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Comb
Kinds of Comb Terms modified by Comb Selected AbstractsCombining Cariporide with Glyceryl Trinitrate Optimizes Cardiac Preservation During Porcine Heart TransplantationAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 9 2009A. J. Hing Sodium,hydrogen exchange inhibitors, such as cariporide, are potent cardioprotective agents, however, safety concerns have been raised about intravenously (i.v.) administered cariporide in humans. The aim of this study was to develop a preservation strategy that maintained cariporide's cardioprotective efficacy during heart transplantation while minimizing recipient exposure. We utilized a porcine model of orthotopic heart transplantation that incorporated donor brain death and 14 h static heart storage. Five groups were studied: control (CON), hearts stored in Celsior; CAR1, hearts stored in Celsior with donors and recipients receiving cariporide (2 mg/kg i.v.) prior to explantation and reperfusion, respectively; CAR2, hearts stored in Celsior supplemented with cariporide (10 ,mol/L); GTN, hearts stored in Celsior supplemented with glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) (100 mg/L); and COMB, hearts stored in Celsior supplemented with cariporide (10 ,mol/L) plus GTN (100 mg/L). A total of 5/5 CAR1 and 5/6 COMB recipients were weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass compared with 1/5 CON, 1/5 CAR2 and 0/5 GTN animals (p = 0.001). Hearts from the CAR1 and COMB groups demonstrated similar cardiac function and troponin release after transplantation. Supplementation of Celsior with cariporide plus GTN provided superior donor heart preservation to supplementation with either agent alone and equivalent preservation to that observed with systemic administration of cariporide to the donor and recipient. [source] Cover Picture: QSAR Comb.MOLECULAR INFORMATICS, Issue 8 2009The transmembrane protein aquaporin spans biological membranes and forms channels that allow the passage of water molecules. The water channels consist of alpha helices (purple cylinders) and are shown as a Conolly surface,in which the electrostatic potential is represented by colors (blue: negative, red: positive). Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon were awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the discovery of water channels and for structural and mechanistic studies on ion channels, respectively. Cover illustration by courtesy of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Brickmann, Dr. Thorsten Borosch, MOLNET e.V. [source] Cover Picture: QSAR Comb.MOLECULAR INFORMATICS, Issue 1 2009The transmembrane protein aquaporin spans biological membranes and forms channels that allow the passage of water molecules. The water channels consist of alpha helices (purple cylinders) and are shown as a Conolly surface,in which the electrostatic potential is represented by colors (blue: negative, red: positive). Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon were awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the discovery of water channels and for structural and mechanistic studies on ion channels, respectively. Cover illustration by courtesy of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Brickmann, Dr. Thorsten Borosch, MOLNET e.V. [source] Cover Picture: QSAR Comb.MOLECULAR INFORMATICS, Issue 11-12 2008The transmembrane protein aquaporin spans biological membranes and forms channels that allow the passage of water molecules. The water channels consist of alpha helices (purple cylinders) and are shown as a Conolly surface,in which the electrostatic potential is represented by colors (blue: negative, red: positive). Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon were awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the discovery of water channels and for structural and mechanistic studies on ion channels, respectively. Cover illustration by courtesy of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Brickmann, Dr. Thorsten Borosch, MOLNET e.V. [source] Cover Picture: QSAR Comb.MOLECULAR INFORMATICS, Issue 1 2008Computational Assessment of Toxicity and Environmental Fate: Current Approaches and Regulatory Perspectives [source] Cover Picture: QSAR Comb.MOLECULAR INFORMATICS, Issue 11-12 2007The transmembrane protein aquaporin spans biological membranes and forms channels that allow the passage of water molecules. The water channels consist of alpha helices (purple cylinders) and are shown as a Conolly surface,in which the electrostatic potential is represented by colors (blue: negative, red: positive). Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon were awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the discovery of water channels and for structural and mechanistic studies on ion channels, respectively. Cover illustration by courtesy of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Brickmann, Dr. Thorsten Borosch, MOLNET e.V. [source] Cover Picture: QSAR Comb.MOLECULAR INFORMATICS, Issue 1 2007The transmembrane protein aquaporin spans biological membranes and forms channels that allow the passage of water molecules. The water channels consist of alpha helices (purple cylinders) and are shown as a Conolly surface,in which the electrostatic potential is represented by colors (blue: negative, red: positive). Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon were awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the discovery of water channels and for structural and mechanistic studies on ion channels, respectively. Cover illustration by courtesy of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Brickmann, Dr. Thorsten Borosch, MOLNET e.V. [source] Cover Picture: QSAR Comb.MOLECULAR INFORMATICS, Issue 12 2006The transmembrane protein aquaporin spans biological membranes and forms channels that allow the passage of water molecules. The water channels consist of alpha helices (purple cylinders) and are shown as a Conolly surface,in which the electrostatic potential is represented by colors (blue: negative, red: positive. Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon were awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the discovery of water channels and for structural and mechanistic studies on ion channels, respectively. Cover illustration by courtesy of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Brickmann, Dr. Thorsten Borosch, MOLNET e.V. [source] Cover Picture: QSAR Comb.MOLECULAR INFORMATICS, Issue 11 2006The transmembrane protein aquaporin spans biological membranes and forms channels that allow the passage of water molecules. The water channels consist of alpha helices (purple cylinders) and are shown as a Conolly surface,in which the electrostatic potential is represented by colors (blue: negative, red: positive. Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon were awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the discovery of water channels and for structural and mechanistic studies on ion channels, respectively. Cover illustration by courtesy of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Brickmann, Dr. Thorsten Borosch, MOLNET e.V. [source] Cover Picture: QSAR Comb.MOLECULAR INFORMATICS, Issue 10 2006The transmembrane protein aquaporin spans biological membranes and forms channels that allow the passage of water molecules. The water channels consist of alpha helices (purple cylinders) and are shown as a Conolly surface,in which the electrostatic potential is represented by colors (blue: negative, red: positive. Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon were awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the discovery of water channels and for structural and mechanistic studies on ion channels, respectively. Cover illustration by courtesy of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Brickmann, Dr. Thorsten Borosch, MOLNET e.V. [source] Cover Picture: QSAR Comb.MOLECULAR INFORMATICS, Issue 8-9 2006Fluorous molecules are lipophobic and hydrophobic, they can be selectively separated by liquid-liquid extraction with fluorous solvents, solid-phase extraction and HPLC with fluorous silica gel. The cover picture highlights some representative structures of fluorous catalysts, reagents, scavengers, and protecting groups which have been developed for fluorous synthesis and reported in this special issue. [source] Literature Highlights in Combinatorial Science: QSAR Comb.MOLECULAR INFORMATICS, Issue 4 2005First page of article [source] Inexpensive Head Lice CombPEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2001Raymond T. Kuwahara M.D. First page of article [source] Vascularization of the Fleshy Comb in the Domestic ChickenANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 2005B. Vollmerhaus Up to now little is known about the vascularization of the chicken fleshy comb (crista carnosa). In order to evaluate the vascularization of the crista carnosa of the cook (breed White Leghorn), corrosion casts were created by injecting Plastoid into the internal carotid as described by Schummer (1951). Specimens were investigated by stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Generally the dermis is highly vascularized by two capillary networks, which are localized beneath the epithelium and beneath the dermal papillas. The dense subepithelial network is characterized by the presence of sinusoid vessels. In the subcutaneous plexus numerous arteriovenous anastomoses of different types occur. Additionally there are arteriovenous anastomoses between the main vessels reaching the indentations of the