Effects of neuromuscular blocking agents on excitatory transmission and gamma-aminobutyric acidA-mediated inhibition in the rat hippocampal slice

BACKGROUND: Although neuromuscular blocking agents do not cross the blood-brain barrier, they may penetrate the central nervous system under particular circumstances and eventually cause neurotoxic consequences. METHODS: The effects of neuromuscular blocking agents on excitatory and inhibitory transmission in area CA1 of rat hippocampal slices were investigated using extracellular and intracellular recording techniques. RESULTS: Application of atracurium in the perfusion medium resulted in a dose-dependent enhancement of excitatory synaptic responses averaging 48.7 +/- 4.3% at a concentration of 10 nM. This effect was correlated with an increase in the size of the presynaptic fiber volley. Laudanosine, but not pancuronium bromide or vecuronium bromide, produced similar changes. In addition, atracurium and laudanosine blocked inhibitory transmission and reduced intracellularly recorded gamma-aminobutyric acidA receptor-mediated potentials. These effects were observed only at concentrations >1 microM and were not reproduced by pancuronium bromide and vecuronium bromide. CONCLUSIONS: Atracurium and its metabolite, laudanosine, contrary to pancuronium bromide and vecuronium bromide, produce two distinct effects on hippocampal slices. They enhance excitatory transmission and neuronal excitability and they block inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acidA-mediated synaptic responses.     

Investigation of the morphotropic region in the Sr-doped lead hafnate-titanate solid solution Pb0.94Sr0.06Hf1-TixO3

Sr-doped lead hafnate titanate (PHT) oxides were synthesized by solid-state reaction and carefully studied in order to identify the reaction mechanisms. The reaction sequences in the formation of Sr-doped PbHfO₃, Sr-doped PbTiO}_{3 and Sr-doped PbHf_{1 - x}Ti_xO₃ were investigated using X-ray powder diffraction and differential thermal analysis. The Sr-doped PbHfO₃ oxide is mainly elaborated from the reaction between PbO and HfO₂, while Sr-doped PbTiO₃ oxide is formed from the reaction between Pb₃O₄ and TiO₂. The Sr-doped PbHf_1-xTi_xO₃ oxide is obtained from a solid-state reaction between Sr-doped PbHfO₃ and Sr-doped PbTiO₃ solid solutions. For x close to 0.5, tetragonal and rhombohedral ferroelectric phases coexist in a region commonly called the morphotropic region which presents the best dielectric and electromechanical properties. By means of X-ray powder diffraction, the boundaries of the morphotropic region in the (Pb_0.94Sr_0.06)Hf_1-xTi_xO₃ system have been determined for x ranging between 0.42 and 0.58. Finally, electrical and piezoelectric characterizations have been performed on Sr-doped PHT ceramics crystallizing in the morphotropic region. The compositional dependence of the electromechanical coupling factor (k_P), piezoelectric coefficients (d_{33 and g₃₃) and relative permittivity (_r) has been studied. An optimum composition has been determined as x equal to 0.51. © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers     

A simple and fast TEM preparation method utilizing the pre-orientation in plate-like, needle-shaped and tubular materials

In order to observe anisotropically grown crystalline materials perpendicular to a certain preferred orientation, a standard cross-sectional TEM preparation method has been modified. The material is embedded in an organic epoxy resin between two Si-wafers. Plates, needles and tubes lay flat inside the resulting sandwich, which is then cut into slices perpendicular to the wafers. The slices are thinned by mechanical abrading and, finally, by ion milling. Crystals located near the central hole are electron-transparent, and their orientation often allows for an observation along the desired direction. The usefulness of this procedure is demonstrated on the examples of high-Tc superconductors and vanadium oxide nanotubes.     

Changes in goal selection induced by cue conflicts are in register with predictions from changes in place cell field locations.

In the cognitive mapping theory of hippocampal function, currently active place cells represent a rat's spatial location (J. O'Keefe & L. Nadel, 1978). A systematic shift of firing field locations should therefore produce a similar shift in a rat's judgment of its location. A. A. Fenton, G. Csizmadia, and R. U. Muller (2000a) recorded place cells in cylinders with 2 cue cards separated by 135°. When the separation was changed, firing fields moved systematically, as described by a vector-field equation (A. A. Fenton, G. Csizmadia, & R. U. Muller, 2000b). Given this cohesive movement of firing fields, the mapping theory predicts that a rat's decisions about the location of an unmarked goal should move after card separation changes, as described by the vector-field equation. The authors tested this reasoning with a task in which the rat earned a food reward by pausing in a small, unmarked goal zone. When cues were shifted in the absence of reward, goal choice shifts were accurately predicted by the vector-field equation, providing strong support for the notion that a rat's judgment of its spatial location is intimately related to the across-cell discharge pattern of simultaneously active place cells. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exact symbol error probability of m-psk for multihop transmission with regenerative relays

