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166Holmium (166Ho) is a radionuclide of rare earth chemical and is known to have antitumor activity. Several chemicals were complexed with 166Ho to facilitate the transport of this radionuclide to the site of action. In this study, 166Ho was complexed to chitosan (Chit) which decreases the distribution of Ho into other tissues when applied intrahepatically. To investigate the single dose toxicity, mice were administered intravenously with 1 mCi/kg body weight of 166Ho-Chit (DW-166HC), Chit or nothing. Organ weights, hematological and histopathological studies were performed in 6 animals per group at 1, 3 and 14 days after administration. In 166Ho-Chit treated animals, a slight decrease of erythrocyte number was observed at day 14 and increases of relative liver and lung weights were found at day 3. Although marked multiple necrotic foci in the white pulp and depletion of marginal zone in the spleen were noted at day 1, these findings were decreased in severity and fully recovered at day 3 and day 14, respectively. Slightly decreased kidney weights were observed both in Chit and in 166Ho-Chit treated groups without histological alterations. Thus it is suggested that most effects of 166Ho-Chit observed at an early stage after administration are limited to rapidly dividing cells and reversible within 14 days.

To determine whether information available 1 week after surgery correlates with long-term function in patients who suffer major complications after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.An inception cohort study.A 526-bed community teaching hospital.All 67 patients who required at least 7 days of CT-ICU care following 2,751 consecutive CABG operations.Hospital survival, long-term survival, and functional ability at long-term follow-up.Forty-three patients survived hospitalization (64%), while 24 died 37 +/- 45 days (range, 7 to 190 days) after surgery. When 42 patients were surveyed 22 +/- 9 months after surgery, 21 of the survivors enjoyed excellent, independent function, 7 were moderately impaired but living at home, 6 were institutionalized with severe limitations, and 8 had died. Patients with very severe cardiac or neurologic dysfunction 1 week after surgery had an extremely poor outcome. When mechanical ventilation was required for causes other than primary failure of the respiratory system, long-term function and hospital survival were poor. Twelve of 14 patients with pulmonary complications survived hospitalization, and all 12 were alive at long-term follow-up.More than half of patients requiring 7 days or more of ICU treatment after CABG surgery survive, and many enjoy excellent long-term function. However, those with very severe cardiac or neurologic dysfunction 1 week after surgery have little chance for independent recovery.

The behavioral response elicited in mice by an i.p. injection of endothelin-1 (ET-1) (0.1 mg/kg) was differentiated from that elicited by standard agents such as acetylcholine (ACh) (5.5 mg/kg) or phenyl-p-quinone (PpQ) (1.25 mg/kg). First, there was lack of two-way "cross-tolerance' between test paradigms. That is, at equieffective doses, a 60-min prior i.p. injection of ET-1 blocked the behavioral response to a subsequent i.p. injection of ET-1 or PpQ, but not of ACh, whereas a 60-min prior injection of ACh or of PpQ had no effect on a subsequent i.p. injection of ACh, PpQ or ET-1. Second, differential antagonism of ET-1-, ACh- or PpQ-induced responses was observed in an examination of 36 test compounds. For example, cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors such as indomethacin and ibuprofen did not block the ET-1-induced response at10 times the doses that blocked ACh- or PpQ-induced responses, whereas other compounds (such as certain benzodiazepines) inhibited ET-1-induced, but not ACh- or PpQ-induced, responses. These findings suggest that ET-1 produces a novel nociceptive stimulus, mechanistically distinct from ACh and PpQ. Hence, the ET-1-induced behavioral response in mice serves as a rapid and convenient measure of in vivo endothelin activity. In addition, this test might be a model for clinical pains not adequately treated by present analgesic agents or adequately tested by preclinical antinociceptive screens using ACh or PpQ. As such, it is a potentially valuable model for the identification of novel analgesic and other agents.

