Hyperthermophilic archaea offer certain advantages as models of genome replication, and Sulfolobus Y-family polymerases Dpo4 (S. solfataricus) and Dbh (S. acidocaldarius) have been studied intensively in vitro as biochemical and structural models of trans-lesion DNA synthesis (TLS). However, the genetic functions of these enzymes have not been determined in the native context of living cells. W...

The present study showed the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and neurofilament protein (NFP), catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes, dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) immunoreactivities in the mouse adrenal gland during postnatal development. From birth to postnatal-1-day, AChE activity was weakly and diffusely found in some medullary cells and...

We used mice deficient in dopamine beta-hydroxylase [Dbh(-/-)] and their littermate controls [Dbh(+/-)] to examine the role of epinephrine (Epi) and norepinephrine (NE) in the maintenance of cardiovascular parameters during 7 days of caloric restriction and acute exposure to environmental stress. Cardiovascular parameters of the mice were monitored using blood pressure radiotelemeters at an amb...

Inhibitors of dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH), the enzyme that converts dopamine (DA) to norepinephrine (NE) in noradrenergic cells, have shown promise for the treatment of cocaine abuse disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of these compounds have not been fully elucidated. We used the drug discrimination paradigm to determine the impact of DBH inhibitors on the int...

We have postulated that the catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) are coded for by similar genes. To analyze the structural relationship of genes coding for these enzymes, we have cloned DNAs complementary (cDNA) to DBH and PNMT messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Using hybrid selection analysis to id...

This paper presents a new method for individual tree measurement from Airborne LiDAR data. This method involves 3 steps; 1) individual tree crown delineation based on density of high points (DHP), 2) tree filtering, and 3) measurement of tree trunk diameter at breast height (DBH). In the second step, a special tree filtering algorithm is introduced which combines a histogram analysis and region...

Amazonian forests play a key role in the global carbon cycle, but there is much uncertainty about the quantity and distribution of carbon stored in these forests. We quantified total aboveground dry biomass (TAGB) in undisturbed central Amazonian rainforests, based on detailed estimates of all live and dead plant material within 20 1 ha plots spanning an extensive (ca. 1000 km) study area. TAGB...

The classical environmental control model assumes that species diversity is primarily determined by environmental conditions (e.g., microclimate and soil) on the local scale. This assumption has been challenged by the neutral theory that assumes that the maintenance of biodiversity mainly depends on the ecological drift and dispersal limitation. Understanding the mechanisms that maintain biodiv...

Computerized aiding systems can assist human decision makers in complex tasks but can impair performance when they provide incorrect advice that humans erroneously follow, a phenomenon known as "automation bias." The extent to which people exhibit automation bias varies significantly and may reflect inter-individual variation in the capacity of working memory and the efficiency of executive fun...

Several lines of evidence suggest that norepinephrine (NE) can modulate seizure activity. However, the experimental methods used in the past cannot exclude the possible role of other neurotransmitters coreleased with NE from noradrenergic terminals. We have assessed the seizure susceptibility of genetically engineered mice that lack NE. Seizure susceptibility was determined in the dopamine beta...