comb. Our results show the presence of superficial and dense capillary networks and arteriovenous anastomoses are the anatomical basis for the functions of the chicken comb in mating behaviour and thermoregulation. Reference, Schummer, A. 1951: Simplified method for plastoid corrosion. Anat. Anaz. 98, 288,290. [source] How Drosophila change their combs: the Hox gene Sex combs reduced and sex comb variation among Sophophora speciesEVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2008Neel B. Randsholt SUMMARY Identification of the events responsible for rapid morphological variation during evolution can help understand how developmental processes are changed by genetic modifications and thus produce diverse body features and shapes. Sex combs, a sexually dimorphic structure, show considerable variation in morphology and numbers among males from related species of Sophophora, a subgenus of Drosophila. To address which evolutionary changes in developmental processes underlie this diversity, we first analyzed the genetic network that controls morphogenesis of a single sex comb in the model D. melanogaster. We show that it depends on positive and negative regulatory inputs from proximo-distal identity specifying genes, including dachshund, bric à brac, and sex combs distal. All contribute to spatial regulation of the Hox gene Sex combs reduced (Scr), which is crucial for comb formation. We next analyzed the expression of these genes in sexually dimorphic species with different comb numbers. Only Scr shows considerable expression plasticity, which is correlated with comb number variation in these species. We suggest that differences in comb numbers reflect changes of Scr expression in tarsus primordia, and discuss how initial comb formation could have occurred in an ancestral Sophophora fly following regulatory modifications of developmental programs both parallel to and downstream of Scr. [source] An Ordovician age for the Muggort's Bay Lower Palaeozoic inlier, County Waterford, Ireland,the southernmost exposure of the Irish CaledonidesGEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Issue 5 2005P. M. Brück Abstract The most southerly exposed Lower Palaeozoic strata in Ireland occur on the southwest coast of County Waterford along a 2.5,km long coastal section at Muggort's Bay where they are surrounded by Devonian rocks. Five formations can be distinguished which, in ascending order, are: the Ballycurreen, Carrickbrean, Rathnameenagh, Moanbrack and Killinoorin formations. The total thickness of the succession is over 1800,m. No macrofossils are present, but the lithologies are largely fine-grained turbidites and subordinate volcanic rocks which closely resemble the Ribband Group seen elsewhere in southeast Ireland and have previously therefore been classified with it. Palynological analysis was undertaken on 25 samples collected from Muggort's Bay, of which eight were productive. Diagnostic microfossils, comprising acritarchs, chitinozoans and scolecodonts, indicate an Early to Middle Ordovician age for both the Rathnameenagh and the Moanbrack formations. These ages confirm that the strata are part of the Ribband Group which elsewhere has been biostratigraphically dated as ranging from Mid-Cambrian to Mid-Ordovician. Reworked mid-Middle Cambrian acritarchs occur in the Moanbrack Formation and reworked late Middle to early Late Cambrian acritarchs in the Rathnameenagh Formation. Despite generally poor preservation of the organic matter, some 20 acritarch species have been distinguished. Among these, three species belong to the herein revised genus Retisphaeridium for which an emended diagnosis is proposed together with two new combinations, Retisphaeridium capsulatum (Jankauskas, 1976) Vanguestaine nov. comb. and Retisphaeridium pusillum (Moczydlowska, 1998) Vanguestaine nov. comb. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Comparative efficacy of two nit combs in removing head lice (Pediculus humanus var. capitis) and their eggsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2007Rick Speare BVS Background, Fine tooth lice combs fall into two classes based on the material from which their teeth are made: plastic or metal. Metal combs are further divided into those that are made from a flat sheet of metal, and hence have rectangular teeth, and those that have cylindrical teeth embedded in a plastic base. Methods, The efficacy of two fine tooth combs [Lice Meister comb (metal) and Lady Jayne comb (plastic)] in removing head lice (Pediculus humanus var. capitis) and their eggs from the hair of children was evaluated after treatment with a viscous head lice product (Lice Blaster; Emerald Forest Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, Currumbin, Qld, Australia). The hair of 27 children was divided into two