D-type G1 cyclins are the primary cell cycle regulators of G1/S transition in eukaryotic cells, and are differentially expressed in a variety of cell lines in vitro. Little is known, however, about the expression patterns of D-type G1 cyclins in normal mouse in vivo. Thus, in the present study, tissue-specific expressions of cyclin D1 and D3 genes were examined in several tissues derived from adult male mice, and stage-specific expression of cyclin genes was studied in brain, liver, and kidney of developing mice from embryonic day 13 to postnatal day 11. Cell cycle-dependent expression of cyclins was also examined in regenerating livers following partial hepatectomy. Our results indicate that (1) cyclins D1 and D3 are expressed in a tissue-specific manner, with cyclin D1 being highly expressed in kidney and D3 in thymus; (2) cyclin D3 mRNA is abundantly expressed in young proliferating tissues and is gradually reduced during development, whereas cyclin D1 mRNA fluctuates during development; and (3) compensatory regeneration of liver induces cyclin D1 gene expression 12 hr after partial hepatectomy, and cyclin D3 gene expression from 36 to 42 hr (at the time of G1/S transition). In conclusion, this study indicates that cyclin D1 and D3 genes are differentially expressed in vivo in a tissue-specific, developmental stage-dependent, and cell cycle-dependent manner.

The role of metallothionein with regard to cadmium toxicity in vitro was investigated using preimplantation mouse blastocysts derived from a transgenic strain that constitutively overexpresses metallothionein-I transgenes (MT-I*). Northern blot and in situ hybridization revealed high levels of MT-I mRNA in transgenic blastocysts when compared with control blastocysts, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-amplified MT-I mRNA was almost exclusively MT-I*. Moreover, pulse-labeling experiments showed that the relative rate of synthesis of MT was 9-fold higher in transgenic blastocysts. Cadmium (Cd2+) toxicity was assessed after incubating blastocysts for 4 hr in Whitten's medium containing 50 microM Cd2+. Embryos that displayed abnormal morphology were judged "sensitive". Transgenic blastocysts were more resistant to cadmium-induced morphological changes than were control blastocysts. "Sensitive" and "resistant" blastocysts were individually genotyped by polymerase chain reaction, or they were transferred to foster mothers, and embryonic development to midterm was monitored. Of the blastocysts derived from mating heterozygous transgenic males with control females, 56% were transgenic before incubation with Cd2+, whereas 95% of the blastocysts that retained normal morphology after incubation were transgenic. Moreover, after Cd2+ exposure, transgenic blastocysts with normal morphology were nine times more likely to develop to midterm than were control blastocysts with normal morphology. Blastocysts with abnormal morphology failed to develop to midterm. These studies indicate that MT plays a central role in protection from Cd2+ toxicity within the physiological context of the developing mouse embryo.

The mouse metallothionein (MT) gene family consists of four known members (MT-I through IV) clustered on chromosome 8. Studies reported herein examine the expression and regulation of the MT-III and MT-IV genes in specific cell types in the maternal reproductive tract, developing embryo, and fetus known to express the MT-I and -II genes. MT-III and MT-IV mRNAs were absent from the visceral yolk sac, placenta, and fetal liver, tissues with high levels of MT-I and MT-II mRNAs. In contrast, MT-III and MT-IV mRNAs were both abundant in the maternal deciduum, and in experimentally induced deciduoma on 7 and 8 days postcoitum (1 dpc = vaginal plug), as are MT-I and -II mRNAs. The abundance of each of these MT mRNAs increased coordinately during development of the deciduum (6-8 dpc), and in situ hybridization localized MT-I, MT-III, and MT-IV mRNAs to the secondary decidual zone of the antimesometrial region on 8 dpc, where in some regions all of the cells were apparently positive. Thus, all of the known mouse MT genes are co-expressed in at least some of the cells in the secondary decidual zone. Electrophoretic analysis of decidual MT suggested that the MT-I, -II, and -III isoforms are abundant proteins in the secondary deciduum. Bacterial endotoxin-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Zn are powerful inducers of MT-I and MT-II gene expression in many adult organs, whereas these agents apparently have little effect on MT-III and MT-IV gene expression. Neither of these agents significantly effected levels of decidual MT-III or MT-IV mRNAs in vivo or in primary cultures of decidual cells in vitro, and only modest effects of Zn on MT-I mRNA levels were noted. During 2 days of in vitro culture, decidual cell MT-I and MT-III mRNA levels remained elevated while MT-IV mRNA levels decreased. Thus, expression of the mouse MT gene locus in the deciduum appears to be developmentally regulated, and in this tissue, the MT genes are refractory to induction by Zn or inflammation.

