Knowledge and Power in Occupied Japan: U.S. Censorship of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College

Characterization of cytoskeletal and junctional proteins expressed by cells cultured from human arachnoid granulation tissue

BACKGROUND: The arachnoid granulations (AGs) are projections of the arachnoid membrane into the dural venous sinuses. They function, along with the extracranial lymphatics, to circulate the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to the systemic venous circulation. Disruption of normal CSF dynamics may result in increased intracranial pressures causing many problems including headaches and visual loss, as in idiopathic intracranial hypertension and hydrocephalus. To study the role of AGs in CSF egress, we have grown cells from human AG tissue in vitro and have characterized their expression of those cytoskeletal and junctional proteins that may function in the regulation of CSF outflow. METHODS: Human AG tissue was obtained at autopsy, and explanted to cell culture dishes coated with fibronectin. Typically, cells migrated from the explanted tissue after 7–10 days in vitro. Second or third passage cells were seeded onto fibronectin-coated coverslips at confluent densities and grown to confluency for 7–10 days. Arachnoidal cells were tested using immunocytochemical methods for the expression of several common cytoskeletal and junctional proteins. Second and third passage cultures were also labeled with the common endothelial markers CD-31 or VE-cadherin (CD144) and their expression was quantified using flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS: Confluent cultures of arachnoidal cells expressed the intermediate filament protein vimentin. Cytokeratin intermediate filaments were expressed variably in a subpopulation of cells. The cultures also expressed the junctional proteins connexin43, desmoplakin 1 and 2, E-cadherin, and zonula occludens-1. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that second and third passage cultures failed to express the endothelial cell markers CD31 or VE-cadherin in significant quantities, thereby showing that these cultures did not consist of endothelial cells from the venous sinus wall. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of the in vitro culture of arachnoidal cells grown from human AG tissue. We demonstrated that these cells in vitro continue to express some of the cytoskeletal and junctional proteins characterized previously in human AG tissue, such as proteins involved in the formation of gap junctions, desmosomes, epithelial specific adherens junctions, as well as tight junctions. These junctional proteins in particular may be important in allowing these arachnoidal cells to regulate CSF outflow

Human arachnoid granulations Part I: a technique for quantifying area and distribution on the superior surface of the cerebral cortex

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The arachnoid granulations (AGs) are herniations of the arachnoid membrane into the dural venous sinuses on the surface of the brain. Previous morphological studies of AGs have been limited in scope and only one has mentioned surface area measurements. The purpose of this study was to investigate the topographic distribution of AGs on the superior surface of the cerebral cortex.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>En face </it>images were taken of the superior surface of 35 formalin-fixed human brains. AGs were manually identified using Adobe Photoshop, with a pixel location containing an AG defined as 'positive'. A set of 25 standard fiducial points was marked on each hemisphere for a total of 50 points on each image. The points were connected on each hemisphere to create a segmented image. A standard template was created for each hemisphere by calculating the average position of the 25 fiducial points from all brains. Each segmented image was mapped to the standard template using a linear transformation. A topographic distribution map was produced by calculating the proportion of AG positive images at each pixel in the standard template. The AG surface area was calculated for each hemisphere and for the total brain superior surface. To adjust for different brain sizes, the proportional involvement of AGs was calculated by dividing the AG area by the total area.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The total brain average surface area of AGs was 78.53 ± 13.13 mm²(n = 35) and average AG proportional involvement was 57.71 × 10^-4± 7.65 × 10^-4. Regression analysis confirmed the reproducibility of AG identification between independent researchers with r²= 0.97. The surface AGs were localized in the parasagittal planes that coincide with the region of the lateral lacunae.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The data obtained on the spatial distribution and <it>en face </it>surface area of AGs will be used in an <it>in vitro </it>model of CSF outflow. With an increase in the number of samples, this analysis technique can be used to study the relationship between AG surface area and variables such as age, race and gender.</p

Depolimerizacija škroba pomoću razrijeđene fosforne kiseline i primjena hidrolizata u fermentaciji astaksantina

An innovative alternative for cassava starch hydrolysis has been developed using diluted (about 0.1 %) phosphoric acid at 160 °C. This technology is advantageous for developing countries where enzyme costs are prohibitive and hydrochloric acid is currently the only catalyst used for starch depolymerization. Lower concentrations of the byproduct hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) were generated during starch hydrolysis when using phosphoric acid as compared to hydrochloric acid at any given acidic pH. Glucose was the major product from phosphorolysed starch under most reaction conditions, although maltosaccharides with degrees of polymerization from 2 to 7 were also produced, with their relative amounts depending on hydrolysis conditions. Neutralization of the acid with aqueous ammonia produced a hydrolysate with sources of C (free sugars), P (phosphate), and N (ammonium) that could find several applications. We demonstrated one of these, namely the potential for the use of the hydrolysate as a fermentation feedstock, by cultivating the astaxanthin-producing red yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous on it. Cassava wastewater, a polluting byproduct of starch processing, was found to be a convenient source of nitrogen for this fermentation process.Razvijen je inovativni postupak hidrolize škroba manioke pomoću razrijeđene 0,1 %-tne fosforne kiseline pri 160 °C. Taj je postupak prikladan za zemlje u razvoju gdje je cijena enzima ograničavajući faktor, a klorovodična kiselina jedini katalizator koji se primjenjuje pri hidrolizi škroba. Primjenom fosforne kiseline nastaje manje nusprodukta hidroksimetilfurfurala nego s klorovodičnom kiselinom. Pri skoro svim uvjetima hidrolize glavni je produkt glukoza, iako nastaju i maltosaharidi stupnja polimerizacije od 2 do 7, ovisno o uvjetima hidrolize. Neutralizacijom kiseline vodenom otopinom amonijaka dobiven je hidrolizat koji može služiti kao izvor ugljika (slobodni šećeri), fosfora (fosfati) i dušika (amonijak) za razne primjene. U radu je navedena mogućnost uporabe hidrolizata kao podloge za uzgoj crvenoga kvasca Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous pri proizvodnji astaksantina. Otpadne vode od proizvodnje škroba manioke, koje inače zagađuju okoliš, prikladan su izvor dušika u tom postupku

Swarming in shallow waters

A swarm is a collection of separate objects that move autonomously in the same direction in a concerted fashion. This type of behavior is observed in ensembles of various organisms but has proven inherently difficult to realize in artificial chemical systems, where the components have to self-assemble dynamically and, at the same time, propel themselves. This paper describes a class of systems in which millimeter-sized components interact hydrodynamically and organize into dissipative structures that swarm in thin fluid layers. Depending on the geometry of the particles, various types of swarms can be engineered, including ensembles that rotate, follow a &quot;leader&quot;, or are pushed in front of a larger particle