Bacillus chagannorensis sp. nov., a moderate halophile from a soda lake in Inner Mongolia, China

A Gram-positive, moderately halophilic, spore-forming bacterium, designated strain CG-15T, was isolated from a soda lake, Lake Chagannor, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. The cells were found to be motile short rods with ellipsoidal, terminal and deforming endospores. Strain CG-15T, a facultatively anaerobic bacterium, grew at pH 5.8–11.0 (optimally at pH 8.5), at 6–40 °C (optimally at 37 °C) and at salinities of 3–20 % (w/v) total salts (optimally at 7 % w/v). On the basis of the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain CG-15T was shown to belong to the genus Bacillus (phylum Firmicutes), showing the greatest phylogenetic similarity with respect to Bacillus saliphilus (96.0 %). The DNA G+C content of the novel isolate was found to be 53.8 mol%. The major cellular fatty acids of strain CG-15T were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0, and its polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and three different unidentified phospholipids. The analysis of the quinones showed that MK-7 was the major menaquinone. The peptidoglycan type was A1γ, with meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. On the basis of the data from this polyphasic study, strain CG-15T represents a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus chagannorensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CG-15T (=CCM 7371T=CECT 7153T=CGMCC 1.6292T=DSM 18086T).

Functional characterization of TIP60 sumoylation in UV-irradiated DNA damage response

The histone acetyltransferase TIP60 regulates the DNA damage response following genotoxic stress by acetylating histone and remodeling chromatin. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the TIP60-dependent response to UV-induced DNA damage remain poorly understood. To systematically analyse proteins that regulate TIP60 activity in response to UV irradiation, we performed a proteomic analysis of proteins selectively bound to TIP60 in response to UV irradiation using mass spectrometry and identified a novel regulatory mechanism by which TIP60 orchestrates transcriptional activation of p53-dependent checkpoint response in UV-irradiated cells. The initial step of this pathway involves UV-induced association of TIP60 with SUMO-conjugation enzymes and site-specific sumoylation of TIP60 at lysines 430 and 451 via Ubc9. This sumoylation initiates the relocation of TIP60 from nucleoplasm to the promyelocytic leukemia body, which is essential for the UV-irradiated DNA damage repair response via a p53-dependent pathway. Significantly, inhibition of TIP60 sumoylation by overexpression of non-sumoylatable mutant abrogates the p53-dependent DNA damage response, demonstrating the importance of TIP60 sumoylation in response to UV irradiation. Our biochemical characterization demonstrated that the sumoylation of TIP60 augments its acetyltransferase activity in vitro and in vivo. Thus, this study shed new light on the function and regulation of TIP60 activity in UV-irradiated DNA damage response.

Halovivax ruber sp. nov., an extremely halophilic archaeon isolated from Lake Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, China

A Gram-negative, pleomorphic, extremely halophilic archaeon, designated strain XH-70(T), was isolated from the saline Lake Xilinhot, in Inner Mongolia, China. It formed small (0.9-1.5 mm), red-pigmented, elevated colonies on agar medium. The strain required at least 2.5 M NaCl and 5 mM Mg(2+) for growth. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain XH-70(T) belongs to the family Halobacteriaceae, showing 99.5 % similarity to the type strain of Halovivax asiaticus and 94.7 and 94.6 % similarity, respectively, to the type strains of Natronococcus amylolyticus and Natronococcus occultus. Polar lipid analysis supported the placement of strain XH-70(T) in the genus Halovivax. DNA-DNA hybridization studies (32 % with Halovivax asiaticus CGMCC 1.4248(T)), as well as biochemical and physiological characterization, allowed strain XH-70(T) to be differentiated from Halovivax asiaticus. A novel species, Halovivax ruber sp. nov., is therefore proposed to accommodate this strain. The type strain is XH-70(T) (=CGMCC 1.6204(T)=DSM 18193(T)=JCM 13892(T)).

Aquisalimonas asiatica gen. nov., sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from an alkaline, saline lake in Inner Mongolia, China

Two novel moderately halophilic, Gram-negative rods (strains CG12T and CG13) were isolated from Lake Chagannor in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. They were strictly aerobic and motile. They grew at pH 6.0–10.8 (optimally at pH 7.5–8.5), at 20–50 °C (optimally at 37 °C) and at salinities of 1–20 % (w/v) total salts (optimally at 7–10 %, w/v). Phylogenetic analysis of the two strains, based on a comparison of their 16S rRNA genes, led to their classification within the class Gammaproteobacteria, the closest recognized type strain being Alkalispirillum mobile DSM 12769T, with which they were found to share 94.4–94.6 % sequence similarity. On the basis of DNA–DNA hybridization data (showing 100 and 99 % relatedness for each other), the two isolates were found to be members of the same species. The DNA G+C contents of strains CG12T and CG13 were found to be 63.6 and 64.0 mol%, respectively. The major cellular fatty acids of strain CG12T, selected as the representative strain, were C18 : 1 ω7c, C16 : 0 and C12 : 0, and its polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, a phosphoglycolipid and six unidentified phospholipids. On the basis of the polyphasic evidence from this study, strains CG12T and CG13 represent a novel genus and species, for which the name Aquisalimonas asiatica gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Aquisalimonas asiatica is CG12T (=CCM 7368T=CECT 7151T=CGMCC 1.6291T=DSM 18102T).

Application of support vector machines to in silico prediction of cytochrome p450 enzyme substrates and inhibitors

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are responsible for phase I metabolism of the majority of drugs and xenobiotics. Identification of the substrates and inhibitors of these enzymes is important for the analysis of drug metabolism, prediction of drug-drug interactions and drug toxicity, and the design of drugs that modulate cytochrome P450 mediated metabolism. The substrates and inhibitors of these enzymes are structurally diverse. It is thus desirable to explore methods capable of predicting compounds of diverse structures without over-fitting. Support vector machine is an attractive method with these qualities, which has been employed for predicting the substrates and inhibitors of several cytochrome P450 isoenzymes as well as compounds of various other pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological properties. This article introduces the methodology, evaluates the performance, and discusses the underlying difficulties and future prospects of the application of support vector machines to in silico prediction of cytochrome P450 substrates and inhibitors.

