A new species of Tetartopeus Czwalina, 1888 from Turkey,and some additional records from the West Palaearctic region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae)

Tetartopeus frischi sp. n. from the U?ak Province in western Anatolia, Turkey, is described and illustrated. Additional records of ten species of Tetartopeus are reported from the West Palaearctic region, among them several new country records. An updated key to the Turkish species of Tetartopeus is presented.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8B832717-E48D-444A-9E1A-2946DA1BCA68     

Molecularly imprinted cryogels for human interferon‐alpha purification from human gingival fibroblast culture

Interferons are important proteins for the immune system because of their antiviral, anti‐proliferating and immunomodulatory activities. Therapeutic value of these proteins against certain types of tumors caused interest and investigations aimed to obtain highly purified interferons. Molecular imprinting is an efficient method for purification with high selectivity, specificity and good reproducibility. In this study, we utilized advantages of molecular imprinting technique for the purification of interferon from human gingival fibroblast culture. For this purpose, interferon α‐2b imprinted poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) cryogel (hIFN‐α‐MIP) was prepared. Optimum adsorption conditions were determined, and maximum adsorption capacity of hIFN‐α‐MIP cryogel was found as 254.8 × 10⁴ IU/g from aqueous solution. All interferon measurements are expressed as International Unit (IU), which is a unit measurement used to quantify biologically active substances like interferon based on their biological activity or effect. Selectivity experiments were performed using competitive proteins and repeated adsorption–desorption studies showed that the adsorption capacity maintained almost at a constant value after ten cycles. For the purification of interferon from human gingival fibroblast culture, fast protein liquid chromatography was used and the specific activity of the purified interferon α‐2b on HeLa cell line was found between the values 3.45 × 10⁸ IU/mg and 3.75 × 10⁸ IU/mg. The results are promising, and the molecular imprinting technique is effective for the purification of interferon α‐2b. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial summation in the tactile sensory system: Probability summation and neural integration

Psychophysical thresholds for the detection of a 300-Hz burst of vibration applied to the thenar eminence were measured for stimuli applied to the skin through 1.5?cm² and through 0.05?cm² contactors. Thresholds were approximately 13?dB lower when the area of the contactor was 1.5?cm² than when it was 0.05?cm². The difference between the thresholds measured with the large and small contactors was significantly reduced when only the lowest thresholds obtained in the testing sessions were considered. This result supports the hypothesis that one component of spatial summation in the P channel is probability summation. In addition, threshold measurements within a session were less variable when measured with the 1.5?cm² contactor. We conclude that spatial summation in the P channel is a joint function of two processes that occur as the areal extent of the stimulus increases: probability summation in which the probability of exceeding the psychophysical detection threshold increases as the number of receptors of varying sensitivities increases, and neural integration in which neural activity originating from separate receptors is combined within the central nervous system rendering the channel more sensitive to the stimulus.     

Novel nanoimaging approach: Antibodious polymeric nanolabel for intracellular alpha‐fetoprotein targeted monitoring

This study describes preparation and use of novel labeled and antibodious polymeric nanolabels (anti‐alpha fetoprotein cross‐linked nanolabels) as an immunogenic and semisynthetic nanolabel with potential prognostic and therapeutic roles for hepatoma cancer. Specificity, uptake, and binding efficiencies of the nanolabel have been examined in a human hepatosarcoma cell line HepG2, a human colorectal cell line DLD‐1, and a mouse myoblast cell line C2. Labeling of the cells has been performed by treating live and fixed cells with varying concentrations of the nanolabels and then, the cells have been examined under a fluorescence microscope. In addition, all cell lines have also been labeled using FITC‐conjugated nanotrastuzumab to compare the results obtained with those of the binding of the FITC‐nanoanti‐alpha fetoprotein nanolabels. Results show that FITC‐conjugated anti‐alpha fetoprotein cross‐linked nanolabels have been taken up by both live and fixed cells and have efficiently and specifically labeled HepG2 cells at a quite low concentration. Taken all together, the results indicate that the novel targeted nanoimaging tools and technique demonstrated their ability to detect the distribution of the nanolabels as probes in hepatoma cells. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29: 472–479, 2013     

Black yeast habitat choices and species spectrum on high altitude creosote-treated railway ties

Polyextremotolerant black yeast-like fungi thrive in moderately hostile environments where they are concomitantly subjected to several types of stress, such as toxicity, scarce nutrient availability, and high or low temperature extremes. Their ability to assimilate alkylbenzenes (toxic environmental pollutants) enhances their growth in harsh conditions, including on railway ties. Samples were collected using cotton swabs, premoistened with physiological saline, from 658 oak and concrete railway ties at six train stations in Turkey at altitudes ranging between 1026 and 1427 m. The samples were inoculated on malt extract agar supplemented with chloramphenicol, and incubated at 26 °C for 4 weeks. Twenty-four samples (3.6 %), 17 from oak and 7 from concrete (5.6 % vs. 2 %; P = 0.02), tested positive for fungi. Exophiala crusticola was found to be the most common species (n = 13), followed by Exophiala phaeomuriformis (n = 7) and Exophiala heteromorpha (n = 4). These results suggest that hydrocarbons, particularly creosote-treated oak woods, support the growth of black yeasts, some of which are opportunists in humans.     

