We measured calcium-dependent phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity and immunoreactive group II PLA2 levels of 54 normal discs obtained from cadavers and 73 disc samples surgically obtained from patients with spinal disorders, including intervertebral disc herniations, spondylosis, and spondylolisthesis. Both cadaveric and surgical disc specimens contained about two-fold greater PLA2 activity than t...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Low-virulence implant infections are characterized by bacterial colonization of the implant with subsequent biofilm formation. In these cases, soft tissue biopsies often prove to be culture negative. Consequently, detachment of the causative adherent bacteria is crucial for correct microbiological diagnosis. Using an in vitro model, we compared 4 methods of biofilm sampli...

OBJECTIVES To observe human osteoblast behavior cultured in vitro on titanium discs (Ti) in relation to surface roughness and melatonin application. STUDY DESIGN Human osteoblasts (MG-63) were cultured on 60 Ti6Al4V discs divided into three groups: Group I: discs treated with dual acid etching; Group II dual acid etching and blasting with calcium phosphate particles; Group III (control) machi...

Effects of several membrane ATPase inhibitors on light-induced phase shifting of the circadian conidiation rhythm in Neurospora crassa were examined using mycelial discs in liquid culture. Suppression of phase shifting by the inhibitors was strongly dependent on the pH of the liquid medium in which the discs were cultured during the time from light-dark transition (beginning of free-run) to lig...

Vein loading in unifoliate leaves of white bean seedlings exposed to excess Co(2+), Ni(2+), or Zn(2+) for 1 to 4 days was studied by incubating leaf discs in [(14)C]sucrose. The discs from plants exposed to metal exhibited an increased total uptake of radiosucrose but reduced vein loading. Differences between treatments due to infiltration of disc margins were eliminated by analyzing 7-millimet...

The problem of pole assignment, also known as an eigenvalue assignment, in linear discrete-time periodic systems in discs was solved by a novel method which employs elementary similarity operations. The former methods tried to assign the points inside the unit circle while preserving the stability of the discrete time periodic system. Nevertheless, now we can obtain the location of eigenvalues ...

Some recent results are reviewed that lead us now to believe that accretion discs are basically always magnetised. The main components are Balbus-Hawley and Parker instabilities on the one hand and a dynamo process on the other. A mechanical model for the Balbus-Hawley instability is presented and analysed quantitatively. Three-dimensional simulations are discussed, especially the resulting mag...

— I review recent progresses in the dynamics and the evolution of self-gravitating accretion discs. Accretion discs are a fundamental component of several astrophysical systems on very diverse scales, and can be found around supermassive black holes in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), and also in our Galaxy around stellar mass compact objects and around young stars. Notwithstanding the specific di...

We consider a number of examples of multiplier algebras on Hilbert spaces associated to discs embedded into a complex ball in order to examine the isomorphism problem for multiplier algebras on complete Nevanlinna-Pick reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. In particular, we exhibit uncountably many discs in the ball of ` which are multiplier biholomorphic but have non-isomorphic multiplier algebra...