BackgroundGene regulation is a key mechanism in higher eukaryotic cellular processes. One of the major challenges in gene regulation studies is to identify regulators affecting the...Full Text Available
We have identified two novel, very closely relatedgenes, SAS1 and SAS2, from Dictyostelium discoideum. These encode small, approximately 20-kilodaton proteins with amino acid sequences thought to be...Full Text Available
Mutations or multiplications in a-synuclein gene cause familial forms of Parkinson disease or dementia with Lewy bodies (LB), and the deposition of wild-type a-synuclein as LB occurs as a hallmark lesion of these disorders, collectively referred to as synucleinopathies, implicating a-synuclein in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathy. To identify modifier genes of a-synuclein-induced neurotoxicity, we conducted an RNAi screen in transgenic C. elegans (Tg worms) that overexpress human a-synuclein in a pan-neuronal manner. To enhance the RNAi effect in neurons, we crossed a-synuclein Tg worms with an RNAi-enhanced mutant eri-1 strain. We tested RNAi of 1673 genesrelated to nervous system or synaptic functions, and identified 10 genes that, upon knockdown, caused severe growth/motor abnormalit...
The product of the human GRO gene is a cytokine with inflammatory and growth-regulatory properties; GRO is also called MGSA for melanoma growth-stimulatory activity. The authors have identified two additional genes, GRO#beta# and GRO#gamma#, that share 90% and 86% identity at the deduced amino acid level with the original GRO#alpha# isolate. One amino acid substitution of proline in GRO#alpha# by leucine in GRO#beta# and GRO#gamma# leads to a large predicted change in protein conformation. Significant differences also exist in the 3' untranslated region, including different numbers of ATTTA repeats associated with mRNA instability. A 122-base-pair region in the 3' region is conserved among the three GRO genes, and a part of it is also conserved in the Chinese hamster genome, suggesting a role in regulation. DNA hybridization with oligonucleotide probes and partial sequence analysis of the genomic clones ...
The DNA sequence motif ATTTGCAT (octamer) or its inverse complement has been identified as an evolutionarily conserved element in the promoter region of immunoglobulin genes. Two major DNA-binding proteins that bind in a sequence-specific manner to the octamer DNA sequence have been identified in mammalian species--a ubiquitously expressed protein (Oct-1) and a lymphoid-specific protein (Oct-2). During characterization of the promoter region of the chicken immunoglobulin light chain gene, the authors identified two homologous octamer-binding proteins in chicken B cells. when the cloning of the human gene for Oct-2 revealed it to be a member of a distinct family of homeobox genes, they sought to determine if the human Oct-2 cDNA could be used to identify homologous chicken homeobox genes. Using a ...
Rice is a very important food staple that feeds more than half the world's population. Two major Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.) subspecies, japonica and indica, show significant phenotypic variation in their stress responses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenotypic variation are still largely unknown. A common link among different stresses is that they produce an oxidative burst and result in an increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, methyl viologen (MV) as a ROS agent was applied to investigate the rice oxidative stress response. We observed that 93-11 (indica) seedlings exhibited leaf senescence with severe lesions under MV treatment compared to Nipponbare (japonica). Whole-genome microarray experiments were conducted, and 1,062 probe sets were identified with gene expression level polymorphisms between the two rice cultivars in addition to differential expression under MV treatment, which were ...
BackgroundThe orphan nuclear receptor estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. It was identified through a search for genes...Full Text Available
The full length cDNA of the Brn1 was first cloned, and then expression of the Brn1 was analyzed and the function was identified by silencing technology. Results show that the full length cDNA of the C. lunata Brn1 gene contains 1001 base pairs and an 801?bp open reading frame encoding 267 amino acids. Semi-quantitative PCR analysis shows that the expression of Brn1 at 96?h is significantly higher than at 24 and 72?h (p?Brn1-silenced transformants were light brown in culture filtrate, and have significantly reduced toxin production relative to the wild-type. These results imply that Brn1 gene in C. lunata is not only involved in 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene melanin synthesis, but is also relatively associated with toxin biosynthesis of the pathogen.
Abstract in english Functional properties of soy proteins for food are closely related to the composition of their storage protein subunits. Using base excision sequence scanning (BESS), we show that the absence of the A4 peptide in the G4 glycinin subunit of the soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivar Enrei was caused by the same point mutation in the Gy4 gene as previously reported in the soybean cultivar Raiden. Although the genetic relationship between Raiden and Enrei is not known, the same p (more) oint mutation in their Gy4 genes may indicate that they probably share a related origin. The application of BESS to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as co-dominant markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) of a recessive null allele is also discussed.
Previous studies have been conducted in gene expression profiling to identify groups of genes that characterize the colorectal carcinoma disease. Despite the success of previous attempts to identify...Full Text Available
What genes are related to AEC syndrome? AEC syndrome is caused by mutations in the TP63 gene. This gene provides instructions for making a protein known as p63, which plays an...
Summary CAG trinucleotide repeat length in the nuclear polymerase gamma gene (POLg) has been shown to be associated with men with reduced fertility. The present study investigated the frequency of CAG repeat length genotypes and three exonuclease motifs of the POLg in relation to the frequency of mitochondrial nucleotide substitutions. DNA from semen samples of 93 normozoospermic men and 192 non-normozoospermic men was isolated and the specific regions of the genes were amplified by polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and sequenced to identify mutations. The genotypic frequencies of pooled POLg CAG repeat lengths, =10/!=10 heterozygotes and !=10/!=10 homozygotes, were significantly different between normozoospermic and non-normozoospermic men (p p POLg genotype. Of the 17 men with non-synonym...
Recessive mutations of the early phase change (epc) gene in maize affect several aspects of plant development. These mutations were identified initially because of...Full Text Available
The authors used a near full-length human ornithine [delta]-aminotransferase cDNA, huOAT6, as a probe under low stringency hybridization conditions to identify a new autosomal ornithine [delta]-aminotransferase-related sequence (OATL3). Cloning and characterization of this sequence reveal it to be a partial nonprocessed pseudogene corresponding to exon 3 and flanking intronic sequences of the ornithine [delta]-aminotransferase structural gene. Using somatic cell hybrids and fluorescence in situ hybridization, they mapped OATL3 to 10q26, adjacent to the ornithine [delta]-aminotransferase structural gene locus. 13 refs., 3 figs.
Despite the recent success of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in identifying loci consistently associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), a large proportion of the genetic components of...Full Text Available
BackgroundBiodiesel or ethanol derived from lipids or starch produced by microalgae may overcome many of the sustainability challenges previously ascribed to petroleum-based fuels and first generation plant-based biofuels. The paucity of microalgae genome sequences, however, limits gene-based biofuel feedstock optimization studies. Here we describe the sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly for the non-model microalgae species, Dunaliella tertiolecta, and identify pathways and genes of importance related to biofuel production.ResultsNext generation DNA pyrosequencing technology applied to D. tertiolecta transcripts produced 1,363,336 high quality reads with an average length of 400 bases. Following quality and size trimming, ~ 45% of the high quality reads were assembled into 33,307 isotigs with a 31-fold coverage and 376,482 singletons. Assembled sequences and singletons were subjected to BLAST ...
Most human diseases are related in some way to the loss or gain in gene functions. Regulation of gene expression is a complex process. In addition to genetic mechanisms, epigenetic causes are...Full Text Available
BackgroundMicroarray studies can supplement QTL studies by suggesting potential candidate genes in the QTL regions, which by themselves are too large to provide a limited selection...Full Text Available
Extending genome wide association analysis by the inclusion of gene expression data may assist in the dissection of complex traits. We examined piebald, a pigmentation phenotype in both human and Merino...Full Text Available
Noncoding RNAs play important roles in various aspects of gene regulation. We have identified 7SK RNA to be enriched in nuclear speckles or interchromatin granule clusters (IGCs), a subnuclear domain...Full Text Available
Comparative sociogenomics has the potential to provide important insights into how social behaviour evolved. We examined brain gene expression profiles of the primitively eusocial wasp Polistes...Full Text Available
BackgroundGenomics has substantially changed our approach to cancer research. Gene expression profiling, for example, has been utilized to delineate subtypes of cancer, and facilitated...Full Text Available
From Toki-shakuyaku-san, an herbal formulation for “cleansing stagnated blood,” a key gene regulatory compound was purified and identified through a screening based on DNA microarray...Full Text Available
BackgroundCalcitonin generelated peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide that is abundant in the sensory neurons which innervate bone. The effects of CGRP on isolated bone cells have been...Full Text Available
PurposeTo investigate whether acquired somatic mutations in the iron response element of the ferritin L-chain gene account for the age-related cataract.MethodsThe...Full Text Available
Motivation: The identification of gene regulatory modules is an important yet challenging problem in computational biology. While many computational methods have been proposed to identify...Full Text Available
While genomic alterations identified in human tumors using techniques such as comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) may be recurrent, they frequently encompass large regions, in some cases...Full Text Available
Cancers are highly heterogeneous and contain many passenger and driver mutations. To functionally identify tumor suppressor genes relevant to human cancer, we compiled pools of short harpin...Full Text Available
A 36-year-old woman underwent amniocentesis for advanced maternal age. The fetal karyotype had an extra dark staining G band on the long arm of chromosome 11 with no other identifiable abnormalities. FISH studies using a chromosome 11 paint probe confirmed the origin of the extra band. The abnormality was identified as a partial duplication of 11q: 46,XX dir dup (11)(q13.5q21) or (q21q23.1). The specific duplicated band could not be identified with certainty. Detailed fetal sonograms were normal. Family studies revealed the identical duplication in the mother but normal karyotypes in both maternal grandparents. The mother had strabismus and a short tongue frenulum which required surgical correction. Menses occurred late in adolescence and complete development of secondary sexual characteristics was delayed until adulthood. An infertility evaluation revealed duplication of the uterus, cervix, and vagina. An evaluation for ...
Meningococcal disease is an infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis. Genetic factors contribute to host susceptibility and progression to disease, but the genes responsible for disease development are largely unknown. We report here a genome-wide association study for host susceptibility to meningococcal disease using 475 individuals with meningococcal disease (cases) and 4,703 population controls from the UK. We performed, in Western European and South European cohorts (consisting of 968 cases and 1,376 controls), two replication studies for the most significant SNPs. A cluster of complement factor SNPs replicated independently in both cohorts, including SNPs within complement factor H (CFH) (rs1065489 (p.936Drelated protein 3 (CFHR3)(rs426736, P = 4.6 ...
Erythroid differentiation regulator (Erdr1) was first discovered in mouse leukemia cell lines and functions as a stress-related survival factor. This study investigated whether Erdr1 regulates murine melanoma progression, as well as the mechanism involved in Erdr1-regulated metastasis. The expression of Erdr1 is negatively correlated with IL-18 expression, which has a pro-cancer effect in melanoma. To study the role of Erdr1 as an anti-cancer factor, cell migration, invasion, and proliferation were measured. Erdr1 overexpression markedly inhibited the level of cell migration, invasion, and proliferation in B16F10 cells in vitro. In addition, Erdr1 overexpression significantly suppressed melanoma lung colonization, metastasis, and tumor growth in vivo. To identify the factors involved in Er...
Mammary glands are special tissue characterized by proliferation of the epithelium, during puberty and pregnancy and by programmed cell death, during involution. In this study, apoptosis was identified by TUNEL staining and then related to cell proliferation, as determined by Ki-67 staining. The apoptotic index was at its highest at 8 days of involution, whereas the proliferation index was at its highest during lactation. Caspase-3 was immunolocalised only in mast cells and along the basal membrane in the mammary tissue at -10 days from lambing, 150 days of lactation and at 8 days of involution. This finding could indicate that caspase-3 is not involved in sheep mammary gland apoptosis, but that other proteins - such as apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) - can trigger apoptosis, through the m...
Defects in mismatch repair genes cause the genetic instability characteristic of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer and a subset of sporadic colon tumors. The newest member of the mismatch repair gene family, GTBP, has recently been identified as a partial cDNA. Here, we describe the isolation of its 5{prime} terminus, allowing definition of the entire coding region. Several polymorphisms within the 5{prime} end were identified and are presented. 13 refs., 1 fig.
To gain insight into the changes in the transcriptome of soybean roots during soybean cyst nematode (SCN) infection, we conducted genome-wide gene expression profiling using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) combined with Solexa sequencing. More than 3 million tags were generated from the SCN-infected and uninfected roots, and 366941 and 314591 clean UniTags were obtained from SCN-infected and uninfected samples, respectively. In the SCN-infected sample, 48249 UniTags represented 18114 reference genes. In the uninfected control, 46290 UniTags represented 19323 reference genes. Comparison of tag frequencies identified 1405 genes that were expressed at greater levels in SCN-infected roots than in uninfected roots, and 1191 genes that were expressed at lower levels. Quantitative real-...
Ecological speciation is the process by which barriers to gene flow between populations evolve due to adaptive divergence via natural selection. A relatively unexplored area in ecological speciation...Full Text Available
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are highly polymorphic components of the vertebrate immune system, which play a key role in pathogen resistance. MHC genes may also function as odour-related...Full Text Available
Cellular hypertrophy is regulated by coordinated pro- and antigrowth machineries. Foxo transcription factors initiate an atrophy-relatedgene program to counter hypertrophic growth. This study was designed...Full Text Available
BackgroundDue to the high morbidity and mortality of fulminant hepatitis, early diagnosis followed by early effective treatment is the key for prognosis improvement. So far, little...Full Text Available
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to be familial and heritable, in previous studies. As with most psychiatric disorders, examination of pedigrees has not revealed a consistent Mendelian mode of transmission. The response of ADHD patients to medications that inhibit the dopamine transporter, including methylphenidate, amphetamine, pemoline, and bupropion, led us to consider the dopamine transporter as a primary candidate gene for ADHD. To avoid effects of population stratification and to avoid the problem of classification of relatives with other psychiatric disorders as affected or unaffected, we used the haplotype-based haplotype relative risk (HHRR) method to test for association between a VNTR polymorphism at the dopamine transporter locus (DAT1) and DSM-III-R-diagnosed ADHD (N = 49) and undifferentiated attention-deficit disorder (UADD) (N = 8) in trios composed of father, mother, and ...
AbstractBackground: A defective innate immune response may contribute to the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Employing a global gene expression analysis, this study was aimed at identifying specifically regulated genes within the epithelial compartment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: The epithelial fraction of human ileal mucosa samples from surgical specimens was obtained by laser microdissection. Gene expression was examined by global expression profiling (n = 18, Affymetrix), quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) (n = 35), immunoblot analysis (n = 9), and immunohistochemistry (n = 25). Results: Global expression profiling revealed a pronounced downregulation of the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) with...
It is becoming clear that simple sequence repeats (SSRs) play a significant role in fungal genome organization, and they are a large source of genetic markers for population genetics and meiotic maps. We identified SSRs in the Laccaria bicolor genome by in silico survey and analyzed their distribution in the different genomic regions. We also compared the abundance and distribution of SSRs in L. bicolor with those of the following fungal genomes: Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Coprinopsis cinerea, Ustilago maydis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus nidulans, Magnaporthe grisea, Neurospora crassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using the MISA computer program, we detected 277,062 SSRs in the L. bicolor genome representing 8% of the assembled genomic sequence. Among the analyzed basidiomycetes, L. bicolor exhibited the highest SSR density although no correlation between relative abundance and the genome sizes was observed. In most genomes the short ...
The epidermal compartment is complex and organized into several strata composed of keratinocytes (KCs), including basal, spinous, granular, and cornified layers. The continuous process of self-renewal and barrier formation is dependent on a homeostatic balance achieved amongst KCs involving proliferation, differentiation, and cell death. To determine genes responsible for initiating and maintaining a cornified epidermis, organotypic cultures comprised entirely of stratified KCs creating epidermal equivalents (EE) were raised from a submerged state to an air/liquid (A/L) interface. Compared to the array profile of submerged cultures containing KCs predominantly in a proliferative (relatively undifferentiated) state, EEs raised to an A/L interface displayed a remarkably consistent and distinct profile of mRNAs. Cultures lifted to an A/L interface triggered the induction of gene groups that regulate proliferation, ...
Pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP) is a secretory pancreatic protein present in small amounts in normal pancreas and overexpressed during the acute phase of pancreatitis. In this paper, the authors describe the cloning, characterization, and chromosomal mapping of the human PAP gene. The gene spans 2748 bp and contains six exons interrupted by five introns. The gene has a typical promoter containing the sequences TATAAA and CCAAT 28 and 52 bp upstream of the cap site, respectively. They found striking similarities in genomic organization as well as in the promoter sequences between the human and rat PAP genes. The human PAP gene was mapped to chromosome 2p12 using rodent-human hybrid cells and in situ chromosomal hybridization. This localization coincides with that of the reg/lithostathine gene, which encodes a pancreatic secretory protein structurally ...
Somite boundary formation is crucial for segmentation of vertebrate somites and vertebrae and skeletal muscle morphogenesis. Previously, we developed a Tol2 transposon-mediated...Full Text Available
Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a heterogeneous disease that is caused by defective complement regulation in over 50% of cases. Mutations have been identified in genes encoding both complement...Full Text Available
The Arabidopsis ref2 mutant was identified in a screen for plants having altered fluorescence under UV light. Characterization of the ref2 mutants showed that they...Full Text Available
BackgroundTwenty-eight genes putatively encoding cytosolic glutathione transferases have been identified in the Anopheles gambiae genome. We manually annotated these...Full Text Available
Sensory neurons in aging mammals undergo changes in anatomy, physiology and gene expression that correlate with reduced sensory perception. In this study we compared young and aged mice to identify...Full Text Available
The Salmonella PmrA-PmrB system controls the expression of genes necessary for polymyxin B resistance. Four loci were previously identified as part of the regulon, and interaction of...Full Text Available
In an earlier report, we used differential cloning to identifygenes that might be critical in controlling arterial neointima formation (Giachelli, C., N. Bae, D. Lombardi, M. Majesky, and S. Schwartz....Full Text Available
BackgroundOil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is one of the most important oil bearing crops in the world. However, genetic improvement of oil palm through conventional...Full Text Available
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited retinal dystrophies characterised ultimately by the loss of photoreceptor cells. We have recently identified a new gene (EYS) encoding...Full Text Available
Two bacteriolytic enzymes secreted by Achromobacter lyticus M497-1 were purified and identified as being very similar (considering their amino acid composition and N-terminal sequence) to alpha- and...Full Text Available
Using a genetic screen we have identified two chromosomal genes, cusRS (ylcA ybcZ), from Escherichia coli K-12 that encode a two-component, signal...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe long-term goal of the GKDZI (Genetics of Kidney Disease in Zuni Indians) Study is to identifygenes, environmental factors, and genetic-environmental...Full Text Available
The ETS proteins are a family of transcription factors (TFs) that regulate a variety of biological processes. We made genome-wide analyses to explore the classification of the ETS gene family. We identified...Full Text Available
CDC7 is an essential gene required for DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cdc7p homologs have recently been identified in vertebrates, but their role in DNA...Full Text Available
BackgroundIt is often desirable to separate effects of different regulators on gene expression, or to identify effects of the same regulator across several systems. Here, we focus...Full Text Available
BackgroundHistone post-translational modifications are critical for gene expression and cell viability. A broad spectrum of histone lysine residues have been identified in yeast...Full Text Available
PurposeTo detail the highly variable ocular phenotypes of a French family affected with an autosomal dominantly inherited vitreoretinopathy and to identify the disease gene.MethodsSixteen...Full Text Available
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are leading causes of morbidity across all populations, with heritability estimates of ∼80% indicating a substantial genetic component. Population genetics...Full Text Available
We report the existence of a sixth replication arrest site, TerF, that is located within the coding sequences of the rcsC gene, a negative regulator of capsule biosynthesis. The TerF site is oriented...Full Text Available
Targeted genome capture combined with next-generation sequencing was used to analyze 2.9 Mb of the DFNB79 interval on chromosome 9q34.3, which includes 108 candidate genes. Genomic...Full Text Available
Peculiar DNA sequences made up by the tandem repetition of a 5 bp unit have been identified within or upstream from three avian protein-coding genes. One sequence is located within an intron of the...Full Text Available
BackgroundCoiled-coil domain containing 115 (Ccdc115) or coiled coil protein-1 (ccp1) was previously identified as a downstream gene of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2) highly expressed...Full Text Available
BackgroundAvian β-defensins (AvBDs) represent a group of innate immune genes with broad antimicrobial activity. Within the chicken genome, previous work identified 14 AvBDs...Full Text Available
DNA from 48 hr germinated rice embryos was cut with restriction endonuclease Bam H1 and cloned to the Bam H1 site on plasmid pBR 322. The clones containing recombinant DNA were selected by their sensitivity to tetracycline and resistance to ampicillin. Using /sup 32/P-labelled rice embryos tRNA as a probe two clones were identified to contain tRNA genes by colony hybridization.
A series of translocation break points found in a subset of human acute leukemias have one of the breaks on human chromosome 11q23. This region has recently been cloned and a large gene, ALL-1, with...Full Text Available
The human zinc finger protein genes (ZFX/Y) were identified as a result of a systematic search for the testis-determining factor gene on the human Y chromosome. Although they play no direct role in sex determination, they are of particular interest because they are highly conserved among mammals, birds, and amphibians and because, in eutherian mammals at least, they have active alleles on both the X and the Y chromosomes outside the pseudoautosomal region. We used in situ hybridization to localize the homologues of the zinc finger protein gene to chromosome 1 of the Australian echidna and to an equivalent position on chromosomes 1 and 2 of the playtpus. The localization to platypus chromosome 1 was confirmed by Southern analysis of a Chinese hamster [times] platypus cell hybrid retaining most of platypus chromosome 1. This localization is consistent with the cytological homology of chromosome 1 between ...
Objectives: The purpose of this work was to study the genetic determinants responsible for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) resistance of Salmonella isolated from Dutch poultry, poultry meat and hospitalized humans. Methods: Thirty-four ESBL-resistant Salmonella isolates from The Netherlands were tested towards 21 antimicrobial agents. PCR and sequencing were used to determine the underlying genetic determinants responsible for the ESBL phenotypes. The transferability of the ESBL phenotypes was tested by conjugation to a susceptible Salmonella enterica serovar Dublin and plasmid purification, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were employed to further characterize a subset of the isolates. Results: A great genetic diversity was seen among the isolates. The bla(TEM-52) gene was most predominant and was found among Salmonella enterica serovars Blockley, Thomson, London, Enteritidis phage type 14b, ...
PurposeTo examine the association of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with HtrA serine peptidase 1 (HTRA1) gene rs11200638 G→A polymorphism and LOC387715/...Full Text Available
We have cloned and characterized the entire DNA polymerase gene and flanking regions from Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and two closely related macaque homologs of KSHV, retroperitoneal...Full Text Available
BackgroundAdipose tissue lipid storage and processing capacity can be a key factor for obesity-related metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and diabetes. Lipid uptake is...Full Text Available
The chicken extracellular matrix glycoprotein ES/130 is necessary for epithelial-mesenchymal transformation in the developing hear and is also expressed in noncardiac chicken tissues such as limb and notochord. We have identified hES, the human homology of chicken ES/130. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis (FISH) localizes hES to human chromosome 20p11.2-p12. FISH analyses of individuals with 20p12 deletions and affected by Alagille syndrome exclude hES as a candidate gene for this disorder. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction studies reveal that hES is expressed in both fetal and adult human tissues and that hES expression in the left ventricle is increased in the failing adult heart. Further studies will evaluate how hES mutations may relate to congenital human cardiac and skeletal anomalies as well as cardiac remodeling in the adult. 16 refs., 2 figs.
The identification of genes influencing sensitivity to stimulants and opioids is important for determining their mechanism of action and may provide fundamental insights into the genetics of drug abuse. We used a panel of C57BL/6J (B6; recipient)x A/J (donor) chromosome substitution strains (CSSs) to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for both open field activity and sensitivity to the locomotor stimulant response to methamphetamine (MA). Mice were injected with saline (days 1 and 2) and MA (day 3; 2 mg/kg i.p.). We analyzed the total distance traveled in the open field for 30 min following each injection. CSS-8, -11 and -16 showed reduced MA-induced locomotor activity relative to B6, whereas CSS-10 and -12 showed increased MA-induced locomotor activity. Further analysis focused on CSS...
DFNA5 was first identified as a gene causing autosomal dominant hearing loss (HL). Different mutations have been found, all exerting a highly specific gain-of-function effect, in which skipping of exon 8 causes the HL. Later reports revealed the involvement of the gene in different types of cancer. Epigenetic silencing of DFNA5 in a large percentage of gastric, colorectal and breast tumors and p53-dependent transcriptional activity have been reported, concluding that DFNA5 acts as a tumor suppressor gene in different frequent types of cancer. Despite these data, the molecular function of DFNA5 has not been investigated properly. Previous transfection studies with mutant DFNA5 in yeast and in mammalian cells showed a toxic effect of the mutant protein, which was not seen after transfection ...
Australia?s nationally consistent framework for gene technology regulation is underpinned by the Gene Technology Act 2000, administered by an independent decision-maker, the Gene Technology Regulator. The object of the Act is ?to protect the health and safety of people, and to protect the environment, by identifying risks posed by or as a result of gene technology, and by managing those risks through regulating certain dealings with genetically modified organisms?. Marketing and trade impacts are outside the scope of assessments required by the Act. Since 2001, seven licences have been issued for the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) cotton with insect resistance and/or herbicide tolerance. Licences have also been issued for 32 GM cotton field trials with a broader range ...
Abstract Gelatinization temperature (GT) is an important parameter in evaluating the cooking and eating quality of rice. Indeed, the phenotype, biochemistry and inheritance of GT have been widely studied in recent times. Previous map-based cloning revealed that GT was controlled by ALK gene, which encodes a putative soluble starch synthase II-3. Complementation vector and RNAi vector were constructed and transformed into Nipponbare mediated by Agrobacterium. Phenotypic and molecular analyses of transgenic lines provided direct evidence for ALK as a key gene for GT. Meanwhile, amylose content, gel consistency and pasting properties were also affected in transgenic lines. Two of four nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms in coding sequence of ALK were identified as essential for GT. ...
Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of the maxillary galea of the silkworm were analyzed to identify proteins involved in food selection systems. From the 1251 redundant genes of the ESTs, we identified 7 odorant-binding protein-like genes (bmObpL), 6 takeout-like genes (bmToL), and 6 chemosensory protein genes (bmCsp). Quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that bmObpL1, bmObpL2, bmObpL3, bmObpL5, bmToL1, bmToL3, and bmorCsp15 were predominantly expressed in the larval oral appendages, such as the maxilla, labrum, labium and antenna. Immunocytochemical analysis indicated that the proteins of bmObpL1, bmObpL3, and bmToL1 were localized in the gustatory chemosensilla on the maxillary galea and olfactory sensilla in the antenna. The proteins encoded by bmObpL1 and bmObpL3 were detected in the gus...
Two overlapping cDNA clones encoding human DNA topoisomerase II were identified by two independent methods. In one, a human cDNA library in phage {lambda} was screened by hybridization with a mixed oligonucleotide probe encoding a stretch of seven amino acids found in yeast and Drosophila DNA topoisomerase II; in the other, a different human cDNA library in a {lambda}gt11 expression vector was screened for the expression of antigenic determinants that are recognized by rabbit antibodies specific to human DNA topoisomerase II. The entire coding sequences of the human DNA topoisomerase II gene were determined from these and several additional clones, identified through the use of the cloned human TOP2 gene sequences as probes. Hybridization between the cloned sequences and mRNA and genomic DNA indicates that the human enzyme is encoded by a single-copy gene. The location of the ...
