Identification of a set of genes showing regionally enriched expression in the mouse brain

Background

We have recorded responses from single neurons in murine visual cortex to determine the effectiveness of the input from the two murine cone photoreceptor mechanisms and whether there is any unique selectivity for cone inputs at this higher region of the visual system that would support the possibility of colour vision in mice. Each eye was stimulated by diffuse light, either 370 (strong stimulus for the ultra-violet (UV) cone opsin) or 505 nm (exclusively stimulating the middle wavelength sensitive (M) cone opsin), obtained from light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the presence of a strong adapting light that suppressed the responses of rods.

Results

Single cells responded to these diffuse stimuli in all areas of striate cortex. Two types of responsive cells were encountered. One type (135/323 – 42%) had little to no spontaneous activity and responded at either the on and/or the off phase of the light stimulus with a few impulses often of relatively large amplitude. A second type (166/323 – 51%) had spontaneous activity and responded tonically to light stimuli with impulses often of small amplitude. Most of the cells responded similarly to both spectral stimuli. A few (18/323 – 6%) responded strongly or exclusively to one or the other spectral stimulus and rarely in a spectrally opponent manner.

Conclusion

Most cells in murine striate cortex receive excitatory inputs from both UV- and M-cones. A small fraction shows either strong selectivity for one or the other cone mechanism and occasionally cone opponent responses. Cells that could underlie chromatic contrast detection are present but extremely rare in murine striate cortex.     

Rembrandt's Old Woman Praying, 1629/30: A look below the surface using X-ray fluorescence mapping

Rembrandt's painting Old Woman Praying, 1629/30, is the most valuable and exceptional work of art of the Residenzgalerie Salzburg (RGS). It is painted on a gilded copper plate with dimensions of only approximately 15 × 12 cm. The painting probably belongs to a series of three small-scale tronies, all executed on gilded copper plates. This particular picture preparation, which represents a special feature in Rembrandt's work, is quite unusual in the history of art. Previous investigations on the comparable paintings The Laughing Man, 1629/30, in the Mauritshuis, The Hague and the Self Portrait, 1630, in the National Museum, Stockholm showed that the gilding of the copper plate was applied over a lead white ground. To characterize the painting in the RGS, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping was performed in a collaboration between the Research Office Residenzgalerie, Land Salzburg, the XGLab S.R.L, Milan, and the Conservation Science Department of the Kunsthistorische Museum Vienna (KHM). The results indicate a different structure for this painting than that used for The Laughing Man and the Self Portrait. The gilding was applied directly onto the copper plate, but with three areas with the gilding missing. It seems likely that in these sections, the gold was purposely removed to provide a different darker effect. XRF mapping yielded valuable insights into the structure of the painting and its technique as well as the principal pigments used for its composition.     

Contribution to cyclotron targetry

Experimental methods for distribution and quantification of activity in a neon target bombarded by deuteron particles are presented and evaluated. Optimum target handling for medical radionuclide applications is important for achieving high yields, high specific activity, and a low rate of radiocontaminants with a minimum of cyclotron beam time. The mechanism of activity distribution and its importance are studied in relation to other considerations necessary for optimizing gas target performance in radiopharmaceutical applications.     

Effect of substrate temperature on electrical and magnetic properties of epitaxial La1−x Pb x MnO3 films

Epitaxial La_1−x Pb _x MnO₃ (LPMO) thin films, grown on (100) SrTiO₃ substrates by laser ablation technique at different temperatures between 600 and 850°C, have been characterized for electrical and magnetic properties. The temperature dependence of resistivity showed that the metal-insulator transition temperature (T _MI) decreases with increasing substrate temperature, which has been attributed to decrease in Pb content in the filsm. The YBa₂Cu₃O _x /La_1−x MnO₃ heterostructures, exhibiting both superconductivity and ferromagnetism, have been fabricated.     

