Testing for common structures in a panel of threshold models

We consider the problem of examining the extent of (partial) similarity in the dynamics of a panel of independent threshold autoregressive processes. We develop some tests for common structure via Wald's approach and by checking whether the parameter estimates of the unconstrained threshold models satisfy the constraints defining the common structure. One test concerns the equality of independent ratios of normal means, which is shown to have nonstandard asymptotic null distribution. These tests are illustrated with a modern panel of Canadian lynx data; our analysis suggests that the lynx data over Canada share similar dynamics in the decrease phase, but they appear to be different in the increase phase.

Baroreceptor and prostanoid control of fetal renal cortical blood flow and plasma renin activity

Renal function in the fetus is important for maintenance of fetal fluid and electrolyte balance. This study was performed to test the role of prostaglandins and their interaction with arterial baroreceptors and chemoreceptors in the control of renal cortical blood flow during hypotension produced by vena caval obstruction in late-gestation fetal sheep. We studied 18 time-dated, chronically catheterized, fetal sheep (124-136 days gestation). Fetuses were either studied intact (n = 11) or sinoaortic denervated (n = 7), and each fetus was studied twice, with and without pretreatment with indomethacin (0.2 mg kg(-1), i.v.). Each fetus was subjected to hypotension caused by vena caval obstruction for 10 min. Before hypotension, renal cortical blood flow was higher in the vehicle-treated sinoaortic denervated fetuses than in vehicle-treated intact fetuses. The increased renal cortical blood flow observed in the sinoaortic denervated fetuses was counteracted by indomethacin, so that the difference between sinoaortic denervated and intact fetuses was eliminated after indomethacin treatment. Hypotension decreased renal blood flow equally in all groups. Plasma renin activity was increased in response to hypotension in the intact fetuses, but not in the sinoaortic denervated fetuses. Indomethacin treatment, by itself, did not alter plasma renin activity. It is concluded that both arterial baroreceptors and prostanoids influence renal blood flow. Further, renin secretion is influenced by arterial baroreceptors and chemoreceptors and there is no apparent modulatory effect of prostanoids on the baroreflex control of renin secretion.

A method for the fabrication of low-noise carbon fiber nanoelectrodes

A new and facile method has been developed for the fabrication of low-noise carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFMEs) and carbon fiber nanoelectrodes (CFNEs). The carbon fiber was flame-fuse sealed in the tip of the glass capillary. The CFMEs were made by cutting the protruding carbon fiber to the desired length, and the CFNEs were achieved by etching the protruding carbon on the flame to form a nanometer-scale tip. The tip of CFNEs can be controlled within the range from 100 to 300 nm. Thus, no epoxy wax was involved in the CFMEs and CFNEs. The experimental results of inspecting CFMEs and CFNEs by scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the surface of the electrodes and the glass/fiber interface are very smooth. Therefore, the noise caused by the glass/fiber of these electrodes is much lower than that of the electrodes fabricated conventionlly. The electrodes were characterized by ferricyanide, catecholamine (dopamine,DA), norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (E)) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neurotransmitters using CV, LSV, DPV, and FSCV. The results showed that the CFMEs and CFNEs have very excellent electrochemical behavior and high sensitivity. The CV and DPV detection limits of DA, NE, and E are 7.6 x 10(-8), 7.0 x 10(-8), and 5.0 x 10(-8) mol/L, and the DPV detection limits of DA, NE, and E are 4.0 x 10(-8), 1.0 x 10(-7), and 2.2 x 10(-7) mol/L, respectively. This experiment offers a new and facile method for the fabrication of CFMEs and CFNEs of very high sensitivity and low noise.

MS/NMR: a structure-based approach for discovering protein ligands and for drug design by coupling size exclusion chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

A protocol is described for rapidly screening small organic molecules for their ability to bind a target protein while obtaining structure-related information as part of a structure-based drug discovery and design program. The methodology takes advantage of and combines the inherent strengths of size exclusion gel chromatography, mass spectrometry, and NMR to identify bound complexes in a relatively universal high-throughput screening approach. Size exclusion gel chromatography in the spin column format provides the high-speed separation of a protein-ligand complex from free ligands. The spin column eluent is then analyzed under denaturing conditions by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (MS) for the presence of small molecular weight compounds formerly bound to the protein. Hits identified by MS are then individually assayed by chemical shift perturbations in a 2D 1H-15N HSQC NMR spectrum to verify specific interactions of the compound with the protein and identification of the binding site on the protein. The utility of the MS/NMR assay is demonstrated with the use of the catalytic fragment of human fibroblast collagenase (MMP-1) as a target protein and the screening of a library consisting of approximately 32 000 compounds for the identification of molecules that exhibit specific binding to the RGS4 protein.

