cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Moxalactam in Serious Infections: Clinical, Bacteriologic, and Pharmacokinetic Studies

Moxalactam was evaluated in vitro against 600 nosocomial isolates of gram-negative bacteria and was compared with cephalothin, cefoxitin, and cefotaxime. Moxalactam was superior to the other compounds, with minimal inhibitory concentrations of less than or equal to 4 micrograms/ml for 95% of the Enterobacteriaceae isolates and less than or equal to 8 micrograms/ml for 85% of the Bacteroides fragilis isolates; 70% of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were inhibited with less than or equal to 16 micrograms/ml. Moxalactam at doses ranging from 1 g every 12 hr to 2 g every 8 hr was given to patients with serious infections of the respiratory (14) or urinary (13) tract, abdominal abscess (4), osteomyelitis (4), meningitis (5), soft-tissue phlegmon (3), malignant external otitis (2), peritonitis (1), and panophthalmitis (1). The clinical response was excellent in 35 (74.5%) and improved in 12 (25.5%) of the 47 patients. The pathogen was eradicated in 29 (61.7%) patients, two patients had relapses, and bacteria persisted but in decreased numbers and without development of resistance in 16 patients. The half-life of moxalactam was 146 (+/- 21) and 125 (+/- 34) min after 2-g intravenous and 1-g intramuscular doses, respectively. Kinetic studies in sputum, bile, bone, aqueous humor, prostatic fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid showed moxalactam concentrations several times higher than the required MICs. No appreciable adverse effects or toxicity were observed.
Effects of Amino Acids on Bean Leaf Abscission.

Stimulatory and inhibitory effects of auxin on leaf abscission were reported by Addicott and Lynch (1) using an abscission test with bean petiole explants. This test was modified by Gaur and Leopold (4), and then more extensively by Biggs and Leopold (2) in describing the range of auxin effects. Osborne (7) reported that besides auxins, diffusates from senescing leaves of various species were able to accelerate abscission of bean explants, while green leaf diffusates showed smaller effects. Since then, other workers (3, 5) have shown that compounds which are not auxins are produced by senescent leaves and are capable of stimulating abscission. It would seem worthwhile, therefore, to attempt to investigate substances other than auxins which could not only affect the abscission of bean explants, but might also be related to the natural abscission processes associated with leaf senescence.
The Constant Force Component due to Material Separation and Its Contribution to the Size Effect in Specific Cutting Energy

The contribution of material separation in cutting ductile metals to the constant force component, and, hence, to the size effect in specific cutting energy is explored in this paper. A force-decomposition-based framework is proposed to reconcile the varied reasons given in literature for the size effect. In this framework, the cutting force is broken down into three components: one that is decreasing, another that is increasing, and the third that remains constant, with decreasing uncut chip thickness. The last component is investigated by performing orthogonal cutting experiments on OFHC copper at high rake angles of up to 70 deg in an attempt to isolate it. As the rake angle is increased, the resulting experimental data show a trend toward a constant cutting-force component independent of the uncut chip thickness. Visual evidence of ductile tearing ahead of the tool associated with material separation leading to chip formation is shown. The measured constant force and the force needed for ductile crack extension are then compared.
Complex natural frequencies of vibrating submerged spheroidal shells

Abstract The differential equations governing the free axisymmetric extensional vibrations of an elastic prolate spheroidal shell submerged in an infinite acoustic medium are obtained in prolate spheroidal coordinates using Hamilton's principle. Solutions are obtained by a perturbation technique which converges well for shells of small eccentricity. Numerical results are presented for the fundamental mode, frequency and acoustic impedance of steel shells in water for ratios of major to minor axis up to 1.23 over a wide range of shell length to thickness ratios.
Efficacy of air plasma microjet for wound sterilization

