cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Salmonella by Bacteriocin-Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria Derived from U.S. Kimchi and Broiler Chicken

In this study, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from kimchi prepared in the U.S.A. and from broiler chickens. The resulting isolates were examined for potential probiotic characteristics. A total of 488 LAB strains were isolated, and among them, 16 originating from kimchi and 14 from broilers produced bacteriocin-like substances, which showed antimicrobial effects against Salmonella Enteritidis, Heidelberg, Newport and Typhimurium. These strains were investigated with regard to additional probiotic properties such as tolerance to gastric juice and bile, resistance to enzymes, and antibiotics susceptibilities. Lactobacillus casei or paracasei Cab-18, Lb. saniviri Cuc-1, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides Com-54 isolated from kimchi and Lb. johnsonii F-6 and Lb. crispatus F-59 isolated from broiler chicken demonstrated promising probiotic properties with the ability to produce bacteriocin-like substances with relatively strong antimicrobial activity against Salmonella. These strains could potentially be applied as supplements to poultry in order to reduce Salmonella contamination. Practical Applications Salmonellosis associated with consumption of contaminated meats, especially poultry products, is a major concern due to the common outbreaks in the U.S.A. Although it has been shown that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) could reduce Salmonella contaminations, LAB isolated from kimchi have not been studied for the potential to inhibit the persistence of Salmonella spp. in live poultry. The present study screened LAB, which showed antimicrobial effects against four clinically important serotypes of Salmonella. Additionally, we selected LAB that had additional probiotic properties, which would allow for the strains use as potential feed additives. Therefore, the LAB strains isolated in this study could be applied as feed supplements to poultry for the purpose of reducing colonization of Salmonella in poultry as well as contamination during processing.
A new approach to δ15N compound‐specific amino acid trophic position measurements: preparative high pressure liquid chromatography technique for purifying underivatized amino acids for stable isotope analysis

Compound specific isotope analysis of amino acids (CSI-AA) has emerged as an important new method for investigating trophic dynamics in both aquatic and terrestrial systems. Multiple studies have shown that δ15N values of glutamic acid (Glu) and phenylalanine (Phe) can be coupled to provide precise estimates of trophic position (TP), while simultaneously decoupling baseline δ15N values from the effects of trophic transfer. However, the current standard gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) approach is limited by high expense, limited availability, and relatively low precision. We present a new method for making TP estimates in biological samples by CSI-AA (TPCSIA), based on a high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) purification of underivatized amino acids, followed by offline elemental analysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS). We compare results from our new HPLC/EA-IRMS method versus GC-C-IRMS in both standard and natural materials. Nitrogen isotopic values of purified Glu and Phe standards were identical within error for both methods. In five widely different marine organisms, the δ15N values of Glu and Phe were also indistinguishable within error between the two approaches; however, the δ15N values produced by the HPLC/EA-IRMS approach had higher average precision (average SD = 0.3 ± 0.2 ‰) than the GC-C-IRMS measurements (average SD = 0.45 ± 0.15 ‰). The resulting TPCSIA estimates were statistically indistinguishable (t 0.3) between the two methods for all organisms examined. Our HPLC/EA-IRMS method may therefore allow significant expansion of TPCSIA applications, requiring only commonly available instrumentation to produce high precision TPCSIA values.
Congregational Size and Attitudes towards Racial Inequality among Church Attendees in America

Research suggests that congregational characteristics are associated with the racial attitudes of American churchgoers. This study examines the relationship between congregational size and beliefs about the Black/White socioeconomic gap among religious adherents. Method. Drawing upon data from the General Social Survey and the National Congregations Study, we fit binary logistic regression models to estimate the association between congregational size and Americans’ explanations of Black/White economic inequality. Results. Findings reveal that attendees of larger congregations are less likely than attendees of smaller congregations to explain racial inequality as the result of the racial discrimination. The likelihood of explaining racial inequality in terms of personal motivation does not vary by congregation size. Conclusion. Despite the growing diversity in larger congregations in America, such congregations may steer attendees’ views about racial inequality away from systemic/structural factors, which may attenuate the ability of such congregations to bridge racial divisions.
Cancer Survivorship Issues in Colorectal Cancer

Colon and rectal cancers (CRC) are among the most common adult malignancies worldwide, and for a variety of reasons, the numbers of survivors of colorectal cancer are likely to increase in coming years. The incidence of these cancers doubles with each successive decade of life beyond 50 years, and with the expansion of the older population in the coming years, the absolute numbers of CRC patients in the United States will grow substantially.1 It is estimated that by the year 2030 the number of persons over the age of 65 years will have doubled and the number of persons over the age of 85 years will have quadrupled (see Chapter 16).2 Given this expanding and aging population, projections suggest that the numbers of CRC patients may increase by as much as 30%.3 Thus, with these profound demographic changes, it will be imperative to have a better understanding of the late effects and health care needs of long-term CRC survivors.
Surgery for non-small cell lung cancer.

