Business cycle analysis and forecasting with a structural vector auto regression model for wales

Recent innovations in the Welsh economy have led to the view that the region's economy is likely to exhibit differential responses to financial and external shocks compared to the rest of the UK. This is examined with the aid of a structural VAR forecasting model for Wales.     

Atrial natriuretic peptide inhibits angiotensin-stimulated proximal tubular sodium and water reabsorption

The discovery that atrial extracts have potent diuretic and natriuretic properties revealed a possible endocrine function of the heart in the regulation of extracellular fluid volume. Since that first report intense research activity has been directed towards determining the mechanism of action of the active atrial natriuretic polypeptides (ANP) found in these extracts. Despite these efforts it remains controversial whether the renal actions of ANP are exerted solely on the process of glomerular filtration or involve additional direct actions on tubular transport. We have investigated the possibility that atrial natriuretic polypeptides may induce natriuresis by suppression of proximal tubular sodium and water reabsorption. Using shrinking split-drop micropuncture combined with simultaneous capillary perfusion in anaesthetized rats we report that 20 nanomolar alpha-rANP (the main component of ANP in rat plasma) added to the peritubular fluid had no direct effect on proximal fluid uptake whereas picomolar angiotensin II had a marked stimulatory action as reported. The stimulatory effect of angiotensin II on fluid reabsorption was inhibited by peritubular ANP at physiological concentrations and abolished by higher concentrations of ANP. Thus at physiological concentrations ANP acts within the kidney to decrease proximal reabsorption by inhibition of angiotensin-stimulated sodium and water transport.     

Secretion of the Dufour gland of the antNothomyrmecia macrops (Hymenoptera:Formicidae)

Summary The Dufour gland of the primitive Australian antNothomyrmecia macrops contains microgram quantities in total of linear alkanes and alkenes from C₁₃ to C₃₀ with heptadecene the major component (66%). In all, 50 substances, including methyl-branched hydrocarbons, aldehydes and acetates, -farnesene and -springene in low nanogram amounts, were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.     

Imbalance between pSmad3 and Notch induces CDK inhibitors in old muscle stem cells

Adult skeletal muscle robustly regenerates throughout an organism's life, but as the muscle ages, its ability to repair diminishes and eventually fails. Previous work suggests that the regenerative potential of muscle stem cells (satellite cells) is not triggered in the old muscle because of a decline in Notch activation, and that it can be rejuvenated by forced local activation of Notch. Here we report that, in addition to the loss of Notch activation, old muscle produces excessive transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta (but not myostatin), which induces unusually high levels of TGF-beta pSmad3 in resident satellite cells and interferes with their regenerative capacity. Importantly, endogenous Notch and pSmad3 antagonize each other in the control of satellite-cell proliferation, such that activation of Notch blocks the TGF-beta-dependent upregulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors p15, p16, p21 and p27, whereas inhibition of Notch induces them. Furthermore, in muscle stem cells, Notch activity determines the binding of pSmad3 to the promoters of these negative regulators of cell-cycle progression. Attenuation of TGF-beta/pSmad3 in old, injured muscle restores regeneration to satellite cells in vivo. Thus a balance between endogenous pSmad3 and active Notch controls the regenerative competence of muscle stem cells, and deregulation of this balance in the old muscle microniche interferes with regeneration.     

Somatic mutations affect key pathways in lung adenocarcinoma

Determining the genetic basis of cancer requires comprehensive analyses of large collections of histopathologically well-classified primary tumours. Here we report the results of a collaborative study to discover somatic mutations in 188 human lung adenocarcinomas. DNA sequencing of 623 genes with known or potential relationships to cancer revealed more than 1,000 somatic mutations across the samples. Our analysis identified 26 genes that are mutated at significantly high frequencies and thus are probably involved in carcinogenesis. The frequently mutated genes include tyrosine kinases, among them the EGFR homologue ERBB4; multiple ephrin receptor genes, notably EPHA3; vascular endothelial growth factor receptor KDR; and NTRK genes. These data provide evidence of somatic mutations in primary lung adenocarcinoma for several tumour suppressor genes involved in other cancers--including NF1, APC, RB1 and ATM--and for sequence changes in PTPRD as well as the frequently deleted gene LRP1B. The observed mutational profiles correlate with clinical features, smoking status and DNA repair defects. These results are reinforced by data integration including single nucleotide polymorphism array and gene expression array. Our findings shed further light on several important signalling pathways involved in lung adenocarcinoma, and suggest new molecular targets for treatment.     

Pentobarbital: Presynaptic effect in the squid giant synapse

Summary In concentrations that produced synaptic blockade in the squid giant synapse, sodium pentobarbital produced a dose-related, reversible decrease of the calcium spike of the presynaptic terminal.This work was performed while Dr Morgan was a Grass Foundation Fellow at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA.The authors thank Dr J. Z. Yeh for the loan of the 4-aminopyridine and Dr G. H. Acheson for helpful suggestions.     

The human AB0 blood group substances

Résumé Cet article rend compte des essais d'isolation des substances spécifiques des groupes sanguins de l'homme. Elles sont déterminées comme étant des complexes mucoïdes ou polysaccharides-aminoacides et l'on traite de quelquesunes de leurs propriétés physiques, chimiques et immunochimiques. En isolant ces substances qui forment des complexes moléculaires homogènes, on estime pouvoir obtenir, si l'on opère sur le sang d'individus de génotype connu, un matériel permettant de déterminer l'influence des gènesA, B etO sur les caractères physiques des produits de gènes très voisins. Les résultats des recherches entreprises dans ces directions constitueront une précieuse contribution à nos connaissances sur la chimie des substances génétiques humaines.

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Based on lectures given in Basle and Zürich in November 1946.