Primary Aldosteronism

This chapter will focus on primary Aldosteronism (the most common form of endocrine hypertension). Other causes of endocrine hypertension that include pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma syndromes, severe cases of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome, hyperdeoxycorticosteronism, apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome, and acromegaly are reviewed elsewhere

Doublesex target genes in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum

Sex determination cascade in insects terminates with the production of sex-specific protein, Doublesex (Dsx). We identified the dsx homolog (Tcdsx) in Tribolium castaneum. The pre-mRNA of Tcdsx is sex-specifically spliced into three female (Tcdsxf1, Tcdsxf2 and Tcdsxf3) and one male-specific (Tcdsxm) isoforms. Cis-regulatory elements potentially involved in sex-specific splicing of the Tcdsx pre-mRNA were identified in the female-specific exon and the adjoining intronic sequences. All the three female-specific TcDsx proteins share common OD1 and OD2 domains and differ in their C-terminal sequences. Knockdown of Tcdsx resulted in a reduction in the oocyte development, egg production and hatching of eggs laid. Several genes, including those coding for Vitellogenins and Vitellogenin receptors were identified as targets of TcDsx. RNAi experiments showed an isoform-specific targeting of identified target genes by TcDsx as knockdown in the expression of Tcdsx isoforms individually or in combinations resulted in differential effects on the expression of target genes

Conductivity of flowing polyaniline suspensions in electric field

V práci byla studována tvorba řetízkových struktur polarizovaných částic polyanilínu dispergovaných v silikonovém oleji při působení elektrického pole prostřednictvím monitorování časové závislosti vodivosti suspenze.The formation of chain structures by polarized polyaniline (PANI) particles suspended in silicone oil in the electric field has been monitored by recording suspension conductivity in the course of time. For that purpose, three types of PANI particles differing in the conductivity (3.1 × 10?3, 1.7 × 10?1, and 2.0 × 10?1 S cm?1) have been chosen out of a series of nine samples prepared by controlled protonation of PANI base in orthophosphoric acid solutions. Relaxation times reflecting this process and characterizing the rate of the response to the electric field decreased with particle conductivity, indicating a higher polarizability of particles. At the same time, the maximum conductivity of suspension increased as a consequence of the electric and shear forces acting on the particles. In the shear fields, shorter relaxation times appeared than at rest. The simultaneous measurement of the shear stress confirmed that the conductivity investigation can reliably characterize the development of electrorheological structures