cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Muramidase-2 of Enterococcus hirae a Penicillin-Binding Protein?

Highly purified muramidase-2 (M-2), obtained from broken cell preparations of Enterococcus hirae (Streptococcus faecium) ATCC 9790 was shown to bind penicillin G (Pen G) with low affinity (Dolinger et al., 1989). Fluorography of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gels of [3H]Pen-labeled, purified M-2 showed the presence of two radioactive bands, at about 125 and 70 kDa, both of which were shown to possess peptidoglycan hydrolase activity after elution and renaturation of the protein bands. The electrophoretic mobility of the 70-kDa band was indistinguishable from that of penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 5 of membrane preparations of E. hirae. More recently, immunochemical and molecular studies clearly demonstrated that PBP 5 and the 70-kDa form of M-2 were separate and distinct proteins (Shockman et al., these proceedings; Tepper et al., in preparation). Because penicillin binding appears to be closely associated with penicillin-interactive, active-site serine proteins, such as β-lactamases, transpeptidases and carboxypeptidases (Ghuysen, 1991), binding to a muramidase seemed unusual. However, the derived amino acid sequence of cloned M-2 showed the presence of an SXXK sequence (S175NTK), as well as other amino acid motifs characteristic of penicillin-interactive proteins (Joris et al., 1992; Shockman et al., these proceedings). Recent biochemical studies of M-2 (Chu et al., 1992; Kariyama and Shockman, 1992) made it possible to analyze penicillin binding to the extracellular form of M-2, decreasing the possibility of contamination of M-2 with membrane and cell wall proteins.
Shock mitigation studies in voided liquids for fusion chamber protection

A liquid pool, with and without void fractions, was subjected to dynamic compression testing in a vertical shock tube to model the bubbly-pool concept being considered for use in an inertial fusion energy reactor. Water and oil were used to model the FliBe coolant that collects at the bottom of the chamber and serves as first wall protection at that location. The experiments (shock strengths M=1.4, 2.0, and 3.1) were conducted in atmospheric pressure argon, and argon was bubbled through the liquid to achieve void fractions of 5-15% in the 30.4 cm deep pool. Pressure measurements were taken in the pool at intervals of 2.54 cm to measure the effect of void fraction on the pool compression and the compression wave traveling through the liquid. The presence of the gas voids in the liquid had a strong effect on the dynamic pressure loading but did not reduce the shock impulse significantly at the low and intermediate Mach numbers, but did exhibit a mitigating effect at the higher shock strength. A very high void fraction foam was also studied that resulted in a 22% reduction of the shock wave impulse.
Hemodynamic findings in children with endocardial fibroelastosis

Abstract Cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography results were recorded and analyzed in 22 children fulfilling our antemortem criteria for the diagnosis of EFE. There were varying degrees of left and right heart failure. Systemic output and stroke volume were normal in the majority of cases despite relatively poor left ventricular contractility evidenced by low LV dp/dt values as well as by angiocardiography. Left ventricular stroke work at rest was decreased in one third of the cases reflecting functional myocardial impairment. Left ventricular cavity and wall size were increased in 75 per cent of our cases. Calculation of cavity/wall ratios is of value in differential diagnosis of left heart anomalies. Fourteen of 21 cases had angiocardiographic evidence for poor left ventricular contractility and mitral insufficiency. With necropsy confirmation in only three of 22 cases, the establishment of certain antemortem criteria for the diagnosis of EFE, even though not conclusive, was mandatory in the selection of cases. The natural course of this clinical entity remains to be elucidated.
Development and use of an instrument to measure students’ perceptions of a business statistics learning environment in higher education

Statistics is a required subject of study in many academic disciplines, including business, education and psychology, that causes problems for many students. This has long been recognised and there have been a number of studies into students’ attitudes towards statistics, particularly statistical anxiety. However, none of these studies investigated the classroom learning environment in relation to students’ attitudes towards statistics. This paper describes the development and validation of two new instruments, the Business Statistics Computer Laboratory Environment Inventory and the Attitude towards Business Statistics instrument. The former measures appropriate aspects of the learning environment of a computer-based statistics class, whilst the latter measures students’ attitudes towards business statistics. The instruments were administered to undergraduate business students at a university in Southern California. When exploratory factor analysis was carried out, it was found that the items of both instruments loaded onto their a priori scales. All the scales exhibited both internal reliability and discriminant validity. Correlation analysis between the scales of the two instruments demonstrated a strong relationship between aspects of the learning environment and students’ attitudes towards business statistics.
Activation of phospholipase C beta 4 by heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins.

