Induced magnetic fields as evidence for subsurface oceans in Europa and Callisto

The Galileo spacecraft has been orbiting Jupiter since 7 December 1995, and encounters one of the four galilean satellites-Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto-on each orbit. Initial results from the spacecraft's magnetometer have indicated that neither Europa nor Callisto have an appreciable internal magnetic field, in contrast to Ganymede and possibly Io. Here we report perturbations of the external magnetic fields (associated with Jupiter's inner magnetosphere) in the vicinity of both Europa and Callisto. We interpret these perturbations as arising from induced magnetic fields, generated by the moons in response to the periodically varying plasma environment. Electromagnetic induction requires eddy currents to flow within the moons, and our calculations show that the most probable explanation is that there are layers of significant electrical conductivity just beneath the surfaces of both moons. We argue that these conducting layers may best be explained by the presence of salty liquid-water oceans, for which there is already indirect geological evidence in the case of Europa.     

Renal proliferative and phenotypic changes in rats with two-kidney, one-clip Goldblatt hypertension

Previous research in this laboratory has shown that preweaning and postweaning juvenile meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, can acquire a spatial task, the Morris water-maze task. The present study examined the influence of age of juvenile acquisition ("before weaning" (BW; Day 10 and 15 after birth) and "after weaning" (AW; Day 20 and 25 after birth)) of a spatial task on subsequent re-acquisition of the same hidden-platform spatial water-maze task. This study also compared sex differences and litter sex-ratio effects on reacquisition performance. Fifteen litters of adults were re-tested in the same water maze 6 weeks after being initially tested as juveniles. All analyses were conducted using a covariate that removed the group differences in the original task performance. Adult voles from female-biased litters, that had previously learned the task at an older juvenile age (AW), reacquired the same task faster than adults that had previously learned the task at a younger juvenile age (BW). In the adult BW group there was also a significant litter sex-ratio effect such that voles born into a female-biased litter re-acquired the task more slowly than did voles born into a male-biased litter. There were no significant sex or litter sex-ratio effects on spatial learning in the AW group. These results show that adult meadow voles can require a spatial task more quickly if they initially learned the task at an older juvenile age, suggestive of a period of infantile amnesia. In addition, these results indicate that the litter sex-ratio can affect adult spatial performance, suggesting that the relative amount of androgens in utero may influence the development of sexually-dimorphic spatial ability in adulthood.     

Gingival recession and exposure of barrier membrane: effect on guided tissue regeneration of Class II furcation defects

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of barrier membrane exposure on the success of guided tissue regeneration in Class II furcation defects. Twenty-six subjects with mandibular Class II furcation defects received initial periodontal therapy followed by guided tissue regeneration surgery. The membrane was placed and the flaps were repositioned so that the membrane was totally submerged. Membranes were removed 4 to 6 weeks later, at which time the extent of their exposure was recorded. An overall improvement in all clinical parameters was observed for all subjects 1 year after surgery. Half of the patients had experienced no membrane exposure, while the other 13 subjects had experienced mild to pronounced exposure; both groups showed similar improvement in all clinical and surgical parameters. In light of the comparable results obtained in exposed sites, and the anatomic difficulties sometimes encountered in covering a membrane completely, in some of these cases the membrane may be left only partially submerged. This approach will allow for tighter occlusal "seal" of the tooth-membrane interface and preservation of the keratinized gingiva.     

