Book Reviews

Martine Rothblatt Unzipped Genes: Taking Charge of Baby-Making in the Millennium James W. Walters What is a Person? An Ethical Exploration Rosemary Tong Feminist Approaches to Bioethics: Theoretical Reflections and Practical Applications Barthar Maria Knoppers, Timothy Caulfield & T. Douglas Kinsella Legal Rights and Human Genetic Material Deborah Lynn Steinberg Bodies in Glass: Genetics, Eugenics, Embryo Ethics Donald Evans Creating the Child: the Ethics, Law and Practice of Assisted Procreation Mark Rothstein Genetic Secrets: Protecting Privacy and Confidentiality in the Genetic Era     

Review essay

Body Language in the Context of Culture Human Action Signs in Cultural Context: The Visible and the Invisible in Movement and Dance. Edited by Brenda Farnell. Metuchen, N.J.; The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1995. Name index, subject index. 313 pp. $42.50, hardcover.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed: James M. Humber and Robert F. Almeder, Human Cloning Gregory E. Pence, ed, Flesh of my Flesh: The Ethics of Cloning Humans John F. Kilner, Rebecca D. Pentz, Frank E. Young, Genetic Ethics: Do the Ends Justify the Genes? Anita Silvers, David Wassermann and Mary B. Mahowald, Disability, Difference, Discrimination: Perspectives on Justice in Bioethics and Public Policy Neil A. Holzman and Michael S. Watson, eds, Promoting Safe and Effective Genetic Testing in the United States: Final Report of the Task Force on Genetic Testing     

The human eye proteome project

The human eye proteome is the latest addition to the HUPO Human Proteome Project (HPP). Semba et al. (The Human Eye Proteome Project: Perspectives on an emerging proteome. Proteomics 2013, 13, 2500–2511) establish a provisional baseline for the proteomes of the many anatomical compartments of the eye, based on literature review. As part of the Biology and Disease‐driven HPP, they and their colleagues will generate fresh data and meet the stringent guidelines for protein identification and characterization as established by the HPP.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed: Emmanuel Agius and Salvino Busuttil, (eds), Germ-Line Intervention and our Responsibilities to Future Generations Andrew Edgar, Sam Salek, Darren Shickle and David Cohen, The Ethical QALY: Ethical Issues in Healthcare Resource Allocations John McKie, Jeff Richardson, Peter Singer and Helga Kuhse, The Allocation of Health Care Resources: An Ethical Evaluation of the ‘QALY’ Approach Gregory E. Pence, Who’s Afraid of Human Cloning? Maxwell J. Mehlman and Jeffrey R. Botkin, (eds), Access to the Genome: The Challenge to Equality Udo Schüklenk, Access to Experimental Drugs in Terminal Illness Philip J. Boyle, (ed), Getting Doctors to Listen: Ethics and Outcome Data in Context Ellie Lee, (ed), Abortion Law and Politics Today     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Jon Altman, Frances Morphy and Tim Rowse (eds). Land Rights at Risk? Evaluations of the Reeves Report (Research Monograph No 14). Henner Hess . Mafia and Mafiosi: Origin, Power and Myth. Ross Mallick . Development, Ethnicity and Human Rights in South Asia. Dennis B. McGilvray . Symbolic Heat: Gender, Health & Worship among the Tamils of South India and Sri Lanka. Francesca Merlan . Caging the Rainbow: Places, Politics and Aborigines in a North Australian Town. Ogasawara Yuko . Office Ladies and Salaried Men: Power, Gender and Work in Japanese Companies. Steven Webster . Patrons of Maori Culture: Power, Theory and Ideology in the Maori Renaissance.     

