Two stellar components in the halo of the Milky Way

The halo of the Milky Way provides unique elemental abundance and kinematic information on the first objects to form in the Universe, and this information can be used to tightly constrain models of galaxy formation and evolution. Although the halo was once considered a single component, evidence for its dichotomy has slowly emerged in recent years from inspection of small samples of halo objects. Here we show that the halo is indeed clearly divisible into two broadly overlapping structural components--an inner and an outer halo--that exhibit different spatial density profiles, stellar orbits and stellar metallicities (abundances of elements heavier than helium). The inner halo has a modest net prograde rotation, whereas the outer halo exhibits a net retrograde rotation and a peak metallicity one-third that of the inner halo. These properties indicate that the individual halo components probably formed in fundamentally different ways, through successive dissipational (inner) and dissipationless (outer) mergers and tidal disruption of proto-Galactic clumps.     

Superconductors: unusual oxygen isotope effects in cuprates?

The possibility that a pairing boson might act as the 'glue' to bind electrons into a Cooper pair in superconductors with a high critical temperature (T(c)) is being actively pursued in condensed-matter physics. Gweon et al. claim that there is a large and unusual oxygen-isotope effect on the electronic structure, indicating that phonons have a special importance in high-temperature superconductors. However, we are unable to detect this unusual oxygen-isotope effect in new data collected under almost identical material and experimental conditions. Our findings point towards a more conventional influence of phonons in these materials.     

Essential role for phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in yeast cell proliferation

The responses of mammalian cells to external signals are commonly mediated by intracellular secondary messengers, among which are the breakdown products of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2): 1,2-diacylglycerol (DG) and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) (refs 1-7). Although phosphoinositide turnover in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been shown to be regulated by glucose and sterol, as yet no definitive function has been ascribed to yeast phosphoinositides. We have recently developed a monoclonal antibody specific for PIP2 and reported that it inhibits mitogenesis of mammalian cells stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor and bombesin. We now report that when introduced into yeast cells by electroporation this antibody inhibits their growth. Furthermore, several yeast mutants with temperature-dependent growth defects are altered in their sensitivity to our antibody and are found to have specific alterations in their phosphoinositide metabolism.     

Novel and sensitive noncompetitive enzyme immunoassay for kassinin in rat plasma

A novel and sensitive noncompetitive enzyme immunoassay for kassinin is described. Kassinin was biotinylated using sulfosuccinimidyl-6-(biotinamido)hexanoate. The biotinylated kassinin was trapped on anti-kassinin IgG-coated polystyrene balls and, after washing to eliminate other biotinylated substances, was eluted with HCl. The biotinylated kassinin eluted was reacted with anti-kassinin Fab'-peroxidase conjugate and trapped onto streptavidin-coated polystyrene balls. Peroxidase activity bound to the polystyrene balls was assayed by fluorimetry. The detection limit of kassinin was 0.13 pg (0.1 fmol)/tube or 0.065 microgram/l of rat plasma, which was 750-fold or 15-fold lower than that for competitive radioimmunoassay.     

Protection by chlorpromazine against lethality and renal toxicity of cisplatin in mice.

The effect of chlorpromazine on acute lethal toxicity and nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin was studied in mice. Chlorpromazine given (i.p.) 1 h before cisplatin greatly reduced lethal and renal toxicities of cisplatin. Chlorpromazine did not reduce the antitumor activity of cisplatin against Sarcoma 180 in ddY mice or EL-4 Leukemia in C57BL/6J mice.     

Protection by chlorpromazine against lethality and renal toxicity of cisplatin in mice

The effect of chlorpromazine on acute lethal toxicity and nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin was studied in mice. Chlorpromazine given (i.p.) 1 h before cisplatin greatly reduced lethal and renal toxicities of cisplatin. Chlorpromazine did not reduce the antitumor activity of cisplatin against Sarcoma 180 in ddY mice or EL-4 Leukemia in C57BL/6J mice.     

Water movement between myocardial tissue and capillary blood during and after coronary reactive hyperemia as studied by continuous measurement of colloid osmotic pressure of cardiac venous blood

Summary Colloid osmotic pressure (COP) of blood from the great cardiac vein was continuously measured by the use of a membrane colloid osmometer during reactive hyperemia resulting from temporary occlusion of the anterior descending branch of left coronary artery. The COP increased sharply but transiently after the release, then it decreased below the initial level and gradually recovered. It was concluded that a measurable amount of water moved from the capillary blood into the myocardial tissue and then flowed back slowly into the capillary blood.     

Composition and conservation of the telomeric complex

The telomere is composed of telomeric DNA and telomere-associated proteins. Recently, many telomere-associated proteins have been identified, and various telomere functions have been uncovered. In budding yeast, scRap1 binds directly to telomeric DNA, and other telomere regulators (Sir proteins and Rif proteins) are recruited to the telomeres by interacting with scRap1. Cdc13 binds to the most distal end of the chromosome and recruits telomerase to the telomeres. In fission yeast and humans, TTAGGG repeat binding factor (TRF) family proteins bind directly to telomeric DNA, and Rap1 proteins and other telomere regulators are recruited to the telomeres by interacting with the TRF family proteins. Both organisms have Pot1 proteins at the most distal end of the telomere instead of a budding-yeast Cdc13-like protein. Therefore, fission yeast and humans have in part common telomeric compositions that differ from that of budding yeast, a result that suggests budding yeast has lost some telomere components during the course of evolution.