National Scientists Research Articles

Forkhead Transcription Factor FOXO3a Protects Alveolar Epithelial Cells from Oxidative Stress

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a devastating clinical problem involving the key events of inflammation and alveolar epithelial cell death. The fundamental mechanism of this serious condition evolves from an imbalance between pro- inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines finally resulting in oxidative stress induced cell death. FOXO transcription factors are important regulators of cell survival in response to a variety of stress stimuli, among which are oxidative stress, DNA damage, and nutrient deprivation. However, the role of FOXO3a in acute lung injury and epithelial cell death is not known. It was hypothesized that FOXO3a protects alveolar epithelial cells from H2O2 induced cell death. To test this hypothesis, the effects of H2O2 on subconfluent human alveolar epithelial cell (A549) cultures were tested. A549 cells were transfected with vector containing wild type FOXO3a cDNA (FOXO3a- WT) or vector containing mutant FOXO3a cDNA (FOXO3a-M) and treated with or without H2O2 (1hour) to induce oxidative stress. The results showed that H2O2 induced a significant alveolar epithelial cell necrosis and apoptosis. In contrast epithelial cells transfected with FOXO3a –WT inhibited H2O2 induced cell necrosis and apoptosis. However cells transfected with a mutant, FOXO3a-M did not alter H2O2 mediated epithelial cell apoptosis and necrosis. Together these results suggest that FOXO3a protects alveolar epithelial cells from oxidative stress induced cell death. This work was supported by T32-HL007874 and American Heart Association National Scientist Development Grant 09SDG2260957 to N.K.

Membrane-Bound Organization of Coagulation Factor VIII

The focus of this study is to follow the structural changes of two human recombinant Factor VIII (FVIII) forms: full length (FVIII-FL) and B domain deleted (FVIII-BDD) upon binding to phosphatidylserine (PS) containing phospholipid (PL) vesicles and nanotubes (LNT) by combining Cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) and circular dichroism (CD) studies. FVIII or antihemophilic factor is a multidomain plasma glycoprotein of 280 kDa, essential for blood coagulation. Activated FVIII (FVIIIa) is a cofactor to the serine protease Factor IXa in the Tenase complex assembled onto the negatively charged platelet surface. Cryo-EM is unique in its ability to visualize the structure of macromolecules within an ensemble at subnanometer resolution and closest to physiological conditions. The Cryo-EM data show strong protein-membrane and protein-protein interactions. The CD data show a shift in the CD spectra towards the shorter wavelengths upon binding of the FVIII to the PL vesicles, more pronounced for the FVIII-FL form. The above data confirm our hypothesis that the FVIII conformation in solution is significantly altered upon attaching to the platelet membrane and assembly of the Tenase complex. This work is supported by a National Scientist Development Grant from the American Heart Association: 10SDG3500034 to SSM.

On-farm biological control of the pearl millet head miner: realization of 35 years of unsteady progress in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger

The pearl millet head miner became a major pest in the West African Sahel during the droughts of 1972–1974, and has since remained a threat to food security. Pesticide control is unrealistic for subsistence farmers. Furthermore, there are no cultural control methods or genetic sources of resistance. Biological control was a possibility, but the required ecological knowledge did not exist in the 1970s. A biological control programme could have been rapidly developed through sustained and coordinated funding using existing knowledge. Instead, it took 25 years to lay the scientific groundwork through occasional bursts of uncoordinated short-term activity using international scientists funded by large donors. There was little funding and few prominent roles for national scientists until 2000, when they were empowered by a different approach taken by the McKnight Foundation. An operational system was quickly developed and deployed in which trained farmers rear and release the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor to effectively eliminate the head miner. The national programme scientists demonstrated admirably that, when trusted and adequately supported and empowered, African researchers can deliver real and effective solutions that are scientifically sound, meet the needs of smallholder farmers, and contribute significantly to improved food security, community resilience and reduced poverty.