Transient transfection assays were used to determine how the activity of phospholipase C beta 4, which is preferentially expressed in retina, was regulated. An expression vector carrying the full-length cDNA corresponding to phospholipase C beta 4 was constructed and co- transfected into COS-7 cells together with cDNA encoding the alpha subunits of the Gq class and various beta and gamma subunits corresponding to the heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins. We found that all the alpha subunits of the Gq class, including G alpha q, G alpha 11, G alpha 14, G alpha 15, and G alpha 16 could activate PLC beta 4 and that none of the G beta gamma subunits that we tested including G beta 1 gamma 1, G beta 1 gamma 2, G beta 1 gamma 3, or G beta 2 gamma 2 activated phospholipase C beta 4. In control experiments, cotransfection with cDNA encoding the alpha subunit of transducin or Gi2 gave no activation of PLC beta 4. These results indicate that phospholipase C beta 4 is activated by G alpha subunits that are members of the Gq class, and, like the phospholipase C beta 1 isoform, it is refractory to activation in the transfection assay by many of the combinations of beta and gamma subunits found in the heterotrimeric G- proteins.
Analysis of blocking probability for connection management schemes in optical networks

We develop a model for evaluating the blocking probability of various connection management protocols for wavelength-routed optical networks with dynamic lightpath establishment. The model characterizes both blocking due to insufficient resources and blocking due to multiple interfering connection requests. We then use the analytical model to compare two connection management schemes, one which utilizes source-initiated reservation, and another which utilizes destination-initiated reservation.
Vasculopathy of the Antiphospholipid Syndromes Revisited: Thrombosis is the Culprit and Vasculitis the Consort

Whether the vasculopathy in APS is thrombosis or vasculitis is more than a mere academic interest; the distinction is important not only for unravelling the pathogenesis of vascular injuries in APS but also for selecting the appropriate choice of drug treatment. A diagnosis of vasculitis would call for treatment with corticosteroids and cytotoxic agents which are not without serious side effects and drug toxicity. The same powerful but potentially dangerous drugs are clearly quite ineffectual in treating or preventing thrombosis associated with APS which has been known to respond in the lowly and inexpensive aspirin. The vasculopathy of APS remains almost exclusively thrombotic in nature according to our current state of knowledge, even if one were to accept capillaritis as a bona fide member in the family of vasculitides, the 'microangiitis'. Vasculitis secondary to an independent underlying disease, such as SLE, may coexist with APS in a patient. In the management of APS patients, the distinction between a true vasculitis coincidental with and one that is causally related to APS affects clinical decision making, and not just a matter of semantics or an academic curiosity. In vasculopathy of APS, thrombosis is the culprit and vasculitis, when present, is the consort. This is still true until newer and more convincing evidence emerges and proves to be contrary.
Fluorescent microscope system to monitor real-time interactions between focused ultrasound, echogenic drug delivery vehicles, and live cell membranes.

Abstract Rapid development in the field of ultrasound triggered drug delivery has made it essential to study the real-time interaction between the membranes of live cells and the membranes of echogenic delivery vehicles under exposure to focused ultrasound. The objective of this work was to design an analysis system that combined fluorescent imagining, high speed videography, and definable pulse sequences of focused ultrasound to allow for real time observations of both cell and vehicle membranes. Documenting the behavior of the membranes themselves has not previously been possible due to limitations with existing optical systems used to understand the basic physics of microbubble/ultrasound interaction and the basic interaction between microbubbles and cells. The performance of this new system to monitor membrane behavior was demonstrated by documenting the modes of vehicle fragmentation at different ultrasound intensity levels. At 1.5 MPa the membranes were shown to completely fragment while at intensities below 1 MPa the membranes pop open and slowly unfold. The interaction between these vehicles and cell membranes was also documented by the removal of fluorescent particles from the surfaces of live cells out to 20 μm from the microbubble location. The fluid flow created by microstreaming around ensonated microbubbles was documented at video recording speeds from 60 to 18,000 frames per second. This information about membrane behavior allows the chemical and physical properties of the drug delivery vehicle to be designed along with the ultrasound pulse sequence to cause the most efficient drug delivery.
Molecular studies in pediatric medulloblastomas.

Ten pediatric medulloblastoma patients were analyzed for DNA content, cell cycle, expression of drug resistance, apoptosis, cell proliferation, andN-myc genes to determine their prognostic significance. Medulloblastoma patients with progressive disease had fourth ventricle foraminal extension and larger tumors in the imaging studies. Patients with aneuploid tumors responded well to treatment regimens as compared with those with diploid tumors. Cell cycle analysis showed that the patients with progressive disease had a high S-phase fraction in the tumor cell population as compared with patients with favorable response to treatment. The correlation coefficients betweenBcl-2 andMRP, Bcl-2 andBax, p53 andp21, as well asKi67 andPCNA were positive and significant, indicating their possible coregulated expression. The relationship between these markers indicates their relative and cumulative effect on cellular drug resistance, apoptosis, and/or cell proliferation in pediatric medulloblastomas.
Structures of low-lying electronic states of the fluoroformyloxyl radical

