Differential Expression Of Gap Junction mRNAs And Proteins In The Developing Murine Kidney And In Experimentally Induced Nephric Mesenchymes

The expression of three gap junction (GJ) proteins, alpha-1 (Cx43), beta-1 (Cx32), and beta-2 (Cx26), and their transcripts were examined during the ontogeny of the mouse and rat kidney. These proteins were expressed in two non-overlapping patterns. The alpha-1 GJ protein was first observed in mesenchymal cells in the 12-day mouse kidney. By day 14 and thereafter, the ai protein was detected in the transient S-shaped bodies, but not in the podocytes of the maturing glomeruli. After birth the antigen was retained in a small subset of secretory tubules.The beta-1 and beta-2 GJ proteins were similar in their developmental patterns. They were first detected in a small subset of secretory tubules in the subcortical zone of day 17 embryos. These tubules were identified by immunohistochemical markers to be proximal. At birth, practically all proximal tubules expressed the two antigens.This analysis of GJ proteins was consistent with the results of S1 nuclease protection assays showing that, while the alpha-1 mRNA appeared early during kidney development and declined around birth, the two beta mRNAs appeared later and became intensified during the last days of intrauterine development.In experimentally induced metanephric mesenchymes, a transient expression of the alpha-1 GJ protein was seen during the segregation of the tubular anlagen. beta-1 and beta-2 GJ proteins were not detected in such induced mesenchymes cultivated up to 7 days.These observations provide evidence for the cell-specific utilization of different GJ genes during different stages of kidney organogenesis. The alpha-1 gene is activated during the early segregation of the secretory tubule and might contribute to its compartmentalization, while the beta-1 and beta-2 gene products are not detected until advanced stages of development. The latter gene products might be correlated with the physiological activity of the proximal tubules in vivo, as they are not expressed in experimentally induced tubules detectable with markers for proximal tubules

Theoretical characterization of a model of aragonite crystal orientation in red abalone nacre

Nacre, commonly known as mother-of-pearl, is a remarkable biomineral that in red abalone consists of layers of 400-nm thick aragonite crystalline tablets confined by organic matrix sheets, with the $(001)$ crystal axes of the aragonite tablets oriented to within $\pm$ 12 degrees from the normal to the layer planes. Recent experiments demonstrate that this orientational order develops over a distance of tens of layers from the prismatic boundary at which nacre formation begins. Our previous simulations of a model in which the order develops because of differential tablet growth rates (oriented tablets growing faster than misoriented ones) yield patterns of tablets that agree qualitatively and quantitatively with the experimental measurements. This paper presents an analytical treatment of this model, focusing on how the dynamical development and eventual degree of order depend on model parameters. Dynamical equations for the probability distributions governing tablet orientations are introduced whose form can be determined from symmetry considerations and for which substantial analytic progress can be made. Numerical simulations are performed to relate the parameters used in the analytic theory to those in the microscopic growth model. The analytic theory demonstrates that the dynamical mechanism is able to achieve a much higher degree of order than naive estimates would indicate.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figure

Modelling the hepatitis B vaccination programme in prisons

A vaccination programme offering hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine at reception into prison has been introduced into selected prisons in England and Wales. Over the coming years it is anticipated this vaccination programme will be extended. A model has been developed to assess the potential impact of the programme on the vaccination coverage of prisoners, ex-prisoners, and injecting drug users (IDUs). Under a range of coverage scenarios, the model predicts the change over time in the vaccination status of new entrants to prison, current prisoners and IDUs in the community. The model predicts that at baseline in 2012 57% of the IDU population will be vaccinated with up to 72% being vaccinated depending on the vaccination scenario implemented. These results are sensitive to the size of the IDU population in England and Wales and the average time served by an IDU during each prison visit. IDUs that do not receive HBV vaccine in the community are at increased risk from HBV infection. The HBV vaccination programme in prisons is an effective way of vaccinating this hard-to-reach population although vaccination coverage on prison reception must be increased to achieve this

