cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The current status of pour resins

A technique for using a pour or fluid autopolymerizing (cold-curing) resin in a modified duplicating ring with hydrocolloid as the investing medium for the fabrication of complete denture bases was described in 1961 by Mirza.l After constructing 33 clinical dentures of a heat-cured methyl methacrylate and 31 clinical dentures of a cold-cured acrylic resin, Mirza concluded that, “. . . the clinical fit of autopolymerized dentures was equally as good as that of heat-cured dentures.” In the intervening years, independent research by a number of investigators resulted in improvements in the formulation of pour resins and the techniques for their use in the fabrication of both complete and partial dentures bases.“? 3A variety of colors of the resins were introduced, and ultraviolet absorbers and stabilizers were added to the existing products. Flasks were designed specifically for the use with pour-type cold-curing resins and colloidal investing materials. As a result of this research and the advantages the pour resins possess over heat-cured resins, manufacturers of these materials have reported a constant increase in their production and sale to the profession.? Seven major American dental manufacturing companies offer pour resins to the profession (Table I). Each of the companies has also designed its own flask. Shepard3 reported on a two-year period of evaluation of pour resins at the United States Army Regional Dental Activity at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. After the construction of more than 14,000 dentures of all types, he concluded that the pour technique, “. . . resulted in a denture that not only fit the cast more accurately than did compression molded dentures, but had fewer processing changes in its occlusal relationships.” Civjan and his associates4 reported that, “. . . laboratory data indicates that satisfactory dentures could be processed by the ‘fluid’ resin method at a considerable saving of processing time.” Weaver and Ryge6 concluded that, “. . . when the procedures are performed
Statutory diversion of drunkenness offenders

In light of the recommendations of the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice and the National Council of Crime and Delinquency that drunkenness be decriminalized, a study was undertaken to determine the effects of decriminalization on the offender and the criminal justice system in a midwestern city of 100,000. The costs were calculated for handling this type of offender, and police were interviewed for their reactions. It was determined that $136,749 was spent that year on handling drunkenness arrests before decriminalization. After decriminalization, not only was this money freed for other uses, but the police were found to be more adept at using human relations techniques, and the offenders became more responsible for their own well-being.
On the interpretation of the civil Sphere : Understanding and contention in contemporary social science

scientific. We may employ the language of verification and falsification, but our argumentsabouttruthfulnessareoftenjustthat—arguments.Wecanconfidentlydistinguish bad from good work, and mediocre from excellent, but it is more difficult to make confident claims about a work’s truthfulness. Hidden just behind efforts at factual evaluation sit two responses that are, respectively, empirically more plausible and philosophically more honest. They are, first, “I don’t understand what you are saying,” and, second,“I disagree.”This is a human science, not a natural one. It is inevitable and right that we often disagree with one another, and only human that we find it difficult to understand. The language of factuality masks these fundamentally interpretive claims. This is even more the case when the work in dispute is explicitly theoretical and evaluative.
A mini-review of recent W.O. patents (2004-2005) of novel anti-fungal compounds in the field of anti-infective drug targets.

Anti-infective agents are used to treat disorders caused by bacteria, viruses, protozoa, worms, and fungi (including yeast). They are substances used on humans, animals and plants that destroy harmful microorganisms or inhibit their activity. In this mini-review, we are focusing on novel development of anti-fungal agents that have been published during the past two years. Fungi are eukaryotic microorganisms comprising over 100,000 species. Nearly 40% of all deaths from hospital-acquired infections were caused by fungi over the past 20 years. An effective anti-fungal agent is toxic to the pathogenic fungi, but not to the host. Treatment of fungi diseases, however, is often limited because antifungal agents are often toxic to the mammalian or plant host. In this review, 11 patents were chronologically and unbiasedly selected from 454 that fit the criteria out of a 4,716,037 patents search. These patents highlight the novel approaches that have been used to tackle difficult fungi. The strategies include targeting key fungal structures and metabolic pathways, developing manufacturing processes of anti-fungal reagents, unique membrane interfering fungicides, and plant and insect defensins.
Using the K5 Connected Cognition Diagram to analyze teachers’ communication and understanding of regions in three-dimensional space

Abstract This paper reports on a study that introduces and applies the K5 Connected Cognition Diagram as a lens to explore video data showing teachers’ interactions related to the partitioning of regions by axes in a three-dimensional geometric space. The study considers “semiotic bundles” ( Arzarello, 2006 ), introduces “semiotic connections,” and discusses the fundamental role each plays in developing individual understanding and communication with peers. While all teachers solved the problem posed, many failed to make or verbalize connections between the types of semiotic resources introduced during their discussions.
Practical forward secure sequential aggregate signatures

