Analysis of electrocardiograms during atrial fibrillation

The research discussed in this article is motivated by the search for an optimal classification of the different types of atrial fibrillation (AF) on the basis of recorded atrial signals. This would facilitate the selection of an optimal therapy. This article focuses on the biophysical models of the genesis of ECG waveforms during AF. The model of the electric activity of the atria was found to have sufficient realism to be used to describe the electric sources during AF. The inclusion of the volume conduction model resulted in electrocardiographic signals that are in all aspects similar to those observed clinically. The model is currently applied to solve various problems related to optimal signal preprocessing and extraction of features in AF signals for the classification of AF abnormalities. The biophysical model of the atrial activity is an essential element in this research, since it is capable of describing the electric source specifications derived from different hypotheses relating to the etiology of AF     

Contribution of cadherins to directional cell migration and histogenesis in Xenopus embryos

Perturbation of adhesion mediated by cadherins was achieved by over-expressing truncated forms of E- and EP-cadherins (in which the extracellular domain was deleted) in different blastomeres of stage 6 Xenopus laevis embryos. Injections of mRNA encoding truncated E- and EP-cadherins into A1A2 blastomeres resulted in inhibition of cell adhesion and, at later stages, in morphogenetic defects in the anterior neural tissues to which they mainly contribute. In addition, truncated EP-cadherin mRNA produced a duplication of the dorso-posterior axis in a significant number of cases. The expression of truncated E- and EP-cadherins in blastomeres involved in gastrulation and neural induction (B1B2 and C1), led to the duplication of the dorso-posterior axis as well as to defects in anterior structures. Morphogenetic defects obtained with truncated EP-cadherin were more severe than those induced with truncated E-cadherin. Cells derived from blastomeres injected with truncated EP-cadherin mRNA, dispersed more readily at the blastula and gastrula stages than the cells derived from the blastomeres expressing truncated E-cadherin. Presumptive mesodermal cells expressing truncated cadherins did not engage in coherent directional migration. The alteration of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion led directly to the perturbation of the convergent-extension movements during gastrulation as shown in the animal cap assays and indirectly to perturbation of neural induction. Although the cytoplasmic domains of type I cadherins share a high degree of sequence identity, the over-expression of their cytoplasmic domains induces a distinct pattern of perturbations, strongly suggesting that in vivo, each cadherin may transduce a specific adhesive signal. These graded perturbations may in part result from the relative ability of each cadherin cytoplasmic domain to titer the beta-catenin.     

Associative retuning in the thalamic source of input to the amygdala and auditory cortex: Receptive field plasticity in the medial division of the medial geniculate body.

The medial division of the medial geniculate body (MGm) projects to the lateral amygdala and the upper layer of the auditory cortex and develops physiological plasticity rapidly during classical conditioning. The effects of learning on frequency receptive fields (RFs) in the MGm of the guinea pig have been determined. Classical conditioning (tone–footshock), as indexed by rapid development of conditioned bradycardia, produced conditioned stimulus (CS)–frequency specific RF plasticity: increased response at the CS frequency with decreased responses at other frequencies, both immediately and after a 1-hr retention period. Sensitization training produced only general changes in RFs. These findings are considered with reference to both the elicitation of amygdala-mediated, fear-conditioned responses and the mechanism of retrieval of information stored in the auditory cortex during acquisition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experimental study of the interaction range and association rate of surface-attached cadherin 11

We describe a method allowing quantitative determination of the interaction range and association rate of individual surface-attached molecules. Spherical beads (1.4 micro(m) radius) were coated with recombinant outer domains of the newly described classical type II cadherin 11, a cell adhesion molecule. Beads were driven along cadherin-coated surfaces with a hydrodynamic force of approximately 1 pN, i.e., much less than the mechanical strength of many ligand-receptor bonds. Spheres displayed periods of slow motion interspersed with arrests of various duration. Particle position was monitored with 50 Hz frequency and 0.025 micro(m) accuracy. Nearly 1 million positions were recorded and processed. Comparison between experimental and computer-simulated trajectories suggested that velocity fluctuations might be related quantitatively to Brownian motion perpendicular to the surface. The expected amplitude of this motion was of order of 100 nm. Theoretical analysis of the relationship between sphere acceleration and velocity allowed simultaneous determination of the wall shear rate and van der Waals attraction between spheres and surface. The Hamaker constant was estimated at 2.9 x 10(-23) J. The frequency of bond formation was then determined as a function of sphere velocity. Experimental data were consistent with the view that the rate of association between a pair of adhesion molecules was approximately 1.2 x 10(-3) s-1 and the interaction range was approximately 10 nm. It is concluded that the presented methodology allows sensitive measurement of sphere-to-surface interactions (with approximately 10 fN sensitivity) as well as the effective range and rate of bond formation between individual adhesion molecules.     

