Search for neutral supersymmetric Higgs bosons in pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8TeV

We present the results of a search for neutral Higgs bosons produced in association with b quarks in pp-->bb(phi)-->bbb final states with 91+/-7 pb(-1) of pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We find no evidence of such a signal and the data are interpreted in the context of the neutral Higgs sector of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model. With basic parameter choices for the supersymmetric scale and the stop-quark mixing, we derive 95% C.L. lower mass limits for neutral Higgs bosons for tan(beta) values in excess of 35.

Influence of neuraminidase on the characteristics of microrheology of red blood cells

Surface charge was removed from RBC (erythrocyte) membrane to different degrees with biochemical methods, i.e., treatment of RBCs with neuraminidase, either using different doses for the same incubation time (1 hour) or using the same dose (75 milli-unit) for different incubation time. Several rheological properties of the RBCs with surface charge removal were observed, including the deformation index DI (using traditional ektacytometry) orientation index (DI)or and small deformation index (Dl)d (using new ektacytometry), the viscosity at low and high shear rates (using a cone-plate rotating viscosimeter). In addition, photographs of RBCs aggregation under a microscope and the histograms of RBC aggregate size after treatment with neuraminidase were obtained. It is found from these experiments that the decrease of the surface charge of RBCs leads to the decrease in the deformation and orientation indices as well as the increase in blood viscosity.

Ultrasonographic texture analysis of parenchymatous organs by the four-neighborhood-pixels algorithm: clinical experiment

OBJECTIVE

The parenchyma of organs such as liver, thyroid, and mammary gland during climacterium have common ultrasonographic textural features, which together form what we call small-dot-structure texture. To study this texture we designed the 4-neighborhood-pixels algorithm, an ultrasonographic texture analysis algorithm. The objective of this study was to confirm whether the 4-neighborhood-pixels algorithm can reflect the features of small-dot-structure texture.

METHODS

A changed small-dot-structure texture and 3 other textures were compared with the normal small-dot-structure texture in 4 groups, and a histogram algorithm was used for contrast with the 4-neighborhood-pixels algorithm.

RESULTS

The 4-neighborhood-pixels algorithm could reflect all the textural differences, but the histogram algorithm could reflect only some of them.

CONCLUSIONS

The 4-neighborhood-pixels algorithm is a good algorithm for analyzing ultrasonographic small-dot-structure texture. Not only can it reflect changes in the small-dot-structure texture, but it can also differentiate between small-dot-structure and non-small-dot-structure textures.

Production of chi(c1) and chi(c2) in pp collisions at sqrt[S] = 1.8 TeV

We have measured the ratio of prompt production rates of the charmonium states chi(c1) and chi(c2) in 110 pb(-1) of pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV. The photon from their decay into J/psi(gamma) is reconstructed through conversion into e+e- pairs. The energy resolution this technique provides makes the resolution of the two states possible. We find the ratio of production cross sections sigma(chi(c2))/sigma(chi(c1)) = 0.96+/-0.27(stat)+/-0.11(syst) for events with pT(J/psi) > 4.0 GeV/c, /eta(J/psi)/ < 0.6, and pT(gamma) > 1.0 GeV/c.

First measurement of the ratio B(t --> Wb)/B(t --> Wq) and associated limit on the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa element /V(tb)/

We present the first measurement of the ratio of branching fractions R identical withB(t-->Wb)/B(t-->Wq) from p_p collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV. The data set corresponds to 109 pb(-1) of data recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab during the 1992-95 Tevatron run. We measure R = 0.94(+0.31)(-0.24)(stat+syst) or R>0.61 (0.56) at 90% (95)% C.L., in agreement with the standard model predictions. This measurement yields a limit on the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark mixing matrix element /V(tb)/ under the assumption of three generations and unitarity.

