Sex differences in neuropsychological performance and social functioning in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Objective: To investigate sex differences in neurocognition and social functioning in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and the possible role of sex as a moderator of this relationship. Method: Participants with schizophrenia (60 women/94 men), bipolar I disorder (55 women/51 men), and healthy controls (158 women/182 men) were assessed with an extensive neuropsychological test battery and a social functioning questionnaire. Results: We found significant main effects of sex for neuropsychological tests (p     

Cyclic AMP stimulates the cyclic GMP egression pump in human erythrocytes: effects of probenecid, verapamil, progesterone, theophylline, IBMX, forskolin, and cyclic AMP on cyclic GMP uptake and association to inside-out vesicles

The knowledge about the structure and function of the protein families responsible for cGMP synthesis and metabolic conversion has grown vastly the last years, whereas little is known about proteins that account for the cellular export of cGMP. In the present study, we have employed a model with inside-out vesicles prepared from human erythrocytes to characterize modulation and regulation of cellular cGMP extrusion. The active transport was saturable (Km of 2.4 +/- 0.2 microM, mean +/- SEM, n = 3) and coupled to ATP hydrolysis since no accumulation was detected in the presence of ATP-gamma-S and AMP-PNP. The observation that 100 microM of cAMP caused a minimal inhibition (14.4 +/- 0.3%) of active cGMP transport showed that the extrusion system for cGMP was not shared with cAMP, but a competitive interaction occurred for the ATP-independent association to the inside out vesicles. In contrast, the lowest, but physiological relevant cAMP concentrations (0.1-5 microM) stimulated the active cGMP transport with 30-35%, an observation that suggests cAMP as an allosteric regulator of the cGMP transporter. Several well-known modulators of other energy-requiring membrane transport systems caused a competitive and concentration-dependent inhibition, including verapamil (Ki = 13.0 +/- 2.4 microM), forskolin (Ki = 13.5 +/- 1.4 microM) and probenecid (Ki = 27.0 +/- 1.3 microM). Progesterone, which was the most potent inhibitor (Ki = 2.2 +/- 0.3 microM), interacted with the active cGMP transport in a noncompetitive manner. The highest concentration (100 microM) of IBMX and theophylline reduced the active cGMP uptake with 29.5 +/- 1.9% and 21.6 +/- 2.1%, respectively. None of these substances interfered with the association of cGMP to the vesicles in absence of ATP. The present results show that human erythrocytes possess a cell membrane cGMP transporter which is coupled to an ATPase. Its activity is regulated by cAMP in an apparent allosteric manner and inhibited by substances previously known to interact with other membrane transport systems.     

6m高土石坝稳定与溃决现场试验

挪威进行了一项完整的关于不同筑坝材料的土石坝稳定研究项目,以研究小坝的溃决问题.现场实验结果表明,碾压堆石坝的抗剪强度要高于常规稳定分析结果,坝脚处实际的抗水流冲刷能力较强.当坝体下游外部发生冲蚀时,过程较慢,当冲蚀深度发展到坝顶的上游坡面时,溃决过程很快,溃口先向下发展直到坝脚,然后才向两侧发展.     

By-pass valves in hydropower plants: An ecologically important measure to mitigate stranding in rivers due to emergency turbine flow shutdown

Hydropeaking operations or accidental shutdown in hydropower (HP) plants lead to rapid reduction in river flows downstream HP outlets and cause severe stranding of biota. Stranding of fish in dewatered riverbeds is a major consequence of hydropeaking. To mitigate the direct negative impacts of accidental powerplant shutdown implementation of automated by-pass valves (BPVs) is suggested as an efficient measure. Proper configuration and operation of the BPV is crucial. At present, more than 110 Norwegian HP plants have BPVs as a license requirement. We found that the function of the BPVs in small-scale HP plants (HPPs <10 MW) were found to be inadequate. Re-configuration to better mitigate the ecological impacts were required to minimize stranding risk for juvenile salmonids. The valves were found to come into operation too late, did not open automatically, or were found to reduce the flow too rapidly. Hence, the function of the valves did not meet best practice. This is alarming seen both from a governance perspective as well as from an ecological standpoint. Our second objective was to develop a generic cost-efficient formula for BPVs configuration to dampen severe flow dewatering in case of HP fallout. Our configuration formula is adjustable to meet down-ramping flow rules, and hence may helps to mitigate stranding of key species in rivers. For most of the large-scale HPPs (>10 MW), the BPVs seems to operate as expected, namely to secure base-flow until the HP turbine is re-started and hence mitigate the most severe dewatering events. Potentially more than 650 HPPs in Norway, and hence several thousand of river km downstream HPP outlets may need well-operated BPVs to mitigate accidental stranding of riverine biota worldwide.