Anatomical-Molecular Distribution of EphrinA1 in Infarcted Mouse Heart Using MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging

EphrinA1 is a tyrosine kinase receptor localized in the cellular membrane of healthy cardiomyocytes, the expression of which is lost upon myocardial infarction (MI). Intra-cardiac injection of the recombinant form of ephrinA1 (ephrinA1-Fc) at the time of ligation in mice has shown beneficial effects by reducing infarct size and myocardial necrosis post-MI. To date, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting comprise the only experimental approaches utilized to localize and quantify relative changes of ephrinA1 in sections and homogenates of whole left ventricle, respectively. Herein, we used matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) coupled with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI/TOF MS) to identify intact as well as tryptic fragments of ephrinA1 in healthy controls and acutely infarcted murine hearts. The purpose of the present study was 3-fold: (1) to spatially resolve the molecular distribution of endogenous ephrinA1, (2) to determine the anatomical expression profile of endogenous ephrinA1 after acute MI, and (3) to identify molecular targets of ephrinA1-Fc action post-MI. The tryptic fragments detected were identified as the ephrinA1-isoform with 38% and 34% sequence coverage and Mascot scores of 25 for the control and MI hearts, respectively. By using MALDI-MSI, we have been able to simultaneously measure the distribution and spatial localization of ephrinA1, as well as additional cardiac proteins, thus offering valuable information for the elucidation of molecular partners, mediators, and targets of ephrinA1 action in cardiac muscle.

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Poly-symmetry in processor-sharing systems

We consider a system of processor-sharing queues with state-dependent service rates. These are allocated according to balanced fairness within a polymatroid capacity set. Balanced fairness is known to be both insensitive and Pareto-efficient in such systems, which ensures that the performance metrics, when computable, will provide robust insights into the real performance of the system considered. We first show that these performance metrics can be evaluated with a complexity that is polynomial in the system size if the system is partitioned into a finite number of parts, so that queues are exchangeable within each part and asymmetric across different parts. This in turn allows us to derive stochastic bounds for a larger class of systems which satisfy less restrictive symmetry assumptions. These results are applied to practical examples of tree data networks, such as backhaul networks of Internet service providers, and computer clusters.     

SIMS investigations of wall coatings for application in nuclear fusion reactors

Summary Carbon coated metals have proven to be useful materials for limiters and the first wall in fusion reactors. In this paper SIMS investigations of a-C: B single coated and a-CD/a-CB double coated stainless steel samples, which have been exposed to TOKAMAK discharges in deuterium and helium, are described.

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SIMS-Untersuchungen an Wandüberzügen zur Anwendung in Kernfusions-Reaktoren

     

Electron spin density distribution in the polymer phase of CsC60: assignment of the NMR spectrum

We present high resolution 133Cs-13C double resonance NMR data and 13C-13C NMR correlation spectra of 13C enriched samples of the polymeric phase of CsC60. These data lead to a partial assignment of the lines in the 13C NMR spectrum of CsC60 to the carbon positions on the C60 molecule. A plausible completion of the assignment can be made on the basis of an ab initio calculation. The data support the view that the conduction electron density is concentrated at the C60 "equator," away from the interfullerene bonds.     

Synthesis and characterization of new triazenide salts

Stable triethylammonium triazenide salts were obtained on treatment of the appropriate triazenes with triethylamine. Those salts are described and fully characterized for the first time and are used for the preparation of alkoxycarbonylvinyltriethylammonium triazenides, which are prone to transesterification.     

High performance analytical characterization of refractory metals

It is first shown what effects trace impurities generally exert on metal properties and why trace analysis is essential to modern applications of refractory metals in today's high technology. The effect of trace impurities in metals on complex systems like microelectronic components is also discussed.It is then shown, what principal analytical requirements are mandatory for trace characterization of refractory metals at levels of rising purity (4 N to 6 N). A survey of analytical methods for trace and ultratrace characterization of refractory metals is given including the following methods: flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, ICP and DCP-atomic emission spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, activation analysis, mass spectrometric methods, especially SIMS and GDMS.     

Random Walks On Finite Convex Sets Of Lattice Points

This paper examines the convergence of nearest-neighbor random walks on convex subsets of the lattices^d. The main result shows that for fixedd, O(²) steps are sufficient for a walk to get random, where is the diameter of the set. Toward this end a new definition of convexity is introduced for subsets of lattices, which has many important properties of the concept of convexity in Euclidean spaces.     

Study of atrial arrhythmias in a computer model based on magnetic resonance images of human atria

The maintenance of multiple wavelets appears to be a consistent feature of atrial fibrillation (AF). In this paper, we investigate possible mechanisms of initiation and perpetuation of multiple wavelets in a computer model of AF. We developed a simplified model of human atria that uses an ionic-based membrane model and whose geometry is derived from a segmented magnetic resonance imaging data set. The three-dimensional surface has a realistic size and includes obstacles corresponding to the location of major vessels and valves, but it does not take into account anisotropy. The main advantage of this approach is its ability to simulate long duration arrhythmias (up to 40 s). Clinically relevant initiation protocols, such as single-site burst pacing, were used. The dynamics of simulated AF were investigated in models with different action potential durations and restitution properties, controlled by the conductance of the slow inward current in a modified Luo-Rudy model. The simulation studies show that (1) single-site burst pacing protocol can be used to induce wave breaks even in tissue with uniform membrane properties, (2) the restitution-based wave breaks in an atrial model with realistic size and conduction velocities are transient, and (3) a significant reduction in action potential duration (even with apparently flat restitution) increases the duration of AF. (c) 2002 American Institute of Physics.