Formation and repair of DNA-protein cross-links (DPCs) in newly replicated DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, S.; Friedman, L.R.; Oleinick, N.L.

1987-01-01

DPCs preferentially involve proteins of the nuclear matrix, the site of replication and transcription. To elucidate the relationship with replication, the formation and repair of DPCs has been studied in newly replicated DNA. Log-phase V79 cells were pulsed with /sup 3/H-TdR (10-20 μCi/ml) for 30-90 sec at 22 0 followed by up to a 60 min chase at 37 0 . Irradiation (0-100 Gy) immediately after the pulse increases the labeled DNA in DPCs with a dose-dependence that is unaffected by the initial level of labeled DPC or by chase time. When cells are irradiated before the pulse, DNA synthesis is inhibited; however, release of pulse-labeled DPCs appears normal. The data suggest that during replication, DNA is cross-linked to (matrix) protein, contributing to background DPCs

Structural and functional analysis of the S-layer protein crystallisation domain of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 : evidence for protein : protein interaction of two subdomains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, E.; Jager, D.; Martinez, B.; Tielen, F.J.; Pouwels, P.H.

2002-01-01

The structure of the crystallisation domain, SAN, of the S A-protein of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 was analysed by insertion and deletion mutagenesis, and by proteolytic treatment. Mutant S A-protein synthesised in Escherichia coli with 7-13 amino acid insertions near the N terminus or

Biologically synthesised silver nanoparticles from three diverse family of plant extracts and their anticancer activity against epidermoid A431 carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Nayak, Debasis; Pradhan, Sonali; Ashe, Sarbani; Rauta, Pradipta Ranjan; Nayak, Bismita

2015-11-01

Biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles is a cost effective natural process where the phytochemicals specifically phenols, flavonoids and terpenoids present in the plant extracts act as capping and reducing agent. Due to their nano size regime the silver nanoparticles may directly bind to the DNA of the pathogenic bacterial strains leading to higher antimicrobial activity. In the current study silver nanoparticles were synthesised using plant extracts from different origin Cucurbita maxima (petals), Moringa oleifera (leaves) and Acorus calamus (rhizome). The synthesised nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (Fe-SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Highly crystalline, roughly spherical and cuboidal silver nanoparticles of 30-70 nm in size were synthesised. The nanoparticles provided strong antimicrobial activity against pathogenic strains. The effect of the synthesised nanoparticles against A431 skin cancer cell line was tested for their toxicity by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) dye. The IC50 values of 82.39±3.1, 83.57±3.9 and 78.58±2.7 μg/ml were calculated for silver nanoparticles synthesised by C. maxima, M. oleifera and A. calamus respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cytoplasmic assembly of snRNP particles from stored proteins and newly transcribed snRNA's in L929 mouse fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauterer, R.A.; Feeney, R.J.; Zieve, G.W.

1988-01-01

Newly synthesized snRNAs appear transiently in the cytoplasm where they assemble into ribonucleoprotein particles, the snRNP particles, before returning permanently to the interphase nucleus. In this report, bona fide cytoplasmic fractions, prepared by cell enucleation, are used for a quantitative analysis of snRNP assembly in growing mouse fibroblasts. The half-lives and abundances of the snRNP precursors in the cytoplasm and the rates of snRNP assembly are calculated in L929 cells. With the exception of U6, the major snRNAs are stable RNA species; U1 is almost totally stable while U2 has a half-life of about two cell cycles. In contrast, the majority of newly synthesized U6 decays with a half-life of about 15 h. The relative abundances of the newly synthesized snRNA species U1, U2, U3, U4 and U6 in the cytoplasm are determined by Northern hybridization using cloned probes and are approximately 2% of their nuclear abundance. The half-lives of the two major snRNA precursors in the cytoplasm (U1 and U2) are approximately 20 min as determined by labeling to steady state. The relative abundance of the snRNP B protein in the cytoplasm is determined by Western blotting with the Sm class of autoantibodies and is approximately 25% of the nuclear abundance. Kinetic studies, using the Sm antiserum to immunoprecipitate the methionine-labeled snRNP proteins, suggest that the B protein has a half-life of 90 to 120 min in the cytoplasm. These data are discussed and suggest that there is a large pool of more stable snRNP proteins in the cytoplasm available for assembly with the less abundant but more rapidly turning-over snRNAs

Searching and synthesising 'grey literature' and 'grey information' in public health: critical reflections on three case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Jean; Hillier-Brown, Frances C; Moore, Helen J; Lake, Amelia A; Araujo-Soares, Vera; White, Martin; Summerbell, Carolyn

2016-09-29

Grey literature includes a range of documents not controlled by commercial publishing organisations. This means that grey literature can be difficult to search and retrieve for evidence synthesis. Much knowledge and evidence in public health, and other fields, accumulates from innovation in practice. This knowledge may not even be of sufficient formality to meet the definition of grey literature. We term this knowledge 'grey information'. Grey information may be even harder to search for and retrieve than grey literature. On three previous occasions, we have attempted to systematically search for and synthesise public health grey literature and information-both to summarise the extent and nature of particular classes of interventions and to synthesise results of evaluations. Here, we briefly describe these three 'case studies' but focus on our post hoc critical reflections on searching for and synthesising grey literature and information garnered from our experiences of these case studies. We believe these reflections will be useful to future researchers working in this area. Issues discussed include search methods, searching efficiency, replicability of searches, data management, data extraction, assessing study 'quality', data synthesis, time and resources, and differentiating evidence synthesis from primary research. Information on applied public health research questions relating to the nature and range of public health interventions, as well as many evaluations of these interventions, may be predominantly, or only, held in grey literature and grey information. Evidence syntheses on these topics need, therefore, to embrace grey literature and information. Many typical systematic review methods for searching, appraising, managing, and synthesising the evidence base can be adapted for use with grey literature and information. Evidence synthesisers should carefully consider the opportunities and problems offered by including grey literature and information

Experimental investigation of protein folding and misfolding.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobson, Christopher M

2004-09-01

Newly synthesised proteins need to fold, often to intricate and close-packed structures, in order to function. The underlying mechanism by which this complex process takes place both in vitro and in vivo is now becoming understood, at least in general terms, as a result of the application of a wide range of biophysical and computational methods used in combination with the techniques of biochemistry and protein engineering. It is increasingly apparent, however, that folding is not only crucial for generating biological activity, but that it is also coupled to a wide range of processes within the cell, ranging from the trafficking of proteins to specific organelles to the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. Not surprisingly, therefore, the failure of proteins to fold appropriately, or to remain correctly folded, is associated with a large number of cellular malfunctions that give rise to disease. Misfolding, and its consequences such as aggregation, can be investigated by extending the types of techniques used to study the normal folding process. Application of these techniques is enabling the development of a unified description of the interconversion and regulation of the different conformational states available to proteins in living systems. Such a description proves a generic basis for understanding the fundamental links between protein misfolding and its associated clinical disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Type II diabetes, and for exploring novel therapeutic strategies directed at their prevention and treatment on a rational basis.

Surfactant-free bio-synthesised Tio2 nanorods from Turbinaria conoides-a study on photocatalytic and anti-bacterial activity

Science.gov (United States)

Subhapriya, S.; Gomathipriya, P.

2018-06-01

In this study, Titania nanorods were synthesised from aqueous extract of Turbinaria conoides (brown seaweeds) (TiO2NRs-TC) under surfactant free medium. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesised nanorods was tested towards the photocatalytic decolourization using simulated dye wastewater containing Navy Blue HER (NBHER). The synthesised Titania nanorods were characterized by using x-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectrophotometer (EDS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). XRD pattern confirms the anatase phase formation and HR-SEM micrograph shows the presence of rod like structure with the size of about 50 nm. TEM analysis proves the rod like structure with a size of 45–50 nm which was in agreement with the XRD analysis and HR-SEM images. EDS and XDS confirmed the formation of Titania nanoparticles. The formation of TiO2NRs-TC has a beneficial influence on the dye Navy blue HER photodegradation. TiO2-TC nano rods also show superior photocatalytic ability in hydrogen generation (2.1 mmol/h‑1g‑1). The antibacterial activity of the synthesised nanoparticles was examined using disc diffusion method which showed diverse susceptibility of microorganisms to the Titania nanoparticles.

The effect of dietary protein and fermentable carbohydrates levels on growth performance and intestinal characteristics in newly weaned piglets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bikker, P.; Dirkzwager, A.; Fledderus, J.; Trevisi, P.; Huërou-Luron, Le I.; Lallès, J.P.; Awati, A.

2006-01-01

Reducing the CP content and increasing the fermentable carbohydrates (FC) content of the diet may counteract the negative effects of protein fermentation in newly weaned piglets fed high-CP diets. To study the synergistic effects of CP and FC on gut health and its consequences for growth

Fatty acid biosynthesis VII. Substrate control of chain-length of products synthesised by rat liver fatty acid synthetase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Heinz Johs. Max; Carey, E.M.; Dils, R.

1970-01-01

- 1. Gas-liquid and paper chromatography have been used to determine the chain-lengths of fatty acids synthesised by purified rat liver fatty acid synthetase from [1-14C]acetyl-CoA, [1,3-14C2]malonyl-CoA and from [1-14C]acetyl-CoA plus partially purified rat liver acetyl-CoA carboxylase. - 2....... A wide range (C4:0–C18:0) of fatty acids was synthesised and the proportions were modified by substrate concentrations in the same manner as for purified rabbit mammary gland fatty acid synthetase. - 3. The relative amount of radioactivity incorporated from added acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA depended...... of long-chain fatty acids was synthesised from carboxylated acetyl-CoA than from added malonyl-CoA. - 5. It is suggested that acetyl-CoA carboxylase may carboxylate acetate bound to fatty acid synthetase....

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L. as a protein plant species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marinković Radovan

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Proteins of plant origin have a profound impact on human and animal lives. It is impossible to solve worldwide nutrition problem without taking into concern needs for proteins. Inadequate nutrition can only be improved by providing adequate proteins. Humans need c. 120g proteins daily, a third of which should come from meat and milk. Certain population categories, such as the sick, children, pregnant women and sportspeople are more sensitive to lack of protein. Oil crops synthesise oil, which is the basic reserve material in seed, but they also synthesise high levels of protein and can serve as protein source for human and animal nutrition. Generally speaking, protein content in seed of rapeseed at site R. Šančevi was from 19.60% (NS-L-74 to 25.93% JR-NS-36, and at site Sombor from 19.26% (NS-L-74 to 24.06% and 24.09% (NS-L-46 and cultivar Mira. Genotype NS-L-74 had the lowest protein content at both testing sites. Higher protein content was evident with spring genotypes than with winter gentypes. .

Photocatalytic effect of green synthesised CuO nanoparticles on selected environmental pollutants and pathogens

Science.gov (United States)

Fuku, Xolile; Thovhogi, Ntevheleni; Maaza, Malik

2018-05-01

Highly crystalline irregular green synthesised CuO nanoparticles (CuO NPs) which are 10 nm in particle size were successfully characterised by HRSEM and AFM. EDS confirmed the main components of prepared sample which are Cu and O. Meanwhile, UV/Vis revealed the reflectance, transmittance, absorbance and the semiconducting nature of the synthesised nano-oxides. The optical band gap of CuO NPs was calculated to be 1.4 - 2.3 eV which indicates that CuO NPs can be used in metal oxide semiconductor-based devices. CuO NPs were found to be excellent photocatalysts for the degradation of methyl orange organic dye under the illumination of artificial light irradiation. The experiments demonstrated that MO in aqueous solution was more efficiently photo-degraded (65 %) using CuO NPs as photocatalysts. Further, the nanomaterials were also found to be good inhibitors of bacterial strains at both low and high concentrations of 5 - 10 mg mL-1.

Calcium silicates synthesised from industrial residues with the ability for CO2 sequestration.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales-Flórez, Victor; Santos, Alberto; López, Antonio; Moriña, Isabel; Esquivias, Luis

2014-12-01

This work explored several synthesis routes to obtain calcium silicates from different calcium-rich and silica-rich industrial residues. Larnite, wollastonite and calcium silicate chloride were successfully synthesised with moderate heat treatments below standard temperatures. These procedures help to not only conserve natural resources, but also to reduce the energy requirements and CO2 emissions. In addition, these silicates have been successfully tested as carbon dioxide sequesters, to enhance the viability of CO2 mineral sequestration technologies using calcium-rich industrial by-products as sequestration agents. Two different carbon sequestration experiments were performed under ambient conditions. Static experiments revealed carbonation efficiencies close to 100% and real-time resolved experiments characterised the dynamic behaviour and ability of these samples to reduce the CO2 concentration within a mixture of gases. The CO2 concentration was reduced up to 70%, with a carbon fixation dynamic ratio of 3.2 mg CO2 per g of sequestration agent and minute. Our results confirm the suitability of the proposed synthesis routes to synthesise different calcium silicates recycling industrial residues, being therefore energetically more efficient and environmentally friendly procedures for the cement industry. © The Author(s) 2014.

Assessment for markers of nephropathy in newly diagnosed type 2 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To assess for markers of nephropathy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics, using blood pressure levels, endogenous creatinine clearance and urinary protein excretion as markers of renal disease. Study design: Ninety newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics were studied within 6 weeks of diagnosis. They were in ...

Experimental and theoretical investigations on the inhibition of mild steel corrosion in the ground water medium using newly synthesised bipodal and tripodal imidazole derivatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gopi, D., E-mail: dhanaraj_gopi@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, Periyar University, Salem 636 011, Tamilnadu (India); Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Periyar University, Salem 636 011, Tamilnadu (India); Sherif, El-Sayed M. [Center of Excellence for Research in Engineering Materials (CEREM), Advanced Manufacturing Institute, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Al-Riyadh 11421 (Saudi Arabia); Electrochemistry and Corrosion Laboratory, Department of Physical Chemistry, National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, 12622 Cairo (Egypt); Surendiran, M. [Department of Chemistry, Periyar University, Salem 636 011, Tamilnadu (India); Jothi, M.; Kumaradhas, P. [Department of Physics, Periyar University, Salem 636 011, Tamilnadu (India); Kavitha, L. [Department of Physics, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Central University of Tamilnadu, Thiruvarur 610 101, Tamilnadu (India)

2014-10-15

Two new imidazole derivatives, namely 1,4-bis(N-imidazolylmethyl)-2-5-dimethoxybenzene (BIDM) and 1,3,5-tris(N-imidazolylmethyl)-2,4,6-trimethoxybenzene (TITM), were synthesised and their effects on the inhibition of mild steel corrosion in ground water medium are reported. The study was carried out using gravimetric and electrochemical techniques in order to determine the corrosion inhibition efficiencies of the bipodal and tripodal structured imidazoles. Further, the quantum chemical calculations using density functional theory (DFT) gave a profound insight into the inhibitory action mechanism of BIDM and TITM and their calculation parameters, such as E{sub HOMO}, E{sub LUMO} and ΔE were in good agreement with the results of the experimental studies. BIDM and TITM exhibited lowest corrosion current densities of circa 7.5 μA cm{sup −2} and 4.1 μAcm{sup −2} at the optimum concentrations of 0.67 and 0.49 mM, respectively. All measurements thus confirmed that both BIDM and TITM behaved as good inhibitors for mild steel corrosion in ground water medium. - Highlights: • Synthesis of new imidazole derivatives-BIDM(bipodal) and TITM(tripodal) inhibitors. • Gravimetric analysis to investigate mild steel corrosion inhibition in ground water. • Electrochemical characterizations to substantiate results of weight loss method. • Quantum studies to analyse the chemical behavior, structure and substituent effect.

Experimental and theoretical investigations on the inhibition of mild steel corrosion in the ground water medium using newly synthesised bipodal and tripodal imidazole derivatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gopi, D.; Sherif, El-Sayed M.; Surendiran, M.; Jothi, M.; Kumaradhas, P.; Kavitha, L.

2014-01-01

Two new imidazole derivatives, namely 1,4-bis(N-imidazolylmethyl)-2-5-dimethoxybenzene (BIDM) and 1,3,5-tris(N-imidazolylmethyl)-2,4,6-trimethoxybenzene (TITM), were synthesised and their effects on the inhibition of mild steel corrosion in ground water medium are reported. The study was carried out using gravimetric and electrochemical techniques in order to determine the corrosion inhibition efficiencies of the bipodal and tripodal structured imidazoles. Further, the quantum chemical calculations using density functional theory (DFT) gave a profound insight into the inhibitory action mechanism of BIDM and TITM and their calculation parameters, such as E HOMO , E LUMO and ΔE were in good agreement with the results of the experimental studies. BIDM and TITM exhibited lowest corrosion current densities of circa 7.5 μA cm −2 and 4.1 μAcm −2 at the optimum concentrations of 0.67 and 0.49 mM, respectively. All measurements thus confirmed that both BIDM and TITM behaved as good inhibitors for mild steel corrosion in ground water medium. - Highlights: • Synthesis of new imidazole derivatives-BIDM(bipodal) and TITM(tripodal) inhibitors. • Gravimetric analysis to investigate mild steel corrosion inhibition in ground water. • Electrochemical characterizations to substantiate results of weight loss method. • Quantum studies to analyse the chemical behavior, structure and substituent effect

Heat shock protein HSP60 and the perspective for future using as vaccine antigens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Bajzert

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs are widely spread in nature, highly conserved proteins, found in all prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. HSPs have been classified in 10 families, one of them is the HSP60 family. HSP60 function in the cytoplasm as ATP-dependent molecular chaperones by assisting the folding of newly synthesised polypeptides and the assembly of multiprotein complexes. There is a large amount of evidence which demonstrate that HSP60 is expressed on the cell surface. Especially in bacteria the expression on the surface occurs constitutively and increases remarkably during host infection. HSP60 also play an important role in biofilm formation. In the extracellular environment, HSP60 alone or with self or microbial proteins can acts not only as a link between immune cells, but also as a coordinator of the immune system activity. This protein could influence the immune system in a different way because they act as an antigen, a carrier of other functional molecules or as a ligand for receptor. They are able to stimulate both cells of the acquired (naïve, effector, regulatory T lymphocyte, B lymphocyte and the innate (macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells immune system. HSPs have been reported to be potent activators of the immune system and they are one of the immunodominant bacterial antigens they could be a good candidate for a subunit vaccine or as an adjuvant.

Juvenile Hormone Prevents 20-Hydroxyecdysone-induced Metamorphosis by Regulating the Phosphorylation of a Newly Identified Broad Protein*

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Mei-Juan; Liu, Wen; Pei, Xu-Yang; Li, Xiang-Ru; He, Hong-Juan; Wang, Jin-Xing; Zhao, Xiao-Fan

2014-01-01

The steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) initiates insect molting and metamorphosis. By contrast, juvenile hormone (JH) prevents metamorphosis. However, the mechanism by which JH inhibits metamorphosis remains unclear. In this study, we propose that JH induces the phosphorylation of Broad isoform Z7 (BrZ7), a newly identified protein, to inhibit 20E-mediated metamorphosis in the lepidopteran insect Helicoverpa armigera. The knockdown of BrZ7 in larvae inhibited metamorphosis by repressing the expression of the 20E response gene. BrZ7 was weakly expressed and phosphorylated during larval growth but highly expressed and non-phosphorylated during metamorphosis. JH regulated the rapid phosphorylation of BrZ7 via a G-protein-coupled receptor-, phospholipase C-, and protein kinase C-triggered pathway. The phosphorylated BrZ7 bound to the 5′-regulatory region of calponin to regulate its expression in the JH pathway. Exogenous JH induced BrZ7 phosphorylation to prevent metamorphosis by suppressing 20E-related gene transcription. JH promoted non-phosphorylated calponin interacting with ultraspiracle protein to activate the JH pathway and antagonize the 20E pathway. This study reveals one of the possible mechanisms by which JH counteracts 20E-regulated metamorphosis by inducing the phosphorylation of BrZ7. PMID:25096576

Explosion characteristics of synthesised biogas at various temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Dupont, L; Accorsi, A

2006-08-25

Biogas is considered as a valuable source of renewable energy. Indeed, it can be turned into useful energy (heat, electricity, fuel) and can contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Knowledge of its safety characteristics is a very important practical issue. Experimental investigation of synthesised biogas explosion characteristics was conducted in a 20-L sphere at various temperatures (30-70 degrees C) and at atmospheric pressure. The studied biogas was made of 50% methane (CH(4)) and 50% carbon dioxide (CO(2)). It was also saturated with humidity: this composition is frequently met in digesters during waste methanisation. There are two inert gases in biogas: water vapour and carbon dioxide. Its vapour water content rises along with temperature. The presence of these inert gases modifies considerably biogas characteristics compared to the ones of pure methane: explosion limits are lowered and beyond 70 degrees C, water vapour content is sufficient to inert the mixture. Furthermore, explosion violence (estimated with the maximum rate of pressure rise values, (dp/dt)(max)) is three times lower for biogas than for pure methane at ambient temperature.

Explosion characteristics of synthesised biogas at various temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dupont, L. [Institut National de l' Environnement Industriel et des Risques, Parc Technologique Alata, BP2, Verneuil-en-Halatte (France)]. E-mail: laurent.dupont@ineris.fr; Accorsi, A. [Institut National de l' Environnement Industriel et des Risques, Parc Technologique Alata, BP2, Verneuil-en-Halatte (France)]. E-mail: antoinette.accorsi@ineris.fr

2006-08-25

Biogas is considered as a valuable source of renewable energy. Indeed, it can be turned into useful energy (heat, electricity, fuel) and can contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Knowledge of its safety characteristics is a very important practical issue. Experimental investigation of synthesised biogas explosion characteristics was conducted in a 20-L sphere at various temperatures (30-70deg. C) and at atmospheric pressure. The studied biogas was made of 50% methane (CH{sub 4}) and 50% carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}). It was also saturated with humidity: this composition is frequently met in digesters during waste methanisation. There are two inert gases in biogas: water vapour and carbon dioxide. Its vapour water content rises along with temperature. The presence of these inert gases modifies considerably biogas characteristics compared to the ones of pure methane: explosion limits are lowered and beyond 70deg. C, water vapour content is sufficient to inert the mixture. Furthermore, explosion violence (estimated with the maximum rate of pressure rise values (dp/dt){sub max}) is three times lower for biogas than for pure methane at ambient temperature.

Explosion characteristics of synthesised biogas at various temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dupont, L.; Accorsi, A.

2006-01-01

Biogas is considered as a valuable source of renewable energy. Indeed, it can be turned into useful energy (heat, electricity, fuel) and can contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Knowledge of its safety characteristics is a very important practical issue. Experimental investigation of synthesised biogas explosion characteristics was conducted in a 20-L sphere at various temperatures (30-70deg. C) and at atmospheric pressure. The studied biogas was made of 50% methane (CH 4 ) and 50% carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). It was also saturated with humidity: this composition is frequently met in digesters during waste methanisation. There are two inert gases in biogas: water vapour and carbon dioxide. Its vapour water content rises along with temperature. The presence of these inert gases modifies considerably biogas characteristics compared to the ones of pure methane: explosion limits are lowered and beyond 70deg. C, water vapour content is sufficient to inert the mixture. Furthermore, explosion violence (estimated with the maximum rate of pressure rise values (dp/dt) max ) is three times lower for biogas than for pure methane at ambient temperature

Model systems for understanding absorption tuning by opsin proteins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Mogens Brøndsted

2009-01-01

This tutorial review reports on model systems that have been synthesised and investigated for elucidating how opsin proteins tune the absorption of the protonated retinal Schiff base chromophore. In particular, the importance of the counteranion is highlighted. In addition, the review advocates...... is avoided, and it becomes clear that opsin proteins induce blueshifts in the chromophore absorption rather than redshifts....

Juvenile hormone prevents 20-hydroxyecdysone-induced metamorphosis by regulating the phosphorylation of a newly identified broad protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Mei-Juan; Liu, Wen; Pei, Xu-Yang; Li, Xiang-Ru; He, Hong-Juan; Wang, Jin-Xing; Zhao, Xiao-Fan

2014-09-19

The steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) initiates insect molting and metamorphosis. By contrast, juvenile hormone (JH) prevents metamorphosis. However, the mechanism by which JH inhibits metamorphosis remains unclear. In this study, we propose that JH induces the phosphorylation of Broad isoform Z7 (BrZ7), a newly identified protein, to inhibit 20E-mediated metamorphosis in the lepidopteran insect Helicoverpa armigera. The knockdown of BrZ7 in larvae inhibited metamorphosis by repressing the expression of the 20E response gene. BrZ7 was weakly expressed and phosphorylated during larval growth but highly expressed and non-phosphorylated during metamorphosis. JH regulated the rapid phosphorylation of BrZ7 via a G-protein-coupled receptor-, phospholipase C-, and protein kinase C-triggered pathway. The phosphorylated BrZ7 bound to the 5'-regulatory region of calponin to regulate its expression in the JH pathway. Exogenous JH induced BrZ7 phosphorylation to prevent metamorphosis by suppressing 20E-related gene transcription. JH promoted non-phosphorylated calponin interacting with ultraspiracle protein to activate the JH pathway and antagonize the 20E pathway. This study reveals one of the possible mechanisms by which JH counteracts 20E-regulated metamorphosis by inducing the phosphorylation of BrZ7. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

NRIP is newly identified as a Z-disc protein, activating calmodulin signaling for skeletal muscle contraction and regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsin-Hsiung; Chen, Wen-Pin; Yan, Wan-Lun; Huang, Yuan-Chun; Chang, Szu-Wei; Fu, Wen-Mei; Su, Ming-Jai; Yu, I-Shing; Tsai, Tzung-Chieh; Yan, Yu-Ting; Tsao, Yeou-Ping; Chen, Show-Li

2015-11-15

Nuclear receptor interaction protein (NRIP, also known as DCAF6 and IQWD1) is a Ca(2+)-dependent calmodulin-binding protein. In this study, we newly identify NRIP as a Z-disc protein in skeletal muscle. NRIP-knockout mice were generated and found to have reduced muscle strength, susceptibility to fatigue and impaired adaptive exercise performance. The mechanisms of NRIP-regulated muscle contraction depend on NRIP being downstream of Ca(2+) signaling, where it stimulates activation of both 'calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1' (CaN-NFATc1; also known as NFATC1) and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) through interaction with calmodulin (CaM), resulting in the induction of mitochondrial activity and the expression of genes encoding the slow class of myosin, and in the regulation of Ca(2+) homeostasis through the internal Ca(2+) stores of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Moreover, NRIP-knockout mice have a delayed regenerative capacity. The amount of NRIP can be enhanced after muscle injury and is responsible for muscle regeneration, which is associated with the increased expression of myogenin, desmin and embryonic myosin heavy chain during myogenesis, as well as for myotube formation. In conclusion, NRIP is a novel Z-disc protein that is important for skeletal muscle strength and regenerative capacity. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Electron microscopic investigations of the as-synthesised and dissociated Y:124 HTSC phases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, A.K.; Ramakrishna, K.; Srivastava, O.N.

1992-01-01

The Y:124 was synthesised at ambient oxygen pressure using an oxygen enhancer (NaNO 3 ). The as-synthesised material was thermally dissociated at 915degC for various time spans, e.g., 1, 2 and 5 min. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that the undissociated sample corresponds to the Y:124 phase, whereas the dissociated samples consisted of mixed phases. For the samples dissociated for 1 min these were Y:124 and Y:123 (with some traces of CuO), for dissociation times of 2 and 5 min these were dominantly Y:123 and CuO. From R-T and L-T (inductance-temperature) measurements, it was found that the undissociated Y:124 possesses a Tc(R=0)∝80 K and there is no drop in inductance for dissociated samples (2 and 5 min). Microstructural investigations of Y:124 revealed that the material dissociated for 1 min is biphasic, consisting of Y:124 and Y:123. Besides stacking disorder, local area superstructures along ''c'' emanating from the native Y:124 phase were also observed. This is thought to ensue from the random and sequential removal of Cu-O chains from the Y:124 structure. The sample subjected to longer dissociation times, i.e., 2 and 5 min consists of Y:123 and CuO precipitates. For longer dissociation times, e.g., 2 min and above, the Y:124 phase nearly completely converts into Y:123 and CuO. (orig.)

Environmental, physical and structural characterisation of geopolymer matrixes synthesised from coal (co-)combustion fly ashes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez-Ayuso, E.; Querol, X.; Plana, F.; Alastuey, A.; Moreno, N.; Izquierdo, M.; Font, O.; Moreno, T.; Diez, S.; Vazquez, E.; Barra, M.

2008-01-01

The synthesis of geopolymer matrixes from coal (co-)combustion fly ashes as the sole source of silica and alumina has been studied in order to assess both their capacity to immobilise the potentially toxic elements contained in these coal (co-)combustion by-products and their suitability to be used as cement replacements. The geopolymerisation process has been performed using (5, 8 and 12 M) NaOH solutions as activation media and different curing time (6-48 h) and temperature (40-80 o C) conditions. Synthesised geopolymers have been characterised with regard to their leaching behaviour, following the DIN 38414-S4 [DIN 38414-S4, Determination of leachability by water (S4), group S: sludge and sediments. German standard methods for the examination of water, waste water and sludge. Institut fuer Normung, Berlin, 1984] and NEN 7375 [NEN 7375, Leaching characteristics of moulded or monolithic building and waste materials. Determination of leaching of inorganic components with the diffusion test. Netherlands Normalisation Institute, Delft, 2004] procedures, and to their structural stability by means of compressive strength measurements. In addition, geopolymer mineralogy, morphology and structure have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. It was found that synthesised geopolymer matrixes were only effective in the chemical immobilisation of a number of elements of environmental concern contained in fly ashes, reducing (especially for Ba), or maintaining their leachable contents after the geopolymerisation process, but not for those elements present as oxyanions. Physical entrapment does not seem either to contribute in an important way, in general, to the immobilisation of oxyanions. The structural stability of synthesised geopolymers was mainly dependent on the glass content of fly ashes, attaining at the optimal activation conditions (12 M NaOH, 48 h, 80 o C

The harvest plot: A method for synthesising evidence about the differential effects of interventions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sowden Amanda

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background One attraction of meta-analysis is the forest plot, a compact overview of the essential data included in a systematic review and the overall 'result'. However, meta-analysis is not always suitable for synthesising evidence about the effects of interventions which may influence the wider determinants of health. As part of a systematic review of the effects of population-level tobacco control interventions on social inequalities in smoking, we designed a novel approach to synthesis intended to bring aspects of the graphical directness of a forest plot to bear on the problem of synthesising evidence from a complex and diverse group of studies. Methods We coded the included studies (n = 85 on two methodological dimensions (suitability of study design and quality of execution and extracted data on effects stratified by up to six different dimensions of inequality (income, occupation, education, gender, race or ethnicity, and age, distinguishing between 'hard' (behavioural and 'intermediate' (process or attitudinal outcomes. Adopting a hypothesis-testing approach, we then assessed which of three competing hypotheses (positive social gradient, negative social gradient, or no gradient was best supported by each study for each dimension of inequality. Results We plotted the results on a matrix ('harvest plot' for each category of intervention, weighting studies by the methodological criteria and distributing them between the competing hypotheses. These matrices formed part of the analytical process and helped to encapsulate the output, for example by drawing attention to the finding that increasing the price of tobacco products may be more effective in discouraging smoking among people with lower incomes and in lower occupational groups. Conclusion The harvest plot is a novel and useful method for synthesising evidence about the differential effects of population-level interventions. It contributes to the challenge of making best use

Yeast Interacting Proteins Database: YJR091C, YKL002W [Yeast Interacting Proteins Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available g of integral membrane proteins into lumenal vesicles of multivesicular bodies, and for delivery of newly sy... integral membrane proteins into lumenal vesicles of multivesicular bodies, and for delivery of newly synthe

In vitro studies of immunoglobulin heavy-chain binding protein (BiP, GRP78). Interactions of BiP with newly synthesized proteins and adenine nucleotides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kassenbrock, C.K.

1988-01-01

Here we examine the interaction of BiP with newly synthesized polypeptides in an in vitro protein translations-translocation system. We find that BiP forms tight complexes with nonglycosylated yeast invertase and incorrectly disulfide-bonded prolactin but not with glycosylated invertase or correctly disulfide-bonded prolactin. Moreover, BiP associates detectably only with completed chains of prolactin, not with chains undergoing synthesis. We conclude that BiP recognizes and binds with high affinity to aberrantly folded or aberrantly glycosylated polypeptides in vitro, but not to all nascent chains as they are folding. BiP also binds APT and can be purified by APT affinity chromatography. We show that submicromolar levels of ATP or ADP decrease the rate of absorption of 125 I-BiP to nitrocellulose filters coated with protein or nonionic detergents. ATP and ADP also protect portions of BiP from proteolytic degradation. In contrast, micromolar levels of AMP increase the rate of adsorption and the rate of proteolytic degradation of BiP. We also show that an ATPase activity co-purifies with BiP, but its slow turnover number suggests a regulatory, rather than a functional role. The BiP-associated ATPase shares several properties with the related cytoplasmic protein, HSC70/clathrin uncoating ATPase

Bluetongue virus non-structural protein 1 is a positive regulator of viral protein synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boyce Mark

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bluetongue virus (BTV is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA virus of the Reoviridae family, which encodes its genes in ten linear dsRNA segments. BTV mRNAs are synthesised by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp as exact plus sense copies of the genome segments. Infection of mammalian cells with BTV rapidly replaces cellular protein synthesis with viral protein synthesis, but the regulation of viral gene expression in the Orbivirus genus has not been investigated. Results Using an mRNA reporter system based on genome segment 10 of BTV fused with GFP we identify the protein characteristic of this genus, non-structural protein 1 (NS1 as sufficient to upregulate translation. The wider applicability of this phenomenon among the viral genes is demonstrated using the untranslated regions (UTRs of BTV genome segments flanking the quantifiable Renilla luciferase ORF in chimeric mRNAs. The UTRs of viral mRNAs are shown to be determinants of the amount of protein synthesised, with the pre-expression of NS1 increasing the quantity in each case. The increased expression induced by pre-expression of NS1 is confirmed in virus infected cells by generating a replicating virus which expresses the reporter fused with genome segment 10, using reverse genetics. Moreover, NS1-mediated upregulation of expression is restricted to mRNAs which lack the cellular 3′ poly(A sequence identifying the 3′ end as a necessary determinant in specifically increasing the translation of viral mRNA in the presence of cellular mRNA. Conclusions NS1 is identified as a positive regulator of viral protein synthesis. We propose a model of translational regulation where NS1 upregulates the synthesis of viral proteins, including itself, and creates a positive feedback loop of NS1 expression, which rapidly increases the expression of all the viral proteins. The efficient translation of viral reporter mRNAs among cellular mRNAs can account for the observed

Bluetongue virus non-structural protein 1 is a positive regulator of viral protein synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyce, Mark; Celma, Cristina C P; Roy, Polly

2012-08-29

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus of the Reoviridae family, which encodes its genes in ten linear dsRNA segments. BTV mRNAs are synthesised by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) as exact plus sense copies of the genome segments. Infection of mammalian cells with BTV rapidly replaces cellular protein synthesis with viral protein synthesis, but the regulation of viral gene expression in the Orbivirus genus has not been investigated. Using an mRNA reporter system based on genome segment 10 of BTV fused with GFP we identify the protein characteristic of this genus, non-structural protein 1 (NS1) as sufficient to upregulate translation. The wider applicability of this phenomenon among the viral genes is demonstrated using the untranslated regions (UTRs) of BTV genome segments flanking the quantifiable Renilla luciferase ORF in chimeric mRNAs. The UTRs of viral mRNAs are shown to be determinants of the amount of protein synthesised, with the pre-expression of NS1 increasing the quantity in each case. The increased expression induced by pre-expression of NS1 is confirmed in virus infected cells by generating a replicating virus which expresses the reporter fused with genome segment 10, using reverse genetics. Moreover, NS1-mediated upregulation of expression is restricted to mRNAs which lack the cellular 3' poly(A) sequence identifying the 3' end as a necessary determinant in specifically increasing the translation of viral mRNA in the presence of cellular mRNA. NS1 is identified as a positive regulator of viral protein synthesis. We propose a model of translational regulation where NS1 upregulates the synthesis of viral proteins, including itself, and creates a positive feedback loop of NS1 expression, which rapidly increases the expression of all the viral proteins. The efficient translation of viral reporter mRNAs among cellular mRNAs can account for the observed replacement of cellular protein synthesis with viral protein

Green-synthesised nanoparticles from Melia azedarach seeds and the cyclopoid crustacean Cyclops vernalis: an eco-friendly route to control the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi?

Science.gov (United States)

Anbu, Priya; Murugan, Kadarkarai; Madhiyazhagan, Pari; Dinesh, Devakumar; Subramaniam, Jayapal; Panneerselvam, Chellasamy; Suresh, Udaiyan; Alarfaj, Abdullah A; Munusamy, Murugan A; Higuchi, Akon; Hwang, Jiang-Shiou; Kumar, Suresh; Nicoletti, Marcello; Benelli, Giovanni

2016-09-01

The impact of green-synthesised mosquitocidal nanoparticles on non-target aquatic predators is poorly studied. In this research, we proposed a single-step method to synthesise silver nanoparticles (Ag NP) using the seed extract of Melia azedarach. Ag NP were characterised using a variety of biophysical methods, including UV-vis spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In laboratory assays on Anopheles stephensi, Ag NP showed LC50 ranging from 2.897 (I instar larvae) to 14.548 ppm (pupae). In the field, the application of Ag NP (10 × LC50) lead to complete elimination of larval populations after 72 h. The application of Ag NP in the aquatic environment did not show negative adverse effects on predatory efficiency of the mosquito natural enemy Cyclops vernalis. Overall, this study highlights the concrete possibility to employ M. azedarach-synthesised Ag NP on young instars of malaria vectors.

Lifestyle and clinical factors associated with elevated C-reactive protein among newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svensson, Elisabeth; Mor, Anil; Rungby, Jørgen

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the prevalence of and modifiable factors associated with elevated C-reactive Protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, in men and women with newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (DM) in a population-based setting. METHODS: CRP was measured in 1,037 patients (57...... was primarily elevated among patients with no regular physical activity (aRR 1.5 (95% CI 1.1-1.9)), previous cardiovascular disease (aRR1.5 (95% CI 1.2-1.9) and other comorbidity. For both genders, elevated CRP was 1.4-fold increased in those with weight gain >30 kg since age 20 years. Sensitivity analyses...

Yeast Interacting Proteins Database: YKL002W, YFL034C-B [Yeast Interacting Proteins Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available integral membrane proteins into lumenal vesicles of multivesicular bodies, and for delivery of newly synthes...ntegral membrane proteins into lumenal vesicles of multivesicular bodies, and for delivery of newly synthesi

Projection multiplex recording of computer-synthesised one-dimensional Fourier holograms for holographic memory systems: mathematical and experimental modelling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Betin, A Yu; Bobrinev, V I; Verenikina, N M; Donchenko, S S; Odinokov, S B [Research Institute ' Radiotronics and Laser Engineering' , Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow (Russian Federation); Evtikhiev, N N; Zlokazov, E Yu; Starikov, S N; Starikov, R S [National Reseach Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Moscow (Russian Federation)

2015-08-31

A multiplex method of recording computer-synthesised one-dimensional Fourier holograms intended for holographic memory devices is proposed. The method potentially allows increasing the recording density in the previously proposed holographic memory system based on the computer synthesis and projection recording of data page holograms. (holographic memory)

Engineering fluorescent proteins towards ultimate performances: lessons from the newly developed cyan variants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mérola, Fabienne; Erard, Marie; Fredj, Asma; Pasquier, Hélène

2016-01-01

New fluorescent proteins (FPs) are constantly discovered from natural sources, and submitted to intensive engineering based on random mutagenesis and directed evolution. However, most of these newly developed FPs fail to achieve all the performances required for their bioimaging applications. The design of highly optimised FP-based reporters, simultaneously displaying appropriate colour, multimeric state, chromophore maturation, brightness, photostability and environmental sensitivity will require a better understanding of the structural and dynamic determinants of FP photophysics. The recent development of cyan fluorescent proteins (CFPs) like mCerulean3, mTurquoise2 and Aquamarine brings a different view on these questions, as in this particular case, a step by step evaluation of critical mutations has been performed within a family of spectrally identical and evolutionary close variants. These efforts have led to CFPs with quantum yields close to unity, near single exponential emission decays, high photostability and complete insensitivity to pH, making them ideal choices as energy transfer donors in FRET and FLIM imaging applications. During this process, it was found that a proper amino-acid choice at only two positions (148 and 65) is sufficient to transform the performances of CFPs: with the help of structural and theoretical investigations, we rationalise here how these two positions critically control the CFP photophysics, in the context of FPs derived from the Aequorea victoria species. Today, these results provide a useful toolbox for upgrading the different CFP donors carried by FRET biosensors. They also trace the route towards the de novo design of FP-based optogenetic devices that will be perfectly tailored to dedicated imaging and sensing applications. (topical review)

Comparison of newly developed anti-bone morphogenetic protein 4 llama-derived antibodies with commercially available BMP4 inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Calpe, Silvia; Correia, Ana C P; Sancho-Serra, Maria Del Carmen; Krishnadath, Kausilia K

2016-01-01

Due to improved understanding of the role of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) in an increasing number of diseases, the development of selective inhibitors of BMP4 is an attractive therapeutic option. The currently available BMP4 inhibitors are not suitable as therapeutics because of their low specificity and low effectiveness. Here, we compared newly generated anti-BMP4 llama-derived antibodies (VHHs) with 3 different types of commercially available BMP4 inhibitors, natural antagonists, small molecule BMPR inhibitors and conventional anti-BMP4 monoclonal antibodies. We found that the anti-BMP4 VHHs were as effective as the natural antagonist or small molecule inhibitors, but had higher specificity. We also showed that commercial anti-BMP4 antibodies were inferior in terms of both specificity and effectiveness. These findings might result from the fact that the VHHs C4C4 and C8C8 target a small region within the BMPR1 epitope of BMP4, whereas the commercial antibodies target other areas of the BMP4 molecule. Our results show that the newly developed anti-BMP4 VHHs are promising antibodies with better specificity and effectivity for inhibition of BMP4, making them an attractive tool for research and for therapeutic applications.

Newly formed skeletal muscle fibers are prone to false positive immunostaining by rabbit antibodies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Ditte C; Kliem, Anette; Schrøder, Henrik Daa

2011-01-01

rely on controls that reveal non-specific binding by the secondary antibody and neglect that the primary rabbit antibody itself may cause false positive staining of the muscle. We suggest that reliable immuno-based protein detection in newly formed muscle fibers at least requires a nonsense rabbit......Reports on muscle biology and regeneration often implicate immuno(cyto/histo)chemical protein characterization using rabbit polyclonal antibodies. In this study we demonstrate that newly formed myofibers are especially prone to false positive staining by rabbit antibodies and this unwanted staining...

PARTITION EFFICIENCY OF NEWLY DESIGNED LOCULAR MULTILAYER COIL FOR COUNTERCURRENT CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION OF PROTEINS USING SMALL-SCALE CROSS-AXIS COIL PLANET CENTRIFUGE WITH AQUEOUS-AQUEOUS POLYMER PHASE SYSTEMS.

Science.gov (United States)

Shinomiya, Kazufusa; Ito, Yoichiro

2009-01-01

Countercurrent chromatographic performance of the locular multilayer coil separation column newly designed in our laboratory was evaluated in terms of theoretical plate number, peak resolution and retention of the stationary phase in protein separation with an aqueous polymer phase system using the small-scale cross-axis coil planet centrifuge (X-axis CPC) fabricated in our laboratory. The locular column was made from 1.0 mm I.D., 2.0 mm O.D. or 1.5 mm I.D., 2.5 mm O.D. PTFE tubing compressed with a pair of hemostat at 2 or 4 cm intervals. The protein separation was performed using a set of stable proteins including cytochrome C, myoglobin and lysozyme with the 12.5% (w/w) polyethylene glycol 1000 and 12.5% (w/w) dibasic potassium phosphate system under 1000 rpm of column revolution. The 1.5 mm I.D., 2.5 mm O.D. locular tubing compressed at 2 cm intervals yielded better partition efficiencies than the non-clamped tubing using both lower and upper mobile phases with satisfactory retention of the stationary phase. The overall results suggest that the newly designed locular multilayer coil is useful to the preparative separation of proteins with aqueous-aqueous polymer phase system using our small-scale X-axis CPC.

Meta-ethnography 25 years on: challenges and insights for synthesising a large number of qualitative studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Toye, Francine; Seers, Kate; Allcock, Nick; Briggs, Michelle; Carr, Eloise; Barker, Karen

2014-06-21

Studies that systematically search for and synthesise qualitative research are becoming more evident in health care, and they can make an important contribution to patient care. Our team was funded to complete a meta-ethnography of patients' experience of chronic musculoskeletal pain. It has been 25 years since Noblit and Hare published their core text on meta-ethnography, and the current health research environment brings additional challenges to researchers aiming to synthesise qualitative research. Noblit and Hare propose seven stages of meta-ethnography which take the researcher from formulating a research idea to expressing the findings. These stages are not discrete but form part of an iterative research process. We aimed to build on the methods of Noblit and Hare and explore the challenges of including a large number of qualitative studies into a qualitative systematic review. These challenges hinge upon epistemological and practical issues to be considered alongside expectations about what determines high quality research. This paper describes our method and explores these challenges. Central to our method was the process of collaborative interpretation of concepts and the decision to exclude original material where we could not decipher a concept. We use excerpts from our research team's reflexive statements to illustrate the development of our methods.

PH-Sensitive Nanogels Synthesised by Radiation-Induced Cross-Linking of Hydrogen-Bonded Interpolymer Complexes in Aqueous Solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ulanski, P.; Kadłubowski, S.; Henke, A.; Olejnik, A.K.; Rokita, B.; Wach, R.; Rosiak, J.M.

2010-01-01

Nanogels, i.e., internally cross-linked hydrophilic polymeric particles of sub-micron sizes, gained much interest over the last years due to their possible application as components of advanced type of medicines, like drug carriers. It is expected that they can facilitate distribution and delivery of different types of biologically active substances (including proteins, peptides and oligonucleotides) in a controlled way within the human body. Nanogels and their bigger analogues – microgels, are mainly synthesised through free-radical cross-linking polymerization of monomers. This synthetic routine can be carried out in solution but more often emulsion techniques are preferred (mini- or microemulsion) due to easier size control and exclusion of the macrogelation process. Additionally, surfactant-free emulsion polymerization (SFEP) is the method of choice for the preparation of temperature-sensitive particles, mainly based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide).Nanogels were also successfully prepared by intramolecular cross-linking of single macromolecules. More recently, covalent stabilization was utilized to obtain the self-assembled structures like micelles of amphiphilic block copolymers, held by relatively weak physical interactions. Due to low stability of these polymolecular systems against dilution or temperature changes, different chemistry-based strategies to turn them into permanent nanopaticles were proposed in the literature (e.g., independent stabilization of a core or a shell of the micelles)

PH-Sensitive Nanogels Synthesised by Radiation-Induced Cross-Linking of Hydrogen-Bonded Interpolymer Complexes in Aqueous Solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ulanski, P.; Kadłubowski, S.; Henke, A.; Olejnik, A. K.; Rokita, B.; Wach, R.; Rosiak, J.M., E-mail: slawekka@mitr.p.lodz.pl [Technical University of Lodz, Wroblewskiego 15, 93-590 Lodz (Poland)

2010-07-01

Nanogels, i.e., internally cross-linked hydrophilic polymeric particles of sub-micron sizes, gained much interest over the last years due to their possible application as components of advanced type of medicines, like drug carriers. It is expected that they can facilitate distribution and delivery of different types of biologically active substances (including proteins, peptides and oligonucleotides) in a controlled way within the human body. Nanogels and their bigger analogues – microgels, are mainly synthesised through free-radical cross-linking polymerization of monomers. This synthetic routine can be carried out in solution but more often emulsion techniques are preferred (mini- or microemulsion) due to easier size control and exclusion of the macrogelation process. Additionally, surfactant-free emulsion polymerization (SFEP) is the method of choice for the preparation of temperature-sensitive particles, mainly based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide).Nanogels were also successfully prepared by intramolecular cross-linking of single macromolecules. More recently, covalent stabilization was utilized to obtain the self-assembled structures like micelles of amphiphilic block copolymers, held by relatively weak physical interactions. Due to low stability of these polymolecular systems against dilution or temperature changes, different chemistry-based strategies to turn them into permanent nanopaticles were proposed in the literature (e.g., independent stabilization of a core or a shell of the micelles)

Meta-ethnography 25 years on: challenges and insights for synthesising a large number of qualitative studies

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Studies that systematically search for and synthesise qualitative research are becoming more evident in health care, and they can make an important contribution to patient care. Our team was funded to complete a meta-ethnography of patients’ experience of chronic musculoskeletal pain. It has been 25 years since Noblit and Hare published their core text on meta-ethnography, and the current health research environment brings additional challenges to researchers aiming to synthesise qualitative research. Noblit and Hare propose seven stages of meta-ethnography which take the researcher from formulating a research idea to expressing the findings. These stages are not discrete but form part of an iterative research process. We aimed to build on the methods of Noblit and Hare and explore the challenges of including a large number of qualitative studies into a qualitative systematic review. These challenges hinge upon epistemological and practical issues to be considered alongside expectations about what determines high quality research. This paper describes our method and explores these challenges. Central to our method was the process of collaborative interpretation of concepts and the decision to exclude original material where we could not decipher a concept. We use excerpts from our research team’s reflexive statements to illustrate the development of our methods. PMID:24951054

Twelve-bit 20-GHz reduced size pipeline accumulator in 0.25 μm SiGe:C technology for direct digital synthesiser applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Brian Sveistrup; Khafaji, M. M.; Johansen, T. K.

2012-01-01

/Fmax of 180/220 GHz. The accumulator architecture omits the pre-skewing registers of the pipeline, thereby lowering both power consumption and circuit complexity. Some limitations to this design are discussed and the necessary equations for determining the phase jump encountered each time the control word...... (synthesised frequency) is changed are presented. For many applications employing signal processing after detection, this phase shift can then be corrected for. Compared to a full pipeline architecture (omitting the input circuitry for the most significant bit, as is customary for such designs......This article presents a 20 GHz, 12-bit pipeline accumulator with a reduced number of registers, suitable for direct digital synthesiser (DDS) applications. The accumulator is implemented in the IHP SG25H1 (0.25 μm) SiGe:C technology featuring heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with Ft...

Hydrogels synthesised through photoinitiator-free photopolymerisation technique for delivering drugs including a tumour-tracing porphyrin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, Loo-Teck; Swami, Salesh; Gordon-Thomson, Clare

2006-01-01

Hydrogels were synthesised using the photoinitiator-free photopolymerisation technique involving interactions between donor/acceptor pairs for delivering drugs of different molecular weights including a porphyrin used as a tumour-tracing agent. N-(5-hydroxy) pentylmaleimide, an acceptor, formed hydrogels with N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and N-vinylcaprolactum. Glucosamine, an effective H-donor in enhancing polymerisation as shown by Differential Photocalorimetric results, was found unsuitable for hydrogel preparation. Drugs of different molecular weights releasing at the same rate was discussed. The hydrogels were found to have no toxic effects and were biocompatible with a human keratinocyte cell line

Production of a recombinant capsid protein VP1 from a newly described polyomavirus (RacPyV for downstream use in virus characterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Molly E. Church

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Here we describe the methods for production of a recombinant viral capsid protein and subsequent use in an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, and for use in production of a rabbit polyclonal antibody. These reagents were utilized in development and optimization of an ELISA, which established the extent of exposure of free ranging raccoons to a newly described polyomavirus (RacPyV [1]. Production of a polyclonal antibody has allowed for further characterization of RacPyV, including immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry techniques, in order to answer questions about pathogenesis of this virus.

Yeast Interacting Proteins Database: YKL002W, YLR423C [Yeast Interacting Proteins Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available integral membrane proteins into lumenal vesicles of multivesicular bodies, and for delivery of newly synthes... into lumenal vesicles of multivesicular bodies, and for delivery of newly synthesized vacuolar enzymes to t

Yeast Interacting Proteins Database: YKL002W, YDL165W [Yeast Interacting Proteins Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available integral membrane proteins into lumenal vesicles of multivesicular bodies, and for delivery of newly synthes...ins into lumenal vesicles of multivesicular bodies, and for delivery of newly synthesized vacuolar enzymes t

A novel two-step mechanism for removal of a mitochondrial signal sequence involves the mAAA complex and the putative rhomboid protease Pcp1.

Science.gov (United States)

Esser, Karlheinz; Tursun, Baris; Ingenhoven, Martin; Michaelis, Georg; Pratje, Elke

2002-11-08

The yeast protein cytochrome c peroxidase (Ccp1) is nuclearly encoded and imported into the mitochondrial intermembrane space, where it is involved in degradation of reactive oxygen species. It is known, that Ccp1 is synthesised as a precursor with a N-terminal pre-sequence, that is proteolytically removed during transport of the protein. Here we present evidence for a new processing pathway, involving novel signal peptidase activities. The mAAA protease subunits Yta10 (Afg3) and Yta12 (Rca1) were identified both to be essential for the first processing step. In addition, the Pcp1 (Ygr101w) gene product was found to be required for the second processing step, yielding the mature Ccp1 protein. The newly identified Pcp1 protein belongs to the rhomboid-GlpG superfamily of putative intramembrane peptidases. Inactivation of the protease motifs in mAAA and Pcp1 blocks the respective steps of proteolysis. A model of coupled Ccp1 transport and N-terminal processing by the mAAA complex and Pcp1 is discussed. Similar processing mechanisms may exist, because the mAAA subunits and the newly identified Pcp1 protein belong to ubiquitous protein families.

Release of newly synthesized nucleoplasmic ribosomal subunits or their precursor particles from isolated nuclei of regenerating rat liver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Usami, K; Ogata, K [Niigata Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

1930-06-16

The authors present the time course of the labeling of RNA and protein moieties of these particles in vivo as well as the pattern of one-dimensional acrylamide gel electrophoresis of their protein moieties labeled with (/sup 35/S)methionine in vivo, which shows that released 60 S particles are newly synthesized ribosomal large subunits or their precursor particles in the nucleoplasm on their way from the nucleolus to the cytoplasm. It appears likely that released 40 S particles contain newly synthesized ribosomal small subunits or their precursors in the nucleoplasm.

Identifying different transcribed proteins in the newly described Theraphosidae Pamphobeteus verdolaga.

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada-Gómez, Sebastian; Vargas-Muñoz, Leidy Johana; Saldarriaga-Córdoba, Mónica; Cifuentes, Yeimy; Perafan, Carlos

2017-04-01

Theraphosidae spider venoms are well known for possess a complex mixture of protein and non-protein compounds in their venom. The objective of this study was to report and identify different proteins translated from the venom gland DNA information of the recently described Theraphosidae spider Pamphobeteus verdolaga. Using a venom gland transcriptomic analysis, we reported a set of the first complete sequences of seven different proteins of the recenlty described Theraphosidae spider P. verdolaga. Protein analysis indicates the presence of different proteins on the venom composition of this new spider, some of them uncommon in the Theraphosidae family. MS/MS analysis of P. verdolaga showed different fragments matching sphingomyelinases (sicaritoxin), barytoxins, hexatoxins, latroinsectotoxins, and linear (zadotoxins) peptides. Only four of the MS/MS fragments showed 100% sequence similarity with one of the transcribed proteins. Transcriptomic analysis showed the presence of different groups of proteins like phospholipases, hyaluronidases, inhibitory cysteine knots (ICK) peptides among others. The three database of protein domains used in this study (Pfam, SMART and CDD) showed congruency in the search of unique conserved protein domain for only four of the translated proteins. Those proteins matched with EF-hand proteins, cysteine rich secretory proteins, jingzhaotoxins, theraphotoxins and hexatoxins, from different Mygalomorphae spiders belonging to the families Theraphosidae, Barychelidae and Hexathelidae. None of the analyzed sequences showed a complete 100% similarity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regulation of IGF binding protein proteolysis by pregnancy-associated plasma protein-ARegulation of IGF binding protein proteolysis by pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaidamauskas, Ervinas

During his PhD studies, Ervinas Gaidamauskas researched the proteins pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and its homologue PAPP-A2 in vitro. As suggested by its name, PAPP-A plays an important role in pregnancy and fetal development. Additionally, recent studies indicate a newly...

Binding Interactions Between alpha-glucans from Lactobacillus reuteri and Milk Proteins Characterised by Surface Plasmon Resonance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diemer, Silja K.; Svensson, Birte; Babol, Linnea N.; Cockburn, Darrell; Grijpstra, Pieter; Dijkhuizen, Lubbert; Folkenberg, Ditte M.; Garrigues, Christel; Ipsen, Richard H.

Interactions between milk proteins and alpha-glucans at pH 4.0-5.5 were investigated by use of surface plasmon resonance. The alpha-glucans were synthesised with glucansucrase enzymes from Lactobacillus reuteri strains ATCC-55730, 180, ML1 and 121. Variations in the molecular characteristics of the

Binding Interactions Between α-glucans from Lactobacillus reuteri and Milk Proteins Characterised by Surface Plasmon Resonance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diemer, Silja Kej; Svensson, Birte; Babol, Linnéa N.

2012-01-01

Interactions between milk proteins and α-glucans at pH 4.0–5.5 were investigated by use of surface plasmon resonance. The α-glucans were synthesised with glucansucrase enzymes from Lactobacillus reuteri strains ATCC-55730, 180, ML1 and 121. Variations in the molecular characteristics of the α...

Running retraining to treat lower limb injuries: a mixed-methods study of current evidence synthesised with expert opinion.

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, C J; Bonanno, D R; Carr, J; Neal, B S; Malliaras, P; Franklyn-Miller, A; Menz, H B

2016-05-01

Running-related injuries are highly prevalent. Synthesise published evidence with international expert opinion on the use of running retraining when treating lower limb injuries. Mixed methods. A systematic review of clinical and biomechanical findings related to running retraining interventions were synthesised and combined with semistructured interviews with 16 international experts covering clinical reasoning related to the implementation of running retraining. Limited evidence supports the effectiveness of transition from rearfoot to forefoot or midfoot strike and increase step rate or altering proximal mechanics in individuals with anterior exertional lower leg pain; and visual and verbal feedback to reduce hip adduction in females with patellofemoral pain. Despite the paucity of clinical evidence, experts recommended running retraining for: iliotibial band syndrome; plantar fasciopathy (fasciitis); Achilles, patellar, proximal hamstring and gluteal tendinopathy; calf pain; and medial tibial stress syndrome. Tailoring approaches to each injury and individual was recommended to optimise outcomes. Substantial evidence exists for the immediate biomechanical effects of running retraining interventions (46 studies), including evaluation of step rate and strike pattern manipulation, strategies to alter proximal kinematics and cues to reduce impact loading variables. Our synthesis of published evidence related to clinical outcomes and biomechanical effects with expert opinion indicates running retraining warrants consideration in the treatment of lower limb injuries in clinical practice. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Synthesis and Properties of Star HPMA Copolymer Nanocarriers Synthesised by RAFT Polymerisation Designed for Selective Anticancer Drug Delivery and Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Chytil, Petr; Koziolová, Eva; Janoušková, Olga; Kostka, Libor; Ulbrich, Karel; Etrych, Tomáš

2015-06-01

High-molecular-weight star polymer drug nanocarriers intended for the treatment and/or visualisation of solid tumours were synthesised, and their physico-chemical and preliminary in vitro biological properties were determined. The water-soluble star polymer carriers were prepared by the grafting of poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers by hetero-telechelic N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers, synthesised by the controlled radical Reversible Addition Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerisation. The well-defined star copolymers with Mw values ranging from 2 · 10(5) to 6 · 10(5) showing a low dispersity (approximately 1.2) were prepared in a high yield. A model anticancer drug, doxorubicin, was bound to the star polymer through a hydrazone bond, enabling the pH-controlled drug release in the target tumour tissue. The activated polymer arm ends of the star copolymer carrier enable a one-point attachment for the targeting ligands and/or a labelling moiety. In this study, the model TAMRA fluorescent dye was used to prove the feasibility of the polymer carrier visualisation by optical imaging in vitro. The tailor-made structure of the star polymer carriers should facilitate the synthesis of targeted polymer-drug conjugates, even polymer theranostics, for simultaneous tumour drug delivery and imaging. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Carcass and meat quality of “Leccese” breed lambs suckling from ewes fed diets containing vegetable by-pass protein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Tateo

2011-03-01

Full Text Available It is considered necessary to supplement the majority of dietary proteins for the rearing of goats and sheep (Pulina et al., 1990; Robinson, 1987. In ruminants, 70 % of protein requirement is satisfied by cytoplasmic synthesised protein, while the remaining 30 % is provided by the regular diet. In juvenile animals, when the rumen is not completely developed (Donkin et al., 1987; Thaler et al., 1992, bacterial proteins are not sufficient to satisfy the protein requirements. Naturally available sheep diet is deficient in the proteins required and contributes to low efficiency in protein utilisation in these species (Corino et al., 1995; Rossi et al., 1991...

Gs protein peptidomimetics as allosteric modulators of the β2-adrenergic receptor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boyhus, Lotte Emilie; Danielsen, Mia; Bengtson, Nina Smidt

2018-01-01

A series of Gs protein peptidomimetics were designed and synthesised based on the published X-ray crystal structure of the active state β2-Adrenergic receptor (β2AR) in complex with the Gs protein (PDB 3SN6). We hypothesised that such peptidomimetics may function as allosteric modulators...... that target the intracellular Gs protein binding site of the β2AR. Peptidomimetics were designed to mimic the 15 residue C-Terminal α-helix of the Gs protein and were pre-organised in a helical conformation by (i, i + 4)-stapling using copper catalysed azide alkyne cycloaddition. Linear and stapled...... be able to compete with the native Gs protein for the intracellular binding site to block ISO-induced cAMP formation, but are unable to stabilise an active-like receptor conformation....

A molecular key for building hyphae aggregates: the role of the newly identified Streptomyces protein HyaS.

