Assembly of alcohol oxidase in peroxisomes of the yeast Hansenula polymorpha requires the cofactor flavin adenine dinucleotide

The peroxisomal flavoprotein alcohol oxidase (AO) is an octamer (600 kDa) consisting of eight identical subunits, each of which contains one flavin adenine dinucleotide molecule as a cofactor. Studies on a riboflavin (Rf) auxotrophic mutant of the yeast Hansenula polymorpha revealed that limitation of the cofactor led to drastic effects on AO import and assembly as well as peroxisome proliferation. Compared to wild-type control cells Rf-limitation led to 1) reduced levels of AO protein, 2) reduced levels of correctly assembled and activated AO inside peroxisomes, 3) a partial inhibition of peroxisomal protein import, leading to the accumulation of precursors of matrix proteins in the cytosol, and 4) a significant increase in peroxisome number. We argue that the inhibition of import may result from the saturation of a peroxisomal molecular chaperone under conditions that normal assembly of a major matrix protein inside the target organelle is prevented.     

Effects of cyclosporin A withdrawal on renal function and renal stimulation in liver transplant patients treated with triple-drug immunosuppression for over 2 years

The influence of CsA withdrawal on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) was prospectively studied in nine stable liver transplant recipients. Before CsA withdrawal (test 1), and 6 months thereafter (test 2) the renal function was determined by measuring GFR and the ERPF with 125I-iothalamate and 131I-hippuran respectively. The renal function was also stimulated with dopamine, with an amino-acid infusion and a combination of both. After CsA withdrawal the GFR increased, median from 74 ml min-1 to 90 ml min-1, (P < 0.04). The ERPF also increased, median from 310 ml min-1 to 380 ml min-1, (P < 0.03). In test 1 as well as in test 2 the renal function could be stimulated, especially with dopamine. GFR and ERPF improved, even after more than 2 years of CsA treatment. These results suggest that long-term CsA treatment impairs the renal function, though in these liver transplant patients CsA treatment did not prevent afferent and efferent arteriolar vasodilatation after renal stimulation. This reversible intrarenal vasoconstriction during CsA treatment may predict renal improvement after CsA withdrawal.     

Lack of an association between delayed memory and hippocampal and temporal lobe size in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls

The purpose of the present study was to investigate putative neural substrates of long-term (delayed) memory in schizophrenia and young healthy controls. Ten "low" and 10 "high" memory patients were selected from a large sample of DSM-III-R diagnosed schizophrenia spectrum patients, based on composite verbal and nonverbal delayed recall memory scores. Ten "low" and 9 "high" memory individuals were also selected from a larger sample of young healthy controls. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired on a 1.5-T GE Signa scanner using a SPGR sequence (repetition time = 24 msec, echo time = 5 msec). Hippocampal volumes were computed from manual tracings (intraclass correlation = .96), and temporal lobe and whole brain tissue volumes were obtained using a semiautomated technique. In both the patient sample and controls, there was no significant relationship between delayed memory ability and hippocampal, temporal lobe, or whole brain volume. The integration of results from this study, and from studies on normal aging and Alzheimer's disease, supports a model suggesting that hippocampal size may be an indicator of long-term memory ability, but only when hippocampal measures reflect aging and degenerative hippocampal atrophy. If the hippocampal measures reflect individual differences in hippocampal size prior to the onset of hippocampal atrophy, then hippocampal size does not appear to predict long-term memory ability.     

Bat4CEP: a bat algorithm for mining of complex event processing rules

Complex Event Processing (CEP) is a modern software technology for the dynamic analysis of continuous data streams. CEP is able of searching extremely large data streams in real time for the presence of event patterns. So far, specifying event patterns of CEP rules is still a manual task based on the expertise of domain experts. This paper presents a novel bat-inspired swarm algorithm for automatically mining CEP rule patterns that express the relevant causal and temporal relations hidden in data streams. The basic suitability and performance of the approach is proven by extensive evaluation with both synthetically generated data and real data from the traffic domain.

