A new method for rapid evaluation of emulsion stability was developed. The technique is based on elec. cond. measurements during non-destructive short heating-cooling-heating cycles carried out on cosmetic viscous emulsions. The cond. curve obtained during the second heating cycle is lower and almost parallel to the first curve. The bigger the cond. difference between the two heating curves, the lower is the stability of the emulsion. A relative stability index, Δ/h, indicating relative change in cond. between two cycles was elaborated allowing easy comparison of emulsion stabilities having different initial cond. The method was compared to std. stability tests with good correlation. [on SciFinder(R)]
The following discussion aims primarily at a tentative application of explicit text-linguistic analytic procedure to a special Late Egyptian corpus hitherto subjected but to superficial linguistic attention, viz. the Egyptian oracular texts (here I shall examine the Late Egyptian, not the Demotic evidence). However, a secondary goal of this paper is to make a contribution towards an aspect of a general theory of the dialogue: in viewing the texts which constitute the discussed corpus as embryonic dialogue-forms, I will attempt to explore some ideas for a schematic-typological approach to defining and characterizing these dialogues in general.
Mechanisms of biodegradation of staphylococci by leukocyte factors and its modulation by serum proteins, inflammatory exudates, polyelectrolytes, antibiotics and by lipoteichoic acid: Relation to chemotaxis and to the survival of bacteria in inflammatory sites
After phagocytosis of opsonized and non-opsonized bacteria by phagocytes, there is fusion of
lysosomes discharge of lysosomal factors into phagosomes and activation of metabolic pathways
leading to the generation of hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen, and other oxygen radicals, and
death of the engulfed bacteria. Although much is known today about the mechanism by which
phagocytes kill bacteria following phagocytosis, very little is known about the mechanisms of
biodegradation of the engulfed bacteria. Biodegradation of bacteria within PMN involves action
of lysosomal enzymes, neutral protease collagenases and proteases as well as reactive oxygen
radical and release of these products from phagocytes may lead to destruction of host tissue. The
propagation of chronic inflammatory sequellae following infections with staphylococci may also
be mediated by delayed and immediate hypersensitivity reactions. Degradation of products of
microbes also may diffuse into tissue and the chemotactic properties of these exudates attracts
more phagocytic cells. Inflammatory exudates induced by bacterial infections are rich in acid and
neutral hydrolases of leukocyte origin as well as bacterial products.
The purpose of the present communication is to summarize several years of investigation of the
pathogenesis of staphylococcal lesions with emphasis on the role played by anionic and cationic
polyelectrolytes and degradation products of bacteria in the modulation of leukocyte-bacteria
interactions (10, 14).
A variety of cationic polyelectrolytes opsonized group A streptococci andCandida albicans to phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and by mouse peritoneal macrophages. The most potent opsonins for streptococci were specific antibodies supplemented with complement, nuclear histone, polylysine, polyarginine, ribonuclease, leukocyte lysates, leukocyte cationic protein and, to a lesser extent, lysozyme and myeloperoxidase. Histone, RNAse, leukocyte extracts, and platelet extracts also functioned as opsonins for phagocytosis of streptococci in the peritoneal cavity, where phagocytic indices, higher than those obtained for the in vitro phagocytosis, were obtained. Fresh serum, polylysine, polyarginine, and nuclear histone acted as good opsonins forCandida, but none of the other factors tested were active. In order for the cationic proteins and leukocyte extracts to function as opsonins, they must be present on the particle surface. These agents were poor opsonins when applied on the macrophages. Nuclear histone, polylysine, polyarginine, and fresh human serum also functioned as good opsonins for the uptake ofCandida by mouse fibroblasts. On the other hand, none of the other substances which opsonized streptococci were effective withCandida. The phagocytic capabilities of fibroblast polykaryons were much higher than those of ordinary spindle-shaped mouse fibroblasts. Histone also functioned as a good opsonic agent for the uptake ofCandida by human fibroblasts, HeLa cells, epithelial cells, monkey kidney cells, and rat heart cells. On the other hand, neither leukocyte extracts nor ribonuclease LCP or