Science.gov (United States)

Koebsch, Ilona; Overbeck, Jens; Piepmeyer, Sophie; Meschke, Holger; Schrempf, Hildgund

2009-05-01

Streptomycetes produce many metabolites with medical and biotechnological applications. During fermentations, their hyphae build aggregates, a process in which the newly identified protein HyaS plays an important role. The corresponding hyaS gene is present within all investigated Streptomyces species. Reporter fusions indicate that transcription of hyaS occurs within substrate hyphae of the Streptomyces lividans wild type (WT). The HyaS protein is dominantly associated with the substrate hyphae. The WT strain forms cylindrically shaped clumps of densely packed substrate hyphae, often fusing to higher aggregates (pellets), which remain stably associated during shaking. Investigations by electron microscopy suggest that HyaS induces tight fusion-like contacts among substrate hyphae. In contrast, the pellets of the designed hyaS disruption mutant ΔH are irregular in shape, contain frequently outgrowing bunches of hyphae, and fuse less frequently. ΔH complemented with a plasmid carrying hyaS resembles the WT phenotype. Biochemical studies indicate that the C-terminal region of HyaS has amine oxidase activity. Investigations of ΔH transformants, each carrying a specifically mutated gene, lead to the conclusion that the in situ oxidase activity correlates with the pellet-inducing role of HyaS, and depends on the presence of certain histidine residues. Furthermore, the level of undecylprodigiosin, a red pigment with antibiotic activity, is influenced by the engineered hyaS subtype within a strain. These data present the first molecular basis for future manipulation of pellets, and concomitant production of secondary metabolites during biotechnological processes. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

CNP stoichiometry of a lipid-synthesising zooplankton, Calanus finmarchicus, from winter to spring bloom in a sub-Arctic sound

Science.gov (United States)

Aubert, A. B.; Svensen, C.; Hessen, D. O.; Tamelander, T.

2013-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the seasonal stoichiometry of the high-latitude lipid-synthesising copepod Calanus finmarchicus and assess how this would affect dietary demands with season, ontogeny and lipid storage. C:N:P ratios in different stages (adults, copepodite V and IV), in eggs and faecal pellets as well as in bulk food (seston) was analysed in a sub-Arctic Norwegian sound (69° 47'N, 19° 19'E) from late February to mid-May 2009. The period covered the phytoplankton bloom and was divided into four sequences of the bloom based on chl a and seston C:chl a ratio variations. The calculation of the somatic elemental C:N and C:P body ratios (without the lipid storage) indicates that nearly homeostatic control in C. finmarchicus is maintained in somatic tissues within stages, while not if the lipid storage pool is included. Nutrient limitation was assessed calculating threshold elemental ratios based on the somatic body ratios and for different sets of assimilation efficiencies, and indicated a predominant C limitation that may reflect demands for lipid storage. The results suggest that stoichiometric composition and demands in such high-latitude, lipid-storing species strongly depend on stage and season, and the large contribution of storage lipids highlights the need for a two-compartment approach for lipid-synthesising species, with different dietary requirements for somatic growth and for lipid storage.

Newly formulated, protein quality-enhanced, extruded sorghum-, cowpea-, corn-, soya-, sugar- and oil-containing fortified-blended foods lead to adequate vitamin A and iron outcomes and improved growth compared with non-extruded CSB+ in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Delimont, Nicole M; Fiorentino, Nicole M; Opoku-Acheampong, Alexander B; Joseph, Michael V; Guo, Qingbin; Alavi, Sajid; Lindshield, Brian L

2017-01-01

Corn and soyabean micronutrient-fortified-blended foods (FBF) are commonly used for food aid. Sorghum and cowpeas have been suggested as alternative commodities because they are drought tolerant, can be grown in many localities, and are not genetically modified. Change in formulation of blends may improve protein quality, vitamin A and Fe availability of FBF. The primary objective of this study was to compare protein efficiency, Fe and vitamin A availability of newly formulated extruded sorghum-, cowpea-, soya- and corn-based FBF, along with a current, non-extruded United States Agency for International Development (USAID) corn and soya blend FBF (CSB+). A second objective was to compare protein efficiency of whey protein concentrate (WPC) and soya protein isolate (SPI) containing FBF to determine whether WPC inclusion improved outcomes. Eight groups of growing rats ( n 10) consumed two white and one red sorghum-cowpea (WSC1 + WPC, WSC2 + WPC, RSC + WPC), white sorghum-soya (WSS + WPC) and corn-soya (CSB14 + WPC) extruded WPC-containing FBF, an extruded white sorghum-cowpea with SPI (WSC1 + SPI), non-extruded CSB+, and American Institute of Nutrition (AIN)-93G, a weanling rat diet, for 4 weeks. There were no significant differences in protein efficiency, Fe or vitamin A outcomes between WPC FBF groups. The CSB+ group consumed significantly less food, gained significantly less weight, and had significantly lower energy efficiency, protein efficiency and length, compared with all other groups. Compared with WSC1 + WPC, the WSC1 + SPI FBF group had significantly lower energy efficiency, protein efficiency and weight gain. These results suggest that a variety of commodities can be used in the formulation of FBF, and that newly formulated extruded FBF are of better nutritional quality than non-extruded CSB+.

Heat shock protein 72: release and biological significance during exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitham, Martin; Fortes, Matthew Benjamin

2008-01-01

The cumulative stressors of exercise manifest themselves at a cellular level by threatening the protein homeostasis of the cell. In these conditions, Heat Shock Proteins (HSP) are synthesised to chaperone mis-folded and denatured proteins. As such, the intracellular HSP response is thought to aid cell survival in the face of otherwise lethal cellular stress. Recently, the inducible isoform of the 70 Kda heat shock protein family, Hsp72 has been detected in the extracellular environment. Furthermore, the release of this protein into the circulation has been shown to occur in response to a range of exercise bouts. The present review summarises the current research on the exercise Hsp72 response, the possible mediators and mechanisms of extracellular (e)Hsp72 release, and the possible biological significance of this systemic response. In particular, the possible role of eHsp72 in the modulation of immunity during exercise is discussed.

Patients with newly diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis are at increased risk of Diabetes Mellitus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Emamifar, Amir; Levin, Klaus; Jensen Hansen, Inger Marie

2018-01-01

-C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) at the time of diagnosis and after 4 months (±1-2 months) of treatment initiation were extracted from Danbio Registry. To reveal the presence of DM, patients' electronic medical records were reviewed. The prevalence of DM in our patients was compared (using an age- and gender......-matched analysis) with that expected from Danish population. RESULTS: of 439 included patients, 60.1% were female, mean of age 64.6±15.0 years and RA disease duration 2.6±1.7 years. Prevalence of DM was 57/439 (12.9%), herein type II DM 52 (91.2%) and type I DM 5 (8.8%). Except for two patients, diagnosis of DM......AIMS: To reveal the prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in patients with newly diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and evaluate the association between clinical characteristics of RA and DM as well as treatment response in newly diagnosed RA patients with DM. METHODS: Newly diagnosed, adult, RA...

Ethyl group as matrix modifier and inducer of ordered domains in hybrid xerogels synthesised in acidic media using ethyltriethoxysilane (ETEOS) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as precursors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rios, Xabier; Moriones, Paula; Echeverría, Jesús C.; Luquin, Asunción; Laguna, Mariano; Garrido, Julián J.

2013-01-01

Hybrid silica xerogels favourably combine the properties of organic and inorganic components in one material; consequently these materials are useful for multiple applications. The versatility and mild synthetic conditions provided by the sol-gel process are ideal for the synthesis of hybrid materials. The specific aims of this study were to synthesise hybrid xerogels in acidic media using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and ethyltriethoxysilane (ETEOS) as silica precursors, and to assess the role of the ethyl group as a matrix modifier and inducer of ordered domains in xerogels. All xerogels were synthesised at pH 4.5, at 60 °C, with 1:4.75:5.5 TEOS:EtOH:H 2 O molar ratio. Gelation time exponentially increased with the ETEOS molar ratio. Incorporation of the ethyl groups into the structure of xerogels reduced cross-linking, increased the average siloxane bond length, and promoted the formation of ordered domains. As a result, a transition from Q n to T n signals detected in the 29 Si NMR spectra, the Si–O structural band in the FTIR spectra shifted to lower wavelength, and a new peak in the XRD pattern at 2θ < 10° appeared in the XRD patterns. Mass spectroscopy detected fragments with high numbers of silicon atoms and a polymeric distribution. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • Hybrid xerogels were synthesised for ETEOS/TEOS mixtures up to 80% ETEOS. • The gelification time exponentially increased with ETEOS content. • FTIR, XRD and MAS NMR demonstrated the presence of ethyl groups into xerogels. • For ETEOS contents ≤30%, ethyl group acted as matrix modifier. • For ETEOS contents ≥30%, ethyl groups induced the formation of ordered domains

Process plant alarm diagnosis using synthesised fault tree knowledge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trenchard, A.J.

1990-01-01

The development of computer based tools, to assist process plant operators in their task of fault/alarm diagnosis, has received much attention over the last twenty five years. More recently, with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, the research activity in this subject area has heightened. As a result, there are a great variety of fault diagnosis methodologies, using many different approaches to represent the fault propagation behaviour of process plant. These range in complexity from steady state quantitative models to more abstract definitions of the relationships between process alarms. Unfortunately, very few of the techniques have been tried and tested on process plant and even fewer have been judged to be commercial successes. One of the outstanding problems still remains the time and effort required to understand and model the fault propagation behaviour of each considered process. This thesis describes the development of an experimental knowledge based system (KBS) to diagnose process plant faults, as indicated by process variable alarms. In an attempt to minimise the modelling effort, the KBS has been designed to infer diagnoses using a fault tree representation of the process behaviour, generated using an existing fault tree synthesis package (FAULTFINDER). The process is described to FAULTFINDER as a configuration of unit models, derived from a standard model library or by tailoring existing models. The resultant alarm diagnosis methodology appears to work well for hard (non-rectifying) faults, but is likely to be less robust when attempting to diagnose intermittent faults and transient behaviour. The synthesised fault trees were found to contain the bulk of the information required for the diagnostic task, however, this needed to be augmented with extra information in certain circumstances. (author)

Direct Detection of Biotinylated Proteins by Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Mass spectrometric strategies to identify protein subpopulations involved in specific biological functions rely on covalently tagging biotin to proteins using various chemical modification methods. The biotin tag is primarily used for enrichment of the targeted subpopulation for subsequent mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. A limitation of these strategies is that MS analysis does not easily discriminate unlabeled contaminants from the labeled protein subpopulation under study. To solve this problem, we developed a flexible method that only relies on direct MS detection of biotin-tagged proteins called “Direct Detection of Biotin-containing Tags” (DiDBiT). Compared with conventional targeted proteomic strategies, DiDBiT improves direct detection of biotinylated proteins ∼200 fold. We show that DiDBiT is applicable to several protein labeling protocols in cell culture and in vivo using cell permeable NHS-biotin and incorporation of the noncanonical amino acid, azidohomoalanine (AHA), into newly synthesized proteins, followed by click chemistry tagging with biotin. We demonstrate that DiDBiT improves the direct detection of biotin-tagged newly synthesized peptides more than 20-fold compared to conventional methods. With the increased sensitivity afforded by DiDBiT, we demonstrate the MS detection of newly synthesized proteins labeled in vivo in the rodent nervous system with unprecedented temporal resolution as short as 3 h. PMID:25117199

Synthesis of a designed transmembrane protein by thioether ligation of solubilised segments : Nα-haloacetylated peptides survived resin cleavage using TFA with EDT as scavenger

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Englebretsen, D.R; Choma, C.T.; Robillard, G.T.

1998-01-01

Nα-haloacetylated peptides made by Fmoc solid phase synthesis survived cleavage when EDT was used as a cleavage component. Two segments of a desgned transmembrane protein, one bromoacetylated, the other containing a cysteine, and each bearing a "solubilising tail" peptide, were synthesised by Fmoc

Protein synthesis in the growing rat lung

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelley, J.; Chrin, L.

1986-01-01

Developmental control of protein synthesis in the postnatal growth of the lung has not been systematically studied. In male Fischer 344 rats, lung growth continues linearly as a function of body weight (from 75 to 450 g body weight). To study total protein synthesis in lungs of growing rats, we used the technique of constant intravenous infusion of tritiated leucine, an essential amino acid. Lungs of sacrificed animals were used to determine the leucine incorporation rate into newly synthesized protein. The specific radioactivity of the leucine associated with tRNA extracted from the same lungs served as an absolute index of the precursor leucine pool used for lung protein synthesis. On the basis of these measurements, we were able to calculate the fractional synthesis rate (the proportion of total protein destroyed and replaced each day) of pulmonary proteins for each rat. Under the conditions of isotope infusion, leucyl-tRNA very rapidly equilibrates with free leucine of the plasma and of the extracellular space of the lung. Infusions lasting 30 minutes or less yielded linear rates of protein synthesis without evidence of contamination of lung proteins by newly labeled intravascular albumin. The fractional synthesis rate is considerably higher in juvenile animals (55% per day) than in adult rats (20% per day). After approximately 12 weeks of age, the fractional synthesis rate remains extremely constant in spite of continued slow growth of the lung. It is apparent from these data that in both young and adult rats the bulk of total protein synthesis is devoted to rapidly turning over proteins and that less than 4 percent of newly made protein is committed to tissue growth

Practicing on Newly Dead

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jewel Abraham

2015-07-01

Full Text Available A newly dead cadaver simulation is practiced on the physical remains of the dead before the onset of rigor mortis. This technique has potential benefits for providing real-life in-situ experience for novice providers in health care practices. Evolving ethical views in health care brings into question some of the ethical aspects associated with newly dead cadaver simulation in terms of justification for practice, autonomy, consent, and the need of disclosure. A clear statement of policies and procedures on newly dead cadaver simulation has yet to be implemented. Although there are benefits and disadvantages to an in-situ cadaver simulation, such practices should not be carried out in secrecy as there is no compelling evidence that suggests such training as imperative. Secrecy in these practices is a violation of honor code of nursing ethics. As health care providers, practitioners are obliged to be ethically honest and trustworthy to their patients. The author explores the ethical aspects of using newly dead cadaver simulation in training novice nursing providers to gain competency in various lifesaving skills, which otherwise cannot be practiced on a living individual. The author explores multiple views on cadaver simulation in relation to ethical theories and practices such as consent and disclosure to family.

Purification, characterization, cytotoxicity and anticancer activities of L-asparaginase, anti-colon cancer protein, from the newly isolated alkaliphilic Streptomyces fradiae NEAE-82

Science.gov (United States)

El-Naggar, Noura El-Ahmady; Deraz, Sahar F.; Soliman, Hoda M.; El-Deeb, Nehal M.; El-Ewasy, Sara M.

2016-01-01

L-asparaginase is an important enzyme as therapeutic agents used in combination with other drugs in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A newly isolated actinomycetes strain, Streptomyces sp. NEAE-82, was potentially producing extracellular L-asparaginase, it was identified as Streptomyces fradiae NEAE-82, sequencing product was deposited in the GenBank database under accession number KJ467538. L-asparaginase was purified from the crude enzyme using ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis and ion exchange chromatography using DEAE Sepharose CL-6B. Further the kinetic studies of purified enzyme were carried out. The optimum pH, temperature and incubation time for maximum L-asparaginase activity were found to be 8.5, 40 °C and 30 min, respectively. The optimum substrate concentration was found to be 0.06 M. The Km and Vmax of the enzyme were 0.01007 M and 95.08 Uml−1min−1, respectively. The half-life time (T1/2) was 184.91 min at 50 °С, while being 179.53 min at 60 °С. The molecular weight of the subunits of L-asparaginase was found to be approximately 53 kDa by SDS–PAGE analysis. The purified L-asparaginase showed a final specific activity of 30.636 U/mg protein and was purified 3.338-fold. The present work for the first time reported more information in the production, purification and characterization of L-asparaginase produced by newly isolated actinomycetes Streptomyces fradiae NEAE-82. PMID:27605431

Crop milk protein is synthesised following activation of the IRS1/Akt/TOR signalling pathway in the domestic pigeon (Columba livia).

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, X-C; Gao, C-Q; Wang, X-H; Yan, H-C; Chen, Z-S; Wang, X-Q

2016-12-01

The experiment was conducted to study whether insulin receptor substance 1 (IRS1) / Protein kinase B (Akt)/target of the rapamycin (TOR) signalling pathway activation stimulates crop milk protein synthesis in the domestic pigeon (Columba livia). Crop milk was collected from ten 1-d-old squabs and analysed for nutrient content. During the non-breeding period and the first day of lactation, blood samples were collected from 5 pairs of breeding pigeons and the levels of prolactin and insulin were determined. Crop samples were collected from 5 pairs of breeders at d 14 and 16 of the incubation period and d 1, 3 and 7 of the lactation period. Crop samples were evaluated for changes in crop weight and thickness and changes in the expression patterns of IRS1/Akt/TOR signalling pathway-related proteins. The results demonstrated that prolactin induces a gradual increase in the relative weight and thickness of the crop, with crops reaching a maximum size at the third day of lactation. Pigeon crop milk contains 64.1% crude protein and 29.7% crude fat based on dry weight. Serum prolactin and insulin levels in the lactation period were significantly higher than those in the non-breeding period. Compared with non-breeding pigeons, the expression of the phosphorylated IRS1 phosphorylated Akt, phosphorylated TOR, phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 kinase, phosphorylated S6, phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E were significantly up-regulated in the crop of pigeons in the lactation period. In conclusion, prolactin might induce changes in crop tissue and form the physiological structure for crop milk synthesis. Furthermore, the synthesis of crop milk protein is regulated by activation of the IRS1/Akt/TOR signalling pathway.

'BRICS without straw'? A systematic literature review of newly emerging economies' influence in global health.

Science.gov (United States)

Harmer, Andrew; Xiao, Yina; Missoni, Eduardo; Tediosi, Fabrizio

2013-04-15

Since 2010, five newly emerging economies collectively known as 'BRICS' (Brazil, India, Russia, China and South Africa) have caught the imagination, and scholarly attention, of political scientists, economists and development specialists. The prospect of a unified geopolitical bloc, consciously seeking to re-frame international (and global) health development with a new set of ideas and values, has also, if belatedly, begun to attract the attention of the global health community. But what influence, if any, do the BRICS wield in global health, and, if they do wield influence, how has that influence been conceptualized and recorded in the literature? We conducted a systematic literature review in (March-December 2012) of documents retrieved from the databases EMBASE, PubMed/Medline, Global Health, and Google Scholar, and the websites of relevant international organisations, research institutions and philanthropic organisations. The results were synthesised using a framework of influence developed for the review from the political science literature. Our initial search of databases and websites yielded 887 documents. Exclusion criteria narrowed the number of documents to 71 journal articles and 23 reports. Two researchers using an agreed set of inclusion criteria independently screened the 94 documents, leaving just 7 documents. We found just one document that provided sustained analysis of the BRICS' collective influence; the overwhelming tendency was to describe individual BRICS countries influence. Although influence was predominantly framed by BRICS countries' material capability, there were examples of institutional and ideational influence - particularly from Brazil. Individual BRICS countries were primarily 'opportunity seekers' and region mobilisers but with potential to become 'issue leaders' and region organisers. Though small in number, the written output on BRICS influence in global health has increased significantly since a similar review conducted in

Structure and microstructure of the high pressure synthesised misfit layer compound [Sr2O2][CrO2]1.85

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castillo-Martinez, E.; Schoenleber, A.; Smaalen, S. van; Arevalo-Lopez, A.M.; Alario-Franco, M.A.

2008-01-01

The strontium chromium oxide [Sr 2 O 2 ][CrO 2 ] 1.85 misfit layer compound has been synthesised at high-pressure and high-temperature conditions. Electron diffraction patterns and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images along [001] show the misfit character of the different layers composing the structure with a supercell along the incommensurate parameter b∼7b 1 ∼13b 2 . The modulated crystal structure has been refined within the superspace formalism against single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, employing the (3+1)-dimensional superspace group C'nmb(0σ 2 0)0 0 s. The compound has a composite structure with lattice parameters a 1 =5.182(1) A, b 1 =5.411(1) A, c 1 =18.194(3) A for the first, SrO, subsystem and the same a and c, but with b 2 =2.925(1) A for the second, CrO 2 , subsystem. The layer stacking is similar to that of orthorhombic PbS(TiS 2 ) 1.18 , but with a much stronger intersubsytem bonding in the case of the oxide. The intersubsystem lattice mismatch is mainly handled by displacement modulations of the Sr atoms, correlated with modulations of the valence, the coordination and the anisotropic displacement parameters. - Graphical abstract: A strontium chromium oxide, [Sr 2 O 2 ][CrO 2 ] 1.85 , with an orthorhombic misfit layer structure has been synthesised under high pressure. Mainly modulations on the Sr position, ADPs and coordination save the subsystems lattice mismatch

Prevalence and predictors of chronic kidney disease in newly diagnosed human immunodeficiency virus patients in Owerri, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E N Anyabolu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection is a common cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims at identifying the prevalence and predictors of CKD in newly diagnosed HIV patients in Owerri, South East Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study consisting of 393 newly diagnosed HIV-seropositive subjects and 136 age- and sex-matched seronegative subjects as controls. CKD was defined as 24-hour urine protein (24-HUP ≥0.3 g and/or glomerular filtration rate (GFR < 60 ml/min. Subjects were recruited from the HIV clinic and the Medical Outpatient Department of Federal Medical Centre, Owerri. Clinical and anthropometric data were collected. Relevant investigations were performed, including HIV screening and relevant urine and blood investigations. The mean age of the HIV subjects was 38.84 ± 10.65 years. CKD was present in 86 (22.9% HIV subjects and 11 (8.l % controls. Low waist circumference (WC, high serum creatinine, high spot urine protein/creatinine ratio (SUPCR, high 24-HUP/creatinine Ratio (24-HUPCR, high 24-HUP/osmolality Ratio (24-HUPOR predicted CKD in HIV subjects. CKD prevalence is high (22.9% among newly diagnosed HIV patients in South East Nigeria. The predictors of CKD included WC, serum creatinine, SUPCR, 24-HUPCR, and 24-HUPOR.

Mesoporous ethanesilica materials with bimodal and trimodal pore-size distributions synthesised in the presence of cobalt ions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alufelwi M. Tshavhungwe

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Mesoporous organosilica materials containing ethane groups in their framework were formed with two and three pore sizes (i.e. bimodal and trimodal pores when synthesised by the sol-gel method in the presence of cobalt ions. The compounds 1,2-bistrimethoxysilylethane and tetraethylorthosilicate were used as silicon sources and the reactions were done in the presence of a surfactant, which served as a template. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy revealed that organic functional groups were incorporated into the ethanesilica. Powder X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption data indicated that the mesophase and textural properties (surface area, pore volume, pore diameter of the materials were dependent on the ageing temperature, the amount/ratio of silica precursors and cobalt ion incorporation. Secondary mesopores were drastically reduced by changing the ratio of silicon precursors.

Newly graduated nurses' use of knowledge sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Voldbjerg, Siri Lygum; Grønkjaer, Mette; Sørensen, Erik Elgaard

2016-01-01

AIM: To advance evidence on newly graduated nurses' use of knowledge sources. BACKGROUND: Clinical decisions need to be evidence-based and understanding the knowledge sources that newly graduated nurses use will inform both education and practice. Qualitative studies on newly graduated nurses' use...... underscoring progression in knowledge use and perception of competence and confidence among newly graduated nurses. CONCLUSION: The transition phase, feeling of confidence and ability to use critical thinking and reflection, has a great impact on knowledge sources incorporated in clinical decisions....... The synthesis accentuates that for use of newly graduated nurses' qualifications and skills in evidence-based practice, clinical practice needs to provide a supportive environment which nurtures critical thinking and questions and articulates use of multiple knowledge sources....

Drug delivery system for an anticancer agent, chlorogenate-Zn/Al-layered double hydroxide nanohybrid synthesised using direct co-precipitation and ion exchange methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barahuie, Farahnaz [Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Hussein, Mohd Zobir, E-mail: mzobir@putra.upm.edu.my [Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Arulselvan, Palanisamy [Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Fakurazi, Sharida [Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Zainal, Zulkarnain [Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia)

2014-09-15

A nano-structured drug-inorganic clay hybrid involving an active anticancer compound, which is chlorogenic acid (CA) intercalated into Zn/Al-layered double hydroxide, has been assembled via ion-exchange and co-precipitation methods to form a nanohybrid CZAE (a chlorogenic acid-Zn/Al nanohybrid synthesised using an ion-exchange method) and CZAC (a chlorogenic acid-Zn/Al nanohybrid synthesised using a direct method), respectively. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed that the CA-LDH had a hybrid structure in which the anionic chlorogenate is arranged between the interlayers as a horizontal monolayer at 90 and 20° angles from the x axis for CZAE and CZAC, respectively. Both nanohybrids have the properties of mesoporous materials. The high loading percentage of chlorogenic acid (approximately 43.2% for CZAE and 45.3% for CZAC) with basal spacings of 11.7 and 12.6 Å for CZAE and CZAC, respectively, corroborates the successful intercalation of chlorogenic acid into the interlayer gallery of layered double hydroxides. Free chlorogenic acid and the synthesised nanocomposites (CZAE, CZAC) were assessed for their cytotoxicity against various cancer cells. The Fourier transform infrared data supported the formation of both nanohybrids, and a thermal analysis showed that the nanohybrids are more thermally stable than their counterparts. The chlorogenate shows a sustained release, and the release rate of chlorogenate from CZAE and CZAC nanohybrids at pH 7.4 is remarkably lower than that at pH 4.8 due to their different release mechanisms. The release rate of chlorogenate from both nanohybrids can be described as pseudo-second order. The present investigation revealed the potential of the nanohybrids to enhance the in vitro anti-tumour effect of chlorogenic acid in liver and lung cancer cells in vitro. - Highlights: • We intercalated chlorogenic into Zn/Al-layered double hydroxide by ion-exchange and coprecipitation methods. • The two methods gave nanocomposites

‘BRICS without straw’? A systematic literature review of newly emerging economies’ influence in global health

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Since 2010, five newly emerging economies collectively known as ‘BRICS’ (Brazil, India, Russia, China and South Africa) have caught the imagination, and scholarly attention, of political scientists, economists and development specialists. The prospect of a unified geopolitical bloc, consciously seeking to re-frame international (and global) health development with a new set of ideas and values, has also, if belatedly, begun to attract the attention of the global health community. But what influence, if any, do the BRICS wield in global health, and, if they do wield influence, how has that influence been conceptualized and recorded in the literature? Methods We conducted a systematic literature review in (March-December 2012) of documents retrieved from the databases EMBASE, PubMed/Medline, Global Health, and Google Scholar, and the websites of relevant international organisations, research institutions and philanthropic organisations. The results were synthesised using a framework of influence developed for the review from the political science literature. Results Our initial search of databases and websites yielded 887 documents. Exclusion criteria narrowed the number of documents to 71 journal articles and 23 reports. Two researchers using an agreed set of inclusion criteria independently screened the 94 documents, leaving just 7 documents. We found just one document that provided sustained analysis of the BRICS’ collective influence; the overwhelming tendency was to describe individual BRICS countries influence. Although influence was predominantly framed by BRICS countries’ material capability, there were examples of institutional and ideational influence - particularly from Brazil. Individual BRICS countries were primarily ‘opportunity seekers’ and region mobilisers but with potential to become ‘issue leaders’ and region organisers. Conclusion Though small in number, the written output on BRICS influence in global health has

Assessment of protein allergenicity studies in brown Norway rats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knippels, L.M.J.; Penninks, A.H.

2002-01-01

For the safety evaluation of genetically engineered crops, the potential allergenicity of the newly introduced protein(s) has become an important issue. There is, however, no universal and reliable test system for the evaluation of the allergic sensitizing ability of food proteins. Therefore, there

Of piglets, dietary proteins, and pancreatic proteases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Makkink, C.A.

1993-01-01

Newly weaned piglets often show digestive disorders, frequently resulting in diarrhoea. These disorders may be related to the dietary protein source, since young piglets are less capable of digesting proteins of vegetable origin than older pigs. This study was undertaken to investigate the

Protein-enriched familiar foods and drinks improve protein intake of hospitalized older patients: A randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beelen, J.; Vasse, Emmelyne; Janssen, N.; Janse, A.; Roos, de N.M.; Groot, de C.P.G.M.

2018-01-01

Background & aims Adequate protein intake is important in preventing and treating undernutrition. Hospitalized older patients are recommended to consume 1.2–1.5 g of protein per kg body weight per day (g/kg/d) but most of them fail to do so. Therefore, we investigated whether a range of newly

Protein-enriched familiar foods and drinks improve protein intake of hospitalized older patients: A randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beelen, J.; Vasse, Emmelyne; Janssen, N.; Janse, A.; Roos, de N.M.; Groot, de C.P.G.M.

2017-01-01

Background & aims Adequate protein intake is important in preventing and treating undernutrition. Hospitalized older patients are recommended to consume 1.2–1.5 g of protein per kg body weight per day (g/kg/d) but most of them fail to do so. Therefore, we investigated whether a range of newly

Secondary raw materials for synthesising new kind of cements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goñi, S.

2001-12-01

Full Text Available The present paper is a comparative study of some characteristics of new belite cements obtained from two kind of wastes, which were used as secondary raw materials: fly ash (FA, of low CaO content, from coal combustion, and ash from incineration of municipal solid waste (MSWIA. Cements were synthesised in a range of temperature between 700°C and 900°C from MSWIA and FA, which were previously activated by hydrothermal treatment at 200°C The evolution of cemented phases with the heating temperature was followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD. The results were compared with those obtained from heating the starting FA and MSWIA without the previous hydrothermal treatment. The degree of hydration was quantitatively evaluated by the combined water content, determined from thermogravimetric analyses, during a period of 28 days or 200 days from mixing depending of hydration kinetics of each cement.

Este trabajo es un estudio comparativo de algunas de las características de nuevos cementos belíticos, obtenidos a partir de dos tipos de residuos, como materia prima secundaria: cenizas volantes (CV de bajo contenido en cal, procedentes de la combustión del carbón y cenizas procedentes de la incineración de residuos sólidos urbanos (CIRSU. Los cementos fueron sintetizados en un rango de temperaturas comprendido entre 700°C y 900°C después de un tratamiento hidrotermal de la CV y CIRSU a 200°C La evolución de las fases cementicias, con la temperatura de calentamiento, fue estudiada por difracción de rayos X (DRX. Los resultados fueron comparados con aquellos obtenidos, directamente, por calentamiento de los residuos, sin un tratamiento hidrotermal previo de los mismos. El grado de hidratación fue cuantitativamente evaluado, por medio del análisis termogravimétrico, a partir del agua combinada de los cementos hidratados durante un período de 28 días o 200 días, dependiendo de la cinética de hidratación de cada cemento.

Stapled peptides as a new technology to investigate protein-protein interactions in human platelets.

Science.gov (United States)

Iegre, Jessica; Ahmed, Niaz S; Gaynord, Josephine S; Wu, Yuteng; Herlihy, Kara M; Tan, Yaw Sing; Lopes-Pires, Maria E; Jha, Rupam; Lau, Yu Heng; Sore, Hannah F; Verma, Chandra; O' Donovan, Daniel H; Pugh, Nicholas; Spring, David R

2018-05-28

Platelets are blood cells with numerous crucial pathophysiological roles in hemostasis, cardiovascular thrombotic events and cancer metastasis. Platelet activation requires the engagement of intracellular signalling pathways that involve protein-protein interactions (PPIs). A better understanding of these pathways is therefore crucial for the development of selective anti-platelet drugs. New strategies for studying PPIs in human platelets are required to overcome limitations associated with conventional platelet research methods. For example, small molecule inhibitors can lack selectivity and are often difficult to design and synthesise. Additionally, development of transgenic animal models is costly and time-consuming and conventional recombinant techniques are ineffective due to the lack of a nucleus in platelets. Herein, we describe the generation of a library of novel, functionalised stapled peptides and their first application in the investigation of platelet PPIs. Moreover, the use of platelet-permeable stapled Bim BH3 peptides confirms the part of Bim in phosphatidyl-serine (PS) exposure and reveals a role for the Bim protein in platelet activatory processes. Our work demonstrates that functionalised stapled peptides are a complementary alternative to conventional platelet research methods, and could make a significant contribution to the understanding of platelet signalling pathways and hence to the development of anti-platelet drugs.

Cross-Linking Mast Cell Specific Gangliosides Stimulates the Release of Newly Formed Lipid Mediators and Newly Synthesized Cytokines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edismauro Garcia Freitas Filho

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Mast cells are immunoregulatory cells that participate in inflammatory processes. Cross-linking mast cell specific GD1b derived gangliosides by mAbAA4 results in partial activation of mast cells without the release of preformed mediators. The present study examines the release of newly formed and newly synthesized mediators following ganglioside cross-linking. Cross-linking the gangliosides with mAbAA4 released the newly formed lipid mediators, prostaglandins D2 and E2, without release of leukotrienes B4 and C4. The effect of cross-linking these gangliosides on the activation of enzymes in the arachidonate cascade was then investigated. Ganglioside cross-linking resulted in phosphorylation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 and increased expression of cyclooxygenase-2. Translocation of 5-lipoxygenase from the cytosol to the nucleus was not induced by ganglioside cross-linking. Cross-linking of GD1b derived gangliosides also resulted in the release of the newly synthesized mediators, interleukin-4, interleukin-6, and TNF-α. The effect of cross-linking the gangliosides on the MAP kinase pathway was then investigated. Cross-linking the gangliosides induced the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38 as well as activating both NFκB and NFAT in a Syk-dependent manner. Therefore, cross-linking the mast cell specific GD1b derived gangliosides results in the activation of signaling pathways that culminate with the release of newly formed and newly synthesized mediators.

Newly Homeless Youth Typically Return Home

OpenAIRE

Milburn, Norweeta G.; Rosenthal, Doreen; Rotheram-Borus, Mary Jane; Mallett, Shelley; Batterham, Philip; Rice, Eric; Solorio, Rosa

2007-01-01

165 newly homeless adolescents from Melbourne, Australia and 261 from Los Angeles, United States were surveyed and followed for two years. Most newly homeless adolescents returned home (70% U.S., 47% Australia) for significant amounts of time (39% U.S., 17% Australia more than 12 months) within two years of becoming homeless.

Discovery of potent and selective acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors: acacetin 7-O-methyl ether Mannich base derivatives synthesised from easy access natural product naringin.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hao-Ran; Men, Xue; Gao, Xiao-Hui; Liu, Lin-Bo; Fan, Hao-Qun; Xia, Xin-Hua; Wang, Qiu-An

2018-03-01

Naringin, as a component universal existing in the peel of some fruits or medicinal plants, was usually selected as the material to synthesise bioactive derivates since it was easy to gain with low cost. In present investigation, eight new acacetin-7-O-methyl ether Mannich base derivatives (1-8) were synthesised from naringin. The bioactivity evaluation revealed that most of them exhibited moderate or potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity. Among them, compound 7 (IC 50 for AChE = 0.82 ± 0.08 μmol•L -1 , IC 50 for BuChE = 46.30 ± 3.26 μmol•L -1 ) showed a potent activity and high selectivity compared with the positive control Rivastigmine (IC 50 for AChE = 10.54 ± 0.86 μmol•L -1 , IC 50 for BuChE = 0.26 ± 0.08 μmol•L -1 ). The kinetic study suggested that compound 7 bind to AChE with mix-type inhibitory profile. Molecular docking study revealed that compound 7 could combine both catalytic active site (CAS) and peripheral active site (PAS) of AChE with four points (Trp84, Trp279, Tyr70 and Phe330), while it could bind with BuChE via only His 20.

Synthesis of 2-[18F]fluoro-L-tyrosine via regiospecific fluoro-de-stannylation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hess, E.; Sichler, S.; Kluge, A.; Coenen, H.H.

2002-01-01

2-[ 18 F]Fluoro-L-tyrosine is a fluorine labelled amino acid, known to be incorporated into newly synthesised proteins, rendering it a potentially suitable tracer to image protein metabolism in vivo using positron emission tomography. For the electrophilic preparation of 2-[ 18 F]fluoro-L-tyrosine three protected 2-trialkylstannyl tyrosine derivatives have been synthesised for the first time as precursors. While O,N-di-Boc-2-triethylstannyl-L-tyrosine ethylester has proved to be suitable as precursor for radiosynthesis, imidazolidinon-derivatives of 2-triaklylstannyl tyrosine have not because of difficult fast hydrolysis of a phenolic O-methyl protective group. The di-Boc-tin derivative of tyrosine ethylester readily reacted with [ 18 F]F 2 , which was prepared via the 18 O(p,n) 18 F nuclear reaction. 2-[ 18 F]Fluoro-L-tyrosine was isolated after full deprotection with aqueous hydrobromic acid and HPLC purification with activities of 1.41±0.32 GBq. The isomeric and enantiomeric purity is high (both >99%). The preparation procedure is facile and easy to automate. The chemical yields of this fluoro-de-stannylation reaction as well as of the synthesis of 6-[ 18 F]fluoro-L-dopa, determined with an analogous precursor and non-radioactive fluorine under identical conditions, amounted to 42.7±1.6% and 60.2±2.8%, respectively

The structure of the COPII transport-vesicle coat assembled on membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zanetti, Giulia; Prinz, Simone; Daum, Sebastian; Meister, Annette; Schekman, Randy; Bacia, Kirsten; Briggs, John A G

2013-09-17

Coat protein complex II (COPII) mediates formation of the membrane vesicles that export newly synthesised proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum. The inner COPII proteins bind to cargo and membrane, linking them to the outer COPII components that form a cage around the vesicle. Regulated flexibility in coat architecture is essential for transport of a variety of differently sized cargoes, but structural data on the assembled coat has not been available. We have used cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging to determine the structure of the complete, membrane-assembled COPII coat. We describe a novel arrangement of the outer coat and find that the inner coat can assemble into regular lattices. The data reveal how coat subunits interact with one another and with the membrane, suggesting how coordinated assembly of inner and outer coats can mediate and regulate packaging of vesicles ranging from small spheres to large tubular carriers. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00951.001.

Molecular mechanism of radioadaptive response: A cross-adaptive response for enhanced repair of DNA damage in adapted cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takaji Ikushima

1997-01-01

The radioadaptive response (RAR) has been attributed to the induction of a repair mechanism by low doses of ionizing radiation, but the molecular nature of the mechanism is not yet elucidated. We have characterized RAR in a series of experiments in cultured Chinese hamster V79 cells. A 4-h interval is required for the full expression of RAR, which decays with the progression of cell proliferation. Treatments with inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, protein- or RNA synthesis, and protein kinase C suppress the RAR expression. The RAR cross-reacts on clastogenic lesions induced by other physical and chemical DNA-damaging agents. The presence of newly synthesised proteins has been detected during the expression period. Experiments performed using single-cell gel electrophoresis provided more direct evidence for a faster and enhaced DNA repair rate in adapted cells. Here, using single-cell gel electrophoresis, a cross-adaptive response has been demonstrated for enhanced repair of DNA damage induced by neocarzinostatin in radio-adapted cells. (author)

An algorithm to find all palindromic sequences in proteins

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2013-01-20

Jan 20, 2013 ... 1976; Karrer and Gall 1976; Vogt and Braun 1976) and (iii) in the formation of hairpin loops in the newly transcribed RNA. Palindromic sequences are observed in various classes of proteins like histones (Cheng et al. 1989), prion proteins (Sulkowski 1992; Kazim 1993),. DNA-binding proteins (Suzuki 1992; ...

Fundamental Characteristics of the Newly Developed ATA™ Membrane Dialyzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sunohara, Takashi; Masuda, Toshiaki

2017-01-01

Dialysis membranes are often made from synthetic polymers, such as polysulfone. However, membranes made from cellulose triacetate have superior biocompatibility and have been used since the 1980s. On-line hemodiafiltration treatment accompanied by massive fluid replacement is increasingly being used in Europe and Japan, but cellulose triacetate is not suitable for this treatment. Our newly developed asymmetric triacetate membrane, the ATA™ membrane, substantially improved the filtration properties and blood compatibility because of the asymmetric structure and smooth surface of this cellulose acetate membrane. Key Message: The ATA membrane maintains its high permeability even after massive filtration and shows less temporal variation in its permeation performance, lower protein adsorption, and superior biocompatibility compared with conventional membranes. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Design, synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and anti-psychotic investigation of some novel Azo dye/Schiff base/Chalcone derivatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chandravadivelu Gopi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study is to design, synthesise and assess the antipsychotic activity of a set of the novel (5-(10-(3-N, N-Dimethylamino propyl-10H-phenothiazine-3-yl-1,3,4-thiadiazo-2-yl Azodye/Schiff base/Chalcone derivatives. The newly synthesised compound structure was characterised by FT-IR, 1H NMR, Mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Each compound has been shown an excellent anti-psychotic activity in a haloperidol-induced catalepsy metallic bar test. The results found are firmly similar to docking study. Among the synthesised derivatives, compound 2-Amino-6-(3-hydroxy-4-methylphenyl pyrimidine-4-yl (7-chloro-10-(3-(N, N-dimethylamino propyl-10H-phenothiazine-3-yl methanone (GC8 exhibiting high potency of catalepsy induction. Therefore, the derivative of GC8 has been considered that a potent anti-psychotic agent among the synthesised compounds. Keywords: Design, MVD, Catalepsy, Antipsychotic agent, X-ray crystallography

Immunoparesis in newly diagnosed Multiple Myeloma patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sorrig, Rasmus; Klausen, Tobias W.; Salomo, Morten

2017-01-01

Immunoparesis (hypogammaglobulinemia) is associated to an unfavorable prognosis in newly diagnosed Multiple myeloma (MM) patients. However, this finding has not been validated in an unselected population-based cohort. We analyzed 2558 newly diagnosed MM patients in the Danish Multiple Myeloma...

Bioorthogonal Chemistry for the Isolation and Study of Newly Synthesized Histones and Their Modifications.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnaudo, Anna M; Link, A James; Garcia, Benjamin A

2016-03-18

The nucleosome is an octamer containing DNA wrapped around one histone H3-H4 tetramer and two histone H2A-H2B dimers. Within the nucleosome, histones are decorated with post-translational modifications. Previous studies indicate that the H3-H4 tetramer is conserved during DNA replication, suggesting that old tetramers serve as a template for the modification of newly synthesized tetramers. Here, we present a method that merges bioorthogonal chemistry with mass spectrometry for the study of modifications on newly synthesized histones in mammalian cells. HeLa S3 cells are dually labeled with the methionine analog azidohomoalanine and heavy (13)C6,(15)N4 isotope labeled arginine. Heavy amino acid labeling marks newly synthesized histones while azidohomoalanine incorporation allows for their isolation using bioorthogonal ligation. Labeled mononucleosomes were covalently linked via a copper catalyzed reaction to a FLAG-GGR-alkyne peptide, immunoprecipitated, and subjected to mass spectrometry for quantitative modification analysis. Mononucleosomes containing new histones were successfully isolated using this approach. Additionally, the development of this method highlights the potential deleterious effects of azidohomoalanine labeling on protein PTMs and cell cycle progression, which should be considered for future studies utilizing bioorthogonal labeling strategies in mammalian cells.

Association of ERCC1 protein expression to platinum resistance in epithelial ovarian cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl Steffensen, Karina; Waldstrøm, Marianne; Jakobsen, Anders

was to investigate if immunohistochemical expression of ERCC1 protein was associated with resistance to standard combination carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy in newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients. Methods: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 101 patients with newly diagnosed ovarian...

Analysis of Inflammatory Mediators in Prediabetes and Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Patients

OpenAIRE

Wang, Zhen; Shen, Xu-Hui; Feng, Wen-Ming; Ye, Guo-fen; Qiu, Wei; Li, Bo

2016-01-01

This study evaluated the inflammatory markers in prediabetes and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Inflammatory markers levels were analyzed using one-way analysis of covariance and the association with prediabetes or T2DM risks was examined by logistic regression models. Our data showed increased levels of hypersensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin (IL-4), IL-10, and tryptase in prediabetes subjects and hs-CRP, immunoglobulin E (IgE), IL-4, and IL-10 in T2DM sub...

Protein Annotators' Assistant: A Novel Application of Information Retrieval Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Wise, Michael J.

2000-01-01

Protein Annotators' Assistant (PAA) is a software system which assists protein annotators in assigning functions to newly sequenced proteins. PAA employs a number of information retrieval techniques in a novel setting and is thus related to text categorization, where multiple categories may be suggested, except that in this case none of the…

Generational differences among newly licensed registered nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Keepnews, David M; Brewer, Carol S; Kovner, Christine T; Shin, Juh Hyun

2010-01-01

Responses of 2369 newly licensed registered nurses from 3 generational cohorts-Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y-were studied to identify differences in their characteristics, work-related experiences, and attitudes. These responses revealed significant differences among generations in: job satisfaction, organizational commitment, work motivation, work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, distributive justice, promotional opportunities, supervisory support, mentor support, procedural justice, and perceptions of local job opportunities. Health organizations and their leaders need to anticipate intergenerational differences among newly licensed nurses and should provide for supportive working environments that recognize those differences. Orientation and residency programs for newly licensed nurses should be tailored to the varying needs of different generations. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of orientation and residency programs with regard to different generations so that these programs can be tailored to meet the varying needs of newly licensed nurses at the start of their careers. Copyright 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Low dose radiation induced protein and its experimental and ophthalmic clinical research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Wei; Su Liaoyuan; Liu Fenju; Ding Jie; Li Longbiao; Pan Chengsi

2001-01-01

The protective effects of low dose radiation (LDR) induced protein on cellular impairments caused by some harmful chemical and physical factors were studied. Male Kunming mice were irradiated with LDR, then the spleen cells of the mice were broken with ultrasonic energy and then ultracentrifugalized. The supernatant solution contained with LDR induced protein. The newly emerging protein was detected by gel filtration and its molecular weight was determined by gel electrophoresis. The content of newly emerging protein (LDR induced protein) was determined by Lowry's method. The method of isotope incorporation was used to observe the biological activity and its influence factors, the protective effects of LDR induced protein on the cells impaired by irradiating with ultraviolet (UV), high doses of 60 Co γ-rays and exposed to heat respectively, and the stimulative effects of LDR induced protein on human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Newly emerging protein has been observed in the experiment. The molecular weight of the protein is in the region 76.9 KD+- - 110.0 KD+-, the yield of the protein was 613.33 +- 213.42 μg per 3 x 10 7 spleen cells. DPM values (isotope were incorporated) of normal and injured mice spleen cells increased significantly after stimulating with the solution contained LDR induced protein. It is concluded that LDR induced protein could be obtained from mice spleen cells exposed to 5 - 15 cGy radiation for 2 - 16 h. The protein had biological activity and was able to stimulate the transformation of the spleen cells in vitro. It had obvious protective effects on some impaired cells caused by high dose radiation, UV radiation, heat and so on. It also had stimulative effects on the transformation of peripheral blood T and B lymphocytes of healthy individual and patients with eye diseases. It indicates that LDR induced protein increased immune function of human

Lsa63, a newly identified surface protein of Leptospira interrogans binds laminin and collagen IV.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, Monica L; de Morais, Zenaide M; Gonçales, Amane P; Romero, Eliete C; Vasconcellos, Silvio A; Nascimento, Ana L T O

2010-01-01

Leptospira interrogans is the etiological agent of leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease that affects populations worldwide. We have identified in proteomic studies a protein that is encoded by the gene LIC10314 and expressed in virulent strain of L. interrogans serovar Pomona. This protein was predicted to be surface exposed by PSORT program and contains a p83/100 domain identified by BLAST analysis that is conserved in protein antigens of several strains of Borrelia and Treponema spp. The proteins containing this domain have been claimed antigen candidates for serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. Thus, we have cloned the LIC10314 and expressed the protein in Escherichia coli BL21-SI strain by using the expression vector pAE. The recombinant protein tagged with N-terminal hexahistidine was purified by metal-charged chromatography and characterized by circular dichroism spectroscopy. This protein is conserved among several species of pathogenic Leptospira and absent in the saprophytic strain L. biflexa. We confirm by liquid-phase immunofluorescence assays with living organisms that this protein is most likely a new surface leptospiral protein. The ability of the protein to mediate attachment to ECM components was evaluated by binding assays. The leptospiral protein encoded by LIC10314, named Lsa63 (Leptospiral surface adhesin of 63kDa), binds strongly to laminin and collagen IV in a dose-dependent and saturable fashion. In addition, Lsa63 is probably expressed during infection since it was recognized by antibodies of serum samples of confirmed-leptospirosis patients in convalescent phase of the disease. Altogether, the data suggests that this novel identified surface protein may be involved in leptospiral pathogenesis. 2009 The British Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protein Molecular Structures, Protein SubFractions, and Protein Availability Affected by Heat Processing: A Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, P.

2007-01-01

The utilization and availability of protein depended on the types of protein and their specific susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis (inhibitory activities) in the gastrointestine and was highly associated with protein molecular structures. Studying internal protein structure and protein subfraction profiles leaded to an understanding of the components that make up a whole protein. An understanding of the molecular structure of the whole protein was often vital to understanding its digestive behavior and nutritive value in animals. In this review, recently obtained information on protein molecular structural effects of heat processing was reviewed, in relation to protein characteristics affecting digestive behavior and nutrient utilization and availability. The emphasis of this review was on (1) using the newly advanced synchrotron technology (S-FTIR) as a novel approach to reveal protein molecular chemistry affected by heat processing within intact plant tissues; (2) revealing the effects of heat processing on the profile changes of protein subfractions associated with digestive behaviors and kinetics manipulated by heat processing; (3) prediction of the changes of protein availability and supply after heat processing, using the advanced DVE/OEB and NRC-2001 models, and (4) obtaining information on optimal processing conditions of protein as intestinal protein source to achieve target values for potential high net absorbable protein in the small intestine. The information described in this article may give better insight in the mechanisms involved and the intrinsic protein molecular structural changes occurring upon processing.

Msp1 Is a Membrane Protein Dislocase for Tail-Anchored Proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Wohlever, Matthew L; Mateja, Agnieszka; McGilvray, Philip T; Day, Kasey J; Keenan, Robert J

2017-07-20

Mislocalized tail-anchored (TA) proteins of the outer mitochondrial membrane are cleared by a newly identified quality control pathway involving the conserved eukaryotic protein Msp1 (ATAD1 in humans). Msp1 is a transmembrane AAA-ATPase, but its role in TA protein clearance is not known. Here, using purified components reconstituted into proteoliposomes, we show that Msp1 is both necessary and sufficient to drive the ATP-dependent extraction of TA proteins from the membrane. A crystal structure of the Msp1 cytosolic region modeled into a ring hexamer suggests that active Msp1 contains a conserved membrane-facing surface adjacent to a central pore. Structure-guided mutagenesis of the pore residues shows that they are critical for TA protein extraction in vitro and for functional complementation of an msp1 deletion in yeast. Together, these data provide a molecular framework for Msp1-dependent extraction of mislocalized TA proteins from the outer mitochondrial membrane. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of catalytic protein and stabilising agents in the transformation of Ag ions to nanoparticles by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Jafar; Hameed, Abdul; Ahmed, Safia; Ali, Muhammad Ishtiaq; Zainab, Shama; Ali, Naeem

2016-10-01

Biological routes of synthesising metal nanoparticles (NPs) using microbes have been gaining much attention due to their low toxicity and eco-friendly nature. Pseudomonas aeruginosa JP2 isolated from metal contaminated soil was evaluated towards extracellular synthesis of silver NPs (AgNPs). Cell-free extract (24 h) of the bacterial isolate was reacted with AgNO 3 for 24 h in order to fabricate AgNPs. Preliminary observations were recorded in terms of colour change of the reaction mixture from yellow to greyish black. UV-visible spectroscopy of the reaction mixture has shown a progressive increase in optical densities that correspond to peaks near 430 nm, depicting reduction of ionic silver (Ag + ) to atomic silver (Ag 0 ) thereby synthesising NPs. X-ray diffraction spectra exhibited the 2θ values to be 38.4577° confirming the crystalline and spherical nature of NPs [9.6 - 26.7 (Ave. = 17.2 nm)]. Transmission electron microscopy finally confirmed the size of the particles varying from 5 to 60 nm. Moreover, rhamnolipids and proteins were identified as stabilising molecules for the AgNPs through Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. Characterisation of bacterial crude and purified protein fractions confirmed the involvement of nitrate reductase (molecular weight 66 kDa and specific activity = 3.8 U/mg) in the Synthesis of AgNPs.

Establishment probability in newly founded populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gusset Markus

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Establishment success in newly founded populations relies on reaching the established phase, which is defined by characteristic fluctuations of the population’s state variables. Stochastic population models can be used to quantify the establishment probability of newly founded populations; however, so far no simple but robust method for doing so existed. To determine a critical initial number of individuals that need to be released to reach the established phase, we used a novel application of the “Wissel plot”, where –ln(1 – P0(t is plotted against time t. This plot is based on the equation P0t=1–c1e–ω1t, which relates the probability of extinction by time t, P0(t, to two constants: c1 describes the probability of a newly founded population to reach the established phase, whereas ω1 describes the population’s probability of extinction per short time interval once established. Results For illustration, we applied the method to a previously developed stochastic population model of the endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus. A newly founded population reaches the established phase if the intercept of the (extrapolated linear parts of the “Wissel plot” with the y-axis, which is –ln(c1, is negative. For wild dogs in our model, this is the case if a critical initial number of four packs, consisting of eight individuals each, are released. Conclusions The method we present to quantify the establishment probability of newly founded populations is generic and inferences thus are transferable to other systems across the field of conservation biology. In contrast to other methods, our approach disaggregates the components of a population’s viability by distinguishing establishment from persistence.

Proteomic Profiling of De Novo Protein Synthesis in Starvation-Induced Autophagy Using Bioorthogonal Noncanonical Amino Acid Tagging.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, J; Wang, J; Lee, Y-M; Lim, T-K; Lin, Q; Shen, H-M

2017-01-01

Autophagy is an intracellular degradation process activated by stress factors such as nutrient starvation to maintain cellular homeostasis. There is emerging evidence demonstrating that de novo protein synthesis is involved in the autophagic process. However, up-to-date characterizing of these de novo proteins is technically difficult. In this chapter, we describe a novel method to identify newly synthesized proteins during starvation-mediated autophagy by bioorthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT), in conjunction with isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomics. l-azidohomoalanine (AHA) is an analog of methionine, and it can be readily incorporated into the newly synthesized proteins. The AHA-containing proteins can be enriched with avidin beads after a "click" reaction between alkyne-bearing biotin and the azide moiety of AHA. The enriched proteins are then subjected to iTRAQ™ labeling for protein identification and quantification using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). By using this technique, we have successfully profiled more than 700 proteins that are synthesized during starvation-induced autophagy. We believe that this approach is effective in identification of newly synthesized proteins in the process of autophagy and provides useful insights to the molecular mechanisms and biological functions of autophagy. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protein synthesis in the presence of carbamoyl-amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraus, L.M.; Stephens, M.C.

1987-01-01

The role of exogenous carbamoyl-amino acids in protein biosynthesis has been examined in vitro using a mixture of 14 C amino acids to label newly synthesized protein in human reticulocyte rich (8-18%) peripheral blood. Aliquots of the radiolabeled newly synthesized protein were acid precipitated, washed and the radioactivity measured. Control samples which measured the synthetic capacity of the blood were aliquots of the same blood- 14 C amino acid mixture without added carbamoyl-amino acids or cyanate. N-carbamoyl leucine alone or a 3 N-carbamoyl amino acid mixture of leucine, aspartic acid and tyrosine were used to test inhibition of protein synthesis. Also carbamoyl-amino acids were synthesized using cyanate and Pierce hydrolyzate amino acid calibration standards or the mixture of 14 C amino acids. In this system the carbamoylation of endogenous amino acids by cyanate up to 8 μmol/100μl showed a linear decrease in protein synthesis with time which is inversely related to the cyanate concentration. At greater cyanate levels the inhibition of protein synthesis reaches a plateau. When N-carbamoyl-amino acids only are present there is about a 50% decrease in the 14 C protein at 30 minutes as compared to the synthesis of 14 C protein without N-carbamoyl-amino acids. These results indicate that the presence of carbamoyl-amino acids interferes with protein synthesis

Circulating mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor is increased in newly diagnosed prediabetic and diabetic patients, and is associated with insulin resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tong; Zhang, Fang; Yang, Qiu; Zhang, Yuwei; Liu, Qinhui; Jiang, Wei; Cao, Hongyi; Li, Daigang; Xie, Shugui; Tong, Nanwei; He, Jinhan

2017-04-29

Evidence has shown that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was involved in the progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and development of insulin resistance. Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is a novel secreted protein upregulated by ER stress. This study aimed to assess serum level of MANF in normal glucose tolerance (NGT) participants and newly diagnosed prediabetic and T2DM patients. A total of 257 participants with NGT, newly diagnosed prediabetes or T2DM were recruited from Yinchao and Hangtian communities of Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Serum MANF level was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mean age for the 257 participants (147 females) was 62±8 years (range 44-78): 71 with NGT, 115 with newly diagnosed prediabetes and 71 with T2DM. Mean serum MANF level was significantly higher with newly diagnosed prediabetes and T2DM than NGT (2.89±1.09 and 3.03±1.73 vs 2.13±1.37 ng/mL, both pprediabetes patients. We concluded that serum MANF level was higher in patients with newly diagnosed prediabetes and T2DM than in NGT controls. MANF appears to be associated with Matsuda Index, QUICKI and HOMA-IR in prediabetes patients.

Protein biosynthesis in isolated human scalp hair follicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermorken, A J; Weterings, P J; Bloemendal, H

1979-02-15

The present study demonstrates that protein biosynthesis can be studied in single isolated human scalp hair follicles. The matrix and the sheath are the main regions where amino acids are built in. Incorporation is linear for at least five hours. The newly synthesized proteins can be separated into a water-soluble, a urea-soluble and a urea-insoluble fraction. Product analysis has been performed on the first two fractions, revealing different protein patterns.

Cadmium tolerant characteristic of a newly isolated Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Yao; Wang, Ying; Yang, Xuan; Zhang, Boyang; He, Xiaoyun; Xu, Wentao; Huang, Kunlun

2016-12-01

Environmental contamination caused by heavy metals poses a major threat to the wildlife and human health for their toxicity and intrinsically persistent nature. Some specific food grade bacteria have properties that enable them to eliminate heavy metals from food and water. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, newly isolated from pickles, is a cadmium (Cd) tolerant bacteria. Cd resistant properties of the lactis was evaluated under different Cd stresses. Cd accumulation in different cellular parts was determined by ICP-MS and cell morphology changes were measured by SEM-EDS and TEM-EDS. In addition, functional groups associated with Cd resistance were detected by infrared spectroscopic analysis. The results indicated that Cd mainly accumulated in the cell surface structures including cytoderm and cytomembrane. Functional groups such as OH and NH 2 in the cell surface played essential roles in Cd biosorption. The elements of O, P, S, and N of polysaccharide, membrane protein and phosphatidate in the cell surface structures might be responsible for Cd biosorption for their strong electronegativity. This study indicated that ultrastructural analysis can be a supplemental method to study heavy metal resistance mechanism of microorganism and the newly isolated lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis has great potential to be applied to decontamination of heavy metals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pyrimidine and nucleoside gamma-esters of L-Glu-Sar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksson, André H; Elm, Peter L; Begtrup, Mikael

2005-01-01

-tetrahydrofuran-3-yl ester)-Sar (I), l-Glu(thymine-1-yl-methyl ester)-Sar (II) and l-Glu(acyclothymidine)-Sar (III) were synthesised and in vitro stability was studied in various aqueous and biological media. Affinity to and translocation via hPEPT1 was investigated in mature Caco-2 cell monolayers, grown......The aim of the present study was to improve the synthetic pathway of bioreversible dipeptide derivatives as well as evaluate the potential of using l-Glu-Sar as a pro-moiety for delivering three newly synthesised nucleoside and pyrimidine l-Glu-Sar derivatives. l-Glu(trans-2-thymine-1-yl...

Lifestyle and clinical factors associated with elevated C-reactive protein among newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: a cross-sectional study from the nationwide DD2 cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Svensson, Elisabeth; Mor, Anil; Rungby, Jørgen; Berencsi, Klara; Nielsen, Jens Steen; Stidsen, Jacob V; Friborg, Søren; Brandslund, Ivan; Christiansen, Jens Sandahl; Beck-Nielsen, Henning; Sørensen, Henrik Toft; Thomsen, Reimar W

2014-08-28

We aimed to examine the prevalence of and modifiable factors associated with elevated C-reactive Protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, in men and women with newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (DM) in a population-based setting. CRP was measured in 1,037 patients (57% male) with newly diagnosed Type 2 DM included in the prospective nationwide Danish Centre for Strategic Research in Type 2 Diabetes (DD2) project. We assessed the prevalence of elevated CRP and calculated relative risks (RR) examining the association of CRP with lifestyle and clinical factors by Poisson regression, stratified by gender. We used linear regression to examine the association of CRP with other biomarkers. The median CRP value was 2.1 mg/L (interquartile range, 1.0 - 4.8 mg/L). In total, 405 out of the 1,037 Type 2 DM patients (40%) had elevated CRP levels (>3.0 mg/L). More women (46%) than men (34%) had elevated CRP. Among women, a lower risk of elevated CRP was observed in patients receiving statins (adjusted RR (aRR) 0.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6-0.9)), whereas a higher risk was seen in patients with central obesity (aRR 2.3 (95% CI 1.0-5.3)). For men, CRP was primarily elevated among patients with no regular physical activity (aRR 1.5 (95% CI 1.1-1.9)), previous cardiovascular disease (aRR1.5 (95% CI 1.2-1.9) and other comorbidity. For both genders, elevated CRP was 1.4-fold increased in those with weight gain >30 kg since age 20 years. Sensitivity analyses showed consistent results with the full analysis. The linear regression analysis conveyed an association between high CRP and increased fasting blood glucose. Among newly diagnosed Type 2 DM patients, 40% had elevated CRP levels. Important modifiable risk factors for elevated CRP may vary by gender, and include low physical activity for men and central obesity and absence of statin use for women.

The fate and role of macromolecules synthesized during mammalian oocyte meiotic maturation. I. Autoradiographic topography of newly synthesized RNA and protein in the germinal vesicle of the pig and rabbit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motlik, J.; Kopecny, V.; Pivko, J.