Surgery remains the primary curative treatment for patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the proper use of surgical resection depends on a careful assessment of the extent of disease and of cardiopulmonary function. This chapter reviews the preoperative evaluation of patients with NSCLC and discusses the role of pulmonary resection in their management.
Evolution of PTSD Diagnosis in the DSM

This chapter summarizes the historical developments in the conceptualization of PTSD, discusses the significant current issues regarding the diagnosis of PTSD, and describes the changes that are in the DSM-5. The themes running through this narrative include war as a catalyst for understanding the impact of trauma, psychological and physiological conceptualizations of the syndrome, the pendulum of internal and external causality, application of PTSD to civilian traumas, and developmental perspectives in the diagnosis of PTSD.
Experimental Characterization of Low Voltage Field Emission From Carbon-Based Cathodes in Atmospheric Air

Nanoscale carbon-based field-emitter materials exhibit excellent electron field emission properties, characterized by low turn-on voltages and high current densities. The use of these materials has not been previously considered for ion generation in air, yet these properties suggest that substantial ionization may occur at low voltages compared to conventional methods involving glow or arc gas discharges. Electron field emission from carbon-based materials, including polycrystalline diamond and carbon nanotubes, in atmospheric pressure air is experimentally characterized. Electric fields between 30 V/μm and 100 V/μm applied between the two terminals produce field-emitted electrons via quantum tunneling. These electrons then travel through the electric field colliding with neutral air molecules and occasionally ionizing them. This process can produce a self-sustained current flow (from fractions of picoamperes to microamperes) between the anode and cathode. The current remains stable at voltages lower than those predicted by Paschen’s curve for gaseous breakdown and ionization. Results indicate the presence of field emission from the cathode that aids in sustaining current at low voltages. The observed behavior suggests that this method can achieve efficient generation of ions for air purification and ionic flow pumping.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Pixar's RenderMan

Pixar's RenderMan is the dominant rendering technology used throughout the feature film industry. For many years the only publication available to CG artists who wished to learn how to use Renderman was "The RenderMan Companion" by Steve Upstill. Even after 19 years it is still a great source of information. However, the "Companion" focused on the use of the 'C' programming language to write RenderMan "programs" and as such it served the needs of programmers rather than CG artists. Perhaps as a consequence of it being seen as just another kind of programming, RenderMan acquired a slew of misconceptions about its role as a creative medium for CG artists.
Educating the Heart, Head, and Hands: Servant Leadership as a Transformational Model for Student Success

Educating the heart, head, and hands serves as the primary model through which all students at a Christian university are assured a holistic education.
Utilization of S-methylcysteine and methylmercaptan by methionineless mutants of Neurospora and the pathway of their conversion to methionine. II. Enzyme studies.

Abstract 1. 1. Methylcysteine lyase, which catalyzes the breakdown of methylcysteine to methylmercaptan, pyruvate and ammonia, was purified from extracts of wild-type Neurospora mycelia. The presence of methylcysteine lyase in me-2 methionineless mutants indicates that this activity is not due to β-cystathioanse. 2. 2. Ammonium sulfate fractionation of wild-type Neurospora extracts resulted in separation of the methylcysteine lyase from the β- and γ-cystathionases. The methylcysteine lyase, which was further purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography, is apparently able to cleave methionine and cystathionine; the latter by either β- or γ-elimination. 3. 3. Methionine synthase, which catalyzes the reaction between O-acetylhomoserine and methylmercaptan, was shown to be present in extracts prepared from wild-type Neurospora and in extracts from me-7 methionineless mutant. The latter result implies that this activity is not due to cystathionine-γ-synthase. 4. 4. Methionine synthase was separated from cystathionine-γ-,ynthase showing that methionine synthase is not the result of an abnormal activity of these known enzymes. 5. 5. The results indicated that the two enzyme activites, methylcysteine lyase and methionine synthase, are not catalyzed by enzymes of the normal methionine biosynthetic pathway. The role of the alternate pathway of methionine biosynthesis by thiomethyl transfer from methylcysteine to O-acetylhomoserine is discussed.
A General Expression for the Quartic Lovelock Tensor

A general expression is given for the quartic Lovelock tensor in terms of the Riemann-Christoffel and Ricci curvature tensors and the Riemann curvature scalar for n-dimensional differentiable manifolds having a general linear connection. In addition, expressions are given (in the appendix) for the coefficient of the quartic Lovelock Lagrangian as well as for lower-order Lovelock tensors and Lovelock Lagrangian coefficients.
Absence of phosphogluconate pathway activity in normal and in ethanol-intoxicated slices from rat brain

L'auteur a repris la question de l'existence d'une voie oxydative fonctionnelle directe pour la glucose dans le cerveau adulte et constate qu'elle ne peut etre decelee ni dans des conditions normales ni lors d'une intoxication du sujet par l'etanol.
Exercise: A Prescription to Delay the Effects of Aging

Aging is associated with marked alterations in body composition. Of greater importance than the prevention of obesity for health and function in older age is the maintenance of body weight, specifically, preservation of lean muscle mass. Past the seventh decade of life, a decline in body weight occurs, which is at least partially explained by a loss of muscle mass, a process known as sarcopenia. Evidence suggests that muscle mass decreases 3% to 6% per decade after age 60.
Characterization of wheat straw particle size distributions as affected by knife mill operating factors.