Pancreatic ectopic fat is characterized by adipocyte infiltration and altered lipid composition

Objective: Sustained exposure to lipids is deleterious for pancreatic islet function. This could be mediated through increased pancreatic fat following increased dietary fat and in obesity, which has implications for the onset of type 2 diabetes. The aims of this study were to determine changes in extent and composition of pancreatic, hepatic, and visceral fat in mice fed a high‐fat diet (HFD, 40% by weight) compared with a control diet (5% fat) of similar fatty acid composition, and to compare composition and extent of pancreatic fat in human type 2 diabetes. Methods and Procedures: Mice were fed HFD for 3 or 15 weeks. Human postmortem pancreas was examined from subjects with type 2 diabetes (n = 9) and controls (n = 7). Tissue lipid content and composition were determined by gas chromatography and pancreatic adipocyte infiltration quantified by morphometry. Results: Pancreatic triacylglycerol (TG) content was 20× greater (P < 0.05) in HFD mice and there were more pancreatic perilipin‐positive adipocytes compared with controls after 15 weeks. The proportions of 18:1n ?9 and 18:2n ?6 in pancreatic TG and the 20:4n ?6/18:2n ?6 ratio in phospholipids, were higher (both P < 0.05) after HFD compared with controls. Human pancreatic TG content was correlated with the proportion of pancreatic perilipin‐positive adipocytes (r = 0.64, P < 0.05) and associated with unsaturated fatty acid enrichment (P < 0.05). Discussion: Adipocyte infiltration in pancreatic exocrine tissue is associated with high‐fat feeding in mice and pancreatic TG content in humans. This alters the fatty acid milieu of the islet which could contribute to islet dysfunction.     

4 Steps toward Inquiry Centered Teaching

Stidworthy, John. Life Begins. The Day of the Dinosaurs. Mighty Mammals of the Past. When Humans Began. Morristown, N.J.: Silver Burdett Co., 1986. Each 37 pp. $6.75 softcover Reveiwed by Donald J. Nash

McKay, David W., and Bruce G. Smith Space Science Projects for Young Scientists (Projects for Young Scientists series). New York: Franklin Watts, 1986. 127 pp. $ 10.90 hardcover (school and library binding) Reveiwed by Robert G. Hoehn

Griffin, Robert D. The Biology Coloring Book. Diamand, M. C., et al. The Human Brain Coloring Book. New York: Harper &; Row, 1986. Ill pp. (Biology) and 281 pp. (Brain) $9.95 paper

Kallenbach, Ernst. The Light Microscope: Principles and Practice for Biologists. Springfield, Il.: Charles C. Thomas, 1986. 56 pp. $14.25 softcover. Reveiwed by Robert E. Knowlton     

NMR Analysis of Low-Density Lipoprotein Oxidatively-Modified in vztro

Human plasma low density lipoprotein has been oxidized at different stages in vitro and analysed by ¹H. ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy and by biochemical methods. Information was obtained on: a) structure mobilities of lipids and on lipid-protein interactions: b) conjugated and oxo-dienes; c) polyunsaturated/ monounsaturated fatty acid chains; d) lysophosphatidylcholine production. The results show that the NMR approach is particularly useful for the assessment of structural modification in oxidized LDL.     

Increase in urinary markers during the acute phase reflects the degree of chronic tubulointerstitial injury after ischemia-reperfusion renal injury

Context: Acute kidney injury (AKI) could lead to progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD). Objectives: To demonstrate that urinary markers in AKI are associated with the degree of persistent renal injury. Material and methods: Human L-FABP chromosomal transgenic (T_g) mice were subjected to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) clamping renal pedicle for 20?min or 30?min. Kidneys were obtained at one and 40 days after I/R. Results: Urinary L-FABP, NGAL, Kim-1 and albumin levels increased during the acute phase and were significantly correlated with the degree of tubulointerstitial fibrosis during the chronic phase. Discussion and conclusion: These markers could detect higher risk of progression to CKD.     

Fundamental Principles of Teaching Physiology at Physical Education Institutes (A Review of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fiziologiya cheloveka. Obshchaya. Sportivnaya. Vozrastnaya</Emphasis>) (Human Physiology: General,Sports, and Age-Related) by A.S. Solodkov and E.B. Sologub,Moscow: Terra-Sport, 2002)

Book Review

Fundamental Principles of Teaching Physiology at Physical Education Institutes (A Review of Fiziologiya cheloveka. Obshchaya. Sportivnaya. Vozrastnaya) (Human Physiology: General, Sports, and Age-Related) by A.S. Solodkov and E.B. Sologub, Moscow: Terra-Sport, 2002)     

