bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential Effects of Ethanol on Serum GABAergic 3α,5α/3α,5β Neuroactive Steroids in Mice, Rats, Cynomolgus Monkeys, and Humans
Authors: Porcu Patrizia , O’Buckley Todd K. , Alward Sarah E. , Song Soomin C. , Grant Kathleen A. , De Wit Harriet , Leslie Morrow A.
Published: December 2009

Background: Acute ethanol administration increases plasma and brain levels of progesterone and deoxycorticosterone‐derived neuroactive steroids (3α,5α)‐3‐hydroxypregnan‐20‐one (3α,5α‐THP) and (3α,5α)‐3,21‐dihydroxypregnan‐20‐one (3α,5α‐THDOC) in rats. However, little is known about ethanol effects on GABAergic neuroactive steroids in mice, nonhuman primates, or humans. We investigated the effects of ethanol on plasma levels of 3α,5α‐ and 3α,5β‐reduced GABAergic neuroactive steroids derived from progesterone, deoxycorticosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and testosterone using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry.

Methods: Serum levels of GABAergic neuroactive steroids and pregnenolone were measured in male rats, C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice, cynomolgus monkeys, and humans following ethanol administration. Rats and mice were injected with ethanol (0.8 to 2.0 g/kg), cynomolgus monkeys received ethanol (1.5 g/kg) intragastrically, and healthy men consumed a beverage containing 0.8 g/kg ethanol. Steroids were measured after 60 minutes in all species and also after 120 minutes in monkeys and humans.

Results: Ethanol administration to rats increased levels of 3α,5α‐THP, 3α,5α‐THDOC, and pregnenolone at the doses of 1.5 g/kg (+228, +134, and +860%, respectively,p < 0.001) and 2.0 g/kg (+399, +174, and +1125%, respectively,p < 0.001), but not at the dose of 0.8 g/kg. Ethanol did not alter levels of the other neuroactive steroids. In contrast, C57BL/6J mice exhibited a 27% decrease in serum 3α,5α‐THP levels (p < 0.01), while DBA/2J mice showed no significant effect of ethanol, although both mouse strains exhibited substantial increases in precursor steroids. Ethanol did not alter any of the neuroactive steroids in cynomolgus monkeys at doses comparable to those studied in rats. Finally, no effect of ethanol (0.8 g/kg) was observed in men.

Conclusions: These studies show clear species differences among rats, mice, and cynomolgus monkeys in the effects of ethanol administration on circulating neuroactive steroids. Rats are unique in their pronounced elevation of GABAergic neuroactive steroids, while this effect was not observed in mice or cynomolgus monkeys at comparable ethanol doses.
Evolution of the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association1
Authors: Hendershott Patric H. , Thibodeau Thomas G. , Smith Halbert C.
Published: December 2009

This article summarizes the 45‐year history of the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association (AREUEA). It describes how AREUEA was created in the mid‐1960s by a few academics interested in promoting real estate research. It tracks the Association's growth into a highly respected international association of real estate academics and researchers employed by industry and governments. The article also examines the activities of its members: officers elected, awards presented, conferences organized and scholars' contributions to its main academic publication—Real Estate Economics. The article identifies the most prolific contributors to the Journal (located both in the United States and internationally) and the impact that the Journal's publications have had on real estate research. Finally, we describe how real estate research interests have changed over time.
The Incidence of the Land Use Regulatory Tax
Authors: Cheung Ron , Ihlanfeldt Keith , Mayock Tom
Published: December 2009

Land use regulation has been found to impose a substantial tax on housing within select U.S. metropolitan areas. In this article, we develop hypotheses regarding the incidence of this tax by income class and racial group within these areas. Parcel‐level data from Miami‐Dade County, Florida, are used to test our hypotheses. We find that, while the tax rises with a household's permanent income, this rise is less than proportional, making it a regressive tax. We also find, controlling for household permanent income, that the tax is a higher percentage of the price of homes located in black neighborhoods in comparison to those located in white or Hispanic neighborhoods.
Morphology of α′H‐Ca2SiO4 Solid Solution Crystals
Authors: Fukuda Koichiro , Kurokawa Daisuke
Published: December 2009

Single crystals of α′L‐(Sr0.3Ca1.7)SiO4 with well‐developed smooth faces were grown by heating at 1473 K in a SrCl2 flux. A euhedral prismatic crystal ∼200 μm ×∼300 μm ×∼1000 μm in size was selected and examined by the combined use of the precession method and scanning electron microscope. Because the crystal developed within the stable temperature region of the α′H‐phase, the faces were successfully identified as {111}, {011}, and {021} on the basis of the former α′H‐phase lattice. The faces {011} and {021} constitute a zone with the zone axis [100], which was parallel to the elongation direction of the crystal. A similar morphology was confirmed for the belite crystals in a belite–gehlenite clinker, which were crystallized out of a melt within the stable temperature region of the α′H‐phase.
Preparation of Highly Lithium‐Ion Conductive 80Li2S·20P2S5 Thin‐Film Electrolytes Using Pulsed Laser Deposition
Authors: Sakuda Atsushi , Hayashi Akitoshi , Hama Shigenori , Tatsumisago Masahiro
Published: December 2009