Atenolol is a cardioselective beta-blocker. Tenolol is a new formulation of atenolol, with bioequivalence to the original atenolol (Tenormin). This study was designed to compare the antihypertensive effects between the two formulations of atenolol, Tenolol and Tenormin.Twenty-three patients, with mild to moderate hypertension untreated with any antihypertensive drugs, were recruited. They were randomized to receive two weeks of placebo, four weeks of Tenolol or Tenormin (100 mg once daily) and two weeks of placebo. Then the treatments were crossed over for four more weeks.At two weeks five patients were excluded because their blood pressures (BP) were below 160/90 mmHg. The baseline BPs for the patients receiving Tenormin (162 +/- 18/97 +/- 8 mmHg) and Tenolol (164 +/- 17/97 +/- 9 mmHg) were not distinct. After two weeks of treatment with Tenormin or Tenolol, systolic BPs decreased by 12 +/- 11 mmHg and 13 +/- 14 mmHg, respectively (p0.01 for both formulations). Similarly the diastolic BPs decreased significantly (p0.01) by 7 +/- 9 mmHg and 7 +/- 10 mmHg, respectively. The hypotensive effects persisted at four weeks of treatment for both formulations. Reductions in systolic and diastolic BPs by treatment with Tenormin and Tenolol were not significantly different by two-way ANOVA analysis. There were no side effects in any patient throughout the study.The results indicate that the generic formulation of atenolol (Tenolol) has comparable antihypertensive effects as the original formulation (Tenormin).

Serpiginous choroidopathy is an insidious, relentlessly progressive, idiopathic inflammatory disease affecting the retinal pigment epithelium and inner choroid. Choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) is a well recognised late complication of serpiginous choroidopathy in 10–25% of affected patients.1 In all previously reported cases CNV was recognised at the time of or after the diagnosis of serpiginous choroidopathy was established.2–4 We report a patient presenting with CNV who subsequently developed clinical findings characteristic of serpiginous choroidopathy. A 31 year old man presented with decreased vision in his right eye in July 1997. Examination revealed acuities of 20/40 right eye and 20/20 left eye with normal anterior segments. The right fundus showed subretinal fluid and haemorrhage adjacent to the disc (Fig 1A). The left eye showed an irregularity superior to the optic disc (Fig 1B). The vitreous and fundi were otherwise normal bilaterally. Fluorescein angiography (Fig 2A, B) revealed peripapillary choroidal neovascular membranes in both eyes that were treated with argon laser …

Synopsis We have used a glutamine synthetase expression vector system1 to generate NSO myeloma cell lines expressing high levels of recombinant antibody genes. Medium depletion analysis has been used to design customized fed-batch processes which maintain the cells in viable condition for periods of three to four weeks and yield titers of nearly 1 g/L for unamplified cell lines and 1.8 g/L for amplified cell lines. We have analyzed the quality of the MAb produced in a such a three week fed-batch process and have found consistent protein integrity, molecular weight and antigen binding kinetics. IEF analysis revealed only minor changes with time, indicating that a slight degree of deamidation had occurred. Glycoform analysis, on the other hand, revealed substantial changes during the process. In particular, we observed that MAb with incomplete, mannose-terminated, glycans at the H-chain, N-linked glycosylation site increasingly accumulates in the medium as the fed-batch process proceeds. This accumulation of incompletely glycosylated MAb does not result from either cell lysis or leakage from non-viable cells. Rather, an increasing percentage of the MAb secreted by the viable NSO cells late in fed-batch culture is of the high-mannose type. Finally, we show that the fed batch protocol can be modified to allow for more complete glycosylation of the secreted antibody.

The technique of RNA interference (RNAi) knock-down is a powerful tool for the analysis of gene function in mammalian cells and eggs. Rho GTPase-activating protein 15 (Arhgap15) is closely related to anaemia and immunity, especially as caused by trypanosome. This study was performed to investigate the effect of Arhgap15 gene knock-down on the developmental competence of bovine embryos in vitro. Bovine fibroblast cells were treated with 50 and 100 nM concentrations of Arhgap15 RNAi, respectively. After 24 h of transfection, the control group showed no change in Arhgap15 mRNA level, whereas mRNA expression in the RNAi-treated donor cells was obviously decreased in a dose-dependent manner. These RNAi-treated cells were then transferred into enucleated bovine oocytes to analyse the consequence of RNAi-mediated Arhgap15 gene knock-down. In the control group, cleavage and blastocyst development rates were 75% (102/136) and 14.7% (20/136), whereas those in the knock-down embryos were 81.6% (120/147) and 24.5% (36/147), respectively. The occurrence of cell death by apoptosis was examined in Day 7 blastocysts. Apoptotic cells numbered 12 ± 3.2 in control embryos and 8.9 ± 4.8 in knock-down embryos. Therefore, it can be concluded that RNAi-mediated Arhgap15 gene knock-down in somatic cells did not affect the developmental competence of bovine cloned embryos. This work was supported by grant 120080401034062 from the BioGreen 21 Program, Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

