The Ursinus Weekly, March 15, 1973

Ursinus Board of Directors meets in regular Spring session; Discusses tax proposals, committee reports, appointments • USGA fills vacancies; 3 new members elected • USGA secures bike racks; readies for J-Board elections • Old snack bar to be transformed by ProTheatre into acting workshop • Editorial: It depends on your point of view • Focus: David Mowere • WRUC, radio voice of Ursinus, on the air 12 hours a day • Fidler on the wax: New L.P. a delight for Traffic fans • Letters to the editor: Union head happy; Female uproar • Bearettes lose at regionals; West Chester drops Boydies • Water wonders end seasonhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1100/thumbnail.jp

Neutral-Donor-Bound-Exciton Complexes in ZnO Crystals

Neutral-donor–bound-exciton transitions have been observed in ZnO. The isolated neutral donors are made up of defect pair complexes. The neutral-donor nature of these pair complexes was determined from magneticfield measurements and from two-electron transitions. Excited states of the neutral-donor bound excitons were observed in the form of rotator states analogous to rotational states of the H2 molecule

The Ursinus Weekly, May 2, 1974

Two faculty members receive promotions • Committee of USGA proposes rule changes • Henry and Perreten get study grants • Dr. Parsons and Dr. Snyder to run Pa. Dutch course • Japanese will join U.C. summer school • U.C. to honor Rep. Ware at commencement • Dave Liscom to attend St. Andrews • Editorial: So what else is new?; Say something good • Italian philosopher is reborn • Alumni corner: The Ruby in debt • The ghost of Ursinus past • Ursinus students view unicorns • New 3-plus-3 plan: Degree in 3 years • Pi Gamma Mu names 10 to membership • Brazilians say “Saudade!” • U.C. students plan summers in Europe • Review: Springsteen’s rock rocks U.C. campus • ‘Chap’ resigns his U.C posts • Lacrosse trials select players • Bear runners looking good • Faculty focus: Georgia Ferrell leads winning gymnasts • Baseball squad facing tough competition • Two Ursinus basketball stars honoredhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1015/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, February 15, 1973

Girls win first meet in new Elliott Pool • 1973 Arts Festival has much to offer • Student Union to open Monday, February 19 • Editorial: Monday to Thursday • First Semester Dean\u27s List • Film review: The Philosopher king • Meistersingers plan busy Spring series • Mermaids sink Temple • U.C. hosts soccer tourney • Win some; Lose one • Bears un-hooped • Forfeits costly; Bear matmen splithttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1096/thumbnail.jp

The effect of insulin on cardiac autonomic balance predicts weight reduction after gastric bypass

Aims/hypothesis: The aim of this study was to assess the predictive role of autonomic reactivity in body weight loss induced by gastric bypass. Methods: A group of 22 morbidly obese subjects, who were due to undergo a gastric bypass, were submitted, before surgery, to a euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp, during which a continuous recording of the ECG was performed. The effect of insulin on cardiac autonomic balance was evaluated by performing power spectral analysis of heart rate variability. The low-to-high frequency ratio was calculated before and during the clamp and its modifications were expressed as % delta low-to-high frequency ratio (%Δ L: H). Results: Preoperative %Δ L: H showed a significant (p=0.0009, r 2=0.43), positive relationship to the reduction of body weight, measured 1 year after surgery and expressed as % excess weight loss (% EWL). Preoperative BMI was also significantly (p=0.0009, r 2=0.43) negatively related to the 12-month % EWL. In a multiple regression analysis, %Δ L: H remained a significant (p=0.003), independent predictor of body weight loss, even when preoperative BMI or age, % fat mass, insulinaemia and glucose disposal were taken into account. Conclusions/interpretation: The best correction of excess body weight was achieved by those obese subjects who had a preserved capacity to shift their cardiac autonomic balance towards a sympathetic prevalence in response to an euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms through which the autonomic nervous system influences weight reductio

Consistency and diversity of spike dynamics in the neurons of bed nucleus of Stria Terminalis of the rat: a dynamic clamp study

