Characterization of outward K(+) currents in isolated smooth muscle cells from sheep urethra.

The perforated-patch technique was used to measure membrane currents in smooth muscle cells from sheep urethra. Depolarizing pulses evoked large transient outward currents and several components of sustained current. The transient current and a component of sustained current were blocked by iberiotoxin, penitrem A, and nifedipine but were unaffected by apamin or 4-aminopyridine, suggesting that they were mediated by large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK) channels. When the BK current was blocked by exposure to penitrem A (100 nM) and Ca(2+)-free bath solution, there remained a voltage-sensitive K(+) current that was moderately sensitive to blockade with tetraethylammonium (TEA; half-maximal effective dose = 3.0 +/- 0.8 mM) but not 4-aminopyridine. Penitrem A (100 nM) increased the spike amplitude and plateau potential in slow waves evoked in single cells, whereas addition of TEA (10 mM) further increased the plateau potential and duration. In conclusion, both Ca(2+)-activated and voltage-dependent K(+) currents were found in urethral myocytes. Both of these currents are capable of contributing to the slow wave in these cells, suggesting that they are likely to influence urethral tone under certain conditions.

Non-ideal behaviour of a room temperature ionic liquid in an alkoxyethanol or poly ethers at T = (298.15 to 318.15) K

Non-ideal behaviour of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [bmim][PF6] in ethylene glycol monomethyl ether; CH3OCH2CH2OH (EGMME), ethylene glycol dimethyl ether; CH3OCH2CH2OCH3 (EGDME) and diethylene glycol dimethyl ether; CH3(OCH2CH2)2OCH3 (DEGDME) have been investigated over the whole composition range at T = (298.15 to 318.15) K. To gain insight into the mixing behaviour, results of density measurements were used to estimate excess molar volumes, image, apparent molar volumes, Vphi,i, partial molar volumes, image, excess partial molar volumes, image, and their limiting values at infinite dilution, image, image, and image, respectively. Volumetric results have been analyzed in the light of Prigogine–Flory–Patterson (PFP) statistical mechanical theory. Measurements of refractive indices n were also performed for all the binary mixtures over whole composition range at T = 298.15 K. Deviations in refractive indices ?phin and the deviation of molar refraction ?xR have been calculated from experimental data. Refractive indices results have been correlated with volumetric results and have been interpreted in terms of molecular interactions. Excess properties are fitted to the Redlich–Kister polynomial equation to obtain the binary coefficients and the standard errors.

Volumetric properties and enthalpies of solution of alcohols CkH2k+1OH (k = 1, 2, 6) in 1-methyl-3-alkylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide {[C1CnIm][NTf2] n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10} ionic liquids

We present a study on the effect of the alkyl chain length of the imidazolium ring in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquids, [C1CnIm][NTf2] (n = 2 to 10), on the mixing properties of (ionic liquid + alcohol) mixtures (enthalpy and volume). We have measured small excess molar volumes with highly asymmetric curves as a function of mole fraction composition (S-shape) with more negative values in the alcohol-rich regions. The excess molar volumes increase with the increase of the alkyl-chain length of the imidazolium cation of the ionic liquid. The values of the partial molar excess enthalpy and the enthalpy of mixing are positive and, for the case of methanol, do not vary monotonously with the length of the alkyl side-chain of the cation on the ionic liquid – increasing from n = 2 to 6 and then decreasing from n = 8. This non-monotonous variation is explained by a more favourable interaction of methanol with the cation head group of the ionic liquid for alkyl chains longer than eight carbon atoms. It is also observed that the mixing is less favourable for the smaller alcohols, the enthalpy of mixing decreasing to less positive values as the alkyl chain of the alcohol increases. Based on the data from this work and on the knowledge of the vapour pressure of {[C1CnIm][NTf2] + alcohol} binary mixtures at T = 298 K reported in the literature, the excess Gibbs free energy, excess enthalpy and excess entropy could be then calculated and it was observed that these mixtures behave like the ones constituted by a non-associating and a non-polar component, with its solution behaviour being determined by the enthalpy.

