Exploring the global decline of music education

This article seeks to explain the disjuncture between the decline of music education in schools and the importance music has in popular youth culture and in creativity within the new knowledge economy. The data discussed in this article have been derived from analyses of major documents on curriculum reform as well as e-mail responses from music educators around the world. This analysis reveals that these music educators agree with the perception of a demise in music education around the world, as well as the significance of the disjuncture alluded to. The four major reasons found for the decline in music education are: (1) the model of curriculum supported in educational reforms; (2) an emphasis on standardized evaluation; (3) less resources available; and (4) a wrong approach on music advocacy.     

Behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes under combined chilling processes

The behaviour of Listeria monocytogenes under chilling processes was investigated. Growth kinetics were measured at 7 degrees C in TSBYE culture medium as a function of pH (7.2 and 6.2), pre-incubation temperatures (4 or 7 degrees C), cooling (0.05 or 0.1 degree C min-1) and freezing (0 and -5 degrees C) treatments. Growth curves generated were fitted by Gompertz and Baranyi functions. The Baranyi function gave better parameter estimation values than the Gompertz equation which over-estimated the specific growth rate values. Listeria monocytogenes grew at 7 degrees C without a lag phase, except when the sub-culture was performed at 37 degrees C, whereas the specific growth rate was affected by the chilling processes. In fact, L. monocytogenes grew slightly faster at 7 degrees C when a 4 degrees C pre-incubation treatment was applied than with a 7 degrees C pre-incubation treatment. These results suggest that to mimic the processes of contamination in industry, predictive microbiology studies with L. monocytogenes should be performed with organisms cultured at low temperatures.     

Negative regulation of monocyte adhesion to arterial elastic laminae by signal regulatory protein alpha and Src homology 2 domain-containing protein-tyrosine phosphatase-1

Elastic laminae are extracellular matrix constituents that not only contribute to the stability and elasticity of arteries but also play a role in regulating arterial morphogenesis and pathogenesis. We demonstrate here that an important function of arterial elastic laminae is to prevent monocyte adhesion, which is mediated by the inhibitory receptor signal regulatory protein (SIRP) alpha and Src homology 2 domain-containing protein-tyrosine phosphatase (SHP)-1. In a matrix-based arterial reconstruction model in vivo, elastic laminae were resistant to leukocyte adhesion and transmigration compared with the collagen-dominant arterial adventitia. The density of leukocytes within the elastic lamina-dominant media was about 58-70-fold lower than that within the adventitia from 1 to 30 days. An in vitro assay confirmed the inhibitory effect of elastic laminae on monocyte adhesion. The exposure of monocytes to elastic laminae induced activation of SIRP alpha, which in turn activated SHP-1. Elastic lamina degradation peptides extracted from arterial specimens could also activate SIRP alpha and SHP-1. The knockdown of SIRP alpha and SHP-1 by specific small interfering RNA diminished the inhibitory effect of elastic laminae, resulting in a significant increase in monocyte adhesion. These observations suggest that SIRP alpha and SHP-1 potentially mediate the inhibitory effect of elastic laminae on monocyte adhesion.     

Lysophosphatidic acid induces endothelial cell death by modulating the redox environment

Oxidant stress plays a significant role in hypoxic-ischemic injury to the susceptible microvascular endothelial cells. During oxidant stress, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) concentrations increase. We explored whether LPA caused cytotoxicity to neuromicrovascular cells and the potential mechanisms thereof. LPA caused a dose-dependent death of porcine cerebral microvascular as well as human umbilical vein endothelial cells; cell death appeared oncotic rather than apoptotic. LPA-induced cell death was mediated via LPA(1) receptor, because the specific LPA(1) receptor antagonist THG1603 fully abrogated LPA's effects. LPA decreased intracellular GSH levels and induced a p38 MAPK/JNK-dependent inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression. Pretreatment with the antioxidant GSH precursor N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), as well as with inhibitors of NOS [N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine (l-NNA); 1400W], significantly prevented LPA-induced endothelial cell death (in vitro) to comparable extents; as expected, p38 MAPK (SB203580) and JNK (SP-600125) inhibitors also diminished cell death. LPA did not increase indexes of oxidation (isoprostanes, hydroperoxides, and protein nitration) but did augment protein nitrosylation. Endothelial cytotoxicity by LPA in vitro was reproduced ex vivo in brain and in vivo in retina; THG1603, NAC, l-NNA, and combined SB-203580 and SP600125 prevented the microvascular rarefaction. Data implicate novel properties for LPA as a modulator of the cell redox environment, which partakes in endothelial cell death and ensued neuromicrovascular rarefaction.     

