Molecular mechanisms in the control of limb regeneration: the role of homeobox genes

The Ca2+ sensitivity of cardiac myofibrillar force production can be decreased by acidosis or inorganic phosphate (P(i)) and increased by caffeine. To investigate whether the source of tissue influences the potency of these agents, we compared the actions of acidosis (change of pH from 7.0 to 6.2), P(i) and caffeine (both 20 mM) on force production of skinned cardiac muscles from adult ventricle, adult atrium and neonate ventricle of the rat. Maximum Ca(2+)-activated force was reduced by all three interventions and the responses of the different muscle types to a given intervention were similar. Acidosis reduced myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity by 1.09 and 1.04 pCa units in adult ventricle and atrium, respectively, and P(i) reduced it by 0.19 and 0.22 pCa units. However, each effect was only one-third as great in the neonate ventricle, which showed falls of 0.33 pCa units for acidosis and 0.06 for P(i). In contrast, caffeine raised the Ca2+ sensitivity by the same amount (approximately 0.4 pCa units) in all three muscle types. The differential effect between adult and neonate seen with both acidosis and P(i) suggests some similarity in the mechanisms by which these factors decrease Ca2+ sensitivity. In contrast, the equal effects of caffeine on neonate and adult suggests that caffeine acts by a completely different mechanism. The lower pH- and P(i)-sensitivity of the neonatal ventricle can help to explain why neonatal and adult myocardium exhibit differential force responses to ischaemia (or hypoxia alone).     

Moral Judgment and Crime Drama: An Integrated Theory of Enjoyment

The article proposes a theoretical framework in which moral reasoning about mediated crime and punishment is defined and combined with existing, affect-driven entertainment theory to yield an integrated theory of enjoyment. The authors analyze how crime dramas serve as statements about justice and then address how moral deliberation about the propriety of those statements impacts enjoyment. The authors report research findings to support the analysis of cognitive processing during crime dramas distinct from affective processing. The article also suggests future means by which the integrated theory of enjoyment can be examined.     

Abrasive wear of dental composite resins

Abrasive wear is a major problem in the application of dental composite resins. In this study the friction and wear behaviours of two types of dental composites: one containing relatively coarse filler particles and some microfillers (Estilux) and another containing only microfiller particles (Durafill), have been investigated by using a scratch testing machine. Experimental results show that the coefficients of friction in both composites are essentially constant for applied loads up to 20 N. The wear resistance of Durafill is better than Estilux. Under the same testing conditions, the size, shape and distribution of the filler particles are more important variables than applied load and sliding speed in controlling the wear mechanism. It is shown that for Estilux, plastic ploughing by the diamond indenter is the predominant mechanism. For Durafill, however, the formation and propagation of tensile cracks on the worn surface is the main wear mechanism. The effects of two different indenters, diamond and enamel, on the basic wear mechanisms are also discussed.     

Ground-based remote profiling in atmospheric studies: an overview

Over the last 25 years, ground-based remote profiling has found increasing applications in atmospheric studies where its high vertical and temporal resolution and extended vertical coverage are giving scientists a clearer understanding of atmospheric processes in the troposphere. The authors describe the current status of techniques for vertical profiling of mean wind speeds, temperature, and humidity, and discuss options for combining them     

The evaluation in the Ames test of the mutagenicity of tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acids from smoked foods.

This paper reports the evaluation of five tetrahydro-beta-carboline carboxylic acids, formed from the interaction of woodsmoke carbonyls and tryptophan, for mutagenicity in the Ames test. Three of the compounds tested have been detected recently in smoked foods at levels in the micrograms/kg or mg/kg range. None of the compounds induced mutagenicity in TA 97, TA 98 or TA 100 strains of Salmonella typhimurium either with or without prior activation. However, tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid, and to a lesser extent 1-methyl-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid were toxic to the strains of Salmonella typhimurium used. The inability of these beta-carbolines to induce mutation contrasts markedly with the mutagenicity of some beta-carbolines found in grilled meat products.     

Two-step parameter extraction procedure with formal optimization for physics-based circuit simulator IGBT and p-i-n diode models

A practical and accurate parameter extraction method is presented for the Fourier-based-solution physics-based insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and power diode models. The goal is to obtain a model accurate enough to allow switching loss prediction under a variety of operating conditions. In the first step of the extraction procedure, only one simple clamped inductive load test is needed for the extraction of the six parameters required for the diode model and of the 12 and 15 parameters required for the nonpunch-through (NPT) and punch-through (PT) IGBT models, respectively. The second part of the extraction procedure is an automated formal optimization step that refines the parameter estimation. Validation with experimental results from various structures of IGBT demonstrates the accuracy of the proposed IGBT and diode models and the robustness of the parameter extraction method.     

Neurotoxic effects of sodium nitroprusside in rat hippocampal slices

The effect of a permanent transection on myelin gene expression in a regenerating sciatic nerve and in an adult sciatic nerve was compared to establish the degree of axonal control exerted upon Schwann cells in each population. First, the adult sciatic nerve was crushed, and the distal segment allowed to regenerate. At 12 days post-crush, the sciatic nerve was transected distal to the site of crush to disrupt the Schwann cell-axonal contacts that had reformed. Messenger RNA (mRNA) levels coding for five myelin proteins were assayed in the distal segment of the crush-transected nerve after 9 days and were compared to corresponding levels in the distal segments of sciatic nerves at 21 days post-crush and 21 days post-transection using Northern blot and slot-blot analysis. Levels of mRNAs found in the distal segment of the transected and crush-transected nerve suggested that Schwann cells in the regenerating nerve and in the mature adult nerve are equally responsive to axonal influences. The crush-transected model allowed the genes that were studied to be classified according to their response to Schwann cell-axonal contact. The levels of mRNAs were 1) down-regulated to basal levels (P0 and MBP mRNAs), 2) down-regulated to undetectable levels (myelin-associated glycoprotein mRNAs), 3) upregulated (mRNAs encoding 2'3'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and beta-actin), or 4) not stringently controlled by the removal of Schwann cell-axonal contact (proteolipid protein mRNAs). This novel experimental model has thus provided evidence that the expression of some of the important myelin genes during peripheral nerve regeneration is dependent on continuous signals from the ingrowing axons.