Expression of 72-kDa gelatinase (matrix metalloproteinase-2) in the developing mouse craniofacial complex

Tissue remodelling is an important feature during embryogenesis. Although the matrix metalloproteinases are believed to participate in these processes, the relation between matrix metalloproteinases and tissue remodelling during craniofacial morphogenesis remains unclear. The purpose of the study was to look for the presence of enzymes involved in extracellular matrix degradation during craniofacial morphogenesis. Protein expression of the matrix metalloproteinase, 72-kDa gelatinase (matrix metalloproteinase-2, gelatinase A, 72-kDa type IV collagenase) was studied by gelatine zymography and by indirect immunofluorescence with conventional and confocal microscopy. In the anterior region of the developing mouse face, 72-kDa gelatinase was labelled mainly in the tips and peripheral regions of the nasal and facial prominences. Upon contact and fusion of the prominences, the staining was intensely localized to the zone of the fusion and the tips and peripheral regions of the nasal prominences and the maxilla. The labelling of 72-kDa gelatinase was also present in the peripheral regions of the mandible, second branchial arch, and the face around the developing eye. However, during lens vesicle formation, the staining of 72-kDa gelatinase was absent in the invaginated lens ectoderm. After the lens had completely detached from the surface ectoderm, the staining was resumed in the corneal epithelium and mesenchyme. Gelatine zymography was used to confirm the presence of active and latent 72-kDa gelatinase in the developing mouse craniofacial complex. Collectively, these data indicate that 72-kDa gelatinase may play a significant part in localized tissue remodelling during craniofacial morphogenesis and the aberrant expression or function of the enzyme could be involved in causing facial abnormalities.     

山西省循环经济发展的目标和任务

按照循环经济的规律和山西省资源型区域生产方式的特点，在研究编制《山西省循环经济总体规划（2008-2012）》时，提出了山西省循环经济发展的指导思想和基本原则、战略目标、重点任务以及推进的策略和实现的途径。     

Validity of the 16 PF and the MMPI in a mental hospital setting.

Administered the MMPI and 16 PF to 201 15-60 yr. old new admissions to a state mental hospital. Correlations between the 2 sets of scale scores were examined directly and by factor analysis. 3 common factors appeared to be represented to some extent in both instruments. The 16 PF appeared weak in the measurement of the more serious kinds of psychopathology, and had strongest loadings in a common factor identified with the validity scales of the MMPI. The 16 PF was found to measure 3 higher-order factors of personality not represented in the MMPI, but they do not appear highly relevant for assessment in a disturbed mental hospital population. Numerous significant relationships to psychiatrically relevant background variables were identified in analyses of profiles derived from both instruments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Specific, high affinity binding of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-4 (TIMP-4) to the COOH-terminal hemopexin-like domain of human gelatinase A. TIMP-4 binds progelatinase A and the COOH-terminal domain in a similar manner to TIMP-2

The binding properties of the newly described tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-4 (TIMP-4) to progelatinase A and to the COOH-terminal hemopexin-like domain (C domain) of the enzyme were examined. We present evidence for the first time of a specific, high affinity interaction between TIMP-4 and the C domain of human gelatinase A and show that TIMP-4 binds both progelatinase A and the C domain in a similar manner to that of TIMP-2. Saturable binding of recombinant C domain to TIMP-4 and to TIMP-2 but not to TIMP-1 was demonstrated using a microwell protein binding assay. The recombinant collagen binding domain of gelatinase A, comprised of the three fibronectin type II-like repeats, did not bind to TIMP-4, indicating that binding is mediated selectively by the C domain. Binding to TIMP-4 was of high affinity with an apparent Kd of 1.7 x 10(-7) M but slightly weaker than that to TIMP-2 (apparent Kd of 0.66 x 10(-7) M). Affinity chromatography confirmed the TIMP-4-C domain interaction and also showed that the complex could not be disrupted by 1 M NaCl or 10% dimethyl sulfoxide, thereby further demonstrating the tight binding. To verify the biological significance of this interaction, binding of full-length progelatinase A to TIMP-4 was investigated. TIMP-4 and TIMP-2 but not TIMP-1 bound specifically to purified TIMP-2-free human recombinant full-length progelatinase A and to full-length rat proenzyme from the conditioned culture medium of ROS 17/2.8 cells. Preincubation of the C domain with TIMP-2 was found to reduce subsequent binding to TIMP-4 in a concentration-dependent manner. Competition between TIMP-2 and TIMP-4 for a common or overlapping binding sites on the gelatinase A C domain may occur; alternatively TIMP-2 may prevent the binding of TIMP-4 by steric hindrance or induction of a conformational change in the C domain. We propose that the binding of progelatinase A to TIMP-4 represents a third TIMP-progelatinase interaction in addition to that of progelatinase A with TIMP-2 and progelatinase B with TIMP-1 described previously. This new phenomenon may be of important physiological significance in modulating the cell surface activation of progelatinase A.     

