Molecular cloning of a murine cDNA encoding a novel protein, p38-2G4, which varies with the cell cycle

Proliferating cells express genes active in cell cycle control. The modulation of control genes and factors are required to maintain critical cell cycle activities. We used a set of monoclonal antibodies prepared against DNA-binding proteins from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in immunofluorescent microscopy to screen for proteins showing cell cycle-specific staining patterns. Here, we report cloning and characterizing of a novel mitogen-inducible gene from murine macrophages that predicts a cell cycle-specifically modulated nuclear protein of 38 kDa, designated p38-2G4. p38-2G4 displayed a speckled pattern of varying fluorescence intensity confined to the nucleus, but sparing the nucleoli. Strongly stained granules were observed between G1 and mid S phase, followed by a less abundant punctated arrangement toward the end of S phase, and negative fluorescence at the S/G2 transition. Thereafter, the nuclear staining reappeared. Additionally, p38-2G4 expression vanished in G0-arrested cells and was restored after release from growth arrest. p38-2G4 conserved in vertebrates by means of immunofluorescence data contains a number of putative phosphorylation sites, a cryptic nuclear localization signal, and an amphipathic helical domain. Our cDNA and its deduced amino acid sequence is related to a Schizosaccharomyces pombe gene encoding a 42-kDa protein that associates with curved DNA, suggesting that we have cloned the murine homologue of the S. pombe gene which defines a novel cell cycle-specifically modified and proliferation-associated nuclear protein in mammals.     

Image-contrast manipulation by the use of photorefractive ring multiresonators

The nonlinear oscillations of photorefractive ring resonators that contain a microlens array are shown topermit controllable optical image-contrast compression and expansion.     

Magnetic films for electromagnetic actuation in MEMS switches

Microsystem Technologies - This paper investigates the fabrication of magnetic films via electroplating to be applied into electromagnetic actuated micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) switches....     

Progressive coding and transmission of digital diagnostic pictures

In radiology, as a result of the increased utilization of digital imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), over a third of the images produced in a typical radiology department are currently in digital form, and this percentage is steadily increasing. Image compression provides a means for the economical storage and efficient transmission of these diagnostic pictures. The level of coding distortion that can be accepted for clinical diagnosis purposes is not yet well-defined. In this paper we introduce some constraints on the design of existing transform codes in order to achieve progressive image transmission efficiently. The design constraints allow the image quality to be asymptotically improved such that the proper clinical diagnoses are always possible. The modified transform code outperforms simple spatial-domain codes by providing higher quality of the intermediately reconstructed images. The improvement is 10 dB for a compression factor of 256:1, and it is as high as 17.5 dB for a factor of 8:1. A novel progressive quantization scheme is developed for optimal progressive transmission of transformed diagnostic images. Combined with a discrete cosine transform, the new approach delivers intermediately reconstructed images of comparable quality twice as fast as the more usual zig-zag sampled approach. The quantization procedure is suitable for hardware implementation.     

Status of laminar grating manufacturing via lithography at HZB

In 2009 Carl Zeiss stopped the manufacture of precision gratings. All users of precision gratings were very concerned about this decision, since they all need such gratings for their experiments. One of the institutes of the HZB, the Institute for Nanometer Optics and Technology (INT), has extensive experience in micro fabrication (technology group). In spring 2010, HZB decided to take over the old C. Zeiss grating fabrication and build up its own technology center for grating fabrication. Using governmental support, HZB has installed all necessary equipment and processes to fabricate high quality gratings for the synchrotron radiation community.     

Bücherschau

Ohne Zusammenfassung VDI     

Einfluss von Randspalt und Randabweiser auf die Fluiddynamik einer Messzelle zur HETP-Bestimmung

The scale-up of columns equipped with structured packings is a time and cost intensive process. In order to improve scale-up efficiency, a measurement cell for structured packings has been developed. This makes it possible to investigate characteristic sections of packed columns, such as bulk and wall area on a small scale. The study shows the influence of commonly installed wall wipers and the distance between wall and packing on the fluid dynamics in the measuring cell.     

