cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of the TRPM3 Channel in Planar Lipid Bilayers

Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 (TRPM3) is a non-selective cation channel that can be activated with nifedipine and pregnenolone sulfate (PS). The role of TRPM3 in nociceptive neurons has been linked to the heat sensation and development of heat hyperalgesia during inflammation. However, the functional characterization of TRPM3 and its specific agonists remain poorly understood. To investigate biophysical and pharmacological properties of TRPM3 we aimed to incorporate the purified channel in planar lipid bilayers. TRPM3 was purified from HEK-293 cells using immunoprecipitation technique. The single channel activity was then examined under various conditions. We investigated TRPM3 activity with different agonists. Application of nifedipine (1-10 µM) resulted in dose-dependent increase of open probability of the channel. These results suggest that nifedipine can alone activate TRPM3. Unlike nifedipine, addition to the bilayers of PS, did not induce the channel openings alone and required co-application of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) or clotrimazole. TRPM3 demonstrated outward rectification upon activation with PS/PI(4,5)P2, but linear current-voltage relationship with PS/clotrimazole. In both conditions, TRPM3 tended to inactivate at higher voltages (100-120 mV) and with increased concentrations of PS. Interestingly, in the absence of any agonists TRPM3 exhibited basal channel activity that sustained for several minutes. Previously TRPM3 was proposed to serve as a temperature sensor. We tested temperature sensitivity of TRPM3 and found that in the framework of lipid bilayers the channel did not exhibit any temperature-induced activation in the absence of agonists. In the presence of nifedipine TRPM3 demonstrated weak temperature dependence with Q10of 1.5 at +100 mV and 1.7 at −100 mV. These results indicate that TRPM3 is unlikely to serve as a temperature sensor alone and may involve some alternative molecular mechanisms for temperature sensation.
Preservice teachers' cognitive frameworks for class management

Abstract This study examines changes in middle school student teachers' knowledge structures and beliefs related to class management during the final semester of their teacher education program. Twenty-three preservice teachers drew concept maps and participated in semi-structured interviews prior, during, and following 16 weeks of student teaching. Results of the study showed that initially student teachers are concerned with establishing and enforcing rules. They expressed discomfort with their authoritarian roles. During the middle of student teaching preservice teachers began to make connections among the variables that contribute to class management. By the end of student teaching preservice teachers experienced a conflict between their beliefs in rules, their desire to be flexible and fair, and their desire to develop positive student relationships as a mechanism to promote student learning. A framework of change for class management concepts is presented and the reported influences on the changes in student teachers' knowledge organization and beliefs are discussed.
Fetal lung maturity is not accelerated in preeclamptic pregnancies

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether there is an increased incidence of pulmonary maturity in premature fetuses of preeclamptic women compared with fetuses of matched controls. STUDY DESIGN: A matched cohort study design was used. One hundred twenty-seven strictly defined preeclamptic women who had undergone amniocentesis for pulmonary maturity assessment were matched for gestational age, race, and infant gender to non hypertensive women with preterm labor who had undergone the same procedure. Patients with multiple gestation, ruptured membranes, diabetes, or prior glucocorticoid treatment were excluded. Lung maturity was assessed with the Lumadex foam stability index test, the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio, and the TD X fetal lung maturity assay. In addition, the occurrence of respiratory distress syndrome was assessed in 69 of the 127 matched pairs who were also matched for mode of delivery and amniocentesis-to-delivery interval. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the incidence of an immature result between the preeclamptic and matched control groups (39.4% vs 38.6%). Likewise, women with mild ( n = 63) and severe ( n = 64) preeclampsia or with small-for-gestational-age ( n = 26) and appropriate-for-gestational-age ( n = 101) infants, when analyzed separately, showed no differences in comparison with their matched controls. When analyzed by gestational age subgroups, no specific gestational age range was associated with accelerated maturity. The incidence of respiratory distress syndrome in the 69 matched pairs was slightly, but not significantly, higher in the preeclampsia group (relative risk 1.43, 95% confidence interval 0.94 to 2.37). CONCLUSION: This study does not support the contention that fetuses of preeclamptic women exhibit accelerated lung maturation.
The effect of new firm locations on local property taxes