Mutations in the mouse formin (Fmn) gene, formerly known as the limb deformity (ld) gene, give rise to recessively inherited limb deformities and renal malformations or aplasia. The Fmn gene encodes many differentially processed transcripts that are expressed in both adult and embryonic tissues. To study the genomic organization of the Fmn locus, we have used Fmn probes to isolate and characterize genomic clones spanning 500 kb. Our analysis of these clones shows that the Fmn gene is composed of at least 24 exons and spans 400 kb. We have identified two novel exons that are expressed in the developing embryonic limb bud as well as adult tissues such as brain and kidney. We have also used a microsatellite polymorphism from within the Fmn gene to map it genetically to a 2.2-cM interval between D2Mit58 and D2Mit103. 36 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
African bovine trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma sp., is a major constraint on cattle productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. Some African Bos taurus breeds are highly tolerant of infection, but the potentially more productive Bos indicus zebu breeds are much more susceptible. Zebu cattle are well adapted for plowing and haulage, and increasing their tolerance of trypanosomiasis could have a major impact on crop cultivation as well as dairy and beef production. We used three strategies to obtain short lists of candidate genes within QTL that were previously shown to regulate response to infection. We analyzed the transcriptomes of trypanotolerant N'Dama and susceptible Boran cattle after infection with Trypanosoma congolense. We sequenced EST libraries from these two breeds to identify polymorphisms that might underlie previously identified quantitative trait loci (QTL), and we assessed QTL regions and candidate loci for ...
The human CDC25 tyrosine phosphatases trigger activation of CDC2 by removing inhibitory phosphates; thus the genes encoding these phosphatases may be suspected as potential oncogenes due to their role in promoting cell division. To date, three human CDC25 genes have been identified: CDC25A, B, and C. This communication describes the mapping of CDC25A to chromosome 3p21 and CDC25B to chromosome 20p13 by fluorescence in situ hybridization with confirmation by the polymerase chain reaction of hamster-human somatic cell hybrid DNA. 3p21 is near an area frequently involved in karyotypic abnormalities in renal carcinomas, small cell carcinomas of the lung, and benign tumors of the salivary gland. 20p13 does not seem to be a common area for karyotypic alteration in tumors. Mapping of these genes to their chromosomal loci may help identify tumors with abnormal regulation of CDC25 ...
In order to study the intragenic profiles of active transcription, we determined the relative levels of active RNA polymerase II present at the 3′- and 5′-ends of 261 yeast genes by...Full Text Available
We have examined homologous fragments of DNA cloned from two different tissues for changes in the dNA sequence which might be related to tissue specific gene expression. The 5' end of the chicken ovalbumin...Full Text Available
Descriptive assessment methods have been used in applied settings to identify consequences for problem behavior, thereby aiding in the design of effective treatment programs. Consensus has not been...Full Text Available
Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), a protease inhibitor that circulates in association with plasma lipoproteins (VLDL, LDL and HDL), helps to regulate the extrinsic blood coagulation cascade. The authors have cloned a 125-kb genomic region containing the entire human TFPI gene on six overlapping cosmids and prepared a restriction map of this contig to clarify gene structure. More than half (45 kb) of the 85-kb gene is occupied with 5[prime] noncoding elements: coding begins at exon 3. A HindIII RFLP identified with one cosmid was genotyped in the CEPH panel of 559 reference families. Linkage analysis using markers on human chromosome 2 located the TFPI gene on 2q, 36 cM proximal to D2S43(pYNZ15) and 13 cM distal to the crystalline [gamma]-polypeptide locus CRYGP1(p5G1). 31 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.
KMeyeDB () is a database of human gene mutations that cause eye diseases. We have substantially enriched the amount of data in the database, which now contains information about the mutations of 167 human genes causing eye-related diseases including retinitis pigmentosa, cone-rod dystrophy, night blindness, Oguchi disease, Stargardt disease, macular degeneration, Leber congenital amaurosis, corneal dystrophy, cataract, glaucoma, retinoblastoma, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, and Usher syndrome. KMeyeDB is operated using the database software MutationView, which deals with various characters of mutations, gene structure, protein functional domains, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers, as well as clinical data for each case. Users can access the database using an ordinary Internet browser wi...
Background In chordates, retinoid metabolism is an important target of short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs). It is not known whether SDRs play a role in retinoid metabolism of protostomes, such as Drosophila melanogaster. Methods Drosophila genome was searched for genes encoding proteins with ?50% identity to human retinol dehydrogenase 12 (RDH12). The corresponding proteins were expressed in Sf9 cells and biochemically characterized. Their phylogenetic relationships were analyzed using PHYLIP software. Results A total of six Drosophila SDR genes were identified. Five of these genes are clustered on chromosome 2 and one is located on chromosome X. The deduced proteins are 300 to 406 amino acids long and are associated with microsomal membranes. They recognize all-trans-retinaldehyd...
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquious in the environment both as natural products and as environmental contaminants. Among PAHs, phenanthrene (PH) that is ubiquitously distributed throughout the environment was subjected in this study. Although environmental distribution and metabolism of PH have been well reported, there are only a few studies examined the expression of mRNA and their functions on PH-induced toxicity. A new paradigm in toxicity screening, toxicogenomic technology represents a useful approach for evaluating the toxic properties of environmental pollutants. In this respect, we elicited the genes which were changed more than 2-fold by analysis of gene expression profiles in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells, exposed to PH by using human oligonucleo...
The authors have identified a protein present only in erythroid cells that binds to two adjacent sites within an enhancer region of the chicken {beta}-globin locus. Mutation of the sites, so that binding by the factor can no longer be detected in vitro, leads to a loss of enhancing ability, assayed by transient expression in primary erythrocytes. Binding sites for the erythroid-specific factor (Eryf1) are found within regulatory regions for all chicken globin genes. A strong Eryf1 binding site is also present within the enhancer of at least one human globin gene, and proteins from human erythroid cells (but not HeLa cells) bind to both the chicken and the human sites.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a major health problem as it afflicts an increasing number of patients worldwide. Albeit most of the risk factors for HCC are known, this is a deadly syndrome with a life expectancy at the time of diagnosis of less than 1?year. Definition of the molecular principles governing the neoplastic transformation of the liver is an urgent need to facilitate the clinical management of patients, based on innovative methods to detect the disease in its early stages and on more efficient therapies. In the present study, we have combined the analysis of a murine model and human samples of HCC to identifygenes differentially expressed early in the process of hepatocarcinogenesis, using a microarray-based approach. Expression of 190 genes was impaired in murine ...
Purpose : To detect differentially expressed genes in the patients with uterine cervical cancer during the radiation therapy. Materials and Methods : In patients with biopsy proven uterine cervical cancer, we took a tumor tissue just before radiation therapy and at 40 minutes after external irradiation of 1.8 Gy. Total RNAs isolated from non-irradiated and irradiated tumor tissue samples were analyzed using the differential-display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR). Complementary DNA (cDNA) fragments corresponding to differentially expressed messenger RNAs(mRNAs) were eluted, and cloned. The differential expression of the corresponding mRNAs was confirmed by reverse northern blot. Differentially expressed cDNA bands were sequenced. Nucleotide sequence data were analyzed in the Gene Bank and EMBL databases via the BLAST network server to identify homologies to known genes or cDNA ...
The human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a closed circular, 16,569-bp double-stranded DNA, encoding 13 genes whose protein products are subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation system required for synthesis of most of the ATP consumed by eukaryotic cells. Point mutations of the mtDNA that cause multi-tissue, loss-of-energy syndromes, called mitochondrial encephalomyopathies (e.g., MERRF and MELAS), have been identified. In addition, large-scale deletions of the human mtDNA have been identified and are the molecular bases for the neonatal and adolescent onset loss-of-energy syndromes Pearson and Kearns-Sayer, respectively. 5 refs., 1 fig.
BackgroundEpidemiological studies have shown a J- or U-shaped relation between alcohol and type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD). The underlying mechanisms are not clear....Full Text Available
In rats, expression of the immediate early gene, c-fos observed in the brain following male copulatory behavior relates mostly to the detection of olfactory information originating...Full Text Available
cdc18+ of Schizosaccharomyces pombe is a periodically expressed gene that is required for entry into S phase and for the coordination of S phase with mitosis. cdc18+ is related to the Saccharomyces...Full Text Available
Many lessons in autoimmunity — particularly relating to the role of immune privilege and the interplay between genetics and neuroimmunology — can be learned from the study of alopecia...Full Text Available
BackgroundSerine proteinase inhibitors (Serpins) are a large superfamily of structurally related, but functionally diverse proteins that control essential proteolytic pathways in...Full Text Available
Lepidoptera, butterflies and moths, is the second largest animal order and includes numerous agricultural pests. To facilitate comparative genomics in Lepidoptera, we isolated BAC clones containing...Full Text Available
Juvenile hormone analog (JHA) insecticides are relatively nontoxic to vertebrates and offer effective control of certain insect pests. Recent reports of resistance in whiteflies and mosquitoes demonstrate...Full Text Available
The sirtuin Sirt6 is a NAD-dependent histone deacetylase that is implicated in gene regulation and lifespan control. Sirt6 can interact with the stress-responsive transcription factor NF-κB...Full Text Available
Tissue microarray technology (TMA) is a relatively new approach for efficiently and economically assessing protein and gene expression across large ensembles of tissue specimens. Tissue microarray technology...Full Text Available
Epidemiological data indicate that children conceived in vitro have a greater relative risk of low birth-weight, major and minor birth defects, and rare disorders involving imprinted...Full Text Available
BackgroundPlastid genome content and protein sequence are highly conserved across land plants and their closest algal relatives. Parasitic plants, which obtain some or all of their...Full Text Available
Several investigations suggested abnormalities in circadian rhythms are related to the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, including drug addiction. Recently, orphan nuclear receptor rev-erb alpha...Full Text Available
BackgroundMany commercial banana varieties lack sources of resistance to pests and diseases, as a consequence of sterility and narrow genetic background. Fertile wild relatives,...Full Text Available
The state of chromatin (the packaging of DNA in eukaryotes) has long been recognized to have major effects on levels of gene expression, and numerous chromatin-altering strategies—including...Full Text Available
Pestiviruses are positive-strand RNA viruses closely related to human hepatitis C virus. Gene expression of these viruses occurs via translation of a polyprotein, which is further processed by cellular...Full Text Available
Tissue-engineered heart valves are prone to early structural deterioration. We hypothesize that cell?scaffold interaction and mechanical deformation results in upregulation of genesrelated to osteogenic/chondrogenic differentiation and thus changes extracellular matrix (ECM) composition in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (hBMSC)-derived tissue-engineered grafts. hBMSC were expanded and seeded onto poly-glycolic acid/poly-lactic acid scaffold for 14 days. Seeded tissue-engineered constructs (TEC) were subjected to cyclic flexure for 24?h, whereas control TEC was maintained in roller bottles for the same duration. hBMSC, TEC, and mechanically deformed TEC were subjected to gene-array and histological analysis. Expression levels of RNA and/or protein markers related to chondrogenesis...
To express growth-related changes in physiologic or other functions in forms usable for kinetic modeling, we are interested in identifying regular relationships that take the form of simple mathematical...Full Text Available
It was the aim of this study to specifically detect the DNA sequences for the bphC gene, the meta-cleavage enzyme of the aerobic catabolic pathway for biphenyl and polychlorinated biphenyl degradation, in aquatic sediments without prior cultivation of microorganisms by using extraction of total DNA, PCR amplification of bphC sequences, and detection with specific gene probes. The direct DNA extraction protocol used was modified to enhance lysis efficiency. Crude extracts of DNA were further purified by gel filtration, which yielded DNA that could be used for the PCR. PCR primers were designed for conserved regions of the bphC gene from a sequence alignment of five known sequences. The specificity of PCR amplification was verified by using digoxigenin-labeled DNA probes which were located internal to the amplified gene sequence. The detection limit for the bphC gene of Pseudomonas ...
The Myc oncoprotein is a potent inducer of cell growth, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. While many direct Myc target genes have been identified, the molecular determinants of Myc’s transcriptional...Full Text Available
DescriptionThe recent sequencing of the complete genomes of several streptomycete species revealed the presence of a large number of cryptic' secondary metabolic gene clusters, and led to the realisation that these organisms have the ability to produce many more natural products than had previously been recognised. One of the aims of our work is to identify the physiological signals and regulatory mechanisms responsible for the activation of these 'cryptic' pathways, thus unleashing the full biosynthetic p [continued...
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited retinal degenerations caused by mutations in at least 45 genes. Using homozygosity mapping, we identified a ∼4 Mb homozygous region...Full Text Available
A two-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure with two nested pairs of primers specific for the yadA gene of Yersinia enterocolitica was developed. The PCR assay identified all common pathogenic...Full Text Available
Genome sequences are essential tools for comparative and mutational analyses. Here we present the short read sequence of mouse chromosome 17 from the Mus musculus domesticus derived...Full Text Available
A multiple comparison approach using whole genome transcriptional arrays was used to identifygenes and pathways involved in calorie restriction/dietary restriction (DR) life span extension in Drosophila....Full Text Available
PurposeTo identify those metallothionein and α-crystallin/small heat-shock genes induced by toxic metals in human lens cells and to evaluate...Full Text Available
Case-parent trios were used in a genome wide association study of cleft lip with/without cleft palate (CL/P). SNPs near two genes not previously associated with CL/P [MAFB:...Full Text Available
BackgroundXenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related (XMRV) virus is a recently identified mouse gammaretrovirus that has the ability to infect certain human cells. In this study,...Full Text Available
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a maternally inherited trait that fails to produce functional pollen grains. The CMS system is widely employed to facilitate the utilization of heterosis in major crops. However, little is known about the CMS associated genes in Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). The objective of this study was to compare CMS cotton (CMS-D2) with the cytoplasm from G. harknessii and its isogenic maintainer line with the normal fertile Upland cotton cytoplasm to identify CMS-D2 specific gene(s) and to develop CMS-specific sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. Based on Southern blot analysis using 10 mitochondrial gene-specific probes (cob, cox2, atp6, atp9, nad3, cox3, atpA, cox1, nad6 and nad9), three probes (cox3, atpA, and nad6) revealed restriction ...
[alpha]-Melanocyte stimulating hormone ([alpha]-MSH), a hormone originally named for its ability to regulate pigmentation of melanocytes, is a 13-amino-acid post-translational product of the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene. [alpha]-MSH and the other products of POMC processing, which share the core heptapeptide amino acid sequence Met-Glu (Gly)-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly (Asp), the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), [beta]-MSH, and [gamma]-MSH, are collectively referred to as melanocortins. While best known for their effects on the melanocyte (pigmentation) and adrenal cortical cells (steroidogenesis), melanocortins have been postulated to function in diverse activities, including enhancement of learning and memory, control of the cardiovascular system, analgesia, thermoregulation, immunomodulation, parturition, and neurotrophism. To identify the chromosomal band encoding the human melanocortin-1 receptor gene, 1 [mu]g of an ...
Scientists have just taken a big step toward understanding the cause of Lou Gehrig's disease, one of the most devastating nerve degenerative diseases. A large team of researchers, led by Robert Brown Jr. of Harvards's Massachusetts General Hospital and Robert Horvitz, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, report in the 4 March Nature that they've identified the gene that causes a hereditary form of the condition, which also goes by the name amyothophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While most ALS cases - approximately 90% - are apparently sporadic' and not caused by an inherited gene defect, all the patients have such similar symptons that researchers are hopeful that what they learn about hereditary ALS will also apply to the sporadic form, possibly leading to new therapeutic strategies that will help both. It's a very important ...
Measuring gene expression using microarrays is relevant to many areas of biology and medicine, such as follow up of developmental stages and diseases onset, and treatment study. Since there can be tens of thousands of distinct probes on an array, each micro array experiment can accomplish the equivalent number of genetic tests in parallel. Arrays have therefore dramatically accelerated many types of investigations. For example, microarrays can be used to identify stress response genes by comparing gene expression in challenged versus normal cells. In the Molecular and Cellular Biology lab (MCB), the micro array experiments are performed within the Genomic Platform, fully equipped to analyse either the behaviour of bacteria during long space flight, the effect of low dose ionising radiation on the developing organism in mice, or the human individual radiation sensitivity. For the low dose effect, two ...
The recently described retinoid X receptors (RXRs) respond to the novel retinoid 9-cis-retinoic acid and also serve as heterodimeric partners for the vitamin D, thyroid hormone, and retinoic acid receptors (VDR, TR, and RAR, respectively). In this work, the authors report high-resolution localization of the human RXR genes within cytogenetic bands and also within a standard reference map of cosmid DNA markers on human chromosomes. They have determined the location of the human RXR genes by pairwise hybridization of the RXR cosmids and reference markers, using fluorescence in situ hybridization. They localized (i) RXR[alpha] (RXRA) to chromosome 9 band q34.3; (ii) RXR[beta] (RXRB) to chromosome 6 band 21.3; and (iii) RXR[gamma] (RXRG) to chromosome 1 band q22-q23. Six retinoid-responsive transcription factors have been identified so far, including three retinoic acid receptors in addition to the three RXRs. Interestingly, ...
Poaching of wildlife animals for subsistence and commercial purposes has lead to population declines in Africa. In forensic cases, a need exists to identify the species of origin of carcasses, meat or blood. In the study presented here, the mitochondrial COI gene was sequenced to determine the species of unknown samples in three suspect South African forensic wildlife cases. In two cases the unknown samples were identified as originating from domestic cattle (Bos taurus) and in the third case the sample was identified as common reedbuck (Redunca arundinum). This is the first report of the COI sequence of common reedbuck. The study highlights the need for accurate wildlife reference material from each country in order to convict wildlife cases.
High salinity is one of the main factors limiting cotton growth and productivity. The genes that regulate salt stress in TM-1 upland cotton were monitored using microarray and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) with samples taken from roots. Microarray analysis showed that 1503 probe sets were up-regulated and 1490 probe sets were down-regulated in plants exposed for 3h to 100mM NaCl, and RT-PCR analysis validated 42 relevant/relatedgenes. The distribution of enriched gene ontology terms showed such important processes as the response to water stress and pathways of hormone metabolism and signal transduction were induced by the NaCl treatment. Some key regulatory gene families involved in abiotic and biotic sources of stress such as WRKY, ERF, and JAZ were differentially expressed. Our transcriptome analysis might provide some useful insights into salt-mediated signal transduction pathways in ...
Candoxin (PDB #1JGK), a three-finger neurotoxin from Bungarus candidus venom, inhibits post-synaptic neuromuscular and neuronal alpha7nACh-receptors, and induces delayed cell-death throughout the glial population. When applied to cultured human glial cell lines, candoxin (CDX) induced cell death in a concentration (EC(50) approximately 1muM) and time dependent manner. Results of TUNEL-histochemistry further confirm CDX-induced brain (hippocampus, frontal cortex, and temporal regions) damage when administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v) in adult mice. In this study, we explored differential gene expression profiles following exposure of human glial (Hs 683) cell lines to CDX at various time intervals using Affymetrix-GeneChips. By means of MAS and GeneSpring analyses, 105 genes whose expression was significantly (P<0.01) altered by at least 3-fold were selected. Results of the genome analysis ...
Receptor interacting protein 140 (RIP140) is a coregulator for numerous nuclear receptors and transcription factors and primarily exerts gene-repressive activities on various target genes. We previously identified a spectrum of posttranslational modifications on RIP140 that augment its property and biological activity. In T(3)-triggered biphasic regulation of cellular retinoic acid binding protein 1 (Crabp1) gene along the course of fibroblast-adipocyte differentiation, we found TRAP220(MED1) critical for T(3)-activated chromatin remodeling whereas RIP140 essential for T(3)-repressive chromatin remodeling of this gene promoter. In this current study, we aim to examine whether and how RIP140 replaces TRAP220(MED1) on the CrabpI promoter in differentiating adipocyte cultures. We find increasing recruitment of RIP140 to this promoter, with corresponding reduction in TRAP220(MED1) ...
Most heat shock proteins (Hsps) function as molecular chaperones that help organisms to cope with stress. Although the best empirical evidence is related to heat shock, there is evidence that Hsps and their encoding genes are involved in resistance to other ecologically relevant types of stresses such as those imposed by high population density. We quantified density-dependent gene expression of large (i.e. Hsp40, Hsc70 and Hsp90) and small (Hsp20.5, Hsp20.6 and Hsp20.7) heat shock genes in neural tissue of fifth-instar nymphs of the Australian plague locust, Chortoicetes terminifera, using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Locusts are of particular interest when studying the influence of stress induced by high population density since they show an extreme form of phenotypic plastici...
Objective. Preterm neonates are susceptible to infection due to a combination of sub-optimal immunity and increased exposure to invasive organisms. Invasive fungal infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality among preterm infants cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a component of the innate immune system, which may be especially important in the neonatal setting. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of any association between MBL gene polymorphism and nosocomial invasive fungal infection in preterm neonates. Methods. Codon 54 (B allele) polymorphism in exon 1 of the MBL gene was investigated in 31 patients diagnosed as nosocomial invasive fungal infection and 30 control preterm neonates. Results...
The heat-shock gene, Hsp90, was targeted as a new variable genomic region to supplement other DNA-based tests for identification and discrimination of Globodera pallida, G. rostochiensis and G. tabacum tabacum. Populations of the potato cyst nematodes, G. pallida and G. rostochiensis (PCN), originating from Canada, France, Belgium and USA, together with two populations of G. tabacum tabacum from the USA and France were used for the amplification of a fragment of the Hsp90 gene. General and specific primers and probes for each species were derived from the consensus and non-consensus regions of the aligned sequences, respectively. A triplex conventional PCR assay, using a general forward and reverse or three specific reverse primers, as well as a real-time PCR using general primers and spec...
Central nervous system (CNS) development, homeostasis, stress responses, and plasticity are all mediated by epigenetic mechanisms that modulate gene expression and promote selective deployment of functional gene networks in response to complex profiles of interoceptive and environmental signals. Thus, not surprisingly, disruptions of these epigenetic processes are implicated in the pathogenesis of a spectrum of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms involve chromatin remodeling by relatively generic complexes that catalyze DNA methylation and various types of histone modifications. There is increasing evidence that these complexes are directed to their sites of action by long non-protein-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), of which there are tens if not hundreds of thousands speci...
Although the p53 tumor suppressor is relatively well characterized, much less is known about the functions of other members of the p53 family, p73 and p63. Here, we present evidence that in specific pathological conditions caused by exposure of normal cells to bile acids in acidic conditions, p73 protein plays the predominant role in the DNA damage response. These pathological conditions frequently occur during gastric reflux in the human esophagus and are associated with progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma. We found that despite strong DNA damage induced by bile acid exposure, only p73 (but not p53 and p63) is selectively activated in a c-Abl kinase-dependent manner. The activated p73 protein induces DNA damage repair. Using a human DNA repair PCR array, we identified multiple DNA repair genes affected by p73. Two glycosylases involved in base excision repair, SMUG1 and MUTYH, were characterized and found to be ...
Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies are caused by defects of dystrophin, which forms a part of the membrane cytoskeleton of specialized cells such as muscle. It has been previously shown that the dystrophin-associated protein A1 (59-kDa DAP) is actually a heterogeneous group of phosphorylated proteins consisting of an acidic ({alpha}-A1) and a distinct basic ({beta}-A1) component. Partial peptide sequence of the A1 complex purified from rabbit muscle permitted the design of oligonucleotide probes that were used to isolate a cDNA for one human isoform of A1. This cDNA encodes a basic A1 isoform that is distinct from the recently described syntrophins in Torpedo and mouse and is expressed in many tissues with at least five distinct mRNA species of 5.9, 4.8, 4.3, 3.1, and 1.5 kb. A comparison of the human cDNA sequence with the GenBank expressed sequence tag (EST) data base has identified a relative from human skeletal muscle, EST25263, which ...
In vertebrates, the positioning of the internal organs relative to the midline is asymmetric and evolutionarily conserved. A number of molecules have been shown to play critical roles in left-right patterning. Using representational difference analysis to identifygenes that are differentially expressed on the left and right sides of the chick embryo, we cloned chick Claudin-1, an integral component of epithelial tight junctions. Here, we demonstrate that retroviral overexpression of Claudin-1, but not Claudin-3, on the right side of the chick embryo between HH stages 4 and 7 randomizes the direction of heart looping. This effect was not observed when Claudin-1 was overexpressed on the left side of the embryo. A small, but reproducible, induction of Nodal expression in the perinodal region on the right side of the embryo was noted in embryos that were injected with Claudin-1 retroviral particles on their right sides. ...
In neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and prion disease it has been shown that host genetic background can have a significant effect on susceptibility. Indeed, human genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated several candidate genes. Understanding such genetic susceptibility is relevant to risks of developing variant CJD (vCJD) in populations exposed to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and understanding mechanisms of neurodegeneration. In mice, aspects of prion disease susceptibility can be modelled by examining the incubation period following experimental inoculation. Quantitative trait linkage studies have already identified multiple candidate genes; however, it is also possible to take an individual candidate gene approach. Rarb and Stmn2 were selected as candidates based on the known association with vCJD. Because of the increasing overlap described between prion and ...
Nineteen fungal strains having an ability to oxidize elemental sulfur in mineral salts medium were isolated from deteriorated sandstones of Angkor monuments. These fungi formed clearing zone on agar medium supplemented with powder sulfur due to the dissolution of sulfur. Representative of the isolates, strain THIF01, was identified as Fusarium solani on the basis of morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses. PCR amplification targeting 16S rRNA gene and analyses of full 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated strain THIF01 harbors an endobacterium Bradyrhizobium sp.; however, involvement of the bacterium in the sulfur oxidation is still unclear. Strain THIF01 oxidized elemental sulfur to thiosulfate and then sulfate. Germination of the spores of strain THIF01 was observed in a liqui...
The gene encoding the human type I pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide receptor (ADCYAP1R1) was mapped to chromosome 7 by PCR analysis of genomic DNA from a human/rodent somatic cell hybrid mapping panel. This assignment was confirmed and the gene localized to chromosome band 7p14 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. A yeast artificial chromosome containing ADCYAP1R1 was identified in the CEPH {open_quotes}B{close_quotes} Mega-YAC library. This YAC includes two highly polymorphic dinucleotide repeat sequences that will facilitate genetic studies of the contribution of ADCYAP1R1 in disease states of the central nervous and neuroendocrine systems. 13 refs., 1 fig.
Abstract Hereditary primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) may develop as a solitary endocrinopathy (FIHP) or as part of multiple endocrine neoplasia Type 1, multiple endocrine neoplasia Type 2A, or hereditary HPT-jaw tumor syndrome. Inactivating germline mutations of the tumor suppressor gene CDC73 account for 14 and 50% of all FIHP and HPT-JT patients, respectively, and have also been found in almost 20% of apparently sporadic parathyroid carcinoma patients. Although more than 60 independent germline mutations have been described, to date no rearrangement affecting the CDC73 locus has been identified. By means of multiplex-PCR we found a large germline deletion affecting the whole gene in a two-generation HPT-JT family. Subsequently array-CGH and specific PCR analysis determined that the muta...
The large aggregating proteoglycan aggrecan is a major structural component of the extracellular matrix of articular cartilage. Recent cDNA cloning of the human aggrecan gene (AGC1) reveals a core protein of at least 2316 amino acids characterized by several distinct structural domains. Two globular domains, termed G1 and G2, are present at the amino terminus of the molecule and a third, termed G3, is present at the carboxy terminus. The G1 domain is homologous in structure to the cartilage link protein and accounts for the aggregating potential of aggrecan through its ability to interact with hyaluronic acid. The aggrecan gene is known to consist of 15 exons, with each exon encoding a distinct functional region of the mature protein. However, while the link protein gene is known to reside on chromosome 5 in the human, the location of the aggrecan gene is currently undetermined in any species. The probe ...
Rats or mice acutely exposed to high concentrations of ozone show an immediate and significant weight loss, even when allowed free access to food and water. The mechanisms underlying this systemic response to ozone have not been previously elucidated. We have applied the technique of global gene expression analysis to the livers of C57BL mice acutely exposed to ozone. Mice lost up to 14% of their original body weight, with a 42% decrease in total food consumption. We previously had found significant up-regulation of genes encoding proliferative enzymes, proteins related to acute phase reactions and cytoskeletal functions, and other biomarkers of a cachexia-like inflammatory state in lungs of mice exposed to ozone. These results are consistent with a general up-regulation of different gene families responsive to NF-#kappa#B in the lungs of the exposed mice. In the present study, we observed significant ...