sections sagitally, and each comb was randomly assigned to one half of the hair, and the lice and eggs removed by the combs were counted. Results, In 96% of subjects, the Lice Meister comb removed more eggs than the Lady Jayne comb, with an average of three to four times more hatched, dead, and live eggs removed. The Lice Meister comb removed more lice than the Lady Jayne comb in 10 subjects, the same in eight subjects, and less in nine subjects. Conclusion, Overall, the Lice Meister comb is recommended as a more effective comb for use in controlling head lice infestations, whether employed with conditioner or with insecticide treatment. This appears to be the first study investigating the efficacy of nit combs in vivo. Further research is needed to determine which characteristics of fine tooth combs are the most important in removing head lice eggs. [source] ULTRASTRUCTURE AND LSU rDNA,BASED REVISION OF PERIDINIUM GROUP PALATINUM (DINOPHYCEAE) WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF PALATINUS GEN.JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 5 2009The name Peridinium palatinum Lauterborn currently designates a freshwater peridinioid with 13 epithecal and six cingular plates, and no apical pore complex. Freshwater dinoflagellate floras classify it in Peridinium group palatinum together with P. pseudolaeve M. Lefèvre. General ultrastructure, flagellar apparatus, and pusular components of P. palatinum were examined by serial section TEM and compared to P. cinctum (O. F. Müll.) Ehrenb. and Peridiniopsis borgei Lemmerm., respectively, types of Peridinium and Peridiniopsis. Partial LSU rDNA sequences from P. palatinum, P. pseudolaeve and several peridinioids, woloszynskioids, gymnodinioids, and other dinoflagellates were used for a phylogenetic analysis. General morphology and tabulation of taxa in group palatinum were characterized by SEM. Differences in plate numbers, affecting both the epitheca and the cingulum, combine with differences in plate ornamentation and a suite of internal cell features to suggest a generic-level distinction between Peridinium group palatinum and typical Peridinium. The branching pattern of the phylogenetic tree is compatible with this conclusion, although with low support from bootstrap values and posterior probabilities, as are sequence divergences estimated between species in group palatinum, and typical Peridinium and Peridiniopsis. Palatinus nov. gen. is proposed with the new combinations Palatinus apiculatus nov. comb. (type species; syn. Peridinium palatinum), P. apiculatus var. laevis nov. comb., and P. pseudolaevis nov. comb. Distinctive characters for Palatinus include a smooth or slightly granulate, but not areolate, plate surface, a large central pyrenoid penetrated by cytoplasmic channels and radiating into chloroplast lobes, and the presence of a peduncle-homologous microtubular strand. Palatinus cells exit the theca through the antapical-postcingular area. [source] Laser and nonlinear-laser properties of undoped and Nd3+ -doped orthorhombic Ca(NbO3)2 single crystals: new stimulated-emission performance and high-order picosecond stimulated Raman scattering covering more than two octave Stokes and anti-Stokes wavelengthsLASER PHYSICS LETTERS, Issue 11 2009A.A. Kaminskii Abstract We report new laser and nonlinear-laser properties of Nd3+ -ion doped and undoped orthorhombic calcium niobate. In particular, we show that: Nd3+:Ca(NbO3)2 is a promising gain medium for LD-pumped microchip lasers and undoped Ca(NbO3)2 can give rise to high-order lasing covering more than two-octave Stokes and anti-Stokes frequency comb in the visible and near-IR region. We measured also the main spectroscopic intensity characteristics related to the observed laser performance and identified their physical nature. (© 2009 by Astro Ltd., Published exclusively by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA) [source] Nonlinear-laser ,(3) -effects in novel garnet-type fine-grained ceramic-host {YGd2}[Sc2](Al2Ga)O12 for Ln3+ lasantsLASER PHYSICS LETTERS, Issue 9 2009A.A. Kaminskii Abstract We report on ,(3) -nonlinear generation in crystalline ceramics {YGd2}[Sc2](Al2Ga)O12 offering partly disordered garnet structure, namely octave-spanning Stokes and anti-Stokes lasing comb and third harmonic generation under one-micron picosecond pumping. Possibilities for creation of really disordered laser "garnet"-type ceramics is discussed. (© 2009 by Astro Ltd., Published exclusively by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA) [source] Wide-band Raman Stokes and anti-Stokes comb lasing in a BaF2 single crystal under picosecond pumpingLASER PHYSICS LETTERS, Issue 4 2008A.A. Kaminskii Abstract We report on the first observation of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in a crystal of