Follow up estimation of Aedes aegypti entomological parameters and mathematical modellings

The dengue virus is a vector-borne disease transmitted by mosquito Aedes aegypti and the incidence is strongly influenced by temperature and humidity which vary seasonally. To assess the effects of temperature on dengue transmission, mathematical models are developed based on the population dynamics theory. However, depending on the hypotheses of the modelling, different outcomes regarding to the risk of epidemics are obtained. We address this question comparing two simple models supplied with model's parameters estimated from temperature-controlled experiments, especially the entomological parameters regarded to the mosquito's life cycle in different temperatures. Once obtained the mortality and transition rates of different stages comprising the life cycle of mosquito and the oviposition rate, we compare the capacity of vector reproduction (the basic offspring number) and the risk of infection (basic reproduction number) provided by two models. The extended model, which is more realistic, showed that both mosquito population and dengue risk are situated at higher values than the simplified model, even that the basic offspring number is lower.     

Access to data and material for research: putting empirical evidence into perspective

The aim of this article is to put into critical perspective the empirical findings on secrecy and withholding in research. In other words, by taking existing empirical literature into account, it is intended that a crucial question is answered: Is secrecy and withholding in research harmful or innocuous to science? To understand how secrecy and withholding in research have affected academic science, empirical studies have been placed in the wider context of Mertonian underpinnings of the anticommons threat. The turning point in testing the effects of secrecy and withholding of data and material on scientific research was marked by statistical studies based on surveys and bibliometric measures. These two types of empirical studies have given answers to the basic question since academia was threatened by different modes of practicing science.     

On the binding of brain myelin basic protein to chromatographic resins

Myelin basic protein, only in association with certain detergents, is able to bind irreversibly to the usual gel filtration media. While this binding is greatly advantageous in purification of proteolipid (the other major myelin protein), the question arises of the uncommon, nonphysiological behaviour of the basic protein. A relationship between binding property and basic protein structure is suggested.     

Identifying essential genes in Arabidopsis thaliana

Eight years after publication of the Arabidopsis genome sequence and two years before completing the first phase of an international effort to characterize the function of every Arabidopsis gene, plant biologists remain unable to provide a definitive answer to the following basic question: what is the minimal gene set required for normal growth and development? The purpose of this review is to summarize different strategies employed to identify essential genes in Arabidopsis, an important component of the minimal gene set in plants, to present an overview of the datasets and specific genes identified to date, and to discuss the prospects for future saturation of this important class of genes. The long-term goal of this collaborative effort is to facilitate basic research in plant biology and complement ongoing research with other model organisms.     

Animal model systems for the study of alcohol teratology

The incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome has not been declining even though alcohol has been established as a teratogen and significant efforts have been made to educate women not to abuse alcohol during pregnancy. In addition to further educational efforts, strategies to prevent or mitigate the damages of prenatal alcohol exposure are now under development. Animal models will play a significant role in the effort to develop these strategies. Because prenatal alcohol exposure causes damage by multiple mechanisms, depending on dose, pattern, and timing of exposure, and because no species of animal is the same as the human, the choice of which animal model to use is complicated. To choose the best animal model, it is necessary to consider the specific scientific question that is being addressed and which model system is best able to address the question. Animal models that are currently in use include nonhuman primates, rodents (rats, mice, guinea pigs), large animal models (pig and sheep), the chick, and simple animals, including fish, insects, and round worms. Each model system has strengths and weaknesses, depending on the question being addressed. Simple animal models are useful in exploring basic science questions that relate to molecular biology and genetics that cannot be explored in higher-order animals, whereas higher-order animal models are useful in studying complex behaviors and validating basic science findings in an animal that is more like the human. Substantial progress in this field will require the judicious use of multiple scientific approaches that use different animal model systems.     

Visual categorization: accessing abstraction in non-human primates

Evolution might have set the basic foundations for abstract mental representation long ago. Because of language, mental abilities would have reached different degrees of sophistication in mammals and in humans but would be, essentially, of the same nature. Thus, humans and animals might rely on the same basic mechanisms that could be masked in humans by the use of sophisticated strategies. In this paper, monkey and human abilities are compared in a variety of perceptual tasks including visual categorization to assess behavioural similarities and dissimilarities, and to determine the level of abstraction of monkeys' mental representations. The question of how these abstract representations might be encoded in the brain is then addressed. A comparative study of the neural processing underlying abstract cognitive operations in animals and humans might help to understand when abstraction emerged in the phylogenetic scale, and how it increased in complexity.     

Chinese Traditional Bioethics

Chinese traditional bioethics is based on the life origin theory of “Qi (vital force) permeates everything under heaven”, the attitude towards life theory of “loving people” and “loving things”, and the life transcendence theory of “eternity” and “immortality”. The life origin theory answers the question of how life comes into being, which is the basis for exploring the mystery of life. The attitude towards life theory gives answers to the question of how to treat life properly and establishes the basic requirements and criteria for treating life. The life transcendence theory responds to the question of how to make life more meaningful. Those three thoughts support each other and explain each other with the inner logical band between these three basic thoughts, and tentatively offers a reasonable way for the reconstruction of traditional Chinese bioethics, which can be a special theoretical resource for today's bioethical research.     

