Maori facial tattoo (Ta Moko): implications for face recognition processes.

Ta Moko is the art of the Maori tattoo. It was an integral aspect of Maori society and is currently seeing resurgence in popularity. In particular it is linked with ancestry and a sense of “Maori” pride. Ta Moko is traditionally worn by Maori males on the buttocks and on the face, while Maori women wear it on the chin and lips. With curvilinear lines and spiral patterns applied to the face with a dark pigment, the full facial Moko creates a striking appearance. Given our reliance on efficiently encoding faces this transformation could potentially interfere with how viewers normally process and recognise the human face (e.g. configural information). The pattern’s effects on recognising identity, expression, race, speech, and gender are considered, and implications are drawn, which could help wearers and viewers of Ta Moko understand why sustained attention (staring) is drawn to such especially unique faces

Hospitality marketing: Principles and practice (2nd Edition)

Ideal for those new to the topic of marketing, this book discusses the eight elements of the marketing mix with direct reference to the specifics of the hospitality industry.Part A: Introduction: Introduction to hospitality marketing; Part B: Pre-encounter marketing; Marketing research; Understanding and segmenting customers; Competitive strategies; Developing the offer; Locating the offer; Pricing the offer; Distributing the offer; Communicating the offer; Part C: Encounter marketing; Managing the physical environment; Managing service processes; Managing customer-contact employees; Part D: Post-encounter marketing; Managing customer satisfaction; Relationship marketing; Part E: The marketing plan; Marketing Planning.434 page(s)2nd ed

The role of proteases in pathologies of the synovial joint

Synovial (diarthrodial) joints are employed within the body to provide skeletal mobility and have a characteristic structure adapted to provide a smooth almost frictionless surface for articulation. Pathologies of the synovial joint are an important cause of patient morbidity and can affect each of the constituent tissues. A common feature of these pathologies is degenerative changes in the structure of the tissue which is mediated, at least in part, by proteolytic activity. Most tissues of the synovial joint are composed primarily of extracellular matrix and key pathological roles in the degeneration of this matrix are performed by metalloproteinases such as matrix metallproteinases (MMPs) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS). However, other proteases such as cathepsin K are likely to play an important role, especially in bone turnover. In addition to the cleavage of structural proteins, proteolytic activities are employed to regulate the activity of other proteases, growth factors, cytokines and other inflammatory mediators. Proteases combine to form complex regulatory networks, the correct functioning of which is required for tissue homeostasis and the imbalance of which may be a feature of pathology. A precise understanding of the proteases involved in these networks is required for a true understanding of the associated pathology

In vitro and in vivo anthelmintic efficacy of plant cysteine proteinases against the rodent gastrointestinal nematode, Trichuris muris

We examined the mechanism of action and compared the anthelmintic efficacy of cysteine proteinases from papaya, pineapple, fig, kiwi fruit and Egyptian milkweed in vitro using the rodent gastrointestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus. Within a 2 h incubation period, all the cysteine proteinases, with the exception of the kiwi fruit extract, caused marked damage to the cuticle of H. polygyrus adult male and female worms, reflected in the loss of surface cuticular layers. Efficacy was comparable for both sexes of worms, was dependent on the presence of cysteine and was completely inhibited by the cysteine proteinase inhibitor, E-64. LD50 values indicated that the purified proteinases were more efficacious than the proteinases in the crude latex, with purified ficin, papain, chymopapain, Egyptian milkweed latex extract and pineapple fruit extract, containing fruit bromelain, having the most potent effect. The mechanism of action of these plant enzymes (i.e. an attack on the protective cuticle of the worm) suggests that resistance would be slow to develop in the field. The efficacy and mode of action make plant cysteine proteinases potential candidates for a novel class of anthelmintics urgently required for the treatment of humans and domestic livestock

Anthelmintic action of plant cysteine proteinases against the rodent stomach nematode, Protospirura muricola, in vitro and in vivo

