Synthesis and characterization of conducting copolymers from aniline and o‐anisidine in HCl solutions

Conducting poly(aniline‐co‐o‐anisidine) (PAS) films with different ratios of aniline units in the polymer chain were prepared by oxidative polymerization of different molar ratios of aniline and o‐anisidine in 1 M HCl using cyclic voltammetry. Due to the much higher reactivity of o‐anisidine, the structure and properties of PASs were found to be dominated by the o‐anisidine units. The polymerization of poly‐o‐anisidine and PASs followed zero‐order kinetics with respect to formation of the polymer (film thickness) and the autocatalytic polymerization of aniline was completely inhibited. In contrast to polyaniline, a decrease in the polymerization temperature was found to increase the amount of copolymer formed and its redox charge. The presence of aniline units in PASs led to a pronounced increase in the molecular weight and conductivity, and a decrease in the solubility in organic solvents. Repetitive charging/discharging cycles showed that PASs resist degradation more than polyaniline. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

High brachial artery bifurcation: a report of 2 cases

High division of the brachial artery was observed in two cadavers, during routine dissection of upper extremities. In the first case, the brachial artery of the right upper extremity was divided into its two terminal branches immediately after passing between the lateral and medial roots of the median nerve and just below the origin of the profunda brachii artery. The lateral branch was the radial artery, located in the space normally occupied by the brachial artery and the medial one was the ulnar artery. In the second case, the brachial artery was divided into its two terminal branches just below the origin of the profunda brachii artery. Accurate knowledge of the relationships and course of these major arterial conduits and particularly of their variational patterns, is of considerable practical importance in the conduct of reperative surgery in the arm, forearm and hand.     

A DNA-binding element for a steroid receptor-binding factor is flanked by dual nuclear matrix DNA attachment sites in the c-myc gene promoter

The receptor-binding factor (RBF) for the avian oviduct progesterone (Pg) receptor (PR) has previously been shown to be a unique 10-kDa nuclear matrix protein that generates high affinity PR-binding sites on avian DNA. This paper describes the use of Southwestern blot and DNA gel shift analyses with RBF protein to identify a minimal 54-base pair RBF-binding element in the matrix-associated region (MAR) of the Pg-regulated c-myc gene promoter. This element contains a 5'-GC-rich domain and a 3'-AT-rich domain, the latter of which has a homopurine/homopyrimidine structure. The gel shift assays required the generation of an RBF-maltose fusion protein (RBF-MBP), which specifically binds this element and is supershifted when the anti-RBF polyclonal antibody is added. Computer analysis of the full-length amino acid sequence for RBF predicts a DNA-binding motif involving a beta-sheet structure at the N-terminal domain. Southern blot analyses using nuclear matrix DNA suggests that there are dual MAR sites in the c-myc promoter, which flank an intervening domain containing the RBF element. The co-transfection of this MAR sequence, containing the RBF element and cloned into a luciferase reporter vector, together with an RBF expression vector construct, into steroid treated human MCF-7 cells, results in a decrease of the c-myc promoter activity relative to control transfections containing only the parent vector of the RBF expression construct. These data suggest that a unique chromatin/nuclear matrix structure, composed of the RBF-DNA element complex which is flanked by nuclear matrix attachment sites, serves to bind the PR and repress the c-myc promoter.     

Evidence for two types of spatial representations: Hemispheric specialization for categorical and coordinate relations.

Analyses of human object recognition abilities led to the hypothesis that 2 kinds of spatial relation representations are used in human vision. Evidence for the distinction between abstract categorical spatial relation representations and specific coordinate spatial relation representations was provided in 4 experiments. These results indicate that Ss make categorical judgments—on/off, left/right, and above/below—faster when stimuli are initially presented to the left cerebral hemisphere, whereas they make evaluations of distance—in relation to 2 mm, 3 mm, or 1 in. (2.54 cm)—faster when stimuli are initially presented to the right cerebral hemisphere. In addition, there was evidence that categorical representations developed with practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Learning about tools in infancy.

These experiments explored the role of prior experience in 12- to 18-month-old infants' tool-directed actions. In Experiment 1, infants' use of a familiar tool (spoon) to accomplish a novel task (turning on lights inside a box) was examined. Infants tended to grasp the spoon by its handle even when doing so made solving the task impossible (the bowl did not fit through the hole in the box, but the handle did) and even though the experimenter demonstrated a bowl-grasp. In contrast, infants used a novel tool flexibly and grasped both sides equally often. In Experiment 2, infants received training using the novel tool for a particular function; 3 groups of infants were trained to use the tool differently. Later, infants' performance was facilitated on tasks that required infants to grasp the part of the tool they were trained to grasp. The results suggest that (a) infants' prior experiences with tools are important to understanding subsequent tool use, and (b) rather than learning about tool function (e.g., hammering), infants learn about which part of the tool is meant to be held, at least early in their exposure to a novel tool. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Desire and the couch: Perspectives from both sides of the analytic encounter.

