Kulkulaitosministeri Veikko Savela 30/4 1963

Kirje 30.4.1963

Molecular and functional characterization of a novel cardiac-specific human tropomyosin isoform.

BACKGROUND: Tropomyosin (TM), an essential actin-binding protein, is central to the control of calcium-regulated striated muscle contraction. Although TPM1alpha (also called alpha-TM) is the predominant TM isoform in human hearts, the precise TM isoform composition remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, we quantified for the first time the levels of striated muscle TM isoforms in human heart, including a novel isoform called TPM1kappa. By developing a TPM1kappa-specific antibody, we found that the TPM1kappa protein is expressed and incorporated into organized myofibrils in hearts and that its level is increased in human dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure. To investigate the role of TPM1kappa in sarcomeric function, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing cardiac-specific TPM1kappa. Incorporation of increased levels of TPM1kappa protein in myofilaments leads to dilated cardiomyopathy. Physiological alterations include decreased fractional shortening, systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and decreased myofilament calcium sensitivity with no change in maximum developed tension. Additional biophysical studies demonstrate less structural stability and weaker actin-binding affinity of TPM1kappa compared with TPM1alpha. CONCLUSIONS: This functional analysis of TPM1kappa provides a possible mechanism for the consequences of the TM isoform switch observed in dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure patients.

SIG Aplicado á Ánálise Espacial dos Assentamentos Comunitários no Parque Natural de Serra Malagueta

A preservação dos ecossistemas e das biodiversidades é atualmente uma preocupação mundial, devido às fortes ameaças de alterações climáticas que vem sendo sofridas a nível do globo. Cabo Verde, não foge à regra, devido a sua localização geográfica, aliadas às alterações climáticas e ações antrópicas, vem sofrendo fortemente a degradação dos seus recursos naturais, em todo o território nacional. Daí a atenção das autoridades Caboverdeanas, na definição e criação de espaços naturais “Áreas Protegidas”, através de regimes e medidas de proteção e preservação. O Parque de Serra Malagueta é uma área protegida com 774 hectares, gerida pela Direção Geral do Ambiente do Ministério do Ambiente Habitação e Ordenamento do Território, cujos objetivos baseiam-se na proteção e preservação das espécies animais e vegetais aí existentes, apostando fortemente numa luta constante que deve envolver as comunidades residentes, desempenhando deste modo, um papel fundamental nessa ação, e portanto torna-se importante o conhecimento dessas comunidades. Constitui o propósito deste trabalho, a aplicação do SIG para análise dos assentamentos comunitários, nas áreas afectas ao PNSM, tendo em vista diversos factores, que interferem na disposição e localização das habitações, produzindo mapas que servem como subsídio a uma gestão sustentável do espaço, tomada de decisões e fazer previsões. Os Sistemas de Informação Geográficas (SIG) sendo a mais moderna ferramenta para análise espacial, servirá como um ótimo suporte para essa análise, pois trata-se de fenómenos Geoespaciais. Definiu-se duas áreas amostrais; Serra Malagueta (Locotano, C. d’Asno, Posto), e Fundura (Fundura, Mato), recorreu-se ao GPS (Map76 S), e uma base cartográfica (Ortofoto mosaico Tif 2008) em papel, para a visualização e coleta dos dados. Foram coletados um total de 418 localizações georreferenciadas do edificado, entre privados habitacionais, públicos e sem definição. Os habitacionais fazem um total de 396 observações, aproximadamente 95% do total dos edifícios coletado

Comportamiento de la red de arrastre pelágica utilizada en el estudio de los recursos pelágicos. Crucero BIC José Olaya Balandra 9811-12

Presenta los resultados del comportamiento de la red de arrastre pelágica modelo japonés 124/1800 que se utilizó en el Crucero de Evaluación de Recursos Pelágicos 9811-12 a bordo del BIC José Olaya Balandra entre la isla Lobos de Tierra y el Morro Sama. Se determinaron el área de la boca de la red y el volumen de agua filtrada que tuvo la red durante los arrastres efectivos de una milla náutica de distancia entre 100 lances de comprobación. Se obtuvo buena eficiencia y buen rendimiento; se capturó un total de 62.845 kg, correspondiendo para la anchoveta 45.576 kg, sardina 1006 kg, jurel 8 kg, caballa 2 kg, samasa 1.656 kg, vinciguerria 246 kg, múnida 9933 kg y otros recursos 4.418 kg, con un índice de captura (CPUE) de 2.020,74 kg/h. Los valores del comportamiento de la red como abertura horizontal de la boca, abertura vertical, profundidad de la red y distancia entre la relinga inferior al fondo, se obtuvieron en forma directa por medio de una net sonda SCANMAR RX 400; los arrastres tuvieron en promedio una duración de 19 minutos con una velocidad de arrastre promedio de 3,8 nudos. La anchoveta, durante los 100 lances de comprobación, se presentó mezclada con otros recursos y con múnida en las 30 primeras mn de la costa. Se obtuvieron correlaciones aceptables de regresión lineal entre los valores de longitud del cable de arrastre principal con la profundidad de la red de arrastre, longitud de cable de arrastre principal con la profundidad de cardumen, longitud del cable de arrastre principal con la abertura vertical, abertura vertical con abertura horizontal y velocidad de arrastre con abertura vertical de la boca de la red.

