Impact of electro-acupuncture and physical exercise on hyperandrogenism and oligo/amenorrhea in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, is characterized by hyperandrogenism, oligo/amenorrhea, and polycystic ovaries. We aimed to determine whether low-frequency electro-acupuncture (EA) would decrease hyperandrogenism and improve oligo/amenorrhea more effectively than physical exercise or no intervention. We randomized 84 women with PCOS, aged 18-37 yr, to 16 wk of low-frequency EA, physical exercise, or no intervention. The primary outcome measure changes in the concentration of total testosterone (T) at week 16 determined by gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was analyzed by intention to treat. Secondary outcome measures were changes in menstrual frequency; concentrations of androgens, estrogens, androgen precursors, and glucuronidated androgen metabolites; and acne and hirsutism. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, after 16 wk of intervention, and after a 16-wk follow-up. After 16 wk of intervention, circulating T decreased by -25%, androsterone glucuronide by -30%, and androstane-3α,17β-diol-3-glucuronide by -28% in the EA group (P = 0.038, 0.030, and 0.047, respectively vs. exercise); menstrual frequency increased to 0.69/month from 0.28 at baseline in the EA group (P = 0.018 vs. exercise). After the 16-wk follow-up, the acne score decreased by -32% in the EA group (P = 0.006 vs. exercise). Both EA and exercise improved menstrual frequency and decreased the levels of several sex steroids at week 16 and at the 16-wk follow-up compared with no intervention. Low-frequency EA and physical exercise improved hyperandrogenism and menstrual frequency more effectively than no intervention in women with PCOS. Low-frequency EA was superior to physical exercise and may be useful for treating hyperandrogenism and oligo/amenorrhea.     

Francisella strains express hemolysins of distinct characteristics

Historically, Francisella strains have been described as nonhemolytic. In this study, we show by use of solid and liquid hemolysis assays that some Francisella strains have hemolytic properties. The Francisella novicida type strain U112 is hemolytic to horse erythrocytes and Francisella philomiragia type strain FSC144 is hemolytic towards both human and horse erythrocytes. The F. novicida strain U112 released a protein (novilysin A) into the culture supernatant which cross-reacted with antiserum against Escherichia coli HlyA whereas there was no similar protein detectable with this cross-reactive property from the supernatant of the F. philomiragia strain.     

Antioxidant activity of synthetic cytokinin analogues: 6-alkynyl- and 6-alkenylpurines as novel 15-Lipoxygenase inhibitors

Synthetic cytokinin analogues as well as the well known CKs 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), kinetin and trans-zeatin were examined for antioxidant activity. The compounds were tested as potential diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavengers and as inhibitors of 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO). The natural plant hormones were essentially inactive in both assays, but several synthetic analogues have a profound inhibiting effect on 15-lipoxygenase from soybeans. The same compounds were only weak DPPH scavengers and they may therefore be regarded as so-called non antioxidant inhibitors of 15-LO.     

DegePrime,a Program for Degenerate Primer Design for Broad-Taxonomic-Range PCR in Microbial Ecology Studies

The taxonomic composition of a microbial community can be deduced by analyzing its rRNA gene content by, e.g., high-throughput DNA sequencing or DNA chips. Such methods typically are based on PCR amplification of rRNA gene sequences using broad-taxonomic-range PCR primers. In these analyses, the use of optimal primers is crucial for achieving an unbiased representation of community composition. Here, we present the computer program DegePrime that, for each position of a multiple sequence alignment, finds a degenerate oligomer of as high coverage as possible and outputs its coverage among taxonomic divisions. We show that our novel heuristic, which we call weighted randomized combination, performs better than previously described algorithms for solving the maximum coverage degenerate primer design problem. We previously used DegePrime to design a broad-taxonomic-range primer pair that targets the bacterial V3-V4 region (341F-805R) (D. P. Herlemann, M. Labrenz, K. Jurgens, S. Bertilsson, J. J. Waniek, and A. F. Andersson, ISME J. 5:1571–1579, 2011, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2011.41), and here we use the program to significantly increase the coverage of a primer pair (515F-806R) widely used for Illumina-based surveys of bacterial and archaeal diversity. By comparison with shotgun metagenomics, we show that the primers give an accurate representation of microbial diversity in natural samples.     

Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a potential host for carboxylic acid production from lignocellulosic feedstock?