Highly lithium‐ion conductive Li2S–P2S5 thin films were prepared using pulsed laser deposition at room temperature. The ambient Ar gas pressure during deposition strongly affected the thin films' chemical compositions and local structures. The chemical composition and the local structure of the 80Li2S·20P2S5 thin film prepared under 5 Pa showed good agreement with those of the highly lithium‐ion conducting 80Li2S·20P2S5 glass powder prepared by mechanical milling. The ionic conductivity at 25°C and the activation energy for conduction of the as‐deposited 80Li2S·20P2S5 thin films were, 7.9 × 10−5 S/cm and 43 kJ/mol, respectively. The ionic conductivity of the 80Li2S·20P2S5 thin film was increased to 2.8 × 10−4 S/cm through heat treatment. The highly lithium‐ion conducting thin‐films reported in this study are promising electrolytes for developing all‐solid‐state lithium batteries.
Single‐Crystalline InVO4 Nanotubes by Self‐Template‐Directed Fabrication
Authors: Yi Xi , Li Jianlin , Chen Zhong , Tok Alfred
Published: December 2009

Single‐crystalline InVO4 nanotubes have been successfully synthesized by annealing electrospun precursor fibers. The products were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, which demonstrated that they are single‐crystalline nanotubes. The growth of these nanotubes is considered to be a two‐step process involving a self‐template‐directed mechanism.
Synthesis of Nanoparticulate Tungsten Carbide Under Microwave Irradiation
Authors: Essaki Kenji , Rees Eric J. , Burstein Gordon T.
Published: December 2009

The influence of experimental conditions used in the synthesis of tungsten carbide by microwave heating is described. The precursor was prepared from tungsten dissolved in hydrogen peroxide and carbon black powder. Carbon powder is consumed over the course of the synthesis; it functions as both reducing agent and carburizing agent. Carbon powder is also a microwave susceptor that is responsible for heating the reagents under microwave irradiation, and careful control of the precursor carbon content was found to be important. This paper describes the conditions required to synthesize nanoparticulate tungsten carbide to a high yield by microwave irradiation for 20 min.
Slurry Synthesis of Bismuth Sodium Titanate with a Transient Aurivillius‐Type Structure
Authors: Qi Jianquan , Sun Li , Du Peng , Li Longtu
Published: December 2009

Using Bi4Ti3O12 slurry as a precursor, bismuth sodium titanate with a transient Aurivillius‐type structure was synthesized at room temperature. The typical grain size of the as‐prepared powders was 40 nm. The powders retain the Aurivillius structure when the annealing temperature was lower than 800°C, with the crystal grains growing rapidly below 600°C. After annealing at 900°C for 3 h, the structure transformed into prototypal perovskite. Powders prepared by this method can be used to form textured ceramics with high density and homogenous grain size.
Phase Transition in Weberite‐Type Gd3NbO7
Authors: Cai Lu , Denev Sava , Gopalan Venkatraman , Nino Juan C.
Published: December 2009

Gd3NbO7 has an orthorhombic weberite‐type crystal structure and undergoes a phase transition at about 340 K. The phase transition was confirmed by second harmonic generation, heat capacity measurement, and high‐resolution X‐ray diffraction. Above 340 K, Gd3NbO7 has a centrosymmetric weberite‐type structure with space group Cmcm (No. 63) and transforms at about 340 K into a non‐centrosymmetric structure with space group Cm2m (No. 38). The phase transition is mainly due to off‐center shifts of Nb5+ ions within NbO6 octahedra, as well as off‐center shifts of one‐third of the Gd3+ ions within GdO8 polyhedra.
Structural, Dielectric, and Ferroelectric Properties of BiAlO3–PbTiO3 Solid Solution Thin Films on Indium Tin Oxide‐Coated Glass Substrates
Authors: Wu Guangheng , Zhou Hong , Zhou Xiaoye , Qin Ni , Bao Dinghua
Published: December 2009

xBiAlO3‐(1−x)PbTiO3 (xBA–PT, x=0–0.1) solid solution thin films were prepared on indium tin oxide‐coated glass substrates using a chemical solution deposition method at an annealing temperature of 600oC, and the effects of bismuth aluminate (BA) content on the structural, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties of the thin films were investigated. Formation of the solid solution thin films has been confirmed by XRD and Raman analysis. The thin films crystallize in the perovskite structure without the formation of any detectable secondary phase. With increasing BA content, the thin films transform the tetragonal phase into a pseudocubic phase. When x is 0.08, the thin film exhibits high dielectric constant and large remanent polarization (2Pr) values, which are 384 and 58 μC/cm2, respectively. In addition, the dielectric loss and the leakage current density were considerably reduced by adding BA to the thin films.
Contractual Complexity and the Cognitive Load of R&D Alliance Contracts
Authors: Hagedoorn John , Hesen Geerte
Published: December 2009

We offer a new perspective on measuring the complexity of interfirm contracts. We define complex contracts as those contracts that contain many elements (clauses) with a relatively large number of interdependencies that also impose a significant cognitive load on contract parties. Previous studies on contractual complexity employ objective measures such as the number of pages, the number of kilobytes, or the number of provisions to measure this complexity. Following some suggestions in the literature, we argue that the degree to which a contract imposes a cognitive load on contract parties should be taken as another important dimension of contractual complexity. We develop a conceptual model of the complexity of contracts using a multidimensional perspective where both objective and subjective dimensions are taken into account. Our empirical analysis combines a sample of nearly 400 R&D alliance contracts in the biopharmaceutical industry with a measurement of the cognitive load of these contracts. Our findings show that quantitative, objective measures of complexity, such as length, and objective as well as subjective elements of the cognitive load of contracts, that is, the information‐processing effort that contractual parties have to make, do indeed measure different aspects of contractual complexity.
Assuming Elder Care Responsibility: Am I a Caregiver?
Authors: Wylie Lindsey E. , Brank Eve M.
Published: December 2009

