The mammalian NudC-like genes: a family with functions other than regulating nuclear distribution

Nuclear distribution gene C homolog (NudC) is a highly conserved gene. It has been identified in different species from fungi to mammals. The high degree of conservation, in special in the nudC domain, suggests that they are genes with essential functions. Most of the identified genes in the family have been implicated in cell division through the regulation of cytoplasmic dynein. As for mammalian genes, human NUDC has been implicated in the migration and proliferation of tumor cells and has therefore been considered a possible therapeutic target. There is evidence suggesting that mammalian NudC is also implicated in the regulation of the inflammatory response and in thrombopoiesis. The presence of these other functions not related to the interaction with molecular motors agrees with that these genes and their products are larger in size than their microbial orthologous, indicating that they have evolved to convey additional features.     

Capturing complex, non-linear team behaviours during competitive football performance

This study investigated changes in the complexity (magnitude and structure of variability) of the collective behaviours of association football teams during competitive performance. Raw positional data from an entire competitive match between two professional teams were obtained with the ProZone® tracking system. Five compound positional variables were used to investigate the collective patterns of performance of each team including: surface area, stretch index, team length, team width, and geometrical centre. Analyses involve the coefficient of variation (%CV) and approximate entropy (ApEn), as well as the linear association between both parameters. Collective measures successfully captured the idiosyncratic behaviours of each team and their variations across the six time periods of the match. Key events such as goals scored and game breaks (such as half time and full time) seemed to influence the collective patterns of performance. While ApEn values significantly decreased during each half, the %CV increased. Teams seem to become more regular and predictable, but with increased magnitudes of variation in their organisational shape over the natural course of a match.     

Long gamma-ray bursts and core-collapse supernovae have different environments

When massive stars exhaust their fuel, they collapse and often produce the extraordinarily bright explosions known as core-collapse supernovae. On occasion, this stellar collapse also powers an even more brilliant relativistic explosion known as a long-duration gamma-ray burst. One would then expect that these long gamma-ray bursts and core-collapse supernovae should be found in similar galactic environments. Here we show that this expectation is wrong. We find that the gamma-ray bursts are far more concentrated in the very brightest regions of their host galaxies than are the core-collapse supernovae. Furthermore, the host galaxies of the long gamma-ray bursts are significantly fainter and more irregular than the hosts of the core-collapse supernovae. Together these results suggest that long-duration gamma-ray bursts are associated with the most extremely massive stars and may be restricted to galaxies of limited chemical evolution. Our results directly imply that long gamma-ray bursts are relatively rare in galaxies such as our own Milky Way.     

Failure of medial forebrain bundle or raphe ablation to alter the daily temperature rhythm of the rat

Summary The data presented in the present study suggest that neither the ascending noradrenergic fibres confined to the MFB nor the serotonergic fibres originating in or passing through the mesencephalic raphe are essential for periodicity in body temperature. Both control and experimental groups, i.e., rats subjected to medial forebrain bundle or raphe ablation presented circadian periodicity in body temperature and neither the phase, amplitude or overall mean of experimentals differed significantly from controls.     

Morphometric characterization of central molluscan neurons

Resumen Se realiza en la masa ganglionar ventral del moluscoCryptomphallus aspersa (Gasteropoda, Pulmonata) la caracterización morfologico-estadística de las neuronas centrales y células gliales. Se establece la existencia de tres tipos neuronales, las características de su basofilia y la relación entre los tipos, lo que se discute en relación a los hallazgos obtenidos en otras especies por diversos autores.     

Ectopic human chorionic gonadotropin in breast carcinoma.

Immunoreactive human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was found in 9 of 65 surgically removed malignant breast tumors. Concentrations ranged from 5 to greater than 500 mIU hCG/g tumor. hCG was measured by a beta-chain specific readiommunoassay. In further study of these specimens, an immunoperoxidase staining technique was used to stain for hCG in formalin-fixed sections. The hCG was shown to be localized within the cytoplasm and on the surface of the malignant cells.     

Control of glass microelectrodes for intracellular recordings

Résumé Une méthode pour vider et examiner des microélectrodes de verre au microscope électronique est décrite. On a trouvé une corrélation entre le diamètre du bout et la résistance électrique. Le diamètre de l'extrémité des électrodes dépend du procédé de remplissement et les meilleurs résultats sont obtenus par la méthode deTasaki modifiée.