Antihypertensive agent moxonidine enhances muscle glucose transport in insulin-resistant rats

The sympatholytic antihypertensive agent moxonidine, a centrally acting selective I1-imidazoline receptor modulator (putative agonist), may be beneficial in hypertensive patients with insulin resistance. In the present study, the effects of chronic in vivo moxonidine treatment of obese Zucker rats--a model of severe glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia--on whole-body glucose tolerance, plasma lipids, and insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle glucose transport activity (2-deoxyglucose uptake) were investigated. Moxonidine was administered by gavage for 21 consecutive days at 2, 6, or 10 mg/kg body weight. Body weights in control and moxonidine-treated groups were matched, except at the highest dose, at which final body weight was 17% lower in the moxonidine-treated animals compared with controls. The moxonidine-treated (6 and 10 mg/kg) obese animals had significantly lower fasting plasma levels of insulin (17% and 19%, respectively) and free fatty acids (36% and 28%, respectively), whereas plasma glucose was not altered. During an oral glucose tolerance test, the glucose response (area under the curve) was 47% and 67% lower, respectively, in the two highest moxonidine-treated obese groups. Moreover, glucose transport activity in the isolated epitrochlearis muscle stimulated by a maximally effective insulin dose (13.3 nmol/L) was 39% and 70% greater in the 6 and 10 mg/kg moxonidine-treated groups, respectively (P<.05 for all effects). No significant alterations in muscle glucose transport were elicited by 2 mg/kg moxonidine. These findings indicate that in the severely insulin-resistant and dyslipidemic obese Zucker rat, chronic in vivo treatment with moxonidine can significantly improve, in a dose-dependent manner, whole-body glucose tolerance, possibly as a result of enhanced insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle glucose transport activity and reduced circulating free fatty acids.     

Unsupervised image-set clustering using an information theoretic framework.

In this paper, we combine discrete and continuous image models with information-theoretic-based criteria for unsupervised hierarchical image-set clustering. The continuous image modeling is based on mixture of Gaussian densities. The unsupervised image-set clustering is based on a generalized version of a recently introduced information-theoretic principle, the information bottleneck principle. Images are clustered such that the mutual information between the clusters and the image content is maximally preserved. Experimental results demonstrate the performance of the proposed framework for image clustering on a large image set. Information theoretic tools are used to evaluate cluster quality. Particular emphasis is placed on the application of the clustering for efficient image search and retrieval.     

Volume effects and associations in liquid alloys

The regular associated solution model for binary systems has been modified by incorporating the size of the complex as an explicit variable. The thermodynamic properties of the liquid alloy and the interactions between theA _μB type of complex and the unassociated atoms in anA-B binary have been evaluated as a function of relative size of the complex using the activity coefficients at infinite dilution and activity data at one other composition in the binary. The computational procedure adopted for determining the concentration of clusters and interaction energies in the associated liquid is similar to that proposed by Lele and Rao. The analysis has been applied to the thermodynamic mixing functions of liquid Al-Ca alloys believed to contain Al₂Ca associates. It is found that the size of the cluster significantly affects the interaction energies between the complex and the unassociated atoms, while the equilibrium constant and enthalpy change for the association reaction exhibit only minor variation, when the equations are fitted to experimental data. The interaction energy between unassociated free atoms remains virtually unaltered as the size of the complex is varied between extreme values. Accurate data on free energy, enthalpy, and volume of mixing at the same temperature on alloy systems with compound forming tendency would permit a rigorous test of the proposed model.     

Psychosocial functioning in children of alcoholic fathers.

T. Jacob and K. Leonard (1986) reported that children of alcoholic fathers were comparable to children of depressed fathers in their psychosocial functioning. These results, however, were based on a relatively homogeneous sample. In the current study, previous results were extended by examining a sample of alcoholic fathers who were not screened for additional paternal psychiatric disorders or for major maternal psychopathology. Children in the unscreened and screened samples could not be distinguished in their functioning, and the majority of children of alcoholic fathers were functioning in the normal range of the Child Behavior Checklist. Given the heterogeneous adjustment in children of alcoholic fathers, the authors examined a range of factors that might protect against or exacerbate the risk associated with paternal alcoholism. Maternal depression and certain demographic characteristics were associated with poorer child functioning, particularly for male children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

(BETS)2[RuX5NO] (X = Cl, Br): An Explanation of Different Conductive Properties Through Structural and Spectroscopic Studies

For the development of new crystal and electronic structures in molecular conductors, dimeric tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and tetraselenafulvalenes (TSFs)1–3 linked by single or double methyl antimony bridge(s) have been prepared and their neutral crystal structures have been investigated. The donor2 (cis-2) forms a metallic cation radical salt with tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) containing one-dimensional array interactions.     

