[Changes of plasma endothelium-derived relaxing factor and endothelin-1 in patients with chronic cor pulmonale at exercise test]

OBJECTIVE

The authers investigated the levels of plasma EDRF-nitric oxide (NO) and ET-1 in 10 cases of cor pulmonale at exercise.

METHODS

Using the technologies of cardiac catheter, radioimmunization and biochemical analysis.

RESULTS

The level of plasma NO was lower in group A (mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) < 2.67 kPa) than in group B (mPAP > or = 2.67 kPa) at rest; the content of plasma NO increased more markedly in group A than in group B during exercise; there was no change in the content of ET-1 in both groups; mPAP strongly correlated with plasma NO or ET-1 in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The patients with cor pulmonale at early stage may be in a state of compensated release of NO, but its release reserve has been reduced.

Restoration of nitric oxide production by aldose reductase inhibitor in human endothelial cells cultured in high-glucose medium

The effects of elevated glucose and aldose reductase inhibitor (ARI:ONO-2235) on nitric oxide (NO) production in cultured human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC) were evaluated. Aldose reductase and nitric oxide synthase(NOS) share NADPH as an obligate cofactor, therefore it is suggested that the enhanced of glucose flux (27.5 mM) by aldose reductase inhibited NO production by blunting NOS activity. However, the addition of ONO-2235 (100 microM) prevented the inhibition of [NO2-] production. Since ARI decreases glucose-mediated inhibition of NO production in HUVEC. this agent might ameliorate endothelial function associated with diabetes.

Phase independence of pitch produced by narrow-band sounds

Three listeners matched the pitch of a simple tone to that of narrow-band complex signals having different phases. The pitch matches were independent of the phases; the frequency of the simple tone approximately equaled the center of gravity of the power spectrum of each complex signal. This result is inconsistent with a model that calculates the pitch of a waveform as the average of instantaneous frequency weighted by the envelope of the waveform.

[The effects of growth factors on gene expressions in human ovarian cancer cell line HO-8910]

The effects of EGF and TGF beta 1 on onco gene expressions was studied by RT-PCR technique in an ovarian cancer cell line HO-8910. The results showed that TGF beta 1 could inhibit mRNA expression of TGF beta 1 gene and that of c-myc, EGFR and c-erbB2 genes in HO-8910 cells in vitro. However, EGF could enhance the mRNA expressions of c-myc, c-erbB2 and EGFR to various extents, but inhibit that of TGF beta 1 gene.

Crystalline Ropes of Metallic Carbon Nanotubes

Fullerene single-wall nanotubes (SWNTs) were produced in yields of more than 70 percent by condensation of a laser-vaporized carbon-nickel-cobalt mixture at 1200degreesC. X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy showed that these SWNTs are nearly uniform in diameter and that they self-organize into "ropes," which consist of 100 to 500 SWNTs in a two-dimensional triangular lattice with a lattice constant of 17 angstroms. The x-ray form factor is consistent with that of uniformly charged cylinders 13.8 +/- 0.2 angstroms in diameter. The ropes were metallic, with a single-rope resistivity of <10(-4) ohm-centimeters at 300 kelvin. The uniformity of SWNT diameter is attributed to the efficient annealing of an initial fullerene tubelet kept open by a few metal atoms; the optimum diameter is determined by competition between the strain energy of curvature of the graphene sheet and the dangling-bond energy of the open edge, where growth occurs. These factors strongly favor the metallic (10,10) tube with C5v symmetry and an open edge stabilized by triple bonds.

Characterization of polyion counterion interactions in cartilage by 23Na NMR relaxation

Nuclear quadrupole relaxation is a sensitive measure of electrolyte environments. We used the relaxation of 23Na to probe mobile ion-matrix interactions and the electrostatic structure of the polyelectrolyte extracellular matrix of cartilage. Specifically, we measured spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times of 23Na in bovine nasal cartilage at 132 MHz under several conditions. Matrix fixed charge density was reduced by protonating anionic sites and by matrix digestion with trypsin and the relaxation times compared to controls. Under all conditions studied, measured longitudinal relaxation was monoexponential with values ranging from 16-32 msec. Transverse relaxation exhibited biexponential behavior in all cartilage samples with a fast component in the range of 2 to 5 ms and a slow component between 16 and 53 ms. Reduction in matrix fixed charge density in all cases led to a decrease in the relaxation rates. The results suggest a two-site model for Na+ ions in cartilage and a relaxation mechanism involving both polyion segmental motion and counterion diffusion. In the context of ion condensation theory, the implication of a two-site model is that the mean polyion-polyion spacing may be less than 0.7 nm. The mean polyion-counterion spacings were estimated by calculating correlation times and quadrupole coupling constants. These spacings were found to be 0.5-0.7 nm.

Decision rules of listeners in spectral-shape discrimination with or without signal-frequency uncertainty

A correlation technique was used to assess the decision rules of three listeners in two cases of spectral-shape discrimination tasks. In one case the signal frequency was fixed, and in the other it was randomly varied within each block of trials. In order to estimate the decision rule of the listeners, the experimenter superimposed random level perturbations on each frequency component upon each stimulus presentation. Over many trials, correlation coefficients were computed between the random perturbations and the binary responses of the listeners, and were expressed as a function of signal level. For both the fixed- and random-signal cases, the measured correlation functions were in reasonably good agreement with those predicted based on the likelihood-ratio decision rules. Thus the listeners appeared to use information nearly optimally in discriminating spectral shapes. This investigation demonstrated that the correlation technique can be used to reveal the decision rules for cases where the decision statistics are nonlinear functions of the observations.