In a previous study, to identifygenes of importance for hepatocellular carcinogenesis, and especially for processes involved in malignant transformation, the authors investigated differences in gene expression between adenomas and carcinomas by DNA microarray. In the present study, the authors investigated AW434047, one of the sequences that was upregulated in carcinomas. The investigation led to the identification of a novel gene, which the authors named hepatocyte malignant transforming factor (HMTF), of unknown function whose expression was increased in hepatocellular carcinomas. Northern blot and in situ hybridization also demonstrated high levels of HMTF in rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, lymphocytes in the spleen, colon mucosal epithelia, spermatocytes, and granule cells of the hippocampus. Reduction of HMTF by RNA interference (RNAi) in N1 cells, an HCC cell line, caused ...
Fetal nucleated cells within maternal blood represent a potential source of fetal genes obtainable by venipuncture. The authors used monoclonal antibody against the transferrin receptor (TIR) to identify nucleated erythrocytes in the peripheral blood of pregnant women. Candidate fetal cells from 19 pregnancies were isolated by flow sorting at 12 1/2-17 weeks gestation. The DNA in these cells was amplified for a 222-base-pair (bp) sequence present on the short arm of the Y chromosome as proof that the cells were derived from the fetus. The amplified DNA was compared with standardized DNA concentrations. In the case of the female fetus, DNA prepared from samples at 32 weeks of gestation and cord blood at delivery also showed the presence of the Y chromosomal sequence, suggesting Y sequence mosaicism or translocation. In 10/12 cases where the 222-bp band was absent, the fetuses were female. Thus, they were successful in detecting the Y chromosomal ...
Cervical cancer is emerging as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. Toll-like Receptor (TLR) gene polymorphisms may contribute to subsequent inter-individual variability in cancer susceptibility. The present study aimed to identify the role of TLR 3 (c.1377C/T) [rs3775290] and TLR 9 (G2848A) [rs352140] gene polymorphisms in the risk of developing cervical cancer in North India. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 200 histopathologically confirmed cervical cancer patients from North India and 200 unrelated, cancer-free, age-matched healthy female controls of similar ethnicity. Genomic DNA was extracted using the salting-out method, and genotyped for TLR 3 and TLR 9 using polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). O...
Using a syngeneic p53-null mouse mammary gland tumor model that closely mimics human breast cancer, we have identified, by limiting dilution transplantation and in vitro mammosphere assay, a Lin(-)CD29(H)CD24(H) subpopulation of tumor-initiating cells. Upon subsequent transplantation, this subpopulation generated heterogeneous tumors that displayed properties similar to the primary tumor. Analysis of biomarkers suggests the Lin(-)CD29(H)CD24(H) subpopulation may have arisen from a bipotent mammary progenitor. Differentially expressed genes in the Lin(-)CD29(H)CD24(H) mouse mammary gland tumor-initiating cell population include those involved in DNA damage response and repair, as well as genes involved in epigenetic regulation previously shown to be critical for stem cell self-renewal. These studies provide in vitro and in vivo data that support the cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis. Furthermore, this p53-null mouse mammary ...
Background Identifying susceptibility genes for endophenotypes by studying analogous behaviors across species is an important strategy for understanding the pathophysiology underlying psychiatric disorders. This approach provides novel biological pathways plus validated animal models critical for selective drug development. One such endophenotype is avoidance behavior. Methods In the present study, novel automated registration methods for longitudinal behavioral assessment in home cages are used to screen a panel of recently generated mouse chromosome substitution strains that are very powerful in quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection of complex traits. In this way, we identified chromosomes regulating avoidance behavior (increased sheltering preference) independent of motor activity lev...
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a measure of sensorimotor gating, a pre-attentional inhibitory brain mechanism that filters extraneous stimuli. Prepulse inhibition is correlated with measures of cognition and executive functioning, and is considered an endophenotype of schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses in which patients show PPI impairments. As a first step toward identifyinggenes that regulate PPI, we performed a quantitative trait locus (QTL) screen of PPI phenotypes in a panel of mouse chromosome substitution strains (CSSs). We identified five CSSs with altered PPI compared with the host C57BL/6J strain: CSS-4 exhibited decreased PPI, whereas CSS-10, -11, -16 and -Y exhibited higher PPI compared with C57BL/6J. These data indicate that A/J chromosomes 4, 10, 11, 16 and Y harbor...
Outbreaks of disease attributable to human error or natural causes can provide unique opportunities to gain new information about host-pathogen interactions and new leads for pathogenesis research. Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN), a sequela of infection with pathogenic streptococci, is a common cause of preventable kidney disease worldwide. Although PSGN usually occurs after infection with group A streptococci, organisms of Lancefield group C and G also can be responsible. Despite decades of study, the molecular pathogenesis of PSGN is poorly understood. As a first step toward gaining new information about PSGN pathogenesis, we sequenced the genome of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus strain MGCS10565, a group C organism that caused a very large and unusually severe epidemic of nephritis in Brazil. The genome is a circular chromosome of 2,024,171 bp. The genome shares extensive gene content, including many virulence factors, with genetically ...
Clarifies the concept of universal basic education. Highlights the need for performance criteria and ways to measure literacy attainment. Identifies issues related to improving primary education, seeing adult literacy as its necessary complement. Underscores the substantial resources required to achieve universal basic education. (CH)
The problem on the ratio between the instability of physical systems and tachyons is discussed. It is shown that the tachyons participation in the real physical process of the system rearranging does not contradict any principles. It is noted that the tachyons constitute the most significant element of the systems, identifying the instability relative to the phase transition into the stable state.
This study identified clinical (e.g., etiology) and demographic factors related to prosthesis use in persons with upper- and lower-limb amputation (ULA and LLA, respectively) and the effect...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo identify patient-care practices related to an increased prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among chronic hemodialysis patients.Full Text Available
BackgroundA large fraction of the human genome is attributable to L1 retrotransposon sequences. Not only do L1s themselves make up a significant portion of the genome, but L1-encoded...Full Text Available
Childhood cancer survivors often experience complications related to cancer and its treatment that may adversely affect quality of life and increase the risk of premature death. The purpose of this...Full Text Available
The Plan identifies the Army's organization, goals, objectives, and policies with respect to energy. It projects energy consumption and costs to the year 2000 and summarizes the programs required to support the long range goals. A summary of current and needed energy related legislation is included. (Author)
Humanin (HN), a 24-residue peptide, was identified as a novel neuroprotective factor and shows anti-cell death activity against a wide spectrum of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related cytotoxicities, including...Full Text Available
The GntR-like protein NorG has been shown to affect Staphylococcus aureus genes involved in the resistance to quinolones and ?-lactams, such as those encoding the NorB and AbcA transporters. To identify the target genes regulated by NorG, we carried out transcriptional profiling assays using S. aureus RN6390 and its isogenic norG::cat mutant. Our data showed that NorG positively affected the transcription of global regulators mgrA, arlS, and sarZ. The three putative drug efflux pump genes most positively affected by NorG were the NorB efflux pump (5.1-fold), the MmpL-like protein SACOL2566 (5.2-fold), and the BcrA-like drug transporter SACOL2525 (5.7-fold). The S. aureus predicted MmpL protein showed 53% homology with the MmpL lipid transporter of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the putative SACOL2525 protein showed 87% homology with the bacitracin drug transporter BcrA of Staphylococcus hominis. Two ...
Background The identification of sequences that control transcription in metazoans is a major goal of genome analysis. In a previous study, we demonstrated that searching for clusters of predicted transcription factor binding sites could discover active regulatory sequences, and identified 37 regions of the Drosophila melanogaster genome with high densities of predicted binding sites for five transcription factors involved in anterior-posterior embryonic patterning. Nine of these clusters overlapped known enhancers. Here, we report the results of in vivo functional analysis of 27 remaining clusters. Results We generated transgenic flies carrying each cluster attached to a basal promoter and reporter gene, and assayed embryos for reporter gene expression. Six clusters are enhancers of adjacent genes: giant, fushi tarazu, odd-skipped, nubbin, squeeze and pdm2; three drive expression in patterns unrelated ...
A total of 172 persons from nine South Amerindian, three African and one Eskimo populations were studied in relation to the Paired box gene 9 (PAX9) exon 3 (138 base...Full Text Available
We analyzed 43 CTX-M-15–producing Escherichia coli isolates and 6 plasmids encoding the blaCTX-M-15gene from Canada, India, Kuwait, France, Switzerland,...Full Text Available
AbstractT-box family transcription factors play many roles in Metazoan development. Here we characterise Tbx6r, a unique Tbx6 paralogue isolated from the amphibian Xenopus....Full Text Available
Although Bois noir is one of the main phytoplasma diseases of grapevine, the gene expression and enzyme activities that underlie physiological changes occurring in symptomatic and recovered (with spontaneous or induced symptom remission) plants are mostly unknown. Bois noir symptomatic leaves (September 2006, 2007) and symptomless leaves from infected symptomatic plants (September 2007) of Sangiovese (moderately susceptible) and Chardonnay (highly susceptible) cultivars were collected. Moreover, leaves from infected symptomless plants of both cultivars were harvested in June 2007. Leaves from recovered plants were also collected in the same periods. In recovered plants of both cultivars, class III chitinase and almost every time phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and chalcone synthase expression were increased for all collection periods. In symptomatic leaves of both cultivars, the expressions of the same genes were up-regulated and also those of ...
There is very little known about the long-term evolution of the MHC and MHC-like molecules. This is because both the theory (the evolutionary questions and models) and the practice (the animals systems, functional assays and reagents to identify and characterize these molecules) have been difficult to develop. There is no molecular evidence yet to decide whether vertebrate immune systems (and particularly the MHC molecules) are evolutionarily related to invertebrate allorecognition systems, and the functional evidence can be interpreted either way. Even among the vertebrates, there is great heterogeneity in the quality and quantity of the immune response. The functional evidence for T-lymphocyte function in jawless and cartilagenous fish is poor, while the bony fish seem to have many characteristics of a mammalian immune system. The organization and sequence of fish Ig genes also indicate that important events in the ...
The Western Research Institute plan for addressing oil shale plant siting methodology calls for identifying the available resources such as oil shale, water, topography and transportation, and human resources. Restrictions on development are addressed: land ownership, land use, water rights, environment, socioeconomics, culture, health and safety, and other institutional restrictions. Descriptions of the technologies for development of oil shale resources are included. The impacts of oil shale development on the environment, socioeconomic structure, water availability, and other conditions are discussed. Finally, the Western Research Institute plan proposes to integrate these topics to develop a flow chart for oil shale plant siting. Western Research Institute has (1) identifiedrelative topics for shale oil plant siting, (2) surveyed both published and unpublished information, and (3) identified data ...
Environmental research related to uranium tailings is being carried out within the Mining Research Laboratories and Mineral Sciences Laboratories of CANMET, EMR. Field-related research on uranium tailings has been conducted at Elliot Lake for over five years. Much of the work has been focused on a program to rehabilitate pyritic tailings. This has resulted in developing a practicable technology for growing vegetation on such wastes. Limitations have been small size of the test-plots and the relatively short period during which experiments have been carried out. A research program aimed at identifying and reducing acidic and radioactive effluents is also underway at Elliot Lake. These liquid effluents have been identified as the most serious threat to the environment. Research at the Mineral Sciences Laboratories and its predecessor divisions relating to the ...
November 1989, marked the beginning of a new three-year cycle of DOE grant support, in connection with which the program underwent a major reorganization. This document presents the progress on the three objectives of the present program which are: to isolate by the technique of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE), proteins of special interest because of the relative mutability of the corresponding gene, establish the identity of the protein, and, for selected proteins, move to a characterization of the corresponding gene; to develop a more efficient approach, based on 2-D PAGE, for the detection of variants in DNA, with special reference to the identification of mutations in the parents of the individual whose DNA is being examined; and, to continue an effective interface with the genetic studies on the children of atomic bomb survivors in Japan, with reference to both the planning and ...
Abstract Strains of Pseudomonas syringae are effective in controlling postharvest diseases of citrus fruits, and antagonistic activity has been correlated with in vitro production of lipodepsipeptides. Additionally, biocontrol agents can induce a range of defence mechanisms of resistance in citrus tissue that result in a broad spectrum of metabolic modifications, such as systemic acquired resistance, induced systemic resistance and production of reactive oxygen species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of syringomycin (syrB1) and syringopeptin (sypA) synthetase genes from P.syringae pv. syringae biocontrol strains in vitro on different culture media and in vivo on citrus fruits (Citrus sinensis cv. Tarocco) during the interaction with Penicillium digitatum by quantitati...
We describe the analysis of forward mutations induced in the tetracycline resistance gene of the plasmid pBR322 by directing the reaction of the carcinogen N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-AcO-AAF) to a small restriction fragment (BamHI, SalI) that is located in the proximal part of the antibiotic-resistance gene. Mutant plasmids obtained both in wild type and excision repair deficient (uvrA) bacterial cells are compared. Preliminary data showing the distribution of the -AAF adducts along this restriction fragments are discussed in relation to the observed spectrum of mutations. 20 references, 4 figures.
Precocious puberty is a significant child health problem, especially in girls, because 95% of cases are idiopathic. Our earlier studies demonstrated that low-dose levels of manganese (Mn) caused precocious puberty via stimulating the secretion of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). Because glial-neuronal communications are important for the activation of LHRH secretion at puberty, we investigated the effects of prepubertal Mn exposure on specific glial-derived puberty-relatedgenes known to affect neuronal LHRH release. Animals were supplemented with MnCl2 (10 mg/kg) or saline by gastric gavage from day 12 until day 22 or day 29, then decapitated, and brains removed. The site of LHRH release is the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH), and tissues from this area were analyzed by real-...
In the post Genome era, the aim of behavior genetics has shifted from estimating the relative contributions of genes and environmental factors to (co-)variation in human complex traits, to localization of genes and identification of functional genetic variants. This special issue reflects this transition and presents fifteen papers that report on genome-wide linkage scans for complex traits in humans and on methodological tools and innovations. Six papers focus on cognition and report overlapping linkage peaks on chromosomes 6p and 14p. Papers on addictive behavior, i.e. smoking and alcohol dependence and its endophenotypes, find moderate LOD scores on chromosomes 6p, 5q, 4p and 7q, respectively. Three papers concentrate on emotionality, depression and loneliness and examine chromosomes 2q...
The similarity in the genetic regulation of arthropod and vertebrate appendage formation has been interpreted as the product of a plesiomorphic gene network that was primitively involved in bilaterian appendage development and co-opted to build appendages (in modern phyla) that are not historically related as structures. Data from lophotrochozoans are needed to clarify the pervasiveness of plesiomorphic appendage-forming mechanisms. We assayed the expression of three arthropod and vertebrate limb gene orthologs, Distal-less (Dll), dachshund (dac), and optomotor blind (omb), in direct-developing juveniles of the polychaete Neanthes arenaceodentata. Parapodial Dll expression marks pre-morphogenetic notopodia and neuropodia, becoming restricted to the bases of notopodial cirri and to ventral ...
A novel PCR based assay was devised to specifically detect contamination of any Salmonella serovar in milk, fruit juice and ice-cream without pre-enrichment. This method utilizes primers against hilA gene which is conserved in all Salmonella serovars and absent from the close relatives of Salmonella. An optimized protocol, in terms time and money, is provided for the reduction of PCR contaminants from milk, ice-cream and juice through the use of routine laboratory chemicals. The simplicity, efficiency (time taken 3-4 h) and sensitivity (to about 5-10 CFU/ml) of this technique confers a unique advantage over other previously used time consuming detection techniques. This technique does not involve pre-enrichment of the samples or extensive sample processing, which was a pre-requisite in mos...
A phytase gene (phyA), isolated from Aspergillus ficuum (AF537344), was introduced into cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to increase the phosphorus (P) acquisition efficiency of cotton. Southern and Northern blot analyses showed that the phyA was successfully incorporated into the cotton genome and expressed in transgenic lines. After growing for 45?days with phytate (Po) as the only P source, the shoot and root dry weights of the transgenic plants all increased by nearly 2.0-fold relative to those of wild-type plants, but were similar to those of transgenic plants supplied with inorganic phosphorus. The phytase activities of root extracts prepared from transgenic plants were 2.4- to 3.6-fold higher than those from wild-type plants, and the extracellu...
Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignant tumor and the fourth-leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The crucial role of fatty acids for a number of important biological processes suggests a more in depth analysis of inter-individual differences in fatty acid metabolizing genes as contributing factor to colon carcinogenesis. We examined the association between genetic variability in 43 fatty acid metabolism-relatedgenes and colorectal risk in 1225 CRC cases and 2032 controls participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. 392 single nucleotide polymorphisms were selected using pairwise tagging with an r(2) cutoff of 0.8 and a minor allele frequency of >5%. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Haplotype analysis was performed using a generalized linear model framework. On the genotype ...
Synthetic gene networks can be used to control gene expression and cellular phenotypes in a variety of applications. In many instances, however, such networks can behave unreliably due to gene expression...Full Text Available
pT181 is a naturally-occurring 4437 basepair (bp) plasmid isolated from Staphylococcus aureus which encodes inducible resistance to tetracycline (Tc). The DNA sequence data has identified three open reading frames (ORFs). The largest ORF B, has been found to be responsible for the Tc resistance phenotype of pT181. Since most Tc resistance systems appear to be regulated by an effector protein and a repressor protein, several Bal 31 deletion mutants of pT181 were constructed and analyzed in an effort to identify the elements involved in Tc resistance. Two transcomplementing groups of mutants were identified within the tet gene. The mechanism of Tc resistance was studied by assaying the accumulation of (7-/sup 3/H) Tc by Tc sensitive cells, and uninduced and induced pT181-containing cells. A sharp decrease in accumulation of the drug after an initial increase was observed in Tc induced pT181-containing ...
This study examined the life histories of a group of emerging scholars in the field of mathematics education who identify themselves as having a particular interest in and concern for issues of equity and diversity. Experiences of being the "other," "bearing witness" to "othering experiences," and "orienting experiences" in relation to issues of equity proved to be prominent themes in participants' life histories. These experiences were then linked to the positionality that these scholars now have in relation to their research in mathematics education.
BackgroundUsing a transcriptional profiling approach, we recently identified myeloid-related protein-8/14 (MRP-8/14) to be expressed by platelets during acute MI....Full Text Available
A range of lessons have been identified from previous attempts to implement long term radioactive waste management policy in the UK and internationally. Many of these relate to the way the decision-making process is undertaken and the fact that there needs to be an open, transparent process that enables continuous stakeholder involvement. Nirex believes that using the SEA and EIA frameworks will help to incorporate the lessons learned into the future decision-making process relating to long-term radioactive waste management.
BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence suggests that various epigenetic aberrations play definite roles in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. We investigated the histone acetylation status in endometriosis and the application of the histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) for the treatment of endometriosis. METHODS The levels of acetylated histones in the endometriotic cyst stromal cells (ECSCs) and normal endometrial stromal cells (NESCs) were evaluated. The effects of the HDACIs on cell proliferation, the cell cycle, apoptosis of ECSCs and NESCs, and the expression of genesrelated to these cellular events were investigated. The effects of HDACIs on histone acetylation in chromatin of the promoter region of the cell cycle regulatory genes in ECSCs were also investigated. RESULTS The acetylated histone levels were significantly lower in ECSCs than in NESCs (P endometriosis and that HDACIs reactivated epigenetically silenced ...
Laron syndrome (LS) is an autosomal recessively inherited condition characterized by insensitivity to endogenous and exogenous GH. Affected individuals have severe episodes and other characteristic features. GH receptor gene mutations are present in all affected individuals in whom molecular studies have been reported. The GH receptor is a plasma membrane-spanning protein in which the extracellular domain binds circulating GH and the intracellular domain interacts with the JAK-2 kinase and possibly other intracellular signaling molecules. GH receptor dimerization occurs on GH binding and is thought to be required for normal signal transduction. We have studied the GH receptor genes of four unrelated individuals affected with LS from the United States, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and India. We have identified four different missense mutations that alter consecutive amino acids 152 to 155 in or near the dimerization domain of the GH ...
Acanthamoeba castellanii myosins IA and IB demonstrate the catalytic properties of a myosin and can support analogues of contractile and motile activity in vitro, but their single, low molecular weight heavy chains, roughly globular shapes, and inabilities to self-assemble into filaments make them structurally atypical myosins. The authors present the complete amino acid sequence of the 128-kDa myosin IB heavy chain, which they deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the gene and which reveals that the polypeptide is a fusion of myosin-like and non-myosin-like sequences. Specifically, the amino-terminal approx. 76 kDa of amino acid sequence is highly similar to the globular head sequences of conventional myosins. By contrast, the remaining approx. 51 kDa of sequence shows no similarity to any portion of conventional myosin sequences, contains regions that are rich in glycine, proline, and alanine residues, and lacks the distinctive sequence characteristics of an ...
Acanthamoeba castellanii myosins IA and IB demonstrate the catalytic properties of a myosin and can support analogues of contractile and motile activity in vitro, but their single, low molecular weight heavy chains, roughly globular shapes, and inabilities to self-assemble into filaments make them structurally atypical myosins. The authors present the complete amino acid sequence of the 128-kDa myosin IB heavy chain, which they deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the gene and which reveals that the polypeptide is a fusion of myosin-like and non-myosin-like sequences. Specifically, the amino-terminal #approx# 76 kDa of amino acid sequence is highly similar to the globular head sequences of conventional myosins. By contrast, the remaining #approx# 51 kDa of sequence shows no similarity to any portion of conventional myosin sequences, contains regions that are rich in glycine, proline, and alanine residues, and lacks the distinctive sequence characteristics of an ...
Screening of a human placenta lambdagt11 library has led to the isolation of the cDNA for the human ..beta../sub 1/-adrenergic receptor (..beta../sub 1/AR). Used as the probe was the human genomic clone termed G-21. This clone, which contains an intronless gene for a putative receptor, was previously isolated by virtue of its cross hybridization with the human ..beta../sub 2/-adrenergic receptor (..beta../sub 2/AR). The 2.4-kilobase cDNA for the human ..beta../sub 1/AR encodes a protein of 477 amino acid residues that is 69% homologous with the avian ..beta..AR but only 54% homologous with the human ..beta../sub 2/AR. This suggests that the avian gene encoding ..beta..AR and the human gene encoding ..beta../sub 1/AR evolved from a common ancestral gene. RNA blot analysis indicates a message of 2.5 kilobases in rat tissues, with a pattern of tissue distribution consistent with ..beta../sub 1/AR binding. ...
Homology analyses of the protein sequences of chicken liver and rat mammary gland fatty acid synthases were carried out. The amino acid sequences of the chicken and rat enzymes are 67% identical. If conservative substitutions are allowed, 78% of the amino acids are matched. A region of low homologies exists between the functional domains, in particular around amino acid residues 1059-1264 of the chicken enzyme. Homologies between the active sites of chicken and rat and of chicken and yeast enzymes have been analyzed by an alignment method. A high degree of homology exists between the active sites of the chicken and rat enzymes. However, the chicken and yeast enzymes show a lower degree of homology. The DADPH-binding dinucleotide folds of the {beta}-ketoacyl reductase and the enoyl reductase sites were identified by comparison with a known consensus sequence for the DADP- and FAD-binding dinucleotide folds. The active sites of all of the enzymes are primarily in ...
Crenarchaea are ubiquitous and abundant microbial constituents of soils, sediments, lakes and ocean waters, yet relatively little is known about their fundamental evolutionary, ecological, and physiological properties. To better describe the ubiquitous nonthermophilic Crenarchaea, we analyzed the genome sequence of one representative, the uncultivated sponge symbiont, Cenarchaeum symbiosum. C. symbiosum genotypes coinhabiting the same host partitioned into two dominant populations, corresponding to previously described a- and b-type ribosomal RNA variants. Although synthetic, overlapping a- and b-type ribotypes harbored significant genetic variability. A single tiling path comprising the dominant a-type genotype was assembled, and used to explore the biological properties of C. symbiosum and its planktonic relatives. Out of a total of 2,066 predicted open reading frames, 36% were more highly conserved with other Archaea. The remainder ...
A linear structural equation model relates random variables of interest and corresponding Gaussian noise terms via a linear equation system. Each such model can be represented by a mixed graph in which directed edges encode the linear equations, and bidirected edges indicate possible correlations among noise terms. We study parameter identifiability in these models, that is, we ask for conditions that ensure that the edge coefficients and correlations appearing in a linear structural equation model can be uniquely recovered from the covariance matrix of the associated normal distribution. We treat the case of generic identifiability, where unique recovery is possible for almost every choice of parameters. We give a new graphical criterion that is sufficient for generic identifiability. It improves criteria from prior work and does not require the directed part of the graph to be acyclic. We also develop ...
AbstractObjective To review studies investigating the brain correlates of unawareness of cognitive and behavioural symptoms in people with dementia. Design A detailed search of the literature was conducted to include all the peer-reviewed studies published in English aimed at identifying the structural or functional brain correspondents of unawareness in dementia patients. Their results were interpreted in relation to the methodological differences in terms of type of dementia studied, the protocol adopted to measure lack of awareness, the imaging techniques employed, the experimental designs and statistical analyses performed. Results Eighteen studies undertaken to explore the functional and structural correlates of unawareness of cognitive symptoms in dementia were identified. Although t...
A novel way to extract relevant parameters associated with the outgoing ions from nuclear reactions, obtained by digitizing the signals provided by a Bragg curve spectrometer (BCS) is presented. This allowed the implementation of a more thorough pulse-shape analysis. Due to the complexity of this task, it was required to take advantage of new and more powerful computational paradigms. This was fulfilled using a back-propagation artificial neural network (ANN) as a pattern identifier. Over training of ANNs is a common problem during the training stage. In the performance of the ANN there is a compromise between its size and the size of the training set. Here, this effect will be illustrated in relation to the problem of Bragg Curve (BC) identification. (Author)
Unlike the well-characterized nuclear function of the Notch intracellular domain, it has been difficult to identify a nuclear role for the ligands of Notch. Here we provide evidence for the nuclear function of the Notch ligand Delta-like 1 in colon cancer (CC) cells exposed to butyrate. We demonstrate that the intracellular domain of Delta-like 1 (Dll1icd) augments the activity of Wnt signaling-dependent reporters and that of the promoter of the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) gene. Data suggest that Dll1icd upregulates CTGF promoter activity through both direct and indirect mechanisms. The direct mechanism is supported by co-immunoprecipitation of endogenous Smad2/3 proteins and Dll1 and by chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses that revealed the occupancy of Dll1icd on CTGF promot...
Cocoon sericin plays an important role in the reeling of silk and serves as a valuable biomaterial in the field of biomedicine, skincare, and food industries; however, knowledge about cocoon sericin proteins has been limited. For a comprehensive study on sericin, cocoons of eight varieties of silkworm of different geographic origin and with varied cocoon color were analyzed utilizing proteomics and bioinformatics approaches. The electrophoresis pattern demonstrated some common protein bands for all silkworm varieties and distinctive protein bands for some of those examined in the present study. The Ser2 protein, a new Ser3 protein, and four other novel sericin proteins were identified in cocoons for the first time. Products of both Ser1 and Ser3 genes appear to be ubiquitous in the cocoon ...
The green fluorescent protein (GFP) asFP499 from Anemonia sulcata is a distant homologue of the GFP from Aequorea victoria. We cloned the asFP499 gene into a mammalian expression vector and showed that this protein was expressed in the human lymphoblast cell line Ramos RA1 and in the embryonic kidney 293T cell line (HEK 293T). In HEK 293T cells, asFP499 was localized mainly in the cytoplasm, suggesting that the protein was excluded from the nucleus. We identified _1_9_4LRMEKLNI_2_0_1 as a candidate nuclear export signal in asFP499 and mutated the isoleucine at position 201 to an alanine. Unlike the wildtype form, the mutant protein was distributed throughout the cytoplasm and nucleus. This is First report of a GFP that contains a functional NES.
