Synthesis and comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) of antitumor 3-arylisoquinoline derivatives

In this study a series of 3-arylisoquinoline derivatives were synthesized and cytotoxicity against human melanoma tumor cell evaluated, and a three dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship was investigated using the comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA). The results suggested that the electrostatic, steric and hydrophobic factors of 3-arylisoquinolines were strongly correlated with the antitumor activity. Considerable predictive ability (cross-validated r2 as high as 0.721) was obtained through CoMFA.     

Patient education for discharge after coronary bypass surgery in the 1990s: are patients adequately prepared?

Short hospitalizations for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) require continuous nursing evaluation of patients' discharge education. Six institutions collaborated in surveying 300 postoperative patients with CABG to identify learning priorities and patients' perceptions of the effectiveness of discharge education. Data analysis from the self-administered questionnaire demonstrated consistent patient priorities across institutions. Differences in teaching methods and content did not affect perceived preparedness or importance scores. Regional experience demonstrates that variable teaching efforts meet patients' priorities and provide high overall patient preparedness for discharge. Patients with the shortest hospitalizations had higher preparedness scores.     

Electron microscopy of second phases in manganese-zinc ferrite crystals

The surface and bulk microstructure of Mn-Zn ferrite single crystals oxidized at 0.7% _{o 2} have been investigated using SEM and TEM methods, assisted by energy- dispersive X-ray micro analysis. In samples heat-treated at 1000° C, haematite formed as an irregular surface layer and as laths which grew throughout the bulk, parallel with the {1 1 1 } planes (where F = ferrite). The haematite laths were related epitaxially to the ferrite host through the relationships (0001)_H | {1 1 1 }_F (where H = haematite) and . However, it was found that the latter parallelism was not exact because the haematite and ferrite lattices were rotated by 1.1 ± 0.2° about the axis perpendicular to the interface between them (i.e. [0001]H, <1 1 1 >_F). The sites for the nucleation of haematite second phase were also observed in highly oxidized ferrite. The formation of small planar defects (< O.1 m in length) in the ferrite, lying parallel to {1 10} planes, is interpreted as the combination of a local shear with the ordering of cation vacancies resulting from the oxidation. Small volumes of other second phases were also recognized, by virtue of both compositional and microstructural differences from the host ferrite.     

Root growth and phosphorus and potassium uptake by two corn genotypes in the field

In a field study P and K uptake by two corn (Zea mays L.) genotypes which differed in root growth was investigated. The effect of differences in root growth on P and K uptake was assessed using a mechanistic-mathematical model which describes nutrient uptake by growing plant roots in soil. Nitrogen was applied at 0 and 227 kg ha^–1 to Pioneer 3732 and B73xMo17 corn grown on Raub silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Aquic Argiudoll) and at 227 kg N ha^–1 to these two genotypes on Chalmers silt loam (finesilty, mixed, mesic, Typic Haplaquoll). Root growth and P and K uptake by the two corn genotypes was measured 31, 47, 75 and 91 d after planting on the Raub and 31, 47, 61 and 75 d after planting on the Chalmers soil.Root growth and P and K uptake by B73xMo17 was greater than that of Pioneer 3732 on N-fertilized Raub soil. On Chalmers soil the difference in root growth between the two genotypes resulted in an increase in K but not P uptake. The higher soil P level of the Chalmers appears to have offset possible differences in P uptake due to root size. There were no differences between the two genotypes in either the percentage of roots with root hairs, or the density or length of root hairs. Phosphorus and K uptake calculated with the simulation models for both corn genotypes on both soils over each of three growth periods agreed with observed P (Y = 0.68X + 1.71; r = 0.944^**) and K (Y = 0.88X + 15.52; r = 0.928^**) uptake. Differences in P and K uptake between B73xMo17 and Pioneer 3732 resulted primarily from the difference in root growth in the topsoil. A high correlation was found between root surface area and P (r = 0.893^**) and K (r = 0.928^**) uptake by both corn genotypes on both the soils.Journal paper No. 10,316 Purdue Univ. Agric. Exp. Stn., W. Lafayette, In 47906. Contribution from the Dep. of Agron. This paper was supported in part by a grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority.     

