Antifreeze Proteins in the Primary Urine of Larvae of the Beetle \u3cem\u3eDendroides canadensis\u3c/em\u3e

To avoid freezing while overwintering beneath the bark of fallen trees, Dendroides canadensis (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae) larvae produce a family of antifreeze proteins (DAFPs) that are transcribed in specific tissues and have specific compartmental fates. DAFPs and associated thermal hysteresis activity (THA) have been shown previously in hemolymph and midgut fluid, but the presence of DAFPs has not been explored in primary urine, a potentially important site that can contain endogenous ice-nucleating compounds that could induce freezing. A maximum mean THA of 2.65±0.33°C was observed in primary urine of winter-collected D. canadensis larvae. THA in primary urine increased significantly through autumn, peaked in the winter and decreased through spring to levels of 0.2–0.3°C in summer, in a pattern similar to that of hemolymph and midgut fluid. THA was also found in hindgut fluid and excreted rectal fluid, suggesting that these larvae not only concentrate AFPs in the hindgut, but also excrete AFPs from the rectal cavity. Based on dafp transcripts isolated from Malpighian tubule epithelia, cDNAs were cloned and sequenced, identifying the presence of transcripts encoding 24 DAFP isoforms. Six of these Malpighian tubule DAFPs were known previously, but 18 are new. We also provide functional evidence that DAFPs can inhibit ice nucleators present in insect primary urine. This is potentially critical because D. canadensis larvae die if frozen, and therefore ice formation in any body fluid, including the urine, would be lethal

An Associative Semantic Network for Machine-Aided Indexing, Classification and Searching

Capturing and exploiting textual database associations has played a pivotal role in the evolution of automated information systems. A variety of statistical, linguistic and artificial intelligence approaches have been described in the literature.Many of these R and D concepts and techniques are now being incorporated into commercially available search systems and services. This paper discusses prior work and reports on research in progress aimed at creating and utilizing a global semantic associative database, AURA (Associative User Retrieval Aid) to facilitate machine-assisted indexing, classification and searching in the large-scale information processing environment of NLM's core bibliographic databases, MEDLINE and CATLINE. AURA is a semantic network of over two million natural language phrases derived from more than a million MEDLINE titles. These natural language phrases are associatively linked to NLM's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) and UMLS Metathesaurus (Unified Medical Language System) controlled vocabulary and classification resources

Atomic resolution scanning tunneling microscopy images of Au(111) surfaces in air and polar organic solvents

Atomic features of a close‐packed metal surface have been observed for the first time by scanning tunneling microscopy in organic polar solvents. Evaporated gold films, exhibiting large reconstructed (111) terraces, have been imaged with a resolution far superior to previous results in aqueous environments

An evaluation of the Behavior and Instructional Management Scale's psychometric properties using portuguese teachers

Classroom management research is an important topic as teachers cannot effectively educate students in unstructured environments. With that said, few psychometrically sound measures are available to measure behavior and instructional management. Using 1520 Portuguese teachers, we evaluated the Behavior and Instructional Management Scale's (BIMS) psychometric properties using Bayesian estimation and found that the original 12-item scale provided reasonable evidence of factorial validity and internal consistency reliability; however, a slightly revised model may be more promising. The BIMS subscales also had strong concurrent validity evidence based on the associations with perceived student engagement, perceived instructional strategies, and perceived classroom management

Flavopiridol Protects Against Inflammation by Attenuating Leukocyte-Endothelial Interaction via Inhibition of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9

Objective: The cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor flavopiridol is currently being tested in clinical trials as anticancer drug. Beyond its cell death–inducing action, we hypothesized that flavopiridol affects inflammatory processes. Therefore, we elucidated the action of flavopiridol on leukocyte–endothelial cell interaction and endothelial activation in vivo and in vitro and studied the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods and Results: Flavopiridol suppressed concanavalin A–induced hepatitis and neutrophil infiltration into liver tissue. Flavopiridol also inhibited tumor necrosis factor-α–induced leukocyte– endothelial cell interaction in the mouse cremaster muscle. Endothelial cells were found to be the major target of flavopiridol, which blocked the expression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules (intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin), as well as NF-κB-dependent transcription. Flavopiridol did not affect inhibitor of κB (IκB) kinase, the degradation and phosphorylation of IκBα, nuclear translocation of p65, or nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) DNA-binding activity. By performing a cellular kinome array and a kinase activity panel, we found LIM domain kinase-1 (LIMK1), casein kinase 2, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), protein kinase Cθ (PKCθ), CDK4, CDK6, CDK8, and CDK9 to be influenced by flavopiridol. Using specific inhibitors, as well as RNA interference (RNAi), we revealed that only CDK9 is responsible for the action of flavopiridol. Conclusion: Our study highlights flavopiridol as a promising antiinflammatory compound and inhibition of CDK9 as a novel approach for the treatment of inflammation-associated diseases