Spectroscopic characteristics of low-lying electronic states of fluoroformyloxyl FC(O)O have been predicted using ab initio molecular orbital techniques. Equilibrium geometries of this species were optimized up to the UMP2/6-31G* level of theory. Higher order correlation and spin contamination contributions to the energies have been corrected in order to obtain relative energetics of the excited states of the fluoroformyloxyl species. Our calculations indicate a 2 B 2 ground state for FC(O)O. The energetic ordering of the other states is consistent with earlier predictions for the formyloxyl radical HC(O)O.
The Dynamics of Military Combat

In this paper the essentials of warfare are given theoretical treatment in a particularly simple way. A theory of warfare, i.e., a combat dynamics, is derived that is in close agreement with what man has learned about war through his use of it. To the theoretical work of earlier investigators the present study adds a reconnaissance concept and a weapons concept both being stated in explicit mathematical form. The theoretical dynamics appears to be applicable to warfare in the nuclear age.
A real-time multiple antenna element testbed for MIMO algorithm development and assessment

We have presented a real-time DSP-based testbed capable of implementing fairly advanced space-time MIMO architectures. Utility of the system was demonstrated by describing a real-time video application and showing SER performance of a simple space-time decoding scheme. In the future, we intend to write software for more advanced space-time algorithms to fully utilize the resources of the platform. Such effort will demonstrate real-world performance of existing algorithms and will allow a feasibility assessment of these proposed algorithms.
CD-AFM reference metrology at NIST and SEMATECH

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and SEMATECH have been working together to improve the traceability of critical dimension atomic force microscope (CD-AFM) dimensional metrology in semiconductor manufacturing. A major component of this collaboration has been the implementation of a Reference Measurement System (RMS) at SEMATECH using a current generation CD-AFM. An earlier tool, originally used at SEMATECH, has now been installed at NIST. Uncertainty budgets were developed for pitch, height, and CD measurements using both tools. At present, the standard uncertainties are approximately 0.2 % for pitch measurements and 0.4% for step height measurements. Prior to the current work, CD AFM linewidth measurements were limited to a standard uncertainty of about 5 nm. However, this limit can now be significantly reduced. This reduction results from the completion of the NIST/SEMATECH collaboration on the development of single crystal critical dimension reference materials (SCDDRM). A new generation of these reference materials was released to SEMATECH Member Companies during late 2004. The SEMATECH RMS was used to measure the linewidths of selected features on the distributed specimens. To reduce the uncertainty in tip width calibration, a separate transfer experiment was performed in which samples were measured by CD-AFM and then sent for high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). In this manner, CD-AFM could be used to transfer the HRTEM width information to the distributed samples. Consequently, we are now able to reduce the limit on the standard uncertainty (k = 1) of CD-AFM width measurements to 1 nm.
Genetic analysis of homokaryons from a basidiome of Laccaria bicolor using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

Genetic linkages were identified between the two mating-type factors and 115 RAPD marker loci in a population of 96 homokaryons from a single basidiome of the ectomycorrhizal Laccaria bicolor. A genetic linkage map with 15 linkage groups and three linked pairs is presented. On this basis, the size of the nuclear genome of L. bicolor is estimated to be approximately 3667 recombination units. The RAPD markers provided approximately 57% coverage of the genome and may enable fingerprint identification of laboratory cultures and field isolates for ecological studies. The map will aid studies on the ectomycorrhizal interaction and population variation in L. bicolor.
MO-D-110-04: Imaging Symposium

Patients who undergo medical imaging procedures such as fluoroscopy are exposed to ionizing radiations. The quantification of the amount of radiation used to perform a given examination is achieved by the Kerma Area Product (KAP) that is incident on the patient, together with appropriate information on the beam quality (i.e., Half Value Layer). A formal methodology will be presented to show how Kerma Area Product (KAP) in fluoroscopy, as well as the corresponding patient effective dose, can be converted into individual patient radiation risk provided appropriate account is taken of the irradiation geometry, patient size and demographics. It is concluded that patient specific risks in medical imaging are essential for identifying indicated examinations, where the patient benefit exceeds any radiation risk. Of equal importance is the fact that current scientific knowledge may be employed to enable practitioners to compute patient risks for any type of fluoroscopy based examination.
Rapid and simple determination of delivery after iontophoretic and pressure injections of radiolabeled tracer substances

A fluorographic method is described using X-ray film analysis for the determination of delivery of radiolabeled tracer substances both in Agar plates and in tissue sections. This method is most useful in neuroanatomical autoradiographic studies for providing rapid identification of delivery, placement, and extent of an injection site after iontophoresis or pressure injections of radiolabeled axonal tracer substances.
Non-endoscopic transaxillary breast augmentation

