biofilms and the extracellular matrix is important to understanding function and, ultimately, to developing strategies to inhibit biofilm formation. We implemented a solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) approach to define compositional parameters of the A. fumigatus extracellular matrix (ECM) when biofilms are formed in RPMI 1640 nutrient medium. Whole biofilm and isolated matrix networks were also characterized by electron microscopy, and matrix proteins were identified through protein gel analysis. The (13)C NMR results defined and quantified the carbon contributions in the insoluble ECM, including carbonyls, aromatic carbons, polysaccharide carbons (anomeric and nonanomerics), aliphatics, etc. Additional (15)N and (31)P NMR spectra permitted more specific annotation of the carbon pools according to C-N and C-P couplings. Together these data show that the A. fumigatus ECM produced under these growth conditions contains approximately 40% protein, 43% polysaccharide, 3% aromatic-containing components, and up to 14% lipid. These fundamental chemical parameters are needed to consider the relationships between composition and function in the A. fumigatus ECM and will enable future comparisons with other organisms and with A. fumigatus grown under alternate conditions.
Singular homogenization for Sierpinski pre-fractals☆

Abstract In this work, we consider a transmission problem across highly conductive layers of the pre-fractal Sierpinski gasket type. We apply a homogenization approach to obtain a convergence of solutions to the transmission problem for a fixed iteration n of the Sierpinski gasket. We show Mosco convergence of a sequence of energy functionals to an energy functional, supported on the highly conductive layer that incorporates a singular term on this layer. Moreover, from this convergence we can obtain results related to the convergence of approximating solutions to the limit solutions.
Cardiovascular Manifestations Seen in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have an increased prevalence of systemic and pulmonary hypertension, left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and congestive heart failure, increased platelet aggregability, and increased susceptibility to thrombotic and embolic cardiac and cerebrovascular events. Patients with OSA have an increased prevalence of coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, nocturnal angina, and myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Patients with OSA also have an increased prevalence of stroke. Treatment of OSA with continuous positive airway pressure improves cardiac efficiency in patients with heart failure, causes a reduction in the frequency of nocturnal ischemic ST-segment depression, relieves nocturnal angina, and causes a reduction in the occurrence of new cardiovascular events and an increase in the time to such events.
Disproportionation Kinetics of Hypoiodous Acid As Catalyzed and Suppressed by Acetic Acid-Acetate Buffer.

The kinetics of the disproportionation of hypoiodous acid to give iodine and iodate ion (5HOI right harpoon over left harpoon 2I(2) + IO(3)(-) + H(+) + 2H(2)O) are investigated in aqueous acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer. The rate of iodine formation is followed photometrically at -log [H(+)] = 3.50, 4.00, 4.50, and 5.00, m = 0.50 M (NaClO(4)), and 25.0 degrees C. Both catalytic and inhibitory buffer effects are observed. The first process is proposed to be a disproportionation of iodine(I) to give HOIO and I(-); the iodide then reacts with HOI to give I(2). The reactive species (acetato-O)iodine(I), CH(3)CO(2)I, is postulated to increase the rate by assisting in the formation of I(2)O, a steady-state species that hydrolyzes to give HOIO and I(2). Inhibition is postulated to result from the formation of the stable ion bis(acetato-O)iodate(I), (CH(3)CO(2))(2)I(-), as buffer concentration is increased. This species is observed spectrophotometrically with a UV absorption shoulder (lambda = 266 nm; epsilon = 530 M(-)(1) cm(-)(1)). The second process is proposed to be a disproportionation of HOIO to give IO(3)(-) and I(2). Above 1 M total buffer, the reaction becomes reversible with less than 90% I(2) formation. Rate and equilibrium constants are resolved and reported for the proposed mechanism.
Quasiparticle spectra of trans-polyacetylene.

A first-principles calculation to determine the electronic properties of trans-polyacetylene using Hedin's $\mathrm{GW}$ approximation for the self-energy is described. To our knowledge this work is the first application of the $\mathrm{GW}$ method to a quasi-one-dimensional system. The zeroth-order approximation is used to initialize the calculation with the self-energy described by the Hartree-Fock exchange interaction. To include electron exchange and correlation beyond Hartree Fock, the first-order ($\mathrm{GW}$) approximation for the self-energy is adopted. Now the self-energy is energy dependent and is described by the single-particle Green's function ($G$) and the screened Coulomb interaction ($W$). For screening the Coulomb potential the complete wave number and frequency-dependent dielectric response tensor, within the random phase approximation, is employed. The $\mathrm{GW}$ calculation is carried to self-consistency. By implementing the $\mathrm{GWA}$, the Hartree-Fock minimum band gap is reduced by 68% and falls within the experimentally observed range. The optical reflectance and electron-energy-loss function, calculated with local field and lifetime effects, are presented and compared with experiment.
Environmental distribution and transformation of mercury compounds

