Arterial dilations in response to calcitonin gene-related peptide involve activation of K+ channels

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a 37-amino-acid peptide produced by alternative processing of messenger RNA from the calcitonin gene. CGRP is one of the most potent vasodilators known. It occurs in and is released from perivascular nerves and has been detected in the blood stream, suggesting that it is important in the control of blood flow. The mechanism by which it dilates arteries is not known. Here, we report that arterial dilations in response to CGRP are partially reversed by blockers of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel (K(ATP)), glibenclamide and barium. We also show that CGRP hyperpolarizes arterial smooth muscle and that blockers of K(ATP) channels reverse this hyperpolarization. Finally, we show that CGRP opens single K+ channels in patches on single smooth muscle cells from the same arteries. We propose that activation of K(ATP) channels underlies a substantial part of the relaxation produced by CGRP.     

Abrupt changes in flagellar rotation observed by laser dark-field microscopy

Bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium swim by rotating their flagella, each of which consists of an external helical filament and a rotary motor embedded in the cell surface. The function of the flagellar motor has been examined mainly by tethering the flagellar filament to a glass slide and observing the resultant rotation of the cell body. But under these conditions the motor operates at a very low speed (about 10 r.p.s.) owing to the unnaturally high load conditions inherent in this technique. Lowe et al. analysed the frequency of light scattered from swimming cells to estimate the average rotation speed of flagellar bundles of E. coli as about 270 r.p.s. To analyse motor function in more detail, however, measurement of high-speed rotation of a single flagellum (at low load) with a temporal resolution better than 1 ms is needed. We have now developed a new method--laser dark-field microscopy--which fulfils these requirements. We find that although the average rotation speed of S. typhimurium flagella is rather stable, there are occasional abrupt slowdowns, pauses and reversals (accomplished within 1 ms). These changes were frequently observed in mutants defective in one of the motor components (called the switch complex), suggesting that this component is important not only in switching rotational direction but also in torque generation or regulation.     

Preparation and Characterization of Carbon Coated Silicon Nanoparticle as Anode Material for Li-ion Batteries

Silicon has been regarded as one of the most promising anode materials for Li-ion batteries. Its theoretical capacity （4 000 mAh/g） is much higher than that of the commercialized graphite （372 mAh/g）. However, the cycle performance of silicon is poor due to the severe volume expansion and shrinkage during Li^＋ insertion/extraction which results in pulverization of Si particles, eventually losing its Li^＋ storage ability. To solve this problem, nanosized Si particles were utilized and achieved a partial improvement by reducing the absolute volume change. Nevertheless, a new problem was encountered with nanosized material that small Si particles were aggregated to be larger one during Li^＋ insertion/extraction, and then pulverized again. In this work, we have succeeded to improve the cycle performance of nanosized Si particles by synthesis of carbon coated silicon nanopartiele.     

A topological Dirac insulator in a quantum spin Hall phase

When electrons are subject to a large external magnetic field, the conventional charge quantum Hall effect dictates that an electronic excitation gap is generated in the sample bulk, but metallic conduction is permitted at the boundary. Recent theoretical models suggest that certain bulk insulators with large spin-orbit interactions may also naturally support conducting topological boundary states in the quantum limit, which opens up the possibility for studying unusual quantum Hall-like phenomena in zero external magnetic fields. Bulk Bi(1-x)Sb(x) single crystals are predicted to be prime candidates for one such unusual Hall phase of matter known as the topological insulator. The hallmark of a topological insulator is the existence of metallic surface states that are higher-dimensional analogues of the edge states that characterize a quantum spin Hall insulator. In addition to its interesting boundary states, the bulk of Bi(1-x)Sb(x) is predicted to exhibit three-dimensional Dirac particles, another topic of heightened current interest following the new findings in two-dimensional graphene and charge quantum Hall fractionalization observed in pure bismuth. However, despite numerous transport and magnetic measurements on the Bi(1-x)Sb(x) family since the 1960s, no direct evidence of either topological Hall states or bulk Dirac particles has been found. Here, using incident-photon-energy-modulated angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (IPEM-ARPES), we report the direct observation of massive Dirac particles in the bulk of Bi(0.9)Sb(0.1), locate the Kramers points at the sample's boundary and provide a comprehensive mapping of the Dirac insulator's gapless surface electron bands. These findings taken together suggest that the observed surface state on the boundary of the bulk insulator is a realization of the 'topological metal'. They also suggest that this material has potential application in developing next-generation quantum computing devices that may incorporate 'light-like' bulk carriers and spin-textured surface currents.     

A hidden pseudogap under the 'dome' of superconductivity in electron-doped high-temperature superconductors

The ground state of superconductors is characterized by the long-range order of condensed Cooper pairs: this is the only order present in conventional superconductors. The high-transition-temperature (high-T(c)) superconductors, in contrast, exhibit more complex phase behaviour, which might indicate the presence of other competing ground states. For example, the pseudogap--a suppression of the accessible electronic states at the Fermi level in the normal state of high-T(c) superconductors-has been interpreted as either a precursor to superconductivity or as tracer of a nearby ground state that can be separated from the superconducting state by a quantum critical point. Here we report the existence of a second order parameter hidden within the superconducting phase of the underdoped (electron-doped) high-T(c) superconductor Pr2-xCe(x)CuO4-y and the newly synthesized electron-doped material La2-xCe(x)CuO4-y (ref. 8). The existence of a pseudogap when superconductivity is suppressed excludes precursor superconductivity as its origin. Our observation is consistent with the presence of a (quantum) phase transition at T = 0, which may be a key to understanding high-T(c) superconductivity. This supports the picture that the physics of high-T(c) superconductors is determined by the interplay between competing and coexisting ground states.     

