Polymorphic analysis of CYP2C9 gene in Vietnamese population

Molecular Biology Reports - Genetic variations in CYP2C9 are associated to inter-individual variability of drugs metabolism and response. The only report has been done previously mainly focusing on...     

Clinical features of atypical odontalgia; three cases and literature reviews

Background

Atypical odontalgia (AO) is a disease characterized by continuous pain affecting the teeth or tooth sockets after extraction in the absence of any identifiable cause on clinical or radiographic examination. Antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, are reported to be effective in the treatment of AO; however, their efficacy varies depending on the case. In this article, we report three types of AO and discuss its heterogeneity and management.

Case presentation

In the first case, a 58-year-old woman presented with a heavy, splitting pain in the four maxillary front post-crown teeth, as if they were being pressed from the side. Her symptoms abated with 20 mg of amitriptyline. In the second case, a 39-year-old woman presented with a feeling of heaviness pain on the right side of maxillary and mandibular molar teeth, face, whole palate, and throat. She was unable to function because of her pain. Her symptoms drastically subsided with 3 mg of aripiprazole. In the third case, a 54-year-old woman presented with a tingling sensation on the left mandibular second premolar and first molar, and an uncomfortable feeling on her provisional prosthesis that made it unbearable to keep the caps on. Her symptoms diminished with 2 mg of aripiprazole added to 30 mg of mirtazapine.

Conclusions

AO shows various features and responses to drugs. It is considered not only a purely sensory problem, but also a considerably complex psychological problem, such as rumination about the pain. Investigating the difference in pharmacotherapeutic responses might help to advance the treatment of AO.

     

Structural basis of TRAPPIII‐mediated Rab1 activation

The GTPase Rab1 is a master regulator of the early secretory pathway and is critical for autophagy. Rab1 activation is controlled by its guanine nucleotide exchange factor, the multisubunit TRAPPIII complex. Here, we report the 3.7 Å cryo‐EM structure of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae TRAPPIII complex bound to its substrate Rab1/Ypt1. The structure reveals the binding site for the Rab1/Ypt1 hypervariable domain, leading to a model for how the complex interacts with membranes during the activation reaction. We determined that stable membrane binding by the TRAPPIII complex is required for robust activation of Rab1/Ypt1 in vitro and in vivo, and is mediated by a conserved amphipathic α‐helix within the regulatory Trs85 subunit. Our results show that the Trs85 subunit serves as a membrane anchor, via its amphipathic helix, for the entire TRAPPIII complex. These findings provide a structural understanding of Rab activation on organelle and vesicle membranes.     

High Efficiency Perovskite‐Silicon Tandem Solar Cells: Effect of Surface Coating versus Bulk Incorporation of 2D Perovskite

Mixed‐dimensional perovskite solar cells combining 3D and 2D perovskites have recently attracted wide interest owing to improved device efficiency and stability. Yet, it remains unclear which method of combining 3D and 2D perovskites works best to obtain a mixed‐dimensional system with the advantages of both types. To address this, different strategies of combining 2D perovskites with a 3D perovskite are investigated, namely surface coating and bulk incorporation. It is found that through surface coating with different aliphatic alkylammonium bulky cations, a Ruddlesden–Popper “quasi‐2D” perovskite phase is formed on the surface of the 3D perovskite that passivates the surface defects and significantly improves the device performance. In contrast, incorporating those bulky cations into the bulk induces the formation of the pure 2D perovskite phase throughout the bulk of the 3D perovskite, which negatively affects the crystallinity and electronic structure of the 3D perovskite framework and reduces the device performance. Using the surface‐coating strategy with n‐butylammonium bromide to fabricate semitransparent perovskite cells and combining with silicon cells in four‐terminal tandem configuration, 27.7% tandem efficiency with interdigitated back contact silicon bottom cells (size‐unmatched) and 26.2% with passivated emitter with rear locally diffused silicon bottom cells is achieved in a 1 cm² size‐matched tandem.     

Spawning seasons of Rasbora tawarensis (Pisces: Cyprinidae) in Lake Laut Tawar,Aceh Province,Indonesia

Background  

Rasbora tawarensis is an endemic freshwater fish in Lake Laut Tawar, Aceh Province, Indonesia. Unfortunately, its status is regarded as critical endangered with populations decreasing in recent years. To date no information on the spawning activities of the fish are available. Therefore, this study provides a contribution to the knowledge on reproductive biology of R. tawarensis especially on spawning seasons as well as basic information for conservation of the species.     

Restriction fragment length polymorphisms detected with novel DNA probes differentiate among diverse lineages of serogroup 4 Listeria monocytogenes and identify four distinct lineages in serotype 4b.

Listeria monocytogenes of serotype 4b has been implicated in numerous outbreaks of food-borne listeriosis and in ca. 40% of sporadic cases. Strains of this serotype appear to be relatively homogeneous genetically, and molecular markers specific for distinct serotype 4b lineages have not been frequently identified. Here we show that DNA fragments derived from the putative mannitol permease locus of Listeria monocytogenes had an unexpectedly high potential to differentiate among different strains of serotype 4b when used as probes in Southern blotting of EcoRI-digested genomic DNA, yielding four distinct restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns. Strains of two epidemic-associated lineages, including the major epidemic clone implicated in several outbreaks in Europe and North America, had distinct RFLPs which differed from those of all other serotype 4b strains that we screened but which were encountered among strains of serotypes 1/2b and 3b. In addition, three serogroup 4 lineages were found to have unique RFLPs that were not encountered among any other L. monocytogenes strains. One was an unusual lineage of serotype 4b, and the other two were members of the serotype 4a and 4c group. The observed polymorphisms may reflect evolutionary relationships among lineages of L. monocytogenes and may facilitate detection and population genetic analysis of specific lineages.     

Histologic aspects of some organs in the alloxan induced diabetic mouse]

In order to study the modifications in the activity on some CNS drugs by the experimental diabetes, the authors are proposing a model of alloxanic diabetes in the mouse. Diabetes is induced by administering pure alloxan to a well selected brand of mice. Biochemical and histological observations obtained on different vital organs are comparable with those obtained with spontaneously diabetic mice (stable and steady glycemia). This model is consequently a good way of assessing pharmacological comparison.