Function of nuclear transport factor 2 and Ran in the 20E signal transduction pathway in the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera

Background  

Nuclear transport factor 2 and small GTPase Ran participate in the nucleo-cytoplasm transport of macromolecules, but their function in the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) signal transduction pathway are not well known.     

Heat induced HSP20 phosphorylation without increased cyclic nucleotide levels in swine carotid media

Background  

Heat pretreatment of swine carotid artery has been shown to increase ser¹⁶-heat shock protein 20 (HSP20) phosphorylation and suppress force, i.e., reduce force with only minimal reduction in ser¹⁹-myosin regulatory light chain (MRLC) phosphorylation.     

Java Web Start based software for automated quantitative nuclear analysis of prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia

Background  

Androgen acts via androgen receptor (AR) and accurate measurement of the levels of AR protein expression is critical for prostate research. The expression of AR in paired specimens of benign prostate and prostate cancer from 20 African and 20 Caucasian Americans was compared to demonstrate an application of this system.     

Selection of gonadotrophin surge attenuating factor phage antibodies by bioassay

Background  

We aimed to combine the generation of "artificial" antibodies with a rat pituitary bioassay as a new strategy to overcome 20 years of difficulties in the purification of gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor (GnSAF).     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Daphnia</Emphasis> Halloween genes that encode cytochrome P450s mediating the synthesis of the arthropod molting hormone: Evolutionary implications

Background  

In crustaceans and insects, development and reproduction are controlled by the steroid hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Like other steroids, 20E, is synthesized from cholesterol through reactions involving cytochrome P450s (CYPs). In insects, the CYP enzymes mediating 20E biosynthesis have been identified, but evidence of their probable presence in crustaceans is indirect, relying solely on the ability of crustaceans to synthesize 20E.     

Age and gender effect on alexithymia in large, Japanese community and clinical samples: a cross-validation study of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)

Background  

The construct validity of alexithymia and its assessment using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in Japan is unknown. Low reliability has been found for the third factor of the TAS-20 in some cultures, and the factor structure for psychosomatic disorder patients has not been adequately investigated. Although alexithymia most likely has certain developmental aspects, this has infrequently been investigated.     

Short- and long-term effects of anti-CD20 treatment on B cell ontogeny in bone marrow of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction  

In the present study we evaluated changes in the B cell phenotype in peripheral blood and bone marrow (BM) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) following anti-CD20 treatment using rituximab.     

Potentials 'R'Us web-server for protein energy estimations with coarse-grained knowledge-based potentials

Background  

Knowledge-based potentials have been widely used in the last 20 years for fold recognition, protein structure prediction from amino acid sequence, ligand binding, protein design, and many other purposes. However generally these are not readily accessible online.     

MP20, the second most abundant lens membrane protein and member of the tetraspanin superfamily,joins the list of ligands of galectin-3

Background  

Although MP20 is the second most highly expressed membrane protein in the lens its function remains an enigma. Putative functions for MP20 have recently been inferred from its assignment to the tetraspanin superfamily of integral membrane proteins. Members of this family have been shown to be involved in cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration, and adhesion. In this study, we show that MP20 associates with galectin-3, a known adhesion modulator.     

Human appropriation of net primary production as driver of change in landscape-scale vertebrate richness

Aim

Land use is the most pervasive driver of biodiversity loss. Predicting its impact on species richness (SR) is often based on indicators of habitat loss. However, the degradation of habitats, especially through land-use intensification, also affects species. Here, we evaluate whether an integrative metric of land-use intensity, the human appropriation of net primary production, is correlated with the decline of SR in used landscapes across the globe.

Location

Global.

Time period

Present.

Major taxa studied

Birds, mammals and amphibians.

Methods

Based on species range maps (spatial resolution: 20 km × 20 km) and an area-of-habitat approach, we calibrated a “species–energy model” by correlating the SR of three groups of vertebrates with net primary production and biogeographical covariables in “wilderness” areas (i.e., those where available energy is assumed to be still at pristine levels). We used this model to project the difference between pristine SR and the SR corresponding to the energy remaining in used landscapes (i.e., SR loss expected owing to human energy extraction outside wilderness areas). We validated the projected species loss by comparison with the realized and impending loss reconstructed from habitat conversion and documented by national Red Lists.

Results

Species–energy models largely explained landscape-scale variation of mapped SR in wilderness areas (adjusted R²-values: 0.79–0.93). Model-based projections of SR loss were lower, on average, than reconstructed and documented ones, but the spatial patterns were correlated significantly, with stronger correlation in mammals (Pearson's r = 0.68) than in amphibians (r = 0.60) and birds (r = 0.57).