Effects of testosterone implants in pregnant ewes on their female offspring

Optimal conditions for using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the size exclusion mode have been determined for measuring the molecular-weight (MW) distribution of chitosan samples. Physical separation according to molecular size was accomplished on the stationary phase of glass supports having controlled pore sizes ranging from 2500 to 40 A. Selection of column combinations was based on the requirements to resolve the higher MW fraction of chitosan and to give a linear calibration curve within the required MW range. The best combination of glass pore sizes and column lengths in two foot sections joined sequentially was: 2500 A (2 ft.), 1500 A (4 ft.), 550 A (6 ft.), 250 A (2 ft), 100 A (2 ft.), and 40 A (2 ft.). A loading study showed that an injection load of 500 mug, i.e. 100 mul at 5 g/l or 50 mul at 10 g/l (w/v), was the optimal load to give reproducible elution volumes, precision in quantitation, and minimum viscosity effects. The best calibration curve using defined dextran standards was obtained from the geometric mean of Mw (weight average MW) and Mn (number average MW) values and peak elution volumes. Precision in determining MW distribution of chitosan as well as dextran standards was better than 5% relative standard deviation, and the differences between these results and the manufacturer's data on the dextran standards were 6 to -17%. The MW distribution of a selected chitosan samples in 2% acetic acid thus determined was Mw = 2,055,000, Mn = 936,000, dispersity = 2.16, and the most abundant species was around 1,103,000. Analysis time for the HPLC separation was less than 20 min per sample. Chitosan is an effective coagulating agent for the treatment of food processing wastes and activated sludge from biological treatment systems. It is manufactured from chitin in shrimp and crab wastes. The rapid methods developed here for determining the MW distribution of chitosan preparations will be used to optimize the manufacturing process and guide the selection of more effective chitosan products.     

Polydipsia-induced alcohol dependency in rats: a reexamination

Seven Holtzman rats were kept on a polydipsia-induced schedule of alcohol consumption for 3 months in a replication of a 1972 study by Falk and colleagues. Contrary to their results, there was no evidence of alcoholism.     

The cost of auditing outpatient records

When patient records are to be auditied in a program designed to assess the quality of medical care rendered, careful consideration must be given to the cost of the system implemented. Structured data collection and a defined treatment plan are advantageous in facilitating the use of nonphysicians for the majority of the audit. A system using checklists to ensure adequate recording of subjective and objective data and a defined treatment plan for a common symptom complex were implemented by physicians and physician's assistants with a patient load averaging more than 1,000 patient contacts per week in a general medical clinic at Duke University Medical Center. Audit was subsequently accomplished at a cost of 96 cents per record. To reduce this cost, more efficient methods of selecting records for audit should be developed.     

A copulatory system in the hypothalamus and tegmentum of the domestic chick

A tract in the chick is described that runs from the posterior nucleus paraventricularis magnocellularis (PVM) through the lateral hypothalamus to a small area of the anterior tegmentum, which is adjacent to the ventral tegmental area. Bilateral lesions of the posterior PVM or of the PVM tract or of its tegmental destination abolish the facilitation of copulation in male chicks by testosterone. The effect is specific in that the facilitation of attack is either unaffected or only slightly depressed by such lesions, while being itself specifically depressed by other hypothalamic lesions. No other hypothalamic tracts were found that were necessary for the facilitation of copulation. An equivalent copulatory system probably exists in the mammal, with a more diffuse distribution in the preoptic area but with similar connections back to the tegmentum.     

On the possible role of brain protein synthesis in functional barbiturate tolerance

Pentobarbital pellet implantation increased more than 200% the ED50 dose of pentobarbital required to induce loss of the righting reflex within 2 min of i.p. injection and increased the onset of barbital-induced sleep. Both tests of functional barbiturate tolerance were blocked by the intraventricular injection of cycloheximide. The effects of acute (45 mg/kg i.p.) and chronic (pellet implantation) pentobarbital treatment on the incorporation of 3/-lysine into the protein of various subcellular fractions of the cortex and subcortex were studied. In the subcortex, chronic pentobarbital treatment significantly stimulated protein synthesis 40-50% in the microsomal, soluble and mitochondrial fractions. Both acute and chronic pentobarbital treatments significantly increased (3H-lys)-protein accumulation in a fraction of synaptic plasma membranes derived from a population of nerve ending particles (NEP) enriched in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The possible significance of these data to pentobarbital tolerance and dependence development is discussed.