The sterilization of wounds with non-thermal plasmas, which can be operated at atmospheric pressure in ambient air offers an effective way to prevent infections. Most systems presented so far are operated with noble gases, such as argon or helium. The antimicrobial efficacy, however, is believed to be due to reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species that are generated in the interaction of the plasma with ambient air. Accordingly, plasmas generated in air could offer better decontamination results and faster treatment times. We have recently presented a non-thermal atmospheric pressure afterglow plasma jet, which is generated from ambient air by applying a dc high voltage of 2 kV in a microhollow cathode discharge geometry. By adjusting the gas flow rate of the jet, the expelled afterglow approaches room temperature within a few millimeters. We have investigated the effect of this plasma jet against the clinical relevant pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Acinobacter baumannii, which are known for their antibiotic resistant strains. We also tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa - another gram negative bacterium - and the yeast Candida kefyr. To mimic treatment conditions, the organisms were plated in petri dishes and a 2 cm × 2 cm square was exposed to the afterglow by moving the jet in a meander pattern across the area. Exposure parameters investigated were exposure time, distance from microbial/yeast-culture and humidity of the operating gas. For S. aureus we achieved complete pathogen removal, i.e. suggesting a reduction in the number of colony forming units by 6 orders of magnitude, with an exposure time of 111 s and a distance of 10 mm. A. baumannii had to be exposed for 165 s for the same treatment result. Most difficult to decontaminate proved C. kefyr, which required an exposure of 215 s for a 4-log reduction. To understand the mechanisms of the method, we studied the afterglow air plasma chemistry and found nitric oxide (NO) prevalent in high concentrations, while the generation of nitric dioxide (NO 2 ) and ozone (O 3 ) is negligible. Our investigations further show that chemical reactions in the liquid environment of the pathogens, such as the generation of hydroxyl ions (OH) from atomic oxygen and of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) are crucial.
Neurocognitive Correlates of Apathy and Anxiety in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with various nonmotor symptoms including neuropsychiatric and cognitive dysfunction. We examined the relation between apathy, anxiety, side of onset of motor symptoms, and cognition in PD. We hypothesized that PD patients would show different neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive profiles depending on the side of onset. 22 nondemented PD patients (11 right-side onset (RPD) with predominant left-hemisphere pathology, and 11 LPD) and 22 matched healthy controls (NC) were administered rating scales assessing apathy and anxiety, and a series of neuropsychological tests. PD patients showed a higher anxiety level than NC. There was a significant association between apathy, anxiety, and disease duration. In LPD, apathy but not anxiety was associated with performance on nonverbally mediated executive function and visuospatial measures, whereas, in RPD, anxiety but not apathy correlated with performance on verbally mediated tasks. Our findings demonstrated a differential association of apathy and anxiety to cognition in PD.
Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) is Reduced by a Coplanar PCB Congener

Abstract Neurotoxicity of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is usually ascribed to the ortho -substituted congeners. We have examined the effects of acute perfusion of 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 77), a coplanar, dioxin-like congener, on long-term potentiation (LTP) in the Schaffer collateral-CA1 and the mossy fiber-CA3 pathways in mouse hippocampus. LTP in both pathways was blocked by PCB 77, with a threshold effect at a concentration of 1 μM. LTP is a useful model of learning and memory function in which a patterned stimulation of an afferent pathway produces a persistent increase in the efficacy of synaptic transmission. LTP is reduced by PCB mixtures and ortho -substituted congeners at concentrations comparable to those studied here. These observations provide evidence in support of the hypothesis that dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like PCB congeners are equally potent in causing the cognitive decrements seen in children exposed prenatally to PCBs.
Incremental Sentence Processing in Japanese: A Maze Investigation into Scrambled and Control Sentences

This study investigates preverbal structural and semantic processing in Japanese, a head-final language, using the maze task. Two sentence types were tested—simple scrambled sentences (Experiment 1) and control sentences (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 showed that even for simple, mono-clausal Japanese sentences, (1) there are online processing costs associated with parsing noncanonical word orders and (2) these costs are incurred during the incremental integration of constituents into developing sentence representations. Experiment 2 indicated (1) that antecedents are provisionally assigned to empty subjects in Japanese control sentences before verb information becomes available and (2) that this process is guided by an object control bias. Taken together, these findings are interpreted to suggest an important role for preverbal analysis in the processing of displaced constituents and of referential properties for empty elements in head-final languages.
Sequential debugging at a high level of abstraction

Efforts to build a better mousetrap for bugs in sequential programs are described. The resulting debugger, called Dalek, is intended to remedy limitations in conventional execution harnesses. Beyond the simple 'stop and look' features offered by typical breakpoint debuggers, Dalek offers a rich control and query language. Dalek's linguistic capabilities for treating sequences of program events offer an improvement over scratch paper as a compensatory technology for human memory limitations. Example applications are given. The very interactive, dynamic style of debugging encouraged by Dalek is discussed. >
Development of SUBSPACE-Based Hybrid Monte Carlo-Deterministic Algorithms for Reactor Physics Calculations

The development of hybrid Monte-Carlo-Deterministic (MC-DT) approaches, taking place over the past few decades, have primarily focused on shielding and detection applications where the analysis requires a small number of responses, i.e. at the detector locations(s). This work further develops a recently introduced global variance reduction approach, denoted by the SUBSPACE approach is designed to allow the use of MC simulation, currently limited to benchmarking calculations, for routine engineering calculations. By way of demonstration, the SUBSPACE approach is applied to assembly level calculations used to generate the few-group homogenized cross-sections. These models are typically expensive and need to be executed in the order of 103 - 105 times to properly characterize the few-group cross-sections for downstream core-wide calculations. Applicability to k-eigenvalue core-wide models is also demonstrated in this work. Given the favorable results obtained in this work, we believe the applicability of the MC method for reactor analysis calculations could be realized in the near future.
Cerebral infarction in a user of free‐base cocaine (“crack”)