The optimum decision rules in the same-different paradigm

In this paper we derive the optimum (likelihood-ratio) decision statistic for a same-different paradigm. The likelihood ratio is dependent on the degree of correlation between the two observations on each trial. For the two extreme cases in which the observations are either independent or highly correlated, the optimum decision rule is identical to each of two previously suggested decision rules. For these two cases, the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves are calculated. Finally, an experimental procedure is suggested for assessing the decision rule actually used by the observer in a same-different task.

Glutathione S-transferases in the Japanese quail: tissue distribution and purification of the liver isozymes

Cytosolic glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitro-benzene (CDNB), 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene (DCNB), ethacrynic acid (EA), 1,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxyl)propane (EPNP), trans-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one(t-PBO), delta 5-androstene-3,17-dione (ASD) and trans-stilbene oxide (t-SO); cytosolic glutathione peroxidase activity toward cumene hydroperoxide (CuOOH); and microsomal GST activity toward CDNB were examined in liver, kidney, brain, and lung of adult male and female Japanese quail. In all cases, the renal specific activity per milligram protein was higher than the hepatic activity and was the highest among the four tissues examined. No consistent sex differences in GST activity were observed. The GSTs were purified from quail liver cytosol by S-hexylglutathione and glutathione affinity chromatography. Total GSTs eluted from the S-hexylglutathione affinity column were further separated by chromatofocusing, and the microheterogeneity of the GST isozymes was shown by high-resolution native isoelectrofocusing (IEF) in polyacrylamide slab gels and by SDS-PAGE. Five subunits were identified: QL1 (30.5 kDa), QL2 (27.2 kDa), QL3a (26.8 kDa), QL3b (26.5 kDa), and QL4 (25.5 kDa). Western blot analysis revealed that QL1 and QL2 reacted with antibodies raised against the rat Mu class GSTs (Yb1 and Yb2), and QL3a and QL3b reacted with those raised against the Alpha class (rat Ya and mouse a). Substrate specific activity of each isoform was determined with CDNB, DCNB, CuOOH, EA, t-PBO, ASD, and t-SO. QL3a and QL3b have high reactivity toward CuOOH, while QL1 and QL2 showed high activity toward t-SO. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of QL2 was identical to that of the chicken Mu class GST subunit CL2. However, no sequence was obtained with QL1 due to possible N-terminal blockage.

The optimum decision rules for the oddity task

This paper presents the optimum decision rule for an m-interval oddity task in which m-1 intervals contain the same signal and one is different or odd. The optimum decision rule depends on the degree of correlation among observations. The present approach unifies the different strategies that occur with "roved" or "fixed" experiments (Macmillan & Creelman, 1991, p. 147). It is shown that the commonly used decision rule for an m-interval oddity task corresponds to the special case of highly correlated observations. However, as is also true for the same-different paradigm, there exists a different optimum decision rule when the observations are independent. The relation between the probability of a correct response and d' is derived for the three-interval oddity task. Tables are presented of this relation for the three-, four-, and five-interval oddity task. Finally, an experimental method is proposed that allows one to determine the decision rule used by the observer in an oddity experiment.

On measuring psychometric functions: a comparison of the constant-stimulus and adaptive up-down methods

Psychometric functions were obtained using the conventional constant-stimulus method and an adaptive up-down method, for both computer-simulated and human observers. Except when the stimuli are closely placed, psychometric functions obtained with the adaptive method are as accurate as those obtained with the constant-stimulus method. Empirically, the adaptive method has some potential advantages owing to its ability to automatically concentrate the trials within the dynamic range of the psychometric function. It needs no pilot measurements for setting the signals as required by the constant-stimulus method. Furthermore, following a marked change in the underlying psychometric function, the distribution of the trials is automatically readjusted. Thus, on the basis of empirical considerations, the adaptive method is a better choice than the constant-stimulus method for measuring psychometric functions.

L-DOPA and psychosis: evidence for L-DOPA-induced increases in prefrontal cortex dopamine and in serum corticosterone

L-DOPA can often induce psychotic reactions during treatment for Parkinson's disease. This study was undertaken to assess, in an animal model of Parkinson's disease, the impact of L-DOPA treatment on two potential biological risk factors for psychosis, namely, an increase in prefrontal cortex dopamine and an increase in the stress-related hormone corticosterone. Hemiparkinsonian rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions which resulted in severe unilateral denervation of dopamine neurons were treated with either saline or 25 mg/kg L-DOPA methyl ester (with 2 mg/kg carbidopa). Serum L-DOPA concentrations were found to be positively and highly correlated with serum corticosterone, with medial prefrontal cortex dopamine and with the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid. Serum L-DOPA, however, was found not to be correlated with serum or brain concentrations of serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, or norepinephrine. These findings support the possibility that chronic L-DOPA treatment can expose parkinsonian patients to two significant risk factors for psychosis: 1) increased levels of prefrontal cortex dopamine, and 2) increased levels of serum corticosterone.

