1,720,981 research outputs found

    Cilia protein IFT88 regulates extracellular protease activity by optimizing LRP-1–mediated endocytosis

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    Matrix protease activity is fundamental to developmental tissue patterning and remains influential in adult homeostasis. In cartilage, the principal matrix proteoglycan is aggrecan, the protease-mediated catabolism of which defines arthritis; however, the pathophysiologic mechanisms that drive aberrant aggrecanolytic activity remain unclear. Human ciliopathies exhibit altered matrix, which has been proposed to be the result of dysregulated hedgehog signaling that is tuned within the primary cilium. Here, we report that disruption of intraflagellar transport protein 88 (IFT88), a core ciliary trafficking protein, increases chondrocyte aggrecanase activity in vitro. We find that the receptor for protease endocytosis in chondrocytes, LDL receptor–related protein 1 (LRP-1), is unevenly distributed over the cell membrane, often concentrated at the site of cilia assembly. Hypomorphic mutation of IFT88 disturbs this apparent hot spot for protease uptake, increases receptor shedding, and results in a reduced rate of protease clearance from the extracellular space. We propose that IFT88 and/or the cilium regulates the extracellular remodeling of matrix—independently of Hedgehog regulation—by enabling rapid LRP-1–mediated endocytosis of proteases, potentially by supporting the creation of a ciliary pocket. This result highlights new roles for the cilium’s machinery in matrix turnover and LRP-1 function, with potential relevance in a range of diseases.—Coveney, C. R., Collins, I., Mc Fie, M., Chanalaris, A., Yamamoto, K., Wann, A. K. T. Cilia protein IFT88 regulates extracellular protease activity by optimizing LRP-1–mediated endocytosis

    Array CGH analysis at 60kb resolution of CML samples at advanced stage of disease

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    In spite of the universal presence of the BCR/ABL1 fusion gene, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) shows remarkable clinical and genetic diversity. The consequences of der(9)t(9;22) chromosome deletions, associated with poor survival, as well as the mechanism behind their formation remain unclear, as does our understanding of the molecular events driving the disease evolution. The presence of these deletions fuelled the expectations that cryptic genome-wide aberrations may be accountable for the disease progression. Following a comprehensive BAC aCGH analysis of 48 CML samples (Brazma et al., Genes, Chromosomes & Cancer, 2007 in press) we report high-resolution oligo-nucleotide array study of a further 30 CML accelerated/ blast phase samples. We were unable to confirm the high frequency of particular single BAC imbalances (CNVs), reported both by ourselves and others, possibly due to the manufacturer’s array selection strategy. Never-the-less some of the CNVs and a wealth of new imbalances were obtained at 60kb resolution. It was possible to build a precise map of the amplicon affecting the sequences flanking the 3' ABL1 breakpoint site, which include the LAMC3 and NUP214 genes. The presence of this amplicon was associated with therapy resistance. When assessed, at a resolution of 60 kb, the deletions of the regions flanking the ABL1/BCR breakpoint showed novel features: 1. the genome loss affects preferentially both flanking sites as seen in 5 of the 6 ‘deleted’ samples and 2. the 120kb deletion identified is the smallest recorded so far. Most of the major cytogenetic features of the samples were confirmed and a number of cryptic genome imbalances were detected, from 120kb to 10Mb in size, involving regions rich in genes, some already implicated in the pathogenesis of CML. Finally, recurrent micro aberrations of several adjacent oligo-nucleotides affecting non-coding sequences were detected in as many as 2/3 of the samples

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    Hypertrophic effects of urocortin homologous peptides are mediated via activation of the Akt pathway

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    The UCN homologues SCP and SRP bind specifically to the CRFR2 receptor, whereas UCN binds to both CRFR1 and CRFR2. We have previously demonstrated that all three peptides are cardioprotective, and both the Akt and MAPK p42/44 pathways are essential for this effect. Here we tested the hypertrophic effects of these peptides. We examined the effects of the peptides on cell area, protein synthesis, and induction of the natriuretic peptides ANP and BNP. All three peptides were able to increase all the markers of hypertrophy examined, with SCP being the most potent of the three, followed by UCN and SRP last. In addition, we provide a mechanism of action for the three peptides and show that Akt phosphorylation is important for their hypertrophic action, whereas MAPK p42/44 is not involved in this effect

    Variations on the Author

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    “Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship

    Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis

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    We provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis

    Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts

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    We conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more sophisticated methods

    Author Index

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    koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist

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    We have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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