Effective Electron Injection with GaN Nanoparticles B. K. Kang, Y. H. Song, S. M. Kang, Y. C. Choi, D. K. Lee, Sang-Woo Kim, and D. H. Yoon School of Advanced Materials Science & Engineering and SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Korea Gumi Electronics and Information Technology Research Institute, R&D Affairs Department, Gumi, Gyeongbuk 730-701, Korea

IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), usually found as glycosylated 41- and 38-kD forms, is the major serum IGFBP during extrauterine life. In normal serum IGFBP-3 binds one IGF peptide and one acid-labile (α) subunit in a high-molecular-weight (MW) complex of 150 kD. By RIA, an excess of IGFBP-3 is present in chronic renal failure (CRF) serum, where it reportedly accumulates at low MW (25–55 kD) rather than as part of the 150-kD complex. To further evaluate IGFBP-3 forms in CRF, sera were obtained from seven healthy adolescents and seven adolescents with CRF. By RIA, IGFBP-3 levels were higher in CRF than normal sera (15.4 ± 2.2 versus 10.1 ± 2.1 μ g/mL). High-MW (150-kD) fractions of CRF and normal sera, obtained by neutral size-exclusion chromatography, had equal amounts of IGFBP-3 by RIA. However, a second RIA peak of IGFBP-3, present in low-MW (35-kD) fractions of CRF but not normal sera, could account for the higher IGFBP-3 levels of CRF serum. [l25I]IGF ligand blots of whole serum and serum fractions, either with or without prior precipitation by IGFBP-3 antiserum, found levels of 41- and 38-kD IGFBP-3 forms to be similar between CRF and normal whole sera and located these forms in the high-MW (150-kD) fractions of CRF and normal sera. [125I]IGF ligand blots also identified excess IGFBP in low-MW CRF serum fractions; cross-linking these IGFBP with [125I]IGF-I, followed by precipitation with IGFBP-1, -2, and -3 antibodies, identified high levels of unsaturated IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, and 19- and 14-kD forms of IGFBP-3 in CRF serum. These studies indicate that 1) normal levels of functional 41- and 38-kD IGFBP-3 forms are present in CRF serum, and these forms can be incorporated into the 150-kD serum complex; and 2) high RIA levels of IGFBP-3 in low-MW fractions of CRF serum are at least in part due to 19- and 14-kD IGFBP-3 forms. These studies suggest that the excess unsaturated IGFBP of CRF serum are small enough to enter interstitial tissue spaces where they may modulate IGF-I-mediated mitogenic, metabolic, and differentiative effects.

The Hanbit magnetic mirror device has been involved in a series of experiments on stabilization of the MHD flute type mode. We undertook investigations to see whether a divertor and the kinetic stabilizer (KS) of Post et al can stabilize the MHD instability. The Hanbit divertor configuration used one of the central cell coils with reversed current as the divertor coil and two other coils with increased current to compensate the field droop. The divertor eliminated the m = −1 instability when the null point was inside the vacuum tank. The KS used microwave produced plasmas on field lines in the cusp tank region. Two coils on the cusp tank were configured to produce expanding field lines with a large positive radius of curvature. A 5 kW 2.45 GHz magnetron was used to produce an electron cyclotron resonance heated plasma pressure in this region. A reduction in instability duration was observed for high power plasmas. However, for low power plasmas that terminate violently with an m = −1 instability, the KS action made the duration of the instability longer.

A highly photosensitive analogue of thymidine, 5-azidodeoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate, has been incorporated into 61-base pair (bp) DNA fragments corresponding to the central region of Xenopus somatic-type 5 S RNA genes such that 5-azidodeoxyuridine replaces some or all T residues in either the coding or noncoding strand of the TFIIIA binding site. Photolysis of TFIIIA.DNA complexes formed with these probes results in efficient, sequence-specific cross-linking to the Zn-finger protein providing direct evidence that this class of proteins have contacts in the major groove of their target sequence. Of the 20 T residues present in the 61-bp probes, greater than 90% of the cross-linking occurs from two sites in the 5 S RNA gene corresponding to T residues at positions 84 and 88 in the noncoding and coding strands, respectively. Digestion by V8 protease of the complex formed with the noncoding strand probe releases peptides not bound to the DNA. Amino acid sequence analysis of the remaining, cross-linked peptides indicates the region including zinc-finger 2 plus the finger 2-3 linker is in contact with position 84. The linker region between fingers 5 and 6 is also in close proximity to the major groove somewhere upstream from position 84.

