Immunologic and nonimmunologic responsiveness in ragweed-sensitized dogs

The relationship between airway responsiveness to inhaled antigen and histamine, immunologic release of lung histamine, immunologic responsiveness of skin, and specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies were examined in 11 inbred allergic dogs immunized with extracts of ragweed and grass and 5 nonimmunized control dogs from the same colony. Airway responsiveness to antigen and histamine was characterized by the doses that increased the airflow resistance of the total respiratory system to twice the control values (ED200). Highly significant correlations were found between airway responsiveness and cutaneous responsiveness to antigen and other immunologic characteristics (e.g., IgE and histamine released from lung by inhaled antigen) in all dogs. In ragweed-sensitized dogs, there was an inverse correlation between immunologic responsiveness (reflected by the cutaneous response to antigen and histamine released from lung by inhaled antigen) and nonimmunologic responsiveness of airways (histamine ED200: r = 0.73, P less than 0.05 and r = 0.75, P less than 0.01, respectively). Antigen ED200 was also correlated with histamine release from lung after antigen inhalation (r = 0.74; P less than 0.01). We conclude that airway reactions to inhaled antigen in allergic dogs are dependent not only on immunologic factors but also on the degree of nonimmunologic airway responsiveness to histamine and that these factors are correlated inversely.     

Cell-free processing and segregation of insulin precursors

The biosynthesis, segregation, and processing of preproinsulin (116 amino acids) was investigated to determine the mechanism(s) by which it is translocated across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Islet mRNA was translated in the wheat germ cell-free system, and at various times during preproinsulin synthesis, puromycin was added, followed by addition of microsomal membranes. Neither processing of preproinsulin nor translocation of proinsulin into microsomal membranes occurred in the presence of puromycin. Synchronization of preproinsulin translation by addition of 7-methylguanosine 5'-phosphate enabled the timing of preproinsulin synthesis and proinsulin (91 amino acids) segregation into microsomal membranes to be determined. Membrane binding occurs when about 60 amino acids have been polymerized, i.e. prior to the completion of the polypeptide chain. The binding of signal recognition particle to the nascent signal is demonstrated to be an absolute requirement for translocation and processing of preproinsulin. The results indicate that segregation and processing of preproinsulin are co-translational events; no evidence for a post-translational mechanism was found. Furthermore, this work, together with similar studies, suggests that presecretory polypeptides must be synthesized as part of a precursor with a minimum size of 60-80 amino acids in order to effect membrane binding and translocation of the polypeptide chain within the intracisternal space of the endoplasmic reticulum.     

Gypsy moth parasitoids in the declining outbreak in Lithuania

A 3 year study was conducted on the parasitoids of gypsy moth larvae in two reducing outbreak areas in Lithuania. Overall parasitism of 25.0 ± 2.0% in the first post-culmination year was significantly lower than the 36.3 ± 1.4 and 35.2 ± 1.4% parasitism in the two subsequent years. When analysed in terms of the life stage at which the host was collected, the total parasitism over 3 years was constantly increasing from 3.1 ± 0.8 in the first to 72.5 ± 2.9% in the sixth instar. Parasetigena silvestris R.-D. dominated causing 48.7 ± 1.5% parasitism and 16.7 ± 0.6% larval mortality preferably in late instars. Phobocampe disparis Vier. contributed to 21.9 ± 1.2% parasitism and 7.5 ± 0.5% mortality recovering from early instar larvae. Meteorus pulchricornis Wes. parasitized 4.3 ± 0.6% gypsy moth larvae causing 1.5 ± 0.2% mortality and a few Apanteles species provided 2.8 ± 0.6% parasitism and 1.0 ± 0.2% mortality. The gypsy moth in Lithuania was reported to act as host for Rogas sp. (Hym., Braconidae) and Siphona boreata Mes. (Dipt., Tachinidae).     

