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PubMed2001

Spinal interneuronal systems: identification, multifunctional character and reconfigurations in mammals.

This review focuses on the flexibility of operation of spinal interneuronal networks and their multifunctional character in mammals. It concerns, in particular, two ways in which spinal interneuronal networks may be functionally reorganised, namely by modulating the synaptic actions of primary afferents by monoamines and by GABAergic presynaptic inhibition. The evidence will be reviewed for topographical and target-related differences in modulatory effects in various interneuronal networks and these will be related to differences in the intrinsic properties of different functional types of interneurones in these networks and to the role played by them.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Probing the infiltrating character of brain tumors: inhibition of RhoA/ROK-mediated CD44 cell surface shedding from glioma cells by the green tea catechin EGCg.

Glioma cell-surface binding to hyaluronan (HA), a major constituent of the brain extracellular matrix (ECM) environment, is regulated through a complex membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP)/CD44/caveolin interaction that takes place at the leading edges of invading cells. In the present study, intracellular transduction pathways required for the HA-mediated recognition by infiltrating glioma cells in brain was investigated. We show that the overexpression of the GTPase RhoA up-regulated MT1-MMP expression and triggered CD44 shedding from the U-87 glioma cell surface. This potential implication in cerebral metastatic processes was also observed in cells overexpressing the full-length recombinant MT1-MMP, while the overexpression of a cytoplasmic domain truncated from of MT1-MMP failed to do so. This suggests that the cytoplasmic domain of MT1-MMP transduces intracellular signaling leading to RhoA-mediated CD44 shedding. Treatment of glioma cells with the Rho-kinase (ROK) inhibitor Y27632, or with EGCg, a green tea catechin with anti-MMP and anti-angiogenesis activities, antagonized both RhoA- and MT1-MMP-induced CD44 shedding. Conversely, overexpression of recombinant ROK stimulated CD44 release. Taken together, our results suggest that RhoA/ROK intracellular signaling regulates MT1-MMP-mediated CD44 recognition of HA. These molecular processes may partly explain the diffuse brain-infiltrating character of glioma cells within the surrounding parenchyma and thus be a target for new approaches to anti-tumor therapy.

Brain Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Developmental regulation of caste-specific characters in social-insect polyphenism.

Phenotypes of organisms are not determined completely genetically, but vary according to environmental factors (phenotypic plasticity). Some organisms express several discrete adaptive phenotypes (polyphenism). Social insects possess a few types of individuals (castes) in their colonies, to which specific tasks are allocated. Here, I review studies on caste polyphenism in ants and termites, in terms of the developmental mechanisms of caste-specific characters, such as alate wings and soldier mandibles. In ants, the developmental fate of caste is probably determined by the pattern-formation genes in the early stage of postembryonic development, but apoptotic degeneration occurs in the wing primordia of future workers. As apoptotic wing degeneration has been observed in two phylogenetically distant groups of ants, this phenomenon is suggested to be conserved in many ant species. On the other hand, all termite species possess distinct sterile soldiers with specific morphologies suitable for defense. Recent studies using molecular techniques isolated genes related to soldier differentiation and analyzed the expression profiles of those genes in order to understand the mechanism of caste differentiation and the link between molecular and social evolution. In this review, I focus on these studies, in terms of the alteration of body plan in response to environmental signals, and discuss the evolutionary process of the interaction between ontogeny and environment.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Character-based determinants of trust in leaders.

Trust is a prominent determinant of effective interpersonal relationships, group process, and organizational development. However, for leaders and managers, trust building is often problematic. The aim of this article is to contribute to a growing understanding of the way in which individual managers can develop trust in organizations, particularly those defined by medium to high risk. The article presents a theoretical and empirical analysis of the nature of trust at work. Building on the results of an earlier study, use is made of the facet-theoretical approach to generate a definitional framework of trust, which focuses on the characteristics of the trusted person that contribute to the development of trust. Using items developed on the basis of a mapping sentence, hypotheses regarding the relations between the definitional framework and empirical observations were tested through smallest space analysis (SSA) of data collected from a sample of 398 bank and hospital employees. The results demonstrate strong support for the definitional system and show a clear association with results of prior research that identify perceptions of ability, integrity, fairness, and openness as key determinants of trust. The empirical structure clearly reflects the attitudinal nature of interpersonal trust at work and the items empirically distinguish distinct character-based components of trust.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Six characters in search of an author: a constructivist view.

