Whisker Sensing by Force and Moment Measurements at the Whisker Base.

We address the theoretical question which forces and moments measured at the base of a whisker (tactile sensor) allow for the prediction of the location in space of the point at which a whisker makes contact with an object. We deal with the general case of three-dimensional deformations as well as with the special case of planar configurations. All deformations are treated as quasi-static, and contact is assumed to be frictionless. We show that the minimum number of independent forces or moments required is three but that conserved quantities of the governing elastic equilibrium equations prevent certain triples from giving a unique solution in the case of contact at any point along the whisker except the tip. The existence of these conserved quantities depends on the material and geometrical properties of the whisker. For whiskers that are tapered and intrinsically curved, there is no obstruction to the prediction of the contact point. We show that the choice of coordinate system (Cartesian or cylindrical) affects the number of suitable triples. Tip and multiple point contact are also briefly discussed. Our results explain recent numerical observations in the literature and offer guidance for the design of robotic tactile sensory devices.

Partitioning of glutamine synthesised by the isolated perfused human placenta between the maternal and fetal circulations.

INTRODUCTION: Placental glutamine synthesis has been demonstrated in animals and is thought to increase the availability of this metabolically important amino acid to the fetus. Glutamine is of fundamental importance for cellular replication, cellular function and inter-organ nitrogen transfer. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of glutamate/glutamine metabolism by the isolated perfused human placenta in the provision of glutamine to the fetus. METHODS: Glutamate metabolism was investigated in the isolated dually perfused human placental cotyledon. U-¹³C-glutamate was used to investigate the movement of carbon and ¹5N-leucine to study movement of amino-nitrogen. Labelled amino acids were perfused via maternal or fetal arteries at defined flow rates. The enrichment and concentration of amino acids in the maternal and fetal veins were measured following 5 h of perfusion. RESULTS: Glutamate taken up from the maternal and fetal circulations was primarily converted into glutamine the majority of which was released into the maternal circulation. The glutamine transporter SNAT5 was localised to the maternal-facing membrane of the syncytiotrophoblast. Enrichment of ¹³C or ¹5N glutamine in placental tissue was lower than in either the maternal or fetal circulation, suggesting metabolic compartmentalisation within the syncytiotrophoblast. DISCUSSION: Placental glutamine synthesis may help ensure the placenta's ability to supply this amino acid to the fetus does not become limiting to fetal growth. Glutamine synthesis may also influence placental transport of other amino acids, metabolism, nitrogen flux and cellular regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Placental glutamine synthesis may therefore be a central mechanism in ensuring that the human fetus receives adequate nutrition and is able to maintain growth.

Characterization of new portal film systems for radiotherapy verification.

Portal images are an important verification tool in radiotherapy. Their use has been limited by their poor image quality, which is due to the inherent lack of contrast at megavoltage energies. Recently CEA and Kodak have introduced new portal film-cassette systems with much improved contrast. We have determined the H-D curves for these systems and found the gamma (gamma) for the CEA system (8.5) to be larger than that for the Kodak EC-L system (6.3). The optimal doses were CEA TLF 1.2 cGy, CEA TVS 15.9 cGy and Kodak EC-L 1.5 cGy. We also obtained phantom images that were evaluated by 11 radiotherapists. They ranked the CEA B High Plus cassette with CEA TVS film the highest, followed by the Kodak EC-L system. Some clinical films of a lateral pelvis are also presented, to demonstrate the improvement in image quality with these new film systems as compared with conventional portal films.

Case report: acute joint destabilization in the equine demonstrating early pathology in osteoarthritis.

A case of acute destabilization of the right stifle joint associated with rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and avulsion fracture of the tibial spine in a horse is reported. The diagnosis was obtained by scintigraphy and radiography. Post mortem investigations 6 weeks after injury demonstrated fibrillation of surface cartilage in regions unprotected by tibial menisci. No pathological change was demonstrated in the subchondral bone of the tibia in regions associated with loss of cartilage integrity.

Identification of nuclear beta II protein kinase C as a mitotic lamin kinase.

Multisite phosphorylation of the nuclear lamins is thought to regulate the process of mitotic nuclear envelope breakdown in vivo. Here we investigate the involvement of two proposed human mitotic lamin kinases, beta II protein kinase C (PKC) and p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase, in human lamin B1 phosphorylation in vitro and in intact cells. We find that both kinases can phosphorylate purified soluble lamin B at similar rates. However, beta II PKC phosphorylates interphase nuclear envelope lamin B at more than 200 times the rate of human p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase. beta II PKC-mediated phosphorylation of lamin B is confined to two sites, Ser395 and Ser405, within the carboxyl-terminal domain, whereas human p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase phosphorylates a single site, Ser23, in the amino-terminal domain. A second potential p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase site within the carboxyl-terminal domain, Ser393, is not phosphorylated by human p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase. However, invertebrate p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase from sea star exhibits a different specificity, phosphorylating both amino- and carboxyl-terminal sites. Mitotic human lamin B from intact cells is phosphorylated predominantly in its carboxyl-terminal domain. Comparative tryptic phosphopeptide mapping demonstrates that the beta II PKC site, Ser405, is a prominent target of mitotic lamin B phosphorylation in vivo. beta II PKC translocates to the nucleus during the G2/M phase of cell cycle concomitant with phosphorylation of Ser405, indicating a physiologic role for nuclear beta II PKC activation in mitotic lamin B phosphorylation in vivo. The presence of phosphorylation sites within the carboxyl-terminal domain of mitotic lamin B which are not phosphorylated by either beta II PKC or p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase suggests the involvement of other lamin kinase(s) in G2/M phase lamin B phosphorylation.

The mechanical coupling of lung ventilation to locomotion in the horse.

The phase relationship between the periods of the respiratory and limb cycles is demonstrated in the horse ridden in the field at the canter and gallop. Changes in intra-abdominal pressure, respiratory sounds, periods of ground contact of each foot and volume changes of the rib cage were measured in the normal horse exercised at the walk, trot, canter and gallop in the field. Correlation of these parameters identifies the major mechanical link establishing the coupling of lung ventilation and locomotion in the horse. The force and extent of contraction of the abdominal muscles couples the respiratory and limb cycles so that the mechanics of lung ventilation are synchronized with the mechanics of locomotion to achieve forced expiration.