Dreaming of dragons: on the imagination of real life

This article draws on studies of medieval monasticism and northern indigenous ontologies to show how we might heal the rupture between the real world and our imagination of it, which underpins the official procedures of modern science. Though science is not averse to dreams of the imagination as potential sources of novel insight, they are banished from the reality it seeks to uncover. Ever since Bacon and Galileo, nature has been thought of as a book that will not willingly give up its secrets to human readers. The idea of the book of nature, however, dates from medieval times. For medieval readers as for indigenous hunters, creatures would speak and offer counsel. But in the transition to modernity the book was silenced. This article suggests that by acknowledging our imaginative participation in a more‐than‐human world, and the commitments this entails, we can reconcile scientific inquiry with religious sensibility as ways of knowing in being.     

Directional selection by the subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) at tunnel intersections

Subterranean termites construct complicated tunnel networks for foraging below ground. Thus, they often encounter tunnel intersections during foraging activity. Directional selection by termites at intersections is likely to affect foraging efficiency because depending on their selection, the path length from food resources to the nest can vary significantly. In order to understand how termites are guided to choose the most economical path without the use of pheromones, we artificially excavated two tunnels of varying widths (W₁ and W₂; 2, 3, or 4 mm) that intersected at a 90° angle in each of nine soil‐filled arenas. We observed the directional selection of termites at intersections in arenas with combinations of W₁ (mm) and W₂ (mm) (W₁, W₂). For (W₁, W₂) = (2, 2) and (4, 4), termites statistically equally chose the three directions left, right, and straight, while for the (3, 3) arena combination, termites preferentially decided to go straight. On the other hand, for (W₁, W₂) = (2, 3) (2, 4), and (3, 4), termites advancing from narrower tunnels into intersections tended to turn right or left, while termites coming from the wider tunnel were more inclined to go straight. On the assumption that a wider tunnel is more frequently used by termites in the field, we can deduce that the wider tunnel may represent the most efficient/shortest path. Thus, this simple selection mechanism can prevent termites from deviating from the most economical path.     

Quantitative measurement of the total, peroxyl radical-trapping antioxidant capability of human blood plasma by controlled peroxidation. The important contribution made by plasma proteins

Plasma obtained from fasted humans has been analysed for total radical-trapping antioxidant content by subjecting it to controlled peroxidation using the thermal decomposition of water-soluble azobis (2-amidinopropane hydrochloride) at 37 degrees C to produce peroxyl radicals at a known, steady rate. It is found that the total radical-trapping antioxidant content is rather similar for the 7 subjects that have been tested and, furthermore, it is 10-20-times larger than the effect attributable to vitamin E alone. Although it is shown that urate and ascorbate augment the contribution from vitamin E, their contributions (21-34 and 0-2%, respectively) still leave 57-73% of the total antioxidant content unaccounted for. Evidence is presented to show that this previously unrecognized large reserve of antioxidant capacity is attributable to the plasma proteins.     

Simon metabolites of alpha-tocopherol are not formed via a rate-controlling scission of the 3'C-H bond

The major in vivo oxidation products of alpha-tocopherol, alpha-T, are the Simon metabolites, 1 and 2. For these compounds to be formed from alpha-T the polyisoprenoid tail of alpha-T must be oxidatively cleaved at the 3' carbon atom. Comparison of the levels of 2R,4'R,8'R-alpha-(3',3'-2H2)-T and 2R,4'R,8'R-alpha-[5,7-(C2H3)2]-T remaining in various tissues of rats which had been preloaded with equal quantities of these two forms of vitamin E following a change to a vitamin E-free diet has shown that there is no statistically significant difference in the rates of loss of these two deuterium-labeled alpha-T's. This demonstrates that the Simon metabolites are not formed by a rate-controlling scission of the 3'C-H bond of alpha-T.     

Significant correction of disease after postnatal administration of recombinant ectodysplasin A in canine X-linked ectodermal dysplasia

Patients with defective ectodysplasin A (EDA) are affected by X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XLHED), a condition characterized by sparse hair, inability to sweat, decreased lacrimation, frequent pulmonary infections, and missing and malformed teeth. The canine model of XLHED was used to study the developmental impact of EDA on secondary dentition, since dogs have an entirely brachyodont, diphyodont dentition similar to that in humans, as opposed to mice, which have only permanent teeth (monophyodont dentition), some of which are very different (aradicular hypsodont) than brachyodont human teeth. Also, clinical signs in humans and dogs with XLHED are virtually identical, whereas several are missing in the murine equivalent. In our model, the genetically missing EDA was compensated for by postnatal intravenous administration of soluble recombinant EDA. Untreated XLHED dogs have an incomplete set of conically shaped teeth similar to those seen in human patients with XLHED. After treatment with EDA, significant normalization of adult teeth was achieved in four of five XLHED dogs. Moreover, treatment restored normal lacrimation and resistance to eye and airway infections and improved sweating ability. These results not only provide proof of concept for a potential treatment of this orphan disease but also demonstrate an essential role of EDA in the development of secondary dentition.     

Vitamin E in young and old human red blood cells

Young and old human red blood cells contain about the same amount of alpha-tocopherol, a compound which has previously been shown to be the major lipid-soluble, chain-breaking antioxidant present in such cells. Since red blood cells lose up to ca. 20% of lipid material from their membrane as they age, the alpha-tocopherol/membrane-lipid ratio actually rises with age rather than declining as might have been expected on the basis of the free radical theory of aging. The alpha-tocopherol/arachidonic acid moiety ratios increase in the order: young red blood cells less than old red blood cells less than plasma, which argues against the suggested membrane stabilizing effect of alpha-tocopherol/arachidonic acid moiety complexes.     

兴奋黑质对中缝大核神经元的抑制作用及其机制

本工作观察到在清醒、麻痹大鼠,电刺激黑质致密部(SN_C)或网状部(SN_R)均明显抑制中缝大核(NRM)神经元的自发放电;电针刺激双侧“足三里-三阴交”的同时,电刺激SN_C或SN_R可完全翻转电针对NRM神经元的兴奋效应,NRM神经元放电受抑制。将谷氨酸钠微量注入黑质,对中缝大核神经元亦具有抑制作用,电解损毁双侧中脑导水管周围灰质(PAG)腹外侧部或将多巴胺受体阻断剂氟哌啶醇注入该处,均可阻断此抑制效应。提示黑质对抗电针镇痛机制之一是通过其DA能投射纤维作用于PAG内的DA受体,进而抑制PAG-NRM系统而实现的。