Abstract Health risk assessments for mercury are subject to uncertainties associated with the prediction of exposure from multiple pathways (air, water, and food). In order to accurately predict multipathway exposure, an understanding of the transport and transformation processes that govern mercury's multimedia distribution is required. Modeling and analysis of multimedia exposure requires knowledge of the physicochemical properties, partition coefficients, and intermedia transport properties of a compound. Although a number of reviews of the behavior of mercury in the environment have been published over the last decade, little attention has been given to the environmental multimedia distribution of mercury and the governing intermedia transfer factors. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the chemical and physical processes that govern mercury distribution among the major environmental media. Physicochemical properties, partition coefficients, and intermedia transport parameters that can ...
Colonization dynamics and life history traits of seven Daphnia pulex genotypes

A series of experiments revealed significant differences in the potential ability of seven Daphnia pulex genotypes to colonize two lakes in which this species does not naturally reside. Life table experiments, in which individuals from each genotype were raised separately on water and natural phytoplankton from the two lakes, revealed several significant differences among genotypes in life history traits, including age and size at first reproduction, clutch size and offspring body size. Significant differences among genotypes were also found in mean genotype fitness and rate of population increase, although all genotypes were able to increase in absolute numbers. Significant genotypexlake interaction was found for several life history traits and mean fitness, indicating that the relative success of invading genotypes may depend on habitat characteristics. Enclosure experiments, in which all seven genotypes were introduced together into enclosures in both lakes, revealed that some genotypes increased greatly while others declined in relative abundance, and that the most successful genotypes differed between lakes. In addition, the most successful genotypes in the enclosures were not necessarily the genotypes that displayed the highest fitness in the life table experiments, possibly because individuals in the enclosures competed for food resources, leading to exclusion of certain genotypes.
Conflicting Uses of ‘Happiness’ and the Human Condition

Abstract Nel Noddings claims that there is an important normative element in happiness. For support, she points to the Aristotelian idea of the eudaimonic life, a concept that is often translated into English as ‘the happy life’. However, in light of the wide divergence between the Aristotelian view of eudaimonia as a life of virtuous activity and most contemporary psychologists’ and lay people’s view of happiness as subjective wellbeing, the authors of this article believe that Noddings’s merging of the two has several shortcomings. Aside from ambiguity and confusion, it encourages us to deny that, given the human condition, we must sometimes choose between happiness as pursuit of positive emotion and personal satisfaction and happiness as pursuit of the common good and the virtuous life.
Hot H_{2} and Interstellar Shocks

The rotational excitation of H2 molecules by interstellar shock waves is calculated. Level populations integrated through a shock in a cloud with a density of 10 per cu cm have nearly exponential distributions, with effective rotational temperatures T sub r = 15 V to the 1.5 power K, where V is the shock velocity in km/sec. Ortho-para conversion is effective for high shock velocities, but not for low ones, so that the degree of alternation of intensities of rotational lines in the Lyman absorption band should be correlated with V, and therefore with T sub 2. The results are compared with observations of H2 rotational levels made by the Copernicus satellite.
Distinct patterns of IgH structure and organization in a divergent lineage of chrondrichthyan fishes

Immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) genes in representative chondrichthyan fishes (sharks and skates) consist of independently functioning clusters, containing separate variable (VH), diversity (DH), and joining (JH) region elements and constant (CH) region exons. IgH loci have been characterized in Hydrolagus colliei (spotted ratfish), a modern representative of a major independent chondrichthyan lineage. Three distinct families of IgH gene clusters were identified. The most numerous genes consist of unjoined VH-D1-D2-JH segments that correspond to the most abundant Hydrolagus spleen (cDNA) transcripts which apparently arise from a diversified gene family. In the second cluster type, VH, DH, and JH segments are germline-joined, whereas the CH exons exhibit typical organization. This gene type is found in only a few copies per haploid genome and both transmembrane and secretory transcripts have been identified. A third cluster type has been identified that consists of unjoined VH elements but lacks a typical CH1 exon, which is substituted with a second CH2-like exon. Transcripts from this third cluster type also appear to derive from a diversified gene family. Genomic D regions of the two unjoined clone types exhibit structural differences that are consistent with incorporation of recombination machinery-mediated events. Genomic library screening indicates that 90% of VH+ clones are truncated, nearly identical pseudogenes (lacking JH and CH). These studies demonstrate an early phylogenetic origin for the cluster type of gene organization and document extensive organizational diversification within an apparent single class of IgH genes.
GASTRODUODENAL LEIOMYOSARCOMAS: A REPORT OF THE CLINICAL, ROENTGENOLOGIC, AND PATHOLOGIC FEATURES OF THREE SURGICAL CASES.

The distinctive features of gastroduodenal leiomyosarcomas are reviewed and 3 cases presented. The first patient had a large exophytic leiomyosarcoma of the duodenum; the other 2 had gastric tumors of the same histologic type. In retrospect, all 3 had clinical and roentgenologic findings which were highly suggestive of leiomyosarcoma. They were initially attributed to the more ubiquitous peptic ulcer diathesis, with a resultant delay in diagnosis and therapy. Even with the tumor exposed at the time of laparotomy, its true nature was somewhat obscure, corroborating the Hippocratic adage that others have applied to leiomyosarcomas: “Experience is fallacious and judgment difficult.”
Augmented Quantity Theory of Money and Bangladesh Taka – U.S. Dollar Exchange Rate Dynamics

This paper studies the dynamics of the Taka-U.S.Dollar exchange rate for Bangladesh by augmenting the Quantity Theory of Money. The standard cointegration methodology (Engle and Granger, 1987) is employed in addition to the ARDL (Autoregressive Distributed Lag) procedure. The ADF and KPSS tests reveal data nonstationarity, but with different orders of integration. As a result, the ARDL procedure is invoked following (Peseran et al., 2001) to search for cointegrating relationship among the variables. On the evidence of cointegration, the vector error- correction model (VECM) is estimated. The negative sign of the coefficient of the error-correction term and its statistical significance in terms of the associated t –value confirm unidirectional causal flow from broad money supply and real GDP to Taka-U.S.Dollar exchange rate and long-run convergence with short–run interactive feedback effects. Furthermore, impulse response analyses are performed for additional visual insights.
Ginzburg-Landau parameter and surface superconductivity in A1 thin films☆

Abstract Measurements of H// (t) and H⊥ (t) in A1 films support the known disparity between bulk and thin film determination of κ. The thicker films measured exhibit surface superconductivity at low temperatures (κ > 0.42).
The Economic Origins of Entrenched Judicial Review

This article proposes a new explanation for the origins of entrenched judicial review, or judicial review supported by supermajority constitutional amendment requirements. The explanation is based on ex ante levels of economic inequality: Where economic inequality is higher, economic elites have more to lose from the advent of majority rule. These elites will have both greater incentives and greater ability to resist or check institutions responsive to popular majorities. We may then be more likely to see the adoption of less democratically responsive institutions, like entrenched judicial review, where more unequal wealth and income distributions are threatened by majority rule. The theory is consistent with the qualitative historical record from several former British colonies, including that of the United States. It also finds considerable support in an econometric analysis of the presence of entrenched judicial review in the first year of continuous democracy for those former European colonies that had become democracies by 2008, where pre-independence European mortality rates are used as a proxy for pre-independence economic inequality. These findings suggest that the adoption of entrenched judicial review in democracies may have been motivated at least in part because of its anticipated protection for higher levels of economic inequality.
Structure, stability, and folding of ribonuclease H1 from the moderately thermophilic Chlorobium tepidum: comparison with thermophilic and mesophilic homologues.

Proteins from thermophilic organisms are able to function under conditions that render a typical mesophilic protein inactive. Pairwise comparisons of homologous mesophilic and thermophilic proteins can help to identify the energetic features of a protein’s energy landscape that lead to such thermostability. Previous studies of bacterial ribonucleases H (RNases H) from the thermophile Thermus thermophilus and the mesophile Escherichia coli revealed that the thermostability arises in part from an unusually low change in heat capacity upon unfolding (ΔCp) for the thermophilic protein [Hollien, J., and Marqusee, S. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 3831−3836]. Here, we have further examined how nearly identical proteins can adapt to different thermal constraints by adding a moderately thermophilic homologue to the previously characterized mesophilic and thermophilic pair. We identified a putative RNase H from Chlorobium. tepidum and demonstrated that it is an active RNase H and adopts the RNase H fold. The moderately t...
Oral food challenge and food allergy quality of life in caregivers of children with food allergy.