Common structure in panels of short ecological time-series

Typically, in many studies in ecology, epidemiology, biomedicine and others, we are confronted with panels of short time-series of which we are interested in obtaining a biologically meaningful grouping. Here, we propose a bootstrap approach to test whether the regression functions or the variances of the error terms in a family of stochastic regression models are the same. Our general setting includes panels of time-series models as a special case. We rigorously justify the use of the test by investigating its asymptotic properties, both theoretically and through simulations. The latter confirm that for finite sample size, bootstrap provides a better approximation than classical asymptotic theory. We then apply the proposed tests to the mink-muskrat data across 81 trapping regions in Canada. Ecologically interpretable groupings are obtained, which serve as a necessary first step before a fuller biological and statistical analysis of the food chain interaction.

The earliest known sauropod dinosaur

Sauropods were a very successful group of dinosaurs during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but their earlier history is poorly known. Until now, the earliest reported sauropod bones were from the Early Jurassic, and the only tentative evidence of earlier sauropods was in the form of controversial footprints. Here we report the discovery of an incomplete sauropod skeleton from the Late Triassic period of Thailand, which provides the first osteological evidence of pre-Jurassic sauropods. This dinosaur is markedly different from prosauropods and substantiates theoretical predictions that there was a fairly long period of sauropod evolution during the Triassic.

Ischemic preconditioning activates phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase upstream of protein kinase C

The present study is designed to test whether phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) has a role in the signaling pathway in ischemic preconditioning (PC) and whether it is proximal or distal to protein kinase C (PKC). Before 20 minutes of global ischemia, Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were perfused for 20 minutes (control); preconditioned with 4 cycles of 5-minute ischemia and 5-minute reflow (PC); treated with either wortmannin (WM) or LY 294002 (LY), each of which is a PI3-kinase inhibitor, for 5 minutes before and throughout PC; treated with 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (DOG), an activator of PKC for 10 minutes (DOG); treated identically to the DOG group except with WM added 10 minutes before and during perfusion with DOG; or treated with either WM or LY for 25 minutes. Recovery of left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP; percentage of initial preischemic LVDP), measured after 30 minutes of reflow, was improved by PC (72+/-2% versus 36+/-4% in control; P<0.001), and this was blocked by WM and LY (41+/-4% and 43+/-5%, respectively; P<0.05 compared with PC). DOG addition improved postischemic LVDP (67+/-6%; P<0.001 compared with control), but in contrast to its effect on PC, WM did not completely eliminate the protective effect of DOG (52+/-4%; P>0.05 compared with DOG; P<0.05 compared with control). PC induced phosphorylation of protein kinase B and translocation of PKC epsilon, and it increased NO production, and these effects were blocked by WM, which suggests a role for PI3-kinase in PC upstream of PKC and NO.

Induction of PGHS-2 mRNA in response to cerebral hypoperfusion in late-gestation fetal sheep

Previous studies have demonstrated that cerebral ischemia stimulated the increased abundance of immunoreactive PGHS-2, but not PGHS-1, in brain tissue homogenates in late-gestation fetal sheep. The goal of the present study was to detect PGHS-1 and PGHS-2 mRNA in specific fetal brain regions, and to semi-quantitatively detect changes in the abundance of the respective mRNA's in response to cerebral hypoperfusion. Fetal brain tissues were collected from control fetuses and from fetuses 30 min and 2 h after cerebral hypoperfusion (produced by brachiocephalic occlusion). Messenger RNA was studied by RT-PCR, and expressed semiquantitatively as a ratio of PGHS-1 or PGHS-2 mRNA abundance to beta-actin mRNA abundance. PGHS-2 mRNA was only detected in the fetal hippocampus, hypothalamus, and brain stem and it was induced by cerebral hypoperfusion. In contrast, PGHS-1 mRNA was detected in all fetal brain tissues but was not induced. We conclude that cerebral hypoperfusion induced PGHS-2 gene expression in hippocampus, hypothalamus, and brainstem, and we speculate that the increased abundance of the enzyme is likely to be important for control of reflex responses to hypotension in the fetus.

