Reflex regulation of the “spontaneous” activity of the chemoreceptors of the tongue

Summary The spontaneous activity of the chemoreceptors of the frog's tongue was studied during stimulation of the interoceptors of the stomach and of the sympathetic chain. It was found to be under the control of the nervous system, adapting the receptors to give improved perception, and it indicates the preparedness of these apparatuses to receive stimuli. Spontaneous activity may be fundamentally a partial principle of the functioning of receptor elements. Further electrophysiological investigations of this problem are proceeding.(Presented by Active Member AMN SSSR P. K. Anokhin) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 55, No. 8, pp. 7–11, August, 1963     

On the Morphology of the Synaptic Vesicles of the Axospine Synapses in the Rat Visual Cortex

An electron-microscopoical Observationof the shape and form of the synapticvesicles in the axospine synapses of therat visual cortex fixed with glutaralde-hyde and postfixed with osmium tetro-xide is reported.Each axospine synapse in the visualcortex consists of a presynaptic boutonwith a dendritic spine from which it is     

Are the Thalamic Projections of Nucleus Z of the Medulla Oblongata Reorganized after Partial Deafferentation of the Ventrolateral Nucleus of the Thalamus?

The possible plastic reorganization of projections from the somatosensory relay nucleus Z of the cat medulla oblongata to the partially deafferented ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus was studied by retrograde labeling with horseradish peroxidase. Partial deafferentation of the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus was produced by prior (three months) electrolytic destruction of the contralateral cerebellar interpositus nucleus or the lateral vestibular nucleus of Deiters. The results demonstrated local intense labeling of a group of neurons in nucleus Z, and there was a small group of labeled neurons in cell group x of the vestibular complex projecting to the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus, where these projections were found to overlap with those from the cerebellar nuclei. After lesioning of the cerebellar interpositus nucleus or lateral vestibular nucleus of Deiters, ipsilateral projections in the monosynaptic circuit consisting of nucleus Z and the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus did not form. The absence of reorganization of projections from nucleus Z to the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus in terms of the formation of ipsilateral projections may be associated with its being part of the somatosensory relay nucleus, which is specialized for relaying and transmitting information strictly of the specific proprioceptive modality.     

The dynamics of the changes in the sorption properties of tissues following the action of α-radiation on the organism

Summary Experiments were conducted on albino rats irradiated with various doses of gamma rays (800 and 400 r). The method of supravital staining was used to study the sorptive propertiesof tissues at different periods after irradiation. In 6–120 hours afterirradiation, the tissues of the small intestine, spleen, kidneys, lungs and liver showed increased sorption of the stain. Denaturing changes of the cellular proteins were present in the irradiated organism. The character and the extent of the changes detected depended on the dose and the interval after the irradiation.(Presented by Active Member of the Akad. Med. Nauk SSSR V. V. Parin) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperiemtnal'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 52–56, April, 1961     

the Influence of Walking Speed on Knee Momentand the Realizable Method of the Prosthesis

1.IntroductionThekineticandkinematicsanalysisofthelower-limbsofable-bodiesisnotonlyanimportantpartofbiomechanics,butalsothefundamentalinvestigationonrehabilitationofthepeoplewithlowerlimbdisabilities,Inlastafewyears,aprototypeofintelligentlowerlimbprosthesishasbeendevelopedatTsinghuaUniversity.Inordertolettheintelligentprosthesisbesuitabletovariablewalkingspeed,itisnecessarytostudytheinfluenceofwalkingspeedonKneemoment.Inthispaper,thedisplacementsandtemporaldistancefactorsandgroundreactionfo…     

Does the emergence of antibiotic resistance announce the return of the dark ages?

