Presynaptic M1 muscarinic cholinoceptors mediate inhibition of excitatory synaptic transmission in the hippocampus in vitro

The effects of the cholinoceptor agonist, carbachol (CCh), were examined in the rat hippocampal slice preparation. Intracellular recordings from CA1 pyramidal neurones revealed that CCh (1–3 μM) inhibited excitatory postsynaptic responses evoked by stimulation of the Schaffer collateral/commissural pathway while, at the same time, direct excitability was enhanced. Extracellularly, CCh produced a concentration-dependent reduction of the amplitude of the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (field EPSP) recorded in the CA1 apical dendritic region. The muscarinic receptor antagonist, pirenzepine, competitively antagonized the effects of CCh on the field EPSP with a pA2 of 7.4. These results confirm earlier reports of a presynaptic inhibitory action of CCh in the hippocampal CA1 region and provide strong evidence that this effect is mediated by muscarinic receptors of the M1 subtype

Partial purification and characterization of F₄₂₀-dependent NADP reductase from Methanobrevibacter smithii strain DE1

The F420-dependent NADP reductase of Methanobrevibacter smithii has been partially purified employing a combination of affinity chromatography with Blue Sepharose (Cl-6B) and molecular sieve chromatography with Sephacryl S-200, The enzyme, which requires reduced F420 as an electron donor, has been purified over 145 fold with a recovery of 6%. A molecular weight of 120,00 for the native enzyme was determined by Sephacryl S-200 chromatography. A subunit molecular weight of 28,200 was determined by SDS-PAGE, indicating that the native enzyme is a tetramer. The optimal temperature for enzymatic activity was found to be 45°C, with a pH optimum of 7.5. The NADP reductase had an apparent Km of 42 uM for reduced F420, and an apparent Km of 4l uM for NADP. The enzyme was stable in 0.05 M sodium phosphate buffer (plus 10 mM cysteine) at pH 7.0, when gassed with nitrogen or hydrogen and stored at 4°C

Changes in Pre-service Teachers Perceptions’ of Teacher Qualities: Development from Egocentric to Student Centric

This study looks at pre-service teachers’ developing perceptions with a view to supporting teacher education practices. In determining and guiding program structures it is the opinions of the experts that are most often heard. Absent from this debate is an understanding of the changing perceptions of the pre-service teacher as they progress through their program. The purpose of this paper is to extend our understanding of pre-service teacher belief systems’ highlighting, the relevance this has for understanding and supporting pre-service teacher development. The perceptions of valued teacher qualities changed from ego-centric beliefs to student centric practices for the participants in this study. Effective teacher education makes connections between perceptions and new ideas, building on existing conceptual frameworks. Findings from this study contribute to the discourse on how pre-service teachers construct and reframe their beliefs about ‘good’ teachers as they progress from pre-service teacher to graduate teacher

LOW-RESISTANCE JUNCTIONS BETWEEN CANCER CELLS IN VARIOUS SOLID TUMORS

Electrical coupling, which reveals the presence of specialized low-resistance intercellular junctions, has now been found in four types of tumors, Sarcoma 180, Novikoff hepatoma, and Morris hepatomas 3924-A and 7777. Coupled cancer cells were distinguished from coupled normal cells by intracellular marking techniques. Although the evidence suggests that coupling may be extensive in some cases, it is not possible to say that the coupling was normal. In particular, the results do not exclude less obvious defects in the specialized junctions, such as abnormal distribution or decreased permeability to molecules other than small inorganic ions. The results are discussed in relation to previous studies of coupling in Novikoff hepatomas and in cultures of S1801 and II cell lines

Progress of the PRINCIPLE project: promoting MT for Croatian, Icelandic, Irish and Norwegian

This paper updates the progress made on the PRINCIPLE project, a 2-year action funded by the European Commission un-der the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme. PRINCIPLE focuses on col-lecting high-quality language resources for Croatian, Icelandic, Irish and Norwe-gian, which have been identified as low-resource languages, especially for build-ing effective machine translation (MT) systems. We report initial achievements of the project and ongoing activities aimed at promoting the uptake of neural MT for the low-resource languages of the project

An exploratory randomised controlled trial comparing telephone and hospital follow-up after treatment for colorectal cancer

Aim:  Following treatment for colorectal cancer it is common practice for patients to attend hospital clinics at regular intervals for routine monitoring, although debate persists on the benefits of this approach. Nurse-led telephone follow-up is effective in meeting information and psycho-social needs in other patient groups. We explored the potential benefits of nurse-led telephone follow-up for colorectal cancer patients. Method:  Sixty-five patients were randomised to either telephone or hospital follow-up in an exploratory randomised trial. Results:  The telephone intervention was deliverable in clinical practice and acceptable to patients and health professionals. Seventy-five percent of eligible patients agreed to randomization. High levels of satisfaction were evident in both study groups. Appointments in the hospital group were shorter (median 14.0 minutes) than appointments in the telephone group (median 28.9 minutes). Patients in the telephone arm were more likely to raise concerns during consultations. Conclusion:  Historical approaches to follow-up unsupported by evidence of effectiveness and efficiency are not sustainable. Telephone follow-up by specialist nurses may be a feasible option. A main trial comparing hospital and telephone follow-up is justified although consideration needs to be given to trial design and practical issues related to the availability of specialist nurses at study locations