Molecular characterization of Trimeresurus stejnegeri venom L-amino acid oxidase with potential anti-HIV activity

A novel L-amino acid oxidase, named TSV-LAO, has been purified and cloned from the snake Trimeresurus stejnegeri. Fifty percentage cytotoxic concentrations (CC50) of TSV-LAO on C8166 cells were 24 and 390 nM in the absence or presence of catalase (400nM), respectively. However, at concentrations that showed little effect on cell viability, TSV-LAO displayed dose dependent inhibition on HIV-1 infection and replication. The antiviral selectivity indexes (CC50/EC50) were 16 and 6, respectively, corresponding to the measurements of syncytium formation and HIV-1 p24 antigen expression. Interestingly, the presence of catalase resulted in an increase of its antiviral selectivity to 52 and 38. Under the same conditions, no anti-HIV-1 activity was observed by exogenous addition of H2O2. The complete amino acid sequence of TSV-LAO, as deduced from its cDNA, exhibits a high degree of sequence identity with other snake venom LAOs. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Purification, characterization and biological activity of an L-amino acid oxidase from Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom

An L-amino acid oxidase (TM-LAO) from the venom of Hunan Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus was purified to homogenicity by three steps including DEAE Sephadex A-50 ion-exchange chromatography, Sephadex G-75 gel filtration and Resourse Q ion-exchange chromatography. TM-LAO is composed of two identical subunits with a molecular weight of 55 kD by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight was different with that of LAO purified from the same species distributed in Taiwan that was 70 kD. The 24 N-terminal ammo acid sequence of TM-LAO is ADNKNPLEECFRETNYEEFLEIAR, which shares high similarity with other Viperid snake venom LAOs and has moderate similarity with Elapid snake venom LAOs. Further studies found that TM-LAO inhibited the growth of E. colt, S. aurues and B. dysenteriae. TM-LAO also showed cytotoxicity and platelet aggregation activity. All the biological activities were eliminated by catalase, a H2O2 scavenger. It shows that these biological effects are possibly due to the formation of H2O2 produced by TM-LAO.

Depicting the future strategic plans of the Royal Australian Navy using a roadmapping framework as a visual composite canvas

Strategic planning can be an arduous and complex task; and, once a plan has been devised, it is often quite a challenge to effectively communicate the principal missions and key priorities to the array of different stakeholders. The communication challenge can be addressed through the application of a clearly and concisely designed visualisation of the strategic plan - to that end, this paper proposes the use of a roadmapping framework to structure a visual canvas. The canvas provides a template in the form of a single composite visual output that essentially allows a 'plan-on-a-page' to be generated. Such a visual representation provides a high-level depiction of the future context, end-state capabilities and the system-wide transitions needed to realise the strategic vision. To demonstrate this approach, an illustrative case study based on the Australian Government's Defence White Paper and the Royal Australian Navy's fleet plan will be presented. The visual plan plots the in-service upgrades for addressing the capability shortfalls and gaps in the Navy's fleet as it transitions from its current configuration to its future end-state vision. It also provides a visualisation of project timings in terms of the decision gates (approval, service release) and specific phases (proposal, contract, delivery) together with how these projects are rated against the key performance indicators relating to the technology acquisition process and associated management activities. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

A bottom-up energy analysis across a diverse urban building portfolio: Retrofits for the buildings at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK

A methodology for the analysis of building energy retrofits has been developed for a diverse set of buildings at the Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG), Kew in southwest London, UK. The methodology requires selection of appropriate building simulation tools dependent on the nature of the principal energy demand. This has involved the development of a stand-alone model to simulate the heat flow in botanical glasshouses, as well as stochastic simulation of electricity demand for buildings with high equipment density and occupancy-led operation. Application of the methodology to the buildings at RBG Kew illustrates the potential reduction in energy consumption at the building scale achievable from the application of retrofit measures deemed appropriate for heritage buildings and the potential benefit to be gained from onsite generation and supply of energy. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