The role of organs of office of public prosecutor is in the mechanism of providing of the personal safety of man

The author of the article gives (refers to) the definition of the personal security that has been identifiedby national scientists. As of today, the notion of such categories as security and personal security is notlegislatively defined. The legal basis for activity of the prosecuting bodies and collision, existing in the nationallegislation, have been investigated.

Neutron Science TeraGrid Gateway

The unique contributions of the Neutron Science TeraGrid Gateway (NSTG) are the connection of national user facility instrument data sources to the integrated cyberinfrastructure of the National Science FoundationTeraGrid and the development of a neutron science gateway that allows neutron scientists to use TeraGrid resources to analyze their data, including comparison of experiment with simulation. The NSTG is working in close collaboration with the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge as their principal facility partner. The SNS is a next-generation neutron source. It has completed construction at a cost of $1.4 billion and is ramping up operations. The SNS will provide an order of magnitude greater flux than any previous facility in the world and will be available to all of the nation's scientists, independent of funding source, on a peer-reviewed merit basis. With this new capability, the neutron science community is facing orders of magnitude larger data sets and is at a critical point for data analysis and simulation. There is a recognized need for new ways to manage and analyze data to optimize both beam time and scientific output. The TeraGrid is providing new capabilities in the gateway for simulations using McStas and a fitting service on distributed TeraGrid resources to improved turnaround. NSTG staff are also exploring replicating experimental data in archival storage. As part of the SNS partnership, the NSTG provides access to gateway support, cyberinfrastructure outreach, community development, and user support for the neutron science community. This community includes not only SNS staff and users but extends to all the major worldwide neutron scattering centers.

National Scientist Lourdes Jansuy Cruz: From rice to Conus research — the journey

In the mid 1970s, Lourdes J. Cruz published a seminal paper on the venom protein of the marine snail Conus in Veliger. This was followed by a series of papers on the feeding and mating habits of the Conus geographus in captivity, on the assay of the toxin, on the toxin proteins of different marine snails and on the basic chemical and molecular make-up of the toxins and their effects on the nervous system. In 1985, Dr. Cruz and co-workers reported in the prestigious journal Science that the venom of the marine snail I called Conus geographus from the Philippine seas contains a cocktail of many peptides with various activities that affect the ion channels and receptors of the central nervous system. There were peptides that cause muscular paralysis, peptides that cause sleepiness or drowsiness, peptides that make the test animals jump! This discovery led to a long series of researches in the laboratory of Dr. Cruz in the University of the Philippines Manila and Diliman and in the laboratory of her collaborators especially Dr. Baldomero Olivera in the University of Utah. Moreover, it attracted researchers worldwide to study this goldmine of conotoxins and their potential practical and commercial applications in neuroscience and medicine.

A science–policy interface in the global south: the politics of carbon sinks and science in Brazil

The IPCC and other global environmental assessment processes stress the need for national scientific participation to ensure decision makers’ trust in the associated scientific conclusions and political agendas. The underpinning assumption is that the relationship between scientists and decision makers at the national level is characterized by trust and interpretive synergy. Drawing on ethnographic research in Brazil, this article challenges that assumption through a case study of the policy uptake of divergent scientific interpretations as to whether or not the Amazon is a net carbon sink. It shows that the carbon sink issue became a site for struggles between important Brazilian scientists and decision-makers with central authority over the definition of the country’s official position in international climate negotiations. In a geopolitically charged scientific controversy involving scientific evidence bearing on the Kyoto Protocol, Brazilian decision makers studied revealed critical distance from national scientists advancing evidence that the Amazon is a net carbon sink. As such, the decision-makers’ interpretations were at odds also with dominant framings in the Brazilian media and closer to those of American scientists involved in carbon cycle research in the Amazon. Seeking to explain this disconnect, the paper discusses the divergent policy preferences of key scientists and decision-makers involved, and the correlations of these preferences with interpretations of the available scientific evidence. It identifies the continued impact of a national political tradition of limited participation in decision making and suggests that this tradition—while increasingly challenged by countervailing democratizing trends—is reinforced by key Brazilian decision makers’ constructions of science as a medium through which rich countries maintain political advantage. Reflecting this, key Brazilian decision-makers justified rejecting national scientists’ interpretations of the Amazon as a significant overall carbon sink by suggesting that the scientists’ scientific training and associated foreign interactions bias them in favor of foreign interests, compromising their ability to accurately identify national interests. The paper situates its analysis in terms of theories of the science–policy interface and argues for greater attention to the role of culturally and politically laden understandings of science and the role of science in policy and geopolitics.