A forward secure sequential aggregate (FssAgg) signature scheme allows a signer to iteratively combine signatures generated in different time intervals - and with different keys - into a single constant-size signature. Such a signature offers forward security, storage/communication efficiency, as well as overall integrity of the signed messages. FssAgg schemes are therefore suitable for data-intensive applications on untrusted and/or unattended devices, e.g., logging systems. The first FssAgg signature scheme [21] is based on bilinear maps and is thus rather costly. In this paper, we propose two more practical FssAgg1 signature schemes. A FssAgg1 signature scheme is a special FssAgg signature scheme where exactly ONE message can be signed at each time interval and key update is invoked immediately after each signature generation. Both new schemes are derived from existing forward secure signature schemes. Unlike the scheme in [21], each new scheme has constant-size public and private keys, constant-size signatures as well as constant-time key update and signature generation complexity. We show how to apply proposed schemes in secure logging applications.
Pulmonary embolism in the cardiac surgical patient

Abstract Pulmonary embolism (PE) is thought to occur infrequently after cardiac operations, possibly because systemic heparinization during cardiopulmonary bypass prevents deep vein thrombosis. This retrospective study was undertaken to determine the actual incidence of PE after cardiac operations and to identify risk factors. Between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 1989, 5,694 adult patients (>18 years old) had open heart operations at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Thirty-two patients (20 men and 12 women) had PE within 60 days of operation, an overall PE incidence of 0.56%. The diagnosis of PE was established by ventilation/perfusion scan, pulmonary angiogram, or autopsy. Mortality among patients with PE was 34%. Using a case-control method, preoperative and postoperative risk factors for PE were identified by multivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses. Preoperative risk factors included bed rest ( p p p p p p
Amino acids 1-1,680 of ryanodine receptor type 1 hold critical determinants of skeletal type for excitation-contraction coupling. Role of divergence domain D2.

To identify domains of the ryanodine receptor (RyR1) that are functionally relevant for excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in vivo, we have studied the ability of RyR1/RyR3 chimera to rescue skeletal EC coupling in dyspedic myotubes. In this work we show that chimeric receptors containing amino acids 1–1,680 of RyR1 were able to render depolarization-induced Ca2+ release to RyR3. Within this region, residues 1,272–1,455, containing divergent domain D2 of RyR1, proved to be a critical element because the absence of this region selectively abolished depolarization-evoked Ca2+ transients without affecting chemically induced activation. Although the D2 domain by itself failed to restore skeletal EC coupling to RyR3, the addition of the D2 region resulted in a dramatic enhancement of EC coupling restored by an RyR3 chimera containing amino acids 1,681–3,770 of RyR1. These results suggest that although the D2 domain of RyR1 plays a key role during EC coupling, additional region(s) from the N-terminal end of RyR1 as well as previously identified regions of the central portion of the receptor are needed in order to allow normal EC coupling.
Fuzzy guidance controller for an autonomous boat

A fuzzy guidance controller is developed for waypoint following guidance on a small autonomous boat. The boat is a prototype vehicle developed at the MIT Sea Grant College Program and is designed to perform autonomous oceanographic research. The fuzzy controller is programmed in C and down-loaded to a small onboard computer for execution. Navigation data is found in real-time using a digital compass and a differentially corrected GPS receiver. The fuzzy controller was found to be relatively easy to develop, simple to tune, and robust to external disturbances. Field test results are presented and show that the guidance controller performed well on complex paths.
The sensitivity of cardiac and somatic measures of memory retention in chicks.

Retention of one-trial avoidance learning by chicks was evaluated by two measures, peck suppression and heart rate. In one study, chicks (N=20) were trained to suppress pecking an attractive target, by coating it with a strongly aversive liquid. Memory retention 24 hr later was excellent when measured by peck suppression, whereas the heart rate during retention testing was not affected by the prior training. In a second study (N=40), we attempted to increase the sensitivity of the heart-rate measure. The peck-suppression measure sensitively discriminated retention in chicks trained with the strongly aversive training stimulus from chicks trained with a moderately aversive training stimulus whereas the heart rate was unaffected by either stimulus.
Understanding Adolescent Nonresponsiveness to Text Messages: Lessons from the DepoText Trial.

Urban adolescents face economic, social, and behavioral challenges in adhering to long-term contraceptive use. Use of text messaging reminders has the potential to increase adherence to family planning appointments and to educate patients about safe sexual health practices; however, nonresponsiveness to messages is difficult to interpret and may jeopardize programmatic success. We aimed to understand why adolescent girls enrolled in a randomized, controlled pilot trial (DepoText) designed to increase attendance at family planning visits were periodically nonresponsive to text messages through conducting structured interviews with participants whose text reply rates were less than 100 % during the trial period. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and classified using descriptive data analysis. Reasons for nonresponsiveness, barriers to continuous cell phone coverage, cell phone plan characteristics, and attitudes toward the DepoText program were the primary endpoints of interest. Most participants (78 %) attributed instances of nonresponsiveness to being away from the phone or due to a personal conflict such as school or work. Service interruption due to bill nonpayment (44 %), phone loss (28 %), and cell phone number change (28 %) were significant barriers to continuous coverage during the trial period, and many respondents indicated that the downturn in the economy made it more difficult to maintain their cell phone plan. Almost a third reported having to choose between cell phone and other payments, but the vast majority (88 %) considered their cell phone a “need” rather than a “want.” Participants universally expressed satisfaction with the text messaging program and reported feeling more connected to the clinic (96 %) through the messages serving as reminders (64 %), encouragement to assume personal responsibility for their health care (12 %), and enhanced personal connection with the clinic staff (4 %). Our study suggests that a text messaging program can be used in an urban clinical setting to communicate with adolescent girls about family planning services. While economic barriers to continuous cell phone coverage do exist, adolescents indicate that the text message reminder system can be a valuable tool for enhancing clinic connectedness and promoting autonomy in care-seeking behavior.
Sizing of Aerosol in Gases Other Than Air Using a Differential Mobility Analyzer