In recent years there have been several studies of the model of local public finance, attributable to Tiebout [6], that communities compete with one another for residents. (See Epple et al. [l], Yinger [7], and Zodrow [8].) They compete through the tax-expenditure packages offered to mobile residents, and the “ voting with their feet” mechanism may or may not lead to an efficient allocation of resources (depending on factors such as the design of the tax system and the elasticity of land supply). Firms are an attractive subset of the residents that communities hope to attract because, relative to other types of residents, they make few demands on locally provided goods and services and they tend to provide large tax bases (i.e., property value). Some firms presumably are more attractive than others. Less attractive firms may explicitly or implicitly put demands on the local fist. They may explicitly require additional expenditures on roads, sewers, or pollution abatement equipment. Implicitly, polluting firms may induce higher expenditures on non-firm-related public goods and services (such as schools) to compensate residents for the decline in quality of the environment. Because of the competitive pressures exerted in a metropolitan area composed of several communities, the amount of compensation required is just enough to keep residents from moving away. One implication of the theory is that the tax rates that communities impose on the firms’ property should reflect this matching of firms to communities. That is, communities which admit heavy-polluter, low-property-value firms must compensate their residents through higher expenditure on pollution abatement, desirable public goods, or income supplements for private goods, all of which require more tax revenue and thus higher tax rates. Tax rates will be higher in communities with heavy-polluter firms. Tax rates can be lower (since required compensating expenditures are lower) in communities which admit relatively clean, high-tax-value firms. This paper provides some evidence that tax rates reflect the matching of firms to communities. That is, communities and firms may sort themselves in ways consistent with the Tiebout-type model of competition among
The guts of the matter. Infusoria from Ehrenberg to Bütschli: 1838-1876.

We began our survey at a time when Ehrenberg's functional principles concerning the design of all organisms prevailed in interpreting the taxonomic place and internal structure of Infusoria. Other options existed, such as Dujardin's sarcode theory and Siebold's cellular analogy, but these were not persuasive for reasons both relevant to and in addition to the microscopic observations. By mid-century other considerations, including the continuing search for complex life cycles and manifestations of sex, dictated the microscopist's rendering of infusorians. Muller and his students saw spermatozoa and gonads; Stein envisioned alternating generations and generative nuclei; Balbiani found sexual behavior in the events of conjugation; and all interpreted the nuclei and nucleoli as gonads or gonadal products. Evolutionary theory provided a fourth dimension. Obsessed with phylogenies, particularly when joined with the germ-layer theory of development, Haeckel emphasized a structural interpretation and found a considerably altered cell theory ready to fill the breach.
Angled grating high-power semiconductor lasers: simulation of beam characteristics under thermal effects

The angled grating laser has been successful in achieving high-power diffraction-limited beams. The laser cavity utilizes a grating inclined at an angle to the facet to filter out the filamented beams. As a result, all of the filamented beams except the primary beam will be transmitted through the grating. In this paper we present the cavity resonance equation, and study temperature sensitivity of this device.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Associations of rural residence with timing of HIV diagnosis and stage of disease at diagnosis, South Carolina 2001-2005.

Context: Rural areas in the southern United States face many challenges, including limited access to health care services and stigma, which may lead to later HIV diagnosis among rural residents. Purpose: To investigate the associations of rural residence with timing of HIV diagnosis and stage of disease at diagnosis. Methods: Timing of HIV diagnosis was categorized as a diagnosis of acquired immune deficiency syndrome within 1 year of a first positive HIV test or HIV-only. Stage of disease was based on initial CD4+ T-cell count taken within 1 year of diagnosis. County of residence at HIV diagnosis was classified as urban if the population of the largest city was at least 25,000; it was classified as rural otherwise. Logistic regression was used to analyze timing of HIV diagnosis, and analysis of covariance was used to analyze stage of disease. Findings: From 2001 to 2005, 4,137 individuals were diagnosed with HIV infection. Of these, 1,129 (27%) were rural and 3,008 (73%) were urban residents. Among rural residents, 533 (47%) were diagnosed late, compared with 1,258 (42%) urban residents. Rural residents were significantly more likely to be diagnosed late (OR 1.19 [95% CI, 1.02-1.38]). Rural residence was associated with lower initial CD4+ T-cell count in crude analysis (P= .01) but not after adjustment (P > .05). Conclusions: Rural residence is a risk factor for late HIV diagnosis. This may lead to reduced treatment response to antiretroviral medications, increased morbidity and mortality, and greater HIV transmission risks among rural residents. New testing strategies are needed that address challenges to HIV testing and diagnosis specific to rural areas.
Enhanced glycolysis after maturation of bovine oocytes in vitro is associated with increased developmental competence

The effect of maturation in vitro on metabolism of individual bovine oocytes was examined. Three maturation media were used: standard, consisting of tissue culture medium 199 supplemented with serum and pyruvate, and a chemically defined medium supplemented with either amino acids or lactate. Development to blastocyst was significantly higher (P < 0.05) after maturation in standard medium (47%) than in defined medium with lactate (17%) but was not different than maturation in defined medium with amino acids (29%). Glucose metabolism through the Krebs cycle was not different after maturation in standard or defined medium with amino acids or lactate (0.48, 0.43, 0.38 pmol/oocyte/3 hr, respectively) but was affected by the removal of unlabeled pyruvate from the metabolic measurement medium (0.16, 0.21, 0.27 pmol/oocyte/3 hr, respectively). When physiological concentrations of glucose (0.52 mM) and pyruvate (0.5 mM) were used, oxidation of pyruvate was not different after maturation in standard or defined medium with amino acids or lactate (1.38, 1.13, 1.13 pmol/ oocyte/3 hr, respectively); however, glycolysis was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in treatments that supported higher blastocyst development (standard medium, 1.77 pmol/oocyte/3 hr; defined medium with amino acids, 1.58 pmol/oocyte/3 hr; defined medium with lactate, 1.32 pmol/oocyte/3 hr). Metabolism of glucose through the Krebs cycle was low in all media. In contrast, oxidation of pyruvate readily occurred after maturation in vitro. Metabolism of glucose through the Embden-Meyerhof pathway is important during oocyte maturation in vitro, and higher glycolytic rates in in vitro matured oocytes may reflect increased developmental competence.
A lymphoproliferative disorder of granular lymphocytes with a novel phenotype and suppressor function.

