5,381 research outputs found

    Cytochrome oxidase subunit VI of Trypanosoma brucei is imported without a cleaved presequence and is developmentally regulated at both RNA and protein levels

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    Mitochondrial respiration in the African trypanosome undergoes dramatic developmental stage regulation. This requires co-ordinated control of components encoded by both the nuclear genome and the kinetoplast, the unusual mitochondrial genome of these parasites. As a model for understanding the co-ordination of these genomes, we have examined the regulation and mitochondrial import of a nuclear-encoded component of the cytochrome oxidase complex, cytochrome oxidase subunit VI (COXVI). By generating transgenic trypanosomes expressing intact or mutant forms of this protein, we demonstrate that COXVI is not imported using a conventional cleaved presequence and show that sequences at the N-terminus of the protein are necessary for correct mitochondrial sorting. Analyses of endogenous and transgenic COXVI mRNA and protein expression in parasites undergoing developmental stage differentiation demonstrates a temporal order of control involving regulation in the abundance of, first, mRNA and then protein. This represents the first dissection of the regulation and import of a nuclear-encoded protein into the cytochrome oxidase complex in these organisms, which were among the earliest eukaryotes to possess a mitochondrion

    Nicotinamide prevents the long-term effects of perinatal asphyxia on apoptosis, non-spatial working memory and anxiety in rats

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    There is no established treatment for the long-term effects produced by perinatal asphyxia. Thus, we investigated the neuroprotection provided by nicotinamide against the effects elicited by perinatal asphyxia on hippocampus and behaviour observed at 30-90 days of age. Asphyxia was induced by immersing foetuses-containing uterine horns, removed from ready-to-deliver rats into a water bath at 37 degrees C for 20 min. Caesarean-delivered siblings were used as controls. Saline or nicotinamide (0.8 mmol/kg, i.p.) was administered to control and asphyxia-exposed animals 24, 48, and 72 h after birth. The animals were examined for morphological changes in hippocampus, focusing on delayed cell death and mossy fibre sprouting, and behaviour, focusing on cognitive behaviour and anxiety. At the age of 30-45 days, asphyxia-exposed rats displayed (1) increased apoptosis, assessed in whole hippocampus by nuclear Hoechst staining, and (2) increased mossy fibre sprouting, restricted to the stratum oriens of dorsal hippocampus, assessed by Timm's staining. Rats from the same cohorts displayed (3) deficits in non-spatial working memory, assessed by a novel object recognition task, and (4) increased anxiety, assessed by an elevated plus-maze test when examined at the age of 90 days. Nicotinamide prevented the effects elicited by perinatal asphyxia on apoptosis, working memory, and anxiet

    Rayleigh number dependence of the Archimedes number dependent large-scale flow structure formation in mixed convection

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    We report on experimental investigations of large-scale flow structure formation in mixed convection. We characterize the flow field by measuring the velocity fields within a rectangular model room using 2D2C PIV. The control parameters are the Reynolds number Re, the Rayleigh number Ra and the Prandtl number Pr. All parameters are linked through the Archimedes number Ar. In 6.4x10-2 ≤ Ar ≤ 1.39x101, 4.2x103 ≤ Re ≤ 6.35x104 and Ra = 3.1x107, Ra = 1.8x108 and Pr = 0.713 we found flow 3 different flow structures. While keeping Ra and Pr constant and varying Ar through Re variations, we found an Ar dependence of the largescale flow structure formation within 6.4x10-2 ≤ Ar ≤ 1.39x101. Furthermore, we found a Ra dependence of the structure formation, which shifts the transition points between the structures to higher Archimedes numbers and reduces the mean velocities within the investigated domain

    Reynolds numbers near the ultimate state of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

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    We report on measurements of the mean-flow Reynolds number ReU and the rms fluctuation Reynolds number ReV in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection as a function of the Rayleigh number Ra for 4 x 1011 < Ra < 2 1014 and Pr ' 0:8. Both can be described by the same power law with an effective exponent = 0:44, in agreement with predictions for ReU but in disagreement with predictions for ReV