[Study on the muscarinic receptor and its subtypes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the M receptor and its subtypes in the lung tissue of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS

Muscarinic cholinergic receptors have been identified and characterized by radioligand binding assay in the lung tissue specimens of patients with COPD. Competitive binding experiments with pirenzepine and methoctramine were used to characterize muscarinic subtypes.

RESULTS

The contents of M-receptor were (64 +/- 10), (42 +/- 18) fmol/mg. protein in normal group and COPD patients respectively. No significant difference was observed in antagonist affinity (K(D)) among normal group and COPD patients. The ratio of subtype M(1) was higher in COPD patients (67.2 +/- 2.7)% than in normal group (74.2 +/- 4.8)%, M(2) was lower [(29.3 +/- 1.7)% vs (16.8 +/- 4.4)%] and M(3) was higher [(3.6 +/- 2.9) % vs (9.3 +/- 4.1)%] respectively.

CONCLUSION

The number of muscarinic cholinergic receptors is decreased in COPD patients, but the ratios of subtype M(1) and M(3) are increased and the subtype M(2) is decreased. The changes of the distribution of the subtypes of M-receptors is an important pathophysiologic change of COPD.

Spectrophotometric determination of freshwater pH using bromocresol purple and phenol red

The dissociation constants (KI = [H+][I2-]/[HI-]) of two sulfonephthalein indicators (bromocresol purple and phenol red) were determined as function of temperature (10-30 degrees C) at zero ionic strength. Freshwater pH, on the free hydrogen ion concentration scale (molal units), can be precisely calculated from measurements of indicator absorbance ratios (lambda2A/lambda1A) using the following equations: pH = pKI + log((R - e1)/(e2 - Re3)) and pKI = pKI(degrees) - AdeltaZ2(mu1/2 /(1 + mu1/2) - 0.3 mu), where R = lambda2A/lambda1A, pKI = -log KI, mu is the ionic strength, deltaZ2 = 4, and values of A for 283 < or = T < or = 303 can be estimated from the equation: A = 0.5092 + (T-298.15) x 8.5 x 10(-4). For bromocresol purple (lambda1 = 432 nm, lambda2 = 589 nm), pKI(degrees) = 5.226 + 378.1/T, e1 = 0.00387, e2 = 2.858, and e3 = 0.0181. For phenol red (lambda1 = 433 nm, lambda2 = 558 nm), pKI(degrees) = 5.798 + 666.7/T, e1 = 0.00244, e2= 2.734, and e3 = 0.1075. These two indicators can be used to make accurate pH measurements of freshwaters (river water, lake water, groundwater, rainwater, etc) within the range 4.5 < or =pH < or =8.5. The precision of pH measurements using phenol red in well-buffered freshwaters is on the order of +/-0.001 or better.

A study of hemorheological behaviour for patients with Alzheimer's disease at the early stages

To evaluate the change of hemorheological indexes for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at the early stages and to discuss effects of these changes on AD, high shear value of whole blood viscosity (etabh), reduced high shear value of whole blood viscosity (retabh), low shear value of whole blood viscosity (etabl), reduced low shear, value of whole blood viscosity (retabl), KT value of whole blood viscosity, hematocrit (HCT) and blood plasma viscosity (etaP) were measured in 31 patients with probable AD at the early stages and 33 age-matched healthy subjects. There were significant differences of all hemorheological indexes between AD group and control group except HCT. Step discriminant analysis revealed 81.25% of overall group-classified accuracy in a hemorheological discriminant function consisting of etabl, retabl, retabh and HCT. Significant difference of hemorheological indexes existed between AD and age-matched healthy control subjects. The results showed that measurement of hemorheological indexes could be used as one of reference standards of diagnosis in AD.