Purification of crotonyl-CoA reductase from Streptomyces collinus and cloning, sequencing and expression of the corresponding gene in Escherichia coli

A crotonyl-CoA reductase (EC 1.3.1.38, acyl-CoA:NADP+ trans-2-oxidoreductase) catalyzing the conversion of crotonyl-CoA to butyryl-CoA has been purified and characterized from Streptomyces collinus. This enzyme, a dimer with subunits of identical mass (48 kDa), exhibits a Km = 18 microM for crotonyl-CoA and 15 microM for NADPH. The enzyme was unable to catalyze the reduction of any other enoyl-CoA thioesters or to utilize NADH as an electron donor. A highly effective inhibition by straight-chain fatty acids (Ki = 9.5 microM for palmitoyl-CoA) compared with branched-chain fatty acids (Ki > 400 microM for isopalmitoyl-CoA) was observed. All of these properties are consistent with a proposed role of the enzyme in providing butyryl-CoA as a starter unit for straight-chain fatty acid biosynthesis. The crotonyl-CoA reductase gene was cloned in Escherichia coli. This gene, with a proposed designation of ccr, is encoded in a 1344-bp open reading frame which predicts a primary translation product of 448 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 49.4 kDa. Several dispersed regions of highly significant sequence similarity were noted between the deduced amino acid sequence and various alcohol dehydrogenases and fatty acid synthases, including one region that contains a putative NADPH binding site. The ccr gene product was expressed in E. coli and the induced crotonyl-CoA reductase was purified tenfold and shown to have similar steady-state kinetics and electrophoretic mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide to the native protein.

Antibody reactivity to the HRES-1 endogenous retroviral element identifies a subset of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and overlap syndromes. Correlation with antinuclear antibodies and HLA class II alleles

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the correlation between the presence of antibodies to an endogenous retroviral element-encoded nuclear protein autoantigen, HRES-1, and the presence of other antinuclear antibodies and HLA class II alleles in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and overlap syndromes.

METHODS

Antibody reactivities to native and recombinant proteins and synthetic peptides were assessed by counterimmunoelectrophoresis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Western blotting. HLA class II alleles were determined by oligonucleotide typing.

RESULTS

Forty-eight percent of the 153 patients with autoimmune disease, and 52% of the subgroup with SLE, had HRES-1 antibodies. In contrast, 3.6% of 111 normal donors, and none of 42 patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or 50 asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus 1-infected patients, had HRES-1 antibodies. Chi-square analyses revealed a significant association between anti-HRES-1 and anti-RNP and an inverse correlation between HRES-1 and Ro/La autoantibodies in patients with SLE or overlap syndromes. Antigenic epitopes of HRES-1 and the retroviral gag-related region of the 70-kd protein component of U1 small nuclear RNP, which share 3 consecutive highly charged amino acids (Arg-Arg-Glu), an additional Arg, and functionally similar Arg/Lys residues, represent cross-reactive epitopes between the two proteins. Selective removal of HRES-1 antibodies from sera of HRES-1-seropositive/RNP-seropositive patients by absorption on recombinant HRES-1/glutathione-S-transferase-conjugated agarose beads had no effect on anti-RNP reactivities. A comparative multivariate analysis of HLA class II genes revealed a differential segregation of DQB1 alleles in HRES-1-seropositive versus HRES-1-seronegative patients (P = 0.04). While a relative increase of DQB1*0402 among HRES-1-seropositive patients was noted across ethnic groups (P = 0.02), a decrease of DQB1*0201 and DQB1*0301 was found in white HRES-1-seropositive patients (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Autoantibodies to HRES-1 are detectable in a distinct subset of patients with autoimmune disease, primarily in those who do not have antibodies to Ro and La. Anti-HRES-1 and anti-RNP reactivities are mediated by cross-reactive but separate antibody molecules. HLA-DQB genes, rather than HLA-DRB or DQA genes, may have a more significant influence on generation of these antinuclear autoantibodies.

A new methodological approach to the study of habituation: the use of positive and negative behavioral indices of habituation

This report details a new method to measure habituation in an open-field. In addition to the measurement of spontaneous locomotor activity, time spent per visit to the center zone (CZ) is also measured. Critically, a small object is placed in the CZ to modulate an animal's investigatory response. When an animal is first exposed to the open-field, the presence of the object does not affect the duration of its visits to the CZ but, if the animal is given one additional 10-min exposure to the open-field, then the presence of the object substantially increases the duration of its visits to the CZ. The presence of the object, however, has no effect on the rat's locomotor activity. Thus, habituation could be observed by two different measures: a decrease in locomotor activity and an increase in an animal's investigatory response to a stimulus object. A basic problem with a reliance solely upon a decrease in locomotor activity to measure habituation is that it represents a negative change in behavior. The present method circumvents this shortcoming by incorporating a positive behavioral measure of habituation in conjunction with the measurement of locomotor activity. This modification of the open-field test offers substantial utility for studies of neurotoxicology and memory because one can assess concurrently treatment effects on motor activity, attention to an object and memory.

