Dynamic testing.

This article evaluatively reviews the literature on dynamic testing, a collection of testing procedures designed to quantify not only the products or even the processes of learning but also the potential to learn. The article considers a variety of approaches to dynamic testing and the strengths and weaknesses of each. Moreover, the literature on each approach is reviewed and analyzed in terms of the extent to which it fulfills the claims made for it. In all of these approaches, testing involves learning at the time of test, rather than just static testing of what has been learned before. It is concluded that dynamic testing has great potential for helping to understand people's potentials but that its potential has yet to be realized fully. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Altered ligand dissociation rates in thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptors mutated in glutamine 105 of transmembrane helix III

Glutamine 105 in the third transmembrane helix of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor (TRH-R) occupies a position equivalent to a conserved negatively charged residue in receptors for biogenic amines where it acts as counterion interacting with the cationic amine moiety of the ligand. Maximum levels of response to TRH in oocytes expressing wild-type TRH-Rs were indistinguishable from those of oocytes expressing receptors mutated to Glu, Asn, or Asp in position 105. However, the EC50 values for activation of oocyte responses increased more than 500 times in oocytes expressing mutant Glu105 receptors, in which the amido group of Gln105 has been removed by site-directed mutagenesis. Charge effects do not seem to be involved in the huge effect of mutating Gln105 to Glu, since mutation of Gln105 to Asp induces only a 15-fold increase in EC50. Furthermore, no change in EC50 is observed after mutation of Asn110 to Asp. The affinity shift (identified by changes in EC50 values for systems of comparable efficacy) in Glu105 mutant receptors was partially recovered in oocytes expressing Asn105 mutant receptors. These results and those obtained after substitution of Lys, Leu, Tyr, and Ser for Gln105 suggest that the presence and the correct position of the Gln hydrogen bond-donor amido group are important for normal functionality of the receptor. In wild type or Asp105 mutant receptors showing the same maximal responses, decreases in affinity with TRH and methyl-histidyl-TRH correlated with increased dissociation rates of hormone from the receptor. Rapid dilution experiments following subsecond stimulation indicate that the TRH-R is converted rapidly from a form showing fast dissociation kinetics to a form from which the hormone dissociates slowly. Mutation of residue 105 impairs the receptor shift between these two forms. This effect was demonstrated in a direct way by comparing [3H]methyl-histidyl-TRH dissociation rates in COS-7 cells transfected with either wild type or Asp105 mutant TRH-Rs. Thus, residues located in transmembrane helix III positions equivalent to those of the counterions for biogenic amines, regulate hormone-receptor interactions in the TRH receptor (and perhaps other receptors). Furthermore, the nature of the amino acid in these positions may also play a role, directly or indirectly, in conformational changes leading to receptor activation, and hence to signal transduction.     

Parenteral nutrition in oncologic patients]

A B16 melanoma-specific CD8+ T cell line (AB1) was established from the spleen cells of C57BL/6 mice cured of B16 melanoma with interleukin (IL)-12 treatment. The AB1 line exclusively used T cell receptor Vbeta11. The AB1 cells exhibited a cytolytic activity against both syngeneic B16 melanoma and allogeneic P815 mastocytoma, whereas a cold inhibition assay revealed specificity of the AB1 cells against B16 melanoma. Their lostability to kill a class I loss variant of B16 melanoma was restored by the transfection of H-2Kb gene. In addition, their interferon (IFN)-gamma production was significantly suppressed by the addition of anti-H-2Kb monoclonal antibody, and RT-PCR analysis showed that the AB1 line expressed the mRNA encoding IFN-gamma, but not IL-4 or IL-10. The experiment using synthetic peptides of tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2) revealed that the AB1 cells could recognize TRP-2(181-188) peptide. Moreover, the AB1 cells showed an in vivo antitumor effect against established pulmonary metastases of B16 melanoma. Overall, these results indicate that the Tc1-type Vbeta11+ AB1 cells exert an antitumor activity against syngeneic B16 melanoma through recognition of TRP-2(181-188) peptide in an H-2Kb-restricted manner.     

