Histochemical evaluation of placental dipeptidyl peptidase IV (CD26) in pre-eclampsia: enzyme activity in villous trophoblast indicates an enhanced likelihood of gestational hypertensive disorders

Nitric oxide (NO) acts as a modulator of neuronal transmission in mature neuronal systems, including the retina. Recently, NO has also been suggested to have a trophic function during development. We examined immunocytochemically the distribution of NO-producing cells in developing and transplanted rabbit retinas. An antibody detecting the neuronal isoform of its biosynthetic enzyme, nitric oxide synthase (NOS), was used on normal developing retinas [starting at embryonic day (E) 15] and on rabbit retinal transplants after various survival times (1-139 days after surgery). Weakly stained cell bodies were first observed in the proximal margin of the neuroblastic layer at E 29. Stained processes projecting towards a developing inner plexiform layer were also visible at this time point. Immunoreactive cells were located at later stages in the innermost part of the inner nuclear layer and in the ganglion cell layer, and are likely to correspond mainly to amacrine cells. NOS-labelled cells were also found in retinal transplants. The first NOS-labelled cells appeared, as in normal developing retinas, in ages corresponding to E 29 and were still detected in transplants corresponding to postnatal day 123. NOS-labelled cells were seen in areas between rosettes, where amacrine cells are located. NOS-labelled processes were at times seen to project for long distances, forming very distinct plexuses. NOS-containing amacrine cells thus appear both in the transplants and in developing retinas in the embryonic stages, long before synaptic function involving these cells can be expected, suggesting a role for NO not only in neuromodulation but also in retinal development.     

Glial development in the Drosophila CNS requires concomitant activation of glial and repression of neuronal differentiation genes

Two classes of glial cells are found in the embryonic Drosophila CNS, midline glial cells and lateral glial cells. Midline glial development is triggered by EGF-receptor signalling, whereas lateral glial development is controlled by the gcm gene. Subsequent glial cell differentiation depends partly on the pointed gene. Here we describe a novel component required for all CNS glia development. The tramtrack gene encodes two zinc-finger proteins, one of which, ttkp69, is expressed in all non-neuronal CNS cells. We show that ttkp69 is downstream of gcm and can repress neuronal differentiation. Double mutant analysis and coexpression experiments indicate that glial cell differentiation may depend on a dual process, requiring the activation of glial differentiation by pointed and the concomitant repression of neuronal development by tramtrack.     

Aminoglycosides prevent and dissociate the aggregation of platelets in patients with EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia

Although EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia (EDTA-PTCP) is of practical importance because failure to recognize this clinical entity may result in misdiagnosis and subsequent mismanagement of the patients, the pathophysiological nature of EDTA-PTCP remains unknown. To develop an effective way to evaluate the platelet counts in patients with EDTA-PTCP, we introduced aminoglycosides-supplemented anticoagulating agents. When kanamycin was pre-supplemented with EDTA for anticoagulating blood samples from EDTA-PTCP patients there was no significant change in the platelet counts and the morphology of blood cells after 150 min of incubation at room temperature. Furthermore, when kanamycin was added to EDTA-anticoagulated blood samples from EDTA-PTCP patients within 30 min after blood withdrawal, rapid dissociation of platelets without apparent morphological changes of blood cells was observed, and complete blood cell counts as well as the histogram patterns were almost the same as those examined immediately after blood sampling. The dissociation of aggregated platelets was also detected when other antibiotics were used, although it was associated with some extent of morphological changes of blood cells. These findings indicate that the supplementation of aminoglycosides either before or after blood sampling is a useful method for the diagnosis EDTA-PTCP and for the evaluation of platelet counts in patients with EDTA-PTCP.     

Finite element beam propagation method for three-dimensionaloptical waveguide structures

A beam propagation method (BPM) based on the finite element method (FEM) is described for longitudinally varying three-dimensional (3-D) optical waveguides. In order to avoid nonphysical reflections from the computational window edges, the transparent boundary condition is introduced. The present algorithm using the Pade approximation is, to our knowledge, the first wide-angle finite element beam propagation method for 3-D waveguide structures. To show the validity and usefulness of this approach, numerical results are shown for Gaussian-beam excitation of a straight rib waveguide and guided-mode propagation in a Y-branching rib waveguide     

Van vleck paramagnetism of the diluted intermetallic compounds Pr1−x Y x Ni5 at fields up to 15 T

We have measured the 16 Hz susceptibility of the diluted Van Vleck paramagnets Pr_1−x Y _x Ni₅ withx=0.00, 0.05, 0.10. 0.20 at temperatures 1.5 K≤T≤50 K and magnetic fields up to 15T. Their Van Vleck type magnetic susceptibility χ(T, B, x) strongly depends on the field atB≥6 T. The temperatureT _max(B, x) of the maximum of χ(T, B, x) decreases at increasing the field from zero to 15 T by approximately one order of magnitude for all Pr_1−x Y _x Ni₅ compounds. Changing the dilutionx from zero to 0.20, the field whereT _max(B, x) strongly drops is increased from 9 T to 11 T. Our data agree qualitatively with the predictions of a point charge model which considers the Zeeman term in addition to the electronic exchange and the dominating crystal field contributions.     

Evaluation of the tensile and fatigue behaviourof a powder metallurgy beryllium/aluminium alloy

The tensile and fatigue behaviour of a powder metallurgy beryllium/aluminium alloy produced by Brush Wellman (Albemet 562) is determined as a function of temperature. The material is shown to have very high stiffness/density compared with common structural materials and moderate strength up to 232°C. The mechanical properties of the material do not vary significantly as a function of orientation for the extruded plate evaluated in this study. The stiffness of the material can be readily explained using standard composite theory, where the material is treated as a beryllium particle-reinforced aluminium matrix composite. To explain the observed strength levels, a combination of microstructural-based dislocation strengthening mechanisms is proposed to act in combination with continuum mechanics strengthening based on load transfer. Failure analysis reveals that the aluminium regions of the material fail in a ductile dimple fashion, while the beryllium regions exhibit a more brittle cleavage type failure. Fatigue failure was found to initiate at inclusions present in the material, but is still very high relative to conventional aluminium alloys. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Densification involved in the UV-based photosensitivity of silicaglasses and optical fibers

A comprehensive survey of photosensitivity in silica glasses and optical fiber is reviewed. Recent work on understanding the mechanisms contributing to germanium or aluminum doped fiber photosensitivity is discussed within the framework of photoelastic densification models