The differential mobility analyzer (DMA) is a device that sizes aerosol particles based on their electrical mobility. The relationship between particle size and mobility depends, among other factors, on three gas specific parameters, namely, dynamic viscosity, mean free path, and Cunningham slip correction factor C c . Provided these parameters are known, DMA theory is expected to be valid independent of gas type. The present study demonstrates the sizing accuracy of DMAs for gases other than air using monodisperse polystyrene latex (PSL) spheres with nominal diameters of 60 nm, 149 nm, and 343 nm in He, Ar, H 2 , CO 2 , and N 2 O. Eliminating possible systematic errors due to uncertainties in DMA geometry and nominal PSL diameter by normalizing the measured PSL diameters to their respective diameters measured in air, the sheath flow rate Q sh and C c are expected to be the main sources for measurement errors. Since C c data are lacking for PSL spheres in gases other than air, an expression given by Allen...
Atmospheric Parameters and Iron Abundances of Low-Mass Pre-Main-Sequence Stars in Nearby Star Formation Regions

High-resolution echelle spectra have been obtained for low-mass pre-main-sequence stars in the Taurus-Auriga, Orion, Chamaeleon, Ophiuchus, and other star formation regions. Using temperature-sensitive individual metallic line ratios, new effective temperatures are determined for a sample of 30 G and K pre-main-sequence stars in nearby star-forming clouds to an accuracy of ± 200 K or better in most cases. Comparison of these values with previous spectral classifications using low-resolution spectra reveals occasional large discrepancies in spectral type. Microturbulences derived for 23 "weak line" T Tauri stars range as high as 3.1 ± 0.4 km s–1. The mean microturbulent velocity of the sample is 1.6 ± 0.6 km s–1. Using these new effective temperatures and microturbulences, iron abundances have been determined for 30 pre-main-sequence stars in several northern and southern sky star-formation regions. By determining the mean [Fe/H] for at least five stars in each cloud, bulk metallicities have been derived for the Taurus-Auriga, Orion, Chamaeleon, and Ophiuchus molecular clouds. [Fe/H] is approximately solar in all the regions surveyed.
The platelet hyporeactivity of extremely low birth weight neonates is age-dependent.

Abstract Introduction We have previously demonstrated that, as compared to adults, the platelets of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) neonates are markedly hyporeactive on day 0 – 1 of life. The purpose of this study was to examine the age dependency of this hyporeactivity. Materials and Methods On days 0 – 1, 3 – 4, and 10 – 14, peripheral blood was collected from 14 stable ELBW neonates and compared to peripheral blood from normal adults run in parallel. Whole blood flow cytometry was used to examine the activation-dependent increase in platelet surface P-selectin (reflecting degranulation) and platelet surface binding of factor V/Va (reflecting platelet surface procoagulant activity) and decrease in platelet surface glycoprotein (GP) Ib (the von Willebrand factor receptor). Results In the physiologic milieu of whole blood, ELBW neonatal platelets on days 0 – 1 and 3 – 4 were markedly less reactive than adult platelets. However, by day 10 – 14, the platelet function of ELBW neonates improved significantly, although not completely to adult levels. Conclusions The age-dependent platelet hyporeactivity of ELBW neonates demonstrated in this study may be a contributing factor to the similar age-dependent propensity of ELBW neonates to intraventricular hemorrhage.
Tuning Solvents for Sustainable Technology

The key to sustainable technology is achieving an economic benefit for environmental improvements. The tunability of benign compounds such as CO2 and water as supercritical and near-critical fluids offers improved performance and greater flexibility for separation and reaction processes, leading to economic advantages. Examples of such behavior are supercritical CO2 extractions and separations, CO2-expanded polar liquids for separations, and reactions in near-critical water. In each case the tunability is achieved through density changes or cosolvents and may augment product yield, quality, or rates.
Expression Profiling of Mouse Endometrial Cancers Microdissected from Ethanol-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissues

Expression-profiling studies have helped define genetic changes associated with carcinogenesis. Determining which alterations in gene expression are causally associated with cancer and which result from the general dysregulation in gene expression that is characteristic of malignancies remains a problem. Transcriptional profiling of early lesions (small cancers or precancers) holds promise for identifying biologically important changes in gene expression. There are, however, technical barriers to the study of small tumors. The total number of cells available for analysis is limiting. It is also often difficult to distinguish cancer cells from normal proliferating cells in frozen sections that are typically used as a source of RNA. Here we describe an ethanol fixation and paraffin-embedding protocol that preserves tissue architecture and cellular morphology of the mouse endometrium, and allows for the recovery of high-quality RNA from microdissected cells. We performed GeneChip expression profiling using RNA from 800 to 4400 cells microdissected from ethanol-fixed, paraffin-embedded uteri. Endometrial adenocarcinomas exhibited changes in the levels of a number of messages known to be abnormally expressed in cancer, and differential expression of additional transcripts not previously implicated in carcinogenesis. We confirmed increased Amd1 expression in RNAs from mouse endometrial carcinomas that were hybridized to GeneChips and validated overexpression of this transcript in additional tumors.
Memory Measures for Pretesting Advertisements: An Integrative Conceptual Framework and a Diagnostic Template

This article develops a conceptual framework for interpreting performance patterns on a battery of memory tests and presents a diagnostic template for ad testing based on this framework. We first review concepts and empirical findings on direct (recognition and recall) and indirect memory tests. Then we discuss the processes by which these tests may tap the memory traces induced by ad exposure. Next, we outline how relevant stimulus, processing, retrieval, and individual difference factors produce parallel or dissociated performance on these memory tests. Finally, we enumerate likely test performance patterns and propose how these may be used as a diagnostic template to identify (a) the deficient aspects of an ad, (b) facilitation or interference among ad components, and (c) whether ad memory deficits stem from encoding or retrieval problems. We highlight how indirect tests tap ad-induced memory traces that are inaccessible to conscious retrieval but that may infiuence behavior. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of the work and priorities for future research.
Immunotoxicity of AZT: Inhibitory Effect on Thymocyte Differentiation and Peripheral T Cell Responsiveness to gp120 of Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract 3′-Azido-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (AZT) 3 is extensively used in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Currently, it is debated whether AZT should be offered to symptomless HIV-infected individuals in the hope of delaying or even preventing progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, before the chronic use of AZT, it is essential to establish whether this drug alters the differentiation and functions of T cells particularly because HIV infects CD 4+ T cells, as well as investigate whether AZT would alter the T cell response to HIV-encoded antigens. In the current study, therefore, we investigated the effect of administration of AZT into mice for 7-14 days on T cell differentiation in the thymus and the ability of T cells to respond to HIV antigens in the periphery. Our data demonstrated that AZT, when administered orally at 500 mg/kg body wt or higher concentrations for 14 days, caused marked thymic involution with significant decrease in the percentage of CD 4+ CD 8+ T cells and increase in the percentage of CD 4− CD 8− , CD 4+ and CD 8+ T cells. AZT treatment did not affect the cellularity of the spleen or the ratios of T cells in the periphery. Also, splenic T cells from AZT-treated mice did not demonstrate marked decrease in their ability to respond to mitogens in vitro . However, when AZT-treated mice were immunized with foreign antigens, such as gp 120 of HIV or conalbumin, the T cells demonstrated significant decrease in their ability to respond to these antigens. When AZT was added to cultures, it was found to inhibit the proliferation of T cells to mitogens as well as the differentiation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Interestingly, addition of exogenous IL-2 to CTL cultures reconstituted the decreased CTL response. Furthermore, administration of IL-2 into AZT-treated mice could also reconstitute the decrease in thymic cellularity induced by AZT. These data indicate that AZT, when present at the time of T cell differentiation or responsiveness to antigens in vivo , can mediate significant inhibition of such functions thereby suggesting that AZT may affect the immune response to HIV antigens.
Experimental and numerical investigation of free-bulge formation during hydroforming of aluminum extrusions

Abstract Free-bulge hydroforming experiments were conducted to investigate the biaxial behavior of extruded aluminum tubes. A special fixture, capable of providing only internal pressure and free sliding of tube-ends, was successfully designed to conduct these free-bulge experiments. Forming limits obtained under these conditions were found to be significantly lower than those obtained with superposed axial feed. A finite element model was constructed to simulate the hydroforming process and assess the influence of friction between the die walls and the tube, tube material properties and tube anisotropy. A power law constitutive model based on stress–strain curves obtained for various test geometries was used in these simulations. It was found that the parameters obtained based on the tensile test data of the curved tube sections better correlated to the experimental bulge height measurements. The analysis also revealed that the material hardening coefficient had the most significant influence on the formability characteristics during hydroforming.
Toxicokinetic interaction of 2,5-hexanedione and methyl ethyl ketone

