The effect of S-(+)-boldine on the α1-adrenoceptor of the guinea-pig aorta

1996

1. The cardiovascular activity of S-(+)-boldine, an aporphine alkaloid structurally related to papaverine, was determined. The work includes functional studies on guinea-pig isolated aorta contracted with noradrenaline, caffeine, KCl or Ca2+, and on guinea-pig trachea contracted with acetylcholine or histamine. 2. S-(+)-boldine inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner the contractile response evoked by noradrenaline (10 microM) in guinea-pig aorta (IC50 = 1.4 +/- 0.2 microM) while the KCl depolarizing solution (60 mM)- or the Ca2+ (1 mM)-induced contractions were only partially affected by boldine up to 300 microM. In contrast, papaverine relaxed noradrenaline (NA), KCl or Ca2+ induced…

An ex vivo model of the rat trachea to study the effect of inhalable toxic compounds

1996

Different cell culture and organ systems are used to evaluate the physiological responses of the airways to the effects of carcinogenic [e.g., benzo(a)pyrene] and anticarcinogenic (e.g., retinoids) compounds on cellular growth and differentiation. However, in contrast to in vivo conditions dissociated epithelial cells or tracheal ring cultures are covered with medium. Therefore, we developed an ex vivo perfusion model enabling evaluation of morphology and metabolism of different compounds under near-physiological conditions. The trachea was surrounded with culture medium and perfused with air by means of a small animal respirator. To test the viability of the system under various experiment…

Crystal and molecular structure, and electronic properties of hexakis(imidazole)copper(II) formate

1996

The crystal and molecular structure of [Cu(Im)6] (HCOO)2 (Im = imidazole) has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The compound is built of centrosymmetric Cu(Im) inf6 sup2− cations and non-coordinated HCO2 − anions, linked through H-bonds giving a layered structure in the ac plane. The coordination polyhedron around the Cu atoms can be described as a rhombically-distorted octahedron (CuN2N′2N′'2 chromophores). Both electronic and e.p.r. spectra are indicative of an essentially d x2− y2 ground state for the CuII ions. No exchange coupling has been detected down to 4.2 K by means of magnetic susceptibility measurements. This feature is discussed on the basis of the structural data.

Weight Systems from Feynman Diagrams

1996

We find that the overall UV divergences of a renormalizable field theory with trivalent vertices fulfil a four-term relation. They thus come close to establish a weight system. This provides a first explanation of the recent successful association of renormalization theory with knot theory.

Binding Sites for Ca2+‐Channel Effectors and Ryanodine inPeriplaneta americana—Possible Targets for New Insecticides

1996

The calcium channel and the 'calcium release channel' of muscle membrane of the cockroach Periplaneta americana have been characterized. Biological assays with calcium channel blockers and ryanodine on different insects and acari revealed pronounced insecticidal effects with ryanodine, but not with calcium channel blockers, at concentrations between 0.1 and 300 μg ml -1 . Skeletal muscle membranes derived either from the tubular network or from the sarcoplasmatic reticulum of P. americana were characterized with respect to the binding of the dihydropyridine (DHP) [ 3 H]isradipine (PN 200-110), the phenylalkylamine [ 3 H]verapamil and the alkaloid [ 3 H]ryanodine. Preliminary binding studies…

Flupirtine increases the levels of glutathione and Bcl-2 in hNT (human ) neurons: mode of action of the drug-mediated anti-apoptotic effect

1996

Flupirtine is a triaminopyridine analogue which has been successfully applied in clinics as a non-opiate analgesic drug. Previously we described that flupirtine acts like an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist in neuronal cells both in vitro and in vivo. Here we show that flupirtine displays its anti-apoptotic effect also in hNT (human Ntera/D1) neurons. hNT neurons were induced to apoptosis applying glutamate (Glu; at concentrations > or = 1 mM) or NMDA (> or = 1 mM). During Glu/NMDA-mediated apoptosis the levels of the intracellular anti-apoptotic agents Bc1-2 and glutathione dropped by more than 50%. Flupirtine completely abolished this reduction of Bc1-2 and glutathione leve…

Cross validation of the factor structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: An Italian multicenter study

1996

The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) has been shown in previous research to measure a general dimension of alexithymia with three intercorrelated factors. This study evaluated the reliability and factorial validity of an Italian translation of the TAS-20 in a group of normal adults (N = 206) and in a mixed group of medical and psychiatric outpatients (N = 642). Using confirmatory factor analyses, the previously established three-factor model of the TAS-20 was found to be replicable in both groups. In addition, the Italian TAS-20 demonstrated adequate estimates of internal reliability and test-retest reliability. Although evaluation of the convergent, discriminant, and concurrent v…

A possible structural determinant of selectivity of boldine and derivatives for the alpha 1A-adrenoceptor subtype.

