Software defi ned radio: Part 22 in a series of tutorials on instrumentation and measurement

A software defined radio (SDR) [1] is a communication system that performs many of its required signal processing tasks in a programmable digital signal processing (DSP) engine. The engine is coupled to the air interface of analog circuits and antennae by analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters (ADCs and DACs). The SDR's software reprograms the DSP segment of the radio's physical layer to reconFigure the radio system parameters and can thus synthesize multiple radios. The software can also select and alter the air interface components as well as the higher level data processing layers of the radio system.     

Contaminant assimilation within the water column of two newly created prairie wetlands

This research examined the influence of abiotic factors on contaminant assimilation within the water column of two wetlands (RMA3 and RMA4) located on Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Area, north of Denver, Colorado, USA. We define contaminant assimilation as the ability of a wetland system to reduce negative impacts of contaminants on aquatic organisms. To examine the influence of abiotic factors (i.e., alkalinity, suspended solids), chronic toxicity tests were performed from February 1992 through November 1993. Ceriodaphnia dubia were exposed to water from the wetlands, which was spiked with Zn. These tests indicated higher assimilative capacity in wetland RMA4 relative to RMA3. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was significantly greater in RMA4 than in RMA3, suggesting that it may have influenced differences in bioavailability of Zn in wetland water. Suspended solids were also consistently higher in RMA4 than in RMA3. To test the influence of suspended solids on contaminant assimilation, C. dubia were exposed to filtered and unfiltered Zn-spiked water from RMA4. The greater toxicity of Zn to C. dubia in filtered water indicated that suspended solids were important in ameliorating impacts of Zn in RMA4. Results from this study suggest that from the suite of variables assessed, DOC and suspended solids were the most important physiochemical influences on Zn toxicity within the water column of these two wetlands. Differences in habitat characteristics of RMA3 and RMA4 demonstrated the importance of site-selection toward functional design of wetlands.     

The effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposure in primary rat astroglia: identification of biochemical and cellular targets

This paper reports the results from in vitro experiments utilizing vital fluorescent probes and biochemical assays to examine the effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) and related compounds in primary rat astroglia in an effort to identify the cellular site(s) involved in toxicity. Application of 100 nM 2,3,7,8-TCDD, a strong Ah receptor agonist, resulted in altered astroglial intracellular Ca2+, a significant decrease in glutathione, a disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential, a significant decrease in glutamine synthetase immunoreactivity and eventual loss of pH maintenance. In contrast, application of 10 microM 1,2,3,4-TCDD, a weak Ah receptor agonist, had no effect on any parameters measured. These findings, coupled with the identification of the 9-10S cytosolic Ah receptor in cultured rat astroglia, are consistent with typical structure-activity relationships observed for other Ah receptor mediated responses. However, the time course of the Ca2+, as well as other responses observed in this study, suggest that the above effects may not necessarily involved the formation of the nuclear Ah receptor complex.     

Adenocarcinoma combined with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the gallbladder

Adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder combined with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) in the gallbladder in an 81-year-old woman is reported. The resected gallbladder showed two distinct tumor components, the epithelioid type of MPNST and adenocarcinoma with areas of mucin production. Although the immediate postoperative course was uneventful, a pathologic fracture of her right upper femur developed 4 months after the cholecystectomy. The pathology was determined to be a feature of metastatic MPNST rather than of adenocarcinoma. A whole body bone scan revealed multiple metastases, including the left parietal skull, left ninth rib, seventh thoracic vertebra, and right upper third of the femur. Despite cholecystectomy and postoperative irradiation therapy, she died 6 months after diagnosis of the tumor. Without an autopsy the primary site of the MPNST was unknown. We found that the prognosis was very poor in patients with distal metastatic MPNST, especially in older patients.     

Effects of stress on amino acids and related compounds in various tissues of fasted rats

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of stress on the free amino acid pattern of plasma and various organs. Two groups of rats were deprived of food, for 24 hrs. One group was sacrificed after this time (fasting control representing mostly free endogenous amino acids) and the second group was first restrained in wire cages for 120 min before being sacrificed (fasting stress representing mostly the effects of stress on endogenous free amino acids). A third group had free access to food and was sacrificed at the same time (fed control representing mostly free amino acids absorbed from the gut and endogenous free amino acid metabolism). Fasting (as compared to fed controls) reduced alanine and arginine but increased ethanolamine, glutamic acid and glutamine in the plasma; increased ethanolamine, phosphoethanolamine and glutamic acid in the liver; increased carnosine, glutamic acid, phosphoethanolamine and glutamine in the ventricle; increased oxidized glutathione in the aorta; decreased alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, leucine and methionine and increased glutamine in the pancreas; and decreased arginine in skeletal muscle. Fasting plus stress (as compared to fasting controls) reduced alanine and glutamine in the plasma; increased methionine in the liver; increased ethanolamine, GABA, and glutamic acid in the aorta; reduced arginine, glutamic acid, glutamine, leucine and methionine but increased ethanolamine in the ventricle; reduced ammonia and ethanolamine but increased histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, tyrosine and valine in the pancreas; and reduced ammonia in skeletal muscle. Fasting plus stress affects the amino acid composition of plasma and various of tissues but effects seen were individually different and strongly substance and tissue specific. Plasma changes did not coincide with tissue changes. Changes in the endogenous pattern of amino acids and related compounds in response to stress could be first indications of stress induced organ pathology.     

CrFK feline kidney cells produce an RD114-like endogenous virus that can package murine leukemia virus-based vectors

The feline kidney cell line CrFK is used extensively for viral infectivity assays and for study of the biology of various retroviruses and derived vectors. We demonstrate the production of an endogenous, RD114-like, infectious retrovirus from CrFK cells. This virus also is shown to efficiently package Moloney murine leukemia virus vectors.