Induction and Regulation of Expression of a Low-CO2-Induced Mitochondrial Carbonic Anhydrase in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The time course of and the influence of light intensity and light quality on the induction of a mitochondrial carbonic anhydrase (CA) in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was characterized using western and northern blots. This CA was expressed only under low-CO2 conditions (ambient air). In asynchronously grown cells, the mRNA was detected 15 min after transfer from air containing 5% CO2 to ambient air, and the 21-kD polypeptide was detected on western blots after 1 h. When transferred back to air containing 5% CO2, the mRNA disappeared within 1 h and the polypeptide was degraded within 3 d. Photosynthesis was required for the induction in asynchronous cultures. The induction increased with light up to 500 μmol m−2 s−1, where saturation occurred. In cells grown synchronously, however, expression of the mitochondrial CA was also detected in darkness. Under such conditions the expression followed a circadian rhythm, with mRNA appearing in the dark 30 min before the light was turned on. Algae left in darkness continued this rhythm for several days.

Different functions for the interleukin 8 receptors (IL-8R) of human neutrophil leukocytes: NADPH oxidase and phospholipase D are activated through IL-8R1 but not IL-8R2.

Two monoclonal antibodies, anti-IL8R1 and anti-IL8R2, raised against both interleukin 8 receptors (IL-8R) of human neutrophils, IL-8R1 and IL-8R2, were used to study individual receptor functions after stimulation with IL-8, GRO alpha, or NAP-2. Efficacy and selectivity of the antibodies were tested in Jurkat cells transfected with cDNA coding for one or the other receptor. The binding of 125 I labeled IL-8 and IL-8-induced changes of the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration were inhibited by anti-IL8RI in cells expressing IL-8R1 and by anti-IL8R2 in cells expressing IL-8R2. In human neutrophils, release of elastase was observed after stimulation with IL-8 or GRO alpha. The response to IL-8 was inhibited slightly by anti-IL8R1 and more substantially when both monoclonal antibodies were present, while the response to GRO alpha was inhibited by anti-IL8R2 but was not affected by anti-IL8R1. These results indicate that both IL-8 receptors can signal independently for granule enzyme release. Superoxide production, a measure of the respiratory burst, was obtained with increasing concentrations of IL-8 with maximum effects at 25 to 50 nM, but no response was observed upon challenge with GRO alpha or NAP-2 up to 1000 nM. The superoxide production induced by IL-8 was inhibited by anti-IL8R1, but was not affected by anti-IL8R2. Stimulation of neutrophils with IL-8, in contrast to GRO alpha or NAP-2, also elicited phospholipase D activity. The effect of IL-8 was again inhibited by anti-IL-8R1 but not by anti-IL8R2, indicating that this response, like the respiratory burst, was mediated by IL-8R1. Taken together, our results show that IL-8R1 and IL-8R2 are functionally different. Responses, such as cytosolic free Ca2+ changes and the release of granule enzymes, are mediated through both receptors, whereas the respiratory burst and the activation of phospholipase D depend exclusively on stimulation through IL-8R1.

Rescue of defective mitogenic signaling by D-type cyclins.

Three gene products, including Myc and the D- and E-type G1 cyclins, are rate limiting for G1 progression in mammalian fibroblasts. Quiescent mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts engineered to express a mutant colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) receptor (CSF-1R 809F) fail to synthesize c-myc and cyclin D1 mRNAs upon CSF-1 stimulation and remain arrested in early G1 phase. Ectopic expression of c-myc or either of three D-type cyclin genes, but not cyclin E, resensitized these cells to the mitogenic effects of CSF-1, enabling them to proliferate continuously in liquid culture and to form colonies in agar in response to the growth factor. Rescue by cyclin D1 was enhanced by c-myc but not by cyclin E and was reversed by infecting cyclin D1-reconstituted cells with a retroviral vector encoding catalytically inactive cyclin-dependent kinase 4. Induction of cyclin D1 mRNA by CSF-1 was restored in cells forced to express c-myc, and vice versa, suggesting that expression of the two genes is interdependent. Cells reconstituted with c-myc were prevented from entering S phase when microinjected with a monoclonal antibody to cyclin D1, and conversely, those rescued by cyclin D1 were inhibited from forming CSF-1-dependent colonies when challenged with a dominant-negative c-myc mutant. Cyclin D mutants defective in binding to the retinoblastoma protein were impaired in rescuing mitogenic signaling. Therefore, Myc and D-type cyclins collaborate during the mitogenic response to CSF-1, whereas cyclin E functions in a separate pathway.