1996

1. The selectivity of action of boldine and the related aporphine alkaloids, predicentrine (9-O-methylboldine) and glaucine (2,9-O-dimethylboldine) and alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtypes was studied by examining [3H]-prazosin competition binding in rat cerebral cortex. WB 4101 and benoxathian were used as selective alpha 1A-adrenoceptor antagonists. 2. In the competition experiments [3H]-prazosin (0.2 nM) binding was inhibited by WB 4101 and benoxathian. The inhibition curves displayed shallow slopes which could be subdivided into high and low affinity components (pKi = 9.92 and 8.29 for WB 4101, 9.35 and 7.94 for benoxathian). The two antagonists recognized approximately 37% of the sites with h…

Errors in Monte Carlo simulations using shift register random number generators

1996

We report large systematic errors in Monte Carlo simulations of the tricritical Blume-Capel model using single spin Metropolis updating. The error, manifest as a $20\%$ asymmetry in the magnetisation distribution, is traced to the interplay between strong triplet correlations in the shift register random number generator and the large tricritical clusters. The effect of these correlations is visible only when the system volume is a multiple of the random number generator lag parameter. No such effects are observed in related models.

Cooling-rate effects in amorphous silica: A computer-simulation study

1996

Using molecular dynamics computer simulations we investigate how in silica the glass transition and the properties of the resulting glass depend on the cooling rate with which the sample is cooled. By coupling the system to a heat bath with temperature $T_b(t)$, we cool the system linearly in time, $T(t)=T_i-\gamma t$, where $\gamma$ is the cooling rate. We find that the glass transition temperature $T_g$ is in accordance with a logarithmic dependence on the cooling rate. In qualitative accordance with experiments, the density shows a local maximum, which becomes more pronounced with decreasing cooling rate. The enthalpy, density and the thermal expansion coefficient for the glass at zero t…

Action of tertiary phenylalkylamines on cardiac transient outward current from outside the cell membrane.

1996

The effects of the phenylalkylamines verapamil (V), gallopamil (G), and devapamil (D) and their corresponding quaternary derivatives on the transient outward current (Ito) were examined in rat ventricular cardiomyocytes using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. The question was addressed, whether phenylalkylamines act on Ito from the inside or the outside or from both sides of the cell membrane. To this end, the myocytes were either superfused extracellularly or perfused intracellularly with drug-containing solutions. In addition, the effects of verapamil were investigated at different pH-values. V, G, and D (30 microM each), applied extracellularly, reduced the steady state current of It…

Effects of diazinon exposure on cholinesterase activity in different tissues of European eel (Anguilla anguilla).

1996

Cholinesterase (ChE) activity was measured in brain, plasma, and whole eye of Anguilla anguilla experimentally exposed to a sublethal concentration of 0.042 mg/liter (0.50 of the 96-hr LC50) of the organophosphorous pesticide diazinon. Whole eye was the tissue which revealed higher values of ChE activity (8.17 micromol/min/g) in nonexposed animals. Brain, plasma, and whole eye ChE activity of A. anguilla was inhibited at 6, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr of diazinon exposure. Pesticide induced significant inhibitory effects on the ChE activity of this species ranging from >70% inhibition in brain tissue to >90% in plasma samples. Brain and plasma presented technical difficulties in their collection.…

NEUTRINO SPECTRUM IN NONSUPERSYMMETRIC SO(10)

1996

We present a predictive scheme for fermion masses and mixings inspired by nonsupersymmetric SO(10) in which the hierarchy problem is resolved without fine tuning the Yukawa couplings. This calls for a nonminimal Higgs sector which we exploit in deriving the expressions for the mass matrices. To keep the predictivity of the model under control we limit the structure of the mass matrices by imposing U(1) symmetries. A very predictive neutrino spectrum is then obtained.