MPO functioned as opsonins for these mammalian cells.Candida, taken up by fibroblasts, were present within tight phagosomes, but no fusion of lysosomes with the phagosome occurred. A small proportion of the internalized yeast cells underwent partial plasmolysis, but little damage to the rigid cell walls was observed within 24–48 h of internalization. Phagocytosis of streptococci andCandida by macrophages and the uptake ofCandida by fibroblasts were both strongly inhibited by liquoid (polyanethole sulfonic acid sodium salt). This anionic polyelectrolyte also markedly inhibited the release ofN-acetylglucosaminidase from macrophages without affecting cell viability (LDH release). Hyaluronic acid, DNA, and dextran sulfate markedly inhibited the uptake of histone-coated particles by macrophages. On the other hand, hyaluronic acid and DNA enhanced the uptake ofCandida by fibroblasts. The effect of these anionic polyelectrolytes on phagocytosis of serum-opsonized particles by macrophages was not consistent. While in some experiments it blocked phagocytosis, in others it either had no effect or even enhanced the uptake of the particles. Phagocytosis of microorganisms by “nonprofessional” phagocytes like fibroblasts and the paucity in these cells of hydrolases capable of breaking down microbial cell wall components may contribute to the persistence of non-biodegradable components of bacteria in tissues and to the perpetuation of chronic inflammatory sequellae. Cationic polyelectrolytes may also prove important as “helper” opsonins and as agents capable of enhancing the penetration into cells of both viable and nonviable particles, genetic material, and drugs.
Let T be a non expansive mapping on a normed linear space X. We show that there exists a linear functional f, with ||f|| = 1, such that, for all x in X, the Iimit, as n goes to infinity, of f(T"x/n) equals the limit of IIT"x/nll=a, where a=inf_{y}IITy-yli. This means, if X is reflexive, that there is a face F of the ball of radius a to which T"x/n converges weakly to F for all x if X is strictly convex as well as reflexive, the convergence is to a point; and if X satisfies the stronger condition that its dual has Frechet differentiable norm then the convergence is strong. Furthermore, we show that each of the foregoing conditions on X is satisfied if and only if the associated convergence property holds for all nonexpansive T.
The asymptotic value of a game v with a continuum of players is defined whenever all the sequences of Shapley values of finite games that "approximate" v have the same limit. In this paper we prove that if v is defined by v(S) = f( p(S)), where p is a nonatomic probability measure and f is a function of bounded variation on [0, I] that is continuous at 0 and at I, then v has an asymptotic value. This had previously been known only when v is absolutely continuous. Thus, for example, our result implies that the nonatomic majority voting game, defined by v(S) = 0 or I according as p(S) less than or equal to 1/2 or p(S) > 1/2, has an asymptotic value. We also apply our result to show that other games of interest in economics and political science have asymptotic values, and adduce an example to show that the result cannot be extended to functions f that are not of bounded variation.
A semivalue is a symmetric positive linear operator on a space of games, which leaves the additive games fixed. Such an operator satisfies all of the axioms defining the Shapley value, with the possible exception of the efficiency axiom. The class of semivalues is completely characterized for the space of finite-player games, and for the space pNA of nonatomic games.
Hemimethylated duplex DNA of the bacteriophage phi X 174 was synthesized using primed repair synthesis is in vitro with E. coli DNA polymerase I followed by ligation to produce the covalently closed circular duplex (RFI). Single-stranded phi X DNA was used as a template, a synthetic oligonucleotide as primer and 5-methyldeoxycytidine-5'-triphosphate (5mdCTP) was used in place of dCTP. The hemimethylated product was used as substrate for cleavage by various restriction enzymes. Out of the 17 enzymes tested, only 5 (BstN I, Taq I, Hinc II, Hinf I and Hpa I) cleaved the hemimethylated DNA. Two enzymes (Msp I and Hae III) were able to produce nicks on the unmethylated strand of the cleavage site. Msp I, which is known to cleave at CCGG when the internal cytosine residue is methylated, does not cleave when both cytosines are methylated. Another enzyme, Apy I, cleaves at the sequence CCTAGG when the internal cytosine is methylated, but is inactive on hemimethylated DNA in which both cytosines are methylated. Hemimethylated molecules should be useful for studying DNA methylation both in vivo and in vitro.
