Strongyloidiasis associated with amebiasis and giardiaisis in an immunocompetent boy presented with acute abdomen

Strongyloides stercoralis (SS) is an intestinal nematode that is mainly endemic in tropical and subtropical regions and sporadic in temperate zones. SS infection frequently occurs in people who have hematologic malignancies, HIV infection and in individuals undergoing immunosuppressive therapy. In this study, we report a 12- year-old immunocompetent boy who was admitted to our hospital with acute abdomen. Laboratory evaluation showed strongyloidiasis, amebiasis and giardiasis. Clinical and laboratory findings immediately improved with albendazole therapy. Therefore, when diarrhea with signs of acute abdomen is observed, stool examinations should be done for enteroparasitosis. This approach will prevent misdiagnosis as acute abdomen. Complete clinical improvement is possible by medical therapy without surgical intervention.     

Plasma manganese, selenium, zinc, copper, and iron concentrations in patients with schizophrenia

A number of essential trace elements play a major role in various metabolic pathways. Selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) are essential trace elements that have been studied in many diseases, including autoimmune, neurological, and psychiatric disorders. However, the findings of previous research on the status of trace elements in patients with schizophrenia have been controversial. We studied these elements in patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia and compared them with sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Plasma Cu concentrations were significantly higher (p<0.01) and Mn and Fe concentrations were lower (p<0.05 and p<0.05, respectively) in schizophrenic patients than in controls. Se and Zn concentrations and protein levels did not differ between patients and healthy controls. These observations suggest that alterations in essential trace elements Mn, Cu, and Fe may play a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. However, findings from trace element levels in schizophrenia show a variety of results that are difficult to interpret.     

Effects of the nasal valve on acoustic rhinometry measurements: a model study.

The influence of nasal valve on acoustic rhinometry (AR) measurements was evaluated by using simple nasal cavity models. Each model consisted of a cylindrical pipe with an insert simulating the nasal valve. The AR-determined cross-sectional areas beyond the insert were consistently underestimated, and the corresponding area-distance curves showed pronounced oscillations. The area underestimation was more pronounced in models with inserts of small passage area. The experimental results are discussed in terms of theoretically calculated "sound-power reflection coefficients" for the pipe models. The reason for area underestimation is reflection of most of the incident sound power from the barrier at the front junction between the pipe and the insert. It was also demonstrated that the oscillations are due to low-frequency acoustic resonances in the portion of the pipe beyond the insert. The results suggest that AR does not provide reliable information about the cross-sectional areas of the nasal cavity posterior to a significant constriction, such as pathologies narrowing the nasal valve area. When the passage area of the nasal valve is decreased, the role of AR as a diagnostic tool for the entire nasal cavity becomes limited.     

Effects of paranasal sinus ostia and volume on acoustic rhinometry measurements: a model study.

We used pipe models to investigate the effects of paranasal sinus ostium size and paranasal sinus volume on the area-distance curves derived by acoustic rhinometry (AR). Each model had a Helmholtz resonator or a short neck as a side branch that simulated the paranasal sinus and sinus ostium. The AR-derived cross-sectional areas posterior to the ostium were significantly overestimated. Sinus volume affected the AR measurements only when the sinus was connected via a relatively large ostium. The experimental area-distance curve posterior to the side branch showed pronounced oscillations in association with low-frequency acoustic resonances in this distal part of the pipe. The experimental results are discussed in terms of theoretically calculated "sound-power reflection coefficients" for the pipe models used. The results indicate that the effects of paranasal sinuses and low-frequency acoustic resonances in the posterior part of the nasal cavity are not accounted for in the current AR algorithms. AR does not provide reliable information about sinus ostium size, sinus volume, or cross-sectional area in the distal parts of nasal cavity.     

Enhanced Bacterial Disease Resistance of Transgenic Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Possessing Cecropin Genes

The cecropin B gene from the moth Hyalophora cecropia, driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter, was transferred to the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Transgenic individuals (P1) were mated to produce individuals (F1) that exhibited enhanced disease resistance and survival when challenged with pathogenic bacteria. During the epizootic of Flavobacterium columnare in an earthen pond, the percentage of transgenic individuals containing preprocecropin B construct that survived (100%) was significantly greater (P <0.005) THAN THAT OF NONTRANSGENIC CONTROLS (27.3%). ALSO, WHEN CHALLENGED IN TANKS WITH EDWARDSIELLA ICTALURI, THE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF ENTERIC SEPTICEMIA OF CATFISH, THE PERCENTAGE OF TRANSGENIC INDIVIDUALS CONTAINING CATFISH IG LEADER CECROPIN B CONSTRUCT THAT SURVIVED (40.7%) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER (P <0.01) THAN THAT OF NONTRANSGENIC CONTROLS (14.8%). THERE WERE NO PLEIOTROPIC EFFECTS OF THE TRANSGENES, AND GROWTH RATES OF THE TRANSGENIC AND NONTRANSGENIC SIBLINGS WERE NOT DIFFERENT (P > 0.05). Inheritance of the transgene by the F1 generation, 20.2% to 30.7% was typical of that in studies with transgenic channel catfish.     

Building the centromere: from foundation proteins to 3D organization

At each mitosis, accurate segregation of every chromosome is ensured by the assembly of a kinetochore at each centromeric locus. Six foundation kinetochore proteins that assemble hierarchically and co-dependently have been identified in vertebrates. CENP-A, Mis12, CENP-C, CENP-H and CENP-I localize to a core domain of centromeric chromatin. The sixth protein, CENP-B, although not essential in higher eukaryotes, has homologues in fission yeast that bind pericentric DNA and are essential for heterochromatin formation. Foundation kinetochore proteins have various roles and mutual interactions, and their associations with centromeric DNA and heterochromatin create structural domains that support the different functions of the centromere. Advances in molecular and microscopic techniques, coupled with rare centromere variants, have enabled us to gain fresh insights into the linear and 3D organization of centromeric chromatin.     