The investigation of imaginative literature has been one of psychotherapy's most useful tools for the explication of its theories and the general dissemination of psychotherapeutic concepts. Using this idea, I examine Luigi Pirandello's play Six Characters in Search of an Author from a constructivist, family therapy, point of view.

Drama↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Identification of synapomorphic characters in the genus Sarcocystis based on 18S rDNA sequence comparison.

In order to further investigate synapomorphic characters in the genus Sarcocystis, the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences of Sarcocystis capracanis and Sarcocystis moulei were determined and used to infer the phylogenetic position of these two organisms within the cyst-forming coccidia. Phylogenies derived using distance, maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods demonstrated that S. capracanis groups with Sarcocystis tenella and Sarcocystis arieticanis as a clade that shares the characteristic of using canids as their definitive host. S. moulei was shown to group with Sarcocystis gigantea and Sarcocystis fusiformis as a clade that shares the characteristic of using fields as their definitive host.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Changes in the character of Factor VIII inhibitors following Factor VIII transfusion.

Factor VIII inhibitors from 4 haemophiliacs have been studied at intervals following transfusion of a factor VIII preparation with an aim to correlate their reaction kinetic and avidity with their immuno-chemical character. Post-treatment antibodies are more avid than pre-treatment antibodies and show a second order reaction while pre-treatment antibodies produce a graph of complex nature for the time course inactivation of Factor VIII. It seems that IgG3 anti VIII:C that forms a significant part of post-treatment antibody is responsible for these discrepancies.

Antibody Affinity↗
PubMed1992

Possible premalignant character of oral lichen planus. The Amsterdam experience.

In the present paper the 21-yr experience of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, and the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the Free University Hospital, Amsterdam, is reported with regard to the possible premalignant character of oral lichen planus. The study consists of two parts: 1) the follow-up of 113 patients with histopathologically proven oral lichen planus, and 2) a search for lichen planus in 727 patients who have been admitted for oral cancer. Three patients with histopathologically proven lichen planus developed a squamous cell carcinoma in an average follow-up period of 7 yr. In the 727 patients with oral cancer, two additional patients with the simultaneous occurrence of oral lichen planus were observed. Our experience gives some but not very strong support to the hypothesis that oral lichen planus is a premalignant condition.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Recognition of DNA modified by trans-[PtClNH(4-hydroxymethylpyridine)] by tumor suppressor protein p53 and character of DNA adducts of this cytotoxic complex.

trans-[PtCl(2)NH(3)(4-Hydroxymethylpyridine)] (trans-PtHMP) is an analogue of clinically ineffective transplatin, which is cytotoxic in the human leukemia cancer cell line. As DNA is a major pharmacological target of antitumor platinum compounds, modifications of DNA by trans-PtHMP and recognition of these modifications by active tumor suppressor protein p53 were studied in cell-free media using the methods of molecular biology and biophysics. Our results demonstrate that the replacement of the NH(3) group in transplatin by the 4-hydroxymethylpyridine ligand affects the character of DNA adducts of parent transplatin. The binding of trans-PtHMP is slower, although equally sequence-specific. This platinum complex also forms on double-stranded DNA stable intrastrand and interstrand cross-links, which distort DNA conformation in a unique way. The most pronounced conformational alterations are associated with a local DNA unwinding, which was considerably higher than those produced by other bifunctional platinum compounds. DNA adducts of trans-PtHMP also reduce the affinity of the p53 protein to its consensus DNA sequence. Thus, downstream effects modulated by recognition and binding of p53 protein to DNA distorted by trans-PtHMP and transplatin are not likely to be the same. It has been suggested that these different effects may contribute to different antitumor effects of these two transplatinum compounds.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Fibrin(ogen)olytic character of FIIa isolated from Agkistrodon acutus venom.

