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Diverse Effects (diverse + effects)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	31%
Life Sciences	31%
Humanities and Social Sciences	10%
Chemistry	10%
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting	10%

Selected Abstracts

Diverse effects of Stat1 on the regulation of hsp90, gene under heat shock,

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2007
Xue-song Chen
Abstract Stat1 has been known as a regulator of gene expression and a mediator of IFN, signaling in mammalian cells, while its effect in a heat shock response remains unclear. We used RNAi knockdown, point mutations, ChIP and promoter activity assays to study the effect of Stat1 on the heat-shock induction of the hsp90, gene under heat shock conditions. We found that Stat1 regulates the heat shock induction of its target genes, the hsp90, gene in a heat shock response while the constitutive activity of the gene remains unaffected. The result of Stat1 in complex with Stat3 and HSF1 that bound at the GAS to lead a moderate heat shock induction was designated as an "intrinsic" induction of the hsp90, gene. Additionally a reduced or an elevated level of heat shock induction was also controlled by the Stat1 on hsp90,. These diverse effects on the hsp90, gene were a "reduced" induction with over-expressed Stat1 elicited by transfection of wild-type Stat1 or IFN, treatment, bound at the GAS as homodimer; and an "enhanced" heat shock induction with a mutation-mediated prohibition of Stat1/GAS binding. In conclusion, the status and efficacy of Stat1 bound at the GAS of its target gene are pivotal in determining the impact of Stat1 under heat shock. The results provided the first evidence on the tumor suppressor Stat1 that it could play diverse roles on its target genes under heat shock that also shed lights on patients with fever or under thermotherapy. J. Cell. Biochem. 102: 1059,1066, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Uptake and diverse effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the metabolic activity of Elliptio complanata measured by calorespirometry

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2001
Marcos A. Cheney
Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are important contaminants of world water resources, with effects on aquatic life. Metabolic responses to short-term acute toxicities of naphthalene, anthracene, and chrysene were investigated in the freshwater bivalve mollusk Elliptio complanata using differential scanning calorespirometry coupled with uptake and scanning electron microscopy. Comparing the uptakes of naphthalene, anthracene, and chrysene with that of inulin, which is known to occupy only extracellular space, showed that all compounds studied were taken up. The PAHs studied had diverse effects on the metabolic activity of E. complanata. Naphthalene and, to a lesser degree, chrysene caused stimulation of heat rates, possibly due to uncoupling of oxidative metabolism. Differential scanning calorespirometry coupled with studies of rates of oxygen consumption by the gill tissue exposed to the PAHs showed similar diverse patterns of respiratory rate stimulation and inhibition. Analysis of results of scanning electron microscopy suggested that irreversible damage to the gill tissue occurred in the presence of anthracene but not in the presence on naphthalene or chrysene. The batch calorespirometric method coupled with uptake and spectroscopy proved to be a useful technique to assess the toxicity of PAHs on the control of energy flux in gills of a freshwater bivalve mollusk. [source]

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in the control of bone metabolism

FUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
Costas Giaginis
Abstract Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated nuclear transcription factors that regulate the storage and catabolism of dietary fats. PPARs constitute molecular targets for the treatment of human metabolic disorders, and also play a crucial role in inflammatory-related disease and cancer. Recent evidence has revealed the presence of three different PPAR isotypes (,, ,/,, and ,) in different cells of the bone tissue, as well as the possible role of PPAR ligands in bone turnover. In the present review, the latest knowledge of the expression of PPARs in bone tissue and the diverse effects of PPAR ligands on bone metabolism is summarized. PPARs, especially of the , isotype, could be targets for the treatment of diverse bone diseases such as osteoporosis and osteopenia related to either diabetes or aging. [source]

The effect of modulation of , -glutamyl transpeptidase and nitric oxide synthase activity on GSH homeostasis in HepG2 cells

FUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 1 2007
Inga Kwiecie
Abstract High glutathione (GSH) level and elevated , -glutamyl transpeptidase (,GT) activity are hallmarks of tumor cells. Toxicity of drugs and radiation to the cells is largely dependent on the level of thiols. In the present studies, we attempted to inhibit ,GT activity in human hepatoblastoma (HepG2) cells to examine whether the administration of ,GT inhibitors, acivicin (AC) and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) influences cell proliferation and enhances cytostatic action of doxorubicin (DOX) and cisplatin (CP) on HepG2 cells. The effects of these inhibitors were determined by 1-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-3,5-diphenylformazan (MTT), BrdU and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) tests and by estimation of GSH level. Additionally, we investigated the changes in caspase-3 activity, which is a marker of apoptosis. The obtained results showed that the ,GT inhibitors introduced to the medium alone elicited cytotoxic effect, which was accompanied by an increase in GSH level in the cells. TIQ concomitantly increased caspase-3 activity. Doxorubicin and CP proved to be cytotoxic, and both inhibitors augmented this effect. As well DOX as CP radically decreased GSH levels, whereas ,GT inhibitors had diverse effects. Therefore, the obtained results confirm that ,GT inhibitors can enhance pharmacological action of DOX and CP, which may permit clinicians to decrease their doses thereby alleviating side effects. Aminoguanidine (nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) given alone was little cytotoxic to HepG2 cells, while its introduction to the medium together with DOX and CP significantly increased their cytotoxicity. Aminoguanidine on its own did not show any effect on GSH level in HepG2 cells, but markedly and significantly elevated its concentration when added in combination with CP but not with DOX. This indicates that when CP was used as a cytostatic, GSH level rose after treatment with its combination with both AC and aminoguanidine. [source]

Multiple pathology and tails of disability: Space,time structure of disability in longevity

GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2003
Satoru Matsushita
Disability and the resulting lowered quality of life are serious issues accompanying increased longevity. Curiously, despite its potential contribution to aging theory, complete statistical and etiological structures of this common and unwelcome aging phenotype before death have not been well identified. Another neglected issue in aging and disability is the principles of phylogenesis and morphogenesis, which contemporary life science invariably starts with. In the present review these two related subjects are addressed, with an introduction of an analysis on patients and published data. Statistically rigorous log,normal and normal distributions distinguish disability for its duration and age-wise distribution, respectively. Multiple pathology and diverse effects of various endogenous diseases on disability are confirmed. The robust long-tailed log,normal distribution for various phases of disability validates the fact that patients in disability undergo series of stochastic subprocesses of many independent endogenous diseases until death. For 60% of patients, the log,normal distribution is mimicked by a random walk model. Diseases of core organs are major causes of the long tails. A declining force of natural selection after reproduction and trade-off of life history through pleiotropy of the genes are considered to be the roots of aging. The attenuated selection pressure and the resulting decrease of genetic constraints produce an increased opportunity for chance and stochastics. Elucidated stochastic behaviors of disability underscore the key role of chance in aging. Evolutionary modifications in the development of the structure tend to favor developmentally later stages first. Distal parts are developmentally last, therefore most subject to modification. The rate of molecular evolution of the genes is also found to be relatively slow at the core and rapid at the edge of cells and organs. Therefore, systems at the core must be relatively slow and inactive to comply with pleiotropy and trade-offs in comparison with systems at the edge. Hence, against flat and probabilistic aging, the core organs must be moulded to be more robust with a lower threshold for dysfunction, to age relatively slowly, and should have less of a disease quota in aging. The principle of core protective aging assures possibilities not only to reduce disability but also to accomplish the Third Age as well. Finally, it must also be acknowledged that the principle is a double-edged sword. Paradoxically, the developed biological and societal organization provides protection for the injured core, and so develops long tails of disability. The principle of core protective aging re-emphasizes the key role of prevention in order to reduce the amount of disability. [source]

Distributional Patterns of Diatoms and Limnodrilus Oligochaetes in a Kenyan Dry Streambed Following the 1999,2000 Drought Conditions

INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF HYDROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2005
Jude M. Mathooko
Abstract Drought is a natural phenomenon experienced by many intermittent and also seasonal lotic systems. It has diverse effects on the structure and distribution of biological communities through habitat transition from wetted to terrestrial conditions. The Njoro River, a tropical stream, was drought-stressed between late 1999 and mid 2000, providing an opportunity to sample and describe the distributional patterns of diatoms and Limnodrilus oligochaetes in the vertical sediment profile. The dispersion of Limnodrilus oligochaetes with sediment depth profile varied from quasi-random (i.e. exponent k of the negative binomial distribution >2.0 or <0) at the surface to strong aggregation (0 < k < 1.0) in the deeper sediments. Diatoms were heterogenous, with most species contributing less than 1% of all the diatoms collected from the riverbed. Contagious dispersion was a common feature among the diatom species. The distribution of Fragilaria ulna was largely quasi-random in all sites, with Nitzschia amphibia and Cocconeis placentula demonstrating quasi-random distribution in the Kerma vertical sediment profile. Escape from stranding to deeper sediment strata as the drought progressed was not a universal response among the diatom species. Our results showed that drought-stress altered the structure of biological assemblages and also emphasized the need for the management of tropical lotic systems and their catchments for flow permanence. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]