Main conclusions

Our results suggest that the human appropriation of net primary production is a useful indicator of heterotrophic species loss in used landscapes, hence we recommend its inclusion in models based on species–area relationships to improve predictions of land-use-driven biodiversity loss.     

Continental estimates of forest cover and forest cover changes in the dry ecosystems of Africa between 1990 and 2000

Aim

This study provides regional estimates of forest cover in dry African ecoregions and the changes in forest cover that occurred there between 1990 and 2000, using a systematic sample of medium‐resolution satellite imagery which was processed consistently across the continent.

Location

The study area corresponds to the dry forests and woodlands of Africa between the humid forests and the semi‐arid regions. This area covers the Sudanian and Zambezian ecoregions.

Methods

A systematic sample of 1600 Landsat satellite imagery subsets, each 20 km × 20 km in size, were analysed for two reference years: 1990 and 2000. At each sample site and for both years, dense tree cover, open tree cover, other wooded land and other vegetation cover were identified from the analysis of satellite imagery, which comprised multidate segmentation and automatic classification steps followed by visual control by national forestry experts.

Results

Land cover and land‐cover changes were estimated at continental and ecoregion scales and compared with existing pan‐continental, regional and local studies. The overall accuracy of our land‐cover maps was estimated at 87%. Between 1990 and 2000, 3.3 million hectares (Mha) of dense tree cover, 5.8 Mha of open tree cover and 8.9 Mha of other wooded land were lost, with a further 3.9 Mha degraded from dense to open tree cover. These results are substantially lower than the 34 Mha of forest loss reported in the FAO's 2010 Global Forest Resources Assessment for the same period and area.

Main conclusions

Our method generates the first consistent and robust estimates of forest cover and change in dry Africa with known statistical precision at continental and ecoregion scales. These results reduce the uncertainty regarding vegetation cover and its dynamics in these previously poorly studied ecosystems and provide crucial information for both science and environmental policies.     

Polylepis woodland dynamics during the last 20,000 years

Aim

To determine the palaeoecological influences of climate change and human land use on the spatial distribution patterns of Polylepis woodlands in the Andes.

Location

Tropical Andes above 2,900 m between 2°S and 18°S of latitude.

Methods

Pollen and charcoal data were gathered from 13 Andean lake sediment records and were rescaled by the maximum value in each site. The rescaled pollen data were used to estimate a mean abundance and coefficient of variation to show woodland expansions/contractions and woodland fragmentation over the last 20,000 years. The rescaled charcoal was displayed as a 200‐year moving median using 500‐year bins to infer the influence of fire on woodland dynamics at landscape scale. Pollen and charcoal were compared with speleothem, clastic flux and archaeological data to assess the influence of moisture balance, glacial activity and human impact on the spatial distribution of Polylepis woodlands.

Results

Woodland expansion and fire were correlated with precipitation changes and glacier dynamics from c. 20 to 6 kcal bp (thousands of calibrated years before present). Charcoal abundances between 20 and 12 kcal bp were less common than from 12 kcal bp to modern. However, human‐induced fires were unlikely to be the main cause of a woodland decline centred at 11 kcal bp , as woodlands recovered from 10.5 to 9.5 kcal bp (about twofold increase). Charcoal peaks analogous to those that induced the woodland decline at 11 kcal bp were commonplace post‐9.5 kcal bp but did not trigger an equivalent woodland contraction. An increase in the coefficient of variation after c. 5.5 kcal bp suggests enhanced fragmentation and coincided with the shift from logistic to exponential growth of human populations. Over the last 1,000 years, Polylepis became hyper‐fragmented with over half of sites losing Polylepis from the record and with coefficients of variation paralleling those of glacial times.

Main conclusions

Polylepis woodlands formed naturally patchy woodlands, rather than a continuous vegetation belt, prior to human occupation in the Andes. The main factors controlling pre‐human woodland dynamics were precipitation and landscape heterogeneity. Human activity led to hyper‐fragmentation during the last c. 1,000 years.     

Carcinoma of sigmoid colon following urinary diversion: a case report and review of literature

Background  

The association of ureterosigmoidostomy with colonic cancer is well established. A 100-fold increased risk of malignancy has been proposed in association with ureterosigmoidostomy. Characteristically there is a latent period of around 20–30 years before the occurrence of cancer.     