In this study we have identified and characterized an expanded granular lymphocyte population in a patient with anemia and granulocytopenia. Granular lymphocytes were identified through the presence of cytoplasmic azurophilic granules, the dispersed granular pattern of cytochemical staining for acid hydrolases, and the ultrastructural localization of acid phosphatase within the granules. The surface phenotype of the granular lymphocytes was E+, FcR−, Leu 4+, Leu 2+, D 12+ (Leu 15+), OKM1+, and Leu 7+. This phenotype has not been reported previously in patients with similar features. Functional studies on FACS-purified populations showed that the patient's granular lymphocytes responded poorly to T-cell mitogens and were inefficient in NK and ADCC assays but exerted a potent suppressor effect on both T-cell proliferation and B-cell differentiation. The phenotype and functions of the expanded granular lymphocyte population correspond to those of a subset of normal E rosette-forming granular lymphocytes.
Profile of Children Requiring Emergency Treatment for Asthma

Background Emergency department care for asthma is expensive and continuity of care is often inefficient. Identification of patientsat-risk for emergency treatment is required in order to intervene before visits to the emergency department. Objective To identify the antecedent factors in patients requiring emergency department treatment for wheezing and to determine the level of care before emergency visits. Methods A prospective survey of patients treated for wheezing in the emergency department of an academic children's hospital from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1994. Data were compiled from a data form completed from the information obtained from the medical record, phone calls, and letters. Results During 1994, 1,474 patients were treated for asthma and accounted for 1,870 visits to the emergency department. Thirty-six percent of the total number of visits were made by 16% of the patients who made repeat visits. Two-thirds of the patients were 5 years or younger. Over 190 patients had been hospitalized for wheezing during the preceding 12-month period. Forty-four percent of the patients were referred to the emergency department by primary care physicians and 6.7% were referred by asthma specialists, either allergists or pulmonologists. The major predisposing factor was a family history of asthma in 70%. Beta agonists were the medications most frequently used prior to the emergency visits. Inhaled corticosteroids were used daily by 16% of the patients and oral corticosteroids were used daily by 7% of the patients. Conclusion Thirty-six percent of the visits were due to 16% of patients who were seen repeatedly in the emergency department for wheezing and a number of patients (192) had been admitted previously for wheezing. These findings suggest that there is a subset of patients who are known to have recurrent wheezing, but lack adequate management to avoid expensive hospital services. Very few of these patients were followed by asthma specialists and there was a marked underuse of antiinflammatory drugs. This study characterized a subset of patientsat-risk for requiring emergency treatment for wheezing. There is a need to institute aggressive interventions to improve the quality of care and prevent costly emergency department visits.
Anthocyanin pharmacokinetics and dose-dependent plasma antioxidant pharmacodynamics following whole tart cherry intake in healthy humans

Anthocyanin-rich tart cherries may impart health benefits for oxidative stress and inflammation. Anthocyanin (ACN) pharmacokinetic studies often sample plasma and urine within hours of ingestion; these approaches do not reveal enterohepatic metabolites that may be critical for pharmacodynamic bioactivity. This study investigated ACN pharmacokinetics in healthy humans following intake of Montmorency tart cherries (Prunus cerasus). Using a within-subject crossover design, subjects (n = 12) ingested whole frozen tart cherries (45 or 90 cherries), and blood and urine samples were collected over 12 hours. LC-MS/MS identified two unmodified ACN in plasma and two ACN metabolites in urine. Intake of 45 cherries caused a biphasic antioxidant response, while 90 cherries caused a prolonged elevation over the 12 h period. The broad antioxidant peak beyond 8 h suggests that enterohepatic metabolites contribute to antioxidant pharmacodynamics. These findings should encourage extended pharmacokinetic studies with ACN-rich foods to reveal their breadth of bioavailability and bioactivity.
SU-E-T-320: Low Dose Rate Pediatric Total Body Irradiation (TBI) Using TrueBeam