Differential expression patterns of genes containing microsatellites in Capsicum annuum L.

Microsatellites are important for research in both basic and applied sciences. Understanding how genes containing microsatellites are expressed and regulated in different tissues and developmental stages is a fundamental and challenging question. However, there has been limited study of differential expression of genes containing microsatellites in different plant tissues and developmental stages. We studied microsatellite-containing gene expression profiles in 16 different tissues and at different developmental stages in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Results indicated that tissue-specific genes contained more dinucleotide microsatellites, and housekeeping genes contained more trinucleotide microsatellites. Differential expression patterns of microsatellite-containing genes indicated that, in the longer term, development of allele-specific markers for genes controlling agronomic traits will be useful for advancing the science of plant breeding. This is the first report on differential expression of microsatellite-containing genes within tissues and developmental stages in pepper.     

Purification and some properties of tartrate-sensitive acid phosphatase from rabbit kidney cortex.

Two forms of tartrate-sensitive acid phosphatases (EC 3.1.3.2) were purified from rabbit kidney cortex by a multiple-column-chromatography method. The basic form constituted 90% of the enzyme and migrated as a single band of protein on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The proteins contaminating the acidic form did not exceed 5% of the total protein. The specific activity towards p-nitrophenyl phosphate was 12 mumol/min per mg for the basic form and 0.7 mumol/min per mg for the acidic form. The basic form of the enzyme differs from the acidic form in its heat-stability, Km values, inhibition rates by tartrate and fluoride and substrate specificities. Relative to p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis rate, the acidic form hydrolysed a variety of physiological monophosphate esters, whereas the basic form hydrolysed only CMP and phosphoenolpyruvate. Bacterial neuraminidases had no effect on the activity and mobility of the acidic form on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Both forms have the same molecular weight (101000 +/- 4000) and are probably composed of two identical subunits. The question whether the two forms of the enzyme are different proteins or whether one is a modified form of the other is discussed.     

Ionomics suggests niche differences between sympatric heathers (Ericaceae)

Plant and Soil - The co-existence of large number of competing plant species with the same basic needs is a major question in ecology, particularly when this involves closely related species. We...     

Architectural mutation and leaf form, for the palmate series

Palmate leaf form occurs in both the ferns and angiosperms. The palmate leaf form, and its variants, is present in distantly separated clades within both ferns and angiosperms. There tend not to be intermediate forms which link these palmate leaves to other leaf forms within the taxonomic groups in question. The recurrence of homoplasious leaf forms in separate taxonomic groups could be a consequence of the algorithmic like mode of leaf growth. Leaves develop through the reiteration of modular units. It is probable that the homoplasious leaf forms in different taxa are derived independently through re-combinations of the parameters in the basic leaf form development algorithm.     

Specific versus placebo effects in biofeedback: some brief back-to-basics considerations

Following the semantic complexities raised in earlier papers, this paper seeks to return to some of the more basic considerations arising from the preceding discussion. A critical part of the context of that discussion is the increasingly important issue of accountability. In this context, the citing of supportive studies is not enough; one must also be able to justify the logical relevance of those studies. The discussion therefore turns on the logic of treatment evaluation, which must be treated as objectively as possible. Also critical is the distinction between the question of whether an effect is present and the question of what the source of that question might be. In the quest for treatment evaluation, only the former question is important. However, this quest is one that is in the interest of researchers, clinicians, and consumers, for all of whom only the facts will do.     

Preference for dietary fat: From detection to disease

Recent advances in the field of taste physiology have clarified the role of different basic taste modalities and their implications in health and disease and proposed emphatically that there might be a distinct cue for oro-sensory detection of dietary long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs). Hence, fat taste can be categorized as a taste modality. During mastication, LCFAs activate tongue lipid sensors like CD36 and GPR120 triggering identical signaling pathways as the basic taste qualities do; however, the physico-chemical perception of fat is not as distinct as sweet or bitter or other taste sensations. The question arises whether “fat taste” is a basic or “alimentary” taste. There is compelling evidence that fat-rich dietary intervention modulates fat taste perception where an increase or a decrease in lipid contents in the diet results, respectively, in downregulation or upregulation of fat taste sensitivity. Evidently, a decrease in oro-sensory detection of LCFAs leads to high fat intake and, consequently, to obesity. In this article, we discuss recent relevant advances made in the field of fat taste physiology with regard to dietary fat preference and lipid sensors that can be the target of anti-obesity strategies.     

Mitochondrial oxygen sensing of acute hypoxia in specialized cells - Is there a unifying mechanism?