We determine the exact symbol error probability of M-ary phase shift keying (M-PSK) for multihop communication systems with regenerative relays, where the source terminal transmits data to the destination terminal via a set of intermediate relay stations, which perform hard decisions on the received symbols before forwarding them to their respective successor node. Both, time-invariant additive white Gaussian noise channels as well as frequency-flat fading channels are considered and we derive generic expressions, which might be easily evaluated numerically or even be given in closed-form for various cases.     

Decentralized enterprise systems: a multiplatform wireless sensor network approach

Massively deployed wireless sensor and actuator networks, co-existing with RFID technology, can bring clear benefits to large-scale enterprise systems, by delegating parts of the business functionality closer to the point of action. However, a major impediment in the integration process is represented by the variety of customized platforms and proprietary technologies. In this article, we present a three-layer, service-oriented architecture that accommodates different sensor platforms and exposes their functionality in a uniform way to the business application. Our work is motivated by real business cases from the oil and gas industry. In our implementation, we use three sensor platforms (particle, muNode, and Sindrion) integrated through the universal plug and play (UPnP) standard and incorporated into an enterprise software system. The practical tests and application trials confirm the feasibility of our solution but also reveal a number of challenges to be taken into account when deploying wireless sensor and actuator networks at industrial sites.     

A regional investigation of urban land-use change for potential landslide hazard assessment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area,People's Republic of China: Zigui to Wanzhou

The near-completion of the Three Gorges Dam has led to the creation of a narrow reservoir that, when completed in 2009, will stretch over 660 km upstream and result in the displacement of approximately 1.2 million people. This reservoir will drown more than 100 towns, some of which have already been lost due to the rising waters, and result in a significant change in land use. New urban areas have been constructed at higher elevations to avoid the rising water but it is feared that some of these settlements may now be exposed to a greater risk of landslides due to slope failure. A geographic information system (GIS) consisting of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), and Environmental Satellite-Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ENVISAT-ASAR) data has been created and used to monitor the urban changes from before the Dam's construction to the present day as well as changes in landslide susceptibility. To perform this analysis, a new 30 m high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) was derived by combining an ASTER and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM. Fieldwork was carried out along the Yangtze River, where the urban boundaries were field-checked using GPS to navigate to the satellite-derived checkpoints. The results show that a majority of the new urban areas are in fact located on shallow slopes, but are often positioned below steep slopes, which could pose a future threat of landslide risk to the inhabitants of the new towns.     

Simultaneous Microwave Extraction and Separation of Volatile and Non-Volatile Organic Compounds of Boldo Leaves. From Lab to Industrial Scale

Microwave extraction and separation has been used to increase the concentration of the extract compared to the conventional method with the same solid/liquid ratio, reducing extraction time and separate at the same time Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) from non-Volatile Organic Compounds (NVOC) of boldo leaves. As preliminary study, a response surface method has been used to optimize the extraction of soluble material and the separation of VOC from the plant in laboratory scale. The results from the statistical analysis revealed that the optimized conditions were: microwave power 200 W, extraction time 56 min and solid liquid ratio of 7.5% of plants in water. Lab scale optimized microwave method is compared to conventional distillation, and requires a power/mass ratio of 0.4 W/g of water engaged. This power/mass ratio is kept in order to upscale from lab to pilot plant.     

Localized Photo-Assisted Electro-Deposition of Zinc Selenide into p-Type Porous Silicon

Electroplating of II-VI semiconductors like ZnSe into porous silicon can be an efficient and low cost method to fill the porous volume with a transparent and conductive material. With n-type porous layers, ZnSe impregnation is more effective near the sample surface because of reaction rate limitations due to diffusion in the electrolyte. In this paper, it is shown that the deposition of ZnSe into p-type porous silicon can be localized in the lower part of the porous layer if the reduction reaction rate is monitored by limiting the charge carrier supply. This can be done by controlling the power of the laser beam which photo-generates the carriers at the bottom of the pores. Studying the porous layer chemical composition by Auger electron spectroscopy confirms that the deposit is localized at the pore bottom, whereas the changes in the chemical composition of the porous silicon surface are analyzed by infra-red spectroscopy.