A friction factor analysis of the coupling between polymer/solvent self- and mutual-diffusion: polystyrene/toluene

1996

The Bearman statistical mechanical theory, which couples the mutual-diffusion and self-diffusion coefficients via friction factors, has been applied to polystyrene/toluene solutions with polystyrene molecular weights of 18 kDa and 900 kDa. Toluene and polystyrene self-diffusion coefficients, obtained from the literature and measured here, along with polystyrene/toluene binary mutual-diffusion coefficients and thermodynamic data, were employed to independently calculate the three friction coefficients (ξ 12 , ξ 11 , and ξ 22 ) required to describe transport within binary solutions. Results reveal that the frequently used geometric mean approximation (GMA) for relating the friction coefficien…

Yeast expression of the cytokine receptor domain of the soluble interleukin-6 receptor

1996

Abstract The complex of the soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) and IL-6 (IL-6) is a potent agonist on cells expressing the signal transducing protein gp130. In contrast, IL-6 alone only stimulates cells which express a membrane bound form of the IL-6R and gp130. The natural occurring sIL-6R is generated by shedding of the membrane receptor and to a lesser extend by alternative splicing. We have inserted the coding sequence of the 323 amino acid residues of the human sIL-6R into an expression/secretion vector suitable for the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris . We obtained, however, no detectable expression and secretion of the recombinant protein. When we used only the coding sequen…

Inverse symmetry breaking and the exact renormalization group

1996

We discuss the question of inverse symmetry breaking at non-zero temperature using the exact renormalization group. We study a two-scalar theory and concentrate on the nature of the phase transition during which the symmetry is broken. We also examine the persistence of symmetry breaking at temperatures higher than the critical one.

Hard m(t) corrections as a probe of the symmetry breaking sector

1996

Non-decoupling effects related to a large $m_t$ affecting non-oblique radiative corrections in vertices ($Z\bar{b}b$) and boxes ($B$-$\bar{B}$ mixing and $\epsilon_K$) are very sensitive to the particular mechanism of spontaneous symmetry breaking. We analyze these corrections in the framework of a chiral electroweak standard model and find that there is only one operator in the effective lagrangian which modifies the longitudinal part of the $W^+$ boson without touching the oblique corrections. The inclusion of this operator affects the $Z\bar{b}b$ vertex, the $B$-$\bar{B}$ mixing and the CP-violating parameter $\epsilon_K$, generating interesting correlations among the hard $m_t^4 \log m_…

Genetic lesions associated with Muller's ratchet in an RNA virus

1996

The molecular basis of Muller's ratchet has been investigated using the important animal pathogen foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). Clones from two FMDV populations were subjected to serial plaque transfers (repeated bottleneck events) on host BHK-21 cells. Relative fitness losses were documented in 11 out of 19 clones tested. Small fitness gains were observed in three clones. One viral clone attained an extremely low plating efficiency, suggesting that accumulation of deleterious mutations had driven the virus near extinction. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed unique genetic lesions in multiply transferred clones that had never been seen in FMDVs isolated in nature or subjected to m…

Abelian projection and studies of gauge-variant quantities in lattice QCD without gauge fixing

1996

We suggest a new (dynamical) Abelian projection of the lattice QCD. It contains no gauge condition imposed on gauge fields so that Gribov copying is avoided. Configurations of gauge fields that turn into monopoles in the Abelian projection can be classified in a gauge invariant way. In the continuum limit, the theory respects the Lorentz invariance. A similar dynamical reduction of the gauge symmetry is proposed for studies of gauge-variant correlators (like a gluon propagator) in lattice QCD. Though the procedure is harder for numerical simulations, it is free of gauge fixing artifacts, like the Gribov horizon and copies.

Dynamical Abelian Projection of Gluodynamics

1996

Assuming the monopole dominance, that has been proved in the lattice gluodynamics, to hold in the continuum limit, we develop an effective scalar field theory for QCD at large distances to describe confinement. The approach is based on a gauge (or projection) independent formulation of the monopole dominance and manifestly Lorentz invariant.

