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Unique Role (unique + role)
Selected AbstractsWater-Gas Shift Reaction on a Highly Active Inverse CeOx/Cu(111) Catalyst: Unique Role of Ceria Nanoparticles,ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE, Issue 43 2009Ceroxid wächst auf einem Kupfersubstrat unter Bildung kleiner Inseln auf den Terrassen (2,5,nm, CeOx -I) und großer Inseln auf den Stufen (30,50,nm, CeOx -II; siehe Bild; 100×100,nm2). Die CeOx/ Cu(111)-Systeme wirken außerordentlich stark auf des Wassergas-Gleichgewicht und demonstrieren, dass Oxide die Leistungsfähigkeit von Kupferkatalysatoren verbessern können. [source] Protein kinase A RII-like (R2D2) proteins exhibit differential localization and AKAP interaction,CYTOSKELETON, Issue 7 2008Amy E. Hanlon Newell Abstract A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) bind to protein kinase A (PKA) via an amphipathic helix domain that interacts with a dimerization/docking domain on the regulatory (R) subunit of PKA. Four other mammalian proteins (ROPN1, ASP, SP17, and CABYR) also contain a highly conserved RII dimerization/docking (R2D2) domain, suggesting all four proteins may interact with all AKAPs in a manner similar to RII. All four of these proteins were originally detected in the flagellum of mammalian sperm. In this report, we demonstrate that all four R2D2 proteins are expressed in a wide variety of tissues and three of the proteins SP17, CABYR, and ASP are located in motile cilia of human bronchus and fallopian tubes. In addition, we detect SP17 in primary cilia. We also provide evidence that ROPN1 and ASP bind to a variety of AKAPs and this interaction can be disrupted with anchoring inhibitor peptides. The interaction of SP17 and CABYR with AKAPs appears to be much more limited. None of the R2D2 proteins appears to bind cAMP, a fundamental characteristic of the regulatory subunits of PKA. These observations suggest that R2D2 proteins utilize docking interactions with AKAPs to accomplish their function of regulating cilia and flagella. Based on location, affinity for AKAPs and lack of affinity for cAMP, it appears that each R2D2 protein has a unique role in this process. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Role of Transthoracic Echocardiography in Atrial FibrillationECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2000RICHARD W. ASINGER M.D. Atrial fibrillation is a major clinical problem that is predicted to be encountered more frequently as the population ages. The clinical management of atrial fibrillation has become increasingly complex as new therapies and strategies have become available for ventricular rate control, conversion to sinus rhythm, maintenance of sinus rhythm, and prevention of thromboembolism. Clinical and transthoracic echocardiographic features are important in determining etiology and directing therapy for atrial fibrillation. Left atrial size, left ventricular wall thickness, and left ventricular function have independent predictive value for determining the risk of developing atrial fibrillation. Left atrial size may have predictive value in determining the success of cardioversion and maintaining sinus rhythm in selected clinical settings but has less value in the most frequently encountered group, patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, in whom the duration of atrial fibrillation is the most important feature. When selecting pharmacological agents to control ventricular rate, convert to sinus rhythm, and maintain normal sinus rhythm, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) allows noninvasive evaluation of left ventricular function and hence guides management. The combination of clinical and transthoracic echocardiographic features also allows risk stratification for thromboembolism and hemorrhagic complications in atrial fibrillation. High-risk clinical features for thromboembolism supported by epidemiological observations, results of randomized clinical trials, and meta-analyses include rheumatic valvular heart disease, prior thromboembolism, congestive heart failure, hypertension, older (> 75 years old) women, and diabetes. Small series of cases also suggest those with hyperthyroidism and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are at high risk. TTE plays a unique role in confirming or discovering high-risk features such as rheumatic valvular disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and decreased left ventricular function. Validation of the risk stratification scheme used in the Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation-III trial is welcomed by clinicians who are faced daily with balancing the benefit and risks of anticoagulation to prevent thromboembolism inpatients with atrial fibrillation. [source] L-Selectin-deficient SJL and C57BL/6 mice are not resistant to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitisEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 8 2008Chiara Uboldi Abstract L-selectin has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis. Here we demonstrate that L-selectin,/, SJL mice are susceptible to proteolipid protein (PLP)-induced EAE because the compromised antigen-specific T cell proliferation in peripheral lymph nodes is fully compensated by the T cell response raised in their spleen. Transfer of PLP-specific T cells into syngeneic recipients induced EAE independent of the presence or absence of L-selectin on PLP-specific T cells or in the recipient. Leukocyte infiltration into the central nervous system parenchyma was detectable independent of the mode of disease induction and the presence