This report summarizes the panel held at the 109th Annual Convention, American Psychological Association, August 26, 2001, San Francisco. The chair was William Glover and the speakers were Samuel Gerson, Karen Maroda, and Andre Patsalides. The invited symposium was directed at discussing different perspectives related to the presence of desire in the analytic process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term effect of lisinopril and atenolol on kidney function in hypertensive NIDDM subjects with diabetic nephropathy

The aim of our study was to evaluate whether inhibition of ACE (lisinopril 10-20 mg/day) can reduce the rate of decline in kidney function more than reducing blood pressure with conventional antihypertensive treatment (atenolol 50-100 mg/day), usually in combination with a diuretic. We performed a prospective, randomized, parallel study for 42 months, double blind for the first 12 months and single blind thereafter. Forty-three (21 lisinopril and 22 atenolol) hypertensive NIDDM patients with diabetic nephropathy were enrolled. Data from 36 patients (17 lisinopril and 19 atenolol, 60 +/- 7 years of age, 27 men) who completed at least 12 months of the study period are presented. At baseline, the two groups were comparable: glomerular filtration rate (51Cr-EDTA plasma clearance) was 75 +/- 6 and 74 +/- 8 ml x min(-1) x 1.73 m(-2), mean 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (A&D TM2420) was 110 +/- 3 and 114 +/- 2 mmHg, and 24-h urinary albumin excretion rate was 961 (range 331-5,727) and 1,578 (476-5,806) mg/24 h in the lisinopril and atenolol groups, respectively. The mean follow-up time was similar, 37 and 35 months in the lisinopril and atenolol groups, respectively. Mean ambulatory blood pressure was equally reduced in the two groups, 12 +/- 2 and 10 +/- 2 mmHg in the lisinopril and atenolol groups, respectively. Glomerular filtration rate declined in a biphasic manner with a faster initial (0 to 6 months) change of 1.25 +/- 0.49 and 0.81 +/- 0.29 ml x min(-1) x month(-1) followed by a slower sustained decline (6 to 42 months) of 0.59 +/- 0.10 and 0.54 +/- 0.13 ml x min(-1) x month(-1) in the lisinopril and atenolol groups, respectively. No significant differences were observed in either initial or sustained decline in glomerular filtration rate between the two groups. Urinary albumin excretion was reduced (% reduction of baseline) more in the lisinopril than in the atenolol group, at 55 (95% CI 29-72) and 15% (-13 to 34), respectively (P = 0.01). In conclusion, the relentless decline in kidney function characteristically found in hypertensive NIDDM patients with diabetic nephropathy can be reduced equally effectively by two antihypertensive treatments, the beta-blocker atenolol and the ACE inhibitor lisinopril.     

Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes on cold-smoked salmon by nisin and carbon dioxide atmosphere

The heat-stable enterotoxin of Escherichia coli binds to an intestinal receptor, guanylyl cyclase-C, and produces cGMP to induce diarrhea. Guanylin is an endogenous ligand of this receptor. In the present in vivo study, the intestinal water and ion secretion induced by mucosal application of 2 nmol/ml guanylin or 5 or 10 units/ml heat-stable enterotoxin into closed loops was compared in the rat. The characteristics of secretion induced by cAMP following intravenous perfusion of 1.2 nmol/100 g per h vasoactive intestinal peptide were compared to those induced by cGMP. Unidirectional Na+ and Cl- fluxes were estimated by addition of 22Na into the loop and i.v. injection of 36Cl. Guanylin induced less water and ion secretion than that produced by heat-stable enterotoxin in the colon, confirming the results of in vitro studies, and also in duodenum and ileum. The cAMP- or cGMP-mediated response had a similar pattern, i.e., an inhibition of Na+ absorption and an increase in anion secretion.     

Competency or incompetency--the dilemma

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Simplifying data collection and analysis should promote utilization management in review of examinations of the small bowel in the general practice. METHODS: A case control format with the generation of an odds ratio to answer sets of binary questions derived from annual examination data is shown. The positive examination results applied were compared with the literature as a cross-checking mechanism. The examination identified as most likely to be positive was recommended prospectively in a protocol for the following year. Two of 5 years are illustrated to emphasize the development of the methodology. RESULTS: Application of this model in testing its validity, since 1990 at Madigan Army Medical Center, allows for the generation of a new protocol each year to prospectively improve clinical definition. CONCLUSIONS: A 5-year analysis of small bowel examination protocols, subdivisions, and odds ratios, will be forthcoming. The 2 years illustrated show how strongly our practice was influenced in using enteroclysis or in using the small bowel follow through as the examination of choice in the various clinical categories of small bowel disease: (1) practice was influenced by protocol and (2) outcome was steered toward positive examinations.