Pioglitazone stimulates AMP-activated protein kinase signalling and increases the expression of genes involved in adiponectin signalling, mitochondrial function and fat oxidation in human skeletal muscle in vivo: a randomised trial.

The molecular mechanisms by which thiazolidinediones improve insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes are not fully understood. We hypothesised that pioglitazone would activate the adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway and increase the expression of genes involved in adiponectin signalling, NEFA oxidation and mitochondrial function in human skeletal muscle. A randomised, double-blind, parallel study was performed in 26 drug-naive type 2 diabetes patients treated with: (1) pioglitazone (n = 14) or (2) aggressive nutritional therapy (n = 12) to reduce HbA(1c) to levels observed in the pioglitazone-treated group. Participants were assigned randomly to treatment using a table of random numbers. Before and after 6 months, patients reported to the Clinical Research Center of the Texas Diabetes Institute for a vastus lateralis muscle biopsy followed by a 180 min euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic (80 mU m(-2) min(-1)) clamp. All patients in the pioglitazone (n = 14) or nutritional therapy (n = 12) group were included in the analysis. Pioglitazone significantly increased plasma adiponectin concentration by 79% and reduced fasting plasma NEFA by 35% (both p < 0.01). Following pioglitazone, insulin-stimulated glucose disposal increased by 30% (p < 0.01), and muscle AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) phosphorylation increased by 38% and 53%, respectively (p < 0.05). Pioglitazone increased mRNA levels for adiponectin receptor 1 and 2 genes (ADIPOR1, ADIPOR2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1 gene (PPARGC1) and multiple genes involved in mitochondrial function and fat oxidation. Despite a similar reduction in HbA(1c) and similar improvement in insulin sensitivity with nutritional therapy, there were no significant changes in muscle AMPK and ACC phosphorylation, or the expression of ADIPOR1, ADIPOR2, PPARGC1 and genes involved in mitochondrial function and fat oxidation. No adverse (or unexpected) effects or side effects were reported from the study. Pioglitazone increases plasma adiponectin levels, stimulates muscle AMPK signalling and increases the expression of genes involved in adiponectin signalling, mitochondrial function and fat oxidation. These changes may represent an important cellular mechanism by which thiazolidinediones improve skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity. NCT 00816218 FUNDING: This trial was funded by National Institutes of Health Grant DK24092, VA Merit Award, GCRC Grant RR01346, Executive Research Committee Research Award from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, American Diabetes Association Junior Faculty Award, American Heart Association National Scientist Development Grant, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Grant and Canadian Institute of Health Research Grant.

Young Africans Tackle Their Continent's Environmental Issues: Young African Scientists Session at the Fourth International Geosphere‐Biosphere Programme Congress; Cape Town, South Africa, 7 May 2008

Africa is often described as a unique and diverse continent. This is reflected in its biodiversity, economic and social circumstances, and diversity in culture and environment. The Young African Scientists (YAS) session at the International Geosphere‐ Biosphere Programme Congress was one of the congress's highlights. Global environmental change research in Africa was presented to an audience that included visiting international and national scientists, policy makers, and a group of schoolchildren. From the uniqueness of Africa's paleoclimate to the diversity and complexity of current and future impacts of environmental change on Africa, the session not only provided an overview of current projects but also highlighted the problems that are intertwined with poverty. This session was sponsored by the Global Change System for Analysis, Research, and Training (START).

Korean journals in the Science Citation Index: What do they reveal about the intellectual structure of S&amp;T in Korea?