Characterization of ISR region and development of a PCR assay for rapid detection of the fish pathogen Tenacibaculum soleae

The aims of this work were to characterize the 16S-23S internal spacer region of the fish pathogen Tenacibaculum soleae and to develop a PCR assay for its identification and detection. All T.?soleae strains tested displayed a single internal spacer region class, containing tRNA(I) (le) and tRNA(A) (la) genes; nevertheless, a considerable intraspecific heterogeneity was observed. However, this region proved to be useful for differentiation of T.?soleae from related and non-related species. Species-specific primers were designed targeting the 16S rRNA gene and the internal spacer region region, yielding a 1555-bp fragment. Detection limit was of 1?pg DNA per reaction (相似文献   

Ubiquitin-mediated internalization of connexin43 is independent of the canonical endocytic tyrosine-sorting signal

Gap junctions are specialized cell-cell contacts that provide direct intercellular communication between eukaryotic cells. The tyrosine-sorting signal (YXX?), present at amino acids 286-289 of Cx43 (connexin43), has been implicated in the internalization of the protein. In recent years, ubiquitination of Cx43 has also been proposed to regulate gap junction intercellular communication; however, the underlying mechanism and molecular players involved remain elusive. In the present study, we demonstrate that ubiquitinated Cx43 is internalized through a mechanism that is independent of the YXX? signal. Indeed, expression of a Cx43-Ub (ubiquitin) chimaera was shown to drive the internalization of a mutant Cx43 in which the YXX? motif was eliminated. Immunofluorescence, cycloheximide-chase and cell-surface-protein biotinylation experiments demonstrate that oligomerization of Cx43-Ub into hemichannels containing wild-type Cx43 or mutant Cx43Y286A is sufficient to drive the internalization of the protein. Furthermore, the internalization of Cx43 induced by Cx43-Ub was shown to depend on its interaction with epidermal growth factor receptor substrate 15.     

Crystal structure of Archaeoglobus fulgidus CTP:inositol-1-phosphate cytidylyltransferase, a key enzyme for di-myo-inositol-phosphate synthesis in (hyper)thermophiles

Many Archaea and Bacteria isolated from hot, marine environments accumulate di-myo-inositol-phosphate (DIP), primarily in response to heat stress. The biosynthesis of this compatible solute involves the activation of inositol to CDP-inositol via the action of a recently discovered CTP:inositol-1-phosphate cytidylyltransferase (IPCT) activity. In most cases, IPCT is part of a bifunctional enzyme comprising two domains: a cytoplasmic domain with IPCT activity and a membrane domain catalyzing the synthesis of di-myo-inositol-1,3′-phosphate-1′-phosphate from CDP-inositol and l-myo-inositol phosphate. Herein, we describe the first X-ray structure of the IPCT domain of the bifunctional enzyme from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus DSMZ 7324. The structure of the enzyme in the apo form was solved to a 1.9-Å resolution. The enzyme exhibited apparent K_m values of 0.9 and 0.6 mM for inositol-1-phosphate and CTP, respectively. The optimal temperature for catalysis was in the range 90 to 95°C, and the V_max determined at 90°C was 62.9 μmol · min⁻¹ · mg of protein⁻¹. The structure of IPCT is composed of a central seven-stranded mixed β-sheet, of which six β-strands are parallel, surrounded by six α-helices, a fold reminiscent of the dinucleotide-binding Rossmann fold. The enzyme shares structural homology with other pyrophosphorylases showing the canonical motif G-X-G-T-(R/S)-X₄-P-K. CTP, l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate, and CDP-inositol were docked into the catalytic site, which provided insights into the binding mode and high specificity of the enzyme for CTP. This work is an important step toward the final goal of understanding the full catalytic route for DIP synthesis in the native, bifunctional enzyme.     

Chiroptical and stoichiometric evidence of a specific,primary dimerisation process in alginate gelation

The stoichiometry of calcium-ion chelation to alginate chains has been investigated by circular dichroism (c.d.), and by equilibrium dialysis in the presence of various concentrations of sodium chloride. C.d. intensity in the carboxylate π → π * spectral region increases linearly with calcium-ion concentration up to a level equivalent to half the total poly-L-guluronate stoichiometric requirement, and thereafter shows little further change. Similarly, the level of bound calcium resistant to displacement by swamping concentrations of sodium ions is equivalent to half the stoichiometric requirement of poly-L-guluronate chain-sequences alone. In terms of the previously developed “egg-box” model of co-operative junction-zone formation in alginate gelation, these results are interpreted as showing that the primary mechanism of interchain association is by dimerisation of poly-L-guluronate chain-segments in a regular, buckled, two-fold conformation related to that characterized for the free acid in the solid state, with tight interchain chelation of calcium to the carboxylate groups on the interior faces of the dimer (i.e., half the carboxylate residues of the participating chain-sequences). This interpretation is entirely consistent with previous evidence from electron microscopy, and offers a simple rationalisation of experimental results from competitive-ion binding studies.     

1,3-β-Glucan synthase from Citrus phloem

1,3-β-Glucan synthase activity has been demonstrated in particulate fractions of bark extracts from Mexican lime. With respect to substrate, the enzyme kinetics did not conform to the Michaelis-Menten equation. The value of the Hill coefficient was 1.2 and S_0.5 is 1.1 mM. The enzyme had an optimum pH of 7.5. Maltose, sucrose, and especially cellobiose and glucose, were enzyme activators when tested at physiological concentrations. In the presence of 15 mM MgCl₂ the enzymic activity was stimulated at 10 μM UDP-glucose but decreased at 1 mM UDP-glucose, suggesting a minor 1,4-β-glucan synthase activity.