Preconditioning enhanced glucose uptake is mediated by p38 MAP kinase not by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

Ischemia is reported to stimulate glucose uptake, but the signaling pathways involved are poorly understood. Modulation of glucose transport could be important for the cardioprotective effects of brief intermittent periods of ischemia and reperfusion, termed ischemic preconditioning. Previous work indicates that preconditioning reduces production of acid and lactate during subsequent sustained ischemia, consistent with decreased glucose utilization. However, there are also data that preconditioning enhances glucose uptake. The present study examines whether preconditioning alters glucose transport and whether this is mediated by either phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) or p38 MAP kinase. Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were preconditioned with 4 cycles of 5 min of ischemia and 5 min of reperfusion, with glucose as substrate. During the last reflow, glucose was replaced with 5 mM acetate and 5 mM 2-deoxyglucose (2DG), and hexose transport was measured from the rate of production of 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate (2DG6P), using (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance. Preconditioning stimulated 2DG uptake; after 15 min of perfusion with 2DG, 2DG6P levels were 165% of initial ATP in preconditioned hearts compared with 96% in control hearts (p < 0.05). Wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI3K, did not block the preconditioning induced stimulation of 2DG6P production, but perfusion with SB202190, an inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase, did attenuate 2DG6P accumulation (111% of initial ATP, p < 0. 05 compared with preconditioned hearts). SB202190 had no effect on 2DG6P accumulation in nonpreconditioned hearts. Preconditioning stimulation of translocation of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane was not inhibited by wortmannin. The data demonstrate that ischemic preconditioning increases hexose transport and that this is mediated by p38 MAP kinase and is PI3K-independent.

Orthodontic, genetic, and periodontal considerations in the treatment of impacted maxillary central incisors: A study of twins

Treatment of twins each with one impacted maxillary central incisor and a mesiodens is described. Treatment included rapid expansion, extraction of the mesiodens, surgical exposure of the impacted central incisor, and its forced eruption. The impacted incisor was brought into functional position in one patient but was lost in the other because of insufficient root length and high mobility. Orthodontic, genetic, and periodontal considerations of these 2 cases are evaluated.

Central nervous system regulation of reflex responses to hypotension during fetal life

The ability of the fetus to survive, grow, and successfully complete the transition from fetal to neonatal life is critically dependent on the appropriate regulation of fetal blood pressure, blood volume, and fluid dynamics. This is a short review of the physiological mechanisms controlling the fetal cardiovascular system, focusing mainly on the neural and endocrine elements in the schema of cardiovascular function and control. The fetal cardiovascular system is arranged anatomically to provide for perfusion of the umbilical-placental circulation, the organ of gas exchange of the fetus, and to largely bypass the lungs. Fetal blood volume and pressure, maintained at levels that are appropriate for this function, are influenced by neural and endocrine control mechanisms, which are similar to, but quantitatively different from, the adult animal. Baroreceptors and chemoreceptors located in the carotid sinuses and aortic arch sense changes in blood pressure and blood gases and comprise the afferent limb of the major reflexes that maintain normal fetal blood pressure and volume. Fetal hypotension stimulates reflex decreases in fetal heart rate, which are apparently mediated by chemoreceptor input. Arginine vasopressin responses to hypotension are most likely mediated by baroreceptor input. Recent evidence suggests that the reflex responses to hypotension in the fetus are modulated by paracrine or endocrine factors. For example, baroreceptor or chemoreceptor reflex pathways are modulated by the endogenous production of prostanoids and by the preparturient changes in fetal plasma estrogen concentration.

Indomethacin attenuates the cerebral blood flow response to hypotension in late-gestation fetal sheep

Previous studies by us and others have demonstrated that PGE(2) and thromboxane (Tx) B(2) are produced in the fetal and neonatal brain during cerebral hypoperfusion. The present study was to test the hypotheses that indomethacin would alter the cerebral blood flow (CBF) response to reduced cerebral perfusion pressure in late-gestation fetal sheep by inhibiting the local prostanoid production. We studied eight chronically catheterized, sinoaortically denervated, 126- to 136-day gestation fetal sheep. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (0.2 mg/kg) or its vehicle phosphate buffer was injected intravenously 90 min before the start of a 10-min period of cerebral hypoperfusion produced by brachiocephalic artery occlusion (BCO). We found that BCO decreased fetal regional CBF (rCBF) by 65-79% in the phosphate buffer group and by 45-57% in the indomethacin-pretreated group. The decrease in fetal rCBF during BCO after indomethacin was 30-49% less than after phosphate buffer. Plasma PGE(2) and TxB(2) concentrations were significantly reduced by indomethacin treatment. BCO increased plasma ACTH and arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentrations; but these responses were not affected by indomethacin. These data suggested that endogenous prostanoid production is involved in the regulation of fetal CBF but, in the absence of intact baro- or chemoreflexes, not in the regulation of ACTH or AVP responses to BCO. We conclude that indomethacin has a beneficial effect on CBF during cerebral ischemia in late-gestation fetal sheep.