Serotonin and serotonin receptors in the central auditory system

Single channel currents were activated by GABA (0.5 to 5 microM) in cell-attached and inside-out patches from cells in the dentate gyrus of rat hippocampal slices. The currents reversed at the chloride equilibrium potential and were blocked by bicuculline (100 microM). Several different kinds of channel were seen: high conductance and low conductance, rectifying and "nonrectifying." Channels had multiple conductance states. The open probability (Po) of channels was greater at depolarized than at hyperpolarized potentials and the relationship between Po and potential could be fitted with a Boltzmann equation with equivalent valency (z) of 1. The combination of outward rectification and potential-dependent open probability gave very little chloride current at hyperpolarized potentials but steeply increasing current with depolarization, useful properties for a tonic inhibitory mechanism.     

Intraoperative tumor detection: relative performance of single-element, dual-element, and imaging probes with various collimators

Accurate tumor staging depends on finding all tumor sites, and curative surgery requires the removal of ail cancerous tissue from those sites. One technique for locating tumors is to inject patients before surgery with a radiotracer that is preferentially taken up by cancerous tissue. Then, an intraoperative gamma-sensitive probe is used to locate the tumors. Small (<1-cm diameter) tumors, often undetectable by external imaging and by the standard surgical inspection with sight and touch, can be found with probes, Simple calculations and measurements with radioactive tumor models show that small tumors should be detected by single-element probes, but often such probes fail to detect these small tumors in practice. This discrepancy is often caused by the use of a uniform background to predict probe performance, Real backgrounds are nonuniform and can decrease probe performance dramatically. Dual-element, coincidence, or imaging probes may solve the background problem. The authors devised a method to predict probe performance in a realistic background which includes variations in normal organ uptakes. They predict the relative performance of both existing probes and those in the design stage so that optimal detector and collimator configurations can be determined. The procedure includes a Monte-Carlo-calculated point-response function, a numerical torso phantom, and measured biodistributions of a monoclonal antibody. The Hotelling Trace Value, a measure of tumor-detection performance, is computed from the probe responses in simulated studies.     

Image-analysis-based assessment of the effects of the "Ca2+-jump" technique on sarcomere uniformity

A new image analysis-based technique was used to quantitatively examine the effects of the "Ca2+-jump" activation protocol on the maintenance of fiber quality in skinned rabbit psoas muscle fiber segments. Specifically, contractions in pCa 4.6 were preceded by short-duration "preactivation" soaks in a solution in which EGTA was replaced with the low-Ca2+ buffering capacity analog hexamethylenediamine-N, N, N', N'-tetraacetate, which facilitated rapid Ca2+ equilibration within the fiber segments. Fiber quality was assessed by examining the Fourier spectra of the muscle fiber images before, during, and after activation. Segment lengths were typically below 500 micrometer, thus allowing the majority of the sarcomeres to be visualized in the field of view (x200 and x400 magnification). The preactivation protocol resulted in less deterioration of fiber quality with repetitive activation. In addition, there was also a significant reduction in the time required to reach the 50% level of maximum tension, with no significant change in the maximum tension level.     

NK cells can recognize different forms of class I MHC

NK recognition and lysis of targets are mediated by activation receptor(s) whose effects may be over-ridden by inhibitory receptors recognizing class I MHC on the target. Incubation of normal lymphoblasts with a peptide that can bind to their class I MHC renders them sensitive to lysis by syngeneic NK cells. By binding to class I MHC, the peptide alters or masks the target structure recognized by an inhibitory NK receptor(s). This target structure is most likely an "empty" dimer of class I heavy chain and beta2m as opposed to a "full" class I trimer formed by binding of specific peptide that is recognized by CTL.     

Adaptive discrete neural observer design for nonlinear systems with unknown time‐delay

This paper focuses on the adaptive observer design for nonlinear discrete‐time MIMO systems with unknown time‐delay and nonlinear dynamics. The delayed states involved in the system are arguments of a nonlinear function and only the estimated delay is utilized. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii function, the delay estimation error is considered in the observer parameter design. The proposed method is then extended to the system with a nonlinear output measurement equation and the delayed dynamics. With the help of a high‐order neural network (HONN), the requirement for a precise system model, the linear‐in‐the‐parameters (LIP) assumption of the delayed states, the Lipschitz or norm‐boundedness assumption of unknown nonlinearities are removed. A novel converse Lyapunov technical lemma is also developed and used to prove the uniform ultimate boundedness of the proposed observer. The effectiveness of the proposed results is verified by simulations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.