52 research outputs found
Use of a mass spectrometer to determine the composition of the undisturbed Martian atmosphere from a hypersonic entry vehicle Final report
Mass spectrometer aboard hypersonic entry vehicle for chemical composition study of Martian atmospher
Identification of a New Class of Molecules, the Arachidonyl Amino Acids, and Characterization of One Member That Inhibits Pain
In mammals, specific lipids and amino acids serve as crucial signaling molecules. In bacteria, conjugates of lipids and amino acids (referred to as lipoamino acids) have been identified and found to possess biological activity. Here, we report that mammals also produce lipoamino acids, specifically the arachidonyl amino acids. We show that the conjugate of arachidonic acid and glycine (N-arachidonylglycine (NAGly)) is present in bovine and rat brain as well as other tissues and that it suppresses tonic inflammatory pain. The biosynthesis of NAGly and its degradation by the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase can be observed in rat brain tissue. In addition to NAGly, bovine brain produces at least two other arachidonyl amino acids: N-arachidonyl gamma-aminobutyric acid (NAGABA) and N-arachidonylalanine. Like NAGly, NAGABA inhibits pain. These findings open the door to the identification of other members of this new class of biomolecules, which may be integral to pain regulation and a variety of functions in mammals
Semantic web services and mobile agents integration for efficient mobile services
The requirement for ubiquitous service access in wireless environments presents a great challenge in light of well-known problems like high error rate and frequent disconnections. In order to satisfy this requirement, we propose the integration of two modern service technologies: Web Services and Mobile Agents. This integration allows wireless users to access and invoke semantically enriched Web Services without the need for simultaneous, online presence of the service requestor. Moreover, in order to improve the capabilities of Service registries, we exploit the advantages offered by the Semantic Web framework. Specifically, we use enhanced registries enriched with semantic information that provide semantic matching to service queries and published service descriptions. Finally, we discuss the implementation of the proposed framework and present our performance assessment findings. Copyright © 2008, IGI Global
Determinants of age at menarche as early life predictors of breast cancer risk
Age at menarche is one of the few established risk factors for breast
cancer; identification of its exogenous determinants could throw light
on the origins of breast cancer. We have undertaken an epidemiologic
study in Greece to ascertain whether: 1) energy intake, an indicator of
physical activity, is associated with later age at menarche; 2)
energy-adjusted fat intake is related to earlier age at menarche; and 3)
other macronutrients and anthropometric variables are predictors of age
at menarche. Anthropometric, socio-economic, familiar, nutritional and
lifestyle predictors of age at menarche were studied by interviewing in
person 345 female students 9 to 16 years old attending 8 schools of
Greater Athens. Menarche was the outcome variable in a proportional
hazards model assessing the mutually adjusted incidence rate ratio by a
series of predictor variables. In a complementary analysis, age at
menarche was the dependent variable among menstruating girls. Consistent
results were derived from the main and the complementary analysis.
Increased height and body mass index accelerate the occurrence of
menarche. Maternal and daughter’s ages at menarche are correlated, but
there is no evidence of an association with paternal education. Various
measures of moderate physical activity as well as increased total energy
intake were associated with a delay in age at menarche. Energy-adjusted
macronutrients were not associated with age at menarche. It appears that
an alteration of energy balance in early life through increased physical
activity could delay age at menarche and reduce the risk for breast
cancer in later life. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc
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