Inhibitor regulation of tissue kallikrein activity in the synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid athritis

Tissue kallikrein (TK) and 1-antitrypsin (AT)/TK complexes can be detected in SF from patients with RA if components of the fluids which interfere with the detection of TK are removed. 2-Macroglobulin (2-M) in SF was demonstrated to contain trapped proteases which were still active in amidase assays. Removal of 2-M from RA SF reduced their amidase activity. However, at least some of the remaining activity was due to TK because it was soya bean trypsin inhibitor resistant and trasylol sensitive and was partly removed by affinity chromatography on anti-TK sepharose. Removal of RF from the fluids reduced the values obtained for TK levels by ELISA. Addition of SF to human urinary kallikrein (HUK) considerably reduced the levels of TK detected suggesting the presence of a TK ELISA inhibitor in the fluids. Removal of components of >300 kDa from SF markedly reduced the TK ELISA inhibitory activity and increased the values for both the TK and l-AT/TK levels in fluids as measured by ELISA. It is considered this novel inhibitor does not bind to the active site of TK but rather binds to the site reactive with anti-TK antibodies

Impact of California's Transitional Kindergarten Program, 2013-14

Transitional kindergarten (TK)—the first year of a two-year kindergarten program for California children who turn 5 between September 2 and December 2—is intended to better prepare young five-year-olds for kindergarten and ensure a strong start to their educational career. To determine whether this goal is being achieved, American Institutes for Research (AIR) is conducting an evaluation of the impact of TK in California. The goal of this study is to measure the success of the program by determining the impact of TK on students' readiness for kindergarten in several areas. Using a rigorous regression discontinuity (RD) research design,1 we compared language, literacy, mathematics, executive function, and social-emotional skills at kindergarten entry for students who attended TK and for students who did not attend TK. Overall, we found that TK had a positive impact on students' kindergarten readiness in several domains, controlling for students' age differences. These effects are over and above the experiences children in the comparison group had the year before kindergarten, which for more than 80 percent was some type of preschool program

Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity in South Africa : CSIR case

The focus of this paper is traditional knowledge (TK) and indigenous biological resources protection in South Africa, through the analysis of the existing policies and legislations, in order to provide a useful insight for a developed country such as Japan which has recently adopted the guidelines for the protection of TK and biological resources and promotion of access and benefit sharing (ABS). South Africa is the 3rd most diverse country in terms of natural resources, culture and traditions, languages and geology and its comprehensive legislative framework system shows the country\u27s seriousness to safeguard TK and conserve biological resources for future generations. The paper uses the South Africa\u27s government owned research and technology development institution, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), as an example to demonstrate the application of the TK protection and biodiversity conservation (including access and benefit sharing) laws, through case studies approach for lessons learned for other African countries, contemplating creation of their own TK protection and environmental conservation. Due to the repositioning of CSIR within the local and global research and develop, the organisation has adopted Industrialisation Strategy, and TK will play a significant role in technology development and new business models in rural agroprocessing and production to enhance inclusive development (through benefit sharing) and support economic growth. The paper concludes that TK and indigenous biological resources protection through the relevant government laws, as well as value addition to TK and biodiversity through research and development supported by government funding, is necessary for socioeconomic attainment, especially for local and indigenous communities and rural agroprocessing businesses as part of benefit sharing

Inclusion Matrices and Chains

Given integers $t$, $k$, and $v$ such that $0\leq t\leq k\leq v$, let $W_{tk}(v)$ be the inclusion matrix of $t$-subsets vs. $k$-subsets of a $v$-set. We modify slightly the concept of standard tableau to study the notion of rank of a finite set of positive integers which was introduced by Frankl. Utilizing this, a decomposition of the poset $2^{[v]}$ into symmetric skipless chains is given. Based on this decomposition, we construct an inclusion matrix, denoted by $W_{\bar{t}k}(v)$, which is row-equivalent to $W_{tk}(v)$. Its Smith normal form is determined. As applications, Wilson's diagonal form of $W_{tk}(v)$ is obtained as well as a new proof of the well known theorem on the necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of integral solutions of the system $W_{tk}\bf{x}=\bf{b}$ due to Wilson. Finally we present anotherinclusion matrix with similar properties to those of $W_{\bar{t}k}(v)$ which is in some way equivalent to $W_{tk}(v)$.Comment: Accepted for publication in Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Series

Toric partial density functions and stability of toric varieties

Let $(L, h)\to (X, \omega)$ denote a polarized toric K\"ahler manifold. Fix a toric submanifold $Y$ and denote by $\hat{\rho}_{tk}:X\to \mathbb{R}$ the partial density function corresponding to the partial Bergman kernel projecting smooth sections of $L^k$ onto holomorphic sections of $L^k$ that vanish to order at least $tk$ along $Y$, for fixed $t>0$ such that $tk\in \mathbb{N}$. We prove the existence of a distributional expansion of $\hat{\rho}_{tk}$ as $k\to \infty$, including the identification of the coefficient of $k^{n-1}$ as a distribution on $X$. This expansion is used to give a direct proof that if $\omega$ has constant scalar curvature, then $(X, L)$ must be slope semi-stable with respect to $Y$. Similar results are also obtained for more general partial density functions. These results have analogous applications to the study of toric K-stability of toric varieties.Comment: Accepted by Mathematische Annalen on 13 September 201

Translation of mRNA injected into Xenopus oocytes is specifically inhibited by antisense RNA.

The bacteriophage SP6 promoter and RNA polymerase were used to synthesize sense and antisense RNAs coding for the enzymes thymidine kinase (TK) and chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT). Injection of antisense CAT RNA into frog oocytes inhibited expression of sense CAT mRNA. Similarly, antisense TK RNA inhibited expression of sense TK mRNA. Antisense RNAs were stable in oocytes and had no detectable effect on either the expression of endogenous proteins or on the expression of nonhomologous RNA transcripts. CAT activity expressed from a plasmid transcribed in the oocyte nucleus was also inhibited by antisense RNA injected into the oocyte cytoplasm. The data suggest that antisense RNA will be useful in identifying the function of specific mRNA sequences during early development of the frog