Lean implementations of software testing tools using XML representations of source codes

By utilizing XML representations of source programs under test, a new approach is proposed to concisely implement some prototypes for TACCLE, a software testing methodology. The conversions between a source program and its XML representation can be easily realized using existing conversion tools. In this way, the conversion tools can automatically analyze and parse the source program, so that testing tool developers only need to concentrate on the manipulation of the XML document. If appropriate XML DOM APIs are chosen, the implementations of such testing tools will be pretty lean. A detailed case study for GMPS tool, a prototype for the TACCLE methodology, is presented to illustrate the new approach. © 2008 IEEE.published_or_final_versionThis research is supported by the Jinan University Youth Foundation under Grant #51208035, Union Grant of Guangdong Province and National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant #U0775001, and the Guangdong Province Science Foundation under Grant #7010116

Biologic stability of plasma ion-implanted miniscrews

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Cloning and expression analysis of two distinct HIF-alpha isoforms – gcHIF-1alpha and gcHIF-4alpha – from the hypoxia-tolerant grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are involved in adaptive and survival responses to hypoxic stress in mammals. In fish, very little is known about the functions of HIFs. RESULTS: We have cloned and characterized two distinct HIF-alpha cDNAs – gcHIF-1alpha and gcHIF-4alpha – from the hypoxia-tolerant grass carp. The deduced gcHIF-1alpha protein is highly similar to the HIF-1alphas (57–68%) from various vertebrate species, while gcHIF-4alpha is a novel isoform, and shows an equivalent degree of amino acid identity (41–47%) to the HIF-1alpha, HIF-2alpha and HIF-3alpha proteins so far described. Parsimony analysis indicated that gcHIF-4alpha is most closely related to the HIF-3alpha proteins. Northern blot analysis showed that mRNA levels of gcHIF-1alpha and gcHIF-4alpha differ substantially under normoxic and hypoxic conditions, while Western blot studies demonstrated that the endogenous protein levels for both gcHIF-1alpha and gcHIF-4alpha are similarly responsive to hypoxia. Our findings suggest that both gcHIF-1alpha and gcHIF-4alpha are differentially regulated at the transcriptional and translational levels. HRE-luciferase reporter assays show that both proteins function as transcription activators and play distinct roles in modulating the hypoxic response in grass carp. CONCLUSION: There are at least two distinct HIF-alpha isoforms – gcHIF-1alpha and gcHIF-4alpha – in the hypoxia-tolerant grass carp, which are differentially expressed and regulated in different fish organs in response to hypoxic stress. Overall, the results suggest that unique molecular mechanisms operate through these two HIF-alpha isoforms, which underpin the hypoxic response in the hypoxia-tolerant grass carp

Over-expression of AtPAP2 in Camelina sativa leads to faster plant growth and higher seed yield

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lipids extracted from seeds of <it>Camelina sativa </it>have been successfully used as a reliable source of aviation biofuels. This biofuel is environmentally friendly because the drought resistance, frost tolerance and low fertilizer requirement of <it>Camelina sativa </it>allow it to grow on marginal lands. Improving the species growth and seed yield by genetic engineering is therefore a target for the biofuels industry. In <it>Arabidopsis</it>, overexpression of purple acid phosphatase 2 encoded by <it>Arabidopsis </it>(<it>AtPAP2</it>) promotes plant growth by modulating carbon metabolism. Overexpression lines bolt earlier and produce 50% more seeds per plant than wild type. In this study, we explored the effects of overexpressing AtPAP2 in <it>Camelina sativa</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Under controlled environmental conditions, overexpression of AtPAP2 in <it>Camelina sativa </it>resulted in longer hypocotyls, earlier flowering, faster growth rate, higher photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance, increased seed yield and seed size in comparison with the wild-type line and null-lines. Similar to transgenic <it>Arabidopsis</it>, activity of sucrose phosphate synthase in leaves of transgenic <it>Camelina </it>was also significantly up-regulated. Sucrose produced in photosynthetic tissues supplies the building blocks for cellulose, starch and lipids for growth and fuel for anabolic metabolism. Changes in carbon flow and sink/source activities in transgenic lines may affect floral, architectural, and reproductive traits of plants.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Lipids extracted from the seeds of <it>Camelina sativa </it>have been used as a major constituent of aviation biofuels. The improved growth rate and seed yield of transgenic <it>Camelina </it>under controlled environmental conditions have the potential to boost oil yield on an area basis in field conditions and thus make <it>Camelina</it>-based biofuels more environmentally friendly and economically attractive.</p

Dynamic dyssynchrony and impaired contractile reserve of the left ventricle in beta-thalassaemia major: an exercise echocardiographic study