On the role of conserved proline residues in the structure and function of Clostridium pasteurianum 2[4Fe-4S] ferredoxin

The widespread occurrence of Pro residues adjacent to Cys ligandsin the sequences of [4Fe-4S] electron transfer proteins hasnot yet found a functional basis. The two such Pro of Clostridiumpasteurianum 2[4Fe-4S] ferredoxin have been probed by site-directedmutagenesis. Any one of them, but not both simultaneously, canbe substituted without impairing the proper folding of the protein.The reduction potentials of the ferredoxin variants fall ina narrow range of <20 mV above the potential of the nativeprotein. The biological activities with C.pasteurianum hydrogenaseand pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase do not change significantly,except when Lys replaces Pro. In these cases, the data suggestthat the two clusters of 2[4Fe-4S] ferredoxin may not alwaysbe equivalent in the interaction with the redox partners. Destabilizationof the structure has been observed as the consequence of theProl9 or Pro48 substitutions. Using 2-D NMR, this effect hasbeen associated with perturbations of both the hydrogen bondnetwork and one amino acid side chain around the [4Fe-4S] clusters.Thus, the conserved Pro found in the binding motif of [4Fe-4S]clusters in proteins strongly stabilizes the active site butdoes not play an essential role in the mechanism of electrontransfer.     

Sulfate attack of concrete building foundations induced by sewage waters

A case history of a severe degradation of concrete foundation plinths and piers of an about-35-year-old building located in Northern Italy is described. Significant amounts of gypsum, near ettringite and/or thaumasite were detected by X-ray diffraction analyses performed on ground concrete samples. Large gypsum crystals were mainly located at the interface between the cement paste and aggregates, as observed by scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy-dispersive spectroscopy microanalysis. The degradation effects increased with decreasing the distance of concrete structures from an absorbing well located in the courtyard of the building. The well was recognized as the sulfate source due to the microorganism metabolism of sulfur compounds present in the sewage. Consequences of this attack were a very poor bond strength between cement paste and aggregates and a severe cracking of the concrete cover of the steel reinforcement.     

Synthesis, structure and catalytic properties of Fe-substituted barium hexaaluminates

A sol–gel method using Ba and Al isopropylates and iron nitrate has been used to synthesise barium hexaaluminate partially substituted with iron. After calcination under oxygen at 1200°C the -alumina structure was obtained. Formation of the mixed BaFe_xAl_12-xO₁₉ phase occurred for x=1–4. XRD measurements showed a good crystallinity of the structure and expansion of unit cell parameters due to the presence of larger Fe³⁺ ions substituting Al³⁺ ones in octahedral sites only. Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed that Fe³⁺ ions are present in four different octahedral sites slightly distorted. Catalytic activity in methane combustion showed that an optimum was obtained for solid containing 2 Fe ions per unit cell: the increase of the amount of introduced iron was counterbalanced by the decrease of specific surface area. Intrinsic activities have been calculated for the four solids in both the fresh and aged states. It is observed that increasing iron content increases relative activities in the same ratio as the populations of iron located in two sites as deduced from Mössbauer spectroscopy. It is then tentatively assumed that activity is attributed to octahedrally coordinated Fe³⁺ ions in some specific sites.     

Misleading the Colorado potato beetle with an odor blend

Walking tracks of Colorado potato beetles,Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, were recorded on a locomotion-compensator in response to wind, odors of host plantsSolanum tuberosum L. and nonhost plantsLycopersicon hirsutum f.glabratum C.H. Mull, and to mixtures of these plant species. Host-plant odor induced positive anemotactic responses in starved females, whereas odor of the nonhostL. hirsutum was neither repellent nor attractive. The attractiveness of host-plant odor, however, was neutralized in the odor blend of plant species. Masking the attractive host-plant odor will hinder the beetle's searching for host-plant patches, and this principle may be exploited in pest control by mixed cropping.The locomotion-compensator was constructed with financial support from the Foundation for Fundamental Biological Research (BION), which is subsidized by the Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research (ZWO), grant 14-02-02. The first author was supported by a grant from the French Ministry of Industry and Research.     

Transmission electron microscopy study of extended defect evolution and amorphization in SiC under Si ion irradiation

The damage induced in 3C-SiC epilayers on a silicon wafer by 2.3-MeV Si ion irradiation for fluences of 10¹⁴, 10¹⁵, and 10¹⁶ cm⁻², was studied by conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM/HRTEM). The evolution of extended defects and lattice disorder is followed in both the 3C-SiC film and Si substrate as a function of ion fluence, with reference to previous FTIR spectroscopy data. The likelihood of athermal unfaulting of native stacking faults by point defect migration to the native stacking faults is discussed in relation to damage recovery. Threshold energy densities and irradiation doses for dislocation loop formation and amorphous phase transformation are deduced from the damage depth profile by nuclear collisions. The role of electronic excitations on the damage recovery at high fluence is also addressed for both SiC and Si.