Caregivers of the elderly face conflicting legal demands; they must make certain the elder's needs are being met while not forcing undesired care on an adult capable of informed decisions. This dichotomy may be a reason a large number of reported elder abuse derives from unintentional neglect on behalf of informal familial caregivers. The current research examines this possibility with exploratory interviews and an experiment. The interviews between elders and their family (30 dyads) revealed that many did not intend for the living arrangements to become permanent and the nonelders were largely unprepared for the magnitude of changes and responsibilities that would result. The elders often expressed a sense of loss for their former life and feeling supernumerary in the family. In the experiment, we examined whether a person recognizes when a care‐giving relationship exists and the factors that contribute to notions of being a caregiver. Results suggest that potential caregivers (124 community members) focus on the relationship with the elder more than the elder's physical and financial needs, and generally have stronger feelings of moral responsibility rather than legal responsibility to provide care.
Augustine's Ethics of Belief and Avoiding Violence in Religious Disputes
Authors: Anderson Owen
Published: December 2009

This article is a study of how Augustine's ethics of belief shaped his arguments against unbelief and its legacy in using coercion to settle disputes. After considering the arguments for belief presented by Augustine, the article studies how these were shaped by his understanding of the problem of evil and how the Fall influenced free will. What is noted to be of benefit in Augustine is that he offers arguments in favor of belief, and is convinced that he has shown unbelief to be based on unsound reasoning. By way of contrast, a number of theologians (such as Tertullian, John Calvin, and those under the heading of Reformed Epistemology) are considered who do not believe that arguments are necessary to support belief or reject unbelief. These are contrasted with Augustine and it is argued that they have significant shortcomings in this respect. However, the article concludes that Augustine could have gone farther in supporting the claim that it is clear that God exists, and his own shortcomings have been used to justify coercion in religious belief. If common ground is to be achieved this problem must be corrected and an adequate foundation for clarity must be established.
Analytical Solutions for Flow Fields near Drain‐and‐Gate Reactive Barriers
Authors: Klammler Harald , Hatfield Kirk , Kacimov Anvar
Published: December 2009

Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) are a popular technology for passive contaminant remediation in aquifers through installation of reactive materials in the pathway of a plume. Of fundamental importance are the degree of remediation inside the reactor (residence time) and the portion of groundwater intercepted by a PRB (capture width). Based on a two‐dimensional conformal mapping approach (previously used in related work), the latter is studied in the present work for drain‐and‐gate (DG) PRBs, which may possess a collector and a distributor drain (“full” configuration) or a collector drain only (“simple” configuration). Inherent assumptions are a homogeneous unbounded aquifer with a uniform far field, in which highly permeable drains establish constant head boundaries. Solutions for aquifer flow fields in terms of the complex potential are derived, illustrated, and analyzed for doubly symmetric DG configurations and arbitrary reactor hydraulic resistance as well as ambient groundwater flow direction. A series of practitioner‐friendly charts for capture width is given to assist in PRB design and optimization without requiring complex mathematics. DG PRBs are identified as more susceptible to flow divergence around the reactor than configurations using impermeable side structures (e.g., funnel‐and‐gate), and deployment of impermeable walls on drains is seen to mitigate this problem under certain circumstances.
International Insurance Society Roundtable on Risk Management After the Crisis
Authors: Bell Geoffrey , Watsa Prem , Khosrowshahi Bijan , Duperreault Brian , Von Bomhard Nikolaus
Published: December 2009

In this roundtable, an adviser to several central banks and founding member of the Group of 30 discusses regulatory reform and corporate risk management strategies with senior executives from three of the world's largest insurance companies. Much of the discussion attempts to explain why insurance and reinsurance companies have proven less vulnerable to the crisis than commercial and investment banks. Part of the explanation has to do with their financial conservatism, which is attributed to a habitual tendency to decision‐making that gives heavy weight to long‐term probabilities and risks. But along with this “actuarial” cast of mind is a growing willingness to accept and make use of risk‐based capital requirements—a decision‐making framework that is, in some respects, in conflict with the accounting and regulatory capital conventions that still prevail in the industry. In particular, “Solvency II”—the risk‐based capital guidelines that are set for adoption in 2012 by insurers in the European Union—is held up as a possible model for global use.
Association of Capillary Density and Function Measures With Blood Pressure, Fasting Plasma Glucose, and Insulin Sensitivity
Authors: Cheng Cynthia , Daskalakis Constantine , Falkner Bonita
Published: December 2009

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2010;12:125–135. ©2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The pathophysiology underlying the association between hypertension and insulin resistance remains unclear. The study purpose was to determine whether reduced capillary density and/or function underlie, and may therefore explain, this association. The study was conducted on 115 black and non‐black participants aged 18 to 55 years: 91 with normal blood pressure (systolic blood pressure [SBP] <130 mm Hg) and 24 with mild blood pressure elevation (SBP 130–159 mm Hg). Capillary density and function were quantified using direct capillaroscopy measures. Insulin sensitivity (IS) was estimated using the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI). Endothelial function (EF) was measured using strain‐gauge plethysmography. Data were analyzed by linear regression adjusted for age, sex, race, and body mass index (BMI). After adjustment for BMI, capillary density and function measures were significant predictors of SBP ( P<.01), fasting plasma glucose (P=.012, P=.03, and P=.004, respectively), and EF (P=.033, P=.001, and P=.009, respectively). However, none of the capillary measures were significant predictors of fasting insulin or IS. These capillaroscopy data demonstrated an association with SBP but not insulin resistance, suggesting that capillary measures are unlikely to explain the association between hypertension and insulin resistance, at least with modest degrees of blood pressure elevation.
Global congruence of carbon storage and biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems
Authors: Strassburg Bernardo B.N. , Kelly Annabel , Balmford Andrew , Davies Richard G. , Gibbs Holly K. , Lovett Andrew , Miles Lera , Orme C. David L. , Price Jeff , Turner R. Kerry , Rodrigues Ana S.L.
Published: December 2009

