Homonucleotide tracts, short repeats and CpG/CpNpG motifs are frequent sites for heterogeneous mutations in the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) tumour-suppressor gene

Glutamatergic synaptic potentials induced by micromolar concentrations of the potassium conductance blocker 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) were recorded intracellularly from rat neostriatal neurons in the presence of 10 microM bicuculline (BIC). These synaptic potentials originate from neostriatal cortical and thalamic afferents and were completely blocked by 10 microM 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) plus 100 microM D-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (2-APV). Their inter-event time intervals could be fitted to exponential distributions, suggesting that they are induced randomly. Their amplitude distributions had most counts around 1 mV and fewer counts with values up to 5 mV. Since input resistance of the recorded neurons is about 40 M omega, the amplitudes agree to quantal size measurements in mammalian central neurons. The action of a D2 agonist, quinpirole, was studied on the frequency of these events. Mean amplitude of synaptic potentials was preserved in the presence of 2-10 microM quinpirole, but the frequency of 4-AP-induced glutamatergic synaptic potentials was reduced in 35% of cases. The effect was blocked by the D2 antagonist sulpiride (10 microM). Input resistance, membrane potential, or firing threshold did not change during quinpirole effect, suggesting a presynaptic site of action for quinpirole in some but not all glutamatergic afferents that make contact on a single cell. The present experiments show that dopaminergic presynaptic modulation of glutamatergic transmission in the neostriatum does not affect all stimulated afferents, suggesting that it is selective towards some of them. This may control the quality and quantity of afferent flow upon neostriatal neurons.     

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis extends cerebrovascular autoregulation during hypertension

In anesthetized intact rats, cerebral blood flow is autoregulated until mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) exceeds 150 mmHg. At higher pressures cerebral blood flow breaks through autoregulation and rapidly increases. However, interruption of the arterial baroreceptor reflex eliminates breakthrough of autoregulation. Thus, breakthrough may reflect active rather than passive vasodilatation. We, therefore, sought to determine if breakthrough depends upon synthesis of the vasodilator nitric oxide. Thirty-eight anesthetized adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied. In all, MAP was raised by slow i.v. infusion of phenylephrine. In rats pretreated with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-nitroarginine (L-NA; 22 mg/kg i.v.) or with a combination of L-NA plus D-arginine (D-Arg; 240 mg/kg i.v.), breakthrough did not occur even when MAP exceeded 185 mmHg (L-NA) and 165 mmHg (D-Arg). In contrast, breakthrough occurred in rats treated with L-NA plus L-arginine (L-Arg; 240 mg/kg i.v.) and in rats whose basal vascular tone had been increased by pretreatment with arginine vasopressin prior to infusion of phenylephrine. Removal of sympathetic innervation to cerebral vessels attenuated, but did not eliminate, effects of L-NA on breakthrough. Thus, vasodilatation seen with breakthrough of autoregulation depends upon release of nitric oxide or a nitric oxide donor.     

Airborne scatterometers: investigating ocean backscatter under low and high-wind conditions

Attempting to understand and predict weather on a local and global basis has challenged both the scientific and engineering communities. One key parameter in understanding the weather is the ocean surface wind vector because of its role in the energy exchange at the air-sea surface. scatterometers, radars that measure the reflectivity of a target offer a tool with which to remotely monitor these winds from tower-, aircraft-, and satellite-based platforms. This paper introduces three current airborne scatterometer systems, and presents data collected by these instruments under low-, moderate-, and high-wind conditions. The paper focuses on airborne scatterometers because of their ability to resolve submesoscale variations in wind fields. Discrepancies between existing theory and the observations are noted and the concerns in measuring low-wind speeds discussed. Finally, the application of using this technology for estimating the surface-wind vector during a hurricane is demonstrated     

Simple protocols to determine dust potentials from cattle feedlot soil and surface samples

Cattle feedlot dust is an annoyance and may be a route for nutrient transport, odor emission, and pathogen dispersion, but important environmental factors that contribute to dust emissions are poorly characterized. A general protocol was devised to test feedlot samples for their ability to produce dust under a variety of environmental conditions. A blender was modified to produce dust from a variety of dried feedlot surface and soil samples and collect airborne particles on glass fiber filters by vacuum collection. A general blending protocol optimized for sample volume (150-175 cm3), blending time (5 min of pre-blending), and dust collection time (15 s) provided consistent dust measurements for all samples tested. The procedure performed well on samples that varied in organic matter content, but was restricted to samples containing less than 200 to 700 g H2O kg(-1) dry matter (DM). When applied to field samples, the technique demonstrated considerable spatial variability between feedlot pen sites. Mechanistically, dust potential was related to moisture and organic matter content. An alternative protocol also demonstrated differences within pen sites in maximum dust potential and dust airborne residence time. The two protocols were not intended, nor are they suitable, for predicting actual particulate matter emissions from agricultural sources. Rather, the protocols rapidly and inexpensively compared the potential for dust emission from samples of differing composition under a variety of environmental conditions.     

Religion's role in adjustment to a negative life event: Coping with the loss of a child.

Parents (N?=?124) who had lost an infant to sudden infant death syndrome were interviewed 3 wks and 18 mo postloss. Two components of religion (religious participation and religious importance) were assessed, and their relations with 3 coping-process variables (perceived social support, cognitive processing of the loss, and finding meaning in the death) were examined. Greater religious participation was related to increased perception of social support and greater meaning found in the loss. Importance of religion was positively related to cognitive processing and finding meaning in the death. Furthermore, through these coping-process variables, religious participation and importance were indirectly related to greater well-being and less distress among parents 18 mo after their infants' deaths. Results suggest that further study of the social and cognitive aspects of religion would be profitable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)