Co-exposure to methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) potentiates the neurotoxicity of n-hexane in humans as well as in animals. This effect is associated with increased persistence of 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD) in blood, probably due to inhibition of 2,5-HD phase II biotransformation by MEK. There is no previous quantitative toxicokinetic model to describe this interaction. In this study we constructed a toxicokinetic model to depict the inhibition of 2,5-HD metabolism and elimination by MEK. Experimental data on 2,5-HD blood concentrations in rats from a published study were used to estimate model parameters. Three different inhibition mechanisms were evaluated: competitive, uncompetitive, and noncompetitive inhibition. Extrapolation from high to low doses was made to assess the interactive effects of MEK on 2,5-HD beyond experimental conditions. The models developed successfully described the toxicokinetic behavior of 2,5-HD when inhibited by MEK. The competitive inhibition model yielded a much lower estimate for the constant (65.5 mg/l) of 2,5-HD inhibition by MEK than did the uncompetitive and noncompetitive models (403 and 440 mg/l, respectively). The apparent half-life of 2,5-HD appeared to be a linear function of the Michaelis-Menten constant, and 2,5-HD and MEK concentrations in rats. The area under the curve of 2,5-HD in blood of rats was a nonlinear function of 2,5-HD and MEK concentrations in the blood. This study highlights the importance of the interactive effect of MEK on deactivation and elimination of 2,5-HD, and further illustrates the advantage of toxicokinetic modeling to investigate chemical interactions associated with exposure to multiple chemical agents.
Results of AlloDerm use in abdominal hernia repair.

AlloDerm (decellularized human cadaveric dermis) is increasingly being used for tissue reconstruction and hernia repairs. This article presents the results of AlloDerm use in treating abdominal wall hernias by analyzing all patients who underwent repair with AlloDerm at our institution. A series of 70 consecutive patients starting in October 2003 with abdominal wall hernia repair using AlloDerm was studied. This study began as a retrospective chart review, which included subsequent postoperative follow-up. SPSS version 11.5 was used for statistical analysis, and parametric tests were conducted. Various technical variables (type of AlloDerm placement, mesh-suture technique, suture type) and nontechnical variables (steroids use, obesity, smoking status, diabetes, prior surgeries, number of comorbidities) were evaluated. Of 70 study patients, 31 were men and 39 were women, with a mean age of 58 (range 25–88) years. Fifty-six patients (80%) had no complications, whereas 14 (20%) suffered one or more complications. Of those patients with complications, there was one rejection, two infections, and 14 hernia recurrences. The overall complication rate was 24%. Of patients with hernia recurrences, one had the initial repair with AlloDerm implant of 1.8-mm thickness (ultrathick). The 14 patients with recurrences include three who had a prior AlloDerm repair with ultrathick implant. Two of these three patients reported abdominal wall protrusion, and one had a recurrence between two pieces of AlloDerm used in the initial repair. Of these 14 patients, nine had subsequent repair of their recurrence with synthetic mesh, and four had subsequent repair with AlloDerm with satisfactory outcomes; one patient was yet to have a repair at the time of this paper. Recurrence rates with ultrathick and thick AlloDerm were 23% and 6%, respectively. None of the patients who were on steroid therapy had complications. Mesh-suture technique had no effect on recurrence. Type of placement was positively correlated with infection (Pearson’s R 0.575, p 0.05), showing that onlay mesh is better than underlay/interpositional mesh in having a lower infection rate. Diabetes was associated with mesh infection (Pearson’s R 0.548, p 0.05), and redo hernia repair was associated with longer length of hospital stay (LOS). The average number of comorbidities was five for the series. LOS positively correlated with presence of comorbidities. Early results in repair of abdominal hernia with AlloDerm appear to have a complication rate of 24%. Recurrence is the most common complication. Thinner AlloDerm use has better outcomes with less recurrence. Careful analysis regarding the technical aspects and presence of comorbidities may be explored to improve the present outcomes to prevent recurrences.
Object Activation in Semantic Memory from Visual Multimodal Feature Input

The human brain's representation of objects has been proposed to exist as a network of coactivated neural regions present in multiple cognitive systems. However, it is not known if there is a region specific to the process of activating an integrated object representation in semantic memory from multimodal feature stimuli (e.g., picture - word). A previous study using word–word feature pairs as stimulus input showed that the left thalamus is integrally involved in object activation (Kraut, Kremen, Segal, et al., this issue). In the present study, participants were presented picture–word pairs that are features of objects, with the task being to decide if together they "activated" an object not explicitly presented (e.g., picture of a candle and the word "icing" activate the internal representation of a "cake"). For picture–word pairs that combine to elicit an object, signal change was detected in the ventral temporo-occipital regions, pre-SMA, left primary somatomotor cortex, both caudate nuclei, and the dorsal thalami bilaterally. These findings suggest that the left thalamus is engaged for either picture or word stimuli, but the right thalamus appears to be involved when picture stimuli are also presented with words in semantic object activation tasks. The somatomotor signal changes are likely secondary to activation of the semantic object representations from multimodal visual stimuli.
Guanine nucleotide-binding protein Go-induced coupling of neuropeptide Y receptors to Ca2+ channels in sensory neurons.