Femoral injection of echo contrast medium may increase the sensitivity of testing for a patent foramen ovale

OBJECTIVE: The diagnosis of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) as a cause of stroke is of increasing interest especially in young (<45 years) patients. METHODS: We studied potential right-to-left shunting using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and bilateral transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) simultaneously in 44 patients. All patients were younger than age 45 years and suffered from an acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. Other possible etiologies were excluded. Echo contrast medium was injected in an alternating mode via antecubital or femoral veins. Tests were performed with and without the Valsalva maneuver. The criteria for a PFO were that the contrast pass from the right to the left atrium (TEE) and early detection (<10 seconds) of more than 10 micro air bubbles in at least one MCA by TCD. RESULTS: A PFO was diagnosed in 22 patients (50%). The detection rate with TEE/TCD was 11.4%/4.5% via antecubital injection, 18%/13.6% via antecubital injection plus the Valsalva maneuver, 38.6%/36% via femoral injection alone, and 50%/50% via femoral injection plus the Valsalva maneuver. The difference between femoral and antecubital injections was significant with and without the Valsalva maneuver (p < 0.01, chi2 test). There were no differences between TEE and TCD after femoral injection with the Valsalva maneuver. The brain transit time was 4.6 +/- 2.1 seconds for femoral injection and 6.3 +/- 4.1 seconds for antecubital injection. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity in detecting a PFO was markedly increased by femoral injection. This may be caused by different inflow patterns to the right atrium: inferior vena caval flow is directed to the right atrial septum, whereas superior vena caval flow is directed to the tricuspid valve. Thus, femoral injection may help to improve the detection of PFO and may explain the differences between TEE and TCD findings in previous studies.     

Defecatory disorders in de novo Parkinsonians--colonic transit and electromyogram of the external anal sphincter

Constipation is very common in Parkinson's disease. It is still not known whether constipation is due to a slow transit of the colon or an outlet obstruction. We examined 25 patients (11 women, 14 men, mean age 62 years) with newly diagnosed idiopathic Parkinson's disease. All patients had typical clinical symptoms (with an average score of 11.4 points on the Webster scale); the diagnosis was confirmed by 18F-Dopa-PET. In all patients the colon transit time was measured with radioopaque markers. Pudendal nerve lesions were excluded by neurography of the pudendal nerve. Electromyography of the external anal sphincter was performed with concentric needle electrodes in the right and left lateral position. Colon transit time in the patients averaged 3.7 days, with pathologically prolonged transit (> 4 days) in 6 patients (24%). Four patients (16%) showed mild neurogenic changes on sphincter EMG (16%). In three other cases (12%) long duration and large amplitude of motor unit action potentials (MUAPs), and a reduced interference pattern during maximal voluntary effort indicated a severe neurogenic lesion. One patient presented with involuntary contractions of the external anal sphincter at rest, which increased during strain (anism).     

Coda--After "The end of the end of ideology."

Replies to comments by M. Glassman and D. Karno (see record 2007-18356-016) and R. K. Unger (see record 2007-18356-017), on the author's original article (see record 2006-12925-001) on ideology. J. T. Jost thanks Glassman and Karno for returning him to his philosophical roots. Glassman and Karno argued in favor of an "instrumental pragmatist" approach to the study of ideology that emphasizes the strategic, purposive, goal-directed nature of political rhetoric and belief. He agrees that such an approach is helpful and empirically sound. He also agrees that ideological movements are often orchestrated by elites (e.g., party leaders) for strategic political purposes in a top-down manner. There are several other points, however, on which Glassman and Karno seem to misunderstand him. Regarding Unger's comments, Unger pointed out, quite correctly, that Jost said relatively little about the role of religious ideology in his discussion of ideological polarization in the United States. The ideological gulf between religious traditionalists and secular humanists has indeed been widening since 1980, and it corresponds strongly to right-left differences in political attitudes. Jost mentioned, somewhat cryptically, at the end of his article that "similarly fruitful analyses could be undertaken with respect to religious and other belief systems," and he is grateful for Unger's invitation to elaborate on this point. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)