Anatomy of a text analysis package

A model of a text processing package is described which is based on elementary set theory. This is used to describe procedures for computing indexes, concordances, and collocations. Aspects of the implementation of the model are given.     

IAP-family protein survivin inhibits caspase activity and apoptosis induced by Fas (CD95), Bax, caspases, and anticancer drugs

Survivin is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family. We investigated the antiapoptotic mechanism of Survivin, as well as its expression in 60 human tumor cell lines used for the National Cancer Institute's anticancer drug screening program. In cotransfection experiments, cell death induced by Bax or Fas (CD 95) was partially inhibited (mean +/- SD, 65% +/- 8%) by Survivin, whereas XIAP, another IAP family member, almost completely blocked cell death (93% +/- 4%) under the same conditions. Survivin and XIAP also protected 293 cells from apoptosis induced by overexpression of procaspase-3 and -7 and inhibited the processing of these zymogens into active caspases. In vitro binding experiments indicated that, like other IAP-family proteins, Survivin binds specifically to the terminal effector cell death proteases, caspase-3 and -7, but not to the proximal initiator protease caspase-8. Using a cell-free system in which cytosolic extracts were derived from control- or Survivin-transfected cells and where caspases were activated either by addition of cytochrome c and dATP or by adding recombinant active caspase-8, Survivin was able to substantially reduce caspase activity, as measured by cleavage of a tetrapeptide substrate, AspGluValAsp-aminofluorocoumarin. Similar results were obtained in intact cells when Survivin was overexpressed by gene transfection and caspase activation was induced by the anticancer drug etoposide. Survivin was expressed in all 60 cancer cell lines analyzed, with highest levels in breast and lung cancers and lowest levels in renal cancers. These findings indicate that Survivin, which is commonly expressed in human tumor cell lines, can bind the effector cell death proteases caspase-3 and -7 in vitro and inhibits caspase activity and cell death in cells exposed to diverse apoptotic stimuli. Although quantitative differences may exist, these observations suggest commonality in the mechanisms used by IAP-family proteins to suppress apoptosis.     

Evidence against a direct role for the induction of c-jun expression in the mediation of drug-induced apoptosis in human acute leukemia cells

Previous reports have demonstrated that a variety of anticancer drugs, e.g., 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C), mitoxantrone, etoposide, camptothecin, and cisplatin, induce the expression of c-jun oncogene in leukemic cells prior to producing internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and the morphological features of apoptosis. This has led to the impression that the induction of c-jun expression may be directly involved in the molecular signaling of the final common pathway of programmed cell death or apoptosis. In the present study, we examined the role of c-jun expression in three different settings of anticancer drug-induced apoptosis in human leukemic cells. First, exposure of human myeloid leukemia HL-60 cells to high-dose ara-C for 4 h produced internucleosomal DNA fragmentation preceded by c-jun induction. However, pretreatment of HL-60 cells with staurosporine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, repressed c-jun yet enhanced DNA fragmentation and apoptosis due to ara-C. Second, in human pre-B leukemia 697/BCL-2 cells which are transfected with the cDNA of the bcl-2 oncogene and overexpress p26BCL-2, although ara-C or mitoxantrone treatment caused greater c-jun induction than in the 697/neo cells, significantly reduced endonucleolytic DNA fragmentation and apoptosis was observed in 697/BCL-2 cells. Finally, taxol-induced internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and morphological features of apoptosis in HL-60 cells were not associated with the induction of c-jun expression. These lines of evidence indicate that the induction of c-jun expression may not have a direct role in the molecular signaling of anticancer drug-induced apoptosis, and that the anticancer drug-induced apoptosis can occur by a mechanism that does not involve the induction of c-jun expression.     

Studies on the peripheral blood and the in vitro response of peripheral blood lymphocytes to common mitogens in Macaca speciosa

In a longitudinal study on 13 adult female stumptailed macaques, Macaca speciosa, peripheral blood samples were analyzed hematologically and the in vitro response of the lymphocytes to the common mitogens concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed mitogen were investigated. The results showed that the total leukocyte and differential counts in each animal remained quite stable throughout the 3-month experiment. The responses in culture to the mitogens showed that there were differences in the stimulation obtained by each mitogen and that the animals may be placed into high, medium and low groups based on differences in their level of response.     

Ultrasonic determination of the superconducting energy gap in high-purity tantalum

Ultrasonic attenuation measurements as a function of temperature were made for sound propagating along the [100], [110], and [111] crystal directions of Ta single-crystal specimens. Sound frequencies from 180 to 500 MHz were used with single crystals having residual resistance ratios up to 3866. For the three propagation directions used, the superconducting energy gap had an average value of 1.77kT _c , which was within the experimental error for the three separate values of the gap parameter.     

Software accessibility standards and guidelines: progress, current status, and future developments

This article reviews progress in the development of standards and guidelines for software accessibility, including those developed within international and US standards bodies. Key factors driving efforts to identify and define effective design guidelines for software accessibility include demographic trends and the graying population, new legislation and the increasing pervasiveness of information technology and devices. An overview of the US Software Accessibility draft standard, including accessibility-focused design guidance for Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, is provided. A variety of resources providing design guidance for improved accessibility are identified, and expected developments in formal standards for software accessibility are discussed.     

Sex and ethnic differences in the use of power.

Hypothesized that women and Chicanos would make less internal and more external attributions for their own successful performance than would Anglo males. 40 Chicano male, 40 Chicano female, 40 Anglo male, and 40 Anglo female undergraduates participated as managers in an industrial simulation study. Ss were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental conditions: designated powers vs unspecified powers, and supervision of male or female workers. Following the managerial task, Ss completed a questionnaire assessing their own performance and that of their workers. All Anglos devalued their workers as a function of controlling power and attributed workers' performance to external factors. All Ss tended to use their power to persuade workers. Males attempted to influence workers to a greater degree than did females. The predicted sex differences in terms of attribution were evident only among Anglos. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)