Statistical analysis of bend strength data according to different evaluation methods

The strength values obtained in four series of bend tests on two monolithic ceramic materials have been statistically evaluated. Statistical mapping procedures were used to check whether a Weibull distribution fits the strength data. Where this has been found to be the case, the value of the Weibull parameters determined according to different evaluation methods fall within each other's confidence interval. The values of the modulus m and of the characteristic strength σ₀ of the two-parameter distribution can differ significantly from the corresponding values in the three-parameter distribution.     

Chicken oviductal ecto-ATP-diphosphohydrolase. Purification and characterization

An ecto-ATP diphosphohydrolase (ATPDase) was purified to homogeneity from vesiculosomes shed from chicken oviduct. First, the ecto-ATPDase-enriched vesiculosomes were concentrated by filtration, differential centrifugation, and exclusion chromatography. Next, the nonionic detergent, Nonidet P-40, was used to extract the ecto-ATPDase from vesiculosomal membranes, and the solubilized enzyme was further purified by ion exchange (DEAE-Bio-Gel) and lentil-lectin-Sepharose 4B chromatography. In the final stage, immunoaffinity chromatography was utilized to obtain purified ecto-ATPDase. More than 25,000-fold purification was achieved. Specific activity of the purified enzyme was greater than 800 micronol/min/mg of protein with MgATP as the substrate, the highest ever reported for an ATPDase. The enzyme also hydrolyzed other nucleoside triphosphates in the presence of magnesium at similar rates and CaATP and MgADP at lower rates. The molecular mass of the purified glycoprotein was 80 kDa as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot analysis. Based on its enzymatic properties, the relationship of the chicken oviduct ecto-ATPDase with other reported ATPDases and ecto-ATPases is discussed.     

Hip impact velocities and body configurations for voluntary falls from standing height

OBJECTIVE: To determine prevalence of various pheno- and genotypes of Serpulina sp in young pigs in relation to diarrhea and feed medication in Swedish pig-rearing herds. DESIGN: Isolation of spirochetes. Phenotypical and genotypical classification. SAMPLE POPULATION: Young pigs (n = 358) in 19 pigrearing herds. PROCEDURE: Serpulina isolates were classified according to a biochemical scheme based on hemolysis, indole production, hippurate hydrolysis, and alpha-galactosidase, alpha-glucosidase, and beta-glucosidase activities. The 16S rRNA sequences for 10 of the field strains and 2 type strains of Serpulina spp were aligned and compared. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of olaquindox for 9 of the strains were determined. RESULTS: Weakly beta-hemolytic intestinal spirochetes (WBHIS) were isolated from 17 of the herds and 65% of the samples. More than 1 phenotype of WBHIS was found in 12 of the 19 herds. S hyodysenteriae was not isolated in any of the herds. Hippurate-positive WBHIS were isolated in 6 of 7 herds affected by diarrhea, but in only 1 of 8 herds without diarrhea. Hippurate-positive strains were closely related to the pathogenic strain P43 if judged from sequence comparisons. Strains with the same biochemical profile isolated within a herd had identical sequences, but when isolated from different herds, sequence differences were observed. The prevalence of WBHIS was reduced in herds medicated with olaquindox. Investigated field strains had minimum inhibitory concentration values < or = 1 microgram/ml for olaquindox. CONCLUSION: The presence of WBHIS, with the ability to hydrolyze hippurate, was related to diarrhea in pig herds. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Potentially pathogenic WBHIS can be distinguished from nonpathogenic strains by the hippurate hydrolysis test.     

Petri net based scheduling

Timed Petri nets can be used to model and analyse scheduling problems. To support the modelling of scheduling problems, we provide a method to map tasks, resources and constraints onto a timed Petri net. By mapping scheduling problems onto Petri nets, we are able to use standard Petri net theory. In this paper we will show that we can use Petri net based tools and techniques to find conflicting and redundant precedences, upper- and lower-bounds for the makespan, etc. This is illustrated by a Petri net based analysis of the notorious 10×10 problem due to Fisher & Thompson (1963)     

Effect of guanine nucleotides and temperature on calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor binding sites in brain and peripheral tissues

Recent data have suggested the existence of at least two major classes of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptors in brain and peripheral tissues [Henke et al., Brain Res., 410 (1987) 404-408; Dennis et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 251 (1989) 718-725; ibid, 254 (1990) 123-128; Quirion et al., Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 657 (1992) 88-105]. However, little is currently known in the structure characteristics of CGRP receptors as cloning as yet to be reported. In the present study, the sensitivity of [125I]humanCGRP alpha binding to guanine nucleotides and temperature was investigated in guinea pig atria (prototypical CGRP1 tissue) guinea pig vas deferens (prototypical CGRP2 tissue) and in the rat brain and cerebellum (mixed assay). Binding isotherms of [125I]hCGRP alpha in those four tissue preparations were curvilinear and best fitted to a two-site model under most assay conditions. The high affinity binding component was highly temperature-sensitive and accounted, under experimental conditions, for up to 18% of the total population of receptors. Moreover, these high affinity sites were also highly sensitive to guanine nucleotides (Gpp(NH)p, 100 microM) in all preparations although to a different extend depending upon assay temperatures. Taken together, this suggests that the different CGRP receptor subtypes present in these tissue all belong to a G-protein coupled receptor family.     

Combination cytotoxic effects of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) and 5-fluorouracil with and without leucovorin against human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines

Both cisplatin (CDDP) and leucovorin (LV) have been shown to enhance cytotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil (FUra) against murine and human neoplasms by increasing intracellular reduced folate concentrations. We were interested in their use in a combination to inhibit non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell growth and therefore conducted an in vitro study to investigate the cytotoxic activities of combinations of CDDP plus FUra, with and without LV (20 microM), against seven NSCLC cell lines. A tetrazolium assay with application of the classical isobole method was used to test drug combinations. We found that LV enhanced FUra but not CDDP cytotoxicity and that the degree of enhancement was negatively correlated with the effect of FUra. There was an overall additive combination effect of CDDP plus FUra, although there may be synergy at higher effect levels. There was synergy to a combination of CDDP, FUra, and LV, presumably primarily related to the synergistic effects of adding LV to FUra. In summary, LV and CDDP enhanced FUra cytotoxicity in a complementary fashion and there was clear synergy of a combination of CDDP, FUra, and LV against a panel of NSCLC cell lines. Our in vitro results provide a rationale for controlled clinical studies of this three-drug regimen in patients with NSCLC.     

Cognitive shifting as a predictor of progress in social understanding in high-functioning adolescents with autism: a prospective study

The pyrolytic behavior of inulin, a (2-->1)-linked fructofuranan, is described. Parallel investigations of the pyrolysis of glucose and of fructose were conducted to supplement the inulin results and to aid comparison with previous results from glucans. Effects of neutral and basic additives are emphasized. As with glucans, the addition of such additives (especially basic) increases the yields of the one-, two-, and three-carbon products (as well as of hexosaccharinolactones), while generally decreasing the yields of anhydro sugar and furan derivatives. The former products include glycolaldehyde, acetol, dihydroxy-acetone, acetic acid, formic acid, and lactic acid. Mechanistic speculations are made regarding the origins of these compounds, as well as of furan derivatives and saccharinic acid lactones. Parallels with alkaline degradation are considered.