During the last decade, we have witnessed a sustained growth of South Korea’s research output in terms of the world share of publications in the Science Citation Index database. However, Korea’s citation performance is not yet as competitive as publication performance. In this study, the authors examine the intellectual structure of Korean S&T field based on social network analysis of journal-journal citation data using the ten Korean SCI journals as seed journals. The results reveal that Korean SCI journals function more like publication places, neither research channels nor information sources among national scientists. Thus, these journals may provide Korean scholars with access to international scientific communities by facilitating the respective entry barriers. However, there are no citation relations based on their Korean background. Furthermore, we intend to draw some policy implications which may be helpful to increase Korea’s research potential.

Poland tackles science like a business

Polish leaders were disconcerted in January, when the nation's scientists came away empty-handed from the first round of applications for the European Research Council's starting-grant competition. The country is also performing poorly in other European Union research programmes (see page 558 ). Science minister Barbara Kudrycka explains how the Polish government plans to reform the country's science and higher-education system.

People Are the Thread That Hold This Industry Together

It is an honor to reflect on the changes I have observed in the business since I joined it (and SPE in Dallas while backpacking around the US) in 1973. So much in the oil and gas industry has changed since the summer of 1973, and then again, in some areas, it has not. For me, one constant in the business has been the people. However, the composition of the global workforce and the way people actually work has changed dramatically. Consequently, if you will bear with me, I will share with you my perspective on people in the business. I entered the industry at the time of the hegemony of the "Seven Sister" international oil companies (Shell, BP, Exxon, Mobil, Texaco, Socal, and Gulf) staffed primarily by petrotechnical staff from Europe and North America. Today, only four of the original sisters remain as independent companies, and, according to an article in the Financial Times earlier this year, the "new seven sisters" are Saudi Aramco, Gazprom, China National Petroleum Corporation, the National Iranian Oil Company, Petroleos de Venezuela, Petrobras, and Petronas, staffed to large measure with national Earth scientists and engineers educated in local (national) universities. I am struck by the progress made by a number of countries in growing successful and powerful national oil companies (NOCs). A case in point is in Malaysia with Petronas. This year is the 33rd anniversary of the founding of the company, exactly the length of time I spent working for Shell. I had many dealings with Petronas in the early 1980s while working for Shell in east Malaysia. At the time, its prime (but not only) responsibility was to oversee the work of the production-sharing contractors such as Shell. The company had modest staff numbers and modest premises but not so modest ambitions! Today Petronas is a truly integrated oil and gas company with a global reach, a workforce in excess of 30,000, present in more than 30 countries, and based in a building of "world wonder" proportions—the twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, one of the world's tallest buildings. Many of us who have worked in the business over the past 30-odd years can take a genuine measure of satisfaction in our contributions to the development of the national staff who built these companies. Whether as members of operating or service companies, we have helped train and coach national staff and as such have contributed to in-country expertise. In the case of Malaysia, Oman, and Brunei, I can name individuals in senior positions whom I have personally encouraged and coached, and whom I now count as valued friends or acquaintances.

Letter by Janket et al Regarding Article, “Use and Misuse of the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve in Risk Prediction”

