cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of anastomotic airway complications after lung transplantation.

Background Because improper airway healing continues as a source of morbidity after lung transplantation, we determined prevalence and risk factors for anastomotic complications and examined their impact on survival. Methods From January 1997 to January 2004, 272 patients undergoing pulmonary transplantation were studied for anastomotic airway complications. Complications were categorized as necrosis or obstruction and treatment as none, endoscopic (stenting, bronchoplasty, ablation), or open repair. Survival impact was assessed by follow-up (mean, 3.0 ± 2.2 years) using competing-risks nonproportional hazards methodology in the context of repeated events. Results By 24 months, 94 anastomotic airway complications (26 necrotic, 67 obstructive, 1 torsion) had developed in 48 patients (18%), and 23 (8.5% overall; 48% of affected patients) underwent intervention. Risk of necrotic complications preceded obstruction. Risk factors were telescoping anastomosis ( p p p = 0.008), and previously treated anastomotic airway complication ( p p = 0.9) but worse late survival (60% versus 27% at 48 months, p = 0.03), and those with untreated complications had worse early survival (82% versus 62% at 12 months, p = 0.004) but equivalent late survival ( p = 0.4). Conclusions Anastomotic airway complications occur in about one fifth of patients after lung transplantation and are formidable and persistent problems. Early complications are necrosis, followed by obstruction. Few risk factors are modifiable. Because these complications importantly affect survival, improving efficacy of intervention strategies should improve outcome.
Multimetric spatial optimization of switchgrass plantings across a watershed

The increasing demand for bioenergy crops presents our society with the opportunity to design more sustainable landscapes. We have created a Biomass Location for Optimal Sustainability Model (BLOSM) to test the hypothesis that landscape design of cellulosic bioenergy crop plantings may simultaneously improve water quality (i.e., decrease concentrations of sediment, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen) and increase profits for farmer-producers while achieving a feedstock-production goal. BLOSM was run using six scenarios to identify switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) planting locations that might supply a commercial-scale biorefinery planned for the Lower Little Tennessee (LLT) watershed. Each scenario sought to achieve different sustainability goals: improving water quality through reduced nitrogen, phosphorus, or sediment concentrations; maximizing profit; a balance of these conditions; or a balance of these conditions with the additional constraint of converting no more than 25% of agricultural land. Scenario results were compared to a baseline case of no land-use conversion. BLOSM results indicate that a combined economic and environmental optimization approach can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously when a small proportion (1.3%) of the LLT watershed is planted with perennial switchgrass. The multimetric optimization approach described here can be used as a research tool to consider bioenergy plantings for other feedstocks, sustainability criteria,more » and regions.« less
Push-Penny: Are you a Random Player?

Summary Several measures of “success” for a simple game are discussed. Comparisons between players, and between a player and a simulation, can be made in several ways.
A note on correlation of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets

In this note, we generalize the concepts of correlation and correlation coefficient of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets in a general probability space and generalize the results of Bustince and Burillo (1995) with remarkably simple proofs. We also introduce three more decomposition theorems of the correlation of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets in terms of the correlation of interval-valued fuzzy sets and the entropy of the intuitionistic fuzzy sets.
Indicator bacteria in water and stream sediments near the snowy range in Southern Wyoming

Water samples were taken at eight pools in streams in the Nash Fork watershed after snowmelt in the summer of I980. The watershed is below the Snowy Range escarpment, and principal land uses include skiing and other winter sports, sheep and cattle grazing, camping and fishing, and summer homes. Water samples taken before and after disturbing streambottom sediment were analyzed for fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci. The levels of these indicator bacteria were low, except where sheep and cattle had recently grazed. Recreation use had little effect on bacterial densities. Disruption of streambottom sediment increased the mean concentration of fecal coliforms 1.7 times and fecal streptococci 2.7 times. Stream sediment was not a significant secondary source of fecal coliforms but appeared to harbor residual fecal streptococci that had survived and multiplied.
Embryo transfer by reproductive endocrinology fellows vs attending physicians: are live birth rates comparable?

Objective To compare live birth rates following ultrasound-guided embryo transfer (ET) by reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellows versus attending physicians. Study Design Women who underwent their first day-3, fresh, nondonor ET between Oct. 1, 2005, and April 1, 2011, at our academic center were included in this retrospective cohort study. Embryos were designated high quality if they had 8 cells, less than 10% fragmentation, and no asymmetry. ET was performed with the afterload technique under ultrasound guidance. Categorical variables were evaluated with the χ 2 test and continuous variables with the Student t test. Logistic regression was performed to assess the relationship between ET physician and live birth rate while adjusting for potential confounders. Results Seven hundred sixty women underwent ET by an attending physician, and 104 by a fellow. Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. The live birth rate was 31% following ET by an attending physician, compared with 34% following ET by a fellow ( P = .65). Logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders demonstrated no significant association between ET physician and live birth rate. Conclusion This retrospective study demonstrated no significant difference in live birth rates following ultrasound-guided ET by fellows vs attending physicians at our institution. These data suggest that academic practices using the afterload method and ultrasound guidance can train fellows to perform ET without compromising success rates.
Planetary geodetic control using satellite imaging