Retro and retroenantio analogs of cecropin-melittin hybrids.

Hybrid analogs of cecropin A (CA) and melittin (M), which are potent antibacterial peptides, have been synthesized. To understand the structural requirements for this antibacterial activity, we have also synthesized the enantio, retro, and retroenantio isomers of two of the hybrids and their N-terminally acetylated derivatives. All analogs of CA(1-13)M(1-13)-NH2 were as active as the parent peptide against five test bacterial strains, but one bacterial strain was resistant to the retro and retroenantio derivatives. Similarly, all analogs of CA(1-7)M(2-9)-NH2 were active against four strains, while two strains were resistant to the retro and retroenantio analogs containing free NH3+ end groups, but acetylation restored activity against one of them. From these data it was concluded that chirality of the peptide was not a critical feature, and full activity could be achieved with peptides containing either all L- or all D-amino acids in their respective right-handed or left-handed helical conformations. For most of the bacterial strains, the sequence of these peptides or the direction of the peptide bonds could be critical but not both at the same time. For some strains, both needed to be conserved.

Underuse of beta-blockers in heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Acknowledgments The data in this article have been partly presented in preliminary abstract form as a poster at the winter meeting of the British Thoracic Society, London, 2 December 2015 (10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-207770.161).

Simultaneous optical and X-ray observations of flares and rotational modulation on the RS CVn binary HR 1099 (V711 Tau) from the MUSICOS 1998 campaign

We present simultaneous and continuous observations of the Hα, Hβ, He I D_3, Na I D_1,D_2 doublet and the Ca II H&K lines for the RS CVn system HR 1099. The spectroscopic observations were obtained during the MUSICOS 1998 campaign involving several observatories and instruments, both echelle and long-slit spectrographs. During this campaign, HR 1099 was observed almost continuously for more than 8 orbits of 2^d.8. Two large optical flares were observed, both showing an increase in the emission of Hα, Ca II H K, Hβ and He I D_3 and a strong filling-in of the Na I D_1, D_2 doublet. Contemporary photometric observations were carried out with the robotic telescopes APT-80 of Catania and Phoenix-25 of Fairborn Observatories. Maps of the distribution of the spotted regions on the photosphere of the binary components were derived using the Maximum Entropy and Tikhonov photometric regularization criteria. Rotational modulation was observed in Hα and He I D_3 in anti-correlation with the photometric light curves. Both flares occurred at the same binary phase (0.85), suggesting that these events took place in the same active region. Simultaneous X-ray observations, performed by ASM on board RXTE, show several flare-like events, some of which correlate well with the observed optical flares. Rotational modulation in the X-ray light curve has been detected with minimum flux when the less active G5 V star was in front. A possible periodicity in the X-ray flare-like events was also found.

A Comparative Study of Registration Methods for RGB-D Video of Static Scenes

The use of RGB-D sensors for mapping and recognition tasks in robotics or, in general, for virtual reconstruction has increased in recent years. The key aspect of these kinds of sensors is that they provide both depth and color information using the same device. In this paper, we present a comparative analysis of the most important methods used in the literature for the registration of subsequent RGB-D video frames in static scenarios. The analysis begins by explaining the characteristics of the registration problem, dividing it into two representative applications: scene modeling and object reconstruction. Then, a detailed experimentation is carried out to determine the behavior of the different methods depending on the application. For both applications, we used standard datasets and a new one built for object reconstruction.