After smoking "crack," the free-base form of cocaine, a 27-year-old man suffered an infarction of most of the territory of the right middle cerebral artery. Concomitant drug use seemed to have been limited to ethanol and ibuprofen. Search for other possible causes was negative. Angiography revealed narrowing of the supraclinoid portion of the right internal carotid artery (ICA) and cutoff of at least two distal branches. There was no beading or irregularity to suggest vasculitis. Crack may have induced vasospasm in the ICA through recognized sympathomimetic actions of cocaine.
Evaluating depression severity and remission with a modified Beck Depression Inventory

In an attempt to improve assessment of recovery from depression, a modified Beck Depression Inventory (mBDI) was created that permits endorsement of positive feelings in addition to depressive symptoms. In both normal and clinical samples, the mBDI showed evidence of reliability for measuring varying degrees of depression. In comparison to the original BDI, the mBDI did not significantly improve differentiation in depression severity among depressed individuals and assessment of remission of depressive symptoms. However, the mBDI was significantly better than the original BDI in detecting differences in depression level when overall depression severity was low. Clinical implications for evaluating remission of depression are discussed.
The Impact of United States v. Booker and Gall/Kimbrough v. United States on Sentence Severity Assessing Social Context and Judicial Discretion

In the wake of United States v. Booker and Gall/Kimbrough v. United States, sentencing researchers and legal scholars conducted research designed to identify their impact on the federal sentencing process, with a focus on determining whether the decisions increased unwarranted disparity. In this article, we extend this body of research. Using 10 years of data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission and data from other sources, we assess whether and how these decisions influence sentence severity. Results indicate that sentence severity declined following Booker and, especially, Gall/Kimbrough, but that the decisions’ effects on sentence severity varied significantly across U.S. District Courts. Most importantly, the impact of Gall/Kimbrough sentence severity was conditioned by districts’ percent Black population, level of socioeconomic disadvantage, and degree of political conservatism; each of these factors moderated the decisions’ effects on the harshness of the sentences imposed by the districts’ judges.
Observation of electrochemical reduction in the electrical double layer region using sum frequency generation spectroscopy

Abstract Sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy has been applied to study the electrochemical reduction of 4-(4-diethylamino)styryl)- N -methylpyridinium iodide (D289) at the electrolyte-Si(111) interface. By employing electrically conductive Si(111) as the substrate and choosing the proper excitation symmetry, the undesired background signal from the substrate can be eliminated completely without sacrificing the capability of creating an electrical double layer. Thus, a nonlinear optical window has been opened for the study of the chemical processes inside the electrical double layer. For the first time, many physical and chemical processes taking place at solid-liquid interfaces can be characterized with unprecedented molecular level sensitivity.
Investigation of polycrystalline silicon layers by electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction

Abstract The structure of polycrystalline Si layers deposited by pyrolysis of silane in a hydrogen ambient has been investigated by replica electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. When the gas flow ratio (SiH 4 /H 2 ) is 3·64 × 10 −4 the temperature region below 900°C is a surface reaction control region and the activation energy of the chemical surface reaction rate is 1·6 eV. The temperature range above 900°C is a mass transfer region and the deposition rate is about 500 A/min. The grains become larger and the texture of the surface of the poly Si layers becomes coarser with the deposition temperature. Some phase change was found to occur around 900°C by replica electron microscopy. The X-ray diffraction experiments show that there exist three preferred orientations of (220), (111) and (311) in the poly Si layers. The decrease of the relative intensity of the (311) orientation might have a relation to the phase change around 900°C.
Intriguing properties of kinks in a simple model with a two-component field

Abstract We present a summary of the topological and non-topological solitons of a two component field in 1+1 dimensions with application in field theory and in condensed matter physics. We note several intriguing analytical and numerical relationships between these solutions, which we believe to suggest that the relevant coupled nonlinear differential equations may be integrable exactly.
On the incompatibility of “nationalism” and “democracy”—Lessons for East Central Europe

(1994). On the incompatibility of “nationalism” and “democracy”—Lessons for East Central Europe. History of European Ideas: Vol. 19, No. 1-3, pp. 479-484.
As Dayton Undergoes Proposals for Reform, the Status of Freedom of Movement, Refugee Returns, and War Crimes in Bosnia And Herzegovina

The Dayton General Framework Agreement for Peace of late 1995 brought a ceasefire and an end to the killings in Bosnia. More than 11 years after its signing, some of Dayton’s outlined aims for Bosnia remain unfulfilled or realized with mixed results. Late in 2005, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Dayton, leading world political figures raved about the successes of Dayton, but the immediate calls for the reform of Constitution included in the Dayton agreement, which followed the praise, are perhaps a better indicator of the Agreement’s shortfalls in transitioning the Bosnian society from war to peace and subsequently creating a functioning state since its signing. The outlined aims of Dayton were undoubtedly ambitious. This article will examine the successes and failures of Dayton, within the framework of its own aims and jurisdiction – which themselves, in the process, evolved and changed – to protect human rights with respect to the freedom of movement, the return of refugees, and the war crime indictments.
Abstract 5416: Development of a nanoparticle platform for the targeted delivery of siRNA to HER2-positive breast cancers