Knowing the effect of mill operating factors on biomass size reduction would be useful for predicting or adjusting particle size distributions that affect supply chain efficiency and biomass-to-fuel conversion processes. Wheat straw (Triticum aestivum L.) particle size distributions generated by a knife mill were determined for integral classifying screen sizes from 12.7 to 50.8 mm, operating frequencies from 4.17 to 8.33 Hz, and mass input rates from 2 to 9 kg min−1. Particle distributions were obtained with standardized sieves for forage analysis that included horizontal sieving motion with machined-aluminum sieves of thickness proportional to sieve opening dimensions to reduce inadvertent particle spearing through sieve openings. Several analytical descriptors were examined to mathematically represent the range of particle sizes in the distributions. Screen size and feed rate directly influenced particle size, whereas operating frequency had a weak indirect relation with particle size. The Rosin-Rammler equation adequately fit the knife-milled wheat straw particle size distribution data (R2 > 0.982). Mass relative span was >1, which indicated a wide distribution of particle sizes. Uniformity coefficient was <4.0 for 12.7 and 19.0 mm screens, which indicated particles of relatively uniform size. Knife mill chopping of wheat straw produced fine-skewed mesokurtic particles with 12.7–25.4 mm screens and strongly fine-skewed mesokurtic particles with 50.8 mm screen. Other size related parameters, such as, geometric mean length, Rosin-Rammler size parameter, median length, effective length, and size guide number, were well predicted as a function of knife mill screen size, feed rate, and mill frequency. Results showed the relative effects of knife mill operating factors to produce particular particle sizes of wheat straw.
Prognostic implication of creatine kinase release after elective percutaneous coronary intervention in the pre-IIb/IIIa antagonist era.

Abstract Background The significance of mild elevations in cardiac enzymes after an elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) still remains controversial. We evaluated the significance of creatine phosphokinase level (CPK) elevations in a large cohort of patients who had undergone an elective PCI before the IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist era. Methods All patients enrolled in the Emory databank from 1981 to 1996 who had an elective PCI were evaluated. We identified 15,637 patients who met our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were divided into 4 groups on the basis of the magnitude of the CPK elevation noted in the post-PCI period: group I (CPK 750 mg/dL, n=246). Results CPK elevations were associated with a significant increase in the periprocedure angiographic complications. Angiographic complication rates were 14.6%, 30.5%, 40.2%, and 43.5% in groups I, II, III, and IV, respectively ( P P P Conclusion A CPK level >3-times normal after an elective PCI is a strong independent predictor of poor long-term prognosis.
Cardinal Virtues of Academic Administration

The aim of this article is to articulate the basic elements of a comprehensive ethic of academic administration, organized around a set of three cardinal virtues: commitment to the good of the institution; good administrative judgment; and conscientiousness in discharging the duties of the office. In addition to explaining this framework and defending its adequacy, the article develops an account of the nature of integrity, and argues that the three cardinal virtues of academic administration can be captured in the concept of integrity in academic administration.The Aristotelian basis for this framework is summarized, and its central ideas are illustrated through a variety of applications.
Development of telescopes for extremely energetic neutrinos: AMANDA, ANITA, and ARIANNA

Abstract Dedicated high-energy neutrino telescopes based on optical Cherenkov techniques have been scanning the cosmos for about a decade. At TeV scales, limits on the diffuse flux have improved by several orders of magnitude, eliminating the most optimistic models that tend to be normalized to the extragalactic X-ray or gamma-ray luminosity. At higher energies, neutrino telescopes have provided the first flux limits from point sources and diffusely distributed sources such as cosmogenic neutrinos generated by the GZK process, whose existence is relatively secure but whose predicted flux is frustratingly small. To substantially improve the experimental capabilities at the very highest energies, new techniques are required. I will briefly discuss preliminary results from the radio-based Cherenkov detector ANITA, and describe a new concept called ARIANNA that promises to increase the sensitivity to neutrinos with energies in excess of 10 17 eV. Radio Cherenkov telescopes have already ruled out some of the more exotic predictions for neutrino intensity and may soon test more conventional GZK models. In addition to flux measurements, these devices can probe for non-standard particle physics by investigating the neutrino cross-section.
NUTRITION AND GROWTH OF SEVERAL BLUE-GREEN ALGAE

