Animal and clinical studies have shown an acceleration of bone healing by the application of pulsed low-intensity ultrasound (PLIUS). Several studies have reported that pulsed low-intensity ultrasound increase the synthesis of proteoglycan and type II collagen of cultured animal chondrocytes. The objectives of this study were to exam the bioeffect of pulsed low-intensity ultrasound on in vitro cultured human chondrocytes. Human chondrocytes were isolated from the amputated polydactyly digit of six different 1 to 10 years patients and cultured in agarose suspension for 3 days before treatment. PLIUS with intensities of 3.6, 18, 48, 72 and 98 mW/cm2was respectively applied to human chondrocytes for a single 10-min per day treatment. A control group was treated without PLIUS. The results demonstrated that PLIUS-treated human chondrocytes increased the proteoglycan synthesis compared with the control in a time-dependent manner. It is shown that the effect of 48 mW/cm2 is the most potent among a variety of PLIUS intensities tested determined by ELISA method. PLIUS at 48 mW/cm2 also increased type II collagen synthesis by up to 48.5+8.0% of the control determined by western blotting analysis. However, PLIUS has no significant influence on the cell proliferation of human chondrocytes compared with the control. It revealed that the PLIUS can enhance extracellular matrix synthesis. The response to PLIUS of chondrocytes harvested from 1 year old donor was significantly better than that of chondrocytes of 10 years old patient. These observations may lead to a better understanding of the bioeffect of PLIUS on in vitro cultured human chondrovytes.

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This thesis examines the linkages between the verbal response to social stress, the ostracism of individuals from a social group, and the subsequent increased cohesion of the remaining members. To write the thesis, I utilized these printed references in the forms of scholarly research, journals, diaries, and interviews primarily from the Texas A&M Sterling Evans Library and the online journal resource JSTOR as well as a video documentary. Previous research into the genres of rumor, identity, and scapegoat accusations are explicated. Then, these approaches are applied to the rumors told by the Japanese-Americans who were removed from their homes and sent to internment camps in the United States during World War II. The internment camps were rife with scapegoat accusations between the internees whose once unified culture group was fissured along lines of loyalty to the United States or to Japan. These scapegoat accusations against fellow internees were an outlet for the stress exerted upon them by the American government that was not directly combatable. Even processes as complicated as changing social dynamics can be observed through the mechanisms of rumors and scapegoat accusations.

The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is the origin of a ¡§life-and-death¡¨ signal identifies from systemic arterial blood pressure spectrum that reflects failure of central cardiovascular regulation during brain stem death. It is also a target site where endogenous angiotensin II acts on angiotensin II type 1 receptors (AT1R) to increase blood pressure (BP); or on type 2 receptors (AT2R) to inhibit baroreceptor reflex (BRR) response. This study investigated the roles of AT1R and AT2R and their signaling pathways in RVLM for ¡§life-and-death¡¨ signal response during experimental brain stem death, using organophosphate mevinphos (Mev) as the experimental insult. In Sprague-Dawley rats, Mev (640 £gg/kg, i.v.) elicited an increase (pro-life phase) followed by a decrease (pro-death phase). Real-time PCR analysis revealed that whereas AT1R level underwent a 10% increase at pro-life phase, AT2R exhibited a significance increase of up to 40% at pro-death phase. Western blot analysis revealed that whereas AT1R level underwent a 20% increase at pro-life phase, AT2R exhibited a significant increase of up to 50% at pro-death phase. Pretreatment with microinjection of an AT1R antagonist losartan (2 nmol) into RVLM elicited abrupt death because of drastic hypotension through inhibiting NADPH oxidase and its downstream superoxide anion. Pretreatment with NADPH oxidase inhibitor DPI (1.5 nmol) inhibited NADPH oxidase avtiviting and superoxide anion production and decreased ¡§life-and-death¡¨ signal at pro-life phase; using superoxide anion inhibitor tempol (5 nmol) potentiated blood pressure and ¡§life-and-death¡¨ signal at pro-death phase. However, pretreatment with an AT2R antagonist PD123319 (2 nmol) potentiated the ¡§life-and-death¡¨ signal and antagonized hypotension during pro-death phase through inhibiting protein phosphotase 2A (PP2A) then activating extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). Similar to AT2R antagonist PD123319, pretreatment with PP2A inhibitor okadaic acid (0.5 fmol) inhibit PP2A, leading to activation of ERK1/2, potentiate ¡§life-and-death¡¨ signal and antagonized hypotension during pro-death phase. These results suggest that AT1R in RVLM plays a ¡§pro-life¡¨ role through NADPH oxidase/superoxide anion during experimental brain stem death by maintaining BP and ¡§life-and-death¡¨ signal; AT2R plays a ¡§pro-death¡¨ role through PP2A/ERK1/2 by inhibiting BP and ¡§life-and-death¡¨ signal, and superoxide may also plays a ¡§pro-life and pro-death¡¨ role at pro-death phase.

Rapport de projet diplôme de conservateur des bibliothèques : Bibliothéconomie : Villeurbanne, ENSSIB : 2005. / Texte intégral.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 172-200).

