The banded karyotypes of Macaca fuscata compared with Cercocebus aterrimus

The karyotypes of Macaca fuscata and Cercocebus aterrimus are compared after G, C and AgNOR banding. Although it is often assumed that the 42-chromosome monkeys (species of the genera Macaca, Papio, and Cercocebus) are identical at the chromosomal level, a number of clear and consistent differences between the karyotypes of these two taxa are described. These differences include one pericentric inversion and differences in staining intensity, particularly in centromeric and pericentromeric areas. It is probable that high resolution chromosome techniques could reveal more differences between taxa in the 42-chromosome group than are now believed to exist. It is therefore probable that karyological data could provide insight into the phylogenetic relationships in this group of Old World monkeys.     

Comparative analysis of the fragments of highly repeated DNA of Homo, Pan, Macaca and Cercopithecus

In the present paper the restriction patterns of Homo, Pan troglodytes, Macaca fascicularis and Cercopithecus aethiops, obtained by digestion with Eco RI endonuclease, were compared. All these species showed two common bands at 0.3 and 0.6 Kb. In this region another band at 0.5 Kb was present in Macaca fascicularis and Cercopithecus aethiops. Furthermore Macaca fascicularis, Cercopithecus aethiops and Pan troglodytes showed a series of bands not present in humans. The distance matrix shows a strong similarity between Homo and Pan and a decreasing similarity with Macaca fascicularis and Cercopithecus aethiops. No intraspecific variability was observed.     

Age-at-death diagnosis and age-at-death distribution estimate: Two different problems with many aspects in common

A quantitative or qualitative trait detected on human skeletons can be used to solve two inferential problems:

1. Diagnosing age-at-death
2. Estimating age-at-death distribution in the human community which the skeletons belong to.

The Bayesian solutions of A) and B) are rather different and we think useful an accurate discussion about that subject.     

Lead inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in normal rat fibroblasts

The effects on normal rat fibroblasts of lead supplementation (as lead acetate) in the medium were examined. The amount of lead acetate ranged from 0.078 microM to 320 microM, at 14 concentrations. The normal level of lead in the medium was 0.060 microM, and the normal concentration of lead in the fibroblasts was 3.1 +/- 0.1 ng/10(7) cells: these represented the control conditions. On studying fibroblast proliferation and survival after incubation for 48 hours, a lead acetate dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation was observed, the results being shown to be significant by ANOVA (p < 0.01), and suggesting a significant dose-response relationship. Apoptosis, evaluated by quantifying cytoplasmic DNA fragments, differs significantly between the lead levels tested. The distribution in the cell cycle, evaluated by using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter, showed a dose-dependent accumulation of cells in the G0/G1 phase, with a compensatory decrease in the percentage of cells in the S phase. Moreover, the occurrence of a subdiploid peak confirmed that apoptosis was more evident when the medium was supplemented with lead acetate at concentrations of 5-20 microM. The inhibition of cell growth is probably due to a direct inhibition of cell proliferation.     

Emotion Processing in Parkinson’s Disease: A Three-Level Study on Recognition,Representation, and Regulation

Background

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterised by well-known motor symptoms, whereas the presence of cognitive non-motor symptoms, such as emotional disturbances, is still underestimated. One of the major problems in studying emotion deficits in PD is an atomising approach that does not take into account different levels of emotion elaboration. Our study addressed the question of whether people with PD exhibit difficulties in one or more specific dimensions of emotion processing, investigating three different levels of analyses, that is, recognition, representation, and regulation.

Methodology

Thirty-two consecutive medicated patients with PD and 25 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Participants performed a three-level analysis assessment of emotional processing using quantitative standardised emotional tasks: the Ekman 60-Faces for emotion recognition, the full 36-item version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RME) for emotion representation, and the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) for emotion regulation.

Principal Findings

Regarding emotion recognition, patients obtained significantly worse scores than controls in the total score of Ekman 60-Faces but not in any other basic emotions. For emotion representation, patients obtained significantly worse scores than controls in the RME experimental score but no in the RME gender control task. Finally, on emotion regulation, PD and controls did not perform differently at TAS-20 and no specific differences were found on TAS-20 subscales. The PD impairments on emotion recognition and representation do not correlate with dopamine therapy, disease severity, or with the duration of illness. These results are independent from other cognitive processes, such as global cognitive status and executive function, or from psychiatric status, such as depression, anxiety or apathy.