HomeCirculationVol. 116, No. 6Letter by Janket et al Regarding Article, “Use and Misuse of the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve in Risk Prediction” Free AccessLetterPDF/EPUBAboutView PDFView EPUBSections ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationsTrack citationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InMendeleyReddit Jump toFree AccessLetterPDF/EPUBLetter by Janket et al Regarding Article, “Use and Misuse of the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve in Risk Prediction” Sok-Ja Janket Ye Shen Jukka H. Meurman Sok-Ja JanketSok-Ja Janket Department of General Dentistry, Boston University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Mass Search for more papers by this author Ye ShenYe Shen Division of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Conn Search for more papers by this author Jukka H. MeurmanJukka H. Meurman University of Helsinki Central Hospital, The Institute of Dentistry, Helsinki, Finland Search for more papers by this author Originally published7 Aug 2007https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.714360Circulation. 2007;116:e133To the Editor:We read the article by Dr Nancy Cook with great interest.1 Although we agree with Dr Cook that the likelihood ratio test may be more precise, the C-statistic is the only statistical moiety that assesses potential clinical utility of a regression model via juxtaposition of predicted probability of true positives and false-positives.Relative risk is calculated by comparison of disease probability between those who have high levels of a biomarker and those who have low levels or none at all.2 This reference (usually the first quartile) is chosen without clinical consideration and may generate a large number of false-positives. If regression results were to be applied to clinical practice directly, this could lead to inappropriate clinical decisions (eg, vaccination or prescription of medications with adverse effects to everyone with a biomarker level above the first quartile). Therefore, prior to clinical application of the research results, it is imperative to consider not only true-positives but also accompanying false-positives. The C-statistic provides simultaneous assessment of true- and false-positives at different levels of risk factors.“No change in C-statistic,” as Cook stated, indicates that other factors already in the model have explained what this marker contributes, and/or this marker may generate high false-positives and provides no additional information. When we tested these properties with a simpler version of The Women’s Health Study,3 C-reactive protein levels above the first quartile yielded a relative risk of 2.74 and identified 86% of true-positives correctly. However, 69% of those who do not have heart disease were incorrectly categorized as heart disease patients. These results are consistent with the clinical observation that not all persons with high C-reactive protein develop cardiovascular events4 and that C-reactive protein has low specificity.5 Would clinicians prescribe statins to patients if they knew the false-positive rate is 69%?No matter how robust a biomarker appears to be in a regression analysis, it only provides the façade of a clinical picture. A sophisticated stochastical model remains theoretical, whereas the C-statistic, in spite of its limitations, gives us a glimpse of potential clinical relevance.6As a side note, the inherent properties of sensitivity/specificity of inanimate objects such as an x-ray machine do not vary. The sensitivity/specificity derived from observational studies, however, should be considered cohort-specific because data collection methods, study design, or cohort characteristics engender variability in these test properties.Sources of FundingDr Janket is supported by the National Scientist Development Grant from The American Heart Association. Dr Meurman is supported by Grant TYH 3245 from the Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland; the Ulf Nilsonne Foundation (SalusAnsvar Prize), Stockholm, Sweden; and the Paivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation.DisclosuresNone. References 1 Cook N. Use and misuse of the receiver operating characteristic curve in risk prediction. Circulation. 2007; 115: 928–935.LinkGoogle Scholar2 Wald NJ, Hackshaw AK, Frost CD. When can a risk factor be used as a worthwhile screening test? BMJ. 1999; 319: 1562–1565.CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3 Levinson S, Elin R. What is C-reactive protein telling us about coronary artery disease? Arch Intern Med. 2002; 162: 389–392.CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4 Libby P, Ridker, Maseri A. Inflammation and atherosclerosis. Circulation. 2002; 105: 1135–43.CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5 Kushner I, Rzewnicki D, Samols D. What does minor elevation of C-reactive protein signify? Am J Med. 2006; 119: 166.e17–166.e28.CrossrefGoogle Scholar6 Greenland P, O’Malley PG. When is a new prediction marker useful? A consideration of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and C-reactive protein for stroke risk [comment]. Arch Intern Med. 2005; 165: 2454–2456.CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Previous Back to top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails August 7, 2007Vol 116, Issue 6 Advertisement Article InformationMetrics https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.714360PMID: 17679624 Originally publishedAugust 7, 2007 PDF download Advertisement SubjectsDiagnostic TestingEpidemiology

Conservation and new forms of action: Otonga, Ecuador

In this paper, a short analysis of historical and contemporary conservation practices is carried out as an introduction to the case study of the 'Bosque Integral Otonga' Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador. Otonga represents a unique experience within the global landscape of contemporary natural and human resources conservation strategies. Funded and directed by an Italian friar entomologist at the PUCE University in Quito, this innovative form of semi-private and highly ethical management has created a place that preserves, reforests and educates at multiple levels. Particularly, the deeply respectful exchange of experiences between the so-called official science and the local culture, which Otonga promotes, facilitates the environmental education and involvement of the national and international scientists, students and tourists, while it also implements and cherishes the local ethno-linguistic groups' conscious participation and socio-economic benefits. In spite of the several challenges in Otonga's future, due to the delicate equilibriums of the local, national and global situation, the reserve possesses and is developing many important perspectives for a significant expansion and export of this reserve model.