A new data type for planetary geodetic control using natural satellite imaging is presented. Spacecraft images of natural satellites against the planet give a direct tie between inertial space and surface features surrounding the satellite image. This technique is expected to offer a factor of 3-10 improvement in accuracy over present geodetic reduction for Mars. A specific example using Viking imaging of Phobos against Mars is given.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Responds to Emerging Threats of Bioterrorism

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is a lead partner with the Department of Health and Human Services in addressing the issues of the health care system’s preparedness in the event of a bioterrorist event. There is a critical need for the science of health services research and systems research to inform preparedness to achieve maximal system responsiveness and reinforce effective linkages between the health care system and the public health infrastructure. As AHRQ expands research in bioterrorism preparedness, nurse clinicians and nurse investigators are needed to bring the expertise to studies of the health care environments. There is an opportunity to address long-ignored systems and operations issues with collateral and shared benefits to the health care system. The bioterrorism preparedness research can reinvigorate our capacity to rebuild and restore a system responsive to future rare and catastrophic events as well as confront the current challenges of our systems of care.
No open door for foreign rice in Japan

Abstract This Viewpoint surveys the problem of rice in Japan and suggests that to understand international trading issues it sometimes is necessary to disengage from purely economic and political issues; emotions also count. Further, it points out that Japan — not just Western farmers and agribusinesses -will benefit from lowered import barriers.
A gene-specific effect of an internal deletion in the Bdp1 subunit of the RNA polymerase III transcription initiation factor TFIIIB.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RPR1 gene encodes the RNA subunit of its RNase P, which processes RNA polymerase (pol) III primary transcripts. RPR1, which is transcribed by pol III, has been isolated as a multicopy suppressor of a specific small internal deletion (amino acids 253–269) in the Bdp1 subunit of transcription factor TFIIIB, the core pol III transcription factor. The selective effect of this Bdp1 deletion on RPR1 transcription has been analyzed in vitro. It is shown that TFIIIC-dependent assembly of TFIIIB on the RPR1 promoter is specifically sensitive to this Bdp1 deletion, leading to gene-specifically defective single-round and multiple-round transcription.
Crystallographic data for sturgeon holo-d-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: A holo-d-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase with crystallographic 2-fold symmetry*

Crystals of sturgeon holo- D -glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase have space group P 6 1 22 with cell dimensions a = b = 82.2 A and c = 458 A, implying that this tetrameric enzyme has an exact 2-fold axis of symmetry. The results obtained here are consistent with the hypothesis that this and other D -glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases have pseudo 222 symmetry in which one symmetry axis is exact and the other 2-fold axes are only approximate.
Protein kinase C and the development of diabetic vascular complications

Hyperglycemic control in diabetes is key to preventing the development and progression of vascular complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. Increased activation of the diacylglycerol (DAG)-protein kinase C (PKC) signal transduction pathway has been identified in vascular tissues from diabetic animals, and in vascular cells exposed to elevated glucose. Vascular abnormalities associated with glucose-induced PKC activation leading to increased synthesis of DAG include altered vascular blood flow, extracellular matrix deposition, basement membrane thickening, increased permeability and neovascularization. Preferential activation of the PKCβ isoform by elevated glucose is reported to occur in a variety of vascular tissues. This has lead to the development of LY333531, a PKCβ isoform specific inhibitor, which has shown potential in animal models to be an orally effective and nontoxic therapy able to produce significant improvements in diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and cardiac dysfunction. Additionally, the antioxidant vitamin E has been identified as an inhibitor of the DAG-PKC pathway, and shows promise in reducing vascular complications in animal models of diabetes. Given the overwhelming evidence indicating a role for PKC activation in contributing to the development of diabetic vascular complications, pharmacological therapies that can modulate this pathway, particularly with PKC isoform selectivity, show great promise for treatment of vascular complications, even in the presence of hyperglycemia. Diabet. Med. 18, 945–959 (2001)
Modeling Cation Diffusion in Compacted Water-Saturated Sodium Bentonite at Low Ionic Strength

Sodium bentonites are used as barrier materials for the isolation of landfills and are under consideration for a similar use in the subsurface storage of high-level radioactive waste. The performance of these barriers is determined in large part by molecular diffusion in the bentonite pore space. We tested two current models of cation diffusion in bentonite against experimental data on the relative apparent diffusion coefficients of two representative cations, sodium and strontium. On the 'macropore/nanopore' model, solute molecules are divided into two categories, with unequal pore-scale diffusion coefficients, based on location: in macropores or in interlayer nanopores. On the 'surface diffusion' model, solute molecules are divided into categories based on chemical speciation: dissolved or adsorbed. The macropore/nanopore model agrees with all experimental data at partial montmorillonite dry densities ranging from 0.2 (a dilute bentonite gel) to 1.7 kg dm{sup -3} (a highly compacted bentonite with most of its pore space located in interlayer nanopores), whereas the surface diffusion model fails at partial montmorillonite dry densities greater than about 1.2 kg dm{sup -3}.
Distributions of time to fixation of neutral genes.

