Nonlinear propagation of Gaussian beams in binary critical liquid mixtures.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Journal Article↗
Biomedical subjects
A Ponton
Publications and source records attributed to A Ponton.
An embryonic DNA-binding protein specific for a region of the human IFN beta 1 promoter.
Embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells are unable to make interferon in response to inducing agents. This block disappears after differentiation. We have found that nuclear extracts from undifferentiated P19 EC cells contain a DNA-binding activity which specifically recognizes a region within the human interferon-beta 1 promoter. This activity is absent from differentiated cell types, both of EC and non-EC origin. The binding of the factor in undifferentiated EC cells leads to dramatic changes in the overall protein binding pattern of the interferon promoter as compared with differentiated cells, and may be responsible for repression of the endogenous interferon-beta gene prior to differentiation.
Animals↗
Presence of transcription regulatory elements within an intron of the virus-inducible murine TIMP gene.
The expression of the gene for the murine tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP) is induced in response to viruses, growth factors, and phorbol esters. In this report we show that the accumulation of TIMP mRNA after Newcastle disease virus induction is caused by transcriptional activation of the gene. Comparison of the sequences of cDNA and genomic clones along with RNase protection and primer extension analyses revealed that the murine TIMP gene possesses multiple cap sites and that the exon 1 consists exclusively of 5'-noncoding sequences. We observed that DNA regions analogous to those found upstream of the virus-inducible interferon genes are present within intron 1 of the TIMP gene. To investigate the possible role of TIMP intron 1 in gene expression, we used a functional assay based on the transfection of plasmids in which the DNA segment to be tested is placed in proximity to a marker gene driven by the heterologous herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter. Our results indicate that TIMP intron 1 contains DNA sequence elements capable of modulating the activity of a heterologous promoter in two different ways: (i) by enhancing constitutive expression and (ii) by conferring virus inducibility. These results suggest that intron 1 may be involved in the transcriptional regulation of TIMP gene expression.
Animals↗
Longitudinal prospective study on quality of life and psychological distress before and one year after liver transplantation.
BACKGROUND: The impact of liver disease and medical complications on quality of life (QOL) and psychological distress before and after liver transplantation (LT) is a matter of growing interest. METHODS: In a longitudinal prospective study, perceived QOL (LEIPAD Quality of Life test) and psychological distress (Brief Symptom Inventory, BSI) were assessed in 25 cirrhotic patients when they were listed for LT and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after LT. Patients were also evaluated for medical complications and blood levels of immunosuppressive agents. RESULTS: Overall QOL and psychological distress improved significantly and rapidly in most domains from the first month and up to a year after LT. Medical complications and immunosuppressive agents did not correlate with any changes in QOL and psychological distress after LT. When patients were divided according to liver disease etiology: 1. HCV patients listed for LT had worse QOL levels than the group of patients as a whole or the alcoholic liver disease (ALD) patients; 2. HCV patients reported a significant improvement in QOL only 6 and 12 months after LT, and still suffered more psychological distress 12 months after surgery; 3. in ALD patients, overall QOL and psychological distress improved significantly at all follow-up points after LT; 4. HCV patients reported a worse QOL and greater psychological distress 1 and 3 months after LT than the group as a whole or the ALD patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Liver transplantation improves QOL and psychological distress in most recipients, but not in the early stages after LT in patients transplanted for HCV cirrhosis.
Adaptation, Psychological↗