The compatibility of cefoperazone sodium and furosemide in 5% dextrose injection stored at two temperatures was studied. Cefoperazone sodium and furosemide were added to 5% dextrose injection to achieve a cefoperazone concentration of 10 mg/mL and a furosemide concentration of 0.2 mg/mL. The admixture was stored in 100-mL vented i.v. containers in the dark under refrigeration (4 degrees C) and at room temperature (25 degrees C); three containers were stored at each temperature. A 1-mL sample was taken from each i.v. container immediately after preparation and after 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 days to be inspected visually, checked for pH value, and analyzed by a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method. No color change or precipitation was observed in any sample at any time during the study. More than 95% of the initial concentrations of both drugs remained for five days at 4 degrees C but for only two days at 25 degrees C. Cefoperazone sodium was somewhat more stable than furosemide under the same storage conditions for 25 days; however, less than a 2% difference between the drugs was noted. Under the conditions of this study, cefoperazone sodium 10 mg/mL and furosemide 0.2 mg/mL in admixtures in 5% dextrose injection are stable for only two days at 25 degrees C and five days at 4 degrees C.

The compatibility of cimetidine hydrochloride and cefoperazone sodium in 5% dextrose injection stored at two temperatures was studied. Cimetidine hydrochloride and cefoperazone sodium were reconstituted or diluted with 5% dextrose injection to form an admixture with a cimetidine concentration of 2 mg/mL and a cefoperazone concentration of 5 mg/mL. The admixture was stored in 100-mL vented i.v. containers in the dark at 4 and 25 degrees C; three containers were stored at each temperature. A 2-mL sample was taken from each container after 0.5, 0.75, 1, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours of storage and visually inspected, tested for pH, and assayed by a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method. Triplicate studies were done for each storage condition. At both temperatures, drug concentrations varied by less than 5% during the study period. No color change, precipitation, or cloudiness was observed for any of the solutions under any of the storage conditions. Cefoperazone sodium 5.0 mg/mL and cimetidine hydrochloride 2.0 mg/mL in admixtures in 5% dextrose injection are stable for 48 hours at 4 and 25 degrees C.

Molecular weight characteristics and plasma concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and its binding protein (IGF-BP) were investigated in the toad, Bufo woodhousei. IGF-I and IGF-BP were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA, Kd = 0.37 +/- 0.04 ng/ml) and charcoal-separated ligand binding assay, respectively, in male toad plasma and adult male human donor plasma using a synthetic human IGF-I standard. Prior to the IGF-I RIA, samples were acid-ethanol extracted. Molecular weight characteristics were determined using size exclusion chromatography. At neutral pH (pH = 7.4), IGF-I immunoreactivity and IGF-BP eluted at molecular weight greater than 66 kDa in both toad and human plasma. Acid chromatography (pH approximately 3) resulted in the separation of IGF-I from its binding protein and consequently a shift of IGF-I immunoreactivity to the low molecular weight fractions (approximately 8 kDa) for both toad and human. IGF-BP activity shifted to molecular weight approximately 50 kDa. Toad plasma IGF-I and IGF-BP activity exhibited differences according to season: IGF-I levels were low in the spring (March = 0.48 +/- 0.11 ng eq/ml), increased progressively to reach a peak in July (5.84 +/- 2.5 ng eq/ml), and decreased to low levels again in the fall (October = 0.60 +/- 0.08, November = 0.45 +/- 0.09 ng eq/ml). Plasma IGF-BP activity demonstrated a similar pattern (March = 17.4 +/- 2.5, July = 35.0 +/- 2.4, November = 12.6 +/- 3.2% specific binding). IGF-I was produced for at least 72 hr when toad liver explants were cultured in serum-free medium, indicating that the liver is a source of IGF-I in anurans.

In order to improve the luminance of blue emission of the plasma display panel (PDP), BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+ (BAM) phosphors were synthesized and were coated with SiO2. It was revealed that the surface coating of phosphors with SiO2 leads to an increase in luminance intensity of PDP devices. This seems to be due to the increase of the excitation light which is transmitted into the phosphor, i.e., an effective vacuum ultraviolet absorption of the phosphor via SiO2. The experimental results suggest that the surface coating of BAM with SiO2a is a way to improve the luminance of the PDP.

