Assessment of the potential germ cell mutagenicity of industrial and plant protection chemicals as part of an integrated study of genotoxicity in vitro and in vivo

An approach is described that enables the germ cell mutagenicity of chemicals to be assessed as part of an integrated assessment of genotoxic potential. It is recommended, first, that the genotoxicity of a chemical be defined by appropriate studies in vitro. This should involve use of the Salmonella mutation assay and an assay for the induction of chromosomal aberrations, but supplementary assays may be indicated in specific instances. If negative results are obtained from these 2 tests there is no need for the conduct of additional tests. Agents considered to be genotoxic in vitro should then be assessed for genotoxicity to rodents. This will usually involve the conduct of a bone marrow cytogenetic assay, and in the case of negative results, a genotoxicity test in an independent tissue. Agents found to be non-genotoxic in vivo are regarded as having no potential for germ cell mutagenicity. Agents found to be genotoxic in vivo may either be assumed to have potential as germ cell mutagens, or their status in this respect may be defined by appropriate germ cell mutagenicity studies. The basis of the approach, which is supported by the available experimental data, is that germ cell mutagens will be evident as somatic cell genotoxins in vivo, and that these will be detected as genotoxins in vitro given appropriate experimentation. The conduct of appropriate and adequate studies is suggested to be of more value than the conduct of a rigid set of prescribed tests.     

How to measure Ca2+ in cellular organelles?

The review will aim to briefly summarise information on calcium measurements in cellular organelles with emphases on studies conducted in live cells using optical probes. When appropriate we will try to compare the effectiveness of different indicators for intraorganellar calcium measurements. We will consider calcium measurements in endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, endosomes/lysosomes, nucleoplasm, nuclear envelope, mitochondria and secretory granules.     

氦氖激光对玉米幼苗的生理效应

用适宜剂量的Ｈｅ—Ｎｅ激光辐照萌动的玉米种子,可提高其发芽率,增加根系活力。幼苗中可溶性蛋白的含量增加,超氧物歧化酶（ＳＯＤ）过氧化氢酶（ＣＡＴ）活性提高,电解质渗漏率降低。同时发现上述变化与辐照时间有关．     

WILL BIOMEDICAL ENHANCEMENTS UNDERMINE SOLIDARITY,RESPONSIBILITY, EQUALITY AND AUTONOMY?

Prominent thinkers such as Jurgen Habermas and Michael Sandel are warning that biomedical enhancements will undermine fundamental political values. Yet whether biomedical enhancements will undermine such values depends on how biomedical enhancements will function, how they will be administered and to whom. Since only few enhancements are obtainable, it is difficult to tell whether these predictions are sound. Nevertheless, such warnings are extremely valuable. As a society we must, at the very least, be aware of developments that could have harmful consequences. Indeed, if important values were to be jeopardized, we should take appropriate measures to protect them. This paper focuses on four central values: solidarity, personal responsibility, equality and autonomy. It delineates the conditions under which biomedical enhancements would undermine these values. It also details the circumstances under which these values would be unaffected by enhancements as well as those under which they would be promoted. Specifying these conditions is valuable; it would enable society to prepare appropriate ethical guidelines and policy responses in advance.     

Ensuring the appropriate use of genetic tests

Ensuring the correct use of genetic tests is an important challenge for health-policy makers. Many new genetic tests will identify susceptibility to common diseases or adverse drug responses. Some will lead to new prevention opportunities, but others will have minimal clinical value. Statutory regulation alone cannot guarantee appropriate use. Other strategies, including resource allocation and matters related to clinical governance - such as practice-guideline development and health-provider education - are also important.     