Cysteine proteinases from the fruit and latex of plants, including papaya, pineapple and fig, were previously shown to have a rapid detrimental effect, in vitro, against the rodent gastrointestinal nematodes, H eligmosomoides polygyrus (which is found in the anterior small intestine) and Trichuris miti,is (which resides in the caecum). Proteinases in the crude latex of papaya also showed anthelmintic efficacy against both nematodes in vivo. In this paper, we describe the in vitro and in vivo effects of these plant extracts against the rodent nematode, Protospirua muricola, which is found in the stomach. As in earlier work, all the plant cysteine proteinases examined, with the exception of actinidain from the juice of kiwi fruit, caused rapid loss of motility and digestion of the cuticle, leading to death of the nematode in vitro. In vivo, in contrast to the efficacy against H. polygyrus and T. muris, papaya latex only showed efficacy against P. muricola adult female worms when the stomach acidity had been neutralized prior to administration of papaya latex. Therefore, collectively, our studies have demonstrated that, with the appropriate formulation, plant cysteine proteinases have efficacy against nematodes residing throughout the rodent gastrointestinal tract

Inhibition of interleukin-1β-stimulated collagenase and stromelysin expression in human tendon fibroblasts by epigallocatechin gallate ester

The medicinal benefits of green tea (Camellia sinensis) consumption have been attributed to bioavailable polyphenols, notably epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). We have assessed the effects of EGCG and its non-esterified counterpart EGC on the expression of the collagenases, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-1 and -13, and the stromelysin, MMP-3, in human tendon-derived fibroblasts. Interleukin (IL)-1ß increased MMP-1, -3 and -13 mRNA and output at least 30-fold. EGCG reduced this stimulation, by 20–30% at 2.5 µM and more than 80% at 25 µM, and had a smaller effect on MMP-2 mRNA expression, which was not stimulated by IL-1ß. In all experiments EGCG was at least 10-fold more potent than EGC. EGCG reduced the stimulation of p54 JNK/SAPK phosphorylation by IL-1ß but did not affect p38 MAPK phosphorylation, the degradation of I?B or the activating phosphorylation of NF?B. We conclude that EGCG reduces the IL-1-stimulated expression of both collagenase and stromelysin mRNA species, an effect which may be mediated by inhibition of the JNK/SAPK pathway. Taken together with previous reports of EGCG effects on the expression and/or activity of gelatinases and aggrecanases, our results underline the importance of extracellular matrix breakdown as a potential target for the actions of green tea polyphenols

Further investigations into the preparation and [4+2] cycloaddition reactions of vinyl norcaradiene derivatives

Copyright © ARKAT USA, Inc The document attached has been archived with permission from the publisher.Norcaradiene derivatives derived from the copper-catalyzed intramolecular cyclopropanation reactions of 2-(5-vinyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene) diazomethyl ketones have been prepared and submitted to Diels–Alder reactions with a range of dienophiles, including methyl acrylate, methyl 2-chloroacrylate, maleic anhydride and citraconic anhydride. The cycloaddition reactions gave better yields and were more selective when the vinyl norcaradienes were based on 8-methoxynaphthyl diazoketones.Lisa A. Buttle, Jonathan C. Morris, and Lewis N. Mande

A preliminary assessment of water partitioning and ecohydrological coupling in northern headwaters using stable isotopes and conceptual runoff models

Funded by European Research Council ERC. Grant Number: GA 335910 VEWA Swedish Science Foundation (SITES) Future Forest Formas (ForWater) SKB the Kempe foundation Environment Canada the Garfield Weston Foundation the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) the Northwest Territories Cumulative Impacts Monitoring ProgramPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Electron Tomographic Studies of Mitochondrial Crista Topology: “Swirl” Mitochondria of Drosophila Flight Muscle

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, August 5 – August 9, 2007

Assessment of the anthelmintic effect of natural plant cysteine proteinases against the gastrointestinal nematode, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, in vitro

We examined the mechanism of action and compared the anthelmintic efficacy of cysteine proteinases from papaya, pineapple, fig, kiwi fruit and Egyptian milkweed in vitro using the rodent gastrointestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus. Within a 2 h incubation period, all the cysteine proteinases, with the exception of the kiwi fruit extract, caused marked damage to the cuticle of H. polygyrus adult male and female worms, reflected in the loss of surface cuticular layers. Efficacy was comparable for both sexes of worms, was dependent on the presence of cysteine and was completely inhibited by the cysteine proteinase inhibitor, E-64. LD50 values indicated that the purified proteinases were more efficacious than the proteinases in the crude latex, with purified ficin, papain, chymopapain, Egyptian milkweed latex extract and pineapple fruit extract, containing fruit bromelain, having the most potent effect. The mechanism of action of these plant enzymes (i.e. an attack on the protective cuticle of the worm) suggests that resistance would be slow to develop in the field. The efficacy and mode of action make plant cysteine proteinases potential candidates for a novel class of anthelmintics urgently required for the treatment of humans and domestic livestock