Polyphyletic photosynthetic reaction centre genes in oligotrophic marine <i>Gammaproteobacteria</i>

Cho, Jang-Cheon,Stapels, Martha D.,Morris, Robert M.,Vergin, Kevin L.,Schwalbach, Michael S.,Givan, Scott A.,Barofsky, Douglas F.,Giovannoni, Stephen J. BLACKWELL SCIENCE 2007 ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY Vol.9 No.6

<P>Summary</P><P>Ecological studies indicate that aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (AAP) that use bacteriochlorophyll to support phototrophic electron transport are widely distributed in the oceans. All cultivated marine AAP are alpha-3 and alpha-4 <I>Proteobacteria</I>, but metagenomic evidence indicates that uncultured AAP <I>Gammaproteobacteria</I> are important members of ocean surface microbial communities. Here we report the description of obligately oligotrophic, marine <I>Gammaproteobacteria</I> that have genes for aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis. Three strains belonging to the OM60 clade were isolated in autoclaved seawater media. Polymerase chain reaction assays for the <I>puf</I>M gene show that these strains contain photosynthetic reaction centre genes. DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis indicate that the <I>puf</I>M genes are polyphyletic, suggesting multiple instances of lateral gene transfer. Peptide sequences from six photosynthesis genes (<I>puf</I>L, <I>puf</I>M, <I>puf</I>C, <I>puf</I>B, <I>puf</I>A and <I>puh</I>A) were detected by proteomic analyses of strain HTCC2080 cells grown aerobically in seawater. They closely match predicted peptides from an environmental seawater bacterial artificial chromosome clone of gammaproteobacterial origin, thus identifying the OM60 clade as a significant source of gammaproteobacterial AAP genes in marine systems. The cell yield and rate of growth of HTCC2080 in autoclaved, aerobic seawater increased in the light. These findings identify the OM60 clade as a source of <I>Gammaproteobacteria</I> AAP genes in coastal oceans, and demonstrate that aerobic, anoxygenic photosynthetic metabolism can enhance the productivity of marine oligotrophic bacteria that also grow heterotrophically in darkness.</P>

Dynamical Evolution of Compact Young Clusters near the Galactic Center

Sungsoo S. Kim,Hyung Mok Lee,Mark Morris,Donald F. Figer 한국천문학회 1998 天文學會報 Vol.23 No.-

Prospective Study of Central versus Peripheral Obesity in Total Knee Arthroplasty

John G. Armstrong,Tyler R. Morris,Ronnie Sebro,Craig L. Israelite,Atul F. Kamath 대한슬관절학회 2018 대한슬관절학회지 Vol.30 No.4

Purpose: Body mass index (BMI) is often used to predict surgical difficulty in patients receiving total knee arthroplasty (TKA); however, BMI neglects variation in the central versus peripheral distribution of adipose tissue. We sought to examine whether anthropometric factors, rather than BMI alone, may serve as a more effective indication of surgical difficulty in TKA.Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 67 patients undergoing primary TKA. Correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the associations of tourniquet time, a surrogate of surgical difficulty, with BMI, pre­ and intraoperative anthropometric measurements, and radiographic knee alignment. Similarly, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) was compared to BMI.Results: Tourniquet time was significantly associated with preoperative inferior knee circumference (p=0.025) and ankle circumference (p=0.003) as well as the intraoperative depth of incision at the quadriceps (p=0.014). BMI was not significantly associated with tourniquet time or any of the radiographic parameters or KOOS scores.Conclusions: Inferior knee circumference, ankle circumference, and depth of incision at the quadriceps (measures of peripheral obesity) are likely better predictors of surgical difficulty than BMI. Further study of alternative surgical indicators should investigate patients that may be deterred from TKA for high BMI, despite relatively low peripheral obesity.

Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins and Diabetes

Lee Yong Hee,White Morris F. The Pharmaceutical Society of Korea 2004 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.27 No.4

The discovery of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins and their role to link cell surface receptors to the intracellular signaling cascades is a key step to understanding insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) action. Moreover, IRS-proteins coordinate signals from the insulin and IGF receptor tyrosine kinases with those generated by proinflammatory cytokines and nutrients. The IRS2-branch of the insulin/IGF signaling cascade has an important role in both peripheral insulin response and pancreatic $\beta$-cell growth and function. Dysregulation of IRS2 signaling in mice causes the failure of compensatory hyperinsulinemia during peripheral insulin resistance. IRS protein signaling is down regulated by serine phosphorylation or protea-some-mediated degradation, which might be an important mechanism of insulin resistance during acute injury and infection, or chronic stress associated with aging or obesity. Under-standing the regulation and signaling by IRS1 and IRS2 in cell growth, metabolism and survival will reveal new strategies to prevent or cure diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

Characterization and predictive value of volume changes of extremity and pelvis soft tissue sarcomas during radiation therapy prior to definitive wide excision

Gui, Chengcheng,Morris, Carol D.,Meyer, Christian F.,Levin, Adam S.,Frassica, Deborah A.,Deville, Curtiland,Terezakis, Stephanie A. The Korean Society for Radiation Oncology 2019 Radiation Oncology Journal Vol.37 No.2

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to characterize and evaluate the clinical significance of volume changes of soft tissue sarcomas during radiation therapy (RT), prior to definitive surgical resection. Materials and Methods: Patients with extremity or pelvis soft tissue sarcomas treated at our institution from 2013 to 2016 with RT prior to resection were identified retrospectively. Tumor volumes were measured using cone-beam computed tomography obtained daily during RT. Linear regression evaluated the linearity of volume changes. Kruskal-Wallis tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and linear regression evaluated predictors of volume change. Logistic and Cox regression evaluated volume change as a predictor of resection margin status, histologic treatment response, and tumor recurrence. Results: Thirty-three patients were evaluated. Twenty-nine tumors were high grade. Prior to RT, median tumor volume was 189 mL (range, 7.2 to 4,885 mL). Sixteen tumors demonstrated significant linear volume changes during RT. Of these, 5 tumors increased and 11 decreased in volume. Myxoid liposarcoma (n = 5, 15%) predicted decreasing tumor volume (p = 0.0002). Sequential chemoradiation (n = 4, 12%) predicted increasing tumor volume (p = 0.008) and corresponded to longer times from diagnosis to RT (p = 0.01). Resection margins were positive in three cases. Five patients experienced local recurrence, and 7 experienced distant recurrence, at median 8.9 and 6.9 months post-resection, respectively. Volume changes did not predict resection margin status, local recurrence, or distant recurrence. Conclusion: Volume changes of pelvis and extremity soft tissue sarcomas followed linear trends during RT. Volume changes reflected histologic subtype and treatment characteristics but did not predict margin status or recurrence after resection.

Data processing pipeline for <i>Herschel </i>HIFI

Shipman, R. F.,Beaulieu, S. F.,Teyssier, D.,Morris, P.,Rengel, M.,McCoey, C.,Edwards, K.,Kester, D.,Lorenzani, A.,Coeur-Joly, O.,Melchior, M.,Xie, J.,Sanchez, E.,Zaal, P.,Avruch, I.,Borys, C.,Braine, Springer-Verlag 2017 Astronomy and astrophysics Vol.608 No.-

Rheology of cyclopentane hydrate slurry in a model oil-continuous emulsion

Karanjkar, P. U.,Ahuja, A.,Zylyftari, G.,Lee, J. W.,F. Morris, J. Springer Science + Business Media 2016 Rheologica Acta: an international journal of rheol Vol.55 No.3

<P>Liquid cyclopentane (CP)-based hydrate slurry is prepared at atmospheric pressure from a density-matched water-in-oil emulsion by quenching it to a lower temperature at a fixed shear rate. Viscosity increases by several orders of magnitude and is indicative of hydrate formation on the dispersed water droplets and subsequent agglomeration. A mechanism in which the hairy and porous hydrate growth combined with enhanced agglomeration due to liquid bridges formed by wetted water films leads to the development of a porosity, resulting in greater effective dispersed phase fraction, is proposed. This is supported by experiments performed for water volume fractions ranging from 10 to 45 % at variable shear rates, temperatures, and surfactant (Span 80) concentrations. The observed dependence on the degree of sub-cooling, with lower slurry viscosity obtained at higher sub-cooling, and the possible anti-agglomerant like effect of high Span 80 concentrations, support our proposed mechanism. The hydrate slurries are found to exhibit shear-thinning and a small degree of thixotropy.</P>