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Successful siRNA based therapy has the potential to revolutionize cancer therapy by mediating the silencing of any gene deemed important for disease progression. However, unprotected siRNA has a short half-life in blood and lacks the ability to selectively identify target cells. Our group is developing an effective siRNA based nanoparticle platform that overcomes these shortcomings by utilizing a mesoporous silica nanoparticle electrostatically loaded with siRNA and conjugated with an antibody for target homing. The human epidermal growth receptor type 2 (HER2) is a highly validated therapeutic target in breast cancer due to its prognostic role in cancer aggressiveness and drug resistance when overexpressed in tumors. Suppression of HER2 with siRNA based therapy (siHER2) offers a new treatment modality and provides a testable system for the development of our nanoparticle platform. Incorporation of Herceptin, a monoclonal antibody which binds to HER2, serves to selectively target HER2-positive cancer cells. In vitro evaluation of the nanoconstruct loaded with a highly optimized siHER2 sequence against a panel of HER2-positive (HCC1954, JIMT-1, BT474) and HER2-negative (MCF-7, MCF-10A, HDFa) cell lines demonstrated efficient knockdown of HER2 gene expression (> 75% reduction of HER2 mRNA and protein). Concomitant cell viability assays showed increased cell death in HER2-positive and no HER2-negative cell lines further highlighting treatment specificity. Importantly, treatment of cells with the siHER2-nanoconstruct effectively inhibited growth in HER2-positive cell lines resistant to Herceptin and Lapatinib. Subsequent in vivo tumor modeling studies using orthotopic transplantation of HCC1954 in the mammary fat pad of SCID mice revealed that i.v. injection of the siHER2-nanocontruct reduced overall tumor burden. HER2 knockdown in the tumors was also significant. These findings provide the foundation for a novel translational platform for facilitating therapeutic siRNA. Citation Format: Shaun M. Goodyear. Development of a nanoparticle platform for the targeted delivery of siRNA to HER2-positive breast cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5416. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5416
Effect of Antibiotic on Egg Production of New Hampshires

Abstract Literature has revealed conflicting data on the role of antibiotics on egg production of chickens. The work of Sunde, Halpin and Cravens (1952), Petersen and Lampman (1952), and Lillie and Bird (1952) indicated that antibiotics did not improve egg production. On the other hand, Petersen, Lampman and Wiese (1952) reported that the inclusion of a vitamin B12-antibiotic feed supplement in an all-vegetable protein ration deficient in vitamin B12 improved egg production. According to Elam, Gee and Couch (1951), penicillin improved egg production of crossbred hens receiving vitamin B12 by injection. This finding was confirmed by Carlson, Wilcox, Kohlmeyer and Jones (1953) who also found that streptomycin was more effective than penicillin in this respect. The over-all egg production of New Hampshires and White Rocks was below 50 percent in their studies. In previous nutritional experiments, the genetic variation of egg production was noted. Therefore, attempts were made in this study …
BARRICADES INTO BLOCKADES: DOCUMENTA 8 AND THE SPIRIT OF ’68

Documenta 8, catalogue in 3 volumes, Weber & Weidmeyer, Kassel, 1987, 362 pp., DM 120.00 Brennpunkt Dusseldorf 1962–1987, catalogue, Kunstmuseum Dusseldorf, 1987, 338 pp., fully illustrated, DM 36.00
Heme oxygenase-1 in pregnancy and cancer: similarities in cellular invasion, cytoprotection, angiogenesis, and immunomodulation.

Pregnancy can be defined as a “permissible” process, where a semi-allogeneic fetus and placenta are allowed to grow and survive within the mother. Similarly, in tumor growth, antigen-specific malignant cells proliferate and evade into normal tissues of the host. The microenvironments of the placenta and tumors are amazingly comparable, sharing similar mechanisms exploited by fetal or cancer cells with regard to surviving in a hypoxic microenvironment, invading tissues via degradation and vasculogenesis, and escaping host attack through immune privilege. Heme oxygease-1 (HO-1) is a stress-response protein that has anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic, pro-angiogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Although a large volume of research has been published in recent years investigating the possible role(s) of HO-1 in pregnancy and in cancer development, the molecular mechanisms that regulate these “yin-yang” processes have still not been fully elucidated. Here, we summarize and compare pregnancy and cancer development, focusing primarily on the function of HO-1 in cellular invasion, cytoprotection, angiogenesis, and immunomodulation. Due to the similarities of both processes, a thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms of each process may reveal and guide the development of new approaches to prevent not only pregnancy disorders; but also, to study cancer.
Delinking through Integration: A Dependency Analysis of Regional Financial Integration:

This article analyzes regional financial institutions’ emergence in Latin America and East Asia, and their implications for the current formation of the world economy. We evaluate the performance of the Chiang Mai Initiative, the Latin American Reserve Fund, and the Bank of the South (BOS), and their potential to prevent financial crises and promote sustainable economic development in the periphery. Using dependency theory, including A.G. Frank’s delinking theorization, we analyze the BOS. Can these alternative financial institutions effectively undermine the Bretton Woods organizations’ hegemony? Assuming the new financial blocs are among anti-systemic movements in the world economy, do they suggest prospects for building counter-hegemonic formations? Thus we can analyze regional financial integration from the dependency theory perspective, with special attention to Frank’s contributions. Analysis ignoring the world economy’s dependency dynamics could not explain the periphery’s growing forces of regiona...
Cerebellar learning mechanisms

The mechanisms underlying cerebellar learning are reviewed with an emphasis on old arguments and new perspectives on eyeblink conditioning. Eyeblink conditioning has been used for decades a model system for elucidating cerebellar learning mechanisms. The standard model of the mechanisms underlying eyeblink conditioning is that there two synaptic plasticity processes within the cerebellum that are necessary for acquisition of the conditioned response: (1) long-term depression (LTD) at parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses and (2) long-term potentiation (LTP) at mossy fiber-interpositus nucleus synapses. Additional Purkinje cell plasticity mechanisms may also contribute to eyeblink conditioning including LTP, excitability, and entrainment of deep nucleus activity. Recent analyses of the sensory input pathways necessary for eyeblink conditioning indicate that the cerebellum regulates its inputs to facilitate learning and maintain plasticity. Cerebellar learning during eyeblink conditioning is therefore a dynamic interactive process which maximizes responding to significant stimuli and suppresses responding to irrelevant or redundant stimuli. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Brain and Memory.
Simplified Area Function for Sharp Indenter Tips in Depth-sensing Indentation

A two-parameter “area function” characterizing the depth-dependent projected area of an indenter was introduced and applied to a Berkovich tip. The two parameters have physical meaning, corresponding to the effective tip radius and effective cone angle. The indenter tip was calibrated on a commercial load-controlled Nano Indentert® XP (MTS Systems Corp., Eden Prairie, MN). All calibrations were carried out using the procedure of Oliver and Pharr [J. Mater. Res. 7, 1564 (1992)] using several homogeneous materials. Plane-strain modulus and hardness values deconvoluted from indentation load–displacement traces using the calibrated two-parameter area function compared well with the values determined using the empirical eight-parameter area function of Oliver and Pharr.
Analysis of the geometry of finishing lines for full crown restorations.

The geometry exhibiting the least marginal discrepancy in this investigation was the shoulder of the slightly oversize casting (Fig. 4). This was significantly better (p = .05) than the oversize bevel, the control shoulder, or the control bevel.
Acheiving Full Employment: Four Perspectives

Books reviewed in this article. Samuel Bowles, David M. Cordon, and Thomas E. Weisskopf, Beyond the Wasteland: A Democratic Alternative to Economic Decline Economic Report of the President 1981 Helen Cinsburg, Full Employment and Public Policy: The United States and Sweden Elliot Jaques, Free Enterprise, Fair Employment
Concurrent Nutrient Changes with a Decrease in Dietary Sodium

Abstract Method: A 6-center randomized placebo controlled trial was instituted to assess the effect of dietary sodium on the effectiveness of isradipine in subjects with essential hypertension. After baseline evaluation, 99 hypertensive subjects were counselled to restrict dietary sodium to 60–80 mEq/day; all subjects received a comprehensive manual on a sodium-restricted diet and individual counselling by a dietitian. No advice regarding other nutrients was given. After a 4-week run-in period to assess compliance, subjects with urinary Na Results: Sodium intake was reduced by 50 mEq to 64±25 mEq. Intakes of most nutrients decreased significantly (p ; 16% decrease in calcium intake (703±342mg to 588±259mg) ; 14% in iron (14±6mg to 12±14mg); and 6% in potassium (2645±918 to 2495±851mg). Conclusion: The effect of dietary sodium restriction must be carefully weighed with a concomitant effect on other nutrients. While in reduction in total fat is beneficial, reduction in calcium, iron, and potassium intakes may offset this
Novel porphyrin-containing photorefractive polymers

Several novel photorefractive polymers based on the charge transfer properties in photosynthetic model compounds were synthesized. These polymers contain a prophyrin moiety, a second order nonlinear optical chromophore covalently linked to a polyimide backbone. High thermal stability of the second order nonlinear effect were observed at elevated temperatures. An asymmetric optical energy exchange was detected in two beam coupling experiments, indicating the photorefractive nature of the polymers. Large optical gains were deduced at zero-external electric filed (20 cm-1).© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Expression of NMDA receptor subunit mRNA after MK-801 treatment in neonatal rats