1978-01-01

Pig and rabbit oocytes were cytoautoradiographically checked for their synthetic activities during meiotic maturation. Tritiated uridine and lysine or 35 S-methionine were introduced into the culture medium in which the oocytes were maintained either immediately at the beginning of the germinal vesicle breakdown in vitro or after reaching a more advanced stage of this process in vitro or in vivo. Some oocytes were maintained thereafter in a cold medium to trace the metabolism of the labelled protein. In addition to uridine- 3 H incorporation into the nucleolus and nucleoplasm, during pig oocyte maturation it was found that an intensive RNA synthesis site appeared in association with condensing chromocentres of the GV II. A considerable proportion of oocytes from slaughterhouse material did not show intensive GV activity in RNA synthesis during maturation in vitro. In the pig and rabbit oocyte it was shown that the newly synthesized 3 H-lysine-labelled protein accumulated to a high degree in the GV and in the nucleolus. The labelled protein accumulated in the GV up to the stage of GV IV (pig) and persisted during the chase period in the ooplasm; it was found to be associated with chromosomes of metaphase I (pig) or metaphase II (rabbit) of the meiotic division. The process of protein accumulation in the GV was not influenced by meiotic arrest during oocyte culture in autologous follicular fluid. A similar accumulation of the label in the GV was detected in oocytes which were cultured in a medium enriched by 35 S-methionine. In some oocytes the labelled protein failed to accumulate in the nucleolar area during maturation in vitro

Proteomes of the barley aleurone layer: A model system for plant signalling and protein secretion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Finnie, Christine; Andersen, Birgit; Shahpiri, Azar

2011-01-01

molecules in an isolated system. These properties have led to its use as a model system for the study of plant signalling and germination. More recently, proteome analysis of the aleurone layer has provided new insight into this unique tissue including identification of plasma membrane proteins and targeted...... analysis of germination-related changes and the thioredoxin system. Here, analysis of intracellular and secreted proteomes reveals features of the aleurone layer system that makes it promising for investigations of plant protein secretion mechanisms....... to gibberellic acid produced by the embryo, the aleurone layer synthesises hydrolases that are secreted to the endosperm for the degradation of storage products. The barley aleurone layer can be separated from the other seed tissues and maintained in culture, allowing the study of the effect of added signalling...

Do protein crystals nucleate within dense liquid clusters?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maes, Dominique; Vorontsova, Maria A.; Potenza, Marco A. C.; Sanvito, Tiziano; Sleutel, Mike; Giglio, Marzio; Vekilov, Peter G.

2015-01-01

The evolution of protein-rich clusters and nucleating crystals were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), confocal depolarized dynamic light scattering (cDDLS) and depolarized oblique illumination dark-field microscopy. Newly nucleated crystals within protein-rich clusters were detected directly. These observations indicate that the protein-rich clusters are locations for crystal nucleation. Protein-dense liquid clusters are regions of high protein concentration that have been observed in solutions of several proteins. The typical cluster size varies from several tens to several hundreds of nanometres and their volume fraction remains below 10 −3 of the solution. According to the two-step mechanism of nucleation, the protein-rich clusters serve as locations for and precursors to the nucleation of protein crystals. While the two-step mechanism explained several unusual features of protein crystal nucleation kinetics, a direct observation of its validity for protein crystals has been lacking. Here, two independent observations of crystal nucleation with the proteins lysozyme and glucose isomerase are discussed. Firstly, the evolutions of the protein-rich clusters and nucleating crystals were characterized simultaneously by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and confocal depolarized dynamic light scattering (cDDLS), respectively. It is demonstrated that protein crystals appear following a significant delay after cluster formation. The cDDLS correlation functions follow a Gaussian decay, indicative of nondiffusive motion. A possible explanation is that the crystals are contained inside large clusters and are driven by the elasticity of the cluster surface. Secondly, depolarized oblique illumination dark-field microscopy reveals the evolution from liquid clusters without crystals to newly nucleated crystals contained in the clusters to grown crystals freely diffusing in the solution. Collectively, the observations indicate that the protein-rich clusters in

Subclassification of newly diagnosed glioblastomas through an immunohistochemical approach.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siobhan Conroy

Full Text Available Molecular signatures in Glioblastoma (GBM have been described that correlate with clinical outcome and response to therapy. The Proneural (PN and Mesenchymal (MES signatures have been identified most consistently, but others including Classical (CLAS have also been reported. The molecular signatures have been detected by array techniques at RNA and DNA level, but these methods are costly and cannot take into account individual contributions of different cells within a tumor. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether subclasses of newly diagnosed GBMs could be assessed and assigned by application of standard pathology laboratory procedures. 123 newly diagnosed GBMs were analyzed for the tumor cell expression of 23 pre-identified proteins and EGFR amplification, together allowing for the subclassification of 65% of the tumors. Immunohistochemistry (IHC-based profiling was found to be analogous to transcription-based profiling using a 9-gene transcriptional signature for PN and MES subclasses. Based on these data a novel, minimal IHC-based scheme for subclass assignment for GBMs is proposed. Positive staining for IDH1R132H can be used for PN subclass assignment, high EGFR expression for the CLAS subtype and a combined high expression of PTEN, VIM and/or YKL40 for the MES subclass. The application of the proposed scheme was evaluated in an independent tumor set, which resulted in similar subclass assignment rates as those observed in the training set. The IHC-based subclassification scheme proposed in this study therefore could provide very useful in future studies for stratification of individual patient samples.

Structure based alignment and clustering of proteins (STRALCP)

Science.gov (United States)

Zemla, Adam T.; Zhou, Carol E.; Smith, Jason R.; Lam, Marisa W.

2013-06-18

Disclosed are computational methods of clustering a set of protein structures based on local and pair-wise global similarity values. Pair-wise local and global similarity values are generated based on pair-wise structural alignments for each protein in the set of protein structures. Initially, the protein structures are clustered based on pair-wise local similarity values. The protein structures are then clustered based on pair-wise global similarity values. For each given cluster both a representative structure and spans of conserved residues are identified. The representative protein structure is used to assign newly-solved protein structures to a group. The spans are used to characterize conservation and assign a "structural footprint" to the cluster.

Efficient Feature Selection and Classification of Protein Sequence Data in Bioinformatics

Science.gov (United States)

Faye, Ibrahima; Samir, Brahim Belhaouari; Md Said, Abas

2014-01-01

Bioinformatics has been an emerging area of research for the last three decades. The ultimate aims of bioinformatics were to store and manage the biological data, and develop and analyze computational tools to enhance their understanding. The size of data accumulated under various sequencing projects is increasing exponentially, which presents difficulties for the experimental methods. To reduce the gap between newly sequenced protein and proteins with known functions, many computational techniques involving classification and clustering algorithms were proposed in the past. The classification of protein sequences into existing superfamilies is helpful in predicting the structure and function of large amount of newly discovered proteins. The existing classification results are unsatisfactory due to a huge size of features obtained through various feature encoding methods. In this work, a statistical metric-based feature selection technique has been proposed in order to reduce the size of the extracted feature vector. The proposed method of protein classification shows significant improvement in terms of performance measure metrics: accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, recall, F-measure, and so forth. PMID:25045727

Growth rate correlates negatively with protein turnover in Arabidopsis accessions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishihara, Hirofumi; Moraes, Thiago Alexandre; Pyl, Eva-Theresa; Schulze, Waltraud X; Obata, Toshihiro; Scheffel, André; Fernie, Alisdair R; Sulpice, Ronan; Stitt, Mark

2017-08-01

Previous studies with Arabidopsis accessions revealed that biomass correlates negatively to dusk starch content and total protein, and positively to the maximum activities of enzymes in photosynthesis. We hypothesized that large accessions have lower ribosome abundance and lower rates of protein synthesis, and that this is compensated by lower rates of protein degradation. This would increase growth efficiency and allow more investment in photosynthetic machinery. We analysed ribosome abundance and polysome loading in 19 accessions, modelled the rates of protein synthesis and compared them with the observed rate of growth. Large accessions contained less ribosomes than small accessions, due mainly to cytosolic ribosome abundance falling at night in large accessions. The modelled rates of protein synthesis resembled those required for growth in large accessions, but were up to 30% in excess in small accessions. We then employed 13 CO 2 pulse-chase labelling to measure the rates of protein synthesis and degradation in 13 accessions. Small accessions had a slightly higher rate of protein synthesis and much higher rates of protein degradation than large accessions. Protein turnover was negligible in large accessions but equivalent to up to 30% of synthesised protein day -1 in small accessions. We discuss to what extent the decrease in growth in small accessions can be quantitatively explained by known costs of protein turnover and what factors may lead to the altered diurnal dynamics and increase of ribosome abundance in small accessions, and propose that there is a trade-off between protein turnover and maximisation of growth rate. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Direct interaction between two viral proteins, the nonstructural protein 2C and the capsid protein VP3, is required for enterovirus morphogenesis.

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Ying Liu

2010-08-01

Full Text Available In spite of decades-long studies, the mechanism of morphogenesis of plus-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the genus Enterovirus of Picornaviridae, including poliovirus (PV, is not understood. Numerous attempts to identify an RNA encapsidation signal have failed. Genetic studies, however, have implicated a role of the non-structural protein 2C(ATPase in the formation of poliovirus particles. Here we report a novel mechanism in which protein-protein interaction is sufficient to explain the specificity in PV encapsidation. Making use of a novel "reporter virus", we show that a quasi-infectious chimera consisting of the capsid precursor of C-cluster coxsackie virus 20 (C-CAV20 and the nonstructural proteins of the closely related PV translated and replicated its genome with wild type kinetics, whereas encapsidation was blocked. On blind passages, encapsidation of the chimera was rescued by a single mutation either in capsid protein VP3 of CAV20 or in 2C(ATPase of PV. Whereas each of the single-mutation variants expressed severe proliferation phenotypes, engineering both mutations into the chimera yielded a virus encapsidating with wild type kinetics. Biochemical analyses provided strong evidence for a direct interaction between 2C(ATPase and VP3 of PV and CAV20. Chimeras of other C-CAVs (CAV20/CAV21 or CAV18/CAV20 were blocked in encapsidation (no virus after blind passages but could be rescued if the capsid and 2C(ATPase coding regions originated from the same virus. Our novel mechanism explains the specificity of encapsidation without apparent involvement of an RNA signal by considering that (i genome replication is known to be stringently linked to translation, (ii morphogenesis is known to be stringently linked to genome replication, (iii newly synthesized 2C(ATPase is an essential component of the replication complex, and (iv 2C(ATPase has specific affinity to capsid protein(s. These conditions lead to morphogenesis at the site where newly

Nanofibers made of globular proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Dror, Yael; Ziv, Tamar; Makarov, Vadim; Wolf, Hila; Admon, Arie; Zussman, Eyal

2008-10-01

Strong nanofibers composed entirely of a model globular protein, namely, bovine serum albumin (BSA), were produced by electrospinning directly from a BSA solution without the use of chemical cross-linkers. Control of the spinnability and the mechanical properties of the produced nanofibers was achieved by manipulating the protein conformation, protein aggregation, and intra/intermolecular disulfide bonds exchange. In this manner, a low-viscosity globular protein solution could be modified into a polymer-like spinnable solution and easily spun into fibers whose mechanical properties were as good as those of natural fibers made of fibrous protein. We demonstrate here that newly formed disulfide bonds (intra/intermolecular) have a dominant role in both the formation of the nanofibers and in providing them with superior mechanical properties. Our approach to engineer proteins into biocompatible fibrous structures may be used in a wide range of biomedical applications such as suturing, wound dressing, and wound closure.

Towards a synthesised network approach: An analysis of UK nuclear and renewable (wave) energy programme 1939-1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watt, R.N.

1998-05-01

This thesis is concerned with two broad areas of interest: network interpretations of policy processes and alternative sources of energy. All three network interpretations examined (policy networks, actor networks and advocacy coalitions) stress different variables when examining policy processes. Equally, each can be criticised for over-emphasising their chosen variable. However, I shall argue that these flaws do not constitute grounds for dismissing any of these approaches. Several authors have suggested that we combine the merits of these network approaches but so far this has not been attempted. A central aim of this thesis is to develop a synthesis of the merits of each network approach which I argue offers a more robust means of interpreting policy processes. These ideas are then applied to an examination of the relationship between the UK civil nuclear programme (1939-1985) and the UK wave energy programme (1974-1985). Existing literature argues that the nuclear establishment used its considerable influence to undermine the wave energy programme. With the aid of a synthesised network approach, I argue that the nuclear conspiracy narrative is an over-simplification of this particular policy process. (author)

RNA-binding proteins involved in post-transcriptional regulation in bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elke eVan Assche

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Post-transcriptional regulation is a very important mechanism to control gene expression in changing environments. In the past decade, a lot of interest has been directed towards the role of small RNAs in bacterial post-transcriptional regulation. However, small RNAs are not the only molecules controlling gene expression at this level, RNA-binding proteins play an important role as well. CsrA and Hfq are the two best studied bacterial proteins of this type, but recently, additional proteins involved in post-transcriptional control have been identified. This review focuses on the general working mechanisms of post-transcriptionally active RNA-binding proteins, which include (i adaptation of the susceptibility of mRNAs and sRNAs to RNases, (ii modulating the accessibility of the ribosome binding site of mRNAs, (iii recruiting and assisting in the interaction of mRNAs with other molecules and (iv regulating transcription terminator / antiterminator formation, and gives an overview of both the well-studied and the newly identified proteins that are involved in post-transcriptional regulatory processes. Additionally, the post-transcriptional mechanisms by which the expression or the activity of these proteins is regulated, are described. For many of the newly identified proteins, however, mechanistic questions remain. Most likely, more post-transcriptionally active proteins will be identified in the future.

Effect of irradiation on healing of newly made colonic anastomoses in the rat

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biert, J.; Wobbes, T.; Hendriks, T.; Hoogenhout, J. (Univ. Hospital, Nijmegen (Netherlands))

1993-12-01

Short-term effects of radiotherapy on the healing process of newly made colonic anastomoses are investigated by measuring the anastomotic strength in a rat model. Four groups of Wistar rats were used. In all groups, rats underwent a 1 cm sigmoid resection with end-to-end anastomosis. Group I served as a control group. In group II the anastomosis was irradiated after closure of the abdominal wall with a single dose of 20 Gy of 250 kV [times] rays. Group III was irradiated with a single dose of 20 Gy while the abdominal wall was not closed, and the surrounding tissues were carefully covered by a lead plate, simulating intra-operative radiotherapy. Group IV was treated as group III, but a larger dose of 25 Gy was applied. Animals were sacrificed 3 or 7 days after the operation. General condition of the rats was determined by observation, weight loss, serum protein and albumin at sacrifice. Anastomotic healing was evaluated by inspection, bursting pressure, hydroxyproline and protein contents of the anastomotic segment. Direct postoperative externally irradiated rats (group II) showed a marked weight loss, hypoproteinaemia and hypo-albuminaemia because of involvement of small bowel in the irradiated volume. With respect to anastomotic healing there were no significant differences between control and irradiated groups. These data suggest that the application of a single dose of irradiation (20 and 25 Gy) on colonic anastomoses given in a direct postoperative or intraoperative model has no measurable side effect on the early healing of newly made colonic anastomoses. Direct postoperative external irradiation results in unwanted side effects in the adjacent bowel. 33 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

Effect of irradiation on healing of newly made colonic anastomoses in the rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biert, J.; Wobbes, T.; Hendriks, T.; Hoogenhout, J.

1993-01-01

Short-term effects of radiotherapy on the healing process of newly made colonic anastomoses are investigated by measuring the anastomotic strength in a rat model. Four groups of Wistar rats were used. In all groups, rats underwent a 1 cm sigmoid resection with end-to-end anastomosis. Group I served as a control group. In group II the anastomosis was irradiated after closure of the abdominal wall with a single dose of 20 Gy of 250 kV x rays. Group III was irradiated with a single dose of 20 Gy while the abdominal wall was not closed, and the surrounding tissues were carefully covered by a lead plate, simulating intra-operative radiotherapy. Group IV was treated as group III, but a larger dose of 25 Gy was applied. Animals were sacrificed 3 or 7 days after the operation. General condition of the rats was determined by observation, weight loss, serum protein and albumin at sacrifice. Anastomotic healing was evaluated by inspection, bursting pressure, hydroxyproline and protein contents of the anastomotic segment. Direct postoperative externally irradiated rats (group II) showed a marked weight loss, hypoproteinaemia and hypo-albuminaemia because of involvement of small bowel in the irradiated volume. With respect to anastomotic healing there were no significant differences between control and irradiated groups. These data suggest that the application of a single dose of irradiation (20 and 25 Gy) on colonic anastomoses given in a direct postoperative or intraoperative model has no measurable side effect on the early healing of newly made colonic anastomoses. Direct postoperative external irradiation results in unwanted side effects in the adjacent bowel. 33 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs

Association of Sendai virion envelope and a mouse surface membrane polypeptide on newly infected cells: lack of association with H-2K/D or alteration of viral immunogenicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarling, D.A.; Miskimen, J.A.; Fan, D.P; Fujimoto, E.K.; Smith, P.K.

1982-01-01

The reagent N-succinimidyl 4-azidophenyl-1,3'-dithiopropionate (SADP) was synthesized and then coupled to purified Sendai virions by the amino-reactive end of the SADP molecule. This SADP-coupled virus was fused into the membranes of surface radioiodinated P815 cells, and target structures were allowed to form. Next, the photosensitive group on SADP was activated with ultraviolet light to covalently couple the viral proteins to any neighboring cell surface proteins. The cellular neighbors were isolated from detergent extracts of membrane proteins after immunoprecipitation with antibody specific for Sendai virion proteins. The covalent cross-links between the nonradioactive Sendai proteins and the radioiodinated cellular polypeptide neighbors were broken, and the host cell polypeptides were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and detected by autoradiography. One of these neighboring cellular proteins had an apparent m.w. of 17,000, and none was found with the characteristic size and tryptic map of either the H-2K or D gene products. Thus, the H-2K or D proteins are unlikely to be SADP- detectable neighbors of Sendai viral antigens recognized by CTL. In further experiments, the complexes of Sendai virion proteins crosslinked to cellular polypeptide neighbors were isolated from the membrane of newly infected cells and were shown to be able to stimulate CTL in vitro with approximately the same efficiency as uncross-linked Sendai virion proteins. Thus, Sendai viral proteins in the membrane of newly infected cells do not appear to be in highly immunogenic complexes with either H-2K/D or any other cellular proteins

Porcine circovirus type 2 ORF4 protein binds heavy chain ferritin

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2015-08-13

Aug 13, 2015 ... protein is a newly identified viral protein of PCV2 and is involved in ... The porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) of a healthy, 2- .... firmation by restriction analysis and DNA sequencing, the ... croscope (Model LSM510 META, Zeiss). ..... circovirus-like viruses from pigs with a wasting disease in the.

Confidence in leadership among the newly qualified.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayliss-Pratt, Lisa; Morley, Mary; Bagley, Liz; Alderson, Steven

2013-10-23

The Francis report highlighted the importance of strong leadership from health professionals but it is unclear how prepared those who are newly qualified feel to take on a leadership role. We aimed to assess the confidence of newly qualified health professionals working in the West Midlands in the different competencies of the NHS Leadership Framework. Most respondents felt confident in their abilities to demonstrate personal qualities and work with others, but less so at managing or improving services or setting direction.

Blood Pyrrole-Protein Adducts--A Biomarker of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid-Induced Liver Injury in Humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruan, Jianqing; Gao, Hong; Li, Na; Xue, Junyi; Chen, Jie; Ke, Changqiang; Ye, Yang; Fu, Peter Pi-Cheng; Zheng, Jiang; Wang, Jiyao; Lin, Ge

2015-01-01

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) induce liver injury (PA-ILI) and is very likely to contribute significantly to drug-induced liver injury (DILI). In this study we used a newly developed ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS)-based method to detect and quantitate blood pyrrole-protein adducts in DILI patients. Among the 46 suspected DILI patients, 15 were identified as PA-ILI by the identification of PA-containing herbs exposed. Blood pyrrole-protein adducts were detected in all PA-ILI patients (100%). These results confirm that PA-ILI is one of the major causes of DILI and that blood pyrrole-protein adducts quantitated by the newly developed UHPLC-MS method can serve as a specific biomarker of PA-ILI.

Problems faced by newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus patients at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Diabetes mellitus can be a frightening experience for newly diagnosed patients. The aim of this study was to determine and describe the problems faced by newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus patients at primary healthcare facilities at Mopani district, Limpopo Province. A qualitative, descriptive and contextual research ...

Newly graduated nurses' use of knowledge sources in clinical decision-making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Voldbjerg, Siri Lygum; Grønkjaer, Mette; Wiechula, Rick

2017-01-01

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore which knowledge sources newly graduated nurses' use in clinical decision-making and why and how they are used. BACKGROUND: In spite of an increased educational focus on skills and competencies within evidence based practice newly graduated nurses' ability to use...... approaches to strengthen the knowledgebase used in clinical decision-making. DESIGN AND METHODS: Ethnographic study using participant-observation and individual semi-structured interviews of nine Danish newly graduated nurses in medical and surgical hospital settings. RESULTS: Newly graduates use...... in clinical decision-making. If newly graduates are to be supported in an articulate and reflective use of a variety of sources, they have to be allocated to experienced nurses who model a reflective, articulate and balanced use of knowledge sources. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved....

Mitochondrial nucleoid clusters protect newly synthesized mtDNA during Doxorubicin- and Ethidium Bromide-induced mitochondrial stress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alán, Lukáš, E-mail: lukas.alan@fgu.cas.cz; Špaček, Tomáš; Pajuelo Reguera, David; Jabůrek, Martin; Ježek, Petr

2016-07-01

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is compacted in ribonucleoprotein complexes called nucleoids, which can divide or move within the mitochondrial network. Mitochondrial nucleoids are able to aggregate into clusters upon reaction with intercalators such as the mtDNA depletion agent Ethidium Bromide (EB) or anticancer drug Doxorobicin (DXR). However, the exact mechanism of nucleoid clusters formation remains unknown. Resolving these processes may help to elucidate the mechanisms of DXR-induced cardiotoxicity. Therefore, we addressed the role of two key nucleoid proteins; mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) and mitochondrial single-stranded binding protein (mtSSB); in the formation of mitochondrial nucleoid clusters during the action of intercalators. We found that both intercalators cause numerous aberrations due to perturbing their native status. By blocking mtDNA replication, both agents also prevented mtDNA association with TFAM, consequently causing nucleoid aggregation into large nucleoid clusters enriched with TFAM, co-existing with the normal nucleoid population. In the later stages of intercalation (> 48 h), TFAM levels were reduced to 25%. In contrast, mtSSB was released from mtDNA and freely distributed within the mitochondrial network. Nucleoid clusters mostly contained nucleoids with newly replicated mtDNA, however the nucleoid population which was not in replication mode remained outside the clusters. Moreover, the nucleoid clusters were enriched with p53, an anti-oncogenic gatekeeper. We suggest that mitochondrial nucleoid clustering is a mechanism for protecting nucleoids with newly replicated DNA against intercalators mediating genotoxic stress. These results provide new insight into the common mitochondrial response to mtDNA stress and can be implied also on DXR-induced mitochondrial cytotoxicity. - Highlights: • The mechanism for mitochondrial nucleoid clustering is proposed. • DNA intercalators (Doxorubicin or Ethidium Bromide) prevent TFAM

Value of a newly sequenced bacterial genome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barbosa, Eudes; Aburjaile, Flavia F; Ramos, Rommel Tj

2014-01-01

and annotation will not be undertaken. It is important to know what is lost when we settle for a draft genome and to determine the "scientific value" of a newly sequenced genome. This review addresses the expected impact of newly sequenced genomes on antibacterial discovery and vaccinology. Also, it discusses...... heightened expectations that NGS would boost antibacterial discovery and vaccine development. Although many possible drug and vaccine targets have been discovered, the success rate of genome-based analysis has remained below expectations. Furthermore, NGS has had consequences for genome quality, resulting...

ATAD2 is an epigenetic reader of newly synthesized histone marks during DNA replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, Seong Joo; Fernández-Montalván, Amaury E; Badock, Volker; Ott, Christopher J; Holton, Simon J; von Ahsen, Oliver; Toedling, Joern; Vittori, Sarah; Bradner, James E; Gorjánácz, Mátyás

2016-10-25

ATAD2 (ATPase family AAA domain-containing protein 2) is a chromatin regulator harboring an AAA+ ATPase domain and a bromodomain, previously proposed to function as an oncogenic transcription co-factor. Here we suggest that ATAD2 is also required for DNA replication. ATAD2 is co-expressed with genes involved in DNA replication in various cancer types and predominantly expressed in S phase cells where it localized on nascent chromatin (replication sites). Our extensive biochemical and cellular analyses revealed that ATAD2 is recruited to replication sites through a direct interaction with di-acetylated histone H4 at K5 and K12, indicative of newly synthesized histones during replication-coupled chromatin reassembly. Similar to ATAD2-depletion, ectopic expression of ATAD2 mutants that are deficient in binding to these di-acetylation marks resulted in reduced DNA replication and impaired loading of PCNA onto chromatin, suggesting relevance of ATAD2 in DNA replication. Taken together, our data show a novel function of ATAD2 in cancer and for the first time identify a reader of newly synthesized histone di-acetylation-marks during replication.

Yield and nutritional composition of oyster mushroom strains newly introduced in Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostak Ahmed

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to evaluate yield and chemical composition of oyster mushroom strains newly introduced in Bangladesh. Strains of Pleurotus high‑king (strain PHK, P. ostreatus (strain PO2, and P. geesteranus (strains PG1 and PG3 were evaluated as to yield components and proximate composition. Pleurotus ostreatus was used as control. Pleurotus high‑king showed fastest growth of primordia, but moderate flush of effective fruiting bodies. Pleurotus geesteranus (PG1 showed higher economic yield and biological performance, and better chemical composition, especially in terms of protein and mineral contents. Pleurotus geesteranus (PG1 shows better performance than P. ostreatus (PO2, the most commercially cultivated edible species in Bangladesh, and, therefore, it should be recommended for commercial cultivation.

DichroMatch at the protein circular dichroism data bank (DM@PCDDB): A web-based tool for identifying protein nearest neighbors using circular dichroism spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitmore, Lee; Mavridis, Lazaros; Wallace, B A; Janes, Robert W

2018-01-01

Circular dichroism spectroscopy is a well-used, but simple method in structural biology for providing information on the secondary structure and folds of proteins. DichroMatch (DM@PCDDB) is an online tool that is newly available in the Protein Circular Dichroism Data Bank (PCDDB), which takes advantage of the wealth of spectral and metadata deposited therein, to enable identification of spectral nearest neighbors of a query protein based on four different methods of spectral matching. DM@PCDDB can potentially provide novel information about structural relationships between proteins and can be used in comparison studies of protein homologs and orthologs. © 2017 The Authors Protein Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Protein Society.

Chronological protein synthesis in regenerating rat liver.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Jinjun; Hao, Shuai; Zhang, Hao; Guo, Fuzheng; Huang, Lingyun; Xiao, Xueyuan; He, Dacheng

2015-07-01

Liver regeneration has been studied for decades; however, its regulation remains unclear. In this study, we report a dynamic tracing of protein synthesis in rat regenerating liver with a new proteomic technique, (35) S in vivo labeling analysis for dynamic proteomics (SiLAD). Conventional proteomic techniques typically measure protein alteration in accumulated amounts. The SiLAD technique specifically detects protein synthesis velocity instead of accumulated amounts of protein through (35) S pulse labeling of newly synthesized proteins, providing a direct way for analyzing protein synthesis variations. Consequently, protein synthesis within short as 30 min was visualized and protein regulations in the first 8 h of regenerating liver were dynamically traced. Further, the 3.5-5 h post partial hepatectomy (PHx) was shown to be an important regulatory turning point by acute regulation of many proteins in the initiation of liver regeneration. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A new carbamidemethyl-linked lanthanoid chelating tag for PCS NMR spectroscopy of proteins in living HeLa cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hikone, Yuya [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering (Japan); Hirai, Go [RIKEN, Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory (Japan); Mishima, Masaki [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering (Japan); Inomata, Kohsuke [RIKEN, Quantitative Biology Center (Japan); Ikeya, Teppei; Arai, Souichiro [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering (Japan); Shirakawa, Masahiro [Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, AMED-CREST (Japan); Sodeoka, Mikiko [RIKEN, Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory (Japan); Ito, Yutaka, E-mail: ito-yutaka@tmu.ac.jp [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering (Japan)

2016-10-15

Structural analyses of proteins under macromolecular crowding inside human cultured cells by in-cell NMR spectroscopy are crucial not only for explicit understanding of their cellular functions but also for applications in medical and pharmaceutical sciences. In-cell NMR experiments using human cultured cells however suffer from low sensitivity, thus pseudocontact shifts from protein-tagged paramagnetic lanthanoid ions, analysed using sensitive heteronuclear two-dimensional correlation NMR spectra, offer huge potential advantage in obtaining structural information over conventional NOE-based approaches. We synthesised a new lanthanoid-chelating tag (M8-CAM-I), in which the eight-fold, stereospecifically methylated DOTA (M8) scaffold was retained, while a stable carbamidemethyl (CAM) group was introduced as the functional group connecting to proteins. M8-CAM-I successfully fulfilled the requirements for in-cell NMR: high-affinity to lanthanoid, low cytotoxicity and the stability under reducing condition inside cells. Large PCSs for backbone N–H resonances observed for M8-CAM-tagged human ubiquitin mutant proteins, which were introduced into HeLa cells by electroporation, demonstrated that this approach readily provides the useful information enabling the determination of protein structures, relative orientations of domains and protein complexes within human cultured cells.

A new carbamidemethyl-linked lanthanoid chelating tag for PCS NMR spectroscopy of proteins in living HeLa cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hikone, Yuya; Hirai, Go; Mishima, Masaki; Inomata, Kohsuke; Ikeya, Teppei; Arai, Souichiro; Shirakawa, Masahiro; Sodeoka, Mikiko; Ito, Yutaka

2016-10-01

Structural analyses of proteins under macromolecular crowding inside human cultured cells by in-cell NMR spectroscopy are crucial not only for explicit understanding of their cellular functions but also for applications in medical and pharmaceutical sciences. In-cell NMR experiments using human cultured cells however suffer from low sensitivity, thus pseudocontact shifts from protein-tagged paramagnetic lanthanoid ions, analysed using sensitive heteronuclear two-dimensional correlation NMR spectra, offer huge potential advantage in obtaining structural information over conventional NOE-based approaches. We synthesised a new lanthanoid-chelating tag (M8-CAM-I), in which the eight-fold, stereospecifically methylated DOTA (M8) scaffold was retained, while a stable carbamidemethyl (CAM) group was introduced as the functional group connecting to proteins. M8-CAM-I successfully fulfilled the requirements for in-cell NMR: high-affinity to lanthanoid, low cytotoxicity and the stability under reducing condition inside cells. Large PCSs for backbone N-H resonances observed for M8-CAM-tagged human ubiquitin mutant proteins, which were introduced into HeLa cells by electroporation, demonstrated that this approach readily provides the useful information enabling the determination of protein structures, relative orientations of domains and protein complexes within human cultured cells.

A new carbamidemethyl-linked lanthanoid chelating tag for PCS NMR spectroscopy of proteins in living HeLa cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hikone, Yuya; Hirai, Go; Mishima, Masaki; Inomata, Kohsuke; Ikeya, Teppei; Arai, Souichiro; Shirakawa, Masahiro; Sodeoka, Mikiko; Ito, Yutaka

2016-01-01

Structural analyses of proteins under macromolecular crowding inside human cultured cells by in-cell NMR spectroscopy are crucial not only for explicit understanding of their cellular functions but also for applications in medical and pharmaceutical sciences. In-cell NMR experiments using human cultured cells however suffer from low sensitivity, thus pseudocontact shifts from protein-tagged paramagnetic lanthanoid ions, analysed using sensitive heteronuclear two-dimensional correlation NMR spectra, offer huge potential advantage in obtaining structural information over conventional NOE-based approaches. We synthesised a new lanthanoid-chelating tag (M8-CAM-I), in which the eight-fold, stereospecifically methylated DOTA (M8) scaffold was retained, while a stable carbamidemethyl (CAM) group was introduced as the functional group connecting to proteins. M8-CAM-I successfully fulfilled the requirements for in-cell NMR: high-affinity to lanthanoid, low cytotoxicity and the stability under reducing condition inside cells. Large PCSs for backbone N–H resonances observed for M8-CAM-tagged human ubiquitin mutant proteins, which were introduced into HeLa cells by electroporation, demonstrated that this approach readily provides the useful information enabling the determination of protein structures, relative orientations of domains and protein complexes within human cultured cells.

Distinctive serum protein profiles involving abundant proteins in lung cancer patients based upon antibody microarray analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rom William N

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cancer serum protein profiling by mass spectrometry has uncovered mass profiles that are potentially diagnostic for several common types of cancer. However, direct mass spectrometric profiling has a limited dynamic range and difficulties in providing the identification of the distinctive proteins. We hypothesized that distinctive profiles may result from the differential expression of relatively abundant serum proteins associated with the host response. Methods Eighty-four antibodies, targeting a wide range of serum proteins, were spotted onto nitrocellulose-coated microscope slides. The abundances of the corresponding proteins were measured in 80 serum samples, from 24 newly diagnosed subjects with lung cancer, 24 healthy controls, and 32 subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. Two-color rolling-circle amplification was used to measure protein abundance. Results Seven of the 84 antibodies gave a significant difference (p Conclusion Our results suggest that a distinctive serum protein profile involving abundant proteins may be observed in lung cancer patients relative to healthy subjects or patients with chronic disease and may have utility as part of strategies for detecting lung cancer.

Bcl-2 Protein Expression in Egyptian Acute Myeloid Leukemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Shakankiry, N.; El-Sayed, Gh.M.M.; El-Maghraby, Sh.; Moneer, M.M.

2009-01-01

Objective: The primary cause of treatment failure in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the emergence of both resistant disease and early relapse. The bcl-2 gene encodes a 26-kDa protein that promotes cell survival by blocking programmed cell death (apoptosis). In the present study, bcl-2 protein expression was evaluated in newly diagnosed AML patients and correlated with the induction of remission and overall survival (OS), in an attempt to define patients who might benefit from modified therapeutic strategies. Patients and methods: Pretreatment cellular bcl-2 protein expression was measured in bone marrow samples obtained from 68 patients of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia and 10 healthy controls by western blotting. Results: The mean bcl-2 protein expression was significantly higher in patients (0.68610.592) compared to controls (0.313±0.016) (p=0.002). The overall survival for patients with mean bcl-2 expression of less, and more than or equal to 0.315, was 67% and 56%, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups 0»=0.86). Conclusion: Even though we did not observe a significant difference in overall survival between patients with high and low levels of bcl-2, modulation of this protein might still be considered as an option for enhancing the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy.

Protein structure analysis of mutations causing inheritable diseases. An e-Science approach with life scientist friendly interfaces.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Venselaar, H.; Beek, T.A.H. te; Kuipers, R.K.P.; Hekkelman, M.L.; Vriend, G.

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Many newly detected point mutations are located in protein-coding regions of the human genome. Knowledge of their effects on the protein's 3D structure provides insight into the protein's mechanism, can aid the design of further experiments, and eventually can lead to the development of

Protein structure analysis of mutations causing inheritable diseases. An e-Science approach with life scientist friendly interfaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Venselaar, H.; Beek, T.A.H.; Kuipers, R.K.P.; Hekkelman, M.L.; Vriend, G.

2010-01-01

Background: Many newly detected point mutations are located in protein-coding regions of the human genome. Knowledge of their effects on the protein's 3D structure provides insight into the protein's mechanism, can aid the design of further experiments, and eventually can lead to the development of

Newly Generated Liquid Waste Processing Alternatives Study, Volume 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Landman, William Henry; Bates, Steven Odum; Bonnema, Bruce Edward; Palmer, Stanley Leland; Podgorney, Anna Kristine; Walsh, Stephanie

2002-09-01

This report identifies and evaluates three options for treating newly generated liquid waste at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. The three options are: (a) treat the waste using processing facilities designed for treating sodium-bearing waste, (b) treat the waste using subcontractor-supplied mobile systems, or (c) treat the waste using a special facility designed and constructed for that purpose. In studying these options, engineers concluded that the best approach is to store the newly generated liquid waste until a sodium-bearing waste treatment facility is available and then to co-process the stored inventory of the newly generated waste with the sodium-bearing waste. After the sodium-bearing waste facility completes its mission, two paths are available. The newly generated liquid waste could be treated using the subcontractor-supplied system or the sodium-bearing waste facility or a portion of it. The final decision depends on the design of the sodium-bearing waste treatment facility, which will be completed in coming years.

ABI domain-containing proteins contribute to surface protein display and cell division in Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Frankel, Matthew B; Wojcik, Brandon M; DeDent, Andrea C; Missiakas, Dominique M; Schneewind, Olaf

2010-10-01

The human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus requires cell wall anchored surface proteins to cause disease. During cell division, surface proteins with YSIRK signal peptides are secreted into the cross-wall, a layer of newly synthesized peptidoglycan between separating daughter cells. The molecular determinants for the trafficking of surface proteins are, however, still unknown. We screened mutants with non-redundant transposon insertions by fluorescence-activated cell sorting for reduced deposition of protein A (SpA) into the staphylococcal envelope. Three mutants, each of which harboured transposon insertions in genes for transmembrane proteins, displayed greatly reduced envelope abundance of SpA and surface proteins with YSIRK signal peptides. Characterization of the corresponding mutations identified three transmembrane proteins with abortive infectivity (ABI) domains, elements first described in lactococci for their role in phage exclusion. Mutations in genes for ABI domain proteins, designated spdA, spdB and spdC (surface protein display), diminish the expression of surface proteins with YSIRK signal peptides, but not of precursor proteins with conventional signal peptides. spdA, spdB and spdC mutants display an increase in the thickness of cross-walls and in the relative abundance of staphylococci with cross-walls, suggesting that spd mutations may represent a possible link between staphylococcal cell division and protein secretion. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

New derivatives of 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid with free-radical scavenging, D-amino acid oxidase, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Solecka, Jolanta; Guśpiel, Adam; Postek, Magdalena; Ziemska, Joanna; Kawęcki, Robert; Lęczycka, Katarzyna; Osior, Agnieszka; Pietrzak, Bartłomiej; Pypowski, Krzysztof; Wyrzykowska, Agata

2014-09-30

A series of 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid derivatives were synthesised and tested for their free-radical scavenging activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH·), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical (ABTS·+), superoxide anion radical (O2·-) and nitric oxide radical (·NO) assays. We also studied d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) inhibitory activity. Almost each of newly synthesised compounds exhibited radical scavenging capabilities. Moreover, several compounds showed moderate inhibitory activities against DAAO, AChE and BuChE. Compounds with significant free-radical scavenging activity may be potential candidates for therapeutics used in oxidative-stress-related diseases.

Effects of dietary energy level and intake of corn by-product-based diets on newly received growing cattle: antibody production, acute phase protein response, stress, and immunocompetency of healthy and morbid animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Spore, Tyler J; Montgomery, Sean P; Titgemeyer, Evan C; Hanzlicek, Gregg A; Vahl, Chris I; Nagaraja, Tiruvoor G; Cavalli, Kevin T; Hollenbeck, William R; Wahl, Ross A; Blasi, Dale A

2018-04-14

Effects of dietary energy level and intake of corn by-product-based diets on antibody production, acute phase protein response, stress, and immunocompetency of healthy and morbid newly received growing cattle were evaluated. Four dietary treatments were formulated to supply 0.99, 1.10, 1.21, and 1.32 Mcal NEg/ kg DM and were offered at 100%, 95%, 90%, and 85% of ad libitum based on 0.99/100 treatment intake, respectively. Thirty-two pens were utilized with approximately 12 animals/pen. Four animals from each pen (32/dietary treatment) were randomly selected and used to serve as a subset to monitor immune function and acute phase proteins following a split-plot design. In addition, two animals were randomly and independently selected from each pen (16/dietary treatment) and used to measure fecal cortisol metabolite. Additionally, animals removed from the pen one (M1), two (M2), or three (M3) times and classified as morbid were bled in conjunction with a healthy control (H) removed at the same time and the serum analyzed for the same parameters. A quadratic response to time (P bovine viral diarrhea type 1 (BVD-I) and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR; P levels by day 27. Titer levels for BVD-I and IBR were lowest on arrival, higher on day 14, and significantly higher on day 27. Titers for bovine viral diarrhea type 2 (BVD-II) responded linearly (P levels on arrival and highest levels on day 27. Haptoglobin was elevated in morbid animals compared to healthy pen mates (P levels for BVD-I and IBR were also higher in healthy animals compared to animals pulled for morbidity (P energy receiving diets based on fermentable fiber from by-products can be fed to newly received growing cattle without negative effects on antibody production toward vaccines, inflammation, or overall stress. In addition, haptoglobin concentrations and titer levels for BVD-I and IBR viruses are higher in healthy animals compared to sick animals.

Observation of the bone mineral density of newly formed bone using rabbits. Compared with newly formed bone around implants and cortical bone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakada, Hiroshi; Numata, Yasuko; Sakae, Toshiro; Tamaki, Hiroyuki; Kato, Takao

2009-01-01

There have been many studies reporting that newly formed bone around implants is spongy bone. However, although the morphology is reported as being like spongy bone, it is difficult to discriminate whether the bone quality of newly formed bone appears similar to osteoid or cortical bone; therefore, evaluation of bone quality is required. The aims of this study were to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) values of newly formed bone around implants after 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 weeks, to represent these values on three-dimensional color mapping (3Dmap), and to evaluate the change in bone quality associated with newly formed bone around implants. The animal experimental protocol of this study was approved by the Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments of our University. This experiment used 20 surface treatment implants (Ti-6Al-4V alloy: 3.1 mm in diameter and 30.0 mm in length) by grit-blasting. They were embedded into surgically created flaws in femurs of 20 New Zealand white rabbits (16 weeks old, male). The rabbits were sacrificed with an ear intravenous overdose of pentobarbital sodium under general anesthesia each period, and the femurs were resected. We measured BMD of newly formed bone around implants and cortical bone using Micro-CT, and the BMD distribution map of 3Dmap (TRI/3D Bon BMD, Ratoc System Engineering). The BMD of cortical bone was 1,026.3±44.3 mg/cm 3 at 4 weeks, 1,023.8±40.9 mg/cm 3 at 8 weeks, 1,048.2±45.6 mg/cm 3 at 16 weeks, 1,067.2±60.2 mg/cm 3 at 24 weeks, and 1,069.3±50.7 mg/cm 3 at 48 weeks after implantation, showing a non-significant increase each period. The BMD of newly formed bone around implants was 296.8±25.6 mg/cm 3 at 4 weeks, 525.0±72.4 mg/cm 3 at 8 weeks, 691.2±26.0 mg/cm 3 at 16 weeks, 776.9±27.7 mg/cm 3 at 24 weeks, and 845.2±23.1 mg/cm 3 at 48 weeks after implantation, showing a significant increase after each period. It was revealed that the color scale of newly formed bone was Low level at 4 weeks, and then it

Comprehensive predictions of target proteins based on protein-chemical interaction using virtual screening and experimental verifications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Hiroki; Harada, Hiroko; Nakamura, Masaomi; Futamura, Yushi; Ito, Akihiro; Yoshida, Minoru; Iemura, Shun-Ichiro; Shin-Ya, Kazuo; Doi, Takayuki; Takahashi, Takashi; Natsume, Tohru; Imoto, Masaya; Sakakibara, Yasubumi

2012-04-05

Identification of the target proteins of bioactive compounds is critical for elucidating the mode of action; however, target identification has been difficult in general, mostly due to the low sensitivity of detection using affinity chromatography followed by CBB staining and MS/MS analysis. We applied our protocol of predicting target proteins combining in silico screening and experimental verification for incednine, which inhibits the anti-apoptotic function of Bcl-xL by an unknown mechanism. One hundred eighty-two target protein candidates were computationally predicted to bind to incednine by the statistical prediction method, and the predictions were verified by in vitro binding of incednine to seven proteins, whose expression can be confirmed in our cell system.As a result, 40% accuracy of the computational predictions was achieved successfully, and we newly found 3 incednine-binding proteins. This study revealed that our proposed protocol of predicting target protein combining in silico screening and experimental verification is useful, and provides new insight into a strategy for identifying target proteins of small molecules.

Comprehensive predictions of target proteins based on protein-chemical interaction using virtual screening and experimental verifications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kobayashi Hiroki

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Identification of the target proteins of bioactive compounds is critical for elucidating the mode of action; however, target identification has been difficult in general, mostly due to the low sensitivity of detection using affinity chromatography followed by CBB staining and MS/MS analysis. Results We applied our protocol of predicting target proteins combining in silico screening and experimental verification for incednine, which inhibits the anti-apoptotic function of Bcl-xL by an unknown mechanism. One hundred eighty-two target protein candidates were computationally predicted to bind to incednine by the statistical prediction method, and the predictions were verified by in vitro binding of incednine to seven proteins, whose expression can be confirmed in our cell system. As a result, 40% accuracy of the computational predictions was achieved successfully, and we newly found 3 incednine-binding proteins. Conclusions This study revealed that our proposed protocol of predicting target protein combining in silico screening and experimental verification is useful, and provides new insight into a strategy for identifying target proteins of small molecules.

Synthesising methods of layered double hydroxides and its use in the fabrication of dye Sensitised solar cell (DSSC): A short review

Science.gov (United States)

George, Giphin; Saravanakumar, M. P.

2017-11-01

The layered double hydroxides (LDH) which are anionic clay substances comprising of stacked cationic layers and interlayer anions. The cationic sheets contain octahedral structure consisting the divalent and trivalent ions in the center and hydroxyl bunches in the corners, gathered by three bonding with the neighbouring octahedra on every side of the layer. The ratio between the quantity of cations and OH- ions is 2:1, so a positive charge shows up on the layer because of the presence of trivalent cations. The interlayer space gives the compensation anions and water molecules, assuring a balanced out layered structure. The LDH materials were successfully synthesised from magnesium, aluminium, zinc and chromium chloride salts utilizing the co-precipitation technique. A Zn-Al LDH was researched as a potential sorbent material. This article reviews the recent advances in the preparation and intercalation of layered double hydroxides and its application in the fabrication of Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC).

The practical skills of newly qualified nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Danbjørg, Dorthe Boe; Birkelund, Regner

2011-02-01

This paper reports the findings from a study of newly qualified nurses and which subjects the nurses regarded as the most important in order to be able to live up to the requirements of clinical practice, and how they experience their potential for developing practical and moral skills, after the decrease in practical training. A qualitative approach guided the research process and the analysis of the data. The data was collected by participant observation and qualitative interviews with four nurses as informants. The conclusions made in this study are based on the statements and the observations of the newly qualified nurses. Our findings are discussed in relation to the Aristotelian concept and other relevant literature. The main message is that the newly qualified nurses did not feel equipped when they finished their training. This could be interpreted as a direct consequence of the decrease in practical training. Our study also underlines that the way nursing theory is perceived and taught is problematic. The interviews revealed that the nurses think that nursing theories should be applied directly in practice. This misunderstanding is probably also applicable to the teachers of the theories. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Newly graduated nurses' use of knowledge sources: a meta-ethnography.

Science.gov (United States)

Voldbjerg, Siri Lygum; Grønkjaer, Mette; Sørensen, Erik Elgaard; Hall, Elisabeth O C

2016-08-01

To advance evidence on newly graduated nurses' use of knowledge sources. Clinical decisions need to be evidence-based and understanding the knowledge sources that newly graduated nurses use will inform both education and practice. Qualitative studies on newly graduated nurses' use of knowledge sources are increasing though generated from scattered healthcare contexts. Therefore, a metasynthesis of qualitative research on what knowledge sources new graduates use in decision-making was conducted. Meta-ethnography. Nineteen reports, representing 17 studies, published from 2000-2014 were identified from iterative searches in relevant databases from May 2013-May 2014. Included reports were appraised for quality and Noblit and Hare's meta-ethnography guided the interpretation and synthesis of data. Newly graduated nurses' use of knowledge sources during their first 2-year postgraduation were interpreted in the main theme 'self and others as knowledge sources,' with two subthemes 'doing and following' and 'knowing and doing,' each with several elucidating categories. The metasynthesis revealed a line of argument among the report findings underscoring progression in knowledge use and perception of competence and confidence among newly graduated nurses. The transition phase, feeling of confidence and ability to use critical thinking and reflection, has a great impact on knowledge sources incorporated in clinical decisions. The synthesis accentuates that for use of newly graduated nurses' qualifications and skills in evidence-based practice, clinical practice needs to provide a supportive environment which nurtures critical thinking and questions and articulates use of multiple knowledge sources. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Automatic annotation of protein motif function with Gene Ontology terms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gopalakrishnan Vanathi

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Conserved protein sequence motifs are short stretches of amino acid sequence patterns that potentially encode the function of proteins. Several sequence pattern searching algorithms and programs exist foridentifying candidate protein motifs at the whole genome level. However, amuch needed and importanttask is to determine the functions of the newly identified protein motifs. The Gene Ontology (GO project is an endeavor to annotate the function of genes or protein sequences with terms from a dynamic, controlled vocabulary and these annotations serve well as a knowledge base. Results This paperpresents methods to mine the GO knowledge base and use the association between the GO terms assigned to a sequence and the motifs matched by the same sequence as evidence for predicting the functions of novel protein motifs automatically. The task of assigning GO terms to protein motifsis viewed as both a binary classification and information retrieval problem, where PROSITE motifs are used as samples for mode training and functional prediction. The mutual information of a motif and aGO term association isfound to be a very useful feature. We take advantageof the known motifs to train a logistic regression classifier, which allows us to combine mutual information with other frequency-based features and obtain a probability of correctassociation. The trained logistic regression model has intuitively meaningful and logically plausible parameter values, and performs very well empirically according to our evaluation criteria. Conclusions In this research, different methods for automatic annotation of protein motifs have been investigated. Empirical result demonstrated that the methods have a great potential for detecting and augmenting information about thefunctions of newly discovered candidate protein motifs.

ProteinSplit: splitting of multi-domain proteins using prediction of ordered and disordered regions in protein sequences for virtual structural genomics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wyrwicz, Lucjan S; Koczyk, Grzegorz; Rychlewski, Leszek; Plewczynski, Dariusz

2007-01-01

The annotation of protein folds within newly sequenced genomes is the main target for semi-automated protein structure prediction (virtual structural genomics). A large number of automated methods have been developed recently with very good results in the case of single-domain proteins. Unfortunately, most of these automated methods often fail to properly predict the distant homology between a given multi-domain protein query and structural templates. Therefore a multi-domain protein should be split into domains in order to overcome this limitation. ProteinSplit is designed to identify protein domain boundaries using a novel algorithm that predicts disordered regions in protein sequences. The software utilizes various sequence characteristics to assess the local propensity of a protein to be disordered or ordered in terms of local structure stability. These disordered parts of a protein are likely to create interdomain spacers. Because of its speed and portability, the method was successfully applied to several genome-wide fold annotation experiments. The user can run an automated analysis of sets of proteins or perform semi-automated multiple user projects (saving the results on the server). Additionally the sequences of predicted domains can be sent to the Bioinfo.PL Protein Structure Prediction Meta-Server for further protein three-dimensional structure and function prediction. The program is freely accessible as a web service at http://lucjan.bioinfo.pl/proteinsplit together with detailed benchmark results on the critical assessment of a fully automated structure prediction (CAFASP) set of sequences. The source code of the local version of protein domain boundary prediction is available upon request from the authors

The impact of organisational culture on the adaptation of newly ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Usually newly employed nurses find adjusting to a work setting a challenging experience. Their successful adaptation to their work situation is greatly influenced by the socialisation process inherent in the organisational culture. The newly employed nurse often finds that the norms are unclear, confusing and restrictive.

Prototypes of Newly Conceived Inorganic and Biological Sensors for Health and Environmental Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosanna Spera

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the optimal implementation of three newly conceived sensors for both health and environmental applications, utilizing a wide range of detection methods and complex nanocomposites. The first one is inorganic and based on matrices of calcium oxide, the second is based on protein arrays and a third one is based on Langmuir-Blodgett laccase multi-layers. Special attention was paid to detecting substances significant to the environment (such as carbon dioxide and medicine (drug administration, cancer diagnosis and prognosis by means of amperometric, quartz crystal microbalance with frequency (QCM_F and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM_D technologies. The resulting three implemented nanosensors are described here along with proofs of principle and their corresponding applications.

Origins of gene, genetic code, protein and life

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

have concluded that newly-born genes are products of nonstop frames (NSF) ... research to determine tertiary structures of proteins such ... the present earth, is favourable for new genes to arise, if ..... NGG) in the universal genetic code table, cannot satisfy ..... which has been proposed to explain the development of life on.

Protein misfolding disorders: pathogenesis and intervention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gregersen, Niels

2006-01-01

of the functional structure of cellular proteins. Aberrant proteins, the result of production errors, inherited or acquired amino acid substitutions or damage, especially oxidative modifications, can in many cases not fold correctly and will be trapped in misfolded conformations. To rid the cell of misfolded...... be accompanied by a gain-of-function pathogenesis, which in many cases determines the pathological and clinical features. Examples are Parkinson and Huntington diseases. Although a number of strategies have been tried to decrease the amounts of accumulated and aggregated proteins, a likely future strategy seems......Newly synthesized proteins in the living cell must go through a folding process to attain their functional structure. To achieve this in an efficient fashion, all organisms, including humans, have evolved a large set of molecular chaperones that assist the folding as well as the maintenance...

Development and characterization of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against canine distemper virus hemagglutinin protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Bi, Zhenwei; Xia, Xingxia; Wang, Yongshan; Mei, Yongjie

2015-04-01

Canine distemper virus (CDV) causes a serious multisystemic disease in dogs and other carnivora. Hemagglutinin (H) protein-specific antibodies are mainly responsible for protective immunity against CDV infection. In the present study, six neutralizing MAbs to the H protein of CDV were newly obtained and characterized by immunizing BALB/c mice with a recent Chinese field isolate. Competitive binding inhibition assay revealed that they recognized four distinct antigenic regions of the H protein. Immunofluorescence assay and western blotting showed that all MAbs recognize the conformational rather than the linear epitopes of the H protein. Furthermore, in immunofluorescence and virus neutralization assays, two of the MAbs were found to react only with the recent Chinese field isolate and not with older CDV strains, including vaccine strain Onderstepoort, indicating there are neutralization-related antigenic variations between the recent Chinese field isolate and the older CDV strains examined in this study. The newly established MAbs are useful for differentiating the expanding CDV strains and could be used in immunotherapy and immunodiagnosis against infection with CDV. © 2015 The Societies and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Myocardial ischemic preconditioning upregulated protein 1(Mipu1):zinc finger protein 667 - a multifunctional KRAB/C{sub 2}H{sub 2} zinc finger protein

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, D.; Zhang, C. [Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Key Lab for Arteriosclerology of Hunan Province, Post-doctoral Mobile Stations for Basic Medicine, University of South China, Hengyang City, Hunan Province (China); Fan, W.J. [Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Key Lab for Arteriosclerology of Hunan Province, Post-doctoral Mobile Stations for Basic Medicine, University of South China, Hengyang City, Hunan Province (China); The Second Affiliated Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang City, Hunan Province (China); Pan, W.J.; Feng, D.M.; Qu, S.L.; Jiang, Z.S. [Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Key Lab for Arteriosclerology of Hunan Province, Post-doctoral Mobile Stations for Basic Medicine, University of South China, Hengyang City, Hunan Province (China)

2014-10-31

Myocardial ischemic preconditioning upregulated protein 1 (Mipu1) is a newly discovered upregulated gene produced in rats during the myocardial ischemic preconditioning process. Mipu1 cDNA contains a 1824-base pair open reading frame and encodes a 608 amino acid protein with an N-terminal Krüppel-associated box (KRAB) domain and classical zinc finger C{sub 2}H{sub 2} motifs in the C-terminus. Mipu1 protein is located in the cell nucleus. Recent studies found that Mipu1 has a protective effect on the ischemia-reperfusion injury of heart, brain, and other organs. As a nuclear factor, Mipu1 may perform its protective function through directly transcribing and repressing the expression of proapoptotic genes to repress cell apoptosis. In addition, Mipu1 also plays an important role in regulating the gene expression of downstream inflammatory mediators by inhibiting the activation of activator protein-1 and serum response element.

How to deal with the high condition number of the noise covariance matrix of gravity field functionals synthesised from a satellite-only global gravity field model?

Science.gov (United States)

Klees, R.; Slobbe, D. C.; Farahani, H. H.

2018-03-01

The posed question arises for instance in regional gravity field modelling using weighted least-squares techniques if the gravity field functionals are synthesised from the spherical harmonic coefficients of a satellite-only global gravity model (GGM), and are used as one of the noisy datasets. The associated noise covariance matrix, appeared to be extremely ill-conditioned with a singular value spectrum that decayed gradually to zero without any noticeable gap. We analysed three methods to deal with the ill-conditioned noise covariance matrix: Tihonov regularisation of the noise covariance matrix in combination with the standard formula for the weighted least-squares estimator, a formula of the weighted least-squares estimator, which does not involve the inverse noise covariance matrix, and an estimator based on Rao's unified theory of least-squares. Our analysis was based on a numerical experiment involving a set of height anomalies synthesised from the GGM GOCO05s, which is provided with a full noise covariance matrix. We showed that the three estimators perform similar, provided that the two regularisation parameters each method knows were chosen properly. As standard regularisation parameter choice rules do not apply here, we suggested a new parameter choice rule, and demonstrated its performance. Using this rule, we found that the differences between the three least-squares estimates were within noise. For the standard formulation of the weighted least-squares estimator with regularised noise covariance matrix, this required an exceptionally strong regularisation, much larger than one expected from the condition number of the noise covariance matrix. The preferred method is the inversion-free formulation of the weighted least-squares estimator, because of its simplicity with respect to the choice of the two regularisation parameters.

Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans secretome containing a newly described lipoprotein Licanantase enhances chalcopyrite bioleaching rate

Science.gov (United States)

Bobadilla Fazzini, Roberto A.; Levican, Gloria

2010-01-01

The nature of the mineral–bacteria interphase where electron and mass transfer processes occur is a key element of the bioleaching processes of sulfide minerals. This interphase is composed of proteins, metabolites, and other compounds embedded in extracellular polymeric substances mainly consisting of sugars and lipids (Gehrke et al., Appl Environ Microbiol 64(7):2743–2747, 1998). On this respect, despite Acidithiobacilli—a ubiquitous bacterial genera in bioleaching processes (Rawlings, Microb Cell Fact 4(1):13, 2005)—has long been recognized as secreting bacteria (Jones and Starkey, J Bacteriol 82:788–789, 1961; Schaeffer and Umbreit, J Bacteriol 85:492–493, 1963), few studies have been carried out in order to clarify the nature and the role of the secreted protein component: the secretome. This work characterizes for the first time the sulfur (meta)secretome of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans strain DSM 17318 in pure and mixed cultures with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans DSM 16786, identifying the major component of these secreted fractions as a single lipoprotein named here as Licanantase. Bioleaching assays with the addition of Licanantase-enriched concentrated secretome fractions show that this newly found lipoprotein as an active protein additive exerts an increasing effect on chalcopyrite bioleaching rate. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00253-010-3063-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:21191788

New lethal disease involving type I and III collagen defect resembling geroderma osteodysplastica, De Barsy syndrome, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome IV.

Science.gov (United States)

Jukkola, A; Kauppila, S; Risteli, L; Vuopala, K; Risteli, J; Leisti, J; Pajunen, L

1998-06-01

We describe the clinical findings and biochemical features of a male child suffering from a so far undescribed lethal connective tissue disorder characterised by extreme hypermobility of the joints, lax skin, cataracts, severe growth retardation, and insufficient production of type I and type III procollagens. His features are compared with Ehlers-Danlos type IV, De Barsy syndrome, and geroderma osteodysplastica, as these disorders show some symptoms and signs shared with our patient. The child died because of failure of the connective tissue structures joining the skull and the spine, leading to progressive spinal stenosis. The aortic valve was translucent and insufficient. The clinical symptoms and signs, together with histological findings, suggested a collagen defect. Studies on both skin fibroblast cultures and the patient's serum showed reduced synthesis of collagen types I and III at the protein and RNA levels. The sizes of the mRNAs and newly synthesised proteins were normal, excluding gross structural abnormalities. These findings are not in accordance with any other collagen defect characterised so far.

Identification of membrane proteins by tandem mass spectrometry of protein ions

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Joe; Altman, Matthew C.; Fearnley, Ian M.; Walker, John E.

2007-01-01

The most common way of identifying proteins in proteomic analyses is to use short segments of sequence (“tags”) determined by mass spectrometric analysis of proteolytic fragments. The approach is effective with globular proteins and with membrane proteins with significant polar segments between membrane-spanning α-helices, but it is ineffective with other hydrophobic proteins where protease cleavage sites are either infrequent or absent. By developing methods to purify hydrophobic proteins in organic solvents and by fragmenting ions of these proteins by collision induced dissociation with argon, we have shown that partial sequences of many membrane proteins can be deduced easily by manual inspection. The spectra from small proteolipids (1–4 transmembrane α-helices) are dominated usually by fragment ions arising from internal amide cleavages, from which internal sequences can be obtained, whereas the spectra from larger membrane proteins (5–18 transmembrane α-helices) often contain fragment ions from N- and/or C-terminal parts yielding sequences in those regions. With these techniques, we have, for example, identified an abundant protein of unknown function from inner membranes of mitochondria that to our knowledge has escaped detection in proteomic studies, and we have produced sequences from 10 of 13 proteins encoded in mitochondrial DNA. They include the ND6 subunit of complex I, the last of its 45 subunits to be analyzed. The procedures have the potential to be developed further, for example by using newly introduced methods for protein ion dissociation to induce fragmentation of internal regions of large membrane proteins, which may remain partially folded in the gas phase. PMID:17720804

Newly identified CHO ERCC3/XPB mutations and phenotype characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Rybanská, Ivana; Gurský, Ján; Fašková, Miriam; Salazar, Edmund P.; Kimlíčková-Polakovičová, Erika; Kleibl, Karol; Thompson, Larry H.; Piršel, Miroslav

2010-01-01

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a complex multistage process involving many interacting gene products to repair a wide range of DNA lesions. Genetic defects in NER cause human hereditary diseases including xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), Cockayne syndrome (CS), trichothiodystrophy and a combined XP/CS overlapping symptom. One key gene product associated with all these disorders is the excision repair cross-complementing 3/xeroderma pigmentosum B (ERCC3/XPB) DNA helicase, a subunit of the transcription factor IIH complex. ERCC3 is involved in initiation of basal transcription and global genome repair as well as in transcription-coupled repair (TCR). The hamster ERCC3 gene shows high degree of homology with the human ERCC3/XPB gene. We identified new mutations in the Chinese hamster ovary cell ERCC3 gene and characterized the role of hamster ERCC3 protein in DNA repair of ultraviolet (UV)-induced and oxidative DNA damage. All but one newly described mutations are located in the protein C-terminal region around the last intron–exon boundary. Due to protein truncations or frameshifts, they lack amino acid Ser751, phosphorylation of which prevents the 5′ incision of the UV-induced lesion during NER. Thus, despite the various locations of the mutations, their phenotypes are similar. All ercc3 mutants are extremely sensitive to UV-C light and lack recovery of RNA synthesis (RRS), confirming a defect in TCR of UV-induced damage. Their limited global genome NER capacity averages ∼8%. We detected modest sensitivity of ercc3 mutants to the photosensitizer Ro19-8022, which primarily introduces 8-oxoguanine lesions into DNA. Ro19-8022-induced damage interfered with RRS, and some of the ercc3 mutants had delayed kinetics. All ercc3 mutants showed efficient base excision repair (BER). Thus, the positions of the mutations have no effect on the sensitivity to, and repair of, Ro19-8022-induced DNA damage, suggesting that the ERCC3 protein is not involved in BER. PMID:19942596

14 CFR 26.39 - Newly produced airplanes: Fuel tank flammability.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Newly produced airplanes: Fuel tank... Tank Flammability § 26.39 Newly produced airplanes: Fuel tank flammability. (a) Applicability: This... Series 767 Series (b) Any fuel tank meeting all of the criteria stated in paragraphs (b)(1), (b)(2) and...