Purpose: To develop a Low Dose Rate Pediatric Total Body Irradiation (TBI) methodology using a linear accelerator with dose rates less than 100 MU/min (TrueBeam), specifically, using this feature to deliver an Anterior‐to‐Posterior beam and a Posterior‐to‐Anterior beam, i.e. AP‐PA treatment, with a delivered dose rate < 10 cGy/min for thin pediatric patients (< 14 cm). Methods: A raised platform was constructed to sit approximately 6 cm off of the floor (approximately 2 meters from the source), the patient positioned supine with head turned for the AP beam and supine with head turned the same direction for the PA beam. A scattering plate was placed on foam pillars approximately 20 cm from the patient's surface. This also used to hold custom organ blocks and/or compensators. Output, percent depth dose, surface dose, block transmission, and off axis measurements were taken using solid water slabs, ion chambers, and film. From these measurements the optimal dose rate and number of monitor units could be selected for a given patient thickness. Results: Depth dose and off axis measurements confirmed a dose distribution within ±5% of the central axis dose at all positions for an open field. Dose measurements taken at 3 mm depth with varied scattering plate distance indicated that a 20 cm distance would allow quick access to the patient as they would be under anesthesia and not compromise surface dose coverage. Conclusions: This work has shown that for certain patients, particularly pediatric patients, linear accelerators that allow the user more low dose rate options can be used to deliver low dose rate TBI (< 10 cGy/min) without the need to construct heavy beam attenuators placed above the patient. This allows greater flexibility and increased patient safety.
Standard enthalpies of formation of some 3d, 4d and 5d transition-metal stannides by direct synthesis calorimetry

Abstract The standard enthalpies of formation of some 3d, 4d and 5d transition-metal stannides have been measured by high-temperature direct synthesis calorimetry at 1473±2 K. The following results are reported; all in kJ/mol of atoms: Ti6Sn5: −(43.4±1.4); V3Sn: −(21.7±1.4); Zr5Sn3: −(71.2±2.5); Nb3Sn: −(15.2±2.3); Ru3Sn7: −(18.7±1.4); RhSn2: −(42.1±2.4); Pd3Sn: −(57.8±1.9); Hf5Sn3: −(49.2±2.1); Ir5Sn7: −(15.0±1.9); IrSn2: −(12.9±1.6); PtSn: −(58.8±2.3). The results are compared with some earlier values obtained by calorimetry or derived from emf or vapor-pressure measurements. They are also compared with predicted values from the semi-empirical model of Miedema et al., and with available enthalpies of formation for transition-metal germanides.
Adrenergic denervation of guinea pig trachea with 6-hydroxydopamine

We studied adrenergic nerve morphology and function in guinea pig trachea in relationship to dose and time after administration of 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA). At one day after maximally tolerated doses (400 mg/kg on two or five successive days) adrenergic nerve histofluorescence was abolished. Histofluorescence was again visible at eight days after treatment and was indistinguishable from controls at 30 days, a pattern also observed in heart and iris. In isolated tracheal segments from treated animals there was suppression of3H-norepinephrine uptake, supersensitivity to applied norepinephrine, and a decrease in the adrenergic component of electrical stimulation-induced relaxation. We conclude that 6-OHDA is effective in producing fairly complete, but transient, adrenergic denervation of guinea pig airways.
In Praise of the Anecdote or Gaming for Columbine

The issue in media studies that concerns me the most is the way in which evidence is marshaled to support claims about games that are fundamentally flawed. Media studies is no stranger to the debates over media effects, and violence and fears about games seems to be particularly acute. Media psychologists are in rough agreement that games are bad for you and cause things like “increased physiological arousal” and “aggressive thoughts” and “aggressive emotions”. Cultural critics contend that most of these studies miss critical insights about media consumption, the transgressive nature of play, and the cultural context of gaming. Indeed, when these things are carefully accounted and rigorously controlled for, the negative effects of videogame violence seem to evaporate. The issue, I contend, is more about methodology than it is about content. And those methodological concerns have everything to do with how we approach game studies in the future.
Simulation in cardiothoracic surgery: a paradigm shift in education?

In April 2007, a Visioning Simulation in Cardiothoracic Surgery Conference was held at our facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, under the auspices of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education, to explore ideas about the applicability of simulation in the field. A ‘‘boot-camp’’ for demonstrating simulation applied to cardiothoracic surgery trainees was reported in the Journal accompanied by an editorial calling for the reform of education that would include simulation techniques. In March 2008, the report of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education Visioning Conference was published in the Journal, outlining a framework to consider incorporating simulation into a new educational paradigm. That article was accompanied by an ‘‘Expert Commentary’’ by Richard H. Feins, MD, supporting the concept of integrating simulation in cardiothoracic surgery education and articulating 4 challenges to its success. These hurdles are to (1) change the model of education from an exclusive apprenticeship to a hybrid that would accommodate learning episodes outside the clinic, (2) retrain educators to effectively use simulation, (3) provide adequate simulator technology for the job, and (4) conduct research to determine whether this technique is truly as effective as it intuitively seems. So, what does simulation offer and where are we with respect to these challenges a little more than a year later? There have been pilot programs, demonstration projects, some new product prototypes, and a modicum of research. I would suggest that although progress seems slow, the current momentum could be accelerated toward a true paradigm shift. The argument for shifting the educational paradigm toward one that embraces simulation seems strong. Work hour restrictions, increasing patient acuity, shortened length-of-stay, and fewer trainees choosing cardiothoracic surgery as a specialty are well-known problems that beg for modernizing and streamlining the training process. Societal pressure to verify competency of providers in all healthcare domains seeks modalities that are more easily validated and consistently applied. Patient safety concerns and an ethical imperative suggest that the opportunity to practice
SubNanosecondTime Resolved XAFS of Laser Excited Thin Ge Films