Abstract Although NMDA receptor antagonists are neuroprotective when delivered in conjunction with NMDA, supersensitivity to NMDA-mediated injury follows dizocilpine (MK-801) administration in neonatal rats. An increase in NMDA-sensitive [ 3 H ]-glutamate binding accompanies the increase in vulnerability to excitotoxic injury. The present study tests the hypothesis that MK-801 may alter gene expression for the NMDA receptor subunits. Quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of NMDA receptor subunits NR1 and NR2A-D in neonatal rats, 2 to 4 h after treatment with MK-801. Increased mRNA for multiple NMDA receptor subunits was observed in cerebral cortex, striatum and hippocampus. The percent increase in NR2A mRNA was larger than the percent change in NR1, NR2B or NR2D. A small increase in mRNA for the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR5 was also observed after MK-801 treatment. These results indicate that gene expression for NMDA receptor subunits in the developing brain is rapidly altered after antagonist exposure. Increased expression of excitatory amino acid receptor subunit mRNA may contribute to the enhanced vulnerability to excitotoxic injury that has been observed after MK-801 treatment.
Effects of nitrogen supply and elevated carbon dioxide on construction cost in leaves of Pinus taeda (L.) seedlings

Seedlings of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) were grown under varying conditions of soil nitrogen and atmospheric carbon dioxide availability to investigate the interactive effects of these resources on the energetic requirements for leaf growth. Increasing the ambient CO2 partial pressure from 35 to 65 Pa increased seedling growth only when soil nitrogen was high. Biomass increased by 55% and photosynthesis increased by 13% after 100 days of CO2 enrichment. Leaves from seedlings grown in high soil nitrogen were 7.0% more expensive on a g glucose g−1 dry mass basis to produce than those grown in low nitrogen, while elevated CO2 decreased leaf cost by 3.5%. Nitrogen and CO2 availability had an interactive effect on leaf construction cost expressed on an area basis, reflecting source-sink interactions. When both resources were abundant, leaf construction cost on an area basis was relatively high (81.8±3.0 g glucose m−2) compared to leaves from high nitrogen, low CO2 seedlings (56.3±3.0 g glucose m−2) and low nitrogen, low CO2 seedlings (67.1±2.7 g glucose m−2). Leaf construction cost appears to respond to alterations in the utilization of photoassimilates mediated by resource availability.
Petrologic and thermal structure of the upper mantle beneath South Africa in the cretaceous

Abstract Assignment of equilibration temperatures and pressures to ultramafic xenoliths from South African kimberlites illustrates that they have been derived from a wide range of depths. The distribution predicates against a cognate hypothesis and indicates that the xenoliths are accidental fragments of the mantle transported to the surface by the kimberlite magma. Suites of xenoliths from single localities show well-defined trends marking Cretaceous geothermal gradients. In general the gradients are comparable to the steady-state model of Clark and Ringwood (1964). The gradients are steepest in the South West Africa region and decrease successively in the Lesotho and Kimberley regions. In all regions there is a sudden steepeing of the interpreted geothermal gradient correlating with presence of intensively sheared xenoliths. It appears that the associated change of slope and textural type marks the top of the low-velocity zone under the shield, giving lithospheric thicknesses which increase from 140 km to 180 and 195 km in the South West Africa, Lesotho and Kimberley regions, respectively. The maximum depth of xenoliths in any locality suggests that kimberlites are derived from minimum depths of 150, 190 and 200 km in the South West Africa, Lesotho and Kimberley regions, respectively. In general, spinel-bearing xenoliths give place to spinel-plus-garnet- and garnet-bearing xenoliths with increasing depth. The boundaries are diffuse and dependent on compositional variations. Major textural breaks correlate with the disappearance of phlogopite and a peridotite H 2 O CO 2 saturated solidus. The phlogopite dehydration and melting reactions mark boundaries of increasing deformation, suggesting that these reactions are critical in defining the rheid properties of the mantle.
Update on drug-eluting coronary stents

The introduction of drug-eluting stents (DES) to interventional cardiology practice has resulted in a significant improvement in the long-term efficacy of percutaneous coronary interventions. DES successfully combine mechanical benefits of bare-metal stents and stabilizing the lumen, with direct delivery and the controlled elution of a pharmacologic agent to the injured vessel wall to suppress further neointimal proliferation. The dramatic reduction in restenosis has resulted in the implementation of DES in clinical practice, and has rapidly expanded the whole spectrum of successfully treatable coronary conditions, particularly in high-risk patients and complex lesions. In this review the authors present current data on DES. Currently, two types of DES are available in the USA: sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) CYPHER™ (Cordis Corp., FL, USA) and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) TAXUS™(Boston Scientific, MA, USA), and many more are on the way to approval. In addition to sirolimus and paclitaxel, several other...
Naltrexone-induced conditioned place aversion following a single dose of morphine in the rat.