In silico engineering of aggregation-prone recombinant proteins for substrate recognition by the chaperonin GroEL.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Vipul; Punetha, Ankita; Sundar, Durai; Chaudhuri, Tapan K

2012-01-01

Molecular chaperones appear to have been evolved to facilitate protein folding in the cell through entrapment of folding intermediates on the interior of a large cavity formed between GroEL and its co-chaperonin GroES. They bind newly synthesized or non-native polypeptides through hydrophobic interactions and prevent their aggregation. Some proteins do not interact with GroEL, hence even though they are aggregation prone, cannot be assisted by GroEL for their folding. In this study, we have attempted to engineer these non-substrate proteins to convert them as the substrate for GroEL, without compromising on their function. We have used a computational biology approach to generate mutants of the selected proteins by selectively mutating residues in the hydrophobic patch, similar to GroES mobile loop region that are responsible for interaction with GroEL, and compared with the wild counterparts for calculation of their instability and aggregation propensities. The energies of the newly designed mutants were computed through molecular dynamics simulations. We observed increased aggregation propensity of some of the mutants formed after replacing charged amino acid residues with hydrophobic ones in the well defined hydrophobic patch, raising the possibility of their binding ability to GroEL. The newly generated mutants may provide potential substrates for Chaperonin GroEL, which can be experimentally generated and tested for their tendency of aggregation, interactions with GroEL and the possibility of chaperone-assisted folding to produce functional proteins.

Molecular spectroscopic features of protein in newly developed chickpea: Relationship with protein chemical profile and metabolism in the rumen and intestine of dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Baoli; Khan, Nazir Ahmad; Yu, Peiqiang

2018-05-05

The first aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional value of crude protein (CP) in CDC [Crop Development Centre (CDC), University of Saskatchewan] chickpea varieties (Frontier kabuli and Corinne desi) in comparison with a CDC barley variety in terms of: 1) CP chemical profile and subfractions; (2) in situ rumen degradation kinetics and intestinal digestibility of CP; 2) metabolizable protein (MP) supply to dairy cows; and (3) protein molecular structure characteristics using advanced molecular spectroscopy. The second aim was to quantify the relationship between protein molecular spectral characteristics and CP subfractions, in situ rumen CP degradation characteristics, intestinal digestibility of CP, and MP supply to dairy cows. Samples (n=4) of each variety, from two consecutive years were analyzed. Chickpeas had higher (Pmolecular spectral data of chickpeas can be distinguished from the barley. The two chickpeas did not differ in CP content, and any of the measured in situ degradation and molecular spectral characteristics of protein. The content of RUP was positively (r=0.94, Pmolecular spectroscopy can be used to rapidly characterize feed protein molecular structures and predict their digestibility and nutritive value. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chrysosplenium japonicum (Saxifragaceae, Newly Recorded from Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tian-Chuan Hsu

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Chrysosplenium japonicum (Maxim. Makino (Saxifragaceae is newly recorded from northeastern Taiwan. Description, color photos and a key to the Chrysosplenium species in Taiwan are provided.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and antihypertensive activities of protein hydrolysate from meat of Kacang goat (Capra aegagrus hircus).

Science.gov (United States)

Mirdhayati, Irdha; Hermanianto, Joko; Wijaya, Christofora H; Sajuthi, Dondin; Arihara, Keizo

2016-08-01

The meat of Kacang goat has potential for production of a protein hydrolysate. Functional ingredients from protein hydrolysate of Kacang goat meat were determined by the consistency of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity and antihypertensive effect. This study examined the potency of Kacang goat protein hydrolysate in ACE inhibition and antihypertensive activity. Protein hydrolysates of Kacang goat meat were prepared using sequential digestion of endo-proteinase and protease complex at several concentrations and hydrolysis times. The highest ACE inhibitory activity resulted from a hydrolysate that was digested for 4 h with 5 g kg(-1) of both enzymes. An ACE inhibitory peptide was purified and a novel peptide found with a sequence of Phe-Gln-Pro-Ser (IC50 value of 27.0 µmol L(-1) ). Both protein hydrolysates and a synthesised peptide (Phe-Gln-Pro-Ser) demonstrated potent antihypertensive activities in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Protein hydrolysate of Kacang goat meat produced by sequential digestion with endo-proteinase and protease complex has great potential as a functional ingredient, particularly as an antihypertensive agent. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

High prevalence of cachexia in newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients: An exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jager-Wittenaar, Harriët; Dijkstra, Pieter U; Dijkstra, Gerard; Bijzet, Johan; Langendijk, Johannes A; van der Laan, Bernard F A M; Roodenburg, Jan L N

2017-03-01

In patients with cancer, weight loss can be related to simple starvation, disturbed metabolism, or both. In patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), weight loss often is attributed to simple starvation because the obvious oral symptoms are known to hinder dietary intake. In this population, cachexia remains a relatively unexplored phenomenon. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of cachexia and precachexia in patients with newly diagnosed HNC. Fifty-nine patients with newly diagnosed HNC were asked to participate in the prospective cohort study, from which only baseline data were used in the analyses. Measurements were performed 1 wk before cancer treatment, that is, cachexia status by Fearon's cancer-specific framework, dietary intake, muscle mass, muscle strength, and biochemical markers (C-reactive protein, albumin, hemoglobin, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α) were assessed. Data of 26 patients were included in the analyses (59% participation rate). Forty-two percent of the patients (n = 12) were classified as cachectic and 15% (n = 4) as precachectic. Muscle mass depletion was significantly more frequent in cachectic patients (67%) than in noncachectic patients (14%; P = 0.014). No differences in inflammatory markers were observed between cachectic and noncachectic patients. This exploratory study suggested a high prevalence of cachexia (42%) in patients with newly diagnosed HNC. Although a large study is needed to further elucidate the role of cachexia in patients with HNC, the data presented here suggest that cachexia is a common problem in this patient population, which has therapeutic and prognostic implications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SVM-Prot 2016: A Web-Server for Machine Learning Prediction of Protein Functional Families from Sequence Irrespective of Similarity.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ying Hong; Xu, Jing Yu; Tao, Lin; Li, Xiao Feng; Li, Shuang; Zeng, Xian; Chen, Shang Ying; Zhang, Peng; Qin, Chu; Zhang, Cheng; Chen, Zhe; Zhu, Feng; Chen, Yu Zong

2016-01-01

Knowledge of protein function is important for biological, medical and therapeutic studies, but many proteins are still unknown in function. There is a need for more improved functional prediction methods. Our SVM-Prot web-server employed a machine learning method for predicting protein functional families from protein sequences irrespective of similarity, which complemented those similarity-based and other methods in predicting diverse classes of proteins including the distantly-related proteins and homologous proteins of different functions. Since its publication in 2003, we made major improvements to SVM-Prot with (1) expanded coverage from 54 to 192 functional families, (2) more diverse protein descriptors protein representation, (3) improved predictive performances due to the use of more enriched training datasets and more variety of protein descriptors, (4) newly integrated BLAST analysis option for assessing proteins in the SVM-Prot predicted functional families that were similar in sequence to a query protein, and (5) newly added batch submission option for supporting the classification of multiple proteins. Moreover, 2 more machine learning approaches, K nearest neighbor and probabilistic neural networks, were added for facilitating collective assessment of protein functions by multiple methods. SVM-Prot can be accessed at http://bidd2.nus.edu.sg/cgi-bin/svmprot/svmprot.cgi.

Being a team leader: newly registered nurses relate their experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekström, Louise; Idvall, Ewa

2015-01-01

This paper presents a study that explores how newly qualified registered nurses experience their leadership role in the ward-based nursing care team. A nurse's clinical leadership affects the quality of care provided. Newly qualified nurses experience difficulties during the transition period from student to qualified professional and find it challenging to lead nursing care. Twelve nurses were interviewed and the transcribed texts analysed using qualitative content analysis to assess both manifest and latent content. Five themes were identified: feeling stranded; forming well-functioning teams; learning to lead; having the courage, strength, and desire to lead; and ensuring appropriate care. The findings indicate that many factors limit nurses' leadership but some circumstances are supportive. The leadership prerequisites for newly registered nurses need to improve, emphasizing different ways to create a supportive atmosphere that promotes professional development and job satisfaction. To increase nurse retention and promote quality of care, nurse managers need to clarify expectations and guide and support newly qualified nurses in a planned way. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

People newly in love are more responsive to positive feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Cassandra L; Beninger, Richard J

2012-06-01

Passionate love is associated with increased activity in dopamine-rich regions of the brain. Increased dopamine in these regions is associated with a greater tendency to learn from reward in trial-and-error learning tasks. This study examined the prediction that individuals who were newly in love would be better at responding to reward (positive feedback). In test trials, people who were newly in love selected positive outcomes significantly more often than their single (not in love) counterparts but were no better at the task overall. This suggests that people who are newly in love show a bias toward responding to positive feedback, which may reflect a general bias towards reward-seeking.

Isolation and characterisation of cDNA clones representing the genes encoding the major tuber storage protein (dioscorin) of yam (Dioscorea cayenensis Lam.).

Science.gov (United States)

Conlan, R S; Griffiths, L A; Napier, J A; Shewry, P R; Mantell, S; Ainsworth, C

1995-06-01

cDNA clones encoding dioscorins, the major tuber storage proteins (M(r) 32,000) of yam (Dioscorea cayenesis) have been isolated. Two classes of clone (A and B, based on hybrid release translation product sizes and nucleotide sequence differences) which are 84.1% similar in their protein coding regions, were identified. The protein encoded by the open reading frame of the class A cDNA insert is of M(r) 30,015. The difference in observed and calculated molecular mass might be attributed to glycosylation. Nucleotide sequencing and in vitro transcription/translation suggest that the class A dioscorin proteins are synthesised with signal peptides of 18 amino acid residues which are cleaved from the mature peptide. The class A and class B proteins are 69.6% similar with respect to each other, but show no sequence identity with other plant proteins or with the major tuber storage proteins of potato (patatin) or sweet potato (sporamin). Storage protein gene expression was restricted to developing tubers and was not induced by growth conditions known to induce expression of tuber storage protein genes in other plant species. The codon usage of the dioscorin genes suggests that the Dioscoreaceae are more closely related to dicotyledonous than to monocotyledonous plants.

The effectiveness of strategies and interventions that aim to assist the transition from student to newly qualified nurse.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Deborah; Hawker, Clare; Carrier, Judith; Rees, Colin

2011-01-01

Background: The transition period from student to newly qualified nurse where nurses are adjusting to their new role and consolidating their knowledge and skills can be stressful. It is a time when many newly qualified nurses are left feeling inadequately prepared. A variety of strategies to ease the transition process have been reported, which aim to increase confidence, competence, sense of belonging of new graduates, improve recruitment and retention and reduce turnover costs. To synthesise the best available evidence on the effectiveness of support strategies and interventions aimed for newly qualified nurses. A comprehensive search was undertaken on major electronic databases to identify both published and unpublished studies from 2000 to the present date. Reference lists of retrieved papers were searched and authors contacted. Only quantitative studies published in English language were considered.Methodological quality and data extraction: Two reviewers independently assessed methodological quality and extracted data from the included studies. A third reviewer resolved any disagreements through discussion. The review did not identify comparable Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs), and as such meta-analysis of the data was not appropriate. The data extracted from the included studies were synthesized into a narrative summary. Thirty three studies were included in the review: RCT (1), Quasi-experimental (3) and observational/descriptive studies (29). Countries of origin were: USA (25), Australia (4), England (2), New Zealand (1) and Thailand (1). Studies were categorised according to the type of programme or support strategy provided: nurse internship/residency programmes (14) and graduate nurse orientation programmes (7), preceptorship (4), simulation (3) and mentoring (2), final year nursing students transition programs (2) and externship (1).Outcomes were categorised as being important to the employer (recruitment, retention, turnover rates, competence

Workplace Violence and Job Outcomes of Newly Licensed Nurses

OpenAIRE

Chang, Hyoung Eun; Cho, Sung-Hyun

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of workplace violence toward newly licensed nurses and the relationship between workplace violence and job outcomes. Methods: An online survey was conducted of newly licensed registered nurses who had obtained their license in 2012 or 2013 in South Korea and had been working for 5–12 months after first being employed. The sample consisted of 312 nurses working in hospitals or clinics. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire...

Effects of Mediterranean diet on sexual function in people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: The MÈDITA trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Maiorino, Maria Ida; Bellastella, Giuseppe; Caputo, Mariangela; Castaldo, Filomena; Improta, Maria Rosaria; Giugliano, Dario; Esposito, Katherine

To assess the long-term effect of Mediterranean diet, as compared with low-fat diet, on sexual function in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. In a randomized clinical trial, with a total follow-up of 8.1years, 215 men and women with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes were assigned to Mediterranean diet (n=108) or a low-fat diet (n=107). The primary outcome measures were changes of erectile function (IIEF) in diabetic men and of female sexual function (FSFI) in diabetic women. There was no difference in baseline sexual function in men (n=54 vs 52) or women (n=54 vs 55) randomized to Mediterranean diet or low-fat diet, respectively (P=0.287, P=0.815). Over the entire follow-up, the changes of the primary outcomes were significantly lower in the Mediterranean diet group compared with the low-fat group: IIEF and FSFI showed a significantly lesser decrease (1.22 and 1.18, respectively, P=0.024 and 0.019) with the Mediterranean diet. Baseline C-reactive protein levels predicted erectile dysfunction in men but not female sexual dysfunction in women. Among persons with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, a Mediterranean diet reduced the deterioration of sexual function over time in both sexes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification of proteins in the postsynaptic density fraction by mass spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walikonis, R S; Jensen, Ole Nørregaard; Mann, M

2000-01-01

Our understanding of the organization of postsynaptic signaling systems at excitatory synapses has been aided by the identification of proteins in the postsynaptic density (PSD) fraction, a subcellular fraction enriched in structures with the morphology of PSDs. In this study, we have completed...... not previously known to be constituents of the PSD fraction and 24 that had previously been associated with the PSD by other methods. The newly identified proteins include the heavy chain of myosin-Va (dilute myosin), a motor protein thought to be involved in vesicle trafficking, and the mammalian homolog...

Plasma levels of C-Reactive Protein and Fibrinogen in Pulmonary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, we determined the changes in plasma C- reactive protein (C-RP) and Fibrinogen levels in Drug sensitive Tuberculosis (DSTB) patients at diagnosis, Multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) patients at diagnosis and during chemotherapy. Twenty-four (24) patients MDRTB patients and 24 newly diagnosed ...

Cross-Genome Comparisons of Newly Identified Domains in Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Domain Architectures with Other Mycoplasma species

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Chandra Sekhar Reddy Chilamakuri

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Accurate functional annotation of protein sequences is hampered by important factors such as the failure of sequence search methods to identify relationships and the inherent diversity in function of proteins related at low sequence similarities. Earlier, we had employed intermediate sequence search approach to establish new domain relationships in the unassigned regions of gene products at the whole genome level by taking Mycoplasma gallisepticum as a specific example and established new domain relationships. In this paper, we report a detailed comparison of the conservation status of the domain and domain architectures of the gene products that bear our newly predicted domains amongst 14 other Mycoplasma genomes and reported the probable implications for the organisms. Some of the domain associations, observed in Mycoplasma that afflict humans and other non-human primates, are involved in regulation of solute transport and DNA binding suggesting specific modes of host-pathogen interactions.

Autoradiographic analysis of protein regeneration in striated skeleton muscle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dadoune, J.P.

1977-01-01

An autoradiographic study was conducted of protein regeneration in striated muscles aimed at clarifying the contradictions in the literature: while some authors hold that the regeneration rate is identical for all types of myofibril proteins and the myofibril is thus regenerated as a whole, others claim that the regeneration rate differs depending on the type of the myofibril protein. Tritium-labelled leucine incorporation experiments showed the existence of at least 2 pools of newly formed proteins in striated muscles in both adult and young animals. One pool is regenerated in 1 to 2 weeks, the other roughly in a month. The regeneration of proteins is initially more significant in red fibres; thus the rate of myofibril protein regeneration is not uniform. In adult animals regeneration seems to be slower in filaments than in the sarcoplasm and in the mitochondria. (A.K.)

Nonsecreted cytoplasmic alpha-fetoprotein: a newly discovered role in intracellular signaling and regulation. An update and commentary.

Science.gov (United States)

Mizejewski, G J

2015-12-01

The concept of a non-secreted cytoplasmic-bound form of alpha-fetoprotein is not a new notion in AFP biological activities. Cytoplasmic AFP (CyAFP) is a long known but forgotten protein in search of a function other than a histochemical biomarker. In this report, CyAFP is presented as an "old" protein with a newly described intracellular function. In 1976, CyAFP was shown to be a product of hepatoma cells utilizing 14Cleucine incorporation and demonstrated by autoradiographic procedures. The synthesis of CyAFP without secretion was demonstrated to occur in both malignant and non-malignant cells encompassing hepatomas, ascite fluid cells, immature rodent uterus, MCF-7 breast cancers, and cytosols from human breast cancer patients. Using computer protein matching and alignments in AFP versus members of the nuclear receptor superfamily, a consecutive series of leucine zipper (heptad) repeats in AFP was previously reported, suggesting the possibility for protein-to-protein interactions. The potential for heptad heterodimerization between protein-binding partners provided the rationale for proposing that CyAFP might have the capability to form molecular hetero-complexes with cytoplasmic based transcription factors. More recent investigations have now provided experimental evidence that CyAFP is capable of colocalizing and interacting with transcription-associated factors. Such proteins can modulate intracellular signaling leading to regulation of transcription factors and initiation of growth in human cancer cells. Although circulating serum AFP is known as a growth-enhancing factor during development, cytoplasmic AFP has a lethal role in the oncogenesis, growth, and metastasis of adult liver cancer.

The Revolution Continues: Newly Discovered Systems Expand the CRISPR-Cas Toolkit.

Science.gov (United States)

Murugan, Karthik; Babu, Kesavan; Sundaresan, Ramya; Rajan, Rakhi; Sashital, Dipali G

2017-10-05

CRISPR-Cas systems defend prokaryotes against bacteriophages and mobile genetic elements and serve as the basis for revolutionary tools for genetic engineering. Class 2 CRISPR-Cas systems use single Cas endonucleases paired with guide RNAs to cleave complementary nucleic acid targets, enabling programmable sequence-specific targeting with minimal machinery. Recent discoveries of previously unidentified CRISPR-Cas systems have uncovered a deep reservoir of potential biotechnological tools beyond the well-characterized Type II Cas9 systems. Here we review the current mechanistic understanding of newly discovered single-protein Cas endonucleases. Comparison of these Cas effectors reveals substantial mechanistic diversity, underscoring the phylogenetic divergence of related CRISPR-Cas systems. This diversity has enabled further expansion of CRISPR-Cas biotechnological toolkits, with wide-ranging applications from genome editing to diagnostic tools based on various Cas endonuclease activities. These advances highlight the exciting prospects for future tools based on the continually expanding set of CRISPR-Cas systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Polyubiquitin chain assembly and organisation determine the dynamics of protein activation and degradation

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Lan K. Nguyen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Protein degradation via ubiquitination is a major proteolytic mechanism in cells. Once a protein is destined for degradation, it is tagged by multiple ubiquitin molecules. The synthesised polyubiquitin chains can be recognised by the 26S proteosome where proteins are degraded. These chains form through multiple ubiquitination cycles that are similar to multi-site phosphorylation cycles. As kinases and phosphatases, two opposing enzymes (E3 ligases and deubiquitinases DUBs catalyse (deubiquitination cycles. Although multi-ubiquitination cycles are fundamental mechanisms of controlling protein concentrations within a cell, their dynamics have never been explored. Here, we fill this knowledge gap. We show that under permissive physiological conditions, the formation of polyubiquitin chain of length greater than two and subsequent degradation of the ubiquitinated protein, which is balanced by protein synthesis, can display bistable, switch-like responses. Interestingly, the occurrence of bistability becomes pronounced, as the chain grows, giving rise to all-or-none regulation at the protein levels. We give predictions of protein distributions under bistable regime awaiting experimental verification. Importantly, we show for the first time that sustained oscillations can robustly arise in the process of formation of ubiquitin chain, largely due to the degradation of the target protein. This new feature is opposite to the properties of multi-site phosphorylation cycles, which are incapable of generating oscillation if the total abundance of interconverted protein forms is conserved. We derive structural and kinetic constraints for the emergence of oscillations, indicating that a competition between different substrate forms and the E3 and DUB is critical for oscillation. Our work provides the first detailed elucidation of the dynamical features brought about by different molecular setups of the polyubiquitin chain assembly process responsible for

Exercise recommendations in patients with newly diagnosed fibromyalgia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Brad; Spencer, Horace; Kortebein, Patrick

2012-04-01

To evaluate exercise recommendations in patients newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia. A retrospective chart review. A public university rheumatology clinic. Patients newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia (N = 122). Frequency and type of exercise recommendations. The mean (standard deviation) age of these patients with fibromyalgia was 45 ± 12 years; 91% were women. Exercise was recommended as part of the documented treatment plan in 47% of these patients (57/122); only 3 patients had a documented contraindication for exercise. Aquatic exercise was most frequently recommended (56% [32/57]), followed by combined aquatic-aerobic exercise (26% [15/57]), and, infrequently, aerobic exercise only (5% [3/57]); only 7% of these patients (4/57) were referred for physical therapy. The primary method of communication was verbal discussion (94% [54/57]). Although there is well-documented evidence that exercise is beneficial for patients with fibromyalgia, we found that less than half of patients with newly diagnosed fibromyalgia in our study were provided recommendations to initiate an exercise program as part of their treatment plan. Further investigation of these findings are warranted, including evaluation of other university and community rheumatology practices as well as that of other physicians caring for patients with fibromyalgia. However, our findings indicate that there appears to be an opportunity to provide more specific and practical education regarding the implementation of an exercise regimen for patients with newly diagnosed fibromyalgia. Physiatrists may be particularly well suited to manage the exercise component of patients with fibromyalgia because of their specialized training in exercise prescription. Copyright © 2012 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In vivo and in vitro protein ligation by naturally occurring and engineered split DnaE inteins.

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A Sesilja Aranko

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Protein trans-splicing by naturally occurring split DnaE inteins is used for protein ligation of foreign peptide fragments. In order to widen biotechnological applications of protein trans-splicing, it is highly desirable to have split inteins with shorter C-terminal fragments, which can be chemically synthesized. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We report the identification of new functional split sites in DnaE inteins from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and from Nostoc punctiforme. One of the newly engineered split intein bearing C-terminal 15 residues showed more robust protein trans-splicing activity than naturally occurring split DnaE inteins in a foreign context. During the course of our experiments, we found that protein ligation by protein trans-splicing depended not only on the splicing junction sequences, but also on the foreign extein sequences. Furthermore, we could classify the protein trans-splicing reactions in foreign contexts with a simple kinetic model into three groups according to their kinetic parameters in the presence of various reducing agents. CONCLUSION: The shorter C-intein of the newly engineered split intein could be a useful tool for biotechnological applications including protein modification, incorporation of chemical probes, and segmental isotopic labelling. Based on kinetic analysis of the protein splicing reactions, we propose a general strategy to improve ligation yields by protein trans-splicing, which could significantly enhance the applications of protein ligation by protein trans-splicing.

Molecular spectroscopic features of protein in newly developed chickpea: Relationship with protein chemical profile and metabolism in the rumen and intestine of dairy cows

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Baoli; Khan, Nazir Ahmad; Yu, Peiqiang

2018-05-01

The first aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional value of crude protein (CP) in CDC [Crop Development Centre (CDC), University of Saskatchewan] chickpea varieties (Frontier kabuli and Corinne desi) in comparison with a CDC barley variety in terms of: 1) CP chemical profile and subfractions; (2) in situ rumen degradation kinetics and intestinal digestibility of CP; 2) metabolizable protein (MP) supply to dairy cows; and (3) protein molecular structure characteristics using advanced molecular spectroscopy. The second aim was to quantify the relationship between protein molecular spectral characteristics and CP subfractions, in situ rumen CP degradation characteristics, intestinal digestibility of CP, and MP supply to dairy cows. Samples (n = 4) of each variety, from two consecutive years were analyzed. Chickpeas had higher (P content (21.71-22.11 vs 12.96% DM), with higher (P content, and any of the measured in situ degradation and molecular spectral characteristics of protein. The content of RUP was positively (r = 0.94, P content of CP (R2 = 0.91) D-fraction (R2 = 0.82), RDP (R2 = 0.77), RUP (R2 = 0.77), TDP (R2 = 0.98), MP (R2 = 0.80), and FMV (R2 = 0.80) can be predicted from amide II peak height. Despite extensive ruminal degradation, chickpea is a good source of MP for dairy cows, and molecular spectroscopy can be used to rapidly characterize feed protein molecular structures and predict their digestibility and nutritive value.

Nilotinib versus imatinib for newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saglio, Giuseppe; Kim, Dong-Wook; Issaragrisil, Surapol

2010-01-01

Nilotinib has been shown to be a more potent inhibitor of BCR-ABL than imatinib. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of nilotinib, as compared with imatinib, in patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the chronic phase.......Nilotinib has been shown to be a more potent inhibitor of BCR-ABL than imatinib. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of nilotinib, as compared with imatinib, in patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the chronic phase....

Transformation of organic N newly added to red soil treated with different cultural practices

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZhangQin－Zheng; YeQing－Fu; 等

1998-01-01

By using 15N tracer method,transformation of organic N,which wqas newly added to red soil treated with different cultural practices,was studied under thelaboratory incubation condition.The experimental results showed that the transformation of N from newly added organic matter and soil native pool during incubation was influenced by cultural practice treatment beforeincubation.Fallow was favorable to the mineralization of newly added organic N and soil N compared with the planting wheat treatment.Planting wheat greatly increased the loss of soil N.Application of fertilizers stimulated the mineralization of newly added organic N and application of organic matter reduced the mineralization,but stimulated microbialtransformation of newly adde4d organic N.

Distinct functional domains in nesprin-1α and nesprin-2β bind directly to emerin and both interactions are disrupted in X-linked Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheeler, Matthew A.; Davies, John D.; Zhang Qiuping; Emerson, Lindsay J.; Hunt, James; Shanahan, Catherine M.; Ellis, Juliet A.

2007-01-01

Emerin and specific isoforms of nesprin-1 and -2 are nuclear membrane proteins which are binding partners in multi-protein complexes spanning the nuclear envelope. We report here the characterisation of the residues both in emerin and in nesprin-1α and -2β which are involved in their interaction and show that emerin requires nesprin-1 or -2 to retain it at the nuclear membrane. Using several protein-protein interaction methods, we show that residues 368 to 627 of nesprin-1α and residues 126 to 219 of nesprin-2β, which show high homology to one another, both mediate binding to emerin residues 140-176. This region has previously been implicated in binding to F-actin, β-catenin and lamin A/C suggesting that it is critical for emerin function. Confirmation that these protein domains interact in vivo was shown using GFP-dominant negative assays. Exogenous expression of either of these nesprin fragments in mouse myoblast C2C12 cells displaced endogenous emerin from the nuclear envelope and reduced the targeting of newly synthesised emerin. Furthermore, we are the first to report that emerin mutations which give rise to X-linked Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, disrupt binding to both nesprin-1α and -2β isoforms, further indicating a role of nesprins in the pathology of Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy

Experimental Pharmacological Research Regarding the Potential Antidepressant Activity Induced by Some Newly Synthesised Dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene Compounds

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Emil Ștefănescu

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background. Depression is a relatively frequent encountered mental disorder in the general population, affecting both the quality of the individual life and its ability to perform the social tasks; it is generally accepted that new studies related to this pathologic condition are further necessary, in order to identify more adequate, efficient and accessible therapeutic compounds. Materials and methods. This study was performed on a sample of 60 white male mice, NMRI strain, who were divided into 6 groups of 10 animals and treated with 4 new derivatives of dibenzo [a, d] cycloheptene, amitriptyline as a reference substance, or with distilled water for the control group. The animals were tested in respect to the forced swim test, both before and at 2 hours after administration of the mentioned substances. It was determined thus the time of immobilization. Results. The study showed the fact that only two of the four investigated compounds presented a relatively similar antidepressant effect with the reference substance. Conclusions. Minor structural changes, such as modifications of some substitutes from the basic chemical core of the reference substance can decisively influence the conservation or loss of the antidepressant properties.

Probing Bio-Nano Interactions between Blood Proteins and Monolayer-Stabilized Graphene Sheets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gan, Shiyu; Zhong, Lijie; Han, Dongxue

2015-01-01

Meeting proteins is regarded as the starting event for nanostructures to enter biological systems. Understanding their interactions is thus essential for a newly emerging field, nanomedicine. Chemically converted graphene (CCG) is a wonderful two-dimesional (2D) material for nanomedecine, but its...

Possible origin of Saturn's newly discovered outer ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moehlmann, D.

1986-01-01

Within a planetogonic model the self-gravitationally caused formation of pre-planetary and pre-satellite rings from an earlier thin disk is reported. The theoretically derived orbital radii of these rings are compared with the orbital levels in the planetary system and the satellite systems of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. From this comparison it is concluded that at the radial position of Saturn's newly discovered outer ring an early pre-satellite ring of more or less evolved satellites could have existed. These satellites should have been disturbed in their evolution by the gravitation of the neighbouring massive satellite Titan. The comparison also may indicate similarities between the asteroidal belt and the newly discovered outer ring of Saturn

Oral Cancer Knowledge Assessment: Newly Graduated versus Senior Dental Clinicians

Science.gov (United States)

Salgado de Souza, Ricardo; Gallego Arias Pecorari, Vanessa; Lauria Dib, Luciano

2018-01-01

The present study assessed the level of dentists' knowledge regarding oral cancer in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. A questionnaire was used to compare the level of knowledge among newly graduated and senior clinicians. A total of 20,154 e-mails were correctly delivered to the dentists registered in the database of the Regional Dentistry Council of São Paulo, and 477 (2.36%) responses were received. This sample consisted of 84 newly graduated clinicians and 105 senior clinicians. For the statistical analysis, the chi-square test and the logistic regression analysis were performed with α = 0.05, and the results were described herein. According to their knowledge level, the results were statistically different between the groups, since 19% of the newly graduated clinicians were evaluated with knowledge grade A (excellent) in comparison to 6.7% of the senior clinicians. In spite of the results indicated that newly graduated clinicians' knowledge regarding oral cancer was 2.1 times higher, 34.5% of the professionals in this group had regular or poor knowledge on the subject, and several questions relating to clinical characteristics and risk factors indicated that there still exist some knowledge gaps, demonstrating that there is a need for further studies and information activities addressing oral cancer. PMID:29666649

Career Motivation in Newly Licensed Registered Nurses: What Makes Them Remain

Science.gov (United States)

Banks, Zarata Mann; Bailey, Jessica H.

2010-01-01

Despite vast research on newly licensed registered nurses (RNs), we don't know why some newly licensed registered nurses remain in their current jobs and others leave the nursing profession early in their career. Job satisfaction, the most significant factor emerging from the literature, plays a significant role in nurses' decisions to remain in…

Meeting and activating the newly unemployed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rotger, Gabriel Pons

-demanding activity. As intensive activation is usually accompanied by intensive search monitoring, it is important to disentangling the contribution of the costly activation programs from that of caseworker meetings. Using Danish data for the period 2010-13, the paper shows that requiring newly unemployed intensive...... activation, contrary to job search meetings, reduces employment and increases sickness benefit claims....

The DNA-dependent protein kinase: a multifunctional protein kinase with roles in DNA double strand break repair and mitosis

Science.gov (United States)

Jette, Nicholas; Lees-Miller, Susan P.

2015-01-01

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a serine/threonine protein kinase composed of a large catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and the Ku70/80 heterodimer. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in elucidating the role of DNA-PK in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), the major pathway for repair of ionizing radiation-induced DNA double strand breaks in human cells and recently, additional roles for DNA-PK have been reported. In this review, we will describe the biochemistry, structure and function of DNA-PK, its roles in DNA double strand break repair and its newly described roles in mitosis and other cellular processes. PMID:25550082

FANCG promotes formation of a newly identified protein complex containing BRCA2, FANCD2 and XRCC3.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, J B; Yamamoto, K; Marriott, A S; Hussain, S; Sung, P; Hoatlin, M E; Mathew, C G; Takata, M; Thompson, L H; Kupfer, G M; Jones, N J

2008-06-12

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a human disorder characterized by cancer susceptibility and cellular sensitivity to DNA crosslinks and other damages. Thirteen complementation groups and genes are identified, including BRCA2, which is defective in the FA-D1 group. Eight of the FA proteins, including FANCG, participate in a nuclear core complex that is required for the monoubiquitylation of FANCD2 and FANCI. FANCD2, like FANCD1/BRCA2, is not part of the core complex, and we previously showed direct BRCA2-FANCD2 interaction using yeast two-hybrid analysis. We now show in human and hamster cells that expression of FANCG protein, but not the other core complex proteins, is required for co-precipitation of BRCA2 and FANCD2. We also show that phosphorylation of FANCG serine 7 is required for its co-precipitation with BRCA2, XRCC3 and FANCD2, as well as the direct interaction of BRCA2-FANCD2. These results argue that FANCG has a role independent of the FA core complex, and we propose that phosphorylation of serine 7 is the signalling event required for forming a discrete complex comprising FANCD1/BRCA2-FANCD2-FANCG-XRCC3 (D1-D2-G-X3). Cells that fail to express either phospho-Ser7-FANCG, or full length BRCA2 protein, lack the interactions amongst the four component proteins. A role for D1-D2-G-X3 in homologous recombination repair (HRR) is supported by our finding that FANCG and the RAD51-paralog XRCC3 are epistatic for sensitivity to DNA crosslinking compounds in DT40 chicken cells. Our findings further define the intricate interface between FANC and HRR proteins in maintaining chromosome stability.

Casein and soy protein meals differentially affect whole-body and splanchnic protein metabolism in healthy humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Luiking, Yvette C; Deutz, Nicolaas E P; Jäkel, Martin; Soeters, Peter B

2005-05-01

Dietary protein quality is considered to be dependent on the degree and velocity with which protein is digested, absorbed as amino acids, and retained in the gut as newly synthesized protein. Metabolic animal studies suggest that the quality of soy protein is inferior to that of casein protein, but confirmatory studies in humans are lacking. The study objective was to assess the quality of casein and soy protein by comparing their metabolic effects in healthy human subjects. Whole-body protein kinetics, splanchnic leucine extraction, and urea production rates were measured in the postabsorptive state and during 8-h enteral intakes of isonitrogenous [0.42 g protein/(kg body weight . 8 h)] protein-based test meals, which contained either casein (CAPM; n = 12) or soy protein (SOPM; n = 10) in 2 separate groups. Stable isotope techniques were used to study metabolic effects. With enteral food intake, protein metabolism changed from net protein breakdown to net protein synthesis. Net protein synthesis was greater in the CAPM group than in the SOPM group [52 +/- 14 and 17 +/- 14 nmol/(kg fat-free mass (FFM) . min), respectively; P CAPM (P = 0.07). Absolute splanchnic extraction of leucine was higher in the subjects that consumed CAPM [306 +/- 31 nmol/(kg FFM . min)] vs. those that consumed SOPM [235 +/- 29 nmol/(kg FFM . min); P < 0.01]. In conclusion, a significantly larger portion of soy protein is degraded to urea, whereas casein protein likely contributes to splanchnic utilization (probably protein synthesis) to a greater extent. The biological value of soy protein must be considered inferior to that of casein protein in humans.

Prediction of residue-residue contact matrix for protein-protein interaction with Fisher score features and deep learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Tianchuan; Liao, Li; Wu, Cathy H; Sun, Bilin

2016-11-01

Protein-protein interactions play essential roles in many biological processes. Acquiring knowledge of the residue-residue contact information of two interacting proteins is not only helpful in annotating functions for proteins, but also critical for structure-based drug design. The prediction of the protein residue-residue contact matrix of the interfacial regions is challenging. In this work, we introduced deep learning techniques (specifically, stacked autoencoders) to build deep neural network models to tackled the residue-residue contact prediction problem. In tandem with interaction profile Hidden Markov Models, which was used first to extract Fisher score features from protein sequences, stacked autoencoders were deployed to extract and learn hidden abstract features. The deep learning model showed significant improvement over the traditional machine learning model, Support Vector Machines (SVM), with the overall accuracy increased by 15% from 65.40% to 80.82%. We showed that the stacked autoencoders could extract novel features, which can be utilized by deep neural networks and other classifiers to enhance learning, out of the Fisher score features. It is further shown that deep neural networks have significant advantages over SVM in making use of the newly extracted features. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Competence of newly qualified registered nurses from a nursing college

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BG Morolong

2005-09-01

Full Text Available The South African education and training system, through its policy of outcomesbased education and training, has made competency a national priority. In compliance to this national requirement of producing competent learners, the South African Nursing Council ( 1999 B require that the beginner professional nurse practitioners and midwives have the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes and values which will enable them to render efficient professional service. The health care system also demands competent nurse practitioners to ensure quality in health care. In the light of competency being a national priority and a statutory demand, the research question that emerges is, how competent are the newly qualified registered nurses from a specific nursing college in clinical nursing education? A quantitative, non-experimental contextual design was used to evaluate the competence of newly qualified registered nurses from a specific nursing college. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase dealt with the development of an instrument together with its manual through the conceptualisation process. The second phase focused on the evaluation of the competency of newly qualified nurses using the instrument based on the steps of the nursing process. A pilot study was conducted to test the feasibility of the items of the instrument. During the evaluation phase, a sample of twenty-six newly qualified nurses was selected by simple random sampling from a target population of thirty-six newly qualified registered nurses. However, six participants withdrew from the study. Data was collected in two general hospitals where the newly qualified registered nurses were working. Observation and questioning were used as data collection techniques in accordance with the developed instrument. Measures were taken to ensure internal validity and reliability of the results. To protect the rights of the participants, the researcher adhered to DENOSA’S (1998

Clinical heterogeneity in newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Post, Bart; Speelman, Johannes D.; de Haan, Rob J.

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine clinical heterogeneity in newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease using cluster analysis and to describe the subgroups in terms of impairment, disability, perceived quality of life, and use of dopaminergic therapy. METHODS: We conducted a k-means cluster analysis in a prospective

Life and death of proteins after protease cleavage: protein degradation by the N-end rule pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Dissmeyer, Nico; Rivas, Susana; Graciet, Emmanuelle

2018-05-01

Contents Summary 929 I. conservation and diversity of N-end rule pathways 929 II. Defensive functions of the N-end rule pathway in plants 930 III. Proteases and degradation by the N-end rule pathway 930 IV. New proteomics approaches for the identification of N-end rule substrates 932 V. Concluding remarks 932 Acknowledgements 934 References 934 SUMMARY: The N-end rule relates the stability of a protein to the identity of its N-terminal residue and some of its modifications. Since its discovery in the 1980s, the repertoire of N-terminal degradation signals has expanded, leading to a diversity of N-end rule pathways. Although some of these newly discovered N-end rule pathways remain largely unexplored in plants, recent discoveries have highlighted roles of N-end rule-mediated protein degradation in plant defense against pathogens and in cell proliferation during organ growth. Despite this progress, a bottleneck remains the proteome-wide identification of N-end rule substrates due to the prerequisite for endoproteolytic cleavage and technical limitations. Here, we discuss the recent diversification of N-end rule pathways and their newly discovered functions in plant defenses, stressing the role of proteases. We expect that novel proteomics techniques (N-terminomics) will be essential for substrate identification. We review these methods, their limitations and future developments. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Protein Targeting: ER Leads the Way to the Inner Nuclear Envelope.

Science.gov (United States)

Blackstone, Craig

2017-12-04

Efficient targeting of newly synthesized membrane proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to the inner nuclear membrane depends on nucleotide hydrolysis. A new study shows that this dependence reflects critical actions of the atlastin family of GTPases in maintaining the morphology of the endoplasmic reticulum network. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

[Principles of nutrition in patients with newly appointed stoma].

Science.gov (United States)

Pachocka, Lucyna Małgorzata; Urbanik, Anna

2016-01-01

The treatment of intestinal stoma is often a difficult experience for patients and results in numerous problems in the physical, psychological and social aspects. Therefore, post-operative care of the patient with the newly appointed stoma should be taken by therapeutic team consisting of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians, psychologists and social workers. Appropriate nutritional education of patients aims to improve their quality of life and to prevent from unpleasant ailments formed after the operation. The specific type of stoma may decide about certain dietary recommendations. The presented work provides a practical dietary recommendations for patients with newly appointed stoma.

Two Newly Discovered Plants in Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Tian-Chuan Hsu; Jia-Jung Lin; Shih-Wen Chung

2009-01-01

Two herbs are newly discovered in Taiwan. Limnophila fragrans (G. Forst.) Seem. (Scrophulariaceae), native in SE Asia, is recognized from southern lowlands. Anagallis minima (L.) E. H. L. Krause (Primulaceae), native in N America and Europe, was found from northern mountainous region at low altitudes. In this study, descriptions, line drawings, color photos and a distribution map of the two species are provided.

Synthesising acid mine drainage to maintain and exploit indigenous mining micro-algae and microbial assemblies for biotreatment investigations.

Science.gov (United States)

Orandi, Sanaz; Lewis, David M

2013-02-01

The stringent regulations for discharging acid mine drainage (AMD) has led to increased attention on traditional or emerging treatment technologies to establish efficient and sustainable management for mine effluents. To assess new technologies, laboratory investigations on AMD treatment are necessary requiring a consistent supply of AMD with a stable composition, thus limiting environmental variability and uncertainty during controlled experiments. Additionally, biotreatment systems using live cells, particularly micro-algae, require appropriate nutrient availability. Synthetic AMD (Syn-AMD) meets these requirements. However, to date, most of the reported Syn-AMDs are composed of only a few selected heavy metals without considering the complexity of actual AMD. In this study, AMD was synthesised based on the typical AMD characteristics from a copper mine where biotreatment is being considered using indigenous AMD algal-microbes. Major cations (Ca, Na, Cu, Zn, Mg, Mn and Ni), trace metals (Al, Fe, Ag, Na, Co, Mo, Pb and Cr), essential nutrients (N, P and C) and high SO(4) were incorporated into the Syn-AMD. This paper presents the preparation of chemically complex Syn-AMD and the challenges associated with combining metal salts of varying solubility that is not restricted to one particular mine site. The general approach reported and the particular reagents used can produce alternative Syn-AMD with varying compositions. The successful growth of indigenous AMD algal-microbes in the Syn-AMD demonstrated its applicability as appropriate generic media for cultivation and maintenance of mining microorganisms for future biotreatment studies.

BAX protein expression and clinical outcome in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Y T; Lee, S; Niloff, E; Weisman, C; Strobel, T; Cannistra, S A

1998-08-01

Expression of the pro-apoptotic protein BAX sensitizes ovarian cancer cell lines to paclitaxel in vitro by enhancing the pathway of programmed cell death. The present study was performed to determine the relationship between BAX expression and clinical outcome in 45 patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer. BAX protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, and its relationship with clinical outcome was determined. Assessment of BAX mRNA transcript levels and mutational analysis of the BAX coding region were also performed. BAX protein was expressed at high levels (defined as > or = 50% of tumor cells positive) in tumor tissue from 60% of newly diagnosed patients. All patients whose tumors expressed high levels of BAX achieved a complete response (CR) to first-line chemotherapy that contained paclitaxel plus a platinum analogue, compared with 57% of patients in the low-BAX group (P = .036). After a median follow-up of 1.9 years, the median disease-free survival (DFS) of patients in the high-BAX group has not been reached, compared with a median DFS of 1.1 years for low-BAX expressors (P = .0061). BAX retained independent prognostic significance in multivariate analysis when corrected for stage and histology. BAX mRNA transcripts were easily detected in samples with low BAX protein expression, and no BAX mutations were identified. The correlation between high BAX levels and improved clinical outcome suggests that an intact apoptotic pathway is an important determinant of chemoresponsiveness in ovarian cancer patients who receive paclitaxel.

Newly-formed emotional memories guide selective attention processes: Evidence from event-related potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Schupp, Harald T; Kirmse, Ursula; Schmälzle, Ralf; Flaisch, Tobias; Renner, Britta

2016-06-20

Emotional cues can guide selective attention processes. However, emotional stimuli can both activate long-term memory representations reflecting general world knowledge and engage newly formed memory representations representing specific knowledge from the immediate past. Here, the self-completion feature of associative memory was utilized to assess the regulation of attention processes by newly-formed emotional memory. First, new memory representations were formed by presenting pictures depicting a person either in an erotic pose or as a portrait. Afterwards, to activate newly-built memory traces, edited pictures were presented showing only the head region of the person. ERP recordings revealed the emotional regulation of attention by newly-formed memories. Specifically, edited pictures from the erotic compared to the portrait category elicited an early posterior negativity and late positive potential, similar to the findings observed for the original pictures. A control condition showed that the effect was dependent on newly-formed memory traces. Given the large number of new memories formed each day, they presumably make an important contribution to the regulation of attention in everyday life.

Newly-formed emotional memories guide selective attention processes: Evidence from event-related potentials

Science.gov (United States)

Schupp, Harald T.; Kirmse, Ursula; Schmälzle, Ralf; Flaisch, Tobias; Renner, Britta

2016-01-01

Emotional cues can guide selective attention processes. However, emotional stimuli can both activate long-term memory representations reflecting general world knowledge and engage newly formed memory representations representing specific knowledge from the immediate past. Here, the self-completion feature of associative memory was utilized to assess the regulation of attention processes by newly-formed emotional memory. First, new memory representations were formed by presenting pictures depicting a person either in an erotic pose or as a portrait. Afterwards, to activate newly-built memory traces, edited pictures were presented showing only the head region of the person. ERP recordings revealed the emotional regulation of attention by newly-formed memories. Specifically, edited pictures from the erotic compared to the portrait category elicited an early posterior negativity and late positive potential, similar to the findings observed for the original pictures. A control condition showed that the effect was dependent on newly-formed memory traces. Given the large number of new memories formed each day, they presumably make an important contribution to the regulation of attention in everyday life. PMID:27321471

A Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) for synthesising high-frequency sensor data for validation of deterministic ecological models

Science.gov (United States)

David, Hamilton P; Carey, Cayelan C.; Arvola, Lauri; Arzberger, Peter; Brewer, Carol A.; Cole, Jon J; Gaiser, Evelyn; Hanson, Paul C.; Ibelings, Bas W; Jennings, Eleanor; Kratz, Tim K; Lin, Fang-Pang; McBride, Christopher G.; de Motta Marques, David; Muraoka, Kohji; Nishri, Ami; Qin, Boqiang; Read, Jordan S.; Rose, Kevin C.; Ryder, Elizabeth; Weathers, Kathleen C.; Zhu, Guangwei; Trolle, Dennis; Brookes, Justin D

2014-01-01

A Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON; www.gleon.org) has formed to provide a coordinated response to the need for scientific understanding of lake processes, utilising technological advances available from autonomous sensors. The organisation embraces a grassroots approach to engage researchers from varying disciplines, sites spanning geographic and ecological gradients, and novel sensor and cyberinfrastructure to synthesise high-frequency lake data at scales ranging from local to global. The high-frequency data provide a platform to rigorously validate process- based ecological models because model simulation time steps are better aligned with sensor measurements than with lower-frequency, manual samples. Two case studies from Trout Bog, Wisconsin, USA, and Lake Rotoehu, North Island, New Zealand, are presented to demonstrate that in the past, ecological model outputs (e.g., temperature, chlorophyll) have been relatively poorly validated based on a limited number of directly comparable measurements, both in time and space. The case studies demonstrate some of the difficulties of mapping sensor measurements directly to model state variable outputs as well as the opportunities to use deviations between sensor measurements and model simulations to better inform process understanding. Well-validated ecological models provide a mechanism to extrapolate high-frequency sensor data in space and time, thereby potentially creating a fully 3-dimensional simulation of key variables of interest.

Pollen parameters estimates of genetic variability among newly ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pollen parameters estimates of genetic variability among newly selected Nigerian roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) genotypes. ... Estimates of some pollen parameters where used to assess the genetic diversity among ... HOW TO USE AJOL.

Tricks of the trade: time management tips for newly qualified doctors.

Science.gov (United States)

Offiah, Gozie; Doherty, Eva

2018-03-01

The transition from medical student to doctor is an important milestone. The discovery that their time is no longer their own and that the demands of their job are greater than the time they have available is extremely challenging. At a recent surgical boot camp training programme, 60 first-year surgical trainees who had just completed their internship were invited to reflect on the lessons learnt regarding effective time management and to recommend tips for their newly qualified colleagues. They were asked to identify clinical duties that were considered urgent and important using the time management matrix and the common time traps encountered by newly qualified doctors. The surgical trainees identified several practical tips that ranged from writing a priority list to working on relationships within the team. These tips are generic and so applicable to all newly qualified medial doctors. We hope that awareness of these tips from the outset as against learning them through experience will greatly assist newly qualified doctors. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Chest Radiographic Findings in Newly Diagnosed Pulmonary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Five hundred newly diagnosed cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis were treated with directly observed short-course treatment and 100 of them had chest radiographic examination done. The various chest radiographic patterns in the 100 subjects were studied and included: Fluffy exudative changes 80(80%), fibrosis 70(70%) ...

Protein metabolism in marine animals: the underlying mechanism of growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraser, Keiron P P; Rogers, Alex D

2007-01-01

comprise a significant proportion of overall metabolic costs in marine organisms, accurate estimates of the energetic cost per unit of synthesised protein are important. Measured costs of protein metabolism are reviewed, and the very high variability in reported costs highlighted. Two major determinants of protein synthesis rates are the tissue concentration of RNA, often expressed as the RNA to protein ratio, and the RNA activity (k(RNA)). The effects of temperature, nutrition and developmental stage on RNA concentration and activity are considered. This chapter highlights our complete lack of knowledge of protein metabolism in many groups of marine organisms, and the fact we currently have only limited data for animals held under a narrow range of experimental conditions. The potential assistance that genomic methods may provide in increasing our understanding of protein metabolism is described.

The relationship of platinum resistance and ERCC1 protein expression in epithelial ovarian cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steffensen, Karina Dahl; Waldstrøm, Marianne; Jakobsen, Anders

2009-01-01

: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 101 patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer were used for immunohistochemical staining for the ERCC1 protein. All patients received carboplatin-paclitaxel combination chemotherapy. RESULTS: Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 enzyme...

Newly graduated nurses' empowerment regarding professional competence and other work-related factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuokkanen, Liisa; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Numminen, Olivia; Isoaho, Hannu; Flinkman, Mervi; Meretoja, Riitta

2016-01-01

Although both nurse empowerment and competence are fundamental concepts of describing newly graduated nurses' professional development and job satisfaction, only few studies exist on the relationship between these concepts. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine how newly graduated nurses assess their empowerment and to clarify professional competence compared to other work-related factors. A descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational design was applied. The sample comprised newly graduated nurses (n = 318) in Finland. Empowerment was measured using the 19-item Qualities of an Empowered Nurse scale and the Nurse Competence Scale measured nurses' self-assessed generic competence. In addition to demographic data, the background data included employment sector (public/private), job satisfaction, intent to change/leave job, work schedule (shifts/business hours) and assessments of the quality of care in the workplace. The data were analysed statistically by using Spearman's correlation coefficient as well as the One-Way and Multivariate Analysis of Variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to estimate the internal consistency. Newly graduated nurses perceived their level of empowerment and competence fairly high. The association between nurse empowerment and professional competence was statistically significant. Other variables correlating positively to empowerment included employment sector, age, job satisfaction, intent to change job, work schedule, and satisfaction with the quality of care in the work unit. The study indicates competence had the strongest effect on newly graduated nurses' empowerment. New graduates need support and career opportunities. In the future, nurses' further education and nurse managers' resources for supporting and empowering nurses should respond to the newly graduated nurses' requisites for attractive and meaningful work.

Two Newly Discovered Plants in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tian-Chuan Hsu

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Two herbs are newly discovered in Taiwan. Limnophila fragrans (G. Forst. Seem. (Scrophulariaceae, native in SE Asia, is recognized from southern lowlands. Anagallis minima (L. E. H. L. Krause (Primulaceae, native in N America and Europe, was found from northern mountainous region at low altitudes. In this study, descriptions, line drawings, color photos and a distribution map of the two species are provided.

Transport stress induces heart damage in newly hatched chicks via blocking the cytoprotective heat shock response and augmenting nitric oxide production.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, F; Zuo, Y-Z; Ge, J; Xia, J; Li, X-N; Lin, J; Zhang, C; Xu, H-L; Li, J-L

2018-04-20

Transport stress affects the animal's metabolism and psychological state. As a pro-survival pathway, the heat shock response (HSR) protects healthy cells from stressors. However, it is unclear whether the HSR plays a role in transport stress-induced heart damage. To evaluate the effects of transport stress on heart damage and HSR protection, newly hatched chicks were treated with transport stress for 2 h, 4 h and 8 h. Transport stress caused decreases in body weight and increases in serum creatine kinase (CK) activity, nitric oxide (NO) content in heart tissue, cardiac nitric oxide syntheses (NOS) activity and NOS isoforms transcription. The mRNA expression of heat shock factors (HSFs, including HSF1-3) and heat shock proteins (HSPs, including HSP25, HSP40, HSP47, HSP60, HSP70, HSP90 and HSP110) in the heart of 2 h transport-treated chicks was upregulated. After 8 h of transport stress in chicks, the transcription levels of the same HSPs and HSF2 were reduced in the heart. It was also found that the changes in the HSP60, HSP70 and HSP90 protein levels had similar tendencies. These results suggested that transport stress augmented NO generation through enhancing the activity of NOS and the transcription of NOS isoforms. Therefore, this study provides new evidence that transport stress induces heart damage in the newly hatched chicks by blocking the cytoprotective HSR and augmenting NO production.

Diabetes education and self-management for ongoing and newly diagnosed (DESMOND)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skinner, T. Chas; Carey, Marian E.; Cradock, Sue

2006-01-01

diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes changes key illness beliefs and that these changes predict quality of life and metabolic control at 3-month follow-up. Practice implications: Newly diagnosed individuals are open to attending self-management programs and, if the program is theoretically driven, can......Objective: To determine the effects of a structured education program on illness beliefs, quality of life and physical activity in people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Methods: Individuals attending a diabetes education and self-management for ongoing and newly diagnosed (DESMOND) program...... in 12 Primary Care Trusts completed questionnaire booklets assessing illness beliefs and quality of life at baseline and 3-month follow-up, metabolic control being assessed through assay of HbA1c. Results: Two hundred and thirty-six individuals attended the structured self-management education sessions...

Disturbed vesicular trafficking of membrane proteins in prion disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Uchiyama, Keiji; Miyata, Hironori; Sakaguchi, Suehiro

2013-01-01

The pathogenic mechanism of prion diseases remains unknown. We recently reported that prion infection disturbs post-Golgi trafficking of certain types of membrane proteins to the cell surface, resulting in reduced surface expression of membrane proteins and abrogating the signal from the proteins. The surface expression of the membrane proteins was reduced in the brains of mice inoculated with prions, well before abnormal symptoms became evident. Prions or pathogenic prion proteins were mainly detected in endosomal compartments, being particularly abundant in recycling endosomes. Some newly synthesized membrane proteins are delivered to the surface from the Golgi apparatus through recycling endosomes, and some endocytosed membrane proteins are delivered back to the surface through recycling endosomes. These results suggest that prions might cause neuronal dysfunctions and cell loss by disturbing post-Golgi trafficking of membrane proteins via accumulation in recycling endosomes. Interestingly, it was recently shown that delivery of a calcium channel protein to the cell surface was impaired and its function was abrogated in a mouse model of hereditary prion disease. Taken together, these results suggest that impaired delivery of membrane proteins to the cell surface is a common pathogenic event in acquired and hereditary prion diseases.

Flagellation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in newly divided cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Kun; Lee, Calvin; Anda, Jaime; Wong, Gerard

2015-03-01

For monotrichous bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, after cell division, one daughter cell inherits the old flagellum from its mother cell, and the other grows a new flagellum during or after cell division. It had been shown that the new flagellum grows at the distal pole of the dividing cell when the two daughter cells haven't completely separated. However, for those daughter cells who grow new flagella after division, it still remains unknown at which pole the new flagellum will grow. Here, by combining our newly developed bacteria family tree tracking techniques with genetic manipulation method, we showed that for the daughter cell who did not inherit the old flagellum, a new flagellum has about 90% chances to grow at the newly formed pole. We proposed a model for flagellation of P. aeruginosa.

Intrinsically Disordered Proteins in a Physics-Based World

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianhan Chen

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs are a newly recognized class of functional proteins that rely on a lack of stable structure for function. They are highly prevalent in biology, play fundamental roles, and are extensively involved in human diseases. For signaling and regulation, IDPs often fold into stable structures upon binding to specific targets. The mechanisms of these coupled binding and folding processes are of significant importance because they underlie the organization of regulatory networks that dictate various aspects of cellular decision-making. This review first discusses the challenge in detailed experimental characterization of these heterogeneous and dynamics proteins and the unique and exciting opportunity for physics-based modeling to make crucial contributions, and then summarizes key lessons from recent de novo simulations of the structure and interactions of several regulatory IDPs.

Perceptions of the clinical competence of newly registered nurses in the North West province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.R. Moeti

2004-09-01

Full Text Available The clinical competence of newly registered nurses relating to the care of individual Clients, depends on their ability to correlate theoretical knowledge learned in the classroom with practice and the development of clinical skills. Its foundation lies in the ability to identify and solve problems that emanate from critical thinking, analytical reasoning and reflective practice. It is clear that the quality of clinical exposure plays a leading role in the development of nursing professionals. Nursing skills alone cannot ensure quality care of clients without the application of theory. Facilitation of this theory to practice therefore remains an essential component of nursing education. This study was aimed at identifying areas of incompetence of newly registered nurses (1998- 2001 in the clinical area by determining the newly registered nurses1 and professional nurses1 perceptions of the competence of the newly registered nurses. A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive survey was used to collect the data regarding the clinical competence of newly registered nurses (1998-2001.

FOXO/DAF-16 Activation Slows Down Turnover of the Majority of Proteins in C. elegans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dhondt, Ineke; Petyuk, Vladislav A.; Cai, Huaihan; Vandemeulebroucke, Lieselot; Vierstraete, Andy; Smith, Richard D.; Depuydt, Geert; Braeckman, Bart P.

2016-09-01

Cellular protein quality can be maintained by proteolytic elimination of damaged proteins and replacing them with newly synthesized copies, a process called protein turnover (Ward, 2000). Protein turnover rates have been estimated using SILAC (stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture) in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in the analysis of whole-organism proteome dynamics in metazoans using the same approach (Claydon and Beynon, 2012). In recent work, SILAC was applied to monitor protein synthesis throughout life in adult Caenorhabditis elegans (Vukoti et al., 2015) and to investigate food intake (Gomez-Amaro et al., 2015

'Practising under your own Pin'- a description of the transition experiences of newly qualified midwives.

Science.gov (United States)

Avis, Mark; Mallik, Maggie; Fraser, Diane M

2013-11-01

Transition experiences of newly qualified midwives were examined in depth during the third phase of a UK evaluation study of midwifery education. The fitness to practise and the retention of newly qualified nursing and midwifery graduates are pressing concerns for health care managers. The advantages of preceptorship are reported in the literature but the content and timing of schemes remain unclear. A semi-structured diary was kept for up to 6 months by 35 newly qualified midwives in 18 work sites covering all countries in the UK. The preceptor and supervisor of midwives for each newly qualified midwife completed short questionnaires about their preceptee's performance, and a further sub-sample of newly qualified midwives and preceptors participated in a semi-structured interview. Data were analysed to elicit aspects of newly qualified midwives transition experiences. Findings confirm that structured preceptorship schemes are not widely available. Newly qualified midwives primarily obtained transition support from members of the midwifery team. Although perceived as competent, there is no demarcation point in becoming confident to practise as a registered practitioner. Implications for managers include the importance of a supportive culture within clinical teams for successful transition and the introduction of structured preceptorship schemes facilitated by appropriate rotation patterns. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of N:S ratio on the corporation of 35S into the thioamino acids of the microbial protein in an in vitro rumen system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walli, T.K.; Mudgal, V.D.

