The correlated evolution of Runx2 tandem repeats, transcriptional activity, and facial length in carnivora

To assess the ability of protein-coding mutations to contribute to subtle, inter-specific morphologic evolution, here, we test the hypothesis that mutations within the protein-coding region of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) have played a role in facial evolution in 30 species from a naturally evolving group, the mammalian order Carnivora. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find significant correlations between changes in Runx2 glutamine-alanine tandem-repeat ratio, and both Runx2 transcriptional activity and carnivoran facial length. Furthermore, we identify a potential evolutionary mechanism for the correlation between Runx2 tandem repeat ratio and facial length. Specifically, our results are consistent with the Runx2 tandem repeat system providing a flexible genetic mechanism to rapidly change the timing of ossification. These heterochronic changes, in turn, potentially act on existing allometric variation in carnivoran facial length to generate the disparity in adult facial lengths observed among carnivoran species. Our results suggest that despite potentially great pleiotropic effects, changes to the protein-coding regions of genes such as Runx2 do occur and have the potential to affect subtle morphologic evolution across a diverse array of species in naturally evolving lineages.

Determination of uranium in aqueous attenuating samples using gamma-ray spectrometry

In the present work, a method for determination of uranium concentration in aqueous solution in standard geometry from attenuating samples has been developed based on modification of the empirical approach of Venkataraman and Croft [2003. Determination of plutonium mass using gamma-ray spectrometry. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 505, 527-530]. The method makes use of the multiple gamma (gamma)-rays emitted by 235U and depends on the empirical relation between apparent mass of the sample and gamma-ray energy. It was possible to determine uranium concentration in the range of 12-400mg/ml rapidly by this method without applying transmission corrections.

Self-medication among residents of urban resettlement colony, New Delhi

A cross-sectional survey on the practice of self-medication was carried out in September 2005, among 1928 residents of urban resettlement colony in New Delhi. Prevalence of self-medication among those who had suffered some illness episode in the last one month was 31.3%. Head/ joint/body ache were the most common symptoms for which self-medication was practiced. Chemists were the main source of prescription for self-medication. Time and money factor were identified as the major reasons for not seeking doctor's advice and taking self-medication instead. It was of concern that about 87% users were not aware of side effects of self-medication.

Development and applications of the k0-based internal mono standard INAA method

The k0-based internal monostandard instrumental neutron activation analysis (IM-INAA) method, developed and standardized in our laboratory, is capable of analyzing both small and large samples of different sizes and shapes. Use of in-situ relative efficiency makes the method geometry independent. In this paper, we present the development of this methodology and applications to two types of alloys namely, stainless steel and brass. A stainless steel certified reference material, BCS 466 was also analyzed to evaluate the accuracy of the method. Absolute concentrations in these alloys were arrived by a standard-less method. The method has also been applied for the analysis of large-size wheat samples (0.45-1 kg) and the results were compared with the data obtained for selected elements in sub-samples (50-1000 mg).

Expression of expanded polyglutamine proteins suppresses the activation of transcription factor NFkappaB

A major pathological hallmark of the polyglutamine diseases is the formation of neuronal intranuclear inclusions of the disease proteins that are ubiquitinated and often associated with various transcription factors, chaperones, and proteasome components. However, how the expanded polyglutamine proteins or their aggregates elicit complex pathogenic responses in the neuronal cells is not fully understood. Here, we have demonstrated that the expression of expanded polyglutamine proteins down-regulated the NFkappaB-dependent transcriptional activity. The expression of expanded polyglutamine proteins increased the stability and the levels of IkappaB-alpha and its phosphorylated derivatives. We have also found that various NFkappaB subunits and IkappaB-alpha aberrantly interacted with the expanded polyglutamine proteins and associated with their aggregates. Finally, we have shown that several NFkappaB-dependent genes are down-regulated in the expanded polyglutamine protein-expressing cells and down-regulation of NFkappaB activity enhances expanded polyglutamine protein-induced cell death. Because the NFkappaB pathway plays a very important role in cell survival, altered regulation of this pathway in expanded polyglutamine protein-expressing cells might be linked with the disease pathogenesis.

