Strength Properties of Preceramic Brazed Joints of a Gold-Palladium Alloy with a Microwave-assisted Oven and Gas/Oxygen Torch Technique

Statement of problem The effect of microwave brazing on the strength properties of dental casting alloys is not yet known. Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the strength properties of preceramic brazed joints obtained by using a microwave oven and a conventional torch flame for a high noble alloy (Au-Pd). Material and methods A total of 18 tensile bars made of an Au-Pd ceramic alloy were fabricated. Six specimens were cut and joined with a high-fusing preceramic solder in a specially designed microwave oven, and 6 specimens were joined with a conventional natural gas/oxygen torch. The remaining 6 uncut specimens were tested as a control. All the specimens were subjected to testing with a universal testing machine. A 1-way ANOVA was performed for each strength property tested. Results The tensile strength of the uncut group was the highest (745 ±19 MPa), followed by the microwave group (420 ±68 MPa) and the conventional torch group (348 ±103 MPa) (P Conclusions The microwave heating preceramic solder method demonstrated the excellent tensile strength of an Au-Pd alloy and may be an alternative way of joining alloys when a torch flame is contraindicated

Avenues of future research in homotransplantation of the liver with particular reference to hepatic supportive procedures, antilymphocyte serum, and tissue typing

Three general areas of research which bear on the developing field of liver transplantation are reviewed. These are: (1) the prospects of obtaining better immunosuppression with particular reference to heterologous antilymphocyte serum; (2) the possible use of antigen matching technics as an advanced indicator of donorrecipient histocompatibility; (3) a simlified system of extracorporeal transplntation designed to provide teporary hepatic support. © 1966

Deep HST-WFPC2 photometry of NGC 288. II. The Main Sequence Luminosity Function

The Main Sequence Luminosity Function (LF) of the Galactic globular cluster NGC 288 has been obtained using deep WFPC2 photometry. We have employed a new method to correct for completeness and fully account for bin-to-bin migration due to blending and/or observational scatter. The effect of the presence of binary systems in the final LF is quantified and is found to be negligible. There is a strong indication of the mass segregation of unevolved single stars and clear signs of a depletion of low mass stars in NGC 288 with respect to other clusters. The results are in good agreement with the prediction of theoretical models of the dynamical evolution of NGC 288 that take into account the extreme orbital properties of this cluster.Comment: 16 pages, 6 .ps figures. Low resolution version of fig. 1; full resolution figure soon available at http://www.bo.astro.it/bap/BAPhome.html l. Latex. emulateapj5.sty macro included. Accepted for publication by The Astronomical Journa

Summer 1973

What Happens to Herbicides in the Environmen? (page 3) Agricultural Chelates--What They Are, What They Do (6) Turfgrass Cultivars (9) Vandalism on the Golf Course (13) Massachusetts Seed laws (20

Perioperative donor bone marrow infusion augments chimerism in heart and lung transplant recipients

Background.: We and others have demonstrated that a low level of donor cell chimerism was present for years after transplantation in tissues and peripheral blood of heart and lung recipients; it was associated, in the latter, with a lower incidence of chronic rejection. To augment this phenomenon, we initiated a trial combining simultaneous infusion of donor bone marrow with heart or lung allotransplantation. Methods.: Between September 1993 and January 1995, 15 nonconditioned patients received either heart (n = 10) or lung (n = 5) allografts concurrently with an infusion of unmodified donor bone marrow (3.0 × 108 cells/kg), and were maintained on an immunosuppressive regimen consisting of tacrolimus and steroids. Results.: There was no complication associated with the infusion of donor bone marrow. Chimerism was detectable in 73% of bone marrow-augmented patients up to the last sample tested. Of the 5 control recipients who did not receive bone marrow infusion, only 1 had detectable chimerism by flow on postoperative day 15, which dwindled to an undetectable level by postoperative day 36. None of the patients had evidence of donor-specific immune modulation by mixed lymphocyte reaction. Conclusions.: The combined infusion of donor bone marrow and heart or lung transplantation, without preconditioning of the recipient, is safe and is associated with an augmentation of donor cell chimerism. © 1995 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Criteria for reducing unnecessary testing for herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, and enterovirus in cerebrospinal fluid samples from adults