The effects of oxygen flow rates on the characteristics of electron beam evaporated MgO thin films are investigated. The experimental results reveal that the crystallinity, surface roughness, stoichiometry, density, and secondary electron emission coefficient of MgO thin films change with the oxygen flow rates during film deposition. In addition, discharge voltages of PDP device strongly depend on the stoichiometry and density of MgO film.

The pathogenesis of growth failure in pediatric CRF may involve abnormalities of the IGF system. We have previously shown that serum IGF levels are normal in CRF, while levels of intact IGFBP-1, an IGF-inhibitory binding protein, are elevated. In normals, IGFBP-1 production is suppressed by insulin; fasting IGFBP-1 and insulin levels show a curvilinear inverse relationship. We studied this relationship in 20 patients [age=7.1 ± 3.5SD yr, 3F/17M, GFR (iothalamatc) = 28± 7SD mL/min/1.73m2] involved in a study of GH treatment of CRF. Fasting serum was collected at 0, 3 and 12 months (n = 60). Insulin and IGFBP-1 levels were measured using immunoassay kits (Diagnostic Systems Labs) with mean levels of insulin = 52±7(SE) pmol/L (nl 15-100) and IGFBP-1 =719± 72(SE) ng/niL (nl 20-fold increase in IGFBP-1 levels at the inflection point as compared to normal and obese subjects. The “critical” suppressive insulin level may be slightly less than the level we have previously described for non-CRF patients (70-90 pmol/L). Since GFR was low and homogenous in this group, an independent relationship with IGFBP-1 could not be defined. Compared to baseline, IGFBP-1 levels were reduced 29% and 57% after 3 and 12 months of GH therapy (n=14 pts), while levels were 92% and 94% of baseline for untreated patients (n = 6). GH treatment had no effect on the inverse relationship of IGFBP-1 and insulin. Our results provide evidence that IGFBP-1 production is insulin-dependent in CRF as it is in normals, and that increased levels of this IGF-regulatory protein are probably determined primarily by impaired clearance. Furthermore, while exogenous GH lowers IGFBP-1 levels in CRF, this effect may be mediated by changes in insulin concentrations. Supported by Genentech, Inc. and Diafpiostic Systems Laboratories, Inc.

A study is made of a diagnostic procedure which allows one to estimate the plasma boundary shape and location in a tokamak by using numerical values of the poloidal magnetic flux function ψ in the vicinity of the plasma. In the case of the Impurity Study Experiment (ISX-B) tokamak, the magnetic sensor coils located around the periphery of the vacuum chamber provide information on ∂BR/∂t and ∂Bz/∂t, which can be processed to obtain data on ψ (and ∂ψ/∂n) through the relation BR = - R-1∂ψ/∂Z and Bz = R-1∂ψ/∂R. This leads to a Cauchy boundary condition for the Grad-Shafranov equation Δ*ψ = 0 in the region between the contour of the sensor coil locations and the plasma boundary flux surface. Numerical equilibria calculated for the ISX-B with different shapes are used to simulate ψ data along the coil locations. Random errors are added to the data to test the efficacy of two different approaches: global fitting and local fitting. Reasonably accurate results are obtained by the method of global fitting of the boundary values, which is based on the expansion of ψ in terms of eigenfunctions of Δ*ψ = 0 in a toroidal ring co-ordinate system. This approach is found to permit a relatively large random error in poloidal B field values at the sensor coils and appears to have the potential of rapidly displaying the plasma shape and location.

An advanced Dispatcher Training Simulator (DTS) design which also facilitates software testing is described in this paper. In other EMS enviromnents, special software must be developed to support facility installation and new applications software testing. The DTS is designed such that no substantial changes are required in order for it to be used as a Software Testing Simulator (STS). The key to such a design is a flexible communication interface.

In stellarator‐type magnetic confinement devices (of which the torsatron is one), the magnetic field is produced entirely by external, current‐carrying coils. Two methods for mapping magnetic surfaces in the Auburn torsatron were tested and compared, both of which involve the use of highly transparent screens. The first method consists of coating the screen with a phosphor that emits light when struck by electrons emitted by an electron gun. A pattern representative of a magnetic surface is formed on the screen, and this pattern is recorded photographically. The second method uses an uncoated screen to collect electrons emitted from an emissive probe, which is scanned over a poloidal cross section of the torus. Under certain conditions, the collected current is a constant over a particular magnetic surface so that a contour plot of the current versus position is equivalent to a plot of the magnetic surfaces. Parametric studies of the two methods are presented, and the effectiveness of each technique is di...

