Influence of adrenal cortex on thyrocalcitonin content of the rat thyroid

Riassunto Il trattamento con ATCH o cortisone causa un aumento del contenuto in tirocalcitonina delle tiroidi di ratto. Vengono discusse le possibili implicazioni dei risultati ottenuti.     

DNA synthesis in the follicular cells ofCarausius morosus Br. (Phasmidae)

Riassunto Le cellule follicolari di un medesimo follicolo hanno nuclei che diversificano notevolmente fra loro per il volume. Ciò è ben osservabile nelle sezioni trasversali dove i nuclei, di forma cilindrica, appaiono circolari. La timidina tritiata viene incorporata preferenzialmente nei nuclei più piccoli. Per spiegare tale fenomeno è stata fatta l'ipotesi di una fase di accrescimento nucleare in assenza di sintesi di DNA.     

The Differential Method and the Causal Incompleteness of Programming Theory in Molecular Biology

The “DNA is a program” metaphor is still widely used in Molecular Biology and its popularization. There are good historical reasons for the use of such a metaphor or theoretical model. Yet we argue that both the metaphor and the model are essentially inadequate also from the point of view of Physics and Computer Science. Relevant work has already been done, in Biology, criticizing the programming paradigm. We will refer to empirical evidence and theoretical writings in Biology, although our arguments will be mostly based on a comparison with the use of differential methods (in Molecular Biology: a mutation or alike is observed or induced and its phenotypic consequences are observed) as applied in Computer Science and in Physics, where this fundamental tool for empirical investigation originated and acquired a well-justified status. In particular, as we will argue, the programming paradigm is not theoretically sound as a causal(as in Physics) or deductive(as in Programming) framework for relating the genome to the phenotype, in contrast to the physicalist and computational grounds that this paradigm claims to propose.

Complex Systems in Economics and Where to Find Them

The economy as a whole and most of its constituent parts, like markets, government institutions, firms, or households, are inherently complex conceptual constructions. Micro-level diversity,decentralized interaction, self-organization, adaptation and learning, emergence, and evolution, are some of the fundamental features that the above entities share and that allow to classify them as being complex entities. In a complex economic system, existing structures of interaction are in constant mutation as individual agents contact and influence one another and, by doing so, reshape the macro environment in which socio-economic relations unfold. Notwithstanding the observed pervasiveness of complexity in economics, there are a few areas of economic thought where the discussion on the theme has gained an exceptional relevance. In this article, six of such areas are identified and their complex nature is highlighted and scrutinized. These pertain to:(i) Knowledge interactions and technological innovation;(ii) Corporate design and organizational learning;(iii) Public policies directed at market regulation;(iv) Banking and financial markets;(v) Environmental economics, sustainability,and climate change;and(vi) income inequality.     

Mitochondrial bioenergetics decay in aging: beneficial effect of melatonin

Aging is a biological process characterized by progressive decline in physiological functions, increased oxidative stress, reduced capacity to respond to stresses, and increased risk of contracting age-associated disorders. Mitochondria are referred to as the powerhouse of the cell through their role in the oxidative phosphorylation to generate ATP. These organelles contribute to the aging process, mainly through impairment of electron transport chain activity, opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and increased oxidative stress. These events lead to damage to proteins, lipids and mitochondrial DNA. Cardiolipin, a phospholipid of the inner mitochondrial membrane, plays a pivotal role in several mitochondrial bioenergetic processes as well as in mitochondrial-dependent steps of apoptosis and in mitochondrial membrane stability and dynamics. Cardiolipin alterations are associated with mitochondrial bienergetics decline in multiple tissues in a variety of physiopathological conditions, as well as in the aging process. Melatonin, the major product of the pineal gland, is considered an effective protector of mitochondrial bioenergetic function. Melatonin preserves mitochondrial function by preventing cardiolipin oxidation and this may explain, at least in part, the protective role of this compound in mitochondrial physiopathology and aging. Here, mechanisms through which melatonin exerts its protective role against mitochondrial dysfunction associated with aging and age-associated disorders are discussed.     

