Changes in the expression of adenylyl cyclases in the rat uterus during the course of pregnancy

The changes in the expression of the various adenylyl cyclases (ACs) in the rat uterus during the course of pregnancy and after delivery were examined by Northern blot analysis and AC assay. Northern blot analysis revealed that five isoforms of ACs (AC2, AC4, AC6, AC7, and AC9) were expressed in the rat uterus, AC6 being the most abundant. The level of expression of these ACs increased 1.7- to 3.4-fold during the course of pregnancy and diminished near term and after delivery. The highest level of expression in each type of AC was consistently seen on Day 17 of pregnancy, and the relative increase of expression, as compared to that in nonpregnant rats, was as follows: AC2 > AC4 > AC7 > AC9 > AC6. In agreement with these findings, both basal and forskolin-stimulated AC activities exhibited a 2- to 3-fold increase during the course of pregnancy, followed by a decrease near term. Our data indicate that post-receptor events, namely marked changes in the level of AC mRNA (and presumably proteins) occur during pregnancy and after delivery and that they contribute to the essential role of cAMP in maintaining uterus quiescence.     

Theoretical impedance analysis of the intact rat lens with an ellipsoidal shells model]

We measured a.c. admittances for isolated rat lenses over a wide frequency range of 100 Hz to 500 MHz. In order to evade electrode polarization at low frequencies, we examined extracted lenses by direct semi-squeezing with Pt black-coated platinum electrodes. This gave rise to a 10(6) increment in permittivity at low frequencies, and two distinct dielectric dispersions were exhibited; dispersion 1 with a characteristic frequency (fc) of 2 kHz, and dispersion 2 with an fc of 2 MHz. In terms of loss tangent function, the two dispersions clearly dominated as two peaks. By curve fitting analysis with an allocated ellipsoidal-shells model based on ultrastructural features of the lens with a lens equivalent circuit, dispersion 1 was assigned to the equatorial cortex where regularly arranged lens fibers ran parallel to the applied electric field, and dispersion 2 to the nucleus of complicated fibers, combined with the polar cortex where lens fibers ran perpendicular to the electric field. Our results suggested that both lens dispersions were beta-dispersions attributable to bio-membranes.     

Spindle disturbances induced by benzo[a]pyrene and 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in a Chinese hamster cell line (V79-MZ) and the stability of the numerical chromosome aberrations that follow

As was shown (1), analysis of human hair on the population level and mapping of large territories using hair elemental composition are promising approaches for estimation of both the environmental situation and the population health status. In (1,2) the map of Uzbekistan (sampling in 1981) was discussed. Ten years later (1991), samples from the territory in the vicinity of the drying out Aral Sea were taken again. Samples were analyzed for 24 elements using instrumental neutron activation analysis. Comparison of the data and maps drawn for 1981 and 1991 and their comparison with changes of the health status have shown that repeated mapping of territories using data on human hair elemental composition could be used in medical geography, especially for prediction of health status changes in ecologically unfavorable areas.     

Electrochromism of nickel oxide thin film with polymer gel electrolyte

Polymer gel electrolytes were investigated for an electrochromic device (ECD) using nickel oxide thin film. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) derivatives were cross‐linked and swelled in KOH–aqueous solution giving a hydrogel electrolyte. The ECD containing the uniformly cross‐linked hydrogel showed good result in electrochromic switching performance. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 1305–1308, 2002     

Facial nerve enhancement on gadolinium-DTPA in a case with neurosarcoidosis

In a case of neurosarcoidosis with bilateral facial nerve palsy and hydrocephalus, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activities in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were valuable for the diagnosis and the follow up. Facial nerve lesions were demonstrated on gadolinium-DTPA enhanced MRI. The disappearance of enhancement was concomitant with the amelioration of facial nerve palsy after corticosteroid therapy.     

Hippocampal neural network model performing navigation by homing vector field adhesion to sensor map

We propose an artificial neural network model for autonomous agents, i.e., mobile robots, to learn maps of environments and acquire the ability to perform home-navigation autonomously. The networks consists of two subnetworks, each of which has a similar structure with hippocampal lamellar neuronal circuits. Hebbian learning procedures self-organize the first subnetwork to output the distributed sinusoidal activity of the cells by accumulating motor information generated during movement, and the second subnetwork to output localized activity by prototyping sensory information. These patterns represent a homing vector providing the relative coordinates of the agent from a starting point, and a place code corresponding uniquely to a point of the environment. By attaching homing vectors to the sensor map, the homing vector is associated with the sensory stimuli. Then the agents can perform home-navigation autonomously by this association. This work was presented, in part, at the Second International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, February 18–20, 1997     

Mobility modulation in a quasi-one-dimensional Si-MOSFET with adual-gate structure

The electrical transport characteristics of a quasi-one-dimensional Si-MOSFET with a dual-gate structure are studied. In this device, the width of the one-dimensional channel can be changed continuously using the field effect and the intervals between one-dimensional subbands as well. By making part of the channel narrower, strong oscillations in differential conductance, even negative differential conductance, have been observed at 4.2 K, indicating the enhanced modulation of the electron mobility by inter-subband scattering suppression     

MEG and EEG topography of frontal midline theta rhythm and source localization

PURPOSE: We studied a case of corneal ulceration in utero from lower eyelid entropion. METHODS: A 3-week-old male infant was referred for examination of a left corneal ulcer that was present at birth and unresponsive to antibiotics. RESULTS: Examination disclosed a lower eyelid entropion that was treated surgically by a nonincisional method, leaving a central leukoma after re-epithelialization. CONCLUSION: Congenital lower eyelid entropion should be included in the differential diagnosis of congenital corneal opacities.     

Cardiac anomalies associated with a chromosome 22q11 deletion in patients with conotruncal anomaly face syndrome

In some cases of facial deformities, devices have been designed to promote bone growth: intraorbital spherical expander for microphthalmia, bone distractors for micrognathia, in oto-mandibular syndromes, but when the various treatment technique are carefully compared, the superiority of these procedure is linked to the gradual gain of skin and they can then be assimilated to a skin expansion procedure.