A facility at PNC-CAT in the Advanced Photon Source measures with sub-nanosecond time resolution both XAFS and diffraction on femtosecond laser-excited samples. XAFS measures with relatively high efficiency the time for the laser excitation to couple to the lattice, the sample temperature after reaching thermal equilibrium, any ablation of the sample with time, and, in many cases can distinguish between the amorphous and crystalline states. Preliminary measurements on 200 nm thick polycrystal Ge films indicate that the time for transferring the laser excitation to thermal heating of the lattice is less than 2 nanoseconds when the initial temperature is 560 K.
Entanglement-Preserving Photonic Switching: Full Cross-Bar Operation With Quantum Data Streams

As the field of quantum communications matures and adopts larger network topologies, it will require switches capable of multiplexing and demultiplexing entangled photons between network nodes. Such switches will need to operate at high speeds, with low loss, and minimal signal-band noise, while also retaining the quantum state of the routed photons. We present an all-optical, fiber-based, dual-in, dual-out switch that has a switching window of 45 ps and an insertion loss of <;3.0 dB. In addition, the switch introduces minimal degradation to the quantum state of the routed entangled photons. As a test of the switch's utility, we demultiplex a single quantum channel from a 6.5-GHz dual-channel quantum data stream. The recovered quantum state exhibits a fidelity of 96.2%±1.2% with the prepared state.
Process Improvement of Brake Lever Production Using DMAIC (

This work describes a strategy to reduce the cost associated with poor quality, by reducing the parts per million defects by Defining, Measuring, Analyzing, Implementing and Controlling (DMAIC) the production process. The method uses a combination of principles of Six Sigma applications, Lean Manufacturing and Shanin Strategy. The process has been used in analyzing the manufacturing lines of a brake lever at a Connecticut automotive components manufacturing company for reducing the cost associated with the production of nonconforming parts. The analysis was carried out with the help of the data collected on nonconformance parts and the application of phase change rules from DMAIC (+). Data analysis was carried out on statistical process control softwares, MINITAB and SPC XL 2000. Although, the problem of tight bushing existed on only one line of the brake lever assembly, this problem solving approach has solved the tight bushing problems on all assembly and alternates lines in a time- and cost-effective way.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Analgetic activity of optical isomers of 3-hydroxy-N-methylmorphinan and 6-dimethylamino-4,4-diphenyl-3-heptanone.

Summary and Conclusions1. The relative analgetic potencies of the tartrates of the optical isomers of 3-hydroxy-N-methylmor-phinan and of the hydrochlorides of Methadone were determined in normal human subjects on finger nail bed pain. 2. An inhibitory effect of the dextro isomers on the analgetic activity of the levo isomers and an additive effect of a combination of the levo isomers were demonstrated. 3. An inhibitory effect of the dextro isomers on ethyl alcohol analgesia was observed. 4. The results of this investigation suggest that the mechanism of action of the morphine-type analgetics studied is the same.
Odin: contextual document opinions on the go

Information overload is a systemic problem for knowledge workers in enterprise. For a long time, information was scarce and therefore valuable. While, the explosion of digital information has made information plentiful, time to read and process that content is now scarce. This problem is only exacerbated by our increased mobility, and the expectation to be "on top" of the continuous barrage of documents while on the go. Knowledge workers in enterprise need solutions that are designed with quick methods for finding what to read in a large collection of documents (e.g. financial reports, legal documents, news), and ways of presenting it within small visual real estate. Unlike reviews, document collections are long, more varied, and context is extremely important. In response, we present Odin, a mobile web-based window onto a user's document corpus. Rather than performing corpus summarization, Odin users can quickly find opinions and documents that are Aligned or Divergent from the corpus' consensus, or those that are the most Relevant given the overall corpus' of opinions. Odin presents this information through a simple and intuitive mobile interface. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first UI/system (and support algorithm) to allow mobile users to place documents and their opinions in context through alignment rather than raw word count or sentiment. Positive results from two evaluations are also presented.
Isolation and characterization of A new β-melanotropin from horse pituitary glands

Abstract A new β-melanotropin was isolated from horse pituitaries and its primary structure has been determined. The amino acid sequence of the new peptide differed from that of β-melanotropin in the deletion of the NH 2 -terminal aspartic acid. Thus, it is designated as [Des-Asp 1 ]-β-melanotropin. It possessed higher lipolytic activity when compared with β-melanotropin.
A case report on the use of sustained release platelet-rich plasma for the treatment of chronic pressure ulcers

