Microalgal-Bacterial Consortia as Future Prospect in Wastewater Bioremediation,Environmental Management and Bioenergy Production

In the recent years, microalgae have captured researchers’ attention as the alternative feedstock for various bioenergy production such as biodiesel, biohydrogen, and bioethanol. Cultivating microalgae in wastewaters to simultaneously bioremediate the nutrient-rich wastewater and maintain a high biomass yield is a more economical and environmentally friendly approach. The incorporation of algal–bacterial interaction reveals the mutual relationship of microorganisms where algae are primary producers of organic compounds from CO₂, and heterotrophic bacteria are secondary consumers decomposing the organic compounds produced from algae. This review would provide an insight on the challenges and future development of algal–bacterial consortium and its contribution in promoting a sustainable route to greener industry. It is believed that microalgal-bacterial consortia will be implemented in the near-future for sub-sequential treatment of wastewater bioremediation, bioenergy production and CO₂ fixation, promoting sustainability and making extraordinary advancement in life sciences sectors.     

Experimental Cerebral Malaria Pathogenesis—Hemodynamics at the Blood Brain Barrier

Cerebral malaria claims the lives of over 600,000 African children every year. To better understand the pathogenesis of this devastating disease, we compared the cellular dynamics in the cortical microvasculature between two infection models, Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infected CBA/CaJ mice, which develop experimental cerebral malaria (ECM), and P. yoelii 17XL (PyXL) infected mice, which succumb to malarial hyperparasitemia without neurological impairment. Using a combination of intravital imaging and flow cytometry, we show that significantly more CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, and macrophages are recruited to postcapillary venules during ECM compared to hyperparasitemia. ECM correlated with ICAM-1 upregulation on macrophages, while vascular endothelia upregulated ICAM-1 during ECM and hyperparasitemia. The arrest of large numbers of leukocytes in postcapillary and larger venules caused microrheological alterations that significantly restricted the venous blood flow. Treatment with FTY720, which inhibits vascular leakage, neurological signs, and death from ECM, prevented the recruitment of a subpopulation of CD45^hi CD8+ T cells, ICAM-1+ macrophages, and neutrophils to postcapillary venules. FTY720 had no effect on the ECM-associated expression of the pattern recognition receptor CD14 in postcapillary venules suggesting that endothelial activation is insufficient to cause vascular pathology. Expression of the endothelial tight junction proteins claudin-5, occludin, and ZO-1 in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum of PbA-infected mice with ECM was unaltered compared to FTY720-treated PbA-infected mice or PyXL-infected mice with hyperparasitemia. Thus, blood brain barrier opening does not involve endothelial injury and is likely reversible, consistent with the rapid recovery of many patients with CM. We conclude that the ECM-associated recruitment of large numbers of activated leukocytes, in particular CD8+ T cells and ICAM+ macrophages, causes a severe restriction in the venous blood efflux from the brain, which exacerbates the vasogenic edema and increases the intracranial pressure. Thus, death from ECM could potentially occur as a consequence of intracranial hypertension.     

More evidence for pervasive paraphyly in scleractinian corals: Systematic study of Southeast Asian Faviidae (Cnidaria; Scleractinia) based on molecular and morphological data

Coral taxonomy and systematics continue to be plagued by a host of problems. Due to high phenotypic variability within species, morphological approaches have often failed to recognize natural taxa, and molecular techniques have yet to be applied to many groups. Here, we summarize the levels of paraphyly found for scleractinian corals and test, based on new data, whether paraphyly is also a significant problem in Faviidae, the second-most speciose hermatypic scleractinian family. Using both DNA sequence and morphological data we find that, regardless of analysis technique (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian likelihood), many conventional taxonomic groups are not monophyletic. Based on two mitochondrial markers (COI and a noncoding region) that we amplified for 81 samples representing 41 faviid species and 13 genera, five genera that are represented by more than one species are paraphyletic, as is the family Faviidae. The morphological characters currently used to identify these corals similarly fail to recover many genera. Furthermore, trees based on both data types are incongruent, and total evidence analysis does little to salvage conventional taxonomic groupings. Morphological convergence, phenotypic variability in response to the environment, and recent speciation are likely causes for these conflicts, which suggest that the present classification of corals is in need of a major overhaul. We propose more detailed studies of problematic faviid taxa using standardized morphological, mitochondrial, and nuclear genetic markers to facilitate combining of data.     