Molecular cloning, expression, and regulation in Escherichia coli K-12 of a chromosome-mediated aerobactin iron transport system from a human invasive isolate of E. coli K1

We have cloned chromosomal genes determining the aerobactin iron transport system from the Escherichia coli K1 strain VW187. Mapping and hybridization experiments showed that the VW187 aerobactin region was identical to that of the plasmid ColV-K30. However, in the E. coli K-12 background, the biosynthesis of both siderophore and ferric aerobactin receptor encoded by the VW187-derived recombinant plasmids was not repressed by iron to the same extent found when a recombinant plasmid derived from pColV-K30 was used. RNA-DNA dot-blot hybridization experiments demonstrated that the aerobactin-specific mRNA synthesized by the VW187-derived clones was not iron regulated in E. coli K-12. In contrast, the synthesis of aerobactin and its receptor in strain VW187 was completely repressed by iron regardless of whether the recombinant plasmids originated from VW187 or pColV-K30. Similar results were obtained with gene fusions in which a promoterless lac operon was placed under the control of aerobactin promoter regions of either chromosome- or plasmid-mediated aerobactin systems. DNA sequencing of the chromosomal aerobactin promoter region showed changes in bases located immediately upstream to the -35 region compared with the corresponding region in pColV-K30, which is known to be part of the binding site for the Fur repressor protein.

Quantitative Measurement of [Na+] and [K+] in Postmortem Human Brain Tissue Indicates Disturbances in Subjects with Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with significant disturbances in the homeostasis of Na+ and K+ ions as well as reduced levels of Na+/K+ ATPase in the brain. This study used ICP-MS to accurately quantify Na+ and K+ concentrations in human postmortem brain tissue. We analyzed parietal cortex (Brodmann area 7) from 28 cognitively normal age-matched controls, 15 cases of moderate AD, 30 severe AD, and 15 dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Associations were investigated between [Na+] and [K+] and a number of variables including diagnosis, age, gender, Braak tangle stage, amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque load, tau load, frontal tissue pH, and APOE genotype. Brains from patients with severe AD had significantly higher (26%; p<0.001) [Na+] (mean 65.43 ± standard error 2.91 mmol/kg) than controls, but the concentration was not significantly altered in moderate AD or DLB. [Na+] correlated positively with Braak stage (r=0.45; p<0.0001), indicating association with disease severity. [K+] in tissue was 10% lower (p<0.05) in moderate AD than controls. However, [K+] in severe AD and DLB (40.97±1.31 mmol/kg) was not significantly different from controls. There was a significant positive correlation between [K+] and Aβ plaque load (r=0.46; p=0.035), and frontal tissue pH (r=0.35; p=0.008). [Na+] was not associated with [K+] across the groups, and neither ion was associated with tau load or APOE genotype. We have demonstrated disturbances of both [Na+] and [K+] in relation to the severity of AD and markers of AD pathology, although it is possible that these relate to late-stage secondary manifestations of the disease pathology.

Handbook of Disabled Children's Childhoods: Building Understandings: Child, Youth, Family and Disability. Palgrave Macmillan:Disabled Children in Out-of-Home Care: Issues and Challenges for Practice Kelly, B., Sandra, D. & Winter, K. 2016

This chapter provides an overview of some of the key findings from a large mixed methods study regarding disabled children in care in Northern Ireland

CaII K interstellar observations towards early-type disc and halo stars - distances to intermediate- and high-velocity clouds