The Dryland Agriculture Applied Research Project in Morocco: A Perspective 12 Years after Completion

The Dryland Agriculture Applied Research Project (DAARP) in Morocco (1978-1994) was a joint partnership between USAID, the Mid-America International Agricultural Consortium (MIAC) involving five U.S. universities, and the host country's Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Morocco. This major international development assistance program focused on improvement of the productive potential and human welfare in Morocco's semiarid, rainfed cereal production zone. The project dealt with (i) infrastructure development involving establishment of a dryland research center in Settat and a network of agricultural research substations; (ii) human resources capacity building, involving training junior national scientists at the graduate (M.S., Ph.D.) level, and INRA support staff in non-degree courses and training programs mainly at MIAC universities; and (iii) establishment of a viable research program related to dryland agriculture. The scientific mentoring and program development was done by a relatively small team of expatriate technical advisors, mainly from the United States, with project oversight by periodic external reviewers at discipline and overall program level. The DAARP had its strengths and weaknesses, its successes and failures. In this article, written by four scientists intimately involved with the project, an overview of the project is presented, highlighting its achievements and the lessons learned from its implementation. The article highlights the extent to which the DAARP is sustainable 12 years after completion, indicating that its shortcomings can be mainly attributed to a failure of the Moroccan government to fully live up to its commitments following completion of the project.

Breast pathology: evaluation of the Portuguese scientific activity based on bibliometric indicators

The bibliometric analysis of the Portuguese scientific production in the field of breast pathology since 1995 to date (July 2005) provides an overview on the developed scientific activity on this subject and allows the characterisation of some relevant features as well as its evolution along the studied period. Documents collected, reflecting the national scientific production in the field of breast pathology between 1995 and July 2005 in 3 databases, Medline (with search interface PubMed), Science Citation Index and Index of the Portuguese medical journals were studied. We applied quantitative and qualitative bibliometric indicators to the found number of articles and the journals where they were published. The quantitative indicators based on the number of published articles illustrate Portugal's position in the area of breast pathology within the international scientific community; further, it also allows the identification of the participation of the different institutions and national bodies, allocated by geographic areas, in scientific production as well as the establishment of international collaboration. Qualitative indicators were used to investigate the influence, and the impact of the scientific production. These are indicators based on the journal classification where the articles were published and also the citations they received. The number of citations obtained by the articles collected in the performed search, was determined, based on the Science Citation Index and the Impact Factor (IF) of the journals, which is annually published in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). In spite of all its constraints, it is difficult not to accept the opinion that the Impact Factor is today one of the few means (if not the sole one) which enables an assessment of the influence of a journal in the international scientific community. During the evaluated period, the Portuguese scientific production in the selected area showed an increase of 200%. We analysed 348 documents (232 published in the selected international Databases and 16 in the national Database. We noticed that articles published by one single author are very rare, n=6 and that co-authorship is the most common way of publishing. The distribution of article production is as follows: 59% in the North Zone, 26% in the South Zone and 15% in the Central Zone of the country. The national institutions with a higher rate of publishing in renowned international journals are IPATIMUP, IPO Porto and IPO Lisboa. The institutions which publish the larger number of papers in Portuguese journals are Hospitals and Health Centres. The international journals selected by the national scientists present a high impact factor. In the whole of the 232 articles selected in the international databases, 81 have not received any citation and 120 obtained a total of 1.856 citations. It should be noted that the more recent articles have not yet received citations. The articles resulting from international collaboration, were those receiving an higher rate of citations. An increase of the investigation in breast pathology is observed, this being illustrated by the increase in the number of articles published in well-recognized international journals. It is also noticed a trend to publish in journals with a higher impact factor as well as an increasing role of co-authorship and international collaboration.