Deforestation is a main driver of climate change and biodiversity loss. An incentive mechanism to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) is being negotiated under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Here we use the best available global data sets on terrestrial biodiversity and carbon storage to map and investigate potential synergies between carbon and biodiversity‐oriented conservation. A strong association (rS= 0.82) between carbon stocks and species richness suggests that such synergies would be high, but unevenly distributed. Many areas of high value for biodiversity could be protected by carbon‐based conservation, while others could benefit from complementary funding arising from their carbon content. Some high‐biodiversity regions, however, would not benefit from carbon‐focused conservation, and could become under increased pressure if REDD is implemented. Our results suggest that additional gains for biodiversity conservation are possible, without compromising the effectiveness for climate change mitigation, if REDD takes biodiversity distribution into account.
Six Refuted Doctrines*
Authors: Quiggin John
Published: December 2009

This article examines six widely‐held doctrines concerning economic theory and economic policy that have been refuted, or at least rendered highly problematic by the global financial crisis, namely: (i) the efficient markets hypothesis; (ii) the Great Moderation; (iii) central bank independence; (iv) trickle down; (v) the case for privatization; and (vi) individual retirement accounts.
Intravenous Hemostat: Nanotechnology to Halt Bleeding
Authors: Bertram James P. , Williams Cicely A. , Robinson Rebecca , Segal Steven S. , Flynn Nolan T. , Lavik Erin B.
Published: December 2009

Synthetic platelets composed of functionalized nanoparticles halve bleeding time in a rat injury model and may prove useful in treating human trauma victims.
Carbapenem Susceptibility Patterns for Clinical Isolates ofMycobacterium abscessusDetermined by the Etest Method
Authors: Chihara Shingo , Smith Geremy , Petti Cathy A.
Published: December 2009

Mycobacterium abscessusis resistant to multiple antibiotics, creating treatment challenges. Carbapenems are tested to increase therapeutic alternatives. We performedin vitrosusceptibility testing by Etest of four carbapenems forM. abscessusisolates. Imipenem demonstrated the mostin vitroactivity, and testing of other carbapenems provided no additional value.
A Systemic Neutrophil Response Precedes Robust CD8+T-Cell Activation during Natural Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Infants
Authors: Lukens Michaël V. , van de Pol Alma C. , Coenjaerts Frank E. J. , Jansen Nicolaas J. G. , Kamp Vera M. , Kimpen Jan L. L. , Rossen John W. A. , Ulfman Laurien H. , Tacke Carline E. A. , Viveen Marco C. , Koenderman Leo , Wolfs Tom F. W. , van Bleek Grada M.
Published: December 2009

Severe primary respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are characterized by bronchiolitis accompanied by wheezing. Controversy exists as to whether infants suffer from virus-induced lung pathology or from excessive immune responses. Furthermore, detailed knowledge about the development of primary T-cell responses to viral infections in infants is lacking. We studied the dynamics of innate neutrophil and adaptive T-cell responses in peripheral blood in relation to theviral load and parameters of disease in infants admitted to the intensive care unit with severe RSV infection. Analysis of primary T-cell responses showed substantial CD8+T-cell activation, which peaked during convalescence. A strong neutrophil response, characterized by mobilization of bone marrow-derived neutrophil precursors, preceded the peak in T-cell activation. The kinetics of this neutrophil response followed the peak of clinical symptoms and the viral load with a 2- to 3-day delay. From the sequence of events, we conclude that CD8+T-cell responses, initiated during primary RSV infections, are unlikely to contribute to disease when it is most severe. The mobilization of precursor neutrophils might reflect the strong neutrophil influx into the airways, which is a characteristic feature during RSV infections and might be an integral pathogenic process in the disease.
Combined Administration with DNA Encoding Vesicular Stomatitis Virus G Protein Enhances DNA Vaccine Potency
Authors: Mao Chih-Ping , Hung Chien-Fu , Kang Tae Heung , He Liangmei , Tsai Ya-Chea , Wu Chao-Yi , Wu T.-C.
Published: December 2009

DNA vaccines have recently emerged at the forefront of approaches to harness the immune system in the prevention and treatment of viral infections, as well as the prevention and treatment of cancers. However, these vaccines suffer from limited efficacy since they often fail to produce significant antigen-specific CD8+T-cell responses. We report here a novel concept for DNA vaccine design that exploits the unique and powerful ability of viral fusogenic membrane glycoproteins (FMGs) to couple concentrated antigen transfer to dendritic cells (DCs) with local induction of the acute inflammatory response. Intramuscular administration into mice by electroporation technology of a plasmid containing the FMG gene from vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-G)—together with DNA encoding the E7 protein of human papillomavirus type 16, a model cervical cancer antigen—elicited robust E7-specific CD8+T-cell responses, as well as therapeutic control of E7-expressing tumors. This effect could potentially be mediated through the immunogenic form of cellular fusion and necrosis induced by VSV-G, which in a concerted fashion provokes leukocyte infiltration into the inoculation site, enhances cross-presentation of antigen to DCs, and stimulates them to mature efficiently. Thus, the incorporation of FMGs into DNA vaccines holds promise for the successful control of viral infections and cancers in the clinic.
Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus Establishes an Efficient Spreading Infection and Exhibits Enhanced Transcriptional Activity in Prostate Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Rodriguez Jason J. , Goff Stephen P.
Published: December 2009