Spindle cell sarcomas consist of tumors with different biological features, of which distant metastasis is the most ominous sign for a poor prognosis. However, metastasis is difficult to predict on the basis of current histopathological analyses. We have identified actin filament-associated protein 1-like 1 (AFAP1L1) as a candidate for a metastasis-predicting marker from the gene expression profiles of 65 spindle cell sarcomas. A multivariate analysis determined that AFAP1L1 was an independent factor for predicting the occurrence of distant metastasis (P=0.0001), which was further confirmed in another set of 41 tumors by a quantitative mRNA expression analysis. Immunohistochemical staining using paraffin-embedded tumor tissues revealed that the metastasis-free rate was significantly better...
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been actively exploited as potential anticancer agents. To identifygene targets of HDAC inhibitors, we found that HDAC inhibitors such as sodium butyrate, scriptaid, apicidin and oxamflatin induced the expression of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), a potential cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) antagonist and tumor suppressor, in a time and concentration dependent manner in A549 and H1435 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Detailed analyses indicated that HDAC inhibitors activated the 15-PGDH promoter-luciferase reporter construct in transfected A549 cells. A representative HDAC inhibitor, scriptaid, and its negative structural analog control, nullscript, were further evaluated at the chromatin level. Scriptaid but not nullscript induced a signific...
The formation of a through-gut was a key innovation in the evolution of metazoans. There is still controversy regarding the origin of the anus and how it may have been either gained or lost during evolution in different bilaterian taxa. Thus, the study of groups with a blind gut is of great importance for understanding the evolution of this organ system. Here, we describe the morphogenesis and molecular patterning of the blind gut in the sexual triclad Schmidtea polychroa. We identify and analyze the expression of goosecoid, commonly associated with the foregut, and the GATA, ParaHox and T-box genes, members of which commonly are associated with gut regionalization. We show that GATA456a is expressed in the blind gut of triclads, while GATA456b is localized in dorsal parenchymal cells. Goo...
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was localized by an immunocytochemical technique in the thyroid-parathyroid complexes of rat, guinea pig, rabbit, and in normal human thyroids and parathyroids. Human medullary carcinomas and parathyroid adenomas were also studied. In man and all animal species examined CGRP was present in the parafollicular cell, however, in guinea pigs only in small amounts. Except in rabbits, presence of CGRP was demonstrated in nerves of the thyroid and parathyroid capsule as well as in the nerve fibers of the capsular blood vessels. In the thyroid of guinea pigs CGRP was also noted in nerve fibers and in blood vessel walls between follicles. CGRP was also present in the parathyroid glands of rat and man, in nerve fibers localized between parathyroid cells. In rabbit the parafollicular cells between parathyroid cells also expressed CGRP immunoreactivity. No CGRP was noted in the parathyroids of the guinea pig. The proximity of parathyroid ...
'The overall objective of the basic research grant is to characterize the potential of common hydrocarbon contaminants in ecosystems to act as endocrine disruptors. The three major lines of research include (1) a biotechnology based screening system to identify potential hormone mimics and antagonists; (2) an animal screening system to identify biomarkers of endocrine effects. and (3) a literature review to identify compounds at a variety of DOE sites that need to be examined for endocrine disrupting effects. By relating results obtained from this research project to contamination problems at various DOE sites. CBR will provide data and information on endocrine disrupting contaminants to DOE for consideration in risk analyses for determining clean-up levels and priorities needed at the sites.'
Projected scenarios for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository include significant periods of time when high relative humidity atmospheres will be present, thus the reaction processes of interest will include those known to occur under these conditions. The ideal natural analog for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository would consist of natural borosilicate glasses exposed to expected repository conditions for thousands of years; however, the prospects for identifying such an analog are remote, but an important caveat for using natural analog studies is to relate the reaction processes in the analog to those in the system of interest, rather than a strict comparison of the glass compositions. In lieu of this, identifying natural glasses that have reacted via reaction processes expected in the repository is the most attractive option. The goal of this study is to quantify molecular water diffusion in the ...
Macroautophagy is a multistep, vacuolar, degradation pathway terminating in the lysosomal compartment, and it is of fundamental importance in tissue homeostasis. In this review, we consider macroautophagy in the light of recent advances in our understanding of the formation of autophagosomes, which are double-membrane-bound vacuoles that sequester cytoplasmic cargos and deliver them to lysosomes. In most cases, this final step is preceded by a maturation step during which autophagosomes interact with the endocytic pathway. The discovery of AuTophaGy-relatedgenes has greatly increased our knowledge about the mechanism responsible for autophagosome formation, and there has also been progress in the understanding of molecular aspects of autophagosome maturation. Finally, the regulation of au...
Acanthamoeba castellanii is a free-living amoeba found in soil, freshwater, and marine environments and an important predator of bacteria. Acanthamoeba castellanii is also an opportunistic pathogen of clinical interest, responsible for several distinct diseases in humans. In order to provide a genomic platform for the study of this ubiquitous and important protist, we generated a sequence survey of approximately 0.5 x coverage of the genome. The data predict that A. castellanii exhibits a greater biosynthetic capacity than the free-living Dictyostelium discoideum and the parasite Entamoeba histolytica, providing an explanation for the ability of A. castellanii to inhabit adversity of environments. Alginate lyase may provide access to bacteria within biofilms by breaking down the biofilm matrix, and polyhydroxybutyrate depolymerase may facilitate utilization of the bacterial storage compound polyhydroxybutyrate as a food source. Enzymes for the synthesis and breakdown of cellulose were ...
The sodium- and potassium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (Na+,K(+)-ATPase) maintains the transmembrane Na+ gradient to which is coupled all active cellular transport systems. The R and S alleles of the gene encoding the Na+,K(+)-ATPase alpha 1 subunit isoform were identified in Dahl salt-resistant (DR) and Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rats, respectively. Characterization of the S allele-specific Na+,K(+)-ATPase alpha 1 complementary DNA identified a leucine substitution of glutamine at position 276. This mutation alters the hydropathy profile of a region in proximity to T3(Na), the trypsin-sensitive site that is only detected in the presence of Na+. This mutation causes a decrease in the rubidium-86 influx of S allele-specific sodium pumps, thus marking a domain in the Na+,K(+)-ATPase alpha subunit important for K+ transport, and supporting the hypothesis of a putative role of these pumps in hypertension.
The purpose of this project was to compile a bibliography of references containing environmental transuranic radionuclide data. The authors intent was to identify those parameters affecting transuranic radionuclide transport that may be generic and those that may be dependent on chemical form and/or environmental conditions. An understanding of the unique characteristics and similarities between source terms and environmental conditions relative to transuranic radionuclide transport and cycling will provide the ability to assess and predict the long term impact on man and the environment. An additional goal of the literature review, was to extract the ranges of environmental transuranic radionuclide data from the identified references for inclusion in a data base. Related to source term, these ranges of data can be used to calculate the dose to man from the radionuclides, and to perform uncertainty ...
The purpose of this experimental study is to investigate the micromechanical fatigue behavior, in terms of slip nature and preferential cracking sites, of a commercial #alpha#/#beta#-forged Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Electron backscattering diffraction is extensively used to identify the deformation (prismatic, basal, pyramidal slip) and crack formation modes activated by fatigue at the surface of several hundred primary #alpha# nodules. Some fatal crack formation sites are also characterized. Cracking in basal planes is identified as the most critical damage mode leading to fracture. An explanation is proposed which involves the resolved shear stress, taking into account the Schmid factor and the normal stress in relation to the elastic anisotropy of the #alpha#-phase. Finally, the spatial distribution of the secondary cracks is analyzed according to the crystallographic textures (macrozones) present on a mesoscopic scale in the ...
The rice blast resistance (R) gene Pi-ta mediates gene-for-gene resistance against strains of the fungus Magnaporthe grisea that express avirulent...Full Text Available
BackgroundInferring regulatory interactions between genes from transcriptomics time-resolved data, yielding reverse engineered gene regulatory networks, is of paramount importance...Full Text Available
The "ovalbumin Y" gene, one of three which constitute the ovalbumin gene family in chicken has been completely sequenced. The exact location of exons can be derived from the comparison with the ovalbumin...Full Text Available
BackgroundGene duplication is the primary force of new gene evolution. Deciphering whether a pair of duplicated genes has evolved divergent functions is often challenging. The zebrafish...Full Text Available
BackgroundMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding to the messenger RNA (mRNA) of protein coding genes. They control gene expression by either...Full Text Available
The functional gene and three intronless pseudogenes for human triosephosphate isomerase were isolated from a recombinant DNA library and characterized in detail. The functional gene spans 3.5 kilobase...Full Text Available
Molecular analysis of the amo gene cluster in Nitrosococcus oceani revealed that it consists of five genes, instead of the three known genes, amoCAB....Full Text Available
We develop a statistical framework to study the relationship between chromatin features and gene expression. This can be used to predict gene expression of protein coding genes, as well as microRNAs....Full Text Available
We proposed a faster pedigree-based generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction algorithm, called PedG-MDR II (PII), to detect gene-gene interactions underlying complex traits. Inherited...Full Text Available
Summary The objective of this study was to examine the role of root carbohydrate levels and metabolism in the waterlogging tolerance of contrasting mung bean genotypes. An experiment was conducted with two cultivated mung bean (Vigna radiata) genotypes viz., T44 (tolerant) and Pusa Baisakhi (PB) (susceptible), and a wild Vigna species Vigna luteola under pot-culture to study the physiological and molecular mechanism of waterlogging tolerance. Waterlogging resulted in decrease in relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI) in root and leaf tissues, and chlorophyll (Chl) content in leaves, while the Chl a/b ratio increased. Waterlogging-induced decline in RWC, MSI, Chl and increase in Chl a/b ratio was greater in PB than V. luteola and T44. Waterlogging caused decline in tot...
Abstract Development of inhibitors and vaccines that mitigate rumen-derived methane by targeting methanogens relies on knowledge of the methanogens present. We investigated the composition of archaeal communities in the rumens of farmed sheep (Ovis aries), cattle (Bos taurus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to generate fingerprints of archaeal 16S rRNA genes. The total archaeal communities were relatively constant across species and diets, and were less variable and less diverse than bacterial communities. There were diet- and ruminant-species-based differences in archaeal community structure, but the same dominant archaea were present in all rumens. These were members of three coherent clades: species related to Methanobrevibacter ruminan...
Several old and new observations suggest the existence in Crohn's disease of a phagocytic disorder of macrophages related to impaired bactericidal activity of host cells or to the presence of invasive bacteria that have developed strategies to counteract macrophage killing. It was recently reported that disordered macrophage cytokine secretion underlies impaired acute inflammation and bacterial clearance in Crohn's disease. Secretion of proinflammatory cytokines by CD macrophages was impaired in response to E. coli or specific Toll-like receptor agonists. In addition, major advances in the etiology of Crohn's disease came from the existence of polymorphism in NOD2 and autophagy-related susceptibility genes (ATG16L1 and IRGM) in patients and from the identification of the presence of adhere...
Both increased cell proliferation and {open_quotes}altered{close_quotes}CYP gene expression are prominent phenomena associated with liver tumor promotion by nongenotoxic carcinogen treatment. BRDU-labeled parenchymal nuclei were observed primarily in the periportal area of groups of rats, independent of nongenotoxic carcinogen treatment. Treatment with each of the 5 nongenotoxic carcinogens resulted in profound alterations in CPY gene expression at both the transcriptional and translational levels. Expression of CYP1A1, 1A1/2, 3A1, 2B1/2, and 4A immunoproteins demonstrated nongenotoxic carcinogen-specific patterns in both magnitude and zonal distribution. In agreement with the CYP immunoprotein data, treatment with each of the five nongenotoxic carcinogens resulted in a unique composition of mRNAs of CYP2B1, 2B2, 2C6, 2C11, 3A1, 3A2, and 4A1, which were variably increased or decreased relative to the untreated control ...
Glycyrrhiza glabra root is one of the common traditional Chinese medicines and used as flavoring and sweetening agents for tobaccos, chewing gums, candies, toothpaste and beverages. While glycyrrhizin is one of the main components in the extract of G. glabra root and has been characterized, the other components have not been well characterized. The mechanism of growth activation of breast cancer MCF-7 cells, including the activation of Erk1/2 and Akt, and the transcriptional regulation of estrogen-responsive genes, was examined by means of sulforhodamine B, luciferase reporter gene, real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting assays after the induction of the cells with the extract of G. glabra root. The extract has similar activity to that induced by 17beta-estradiol (E(2)), although glycyrrhizin did not show such an activity. Moreover, the estrogen receptor alpha-dependent neurite outgrowth induced by the extract was similar to that by E(2), ...
Mutations in the FGD1 gene have been shown to cause Aarskog-Scott syndrome (AAS), or facio-digito-genital dysplasia (OMIM#305400), an X-linked disorder characterized by distinctive genital and skeletal developmental abnormalities with a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes. To date, 20 distinct mutations have been reported, but little phenotypic data are available on patients with molecularly confirmed AAS. In the present study, we report on our experience of screening for mutations in the FGD1 gene in a cohort of 60 European patients with a clinically suspected diagnosis of AAS. We identified nine novel mutations in 11 patients (detection rate of 18.33%), including three missense mutations (p.R402Q; p.S558W; p.K748E), four truncating mutations (p.Y530X; p.R656X; c.806delC; c.1620delC), one in-frame deletion (c.2020_2022delGAG) and the first reported splice site mutation (c.1935+3A>C). A recurrent mutation (p.R656X) was ...
Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a rare autosomal recessive disease, which shows diverse clinical symptoms such as photosensitivity, severe mental retardation and developmental defects. CS cells are hypersensitive to killing by ultraviolet (UV)-irradiation and defective in transcription-coupled repair. Two genetic complementation groups in CS (CS-A and CS-B) have been identified. We analyzed mutations of the CSA gene in 5 CS-A patients and identified 3 types of mutations. Four unrelated CS-A patients (CS2OS, CS2AW, Nps2 and CS2SE) had a deletion including exon 4, suggesting that there is a founder effect on the CSA mutation in Japanese CS-A patients. Patient CS2SE was a compound heterozygote for this deletion and an amino acid substitution at the 106th glutamine to proline (Q106P) in the WD-40 repeat motif of the CSA protein, which resulted in a defective nucleotide excision repair. Patient Mps1 had a large deletion in the ...
We present the draft genome sequence and its analysis for Fusobacterium nucleatum sub spp. vincentii (FNV), and compare that genome with F. nucleatum ATCC 25586 (FN). A total of 441 FNV open reading frames (ORFs) with no orthologs in FN have been identified. Of these, 118 ORFs have no known function and are unique to FNV, whereas 323 ORFs have functional orthologs in other organisms. In addition to the excretion of butyrate, H2S and ammonia-like FN, FNV has the additional capability to excrete lactate and aminobutyrate. Unlike FN, FNV is likely to incorporate galactopyranose, galacturonate, and sialic acid into its O-antigen. It appears to transport ferrous iron by an anaerobic ferrous transporter. Genes for eukaryotic type serine/threonine kinase and phosphatase, transpeptidase E-transglycosylase Pbp1A are found in FNV but not in FN. Unique ABC transporters, cryptic phages, and three types of restriction-modification systems have been ...
The structural organization of the genes encoding Bungarus multicinctus protease inhibitor-like proteins (PILPs), PILP-1, PILP-2 and PILP-3, are reported in this study. Unlike PILP-2 and PILP-3, recombinant PILP-1 exhibited inhibitory activity on trypsin. PILP genes and B chain genes shared identical organization with three exons interrupted by two introns in similar positions. On the contrary, intron 1 of these genes had a similar size, a notable variation with the size of intron 2 was observed. It was found that two regions at the second intron of B1 chain and B2 chain genes were absent in that of PILP genes. Noticeably, intronic insertion in the second intron of B chain genes appeared in the promoter region of PILP-1 gene, but not in that of PILP-2 and PILP-3 genes. Comparative analyses of PILP ...
Thirty-two patients with AIDS related complex (ARC) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) underwent /sup 67/Ga scans as part of their evaluation. Three patterns of /sup 67/Ga biodistribution were found: lymph node uptake alone; diffuse pulmonary uptake; normal scan. Gallium-67 scans were useful in identifying clinically occult Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in seven of 15 patients with ARC who were asymptomatic and had normal chest radiographs. Gallium scans are a useful ancillary procedure in the evaluation of patients with ARC or AIDS.
The investigation of the petroleum contamination in marine organisms requires the trace level quantitative determination of indicative substances to be identified by a fingerprint of petroleum. Polymethylnaphthalene (PMN) and polymethylphenanthrene (PMP) were chosen because of their simple separation from a crude oil by means of an activated charcoal chromatography, their relatively high existence in aromatic compounds, and their persistence relative to other petroleum components in the tissue of oil contaminated marine organisms. The purpose of this paper is to present an activated charcoal chromatographic separation procedure of PMN and PMP in a crude oil and a trace level quantitative analytical method of them in marine organisms by mass fragmentography (MF).
A central feature of the endocrine pathophysiology of septic shock is thought to be the existence of adrenal dysfunction. Based on changes in glucocorticoid secretion and responsiveness, protein binding, and activity. These changes have been described by the terms "Relative Adrenal Insufficiency" (RAI), or "Critical Illness Related Corticosteroid Insufficiency" (CIRCI), and form part of the rationale for trials of glucocorticoid treatment in septic shock. Diagnostic criteria for these conditions have been based on plasma cortisol profiles and have proven notoriously difficult to establish. The uncertainty in this area arises from the inability of current tests to clearly identify who is truly glucocorticoid "deficient" at a cellular level, and hence who requires supplemental glucocorticoid...
Stargardt`s disease (MIM 248200), originally described in 1909, is an autosomal recessive condition of childhood, characterized by a sudden and bilateral loss of central vision. Typically, it has an early onset (7 to 12 years), a rapidly progressive course and a poor final outcome. The central area of the retina (macula) displays pigmentary changes in a ring form with depigmentation and atrophy of the retinal pigmentary epithelium (RPE). Perimacular yellowish spots, termed fundus flavimaculatus, are observed in a high percentage of patients. We have recently reported the genetic mapping of Stargardt`s disease to chromosome 1p13. On the other hand, considering that fundus flavimaculatus (MIM 230100) is another form of fleck fundus disease, with a Stargardt-like retinal aspect but with a late-onset and a more progressive course, we decided to test the hypothesis of allelism between typical Stargardt`s disease and late-onset autosomal recessive fundus flavimaculatus. Significant pairwise ...
Caffeine and related xanthines were identified as potent stimulators for the bacterial cellulose production in A. xylinum. These compounds are present in several plants whose infusions are useful as culture-medium supplements for this acetobacterium. The proposed target for these native purine-like inhibitory substances is the novel diguanyl nucleotide phosphodiesterase(s) that participates in the bacterial cellulogenic complex.
... Possibilities for summer activities become better, but socioeconomic factors such as age-structure may weaken the positive impact. Several research needs related to recreation and tourism were identified. The Finnish tourism industry seems to need more detailed and spatially informed scenarios concerning climate change and more information on its impacts on the different activities in the tourism sector. Also communication channels seem to need more attention. More information is ...
Recent GWAS studies focused on uncovering novel genetic loci related to AD have revealed associations with variants near CLU, CR1, PICALM and BIN1....Full Text Available
Norad commissioned Econ Poeyry to map teaching and research activities and capacity related to clean energy in selected Ethiopian universities. The mapping identified challenges and opportunities with the aim of facilitating future intervention by the Ethiopian Government and donors to help improve the energy sector development of the country. The report covered the government-owned universities of Bahir Dar, Mekelle, Jimma, Arba Minch and Addis Ababa. The mapping was based on a questionnaire and on interviews at each university. (Author)
The Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Information Systems Definition architecture evaluated information Management (IM) processes in several key organizations. The intent of the study is to identify improvements in TWRS IM processes that will enable better support to the TWRS mission, and accommodate changes in TWRS business environment. The ultimate goals of the study are to reduce IM costs, Manage the configuration of TWRS IM elements, and improve IM-related process performance.
Using an anti-receptor mAb that blocks the attachment of echovirus 7 and related viruses (echoviruses 13, 21, 29 and 33), we have isolated a complementary DNA clone that encodes the human decay-accelerating...Full Text Available
We identified three patients (two of them relatives) with RA and signs of scleroderma whose sera contained a high titre of IgG class antibodies against the nucleoli and the nucleoplasm of cells of different...Full Text Available
Locomotion is a complex behavior affected by many different brain- and spinal cord systems, as well as by variations in the peripheral nervous system. Recently, we found increased gene expression for EphA4, a gene intricately involved in motor neuron development, between high-active parental strain C57BL/6J and the low-active chromosome substitution strain 1 (CSS1). CSS1 mice carry chromosome 1 from A/J mice in a C57BL/6J genetic background, allowing localization of quantitative trait loci (QTL) on chromosome 1. To find out whether differences in motor neuron anatomy, possibly related to the changes in EphA4 expression, are involved in the motor activity differences observed in these strains, motor performance in various behavioral paradigms and anatomical differences in the ventral roots ...
Annona reticulata L. possesses many traits desirable in other edible annonas, and hybridization is the simplest means to combine desirable features of related species. In this study, A. reticulata was hybridized with atemoya (A. cherimola Mill.??A. squamosa L.), and 250 trispecies hybrids were studied for 28 traits (12 tree traits and 16 fruit traits) with the objective of salvaging useful genes from the three edible annonas and determining the extent of variation in the progeny. The heterozygous nature of Annona spp. and simultaneous segregation of three distant genomes resulted in a tremendous heterogeneity in the progenies. The fitness of the progenies ranged from very vigorous to very weak, with a wide range of values for tree height (1.75?5.9?m), canopy spread (1.15?5.07?m) and trunk...
Functional activation of {beta}-catenin/Tcf signaling plays an important role in early events in carcinogenesis. We examined the effect of naringenin against {beta}-catenin/Tcf signaling in gastric cancer cells. Reporter gene assay showed that naringenin inhibited {beta}-catenin/Tcf signaling efficiently. In addition, the inhibition of {beta}-catenin/Tcf signaling by naringenin in HEK293 cells transiently transfected with constitutively mutant {beta}-catenin gene, whose product is not phosphorylated by GSK3{beta}, indicates that its inhibitory mechanism was related to {beta}-catenin itself or downstream components. To investigate the precise inhibitory mechanism, we performed immunofluorescence, Western blot, and EMSA. As a result, our data revealed that the {beta}-catenin distribution and the levels of nuclear {beta}-catenin and Tcf-4 proteins were unchanged after naringenin treatment. Moreover, the binding activities of ...
The time of appearance of newly synthesized rRNAs and ribosomal proteins (r-proteins) in the ribosomes of pea cotyledons (Pisum sativum L.) during germination was investigated. The ribosomal fraction was isolated and analyzed according to the method of germination of the embryo in the presence of labeled precursors or after pulse labeling of the embryos at different stages of germination. For the identification of newly synthesized rRNAs in the ribosomes we estimated the relative stability of labeled RNAs to the action of RNase, the sedimentation rate, the ability to be methylated in vivo in the presence of (/sup 14/C)CH/sub 3/-methionine, and the localization in the subunits of dissociated ribosomes. The presence of newly synthesized r-proteins in the ribosomes was judged on the basis of the electrophoretic similarity in SDS-disc electrophoresis of labeled polypeptides of purified ribosome preparations and of genuine r-proteins, as well as according to the ...
Gene analysis was used to determined the presence, abundance and phylogenetic affiliation of methanogens that exist in gas-hydrate-bearing sediment samples obtained from 23 drill cores from the JAPEX/JNOC/GSC et al. Mallik 5L-38 gas hydrate research well. Rates of methane production were examined using sediment-inoculated enrichments containing {sup 14}C-labeled carbon substrates, carbon dioxide and acetate. Archaeal 16S rDNA was only detected in 6 of the samples, resulting in 8 sequences with relationships to the Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group (7 clones) and the Subsurface Euryarchaeotic Group (1 clone). The single Euryarchaeota sequence did not appear to be related to methanogens. Subsamples from the cores showed variable results upon DNA extraction and amplification. Methanogenic Coenzyme M (CoM) was detected in 13 of the 20 cores, but methanogenic methyl CoM reductase genes were not amplified from the samples when ...
A tk{sup +/-} mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell line, designated 1G2, has been created in which one allele of the thymidine kinase (tk) gene was inactivated by targeted homologous recombination. This line is an analog of the mouse lymphoma tk{sup +/-} L5178Y cell line, which is used widely to assess the mutagenicity of chemical agents. Treatment of 1G2 cells with the alkylating agent N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) resulted in a dose-related increase in tribluorothymidine-resistant colonies. Mutant frequencies of 152 and 296 per 10{sup 6} cells were determined for 0.1 and 0.3 mg/ml doses of ENU, compared with a spontaneous mutant frequency of 15 per 10{sup 6} cells. The data indicate that tk{sup +/-} 1G2 ES cells may be useful for the creation of a transgenic mouse model for assessing in vivo mutation using an endogenous autosomal gene. 45 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
DNA methylation is an important event in epigenetic changes in cells, and a fundamental regulator of gene transcription. Bisulfite genomic sequencing is a powerful technique used in studies of DNA methylation. However, the established procedures often require relatively large amounts of DNA. In everyday practice, samples submitted for analysis might contain very small amounts of poor quality material, as is often the case with forensic stain samples. In this study, we assess a modified, more efficient method of bisulfite genomic sequencing. Genomic DNA extracted from 3-mm dried blood spots using QIAamp micro kit was treated with sodium bisulfite (using EpiTect kit). Subsequent methylation-specific PCR (MSP) followed by DNA sequencing displayed the differentially methylated region of imprinted gene SNRPN. Our results show that this new combination of efficient DNA extraction and bisulfite treatment provides high quality ...
Huntington?s disease (HD) is caused by an expansion of a polyglutamine repeat of more than 35?units in the huntingtin protein. The expanded repeat length is inversely correlated with the age at onset (AAO); however, additional genetic factors apart from the expanded CAG repeat length can modify the course and the AAO in HD. Aberrations in macroautophagy have been observed in Huntington, Alzheimer, Parkinson, motor neuron and prion diseases. Therefore, we hypothesized that polymorphisms in autophagy-related (Atg) genes might contribute to the variation in the AAO. We initially tested eight single nucleotide polymorphisms in five Atg genes (Atg3, Atg5, Atg7, Atg16L1 and Beclin-1) for their frequency of ?1%. Subsequently, we investigated the polymorphisms Atg7 V471A and Atg16L1 T281A for a di...
Objective: Given the increasing popularity of motorcycle riding and heightened risk of injury or death associated with being a rider, this study explored rider behavior as a determinant of rider safety and, in particular, key beliefs and motivations that influence such behavior. To enhance the effectiveness of future education and training interventions, it is important to understand riders' own views about what influences how they ride. Specifically, this study sought to identify key determinants of riders' behaviors in relation to the social context of riding, including social and identity-related influences relating to the group (group norms and group identity) as well as the self (moral/personal norm and self-identity). Method: Qualitative research was undertaken via group discussions ...
Human errors have been reported as one of the most significant causes of major events in nuclear power plants (NPPs). For example, Kim and Park found that about 23% of the major events that occurred at NPPs in Republic of Korea from 1986 to 2006 were caused by human errors. For this reason, a detailed analysis on human errors is an important task for increasing the safety of NPPs. Kim and Choi?2 analyzed 100 human-related unplanned reactor trip events in the Republic of Korea from 1986 to 2006 to consider the type of human errors based on the simple path model for human-induced unplanned reactor trips developed by Kim and Park. In this paper, we will investigate and perform a detailed analysis of the data to identify human-related unplanned reactor trip trends
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) was discovered in human prostate tumors and later in some chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients. However, subsequent studies have identified various sources of potential contamination with XMRV and other murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related sequences in test samples. Biological and nucleotide sequence analysis indicates that XMRV is distinct from known xenotropic MLVs and has a broad host range and cell tropism including human cells. Therefore, it is prudent to minimize the risk of human exposure to infection by evaluating XMRV contamination in cell lines handled in laboratory research and particularly those used in the manufacture of biological products. Nested DNA PCR assays were optimized for investigating XMRV gag and env sequences in various cell lines, which included MRC-5, Vero, HEK-293, MDCK, HeLa, and A549, that may be used in the development of some vaccines ...