Washington, D.C., 1792 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Plan of the city of Washington in the territory of Columbia : ceded by the states of Virginia and Maryland to the United States of America, and by them established as the seat of their government, after the year MDCCC, engrav'd by Sam'l Hill, Boston ; in order to execute this plan, Mr. Ellicott drew a true meridional line. Andrew Ellicott plan of Washington, D.C. It was published in 1792. Scale [ca. 1:19,800]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Maryland State Plane Coordinate System Meters NAD83 (Fipszone 1900). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, block numbers and proposed government buildings, drainage, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Depths shown by soundings. Includes text and notes. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Washington, D.C., 1792 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Plan of the city of Washington in the territory of Columbia : ceded by the states of Virginia and Maryland to the United States of America, and by them established as the seat of their government, after the year MDCCC, engrav'd by Thackara & Vallance Philad'a 1792 ; in order to execute this plan, Mr. Ellicott drew a true meridional line ... and left nothing to the uncertainty of the compass. Andrew Ellicott plan of Washington, D.C. It was published in 1792. Scale [ca. 1:19,800]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Maryland State Plane Coordinate System Meters NAD83 (Fipszone 1900). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, block numbers and proposed government buildings, drainage, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Depths are shown by soundings. Includes text, notes, and coat-of-arms. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Washington, D.C., 1895 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Rand, McNally & Co.'s indexed atlas of the world : map of Washington, D.C. It was published by Rand, McNally & Co. in 1895. Scale [ca. 1:15,000]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Maryland State Plane Coordinate System Meters NAD83 (Fipszone 1900). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, selected public buildings and points of interest, parks, and more. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Mosul Region, Iraq, 1855 (Image 2 of 3) (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map set entitled: Vestiges of Assyria, by Felix Jones ; aided in the field operations by J.M. Hyslop ; engraved by J. & C. Walker. Map 2 entitled: Positions and plan of the ancient cities of Nimrūd and Selamiyeh, the former identical with the [Larissa] of Xenophon, perhaps the Calah of Genesis and ... of the cuneiform inscriptions. It was published by John Walker in 1855. Scale [ca. 1:12,000]. This layer is image 2 of 3 total images of the six sheet source map, representing the Mosul region Iraq. Map chiefly in English. Some place names given also in Arabic. This datalayer is compiled from two images of the six sheet source map that have been stitched together using image editing software to create a single image.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the European Datum 1950 TM42 (Transverse Mercator, Central Meridian 42) coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as ancient city ruins, drainage, canals, cities, villages, and other human settlements, roads, fortifications, selected buildings, and more. Relief shown by hachures.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

UTF-8 With BOM Nimrūd áöì

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map set entitled: Vestiges of Assyria, by Felix Jones ; aided in the field operations by J.M. Hyslop ; engraved by J. & C. Walker. Map 2 entitled: Positions and plan of the ancient cities of Nimrūd and Selamiyeh, the former identical with the [Larissa] of Xenophon, perhaps the Calah of Genesis and ... of the cuneiform inscriptions. It was published by John Walker in 1855. Scale [ca. 1:12,000]. This layer is image 2 of 3 total images of the six sheet source map, representing the Mosul region Iraq. Map chiefly in English. Some place names given also in Arabic. This datalayer is compiled from two images of the six sheet source map that have been stitched together using image editing software to create a single image.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the European Datum 1950 TM42 (Transverse Mercator, Central Meridian 42) coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as ancient city ruins, drainage, canals, cities, villages, and other human settlements, roads, fortifications, selected buildings, and more. Relief shown by hachures.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

R&D, Spillovers, Innovation Systems and the Genesis of Regional Growth in Europe. Bruges European Economic Research (BEER) Papers 5/October 2006

Research on the impact of innovation on regional economic performance in Europe has fundamentally followed three approaches: a) the analysis of the link between investment in R&D, patents, and economic growth; b) the study of the existence and efficiency of regional innovation systems; and c) the examination of geographical diffusion of regional knowledge spillovers. These complementary approaches have, however, rarely been combined. Important operational and methodological barriers have thwarted any potential cross-fertilization. In this paper, we try to fill this gap in the literature by combining in one model R&D, spillovers, and innovation systems approaches. A multiple regression analysis is conducted for all regions of the EU-25, including measures of R&D investment, proxies for regional innovation systems, and knowledge and socio-economic spillovers. This approach allows us to discriminate between the influence of internal factors and external knowledge and institutional flows on regional economic growth. The empirical results highlight how the interaction between local and external research with local and external socioeconomic and institutional conditions determines the potential of every region in order to maximise its innovation capacity. They also indicate the importance of proximity for the transmission of economically productive knowledge, as spillovers show strong distance decay effects. In the EU-25 context, only the innovative efforts pursued within a 180 minute travel radius have a positive and significant impact on regional growth performance.