Conclusions

These results may contribute to better understanding of the emotional problems that are often seen in patients with PD and the measures used to test these problems, in particular on the use of different versions of the RME task.     

Social cognition in anorexia nervosa: evidence of preserved theory of mind and impaired emotional functioning

Background

The findings of the few studies that have to date investigated the way in which individuals with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) navigate their social environment are somewhat contradictory. We undertook this study to shed new light on the social-cognitive profile of patients with AN, analysing Theory of Mind and emotional functioning. Starting from previous evidence on the role of the amygdala in the neurobiology of AN and in the social cognition, we hypothesise preserved Theory of Mind and impaired emotional functioning in patients with AN.

Methodology

Thirty women diagnosed with AN and thirty-two women matched for education and age were involved in the study. Theory of Mind and emotional functioning were assessed with a set of validated experimental tasks. A measure of perceived social support was also used to test the correlations between this dimension and the social-cognitive profile of AN patients.

Principal Findings

The performance of patients with AN is significantly worse than that of healthy controls on tasks assessing emotional functioning, whereas patients’ performance is comparable to that of healthy controls on the Theory of Mind task. Correlation analyses showed no relationship between scores on any of the social-cognition tasks and either age of onset or duration of illness. A correlation between social support and emotional functioning was found. This latter result seems to suggest a potential role of social support in the treatment and recovery of AN.

Conclusions

The pattern of results followed the experimental hypothesis. They may be useful to help us better understand the social-cognitive profile of patients with AN and to contribute to the development of effective interventions based on the ways in which patients with AN actually perceive their social environment.     

Cytogenetic monitoring of hospital workers exposed to low-level ionizing radiation

In the present study the cytogenetic effects in hospital workers exposed to low-level radiation were evaluated. Samples of peripheral blood were collected from 63 subjects working in radiodiagnostics and from 30 subjects, working in the same hospitals, who were used as controls. A higher number of cells with chromosome-type aberrations (CA) was observed in the exposed workers vs. the controls and the difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.05). No correlation was, on the contrary, found between CA and years of exposure. A significant difference was observed in the incidence of cells with CA between smokers and non-smokers, but in the control group only. In contrast, in the workers exposed to ionizing radiation, the frequency of cells with CA was very similar in smokers and non-smokers.     

Location of acetylcholinesterase in axotomized ciliary ganglia

In the present note we have investigated the cytochemical localization of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the chick ciliary ganglion (CG) after post-ganglionic axotomy obtained by ablation of the eyeball. Preliminary results show at quite early stages after axotomy a remarkable reduction of cytoplasmic AChE, the residual one being localized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. On the contrary synaptic areas, in particular those concerning the calyciform synapses, still show a marked AchE activity, similarly to what observed in physiological conditions. The decrease of cytoplasmic AChe in axotomized CG does suggest the possibility that such AChE undergoes to a topographical rearrangement moving towards the synaptic areas of ganglionic neurons.     

On p21 Tracking Property in Cancer Cell Unravelled Bio-Digitally <i>in silico</i>. Are Apoptosis Principles Universal?

Upon severe DNA damage, p21 acts in a dual mode; on the one hand, it inhibits the cyclin-CDK complex for arresting the G2/M transition and on the other hand, it indirectly becomes an apoptotic factor by activating - in sequence - the retinoblastoma protein, E2F1 and APAF1 expressions. But, in a cancer cells proliferation, the mechanisms of, and participants in, the apoptosis failure remain unclear. Since the p21/p53/Mdm2 proteins network normally involves a digital response in a cancer cell, through an original design of a cell signalling-protein simulator, we demonstrate,in silico, that apoptosis phase instability is fully reciprocated by p21mRNA irregular dynamics which operates according to a "tracking memory" principle. We show p21mRNA paradoxically ceases to act in concert with specific target genes and becomes an underlying accomplice of cancer proliferation. Here, we also identify the mechanisms for allowing the cancer cell to re-enter inside a steady stable apoptosis phase.