Interpretation of Appearance: The Effect of Facial Features on First Impressions and Personality

Appearance is known to influence social interactions, which in turn could potentially influence personality development. In this study we focus on discovering the relationship between self-reported personality traits, first impressions and facial characteristics. The results reveal that several personality traits can be read above chance from a face, and that facial features influence first impressions. Despite the former, our prediction model fails to reliably infer personality traits from either facial features or first impressions. First impressions, however, could be inferred more reliably from facial features. We have generated artificial, extreme faces visualising the characteristics having an effect on first impressions for several traits. Conclusively, we find a relationship between first impressions, some personality traits and facial features and consolidate that people on average assess a given face in a highly similar manner.     

Transition metal complexes IX. Nickel complexes with a chiral azaphosphole ligand

The reaction of (−)-(R)-myrtenal and (+)-(R)-phenylethylamine gave a Schiff base 1 which was reacted with MePBr₂ in the presence of a base to give under dehydrohalogenation of an intermediate McCormack product a salt 2. Treatment of 2 with sodium led to the formation of the azaphosphole 4. η³-C₃H₅NiCl and 4 gave a 1:1 adduct 5 and nickel(0) gave a 1:4 complex 6. Compounds 4–6 were characterized by NMR spectroscopy as well as by single crystal X-ray structure determination.     

Activation of DNA-PK by Ionizing Radiation Is Mediated by Protein Phosphatase 6

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) plays a critical role in DNA damage repair, especially in non-homologous end-joining repair of double-strand breaks such as those formed by ionizing radiation (IR) in the course of radiation therapy. Regulation of DNA-PK involves multisite phosphorylation but this is incompletely understood and little is known about protein phosphatases relative to DNA-PK. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that DNA-PK interacts with the protein phosphatase-6 (PP6) SAPS subunit PP6R1. PP6 is a heterotrimeric enzyme that consists of a catalytic subunit, plus one of three PP6 SAPS regulatory subunits and one of three ankyrin repeat subunits. Endogenous PP6R1 co-immunoprecipitated DNA-PK, and IR enhanced the amount of complex and promoted its import into the nucleus. In addition, siRNA knockdown of either PP6R1 or PP6 significantly decreased IR activation of DNA-PK, suggesting that PP6 activates DNA-PK by association and dephosphorylation. Knockdown of other phosphatases PP5 or PP1γ1 and subunits PP6R3 or ARS-A did not reduce IR activation of DNA-PK, demonstrating specificity for PP6R1. Finally, siRNA knockdown of PP6R1 or PP6 but not other phosphatases increased the sensitivity of glioblastoma cells to radiation-induced cell death to a level similar to DNA-PK deficient cells. Our data demonstrate that PP6 associates with and activates DNA-PK in response to ionizing radiation. Therefore, the PP6/PP6R1 phosphatase is a potential molecular target for radiation sensitization by chemical inhibition.     

Adrenergic innervation of the lower urinary tract in cattle

Studies were carried out on 8 sexually immature male calves. Sections of the ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra were cut with a freezing microtome and the method of Ky?s?la et al. (1980) was used to visualize the adrenergic nerve fibres. It was found that bovine ureters possessed weak innervation; most of the nerves was located in the muscular membrane, and only in the paravesical part, sparse nerve fibres were found in the submucosa of this one. Apex of the urinary bladder was more weakly supplied with the adrenergic nerves than the corpus, whereas bladder's trigonum and cervix possessed numerous nerve fibres in both muscular and submucosal membranes. The distribution pattern of adrenergic nerves in the urethra was similar to that of urinary bladder's cervix. The presence of adregeneric nerve fibres was found in submucosal layer of both the urinary bladder and the urethra. Part of the nerves was connected with blood vessels of the organs under study.     

