Deliberately Losing Control of C−H Activation Processes in the Design of Small-Molecule-Fragment Arrays Targeting Peroxisomal Metabolism

Combined photochemical arylation, “nuisance effect” (S_NAr) reaction sequences have been employed in the design of small arrays for immediate deployment in medium-throughput X-ray protein–ligand structure determination. Reactions were deliberately allowed to run “out of control” in terms of selectivity; for example the ortho-arylation of 2-phenylpyridine gave five products resulting from mono- and bisarylations combined with S_NAr processes. As a result, a number of crystallographic hits against NUDT7, a key peroxisomal CoA ester hydrolase, have been identified.     

On the Possibility of Observing Third Sound on 3He

This paper focuses on the hydrodynamics of third sound on a superfluid ³ He film. We solve the hydrodynamical equations in the limit of thick films with weak interaction with the substrate. The surface tension at the free interface is shown to have a large effect on the third sound velocity and on the attenuation for frequencies larger than 1Hz. In the case of a diffusely scattering substrate a ripplon-like dispersion relation is found for this frequency range.     

Knowledge about asthma among Danish primary school teachers. Results of a questionnaire study

An anonymous questionnaire inquiry performed among 324 school teachers in the Randers area with the purpose of elucidating teachers' knowledge about asthma is presented. To a series of statements about asthma, the teachers should answer yes, no or don't know. A limited knowledge about asthma in children was found. The knowledge about medicamental treatment was particularly limited. Only 57 per cent knew that wheezing after physical exertion is a strong indicator of asthma. Only five per cent had received proper instruction. This latter group had a significantly better knowledge of medical treatment (p < 0.0001-0.05). It is recommended that instruction in children's diseases, especially asthma should be reintroduced in teachers' training colleges.     

Mikromethode zur quantitativen Bestimmung von Coffein

Zusammenfassung Zur quantitativen Bestimmung von Coffein in biologischem Material wird ein kombiniertes Verfahren aus Dünnschichtchromatographie und Densitometrie beschrieben. Das Verfahren läßt Bestimmungen im Nanogramm-Bereich zu. Das Probenvolumen liegt unter 100 l.Die Proben — Capillarblut — werden zunächst mit dem gleichen Volumen Chloroform extrahiert. Anschließend wird das Coffein mittels Dünnschichtchromatographie von Begleitstoffen und störenden Substanzen abgetrennt. Es werden Kieselgel-60-Fertigplatten und Chlorofom/Aceton (9 + 1; v/v) als Fließmittel verwendet, dabei beträgt die Laufzeit 30 min.Die quantitative densitometrische Auswertung erfolgt durch Remissionsmessung bei 273 nm. Im Bereich von 10–60 ng Coffein/Fleck verläuft die Eichkurve linear. 1 mg/I Coffein kann noch sicher quantitativ erfaßt werden. Die Nachweisgrenze liegt bei 0,1 mg/1.

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A quantitative micromethod for the caffeine determination

Summary A combined procedure with thin-layer-chromatography and densitometry is described for the quantitative estimation of caffeine in biological material. This method ist applicable in the nanogram range. Test samples of less than 100 l may be used. The samples (capillary-blood) are extracted with the same volume of chloroform. Caffeine is separated from interfering compounds by thin-layer-chromatography. Commercial silica-60-plates with chloroform/acetone (9 + 1; v/v) as solvent are used. The running time is about 30 min. The quantitative densitometric determinations are performed in the remission mode at 273 nm. In the range from 10 to 60 ng/spot the calibration curve is linear. Accurate quantitative data will be obtained even at concentrations of 1 mg/1 caffeine. The detection limit is at about 0.1 mg/1.

     

Properties of Na implanted targets

Ten types of ²³Na implanted targets have been fabricated for the purposes of investigating the effects of proton beam bombardment on the implanted sodium distribution. Targets were implanted at energies of E_Na = 10-30 keV using copper, tantalum, and nickel as host materials. Thin layers (100-200 Å) of chromium and gold were also evaporated over some of the targets to provide a protective layer for the implanted sodium. The ²³Na(p, γ) resonance at a lab proton energy of E_p = 309 keV was used to determine the implanted distribution. Successive resonance profile measurements are presented for each implanted target, and the concurrent loss of ²³Na resulting from beam bombardment is reported. The calculated temperature rise of the targets indicates that beam heating has a negligible effect on the implanted sodium distribution, and that the principal mechanism for ²³Na loss during beam bombardment is sputtering.     

Effects of particle size and dry matter content of a total mixed ration on intraruminal equilibration and net portal flux of volatile fatty acids in lactating dairy cows