1978-01-01

Three fistulated Tharparkar cows and three fistulated Murrah buffaloes, fed with three isonitrogenous urea based concentrate mixtures with nitrogen : sulphur ratio of 20:1, 10:1 and 5:1, alongwith wheat straw, were used as donors of rumen inoculum for an in vitro experiment. The incubation vessels contained either of the three urea based purified substrates of N:S ratios (20:1, 10:1 and 5:1). Three μCi of 35 S labelled Na 2 SO 4 was added to each incubation vessel. At the end of 24 h incubation, the proteins were precipitated with TCA. The proteins were further hydrolysed for the estimation of thio-amino acids, namely cystine and methionine. 35 S radioactivity in the protein precipitate and also in the cystine and methionine fraction was measured by liquid scintillation. From the present studies it could be suggested that the dietary nitrogen: sulphur ratio of 10:1 is optimum for the maximum protein and thioamino acid synthesis in the rumen. The studies further revealed that the buffalo rumen microbes synthesise more cystine and methionine and consequently more proteins than the microbes in cow rumen. (author)

Synthesis of a Cytokinin Linked by a Spacer to Dexamethasone and Biotin: Conjugates to Detect Cytokinin-Binding Proteins

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You Wang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Yeast cells expressing cDNA libraries have provided two new approaches to facilitate further identification of cytokinin-binding proteins and receptors. These are the yeast three hybrid (Y3H system and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS. The Y3H system requires a synthetic hybrid ligand comprising an “anchor” moiety (e.g., dexamethasone linked to a cytokinin via a spacer. In the yeast nucleus, this ligand by binding connects two fusion proteins leading to a reporter gene activation and detection and characterisation of cytokinin binding proteins. Herein is reported the first synthesis of dexamethasone-cytokinin ligands with a spacer linkage. This was attached to the purine ring of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP at positions 2, 8 or 9. To achieve this, dexamethasone was modified by periodate oxidation yielding a carboxylic group used for conjugation to the spacer by amide formation. Biotinyl derivatives of cytokinins for FACS included those synthesised by reaction of an activated ester of biotin with 8-(10-amino-decylamino derivatives of BAP and BAP 9-riboside. Properties of the conjugates and some biological situations where they could be applicable are discussed briefly.

Combustion, performance and emissions characteristics of a newly ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

of a newly developed CRDI single cylinder diesel engine. AVINASH ... In case of unit injector and unit pump systems, fuel injection pressure depends on ... nozzle hole diameters were effective in reducing smoke and PM emissions. However ...

Yield and Adaptability Evaluation of Newly Introduced Tomato ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

High yield is a major ambition to tomato plant breeders and farmers. The purpose of the ... Tabora Region on the growth and yield of newly introduced tomato varieties. The tested ..... (1985). Evaluation of some American tomatocultivars grown.

Mentorship for newly appointed physicians: a strategy for enhancing patient safety?

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Reema; McClean, Serwaa; Lawton, Rebecca; Wright, John; Kay, Clive

2014-09-01

Mentorship is an increasingly popular innovation from business and industry that is being applied in health-care contexts. This paper explores the concept of mentorship for newly appointed physicians in their first substantive senior post, and specifically its utilization to enhance patient safety. Semi-structured face to face and telephone interviews with Medical Directors (n = 5), Deputy Medical Directors (n = 4), and Clinical Directors (n = 6) from 9 acute NHS Trusts in the Yorkshire and Humber region in the north of England. A focused thematic analysis was used. A number of beneficial outcomes were associated with mentorship for newly appointed physicians including greater personal and professional support, organizational commitment, and general well-being. Providing newly appointed senior physicians with support through mentorship was considered to enhance the safety of patient care. Mentorship may prevent or reduce active failures, be used to identify threats in the local working environment, and in the longer term, address latent threats to safety within the organization by encouraging a healthier safety culture. Offering mentorship to all newly appointed physicians in their first substantive post in health care may be a useful strategy to support the development of their clinical, professional, and personal skills in this transitional period that may also enhance the safety of patient care.

Newly elected IAEA Board of Governors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

The document gives information about the election of 11 Member States to the IAEA Board of Governors, the 35-member policy-making body, during the 44th regular session of the IAEA's General Conference (18 - 22 September 2000, Austria Center, Vienna). The newly elected Member States are: Argentina, Egypt, Ghana, Ireland, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine. The other 24 Member States of the Board are also given

A newly developed snack effective for enhancing bone volume

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hayashi Hidetaka

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The incidence of primary osteoporosis is higher in Japan than in USA and European countries. Recently, the importance of preventive medicine has been gradually recognized in the field of orthopaedic surgery with a concept that peak bone mass should be increased in childhood as much as possible for the prevention of osteoporosis. Under such background, we have developed a new bean snack with an aim to improve bone volume loss. In this study, we examined the effects of a newly developed snack on bone volume and density in osteoporosis model mice. Methods Orchiectomy (ORX and ovariectomy (OVX were performed for C57BL/6J mice of twelve-week-old (Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbar, ME, USA were used in this experiment. We prepared and given three types of powder diet e.g.: normal calcium diet (NCD, Ca: 0.9%, Clea Japan Co., Tokyo, Japan, low calcium diet (LCD, Ca: 0.63%, Clea Japan Co., and special diet (SCD, Ca: 0.9%. Eighteen weeks after surgery, all the animals were sacrified and prepared for histomorphometric analysis to quantify bone density and bone mineral content. Results As a result of histomorphometric examination, SCD was revealed to enhance bone volume irrespective of age and sex. The bone density was increased significantly in osteoporosis model mice fed the newly developmental snack as compared with the control mice. The bone mineral content was also enhanced significantly. These phenomena were revealed in both sexes. Conclusion It is shown that the newly developed bean snack is highly effective for the improvement of bone volume loss irrespective of sex. We demonstrated that newly developmental snack supplements may be a useful preventive measure for Japanese whose bone mineral density values are less than the ideal condition.

The Role of the Multifunctional BAG3 Protein in Cellular Protein Quality Control and in Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Stürner, Elisabeth; Behl, Christian

2017-01-01

In neurons, but also in all other cells the complex proteostasis network is monitored and tightly regulated by the cellular protein quality control (PQC) system. Beyond folding of newly synthesized polypeptides and their refolding upon misfolding the PQC also manages the disposal of aberrant proteins either by the ubiquitin-proteasome machinery or by the autophagic-lysosomal system. Aggregated proteins are primarily degraded by a process termed selective macroautophagy (or aggrephagy). One such recently discovered selective macroautophagy pathway is mediated by the multifunctional HSP70 co-chaperone BAG3 ( BCL-2-associated athanogene 3 ). Under acute stress and during cellular aging, BAG3 in concert with the molecular chaperones HSP70 and HSPB8 as well as the ubiquitin receptor p62/SQSTM1 specifically targets aggregation-prone proteins to autophagic degradation. Thereby, BAG3-mediated selective macroautophagy represents a pivotal adaptive safeguarding and emergency system of the PQC which is activated under pathophysiological conditions to ensure cellular proteostasis. Interestingly, BAG3-mediated selective macroautophagy is also involved in the clearance of aggregated proteins associated with age-related neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer's disease (tau-protein), Huntington's disease (mutated huntingtin/polyQ proteins), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (mutated SOD1). In addition, based on its initial description BAG3 is an anti-apoptotic protein that plays a decisive role in other widespread diseases, including cancer and myopathies. Therefore, in the search for novel therapeutic intervention avenues in neurodegeneration, myopathies and cancer BAG3 is a promising candidate.

Protein Expression Landscape of Mouse Embryos during Pre-implantation Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yawei Gao

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Pre-implantation embryo development is an intricate and precisely regulated process orchestrated by maternally inherited proteins and newly synthesized proteins following zygotic genome activation. Although genomic and transcriptomic studies have enriched our understanding of the genetic programs underlying this process, the protein expression landscape remains unexplored. Using quantitative mass spectrometry, we identified nearly 5,000 proteins from 8,000 mouse embryos of each stage (zygote, 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, morula, and blastocyst. We found that protein expression in zygotes, morulas, and blastocysts is distinct from 2- to 8-cell embryos. Analysis of protein phosphorylation identified critical kinases and signal transduction pathways. We highlight key factors and their important roles in embryo development. Combined analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic data reveals coordinated control of RNA degradation, transcription, and translation and identifies previously undefined exon-junction-derived peptides. Our study provides an invaluable resource for further mechanistic studies and suggests core factors regulating pre-implantation embryo development.

Clinical evaluation of a newly designed orthodontic tooth brush - A clinical study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C S Saimbi

2009-01-01

In this study, the newly designed orthodontic tooth brush is compared with an ordinary tooth brush. Results of this study show that the newly designed orthodontic tooth brush is superior in its cleaning efficiency as compared to the ordinary tooth brush. The results show that plaque removing capacity of orthodontic tooth brush is nearly 95-99%.

Newly qualified teachers´ possibilities to get foothold in a lifelong career course

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krøjgaard, Frede; Frederiksen, Lisbeth Angela Lunde

Keyword: Induction program, newly qualified teachers, NQT, retention, professional development In Contrary to many other countries in Europe Denmark does not have any kind of national program regarding teacher induction program (TIP) or support in general to newly qualified teachers what so ever...

Structure-based design of nitrosoureas containing tyrosine derivatives as potential antimelanoma agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Gadjeva, Vesselina

2002-04-01

Two new nitrosoureas (TNUs), containing tyrosine derivatives as carriers of nitrosourea cytotoxic group have been synthesised. The physicochemical properties such as half-life time (tau(0.5)), alkylating and carbamoylating activities were determined. The nitrosoureas showed a higher inhibiting effect on the DOPA-oxidase activity of mushroom tyrosinase than that of the antitumour drug N'-cyclohexyl-N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea (lomustine, CCNU). In vitro cytotoxic effects of newly synthesised tyrosine containing nitrosoureas have been studied and compared to those of CCNU. A higher cytotoxicity to B16 melanoma cells than to YAC-1 and to lymphocytes was demonstrated for the tyrosine containing nitrosoureas in comparison with CCNU. Based on the results presented, we accept that a new trend for synthesis of more selective and less toxic nitrosourea derivatives as potential antimelanomic drugs might be developed.

Centrobin-Centrosomal Protein 4.1-associated Protein (CPAP) Interaction Promotes CPAP Localization to the Centrioles during Centriole Duplication*

Science.gov (United States)

Gudi, Radhika; Zou, Chaozhong; Dhar, Jayeeta; Gao, Qingshen; Vasu, Chenthamarakshan

2014-01-01

Centriole duplication is the process by which two new daughter centrioles are generated from the proximal end of preexisting mother centrioles. Accurate centriole duplication is important for many cellular and physiological events, including cell division and ciliogenesis. Centrosomal protein 4.1-associated protein (CPAP), centrosomal protein of 152 kDa (CEP152), and centrobin are known to be essential for centriole duplication. However, the precise mechanism by which they contribute to centriole duplication is not known. In this study, we show that centrobin interacts with CEP152 and CPAP, and the centrobin-CPAP interaction is critical for centriole duplication. Although depletion of centrobin from cells did not have an effect on the centriolar levels of CEP152, it caused the disappearance of CPAP from both the preexisting and newly formed centrioles. Moreover, exogenous expression of the CPAP-binding fragment of centrobin also caused the disappearance of CPAP from both the preexisting and newly synthesized centrioles, possibly in a dominant negative manner, thereby inhibiting centriole duplication and the PLK4 overexpression-mediated centrosome amplification. Interestingly, exogenous overexpression of CPAP in the centrobin-depleted cells did not restore CPAP localization to the centrioles. However, restoration of centrobin expression in the centrobin-depleted cells led to the reappearance of centriolar CPAP. Hence, we conclude that centrobin-CPAP interaction is critical for the recruitment of CPAP to procentrioles to promote the elongation of daughter centrioles and for the persistence of CPAP on preexisting mother centrioles. Our study indicates that regulation of CPAP levels on the centrioles by centrobin is critical for preserving the normal size, shape, and number of centrioles in the cell. PMID:24700465

Protein structure analysis using the resonant recognition model and wavelet transforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Q.; Cosic, I.

1998-01-01

An approach based on the resonant recognition model and the discrete wavelet transform is introduced here for characterising proteins' biological function. The protein sequence is converted into a numerical series by assigning the electron-ion interaction potential to each amino acid from N-terminal to C-terminal. A set of peaks is found after performing a wavelet transform onto a numerical series representing a group of homologous proteins. These peaks are related to protein structural and functional properties and named characteristic vector of that protein group. Further more, the amino acids contributing mostly to a protein's biological functions, the so-called 'hot spots' amino acids, are predicted by the continuous wavelet transform. It is found that the hot spots are clustered around the protein's cleft structure. The wavelets approach provides a novel methods for amino acid sequence analysis as well as an expansion for the newly established macromolecular interaction model: the resonant recognition model. Copyright (1998) Australasian Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine

Critical thinking dispositions among newly graduated nurses

Science.gov (United States)

Wangensteen, Sigrid; Johansson, Inger S; Björkström, Monica E; Nordström, Gun

2010-01-01

wangensteen s., johansson i.s., björkström m.e. & nordström g. (2010) Critical thinking dispositions among newly graduated nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing66(10), 2170–2181. Aim The aim of the study was to describe critical thinking dispositions among newly graduated nurses in Norway, and to study whether background data had any impact on critical thinking dispositions. Background Competence in critical thinking is one of the expectations of nursing education. Critical thinkers are described as well-informed, inquisitive, open-minded and orderly in complex matters. Critical thinking competence has thus been designated as an outcome for judging the quality of nursing education programmes and for the development of clinical judgement. The ability to think critically is also described as reducing the research–practice gap and fostering evidence-based nursing. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. The data were collected between October 2006 and April 2007 using the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory. The response rate was 33% (n= 618). Pearson’s chi-square tests were used to analyse the data. Results Nearly 80% of the respondents reported a positive disposition towards critical thinking. The highest mean score was on the Inquisitiveness subscale and the lowest on the Truth-seeking subscale. A statistically significant higher proportion of nurses with high critical thinking scores were found among those older than 30 years, those with university education prior to nursing education, and those working in community health care. Conclusion Nurse leaders and nurse teachers should encourage and nurture critical thinking among newly graduated nurses and nursing students. The low Truth-seeking scores found may be a result of traditional teaching strategies in nursing education and might indicate a need for more student-active learning models. PMID:20384637

A newly identified essential complex, Dre2-Tah18, controls mitochondria integrity and cell death after oxidative stress in yeast.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurence Vernis

Full Text Available A mutated allele of the essential gene TAH18 was previously identified in our laboratory in a genetic screen for new proteins interacting with the DNA polymerase delta in yeast [1]. The present work shows that Tah18 plays a role in response to oxidative stress. After exposure to lethal doses of H(2O(2, GFP-Tah18 relocalizes to the mitochondria and controls mitochondria integrity and cell death. Dre2, an essential Fe/S cluster protein and homologue of human anti-apoptotic Ciapin1, was identified as a molecular partner of Tah18 in the absence of stress. Moreover, Ciapin1 is able to replace yeast Dre2 in vivo and physically interacts with Tah18. Our results are in favour of an oxidative stress-induced cell death in yeast that involves mitochondria and is controlled by the newly identified Dre2-Tah18 complex.

Polarized trafficking: the palmitoylation cycle distributes cytoplasmic proteins to distinct neuronal compartments.

Science.gov (United States)

Tortosa, Elena; Hoogenraad, Casper C

2018-02-01

In neurons, polarized cargo distribution occurs mainly between the soma and axonal and dendritic compartments, and requires coordinated regulation of cytoskeletal remodeling and membrane trafficking. The Golgi complex plays a critical role during neuronal polarization and secretory trafficking has been shown to differentially transport proteins to both axons and dendrites. Besides the Golgi protein sorting, recent data revealed that palmitoylation cycles are an efficient mechanism to localize cytoplasmic, non-transmembrane proteins to particular neuronal compartments, such as the newly formed axon. Palmitoylation allows substrate proteins to bind to and ride with Golgi-derived secretory vesicles to all neuronal compartments. By allowing cytoplasmic proteins to 'hitchhike' on transport carriers in a non-polarized fashion, compartmentalized depalmitoylation may act as a selective retention mechanism. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Newly elected IAEA Board of Governors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

The document gives information about the election of 11 Member States to the IAEA Board of Governors, the 35-member policy-making body, during the 45th regular session of the IAEA's General Conference (17-21 September 2001, Austria Center, Vienna). The newly elected Member States are: Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Chile, Colombia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kuwait, Morocco, Philippines, Romania, Spain, and Turkey. The other 24 Member States of the Board are also given

Health problems of newly arrived migrants and refugees in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavli, Androula; Maltezou, Helena

2017-07-01

The number of migrants and refugees in Europe in the past few years has increased dramatically due to war, violence or prosecutions in their homeland. Migration may affect physical, mental and social health. The objective of this article is to assess migrants and refugees' health problems, and to recommend appropriate interventions. A PubMed search of published articles on health problems of newly arrived migrants and refugees was conducted from 2003 through 2016, focusing on the current refugee crisis in Europe. In addition to communicable diseases, such as respiratory, gastrointestinal and dermatologic infections, non-communicable diseases, including chronic conditions, mental and social problems, account for a significant morbidity burden in newly arrived migrants and refugees. Vaccine-preventable diseases are also of outmost importance. The appropriate management of newly arrived refugees and migrants' health problems is affected by barriers to access to health care including legal, communication, cultural and bureaucratic difficulties. There is diversity and lack of integration regarding health care provision across Europe due to policy differences between health care systems and social services. There is a notable burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases among newly arrived migrants and refugees. Provision of health care at reception and temporary centres should be integrated and provided by a multidisciplinary team Appropriate health care of migrants and refugees could greatly enhance their health and social status which will benefit also the host countries at large. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

A Novel Approach to Synthesise a Dual-Mode Luminescent Composite Pigment for Uncloneable High-Security Codes to Combat Counterfeiting.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanika; Kumar, Pawan; Singh, Satbir; Gupta, Bipin Kumar

2017-12-01

A strategy is demonstrated to protect valuable items, such as currency, pharmaceuticals, important documents, etc. against counterfeiting, by marking them with luminescent security codes. These luminescent security codes were printed by employing luminescent ink formulated from a cost effective dual-mode luminescent composite pigment of Gd 1.7 Yb 0.2 Er 0.1 O 3 and Zn 0.98 Mn 0.02 S phosphors using commercially available PVC Gold medium. In the composite, Gd 1.7 Yb 0.2 Er 0.1 O 3 and Zn 0.98 Mn 0.02 S account for upconversion and downconversion processes, respectively. The synthesis procedure of the composite involves the admixing of Gd 1.7 Yb 0.2 Er 0.1 O 3 nanorods and Zn 0.98 Mn 0.02 S phosphor, synthesised by hydrothermal and facile solid-state reaction methods, respectively. The structural, morphological, microstructural, and photoluminescent features of Gd 1.7 Yb 0.2 Er 0.1 O 3 nanorods, Zn 0.98 Mn 0.02 S phosphor and composite were characterised by using XRD, SEM, TEM, and photoluminescence (PL) techniques, respectively. The distribution of PL intensity of the printed pattern was examined by using confocal PL mapping microscopy. The obtained results reveal that security codes printed using ink formulated from this bi-luminescent composite pigment provide dual-stage security against counterfeiting. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Predicting turns in proteins with a unified model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qi Song

Full Text Available MOTIVATION: Turns are a critical element of the structure of a protein; turns play a crucial role in loops, folds, and interactions. Current prediction methods are well developed for the prediction of individual turn types, including α-turn, β-turn, and γ-turn, etc. However, for further protein structure and function prediction it is necessary to develop a uniform model that can accurately predict all types of turns simultaneously. RESULTS: In this study, we present a novel approach, TurnP, which offers the ability to investigate all the turns in a protein based on a unified model. The main characteristics of TurnP are: (i using newly exploited features of structural evolution information (secondary structure and shape string of protein based on structure homologies, (ii considering all types of turns in a unified model, and (iii practical capability of accurate prediction of all turns simultaneously for a query. TurnP utilizes predicted secondary structures and predicted shape strings, both of which have greater accuracy, based on innovative technologies which were both developed by our group. Then, sequence and structural evolution features, which are profile of sequence, profile of secondary structures and profile of shape strings are generated by sequence and structure alignment. When TurnP was validated on a non-redundant dataset (4,107 entries by five-fold cross-validation, we achieved an accuracy of 88.8% and a sensitivity of 71.8%, which exceeded the most state-of-the-art predictors of certain type of turn. Newly determined sequences, the EVA and CASP9 datasets were used as independent tests and the results we achieved were outstanding for turn predictions and confirmed the good performance of TurnP for practical applications.

Coatings synthesised by the pulsed laser ablation of a B{sub 4}C/W{sub 2}B{sub 5} ceramic composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tadadjeu Sokeng, I., E-mail: ifriky@tlabs.ac.za [Department of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering, French South African Institute of Technology/Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville campus, PO Box 1906, Bellville, 7530 (South Africa); Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation, 1 Old Faure Road, 7129, PO Box 722, Somerset West, Western Cape Province (South Africa); UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanosciences/Nanotechnology, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa (UNISA), Muckleneuk Ridge, PO Box 392, Pretoria (South Africa); Ngom, B.D. [Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation, 1 Old Faure Road, 7129, PO Box 722, Somerset West, Western Cape Province (South Africa); UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanosciences/Nanotechnology, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa (UNISA), Muckleneuk Ridge, PO Box 392, Pretoria (South Africa); Laboratoire de Photonique et de Nanofrabrication, Groupes de physique du Solide et Sciences des Matriaux (GPSSM), Facult des sciences et Techniques Universit Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), B.P. 25114 Dakar, Fann Dakar (Senegal); Msimanga, M. [iThemba LABS Gauten, Private Bag 11, WITS 2050 Johannesburg (South Africa); Nuru, Z.Y.; Kotsedi, L.; Maaza, M. [Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation, 1 Old Faure Road, 7129, PO Box 722, Somerset West, Western Cape Province (South Africa); UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanosciences/Nanotechnology, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa (UNISA), Muckleneuk Ridge, PO Box 392, Pretoria (South Africa); Van Zyl, R.R. [Department of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering, French South African Institute of Technology/Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville campus, PO Box 1906, Bellville, 7530 (South Africa)

2015-10-30

A pellet of B{sub 4}C/W{sub 2}B{sub 5} ceramic composite was characterised and subjected to pulsed laser ablation for the deposition of coatings on corning glass substrates. We reports an attempt to produce coatings from B{sub 4}C/W{sub 2}B{sub 5} by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The thermal, electric and mechanical properties of B{sub 4}C/W{sub 2}B{sub 5} suggest that coatings synthesised from this composite can be used for space applications. The samples were characterised using X-ray Diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy and Heavy Ion Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis. The characterisation of the samples deposited on soda lime corning glass showed that the laser energy used in this PLD was enough to obtain non amorphous coatings formed by some alteration of the tungsten carbide crystal lattice at room temperature, and that there was no stoichiometry transfer as would be expected from PLD. The coating also showed space applicable features worth investigating. - Highlights: • B{sub 4}C/W{sub 2}B{sub 5} ceramic composite was ablated for deposition on corning glass subtrates. • Non-amorphous coating was obtained at room temperature. • There was no stoichiometry transfer as would be expected from Pulsed Laser Deposition.

Identification of ace inhibitory cryptides in Tilapia protein hydrolysate by UPLC-MS/MS coupled to database analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yesmine, Ben Henda; Antoine, Bonnet; da Silva Ortência Leocádia, Nunes Gonzalez; Rogério, Boscolo Wilson; Ingrid, Arnaudin; Nicolas, Bridiau; Thierry, Maugard; Jean-Marie, Piot; Frédéric, Sannier; Stéphanie, Bordenave-Juchereau

2017-05-01

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry method was developed and applied to identify short angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory cryptides in Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) protein hydrolyzate. A database was created with previously identified ACE-inhibitory di- and tripeptides and the lowest molecular weight fraction of Tilapia hydrolysate was analysed for coincidences. Only VW and VY were identified. Further analysis of collected fractions conducted to the identification of 51 different peptides in major fractions. 19 peptides selected were synthesised and tested for their ACE inhibitory potential. TL, TI, IK, LR, LD, IQ, DI, AILE, ALLE, ALIE and AIIE were identified as new ACE inhibitors. The findings from this study point UPLC-MS/MS combined with the creation of a database as an efficient technique to identify specific short peptides within a complex hydrolysate, in addition with de novo sequencing. This efficient characterisation of bioactive factors like cryptides in protein hydrolysates will extend their use as functional foods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combining modularity, conservation, and interactions of proteins significantly increases precision and coverage of protein function prediction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sers Christine T

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background While the number of newly sequenced genomes and genes is constantly increasing, elucidation of their function still is a laborious and time-consuming task. This has led to the development of a wide range of methods for predicting protein functions in silico. We report on a new method that predicts function based on a combination of information about protein interactions, orthology, and the conservation of protein networks in different species. Results We show that aggregation of these independent sources of evidence leads to a drastic increase in number and quality of predictions when compared to baselines and other methods reported in the literature. For instance, our method generates more than 12,000 novel protein functions for human with an estimated precision of ~76%, among which are 7,500 new functional annotations for 1,973 human proteins that previously had zero or only one function annotated. We also verified our predictions on a set of genes that play an important role in colorectal cancer (MLH1, PMS2, EPHB4 and could confirm more than 73% of them based on evidence in the literature. Conclusions The combination of different methods into a single, comprehensive prediction method infers thousands of protein functions for every species included in the analysis at varying, yet always high levels of precision and very good coverage.

Creatine biosynthesis and transport by the term human placenta.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellery, Stacey J; Della Gatta, Paul A; Bruce, Clinton R; Kowalski, Greg M; Davies-Tuck, Miranda; Mockler, Joanne C; Murthi, Padma; Walker, David W; Snow, Rod J; Dickinson, Hayley

2017-04-01

Creatine is an amino acid derivative that is involved in preserving ATP homeostasis. Previous studies suggest an important role for the creatine kinase circuit for placental ATP turnover. Creatine is obtained from both the diet and endogenous synthesis, usually along the renal-hepatic axis. However, some tissues with a high-energy demand have an inherent capacity to synthesise creatine. In this study, we determined if the term human placenta has the enzymatic machinary to synthesise creatine. Eleven placentae were collected following elective term caesarean section. Samples from the 4 quadrants of each placenta were either fixed in formalin or frozen. qPCR was used to determine the mRNA expression of the creatine synthesising enzymes arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT), and the creatine transporter (SLC6A8). Protein expression of AGAT and GAMT was quantified by Western blot, and observations of cell localisation of AGAT, GAMT and SLC6A8 made with immunohistochemistry. Synthesis of guanidinoacetate (GAA; creatine precursor) and creatine in placental homogenates was determined via GC-MS and HPLC, respectively. AGAT, GAMT and SLC6A8 mRNA and protein were detected in the human placenta. AGAT staining was identified in stromal and endothelial cells of the fetal capillaries. GAMT and SLC6A8 staining was localised to the syncytiotrophoblast of the fetal villi. Ex vivo, tissue homogenates produce both GAA (4.6 nmol mg protein -1 h -1 ) and creatine (52.8 nmol mg protein -1 h -1 ). The term human placenta has the capacity to synthesise creatine. These data present a new understanding of placental energy metabolism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protein levels and colony development of Africanized and European honey bees fed natural and artificial diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Morais, M M; Turcatto, A P; Pereira, R A; Francoy, T M; Guidugli-Lazzarini, K R; Gonçalves, L S; de Almeida, J M V; Ellis, J D; De Jong, D

2013-12-19

Pollen substitute diets are a valuable resource for maintaining strong and health honey bee colonies. Specific diets may be useful in one region or country and inadequate or economically unviable in others. We compared two artificial protein diets that had been formulated from locally-available ingredients in Brazil with bee bread and a non-protein sucrose diet. Groups of 100 newly-emerged, adult workers of Africanized honey bees in Brazil and European honey bees in the USA were confined in small cages and fed on one of four diets for seven days. The artificial diets included a high protein diet made of soy milk powder and albumin, and a lower protein level diet consisting of soy milk powder, brewer's yeast and rice bran. The initial protein levels in newly emerged bees were approximately 18-21 µg/µL hemolymph. After feeding on the diets for seven days, the protein levels in the hemolymph were similar among the protein diet groups (~37-49 µg/µL after seven days), although Africanized bees acquired higher protein levels, increasing 145 and 100% on diets D1 and D2, respectively, versus 83 and 60% in the European bees. All the protein diets resulted in significantly higher levels of protein than sucrose solution alone. In the field, the two pollen substitute diets were tested during periods of low pollen availability in the field in two regions of Brazil. Food consumption, population development, colony weight, and honey production were evaluated to determine the impact of the diets on colony strength parameters. The colonies fed artificial diets had a significant improvement in all parameters, while control colonies dwindled during the dearth period. We conclude that these two artificial protein diets have good potential as pollen substitutes during dearth periods and that Africanized bees more efficiently utilize artificial protein diets than do European honey bees.

Phosphorylation of zona occludens-2 by protein kinase C epsilon regulates its nuclear exportation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chamorro, David; Alarcón, Lourdes; Ponce, Arturo; Tapia, Rocio; González-Aguilar, Héctor; Robles-Flores, Martha; Mejía-Castillo, Teresa; Segovia, José; Bandala, Yamir; Juaristi, Eusebio; González-Mariscal, Lorenza

2009-09-01

Here, we have analyzed the subcellular destiny of newly synthesized tight junction protein zona occludens (ZO)-2. After transfection in sparse cells, 74% of cells exhibit ZO-2 at the nucleus, and after 18 h the value decreases to 17%. The mutation S369A located within the nuclear exportation signal 1 of ZO-2 impairs the nuclear export of the protein. Because Ser369 represents a putative protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation site, we tested the effect of PKC inhibition and stimulation on the nuclear export of ZO-2. Our results strongly suggest that the departure of ZO-2 from the nucleus is regulated by phosphorylation at Ser369 by novel PKCepsilon. To test the route taken by ZO-2 from synthesis to the plasma membrane, we devised a novel nuclear microinjection assay in which the nucleus served as a reservoir for anti-ZO-2 antibody. Through this assay, we demonstrate that a significant amount of newly synthesized ZO-2 goes into the nucleus and is later relocated to the plasma membrane. These results constitute novel information for understanding the mechanisms that regulate the intracellular fate of ZO-2.

Fluorescent and radiolabelling of pepsin-digested human glomerular basement membrane with a newly developed hydroxy-coumarin derivative (CASE)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rand-Weaver, M.; Abuknesha, R.A.; Price, R.G.

1985-01-01

The labelling of pepsin-digested human glomerular basement membrane (pHGBM) with a newly developed fluorescent iodine acceptor 7-hydroxy-coumarin-3-acetic acid N-hydroxysucciniimydyl ester (CASE) is described. The binding of a monoclonal antibody to pHGBM was assessed by radiobinding assays, and when directly iodinated pHGBM was used there was no apparent binding. When CASE was conjugated to pHGBM prior to iodination 11% binding was achieved. CASE acting as an iodine acceptor may be useful for proteins containing few or inaccessible tyrosine residues or which are destroyed by introduction of 125 I. Since CASE is fluorescent, small amounts of material can be detected during isolation prior to iodination. (orig.)

Illuminating structural proteins in viral "dark matter" with metaproteomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Brum, Jennifer R; Ignacio-Espinoza, J Cesar; Kim, Eun-Hae; Trubl, Gareth; Jones, Robert M; Roux, Simon; VerBerkmoes, Nathan C; Rich, Virginia I; Sullivan, Matthew B

2016-03-01

Viruses are ecologically important, yet environmental virology is limited by dominance of unannotated genomic sequences representing taxonomic and functional "viral dark matter." Although recent analytical advances are rapidly improving taxonomic annotations, identifying functional dark matter remains problematic. Here, we apply paired metaproteomics and dsDNA-targeted metagenomics to identify 1,875 virion-associated proteins from the ocean. Over one-half of these proteins were newly functionally annotated and represent abundant and widespread viral metagenome-derived protein clusters (PCs). One primarily unannotated PC dominated the dataset, but structural modeling and genomic context identified this PC as a previously unidentified capsid protein from multiple uncultivated tailed virus families. Furthermore, four of the five most abundant PCs in the metaproteome represent capsid proteins containing the HK97-like protein fold previously found in many viruses that infect all three domains of life. The dominance of these proteins within our dataset, as well as their global distribution throughout the world's oceans and seas, supports prior hypotheses that this HK97-like protein fold is the most abundant biological structure on Earth. Together, these culture-independent analyses improve virion-associated protein annotations, facilitate the investigation of proteins within natural viral communities, and offer a high-throughput means of illuminating functional viral dark matter.

The antibiotic thiostrepton inhibits a functional transition within protein L11 at the ribosomal GTPase centre

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Porse, B T; Leviev, I; Mankin, A S

1998-01-01

A newly identified class of highly thiostrepton-resistant mutants of the archaeon Halobacterium halobium carry a missense mutation at codon 18 within the gene encoding ribosomal protein L11. In the mutant proteins, a proline, conserved in archaea and bacteria, is converted to either serine...... technique, demonstrated that a general tightening of the C-terminal domain occurred on rRNA binding, while thiostrepton produced a footprint centred on tyrosine 62 at the junction of the N and C-terminal domains of protein L11 complexed to rRNA. The intensity of this protein footprint was strongly reduced...

Radiation therapy of newly diagnosed, advanced prostatic cancer and hormonally relapsed prostatic cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Minoru; Fujiwara, Kazuhisa; Hayakawa, Katsumi; Hida, Shuichi

1994-01-01

Ten patients with newly diagnosed, advanced prostatic cancer were treated with radiotherapy and hormone therapy to improve tumor control and survival. Eight patients with hormonally relapsed prostatic cancer were treated with radiotherapy to improve their quality of life. Local control of the tumor was achieved in 9 of 10 patients with newly diagnosed, advanced prostatic cancer. Five of eight patients with hormonally relapsed prostatic cancer obtained improved quality of life. Combined radiotherapy and hormone therapy were effective in the treatment of newly diagnosed, advanced prostatic cancer, and radiotherapy was useful for improving the quality of life of patients with hormonally relapsed prostatic cancer. (author)

Three Newly Naturalized Plants in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Jer Jung

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Three newly naturalized plants are reported in this paper. Hypochaeris microcephala (Sch. Bip. Cabrera var. albiflora (Kuntze Cabrera (Asteraceae is naturalized in urban areas of northern Taiwan. Indigofera pseudo-tinctoria Matsum. (Leguminosae is naturalized in low elevations of northern and southern Taiwan and in middle elevations of central Taiwan. Lamium purpureum L. (Laminaceae has become naturalized locally in middle elevations of central Taiwan. Descriptions, illustrations and color photos of these plants are provided.

O-GlcNAc profiling: from proteins to proteomes

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

O-linked β-D-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification (O-GlcNAcylation) onto serine and threonine residues of proteins is an important post-translational modification (PTM), which is involved in many crucial biological processes including transcription, translation, proteasomal degradation, and signal transduction. Aberrant protein O-GlcNAcylation is directly linked to the pathological progression of chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. Identification, site mapping, and quantification of O-GlcNAc proteins are a prerequisite to decipher their functions. In this review, we mainly focus on technological developments regarding O-GlcNAc protein profiling. Specifically, on one hand, we show how these techniques are being used for the comprehensive characterization of certain targeted proteins in which biologists are most interested. On the other hand, we present several newly developed approaches for O-GlcNAcomic profiling as well as how they provide us with a systems perspective to crosstalk amongst different PTMs and complicated biological events. Promising technical trends are also highlighted to evoke more efforts by diverse laboratories, which would further expand our understanding of the physiological and pathological roles of protein O-GlcNAcylation in chronic diseases. PMID:24593906

Nanostructured cobalt powders synthesised by polyol process and consolidated by Spark Plasma Sintering: Microstructure and mechanical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fellah, F.; Schoenstein, F.; Dakhlaoui-Omrani, A.; Cherif, S.M.; Dirras, G.; Jouini, N., E-mail: jouini@univ-paris13.fr

2012-07-15

Bulk nanostructured cobalt was processed using a bottom-up strategy. Nanostructured particle agglomerates of about 50 and 240 nm in diameter were synthesised using a polyol route and subsequently consolidated by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). The microstructure of the starting powders and of the processed bulk samples was studied and characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The XRD patterns of the as-prepared powders showed predominantly a face centred cubic (fcc) crystalline phase, whereas both fcc and hexagonal close packed (hcp) phases were found within the consolidated samples. A sample with the highest relative mass density (94.5%) was obtained from the small powder particles. TEM observations revealed a lamellar substructure with a high density of nanotwins and stacking faults in every grain in the sample with the highest density. Brillouin light scattering (BLS) and quasistatic compression tests were used to investigate the mechanical properties of the consolidated samples. The two techniques yielded Young modulus values of 168 GPa and 130 GPa, respectively, in the sample with the highest density. This sample also exhibited a yield stress higher than 1 GPa after the compression test, which is mainly attributed to the lamellar-like structure occurring in almost every grain of the polycrystalline aggregate. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cobalt nanoparticles produced by the polyol process present mainly the fcc metastable phase. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Bulk nanostructured cobalt is obtained from the nano-particles by Spark Plasma Sintering consolidation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanotwins and stacking faults are present in every grain of the more dense sample. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Yield strength and plastic domain may be varied depending on the nanoparticle size and the porosity of the consolidated material.

Magnitude Differences in Bioactive Compounds, Chemical Functional Groups, Fatty Acid Profiles, Nutrient Degradation and Digestion, Molecular Structure, and Metabolic Characteristics of Protein in Newly Developed Yellow-Seeded and Black-Seeded Canola Lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Theodoridou, Katerina; Zhang, Xuewei; Vail, Sally; Yu, Peiqiang

2015-06-10

Recently, new lines of yellow-seeded (CS-Y) and black-seeded canola (CS-B) have been developed with chemical and structural alteration through modern breeding technology. However, no systematic study was found on the bioactive compounds, chemical functional groups, fatty acid profiles, inherent structure, nutrient degradation and absorption, or metabolic characteristics between the newly developed yellow- and black-seeded canola lines. This study aimed to systematically characterize chemical, structural, and nutritional features in these canola lines. The parameters accessed include bioactive compounds and antinutrition factors, chemical functional groups, detailed chemical and nutrient profiles, energy value, nutrient fractions, protein structure, degradation kinetics, intestinal digestion, true intestinal protein supply, and feed milk value. The results showed that the CS-Y line was lower (P ≤ 0.05) in neutral detergent fiber (122 vs 154 g/kg DM), acid detergent fiber (61 vs 99 g/kg DM), lignin (58 vs 77 g/kg DM), nonprotein nitrogen (56 vs 68 g/kg DM), and acid detergent insoluble protein (11 vs 35 g/kg DM) than the CS-B line. There was no difference in fatty acid profiles except C20:1 eicosenoic acid content (omega-9) which was in lower in the CS-Y line (P structure spectral profile, there were no significant differences in functional groups of amides I and II, α helix, and β-sheet structure as well as their ratio between the two new lines, indicating no difference in protein structure makeup and conformation between the two lines. In terms of energy values, there were significant differences in total digestible nutrient (TDN; 149 vs 133 g/kg DM), metabolizable energy (ME; 58 vs 52 MJ/kg DM), and net energy for lactation (NEL; 42 vs 37 MJ/kg DM) between CS-Y and CS-B lines. For in situ rumen degradation kinetics, the two lines differed in soluble fraction (S; 284 vs 341 g/kg CP), potential degradation fraction (D; 672 vs 590 g/kg CP), and effective degraded

A selective inhibitor of protein kinase A induces behavioural and neurological antidepressant-like effects in rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liebenberg, Nico; Müller, Heidi Kaastrup; Elfving, Betina

2011-01-01

Background: It is well established that cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) signalling via cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) within neurons plays an important role in depression and antidepressant treatment. However, the importance of several newly discovered targets that function independentl...

CAZymes Analysis Toolkit (CAT): web service for searching and analyzing carbohydrate-active enzymes in a newly sequenced organism using CAZy database.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Byung H; Karpinets, Tatiana V; Syed, Mustafa H; Leuze, Michael R; Uberbacher, Edward C

2010-12-01

The Carbohydrate-Active Enzyme (CAZy) database provides a rich set of manually annotated enzymes that degrade, modify, or create glycosidic bonds. Despite rich and invaluable information stored in the database, software tools utilizing this information for annotation of newly sequenced genomes by CAZy families are limited. We have employed two annotation approaches to fill the gap between manually curated high-quality protein sequences collected in the CAZy database and the growing number of other protein sequences produced by genome or metagenome sequencing projects. The first approach is based on a similarity search against the entire nonredundant sequences of the CAZy database. The second approach performs annotation using links or correspondences between the CAZy families and protein family domains. The links were discovered using the association rule learning algorithm applied to sequences from the CAZy database. The approaches complement each other and in combination achieved high specificity and sensitivity when cross-evaluated with the manually curated genomes of Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 and Saccharophagus degradans 2-40. The capability of the proposed framework to predict the function of unknown protein domains and of hypothetical proteins in the genome of Neurospora crassa is demonstrated. The framework is implemented as a Web service, the CAZymes Analysis Toolkit, and is available at http://cricket.ornl.gov/cgi-bin/cat.cgi.

The Role of the Multifunctional BAG3 Protein in Cellular Protein Quality Control and in Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabeth Stürner

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In neurons, but also in all other cells the complex proteostasis network is monitored and tightly regulated by the cellular protein quality control (PQC system. Beyond folding of newly synthesized polypeptides and their refolding upon misfolding the PQC also manages the disposal of aberrant proteins either by the ubiquitin-proteasome machinery or by the autophagic-lysosomal system. Aggregated proteins are primarily degraded by a process termed selective macroautophagy (or aggrephagy. One such recently discovered selective macroautophagy pathway is mediated by the multifunctional HSP70 co-chaperone BAG3 (BCL-2-associated athanogene 3. Under acute stress and during cellular aging, BAG3 in concert with the molecular chaperones HSP70 and HSPB8 as well as the ubiquitin receptor p62/SQSTM1 specifically targets aggregation-prone proteins to autophagic degradation. Thereby, BAG3-mediated selective macroautophagy represents a pivotal adaptive safeguarding and emergency system of the PQC which is activated under pathophysiological conditions to ensure cellular proteostasis. Interestingly, BAG3-mediated selective macroautophagy is also involved in the clearance of aggregated proteins associated with age-related neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease (tau-protein, Huntington’s disease (mutated huntingtin/polyQ proteins, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (mutated SOD1. In addition, based on its initial description BAG3 is an anti-apoptotic protein that plays a decisive role in other widespread diseases, including cancer and myopathies. Therefore, in the search for novel therapeutic intervention avenues in neurodegeneration, myopathies and cancer BAG3 is a promising candidate.

Validation of mentorship model for newly qualified professional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Newly qualified professional nurses (NQPNs) allocated to community health care services require the use of validated model to practice independently. Validation was done to adapt and assess if the model is understood and could be implemented by NQPNs and mentors employed in community health care services.

Down-regulation of E protein activity augments an ILC2 differentiation program in the thymus

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Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are important regulators in various immune responses. Current paradigm states that all newly-made ILCs originate from common lymphoid progenitors (CLP) in the bone marrow. Id2, an inhibitor of E protein transcription factors, is indispensable for ILC differentiation. Une...

Rapid production of functionalized recombinant proteins: marrying ligation independent cloning and in vitro protein ligation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kushnir, Susanna; Marsac, Yoann; Breitling, Reinhard; Granovsky, Igor; Brok-Volchanskaya, Vera; Goody, Roger S; Becker, Christian F W; Alexandrov, Kirill

2006-01-01

Functional genomics and proteomics have been very active fields since the sequencing of several genomes was completed. To assign a physiological role to the newly discovered coding genes with unknown function, new generic methods for protein production, purification, and targeted functionalization are needed. This work presents a new vector, pCYSLIC, that allows rapid generation of Escherichia coli expression constructs via ligation-independent cloning (LIC). The vector is designed to facilitate protein purification by either Ni-NTA or GSH affinity chromatography. Subsequent proteolytic removal of affinity tags liberates an N-terminal cysteine residue that is then used for covalent modification of the target protein with different biophysical probes via protein ligation. The described system has been tested on 36 mammalian Rab GTPases, and it was demonstrated that recombinant GTPases produced with pCYSLIC could be efficiently modified with fluorescein or biotin in vitro. Finally, LIC was compared with the recently developed In-Fusion cloning method, and it was demonstrated that In-Fusion provides superior flexibility in choice of expression vector. By the application of In-Fusion cloning Cys-Rab6A GTPase with an N-terminal cysteine residue was generated employing unmodified pET30a vector and TVMV protease.

Centrobin-centrosomal protein 4.1-associated protein (CPAP) interaction promotes CPAP localization to the centrioles during centriole duplication.

Science.gov (United States)

Gudi, Radhika; Zou, Chaozhong; Dhar, Jayeeta; Gao, Qingshen; Vasu, Chenthamarakshan

2014-05-30

Centriole duplication is the process by which two new daughter centrioles are generated from the proximal end of preexisting mother centrioles. Accurate centriole duplication is important for many cellular and physiological events, including cell division and ciliogenesis. Centrosomal protein 4.1-associated protein (CPAP), centrosomal protein of 152 kDa (CEP152), and centrobin are known to be essential for centriole duplication. However, the precise mechanism by which they contribute to centriole duplication is not known. In this study, we show that centrobin interacts with CEP152 and CPAP, and the centrobin-CPAP interaction is critical for centriole duplication. Although depletion of centrobin from cells did not have an effect on the centriolar levels of CEP152, it caused the disappearance of CPAP from both the preexisting and newly formed centrioles. Moreover, exogenous expression of the CPAP-binding fragment of centrobin also caused the disappearance of CPAP from both the preexisting and newly synthesized centrioles, possibly in a dominant negative manner, thereby inhibiting centriole duplication and the PLK4 overexpression-mediated centrosome amplification. Interestingly, exogenous overexpression of CPAP in the centrobin-depleted cells did not restore CPAP localization to the centrioles. However, restoration of centrobin expression in the centrobin-depleted cells led to the reappearance of centriolar CPAP. Hence, we conclude that centrobin-CPAP interaction is critical for the recruitment of CPAP to procentrioles to promote the elongation of daughter centrioles and for the persistence of CPAP on preexisting mother centrioles. Our study indicates that regulation of CPAP levels on the centrioles by centrobin is critical for preserving the normal size, shape, and number of centrioles in the cell. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Newly divided eosinophils limit ozone-induced airway hyperreactivity in nonsensitized guinea pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Wicher, Sarah A; Jacoby, David B; Fryer, Allison D

2017-06-01

Ozone causes vagally mediated airway hyperreactivity and recruits inflammatory cells, including eosinophils, to lungs, where they mediate ozone-induced hyperreactivity 1 day after exposure but are paradoxically protective 3 days later. We aimed to test the role of newly divided eosinophils in ozone-induced airway hyperreactivity in sensitized and nonsensitized guinea pigs. Nonsensitized and sensitized guinea pigs were treated with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to label newly divided cells and were exposed to air or ozone for 4 h. Later (1 or 3 days later), vagally induced bronchoconstriction was measured, and inflammatory cells were harvested from bone marrow, blood, and bronchoalveolar lavage. Ozone induced eosinophil hematopoiesis. One day after ozone, mature eosinophils dominate the inflammatory response and potentiate vagally induced bronchoconstriction. However, by 3 days, newly divided eosinophils have reached the lungs, where they inhibit ozone-induced airway hyperreactivity because depleting them with antibody to IL-5 or a TNF-α antagonist worsened vagally induced bronchoconstriction. In sensitized guinea pigs, both ozone-induced eosinophil hematopoiesis and subsequent recruitment of newly divided eosinophils to lungs 3 days later failed to occur. Thus mature eosinophils dominated the ozone-induced inflammatory response in sensitized guinea pigs. Depleting these mature eosinophils prevented ozone-induced airway hyperreactivity in sensitized animals. Ozone induces eosinophil hematopoiesis and recruitment to lungs, where 3 days later, newly divided eosinophils attenuate vagally mediated hyperreactivity. Ozone-induced hematopoiesis of beneficial eosinophils is blocked by a TNF-α antagonist or by prior sensitization. In these animals, mature eosinophils are associated with hyperreactivity. Thus interventions targeting eosinophils, although beneficial in atopic individuals, may delay resolution of airway hyperreactivity in nonatopic individuals. Copyright �

Muscle and liver protein synthesis in growing rats fed diets containing raw legumes as the main source of protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goena, M.; Santidrian, S.; Cuevillas, F.; Larralde, J.

1986-01-01

Although legumes are widely used as protein sources, their effects on protein metabolism remain quite unexplored. The authors have measured the rates of gastrocnemius muscle and liver protein synthesis in growing rats fed ad libitum over periods of 12 days on diets containing raw field bean (Vicia faba L.), raw kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and raw bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia L.) as the major sources of protein. Diets were isocaloric and contained about 12% protein. Protein synthesis was evaluated by the constant-intravenous-infusion method, using L-/ 14 C/-tyrosine, as well as by the determination of the RNA-activity (g of newly synthesized protein/day/g RNA). Results showed that, as compared to well-fed control animals, those fed the raw legume diets exhibited a marked reduction in the rate of growth with no changes in the amount of food intake (per 100 g b.wt.). These changes were accompanied by a significant reduction in the rate of muscle protein synthesis in all legume-treated rats, being this reduction greater in the animals fed the Ph. vulgaris and V. ervilia diets. Liver protein synthesis was slightly higher in the rats fed the V. faba and V. ervilia diets, and smaller in the Ph. vulgaris-fed rats. It is suggested that both sulfur amino acid deficiency and the presence of different anti-nutritive factors in raw legumes may account for these effects

Neuropsychological and psychological interventions for people with newly diagnosed epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Cerian F; Makin, Selina M; Baker, Gus A

2015-07-22

Many people with epilepsy report experiencing psychological difficulties such as anxiety, depression and neuropsychological deficits including memory problems. Research has shown that these difficulties are often present not only for people with chronic epilepsy but also for people with newly diagnosed epilepsy. Despite this, there are very few published interventions that detail means to help people with newly diagnosed epilepsy manage these problems. To identify and assess possible psychological and neuropsychological interventions for adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy. We searched the following databases on 30 June 2015: the Cochrane Epilepsy Group Specialized Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (Ovid), SCOPUS, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). This review includes all randomised controlled trials, quasi-randomised controlled trials, prospective cohort controlled studies, and prospective before and after studies which include psychological or neuropsychological interventions for people with newly diagnosed epilepsy. We excluded studies that included people with epilepsy and any other psychological disorder or neurological condition. We excluded studies carried out which recruited only children. We used the standard methodological procedure expected by The Cochrane Collaboration. Two authors independently completed data extraction and risk of bias analysis. The results of this were cross-checked and third author resolved any discrepancies. In the event of missing data, we contacted the study authors. Meta-analysis was not completed due to differences in the intervention and outcomes reported in the two studies. We included two randomised controlled trials assessing psychological interventions for people with newly diagnosed epilepsy. One study assessed a cognitive behavioural intervention (CBI) in an adolescent

Protein Enrichment of Familiar Foods as an Innovative Strategy to Increase Protein Intake in Institutionalized Elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Beelen, J; de Roos, N M; de Groot, L C P G M

2017-01-01

To increase the protein intake of older adults, protein enrichment of familiar foods and drinks might be an effective and attractive alternative for oral nutritional supplements (ONS). We performed a pilot study to test whether these products could help institutionalized elderly to reach a protein intake of 1.2 gram per kg body weight per day (g/kg/d). Intervention study with one treatment group (no control group). Dietary assessment was done before and at the end of a 10-day intervention. Two care facilities in Gelderland, the Netherlands: a residential care home and a rehabilitation center. 22 elderly subjects (13 women, 9 men; mean age 83.0±9.4 years). We used a variety of newly developed protein enriched regular foods and drinks, including bread, soups, fruit juices, and instant mashed potatoes. Dietary intake was assessed on two consecutive days before and at the end of the intervention, using food records filled out by research assistants. Energy and macronutrient intake was calculated using the 2013 Dutch food composition database. Changes in protein intake were evaluated using paired t-tests. Protein intake increased by 11.8 g/d (P=0.003); from 0.96 to 1.14 g/kg/d (P=0.002). This increase is comparable to protein provided by one standard portion of ONS. The intake of energy and other macronutrients did not change significantly. At the end of the intervention more elderly reached a protein intake level of 1.2 g/kg/d than before (9 vs 4). Protein intake significantly increased during breakfast (+3.7 g) and during the evening (+2.2 g). Including familiar protein enriched foods and drinks in the menu helped to meet protein recommendations in institutionalized elderly.

Short-term oral nutritional intervention with protein and vitamin D decreases falls in malnourished older adults

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neelemaat, Floor; Lips, Paul; Bosmans, Judith E; Thijs, Abel; Seidell, Jaap C; van Bokhorst-de van der Schueren, Marian A E

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of a short-term nutritional intervention with protein and vitamin D on falls in malnourished older adults. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: From hospital admission until 3 months after discharge. PARTICIPANTS: Malnourished older adults (≥ 60) newly

Hope, emotion regulation, and psychosocial well-being in patients newly diagnosed with cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Peh, Chao Xu; Kua, Ee Heok; Mahendran, Rathi

2016-05-01

Patients newly diagnosed with cancer are often confronted with feelings of uncertainty and life threat. A significant proportion may report impairments in psychosocial well-being. Previous studies examining protective psychological factors such as hope and emotion regulation (ER) have yet to investigate these processes concurrently within a common self-regulation framework and/or focus on newly diagnosed patients. The present study aimed to examine how hope and ER may relate to psychosocial outcomes of patients newly diagnosed with cancer. The present study used a cross-sectional design with self-report questionnaires. Participants were newly diagnosed patients (N = 101) recruited from three cancer therapy clinics in a hospital. Patients completed measures of hope, ER (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), and psychosocial well-being (life satisfaction and negative affectivity). Findings showed that (1) hope and reappraisal, but not suppression, were associated with well-being and (2) the interaction between hope and reappraisal was associated with well-being; reappraisal was not associated with well-being in high hope patients, while high reappraisal was associated with better well-being in low hope patients. Individual differences in hope and reappraisal appeared to be associated with psychosocial outcomes in newly diagnosed cancer patients. Hopeful thinking appeared to benefit patients' psychosocial well-being. In addition, an interaction effect between hope and reappraisal suggested that reappraisal as an ER strategy may be particularly adaptive for patients with low hope.

Chaperoning Roles of Macromolecules Interacting with Proteins in Vivo

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Baik L. Seong

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The principles obtained from studies on molecular chaperones have provided explanations for the assisted protein folding in vivo. However, the majority of proteins can fold without the assistance of the known molecular chaperones, and little attention has been paid to the potential chaperoning roles of other macromolecules. During protein biogenesis and folding, newly synthesized polypeptide chains interact with a variety of macromolecules, including ribosomes, RNAs, cytoskeleton, lipid bilayer, proteolytic system, etc. In general, the hydrophobic interactions between molecular chaperones and their substrates have been widely believed to be mainly responsible for the substrate stabilization against aggregation. Emerging evidence now indicates that other features of macromolecules such as their surface charges, probably resulting in electrostatic repulsions, and steric hindrance, could play a key role in the stabilization of their linked proteins against aggregation. Such stabilizing mechanisms are expected to give new insights into our understanding of the chaperoning functions for de novo protein folding. In this review, we will discuss the possible chaperoning roles of these macromolecules in de novo folding, based on their charge and steric features.

A Protein Diet Score, Including Plant and Animal Protein, Investigating the Association with HbA1c and eGFR—The PREVIEW Project

Science.gov (United States)

Mikkilä, Vera; Raitakari, Olli T.; Hutri-Kähönen, Nina; Dragsted, Lars O.; Poppitt, Sally D.; Silvestre, Marta P.; Feskens, Edith J.M.

2017-01-01

Higher-protein diets have been advocated for body-weight regulation for the past few decades. However, the potential health risks of these diets are still uncertain. We aimed to develop a protein score based on the quantity and source of protein, and to examine the association of the score with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Analyses were based on three population studies included in the PREVIEW project (PREVention of diabetes through lifestyle Intervention and population studies in Europe and around the World): NQplus, Lifelines, and the Young Finns Study. Cross-sectional data from food-frequency questionnaires (n = 76,777 subjects) were used to develop a protein score consisting of two components: 1) percentage of energy from total protein, and 2) plant to animal protein ratio. An inverse association between protein score and HbA1c (slope −0.02 ± 0.01 mmol/mol, p < 0.001) was seen in Lifelines. We found a positive association between the protein score and eGFR in Lifelines (slope 0.17 ± 0.02 mL/min/1.73 m2, p < 0.0001). Protein scoring might be a useful tool to assess both the effect of quantity and source of protein on health parameters. Further studies are needed to validate this newly developed protein score. PMID:28714926

Protein-enriched familiar foods and drinks improve protein intake of hospitalized older patients: A randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Beelen, Janne; Vasse, Emmelyne; Janssen, Nancy; Janse, André; de Roos, Nicole M; de Groot, Lisette C P G M

2017-05-18

Adequate protein intake is important in preventing and treating undernutrition. Hospitalized older patients are recommended to consume 1.2-1.5 g of protein per kg body weight per day (g/kg/d) but most of them fail to do so. Therefore, we investigated whether a range of newly developed protein-enriched familiar foods and drinks were effective in increasing protein intake of hospitalized older patients. This randomized controlled trial involved 147 patients of ≥65 years (mean age: 78.5 ± 7.4 years). The control group (n = 80) received the standard energy and protein rich hospital menu. The intervention group (n = 67) received the same menu with various protein-enriched intervention products replacing regular products or added to the menu. Macronutrient intake on the fourth day of hospitalization, based on food ordering data, was compared between the two groups by using Independent T-tests and Mann Whitney U-tests. In the intervention group 30% of total protein was provided by the intervention products. The intervention group consumed 105.7 ± 34.2 g protein compared to 88.2 ± 24.4 g in the control group (p intervention group than in the control group reached a protein intake of 1.2 g/kg/d (79.1% vs 47.5%). Protein intake was significantly higher in the intervention group at breakfast, during the morning between breakfast and lunch, and at dinner. This study shows that providing protein-enriched familiar foods and drinks, as replacement of regular products or as additions to the hospital menu, better enables hospitalized older patients to reach protein intake recommendations. This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT02213393. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Western Blot of Stained Proteins from Dried Polyacrylamide Gels

Science.gov (United States)

Gruber, Claudia; Stan-Lotter, Helga

1996-01-01

Western blotting of proteins is customarily performed following their separation on polyacrylamide gels, either prior to staining (1) or, as recently reported, following staining (2). We describe here Western blotting with stained gels, which had been dried and some of which had been stored for years. This procedure permits immunological analysis of proteins, to which antisera may have become available only later, or where the application of newly developed sensitive detection methods is desired. Once rehydration of the gels is achieved, proteins can be-transferred to blotting membranes by any appropriate protocol. Proteins stained with Coomassie Blue have to be detected with a non-chromogenic method, such as the film-based enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL)2) procedure (3). Silver stained proteins, which transfer in the colorless form, may be visualized by any detection method, although, because of the usually very low amounts of proteins, detection by ECL is preferable. Blotting of stained proteins from rehydrated gels is as rapid and as quantitative as from freshly prepared gels, in contrast to blotting from wet stained gels, which requires extensive washing and results in low transfer efficiency (2). Together with a photographic record of the gel pattern, unambiguous identification of immunoreactive proteins from complex mixtures is possible. Some further applications of this work are discussed.

DISABILITIES OF HANDS, FEET AND EYES IN NEWLY-DIAGNOSED LEPROSY PATIENTS IN EASTERN NEPAL

NARCIS (Netherlands)

SCHIPPER, A; LUBBERS, WJ; HOGEWEG, M; DESOLDENHOFF, R

The objective of the study was to determine the magnitude of hand/feet/eye disabilities in newly diagnosed leprosy patients by examining all newly diagnosed leprosy patients who presented at the Eastern Leprosy Control Project (supported by The Netherlands Leprosy Relief Association), made up of a

Development of a novel DDS for site-specific PEGylated proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshioka Yasuo

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Because of the shifted focus in life science research from genome analyses to genetic and protein function analyses, we now know functions of numerous proteins. These analyses, including those of newly identified proteins, are expected to contribute to the identification of proteins of therapeutic value in various diseases. Consequently, pharmacoproteomic-based drug discovery and development of protein therapies attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. Clinical applications of most of these proteins are, however, limited because of their unexpectedly low therapeutic effects, resulting from the proteolytic degradation in vivo followed by rapid removal from the circulatory system. Therefore, frequent administration of excessively high dose of a protein is required to observe its therapeutic effect in vivo. This often results in impaired homeostasis in vivo and leads to severe adverse effects. To overcome these problems, we have devised a method for chemical modification of proteins with polyethylene glycol (PEGylation and other water-soluble polymers. In addition, we have established a method for creating functional mutant proteins (muteins with desired properties, and developed a site-specific polymer-conjugation method to further improve their therapeutic potency. In this review, we are introducing our original protein-drug innovation system mentioned above.

Delivering the diabetes education and self management for ongoing and newly diagnosed (DESMOND) programme for people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gillett, M.; Dallosso, H. M.; Dixon, S.

2010-01-01

intervention is £82 (-£831 to £1010) and the mean incremental cost per QALY gained is £2092. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that the likelihood that the DESMOND programme is cost effective at a threshold of £20 000 per QALY is 66% using trial based intervention costs and 70% using "real world......Objectives: To assess the long term clinical and cost effectiveness of the diabetes education and self management for ongoing and newly diagnosed (DESMOND) intervention compared with usual care in people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Design: We undertook a cost-utility analysis that used...... data from a 12 month, multicentre, cluster randomised controlled trial and, using the Sheffield type 2 diabetes model, modelled long term outcomes in terms of use of therapies, incidence of complications, mortality, and associated effect on costs and health related quality of life. A further cost...