First episode psychosis with extrapyramidal signs prior to antipsychotic drug treatment

Extrapyramidal movement disorders are common in chronic schizophrenia, and may be an intrinsic feature of the illness as well as related to antipsychotic drug treatment. Similar dysfunctions at illness onset may have implications for outcome, and for under- standing the mechanisms of illness. The objectives were to examine the clinical correlates of pre-treatment movement disorders at first episode of psychosis, and determine associations with neuropsychological function and striatal structure. Never medicated subjects were recruited from consecutive admissions to Early Psychosis Programs with defined catchment areas in Hong Kong, China, and Halifax, Canada. Standardized clinical, neuropsychological and brain imaging assessments were carried out at baseline and following acute and long term treatment with typical or atypical antipsychotic drugs. At the Hong Kong site, we studied 84 subjects with first episode psychosis (n = 10 with EPS). At the Halifax site, we studied 40 subjects with first episode psychosis (n = 17 with EPS), and 23 healthy comparison subjects. Subjects with movement disorders prior to treatment (EPS+) had higher total PANSS scores at baseline (mean elevation 19.9% Hong Kong, P = 0.016; 14.7% Halifax, P = 0.049). In subjects treated with atypical antipsychotics (all Halifax), EPS+ status at baseline predicted more movement disorders at long term follow up (P = 0.0005). In both cohorts, EPS+ subjects had poorer acute symptomatic treatment response assessed with the PANSS (Hong Kong P = 0.005; Halifax P = 0.017). Neuropsychological impairment related to executive dysfunction appeared greater in a small sam- ple of EPS+ subjects (Hong Kong, effect size 0.26-0.27, P < 0.05). Caudate volumes were 4.5% larger in EPS+ compared with EPS-subjects (Halifax P = 0.042), and correlations between striatal volumes and age were different in the EPS+ group. In conclu- sion, pre-treatment EPS is present in a substantial minority of subjects with first episode psychosis, appears to persist at long term follow up, and is associated with poorer response of symptoms to treatment. Selective impairment of executive function and stria- tal enlargement provides evidence of abnormalities of brain function and structure associated with this aspect of early psychosis.     

Surface particle transport mechanism independent of myosin II in Dictyostelium.

Cellular locomotion could be driven by the rearward transport of membrane-bound particles observed on motile fibroblasts, keratinocytes and neuronal growth cones. A force propelling free surface particles backwards could move the cell forwards if the particles were anchored to a rigid substratum. During capping, myosin II ('double-headed' myosin) draws crosslinked membrane proteins to the rear of a cell. The mhcA- mutant of the amoebal stage of the slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum, in which the myosin II gene has been deleted, cannot cap surface particles but can crawl along the substratum. Thus, the mechanism driving capping is not essential for locomotion. We show here that the null mutant is capable of a different type of active rearward transport, independent of myosin II and distinct from capping. The transported particles on mhcA- cells follow parallel paths. In the wild-type Ax2 strain, myosin II causes particles to converge towards a focal point and significantly increases the velocity of transport behind the leading edge of the cell.     

Stimulation of B-cell progenitors by cloned murine interleukin-7

The events involved in the commitment and development of lymphoid lineage cells are poorly understood. We have used a recently described long-term culture system to establish a bioassay that can detect a novel growth factor capable of stimulating the proliferation of lymphoid progenitors. Using direct expression in mammalian cells we have isolated a complementary DNA clone encoding this novel haematopoietic growth factor, designated interleukin-7.     

A new T-cell receptor gene located within the alpha locus and expressed early in T-cell differentiation

A new T-cell receptor gene lies just 5' to the J alpha C alpha coding regions. Its placement in this location suggests a novel mechanism for the regulation of expression of one T-cell receptor polypeptide to another during ontogeny. Rearrangement of this locus occurs very early in thymic differentiation and its RNA expression parallels that of the gamma-chain in thymic subpopulations, making this a possible candidate for the recently described delta-chain of the T-cell receptor.     

Ice growth in supercooled solutions of antifreeze glycoprotein

Inhibition of ice growth in supercooled solution by certain proteins is vital to the survival of many living organisms. Some fish, native to both subzero northern and southern waters, have special proteins or glycoproteins in their blood serum that inhibit ice formation. Whereas these proteins have only a very small effect on the melting temperature of ice, the temperature of these fish can fall to nearly 1 K below the melting point before ice crystals grow. This phenomenon is called freezing hysteresis, in contrast to the normal colligative effect of solutes that depresses the equilibrium temperature, around which small changes lead to crystal growth or melting depending on sign. Some insects also exhibit a serum freezing hysteresis. We report the effects of different degrees of supercooling on the habit and rates of growth of ice crystals from solutions of these antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs). We find that the crystallization rate is up to five times greater than that in pure water.