Background Food allergy is associated with diminished patient and caregiver quality of life (QoL). Although oral food challenge (OFC) improves QoL of individuals with food allergy, its effects on caregiver QoL are unknown. Objectives To determine if differences in caregiver QoL exist based on their child undergoing OFC. Methods Caregivers of individuals with food allergy who underwent OFCs between 2001 and 2012 at the University of Michigan Food Allergy Center completed the Food Allergy Quality of Life–Parental Burden index and a questionnaire that assessed details of the most-severe reaction by an individual with food allergy. Results were compared with 305 caregivers of individuals with food allergy who were unchallenged. All questionnaire data regarding the characteristics of the reactions of individuals with food allergy were verified through chart review. Results A total of 115 caregivers of individuals with food allergy who were undergoing OFC completed the QoL assessment. Caregivers of individuals with food allergy who were undergoing OFC had a significantly lower (better) QoL score than controls who were not challenged (1.5 vs 1.88; P = .02). Furthermore, within the challenged cohort, there was no significant difference in QoL score between those with a passing OFC (eg, non-reactive) and a failing OFC (eg, reactive) (1.42 vs 1.34; P = .83). In an adjusted linear regression model, the QoL score was significantly better among caregivers of individuals with food allergy who were undergoing OFC and with an income >$50,000 but significantly worsened for caregivers with multiple individuals with food allergy or if the individual with food allergy had atopic dermatitis. Conclusion The caregiver QoL score is better with individuals with food allergy who underwent OFC versus controls who were unchallenged but not significantly different based on OFC outcome. QoL is, in addition, moderated by income, the presence of atopic dermatitis, and having multiple individuals with food allergy. OFC is associated with better caregiver QoL, irrespective of challenge outcome.
Gender-Transformative Interventions to Reduce HIV Risks and Violence with Heterosexually-Active Men: A Review of the Global Evidence

Emerging out of increased attention to gender equality within HIV and violence prevention programming has been an intensified focus on masculinities. A new generation of health interventions has attempted to shift norms of masculinity to be more gender equitable and has been termed "gender-transformative." We carried out a systematic review of gender-transformative HIV and violence prevention programs with heterosexually-active men in order to assess the efficacy of this programming. After reviewing over 2,500 abstracts in a systematic search, a total of 15 articles matched review criteria. The evidence suggests that gender-transformative interventions can increase protective sexual behaviors, prevent partner violence, modify inequitable attitudes, and reduce STI/HIV, though further trials are warranted, particularly in establishing STI/HIV impacts. In the conclusion, we discuss the promises and limitations of gender-transformative work with men and make suggestions for future research focused on HIV and/or violence prevention.
Multidisciplinary treatment of resectable rectal cancer

This review identifies evidence that influences current practices in the multidisciplinary treatment and shapes future directions in the treatment of resectable rectal cancer. Recent advances in surgery, radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy have provided measurable improvements in disease control, functional outcomes and quality of life for patients with rectal cancer. However, controversies remain regarding the optimum delivery of adjuvant therapies. Preoperative radiation either with or without concurrent chemotherapy demonstrates lower recurrence, with minimal survival benefit. Currently, the use of neoadjuvant standard fractionation chemoradiation versus short-course radiation without chemotherapy is controversial and under investigation. New combinations of chemotherapeutic agents and targeted therapies are also being evaluated. In addition, criteria for patient selection are being re-evaluated to determine the relative benefit of modern treatments, so that we may better tailor adjuvant therapy rec...
Microeconometric evidence on the neoclassical model of demand

Abstract The Rotterdam demand model is fit to microeconomic data on households in Belgium. Prices vary over time and across consumers. The symmetry and homogeneity properties associated with demand functions for an individual are not rejected in these data.
Influence of race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status on kidney disease

Low socioeconomic status (SES) influences disease incidence and contributes to poor health outcomes throughout an individual's life course across a wide range of populations. Low SES is associated with increased incidence of chronic kidney disease, progression to end-stage renal disease, inadequate dialysis treatment, reduced access to kidney transplantation, and poor health outcomes. Similarly, racial and ethnic disparities, which in the USA are strongly associated with lower SES, are independently associated with poor health outcomes. In this Review, we discuss individual-level and group-level SES factors, and the concomitant role of race and ethnicity that are associated with and mediate the development of chronic kidney disease, progression to end-stage renal disease and access to treatment.
Ornithopter transition trajectories