Effects of non toxic doses of acyclovir on nitric oxide and cellular death responses in herpesvirus types 1 and 2 infected hep-2 cells

Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) and type-2 (HSV-2) are among the most "successful" pathogens and code for a variety of proteins to direct the apoptosis/necrosis responses of the cells they infect. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important intracellular signaling molecule in pathological processes. Acyclovir (ACV) is a chain terminator that targets the viral DNA polymerase as an antiviral agent. In this study, NO signals, and apoptosis/necrosis responses of HEp-2 cells were compared when infected by HSV-1 and -2 for 24 hours against non toxic doses (starting from 48.8, 24.4, 12.2, 6.1, 3 to 1.5 microg/mL) of ACV. In 48.8, 24.4 and 12.2 microg/mL of ACV, HSV-1 had an "upregulating effect" whereas HSV-2 had a "downregulating effect" on NO production, and in 6.1, 3 and 1.5 microg/mL of ACV HSV-1 had a "down-regulating effect" whereas HSV-2 had an "upregulating effect" on NO responses (HSV-1 had a "downregulating effect" on NO production whereas HSV-2 had an "upregulating effect" on NO production without any ACV). In 48.8, 24.4 and 12.2 microg/mL of ACV, HSV-1 had an "anti-apoptotic effect" whereas HSV-2 had a stimulation on "apoptotic effect", and in 6.1, 3 and 1.5 microg/mL of ACV HSV-1 had an "apoptotic effect" and HSV-2 turned to "its natural viral apoptotic effect level" (HSV-1 had an "natural viral apoptotic effect" whereas HSV-2 had a "natural viral apoptotic effect" on apoptosis response without any ACV). In 48.8, and 24.4 microg/mL of ACV, HSV-1 had significant "necrotic effect" on necrotic cellular death, "necrosis" increased in 12.2, 6.1, 3 and 1.5 microg/mL of ACV (HSV-1 had a negligible "necrotic effect" on HEp-2 cells alone), and HSV-2 had a "natural viral necrotic effect" alone; and also in all non toxic ACV concentrations. These results showed that HSV-1 and -2 had different "strategies" on apoptosis/necrosis and NO with and without non toxic ACV. These differences deserve further studies in order to explain the interactions between apoptotic/anti apoptotic, necrotic genes and NO, and ACV in HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections respectively.     

Hijacked DNA repair proteins and unchained DNA polymerases

Somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes occurs at a frequency that is a million times greater than the mutation in other genes. Mutations occur in variable genes to increase antibody affinity, and in switch regions before constant genes to cause switching from IgM to IgG. Hypermutation is initiated in activated B cells when the activation-induced deaminase protein deaminates cytosine in DNA to uracil. Uracils can be processed by either a mutagenic pathway to produce mutations or a non-mutagenic pathway to remove mutations. In the mutagenic pathway, we first studied the role of mismatch repair proteins, MSH2, MSH3, MSH6, PMS2 and MLH1, since they would recognize mismatches. The MSH2–MSH6 heterodimer is involved in hypermutation by binding to U:G and other mismatches generated during repair synthesis, but the other proteins are not necessary. Second, we analysed the role of low-fidelity DNA polymerases η, ι and θ in synthesizing mutations, and conclude that polymerase η is the dominant participant by generating mutations at A:T base pairs. In the non-mutagenic pathway, we examined the role of the Cockayne syndrome B protein that interacts with other repair proteins. Mice deficient in this protein had normal hypermutation and class switch recombination, showing that it is not involved.     

A Detailed Biological and Chemical Investigation of Sixteen Achillea Species’ Essential Oils via Chemometric Approach

Representatives of the Achillea genus are widely used as foods or nutraceuticals. Considering the increasing demand for herbal dietary supplements with health promoting effects, the objective of this research was to evaluate the chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oils obtained from sixteen Achillea species (A. biebersteinii, A. wilhelmsii subsp. wilhelmsii, A. aleppica subsp. zederbaueri, A. vermicularis, A. monocephala, A. nobilis, A. goniocephala, A. sintenisii, A. coarctata, A. kotschyi subsp. kotschyi, A. millefolium subsp. millefolium, A. lycaonica, A. spinulifolia, A. teretifolia, A. setacea, and A. schischkinii). Anticholinesterase, antiurease, antityrosinase enzymes inhibition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, toxic and cytotoxic activities of obtained essential oils were investigated. DPPH activities were found to be very low in all studied samples, while ABTS and CUPRAC antioxidant activities were found to be moderate. In addition, all samples were found to have moderate anticholinesterase and antimicrobial effects. It has been determined that the studied species have low cytotoxicity and high toxicity. Besides, chemical composition of the essential oils were determined by GC/MS and the results were chemometrically analyzed. The chemometric analyses of Achillea species collected from nine different regions were accomplished by principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) techniques. According to the PCA analysis, A. nobilis subsp. neilreichii was found to be different from all studied species in terms of essential oil composition. The major components found in these species were piperitone, camphor, α‐terpinene, eucalyptol, artemisia ketone, endo‐borneol, β‐eudesmol and verbenol. The fact that camphor was toxic and found in majority of the studied species stands out as a remarkable result.