Overview: animal models of osteopenia and osteoporosis

Prior to initiating a clinical trial in a post-menopausal osteoporosis study, it is reasonable to recommence the evaluation of treatment in the 9-month-old ovariectomized female rat. A female rat of this age has reached peak bone mass and can be manipulated to simulate clinical findings of post-menopausal osteoporosis. Ample time exists for experimental protocols that either prevent estrogen depletion osteopenia or restore bone loss after estrogen depletion. More time can be saved by acceleration of the development of the osteopenia by combining ovariectomized (OVX) plus immobilization (IM) models. Methods like serum biochemistry, histomorphometry and densitometry used in humans are applicable in rats. Like most animal models of osteopenia, the rat develops no fragility fractures, but mechanical testing of rat bones substitutes as a predictor of bone fragility. Recent studies have shown that the prevailing activity in cancellous and cortical bone of the sampling sites in rats is remodeling. The problems of dealing with a growing skeleton, the site specificity of the OVX and IM models, the lack of trabecular and Haversian remodeling and the slow developing cortical bone loss have been and can be overcome by adding beginning and pre-treatment controls and muscle mass measurements in all experimental designs, selecting cancellous bone sampling sites that are remodeling, concentrating the analysis of cortical bone loss to the peri-medullary bone and combining OVX and IM in a model to accelerate the development of both cancellous and cortical bone osteopenia. Not to be forgotten is the distal tibia site, an adult bone site with growth plate closure at 3 months and low trabecular bone turnover and architecture similar to human spongiosa. This site would be most challenging to the action of bone anabolic agents. Data about estrogen-deplete mice are encouraging, but the ovariectomized rat model suggests that developing an ovariectomized mouse model as an alternative is not urgent. Nevertheless, the mouse model has a place in drug development and skeletal research. In dealing with drug development, it could be a useful model because it is a much smaller animal requiring fewer drugs for screening. In skeletal research mice are useful in revealing genetic markers for peak bone mass and gene manipulations that affect bone mass, structure and strength. When the exciting mouse glucocorticoid-induced bone loss model of Weinstein and Manolagas is confirmed by others, it could be a significant breakthrough for that area of research. Lastly, we find that the information generated from skeletal studies of nonhuman primates has been most disappointing and recommend that these expensive skeletal studies be curtailed unless it is required by a regulatory agency for safety studies.

A novel method to 'exercise' rats: making rats rise to erect bipedal stance for feeding - raised cage model

We employed a novel method to exercise rats: making them rise to bipedal stance for feeding using raised cages. We studied its effects on the skeletons of 6 and 10-month-old intact or orchidectomized (ORX) rats. Body and hindlimb muscle weights, tibial BMC and periosteal cortical bone formation increased after housing in raised cages, but more so in 6-month-old animals than in 10-month-old ones. In 6-month-old orchidectomized rats, raised cages partially prevented ORX-induced bone loss by stimulating periosteal cortical bone (TX) formation and decreased bone resorption next to marrow. In 10-month-old male orchidectomized rats, raised cages also decreased the endosteal and trabecular bone resorption, but not enough to prevent completely ORX-induced net bone losses. Because the osteogenic effects of raised cages alone were only partial, we also studied the interaction between raised cage and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) in 10-month-old retired female breeders. When treated with combined raised cage and PGE(2), both cortical (TX) and trabecular bone mass of the proximal tibial metaphysis and lumbar vertebral body increased over either raised cages or PGE(2) treatment alone, that was accompanied by dramatic increased bone formation at periosteal and endosteal surfaces. Thus making rats rise to erect bipedal stance for feeding helps to prevent bone loss after orchidectomy; it amplifies the anabolic effects of PGE(2), and it provides an inexpensive, non-invasive and reliable way to increase mechanical loading of certain bones of the rat skeleton.