or absence of L-selectin. In addition, we found L-selectin,/, C57BL/6 mice to be susceptible to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced EAE. Taken together, we demonstrate that in SJL and C57BL/6 mice L-selectin is not required for EAE pathogenesis. The apparent discrepancy of our present observation to previous findings, demonstrating a role of L-selectin in EAE pathogenesis in C57BL/6 mice or myelin-basic protein (MBP)-specific TCR-transgenic B10.PL mice, may be attributed to background genes rather than L-selectin and to a unique role of L-selectin in EAE pathogenesis in MBP-TCR-transgenic mice. [source] Redundant role for Zap70 in B cell development and activationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Farnaz Fallah-Arani Dr. Abstract Expression of the Syk family tyrosine kinase Zap70 is strongly correlated with poor clinical outcome in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common human leukemia characterized by B cell accumulation. The expression of Zap70 may reflect the specific cell of origin of the tumor or may contribute to pathology. Thus, the normal role of Zap70 in B cell physiology is of great interest. While initial studies reported that Zap70 expression in the mouse was limited to T and NK cells, more recent work has shown expression in early B cell progenitors and in splenic B cells, suggesting that the kinase may play a role in the development or activation of B cells. In this study, we show that Zap70 is expressed in all developing subsets of B cells as well as in recirculating B cells, marginal zone B cells and peritoneal B1 cells. Analysis of Zap70-deficient mice shows no unique role for Zap70 in either the development of B cells or in their in vitro and in vivo activation. However, we show that Zap70 can rescue the defective positive selection of immature B cells into the recirculating pool in Syk-deficient mice, demonstrating functional redundancy between these two kinases. [source] Effects of Solvent Mixtures on the Nanoscale Phase Separation in Polymer Solar Cells,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 12 2008Yan Yao Abstract The mixed solvent approach has been demonstrated as a promising method to modify nanomorphology in polymer solar cells. This work aims to understand the unique role of the additive in the mixture solvent and how the optimized nanoscale phase separation develops laterally and vertically during the non-equilibrium spin-coating process. We found the donor/acceptor components in the active layer can phase separate into an optimum morphology with the additive. Supported by AFM, TEM and XPS results, we proposed a model and identified relevant parameters for the additive such as solubility and vapor pressures. Other additives are discovered to show the ability to improve polymer solar cell performance as well. [source] Induced Crystallization of Rubrene in Thin-Film TransistorsADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 30 2010Zhefeng Li The poor crystallinity of rubrene in thin films is an obstacle limiting its practical applications in organic electronics. Here we report a strategy of using 6,13-pentacenequinone (PQ), an easily crystallized insulating molecule, as the template layer to induce the crystallization of rubrene in vacuum-deposited thin film transistors. This strategy relies on the bilayer steps of octadecylphosphonic acid, which play a unique role in modulating the morphology of PQ. [source] Multiple roles of Lyn kinase in myeloid cell signaling and functionIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2009Patrizia Scapini Summary:, Lyn is an Src family kinase present in B lymphocytes and myeloid cells. In these cell types, Lyn establishes signaling thresholds by acting as both a positive and a negative modulator of a variety of signaling responses and effector functions. Lyn deficiency in mice results in the development of myeloproliferation and autoimmunity. The latter has been attributed to the hyper-reactivity of Lyn-deficient B cells due to the unique role of Lyn in downmodulating B-cell receptor activation, mainly through phosphorylation of inhibitory molecules and receptors. Myeloproliferation results, on the other hand, from the enhanced sensitivity of Lyn-deficient progenitors to a number of colony-stimulating factors (CSFs). The hyper-sensitivity to myeloid growth factors may also be secondary to poor inhibitory receptor phosphorylation, leading to impaired recruitment/activation of tyrosine phosphatases and reduced downmodulation of CSF signaling responses. Despite these observations, the overall role of Lyn in the modulation of myeloid cell effector functions is much less well understood, as often both positive and negative roles of this kinase have been reported. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of the duplicitous nature of Lyn in the modulation of myeloid cell signaling and function. [source] Use of Kullback,Leibler divergence for forgettingINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADAPTIVE CONTROL AND SIGNAL PROCESSING, Issue 10 2009Miroslav Kárný Abstract Non-symmetric Kullback,Leibler divergence (KLD) measures proximity of probability density functions (pdfs). Bernardo (Ann. Stat. 1979; 7(3):686,690) had shown its unique role in approximation of pdfs. The order of the KLD arguments is also implied by his methodological result. Functional approximation of estimation and stabilized forgetting, serving for tracking of slowly varying parameters, use the reversed order. This choice has the pragmatic motivation: recursive estimator often approximates the parametric model by a