LITTLE ATTENTION has been given to the more general features of the physiology of the blue-green algae. Specific attention has been given to nitrogen fixation (e.g., Allison et al., 1937; Burris and Wilson, 1946; Fogg, 1947) and limited aspects of photosynthesis (e.g., Emerson and Lewis, 1942; Frenkel et al., 1950; Duysens, 1952; Brown and Webster, 1953). Nutritional requirements have been investigated, notably by Fogg (1949), Gerloff et al. (1950, 1952) and Allen (1952). However, no study has been carried to the point of developing a blue-green alga as a reliable tool organism for physiological studies. There have been two obstacles to such development. One may be attributed to the difficulties of isolation and the lack of species in pure culture which suspend readily and submit to simplicity of manipulation possible with green algae such as Chlorella and Scenedesmus. A second difficulty arises from inadequate provision of carbon dioxide inherent in most of the culture methods used. Nutritional requirements have been defined in terms of the maximum growth yield obtained in cultures in cotton-stoppered flasks. Methods have not been developed for routine study of growth rate, a characteristic far more useful and interpretable for physiological work. The' present paper presents a development of culture media and methods which has led to description of the salient growth characteristics of three blue-green algae: Anabaena variabilis, Anacystis nidulans, and Nostoc muscorum G. Fragmentary data on three other blue-green algae are included. MATERIALS AND METHODS.-Because of the uncertainties of taxonomy of the simpler algae the species used will be described in terms of their history. 1. Anabaena variabilis (Kiitzing). Filamentous, but filaments very short in turbulent culture; isolated by and obtained from R. C. Hecker as Cylindrospermum sp. (1950); revised identification by E. G. Pringsheim. 2. Anacystis nidulans. Twoto four-cell filaments, but unicellular in turbulent culture; established as a unicellular culture by one of us (WK) and purified by M. B. Allen, tentative identification by F. Drouet; original description not found. 3. Nostoc muscorum G (Kiitzing). Filamentous, but filaments short in turbulent culture; obtained from G. C. Gerloff. 4. Nostoc muscorum A (Kiitzing). Filamentous, forming clumps even in turbulent culture; isolated by and obtained from F. E. Allison. 5. Anabaena cylindrica (Lemmerman) . Fila-
Steroidogenesis in HCG-responsive Leydig cell tumor variants☆

Abstract Several steroids of the androgen biosynthetic pathway were measured in cell suspensions of two tumor variants originating from the gonadotropin-responsive murine M5480 Leydig cell tumor. In M5480A, the androgen-producing variant, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone were the main steroids produced basally; addition to HCG to the incubation medium resulted in increased testosterone but no change in dihydrotestosterone levels and the main steroid accumulating in the medium was progesterone. In M5480P, the progesterone-producing variant, progesterone and androstenedione were the main steroids produced, while testosterone and dihydrotestosterone production were negligible both basally and following stimulation with HCG. Progesterone levels increased more in M5480P than in M5480A with HCG stimulation. The steroid profiles observed in the M5480 tumor variants were contrasted with that of Leydig cell-enriched suspensions of normal mouse testes. Comparison of the ratios of progesterone to 17α-hydroxyprogesterone and of androstenedione to testosterone, in the two tumor variants with each other and with normal mouse testes, suggests the following alterations in steroidogenic enzymes activities: (a) a partial decrease in 17α-hydroxylase activity more marked in M5480P than in M5480A, (b) a decrease in 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in M5480P. Finally, in the M5480A tumor variant, the absence of an increase in dihydrotestosterone levels with HCG stimulation suggests a decrease in 5α-reductase activity.
The Effect of Knee Model on Estimates of Muscle and Joint Forces in Recumbent Pedaling

The usefulness of forward dynamic simulations to studies of human motion is well known. Although the musculoskeletal models used in these studies are generic, the modeling of specific components, such as the knee joint, may vary. Our two objectives were (1) to investigate the effects of three commonly used knee models on forward dynamic simulation results, and (2) to study the sensitivity of simulation results to variations in kinematics for the most commonly used knee model. To satisfy the first objective, three different tibiofemoral models were incorporated into an existing forward dynamic simulation of recumbent pedaling, and the resulting kinematics, pedal forces, muscle forces, and joint reaction forces were compared. Two of these models replicated the rolling and sliding motion of the tibia on the femur, while the third was a simple pin joint. To satisfy the second objective, variations in the most widely used of the three knee models were created by adjusting the experimental data used in the development of this model. These variations were incorporated into the pedaling simulation, and the resulting data were compared with the unaltered model. Differences between the two rolling-sliding models were smaller than differences between the pin-joint model and the rolling-sliding models. Joint reactions forces, particularly at the knee, were highly sensitive to changes in knee joint model kinematics, as high as 61% root mean squared difference, normalized by the corresponding peak force of the unaltered reference model. Muscle forces were also sensitive, as high as 30% root mean squared difference. Muscle excitations were less sensitive. The observed changes in muscle force and joint reaction forces were caused primarily by changes in the moment arms and musculotendon lengths of the quadriceps. Although some level of inaccuracy in the knee model may be acceptable for calculations of muscle excitation timing, a representative model of knee kinematics is necessary for accurate calculation of muscle and joint reaction forces.
On the nature of the dynamic contact angle: an experimental study