Abstract Neuropeptide Y (NPY) inhibited the Ca2+ current (ICa) in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons in vitro. NPY inhibited the sustained ICa evoked by steps to 0 mV from a holding potential of -40 mV and the inactivating ICa, which was additionally evoked from a more negative holding potential of -80 mV. The effects of NPY on both phases of the ICa were abolished if cells were first treated with pertussis toxin (PTX). When a combination of GTP and the purified alpha-subunit of the guanine nucleotide-binding protein Go was perfused into PTX-treated cells, the inhibitory effects of NPY on the ICa reappeared in a time-dependent fashion. GTP or alpha-subunit perfused separately was relatively ineffective. The effects of NPY reappeared more rapidly at higher concentrations of alpha o. Chronic treatment of these cells with phorbol ester "down-regulates" protein kinase C (PKC) and reduces inhibition of the sustained current by NPY. In PTX-treated cells in which PKC had been removed by down-regulation, inhibition of ICa was also reconstituted following the perfusion of GTP/alpha o. Under these circumstances, NPY inhibited the transient phase of the ICa more than the sustained phase. These results indicate that Go, the major PTX substrate in the central nervous system, may normally mediate the inhibitory effects of NPY receptors on dorsal root ganglion Ca2+ channels.
Arrhythmogenic effects of antiarrhythmic drugs: A study of 506 patients treated for ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation

Abstract Antiarrhythmic therapy in 506 consecutive patients undergoing 1,268 antiarrhythmic drug trials for ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation was reviewed for evidence of arrhythmogenic drug effect defined as the occurrence of a new form of ventricular tachyarrhythmia temporally associated with initiation of drug therapy or dosage increase. Arrhythmogenic effects occurred in 6.9% of patients and 3.4% of drug trials. This ranged from a high of 11.8% caused by encainide to none occurring with procainamide, tocainide or beta-adrenergic blocking drugs. The incidence of arrhythmogenesis was significantly greater in patients whose presenting arrhythmia was sustained ventricular tachycardia than it was in those who presented with nonsustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation (p = 0.02). Decreased systolic function measured echocardiographically at the base of the left ventricle was associated with an increased incidence of arrhythmogenic effects (p = 0.006) whereas global left ventricular ejection fraction was not. Age, gender, cardiac diagnosis, location of prior myocardial infarction and New York Heart Association functional class for heart failure were not related to the occurrence of drug-induced arrhythmias. These findings emphasize the need for in-hospital cardiac monitoring during initiation of antiarrhythmic drug therapy for ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
The effect of Al doping on the critical scaling of YBa2Cu3O7 films, in high magnetic fields

Abstract We present current-voltage characteristics (I–V) in YBa 2 (Cu 1−x Al x ) 3 O 7 films (0≤x≤0.03), in magnetic fields 0.5 ≤ B ≤ 6 T, which are consistent with the existence of a phase transition with critical exponents and scaling functions independent of Al concentration. We study the role of Al doping in flux pinning by analyzing the non-universal characteristics of the transition such as the width of the critical regime, the characteristic length for vortex correlations, and the temperature and the resistivity that correspond to the onset of the critical response.
La/SSB ribonucleoprotein levels increased in transformed cells.

Autoantibodies to the La/SSB ribonucleoprotein are commonly found in patients with Sjogren's syndrome. Previous studies have shown that La/SSB accumulates in cells shortly after viral infection. We have extended these studies by investigating levels of the La/SSB antigen in virally and spontaneously transformed cell lines (contact-insensitive and tumourigenic) relative to their non-transformed counterpart cell lines (contact-sensitive and non-tumourigenic). Transformed BALB/3T12-3 and KNRK fibroblasts were visibly brighter by immunofluorescence assay than non-transformed BALB/3T3 and NRK fibroblasts respectively, when reacted with anti-La/SSB specific sera. This was confirmed by flow cytometry, as La/SSB levels were elevated in the transformed counterparts of the same cell lines. An anti-Sm monoclonal antibody and normal human serum reacted with these cell lines failed to show a significant increase by flow cytometry. Finally, a two-fold increase in the La/SSB antigen was demonstrated in cell lysates of these cell lines by a capture ELISA. These data show that La/SSB is elevated in transformed cell lines compared with non-transformed counterpart cell lines and suggest that this increase is not restricted to viral transformation.
Book Banning and the New Right: Censorship in the Public Schools

(1985). Book Banning and the New Right: Censorship in the Public Schools. The Educational Forum: Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 7-21.
The Cost-Effectiveness of Oximetrix Pulmonary Artery Catheters in the Postoperative Care of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Patients

As cost-containment pressures continue to escalate in the health care industry, the cost-effectiveness of new technologies must be verified if their use in the care of patients is to be justified. Oximetrix fiberoptic pulmonary artery catheters (Abbott Critical Care Systems, North Chicago, IL) are used for the continuous measurement of mixed venous oxygen saturation, and have been promoted as a cost-effective, early, and accurate indicator of hemodynamic changes in critically ill patients and patients undergoing major surgical procedures. This retrospective study analyzed two groups of patients undergoing routine, elective coronary artery bypass grafting. In the first group, fiberoptic catheters were not used, whereas these catheters were used routinely in the second group. Multiple variables were analyzed in each group in an attempt to document cost-effectiveness or salutary effect on outcome as a result of the use of these catheters. Neither could be confirmed. It was concluded that the use of Oximetrix pulmonary artery catheters is not cost-effective and had no effect on outcome in this group of patients.
Genetic control of the l-α-glycerophosphate system in Escherichia coli