Many existing agents for diabetes therapy are unable to restore or maintain normal glucose homeostasis or prevent the eventual emergence of hyperglycemia-related complication. Therefore, agents based on novel mechanisms are sought to complement and extend the current therapeutic approaches. Based on the initial paper research, we focused on active STAT3 as an attractive pharmacological target for type 2 diabetes. The subsequent text mining with a unique query to identify suppressors but not activators of STAT3 revealed the ERK2/STAT3 pathway as a novel diabetes target. The description of ERK2 inhibitors as diabetes target had not been found in our text mining research at present. The mechanism-based peptide inhibitor for ERK2 was identified using the knowledge of the KIM sequence, which ha...
The benefits provided by underutilised fruit tree species such as baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) in combating increasing malnutrition and poverty become more apparent as awareness grows regarding concerns of climate change and food security. Due to its multiple uses, its high nutritional and medicinal value, drought tolerance and relatively easy cultivation, baobab has been identified as one of the most important edible forest trees to be conserved, domesticated and valued in Africa. In order to contribute towards the cultivation of the species, suitability of sites in Africa and worldwide was evaluated for potential cultivation using species? locality data and spatial environmental data in MAXENT modelling framework. A total of 450 geo-referenced records of the baobab tree were assembled ...
There is a need for earlier and more accurate cancer diagnostics as well as new targets for cancer immunotherapy. To this end, it is important to identify sets of tumour antigens specific for different cancer forms. Several methods that identify potential tumour antigens in an arrayed and high-throughput format have been developed during the last years of SEREX (serological identification of antigens by recombinant expression cloning) related research. Such techniques may hold the potential to describe the complete immunogenic part of the cancer proteome, also called the cancer immunoproteome.We have developed a powerful platform for automated serological high-throughput filter screening of tumour cDNA libraries. The screening format of this method is 18,000 single cDNAs clones, which is s...
This Energy Savings Opportunity Survey (ESOS) is to identify Energy Conservation Opportunities (ECO`s) which are practical and economical for the reduction of energy consumption in accordance with the Army Facilities Energy Plan. The work to be performed under this project includes: (A) Coordinating with the on-going and proposed related projects. (B) Conducting a limited site survey required to identify applicable ECO`s and obtaining necessary data to evaluate the ECO`s. (C) Evaluating applicable ECO`s to determine their feasibility in accordance with current criteria. (D) Preparing programming and implementation documents for the recommended ECO`s. and (E) Preparing a comprehensive report to present the work performed including energy analysis, the results, and recommendations.
The complexity and diversity of the microbial communities in biogranules from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) bioreactor were determined in response to short-term changes in substrate feeds. The reactor was fed simulated brewery wastewater (SBWW) (70% ethanol, 15% acetate, 15% propionate) for 1.5 months (phase 1), acetate / sulfate for 2 months (phase 2), acetate-alone for 3 months (phase 3), and then a return to SBWW for 2 months (phase 4). Performance of the reactor remained relatively stable throughout the experiment as shown by COD removal and gas production. 16S rDNA, methanogen-associated mcrA and sulfate reducer-associated dsrAB genes were PCR amplified, then cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis of 16S clone libraries showed a relatively simple community composed mainly of the methanogenic Archaea (Methanobacterium and Methanosaeta), members of the Green Non-Sulfur (Chloroflexi) group of Bacteria, ...
A gene designated BRCA1, implicated in the susceptibility to early-onset familial breast cancer, has recently been localized to chromosome 17q12-q21. To date, the order of DNA markers mapped within this region has been based on genetic linkage analysis. The authors report the use of multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization to establish a physically based map of five polymorphic DNA markers and 10 cloned genes spanning this region. Three cosmid clones and Alu-PCR-Generated products derived from 12 yeast artificial chromosome clones representing each of these markers were used in two-color mapping experiments to determine an initial proximity of markers relative to each other on metaphase chromosomes. Interphase mapping was then employed to determine the order and orientation of closely spaced loci by direct visualization of fluorescent signals following hybridization of three probes, each detected in a different color. ...
A cDNA library was constructed using RNA isolated from the livers of chickens which had been treated with zinc. This library was screened with a RNA probe complementary to mouse metallothionein-I (MT), and eight chicken MT cDNA clones were obtained. All of the cDNA clones contained nucleotide sequences homologous to regions of the longest (375 bp) cDNA clone. The latter contained an open reading frame of 189 bp, and the deduced amino acid sequence indicates a protein of 63 amino acids of which 20 are cysteine residues. Amino acid composition and partial amino acid sequence analyses of purified chicken MT protein agreed with the amino acid composition and sequence deduced from the cloned cDNA. Amino acid sequence comparison establish that chicken MT shares extensive homology with mammalian MTs. Southern blot analysis of chicken DNA indicates that the chicken MT gene is not a part of a large family of related sequences, but rather is likely to be ...
The Drosophila sequence-specific DNA binding protein, Adf-1, is capable of activating transcription of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene, Adh, and is implicated in the transcriptional control of other developmentally regulated genes. We have cloned the cDNA encoding Adf-1 by generating specific DNA probes deduced from partial amino acid sequence of the protein. Several cDNA clones encoding an extended open reading frame were isolated from a phage lambda library. The complete amino acid sequence of Adf-1 deduced from the longest cDNA reveals structural similarities to the putative helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif of Myb and Myb-related proteins. DNA sequence analysis of genomic clones and Northern blot analysis of mRNA suggest that Adf-1 is a single-copy gene encoding a 1.9-kb transcript. Purified recombinant Adf-1 expressed in Escherichia coli binds specifically to Adf-1 recognition sites and activates ...
Cadmium is a non-essential heavy metal found abundantly in the environment. Children of women exposed to cadmium during pregnancy display lower motor and perceptual abilities. High cadmium body burden in children is also related to impaired intelligence and lowered school achievement. However, little is known about the molecular and cellular basis of developmental neurotoxicity in the sensitive early life stages of animals. In this study, we explore neurological deficits caused by cadmium during early embryonic stages in zebrafish by examining regionalization of the neural tube, pattern formation and cell fate determination, commitment of proneural genes and induction of neurogenesis. We show that cadmium-treated embryos developed a smaller head with unclear boundaries between the brain subdivisions, particularly in the mid-hindbrain region. Embryos display normal anterior to posterior regionalization; however, the commitment of neural ...
Previous family and twin studies have indicated that Graves' disease has a heritable component. Family studies have also shown that some autoimmune disease cluster in families and genetic studies have been able to show shared susceptibility genes. In the present nation-wide study we describe familial risk for Graves' disease among parents and offspring, singleton siblings, twins and spouses with regard to age of onset, gender and number and type of affected family members. Additionally familial association of Graves' disease with any of 33 other autoimmune and related conditions was analyzed. The Swedish Multigeneration Register on 0-75-year-old subjects was linked to the Hospital Discharge Register from years 1987-2007. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for individuals ...
European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) is a marine species of great economic importance, particularly in Mediterranean aquaculture. However, numerous pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites affect the species, causing various infectious diseases and thereby leading to the most heavy losses in aquaculture production of sea bass. In this respect, knowledge on molecular and genetic mechanisms of resistance to pathogens and specific features of immune response against various infectious agents should greatly benefit the development of effective vaccines and proper vaccination strategies in marker-assisted selection of fish resistant to a range of infections. To date, genetic knowledge on sea bass immune regulatory genes responsible for resistance to pathogens is relatively poor ...
Motivation: It is commonplace for authors to propose a new classification rule, either the operator construction part or feature selection, and demonstrate its performance on real data sets, which often come from high-dimensional studies, such as from gene-expression microarrays, with small samples. Owing to the variability in feature selection and error estimation, individual reported performances are highly imprecise. Hence, if only the best test results are reported, then these will be biased relative to the overall performance of the proposed procedure. Results: This article characterizes reporting bias with several statistics and computes these statistics in a large simulation study using both modeled and real data. The results appear as curves giving the different reporting biases as...
Rosas-Valdez, R., Choudhury, A. & Prez-Ponce de Len, G. (2011). Molecular prospecting for cryptic species in Phyllodistomum lacustri (Platyhelminthes, Gorgoderidae). -Zoologica Scripta, 40, 296-305. Partial sequences of the 28S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) genes were compared among populations of a widely distributed and morphologically uniform digenean species in North America, Phyllodistomum lacustri, a parasite characteristically associated with ictalurid catfishes. Specimens were collected from the urinary bladder of ictalurid hosts in six localities of North America, spanning most of the latitudinal range of this freshwater fish group. Sequences of other congeneric species, including a potentially close relative, P.-staffordi, were also obtained and used for comparis...
Abstract Background: G proteins are ubiquitously expressed signal transduction proteins playing a key role in multiple signal transduction pathways. The Gas subunit has been considered as an apoptosis factor. In this study the role of GNAS T393C genotypes of the GNAS gene encoding Gas was analyzed for its influence on the development and progression of prostate cancer. Methods: Genotyping of the GNAS T393C polymorphism in 196 prostate cancer patients and 200 healthy controls was performed by DNA extraction followed by PCR and restriction analysis. Results: We observed no evidence of effects related to GNAS T393C genotype as demonstrated by a comparison of the genotype distribution in prostate cancer patients and healthy controls, the genotype distribution dependent on grade of the primary ...
Summary: The KEGG PATHWAY database provides a widely used service for metabolic and nonmetabolic pathways. It contains manually drawn pathway maps with information about the genes, reactions and relations contained therein. To store these pathways, KEGG uses KGML, a proprietary XML-format. Parsers and translators are needed to process the pathway maps for usage in other applications and algorithms. We have developed KEGGtranslator, an easy-to-use stand-alone application that can visualize and convert KGML formatted XML-files into multiple output formats. Unlike other translators, KEGGtranslator supports a plethora of output formats, is able to augment the information in translated documents (e.g. MIRIAM annotations) beyond the scope of the KGML document, and amends missing components to fr...
The known biological functions of RNA have expanded in recent years and now include gene regulation, maintenance of sub-cellular structure, and catalysis, in addition to propagation of genetic information. As for proteins, RNA function is tightly correlated with structure. Unlike proteins, structural information for larger, biologically functional RNAs is relatively limited. NMR signal degeneracy, relaxation problems, and a paucity of long-range {sup 1}H-{sup 1}H dipolar contacts have limited the utility of traditional NMR approaches. Selective isotope labeling, including nucleotide-specific and segmental labeling strategies, may provide the best opportunities for obtaining structural information by NMR. Here we review methods that have been developed for preparing and purifying isotopically labeled RNAs, as well as NMR strategies that have been employed for signal assignment and structure determination.
A new stem cell-scaffold construct based on poly-l-lactide (PLLA) nanofibers grafted with collagen (PLLA-COL) and cord blood-derived unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSC) were proposed to hold promising characteristics for bone tissue engineering. Fabricated nanofibers were characterized using SEM, ATR-FTIR, tensile and contact angle measurements. The capacity of PLLA, plasma-treated PLLA (PLLA-pl) and PLLA-COL scaffolds to support proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of USSC was evaluated using MTT assay and common osteogenic markers such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, calcium mineral deposition and bone-relatedgenes. All three scaffolds showed nanofibrous and porous structure with suitable physical characteristics. Higher proliferation and viability of USSC was observe...
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, using the ANS Low Power /Shutdown (LPSD)PRA Standard, evaluated the LPSD PSA model of the KSNP, Younggwang (YGN) Units 5 and 6, and identified the items to be improved. The evaluation results of human reliability analysis (HRA) of the pre-accident human errors in the LPSD PSA model of the KSNP showed that 13 items among 15 items of supporting requirements for those in the ANS PRA Standard were identified as them to be improved. Thus, we newly carried out a HRA for pre-accident human errors in the LPSD PSA model for the KSNP to improve its quality. We considered potential pre-accident human errors for all manual valves and control/instrumentation equipment of the systems modeled in the KSNP LPSD PSA model except reactor protection system/ engineering safety features actuation system. We reviewed 160 manual valves and 56 control/instrumentation equipment. The number of newly identified ...
Transposons are promising systems for somatic gene integration because they can not only integrate exogenous genes efficiently, but also be delivered to a variety of organs using a range of transfection...Full Text Available
The genome sequence of the Mamavirus, a new Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus strain, is reported. With 1,191,693 nt in length and 1,023 predicted protein-coding genes, the Mamavirus...Full Text Available
BackgroundVariation of gene number among species indicates that there is a general process of new gene origination. One of the major mechanism providing raw materials for the origin...Full Text Available
The gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes was recently reported to possess a homologue of the luxS gene that is responsible for the production of autoinducer...Full Text Available
Activation-induced deaminase (AID) initiates somatic hypermutation, gene conversion and class switch recombination by deaminating variable and switch region DNA cytidines to uridines. AID is predominantly...Full Text Available
The technology of gene targeting through homologous recombination has been extremely useful for elucidating gene functions in mice. The application of this technology was thought impossible in the large...Full Text Available
Reverse engineering of gene regulatory networks has been an intensively studied topic in bioinformatics since it constitutes an intermediate step from explorative to causative gene expression...Full Text Available
Variant alleles of the mannose binding lectin (MBL) gene are associated with increased susceptibility to infection and polymorphisms of tumour necrosis factor and lymphotoxin alpha genes (TNF, LTA)...Full Text Available
URA5 genes encode orotidine-5′-monophosphate pyrophosphorylase (OMPpase), an enzyme involved in pyrimidine biosynthesis. We cloned the Histoplasma capsulatum URA5...Full Text Available
We have examined the expression and structure of several genes belonging to two classes of vegetative specific genes of the simple eukaryote, Dictyostelium discoideum. In amebae grown on bacteria, deactivation...Full Text Available
BackgroundDifferent microarray studies have compiled gene lists for predicting outcomes of a range of treatments and diseases. These have produced gene lists that have little overlap,...Full Text Available
The ability to achieve tumor selective expression of therapeutic genes is an area that needs improvement for cancer gene therapy to be successful. One approach to address this is through the...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE—Identification of arterial genes and pathways altered in obesity and diabetes.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Aortic gene expression profiles of...Full Text Available
A plasmid carrying the bacteriophage lambda lysis genes under lac control was subjected to hydroxylamine mutagenesis, and mutations eliminating the host lethality of the S gene were selected. DNA sequence...Full Text Available
BackgroundMicroarray data are often used for patient classification and gene selection. An appropriate tool for end users and biomedical researchers should combine user friendliness...Full Text Available
Optimal sample handling techniques for tissue preparation and storage, RNA extraction and quantification, and target gene detection are crucial for reliable gene expression analysis. Methods...Full Text Available
The Japanese medaka fish Oryzias latipes has an XX/XY sex-determination system. The Y-linked sex-determination gene DMY is a duplicate of the autosomal gene DMRT1, which encodes a DM-domain-containing...Full Text Available
BackgroundCells dynamically adapt their gene expression patterns in response to various stimuli. This response is orchestrated into a number of gene expression modules consisting...Full Text Available
We have isolated a second gene (MLS1), which in addition to DAL7, encodes malate synthase from S. cerevisiae. Expression of the two genes is specific for their physiological roles in carbon and nitrogen...Full Text Available
The protein kinase CK2 (formerly casein kinase II) is thought to be involved in light-regulated gene expression in plants because...Full Text Available
BmpA, BmpB, BmpC, and BmpD are homologous Borrelia burgdorferi lipoproteins of unknown functions, encoded by the bmp genes of paralogous chromosomal gene family 36....Full Text Available
In filamentous fungi, RNA silencing is an attractive alternative to disruption experiments for the functional analysis of genes. We adapted the gene encoding the autofluorescent DsRed protein as a reporter...Full Text Available
The levels of General Transcription Factor (TF) IIA were examined during mammalian brain development and in rat embryo fibroblasts and transformed cell lines. The large TFIIA subunit paralogues ab and t are largely produced in unsynchronized cell lines, yet only TFIIA ab is observed in a number of differentiated tissue extracts. Steady-state protein levels of the TFIIA t, ab, and g subunits were significantly reduced when human embryonal (ec) and hepatic carcinoma cell lines were stimulated to differentiate with either all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) or sodium butyrate. ATRA-treated NT2-ec cells required replating to induce a neuronal phenotype and loss of detectable TFIIA t and g proteins. High levels of TFIIA t, ab, and g and Sp factors were identified in extracts from human fetal and rat...
Many assays for oncogenic transformation have been developed ranging from those in established rodent cell lines where morphological alteration is scored, to those in human cells growing in nude mice where tumor invasiveness is scored. In general, systems that are most quantitaive are also the least relevant in terms of human carcinogenesis and human risk estimation. The development of cell culture systems has made it possible to assess at the cellular level the oncogenic potential of a variety of chemical, physical and viral agents. Cell culture systems afford the opportunity to identify factors and conditions that may prevent or enhance cellular transformation by radiation and chemicals. Permissive and protective factors in radiation-induced transformation include thyroid hormone and the tumor promoter TPA that increase the transformation incidence for a given dose of radiation, and retinoids, selenium, vitamin E, and 5-aminobenzamide that inhibit the expression ...
Many assays for oncogenic transformation have been developed ranging from those in established rodent cell lines where morphological alteration is scored, to those in human cells growing in nude mice where tumor invasiveness is scored. In general, systems that are most quantitaive are also the least relevant in terms of human carcinogenesis and human risk estimation. The development of cell culture systems has made it possible to assess at the cellular level the oncogenic potential of a variety of chemical, physical and viral agents. Cell culture systems afford the opportunity to identify factors and conditions that may prevent or enhance cellular transformation by radiation and chemicals. Permissive and protective factors in radiation-induced transformation include thyroid hormone and the tumor promoter TPA that increase the transformation incidence for a given dose of radiation, and retinoids, selenium, vitamin E, and 5-aminobenzamide that inhibit the expression ...
High surface ozone concentration is increasingly being recognized as a factor that negatively affects crop yields in Asia. However, little progress has been made in developing ozone-tolerant genotypes of rice-Asias major staple crop. This study aimed to identify possible tolerance mechanisms by characterizing two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that were previously shown to influence visible leaf symptoms under ozone exposure (120 nl l-1, 7 h d-1, 13 d). Two chromosome segment substitution lines (SL15 and SL41) that carried introgressions of the QTLs OzT3 and OzT9, respectively, were exposed to ozone at 120 nl l-1 along with their parent Nipponbare. In accordance with the expected QTL effect, SL15 showed stronger visible symptoms of ozone damage than Nipponbare, whereas SL41 had fewer sympt...
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder. Mutations in PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) are a frequent cause of recessive PD. Autophagy, a pathway for clearance of protein aggregates or impaired organelles, is a newly identified mechanism for PD development. However, it is still unclear what molecules regulate autophagy in PINK1-silenced cells. Here we report that autophagosome formation is promoted in the early phase in response to PINK1 gene silencing by lentivirus transfer vectors expressed in mouse striatum. Reduced PP2A activity and increased phosphorylation of PP2A at Y307 (inactive form of PP2A) were observed in PINK1-knockdown dopaminergic cells and striatum tissues. Treatment with C2-ceramide (an agonist of PP2A) reduced autophagy levels in PINK...
The Drosophila melanogaster tissue-specific transcription factor NTF-1 was originally identified in vitro as a protein that could bind to and activate transcription from the Dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) gene. A structure-function analysis of NTF-1 led to the identification of a discrete amino-terminal activation domain. Here, we report that an NTF-1 mutant lacking the activation domain acts as a trans-dominant inhibitor of NTF-1 activation in tissue culture cells by forming inactive heterodimers with the full-length protein. Ectopically expressing this dominant-negative protein or the full-length protein in developing Drosophila embryos leads to dire developmental consequences. Overexpressing the trans-dominant NTF-1 leads to lethality, while overexpressing full-length NTF-1 results in both lethality and morphogenetic defects. Our results suggest that both the activity and the regulation of NTF-1 are critical for viability and proper development of ...
A new method is being developed to quickly screen for the human exposure potential to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorines (OCs). The development involves two key elements: identifying suitable signals that represent intracellular changes that are specific to PAH and OC exposure, and constructing a device to guide the biological cell growth so that signals from individual cells are consistent and reproducible. We are completing the identification of suitable signals by using synchrotron radiation-based (SR) Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectromicroscopy in the mid-infrared region (4000-400 cm-1). Distinct changes have been observed in the IR spectra after treatment of human cells in culture medium with PAHs and OCs. The potential use of this method for detecting exposure to PAHs and OCs has been tested and compared to a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay that quantifies increased expression of the CYP1A1 ...
The subjects covered in this Symposium range through almost every clinical medical specialty. From an average of one paper in each of the past three Symposiums, the explosive interest in cerebral amyloidosis has led to the presentation of 12 papers on this subject in the present volume. The genetically predisposed familial amyloidotic processes, such as the polyneuropathies and familial Mediterranean fever have also stimulated extensive and intriguing investigations which have revealed the striking effect of a single amino acid substitution in transforming a normal protein into a lethal ''amyloidogenic'' one. This Symposium clearly depicts the advances since the first amyloid fibril protein was definitively identified and defined 14 years ago. Since all amyloid fibril proteins so far described are variants of normal proteins, attention to gene abnormalities now becomes a significant focus as well as the pathogenic sequences which lead in these ...
Dynamic Flowgraph Methodology (DFM) is a methodological approach to modeling and analyzing the behavior of software-driven embedded systems for the purpose of reliability/safety assessment and verification. The methodology has two fundamental goals: (a) to identify how certain postulated events may occur in a system and (b) to identify an appropriate testing strategy based on an analysis of system functional behavior. To achieve these goals, the methodology employs a modeling framework in which system models are developed in terms of causal relationships between physical variables and temporal characteristics of the execution of software modules. These models are then analyzed to determine how a certain state (desirable or undesirable) can be reached. This is done by developing timed fault trees, which take the form of logical combinations of static trees relating system parameters at different points in time. The prime ...
The health politics and policy communities are still struggling with the question of "what went wrong" in the 1993-94 health care reform effort. Here I identify which Americans were politically active and inactive during the health care reform debate to explore the role political participation may have had in determining the outcome of the debate. Using data from a national and California random-sample telephone surveys, and controlling for other demographic attributes, I found that those who engaged in political activity specifically related to health care reform were disproportionately more likely to be self-identified conservatives, less likely to favor an employer mandate plan, more likely to be fifty to sixty-four years old, more likely to be men, and more likely to have greater interest in and knowledge of the health care issue. Even in California, where a single-payer proposal was on the November ballot, ...
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene alterations have been found in human lung cancers. However, there is no information on the factors inducing EGFR mutations. In rodents, K-ras mutations are frequently found in many lung carcinogenesis models, but hitherto, Egfr mutations have not been reported. Their presence was therefore investigated in representative lung carcinogenesis models with 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine (BHP), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MelQx) and ethyl carbamate (urethane), as well as X-ray irradiation. With the chemical carcinogenesis models, no mutations were detected in Egfr, which is in clear contrast to the high rates observed in either codon 12 or 61 of K-ras (21/23 of the lung tumors induced with NNK, 4/5 with MelQx, 1/4 with urethane and 7/18 with BHP). However, in the X-ray-induced lung tumors, Egfr mutations with amino acid substitution were observed in ...
IL-4-induced Stat6 signaling is active in a variety of cell types and plays a role in cell proliferation/growth and resistance to apoptosis. Using EMSA, we identified differential IL-4/Stat6 activities in colorectal cancer cell lines, HT-29 being active Stat6"h"i"g"h phenotype and Caco-2 being defective Stat6"n"u"l"l phenotype, respectively. Active Stat6"h"i"g"h HT-29 cells exhibited resistance to apoptosis by flowcytometry and aggressive metastasis by Transwell assay compared with defective Stat6"n"u"l"l Caco-2 cells. Comparing one another using RT-PCR, Stat6"h"i"g"h HT-29 cells expressed more mRNA of anti-apoptotic and pro-metastatic genes Survivin, MDM2, and TMPRSS4, while Stat6"n"u"l"l Caco-2 cells expressed more mRNA of pro-apoptotic and anti-metastatic genes BAX, CAV1, and P53, respectively. This is the first study describing correlations of IL-4/Stat6 activities with apoptosis and metastasis in colon cancer. These ...
A rat thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone, TSH) receptor cDNA was isolated that encoded a protein of 764 amino acids, M_r 86,528. Transfection of the cDNA caused COS-7 cells to develop a TSH-sensitive adenylate cyclase response and the ability to bind "1"2"5I-labeled TSH; both activities were similar to those of rat FRTL-5 thyroid cells and not duplicated by lutropin. The gene represented by the cDNA was assigned to mouse chromosome 12 and human chromosome 14. Northern analyses identified two species of mRNA, 5.6 and 3.3 kilobases, in FRTL-5 thyroid cells; the transcripts appeared to differ only in the extent of their 3' noncoding sequences. There were minimal amounts of the two mRNAs in rat ovary, and neither was detected in RNA preparations from rat testis, liver, lung, brain, spleen, and FRT thyroid cells, which do not have a functional TSH receptor. TSH decreased both mRNA species 3- to 4-fold within 8 hr in FRTL-5 thyroid cells; ...
We previously reported the identification of a new family of plant methyltransferases (MTs), named the SABATH family, that use S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) to methylate a carboxyl moiety or a nitrogen-containing functional group on a diverse array of plant compounds. The Arabidopsis genome alone contains 24 distinct SABATH genes. To identify the catalytic specificities of members of this protein family in Arabidopsis, we screened recombinantly expressed and purified enzymes with a large number of potential substrates. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis thaliana gene At3g44860 encodes a protein with high catalytic specificity towards farnesoic acid (FA). Under steady-state conditions, this farnesoic acid carboxyl methyltransferase (FAMT) exhibits K{sub M} values of 41 and 71 {mu}M for FA and SAM, respectively. A three-dimensional model of FAMT constructed based upon similarity to the experimentally determined structure of ...
Seed dormancy is an adaptive mechanism and an important agronomic trait. Temperature during seed development strongly affects seed dormancy in wheat (Triticum aestivum) with lower temperatures producing higher levels of seed dormancy. To identifygenes important for seed dormancy, we used a wheat microarray to analyze gene expression in embryos from mature seeds grown at lower and higher temperatures. We found that a wheat homolog of MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 (MFT) was upregulated after physiological maturity in dormant seeds grown at the lower temperature. In situ hybridization analysis indicated that MFT was exclusively expressed in the scutellum and coleorhiza. Mapping analysis showed that MFT on chromosome 3A (MFT-3A) colocalized with the seed dormancy quantitative trait locus (QTL) QPhs.ocs-3A.1. MFT-3A expression levels in a dormant cultivar used for the detection of the QTL were higher after physiological maturity; this ...
We report the identification and characterization of a new Drosophila clock-regulated gene, takeout (to). to is a member of a novel...Full Text Available
Gene expression is a fundamentally stochastic process, with randomness in transcription and translation leading to significant cell-to-cell variations in mRNA and protein levels. This variation...Full Text Available
The ras oncogenes function by indirectly controlling expression of a subset of yet-undefined genes that are crucial for cell growth and differentiation. In a differential display strategy, numerous...Full Text Available
These proceedings collect papers on the subject of lymphokines. Topics include: DNA-cloning of mouse and human lymphokine genes, inteferons, interleukins, gene expression, tumor necrosis factors, and recombinant DNA.
PASTICCINO (PAS) genes are required for coordinated cell division and differentiation during plant development. In loss-of-function pas mutants,...Full Text Available
In animal models, single-gene mutations in genes involved in insulin/IGF and target of rapamycin signalling pathways extend lifespan to a considerable extent. The genetic, genomic and epigenetic influences...Full Text Available
The eye is an easily accessible, highly compartmentalised and immune-privileged organ that offers unique advantages as a gene therapy target. Significant advancements have been made in understanding...Full Text Available
Mutations in the Drosophila gene drop-dead (drd) result in early adult lethality and neurodegeneration, but the molecular identity of the drd...Full Text Available
Cis-acting regulatory sequences are required for the proper temporal and spatial control of gene expression. Variation in gene expression is highly heritable and a significant determinant...Full Text Available
The objective of this project was to identify needs for environmental research development and demonstration projects that have the potential to improve the performance of oil and gas exploration, drilling, and production technologies for maximum recovery of domestic petroleum resources under optimal environmental and economic conditions. To achieve this objective several areas of work were addressed. The first task was to compile as much related data as possible. This was achieved by literature searches of a number of petroleum-related data bases. After acquiring sufficient background on environmental and economical areas that should be expanded, experts who are knowledgeable in these areas were contacted to further define specific issues. More than 33 identified areas were submitted to an in-house panel at NIPER to assure that the final environmental research demonstration and development needs that ...
