μ-Bromido-dibromido-μ-hydroxido-bis­[(4S)-2-halo-6-(4-isopropyl-4,5-dihydro­oxazol-2-yl)pyridine]dicopper(II) (halo: Cl/Br = 3:1)

The crystal structure of the title complex, [Cu2Br3(OH)(C11H13Br0.5Cl1.5N2O)2], consists of two (2-halo-6-oxazolin­yl)pyridine·CuBr units bridged by a Br atom and a hydroxide group. The CuII atoms are five-coordinate with an (N,N)BrCu(Br)(OH) distorted tetra­gonal–pyramidal core, and relatively short contacts to the bridging atoms (Cu—μ-OH and Cu—μ-Br). There are two symmetry-independent half-mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit, which differ only in the arrangement of the isopropyl group. The mol­ecules are located on a twofold rotation axes

Association of Carotid Plaque Lp-PLA2 with Macrophages and Chlamydia pneumoniae Infection among Patients at Risk for Stroke

BACKGROUND: We previously showed that the burden of Chlamydia pneumoniae in carotid plaques was significantly associated with plaque interleukin (IL)-6, and serum IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP), suggesting that infected plaques contribute to systemic inflammatory markers in patients with stroke risk. Since lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA(2)) mediates inflammation in atherosclerosis, we hypothesized that serum Lp-PLA(2) mass and activity levels and plaque Lp-PLA(2) may be influenced by plaque C. pneumoniae infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Forty-two patients underwent elective carotid endarterectomy. Tissue obtained at surgery was stained by immunohistochemistry for Lp-PLA(2) grade, macrophages, IL-6, C. pneumoniae and CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Serum Lp-PLA(2) activity and mass were measured using the colorimetric activity method (CAM) and ELISA, respectively. Serum homocysteine levels were measured by HPLC. Eleven (26.2%) patients were symptomatic with transient ischemic attacks. There was no correlation between patient risk factors (smoking, coronary artery disease, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, hypertension and family history of genetic disorders) for atherosclerosis and serum levels or plaque grade for Lp-PLA(2). Plaque Lp-PLA(2) correlated with serum homocysteine levels (p = 0.013), plaque macrophages (p<0.01), and plaque C. pneumoniae (p<0.001), which predominantly infected macrophages, co-localizing with Lp-PLA(2). CONCLUSIONS: The significant association of plaque Lp-PLA(2) with plaque macrophages and C. pneumoniae suggests an interactive role in accelerating inflammation in atherosclerosis. A possible mechanism for C. pneumoniae in the atherogenic process may involve infection of macrophages that induce Lp-PLA(2) production leading to upregulation of inflammatory mediators in plaque tissue. Additional in vitro and in vivo research will be needed to advance our understanding of specific C. pneumoniae and Lp-PLA(2) interactions in atherosclerosis

Behavioral and Autonomic Responses to Acute Restraint Stress Are Segregated within the Lateral Septal Area of Rats

Background: The Lateral Septal Area (LSA) is involved with autonomic and behavior responses associated to stress. In rats, acute restraint (RS) is an unavoidable stress situation that causes autonomic (body temperature, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) increases) and behavioral (increased anxiety-like behavior) changes in rats. The LSA is one of several brain regions that have been involved in stress responses. The aim of the present study was to investigate if the neurotransmission blockade in the LSA would interfere in the autonomic and behavioral changes induced by RS. Methodology/Principal Findings: Male Wistar rats with bilateral cannulae aimed at the LSA, an intra-abdominal datalogger (for recording internal body temperature), and an implanted catheter into the femoral artery (for recording and cardiovascular parameters) were used. They received bilateral microinjections of the non-selective synapse blocker cobalt chloride (CoCl2, 1 mM / 100 nL) or vehicle 10 min before RS session. The tail temperature was measured by an infrared thermal imager during the session. Twenty-four h after the RS session the rats were tested in the elevated plus maze (EPM). Conclusions/Significance: Inhibition of LSA neurotransmission reduced the MAP and HR increases observed during RS. However, no changes were observed in the decrease in skin temperature and increase in internal body temperature observed during this period. Also, LSA inhibition did not change the anxiogenic effect induced by RS observed 24 h later in the EPM. The present results suggest that LSA neurotransmission is involved in the cardiovascular but not the temperatur

Neutrinos

229 pages229 pages229 pagesThe Proceedings of the 2011 workshop on Fundamental Physics at the Intensity Frontier. Science opportunities at the intensity frontier are identified and described in the areas of heavy quarks, charged leptons, neutrinos, proton decay, new light weakly-coupled particles, and nucleons, nuclei, and atoms

Flatteruntersuchung am Segelflugzeug AK-5.

Fuer das Segelflugzeug AK-5, eine Konstruktion der Akademischen Fliegergruppe Karlsruhe, wurden rechnerische Untersuchungen zur Flattersicherheit durchgefuehrt. Sie erfolgten auf der Basis eines Standschwingungsversuchs, in dem alle wesentlichen Eigenschwingungsformen (einschliesslich der Ruderbewegungen) gemessen wurden. Die Versuchsergebnisse wurden ausgewertet und in Flatterrechnungen fuer symmetrische und antisymmetrische Schwingungen eingesetzt. Das verwendete Rechenprogramm beruht auf einem p-k-Ansatz. Die Ergebnisse wurden in Form von Frequenz- und Daempfungsverlaeufen ueber der Fluggeschwindigkeit aufgetragen. Darueber hinaus wurden die auftretenden instabilen bzw. schwach gedaempften Flugschwingungsformen diskutiert und grafisch dargestellt. Bei den Ruderflatterformen wurde die Wirksamkeit von Massenausgleichsmassnahmen geprueft. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung sollen den rechnerischen Flatternachweis fuer das Luftfahrt-Bundesamt und die Flugerprobung unterstuetzen