Abstract Exact distributions of times to fixation are derived for neutral alleles in a discrete generation, constant census model that accommodates specified variations in gametic contributions per parent. This enables an evaluation of the performance of the effective number concept, and of diffusion equation approximations, used to characterize the time scale of drift events. Following simultaneous comparisons of modes, medians, means and standard deviations of exact and approximate distributions of times to fixation, it is concluded that diffusion equation methods, in conjunction with the appropriate effective number, do produce accurate results.
Neuropsychological changes in children with cancer: the treatment of missing data in longitudinal studies.

Researchers conducting longitudinal studies with children or adults are inevitably confronted with problems of attrition and missing data. Missing data in longitudinal studies is frequently handled by excluding from analyses those cases for whom data are incomplete. This approach to missing data is not optimal. On the one hand, if data are missing at random, then dropping incomplete cases ignores information collected on those cases that could be used to improve estimates of population parameters (e.g., means, variances, covariances, and growth rates) and improve the power of significance tests of statistical hypotheses. On the other hand, if data are not missing at random, then dropping incomplete cases leads to biased parameter estimates and hypothesis tests that may be internally and externally invalid. This study uses three years of follow-up data from a longitudinal investigation of neuropsychological outcomes of cancer in children to demonstrate the problems presented by missing data in repeated measures designs and some solutions. In evaluating potential biasing effects of attrition, the study extends previous research on neuropsychological outcomes in pediatric cancer by inclusion of patients whose disease had relapsed, and by comparison of surviving and nonsurviving patients. Although the data presented have specific relevance to the study of neuropsychological outcome in pediatric cancer, the problems of missing data and the solutions presented are relevant to a wide variety of diseases and conditions of interest to researchers in child and adult neuropsychology.
Constructing partial words with subword complexities not achievable by full words

Partial words are sequences over a finite alphabet that may contain wildcard symbols, called holes, which match, or are compatible with, all letters in the alphabet ((full) words are just partial words without holes). The subword complexity function of a partial word w over a finite alphabet A assigns to each positive integer, n, the number, p"w(n), of distinct full words over A that are compatible with factors of length n of w. In this paper, with the help of our so-called hole functions, we construct infinite partial words w such that p"w(n)[email protected](n^@a) for any real number @a>1. In addition, these partial words have the property that there exist infinitely many non-negative integers m satisfying p"w(m+1)-p"w(m)>=m^@a. Combining these results with earlier ones on full words, we show that this represents a class of subword complexity functions not achievable by full words. We also construct infinite partial words with intermediate subword complexity, that is, between polynomial and exponential.
Cell death in the development of the posterior cortex in male and female rats.

Work from our laboratory has shown that adult male rats have 19% more neurons than female rats in the binocular region and 18% more in the monocular region of the primary visual cortex (Reid and Juraska (1992) J Comp Neurol 321:448 - 455; Nunez et al., (1999) Soc Neurosci Abstr 25:229). In the current experiment, we investigated whether cell death in male and female rats (postnatal days 2-35) contributes to the formation of these differences. Using stereological techniques, we investigated neuron density along with pyknotic and apoptotic (TdT-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeled) cell density in the developing posterior cortex (future primary visual cortex). Although no sex differences in neuronal density were found in early development, we observed a differential time course of cell death between the sexes. Consistent with earlier reports, males displayed a rapid rise in cell death, with a peak on day 7 followed by a sharp decline to negligible levels by day 15. Females, however, displayed moderate peaks of cell death on days 7 and 11, with the persistence of low-to-modest levels until day 25. Similar patterns were obtained from both pyknotic and apoptotic cell quantification. Also, a formula was developed to estimate the percentage of cells that die during development and the amount of time a dying cell is visible. This study demonstrates that there is a prolonged period of cell death in the posterior cortex of developing female rats that appears to result in more cell death in females than males. This may be an important mechanism by which the sex difference in adult neuron number is created. J. Comp. Neurol. 436:32- 41, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Indexing terms: Apoptosis; neuron density; occipital cortex; sex differences; stereology
Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Explosive Decomposition of 1,2:5,6:11,12:15,16- Tetrabenzo-3,7,9,13,17,19-hexadehydro[20]annulene: Formation of Onion- and Tube-like Closed-Shell Carbon Particles

