Effects of adapting lights on the time course of the receptor potential of the anuran retinal rod.

1. The intracellular receptor potential of the retinal rod cell was recorded in the unperfused, isolated retina of Rana catesbiana and in the perfused, isolated retina of Bufo marinus. Qualitatively, the responses from the two preparations were similar. 2. The rate at which the receptor potential returned to the dark level at the termination of a pulse of light (Voff) was measured at a fixed potential chosen to be about 0-6 of the way from the dark level to the peak of the response. 3. When the light intensity was such that less than about 10-minus 5 of the photopigment was bleached per second, Voff increased as the duration of the pulse was increased, reaching a maximum in 50-100 s. 4. When a brief test flash was presented at various intervals after an adapting pulse lasting about 50 s, Voff for the test flash was greater than the value in the dark adapted state for times up to about 80 s after the adapting pulse. 5. It has been hypothesized that in the vertebrate rod light causes release from the disk sacs of particles which block conducting channels in the surface membrane (Yoshikami & Hagins, 1971, 1973). A modification is proposed in which the blocking particles are converted to an inactive state can be increased by light adaptation. 6. This modified hypothesis will account qualitatively for the further observations that (a) during the response to illumination lasting several seconds the membrane potential recovers part of the way to the dark level and (b) if a second light pulse is superimposed on this background illumination then after the superimposed pulse the depolarization is increased.     

Morphological analysis of degeneration and regeneration of syncytiotrophoblast in first trimester placental villi during organ culture

We have recently shown using dansyl-L-lysine exclusion studies that the release of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) in conjunction with L- lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from first trimester villi during organ culture is symptomatic of syncytiotrophoblast degeneration. The purpose of this study was to examine chorionic villi at the ultrastructural level in order to determine events occurring during organ culture. The tissue was sampled after 0, 24, 48 and 120 h in culture and processed for electron microscopy. In addition to confirming the previously recorded syncytial degeneration, the electron micrographs showed clearly the generation of a new syncytiotrophoblast layer. The new layer, derived from differentiating cytotrophoblast cells, was largely formed by 48 h and was maintained for at least 120 h in culture. This study demonstrates a model which provides an opportunity to study the differentiation of cytotrophoblast cells whilst they retain their anatomical relationships within the villous structure.      

Modern Mind-Brain Reading: Psychophysiology, Physiology, and Cognition

This paper reviews the actual and potential benefits of a marriage between cognitive psychology and psychophysiology. Psychophysiological measures, particularly those of the event-related brain potential, can be used as markers for psychological events and physiological events. Thus, they can serve as "windows" on the mind and as "windows" on the brain. These ideas are illustrated in the context of a series of studies utilizing the lateralized readiness potential, a measure of electrical brain activity that is related to preparation for movement. This measure has been used to illuminate presetting processes that prepare the motor system for action, to demonstrate the presence of the transmission of partial information in the cognitive system, and to identify processes responsible for the inhibition of responses. The lateralized readiness potential appears to reflect activity in motor areas of cortex. Thus, this measure, along with other psychophysiological measures, can be used to understand how the functions of the mind are implemented in the brain.     

Simulation Studies of Latency Measures of Components of the Event-Related Brain Potential

We compared the accuracy of P300 latency estimates obtained with different procedures under several simulated signal and noise conditions. Both preparatory and signal detection techniques were used. Preparatory techniques included frequency filters and spatial filters (single electrode selection and Vector filter). Signal detection techniques included peak-picking, cross-correlation, and Woody filter. Accuracy in the latency estimation increased exponentially as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio. Both Woody filter and cross-correlation provided better estimates than peak-picking, although this advantage was reduced by frequency filtering. For all signal detection techniques, Vector filter provided better estimates than single electrode selection. Large component overlap impaired the accuracy of the estimates obtained with both single electrode selection and Vector filter, but with Vector filter impairment occurred only when the overlapping component had a scalp distribution that was similar to the scalp distribution of the signal component. The effects of varying noise characteristics, P300 duration and latency, and the parameters of Vector filter were also investigated.     

Wear-particle-induced osteoclast osteolysis: the role of particulates and mechanical strain

Periprosthetic osteolysis involves osteoclast activation by wear particulates and their exposure to mechanical perturbation through exposure to shear forces generated by periprosthetic fluid as well as interface micromotion. This study aimed to determine the interactions between wear particulates, mechanical stimulation, and osteoclasts. In static cultures, wear particulates increased osteoclast differentiation. Addition of neutralizing antibodies to RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa ligand) inhibited the particle-induced increase in osteoclast numbers. Cyclic 5000 microstrains were applied with the use of a custom-built device to marrow-derived cultures to assess the effect on osteoclast differentiation. Mechanical strain application alone decreased osteoclast differentiation, which was further decreased by the addition of particles despite increases in the soluble RANKL to osteoprotegerin (OPG) ratio. Mechanical strain alone induced mature osteoclast apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, in the mature osteoclast model, the addition of nonmetal particulates protected the osteoclasts from becoming apoptopic. Titanium (Ti) and cobalt chromium (CoCr) particles, however, induced osteoclast apoptosis, whereas polyethylene (PE) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) did not. Wear particulates and mechanical stimulation interact via an eicosanoid-dependent pathway to alter osteoclast function and survival. The addition of mechanical perturbation to a particle-laden system thus appears to enhance the potential for osteolytic activity by enhancing osteoclast survival.     

Modulation of activity in medial frontal and motor cortices during error observation

We used measures of the human event-related brain potential (ERP) to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying error processing during action observation. Participants took part in two conditions, a task execution condition and a task observation condition. We found that activity in both the medial frontal cortex and the motor cortices, as measured via the error-related negativity and the lateralized readiness potential, respectively, was modulated by the correctness of observed behavior. These data suggest that similar neural mechanisms are involved in monitoring one's own actions and the actions of others.