AIM: To investigate the fibrin(ogen)olytic character of FIIa isolated from Agkistrodon acutus venom in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: 125I-labeled human plasma clot lysis was measured in vitro and rabbit carotid artery thrombosis was as an in vivo model. RESULTS: In vitro, urokinase (UK) at 25, 35, 40, 45, 60 kU/L and FIIa at 0.08, 0.23, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.7 g/L resulted an equivalent clot lysis (20%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 80%). UK at 25 to approximately 60 kU/L induced 27.3%+/-3.6%, 35.2%+/-2.3%, 39.3%+/-2.4%, 44.2%+/-4.6%, and 51.1%+/-1.2% fibrinogen degradation. But FIIa at 0.08 approximately -0.7 g/L induced 95.4%+/-0.3%, >95.6%, >95.6%, >95.6%, >95.6% fibrinogen degradation respectively. In vivo, UK 40 kU/kg and FIIa 1.0 mg/kg reduced the weight of residual thrombus to 9.0+/-2.5 mg and 7.8+/-3.5 mg compared with negative control group (30.0+/-5.4 mg). But the fibrinogen degradation rate after UK 40 kU/kg and FIIa 1.0 mg/kg treatment was 24.4%+/-6.2% and 4.1%+/-7.8%, respectively (P<0.05, n=6). The order of the lysis speed after UK 125 kU/L treatment was platelet poor plasma (PPP) clots>the whole blood clots>platelet rich plasma (PRP) clots. The sequence for FIIa 0.4 g/L was PRP >PPP >whole blood clots. CONCLUSION: At the same percentage of clot lysis, FIIa degraded more fibrinogen than UK did in vitro but less fibrinogen than UK did in vivo. The order of the lysis speed was PPP>whole blood clots>PRP clots for UK and PRP>PPP>whole blood clots for FIIa.

Agkistrodon↗
PubMed2002

Relationship between faecal character and intestinal transit time in normal dogs and diet-sensitive dogs.

The relationship between stool character and whole gut transit time (WGTT), which is the average time for the passage of material through the lumen of the alimentary tract from ingestion to defecation, was studied in eight control dogs and 12 dogs with non-specific dietary sensitivity. Dogs were fed four diets in a cross-over design, and faecal quality was assessed daily and WGTT determined using plastic pellets. Faecal quality was unaffected by diet in the control dogs. Dogs with dietary sensitivity produced looser faeces compared with the control dogs, and this was significant for two of the diets. There was no significant effect of diet on mean WGTT within or between groups. Minimum WGTT, which was the interval to the first appearance of markers in faeces, was shorter in sensitive dogs compared with controls, and this was significant for two of the four diets. There were significant, inverse relationships between minimum WGTT and both mean faeces score and percentage unacceptable defecations. These data suggest that rapid transit of certain dietary components may impact negatively on stool quality and contribute to loose faeces in dogs with non-specific dietary sensitivity.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

The significance of certain skin characters of sheep in resistance and susceptibility to fleece-rot and body strike.

Micro-anatomical differences in skin structure associated with resistance and susceptibility of sheep to fleece-rot and body strike were identified, and found to be of similar magnitude in 2 genetically divergent flocks of medium-woolled Merino ewes. Susceptible sheep were characterised by smaller follicle groups, resulting in higher densities of follicle populations with greater concentrations of the primary follicles (and sudoriferous glands) than in the resistant sheep. From these smaller follicle groups of susceptible sheep, thicker wool fibres grew than were found in the resistant sheep. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the pathogenesis of fleece-rot and body strike of sheep, and the value of the measured skin characters as a method for identifying resistant sheep.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

The character-disordered family: a community treatment model for family sexual abuse.

A collaborative approach to treating sexually abusive families is described, in which such families are viewed as analogous to "character-disordered" individuals. This model, unlike traditional voluntary treatment models, assumes that effective intervention requires authoritative control and careful corrdination of all professional activity. Phases of treatment are outlined and a case history is presented.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Character and duration of pharmacological effects of intravenous isoxsuprine.

Isoxsuprine is a therapeutic medication used to treat navicular disease and other lower limb problems in horses and is one of the more frequently detected therapeutic agents in racing horses. In a crossover study, horses were administered isoxsuprine i.v. to determine the character and duration of its pharmacological effects. Isoxsuprine significantly increased heart rate 5-150 min following injection. Unrestrained activity following isoxsuprine treatment was significantly greater than control activity for 105 min after treatment. There was an apparent, although statistically nonsignificant, increased cutaneous blood flow resulting in visible water vapour and sweat production 5-60 min after administration. Initially, there was no difference in skin temperature between control and isoxsuprine treatment values; however, skin temperature decreased below control values 45-120 min after injection. Concurrently, there was a significant decrease in rectal temperature reflecting a decrease in body core temperature. Using infrared thermography, a significant decrease in superficial skin temperature of the front legs occurred 30-240 min after treatment. Isoxsuprine also reduced smooth muscle tone, which was apparent by decreased tone of the internal anal sphincter 10-180 min after treatment. It was concluded that the measurable pharmacological effects of i.v. isoxsuprine are short lived, since none of the above responses were apparent 4 h or more after i.v. administration.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Some origins of the 'difficult' child: the Brazelton scale and the mother's view of her new-born's character.