A quantum model of Schwarzschild black hole evaporation

1996

We construct a one-loop effective metric describing the evaporation phase of a Schwarzschild black hole in a spherically symmetric null-dust model. This is achieved by quantising the Vaidya solution and by chosing a time dependent quantum state. This state describes a black hole which is initially in thermal equilibrium and then the equilibrium is switched off, so that the black hole starts to evaporate, shrinking to a zero radius in a finite proper time. The naked singularity appears, and the Hawking flux diverges at the end-point. However, a static metric can be imposed in the future of the end-point. Although this end-state metric cannot be determined within our construction, we show tha…

Baryogenesis from mixed particle decays

1996

We consider the $CP$ violating asymmetries produced in the decay of heavy particles, studying the effects of heavy particle mixing for arbitrary mass splittings. A considerable enhancement of the asymmetries is achieved when the masses of the mixed states are comparable, and the enhancement is maximal for mass splittings of the order of the widths of the decaying particles. We apply the results to the particular case of heavy scalar neutrino decays relevant for leptogenesis scenarios.

Activation of the plant plasma membrane H+ -ATPase. Is there a direct interaction between lysophosphatidylcholine and the C-terminal part of the enzy…

1996

The antagonistic effects of the fungal toxin beticolin-1 and of L-alpha-lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) were investigated on the plasma membrane H+-ATPase of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana (isoform 2) expressed in yeast, using both wild-type enzyme (AHA2) and C-terminal truncated enzyme (aha2delta92). Phosphohydrolytic activities of both enzymes were inhibited by beticolin-1, with very similar 50% inhibitory concentrations, indicating that the toxin action does not involve the C-terminal located autoinhibitory domain of the proton pump. Egg lysoPC, a compound that activates the H+-ATPase by a mechanism involving the C-terminal part of the protein, was found to be able to reverse the inhibi…

Momentum creation by vortices in 3He experiments as a model of primordial baryogenesis

1996

We show that recent 3He experiments at Manchester demonstrate the creation of excitation momentum (momentogenesis) by quantized vortices, a process analogous to baryogenesis within cosmic strings. Since superfluid 3He is the most complex field theoretic system available in the laboratory, this experiment gives a firmer foundation to chiral anomaly calculations for baryogenesis on non-trivial backgrounds of the Higgs field such as cosmic strings.

Evidence for a glassy dynamics in (Rb-NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 mixed compounds

1996

An orientational glass behavior is evidenced in a [Rb0.7(NH4)0.3]2SO4 mixed crystal. Dielectric experiments (1 kHz–250 MHz) performed along the c-axis evidenced a polydispersive relaxation process. Its temperature dependence follows a Vogel-Fulcher law with a freezing temperature of 12 K.

AGingaObservation of the X‐Ray Pulsar 4U 0352+30

1996

4U 0352 + 30 (X Persei) is a low-luminosity binary X-ray pulsar with a pulse period of 835 s. We present timing and spectral analysis of a Ginga observation of X Persei from 1990 January 26 to January 29. The observation shows the peculiar spectral behavior of X Persei: the pulse-averaged hardness ratio exhibits a sharp hardening episode at phase minimum of the light curve. In order to explain the shape of the observed hardness ratio, we discuss the possible geometry of the emitting region. Simple models of fan emission from a hollow accretion column can reproduce the qualitative features of the observed light curve and hardness ratio.

Description of an improved method for Blastocystis hominis culture and axenization

1996

An improved method for Blastocystis hominis culture and axenization was developed in the present study. Stool samples were cultured in prereduced Boeck-Drbohlav NHI modified medium (with several modifications) supplemented with antibiotics (0.4% ampicillin, 0.1% streptomycin, 0.0006% amphotericin B). Axenization was performed by the combination of partial purification of B. hominis by Ficoll-metrizoic acid gradient and inoculation in fresh medium containing active antibiotics against remaining bacteria. A total of 25 strains were obtained by this procedure. The time required for axenization ranged between 3 and 5 weeks. The generation time of axenic strains ranged from 6.6 to 12.1 h (mean +…

Constraints on doubly charged Higgs interactions at linear collider

1996

Production of a single doubly charged Higgs boson $Delta^{--}$ in polarized $e^+e^-$ and $e^+\gamma$ collision modes of the linear collider have been investigated. The mass range of $Delta^{--}$ to be probed extends up to the collision energy. The diagonal lepton number violating Yukawa coupling $h_{ee}$ will be tested at least three orders of magnitude more strictly than in present experiments.