Optical Response of Plasmonic Nanohole Arrays: Comparison of Square and Hexagonal Lattices

Nanohole arrays in metal films allow extraordinary optical transmission (EOT); the phenomenon is highly advantageous for biosensing applications. In this article, we theoretically investigate the performance of refractive index sensors, utilizing square and hexagonal arrays of nanoholes, that can monitor the spectral position of EOT signals. We present near- and far-field characteristics of the aperture arrays and investigate the influence of geometrical device parameters in detail. We numerically compare the refractive index sensitivities of the two lattice geometries and show that the hexagonal array supports larger figure-of-merit values due to its sharper EOT response. Furthermore, the presence of a thin dielectric film that covers the gold surface and mimics a biomolecular layer causes larger spectral shifts within the EOT resonance for the hexagonal array. We also investigate the dependence of the transmission responses on hole radius and demonstrate that hexagonal lattice is highly promising for applications demanding strong light transmission.     

Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Centaurea baseri: New Species from Turkey

The genus Centaurea L. is one of the largest and important genera of Asteraceae family. Centaurea species have been widely used as herbal remedies in folk medicine for their antidandruff, antidiarrheic, antirheumatic, anti‐inflammatory, choleretic, diuretic, digestive, stomachic, astringent, antipyretic, cytotoxic, and antibacterial properties. Centaurea baseri Kose & Alan is a recently described local endemic species in Turkey and this is the first study on the chemical composition and bioactivity of its hydrodistilled essential oil and the crude extract. According to chromatospectral analysis, hexadecanoic acid (42.3%), nonacosane (8.2%), and heptacosane (8.0%) were the main compounds of the essential oil, while 16 compounds were determined in the MeOH extract using LC/MS. Furthermore, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects of the essential oil and the extract were evaluated in comparison with the standard agents. The extract showed strong antifungal effect against Candida utilis at the concentration of 60 μg/ml (MIC) where the EO showed growth inhibition at the concentration of 47.00 μg/ml (MIC) against pathogen Bacillus cereus. Both the essential oil and the extract did not show any selective antioxidant properties. The extract showed remarkably selective cytotoxic properties against MCF‐7, PANC‐1, A549, and C6 glioma cells.     

Mortality,Morbidity, and Developmental Outcomes in Infants Born to Women Who Received Either Mefloquine or Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine as Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnancy: A Cohort Study

Background

Little is known about the effects of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) on the health of sub-Saharan African infants. We have evaluated the safety of IPTp with mefloquine (MQ) compared to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) for important infant health and developmental outcomes.

Methods and Findings

In the context of a multicenter randomized controlled trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of IPTp with MQ compared to SP in pregnancy carried out in four sub-Saharan countries (Mozambique, Benin, Gabon, and Tanzania), 4,247 newborns, 2,815 born to women who received MQ and 1,432 born to women who received SP for IPTp, were followed up until 12 mo of age. Anthropometric parameters and psychomotor development were assessed at 1, 9, and 12 mo of age, and the incidence of malaria, anemia, hospital admissions, outpatient visits, and mortality were determined until 12 mo of age. No significant differences were found in the proportion of infants with stunting, underweight, wasting, and severe acute malnutrition at 1, 9, and 12 mo of age between infants born to women who were on IPTp with MQ versus SP. Except for three items evaluated at 9 mo of age, no significant differences were observed in the psychomotor development milestones assessed. Incidence of malaria, anemia, hospital admissions, outpatient visits, and mortality were similar between the two groups. Information on the outcomes at 12 mo of age was unavailable in 26% of the infants, 761 (27%) from the MQ group and 377 (26%) from the SP group. Reasons for not completing the study were death (4% of total study population), study withdrawal (6%), migration (8%), and loss to follow-up (9%).

Conclusions

No significant differences were found between IPTp with MQ and SP administered in pregnancy on infant mortality, morbidity, and nutritional outcomes. The poorer performance on certain psychomotor development milestones at 9 mo of age in children born to women in the MQ group compared to those in the SP group may deserve further studies.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00811421","term_id":"NCT00811421"}}NCT00811421     

Isolation of a Genomic Region Affecting Most Components of Metabolic Syndrome in a Chromosome-16 Congenic Rat Model

Metabolic syndrome is a highly prevalent human disease with substantial genomic and environmental components. Previous studies indicate the presence of significant genetic determinants of several features of metabolic syndrome on rat chromosome 16 (RNO16) and the syntenic regions of human genome. We derived the SHR.BN16 congenic strain by introgression of a limited RNO16 region from the Brown Norway congenic strain (BN-Lx) into the genomic background of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) strain. We compared the morphometric, metabolic, and hemodynamic profiles of adult male SHR and SHR.BN16 rats. We also compared in silico the DNA sequences for the differential segment in the BN-Lx and SHR parental strains. SHR.BN16 congenic rats had significantly lower weight, decreased concentrations of total triglycerides and cholesterol, and improved glucose tolerance compared with SHR rats. The concentrations of insulin, free fatty acids, and adiponectin were comparable between the two strains. SHR.BN16 rats had significantly lower systolic (18–28 mmHg difference) and diastolic (10–15 mmHg difference) blood pressure throughout the experiment (repeated-measures ANOVA, P < 0.001). The differential segment spans approximately 22 Mb of the telomeric part of the short arm of RNO16. The in silico analyses revealed over 1200 DNA variants between the BN-Lx and SHR genomes in the SHR.BN16 differential segment, 44 of which lead to missense mutations, and only eight of which (in Asb14, Il17rd, Itih1, Syt15, Ercc6, RGD1564958, Tmem161a, and Gatad2a genes) are predicted to be damaging to the protein product. Furthermore, a number of genes within the RNO16 differential segment associated with metabolic syndrome components in human studies showed polymorphisms between SHR and BN-Lx (including Lpl, Nrg3, Pbx4, Cilp2, and Stab1). Our novel congenic rat model demonstrates that a limited genomic region on RNO16 in the SHR significantly affects many of the features of metabolic syndrome.