The design of stable trim conditions for forward flight and for hover has been achieved. In forward flight, an ornithopter is configured like a conventional airplane or large bird. Its fuselage is essentially horizontal and the wings heave in a vertical plane. In hover, however, the body pitches vertically so that the wing stroke in the horizontal plane. Thrust directed downward, the vehicle remains aloft while the downdraft envelops the tail to provide enough flow for vehicle control and stabilization. To connect these trajectories dynamically is the goal. The naive approach-to choose two stable trajectories and switch between them-has been accomplished. A new approach is to establish an open-loop trajectory through a trajectory optimization algorithm-optimized for shortest altitude drop, shortest stopping distance, or lowest energy consumption.
Scanning electron microscopy and microspectrophotometry of the photoreceptors of ictalurid catfishes

The retinal photoreceptors from larval channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were studied using single cell, in situ microspectrophotometry. Rods appear at 5 days after hatch; cones are present from day one. The rods contain a visual pigment which absorbs light maximally at 540 nm. The cones contain either a green sensitive visual pigment with peak absorbance at 535 nm or a red sensitive visual pigment with peak absorbance at 608 nm. All pigments are based on vitamin A2. Visual pigment complement does not change with age, as photoreceptors from adultI. punctatus, I. catus andI. melas contain visual pigments virtually identical to those of the larvalI. punctatus. Regardless of age, no visual pigment with peak absorbance in the short wavelength region of the spectrum was ever observed. Scanning electron microscopy of adultI. punctatus retinas showed large rods with long, cylindrical outer segments and smaller cones with short, tapered outer segments. The myoids of both rods and cones are extensable. The rods, embedded in a granular tapetal material, comprise from 50 to 60% of the photoreceptors. Only single cones are present. The data are consistent with the idea that the ictalurid catfishes spend their entire lives in an environment deficient in blue light.
Comparative genomics: fishing nets hemostatic catch.

In this issue of Blood , Watkins and colleagues report a detailed analysis of gene expression profiles in human blood cells and precursors that identifies genes involved in lineage commitment and cellular responses as well as new candidates with uncharacterized functions. In our new online series, e
Retrograde cerebral perfusion as a method of neuroprotection during thoracic aortic surgery

Retrograde cerebral perfusion is commonly used as an adjunct to hypothermic circulatory arrest to enhance cerebral protection during thoracic aortic surgery. This review summarizes a large number of studies that demonstrate a spectrum of beneficial, neutral, and detrimental effects of retrograde cerebral perfusion in humans and experimental animal models. It remains unclear whether retrograde cerebral perfusion provides effective cerebral perfusion, metabolic support, washout of embolic material, and improved neurological and neuropsychological outcome.
Mouse lewis lung carcinoma and hepatoma ascites treatment by combination of liposome chemotherapy and non-specific immunotherapy

Liposomes have been used as biological carriers of anti-tumor drugs, and their potential use has been tested in mouse Lewis lung carcinoma and hepatoma ascites tumor models. Ara-C3 given by the intraperitoneal i.p. route either at 35 mg/kg in a single dose or at 2.5 mg/kg/dose with 5 doses/day for 3 days had no effect on the average survival time of i.v. implanted LLC. However, the same single dose of Ara-C encapsulated in positively charged MLV significantly improved the average survival time of LLC-bearing mice. MTX was chosen as a test drug for the treatment of hepatoma ascites. Non-encapsulated MTX given at either 3 or 30 mg/kg by the i.p. route had little effect on the average survival of i.p.-implanted hepatoma ascites. However, MTX encapsulated in SUV at a 3 mg/kg dose by the i.p. route significantly improved the average survival time of tumor-bearing mice. A combination of chemotherapy and non-specific immunotherapy has also been tested with these 2 tumor models. Two non-specific microbial immune stimulators, Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) and Corynebacterium parvum (CP) were tested by both the i.v. and i.p. routes. A combination of BCG therapy with non-encapsulated anti-tumor drugs was not effective for either of the tumor models. A combination of BCG therapy with liposome therapy appeared to improve the average survival time of LLC-bearing mice. In particular, BCG treatment by the i.p. route in combination with liposome therapy resulted in a 20% long-term survival rate among treated mice. However, BCG therapy by either route in combination with SUV encapsulated MTX therapy had no effect on the average survival time of hepatoma ascites-bearing mice. Immunostimulation with CP at a given dose appears to be superior to BCG therapy for both tumor models. In the treatment of LLC, injection of CP by either the i.v. or i.p. route appears to be equally effective in combination with liposome therapy. However, for the treatment of hepatoma ascites, CP was only effective by the i.p. route, in combination with liposome therapy.
Antibodies to human native and denatured collagens in synovial fluids of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract Specimens of joint fluids and sera from 24 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 31 patients with other rheumatic conditions were tested by a passive hemagglutination assay for the presence of antibodies to human native collagens and to their respective chains. A large percentage of the RA patients displayed a high occurrence of anticollagen antibodies in the serum, and the titers and occurrence of these antibodies were even higher in the respective synovial fluids. Synovial fluids, but not sera, of three osteoarthritic patients possessed antibodies to collagen chains. Patients with gouty arthritis, pseudogout, and/or traumatic effusions had no anticollagen antibodies.
A sustainable sulfate process to produce TiO2 pigments