Common dynamic structure of canada lynx populations within three climatic regions

Across the boreal forest of Canada, lynx populations undergo regular density cycles. Analysis of 21 time series from 1821 onward demonstrated structural similarity in these cycles within large regions of Canada. The observed population dynamics are consistent with a regional structure caused by climatic features, resulting in a grouping of lynx population dynamics into three types (corresponding to three climatic-based geographic regions): Pacific-maritime, Continental, and Atlantic-maritime. A possible link with the North Atlantic Oscillation is suggested.

Prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-2 abundance is increased in brain tissues of late-gestation fetal sheep in response to cerebral hypoperfusion

OBJECTIVE

To determine the mechanism by which cerebral hypoperfusion enhances prostanoid secretion by fetal brain tissues.

METHODS

Studies were performed on five intact and five carotid sinus-denervated sheep fetuses (124-136 days) exposed to 10 minutes of cerebral hypoperfusion. Plasma collected from lingual artery and sagittal sinus, and microdialysates collected from brain stem and hypothalamus were assayed for prostanoid production. Fetal hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and brain stem were collected from intact animals and 30 minutes after cerebral hypoperfusion for the expression, activity, and distribution of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-1 (PGHS-1), PGHS-2, and thromboxane synthase.

RESULTS

Thromboxane B2 increased significantly in sagittal sinus compared with arterial blood, but PGE2 did not change. Thromboxane B2 decreased in brain stem and hypothalamus microdialysates, and prostaglandin E2 increased in these regions. PGHS-2 immunoreactive protein levels in brain tissues increased in the cerebral hypoperfusion fetuses compared with those of the intact animals. By contrast, PGHS-1 and thromboxane synthase protein levels did not change between these two groups. Prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase activity in brain tissues decreased with the increased levels of immunoreactive PGHS-2.

CONCLUSIONS

1) Prostanoids are produced in response to cerebral hypoperfusion, 2) the increase in the production of prostanoid responses to cerebral hypoperfusion is associated with the decrease in activity of, and therefore, the "suicide" inactivation of PGHS, and 3) PGHS-2 is the predominant form of PGHS, whose synthesis is induced by cerebral hypoperfusion in the fetal brain.

From patterns to processes: phase and density dependencies in the Canadian lynx cycle

Across the boreal forest of North America, lynx populations undergo 10-year cycles. Analysis of 21 time series from 1821 to the present demonstrates that these fluctuations are generated by nonlinear processes with regulatory delays. Trophic interactions between lynx and hares cause delayed density-dependent regulation of lynx population growth. The nonlinearity, in contrast, appears to arise from phase dependencies in hunting success by lynx through the cycle. Using a combined approach of empirical, statistical, and mathematical modeling, we highlight how shifts in trophic interactions between the lynx and the hare generate the nonlinear process primarily by shifting functional response curves during the increase and the decrease phases.

Phase- and density-dependent population dynamics in Norwegian lemmings: interaction between deterministic and stochastic processes

We analysed two 26-year long (1970-1995) time-series on annual population growth rates of Norwegian lemmings (Lemmus lemmus) from Finse, south Norway, using a threshold autoregressive (TAR) approach. We demonstrate that the population dynamics is both phase- and density-dependent. The phase-dependence accounts for the observed nonlinearity. We used the deduced stochastic model structure as a basis for evaluating the dynamic properties of this system. The dynamics is characterized either by limit cycles or chaos (the latter with a strong semi-periodic component). Stochasticity is seen to play an important role in the determination of the periodicity. The ecological implications of these statistical and mathematical results are discussed.

Endogenous prostanoids modulate the ACTH and AVP responses to hypotension in late-gestation fetal sheep

We have previously reported that prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane A2 stimulate endocrine and cardiovascular responses similar to the responses to arterial hypotension. The present experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that prostanoids are involved in the generation of responses to hypotension induced by vena cava occlusion. Fetal sheep were either intact or subjected to a prior carotid sinus denervation and bilateral vagosympathetic nerve section. Indomethacin or vehicle was injected intravenously 90 min before the start of arterial hypotension. In intact fetuses treated with phosphate buffer, ACTH increased significantly from 83 +/- 39 to 3,611 +/- 774 pg/ml, arginine vasopressin (AVP) increased from 3. 9 +/- 0.5 to 1,079 +/- 549 pg/ml, and cortisol increased from 4.7 +/- 0.8 to 9.5 +/- 1.7 ng/ml. Indomethacin treatment significantly reduced the magnitudes of the hormonal responses. Baroreceptor and chemoreceptor denervation attenuated the ACTH and AVP responses, but these responses were not further inhibited by indomethacin. We conclude that endogenous prostanoids partially mediate the reflex hormonal and hemodynamic responses to arterial hypotension in late-gestation fetal sheep.