Oxidative coupling of bis(2-ethynylphenyl)ethyne gives the title annulene (I, R = H), the corresponding trimer, hexabenzononadehydro[30]annulene, and a pentamer, decabenzopentadehydro[50]annulene. X-ray and NMR anal. of I (R = H) shows it to be a nonplanar, unstrained, and chiral, but rapidly enantiomerizing mol. The synthesis of I (R = Me2CH) allowed the detn. of the barrier to enantiomerization through a planar structure: 9.3 kcal/mol-1. All of these compds. explode violently on heating. A detailed examn. of this decompn. focused on I (R = H): 245 Deg dec.; DH = -95 kcal/mol-1 (DSC); 10% mass loss (TGA); evolved gases: CH4 and H2 (Raman spectroscopy, gas phase NMR); LD-FTMS indicates oligomerization with loss of H2 and CH4. TEM anal. of the essentially pure carbon residue revealed extensive formation of ordered carbon layers of tube- and onion-type, in addn. to graphite and amorphous carbon. This observation suggests exploration of this novel process in the designed construction of carbon allotropes.
Vapor pressures of phenethyl alcohol in the system water-phenethyl alcohol and the triblock copolymer EO4.5PO59EO4.5

ABSTRACT The phase diagram of water, phenethyl alcohol (PEA) and the triblock copolymer EO4.5PO59EO4.5, (EO = ethylene oxide, PO = propylene oxide), L101, was determined and the vapor pressures of PEA were measured for different phases. The phase diagram was almost identical to the corresponding one with a simple nonionic surfactant, Laureth 4, (≃C12EO4), but the PEA vapor pressure variation with mole fraction was significantly different reflecting the strong molecular interaction between PEA and the polymer. This distinction was mainly due to difference in molecular size; vapor pressure plots against weight fraction gave curves with only moderate variance. The results were used to discuss the variation in the PEA vapor pressure with time after application of a vesicular solution of PEA stabilized either by L101 or Laureth 4. The moderate differences in vapor pressures had a significant influence on the estimated curves of PEA pressure versus time.
Mediastinal germ cell tumor in a child with precocious puberty and Klinefelter syndrome

An 8-year-old boy presented with precocious puberty and a mediastinal mass. A computer search showed that this rare presentation is most common with germ cell tumor of the mediastinum in children with Klinefelter syndrome. The tumor was completely resected after preoperative chemotherapy, and the patient is well 2 years after the operation. In patients with Klinefelter syndrome, germ cell tumors are 50 times more common than in patients without Klinefelter syndrome, usually contain nonseminomatous elements, present at an earlier age, and are seldom testicular in location.
In vitro thrombogenesis study in the Gyro C1E3 for vibration assessment.

: To clarify the correlation between vibration and thrombus formation in a centrifugal blood pump, a preliminary simulated thrombus study was conducted for possible detection of thrombus formation inside a pump. Additional in vitro thrombogenesis studies were performed to confirm the results of the preliminary study. The primary data acquisition equipment included an accelerometer (Isotron PE accelerometer, Endevco, San Juan Capistrano, CA, U.S.A.), a digitizing oscilloscope (TDS 420, Tektronix, Inc., MA, U.S.A.), and pivot bearing centrifugal pumps. The accelerometer was mounted to the top of the pump casing to sense radial and axial accelerations. For the preliminary study, a piece of Silastic was adhered to each of the 3 common areas of thrombus formation inside the pump. The results provided baseline information to speculate on the possibility of detecting thrombus formation by vibration signal changes. For the next studies, fresh bovine blood was harvested under sterile conditions and with strict avoidance of air contact, adding 1.0 U/ml of heparin. The sterilized test circuit consisted of 318 inch tubing (Tygon) and a soft reservoir. During the operating time, the activated clotting time (ACT) was maintained between 150 to 300 s using protamin. A restrictor on the outflow tube maintained the flow rates at about 4.5 Llmin. The pumps ran continuously for 6 h. Possible blood clot formation inside the pump was monitored by observing the vibration signal from the device for 6 h. These studies revealed that it was possible to distinguish between an impeller that did not form thrombus and ones that formed fibrogenous thrombus using vibration signal assessment. Vibration assessment is worthwhile as a thrombus monitoring tool for a centrifugal blood pump.
Erosive arthritis of the temporomandibular joint caused by Teflon-Proplast implants: plain film features

Six patients had osseous destructive changes of the temporomandibular joint after placement of Teflon-Proplast implants for treatment of internal derangements. The implants were surgically removed from all six joints, and foreign-body reactions were found to account for the radiographic appearance. The plain film radiographic features included single or multiple osseous erosions of the mandibular condyle in all cases and the temporal bone of the glenoid fossa in two cases. Some erosions were poorly defined, whereas others were well defined, either with or without sclerotic margins. Radiologists must be aware of this possible complication of alloplastic temporomandibular joint implants in order to suggest the diagnosis in the appropriate clinical setting.
Self-disclosure as an influence strategy: Effects of machiavellianism, androgyny, and sex

