Nag Hammadi Library in English: Revised Edition and The Jesus of Heresy and History: The Discovery and Meanings of the Nag Hammadi Gnostic Library (Book Reviews)

Reviewed Titles: The Nag Hammadi Library in English: Revised Edition, James M. Robinson, General Editor (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988). 549 pp. + v-xv. The Jesus of Heresy and History: The Discovery and Meaning of the Nag Hammadi Gnostic Library, John Dart (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988). 204 pp. + v-xvii

God Meant it for Good: The Covenant and the Church Today (Book Review)

Reviewed Title: God Meant it for Good: The Covenant and the Church Today, by Ted Hoogsteen (Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Welch Publishing) 1989. 99 pp

Let the Whole World Know: Resources for Preaching on Missions (Book Review)

Reviewed Title: Let the Whole World Know: Resources for Preaching on Missions, Richard R. DeRidder and Roger S. Greenway (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988). 203 pp

New Testament Background: Selected Documents (Book Review)

Reviewed Title: The New Testament Background: Selected Documents, by C. K. Barrett (San Francisco: Harper and Row) 1989. xxix + 361 pp

Control of Cellular Motility by Neuropilin-Mediated Physical Interactions

The neuropilin (Nrp) family consists of multifunctional cell surface receptors with critical roles in a number of different cell and tissue types. A core aspect of Nrp function is in ligand-dependent cellular migration, where it controls the multistep process of cellular motility through integration of ligand binding and receptor signaling. At a molecular level, the role of Nrp in migration is intimately connected to the control of adhesive interactions and cytoskeletal reorganization. Here, we review the physiological role of Nrp in cellular adhesion and motility in the cardiovascular and nervous systems. We also discuss the emerging pathological role of Nrp in tumor cell migration and metastasis, providing motivation for continued efforts toward developing Nrp inhibitors

Thermophilic Phosphatases and Methods for Processing Starch Using the Same

The presently-disclosed subject matter includes thermophilic glucan phosphatase polypeptides. In some embodiments the polypeptide includes non-native laforin polypeptides, or fragments and/or variants thereof, and in some instances the polypeptide can alter the biophysical properties of starch in vitro or in planta. The presently-disclosed subject matter also includes isolated polynucleotides encoding the present polypeptides, methods for processing starch by exposing starch to the present polypeptides, and methods for making the present polypeptides

Letter from Cornelius Vander Meulen to Karl de Moen

A letter from the Rev. Cornelius Vander Meulen to the Rev. Karel de Moen, giving a full report of the Zeeland settlement.https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/vrp_1840s/1218/thumbnail.jp

Rigorous formulation of oblique incidence scattering from dispersive media

We formulate a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) approach to simulate electromagnetic wave scattering from scatterers embedded in layered dielectric or dispersive media. At the heart of our approach is a derivation of an equivalent one-dimensional wave propagation equation for dispersive media characterized by a linear sum of Debye-, Drude- and Lorentz-type poles. The derivation is followed by a detailed discussion of the simulation setup and numerical issues. The developed methodology is tested by comparison with analytical reflection and transmission coefficients for scattering from a slab, illustrating good convergence behavior. The case of scattering from a sub-wavelength slit in a dispersive thin film is explored to demonstrate the applicability of our formulation to time- and incident angle-dependent analysis of surface waves generated by an obliquely incident plane wave.Comment: 35 pages, 8 figures, 4 table

Mechanism of Selective VEGF-A Binding by Neuropilin-1 Reveals a Basis for Specific Ligand Inhibition

Neuropilin (Nrp) receptors function as essential cell surface receptors for the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) family of proangiogenic cytokines and the semaphorin 3 (Sema3) family of axon guidance molecules. There are two Nrp homologues, Nrp1 and Nrp2, which bind to both overlapping and distinct members of the VEGF and Sema3 family of molecules. Nrp1 specifically binds the VEGF-A164/5 isoform, which is essential for developmental angiogenesis. We demonstrate that VEGF-A specific binding is governed by Nrp1 residues in the b1 coagulation factor domain surrounding the invariant Nrp C-terminal arginine binding pocket. Further, we show that Sema3F does not display the Nrp-specific binding to the b1 domain seen with VEGF-A. Engineered soluble Nrp receptor fragments that selectively sequester ligands from the active signaling complex are an attractive modality for selectively blocking the angiogenic and chemorepulsive functions of Nrp ligands. Utilizing the information on Nrp ligand binding specificity, we demonstrate Nrp constructs that specifically sequester Sema3 in the presence of VEGF-A. This establishes that unique mechanisms are used by Nrp receptors to mediate specific ligand binding and that these differences can be exploited to engineer soluble Nrp receptors with specificity for Sema3