Hypnotic effect of serotonin administered in the vago-aortic afferent pathway

A minute amount of serotonin injected in the nodose ganglion circulation area develops abrupt myosis and general electrocortical synchronization activity in "encéphale isolé" Cat preparation. This hypnogenic effect of serotonin can still be reproduced after transection of vago-aortic nerves caudally to the nodose ganglia. The same injections become ineffective after rostral transection of the same pathway. These results suggest that serotonin may trigger some signs of sleep through peripheric nervous elements in which are probably localized in the nodose ganglia.     

Microbial control of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. （Lepidoptera： Yponomeutidae） using bacteria （Xenorhabdus nematophila） and its metabolites from the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae

Cells and cell-free solutions of the culture filtrate of the bacterial symbiont, Xenorhabdus nematophila taken from the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae in aqueous broth suspensions were lethal to larvae of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella. Their application on leaves of Chinese cabbage indicated that the cells can penetrate into the insects in the absence of the nematode vector. Cell-free solutions containing metabolites were also proved as effective as bacterial cells suspension. The application of aqueous suspensions of cells of X.nematophila or solutions containing its toxic metabolites to the leaves represents a possible new strategy for controlling insect pests on foliage.     

Effects of biological pre-treatment of pine chips on the beating performance of Kraft pulp

The Calabrien pine (Pinus brutia) wood chips prior to kraft pulping were biologically pre-treated with selected white-rot fungi (Ceriporiopsis subvermispora), which was recorded to be preferentially attacking the lignin component of the wood. The effects of this treatment on beating performance and physical strength of resultant papers were studied in detail. Bio-treated samples showed comparable and, in most cases, higher physico-mechanical properties than those obtained from untreated controls. Under the same beating conditions the bio-treated kraft pulp was noted to have the lower SR° indicating a lower degree of external fibrillation. The paper made from bio-treated kraft pulp has a higher density, tensile property, air permeability and swellability. Furthermore, remarkable energy savings up to 33 % were observed when beating bio-treated kraft pulp. This study contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms taking place during bio-treatment and the modification processes of cell wall components.     

Revised rates for the stellar triple-alpha process from measurement of 12C nuclear resonances

In the centres of stars where the temperature is high enough, three alpha-particles (helium nuclei) are able to combine to form 12C because of a resonant reaction leading to a nuclear excited state. (Stars with masses greater than approximately 0.5 times that of the Sun will at some point in their lives have a central temperature high enough for this reaction to proceed.) Although the reaction rate is of critical significance for determining elemental abundances in the Universe, and for determining the size of the iron core of a star just before it goes supernova, it has hitherto been insufficiently determined. Here we report a measurement of the inverse process, where a 12C nucleus decays to three alpha-particles. We find a dominant resonance at an energy of approximately 11 MeV, but do not confirm the presence of a resonance at 9.1 MeV (ref. 3). We show that interference between two resonances has important effects on our measured spectrum. Using these data, we calculate the triple-alpha rate for temperatures from 10(7) K to 10(10) K and find significant deviations from the standard rates. Our rate below approximately 5 x 10(7) K is higher than the previous standard, implying that the critical amounts of carbon that catalysed hydrogen burning in the first stars are produced twice as fast as previously believed. At temperatures above 10(9) K, our rate is much less, which modifies predicted nucleosynthesis in supernovae.     

Quantitative estimation of dust fall and smoke particles in Quetta Valley

Tightening of air quality standards for populated urban areas has led to increasing attention to assessment of air quality management areas, where violation of air quality standards occurs, and development of control strategies to eliminate such violation of air quality standards. The Quetta urban area is very densely built and has heavy motorized traffic. The increase of emissions mainly from traffic and industry are responsible for the increase in atmospheric pollution levels during the last years. The dust examined in the current study was collected by both deposit gauge and Petri dish methods at various sites of Quetta Valley. Smoke particles were obtained by bladder method from the exhausts of various types of motor vehicles. The concentration of lead found in the smoke ranged from 1.5×10⁻⁶ to 4.5×10⁻⁶.     

Mutations in kelch-like 3 and cullin 3 cause hypertension and electrolyte abnormalities

Hypertension affects one billion people and is a principal reversible risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHAII), a rare Mendelian syndrome featuring hypertension, hyperkalaemia and metabolic acidosis, has revealed previously unrecognized physiology orchestrating the balance between renal salt reabsorption and K(+) and H(+) excretion. Here we used exome sequencing to identify mutations in kelch-like 3 (KLHL3) or cullin 3 (CUL3) in PHAII patients from 41 unrelated families. KLHL3 mutations are either recessive or dominant, whereas CUL3 mutations are dominant and predominantly de novo. CUL3 and BTB-domain-containing kelch proteins such as KLHL3 are components of cullin-RING E3 ligase complexes that ubiquitinate substrates bound to kelch propeller domains. Dominant KLHL3 mutations are clustered in short segments within the kelch propeller and BTB domains implicated in substrate and cullin binding, respectively. Diverse CUL3 mutations all result in skipping of exon 9, producing an in-frame deletion. Because dominant KLHL3 and CUL3 mutations both phenocopy recessive loss-of-function KLHL3 mutations, they may abrogate ubiquitination of KLHL3 substrates. Disease features are reversed by thiazide diuretics, which inhibit the Na-Cl cotransporter in the distal nephron of the kidney; KLHL3 and CUL3 are expressed in this location, suggesting a mechanistic link between KLHL3 and CUL3 mutations, increased Na-Cl reabsorption, and disease pathogenesis. These findings demonstrate the utility of exome sequencing in disease gene identification despite the combined complexities of locus heterogeneity, mixed models of transmission and frequent de novo mutation, and establish a fundamental role for KLHL3 and CUL3 in blood pressure, K(+) and pH homeostasis.     

Blue TiO2 polymorph: An efficient material for dye-sensitized solar cells fabricated using a low-temperature sintering process

Recently,surface-disordered or non-stoichiometric TiO_2,such as blue TiO_2(B-TiO_2),has received much attention owing to its unique properties,such as structural disorder near the surface and the existence of Ti~(3+)ions and oxygen vacancies.Therefore,surface-disordered TiO_2has been applied for microwave absorption,photocatalysis,in photoelectrochemical sensors and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.In this work B-TiO_2,a polymorph consisting of nanoparticles,nanotubes and nanosheets,was successfully synthesized and employed as a semiconductor layer in dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSCs)fabricated using a low-temperature heat treatment process(120°C).Based on the analyses of the experimental results regarding the structure and those from the characterization of B-TiO_2,and its application to DSSCs,it has been found that the B-TiO_2 material has an effect on electron-hole pair separation.The conversion efficiency of the B-TiO_2 DSSC(BTiO_2-DSSC)was 6.18%,whereas that of the TiO_2-P25 DSSC(P25-DSSC)was 3.61%,and that of the TiO_2 polymorph DSSC(PTiO_2-DSSC)which is the precursor of B-TiO_2 was 4.51%.