Essential requirement of cytosolic phospholipase A2 for activation of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase

Arachidonic acid (AA) can trigger activation of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase in a cell-free assay. However, a role for AA in activation of the oxidase in intact cells has not been established, nor has the AA generating enzyme critical to this process been identified. The human myeloid cell line PLB-985 was transfected to express p85 cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) antisense mRNA and stable clones were selected that lack detectable cPLA2. cPLA2-deficient PLB-985 cells differentiate similarly to control PLB-985 cells in response to retinoic acid or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, indicating that cPLA2 is not involved in the differentiation process. Neither cPLA2 nor stimulated [3H]AA release were detectable in differentiated cPLA2-deficient PLB-985 cells, demonstrating that cPLA2 is the major type of PLA2 activated in phagocytic-like cells. Despite the normal synthesis of NADPH oxidase subunits during differentiation of cPLA2-deficient PLB-985 cells, these cells fail to activate NADPH oxidase in response to a variety of soluble and particulate stimuli, but the addition of exogenous AA fully restores oxidase activity. This establishes an essential requirement of cPLA2-generated AA for activation of phagocyte NADPH oxidase.     

Emotionally charged earcons reveal affective congruency effects

In the present study, the affective impact of earcons on stimulus classification is investigated. We show, using a picture-categorization task, that the affective connotation of earcons in major and minor mode (representing positive and negative valence, respectively) can be congruent or incongruent with response valence. Twenty participants classified pictures of animals and instruments in 256 trials, using positive and negative Yes or No responses. Together with the pictures, either a chord in major mode or minor mode was played. The affective valence of the chords either did or did not match the valence of responses. Response-time latencies show congruency effects of the matching and non matching sound and response valences, indicating that it is important to carefully investigate human-computer interfaces for potential affective congruency effects, as these can either facilitate or inhibit user performance.     

A molecular basis for the different local anesthetic affinities of resting versus open and inactivated states of the sodium channel

Among patients with severe mental illness attending a large, urban, outpatient mental health clinic, fathers are described and compared with nonfathers and with mothers on demographic, clinical, and child-related characteristics, and on resources and service needs. While fathers and nonfathers with mental illness differed significantly on most variables, fathers and mothers with mental illness were remarkably similar except on child-related characteristics. Issues regarding fathers' experiences and service needs are discussed.     

ASSESSMENT OF COHESION IN GRUYERE-TYPE CHEESE BY RHEOLOGICAL METHODS

The quantitative assessment of cohesion in unripened hard cheese was studied using static methods (uniaxial compression and tension, 3-point bending, and cutting) and transient methods (stress relaxation and creep). The two levels of cheese cohesion (denoted as weak and strong, according to the judgement of the cheesemaker) were obtained by two different manufacturing procedures. Statistical analysis showed that all static methods can be used to discriminate various levels of cohesion. Uniaxial tension proved to be the most powerful test to assess quantitatively the cohesive properties of hard cheese since the values of all parameters (fracture stress, fracture strain, work to fracture, modulus of deformability, and apparent flow modulus) depend significantly (α < 0.01) on the level of cohesion. Stress relaxation and creep tests were not as powerful as the rapid static methods in distinguishing the two levels of cheese cohesion.