Improving the post-meal experience of hospitalised patients with eating disorders using visuospatial, verbal and somatic activities

BACKGROUND: This study compares the effects of different cognitive tasks on post-meal negative affect, positive affect, intrusive thoughts and intrusive images of hospitalised patients with eating disorders. METHODS: Twenty-five participants were recruited from an eating disorder service. Using a within-subjects design, participants performed one of the following tasks for 15 min: the game 'Tetris' (visuospatial), a general knowledge 'Quiz' (verbal), 'Braille' translation (somatic) and 'Sitting Quietly' (control). In total, participants completed each task on three occasions. RESULTS: The visuospatial, verbal and somatic tasks had beneficial effects on all positive and negative indicators, when compared with 'Sitting Quietly'. Visuospatial and somatic tasks were more effective at reducing intrusive imagery than the verbal task. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that certain engaging activities can help hospitalised patients with eating disorders manage the difficult post-meal period

Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage analogs in classical physics

Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) is a well established technique for producing coherent population transfer in a three-state quantum system. We here exploit the resemblance between the Schrodinger equation for such a quantum system and the Newton equation of motion for a classical system undergoing torque to discuss several classical analogs of STIRAP, notably the motion of a moving charged particle subject to the Lorentz force of a quasistatic magnetic field, the orientation of a magnetic moment in a slowly varying magnetic field, the Coriolis effect and the inertial frame dragging effect. Like STIRAP, those phenomena occur for counterintuitively ordered field pulses and are robustly insensitive to small changes in the interaction properties

Development and application of an innovative approach to predicting pollutant concentrations in highway runoff

Recognising the challenges and limitations of current methodologies to predict highway runoff concentrations, this paper presents a novel approach based on the derivation of pollutant emission factors for twelve different types of vehicle. Published emission factor data and properties of differing vehicles types are combined with annual average daily traffic volume (AADT), highway characteristics and rainfall data to determine the pollutant distributions associated with differing highway and traffic types. In this paper, the method is applied to 126 sections of highway in the Greater London Borough of Enfield (United Kingdom; UK) and results are comparable with values reported in the literature. The approach is used to identify the level of AADT predicted to result in an exceedance of environmental quality standards (EQS), with results suggesting that runoff from highways experiencing AADT values as low as 5000 may require treatment prior to discharge to receiving waters. Future scenario analyses indicate that the impact of progressively replacing petrol and diesel vehicles with electric vehicles will have negligible impact on concentrations of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd) and total suspended solids discharging from highway environments. The approach enables identification and ranking of urban highways in terms of their pollution runoff potential and provides an important support to users in prioritising locations for the installation of sustainable drainage options in order to protect receiving water environments. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cold treatment enhances low-temperature flight performance in false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

1 In sterile insect technique programmes, temperatures experienced by insects during rearing and handling, along with cool temperatures after release, can negatively affect performance and activity levels. Phenotypic plasticity (trait modifications caused by prior stress exposure) can offset these effects but is poorly understood in many species and traits. 2 We investigated the effects of a cold treatment (2 ∘C for 16 h) on flight performance in adult false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta. Using diverse methods, flight performance was tested using flight assays in the laboratory and in the field under varying environmental conditions. 3 The flight performance of T. leucotreta in the laboratory was affected by cold treatment (relative to a 25 ∘C control group), test temperature and their interaction. Field recapture of released moths was significantly affected by the interaction between cold treatment and environmental conditions. 4 Field recapture counts depended on the ambient temperature upon release. For example, under warmer conditions (>17 ∘C), the recapture count of cold-treated moths was lower than that of the untreated control group, whereas the recapture count of cold-treated moths at cooler temperatures was significantly higher. 5 Our results suggest a temperature-dependent interaction between acute cold exposure and flight performance in adult T. leucotreta, which may be used to enhance the efficacy of the sterile insect technique under cooler environmental conditions