Influence of hemodialysis membranes on gene expression and plasma levels of interleukin-1 beta

Plasma levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) were measured in 10 normal subjects, in 11 nondialyzed end-stage renal failure (ESRD) patients, and in 22 hemodialysis (HD) patients. Of the HD patients, 7 were dialyzed with Cuprophan (CU), 7 with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and 8 with polysulphone (PS) dialyzers. In normal controls, nondialyzed ESRD patients, and HD equipped with CU, PAMM, and PS dialyzers, plasma levels of IL-1 beta were 10.73 +/- 5.24 pg/ml, 9.97 +/- 3.61 pg/ml, 13.17 +/- 4.04 pg/ml, 15.16 +/- 6.16 pg/ml, and 13.96 +/- 5.47 pg/ml, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences among the groups (p > or = 0.05). In contrast, the gene expression of IL-1 beta for peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by in situ hybridization showed differences among the groups. The gene for IL-1 beta for PBMC appears in HD equipped with different membranes, but not in cases of nondialyzed uremic patients and normal subjects. With computer imaging analysis, we carried out quantitative analysis of cells in in situ hybridization with an area of positive spots to an area of total cells. In HD with CU, PMMA, and PS, the results were 10.64 +/- 1.07, 3.34 +/- 0.74, and 3.27 +/- 0.64%, respectively. The levels of IL-1 beta gene expression in CU were higher than that in PMMA or PS. There were statistically significant differences (p < or = 0.001) between CU and PMMA or PS and no significant difference between the PMMA and PS (p > or = 0.05). We suggest measuring the gene expression of cytokines for PBMC and which may be better than measuring cytokine levels only for investigating the blood compatibility of dialyzers, which may help in understanding chronic complications of the dialysis procedure.

Detecting signals of unexpected or uncertain durations

Expectation of signal duration influences the signal detectability. This is demonstrated in two experiments in which percent correct was measured for both tonal and noise signals whose durations were either unexpected or uncertain. In both experiments, the signal at each duration was set to have a d' of about 1.5 when that duration was presented alone and expected. When the six subjects were led to expect a short- or a long-duration signal using the probe-signal method, the detectability of signals decreased to near chance as the signal duration deviated from the expected value (experiment 1). When the subjects were led to expect a range of durations, the detectability was only slightly worse than when each signal was presented alone (experiment 2). Those results suggest that listeners adjust their temporal-integration intervals according to the demand of the specific task. Finally, the results obtained with the noise signal were analyzed using the multiple-look model and a modified energy-detector model. Assuming that the integration interval is matched to the expected signal duration, both models predict the detection of signals having unexpected durations reasonably well. Both models, however, fail to predict the small effect of duration uncertainty.

The NMDA receptor and cocaine: evidence that MK-801 can induce behavioral sensitization effects

Antagonism of the NMDA receptor with MK-801 is considered to be an effective pharmacologic manipulation to prevent the development of sensitization effects to drugs such as cocaine. The present study investigated this issue by comparing the behavioral response of separate groups of rats to three treatment cycles of either saline, 0.1 mg/kg MK-801, 10 mg/kg cocaine, or combined MK-801-cocaine (0.1/10 mg/kg). The treatments were spaced 1 week apart and were preceded by two nondrug baseline tests. In the first test cycle, the four groups had equivalent activity levels in the two nondrug tests. In the first drug test only the MK-801-cocaine group exhibited hyperactivity. By the third drug test, the MK-801-cocaine group exhibited an enhanced hyperactivity and the MK-801 group became hyperactive. Thus, behavioral drug sensitization developed but only with groups treated with MK-801. Antagonism of the NMDA receptor under some circumstances can be a highly effective treatment for the induction of behavioral sensitization effects.

[Use of perfluorodecalin in giant retinal tear retinal detachment surgery]

Perfluorodecalin is used for the treatment of 11 eyes with giant retinal tear retinal detachment surgery. Perfluorocarbon liquids can be used as an operative hydrodynamic tool during vitreous surgery. The high specific gravity of perfluorocarbon liquids allows an easy unfolding of the inverted flap and flattening of the retina, displacing the subretinal fluid and stabilizing the retina for membrane peeling. Endophotocoagulation may be performed under optimal visual condition. The success rate was 81.8% (9/11). The retina failed to reattach in patients with advanced proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The surgical techniques were discussed.

The Drosophila schnurri gene acts in the Dpp/TGF beta signaling pathway and encodes a transcription factor homologous to the human MBP family

Decapentaplegic (dpp), a TGF beta-related ligand, plays a key role in Drosophila development. Although dpp receptors have been isolated, the downstream components of the signaling pathway remain to be identified. We have cloned the schnurri (shn) gene and show that it encodes a putative zinc finger transcription factor homologous to the human major histocompatibility complex-binding proteins 1 and 2. Mutations in shn affect multiple events that require dpp signaling as well as the transcription of dpp-responsive genes. Genetic interactions and the strikingly similar phenotypes of mutations in shn and the dpp receptors encoded by thick veins and punt suggest that shn plays a downstream role in dpp signaling.