Newly-graduated midwives transcending barriers: a grounded theory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, Michele J; Hauck, Yvonne L; O'Donoghue, Thomas; Clarke, Simon

2013-12-01

Midwifery has developed its own philosophy to formalise its unique identity as a profession. Newly-graduated midwives are taught, and ideally embrace, this philosophy during their education. However, embarking in their career within a predominantly institutionalised and the medically focused health-care model may challenge this application. The research question guiding this study was as follows: 'How do newly graduated midwives deal with applying the philosophy of midwifery in their first six months of practice?' The aim was to generate a grounded theory around this social process. This Western Australian grounded theory study is conceptualised within the social theory of symbolic interactionism. Data were collected by means of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 11 recent midwifery graduates. Participant and interviewer's journals provided supplementary data. The 'constant comparison' approach was used for data analysis. The substantive theory of transcending barriers was generated. Three stages in transcending barriers were identified: Addressing personal attributes, Understanding the 'bigger picture', and finally, 'Evaluating, planning and acting' to provide woman-centred care. An overview of these three stages provides the focus of this article. The theory of transcending barriers provides a new perspective on how newly-graduated midwives deal with applying the philosophy of midwifery in their first six months of practice. A number of implications for pre and post registration midwifery education and policy development are suggested, as well as recommendations for future research. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distinctive serum protein profiles involving abundant proteins in lung cancer patients based upon antibody microarray analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Wei-Min; Haab, Brian B; Hanash, Samir M; Kuick, Rork; Orchekowski, Randal P; Misek, David E; Qiu, Ji; Greenberg, Alissa K; Rom, William N; Brenner, Dean E; Omenn, Gilbert S

2005-01-01

Cancer serum protein profiling by mass spectrometry has uncovered mass profiles that are potentially diagnostic for several common types of cancer. However, direct mass spectrometric profiling has a limited dynamic range and difficulties in providing the identification of the distinctive proteins. We hypothesized that distinctive profiles may result from the differential expression of relatively abundant serum proteins associated with the host response. Eighty-four antibodies, targeting a wide range of serum proteins, were spotted onto nitrocellulose-coated microscope slides. The abundances of the corresponding proteins were measured in 80 serum samples, from 24 newly diagnosed subjects with lung cancer, 24 healthy controls, and 32 subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Two-color rolling-circle amplification was used to measure protein abundance. Seven of the 84 antibodies gave a significant difference (p < 0.01) for the lung cancer patients as compared to healthy controls, as well as compared to COPD patients. Proteins that exhibited higher abundances in the lung cancer samples relative to the control samples included C-reactive protein (CRP; a 13.3 fold increase), serum amyloid A (SAA; a 2.0 fold increase), mucin 1 and α-1-antitrypsin (1.4 fold increases). The increased expression levels of CRP and SAA were validated by Western blot analysis. Leave-one-out cross-validation was used to construct Diagonal Linear Discriminant Analysis (DLDA) classifiers. At a cutoff where all 56 of the non-tumor samples were correctly classified, 15/24 lung tumor patient sera were correctly classified. Our results suggest that a distinctive serum protein profile involving abundant proteins may be observed in lung cancer patients relative to healthy subjects or patients with chronic disease and may have utility as part of strategies for detecting lung cancer

Enzymic construction of maltosaccharide chains on a heart protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kay, M.J.; Kirkman, B.R.; Lomako, J.; Rodriguez, I.R.; Tandecarz, J.S.; Fliesler, S.J.; Whelan, W.J.

1987-01-01

The authors have reported that when 100,000 g pellets of rabbit-heart and rabbit-muscle homogenates are incubated with UDP( 14 C)glucose, the sugar is incorporated into a protein with Mr 40 KDa. They suggested that these in vitro observations corresponded to the initial stage in the synthesis of glycogen on a protein that they have named glycogenin and which in rabbit muscle appears to be covalently linked to the glycogen via tyrosine residues. The following new observations support the role of a protein as the precursor of glycogen and suggest that glycogen-free glycogenin is present in heart tissue. (1) The ( 14 C)glucose residues added to the heart protein can be removed with glycogenolytic enzymes that hydrolyse 1,4-alpha-glucosidic bonds and therefore constitute synthetic maltosaccharide chains. (2) The newly added glucose residues appear to be attached to pre-existing glucose residues on the protein. Chain elongation does not proceed beyond a few glucose residues. (3) The further relevance of these observations to glycogen synthesis shown by a Western blot in which the radioglucosylated heart protein was found to cross-react with polyclonal antibody to glycogenin obtained from rabbit-muscle glycogen

Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of intracellular proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ojima, N.; Sakamoto, T.; Yamashita, M.

1996-01-01

Since two-dimensional electrophoresis was established by O'Farrell for analysis of intracellular proteins of Escherichia coli, it has been applied to separation of proteins of animal cells and tissues, and especially to identification of stress proteins. Using this technique, proteins are separated by isoelectric focusing containing 8 m urea in the first dimension and by SDS-PAGE in the second dimension. The gels are stained with Coomassie Blue R-250 dye, followed by silver staining. In the case of radio-labeled proteins, the gels are dried and then autoradiographed. In order to identify a specific protein separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis, a technique determining the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the protein has been developed recently. After the proteins in the gel were electrotransferred to a polyvinylidene difluoride membrane, the membrane was stained for protein with Commassie Blue and a stained membrane fragment was applied to a protein sequencer. Our recent studies demonstrated that fish cells newly synthesized various proteins in response to heat shock, cold nd osmotic stresses. For example, when cellular proteins extracted from cold-treated rainbow trout cells were subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, the 70 kDa protein was found to be synthesized during the cold-treatment. N-Terminal sequence analysis showed that the cold-inducible protein was a homolog of mammalian valosin-containing protein and yeast cell division cycle gene product CDC48p. Furthermore, the sequence data were useful for preparing PCR primers and a rabbit antibody against a synthetic peptide to analyze a role for the protein in the function of trout cells and mechanisms for regulation

Fast and efficient detection of tuberculosis antigens using liposome encapsulated secretory proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dileep Tiwari

2017-04-01

Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the newly developed liposome tuberculosis antigen card test detected antigens in our study population with approximately 97.48% sensitivity and 95.79% specificity. This is the first study to report the liposomal encapsulation of culture filtrate proteins from M. tuberculosis for diagnostic application.

In vivo heme scavenging by Staphylococcus aureus IsdC and IsdE proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mack, John; Vermeiren, Christie; Heinrichs, David E.; Stillman, Martin J.

2004-01-01

We report the first characterization of the in vivo porphyrin scavenging abilities of two components of a newly discovered heme scavenging system involving iron-regulated surface determinant (Isd) proteins. These proteins are present within the cell envelope of the Gram-positive human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. IsdC and IsdE, when expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli, efficiently scavenged intracellular heme and resulted in de novo heme synthesis in excess of 100-fold above background. Magnetic circular dichroism analyses showed that the heme-binding properties of the two proteins differ significantly from one another. IsdC bound almost exclusively free-base protoporphyrin IX, whereas the IsdE protein was associated with low spin Fe(III) and Fe(II) heme. These properties provide important insight into the possible mechanisms of iron scavenging from bound heme by Isd proteins

Exploring selection and recruitment processes for newly qualified nurses: a sequential-explanatory mixed-method study.

Science.gov (United States)

Newton, Paul; Chandler, Val; Morris-Thomson, Trish; Sayer, Jane; Burke, Linda

2015-01-01

To map current selection and recruitment processes for newly qualified nurses and to explore the advantages and limitations of current selection and recruitment processes. The need to improve current selection and recruitment practices for newly qualified nurses is highlighted in health policy internationally. A cross-sectional, sequential-explanatory mixed-method design with 4 components: (1) Literature review of selection and recruitment of newly qualified nurses; and (2) Literature review of a public sector professions' selection and recruitment processes; (3) Survey mapping existing selection and recruitment processes for newly qualified nurses; and (4) Qualitative study about recruiters' selection and recruitment processes. Literature searches on the selection and recruitment of newly qualified candidates in teaching and nursing (2005-2013) were conducted. Cross-sectional, mixed-method data were collected from thirty-one (n = 31) individuals in health providers in London who had responsibility for the selection and recruitment of newly qualified nurses using a survey instrument. Of these providers who took part, six (n = 6) purposively selected to be interviewed qualitatively. Issues of supply and demand in the workforce, rather than selection and recruitment tools, predominated in the literature reviews. Examples of tools to measure values, attitudes and skills were found in the nursing literature. The mapping exercise found that providers used many selection and recruitment tools, some providers combined tools to streamline process and assure quality of candidates. Most providers had processes which addressed the issue of quality in the selection and recruitment of newly qualified nurses. The 'assessment centre model', which providers were adopting, allowed for multiple levels of assessment and streamlined recruitment. There is a need to validate the efficacy of the selection tools. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Newly graduated nurses' occupational commitment and its associations with professional competence and work-related factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Numminen, Olivia; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Isoaho, Hannu; Meretoja, Riitta

2016-01-01

To explore newly graduated nurses' occupational commitment and its associations with their self-assessed professional competence and other work-related factors. As a factor affecting nurse turnover, newly graduated nurses' occupational commitment and its associations with work-related factors needs exploring to retain adequate workforce. Nurses' commitment has mainly been studied as organisational commitment, but newly graduated nurses' occupational commitment and its association with work-related factors needs further studying. This study used descriptive, cross-sectional, correlation design. A convenience sample of 318 newly graduated nurses in Finland participated responding to an electronic questionnaire. Statistical software, NCSS version 9, was used in data analysis. Frequencies, percentages, ranges, means and standard deviations summarised the data. Multivariate Analyses of Variance estimated associations between occupational commitment and work-related variables. IBM SPSS Amos version 22 estimated the model fit of Occupational Commitment Scale and Nurse Competence Scale. Newly graduated nurses' occupational commitment was good, affective commitment reaching the highest mean score. There was a significant difference between the nurse groups in favour of nurses at higher competence levels in all subscales except in limited alternatives occupational commitment. Multivariate analyses revealed significant associations between subscales of commitment and competence, turnover intentions, job satisfaction, earlier professional education and work sector, competence counting only through affective dimension. The association between occupational commitment and low turnover intentions and satisfaction with nursing occupation was strong. Higher general competence indicated higher overall occupational commitment. Managers' recognition of the influence of all dimensions of occupational commitment in newly graduated nurses' professional development is important. Follow

Newly-formed emotional memories guide selective attention processes: Evidence from event-related potentials

OpenAIRE

Harald T. Schupp; Ursula Kirmse; Ralf Schmälzle; Tobias Flaisch; Britta Renner

2016-01-01

Emotional cues can guide selective attention processes. However, emotional stimuli can both activate long-term memory representations reflecting general world knowledge and engage newly formed memory representations representing specific knowledge from the immediate past. Here, the self-completion feature of associative memory was utilized to assess the regulation of attention processes by newly-formed emotional memory. First, new memory representations were formed by presenting pictures depi...

Protein structure database search and evolutionary classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jinn-Moon; Tung, Chi-Hua

2006-01-01

As more protein structures become available and structural genomics efforts provide structural models in a genome-wide strategy, there is a growing need for fast and accurate methods for discovering homologous proteins and evolutionary classifications of newly determined structures. We have developed 3D-BLAST, in part, to address these issues. 3D-BLAST is as fast as BLAST and calculates the statistical significance (E-value) of an alignment to indicate the reliability of the prediction. Using this method, we first identified 23 states of the structural alphabet that represent pattern profiles of the backbone fragments and then used them to represent protein structure databases as structural alphabet sequence databases (SADB). Our method enhanced BLAST as a search method, using a new structural alphabet substitution matrix (SASM) to find the longest common substructures with high-scoring structured segment pairs from an SADB database. Using personal computers with Intel Pentium4 (2.8 GHz) processors, our method searched more than 10 000 protein structures in 1.3 s and achieved a good agreement with search results from detailed structure alignment methods. [3D-BLAST is available at http://3d-blast.life.nctu.edu.tw].

Adipokines induce catabolism of newly synthesized matrix in cartilage and meniscus tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimuta, James F; Levenston, Marc E

Altered synovial levels of various adipokines (factors secreted by fat as well as other tissues) have been associated with osteoarthritis (OA) onset and progression. However, the metabolic effects of adipokines on joint tissues, in particular the fibrocartilaginous menisci, are not well understood. This study investigated effects of several adipokines on release of recently synthesized extracellular matrix in bovine cartilage and meniscus tissue explants. After labeling newly synthesized proteins and sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAGs) with 3 H-proline and 35 S-sulfate, respectively; bovine cartilage and meniscus tissue explants were cultured for 6 days in basal medium (control) or media supplemented with adipokines (1 µg/ml of leptin, visfatin, adiponectin, or resistin) or 20 ng/ml interleukin-1 (IL-1). Release of radiolabel and sGAG to the media during culture and the final explant water, DNA, sGAG, and retained radiolabel were measured. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2) and MMP-3 activities were assessed using gelatin and casein zymography, respectively. Water and DNA contents were not significantly altered by any treatment. Visfatin, adiponectin, resistin, and IL-1 stimulated sGAG release from meniscus, whereas only IL-1 stimulated sGAG release from cartilage. Release of 3 H and 35 S was stimulated not only by resistin and IL-1 in meniscus but also by IL-1 in cartilage. Retained 3 H was unaltered by any treatment, while retained 35 S was reduced by visfatin, resistin, and IL-1 in meniscus and by only IL-1 in cartilage. Resistin and IL-1 elevated active MMP-2 and total MMP-3 in meniscus, whereas cartilage MMP-3 activity was elevated by only IL-1. Resistin stimulated rapid and extensive catabolism of meniscus tissue, similar to IL-1, whereas adipokines minimally affected cartilage. Release of newly synthesized matrix was similar to overall release in both tissues. These observations provide further indications that meniscal tissue is more sensitive to pro

Using a biomimetic membrane surface experiment to investigate the activity of the magnetite biomineralisation protein Mms6† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Including Mms6 protein and peptide sequences, additional QCM-D and SEM data and protein modelling. See DOI: 10.1039/c5ra16469a Click here for additional data file.

Science.gov (United States)

Bird, Scott M.; Rawlings, Andrea E.; Galloway, Johanna M.

2016-01-01

Magnetotactic bacteria are able to synthesise precise nanoparticles of the iron oxide magnetite within their cells. These particles are formed in dedicated organelles termed magnetosomes. These lipid membrane compartments use a range of biomineralisation proteins to nucleate and regulate the magnetite crystallisation process. A key component is the membrane protein Mms6, which binds to iron ions and helps to control the formation of the inorganic core. We have previously used Mms6 on gold surfaces patterned with a self-assembled monolayer to successfully produce arrays of magnetic nanoparticles. Here we use this surface system as a mimic of the interior face of the magnetosome membrane to study differences between intact Mms6 and the acid-rich C-terminal peptide subregion of the Mms6 protein. When immobilised on surfaces, the peptide is unable to reproduce the particle size or homogeneity control exhibited by the full Mms6 protein in our experimental setup. Moreover, the peptide is unable to support anchoring of a dense array of nanoparticles to the surface. This system also allows us to deconvolute particle binding from particle nucleation, and shows that Mms6 particle binding is less efficient when supplied with preformed magnetite nanoparticles when compared to particles precipitated from solution in the presence of the surface immobilised Mms6. This suggests that Mms6 binds to iron ions rather than to magnetite surfaces in our system, and is perhaps a nucleating agent rather than a controller of magnetite crystal growth. The comparison between the peptide and the protein under identical experimental conditions indicates that the full length sequence is required to support the full function of Mms6 on surfaces. PMID:27019707

Identifying Malnutrition: Nutritional Status in Newly Diagnosed Patients With Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnasamy, Karthikayini; Li Yoong, Tang; Mei Chan, Chong; Peng Choong, Lau; Chinna, Karuthan

2017-02-01

Malnutrition is common among patients with cancer, but little attention is given to its risks and consequences. The aim of this study is to assess the nutritional status and identify the factors associated with malnutrition among newly diagnosed patients with cancer. Patients admitted with newly diagnosed cancer at a teaching hospital in Malaysia were recruited from January to April 2015. Nutritional status was assessed before treatment initiation, and patients were classified into three categories. A total of 132 pretreatment patients were recruited into the study. About half were severely malnourished. Patients with stage III cancer had the highest prevalence of severe malnourishment. Clinical parameters and disease characteristics were significantly associated with nutritional status. Demographic variables were also statistically significantly associated with severe nutritional status.

Assessment of metal retention in newly constructed highway embankments.

Science.gov (United States)

Werkenthin, Moritz; Kluge, Björn; Wessolek, Gerd

2016-12-01

Newly constructed embankments should provide both a specific bearing capacity to enable trafficability in emergency cases and a sufficient pollutant retention capacity to protect the groundwater. A number of lysimeters were installed along the A115 highway to determine total and dissolved metal concentrations in road runoff and in the soil solution of newly constructed embankments. Dissolved concentrations in soil solution of the embankments did not exceed the trigger values of the German legislation. Depending on the metal, total concentrations in soil solution were more than twice as high as dissolved concentrations. The high infiltration rates lead to increased groundwater recharge beneath the embankments (up to 4100 mm a -1 ). Although metal concentrations were not problematic from the legislators' point of view, the elevated infiltration rates beside the road facilitated the transfer of high metal loads into deeper soil layers and potentially into the groundwater as well.

Newly identified protein Imi1 affects mitochondrial integrity and glutathione homeostasis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Kowalec, Piotr; Grynberg, Marcin; Pająk, Beata; Socha, Anna; Winiarska, Katarzyna; Fronk, Jan; Kurlandzka, Anna

2015-09-01

Glutathione homeostasis is crucial for cell functioning. We describe a novel Imi1 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae affecting mitochondrial integrity and involved in controlling glutathione level. Imi1 is cytoplasmic and, except for its N-terminal Flo11 domain, has a distinct solenoid structure. A lack of Imi1 leads to mitochondrial lesions comprising aberrant morphology of cristae and multifarious mtDNA rearrangements and impaired respiration. The mitochondrial malfunctioning is coupled to significantly decrease the level of intracellular reduced glutathione without affecting oxidized glutathione, which decreases the reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio. These defects are accompanied by decreased cadmium sensitivity and increased phytochelatin-2 level. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Force-Activated Trip Switch Triggers Rapid Dissociation of a Colicin from Its Immunity Protein

Science.gov (United States)

Farrance, Oliver E.; Hann, Eleanore; Kaminska, Renata; Housden, Nicholas G.; Derrington, Sasha R.; Kleanthous, Colin; Radford, Sheena E.; Brockwell, David J.

2013-01-01

Colicins are protein antibiotics synthesised by Escherichia coli strains to target and kill related bacteria. To prevent host suicide, colicins are inactivated by binding to immunity proteins. Despite their high avidity (Kd≈fM, lifetime ≈4 days), immunity protein release is a pre-requisite of colicin intoxication, which occurs on a timescale of minutes. Here, by measuring the dynamic force spectrum of the dissociation of the DNase domain of colicin E9 (E9) and immunity protein 9 (Im9) complex using an atomic force microscope we show that application of low forces (force-triggered increase in off-rate a trip bond. Using mutational analysis, we elucidate the mechanism of this switch in affinity. We show that the N-terminal region of E9, which has sparse contacts with the hydrophobic core, is linked to an allosteric activator region in E9 (residues 21–30) whose remodelling triggers immunity protein release. Diversion of the force transduction pathway by the introduction of appropriately positioned disulfide bridges yields a force resistant complex with a lifetime identical to that measured by ensemble techniques. A trip switch within E9 is ideal for its function as it allows bipartite complex affinity, whereby the stable colicin:immunity protein complex required for host protection can be readily converted to a kinetically unstable complex whose dissociation is necessary for cellular invasion and competitor death. More generally, the observation of two force phenotypes for the E9:Im9 complex demonstrates that force can re-sculpt the underlying energy landscape, providing new opportunities to modulate biological reactions in vivo; this rationalises the commonly observed discrepancy between off-rates measured by dynamic force spectroscopy and ensemble methods. PMID:23431269

Sizing Performance of the Newly Developed Eddy Current System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Chan Hee; Lee, Hee Jong; Yoo, Hyun Ju; Moon, Gyoon Young; Lee, Tae Hoon [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-10-15

This paper describes the comparison results of sizing performance for two systems. The KHNP developed a new eddy current testing system for the inspection of steam generator tubing in domestic nuclear power plants. The equivalency assessment of the newly developed system with the EPRI-qualified system was already carried out. In this paper, the comparisons of depth-sizing performance for the artificial flaws between two systems were performed. The results show that the newly developed system is in good agreement with the qualified system. Therefore, it is expected that the newly developed eddy current system can be used for the inspection of steam generator tubing in nuclear power plants. There are some non-destructive examination (NDE) methods for the inspection of components in nuclear power plants, such as ultrasonic, radiographic, eddy current testing, etc. The eddy current testing is widely used for the inspection of steam generator (SG) tubing because it offers a relatively low cost approach for high speed, large scale testing of metallic materials in high pressure and temperature engineering systems. The Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) developed an eddy current testing system for the inspection of steam generator tubing in nuclear power plants. This system includes not only hardware but software such as the frequency generator and data acquisition-analysis program. The foreign eddy current system developed by ZETEC is currently used for the inspection of steam generator tubing in domestic nuclear power plants. The equivalency assessment between two systems was already carried out in accordance with the EPRI steam generator examination guidelines.

Workplace Violence and Job Outcomes of Newly Licensed Nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Hyoung Eun; Cho, Sung-Hyun

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of workplace violence toward newly licensed nurses and the relationship between workplace violence and job outcomes. An online survey was conducted of newly licensed registered nurses who had obtained their license in 2012 or 2013 in South Korea and had been working for 5-12 months after first being employed. The sample consisted of 312 nurses working in hospitals or clinics. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II was used to measure violence and nurse job outcomes. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between violence and job outcomes. Verbal abuse was most prevalent (59.6%), followed by threats of violence (36.9%), physical violence (27.6%), bullying (25.6%), and sexual harassment (22.4%). Approximately three quarters of the nurses had experienced at least one type of violence. The main perpetrators were patients and nurse colleagues, although the distribution of perpetrators varied depending on the type of violence. Bullying had a significant relationship with all four job outcomes (job satisfaction, burnout, commitment to the workplace, and intent to leave), while verbal abuse was associated with all job outcomes except for intent to leave. Violence perpetrated by nurse colleagues had a significant relationship with all four job outcomes, while violence by physicians had a significant inverse relationship with job satisfaction. Workplace violence is experienced by a high percentage of newly licensed nurses, and is associated with their job outcomes. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Antioxidant and antiglycation activities of the synthesised dipeptide, Asn-Trp, derived from computer-aided simulation of yam dioscorin hydrolysis and its analogue, Gln-Trp.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Chuan-Hsiao; Lin, Yin-Shiou; Lin, Shyr-Yi; Hou, Wen-Chi

2014-03-15

Previous studies have shown that the Trp residue contributes to a high oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Therefore, in this study, a Trp-containing dipeptide derived from a computer-aided simulation of pepsin hydrolysis of the yam tuber, dioscorin-namely, Asn-Trp (NW), and its analogue, Gln-Trp (QW)-were synthesised to compare their antioxidant and antiglycation activities with carnosine, homocarnosine, or glutathione (GSH). The antioxidant assays included hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity, anti-AAPH-induced hemolysis, and ORAC activity. NW had a significantly higher antioxidant activity than had QW and performed much better than carnosine, homocarnosine, or GSH. Using bovine serum albumin (BSA)/galactose or BSA/glucose as experimental models, NW had better antiglycation effects than had QW, as detected by an anti-N(ε)-(carboxymethyl)lysine (anti-CML) antibody. Moreover, NW and QW (50-200 μM) showed protection against methylglyoxal-induced cell deaths in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. These results suggest that NW, derived from computer-aided simulation of dioscorin hydrolysis, exhibits antioxidant and antiglycation activities, which thus shows the benefits of the yam tuber as an antioxidant-rich food. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative measurements of C-reactive protein using silicon nanowire arrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Ho Lee

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Min-Ho Lee, Kuk-Nyung Lee, Suk-Won Jung, Won-Hyo Kim, Kyu-Sik Shin, Woo-Kyeong SeongKorea Electronics Technology Institute, Gyeonggi, KoreaAbstract: A silicon nanowire-based sensor for biological application showed highly desirable electrical responses to either pH changes or receptor-ligand interactions such as protein disease markers, viruses, and DNA hybridization. Furthermore, because the silicon nanowire can display results in real-time, it may possess superior characteristics for biosensing than those demonstrated in previously studied methods. However, despite its promising potential and advantages, certain process-related limitations of the device, due to its size and material characteristics, need to be addressed. In this article, we suggest possible solutions. We fabricated silicon nanowire using a top-down and low cost micromachining method, and evaluate the sensing of molecules after transfer and surface modifications. Our newly designed method can be used to attach highly ordered nanowires to various substrates, to form a nanowire array device, which needs to follow a series of repetitive steps in conventional fabrication technology based on a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS method. For evaluation, we demonstrated that our newly fabricated silicon nanowire arrays could detect pH changes as well as streptavidin-biotin binding events. As well as the initial proof-of-principle studies, C-reactive protein binding was measured: electrical signals were changed in a linear fashion with the concentration (1 fM to 1 nM in PBS containing 1.37 mM of salts. Finally, to address the effects of Debye length, silicon nanowires coupled with antigen proteins underwent electrical signal changes as the salt concentration changed.Keywords: silicon nanowire array, C-reactive protein, vapor-liquid-solid method

K-nearest uphill clustering in the protein structure space

KAUST Repository

Cui, Xuefeng

2016-08-26

The protein structure classification problem, which is to assign a protein structure to a cluster of similar proteins, is one of the most fundamental problems in the construction and application of the protein structure space. Early manually curated protein structure classifications (e.g., SCOP and CATH) are very successful, but recently suffer the slow updating problem because of the increased throughput of newly solved protein structures. Thus, fully automatic methods to cluster proteins in the protein structure space have been designed and developed. In this study, we observed that the SCOP superfamilies are highly consistent with clustering trees representing hierarchical clustering procedures, but the tree cutting is very challenging and becomes the bottleneck of clustering accuracy. To overcome this challenge, we proposed a novel density-based K-nearest uphill clustering method that effectively eliminates noisy pairwise protein structure similarities and identifies density peaks as cluster centers. Specifically, the density peaks are identified based on K-nearest uphills (i.e., proteins with higher densities) and K-nearest neighbors. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to apply and develop density-based clustering methods in the protein structure space. Our results show that our density-based clustering method outperforms the state-of-the-art clustering methods previously applied to the problem. Moreover, we observed that computational methods and human experts could produce highly similar clusters at high precision values, while computational methods also suggest to split some large superfamilies into smaller clusters. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein Is Required to Maintain Visual Conditioning-Induced Behavioral Plasticity by Limiting Local Protein Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Han-Hsuan; Cline, Hollis T

2016-07-06

Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is thought to regulate neuronal plasticity by limiting dendritic protein synthesis, but direct demonstration of a requirement for FMRP control of local protein synthesis during behavioral plasticity is lacking. Here we tested whether FMRP knockdown in Xenopus optic tectum affects local protein synthesis in vivo and whether FMRP knockdown affects protein synthesis-dependent visual avoidance behavioral plasticity. We tagged newly synthesized proteins by incorporation of the noncanonical amino acid azidohomoalanine and visualized them with fluorescent noncanonical amino acid tagging (FUNCAT). Visual conditioning and FMRP knockdown produce similar increases in FUNCAT in tectal neuropil. Induction of visual conditioning-dependent behavioral plasticity occurs normally in FMRP knockdown animals, but plasticity degrades over 24 h. These results indicate that FMRP affects visual conditioning-induced local protein synthesis and is required to maintain the visual conditioning-induced behavioral plasticity. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability. Exaggerated dendritic protein synthesis resulting from loss of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is thought to underlie cognitive deficits in FXS, but no direct evidence has demonstrated that FMRP-regulated dendritic protein synthesis affects behavioral plasticity in intact animals. Xenopus tadpoles exhibit a visual avoidance behavior that improves with visual conditioning in a protein synthesis-dependent manner. We showed that FMRP knockdown and visual conditioning dramatically increase protein synthesis in neuronal processes. Furthermore, induction of visual conditioning-dependent behavioral plasticity occurs normally after FMRP knockdown, but performance rapidly deteriorated in the absence of FMRP. These studies show that FMRP negatively regulates local protein synthesis and is required to maintain visual conditioning

Chenodeoxycholic acid reduces intestinal permeability in newly weaned piglets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meer, van der Y.; Gerrits, W.J.J.; Bosch, van den M.; Holst, J.J.; Moreto, M.; Buurman, W.A.; Kulik, W.; Kempen, van T.A.T.G.

2012-01-01

Piglets are highly susceptible to gut health-related problems. Intravenously administered chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) affects gut health mediated through glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2). To test whether CDCA is a suitable feed additive for improving gut health, a trial was performed with newly

Serum amyloid A and C-reactive protein levels may predict microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Overgaard, Anne Julie; McGuire, James N; Hovind, Peter

2012-01-01

In this study we evaluated the association of baseline levels of six different candidate proteins for the development of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria in type 1 diabetic patients, who were followed for approximately 30years. Two of the proteins are markers of inflammation: serum amyloid...

Timing of revenue streams from newly recruited faculty: implications for faculty retention.

Science.gov (United States)

Joiner, Keith A; Hiteman, Sarah; Wormsley, Steven; St Germain, Patricia

2007-12-01

To determine the timing and magnitude of revenues generated by newly recruited faculty, to facilitate configuration of recruitment packages appropriately matched to expected financial returns. The aggregate of all positive cash flows to central college of medicine administration -- from research, clinical care, tuition, philanthropy, and royalties and patents, from all faculty newly recruited to the University of Arizona College of Medicine between 1998 and 2004 -- was quantified using the net present value (npv) methodology, which incorporates the time value of money. Tenure-track faculty and, in particular, those with laboratory research programs, generated the highest positive central cash flows. The npv for positive cash flows (npv[+]) during 6 and 10 years for newly recruited assistant professors with laboratory research programs were $118,600 and $255,400, respectively, and, for professors with laboratory research programs, $172,600 and $298,000, respectively (associate professors were not analyzed because of limited numbers). Faculty whose appointments at the University of Arizona College of Medicine exceeded 15 years in duration were the most productive in central revenue generation, far in excess of their numbers proportionate to the total. The results emphasize the critical importance of faculty retention, because even those newly recruited faculty who are most successful in central revenue generation (tenure track with laboratory research programs) must be retained for periods well in excess of 10 years to recoup the initial central investment required for their recruitment.

Studies on the site of protein and RNA syntheses in poxvirus-infected cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakaue, Y [Osaka Univ. (Japan). Research Inst. for Microbial Diseases

1974-04-01

Pulse labelling of short time and the chase of it were conducted to Poxvirus-infected cells using /sup 3/H-uridine and /sup 3/H-leucine with high concentration, and autoradiography (AR) was taken. As the result, protein synthesis, which was in accordance with ''B''-type inclusion, was markedly observed in one-minute labelling at the site of protein synthesis of infected cells. Although the protein synthesis was observed at the peripheral site of ''A''-type inclusion, it was not found within inclusions. However, it was found from the experiment of chase that protein collected markedly within ''B''-type inclusion. They were found that ''B''-type inclusion is the site of Virus DNA synthesis as well as the site of Virus mRNA synthesis, and that it is also absolutely possible for ''B''-type inclusion to synthesize Virus protein. In addition, it was found that ''A''-type inclusion is not the site of synthesis, but newly-synthesized protein.

Studies on the site of protein and RNA syntheses in poxvirus-infected cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakaue, Yoshihiro

1974-01-01

Pulse labelling of short time and the chase of it were conducted to Poxvirus-infected cells using 3 H-uridine and 3 H-leucine with high concentration, and autoradiography (AR) was taken. As the result, protein synthesis, which was in accordance with ''B''-type inclusion, was markedly observed in one-minute labelling at the site of protein synthesis of infected cells. Although the protein synthesis was observed at the peripheral site of ''A''-type inclusion, it was not found within inclusions. However, it was found from the experiment of chase that protein collected markedly within ''B''-type inclusion. They were found that ''B''-type inclusion is the site of Virus DNA synthesis as well as the site of Virus mRNA synthesis, and that it is also absolutely possible for ''B''-type inclusion to synthesize Virus protein. In addition, it was found that ''A''-type inclusion is not the site of synthesis, but newly-synthesized protein. (Ichikawa, K.)

Association with β-COP Regulates the Trafficking of the Newly Synthesized Na,K-ATPase*

Science.gov (United States)

Morton, Michael J.; Farr, Glen A.; Hull, Michael; Capendeguy, Oihana; Horisberger, Jean-Daniel; Caplan, Michael J.

2010-01-01

Plasma membrane expression of the Na,K-ATPase requires assembly of its α- and β-subunits. Using a novel labeling technique to identify Na,K-ATPase partner proteins, we detected an interaction between the Na,K-ATPase α-subunit and the coat protein, β-COP, a component of the COP-I complex. When expressed in the absence of the Na,K-ATPase β-subunit, the Na,K-ATPase α-subunit interacts with β-COP, is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum, and is targeted for degradation. In the presence of the Na,K-ATPase β-subunit, the α-subunit does not interact with β-COP and traffics to the plasma membrane. Pulse-chase experiments demonstrate that in cells expressing both the Na,K-ATPase α- and β-subunits, newly synthesized α-subunit associates with β-COP immediately after its synthesis but that this interaction does not constitute an obligate intermediate in the assembly of the α- and β-subunits to form the pump holoenzyme. The interaction with β-COP was reduced by mutating a dibasic motif at Lys54 in the Na,K-ATPase α-subunit. This mutant α-subunit is not retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and reaches the plasma membrane, even in the absence of Na,K-ATPase β-subunit expression. Although the Lys54 α-subunit reaches the cell surface without need for β-subunit assembly, it is only functional as an ion-transporting ATPase in the presence of the β-subunit. PMID:20801885

Scandinavian exceptionalism? Civic integration and labour market activation for newly arrived immigrants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Breidahl, Karen Nielsen

2017-01-01

models have been resilient: Based on an in-depth historical and comparative analysis of labour market activation policies targeting newly arrived immigrants in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark since the early 1990s, the article contributes to the overall question: To what extent do the institutional pathways...... of the Scandinavian welfare states prevail when confronted with newcomers? Activation policies targeting newly arrived immigrants exemplifies how the ambition of states to promote functional, individual autonomy is also an important, ongoing process in diverse policy areas of the welfare state and not restricted...

Distinguishing Newly Born Strange Stars from Neutron Stars with g-Mode Oscillations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Weijie; Wei Haiqing; Liu Yuxin

2008-01-01

The gravity-mode (g-mode) eigenfrequencies of newly born strange quark stars (SQSs) and neutron stars (NSs) are studied. It is found that the eigenfrequencies in SQSs are much lower than those in NSs by almost 1 order of magnitude, since the components of a SQS are all extremely relativistic particles while nucleons in a NS are nonrelativistic. We therefore propose that newly born SQSs can be distinguished from the NSs by detecting the eigenfrequencies of the g-mode pulsations of supernovae cores through gravitational radiation by LIGO-class detectors

Chlorophyll biosynthesis and assembly into chlorophyll-protein complexes in isolated developing chloroplasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhaya, D.; Castelfranco, P.A.

1985-01-01

Isolated developing plastids from greening cucumber cotyledons or from photoperiodically grown pea seedlings incorporated 14 C-labeled 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) into chlorophyll (Chl). Incorporation was light dependent, enhanced by S-adenosylmethionine, and linear for 1 hr. The in vitro rate of Chl synthesis from ALA was comparable to the in vivo rate of Chl accumulation. Levulinic acid and dioxoheptanoic acid strongly inhibited Chl synthesis but not plastid protein synthesis. Neither chloramphenicol nor spectinomycin affected Chl synthesis, although protein synthesis was strongly inhibited. Components of thylakoid membranes from plastids incubated with [ 14 C]ALA were resolved by electrophoresis and then subjected to autoradiography. This work showed that (i) newly synthesized Chl was assembled into Chl-protein complexes and (ii) the inhibition of protein synthesis during the incubation did not alter the labeling pattern. Thus, there was no observable short-term coregulation between Chl synthesis (from ALA) and the synthesis of membrane proteins in isolated plastids

Kinetic analysis of the mechanism and specificity of protein-disulfide isomerase using fluorescence-quenched peptides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Westphal, V; Spetzler, J C; Meldal, M

1998-01-01

Protein-disulfide isomerase (PDI) is an abundant folding catalyst in the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotic cells. PDI introduces disulfide bonds into newly synthesized proteins and catalyzes disulfide bond isomerizations. We have synthesized a library of disulfide-linked fluorescence......-quenched peptides, individually linked to resin beads, for two purposes: 1) to probe PDI specificity, and 2) to identify simple, sensitive peptide substrates of PDI. Using this library, beads that became rapidly fluorescent by reduction by human PDI were selected. Amino acid sequencing of the bead-linked peptides...

Newly democratic Mongolia offering exploration contracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penttila, W.C.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that Mongolia, formerly the Mongolian People's Republic, is working to open its exploration prospects to international operators as it emerges as the world's 15th largest independent nation. The country, about the same size as Alaska with a population of 2 million, held its first free election in July 1990. The newly elected government drafted a constitution that took effect Feb. 12, 1992. The document modifies the previous government's structures to eliminate bureaucracy and allows for political pluralism. At the same time, the government is formulating energy policies, state oil company structure, and resource development philosophy

The chaperonin of the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus is an RNA-binding protein that participates in ribosomal RNA processing.

OpenAIRE

Ruggero, D; Ciammaruconi, A; Londei, P

1998-01-01

The 60 kDa molecular chaperones (chaperonins) are high molecular weight protein complexes having a characteristic double-ring toroidal shape; they are thought to aid the folding of denatured or newly synthesized polypeptides. These proteins exist as two functionally similar, but distantly related families, one comprising the bacterial and organellar chaperonins and another (the so-called CCT-TRiC family) including the chaperonins of the archaea and the eukaryotes. Although some evidence exist...

Chemical synthesis, docking studies and biological effects of functionalized 1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones on human colon cancer cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guo-Min Zhu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available A series of 1, 3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones was synthesised in order to obtain a new type of anticancer drug, designed with hybrid features to inhibit colon cancer activated receptor. Based on computational modelling and docking studies, potential inhibitors were synthesised and their biological activity evaluated. The structures of newly synthesized compounds were confirmed by 1HNMR, 13CNMR and Mass spectrometry. All analogues were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity against human colon (caco-2 cancer cell lines. Compounds 1b, 1f-1h, and 2i showed significant cytotoxicity. Chalcones 1b, 1f and 1g were identified as the most potent and selective anticancer agents with IC50 values <1 µg/mL and 1.5 µg/mL, against caco-2 cell line, respectively. In conclusion, this finding confirms the suitability of indolyl chalcone analogues as candidates for further investigation towards the management of colon cancer related diseases.

Protein levels and colony development of Africanized and European honey bees fed natural and artificial diets

OpenAIRE

Morais, Michelle Manfrini [UNIFESP; Turcatto, Aline Patricia; Pereira, Rogerio Aparecido; Francoy, Tiago Mauricio; Guidugli-Lazzarini, Karina Rosa; Goncalves, Lionel Segui; Almeida, Joyce Mayra Volpini de; Ellis, J. D.; De Jong, David

2013-01-01

Pollen substitute diets are a valuable resource for maintaining strong and health honey bee colonies. Specific diets may be useful in one region or country and inadequate or economically unviable in others. We compared two artificial protein diets that had been formulated from locally-available ingredients in Brazil with bee bread and a non-protein sucrose diet. Groups of 100 newly-emerged, adult workers of Africanized honey bees in Brazil and European honey bees in the USA were confined in s...

Emergence, Retention and Selection: A Trilogy of Origination for Functional De Novo Proteins from Ancestral LncRNAs in Primates.

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Jia-Yu Chen

2015-07-01

Full Text Available While some human-specific protein-coding genes have been proposed to originate from ancestral lncRNAs, the transition process remains poorly understood. Here we identified 64 hominoid-specific de novo genes and report a mechanism for the origination of functional de novo proteins from ancestral lncRNAs with precise splicing structures and specific tissue expression profiles. Whole-genome sequencing of dozens of rhesus macaque animals revealed that these lncRNAs are generally not more selectively constrained than other lncRNA loci. The existence of these newly-originated de novo proteins is also not beyond anticipation under neutral expectation, as they generally have longer theoretical lifespan than their current age, due to their GC-rich sequence property enabling stable ORFs with lower chance of non-sense mutations. Interestingly, although the emergence and retention of these de novo genes are likely driven by neutral forces, population genetics study in 67 human individuals and 82 macaque animals revealed signatures of purifying selection on these genes specifically in human population, indicating a proportion of these newly-originated proteins are already functional in human. We thus propose a mechanism for creation of functional de novo proteins from ancestral lncRNAs during the primate evolution, which may contribute to human-specific genetic novelties by taking advantage of existed genomic contexts.

Endoplasmic reticulum proteins SDF2 and SDF2L1 act as components of the BiP chaperone cycle to prevent protein aggregation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujimori, Tsutomu; Suno, Ryoji; Iemura, Shun-Ichiro; Natsume, Tohru; Wada, Ikuo; Hosokawa, Nobuko

2017-08-01

The folding of newly synthesized proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is assisted by ER-resident chaperone proteins. BiP (immunoglobulin heavy-chain-binding protein), a member of the HSP70 family, plays a central role in protein quality control. The chaperone function of BiP is regulated by its intrinsic ATPase activity, which is stimulated by ER-resident proteins of the HSP40/DnaJ family, including ERdj3. Here, we report that two closely related proteins, SDF2 and SDF2L1, regulate the BiP chaperone cycle. Both are ER-resident, but SDF2 is constitutively expressed, whereas SDF2L1 expression is induced by ER stress. Both luminal proteins formed a stable complex with ERdj3 and potently inhibited the aggregation of different types of misfolded ER cargo. These proteins associated with non-native proteins, thus promoting the BiP-substrate interaction cycle. A dominant-negative ERdj3 mutant that inhibits the interaction between ERdj3 and BiP prevented the dissociation of misfolded cargo from the ERdj3-SDF2L1 complex. Our findings indicate that SDF2 and SDF2L1 associate with ERdj3 and act as components in the BiP chaperone cycle to prevent the aggregation of misfolded proteins, partly explaining the broad folding capabilities of the ER under various physiological conditions. © 2017 Molecular Biology Society of Japan and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Duplex ultrasound: Indications and findings in a newly created ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Duplex ultrasound: Indications and findings in a newly created facility at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar. ... It is recommended that timely referrals be made, and mobile Doppler units be acquired to save more lives and limbs in the developing world. Keywords: Calabar, deep venous thrombosis, duplex ...

Mapping subsurface in proximity to newly-developed sinkhole along roadway.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-01

MS&T acquired electrical resistivity tomography profiles in immediate proximity to a newly-developed sinkhole in Nixa Missouri : The sinkhole has closed a well-traveled municipal roadway and threatens proximal infrastructure. The intent of this inves...

Protein biosynthesis in cultured human hair follicle cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Weterings, P J; Vermorken, A J; Bloemendal, H

1980-10-31

A new technique has been used for culturing human keratinocytes. The cells grow on the basement membrane-like capsules of bovine lenses. Lens cells were removed from the capsules by rigid trypsinization. In order to exclude any contamination with remaining living cells the isolated capsules were irradiated with X-rays at a dose of 10,000 rad. In this way human epithelial cells can be brought in culture from individual hair follicles. Since feeder cells are not used in this culture technique, the biosynthesis of keratinocyte proteins can be studied in these cultures. The newly synthesized proteins can be separated into a water-soluble, a urea-soluble, and a urea-insoluble fraction. Product analysis has been performed on the first two fractions revealing protein patterns identical to those of intact hair follicles. Product analysis of the urea-soluble fractions of microdissected hair follicles shows that the protein pattern of the cultured keratinocytes resembles the protein pattern of the hair follicle sheath. Studies on the metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene revealed that the enzyme aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) is present in cultured hair follicle cells. A possible use of our culture system for eventual detection of inherited predisposition for smoking-dependent lung cancer is discussed.

[Psycho-social factors of sexual failure among newly married Uyghur young males].

Science.gov (United States)

Erkin, Ashim; Hamrajan, Memtili; Kadirjan, Mijit; Adil, Eli; Elijan, Abdureshit; Ibrahim, Ubul; Abdulla, Tursun; Hasanjan, Abdurehim; Turgun, Hekim; Eli, Ablet; Eset, Metmusa

2016-08-01

To study the psycho-social risk factors of sexual failure among newly married young males in the Uyghur population. We conducted a paired case control study of 186 newly married Uyghur young males (aged 17－30 ［23.4±2.9］ yr) with sexual failure and another 186 (aged 18－34 ［24.0±3.1］ yr) with no such problem as controls. We performed a logistic regression analysis on the possible psycho-social risk factors of this condition. Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors of sexual failure among the newly married men included personality (OR=0.271, 95% CI 0.176－0.420), income (OR=0.391, 95% CI 0.264－0.580), history of masturbation (OR=0.824, 95% CI 0.710－0.956), premarital sex (OR=0.757, 95% CI 0.677－0.847), sense of obligation (OR=1.756, 95% CI 1.157－2.693), equality of the social status (OR=0.574, 95% CI 0.435－0.756), degree of mutual care (OR=1.605, 95% CI 1.268－2.032), female's psychological obstacle (OR=2.832, 95% CI 1.221－6.569), and religion (OR=0.643, 95% CI 0.472－0.967). There was a statistical significance in the correlation between these factors and sexual failure in the newly married males (all Ppsycho-social factors, which necessitates sexual education among young males and particularly pre-marriage sexual education and psychological guide among both males and females.

Integrative Identification of Arabidopsis Mitochondrial Proteome and Its Function Exploitation through Protein Interaction Network

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Jian; Liu, Jinghua; Li, Yuhua; Shi, Tieliu

2011-01-01

Mitochondria are major players on the production of energy, and host several key reactions involved in basic metabolism and biosynthesis of essential molecules. Currently, the majority of nucleus-encoded mitochondrial proteins are unknown even for model plant Arabidopsis. We reported a computational framework for predicting Arabidopsis mitochondrial proteins based on a probabilistic model, called Naive Bayesian Network, which integrates disparate genomic data generated from eight bioinformatics tools, multiple orthologous mappings, protein domain properties and co-expression patterns using 1,027 microarray profiles. Through this approach, we predicted 2,311 candidate mitochondrial proteins with 84.67% accuracy and 2.53% FPR performances. Together with those experimental confirmed proteins, 2,585 mitochondria proteins (named CoreMitoP) were identified, we explored those proteins with unknown functions based on protein-protein interaction network (PIN) and annotated novel functions for 26.65% CoreMitoP proteins. Moreover, we found newly predicted mitochondrial proteins embedded in particular subnetworks of the PIN, mainly functioning in response to diverse environmental stresses, like salt, draught, cold, and wound etc. Candidate mitochondrial proteins involved in those physiological acitivites provide useful targets for further investigation. Assigned functions also provide comprehensive information for Arabidopsis mitochondrial proteome. PMID:21297957

Intracellular targeting of CD44+ cells with self-assembling, protein only nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesarrodona, Mireia; Ferrer-Miralles, Neus; Unzueta, Ugutz; Gener, Petra; Tatkiewicz, Witold; Abasolo, Ibane; Ratera, Imma; Veciana, Jaume; Schwartz, Simó; Villaverde, Antonio; Vazquez, Esther

2014-10-01

CD44 is a multifunctional cell surface protein involved in proliferation and differentiation, angiogenesis and signaling. The expression of CD44 is up-regulated in several types of human tumors and particularly in cancer stem cells, representing an appealing target for drug delivery in the treatment of cancer. We have explored here several protein ligands of CD44 for the construction of self-assembling modular proteins designed to bind and internalize target cells. Among five tested ligands, two of them (A5G27 and FNI/II/V) drive the formation of protein-only, ring-shaped nanoparticles of about 14 nm that efficiently bind and penetrate CD44(+) cells by an endosomal route. The potential of these newly designed nanoparticles is evaluated regarding the need of biocompatible nanostructured materials for drug delivery in CD44-linked conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Three newly recorded Linyphiid spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae from Korea

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Sue Yeon Lee

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Three Linyphiid spiders, Caviphantes pseudosaxetorum Wunderlich, 1979, Erigone edentata Saito and Ono, 2001, and Savignia kawachiensis Oi, 1960, are reported for the first time from Korea with taxonomic illustrations and redescription. In this study, the genus Caviphantes Oi, 1960 is also newly recorded to Korean spider fauna.

Tyrosine phosphorylation switching of a G protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bo; Tunc-Ozdemir, Meral; Urano, Daisuke; Jia, Haiyan; Werth, Emily G; Mowrey, David D; Hicks, Leslie M; Dokholyan, Nikolay V; Torres, Matthew P; Jones, Alan M

2018-03-30

Heterotrimeric G protein complexes are molecular switches relaying extracellular signals sensed by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to downstream targets in the cytoplasm, which effect cellular responses. In the plant heterotrimeric GTPase cycle, GTP hydrolysis, rather than nucleotide exchange, is the rate-limiting reaction and is accelerated by a receptor-like regulator of G signaling (RGS) protein. We hypothesized that posttranslational modification of the Gα subunit in the G protein complex regulates the RGS-dependent GTPase cycle. Our structural analyses identified an invariant phosphorylated tyrosine residue (Tyr 166 in the Arabidopsis Gα subunit AtGPA1) located in the intramolecular domain interface where nucleotide binding and hydrolysis occur. We also identified a receptor-like kinase that phosphorylates AtGPA1 in a Tyr 166 -dependent manner. Discrete molecular dynamics simulations predicted that phosphorylated Tyr 166 forms a salt bridge in this interface and potentially affects the RGS protein-accelerated GTPase cycle. Using a Tyr 166 phosphomimetic substitution, we found that the cognate RGS protein binds more tightly to the GDP-bound Gα substrate, consequently reducing its ability to accelerate GTPase activity. In conclusion, we propose that phosphorylation of Tyr 166 in AtGPA1 changes the binding pattern with AtRGS1 and thereby attenuates the steady-state rate of the GTPase cycle. We coin this newly identified mechanism "substrate phosphoswitching." © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

[Impact of Increased Supply of Newly Licensed Nurses on Hospital Nurse Staffing and Policy Implications].

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yunmi; You, Sunju; Kim, Jinhyun

2017-12-01

This study aimed to analyze the impact of increasing the supply of newly licensed nurses on improving the hospital nurse staffing grades for the period of 2009~2014. Using public administrative data, we analyzed the effect of newly licensed nurses on staffing in 1,594 hospitals using Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) ordered logistic regression, and of supply variation on improving staffing grades in 1,042 hospitals using GEE logistic regression. An increase of one newly licensed nurse per 100 beds in general units had significantly lower odds of improving staffing grades (grades 6~0 vs. 7) (odds ratio=0.95, p=.005). The supply of newly licensed nurses increased by 32% from 2009 to 2014, and proportion of hospitals whose staffing grade had improved, not changed, and worsened was 19.1%, 70.1%, and 10.8% respectively. Compared to 2009, the supply variation of newly licensed nurses in 2014 was not significantly related to the increased odds of improving staffing grades in the region (OR=1.02, p=.870). To achieve a balance in the regional supply and demand for hospital nurses, compliance with nurse staffing legislation and revisions in the nursing fee differentiation policy are needed. Rather than relying on increasing nurse supply, retention policies for new graduate nurses are required to build and sustain competent nurse workforce in the future. © 2017 Korean Society of Nursing Science

Hope in newly diagnosed cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Duggleby, Wendy; Ghosh, Sunita; Cooper, Dan; Dwernychuk, Lynne

2013-11-01

Hope is important to cancer patients as it helps them deal with their diagnosis. Little is known about hope in newly diagnosed cancer patients. Based on the Transcending Possibilities conceptual model of hope, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of hope with pain, energy, and psychological and demographic characteristics in newly diagnosed adult oncology outpatients. Data from 310 New Patient Assessment Forms from cancer outpatients' health records were collected. Health records from the first six months of 2009 were reviewed and data were collected on hope, energy, pain, depression, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, and demographic variables. A generalized linear modeling approach was used to study the relationship of hope scores with these variables. Hypothesized variables and variables that were significant at the P = 0.01 level from the univariate analysis were entered into the multivariate model, with hope scores as the dependent variable. Hope scores were significantly negatively related to age (P = 0.02). More specifically, oncology patients who were 65 years of age or older had significantly less hope than those under the age of 65 years (P = 0.01). Gender (P = 0.009) also was a significant factor, with men having higher hope scores than women. No other variables were significant. Older adults comprise the majority of persons in Canada with cancer. The lower hope scores found in this age group compared with their younger counterparts underscore the importance of further research. This study provides a foundation for future research in this important area for oncology patients. Copyright © 2013 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Different Pathophysiological Phenotypes among Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stidsen, Jacob

2013-01-01

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) can be considered a syndrome with several different pathophysiological mechanisms leading to hyperglycemia. Nonetheless, T2D is treated according to algorithms as if it was one disease entity. Methods: We investigated the prevalence of different pathophysiological phenotypes...... or secondary diabetes), classic obesity-associated insulin resistant diabetes ( f-P-C-peptide >= 568 pmol/l) and a normoinsulinopenic group (333 age of our new T2D patients was 61 years (range 21-95 years), 57% were men. We found that 3.0% newly diagnosed T2D patients...... suffered from LADA, 3.9% from secondary diabetes, 6.0% from steroid induced diabetes 5.9% had insulinopenic diabetes, whereas 56.7% presented the classic obesity-associated insulin-resistant phenotype. 24.6% was classified as normoinsulinopenic patients. Conclusion: We conclude that newly diagnosed T2D...

Prediction of endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins using fragmented amino acid composition and support vector machine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravindra Kumar

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background The endoplasmic reticulum plays an important role in many cellular processes, which includes protein synthesis, folding and post-translational processing of newly synthesized proteins. It is also the site for quality control of misfolded proteins and entry point of extracellular proteins to the secretory pathway. Hence at any given point of time, endoplasmic reticulum contains two different cohorts of proteins, (i proteins involved in endoplasmic reticulum-specific function, which reside in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum, called as endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins and (ii proteins which are in process of moving to the extracellular space. Thus, endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins must somehow be distinguished from newly synthesized secretory proteins, which pass through the endoplasmic reticulum on their way out of the cell. Approximately only 50% of the proteins used in this study as training data had endoplasmic reticulum retention signal, which shows that these signals are not essentially present in all endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins. This also strongly indicates the role of additional factors in retention of endoplasmic reticulum-specific proteins inside the endoplasmic reticulum. Methods This is a support vector machine based method, where we had used different forms of protein features as inputs for support vector machine to develop the prediction models. During training leave-one-out approach of cross-validation was used. Maximum performance was obtained with a combination of amino acid compositions of different part of proteins. Results In this study, we have reported a novel support vector machine based method for predicting endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins, named as ERPred. During training we achieved a maximum accuracy of 81.42% with leave-one-out approach of cross-validation. When evaluated on independent dataset, ERPred did prediction with sensitivity of 72.31% and specificity of 83

Identification of Heat Shock Protein families and J-protein types by incorporating Dipeptide Composition into Chou's general PseAAC.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Saeed; Kabir, Muhammad; Hayat, Maqsood

2015-11-01

Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) are the substantial ingredients for cell growth and viability, which are found in all living organisms. HSPs manage the process of folding and unfolding of proteins, the quality of newly synthesized proteins and protecting cellular homeostatic processes from environmental stress. On the basis of functionality, HSPs are categorized into six major families namely: (i) HSP20 or sHSP (ii) HSP40 or J-proteins types (iii) HSP60 or GroEL/ES (iv) HSP70 (v) HSP90 and (vi) HSP100. Identification of HSPs family and sub-family through conventional approaches is expensive and laborious. It is therefore, highly desired to establish an automatic, robust and accurate computational method for prediction of HSPs quickly and reliably. Regard, a computational model is developed for the prediction of HSPs family. In this model, protein sequences are formulated using three discrete methods namely: Split Amino Acid Composition, Pseudo Amino Acid Composition, and Dipeptide Composition. Several learning algorithms are utilized to choice the best one for high throughput computational model. Leave one out test is applied to assess the performance of the proposed model. The empirical results showed that support vector machine achieved quite promising results using Dipeptide Composition feature space. The predicted outcomes of proposed model are 90.7% accuracy for HSPs dataset and 97.04% accuracy for J-protein types, which are higher than existing methods in the literature so far. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural basis for antagonizing a host restriction factor by C7 family of poxvirus host-range proteins

OpenAIRE

Meng, Xiangzhi; Krumm, Brian; Li, Yongchao; Deng, Junpeng; Xiang, Yan

2015-01-01

Productive viral replication requires overcoming many barriers posed by the host innate immune system. Human sterile alpha motif domain-containing 9 (SAMD9) is a newly identified antiviral factor that is specifically targeted by poxvirus proteins belonging to the C7 family of host-range factors. Here we provide the first, to our knowledge, atomic view of two functionally divergent proteins from the C7 family and determine the molecular basis that dictates whether they can target SAMD9 effecti...

Higher incidence of hip fracture in newly diagnosed schizophrenic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Higher incidence of hip fracture in newly diagnosed schizophrenic patients in Taiwan. Hip fracture is a major public health concern due to its poor outcome and serious socioeconomic burden in older people (1). Evidence has shown that many factors are related to increased risk of hip fracture, but psychiatric diseases are ...

Death Concerns among Individuals Newly Diagnosed with Lung Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Lehto, Rebecca; Therrien, Barbara

2010-01-01

Confronting the reality of death is an important challenge for individuals facing life-threatening illness such as lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death. Few studies, however, document the nature of death-related concerns in individuals newly diagnosed with lung cancer. The aims of this exploratory study were to examine unsolicited…

Changes in immunological status among newly-diagnosed HIV-infected in Denmark 1995-2005

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoegh, S.; Lohse, N.; Hansen, A.B.

2008-01-01

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of new HIV diagnoses in Denmark has remained stable since 1991, but it has increased among the subgroup of homosexual men in recent years. This may reflect an actual increase in newly infected, e.g. as a result of increased risk behaviour, or it may reflect increased HIV....... MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observational study based on the Danish HIV Cohort Study, which includes all adults seen at Danish HIV clinics since 1995. RESULTS: From 2000 to 2004 the number of newly-infected homosexual men increased (from 69 to 123), particularly in persons under 30 years (from 5 to 42......). The median CD4 cell count at the time of diagnosis increased in this group (median 19.1 cells/microL per year [95% CI: 3.7-11.3]), while it remained stable among heterosexually infected. The number of newly-diagnosed homosexually infected under 30 years with a CD4 cell count over 400 cells/microL increased...

Site-specific fluorescent labeling of nascent proteins on the translating ribosome.

Science.gov (United States)

Saraogi, Ishu; Zhang, Dawei; Chandrasekaran, Sandhya; Shan, Shu-ou

2011-09-28

As newly synthesized proteins emerge from the ribosome, they interact with a variety of cotranslational cellular machineries that facilitate their proper folding, maturation, and localization. These interactions are essential for proper function of the cell, and the ability to study these events is crucial to understanding cellular protein biogenesis. To this end, we have developed a highly efficient method to generate ribosome-nascent chain complexes (RNCs) site-specifically labeled with a fluorescent dye on the nascent polypeptide. The fluorescent RNC provides real-time, quantitative information on its cotranslational interaction with the signal recognition particle and will be a valuable tool in elucidating the role of the translating ribosome in numerous biochemical pathways.

Direct interaction between EgFABP1, a fatty acid binding protein from Echinococcus granulosus, and phospholipid membranes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge L Porfido

Full Text Available Growth and maintenance of hydatid cysts produced by Echinococcus granulosus have a high requirement for host lipids for biosynthetic processes, membrane building and possibly cellular and developmental signalling. This requires a high degree of lipid trafficking facilitated by lipid transporter proteins. Members of the fatty acid binding protein (FABP family have been identified in Echinococcus granulosus, one of which, EgFABP1 is expressed at the tegumental level in the protoscoleces, but it has also been described in both hydatid cyst fluid and secretions of protoscoleces. In spite of a considerable amount of structural and biophysical information on the FABPs in general, their specific functions remain mysterious.We have investigated the way in which EgFABP1 may interact with membranes using a variety of fluorescence-based techniques and artificial small unilamellar vesicles. We first found that bacterial recombinant EgFABP1 is loaded with fatty acids from the synthesising bacteria, and that fatty acid binding increases its resistance to proteinases, possibly due to subtle conformational changes induced on EgFABP1. By manipulating the composition of lipid vesicles and the ionic environment, we found that EgFABP1 interacts with membranes in a direct contact, collisional, manner to exchange ligand, involving both ionic and hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, we observed that the protein can compete with cytochrome c for association with the surface of small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs.This work constitutes a first approach to the understanding of protein-membrane interactions of EgFABP1. The results suggest that this protein may be actively involved in the exchange and transport of fatty acids between different membranes and cellular compartments within the parasite.

Pyrazole carboxamides and carboxylic acids as protein kinase inhibitors in aberrant eukaryotic signal transduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Persson, Tobias; Yde, Christina W.; Rasmussen, Jakob Ewald

2007-01-01

Densely functionalised pyrazole carboxamides and carboxylic acids were synthesised in an expedient manner through saponification and transamidation, respectively, of ester-functionalised pyrazoles. This synthetic protocol allowed for three diversifying steps in which appendages on the pyrazole...

Study on mid and long-term strategic plan formulation for newly-constructed NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Lin

2014-01-01

Mid and Long-term strategic plan plays a key role for the management of a newly constructed nuclear power company. Among others, process, goals, and risk management, are the primary concerns during plan preparing. The article analyzed these three areas for Fuqing NPP, including the formulating process for the plan, the mid and long-term goal setting of the company, the major risk analysis and countermeasure selection therefore. Through that solutions and suggestions for strategic plan formulation were concluded for newly-constructed NPP. (author)

The incorporation of 2-[14C]glycine into porcine lens protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Y.B.; Kauffman, R.G.; DeVenecia, G.

1977-01-01

A series of experiments was conducted to estimate the apparent turnover rate of lens soluble protein, the incorporation rate of 2-[ 14 C]glycine into various soluble protein components and the effect of nutritional stress on the disappearance of radioactivity with time. Evidence is presented that there are two fractions of soluble lens protein with different turnover rates: one is a fast turnover fraction with a half-life of 20.8 hr and the other is a metabolically inert fraction with an infinitely long half-life. It is postulated that the fast turnover fraction is present in the newly-formed younger fibers in the periphery, whereas the inert fraction is in the old lens fibers of the cortex and nucleus. Sephadex G-200 column chromatography was used to separate the soluble lens protein into four components: A, B, C and D in the order of elution. The changes in specific activities of the four components with the time course after injection were followed. Prolonged starvation did not affect the disappearance of carbon incorporated into lens protein with the time course after injection, suggesting normal synthesis and degradation of lens protein without regard to dietary stress. (author)

Correlation between survival, ability to rejoin DNA and stability of DNA after preirradiation inhibition of protein synthesis in a rec- mutant of Escherichia coli K12

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pirsel, M.; Slezarikova, V.