From pluripotency to forebrain patterning: an in vitro journey astride embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have been used extensively as in vitro models of neural development and disease, with special efforts towards their conversion into forebrain progenitors and neurons. The forebrain is the most complex brain region, giving rise to several fundamental structures, such as the cerebral cortex, the hypothalamus, and the retina. Due to the multiplicity of signaling pathways playing different roles at distinct times of embryonic development, the specification and patterning of forebrain has been difficult to study in vivo. Research performed on ESCs in vitro has provided a large body of evidence to complement work in model organisms, but these studies have often been focused more on cell type production than on cell fate regulation. In this review, we systematically reassess the current literature in the field of forebrain development in mouse and human ESCs with a focus on the molecular mechanisms of early cell fate decisions, taking into consideration the specific culture conditions, exogenous and endogenous molecular cues as described in the original studies. The resulting model of early forebrain induction and patterning provides a useful framework for further studies aimed at reconstructing forebrain development in vitro for basic research or therapy.     

实测模态下三跨整体桥精细化基准有限元模型

以一座新建的整体式桥台桥梁(简称整体桥)为工程背景,建立服务于健康监测的精细化基准动力有限元模型.将设计阶段基于梁格法建立的全桥三维模型与采用梁-壳单元的精细化模型作为初始有限元模型,把环境激励下获取的实测模态信息(自振频率与振型)作为参照,基于参数灵敏度分析修正了上述两种结构模型.结果表明：尽管两种模型修正后都可以获得与实测模态尤其是频率值较好的吻合度,但修正后的梁格模型的模型参数严重偏离其真实的物理意义,难以作为长期监测的基准模型;而修正后的精细化梁-壳单元模型的模型参数物理意义明确,可以作为计入环境因素影响(如温度、湿度等)的结构长期监测的基准模型.该研究还基于动力试验和模型分析结果讨论了整体桥特有的结构-土相互作用的问题.     

Resonances arising from hydrodynamic memory in Brownian motion

Observation of the Brownian motion of a small probe interacting with its environment provides one of the main strategies for characterizing soft matter. Essentially, two counteracting forces govern the motion of the Brownian particle. First, the particle is driven by rapid collisions with the surrounding solvent molecules, referred to as thermal noise. Second, the friction between the particle and the viscous solvent damps its motion. Conventionally, the thermal force is assumed to be random and characterized by a Gaussian white noise spectrum. The friction is assumed to be given by the Stokes drag, suggesting that motion is overdamped at long times in particle tracking experiments, when inertia becomes negligible. However, as the particle receives momentum from the fluctuating fluid molecules, it also displaces the fluid in its immediate vicinity. The entrained fluid acts back on the particle and gives rise to long-range correlations. This hydrodynamic 'memory' translates to thermal forces, which have a coloured, that is, non-white, noise spectrum. One hundred years after Perrin's pioneering experiments on Brownian motion, direct experimental observation of this colour is still elusive. Here we measure the spectrum of thermal noise by confining the Brownian fluctuations of a microsphere in a strong optical trap. We show that hydrodynamic correlations result in a resonant peak in the power spectral density of the sphere's positional fluctuations, in strong contrast to overdamped systems. Furthermore, we demonstrate different strategies to achieve peak amplification. By analogy with microcantilever-based sensors, our results reveal that the particle-fluid-trap system can be considered a nanomechanical resonator in which the intrinsic hydrodynamic backflow enhances resonance. Therefore, instead of being treated as a disturbance, details in thermal noise could be exploited for the development of new types of sensor and particle-based assay in lab-on-a-chip applications.     

Species-specific responses of Late Quaternary megafauna to climate and humans

Despite decades of research, the roles of climate and humans in driving the dramatic extinctions of large-bodied mammals during the Late Quaternary period remain contentious. Here we use ancient DNA, species distribution models and the human fossil record to elucidate how climate and humans shaped the demographic history of woolly rhinoceros, woolly mammoth, wild horse, reindeer, bison and musk ox. We show that climate has been a major driver of population change over the past 50,000 years. However, each species responds differently to the effects of climatic shifts, habitat redistribution and human encroachment. Although climate change alone can explain the extinction of some species, such as Eurasian musk ox and woolly rhinoceros, a combination of climatic and anthropogenic effects appears to be responsible for the extinction of others, including Eurasian steppe bison and wild horse. We find no genetic signature or any distinctive range dynamics distinguishing extinct from surviving species, emphasizing the challenges associated with predicting future responses of extant mammals to climate and human-mediated habitat change.