Rheology of Hydrate-Forming Emulsions Stabilized by Surfactant and Hydrophobic Silica Nanoparticles

Ahuja, Amit,Iqbal, Anam,Iqbal, Mohsin,Lee, Jae W.,Morris, Jeffrey F. American Chemical Society 2018 Energy & fuels Vol.32 No.5

<P>Observed effects of hydrophobic fumed silica nanoparticles (of average primary particle size 7 nm) on the rheological behavior of hydrate-forming emulsions are presented. Liquid cyclopentane (CP) is the hydrate former. The hydrate slurry is prepared in a Couette geometry at atmospheric pressure from a water-in-oil emulsion with the phases density matched to avoid segregation. Hydrates are formed upon quenching to a low temperature at a fixed shear rate. Dispersed water droplets convert to hydrate particles, leading to an effective viscosity increase by orders of magnitude. The hydrate inhibition by silica nanoparticles at the water-oil interface, forming a Pickering type of emulsion, is characterized using the onset time of steep viscosity rise after seeding with small hydrate particles; this is termed the critical time. Seeding eliminates stochasticity associated with nucleation of the hydrate. The critical time is increased when the interface is covered with silica nanoparticles. For a particle concentration range of 0.05-0.5% (by weight based on total oil mass) at the interface, the hydrate crystallization process is delayed by 5 h in comparison to the particle-free case for a 20 vol % water-in-oil emulsion at <I>T</I> = −2 °C and shear rate of γ̇ = 100 s<SUP>-1</SUP>. The final hydrate slurry viscosity was the same as observed in the slurry with no particles. At particle concentrations greater than 1 wt %, the viscosity increased abruptly and ultimately jammed the rheometer during hydrate formation. A hypothesis is presented to explain this latter behavior and indicates some of the limitations of this method of inhibition by nanoparticles. A discussion of factors which may complicate application of the method in the field is provided.</P> [FIG OMISSION]</BR>

Stellar Age Distribution at the Central Few Parsecs of Our Galaxy

Sungsoo S. Kim,Donald F. Figer,Myung Gyoon Lee,Mark Morris 한국천문학회 2003 天文學會報 Vol.28 No.1

Targeted disruption of ROCK1 causes insulin resistance in vivo.

Lee, Dae Ho,Shi, Jianjian,Jeoung, Nam Ho,Kim, Min Seon,Zabolotny, Janice M,Lee, Sam W,White, Morris F,Wei, Lei,Kim, Young-Bum American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Bi 2009 The Journal of biological chemistry Vol.284 No.18

<P>Insulin signaling is essential for normal glucose homeostasis. Rho-kinase (ROCK) isoforms have been shown to participate in insulin signaling and glucose metabolism in cultured cell lines. To investigate the physiological role of ROCK1 in the regulation of whole body glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in vivo, we studied mice with global disruption of ROCK1. Here we show that, at 16-18 weeks of age, ROCK1-deficient mice exhibited insulin resistance, as revealed by the failure of blood glucose levels to decrease after insulin injection. However, glucose tolerance was normal in the absence of ROCK1. These effects were independent of changes in adiposity. Interestingly, ROCK1 gene ablation caused a significant increase in glucose-induced insulin secretion, leading to hyperinsulinemia. To determine the mechanism(s) by which deletion of ROCK1 causes insulin resistance, we measured the ability of insulin to activate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and multiple distal pathways in skeletal muscle. Insulin-stimulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity associated with IRS-1 or phospho-tyrosine was also reduced approximately 40% without any alteration in tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor in skeletal muscle. Concurrently, serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 at serine 632/635, which is phosphorylated by ROCK in vitro, was also impaired in these mice. Insulin-induced phosphorylation of Akt, AS160, S6K, and S6 was also decreased in skeletal muscle. These data suggest that ROCK1 deficiency causes systemic insulin resistance by impairing insulin signaling in skeletal muscle. Thus, our results identify ROCK1 as a novel regulator of glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in vivo, which could lead to new treatment approaches for obesity and type 2 diabetes.</P>