Abstract Limited preclinical research has been conducted investigating the motivational or “affective” properties of withdrawal from acute opioid dependence following a single morphine exposure. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to pharmacologically characterize the motivational properties associated with naltrexone-precipitated withdrawal after a single injection of morphine using place conditioning. Conditioned place aversion was assessed using a biased two-compartment apparatus and procedure. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were given 15 min free access to the entire apparatus on day one to determine initial preferences. Beginning on the second day, combinations of either saline or morphine (1.0–10 mg/kg, s.c.) followed by naltrexone (0.003–3.0 mg/kg, s.c.) 3.75 h later were administered. Rats were then immediately confined to one compartment for 30 min. The next day, rats received the alternative treatment and were confined to the opposite compartment. Twenty-four hours later animals were tested again for 15 min while they had access to the entire apparatus. Morphine followed by naltrexone conditioned significant place aversion (CPA) with just one pairing. This effect was a function of the naltrexone and morphine doses. CPA was also dependent on morphine pretreatment time, with significant aversion only occurring 4 h after morphine pretreatment. Finally continuous morphine administration followed by a single injection of naltrexone resulted in CPA. These data extend the range of behavioral effects associated with antagonist-precipitated withdrawal from acutely administered morphine and suggest that place conditioning is an effective model in assessing motivational aspects of withdrawal from acute opioid dependence in rats.
Oral Fat Exposure Pattern and Lipid Loading Effects on the Serum Triacylglycerol Concentration of Humans

Orosensory exposure to dietary fat elicits an early, transient spike (first phase; minutes 0–60) and augmented, more sustained postprandial (second phase; minutes 120–360) elevation of serum triacylglycerol (TAG) in humans. To assess the physiological significance of these effects, TAG concentrations were monitored following manipulation of the oral exposure pattern and accompanying lipid load. Fifteen healthy adults participated in a randomized, 6-arm, crossover design study. Conditions consisted of ingestion of 30-g loads of safflower oil, provided as capsules to bypass oral stimulation, followed by 15 min of oral stimulation (mastication and expectoration) with full-fat or nonfat cream cheese (conditions 1 and 2); the same oral load ingested intermittently with oral stimulation by both food forms (conditions 3 and 4); and 10-g lipid loads ingested with intermittent oral stimulation by both food forms (conditions 5 and 6). Blood was collected via an indwelling catheter and TAG was measured at minutes −15, 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 120, 240, and 360 relative to the onset of sensory stimulation. Testing was conducted weekly. Sequential (lipid loading followed by oral stimulation) and intermittent (intermixed lipid loading and oral stimulation) conditions led to comparable TAG responses. Significant first- and second-phase TAG concentration increases were observed with the 30-g loads, but not the 10-g loads. TAG responses to the full-fat and nonfat stimuli were similar. These data support the veracity of the earlier literature based on sequential oral exposure regimens and indicate that TAG responses reflect an interaction between oral fat signaling and gut lipid content. The augmentation of TAG associated specifically with dietary fat exposure, as compared to a nonfat food matched on other sensory properties, may only occur with higher fat loads.
Seebeck Coefficient of Heavily Doped Polycrystalline 3C-SiC Deposited by LPCVD

The Seebeck coefficient of heavily-nitrogen-doped n-type polycrystalline 3C-SiC (n-SiC) and platinum (Pt) thin films has been measured from room temperature up to 300 °C by using a microfabricated test structure. At room temperature, the absolute Seebeck coefficient of the n-SiC is -10 μV/°C. With ambient temperature increase, the absolute Seebeck coefficient of the n-SiC is found to gradually increase, reaching -20 μV/°C at 300 °C.
Ideal pulse compression via distributed feedback

Pulse compression plays an important role in signal processing. It is shown that distributed feedback may provide pulse compression in a direct manner. The physical shape of the required feedback path is precisely the same as the prescribed incoming signal.
Synthesis of β-C-GlcNAc Ser from β-C-Glc Ser

The glycosylation of proteins, specifically installation of O-GlcNAc on Ser/Thr residues, is a dynamic control element for transcription repression, protein degradation, and nutrient sensing. To provide homogeneous and stable structures with this motif, the synthesis of a C-linked mimic, C-GlcNAc Ser, has been prepared from the C-Glc Ser by a double inversion strategy using azide to insert the C-2 nitrogen functionality. The C-Glc Ser was available by a ring-closing metathesis and hydroalkoxylation route.
Adjusting rehabilitation costs and benefits for health capital: the case of low back occupational injuries.