Mutations in MAP3K1 cause 46,XY disorders of sex development and implicate a common signal transduction pathway in human testis determination

Investigations of humans with disorders of sex development (DSDs) resulted in the discovery of many of the now-known mammalian sex-determining genes, including SRY, RSPO1, SOX9, NR5A1, WT1, NR0B1, and WNT4. Here, the locus for an autosomal sex-determining gene was mapped via linkage analysis in two families with 46,XY DSD to the long arm of chromosome 5 with a combined, multipoint parametric LOD score of 6.21. A splice-acceptor mutation (c.634-8T>A) in MAP3K1 segregated with the phenotype in the first family and disrupted RNA splicing. Mutations were demonstrated in the second family (p.Gly616Arg) and in two of 11 sporadic cases (p.Leu189Pro, p.Leu189Arg)-18% prevalence in this cohort of sporadic cases. In cultured primary lymphoblastoid cells from family 1 and the two sporadic cases, these mutations altered the phosphorylation of the downstream targets, p38 and ERK1/2, and enhanced binding of RHOA to the MAP3K1 complex. Map3k1 within the syntenic region was expressed in the embryonic mouse gonad prior to, and after, sex determination. Thus, mutations in MAP3K1 that result in 46,XY DSD with partial or complete gonadal dysgenesis implicate this pathway in normal human sex determination.     

Association of maternal and nutrient supply line factors with DNA methylation at the imprinted IGF2/H19 locus in multiple tissues of newborn twins

Epigenetic events are crucial for early development, but can be influenced by environmental factors, potentially programming the genome for later adverse health outcomes. The insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2)/H19 locus is crucial for prenatal growth and the epigenetic state at this locus is environmentally labile. Recent studies have implicated maternal factors, including folate intake and smoking, in the regulation of DNA methylation at this locus, although data are often conflicting in the direction and magnitude of effect. Most studies have focused on single tissues and on one or two differentially-methylated regions (DMRs) regulating IGF2/H19 expression. In this study, we investigated the relationship between multiple shared and non-shared gestational/maternal factors and DNA methylation at four IGF2/H19 DMRs in five newborn cell types from 67 pairs of monozygotic and 49 pairs of dizygotic twins. Data on maternal and non-shared supply line factors were collected during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and DNA methylation was measured via mass spectrometry using Sequenom MassArray EpiTyper analysis. Our exploratory approach showed that the site of umbilical cord insertion into the placenta in monochorionic twins has the strongest positive association with methylation in all IGF2/H19 DMRs (p < 0.05). Further, evidence for tissue- and locus-specific effects were observed, emphasizing that responsiveness to environmental exposures in utero cannot be generalized across genes and tissues, potentially accounting for the lack of consistency in previous findings. Such complexity in responsiveness to environmental exposures in utero has implications for all epigenetic studies investigating the developmental origins of health and disease.     

Determination of complementary antibody pairs using protein A capture with the AlphaScreen assay format

The utility of antibody reagents for the detection of specific cellular targets for both research and diagnostic applications is widespread and continually expanding. Often it is useful to develop specific antibodies as reagent pairs that distinguish different epitopes of the target such that sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay can be used for selective and specific detection. However, the identification of pairing antibodies is often cumbersome and labor-intensive even with the use of designed peptide-specific epitopes as antigens. We have developed a robust and high-throughput method for identifying pairing complementary antibodies derived either from commercial sources or during a rabbit hybridoma monoclonal screening and selection process using protein A capture with the AlphaScreen bead-based assay format. We demonstrate the value and effectiveness of this assay with three protein targets: Akt2, ATF3, and NAEβ (the β-subunit of the neddylation activation enzyme).     

Mediational Effects of Self-Efficacy Dimensions in the Relationship between Knowledge of Dengue and Dengue Preventive Behaviour with Respect to Control of Dengue Outbreaks: A Structural Equation Model of a Cross-Sectional Survey

Background

Dengue fever is endemic in Malaysia, with frequent major outbreaks in urban areas. The major control strategy relies on health promotional campaigns aimed at encouraging people to reduce mosquito breeding sites close to people''s homes. However, such campaigns have not always been 100% effective. The concept of self-efficacy is an area of increasing research interest in understanding how health promotion can be most effective. This paper reports on a study of the impact of self-efficacy on dengue knowledge and dengue preventive behaviour.