Diverse effects of Stat1 on the regulation of hsp90, gene under heat shock,

Examining learning in relation to the contexts of use of ICT

JOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 3 2001
A. Tolmie
Abstract Although ICT resources are commonly expected to produce uniform benefits, they are necessarily employed within pre-existing contexts of educational and social activity, and the outcome in terms of both pattern of use and learning depends on how they fit in with these. As a result, the same technology or software may have unexpectedly diverse effects, according to specific setting. If the object is to exercise control over outcome, then the conditions of use need to be planned for within the design and implementation of the technology. In order to do this, it is crucial that research gathers data on how outcomes are affected by the interplay between technology and context. This raises questions about the methods that would be appropriate for the conduct and dissemination of such research. These points are discussed in relation to three studies, one each at primary, secondary and university levels of education. [source]

Transforming growth factor-, and malignant melanoma: molecular mechanisms

JOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2005
Mahmoud R. Hussein
They signal through kinase receptor complexes on the cell surface, which phosphorylate cytoplasmic mediators (SMADs). Upon phosphorylation, SMADs march to the nucleus and interact with coactivators or corepressors to mediate the transcriptional regulation of several genes resulting in diverse effects. In tumorigenesis, malignant cells escape from the tumor-suppressive effects of TGF-, by mutational inactivation or dysregulated expression of the molecular components in TGF-, signaling pathway. Although melanoma cells are resistant to the tumor-suppressive effects of TGF-,, there are no detectable defects at the receptor/SMAD level. Therefore, in these lesions, it is possible that TGF-, effects occur independently of TGF-, receptor/SMAD pathway. This review seeks to examine the present knowledge about TGF-, receptor/SMAD signaling pathway and its related genes (SMADs, SKI, Filamin, endoglin, Follistatin, and other molecules) in melanomas. [source]

Missing persons in the study of groups

JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 1 2005
Thomas A. Timmerman
This research examined relationships between team-level variables with various patterns of individual non-response. In the first analysis, professional basketball teams (n,=,389) were used to study the relationship between team cooperation and team performance. In the second analysis, the same teams were used to study the relationship between team experience and team performance. In the third analysis, professional baseball teams (n,=,1984) were used to study the relationship between team experience and team performance. Individuals were deleted from the complete data sets to simulate three different types of non-response that might be encountered in organizational group or team research. In all three analyses, team-level relationships were attenuated as individual members were deleted randomly. Team-level relationships were also generally reduced as individuals were deleted as a function of their level of participation with the team. The overall amount of variance explained, however, showed a pronounced curvilinear effect. Namely, in all three analyses, the variance explained in team performance peaked when 30,40,per,cent of the low-participation members were deleted. Finally, in the first analysis, relationships were also attenuated as the least cooperative members were deleted from the data set. The results demonstrate the need for researchers to understand the diverse effects of various types of non-response in team and group research. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

A phonological study of the spatial diffusion of urban linguistic forms to the varieties of the Nile Delta1

JOURNAL OF SOCIOLINGUISTICS, Issue 2 2010
Dario Ornaghi
This paper investigates the possible spatial diffusion of linguistic urban features into the areas traditionally dominated by rural varieties of Egyptian Arabic in the Nile Delta. In the last fifty years, this area has experienced enormous changes in terms of spatial mobility, education levels, patterns of socialization and consumption, and exposure to the media. These modifications have diverse effects on the linguistic varieties of previously more isolated rural speech communities and may promote the diffusion of the urban variety. Focusing on two phonological variables, this study will attempt to outline the dynamics of diffusion and retention in two locations through the analysis of 27 sociolinguistic interviews issued from a larger fieldwork study carried out in the Governorate of al?arqijja in 2007,2008. [source]

Crossregulation of NF-,B by the APC/GSK-3,/,-catenin pathway

MOLECULAR CARCINOGENESIS, Issue 3 2004
Jiong Deng
Abstract Glycogen synthase kinase-3, (GSK-3,) and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) play an important role in the regulation of ,-catenin. Inhibition of or defects in their functions can lead to activation of ,-catenin. ,-catenin has been recently found to interact with and inhibit nuclear factor kappa B (NF-,B). However, the regulatory roles of GSK-3,/APC on the NF-,B signaling pathway are unknown because of their diverse effects. In this study, we investigated whether GSK-3,/APC might regulate NF-,B activity through ,-catenin. We found that inhibition of GSK-3, suppressed NF-,B activity, whereas reexpression of APC restored NF-,B activity in APC mutated cells. The regulatory effects were through ,-catenin because depletion of ,-catenin with small interfering RNA (siRNA) in the same systems reversed the effects. The regulatory relationship was further supported by the analysis of primary breast tumor tissues in vivo in which NF-,B target TRAF1 was inversely correlated with activated ,-catenin. Thus, APC/GSK-3,, through ,-catenin, may crossregulate NF-,B signaling pathway. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Comparative proteome approach to characterize the high-pressure stress response of Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis DSM 20451T

PROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 6 2006
Sebastian Hörmann
Abstract High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) exerts diverse effects on microorganisms, leading to stress response and cell death. While inactivation of microorganisms by lethal HHP is well investigated in the context of food preservation and the hygienic safety of minimal food processes, sublethal HHP stress response and its effect on adaptation and cross-protection is less understood. In this study, the HHP stress response of Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis was characterized and compared with cold, heat, salt, acid and starvation stress at the proteome level by using 2-DE so as to provide insight into general versus specific stress responses. Sixteen proteins were found to be affected by HHP and were identified by using N-terminal amino acid sequencing and MS. Only one slightly increased protein was specific to the HHP response and showed homology to a clp protease. The other proteins were influenced by most of the investigated stresses in a similar way as HHP. The highest similarity in the HHP proteome was found to be with cold- and NaCl-stressed cells, with 11,overlapping proteins. At the proteome level, L.,sanfranciscensis appears to use overlapping subsets of stress-inducible proteins rather than stereotype responses. Our data suggest that a specific pressure response does not exist in this bacteria. [source]

Socratic Political Philosophy in Xenophon's,Symposium

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2010
Thomas L. Pangle
This interpretative commentary recovers the largely overlooked significance of a work that illuminates, by portraying in a subtle comic drama, the new perspective on existence, the new way of life, that Socrates introduced in and through his founding of political philosophy. The famous "problem of Socrates" as a turning point of world history (Nietzsche) remains a cynosure of controversy and puzzlement. How did Socrates understand the character of, and the relation between, civic virtue and his own philosophic virtue? What is the meaning of Socratic "eros"? What kind of educative influence did Socrates intend to have, on and through his varied followers and associates? And what diverse effects did he actually have? Xenophon's,Symposium,,viewed in the context of his other writings, affords a playful, but thereby deeply revealing, perspective,from the viewpoint of a slightly skeptical intimate. [source]

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-responsive and neurotrophin-3-responsive neurons require the cytoskeletal linker protein dystonin for postnatal survival

THE JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2001
Julie A. Carlsten
Abstract We have investigated the fate of different neurotrophin-responsive subpopulations of dorsal root ganglion neurons in dystonia musculorum (dt) mice. These mice have a null mutation in the cytoskeletal linker protein, dystonin. Dystonin is expressed by all sensory neurons and cross links actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. The dt mice undergo massive sensory neurodegeneration postnatally and die at around 4 weeks of age. We assessed the surviving and degenerating neuronal populations by comparing the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and central and peripheral projections in dt mice and wildtype mice. Large, neurofilament-H-positive neurons, many of which are muscle afferents and are neurotrophin-3 (NT-3)-responsive, were severely decreased in number in dt DRGs. The loss of muscle afferents was correlated with a degeneration of muscle spindles in skeletal muscle. Nerve growth factor (NGF)-responsive populations, which were visualized using calcitonin gene-related peptide and p75, appeared qualitatively normal in the lumbar spinal cord, DRG, and hindlimb skin. In contrast, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-responsive populations, which were visualized using the isolectin B-4 and thiamine monophosphatase, were severely diminished in the lumbar spinal cord, DRG, and hindlimb skin. Analysis of NT-3, NGF, and GDNF mRNA levels using semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction revealed normal trophin synthesis in the peripheral targets of dt mice, arguing against decreased trophic synthesis as a possible cause of neuronal degeneration. Thus, the absence of dystonin results in the selective survival of NGF-responsive neurons and the postnatal degeneration of many NT-3- and GDNF-responsive neurons. Our results reveal that the loss of this ubiquitously expressed cytoskeletal linker has diverse effects on sensory subpopulations. Moreover, we show that dystonin is critical for the maintenance of certain DRG neurons, and its function may be related to neurotrophic support. J. Comp. Neurol. 432:155,168, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Market Orientation and R&D Effectiveness in High-Technology Firms: An Empirical Investigation in the Biotechnology Industry,

THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2010
Luigi M. De Luca
There seems to be lack of consensus among informed scholars about the importance a of market orientation for high-technology firms. This paper gives a comprehensive review of existing empirical studies on the relationship between market orientation and innovation performance and pinpoints two limitations in this research stream that might be at the origin of such controversy. First, extant research often overlooked key innovation outcomes for high-technology firms, such as those related to research and development (R&D) performance. Second, organizational conditions that can ensure an optimal integration of market knowledge in the innovation process have been less analyzed in the case of these firms. Against this background, the present study contributes to the literature by providing a test of the effect of market orientation on R&D effectiveness and the moderating role of knowledge integration in this relationship, using a sample of Italian biotechnology firms. The study's objectives are addressed in two steps. The first one consists of an in-depth qualitative study based on semistructured interviews in five biotechnology firms. The second step consists of a follow-up survey of 50 biotechnology firms. Results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis show that the different dimensions of a market orientation have diverse effects on R&D effectiveness of high-technology firms: whereas interfunctional coordination has a positive main effect, the effect of customer orientation is moderated by knowledge integration, and competitor orientation has no effect on R&D effectiveness. Post hoc analyses also show two additional results involving a broader set of dependent variables. First, R&D effectiveness mediates the effects of customer orientation and interfunctional coordination on organizational performance. Second, market orientation does not appear to significantly affect R&D efficiency. The present study contributes to current literature in two main respects. First, it adds to previous work on market orientation and innovation by proposing a new dependent variable,R&D effectiveness,which offers a better perspective to understand the impact of market orientation on innovation performance in high-technology contexts. Second, while part of the current debate on the role of market orientation in high-tech markets seems to be polarized by positions that sustain its potential drawbacks or, on the contrary, its advantages, this study's findings on the moderating role of knowledge integration shed light on important contingency factors, such as organizational capabilities. The authors discuss the study's limitations and provide directions for future research. [source]

Resistin induces expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in human articular chondrocytes via transcription and messenger RNA stabilization

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 7 2010
Zhiqi Zhang
Objective To elucidate the effects of resistin on human articular chondrocytes and to generate a picture of their regulation at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Methods Human articular chondrocytes were cultured with resistin. Changes in gene expression were analyzed at various doses and times. Cells were also treated with the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D after resistin treatment or with the NF-,B inhibitor IKK-NBD before resistin treatment. Gene expression was tested by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Computational analysis for transcription factor binding motifs was performed on the promoter regions of differentially expressed genes. TC-28 chondrocytes were transfected with CCL3 and CCL4 promoter constructs, pNF-,B reporter, and NF-,B and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein , (C/EBP,) expression vectors with or without resistin. Results Resistin-treated human articular chondrocytes increased the expression of cytokines and chemokines. Levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) for matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), MMP-13, and ADAMTS-4 also increased, while type II collagen ,1 (COL2A1) and aggrecan were down-regulated. The cytokine and chemokine genes could be categorized into 3 groups according to the pattern of mRNA expression over a 24-hour time course. One pattern suggested rapid regulation by mRNA stability. The second and third patterns were consistent with transcriptional regulation. Computational analysis suggested the transcription factors NF-,B and C/EBP, were involved in the resistin-induced up-regulation. This prediction was confirmed by the cotransfection of NF-,B and C/EBP, and the IKK-NBD inhibition. Conclusion Resistin has diverse effects on gene expression in human chondrocytes, affecting chemokines, cytokines, and matrix genes. Messenger RNA stabilization and transcriptional up-regulation are involved in resistin-induced gene expression in human chondrocytes. [source]

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction characterization of an essential protein from Xanthomonas campestris that contains a noncanonical PilZ signature motif yet is critical for pathogenicity

ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION F (ELECTRONIC), Issue 10 2009
Tso-Ning Li
Recent studies have identified c-di-GMP as a novel secondary messenger molecule that is heavily involved in regulating bacterial biofilm formation, motility, production of pathogenicity factors etc. PilZ domain-containing proteins have been suggested and subsequently proved to be the c-di-GMP receptor. However, considering the diverse biological functions exhibited by c-di-GMP, it may be that receptors other than the PilZ domain exist. An essential protein from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) that contains a noncanonical PilZ signature motif yet is critical for Xcc pathogenicity has been cloned, purified and crystallized. Detailed characterization of this protein may reveal an alternative binding mode of c-di-GMP and allow a more thorough understanding of how c-di-GMP exhibits its diverse effects. [source]