The ectodomain of Toll-like receptor 9 is cleaved to generate a functional receptor

Mammalian Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 3, 7, 8 and 9 initiate immune responses to infection by recognizing microbial nucleic acids; however, these responses come at the cost of potential autoimmunity owing to inappropriate recognition of self nucleic acids. The localization of TLR9 and TLR7 to intracellular compartments seems to have a role in facilitating responses to viral nucleic acids while maintaining tolerance to self nucleic acids, yet the cell biology regulating the transport and localization of these receptors remains poorly understood. Here we define the route by which TLR9 and TLR7 exit the endoplasmic reticulum and travel to endolysosomes in mouse macrophages and dendritic cells. The ectodomains of TLR9 and TLR7 are cleaved in the endolysosome, such that no full-length protein is detectable in the compartment where ligand is recognized. Notably, although both the full-length and cleaved forms of TLR9 are capable of binding ligand, only the processed form recruits MyD88 on activation, indicating that this truncated receptor, rather than the full-length form, is functional. Furthermore, conditions that prevent receptor proteolysis, including forced TLR9 surface localization, render the receptor non-functional. We propose that ectodomain cleavage represents a strategy to restrict receptor activation to endolysosomal compartments and prevent TLRs from responding to self nucleic acids.     

Mechanism of calcium channel blockade by verapamil, D600, diltiazem and nitrendipine in single dialysed heart cells

Organic inhibitors of calcium influx prevent outward as well as inward current through cardiac calcium channels but do not slow current activation. Although block is antagonized by raising external calcium or barium concentrations, the competitive effect of permeant cations does not occur at the same cation binding site at which inorganic blockers act. Organic drugs show varying degrees of use-dependent block, due in part to blockade of open channels. Nitrendipine blockade of calcium currents requires doses greater than 100-fold higher than expected from radioligand binding to isolated membranes.     

Evaluation of GPS-based attitude parameters applied to bathymetric measurements

As the survey vessels normally take bathymetric measurements in a 'dynamic'environment on the sea surface,the attitude parameters of the vessel are basically required to be introduced measurements related to the sounding datum. A multi-antenna GPSsystem, which can be easy-mounted on a vessel, has proved to be able toprecisely determine its attitude parameters through the combinations ofthe GPS vectors. This study aimed at evaluating such a GPS-basedsystem to determine the attitude parameters for the survey vessels, basedon the data collected both in-land for testing and on-sea for practical use.The precision of the estimates was realized to be around 1.6' for heading,2.3' for pitch, 9.9' for roll, and 0.3 cm for heave, based on the testing data. When system was practically applied to the bathymetric measurements made on-board, the sea depth agreements for the check points can be improved by a significant level of 43%, if a complete set of attitude parameters was in use. As the attitude information was provedto be helpful for the bathymetric measurements, it can be suggested thata multi-antenna GPS system is an economic and effective tool for the deter minations of the attitude parameter, and particularly suitable for the applications of hydrographic surveys.     

Intrinsic forces alone are sufficient to cause closure of the neural tube in the chick

An isolated neural plate or a postnodal piece of early chick embryos, when cultured under appropriate experimental conditions, can undergo morphogenetic movements and form tubular structures closely resembling neural tubes of early chick embryos.     

INNOVATION AND ANALYSIS OF KOREAN FASHION STYLE

1.Korean Traditional CostumeKorean costume culture was originated from culture of northern horseriding tribe, Scythai culture. In Culture of Korean traditional costume, the basic type of clothing is short jacket and trousers or short jacket, skirt, and wearing hat, Wha (boots) and Lee (deep curved and low heel shoes). It was the cloak as protecting cold and taking Po for outdoor works. We can find stripe neck park of jacket and following round line in down part of sleeve.     

