Species- and organ-specificity of secretory proteins derived from human prostate and seminal vesicles

Polyclonal antibodies against semenogelin (SG) isolated from human seminal vesicle secretion and acid phosphatase (PAP), β‐microseminoprotein (β‐MSP), and Prostate‐Specific Antigen (PSA) derived from human prostatic fluid, as well as a monoclonal antibody against β‐MSP were used for immunocytochemical detection of the respective antigens in different organs from different species. SG immunoreactivity was detected in the epithelium of the pubertal and adult human and in monkey seminal vesicle, ampulla of the vas deferens, and ejaculatory duct. PAP, β‐MSP, and PSA immunoreactivities were detected in the pubertal and adult human prostate and the cranial and caudal monkey prostate. With the exception of a weak PSA immunoreactivity in the proximal portions of the ejaculatory duct, none of the latter antisera reacted with seminal vesicle, ampullary, and ejaculatory duct epithelium. Among the non‐primate species studied (dog, bull, rat, guinea pig) only the canine prostatic epithelium displayed a definite immunoreactivity with the PAP antibody and a moderate reaction with the PSA antibody. No immunoreaction was seen in bull and rat seminal vesicle and canine ampulla of the vas deferens with the SG antibody. The same was true for the (ventral) prostate of rat, bull, and dog for β‐MSP. The epithelium of the rat dorsal prostate showed a slight cross‐reactivity with the monoclonal antibody against β‐MSP and one polyclonal antibody against PSA. The findings indicate a rather strict species‐dependent expression of human seminal proteins which show some similarities in primates, but only marginal relationship to species with different physiology of seminal fluid

Time and wavelength resolved spectroscopy of turbid media using light continuum generated in a crystal fiber

We report a novel system for time-resolved diffuse remission spectral measurements, based on short light continuum pulses generated in an index-guided crystal fiber, and a spectrometer-equipped streak camera. The system enables spectral recordings of absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of turbid media in the wavelength range 500 - 1200 nm with a spectral resolution of 5 nm and a temporal resolution of 30 ps. The optical properties are calculated by fitting the solution of the diffusion equation to the time-dispersion curve at each wavelength. Example measurements are presented from an apple, a finger and a pharmaceutical tablet. (C) 2004 Optical Society of America

Photophysical characterization of the 9,10-disubstituted anthracene chromophore and its applications in triplet-triplet annihilation photon upconversion

Molecules based on anthracene are commonly used in applications such as OLEDs and triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion. In future design of blue emitting materials it is useful to know which part of the molecule can be altered in order to obtain new physical properties without losing the inherent optical properties. We have studied the effect of substitution of 9,10-substituted anthracenes. Eight anthracenes with aromatic phenyl and thiophene substituents were synthesised, containing both electron donating and accepting groups. The substitutions were found to affect the UV/Vis absorption only to a small extent, however the fluorescence properties were more affected with the thiophene substituents that decreased the fluorescence quantum yield from unity to <10%. DFT calculations confirm the minor change in absorption and indicate that the first and second triplet state energies are also unaffected. Finally the three most fluorescent derivatives 4-(10-phenylanthracene-9-yl) pyridine, 9-phenyl-10-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) anthracene and 4-(10-phenylanthracene-9-yl) benzonitrile were successfully utilized as annihilators in a triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) system employing platinum octaethylporphyrin as the sensitizer. The observed upconversion quantum yields, phi(UC), slightly exceeded that of the benchmark annihilator 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA)

Understanding Physical Conditions in High Redshift Galaxies through C I Fine Structure Lines: Data and Methodology

We probe the physical conditions in high redshift galaxies, specifically, the Damped Lyman-alpha Systems (DLAs) using neutral carbon (CI) fine structure lines and molecular hydrogen (H2). We report five new detections of CI and analyze the CI in an additional 2 DLAs with previously published data. We also present one new detection of H2 in a DLA. We present a new method of analysis that simultaneously constrains \emph{both} the volume density and the temperature of the gas, as opposed to previous studies that a priori assumed a gas temperature. We use only the column density of CI measured in the fine structure states and the assumption of ionization equilibrium in order to constrain the physical conditions in the gas. We present a sample of 11 CI velocity components in 6 DLAs and compare their properties to those derived by the global CII* technique. The resulting median values for this sample are: = 69 cm^{-3}, = 50 K, and = 3.86 cm^{-3} K, with standard deviations, sigma_{n(HI)} = 134 cm^{-3}, sigma_T = 52 K, and sigma_{log(P/k)} = 3.68 cm^{-3} K. This can be compared with the integrated median values for the same DLAs : = 2.8 cm^{-3}, = 139 K, and = 2.57 cm^{-3} K, with standard deviations sigma_{n(HI)} = 3.0 cm^{-3}, sigma_T = 43 K, and sigma_{log(P/k)} = 0.22 cm^{-3} K. Interestingly, the pressures measured in these high redshift CI clouds are similar to those found in the Milky Way. We conclude that the CI gas is tracing a higher-density, higher-pressure region, possibly indicative of post-shock gas or a photodissociation region on the edge of a molecular cloud. We speculate that these clouds may be direct probes of the precursor sites of star formation in normal galaxies at high redshift.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Further Studies on the Transient Stability of Synchronous-Synchronous Rotary Frequency Converter Fed Railways with Low-Frequency ac High-Voltage Transmission

This paper continues the pursuit of getting a deeper understanding regarding the transient stability of low-frequency AC railway power systems operated at 16 2/3 Hz that are synchronously connected to the public grid. Here, the focus is set on such grids with a low-frequency AC high-voltage transmission line subject to a fault. The study here is limited to railways being fed by different distributions of Rotary Frequency Converter (RFC) types. Both auto transformer (AT) and booster transformer (BT) catenaries are considered. No mixed model configurations in the converter stations (CSs) are considered in this study. Therefore, only interactions between RFCs in different CSs and between RFCs, the fault, and the load can take place in this study. The RFC dynamic models are essentially two Anderson-Fouad models of synchronous machines coupled mechanically by their rotors being connected to the same mechanical shaft. Besides the new cases studied, also a new voltage-dependent active power load model is presented and used in this study