Halorubrum orientale sp. nov., a halophilic archaeon isolated from Lake Ejinor, Inner Mongolia, China

A motile, pleomorphic, red-pigmented archaeon, strain EJ-52T, was isolated from water from Lake Ejinor, a saline lake in Inner Mongolia, China. Analysis of the almost-complete 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the isolate was phylogenetically related to species of the genus Halorubrum, being most closely related to Halorubrum saccharovorum ATCC 29252T (96.1% sequence similarity), Halorubrum lacusprofundi JCM 8891T (95.9%), Halorubrum tibetense AS 1.3239T (95.2%), Halorubrum alcaliphilum AS 1.3528T (95.2%) and Halorubrum vacuolatum JCM 9060T (95.1%). The polar lipids of strain EJ-52T were C20C20 derivatives of phosphatidylglycerol phosphate and phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester and a sulfated diglycosyl diether. Strain EJ-52T requires at least 2.5 M NaCl for growth and grows optimally at 3.4 M NaCl. The strain grows at 25-50 degrees C, with optimal growth occurring at 35-45 degrees C. Mg2+ is not required. The DNA G+C content is 64.2 mol%. On the basis of the data obtained in this study, strain EJ52T represents a novel species, for which the name Halorubrum orientale sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is EJ-52T (=CECT 7145T=JCM 13889T=CGMCC 1.6295T).

MODEL—molecular descriptor lab: A web-based server for computing structural and physicochemical features of compounds

Molecular descriptors represent structural and physicochemical features of compounds. They have been extensively used for developing statistical models, such as quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) and artificial neural networks (NN), for computer prediction of the pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, or toxicological properties of compounds from their structure. While computer programs have been developed for computing molecular descriptors, there is a lack of a freely accessible one. We have developed a web-based server, MODEL (Molecular Descriptor Lab), for computing a comprehensive set of 3,778 molecular descriptors, which is significantly more than the approximately 1,600 molecular descriptors computed by other software. Our computational algorithms have been extensively tested and the computed molecular descriptors have been used in a number of published works of statistical models for predicting variety of pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological properties of compounds. Several testing studies on the computed molecular descriptors are discussed. MODEL is accessible at http://jing.cz3.nus.edu.sg/cgi-bin/model/model.cgi free of charge for academic use.

Classification of a diverse set of Tetrahymena pyriformis toxicity chemical compounds from molecular descriptors by statistical learning methods

Toxicity of various compounds has been measured in many studies by their toxic effects against Tetrahymena pyriformis. Efforts have also been made to use computational quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and statistical learning methods (SLMs) for predicting Tetrahymena pyriformis toxicity (TPT) at impressive accuracies. Because of the diversity of compounds and toxicity mechanisms, it is desirable to explore additional methods and to examine if these methods are applicable to more diverse sets of compounds. We tested several SLMs (logistic regression, C4.5 decision tree, k-nearest neighbor, probabilistic neural network, support vector machines) for their capability in predicting TPT by using 1129 compounds (841 TPT and 288 non-TPT agents) which are more diverse than those in other studies. A feature selection method was used for improving prediction performance and selecting molecular descriptors responsible for distinguishing TPT and non-TPT agents. The prediction accuracies are 86.9% approximately 94.2% for TPT and 71.2% approximately 87.5% for non-TPT agents based on 5-fold cross-validation studies, which are comparable to some of earlier studies despite the use of more diverse sets of compounds. The selected molecular descriptors are consistent with those used in other studies and experimental findings. These suggest that SLMs are useful for predicting TPT potential of diverse sets of compounds and for characterizing the molecular descriptors associated with TPT.

Prediction of estrogen receptor agonists and characterization of associated molecular descriptors by statistical learning methods

Specific estrogen receptor (ER) agonists have been used for hormone replacement therapy, contraception, osteoporosis prevention, and prostate cancer treatment. Some ER agonists and partial-agonists induce cancer and endocrine function disruption. Methods for predicting ER agonists are useful for facilitating drug discovery and chemical safety evaluation. Structure-activity relationships and rule-based decision forest models have been derived for predicting ER binders at impressive accuracies of 87.1-97.6% for ER binders and 80.2-96.0% for ER non-binders. However, these are not designed for identifying ER agonists and they were developed from a subset of known ER binders. This work explored several statistical learning methods (support vector machines, k-nearest neighbor, probabilistic neural network and C4.5 decision tree) for predicting ER agonists from comprehensive set of known ER agonists and other compounds. The corresponding prediction systems were developed and tested by using 243 ER agonists and 463 ER non-agonists, respectively, which are significantly larger in number and structural diversity than those in previous studies. A feature selection method was used for selecting molecular descriptors responsible for distinguishing ER agonists from non-agonists, some of which are consistent with those used in other studies and the findings from X-ray crystallography data. The prediction accuracies of these methods are comparable to those of earlier studies despite the use of significantly more diverse range of compounds. SVM gives the best accuracy of 88.9% for ER agonists and 98.1% for non-agonists. Our study suggests that statistical learning methods such as SVM are potentially useful for facilitating the prediction of ER agonists and for characterizing the molecular descriptors associated with ER agonists.