Estimating the long memory granger causality effect with a spectrum estimator

This paper discusses the Granger causality test by a spectrum estimator which allows the transfer function to have long memory properties. In traditional methodology the relationship among variables is usually assumed to be short memory or contemporaneous. Hence, we have to make sure they are of the same integrated order, else there might be a spurious regression problem. In practice, not all the variables are fractionally co‐integrated in the economic model. They may have the same random resources, but under a different integrated order. This paper focuses on how to capture the long memory Granger causality effect in the transfer function. This does not necessarily assume the variables are of the same fractional integrated order. Moreover, by the transfer function we construct an estimator to test the long memory effect with the Granger causality sense. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

R-K状态方程及P-R状态方程下的气-液转变和临界行为

分别由Redlich与Kwong以及Peng与Robinson所提出的状态方程具有许多优越性质,是近年来在计算纯物质热力学函数中用得最多的状态方程.本文以其维里级数展开为基础,利用Pade逼近为工具,讨论了这类气体的气-液转变和临界点附近的行为。     

Forecasting European GNP data through common factor models and other procedures

In this paper we present an extensive study of annual GNP data for five European countries. We look for intercountry dependence and analyse how the different economies interact, using several univariate ARIMA and unobserved components models and a multivariate model for the GNP incorporating all the common information among the variables. We use a dynamic factor model to take account of the common dynamic structure of the variables. This common dynamic structure can be non‐stationary (i.e. common trends) or stationary (i.e. common cycles). Comparisons of the models are made in terms of the root mean square error (RMSE) for one‐step‐ahead forecasts. For this particular group of European countries, the factor model outperforms the remaining ones. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relation of HTLV-4 to simian and human immunodeficiency-associated viruses

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the aetiologic agent of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) in most countries and probably originated in Central Africa like the AIDS epidemic itself. Evidence for a second major group of human immunodeficiency-associated retroviruses came from a report that West African human populations like wild-caught African green monkeys had serum antibodies that reacted more strongly with a simian immunodeficiency virus (STLV-3Mac) (ref.6) than with HIV-1. Novel T-lymphotropic retroviruses were reported to have been isolated from healthy Senegalese West Africans (HTLV-4) (ref. 4) and from African green monkeys (STLV-3AGM) (ref. 7), and a different retrovirus (HIV-2) was identified in other West African AIDS patients. Genomic analysis of HIV-2 clearly distinguished it from STLV-3 (ref. 9), but restriction enzyme site-mapping of three different HTLV-4 isolates and six different STLV-3AGM isolates showed them to be essentially indistinguishable. In this report we clone, restriction map, and partially sequence three isolates of HTLV-4 (PK82, PK289, PK190) (ref. 4). We find that these viruses differ in nucleotide sequence from each other and from three isolates of STLV-3AGM (K78, K6W, K1) (ref. 7) by 1% or less. We also report the isolation of a T-lymphotropic retrovirus from the peripheral blood of a healthy Senegalese woman which hybridizes preferentially to HIV-2 specific DNA probes. We conclude that HTLV-4 (ref. 4) and STLV-3AGM (ref. 7) are not independent virus isolates and that HIV-2 is present in Senegal as it is in other West African countries.     

Expert judgments of political riskiness

Professional analysts' judgments of the political riskiness of 49 focal countries for the period 1983-1985 were studied. Data were collected on nine predictor variables; each was significantly correlated at the 0.01 level with ratings of political riskiness. The highest correlation was with infant mortality and life expectancy; either accounted for roughly 50% of the variance in ratings. Different variables were better predictors of political risk within different geographic regions. A factor analysis suggested the presence of three underlying factors. The predictor variable with the highest loading was chosen to represent each of the three factors. These were: exchange rate differential; estimated inflation rate; and infant mortality rate. Approximately 75% of the variance in ratings could be accounted for on the basis of a linear combination of the three predictor variables. These three variables were capable of good prediction even for various subsets of countries based on geographic region or other criteria. Using all nine variables as predictors resulted in only marginal improvement. A cluster analysis revealed little difference among clusters of judges. Ratings by undergraduate students closely paralled those of professional analysts. As in previous studies of expert predictions and forecasts, claims of expertise in political risk analysis were better supported by command of factual knowledge than by differentially superior predictive ability.