Development of soluble ester-linked aldehyde polymers for proteomics

High molecular weight hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) was selected for development as a soluble polymer support for the targeted selection and release of primary-amine containing peptides from a complex mixture. HPG has been functionalized with ester-linked aldehyde groups that can bind primary-amine containing peptides via a reductive alkylation reaction. Once bound, the high molecular weight of the polymer facilitates separation from a complex peptide mixture by employing either a 30 kDa molecular weight cutoff membrane or precipitation in acetonitrile. Following the removal of unbound peptides and reagents, subsequent hydrolysis of the ester linker releases the bound peptide into solution for analysis by mass spectrometry. Released peptides retain the linker moiety and are therefore characteristically mass-shifted. Four water-soluble cleavable aldehyde polymers (CAP1, CAP2, CAP3, and CAP4) ranging in types of linker groups, length of the linker groups, have been prepared and characterized, each demonstrating the ability to selectively enrich and sequence primary-amine peptides from a complex human proteome containing blocked (dimethylated amine) and unblocked (primary amine) peptides. The polymers have very low nonspecific peptide-binding properties while possessing significantly more reactive groups per milligram of the support than commercially available resins. The polymers exhibit a range of reactivities and binding capacities that depend on the type of linker group between the aldehyde group and the polymer. Using various linker structures, we also probed the mechanism of the observed dehydration of hydrolyzed peptides during matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis.     

Comments on Rawlings' nonorthogonal analysis of variance.

In J. Overall and D. Spiegel's reply to R. Rawlings's (see record 1972-26084-001) criticism of their previous article, the authors state that Rawlings's alternative nonorthogonal analysis of variance is equivalent to their method, which Rawlings criticized as incorrect. In 2 separate articles (a) Rawlings replies to Overall and Spiegel's present article, and (b) I. Smith contends that there is a statistical error in G. Joe's (see record 1971-25969-001) attempt to clarify the original Overall and Speigel article. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment on "Regression analysis of proportional cell data."

Replies to criticisms by E. F. Gocka (see PA, Vol. 51:Issue 1) that methods previously discussed by the authors for least squares regression analysis of variance failed to consider standard restrictions. It is shown that the suggested restrictions are not as standard as Gorka implies, and the method that he proposes does not yield results consistent with others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure of the MMPI-168 in a psychiatric population.

Administered the 1st 168 items of the MMPI to 505 psychiatric patients. Factor analysis of the resulting data identified factors of Somatization, Depression, Psychotic Distortion, Low Morale, and Acting Out, plus a separate Masculinity-Femininity factor. Results compare favorably with those from the technically best of the item-level analyses of the complete MMPI that have been reported by others. Factor scoring keys that can be used with an abbreviated short-form administration are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validity of students' evaluations of teaching effectiveness: Cognitive and affective criteria.

Undergraduates' evaluations of teaching were validated against both cognitive and affective criteria of effective instruction. Ss randomly enrolled in 1 of 31 sections of a course in computer programming. They completed a pretest, evaluated teaching at the middle and end of the course, and completed a standardized final examination. Sections did not differ significantly on pretest measures of ability and interest. Sections of Ss who, on the average, rated their instructors more favorably also did better on the final examination, felt better able to apply course materials, and were more inclined to pursue the subject further. End-of-term ratings correlated more highly with each of the criteria than did the midterm ratings. Finally, although both cognitive and affective criteria of effective teaching were correlated with different components of S ratings, the cognitive and affective criteria were not correlated with each other. This indicates the importance of considering multiple criteria in the evaluation of effective teaching. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Organicity versus old age in objective and projective test performance.

Administered the WAIS and the Holtzman Inkblot Technique (HIT) to 322 Veterans Administration domiciliary members to gain information on the nature and extent of intellectual decline from age 45-84. Multivariate statistical analyses were utilized to examine configural relationships among 4 aging groups compared with a group diagnosed as chronic brain syndrome. Multiple discriminant analysis revealed an overall statistically significant difference among the 5 group profiles. The 1st discriminant function tended to define the aging process by separating the 4 age groups. The 2nd discriminant function revealed a different patterning of test scores to be identified with the separation of the chronic brain syndrome group from the normal aging groups. Results based on 11 WAIS subtests and on 17 HIT variables were substantially similar. A final analysis utilizing both WAIS and HIT subtests revealed clearly that old age differs from younger age groups along a continuum that is quite different from that separating chronic brain syndrome patients from normal aging groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)