A transaxillary approach for breast augmentation is ideal for patients with hypomastia and minimal ptosis. Optimal results are achieved in patients who do not require extensive lowering of the inframammary crease. Most implant types can be used, although round saline implants are the most compatible with this technique. With sufficient experience, blunt dissection of the implant pocket with specialized dissectors is accurate and not prone to hematoma formation. Nerve blocks are helpful for minimizing postoperative discomfort. After initial incision and pocket dissection, the procedure is performed mostly with the patient in the sitting position. Breast sizers are important for creating the shape and size of the pocket in addition to accurately determining implant size. The pocket dissection is completed with dissectors while the implants are in place, and final volume adjustments are made. Postoperatively, the patient wears an adjustable strap across the upper breasts for 6 weeks. Activities requiring vigorous upper extremity movements are restricted. Complications and untoward results are not more common with this technique, and no long-term sequelae are unique to this method.
Hypnotizability and cognitive controls

Abstract The present paper reports a preliminary investigation of the relationship between hypnotizability and cognitive controls. Included were measures of field dependence, leveling-sharpening, categorization, interference proneness, scanning, and tolerance for unrealistic experiences. A number of interesting relationships were suggested which require further replication. By and large, however, as with much earlier research, hypnotizability was not found to relate in a simple manner to most of the personality measures obtained. Several possible explanations for this lack of strong findings were suggested.
Mechanisms underlying the effects of unsignaled delayed reinforcement on key pecking of pigeons under variable-interval schedules

Three experiments were conducted to test an interpretation of the response-rate-reducing effects of unsignaled nonresetting delays to reinforcement in pigeons. According to this interpretation, rates of key pecking decrease under these conditions because key pecks alternate with hopper-observing behavior. In Experiment 1, 4 pigeons pecked a food key that raised the hopper provided that pecks on a different variable-interval-schedule key met the requirements of a variable-interval 60-s schedule. The stimuli associated with the availability of the hopper (i.e., houselight and keylight off, food key illuminated, feedback following food-key pecks) were gradually removed across phases while the dependent relation between hopper availability and variable-interval-schedule key pecks was maintained. Rates of pecking the variable-interval-schedule key decreased to low levels and rates of food-key pecks increased when variable-interval-schedule key pecks did not produce hopper-correlated stimuli. In Experiment 2, pigeons initially pecked a single key under a variable-interval 60-s schedule. Then the dependent relation between hopper presentation and key pecks was eliminated by arranging a variable-time 60-s schedule. When rates of pecking had decreased to low levels, conditions were changed so that pecks during the final 5 s of each interval changed the keylight color from green to amber. When pecking produced these hopper-correlated stimuli, pecking occurred at high rates, despite the absence of a peck-food dependency. When peck-produced changes in keylight color were uncorrelated with food, rates of pecking fell to low levels. In Experiment 3, details (obtained delays, interresponse-time distributions, eating times) of the transition from high to low response rates produced by the introduction of a 3-s unsignaled delay were tracked from session to session in 3 pigeons that had been initially trained to peck under a conventional variable-interval 60-s schedule. Decreases in response rates soon after the transition to delayed reinforcement were accompanied by decreases in eating times and alterations in interresponse-time distributions. As response rates decreased and became stable, eating times increased and their variability decreased. These findings support an interpretation of the effects of delayed reinforcement that emphasizes the importance of hopper-observing behavior.
Maternal infusion of antioxidants (Trolox and ascorbic acid) protects the fetal heart in rabbit fetal hypoxia

The antioxidants, Trolox (6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid, a water soluble analog of vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (AA), protect the heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury. We hypothesized that maternal infusion of Trolox and AA, would reduce the fetal bradycardia and myocardial damage observed in fetal hypoxia and increase the total antioxidant activity in fetal plasma. Either i.v. saline (control group) or Trolox + AA (drug group) was randomly administered to 29-d-old pregnant rabbits. Fetal hypoxia was induced by uterine ischemia. Fetal heart rate, plasma CK-MB activity, and plasma total radical antioxidant potential (TRAP) were measured in different sets of animals. Fetal heart rate in the drug group was higher than in the control group for the first 35 min (p or = 2.0 mM) were associated with lower CK-MB levels (<2500 U/L) (p < 0.05). Administration of Trolox and AA to the mother has a beneficial effect on fetal myocardial damage after fetal hypoxia, and a small beneficial effect on fetal bradycardia during hypoxia. The beneficial effect may be due to the augmentation of fetal plasma antioxidants from maternal antioxidant pretreatment.
Mechanical endovascular recanalization therapies.

