Initial Commitment to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and Circumcision for HIV Prevention amongst Indian Truck Drivers

Studies of HIV prevention interventions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) and circumcision in India are limited. The present study sought to investigate Indian truck-drivers initial commitment to PREP and circumcision utilizing the AIDS Risk Reduction Model. Ninety truck-drivers completed an in-depth qualitative interview and provided a blood sample for HIV and HSV-2 testing. Truck-drivers exhibited low levels of initial commitment towards PREP and even lower for circumcision. However, potential leverage points for increasing commitment were realized in fear of infecting family rather than self, self-perceptions of risk, and for PREP focusing on cultural beliefs towards medication and physicians. Cost was a major barrier to both HIV prevention interventions. Despite these barriers, our findings suggest that the ARRM may be useful in identifying several leverage points that may be used by peers, health care providers and public health field workers to enhance initial commitment to novel HIV prevention interventions in India.     

EXO5-DNA structure and BLM interactions direct DNA resection critical for ATR-dependent replication restart

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Metabolic Syndrome Is Associated with Increased Oxo-Nitrative Stress and Asthma-Like Changes in Lungs

Epidemiological studies have shown an increased obesity-related risk of asthma. In support, obese mice develop airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). However, it remains unclear whether the increased risk is a consequence of obesity, adipogenic diet, or the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Altered L-arginine and nitric oxide (NO) metabolism is a common feature between asthma and metabolic syndrome that appears independent of body mass. Increased asthma risk resulting from such metabolic changes would have important consequences in global health. Since high-sugar diets can induce MetS, without necessarily causing obesity, studies of their effect on arginine/NO metabolism and airway function could clarify this aspect. We investigated whether normal-weight mice with MetS, due to high-fructose diet, had dysfunctional arginine/NO metabolism and features of asthma. Mice were fed chow-diet, high-fat-diet, or high-fructose-diet for 18 weeks. Only the high-fat-diet group developed obesity or adiposity. Hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycaemia, and hyperlipidaemia were common to both high-fat-diet and high-fructose-diet groups and the high-fructose-diet group additionally developed hypertension. At 18 weeks, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) could be seen in obese high-fat-diet mice as well as non-obese high-fructose-diet mice, when compared to standard chow-diet mice. No inflammatory cell infiltrate or goblet cell metaplasia was seen in either high-fat-diet or high-fructose-diet mice. Exhaled NO was reduced in both these groups. This reduction in exhaled NO correlated with reduced arginine bioavailability in lungs. In summary, mice with normal weight but metabolic obesity show reduced arginine bioavailability, reduced NO production, and asthma-like features. Reduced NO related bronchodilation and increased oxo-nitrosative stress may contribute to the pathogenesis.     

Interesterification selectivity in lipase catalyzed reactions of low molecular weight triglycerides

Summary In the absence of an organic solvent, a buffer to enzyme weight ratio of 1 gives maximum selectivity to interesterification over hydrolysis in a lipase-catalyzed mixture of triacetin and tributyrin. Addition of hexane enhances interesterification as does a reversed micelle configuration.     

Lipid fluidity and composition of the erythrocyte membrane from healthy dogs and labrador retrievers with hereditary muscular dystrophy

Erythrocyte membranes and their liposomes were prepared from clinically normal dogs and Labrador retrievers with hereditary muscular dystrophy. The static and dynamic components of fluidity of each membrane were then assessed by steady-state fluorescence polarization techniques using limiting hindered fluorescence anisotropy and order parameter values of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and fluorescence anisotropy values ofdl-2-(9-anthroyl)-stearic acid anddl-12-(9-anthroyl)-stearic acid, respectively. Membrane lipids were extracted and analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography. The results of these studies demonstrated that the lipid fluidity of erythrocyte membranes, and their liposomes, prepared from dystrophic dogs were found to possess significantly lower static and dynamic components of fluidity than control counterparts. Analysis of the composition of membranes from dystrophic dogs revealed a higher ratio of saturated fatty acyl chain/unsaturated chains (w/w) and lower double-bond index. Alterations in the fatty acid composition such as decrease in levels of linoleic (18:2) and arachidonic (20:4) acids and increase in palmitic (16:0) and stearic (18:0) acids were also observed in the membranes of dystrophic animals. These associated fatty acyl alterations could explain, at least in part, the differences in membrane fluidity between dystrophic and control dogs.     

Induction and accumulation of phytoalexins in cowpea roots infected with a mycorrhizal fungusGlomus fasciculatum and their resistance toFusarium wilt disease

The interaction of a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungusGlomus fasciculatum with a wilt-causing soil borne pathogen,Fusarium oxysporum, was studied in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). It was found that pre-establishment by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus reduced the colonization of the pathogen and the severity of the disease, as determined by reduction in vascular discolouration index. In mycorrhizal plants, the production of phytoalexin compounds was always higher than in the nonmycorrhizal plants. There appeared to be a direct correlation between the concentration of the phytoalexins and the degree of mycorrhizal association. Three different compounds withR _f values of 0.23 (I), 0.17 (II) and 0.11 (III) were obtained from mycorrhizal plants. Similar compounds were also found to be induced by an abiotic elicitor CuSO₄. The first compound was identified as an isoflavonoid, daidzein and the other two remain to be identified. These compounds were checked for their antifungal activityin vitro. The germination of conidial spores ofFusarium oxysporum was strongly inhibited by the compound III than the other two. It is argued that the production of phytoalexin compounds in mycorrhizal plant could be one of the mechanisms imparting tolerance of the plants to wilt disease.