Inhibition of histone deacetylase as a treatment for cardiac hypertrophy

The present invention provides for methods of treating and preventing cardiac hypertrophy. Class II HDACs, which are known to participate in regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression, have been shown to have beneficial effects on cardiac hypertrophy. Surprisingly, the present invention demonstrates that HDAC inhibitors inhibit cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting fetal cardiac gene expression and interfering with sarcomeric organization.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

MICROCOMPUTER BUDGET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The enterprise budget, whole farm cash flow, and income statement are fundamental tools of farm and ranch management. The "Microcomputer Budget Management System" (MBMS) is a microcomputer software package that facilitates the storage and use of information for crop and livestock budgeting. It performs the calculations for several enterprise budgeting formats and for preparation of whole farm resource use reports and financial statements. The MBMS also includes internal machinery and irrigation cost calculation routines. MBMS was developed for use by extension staff, researchers, lenders, consultants, and operators of diversified farms and ranches with many enterprises that use enterprise and whole farm budgeting for analysis and planning activities. The flexibility and detailed nature of the program requires the user to have knowledge of enterprise budgeting and operation of complex computer programs. This paper presents a discussion of the features and capabilities of the software and the computational procedures used in the cost calculations.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Vascular Endothelial Cell Growth Factor Expression In Endothelial Cells Is Induced By Mechanical Wounding

Endothelial cell motility is central to several biological processes including angiogenesis during wound healing, reendothelialization of vessel walls after damage and neovascularization of tumors. However, control mechanisms that stimulate and inhibit cell movement are not known. Our objective is to understand the signals that initiate movement of endothelial cells. To examine these questions, we used an in vitro wound model of quiescent pulmonary artery endothelial cell monolayers which were stimulated to move by mechanical injury. Ca2+ signaling at the time of wounding produces long lasting effects on cell movement. We investigated whether new gene transcription after wounding might also stimulate endothelial cell movement. Specifically, we examined transcriptional activation of vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) after injury. While many studies have reported that tumor and epithelial cells produce VEGF, there is conflicting evidence for VEGF synthesis by endothelial cells. We found that RNA transcripts for 121 and 165 amino acids VEGF isoforms were expressed in quiescent endothelial cells. These transcripts were also produced by ovarian cancer cells which induce angiogenesis in vivo. Surprisingly, after wounding, additional RNA transcripts encoding the 189 amino acid VEGF isoform were induced. VEGF might self-stimulate endothelial cells since exogenous, recombinant VEGF accelerated cell motility as much as basic fibroblast growth factor. Our data suggest that expression of the 189 amino acid VEGF isoform is upregulated in response to extravascular signals such as mechanical wounding. VEGF might act in an autocrine or paracrine manner to stimulate movement after wounding

Transfer of memory retrieval cues attenuates the context specificity of latent inhibition

Previous studies have demonstrated that the transfer of retrieval cues for original acquisition memories, old \u27reactivated‘ memories, and extinction memories attenuated the context shift effect. This study examined whether latent inhibition (CS preexposure) cues would also transfer, thus alleviating the context specificity. Rats preexposed to a particular context were immediately exposed to a different, novel context. When these rats were trained and tested in the shifted context following preexposure/exposure they showed the latent inhibition effect, i.e., retarded learning in the context that differed from preexposure. That the rats treated the shifted context as the preexposure context demonstrates that the preexposure retrieval cues transferred. These results are consistent with other findings that a novel context can serve as retrieval cues for an event learned in a different setting

Single chip camera active pixel sensor

A totally digital single chip camera includes communications to operate most of its structure in serial communication mode. The digital single chip camera include a D/A converter for converting an input digital word into an analog reference signal. The chip includes all of the necessary circuitry for operating the chip using a single pin

GM 20. Evidence for the existence of a major gene influencing hair Length and heat tolerance in bos taurus cattle

A total of 28 calves from Angus sires and Senepol × Hereford or Hereford × Senepol dams were evaluated for hair length, rectal temperatures, respiration rates, and weights. In addition, ten purebred Angus calves were included in the study as control. Measurements were taken on three consecutive weeks during the hot summer months and also during the cooler late fall. Length of the hair was evaluated using a subjective system of classification (1 - 4). The lowest values describe the typical extremely short hair of pure Senepol cattle and of its crossings F1 with Bos taurus. Twelve of the 28 calves were thus coded as slick-haired and 16 as normal-haired; this ratio does not differ significantly from the 1:1 ratio. Rectal temperature (RT) of the yearling calves of short hair was smaller (P<.02) that the one of the A in two of the dates in the summer and two of the dates in fall sessions. The TR of yearling calves 25 % S of short hair was smaller (P<.04) that of its contemporaries of normal hair in two of the three dates in the summer. TR of yearling calves 25 % Senepol calves of bulls A and with normal coat, was not different (P>.07) of the A in any of the dates. A group of 15 yearling calves of Charolais bulls in cows F1 A × S it was classified by length of hair to the end of September. Seven of these yearling calves were classified as short hair and eight like normal hair. These data suggest a greater gene for length of the hair and tolerance to the heat it could exist in the Senepol breed