Formation of Silver Nanoparticles in Poly(perfluorosulfonic) Acid Membrane

The formation of silver nanoparticles by chemical reduction of Ag+-loaded Nafion-117 membrane with NaBH4 was studied using radioactivity tagged ions. The counterion-exchange method (Ag(m)+ <--> Na(s)+) was used to obtain a membrane sample with a varying proportion of Ag+ ions. The X-ray elemental mapping across the thickness of the membrane by energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer attached to the environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM/EDAX) indicated that Na+ and Ag+ were uniformly distributed in the membrane samples before reduction. The average size of nanoparticles formed after reduction was found to be 15 +/- 3 nm, irrespective of the concentration of silver ions present in the membrane before reduction. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analyses of the membrane samples, carried out before and after reduction, indicated that the Ag concentration on the membrane surface was considerably increased after reduction. EDXRF measurements of the membrane samples, obtained from reduction carried out in a dead end cell, indicated that Ag nanoparticles were formed only on the membrane surface exposed to NaBH4 solution. Reduction carried out with NaBH4 tagged with 22Na showed that the formation of Ag nanoparticles involved exchange of Ag+ ions from ion-exchange sites in the interior of the membrane with Na+ ions, followed by reduction of Ag+ ions with BH4- ions at the surface of membrane. The study of self-diffusion of water, Na+, and Cs+ ions in the membrane loaded with Ag nanoparticles indicated that formation of Ag nanoparticles did not affect the diffusional transport properties of the membrane. The ion-exchange capacity and water uptake capacity were also not affected by the formation of Ag nanoparticles in the membrane. The spatial distribution of Ag nanoparticles across the thickness of the membrane obtained by ESEM/EDAX showed that Ag nanoparticles were confined to a few-micrometer surface layer of the membrane. Based on these observations, an attempt has been made to explain the mechanism of the formation of Ag nanoparticles in the membrane.

Mining Frequent Fuzzy Grids in Dynamic Databases with Weighted Transactions and Weighted Items

Incremental mining algorithms that derive the latest mining output by making use of previous mining results are attractive to business organisations. In this paper, a fuzzy data mining algorithm for incremental mining of frequent fuzzy grids from quantitative dynamic databases is proposed. It extends the traditional association rule problem by allowing a weight to be associated with each item in a transaction and with each transaction in a database to reflect the interest/intensity of items and transactions. It uses the information about fuzzy grids that are already mined from original database and avoids start-from-scratch process. In addition, we deal with "weights-of-significance" which are automatically regulated as the incremental databases are evolved and implant themselves in the original database. We maintain "hopeful fuzzy grids" and "frequent fuzzy grids" and our algorithm changes the status of the grids which have been discovered earlier so that they reflect the pattern drift in the updated quantitative databases. Our heuristic approach avoids maintaining many "hopeful fuzzy grids" at the initial level. The algorithm is illustrated with one numerical example and demonstration of experimental results are also incorporated.

Aspirin induces apoptosis through the inhibition of proteasome function

Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in various cancer cell lines, which is considered to be an important mechanism for their anti-tumor activity and prevention of carcinogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms through which these compounds induce apoptosis are not well understood. Here we have found that aspirin treatment of the mouse Neuro 2a cells impaired the proteasome function and caused severe mitochondrial abnormalities. Treatment with aspirin lead to a dose- and time-dependent decrease in proteasome activity and an increase in the accumulation of ubiquitylated proteins in the cells, which correlated with its effect on cell death. Aspirin exposure also resulted in an increase in the half-life of pd1EGFP, a model substrate of proteasome, as well as various intracellular substrates like Bax, IkappaB-alpha, p53, and p27(kip1). Aspirin-induced proteasomal malfunction might be responsible, at least in part, for the down-regulation of NF-kappaB activity and neurite outgrowth. Finally, we have shown that aspirin treatment caused changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, and activation of caspase-9 and -3, which could be because of the proteasomal dysfunction.

Curcumin induces stress response, neurite outgrowth and prevent NF-kappaB activation by inhibiting the proteasome function

Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound, has long been known as an anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory compound; although, the common mechanism through which it exhibits such properties are remains unclear. Recently, we reported that the curcumin-induced apoptosis is mediated through the impairment of ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). Here, we show that curcumin disrupts UPS function by directly inhibiting the enzyme activity of the proteasome's 20S core catalytic component. Like other proteasome inhibitors, curcumin exposure induces neurite outgrowth and the stress response, as evident from the induction of various cytosolic and endoplasmic reticulum chaperones as well as induction of transcription factor CHOP/GADD153. The direct inhibition of proteasome activity also causes an increase in half-life of IkappaB-alpha that ultimately leads to the down-regulation of NF-kappaB activation. These results suggest that curcumin-induced proteasomal malfunction might be linked with both anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory activities.