Carboxylic acids are important bulk chemicals that can be used as building blocks for the production of polymers, as acidulants, preservatives and flavour compound or as precursors for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. Today, their production mainly takes place through catalytic processing of petroleum-based precursors. An appealing alternative would be to produce these compounds from renewable resources, using tailor-made microorganisms. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has already demonstrated its value for bioethanol production from renewable resources. In this review, we discuss Saccharomyces cerevisiae engineering potential, current strategies for carboxylic acid production as well as the specific challenges linked to the use of lignocellulosic biomass as carbon source.     

Small‐angle X‐ray scattering of BAMLET at pH 12: A complex of α‐lactalbumin and oleic acid

BAMLET (Bovine Alpha‐lactalbumin Made LEthal to Tumors) is a member of the family of the HAMLET‐like complexes, a novel class of protein‐based anti‐cancer complexes that incorporate oleic acid and deliver it to cancer cells. Small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) was performed on the complex at pH 12, examining the high pH structure as a function of oleic acid added. The SAXS data for BAMLET species prepared with a range of oleic acid concentrations indicate extended, irregular, partially unfolded protein conformations that vary with the oleic acid concentration. Increases in oleic acid concentration correlate with increasing radius of gyration without an increase in maximum particle dimension, indicating decreasing protein density. The models for the highest oleic acid content BAMLET indicate an unusual coiled elongated structure that contrasts with apo‐α‐lactalbumin at pH 12, which is an elongated globular molecule, suggesting that oleic acid inhibits the folding or collapse of the protein component of BAMLET to the globular form. Circular dichroism of BAMLET and apo‐α‐lactalbumin was performed and the results suggest that α‐lactalbumin and BAMLET unfold in a continuum of increasing degree of unfolded states. Taken together, these results support a model in which BAMLET retains oleic acid by non‐specific association in the core of partially unfolded protein, and represent a new type of lipoprotein structure. Proteins 2014; 82:1400–1408. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Improving odour assessment in LCA—the odour footprint

Purpose

Odour is an important aspect of systems for human and agricultural waste management and many technologies are developed with the sole purpose of reducing odour. Compared with greenhouse gas assessment and the assessment of toxicity, odour assessment has received little attention in the life cycle assessment (LCA) community. This article aims to redress this.

Methods

Firstly, a framework for the assessment of odour impacts in LCA was developed considering the classical LCA framework of emissions, midpoint and endpoint indicators. This suggested that an odour footprint midpoint indicator was worth striving for. An approach to calculating an areal indicator we call “odour footprint”, which considers the odour detection threshold, the diffusion rate and the kinetics of degradation of odourants, was implemented in MATLAB. We demonstrated the use of the characterisation factors we calculated in a case study based on odour removal technology applied to a pig barn.

Results and discussion

We produced a list of 33 linear characterisation factors based on hydrogen sulphide equivalents, analogous to the linear carbon dioxide equivalency factors in use in carbon footprinting, or the dichlorobenzene equivalency factors developed for assessment of toxic impacts in LCA. Like the latter, this odour footprint method does not take local populations and exposure pathway analysis into account—its intent is not to assess regulatory compliance or detailed design. The case study showed that despite the need for materials and energy, large factor reductions in odour footprint and eutrophication potential were achieved at the cost of a smaller factor increase in greenhouse emissions.

Conclusions

The odour footprint method is proposed as an improvement on the established midpoint method for odour assessment in LCA. Unlike it, the method presented here considers the persistence of odourants. Over time, we hope to increase the number of characterised odourants, enabling analysts to perform simple site-generic LCA on systems with odourant emissions.     

On the origin of the Norwegian lemming

The Pleistocene glacial cycles resulted in significant changes in species distributions, and it has been discussed whether this caused increased rates of population divergence and speciation. One species that is likely to have evolved during the Pleistocene is the Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus). However, the origin of this species, both in terms of when and from what ancestral taxon it evolved, has been difficult to ascertain. Here, we use ancient DNA recovered from lemming remains from a series of Late Pleistocene and Holocene sites to explore the species' evolutionary history. The results revealed considerable genetic differentiation between glacial and contemporary samples. Moreover, the analyses provided strong support for a divergence time prior to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), therefore likely ruling out a postglacial colonization of Scandinavia. Consequently, it appears that the Norwegian lemming evolved from a small population that survived the LGM in an ice‐free Scandinavian refugium.