Purpose of review The review compares recent trials using mechanical endovascular therapies with and without adjuvants to treat acute stroke. Recent findings The Multi Mechanical Embolus Removal in Cerebral Ischemia trial showed that good revascularization success could be obtained using the Merci retrievers within 8 h of symptom onset. In patients with persistent vascular occlusions despite intravenous tissue plasminogen activator, mechanical embolectomy appeared to be safe. The Interventional Management of Stroke II study achieved similar final revascularization success using low-dose tissue plasminogen activator within 3 h of symptom onset followed by intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator or EKOS ultrasound plus intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator. In these trials, patients with recanalization had better outcomes than those without revascularization. Effects of trial design, such as time to treatment, patient age, and use of adjuvant therapies, may affect outcomes. Summary Recent trials of mechanical endovascular therapies have shown recanalization in the majority of target vessels and better outcomes in those patients in whom recanalization was achieved than in those without recanalization. Differences in trial design and lack of head to head comparisons to date make it difficult to determine whether one treatment approach is better than another.
CD8+TCR+ and CD8+TCR- cells in whole bone marrow facilitate the engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells across allogeneic barriers.

Although purified hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are sufficient to engraft irradiated allogeneic recipients, bone marrow (BM) contains other cells that facilitate engraftment. Here, several candidate facilitators were tested by cotransplantation with HSC. Both TCR+ and TCR- CD8alpha+ BM subpopulations have facilitative potential. CD8+TCR+ cells are typical T lymphocytes. CD8+TCR- facilitators are CD3 , not CD3+, have a granular morphology, and are CD8beta- and CD11c+; they share phenotypic characteristics with CD8(alpha)alpha lymphoid dendritic cells and veto cells. We also demonstrate that lytic function is nqt necessary for facilitation and that the CD8alpha molecule is either important for facilitation or in the development of facilitators.
Modelling of temperatures in continental convergence zones

Abstract The thermal histories of continent—continent convergence zones are modelled by a finite-difference technique in an attempt to explain geologic observations of heating and melting in such zones. The suture zone between two converging continents divides a passively heated overriding plate from a quiet continental margin which is suddenly deformed in the collision. Both regions may be metamorphosed and intruded. On the continental-shelf side where mountains are formed by underthrusting within the crust, we find that adiabatic and radioactive heating are negligible during the orogeny. Shear-strain heating may raise the fault zones to about 500°C. At higher temperatures, dislocation creep of crustal rocks would be expected from laboratory results. Even high crustal radioactivity will not produce melting in less than 40 m.y. Thus any plutons in this zone (the granites of the Zagros, Urals, and Himalayas) probably result indirectly by melting of crust that is heated by deep asthenospheric intrusions, which may reach the crust at the time of detachment of the oceanic slab, combined with the effects of friction and water along the subduction plane. Across the suture, the thermal history begins before the collision during the oceanic subduction phase. The sinking slab creates asthenospheric circulations, which warm the passive plate from below and intrude it in an Andean-type arc along the suture (Zagros and Himalayan region). If total subduction exceeds about 3000 km the slow warming has time to weaken the plate and extensive crustal shortening may follow the collision. Crustal shortening and thickening is accompanied by differentiation and volcanism (Tibetan and Grenville orogenies). Thermal modelling of Tibet shows that volcanism cannot be produced in the available time by crustal thickening alone, but requires the initial warming phase as well.
TH-E-BRCD-04: Impact of Automatic Planning from Clinician's Perspective

Recent advances in optimization and machine learning methods, it is now conceivable that the design of an individual treatment plan can be made with little, if any, human intervention. Adding autosegmentation processes to automated planning will result in dramatic increase in the efficiency and consistency of individual plans. Once the anatomic information, through imaging, is acquired for planning purposes, the majority of the steps required for the generation of the optimal plan could be automated. Such efforts are already being pursued at many institutions. However, since treatment plan design is one of the most important steps affecting the quality of a delivered treatment, human intervention, or at least supervision, will be crucial for the gradual development of confidence in these automated processes. In this talk, I will provide my insights on the aspects of automated treatment planning that would be addressed for this practice to become an integral part of the future practice of radiation therapy. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the concerns related to the implementation and practice of automated treatment planning from a clinician's perspective. 2. Understand the impact of automated treatment planning on improving quality and consistence of radiation therapy from a clinician's perspective.
An Activist Looks at Nursing's Role in Health Policy Development

Health care delivery systems are evolving and transforming rapidly. Nurses will need new leadership and policy skills to meet the challenge of ensuring patient care safety and quality health care delivery. Nurses bring a unique perspective to health care policy development because of their educational training, professional values and ethics, advocacy skills, and experiential background. Significant progress has occurred over the years toward advancing nursing's presence, role, and influence in the development of health care policy. However, more nurses need to learn how to identify issues strategically; work with decision makers; understand who holds the power in the workplace, communities, state and federal level organizations; and understand who controls the resources for health care services. In health care policy development, nurses are essential in ensuring quality health care that is accessible and affordable for all women and their infants. More nurses need to actively work as leaders in the health policy arena.
Noninvasive evaluation of effects of an aldose reductase inhibitor in rat brain by 19F FDG NMR spectroscopy