member of exponential family (EF) as it maps prior pdfs from the set of conjugate pdfs (CEF) back to the CEF. Approximations based on the KLD with the reversed order of arguments preserves this property. In the paper, the approximation performed within the CEF but with the proper order of arguments of the KLD is advocated. It is applied to the parameter tracking and performance improvements are demonstrated. This practical result is of importance for adaptive systems and opens a way for improving the functional approximation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Effect of Linguistic Distance and Country of Origin on Immigrant Language Skills: Application to IsraelINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 3 2001Michael Beenstock This article is concerned with identifying, for the first time, the separate effects of linguistic distance (language of origin) and country of origin on the destination language proficiency of immigrants. The determinants of Hebrew language proficiency (fluency and literacy) among immigrants in Israel are studied using the 1972 Census of Israel and the Immigration Absorption (panel) Surveys conducted in the 1970s. Country of origin and language of origin matter for proficiency in Hebrew, especially in the longer term. By country of origin, those from North Africa are the least proficient. By language of origin, Arabic speakers are the most proficient, suggesting a small linguistic distance from Hebrew. Immigrants from English-speaking origins are the least proficient in Hebrew. This may reflect a large linguistic distance or, more likely, the unique role of English as the international language, which reduces incentives for investments in Hebrew. Immigrants from dual-language countries of origin are more proficient in Hebrew than those from single language origins. [source] Insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) plays a unique role in normal epidermal physiology,JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Marianna Sadagurski Insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins play a central role in insulin signaling. Previously we have demonstrated that insulin is essential for normal skin development and function. In the present study we investigated the involvement of the IRS-1 and IRS-2 proteins in skin physiology and in mediating insulin action in skin. For this purpose we have investigated the effects of inactivation of each of the IRSs on skin, studying skin sections and primary skin cells derived from IRS-1 or IRS-2 null mice. We have demonstrated that while the skin of the IRS-2 null mice appeared normal, the skin of the IRS-1 null mice was thinner and translucent. Histological analysis revealed that the thinning of the IRS-1 null skin was a consequence of the thinning of the spinous compartment, consisting of fewer layers. Proliferation of the IRS-1 and IRS-2 null skin epidermal cells was normal. However, the differentiation process of the IRS-1 skin and skin cells was impaired. There was a marked decrease in the induction of the expression of K1, the marker of advanced stages of skin differentiation. In contrary, IRS-2 inactivation had no effects on skin differentiation. In conclusion, we have shown for the first time that IRS-1 but not IRS-2 has an effect on skin formation and development, being one of the main activators of the differentiation process in skin keratinocytes. Furthermore, we suggest that IRS-1 and IRS-2 have distinct roles in skin physiology. J. Cell. Physiol. 213: 519,527, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Responding to society's needs: Prescription privileges for psychologistsJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2002Mary Ann Norfleet The health care revolution has contributed to the natural evolution of the role of psychologists. This has led to the necessity for future psychologists to have the authority to prescribe psychotropic medications in order to offer the best-available, comprehensive treatment to the public. Psychologists' training gives them a unique role in addressing the psychosocial aspects of medical problems, in collaboration with primary-care physicians. Prescribing psychologists are cost-effective, many practice in rural areas where people have no other access to mental health care, and they will be able to treat other underserved populations such as the poor, the elderly, the chronically mentally ill, children, and prisoners in the criminal justice system. Prescribing psychologists will have an increasingly prominent role in future health care policy decisions and practice. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 58: 599,610, 2002. [source] Matrix metalloproteinase 11 (MMP-11; stromelysin-3) and synthetic inhibitorsMEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS, Issue 4 2007Magdalini Matziari Abstract Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-11, or Stromelysin 3, is a particular member of MMP family, a group of zinc-dependent endopeptidases involved in matrix degradation and tissue remodeling. Despite intense efforts since its first characterization 15 years ago, its role and target substrates in different diseases remain largely unknown. While mice with MMP-11 deficiency display no particular phenotype, analysis of different tumorigenesis models with these mice lead to the conclusion that MMP-11 promotes tumor development. In contrast with other MMPs, MMP-11 is unable to degrade any major extracellular matrix component and unlike most of other MMPs that are secreted as inactive proenzymes and activated extracellularly, MMP-11 is secreted under active