Behaviour of alkyl oleates on leaf surfaces in relation to their influence on herbicide penetration

1996

International audience

Confluens-sinuum-Obstruktion durch Langerhanszell-Histiozytose

1996

Die Langerhanszell-Histiozytose, bis vor wenigen Jahren als Histiozytose X bezeichnet, umfast 3 verschiedene Syndrome, namlich das eosinophile Granulom, die Hand-Schuller-Christian-Krankheit sowie die Abt-Letterer-Siwe-Krankheit, und gehort zu den seltenen Erkrankungen des Kindesalters. Wir berichten uber einen 10 jahrigen Jungen, der mit einer Schwellung am Hinterkopf und beginnender Hirndrucksymptomatik zur stationaren Aufnahme kam. Klinik, konventionelle radiologische Diagnostik und Computertomographie liesen differentialdiagnostisch ein eosinophiles Granulom als wahrscheinlich erscheinen. MRT und MRT-Angiographie zeigten jedoch die akute Bedrohung des Patienten durch das intrakraniale W…

Comparative activity of idarubicin and idarubicinol in combination with cyclosporin A in multidrug-resistant leukemia cells

1996

4-Demethoxydaunorubicin (idarubicin, IDA) is an anthracycline that has shown good cytotoxic activity in vitro against tumor cell lines displaying the multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype. IDA is converted in the liver into idarubicinol (2HIDA) and, in this form, seems to exert its antitumoral activity in vivo. Recent studies have shown that 2HIDA has tumoricidal activity similar to that of the parent drug when tested in vitro in sensitive neoplastic cells. In this work we compared in vitro the effects of IDA and 2HIDA used alone and in combination with 2 microM cyclosporin A (CyA) in the MDR leukemic cell lines FLCR and K562R and in their sensitive parent cell lines FLC and K562. IDA and 2HI…

A tunicate (Botryllus schlosseri) cDNA reveals similarity to vertebrate antigen receptors

1996

Hemodynamic Effects of Nonionic Contrast Bolus Injection and Oxygen Inhalation During Pulmonary Angiography in Patients With Chronic Major-Vessel Thr…

1996

Background Pulmonary angiography is the gold standard for the diagnosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension; however, major complications have been reported. This study evaluates the hemodynamic effects of direct pulmonary nonionic contrast bolus injection and oxygen inhalation in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Methods and Results In 33 patients, hemodynamic parameters were measured after oxygen inhalation and during bolus injection of nonionic contrast medium in a control group (group 1, n=11), in a group of patients with moderately severe pulmonary hypertension (group 2, n=9), and in a group with severe pulmonary hypertension (group 3, n=13). Ox…

Photoionization of metal clusters.

1996

The photoionization cross section of metal clusters is studied using simple theoretical models. In the case of small clusters, the plasmon is well below the photoionization threshold and the photoionization is dominated by simple independent-particle processes: One electron absorbs all the energy of the photon and immediately leaves the cluster. For large sodium clusters the photoionization efficiency curve is a result of a two-step process: First, the photon excites a plasmon and then the plasmon decays, either by emitting a photoelectron or by heating the cluster. A simple expression for the photoionization cross section near the threshold is derived. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Ph…

Crystal structure of the bifunctional soybean Bowman-Birk inhibitor at 0.28-nm resolution. Structural peculiarities in a folded protein conformation.

1996

The Bowman-Birk inhibitor from soybean is a small protein that contains a binary arrangement of trypsin-reactive and chymotrypsin-reactive subdomains. In this report, the crystal structure of this anticarcinogenic protein has been determined to 0.28-nm resolution by molecular replacement from crystals grown at neutral pH. The crystal structure differs from a previously determined NMR structure [Werner, M. H. & Wemmer, D. E. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 999-1010] in the relative orientation of the two enzyme-insertion loops, in some details of the main chain trace, in the presence of favourable contacts in the trypsin-insertion loop, and in the orientation of several amino acid side chains. The p…

Influence sur la décision de révocation d'une convention contraire au principe de révocation ad nutum du président du conseil d'administration. - Val…

1996

International audience