The inhibitory effects of an aldose reductase inhibitor, sorbinil (Pfizer, NY), on cerebral glucose metabolism were investigated noninvasively in rat brain using 19F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-FDG). Sorbinil given orally in the daily recommended doses (25 mg/kg) for man for the treatment of diabetic complications inhibited 2-FDG flux into the aldose reductase sorbitol (ARS) pathway, demonstrated as a reduction in the intensity of the ARS index resonance as well as an increase in the resonance area ratio between the pentose monophosphate shunt (PMS) and ARS index resonances (PMS/ARS ratio). Spatial metabolite mapping using rotating frame one-dimensional zeugmatography indicated that the inhibitory effect is spatially nonspecific. The present study is the first direct noninvasive observation of the effects of a pharmacological agent on cerebral enzymatic activities. © 1987 Academic Press, Inc.
13C magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence for formation of borate complexes of polyhydroxy compounds

Abstract Borate complexes, formed on addition of sodium tetraborate to solutions of carbohydrates in D 2 O, can be detected by monitoring changes in the 13 C magnetic resonance spectra of the parent compounds. In one type of change the chemical shifts remain constant, but broadening of signals of 13 C atoms in the vicinity of the complex occurs. In the other type, the signals remain sharp, but changes in chemical shift take place. In addition to permitting the detection of borate complexing, it is often possible to ascertain the chemical structures present and to determine quantitatively the relative proportions of complexes and starting materials. A wide variety of polyhydroxy compounds was examined and the formation of complexes of types II, III, and IV assessed. Only two of the 19 compounds examined, 1,2:5,6-di- O -isopropylidene- D -mannitol and cis -inositol, undergo spectral changes on addition of boric acid because of formation of type I and type IV complexes, respectively.
Complexity theory: a new way to think

It was pure good fortune that I encountered Complexity Theory (CT) some years ago. It originates in the physical sciences, and I am a mere dilettante in them. However, from the beginning of my acquaintance with CT, I quickly realized that it had much to offer applied linguists. It challenged my concept of language as a static rule-governed system, maintaining instead that “the act of playing the game has a way of changing the rules” (Gleick 1987, p. 24) , and doing away with the need to posit an innate LAD and preformationism (“the assumption that in order to build a complex structure you need to begin with a detailed plan or template”) (Deacon 2012, p. 50). Besides, I could see how CT had the potential to unite important ontogenetic and phylogenetic processes: Language development, language learning, language evolution, language use, language change. However, it was not only that CT was theoretically satisfying; it also resonated with my personal experience. For one thing, adopting a systems perspective on issues of interest in applied linguistics, rather than a piecemeal approach, made a great deal of sense to me. I had grown somewhat discouraged by common research approaches to second language acquisition (SLA) as I understood them. I found them to be reductionist, atomizing the object of concern and then studying one atom at a time, often through single treatment, pre-testpost-test designs. Controlling for other factors and overly deterministic, it sought to identify the causal factor in SLA, e.g., comprehensible input at an i+1 level. Such approaches too readily dismissed variability as noise or measurement error or attributed it to “outliers.” They treated context as a backdrop, removed from the main action. They failed to capture the dynamicity of processes, leading Elman (2003, p. 430) to remark that “This
Amino Acid Cycling in Three Cold-Temperate Forests of the Northeastern USA

Amino acids play a critical role in soil-N cycling. Much of the current research on amino acid cycling has been conducted in arctic, alpine, boreal, and temperate grassland ecosystems. There are no comparable data for temperate forests. We quantified the concentration and production of amino acid N and inorganic N in three forests varying in parent material and tree species composition in Connecticut, USA. Soil samples were collected on three sample dates in 2001 and 2002. At all three sites, a pool of free amino acids was present in soil on all sample dates. Among-site differences in the production of amino acids were related to variations in the activity of proteolytic enzymes, the sensitivity of proteolytic enzymes to the availability of protein substrate, and the presence or absence of a surface organic horizon. Among-site differences in amino acid turnover appeared to be at least partially related to soil C-to-N ratios and their effect on C vs. N limitation to microbial function. Amino acid concentrations in the top 15 cm of mineral soil in these study sites fell within the range of reported values for ecosystems spanning a wide latitudinal gradient, including ecosystems in which amino acids are thought to contribute substantively to plant-N nutrition. The concentration of amino acid N in the organic horizons of these study sites was considerably higher than those reported in the literature. The implications of the results for N capture by temperate forest trees are discussed.
Evaluation of angiotensin II receptor blockers for 24-hour blood pressure control: meta-analysis of a clinical database.