Opt-Out Panel Testing for HIV,Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in an Urban Emergency Department: A Pilot Study

Objectives

Studies suggest 2 per 1000 people in Dublin are living with HIV, the level above which universal screening is advised. We aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a universal opt-out HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C testing programme for Emergency Department patients and to describe the incidence and prevalence of blood-borne viruses in this population.

Methods

An opt-out ED blood borne virus screening programme was piloted from March 2014 to January 2015. Patients undergoing blood sampling during routine clinical care were offered HIV 1&2 antibody/antigen assay, HBV surface antigen and HCV antibody tests. Linkage to care where necessary was co-ordinated by the study team. New diagnosis and prevalence rates were defined as the new cases per 1000 tested and number of positive tests per 1000 tested respectively.

Results

Over 45 weeks of testing, of 10,000 patient visits, 8,839 individual patient samples were available for analysis following removal of duplicates. A sustained target uptake of >50% was obtained after week 3. 97(1.09%), 44(0.49%) and 447(5.05%) HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C tests were positive respectively. Of these, 7(0.08%), 20(0.22%) and 58(0.66%) were new diagnoses of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C respectively. The new diagnosis rate for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C was 0.8, 2.26 and 6.5 per 1000 and study prevalence for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C was 11.0, 5.0 and 50.5 per 1000 respectively.

Conclusions

Opt-out blood borne viral screening was feasible and acceptable in an inner-city ED. Blood borne viral infections were prevalent in this population and newly diagnosed cases were diagnosed and linked to care. These results suggest widespread blood borne viral testing in differing clinical locations with differing population demographic risks may be warranted.     

An examination of targeted gene neighborhoods in strawberry

Background  

Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) is the familiar name of a group of economically important crop plants and wild relatives that also represent an emerging system for the study of gene and genome evolution. Its small stature, rapid seed-to-seed cycle, transformability and miniscule basic genome make strawberry an attractive system to study processes related to plant physiology, development and crop production; yet it lacks substantial genomics-level resources. This report addresses this deficiency by characterizing 0.71 Mbp of gene space from a diploid species (F. vesca). The twenty large genomic tracks (30-52 kb) captured as fosmid inserts comprise gene regions with roles in flowering, disease resistance, and metabolism.     

Effects of electrically induced fatigue on the twitch and tetanus of paralyzed soleus muscle in humans

Shields, Richard K., Laura Frey Law, Brenda Reiling, KellySass, and Jason Wilwert. Effects of electrically induced fatigueon the twitch and tetanus of paralyzed soleus muscle in humans.J. Appl. Physiol. 82(5):1499-1507, 1997.We analyzed the twitch and summated torque(tetanus) during repetitive activation and recovery of the human soleusmuscle in individuals with spinal cord injury. Thirteen individualswith complete paralysis (9 chronic, 4 acute) had the tibial nerveactivated every 1,500 ms with a 20-Hz train (7 stimuli) for 300 ms anda single pulse at 1,100 ms. The stimulation protocol lasted 3 min andincluded 120 twitches and 120 tetani. Minimal changes were found forthe acute group. The chronic group showed a significant reduction inthe torque and a significant slowing of the contractile speeds of boththe twitch and tetanus. The decrease in the peak twitch torque was significantly greater than the decrease in the peak tetanus torque early during the fatigue protocol for the chronic group. The twitch time to peak and half relaxation time were prolonged during fatigue, which was associated with improved fusion of the tetanus torque. At theend of the fatigue protocol, the decrease in the peak twitch torque wasnot significantly different from the decrease in the peak tetanustorque. After 5 min of rest, the contractile speeds recovered causingthe tetanus to become unfused, but the tetanus torque became lessdepressed than the twitch torque. The differential responses for thetwitch and the tetanus suggest an interplay between optimal fusioncreated from contractile speed slowing and excitation contractioncoupling compromise. These issues make the optimal design of functionalelectrical stimulation systems a formidable task.