The HIPAA privacy rule (HIPAA) has had both positive and negative effects on the release of patient information by healthcare facilities. Although the intention of HIPAA was to protect patient privacy and to promote security and confidentiality of patient information, it has had unintended consequences for facilities. To identify some of these unintended effects, two expert panels of health information management directors from healthcare facilities participated in the nominal group technique meetings. They identified 70 barriers related to release of patient information associated with the implementation of HIPAA. The perceived biggest barriers were increases in the public's misunderstanding about release of patient information, lack of an umbrella policy or regulation defining infractions and enforcement that allows individual institutions to make their own interpretations, and challenges to health information management ...
There is a model on the Oak Ridge Reservation which provides requirements for determining capacities and capabilities related to low-level, hazardous, and mixed wastes. In FY 1987, the model will be sufficiently advanced to provide various waste management scenarios. These scenarios will be compared technically, operationally, and financially by use of waste characterization data and process simulators that are currently under development. The results of the process simulations will be used to help identify waste treatment, storage, and disposal technologies that need to be demonstrated prior to full-scale development for DOE use. The information derived from this effort will be made available to all DOE facilities.
The atrial myocardium has been barely visible with thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy. This is probably related to the difference in size, distance from anterior chest wall, and small coronary blood flow of the atrium, compared with the ventricle. We have encountered eight cases of visualization of the right atrial appendix (RAA). The RAA was identified from multiple projections in all cases and sometimes confirmed by radionuclide angiocardiography. Evidence derived from ECG, chest radiographs, and cardiac catheterization, indicated that the most important factor in the visualization might be the displacement of the RAA to a more anterior position.
The US Department of Energy, Division of Electric Energy Systems, has undertaken to identify the environmental issues and potential impacts associated with the installation of underground electric power transmission systems. This study reports the results of investigations into the advanced cable technologies being considered for future underground applications, as part of the development oriented research program of the Division of Electric Energy Systems. While the technology involves a high level of sophistication, there are relatively few impacts to the environment that are potentially significant, and of these none are inherently non-mitigable. Route planning, system design, and methods of construction and accident response can be pursued in order to minimize impacts where strict constraints are appropriate.
Double-crystal high-resolution x-ray fluorescence spectrometry was applied to the state analysis of sulfur in coal and related fly ash. For total sulfur, a proportional relationship exists between fluorescence intensities and the analytical values obtained by the oxygen-combustion method. Two oxidation states of sulfur were identified by a least square curve fitting method, by assuming that the spectrum profile is identical for each sulfur state but the intensity and position are different. The chemical state of sulfur in coal and remaining in fly ash is discussed.
Abstract This study presents a review of distributed model predictive control (DMPC) strategies followed by recent studies conducted by the authors on the robustness of these strategies to model errors and a summary of future challenges in this area. The review identifies three key challenges for the successful application of DMPC: (i) the selection of optimal control structure for DMPC; (ii) the choice of a suitable coordination strategy among the controllers; and (iii) the robustness of DMPC strategies to model errors. Then, the study summarises recent developments related to the robustness of unconstrained and constrained DMPC algorithms. For the unconstrained case, a methodology that is based on the calculation of a performance index is proposed to balance the trade-off between perform...
The exchange of information and experience among Member Sates is an essential component of the IAEA action plan for addressing the Year 2000 problem. The objective is to enable Member States to identify any gaps in their own conversion programmes, benefit form the experience of others in developing remedial actions and establish the basis for future action to solve remaining problems. Experts in Year 2000 issues particularly those related to digital equipment prepared this report dealing with nuclear fuel cycle facilities
Crystallization points of aqueous solution of the systems M(ClO_4)_2-H_2O (M"2 = Mg"2"+, Ca"2"+, Sr"2"+, Ba"2"+), depending on the salt concentration, were identified by visual-polythermal method. Relying on model notions on the structure of the electrolyte solutions, specific features of strontium perchlorate solubility polytherm and concentration dependence of the relative dynamic viscosity of the salt aqueous solutions are discussed
In FY 1984 three specific tasks which are all related to not-well-understood two-phase phenomena of importance to LWR accidents have been identified under the program. These three tasks are: (1) inverted annular flow experiments and modeling; (2) hot leg U-bend two-phase flow simulation study; and (3) development and evaluation of two-phase flow scaling criteria. Some of the important results obtained under Tasks (1) and (2) are reported in this paper.
ABSTRACT: Metabolomic analysis will provide the next large set of clues to further our understanding of human health and disease. A recent study has elucidated the significant differences in the metabolomes of adipocytes, serum and an adipocyte cell line after activation of two nuclear receptors, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor ?/? (PPAR?/?) and PPAR?. These findings hold great promise for explaining fundamental differences in the mechanisms of PPAR agonists and for identifying targets for the treatment of diabetes.See related research article: http://genomebiology.com/2011/12/8/R75. PMID:21861850
Abstract Silicates are one of the most important classes of compounds on this planet, and more than 1000 silicates have been identified in the mineral kingdom. Additionally, several hundreds of artificial silicates have been synthesized. The substitution of oxygen by nitrogen leads to the structurally diverse and manifold class of nitridosilicates. Silicon nitride, one of the most important non-oxidic ceramic materials, is the binary parent compound of nitridosilicates, and it symbolizes the inherent material properties of these refractory compounds. However, prior to the last decades, a broad systematic investigation of nitridosilicates had not been accomplished. In the meantime, these and related compounds have reached a remarkable level of industrial application. This review illustrates...
Most of the essays gathered in this volume were first presented at a conference, Justice and the Human Genome, in Chicago in early November, 1991. The goal of the, conference was to consider questions of justice as they are and will be raised by the Human Genome Project. To achieve its goal of identifying and elucidating the challenges of justice inherent in genomic research and its social applications the conference drew together in one forum members from academia, medicine, and industry with interests divergent as rate-setting for insurance, the care of newborns, and the history of ethics. The essays in this volume address a number of theoretical and practical concerns relative to the meaning of genomic research.
We report on multijunction GaInP/GaAs photovoltaic cells with total-area efficiencies of 29.5% at one-sun concentration and air mass (AM) 1.5 global and 25.7% one-sun, AM0. These values represent the highest efficiencies achieved by any solar cell under these illumination conditions. Three key areas in this technology are identified and discussed: the grid design, front surface passivation of the top cell, and bottom surface passivation of both cells. Aspects of cell design related to its operation under different solar spectra and under concentration are also discussed.
With the exception of Sand Springs in Williamstown, Massachusetts, there are no identifiable hydrothermal geothermal resources in the New England region. The radioactive plutons of the White Mountains of New Hampshire do not, apparently, contain sufficient stored heat to make them a feasible target for an induced hydrothermal system such as exists at Fenton Hill near Los Alamos, New Mexico. The only potential source of low grade heat is the large volume of ground water contained within the unconsolidated sediments related to the Pleistocene glaciation of the region. During the course of the survey an unusual and unexplained thermal anomaly was discovered in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, which is described.
This report documents an analytical prediction of some of the characteristics which presently undiscovered faster-than-light sub-atomic particles (called tachyons) must possess if they are to exist without violating the Theory of Special Relativity. A brief review of necessary concepts from the Special Theory is included so that the reader might more readily understand the reasoning as it is developed. Necessary, but not all, characteristics of tachyons are then identified and presented. Finally, an interesting potential relationship between tachyons and anti-gravity is discussed.
Results are summarized of a study on concrete component aging and its significance relative to continued service of nuclear power plants (NPPs) beyond the initial period for which they were granted operating licenses. Progress is presented of a second study being conducted to identify and provide acceptance criteria for structural safety issues which the USNRC staff will need to address when applications are submitted for continued service of NPPs. Major activities under this program include: development of a materials property data base, establishment of structural component assessment and repair procedures, and development of a methodology for determination of structural reliability. 19 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.
We provide two examples to illustrate how electronic structure calculations contribute to our understanding of vacancies and their role in determining material properties. Diffusion and elctromigration in aluminium are known to depend strongly on vacancies. Electronic structure calculations show that the vacancy-impurity interaction oscillates with distance, and this leads to an explanation for both the increased elctromigration resistance and the slow impurity diffusion for copper in aluminium. Calculations of vacancies in plutonium have been used in conjunction with positron annihilation lifetime measurements to identify the presence of helium-filled vacanies. Helium stabilization of vacancies can provide the precursors for subsequent vacancy-related changes in materials properties.
'As part of the Computer Protection Plan, this Network Security Plan identifies the specific security measures used to protect Bechtel Hanford, Inc.'s (BHI's) enterprise network. The network consists of the communication infrastructure and information systems used by BHI to perform work related to the Environmental Restoration Contract (ERC) at the Hanford Site. It provides electronic communication between the ERC-leased facilities in Richland, Washington, and facilities located on the Hanford Site. Network gateways to other site and offsite networks provide electronic communication with the remainder of the Hanford community.'
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequent cutaneous neoplasm, with a generally favorable clinical behavior. Sometimes, indeed, it recurs after therapy and/or metastasizes. As point mutations in the coding sequence of the p53 tumor suppressor gene have been implicated in the progression of many human tumors, we studied the expression of p53 protein on this neoplasia. We tested immunohistochemically the positivity for p53 protein (NCL-p53-CM1, YLEM) on 19 cases of morphologically "non aggressive" BCC (BCC1) and on 19 "aggressive" BCC (BCC2), all with one or more relapses and 3 with distant metastases also. Results were related to clinico-pathological and follow-up data. All but one BCC2 were found positive for p53 protein. Conversely, only 2 cases of BCC1 exhibited low immunoreactivity for p53 protein, with high statistical differences between the two groups. No correlation was found between the immunoreactivity, age of patients, and site ...
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system caused by the JC virus (JCV), a human papovavirus. PML is a relatively rare disease seen predominantly in immunocompromised individuals and is a frequent complication observed in AIDS patients. The significantly higher incidence of PML in AIDS patients than in other immunosuppressive disorders has suggested that the presence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in the brain may directly or indirectly contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. In the present study the authors have examined the expression of the JCV genome in both glial and non-glial cells in the presence of HIV-1 regulatory proteins. They find that the HIV-1-encoded trans-regulatory protein tat increases the basal activity of the JCV late promoter, JCV{sub L}, in glial cells. They conclude that the presence of the HIV-1-encoded tat protein may positively affect the JCV lytic cycle ...
Most analyses of the alternative strategies used by utilities to comply with Title IV requirements have focused on factors directly related to controlling sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) emissions. However, utilities must meet a number of additional environmental requirements at the same tune they comply with the acid rain program. To illuminate the potential synergies and conflicts that might exist between the other regulatory mandates and the acid rain program, a thorough examination of all the various programs and their interrelationships must be conducted. This paper reviews the environmental mandates that utilities will have to plan to meet in the next decade concurrently with the acid rain program, and it analyzes the interactions among the various programs to identify potential synergies and conflicts.
IntroductionMost clinical studies on the outcome of apical surgery concentrate on periapical healing based on radiographic and clinical characteristics (signs and symptoms). This study focuses on long-term changes in periodontal parameters after apical surgery. MethodsPeriodontal parameters (ie, probing depth [PD], level of gingival margin [GM], and calculated clinical attachment level [CAL]) were collected at baseline and at 1 and 5 years after apical surgery. Changes in PD, GM, and CAL were calculated over time and were also evaluated in relation to patient-, tooth-, and treatment-related covariables. ResultsOne hundred eighty-six of 242 initially identified teeth could be evaluated. Significant changes in GM and CAL were observed at facial sites during the first year after surgery (mean...
Background Little is known about the role of diet in the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). We explored the prospective relation of dietary patterns, food groups, and nutrients to incident VTE in older women. Methods In 1986, Iowa women aged 55 to 69 years completed a mailed survey, including a 127-item food frequency questionnaire. These data were linked to Medicare data from 1986 to 2004, and International Classification of Diseases discharge codes were used to identify hospitalized VTE cases. Cox regression analyses evaluated relations of 2 principal components?derived dietary patterns, 11 food groups, and 6 nutrients to VTE, adjusted for age, education, smoking status, physical activity, and energy intake. Results Over 19 years of follow-up, 1,950 of the 37,393 women develope...
The relationship between cigarette smoking and cell damage is complicated, particularly considering the role of oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to identify the relationships among plasma nicotine metabolites, lipophilic antioxidants, and metabolic parameters in smokers and non-smokers. This cross-sectional study recruited 100 subjects who visited the Department of Family Medicine at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital. Excluding 14 ineligible cases, 46 smokers and 40 non-smokers were enrolled. Plasma nicotine metabolites, lipophilic antioxidants (including retinol, lycopene, a-carotene, b-carotene, d-tocopherol, g-tocopherol and a-tocopherol), related metabolic parameters, and body composition (including height, weight, body mass index, body fat, and waist circumference) were...
An overview of climatic factors and impact relative to river ice engineering and science is presented. An explanation of the fundamentals of climatic change is followed by a review of direct and indirect climatic influences that govern river ice breakup and related trends. Known responses of river ice to climatic change and potential future changes to ice breakup processes are described along with the probable ecological and socio-economic consequences of these changes. Changes in engineering approaches to accommodate the present ice regime and predicted changes in climatic variables that affect river ice processes and reduce the vulnerability of infrastructure and ecosystems to climatic change are examined. Future research on the links between river ice and stream ecology is suggested to identify ecological concerns that may result from changes in river ice regimes induced by climatic change. 60 refs., 3 figs.
It is currently unclear if the potential for West Nile virus transmission by mosquito vectors in the eastern United States is related to landscape or climate factors or both. We compared abundance of vector species between urban and suburban neighborhoods of Henrico County, VA, in relation to the following factors: temperature, precipitation, canopy cover, building footprint, and proximity to drainage infrastructure. Mosquitoes were collected throughout the 2005, 2006, and 2007 seasons and tested for West Nile virus (WNV) in pools of 10-50. Test results of mosquito pools were compared to average site abundance from 37 sites in Henrico County, VA; abundance was then examined in relation to ecological variables. Urban infrastructure was positively correlated with the abundance of Culex pipiens L./Cx. restuans, and our findings implicate combined sewer overflow systems as large contributors to Culex vector populations. No ...
B vitamins and polymorphisms in genes coding for enzymes involved in one-carbon metabolism may affect DNA synthesis and methylation and thereby be implicated in carcinogenesis. Previous data on vitamins B2 and B6 and genetic polymorphisms other than those involving MTHFR as risk factors for gastric cancer (GC) are sparse and inconsistent. In this case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort, cases (n = 235) and controls (n = 601) were matched for study center, age, sex, and time of blood sampling. B2 and B6 species were measured in plasma, and the sum of riboflavin and flavin mononucleotide was used as the main exposure variable for vitamin B2 status, whereas the sum of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, pyridoxal, and 4-pyridoxic acid was used to define vitamin B6 status. In addition, we determined eight polymorphisms related to one-carbon metabolism. Relative risks for GC ...
A {lambda}gt11 cDNA library was constructed from poly(U)-Spharose-selected Entamoeba histolytica trophozoite RNA in order to clone and identify surface antigens. The library was screened with rabbit polyclonal anti-E. histolytica serum. A 700-base-pair cDNA insert was isolated and the nucleotide sequence was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA revealed a cysteine-rich protein. DNA hybridizations showed that the gene was specific to E. histolytica since the cDNA probe reacted with DNA from four axenic strains of E. histolytica but did not react with DNA from Entamoeba invadens, Acanthamoeba castellanii, or Trichomonas vaginalis. The insert was subcloned into the expression vector pGEX-1 and the protein was expressed as a fusion with the C terminus of glutathione S-transferase. Purified fusion protein was used to generate 22 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and a mouse polyclonal antiserum specific for the E. histolytica portion ...
A #lambda#gt11 cDNA library was constructed from poly(U)-Spharose-selected Entamoeba histolytica trophozoite RNA in order to clone and identify surface antigens. The library was screened with rabbit polyclonal anti-E. histolytica serum. A 700-base-pair cDNA insert was isolated and the nucleotide sequence was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA revealed a cysteine-rich protein. DNA hybridizations showed that the gene was specific to E. histolytica since the cDNA probe reacted with DNA from four axenic strains of E. histolytica but did not react with DNA from Entamoeba invadens, Acanthamoeba castellanii, or Trichomonas vaginalis. The insert was subcloned into the expression vector pGEX-1 and the protein was expressed as a fusion with the C terminus of glutathione S-transferase. Purified fusion protein was used to generate 22 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and a mouse polyclonal antiserum specific for the E. histolytica portion ...
With the aim of an experimental check on the validity of the theory of molecular recognition, the authors have carried out the chemical-enzymatic synthesis and cloning of the gene of human calcitonin and also of the genes of antisense polypeptides to human calcitonin and miniproinsulin. It has been shown that recombinant plasmids obtained on the basis of these synthetic genes are capable of ensuring the biosynthesis of the given polypeptides in E. coli cells as hybrid proteins with the IgG-binding domain of staphylococcal protein A.
A 13.1-kb DNA fragment carrying Pseudomonas denitrificans cob genes has been sequenced. The nucleotide sequence and genetic analysis revealed that this fragment contained five different cob genes named...Full Text Available
Procedures are described for the use of synthetic oligonucleotides for Southern blot experiments and gene bank screening, and the effect of various mismatches on the efficiency of hybridization is demonstrated. The following topics are discussed: sensitivity vs. specificity, hybridization of a 12-mer to the lambda endolysin gene; hybridization of oligonucleotide probes to the E. coli lac operator; hybridization of synthetic probes to the CYC1 gene of yeast; and cloning eucaryotic genes. (HLW)
Gene silencing is a useful technique for elucidating biological function of genes by knocking down their expression. A recently developed artificial microRNAs (amiRNAs) exploits an endogenous...Full Text Available
We have isolated the human prointerleukin 1 (proIL-1) beta gene from leukocyte and fetal liver libraries. The nucleotide sequence and its gene organization reveals that the proIL-1 beta gene is composed...Full Text Available
Today you will learn about the parts of DNA and what DNA, genes and chromosomes are. Today you will learn what DNA, genes and chromosomes are and the parts of the DNA molecule. Look at all of the websites, take whatever notes you need to. At the end of the assignment, be able to describle DNA, the parts of DNA, genes and chromosomes. Covers Biology Core Curriculum, ...
The loss of #alpha#-globin gene transcriptional activity rarely occurs as an acquired abnormality during the evolution of myeloproliferative disease or preleukemia. To test whether the mutation responsible for the loss of #alpha#-globin gene expression (hemoglobin H disease) in these patients is linked with the #alpha#-globin genes on chromosome 16, the authors transferred chromosome 16 from preleukemic patients with acquired hemoglobin H disease to mouse erythroleukemia cells and measured the transcriptional activity of the human #alpha#-globin genes. After transfer to mouse erythroleukemia cells, the expression of human #alpha#-globin genes from the peripheral blood or marrow cells of preleukemic patients with acquired hemoglobin H disease was similar to that of human #alpha#-globin genes transferred to mouse erythroleukemia cells from normal donors. These ...
Half-Heusler phases XYZ (Pearson symbol cF12) are chemically versatile and rich in physical properties. The half-Heusler phase in the Fe-Zn-Sb ternary system was reported in the year 2000. In this work, two new ternary phases are identified in the vicinity of the equiatomic composition FeZnSb in the same system: Fe1-xZnSb (tetragonal, space group P4/nmm, Pearson symbol tP6-?, Z=2: a=4.1113(6) A, c=6.0127(12) A for x=0.08 (1), and a=4.1274(6) A, c=6.0068(12) A for x=0.12 (2)); and Fe7.87Zn6.72Sb8 (Fe0.98Zn0.84Sb) (3) (cubic, space group Fm-3m, Pearson symbol cF96-?, Z=4, a=11.690(13) A). 1 and 2 crystallize in the PbFCl-type structure, and 3 adopts a unique 2x2x2 supercell of a normal half-Heusler structure. The structures of both the tetragonal and cubic phases can be described as assemblies of half-Heusler structure related subunits. Electrical resistivity measurement on the pure sample of 2 shows it has metallic-like behavior, and its thermal ...
This is the 1st revision of the INIS/ETDE Joint Thesaurus. It contains 20 953 valid descriptors and 8 600 forbidden terms. It was last updated in December 2003. The Joint Thesaurus contains the controlled terminology for indexing all information within the subject scope of both INIS (International Nuclear Information System) and ETDE (Energy Technology Data Exchange) information systems. The terminology is intended for use in subject description for input or retrieval of information in those systems. The thesaurus is a terminological control device used in translating from the natural language of documents, indexers or users into a more constrained system language It is also a controlled and dynamic vocabulary of semantically and generically related terms which covers a specific domain of knowledge. The domain of knowledge covered by this Thesaurus includes physics (in particular, plasma physics, atomic and molecular physics, and especially nuclear and high-energy ...
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is currently evaluating hazardous waste treatment and environmental remediation technologies in existence and under development to determine applicability to remediation needs of the DOE facilities under the Albuquerque Operations Office and to determine areas of research need. To assist LANL is this effort, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) conducted an assessment of technologies and monitoring methods that have been demonstrated or are under development. The focus of this assessment is to: (1) identify existing technologies for hazardous waste treatment and environmental remediation of old waste sites; (2) identify technologies under development and the status of the technology; (3) assess new technologies that need development to provide adequate hazardous waste treatment and remedial action technologies for DOD and DOE sites; and (4) identify hazardous waste and ...
The presence of endothelin (ET)-like immunoreactivity and the cardiovascular effects of mammalian ET-1 in fish have been reported. To identify ET-related peptides in fish, we screened the cDNA library of the salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) stomach by means of rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and we cloned cDNAs encoding an ET-related peptide. The salmon ET-related sequence of 21 amino acids is identical to the trout ET-1 peptide recently purified from kidney specimens of Oncorhynchus mykiss. The deduced amino acid sequence of salmon pre-proET-1 (PPET-1) comprises 244 amino acids, including a putative signal sequence and mature ET-1, as well as big ET-1 and ET-1-like sequences. This precursor, the first reported PPET-1 sequence for Salmoniformes, Teleostei, has low homology with the sequences of human, mouse, frog (Xenopus laevis), and zebrafish (Danio rerio) PPET-1 (26%, 29%, 24%, and 39%, respectively). ...
Measurements of gamma-ray spectra, following the thermal neutron fission of "2"3"5U have been made using a high purity germanium detector at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) Van de Graaff facility. The gamma spectra were measured at delay times ranging from 0.2 s to nearly 10000 s following the rapid transfer of the fission fragments with a helium-jet system. On the basis of the known gamma transitions, forty isotopes have been identified and studied. By measuring the relative intensities of these transitions, the relative yields of the various precursor nuclides have been calculated. The results are compared with the recommended values listed in the ENDF/B-VI fission product data base (for the lifetimes and the relative yields) and those published in the Nuclear Data Sheets (for the beta branching ratios). This information is particularly useful for the cases of short-lived fission products ...
Delusional beliefs are characteristic of psychosis and, of the delusions, the paranoid delusion is the single most common type associated with psychosis. The many years of research focused on neurocognition in schizophrenia, using standardized neurocognitive tests, have failed to find conclusive cognitive deficits in relation to positive symptoms. However, UK-based psychological research has identified sociocognitive anomalies in relation to paranoid thinking in the form of theory of mind (ToM), causal reasoning and threat-related processing anomalies. Drawing from recent neuroscientific research on the default mode network, this paper asserts that the common theme running through the psychological tests that are sensitive to the cognitive impairment of paranoia is the need to cognitively project the self through time, referred to as mental time travel. Such an understanding of the cognitive roots of ...
This paper builds on earlier work to give a consistent treatment of the positive column of discharges in electronegative gases covering the transition from collisionless to collisional. In particular it seeks to elucidate the conditions under which there is an ion-ion plasma core surrounded by an electron-ion plasma, and when there is not. The parameters which describe the processes of ionization, attachment, detachment and recombination are related to the central negative ion density relative to the electron density and, where appropriate, the size of the core. The use, by earlier workers, of the Boltzmann approximation to describe the negative ion distribution and to obtain ambipolar diffusion coefficients at higher pressures is shown not to be justified. This leads to the clarification of an inconsistency in the literature. Where possible, the work is related to other recent treatments of the same problem in order to ...
The uptake of "9"9Tc by trees intercepting contaminated groundwater from a radioactive waste storage site was measured to identify the major "9"9Tc pools within the woodland ecosystem and to assess the relative mobility of "9"9Tc in the existing element cycle. The highest average "9"9Tc concentrations in vegetation were found in herbaceous plants. Tree wood was the major above-ground pool for "9"9Tc because of the high concentrations in wood as well as the large amount of wood relative to other biomass at the site. Technetium was not easily leached from the trees by rainfall and was not readily extractable from forest floor leaf litter by water. The relative importance of return pathways for "9"9Tc to the forest floor was leaf fall > stemflow > throughfall, indicating that "9"9Tc was conserved by the trees. Snails and millipedes from the leaf litter layer concentrated technetium 20- and 16-fold, ...
Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in the human thyroid receptor beta gene on chromosome 3. Individuals with RTH have an increased incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to search for developmental brain malformations associated with RTH. Forty-three subjects (20 affected males [AM], 23 affected females [AF]) with resistance to thyroid hormone and 32 unaffected first degree relatives (18 unaffected males [UM], 14 unaffected females [UF]) underwent MRI brain scans with a volumetric acquisition that provided 90 contiguous 2 mm thick sagittal images. Films of six contiguous images beginning at a standard sagittal position lateral to the insula were analyzed by an investigator who was blind with respect to subject characteristics. The presence of extra or missing gyri in the parietal bank of the Sylvian fissure (multimodal association cortex) ...
A major regulatory element required for expression of the human [alpha]-globin genes is located 40 kb upstream of the embryonic [zeta]-globin gene. To understand how this and other locus control region (LCR) elements contribute to high-level expression in erythroid cells, we have performed high-resolution, in vivo dimethyl sulfate footprinting. In addition, we have modified the dimethyl sulfate-based ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction in vivo footprinting procedure to permit the assessment of interactions at guanine and adenine residues, rather than guanines alone. In vivo footprinting of the human [alpha]-LCR element carried on chromosome 16 in a mouse erythroleukemia cell environment revealed protein occupancy at GATA-1, AP-1/NF-E2, and CACC/GGTGG motifs, specific differences compared with in vitro protein binding, and distinct changes in one region upon dimethyl sulfoxide-induced cellular maturation. No protein contacts were ...
The present study was designed to assess the radioprotective effects of amifostine on ovarian follicles. Three week-old female mice with or without pretreatment of amifostine were irradiated with 6.42 Gy of #gamma# -ray. Ovaries were collected 0 and 6h after irradiation. DNA fragmentation pattern and expression of genes and activity of proteins related with apoptosis were investigated by means of RT-PCR and Western blot. Proliferation of granulosa cells was reduced and incidence rate of follicular atresia was increased in ovarian follicles in #gamma# -ray irradiated mice compared to those in control or amifostine-treated group. DNA fragmentation was increased in time-dependent manner in granulosa cells of all irradiated groups. However, no difference between amifostine pre-treated group and irradiated groups was found and the expression of p53 as tumor suppressor gene and Bax as one of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family was ...
1-Furan-2-yl-3-pyridin-2-yl-propenone (FPP-3) is an anti-inflammatory agent with a propenone moiety and chemically synthesized recently. In this study, we examined the chemopreventive effect of FPP-3 on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced genotoxicity in MCF-7 cells. FPP-3 reduced the formation of the DMBA-DNA adduct. DMBA-induced CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 gene expression and enzyme activity were inhibited by FPP-3. It inhibited DMBA-induced aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) transactivation and DMBA-inducible nuclear localization of the AhR. Induction of detoxifying phase II genes by chemopreventive agents represents a coordinated protective response against oxidative stress and neoplastic effects of carcinogens. Transcription factor NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates antioxidant response element (ARE) of phase II detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes, such as glutathione S-transferase (GST) and NAD(P)H:quinone ...