Queen-worker conflict over sex ratio: a comparison of primary and secondary sex ratios in the Argentine ant,

We compare the primary sex ratio (proportion o haploid eggs laid by queens) and the secondary sex ratio (proportion of male pupae produced) in the Argentine ant Iridomyrmex humilis with the aim of investigating whether workers control the secondary sex ratio by selectively eliminating male brood. The proportion of haploid eggs produced by queens was close to 0.5 in late winter, decreased to less than 0.3 in spring and summer, and increased again to a value close to 0.5 in fall. Laboratory experiments indicate that temperture is a proximate factor influencing the primary sex ratio with a higher proportion of haploid eggs being laid at colder temperatures. Production of queen pupae ceased in mid-June, about three weeks before that of male pupae. After this time only worker pupae were produced. During the period of production of sexuals, the proportion of male pupae ranged from 0.30 to 0.38. Outside this period no males were reared although haploid eggs were produced all the year round by queens. Workers thus exert a control on the secondary sex ratio by eliminating a proportion of the male brood during the period of sexual production and eliminating all the males during the remainder of the cycle. These data are consistent with workers preferring a more female-biased sex ratio than queens. The evolutionary significance of the production of male eggs by queens all the year round is as yet unclear. It may be a mechanism allowing queen replacement in the case of the death of the queens in the colony.

Late Pan-African magmatism in the Himalaya: new geochronological and geochemical data from the Ordovician Tso Morari metagranites (Ladakh, NW India)

Two granitic plutons, the Tso Morari gneiss and the Rupshu metagranite, crop out in the Tso Morari area. The Polokongka La granite, classically interpreted as a young intrusion in the Tso Morari gneiss, has been recognized as the undeformed facies of the latter. Conventional isotope dilution U-Pb zircon dating on single-grain and small multi-grain fractions yielded magmatic ages of 479 +/- 2 Ma for the Tso Morari gneiss and the Polokongka La granite, and 482.5 +/- 1 Ma for the Rupshu granite. There is a great difference in zircon morphology between the Tso Morari gneiss (peraluminous type) and the Rupshu granite (alkaline type). This difference is confirmed by whole-rock chemistry. The Tso Morari gneiss is a typical deformed S-type granite, resulting from crustal anatexis. On the other hand, the Rupshu granite is an essentially metaluminous alkali-calcic intrusion derived from a different source material. Data compilation from other Himalayan Cambro-Ordovician granites reveals huge and widespread magmatic activity all along and beyond the northern Indian plate between 570 and 450 Ma, with a peak at 500-480 Ma. A major, continental-scale tectonic event is required to generate such a large magmatic belt; it has been tentatively compared to the Variscan post-orogenic extensional regime of Western Europe, as a late evolution stage of a Pan-African orogenic event.

Monitoring inflammatory bowel disease activity: clinical activity is judged to be more relevant than endoscopic severity or biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence for the clinical relevance of mucosal healing (MH) as therapeutic treatment goal in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to investigate by which method gastroenterologists monitor IBD activity in daily practice. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all board-certified gastroenterologists in Switzerland to specifically address their strategy to monitor IBD between May 2009 and April 2010. RESULTS: The response rate was 57% (153/270). Fifty-two percent of gastroenterologists worked in private practice and 48% worked in hospitals. Seventy-eight percent judged clinical activity to be the most relevant criterion for monitoring IBD activity, 15% chose endoscopic severity, and 7% chose biomarkers. Seventy percent of gastroenterologists based their therapeutic decisions on clinical activity, 24% on endoscopic severity, and 6% on biomarkers. The following biomarkers were used for IBD activity monitoring: CRP, 94%; differential blood count, 78%; fecal calprotectin (FC), 74%; iron status, 63%; blood sedimentation rate, 3%; protein electrophoresis, 0.7%; fecal neutrophils, 0.7%; and vitamin B12, 0.7%. Gastroenterologists in hospitals and those with ≤ 10 years of professional experience used FC more frequently compared with colleagues in private practice (P=0.035) and those with > 10 years of experience (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical activity is judged to be more relevant for monitoring IBD activity and guiding therapeutic decisions than endoscopic severity and biomarkers. As such, the accumulating scientific evidence on the clinical impact of mucosal healing does not yet seem to influence the management of IBD in daily gastroenterologic practice.