In a study linking the characteristics of androgyny and Machiavellianism to the use of self-disclosure, participants were asked to complete two writing tasks. The tasks consisted of an influence situation (soliciting donations) and an affiliative situation (getting acquainted). The hypotheses were that Machiavellian females would be more self-disclosing on the influence task, androgynous individuals would be more self-disclosing on the affiliative task, and that the affiliative task would elicit more self-disclosure than the influence task. Results indicated that Machiavellian males were actually more self-disclosing on the influence task, and non-Machiavellian males were more self-disclosing on the affiliative task. Higher self-disclosure overall was elicited by the affiliative task, and there was some support for the hypothesis that androgynous individuals are more self-disclosing in an affiliative task.
Bone Mineral Density and Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation with Estrogen Treatment of Postmenopausal Women

Abstract The purpose of the current study was to determine the changes in lumbar spine, hip, and calcaneus bone mineral density (BMD), and in calcaneus broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) in early menopausal women and to assess the effects of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) on bone mass at these sites over a 2-yr period. Fifty-three Caucasian women who were at least 6 mo postmenopausal were divided into two groups based on estrogen use. Twenty-one women, average age 53.0 ± 0.6 yr and 2.9 ± 0.3 yr since menopause, had been receiving estrogen in combination with progesterone for at least 6 mo prior to enrollment in the study. Thirty-two women, average age 52.7 ± 0.8 yr and 2.8 ± 0.3 yr since menopause, had never received ERT. During the 2-yr study, women not receiving ERT had significant decreases in BMD of the spine −2.3 ± 0.6%, femoral neck −2.2 ± 0.8%, and calcaneus −4.7 ± 0.9%, and in BUA of the calcaneus −14.3 ± 1.8%. ERT prevented the decreases in BMD at the spine +0.4 ± 0.6% and calcaneus −2.3 ± 1.1%, but did not prevent a significant decrease in bone mass at the femoral neck −1.9 ± 0.8% and BUA at the calcaneus −17.8 ± 3.2%. Neither group had significant decreases in total hip BMD. This study demonstrates again that ERT prevents the menopause-associated decreases in spine BMD. However, in this group of women, ERT did not prevent loss in femoral neck BMD or BUA. The results suggest that women being treated with estrogen for maintenance of BMD in early menopause need to be monitored to ensure efficacy of therapy, especially in the maintenance of femoral neck BMD.
A partitioning technique for LSI chips

A technique for partitioning LSI chips is presented in this paper. This technique is a refinement of the author's previous work [1].
Feasibility studies of a high-spatial-resolution cardiac optical mapping system

Optical mapping, based on voltage sensitive dyes, has become a prominent technique in the study of electrical activities within cardiac tissues. The technique is best carried out with devices that can gather optical signals with both high spatial frequency and temporal frequency. Currently, two devices dominate the field, Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) and Photo Diode Arrays (PDA). Both optical mapping techniques possess advantages and disadvantages in their performance. The objective of this investigation is to design an optical mapping system with a high spatial resolution CCD as its main component. In this feasibility study, a wavelength selective optical mapping experimental setup was designed and implemented in accordance with the fluorescence characteristics of one of the most common dyes used in cardiac mapping, di-4-ANEPPS. To test the capabilities of the optical system setup, a high resolution (512 pixels by 512 pixels, 12 bit dynamic range) CCD camera with approximately 33 ms temporal resolution is chosen as the fluorescence signal acquisition device. Experiments with di- 4-ANEPPS stained canine cardiac tissues with stimulated action potentials through external electrodes resulted in successful mapping of the distribution and propagation of the action potential wave front. A new CCD based optical mapping system was also built. It offers a 128 by 128 pixel resolution, 12 bits digitization and a temporal resolution of approximately 2 ms.
Analysis of Stochastic Online Bin Packing Processes

Abstract A stochastic online version of the classical bin packing problem, where a bin corresponds to the capacity of a resource allocated among streams of requests at discrete time units, is a fundamental problem that arises in a wide variety of application areas including bandwidth allocation in networks, memory management in computers, and message transmission in slotted network channels. We derive a mathematical analysis of the corresponding multi-dimensional stochastic process, potentially infinite in each dimension, under a general class of scheduling policies based on a combination of a Lyapunov function technique and matrix-analytic methods. Our analysis yields stability conditions and stationary distributions for this stochastic bin packing process under general probability distributions. We further provide some algorithmic techniques for the numerical computation of these measures.
Studies on chemical nature of lipofuscin (age pigment) isolated from normal human brain

Human brain lipofuscin isolate was studied for its purity and physical and chemical properties. Purification of the impure material was achieved by gel permeation chromatography using Sephadex LH-20 and BioBeads S-X1 gels. The purified lipofuscin polymer represented ca. 12% of the starting material with the rest of the material being various mixed lipids. The mol wt of the purified lipofuscin was determined to be between 6000–7000 daltons. IR, UV-visible, NMR, and fluorometric spectra were obtained, all indicating the fundamentally lipid nature of lipofuscin. The NMR spectrum strongly resembled that of a typical long chain fatty acid. Numbers of fatty acids and several amino acids were present as a portion of the lipofuscin structure. The results obtained suggested that the brain lipofuscin employed in the present study consisted mainly of polymeric lipid and phospholipid structures along with amino acids either bound to the lipids or as included proteins.
870-kev Level in O 17

The ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}(d, p){\mathrm{O}}^{17*}$ reaction has been studied at an incident deuteron energy of 999.0 kev and a laboratory scattering angle of 135\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to investigate the possible existence of a doublet level in ${\mathrm{O}}^{17}$ near 870 kev. No evidence of such a doublet was observed. By accurate determination of target surface contaimination and instrument calibration constants, the $Q$ value for this reaction was measured to be 1049.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.2 kev.
NAADP-Induced Calcium Release in Pulmonary Arterial and Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells is Mediated by Cross-Activation of NAADP-Receptor and Ryanodine Receptor-Gated Calcium Stores

Ca2+ signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells involves dynamic interactions between multiple Ca2+ influx and release pathways. Ca2+ release pathways include the IP3 receptor-, ryanodine receptor-, and nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) receptor-gated Ca2+ stores. Recent studies demonstrated that the two-pore channels (TPC1 and TPC2) are NAADP receptors located in the endo-/lysosomes. Here we quantified the expression of TPC channels and characterized the NAADP-mediated Ca2+ signals in vascular tissues. Western blot analysis and real-time RT-PCR detected TPC1 and TPC2 protein and mRNA respectively in aorta, pulmonary, mesenteric, renal, femoral, tail, and cerebral artery of rat, with TPC1 mRNA level five to ten-fold higher than that of TPC2. Application of the membrane permeable NAADP-AM to pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) elicited concentration-dependent increase in global [Ca2+]i. The Ca2+ response was independent of extracellular Ca2+ influx, and was unaffected by the IP3 receptor blocker xestospongin C. In contrast, the NAADP-induced Ca2+ response was partially inhibited by ryanodine or thapsigargin, and was abolished by the NAADP antagonist NED-19 or the acidic vacuolar H+-ATPase bafilomycin A. Moreover, NAADP caused dramatic increase in local Ca2+ release events, which was inhibited by ryanodine or NED-19. The temporal and spatial properties of the NAADP-induced local release events were comparable to the spontaneous Ca2+ sparks. Similar observations were also made in aortic smooth muscle cells. Our results, hence, show that the NAADP channels, TPC1 and TPC2, are functionally expressed in vascular smooth muscle; and Ca2+ signals from the NAADP channel-gated lysosomal stores cross-activate ryanodine receptors to amplify Ca2+ release in pulmonary arterial and aortic smooth muscle cells.
Surface wave propagation for linear viscoelastic solids

Abstract Experiments have been carried out to observe the surface waves produced on large blocks of polyethylene and polymethylmethacrylate (p.m.m.) when specimens of these materials have been subjected to surface impacts of steel balls or when small lead azide charges have been detonated on the free surfaces. It has been shown that if Poisson's ratio, v , is taken to be a real constant the shapes of surface waves can be calculated if the shape of the initial disturbance and the visco-elastic properties of the medium are known. It has further been shown that the complex nature of v results in only second-order effects for the materials used. It has consequently been found possible to forecast the shape of surface waves produced by the impact of steel balls. The agreement with experimentally observed shapes was found to be excellent for the p.m.m. specimen. The theoretical predictions were less accurate for the polyethylene specimen, but the predictions here agreed reasonably well with the experiments. It was not found possible to predict the surface waves produced by the explosive charges chiefly because of uncertainty of the shape of the initial disturbance. The experimental results did, however, show two distinct groups of waves, one travelling with the dilatational velocity and the other with a velocity close to that of the shear velocity. At short distances of travel these two groups overlapped.
The relationship of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin system in congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by circulatory and metabolic abnormalities. It has been apparent for more than 25 years that the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system are markedly activated in the late stages of heart failure. These two systems interact to facilitate sympathetic drive and promote salt and water retention. Circumstantial evidence is now accumulating to indicate that excessive sympathetic drive and angiotensin II activity may contribute to the pathophysiology of heart failure. These observations suggest that a dual strategy of modulating sympathetic nervous system activity to the heart while blocking angiotensin II activity may provide a rational therapeutic approach to the treatment of heart failure. Xamoterol, a beta 1 partial agonist, may enhance myocardial contractile force in the steady state, while acting to inhibit excessive sympathetic drive during exercise or severe heart failure. The concomitant use of a converting-enzyme inhibitor would be expected to blunt the detrimental effects of excessive angiotensin II activity. Modulation of adrenergic drive coupled with inhibition of marked angiotensin II activity may be potentially more effective in the treatment of congestive heart failure than either strategy used alone.
Chronic exposure of neural cells to elevated intracellular sodium decreases mitochondrial mRNA expression.