Discriminating coherence in spectro-temporal patterns

This study examined the ability of trained listeners to discriminate coherent components in randomly varying spectral patterns. In each observation interval, the listener was presented with a sequence of bursts of multitone complexes having a fixed number of tones (m) in each burst. In the standard interval, the frequency of each tone in every burst was chosen randomly between 200 and 5000 Hz. In the signal interval, the frequencies of n tones were repeated throughout the burst sequence while the remaining m-n tones were chosen at random. The n tones were coherent in the sense that they were perceived as "sticking together" to form a pattern. The listener's task was to discriminate which burst sequence contained the n components. The results indicated that discrimination improved with increasing n/m, with increasing number of bursts per interval, and declined as the coherent components were increasingly perturbed in frequency. Further, for a fixed value of the ratio n/m discriminability was relatively independent of m. A model incorporating multichannel filtering and an optimum decision rule was reasonably successful in accounting for the experimental results.

Variation in protein and RNA synthesis activity in isolated mitochondria of the developing rice (Oryza sativa L.) panicle

We have studied variation in mitochondrial protein and RNA synthesis during the development of a specialized rice (Oryza sativa L.) reproductive organ in a bacteria-free environment. Mitochondria were prepared from the maturing panicle during microsporogenesis when meiosis occurred and from etiolated seedlings at two growth stages. We found (1) that there was no discernible qualitative difference among the polypeptides synthesized by these three mitochondrial samples; (2) that the quantity of proteins synthesized by panicle mitochondria was approximately 3 times that of the seedling mitochondria, while the two seedling samples exhibited only a minor quantitative difference; (3) that panicle and seedling mitochondria samples synthesized qualitatively the same RNA but at distinctly different rates and that more RNA products were synthesized by panicle than by seedling mitochondria. These results, taken together, suggest that either the regulation of mitochondrial transcription and translation or the copy number of mitochondrial DNA per mitochondrion change discretely in the developing panicle and consequently that the level of mitochondrial gene expression increases considerably during the development of the reproductive structure in rice.

A two-filter model for frequency discrimination

In this paper, we explore a two-filter model, the simplest version of multi-channel models for frequency discrimination of simple tones. According to this model, frequency discrimination is based on a change in the relative output levels of two auditory filters, one centered below and the other above the frequency of the tone. This idea can explain the experimental results that frequency discrimination is relatively unaffected by randomization of stimulus level. Moreover, it suggests a close relationship between the ability of listeners to perform frequency discrimination of simple tones and spectral-shape discrimination of two-tone complexes. The ability of three listeners to perform these two tasks was measured at six frequencies (from 0.25 to 8 kHz). The results from the spectral-shape-discrimination task were used to predict frequency-difference limens. There was a high correlation between obtained and predicted values.

L-DOPA metabolism in cortical and striatal tissues in an animal model of parkinsonism

Rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the midbrain tegmentum were treated with 25 mg/kg L-DOPA methyl ester/2 mg/kg carbidopa. The effects of the L-DOPA treatment upon serum, neocortical, and striatal L-DOPA and 3-O-methyl dopa (3-OMD) concentrations were measured. The highest L-DOPA and 3-OMD concentrations were obtained in the serum and in a ratio of approximately 2:1. In the brain, there was a uniform distribution of 3-OMD but L-DOPA concentrations were highly nonhomogeneous. Regression line equations for the statistically significant correlation coefficients between L-DOPA and tissue dopamine concentrations suggested that L-DOPA generated 50-60 times as much dopamine in the intact striatum as in cortex. The regional variation of L-DOPA concentration appears related to the capability of the brain tissue to generate and store dopamine from L-DOPA. In addition, the findings suggest that the behavioral ineffectiveness of L-DOPA in intact animals is related to its capacity to transform L-DOPA to tissue bound dopamine.

Time course effects of MK-801: the relationship between brain neurochemistry and behavior

Separate groups of rats were given saline or MK-801 treatments (0.3 mg/kg) and tested for locomotion activity levels for 10 min at 30, 60, and 120 min postinjection. At each postinjection time interval the MK-801 rats exhibited a marked hyperactivity that was unchanged across the three postinjection intervals. Ex vivo biochemical assays were performed to assess the neurochemical effects of MK-801 at each injection interval. In the striatum, a marked increase in dopamine metabolism was observed in the 120 injection group, but, otherwise, no other changes in striatum were detected. In contrast, a significant increase in dopamine metabolism was observed after 30 min in the medial prefrontal cortex, and this effect persisted across all postinjection intervals. At 120 min, however, the biochemical impact of the MK-801 treatment on medial prefrontal cortex broadened to include a decrease in purine metabolism and norepinephrine. Serotonin metabolism was unaffected in striatum or medial prefrontal cortex across all injection intervals, and there was no effect of MK-801 on plasma corticosterone levels.

Differentiation of motor inactivation from movement asymmetry effects in an animal model of hemi-parkinsonism

Rats subjected to unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion of the pars compacta of the substantia nigra sustained a wide range of dopamine (DA) loss in the neostriatum. Residual DA levels of < 50% resulted in behavioural impairments which correlated with the degree of DA denervation, whereas no such effects occurred with residual DA levels of > 50%. Within 1 week after surgery the effects of the lesion on motor activation recovered whereas movement asymmetrics exhibited no recovery. In addition, movement asymmetry effects were not correlated with motoric inactivation effects. This finding indicates that dopamine denervation of the neostriatum disrupts sensory/motor integration and attentional processes rather than motor activation.

