A Neural Model of Auditory Space Compatible with Human Perception under Simulated Echoic Conditions

In a typical auditory scene, sounds from different sources and reflective surfaces summate in the ears, causing spatial cues to fluctuate. Prevailing hypotheses of how spatial locations may be encoded and represented across auditory neurons generally disregard these fluctuations and must therefore invoke additional mechanisms for detecting and representing them. Here, we consider a different hypothesis in which spatial perception corresponds to an intermediate or sub-maximal firing probability across spatially selective neurons within each hemisphere. The precedence or Haas effect presents an ideal opportunity for examining this hypothesis, since the temporal superposition of an acoustical reflection with sounds arriving directly from a source can cause otherwise stable cues to fluctuate. Our findings suggest that subjects’ experiences may simply reflect the spatial cues that momentarily arise under various acoustical conditions and how these cues are represented. We further suggest that auditory objects may acquire “edges” under conditions when interaural time differences are broadly distributed.     

Protection of bioreactor from microbial contamination by high dissolved oxygen tension

Summary Repeated batch hydrolysis of casein using immobilized protease were carried out at various do tensions and pH. At any of the pH tested, microbial contamination could be satisfactorily suppressed by maintaining high do. In continuous reaction, contamination could be suppressed throughout 40 days under the do of 190 ppm, whereas contamination was observed after 24 hours with the do of 2.5 ppm.     

Mouthparts in Leptotrombidium larvae (Acariformes: Trombiculidae)

Mouthparts of Leptotrombidium larvae (Acariformes: Trombiculidae), potential vectors of tsutsugamushi disease agents, were studied in detail using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The mouthparts incorporated within the pseudotagma gnathosoma are composed of the infracapitulum ventrally and the chelicerae dorsally. The ventral wall of the infracapitulum is formed by a wide mentum posteriorly and a narrowed malapophysis anteriorly. The malapophysis firmly envelops the distal cheliceral portions by its lateral walls. The lateral lips of the malapophysis are flexible structures hiding the cheliceral blades in inactive condition and turning back forming a type of temporary sucker closely applied to the host skin during feeding. The roof of the infracapitulum is formed by a weakly sclerotized labrum anteriorly and a cervix with the capitular apodemes extending posteriorly. The labral muscles are lacking. The capitular apodemes serve as origin for pharyngeal dilators running to the dorsal wall of the pharynx fused with the bottom of the infracapitulum. The basal cheliceral segments are separated from each other besides the very posterior portions where they are movably joined by the inner walls. The sigmoid pieces serve for insertion of the cheliceral elevators originating at the posterior portions of the basal segments. The movable digits reveal the solid basal sclerite and the cheliceral blade curved upward with a tricuspid cap on its tip. Dendrites of nerve cells run along the digits to their tips. The ganglia are placed within the basal segments just behind the movable digits. The chelicerae also reveal well developed flexible fixed digits overhanging the basal portions of the blades. The gnathosoma possesses several sets of extrinsic muscles originating at the scutum and at the soft cuticle behind it. Laterally, the gnathosoma bears five‐segmented palps with a trifurcate palpal claw. J. Morphol. 277:424–444, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Chromosomal localization of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in the rhesus monkey and chimpanzee by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Genes for the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) were localized by fluorescence in situ hybridization to the long arm of rhesus monkey chromosome 5. This localization contradicts previous reports, based on genetic investigation of somatic cell hybrids, that placed the MHC on chromosome 2 of this species. In the chimpanzee, the MHC loci were localized to 5p21.3, corresponding precisely to their location on human chromosome 6p21.3.     

MicroRNA-351 Regulates Two-Types of Cell Death,Necrosis and Apoptosis,Induced by 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine

Cell-death can be necrosis and apoptosis. We are investigating the mechanisms regulating the cell death that occurs on treatment of mouse cancer cell-line FM3A with antitumor 5-fluoro-2''-deoxyuridine (FUdR): necrosis occurs for the original clone F28-7, and apoptosis for its variant F28-7-A. Here we report that a microRNA (miR-351) regulates the cell death pattern. The miR-351 is expressed strongly in F28-7-A but only weakly in F28-7. Induction of a higher expression of miR-351 in F28-7 by transfecting an miRNA mimic into F28-7 resulted in a change of the death mode; necrosis to apoptosis. Furthermore, transfection of an miR-351 inhibitor into F28-7-A resulted in the morphology change, apoptosis to necrosis, in this death-by-FUdR. Possible mechanism involving lamin B1 in this miR-351’s regulatory action is discussed.     

Cryopreservation of spermatozoa of a transgenic mouse]

Spermatozoa of a homozygous transgenic mouse, in which the firefly luciferase gene was expressed under the control of beta-actin promoter, were frozen at -196 degrees C. One fourth of the frozen sperm was later thawed and used for in vitro fertilization. Thirty-six of 65 oocytes (55.4%) developed to the 2-cell stage. All the 2-cell embryos were transferred to the oviducts of pseudopregnant recipients and 23 young (63.9%, 23/36) were born. All of young analyzed carried the transgene and showed the luciferase gene expression.     

Fragile X expression in thymidine-prototrophic and auxotrophic human-mouse somatic cell hybrids under low and high thymidylate stress conditions

Expression of the fragile X site fra(X)(q27.3) was studied in thymidine-prototrophic and auxotrophic human-mouse somatic cell hybrids. In these cells, low thymidylate stress, achieved by 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdU) treatment and by limiting the exogenous supply of thymidine (dT), induced fragile X expression. High thymidylate stress, produced by supplying excess amounts of dT, was also effective in inducing fragile X expression, even in a hybrid clone that retained a fragile X chromosome as the only human chromosome; addition of deoxycytidine (dC) completely abolished this effect. In contrast, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) did not induce fragile X expression. Cell-cycle analysis of BrdU-deprived thymidine-auxotrophic hybrid cells indicated that one round of DNA replication under thymidylate stress conditions is sufficient for fragile X expression. Our results suggest that the expression is an intrinsic property of the fragile site itself, which is believed to be composed of replicon clusters with pyrimidine-rich DNA sequence(s).