固斑蝰蛇毒C-型凝集素样蛋白Dabocetin及L-氨基酸氧化酶DRS-LAO的研究

本论文研究了从圆斑蛙蛇泰国亚种（Daboia russellii siamensis）蛇毒中纯化的C一型凝集素样蛋白Dabocetin和L一氨基酸氧化酶DRS一AO的理化性质、生物学活性和分子克隆。Dabocetin是分子量约为28扔。的异二聚体蛋白，它由分子量约为15.0kDa和14．5kDa的两个同源亚基以和p共价结合形成。N－末端氨基酸序列比较显示，Dabocetin与目前已知的蛇毒c一型凝集素样蛋白有很高的同源性。即使在终浓度达50．0。叫而时，Dabocetin也不能直接诱导血小板聚集。此外，在终浓度为40.00μg/ml时，Dabocetin几乎不能抑制由AdP，TMVA和stejnulxin诱导的血小板聚集。但是，Dabocetin呈剂量依赖地抑制瑞斯托霉素诱导的血小板凝集，其半数抑制率ICS。值为10.80ug/ml。流式细胞仪分析表明，Dabocetin显著抑制单克隆抗体522与GPIba的结合，提示Dabocetin很可能是一个GPIb结合蛋白。从圆斑蛙蛇的毒腺中克隆到了7个编码不同蛇毒C一型凝集素样蛋白亚基的七DNA（命名为DRs一1至DRs一7）。其中，DRsLS编码Dabocetin的a亚基，DRS一6编码Dabocetin的p亚基。DRs一1和DRS一2很可能是圆斑蛙蛇毒腺中表达的X因子激活剂的两条轻链LCZ和LCI的山NA。DRS一3，DRS毛4和DRSL7可能是圆斑蛙蛇毒腺中表达的C一型凝集素样蛋白p亚基的。NA。DRsLAO是一个新的L一氨基酸氧化酶，比活力为1．98U加噶。十二烷基磺酸钠一聚丙烯酞氨凝胶电泳（SDs-PAGE）分析显示，该酶在还原和非还原条件下均呈现一条蛋白带，表观分子量约为58kDa。N-末端氨基酸序列比较显示，DRS一AO与目前已知的蛇毒L一氨基酸氧化酶有很高的同源性。该酶的最适底物为L一亮氨酸，最适pH为8．8。DRs一Ao呈剂量依赖地抑制扔P和仆IvA诱导的血小板聚集，其半数抑制率ICS。值分别为32.8μg/ml和32.3μg/ml。DRS-LAO对金黄色葡萄球菌（灯Cc25923）和耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌有较强的抗菌作用。DRs一AO对金黄色葡萄球菌必Tcc25923）的最低抑菌浓度卿C）和最低杀菌浓度耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌的孤CS。和呱Cg。值分别为18．。林留时和36.0μg/ml；DRSLAo对耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌的MBC50和MBCg。值分别为36.0μg/ml和72.0μg/ml。通过对DRS一AO的分子克隆，得到了编码DRS-AO的部分cDNA序列。

Density functional studies of diatomic LaO to LuO

Bond distances, vibrational frequencies, electron affinities, ionization potentials, dissociation energies and dipole moments of the title molecules in neutral, positively and negatively charged ions were studied by use of density functional method. Ground electronic state was assigned for each molecule. The bonding patterns were analyzed and compared with both the available data and across the series. It was found that besides ionic component, covalent bonds are formed between the metal s, d and f orbitals and oxygen p orbitals. Contrary to the well known lanthanide contraction, the bond distance is not regular from LaO to LuO for both neutral and charged molecules. An obvious population at 5d orbital was observed through the lanthanide series. 4f electrons also participate the chemical bonding for CeO to NdO and TbO to TmO. For EuO, GdO, YbO and LuO, 4f electrons tend to be localized. The spin multiplicity is regular for neutral and charged molecules. The spin multiplicity of the charged molecules can be obtained by -1 (or +1 for TbO+, DyO+, YbO- and YbO+) compared with the corresponding neutral molecules.

Report on the British Society of Rheology mid-winter meeting on The Rheology of Foams and Emulsions, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College, London 10th - 11th December 2007

S.J. Cox, S. Neethling and H. Wilson (2008) British Society of Rheology mid-winter meeting on The Rheology of Foams and Emulsions. Applied Rheology 18:93-95

Toward a European Army: A Military Power in the Making?

Shepherd, Alistair, and T. C. Salmon, Toward a European Army: A Military Power in the Making? (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2003), pp.x+237 RAE2008

Soldiers, Peasants, Industry and Towns. The Roman Army in Britain: A Welsh Perspective

Davies, Jeffrey. 'Soldiers, Peasants, Industry and Towns. The Roman Army in Britain: A Welsh Perspective', In: The Roman Army and the Economy (Amsterdam: J.C. Gieben, 2002), pp.169-203 RAE2008

The contribution of warlordism to the disintegration of the western Roman army (c. AD 395-480)

My thesis investigates the dynamics behind the changing nature of the leadership of the western Roman army in the fifth century through the concept of ‘warlordism’. I carried this out by analyzing those cases of insubordination and military unrest in the officer class of the western Roman army, which can be shown to be linked to the slow decline of central authority and the imperial office in the period 395-480. My thesis demonstrates that theories of ‘Warlordism’, as developed in social sciences, can be useful for both the late Imperial west as for other eras of ancient history, such as the late Roman republic. Warlordism was a way of continuing politics, if necessary by military means, when commanders found themselves outside the legitimate framework. Unlike the case of usurpation of the imperial office, when there was little hope of achieving permanent recognition and acceptance, it offered insubordinate officers a chance of returning to the ruling imperial regime depending on circumstances and the success of their resistance. I propose that warlordism functioned as an alternative to usurpation, a tool for military dissidence, fuelled by an economy of violence. Contrary to modern warlordism, the warlordism of the fifth century AD represented a transient phase which no imperial commander was willing to prolong indefinitely. At some stage, given the means, warlords in the western Roman army wanted to become part of the imperial echelon again. Yet these alternative methods of violent opposition, and the acquisition of force through private means, ensured the breakdown of the state’s monopoly on violence and the disintegration of centralized armies. What started as an accidental revolution became a new form of military rule.

Les parties du discours dans la grammaire de Port-Royal

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Additions à la bibliographie de Charles Porset sur les sciences du langage de Port-Royal aux Idéologues (1660-1818)

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