Lumbar vertebral cancellous bone is capable of responding to PGE2 treatment by stimulating both modeling and remodeling-dependent bone gain in aged male rats

Previously we found that PGE2 3 mg/kg in 20-month-old male rats induced massive bone formation mainly by modeling dependent bone gain in cortical bone. It is not known whether cancellous bone will respond similarly; thus, we evaluated the effect of PGE2 on cancellous bone of the same aged rats. Thirty-four 20-month-old Wistar male rats were given PGE2 (3 mg/kg/day) or vehicle subcutaneously for 10 and 30 days. Double fluorescent labels were injected 9 and 2 days prior to the sacrifice. Histomorphometry was performed on 1% toluidine blue stained and unstained sagittal sections of lumbar vertebral bodies. The results demonstrated that 10-day PGE2 treatment increased osteoprogenitor cells, osteoblasts (x 2-fold), osteoid (x 4.5-fold), woven bone formation (0.04%), and 40% more trabecular area; it stimulated modeling (x 2-fold) and remodeling-dependent (x 1.5-fold) bone formation with increase of mineralization lag time (MLT, x 7.5-fold). Thirty-day treatment sustained increases in osteoblast numbers, modeling and remodeling-dependent bone formation and further stimulated woven bone formation (6.6%), turnover (x 3-fold), and trabecular area and number (x 2-fold). Osteoprogenitor cells were undetectable along with 70% less osteoid area compared with 10-day treatment but still was 1.5-fold higher than aging controls. MLT returned to aging control level. It was concluded that the aged cancellous bone of 20-month-old male Wistar rat retains a capability of responding to the anabolic effect of PGE2. Osteoblastogenesis and enhanced modeling and remodeling-dependent woven or lamellar formation contribute to this anabolic action. Bone formation differed in that the endocortical surface of cortical bone was stimulated mainly by modeling whereas both modeling and remodeling-dependent bone gain were equally stimulated at the trabecular surface of the lumbar vertebral body.

Delayed stochastic differential model for quiet standing

A physiological quiet standing model, described by a delayed differential equation, subject to a white noise perturbation, is proposed to study the postural control system of human beings. It has been found that the white noise destabilizes the equilibrium state, and inertia accelerates the destabilizing process, and that the position of a person is detected and processed by the person's nervous system with a delay. This paper focuses on the analysis of Hopf bifurcation and its stability in this context. Based on the analytical predictions confirmed by numerical simulations, it has been shown that the posture of a person is controlled in such a way that possible amplitude oscillations are minimized.

[Image analysis of airway remodeling and responsiveness in asthmatic guinea pig]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the mechanism of airway remodeling and changes of airway responsiveness in guinea pig model of asthma.

METHODS

40 guinea pigs were randomly divided into two groups: control (20) and asthmatic group (20). After incubating with different stimulus, bilateral lung tissue section were stained with HE. Using image analysis system to measure the airway internal perimeter, wall area, external perimeter, etc. and calculate percentage of muscle shortening (PMS) according to formula.

RESULTS

(1) The airway wall thickness (WA/Pi) in asthmatic group and control group were (10.0 +/- 2.0) and (7.9 +/- 2.1) micrometer(2)/micrometer, respectively. The bronchial smooth muscle thickness in asthmatic group and control group were (4.8 +/- 1.5) and (3.1 +/- 2.0) micrometer(2)/micrometer, respectively. Both were statistically significant (P < 0.01). The number of bronchial smooth muscle nucleus in asthmatic group (0.012 3 +/- 0.002 7/micrometer) was higher compared with control (0.010 +/- 0.003/micrometer) (P < 0.05). (2) Responsiveness of airway smooth muscle to adenosine (represented by PMS) in asthmatic group and control were 0.34 +/- 0.07 and 0.29 +/- 0.08, respectively (P < 0.05). When combined with aminophyline, PMS in asthmatic group was 0.26 +/- 0.07. There was statistically significant difference when compared with adenosine alone (0.34 +/- 0.07) (P < 0.01). (3) PMS to acetylcholine in asthmatic group and control were 0.24 +/- 0.04 and 0.19 +/- 0.06, respectively (P < 0.05). When combined with heparin, PMS in asthmatic group was 0.20 +/- 0.04. There was statistically significant difference when compared with acetylcholine alone (0.24 +/- 0.04) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The main reason of airway remodeling in asthma is due to bronchial smooth muscle hyperplasia. Aminophylline and heparin may inhibit the responsiveness of airway to adenosine and acetylcholine respectively.