Frequency of Th17 CD20+ cells in the peripheral blood of rheumatoid arthritis patients is higher compared to healthy subjects

Introduction  

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is considered a T cell driven autoimmune disease, therefore, the ability of B cell depleting biologics, e.g., anti-CD20 antibodies, to alleviate RA is unclear. This study examined the proportions of IL-17-secreting lymphocytes in the blood of healthy subjects and RA patients and determined if Th17 cells belong to a CD20+ subset of T cells.     

BISMA - Fast and accurate bisulfite sequencing data analysis of individual clones from unique and repetitive sequences

Background  

Bisulfite sequencing is a popular method to analyze DNA methylation patterns at high resolution. A region of interest is targeted by PCR and about 20-50 subcloned DNA molecules are usually analyzed, to determine the methylation status at single CpG sites and molecule resolution.     

Long‐range quantitative PCR for determining inactivation of adenovirus 2 by ultraviolet light

Aims

An extra‐long‐range quantitative PCR (LR‐qPCR) method was developed for estimating genome damage to adenovirus 2 caused by UV irradiation. The objective was to use LR‐qPCR as a rapid method to determine adenovirus UV inactivation.

Methods

The LR‐qPCR consisted of two steps: a long‐range PCR (up to 10 kb fragment) and a real‐time, quantitative (q) PCR for quantifying the products of the first PCR. We evaluated LR‐qPCR with adenovirus irradiated with medium‐pressure (MP, polychromatic emission) and low‐pressure (LP, 254 nm) mercury vapour lamps and compared results with cell culture infectivity.

Results

Using LR‐qPCR, a fragment of 6 kb estimated DNA damage in a linear relationship to doses between 0 and 20 mJ cm^?2, and a 1‐kb fragment related linearly to doses between 20 and 100 mJ cm^?2. The LR‐qPCR results for the 6‐kb fragment were similar to infectivity assays results for adenovirus exposed to MP UV. For adenovirus irradiated with LP lamps, LR‐qPCR results for the shorter fragment size (1 kb) were similar to reduction in viral infectivity. No difference was observed between 10 and 6 kb LR‐qPCR results.

Conclusion

The LR‐qPCR can be used as a tool for estimating DNA damage caused by UV in adenovirus. The LR‐qPCR results were related to reduction in viral infectivity.

Significance and Impact of the Study

The use of LR‐qPCR to determine DNA damage and estimate inactivation of adenovirus 2 from UV disinfection allows for same‐day results compared with >7 days required for cell culture. This accelerates adenovirus inactivation results for the water industry where adenovirus is used as a representative virus for crediting UV systems. This PCR approach provides a framework that can be used for other viral viability assays using the inhibition of amplification of viral nucleic acid after pretreatments, such as propidium monoazide, and for cellular biology studies of DNA damage.     

The lantibiotic mersacidin is a strong inducer of the cell wall stress response of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis>

Background  

The lantibiotic mersacidin is an antimicrobial peptide of 20 amino acids that is ribosomally produced by Bacillus sp. strain HIL Y-85,54728. Mersacidin acts by complexing the sugar phosphate head group of the peptidoglycan precursor lipid II, thereby inhibiting the transglycosylation reaction of peptidoglycan biosynthesis.     

Rituximab therapy reduces activated B cells in both the peripheral blood and bone marrow of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: depletion of memory B cells correlates with clinical response

Introduction  

Bone marrow (BM) is an immunologically privileged site where activated autoantibody-producing B cells may survive for prolonged periods. We investigated the effect of rituximab (anti-CD20 mAb) in peripheral blood (PB) and BM B-cell and T-cell populations in active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.     

Changes in serum and synovial fluid biomarkers after acute injury (NCT00332254)

Introduction  

Acute trauma involving the anterior cruciate ligament is believed to be a major risk factor for the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis 10 to 20 years post-injury. In this study, to better understand the early biological changes which occur after acute injury, we investigated synovial fluid and serum biomarkers.     

IS<Emphasis Type="Italic">1111</Emphasis> insertion sequences of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coxiella burnetii</Emphasis>: characterization and use for repetitive element PCR-based differentiation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coxiella burnetii</Emphasis> isolates

Background  

Coxiella burnetii contains the IS1111 transposase which is present 20 times in the Nine Mile phase I (9Mi/I) genome. A single PCR primer that binds to each IS element, and primers specific to a region ~500-bp upstream of each of the 20 IS1111 elements were designed. The amplified products were characterized and used to develop a repetitive element PCR genotyping method.