cubic BaF2. All registered Stokes and anti-Stokes lasing sidebands in the visible and near-IR (up to the 41st order) are identified to the single ,(3) -promoting vibration mode (,SRS , 238 cm,1) of the crystal. The recorded very broad nonlinear lasing comb (more than one octave spanning) in BaF2 opens the possibility for experiments on femtosecond waveform synthesis and other laser comb applications. (© 2008 by Astro Ltd., Published exclusively by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA) [source] High-precision calibration of spectrographsMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY: LETTERS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2010T. Wilken ABSTRACT We present the first stringent tests of a novel calibration system based on a laser frequency comb (LFC) for radial velocity measurements. The tests were obtained with the high-resolution, optical spectrograph, High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher. By using only one echelle order, we obtain a calibration repeatability of 15 cm s,1 for exposures that are several hours apart. This is comparable with a simultaneous calibration using a Th,Ar lamp that makes use of all 72 echelle orders. In both cases, the residuals are compatible with the computed photon noise. Averaging all LFC exposures, recorded over a few hours, we could obtain a calibration curve with residuals of 2.4 m s,1. Thanks to the adjustable and optimally chosen line density of the LFC, we resolve a periodicity of 512 pixels in the calibration curve that is due to the manufacturing process of the CCD mask. Previous Th,Ar calibration was unable to resolve these systematic deviations, resulting in a deviation of up to 70 m s,1 from the true calibration curve. In future, we hope to be able to make use of all echelle orders in order to obtain a calibration repeatability below 1 cm s,1 and absolute calibration within a few m s,1. [source] A new taxon of phytosaur (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia) from the Late Triassic (Norian) Sonsela Member (Chinle Formation) in Arizona, and a critical reevaluation of Leptosuchus Case, 1922PALAEONTOLOGY, Issue 5 2010MICHELLE R. STOCKER Abstract:,Leptosuchus Case, 1922 (Reptilia: Phytosauria) from the Late Triassic of the American West is represented by many specimens. Here, I present complete morphological descriptions of the skull material of a new taxon from the Sonsela Member (Chinle Formation) of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, with the first rigorous phylogenetic analysis focused on the interrelationships of Leptosuchus. The new taxon is recovered as the sister taxon to Pseudopalatinae. It possesses one unambiguous synapomorphy (the ,septomaxillae' form part of the lateral borders of the nares) and shares the presence of a subsidiary opisthotic process with Pseudopalatinae. The new taxon does not fall within the restricted clade Leptosuchus. In my analysis, the previously proposed, but undemonstrated, sister taxon relationship between Angistorhinus and Rutiodon is not supported, Paleorhinus is recovered as paraphyletic, and a subset of taxa traditionally included within Leptosuchus are found to be more closely related to Pseudopalatinae, rendering Leptosuchus paraphyletic. ,Leptosuchus'adamanensis emerges as sister taxon to Smilosuchus gregorii and is here referred to as Smilosuchus adamanensis nov. comb., and ,Machaeroprosopus'lithodendrorum is also transferred to Smilosuchus lithodendrorum nov. comb. Documentation of the variation present within Phytosauria, and specifically within Leptosuchus sensu lato, demonstrates higher diversity within Phytosauria than previously appreciated and places the character states previously proposed for Pseudopalatinae into a broader context of shared characters. [source] Molecular Characterization of Gregarines from Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and Description of Psychodiella n. g. (Apicomplexa: Gregarinida)THE JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2009JAN VOTÝPKA ABSTRACT. Sand fly and mosquito gregarines have been lumped for a long time in the single genus Ascogregarina and on the basis of their morphological characters and the lack of merogony been placed into the eugregarine family Lecudinidae. Phylogenetic analyses performed in this study clearly demonstrated paraphyly of the current genus Ascogregarina and revealed disparate phylogenetic positions of gregarines parasitizing mosquitoes and gregarines retrieved from sand flies. Therefore, we reclassified the genus Ascogregarina and created a new genus Psychodiella to accommodate gregarines from sand flies. The genus Psychodiella is distinguished from all other related gregarine genera by the characteristic localization of oocysts in accessory glands of female