Isotopic composition of carbonates from the Logachev Hydrothermal Field, MAR 14°45'N

We investigate the Logatchev Hydrothermal Field at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 14°45' N to constrain the calcium isotope hydrothermal flux into the ocean. During the transformation of seawater to a hydrothermal solution, the Ca concentration of pristine seawater ([Ca]_SW) increases from about 10 mM to about 32 mM in the hydrothermal fluid endmember ([Ca]_HydEnd) and thereby adopts a d44/40Ca_HydEnd of -0.95+/-0.07 per mil relative to seawater (SW) and a 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio of 0.7034(4). We demonstrate that d44/40Ca_HydEnd is higher than that of the bedrock at the Logatchev field. From mass balance calculations, we deduce a d44/40Ca of -1.17+/-0.04 per mil (SW) for the host-rocks in the reaction zone and -1.45+/-0.05 per mil (SW) for the isotopic composition of the entire hydrothermal cell of the Logatchev field. The values are isotopically lighter than the currently assumed d44/40Ca for Bulk Earth of -0.92+/-0.18 per mil (SW) [Skulan J., DePaolo D. J. and Owens T. L. (1997) Biological control of calcium isotopic abundances in the global calcium cycle. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 61,(12) 2505-2510] and challenge previous assumptions of no Ca isotope fractionation between hydrothermal fluid and the oceanic crust [Zhu P. and Macdougall J. D. (1998) Calcium isotopes in the marine environment and the oceanic calcium cycle. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 62,(10) 1691-1698; Schmitt A. -D., Chabeaux F. and Stille P. (2003) The calcium riverine and hydrothermal isotopic fluxes and the oceanic calcium mass balance. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 6731, 1-16]. Here we propose that Ca isotope fractionation along the fluid flow pathway of the Logatchev field occurs during the precipitation of anhydrite. Two anhydrite samples from the Logatchev Hydrothermal Field show an average fractionation of about D44/40Ca = -0.5 per mil relative to their assumed parental solutions. Ca isotope ratios in aragonites from carbonate veins from ODP drill cores indicate aragonite precipitation directly from seawater at low temperatures with an average d44/40Ca of -1.54+/-0.08 per mil (SW). The relatively large fractionation between the aragonite precipitates and seawater in combination with their frequent abundance in weathered mafic and ultramafic rocks suggest a reconsideration of the marine Ca isotope budget, in particular with regard to ocean crust alteration.

Pleistocene rhyolithic tephra of ODP Leg 181 sites

Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), in the North Island, New Zealand, is arguably the most active Quaternary rhyolitic system in the world. Numerous and widespread rhyolitic tephra layers, sourced from the TVZ, form valuable chronostratigraphic markers in onshore and offshore sedimentary sequences. In deep-sea cores from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 181 Sites 1125, 1124, 1123 and 1122, located east of New Zealand, ca 100 tephra beds are recognised post-dating the Plio-Pleistocene boundary at 1.81 Ma. These tephras have been dated by a combination of magnetostratigraphy, orbitally tuned stable-isotope data and isothermal plateau fission track ages. The widespread occurrence of ash offshore to the east of New Zealand is favoured by the small size of New Zealand, the explosivity of the mainly plinian and ignimbritic eruptions and the prevailing westerly wind field. Although some tephras can be directly attributed to known TVZ eruptions, there are many more tephras represented within ODP-cores that have yet to be recognised in near-source on-land sequences. This is due to proximal source area erosion and/or deep burial as well as the adverse effect of vapour phase alteration and devitrification within near-source welded ignimbrites. Despite these difficulties, a number of key deep-sea tephras can be reliably correlated to equivalent-aged tephra exposed in uplifted marine back-arc successions of Wanganui Basin where an excellent chronology has been developed based on magnetostratigraphy, orbitally calibrated sedimentary cycles and isothermal plateau fission track ages on tephra. Significant Pleistocene tephra markers include: the Kawakawa, Omataroa, Rangitawa/Onepuhi, Kaukatea, Kidnappers-B, Potaka, Unit D/Ahuroa, Ongatiti, Rewa, Sub-Rewa, Pakihikura, Ototoka and Table Flat Tephras. Six other tephra layers are correlated between ODP-core sites but have yet to be recognised within onshore records. The identification of Pleistocene TVZ-sourced tephras within the ODP record, and their correlation to Wanganui Basin and other onshore sites is a significant advance as it provides: (1) an even more detailed history of the TVZ than can be currently achieved from the near-source record, (2) a high-resolution tephrochronologic framework for future onshore-offshore paleoenvironmental reconstructions, and (3) well-dated tephra beds correlated from the offshore ODP sites with astronomically tuned timescales provide an opportunity to critically evaluate the chronostratigraphic framework for onshore Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary sequences (e.g. Wanganui Basin, cf. Naish et al. (1998, doi:10.1016/S0277-3791(97)00075-9).