Characterization of Protease-Activated Receptor (PAR) ligands: Parmodulins are reversible allosteric inhibitors of PAR1-driven calcium mobilization in endothelial cells

Several classes of ligands for Protease-Activated Receptors (PARs) have shown impressive anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective activities, including PAR2 antagonists and the PAR1-targeting parmodulins. In order to support medicinal chemistry studies with hundreds of compounds and to perform detailed mode-of-action studies, it became important to develop a reliable PAR assay that is operational with endothelial cells, which mediate the cytoprotective effects of interest. We report a detailed protocol for an intracellular calcium mobilization assay with adherent endothelial cells in multiwell plates that was used to study a number of known and new PAR1 and PAR2 ligands, including an alkynylated version of the PAR1 antagonist RWJ-58259 that is suitable for the preparation of tagged or conjugate compounds. Using the cell line EA.hy926, it was necessary to perform media exchanges with automated liquid handling equipment in order to obtain optimal and reproducible antagonist concentration-response curves. The assay is also suitable for study of PAR2 ligands; a peptide antagonist reported by Fairlie was synthesized and found to inhibit PAR2 in a manner consistent with reports using epithelial cells. The assay was used to confirm that vorapaxar acts as an irreversible antagonist of PAR1 in endothelium, and parmodulin 2 (ML161) and the related parmodulin RR-90 were found to inhibit PAR1 reversibly, in a manner consistent with negative allosteric modulation.     

Induction of cytosolic NADPH-diaphorase/nitric oxide synthase in reactive microglia/macrophages after quinolinic acid lesions in the rat striatum: an electron and light microscopical study

Induction of nitric oxide synthase and increased production of nitric oxide in microglia may play a crucial role in neuronal damage and neurodegenerative disorders. In the present study we have used light and electron microscopical NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry as the visualization procedure for nitric oxide synthase to investigate the time-course and subcellular patterns of NADPH-diaphorase expression in microglia/macrophages of quinolinic acid-lesioned rat striatum. For light microscopy, NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry sections were stained with nitroblue tetrazolium, while for ultrastructural analysis the tetrazolium salt 2-(2-benzothiazolyl)-5-styryl-3(4-phthalhydrazidyl) tetrazolium chloride (BSPT) was applied. Light microscopical inspection revealed a progressively increasing number of positive cells with increasing intensity of NADPH-diaphorase staining in microglia/macrophages from day 1 after quinolinic acid injection onward. Electron microscopical examination revealed a membrane bound NADPH-diaphorase in quiescent microglia as well as in activated microglia/macrophages through all stages of the lesion studied. Predominantly membranes of the nuclear envelope and the endoplasmic reticulum were labeled with BSPT-formazan, while in advanced stages selective membrane portions of mitochondria, Golgi apparatus and plasmalemma were also stained. From day 5 onward after lesion induction, a very distinctive type of NADPH-diaphorase was observed, forming accumulations of electron-dense grains that were distributed differentially throughout cytoplasmic areas and phagocytic vacuoles. Dynamics of expression, unique cytosolic localization and occurrence exclusively in activated microglia/macrophages suggest that this particular NADPH-diaphorase activity probably reflects the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase, whereas the membrane-bound precipitate may represent the neuronal and/or the endothelial isoform of the enzyme.     

Immunohistochemical characteristics of nerve fibres supplying the porcine vas deferens. A colocalisation study

 Double-labelling immunofluorescence was used to investigate the coexistence of the catecholamine-synthesising enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine-β-hydroxylase and several neuropeptides including neuropeptide Y, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, Leu⁵-enkephalin, somatostatin, calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P in nerve fibres supplying the vas deferens in juvenile and adult pigs. The study has revealed three major populations of nerve terminals innervating the organ: (1) noradrenergic fibres; (2) non-noradrenergic (putative cholinergic) fibres containing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, neuropeptide Y and somatostatin, supplying almost exclusively the lamina propria; and (3) non-noradrenergic, presumably sensory fibres, containing calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P. The population of noradrenergic nerves can be divided into three subpopulations: a somatostatin-containing, a Leu⁵-enkephalin-containing and a subpopulation immunonegative to the peptides investigated, in descending order of magnitude. Coexistence patterns of the substances existing within nerve fibres supplying the vas deferens blood vessels are clearly different from those found in nerve fibres innervating the organ wall. The majority of the noradrenergic fibres associated with blood vessels contain neuropeptide Y only, while non-noradrenergic perivascular nerves contain predominantly vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. The possibility of different sources of origin of the particular nerve fibre subpopulations supplying the porcine vas deferens and its blood vessels is discussed. Accepted: 23 October 1996