In mammals distinct steroid hormones termed mineralocorticoids (MCs) and glucocorticoids (GCs) regulate hydromineral balance and the stress response, respectively. In contrast, it is thought that a single corticosteroid, 1[alpha]-hydroxycorticosterone (1[alpha]-B) serves as both a GC and MC in elasmobranchs. I investigated the putative dual MC and GC roles of 1[alpha]-B by examining ex vivo regulation of interrenal 1[alpha]-B synthesis by osmoregulatory and stress hormones in the euryhaline stingray Dasyatis sabina. A commercial enzyme-linked immunoassay was adapted for the quantification of 1[alpha]-B. I also isolated cDNA sequences encoding two rate-limiting steroidogenic enzymes, the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage (P450scc), and characterized the steroidogenic activity of the encoded proteins using a heterologous expression system. Both the stress hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and the antinatriuretic peptide angiotensin II (ANG II) were potently steroidogenic in ex vivo interrenal cultures, whereas C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) inhibited 1[alpha]-B synthesis. StAR and P450scc mRNA levels were increased by 24 h incubation with ACTH and decreased by both ANG II and CNP. To examine changes in osmoregulatory hormone systems that impinge upon 1[alpha]-B synthesis, I also isolated the cDNA sequences of the ANG II and CNP receptors, AT and NPR-B. Both AT and NPR-B mRNA levels were significantly elevated in osmoregulatory tissues of freshwater (FW; Lake Monroe, FL) versus saltwater (SW; Corpus Christi Bay, TX) populations of D. sabina. Interrenal StAR and NPR-B mRNA levels were also significantly higher in FW individuals. The physiological roles of 1[alpha]-B were further investigated in vivo by examining the effects of stress and FW transfer on interrenal synthesis of 1[alpha]-B. Plasma 1[alpha]-B and glucose were significantly elevated by hook-and-line capture stress, indicating that 1[alpha]-B acts in classical GC fashion to facilitate the stress response. In contrast, 1[alpha]-B was significantly decreased 24 h after SW-FW transfer. In light of the osmotic strategy of euryhaline elasmobranchs, this result is consistent with a MC role for 1[alpha]-B. Taken together, the results of this research strongly support a dual role for 1[alpha]-B in facilitating both hydromineral balance and the stress response in elasmobranchs. / text

Group II introns are a class of mobile ribozymes found in bacteria and eukaryotic organelles that self-splice from precursor RNAs. The resulting lariat intron RNA can then insert into new genomic DNA sites through a reverse splicing reaction. Collectively, this process of intron mobility is termed “retrohoming.” Mobile group II introns encode a reverse transcriptase (RT) that stabilizes the catalytically active form of the intron RNA for both the forward and reverse splicing reactions and also converts the integrated intron RNA into DNA. This work aims to elucidate the structure of bacterial group II intron-encoded RTs and ultimately determine how they function in intron mobility. Although efforts to crystallize group II introns RTs have been unsuccessful, small angle X-ray scattering studies in conjunction with homology modeling have provided new insights into the structure and function of these enzymes. / text

No description available.

Finansiell rådgivning präglas av i huvudsak två problem; informationsasymmetri och intressekonflikter. Reglerna rörande investerarskyddet vid rådgivning har omarbetats flertalet gånger under 2000-talet. Syftet är att försöka motverka de intressekonflikter som kan missgynna investerare i rådgivningssituationer genom att minska den informationsasymmetri som råder mellan parterna. En följd av det direktiv som antogs 2014 av EU gällande marknader för finansiella instrument är att dessa regler återigen granskas. I efterföljande utredning föreslås bland annat att svensk lagstiftning ska gå längre än vad direktivet kräver gällande oberoende-klassificering samt införa ett förbud mot all ersättning från tredjepart som kan inverka negativt på kundens intresse. Provisionsförbudet syftar till att öka investerarskyddet genom att eliminera de incitament rådgivare har för att ge råd som inte är i kundens bästa intresse. Samtidigt medför en sådan reform stora förändringar på marknaden som helhet. Genom att studera förslagen ur ett rättsekonomiskt perspektiv analyseras regleringens effekter. Det råder inga tvivel om att ett provisionsförbud leder till konkurrenshämmande effekter, huruvida dess konsekvenser kommer vara till fördel för slutkunden är dock omdiskuterat. Bland förespråkare anses det främst vara aktörer som inte tillför ett egentligt mervärde för kunderna som kommer försvinna från marknaden, medan det i övrigt bör resultera i bättre anpassade produkter och råd för investerare. Motståndare menar att reglerna tvärtom kommer leda till färre, men dyrare investeringsalternativ på marknaden. Det är sannolikt att marknadskoncentrationen kommer att öka då det i dagsläget kan finnas en motvilja att betala för rådgivning, eftersom det tidigare inte varit en uppenbar och synlig kostnad. Till följd av det kommer både antalet mindre aktörer och produktutbudet minska.     På sikt kan det leda till en än mer oförmånlig situation för investerarna, som blir mer beroende av de aktörer som fortfarande tillåts agera i eget intresse.