Lack of PPCA expression only partially coincides with lysosomal storage in galactosialidosis mice: indirect evidence for spatial requirement of the catalytic rather than the protective function of PPCA

Protective protein/cathepsin A (PPCA) is a pleiotropic lysosomal enzyme that complexes with beta-galactosidase and neuraminidase, and possesses serine carboxypeptidase activity. Its deficiency in man results in the neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder galactosialidosis (GS). The mouse model of this disease resembles the human early onset phenotype and results in severe nephropathy and ataxia. To understand better the pathophysiology of the disease, we compared the occurrence of lysosomal PPCA mRNA and protein in normal adult mouse tissues with the incidence of lysosomal storage in PPCA(-/-) mice. PPCA expression was markedly variable among different tissues. Most sites that produced both mRNA and protein at high levels in normal mice showed extensive and overt storage in the knockout mice. However, this correlation was not consistent as some cells that normally expressed high levels of PPCA were unaffected in their storage capability in the PPCA(-/-) mice. In addition, some normally low expressing cells accumulated large amounts of undegraded products in the GS mouse. This apparent discrepancy may reflect a requirement for the catalytic rather than the protective function of PPCA and/or the presence of cell-specific substrates in certain cell types. A detailed map showing the cellular distribution of PPCA in nomal mouse tissues as well as the sites of lysosomal storage in deficient mice is critical for accurate assessment of the effects of therapeutic interventions.     

Enantiomer analysis of chiral lactones in foods by on-line coupled reversed-phase liquid chromatography-gas chromatography

A new application is proposed for the on-line coupling of reversed-phase liquid chromatography to gas chromatography (RPLC-GC) that allows the GC chirospecific analysis of gamma-lactones in fruits and commercially available fruit-containing products. The use of a programmed temperature vaporizer as an interface with the system makes the transfer of large volume fractions (i.e., 2520 microL) of aqueous eluents from LC to GC possible (speed of sample transfer, 1800 microL/min). Relative standard deviations obtained for the investigated lactones under the experimental conditions vary from 7 to 14%. The described system enlarges the LC-GC application field and overcomes the limitations reported thus far concerning the use of typical normal-phase eluents (i.e., the transfer of rather small volume fractions at low speeds of sample introduction).     

Integration of data systems and technology improves research and collaboration for a superfund research center

Large collaborative centers are a common model for accomplishing integrated environmental health research. These centers often include various types of scientific domains (e.g., chemistry, biology, bioinformatics) that are integrated to solve some of the nation's key economic or public health concerns. The Superfund Research Center (SRP) at Oregon State University (OSU) is one such center established in 2008 to study the emerging health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons while using new technologies both in the field and laboratory. With outside collaboration at remote institutions, success for the center as a whole depends on the ability to effectively integrate data across all research projects and support cores. Therefore, the OSU SRP center developed a system that integrates environmental monitoring data with analytical chemistry data and downstream bioinformatics and statistics to enable complete "source-to-outcome" data modeling and information management. This article describes the development of this integrated information management system that includes commercial software for operational laboratory management and sample management in addition to open-source custom-built software for bioinformatics and experimental data management.     

First experiences of teaching quantum computing

The Journal of Supercomputing - Quantum computing is a reality that presents challenges to computer engineering students and practitioners. It has been claimed that it is possible to effectively...     

On security arguments of the second round SHA-3 candidates

In 2007, the US National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) announced a call for the design of a new cryptographic hash algorithm in response to vulnerabilities like differential attacks identified in existing hash functions, such as MD5 and SHA-1. NIST received many submissions, 51 of which got accepted to the first round. 14 candidates were left in the second round, out of which five candidates have been recently chosen for the final round. An important criterion in the selection process is the SHA-3 hash function security. We identify two important classes of security arguments for the new designs: (1) the possible reductions of the hash function security to the security of its underlying building blocks and (2) arguments against differential attack on building blocks. In this paper, we compare the state of the art provable security reductions for the second round candidates and review arguments and bounds against classes of differential attacks. We discuss all the SHA-3 candidates at a high functional level, analyze, and summarize the security reduction results and bounds against differential attacks. Additionally, we generalize the well-known proof of collision resistance preservation, such that all SHA-3 candidates with a suffix-free padding are covered.