hosts, distinctive nucleotide sequences of the small subunit rDNA, and host specificity to flies belonging to the subfamily Phlebotominae. The genus comprises three described species: the type species for the new genus,Psychodiella chagasi (Adler and Mayrink 1961) n. comb., Psychodiella mackiei (Shortt and Swaminath 1927) n. comb., and Psychodiella saraviae (Ostrovska, Warburg, and Montoya-Lerma 1990) n. comb. Its creation is additionally supported by sequencing data from other gregarine species originating from the sand fly Phlebotomus sergenti. In the evolutionary context, both genera of gregarines from mosquitoes (Ascogregarina) and sand flies (Psychodiella) have a close relationship to neogregarines; the genera represent clades distinct from the other previously sequenced gregarines. [source] Transfer of Nosema locustae (Microsporidia) to Antonospora locustae n. comb.THE JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2004Based on Molecular, Ultrastructural Data ABSTRACT. Nosema locustae is a microsporidian parasite of grasshopper pesthd that is used as a biological control agent, and is one of the emerging model systems for microsporidia. Due largely to its diplokaryotic nuclei, N. locustae has been classified in the genus Nosema, a large genus with members that infect a wide variety of insects. However, some molecular studies have cast doubt on the validity of certain Nosema species, and on the taxonomic position of N. locustae. To clarify the affinities of this important insect parasite we sequenced part of the rRNA operon of N. locustae and conducted a phylogenetic analysis using the complete small subunit rRNA gene. Nosema locustae is only distantly related to the nominotypic N. bombycis, and is instead closely related to Antonospora scoticae, a recently described parasite of bees. We examined the ultrastructure of mature N. locustae spores, and found the spore wall to differ from true Nosema species in having a multi-layered exospore resembling that of Antonospora (one of the distinguishing features of that genus). Based on both molecular and morphological evidence, therefore, we propose transferring N. locustae to the genus Antonospora, as Antonospora locustae n. comb. [source] Vascularization of the Fleshy Comb in the Domestic ChickenANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 2005B. Vollmerhaus Up to now little is known about the vascularization of the chicken fleshy comb (crista carnosa). In order to evaluate the vascularization of the crista carnosa of the cook (breed White Leghorn), corrosion casts were created by injecting Plastoid into the internal carotid as described by Schummer (1951). Specimens were investigated by stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Generally the dermis is highly vascularized by two capillary networks, which are localized beneath the epithelium and beneath the dermal papillas. The dense subepithelial network is characterized by the presence of sinusoid vessels. In the subcutaneous plexus numerous arteriovenous anastomoses of different types occur. Additionally there are arteriovenous anastomoses between the main vessels reaching the indentations of the comb. Our results show the presence of superficial and dense capillary networks and arteriovenous anastomoses are the anatomical basis for the functions of the chicken comb in mating behaviour and thermoregulation. Reference, Schummer, A. 1951: Simplified method for plastoid corrosion. Anat. Anaz. 98, 288,290. [source] Does male secondary sexual trait size reveal fertilization efficiency in Australian Drosophila bipectinata Duda (Diptera: Drosophilidae)?BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 2 2009ARASH RASHED Males developing relatively large, costly sexually selected traits may be of superior body condition compared to small-ornamented males. Thus, males developing the largest secondary sexual trait in a given environment may also be able to augment their investment into ejaculate quality, and fertilize a larger proportion of a female's eggs. We tested the prediction that the degree of expression of a condition-dependent secondary sexual trait, the male sex comb, in a Cape Tribulation (northeastern Australia) population of Drosophila bipectinata Duda, reveals male ability to fertilize eggs in the absence of sperm competition. This test permitted us also to evaluate whether pre-copulatory sexual selection and fertilization efficiency might act additively to influence male reproductive success because a previous study of the same population demonstrated a positive association between comb size and copulation probability. The results obtained indicate that, although genotypes developing smaller sex combs collectively had a significantly higher rate of insemination failure compared to larger comb genotypes, the hatch rate and the number of eggs laid by females inseminated by the two genotypic categories were not statistically different. The results fail to support the prediction that comb size reveals noncompetitive fertilization efficiency of males in this Australian population. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 98, 406,413. [source] Apoptosis and Necrosis in the Ischemic Zone Adjacent to Third Degree BurnsACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2008Adam J. Singer MD Abstract Objectives:, Burns are characterized by a central zone of necrosis surrounded by a zone of potentially reversible ischemia. The authors explored the contribution of necrosis and apoptosis to cell death in the zone of ischemia. Methods:, A previously established rat contact thermal injury model that utilizes a brass comb to produce four distinctive burns sites separated by three "interspaces" of unburned skin was used. The interspaces represent the zone of stasis or ischemia while the burn sites represent the zone of coagulation. With this model, most unburned interspaces progress to necrosis over 2 to 3 days. Full-thickness 3-mm biopsies were obtained from the interspaces, burns, and normal skin controls at 30 minutes, 24 hours, and 48 hours after injury. Slides were stained with hematoxylin and eosin as well as activated cleaved caspase-3 (CC3a) for evidence of apoptosis and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) for evidence of necrosis. Results:, Necrosis was not seen at 30 minutes, but was found in a large number of cells within the epidermis, sebaceous glands, and follicles at 24 and 48 hours. Faint nuclear CC3a staining indicative of apoptosis was present in a minority of cells within the epidermis, dermal fibroblasts, dermal follicles, and dermal sebaceous glands at 30 minutes and to a lesser degree at 24 and 48 hours. Conclusions:, Both early apoptosis and delayed necrosis are present in the zone of ischemia, contributing to injury progression. Necrosis appears to play a larger role than apoptosis in injury progression in the comb burn model. [source] Curcumin Reduces Burn Progression in RatsACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2007Adam J. Singer MD Objectives Cutaneous burns are dynamic injuries with a central zone of necrosis surrounded by a zone of ischemia. Conversion of this ischemic zone to full necrosis over the days following injury is due in part to highly reactive oxygen radicals. Curcumin is a component of the Oriental spice turmeric that has been shown to have antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties. The authors hypothesized that treatment of burns with curcumin would reduce the conversion of the ischemic zone to full necrosis. Methods This was a randomized controlled experiment. Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Two burns were created on each animal's dorsum using a brass comb with four rectangular prongs preheated in boiling water and applied for 30 seconds, resulting in four rectangular 10 × 20,mm full-thickness burns separated by three 5 × 20,mm unburned interspaces (zone of ischemia). Animals were randomized to curcumin or vehicle by oral gavage 30 minutes before injury and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after injury. Wounds were observed at one, two, and three days after injury for visual evidence of necrosis in the unburned interspaces. Full-thickness biopsy specimens from the interspaces were evaluated with hematoxylin and eosin staining seven days after injury for evidence of necrosis. The percentage of interspaces that progressed to necrosis was compared with chi-square tests. Results Forty comb burns with 120 unburned interspaces were created, evenly distributed between curcumin and vehicle alone. The percentage of interspaces that progressed to full-thickness necrosis at one, two, three, and seven days after injury in the curcumin and vehicle groups were 30% versus 63% (p = 0.003), 30% versus 70% (p < 0.001), 63% versus 95% (p = 0.02), and 63% versus 95% (p = 0.02), respectively. Conclusions Pretreatment of rats with oral curcumin followed by once-daily oral treatment for three days reduced the percentage of unburned skin interspaces that progressed to full necrosis. [source] Cooler for obtaining crystals in a crucible furnaceJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 3-2 2003B. Cabric An air cooler (`cold key') is presented with a movable branchy Tamman test tube (`test comb') installed in a laboratory crucible furnace for regulation and simultaneous crystallization tests at different temperature gradients and crystallization rate intervals, with the purpose of obtaining crystals. This method can also be applied in tube or chamber furnaces. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||