Antibiotic revolution changed the course of modern medicine, by decreasing mortality due to bacterial infections. However, bacteria have developed several ways of resistance against all antibiotics used. In view of the rise of resistance and of its dissemination to different bacterial families, new effective antibiotics are scare and the return in the pre-antibiotic era seems to be a reality for some parts of the world. This review revises the worrying phenomenon of antibiotic resistance focusing on some examples of "superbugs", which represent a daily challenge for the medical profession, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, extended spectrum ?-lactamae-producing Enterobacteriaceae as well as carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Facing the emergence of the multiresistant strains, the priority is obviously to control the spread of these microorganisms. It is only through the prudent use of antimicrobial drugs and the introduction of new and effective antibiotics that the antibiotic resistance will be slowed down and that we continue to treat bacterial infections.     

The features of the influence of “reward areas” on the electrical activity of the parafascicular complex of nuclei in the developing rabbit

The influence of the electrostimulation of reward areas, preliminarily identified by the self-stimulation technique, on the evoked potentials recorded in the parafascicular complex of the thalamus in response to peripheral nociceptive stimulation was studied in 35 rabbits, of 41–60 days of life. When comparison was made of the data obtained with the results of studies carried out previously in adult animals and in rabbits from the 30th–40th days, in addition to common characteristics, features of these influences which were characteristics only for the age interval under investigation were distinguished. The antinociceptive influences of the reward areas on the evoked potentials in the parafascicular complex were less pronounced with respect to a number of parameters in the period of the rabbits life occupying the intermediate position between the over-excitable and adult periods of development.Translated from Fiziologicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 77, No. 8, pp. 76–83, August, 1991.     

Initiation of the alternative pathway of complement and the history of “tickover”

The evolutionary history of complement suggests that the alternative pathway arose prior to the arrival of the classical and lectin pathways. In these pathways, target specificity is provided by antibodies and sugar specific lectins. While these efficient initiation systems dominate activation on most targets, the alternative pathway produces most of the C3b and 80%-90% of the C5b-9. While the tickover process, originally proposed by Peter Lachmann, provided ancient hosts with a crude self/non-self-discriminatory system that initiated complement attack on everything foreign, tickover clearly plays a more minor role in complement activation in modern organisms possessing classical and lectin pathways. Spontaneous activation of the alternative pathway via tickover may play a major role in human pathologies where tissue damage is complement-mediated. The molecular mechanism of tickover is still not convincingly proven. Prevailing hypotheses include (a) spontaneous hydrolysis of the thioester in C3 forming the C3b-like C3(H₂O) in solution and (b) “enhanced tickover” in which surfaces cause specific or non-specific contact activated conformational changes in C3. Theoretical considerations, including computer simulations, suggest that the latter mechanism is more likely and that more research needs to be devoted to understanding interactions between biological surfaces and C3.     

The effect of ACTH on the development of the athüs phenomenon and on the morphological composition of the inflammatory exudate

Summary Arthüs phenomenon was induced in 42 rabbits by the classical method. ACTH (10–20 units) was injected into 33 of them before the injection of the booster dose of horse serum, as well as beginning from the 3rd–4th administration of sensitizing doses. In the majority of experiments Arthüs phenomenon did not develop at all, or was much weaker than in control animals.The second group of experiments dealt with the cellular composition of the exudate in rats in experimental aseptic peritonitis caused by injecting sterile broth into the peritoneal cavity. Experimental results demonstrated that in animals which received ACTH (2.5 units) prior to broth injection the exudate was of thicker consistency and its cellular composition differed from control. Neutrophil percentage was much lower and lymphocytic phase occurred much earlier.The data obtained indicates the effect of ACTH both on the manifestation of allergic inflammation and on the exudative reaction during usual inflammation.(Presented by Active Member AMN SSSR P. S. Kupalov) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 55, No. 5, pp. 51–53, May, 1963     

Desquamation of the epithelium of the villi of the small intestine—an element of functional morphology or an artefact?

Summary As shown on rats, dogs, guinea pigs and monkeys, detachment of the epithelial layer from the stroma of intestinal villi with exposure of the stroma is actually an artefact. The latter may occur in autolysis, fixation and histological treatment of material. The normal interrelationship of the epithelium and the stroma may be obtained by fixation in a cooled solution or by stretching the intestine, thus prventing the villi from coming in contact with each other.(Presented by Active Member AMN SSSR V. N. Chernigovskii) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny Vol. 49, No. 5, pp. 114–119, May, 1960     

Should the position of the patellar component replicate the vertical median ridge of the native patella?