Introduction Case-mix adjustments for treatment/rehabilitation costs and benefits of non-traumatic injuries, such as occupational back pain, are much more difficult than adjustments for traumatic injuries. We present a new method for adjusting for severity differences in the costs and benefits of treating occupational low back injuries. Methods Using initial post-injury differences in the health capital of prospective sample of 1,831 occupational related back pain patients, we combine survey data with workers’ compensation claim files and medical billing information to adjust the costs and benefits of treatment using multivariate techniques. Results We find that large differences in the net benefits of treatment between the three lowest cost provider groups virtually disappear once adjustments are made for worker’s health capital (injury severity) at entry into treatment. Conclusions Once adjustments are made for initial health capital immediately after injury, the net benefits of treating occupational low back pain are virtually identical for physician only care, physician plus physical therapy care, and chiropractic care. Net benefits of care are lower for combined physician/chiropractic care, and lowest for all other forms of care (principally, treatment by orthopedic surgeons). Our method is readily adapted for comparisons among individual health care/occupational rehabilitation professionals or among group practices and other health care organizations.
Delay Line Proportional Chambers for the Fermilab External Muon Identifier

Thirty nine, one meter square proportional chambers with delay line readout have been constructed for the external muon identifier of the Fermilab 15 foot bubble chamber. 1 They provide X, Y, U(45°) and T (avalanche time) information using a single wire plane, etched strip cathodes and nine amplifiers. They have a time resolution of ±27ns, single particle spatial resolution of ±2 to ±3mm and double particle resolution of ~2 1/2 to 4cm. The energy accessable to each wire is limited so none of the wires in the first 25 chambers has broken since their installation in 1973-4.
Amino acid order in polymeric dipeptide surfactants: effect on physical properties and enantioselectivity.

The effect of amino acid order on chiral selectivity in polymeric dipeptide surfactants, as well as the physical properties of the surfactants, is investigated. An understanding of enantioselectivity of such dipeptide surfactants is crucial to the design of more efficient polymeric surfactants and has implications in other areas of research such as enantioselective interactions of amino acid based compounds (i.e., enzymes, hemoglobin, antibodies, etc.). It should be noted that such polymeric surfactants are not easily crystallized. Therefore, in a manner similar to the study of proteins, fluorescence spectroscopy is a powerful tool used to study the structure-function relationship of these polymeric surfactants. The microenvironments inside the core of 18 polymeric surfactants were characterized using the environmentally sensitive probes pyrene and 6-propionyl-2-(dimethylamino)naphthalene (Prodan). The surfactants examined in this study include all possible dipeptide combinations of the L-form of alanine, valine, and leucine and the achiral amino acid glycine (except glycine-glycine) as well as the single amino acid surfactants of alanine, valine, and leucine. The results of the fluorescent probe studies led to a proposed structure of the polymeric dipeptide surfactants in solution. The implications of the proposed structure for chiral selectivity were tested with two model atropisomers, (+/-)1,1'-bi-2-naphthol and (+/-)1,1'-bi-2-naphthyl-2,2'-diyl hydrogen phosphate, using capillary electrokinetic chromatography.
A Non-Linear Relationship between Controller Workload and Traffic Count:

Controller workload has been a focal topic in air traffic management research because it is considered a key limiting factor to capacity increase in air traffic operations. Because workload ratings are subjective and highly prone to individual differences, some researchers have tried to replace workload with more objective metrics, such as aircraft count. A significant caveat in substituting these metrics for workload ratings, however, is that their relationships are non-linear. For example, as the number of aircraft increases linearly, the controller's perceived workload jumps from low to high at a certain traffic threshold, resulting in a stepfunction increase in workload with respect to aircraft count, suggesting that controllers perceive workload categorically. The non-linear relationship between workload and aircraft count has been validated using data collected from a recent study on the En Route Free Maneuvering concept element (Lee, Prevot, Mercer, Smith, & Palmer, 2005). The results suggest that ...
Computed tomography findings in sinonasal Wegener's granulomatosis.

BackgroundWegener's granulomatosis (WG), an autoimmune disease, is intimately associated with the sinonasal tract, with involvement reported in 85% of patients during the course of the disease proc...
Joint focus stacking and high dynamic range imaging

Focus stacking and high dynamic range (HDR) imaging are two paradigms of computational photography. Focus stacking aims to produce an image with greater depth of field (DOF) from a set of images taken with different focus distances, whereas HDR imaging aims to produce an image with higher dynamic range from a set of images taken with different exposure settings. In this paper, we present an algorithm which combines focus stacking and HDR imaging in order to produce an image with both higher dynamic range and greater DOF than any of the input images. The proposed algorithm includes two main parts: (i) joint photometric and geometric registration and (ii) joint focus stacking and HDR image creation. In the first part, images are first photometrically registered using an algorithm that is insensitive to small geometric variations, and then geometrically registered using an optical flow algorithm. In the second part, images are merged through weighted averaging, where the weights depend on both local sharpness and exposure information. We provide experimental results with real data to illustrate the algorithm. The algorithm is also implemented on a smartphone with Android operating system.