Antisense- or RNAi-mediated suppression of the biosynthesis of nutritionally inferior storage proteins is a promising strategy for improving the amino acid profile of seeds. However, the potential pleiotropic effects of this on interconnected pathways and the agronomic quality traits need to be addressed. In the current study, a transcriptomic analysis of an antisense C-hordein line of barley was performed, using a grain-specific cDNA array. The C-hordein antisense line is characterized by marked changes in storage protein and amino acid profiles, while the seed weight is within the normal range and no external morphological irregularities were observed. The results of the transcriptome analysis showed excellent correlation with data on changes in the relative proportions of storage proteins and amino acid composition. The antisense line had a lower C-hordein level and down-regulated transcript encoding C-hordein. The production of the S-rich B/gamma- and ...
Antisense- or RNAi-mediated suppression of the biosynthesis of nutritionally inferior storage proteins is a promising strategy for improving the amino acid profile of seeds. However, the potential pleiotropic effects of this on interconnected pathways and the agronomic quality traits need to be addressed. In the current study, a transcriptomic analysis of an antisense C-hordein line of barley was performed, using a grain-specific cDNA array. The C-hordein antisense line is characterized by marked changes in storage protein and amino acid profiles, while the seed weight is within the normal range and no external morphological irregularities were observed. The results of the transcriptome analysis showed excellent correlation with data on changes in the relative proportions of storage proteins and amino acid composition. The antisense line had a lower C-hordein level and down-regulated transcript encoding C-hordein. The production of the S-rich B/ - and D-hordeins ...
An important early step in the assessment of ecological risks at contaminated sites is the screening of chemicals detected on the site to identify those that constitute a potential risk. Part of this screening process is the comparison of measured ambient concentrations to concentrations that are believed to be nonhazardous, termed benchmarks. This article discusses 13 methods by which benchmarks may be derived for aquatic biota and presents benchmarks for 105 chemicals. It then compares them with respect to their sensitivity, availability, magnitude relative to background concentrations, and conceptual bases. This compilation is limited to chemicals that have been detected on the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and to benchmarks derived from studies of toxic effects on freshwater organisms. The list of chemicals includes 45 metals and 56 industrial organic chemicals but only four pesticides. Although some individual ...
Many environmental impact statements (EIS) fail to predict environmental impacts, organize information about those impacts in a concise, logical way, and communicate that information intelligibly. This paper presents a systematic, auxiliary ''language'' for environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), in an attempt to correct this problem. The approach improves communication among disciplinary specialists, between an interdisciplinary team and a decision-maker, and between a federal agency and the general public by helping to identify important issues and impacts, and by reducing time, effort, cost, and paperwork. The basis for the approach is found in the principal aims of the NEPA regulations and other criteria. The interdisciplinary language for environmental analysis consists of a small vocabulary, used in conjuction with a simple ''grammar'', a worksheet ...
The purpose of the present study was to examine the in vitro effects of low-dose cadmium (Cd) on developing cortical cells. The cortical cells removed from fetuses (embryonic day 15) were treated with 10 nM of Cd for 24 h. The effects of Cd on dendritic and synaptic development were immunocytochemically observed with anti-microtubule associated protein-2 (MAP2) and anti-synapsin I antibodies, respectively. Administration of Cd suppressed dendritic as well as synaptic development at 10 nM. By two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) analysis, we identified three proteins with different expression after Cd-treatment; dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 2 (DRP-2/CRMP-2), 14-3-3-epsillon and calmodulin (CaM). Though the number of identified proteins was small, these proteins are known to be involved in neuronal development. The present study demonstrated the ...
Based on an multivariate statistical evaluation of binary and metric data relating to the soil cover of the European Community five regionally representative reference soils (EURO-Soils) have been identified for chemicals testing in the EC. The soil material sampled at representative localities in Italy, Greece, Great Britain, France and Germany was treated and prepared according to OECD Test Guideline 106 and analysed in detail. The homogenised specimens were subject to an EC-wide ring test to evaluate the feasibility of the modified guideline and to validate the physical-chemical amenability of the reference soils for sorption tests. The results proved the validity of the soils selected for assessing the potential behaviour of new chemicals in soil on the basis of a comparative evaluation of the individual test results obtained. In the light of this parametric assessment potential test soils were subsequently identified ...
This document outlines the Maintenance Implementation Plan (MIP) for the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) located at the Hanford site at Richland, Washington. This MIP describes the PFP maintenance program relative to DOE order 4330.4B. The MIP defines the key actions needed to meet the guidelines of the Order to produce a cost-effective and efficient maintenance program. A previous report identified the presence of significant quantities of Pu-bearing materials within PFP that pose risks to workers. PFP`s current mission is to develop, install and operate processes which will mitigate these risks. The PFP Maintenance strategy is to equip the facility with systems and equipment able to sustain scheduled PFP operations. The current operating run is scheduled to last seven years. Activities following the stabilization operation will involve an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to determine future plant activities. This strategy includes ...
US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1 requires the preparation of environmental monitoring plans and implementation of environmental monitoring programs for all DOE facilities. The order identifies two distinct components of environmental monitoring, namely effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. In general, effluent monitoring has the objectives of characterizing contaminants and demonstrating compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements, whereas environmental surveillance has the broader objective of monitoring the effects of DOE activities on on- and off-site environmental and natural resources. The purpose of this document is to support the Environmental Monitoring Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) by describing the groundwater component of the environmental surveillance program for the DOE facilities on the ORR. The distinctions between groundwater effluent monitoring and groundwater surveillance have been defined in the ...
Microelectronic failure analysis (FA) has been an integral part of the development of state-of-the-art integrated circuits. FA of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) is moving from its infancy stage to assume an important role in the successful design, fabrication, performance and reliability analysis for this new technology. In previous work, the authors focused on the application of several techniques developed for integrated circuit analysis to an earlier version of a surface micromachined microengine fabricated at Sandia. Recently, they have identified important new failure modes in binary counters that incorporate a newer design of the microengine, using a subset of integrated circuit failure analysis techniques including optical microscopy, focused ion beam (FIB) techniques, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The primary failure mode they have identified is directly related to ...
This report presented an analysis of incidents gathered by the Canadian upstream oil and gas industry committee in relation to explosive atmospheres in wellbores, vessels, tanks, and piping systems. The aim of the report was to develop industry recommended practices for oil and gas industry fires and explosions. Two accident theory models were used to set out the relationships between hazards, defenses, and losses. Three levels of defenses were identified based on organizational, local workplace, and human factors. An organizational responsibility approach was used to examine the activities of key people with the system. Incidents were analyzed based on an expanded fire triangle used to identify fire and explosion hazards. The study showed that the ignition of hydrocarbons into the air was a factor in nearly 50 per cent of the incidents. A lack of understanding of liquid-hydrocarbon properties was demonstrated in incidents ...
The real thermodynamic inefficiencies in a thermal system are related to exergy destruction and exergy loss. An exergy analysis identifies the system components with the highest exergy destruction and the processes that cause them. However, only a part of the exergy destruction in a component can be avoided. A minimum exergy destruction rate for each system component is imposed by physical, technological, and economic constraints. The difference between the total and the unavoidable exergy destruction rate represents the avoidable exergy destruction rate, which provides a realistic measure of the potential for improving the thermodynamic efficiency of a component. The calculation of avoidable cost rates associated with both exergy destruction and capital investment is described in the paper and is applied to the exergoeconomic evaluation of an externally fired combined cycle power plant. For each plant component, avoidable and unavoidable ...
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of replication-competent adenovirus-mediated double suicide gene therapy in an adjuvant setting with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in an experimental prostate cancer model in preparation for a Phase I clinical study in humans. Methods: For efficacy studies, i.m. DU145 and intraprostatic LNCaP C4-2 tumors were established in immune-deficient mice. Tumors were injected with the lytic, replication-competent Ad5-CD/TKrep adenovirus containing a cytosine deaminase (CD)/herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-1 TK) fusion gene. Two days later, mice were administered 1 week of 5-fluorocytosine + ganciclovir (GCV) prodrug therapy and fractionated doses of EBRT (trimodal therapy). Tumor control rate of trimodal therapy was compared to that of EBRT alone. For toxicology studies, immune-competent male mice received a single intraprostatic injection (10"1"0 vp) of the ...
Three normal human diploid cell strains were transfected with an activated Ha-ras oncogene (EJ ras) or SV40 T-antigen. Multiple clones were examined for morphological alterations, growth requirements, ability to grow under anchorage independent conditions, immortality and tumorigenicity in nude mice. Clones expressing SV40 T-antigen alone or in combination with ras protein p21 were significantly radioresistant as compared with their parent cells or clones transfected with the neo gene only. This radioresistant phenotype persisted in post-crisis, immortalized cell lines. These data suggest that expression of the SV40 T-antigen but not activated Ha-ras plays an important role in the radiosensitivity of human diploid cells. The radioresistant phenotype in SV40 T transfected cells was not related to the enhanced level of genetic instability seen in pre-crisis and newly immortalized cells, nor to the process of immortalization itself. (author).
Abstract in english Cytokines are molecules that were initially discovered in the immune system as mediators of communication between various types of immune cells. However, it soon became evident that cytokines exert profound effects on key functions of the central nervous system, such as food intake, fever, neuroendocrine regulation, long-term potentiation, and behavior. In the 80's and 90's our group and others discovered that the genes encoding various cytokines and their receptors are e (more) xpressed in vascular, glial, and neuronal structures of the adult brain. Most cytokines act through cell surface receptors that have one transmembrane domain and which transduce a signal through the JAK/STAT pathway. Of particular physiological and pathophysiological relevance is the fact that cytokines are potent regulators of hypothalamic neuropeptidergic systems that maintain neuroendocrine homeostasis and which regulate the body's response to stress. The mechanisms ...
Lectin is a generic name of sugar binding protein in living organisms. With an objective to clarify physiological functions of lectin in marine invertebrates and utilize it as a useful material in the bio-chemical industry, studies were carried out on the chemical structure, distribution in living organisms and structural changes of lectin. Lectin is involved with such physiological actions as immunity reactions, generation and differentiation, Ca fixation and symbiosis. Lectin is one of the main components of lymph fluid in shellfish and crustacean, and is a multi-functional polymer that is related with foreign substance recognition, Ca transport, and shell formation. Lectin of a certain kind shows strong actions to accelerate cell division. Organs and cells were cultivated for lectin producing organs and lectin producing cells to verify the production thereof. Elucidation was attempted in a molecular level on such physiological functions as foreign substance ...
Poncirin, flavanone glycoside, isolated from the fruit of Poncirus trifoliata, has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, the effects of poncirin on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells were investigated. The C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells and primary bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were studied. In the C3H10T1/2 cells, poncirin prevented adipocyte differentiation, as demonstrated by inhibition of cytoplasm lipid droplet accumulation and peroxisome proliferator-activating receptor-? (PPAR-?) and CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein-? (C/EBP-?) mRNA expression. By contrast, poncirin enhanced the expression of the key osteogenic transcription factors, runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ). Poncirin also enhanced expression of the osteogenic marker genes including alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC). Poncirin increased mineral nodule ...
Investigations into sexual differentiation and pheromone response in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe are complicated by the need to first starve the cells of nitrogen. Most mating-related experiments are therefore performed on non-dividing cells. Here we overcome this problem by using two mutants that bypass the nutritional requirements and respond to the M-factor mating pheromone in rich medium. The first mutant lacks the cyr1 gene which encodes adenylate cyclase and these cells contain no measurable amounts of cAMP. When M-factor is added to a growing h+ cyr1- strain it causes a transient G1 arrest of cell division, transcription of mat1-Pm, and elongation of the cells to form shmoos. The second mutant contains the temperature-sensitive pat1-114 allele. At 30 degrees C this mutant was previously shown not only to bypass the nutritional signal but also to stop growing in a state derepressed for pheromone-controlled functions. We ...
ObjectivesThe main objectives of this project are: 1. To determine whether nest-drifting behaviour allows helpers to maximise their indirect fitness in the paper wasp Polistes canadensis. Specifically, I will test a) whether nest-drifters apportion helping effort in relation to the productivity benefits of different nests (hypothesis 1a), and b) whether nest-drifters can adjust their investment in response to changes in the productivity payoffs of different nests (hypothesis 1b). 2. To determine [continued...]DescriptionDarwin's theory of natural selection predicts that organisms should act selfishly in order to pass on as many of their genes to the next generation as possible. The evolution of social behaviour is a paradox because it requires that some individuals forgo reproduction in order to help raise the offspring of others. Explaining the evolution of helping behaviour in animal societies has been a major focus for evolutionary ...
Homozygous transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants that accumulated glycinebetaine (GB) in larger quantities were more tolerant to salt than wild-type (WT) plants. Four transgenic lines, namely 1, 3, 4, and 5, accumulated significantly higher levels of GB than WT plants did both before and after salt stress. At 175 and 275?mM NaCl, seeds of all the transgenic lines germinated earlier and recorded a higher final germination percentage, and the seedlings grew better, than those of the WT. Under salt stress, all the lines showed some characteristic features of salt tolerance, such as higher leaf relative water content (RWC), higher photosynthesis, better osmotic adjustment (OA), lower percentage of ion leakage, and lower peroxidation of the lipid membrane. Levels of endogenous GB in ...
We studied the mechanism of Ascophyllum nodosum (a brown macroalga) induced resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Root treatment of A. thaliana Col-0 plants with extracts of A. nodosum [aqueous (ANE), chloroform (C-ANE) and ethylacetate fractions, (E-ANE)] reduced the development of disease symptoms on the leaves. These extracts also induced resistance in salicylic acid deficient NahG and ics1 plants. However, the extracts did not elicit an effect on jar1 (jasmonic acid resistance 1) mutant. A. nodosum extract induced resistance to Pst DC3000 correlated with increased expression of jasmonic acid relatedgene transcripts PDF1.2 while PR1 and ICS1 expression were less affected. Additionally, pretreatment of Arabidopsis plants with ANE, protected t...
Long-term divergent selection for low or high body weight from the same founder population has generated two extremely divergent lines of chickens, the high- (HWS) and low-weight (LWS) selected lines. At selection age (56?days), the lines differ by more than nine times in body weight. The HWS line chickens are compulsive feeders, whereas in the LWS line, some individuals are anorexic and others have very low appetite. Previous studies have implicated the central nervous system and particularly the hypothalamus in these behavioural differences. Here, we compared the mRNA expression in hypothalamus tissue from chickens on day?4 post-hatch using oligonucleotide arrays and found that the divergent selection had resulted in minor but multiple expression differences. Differentially expressed gen...
The authors report the cloning, sequencing, and mapping of three short sequence repeat polymorphisms due to tetranucleotide (TAAA) repeats from human chromosome 21. These DNA markers (D21S221, D21S225, D21S226) have been cloned from the chromosome 21-specific plasmid library of J. C. Fuscoe, C. C. Collins, D. Pinkel, and J. W. Gray and were shown to be polymorphic by polymerase chain reaction amplification and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Genotypes were determined in informative CEPH pedigrees and used in linkage analysis relative to other mapped markers on human chromosome 21. One of these markers, D21S221, is closely linked to the amyloid precursor protein gene (APP), which has been implicated in the etiology of familial Alzheimer disease in some families. 18 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.
In 2004, the Southeastern France regional council asked the regional health observatory to conduct an environmental health inventory to i) identify environmental health problems in this area; ii) examine the relations between environmental exposure to pollutants and human health; and iii) help public officials to identify priorities in this area. We collected and validated data from national, regional and local institutions, constructed environmental (levels of emissions and pollutants), health (mortality, incidence, prevalence) and behavioral indicators (e.g., complaints about odors), and compared these over time and between places when possible. For each topic, we summarized current knowledge about the links between environment and health. In southeastern France, as in other French areas, indoor air pollution, home and leisure injuries and other home-related risks are public health issues. Other ...
The subjective experience of one's environment is constructed by interactions among sensory, cognitive, and affective processes. For centuries, meditation has been thought to influence such processes by enabling a nonevaluative representation of sensory events. To better understand how meditation influences the sensory experience, we used arterial spin labeling functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the neural mechanisms by which mindfulness meditation influences pain in healthy human participants. After 4 d of mindfulness meditation training, meditating in the presence of noxious stimulation significantly reduced pain unpleasantness by 57% and pain intensity ratings by 40% when compared to rest. A two-factor repeated-measures ANOVA was used to identify interactions between meditation and pain-related brain activation. Meditation reduced pain-related activation of the contralateral primary somatosensory cortex. ...
Many sunspot cycles are double peaked. In 1967 Gnevyshev suggested that actually all cycles have two peaks generated by different physical mechanisms, but sometimes the gap between them is too short for the maxima to be distinguished in indices of the total sunspot activity. Here we show that indeed all cycles have two peaks easily identified in sunspot activity in different latitudinal bands. We study the double peaks in the last 12 sunspot cycles and show that they are manifestation of the two surges of toroidal field - the one generated from the poloidal field advected all the way on the surface to the poles, down to the tachocline and equatorward to sunspot latitudes, and another one generated from the poloidal field diffused at midlatitudes from the surface to the tachocline and transformed there into toroidal field. The existence of these two surges of toroidal field is due to the relative magnitudes of the speed of the large-scale solar ...
The purpose of this hearing was to bring to the public`s attention a better understanding of both the shortcomings as well as the benefits of the existing wetlands regulations programs, policies and regulations. In addition an attempt was made to highlight those areas where there have been problems with restrictive or confusing regulations, time delays, and costs involved. Ultimately, the purpose is to identify areas in the federal regulations, and if necessary in the federal wetlands related laws, that can be amended, so these work better.
One important market related capability for firms which seek to develop radical innovations is the competence to involve the 'right' users at the 'right' time in the 'right' form. While former studies have identified a rather passive role of users in the radical innovation process, this paper focuses on the involvement of such users that are in the position to play an active role as inventors and (co)-developers. A multiple case study analysis was conducted in the field of medical technology. Five radical innovation projects within four firms were selected including medical robots and computer-assisted navigation systems. The case study analysis reveals that firms who closely interact with specific users benefit significantly for their radical innovation work. These users have a high motivation toward new solutions, are open to new technologies, possess diverse competencies, and are embedded into a very supportive environment.
The detectors used in the TS93 balloon flight produced a large volume of information for each cosmic ray trigger. Some of the data was visual in nature, other portions contained energy deposition and timing information. The data sets are amenable to conventional analysis techniques but there is no assurance that conventional techniques make full use of subtle correlations and relations amongst the detector responses. With the advent of neural network technologies, particularly adept at classification of complex phenomena, it would seem appropriate to explore the utility of neural network techniques to classify particles observed with the instruments. In this paper neural network based methodology for signal/background discrimination in a cosmic ray space experiment is discussed. Results are presented for electron and positron classification in the TS93 flight data set and will be compared to conventional analyses.
The diffuse morphology and transient nature of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) make them difficult to identify and track using traditional image processing techniques. We apply multiscale methods to enhance the visibility of the faint CME front. This enables an ellipse characterisation to objectively study the changing morphology and kinematics of a sample of events imaged by the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) onboard the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO). The accuracy of these methods allows us to test the CMEs for non-constant acceleration and expansion. We exploit the multiscale nature of CMEs to extract structure with a multiscale decomposition, akin to a Canny edge detector. Spatio-temporal filtering highlights the CME front as it propagates in time. We apply an ellipse ...
Study Design Best evidence synthesis. Objective To undertake a best evidence synthesis of the published evidence on the burden and determinants of neck pain and its associated disorders in the general population. Summary of Background Data The evidence on burden and determinants of neck has not previously been summarized. Methods The Bone and Joint Decade 2000?2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders performed a systematic search and critical review of literature published between 1980 and 2006 to assemble the best evidence on neck pain. Studies meeting criteria for scientific validity were included in a best evidence synthesis. Results We identified 469 studies on burden and determinants of neck pain, and judged 249 to be scientifically admissible; 101 articles related to...
Schools have increasingly been targeted as appropriate sites for mental health promotion and teachers are considered well placed to identify issues concerning students' social and emotional well-being. Whilst teachers are now expected to be responsive to a wide range of student needs and circumstances, they receive little in their pre-service and subsequent teacher education to adequately prepare them for such realities. This paper reports the findings of a study that investigated teacher perspectives on student mental health and mental health education, including their sense of self-efficacy in relation to promoting and supporting children's mental well-being in schools. These findings highlight a complex interplay between teachers' constructions of 'mental health', the importance they pl...
For the application of dynamic neutron radiography to the two-phase flow research using HANARO, several experimental items to which the radiography technique is beneficial were identified through the review of the outputs from the related researches and the discussions with experts. Also, the investigation of the equipments including the beam port, camera and converter was made and a hardware and a software for image processing were equipped. It was confirmed that the calibration curve for the attenuation of neutron beam in fluid which is required for the two-phase flow experiment could be obtained by the computer code calculation. Based on the investigation results on the equipment and the results from the measurement of BNCT beam characteristics, a high speed camera and an image intensifier will be purchased. Then, the high speed dynamic neutron radiography facility for two-phase flow experiments will be fully equipped.
Backgrounds and Aims The stem growth habit, determinate or indeterminate, of soybean, Glycine max, varieties affects various plant morphological and developmental traits. The objective of this study is to identify the effect of stem growth habit in soybean on the stomatal conductance of single leaves in relation to their leaf morphology in order to better understand the ecological and agronomic significance of this plant trait. Methods The stomatal conductance of leaves on the main stem was measured periodically under favourable field conditions to evaluate gmax, defined as the maximum stomatal conductance at full leaf expansion, for four varieties of soybean and their respective determinate or indeterminate near isogenic lines (NILs). Leaf morphological traits including stomatal density, ...
The Surry low power and shutdown probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) is an ongoing project at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) to identify and quantify potential accident scenarios that may occur in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) during low power and shutdown. It was initiated as a result of various incidents and accidents that have occurred within the United States and overseas. The project involves review and evaluation of PWR experience at shutdown, identification of accident scenarios, determination of methods to mitigate the accidents, and performance a level 1 PRA. An evaluation of accident progression, source terms and consequences has also been initiated. The results will be used to address issues related to shutdown conditions. The objective of this paper is to provide a progress report on the project, and to present the approach used as well as the preliminary results of the ongoing and completed tasks.
Progress in the worldwide capability of predicting the convective energy loss from solar central receivers is reviewed. The significant advances in the past three years have been in experimental areas. Baseline measurements of the convective heat transfer from large high-temperature surfaces, e.g., a flat plate and a cubical cavity, have been completed and empirical correlations have been obtained. Theoretical modeling activities have not kept pace with the experimental advances, however. Currently, the primary theoretical emphasis is the development and testing of turbulence models suitable for buoyant flows. Three major needs have been identified: the measurement of convective energy losses from operating solar central receivers; the continued development of theoretical models in spite of the relatively slow progress to date; and the quantification of the effects of atmospheric turbulence.
Double-crystal high-resolution X-ray fluorescence spectrometry was applied to the state analysis of sulfur in coal and related fly ash. For total sulfur, a proportional relationship exists between fluorescence intensities and the analytical values obtained by the oxygen-combustion method. Two oxidation states of sulfur were identified by a least square curve fitting method, by assuming that the spectrum profile is identical for each sulfur state but the intensity and the position are different. Sulfur in coal mainly consists of S/sup 2 -/, whereas that in coal fly ash mainly consists of S/sup 6 +/. As much as 0.04-0.08% of S/sup 2 -/ remains in fly ash.
We study analytically and numerically the stability of the pressure-less, viscously spreading accretion ring. We show that the ring is unstable to small non-axisymmetric perturbations. To perform the perturbation analysis of the ring we use a stretching transformation of the time coordinate. We find that to 1st order, one-armed spiral structures, and to 2nd order additionally two-armed spiral features may appear. Furthermore, we identify a dispersion relation determining the instability of the ring. The theoretical results are confirmed in several simulations, using two different numerical methods. These computations prove independently the existence of a secular spiral instability driven by viscosity, which evolves into persisting leading and trailing spiral waves. Our results settle the question whether the spiral structures found in earlier simulations of the spreading ring are numerical artifacts or genuine instabilities.
A reasonable understanding of PWR steam generator corrosion mechanisms such as denting and wastage has been developed, and adequate chemistry control programs defined to obviate the magnitude and effects of these modes of attack. However, relatively unique corrosion attack modes have been encountered at several plants notwithstanding the presence of a reasonable to very good chemistry control program when considered in light of the Steam Generator Owners Group chemistry guidelines. The uniqueness of attack also suggests that parameters not routinely measured or monitored may be playing a significant role. In the authors opinions, the only reasonable method of routinely identifying corrosion accelerating species present in crevices, sludge piles, and deposits in PWR steam generators is by performing detailed chemical return studies during power transients, shutdowns, and long term layups. Although it would be preferable to obtain samples from ...
Serotonin is an important signaling molecule involved in the control of feeding in flies and other animals. In this study, a potential neurohemal release site for serotonin and the effects of exogenous serotonin on protein feeding were examined in the black blow fly, Phormia regina. A dense network of varicose neural processes exhibiting serotonin-like immunoreactivity was identified on the dorsal region of the thoracico-abdominal ganglion in P. regina. This dorsal region of the central nervous system is a likely site for the release of serotonin into the hemolymph. Circulating serotonin may have multiple systemic effects on fly physiology, including modulating or regulating feeding related processes and diuresis. Injections of exogenous serotonin reduced protein meal size in female flies ...
The spontaneous precipitation of calcium sulfate in supersaturated solutions over the temperature range between 25.0 and 80.0 C was investigated by monitoring the solution specific conductivity during desupersaturation. From measurements of the induction times preceding the onset of precipitation the surface energy of the forming solid, identified as gypsum, was found between ca. 12 and 25 mJ/m{sup 2} for the temperature range between 80.0 and 25.0 C, respectively. Kinetics analysis showed that over 50 C it is possible that anhydrous calcium sulfate is forming as a transient phase converting into the more stable calcium sulfate dihydrate. The linear dependence of the rates of precipitation on the relative solution supersaturation suggested a mechanism according to which the growth units are integrated into the active sites of the supercritical nuclei by surface diffusion. According to the morphological examination of the crystals it is possible ...
Twenty-four long-term survivors of Ewing's sarcoma were identified as being at risk for a second primary tumor. Among this group of patients followed from 3 to 22 y, 4 new bone tumors were observed, whereas 1.2 x 10"-"3 were expected. All new tumors arose in heavily irradiated areas. The risk associated with radiation after 3 years was 7.2 cases/million person-years per rad. The cumulative cancer risk over 10 years for irradiated patients was 35% (SE, 15.1%). Intensive chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide and vincristine administered in five or more courses) seemed to exert an enhancing effect, increasing the rate of development of new tumors.
This article argues that anti-corruption agencies at the local-level have been successful in a way that can be evaluated and emulated. A related contention is that corruption control is most effective when the central public integrity agency is part of both a local anticorruption network and a local public management network. Quite reasonably, the international anti-corruption project has focused most time and energy on advocating and assessing efforts made to ensure public integrity at the national level. Baseline studies by scholars and supra-national integrity nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) identify the form of corruption control (if any) adopted by the central government. Key considerations in assessing the status of national anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) are the ones mentioned...
Conclusions. There are gender differences when it comes to the risk factors for sleep apnea. Large tonsils, a high tongue and a wide uvula are risk factors for sleep apnea in men, while large tonsils and a retrognathic mandible are risk factors in women. Upper airway abnormalities including mandibular retrognathia are, however, unable to predict sleep apnea among snorers being investigated for suspected sleep apnea. Objectives. To identify gender-specific risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea and the diagnostic performance from physical upper airway examinations among snoring men and women investigated because of suspected sleep apnea. Patients and methods. The dimensions of the uvula, tonsils, velopharynx and tongue, and nasal septal deviation, mandibular position, neck circumference, ...
