The family of death domain (DD)-containing proteins are involved in many cellular processes, including apoptosis, inflammation and development. One of these molecules, the adapter protein MyD88, is a ...key factor in innate and adaptive immunity that integrates signals from the Toll-like receptor/interleukin (IL)-1 receptor (TLR/IL-1R) superfamily by providing an activation platform for IL-1R-associated kinases (IRAKs). Here we show that the DD-containing protein Unc5CL (also known as ZUD) is involved in a novel MyD88-independent mode of IRAK signaling that culminates in the activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Unc5CL required IRAK1, IRAK4 and TNF receptor-associated factor 6 but not MyD88 for its ability to activate these pathways. Interestingly, the protein is constitutively autoproteolytically processed, and is anchored by its N-terminus specifically to the apical face of mucosal epithelial cells. Transcriptional profiling identified mainly chemokines, including IL-8, CXCL1 and CCL20 as Unc5CL target genes. Its prominent expression in mucosal tissues, as well as its ability to induce a pro-inflammatory program in cells, suggests that Unc5CL is a factor in epithelial inflammation and immunity as well as a candidate gene involved in mucosal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Three iron‐silicon alloys (Fe85Si15, Fe71Si29, and ε‐FeSi) have been studied in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature up to 55 GPa by in situ energy‐dispersive X‐ray diffraction techniques. A body ...centered cubic (bcc) to hexagonal close packed (hcp) phase transformation in Fe85Si15 began at 16 GPa and was completed by 36 GPa. No phase transformations were observed in either Fe71Si29 or ε‐FeSi at high pressures, even when laser‐heated to about 2000 K. The isothermal bulk modulus (K0T) of hcp‐Fe85Si15 is 141 (±10) GPa with K′0T = 5.70(±0.60) and V02 = 6.882(±0.031) cm3/mol (per molar atom). The K0T of Fe71Si29 is 199.0 (±5.3) GPa with K′0T = 5.66(±0.61) and V0 = 6.887(±0.014) cm3/mol, and the K0T of ε‐FeSi is 184.7 (±3.9) GPa with K′0T of 4.75 (±0.37) and V0 = 6.790(±0.007) cm3/mol. Our study indicates that the substitution of Si into iron would lower the density of iron, but significantly changes its compressibility neither in the bcc phase, nor at high pressures in the hcp phase. Upon comparison with the Preliminary Reference Earth Model, the calculated equations of state (EOS) of hcp‐Fe85Si15, using the Mie‐Grüneisen EOS, indicate that an outer core containing about 8–10 wt.% Si and inner core containing about 4 wt.% Si in iron would satisfy the seismological constraints. Addition of silicon into iron increases the bulk sound velocity of iron, consistent with silicon being a light element in the Earth's core.
Adiponectin, an adipokine, regulates metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Considering that the transplacental transfer of maternal proteins of high molecular weight is hindered in ruminants, this ...study tested the hypothesis that the blood concentration of adiponectin in neonatal calves largely reflects their endogenous synthesis whereby the intake of colostrum might modify the circulating concentrations. We thus characterized the adiponectin concentrations in neonatal and young calves that were fed either colostrum or formula. Three trials were performed: in trial 1, 20 calves were all fed colostrum for 3 d, and then formula until weaning. Blood samples were collected on d 0 (before colostrum feeding), and on d 1, 3, 11, 22, 34, 43, 52, 70, 90, and 108 postnatum. In trial 2, 14 calves were studied for the first 4 d of life. They were fed colostrum (n=7) or formula (n=7), and blood samples were taken right after birth and before each morning feeding on d 2, 3, and 4. In trial 3, calves born preterm (n=7) or at term received colostrum only at 24 h postnatum. Blood was sampled at birth, and before and 2 h after feeding. Additionally, allantoic fluid and blood from 4 Holstein cows undergoing cesarean section were sampled. Adiponectin was quantified by ELISA. In trial 1, the serum adiponectin concentrations recorded on d 3 were 4.7-fold higher than before colostrum intake. The distribution of the molecular weight forms of adiponectin differed before and after colostrum consumption. In trial 2, the colostrum group had consistently greater plasma adiponectin concentrations than the formula group after the first meal. In trial 3, the preterm calves tended to have lower concentrations of plasma adiponectin than the term calves at birth and before and 2 h after feeding. Furthermore, the adiponectin concentrations were substantially lower in allantoic fluid than in the sera from neonatal calves and from cows at parturition. Our results show that calves are born with very low blood concentrations of adiponectin and placental transfer of adiponectin to the bovine fetus is unlikely. In conclusion, colostrum intake is essential for the postnatal increase of circulating adiponectin in newborn calves.
