Anion transporter: highly cell-type-specific expression of distinct polypeptides and transcripts in erythroid and nonerythroid cells

Affinity-purified antibodies and cDNA probes specific for the chicken erythrocyte anion transporter (also referred to as band 3) have been used to demonstrate that this protein is expressed in a highly cell- type-specific manner in the avian kidney. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis indicates that this polypeptide is present in only a small subset of total kidney cells and is predominantly localized to the proximal convoluted tubule of this organ. Chicken erythrocytes synthesize and accumulate two structurally and serologically related band 3 polypeptides. The polypeptide that accumulates in kidney membranes has an apparent molecular weight greater than either of its erythroid counterparts. This diversity is also reflected at the RNA level, as the single band 3 mRNA species detected during various stages of erythroid development is distinct in size from that found in kidney cells. Genomic DNA blot analysis suggests that both the erythroid and kidney band 3 RNAs arise from a single gene. Furthermore, of the adult tissues we have examined that are known to express ankyrin and spectrin polypeptides, only kidney accumulates detectable levels of the band 3 mRNA and polypeptide. These observations suggest that a subset of kidney cells use an anion transport mechanism analogous to that of erythrocytes and that band 3 is expressed in a noncoordinate manner with other components of the erythroid membrane skeleton in nonerythroid cells

Saturn S-IB stage Final static test report, stage S-IB-2

Acceptance test firing of Saturn flight stage S-IB-

International food patterns for space food

The purpose of this research was to obtain basic data on ethnic foods by studying dietary patterns and multicultural foods, and to determine nutritional status of multicultural space explorers by evaluating dietary, clinical, biochemical, and socioeconomic factors. The study will plan a significant role in providing nutritional research for space explorers of different ethnic backgrounds. It will provide scientific background information by bringing together cross cultural dietary and nutritional from different ethnic groups. Results will also help the health care personnel including physicians, dietitians, and nutritionists to better understand and assist patients from other cultures illness. Also, the results will provide data which will help in the development of future food plans for long duration flights involving manned exploration to Mars and lunar base colonies

Parthenolide eliminates leukemia-initiating cell populations and improves survival in xenografts of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Key Points First report demonstrating in vivo elimination of multiple LIC populations from childhood ALL cases using animal models. In vivo models of leukemia are essential for drug evaluation studies.</jats:p

The peculiar molecular envelope around the post-AGB star IRAS 08544--4431

Circumbinary disks have been hypothesized to exist around a number of binary post-AGB stars. Although most of the circumbinary disks have been inferred through the near IR excess, a few of them are strong emitters of molecular emission. Here we present high angular resolution observations of the emission of $^{12}$CO and its isotopomer $^{13}$CO J=2--1 line from the circumstellar envelope around the binary post-AGB star IRAS 08544$-$4431, which is one of the most prominent members of this class of objects. We find that the envelope is resolved in our observations and two separate components can be identified: (a) a central extended and strong component with very narrow linewidth between 2 - 6 \kms; (b) a weak bipolar outflow with expansion velocity up to 8 \kms. The central compact component possesses low and variable $^{12}$CO/$^{13}$CO J=2--1 line ratio, indicating optically thick emission of the main isotope. We estimate a molecular gas mass of 0.0047 M$_\odot$ for this component based on the optically thinner $^{13}$CO J=2--1 line. We discuss the relation of the molecular envelope and the circumbinary disk inferred from near IR excess and compare with other known cases where the distribution of molecular gas has been imaged at high angular resolution.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa

Space-time modeling of soil moisture: Stochastic rainfall forcing with heterogeneous vegetation

The present paper complements that of Isham et al. (2005), who introduced a space-time soil moisture model driven by stochastic space-time rainfall forcing with homogeneous vegetation and in the absence of topographical landscape effects. However, the spatial variability of vegetation may significantly modify the soil moisture dynamics with important implications for hydrological modeling. In the present paper, vegetation heterogeneity is incorporated through a two dimensional Poisson process representing the coexistence of two functionally different types of plants (e.g., trees and grasses). The space-time statistical structure of relative soil moisture is characterized through its covariance function which depends on soil, vegetation, and rainfall patterns. The statistical properties of the soil moisture process averaged in space and time are also investigated. These properties are especially important for any modeling that aggregates soil moisture characteristics over a range of spatial and temporal scales. It is found that particularly at small scales, vegetation heterogeneity has a significant impact on the averaged process as compared with the uniform vegetation case. Also, averaging in space considerably smoothes the soil moisture process, but in contrast, averaging in time up to 1 week leads to little change in the variance of the averaged process