Background/objectives: Chronic pressure ulcers affect patient health, emotional state, and quality of life, causing considerable morbidity and mortality in addition to contributing to significant health care costs from lengthy hospitalizations to advanced home care and surgical care costs. The conventional treatment of these wounds can be slow due to their chronic inflammatory state and the senescence of local reparative cells. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has been growing as a viable treatment alternative for a number of clinical applications and has potential benefit for use in chronic wounds. The sustained release of large quantities of autologous growth factors, cytokines, and other mediators found in PRP plus the favorable mononuclear cell profile of PRP may help us to stimulate wound healing and resolve chronic inflammation. Methods: Three veterans with spinal cord injury (SCI), presenting with chronic stage IV pressure ulcers, were treated with a sustained release PRP therapy to stimulate wound healing. Results: PRP treatment consistently resulted in the formation of granulation tissue and improved vascularity for each of the three patients treated, while reducing the overall ulcer area and volume. Conclusion: The controlled release of growth factors from PRP demonstrated a positive stimulatory effect on the healing rate of chronic pressure ulcers in individuals with SCI.
Antimicrobial cationic dyes: part 1: synthesis and characterization

Abstract As an attempt to combine dyeing and functional finishing in one process, novel antimicrobial cationic dyes were prepared by reacting N,N -dimethylbutylamine, N,N -dimethyloctylamine and N,N -dimethyldodecylamine with anthraquinone derivatives, respectively. The structures of the dyes were fully characterized by using FTIR, 1 H-NMR and 13 C-NMR analysis. Their color characteristics were studied in terms of λ max and e max in aqueous solution. The antimicrobial efficacy of these dyes was evaluated by using a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as an indicator. All of the synthesized dyes showed antimicrobial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, but in different levels depending on their structures. The structure–property relationships of the dyes were further discussed.
A Reevaluation of the Predictive Ability of Plant and Equipment Anticipations

Abstract This article suggests that anticipations alone do a better job of forecasting business plant and equipment expenditures than fitted functions which include only non-anticipatory data. Anticipations can also make a significant contribution in the presence of such data. Since previously published studies have come to different conclusions, the focus of this article is an evaluation of the methodology and results of those studies.
Quasi-steady state in a general enzyme system

Abstract The present investigation suggests that the steady state assumption is a useful approximation in the case of many enzyme-catalyzed reactions involving two substrates and products. However, in other reactions of this type, notably when one or more of the reverse bimolecular velocity constants is large, the steady state assumption may fail to be even approximately correct. Under the proper circumstances it is possible that errors derived from assuming an initial steady state may be as large as 50%. These findings, which are qualitatively the same as those obtained with single substrate, single product enzyme reactions, suggest that the interpretation of results obtained on the basis of an assumed steady state must be made with regard to the possibility that the steady state assumption is invalid.
Isolation of cDNAs Encoding Proteases of Known Specificity Using a Cleavable Gal4 Protein

Abstract A method for the isolation of cDNAs that encode proteases of known amino acid specificity is presented. The insertion of a cleavable sequence within a functional protein allows the protease to destroy that protein when both are expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The yeast transcriptional activator Gal4p, which induces the expression of enzymes required to metabolize galactose, can serve as the cleavable protein since loss of Gal4p activity permits growth of cells on the suicide substrate 2-de-oxygalactose. The insertion of a variety of protease target sites into a region between the transcriptional activation and the DNA-binding domains of Gal4p is permissive for transcriptional activity and, therefore, induction of galactose metabolism. A cDNA library from cells expressing the desired proteolytic activity is introduced into yeast cells expressing the Gal4-target fusion protein. Cells surviving on 2-deoxygalactose should express a cDNA encoding a protease specific to the target. The assay is also useful for the genetic analysis and identification of inhibitors of proteases whose genes have already been cloned.
Global seismicity of 1978: centroid-moment tensor solutions for 512 earthquakes

Abstract Centroid-moment tensor solutions are presented for 512 earthquakes that occurred during 1978.
Evaluation of tritium cholesterol as a tracer in man.

INTRODUCTION STUDIES have been in progress during the past three years in this laboratory1 to determine the percentage of the urinary steroids in man that is derived from cholesterol. A part of this project has involved the feeding of tritium-cholesterol (cholesterol-t) to human beings for extended periods of time, e.g., as long as two weeks, and the isolation of labelled plasma free cholesterol and urinary steroids. Before these studies were undertaken, it was necessary to establish 1) that the tritium in cholesterol-t, prepared by catalytic exchange, was not labile in the course of the catabolism of the sterol in the body to bile acids and steroids; and 2) that tritium derived from the degradation of the side chain did not re-enter newly synthesized cholesterol or steroid hormones to any appreciable extent.Therefore an investigation was initiated to evaluate the use of cholesterol-t as a tracer in man. This paper presents the data that were obtained from this study.
Technetium-99m pyrophosphate myocardial uptake in patients with stable angina pectoris