The dynamic contact angle formed when silicone oil displaces air from the surface of glass has been measured. Even though the glass was neither treated in any special way nor cleaned by an elaborate technique, the standard deviation associated with our measurements was approximately 1·5°. A sequence of experiments revealed that the dynamic contact angle depends on both the speed at which the oil spreads across the glass and the size of the characteristic length scale associated with the device within which it is measured. It is shown that the latter implies directly that: (i) the measured and the actual contact angles are not the same; (ii) the usual hydrodynamic model for fluids is inadequate when a moving contact line is present. These conclusions are consistent with recent theoretical studies.
Neighborhood Characteristics and Leukocyte Telomere Length: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. Telomeres get shorter each time a cell divides, and critically shortened telomeres trigger cellular senescence. Thus, telomere length is hypothesized to be a biological marker of aging. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between neighborhood characteristics and leukocyte telomere length. Using data from a subsample (n=978) of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a population-based study of women and men aged 45–84, we found that neighborhood social environment (but not neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage) was associated with telomere length. Respondents who lived in neighborhoods characterized by lower aesthetic quality, safety, and social cohesion had shorter telomeres than those who lived in neighborhoods with a more salutary social environment, even after adjusting for individual-level socioeconomic status and biomedical and lifestyle factors related to telomere length. Telomere length may be one biological mechanism by which neighborhood characteristics influence an individual’s risk of disease and death.
An Experimental Method for Measuring Stress Intensity Factor Distributions in Three-Dimensional Problems

In this paper, an attempt has been made to briefly chart the progress over a period of some 30 years during which the writer and his associates have tried to effect a marriage between the well known, frozen stress method (augmented with the methods of Tardy and Post for refining the near tip fringe analysis), with the principles of fracture mechanics, using an extension of an idea proposed by Irwin. Although a conscious effort was made by the writer to keep the elements of the method as simple as possible so as to allow the application to as broad a range of practical problems as possible while maintaining reasonable engineering accuracy, there were occasional diversions into supporting developments such as the singularity change when a crack intersects a free boundary and the combined use of the stress freezing method with moire. In general, the guidelines employed by the writer included: Use of well established experimental methods; simple algorithms where singularity dominated data zones were revealed by the data itself; applicability to any crack shapes even when unknown apriori; and engineering accuracy of {+-}5% in K{sub 1} in Mode 1 dominated problems.
Some consequences of an identity of B. Gordon

Using some consequences of the quintuple product identity, we obtain the identity: q(n)+Σ k≥1(–1) k (2k+1)q(n–k(k+1)) = (–1)n{q0(n)+Σ|k|≥1(1–3k)q0(n–3k 2 +2k)}. In addition, we present results concerning two other partition-related functions.
Theory of Electron Penetration

The theory of electron penetration in an infinite medium under the combined influence of scattering and slowing down is developed to the point of numerical application. Sample calculations of energy dissipation versus distance from the source are compared with experiments by Frantz, by Clark, Brar, and Marinelli, and by Loevinger. The agreement is good provided that relativistic scattering cross sections are used. The energy loss is treated in the continuous slowing down approximation; the resulting error is appreciable only at extreme penetrations.
Independent threats and self-evaluation maintenance processes.

Abstract The present study investigated the independence of Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) processes and the larger self-system. SEM processes are activated whenever another's performance is made salient relative to one's own. According to the SEM model, when one is outperformed by a close other on a task high in self-relevance, self-esteem is lowered and a negative affect state is generated. When one is outperformed by a close other on a task low in self-relevance, however, self-esteem and positive affect are actually enhanced, because one can take pride in the other's accomplishments. There are many sources of threat or enhancement to self-esteem, however, that are unrelated to one's performance relative to another's. The present study, using American undergraduates as subjects, examined the impact that these unrelated self-esteem threats or enhancements might have on SEM processes, that is, whether a prior unrelated ego-threatening or ego-enhancing experience modulates the effects of SEM processes. ...
Nonlinear optical spectroscopy for surface studies

IR-visible sum-frequency generation as a versatile surface vibrational spectroscopic tool is described. Applications to neat water interfaces and hydrogen adsorption on diamond are used as illustrative examples.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Half the Right People: Network Density and Creativity