Thirty-two mothers and their new-born babies were studied in order to consider, in a limited way, the manner in which a mother comes to attribute personality traits to her infant. The child's expected 'difficulty' was rated by means of a standardized inventory. In addition, a semi-structured interview was conducted with the mother, and her baby was examined by means which have been described by Brazelton. The circumstances of birth were taken from hospital records. Mothers who did not expect the child to be difficult showed a 'general flexibility' which probably related to coping ability. Babies who were seen as unlikely to be difficult had high scores on 'state control' and 'physiological response to stress'. These measures include ratings for habituation and seem to reflect an efficient means of dealing with stimuli. These infantile factors did not correlate with the maternal one, suggesting that a genetic explanation of the findings was not likely. The effect of the circumstances of birth was not strong, but medication level seemed important. The transcripts of the mothers' interviews were consistent with the view that the mother's assessment of her infant's character was not only influenced by a fine observation of the infant's behaviour but also by something like 'projective identification'. The transcripts also suggested that mechanisms which have been seen as important in the development of identity in adolescence may be operating from the first days of life.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1971

The frequency dependent character of the membrane capacity in cardiac Purkynĕ fibres.

1. The upstroke of the action potential was used as a signal of variable frequency in order to measure the apparent membrane capacity of cardiac Purkyne fibres.2. The upstroke in Na-Tyrode can be regarded as a high frequency signal. Action potentials in Na-free, Sr-Tyrode are characterized by a very small rate of depolarization (5 V/sec) and conduction velocity (15 cm/sec) and were used as a low frequency signal.3. On changing from Na- to Sr-Tyrode the apparent membrane capacity increased by a factor of 3.77 and approached the value estimated by the square-current technique.4. Cable properties (space and time constants, internal core and membrane resistance) were found to be constant when changing from Na- to Sr-Tyrode.5. The significance of the frequency dependent character of the membrane capacity is discussed in relation to propagation and form of the action potential.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1993

[Biological characters of the clinically isolated strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Canada].

Biological characters of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains isolated from food poisoning cases in Canada, 1987-1988 were examined in comparison with that isolated in Saitama, 1990. The Saitama strain was found to belong to biotype I, and biotypes I and II were found in Canada. Most of the strains including the Saitama strain were found to have siderophilins suggesting their advantageous growth in vivo. An enteroinvasive strain with 140 megadalton (Md) plasmid and two colicinogenic strains with 4.8 Md plasmids were detected. All strains were found to have 60 Md plasmids. This plasmid might be specific for this serotype. A few strains were resistant to streptomycin (SM) and/or tetracycline (TC), and a strain transferred its SM-TC resistances by conjugation. Many strains including the Saitama strain were found to produce vero cytotoxin (VT) types 1 and 2 (VT1 and VT2). A few type 2 and untypable toxin producing strains were also detected. VT titers produced by untypable toxin producing strains were over 10 times lower than those by other strains. High annealing temperature for PCR amplification of VT1 gene and a variety of annealing temperatures of VT2 gene suggested that the nucleotide sequences for VT1 gene were well preserved, but that those for VT2 might have some mutations.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Peculiar character of dialyzate ultraviolet extinction spectra as an indicator of nucleic acid metabolism in humans.

UV extinction spectra of effluent dialyzate in the process of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are studied. It is found that they have distinctive individual features unique to each patient. The shape of the spectrum remains virtually invariable for a given subject during the whole period of the study (more than a year) and does not depend on the treatment modality or other factors like sex, age, the stage of chronic renal failure, and concomitant illnesses. Absorption bands in two spectral regions--255 to 265 nm and 288 to 298 nm--account for the unique character of dialyzate spectra. Spectra classification based on the ratio of integral extinctions in these regions are introduced. It is assumed that the shape of the spectrum depends on the relative contents of plasma components. Statistical analysis of individual features of spectra for the groups of patients undergoing hemodialysis (78 people) and peritoneal dialysis (42 people) is carried out. It is revealed that the distribution of patients by the ratio of integral extinctions in the specified spectral regions adheres to the normal law. Presumably individual features of spectra could be related to uric acid and a biochemically unidentified substance with an absorption peak near 260 nm.

Algorithms↗