Abstract Regulation of expression of mitochondrial DNA- (mtDNA-) encoded genes of oxidative phosphorylation can occur rapidly in neural cells subjected to a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. However, the intracellular signal(s) involved in regulating these processes remain unknown. Using mtDNA-encoded cytochrome oxidase subunit III (COX III), we show that its mRNA expression in a differentiated rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12S is decreased by chronic exposure to agents that increase intracellular sodium. Treatment of differentiated PC12S cells either with ouabain, an inhibitor of Na/K-ATPase, or with monensin, a sodium ionophore, decreased the steady-state levels of COX III mRNA by 50%, 3–4 h after addition of the drugs. No significant reduction in mtDNA-encoded 12S rRNA or nuclear DNA-encoded β-actin mRNA were observed. Removal of the drugs restored the normal levels of COX III mRNA. Determination of half-lives of COX III mRNA, 12S rRNA, and β-actin mRNA revealed a selective decrease in the half-life of COX III mRNA from 3.3 h in control cells to 1.6 h in ouabain-treated cells, and to 1 h in monensin-treated cells. These results suggest the existence of a mechanism of posttranscriptional regulation of mitochondrial gene expression that is independent of the energetic status of the cell and may operate under pathological conditions.
Myosin binding-induced cooperative activation of the thin filament in cardiac myocytes and skeletal muscle fibers

Myosin binding-induced activation of the thin filament was examined in isolated cardiac myocytes and single slow and fast skeletal muscle fibers. The number of cross-bridge attachments was increased by stepwise lowering of the [MgATP] in the Ca(2+)-free solution bathing the preparations. The extent of thin filament activation was determined by monitoring steadystate isometric tension at each MgATP concentration. As pMgATP (where pMgATP is -log [MgATP]) was increased from 3.0 to 8.0, isometric tension increased to a peak value in the pMgATP range of 5.0–5.4. The steepness of the tension-pMgATP relationship, between the region of the curve where tension was zero and the peak tension, is hypothesized to be due to myosin-induced cooperative activation of the thin filament. Results showed that the steepness of the tension-pMgATP relationship was markedly greater in cardiac as compared with either slow or fast skeletal muscle fibers. The steeper slope in cardiac myocytes provides evidence of greater myosin binding-induced cooperative activation of the thin filament in cardiac as compared with skeletal muscle, at least under these experimental conditions of nominal free Ca2+. Cooperative activation is also evident in the tension-pCa relation, and is dependent upon thin filament molecular interactions, which require the presence of troponin C. Thus, it was determined whether myosin-based cooperative activation of the thin filament also requires troponin C. Partial extraction of troponin C reduced the steepness of the tension-pMgATP relationship, with the effect being significantly greater in cardiac than in skeletal muscle. After partial extraction of troponin C, muscle type differences in the steepness of the tension-pMgATP relationship were no longer apparent, and reconstitution with purified troponin C restored the muscle lineage differences. These results suggest that, in the absence of Ca2+, myosin-mediated activation of the thin filament is greater in cardiac than in skeletal muscle, and this apparent cooperativity requires the presence of troponin C on thin filament regulatory strands.
Immunity and immune privilege elicited by cultured retinal pigment epithelial cell transplants

Purpose. To determine whether cultured retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells implanted in the subconjunctival space induce an immune response against autoantigens and whether an active downregulation is achieved by RPE grafts placed in the anterior chamber and within the subretinal space. Methods. Cultured RPE cells from eyes of newborn C57BL/6 mice were implanted in the subconjunctival space, the anterior chamber, or the subretinal space of eyes of adult C57BL/ 6 mice. At postimplantation day 12, the recipients were evaluated for RPE-specific delayed hypersensitivity and examined clinically and histologically for evidence of rejection. To facilitate their identification, RPE cells were labeled with 5-bromodeoxyuridine, before intraocular transplantation. Results. Cultured RPE cells implanted in the subconjunctival space of syngeneic mice elicited an intense RPE-specific delayed hypersensitivity associated with a vehement cellular infiltration of the graft when examined at postimplantation day 12. By contrast, grafts in the anterior chamber and subretinal space displayed no evidence of rejection, and their recipients failed to display RPE-specific delayed hypersensitivity. Additionally, the spleens of these mice contained regulatory T cells that suppressed RPE-specific delayed hypersensitivity in naive syngeneic recipients. Conclusions. Cultured RPE cells can induce an immune response against autoantigens. Implantation of RPE cells in immune-privileged sites of the eye induces a deviant immune response that is associated with spleen cells that suppress RPE-specific delayed hypersensitivity and autoimmune rejection.
Scattering and polarization of protons by nuclei