We compare existing high spectral resolution (R = lambda/Deltalambda similar to 40 000) Ca II Kobservations (lambda(air) = 3933.66 Angstrom) towards 88 mainly B-type stars, and new observations taken using the Intermediate dispersion Spectrograph and Imaging System (ISIS) on the William Herschel Telescope at R similar to 10 000 towards three stars taken from the Palomar-Green Survey, with 21-cm HI emission-line profiles, in order to search for optical absorption towards known intermediate- and high-velocity cloud complexes. Given certain assumptions, limits to the gas phase abundance of Ca II are estimated for the cloud components. We use the data to derive the following distances from the Galactic plane (z). (i) Tentative lower z-height limits of 2800 and 4100 pc towards complex C using lack of absorption in the spectra of HD341617 and PG 0855 + 294, respectively. (ii) A weak lower z-height of 1400 pc towards complex WA-WB using lack of absorption in EC 09470-1433 and a weak lower limit of 2470 pc using lack of absorption in EC 09452-1403. (iii) An upper z- height of 2470 pc towards a southern intermediate- velocity cloud (IVC) with v(LSR) = -55 km s(-1) using PG 2351 + 198. (iv) Detection of a possible IVC in Ca II absorption at v(LSR) = +52 km s(-1) using EC 20104-2944. No associated HI in emission is detected. At this position, normal Galactic rotation predicts velocities of up to similar to+ 25 km s(-1). The detection puts an upper z-height of 1860 pc to the cloud. (v) Tentative HI and Ca II K detections towards an IVC at similar to+70 km s(-1) in the direction of high-velocity cloud (HVC) complex WE, sightline EC 06387-8045, indicating that the IVC may be at a z-height lower than 1770 pc. (vi) Detection of Ca II K absorption in the spectrum of PG 0855 + 294 in the direction of IV20, indicating that this IVC has a z-height smaller than 4100 pc. (vii) A weak lower z-height of 4300 pc towards a small HVC with v(LSR) = +115 km s(-1) at l, b = 200degrees, + 52degrees, using lack of absorption in the Ca II K spectrum of PG 0955 + 291.

Thermal conductivities of ionic liquids over the temperature range from 293 K to 353 K

The thermal conductivities of 11 ionic liquids were determined, over the temperature range from 293 K to 353 K, at atmospheric pressure, using an apparatus based on the transient hot-wire method. For each of the ionic liquids studied, the thermal conductivities were found to be between (0.1 and 0.2) W.m(-1).K-1, with a slight decrease observed on increasing temperature. The uncertainty is estimated to be less than +/- 0.002 W.m(-1).K-1. In all cases, a linear equation was found to give a good fit to the data. The effects of water content and chloride content on the thermal conductivities of some of the ionic liquids were investigated. In each case, the thermal conductivities of the water + ionic liquid and chloride + ionic liquid binary mixtures were found to be less than the weighted average of the pure component thermal conductivities. This effect was adequately modeled using the Jamieson correlation. Chloride contamination at typical postsynthesis levels was found to have no significant effect on the thermal conductivities of the ionic liquid studied.

Triangular Objects and Systematic K-Theory

We investigate modules over “systematic” rings. Such rings are “almost graded” and have appeared under various names in the literature; they are special cases of the G-systems of Grzeszczuk. We analyse their K-theory in the presence of conditions on the support, and explain how this generalises and unifies calculations of graded and filtered K-theory scattered in the literature. Our treatment makes systematic use of the formalism of idempotent completion and a theory of triangular objects in additive categories, leading to elementary and transparent proofs throughout.

The near-edge structure in energy-loss spectroscopy: many-electron and magnetic effects in transition metal nitrides and carbides

We investigate the ability of the local density approximation (LDA) in density functional theory to predict the near-edge structure in electron energy-loss spectroscopy in the dipole approximation. We include screening of the core hole within the LDA using Slater's transition state theory. We find that anion K-edge threshold energies are systematically overestimated by 4.22 +/- 0.44 eV in twelve transition metal carbides and nitrides in the rock-salt (B1) structure. When we apply this 'universal' many-electron correction to energy-loss spectra calculated within the transition state approximation to LDA, we find quantitative agreement with experiment to within one or two eV for TiC, TiN and VN. We compare our calculations to a simpler approach using a projected Mulliken density which honours the dipole selection rule, in place of the dipole matrix element itself. We find remarkably close agreement between these two approaches. Finally, we show an anomaly in the near-edge structure in CrN to be due to magnetic structure. In particular, we find that the N K edge in fact probes the magnetic moments and alignments of ther sublattice.