Background

In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), the position of the patellar component can affect patellar tracking. However, the patellar component cannot always replicate the original high point of the patella because of anatomical variance. This study investigated whether altering the highest point of the patella can affect outcomes of primary TKA, especially in patients having a patella with a far-medialized median ridge.

Importance of the mutation of amino acid 200 of the isotype 1 β-tubulin gene in the benzimidazole resistance of the small-ruminant parasite Teladorsagia circumcincta

In this work we demonstrated that the acquisition of benzimidazole (BZ) resistance in the small- ruminant parasite Teladorsagia circumcincta is linked to the selection of individuals that are characterized by a tyrosine (Tyr) at amino acid 200 of their isotype 1 β-tubulin gene. This mutation appears to be recessive, since only homozygous mutant (Tyr/Tyr) individuals survived after BZ treatment of two resistant populations in which the three genotypes (rr, rs, ss) were initially present. In comparison with natural BZ-susceptible populations, a decrease in the restriction polymorphism (RFLP) of the isotype 1 β-tubulin gene was observed in natural resistant populations. It seems that this decrease in β-tubulin polymorphism results from the selection of homozygous mutant individuals. Received: 5 October 1998 / Accepted: 16 December 1998     

Can the sex of the second child be predicted by the birth-weight of the first child?

The reproduction costs to a human mother are different if she has a son as opposed to a daughter. According to the Trivers-Willard hypothesis, evolution should promote those females who, having the ability to invest in the more expensive sex, are also able to adjust the sex of their offspring accordingly. It is therefore possible that a mother's biological condition (which is also connected with her reproductive potential), as measured by the neonatal weight of her first child, can be a good predictor of the second child's sex. From data for 227 healthy mothers from Wroclaw (Poland) we show that the probability of giving birth to a boy in the second pregnancy is higher after a relatively heavier first-born child (ANOVA, F(1,225)=3.79, P<0.053). This relationship, however, is only significant after a first-born daughter (F(1,117)=9.66, P<0.002) and not after a first-born boy. Some possible explanations of the fact that only the birth-weight of a first-born daughter--and not a son--can be a good predictor of the secondary sex ratio are also discussed.     

Research of the Effect of the Shear Stress on Endothelial Cells

1 IntroductionCellular mechanism is one of the foundations of regenerating medicine and tissue engineering, which is also an advanced subject in cell mechanism in recent years~([1]). The form and function of a cell, and the growing, reproducing and death, even canceration are related to the characteristics of cell mechanism. While the research of the shear stress on endothelial cells is an important field in cell mechanism. The main bio-functions of endothelial cells are as follows: anti-cruor…     

The “critical zones” of entrapment of the nerves of the lower limb

Summary The author has studied, in a group of 40 dissections on cadavers of individuals of different ages, the main critical zones of entrapment of some terminal branches of the lumbo-sacral plexus, which include canals (fibrous, osteo-fibrous, fibro-muscular), intervals (intermuscular, fibro-muscular, musculo-ligamentous), rings (fibrous or fibro-muscular) and foramina. They provide the topographical anatomical basis for possible compressive phenomena of the nerves of the lower limb.

---

Les zones critiques d'étranglement des nerfs du membre inférieur

Résumé L'auteur a étudié sur 40 dissections cadavériques d'individus d'âges différents, les principales zones critiques d'étranglement de certaines branches terminales du plexus lombo-sacré, constituées de canaux (fibreux, ostéo-fibreux, fibro-musculaires) d'interstices (musculaires, fibro-musculaires, ligamento-musculaires), d'anneaux (fibreux, fibro-musculaires) et de trous. Elles représentent les bases anatomotopographiques d'èventuels phénomènes de compression des nerfs du membre inférieur.