BACKGROUND: Performance of the left ventricle during exercise stress in thalassaemia patients is uncertain. We aimed to explore the phenomenon of dynamic dyssynchrony and assess contractile reserve in patients with beta-thalassaemia major and determine their relationships with myocardial iron load. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-two thalassaemia patients (16 males), aged 26.8+/-6.9 years, without heart failure and 17 healthy controls were studied. Their left ventricular (LV) volumes, ejection fraction, systolic dyssynchrony index (SDI), and myocardial acceleration during isovolumic LV contraction (IVA) were determined at rest and during submaximal bicycle exercise testing using 3-dimensional and tissue Doppler echocardiography. Myocardial iron load as assessed by T2* cardiac magnetic resonance in patients were further related to indices of LV dyssynchrony and contractile reserve. At rest, patients had significantly greater LV SDI (p4.6%, control+2SD) increased from baseline 25% to 84% in patients. Delta SDI(exercise-baseline) correlated with exercise-baseline differences in LV ejection fraction (p<0.001) and stroke volume (p = 0.006). Compared with controls, patients had significantly less exercise-induced increase in LV ejection fraction, cardiac index, and IVA (interaction, all p<0.05) and had impaired contractile reserve as reflected by the gentler IVA-heart rate slope (p = 0.018). Cardiac T2* in patients correlated with baseline LV SDI (r = -0.44, p = 0.011) and IVA-heart rate slope (r = 0.36, p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Resting LV dyssynchrony is associated with myocardial iron load. Exercise stress further unveils LV dynamic dyssynchrony and impaired contractile reserve in patients with beta-thalassaemia major.published_or_final_versio

Baicalein-Induced Apoptosis via Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Through Elevations of Reactive Oxygen Species and Mitochondria Dependent Pathway in Mouse-Rat Hybrid Retina Ganglion Cells (N18)

[[abstract]]Studies were designed to investigate the effects of baicalein on mouse-rat hybrid retina ganglion cells (N18) to better understand its effect on apoptosis and apoptosis-related genes in vitro. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytoplasmic Ca2+, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), apoptosis induction, and caspases-3 activity were examined by flow cytometric assay. Apoptosis-associated proteins such as p53, Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome c, and caspase-3 were examined by Western blot. We demonstrated the increase in the levels of p53, Bax, and cytochrome c and decrease in the level of Bcl-2, which are associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death after 24 h treatment with baicalein in N18 cells. Baicalein induced an increase in the cytoplasmic levels of ROS and Ca2+ in 1 h and reached their peak at 3 h, and thereafter a loss of MMP by flow cytometry. We also demonstrated a release of the cytochrome c from mitochondria into cytosol and an activation of caspase-3, which led to the occurrence of apoptosis in N18 cells treated with baicalein by Western blot. Pretreatment was conducted with BAPTA (intracellular calcium chelator) in baicalein-treated cells, the decline of MMP was recovered, and the increase in the level of cytoplasmic Ca2+ was suppressed, and the proportion of apoptosis was also markedly diminished. In conclusion, our data suggests that oxidative stress and cellular Ca2+ modulates the baicalein-induced cell death via a Ca2+-dependent mitochondrial death pathway in N18 cells

Hypoxia induces telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene expression in non-tumor fish tissues in vivo: the marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) model

BACKGROUND: Current understanding on the relationships between hypoxia, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene expression are largely based on in vitro studies in human cancer cells. Although several reports demonstrated HIF-1- mediated upregulation of the human TERT gene under hypoxia, conflicting findings have also been reported. Thus far, it remains uncertain whether these findings can be directly extrapolated to non-tumor tissues in other whole animal systems in vivo. While fish often encounter environmental hypoxia, the in vivo regulation of TERT by hypoxia in non-neoplastic tissues of fish remains virtually unknown. RESULTS: The adult marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) was employed as a model fish in this study. We have cloned and characterized a 3261-bp full-length TERT cDNA, omTERT, which encodes a protein of 1086 amino acids. It contains all of the functional motifs that are conserved in other vertebrate TERTs. Motif E is the most highly conserved showing 90.9–100% overall identity among the fish TERTs and 63.6% overall identity among vertebrates. Analysis of the 5'-flanking sequence of the omTERT gene identified two HRE (hypoxia-responsive element; nt. – 283 and – 892) cores. Overexpression of the HIF-1α induced omTERT promoter activity as demonstrated using transient transfection assays. The omTERT gene is ubiquitously expressed in fish under normoxia, albeit at varying levels, where highest expression was observed in gonads and the lowest in liver. In vivo expression of omTERT was significantly upregulated in testis and liver in response to hypoxia (at 96 h and 48 h, respectively), where concomitant induction of the omHIF-1α and erythropoietin (omEpo) genes was also observed. In situ hybridization analysis showed that hypoxic induction of omTERT mRNA was clearly evident in hepatocytes in the caudal region of liver and in spermatogonia-containing cysts in testis. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates for the first time, hypoxic regulation of TERT expression in vivo in a whole fish system. Our findings support the notion that hypoxia upregulates omTERT expression via omHIF-1 in non-neoplastic fish liver and testis in vivo. Overall, the structure and regulation of the TERT gene is highly conserved in vertebrates from fish to human

Bilateral pheochromocytomas in MEN2A syndrome: a two-institution experience

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Electronic Properties of Boron and Nitrogen doped graphene: A first principles study

Effect of doping of graphene either by Boron (B), Nitrogen (N) or co-doped by B and N is studied using density functional theory. Our extensive band structure and density of states calculations indicate that upon doping by N (electron doping), the Dirac point in the graphene band structure shifts below the Fermi level and an energy gap appears at the high symmetric K-point. On the other hand, by B (hole doping), the Dirac point shifts above the Fermi level and a gap appears. Upon co-doping of graphene by B and N, the energy gap between valence and conduction bands appears at Fermi level and the system behaves as narrow gap semiconductor. Obtained results are found to be in well agreement with available experimental findings.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, submitted to J. Nanopart. Re