Melatonin receptors mediate contraction of a rat cerebral artery

Melatonin receptors are expressed in the cerebral arteries of the rat which form the circle of Willis. We report here that melatonin induces contraction of in vitro preparations of pressurized rat posterior communicating artery, in a concentration-dependent manner. This action of melatonin is inhibited by S-20928, a specific melatonin receptor antagonist. Our results demonstrate that the contractile action of melatonin is mediated by its receptors in the cerebral artery, and suggest a role for melatonin in the regulation of cerebral circulation.     

The radiographic and imaging characteristics of porous tantalum implants within the human cervical spine

STUDY DESIGN: Seven cadaveric cervical spines were implanted with a porous tantalum spacer and a titanium alloy spacer, and their radiographic and imaging characteristics were evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To determine the radiographic characteristics of porous tantalum and titanium implants used as spacers in the cervical spine. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Anterior decompressive surgery of the disc space or the vertebral body creates a defect that frequently is repaired with autologous bone grafts to promote spinal fusion. Donor site morbidity, insufficient donor material, and additional surgical time have spurred the development of biomaterials to replace or supplement existing spinal reconstruction techniques. Although the promotion of a solid bony fusion is critical, the implanted biomaterial should be compatible with modern imaging techniques, should allow visualization of the spinal canal and neural foramina, and should permit radiographic assessment of bony ingrowth. METHODS: Cadaveric spines containing the implants were imaged with plain radiography, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The image distortion produced by the implants was determined qualitatively and quantitatively. RESULTS: The tantalum and titanium spacers were opaque on plain radiographic films. On computed tomographic scans, more streak artifact was associated with the tantalum implants than with the titanium. On magnetic resonance imaging, the porous tantalum implant demonstrated less artifact than did the titanium spacer on T1- and T2-weighted spin echo and on T2*-weighted gradient-echo magnetic resonance images. Overall, the tantalum implant produced less artifact on magnetic resonance imaging than did the titanium spacer and therefore allowed for better visualization of the surrounding bony and neural structures. CONCLUSION: The material properties of titanium and porous tantalum cervical interbody implants contribute to their differential appearance in different imaging methods. The titanium implant appears to image best with computed tomography, whereas the porous tantalum implant produces less artifact than does the titanium implant on several magnetic resonance imaging sequences.     

Color-coded measures of myocardial velocity throughout the cardiac cycle by tissue Doppler imaging to quantify regional left ventricular function

TDI is a new echocardiographic technique that calculates and displays color-coded myocardial velocity on-line. To determine the feasibility of endocardial velocity throughout the cardiac cycle as a means to quantify regional function, 20 normal subjects aged 30 +/- 5 years and 12 patients with heart disease aged 62 +/- 17 years were studied with a prototype TDI system. TDI M-mode images were acquired by using a multicolored velocity map (display range, -30 to 30 mm/sec; temporal resolution, 90 Hz). Color-coded velocity data were then converted to numeric values off-line at 50 msec intervals. Posterior wall velocities throughout the cardiac cycle by TDI were closely correlated with velocity calculations from the first derivative of routine digitized M-mode tracings (group mean r = 0.88 +/- 0.03, SEE = 7.0 +/- 1.1 mm/sec). Anteroseptal TDI color-coded systolic velocity occurred 164 +/- 84 msec from the onset of the electrocardiographic QRS compared with 203 +/- 33 msec in the posterior wall (P < 0.05) in normal subjects, consistent with normal electrical activation. Significant differences in systolic and diastolic posterior wall TDI velocity data were observed in patients with hypokinetic or akinetic segments assessed by independent routine study when compared with normal controls. Calculated systolic and early diastolic posterior wall TDI indexes correlated significantly with percentage of wall thickening. Of abnormal anteroseptal segments, TDI systolic time velocity integrals were significantly different than normal and correlated with percentage of wall thickening. TDI has potential to quantitatively assess regional left ventricular function.     

Synthesis and characterization of polyestermaleamides

Summary Polyestermaleamides have been synthesized from N,N-bisisomaleimide, p-aminophenol, iso-and tere-phthaloyl chlorides. Through ring-opening addition reaction, a bisphenolamide was first formed; it was then polycondensed with acid chlorides to produce Polyestermaleamides, with an ordered sequence. The polymers were fully characterized by elemental analysis, infrared and electronic spectra, solubility in various solvents as well as inherent viscosity measurements. Thermal behaviour of the polymers were determined by thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen atmosphere.     

Crystalline character of native and chemically treated Egyptian cottons. I. Computation of crystallinity,disorder parameter,orientation factor,and spiral angle

Computer data processing and electronic monochromatization of x-rays were employed for determining crystallinity, disorder parameter, Hermans' orientation factor, as well as DeLuca and Orr spiral angle of native, mercerized and urea-treated cottons. The results indicate the values for the degree of crystallinity to vary significantly between ecttons. Increase in disorder on mercerization is confirmed. The effect of urea treatment is not so well defined. The differences in Hermans' x-ray orientation factor are significant at the 1% level between cottons and at the 10% level between treatments. Besides, from a critical analysis of the values obtained, it is shown that the spiral angle φt in the method of DeLuca and Orr is probably a direct estimate of the mean inclination of the crystallites to the fiber axis, while Hermans' orientation angle β is a complex function of other parameters as well. The computer programs which could be applied to other polymers are included.     

Low-temperature heat capacity of small Nb3Sn polycrystals by ac calorimetry

It is shown by an ac calorimetry technique that the multiple heat capacity anomalies which occur below the superconducting transition temperature for small polycrystalline Nb₃Sn samples are intrinsic to these samples. The recent suggestions that shear stresses can account for these results are analyzed for their validity. The dependence of the occurrence of these multiple anomalies upon the thermal history of the samples was investigated.Supported in part by U.S. Atomic Energy Commission under the Contract No. USAEC-AT-(04-3)-34 at the Department of APIS, UCSD, La Jolla, California. Present work supported under the auspices of ERDA.Supported by Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Air Force Systems Command USAF, under AFOSR Contract No. AFOSR/F-44620-72-C-0017.     

On the relationship between the electronic density of states and the superconducting critical temperature of disordered V3Si

The available data on the effect of neutron and α-particle irradiation on the superconducting properties and the low-temperature specific heat capacity of single- and polycrystalline V₃Si were analyzed in a unified manner. It was found that the electron-phonon renormalization parameter λ does not vary simply proportionally to the bare density of electron states at the Fermi level as had been earlier conjectured by Dynes and Varma, nor does it vary in exactly the same manner as found by Fradin and Williamson to hold for a variety of vanadium-based A15 structure compounds and pseudobinary alloys. When the behavior of V₃Si is compared with that of Nb₃Sn, Nb₃Al, and Nb₃Ge, it is seen that the response to disorder of parameters of importance in the superconductivity of these compounds does not follow any simple, universal behavior.