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is a novel human gammaretrovirus discovered in association with human prostate tumors. XMRV was first identified in prostate stromal cells surrounding the tumors of patients carrying a mutation in the
HPC1
gene locus. To determine the tropism of XMRV in cell culture, we tested the ability of XMRV to spread and replicate in various prostate and nonprostate cell lines. We found that although the expression of XMRV viral proteins and the spread of infectious virus were minimal in a variety of cell lines, XMRV displayed robust expression and infection in LNCaP prostate tumor cells. The transcriptional activity of the XMRV long terminal repeat (LTR) was found to be higher than the Moloney murine leukemia virus LTRs in both LNCaP and WPMY-1 (simian virus 40-transformed prostate stromal cells). The U3 promoter of XMRV and a glucocorticoid response element (GRE) within the U3 were required for the transcriptional activity in LNCaP cells. Coexpression of the androgen receptor and stimulation with dihydrotestosterone stimulated XMRV-LTR-dependent transcription in 293T cells, and the GRE was required for this activity. These data suggest that XMRV may replicate more efficiently in LNCaP cells in part due to the transcriptional environment in LNCaP cells.
RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase 6 Delays Accumulation and Precludes Meristem Invasion of a Viroid That Replicates in the Nucleus
Authors: Di Serio Francesco , Martínez de Alba Angel-Emilio , Navarro Beatriz , Gisel Andreas , Flores Ricardo
Published: December 2009

The detection of viroid-derived small RNAs (vd-sRNAs) similar to the small interfering RNAs (siRNAs, 21 to 24 nucleotides [nt]) in plants infected by nuclear-replicating members of the family
Pospiviroidae
(type species,
Potato spindle tuber viroid
[PSTVd]) indicates that they are inducers and targets of the RNA-silencing machinery of their hosts. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 6 (RDR6) catalyzes an amplification circuit producing the double-stranded precursors of secondary siRNAs. Recently, the role of RDR6 in restricting systemic spread of certain RNA viruses and precluding their invasion of the apical growing tip has been documented using RDR6-silenced
Nicotiana benthamiana
(NbRDR6i) plants. Here we show that RDR6 is also engaged in regulating PSTVd levels: accumulation of PSTVd genomic RNA was increased in NbRDR6i plants with respect to the wild-type controls (Nbwt) early in infection, whereas this difference decreased or disappeared in later infection stages. Moreover,
in situ
hybridization revealed that RDR6 is involved in restricting PSTVd access in floral and vegetative meristems, thus providing firm genetic evidence for an antiviroid RNA silencing mechanism. RNA gel blot hybridization and deep sequencing showed in wt and RDR6i backgrounds that PSTVd sRNAs (i) accumulate to levels paralleling their genomic RNA, (ii) display similar patterns with prevailing 22- or 21-nt plus-strand species, and (iii) adopt strand-specific hot spot profiles along the genomic RNA. Therefore, the surveillance mechanism restraining entry of some RNA viruses into meristems likely also controls PSTVd access in
N. benthamiana
. Unexpectedly, deep sequencing also disclosed in NbRDR6i plants a profile of RDR6-derived siRNA dominated by 21-nt plus-strand species mapping within a narrow window of the hairpin RNA stem expressed transgenically for silencing RDR6, indicating that minus-strand siRNAs silencing the NbRDR6 mRNA represent a minor fraction of the total siRNA population.
A METHOD OF ISOLATION OF PROTEINS FROM DILUTE SOLUTIONS
Authors: Webb T. , Sehon A. H. , Rose B.
Published: December 2009

A method has been developed for the concentration of dilute solutions of biocolloids. It consists of the removal of water by pervaporation and the simultaneous removal of salts and other low molecular weight materials by dialysis. A dilute solution of serum (2 ml. of serum per liter of 0.9% sodium chloride solution) of known composition was used to test the efficacy of the method. The electrophoretic patterns of the reconstituted serum protein solutions were compared with those of the untreated sera. The total recovery of biocolloids from such solutions was about 73% and the electrophoretic patterns obtained were similar to those of the untreated sera. The method is reasonably simple, rapid, and compares favorably with other methods used for the concentration of biocolloids. It has also been employed in the concentration of biocolloids of normal human urine.
PHOSPHOLIPID METABOLISM IN RAT LIVER SLICES: EFFECT OF HYPOPHYSECTOMY AND ADRENALECTOMY ON THE LABELLING OF PHOSPHOLIPIDS WITH ACETATE-1-C14
Authors: Kline Dorothy , Rossiter R. J.
Published: December 2009

