A new species of Hyphessobrycon Durbin (Characiformes: Characidae) from the western Amazon basin in Colombia and Peru

Hyphessobrycon chiribiquete n. sp. is described from the Río Caquetá drainage in Colombia and the Río Ucayali drainage in Peru, western Amazon. The new species is diagnosed from its congeners by having the following combination of characters: a conspicuous narrow midlateral stripe, starting on the sides of the body behind the opercle near the lateral line; lateral stripe overlapped anteriorly with a vertically elongated humeral blotch; inner premaxillary teeth pentacuspid; margin of anal fin falcate in mature males.     

In Vitro Evaluation of the Effect of Stimulation with Magnetic Fields on Chondrocytes

Magnetic fields (MFs) have been used as an external stimulus to increase cell proliferation in chondrocytes and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis of articular cartilage. However, previously published studies have not shown that MFs are homogeneous through cell culture systems. In addition, variables such as stimulation times and MF intensities have not been standardized to obtain the best cellular proliferative rate or an increase in molecular synthesis of ECM. In this work, a stimulation device, which produces homogeneous MFs to stimulate cell culture surfaces was designed and manufactured using a computational model. Furthermore, an in vitro culture of primary rat chondrocytes was established and stimulated with two MF schemes to measure both proliferation and ECM synthesis. The best proliferation rate was obtained with an MF of 2 mT applied for 3 h, every 6 h for 8 days. In addition, the increase in the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans was statistically significant when cells were stimulated with an MF of 2 mT applied for 5 h, every 6 h for 8 days. These findings suggest that a stimulation with MFs is a promising tool that could be used to improve in vitro treatments such as autologous chondrocyte implantation, either to increase cell proliferation or stimulate molecular synthesis. Bioelectromagnetics. 2020;41:41–51 © 2019 Bioelectromagnetics Society     

Predicting the accuracy of multiple sequence alignment algorithms by using computational intelligent techniques

Multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) have become one of the most studied approaches in bioinformatics to perform other outstanding tasks such as structure prediction, biological function analysis or next-generation sequencing. However, current MSA algorithms do not always provide consistent solutions, since alignments become increasingly difficult when dealing with low similarity sequences. As widely known, these algorithms directly depend on specific features of the sequences, causing relevant influence on the alignment accuracy. Many MSA tools have been recently designed but it is not possible to know in advance which one is the most suitable for a particular set of sequences. In this work, we analyze some of the most used algorithms presented in the bibliography and their dependences on several features. A novel intelligent algorithm based on least square support vector machine is then developed to predict how accurate each alignment could be, depending on its analyzed features. This algorithm is performed with a dataset of 2180 MSAs. The proposed system first estimates the accuracy of possible alignments. The most promising methodologies are then selected in order to align each set of sequences. Since only one selected algorithm is run, the computational time is not excessively increased.     

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 gene polymorphisms affect circulating MMP-2 levels in patients with migraine with aura

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are involved in the disruption of blood–brain barrier (BBB) during migraine attacks. In the present study, we hypothesized that two functional polymorphisms (C^− 1306T and C^− 735T) in MMP-2 gene and MMP-2 haplotypes are associated with migraine and modify MMP-2 and tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP)-2 levels in migraine. Genotypes for MMP-2 polymorphisms were determined by real time-PCR using Taqman allele discrimination assays. Haplotypes were inferred using the PHASE program. Plasma MMP-2 and TIMP-2 concentrations were measured by gelatin zymography and ELISA, respectively, in 148 healthy women without history of migraine and in 204 women with migraine (153 without aura; MWA, and 51 with aura; MA). Patients with MA had higher plasma MMP-2 concentrations and MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratios than patients with MWA and controls (P < 0.05). While MMP-2 genotype and haplotype distributions for the polymorphisms were similar among the groups (P > 0.05), we found that the CC genotype for C^− 735T polymorphism and the CC haplotype were associated with higher plasma MMP-2 concentrations in MA group (P < 0.05). Our findings may help to understand the role of MMP-2 and its genetic variants in the pathophysiology of migraine and to identify a particular group of migraine patients with increased MMP-2 levels that would benefit from the use of MMP inhibitors.     