Abstract Glycerol kinase, the l -α-glycerophosphate transport system and l -α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase together constitute a converging pathway for the dissimilation of exogenous glycerol and l -α-glycerophosphate by Escherichia coli. The three functional units are coded by genes widely separated on the chromosome. These three operons are under the control of a single regulator gene which appears to be contiguous to the structural gene for the dehydrogenase. Specific repression is lifted by l -α-glycerophosphate, which does not have to be further catabolized for its inducer activity. Mutations in the regulator gene can lead to constitutivity, non-inducibility, or temperature-sensitive control. Deletions in this gene result in derepression of all three operons. Thus the l -α-glycerophosphate system is a regulon under negative control.
Fire detection using data from the NOAA-N satellites

Abstract Due to increased concern over the climatic and economic impact of fires associated with deforestation and seasonal burning, most of which occurs in remote parts of the worid, it is necessary to find ways to effectively monitor such activity. The 3.8μm channel on board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's polar-orbiting satellites is very sensitive to high temperature sources such as fires. Case studies in Mexico, Brazil, Mozambique and the Soviet Union have been selected to demonstrate the utility of this channel for fire detection. With the fire detection capability of the 3.8 μm channel and the daily global coverage, it is possible to monitor world-wide fire activity.
Simulation and experiments on friction and wear of diamond: a material for MEMS and NEMS application

To date most of the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices have been based on silicon. This is due to the technological know-how accumulated on the manipulation, machining and manufacturing of silicon. However, only very few devices involve moving parts. This is because of the rapid wear arising from high friction in these silicon-based systems. Recent tribometric experiments carried out by Gardos on silicon and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) show that this rapid wear is caused by a variety of factors, related both to surface chemistry and cohesive energy density of these likely MEMS bearing materials. In particular, the 1.8-times stronger C-C bond in diamond as opposed to the Si-Si bond in the bulk translates into a more than 104-times difference in wear rates, even though the difference in flexural strength is only 20-times, in hardness 10-times and in fracture toughness 5-times. It also has been shown that the wear rates of silicon and PCD are controlled by high-friction-induced surface cracking, and the friction is controlled by the number of dangling, reconstructed or adsorbate-passivated surface bonds. Therefore, theoretical and tribological characterization of Si and PCD surfaces is essential prior to device fabrication to assure reliable MEMS operation under various atmospheric environments, especially at elevated temperatures. As a part of the rational design and manufacturing of MEMS devices containing moving mechanical assemblies (MEMS-MMA) and especially nanoelectromechanical devices (NEMS), theory and simulation can play an important role. Predicting system properties such as friction and wear, and materials properties such as thermal conductivity is of critical importance for materials and components to be used in MEMS-MMAs. In this paper, we present theoretical studies of friction and wear processes on diamond surfaces using a steady state molecular dynamics method. We studied the atomic friction of the diamond-(100) surface using an extended bond-order-dependent potential for hydrocarbon systems. Unlike traditional empirical potentials, bond order potentials can simulate bond breaking and formation processes. Therefore, it is a natural choice to study surface dynamics under friction and wear. In order to calculate the material properties correctly, we have established a consistent approach to incorporate non-bond interactions into the bond order potentials. We have also developed an easy-to-use software to evaluate the atomic-level friction coefficient for an arbitrary system, and interfaced it into a third-party graphical software.
963-18 Reoxygenation Following Hypoxia Induces the Reorganization of the Actin Cytoskeleton of Endothelial Cells

Ischemia can induce an angiogenic response resulting in physiologically significant collateral vascularization of the myocardium. Angiogenesis requires the migration of endothelial cells, a process which depends upon the dynamic remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton. In a model of cultured bovine aorta endothelial cells exposed to hypoxic conditions (pO2 decreasing to 10 ± 5 Torr over 4 hours at 37°) and reoxygenated for up to 45 minutes, we studied the actin cytoskeleton response to changes in pO2. In these conditions, at the end of hypoxia (Hypo), the relative concentration of filamentous actin and the distribution of the actin stress fibers were unaltered. However, reoxygenation (Reox) of the cells after 4 hours of Hypo induced within 5 minutes a remarkable reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton with rapid polymerization of actin filaments leading to an increase in filamentous actin of 41% above normoxia (Normo) level. Concurrently with the actin polymerization, redistribution of the actin filaments to the cortical actin network and disappearance of central actin stress fibers were observed. Similar results were obtained using human aorta endothelial cells. Conditions Normo Hypo SEM Reox: 5’ SEM 45’ SEM Control 100% 101% ± 11% 141% ± 12% 127% ± 12% Genistein 100% 104% ± 7% 101% ± 10% 105% ± 16% Genistein (300 μM), an established tyrosine kinase inhibitor, prevented the actin changes induced by Reox, suggesting the participation of tyrosine kinase pathway(s) in the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton induced by Reox. Considering the pivotal role of the actin cytoskeleton in cell motility, Reox-induced actin changes may represent the first step of a phenotypic shift leading to endothelial cell migration required for the genesis of blood vessels.
Alkylxanthines: inhibition of adenosine-elicited accumulation of cyclic AMP in brain slices and of brain phosphodiesterase activity.