In rats fed ad libitum the labelling of the acetone-insoluble lipids (phospholipids) of liver slices respiring in the presence of acetate-1-C14was decreased 2 days after the removal of either the pituitary or the adrenal glands. The effect was not observed 4 days after hypophysectomy. Moreover, the effect was not observed with liver slices from hypophysectomized or adrenalectomized animals that were either deprived of food for the 12 hours immediately prior to killing, or force-fed with glucose 4 hours before killing. Hypophysectomy caused a decrease in the labelling of the fatty acids in the acetone-soluble fraction remaining in solution after precipitation of the phospholipids. This decrease was observed both in liver slices from animals fed ad libitum and in those from fasted (12 hours) animals. In rats fed ad libitum the labelling of the non-esterified cholesterol of the liver slices was decreased by hypophysectomy, but not by adrenalectomy. It is concluded that the decrease in the labelling of the acetone-insoluble lipids in liver slices from operated rats was primarily the result of a change in the nutritional status of the operated animals. The data are insufficient to permit any conclusions concerning the cause of the decrease in labelling of either the fatty acids of the acetone-soluble lipids, or the non-esterified cholesterol.
PUNGENIN: A GLUCOSIDE FOUND IN LEAVES OF PICEA PUNGENS (COLORADO SPRUCE)
Authors: Neish A. C.
Published: December 2009

A new crystalline glucoside named pungenin (m.p. 198–199 °C., [Formula: see text], water) was isolated from leaves or leafy twigs of Picea pungens Engelm. collected during the winter months. It comprised about 5% of the dry weight. Hydrolysis of this glucoside gave 3,4-dihydroxyacetophenone and D-glucose. Methylation of pungenin gave a crystalline pentamethyl ether (m.p. 97 °C.) which gave isoacetovanillone on hydrolysis, and was found to be identical with the methyl ether obtained by complete methylation of isoacetovanillone-β-D-glucopyranoside. Pungenin is thus 3-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-4-hydroxyacetophenone, a monoglucoside of 3,4-dihydroxyacetophenone.
THE SITE OF ACIDIFICATION OF THE URINE IN THE DOG'S KIDNEY
Authors: Nicholson T. F.
Published: December 2009

Damage to the proximal tubules of one kidney in the dog resulted in a decrease in the acidity of the urine excreted by the damaged kidney. When ferric ammonium citrate and sodium ferrocyanide were injected intravenously into dogs excreting urines of pH 5.0 or less, Prussian blue was formed at the brush borders of the cells of the proximal tubules indicating an acidity of pH 3.5 or less. Injected Töpfer's reagent (range pH 2.9 to 4.0), and tropaeolin 00 (range pH 1.9 to 2.4) were seen in their acid forms at the same site. When a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor was injected into the renal artery of one kidney the above phenomena were not observed. When the urine pH was greater than 6.0 no Prussian blue was formed and the indicators listed were in their alkaline forms. In these animals injected bromothymol blue and bromocresol purple were seen in the lumina of the tubules in shades indicating a pH above 7.0 in the proximal tubules and about 6.0 to 6.5 in the distal tubules. It seems evident that, when dogs are excreting markedly acid urines, hydrogen ions are secreted in high concentration at the brush borders of the proximal convoluted tubules. On the other hand when the acidity of the urine is slight, acidification of the urine appears to take place in the distal tubule.
THE SEPARATION OF OESTROGENS FROM AVIAN DROPPINGS
Authors: Hurst R. O. , Kuksis A. , Bendell J. F.
Published: December 2009

Excretion of oestriol and oestrone by the hen and of oestriol, oestrone, and oestradiol by the rooster is indicated by chromatographic analyses and color tests on the neutral and phenolic steroid fractions of extracts of the droppings of sexually active domestic fowl. No evidence for the excretion of androgens was obtained. An unknown component of the neutral fraction reacted with ethanolic potassium hydroxide to produce a pink color and was found only in the extracts of droppings from the male fowl.
THE EFFECTS OF BARBITURATES ON PARTIALLY ISOLATED REGIONS OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Authors: Seguin J. J. , Stavraky G. W.
Published: December 2009

In 52 cats in which the left frontal lobe (including the motor cortex) or the whole cerebral hemisphere had been removed 3 months to 2 years previously, sodium pentobarbital (i.v., 1.0–2.0 mg./kg.) caused weakness and in-co-ordination in the decentralized limbs. Larger quantities of pentobarbital (3.0–8.0 mg./kg.) made the animals unable to stand ('standing test') for 13.0 ± 1.8 minutes while 25 control cats exhibited this effect for 5.6 ± 1.5 minutes. Using the 'standing test' as a criterion the median effective dose of pentobarbital was found to be 1.7 mg./kg. for the operated group and 3.7 mg./kg. for the controls, the difference being statistically significant. Sodium phenobarbital had similar effects.Injected (i.m.) 1 hour before pentylenetetrazol (10 mg./kg.) in 21 operated and 19 control cats, pentobarbital (1.0–6.0 mg./kg.) reduced the incidence and severity of convulsions in the operated cats to a greater extent than in the controls, as judged by a conversion of the clonic–tonic–clonic fits into purely clonic seizures.In 23 spinal cats in which the spinal cord was semisected 9 to 39 days previously, the excitability of the motoneurones was tested by means of intra-aortal injections of acetylcholine (ACh, 0.03–3 mg./kg.). Small quantities of pentobarbital occasionally augmented the responses to ACh whereas larger quantities of pentobarbital (0.3–11.0 mg./kg.) or phenobarbital (0.7–6.0 mg./kg.) had a depressant effect, both actions being more marked on the semisected side. The significance of these findings is discussed.
MARINE FISH MUSCLE NUCLEIC ACIDS
Authors: Bluhm H. M. , Tarr H. L. A.
Published: December 2009