Acclimation to acute hypoxia through cardiorespiratory responses is mediated by specialized cells in the carotid body and pulmonary vasculature to optimize systemic arterial oxygenation and thus oxygen supply to the tissues. Acute oxygen sensing by these cells triggers hyperventilation and hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction which limits pulmonary blood flow through areas of low alveolar oxygen content. Oxygen sensing of acute hypoxia by specialized cells thus is a fundamental pre-requisite for aerobic life and maintains systemic oxygen supply. However, the primary oxygen sensing mechanism and the question of a common mechanism in different specialized oxygen sensing cells remains unresolved. Recent studies unraveled basic oxygen sensing mechanisms involving the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 isoform 2 that is essential for the hypoxia-induced release of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and subsequent acute hypoxic responses in both, the carotid body and pulmonary vasculature. This review compares basic mitochondrial oxygen sensing mechanisms in the pulmonary vasculature and the carotid body.     

Are All Types of Expertise Created Equal? Car Experts Use Different Spatial Frequency Scales for Subordinate Categorization of Cars and Faces

A much-debated question in object recognition is whether expertise for faces and expertise for non-face objects utilize common perceptual information. We investigated this issue by assessing the diagnostic information required for different types of expertise. Specifically, we asked whether face categorization and expert car categorization at the subordinate level relies on the same spatial frequency (SF) scales. Fifteen car experts and fifteen novices performed a category verification task with spatially filtered images of faces, cars, and airplanes. Images were categorized based on their basic (e.g. “car”) and subordinate level (e.g. “Japanese car”) identity. The effect of expertise was not evident when objects were categorized at the basic level. However, when the car experts categorized faces and cars at the subordinate level, the two types of expertise required different kinds of SF information. Subordinate categorization of faces relied on low SFs more than on high SFs, whereas subordinate expert car categorization relied on high SFs more than on low SFs. These findings suggest that expertise in the recognition of objects and faces do not utilize the same type of information. Rather, different types of expertise require different types of diagnostic visual information.     

Methodologies for evaluating electromyographic field data in ergonomics.

Surface electromyography (SEMG) is an important tool for work load assessment in ergonomics. Several different approaches using amplitude as well as frequency parameters give fruitful information depending on question at issue in the laboratory as well as in field studies. One basic factor determining the choice of analysis method is whether the SEMG is interpreted as an indicator of forces/torques or pure muscular activation. Two methods for occupational SEMG data reduction representing two different approaches to SEMG applications in ergonomics, Exposure Variation Analysis (EVA), and Joint Analysis of EMG Spectrum and Amplitude (JASA), applied on the same SEMG recording from three muscles during urology surgeon work, have been compared. The EVA method categorised the three muscle recordings as too static with no EMG gaps while the JASA method identifies fatigue in two of the three recordings. The practical relevance of these findings is discussed.     

Ontogenetic analysis of the EEG-activation reaction in children

Frequency characteristics of EEG-reaction have been analysed in children of 3-10 years in the process of realization of the orienting reflex to sound stimuli. An enhancement of theta- and alpha-oscillations has been found in such conditions which becomes less pronounced to 9-10 years. In the last age group, the reaction of blockade of the basic rhythm of the background EEG (alpha-oscillations of 10 Hz) is formed, combined with local enhancement of other rhythmic components of this frequency range. Functional significance of different forms of EEG activation reaction has been determined. The question is discussed of functional heterogeneity of rhythmic components of the alpha-range and their differential involvement in the reaction reflecting complex mechanisms of cortical activation.     

A‐type lamins and signaling: The PI 3‐kinase/Akt pathway moves forward

Lamin A/C is a nuclear lamina constituent mutated in a number of human inherited disorders collectively referred to as laminopathies. The occurrence and significance of lamin A/C interplay with signaling molecules is an old question, suggested by pioneer studies performed in vitro. However, this relevant question has remained substantially unanswered, until data obtained in cellular and organismal models of laminopathies have indicated two main aspects of lamin A function. The first aspect is that lamins establish functional interactions with different protein platforms, the second aspect is that lamin A/C activity and altered function may elicit different effects in different cells and tissue types and even in different districts of the same tissue. Both these observations strongly suggest that signaling mechanisms targeting lamin A/C or its binding partners may regulate such a plastic behavior. A number of very recent data show involvement of kinases, as Akt and Erk, or phosphatases, as PP1 and PP2, in lamin A‐linked cellular mechanisms. Moreover, altered activation of signaling in laminopathies and rescue of the pathological phenotype in animal models by inhibitors of signaling pathways, strongly suggest that signaling effectors related to lamin A/C may be implicated in the pathogenesis of laminopathies and may represent targets of therapeutic intervention. In face of such an open perspective of basic and applied research, we review current evidence of lamin A/C interplay with signaling molecules, with particular emphasis on the lamin A‐Akt interaction and on the biological significance of their relationship. J. Cell. Physiol. 220: 553–561, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.