99m-technetium (Tc) pyrophosphate myocardial scintigrams of 55 patients with stable angina pectoris were compared with those of 13 normal subjects. The mean scintigraphic score, obtained by averaging the blinded interpretations of four readers scoring on an integral scale from 0 to 4, was significantly higher for the patients with angina than for the control subjects (1.36 compared with 0.48, P less than 0.001). Among the patients with angina, those who had a prior myocardial infarction had a higher mean scintigraphic grade than those without a previous infarction (1.73 versus 1.15, P less than 0.005), and the mean grade in both groups was higher than that of control subjects (P less than 0.001). Radionuclide uptake was predominantly diffuse in the patients with angina pectoris (70%), although in those with greater uptake accumulation tended to be localized. Three of the 68 subjects had high levels of radionuclide uptake but no clinical evidence of acute myocardial injury. This study demonstrates that excess myocardial accumulation of 99m-Tc pyrophosphate can occur in patients with stable angina pectoris.
Inverse relationship between cytochrome P-450 phosphorylation and complexation with cytochrome b5

Abstract Cytochrome P -450 LM2 purified from rabbit liver microsomes has been shown to be a substrate for cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Cytochrome b 5 , in contrast, was a very poor substrate for cAMP-dependent protein kinase, although it stimulated the activity of the kinase toward histone. When purified rabbit cytochrome b 5 was mixed with purified LM2, phosphorylation of LM2 by cAMP-dependent protein kinase was inhibited approximately 80–90%. Recently, a functional covalent complex of cytochrome b 5 and LM2 was prepared and purified to homogeneity ( P. P. Tamburini and J. B, Schenkman (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84 , 11–15 ). When present as a covalent complex with cytochrome b 5 , the phosphorylation of LM2 in the complex by cAMP-dependent protein kinase was also inhibited about 80–90% relative to an equivalent amount of LM2 alone. On the other hand, when the LM2 was phosphorylated prior to interaction with cytochrome b 5 , the ability of the latter to perturb the spin equilibrium of LM2 and oxidation of p -nitroanisole by the LM2 was diminished to an extent comparable to the degree of phosphorylation. The results suggest either that the phosphorylation site on LM2 may be within the cytochrome b 5 binding site or that phosphorylation and cytochrome b 5 cause mutually exclusive conformational changes in LM2. In addition, eight different forms of cytochrome P -450 from the rat (RLM2, RLM3, fRLM4, RLM5, RLM5a, RLM5b, RLM6, and PBRLM5) were examined as potential substrates for cAMP-dependent protein kinase under the same conditions. Maximal phosphorylation of about 20 mol% was obtained with LM2, and about half as much with PBRLM5. The low extent of phosphorylation of LM2 was not due to the prior presence of phosphate on the enzyme since LM2, as isolated, contains less than 0.1 mol phosphate/mol of enzyme. The other forms of cytochrome P -450 tested showed little or no phosphorylation in vitro despite the presence of a cAMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation sequence on at least two of them.
Individuals with Alzheimer's disease achieve implicit and explicit learning: Previous success replicated with different stimuli

Background: This study is a replication and extension of a verbal learning experiment reported in this journal (Arkin, Rose, & Hopper, 2000) with individuals who had Alzheimer's disease (AD). Those participants demonstrated implicit and explicit learning of exemplars from an inanimate semantic category (items people wear). Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of repeated exposure to animal exemplars on implicit and explicit learning of 13 individuals with mild to moderate dementia due to AD (of which 7 also participated in the earlier study). Methods and Procedures: Following 18–20 60‐second baseline fluency tests of the target category “animals”, participants engaged in eight sessions of a picture naming and related quiz exercise (study task) that contained 34 words from the target category (exposure words). One hour after each study task session, the fluency test used at baseline was re‐administered (experimental fluency test (EFT)). Outcomes and Results: On the study task, the gro...
The effects of equal channel angular extrusion on the mechanical and electrical properties of alumina dispersion-strengthened copper alloys

Abstract Two alloys of alumina dispersion-strengthened copper were subjected to 1-4 passes of equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) by route B C . Microstructures before and after deformation were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, scanning ion microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. Mechanical and electrical properties were evaluated using uniaxial tensile testing and the four point probe method, respectively. The initial microstructure consisted of cylindrical grains, elongated in the extrusion direction and highly textured in a / orientation. Following four ECAE passes, the average major axis of grains in both alloys decreased by over 50%, and the microstructure approached an equiaxed morphology. The texture decreased in intensity and shifted to a orientation after one ECAE pass, followed by a transition to a orientation by the fourth pass. Flow stress of AL-25 and AL-60 increased only 48 MPa (10%) and 24 MPa (5%), respectively, while the conductivity of both alloys remained essentially unchanged. A combination of Hall–Petch strengthening and texture softening are used to explain the observed changes in mechanical behavior.
Resting membrane potential in 41A3 mouse neuroblastoma cells. Effect of increased glucose and galactose concentrations.