Hypoxia-induced apoptosis in endothelial cells and embryonic stem cells

Background: To evaluate the influence of hypoxia and molecular events in endothelial and embryonic stem cells.Materials and Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and mouse embryoid body (EB) cells were subjected to hypoxic conditions for different time courses. DNA fragmentation assay, quantification of apoptotic cells by TUNEL assay measured by flowcytometry, and Western blot analysis for the molecular events of apoptosis were performed.Results: DNA fragmentation could be identified under hypoxic conditions in HUVECs and mouse EBs. The DNA fragmentation increased when the hypoxic interval was extended.In situ internucleosomal DNA fragmentation-TUNEL assay also found that the percentages of apoptotic cells increased gradually in HUVECs and mouse EBs when the hypoxic interval was extended. Furthermore, the levels of expression of p53 and Bax both increased in hypoxic conditions.Conclusions: Hypoxia increases both HUVEC and mouse EB apoptosis, which is associated with increase in p53/Bax expression.     

8th HUPO World Congress: The Human Disease Glycomics/Proteomics Initiative (HGPI) Session 26 September 2009, Toronto,Canada

The Human Disease Glycomics/Proteomics Initiative (HGPI) Session at the HUPO World Congress was held in Toronto on 26 September 2009. In this report, we summarize the presentation of the HGPI workshop as follows: (i) The results of the past HGPI pilot studies (first and second) in which we analyzed N‐ and O‐linked glycans using standard glycoproteins (i.e. first: N‐linked glycan analysis of transferrin and IgG; second: O‐linked glycan analysis of IgA). (ii) The recent progresses of the current HGPI third pilot study. The third analytical pilot study is in progress to perform the two tasks, which are glycan structural analysis and identification of proteins which carry specific carbohydrate antigen (Lewis X antigen) using cancer cells (i.e. L428, U937, and SK‐N‐SH), under the theme of “Glyco‐Biomarker Discovery”. Finally, recently advanced glycomic and glycoproteomic analyses were also reported.     

Role of isozyme group-specific sequence 4 in the isozyme-specific properties of human aldolase C

To assess which regions of the aldolase C molecule are required for exhibiting isozyme-specific kinetic properties, we have constructed nine chimeric enzymes of human aldolases A and C. Kinetic studies of these chimeric enzymes revealed that aldolase C absolutely required its own isozyme group-specific sequences (IGS), particularly IGS-4, for exhibiting the characteristics of aldolase C which differ significantly from those of isozymes A and B (Kusakabe T, Motoki K, Hori K. Human aldolase C: characterization of the recombinant enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli. J Biochem (Tokyo) 1994;115:1172–7). Whereas human aldolases A and B required their own isozyme group-specific sequences-1 and -4 (IGS-1 and -4) as the main determinants of isozyme-specific kinetic properties (Motoki K, Kitajima Y, Hori K. Isozyme-specific modules on human aldolase A molecule. J Biol Chem 1993;268:1677–83; Kusakabe T, Motoki K, Sugimoto Y, Takasaki Y, Hori K. Human aldolase B: liver-specific properties of the isoenzyme depend on type B isozyme group-specific sequence. Prot. Eng. 1994;7:1387–93), the present studies indicate that the IGS-1 is principally substitutable between aldolases A and C. The kinetic data also suggests that the connector-2 (amino acid residues 243–306) may modulate the interaction of IGS units with the α/β barrel of the aldolase molecule.     

Eco Days at Marion

Wendy Saul with Alan R. Newman Science Fare: An Illustrated Guide and Catalog of Toys, Books and Activities for Kids New York: Harper &; Row, 1986 295 pp. $27.95 hardcover, $14.95 paper. Reviewed by Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Jr.

George D. Zuidema, ed., and Leon Schlossberg, illus. The Johns Hopkins Atlas of Human Functional Anatomy, 3d ed. Baltimore, Md.: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986 125 pp. $25 hardcover, $14.95 paper. Reviewed by Lloyd Wolfinbarger, Jr.

Alvin Silverstein and Virginia B. Silverstein The Story of Your Hand New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1985 76 pp. $9.99 hardcover (library binding). Reviewed by Robert W. Boenig.