form. MMP-11 may thus play a unique role in tissue remodeling processes, including those associated with tumor progression. Although MMP-11 and other MMPs have been considered as promising targets to combat cancer, a first series of clinical trials using broad-spectrum MMP inhibitors have not led to significant therapeutic benefits. These disappointing results highlight the need for better understanding of the exact role played by each MMP during the different stages of tumor progression. Among the different strategies to fill this gap, highly specific MMP inhibitors would be of great value. This review provides an update on the selectivity profile of phosphinic MMP-11 synthetic inhibitors developed and discusses the opportunities and limitations to identify inhibitors able to fully discriminate MMP-11 from the other MMPs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 27, No. 4, 528,552, 2007 [source] A cyclic adenosine 3,,5,-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase C activation is involved in the hyperactivation of boar spermatozoa,MOLECULAR REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 9 2006Hiroshi Harayama Abstract An intracellular cAMP-PKA signaling plays a pivotal role in the expression of fertilizing ability in mammalian spermatozoa. The aim of this study is to disclose biological function of serine/threonine protein kinases that are activated by the action of the cAMP-PKA signaling in boar spermatozoa. Ejaculated spermatozoa were incubated with cBiMPS (a cell-permeable cAMP analog) at 38.5°C up to 180 min, and then they were used for biochemical analyses of PKCs by Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence and for assessment of flagellar movement. The incubation of spermatozoa with cBiMPS gradually activated PKCs in the connecting piece. The activation of sperm PKCs was accompanied with changes of their electrophoretic mobility by the PKA-mediated serine/threonine phosphorylation. In coincidence with the PKC activation, the cBiMPS-incubated spermatozoa were capable of exhibiting hyperactivation of flagellar movement. Moreover, the cBiMPS-induced hyperactivation was dramatically suppressed by the addition of either of specific PKC inhibitors (Ro-32-0432 and bisindolylmaleimide I) to the sperm suspensions. On the other hand, experiments using a calcium-deficient medium showed that the cBiMPS-induced hyperactivation of flagellar movement and activation of PKCs required the extracellular calcium. Based on the obtained data, we have concluded that a cAMP-PKA signaling can induce activation of calcium-sensitive PKCs that is leading to the hyperactivation of flagellar movement in boar spermatozoa. Moreover, the cAMP may have a unique role as the up-regulator of PKCs during the expression of fertilizing ability in boar spermatozoa. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 1169,1178, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Parent-child discussions of anger and sadness: The importance of parent and child gender during middle childhoodNEW DIRECTIONS FOR CHILD & ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT, Issue 128 2010Janice Zeman This chapter provides conceptual background and empirical evidence that parental emotion socialization continues well into middle childhood and is influenced by the social context. Data are presented to illustrate the influence of parent and child gender on parental socialization of emotion in 113 Caucasian, middle-class children. Mothers and fathers discussed historical sadness- and anger-eliciting events with their sons and daughters. Fathers appear to play a unique role in sadness socialization whereas mothers' influence seems distinctive for the socialization of anger. Socialization of emotion is a transactional process in which parents and children are both socializing agents and emotion regulators. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Perceptions of Effective and Ineffective Nurse,Physician Communication in HospitalsNURSING FORUM, Issue 3 2010F. Patrick Robinson PhD PROBLEM., Nurse,physician communication affects patient safety. Such communication has been well studied using a variety of survey and observational methods; however, missing from the literature is an investigation of what constitutes effective and ineffective interprofessional communication from the perspective of the professionals involved. The purpose of this study was to explore nurse and physician perceptions of effective and ineffective communication between the two professions. METHODS., Using focus group methodology, we asked nurses and physicians with at least 5 years' acute care hospital experience to reflect on effective and ineffective interprofessional communication and to provide examples. Three focus groups were held with 6 participants each (total sample 18). Sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded into categories of effective and ineffective communication. FINDINGS., The following themes were found. For effective communication: clarity and precision of message that relies on verification, collaborative problem solving, calm and supportive demeanor under stress, maintenance of mutual respect, and authentic understanding of the unique role. For ineffective communication: making someone less than, dependence on electronic systems, and linguistic and cultural barriers. CONCLUSION., These themes may be useful in designing learning activities to promote effective interprofessional communication. [source] From biological anthropology to applied public health: Epidemiological approaches to the study of infectious disease,,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Rachel Albalak This article describes two large, multisite infectious disease programs: the Tuberculosis Epidemiologic Studies Consortium (TBESC) and the Emerging Infections Programs (EIPs). The links between biological anthropology and applied public health are highlighted using these programs as examples. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the TBESC and EIPs conduct applied public health research to strengthen infectious disease prevention and control efforts in the United States. They involve collaborations among CDC, public health departments, and academic and clinical institutions. Their unique role in national infectious disease work, including their links to anthropology, shared elements, key differences, strengths and challenges, is discussed. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2009. Published 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Metal toxicity and ectomycorrhizasPHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM, Issue 2 2000G. Jentschke Metal toxicity (Al and heavy metals) is a major constraint affecting root growth in a number of natural or managed ecosystems. Fine roots of the majority of plant species are associated with mycorrhizal fungi, which may modify the sensitivity of roots to metal stress. In this review, we summarise the available evidence demonstrating beneficial effects of ectomycorrhizas in alleviation of metal toxicity in forest tree seedlings. We identify experimental shortcomings of past research (e.g. the use of shoot metal concentrations as a measure of metal uptake, use of microanalytical techniques biased by element redistribution) that may confound major conclusions drawn from these experiments. Although there is no doubt that in many cases ectomycorrhizal fungi indeed ameliorate metal stress in their host plants, the mechanism(s) involved remain(s) unclear. The role of metal sorption on fungal tissues thought to reduce metal exposure of the host plant is critically reviewed. As direct evidence (both under artificial and soil conditions) supporting a unique role of fungal immobilisation of metals is lacking so far, there is an urgent need to also test alternative tolerance mechanisms such as the release of metal chelating substances, or nutritional and hormonal effects mediated by mycorrhizal fungi. [source] Alpha power is influenced by performance errorsPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Joshua Carp Abstract Error commission evokes changes in event-related potentials, autonomic nervous system activity, and behavior, presumably reflecting the operation of a cognitive control network. Here we test the hypothesis that errors lead to increased cortical arousal, measurable as changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha band power. Participants performed a Stroop task while EEG was recorded. Following correct responses, alpha power increased and then decreased in a quadratic pattern, implying transient mental disengagement during the intertrial interval. This trend was absent following errors, which elicited significantly less alpha power than correct trials. Moreover, post-error alpha power was a better predictor of individual differences in post-error slowing than the error-related negativity (ERN), whereas the ERN was a better predictor of post-error accuracy than alpha power. These findings imply that changes in cortical arousal play a unique role in modulating post-error behavior. [source] Do mitochondrial DNA haplogroups play a role in susceptibility to tuberculosis?RESPIROLOGY, Issue 6 2007Massoud HOUSHMAND Background and objectives: Mitochondrial DNA has a unique role in ATP production and subsequent mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in eukaryotic cells and there is a potential role for ROS and oxygen burst against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an intracellular pathogen. This study aimed to determine whether the frequency of different mitochondrial haplogroups was significantly different in patients with tuberculosis (TB) compared with a normal population. Methods: Mitochondrial DNA haplogroups M, N, J and K were studied by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing. Cases were 54 patients with confirmed smear positive pulmonary TB. Controls were 256 healthy persons. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between those with TB and the control group. Conclusions: There was no statistically significant association between mtDNA haplogroups and the presence of TB infection. [source] The unique value of primate models in translational researchAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 9 2009Carol A. Shively Abstract This special issue of AJP is focused on research using nonhuman primates as models to further the understanding of women's health. Nonhuman primates play a unique role in translational science by bridging the gap between basic and clinical investigations. The use of nonhuman primates in biomedical research challenges our resolve to treat all life as sacred. The scientific community has responded by developing ethical guidelines for the care and the use of primates and clarifying the responsibility of investigators to insure the physical and psychological well-being of nonhuman primates used in research. Preclinical investigations often involve the use of animal models. Rodent models have been the mainstay of biomedical science and have provided enormous insight into the workings of many mammalian systems that h ave proved applicable to human biological systems. Rodent models are dissimilar to