Social scientists investigating the attributes associated with creativity have for the most part confined their research to the study only of creative people. This research attempts to compare creativity with non-creativity by comparing creative with non-creative periods in the lives of three famously isolated creators (Emily Dickinson, Paul Gauguin, and Charlotte Bronte) to argue that the social networks of the individuals are different during creative periods than during non-creative periods. By using the correspondence of each of the artists to construct social networks, it is possible to analyze the artist’s relationships with regard to density and betweenness and to compare those across creative and non-creative time periods. The average network density of the first order zone network around each of the artists was 0.475 during periods of creativity. There was no correlation with a particular betweenness score.
Randomized trial of radiation for age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract PURPOSE: To assess external beam radiation efficacy for subfoveal neovascularization associated with age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: All patients were evaluated in the same institution. In this prospective trial, 27 eyes (27 patients) with subfoveal neovascularization associated with age-related macular degeneration were randomized to either single fraction radiation (750 centigray) or observation. Endpoints were assessed by fluorescein angiography and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity. Examiners were masked to patient treatment status. Parametric and nonparametric statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients were entered into the trial with a mean age of 76 years (range, 64 to 89) and a mean follow-up of 17 months (range, 7 to 32). The visual acuity loss was slightly less in the irradiated group, a finding of borderline significance ( P CONCLUSIONS: External beam radiation, at this dose and fractionation, did not appear harmful. There was slightly less visual loss in irradiated eyes. No difference in fluorescein angiographic characteristics of subfoveal neovascularization size or progression in eyes with age-related macular degeneration was noted.
Lethal potency and fractionation of Duvernoy's secretion from the brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis.

Abstract S. A. Weinstein , D. Chiszar , R. C. Bell and L. A. Smith . Lethal potency and fractionation of Duvernoy's secretion from the brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis . Toxicon 29, 401–407, 1991.—The liquid secretion contained only 15% protein and had relatively low proteolytic activity. The reconstituted crude secretion had a murine i.p. ld 50 of 10.33 mg/kg and was not hemorrhagic in doses up to 200 μg. Fast Protein Liquid Chromatographic (FPLC) cation exchange analysis of reconstituted crude secretion resulted in resolution of 16 peaks. Lethal activity was identified in three peaks. The major lethal fraction was 12.5% of the secretion protein and had a murine i.p. ld 50 of 7.3 mg/kg. A pooled fraction containing two lethal peaks which comprised 9.4% of secretion protein had moderate proteolytic activity and produced myoglobinuria in mice. The fraction had an approximate murine i.p. ld 50 of 3.7 mg/kg. Microscopic examination of muscle tissue from mice succumbing to this fraction revealed multifocal myofiber degeneration and necrosis. SDS-PAGE indicated that the major lethal fraction contained three proteins with mol. wts of 12,500, 18,000 and 52,000 and the myotoxic fraction contained two proteins with mol. wts of 14,500 and 17,000. While B. irregularis Duvernoy's secretion has a low lethal index, it does contain a myotoxic fraction with moderate lethal potency. These observations and recent data describing clinical envenomation of several infant patients suggest that large specimens may pose a hazard to infants and small children.
Large-scale mutagenesis and functional genomics in yeast

One of the major goals for the post-genome era is determining of the function of proteins predicted in the genome sequence. In many organisms functional assignments have been the results of comparative sequencing, proteomics or expression profiling. In the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, however, the functional role of a gene can be tested directly by disrupting the gene and examining the phenotype of the mutant. Because precise targeted deletions can be easily constructed, it is also possible to systematically delete every gene in the genome. Here we describe recent progress in yeast genome-wide mutagenesis programs and the results produced from analyzing the mutants created by them.
Ichnotaxonomy of the Laetoli trackways: The earliest hominin footprints

Abstract At 3.6 Ma, the Laetoli Pliocene hominin trackways are the earliest direct evidence of hominin bipedalism. Three decades since their discovery, not only is the question of their attribution still discussed, but marked differences in interpretation concerning the footprints’ qualitative features and the inferred nature of the early hominin foot morphology remain. Here, we establish a novel ichnotaxon, Praehominipes laetoliensis , for these tracks and clarify the distinctions of these footprints from those of later hominins, especially modern humans. We also contrast hominin, human, and ape footprints to establish morphological features of these footprints correlated with a midtarsal break versus a stiff longitudinal arch. Original photos, including stereo photographs, and casts of footprints from the 1978 Laetoli excavation, confirm midtarsal flexibility, and repeatedly indicate an associated midfoot pressure ridge. In contrast, the modern human footprint reflects the derived arched-foot architecture, combined with a stiff-legged striding gait. Fossilized footprints of unshod modern human pedestrians in Hawaii and Nicaragua unambiguously illustrate these contrasts. Some points of comparisons with ape footprints are complicated by a variable hallucal position and the distinct manner of ape facultative bipedalism. In contrast to the comparatively rigid platform of the modern human foot, midtarsal flexibility is present in the chimpanzee foot. In ape locomotion, flexion at the transverse tarsal joint, referred to as the “midtarsal break,” uncouples the respective functions of the prehensile forefoot and the propulsive hindfoot during grasp-climbing. At some point after the transition to habitual bipedalism, these grasp-climb adaptations, presumed to be present in the last common ancestor of apes and humans, were initially compromised by the loss of divergence of the hallux. An analogous trajectory is evident along an array of increasingly terrestrial extant ape species. However, a flexible midfoot was retained, presumably to spare lateral toes from bending stresses by concentrating push-off from the forefoot, beneath the metatarsals. Only later did the evolution of the longitudinal arch permit increased mechanical advantage of the plantarflexors for speed and improved economy of endurance distance walking and running.
Molecular basis of prostaglandin potency. II. Proton NMR studies of the conformation of prostaglandin F2α