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a widely used white pigment. TiO2 production in 2006 was about 1,400,000 metric tons in the USA. The two major processes to manufacture TiO2 are the chloride process and the sulfate process. Currently, the TiO2 industry finds the waste generated in the chloride process less than the waste generated in the sulfate process in its present design, despite generating large quantities of process-related carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. As a consequence, the sulfate process appears less economical, notably due to the production of green vitriol, FeSO4·7H2O, as a major waste. Here, we describe a more sustainable sulfate process based on an earlier study on thermal decomposition of iron(II) sulfates. In the sustainable sulfate process, FeSO4·7H2O waste is used for greener production of sulfuric acid, H2SO4, used in turn for the digestion of ilmenite. Theoretical and actual yields of waste byproducts per metric ton of TiO2 produced are used to show the environmental and economic advantages of the sustainable sulfate process.
Strategic Control Systems for Quality: An Empirical Comparison of the Japanese and U.S. Electronics Industry

Management control systems should be designed to complement the strategies pursued. Few empirical studies, however, have focused on management control systems for quality control and zero-defect strategies. This study compares quality strategies and their relationships with management control systems in the Japanese and U.S. electronics industry. The results indicate that the quality strategies of U.S. manufacturing managers reflect adherence to zero-defect philosophies more than those of the Japanese managers. However, fewer U.S. managers receive management control information to support these zero-defect strategies. Tests linking quality strategies to management control information provide limited evidence that those U.S. managers who have adopted zero-defect strategies are more likely to receive modified management control information than U.S. managers who have not adopted zero-defect strategies. In contrast, the data suggest that Japanese managers are provided with goal-setting and feedback information about quality performance regardless of their adherence to a zero-defect versus a traditional quality management strategy, thus focussing workers' attention on continuous quality improvement.
Effect of Aging on Liver Glutathione Levels and Hepatocellular Injury from Carbon Tetrachloride, Allyl Alcohol or Galactosamine

Severity of liver damage 24 hr after i.p. administration of carbon tetrachloride (0.2 ml/kg), allyl alcohol (0.036 ml/kg) or galactosamine (400 mg/kg) was evaluated in male rats at 4-5, 14-15 or 24-25 months of age. Allyl alcohol hepatotoxicity, as judged by light microscopy and serum alanine aminotransferase levels, increased markedly as a function of age. In contrast, carbon tetrachloride and galactosamine toxicities were unchanged or slightly diminished in old rats. Hepatic glutathione (GSH) concentrations were unaffected by aging; thus, the age-dependent increase in susceptibility to allyl alcohol toxicity was not a result of diminished GSH availability in old age. Hepatotoxicant-induced changes in GSH were observed in allyl alcohol-treated old rats (20% increase) and in galactosamine-treated young-adult and middle-aged rats (30% decrease).
Protein synthesis inhibitors exhibit a nonspecific effect on phenobarbital-inducible cytochome P450 gene expression in primary rat hepatocytes.

Previous investigations have indicated thatde novo protein synthesis is a critical requirement for phenobarbital (PB) induction. We reexamined this issue in PB-responsive primary rat hepatocyte cultures using a broader array of protein synthesis inhibitors and experimental end points. Anisomycin, cycloheximide, emetine, puromycin, and puromycin aminonucleoside, a negative analog, were evaluated for their respective effects on protein synthesis and the PB-induction process. All of the inhibitors effectively repressed de novo protein synthesis in the cells in a concentration-dependent manner. However, anisomycin only minimally effected PB induction, ascertained though the measure of CYP2B1, CYP2B2, and CYP3A1 mRNA levels. The inactive agent, puromycin aminonucleoside, produced marked repression of the PB-induction response. Results from further experiments demonstrated that these protein synthesis inhibitors stimulated rapid and differential phosphorylation of the stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun kinase (SAPK/JNK) pathway, indicating nonselective actions on cellular processes. Puromycin aminonucleoside was without effect on these pathways, despite its efficacy as an inhibitor of PB induction. These results demonstrate that de novo protein synthesis is not a requirement for PB induction, nor is activation of the SAPK/JNK kinase cascade responsible for down-regulating PB responsiveness in primary hepatocytes.
Density functional analysis of key energetics in metal homoepitaxy: Quantum size effects in periodic slab calculations