The muscles of six species of North Pacific ocean fish contained from 42 to 142 μg. per 100 mg. wet weight of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and from 0.2 to 2.5 μg. per 100 mg. of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The molar ratio of purine and pyrimidine bases in lingcod and sockeye salmon muscle RNA was: adenine, 1.0; guanine, 2.0; cytosine, 1.0; and uracil, 1.25. Chemical analysis of isolated lingcod muscle RNA indicated that it was a comparatively pure product and was free, or practically free, from protein and amino acids.
THE FATE OF ASSIMILATED C14O2IN THE SUGAR BEET LEAF STUDIED BY DISPLACEMENT WITH C12O2
Authors: Burma D. P. , Mortimer D. C.
Published: December 2009

Disks of sugar beet leaf that had assimilated C14O2in light for 10 to 30 seconds were exposed to C12O2in light or darkness, or in combinations of both for periods of 4 to 25 minutes. The changes in distribution of C14among the compounds soluble in 80% ethanol were examined as a function of time for each "flush" treatment. In light, most of the C14ultimately accumulates in sucrose, while phosphoglycerate, phosphoenolpyruvate, sugar phosphates, glycine, and serine have more transitory roles. In dark, sucrose is formed much more slowly than in light while alanine becomes the main repository of C14. In light following darkness, the accumulation of C14in alanine is reversed in favor of its accumulation in sucrose, with the sugar phosphates acting as intermediates. In dark following light, the converse does not occur; sugar phosphates and alanine lose, rather than gain, C14, and sucrose shows little tendency to be metabolized. It is suggested that one of the factors directing the course of these interconversions is the level of light-produced phosphate bond energy needed for sucrose synthesis.
INFLUENCE OF DIETARY CHOLINE AND PROTEIN ON THE LEVEL OF PHOSPHOLIPID IN THE SERUM OF THE RAT
Authors: Rosenfeld Bruno , Lang Jessie M.
Published: December 2009

Albino rats weighing 180–200 g. were fed diets containing 5, 9, and 19% protein. The influence of these diets, both with and without additional choline, on the level of serum phospholipid was measured and it was found that only in the presence of dietary choline, an increase of the protein content of the diet caused an elevation of the level of phospholipid in the serum. Measurement of the effect of the interval after feeding showed a significant decrease of serum phospholipid 16 hours after the removal of the choline-containing food. In choline deficiency no such effect was found. Measurement of the influence of duration of choline deficiency on the level of phospholipid in serum revealed an immediate fall to a lower level at the onset of the deficiency. This change was complete before a significant rise of the level of total liver lipids was apparent.
ON DISTRIBUTION AND INHERITANCE OF ATYPICAL FORMS OF HUMAN SERUM CHOLINESTERASE, AS INDICATED BY DIBUCAINE NUMBERS
Authors: Kalow W. , Staron N.
Published: December 2009

Type and activity of serum cholinesterase (pseudocholinesterase) have been studied in nearly 1700 human sera. The type was determined by an inhibition test with dibucaine; per cent inhibition achieved under specified conditions was termed dibucaine number (DN). The DNs can be classified into the three groups—usual, intermediate, and atypical. This triple division is consistent with the assumption that there exist two different types of enzyme which occur either in pure form or in a mixture; the proportion of the two enzymes in the mixture varies considerably from person to person but there are equal proportions on the average. Most observations on the inheritance of DN can be explained by the presence of two autosomal allelic genes without dominance, each gene causing the formation of one of the two types of enzyme. Some observations pointed to additional factors which may be variants of the normal gene, or modifying genes which influence the expressivity of the normal gene. There was an excess of male offspring in the investigated families but a connection with DN not established. In a healthy population, the frequency of the atypical gene was calculated to be 0.0140 ± 0.0036. Thus roughly one out of 30 persons has an intermediate DN but only one out of 3000 to 10,000 is expected to have an atypical DN.
OXIDATIVE METABOLISM OF CARBOHYDRATES IN INSECTS: III. HEXOSE MONOPHOSPHATE OXIDATIVE CYCLE IN THE HOUSEFLY, MUSCA DOMESTICA L.
Authors: Chefurka W.
Published: December 2009

The component reactions of the hexose monophosphate oxidative pathway have been studied in adult houseflies. It has been shown that houseflies possess an active glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconolactonase, 6-phosphogluconic dehydrogenase, phosphopentose isomerase, phosphoketopentose epimerase, transketolase, and transaldolase.The cycle consists of five main steps: (a) a two-step oxidation of glucose-6-phosphate to ribulose-5-phosphate and CO2; (b) isomerization of ribulose-5-phosphate to ribose-5-phosphate; (c) epimerization of ribulose-5-phosphate to xylulose-5-phosphate; (d) conversion of pentose phosphate to sedoheptulose phosphate and triose phosphate; (e) conversion of sedoheptulose phosphate to hexose phosphate.Balance studies indicate that 2 moles of pentose phosphate are utilized for the formation of 1 mole of heptulose phosphate. However, this stoichiometry is attained after a lag period, suggesting the formation of a transient intermediate. Because the lag was eliminated by the addition of hydroxypyruvate, it is suggested that the lag was due to the time required for the combination of a C2fragment with an appropriate aldehyde acceptor.
THE ACUTE ORAL TOXICITY OF SPIRAMYCIN
Authors: Boyd Eldon M.
Published: December 2009

