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Unique Ability (unique + ability)
Selected AbstractsPlanetary gear set and automatic transmission simulation for machine design courses,COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 3 2003Scott T. Dennis Abstract Due to their unique ability to provide a variety of gear ratios in a very compact space, planetary gear systems are seen in many applications from small powered screw drivers to automobile automatic transmissions. The versatile planetary gear device is often studied as part of an undergraduate mechanical engineering program. Textbook presentations typically illustrate how the different planetary gear components are connected. Understanding of the operation of the planetary gear set can be enhanced using actual hardware or simulations that show how the components move relative to each other. The Department of Engineering Mechanics at the United States Air Force Academy has developed a computer simulation of the planetary gear set and the Chrysler 42LE automatic transmission. Called "PG-Sim," the dynamic simulations complement a static textbook presentation. PG-Sim is used in several of our courses and assessment data clearly indicates students' appreciation of its visual and interactive features. In this paper, we present an overview of PG-Sim and then describe how the simulation courseware facilitates understanding of the planetary gear system. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 11: 144,155, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.10045 [source] Lazy Solid Texture SynthesisCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 4 2008Yue Dong Abstract Existing solid texture synthesis algorithms generate a full volume of color content from a set of 2D example images. We introduce a new algorithm with the unique ability to restrict synthesis to a subset of the voxels, while enforcing spatial determinism. This is especially useful when texturing objects, since only a thick layer around the surface needs to be synthesized. A major difficulty lies in reducing the dependency chain of neighborhood matching, so that each voxel only depends on a small number of other voxels. Our key idea is to synthesize a volume from a set of pre-computed 3D candidates, each being a triple of interleaved 2D neighborhoods. We present an efficient algorithm to carefully select in a pre-process only those candidates forming consistent triples. This significantly reduces the search space during subsequent synthesis. The result is a new parallel, spatially deterministic solid texture synthesis algorithm which runs efficiently on the GPU. Our approach generates high resolution solid textures on surfaces within seconds. Memory usage and synthesis time only depend on the output textured surface area. The GPU implementation of our method rapidly synthesizes new textures for the surfaces appearing when interactively breaking or cutting objects. [source] Type I collagen is a genetic modifier of matrix metalloproteinase 2 in murine skeletal developmentDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 6 2007Mikala Egeblad Abstract Recessive inactivating mutations in human matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2, gelatinase A) are associated with syndromes that include abnormal facial appearance, short stature, and severe bone loss. Mmp2,/, mice have only mild aspects of these abnormalities, suggesting that MMP2 function is redundant during skeletal development in the mouse. Here, we report that Mmp2,/, mice with additional mutations that render type I collagen resistant to collagenase-mediated cleavage to TCA and TCB fragments (Col1a1r/r mice) have severe developmental defects resembling those observed in MMP2 -null humans. Composite Mmp2,/,;Col1a1r/r mice were born in expected Mendelian ratios but were half the size of wild-type, Mmp2,/,, and Col1a1r/r mice and failed to thrive. Furthermore, composite Mmp2,/,;Col1a1r/r animals had very abnormal craniofacial features with shorter snouts, bulging skulls, incompletely developed calvarial bones and unclosed cranial sutures. In addition, trabecular bone mass was reduced concomitant with increased numbers of bone-resorbing osteoclasts and osteopenia. In vitro, MMP2 had a unique ability among the collagenolytic MMPs to degrade mutant collagen, offering a possible explanation for the genetic interaction between Mmp2 and Col1a1r. Thus, because mutations in the type I collagen gene alter the phenotype of mice with null mutations in Mmp2, we conclude that type I collagen is an important modifier gene for Mmp2. Developmental Dynamics 236:1683,1693, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Electroporation as a tool to study in vivo spinal cord regenerationDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 2 2003K. Echeverri Abstract Tailed amphibians such as axolotls and newts have the unique ability to fully regenerate a functional spinal cord throughout life. Where the cells come from and how they form the new structure is still poorly understood. Here, we describe the development of a technique that allows the visualization of cells in the living animal during spinal cord regeneration. A microelectrode needle is inserted into the lumen of the spinal