Effects of Osmotic Stress on Certain Metabolic Components of Wheat

Soil Scienc

Electrophysiological correlates of high-level perception during spatial navigation

We studied the electrophysiological basis of object recognition by recording scalp\ud electroencephalograms while participants played a virtual-reality taxi driver game.\ud Participants searched for passengers and stores during virtual navigation in simulated\ud towns. We compared oscillatory brain activity in response to store views that were targets or\ud nontargets (during store search) or neutral (during passenger search). Even though store\ud category was solely defined by task context (rather than by sensory cues), frontal ...\ud \u

Intravesical CD74 and CXCR4, Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) Receptors, Mediate Bladder Pain

BACKGROUND: Activation of intravesical protease activated receptor 4 (PAR4) leads to release of urothelial macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). MIF then binds to urothelial MIF receptors to release urothelial high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and elicit bladder hyperalgesia. Since MIF binds to multiple receptors, we investigated the contribution of individual urothelial MIF receptors to PAR4-induced HMGB1 release in vivo and in vitro and bladder pain in vivo. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We tested the effect of intravesical pre-treatment with individual MIF or MIF receptor (CD74, CXCR4, CXCR2) antagonists on PAR4-induced HMGB1 release in vivo (female C57/BL6 mice) and in vitro (primary human urothelial cells) and on PAR4-induced bladder hyperalgesia in vivo (mice). In mice, PAR4 induced HMGB1 release and bladder hyperalgesia through activation of intravesical MIF receptors, CD74 and CXCR4. CXCR2 was not involved in these effects. In primary urothelial cells, PAR4-induced HMGB1 release through activation of CD74 receptors. Micturition parameters in mice were not changed by any of the treatments. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Urothelial MIF receptors CD74 and CXCR4 mediate bladder pain through release of urothelial HMGB1. This mechanism may set up persistent pain loops in the bladder and warrants further investigation. Urothelial CD74 and CXCR4 may provide novel targets for interrupting bladder pain

Photonics

Contains reports on seven research projects.Air Force Rome Air Development Center (in collaboration with C.C. Leiby, Jr.)U.S. Air Force-Rome Air Development Center (Contract F19628-80-C-0077)National Science Foundation (Grant PHY79-09739)Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAG29-80-C-0104)U.S. Air Force Geophysics Laboratory (Contract F19628-79-C-0082

Quantum Optics and Photonics

Contains reports on seven research projects.U.S. Air Force Geophysics Laboratory (Contract F19628-70-C-0082)Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAG29-83-K-0003)National Science Foundation (Grant PHY82-10369)U.S. Air Force - Rome Air Development Center (in collaboration with C.C. Leiby, Jr.)U.S. Air Force - Rome Air Development Center (Contract F19628-80-C-0077)U.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research (Contract F49620-82-C-0091

Quantum Electronics

Contains reports on eleven research projects.Air Force Rome Air Development Center (in collaboration with C.C. Leiby Jr)U.S. Air Force - Rome Air Development Center (Contract F19628-80-C-0077)National Science Foundation (Grant PHY79-09739)Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAG29-80-C-0104)Air Force Geophysics Laboratory (Contract F 19628-79-C-0082)National Science Foundation (Grant DAR80-08752)National Science Foundation (Grant ECS79-19475)National Science Foundation (Grant ECS80-17705)National Science Foundation (Grant ENG79-09980

Next Generation Life Support Project Status

Next Generation Life Support (NGLS) is one of over twenty technology development projects sponsored by NASA's Game Changing Development Program. The NGLS Project develops selected life support technologies needed for humans to live and work productively in space, with focus on technologies for future use in spacecraft cabin and space suit applications. Over the last three years, NGLS had five main project elements: Variable Oxygen Regulator (VOR), Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) swing bed, High Performance (HP) Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Glove, Alternative Water Processor (AWP) and Series-Bosch Carbon Dioxide Reduction. The RCA swing bed, VOR and HP EVA Glove tasks are directed at key technology needs for the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) and pressure garment for an Advanced Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU). Focus is on prototyping and integrated testing in cooperation with the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Advanced EVA Project. The HP EVA Glove Element, new this fiscal year, includes the generation of requirements and standards to guide development and evaluation of new glove designs. The AWP and Bosch efforts focus on regenerative technologies to further close spacecraft cabin atmosphere revitalization and water recovery loops and to meet technology maturation milestones defined in NASA's Space Technology Roadmaps. These activities are aimed at increasing affordability, reliability, and vehicle self-sufficiency while decreasing mass and mission cost, supporting a capability-driven architecture for extending human presence beyond low-Earth orbit, along a human path toward Mars. This paper provides a status of current technology development activities with a brief overview of future plans

Unveiling the Cygnus OB2 stellar population with Chandra

The aim of this work is to identify the so far unknown low mass stellar population of the ~2Myr old Cygnus OB2 region, and to investigate the X-ray and near-IR stellar properties of its members. We analyzed a 97.7 ksec Chandra ACIS-I observation pointed at the core of the Cygnus OB2 region. X-ray variability ans spectral analysis of sources was characterized through the KS-test and XSPEC thermal models, respectively. We detected 1003 X-ray sources. Of these, 775 have near-IR counterparts associated with Cygnus OB2 members. We estimate a typical absorption toward Cygnus OB2 of Av~7.0 mag. Although the region is young, very few stars (~4.4 %) show disk-induced excesses in the near-IR. X-ray variability is detected in ~13 % of the sources. Flares account for at least 60 % of the variability. O- that early B-type stars are not significantly variable. Typical X-ray spectral parameters are log(Nh)~22.25 and kT~1.35 keV. Variable and flaring sources have harder spectra with median kT=3.3 and 3.8 keV, respectively. OB stars are typically softer (kT~0.75 keV). X-ray luminosities range between 1E+30 and 1E+31 erg/s for intermediate- and low-mass stars, and 2.5x10^30 and between 6.3E+33 erg/s for OB stars. The Cygnus OB2 region has a very rich population of low-mass X-ray emitting stars. Circumstellar disks seem to be very scarce.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 20 pages, 17 figure