Studies relating to the psychosocial aspects of short stature and pubertal delay are reviewed. Although IQ scores show a statistical correlation with stature, significant intellectual, psychological, or academic deficits have not been consistently demonstrated for short children. However, hypopituitary growth failure is associated with poor social adjustment as an adult despite growth hormone therapy. The reasons for this remain unclear. Constitutional pubertal delay in boys can lead to social and academic problems. Treatment with a short course of testosterone can be beneficial in selected cases. Psychosocial considerations should play a major role in the treatment of short stature and pubertal delay.

The ideal MHD stability properties of two sequences of l=2 helical equilibria were studied. It was found that: (1) For moderate to small aspect ratio, a helical model gives an extremely pessimistic stability picture. (2) There is no second stability region as beta is increased (as seen in toroidal calculations) unless a surface current is induced. (3) The effects of an induced surface current suggest a method for achieving higher beta with ideally stable plasmas. (4) The stabilization caused by the surface current can be understood with a simple analytic model.

The paleo‐tidal flows in the waters in the vicinity of Point Roberts and the Fraser River delta were numerically simulated through the development of a coarse grid model (2 km mesh size) and a fine grid model (2/3 km mesh size). The basic hydrodynamic equations, the numerical grid layout, and the finite‐difference forms are given. Special attention was given to transferring the boundary grid data generated from coarse grid model to the boundaries of the fine grid model. Diagrams are presented to show that the fine grid model yields much superior results in the sense of providing a greater amount of detail, in the current patterns and the eddy structure, than is provided by the coarse grid model, in the application to estimating sedimentary patterns.

The present organ chamber and receptor binding studies were designed to evaluate the alpha adrenoceptor subtype (alpha-1 vs. alpha-2) and tissue selectivity of buspirone and the related compounds, gepirone, isapirone and 1-(2-pyrimidinyl)-piperazine (a metabolite of buspirone). Buspirone, gepirone and isapirone were found to possess weak alpha-1 adrenoceptor affinity (relative to prazosin) but significant and selective alpha-1 adrenoceptor intrinsic efficacy (relative to norepinephrine, phenylephrine and ST-587), which was expressed in a tissue- and species-dependent manner. The rank order for alpha-1 adrenoceptor affinity (isapirone greater than buspirone approximately equal to gepirone) was different from the rank order for alpha-1 adrenoceptor intrinsic efficacy (buspirone greater than gepirone greater than isapirone). The tissues that were the most responsive to norepinephrine and ST-587 (i.e., rat and rabbit aorta) were the same tissues in which the intrinsic efficacy of buspirone was expressed. In contrast, 1-(2-pyrimidinyl)-piperazine was inactive at alpha-1 adrenoceptors. Although no alpha-2 adrenoceptor intrinsic efficacy was observed for any of the compounds, isapirone and 1-(2-pyrimidinyl)-piperazine displayed weak alpha-2 adrenoceptor affinity (relative to rauwolscine). Recent studies have shown buspirone to have an effect on central and peripheral monoaminergic mechanisms. The demonstration in the present study that buspirone and related compounds display significant alpha adrenoceptor activity suggests that alpha adrenoceptor involvement should be considered as a potential contributing factor in the central nervous system and/or peripheral activity of this class of compounds.

Linear growth retardation and adult short stature are usual characteristics of Prader-Willi syndrome. Several lines of evidence suggest that a deficiency in growth hormone (GH) secretion may contribute to this abnormal growth pattern. We have recently reported observations in 4 children with Prader-Willi syndrome treated with GH. This report extends our observations in 2 of these cases. Both cases had abnormally low growth rate, normal stimulated GH levels, and low somatomedin-C levels prior to therapy. GH treatment led to significant increases in linear growth rate and somatomedin-C levels. An additive effect of oxandrolone therapy on linear growth rate was demonstrated in one case. Our results support the possibility of a neuro-secretory GH deficiency in Prader-Willi syndrome and suggest a need for further investigations.