Recommendation of short tandem repeat profiling for authenticating human cell lines, stem cells, and tissues

Cell misidentification and cross-contamination have plagued biomedical research for as long as cells have been employed as research tools. Examples of misidentified cell lines continue to surface to this day. Efforts to eradicate the problem by raising awareness of the issue and by asking scientists voluntarily to take appropriate actions have not been successful. Unambiguous cell authentication is an essential step in the scientific process and should be an inherent consideration during peer review of papers submitted for publication or during review of grants submitted for funding. In order to facilitate proper identity testing, accurate, reliable, inexpensive, and standardized methods for authentication of cells and cell lines must be made available. To this end, an international team of scientists is, at this time, preparing a consensus standard on the authentication of human cells using short tandem repeat (STR) profiling. This standard, which will be submitted for review and approval as an American National Standard by the American National Standards Institute, will provide investigators guidance on the use of STR profiling for authenticating human cell lines. Such guidance will include methodological detail on the preparation of the DNA sample, the appropriate numbers and types of loci to be evaluated, and the interpretation and quality control of the results. Associated with the standard itself will be the establishment and maintenance of a public STR profile database under the auspices of the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The consensus standard is anticipated to be adopted by granting agencies and scientific journals as appropriate methodology for authenticating human cell lines, stem cells, and tissues.     

Mechanism of Speech Production Based on the Study of Aphasia

If we are to develop a scientifically based methodology for teaching foreign languages, we need not only to understand the laws governing acquisition of speech skills and abilities, but also to have a clear idea of the speech production mechanism in both foreign and native languages. The more precise our understanding of these issues, the greater will be our ability to develop an appropriate methodology, and the more effective the instruction process will eventually be.     

Gene expression and the development of live enteric vaccines.

Rationally attenuated live Salmonella vaccines provide good protection against homologous challenge and can act as carriers of heterologous antigens. However, the optimum expression system for each heterologous antigen will need to be established individually. This will ensure that the antigen in question is produced at appropriate levels, in the correctly folded conformation, within or at the surface of the carrier cell, and can therefore elicit the optimal immune response.     

Chemical and physical properties of radionuclides

There are many radionuclides with a wide range of energies and half-lives available for use as non-sealed radiotherapeutic agents. To date, no single radionuclide has emerged as being clearly superior to all others, in the way that ^99mTc predominates in diagnostic imaging. It is unlikely that one will emerge. Instead, if a particular application demands certain decay properties, the radionuclide which will be used will be the one for which appropriate chemistry can be developed and which can be produced and distributed most economically.     

镉与磷、锌、铁、钙等元素的交互作用及其生态学效应

镉是动物和植物的非必需元素 ,也是毒性最大的重金属之一。环境镉污染对植物、动物和人体均产生毒害作用。镉与许多生命必需营养元素存在着交互影响关系 ,相互影响着对方的功能发挥。镉污染胁迫可影响动植物和人体对营养元素的吸收 ,相反补充营养元素可减轻镉的毒害。但是 ,由于每个元素的性质和功能不一样 ,因此不同元素与镉的交互作用存在着差异性。镉与营养元素的交互作用研究可为生物镉污染防治提供科学依据。     

Mating structure and the cost of deleterious mutation: I. Postponing inbreeding

Mating structure governs the distribution of alleles in populations and thus the extent to which the phenotypes associated with the alleles are manifested. A mating system which initially achieves more genetic identity within individuals than between individuals enhances the probability that a finite population without reproductive excess will become extinct from a recessive lethal or semidominant lethal mutation; however, such a mating system decreases the number of deaths that will ensue if the population size is maintained by replacement of inviable progeny with individuals engendered from the entire mating pool. This is illustrated with Markov chain models for half-sib and double-first-cousin mating in populations of four individuals and by various techniques for analogous large populations. An appropriate choice of mating strategy can mitigate the effect of deleterious mutations, but the determination of which strategy is appropriate depends on how much reproductive excess is available and on the relative costs assigned to individual deaths and the extinction of a population.     

Production of viral vectors for gene therapy applications

Advances in cell culture engineering, cell metabolism, bioreactor design and operation, and downstream processing will all positively impact the bioprocessing of viral vectors. Design of appropriate vectors and tailoring of packaging cells to support more productive infections will be of paramount importance for production of high-titer and high-quality vectors. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of the infection parameters during virus propagation, such as time of infection, multiplicity of infection, the length of replication cycle, virus half-life, and burst size, will also be important to the process optimization. Finally, procedures for separation, purification and formulation of vector preparations have to be further developed.     

