Mechanical properties of human saphenous veins from normotensive and hypertensive patients

The three-dimensional structure of a synthetic peptide corresponding to the putative transmembrane segment M3 (amino acid residues 277-301) of the alpha subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo californica has been studied by means of two-dimensional 1H-NMR spectroscopy in a chloroform/methanol (1:1) mixture containing 0.1 M LiClO4. Complete resonance assignment has been performed using double-quantum-filtered COSY (DQF-COSY), TOCSY and NOESY spectra. The spatial structure has been calculated using the Diana program on the basis of integrated intensities of NOESY spectra. HN-C(alpha)H and HC(alpha)-C(beta)H spin-spin coupling constants. Residues 279-297 of M3 form a right-handed helix (root mean square deviation is 0.032 nm for backbone atoms and 0.088 nm for all heavy atoms). The conformations of the 17 side chains have been unambiguously determined. The obtained structure is in accord with the photolabeling pattern of the membrane nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) which suggests alpha-helical structure of M3 in the labeled portion [Blanton, M. P. & Cohen, J. B. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 2859-2872].     

Distinguishing Cowper''s glands from neoplastic and pseudoneoplastic lesions of prostate: immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies

beta-Glucosidase of indigo plant (Polygonum tinctorium) has a high substrate specificity for indican (indoxyl beta-D-glucoside). To examine the localization of this beta-glucosidase, we fractionated the cells of the leaves and analysed them immunocytochemically. Immunoelectron micrographs with specific antibodies against the beta-glucosidase clearly showed that the beta-glucosidase was localized in the stroma of the chloroplasts in mesophyll cells, but not in the thylakoid membrane. Chloroplasts were isolated from the crude homogenate of the fresh leaves by Percoll density gradient centrifugation and then subjected to suborganellar fractionation. beta-Glucosidase activity was specifically detected in the stromal fraction, but not in the thylakoid membrane. This was also supported by the result of an immunoblot of the fraction with anti-beta-glucosidase antibodies. The beta-glucosidase was immunocytochemically localized in the chloroplasts of mesophyll cells, but not in any chloroplasts in marginal cells of the vascular bundle or epidermal cells; ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco), a typical stromal protein, was observed in all chloroplasts in these cells. These results suggest that beta-glucosidase is tissue specific in its expression in the leaves of the indigo plant.     

Balancing User Priorities for Sustainability versus Security

In these times of global change, many facility emphases are competing for limited resources. Competing factors include, but are not limited to, sustainable design or green buildings; security, hardening or force protection; accessibility; historic preservation; aesthetics; and functionality. Yet, unlimited resources are seldom, if ever, available to fulfill all of these competing requirements in private or public construction. The Georgia Institute of Technology designed a decision matrix to allow owners and planners to balance these competing requirements on a project-by-project basis and to document the rationale.     

Poisoning and conditioned drinking.

Produced conditioned drinking in 73 male Sprague-Dawley albino rats by conditioned stimuli paired with hypertonic procaine, isotonic procaine, and hypertonic saline, in that order of effectiveness. When these solutions were paired with the taste of saccharin, they produced taste aversions in the same order of effectiveness. Lithium chloride, a well-known poison, produced taste aversions but, in contrast, conditioned decreases in drinking. Like taste aversions which develop after 1 trial, conditioned drinking also developed in 1 trial. Results suggest that procaine and hypertonic saline may be poisons, since the malaise they produce is relieved by drinking, can be classically conditioned, and is indexed by conditioned drinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Seeing a phrase “time and again” matters: The role of phrasal frequency in the processing of multiword sequences.

Are speakers sensitive to the frequency with which phrases occur in language? The authors report an eye-tracking study that investigates this by examining the processing of multiword sequences that differ in phrasal frequency by native and proficient nonnative English speakers. Participants read sentences containing 3-word binomial phrases (bride and groom) and their reversed forms (groom and bride), which are identical in syntax and meaning but that differ in phrasal frequency. Mixed-effects modeling revealed that native speakers and nonnative speakers, across a range of proficiencies, are sensitive to the frequency with which phrases occur in English. Results also indicate that native speakers and higher proficiency nonnatives are sensitive to whether a phrase occurs in a particular configuration (binomial vs. reversed) in English, highlighting the contribution of entrenchment of a particular phrase in memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why clinicians infrequently do research.

Findings from several studies have indicated that the scientist-practitioner model (which stresses the integration of research into clinical practice) is infrequently adopted by practicing clinical psychologists. Although many hypotheses have been offered, there have been no empirical examinations of the reasons why clinicians infrequently engage in research. In this study, 79 practicing clinical psychologists completed a questionnaire focusing on perceived impediments to clinical research. A number of inhibiting factors were identified, but the intrinsic and extrinsic contingencies associated with the conduct of research were most salient. Other concerns included ethics, the impact of research on the clinical process, and the unavailability of appropriate research designs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Competency-Based Behavior Consultation Training: An Evaluation of Consultant Outcomes, Treatment Effects, and Consumer Satisfaction.

Assessments of consultants, clients, and consumer satisfaction were used to examine the effects of a competency-based consultation training program conducted over 4 years. Using a multiple-baseline framework to assess training effects on consultants and single-case study designs to evaluate changes in client behavior, a number of significant results were found. As predicted, consultants (N=24) significantly increased their consultation skills and knowledge, but with no change in attitudes toward behavioral intervention techniques. Supervised consultation with preschool teachers and parents resulted in a range of behavior change in clients (N=39), with an overall effect size of 0.51. Consumers reported a high level of satisfaction with training and consultation services. Results of a long-term follow-up with consultants indicated positive views and use of consultation. The discussion focuses on these results, and implications for consultation training and future research directions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)