Effect of metabolic syndrome risk factors and MMP-2 genetic variations on circulating MMP-2 levels in childhood obesity

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 is involved in the development of the adipose tissue, and associated with cardiovascular diseases. Metabolic risk factors (MRFs) and functional polymorphisms in the MMP-2 gene may affect its expression and activity. We investigated whether traditional MRFs and two MMP-2 gene polymorphisms (C^?1306T; rs243865, and C^?735T; rs2285053) affect circulating MMP-2 levels in children and adolescents, and whether MMP-2 polymorphisms and/or haplotype are associated with susceptibility to childhood obesity. We studied 114 healthy controls, 43 obese, and 83 obese with ≥3 MRFs children and adolescents. Genotypes were determined by Taqman allele discrimination assay and real-time PCR. Plasma MMP-2 was measured using zymography. We found positive correlations between MMP-2 concentrations and mean blood pressure in all children and adolescents group (r = 0.132; P < 0.05) and in obese children and adolescents (r = 0.247; P < 0.01). We found that the CC genotype for the C^?1306T polymorphism was more common in subjects with higher MMP-2 concentrations in controls (P = 0.003) and in the obese group (P = 0.013). The CT genotype (OR = 0.40; P < 0.01) and the T allele (OR = 0.48; P < 0.01) for the C^?735T polymorphism were less common in obese children and adolescents than in controls. The haplotypes distribution did not show significant differences between control and obese (P > 0.05). Ours findings show that blood pressure is associated with circulating MMP-2 concentrations, and that the CC genotype for the C^?1306T polymorphism was more common subjects (controls and obese) with higher MMP-2 concentrations, whereas the CT genotype and the T allele for the C^?735T polymorphism are less common in obesity.     

Structural,energetic, and dynamic responses of the native state ensemble of staphylococcal nuclease to cavity‐creating mutations

The effects of cavity‐creating mutations on the structural flexibility, local and global stability, and dynamics of the folded state of staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) were examined with NMR spectroscopy, MD simulations, H/D exchange, and pressure perturbation. Effects on global thermodynamic stability correlated well with the number of heavy atoms in the vicinity of the mutated residue. Variants with substitutions in the C‐terminal domain and the interface between α and β subdomains showed large amide chemical shift variations relative to the parent protein, moderate, widespread, and compensatory perturbations of the H/D protection factors and increased local dynamics on a nanosecond time scale. The pressure sensitivity of the folded states of these variants was similar to that of the parent protein. Such observations point to the capacity of the folded proteins to adjust to packing defects in these regions. In contrast, cavity creation in the β‐barrel subdomain led to minimal perturbation of the structure of the folded state, However, significant pressure dependence of the native state amide resonances, along with strong effects on native state H/D exchange are consistent with increased probability of population of excited state(s) for these variants. Such contrasted responses to the creation of cavities could not be anticipated from global thermodynamic stability or crystal structures; they depend on the local structural and energetic context of the substitutions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

New Insights into the Circadian Rhythm of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Subgroups

The aim of this study was to determine the existence of the circadian rhythm (CR) in the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in different patient subgroups. Information was collected about 41,244 infarctions from the database of the ARIAM (Analysis of Delay in AMI) Spanish multicenter study. CR in AMI were explored in subgroups of cases categorized by age, gender, previous ischemic heart disease (PIHD), outcome in coronary care unit, infarction electrocardiograph (ECG) characteristics (Q wave or non‐Q wave), and location of AMI. Cases were classified according to these variables in the different subgroups. To verify the presence of CR, a simple test of equality of time series based on the multiple‐sinusoid (24, 12, and 8 h periods) cosinor analysis was developed. For the groups as a whole, the time of pain onset as an indicator of the AMI occurrence showed a CR (p<0.0001), with a morning peak at 10:10 h. All the analyzed subgroups also showed CR. Comparison between subgroups showed significant differences in the PIHD (p<0.01) and infarction ECG characteristics (p<0.01) groups. The CR of the subgroup with Q‐wave infarction differed from that of non‐Q wave subgroup (p<0.01) when the patients had PIHD (23% in Q wave infarction vs. 39.2% in non‐Q wave). AMI onset followed a CR pattern, which is also observed in all analyzed subgroups. Differences in the CR according to the Q/non‐Q wave infarction characteristics could be determined by PIHD. The cosinor model fit with three components (24, 12, and 8 h periods) showed a higher sensitivity than the single 24 h period analysis.