From one well to 9000: using high-density streptavidin-coated membranes for kinase detection

The study of kinases and their role in cellular regulation continues to expand as the human genome is sequenced and new kinases are identified as expression products of newly discovered genes. Reagents and assay systems that allow for sensitive, accurate, and high-throughput analysis of both purified kinases as well as crude extracts will enhance the characterization of these important cellular components and will speed the identification of appropriate therapeutic targets and the development of new and more effective treatments.     

Orbital tumors in children

Unilateral proptosis in a young child can often be the presenting sign of an orbital mass. Appropriate management of these lesions requires a thorough knowledge of the types of orbital tumors which may present in the pediatric age group, as well as knowing the most appropriate work-up necessary to obtain an accurate diagnosis. This paper will describe a case of a 13-year-old African-American female who presented with uniocular proptosis, blackouts of her vision, dull aching pains in certain positions of gaze, resistance to retropulsion, and mild disc edema. An orbital mass was confirmed following a work-up which included an ultrasound of the orbit and a CT scan. The differential diagnoses included an orbital hemangioma or schwannoma. A diagnosis of a schwannoma involving the orbit was made following surgical removal of the lesion. A review of common orbital tumors seen in children will be presented in addition to the appropriate work-up and management of these lesions.     

A method to predict the probabilities to homozygous recessives and of heterozygotes.

Where the occurrence of homozygous recessives and heterozygotes is known in the pedigrees of prospective sires and dams, a method and appropriate tables are given to predict the minimum probability 1) that progeny will be homozygous recessive, or 2) that progeny of dominant phenotype are heterozygous.     

Biological matrices and bionanotechnology

A crucial step towards the goal of tissue engineering a heart valve will be the choice of scaffold onto which an appropriate cell phenotype can be seeded. Successful scaffold materials should be amenable to modification, have a controlled degradation, be compatible with the cells, lack cytotoxicity and not elicit an immune or inflammatory response. In addition, the scaffold should induce appropriate responses from the cells seeded onto it, such as cell attachment, proliferation and remodelling capacity, all of which should promote the formation of a tissue construct that can mimic the structure and function of the native valve. This paper discusses the various biological scaffolds that have been considered and are being studied for use in tissue engineering a heart valve. Also, strategies to enhance the biological communication between the scaffold and the cells seeded onto it as well as the use of bionanotechnology in the manufacture of scaffolds possessing the desired properties will be discussed.     

Integrating cell-level kinetic modeling into the design of engineered protein therapeutics

Functional genomics and proteomics are identifying many potential drug targets for novel therapeutic proteins, and both rational and combinatorial protein engineering methods are available for creating drug candidates. A central challenge is the definition of the most appropriate design criteria, which will benefit critically from computational kinetic models that incorporate integration from the molecular level to the whole systems level. Interpretation of these processes will require mathematical models that are refined in combination with relevant data derived from quantitative assays, to correctly set biophysical objectives for protein design.     

Impact of genomics on animal agriculture and opportunities for animal health

Livestock production is an important source of animal protein worldwide. In the developed world meat consumption will remain steady but demand is forecast to grow enormously in developing countries. The use of genomics will speed genetic improvement and increase levels of production quickly in the developed world but might face problems in the developing world, including scientific, economic and political challenges. Considerable increases in public and private research funding will be required to develop and utilize novel tools and collections of detailed trait information on appropriate animals. The development of policies protecting the environment and managing all genetic resources will also be needed. Advances in livestock genomics have major implications for increasing food output as well as improving human health.     

A Cart for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

The authors have devised a cart for use during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the prime purpose of which is to bring every essential piece of equipment, and all the drugs generally required, to the immediate area to revive a pulseless and/or apneic patient with the least effort and confusion. The strategically placed contents of the cart are described.The regular use of such a cart, following appropriate formal staff training and instruction in resuscitation procedures, and frequent reading of an appropriate instruction poster, as well as the reporting of all these events on an appropriate protocol, will increase the effectiveness of acute resuscitation in hospital.     

The H2O-NaCl-glycerol phase diagram and its application in cryobiology.

Actual ternary phase diagrams will generally be far more complex than the simple ternary eutectic system illustrated above. However, once the features of the liquidus surface have been experimentally determined, identification of an appropriate tietriangle and application of the linear lever rule should allow quantitative information to be derived.