Abstract The proton nmr of PGF2α (dissolved in aqueous tBuOH) in the presence of PrCl3 and limited amounts of base shows LIS shifts for the terminal methyl indicating an average effective chain length (C-1 to C-20) like that of octanoic acid, further evidence that the α and ω carbons of prostaglandins are closer in space than would be expected based on a random distribution of conformers with alternate zig-zag sections of hydrocarbon chains. Assessing the exact nature of the sidechain alignment will require further experiments.
Oscillation criteria for certain second order differential equations

Abstract Two oscillation theorems for second order equations x ″( t ) + p ( t ) f ( x ( t ), x ( h ( t ))) g ( x ′( t )) = 0 are established.
On the uptake of inositol by rat brain synaptosomes.

The uptake of inositol by rat brain synaptosomes occurs via an unsaturable process that even at substrate concentrations as low as 1 μM is unable to achieve a concentration gradient indicative of active transport. Dinitrophenol, ouabain and cytochalasin B did not affect uptake of the cyclitol. The data indicate that inositol uptake by rat synaptosomes occurs by diffusion or by a system with an affinity so low it is difficult to discern. The low capacity, saturable inositol uptake system observed in rabbit brain slices may reflect a species difference or uptake by elements of the slice other than neuronal membranes.
The Performance of Quantizers for a Class of Noise-Corrupted Signal Sources

An investigation is made of the performance of quantizers used as source encoders for noise-corrupted signal sources. The developmerit is pertinent to discrete-time, memoryless, signal-signal-sourse-independent noise sources with a given amplitude bound. A functional analysis approach is adopted to formulate the problem and derive the results. The derivations and intermediate results are in terms of an arbitrary quantizer and, consequently, are applicable to any quantizer and allow quantizer performance comparisons in the worstcase corrupting-noise source context. Examples are presented with this type of comparison in mind. These examples instructively illustrate the application of the results as well as file performance of the uniform quantizer and others under their worst-case additive noise conditions.
Iron fertilization and the Trichodesmiumresponse on the West Florida shelf

Prior laboratory studies of Trichodesmium have shown a high iron requirement that is consistent with the biochemical demand for iron in the enzyme nitrogenase. Summer delivery of iron, in the form of Saharan dust, may provide an explanation for Trichodesmium blooms observed in offshore waters of the West Florida shelf over the last 50 yr. During ecology and oceanography of harmful algal blooms (ECOHAB) field studies, background iron levels (0.1‐0.5 nmol kg 21
Arthritis prevalence and associations in American Indian and Alaska Native people.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of arthritis and associations with arthritis in American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
Erosive and strand burning of stick propellants. II - Theoretical modeling of erosive-burning processes

Interior ballistic performance of unslotted single-perforated stick propellants in a large-caliber gun could be influenced significantly by erosive burning. To analyze erosive-burning phenomena, a comprehensive model, with special emphasis on the interaction of turbulence and combustion, was formulated to simulate erosiveburning processes occurring inside the center perforation of an unslotted NOSOL-363 stick propellant. The numerical results obtained from solving the theoretical model were validated by experimental data in terms of time variations of internal diameter distributions along the propellant grain. It was found that the erosive-burning phenomenon was caused by the enhanced heat feedback from the gas phase to the solid phase resulting from the combined effect of increased turbulence kinetic energy and turbulent heat-transfer rate.
Multilayer adsorption of H2 on uniform MgO substrates.

