Microcystin-LR is the most toxic and the most frequently encountered toxin produced by the cyanobacteria in the contaminated aquatic environment. Previous studies have demonstrated that Microcystin-LR is a potential carcinogen for animals and humans, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified Microcystin-LR as a possible human carcinogen. However, the precise molecular m...

When faced with a patient with acute chest pain, clinicians must distinguish myocardial infarction (MI) from all other causes of acute chest pain. If MI is suspected, current therapeutic practice includes deciding whether to administer thrombolysis or primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and whether to admit patients to a coronary care unit. The former decision is based on ele...

Several NAC transcription factors promote lateral root (LR) numbers in Arabidopsis through the auxin signaling pathway. In soybean, a majority of genotypes increased LR number in response to water deficit. It is possible that drought inducible soybean NAC may be involved in the regulation of this enhanced LR number. Two drought responsive soybean GmNAC003 and GmNAC004 genes were included in the...

Microcystins (MCs) produced by cyanobacteria and their continuing "blooms" are a worldwide problem owing to the toxicity of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) to plants and animals. In the present study, we investigated membrane transport of MC-LR and its toxic effects on zebrafish embryos using fragmentation of embryos, scanning electron microscope (SEM), fluorescence microscopy, and toxic exposure tests....

PURPOSE To assess the accuracy of bedside findings for diagnosing coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction. METHODS A MEDLINE search was performed to retrieve articles published from January 1966 to January 2003 that were relevant to the bedside diagnosis of coronary disease in adults. RESULTS In patients with stable, intermittent chest pain, the most useful bedside predictor...

We give a linear-time algorithm which, for a simple polygon P, computes all pairs of points s and t on P that admit LR-visibility. The points s and t partition P into two subchains. We say that P is LR-visible with respect to s and t if each point of P on the chain from s to t is visible from some point of the chain from t to s and vice-versa.

The LR(k)-parsing algorithm is derived, i.e., presented and proved as an interplay between program development and parsing theory. The program development uses invariants and the new concept of weakest angelic precondition. The parsing theory involved relates rightmost derivability to three other transitive relations on strings. The usual stack of item sets and the finite automaton appear in an...

Strigolactones are important rhizosphere signals that act as phytohormones and have multiple functions, including modulation of lateral root (LR) development. Here, we show that treatment with the strigolactone analog GR24 did not affect LR initiation, but negatively influenced LR priming and emergence, the latter especially near the root-shoot junction. The cytokinin module ARABIDOPSIS HISTIDI...

OBJECTIVE The root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc. (Lithospermi Radix, LR) is a kind of heat clearing and blood cooling medicinal herbs. It can clear away heat and cool the blood, reduce toxins and disperse maculae. LR has long been used as efficacious therapy for inflammation, burns, frostbite and skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. METHODS In the present study, we inves...