MgII Linear Polarization Measurements Using the MSFC Solar Ultraviolet Magnetograph Sounding Rocket

This paper will describe the Marshall Space Flight Center's Solar Ultraviolet Magnetograph Investigation (SUMI) sounding rocket program, with emphasis on the polarization characteristics of the VUV optics and their spectral, spatial and polarization resolution. SUMI's first flight (7/30/2010) met all of its mission success criteria and this paper will describe the data that was acquired with emphasis on the MgII linear polarization measurements

Factors relating to EFL writers' discourse level revision skills

This study investigated discourse level revising skills among three groups of Japanese EFL writers and the relationship between these skills and the two factors of English proficiency and writing experience. The three groups of university students (N = 53) differed in terms of their educational level and the amount of writing instruction they had received. Group 1, undergraduates with no writing instruction; Group 2, undergraduates with one year of English writing instruction; and Group 3, graduate students, were asked to revise English texts containing coherence problems at three discourse levels: intersentential, paragraph, and essay. The results showed that at the essay level, Group 2 outperformed Group 1, demonstrating revision skill close to that of Group 3, whereas Group 3 outperformed the other two groups overall, particularly at the intersentential level. While English proficiency and writing experience were both significantly related to revision performance, English proficiency was most strongly related to revision at the intersentential level. The results also imply that explicit instruction played an active role in students' essay level revisions and use of correction strategies

Photothermal Microscopy for High Sensitivity and High Resolution Absorption Contrast Imaging of Biological Tissues

Photothermal microscopy is useful to visualize the distribution of non-fluorescence chromoproteins in biological specimens. Here, we developed a high sensitivity and high resolution photothermal microscopy with low-cost and compact laser diodes as light sources. A new detection scheme for improving signal to noise ratio more than 4-fold is presented. It is demonstrated that spatial resolution in photothermal microscopy is up to nearly twice as high as that in the conventional widefield microscopy. Furthermore, we demonstrated the ability for distinguishing or identifying biological molecules with simultaneous muti-wavelength imaging. Simultaneous photothermal and fluorescence imaging of mouse brain tissue was conducted to visualize both neurons expressing yellow fluorescent protein and endogenous non-fluorescent chromophores

Ultrastructural and immunocytochemical study of the leptomeres in the mouse cardiac muscle fibre

The three-diiiiensional configuration and cheiriicol composition of leptoniei-es in the inouse \ e i i t r i c ~ i l a r cardiac inuscle fibre were electron iiiicroscopically und iminuiiocytochemically in\-estigated ~ising seinithin sections and specific antibodies agairist actin. the intei-mediate filament proteins desinin and viiiientin. anci the aciin-binding proteins a-actiriin, filainin and vinculin. The leptomeres appeared columnar in shape arid periodically segmeiited by electron-dense tiisc-like septa. The electrori-lucent areas betweeri these septa uere composed of fiiie interlinked filainents running obliquely to the major axis cif the Ieptomere. Actiii was localized in the electron-dense lii-ies of the leptoineres but not in the fine filaments. No reaction was. however. detected for desinin. vinientin. \zi~iculin. rilainin and a-actinin. The preserit results suggest. therefore. that the leptomeres inay not have a contractile functio

Páginas de Na-K-ATPase activity in the guinea pig stria vascularis in experimentally-induced endolymphatic hydrops

The effect of endolymphatic hydrops on the Na-K-ATPase activity in the guinea pig stria vascularis was electron microscopically and enzyme cytochemically investigated one year after experimental induction. The morphological observations revealed intercellular dropsy in the basal infoldings of the marginal cells, and shrinkage and disappearance of intermediate cells. Moreover, shrinkage of the marginal cells, especially of the basal infoldings, was occasionally observed. In spite of these morphological alterations, the Na-K-ATPase activity was still detected on the plasma membrane of the basal infoldings of most marginal cells. No remarkable differences were found among the cochlear turns of the specimens examined. However, no reaction product was detected on the basolateral plasma membrane of severely degenerated marginal cells. The present results indicate that the Na- K-ATPase of the plasma membrane of the basal infoldings of the marginal cells plays an important role in the maintenance of the unique ion concentration of the endolymph even in the endolymphatic hydropic condition, and that the Na-K-ATPase activity is attenuated in severely atrophic cells

Alkaline phosphatase, 5'-nucleotidase and magnesium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase activities in the transitional epithelium of the rat urinary bladder

The cerium-based method was used to demonstrate cytochemically the ultrastructural localization of alkaline phosphatase (ALPase), 5'- nucleotidase (5'-Nase) and magnesium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (Mg-ATPase) on the transitional epithelium of the rat urinary bladder. The reaction product for ALPase was found on the plasma membrane of al1 epithelial cells, except the luminal surface of superficial cells. The activity of 5'-Nase appeared on the plasma membrane of al1 bladder transitional epithelial cells, including the free surface of superficial cells. The Mg-ATPase reaction product was seen on the plasma membrane of superficial, intermediate and basal cells, but never on the luminal surface of superficial cells and it was only occasionally seen on the basal surface. The possible functions of these phosphatases have been discussed, and it was emphasized that the 5'-Nase activity present on the luminal surface of superficial cells may play a special role in the membrane movement of these cells in the transitional epithelium