Evaluation of the ability to solve the Revecz-Krushinski? test in corvine birds

Reasoning ability in crows was investigated by means of the Revecz-Krushinski? test, in which the bird has to apprehend the rule of stimulus (food bait) displacement: "In each next trial the food bait is hidden in a new place--one step further along the row". By means of computer modelling the criteria of statistical evaluation of this problem solving were established. The test was considered solved when the number of trials which preceded the detection of food was less than those which were calculated for chance performance. High level of reasoning ability in crows is discussed.     

Paramagnetic form of ribonucleotide reductase in human tissues

The paramagnetic form of ribonucleotide reductase was detected by ESR method in human cervix tissues, especially in tumor ones. The magnetic relaxation rate was proved to be slower for this form than for that in normal animal tissues having a high level of proliferative activity or in Ehrlich tumor cells studied before.     

Overview of a quality assurance/quality control compliance program consistent with FDA regulations and policies for somatic cell and gene therapies: a four year experience

Somatic cell and gene therapy involve the application of biological technologies to an individual patient through the use of living cells which provide a therapeutic benefit (Aliski, 1991). Various forms of cellular and gene therapies are being developed and evaluated in an increasing number of clinical trials for congential and acquired disorders. The potential and progress of these therapeutic applications have resulted in an increasing effort by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop the regulatory framework under which these therapeutic approaches would insure safety and efficacy, the primary mandate of the FDA.Over five years ago Cellcor began to define the parameters, specifications, and conditions relevant to a Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program that has evolved to insure safety and maximize the efficacy of applications of the company'sex vivo technology, autolymphocyte therapy. Autolymphocyte therapy is an outpatient form of somatic cell immunotherapy based upon the infusion of T cells that have been activatedex vivo using a combination of previously generated autologous cytokines and an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody.We have been able to demonstrate the feasibility for the safe, controlled, and consistent preparation and delivery of a cellular therapy by application of relevant GMP regulations. This presentation reviews aspects of this program and chronicles our experience which at present amounts to over 4400 infusions for over 700 patients. This program provides a high degree of assurance that a cellular therapy program can be carried out in a multisite mode involving hundreds of patients through the strict adherence to cGMP as set forth in existing regulations. It would be prudent that developers of cellular andex vivo gene therapies establish a similar cell processing and QA/QC infrastructure at an early developmental stage to optimize safety and reproducibility and facilitate regulatory review.     

Uniaxial strain upregulates matrix-degrading enzymes produced by human vascular smooth muscle cells

Arteries remodel in response to environmental changes. We investigated whether mechanical strain modulates production of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 by cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC). MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression were tested using human saphenous vein SMC cultured on silicone membranes at rest or subjected to physiological levels (5%) of stationary or cyclical (1 Hz) uniaxial strain. Compared with control, stationary strain significantly increased MMP-2 mRNA levels at all time points, whereas cyclic strain decreased it after 48 h. Both secreted and cell-associated pro-MMP-2 levels were increased by stationary strain at all times (P < 0.01), whereas cyclic strain decreased secreted levels after 48 h (P < 0.02). MMP-9 mRNA levels and pro-MMP-9 protein were increased after 48 h of stationary stretch (P < 0.01) compared with both no strain and cyclic strain. Our study indicates that vascular SMC show a selective response to different types of strain. We suggest that local increases in stationary mechanical strain resulting from stenting, hypertension, or atherosclerosis may lead to enhanced matrix degradation by SMC.     

Prototype symbolization in hooded crows

The ability in prototype symbolization was studied in four crows trained in matching concept. The experimental approach was characterized by the absence of direct training providing an association between the pictured arrays and Arabic numerals. Experimental sessions were divided into demonstrative and test phases. In the demonstrative phases, the sample and the reinforced stimulus belonged to the same category: if the sample was a pictured array, the reinforced stimulus was also the pictured array, if the sample was a numeral, the reinforced stimulus was likewise a numeral. Matching-to-sample competence was sufficient to perform this task successfully. In case of a correct choice a crow received some mealworms, their number was equal to the number of items in the pictured array or the Arabic numeral. In the test phases, the sample and the comparison stimuli were of different categories. If the sample was a pictured array, the comparison stimuli were numerals; if the sample was a numeral, the comparisons were the pictured arrays. Such tests required the birds to choose a numeric symbol corresponding to the pictured array or to choose the array of pictured items numerically equal to the Arabic symbol. All four crows performed this task successfully. Birds were able to set up a correspondence between the Arabic numeral from 1 to 4 and the number of elements in pictured arrays by way of mental juxtaposition of the earlier received information. Similar experiments showed that crows are likely to be able to perform mental operations with numerals analogous to simple arithmetic addition.     

Insulin and Brain Gangliosides Prevent Metabolic Disorders Caused by Activation of Free Radical Reactions after Two-Vessel Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury to the Rat Forebrain

Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology - The ability of insulin and gangliosides, administered separately or jointly, to increase the viability of cultured brain cortical neurons under...     

Effect of Pristine Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Formation and Degradation of Bacterial Biofilms

Microbiology - The effect of pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) on the biofilms of gram-negative bacteria, typical members of the activated sludge community, and gram-positive...