Oxidative stress promotes mutant huntingtin aggregation and mutant huntingtin-dependent cell death by mimicking proteasomal malfunction

Huntington's disease (HD) is a familial neurodegenerative disorder caused by an abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the coding region of huntingtin gene. A major hallmark of HD is the proteolytic production of N-terminal fragments of huntingtin containing polyglutamine repeats that form ubiquitinated aggregates in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the affected neurons. However, the mechanism by which the mutant huntingtin causes neurodegeneration is not well understood. Here, we found that oxidative stimuli enhance the polyglutamine-expanded truncated N-terminal huntingtin (mutant huntingtin) aggregation and mutant huntingtin-induced cell death. Oxidative stimuli also lead to rapid proteasomal dysfunction in the mutant huntingtin expressing cells as compared to normal glutamine repeat expressing cells. Overexpression of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), Hsp40 or Hsp70 reverses the oxidative stress-induced proteasomal malfunction, mutant huntingtin aggregation, and death of the mutant huntingtin expressing cells. Finally, we show the higher levels of expression of SOD1 and DJ-1 in the mutant huntingtin expressing cells. Our result suggests that oxidative stress-induced proteasomal malfunction might be linked with mutant huntingtin-induced cell death.

Curcumin enhances the polyglutamine-expanded truncated N-terminal huntingtin-induced cell death by promoting proteasomal malfunction

Formation of neuronal intranuclear inclusions of the disease proteins that are ubiquitinated and often associated with various proteasome components is the major hallmark of the polyglutamine diseases. Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound having anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-oxidative properties. Recently, curcumin has been reported to suppress the amyloid-beta accumulation, oxidative damage, and inflammation in the transgenic mice model of Alzheimer's disease. Here, we found that the treatment of curcumin increases the polyglutamine-expanded truncated N-terminal huntingtin (mutant huntingtin) aggregation and mutant huntingtin-dependent cell death. Curcumin also causes rapid proteasomal malfunction in the mutant huntingtin expressing cells in comparison with normal glutamine repeat expressing cells. Finally, we show that N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a potent antioxidant, reverted the curcumin-induced mutant huntingtin aggregation and proteasomal malfunction in the mutant huntingtin expressing cells. NAC also protects curcumin-induced cell death. Our result suggests that curcumin promotes mutant huntingtin-induced cell death by mimicking proteasomal dysfunction.

Electrostatic application of inert silica dust based insecticides onto plant surfaces

One of the most effective naturally occurring insecticide powders is diatomaceous earth (DE), which contains above 96 % of silica (silicon dioxide SiO2). In recent days, the possibility to use new improved DE formulations for plant protection in horticulture has been the focus of research. For aphids and other under-leaf insects only insecticides deposited on leaf undersides are effective. We tested electrostatic application of different silica containing dusts onto the cruciferous crop pak-choi (Brassica chinensis). The materials tested were Fossil Shield 90.0s, Advasan, Biobeck PA910, and a formulation newly developed by the Urban Horticultural Section at Humboldt University called "Al-06". Silica materials were tested for their effect on plant photosynthesis and efficacy against the mustard beetle (Phaedon cochleariae F.). All materials have been effective in contact experiments against tested insects. However, significant differences were observed between materials after application onto plant leaves. Fossil Shield, Advasan, and Al-06 application resulted in a good coverage and in high protection against the mustard beetle. Biobeck PA910 was easily removed by wind from leaf surfaces and did not protect the plants well. However, photosynthesis has been reduced in treated plants and remained at a lower level even after dust removal. Experimental results are critically discussed in the view of future potential for crop protection programs.

Co-chaperone CHIP Associates with Expanded Polyglutamine Protein and Promotes Their Degradation by Proteasomes

A major hallmark of the polyglutamine diseases is the formation of neuronal intranuclear inclusions of the disease proteins that are ubiquitinated and often associated with various chaperones and proteasome components. But, how the polyglutamine proteins are ubiquitinated and degraded by the proteasomes are not known. Here, we demonstrate that CHIP (C terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein) co-immunoprecipitates with the polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin or ataxin-3 and associates with their aggregates. Transient overexpression of CHIP increases the ubiquitination and the rate of degradation of polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin or ataxin-3. Finally, we show that overexpression of CHIP suppresses the aggregation and cell death mediated by expanded polyglutamine proteins and the suppressive effect is more prominent when CHIP is overexpressed along with Hsc70.