Neuroblastoma cells were used to examine the effect of high concentrations of glucose or galactose and accumulation of polyols on the resting membrane potential. Polyol levels are increased and myo-inositol content decreased when neuroblastoma cells are chronically exposed to media containing 30 mM glucose or 30 mM galactose compared to cells grown in media containing 30 mM fructose. Furthermore, the 6 h accumulation and incorporation into phospholipid of extracellular myo-inositol is decreased in cells exposed to media containing 30 mM glucose or 30 mM galactose compared to cells grown in media containing 30 mM fructose. The resting membrane potential was determined by examining the steady-state accumulation of the lipopholic cation tetra[3H]phenylphosphonium bromide (TPP+). The resting membrane potential of cells grown in media containing 30 mM fructose is about −70 mV which is very similar to the resting membrane potential of cells grown in unsupplemented media. The resting membrane potential is significantly decreased in cells grown in media containing 30 mM glucose or 30 mM galactose. myo-inositol metabolism and content and polyol levels are maintained at near normal values and the resting membrane potential is improved when media containing 30 mM glucose or 30 mM galactose are supplemented with 0.4 mM sorbinil. Acute exposure of neuroblastoma cells to 2 mM ouabain had no significant effect on [3H]TPP+ accumulation. This suggests that acute inhibition of Na+/K+ pump activity does not decrease the resting membrane potential of neuroblastoma cells. The decrease in resting membrane potential may be induced by the metabolic abnormalities and/or chronic decrease in Na+/K+ pump activity which occur when neuroblastoma cells are chronically exposed to increased glucose or galactose concentrations.
Role of a hydrophobic polypeptide in the N-terminal region of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase in complex formation with P-450lm

Abstract Detergent-solubilized liver microsomal NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase is known to retain the ability to catalyze electron transfer to cytochrome P-450, whereas the trypsin-solubilized reductase does not. In the present study, treatment of the highly purified detergent-solubilized rabbit liver enzyme (m.w. 77,700) with trypsin was shown to yield a small peptide (m.w. 6,100) as well as the large peptide (m.w. 71,200) which retains the flavin prosthetic groups. The small peptide, which is hydrophobic in nature as shown by its amino acid composition and solubility properties, is apparently the moiety in the native reductase involved in binding to cytochrome P-450 and to the microsomal membrane. The C-terminal amino acid sequences of the native reductase and large fragment are identical [-Trp-(Leu, Val)-Asp-Ser-COOH], thereby indicating that the hydrophobic peptide is located in the N-terminal region of the enzyme.
Artificial cerebellum ACE: tensor network transformer enabling virtual movement in virtual environment: facilitating teleoperation in telepresence

An electronic implementation of cerebellar neural network theory (an artificial cerebellum) serves to both utilize neurobiology-based knowledge, as well as test quality and usefulness of theory. A cerebellum implemented as a tensor network transformer and realized by dedicated parallel processors such as transputers can be used to transform intentional movements, specified through a virtual environment, into teleoperative execution signals. The cerebellum thus matches, by a crucial transformation, functional geometries intrinsic to telepresence and to teleoperation systems. >
A fast GDDR5 read CRC calculation circuit with read DBI operation

The GDDR5 provides cyclic redundancy check (CRC) function to ensure a high speed operation. The GDDR5 calculates the CRC with read data and transmits the results on error detection code (EDC) pins. This paper presents a scheme to reduce calculation time of CRC when the read data bus inversion (DBI) is enabled. This scheme is applied to GDDR5 product manufactured in 66 nm CMOS process technology and its bandwidth is measured to be greater than 4.0 Gbps on the electric field test.
Improvements to JPL's Compensated Multi-Pole Linear Ion Trap Standard and Long-Term Measurements at the 10-16 Level

The Multi-pole Linear Ion Trap Standard (LITS) being developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has demonstrated excellent short and long-term stability. The technology has now demonstrated long-term field operation providing a new capability for timekeeping standards. Recently implemented enhancements have resulted in a record room temperature microwave line Q of 5times1012, a short-term fractional frequency stability of 5times10-14/tau1/2 and reduction of the combined sensitivity to the primary LITS systematic effects below 5times10-17 fractional frequency. Initial comparisons to JPL's cesium fountain clock show a systematic floor of less than 2times10-16. The multi-pole LITS at JPL has been operating continuously and unattended since October, 2006 and is used as the frequency reference for the JPL geodetic receiver known as JPLT, enabling comparisons to any clock used as a reference for an IGS site. Initial comparisons with UTC over a 6-month period show a frequency deviation equivalent to less than 2.5times10-17/day. In the capacity of a stand-alone ultra-stable flywheel, such a standard could be invaluable for long-term timekeeping applications in metrology labs while its simplicity and robustness make it ideal for space applications as well.