Large conductance Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ (BK) channels promote secretagogue-induced transition from spiking to bursting in murine anterior pituitary corticotrophs.

This is the final version of the article. Available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Anterior pituitary corticotroph cells are a central component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis essential for the neuroendocrine response to stress. Corticotrophs are excitable cells that receive input from two hypothalamic secretagogues, corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) to control the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). Although corticotrophs are spontaneously active and increase in excitability in response to CRH and AVP the patterns of electrical excitability and underlying ionic conductances are poorly understood. In this study, we have used electrophysiological, pharmacological and genetic approaches coupled with mathematical modelling to investigate whether CRH and AVP promote distinct patterns of electrical excitability and to interrogate the role of large conductance calcium- and voltage-activated potassium (BK) channels in spontaneous and secretagogue-induced activity. We reveal that BK channels do not play a significant role in the generation of spontaneous activity but are critical for the transition to bursting in response to CRH. In contrast, AVP promotes an increase in single spike frequency, a mechanism independent of BK channels but dependent on background non-selective conductances. Co-stimulation with CRH and AVP results in complex patterns of excitability including increases in both single spike frequency and bursting. The ability of corticotroph excitability to be differentially regulated by hypothalamic secretagogues provides a mechanism for differential control of corticotroph excitability in response to different stressors.P.J.D. was supported by an MRC PhD studentship in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh. Work was supported by grants to M.J.S. and P.R. from the Wellcome Trust (082407), to M.J.S. from MRC (J008893), and to R.B. and J.T. from the National Institutes of Health (DK43200)

Self-cannibalism: The man who eats himself

Self-mutilation is a general term for a variety of forms of intentional self-harm without the wish to die. Although there have been many reports of self-mutilation injuries in the literature, none have reported self-cannibalism after self-mutilation. In this article we present a patient with selfcannibalism following self-mutilation. A 34-year-old male patient was brought to the emergency department from the prison with a laceration on the right leg. Physical examination revealed a well-demarcated rectangular soft tissue defect on his right thigh. The prison authorities stated that the prisoner had cut his thigh with a knife and had eaten the flesh

Deindustrialization in cities of the global south

Recent research by economists has shown that deindustrialization is more severe in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America than it ever was in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Nevertheless, most research on deindustrialization is focused on the former centres of Fordist manufacturing in the industrial heartlands of the North Atlantic. In short, there is a mismatch between where deindustrialization is researched and where it is occurring, and the objective of this paper is to shift the geographical focus of research on deindustrialization to the Global South. Case studies from Argentina, India, Tanzania and Turkey demonstrate the variegated nature of deindustrialization beyond the North Atlantic. In the process, it is demonstrated that cities in the Global South can inform wider theoretical discussions on the impacts of deindustrialization at the urban scale

An Investigation of Primary School Teachers’ Beliefs on Teaching-Learning Processes in Science and Technology Course in Terms of Constructivism

The purpose of this study was to examine primary school teachers’ beliefs on teaching-learning processes in science and technology course which is offered in the 4-5th grade primary school curriculum. The study was designed as a qualitative phenomenological study. Participants were 15 primary school teachers who were teaching 4th or 5th graders during the 2008-2009 academic year. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Content analyses were conducted in order to generate themes and quotations were used to support findings. Results of the study indicated that nine teachers were in the stage of transition from teacher-centered approach to student-centered approach. Only five teachers showed evidence that they used a student-centered approach while teaching and one teacher presented ideas of teacher-centered approach. Results indicated that most of the participants in this study were not practicing based on constructivist teaching philosophy in science and technology course. Professional development programs, which emphasize constructivist teaching philosophy and practices, should be available for primary school teachersBu çalışmanın temel amacı, sınıf öğretmenlerinin fen ve teknoloji dersine yönelik öğretme-öğrenme inançlarını yapılandırmacılık açısından incelemektir. Araştırma nitel desenlerden fenomenoloji ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmaya 2008–2009 öğretim yılında 15 sınıf öğretmeni katılmıştır. Araştırma verileri, yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yoluyla toplanmıştır. İçerik analiziyle analiz edilen veriler, oluşturulan temalar ve doğrudan alıntılar yoluyla sunulmuştur. Araştırma sonucunda; dokuz öğretmenin öğretmen merkezli anlayıştan öğrenci merkezli anlayışa geçiş aşamasında olduğu, beş öğretmenin öğrenci merkezli anlayışı benimsediği ve bir öğretmenin ise öğretmen merkezli anlayışı sürdürdüğü ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu bulgulara göre, fen ve teknoloji dersinde sınıf öğretmenlerinin çoğunun, yapılandırmacılığı tam anlamıyla uygulamaya yansıtamadığı görülmüştür. Bu öğretmenlere, yapılandırmacılığa ilişkin kuram ve uygulama boyutlarını içeren bir hizmet içi eğitim verilebilir

Effect of operating parameters on enhanced biological phosphorus removal

As organic matter content of the wastewater is limiting factor for phosphorus removal in enhanced biological phosphorus removal processes, avoiding available organic matter consumption, particularly volatile fatty acids by the denitrifiers as much as possible, and saving this amount for phosphorus removal gives rise to higher levels of phosphorus removals. In order to save that organic matter as much as possible and utilize this amount in biological phosphorus removal in any activated sludge treatment plant embedding nitrification, the most appropriate process option seemed the modification of A/O biological phosphorus removal process option. For this purpose, A/O was modified by adding an anoxic stage to the beginning of the process to remove only the recycled nitrate-nitrogens and resulting phosphorus removals over per unit of TBOD removal at different operational parameters were studied on a pilot scale plant operated on continuous-flow basis