Cancellous bone of aged rats maintains its capacity to respond vigorously to the anabolic effects of prostaglandin E2 by modeling-dependent bone gain

The present study examined the early effects of prostaglandin (PG)E2 on proximal tibial metaphyses of 20-month-old Wistar male rats. PGE, was given to intact rats for 10 and 30 days at 3mg/kg/day. After multiple in vivo fluorochrome labeling, undecalcified longitudinal sections were subjected to analysis of bone histomorphometry and classification of the contour of the cement line in bone formation units. The latter was used to classify bone formation units into modeling, remodeling and uncertain units. After 10 days of treatment, there was a 2% increase in woven bone formation with the appearance of osteoprogenitor cells and increases in the number of osteoblasts (649%) and osteoid (375%) surfaces. Remodeling and modeling units increased by 56% and 429%. respectively. After 30 days of treatment, there was an increase of 212% of total trabecular bone mass, 60% of which was woven bone. In addition, there were increases in labeling surface (147%), mineral apposition rate (760%), bone formation rates tissue area (BFR/T.Ar, 1920%; BFR/B.Pm, 343%), and bone turnover (BFR/B.Ar, 426%). Osteoblasts and osteoid production at 30 days were 29% and 58% less than at 10 days post-treatment. Modeling and remodeling activity did not differ from that seen at 10 days. In addition, PGE2 treatment tended to stimulate the closing of growth plates and decrease the fatty marrow area. We conclude that the aged skeleton was able to respond vigorously to PGE2 treatment. Massive osteoprogenitors cells, and osteoid and osteoblast formations were observed within 10 days. and dramatic woven and lamellar bone formation was seen at 30 days post-treatment. The anabolic effects were driven mainly by modeling.

[Development and clinical application of the full automatic animal rearing cabin of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide]

This paper introduces a kind of automatic animal rearing cabin of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide. It can mimic the environment of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide at atmospheric pressure and automatically measure and control the concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide as well as temperature and humidity in the cabin. The system may provide the equipment support for clinical COPD study. The clinical applications show that the cabin with accurate measurement and control is practical and reliable.

Effect of ipratropium bromide on airway and pulmonary muscarinic receptors in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

OBJECTIVE

To observe the level of muscarinic receptors in airway and lung tissues, and the effect of inhaled ipratropium bromide on these receptors in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS

This model was developed by exposure of rats to 250 ppm SO2 gas, 5 h/d, 5 d/wk, for a period of 7 wk. The COPD rats inhaled 0.025% aerosolized iratropium bromide for 20 min, 2 times daily, in an airtight chamber. Muscarinic receptors in airway and lung tissues of normal rats, ipratropium bromide-treated COPD rats and the recovering COPD rats were measured by the radio-ligand binding assay.

RESULTS

Airway/lung pathology and pulmonary function tests showed that chronic SO2 exposure caused pathophysiologic changes similar to those observed in human COPD. The density (0.038 +/- 0.011, pmol/mg protein) and affinity (Kd, 23 +/- 11 pmol/L) of muscarinic receptors in airway and lung tissues of COPD rats were not changed compared with those of normal control rats (0.030 +/- 0.008 and 29 +/- 19, respectively, P > 0.05). Densities of the muscarinic receptors were not changed after inhalation of ipratropium bromide for 5 days, but increased significantly after inhalation for 30 days, as compared with those of the untreated COPD rats. The muscarinic receptors returned the normal levels at day 6 after cessation of ipratropium bromide treatment. There were no differences among different groups of rats in equilibrium dissociation constants (Kd).

