Mineral to matrix ratio determines biomaterial and biomechanical properties of rat femur : application of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

We studied the changes of biomaterial and biomechanical properties of the rat femur during development. Thirty male Wistar rats were allocated to 6 groups : aged 6 weeks (n=5), 9 weeks (n=5), 12 weeks (n=5), 15 weeks (n=5), 24 weeks (n=5), and 36 weeks (n=5). The mineral to matrix ratio (M/M ratio) of rat femur by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was 0.97 0.10 at the age of 6 weeks, and reached the maximum of 1.52 0.17 at the age of 36 weeks. Total bone mineral density (BMD) by peripheral quantitative computed tomography of the femoral shaft aged 6 weeks was 479.1 58.7 mg/cm3, and reached the maximum of 1022.2 42.3 mg/cm3 at the age of 36 weeks. The ultimate load to failure of the femur of the rat aged 6 weeks by the three-point bending test was 29.6 6.1 N. At the age of 36 weeks, the ultimate load to failure of the rat femur increased to the maximum of 283.5 14.7 N. The results showed that the M/M ratio increased with development as total BMD and bone strength increased. The results suggest that the M/M ratio is one of the determinants of the biomaterial and biomechanical properties of bone

Arabidopsis RPT2a, 19S Proteasome Subunit, Regulates Gene Silencing via DNA Methylation

The ubiquitin/proteasome pathway plays a crucial role in many biological processes. Here we report a novel role for the Arabidopsis 19S proteasome subunit RPT2a in regulating gene activity at the transcriptional level via DNA methylation. Knockout mutation of the RPT2a gene did not alter global protein levels; however, the transcriptional activities of reporter transgenes were severely reduced compared to those in the wild type. This transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) was observed for transgenes under control of either the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter or the cold-inducible RD29A promoter. Bisulfite sequencing analysis revealed that both the transgene and endogenous RD29A promoter regions were hypermethylated at CG and non-CG contexts in the rpt2a mutant. Moreover, the TGS of transgenes driven by the CaMV 35S promoters was released by treatment with the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine, but not by application of the inhibitor of histone deacetylase Trichostatin A. Genetic crosses with the DNA methyltransferase met1 single or drm1drm2cmt3 triple mutants also resulted in a release of CaMV 35S transgene TGS in the rpt2a mutant background. Increased methylation was also found at transposon sequences, suggesting that the 19S proteasome containing AtRPT2a negatively regulates TGS at transgenes and at specific endogenous genes through DNA methylation

Foreign-body granulomas and abscesses caused by dropped gallstones after cholecystectomy : Four cases diagnosed with multimodality imaging.

Four cases (age range, 60-78 years, male:female = 1:3) who had undergone cholecystectomy presented with fever (n = 1), right abdominal pain with fever (n = 1), appetite loss with fever (n = 1), and absence of symptoms (n = 1). Computed tomography (CT) showed an irregular-shaped invasive mass or fluid collection in the right Morrison\u27s pouch, right paracolic gutter, gallbladder fossa, subphrenic space, or abdominal wall. CT and ultrasound revealed gallstones in the granuloma in 3 cases and an abscess in one case. The inflammatory process induced by dropped gallstones may mimic peritoneal malignancies. Awareness of cholecystectomy and the detection of gallstones in the lesion are essential for the diagnosis of dropped gallstones

Konflikt Der Rechtskulturen? Die USA Und Deutschland Im Vergleich

Book Chapter Donald P. Kommers, The Grundgesetz: An American Perspective, in Konflikt Der Rechtskulturen? Die USA Und Deutschland Im Vergleich 37 (Knud Krakow & Franz Streng eds., 2003) The volume\u27s contributions look at the legal system of the United States of America as part of the overall national culture, compare it with the corresponding German ideas, and analyze it in a number of key aspects. The respective basic issue is, above all, the respective weighting of freedom and equality, as well as the resulting constitutional orders. Other issues include the relationship between national, international and global law; the impact of racial and gender prejudice on case law, especially in the case of the death penalty; juvenile justice and the consequences of a zero tolerance policy; the right to damages and the relationship between law, the media and the public.https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/law_books/1349/thumbnail.jp