cord and short rapid pulses are applied to transfer the plasmids encoding the green or red fluorescent proteins into ependymal cells close to the plane of amputation. The use of small, transparent axolotls permits imaging with epifluorescence and differential interference contrast microscopy to track the transfected cells as they contribute to the spinal cord. This technique promises to be useful in understanding how neural progenitors are recruited to the regenerating spinal cord and opens up the possibility of testing gene function during this process. Developmental Dynamics 226:418,425, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Novel pathways for glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes: focus on bile acid modulationDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 11 2008Eliot A. Brinton Type 2 diabetes is a common disorder with high risk of macrovascular and microvascular complications. These complications are largely driven by hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia and hypertension, for which aggressive treatment is thus warranted. Achieving and maintaining control of all three risk factors is especially difficult, however, and new therapeutic approaches could be useful. Bile acids have a well-established and important role in cholesterol homeostasis. Normally, their levels are maintained primarily by ileal reabsorption and enterohepatic recycling. Bile acid sequestrants bind bile acids in the intestine, reduce this recycling and deplete the bile acid pool, thereby stimulating use of hepatic cholesterol for bile acid synthesis, which leads to accelerated removal of LDL from the plasma and a decrease in LDL-cholesterol levels. Interestingly, recent evidence suggests that bile acid sequestrants can lower glucose levels to a clinically meaningful degree. This review presents this evidence and the possible mechanisms by which these glucose-lowering effects occur and discusses the apparently unique ability of bile acid sequestrants among lipid-lowering agents to significantly improve two cardiovascular risk factors, hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia. There is renewed interest in the use of bile acid sequestrants in individuals with type 2 diabetes, most of whom would benefit from additional reductions in both LDL-cholesterol and glycaemia. [source] Sample complexity reduction for two-dimensional electrophoresis using solution isoelectric focusing prefractionationELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 12 2008Matthew R. Richardson Abstract Despite its excellent resolving power, 2-DE is of limited use when analyzing cellular proteomes, especially in differential expression studies. Frequently, fewer than 2000 protein spots are detected on a single 2-D gel (a fraction of the total proteome) regardless of the gel platform, sample, or detection method used. This is due to the vast number of proteins expressed and their equally vast dynamic range. To exploit 2-DE unique ability as both an analytical and a preparative tool, the significant sample prefractionation is necessary. We have used solution isoelectric focusing (sIEF) via the ZOOM® IEF Fractionator (Invitrogen) to generate sample fractions from complex bacterial lysates, followed by parallel 2-DE, using narrow-range IPG strips that bracket the sIEF fractions. The net result of this process is a significant enrichment of the bacterial proteome resolved on multiple 2-D gels. After prefractionation, we detected 5525 spots, an approximate 3.5-fold increase over the 1577 spots detected in an unfractionated gel. We concluded that sIEF is an effective means of prefractionation to increase depth of field and improve the analysis of low-abundance proteins. [source] Intercellular MHC transfer between thymic epithelial and dendritic cellsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 5 2008Virginie Millet Abstract Thymic dendritic cells (DC) and epithelial cells play a major role in central tolerance but their respective roles are still controversial. Epithelial cells have the unique ability to ectopically express peripheral tissue-restricted antigens conferring self-tolerance to tissues. Paradoxically, while negative selection seems to occur for some of these antigens, epithelial cells, contrary to DC, are poor negative selectors. Using a thymic epithelial cell line, we show the functional intercellular transfer of membrane material, including MHC molecules, occurring between epithelial cells. Using somatic and bone marrow chimeras, we show that this transfer occurs efficiently in vivo between epithelial cells and, in a polarized fashion, from epithelial to DC. This novel mode of transfer of MHC-associated, epithelial cell-derived self-antigens onto DC might participate to the process of negative selection in the thymic medulla. [source] Family Predictors of Antisocial Behavior in AdolescenceFAMILY PROCESS, Issue 2 2003Maja Dekovi, Ph.D. The goal of the present study was to examine the combined and unique ability of different aspects of family functioning to predict involvement in antisocial behavior in a large nonclinical (community) sample of adolescents. Distinction was made between global (e.g., family socio-economic status), distal (dispositional