Adspecies terrace diffusion barriers, pair interaction energies, and formation energies control island nucleation and growth during deposition and postdeposition coarsening in metal homoepitaxial systems. Thus, accurate theoretical determination of such energies is key for predicting behavior or for interpreting experiments. Often energies are obtained from density-functional theory using slab geometries. However, we find surprisingly strong variation in these energies with slab thickness due to quantum size effects, and also slow convergence to the bulk limit. Thus, many previously reported values deviate significantly from bulk limit, a feature corrected in the current study focusing on Ag and Cu surfaces.
Gelation and aggregation of mucin in relation to the stomach's protective barrier

Dynamic light scattering was applied to study the effects of pH and concentration on pig gastric mucin. At low concentration (C = 2.0 mg/ml), the distribution of diffusion constants is independent of pH, with an average diffusion constant D = 4 × 10−8 cm2/s. At pH2, very large aggregates with 100-time slower D (2 × 10−8cm2/s) are seen. Depolarized DLS can be observed at pH2 even at low concentration (C = 5.0 mg/ml). The rotational and translational diffusion constants were analyzed using the Kirkwood-Riseman model for rods and show that at pH2 mucin is a rod-like molecule of length 390 nm, diameter 55 nm, with an axial ratio (length/diameter) of 7. However, at pH7, no significant depolarized signals could be detected at any of the concentrations examined in the study. These results suggest that the mucin monomer undergoes a conformational change from a flexible to a rod-like conformation upon lowering pH from 7 (neutral) to 2 (acidic). Such conformational change and aggregation of the gastric mucin molecule at acidic pH may provide a mechanism by which the gastric mucin layer prevents the stomach from digesting itself, since the back diffusion of acid from the lumen to the gastric epithelium is retarded by the gel layer.
Serotonin Transporter Genotype and Action Monitoring Dysfunction: A Possible Substrate Underlying Increased Vulnerability to Depression

A variable number of tandem repeats (short (S) vs long (L)) in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and a functional variant of a single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs25531) in 5-HTTLPR have been recently associated with increased risk for major depressive disorder (MDD). In particular, relative to L/L or LA homozygotes (hereafter referred to as L′ participants), S carriers or Lg-allele carriers (S′ participants) have been found to have a higher probability of developing depression after stressful life events, although inconsistencies abound. Previous research indicates that patients with MDD are characterized by executive dysfunction and abnormal activation within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), particularly in situations requiring adaptive behavioral adjustments following errors and response conflict (action monitoring). The goal of this study was to test whether psychiatrically healthy S′ participants would show abnormalities similar to those of MDD subjects. To this end, 19 S′ and 14 L′ participants performed a modified Flanker task known to induce errors, response conflict, and activations in various ACC subdivisions during functional magnetic resonance imaging. As hypothesized, relative to L′ participants, S′ participants showed (1) impaired post-error and post-conflict behavioral adjustments; (2) larger error-related rostral ACC activation; and (3) lower conflict-related dorsal ACC activation. As similar behavioral and neural dysfunctions have been recently described in MDD patient samples, the current results raise the possibility that impaired action monitoring and associated ACC dysregulation may represent risk factors increased vulnerability to depression.
Asthma Management and Prevention: Current Perspectives

The continuing evolution of asthma treatment and prevention are reflected in updated guidelines from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program and Global Initiative for Asthma as well as other recent publications. The 2007 Expert Panel Report 3 guidelines designate severity and control, mediated by considerations of current impairment and future risk, as the primary concepts in assessing and monitoring asthma. Severity should ideally be determined at the time of diagnosis, after which control becomes the central focus of asthma management. In the area of treatment, inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) remain first-line therapy for longterm asthma management in children and adults. For patients whose severity of asthma requires more than low-dose ICSs, or whose asthma cannot be well controlled on monotherapy with low-dose ICSs, evidence supports the efficacy of combination therapy consisting of an ICS plus an inhaled long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) or an increase to medium-dose ICSs. For children >5 years of age and adults not controlled on low-dose ICSs, the combination of a low-dose ICS plus an inhaled LABA is equivalent in terms of outcomes to the use of medium-dose ICS. For children <5 years of age not controlled on low-dose ICSs, increasing the dose of ICSs is preferred to the addition of a LABA to low-dose ICS therapy as no studies using combination therapy have been conducted for patients in this age group. With regard to asthma prevention, approaches to primary prevention (to avoid allergen sensitization) and secondary prevention (to avoid disease progression) are still very much in the developmental stage, while tertiary prevention (to avoid asthmatic stimuli) has been more successful particularly in pediatric patients. Written action plans as part of self-management processes appear to improve physician-patient communication and disease status tracking. Other considerations in successful asthma management include patient education and monitoring of adherence to treatment regimens.
Polymorphisms of the DNA repair genes XPD (Lys751Gln) and XRCC1 (Arg399Gln and Arg194Trp): relationship to breast cancer risk and familial predisposition to breast cancer.