1977-01-01

A 90 min inhibition of protein synthesis induced by starvation for amino acids (AA - ) or by chloramphenicol (CAP) treatment prior to UV irradiation (2.5 J m -2 ) increased more than tenfold the resistance of the strain Escherichia coli K12 SR19 to UV radiation. Under these conditions, cultures in which protein synthesis was inhibited before the UV irradiation rejoin short regions of DNA synthesized after the irradiation to a normal-size molecule, whereas an exponentially growing culture does not rejoin DNA synthesized after UV irradiation to a molecule of a normal size. In the exponentially growing culture both the parental and the newly synthesized DNA are unstable after the irradiation. In cultures with inhibited protein synthesis only the parental DNA is somewhat unstable. In Escherichia coli K12 SR19 where protein synthesis was inhibited before the irradiation, a correlation between the survival of cells, the ability to rejoin short regions of DNA synthesized after UV irradiation, and a higher stability of both parental and newly synthesized DNAs could be demonstrated. (author)

Towards complete sets of farnesylated and geranylgeranylated proteins.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Maurer-Stroh

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Three different prenyltransferases attach isoprenyl anchors to C-terminal motifs in substrate proteins. These lipid anchors serve for membrane attachment or protein-protein interactions in many pathways. Although well-tolerated selective prenyltransferase inhibitors are clinically available, their mode of action remains unclear since the known substrate sets of the various prenyltransferases are incomplete. The Prenylation Prediction Suite (PrePS has been applied for large-scale predictions of prenylated proteins. To prioritize targets for experimental verification, we rank the predictions by their functional importance estimated by evolutionary conservation of the prenylation motifs within protein families. The ranked lists of predictions are accessible as PRENbase (http://mendel.imp.univie.ac.at/sat/PrePS/PRENbase and can be queried for verification status, type of modifying enzymes (anchor type, and taxonomic distribution. Our results highlight a large group of plant metal-binding chaperones as well as several newly predicted proteins involved in ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation, enriching the known functional repertoire of prenylated proteins. Furthermore, we identify two possibly prenylated proteins in Mimivirus. The section HumanPRENbase provides complete lists of predicted prenylated human proteins-for example, the list of farnesyltransferase targets that cannot become substrates of geranylgeranyltransferase 1 and, therefore, are especially affected by farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs used in cancer and anti-parasite therapy. We report direct experimental evidence verifying the prediction of the human proteins Prickle1, Prickle2, the BRO1 domain-containing FLJ32421 (termed BROFTI, and Rab28 (short isoform as exclusive farnesyltransferase targets. We introduce PRENbase, a database of large-scale predictions of protein prenylation substrates ranked by evolutionary conservation of the motif. Experimental evidence is presented for

Maintaining Professional Commitment as a Newly Credentialed Athletic Trainer in the Secondary School Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazerolle, Stephanie M; Myers, Sarah L; Walker, Stacy E; Kirby, Jessica

2018-03-01

  Professional commitment, or one's affinity and loyalty to a career, has become a topic of interest in athletic training. The expanding research on the topic, however, has omitted newly credentialed athletic trainers (ATs). For an impressionable group of practitioners, transitioning to clinical practice can be stressful.   To explore the professional commitment of newly credentialed ATs in the secondary school setting.   Secondary school.   Qualitative study.   A total of 31 newly credentialed ATs (6 men, 25 women; mean age = 24 ± 3 years) participated. Of these, 17 ATs (4 men, 13 women; mean age = 25 ± 4 years) were employed full time in the secondary school setting, and 14 ATs (2 men, 12 women; mean age = 23.0 ± 2.0 years) were graduate assistant students in the secondary school setting.   All participants completed semistructured interviews, which focused on their experiences in the secondary school setting and transitioning into the role and setting. Transcripts were analyzed using the phenomenologic approach. Creditability was established by peer review, member checks, and researcher triangulation.   Four main findings related to the professional commitment of newly credentialed ATs in the secondary school setting were identified. Work-life balance, professional relationships formed with the student-athletes, enjoyment gained from working in the secondary school setting, and professional responsibility emerged as factors facilitating commitment.   Affective commitment is a primary facilitator of professional commitment. Newly credentialed ATs who enjoy their jobs and have time to engage in nonwork roles are able to maintain a positive professional commitment. Our findings align with the previous literature and help strengthen our understanding that rejuvenation and passion are important to professional commitment.

Los Alamos Plutonium Facility newly generated TRU waste certification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruetzmacher, K.; Montoya, A.; Sinkule, B.; Maez, M.

1997-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the activities being planned and implemented to certify newly generated contact handled transuranic (TRU) waste produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL's) Plutonium Facility. Certifying waste at the point of generation is the most important cost and labor saving step in the WIPP certification process. The pedigree of a waste item is best known by the originator of the waste and frees a site from expensive characterization activities such as those associated with legacy waste. Through a cooperative agreement with LANLs Waste Management Facility and under the umbrella of LANLs WIPP-related certification and quality assurance documents, the Plutonium Facility will be certifying its own newly generated waste. Some of the challenges faced by the Plutonium Facility in preparing to certify TRU waste include the modification and addition of procedures to meet WIPP requirements, standardizing packaging for TRU waste, collecting processing documentation from operations which produce TRU waste, and developing ways to modify waste streams which are not certifiable in their present form

Newly velocity field of Sulawesi Island from GPS observation

Science.gov (United States)

Sarsito, D. A.; Susilo, Simons, W. J. F.; Abidin, H. Z.; Sapiie, B.; Triyoso, W.; Andreas, H.

2017-07-01

Sulawesi microplate Island is located at famous triple junction area of the Eurasian, India-Australian, and Philippine Sea plates. Under the influence of the northward moving Australian plate and the westward motion of the Philippine plate, the island at Eastern part of Indonesia is collide and with the Eurasian plate and Sunda Block. Those recent microplate tectonic motions can be quantitatively determine by GNSS-GPS measurement. We use combine GNSS-GPS observation types (campaign type and continuous type) from 1997 to 2015 to derive newly velocity field of the area. Several strategies are applied and tested to get the optimum result, and finally we choose regional strategy to reduce error propagation contribution from global multi baseline processing using GAMIT/GLOBK 10.5. Velocity field are analyzed in global reference frame ITRF 2008 and local reference frame by fixing with respect alternatively to Eurasian plate - Sunda block, India-Australian plate and Philippine Sea plates. Newly results show dense distribution of velocity field. This information is useful for tectonic deformation studying in geospatial era.

Degradation of dibenzofuran via multiple dioxygenation by a newly isolated Agrobacterium sp. PH-08.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, T T; Murugesan, K; Nam, I-H; Jeon, J-R; Chang, Y-S

2014-03-01

To demonstrate the biodegradation of dibenzofuran (DF) and its structural analogs by a newly isolated Agrobacterium sp. PH-08. To assess the biodegradation potential of newly isolated Agrobacterium sp. PH-08, various substrates were evaluated as sole carbon sources in growth and biotransformation experiments. ESI LC-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of angular degrading by-products as well as lateral dioxygenation metabolites in the upper pathway. The metabolites in the lower pathway also were detected. In addition, the cometabolically degraded daughter compounds of DF-related compounds such as BP and dibenzothiophene (DBT) in dual substrate degradation were observed. Strain PH-08 exhibited the evidence of meta-cleavage pathway as confirmed by the activity and gene expression of catechol-2,3-dioxygenase. Newly isolated bacterial strain, Agrobacterium sp. PH-08, grew well with and degraded DF via both angular and lateral dioxygenation as demonstrated by metabolites identified through ESI LC-MS/MS and GC-MS analyses. The other heterocyclic pollutants were also cometabolically degraded. Few reports have described the complete degradation of DF by a cometabolic lateral pathway. Our study demonstrates the novel results that the newly isolated strain utilized the DF as a sole carbon source and mineralized it via multiple dioxygenation. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Adaptor proteins intersectin 1 and 2 bind similar proline-rich ligands but are differentially recognized by SH2 domain-containing proteins.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Novokhatska

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Scaffolding proteins of the intersectin (ITSN family, ITSN1 and ITSN2, are crucial for the initiation stage of clathrin-mediated endocytosis. These proteins are closely related but have implications in distinct pathologies. To determine how these proteins could be separated in certain cell pathways we performed a comparative study of ITSNs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have shown that endogenous ITSN1 and ITSN2 colocalize and form a complex in cells. A structural comparison of five SH3 domains, which mediated most ITSNs protein-protein interactions, demonstrated a similarity of their ligand-binding sites. We showed that the SH3 domains of ITSN2 bound well-established interactors of ITSN1 as well as newly identified ITSNs protein partners. A search for a novel interacting interface revealed multiple tyrosines that could be phosphorylated in ITSN2. Phosphorylation of ITSN2 isoforms but not ITSN1 short isoform was observed in various cell lines. EGF stimulation of HeLa cells enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of ITSN2 isoforms and enabled their recognition by the SH2 domains of the Fyn, Fgr and Abl1 kinases, the regulatory subunit of PI3K, the adaptor proteins Grb2 and Crk, and phospholipase C gamma. The SH2 domains mentioned were unable to bind ITSN1 short isoform. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results indicate that during evolution of vertebrates ITSN2 acquired a novel protein-interaction interface that allows its specific recognition by the SH2 domains of signaling proteins. We propose that these data could be important to understand the functional diversity of paralogous ITSN proteins.

Immunohistochemically determined total epidermal growth factor receptor levels not of prognostic value in newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme: Report from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakravarti, Arnab; Seiferheld, Wendy; Tu Xiaoyu; Wang Huijun; Zhang Huazhong; Ang, K. Kian; Hammond, Elizabeth; Curran, Walter; Mehta, Minesh

2005-01-01

Purpose: The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) performed an analysis of patterns of immunohistochemically detected total epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein expression levels and their prognostic significance on archival tissue in newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients from prior prospective RTOG clinical trials. Methods and materials: Patients in this study had been treated on previous RTOG GBM trials (RTOG 7401, 7918, 8302, 8409, 9006, 9305, 9602, and 9806). Tissue microarrays were prepared from 155 patients enrolled in these trials. These specimens were stained using a mouse monoclonal antibody specific for the extracellular binding domain of EGFR to detect total EGFR (including both wild-type phosphorylated and wild-type unphosphorylated isoforms with some cross-reactivity with EGFRvIII). The intensity of total EGFR protein expression was measured by computerized quantitative image analysis using the SAMBA 4000 Cell Image Analysis System. The parameters measured were the mean optical densities over the labeled areas and the staining index, which represents the proportion of stained area relative to the mean stain concentration. Both parameters were correlated with the clinical outcome. Results: No differences in either overall or progression-free survival could be demonstrated by the mean optical density class or mean optical density quartile or the staining index of total EGFR immunostaining among the representative RTOG GBM cases. Conclusion: Total EGFR protein expression levels, as measured immunohistochemically, do not appear to be of prognostic value in newly diagnosed GBM patients. Given the accumulating clinical evidence of the activity of anti-EGFR agents in GBM and the preclinical data suggesting the important role of downstream mediators as effectors of EGFR signaling, the RTOG is conducting additional investigations into the prognostic value of activation patterns of EGFR signaling, both at the level of the receptor

Newly graduated nurses use of knowledge sources in clinical decison-making - a qualitative study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Voldbjerg, Siri

of clinical decisions, based on transparent, articulate and reflective use of knowledge sources. Furthermore, it is implied that nurses are able to retrieve, asses, implement and evaluate research evidence. To meet these requirements, nursing educations around the world have organised curricula to educate...... graduated nurses do not work within a framework of evidence-based practice. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore which knowledge sources newly graduated nurses’ use in their clinical decision-making and why they use them in order to understand why newly graduated nurses use research and components...... within evidence-based practice to a limited extent. The thesis is based on a synthesis of findings from two studies. The aim of the first study was to explore which knowledge sources newly graduated nurses use in clinical decision making as reported within international qualitative research. The purpose...

Sulfonic acid functionalized boron nitride nanomaterials as a microwave-assisted efficient and highly biologically active one-pot synthesis of piperazinyl-quinolinyl fused Benzo[c]acridine derivatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murugesan, Arul; Gengan, R.M., E-mail: genganrm@dut.ac.za; Krishnan, Anand

2017-02-15

Boron nitride nano material based solid acid catalyst was found to be an efficient and reusable sulfonic acid catalyst for the synthesis of one-pot Knoevenagel and Michael type reactions in 3, 3-dimethyl-9-(2-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl) quinolin-3-yl)-3, 4, 9, 10-tetrahydroacridin-1(2H)-one derivatives under microwave irradiation conditions. The catalyst was prepared by mixing boron nitrile and (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane. This is simple and safe method for the preparation of solid acid catalysts. The morphological properties of catalyst determined by using FT-IR, XRD, TEM, SEM and Raman spectroscopy. The synthesised catalyst was employed in Knoevenagel and Michael type reactions to synthesise novel piperazinyl-quinolinyl based acridine derivatives. Furthermore the newly-synthesised compounds have been used for molecular docking in DNA binding studies. The method developed in this study has the advantages of good yield, simplicity coupled with safety and short reaction time. Most importantly it was found that the solid acid catalyst can be recycled with only 5% loss of activity. - Highlights: • One-pot Synthesis of Knoevenagel and Michel type reactions. • Synthesis of Sulfonic acid Functionalized Boron nitride nano materials. • Synthesis of piperazinyl-quinolinyl fused Benzo[c]acridine derivatives under Microwave irradiation. • Molecular docking studies were performed on piperazinyl-quinolinyl acridine derivatives using DNA.

Characterization of newly isolated lytic bacteriophages active against Acinetobacter baumannii.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maia Merabishvili

Full Text Available Based on genotyping and host range, two newly isolated lytic bacteriophages, myovirus vB_AbaM_Acibel004 and podovirus vB_AbaP_Acibel007, active against Acinetobacter baumannii clinical strains, were selected from a new phage library for further characterization. The complete genomes of the two phages were analyzed. Both phages are characterized by broad host range and essential features of potential therapeutic phages, such as short latent period (27 and 21 min, respectively, high burst size (125 and 145, respectively, stability of activity in liquid culture and low frequency of occurrence of phage-resistant mutant bacterial cells. Genomic analysis showed that while Acibel004 represents a novel bacteriophage with resemblance to some unclassified Pseudomonas aeruginosa phages, Acibel007 belongs to the well-characterized genus of the Phikmvlikevirus. The newly isolated phages can serve as potential candidates for phage cocktails to control A. baumannii infections.

[Bioethical analysis of the use of newly dead patients in medical learning].

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Andréia Patrícia; Rego, Sergio; Palácios, Marisa; Siqueira-Batista, Rodrigo

2010-01-01

The purpose of this article is to carry out, a discussion on the subject of bioethics and cadavers based upon a critic review of literature. A review of literature, was made with a survey of articles between 1977 and 2007 in the sites 'Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde', PubMed and SciElo, utilizing the keywords: newly deceased patients, newly dead patients, simulators,. This was complemented by a critical evaluation of books published in the area of ethics and bioethics. The possibility to develop learning without orientation by a supervisor is doubtful.. The utilization of newly dead for learning invasive procedures is very frequent and seldom admitted. These procedures, are usually, carried out secretly, without the knowledge and consent of the family. The ethical aspects of these practices are not discussed in the practical medical education. It essential that the ethics of use of recent deceased become a necessary content of graduate education. Performance of these procedures by students should always be authorized by family members. The simulators meet the requirements of training. Discussions about the ethical and bioethical aspects cannot be separated from practical considerations during the students learning time.

High-affinity RNA aptamers to C-reactive protein (CRP): newly developed pre-elution methods for aptamer selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orito, N; Umekage, S; Sakai, E; Tanaka, T; Kikuchi, Y; Sato, K; Kawauchi, S; Tanaka, H

2012-01-01

We have developed a modified SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) method to obtain RNA aptamers with high affinity to C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a clinical biomarker present in plasma, the level of which increases in response to infections and noninfectious inflammation. The CRP level is also an important prognostic indicator in patients with several syndromes. At present, CRP content in blood is measured immunochemically using antibodies. To develop a more sensitive method using RNA aptamers, we have attempted to obtain high-affinity RNA aptamers to CRP. We succeeded in obtaining an RNA aptamer with high affinity to CRP using a CRP-immobilized Sepharose column and pre-elution procedure. Pre-elution is a method that removes the weak binding portion from a selected RNA population by washing for a short time with buffer containing CRP. By surface plasmon-resonance (SPR) analysis, the affinity constant of this aptamer for CRP was calculated to be K D = 2.25x10 -9 (M). The secondary structure, contact sites with CRP protein, and application of this aptamer will be described.

Sequence characterization of heat shock protein gene of Cyclospora cayetanensis isolates from Nepal, Mexico, and Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Sulaiman, Irshad M; Torres, Patricia; Simpson, Steven; Kerdahi, Khalil; Ortega, Ynes

2013-04-01

We have described the development of a 2-step nested PCR protocol based on the characterization of the 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) gene for rapid detection of the human-pathogenic Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite. We tested and validated these newly designed primer sets by PCR amplification followed by nucleotide sequencing of PCR-amplified HSP70 fragments belonging to 16 human C. cayetanensis isolates from 3 different endemic regions that include Nepal, Mexico, and Peru. No genetic polymorphism was observed among the isolates at the characterized regions of the HSP70 locus. This newly developed HSP70 gene-based nested PCR protocol provides another useful genetic marker for the rapid detection of C. cayetanensis in the future.

Portal protein functions akin to a DNA-sensor that couples genome-packaging to icosahedral capsid maturation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lokareddy, Ravi K.; Sankhala, Rajeshwer S.; Roy, Ankoor; Afonine, Pavel V.; Motwani, Tina; Teschke, Carolyn M.; Parent, Kristin N.; Cingolani, Gino (Rutgers); (LBNL); (Connecticut); (TJU); (MSU)

2017-01-30

Tailed bacteriophages and herpesviruses assemble infectious particles via an empty precursor capsid (or ‘procapsid’) built by multiple copies of coat and scaffolding protein and by one dodecameric portal protein. Genome packaging triggers rearrangement of the coat protein and release of scaffolding protein, resulting in dramatic procapsid lattice expansion. Here, we provide structural evidence that the portal protein of the bacteriophage P22 exists in two distinct dodecameric conformations: an asymmetric assembly in the procapsid (PC-portal) that is competent for high affinity binding to the large terminase packaging protein, and a symmetric ring in the mature virion (MV-portal) that has negligible affinity for the packaging motor. Modelling studies indicate the structure of PC-portal is incompatible with DNA coaxially spooled around the portal vertex, suggesting that newly packaged DNA triggers the switch from PC- to MV-conformation. Thus, we propose the signal for termination of ‘Headful Packaging’ is a DNA-dependent symmetrization of portal protein.

Portal protein functions akin to a DNA-sensor that couples genome-packaging to icosahedral capsid maturation

Science.gov (United States)

Lokareddy, Ravi K.; Sankhala, Rajeshwer S.; Roy, Ankoor; Afonine, Pavel V.; Motwani, Tina; Teschke, Carolyn M.; Parent, Kristin N.; Cingolani, Gino

2017-01-01

Tailed bacteriophages and herpesviruses assemble infectious particles via an empty precursor capsid (or ‘procapsid') built by multiple copies of coat and scaffolding protein and by one dodecameric portal protein. Genome packaging triggers rearrangement of the coat protein and release of scaffolding protein, resulting in dramatic procapsid lattice expansion. Here, we provide structural evidence that the portal protein of the bacteriophage P22 exists in two distinct dodecameric conformations: an asymmetric assembly in the procapsid (PC-portal) that is competent for high affinity binding to the large terminase packaging protein, and a symmetric ring in the mature virion (MV-portal) that has negligible affinity for the packaging motor. Modelling studies indicate the structure of PC-portal is incompatible with DNA coaxially spooled around the portal vertex, suggesting that newly packaged DNA triggers the switch from PC- to MV-conformation. Thus, we propose the signal for termination of ‘Headful Packaging' is a DNA-dependent symmetrization of portal protein. PMID:28134243

ProtaBank: A repository for protein design and engineering data.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Connie Y; Chang, Paul M; Ary, Marie L; Allen, Benjamin D; Chica, Roberto A; Mayo, Stephen L; Olafson, Barry D

2018-03-25

We present ProtaBank, a repository for storing, querying, analyzing, and sharing protein design and engineering data in an actively maintained and updated database. ProtaBank provides a format to describe and compare all types of protein mutational data, spanning a wide range of properties and techniques. It features a user-friendly web interface and programming layer that streamlines data deposition and allows for batch input and queries. The database schema design incorporates a standard format for reporting protein sequences and experimental data that facilitates comparison of results across different data sets. A suite of analysis and visualization tools are provided to facilitate discovery, to guide future designs, and to benchmark and train new predictive tools and algorithms. ProtaBank will provide a valuable resource to the protein engineering community by storing and safeguarding newly generated data, allowing for fast searching and identification of relevant data from the existing literature, and exploring correlations between disparate data sets. ProtaBank invites researchers to contribute data to the database to make it accessible for search and analysis. ProtaBank is available at https://protabank.org. © 2018 The Authors Protein Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Protein Society.

Bone histomorphometry in children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leeuw, JA; Koudstaal, J; Wiersema-Buist, J; Kamps, WA; Timens, W

2003-01-01

The objective of this study was to obtain insight into bone formation and resorption in children with newly diagnosed untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In 23 consecutive children with ALL, a bone biopsy was taken from the crista iliaca posterior under ketamine anesthesia, together with

Cultural characters of a newly recognized group of hospital staphylococci.

Science.gov (United States)

Jevons, M P; John, M; Parker, M T

1966-07-01

Members of a newly recognized group of hospital staphylococci, which are believed to have arisen from 83A staphylococci by lysogenization, differ from them in several cultural characters. Some but not all of these characters appear to be determined by the carriage of phage.

Discovery of Cellular Proteins Required for the Early Steps of HCV Infection Using Integrative Genomics

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jae-Seong; Kwon, Oh Sung; Kim, Sanguk; Jang, Sung Key

2013-01-01

Successful viral infection requires intimate communication between virus and host cell, a process that absolutely requires various host proteins. However, current efforts to discover novel host proteins as therapeutic targets for viral infection are difficult. Here, we developed an integrative-genomics approach to predict human genes involved in the early steps of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. By integrating HCV and human protein associations, co-expression data, and tight junction-tetraspanin web specific networks, we identified host proteins required for the early steps in HCV infection. Moreover, we validated the roles of newly identified proteins in HCV infection by knocking down their expression using small interfering RNAs. Specifically, a novel host factor CD63 was shown to directly interact with HCV E2 protein. We further demonstrated that an antibody against CD63 blocked HCV infection, indicating that CD63 may serve as a new therapeutic target for HCV-related diseases. The candidate gene list provides a source for identification of new therapeutic targets. PMID:23593195

The effect of preceptor role effectiveness on newly licensed registered nurses' perceived psychological empowerment and professional autonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Chanell; Hart, Patricia L; Mareno, Nicole

2016-03-01

The first year turnover rate for newly licensed registered nurses is roughly 30% and increases to about 57% in the second year (Twibell et al., 2012). An effective preceptorship has been shown to better facilitate the first year transition (Hodges et al., 2008) and increase retention rates (Pine and Tart, 2007). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between newly licensed registered nurses' perceived preceptor role effectiveness, psychological empowerment and professional autonomy. A prospective, cross-sectional, descriptive research design was used. Sixty-nine newly licensed registered nurses were recruited and surveyed. Newly licensed registered nurses were found to have moderately high levels of perceived preceptor role effectiveness, psychological empowerment, and professional autonomy. Preceptor role effectiveness had significant, moderately, positive relationships with professional autonomy and psychological empowerment. There was also a significant relationship found between professional autonomy and psychological empowerment. Results show that preceptor role effectiveness is linked to increased professional autonomy and psychological empowerment. Therefore, effective preceptorships are necessary in easing the newly licensed registered nurse's transition to practice. Strategies to ensure effective preceptorships and enhance the NRLN's transition to practice are proposed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Designing coarse grained-and atom based-potentials for protein-protein docking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tobi Dror

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein-protein docking is a challenging computational problem in functional genomics, particularly when one or both proteins undergo conformational change(s upon binding. The major challenge is to define a scoring function soft enough to tolerate these changes and specific enough to distinguish between near-native and "misdocked" conformations. Results Using a linear programming (LP technique, we developed two types of potentials: (i Side chain-based and (ii Heavy atom-based. To achieve this we considered a set of 161 transient complexes and generated a large set of putative docked structures (decoys, based on a shape complementarity criterion, for each complex. The demand on the potentials was to yield, for the native (correctly docked structure, a potential energy lower than those of any of the non-native (misdocked structures. We show that the heavy atom-based potentials were able to comply with this requirement but not the side chain-based one. Thus, despite the smaller number of parameters, the capability of heavy atom-based potentials to discriminate between native and "misdocked" conformations is improved relative to those of the side chain-based potentials. The performance of the atom-based potentials was evaluated by a jackknife test on a set of 50 complexes taken from the Zdock2.3 decoys set. Conclusions Our results show that, using the LP approach, we were able to train our potentials using a dataset of transient complexes only the newly developed potentials outperform three other known potentials in this test.

Management of Newly Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation in an Outpatient Clinic Setting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thrysoee, Lars; Strömberg, Anna; Brandes, Axel

2018-01-01

fibrillation is not a fatal disease in itself was very important for patients. At the same time, visiting the clinic was overwhelming, information was difficult to understand, and patients found it difficult to be involved in decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that patients were uncertain......AIMS: To gain in-depth knowledge of patients' experiences of the consultation processes at a multidisciplinary atrial fibrillation outpatient clinic in a university hospital in Denmark. BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia associated with morbidity and mortality...... if not diagnosed and treated as recommended. Patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation preferably should be managed in an outpatient setting which includes medical examination, patient education and decision making on medical therapy. DESIGN: This is a qualitative study of 14 patients newly diagnosed...

The G protein-coupled receptors deorphanization landscape.

Science.gov (United States)

Laschet, Céline; Dupuis, Nadine; Hanson, Julien

2018-07-01

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are usually highlighted as being both the largest family of membrane proteins and the most productive source of drug targets. However, most of the GPCRs are understudied and hence cannot be used immediately for innovative therapeutic strategies. Besides, there are still around 100 orphan receptors, with no described endogenous ligand and no clearly defined function. The race to discover new ligands for these elusive receptors seems to be less intense than before. Here, we present an update of the various strategies employed to assign a function to these receptors and to discover new ligands. We focus on the recent advances in the identification of endogenous ligands with a detailed description of newly deorphanized receptors. Replication being a key parameter in these endeavors, we also discuss the latest controversies about problematic ligand-receptor pairings. In this context, we propose several recommendations in order to strengthen the reporting of new ligand-receptor pairs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Importance of circulating tumor cells in newly diagnosed colorectal cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dalum, Guus; Stam, Gerrit-Jan; Scholten, Loes F.A.; Mastboom, Walter J.B.; Vermes, I.; Tibbe, Arjan G.J.; De Groot, Marco R.; Terstappen, Leonardus Wendelinus Mathias Marie

2015-01-01

Presence of circulating tumor cells (CTC) is associated with poor prognosis in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). The present study was conducted to determine if the presence of CTC prior to surgery and during follow‑up in patients with newly diagnosed non-metastatic CRC can identify

Physiological evaluation of a newly designed lever mechanism for wheelchairs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Woude, L H; Veeger, DirkJan (H. E. J.); de Boer, Y; Rozendal, R H

1993-01-01

Lever-propelled wheelchairs have been described as more efficient and less physically demanding than hand-rim-propelled wheelchairs. To evaluate a newly designed lever mechanism (MARC) in both one- and two-arm use, a series of wheelchair exercise tests were performed on a motor-driven treadmill.

EYE DISEASE IN NEWLY-DIAGNOSED LEPROSY PATIENTS IN EASTERN NEPAL

NARCIS (Netherlands)

LUBBERS, WJ; SCHIPPER, A; HOGEWEG, M; DESOLDENHOFF, R

To determine the magnitude of eye lesions in newly diagnosed leprosy patients we examined their eyes. The Eastern Leprosy Control Project was supported by The Netherlands Leprosy Relief Association; we used the regional clinic in Biratnagar and 5 mobile clinics in surrounding districts as our survey

Parental influences on sperm banking attempts among adolescent males newly diagnosed with cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Klosky, James L; Flynn, Jessica S; Lehmann, Vicky; Russell, Kathryn M; Wang, Fang; Hardin, Robin N; Eddinger, Jasmine R; Zhang, Hui; Schenck, Lauren A-M; Schover, Leslie R

2017-12-01

To investigate the influence of parental sociodemographic, communication, and psychological factors on sperm collection attempts among at-risk adolescent males newly diagnosed with cancer. Prospective, single group, observational study design. Pediatric oncology centers. Parents (N = 144) of 122 newly diagnosed adolescent males at increased risk for infertility secondary to cancer therapy. Survey-based assessment of parent factors associated with adolescent collection attempts. Attempt of manual collection of sperm. Parental recommendation to bank sperm (odds ratio [OR] 3.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-11.76) and perceived self-efficacy to facilitate banking (OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.02-1.41) were associated with an increased likelihood of making a collection attempt. Parental recommendation to bank is a critical influence for sperm banking among adolescent males newly diagnosed with cancer. These findings highlight the importance of effective communication between parents, patients, and health-care teams when discussing preservation options. Parent perceptions of their ability to facilitate sperm banking at the time of diagnosis should also be targeted in future interventions. NCT01152268. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Quality of life of elderly persons with newly diagnosed cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Esbensen, B A; Osterlind, K; Roer, O

2004-01-01

The aim was to investigate quality of life (QoL) in elderly persons newly diagnosed with cancer (65+ years) in relation to age, contact with the health-care system, ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL), hope, social network and support, and to identify which factors were associated...... with low QoL. The sample consisted of 101 patients (75 women and 26 men) newly diagnosed with cancer. EORTC QLQ-C30, Nowotny's Hope Scale, Katz ADL and the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI) were used. The analysis was carried out in four age groups and revealed no significant differences...... in QoL. Compared with the other age groups, those of a high age (80+ years) more often lived alone, used more home-help service and had a smaller social network. Factors associated with low QoL were 'no other incomes than retirement pension', 'low level of hope' and 'lung cancer'. In addition, 'being...

Synthetic biology for the directed evolution of protein biocatalysts: navigating sequence space intelligently

Science.gov (United States)

Currin, Andrew; Swainston, Neil; Day, Philip J.

2015-01-01

The amino acid sequence of a protein affects both its structure and its function. Thus, the ability to modify the sequence, and hence the structure and activity, of individual proteins in a systematic way, opens up many opportunities, both scientifically and (as we focus on here) for exploitation in biocatalysis. Modern methods of synthetic biology, whereby increasingly large sequences of DNA can be synthesised de novo, allow an unprecedented ability to engineer proteins with novel functions. However, the number of possible proteins is far too large to test individually, so we need means for navigating the ‘search space’ of possible protein sequences efficiently and reliably in order to find desirable activities and other properties. Enzymologists distinguish binding (K d) and catalytic (k cat) steps. In a similar way, judicious strategies have blended design (for binding, specificity and active site modelling) with the more empirical methods of classical directed evolution (DE) for improving k cat (where natural evolution rarely seeks the highest values), especially with regard to residues distant from the active site and where the functional linkages underpinning enzyme dynamics are both unknown and hard to predict. Epistasis (where the ‘best’ amino acid at one site depends on that or those at others) is a notable feature of directed evolution. The aim of this review is to highlight some of the approaches that are being developed to allow us to use directed evolution to improve enzyme properties, often dramatically. We note that directed evolution differs in a number of ways from natural evolution, including in particular the available mechanisms and the likely selection pressures. Thus, we stress the opportunities afforded by techniques that enable one to map sequence to (structure and) activity in silico, as an effective means of modelling and exploring protein landscapes. Because known landscapes may be assessed and reasoned about as a whole

A collaborative filtering approach for protein-protein docking scoring functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourquard, Thomas; Bernauer, Julie; Azé, Jérôme; Poupon, Anne

2011-04-22

A protein-protein docking procedure traditionally consists in two successive tasks: a search algorithm generates a large number of candidate conformations mimicking the complex existing in vivo between two proteins, and a scoring function is used to rank them in order to extract a native-like one. We have already shown that using Voronoi constructions and a well chosen set of parameters, an accurate scoring function could be designed and optimized. However to be able to perform large-scale in silico exploration of the interactome, a near-native solution has to be found in the ten best-ranked solutions. This cannot yet be guaranteed by any of the existing scoring functions. In this work, we introduce a new procedure for conformation ranking. We previously developed a set of scoring functions where learning was performed using a genetic algorithm. These functions were used to assign a rank to each possible conformation. We now have a refined rank using different classifiers (decision trees, rules and support vector machines) in a collaborative filtering scheme. The scoring function newly obtained is evaluated using 10 fold cross-validation, and compared to the functions obtained using either genetic algorithms or collaborative filtering taken separately. This new approach was successfully applied to the CAPRI scoring ensembles. We show that for 10 targets out of 12, we are able to find a near-native conformation in the 10 best ranked solutions. Moreover, for 6 of them, the near-native conformation selected is of high accuracy. Finally, we show that this function dramatically enriches the 100 best-ranking conformations in near-native structures.

Differential protein expression in alligator leukocytes in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Merchant, Mark; Kinney, Clint; Sanders, Paige

2009-12-01

Blood was collected from three juvenile alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) before, and again 24h after, injection with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The leukocytes were collected from both samples, and the proteins were extracted. Each group of proteins was labeled with a different fluorescent dye and the differences in protein expression were analyzed by two dimensional differential in-gel expressions (2D-DIGE). The proteins which appeared to be increased or decreased by treatment with LPS were selected and analyzed by MALDI-TOF to determine mass and LC-MS/MS to acquire the partial protein sequences. The peptide sequences were compared to the NCBI protein sequence database to determine homology with other sequences from other species. Several proteins of interest appeared to be increased upon LPS stimulation. Proteins with homology to human transgelin-2, fish glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, amphibian α-enolase, alligator lactate dehydrogenase, fish ubiquitin-activating enzyme, and fungal β-tubulin were also increased after LPS injection. Proteins with homology to fish vimentin 4, murine heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A3, and avian calreticulin were found to be decreased in response to LPS. In addition, five proteins, four of which were up-regulated (827, 560, 512, and 650%) and one that exhibited repressed expression (307%), did not show homology to any protein in the database, and thus may represent newly discovered proteins. We are using this biochemical approach to isolate and characterize alligator proteins with potential relevant immune function.

Quality of life of elderly persons with newly diagnosed cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Esbensen, B A; Osterlind, K; Roer, O

2004-01-01

The aim was to investigate quality of life (QoL) in elderly persons newly diagnosed with cancer (65+ years) in relation to age, contact with the health-care system, ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL), hope, social network and support, and to identify which factors were associated...

Breeding of newly licensed wheat variety Huapei 8 and improved ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ajl yemi

2011-12-28

Dec 28, 2011 ... Full Length Research Paper. Breeding of newly licensed wheat variety Huapei 8 and improved breeding strategy by anther culture ... more efficient in pure line selection rather than the hete- .... Regional and productivity tests showed that Huapei 8 had .... Large-scale production of wheat and triticale double.

Who Is Doing Well? A Typology of Newly Homeless Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Milburn, Norweeta; Liang, Li-Jung; Lee, Sung-Jae; Rotheram-Borus, Mary Jane; Rosenthal, Doreen; Mallett, Shelley; Lightfoot, Marguerita; Lester, Patricia

2009-01-01

There is growing evidence to support developing new typologies for homeless adolescents. Current typologies focus on the risks associated with being homeless, with less consideration of the positive attributes of homeless adolescents. The authors examined both risk and protective factors in a sample of newly homeless adolescents. Using cluster…

A framework for classification of prokaryotic protein kinases.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nidhi Tyagi

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Overwhelming majority of the Serine/Threonine protein kinases identified by gleaning archaeal and eubacterial genomes could not be classified into any of the well known Hanks and Hunter subfamilies of protein kinases. This is owing to the development of Hanks and Hunter classification scheme based on eukaryotic protein kinases which are highly divergent from their prokaryotic homologues. A large dataset of prokaryotic Serine/Threonine protein kinases recognized from genomes of prokaryotes have been used to develop a classification framework for prokaryotic Ser/Thr protein kinases. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have used traditional sequence alignment and phylogenetic approaches and clustered the prokaryotic kinases which represent 72 subfamilies with at least 4 members in each. Such a clustering enables classification of prokaryotic Ser/Thr kinases and it can be used as a framework to classify newly identified prokaryotic Ser/Thr kinases. After series of searches in a comprehensive sequence database we recognized that 38 subfamilies of prokaryotic protein kinases are associated to a specific taxonomic level. For example 4, 6 and 3 subfamilies have been identified that are currently specific to phylum proteobacteria, cyanobacteria and actinobacteria respectively. Similarly subfamilies which are specific to an order, sub-order, class, family and genus have also been identified. In addition to these, we also identify organism-diverse subfamilies. Members of these clusters are from organisms of different taxonomic levels, such as archaea, bacteria, eukaryotes and viruses. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Interestingly, occurrence of several taxonomic level specific subfamilies of prokaryotic kinases contrasts with classification of eukaryotic protein kinases in which most of the popular subfamilies of eukaryotic protein kinases occur diversely in several eukaryotes. Many prokaryotic Ser/Thr kinases exhibit a wide variety of modular

Clinical Prediction Model for Time in Therapeutic Range While on Warfarin in Newly Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Brent A; Evans, Michael A; Honushefsky, Ashley M; Berger, Peter B

2017-10-12

Though warfarin has historically been the primary oral anticoagulant for stroke prevention in newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF), several new direct oral anticoagulants may be preferred when anticoagulation control with warfarin is expected to be poor. This study developed a prediction model for time in therapeutic range (TTR) among newly diagnosed AF patients on newly initiated warfarin as a tool to assist decision making between warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants. This electronic medical record-based, retrospective study included newly diagnosed, nonvalvular AF patients with no recent warfarin exposure receiving primary care services through a large healthcare system in rural Pennsylvania. TTR was estimated as the percentage of time international normalized ratio measurements were between 2.0 and 3.0 during the first year following warfarin initiation. Candidate predictors of TTR were chosen from data elements collected during usual clinical care. A TTR prediction model was developed and temporally validated and its predictive performance was compared with the SAMe-TT 2 R 2 score (sex, age, medical history, treatment, tobacco, race) using R 2 and c-statistics. A total of 7877 newly diagnosed AF patients met study inclusion criteria. Median (interquartile range) TTR within the first year of starting warfarin was 51% (32, 67). Of 85 candidate predictors evaluated, 15 were included in the final validated model with an R 2 of 15.4%. The proposed model showed better predictive performance than the SAMe-TT 2 R 2 score ( R 2 =3.0%). The proposed prediction model may assist decision making on the proper mode of oral anticoagulant among newly diagnosed AF patients. However, predicting TTR on warfarin remains challenging. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

A novel method for evaluating microglial activation using ionized calcium-binding adaptor protein-1 staining : cell body to cell size ratio

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hovens, Iris; Nyakas, Csaba; Schoemaker, Regina

2014-01-01

Aim: The aim was to validate a newly developed methodology of semi-automatic image analysis to analyze microglial morphology as marker for microglial activation in ionized calcium-binding adaptor protein-1 (IBA-1) stained brain sections. Methods: The novel method was compared to currently used

33 CFR 150.515 - What are the requirements for weight testing of newly installed or relocated craft?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... weight testing of newly installed or relocated craft? 150.515 Section 150.515 Navigation and Navigable... testing of newly installed or relocated craft? (a) The operator must perform installation weight testing... (a) of this section, when survival crafts are relocated to another deepwater port. ...

18 CFR 347.1 - Material to support request for newly established or changed property account depreciation studies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... request for newly established or changed property account depreciation studies. 347.1 Section 347.1... REGULATIONS UNDER THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT OIL PIPELINE DEPRECIATION STUDIES § 347.1 Material to support request for newly established or changed property account depreciation studies. (a) Means of filing...

Further obsrvations on a newly located prawn fishery off Saurashtra coast

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gopalan, U.K.

The abundance of prawns in a newly located ground off Saurashtra has been described Catch omposition showed that Metapenaeus affinis formed the bulk of the catches Previously this species was thought to be of not much commercial importance...

Hope pictured in drawings by women newly diagnosed with gynecological cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hammer, Kristianna; Hall, Elisabeth; Mogensen, Ole

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND:: In mysterious ways, hope makes life meaningful even in chaotic and uncontrolled situations. When a woman is newly diagnosed with gynecologic cancer, hope is ineffable and needs exploring. Drawings help express ineffable phenomena. OBJECTIVE:: The aim of the study was to explore how...... women newly diagnosed with gynecologic cancer express the meaning of hope in drawings. METHOD:: Participants were 15 women who on the same day had received the diagnosis of gynecologic cancer. They were between 24 and 87 years (median, 52 years) with a variety of gynecologic cancer diagnoses. Data from...... 15 drawings and postdrawing interviews with the women were analyzed using visual and hermeneutic phenomenology. RESULTS:: Three themes emerged: hope as a spirit to move on, hope as energy through nature, and hope as a communion with families. CONCLUSION:: Hope as pictured in drawings often appears...

Clinical and immunological status of a newly diagnosed HIV positive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and the immune status of newly HIV diagnosed patients, in Marrakech city and its neighboring area, in Morocco. Methods: We performed a retrospective study on 235 patients who have been previously confirmed for HIV infection, and underwent a CD4 T cells using flow cytometry ...

At the Bridging Point: Tutoring Newly Arrived Students in Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Avery, Helen

2017-01-01

In Sweden, tutoring in the mother tongue is a special support measure primarily intended for newly arrived students to facilitate their transition into the Swedish school system. Tutoring is premised on the collaboration between the class teacher, responsible for subject-related expertise, and the tutor, who contributes with knowledge of the…

Autoradiographic study of nuclear protein acetylation during Locust spermiogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouvier, D.; Chevaillier, P.

1975-01-01

Autoradiographic studies, at the light and electron microscope level, demonstrate that spermatid nuclei of the Locust Locusta migratoria incorporate 3 H-acetate, especially during the first stages of spermiogenesis. The highest level of acetate incorporation is observed during stage II of spermiogenesis. During this stage and the following, the spermatid nucleus undergoes a number of structural and chemical modifications: chromatin decondenses and somatic histones are progressively replaced by newly synthesized arginine-rich proteins. Therefore, the higher degree of acetylation of nuclear components coincides with chromatin decondensation and precedes the protein transition occurring in later stages. Cytochemical and autoradiographic tests have been realized so as to localize 3 H-acetate in the nuclear components. Trichloracetic acid was used at various concentrations: the action of hydrochloric acid, pronase and DNase was also tested. The results support the idea that proteins, and among them histones, are the only nuclear components to be acetylated during spermiogenesis. Thus, histone acetylation seems to play an important role in modulating histone-DNA interactions and allowing histone replacement [fr

Factors Associated with Newly Diagnosed Children with Diabetic Ketoacidosis

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Raheleh Mirsadraee

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background Diabetes mellitus type 1 is one of the most prevalent endocrine diseases in pediatrics. Diabetic ketoacidosis is considered as one of the most threatening clinical pictures of DM1, especially if occurred as the first presentation of DM1 in children. Objectives The current study aimed to identify factors which may play a role in DKA onset in children. Methods This case-control study included all patients under 18 years old who referred to department of pediatrics endocrinology at Mashhad University Hospital (Imam Reza from January 2013 to December 2015 as newly diagnosed patients with DM1. Patients who fulfilled DKA criteria at diagnosis were considered as DKA group and those who referred with other presentations were considered as control group (non-DKA group. Data were analyzed by SPSS software ver. 16. Results During the study period, 97 (39.2% male newly diagnosed patients were included as DKA group. Accordingly 97 gender- and age-matched patients were added as non-DKA group. The most prevalent symptoms in both groups were polyuria (91.88% and polydipsia (88.66%. Fever and cold symptoms were significantly higher in the DKA group (P < 0.001 and P =0.005, respectively. Hemoglobin A1c level was significantly higher in the DKA group (P = 0.001, while body mass index was significantly lower in the DKA group (P = 0.045. Fever and father’s education level were the most important risk and protective factors in the DKA onset in newly diagnosed patients with DM1 (adjusted OR = 10.1, 95% CI = 2.9-35.3; P < 0.001 and adjusted OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3 - 0.9 and P = 0.019, respectively. Conclusions In conclusion, a recent febrile illness was found as the strongest risk factor and father’s education level as the main protective factor in the DKA to diagnose children with DM1. The study findings suggested that DKA is a severe form of DM1 instead of a neglected or misdiagnosed disease.

Ethical climate and nurse competence - newly graduated nurses' perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Numminen, Olivia; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Isoaho, Hannu; Meretoja, Riitta

2015-12-01

Nursing practice takes place in a social framework, in which environmental elements and interpersonal relations interact. Ethical climate of the work unit is an important element affecting nurses' professional and ethical practice. Nevertheless, whatever the environmental circumstances, nurses are expected to be professionally competent providing high-quality care ethically and clinically. This study examined newly graduated nurses' perception of the ethical climate of their work environment and its association with their self-assessed professional competence, turnover intentions and job satisfaction. Descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational research design was applied. Participants consisted of 318 newly graduated nurses. Data were collected electronically and analysed statistically. Ethical approval and permissions to use instruments and conduct the study were obtained according to required procedures. Data were rendered anonymous to protect participant confidentiality. Completing the questionnaire was interpreted as consent to participate. Nurses' overall perception of the ethical climate was positive. More positive perceptions related to peers, patients and physicians, and less positive to hospitals and managers. Strong associations were found between perceived ethical climate and self-assessed competence, turnover intentions in terms of changing job, and job satisfaction in terms of quality of care. Nurses at a higher competence level with positive views of job satisfaction and low turnover intentions perceived the climate significantly more positively. Nursing management responsible for and having the power to implement changes should understand their contribution in ethical leadership, as well as the multidimensional nature of nurses' work environment and the interaction between work-related factors in planning developmental measures. Future research should focus on issues in nurse managers' ethical leadership in creating ethical work environments. There

Selective Allosteric Antagonists for the G Protein-Coupled Receptor GPRC6A Based on the 2-Phenylindole Privileged Structure Scaffold

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansson, Henrik; Boesgaard, Michael Worch; Nørskov-Lauritsen, Lenea

2015-01-01

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent a biological target class of fundamental importance in drug therapy. The GPRC6A receptor is a newly deorphanized class C GPCR that we recently reported for the first allosteric antagonists based on the 2-arylindole privileged structure scaffold (e.g., 1...

N-terminal modifications of cellular proteins: The enzymes involved, their substrate specificities and biological effects

Science.gov (United States)

Varland, Sylvia; Osberg, Camilla; Arnesen, Thomas

2015-01-01

The vast majority of eukaryotic proteins are N-terminally modified by one or more processing enzymes. Enzymes acting on the very first amino acid of a polypeptide include different peptidases, transferases, and ligases. Methionine aminopeptidases excise the initiator methionine leaving the nascent polypeptide with a newly exposed amino acid that may be further modified. N-terminal acetyl-, methyl-, myristoyl-, and palmitoyltransferases may attach an acetyl, methyl, myristoyl, or palmitoyl group, respectively, to the α-amino group of the target protein N-terminus. With the action of ubiquitin ligases, one or several ubiquitin molecules are transferred, and hence, constitute the N-terminal modification. Modifications at protein N-termini represent an important contribution to proteomic diversity and complexity, and are essential for protein regulation and cellular signaling. Consequently, dysregulation of the N-terminal modifying enzymes is implicated in human diseases. We here review the different protein N-terminal modifications occurring co- or post-translationally with emphasis on the responsible enzymes and their substrate specificities. PMID:25914051

High acceptability of a newly developed urological practical skills training program.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, A.H. de; Luijk, S.J. van; Scherpbier, A.J.J.A.; Hendrikx, A.J.M.; Koldewijn, E.L.; Wagner, C.; Schout, B.M.A.

2015-01-01

Background: Benefits of simulation training are widely recognized, but its structural implementation into urological curricula remains challenging. This study aims to gain insight into current and ideal urological practical skills training and presents the outline of a newly developed skills

High acceptability of a newly developed urological practical skills training program

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vries, A.H.; van Luijk, S.J.; Scherpbier, A.J.J.A.; Hendrikx, A.J.M.; Koldewijn, E.L.; Wagner, C.; Schout, B.M.A.

2015-01-01

Background: Benefits of simulation training are widely recognized, but its structural implementation into urological curricula remains challenging. This study aims to gain insight into current and ideal urological practical skills training and presents the outline of a newly developed skills

Evolving antithrombotic treatment patterns for patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Camm, A.J.; Accetta, G.; Ambrosio, G.; Atar, D.; Bassand, J.P.; Berge, E. van de; Cools, F.; Fitzmaurice, D.A.; Goldhaber, S.Z.; Goto, S.; Haas, S.; Kayani, G.; Koretsune, Y.; Mantovani, L.G.; Misselwitz, F.; Oh, S.; Turpie, A.G.G.; Verheugt, F.W.A.; Kakkar, A.K.

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: We studied evolving antithrombotic therapy patterns in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and >/=1 additional stroke risk factor between 2010 and 2015. METHODS: 39 670 patients were prospectively enrolled in four sequential cohorts in the Global

A Newly Naturalized Species in Taiwan: Phytolacca icosandra L. (Phytolaccaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szu-I Hsieh

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Phytolacca icosandra L. (Phytolaccaceae, native to the South America has been found recently in central Taiwan. This newly naturalized species is distinguished by its erect spike-like racemes and 12–20 stamens. This paper describes the morphology of the species and provides line drawing and photographs for identification.

Proteomic identification of Drosophila melanogaster male accessory gland proteins, including a pro-cathepsin and a soluble γ-glutamyl transpeptidase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sajid Mohammed

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Background In Drosophila melanogaster, the male seminal fluid contains proteins that are important for reproductive success. Many of these proteins are synthesised by the male accessory glands and are secreted into the accessory gland lumen, where they are stored until required. Previous studies on the identification of Drosophila accessory gland products have largely focused on characterisation of male-specific accessory gland cDNAs from D. melanogaster and, more recently, Drosophila simulans. In the present study, we have used a proteomics approach without any sex bias to identify proteins in D. melanogaster accessory gland secretions. Results Thirteen secreted accessory gland proteins, including seven new accessory gland proteins, were identified by 2D-gel electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry of tryptic fragments. They included protein-folding and stress-response proteins, a hormone, a lipase, a serpin, a cysteine-rich protein and two peptidases, a pro-enzyme form of a cathepsin K-like cysteine peptidase and a γ-glutamyl transpeptidase. Enzymatic studies established that accessory gland secretions contain a cysteine peptidase zymogen that can be activated at low pH. This peptidase may have a role in the processing of female and other male-derived proteins, but is unlikely to be involved in the processing of the sex peptide. γ-Glutamyl transpeptidases are type II integral membrane proteins; however, the identified AG γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT-1 is unusual in that it is predicted to be a soluble secreted protein, a prediction that is supported by biochemical evidence. GGT-1 is possibly involved in maintaining a protective redox environment for sperm. The strong γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activity found in the secretions provides an explanation for the observation that glutamic acid is the most abundant free amino acid in accessory gland secretions of D. melanogaster. Conclusion We have applied biochemical approaches, not used

Proteomic identification of Drosophila melanogaster male accessory gland proteins, including a pro-cathepsin and a soluble gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Michael J; Rylett, Caroline M; Keen, Jeff N; Audsley, Neil; Sajid, Mohammed; Shirras, Alan D; Isaac, R Elwyn

2006-05-02

In Drosophila melanogaster, the male seminal fluid contains proteins that are important for reproductive success. Many of these proteins are synthesised by the male accessory glands and are secreted into the accessory gland lumen, where they are stored until required. Previous studies on the identification of Drosophila accessory gland products have largely focused on characterisation of male-specific accessory gland cDNAs from D. melanogaster and, more recently, Drosophila simulans. In the present study, we have used a proteomics approach without any sex bias to identify proteins in D. melanogaster accessory gland secretions. Thirteen secreted accessory gland proteins, including seven new accessory gland proteins, were identified by 2D-gel electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry of tryptic fragments. They included protein-folding and stress-response proteins, a hormone, a lipase, a serpin, a cysteine-rich protein and two peptidases, a pro-enzyme form of a cathepsin K-like cysteine peptidase and a gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Enzymatic studies established that accessory gland secretions contain a cysteine peptidase zymogen that can be activated at low pH. This peptidase may have a role in the processing of female and other male-derived proteins, but is unlikely to be involved in the processing of the sex peptide. gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidases are type II integral membrane proteins; however, the identified AG gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT-1) is unusual in that it is predicted to be a soluble secreted protein, a prediction that is supported by biochemical evidence. GGT-1 is possibly involved in maintaining a protective redox environment for sperm. The strong gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity found in the secretions provides an explanation for the observation that glutamic acid is the most abundant free amino acid in accessory gland secretions of D. melanogaster. We have applied biochemical approaches, not used previously, to characterise

The impact of female genital cutting on health of newly married women.

Science.gov (United States)

Elnashar, A; Abdelhady, R

2007-06-01

To detect the rate of female genital cutting among a sample of newly married women in Benha city, and make a comparison between circumcised and non-circumcised women regarding long-term health problems. Randomly selected (264) newly married women were the subjects of this work. Circumcised group constitutes 75.8% of the sample. All non-circumcised women were living in an urban area. Dysmenorrhea was more common among circumcised rather than non-circumcised, with statistically significant difference (Pwomen. Obstetric problems such as tears, episiotomy and consequently distressed babies were more events among circumcised mothers with statistical significance. Circumcised females had significant mental problems such as somatization, anxiety and phobia (Pwomen's life particularly the time of consummation of marriage and the time of childbirth.

Structures of an Apo and a Binary Complex of an Evolved Archeal B Family DNA Polymerase Capable of Synthesising Highly Cy-Dye Labelled DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Wynne, Samantha A.; Pinheiro, Vitor B.; Holliger, Philipp; Leslie, Andrew G. W.

2013-01-01

Thermophilic DNA polymerases of the polB family are of great importance in biotechnological applications including high-fidelity PCR. Of particular interest is the relative promiscuity of engineered versions of the exo- form of polymerases from the Thermo- and Pyrococcales families towards non-canonical substrates, which enables key advances in Next-generation sequencing. Despite this there is a paucity of structural information to guide further engineering of this group of polymerases. Here we report two structures, of the apo form and of a binary complex of a previously described variant (E10) of Pyrococcus furiosus (Pfu) polymerase with an ability to fully replace dCTP with Cyanine dye-labeled dCTP (Cy3-dCTP or Cy5-dCTP) in PCR and synthesise highly fluorescent “CyDNA” densely decorated with cyanine dye heterocycles. The apo form of Pfu-E10 closely matches reported apo form structures of wild-type Pfu. In contrast, the binary complex (in the replicative state with a duplex DNA oligonucleotide) reveals a closing movement of the thumb domain, increasing the contact surface with the nascent DNA duplex strand. Modelling based on the binary complex suggests how bulky fluorophores may be accommodated during processive synthesis and has aided the identification of residues important for the synthesis of unnatural nucleic acid polymers. PMID:23940661

Development of shampoo, soap and ointment formulated by green synthesised silver nanoparticles functionalised with antimicrobial plants oils in veterinary dermatology: treatment and prevention strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Bansod, Sunita Dashrath; Bawaskar, Manisha Subrashrao; Gade, Aniket Krishnarao; Rai, Mahendra Kumar

2015-08-01

Many scientists have focused their research on the role of nanotechnology for the control of human pathogens, but there are also many topical pathogens present in animals, which infect animals and transfer to humans. Topical therapy is extremely important for the management of dermatological condition in animals. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in combination with herbal oils against animal skin infections which may be responsible for causing infections in human beings. Here, the authors synthesised and characterised the AgNPs from Azadirachta indica. The oils were extracted from medicinal plants including Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon martini, Eucalyptus globules, A. indica and Ocimum sanctum and the antifungal and antibacterial activity of plant oils along with AgNPs were evaluated. An excision wound model was used for the study of wound healing activity in rabbits. AgNPs functionalised oil has demonstrated remarkable antimicrobial activity against pathogens present on the skin of animals. The nano-functionalised antimicrobial oils were used in the formulation of shampoo, soap and ointment for veterinary dermatology. Antimicrobial products of plant origin with AgNPs are valuable, safe and have a specific role in controlling diseases. The authors believe that this approach will be a good alternative therapy to solve the continuous antibiotic resistance developed by many bacterial pathogens and will be utilised in various animal contacting areas in medicine.

Depression and cognitive impairment among newly admitted nursing home residents in the USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulbricht, Christine M; Rothschild, Anthony J; Hunnicutt, Jacob N; Lapane, Kate L

2017-11-01

The objective of this study is to describe the prevalence of depression and cognitive impairment among newly admitted nursing home residents in the USA and to describe the treatment of depression by level of cognitive impairment. We identified 1,088,619 newly admitted older residents between 2011 and 2013 with an active diagnosis of depression documented on the Minimum Data Set 3.0. The prevalence of receiving psychiatric treatment was estimated by cognitive impairment status and depression symptoms. Binary logistic regression using generalized estimating equations provided adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association between level of cognitive impairment and receipt of psychiatric treatment, adjusted for clustering of residents within nursing homes and resident characteristics. Twenty-six percent of newly admitted residents had depression; 47% of these residents also had cognitive impairment. Of those who had staff assessments of depression, anhedonia, impaired concentration, psychomotor disturbances, and irritability were more commonly experienced by residents with cognitive impairment than residents without cognitive impairment. Forty-eight percent of all residents with depression did not receive any psychiatric treatment. Approximately one-fifth of residents received a combination of treatment. Residents with severe cognitive impairment were less likely than those with intact cognition to receive psychiatric treatment (adjusted odds ratio = 0.95; 95% confidence interval: 0.93-0.98). Many newly admitted residents with an active diagnosis of depression are untreated, potentially missing an important window to improve symptoms. The extent of comorbid cognitive impairment and depression and lack of treatment suggest opportunities for improved quality of care in this increasingly important healthcare setting. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterization of MRP RNA-protein interactions within the perinucleolar compartment.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollock, Callie; Daily, Kelly; Nguyen, Van Trung; Wang, Chen; Lewandowska, Marzena Anna; Bensaude, Olivier; Huang, Sui

2011-03-15

The perinucleolar compartment (PNC) forms in cancer cells and is highly enriched with a subset of polymerase III RNAs and RNA-binding proteins. Here we report that PNC components mitochondrial RNA-processing (MRP) RNA, pyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB), and CUG-binding protein (CUGBP) interact in vivo, as demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation and RNA pull-down experiments. Glycerol gradient analyses show that this complex is large and sediments at a different fraction from known MRP RNA-containing complexes, the MRP ribonucleoprotein ribozyme and human telomerase reverse transcriptase. Tethering PNC components to a LacO locus recruits other PNC components, further confirming the in vivo interactions. These interactions are present both in PNC-containing and -lacking cells. High-resolution localization analyses demonstrate that MRP RNA, CUGBP, and PTB colocalize at the PNC as a reticulated network, intertwining with newly synthesized RNA. Furthermore, green fluorescent protein (GFP)-PTB and GFP-CUGBP show a slower rate of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching at the PNC than in the nucleoplasm, illustrating the different molecular interaction of the complexes associated with the PNC. These findings support a working model in which the MRP RNA-protein complex becomes nucleated at the PNC in cancer cells and may play a role in gene expression regulation at the DNA locus that associates with the PNC.

Protein content and electrophoretic profile of fat body and ovary extracts from workers of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Hymenoptera, Meliponini

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vagner T. Paes de Oliveira

Full Text Available Workers of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Lepeletier, 1836 develop their ovaries and lay eggs, therefore the production of vitellogenin is expected. In electrophoretic profiles only fat body extracts from nurse workers and ovary extracts from newly-emerged workers show protein with molecular mass similar to vitellogenin. However, an increase in the protein content was detected in forager fat body. This increase was attributed to storage of vitellogenin or other proteins in the previous phase and not discharged into the hemolymph or to an effect of the increased titre of juvenile hormone in this phase of worker life over the fat body functioning.

Fitness, daily activity and body composition in children with newly diagnosed, untreated asthma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vahlkvist, S; Pedersen, S

2009-01-01

Background: Information about how the asthma disease affects the life style and health in children is sparse. Aim: To measure fitness, daily physical activity and body composition in children with newly diagnosed, untreated asthma and healthy controls, and to assess the association between...... the level of asthma control and these parameters. Methods: Daily physical activity measured using accelerometry, cardiovascular fitness and body composition (per cent fat, per cent lean tissue and bone mineral density) were measured in 57 children with newly diagnosed, untreated asthma and in 157 healthy...... fitness and daytime spent in intensive activity. Overweight children are physically less active than normal weight children....

A phage display selected 7-mer peptide inhibitor of the Tannerella forsythia metalloprotease-like enzyme Karilysin can be truncated to Ser-Trp-Phe-Pro.

Science.gov (United States)

Skottrup, Peter Durand; Sørensen, Grete; Ksiazek, Miroslaw; Potempa, Jan; Riise, Erik

2012-01-01

Tannerella forsythia is a gram-negative bacteria, which is strongly associated with the development of periodontal disease. Karilysin is a newly identified metalloprotease-like enzyme, that is secreted from T. forsythia. Karilysin modulates the host immune response and is therefore considered a likely drug target. In this study peptides were selected towards the catalytic domain from Karilysin (Kly18) by phage display. The peptides were linear with low micromolar binding affinities. The two best binders (peptide14 and peptide15), shared the consensus sequence XWFPXXXGGG. A peptide15 fusion with Maltose Binding protein (MBP) was produced with peptide15 fused to the N-terminus of MBP. The peptide15-MBP was expressed in E. coli and the purified fusion-protein was used to verify Kly18 specific binding. Chemically synthesised peptide15 (SWFPLRSGGG) could inhibit the enzymatic activity of both Kly18 and intact Karilysin (Kly48). Furthermore, peptide15 could slow down the autoprocessing of intact Kly48 to Kly18. The WFP motif was important for inhibition and a truncation study further demonstrated that the N-terminal serine was also essential for Kly18 inhibition. The SWFP peptide had a Ki value in the low micromolar range, which was similar to the intact peptide15. In conclusion SWFP is the first reported inhibitor of Karilysin and can be used as a valuable tool in structure-function studies of Karilysin.