Langdon Winner The Whale and the Reactor: A Search for Limits in an Age of High Technology Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1986 178 pp. $17.50 hardcover. Reviewed by George G. Mallinson.

British Museum Dinosaurs and Their Living Relatives, 2nd edition New York: Cambridge University Press, 1986 72 pp. $24.95 hardcover. Reviewed by George R. Zug.     

Association of HFE common mutations with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment in a Portuguese cohort

Background  

Pathological brain iron deposition has been implicated as a source of neurotoxic reactive oxygen species in Alzheimer (AD) and Parkinson diseases (PD). Iron metabolism is associated with the gene hemochromatosis (HFE Human genome nomenclature committee ID:4886), and mutations in HFE are a cause of the iron mismetabolism disease, hemochromatosis. Several reports have tested the association of HFE variants with neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD and PD with conflicting results.     

The human carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes I and II inhibitory effects of some hydroperoxides,alcohols, and acetates

The carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) represent a superfamily of widespread enzymes, which catalyze a crucial biochemical reaction, the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and protons. Human CA isoenzymes I and II (hCA I and hCA II) are ubiquitous cytosolic isoforms. In this study, a series of hydroperoxides, alcohols, and acetates were tested for the inhibition of the cytosolic hCA I and II isoenzymes. These compounds inhibited both hCA isozymes in the low nanomolar ranges. These compounds were good hCA I inhibitors (K_is in the range of 24.93–97.99?nM) and hCA II inhibitors (K_is in the range of 26.04–68.56?nM) compared to acetazolamide as CA inhibitor (K_i: 34.50?nM for hCA I and K_i: 28.93?nM for hCA II).     

Systemic herpesvirus infection in an Azara's Night Monkey (Aotus azarae)

Background Intra‐ and inter‐species transmission of Human herpesvirus type 1 were noticed. In the present study, the herpesviral infection of a 1‐year‐old Azara’s Night Monkey (Aotus azarae) was investigated. Methods Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy investigations were done. Results A fatal systemic herpesviral infection was demonstrated. Conclusion The results reveal the susceptibility of Azara’s Night Monkey to the Human herpesvirus type 1. Moreover, humans shedding herpes viral particles during the reactivation phase of the infection directly infect the Azara’s Night Monkeys.     

Base Induced Condensation of Malononitrile with Erlenmeyer Azlactones: An Unexpected Synthesis of Multi‐Substituted Δ2‐Pyrrolines and Their Cytotoxicity

An efficient, metal free approach to synthesize multi‐substituted Δ²‐pyrroline derivatives by mild base catalyzed cyclocondensation of malononitrile with Erlenmeyer azlactones via 1,2 addition was developed. The modularity of this reaction was used to assemble a range of poly‐substituted pyrrolines. Further, synthesized products were screened for cytotoxic properties on different cancer cell lines such as A549 (Human lung adenocarcinoma cells), HeLa (Human cervical adenocarcinoma cells), Jurkat (Human chronic myeloid leukemia cells) and K562 (Human leukemic T cell Lymphoblast cells). Among the synthesized library of compounds, 6f and 6q displayed potent cytotoxic activity.     

The mouse homolog of FRG1, a candidate gene for FSHD, maps proximal to the myodystrophy mutation on chromosome 8

The human autosomal dominant neuromuscular disorder facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is associated with deletions within a complex tandem DNA repeat (D4Z4) on Chromosome (Chr) 4q35. The molecular mechanism underlying this association of FSHD with DNA rearrangements is unknown, and, thus far, no gene has been identified within the repeat. We isolated a gene mapping 100 kb proximal to D4Z4 (FSHD Region Gene 1:FRG1), but were unable to detect any alterations in total or allele-specific mRNA levels of FRG1 in FSHD patients. Human Chr 4q35 exhibits synteny homology with the region of mouse Chr 8 containing the gene for the myodystrophy mutation (myd), a possible mouse homolog of FSHD. We report the cloning of the mouse gene (Frg1) and show that it maps to mouse Chr 8. Using a cross segregating the myd mutation and the European Collaborative Interspecific Backcross, we showed that Frg1 maps proximal to the myd locus and to the Clc3 and Ant1 genes. Received: 24 September 1996 / Accepted: 7 February 1997