A New Algorithm for Supernova Neutrino Transport and Some Applications

We have developed an implicit, multi-group, time-dependent, spherical neutrino transport code based on the Feautrier variables, the tangent-ray method, and accelerated ${\bf \Lambda}$ iteration. The code achieves high angular resolution, is good to O($v/c$), is equivalent to a Boltzmann solver (without gravitational redshifts), and solves the transport equation at all optical depths with precision. In this paper, we present our formulation of the relevant numerics and microphysics and explore protoneutron star atmospheres for snapshot post-bounce models. Our major focus is on spectra, neutrino-matter heating rates, Eddington factors, angular distributions, and phase-space occupancies. In addition, we investigate the influence on neutrino spectra and heating of final-state electron blocking, stimulated absorption, velocity terms in the transport equation, neutrino-nucleon scattering asymmetry, and weak magnetism and recoil effects. Furthermore, we compare the emergent spectra and heating rates obtained using full transport with those obtained using representative flux-limited transport formulations to gauge their accuracy and viability. Finally, we derive useful formulae for the neutrino source strength due to nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung and determine bremsstrahlung's influence on the emergent $\nu_{\mu}$ and $\nu_{\tau}$ neutrino spectra.Comment: 58 pages, single-spaced LaTeX, 23 figures, revised title, also available at http://jupiter.as.arizona.edu/~burrows/papers, accepted for publication in the Ap.

Critical role of endothelial P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 in chronic murine ileitis

L-selectin ligands might be relevant for inflammatory cell trafficking into the small intestine in a spontaneous model of chronic ileitis (i.e., SAMP1/YitFc mice). Immunoblockade of peripheral node addressin or mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule 1 failed to ameliorate ileitis, whereas P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1) neutralization attenuated both the adoptively transferred and spontaneous disease. PSGL-1 was detected in venules of mesenteric lymph node and small intestine by immunohistochemistry and confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry. In addition, reconstitution of wild-type mice with PSGL-1−/− bone marrow demonstrated that PSGL-1 messenger RNA and PSGL-1 protein expression remained on endothelium, localized within mesenteric lymph node and small intestine. Endothelial PSGL-1 bound P-selectin–IgG and its blockade or genetic deletion altered the recruitment of lymphocytes to the small intestine, as revealed by intravital microscopy and homing studies. Endothelial expression of PSGL-1 adds a new dimension to the various cellular interactions involved in small intestinal recruitment. Thus, the multiple roles of PSGL-1 may explain why targeting this single adhesion molecule results in attenuation of chronic murine ileitis, a disease previously resistant to antiadhesion molecule strategies

Current Knowledge and Considerations Regarding Survey Refusals: Executive Summary of the AAPOR Task Force Report on Survey Refusals

The landscape of survey research has arguably changed more significantly in the past decade than at any other time in its relatively brief history. In that short time, landline telephone ownership has dropped from some 98 percent of all households to less than 60 percent; cell-phone interviewing went from a novelty to a mainstay; address-based designs quickly became an accepted method of sampling the general population; and surveys via Internet panels became ubiquitous in many sectors of social and market research, even as they continue to raise concerns given their lack of random selection. Among these widespread changes, it is perhaps not surprising that the substantial increase in refusal rates has received comparatively little attention. As we will detail, it was not uncommon for a study conducted 20 years ago to have encountered one refusal for every one or two completed interviews, while today experiencing three or more refusals for every one completed interview is commonplace. This trend has led to several concerns that motivate this Task Force. As refusal rates have increased, refusal bias (as a component of nonresponse bias) is an increased threat to the validity of survey results. Of practical concern are the efficacy and cost implications of enhanced efforts to avert initial refusals and convert refusals that do occur. Finally, though no less significant, are the ethical concerns raised by the possibility that efforts to minimize refusals can be perceived as coercive or harassing potential respondents. Indeed, perhaps the most important goal of this document is to foster greater consideration by the reader of the rights of respondents in survey research