The gastrin-releasing peptide receptor is differentially coupled to adenylate cyclase and phospholipase C in different tissues

A magnetization-prepared sequence, T2-Prep-IR, exploits T1, T2, and chemical shift differences to suppress background tissues relative to arterial blood. The resulting flow-independent angiograms depict vessels with any orientation and flow velocity. No extrinsic contrast agent is required. Muscle is the dominant source of background signal in normal volunteers. However, long-T2 deep venous blood and nonvascular fluids such as edema also contribute background signal in some patients. Three sets of imaging parameters are described to address patient-specific contrast requirements. A rapid, spiral-based, three-dimensional readout is utilized to generate high-resolution angiograms of the lower extremities. Comparisons with x-ray angiography and two-dimensional time-of-flight angiography indicate that this flow-independent technique has unique capabilities to accurately depict stenoses and to visualize slow flow and in-plane vessels.     

A comparison of the fracture behavior of two heats of the secondary hardening steel AF1410

The fracture behavior of two heats of AF1410 steel has been investigated for two aging temperatures, 425°C and 510°C. The first heat, modified by deliberate lanthanum additions, contains lanthanum-rich inclusions characterized by an inclusion spacing of 7.6 μm. The second heat, not modified by lanthanum additions, contains a comparable volume fraction of much smaller CrS inclusions characterized by an inclusion spacing of 2.3 μm. Of the mechanical properties measured, only the toughness appears to be influenced by inclusion type. For example, on aging at 510°C, δ _IC , the critical value of the crack tip opening displacement, for the lanthanum modified heat is 66 μm compared to 28 μm for the heat containing CrS inclusions. This influence of inclusion type is attributed to the larger spacing of the inclusions in the lanthanum modified heat. In addition, for both heats the toughness on aging at 510°C was higher than after aging at 425°C. Particle analysis from extraction replicas of polished cross-sections of as-quenched materials and of fracture surfaces of the 425°C and 510°C microstructures indicates that on aging at 510°C only undissolved particles inherited from the austenitizing temperature nucleate secondary voids, but that on aging at 425°C carbides precipitated on aging nucleate secondary voids as well.     

Forward osmosis extractors

Osmosis occurs when two solutions of differing osmolar concentrations are separated by a membrane permeable to the solvent but not (or nearly not) to the solutes. The paper derives the relationship between the kinetics and design parameters of systems designed for the purpose of applying this process to problems such as agricultural water reclamation, dehydration of solutions and the production of potable nutrient solutions from sea water. Three mathematical models that include increasingly complex fundamental process assumptions are presented. In all cases the fundamental mechanical device is assumed to be a continuous flow extractor that incorporates a semipermeable membrane.     

Review of the STM range of pressure distribution products

STM Healthcare is a division of the Recticel Group which has been actively involved in the production and use of polyurethane foams for the past 40 years, and is now one of Europe's leading manufacturers of polyurethane foam for insulation, packaging, filtration, aerospace, the automotive and furniture industries, domestic and specialist bedding and seating products. STM Healthcare is able to draw upon the wealth of experience and expertise of the manufacturing facilities, enabling products to be developed using the latest environmentally friendly specification foams best suited to the requirements of pressure-reduction technology. All STM Healthcare mattresses, cushions and Linknurse mattresses are manufactured with Safeguard combustion modified high resilience foams. (Linknurse is a licensed product name; products are manufactured by Recticel and distributed by STM).     

Stereospecific actions of the inhalation anesthetic isoflurane at the GABAA receptor complex

To overcome problems associated with Western blotting of denatured proteins, we have used quantitative immunoelectrophoretic techniques to perform functional analysis of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae common antigen. Using these techniques, we show (a) that Neisseria gonorrhoeae expresses an antigen that is cross-reactive with the common antigen of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Legionella micdadei and with the GroEl-like protein of Chlamydia, and (b) that this N. gonorrhoeae common antigen has lectin-like activity and can be precipitated with three different sugars immobilized on agarose beads: alpha-D-glucosamine, maltose and fucose.