    Logarithmic variance profiles and the corresponding f-1 spectra of temperature fluctuations in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

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    We report experimental results for the temperature variance 2(z) and the corresponding frequency spectra P(f) in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC) in a cylindrical sample of aspect ratioT= D/L = 1:00 (D = 1:12 m is the diameter and L = 1:12 m the height). The measurements were conducted in the Rayleigh-number range 1011 < Ra < 1:35 1014 and Pr ' 0:8. For Ra = 1:35x1014, 2(z) could be described well by a logarithmic dependence on the vertical position z in a range of z 1 < z < z 2 with z 1 ' 70 and z 2 = 0:1L. Here L=(2Nu) is the thickness of a thin thermal sublayer adjacent to the horizontal plate where the heat flux (denoted by the Nusselt number Nu) is carried mostly by thermal diffusion. In the log layer, we found that the temperature spectra had a significant frequency range over which P(f) f with close to 1. As Ra decreased, increased so that the log layer became thinner. At Ra = 2:05 1011, z 2 < z 1 and therefore there was no range for a log layer. Correspondingly, the temperature spectrum near the horizontal plate did not have the f1 scaling form either

    Measurement of free calcium concentration in 3D bio-printed alginate scaffolds

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    Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting uses bioinks to print scaffolds that mimic natural living structures that are used for applications such as in vitro modelling of drug delivery. A common bioprinting method exposes an ionically crosslinking hydrogel, such as alginate, to a crosslinking ion such as calcium. Our lab recently developed a novel CaCl2 mist-based system for crosslinking ion exposure. However, it is known that cell viability is strongly affected by the concentration of extracellular calcium. The goal of this project is to investigate the impact of the presence of free calcium in 3D prints of alginate crosslinked with CaCl2 mist. The four variables are the concentration of CaCl2 mist, the mist flow rate, the printing speed, and the incubation time. The standardized scaffolds are incubated in cell culture media and a sample is removed and tested using a calcium colorimetric assay to determine the amount of free calcium present. Future work will include comparing the results to literature data on cell viability as a function of the amount of free calcium present to determine optimum printing parameters for the mist-based system that combines good “printability” with high cellular viability. HD is the recipient of an NSERC USRA award. Research funding is provided by an NSERC I2I grant to AA and RA

    Lagrangian Raylaigh-Bénard convection

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    Using passive tracers as sensors, we obtain Lagrangian measurements of tracers position, velocity and temperature in Rayleigh-Bénard convection at Ra=10^7-10^9. We report on statistics of temperature, velocity, and heat transport (Nusselt number). We observe that the Nusselt number is characterized by a largely intermittent behavior, likely due to the interaction of temperature with turbulent velocity fluctuations

    Hauora and physical education in New Zealand: perspectives of Māori and Pasifika

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    Discussion surrounding the concept of Hauora (Durie, 1994) in the document Health and Physical Education in the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 1999) has been controversial. Some writers have praised or justified its inclusion (Culpan, 1996/1997; Tasker, 1996/1997; Tinning, MacDonald, Wright & Hickey, 2001), while others accuse the writers of tokenism and misappropriation of indigenous knowledge (Hokowhitu, 2004; Salter, 2000). While existing at a political level, these debates have generally ignored student responses to and interactions with Hauora. Thus, this article intervenes in the existing debate and makes the case for the inclusion of student perspectives. My claims are made on the basis of a study into the perspectives of Māori and Pasifika students of physical education in New Zealand. The experiences of these students are related to the theory of hybridity (Besley, 2002; Bhabha, 1994), which suggests that young people actively negotiate and make critical decisions about what they think is relevant to them. I argue that the debate surrounding the concept of Hauora needs to include students' perspectives and consideration of the agency of young people in interactions with curriculum concepts

    Photochemical behavior of some p-styryistilbenes and related compounds: Spectral properties and photoisomerization in solution and in solid state

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    Author Posting. © The Authors (2006) This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY, 82(6): 1645-1650. https://doi.org/10.1562/2006-01-17-RA-780ArticlePhotochemistry and Photobiology. 82(6): 1645-1650 (2006)journal articl
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