Comment commencer l'entretien médical ? Réflexions sur la phase sociale à partir d'enregistrements vidéo [How do we begin a medical interview? Reflections from videotapes]

L'entrevue médicale est constituée de plusieurs étapes, chacune d'entre elles comprenant des tâches et des objectifs particuliers pour le médecin. La partie initiale de la consultation médicale, la phase sociale, constitue la première pierre dans la construction d'une relation médecin-patient de confiance et de qualité. Si, d'un point de vue structurel, la littérature a répondu de façon claire et concordante, des questions demeurent ouvertes d'un point de vue procédural. De quelle manière le médecin parvient-il à établir le premier contact ? Comment procède-t-il pour accueillir son patient ? Des pistes pour répondre à ces questions se repèrent dans le travail de révision des enregistrements vidéo des consultations de médecine générale qui sont régulièrement pratiqués à la Policlinique médicale universitaire (PMU) de Lausanne. [Auteurs] The medical interview consists of several steps, each consisting of specific tasks and objectives for the doctor. The initial step of the medical consultation, the social phase, is the cornerstone in the construction of a doctor-patient relationship of trust and quality. If, in a structural point of view, the literature has responded in a clear and consistent way, questions remain openned in a procedural point of view. How successful is the physician to establish the first contact? How does he proceed to welcome his patient? We looked out ways to address these issues by the work of revising the video recordings of general medical consultations, which are regularly practiced at the Medical outpatient clinic of the University of Lausanne.

More on Testing for Validity Instead of Looking for It

Using Monte Carlo simulations and reanalyzing the data of a validation study of the AEIM emotional intelligence test, we demonstrated that an atheoretical approach and the use of weak statistical procedures can result in biased validity estimates. These procedures included stepwise regression-and the general case of failing to include important theoretical controls-extreme scores analysis, and ignoring heteroscedasticity as well as measurement error. The authors of the AEIM test responded by offering more complete information about their analyses, allowing us to further examine the perils of ignoring theory and correct statistical procedures. In this paper we show with extended analyses that the AEIM test is invalid.

Frecuencias de trepanación en la Edad del Bronce

En un estudio osteológico de los restos humanos de la Edad del Bronce de Cataluña se ha puesto de manifiesto la existencia, en esta época, de un suave y gradual proceso de difusión racial a lo largo del litoral noroeste del Mediterráneo, así como las influencias que éste ha tenido en el área catalana, donde aparece un elemento foráneo, de origen centroeuropeo, minoritario, localizado fundamentalmente en Solsona y de modo particular en tres yacimientos muy cercanos entre sí: los megalitos de El Collet, Clara y la cueva sepulcral de AigüesVives (fig. 1). Este aporte foráneo, relacionado sin duda con las prospecciones de metal y objetos de origen transpirenaico como la cerámica de apéndice de botón, aparece asentado en la zona reutilizando los sepulcros y mezclado con la población indígena, según muestran las abundantes formas de tránsito (Turbón, 1977, págs. 132, 340, 418 Y 326).

Acute supra-therapeutic oral terbutaline administration has no ergogenic effect in non-asthmatic athletes.

This study aimed to investigate the effects on a possible improvement in aerobic and anaerobic performance of oral terbutaline (TER) at a supra-therapeutic dose in 7 healthy competitive male athletes. On day 1, ventilatory threshold, maximum oxygen uptake [Formula: see text] and corresponding power output were measured and used to determine the exercise load on days 2 and 3. On days 2 and 3, 8 mg of TER or placebo were orally administered in a double-blind process to athletes who rested for 3 h, and then performed a battery of tests including a force-velocity exercise test, running sprint and a maximal endurance cycling test at Δ50 % (50 % between VT and [Formula: see text]). Lactatemia, anaerobic parameters and endurance performance ([Formula: see text] and time until exhaustion) were raised during the corresponding tests. We found that TER administration did not improve any of the parameters of aerobic performance (p > 0.05). In addition, no change in [Formula: see text] kinetic parameters was found with TER compared to placebo (p > 0.05). Moreover, no enhancement of the force-velocity relationship was observed during sprint exercises after TER intake (p > 0.05) and, on the contrary, maximal strength decreased significantly after TER intake (p < 0.05) but maximal power remained unchanged (p > 0.05). In conclusion, oral acute administration of TER at a supra-therapeutic dose seems to be without any relevant ergogenic effect on anaerobic and aerobic performances in healthy athletes. However, all participants experienced adverse side effects such as tremors.