characteristics of parents), contextual (family characteristics), and proximal (parent-child interaction) factors that operate within families. Results show that proximal factors were significant predictors of antisocial behavior, independent of their shared variance with other factors. Consistent with the hypothesized mediational model, the effects of distal and contextual factors appear to be mostly indirect: after their association with proximal factors was taken into account, these factors were no longer significantly related to antisocial behavior. The implications of these findings for planning of developmentally appropriate interventions for ado-lesents and their families are discussed. [source] Gas6 and protein SFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 23 2006Vitamin K-dependent ligands for the Axl receptor tyrosine kinase subfamily Gas6 and protein S are two homologous secreted proteins that depend on vitamin K for their execution of a range of biological functions. A discrete subset of these functions is mediated through their binding to and activation of the receptor tyrosine kinases Axl, Sky and Mer. Furthermore, a hallmark of the Gas6,Axl system is the unique ability of Gas6 and protein S to tether their non receptor-binding regions to the negatively charged membranes of apoptotic cells. Numerous studies have shown the Gas6,Axl system to regulate cell survival, proliferation, migration, adhesion and phagocytosis. Consequently, altered activity/expression of its components has been detected in a variety of pathologies such as cancer and vascular, autoimmune and kidney disorders. Moreover, Axl overactivation can equally occur without ligand binding, which has implications for tumorigenesis. Further knowledge of this exquisite ligand,receptor system and the circumstances of its activation should provide the basis for development of novel therapies for the above diseases. [source] Evidence for the involvement of bacterial superantigens in psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and Kawasaki syndromeFEMS MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 1 2000Jeremy M. Yarwood Abstract A growing body of evidence implicates streptococcal and staphylococcal superantigens in the development of psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and Kawasaki syndrome. In each of these illnesses, an abnormal state of immunologic activity is observed. Superantigens, which have a unique ability to activate large numbers of lymphocytes, are likely to contribute to these disorders in a number of ways. The demonstrated activities of bacterial superantigens include increasing the number of circulating lymphocytes, with activation of autoreactive subsets, upregulation of tissue homing receptors on circulating lymphocytes, and local activation of immune cells within affected tissues. Through these and other mechanisms, superantigens have a proven ability to induce high levels of inflammatory cytokines and/or initiate autoimmune responses that contribute to the development of skin and vascular disorders. Though development of the illnesses discussed in this review are highly complex processes, superantigens may well play a critical role in their onset or maintenance. Understanding superantigen function may elucidate potential therapeutic strategies for these disorders. [source] Interleukin-13 in the skin and interferon-, in the liver are key players in immune protection in human schistosomiasisIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2004Alain Dessein Summary:, Immunity against schistosomes includes anti-infection immunity, which is mainly active against invading larvae in the skin, and anti-disease immunity, which controls abnormal fibrosis in tissues invaded by schistosome eggs. Anti-infection immunity is T-helper 2 (Th2) cell-dependent and is controlled by a major genetic locus that is located near the Th2 cytokine locus on chromosome 5q31-q33. Mutations in the gene encoding interleukin (IL)-13 that decrease or increase IL-13 production account, at least in part, for that genetic control. In contrast, protection against hepatic fibrosis is dependent on interferon (IFN)-, and is controlled by a major genetic locus that is located on 6q23, near the gene encoding the IFN-, receptor , chain. Mutations that modulate IFN-, gene transcription are associated with different susceptibility to disease. These data indicate that IL-13 in the skin and IFN-, in the liver are key players in protective immunity against schistosomes. These roles relate to the high anti-fibrogenic activities of IFN-, and to the unique ability of IL-13 in Th2 priming in the skin and in the mobilization of eosinophils in tissues. The coexistence of strong IFN-, and IL-13-mediated immune responses in the same subject may involve the compartmentalization of the anti-schistosome immune response between the skin and the liver. [source] United Nations "Policy": An Argument with Three IllustrationsINTERNATIONAL STUDIES PERSPECTIVES, Issue 1 2009Ramesh Thakur This article explores whether and in what sense there is a "United Nations policy," a topic unexplored in the literature. The UN's universal character provides legitimacy, a precious asset in formulating global public policy. It is thus the forum of choice for regime negotiation and norm promotion for contested contemporary challenges, reflecting its comparative advantage and its unique ability to formulate policies that aspire to universal application and relevance. This essay explores the UN's particular contribution to global problem solving for terrorism, sustainability, and controlling pandemics in order to show, through these three illustrations, how the United Nations contributes to the advance or retreat of global governance. [source] The Height of (Architectural) Seduction: Reading the "Changes" through Stalin's Palace in Warsaw, PolandJOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION, Issue 4 2001Magdalena J. Zaborowska Joseph Stalin's Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland, is a representative architectural structure, whose diverse and divergent readings and interpretations elicit larger historic and cultural contexts of pre- and post-1989 developments in Eastern Europe and the West. The Palace's unique ability to encode and compel changing constructions of individual and collective narratives of Polish identity provides a valuable lesson on the relationships between architecture, literature, history, and politics. Structures like the Palace carry ideological and political messages inscribed onto them by their designers and builders and serve as repositories of the changing desires and fantasies of their individual spectators or readers. [source] GLUTEN QUALITY PREDICTION AND CORRELATION STUDIES IN SPRING WHEATSJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 4 2007IMRAN PASHA ABSTRACT Gluten, "cohesive, viscoelastic, proteinaceous material prepared as a by-product of the starch isolation from wheat flour" and the storage and dough-forming protein of wheat flour, is the key to the unique ability of wheat to suit the production of leavened products. Wet gluten was only affected by wheat varieties, while dry gluten was affected by wheat varieties, crop years and their interaction. The wet and dry gluten ranged 8.0,43.13% and 2.58,14.55%, respectively, and were positively correlated with Zeleny value, sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation value and falling number. The gluten content was higher in Pavon, SA 42 and Faisalabad 85, while Zeleny value was higher in GA 02 and C 518, resulting in better gluten quality. Zeleny value was negatively correlated with crude protein content (r = ,0.1857*). The lowest amount of wet and dry gluten was detected in Triticale and durum wheats as compared to common wheats. Zeleny value and sedimentation value may be used as indicators of gluten content and quality while working on wheats. The information thus collected will be valuable for cereal chemists and wheat breeders for improvements in their future breeding programs. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This research work will be a breakthrough and helpful for wheat breeders, growers, millers and bakers for their intended uses as every consumer demand specific wheat quality characteristics for their end products. [source] Preparing titania aerogel monolithic chromatography columns using supercritical carbon dioxideJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 11 2010Ruohong Sui Abstract The search for a method to fabricate monolithic inorganic columns has attracted significant recent attention due to their unique ability in separation applications of various biomolecules. Silica and polymer based monolithic columns have been prepared, but titania and other metal oxide monoliths have been elusive, primarily due to their fragility. This article describes a new approach for preparing nanostructured titania based columns, which offer better performance over conventional particle packed columns for separating a wide variety of biomolecules including phosphopeptides. TiO2 monolithic aerogels were synthesized in separation columns using in situ sol-gel reactions in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) followed by calcination, and compared to those prepared in heptanes. The characterization results show that scCO2 is a better solvent for the sol-gel reactions, providing lower shrinkage with the anatase TiO2 monolith composed of nanofibers with very high surface areas. The monolithic columns show the ability to isolate phosphopeptides with little flow resistance compared to conventional titania particle based microcolumns. [source] Study of Cytochrome P4502E1 mRNA Level of Mononuclear Cells in Patients With Alcoholic Liver DiseaseALCOHOLISM, Issue 2001Hirokazu Yano Background: Cytochrome P-4502E1 (CYP2E1) is an important enzyme because of its unique ability to convert many substrates to cytotoxins. The increased production of reactive intermediates by elevated enzyme concentrations leads to various pathological conditions. Therefore, it is important to detect induced CYP2E1 levels in alcoholic individuals to avoid xenobiotic-promoted liver injury. In the present investigation, we detected CYP2E1 mRNA levels of mononuclear cells obtained from 10 ml of blood by using competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Methods: Mononuclear cells were obtained from healthy individuals who did and did not drink habitually and patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Complementary DNA synthesis was performed with RNA obtained from mononuclear cells by reverse transcription-PCR. Competitive PCR of CYP2E1 was performed with the sense (5,-CTGCAACGTCATA-GCCGACA-3,) and antisense (5,-TCCATTTCCACGAGCAGGCA-3,) primer and competitor DNA. Competitive PCR of ,-actin also was performed. Electrophoresis was scanned, and each band was digitized. The concentration of CYP2E1 and ,-actin mRNA was calculated from the ratio of competitor DNA. Results: In healthy individuals who did and did not drink habitually, CYP2E1 mRNA levels were 103.3 copies/,l RNA and 101.7 copies/,l RNA, respectively. In actively drinking patients with ALD, CYP2E1 mRNA levels were 103.5 copies/,l RNA, but those levels decreased to 101.7 copies/,l RNA after 4 days of abstinence. No significant difference was observed in CYP2E1 mRNA levels between alcoholic fibrosis and cirrhosis. As control, we measured ,-actin mRNA levels in mononuclear cells in all samples. The mean value of ,-actin mRNA was 104.3 copies/,l RNA in all cases, which included patients with ALD. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that it is possible to measure the CYP2E1 mRNA levels of mononuclear cells in a 10 ml blood sample. The CYP2E1 mRNA level in mononuclear cells increases during drinking and decreases in abstinence for a short period of 3 to 4 days. It is concluded that CYP2E1 mRNA level may be used as an effective marker for alcoholic intake. [source] Quantitative liver function tests in donors and recipients of living donor liver transplantationLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 4 2006Christoph Jochum The unique ability of the liver to regenerate quickly after resection makes living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) possible. This technique uses the unique ability of the liver to regenerate to full size after partial resection. However, the quality and course of this regeneration process in humans are still widely unexplored. In the present study we investigated the quantitative liver function tests galactose elimination capacity (GEC), indocyanine green half-life (ICG), and lidocaine half-life as markers for the quality of the liver regeneration in the first 3 months after LDLT. In this study, 22 consecutive living liver donors and their corresponding recipients were analyzed at baseline and at 10 and 90 days after LDLT. Six recipients lost their grafts during the study period. We compared donors and recipients at the different time points. After LDLT, GEC decreased (,42.6%) and ICG increased (+50.6%) significantly in donors. ICG and GEC remained significantly altered over 3 months in donors with an improvement between days 10 and 90 (GEC, +59.3%; ICG, ,9.1%). ICG and GEC improved significantly in recipients between days 10 and 90 (ICG, ,63.7%; GEC, +16.3%). The lidocaine half-life showed no significant changes. The donors had better test results and recovered faster than the recipients. In conclusion, after LDLT the parameters for liver capacity and flow remain altered in donors and recipients despite rapid volume growth. Liver Transpl 12:544,549, 2006. © 2006 AASLD. [source] DNA and protein transfer from bacteria to eukaryotes, the agrobacterium storyMOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2000The 18th Bateson Memorial Lecture Agrobacterium is a well-studied plant pathogen, which has the unique ability to transfer DNA and protein into a number of eukaryotes. The DNA is integrated randomly into the plant genome where it is expressed, thereby leading to the disease crown gall. This system is a paradigm for the interaction of a number of plant and animal pathogens which transfer proteins into their host cells. In Agrobacterium, the tumour inducing (Ti) plasmid codes for the functions specifically required for the transfer process. These genes, termed virulence or vir genes, are activated by plant signal molecules acting through a two component regulatory system. A key structure coded by 11 genes of the vir B operon is a pilus, synthesized at 20 °C, but poorly at 25 °C. How this pilus functions in DNA and protein transfer is unclear, but homologous genes are found in many animal pathogens. In addition to Ti plasmid-encoded vir genes, chromosomal virulence genes have also been identified. However, these mutations are often pleiotropic because they involve both the normal physiology of Agrobacterium as well as the metabolism of Agrobacterium when it is associated with plant cells. Based on 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing, Agrobacterium is closely related to the intracellular pathogen of animals, Brucella. Several chromosomal mutations of Agrobacterium required for virulence in plants are also required for invasion of animal host cells by Brucella. [source] Ice recrystallization inhibition proteins (IRIPs) and freeze tolerance in the cryophilic Antarctic hair grass Deschampsia antarctica E. Desv.PLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 4 2009ULRIK P. JOHN ABSTRACT Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia antarctica E. Desv.), the only grass indigenous to Antarctica, has well-developed freezing tolerance, strongly induced by cold acclimation. Here, we show that in response to low temperatures, D. antarctica expresses potent recrystallization inhibition (RI) activity that, inhibits the growth of small ice crystals into potentially damaging large ones, is proteinaceous and localized to the apoplasm. A gene family from D. antarctica encoding putative homologs of an ice recrystallization inhibition protein (IRIP) has been isolated and characterized. IRIPs are apoplastically targeted proteins with two potential ice-binding motifs: 1,9 leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) and c. 16 ,IRIP' repeats. IRIP genes appear to be confined to the grass subfamily Pooideae and their products, exhibit sequence similarity to phytosulphokine receptors and are predicted to adopt conformations with two ice-binding surfaces. D. antarctica IRIP (DaIRIP) transcript levels are greatly enhanced in leaf tissue following cold acclimation. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana expressing a DaIRIP has novel RI activity, and purified DaIRIP, when added back to extracts of leaves from non-acclimated D. antarctica, can reconstitute the activity found in acclimated plants. We propose that IRIP-mediated RI activity may contribute to the cryotolerance of D. antarctica, and thus to its unique ability to have colonized Antarctica. [source] Intravascular ultrasound imaging of the pulmonary arteries in primary pulmonary hypertensionRESPIROLOGY, Issue 1 2000Takaaki Nakamoto Objective: Intravascular ultrasound has the unique ability to provide cross-sectional images of the arterial wall. This study examined intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images of the proximal pulmonary arteries in primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). Methodology: Study 1: Specimens from four patients who had died of PPH (in vitro PPH group) were compared with those of three patients who had died of subarachnoid haemorrhage but had no evidence of cardiopulmonary disease (in vitro control group). Three-centimetre segments of the following levels were examined by IVUS: pulmonary trunk, eight secondary branch arteries of the upper, middle, and lower lobes of both lungs, and the thoracic descending aorta. Study 2: Four patients with PPH (in vivo PPH group) and five patients without pulmonary hypertension and no evidence of cardiopulmonary disease (in vivo control group) were examined. The IVUS images of the apical segmental artery of the right upper lobe and the descending branch of the right pulmonary artery were studied. Results: Echographic examination of formalin-fixed preparations of secondary branch sections of the pulmonary artery failed to show a clear three-layer structure in the in vitro control group (24 preparations), but a distinct three-layer structure and increased vessel wall thickness were observed in the in vitro PPH group (32 preparations). Similar findings were obtained in the in vivo study. The mean echo density of the proximal pulmonary arterial wall correlated well with the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPA) in the in vitro PPH, and also correlated with the mPA in the in vivo study (r = 0.960, P < 0.0001). The echo intensity of secondary branch sections of the pulmonary artery was higher in the in vitro PPH group than in the in vitro control group (180.5 ± 27.0 vs 132.5 ± 26.7 counts, P < 0.001); similar results were obtained in the in vivo study (144.7 ± 23.4 vs 85.0 ± 14.3 counts, P < 0.01). Conclusions: These results suggest that the histological changes detected in the pulmonary artery walls in the PPH group were responsible for the increased echo intensity. [source] Banks' Advantage in Hedging Liquidity Risk: Theory and Evidence from the Commercial Paper MarketTHE JOURNAL OF FINANCE, Issue 2 2006EVAN GATEV ABSTRACT Banks have a unique ability to hedge against market-wide liquidity shocks. Deposit inflows provide funding for loan demand shocks that follow declines in market liquidity. Consequently, banks can insure firms against systematic declines in liquidity at lower cost than other institutions. We provide evidence that when liquidity dries up and commercial paper spreads widen, banks experience funding inflows. These flows allow banks to meet loan demand from borrowers drawing funds from commercial paper backup lines without running down their holdings of liquid assets. We also provide evidence that implicit government support for banks during crises explains these funding flows. [source] Off the Peg: The Bespoke Interiors of Ben KellyARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Issue 3 2008Graeme Brooker Abstract Known for his unique ability to assemble disparate materials, colours and textures, interior designer Ben Kelly speaks with Graeme Brooker and Sally Stone about the ideas and intentions behind his work. His thoughts and works indicate a respect for revealing the underlying qualities of existing spaces and serving new programmatic needs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Hydrophobin HFBII in detail: ultrahigh-resolution structure at 0.75,ÅACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 4 2006Markus Linder Hydrophobins are small proteins secreted by filamentous fungi that have a unique ability to spontaneously form amphiphilic layers. Hydrophobins have only recently been structurally characterized through the first crystal structure determination of a protein of this class, Trichoderma reesei hydrophobin HFBII [Hakanpää, Paananen et al. (2004), J.,Biol.,Chem.279, 534,539]. The resolution of the HFBII structure has now been extended to an ultrahigh resolution of 0.75,Å. The structure was refined conventionally and multipole refinement has been initiated. The ultrahigh-resolution structure is analyzed here in detail and comparison is made to the previous atomic resolution structure of the same protein as well as to other ultrahigh-resolution structures found in the Protein Data Bank. [source] Antidepressants in the Treatment of Neuropathic PainBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 6 2005Søren H. Sindrup Tricyclic antidepressants and anticonvulsants have long been the mainstay of treatment of this type of pain. Tricyclic antidepressants may relieve neuropathic pain by their unique ability to inhibit presynaptic reuptake of the biogenic amines serotonin and noradrenaline, but other mechanisms such as N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor and ion channel blockade probably also play a role in their pain-relieving effect. The effect of tricyclic antidepressants in neuropathic pain in man has been demonstrated in numerous randomised, controlled trials, and a few trials have shown that serotonin noradrenaline and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants also relieve neuropathic pain although with lower efficacy. Tricyclic antidepressants will relieve one in every 2,3 patients with peripheral neuropathic pain, serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors one in every 4,5 and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors one in every 7 patients. Thus, based on efficacy measures such as numbers needed to treat, tricyclic antidepressants tend to work better than the anticonvulsant gabapentin and treatment options such as tramadol and oxycodone, whereas the serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine appears to be equally effective with these drugs and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors apparently have lower efficacy. Head-to-head comparisons between antidepressants and the other analgesics are lacking. Contraindications towards the use of tricyclic antidepressants and low tolerability in general of this drug class , may among the antidepressants , favour the use of the serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors. A recent study on bupropion, which is a noradrenaline and dopamine uptake inhibitor, indicated a surprisingly high efficacy of this drug in peripheral neuropathic pain. In conclusion, antidepressants represent useful tools in neuropathic pain treatment and must still be considered as first line treatments of neuropathic pain. However, without head-to-head comparisons between antidepressants and other analgesics, it is not possible to provide real evidence-based treatment algorithms for neuropathic pain. [source] Haematopoietic stem cell niche in DrosophilaBIOESSAYS, Issue 8 2007Ute Koch Development and homeostasis of the haematopoietic system is dependent upon stem cells that have the unique ability to both self-renew and to differentiate in all cell lineages of the blood. The crucial decision between haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal and differentiation must be tightly controlled. Ultimately, this choice is regulated by the integration of intrinsic signals together with extrinsic cues provided by an exclusive microenvironment, the so-called haematopoietic niche. Although the haematopoietic system of vertebrates has been studied extensively for many decades, the specification of the HSC niche and its signals involved are poorly understood. Much of our current knowledge of how niches regulate long-term maintenance of stem cells is derived from studies on Drosophila germ cells. Now, two recently published studies by Mandal et al.1 and Krezmien et al.2 describe the Drosophila haematopoietic niche and signal transduction pathways that are involved in the maintenance of haematopoietic precursors. Both reports emphasize several features that are important for controlling stem cell behavior and show parallels to both the vertebrate haematopoietic niche as well as the Drosophila germline stem cell niches in ovary and testis. The findings of both papers shed new light on the specific interactions between haematopoietic progenitors and their microenvironment. BioEssays 29:713,716, 2007. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Non-Heme Hydroxylase Engineering For Simple Enzymatic Synthesis of L - threo -Hydroxyaspartic AcidCHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 3 2008Matthias Strieker The direct hydroxylation of aliphatic carbon atoms is a challenging task in organic chemistry. Nature's unique ability to solve this problem by using non-heme iron hydroxylases was applied to the stereospecific synthesis of the medically important compound L - threo -hydroxyaspartic acid. We switched the substrate specificity of a hydroxylase (AsnO) from L -asparagine to L -aspartic acid by a simple side chain swap in the substrate binding pocket. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||