Bootstrap confidence intervals for adaptive cluster sampling

Consider a collection of spatially clustered objects where the clusters are geographically rare. Of interest is estimation of the total number of objects on the site from a sample of plots of equal size. Under these spatial conditions, adaptive cluster sampling of plots is generally useful in improving efficiency in estimation over simple random sampling without replacement (SRSWOR). In adaptive cluster sampling, when a sampled plot meets some predefined condition, neighboring plots are added to the sample. When populations are rare and clustered, the usual unbiased estimators based on small samples are often highly skewed and discrete in distribution. Thus, confidence intervals based on asymptotic normal theory may not be appropriate. We investigated several nonparametric bootstrap methods for constructing confidence intervals under adaptive cluster sampling. To perform bootstrapping, we transformed the initial sample in order to include the information from the adaptive portion of the sample yet maintain a fixed sample size. In general, coverages of bootstrap percentile methods were closer to nominal coverage than the normal approximation.     

Hepatitis C virus core protein suppresses NF-kappaB activation and cyclooxygenase-2 expression by direct interaction with IkappaB kinase beta

In addition to hepatocytes, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects immune cells, including macrophages. However, little is known concerning the impact of HCV infection on cellular functions of these immune effector cells. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activates IkappaB kinase (IKK) signalsome and NF-kappaB, which leads to the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which catalyzes production of prostaglandins, potent effectors on inflammation and possibly hepatitis. Here, we examined whether expression of HCV core interferes with IKK signalsome activity and COX-2 expression in activated macrophages. In reporter assays, HCV core inhibited NF-kappaB activation in RAW 264.7 and MH-S murine macrophage cell lines treated with bacterial LPS. HCV core inhibited IKK signalsome and IKKbeta kinase activities induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha in HeLa cells and coexpressed IKKgamma in 293 cells, respectively. HCV core was coprecipitated with IKappaKappabeta and prevented nuclear translocation of IKKbeta. NF-kappaB activation by either LPS or overexpression of IKKbeta was sufficient to induce robust expression of COX-2, which was markedly suppressed by ectopic expression of HCV core. Together, these data indicate that HCV core suppresses IKK signalsome activity, which blunts COX-2 expression in macrophages. Additional studies are necessary to determine whether interrupted COX-2 expression by HCV core contributes to HCV pathogenesis.     

Synthesis of oligonucleotide inhibitors of DNA (Cytosine-C5) methyltransferase containing 5-azacytosine residues at specific sites

The incorporation of 5-azacytosine residues into DNA causes potent inhibition of DNA (Cytosine-C5) methyltransferases. The synthesis of oligodeoxyribonucleotides incorporating single or multiple 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine residues at precise sites was undertaken to generate an array of sequences containing the reactive 5-azacytosine base as specific target sites for enzymatic methylation. Preparation of these modified oligonucleotides requires the use of 2-(p-nitrophenyl)ethyloxycarbonyl (NPEOC) groups for the protection of exocyclic amino functions. These groups are removed under mild conditions, thus avoiding conventional protocols that are detrimental to the integrity of the 5-azacytosine ring.     

Separase anxiety: dissolving the sister bond and more

Separase is a protease that cleaves the bonds between sister chromatids during cell division. Until now, separase was thought to be a somewhat repressed protease, cleaving only a few substrates in a very controlled fashion. New findings in this issue raise the possibility that separase has some of the atavistic impulses that characterize caspases, its more destructive relatives.     

Inhibition of (cytosine C5)-methyltransferase by oligonucleotides containing flexible (cyclopentane) and conformationally constrained (bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane) abasic sites

Pseudorotationally locked sugar analogues based on bicyclo[3.1.0]-hexane templates were placed in DNA duplexes as abasic target sites in the M. HhaI recognition sequence. The binding affinity of the enzyme increases when the abasic site is constrained to the South conformation and decreases when it is constrained to the North conformation. A structural understanding of these differences is provided.     

豆科黄华属植物种子表面特征的研究

在扫描电镜下观察了豆科黄华属Thermopsis 18种植物种子的表面纹饰,发现 T．alpina,T.bar- bata,T．inflata,T．lupinoides,T. licentiana,T.smithiana和T．turkestanica的种子表面为粗网状,T californica,T.divaricarpa,T. macrophylla,T．mollis的种子表面为细网状,T.gracilis,T.montana,T. fabacea的种子表面为相对平滑型纹饰,T．alterniflora的种子表面为不规则条形,T．chinensis的种子表 面为粘膜状,T.rhombifolia的种子表面为条形及 T．viuosa的种子表面为碎屑状纹饰。结果表明黄华属的种子表面特征对属下类群的划分有一定意义,对澄清某些混乱的种有一定价值。