primates in numerous ways, which may limit the generalizability to human biological systems. These limitations are much less likely in nonhuman primates and in Old World primates, in particular, Macaques are useful models for investigations involving the reproductive system, bioenergetics, obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular health, central nervous system function, cognitive and social behavior, the musculoskeletal system, and diseases of aging. This issue considers primate models of polycystic ovary syndrome; diet effects on glycemic control, breast and endometrium; estrogen, reproductive life stage and atherosclerosis; estrogen and diet effects on inflammation in atherogenesis; the neuroprotective effects of estrogen therapy; social stress and visceral obesity; and sex differences in the role of social status in atherogenesis. Unmet research needs in women's health include the use of diets in nonhuman primate studies that are similar to those consumed by human beings, primate models of natural menopause, dementia, hypertension, colon cancer, and frailty in old age, and dedicated colonies for the study of breast cancer. Am. J. Primatol. 71:715,721, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Obesity Metaphors: How Beliefs about the Causes of Obesity Affect Support for Public PolicyTHE MILBANK QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2009COLLEEN L. BARRY Context: Relatively little is known about the factors shaping public attitudes toward obesity as a policy concern. This study examines whether individuals' beliefs about the causes of obesity affect their support for policies aimed at stemming obesity rates. This article identifies a unique role of metaphor-based beliefs, as distinct from conventional political attitudes, in explaining support for obesity policies. Methods: This article used the Yale Rudd Center Public Opinion on Obesity Survey, a nationally representative web sample surveyed from the Knowledge Networks panel in 2006/07 (N = 1,009). The study examines how respondents' demographic and health characteristics, political attitudes, and agreement with seven obesity metaphors affect support for sixteen policies to reduce obesity rates. Findings: Including obesity metaphors in regression models helps explain public support for policies to curb obesity beyond levels attributable solely to demographic, health, and political characteristics. The metaphors that people use to understand rising obesity rates are strong predictors of support for public policy, and their influence varies across different types of policy interventions. Conclusions: Over the last five years, the United States has begun to grapple with the implications of dramatically escalating rates of obesity. Individuals use metaphors to better understand increasing rates of obesity, and obesity metaphors are independent and powerful predictors of support for public policies to curb obesity. Metaphorical reasoning also offers a potential framework for using strategic issue framing to shift support for obesity policies. [source] Role of osteopontin in induction of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and macrophage inflammatory protein 1, through the NF-,B and MAPK pathways in rheumatoid arthritisARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 7 2009Wenxin Zheng Objective Osteopontin (OPN) is a proinflammatory protein with a critical role in leukocyte migration. Although OPN has been implicated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), its underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the role and molecular mechanism of OPN in the induction of 2 key chemokines, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein 1, (MIP-1,), in RA. Methods Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to determine chemokine expression. Leukocyte migration in the presence of OPN was measured by chemotaxis assay. Signaling and molecular events were analyzed by immunoblotting and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Results The effect of OPN on inflammatory cell migration was mediated through its unique property of inducing the expression of MCP-1 and MIP-1, in CD14+ monocytes. The concentration of OPN was significantly elevated in RA patients and appeared to correlate with the serum levels of inflammation markers and increased expression of MCP-1 or MIP-1, in monocytes in RA patients. Endogenous production of OPN in RA synovial fluid was attributable to increased production of MCP-1 or MIP-1,, and this effect could be blocked by an anti-OPN antibody. Furthermore, the structural motif responsible for this property resided within residues 50,83 of human OPN, sparing the known RGD or SVVYGLR sequences. It was evident that the effect of OPN on chemokine expression was mediated through both the NF-,B and MAPK pathways, involving the activation of IKK,, p38, and JNK. Conclusion These results support a unique role of OPN in leukocyte migration, in the context of perpetuation of rheumatoid synovitis through the induction of MCP-1 and MIP-1,. [source] Novel metalloprotease,disintegrin, meltrin , (ADAM35), expressed in epithelial tissues during chick embryogenesisDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 3 2004Mitsuko Watabe-Uchida Abstract Members of the ADAM (adisintegrin and metalloprotease) family are involved in fertilization, morphogenesis, and pathogenesis. Their metalloprotease domains mediate limited proteolysis, including ectodomain shedding of membrane-anchored growth factors and intercellular-signaling proteins, and their disintegrin domains play regulatory roles in cell