The Clean Water Action Plan

3 pages

The Clean Water Action Plan

3 pages

A plea for extension of the anatomical nomenclature. Part 1: Nervous system and senses

A correct, exact, concise and detailed anatomical nomenclature is a cornerstone of communication not only in anatomy and related subjects but also in other medical branches and in the whole medical education. Terminologia Anatomica fulfils this task but some important structures are still missing there. The authors have collected and present here a list of terms including their definitions or explanations to provoke discussion about possible extension of the Terminologia Anatomica. The first part of this contribution, presented in this article, comprises 113 terms concerning the regulation systems of the human body: endocrine glands, central and peripheral nervous system, and senses. It also contains some corrections of anatomical mistakes, systemic inconsistencies and grammar changes

Circadian input kinases and their homologs in cyanobacteria: Evolutionary constraints versus architectural diversification

The circadian input kinase A (cikA) gene encodes a protein relaying environmental signal to the central circadian oscillator in cyanobacteria. The CikA protein has a variable architecture and usually consists of four tandemly arrayed domains: GAF, histidine kinase (HisKA), histidine kinase-like ATPase (HATPase-c), and a pseudo-receiver (REC). Among them, HisKA and HATPase-c are the least polymorphic, and REC is not present in heterocystic filamentous cyanobacteria. CikA contains several conserved motifs that are likely important for circadian function. There are at least three types of circadian systems, each of which possesses a different set of circadian genes. The originally described circadian system (kaiABC system) possesses both cikA and kaiA, while the others lack either only cikA (kaiABC Δ) or both (kaiBC). The results we obtained allowed us to approximate the time of the cikA origin to be about 2600-2200 MYA and the time of its loss in the species with the kaiABC Δ or kaiBC system between 1100 and 600 MYA. Circadian specialization of CikA, as opposed to its non-circadian homologs, is a result of several factors, including the unique conserved domain architecture and high evolutionary constraints of some domains and regions, which were previously identified as critical for the circadian function of the gene. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.postprin

Superficial brachioradial artery (radial artery originating from the axillary artery): a case report and embryological background

A case of anomalous terminal branching of the axillary artery, concerning the variant called superficial brachioradial artery (arteria brachioradialis superficialis) was described, with special regard to its embryological origin. The left upper limb of a male cadaver was dissected in successive steps from the axillary fossa distally to the palmar region. A variant artery, stemming from the end of the third segment of the axillary artery, followed a superficial course distally. It skipped the cubital fossa, ran on the lateral side of the forearm, crossed ventrally to the palm, and terminated in the deep palmar arch. This vessel is a case of so-called “brachioradial artery” (inexactly called a “radial artery with a high origin”). The origin of the brachioradial artery directly from the axillary artery belongs to the rare variants of the arterial pattern of the upper limb. Its incidence is approximately 3%. Moreover, this vascular variant was associated with another one concerning the brachial plexus. The medial cutaneous nerve of the forearm joined the median nerve in the middle third of the arm and ran further distally as a common trunk, as the normal median nerve does. Anatomical knowledge of the axillary region is crucial for radiodiagnostic and surgical procedures, especially in cases of trauma. The superficially located artery brings an elevated risk of bleeding complications in unexpected situations

Effect of pressure on the quantum spin ladder material IPA-CuCl3

Inelastic neutron scattering and bulk magnetic susceptibility studies of the quantum S=1/2 spin ladder system IPA-CuCl3 are performed under hydrostatic pressure. The pressure dependence of the spin gap $\Delta$ is determined. At $P=1.5$ GPa it is reduced to $\Delta=0.79$ meV from $\Delta=1.17$ meV at ambient pressure. The results allow us to predict a soft-mode quantum phase transition in this system at P$_\mathrm{c}\sim 4$ GPa. The measurements are complicated by a proximity of a structural phase transition that leads to a deterioration of the sample.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure