Measuring intestinal fluid transport in vitro: Gravimetric method versus non-absorbable marker

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.The gut sac is a long-standing, widely used in vitro preparation for studying solute and water transport, and calculation of these fluxes requires an accurate assessment of volume. This is commonly determined gravimetrically by measuring the change in mass over time. While convenient this likely under-estimates actual net water flux (Jv) due to tissue edema. We evaluated whether the popular in vivo volume marker [(14)C]-PEG 4000, offers a more representative measure of Jvin vitro. We directly compared these two methods in five teleost species (toadfish, flounder, rainbow trout, killifish and tilapia). Net fluid absorption by the toadfish intestine based on PEG was significantly higher, by almost 4-fold, compared to gravimetric measurements, compatible with the latter under-estimating Jv. Despite this, PEG proved inconsistent for all of the other species frequently resulting in calculation of net secretion, in contrast to absorption seen gravimetrically. Such poor parallelism could not be explained by the absorption of [(14)C]-PEG (typically <1%). We identified a number of factors impacting the effectiveness of PEG. One was adsorption to the surface of sample tubes. While it was possible to circumvent this using unlabelled PEG 4000, this had a deleterious effect on PEG-based Jv. We also found sequestration of PEG within the intestinal mucus. In conclusion, the short-comings associated with the accurate representation of Jv by gut sac preparations are not overcome by [(14)C]-PEG. The gravimetric method therefore remains the most reliable measure of Jv and we urge caution in the use of PEG as a volume marker.We are grateful to Ian and Tony McClure, the local fishermen of Flookburgh, Cumbria (U.K.) for collecting the flounder used in this study, and to Jan Shears for assistance with fish husbandry at Exeter (U.K.). We thank Ray Hurley and Debbie Fretz in Miami (U.S.A.) for supplying the toadfish. This work was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) grants BBS/S/A/2004/11078 and BB/F009364/1 to R.W.W., and National Science Foundation (NSF) grants IAB0743903 and 1146695 to M.G

Orbital electron capture by the nucleus

The theory of nuclear electron capture is reviewed in the light of current understanding of weak interactions. Experimental methods and results regarding capture probabilities, capture ratios, and EC/Beta(+) ratios are summarized. Radiative electron capture is discussed, including both theory and experiment. Atomic wave function overlap and electron exchange effects are covered, as are atomic transitions that accompany nuclear electron capture. Tables are provided to assist the reader in determining quantities of interest for specific cases

Tests of isospin symmetry breaking at ϕ(1020)\phi (1020) meson factories

In a model of isospin symmetry breaking we obtain the ($e^{-} e^{+} \rightarrow \pi^{-} \pi^{+}$) amplitude $Q$ and the isospin $I=0$ and $I=1$ relative phase $\psi$ at the $\phi (1020)$ resonance in aproximate agreement with experiment. The model predicts \Gamma(\phi \rightarrow \omega \pi^{0}) \approx 4 \cdot 10^{-4} \;\mbox{MeV}. We have also obtained \Gamma (\phi \rightarrow \eta' \gamma)=5.2 \cdot 10^{-4} \;\mbox{MeV}. Measuring this partial width would strongly constrain $\eta$-$\eta'$ mixing. The branching ratios $BR$ of the isospin violating decays $\rho^{+} \rightarrow \pi^{+} \eta$ and $\eta' \rightarrow \rho^{\pm} \pi^{\mp}$ are predicted to be $BR(\rho^{+} \rightarrow \pi^{+} \eta)=3 \cdot 10^{-5}$ and $BR(\eta' \rightarrow \rho^{\pm} \pi^{\mp})=4 \cdot 10^{-3}$, respectively, leading to $BR[\phi \rightarrow \rho^{\pm} \pi^{\mp} \rightarrow (\pi^{\pm} \eta)\pi^{\mp} \rightarrow (\pi^{\pm} \gamma \gamma)\pi^{\mp}]=10^{-6}$ and $BR[\phi \rightarrow \eta' \gamma \rightarrow (\rho^{\pm} \pi^{\mp})\gamma]=2\cdot 10^{-6}$.Comment: 11 pages 2 Figures ( not included available on request ), Latex, Karlsruhe TTP42-9

Bayesian Analysis of the Polarization of Distant Radio Sources: Limits on Cosmological Birefringence

A recent study of the rotation of the plane of polarization of light from 160 cosmological sources claims to find significant evidence for cosmological anisotropy. We point out methodological weaknesses of that study, and reanalyze the same data using Bayesian methods that overcome these problems. We find that the data always favor isotropic models for the distribution of observed polarizations over counterparts that have a cosmological anisotropy of the type advocated in the earlier study. Although anisotropic models are not completely ruled out, the data put strong lower limits on the length scale $\lambda$ (in units of the Hubble length) associated with the anisotropy; the lower limits of 95% credible regions for $\lambda$ lie between 0.43 and 0.62 in all anisotropic models we studied, values several times larger than the best-fit value of $\lambda \approx 0.1$ found in the earlier study. The length scale is not constrained from above. The vast majority of sources in the data are at distances closer than 0.4 Hubble lengths (corresponding to a redshift of $\approx$0.8); the results are thus consistent with there being no significant anisotropy on the length scale probed by these data.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.