Cocaine stimulant effects vary with cocaine levels in medial prefrontal cortex

Rats treated with 10 mg kg-1 cocaine exhibited hyperlocomotion. Individual variation in the magnitude of this response was not correlated with serum cocaine concentration. Brain cocaine concentration, particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex, was highly correlated with the cocaine-induced locomotor stimulant effect. These findings indicate that variation in the uptake of cocaine into the brain is a critical variable in determining individual variation in its stimulant effects.

High-resolution surface-emitting spectrometer and deformation sensors with nonlinear waveguides

We investigate the limits of frequency resolution attainable in a nonlinear waveguide optical spectrometer, including the effects that are due to surface distortions and waveguide inhomogeneities, and demonstrate that the frequency-resolving capability is directly scalable with the radiating aperture length. The resolution of the waveguide is diffraction limited, and therefore the far-field radiation pattern can be used to characterize the phase variations along the waveguide that are due to surface distortions. The use of this device as a highly sensitive deformation sensor is demonstrated by application of a distortion to the waveguide and confirmation of the far-field diffraction pattern generated.

Simultaneous Observation of Columnar Defects and Magnetic Flux Lines in High-Temperature Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 Superconductors

Columnar defects generated by heavy-ion irradiation are promising structures for pinning magnetic flux lines and enhancing critical currents in superconductors with high transition temperatures. An approach that combines chemical etching and magnetic decoration was used to highlight simultaneously the distributions of columnar defects and magnetic flux lines in Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8) superconductors. Analyses of images of the columnar defects and flux-line positions provide insight into flux-line pinning by elucidating (i) the occupancy of columnar defects by flux lines, (ii) the nature of topological defects in the flux-line lattice, and (iii) the translational and orientational order in this lattice.

Signal-frequency uncertainty in spectral-shape discrimination: psychometric functions

Psychometric functions were measured for spectral-shape discrimination (profile analysis) with the signal frequency either fixed, what we call the signal-known condition, or randomly varied, what we call the signal-unknown condition. The functions were obtained using an adaptive, up-down procedure. In the signal-unknown condition, independent tracks for each signal frequency were interleaved within the same block of trials. The mean slope of the psychometric function [k in log d' = k log delta L+C, where delta L = 20 log(1 + delta p/p)] was 1.13 for the signal-known conditions and 1.19 for the signal-unknown condition. The mean signal-to-standard ratio at threshold (Pc = 79.4%) obtained in the signal-unknown condition was 3 to 4 dB higher than that obtained in the signal-known conditions. The psychometric functions of the ideal observer were derived for both the signal-known and signal-unknown conditions. A comparison of the measured and derived psychometric functions suggests that the internal noise component that is statistically independent across frequency channels contributes minimally to the total (internal and external) noise sources that are involved in the decision process.

'Priming' enhances the relationship of striatal L-dopa concentration to behavior

Rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions were exposed to L-DOPA treatments, 25 mg kg-1 L-DOPA methyl ester/2 mg kg-1 carbidopa, or to saline. Fourteen days later, both sets of animals were tested with the L-DOPA/carbidopa treatment. The L-DOPA pre-exposed animals exhibited behavioral sensitization as indexed by a higher frequency of contralateral rotations. Although striatal L-DOPA and HVA concentrations were equivalent in the two groups, the L-DOPA treatment induced a 10 fold variation in the range of L-DOPA concentrations in the 6-OHDA striatum in both sets of animals. Importantly, significant correlations between striatal L-DOPA concentration and behavior were obtained only for the L-DOPA pre-exposed animals.

Effects of dose and interdose interval on locomotor sensitization to the dopamine agonist quinpirole

To assess whether the interval between injections affects the course of locomotor sensitization to quinpirole, groups of rats were injected every 2, 4, or 8 days with quinpirole (0, 0.025, 0.25, 0.5, and 2.5 mg/kg; n = 222) and their locomotor activity monitored after each injection for a total of 10 tests. Results indicate that the number of drug injections, rather than the interval between them, predominantly controls the development of locomotor sensitization to quinpirole. It is suggested that this may reflect a rapid induction but slow decay time for a response-enhancing factor stimulated by each injection of quinpirole, and that the effects of this putative factor are cumulative but saturable.

Surface Pinning as a Determinant of the Bulk Flux-Line Lattice Structure in Copper Oxide Superconductors

Direct knowledge of crystal defects and their perturbation of magnetic flux lines is essential to understanding pinning and to devising approaches that enhance critical currents in superconductors with high critical temperatures (T(c)). Atomic force microscopy was used to simultaneously characterize crystal defects and the magnetic flux-line lattice in single crystals of Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8). Images show that surface defects, which are present on all real samples, pin the flux-line lattice. Above a critical height, the pinning interaction is sufficiently strong to form grain boundaries in the bulk flux-line lattice. These results elucidate the structure of the defects that pin flux lines and demonstrate that surface pinning, through the formation of grain boundaries, can determine the bulk flux-line lattice structure in high-T(c) materials. The implications of these results to the bulk flux-line lattice structure observed in previous experiments and to enhancing critical currents are discussed.

