23,347 research outputs found
Prenatal inhibition of the tryptophan–kynurenine pathway alters synaptic plasticity and protein expression in the rat hippocampus
Glutamate receptors sensitive to N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) are important in early brain development, influencing cell proliferation and migration, neuritogenesis, axon guidance and synapse formation. The kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism includes an agonist (quinolinic acid) and an antagonist (kynurenic acid) at these receptors. Rats were treated in late gestation with 3,4-dimethoxy-N-[4-(3-nitrophenyl)thiazol-2-yl]-benzene-sulphonamide (Ro61-8048), an inhibitor of kynurenine-3-monoxygenase which diverts kynurenine metabolism to kynurenic acid. Within 5Â h of drug administration, there was a significant decrease in GluN2A expression and increased GluN2B in the embryo brains, with changes in sonic hedgehog at 24Â h. When injected dams were allowed to litter normally, the brains of offspring were removed at postnatal day 21 (P21). Recordings of hippocampal field excitatory synaptic potentials (fEPSPs) showed that prenatal exposure to Ro61-8048 increased neuronal excitability and paired-pulse facilitation. Long-term potentiation was also increased, with no change in long-term depression. At this time, levels of GluN2A, GluN2B and postsynaptic density protein PSD-95 were all increased. Among several neurodevelopmental proteins, the expression of sonic hedgehog was increased, but DISC1 and dependence receptors were unaffected, while raised levels of doublecortin and Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) suggested increased neurogenesis. The results reveal that inhibiting the kynurenine pathway in utero leads to molecular and functional synaptic changes in the embryos and offspring, indicating that the pathway is active during gestation and plays a significant role in the normal early development of the embryonic and neonatal nervous system
Techniques for the realization of ultrareliable spaceborne computers Interim scientific report
Error-free ultrareliable spaceborne computer
Field Dependent Phase Diagram of the Quantum Spin Chain (CH3)2NH2CuCl3
Although (CH3)2NH2CuCl3 (MCCL) was first examined in the 1930's [1], there
are open questions regarding the magnetic dimensionality and nature of the
magnetic properties. MCCL is proposed to be a S=1/2 alternating ferromagnetic
antiferromagnetic spin chain alternating along the crystalline a-axis [2,3].
Proposed ferromagnetic (JFM =1.3 meV) and antiferromagnetic (JAFM =1.1 meV)
exchange constants make this system particularly interesting for experimental
study. Because JFM and JAFM are nearly identical, the system should show
competing behavior between S=1/2 (AFM) and S=1(FM) effects. We report low
temperature magnetic field dependent susceptibility, chi(H), and specific heat,
Cp, of MCCL. These provide an initial magnetic-field versus temperature phase
diagram. A zero-field phase transition consistent with long range magnetic
order is observed at T=0.9 K. The transition temperature can be reduced via
application of a magnetic field. We also present comparisons to a FM/AFM dimer
model that accounts for chi(T,H=0) and Cp(H,T).Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure included in text. Submitted to proceedings of 24th
International Conference on Low Temperature Physics, August 200
The Energy Spectrum of Jovian Electrons in Interplanetary Space
The energy spectrum of electrons with energies approx 10 to approx 180 MeV measured with the electron telescope on the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft in interplanetary space from 1978 to 1983 is studied. The kinetic energy of electrons is determined by double dE/dx measurements from the first two detectors (D sub 1, D sub 2) of a stack of eight solid state detectors and by the range of particle penetration into the remaining six detectors (D sub 3 to D sub 8) which are interleaved with tungsten absorbers. From 1978 to 1983 (radial range approximately 2 to a pproximately 12 AU) electrons of Jovian origin were clearly observable for electrons stopping in D(sub 3(E approximately greater than 4 MeV)) and in D(sub 4 (E approximately greater than 8 MeV)). For electrons stopping in D(sub 5(E approximately greather than 12 MeV)), the jovian flux dominated the galactic electron flux for a period of approximately one year near the encounter with Jupiter. Jovian electrons were also observed in D(sub 6(E approximately greater than 21 MeV)) but not in D(sub 7(E approximately greater than 28 MeV)). A detailed interpretation of the electron variations in all energy channels depends on an accurate subtraction of background induced by energetic protons of a few 100 MeV. This substraction is facilitated by laboratory calibration results at several energies. Further results on the differential energy spectrum of Jovian electrons and limits on the maximum detected energies will be reported
Two-Particle Microrheology of quasi-2D Viscous Systems
We study the correlated motions of colloidal particles in a quasi-2D system
(Human Serum Albumin (HSA) protein molecules at an air-water interface) for
different surface viscosities . We observe a transition in the
behavior of the correlated motion, from 2-D interface dominated at high
to bulk fluid-dependent at low . The correlated motions
can be scaled onto a master curve which captures the features of this
transition. This master curve also characterizes the spatial dependence of the
flow field of a viscous interface in response to a force. From the flow field
and the correlated particle motions, we calculate a two-particle MSD (mean
square displacement) for direct comparison with rheological measurements.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR
Classical limit of transport in quantum kicked maps
We investigate the behavior of weak localization, conductance fluctuations,
and shot noise of a chaotic scatterer in the semiclassical limit. Time resolved
numerical results, obtained by truncating the time-evolution of a kicked
quantum map after a certain number of iterations, are compared to semiclassical
theory. Considering how the appearance of quantum effects is delayed as a
function of the Ehrenfest time gives a new method to compare theory and
numerical simulations. We find that both weak localization and shot noise agree
with semiclassical theory, which predicts exponential suppression with
increasing Ehrenfest time. However, conductance fluctuations exhibit different
behavior, with only a slight dependence on the Ehrenfest time.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures. Final versio
Effects of a Local Interstellar Magnetic Field on Voyager 1 and 2 Observations
We show that that an interstellar magnetic field can produce a north/south
asymmetry in solar wind termination shock. Using Voyager 1 and 2 measurements,
we suggest that the angle between the interstellar wind velocity and
magnetic field is . The distortion of the
shock is such that termination shock particles could stream outward along the
spiral interplanetary magnetic field connecting Voyager 1 to the shock when the
spacecraft was within of the shock. The shock distortion is larger
in the southern hemisphere, and Voyager 2 could be connected to the shock when
it is within of the shock, but with particles from the shock
streaming inward along the field. Tighter constraints on the interstellar
magnetic field should be possible when Voyager 2 crosses the shock in the next
several years.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
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