Spiramycin was administered as a suspension by stomach tube in a range of doses to 46 young male albino rats, with 16 controls, and to 14 small mongrel bitches, with eight controls. The oral acute LD50 was found to be 9.4 ± 0.8 g. (mean ± S.D.) per kg. body weight in rats and 5.2 ± 1.6 g. per kg. body weight in dogs. From these values, the oral acute LD50 in man was estimated to be of the order of 1 to 2 g. per kg. body weight or 20 to 40 times the usual therapeutic dose. The clinical effects of these acutely toxic oral doses in rats and dogs were anorexia, vomiting (dogs only), diarrhea, and lassitude, progressing to prostration, pallor, a fall in body temperature, cessation of respiration, and death usually within 48 hours. At autopsy the stomach and intestines were distended with gas and liquid, the tunica propria and submucosa were acutely congested, and there was excessive necrosis and desquamation of the surface epithelium. Areas of acute necrosis were found in the hepatic cells and sinusoids of the liver, and in the (mostly distal) convoluted tubules of the kidney. The cause of death, therefore, was an acute fulminating gastroenteritis accompanied by acute regional necrosis of the liver and kidneys, produced by the orally administered lethal dose of spiramycin.
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF LAMINARIN SULPHATE
Authors: Hawkins W. W. , Leonard Verna G.
Published: December 2009

When laminarin sulphate was injected intravenously into dogs it acted as an antithrombic agent. As such it was about one-third as potent as heparin. It also showed anticoagulant activity when administered subcutaneously and intramuscularly to the dog.After the intravenous administration of a moderate amount of laminarin sulphate or of heparin to the dog, considerable anticoagulant material passed into the urine. When large oral doses were given to the rat, absorption from the intestine was very small, and much of the material passed into the faeces.When it was given intravenously, laminarin sulphate acted like heparin in clearing alimentary lipaemia in the dog and the rat.
THE METABOLISM OF ANIMAL TISSUES CULTIVATED IN VITRO: II. AMINO ACID METABOLISM OF CHICK EMBRYONIC KIDNEY, CHICK EMBRYONIC LIVER, AND MONKEY KIDNEY CORTEX CULTURES
Authors: Pasieka Arthur E. , Morton Helen J. , Morgan Joseph F.
Published: December 2009

Freshly-explanted chick embryonic kidney, chick embryonic liver, and trypsinized monkey kidney cortex cells have been cultivated in vitro in completely synthetic medium M 150. The amino acid changes in the nutrient medium during cultivation of these tissues have been studied by paper chromatography. A characteristic pattern of amino acid uptake and accumulation in the used culture medium has been demonstrated with each type of tissue culture. It has also been shown that, while the amino acid changes in the medium are different with each type of tissue culture, all cultures examined removed adenine from the medium and liberated small amounts of material thought to be hypoxanthine.
THE EFFECT OF COLD ACCLIMATION ON THE SIZE OF ORGANS AND TISSUES OF THE RAT, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MODES OF EXPRESSION OF RESULTS
Authors: Heroux O. , Gridgeman N. T.
Published: December 2009

In experiments in which two groups of animals of different mean body weight are compared, individual organ weights of the animals can be expressed as absolute weights, as fractional weights, or as absolute weights statistically regressed onto constant body weights. The second, and commonest, mode of expression involves the assumption that the part is directly proportional to the whole, and this is shown to be unlikely for all organs except the muscle mass. Practical as well as theoretical justifications for the use of regressed weights (which utilize the actual slope of the line relating the organ weight to the whole) are given.The experimental data are from white rats kept for 4 weeks in a warm (30 °C.) or a cold (6 °C.) environment. It is shown that cold adaptation had no effect on brain, genitals, and lung weights, but that it reduced the growth of muscle, pelt, fat, skeleton, spleen, and thymus, and that it hypertrophied the liver, intestine, kidney, heart, and adrenals. Apparently cold acclimated rats are smaller than the controls mainly because they have a smaller muscle mass.
ANTICOAGULANT EFFECT OF INCUBATED FIBRINOGEN
Authors: Triantaphyllopoulos D. C.
Published: December 2009

Sterile fibrinogen rendered non-clottable by incubation was mixed with fresh plasma and the thrombin time determined. An appreciable prolongation was observed. The incubated fibrinogen was then fractionally precipitated with ammonium sulphate. The material precipitated between 25 and 50% ammonium sulphate saturation, when added to freshly drawn but still unclotted blood, or native plasma, prevented its coagulation. This action could be reversed by an approximately fivefold dilution with distilled water and addition of calcium chloride and thrombin, thus excluding fibrinolysis as the cause of the anticoagulant effect. Determinations of the respective coagulation factors showed that no decrease occurred in prothrombin, factor VII, plasma thromboplastin component, and fibrinogen. On the other hand a statistically significant decrease in factor V was observed when calcium was present.
METABOLIC EFFECTS OF ALPHA-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE: I. INFLUENCE OF ALPHA-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE ON SOME LIPIDS AND NITROGEN COMPOUNDS OF PLASMA IN HUMAN SUBJECTS
Authors: Gray Doris E. , Loh Shiu-May
Published: December 2009

Significant increases in phospholipids, total cholesterol, and alpha-2 globulins and significant decreases in amino acids were found in the plasma of healthy medical students following daily ingestion of 100 mg. alpha-tocopheryl acetate (αTAc). The significance of these findings is discussed.
METABOLIC AVAILABILITY OF ENERGY OF INGESTED ETHYL ALCOHOL
Authors: Gillespie R. J. G. , Lucas C. C.
Published: December 2009

Over 50 years ago Atwater and Benedict reported that the energy available from alcohol in metabolism is the same as that obtained in the bomb calorimeter. Mitchell suggested in 1935 that only about 75% is available for physiological purposes. The rate of growth of young rats is proportional to calorie intake (until this becomes optimal) when all other essential dietary factors are supplied in adequate amount. By taking advantage of this fact we have re-established that all the energy of ethanol found by bomb calorimetry is available in metabolism.