A new method to quantify behavioral attention to a stimulus object in a modified open-field

A new method was developed to measure locomotion and attention to a stimulus object in a typical open-field environment using a video image-analyzer system. A computer-generated central zone (CZ) composing 1/9 of the open-field floor area was monitored independently from the rest of the area. Intermittently, a 4 x 4 x 2 cm object was placed in the CZ. In 10 min test sessions, the presence of the object repeatedly and consistently increased the animal's time spent in the CZ as compared with tests when the object was absent. The presence of the object, however, did not increase either the number of entries to the CZ or overall locomotor activity. The object reliably elicited an investigatory response when the animal enter the CZ but otherwise was behaviorally neutral. Thus, by incorporating a stimulus object in a conventional open-field test environment, the present methodology extends the open-field test beyond the measurement of overall spontaneous activity to include an assessment of behavioral processes linked to attention mechanisms.

The NMDA antagonist MK-801 can impair attention to exteroceptive stimuli

Using a modified open-field method, we assessed the effects of MK-801 (0.01 to 0.3 mg/kg) on locomotion and on attention to a stimulus object located in a computer-generated central zone (CZ). The CZ comprised 1/9 of the open-field floor area and was monitored independently from the rest of the area. Intermittently, a 4 x 4 x 2 cm block was placed in the CZ. In 10-min trials, non-drug tests showed that the presence of the stimulus object repeatedly and consistently increased the rats' visit duration in the CZ as compared with tests when the object was absent. Locomotor activity and entries to the CZ were unaffected by the object. MK-801 induced dose dependent hyperlocomotion and increased CZ entries and, most important, a dose dependent decrease in the animal's response to the stimulus object in the CZ. The present investigation suggests that MK-801 impacts upon two major functions; (a) a blockade of processing of attentional information from the external world and (b) activation of locomotor response systems. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that blockade of glutamate neurotransmission by MK-801 impairs the flow of information from the external world to response mechanisms in the striatum. The present study also suggests that MK-801's potential as a therapeutic agent for motoric activation in the treatment for Parkinson's disease would be contraindicated by its disruptive influence upon attention processing functions.

Dynamics of behavioral sensitization induced by the dopamine agonist quinpirole and a proposed central energy control mechanism

The study characterizes the process of sensitization induced by intermittent administrations of quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg) in rats in a large open field. Sensitization was found to be self-limiting, with all measures of behavior reaching a plateau after the tenth twice-weekly injection. Kinetics of sensitization were a simple hyperbolic function of the number of drug injections for some measures (speed of locomotion, length of locomotor bouts) but showed positive co-operativity for others (distance travelled, duration of locomotion, frequency of stops, route stereotypy), suggesting potentiation of the effect by preceding injections. The pace of sensitization varied for different behaviors: locomotor speed changed fastest in the early portion of chronic treatment; stereotypy of route changed primarily during the late phase; mouthing did not sensitize. Sensitization evolved by a cascade of changes that included: advancing the onset of locomotor activation; prolonging the duration of locomotion; establishing new maxima of observable responses; altering the mode of locomotion; raising speed, rate and length of locomotor bouts; and increasing stereotypy of travel. These observations do not substantiate the prediction that development of behavioral sensitization is associated with emergence of disorganized activity and/or fractionation of response chains. Instead, it is proposed that development of sensitization may represent a build-up and strengthening of performance, reflecting enhanced central control of energy expenditure stimulated by repeated injections of quinpirole. Furthermore, it is suggested that for at least one response, the maximum observable amount of locomotion, development of sensitization requires only D2 stimulation, independent of D1 tone.

[Treatment of macular hole retinal detachment with vitrectomy]

Pars plana vitrectomies were performed on 64 eyes with macular hole retinal detachment of which 20 with severe proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR C-D) and 18 with definite vitreoretinal traction on the maculae were found. Retinal reattachment occurred in 57 eyes in the follow-up (89.1%) of which the visual acuities improved in 43 (74.5%), unchanged in 13 and decreased in 1. The points for attention in the operation were discussed. The key factors influencing the success of the operation are severe PVR, the course of the retinal detachment.

[A new species of Pseudomonas]

A strain No. 9191 isolated from fruit juice mineral drink is gram-negative short-rod. It differs from reported species of Pseudomonas in morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics. Main characteristics of No. 9191 are single polar flagelled, oxidase and catalase positive, no acid from glucose but producing alkali, nitrate reduced to nitrite, inability to hydrolize gelatin and starch, arginine dihydrolase absent, no growth in presence of 0.85% NaCl. The G+C mol% of DNA is 65.15. It is named Pseudomonas halosensibilis Zou & Cai nov. sp. by the sensibility property for salt.

Detection of unexpected tones with short and long durations

The detectability of short and long unexpected tones masked by a continuous wideband noise was assessed using a probe-signal method. This method leads the listener to expect a target frequency by presenting the signal most often at that frequency, and only occasionally at other unexpected probe frequencies. The probe-signal contour (percent correct as a function of probe frequency) was considerably broader with 5-ms than with 295-ms signals. However, auditory filter shapes measured using the notched-noise technique were very similar for those two signal durations, indicating that the results obtained in the probe-signal conditions do not simply reflect peripheral frequency selectivity. Further supporting this interpretation, probe tones having the same frequency but a different duration from the target were poorly detected. It is proposed that the subject listens through a time-frequency window whose location and shape in the time-frequency plane is determined by the duration and frequency of the target.