adhesion and migration. In screening for cDNAs encoding chicken ADAM proteins expressed during muscle development, we identified Meltrin , as a novel member of this family. To elucidate its functions, we investigated its expression during development by using antibodies raised against its protease domain. In the somites, Meltrin , protein was specifically expressed in the myotomal cells, which delaminate from the dermomyotome to form epithelial sheets. It was also found in the surface ectoderm, lens placodes, otic vesicles, and the gut epithelia. Basolateral localization of Meltrin , in these epithelial cells suggests its unique roles in the organization of the epithelial tissues and development of the sensory organs and the gut. Developmental Dynamics 230:557,568, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Characterization of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog expression in the mosquito Aedes aegypti: Six splice variants with developmental and tissue specificityINSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007Michael A. Riehle Abstract Phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN), an inhibitor of insulin signalling, was characterized in Aedes aegypti. Surprisingly, six splice variants were identified: three with alternative terminal exons (AaegPTEN2 : 3 : 6) and three formed by intron retention (AaegPTEN1 : 4 : 5). All variants encoded active phosphatase domains. Variants with alternative terminal exons also encoded C2 and COOH-domains, and AaegPTEN6 encoded a PDZ binding motif. These three variants also had unique expression patterns. AaegPTEN2 was expressed primarily in the ovary. AaegPTEN3 was predominant in heads and midguts, and throughout development, except early embryogenesis. AaegPTEN6 was expressed in fat body, ovaries, and throughout development. Intron retention variants were weakly expressed in most samples. These expression patterns suggest that AaegPTEN variants play unique roles in regulating insulin's pleiotropic effects. [source] Metoprolol Treatment Lowers Thrombospondin-4 Expression in Rats with Myocardial Infarction and Left Ventricular HypertrophyBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Erja Mustonen In this study, we characterised left ventricular thrombospondin-1 and -4 expression in rats treated with a beta-blocker metoprolol during the remodelling process in response to pressure overload and acute myocardial infarction. Left ventricular thrombospondin-1 and thrombospondin-4 mRNA levels increased 8.4-fold (p < 0.001) and 7.3-fold (p < 0.001) post-infarction, respectively. Metoprolol infusion by osmotic minipumps (1.5 mg/kg/hr) for 2 weeks after myocardial infarction decreased thrombospondin-1 and thrombospondin-4 mRNA levels (55% and 50%, respectively), improved left ventricular function, and attenuated left ventricular remodelling with reduction of left ventricular atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide gene expression. Thrombospondin-1 and -4 mRNA levels correlated positively with echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular remodelling as well as with atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide gene expression. Moreover, there was a negative correlation between left ventricular ejection fraction and thrombospondin-1 mRNA levels. In 12-month-old spontaneously hypertensive rats with left ventricular hypertrophy, metoprolol decreased left ventricular thrombospondin-4 levels and attenuated remodelling while thrombospondin-1, atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide mRNA levels as well as left ventricular function remained unchanged. In metoprolol-treated spontaneously hypertensive rats, thrombospondin-4 gene expression correlated with parameters of left ventricular remodelling, while no correlations between thrombospondins and natriuretic peptides were observed. These results indicate that thrombospondin-1 expression is linked exclusively to left ventricular remodelling process post-infarction while thrombospondin-4 associates with myocardial remodelling both after myocardial infarction and in hypertensive heart disease suggesting that thrombospondins may have unique roles in extracellular matrix remodelling process. [source] DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PATHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CARDIAC HYPERTROPHY: NOVEL THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES TO TREAT HEART FAILURECLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Julie R McMullen SUMMARY 1In general, cardiac hypertrophy (an increase in heart mass) is a poor prognostic sign. Cardiac enlargement is a characteristic of most forms of heart failure. Cardiac hypertrophy that occurs in athletes (physiological hypertrophy) is a notable exception. 2Physiological cardiac hypertrophy in response to exercise training differs in its structural and molecular profile to pathological hypertrophy associated with pressure or volume overload in disease. Physiological hypertrophy is characterized by normal organization of cardiac structure and normal or enhanced cardiac function, whereas pathological hypertrophy is commonly associated with upregulation of fetal genes, fibrosis, cardiac dysfunction and increased mortality. 3It is now clear that several signalling molecules play unique roles in the regulation of pathological and physiological cardiac hypertrophy. 4The present review discusses the possibility of targeting cardioprotective signalling pathways and genes activated in the athlete's heart to treat or prevent heart failure. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||