Natrinema ejinorense sp. nov., isolated from a saline lake in Inner Mongolia, China

A Gram-negative, non-motile, neutrophilic, pleomorphic and extremely halophilic archaeon, strain EJ-57T, was isolated from saline Lake Ejinor in Inner Mongolia, China. Strain EJ-57T was able to grow at 25–50 °C, required at least 1.8 M NaCl for growth (optimum at 3.4 M NaCl) and grew over a pH range from 6.0 to 8.5 (optimum at pH 7.0). Hypotonic treatment with less than 1.5 M NaCl caused cell lysis. Analysis of the almost complete 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the isolate represented a member of the genus Natrinema in the family Halobacteriaceae. Strain EJ-57T was most closely related to Natrinema versiforme JCM 10478T (96.2 % sequence similarity), Natrinema pallidum NCIMB 777T (95.9 % sequence similarity), Natrinema altunense JCM 12890T (95.8 % sequence similarity) and Natrinema pellirubrum NCIMB 786T (95.5 % sequence similarity). However, DNA–DNA hybridization experiments showed that strain EJ-57T was not related to these species, with levels of DNA–DNA relatedness equal to or below 39 %. The major polar lipids of the isolate were C20C20 and C20C25 derivatives of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester and the disulfated glycolipid S2-DGA-1. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 64.7 mol%. Comparative analysis of phenotypic characteristics between strain EJ-57T and recognized Natrinema species supported the conclusion that EJ-57T represents a novel species within this genus, for which the name Natrinema ejinorense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is EJ-57T (=CECT 7144T=JCM 13890T=CGMCC 1.6202T).

CYP2A6 polymorphism reveals differences in Japan and the existence of a specific variant in Ovambo and Turk populations

CYP2A6 is a polymorphic enzyme, and CYP2A6 genotype has been shown to be associated with smoking habits and lung cancer. We investigated CYP2A6 polymorphism in Japanese from four different geographic areas of Japan and in the Ovambo and Turk populations. Using two polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLPs), we identified the functionally important variants of CYP2A6: *1A, *1B, *1F, *1G, *4A, and *4D. In the Japanese population the highest frequencies of the CYP2A6*1A allele were observed in subjects from the Fukuoka (Kyushu Island) and Ehime (Shikoku Island) prefectures, whereas subjects in Shimane and Tottori (both located on the Japan Sea side of Honshu Island) showed the highest frequencies of the CYP2A6*1B allele. In the Tottori and Shimane groups no subject was homozygous for the CYP2A6*4A allele, a whole gene deletion type that is prevalent among Asians. In the Ovambo and Turk populations the CYP2A6*1A allele was predominant. Furthermore, two alleles undetected in the Japanese were observed in these latter two ethnic groups: CYP2A6*1G was found solely in the Ovambos, and CYP2A6*1F was found solely in the Turks. The present study is the first to show interprefecture differences in CYP2A6 polymorphism in Japanese who live in relatively close but distinct geographic areas; this is also the first study to evaluate CYP2A6 variations among these Japanese and the Ovambo and Turk populations. The distribution results of these alleles could help to define the true significance of CYP2A6 polymorphism as a genetic susceptibility marker in worldwide populations.

Combination chemotherapy for high-risk gestational trophoblastic tumour

BACKGROUND

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) includes gestational trophoblastic tumour and hydatidiform mole. Many women of reproductive age are affected by this disease although its incidence differs by geographical location. A number of chemotherapy regimens are used for treating the disease, such as methotrexate, actinomycin D and cyclophosphamide (MAC), methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, melphalan, hydroxyurea and vincristine (CHAMOC), etoposide, methotrexate and actinomycin (EMA) plus cyclophosphamide and vincristine (CO) (EMA-CO), etoposide, methotrexate and actinomycin (EMA) plus etoposide and cisplatin(EP) (EMA-EP). The efficacy of these drugs has not been systematically reviewed.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the efficacy and safety of combination chemotherapy in treating high-risk GTT.

SEARCH STRATEGY

Electronic searches of MEDLINE, EMB, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and CBM were carried out. Four journals were handsearched and other searching methods were used for identifying more studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The review included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs of combination chemotherapy for treating high-risk GTT. Patients with placental-site trophoblastic tumour (PSTT), who had received chemotherapy in the previous two weeks, or patients with chemotherapy intolerance were excluded.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two investigators independently collected data using a data extraction form. Meta-analysis was not performed and the review was conducted as a narrative review.

MAIN RESULTS

One study with 42 participants was included in this review. It indicated that a MAC regimen was better than a CHAMOCA regimen for high-risk GTT because of lower toxicity. The quality of the study was unclear.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The methodological limitations of the included study prevent any firm conclusions about the best combination chemotherapy regimen for high-risk GTT. High quality studies are required.

Halostagnicola larsenii gen. nov., sp. nov., an extremely halophilic archaeon from a saline lake in Inner Mongolia, China

Strain XH-48T was isolated from the sediment of Lake Xilinhot, a saline lake in Inner Mongolia (China). The organism is pleomorphic, neutrophilic and requires at least 2.5 M (15 %) NaCl, but not MgCl2, for growth; it exhibits optimal growth at 3.4 M (20 %) NaCl. The G+C content of its DNA is 61 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain XH-48T is a member of the family Halobacteriaceae, but there were low levels of similarity with other members of this family. The highest sequence similarity values (94.5 and 93.3 %) were obtained with the 16S rRNA genes of Natrialba aegyptiaca and Natrialba asiatica, respectively. Polar lipid analyses revealed that strain XH-48T contains phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglyceromethylphosphate, derived from both C20C20 and C20C25 glycerol diethers, and two unidentified glycolipids. On the basis of the data obtained, the novel isolate cannot be classified within any recognized genus. Strain XH-48T should be placed within a novel genus and species within the family Halobacteriaceae, order Halobacteriales, for which the name Halostagnicola larsenii gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Halostagnicola larsenii is strain XH-48T (=DSM 17691T=CGMCC 1.5338T=JCM 13463T=CECT 7116T).

Prediction of compounds with specific pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic or toxicological property by statistical learning methods

Computational methods for predicting compounds of specific pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, or toxicological property are useful for facilitating drug discovery and drug safety evaluation. The quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) methods are the most successfully used statistical learning methods for predicting compounds of specific property. More recently, other statistical learning methods such as neural networks and support vector machines have been explored for predicting compounds of higher structural diversity than those covered by QSAR and QSPR. These methods have shown promising potential in a number of studies. This article is intended to review the strategies, current progresses and underlying difficulties in using statistical learning methods for predicting compounds of specific property. It also evaluates algorithms commonly used for representing structural and physicochemical properties of compounds.