Adsorption-isotherm and heat-capacity measurements on monolayer and multilayer ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ adsorbed on MgO are reported. We observe layer by layer growth with at least six layer steps measurable at 8.88 K. A complete first layer is solid at temperatures much higher than the bulk triple point. The second layer has a phase diagram with a liquid-vapor critical point at 10.05\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 K and a solid-liquid-vapor triple point at 7.20\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 K. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth layers show layering critical points in the vicinity of 10 K that may point to a roughening transition in bulk crystals.
Effects of thermal history on polypropylene fractions

The effects of thermal history on the melting behavior of several polypropylene fractions have been studied. The specific fractions investigated include one that has crystallized in the triclinic modification, one that has crystallized in the monoclinic modification, and a third that contained a combination of the two types of crystals. Thermal histories given to these specimens included a series of stepwise annealings at steadily decreasing temperatures, a series of annealings for various times at a given elevated temperature, and a series of stepwise annealings at a set of steadily increasing temperatures. The melting behavior was investigated by means of a differential scanning calorimeter and various DSC peaks are presented. The nature of multiple peaks produced by the different treatments is discussed, and the results are compared with similar data obtained on whole polymer.
On Fliess operators driven by L 2-Itô processes

Fliess operators, which are a type of functional series expansion, have been used to describe a broad class of nonlinear input–output maps driven by deterministic inputs. But in most applications, a system's inputs have noise components. This paper has three objectives. The first objective is to show that the notion of a Fliess operator can be generalized to admit a class of L 2-Ito stochastic input processes. The next objective is to show that they converge absolutely over an arbitrarily large but finite time interval when a certain coefficient growth condition is met. However, a significant number of systems fail to meet this condition. Thus, the final objective is to consider an interval of convergence having a random length so that a Fliess operator might converge under less restrictive growth conditions.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE ACCRETION DISK IN THE ACCRETION DISK CORONA X-RAY BINARY 4U 1822–371 AT OPTICAL AND ULTRAVIOLET WAVELENGTHS

The eclipsing low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1822-371 is the prototypical accretion disk corona (ADC) system. We have obtained new time-resolved UV spectroscopy of 4U 1822-371 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys/Solar Blind Channel on the Hubble Space Telescope and new V- and J-band photometry with the 1.3 m SMARTS telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. We use the new data to construct its UV/optical spectral energy distribution and its orbital light curve in the UV, V, and J bands. We derive an improved ephemeris for the optical eclipses and confirm that the orbital period is changing rapidly, indicating extremely high rates of mass flow in the system, and we show that the accretion disk in the system has a strong wind with projected velocities up to 4000 km s{sup -1}. We show that the disk has a vertically extended, optically thick component at optical wavelengths. This component extends almost to the edge of the disk and has a height equal to approx0.5 of the disk radius. As it has a low brightness temperature, we identify it as the optically thick base of a disk wind, not as the optical counterpart of the ADC. Like previous models of 4U 1822-371, oursmore » needs a tall obscuring wall near the edge of the accretion disk, but we interpret the wall as a layer of cooler material at the base of the disk wind, not as a tall, luminous disk rim.« less
Synthesis of antibody by spleen cells after exposure to kiloroentgen doses of ionizing radiation.

Mouse spleen cells in diffusion chambers were studied in an effort to assess the radiation survival curves of lymphoid cells during the different serological phases of immune response and to characterize morphologically and metabolically these radiation-resistant cells. The results showed that the capacity of immunocompetent progenitor cells to proliferate and differentiate into antibody-synthesizing cells was highly sensitive to x-irradiation. Their fully differentiated progenies, which were made up mainly of mature plasma cells, were resistant in that they were able to synthesize antibody effectively for as long as several days after their exposure to radiation doses up to 10,000 R. As a result of these studies, a method with a high recovery yield was devised for obtaining a highly purified preparation of dispersed monospecific antibody-synthesizing cells. This was done by simply exposing primed spleen cells to 10,000 R at the end of the log phase of response and harvesting the culture several days later.
New analysis tool for graphs

The variable incidence set of a graph is defined and its usefulness demonstrated in reducing a graph by identifying specified vertices and removing self loops, testing for connectedness, and generating specified segs, cosegs and cutsets.
Interaction between streptococcal bacteriophage and milk.

Abstract The effect of pH on recovery of streptococcal bacteriophage c 2 from skimmilk was determined. Titers were determined by taking sample aliquots from trypticase soy broth or skimmilk which had been adjusted to pH levels of 4.0 to 9.0. Significantly higher titers were obtained from skimmilk at pH 4.0 than at pH 7.0. Comparisons of recoverability were made using suspending mediums of 3% casein, skimmilk, whey, and trypticase soy broth at pH 6.9±0.2. Resulting titers from whey were highest, while those of trypticase soy broth, skimmilk and 3% casein were successively and significantly lower. As the pH of skimmilk was adjusted to below the isoelectric point of casein, more phage particles became titratable, possibly because of the change in charge on the casein micelles.
Goal programming solutions to transportation problems with variable supply and demand requirements

Abstract This article deals with goal programming as an aid to resolving transportation problems. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the use of goal programming as an approach to reducing total cost in transportation problems that possess variable supply and demand requirements. A generalized goal programming model is formulated and applied to a series of transportation problem situations based on the empirical data provided by a medium-size trucking firm. Comparison of the results demonstrates the cost advantage of using the goal programming model in place of the transportation method and integer interval linear programming.