CONCLUSION

A rat model of COPD with pathophysiologic changes similar to the human counterpart was developed using chronic SO2 exposure. There was no significant change in the number and function of muscarinic receptors in airway and lung tissues of the COPD rats, but upregulation of the muscarinic receptors was observed after long-term inhalation of ipratropium bromide.

Erect bipedal stance exercise partially prevents orchidectomy-induced bone loss in the lumbar vertebrae of rats

This study investigates the responses of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebral bodies of 6-month-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats to orchidectomy (orx) and to erect bipedal stance for feeding for 12 weeks in specially designed raised cages (RC) for which the heights were raised from 20 cm to 35.5 cm. A total of 30 rats were divided into groups of: baseline; sham + housed in normal height cage (NC); orx + NC; sham + RC; and orx + RC. Bone histomorphometry was performed on the triple-labeled undecalcified fourth sagittal (LVL-4) and fifth transverse (LVX-5) sections. We found that orchidectomy induced high-turnover trabecular and cortical bone loss in the lumbar vertebrae. Forcing the rats to rise to erect stance for feeding reduced trabecular and cortical bone loss caused by orx. Apparently, depressing the elevated bone resorption next to the marrow induced by orx, and stimulating bone formation at the ventral periosteal surfaces, caused these effects. Orchidectomy and raised cage had similar effects on the two vertebrae except that the percentage of trabecular bone loss was greater in the LVL-4 than in LVX-5, and that bipedal stance exercise increased the total tissue area and mineral apposition rates (0-80 day interval) of ventral periosteal and dorsal endocortical surfaces of LVX-5 to a greater extent than it did in LVL-4. Such findings suggest that forcing rats to rise to an erect bipedal stance for feeding helps prevent loss of trabecular and cortical bone "mass," and presumably bone strength, in orchidectomized rats. This method also provides an inexpensive, noninvasive, reliable model to increase in vivo vertebral loading in rats that is similar in humans.

Measurement of J/psi and psi(2S) polarization in pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV

We have measured the polarization of J/psi and psi(2S) mesons produced in pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV, using data collected at the Collider Detector at Fermilab during 1992-1995. The polarization of promptly produced J/psi [psi(2S)] mesons is isolated from those produced in B-hadron decay, and measured over the kinematic range 4 [5.5]<P(T)<20 GeV/c and |y|<0.6. For P(T) greater than or approximately equal 12 GeV/c we do not observe significant polarization in the prompt component.

Signal transduction by GABA(B) receptor heterodimers

GABA(B) receptors are G-protein-coupled receptors that mediate inhibition throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. A single cloned receptor, GABA(B)R1, which has at least three alternatively spliced forms, appears to account for the vast majority of binding sites in the brain for high-affinity antagonists. In heterologous expression systems GABA(B)R1 is poorly expressed on the plasma membrane and largely fails to couple to ion channels. A second gene, GABA(B)R2, which exhibits moderately low homology to GABA(B)R1, permits surface expression of GABA(B)R1 and the appearance of baclofen-sensitive K(+) and Ca(+1) currents. We review the data that supports a model of the native GABA(B) receptor as a heterodimer composed of GABA(B)R1 and GABA(B)R2 proteins. New data from mutagenesis experiments are presented that point to amino acid residues on GABA(B)R1 critical for ligand activation of the heterodimer. The possible role of GABA(B)R2 in signal transduction is also discussed. The interdependent nature of the two subunits for receptor function makes the GABA(B) receptor a useful model to explore the larger significance of GPCR dimerization for G-protein activation.