Methods and Findings

We recruited 280 adults from 27 post-outbreak villages in the state of Terengganu, east coast of Malaysia. Measures of health promotion and educational intervention activities and types of communication during outbreak, level of dengue knowledge, level and strength of self-efficacy and dengue preventive behaviour were obtained via face-to-face interviews and questionnaires. A structural equation model was tested and fitted the data well (χ² = 71.659, df = 40, p = 0.002, RMSEA = 0.053, CFI = 0.973, TLI = 0.963). Mass media, local contact and direct information-giving sessions significantly predicted level of knowledge of dengue. Level and strength of self-efficacy fully mediated the relationship between knowledge of dengue and dengue preventive behaviours. Strength of self-efficacy acted as partial mediator in the relationship between knowledge of dengue and dengue preventive behaviours.

Conclusions

To control and prevent dengue outbreaks by behavioural measures, health promotion and educational interventions during outbreaks should now focus on those approaches that are most likely to increase the level and strength of self-efficacy.     

Meta-analyses of adverse effects data derived from randomised controlled trials as compared to observational studies: methodological overview

Background

There is considerable debate as to the relative merits of using randomised controlled trial (RCT) data as opposed to observational data in systematic reviews of adverse effects. This meta-analysis of meta-analyses aimed to assess the level of agreement or disagreement in the estimates of harm derived from meta-analysis of RCTs as compared to meta-analysis of observational studies.

Methods and Findings

Searches were carried out in ten databases in addition to reference checking, contacting experts, citation searches, and hand-searching key journals, conference proceedings, and Web sites. Studies were included where a pooled relative measure of an adverse effect (odds ratio or risk ratio) from RCTs could be directly compared, using the ratio of odds ratios, with the pooled estimate for the same adverse effect arising from observational studies. Nineteen studies, yielding 58 meta-analyses, were identified for inclusion. The pooled ratio of odds ratios of RCTs compared to observational studies was estimated to be 1.03 (95% confidence interval 0.93–1.15). There was less discrepancy with larger studies. The symmetric funnel plot suggests that there is no consistent difference between risk estimates from meta-analysis of RCT data and those from meta-analysis of observational studies. In almost all instances, the estimates of harm from meta-analyses of the different study designs had 95% confidence intervals that overlapped (54/58, 93%). In terms of statistical significance, in nearly two-thirds (37/58, 64%), the results agreed (both studies showing a significant increase or significant decrease or both showing no significant difference). In only one meta-analysis about one adverse effect was there opposing statistical significance.

Conclusions

Empirical evidence from this overview indicates that there is no difference on average in the risk estimate of adverse effects of an intervention derived from meta-analyses of RCTs and meta-analyses of observational studies. This suggests that systematic reviews of adverse effects should not be restricted to specific study types. Please see later in the article for the Editors'' Summary     

Assessment of factors influencing morale in the elderly

Background

We examined the relationship between morale measured by the Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale (PGC) and disability, social support, religiosity, and personality traits. Instruments predicting morale were then tested against PGC domains.

Methods

The study utilized a cross-sectional survey with a multistage cluster sampling design. Instruments used were disability (disease burden; WHO Disability Score-II, WHODAS-II), social support (Duke Social Support Scale, DUSOCS; Lubben Social Network Scale, LSNS-6; Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, MOS-SSS), religiosity (Revised Intrinsic-Extrinsic Religious Orientation Scale, I/E-R), and personality (Ten-Item Personality Inventory, TIPI). These were plotted as bar charts against PGC, resolved with one-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests, then corrected for multiple comparisons. This process was repeated with PGC domains. Contribution of factors was modeled using population attributable risk (PAR) and odds ratios. Effect of confounders such as gender, age, and ethnicity were checked using binary logistic regression.

Results

All instruments showed clear relationships with PGC, with WHODAS-II and DUSOCS performing well (ANOVA p<0.001). For PGC domains, attitude toward aging and lonely dissatisfaction trended together, while agitation did not. PAR, odds ratios, and Exp(β) were disability (WHODAS-II: 28.5%, 3.8, 2.8), social support (DUSOCS: 28.0%, 3.4, 2.2), religiosity (I/E-R: 21.6%, 3.2, 2.1), and personality (TIPI: 27.9%, 3.6, 2.4). Combined PAR was 70.9%.

Conclusions

Disability, social support, religiosity, and personality strongly influence morale in the elderly. WHODAS-II and DUSOCS perform best in measuring disability and social support respectively.