Angiotensin II receptor blockers are well tolerated and improve compliance in hypertensive patients. The need for 24-hour blood pressure control has focused attention on whether all agents in this class maintain smooth antihypertensive effects over a 24-hour period. Insight into this issue emerged from a meta-analysis of five large, multicenter trials in which ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was used to compare the antihypertensive effects of three angiotensin II receptor blockers: telmisartan, losartan, and valsartan. These trials used either a double-blind, placebo-controlled or a prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-end point design. Initial analysis established the validity of combining ambulatory blood pressure monitoring data from the double-blind, placebo-controlled and prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-end point designs. Subsequent analyses revealed that telmisartan 80 mg was significantly more effective than losartan 50 mg and valsartan 80 mg for reducing 24-hour mean blood pressure. Furthermore, telmisartan 80 mg was comparable to amlodipine 5 mg for controlling the early morning surge in blood pressure.
Atrial Natriuretic Factor: A Historic Perspective

Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) is a relatively newly discovered hormone. Its discovery was the culmination of almost a half century of research. This article reviews some of the data leading up to its discovery. In addition, the issue of its physiologic role in volume expansion is considered.
Inhaled corticosteroid use and associated outcomes in elderly patients with moderate to severe chronic pulmonary disease.

Abstract Objective This study was undertaken to examine the impact of select demographic, clinical, and medication-related factors on elderly patients' medication adherence to inhaled corticosteroid therapy. It also examined the impact of medication adherence on health outcomes and on health care service utilization and costs. Background Asthma in the elderly is a growing concern because of its increasing prevalence and the increase in asthma-related deaths. Poor medication utilization could be contributing to this trend in the elderly population and should be examined. Methods This retrospective, longitudinal, 2-year cohort study included 1595 patients aged ≥65 years with moderate to severe chronic pulmonary disease who were enrolled in a health maintenance organization. The study used sequential regression analyses to model (1) medication adherence and (2) health care service utilization and charges as functions of adherence. Results With other factors controlled for, this study found that clinical and medicationrelated variables including comorbidities, additional complications, and number of medications were predictive of adherence to prophylactic inhaled corticosteroid therapy in this population. Poorer medication adherence was associated with a 5% increase in total annual physician visits ( P P Conclusions The results of this study indicated that the beneficial effects of better adherence to prophylactic inhaled corticosteroid therapy tended to diminish in a population with relatively poor medication adherence. Findings of this study support a policy of selectively targeting elderly patients at risk for morbidity and implementing monitoring, education, and management programs to increase medication-adherence behavior. This policy could lead to optimal resource utilization and management of chronic pulmonary disease.
Effect of metabolic stress on activation of glutathione reductase by FAD in human red cells.

Bei 8 Fallen schwerer Uramie, 7 Fallen schwerer Lebercirrhose und 7 Fallen mit G-6-PD-Mangel war die aktive, an Flavin-Adenin-Dinukleotid gebundene Form der Erythrozyten-Glutathionreduktase betrachtlich vermehrt.
Cellular and Humoral Immunity in the Pathogenesis of Recurrent Herpes Viral Infections in Patients with Lymphoma

86 patients with lymphoma were evaluated prospectively for clinical and laboratory evidence of recurrent varicella-zoster, herpes simplex, and cytomegalovirus infections during the first 16 mo of treatment. Cellular immunity to the viral antigens was measured by in vitro lymphocyte transformation and interferon production. Antibody titers and nonspecific measures of cellular immunity, including T-cell quantitation and transformation to phytohemagglutinin, were also assessed. The patients treated with radiation and chemotherapy had the highest incidence of reactivation of each of the viruses (15-19%). Greater susceptibility to herpes viral reactivation in these patients correlated with suppression of cell-mediated immunity to the specific virus. In individual patients, suppression of cellular immunity to the specific herpes viral antigen preceded each episode of reactivation, but recurrent infection did not occur in all patients with diminished specific lymphocyte transformation. Absence of the response appears to be a necessary but not a sufficient condition for the recrudescence of latent infection. Better preservation of cellular immunity to herpes simplex antigen during treatment was associated with infrequent reactivation of herpes simplex. In 25 patients with acute herpes zoster, uncomplicated recovery from the infection was accompanied by the development of lymphocyte transformation and interferon production to varicella-zoster antigen. Quantitation of T-cell numbers and phytohemagglutinin transformation did not correlate with the presence of viral cellular immunity in treated patients. Responses returned while T-cell numbers were low, and the recovery of phytohemagglutinin transformation often preceded recovery of the responses to viral antigens. Although some patients had deficiencies in viral cellular immunity at diagnosis, the duration of the suppression of specific antiviral responses resulting from treatment appears to be the most important factor predisposing to the recurrence of herpes infections in lymphoma patients.
Across the Table: Competing Perspectives for Managing Technology in a Library Setting

ABSTRACT In a lively point/counterpoint format, the authors discuss issues of library technology from two perspectives: that of a library administrator and that of an Emerging Technologies Librarian. Rather than providing an artificial sense of closure, this article is designed to highlight differing positions on these issues, inviting libraries to use these conflicting viewpoints as tools to aid them in finding the solutions that best fit their unique situation.
GENESYS--a generating system for the CASE natural language model.