Excessive utilization of laboratory diagnostic testing leads to increased health care costs. We evaluated criteria to reduce unnecessary nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) for viral pathogens in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from adults. This is a single-center split retrospective observational study with a screening cohort from 2008 to 2012 and a validation cohort from 2013. Adults with available results for herpes simplex virus 1/2 (HSV-1/2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), or enterovirus (EV) NAAT with CSF samples between 2008 and 2013 were included (n = 10,917). During this study, 1.3% (n = 140) of viral NAAT studies yielded positive results. The acceptance criteria of >10 nucleated cells/μl in the CSF of immunocompetent subjects would have reduced HSV-1/2, VZV, CMV, and EV testing by 63%, 50%, 44%, and 51%, respectively, from 2008 to 2012. When these criteria were applied to the 2013 validation data set, 54% of HSV-1/2, 57% of VZV, 35% of CMV, and 56% of EV tests would have been cancelled. No clinically significant positive tests would have been cancelled in 2013 with this approach. The introduction of a computerized order entry set was associated with increased test requests, suggesting that computerized order sets may contribute to unnecessary testing. Acceptance criteria of >10 nucleated cells/μl in the CSF of immunocompetent adults for viral CSF NAAT assays would increase clinical specificity and preserve sensitivity, resulting in significant cost savings. Implementation of these acceptance criteria led to a 46% reduction in testing during a limited follow-up period

A Characterization of the Shallow-Water Coral Reefs and Associated Habitats of Puerto Rico

We mapped bottom types and shelf zones of 1600 km2 or about one fourth of Puerto Rico’s insular shelf from the shoreline to the shelf edge. Overall map accuracy for these bottom types is estimated as 93.6% correct. Maps were produced through visual interpretation of benthic features using orthorectified aerial photographs within a Geographic Information System with customizable software. The maps are one component of an integrated mapping and monitoring program underway by NOAA and its partners in the US Coral Reef Task Force to assess all US reef ecosystems. Maps are currently being used to enhance coastal research and management activities in Puerto Rico such as fisheries assessments and designation of important fish habitats

Effects of donor bone marrow infusion in clinical lung transplantation

Background. We have demonstrated that donor cell chimerism is associated with a lower incidence of obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) in lung recipients, and that donor chimerism is augmented by the infusion of donor bone marrow (BM). We herein report the intermediate results of a trial combining the infusion of donor BM and lung transplantation. Methods. Clinical and in vitro data of 26 lung recipients receiving concurrent infusion of donor bone marrow (3.0 to 6.0 x 108 cells/kg) were compared with those of 13 patients receiving lung transplant alone. Results. Patient survival and freedom from acute rejection were similar between groups. Of the patients whose graft survived greater than 4 months, 5% (1 of 22) of BM and 33% (4 of 12) of control patients, developed histologic evidence of OB (p = 0.04). A higher proportion (but not statistically significant) of BM recipients (7 of 10, 70%) exhibited donor-specific hyporeactivity by mixed lymphocyte reaction assays as compared with the controls (2 of 7, 28%). Conclusions. Infusion of donor BM at the time of lung transplantation is safe, and is associated with recipients' immune modulation and a lower rate of obliterative bronchiolitis. (C) 2000 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Fucosyltransferase-specific inhibitionvianext generation of fucose mimetics

The ability to custom-modify cell surface glycans holds great promise for treatment of a variety of diseases. We propose a glycomimetic ofl-fucose that markedly inhibits the creation of sLeby FTVI and FTVII, but has no effect on creation of Leby FTIX. Our findings thus indicate that selective suppression of sLex display can be achieved, and STD-NMR studies surprisingly reveal that the mimetic does not compete with GDP-fucose at the enzymatic binding site

Deep Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 Photometry of NGC 288. I. Binary Systems and Blue Stragglers

We present the first results of a deep WFPC2 photometric survey of the loose galactic globular cluster NGC 288. The fraction of binary systems is estimated from the color distribution of objects near the main sequence (MS) with a method analogous to that introduced by Rubenstein & Bailyn. We have unequivocally detected a significant population of binary systems with a radial distribution that has been significantly influenced by mass segregation. In the inner region of the cluster (rh~=1.6rc) the binary fraction (fb) lies in the range 0.08-0.38 regardless of the assumed distribution of mass ratios, F(q). The most probable fb lies between 0.10 and 0.20 depending on the adopted F(q). On the other hand, in the outer region (r>=1rh), fb must be less than 0.10, and the most likely value is 0.0, independently of the adopted F(q). The detected population of binaries is dominated by primordial systems. The specific frequency of blue stragglers (BSs) is exceptionally high, suggesting that the BS production mechanism via binary evolution can be very efficient. A large population of BSs is possible even in low-density environments if a sufficient reservoir of primordial binaries is available. The observed distribution of BSs in the color-magnitude diagram is not compatible with a rate of BS production that has been constant in time, if it is assumed that all the BSs are formed by the merging of two stars. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with proposal GO-6804