Personal health information management (PHIM) refers to activities that support consumers' access, integration, organization, and use of their personal health information. We investigated PHIM in the health consumer population using a focus group and participatory design. In collaboration with health consumers, we identified PHIM activities and explored the design of new supportive technology. Our findings describe prominent PHIM activities such as monitoring and assessing health, as well as health-related decision making, planning, and action. We describe design principles our participants used during the participatory design of a PHIM tool. These include individual control, sharing, integration, security and flexibility. These findings provide new insights into emerging ideas in consumer health informatics research and technology design. Understanding health consumers' PHIM needs is an important step in creating technology to support these ...
Objective: To describe the meaning of the theme of empowerment from research on health promotion in nursing from the perspective of nurses participating in the study. Methods: Manual data analysis and QSR NUD*IST Vivo were used to analyse the data generated by individual and focus group interviews and the critical incident technique with 32 qualified nurses working in an acute hospital setting in the UK. Results: The participants identified a number of issues related to the theme of empowerment. These included the nurse as patient informer, psychological supporter and rapport builder and the concepts of informed choice/decision making, gatekeeping, coping, patient assertiveness, self-esteem and confidence. Conclusion: Empowerment is a complex, multi-dimensional, contested concept which can...
The prospects for the low-aspect-ratio (A) tokamak to fulfill the requirements of viable fusion power plants are considered relative to the present status in data and modeling. Desirable physics and design features for an attractive Blanket Test Facility and power reactors are estimated for low-A tokamaks based on calculations improved with the latest data from small pioneering experiments. While these experiments have confirmed some of the recent predictions for low-A, they also identify the remaining issues that require verification before reliable projections can be made for these deuterium-tritium applications. The results show that the low-A regime of small size, modest field, and high current offers a path complementary to the standard and high A tokamaks in developing the full potential of fusion power.
Nowadays, mixing is one of the most powerful tools for the process and products optimization in chemical process industries. The available technology can help in achieving almost any desired outcomes related to the process-side of the systems. This paper presents a practical methodology to improve existing agitation systems in order to overcome the constraints previously identified in the process. Well succeed real cases using this methodology in a petrochemical plant (Nitriflex S.A.) are presented. (author) 13 refs., 1 figs., 2 tabs.
In this paper we review and classify the various patterns of isosteric heat versus loading for adsorption of gases on graphitised thermal carbon black at temperatures ranging from below the 3D triple point to temperatures above it, but less than the 3D critical point. We have identified the features of heat curve and highlighted the microscopic origin of these features. The patterns vary with temperature and with the relative strength of the fluid-fluid interaction and solid-fluid interaction. For simple adsorptives (by simple we meant there is no strong association between fluid particles), the heat curve is typified by fluid-fluid attraction and layering phenomena. For adsorptives showing strong association such as water, ammonia and methanol, the heat curve essentially begins below the ...
Summary Objective To find out whether there was over-reporting of SARS patients in mainland China in view of the relatively low case fatality ratio in mainland China, in comparison with other affected countries and areas. Methods We searched PubMed for all SARS antibody detection papers (in English or Chinese language) using the keywords `SARS' and `antibody'. Then the resulting articles were further read through to select the SARS detection results using ELISA methods of serum samples collected at least 1 month after disease onset. A multi-level logistic regression was applied to test for possible differences in the proportions positive between locations of the study. Results A total of 48 studies were identified, including 39 from mainland China and nine from elsewhere (Hong Kong, Taiwan...
The potential association between xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related gammaretrovirus (XMRV) and prostate cancer (PCa) has been documented since 2006. It is important for furthering our understanding of the biological mechanisms of PCa to ascertain whether this association is causal. To summarize the available information on the epidemiological and laboratory findings of the association, we conducted a literature search of the PubMed electronic database (from March 2006 to February 2011) to identify relevant published studies that examined the association between XMRV and PCa. Although several studies showed the positive association between XMRV and PCa, more recent studies did not support this conclusion. The positive findings might be due to contamination of human samples. Further ...
Sulfur mustard (HD) is an alkylating and cytotoxic chemical warfare agent, which inflicts severe skin toxicity and an inflammatory response. Effective medical countermeasures against HD-caused skin toxicity are lacking due to limited knowledge of related mechanisms, which is mainly attributed to the requirement of more applicable and efficient animal skin toxicity models. Using a less toxic analog of HD, chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), we identified quantifiable inflammatory biomarkers of CEES-induced skin injury in dose- (0.05-2 mg) and time- (3-168 h) response experiments, and developed a CEES-induced skin toxicity SKH-1 hairless mouse model. Topical CEES treatment at high doses caused a significant dose-dependent increase in skin bi-fold thickness indicating edema. Histopathological e...
This report discusses the development and demonstration of innovative combustion technologies that improve energy conservation and environmental practices in the US industrial sector. The report includes recommendations by industry on R&D needed to resolve current combustion-related problems. Both fundamental and applied R&D needs are presented. The report assesses combustion needs and suggests research ideas for seven major industries, which consume about 78% of all energy used by industry. Included are the glass, pulp and paper, refinery, steel, metal casting, chemicals, and aluminum industries. Information has been collected from manufacturers, industrial operators, trade organizations, and various funding organizations and has been supplemented with expertise at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory to develop a list of suggested research and development needed for each of the seven industries.
Health risks associated with inhalation of mineral dusts have been identified to a great extent through epidemiology studies, but also have been assessed by conducting subchronic and chronic inhalation studies typically on rodents. However, in vivo studies are softly, time-consuming, requiring complex technologies, and may not yield information on cellular and molecular mechanisms of response. As a result, the use of in vitro cell culture systems has played an important role in studying the toxicology of mineral dusts and providing insight into action mechanisms. This article reviews selected in vitro approaches that are used to investigate the cytotoxic and inflammatory properties of mineral particles and fibers. In addition key findings as they relate to understanding the toxicology of mineral dusts are presented. 165 refs., 1 fig., 5 tab.
This Safety Analysis Report (SAR) is prepared in compliance with the requirements of DOE Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports, and has been written to the format and content guide of DOE-STD-3009-94 Preparation Guide for U. S. Department of Energy Nonreactor Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports. The Hot Cell Facility is a Hazard Category 2 nonreactor nuclear facility, and is operated by Sandia National Laboratories for the Department of Energy. This SAR provides a description of the HCF and its operations, an assessment of the hazards and potential accidents which may occur in the facility. The potential consequences and likelihood of these accidents are analyzed and described. Using the process and criteria described in DOE-STD-3009-94, safety-related structures, systems and components are identified, and the important safety functions of each SSC are described. Additionally, information which describes the safety management programs at ...
The pronounced selectivity of near-threshold (p,..pi../sup -/) reactions for high-spin two-particle, one-hole states is exploited, in the first spectroscopic application of a (p,..pi..) reaction, to identify previously unknown 25/2/sup +/ and 21/2/sup +/ (g/sub 9/2/)/sup 3/ states in /sup 89/Zr. Relative cross sections for the two transitions are well reproduced by simple model calculations. The analyzing power for the 25/2/sup +/ state is markedly similar to previous (p/sub pol/,..pi../sup -/) results for two-particle one-hole stretched states in lighter nuclei.
This study was designed to identify the relationship between free time management and quality of life, exploring whether the amount of free time or the way people using their free time relates to their quality of life. Data were collected from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. Of the 500 questionnaires distribute, 403 usable questionnaires were received with an 81% response rate. The result has found a positive relationship between free time management and quality of life. Contrary to this, there was no significant relationship between time allocation and quality of life. Results might indicate that people who manage their free time well lead to better quality of life. Suggestions based on the observed relationship and directions for future researches were d...
We study dipolar bosons in a 1D optical lattice and identify a region in parameter space---strong coupling but relatively weak on-site repulsion---hosting a series of stable CDW states whose low-energy excitations, built from "fractional domain walls", are remarkably similar to those of non-abelian fractional quantum Hall states. Here, a conventional domain wall between translated CDW's may split by inserting strings of degenerate, but inequivalent, CDW states. Outside these insulating regions, we find numerous supersolids as well as a superfluid regime. The mentioned phases should be accessible experimentally, and in particular, the fractional domain walls can be created in the ground state using single-site addressing, i.e. by locally changing the chemical potential.
The transmission of electrical energy by use of underground cables is increasing. Fault location techniques have certain limitations; incipient fault detection and location would help reduce the maintenance cost of these lines as well as improve the reliability of service. The report discusses some test results related to RF-probing techniques applied to high-voltage transmission lines. The high-frequency losses and attenuation in high-voltage cables places certain ultimate limitations on RF-probing techniques for incipient fault detection. Time-domain reflectrometry methods were employed to assess the RF-transmission properties of high-voltage cables at frequencies as high as 6 GHz. Fast-Fourier-transform deconvolution was used to obtain loss measurements as a function of frequency. The loss mechanisms were identified. The measurement hardware and methods are discussed as well as analysis approach leading to the conclusions.
This poster presentation discussed the management of environmental risks. It began with the methodology for the proper risk analysis, and its application to a liquefied sulphur dioxide reservoir. The authors described the risks presented by sulphur dioxide on human health and followed with the risk assessment method. The authors then discussed environmental risk management as it relates to the mining industry, with a special emphasis on tailings. Some examples of remedial action implemented on various waste rock piles were also presented. The conclusions emphasized the possible consequences of a major liquefied sulphur dioxide accident and the need to prepare for them by developing emergency plans, identifying remedial actions, and ensuring the proper training of all employees. 81 figs.
The IEA has identified energy efficiency as essential to achieving a sustainable energy future. In order to improve energy efficiency in industry one of the priority areas for further action is the promotion of more and higher quality energy management (EM) activity. However, there are significant gaps in the current implementation of EM. One method of bridging these gaps would be the creation of an EM Action NetworK (EMAK) to bring practical support to energy managers, connect energy managers to energy policy makers, and interconnect these networks globally. The paper describes possible aims, activities, scope, structure, timelines and approaches related to EMAK and looks at specific tasks that would be important in the set-up and implementation.
Dispersed flow film boiling is the heat transfer regime that occurs at high void fractions in a heated channel. The way this transfer mode is modelled in the NRC computer codes (RELAP5 and TRAC) and the validity of the assumption and empirical correlations used is discussed. An extensive review of the theoretical and experimental work related with heat transfer to highly dispersed mixtures reveals the basic deficiencies of these models: the investigation refers mostly to the typical conditions of low rate bottom reflooding, since the simulation of this physical situation by the computer codes has often showed poor results. The alternative models that are available in the literature are reviewed, and their merits and limits are highlighted. The modification that could improve the physics of the models implemented in the codes are identified. (author) 13 figs., 123 refs.
An interesting line of research is the investigation of the laws of random variables known as Dirichlet means. However, there is not much information on interrelationships between different Dirichlet means. Here, we introduce two distributional operations, one of which consists of multiplying a mean functional by an independent beta random variable, the other being an operation involving an exponential change of measure. These operations identify relationships between different means and their densities. This allows one to use the often considerable analytic work on obtaining results for one Dirichlet mean to obtain results for an entire family of otherwise seemingly unrelated Dirichlet means. Additionally, it allows one to obtain explicit densities for the related class of random variables that have generalized gamma convolution distributions and the finite-dimensional distribution of their associated L\\'{e}vy processes. The importance of ...
The carbonate rocks of the Lower Ordovician Majiagou Formation represent important hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Ordos basin in the western part of the North China plate. Cores and thin sections from more than 60 wells were examined. The main reservoir in the Majiagou Formation consists of fine crystalline dolomite, which was altered by meteoric water during an extended subaerial exposure. Three phreatic zones have been identified in the Majiagou Formation in the northern part of the basin. Oxygen isotopes and fluid inclusion microthermometry data indicates that the porosity developed during the early karst event was considerably reduced by the late-stage, coarse crystalline calcite cements that appear to be related to hydrothermal fluids during deep burial. It was concluded that the main factors that determine the porosity and permeability of these carbonate reservoirs are dolomitization, karstification, and calcite cementation.
Problems can sometimes occur during the construction of cast in-situ concrete piles. These foundations are formed by drilling a substantial hole into the ground and subsequently filling it with steel reinforcement and wet concrete. Several well-documented cases exist where concrete has not filled the hole and substantial voids have been left in the apparently completed pile. A theory has been developed by which it is possible to identify the nature, size and position of a finite defect within a suspect pile. The technique is based on the concept of receptances, and requires information obtained from vibration tests performed on piles after the concrete has hardened, and the nominal dimensions and material properties of the pile. The application of the theory is demonstrated using data relating to a pile with a known defect. The theory described in this paper ignores the effect of the surrounding soil; this can be included by further development ...
The effects of strong Coulomb correlations in dense three-dimensional electron-hole plasmas are studied by means of unbiased direct path integral Monte Carlo simulations. The formation and dissociation of bound states, such as excitons and bi-excitons is analyzed and the density-temperature region of their appearance is identified. At high density, the Mott transition to the fully ionized metallic state (electron-hole liquid) is detected. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the hole to electron mass ratio $M$ on the properties of the plasma. Above a critical value of about M=80 formation of a hole Coulomb crystal was recently verified [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\\bf 95}, 235006 (2005)] which is supported by additional results. Results are related to the excitonic phase diagram of intermediate valent Tm[Se,Te], where large values of $M$ have been observed experimentally.
A red basil cell line (T2b) rich in rosmarinic acid (RA) was selected for the stable production of anthocyanins (ACs) in the dark. Cell suspension cultures were subjected to mechanical stress through increased agitation (switch from 90 to 150rpm) to determine the relationship between AC and RA accumulation. Cell extracts were analyzed by HPLC and LC-MS, and the resulting data were processed with multivariate statistical analysis. MS and MS/MS spectra facilitated the putative annotation of several complex cyanidin-based ACs, which were esterified with coumaric acid and, in some cases, also with malonic acid. It was also possible to identify various RA-related molecules, some caffeic and coumaric acid derivatives and some flavanones. Mechanical stress increased the total AC and RA contents, ...
The Formula Not Shown system of Formula Not Shown was first observed in auroral emissions by Meinel in 1950. Although the Formula Not Shown band system has been reinvestigated since this first spectral study, no laboratory spectrum of the (2,1) vibronic band has been obtained. We have recently built a continuous-wave cavity ringdown spectrometer, and as a first test of this spectrometer we observed the (2,1) band of Formula Not Shown in a positive column discharge cell. Many lines of the first positive band system of Formula Not Shown were also identified during the process of assigning this spectrum. The relative intensities of the Formula Not Shown and Formula Not Shown bands were found to change with discharge cell pressure, and so each spectral region was observed at two pressures to a...
Multi-millennial climate changes were relatively minor over the mid-late Holocene in the British Isles, because orbitally forced insolation changes were smaller than those at higher latitudes. Centennial climate variability is thus likely to have exerted a greater influence on the environment and human society of the region. Proxy-climate records from the British Isles covering the last 4500years are assembled and re-evaluated with the aim of identifying centennial climate variability reflected by multi-proxy indicators. The proxies include bog oak populations, peatland surface wetness, flooding episodes from fluvial deposits, speleothem annual band width and oxygen isotopes, chironomids from lake sediments and sand and dune deposition. Most proxies reflect water balance rather than temper...
The primary goal of this study was to assess the association between the full birth weight distribution and prevalence of specific developmental disabilities and related measures of health and special education services utilization in US children. Using data from the 1997?2005 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Sample Child Core, we identified 87,578 children 3?17?years of age with parent-reported information on birth weight. We estimated the prevalences of DDs (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], autism, cerebral palsy, hearing impairment, learning disability without mental retardation, mental retardation, seizures, stuttering/stammering, and other developmental delay) and several indicators of health services utilization within a range of birth weight categories. We cal...
Circadian rhythms affect several processes in the body physiology. This commentary revisits the topic of `metabolic basis of diseases' with a view to shed light on how cellular energy requirements feed-forward to a sequential signaling of hormonal response, blood glucose metabolism, antioxidant activities, and pathophysiology. Attempt is made to explain how diseases that may not appear to be closely related, such as bone metabolism and vasculopathy, have an increase in oxidative damage as a common underlying biochemistry. Importantly, this article identifies oxidative damage as an outcome of sleep disturbance and hypothesize that sleep complaint is not merely one of many resulting symptoms of PTSD, but a core feature that arise from trauma and gives rise to the stress biochemistry, which i...
Adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often fail to master literacy skills, in part because disruptive behaviors interfere with task engagement and persistence. The theory of behavioral momentum explains the persistence of behavior in the face of changing environmental conditions. The current exploratory study examined variables related to behavioral momentum in the context of a continuous reading task. Participants were three adolescents identified with EBD who were instructional on fifth-grade material. Results indicated that when participants read a third-grade paragraph immediately before a fifth-grade paragraph, they decreased the latency to initiate reading of the fifth-grade paragraph and increased words read correctly per minute on the first 10 words of the fifth-grade paragraph. Results are discussed in terms of the theory of behavioral momentum and the nature of interventions that may be developed to increase ...
Technologies and practices that recover energy and materials from municipal solid waste present a technically and economically viable alternative to sanitary landfills and other solid waste disposal methods. However, community planners considering resource recovery should be aware of the potential environmental impacts of proposed projects. To assess these impacts, a planner should: identify the most significant types of impacts; establish boundaries beyond which impacts are not significant; characterize the environment as it would exist without the proposed project over the project's lifetime; predict the magnitude, and the distribution over time and space, of potential impacts; and relate the magnitude of predicted impacts to a scale of significance that will allow environmental values to be considered in decision-making. 24 references, 1 table.
Seven villages in southeastern Kenya surround Mt. Kasigau and depend on the mountain's cloud forest for their water supply. Five of these villages have regularly experienced water shortages, and all village water supplies were contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria. There is a need to economically find new sources of fresh ground water. Remote sensing offers a relatively quick and cost-effective way of identifying areas with high potential for ground water development. This study used spectral properties of features on Landsat remote sensing imagery to map linear features, soil types, surface moisture, and vegetation. Linear features represented geologic or geomorphologic features indicating either shallow ground water or areas of increased subsurface hydraulic conductivity. Regarding...
The gliding modes of a duplex Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy were investigated through in situ (scanning electron microscopy) tensile tests. A method based on electron back-scattering diffraction (EBSD) measurements was used to identify activated slip systems. The approach applied to a large number of grains allowed a statistical analysis of the nature (basal, prismatic, pyramidal) and distribution of the slip systems according to the crystallographic texture. A discussion concerning the pertinence of Schmid's law to explain the occurrence and succession of slip events is then proposed. The domain in favor of each type of slip system is finally presented by using inverse pole figures mapped with Schmid's factor iso-curves.
A simple electromagnetic transport system was constructed to identify very rare positrons produced in a powerful laser beam interaction with a target. Testing experiments were carried out with CO[sub 2]-laser (10[sup 12] W/cm[sup 2]) beam pulses ([tau] = 50 ns, f = 0.01 Hz) focused on the copper target, as well as with a 96 MeV alpha-particle beam irradiated carbon target. The results showed that the developed system could be effectively used for positron identification and evaluation of their energy by means of a time-of-flight method. The computerized system to deal with this problem, together with others related to the power laser beam interaction with targets, has been constructed. (orig.).
This paper focuses on a factorial-based design strategy. The approach provides an efficient and statistically reliable means for assessing the influence of multivariable effects. It is applied to the detection and evaluation of damage in impacted composite sandwich panels. The experimental results obtained from this test strategy are utilized to form an empirical response function. The resulting polynomial relates damage area to residual compression strength at values of independent variables for which testing did not occur. The response function also identifies nonlinear interaction effects of key variabes that cannot be easily ascertained by traditional single-variable test strategies. Independent variables evaluated include core thickness, number of face sheet plys and impact energy. The methodology presented allows the designer to predict with more confidence the damage tolerance of a composite material component, and the analyst to more ...
The aim of this study was the evaluation of contralateral hip fractures after a previous hip fracture. For this retrospective analysis patients were selected from the database of the LUMC, a teaching hospital in the south-west of the Netherlands. We analyzed all patients with a second fracture of a hip between 1992 and 2007. The exclusion criteria were high impact trauma and patients with diseases or medication known to have a negative effect on bone metabolism. A total of 1,604 hip fractures were identified. The possible predictive factors for the second fracture and descriptive statistics related to surgery (Hb and HT before and after the operation, total amount of intra- and postoperative blood loss, type of osteosynthesis, complications, time of death after the last fracture, time betw...
A large area Bragg curve spectroscopy (BCS) detector and a position sensitive parallel grid avalanche counter have been developed to study heavy ion reactions, such as inelastic excitations and few nucleon transfer reactions near the Coulomb barrier. Reasonably good resolutions have been achieved for energy, atomic number and angle. A theoretical investigation on the mass dependence of the Bragg peak signal from the BCS detector, shows that there is a negligible mass dependence related to the geometry of the detector. The mass number of the heavy ions which cannot be obtained by the above method, has been identified by detecting the corresponding characteristic gamma rays from the product nuclei with two large solid angle gamma ray detectors. (orig.)
A large area Bragg curve spectroscopy (BCS) detector and a position sensitive parallel grid avalanche counter have been developed to study heavy ion reactions, such as inelastic excitations and few nucleon transfer reactions near the Coulomb barrier. Reasonably good resolutions have been achieved for energy, atomic number and angle. A theoretical investigation on the mass dependence of the Bragg peak signal from the BCS detector, shows that there is a negligible mass dependence related to the geometry of the detector. The mass number of the heavy ions which cannot be obtained by the above method, has been identified by detecting the corresponding characteristic gamma rays from the product nuclei with two large solid angle gamma ray detectors. (orig.).
BackgroundDinoflagellates are unicellular, often photosynthetic protists that play a major role in the dynamics of the Earth's oceans and climate. Sequencing of dinoflagellate nuclear...Full Text Available
A regional analysis of nucleotide substitution rates along human genes and their flanking regions allows us to quantify the effect of mutational mechanisms associated with transcription in germ line...Full Text Available
Highly polymorphic genes with central roles in lymphocyte mediated immune surveillance are grouped together in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in higher vertebrates. Generally, across vertebrate...Full Text Available
Rhizobium leguminosarum, biovar viceae, strain RCC1001 contains two glutamine synthetase activities, GSI and GSII. We report here the identification of glnA, the structural gene for GSI. A 2 kb fragment...Full Text Available
BackgroundWhile the gene flow in some organisms is strongly affected by physical barriers and geographical distance, other highly mobile species are able to overcome such constraints....Full Text Available
BackgroundHigh complexity is considered a hallmark of living systems. Here we investigate the complexity of temporal gene expression patterns using the concept of Permutation Entropy...Full Text Available
We investigate a method for gene delivery to vascular smooth muscle cells using ultrasound triggered delivery of plasmid DNA from electrostatically coupled cationic microbubbles. Microbubbles...Full Text Available
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that play a central role in regulation of gene expression by binding to target genes. Many miRNAs were associated with the function of the central nervous...Full Text Available
Gene expression is a unique way of characterizing how cells and organisms adapt to changes in the external environment. The measurements of gene expression levels upon exposure to a chemical can be...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn cancer research, the association between a gene and clinical outcome suggests the underlying etiology of the disease and consequently can motivate further studies. The...Full Text Available
Dissecting the genes involved in complex traits can be confounded by multiple factors, including extensive epistatic interactions among genes, the involvement of epigenetic regulators, and the variable...Full Text Available
Orthologous positions of 55 genes associated with height in four human populations were located on the bovine genome. Single nucleotide polymorphisms close to eight of these genes were significantly...Full Text Available
Generations 5 and 6 (G5 and G6) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have been shown to be highly efficient nonviral carriers in in vitro gene delivery. However, their high toxicity...Full Text Available
In order to efficiently utilize natural cellulose materials to produce ethylene, three expression vectors containing the ethylene-forming enzyme (efe) gene from Pseudomonas...Full Text Available
BackgroundGene promoters can be in various epigenetic states and undergo interactions with many molecules in a highly transient, probabilistic and combinatorial way, resulting in...Full Text Available
PurposeThe size of neuronal populations is modulated by gene variants that influence cell production and survival, in turn influencing neuronal connectivity, function,...Full Text Available
This article describes the molecular cloning and expression of a hemolysin gene from a serotype 1 strain of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. The hemolysin was a thermolabile protein with an apparent...Full Text Available
BackgroundGene expression profiling and the analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks may support the identification of disease bio-markers and potential drug targets....Full Text Available
Hormone potency depends on receptor availability, regulated via gene expression and receptor trafficking. To ascertain how central leptin receptors are regulated, the effects of leptin challenge, high-fat...Full Text Available
We have characterized the kinetic response of gene targets throughout the murine genome to transcriptional modulation by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). In contrast to a model in which multiple genes...Full Text Available
Exploring the possibility of enhancing the properties of baculoviruses as biological control agents of insect pests, we tested the effect of expressing an insect gene (jhe) encoding juvenile hormone...Full Text Available
Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) protein initiates Ig gene mutation by deaminating cytosines, converting them into uracils. Excision of AID-induced uracils by uracil-N-glycosylase...Full Text Available
The DNA sequences were determined for the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene from five unrelated Japanese patients with familial LPL deficiency. The results demonstrated that all five patients are homozygotes...Full Text Available
Two heterologous expression systems using thioredoxin (trxA) as a gene fusion part in Escherichia coli were developed to produce recombinant pediocin PA-1. Pediocin...Full Text Available
The availability of full genome sequences has allowed the construction of microarrays, with which screening of the full genome for changes in gene expression is possible. This method can provide a wealth...Full Text Available
Systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which causes endotoxemia and systemic inflammation, has been reported to induce expression of the gene for type II inducible nitric oxide synthase...Full Text Available
BackgroundPolyethyleneimine (PEI), which can interact with negatively charged DNA through electrostatic interaction to form nanocomplexes, has been widely attempted to use as a gene...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe bacterial genus Listeria contains pathogenic and non-pathogenic species, including the pathogens L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii,...Full Text Available
As many as 59% of the transcription factors in Escherichia coli regulate the transcription rate of their own genes. This suggests that auto-regulation has one or more important...Full Text Available
We cloned and sequenced structural gene choM, which encodes an insecticidally active cholesterol oxidase in Streptomyces sp. strain A19249. The primary translation product was predicted to be a 547-amino-acid...Full Text Available
The regulation of gene expression in the brain reward regions is known to contribute to the pathogenesis and persistence of drug addiction. Increasing evidence suggests that the regulation of gene transcription...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe rate of emergence of human pathogens is steadily increasing; most of these novel agents originate in wildlife. Bats, remarkably, are the natural reservoirs of many...Full Text Available
BackgroundMembers of the Sox gene family isolated from both vertebrates and invertebrates have been proved to participate in a wide variety of developmental processes, including...Full Text Available
The F1F0 ATPase of Vibrio alginolyticus was cloned from a chromosomal lambda library. The unc operon, which contains the structural genes for the ATPase, was sequenced and shown to have a gene organization...Full Text Available
The molecular diversity of the gene encoding the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of Haemophilus parasuis has been unclear. In this study, the structural characteristics, sequence types,...Full Text Available
Antisense radiopharmaceuticals could be used to image gene expression in the brain in vivo, should these polar molecules be made transportable through the blood–brain barrier....Full Text Available
Rapid development in genomics in recent years has allowed the simultaneous measurement of the expression levels of thousands of genes using DNA microarrays. This has offered tremendous potential...Full Text Available
BackgroundWe have recently introduced a predictive framework for studying gene transcriptional regulation in simpler organisms using a novel supervised learning algorithm called...Full Text Available
During complementary chromatic adaptation (CCA), cyanobacterial light harvesting structures called phycobilisomes are restructured in response to ambient light quality shifts. Transcription of genes...Full Text Available
For identification of genes responsible for varietal differences in flowering time and leaf morphological traits, we constructed a linkage map of Brassica rapa DNA markers including...Full Text Available
Synthetic complementary oligonucleotides are useful hybridization probes for the detection of mRNAs and genes encoding proteins for which only a partial amino acid sequence is known. Usually this involves...Full Text Available