Abstract A library of computer-aided simulations of the clinical encounter, CASE, is being developed using GENESYS, a semi-automatic generating system. There are three essential phases involved: 1. the interrogation phase, 2. the generation phase and 3. the integration phase. A Coursewriter III program exists called MREC (medical record entry course) which interrogates the author at a terminal, gathering information which is subsequently processed by a series of PL1 programs to form a CASE. This paper describes the logic of this three-phase process.
Guided wave signal processing and image fusion for in situ damage localization in plates

A spatially distributed array of single element piezoelectric transducers is considered for monitoring the integrity of plate-like structures over large areas. When these permanently attached transducers are driven with an impulsive excitation, broadband Lamb waves are generated and received signals are complex, typically containing multiple modes as well as many boundary reflections. The complexity of the signals, including dispersive effects, can be reduced by digital bandpass filtering, and changes in these filtered signals over time can be monitored to detect and localize damage. Results are reported here from an experimental study whereby artificial damage was introduced in an aluminum plate in the form of through holes drilled at various locations. Time shift averaging algorithms were applied to differential signals filtered at multiple frequencies, resulting in many images for the same structural state, and these images were fused to improve damage localization and background noise. Individual and fused images were analyzed to quantify their ability to localize damage. The results show the efficacy of the imaging method as well as the significant improvement resulting from image fusion.
Pentose cycle activity in endometrium of the rat during progestation: its regulation by intrauterine oxygen and its relation to the "progestational" action of progesterone.

Measures were made of the utilization of l-14C-glucose and 6-14C-glucose by endometrium of the rat uterus during progestation under incubation conditions of 3, 5 and 8% oxygen. It was found that utilization of both labeled sugars was moderate during proestrus and estrus, increased rapidly on Days 1 and 2 of pseudopregnancy, and declined transiently during Day 3 of pseudopregnancy under all oxygen tension conditions. Oxygen tension affected glucose utilization, which, in general, was higher under 5% oxygen than under the other pO2 environments. The effects of oxygen on metabolism could be explained as the result of (a) a shift in substrate utilization from an endogenous to an exogenous source as the pO2 was raised from 3 to 5 %, and (b) an added Pasteur effect, as the level of oxygen was increased from 5 to 8%. Two major avenues of glucose metabolism were modified by oxygen: an elevated pentose-shunt activity (observed at 5% O2) and a decreased endogenous contribution to the lactate pool as the oxygen leve...
Value of early two dimensional echocardiography in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Seventy-five consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction underwent two dimensional echocardiography 7.9 ±3.1 hours after admission (1) to determine if this procedure can detect regional left ventricular asynergy in an unselected series of patients; (2) to evaluate the relation of asynergy outside the electrocardiographic infarct zone to clinical events and coronary anatomic findings; and (3) to determine whether the procedure can identify patients at high risk for cardiogenic shock, before the onset of hemodynamic deterioration. For purposes of analysis, the left ventricle was divided into 11 segments; individual segments were evaluated for systolic wall motion and thickening, and a wall motion index was calculated as a measure of global left ventricular performance. Technically satisfactory two dimensional echographic studies were obtained in all 75 patients. Of 825 possible segments in the 75 patients, 795 (96 percent) or 10.6 segments per patient were deemed adequate for analysis. Akinesia or dyskinesia was detected in at least one segment in all patients, including 15 (20 percent) who underwent imaging within 4 hours of the onset of symptoms and 19 (25 percent) with nontransmural infarction. Severe wall motion abnormalities outside the infarct zone were observed in 47 percent of patients and correlated with a greater prevalence of death (p = 0.03), cardiogenic shock (p Thus, two dimensional echocardiography performed soon after admission to the coronary care unit is technically feasible, provides useful information concerning regional and global left ventricular function and offers important predictive information about patients early in acute myocardial infarction.
Comparison of Muffler Performance Criteria Using Finite Element Analysis and Field Measurements

The assumption of one dimensional acoustic propagation breaks down at very low frequencies for large sized mufflers. Finite element analysis is the preferred method for predicting the performance of mufflers when three dimensional acoustics are present. In this study three performance metrics were measured in field tests, and then the results of the FEA simulations were compared to the field measurements. There were three muffler models considered in this study. For the purpose of protecting intellectual property they will be referred to as muffler models A, B, and C. A is the smallest muffler model, C is the largest, and B is the mid-size model.Good agreement is found between the field measurements and the FEA simulations. A method for increasing the accuracy of noise reduction and insertion loss predictions for realistic environments is also presented.Copyright © 2013 by ASME