Implicit memory in posttraumatic stress disorder with amnesia for the traumatic event

The regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) family members contain a conserved region, the RGS domain, and are GTPase-activating proteins for many members of G-protein alpha-subunits. We report here that the core domain of RGS16 is sufficient for in vitro biochemical functions as assayed by its G-protein binding affinity and its ability to stimulate GTP hydrolysis by G alpha(o) protein. RGS16 also requires, in addition to the RGS domain, the divergent N-terminus for its biological function in the attenuation of pheromone signaling in yeast, whereas its C-terminus region is dispensable. Together with other evidence, these data support the notion that RGS proteins interact with other cellular factors and may serve to link specific G-proteins to different downstream effectors in G-protein-mediated signaling pathways.     

cDNA sequence and gene locus of the human retinal phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase-C beta 4 (PLCB4)

Defects in the Drosophila norpA (no receptor potential A) gene encoding a phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) block invertebrate phototransduction and lead to retinal degeneration. The mammalian homolog, PLCB4, is expressed in rat brain, bovine cerebellum, and the bovine retina in several splice variants. To determine a possible role of PLCB4 gene defects in human disease, we isolated several overlapping cDNA clones from a human retina library. The composite cDNA sequence predicts a human PLC beta 4 polypeptide of 1022 amino acid residues (MW 117,000). This PLC beta 4 variant lacks a 165-amino-acid N-terminal domain characteristic for the rat brain isoforms, but has a distinct putative exon 1 unique for human and bovine retina isoforms. A PLC beta 4 monospecific antibody detected a major (130 kDa) and a minor (160 kDa) isoform in retina homogenates. Somatic cell hybrids and deletion panels were used to localize the PCLB4 gene to the short arm of chromosome 20. The gene was further sublocalized to 20p12 by fluorescence in situ hybridization.     

Criteria for local myocardial electrical activation: effects ofelectrogram characteristics

The ability of several variables to distinguish unipolar deflections due to local activation from those due to nonlocal activity is studied. A model of polyphasic deflections based on atrial recordings during reentrant tachycardia was used to facilitate distinction of local and distant activity by methods independent of the test variables. The performances of variables were assessed by comparing areas under receiver operating characteristic curves. Optimal thresholds of test variables were identified by maximizing statistics which corrected for the pretest probability of local activation. It was found that the greatest negative first derivative of the unipolar potential discriminated between local and distant ventricular signals, but performed less well than the ratio of the first derivative to the potential for distinguishing between local atrial signals and distant ventricular signals. A linear combination of the potential and the ratio of the first derivative and the potential performed well for all groups of signals studied. Optimal criteria for detecting local activation are discussed     

Anxiety disorders of childhood, Implications for adult psychopathology

Although the exact path of acquisition remains incompletely understood, research supports the association between anxiety disorders in children and psychopathologic conditions in adults. This article addresses this relationship; reviews findings on the temperamental profile and behavioral inhibition, which may be an early identifiable childhood predictor of later anxiety disorders; and discusses the importance of early intervention.     

Multigigabit transmission through rain in a dual polarizationfrequency reuse system: an experimental study

An experimental terrestrial link was set up for the purpose of evaluating very-high-data-rate communications in dual-polarization frequency reuse systems. Possible applications are in the field of satellite communications. Two 3.2-Gb/s signals using staggered quadriphase shift keying (SQPSK) were transmitted on opposite senses of circular polarization over a 7-km path located in Crane rain region D3. Performance degradation of the demodulator as a function of cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) was evaluated and found to closely match simulation predictions. However, the relationship between XPD and rain attenuation was found to be more complex than thought previously, displaying a relatively slowly varying hysteresis effect as well as significant interactions with characteristics of the receive antenna. The latter effect suggests that careful control of antenna characteristics may be required if such high-data-rate techniques are to be employed in space-ground links     

Development of technologies aiding large-tissue engineering

Apoptosis associated oligonucleosomal fragmentation of DNA can result from the activation of endonucleases that exhibit different pH optima and are either sensitive or insensitive to divalent cations. DNA fragmentation due to activation of cation sensitive endonucleases occurs in the absence of a change in intracellular pH whereas intracellular acidification is a feature of apoptosis characterized by activation of cation insensitive acidic endonuclease. We have reported earlier that somatostatin (SST) induced DNA fragmentation and apoptosis is signaled in a receptor subtype selective manner uniquely via human somatostatin receptor subtype 3 (hSSTR3). In the present study we investigated the pH dependence and cation sensitivity of endonuclease induced in hSSTR3 expressing CHO-K1 cells by the SST agonist octreotide (OCT) and its effect on intracellular pH. We show that OCT induced apoptosis is associated with selective stimulation of a divalent cation insensitive acidic endonuclease. The intracellular pH of of cells undergoing OCT induced apoptosis was 0.9 pH units lower than that of control cells. The effect of OCT on endonuclease and pH was inhibited by orthovanadate as well as by pretreatment with pertussis toxin, suggesting that hSSTR3 initiated cytotoxic signaling is protein tyrosine phosphatase mediated and is G protein dependent. These findings suggest that intracellular acidification and activation of acidic endonuclease mediate wild type p53 associated apoptosis signaled by hormones acting via G protein coupled receptors.     

Synthesis and biological activities of phenyl piperazine-based peptidomimetic growth hormone secretagogues

A new class of potent, orally active phenyl piperazine-based GH secretagogues have been discovered from attempts to mimic the arrangement of the phenyl substituent in the spiroindanyl piperidine and spiroindoline sulfonamide privileged structures of 4 and 1, respectively. The best of these compounds, 18 (EC50 = 2.8 nM) is nearly as potent as MK-0677 for releasing GH from rat pituitary cells.     

Subcell treatment of 90° metal corners in FDTD

A simple extension to the staircase FDTD algorithm yielding accurate subcell models of flat metal walls and corners is presented. Electric field nodes on the edges of staircase models of perfect electric conductors are replaced by values obtained using interpolation or analytic continuation into the metal. The algorithm is validated by computing the resonant frequencies of cavities