Sera from patients with active tuberculosis were assayed for IgG antibodies to purified protein derivative (PPD) by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Eighty seven of the 112 patients (78%) with sputum culture-positive, and 57 of 78 patients (73%) with sputum culture-negative, pulmonary tuberculosis had positive serology. Seventeen of 19 patients (89%) with renal tuberculosis (demonstrable lesion on intravenous pyelography) had antibody to PPD, whereas only 3 of 9 patients (33%) with urinary tuberculosis (positive urine culture only, without abnormality on intravenous pyelography) and 8 of 21 patients (38%) with tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis had positive serology. Seropositivity rate in paediatric patients was also low, only 2 out of 8 patients gave positive serology. Thus, the diagnostic value of this test is limited as a positive result is obtained only when the disease is relatively long-standing or extensive.

The adrenoceptor activity of AY-28,925 (5-[1-hydroxy-2-[(1-methyl-3-phenylpropyl)amino]ethyl]-1 H-indole-7-carboxamide) was evaluated on various isolated vascular and nonvascular tissues. Based upon pA2 values derived from either the antagonism of the effect of isoproterenol on paced guinea pig left atria (pA2 = 7.3), spontaneously beating guinea pig right atria (pA2 = 7.4) or canine saphenous vein (pA2 = 7.3), AY-28,925 demonstrated nonselective beta adrenoceptor antagonist activity. Studies using the spontaneously beating guinea pig right atria and the prostaglandin F2 alpha-contracted canine saphenous vein indicated that AY-28,925 also possessed nonselective beta-adrenoceptor intrinsic efficacy. AY-28,925 was shown to be a selective alpha-1 adrenoceptor antagonist with a pA2 value which was greater against phenylephrine in the rabbit aorta (pA2 = 6.6) than against clonidine in the rat vas deferens (pA2 = 5.4) or B-HT 920 in the canine saphenous vein (pA2 = 5.3). Only in concentrations greater than 2000 times those required for adrenergic activity was AY-28,925 able to inhibit potassium chloride- or prostaglandin F2 alpha-induced contractions of the rabbit aorta. The compound had no significant negative intropic activity. These experiments indicate that AY-28,925 possesses, in decreasing orders of activity: nonselective beta-adrenoceptor properties; a selective alpha-1 adrenoceptor inhibitory effect; and a nonspecific direct relaxing action on vascular smooth muscle.

Pericoronitis is the most commonly encountered pathologic condition involving the mandibular third molar. Because of the dangers associated with mandibular third molar pericoronitis, prophylactic extraction of third molar at high risk has been recommended. We studied 411 patients with mandibular third molar pericoronitis by clinical symptoms and radiographic measurement of mandibular third molar height, wideth and angulation. The results were as follows: 1. Mandibular third molar pericoronitis is frequently seen in third decade and there are no sexual difference significantely. 2. In inflammatory type of mandibular third molar pericoronitis, chronic pericoronitis occured more frequently than acute type. 3. In relation to angulation and height, mandibular third molar most likely to be afflicted with pericoronitis is vertical eruption at occlusal plane of the second molar. 4. In relation to angulation and width, it appears that the position of the mandibular third molar most likely to be afflicted with pericoronitis is in a vertically erupted tooth of which the space between the ramus and the distal side of the second molar is less than the mesiodistal diameter of crown. (Class II). 5. In relation to height and width, it appears that the position of the mandibular third molar most likely to be afflicted with pericoronitis is class II width (described above)at occlusal plane of the second molar.

This study was designed to compare pre-operation, immediate post-operation and over 6 month's follow-up for the mandibular prognathism in order to investigate the changes in the upper airway following mandibular osteotomy. The subjects were 18 patients. Their lateral cephalograms were taken pre-operatively, immediate post-operatively and over 6 months after operation and traced and analysed based on 10 selected items. The following conclusions were reached. 1) The downward displacement of the hyoid bone was recognized right after operation. (P less than 0.01) The hyoid bone tended to move to the original position in male group but not in female group. (P less than 0.01, P greater than 0.05) 2) The distance between the body of hyoid and posterior pharyngeal wall remained constant postoperatively (P greater than 0.05) 3) The distance between the body of hyoid and Menton was found to be shortened right after operation and remained constant thereafter. (P less than 0.01, P greater than 0.05) 4) The distance between the palate and the dorsum of tongue remained constant postoperatively. (P greater than 0.05) 5) The distance between the root of tongue and posterior pharyngeal wall was found to be shortened right after operation and remained constant thereafter. (P less than 0.01, P greater than 0.05) 6) APDI, SN-Pog, SNB and ANB remained constant during over 6 month's follow-up. (P greater than 0.05) 7) Relapse was found to show no correlation to other measurements.