Spin-dependent transport through a magnetic carbon nanotube-molecule junction

The electronic structure and spin-dependent conductance of a magnetic junction consisting of two Fe-doped carbon nanotubes and a C60 molecule are investigated using a first-principles approach that combines the density functional theory with the nonequilibrium Greens function technique. The tunneling magnetoresistance ratio is found to be 11%. The density of states and transmission coefficient through the molecular junction are analyzed and compared to layered magnetic tunneling junctions. Our findings suggest new possibilities for experiments and for future technology.

One-step purification of mammalian deoxyribonucleases I and differences among pancreas, parotid, and pancreas-parotid (mixed) types based on species-and organ-specific N-linked glycosylation

Mammalian deoxyribonucleases I (DNase I) are classified into three types, namely, pancreas, parotid, and pancreas-parotid (mixed), based on differences in their tissue concentrations. In this study, DNase I purification by concanavalin A-wheat germ agglutinin mixture-agarose column from rat (parotid type), rabbit (mixed type), and pig (pancreas type) is described. This method permits a relatively easy one-step purification of DNase I from rat and rabbit parotid glands, the rat submaxillary gland, and porcine pancreas. To elucidate differences among the three types, these DNases I were subjected to enzymatic deglycosylation either by peptide N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) or endoglycosidase H (Endo H). Following deglycosylation, digests were separated on DNA-casting polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. PNGase F produced a single lower mobility product in all samples. Endo H produced a double band in rat and rabbit parotid glands and porcine pancreas, and a single band in the rabbit pancreas corresponding with the PNGase F product. DNase I activity of the porcine pancreas was completely extinguished by deglycosylation, while that of the parotid glands and rabbit pancreas was unaffected. Our results suggest that the distinct properties of DNase I exhibited by the three types may be attributed to differences in the extent of post-translational N-linked glycosylation of the enzyme.

Effect of molecular descriptor feature selection in support vector machine classification of pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties of chemical agents

Statistical-learning methods have been developed for facilitating the prediction of pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties of chemical agents. These methods employ a variety of molecular descriptors to characterize structural and physicochemical properties of molecules. Some of these descriptors are specifically designed for the study of a particular type of properties or agents, and their use for other properties or agents might generate noise and affect the prediction accuracy of a statistical learning system. This work examines to what extent the reduction of this noise can improve the prediction accuracy of a statistical learning system. A feature selection method, recursive feature elimination (RFE), is used to automatically select molecular descriptors for support vector machines (SVM) prediction of P-glycoprotein substrates (P-gp), human intestinal absorption of molecules (HIA), and agents that cause torsades de pointes (TdP), a rare but serious side effect. RFE significantly reduces the number of descriptors for each of these properties thereby increasing the computational speed for their classification. The SVM prediction accuracies of P-gp and HIA are substantially increased and that of TdP remains unchanged by RFE. These prediction accuracies are comparable to those of earlier studies derived from a selective set of descriptors. Our study suggests that molecular feature selection is useful for improving the speed and, in some cases, the accuracy of statistical learning methods for the prediction of pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties of chemical agents.

Prediction of Genotoxicity of Chemical Compounds by Statistical Learning Methods

Various toxicological profiles, such as genotoxic potential, need to be studied in drug discovery processes and submitted to the drug regulatory authorities for drug safety evaluation. As part of the effort for developing low cost and efficient adverse drug reaction testing tools, several statistical learning methods have been used for developing genotoxicity prediction systems with an accuracy of up to 73.8% for genotoxic (GT+) and 92.8% for nongenotoxic (GT-) agents. These systems have been developed and tested by using less than 400 known GT+ and GT- agents, which is significantly less in number and diversity than the 860 GT+ and GT- agents known at present. There is a need to examine if a similar level of accuracy can be achieved for the more diverse set of molecules and to evaluate other statistical learning methods not yet applied to genotoxicity prediction. This work is intended for testing several statistical learning methods by using 860 GT+ and GT- agents, which include support vector machines (SVM), probabilistic neural network (PNN), k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), and C4.5 decision tree (DT). A feature selection method, recursive feature elimination, is used for selecting molecular descriptors relevant to genotoxicity study. The overall accuracies of SVM, k-NN, and PNN are comparable to and those of DT lower than the results from earlier studies, with SVM giving the highest accuracies of 77.8% for GT+ and 92.7% for GT- agents. Our study suggests that statistical learning methods, particularly SVM, k-NN, and PNN, are useful for facilitating the prediction of genotoxic potential of a diverse set of molecules.

Stabilization analysis and modified Korteweg-de Vries equation in a cooperative driving system

Two lattice traffic models are proposed by incorporating a cooperative driving system. The lattice versions of the hydrodynamic model of traffic flow are described by the differential-difference equation and difference-difference equation, respectively. The stability conditions for the two models are obtained using the linear stability theory. The results show that considering more than one site ahead in vehicle motion leads to the stabilization of the system. The modified Korteweg-de Vries equation (the mKdV equation, for short) near the critical point is derived by using the reductive perturbation method to show the traffic jam which is proved to be described by kink-anti-kink soliton solutions obtained from the mKdV equations.

OsAGAP, an ARF-GAP from rice, regulates root development mediated by auxin in Arabidopsis

Arf (ADP-ribosylation factor) proteins, which mediate vesicular transport, have little or no intrinsic GTPase activity. They rely on the action of GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) and guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) for their function. In the present study the OsAGAP gene in rice, which encoded a protein with predicted structure similar to ArfGAP, was identified. The purified OsAGAP-GST fusion protein was able to stimulate the GTPase activity of rice Arf. Furthermore, OsAGAP can rescue the defect of vesicular transport in the yeast gcs1 delta glo3 delta double-mutant cells. Transgenic Arabidopsis with OsAGAP constitutively expression showed reduced apical dominance, shorter primary roots, increasing number of longer adventitious roots. Many of the phenotypes can be phenocopied by treatment of exogenous indoleacetic acid level (IAA) in wild-type plants. Determination of whole-plant IAA level showed that there is a sharp increase of free IAA in OsAGAP transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings. In addition, removal of the 4-day-old shoot apex could inhibit the adventitious root formation in the transgenic seedlings. These results suggest OsAGAP, an ARF-GAP of rice, maybe involved in the mediation of plant root development by regulating auxin level.

Stabilization effect of traffic flow in an extended car-following model based on an intelligent transportation system application

An extended car following model is proposed by incorporating an intelligent transportation system in traffic. The stability condition of this model is obtained by using the linear stability theory. The results show that anticipating the behavior of more vehicles ahead leads to the stabilization of traffic systems. The modified Korteweg-de Vries equation (the mKdV equation, for short) near the critical point is derived by applying the reductive perturbation method. The traffic jam could be thus described by the kink-antikink soliton solution for the mKdV equation. From the simulation of space-time evolution of the vehicle headway, it is shown that the traffic jam is suppressed efficiently with taking into account the information about the motion of more vehicles in front, and the analytical result is consonant with the simulation one.

MoViES: molecular vibrations evaluation server for analysis of fluctuational dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids

Analysis of vibrational motions and thermal fluctuational dynamics is a widely used approach for studying structural, dynamic and functional properties of proteins and nucleic acids. Development of a freely accessible web server for computation of vibrational and thermal fluctuational dynamics of biomolecules is thus useful for facilitating the relevant studies. We have developed a computer program for computing vibrational normal modes and thermal fluctuational properties of proteins and nucleic acids and applied it in several studies. In our program, vibrational normal modes are computed by using modified AMBER molecular mechanics force fields, and thermal fluctuational properties are computed by means of a self-consistent harmonic approximation method. A web version of our program, MoViES (Molecular Vibrations Evaluation Server), was set up to facilitate the use of our program to study vibrational dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids. This software was tested on selected proteins, which show that the computed normal modes and thermal fluctuational bond disruption probabilities are consistent with experimental findings and other normal mode computations. MoViES can be accessed at http://ang.cz3.nus.edu.sg/cgi-bin/prog/norm.pl.

Comparison of quantitative trait loci controlling seedling characteristics at two seedling stages using rice recombinant inbred lines

A better understanding of the genetics of seedling characteristics in rice could be helpful in improving rice varieties. Zhenshan 97 and Minghui 63, the parents of Shanyou 63, an elite hybrid developed during the last decade in China, vary greatly with respect to their physiological and morphological traits at the seedling growth stage. In this study, we used a population of 240 recombinant inbred lines derived from a cross between Zhenshan 97 and Minghui 63 to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for seedling characteristics. All plant material was grown in hydroponic culture. Data for the following characters were collected at 30 days and 40 days post-sowing: plant height, shoot dry matter weight (SDW), maximum root length, root dry weight (RDW), total dry weight, and root-shoot ratio (the ratio of SDW to RDW). Analysis using composite interval mapping detected 16 QTL for the six traits in 30-day-old seedlings. Of these 16 QTL, Minghui 63 alleles increased trait values at only two of them. The QTL in the vicinity of R3166 on chromosome 5 simultaneously influenced PH, SDW, MRL, RDW, and TDW in the same direction. Twenty QTL were detected for the same traits in the 40-day-old seedlings. However, at this stage Minghui 63 alleles increased trait values at eight QTL. The QTL linked to R3166 also affected PH, SDW, MRL, RDW, and TDW. Only four QTL were common to the two stages. These results clearly indicate that different genes (QTL) control the same traits during different time intervals. Zhenshan 97 alleles had positive effects during the first 30 days of seedling growth, but thereafter the positive effects of Minghui 63 alleles on seedling growth gradually became more pronounced.

Prediction of P-Glycoprotein Substrates by a Support Vector Machine Approach

P-glycoproteins (P-gp) actively transport a wide variety of chemicals out of cells and function as drug efflux pumps that mediate multidrug resistance and limit the efficacy of many drugs. Methods for facilitating early elimination of potential P-gp substrates are useful for facilitating new drug discovery. A computational ensemble pharmacophore model has recently been used for the prediction of P-gp substrates with a promising accuracy of 63%. It is desirable to extend the prediction range beyond compounds covered by the known pharmacophore models. For such a purpose, a machine learning method, support vector machine (SVM), was explored for the prediction of P-gp substrates. A set of 201 chemical compounds, including 116 substrates and 85 nonsubstrates of P-gp, was used to train and test a SVM classification system. This SVM system gave a prediction accuracy of at least 81.2% for P-gp substrates based on two different evaluation methods, which is substantially improved against that obtained from the multiple-pharmacophore model. The prediction accuracy for nonsubstrates of P-gp is 79.2% using 5-fold cross-validation. These accuracies are slightly better than those obtained from other statistical classification methods, including k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), probabilistic neural networks (PNN), and C4.5 decision tree, that use the same sets of data and molecular descriptors. Our study indicates the potential of SVM in facilitating the prediction of P-gp substrates.

Prediction of Torsade-Causing Potential of Drugs by Support Vector Machine Approach No funding was used to assist in conducting the study and the authors do not have any conflicts of interest directly relevant to the contents of the manuscript

In an effort to facilitate drug discovery, computational methods for facilitating the prediction of various adverse drug reactions (ADRs) have been developed. So far, attention has not been sufficiently paid to the development of methods for the prediction of serious ADRs that occur less frequently. Some of these ADRs, such as torsade de pointes (TdP), are important issues in the approval of drugs for certain diseases. Thus there is a need to develop tools for facilitating the prediction of these ADRs. This work explores the use of a statistical learning method, support vector machine (SVM), for TdP prediction. TdP involves multiple mechanisms and SVM is a method suitable for such a problem. Our SVM classification system used a set of linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) descriptors and was optimized by leave-one-out cross validation procedure. Its prediction accuracy was evaluated by using an independent set of agents and by comparison with results obtained from other commonly used classification methods using the same dataset and optimization procedure. The accuracies for the SVM prediction of TdP-causing agents and non-TdP-causing agents are 97.4 and 84.6% respectively; one is substantially improved against and the other is comparable to the results obtained by other classification methods useful for multiple-mechanism prediction problems. This indicates the potential of SVM in facilitating the prediction of TdP-causing risk of small molecules and perhaps other ADRs that involve multiple mechanisms.

Rat intralaminar thalamic nuclei projections to the globus pallidus: A biotinylated dextran amine anterograde tracing study

The topographical organization and ultrastructural features of the intralaminar thalamic nuclei (ITN) projections to the globus pallidus (GP) were studied using the biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) anterograde tracing method in the rat. To assess the functional association of BDA injection sites in the ITN, the known topographical organization of the ITN-neostriatal (Str) projections and calcium binding protein (CaBP) immunostaining patterns of the Str and GP were used. BDA injection in the lateral part of the lateral parafascicular nucleus and the caudal part of the central lateral nucleus labeled fibers and boutons mainly in the dorsolateral sensorimotor territory of the Str and the middle territories of the GP. BDA injection in the medial part of the lateral parafascicular nucleus and the central lateral nucleus labeled mainly the middle association territory of the Str and the border and the caudomedial territories of the GP. BDA injection in the medial parafascicular nucleus and the central medial nucleus labeled mainly the medial limbic territory of the Str. The medial parafascicular nucleus projected to the medial-most region of the GP, while the central medial nucleus projection to the GP was very sparse. Electron microscopic observations indicated that BDA-labeled boutons form asymmetric synapses mainly on 0.5-2.0 microm diameter dendritic shafts in the GP. The boutons were small but had a relatively long active zone. The present observations together with the known topographical organization of striatopallidal projections indicated that the ITN-GP projections were topographically organized in parallel to the ITN-Str projections. Thus, each part of the ITN projecting to the sensorimotor, the association, and the limbic territories of the Str also projects to the corresponding functional territories of the GP.

Expressional profiling of genes related to pollination and fertilization in rice

Pollination and fertilization are key steps leading to seed and fruit formation. To obtain genes involved in pollination and fertilization in rice, an RNA fingerprinting technique, cDNA-AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism), was used to generate transcript profiles related to pollination. Of 15,000 cDNA fragments inspected, 2,100 showed altered expression in the pollinated pistil, of which about 1/5 were up-regulated (URP) and the rest down-regulated (DRP), suggesting that gene repression is a predominant mode of gene regulation in the pollinated pistil. Over 200 URP genes were sequenced and databank searches revealed that 70% of them represented previously unnoticed rice genes. DNA blot analysis of 20 URP genes detected no restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) between two relatively distant rice varieties, suggesting that the URP genes are highly conserved and likely play important roles in pollination and fertilization. Furthermore, two genes, URP47 and URP63, probably encoding an ADP-ribosylation factor and a membrane transporter, respectively, in relation to pollination were discussed.

Expression and deletion analysis of EcoRII endonuclease and methylase gene

OBJECTIVE

To clone complete EcoRII restriction endonuclease gene (ecoRIIR) and methyltransferase gene (ecoRIIM) in one vector and to analyze the coordinating expression of this whole R-M system.

METHODS

Unidirectional deletion subclones were constructed with ExoIII. ecoRIIR/ M genes were preliminarily located in the cloned fragment according to the enzyme activities of subclones. Exact deletion sites were determined by sequencing, and transcriptional start sites were determined by S1 mapping.

RESULTS

The DNA fragment which was cloned into pBluescript SK + contained intact ecoRIIR gene and ecoRIIM gene, and two transcriptional start sites of ecoRIIR gene were determined. 132bp to 458bp from 3'end of ecoRIIR gene are indispensable to enzyme activities and deletion of 202bp from 3' end of ecoRIIM gene made enzyme lose the capability in DNA protection to resist specific cut with EcoRII endonuclease (EcoRII. R). Deletion of the coding and flanking sequences of one gene did not affect the expression of the other gene, and the recombinants only containing ecoRIIR gene appeared to be lethal to dcm+ host.

CONCLUSION

ecoRIIM gene linking closely to ecoRIIR gene is very important for the existence of the R-M system in process of evolution, but the key to control EcoRII R-M order may not exist in transcriptional level .

Generation of three selenium-containing catalytic antibodies with high catalytic efficiency using a novel hapten design method

A novel strategy for design of haptens that were used to produce catalytic antibodies was developed and three monoclonal antibodies, 3G5, 2F3, and 5C9, were generated using this strategy. These monoclonal antibodies were converted into selenium-containing abzymes by chemically modifying the hydroxyl group of serines followed by sodium hydrogen selenide displacement. These selenium-containing abzymes exhibited remarkable glutathione peroxidase activity, which surpasses the activity of some native glutathione peroxidases. The activities of the selenium-containing abzymes Se-3G5, Se-2F3, and Se-5C9 which catalyzed reduction of hydroperoxides by glutathione were 2.23, 4.20, and 3.79 times that of rabbit liver glutathione peroxidase, respectively. Detailed steady-state kinetics study on Se-2F3 was carried out and the value of k(cat)/K(m) (H(2)O(2)) was found to be 2.11 x 10(7) M(-1) min(-1) which was supposed to be one of the highest among the known catalytic antibodies. The data of association constants and glutathione peroxidase activities of these catalytic antibodies and the steady-state kinetics of Se-2F3 showed that the method might be a remarkably efficient one for generating catalytic antibodies with glutathione peroxidase activity.

A novel dicyclodextrinyl ditelluride compound with antioxidant activity

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) primarily arise from products of normal metabolic activities and are thought to be the etiology of many diseases. A novel dicyclodextrinyl ditelluride (2-TeCD) compound was designed to be a functional mimic of the glutathione peroxidase that normally removes ROS. 2-TeCD exhibited highly catalytic efficiency and good water solubility. Antioxidant activity was studied by using ferrous sulfate/ascorbate-induced mitochondria damage model system. 2-TeCD protected the mitochondria against oxidative damage in a dose-dependent manner and exhibited also great antioxidant ability in comparison with 2-phenyl-1,2-benziososelenazol-3(2H)-one. The mimic may result in better clinical therapies for the treatment of ROS-mediated diseases.

[Detection of -5/5q- chromosome abnormality in myelodysplastic syndromes by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the value of interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) in the detection of acquired complete and partial deletion of chromosome 5(-5/5q-) in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

METHODS

Marrow cells from 48 MDS patients and 10 normal controls were studied by interphase FISH using SpectrumRed directly labelled DNA specific probe for 5q31, 200 to 300 cells were scored for each case and cells with a red hybridization signal > 6% were defined as -5/5q- positive.

RESULTS

In 48 MDS patients, 13 were positive for interphase FISH, of whom, 7 were positive and 6 were negative for conventional cytogenetics (CC). The difference in the percentage of positive cells detected by the two methods was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Interphase FISH is more sensitive than CC for the detection of -5/5q- in MDS.

[Preliminary study on postremission therapy courses in acute myeloid leukemia]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the optimum postremission therapy courses in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

METHODS

Data from medical records of AML patients in our hospital in 7 year were analyzed with SPSS 8.0 system software.

RESULTS

One hundred and ninety one untreated de novo AML patients received different induction chemotherapy regimens: HA, DA, AA and HAD. The complete remission (CR) rate was 81.4%, 89.9% for one to two courses. The median disease free survival (DFS) in 144 CR patients whose survival time could be analyzed was 9.6 months. The probability of survival was 21.6% at 3 year and 12.9% at 5 year. For the patients received less than 6 courses of post-remission therapy, the median DFS was 7.1 months and the probability of survival was 11.4% at 3 year and 6.3% at 5 years, Whereas for patients received 6 or more courses of post-remission therapy, they were 35.3 months, 43.2% and 27.0%, respectively. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant. For patients received 8 or more courses of post-remission therapy, the median DFS was 48.8 months and the probability of survival was 57.9% at 3 year and 31.6% at 5 year.

CONCLUSION

AML patients should at least receive 6 courses of post-remission therapy, and 8 courses therapy seems better.

Proliferative activity and branching morphogenesis in the human prostate: a closer look at pre- and postnatal prostate growth

BACKGROUND

To gain further insight into the molecular cell biologic features of prostate development, we investigated the proliferative activity of prostate epithelial and stromal cells and their topographic relationship with neuroendocrine (NE) cell distribution and regional heterogeneity.

METHODS

Consecutive sections from 43 prostates taken during autopsy representing fetuses (12-38 weeks of gestation), infants, prepubertal males and adults were double stained for chromogranin A and MIB-1. MIB-1 labeling index (LI) was calculated in the budding tips, forming acini, major collecting ducts, adjacent and non-adjacent stromal compartments. Furthermore, the topographic relationship between proliferating cells and NE cells was evaluated.

RESULTS

In the first half of gestation, cell proliferation as revealed by MIB-1 LI was significantly higher in epithelial structures and stroma than in older fetuses and other age groups. MIB-1 LI was higher in budding tips than in other epithelial regions. MIB-1 LI in stroma adjacent to budding tips was not higher than that adjacent to other epithelial branching segments. Co-expression of chromogranin A and MIB-1 staining was not observed. MIB-1 LI was lower in cells in the direct vicinity of chromogranin A positive NE cells than at a distance from NE cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Prostate development in the first half of gestation is explosive. Thereafter, the prostate basically is a slow-growing organ. Budding tips are the major growth foci during early prostate development, while stromal growth is evenly distributed throughout the prostate, probably indicating that stromal-epithelial interactions do not manifest in enhanced proliferation at their interface. NE cells may have an inhibitory effect on proliferation of exocrine epithelial cells and are probably only associated with differentiation of prostate exocrine cells in the prostate.

Natrialba hulunbeirensis sp. nov. and Natrialba chahannaoensis sp. nov., novel haloalkaliphilic archaea from soda lakes in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China

Two haloalkaliphilic archaeal strains, X21T and C112T, were isolated from soda lakes in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Their morphology, physiology, biochemical features, polar lipid composition and 16S rRNA genes were characterized in order to elucidate their taxonomy. According to these data, strains X21T and C112T belong to the genus Natrialba, although there are clear differences with respect to their physiology and polar lipid composition between the two strains and the type species, Natrialba asiatica. On the basis of low DNA-DNA hybridizations, these two strains should be considered as new species of genus Natrialba. The names Natrialba hulunbeirensis sp. nov. (type strain X21T = AS 1.1986T = JCM 10989T) and Natrialba chahannaoensis sp. nov. (type strain C112T = AS 1.1977T = JCM 10990T) are proposed.

Overexpression of manganese superoxide dismutase suppresses tumor formation by modulation of activator protein-1 signaling in a multistage skin carcinogenesis model

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is a nuclear encoded primary antioxidant enzyme localized in mitochondria. Because expression of MnSOD plays a major role in maintaining cellular redox status and reactive oxygen species are known to play a role in signal transduction and carcinogenesis, we investigated the role of MnSOD in the development of cancer using a two-stage [7,12-dimethylbenz(a)-anthracene plus 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)] skin carcinogenesis model. Female transgenic mice expressing the human MnSOD gene in the skin and their nontransgenic counterparts were used in this study. Pathological examination demonstrated significant reduction of papilloma formation in transgenic mice. Quantitative analysis of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified proteins showed greater accumulation of oxidative damage products in nontransgenic compared with transgenic mice, and this oxidative damage was demonstrated to be present in both mitochondria and nucleus. TPA increased activator protein-1 (AP-1) binding activity within 6 h in nontransgenic mice, but increased AP-1 binding activity was delayed in the transgenic mice. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay, transcription of the target genes, and Western analysis studies indicated that the increased AP-1 binding activity was attributable to induction of the Jun but not the Fos protein families. Overexpression of MnSOD selectively inhibited the TPA-induced activation of protein kinase Cepsilon and prevented subsequent activation of c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase in response to TPA. Overall, these results indicate that MnSOD regulates both cellular redox status and selectively modulates PKCepsilon signaling, thereby delaying AP-1 activation and inhibiting tumor promotion, resulting in reduction of tumors in MnSOD transgenic mice.

Kinetics study of a selenium-containing ScFv catalytic antibody that mimics glutathione peroxidase

The steady-state kinetics study and some enzymatic characterization of a selenium-containing scFv catalytic antibody (Se-scFv2F3) were carried out. A novel reaction formula of this abzyme-catalyzed reaction was proposed and a rate equation was obtained according to the formula. The constants in the equation were compared with Dalziel's parameters and the exact meanings of these constants were analyzed. The obtained kinetics parameters from the kinetics study of Se-scFv2F3 were analyzed and compared with those of native glutathione peroxidase.

[Relationship between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphism and diabetic nephropathy]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR) gene polymorphism and diabetic nephropathy(DN).

METHODS

The technology of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP) was used to detect MTHFR gene C677T mutation in 85 healthy controls, 79 type-2 diabetics without DN, and 82 type-2 diabetics with DN confirmed by urine microalbuminous detection.

RESULTS

The frequencies of MTHFR gene variant genotypes and alleles in the patients with DN patients were significantly higher than those in the patients without DN and those in healthy controls (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

MTHFR gene C677T mutation is probably one of the genetic risk factors for diabetic nephropathy in Chinese Hans.

Sperm protein 17 (Sp17) in multiple myeloma: opportunity for myeloma-specific donor T cell infusion to enhance graft-versus-myeloma effect without increasing graft-versus-host disease risk

We recently found that sperm protein 17 (Sp17), a spermatozoa-restricted protein, is aberrantly expressed on the tumor cells in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). It may therefore be possible to generate donor-derived Sp17-specific CTL for administration following allogeneic stem cell transplant to augment graft-versus-myeloma (GVM) effect without inducing a global GVHD. To assess this approach, we have produced recombinant Sp17 protein and used Sp17 protein-pulsed dendritic cells to generate HLA class I-restricted Sp17-specific CTL from a previously unimmunized healthy donor. These CTL were able to lyse autologous Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cells in a Sp17-dependent manner. Target lysis was HLA-A1 and HLA-B27 restricted. Cytotoxicity could be blocked by antibodies against monomorphic HLA class I, HLA-A1 and HLA-B27 molecules but not HLA class II molecules. Most importantly, the CTL lysed HLA class I-matched Sp17-positive tumor cells, suggesting that Sp17 is processed and presented in association with the HLA class I molecules in Sp17-positive tumor cells in a concentration and configuration that could be recognized by recombinant protein-primed CTL. Analysis by flow cytometry of the CTL indicated that they were predominantly CD8 in phenotype and they produced IFN-gamma and very little IL-4. Our results suggest the potential for the generation and administration of donor-derived Sp17-specific CTL to augment GVM without inducing GVHD following allogeneic stem cell transplant for MM.

[Cytogenetic analysis on 1058 cases of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the karyotypic status in a large series of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia(ANLL) cases.

METHODS

A total of 1058 cases of de novo ANLL were studied. Chromosome preparations were made on bone marrow cells using direct method and short-term culture. Karyotypes were analyzed by R-banding in all cases and G-banding in some cases in addition.

RESULTS

Six hundred and thirty cases (60%) had clonal chromosomal abnormalities. 25 categories of major karyotypic abnormalities were found. Among them, 11 were the specific chromosomal rearrangements seen in 481 cases, accounting for 76% of the total number of patients with karyotypic abnormalities. Isolate trisomy 8 (21 cases) was the most common numerical abnormality. t(15;17)(211 cases) and t(8;21)(200 cases) were the most frequent structural abnormalities. The 1.1% of M(2), 72% of M(3), 71% of M(4E0), 50% of M(2), 6 % of M(5) and 1.4% of M(2) had t(7;11), t(15;17), inv(16), t(8;21), t/del(11q 23) and t/del(12p) abnormalities, however, the 100% of t(7;11), 100% of t(15;17 ), 100% of inv(16), 88.5% of t(8;21), 83% of t/del(11q23) and 62% of t/del(12p) were detected in patients with M(2), M(3), M(4E0), M(2), M(5) and M(2) subtypes, respectively.

CONCLUSION

By conventional banding technique, including R- and G-bandings, 60% of patients with ANLL may be found to have clonal chromosomal abnormalities which are predominantly specific chromosomal rearrangements correlated with specific FAB subtypes. Thus, karyotype is an important indicator for diagnosis and classification of ANLL.

[Detection of monosomy 7 or 7q- in cases of myelodysplastic syndrome]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the value of interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) in the detection of monosomy 7 (-7)or deletion of long arm of chromosome 7(7q-) in the cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

METHODS

Forty-six cases of MDS and 10 normal controls were studied simultaneously by conventional karyotype analysis and interphase FISH technique using SpectrumRed directly labeled DNA specific probe for 7q32. Two hundred interphase cells were analyzed for each case and the cells with one red hybridization spot<7% were regarded as positive.

RESULTS

Three cases displayed -7/7q- by conventional cytogenetics(CC) and were confirmed by interphase FISH. Six cases in 43 cases who did not show -7/7q- by CC displayed -7/7q- by interphase FISH.

CONCLUSION

Interphase FISH is very useful for the detection of -7 or 7q- in MDS and it is more sensitive than CC.