Smad3 Mediates Angiotensin II– and TGF-β1–Induced Vascular Fibrosis

See related article, pages 1032–1039 Hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis are three diseases responsible for the majority of cardiovascular morbidity in humans. Not only are they independent risk factors, but they clearly potentiate and complement each other in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. The first manifestation of end-organ damage in these diseases is the vascular remodeling of small (resistance) and large (conductance), and this precedes the development of cardiac hypertrophy, renal insufficiency or stroke.1 This vascular remodeling is characterized by hyperplasia, hypertrophy, and apoptosis of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and vascular fibrosis, caused by increased extracellular matrix deposition of total collagen, and changes in ratio of type I/III collagen, fibronectin, and proteoglycans.1 Angiotensin II (Ang II) has recently emerged as a key mediator of vascular fibrosis (sclerosis) both in humans and animal models of hypertension because of its pleiotropic effects of SMCs, fibroblasts, and inflammatory cells. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) and angiotensin receptor antagonists (ARB) diminish cardiac hypertrophy and vascular fibrosis in animal models of hypertension.1,2 In human clinical trials of hypertension, ARBs reverse vascular remodeling in resistance arteries and new incidence of strokes more potently than any other antihypertensive agents (beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers), despite similar reduction in blood pressure.3,4 This provides strong evidence that targeting the mechanisms involved in arterial remodeling process may provide the key in preventing the long-term consequences of hypertension or atherosclerosis in humans. However, deciphering the intimate mechanisms of in vivo vascular remodeling has become very complex because of enormous reciprocal interactions between Ang II and other growth factors. Ang II exerts its effects not only by activating its specific receptors, but also by transactivating other growth factor receptors such as epidermal growth factor …

Workshop on Carbohydrate Moieties as Vaccine Candidates

Workshop on Carbohydrate Moieties as Vaccine Candidates

Historical Overview of Permafrost Studies in China

Although soil freeze/thaw phenomena were reported centuries ago in the historical Chinese literature, systematic study of permafrost in China started in the 1950s. Permafrost research in China has been related to the exploration for and economic development of natural resources. Intensive investigations for several decades culminated in 2000 in the publication of a detailed map of geocryological regionalization and classification. From this map, it is estimated that permafrost covers approximately 23% of the country. About 80% of China's permafrost is mountain permafrost. China contains about 74.5% of the mountain permafrost area of the northern hemisphere. Since the early 1960s, researchers in China have conducted numerous field campaigns to determine permafrost and ground-ice distribution. A comprehensive ground-based and long-term monitoring network has been established on the Tibetan Plateau and in northeastern China. The State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering (SKLFSE) was established in 1991 and is open to national and international engineers and scientists to conduct related studies and experiments. Numerous field and laboratory experiments, as well as numerical modeling, have been conducted to meet the requirements for industrial design, construction, and operation in permafrost regions. Rescuing, archiving, and distributing historical permafrost data would greatly aid the ability of scientists to assess long-term changes in permafrost and its potential influence on the natural and engineered environment. Chinese geocryologists and engineers are facing new challenges with the construction and future operation of the Qinghai-Xizang railroad that will cross 550 km of permafrost on the Tibetan Plateau.

Involving the Central European countries in the European Space Policy: how not to miss the opportunity

The enlargement of the European Union (EU) to 25 states has given the new members in Central Europe the opportunity, via EU–ESA collaboration to develop a European Space Policy, to increase importance of space activities in their internal politics. Space activities could become note worthy drivers of economic transition in these countries’ attempt to bridge the developmental gap with the older EU members. It is time, therefore, to pose questions on how this can be done in a way that will be most efficient and will also enhance the European space programme overall. Governments and public opinion in Central Europe are largely unaware of the practical benefits of space applications; much more needs to be done to demonstrate their utility, cooperative ventures with ESA being one possibility. Such cooperation must allow national scientists a leading role in order to be effective, however. EU structural funding is the logical way to support the Central European states’ nascent space activities.