Neurons display a high degree of variability and diversity in the expression and regulation of their voltage-dependent ionic channels. Under low level of synaptic background a number of physiologically distinct cell types can be identified in most brain areas that display different responses to standard forms of intracellular current stimulation. Nevertheless, it is not well understood how biophysically different neurons process synaptic inputs in natural conditions, i.e., when experiencing intense synaptic bombardment in vivo. While distinct cell types might process synaptic inputs into different patterns of action potentials representing specific "motifs'' of network activity, standard methods of electrophysiology are not well suited to resolve such questions. In the current paper we performed dynamic clamp experiments with simulated synaptic inputs that were presented to three types of neurons in the juxtacapsular bed nucleus of stria terminalis (jcBNST) of the rat. Our analysis on the temporal structure of firing showed that the three types of jcBNST neurons did not produce qualitatively different spike responses under identical patterns of input. However, we observed consistent, cell type dependent variations in the fine structure of firing, at the level of single spikes. At the millisecond resolution structure of firing we found high degree of diversity across the entire spectrum of neurons irrespective of their type. Additionally, we identified a new cell type with intrinsic oscillatory properties that produced a rhythmic and regular firing under synaptic stimulation that distinguishes it from the previously described jcBNST cell types. Our findings suggest a sophisticated, cell type dependent regulation of spike dynamics of neurons when experiencing a complex synaptic background. The high degree of their dynamical diversity has implications to their cooperative dynamics and synchronization

The Ursinus Weekly, December 14, 1972

Chemotherapist speaks to Pre-med group • Messiah performance successful • Union Board of Governors holds organizing meeting • Special convocation grants degree • Board of Control meets to select Weekly editors • Ursinus Judo Club jumps into action • Editorial: Life; Victim of a third class system • In retrospect: The Fantasticks is musical for everyone • Fidler on the wax: Zappa, The Grand Wazoo • The Bear Squad • Bear hoopsters drop pair • Grapplers open season • W. A. A. sponsors activity clinic • Non-skid floor rough on ankles! • Water wonders workout daily • U.C. hosts polo clinichttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1094/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, March 1, 1973

New USGA officers initiate programs • Ursinus Union apparently an instant, smash success • 1973 Arts Festival begins Friday, March 2 • Ursinus affiliates with United Student Aid Funds • Editorial: The Union • First Union concert presents blend of folk, blues, jazz • New Ruby to be different from former edition • English department will show Oedipus the King • Ursinus beats West Chester in last minute of play • Bears upset LVC • U.C. volleyball clinic features Canadians • Rambo sets record as intercollegiate champ • Letterhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1098/thumbnail.jp

Solubilization and Humanization of Paraoxonase-1

Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is a serum protein, the activity of which is related to susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and intoxication by organophosphorus (OP) compounds. It may also be involved in innate immunity, and it is a possible lead molecule in the development of a catalytic bioscavenger of OP pesticides and nerve agents. Human PON1 expressed in E. coli is mostly found in the insoluble fraction, which motivated the engineering of soluble variants, such as G2E6, with more than 50 mutations from huPON1. We examined the effect on the solubility, activity, and stability of three sets of mutations designed to solubilize huPON1 with fewer overall changes: deletion of the N-terminal leader, polar mutations in the putative HDL binding site, and selection of the subset of residues that became more polar in going from huPON1 to G2E6. All three sets of mutations increase the solubility of huPON1; the HDL-binding mutant has the largest effect on solubility, but it also decreases the activity and stability the most. Based on the G2E6 polar mutations, we “humanized” an engineered variant of PON1 with high activity against cyclosarin (GF) and found that it was still very active against GF with much greater similarity to the human sequence

Weight and metabolic effects of cpap in obstructive sleep apnea patients with obesity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with obesity, insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) rapidly mitigates OSA in obese subjects but its metabolic effects are not well-characterized. We postulated that CPAP will decrease IR, ghrelin and resistin and increase adiponectin levels in this setting.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In a pre- and post-treatment, within-subject design, insulin and appetite-regulating hormones were assayed in 20 obese subjects with OSA before and after 6 months of CPAP use. Primary outcome measures included glucose, insulin, and IR levels. Other measures included ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin and resistin levels. Body weight change were recorded and used to examine the relationship between glucose regulation and appetite-regulating hormones.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>CPAP effectively improved hypoxia. However, subjects had increased insulin and IR. Fasting ghrelin decreased significantly while leptin, adiponectin and resistin remained unchanged. Forty percent of patients gained weight significantly. Changes in body weight directly correlated with changes in insulin and IR. Ghrelin changes inversely correlated with changes in IR but did not change as a function of weight.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Weight change rather than elimination of hypoxia modulated alterations in IR in obese patients with OSA during the first six months of CPAP therapy.</p