The multiple tenses of a postcolonial age of migration: a commentary on Samaddar,R. (2020).The postcolonial age of migration London and New York: Taylor & Francis, 2020

Dialectical Anthropology -     

Sorting and pooling strategy: a novel tool to map a virus proteome for CD8 T-cell epitopes

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of morbidity in immunocompromised individuals. However, no efficient vaccine has been developed to date. Identification of T-cell target proteins and epitopes is crucial not only for developing a successful immunization strategy, but also for new approaches using adoptive transfer of antigen-specific T-cells. The CMV genome has more than 200 open reading frames potentially coding for as many proteins. Here, we describe a robust, fast, and simple SPOT synthesis strategy, which allowed us to micro-synthesize every possible CD8 T-cell epitope in the entire potential CMV proteome. So far, 9069 of these peptides have been tested in an ex vivo T-cell stimulation assay. As well as confirming a number of previously known epitopes, we identified several new ones.     

Comparison of five methods for determination of total plasma protein concentration

Quantitation of exact total protein content is often a key step and is common to many applications in general biochemistry research and routine clinical laboratory practice. Before embarking on any type of protein analysis, particularly comparative techniques, it is important to accurately quantitate the amount of protein in the sample. In order to assess the quality of total protein estimation results, five methods were tested and were applied to the same pooled plasma sample. For this aim, Bradford (Coomassie Brilliant Blue), Lowry (Folin-Ciocalteau), Biüret, Pesce and Strande (Ponceau-S/TCA), and modified method of Schaffner-Weismann (Amido Black 10B) were used. The last two methods employ simultaneous precipitation of proteins with the acid containing dye solutions followed by dissolution of precipitate in a NaOH solution. It is shown that each assay has advantages and disadvantages relative to sensitivity, ease of performance, acceptance in literature, accuracy and reproducibility/coefficient of variation. All of the methods tested show a CV % < 6. Besides pooled plasma, a known concentration of human serum albumin was also analyzed and discussed by means of standardization of plasma total protein content.     

Migraine, Helicobacter pylori, and oxidative stress

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to ascertain whether oxidative stress is a causative factor of migraine attacks for Helicobacter pylori-infected migraineurs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 35 consecutive migraine patients without aura who came to gastroenterology polyclinic with various complaints and diagnosed H. pylori infection were included in the study group and compared with a group of 29 patients (control group) without migraine and H. infection. H. pylori infection was diagnosed by histopathological biopsies, which were taken by endoscopy (Olympus-GIFXQ240 endoscope). Both the diagnosis and the classification of migraine were made according to the International Headache Society criteria. Blood samples for nitric oxide were taken from patients with migraine during headache-free period as well as the control group. The interaction of nitric oxide was measured by the determination of both nitrite and nitrate concentrations in the sample. RESULTS: The study group included 31 women and 4 men (mean age 49 +/- 8 years) and the control group included 25 women and 4 men (mean age 52.6 +/- 11 years). The mean frequency of migraine attacks was 2.94 +/- 1.58 days/month and the mean duration of attacks was 21.2 +/- 3 hours. It was found that the study group has lower nitrate levels than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support the role of oxidative stress in patients suffering from H. pylori infection and migraine.     

A rare case: mosaic trisomy 22.

A 9-year-old female child of healthy parents (mother: 43 years, father: 44 years) was referred to our center because of severe mental retardation. While pedigree analysis was not contributory, two older sibs were normal and healthy. Physical examination revealed facial dysmorphism, microcephaly and hyperflexibility of all joints. Her chromosome constitution showed a mosaic pattern; mos 46,XX[98]/47,XX,+22[2]. So skin biopsy was performed and mosaic trisomy 22 was confirmed with FISH analysis (46,XX[73]/47,XX,+22[27]). Physical features of this case seemed consistent with her mosaic constitution. This report would be a demonstrative example to show the significant contribution of FISH in states of mosaicism.     

Non-lethal Hallermann-Streiff syndrome with bone fracture: report of a case

The Hallermann-Streiff syndrome is characterized by bird-like face, micropthalmia, cataracts, micrognathia, beaked nose, abnormal dentition, hypotrichosis, cutaneous atrophy and proportional small stature. We present a 35-day-old patient with the classical signs except cutaneous atrophy, additionally he had a healing fracture at the proximal part of the left radius.     

Plants used as natural dye sources in Turkey

This study was carried out in the regions where handcrafts such as carpet and rug weaving are common in Turkey. In the regions where natural dyes are used, 123 plant species belonging to 50 families were identified as sources of natural dyes. In natural dye production, different parts of the plant or the whole aboveground plant is used. Ten different colors are gained from the plants. Sometimes the same color can be obtained from different plants. By mixing different plants, it is possible to produce various colors. We also identified more than 12 natural and more than eight chemical assistant substances (mordant) that are used in the regions to bind dye to fibers, to maintain the strongness and brightness of the colors, and to obtain various colors     

Dynamics of Preferential Substrate Recognition in HIV-1 Protease: Redefining the Substrate Envelope

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease (PR) permits viral maturation by processing the gag and gag-pro-pol polyproteins. HIV-1 PR inhibitors (PIs) are used in combination antiviral therapy but the emergence of drug resistance has limited their efficacy. The rapid evolution of HIV-1 necessitates consideration of drug resistance in novel drug design. Drug-resistant HIV-1 PR variants no longer inhibited efficiently, continue to hydrolyze the natural viral substrates. Though highly diverse in sequence, the HIV-1 PR substrates bind in a conserved three-dimensional shape we termed the substrate envelope. Earlier, we showed that resistance mutations arise where PIs protrude beyond the substrate envelope, because these regions are crucial for drug binding but not for substrate recognition. We extend this model by considering the role of protein dynamics in the interaction of HIV-1 PR with its substrates. We simulated the molecular dynamics of seven PR-substrate complexes to estimate the conformational flexibility of the bound substrates. Interdependence of substrate-protease interactions might compensate for variations in cleavage-site sequences and explain how a diverse set of sequences are recognized as substrates by the same enzyme. This diversity might be essential for regulating sequential processing of substrates. We define a dynamic substrate envelope as a more accurate representation of PR-substrate interactions. This dynamic substrate envelope, described by a probability distribution function, is a powerful tool for drug design efforts targeting ensembles of resistant HIV-1 PR variants with the aim of developing drugs that are less susceptible to resistance.     

Recent advances in chemistry,therapeutic properties and sources of polydatin

Polydatin (PLD), the 3-O-β-glucopyranoside of the well-known stilbenoid compound resveratrol, is a major compound of Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) R. Decr. (Japanese knotweed), which is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat infection, inflammatory diseases and circulatory problems. It has shown a wide range of biological activities including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective and immunostimulatory effects. Although resveratrol has similar beneficial effects, its low bioavailability has remained a problem. Glycosylation increases solubility of resveratrol in an aqueous environment, thus improving its bioavailability. This has led to a growing interest in PLD. Promising results obtained from bioactivity studies have boosted an intense research on this compound. The aim of this review is to give a comprehensive overview of the botanical sources, pharmacology, biosynthesis, biotechnological production, and bioactivities of PLD, and to discuss clinical studies on this compound.