Thorium(IV) complexes of bidentate hydroxypyridinonates

The coordination chemistry of actinide(IV) ions with hydroxypyridinone ligands has been initially explored by examining the complexation of Th(IV) ion with bidentate PR-1,2-HOPO (HL(1)()), PR-Me-3,2-HOPO (HL(2)()), and PR-3,4-HOPO-N (HL(3)()) ligands. The complexes Th(L(1)())(4), Th(L(2)())(4), and Th(L(3)())(4) were prepared in methanol solution from Th(acac)(4) and the corresponding ligand. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses are reported for the free ligand PR-Me-3,2-HOPO (HL(2)()) [Ponemacr;, Z = 8, a = 8.1492(7) A, b = 11.1260(9) A, c = 23.402(2) A, alpha = 87.569(1) degrees, beta = 86.592(1) degrees, gamma = 87.480(1) degrees ], and the complex Th(L(2)())(4).H(2)O [Pna2(1) (No. 33), Z = 4, a = 17.1250(5) A, b = 12.3036(7) A, c = 23.880 (1) A]. A comparison of the structure of the metal complex Th-PR-Me-3,2-HOPO with that of free ligand PR-Me-3,2-HOPO reveals that the ligand geometry is the same in the free ligand and in the metal complex. Amide hydrogen bonds enhance the rigidity and stability of the complex and demonstrate that the Me-3,2-HOPO ligands are predisposed for metal chelation. Solution thermodynamic studies determined overall formation constants (log beta(140)) for Th(L(1)())(4), Th(L(2)())(4), and Th(L(3)())(4) of 36.0(3), 38.3(3), and 41.8(5), respectively. Species distribution calculations show that the 4:1 metal complex Th(L)(4) is the dominant species in the acidic range (pH < 6) for PR-1,2-HOPO, in weakly acidic to physiological pH range for PR-Me-3,2-HOPO and in the high-pH range (>8) for PR-3,4-HOPO-N. This finding parallels the relative acidity of these structurally related ligands. In the crystal of [Th(L(2)())(4)].H(2)O, the chiral complex forms an unusual linear coordination polymer composed of linked, alternating enantiomers.     

A Criterion for Finite Topological Determinacy of Map-Germs

Let f, g: (Rⁿ, 0) (R^p, 0) be two C map-germs. Then f and gare C⁰-equivalent if there exist homeomorphism-germs h and lof (Rⁿ, 0) and (R^p, 0) respectively such that g = l f h^–1.Let k be a positive integer. A germ f is k-C⁰-determined ifevery germ g with j^k g(0) = j^k f(0) is C⁰-equivalent to f. Moreover,we say that f is finitely topologically determined if f is k-C⁰-determinedfor some finite k. We prove a theorem giving a sufficient conditionfor a germ to be finitely topologically determined. We explainthis condition below. Let N and P be two C manifolds. Consider the jet bundle J^k(N,P) with fiber J^k(n, p). Let z in J^k(n, p) and let f be suchthat z = j^kf(0). Define Whether (f) < k depends only on z, not on f. We can thereforedefine the set Let W^k(N, P) be the subbundle of J^k(N, P) with fiber W^k(n, p).Mather has constructed a finite Whitney (b)-regular stratificationS^k(n, p) of J^k(n, p) – W^k(n, p) such that all strata aresemialgebraic and K-invariant, having the property that if S^k(N,P) denotes the corresponding stratification of J^k(N, P) –W^k(N, P) and f C(N, P) is a C map such that j^kf is multitransverseto S^k(N, P), j^kf(N) W^k(N, P) = and N is compact (or f is proper),then f is topologically stable. For a map-germ f: (Rⁿ, 0) (R^p, 0), we define a certain ojasiewiczinequality. The inequality implies that there exists a representativef: U R^p such that j^kf(U – 0) W^k (Rⁿ, R^p = and suchthat j^kf is multitransverse to S^k (Rⁿ, R^p) at any finite setof points S U – 0. Moreover, the inequality controlsthe rate j^kf becomes non-transverse as we approach 0. We showthat if f satisfies this inequality, then f is finitely topologicallydetermined. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: 58C27.