Nested species interactions promote feasibility over stability during the assembly of a pollinator community

The foundational concepts behind the persistence of ecological communities have been based on two ecological properties: dynamical stability and feasibility. The former is typically regarded as the capacity of a community to return to an original equilibrium state after a perturbation in species abundances and is usually linked to the strength of interspecific interactions. The latter is the capacity to sustain positive abundances on all its constituent species and is linked to both interspecific interactions and species demographic characteristics. Over the last 40 years, theoretical research in ecology has emphasized the search for conditions leading to the dynamical stability of ecological communities, while the conditions leading to feasibility have been overlooked. However, thus far, we have no evidence of whether species interactions are more conditioned by the community's need to be stable or feasible. Here, we introduce novel quantitative methods and use empirical data to investigate the consequences of species interactions on the dynamical stability and feasibility of mutualistic communities. First, we demonstrate that the more nested the species interactions in a community are, the lower the mutualistic strength that the community can tolerate without losing dynamical stability. Second, we show that high feasibility in a community can be reached either with high mutualistic strength or with highly nested species interactions. Third, we find that during the assembly process of a seasonal pollinator community located at The Zackenberg Research Station (northeastern Greenland), a high feasibility is reached through the nested species interactions established between newcomer and resident species. Our findings imply that nested mutualistic communities promote feasibility over stability, which may suggest that the former can be key for community persistence

Die Ge-Komposita im Mittelhochdeutschen : Eine zur Zeit noch bestehende Möglichkeit, eine Aussage aspektuell zu markieren

Ge- signale l’absence de tout caractère actualisant, de toute actualité dans un temps particulier, signale la discongruence à l’actualisation une et particulière (LSL, 65, note15). On comprend pourquoi le sens absolu de la négation nie "jamais” a tant d’affinité avec le composé. Cette prédication (structure d\u27affirmation en ge-)  fait “l’économie de l’épreuve et de la réduction du singulier” pour entrer de plain-pied dans l’universel (Levinas). Das getue ich niemer mêre : Cette prédication est d’emblée installée non pas “en un moment quelconque du temps”, comme le formule Maurice Marache, mais plutôt dans ce que F. W. J. Schelling appelle l’éternité, ce temps virtuel qui ne cesse de donner du temps sans jamais s’épuiser, dans le temps en réserve d’actualisations. Ge- serait un aspect “anti-détensif, qui bloquerait, empêcherait toute détension du verbe, toute descente vers une incarnation du processus dans le réel. (cf. Daviet-Taylor, HEL, 1993).

Operando Laboratory-Based Multi-Edge X-Ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy of Solid Catalysts

Laboratory-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and especially X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) offers new opportunities in catalyst characterization and presents not only an alternative, but also a complementary approach to precious beamtime at synchrotron facilities. We successfully designed a laboratory-based setup for performing operando , quasi-simultaneous XANES analysis at multiple K edges, more specifically, operando XANES of mono-, bi-, and trimetallic CO 2 hydrogenation catalysts containing Ni, Fe, and Cu. Detailed operando XANES studies of the multi-element solid catalysts revealed metal-dependent differences in the reducibility and re-oxidation behavior and their influence on the catalytic performance in CO 2 hydrogenation. The applicability of operando laboratory-based XANES at multiple K edges paves the way for advanced multi-element catalyst characterization complementing detailed studies at synchrotron facilities.Peer reviewe

Effects of repetitive exposure to pain and morphine treatment on the neonatal rat brain

Background: Untreated exposure to pain in preterm neonates might damage the vulnerable premature brain and alter development. Pain treatment is limited because analgesic agents may also have adverse neurodevelopmental consequences in newborns. Objective: To study the effects of neonatal pain and morphine treatment on the developing brain in a n

Adding Student Video Projects to Physics Courses

Physics students have traditionally prepared many kinds of reports—laboratory, activity, project, and even book or article reports. Smartphones and YouTube videos are familiar cultural objects to current students, and our students use smartphone cameras to include photographs of apparatus, phenomena, hand-sketched figures, graphs, and mathematical equations in their physics reports. Here we present basic techniques for physics students to use smartphones and tablets to create short (\u3c 5 min) end-of-semester video projects. Our students mainly use Apple Computer’s iPad1 tablets, but also other tablets and various smartphones. Finally we discuss appropriate instructor expectations and grading. Similar non-physics student video reporting efforts were reported using video cameras by Kearney,2 and Hechter and Guy.