Inactivation of germline mutant APC alleles by attenuated somatic mutations: a molecular genetic mechanism for attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis

Germline mutations of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor-suppressor gene result in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Patients with FAP typically develop hundreds to thousands of benign colorectal tumors and early-onset colorectal cancer. A subset of germline APC mutations results in an attenuated FAP (AFAP) phenotype, in which patients develop fewer tumors and develop them at an older age. Although a genotype-phenotype correlation between the locations of APC germline mutations and the development of AFAP has been well documented, the mechanism for AFAP has not been well defined. We investigated the mechanism for AFAP in patients carrying a mutant APC allele (APC(AS9)) that has a mutation in the alternatively spliced region of exon 9. APC(AS9) was found to down-regulate beta-catenin-regulated transcription, the major tumor-suppressor function of APC, as did the wild-type APC. Mutation analysis showed that both APC(AS9) and the wild-type APC alleles were somatically mutated in most colorectal tumors from these patients. Functional analysis showed that 4666insA, a common somatic mutation in APC(AS9) in these tumors, did not inactivate the wild-type APC. Our results indicate that carriers of APC(AS9) develop fewer colorectal tumors than do typical patients with FAP because somatic inactivation of both APC alleles is necessary for colorectal tumorigenesis. However, these patients develop colorectal tumors more frequently than does the general population because APC(AS9) is inactivated by mutations that do not inactivate the wild-type APC.

Voltage- and use-dependent effect of 7-chlor-benzyltetrahydropalmatine on sodium currents in guinea pig ventricular myocytes

The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was employed to obtain information about the voltage-dependence and kinetics of interaction of 7-chlor-benzyltetrahydropalmatine (7-Cl-BTHP) with cardiac sodium channels. 7-Cl-BTHP (30 mol/L) significantly decreased the peak sodium current (from 7.8 +/- 1.8 nA to 5.3 +/- 1.4 nA, P < 0.01, n = 5), without producing a shift of the current-voltage curve. It shifted the inactivation curves of sodium current to hyperpolarized potentials, and the V0.5 was shifted from -(82.5 +/- 2.5) mV to -(95 +/- 2.4) mV (P < 0.05, n = 4). 7-Cl-BTHP produced a significant use-dependent effect that was proportional to the duration of the voltage step. In addition, 7-Cl-BTHP slowed the recovery of sodium channel from inactivation, which could explain its use-dependent effects on sodium current. The characteristics of 7-Cl-BTHP blockage suggest that this agent binds preferentially to inactivated sodium channels.

Search for scalar top and scalar bottom quarks in pp collisions at square root s=1.8 TeV

We have searched for direct pair production of scalar top and scalar bottom quarks in 88 pb-1 of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=1.8 TeV with the CDF detector. We looked for events with a pair of heavy flavor jets and missing energy, consistent with scalar top (bottom) quark decays to a charm (bottom) quark and a neutralino. The numbers of events that pass our selections show no significant deviation from standard model expectations. We compare our results to the next-to-leading order scalar quark production cross sections to exclude regions in scalar quark-neutralino mass parameter space.

Search for a W' boson via the decay mode W'-->munumu in 1.8 TeV pp collisions

We report the results of a search for a W' boson produced in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.8 TeV using a 107 pb-1 data sample recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We consider the decay channel W'-->&munumu and search for anomalous production of high transverse mass munumu lepton pairs. We observe no excess of events above background and set limits on the rate of W' boson production and decay relative to standard model W boson production and decay using a fit of the transverse mass distribution observed. If we assume standard model strength couplings of the W' boson to quark and lepton pairs, we exclude a W' boson with invariant mass less than 660 GeV/c2 at 95% confidence level.

Prof. Sheng Canruo's experience in acupuncture treatment of throat diseases with yan si xue

Yan Si Xue ([symbol: see text]) refer to four points in the throat summarized by Prof. Sheng Canruo in his long-year clinical experience based on the combination of TCM theory and the knowledge of modern medical anatomy. By taking "Yan Si Xue" as main points, and other differential adjunct points, Prof. Sheng has obtained satisfactory therapeutic results in treating various throat diseases such as hoarseness, paralysis of vocal cord, dysphonia after radiotherapy on throat tumor, vocal nodules, disorder of the glossopharyngeal nerve, hysteric aphasia, and acute or chronic laryngopharyngitis.