Family history is a risk factor for breast cancer and could be due to shared environmental factors or polymorphisms of cancer susceptibility genes. Deficient function of DNA repair enzymes may partially explain familial risk as polymorphisms of DNA repair genes have been associated, although inconsistently, with breast cancer. This population based case–control study examined the association between polymorphisms in XPD (Lys751Gln) and XRCC1 (Arg399Gln and Arg194Trp) genes, and breast cancer. Breast cancer cases (n=321) and controls (n=321) were matched on age and menopausal status. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The analysis was conducted omitting observations with missing data, and by using imputation methods to handle missing data. No significant association was observed between the XPD 751Gln/Lys (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.96–1.96) and Gln/Gln genotypes (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.62–1.86) (referent Lys/Lys), XRCC1 399Arg/Gln (OR 1.48, 95% CI 0.92–2.38) and Gln/Gln genotypes (1.11, 95% CI 0.67–1.83) (referent Arg/Arg) or the XRCC1 Arg/Trp and Trp/Trp genotypes (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.69–1.83) (referent Arg/Arg) and breast cancer. In multivariate analysis, the adjusted odds ratios for the XPD and XRCC1 399 polymorphisms increased and became statistically significant, however, were attenuated when imputation methods were used to handle missing data. There was no interaction with family history. These results indicate that these polymorphisms in XPD and XRCC1 genes are only weakly associated with breast cancer. Without imputation methods for handling missing data, a statistically significant association was observed between the genotypes and breast cancer, illustrating the potential for bias in studies that inadequately handle missing data.
Using IFN-γ as a Biomarker for Detecting Exposure to Viral Pathogens

To determine whether interferon gamma (IFN-γ) can be used as a biomarker of exposure to viral pathogens, 12-week-old BALB/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) or coxsackievirus B4 (CVB4) diluted in sterilized phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Control mice were injected with PBS only. Four months after viral infection, mouse spleen cells were harvested and assayed for the release of IFN-γ by memory T cells after in vitro stimulation with viral antigens, phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and PBS, respectively. The level of IFN-γ was examined by an antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A marked increase in the level of IFN-γ was observed when memory T cells from CVB3-infected mice were incubated with CVB3 virus, but not with CVB4 or PBS. Conversely, memory T cells from mice infected by CVB4 were not stimulated to produce IFN-γ when they were incubated with CVB3 and PBS, but did significantly produce IFN-γ when stimulated with CVB4. T cells from mice injected with PBS did not release IFN-γ after stimulation with CVB3 or CVB4. However, these T cells did release IFN-γ after stimulation with PHA. Our results demonstrated that IFN-γ produced by memory T cells is virus-specific and may have use as a biomarker in viral exposure studies. The results of this study may be extended to the study of infection by pathogens that are capable of inducing cell-mediated immune response in humans.
Role of central catecholamines in the control of blood pressure and drinking behavior.

Abstract The role of central nervous system (CNS) catecholamines in the development of hypertension and the control of drinking behavior was assessed in rats by depleting these amines with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Intraventricular administration of 6-OHDA completely prevented the development of one-kidney renal hypertension and abolished the associated increase in water consumption. 6-OHDA-treated rats showed deficits in drinking behavior when challenged with subcutaneous injections of angiotensin II (AII) and hypertonic sodium chloride. The acute pressor responses produced by intraventricular injections of AII and carbachol were virtually abolished by central catecholamine depletion. However, drinking produced by central cholinergic stimulation remained intact while AII drinking was significantly reduced. These data demonstrate that the integrity of CNS catecholamines is required for the development of one-kidney renal hypertension and the increased drinking which accompanies it. In addition, destruction of central catecholamine-containing neurons allows for a specific dissociation of the pressor and drinking responses produced by central cholinergic but not AII stimulation.