     

Physical properties and the fine structure of proteocines

Proteocines derived from twelve previously described bacteriocinogenic strains of Proteus mirabilis and Proteus vulgaris were investigated. All proteocine preparations were particulate, unaffected by trypsin, and destroyed by freezing and thawing or by heating at 60 degrees C for 30 minutes. Proteocine activity was removed by adsorption with the appropriate sensitive organisms. The active principles of all preparations were partially purified by precipitation with 70% (w/v NH4(SO4)2 followed by ultra-centrifugation. Column chromatography showed that proteocine activity was associated with only one of the peaks of material which absorbed strongly at 257 mu. All twelve proteocine preparations were revealed by electron microscopy as a phage-tail-like structure and each particle had a sheath, a core, and a base-plate from which spine-like fibres extend. Adsorption of these particles to the cell wall of sensitive strains did not disrupt the bacterial cell wall, but the cytoplasmic membrane and the cell contents shrank, with consequent death of the "infected" cell.     

Dried leaves from rocky mountain plants decrease infestation by stored-product beetles

Leaves of two highly aromatic plants,Artemisia tridentata (Nutt.) andMonarda fistulosa L., prepared according to a patented process, inhibited oviposition by the Mexican bean weevil,Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman), in beans at concentrations less than 1% w/w. Both plant species were less effective against the rice weevil,Sitophilus oryzae L., in wheat, with onlyM. fistulosa exhibiting any concentration-dependent activity. The maximal control achieved against this species was less than 50% at 3% w/w. Two less aromatic plant species,Balsamorhiza sagittata (Pursh.) Nutt. andGeranium viscosissimum Fisch. and Mey., caused only low levels of inhibition against both insect species. Volatiles probably caused the response toA. tridentata andM. fistulosa, while the asymptotic concentration dependence for the less volatile plant material was likely caused by behavioral factors related to the physical presence of foreign particulate matter in the foodstuff. Chemical analysis indicated that most of the volatile components from the dried leaf material from all species were terpenoids, with camphor (9.7 mg/g) and 1,8-cineole (4.0 mg/g) being most abundant inA. tridentata and carvacrol (26.3 mg/g) being most abundant inM. fistulosa.Portions of this research were conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. All programs and services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, or handicap. This article reports the results of research only. Mention of a proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement or a recommendation for its use by USDA.     

新国标下的氯乙烯尾气净化难点及解决方法

介绍了我国烧碱、聚氯乙烯行业大气污染物排放标准的变化,剖析了执行新国家标准(GB 15581—2016)后氯乙烯尾气净化的难点及解决方法,并列举了氯乙烯尾气净化装置改造实例。新建或改造的氯乙烯尾气净化装置,既要选择合适的工艺技术方案,又要严格遵守各项分析标准的规定,才能达到新国家标准对排放气的要求。     

The influence of the oncogenes NRAS and MYC on the radiation sensitivity of cells of a human melanoma cell line

Activation of certain oncogenes may alter the sensitivity of cells to ionizing radiation. We studied the effect of oncogene activation on the radiation sensitivity of cells of a human melanoma cell line. The cell line IGR39D was transfected with the MYC oncogene, the proto-oncogene NRAS, NRAS activated by a point mutation (61-arginine) or a combination of mutated NRAS and MYC. Single-dose experiments showed a decreased survival after transfection with MYC, wild-type NRAS or mutated NRAS. Co-transfection with MYC and mutated NRAS decreased survival up to 4 Gy, whereas at higher doses no shift in radiosensitivity was seen. Flow cytometry data indicated that differences in radiosensitivity could be explained at least in part by a difference in the distribution of cells in the phases of the cell cycle. After transfection of cells with either NRAS or MYC, the number of cells in G1 phase decreased with a concomitant increase of cells in the G2/M phase. When the cell line transfected with activated NRAS was manipulated so that the distribution of the cells in the phases of the cell cycle resembled th at of the parental line at the time of irradiation, the survival of the cells was improved. Similar experiments with the cell line containing MYC did not result in an alteration of the distribution of the cells in the cycle, or the survival after single-dose fractions, suggesting the presence of a distinct mechanism for influencing radiation sensitivity. Both NRAS and MYC transfection decrease the radiation sensitivity of human melanoma cells, but the underlying mechanisms seem different. In conclusion, transfection with NRAS or MYC alone increases radiation sensitivity while transfection of cells containing NRAS with MYC restores resistance at higher doses.