Synthesis and thermomechanical characterization of polyurethane elastomers extended with α,ω‐alkane diols

A series of polyurethane (PU) elastomers was prepared by the reaction of poly(?‐caprolactone) and 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate, which was extended with a series of chain extenders (CEs) having 2–10 methylene units in their structure. The completion of the reaction was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The chemical structures of the synthesized PU samples were characterized with Fourier transform infrared, ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy, and the thermal properties were determined by thermogravimetric analysis, DSC, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis techniques. The mechanical properties were also studied and are discussed. The thermogravimetric analysis and DSC analysis showed that CE length had a considerable effect on the thermal properties of the prepared samples. The dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and damping peaks were also affected by the number of methylene units in the CE length. The elastomer extended with 1,2‐ethane diol exhibited optimum thermal properties, whereas the elastomer based on 1,10‐decane diol displayed the worst thermal properties. Tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with increasing CE length, whereas hardness showed the opposite trend. The glass‐transition temperature moved toward lower temperatures with increasing CE length. The decrease in the glass‐transition temperature and tensile properties were interpreted in terms of decreasing hard segments and increasing chain flexibility. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

The next challenge for newborn intensive care in Alaska: improving the survival of the larger neonate

Using information from our database, a review of mortality for the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Providence Alaska Medical Center was conducted for 1987-1996. There has been a significant decline in mortality over the last decade (p = 0.003). An analysis of mortality by birthweight and gestational age groups demonstrated a decline in mortality (p = 0.005) for infants with birthweight < 2 kg and infants < or = 34 weeks gestation, but no change for infants > or = 2 kg and > or = 35 weeks gestation. As a result, larger and more mature babies now account for an increasing proportion of NICU deaths. For 1995 and 1996 the major contributors to mortality for the smaller neonates were respiratory distress syndrome and congenital and nosocomial sepsis/pneumonia. The major contributors to mortality for larger neonates were persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, congenital heart disease, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and primary birth asphyxia. A majority of deaths in the larger neonates were due to non-lethal causes. We contend that improved survival in the larger neonate is an important and achievable goal. The introduction of ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) for the NICU and a focused review of the neonatal cardiac program offers the best possible potential for achieving this goal.     

Long-term decline of atmospheric and marine pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) in Germany

Concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[e]pyrene in the atmosphere as markers for the class of PAHs decreased by about 70% within one decade in clean air as well as in industrially polluted areas of Germany when measured with passive samplers (spruce sprouts, poplar and beech leaves). The same trend has been found for East-Germany during 1991-1995. Mussels (Mytilus edulis) were found to accumulate PAHs from the aquatic environment and exhibited a seasonal periodicity of the PAH concentration. After an initial decline from 1985 to 1990, the PAH concentration remained constant until 1995 in the North Sea area investigated.     

Vitamin C Spray Drying: Study of the Thermal Constraint

Temperature variation in the spray drying method has no effect on the ascorbic acid molecule. No chemical interaction between the colloidal silica and the ascorbic acid could be determined, but a physicochemical interaction “absorption” was determined. Colloidal silica improved the final yield of spray drying in proportion to its concentration. No polymorphic forms could be determined in the spray-dried ascorbic acid. Drug release from the ascorbic acid spray dried was found to be dependent on the Aerosil content: highest release rates were obtained with Aerosil.     

Orthotopic heart transplantation in a transgenic pig-to-primate model

BACKGROUND: Previous studies demonstrated that hearts from transgenic pigs expressing human decay-accelerating factor (hDAF) were not hyperacutely rejected when transplanted heterotopically into the abdomen of cynomolgus monkeys. This study examines orthotopic transplantation of hDAF transgenic pig hearts into baboon recipients. METHODS: Orthotopic xenogeneic heart transplantation was performed using piglets, transgenic for hDAF, as donors. Ten baboons were used as recipients and were immunosuppressed with a combination of cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, and steroids. RESULTS: Five grafts failed within 18 hr without any histological signs of hyperacute rejection. Pulmonary artery thrombosis induced by a size mismatch was observed in two of these animals. The other three recipients died because of failure to produce even a low cardiac output and/or dysrhythmia. The remaining five animals survived between four and nine days. One animal died of bronchopneumonia on day 4. Three xenografts stopped beating on day 5 due to acute vascular rejection. The longest survivor was killed on day 9 with a beating, histologically normal xenograft, because of pancytopenia. CONCLUSIONS: The results reported here demonstrate that hDAF transgenic pig hearts are not hyperacutely rejected when transplanted into baboon recipients. Orthotopically transplanted transgenic pig hearts are capable of maintaining cardiac output in baboons. An optimum immunosuppressive regimen is the subject of ongoing research.