The diagnostic capacity of serum amyloid A protein for early recognition of kidney allograft rejection

Chitosan derivatives, sulfated N-acyl-chitosan (S-Cn-chitosan) possessing various lengths of alkyl chain, were prepared, and the properties of their aqueous solutions were examined. The 1H-NMR spectrum of D2O solutions of S-C12-chitosan showed broadening of the proton signals caused by aggregation of the alkyl chain. The solubility of a hydrophobic compounds, azobenzene, was small in the aqueous solutions of S-Cn-chitosan with shorter alkyl chains, but increased with increasing length of the chains above C10, showing that micelles had been formed. The ESR spectrum of a spin probe, TEMPO, in an S-C14-chitosan solution showed the existence of a hydrophobic region in the solution, but this region did not exist in the S-C2-chitosan solution. The rigidity of this region was examined by using a spin probe, 16-doxyl-stearic acid. From these results, it was revealed that S-Cn-chitosan with longer alkyl chains formed a novel type of micelle called a "polymer micelle," which was more stable than the ordinary micelles formed from low-molecular-weight surfactants.     

Computing median and antimedian sets in median graphs

The median (antimedian) set of a profile π=(u ₁,…,u _k ) of vertices of a graph G is the set of vertices x that minimize (maximize) the remoteness ∑ _i d(x,u _i ). Two algorithms for median graphs G of complexity O(n idim(G)) are designed, where n is the order and idim(G) the isometric dimension of G. The first algorithm computes median sets of profiles and will be in practice often faster than the other algorithm which in addition computes antimedian sets and remoteness functions and works in all partial cubes.     

Docosahexaenoic acid and traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is becoming increasingly recognised as a major cause of disability, with a significant impact on health costs both in the developed and developing world. At present, there is no effective treatment for this type of acute neurological injury. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid in the brain, known to have a significant structural role as well as functional roles. Preclinical accumulating evidence indicates that DHA has potential as a restorative therapeutic agent for traumatic brain injury.     

Composition and antibacterial activities of essential oils of seven Ocimum taxa

GC/MS was used to identify compounds of essential oils from seven Ocimum taxa (O. americanum L., O. basilicum L., O. campechianum Mill., O. x citriodorum Vis., O. kilimandscharicum Baker ex Gürke and three botanical varieties and cultivars of Ocimum basilicum L.: ‘Genovese’, var. difforme and var. purpurascens). Preliminary screening of their antibacterial activity was done against a number of common pathogens (Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococus faecium, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria ivanovii, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermis) using the filter paper disc agar diffusion technique, while further analyses were done by modification of the disc diffusion method. A broad variation in the antibacterial properties of investigated essential oils was observed. E. coli 0157:H7 was inhibited by O. basilicum ‘Genovese’ essential oil, while Ocimum americanum and Ocimum x citriodorum essential oils were the most effective against Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, P. vulgaris, S. aureus and S. epidermis.     

Physical properties of an alumino-silicate waste form for cesium and strontium

Nuclear fuel reprocessing will be required to sustain nuclear power as a baseload energy supplier for the world. New reprocessing schemes offer an opportunity to develop a better strategy for recycling elements in the fuel and preparing stable waste forms. Advanced strategies could create a waste stream of cesium, strontium, rubidium, and barium. Some physical properties of a waste form containing these elements sintered into bentonite clay were evaluated. We prepared samples loaded to 27% by mass to a density of approximately 3 g/cm³. Sintering temperatures of up to 1000 °C did not result in volatility of cesium. Instead, the crystallinity noticeably increased in the waste form as temperatures increased from 600 to 1000 °C. Assemblages of silicates were formed. Significant water evolved at approximately 600 °C but no other gases were generated at higher temperatures.     

Characterizing r-perfect codes in direct products of two and three cycles

An r-perfect code of a graph G=(V,E) is a set C⊆V such that the r-balls centered at vertices of C form a partition of V. It is proved that the direct product of Cm and Cn (r?1, m,n?2r+1) contains an r-perfect code if and only if m and n are each a multiple of ²(r+1)+r² and that the direct product of Cm, Cn, and C? (r?1, m,n,??2r+1) contains an r-perfect code if and only if m, n, and ? are each a multiple of r³+³(r+1). The corresponding r-codes are essentially unique. Also, r-perfect codes in C2r×Cn (r?2, n?2r) are characterized.     

Altruism on American Television: Examining the Amount of, and Context Surrounding, Acts of Helping and Sharing

Using a representative sample of television content featuring 2,227 programs across different genres and 18 different channels, the frequency and context of altruistic actions were content analyzed. A social cognitive theory approach was taken to guide the selection of contextual variables. The results showed that 73% of the programs in the sample featured instances of helping/sharing at a rate of 2.92 incidents per hour. Further, the actions were most likely to be initiated by adult White males and many acts were depicted in a humorous, realistic, and rewarding context. In terms of channel differences, shows on children's basic cable featured not only the highest proportion of programs with one or more instances of altruism but also the highest rate per hour (4.02 acts). Differences in contextual features and channel type are discussed in terms of social cognitive theory below.