Abstract A series of 1, 3-dialkylxanthines was examined as antagonists of adenosine-induced accumulation of cyclic AMP in guinea pig cerebral cortical slices and as inhibitors of brain phosphodiesterases. The order of potency as adenosine-antagonists was: 8-phenyltheophylline (IC 50 6 μM) > 1, 3-dibutylxanthine (IC 50 30 μM), 1, 3-dipropylxanthine > theophylline (IC 50 60 μM), 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), 1, 3, 7-triethylxanthine > 7-benzyl IBMX (IC 50 100 μM), 8-methyl IBMX > 7-benzyl-8-bromo IBMX, 9-methyl IBMX, 8-bromo IBMX, 1-isoamyl-3-isobutylxanthine. The order of potency as inhibitors of brain calcium-dependent phosphodiesterase was: 7-benzyl IBMX (IC 50 1.5 μM), 7-benzyl-8-bromo IBMX > 8-methyl IBMX (IC 50 4.5 μM) > IBMX (IC 50 7.5 μM), 8-bromo IBMX > 9-methyl IBMX (IC 50 40 μM), 1, 3, 7-triethylxanthine > 1, 3-dibutylxanthine (IC 50 100 μM), 1-isoamyl-3-isobutylxanthine > theophylline. 8-Phenyltheophylline and 1, 3-dibutylxanthine represented potent adenosine-antagonists with relatively low activity as phosphodiesterase inhibitors whereas 7-benzyl IBMX and 7-benzyl-8-bromo-IBMX were potent inhibitors of the calcium-dependent phosphodiesterase with relatively low activity as adenosine-antagonists. None of the compounds were potent inhibitors of the brain calcium-independent phosphodiesterase, although 1-isoamyl-3-isobutylxanthine might prove useful as an inhibitor of this enzyme because of its very low activity as an adenosine-antagonist.
Recent Gene Conversions between Duplicated Glutamate Decarboxylase Genes (gadA and gadB) in Pathogenic Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli have evolved adaptive systems to resist strongly acidic habitats in part through the production of 2 biochemically identical isoforms of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), encoded by the gadA and gadB genes. These genes occur in E. coli and other members of the genospecies (e.g., Shigella spp.) and originated as part of a genomic fitness island acquired early in Escherichia evolution. The present duplicated gad loci are widely spaced on the E. coli chromosome, and the 2 genes are 97% similar in sequence. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the gadA and gadB in 16 strains of pathogenic E. coli revealed 3.8% and 5.0% polymorphism in the 2 genes, respectively. Alignment of the homologous genes identified a total of 120 variable sites, including 21 fixed nucleotide differences between the loci within the first 82 codons of the genes. Twenty-three phylogenetically informative sites were polymorphic for the same nucleotides in both genes suggesting recent gene conversions or intergenic recombination. Phylogenetic analysis based on the synonymous substitutions per synonymous site indicated 2 cases in which specific gadA and gadB alleles were more closely related to one another than to other alleles at the corresponding locus. The results indicate that at least 3 gene conversion events have occurred after the gad gene duplication in the evolution of E. coli. Despite multiple gene conversion events, the upstream regulatory regions and the 5' end of each gene remains distinct, suggesting that maintaining functionally different gad genes is important in this acid-resistance mechanism in pathogenic E. coli.
Neuronal plasticity: how changes in dendritic architecture can affect the spread of postsynaptic potentials

Abstract Calculations from a theoretical model are presented which illustrate the electrophysiological changes that can result from alterations in dendritic branching. Much evidence has implicated modifications in dendritic architecture with learning, aging and certain neural pathologies. It is found that both the peak amplitude and the half-width of a time-varying postsynaptic potential generated by a previously established synapse can be affected by dendritic changes distal to the input. For the examples considered in this paper peal amplitude is decreased if distal branching occurs, whereas half-width is increased.
Multiple Forms of Arylalkylamine N‐Acetyltransferases in the Rat Pineal Gland: Purification of One Molecular Form

Rat pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.87) activity is isolated in two molecular forms (Mr approximately equal to 10,000 and 95,000) by high performance size exclusion liquid chromatography in the presence of ammonium acetate (0.1 M, pH 6.5). In the presence of sodium citrate (0.1 M, pH 6.5), however, it is eluted as a single peak of intermediate size (Mr approximately equal to 30,000). A highly enriched preparation of one of the molecular forms has been obtained by a two-step purification procedure involving disulfide-exchange and anion-exchange chromatography. The N-acetyltransferase in 250 pineal glands obtained from isoproterenol-treated rats can be purified about 80-fold in 1 day; recovery is about 3%. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the final preparation indicates that a single major band (Mr approximately equal to 11,000) is present; this appears to be serotonin N-acetyltransferase.