Effects of physical changes in consistency of ruminal contents on intraruminal equilibration and net portal fluxes of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in dairy cows were studied. Four Danish Holstein cows (121 ± 17 d in milk, 591 ± 24 kg of body weight, mean ± SD) surgically fitted with a ruminal cannula and permanent indwelling catheters in the major splanchnic blood vessels were used. The experimental design was a 4 × 4 Latin square with a 2 × 2 factorial design of treatments. Treatments differed in forage (grass hay) particle size (FPS; 3.0 and 30 mm) and feed dry matter (DM) content of the total mixed ration (44.3 and 53.8%). The feed DM did not affect chewing time, ruminal variables, or net portal flux of VFA. However, decreasing the FPS decreased the overall chewing and rumination times by 151 ± 55 and 135 ± 29 min/d, respectively. No effect of the reduced chewing time was observed on ruminal pH or milk fat percentage. Cows maintained average ventral ruminal pH of 6.65 ± 0.02, medial ruminal pH of 5.95 ± 0.04, and milk fat of 4.42 ± 0.12% with chewing time of 28.0 ± 2.1 min/kg of DM when fed short particles. The medial ruminal pool of wet particulate matter was decreased by 10.53 ± 2.29 kg with decreasing FPS, thereby decreasing the medial pool of total VFA, acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate by 1,143 ± 333, 720 ± 205, 228 ± 69, 140 ± 51, 8.0 ± 2.3, and 25.2 ± 5.6 mmol, respectively. Ventral pool variables were not affected by treatments. Relatively large intraruminal differences of VFA concentrations and pH between the ventral and medial pools were observed, VFA concentrations being largest and pH being the lowest medially. This indicates that the ruminal mat acts as a barrier retaining VFA. The effects of reduced FPS were limited to the VFA pool sizes of the mat, leaving ruminal pH, ruminal VFA concentrations, and net portal flux of VFA unaffected. Consequently reduced FPS affected the intraruminal equilibration of VFA between mat and ventral rumen with an estimated turnover rate of isobutyrate increasing from 50 ± 3%/h with long particles to 61 ± 3%/h with short particles. The estimated ruminal fluid flow and therefore intraruminal VFA transport between medial and ventral phase was not affected by the FPS. In conclusion, the ruminal mat pool of VFA was proportional to the size of the mat and the only detected effects of decreasing FPS were decreasing the mat size and an increasing turnover of the mat pool of VFA.     

Retrieval experience as a modifier of future encoding: Another test effect.

Research on how individuals monitor their level of comprehension during study paints a picture of learners as being insensitive to many of the factors or conditions of learning that can enhance long-term retention and transfer. In previous research, however, deWinstanley and Bjork (2004) demonstrated that learners—if made sensitive to the memorial benefits of generation in the context of an informative test following study of a text passage in which they had encoded both to-be-read and to-be-generated critical items—then became more effective processors of future to-be-read information presented in a 2nd text passage. In Experiments 1 and 2 of the present research, we explored the potential applicability of this effect by testing whether it could survive certain types of activity-filled delays. In Experiments 3 and 4, we tested whether enhanced processing of contextual information, an encoding strategy that could possibly have been discovered by participants during the testing episode for the 1st text passage, was a potential underlying cause of this effect. Together, our results bring to light an additional benefit of test taking and point to what might be considered necessary and sufficient conditions for leading learners to become more effective processors of future to-be-learned information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Screening calcaneal ultrasound and risk factors for osteoporosis among lesbians and heterosexual women

We compared calcaneal ultrasound measurements (speed of sound [SOS], broadband ultrasound attenuation [BUA], and stiffness index [SI]) of lesbian and heterosexual women to examine the medical and lifestyle risk factors for osteoporosis in each group. This was an exploratory, community-based, cross-sectional study. Subjects were mailed food frequency, health, and physical activity questionnaires. Weight, height, and calcaneal ultrasound measurements were taken at one office visit. In communities in southern and eastern Maine, 71 lesbians and 77 heterosexual women between the ages of 30 and 50 with regular menses and in good general health were the subjects. Statistical analysis used t-tests and chi-square tests to evaluate differences between study groups. Linear regression models were used to evaluate risk factors for low calcaneal ultrasound measurements. There were no differences between the lesbian and heterosexual women in age, body mass index (BMI), exercise, calcium intake, alcohol use, or calcaneal ultrasound measurements. There was a positive association between BUA and both BMI and alcohol consumption (p < 0.01). Antidepressant use significantly reduced SOS and SI (p < 0.05). There were no differences in calcaneal ultrasound measurements between lesbian and heterosexual women. BMI was strongly and positively associated with BUA. Antidepressant use in both populations was associated with a significant reduction in calcaneal bone mass. Studies are needed to define the relationship of depression and its treatment to bone mineral density and the future risk of osteoporosis.     

Radioprotection of mice by dietary squalene

Male C3H mice were fed a diet containing 2% squalene for 14 d prior to and 30 d subsequent to exposure to 6, 7 or 8 Gy of whole body γ-irradiation (Cesium-137). After 14 d on squalene-supplemented diet, plasma and jejunal tissue squalene levels were 2X and 15X that of controls. Seven days after irradiation, total white cell counts and total lymphocyte counts were substantially depressed in a radiation dose-dependent manner. Although counts in the squalene group were consistently (18–119%) higher than those in the corresponding dietary control group, the differences between dietary groups at any single dose were not significant. Nuclear area of villus cells in the jejunum of both dietary groups was significantly reduced (20%) by day 11 post-irradiation but the nuclear area in squalene-fed mice was significantly greater (15%) than in controls, before and after irradiation. There were no differences in body weight as a function of either diet or radiation dose prior to the first observations of animal lethality. Animal survival was decreased from 100 to 0% at 30 d post-irradiation by radiation doses of 6–8 Gy, with the greatest difference between dietary groups being observed at 7 Gy (median survival times of 12 and 16 d for control and squalene groups, respectively). Overall, survival of squalene-fed mice was significantly prolonged compared with control-fed mice (P=0.0054 by censored multiple regression analysis). It is concluded that squalene conferred some cellular and systemic radioprotection to mice receiving these lethal whole-body radiation doses.