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Rab proteins represent a large family of ras‐like GTPases that regulate distinct vesicular transport events at the level of membrane targeting and/or fusion. We report here the primary sequence, subcellular localization and functional activity of a new member of the rab protein family, rab9. The majority of rab9 appears to be located on the surface of late endosomes. Rab9, purified from Escherichia coli strains expressing this protein, could be prenylated in vitro in the presence of cytosolic proteins and geranylgeranyl diphosphate. In vitro‐prenylated rab9 protein, but not C‐terminally truncated rab9, stimulated the transport of mannose 6‐phosphate receptors from late endosomes to the trans Golgi network in a cell‐free system that reconstitutes this transport step. Rab7, a related rab protein that is also localized to late endosomes, was inactive in the in vitro transport assay, despite its efficient prenylation and capacity to bind and hydrolyze GTP. These results strongly suggest that rab9 functions in the transport of mannose 6‐phosphate receptors between late endosomes and the trans Golgi network. Moreover, our results confirm the observation that a given organelle may bear multiple rab proteins with different biological functions.

Differential gene expression of cell lines derived from a malignant melanoma or its autologous lymph node metastasis using cDNA arrays indicated down-regulation of PRSS11, a gene encoding the serine protease HtrA1, a homolog of the Escherichia coli protease HtrA, in the metastatic line. Stable PRSS11 overexpression in the metastatic cell line strongly inhibited proliferation, chemoinvasion and Nm23-H1 protein expression in vitro, as well as cell growth in vivo in nu/nu mice. A polyclonal anti-HtrA1 serum demonstrated a significantly higher expression in primary melanomas when compared to unrelated metastatic lesions in a human melanoma tissue array, and down-modulation of HtrA1 expression in autologous lymph node melanoma metastases in seven out of 11 cases examined. These results suggest that down-regulation of PRSS11 and HtrA1 expression may represent an indicator of melanoma progression.

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The construct of active learning permeates undergraduate education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), but despite its prevalence, the construct means different things to different people, groups, and STEM domains. To better understand active learning, we constructed this review through an innovative interdisciplinary collaboration involving research teams from psychology and discipline-based education research (DBER). Our collaboration examined active learning from two different perspectives (i.e., psychology and DBER) and surveyed the current landscape of undergraduate STEM instructional practices related to the modes of active learning and traditional lecture. On that basis, we concluded that active learning—which is commonly used to communicate an alternative to lecture and does serve a purpose in higher education classroom practice—is an umbrella term that is not particularly useful in advancing research on learning. To clarify, we synthesized a working definition of active learning that operates within an elaborative framework, which we call the construction-of-understanding ecosystem. A cornerstone of this framework is that undergraduate learners should be active agents during instruction and that the social construction of meaning plays an important role for many learners, above and beyond their individual cognitive construction of knowledge. Our proposed framework offers a coherent and actionable concept of active learning with the aim of advancing future research and practice in undergraduate STEM education.

Twenty-one intracranial subependymomas were reviewed with regard to presentation, diagnosis, operative findings, and long-term follow-up data. The histopathological features were critically reviewed, and deoxyribunucleic acid analysis was performed by flow cytometry. The patients' mean age was 48.5 years (range 32 to 72 years). In 14 cases the tumor was located in the fourth ventricle, in six within a lateral ventricle, and in one in the third ventricle with extension into the lateral ventricle. Radiographic characteristics included isodensity with minimal enhancement on computerized tomography, frequent dystrophic calcification, and isointensity on T1-weighted or slight hyperintensity on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. The predominant histological features in all cases were those of classic subependymoma. Nonetheless, pathological examination showed a minor (less than 20%) ependymoma component in five cases, significant cytological atypia in seven, mitoses in 11, endothelial prominence in four, and focal hemorrhage-associated necrosis in two. Flow cytometry revealed a diploid pattern in 12 patients, tetraploidy in two, and aneuploidy in one. Two patients died in the perioperative period. Of the remaining 19, 12 underwent gross total resection (two of whom received postoperative irradiation) and seven underwent subtotal resection (five of whom received irradiation). None of the 12 non-irradiated patients developed tumor progression or died of direct tumor-related causes. Of the seven irradiated patients, follow-up imaging studies demonstrated their tumors to be radioresponsive, particularly with doses of 5000 cGy or greater. Despite the presence of cytological atypia and mitotic activity in the majority of cases, the prognostic effects of such factors as tumor location and the extent of surgical resection outweighed those of the standard histopathological parameters. Routine postoperative irradiation is not recommended, but should be reserved for cases with a symptomatic residual or recurrent subependymomas following surgery.