We present a multitechnique approach to experimentally determine the elastic anisotropy of polycrystalline hcp Fe at high pressure. Directional phonon measurements from inelastic X‐ray scattering on ...a sample with lattice preferred orientation at 52 GPa in a diamond anvil cell were coupled with X‐ray diffraction data to determine the elastic tensor. Comparison of the results from this new method with the elasticity determined by lattice strain analysis of radial X‐ray diffraction measurements showed significant differences, highlighting the importance of strength anisotropy in hcp Fe. At 52 GPa, we found that a method which combines results from inelastic scattering and pressure‐volume measurements gives a shape in the velocity anisotropy close to sigmoidal (with a faster c and slower a axis) a smaller magnitude in the anisotropy and compared to velocities based on the lattice strain method which gives a bell shape velocity distribution with the fast direction between the c and a axes. We used additional results from nuclear resonant inelastic X‐ray scattering to constrain errors and provide additional validation of the accuracy of our results.
Geriatric medicine is a rapidly evolving field that addresses diagnostic, therapeutic and care aspects of older adults. Some disabilities and disorders affecting cognition (e.g. dementia), motor ...function (e.g. stroke, Parkinson’s disease, neuropathies), mood (e.g. depression), behavior (e.g. delirium) and chronic pain disorders are particularly frequent in old subjects. As knowledge about these age-associated conditions and disabilities is steadily increasing, the integral implementation of neurogeriatric knowledge in geriatric medicine and specific neurogeriatric research is essential to develop the field. This article discusses how neurological know-how could be integrated in academic geriatric medicine to improve care of neurogeriatric patients, to foster neurogeriatric research and training concepts and to provide innovative care concepts for geriatric patients with predominant neurological conditions and disabilities.
We studied the nuclear resonant x‐ray scattering of iron hydride (FeHx) up to 52 GPa. Coupled with hydrostatic x‐ray diffraction data, the partial phonon density of states measured by nuclear ...resonant inelastic x‐ray scattering provides information on sound velocities and the Fe contribution to thermodynamic parameters. In particular it constrains the aggregate shear velocity and shear modulus for comparison to seismic observations. We found that VS (km/sec) = 0.023*P (GPa) + 3.2. A loss of magnetism was observed with synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy at 22 GPa, lower than theoretically predicted but consistent with the observed anomalous velocity behavior. Results confirm that FeHx could be a major light element bearing phase for explaining the core density deficit relative to pure Fe. Formation of FeHx by reaction with water would be expected to leave a signature in the mantle.
A 3600-bp RNA-directed RNA polymerase (RdRP)-specific cDNA comprising an open reading frame (ORF) of 1114 amino acids was isolated from tomato. The putative protein encoded by this ORF does not share ...homology with any characterized proteins. Antibodies that were raised against synthetic peptides whose sequences have been deduced from the ORF were shown to specifically detect the 127-kD tomato RdRP protein. The immunoresponse to the antibodies correlated with the enzymatic activity profile of the RdRP after chromatography on Q-, poly(A), and poly(U)-Sepharose, hydroxyapatite, and Sephadex G-200 columns. DNA gel blot analysis revealed a single copy of the RdRP gene in tomato. RdRP homologs from petunia, Arabidopsis, tobacco, and wheat were identified by using polymerase chain reaction. A sequence comparison indicated that sequences homologous to RdRP are also present in the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The previously described induction of RdRP activity upon viroid infection is shown to be correlated with an increased steady state level of the corresponding mRNA. The possible involvement of this heretofore functionally elusive plant RNA polymerase in homology-dependent gene silencing is discussed.
This article investigates the use of German forms of address in different national and regional varieties of German, as perceived by speakers of those varieties. For particular domains such as the ...workplace, informants report significant regional and national differences in use not only of pronominal address but also of nominal address and linguistic structures linked to addressing such as greetings. The data also confirm differences in information about and sensitivity for different national varieties between speakers of the dominant and of non-dominant varieties characteristic for asymmetrical pluricentricity. Adapted from the source document
A high-temperature gradient HPLC method has been developed for the analysis of polyethylene–polypropylene blends. For the first time it was possible to separate these polyolefin blends by a ...chromatographic technique which is operating at 140
°C. Blends of a commercial polypropylene and a medium molar mass linear polyethylene were separated using a mobile phase of ethylene glycol monobutylether (EGMBE) and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB) and silica gel as the stationary phase. With the use of
n-decanol as sample solvent, a precipitation–redissolution mechanism for polyethylene (PE) was established while polypropylene (PP) is eluted in size exclusion mode.
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