Abstract The relation of the polarized scattering of protons by complex nuclei to that by nucleons is investigated quantitatively. No model of nuclear forces is used, but the nucleon-nucleon scattering is directly represented by phase shifts. The agreement is found to be good for all the phase shift solutions which Stapp et al. have given for the proton-proton scattering, the deviation being from 0 to 25%. Thus the scattering by a complex nucleus can be obtained by superposition of the nucleon-nucleon scattering amplitudes. For the purpose of this comparison, the experimental data of Chamberlain et al. on the scattering and polarization of protons by carbon at small scattering angles are analyzed directly, i.e., the relevant scattering lengths are deduced from the experimental data, rather than the data synthesized from an assumed potential. The resulting nuclear absorption coefficient reproduces the observed inelastic scattering. The real part of the central potential is found to be attractive but very weak (about 4 Mev). The spin-orbit potential agrees with the nucleon-nucleon data and with some, but not all, previous theoretical values; it is only one-sixth of that required in the shell model. The analysis is facilitated by a theorem, first derived by Kohler and by Levintov, that the polarization is given correctly by the Born approximation. Simple formulas are given to obtain the Born approximation scattering (and thus the potential) from the observed scattering. A particularly simple formula relates the Born approximation scattering to the nucleon-nucleon scattering. The expressions for the relevant amplitudes in nucleon-nucleon scattering are also simplified. It is further shown that the scattering matrix for nucleon-nucleon scattering at a given angle can be completely determined if all the standard triple scattering and polarization experiments are carried out.
Unconventional Thinking: Why Conventional Disarmament Must Precede Nuclear Abolition

The movement to abolish nuclear weapons threatens to consume political capital better spent addressing more immediate threats to international security: conventional weapons such as combat aircraft, naval vessels, and small arms.
Miscibility of tetramethyl‐hexafluoro copolycarbonates with styrene‐methyl methacrylate copolymers

The compositions for which blends of copolycarbonates of tetramethyl bisphenol-A and hexafluoro bisphenol-A (TMPC-HFPC) with styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymers (SMMA) are miscible were determined experimentally. These copolymer compsition boundaries were compared to predictions based on the Flory-Huggins theory combined with the binary interaction model. The theoretical predictions employed interaction energies from the literature for the TMPC/PS, PS/PMMA, and TMPC/PMMA pairs, and values for the TMPC/HFPC, HFPC/PS, and HFPC/PMMA pairs were established or verified using independent experiments. The recommended set of interaction energies predicts that miscibility occurs in two separate regions of copolymer compositions. These predictions agree well with the experimental observations. The theoretical requirements for a single, continuous miscible region versus two disjointed miscible regions when the two limiting homopolymer pairs exhibit miscibility, that is, TMPC-PS and HFPC-PMMA in this example, are described. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Relationship between patient variables and plasma clozapine concentrations: a dosing nomogram

Abstract Background: Previous work has suggested factors such as gender, smoking behavior, dose, and age affect the amount of drug a patient requires to achieve a desired plasma concentration of clozapine. Plasma clozapine concentrations ranging from 350 to 504 ng/mL in treatment-refractory schizophrenics and schizoaffective patients produce response rates ranging approximately 55–80%. Without the aid of clozapine plasma concentration monitoring, 3–6 months are recommended for a therapeutic clozapine trial. Data suggest that the lag time to response can be reduced by administering a dose that produces a therapeutic clozapine concentration. Methods: To generate a clozapine dosing nomogram to predict clozapine steady-state plasma concentrations, a cohort of 71 patients was collected via retrospective chart review and/or patient interview. Clozapine steady-state plasma concentrations and demographic variables were obtained. Multiple-linear regression was utilized to examine the relationship between the plasma clozapine concentration and the independent variables. Results: The dosing model that optimally predicted steady-state clozapine plasma concentrations included the variables dose (mg/day), smoking (yes = 0 and no = 1), gender, and a dose–gender interaction variable. The model explained 47% of the variance in the clozapine concentrations ( F = 14.42, p r 2 = .47). Two equations, one for male subjects, i.e., clozapine (ng/mL) = 111 (smoke) + 0.464 (dose) + 145, and one for female subjects, i.e., clozapine (ng/mL) = 111 (smoke) + 1.590 (dose) − 149, were derived to predict clozapine steady-state plasma concentrations to serve as a clozapine dosing guide for clinicians. Conclusions: A clozapine dosing nomogram was constructed as a clinical aid to facilitate clozapine dosing.
Cognitive Mapping: Gender Differences in the Perception of Community

The concept of cognitive mapping as drawn from sociological phenomenology is used to clarify the complexity of the concept of community. Fifty residents of a Midwestern rural area were asked to drawn maps of their community. The maps reveal individual differences in the perception of a community and a tendency for the perception of community to vary by gender. Where the activities within a community tend to be segregated, there will also tend to be different viewpoints or cognitive maps of the community.
Models for Planar Polyazamacrocyclic Ligands for Alkali Metal Ions

Description d'une nouvelle classe de coordinats macrocycliques plans en forme de tore: les torands. Formation d'un complexe de K plus fort que K + -18-crown-6 dans DMSO