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Gregory Claeys, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Utopian Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 316 pp. 18.99 [pounds sterling], ISBN: 9780521886659. As university library resources thin, and the emphasis switches [...]

There must be something unique about a class of drugs (discovered and developed in the mid-1940s) where there are more than 130 ongoing clinical trials currently listed. Tetracyclines were developed as a result of the screening of soil samples for antibiotic organisms. The first of these compounds chlortetracycline was introduced in 1948. Soon after their development tetracyclines were found to be highly effective against various pathogens including rickettsiae, Gram-positive, and Gram-negative bacteria, thus, becoming a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics. The mechanism of action of tetracyclines is thought to be related to the inhibition of protein synthesis by binding to the 30S bacterial ribosome. Tetracyclines are also an effective anti-malarial drug. Over time, many other 'protective' actions have been described for tetracyclines. Minocycline, which can readily cross cell membranes, is known to be a potent anti-apoptotic agent. Its mechanism of action appears to relate to specific effects exerted on apoptosis signaling pathways. Another tetracycline, doxycycline is known to exert antiprotease activities. Doxycycline can inhibit matrix metalloproteinases, which contribute to tissue destruction activities in diseases such as gingivitis. A large body of literature has provided additional evidence for the 'beneficial' actions of tetracyclines, including their ability to act as oxygen radical scavengers and anti-inflammatory agents. This increasing volume of published work and ongoing clinical trials supports the notion that a more systematic examination of their possible therapeutic uses is warranted. This review provides a summary of tetracycline's multiple mechanisms of action and while using the effects on the heart as an example, this review also notes their potential to benefit patients suffering from various pathologies such as cancer, Rosacea, and Parkinson's disease. protease inhibitors; doxycycline; minocycline doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00047.2010.

Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) is the major protein component of HDL, where it plays an important role in cholesterol transport. The deposition of apoA-I derived amyloid is associated with various hereditary systemic amyloidoses and atherosclerosis; however, very little is known about the mechanism of apoA-I amyloid formation. Methionine residues in apoA-I are oxidized via several mechanisms in vivo to form methionine sulfoxide (MetO), and significant levels of methionine oxidized apoA-I (MetO-apoA-I) are present in normal human serum. We investigated the effect of methionine oxidation on the structure, stability, and aggregation of full-length, lipid-free apoA-I. Circular dichrosim spectroscopy showed that oxidation of all three methionine residues in apoA-I caused partial unfolding of the protein and decreased its thermal stability, reducing the melting temperature ([T.sub.m]) from 58.7[degrees]C for native apoA-I to 48.2[degrees]C for MetO-apoA-I. Analytical ultracentrifugation revealed that methionine oxidation inhibited the native self association of apoA-I to form dimers and tetramers, incubation of MetO-apoA-I for extended periods resulted in aggregation of the protein, and these aggregates bound Thioflavin T and Congo Red. Inspection of the aggregates by electron microscopy revealed fibrillar structures with a ribbon-like morphology, widths of approximately 11 nm, and lengths of up to several microns. X-ray fibre diffraction studies of the fibrils revealed a diffraction pattern with orthogonal peaks at spacings of 4.64 [Angstrom] and 9.92 [Angstrom], indicating a cross--[beta] amyloid structure. This systematic study of fibril formation by full-length apoA-I represents the first demonstration that methionine oxidation can induce amyloid fibril formation. doi/10.1073/pnas.0910136107

This study examines peritraumatic (and posttrauma) responses in a sample of female crime victims who had been sexually or physically assaulted within the previous 2 months. Women were interviewed about their emotional and behavioral responses during the trauma and assessed for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptomatology. Results indicate that women experience a wide range of behavioral and emotional responses during a traumatic event and that these responses have implications for posttrauma adjustment. Women who experienced behaviors typical of a freeze response are more likely to have a greater degree of symptomatology after the assault. Peritraumatic emotions, other than fear, such as sadness, humiliation, and anger, also appear to be related to posttrauma depression symptoms. These findings highlight the necessity of exploring the full range of possible reactions during a trauma. Keywords: trauma; peritraumatic responses; emotion; posttraumatic stress disorder

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify gender and body weight differences in Chinese adolescents' perceived expectancy value (EV) motivation in their physical education (PE) class. The study also explored the relationship between EV and adolescents' health-related fitness performances. Method: A group of seventh and eighth graders (N = 224) from China were measured on EV toward PE as well as health-related fitness levels. A two-way MANOVA test was used to examine gender and body weight differences in EV motivations. Several two-step hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between EV motivation and various fitness performances while controlling for the effects of gender and body weight. Results: Boys had higher expectancy beliefs and perceived their PE class as more interesting, useful, and important than girls did. Compared with overweight/obese students, students in the healthy weight group reported higher expectancy beliefs. When the effects of gender and body weight were accounted for, expectancy beliefs were the only reliable predictor influencing adolescents' cardiorespiratory as well as muscular strength/endurance fitness levels. Discussion/Conclusion: Physical educators should use various teaching strategies to enhance students' expectancy beliefs and task values. This is especially important for female students and overweight/obese students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standish James O'Grady. Sun and Wind. Dublin: University College Dublin Press, 2004. xxiv + 149 pp. $25.00 Standish James O'Grady's bardic, two-volume History of Ireland (1878, 1880) was greatly admired [...]

The purification and identification of the TFF1 protein partner as a previously unknown secreted protein is reported. The findings indicate that TFF1 is present in the heterodimer as a monomer unit that is linked to its protein partner TFIZ1 by a disulfide bond.