     

Enhanced intrinsic migration of aggressive breast cancer cells by inhibition of Rac1 GTPase

Rac GTPases are known to play a crucial role in regulating cytoskeletal changes necessary for cell migration. Migration has been shown to be positively regulated by Rac in most cell types. However, there is also a large body of conflicting evidence in some other cell types with respect to the role of Rac in migration, suggesting that Rac GTPases regulate cell migration in a cell type-dependent manner. In the present study, we have characterized the effects of Rac1 GTPase inhibition on the migratory abilities of a number of breast cancer cell lines with differential degrees of tumorigenic and metastatic potentials. We show that Rac1 inhibition in non-metastatic (MCF-7, T-47D) or moderately metastatic (Hs578T) cell lines results in inhibition of migration, whereas in highly metastatic cell lines (MDA-MB-435, MDA-MB-231, and C3L5) Rac1 inhibition results in stimulation of migration. This stimulation of migration following Rac1 inhibition is also accompanied by the enhanced RhoA activity, suggesting a possible existence of a dominating role of RhoA over Rac1 in regulating intrinsic migration of the highly metastatic breast cancer cells.     

不明原因男性不育人群中睾丸特异性乳酸脱氢酶基因突变的发现及其意义

为了研究睾丸特异性乳酸脱氢酶,即乳酸脱氢酶C4(LDH-C4)基因突变在男性不育发病中的作用,利用LDH-C4特异性底物对100名不明原因男性不育症患者的精子LDH-C4进行活性显色,用变性高效液相色谱(DHPLC)技术对LDH-C4活性低下的患者进行LDHC基因PCR产物的突变筛查,对DHPLC峰形异常的PCR产物进行序列测定.筛选到一组精子LDH-C4活性明显下降的患者,其中1名患者的LDHC基因PCR产物在DHPLC中呈异常洗脱峰.对这一PCR产物进行序列测定,发现患者LDHC基因第5外显子的115位碱基发生了T→A的杂合改变(GenBank登录号GU479375),该突变使LDHC基因的178位密码子由原来的TTG(编码亮氨酸)变为TAG(终止密码子),形成截短的C亚基.T克隆-测序进一步证实了该无义突变的杂合状态.这是在人类LDHC基因上发现的第一个突变,提示LDHC基因突变可能是男性不育发病的原因之一.     

小麦族植物的分类现状及主要存在的问题

小麦族(Triticeae)是禾本科、早熟禾亚科中一个有重要经济价值、以多年生植物占优势的族,族内绝大多数种类是重要的粮食作物和畜牧业上的优良牧草,饲用价值极高,有些种类具有耐寒、耐旱、耐碱等特性,是农牧业上良种繁育、牧草利用的重要基因资源。但该族同时又是分类学上的一个疑难族,各学者对族内系统分类意见不一、争议颇大,尤其在族的界限、族下类群划分以及类群演化关系上问题较多,至今尚未解决。查阅了国内外分类学文献,探讨其分类差异以及存在问题,为充分开发利用中国丰富的小麦族植物资源提供理论依据。     

基于稀疏表示算法的蛋白质质谱数据特征选择

高维、小样本数据的特征选择方法在蛋白质质谱数据处理分析领域有着广泛应用。本文针对蛋白质质谱特征选择问题,结合稀疏表示这一新理论框架,提出了一种基于稀疏表示的特征选择算法(sparse representation based feature selection,SRFS)。该方法将稀疏表示分类的结果作为评定某一个特征子空间特征相对重要性的度量,然后通过对大量随机采样子空间计算结果的统计,得到特征空间中每个特征的排序,并进一步分析提炼出与肿瘤疾病相关的若干谱峰。通过在卵巢癌公共数据集OC-WCX2a和浙江省肿瘤医院乳腺癌数据集BC-WCX2a上的实验结果表明,SRFS算法可以有效应用于本文所使用的SELDI-TOF蛋白质质谱数据的分析。