Detection of unexpected tones in gated and continuous maskers

The effect of gating a wideband masker on the detectability of tones having unexpected frequencies was assessed using a probe-signal method. This method leads the listener to expect a target frequency by presenting the signal most often at that frequency, and measures sensitivity to other unexpected frequencies via occasionally presented probe tones. For 295-ms signals, the probe-signal contours (percent correct as a function of probe frequency) of two of four subjects were considerably broader for a 295-ms masker than for a continuous masker. For 5-ms signals, the probe-signal contours of four of five subjects were quite broad and similar for both gated and continuous maskers. When the probe-signal contours were expressed as the attenuation in decibels of the probes, the resulting "probe-signal filters" were frequently broader than auditory filters measured using notched noise in the same subjects. This suggests that subjects may monitor multiple auditory filters under some conditions in the probe-signal task. Signal threshold tended to be higher for conditions showing wider probe-signal filters, indicating a potential link between changes in signal threshold due to masker gating and the number of frequency channels that are monitored.

L-dopa induced increases in brain uric acid in an animal model of Parkinson's disease: a relationship to behavioral activation

Rats with severe unilateral dopamine denervation (> or = 95% dopamine deficit), produced by intracerebral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the ventral tegmentum nigrostriatal dopamine neurons, were administered 25 mg/kg L-dopa (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) methyl ester/2 mg/kg carbidopa. The neurochemical effects of the L-dopa treatment on uric acid in the cortex and striatum of the intact and 6-OHDA hemisphere were measured. In comparison to saline animals, uric acid concentrations in brain were increased in the L-dopa treated animals. There were no interhemispheric differences in the uric acid concentrations either in the L-dopa or in the saline treated animals. Interhemispheric differences were, however, observed in terms of the correlations obtained between L-dopa and uric acid concentrations in the intact vs. the 6-OHDA hemisphere. Statistically significant correlation coefficients were found in the striatal and cortex samples obtained from the 6-OHDA hemisphere. Furthermore, high correlation coefficients were observed between contralateral rotation frequencies and uric acid concentrations in the cortex and striatum of the 6-OHDA hemisphere. In contrast, only low and statistically non significant correlations were observed in the tissue samples obtained from the intact hemisphere. These observations suggest that L-dopa activation of the dopamine supersensitive receptors of the DA denervated hemisphere and the associated metabolism of purines with high energy phosphate bonds (e.g. ATP and GTP) increases uric acid as an end-product of purine metabolism. These findings are consistent with other findings indicating that uric acid in the brain can provide an index of metabolic activation in brain tissue.

A composite randomization procedure for measuring spectral shape discrimination

In studies of auditory profile analysis [D. M. Green, Profile Analysis: Auditory Intensity Discrimination (Oxford U. P., New York, 1988)], the sounds are presented at random levels to discourage the listener from basing the discrimination on a difference in absolute level rather than on a difference in the shape of the spectrum. A difference in absolute level, however, can still provide an effective discrimination cue if the difference is comparable to the range of randomization. Using enormous ranges of random levels is not desirable, because it is distracting to normal listeners and may exceed the dynamic range of hearing for listeners with hearing loss. This article describes a new experimental procedure which permits the experimenter to greatly reduce the range of level randomization in roving-level tasks.

On the pitch of two-tone complexes

The predictions of two models for the pitch of two-tone complexes were compared to pitch matching results obtained in a previous study [Feth, O'Malley, and Ramsey, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 72, 1403-1412 (1982)] and the present study. In one model, the pitch value of a waveform was calculated from the envelope-weighted average of instantaneous frequency of the waveform (the EWAIF model). In the other model, the pitch value was calculated from the squared-envelope-weighted average of instantaneous frequency (the SEWAIF model). The SEWAIF model better predicts the data.

Characterization of protein synthesis by isolated rice mitochondria

Bacteria-free mitochondria were isolated from aseptically grown, etiolated and green seedlings of both cytoplasmic male-sterile (WA-type) and male-fertile rice (Oryza sativa L.). Protein synthesis in these isolated mitochondria was characterized by gel electrophoresis/fluorography and by the incorporation of [(35)S]-methionine into protein. In the presence of cycloheximide, a set of some 25 discrete polypeptides and an electrophoretically unresolved population were synthesized. This pattern of protein synthesis in organello was essentially the same in mitochondria isolated from both male-fertile and malesterile cytoplasms. Our data does not preclude the possibility, however, that the WA-type CMS possesses a tissue-specific and/or a low abundance mitochondrial protein(s), whose synthesis eluded detection under our experimental conditions. The synthesis of the mitochondria-encoded polypeptides by isolated rice mitochondria was inhibited by chloramphenicol and incompletely inhibited by erythromycin. A minor chloramphenicol-insensitive, cycloheximide-sensitive translation activity was found consistently to copurify with the mitochondria. This activity generated a reproducible electrophoretic profile of a poorly resolved, weakly labelled population of polypeptides and of a few conspicuous polypeptides, including a 42 kDa species.

Discrimination of spectral shape as a function of stimulus duration

Thresholds for discriminating the changes in the spectral shape of simultaneously presented components (profile analysis) are measured as a function of stimulus duration for various complex stimuli. For all stimuli, the threshold decreases with increasing duration until a transition time is reached, and thereafter the threshold remains constant. The amount of change in threshold and the value of transition time appear to be greater for complexes having narrower frequency spacing of the components. The results can be accounted for, at least qualitatively, by assuming that the bandwidth of the auditory filters decreases after the onset of the stimulus.