32 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Characterization of Defects in Ion Transport and Tissue Development in Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR)-Knockout Rats
Animal models for cystic fibrosis (CF) have contributed significantly to our understanding of disease pathogenesis. Here we describe development and characterization of the first cystic fibrosis rat, in which the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene (CFTR) was knocked out using a pair of zinc finger endonucleases (ZFN). The disrupted Cftr gene carries a 16 base pair deletion in exon 3, resulting in loss of CFTR protein expression. Breeding of heterozygous (CFTR+/−) rats resulted in Mendelian distribution of wild-type, heterozygous, and homozygous (CFTR−/−) pups. Nasal potential difference and transepithelial short circuit current measurements established a robust CF bioelectric phenotype, similar in many respects to that seen in CF patients. Young CFTR−/− rats exhibited histological abnormalities in the ileum and increased intracellular mucus in the proximal nasal septa. By six weeks of age, CFTR−/− males lacked the vas deferens bilaterally. Airway surface liquid and periciliary liquid depth were reduced, and submucosal gland size was abnormal in CFTR−/− animals. Use of ZFN based gene disruption successfully generated a CF animal model that recapitulates many aspects of human disease, and may be useful for modeling other CF genotypes, including CFTR processing defects, premature truncation alleles, and channel gating abnormalities
Immortality of the soul as an intuitive idea: towards a psychological explanation of the origins of afterlife beliefs
This study tried to investigate if intuitive ideas about the continuation of the Self after death
determine the way people represent the state of being dead, and, in this way, investigate possible
psychological origins of afterlife beliefs, which constitute a recurrent cultural phenomenon.
A semi-structured interview and a self-report questionnaire were used to obtain information on
the experience of imagining oneself as dead and the representation of the dead-I of young adults.
he results suggest that (1) there is a tendency to imagine the state of being dead as a continuation
of the I, even in the absence of explicit afterlife beliefs; (2) perceptual, emotional, epistemic and
desire experiences are associated to the dead-I; (3) the representation of the dead-I seems to be
determined by an interaction between cognitive processes related to self-awareness and theory of
mind, and the cultural afterlife beliefs explicitly learned. A previous alternative hypothesis,
suggesting that simulation constraints were responsible for the emergence of non-reflective
afterlife concepts (Bering, 2002, 2006) is not completely supported by our results. he data
presented here suggest that immortality of the soul might be an intuitive religious concept,
connected to the experience of the Self and to the implicit theorization that the experienced Self
is independent from the body. Future studies should focus on the collection of cross-cultural and
developmental data
Cardiomyocytes from human pluripotent stem cells: from laboratory curiosity to industrial biomedical platform
Cardiomyocytes from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs-CMs) could revolutionise biomedicine. Global burden of heart failure will soon reach USD $90bn, while unexpected cardiotoxicity underlies 28% of drug withdrawals. Advances in hPSC isolation, Cas9/CRISPR genome engineering and hPSC-CM differentiation have improved patient care, progressed drugs to clinic and opened a new era in safety pharmacology. Nevertheless, predictive cardiotoxicity using hPSC-CMs contrasts from failure to almost total success. Since this likely relates to cell immaturity, efforts are underway to use biochemical and biophysical cues to improve many of the ~ 30 structural and functional properties of hPSC-CMs towards those seen in adult CMs. Other developments needed for widespread hPSC-CM utility include subtype specification, cost reduction of large scale differentiation and elimination of the phenotyping bottleneck. This review will consider these factors in the evolution of hPSC-CM technologies, as well as their integration into high content industrial platforms that assess structure, mitochondrial function, electrophysiology, calcium transients and contractility. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cardiomyocyte Biology: Integration of Developmental and Environmental Cues in the Heart edited by Marcus Schaub and Hughes Abriel
A História da Alimentação: balizas historiográficas
Os M. pretenderam traçar um quadro da História da Alimentação, não como um novo ramo epistemológico da disciplina, mas como um campo em desenvolvimento de práticas e atividades especializadas, incluindo pesquisa, formação, publicações, associações, encontros acadêmicos, etc. Um breve relato das condições em que tal campo se assentou faz-se preceder de um panorama dos estudos de alimentação e temas correia tos, em geral, segundo cinco abardagens Ia biológica, a econômica, a social, a cultural e a filosófica!, assim como da identificação das contribuições mais relevantes da Antropologia, Arqueologia, Sociologia e Geografia. A fim de comentar a multiforme e volumosa bibliografia histórica, foi ela organizada segundo critérios morfológicos. A seguir, alguns tópicos importantes mereceram tratamento à parte: a fome, o alimento e o domÃnio religioso, as descobertas européias e a difusão mundial de alimentos, gosto e gastronomia. O artigo se encerra com um rápido balanço crÃtico da historiografia brasileira sobre o tema
An investigation of mitochondrial DNA damage, oxidative stress and senescence in ageing skin tissue and cell culture
EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
Some cursory remarks made by James Birket in his voyage to North America, 1750-1751.
"The diary here printed under its original title, 'Some cursory remarks made by James Birket', came undoubtedly from the collection of Dr. William Thornton, now on deposit in the Library of Congress. It was preserved by Mrs. Margaret Bayard Smith ... and descended to Mrs. Smith's grandson, J. Henley Smith, by whom it was presented to the University for publication."--Pref.Electronic reproduction. Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress, [2002-2003