Critical thinking dispositions among newly graduated nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Wangensteen, Sigrid; Johansson, Inger S; Björkström, Monica E; Nordström, Gun

2010-10-01

The aim of the study was to describe critical thinking dispositions among newly graduated nurses in Norway, and to study whether background data had any impact on critical thinking dispositions. Competence in critical thinking is one of the expectations of nursing education. Critical thinkers are described as well-informed, inquisitive, open-minded and orderly in complex matters. Critical thinking competence has thus been designated as an outcome for judging the quality of nursing education programmes and for the development of clinical judgement. The ability to think critically is also described as reducing the research-practice gap and fostering evidence-based nursing. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. The data were collected between October 2006 and April 2007 using the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory. The response rate was 33% (n = 618). Pearson's chi-square tests were used to analyse the data. Nearly 80% of the respondents reported a positive disposition towards critical thinking. The highest mean score was on the Inquisitiveness subscale and the lowest on the Truth-seeking subscale. A statistically significant higher proportion of nurses with high critical thinking scores were found among those older than 30 years, those with university education prior to nursing education, and those working in community health care. Nurse leaders and nurse teachers should encourage and nurture critical thinking among newly graduated nurses and nursing students. The low Truth-seeking scores found may be a result of traditional teaching strategies in nursing education and might indicate a need for more student-active learning models. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Coping strategies among patients with newly diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakobsson Larsson, Birgitta; Nordin, Karin; Askmark, Håkan; Nygren, Ingela

2014-11-01

To prospectively identify different coping strategies among newly diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients and whether they change over time and to determine whether physical function, psychological well-being, age and gender correlated with the use of different coping strategies. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal disease with impact on both physical function and psychological well-being. Different coping strategies are used to manage symptoms and disease progression, but knowledge about coping in newly diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients is scarce. This was a prospective study with a longitudinal and descriptive design. A total of 33 patients were included and evaluation was made at two time points, one to three months and six months after diagnosis. Patients were asked to complete the Motor Neuron Disease Coping Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Physical function was estimated using the revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale. The most commonly used strategies were support and independence. Avoidance/venting and information seeking were seldom used at both time points. The use of information seeking decreased between the two time points. Men did not differ from women, but patients ≤64 years used positive action more often than older patients. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale was positively correlated with positive action at time point 1, but not at time point 2. Patients' psychological well-being was correlated with the use of different coping strategies. Support and independence were the most used coping strategies, and the use of different strategies changed over time. Psychological well-being was correlated with different coping strategies in newly diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. The knowledge about coping strategies in early stage of the disease may help the nurses to improve and develop the care and support for these patients. © 2014 John Wiley

A Newly Naturalized Species in Taiwan: Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. (Apocynaceae)

OpenAIRE

Yung-Nan Ko; Fu-Shan Chou; Chun-Kuei Liao

2011-01-01

A newly naturalized plant, Rauvolfia tetraphylla L., a native species of the Apocynaceae distributed in the tropical Americas, has recently been found in southern Taiwan. It is a new record for this species to the flora of this island. A detailed description, line-drawings, photographs and geographic distribution are provided for identification of this species.

Dilemmas of a Newly Recruited Academic Qualified Professor: A Case

Science.gov (United States)

Agrawal, Anand

2015-01-01

This case describes the situation of a newly recruited academic professor who volunteered to teach a course on Research Methods to first-term MBA students in a practitioner-oriented case method Business School. Research Methods is a unique course due to its relevance not only in business but also across all graduate programs. Instructional and…

Sedum sarmentosum Bunge (Crassulaceae, a Newly Naturalized Herb in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mong-Huai Su

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Sedum sarmentosum Bunge (Crassulaceae, a newly naturalized fleshy herb in Taiwan, is reported here. The taxonomic description, line drawing, and photographs are provided. The population is colonized on Mt. Tatun, Yangmingshan National Park, north Taiwan. Since this species was reported being invasive, its impacts on the local ecosystem should be concerned.

A Survey of Protein Structures from Archaeal Viruses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikki Dellas

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Viruses that infect the third domain of life, Archaea, are a newly emerging field of interest. To date, all characterized archaeal viruses infect archaea that thrive in extreme conditions, such as halophilic, hyperthermophilic, and methanogenic environments. Viruses in general, especially those replicating in extreme environments, contain highly mosaic genomes with open reading frames (ORFs whose sequences are often dissimilar to all other known ORFs. It has been estimated that approximately 85% of virally encoded ORFs do not match known sequences in the nucleic acid databases, and this percentage is even higher for archaeal viruses (typically 90%–100%. This statistic suggests that either virus genomes represent a larger segment of sequence space and/or that viruses encode genes of novel fold and/or function. Because the overall three-dimensional fold of a protein evolves more slowly than its sequence, efforts have been geared toward structural characterization of proteins encoded by archaeal viruses in order to gain insight into their potential functions. In this short review, we provide multiple examples where structural characterization of archaeal viral proteins has indeed provided significant functional and evolutionary insight.

Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Buchu Plant Extracts and Their Analgesic Properties

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Herbert Chiguvare

2016-06-01

Full Text Available We herein report for the first time the synthesis and analgesic properties of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs using buchu plant extract. The as-synthesised Ag-NPs at different temperatures were characterised by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR and transmission transform microscopy (TEM to confirm the formation of silver nanoparticles. Phytochemical screening of the ethanolic extract revealed the presence of glycosides, proteins, tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins. The absorption spectra showed that the synthesis is temperature and time dependent. The TEM analysis showed that the as-synthesised Ag-NPs are polydispersed and spherical in shape with average particle diameter of 19.95 ± 7.76 nm while the FTIR results confirmed the reduction and capping of the as-synthesised Ag-NPs by the phytochemicals present in the ethanolic extract. The analgesic study indicated that the combined effect of the plant extract and Ag-NPs is more effective in pain management than both the aspirin drug and the extract alone.

Visual System Involvement in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Parkinson Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Arrigo, Alessandro; Calamuneri, Alessandro; Milardi, Demetrio; Mormina, Enricomaria; Rania, Laura; Postorino, Elisa; Marino, Silvia; Di Lorenzo, Giuseppe; Anastasi, Giuseppe Pio; Ghilardi, Maria Felice; Aragona, Pasquale; Quartarone, Angelo; Gaeta, Michele

2017-12-01

Purpose To assess intracranial visual system changes of newly diagnosed Parkinson disease in drug-naïve patients. Materials and Methods Twenty patients with newly diagnosed Parkinson disease and 20 age-matched control subjects were recruited. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted imaging) was performed with a 3-T MR imager. White matter changes were assessed by exploring a white matter diffusion profile by means of diffusion-tensor imaging-based parameters and constrained spherical deconvolution-based connectivity analysis and by means of white matter voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Alterations in occipital gray matter were investigated by means of gray matter VBM. Morphologic analysis of the optic chiasm was based on manual measurement of regions of interest. Statistical testing included analysis of variance, t tests, and permutation tests. Results In the patients with Parkinson disease, significant alterations were found in optic radiation connectivity distribution, with decreased lateral geniculate nucleus V2 density (F, -8.28; P Parkinson disease and that the entire intracranial visual system can be involved. © RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Technical Equivalency Documentation for a Newly Acquired Alpha Spectroscopy System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hickman, D P; Fisher, S K; Hann, P R; Hume, R

2007-01-01

The response of a recently acquired Canberra(trademark) Alpha Analyst 'Blue' system (Chamber Number's 173-208) used by the Hazards Control, Radiation Safety Section, WBC/Spectroscopy Team has been studied with respect to an existing Canberra system. The existing Canberra system consists of thirty Alpha Analyst dual chambers Model XXXX comprising a total of sixty detectors (Chambers Number's 101-124 and 137-172). The existing chambers were previously compared to an older system consisting of thirty-six Model 7401 alpha spectrometry chambers (Chamber Number's 1-36) Chambers 101-124 and 137-172 are DOELAP accredited. The older system was previously DOELAP accredited for the routine Alpha Spectroscopy program used in LLNL's in vitro bioassay program. The newly acquired Alpha Analyst system operates on a network with software that controls and performs analysis of the current Alpha Analyst system (Chamber Number's 101-124 and 137-172). This exact same software is used for the current system and the newly acquired system and is DOELAP accredited. This document compares results from the existing Alpha System with the newer Alpha Analyst system

Scandinavian exceptionalism? Civic integration and labour market activation for newly arrived immigrants.

Science.gov (United States)

Breidahl, Karen N

2017-01-01

Since the late 1990s, a wide range of so-called new civic integration policies aimed at civilizing or disciplining newcomers have been introduced. Consequently, migration scholars have discussed whether a converging restrictive 'civic turn' has taken place in Western Europe or whether national models have been resilient: Based on an in-depth historical and comparative analysis of labour market activation policies targeting newly arrived immigrants in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark since the early 1990s, the article contributes to the overall question: To what extent do the institutional pathways of the Scandinavian welfare states prevail when confronted with newcomers? Activation policies targeting newly arrived immigrants exemplifies how the ambition of states to promote functional, individual autonomy is also an important, ongoing process in diverse policy areas of the welfare state and not restricted to early integration instruments. While the Scandinavian welfare states differ on a number of counts with respect to immigration control, national integration philosophies and citizenship policies, the article outlines how activation policies aimed at newly arrived immigrants share several features. One of the key factors in this turn involves path dependency from, among others, a lengthy tradition for strong state involvement and norms about employment. Another factor in this turn involves transnational policy learning. On some points, national versions of these policies are also found due to country-specific citizenship traditions, integration philosophies and party political constellations.

Newly introduced sample preparation techniques: towards miniaturization.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Rosaria

2014-01-01

Sampling and sample preparation are of crucial importance in an analytical procedure, representing quite often a source of errors. The technique chosen for the isolation of analytes greatly affects the success of a chemical determination. On the other hand, growing concerns about environmental and human safety, along with the introduction of international regulations for quality control, have moved the interest of scientists towards specific needs. Newly introduced sample preparation techniques are challenged to meet new criteria: (i) miniaturization, (ii) higher sensitivity and selectivity, and (iii) automation. In this survey, the most recent techniques introduced in the field of sample preparation will be described and discussed, along with many examples of applications.

Protein flexibility: coordinate uncertainties and interpretation of structural differences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rashin, Alexander A., E-mail: alexander-rashin@hotmail.com [BioChemComp Inc., 543 Sagamore Avenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666 (United States); LH Baker Center for Bioinformatics and Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 112 Office and Lab Building, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3020 (United States); Rashin, Abraham H. L. [BioChemComp Inc., 543 Sagamore Avenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666 (United States); Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 22371 BPO WAY, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8123 (United States); Jernigan, Robert L. [LH Baker Center for Bioinformatics and Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 112 Office and Lab Building, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3020 (United States); BioChemComp Inc., 543 Sagamore Avenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666 (United States)

2009-11-01

Criteria for the interpretability of coordinate differences and a new method for identifying rigid-body motions and nonrigid deformations in protein conformational changes are developed and applied to functionally induced and crystallization-induced conformational changes. Valid interpretations of conformational movements in protein structures determined by X-ray crystallography require that the movement magnitudes exceed their uncertainty threshold. Here, it is shown that such thresholds can be obtained from the distance difference matrices (DDMs) of 1014 pairs of independently determined structures of bovine ribonuclease A and sperm whale myoglobin, with no explanations provided for reportedly minor coordinate differences. The smallest magnitudes of reportedly functional motions are just above these thresholds. Uncertainty thresholds can provide objective criteria that distinguish between true conformational changes and apparent ‘noise’, showing that some previous interpretations of protein coordinate changes attributed to external conditions or mutations may be doubtful or erroneous. The use of uncertainty thresholds, DDMs, the newly introduced CDDMs (contact distance difference matrices) and a novel simple rotation algorithm allows a more meaningful classification and description of protein motions, distinguishing between various rigid-fragment motions and nonrigid conformational deformations. It is also shown that half of 75 pairs of identical molecules, each from the same asymmetric crystallographic cell, exhibit coordinate differences that range from just outside the coordinate uncertainty threshold to the full magnitude of large functional movements. Thus, crystallization might often induce protein conformational changes that are comparable to those related to or induced by the protein function.

Staphylococcus aureus manganese transport protein C (MntC is an extracellular matrix- and plasminogen-binding protein.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natália Salazar

Full Text Available Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus--particularly nosocomial infections--represent a great concern. Usually, the early stage of pathogenesis consists on asymptomatic nasopharynx colonization, which could result in dissemination to other mucosal niches or invasion of sterile sites, such as blood. This pathogenic route depends on scavenging of nutrients as well as binding to and disrupting extracellular matrix (ECM. Manganese transport protein C (MntC, a conserved manganese-binding protein, takes part in this infectious scenario as an ion-scavenging factor and surprisingly as an ECM and coagulation cascade binding protein, as revealed in this work. This study showed a marked ability of MntC to bind to several ECM and coagulation cascade components, including laminin, collagen type IV, cellular and plasma fibronectin, plasminogen and fibrinogen by ELISA. The MntC binding to plasminogen appears to be related to the presence of surface-exposed lysines, since previous incubation with an analogue of lysine residue, ε-aminocaproic acid, or increasing ionic strength affected the interaction between MntC and plasminogen. MntC-bound plasminogen was converted to active plasmin in the presence of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA. The newly released plasmin, in turn, acted in the cleavage of the α and β chains of fibrinogen. In conclusion, we describe a novel function for MntC that may help staphylococcal mucosal colonization and establishment of invasive disease, through the interaction with ECM and coagulation cascade host proteins. These data suggest that this potential virulence factor could be an adequate candidate to compose an anti-staphylococcal human vaccine formulation.

Effect of gamma irradiation on the structure of corn stalks and their subsequent bioconversion into protein-rich mycelial biomass of pleurotus sajor-caju

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Awafo, V [Quebec Univ., Montreal, PQ (Canada)

1994-12-31

Lignocellulosic biomass like corn stalk is an abundant and renewable resource from which food, feed and chemicals may be derived. Enzymatic hydrolysis of native lignocellulosic material is prohibitively slow due to their compositional heterogeneity and structural complexity. In this work, ground corn stalks (20 mesh) were subjected to gamma irradiation (10-170 Mrads) as pretreatments to make them more susceptible for bioconversion into protein-rich mycelial biomass of Pleurotus sajor-caju NRRL 18757. The irradiation was carried out in air in a {sup 60}Co Underwater Calibrator (UC-15, Nordion International) at a dose rate of 2.5 Mrads/h as measured by Fricke dosimetry. No apparent structural differences were observed under the light microscope. However, the protein synthesis and the proportion of mycelial biomass increased with the increase in both the dose of irradiation and time of fermentation during the bioconversion of 1% corn stalk into mycelial biomass of Pleurotus sajor-caju. Gamma irradiation at the dose of 50 Mrads or lower did not produce any appreciable increase in the amount of protein synthesised. At 170 Mrads, the final product contained 28% protein representing a 2-fold increase from non-irradiated corn stalk and an efficiency of 36% conversion of total utilizable polysaccharides of corn stalks into mycelial biomass. The lag phase during mycelial biomass production was much more prolonged at very high doses indicating possible production of some toxic substances during irradiation. (author). 2 tabs., 6 figs.

Depth-variable settlement patterns and predation influence on newly settled reef fishes (Haemulon spp., Haemulidae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lance K B Jordan

Full Text Available During early demersal ontogeny, many marine fishes display complex habitat-use patterns. Grunts of the speciose genus Haemulon are among the most abundant fishes on western North Atlantic coral reefs, with most species settling to shallow habitats (≤12 m. To gain understanding into cross-shelf distributional patterns exhibited by newly settled stages of grunts (<2 cm total length, we examined: 1 depth-specific distributions of congeners at settlement among sites at 8 m, 12 m, and 21 m, and 2 depth-variable predation pressure on newly settled individuals (species pooled. Of the six species identified from collections of newly settled specimens (n = 2125, Haemulon aurolineatum (tomtate, H. flavolineatum (French grunt, and H. striatum (striped grunt comprised 98% of the total abundance; with the first two species present at all sites. Prevalence of H. aurolineatum and H. flavolineatum decreased substantially from the 8-m site to the two deeper sites. In contrast, H. striatum was absent from the 8-m site and exhibited its highest frequency at the 21-m site. Comparison of newly settled grunt delta density for all species on caged (predator exclusion and control artificial reefs at the shallowest site (8-m revealed no difference, while the 12-m and 21-m sites exhibited significantly greater delta densities on the caged treatment. This result, along with significantly higher abundances of co-occurring piscivorous fishes at the deeper sites, indicated lower predation pressure at the 8-m site. This study suggests habitat-use patterns of newly settled stages of some coral reef fishes that undergo ontogenetic shifts are a function of depth-variable predation pressure while, for at least one deeper-water species, proximity to adult habitat appears to be an important factor affecting settlement distribution.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on the safety of newly adjuvanted vaccines among children.

Science.gov (United States)

Stassijns, Jorgen; Bollaerts, Kaatje; Baay, Marc; Verstraeten, Thomas

2016-02-03

New adjuvants such as the AS- or the MF59-adjuvants improve vaccine efficacy and facilitate dose-sparing. Their use in influenza and malaria vaccines has resulted in a large body of evidence on their clinical safety in children. We carried out a systematic search for safety data from published clinical trials on newly adjuvanted vaccines in children ≤10 years of age. Serious adverse events (SAEs), solicited AEs, unsolicited AEs and AEs of special interest were evaluated for four new adjuvants: the immuno-stimulants containing adjuvant systems AS01 and AS02, and the squalene containing oil-in-water emulsions AS03 and MF59. Relative risks (RR) were calculated, comparing children receiving newly adjuvanted vaccines to children receiving other vaccines with a variety of antigens, both adjuvanted and unadjuvanted. Twenty-nine trials were included in the meta-analysis, encompassing 25,056 children who received at least one dose of the newly adjuvanted vaccines. SAEs did not occur more frequently in adjuvanted groups (RR 0.85, 95%CI 0.75-0.96). Our meta-analyses showed higher reactogenicity following administration of newly adjuvanted vaccines, however, no consistent pattern of solicited AEs was observed across adjuvant systems. Pain was the most prevalent AE, but often mild and of short duration. No increased risks were found for unsolicited AEs, febrile convulsions, potential immune mediated diseases and new onset of chronic diseases. Our meta-analysis did not show any safety concerns in clinical trials of the newly adjuvanted vaccines in children ≤10 years of age. An unexplained increase of meningitis in one Phase III AS01-adjuvanted malaria trial and the link between narcolepsy and the AS03-adjuvanted pandemic vaccine illustrate that continued safety monitoring is warranted. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cholestasis and regulation of genes related to drug metabolism and biliary transport in rat liver following treatment with cyclosporine A and sirolimus (Rapamycin)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bramow, S; Ott, P; Thomsen Nielsen, F

2001-01-01

then analysed as were hepatic mRNA levels of canalicular transport proteins (Mrp2, Bsep, Mdr1b and Mdr2), sinusoidal transport proteins (Ntcp, Oatp1 and Oatp2), GSH related enzymes (gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase light (GCSlc) and heavy (GCShc) chain subunits and glutathione-S-transferase) and CYPs (CYP3A9...... secondary to cyclosporine A could be related to reduction in mRNA expression of GSH synthesising enzymes and Mrp2, leading to reduced protection against oxidative stress and reduced bile acid-independent bile flow. After sirolimus treatment, Mrp2 mRNA was also reduced together with reduced levels of most...... CYPs and increased Oatp2, possibly leading to accumulation of toxic metabolites in the hepatocytes. The enhanced cholestatic effect of the combination treatment could be related to reduced GSH synthesising enzymes and even more pronounced reduction in Mrp2 mRNA and increase of Oatp2 mRNA....

Detection of secondary binding sites in proteins using fragment screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Ludlow, R Frederick; Verdonk, Marcel L; Saini, Harpreet K; Tickle, Ian J; Jhoti, Harren

2015-12-29

Proteins need to be tightly regulated as they control biological processes in most normal cellular functions. The precise mechanisms of regulation are rarely completely understood but can involve binding of endogenous ligands and/or partner proteins at specific locations on a protein that can modulate function. Often, these additional secondary binding sites appear separate to the primary binding site, which, for example for an enzyme, may bind a substrate. In previous work, we have uncovered several examples in which secondary binding sites were discovered on proteins using fragment screening approaches. In each case, we were able to establish that the newly identified secondary binding site was biologically relevant as it was able to modulate function by the binding of a small molecule. In this study, we investigate how often secondary binding sites are located on proteins by analyzing 24 protein targets for which we have performed a fragment screen using X-ray crystallography. Our analysis shows that, surprisingly, the majority of proteins contain secondary binding sites based on their ability to bind fragments. Furthermore, sequence analysis of these previously unknown sites indicate high conservation, which suggests that they may have a biological function, perhaps via an allosteric mechanism. Comparing the physicochemical properties of the secondary sites with known primary ligand binding sites also shows broad similarities indicating that many of the secondary sites may be druggable in nature with small molecules that could provide new opportunities to modulate potential therapeutic targets.

Database marketing practices and opportunities in a newly emerging African market

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paas, L.J.

2009-01-01

In this paper, qualitative research is conducted to gain insight into the current application and potential of database marketing in a newly emerging African economy, Tanzania. It is found that database marketing applications in Tanzania are currently limited, but that there is potential. The most

Yield evaluation and stability analysis in newly selected `KSA' cotton ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Yield evaluation and stability analysis in newly selected `KSA' cotton cultivars in Western Kenya. R M Opondo, G A Ombakho. Abstract. (African Crop Science Journal, 1997 5(2): 119-126). http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/acsj.v5i2.27854 · AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL... for Researchers · for Librarians ...

A Newly Naturalized Species in Taiwan: Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. (Apocynaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yung-Nan Ko

2011-06-01

Full Text Available A newly naturalized plant, Rauvolfia tetraphylla L., a native species of the Apocynaceae distributed in the tropical Americas, has recently been found in southern Taiwan. It is a new record for this species to the flora of this island. A detailed description, line-drawings, photographs and geographic distribution are provided for identification of this species.

Rivina humilis L. (Phytolaccaceae, a Newly Naturalized Plant in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yen-Hsueh Tseng

2008-12-01

Full Text Available A newly naturalized plant, Rivina humilis L., was found recently in the central part of Taiwan. This plant represents a new record of this genus and species for Taiwan. This Neotropical plant, native to the southern USA, Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and Central and South America, is described and illustrated in this report.

Olfactory proteins mediating chemical communication in the navel orangeworm moth, Amyelois transitella.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter S Leal

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae, is the most serious insect pest of almonds and pistachios in California for which environmentally friendly alternative methods of control--like pheromone-based approaches--are highly desirable. Some constituents of the sex pheromone are unstable and could be replaced with parapheromones, which may be designed on the basis of molecular interaction of pheromones and pheromone-detecting olfactory proteins.By analyzing extracts from olfactory and non-olfactory tissues, we identified putative olfactory proteins, obtained their N-terminal amino acid sequences by Edman degradation, and used degenerate primers to clone the corresponding cDNAs by SMART RACE. Additionally, we used degenerate primers based on conserved sequences of known proteins to fish out other candidate olfactory genes. We expressed the gene encoding a newly identified pheromone-binding protein, which was analyzed by circular dichroism, fluorescence, and nuclear magnetic resonance, and used in a binding assay to assess affinity to pheromone components.We have cloned nine cDNAs encoding olfactory proteins from the navel orangeworm, including two pheromone-binding proteins, two general odorant-binding proteins, one chemosensory protein, one glutathione S-transferase, one antennal binding protein X, one sensory neuron membrane protein, and one odorant receptor. Of these, AtraPBP1 is highly enriched in male antennae. Fluorescence, CD and NMR studies suggest a dramatic pH-dependent conformational change, with high affinity to pheromone constituents at neutral pH and no binding at low pH.

The subject of pedagogy from theory to practice--the view of newly registered nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivarsson, Bodil; Nilsson, Gunilla

2009-07-01

The aim was to describe, from the newly registered nurses' perspective, specific events when using their pedagogical knowledge in their everyday clinical practice. The design was qualitative and the critical incident technique was used. Data was collected via interviews with ten newly registered nurses who graduated from the same University program 10 months earlier and are now employed at a university hospital. Two categories emerged in the analyses. The first category was "Pedagogical methods in theory" with the sub-categories Theory and the application of the course in practice, Knowledge of pedagogy and Information as a professional competence. The second category was "Pedagogical methods in everyday clinical practice" with sub-categories Factual knowledge versus pedagogical knowledge, Information and relatives, Difficulties when giving information, Understanding information received, Pedagogical tools, Collaboration in teams in pedagogical situations, and Time and giving information. By identifying specific events regarding pedagogical methods the findings can be useful for everyone from teachers and health-care managers to nurse students and newly registered nurses, to improve teaching methods in nurse education.

Assessment of the Quality of Newly Formed Bone around Titanium Alloy Implants by Using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroshi Nakada

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in bones quality between newly formed bone and cortical bone formed around titanium alloy implants by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. As a result of narrow scan measurement at 4 weeks, the newly formed bone of C1s, P2p, O1s, and Ca2p were observed at a different peak range and strength compared with a cortical bone. At 8 weeks, the peak range and strength of newly formed bone were similar to those of cortical bone at C1s, P2p, and Ca2p, but not O1s. The results from this analysis indicate that the peaks and quantities of each element of newly formed bone were similar to those of cortical bone at 8 weeks, suggestive of a strong physicochemical resemblance.

Age-stratified 5-year risks of cervical precancer among women with enrollment and newly detected HPV infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Gage, Julia C; Katki, Hormuzd A; Schiffman, Mark; Fetterman, Barbara; Poitras, Nancy E; Lorey, Thomas; Cheung, Li C; Castle, Philip E; Kinney, Walter K

2015-04-01

It is unclear whether a woman's age influences her risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse (CIN3+) upon detection of HPV. A large change in risk as women age would influence vaccination and screening policies. Among 972,029 women age 30-64 undergoing screening with Pap and HPV testing (Hybrid Capture 2, Qiagen, Germantown, MD) at Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), we calculated age-specific 5-year CIN3+ risks among women with HPV infections detected at enrollment, and among women with "newly detected" HPV infections at their second screening visit. Women (57,899, 6.0%) had an enrollment HPV infection. Among the women testing HPV negative at enrollment with a second screening visit, 16,724 (3.3%) had a newly detected HPV infection at their second visit. Both enrollment and newly detected HPV rates declined with age (p < 0.001). Women with enrollment versus newly detected HPV infection had higher 5-year CIN3+ risks: 8.5% versus 3.9%, (p < 0.0001). Risks did not increase with age but declined slightly from 30-34 years to 60-64 years: 9.4% versus 7.4% (p = 0.017) for enrollment HPV and 5.1% versus 3.5% (p = 0.014) for newly detected HPV. Among women age 30-64 in an established screening program, women with newly detected HPV infections were at lower risk than women with enrollment infections, suggesting reduced benefit vaccinating women at older ages. Although the rates of HPV infection declined dramatically with age, the subsequent CIN3+ risks associated with HPV infection declined only slightly. The CIN3+ risks among older women are sufficiently elevated to warrant continued screening through age 65. © 2014 UICC.

In situ visualization of newly synthesized proteins in environmental microbes using amino acid tagging and click chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Hatzenpichler, Roland; Scheller, Silvan; Tavormina, Patricia L; Babin, Brett M; Tirrell, David A; Orphan, Victoria J

2014-01-01

Here we describe the application of a new click chemistry method for fluorescent tracking of protein synthesis in individual microorganisms within environmental samples. This technique, termed bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT), is based on the in vivo incorporation of the non-canonical amino acid L-azidohomoalanine (AHA), a surrogate for l-methionine, followed by fluorescent labelling of AHA-containing cellular proteins by azide-alkyne click chemistry. BONCAT was evaluated with a range of phylogenetically and physiologically diverse archaeal and bacterial pure cultures and enrichments, and used to visualize translationally active cells within complex environmental samples including an oral biofilm, freshwater and anoxic sediment. We also developed combined assays that couple BONCAT with ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-targeted fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), enabling a direct link between taxonomic identity and translational activity. Using a methanotrophic enrichment culture incubated under different conditions, we demonstrate the potential of BONCAT-FISH to study microbial physiology in situ. A direct comparison of anabolic activity using BONCAT and stable isotope labelling by nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (15NH3 assimilation) for individual cells within a sediment-sourced enrichment culture showed concordance between AHA-positive cells and 15N enrichment. BONCAT-FISH offers a fast, inexpensive and straightforward fluorescence microscopy method for studying the in situ activity of environmental microbes on a single-cell level. PMID:24571640

Molecular structures and metabolic characteristics of protein in brown and yellow flaxseed with altered nutrient traits.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Nazir Ahmad; Booker, Helen; Yu, Peiqiang

2014-07-16

The objectives of this study were to investigate the chemical profiles; crude protein (CP) subfractions; ruminal CP degradation characteristics and intestinal digestibility of rumen undegraded protein (RUP); and protein molecular structures using molecular spectroscopy of newly developed yellow-seeded flax (Linum usitatissimum L.). Seeds from two yellow flaxseed breeding lines and two brown flaxseed varieties were evaluated. The yellow-seeded lines had higher (P RUP (29.2 vs 35.1% CP) than that in the brown-seeded varieties. However, the total supply of digestible RUP was not significantly different between the two seed types. Regression equations based on protein molecular structural features gave relatively good estimation for the contents of CP (R(2) = 0.87), soluble CP (R(2) = 0.92), RUP (R(2) = 0.97), and intestinal digestibility of RUP (R(2) = 0.71). In conclusion, molecular spectroscopy can be used to rapidly characterize feed protein molecular structures and predict their nutritive value.

Identification of a mitochondrial target of thiazolidinedione insulin sensitizers (mTOT--relationship to newly identified mitochondrial pyruvate carrier proteins.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerry R Colca

Full Text Available Thiazolidinedione (TZD insulin sensitizers have the potential to effectively treat a number of human diseases, however the currently available agents have dose-limiting side effects that are mediated via activation of the transcription factor PPARγ. We have recently shown PPARγ-independent actions of TZD insulin sensitizers, but the molecular target of these molecules remained to be identified. Here we use a photo-catalyzable drug analog probe and mass spectrometry-based proteomics to identify a previously uncharacterized mitochondrial complex that specifically recognizes TZDs. These studies identify two well-conserved proteins previously known as brain protein 44 (BRP44 and BRP44 Like (BRP44L, which recently have been renamed Mpc2 and Mpc1 to signify their function as a mitochondrial pyruvate carrier complex. Knockdown of Mpc1 or Mpc2 in Drosophila melanogaster or pre-incubation with UK5099, an inhibitor of pyruvate transport, blocks the crosslinking of mitochondrial membranes by the TZD probe. Knockdown of these proteins in Drosophila also led to increased hemolymph glucose and blocked drug action. In isolated brown adipose tissue (BAT cells, MSDC-0602, a PPARγ-sparing TZD, altered the incorporation of (13C-labeled carbon from glucose into acetyl CoA. These results identify Mpc1 and Mpc2 as components of the mitochondrial target of TZDs (mTOT and suggest that understanding the modulation of this complex, which appears to regulate pyruvate entry into the mitochondria, may provide a viable target for insulin sensitizing pharmacology.

MGMT inactivation and clinical response in newly diagnosed GBM patients treated with Gliadel.

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Grossman, Rachel; Burger, Peter; Soudry, Ethan; Tyler, Betty; Chaichana, Kaisorn L; Weingart, Jon; Olivi, Alessandro; Gallia, Gary L; Sidransky, David; Quiñones-Hinojosa, Alfredo; Ye, Xiaobu; Brem, Henry

2015-12-01

We examined the relationship between the O(6)-methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation status and clinical outcomes in newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients who were treated with Gliadel wafers (Eisai, Tokyo, Japan). MGMT promoter methylation has been associated with increased survival among patients with GBM who are treated with various alkylating agents. MGMT promoter methylation, in DNA from 122 of 160 newly diagnosed GBM patients treated with Gliadel, was determined by a quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, and was correlated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). The MGMT promoter was methylated in 40 (32.7%) of 122 patients. The median OS was 13.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.0-14.5) and RFS was 9.4 months (95% CI 7.8-10.2). After adjusting for age, Karnofsky performance score, extent of resection, temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation therapy (RT), the newly diagnosed GBM patients with MGMT methylation had a 15% reduced mortality risk, compared to patients with unmethylated MGMT (hazard ratio 0.85; 95% CI 0.56-1.31; p=0.46). The patients aged over 70 years with MGMT methylation had a significantly longer median OS of 13.5 months, compared to 7.6 months in patients with unmethylated MGMT (p=0.027). A significant difference was also found in older patients, with a median RFS of 13.1 versus 7.6 months for methylated and unmethylated MGMT groups, respectively (p=0.01). Methylation of the MGMT promoter in newly diagnosed GBM patients treated with Gliadel, RT and TMZ, was associated with significantly improved OS compared to the unmethylated population. In elderly patients, methylation of the MGMT promoter was associated with significantly better OS and RFS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolation of cDNA encoding a newly identified major allergenic protein of rye-grass pollen: intracellular targeting to the amyloplast.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, M B; Hough, T; Theerakulpisut, P; Avjioglu, A; Davies, S; Smith, P M; Taylor, P; Simpson, R J; Ward, L D; McCluskey, J

1991-01-01

We have identified a major allergenic protein from rye-grass pollen, tentatively designated Lol pIb of 31kDa and with pI 9.0. A cDNA clone encoding Lol pIb has been isolated, sequenced, and characterized. Lol pIb is located mainly in the starch granules. This is a distinct allergen from Lol pI, which is located in the cytosol. Lol pIb is synthesized in pollen as a pre-allergen with a transit peptide targeting the allergen to amyloplasts. Epitope mapping of the fusion protein localized the IgE binding determinant in the C-terminal domain. Images PMID:1671715

Relationship between protein molecular structural makeup and metabolizable protein supply to dairy cattle from new cool-season forage corn cultivars

Science.gov (United States)

Abeysekara, Saman; Khan, Nazir A.; Yu, Peiqiang

2018-02-01

Protein solubility, ruminal degradation and intestinal digestibility are strongly related to their inherent molecular makeup. This study was designed to quantitatively evaluate protein digestion in the rumen and intestine of dairy cattle, and estimate the content of truly metabolizable protein (MP) in newly developed cool-season forage corn cultivars. The second objective was to quantify protein inherent molecular structural characteristics using advance molecular spectroscopic technique (FT/IR-ATR) and correlate it to protein metabolic characteristics. Six new cool-season corn cultivars, including 3 Pioneer (PNR) and 3 Hyland (HL), coded as PNR-7443R, PNR-P7213R, PNR-7535R, HL-SR06, HL-SR22, HL-BAXXOS-RR, were evaluated in the present study. The metabolic characteristics, MP supply to dairy cattle, and energy synchronization properties were modeled by two protein evaluation models, namely, the Dutch DVE/OEB system and the NRC-2001 model. Both models estimated significant (P contents of microbial protein (MCP) synthesis and truly absorbable rumen undegraded protein (ARUP) among the cultivars. The NRC-2001 model estimated significant (P content and degraded protein balance (DPB) among the cultivars. The contents MCP, ARUP and MP were higher (P < 0.05) for cultivar HL-SR06, resulting in the lowest (P < 0.05) DPB. However, none of the cultivars reached the optimal target hourly effective degradability ratio [25 g N g/kg organic matter (OM)], demonstrating N deficiency in the rumen. There were non-significant differences among the cultivars in molecular-spectral intensities of protein. The amide I/II ratio had a significant correlation with ARUP (r = - 0.469; P < 0.001) and absorbable endogenous protein (AECPNRC) (P < 0.001; r = 0.612). Similarly, amide-II area had a weak but significant correlation (r = 0.299; P < 0.001) with RUP and ARUP, and with AECPNRC (P < 0.001; r = 0.411). Except total digestible nutrients and AECPNRC, the amide-I area did not show significant

Protein Adsorption in Three Dimensions

Science.gov (United States)

Vogler, Erwin A.

2011-01-01

Recent experimental and theoretical work clarifying the physical chemistry of blood-protein adsorption from aqueous-buffer solution to various kinds of surfaces is reviewed and interpreted within the context of biomaterial applications, especially toward development of cardiovascular biomaterials. The importance of this subject in biomaterials surface science is emphasized by reducing the “protein-adsorption problem” to three core questions that require quantitative answer. An overview of the protein-adsorption literature identifies some of the sources of inconsistency among many investigators participating in more than five decades of focused research. A tutorial on the fundamental biophysical chemistry of protein adsorption sets the stage for a detailed discussion of the kinetics and thermodynamics of protein adsorption, including adsorption competition between two proteins for the same adsorbent immersed in a binary-protein mixture. Both kinetics and steady-state adsorption can be rationalized using a single interpretive paradigm asserting that protein molecules partition from solution into a three-dimensional (3D) interphase separating bulk solution from the physical-adsorbent surface. Adsorbed protein collects in one-or-more adsorbed layers, depending on protein size, solution concentration, and adsorbent surface energy (water wettability). The adsorption process begins with the hydration of an adsorbent surface brought into contact with an aqueous-protein solution. Surface hydration reactions instantaneously form a thin, pseudo-2D interface between the adsorbent and protein solution. Protein molecules rapidly diffuse into this newly-formed interface, creating a truly 3D interphase that inflates with arriving proteins and fills to capacity within milliseconds at mg/mL bulk-solution concentrations CB. This inflated interphase subsequently undergoes time-dependent (minutes-to-hours) decrease in volume VI by expulsion of either-or-both interphase water and

Sport as a context for integration:newly arrived immigrant children in Sweden drawing sporting experiences

OpenAIRE

Hertting, Krister; Karlefors, Inger

2013-01-01

Sport is a global phenomenon, which can make sport an important arena for integration into new societies. However, sport is also an expression of national culture and identities. The aim of this study is to explore images and experiences that newly-arrived immigrant children in Sweden have about sport in their country of origin, and challenges that can arise in processes of integration through sport. We asked 20 newly arrived children aged 10 to 13 to make drawings about sporting experiences ...

Nucleolar proteins change in altered gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Sobol, M. A.; Kordyum, E. L.; Gonzalez-Camacho, F.; Medina, F. J.

Discovery of gravisensitivity of cells no specified to gravity perception focused continuous attention on an elucidation of mechanisms involved in altered gravity effects at the different levels of cellular organization A nucleolus is the nuclear domain in which the major portion of ribosome biogenesis takes place This is a basic process for cell vitality beginning with the transcription of rDNA followed by processing newly synthesized pre-rRNA molecules A wide range of nucleolar proteins plays a highly significant role in all stages of biosynthesis of ribosomes Different steps of ribosome biogenesis should respond to various external factors affecting generally the cell metabolism Nevertheless a nucleolus remains not enough studied under the influence of altered environmental conditions For this reason we studied root apices from 2-day old Lepidium sativum seedlings germinated and grown under slow horizontal clinorotation and stationary conditions in darkness The extraction of cell nuclei followed by sequential fractionation of nuclear proteins according to their solubility in buffers of increasing ionic strength was carried out This procedure gave rise to 5 distinct fractions We analyzed nuclear subproteomes of the most soluble fraction called S2 It is actually a functionally significant fraction consisting of ribonucleoproteins actively engaged in pre-rRNA synthesis and processing 2D-electrophoresis of S2 fraction proteins was carried out The gels were silver stained and stained gels were scanned and analyzed

N-cadherin in adult rat cardiomyocytes in culture. II. Spatio-temporal appearance of proteins involved in cell-cell contact and communication. Formation of two distinct N-cadherin/catenin complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertig, C M; Butz, S; Koch, S; Eppenberger-Eberhardt, M; Kemler, R; Eppenberger, H M

1996-01-01

The spatio-temporal appearance and distribution of proteins forming the intercalated disc were investigated in adult rat cardiomyocytes (ARC). The 'redifferentiation model' of ARC involves extensive remodelling of the plasma membrane and of the myofibrillar apparatus. It represents a valuable system to elucidate the formation of cell-cell contact between cardiomyocytes and to assess the mechanisms by which different proteins involved in the cell-cell adhesion process are sorted in a precise manner to the sites of function. Appearance of N-cadherin, the catenins and connexin43 within newly formed adherens and gap junctions was studied. Here first evidence is provided for a formation of two distinct and separable N-cadherin/catenin complexes in cardiomyocytes. Both complexes are composed of N-cadherin and alpha-catenin which bind to either beta-catenin or plakoglobin in a mutually exclusive manner. The two N-cadherin/catenin complexes are assumed to be functionally involved in the formation of cell-cell contacts in ARC; however, the differential appearance and localization of the two types of complexes may also point to a specific role during ARC differentiation. The newly synthesized beta-catenin containing complex is more abundant during the first stages in culture after ARC isolation, while the newly synthesized plakoglobin containing complex progressively accumulates during the morphological changes of ARC. ARC formed a tissue-like pattern in culture whereby the new cell-cell contacts could be dissolved through Ca2+ depletion. Presence of cAMP and replenishment of Ca2+ content in the culture medium not only allowed reformation of cell-cell contacts but also affected the relative protein ratio between the two N-cadherin/catenin complexes, increasing the relative amount of newly synthesized beta-catenin over plakoglobin at a particular stage of ARC differentiation. The clustered N-cadherin/catenin complexes at the plasma membrane appear to be a prerequisite for the

Alterations found with computerized tomography in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruna, J.

1989-01-01

In 28 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients (insulin-independent), computerized tomography (CT) was used to determine the density of the pancreas and the kidneys, densities of the liver, spleen and blood in the abdominal aorta, and to investigate pathological changes in the tissues mentioned above. The results were correlated with laboratory findings. The following changes were found: decreased density of the pancreas (29.4 H) and the liver (49.1 H) and increased density of the spleen (56.3 H) and blood in the abdominal aorta (43.7 H). The decreased density of the pancreas appears to be connected with disorders of lipoprotein metabolism. The decreased liver density was related to increased energy intake by food and to overweight evaluated by Broc's index. Other CT findings in the newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics (changes in the size of the pancreas, and kidneys, kidney cysts, nephrolithiasis, sclerotic plaques on aorta) were not significant. (author). 2 tabs., 11 refs

Shared decision making in the management of children with newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Carolyn E; Boydell, Katherine M; Stasiulis, Elaine; Blanchette, Victor S; Llewellyn-Thomas, Hilary; Birken, Catherine S; Breakey, Vicky R; Parkin, Patricia C

2014-10-01

This study aimed to examine the treatment decision-making process for children hospitalized with newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Using focus groups, we studied children with ITP, parents of children with ITP, and health care professionals, inquiring about participants' experience with decision support and decision making in newly diagnosed ITP. Data were examined using thematic analysis. Themes that emerged from children were feelings of "anxiety, fear, and confusion"; the need to "understand information"; and "treatment choice," the experience of which was age dependent. For parents, "anxiety, fear, and confusion" was a dominant theme; "treatment choice" revealed that participants felt directed toward intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) for initial treatment. For health care professionals, "comfort level" highlighted factors contributing to professionals' comfort with offering options; "assumptions" were made about parental desire for participation in shared decision making (SDM) and parental acceptance of treatment options; "providing information" was informative regarding modes of facilitating SDM; and "treatment choice" revealed a discrepancy between current practice (directed toward IVIG) and the ideal of SDM. At our center, families of children with newly diagnosed ITP are not experiencing SDM. Our findings support the implementation of SDM to facilitate patient-centered care for the management of pediatric ITP.

Serum lipid profile of newly diagnosed hypertensive patients in nnewi, South-East Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Osuji, Charles U; Omejua, Emeka G; Onwubuya, Emmanuel I; Ahaneku, Gladys I

2012-01-01

Abnormalities in serum lipid and lipoprotein levels are recognized major modifiable cardiovascular disease and essential hypertension risk factors. The objective of this study was to examine the serum lipid patterns of newly diagnosed hypertensive patients attending a tertiary healthcare centre in South East Nigeria. Methods. Two hundred and fifty newly diagnosed adult hypertensive patients and an equal number of age- and sex-matched controls without hypertension were consecutively recruited from the Medical and General Outpatient Clinics of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi. Result. 126 males and 124 females were in each of the two groups. Mean age was comparable in both groups. Hypertensives had significantly higher mean systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and fasting blood sugar than the controls. The mean TC, TG, and LDL-C were significantly higher among the hypertensives. The mean HDL-C was comparable; P = 0.8. Among the hypertensive subjects, there was statistically significant positive correlation between BMI and TC; LDL-C and TG; WC and TG; FBS and TC; LDL-C and TG. HDL-C showed a statistically significant inverse correlation with WHR in hypertensives. Conclusion. This study showed that lipid abnormalities are highly prevalent among newly diagnosed hypertensives in South-East Nigeria.

Host factors in nidovirus replication

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wilde, Adriaan Hugo de

2013-01-01

The interplay between nidoviruses and the infected host cell was investigated. Arterivirus RNA-synthesising activity was shown to depend on intact membranes and on a cytosolic host protein which does not cosediment with the RTC. Furthermore, the immunosuppressant drug cyclosporin A (CsA) blocks

A longitudinal, mixed methods investigation of newly qualified nurses' workplace stressors and stress experiences during transition.

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Halpin, Yvonne; Terry, Louise M; Curzio, Joan

2017-11-01

To investigate transition in newly qualified nurses through an exploration of their stressors and stress experiences during their first 12 months postqualifying. Globally, thousands of new nurses qualify annually. They are crucial for the profession and healthcare service delivery. Work-related stress has multiple serious consequences, yet there is a lack of robust, empirical evidence that directly analyses newly qualified nurses and the stress they feel and experience in the workplace. Understanding what causes newly qualified nurses' stress is vital to retaining and nurturing this vital component of the workforce. Longitudinal, explanatory sequential mixed methods, cohort study. At the point of qualification (n = 288), 6 months postqualifying (n = 107) and 12 months postqualifying (n = 86), newly qualified nurses completed the Nursing Stress Scale, with 14 completing a one-to-one interview at 12 months postqualifying. Data were collected from 2010 - 2012. Inferential statistics, "thematic analysis" and "side-by-side comparisons in a discussion" were used for analysis. Workload was consistently the highest reported stressor with inadequate staffing and managing multiple role demands given as explanations. Incivility within the workplace was a noted stressor. Conversely, being part of "a good team" provided a civil, supportive, facilitative work environment. Entering nurse education with previous healthcare experience had a mediating effect on the reported frequency of stressors. Newly qualified nurses encounter multiple work-related stressors over their first 12 months postqualifying, which are intrinsically entwined with their transition. Employing organizations need to be more proactive in managing their workload and addressing workplace incivility. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Newly Qualified Teachers' Professional Digital Competence: Implications for Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Gudmundsdottir, Greta Björk; Hatlevik, Ove Edvard

2018-01-01

The professional digital competence (PDC) of teachers is of growing importance in classrooms, now that digital resources and digital media are becoming important parts of teachers' everyday practice. This study explores how newly qualified teachers are prepared to use information and communication technology (ICT) in their initial teacher…

Spectroscopic and TD-DFT studies on the dual mode fluorescent chemosensors based on pyrene thiosemicarbazones, and its application as molecular-scale logic devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basheer, Sabeel M. [Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli 620 015 (India); Willis, Anthony C. [Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601 (Australia); Sreekanth, Anandaram, E-mail: sreekanth@nitt.edu [Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli 620 015 (India)

2017-03-15

Two newly synthesised pyrene based molecules are hereby reported as molecular switches. The absorption and emission response for receptors with and without F{sup −}, CN{sup −} and Cu{sup 2+} ions can mimic multiple logic gate such as AND, NOR, XNOR, OR, XOR, INHIBITION and TRANSFER gates. The fluorescence reversibility was checked with the alternative addition of fluoride and calcium ions, which can be explained by the “Read-Erase-Read-Write” logic loop. The calculated binding constant value show PyBTSC is better chemosensor than PyCTSC, and the binding affinity is in the order of Cu{sup 2+}Г‹Ж’F{sup -}Г‹Ж’CN{sup −.} The detailed mechanism was investigated using DFT and TD-DFT calculations. The fluorescence quenching behaviour of receptor-F complex can be explained by PET mechanism along with ESPT process. The proton attached to the nitrogen which is adjacent to pyrene moiety is first make the hydrogen bond with fluoride ion at the excited state, which has confirmed by natural bond orbital (NBO) and potential energy surface (PES) analysis. - Graphical abstract: The newly synthesised thiocarbazone derivates used as an effective and selective colourimetric and “turn on” fluorescence sensor for copper ion and ‘turn off’ for fluoride and cyanide anion. The presence and absence of ions were considered as input signals and the corresponding absorption and emission responses were consired as output. The proton transfer from the nitrogen adjacent to pyrene moiety, and which takes place at the excited state (ESPT).

Drag resistance measurements for newly applied antifouling coatings and welding seams on ship hull surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Xueting; Olsen, S. M.; Andres, E.

Drag resistances of newly applied antifouling coatings and welding seams on ship hull surface have been investigated using a pilot-scale rotary setup. Both conventional biocide-based antifouling (AF) coatings and silicone-based fouling release (FR) coatings have been studied and compared in their......Drag resistances of newly applied antifouling coatings and welding seams on ship hull surface have been investigated using a pilot-scale rotary setup. Both conventional biocide-based antifouling (AF) coatings and silicone-based fouling release (FR) coatings have been studied and compared...

PREVALENCE OF SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING IN PATIENTS WITH NEWLY DIAGNOSED ACROMEGALY

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U. A. Tsoy

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Obstructive sleep disordered breathing or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA is the most common respiratory impairment in acromegaly. OSA is bound up with heightened cardiovascular mortality. Aim: Тo study frequency, features, and structure of sleep disordered breathing in patients with newly diagnosed acromegaly and to elucidate the factors influencing their development. Materials and methods: 38 patients (10 men, 28 women, median age 53 (28-76 years, median body mass index (BMI 29 (19.9-44.3 kg/m² with newly diagnosed acromegaly were recruited into the study. All subjects underwent full polysomnography (Embla N7000, Natus, USA and Remlogica software (USA. Results: Sleep disordered breathing was found in 28 (73.7% patients. OSA was revealed in all cases, in 11 (39.3% subjects it was mixed. In 10 (35.7% patients OSA was mild, in 8 (28.6% moderate, and in 10 (35.7% severe. BMI (р<0.01, disease duration (р=0.003, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1 level (р=0.04 were different in patients without OSA and patients with moderate-to-severe OSA. No difference was found in sex (р=0.4, age (р=0.064, and growth hormone level (р=0.6. Frequency of arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and other glucose metabolism impairments was the same in subjects without OSA and with severe-to-moderate OSA. Conclusion: All patients with newly diagnosed acromegaly should undergo polysomnography. BMI, disease duration, and IGF-1 level are significant risk factors for OSA development. Correlation OSA with arterial hypertension and glucose metabolism impairments needs to be further investigated.

Serum Lipids and Diabetic Retinopathy in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic Subjects

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Shahana Shermin

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Diabetic retinopathy is the commonest and usually the first observable vascular complication of diabetes mellitus. Along with hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia is a contributing factor for the occurrence of diabetic retinopathy. It is postulated that dyslipidaemia results in formation of hard exudate by increasing blood viscosity and altering the fibrinolytic system. A case control study was carried out in the department of Biochemistry, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka during the period of January 2006 to December 2007 to evaluate the serum lipid profile in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic subjects with diabetic retinopathy. Materials and Methods: Total 85 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic subjects were included in this study, 40 were cases having retinopathy and 45 were age and sex matched controls without retinopathy. Serum triglyceride (TG, total cholesterol (TC, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C were compared between cases and controls. Unpaired t-test and chi-square test were done between groups as tests of significance. Results: All the parameters of lipid profile showed dyslipidaemic trend both in cases and controls. In the cases TG was significantly higher and HDL-C was significantly lower than that of controls (p < 0.05 whereas no significant difference was found between cases and controls with respect to serum TC and LDL-C. Conclusion: It can be concluded that high TG and low HDL-C are associated with diabetic retinopathy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Practice and payment preferences of newly practising family physicians in British Columbia

Science.gov (United States)

Brcic, Vanessa; McGregor, Margaret J.; Kaczorowski, Janusz; Dharamsi, Shafik; Verma, Serena

2012-01-01

Abstract Objective To examine the remuneration model preferences of newly practising family physicians. Design Mixed-methods study comprising a cross-sectional, Web-based survey, as well as qualitative content analysis of answers to open-ended questions. Setting British Columbia. Participants University of British Columbia family practice residents who graduated between 2000 and 2009. Main outcome measures Preferred remuneration models of newly practising physicians. Results The survey response rate was 31% (133 of 430). Of respondents, 71% (93 of 132) preferred non–fee-for-service practice models and 86% (110 of 132) identified the payment model as very or somewhat important in their choice of future practice. Three principal themes were identified from content analysis of respondents’ open-ended comments: frustrations with fee-for-service billing, which encompassed issues related to aggravations with “the business side of things” and was seen as impeding “the freedom to focus on medicine”; quality of patient care, which embraced the importance of a payment model that supported “comprehensive patient care” and “quality rather than quantity”; and freedom to choose, which supported the plurality of practice preferences among providers who strived to provide quality care for patients, “whatever model you happen to be working in.” Conclusion Newly practising physicians in British Columbia preferred alternatives to fee-for-service payment models, which were perceived as contributing to fewer frustrations with billing systems, improved quality of work life, and better quality of patient care. PMID:22586205

Localization and movement of newly synthesized cholesterol in rat ovarian granulosa cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lange, Y.; Schmit, V.M.; Schreiber, J.R.

1988-01-01

The distribution and movement of cholesterol were studied in granulosa cells from the ovaries of estrogen-stimulated hypophysectomized immature rats cultured in serum-free medium. Plasma membrane cholesterol was distinguished from intracellular cholesterol with cholesterol oxidase, an enzyme that converts cell surface cholesterol to cholestenone, leaving intracellular cholesterol untouched. Using this approach we showed that 82% of unesterified cholesterol was associated with the plasma membrane in granulosa cells cultured for 48 h in serum-free medium in both the presence and absence of added androstenedione and FSH. FSH and androstenedione stimulated a marked increase in steroid hormone (progestin) production. The movement of newly synthesized cholesterol to the plasma membrane also was followed using cholesterol oxidase. Newly synthesized cholesterol reached the plasma membrane too rapidly to be measured in unstimulated cells (t1/2 less than 20 min); however, in cells stimulated by FSH and androstenedione, this rate was considerably slower (t1/2 approximately 2h). Therefore, cholesterol movement to the plasma membrane appears to be regulated by gonadotropins in these cells. We tested whether steroid biosynthesis used all cell cholesterol pools equally. To this end we administered [3H]acetate and [14C]acetate at different times and determined their relative specific contents in various steroids after defined intervals. The relative ages of the steroids (youngest to oldest) were: lanosterol, progestins, intracellular cholesterol, and plasma membrane cholesterol. This finding suggests that progestins use newly synthesized intracellular cholesterol in preference to preexisting intracellular or cell surface cholesterol

Evolutionary history of callose synthases in terrestrial plants with emphasis on proteins involved in male gametophyte development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lenka Záveská Drábková

Full Text Available Callose is a plant-specific polysaccharide (β-1,3-glucan playing an important role in angiosperms in many developmental processes and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Callose is synthesised at the plasma membrane of plant cells by callose synthase (CalS and, among others, represents the main polysaccharide in the callose wall surrounding the tetrads of developing microspores and in the growing pollen tube wall. CalS proteins involvement in spore development is a plesiomorphic feature of terrestrial plants, but very little is known about their evolutionary origin and relationships amongst the members of this protein family. We performed thorough comparative analyses of callose synthase family proteins from major plant lineages to determine their evolutionary history across the plant kingdom. A total of 1211 candidate CalS sequences were identified and compared amongst diverse taxonomic groups of plants, from bryophytes to angiosperms. Phylogenetic analyses identified six main clades of CalS proteins and suggested duplications during the evolution of specialised functions. Twelve family members had previously been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. We focused on five CalS subfamilies directly linked to pollen function and found that proteins expressed in pollen evolved twice. CalS9/10 and CalS11/12 formed well-defined clades, whereas pollen-specific CalS5 was found within subfamilies that mostly did not express in mature pollen vegetative cell, although were found in sperm cells. Expression of five out of seven mature pollen-expressed CalS genes was affected by mutations in bzip transcription factors. Only three subfamilies, CalS5, CalS10, and CalS11, however, formed monophyletic, mostly conserved clades. The pairs CalS9/CalS10, CalS11/CalS12 and CalS3 may have diverged after angiosperms diversified from lycophytes and bryophytes. Our analysis of fully sequenced plant proteins identified new evolutionary lineages of callose synthase

Comparative Survival in Patients With Postresection Recurrent Versus Newly Diagnosed Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Xuwei; Xu Luying; Wang Li; Hayman, James A.; Chang, Andrew C.; Pickens, Allan; Cease, Kemp B.; Orringer, Mark B.; Kong, F.-M.

2010-01-01

Purpose: To compare the survival of postresection recurrent vs. newly diagnosed non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Methods and Materials: The study population consisted of 661 consecutive patients with NSCLC registered in the radiation oncology databases at two medical centers in the United States between 1992 and 2004. Of the 661 patients, 54 had postresection recurrent NSCLC and 607 had newly diagnosed NSCLC. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were used for the survival analyses. Results: The distribution of relevant clinical factors between these two groups was similar. The median survival time and 5-year overall survival rates were 19.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.9-25.7) and 14.8% (95% confidence interval, 5.4-24.2%) vs. 12.2 months (95% CI, 10.8-13.6) and 11.0% (95% CI, 8.5-13.5%) for recurrent vs. newly diagnosed patients, respectively (p = .037). For Stage I-III patients, no significant difference was observed in the 5-year overall survival (p = .297) or progression-free survival (p = .935) between recurrent and newly diagnosed patients. For the 46 patients with Stage I-III recurrent disease, multivariate analysis showed that chemotherapy was a significant prognostic factor for 5-year progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.224-0.914; p = .027). Conclusion: Our institutional data have shown that patients with postresection recurrent NSCLC achieved survival comparable to that of newly diagnosed NSCLC patients when they were both treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. These findings suggest that patients with postresection recurrent NSCLC should be treated as aggressively as those with newly diagnosed disease.

Typical design/qualification acceptance criteria for newly installed pipelines and equipment components of VVER-type NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masopust, R.

2003-01-01

This paper describes in general the typical design/qualification acceptance criteria and seismic acceptance criteria in particular that are applicable for important to safety newly installed pipelines and equipment components of VVER-type already existing NPPs, specifically during the design verification phase of this newly installed equipment. These criteria are currently used for VVER 440-213 and VVER 1000 NPPs in Czech Republic and in Slovakia. The similar criteria are also used in Hungary. (author)

Analysis of newly established EST databases reveals similarities between heart regeneration in newt and fish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weis Patrick

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The newt Notophthalmus viridescens possesses the remarkable ability to respond to cardiac damage by formation of new myocardial tissue. Surprisingly little is known about changes in gene activities that occur during the course of regeneration. To begin to decipher the molecular processes, that underlie restoration of functional cardiac tissue, we generated an EST database from regenerating newt hearts and compared the transcriptional profile of selected candidates with genes deregulated during zebrafish heart regeneration. Results A cDNA library of 100,000 cDNA clones was generated from newt hearts 14 days after ventricular injury. Sequencing of 11520 cDNA clones resulted in 2894 assembled contigs. BLAST searches revealed 1695 sequences with potential homology to sequences from the NCBI database. BLAST searches to TrEMBL and Swiss-Prot databases assigned 1116 proteins to Gene Ontology terms. We also identified a relatively large set of 174 ORFs, which are likely to be unique for urodele amphibians. Expression analysis of newt-zebrafish homologues confirmed the deregulation of selected genes during heart regeneration. Sequences, BLAST results and GO annotations were visualized in a relational web based database followed by grouping of identified proteins into clusters of GO Terms. Comparison of data from regenerating zebrafish hearts identified biological processes, which were uniformly overrepresented during cardiac regeneration in newt and zebrafish. Conclusion We concluded that heart regeneration in newts and zebrafish led to the activation of similar sets of genes, which suggests that heart regeneration in both species might follow similar principles. The design of the newly established newt EST database allows identification of molecular pathways important for heart regeneration.

Time perspective and weight management behaviors in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes: a mediational analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Peter A; Fong, Geoffrey T; Cheng, Alice Y

2012-12-01

The primary objective of the current study was to examine the extent to which domain-specific time perspective predicts weight management behaviors (dietary behavior and physical activity) among those newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. A secondary objective was to test potential mediators of the hypothesized effect (behavioral intention, self-efficacy and control beliefs). A total of 204 adults newly diagnosed (≤6 months) with Type 2 diabetes participated in the study, which included a baseline assessment of domain-general and domain-specific time perspective, as well as strength of intention to perform two weight-management behaviors (dietary choice and physical activity); both weight-management behaviors were assessed again at 6 month follow-up. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed a prospective association between domain-specific time perspective and uptake of weight management behaviors. Individuals with newly diagnosed T2DM possessing a future-oriented time perspective reported making less frequent fatty food choices and greater increases in physical activity over the 6-month follow-up interval. These effects were selectively mediated by intention strength, and not competing social cognitive variables. For both behaviors, the total effects and meditational models were robust to adjustments for demographics, body composition and disease variables. A future-oriented time perspective is prospectively associated with superior uptake of weight management behaviors among those with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. The facilitating effect of future-oriented thinking appears to occur via enhanced strength of intentions to perform weight management behaviors.

MU-LOC: A Machine-Learning Method for Predicting Mitochondrially Localized Proteins in Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ning Zhang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Targeting and translocation of proteins to the appropriate subcellular compartments are crucial for cell organization and function. Newly synthesized proteins are transported to mitochondria with the assistance of complex targeting sequences containing either an N-terminal pre-sequence or a multitude of internal signals. Compared with experimental approaches, computational predictions provide an efficient way to infer subcellular localization of a protein. However, it is still challenging to predict plant mitochondrially localized proteins accurately due to various limitations. Consequently, the performance of current tools can be improved with new data and new machine-learning methods. We present MU-LOC, a novel computational approach for large-scale prediction of plant mitochondrial proteins. We collected a comprehensive dataset of plant subcellular localization, extracted features including amino acid composition, protein position weight matrix, and gene co-expression information, and trained predictors using deep neural network and support vector machine. Benchmarked on two independent datasets, MU-LOC achieved substantial improvements over six state-of-the-art tools for plant mitochondrial targeting prediction. In addition, MU-LOC has the advantage of predicting plant mitochondrial proteins either possessing or lacking N-terminal pre-sequences. We applied MU-LOC to predict candidate mitochondrial proteins for the whole proteome of Arabidopsis and potato. MU-LOC is publicly available at http://mu-loc.org.