Purification of galectin-3 from ovine placenta: developmentally regulated expression and immunological relevance

Galectins, beta-galactoside-binding lectins, are extensively distributed in the animal kingdom and share some basic molecular properties. Galectin-3, a member of this family, is generally associated with differentiation, morphogenesis, and metastasis. In this study, galectin-3 was isolated from ovine placental cotyledons round the middle of the gestation period by lactose extraction followed by affinity chromatography on lactosyl-agarose, and separated from galectin-1 by size exclusion chromatography on a Superose 12 column. Under native conditions this lectin behaved as a monomer with an apparent molecular weight of approximately 29,000 and an isoelectric point of 9.0. The partial amino acid sequence of the peptides obtained by tryptic digestion of this protein followed by HPLC separation showed striking homology with other members of the galectin-3 subfamily. Furthermore, ovine placental galectin-3 exhibited specific mitogenic activity toward rat spleen mononuclear cells. Besides, this protein strongly reacted with a rabbit antiserum raised against a chicken galectin. Results obtained by Western blot analysis showed that its expression was greatly decreased in term placenta with respect to the middle of the gestation period, suggesting a regulated expression throughout development.      

氮源对紫云英根瘤菌nod基因表达的作用

高浓度的硫酸铵阻碍了紫云英根瘤菌诱导紫云英根毛发生典型的根毛变形并明显抑制了紫云英结瘤能力。通过对融合子的β-半乳精苷酶活性的测定进一步表明高浓度的硫酸铵对紫云英的结瘤调节基因nodDZ、共同结瘤基因nodA及nodBC的表达有抑制作用而对结瘤调节基因nodD1的表达无抑制作用。     

Taxol from fungal endophytes and the issue of biodiversity

Fungi represent one of the most understudied and diverse group of organisms. Commonly, these organisms make associations with higher life forms and may proceed to biochemically mimic the host organism. An excellent example of this is the anticancer drug, taxol, which had been previously supposed to occur only in the plant genusTaxus (yew). However, taxol has been reported in a novel endophytic fungus—Taxomyces andreanae, but also has been demonstrated to occur in a number of unrelated fungal endophytes includingPestalotia, Pestalotiopsis, Fusarium, Alternaria, Pithomyces, Monochaetia and others. Thus, this report presents information on the presence of taxol among disparate fungal genera, and uses these observations as an additional argument to support efforts to study fungal endophytes and preserve their associated host plants.     

Total fertilization failure and idiopathic subfertility

Background  

To gain more insight in whether failure of intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatment in patients with idiopathic subfertility could be related to diminished fertilization, the aim of this study is to compare the fertilization of an initial IVF procedure after six cycles of IUI and the fertilization of an initial IVF procedure without preceding IUI cycles in couples with idiopathic subfertility.     

Uncertainty in ensemble forecasting of species distribution

Species distribution modelling has been widely applied in order to assess the potential impacts of climate change on biodiversity. Many methodological decisions, taken during the modelling process and forecasts, may, however, lead to a large variability in the assessment of future impacts. Using measures of species range change and turnover, the potential impacts of climate change on French stream fish species and assemblages were evaluated. Our main focus was to quantify the uncertainty in the projections of these impacts arising from four sources of uncertainty: initial datasets (Data), statistical methods [species distribution models (SDM)], general circulation models (GCM), and gas emission scenarios (GES). Several modalities of the aforementioned uncertainty sources were combined in an ensemble forecasting framework resulting in 8400 different projections. The variance explained by each source was then extracted from this whole ensemble of projections. Overall, SDM contributed to the largest variation in projections, followed by GCM, whose contribution increased over time equalling almost the proportion of variance explained by SDM in 2080. Data and GES had little influence on the variability in projections. Future projections of range change were more consistent for species with a large geographical extent (i.e., distribution along latitudinal or stream gradients) or with restricted environmental requirements (i.e., small thermal or elevation ranges). Variability in projections of turnover was spatially structured at the scale of France, indicating that certain particular geographical areas should be considered with care when projecting the potential impacts of climate change. The results of this study, therefore, emphasized that particular attention should be paid to the use of predictions ensembles resulting from the application of several statistical methods and climate models. Moreover, forecasted impacts of climate change should always be provided with an assessment of their uncertainty, so that management and conservation decisions can be taken in the full knowledge of their reliability.     

BRAF V600E mutations are common in pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma: diagnostic and therapeutic implications

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is low-grade glial neoplasm principally affecting children and young adults. Approximately 40% of PXA are reported to recur within 10 years of primary resection. Upon recurrence, patients receive radiation therapy and conventional chemotherapeutics designed for high-grade gliomas. Genetic changes that can be targeted by selective therapeutics have not been extensively evaluated in PXA and ancillary diagnostic tests to help discriminate PXA from other pleomorphic and often more aggressive astrocytic malignancies are limited. In this study, we apply the SNaPshot multiplexed targeted sequencing platform in the analysis of brain tumors to interrogate 60 genetic loci that are frequently mutated in 15 cancer genes. In our analysis we detect BRAF V600E mutations in 12 of 20 (60%) WHO grade II PXA, in 1 of 6 (17%) PXA with anaplasia and in 1 glioblastoma arising in a PXA. Phospho-ERK was detected in all tumors independent of the BRAF mutation status. BRAF duplication was not detected in any of the PXA cases. BRAF V600E mutations were identified in only 2 of 71 (2.8%) glioblastoma (GBM) analyzed, including 1 of 9 (11.1%) giant cell GBM (gcGBM). The finding that BRAF V600E mutations are common in the majority of PXA has important therapeutic implications and may help in differentiating less aggressive PXAs from lethal gcGBMs and GBMs.     

家庭氧疗配合呼吸操治疗慢性阻塞性肺疾病患者的疗效

目的：观察长期家庭氧疗配合呼吸操治疗慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）的临床效果。、方法：选择本院收治的COPD患者80例,随机分为研究组和对照组,各40例,两组均给予常规治疗,研究组同时由医务人员指导给予家庭氧疗和呼吸操训练,随访1年．观察两组治疗前、治疗后6个月和1年肺功能,应用StGeorge’S呼吸问卷（SGRQ）评价生存质量、结果：研究组1年内急性发作1次5人,2次2人,3次及以上1人,对照组1年内急性发作1次9人,2次7人,3次及以上4人（P〈0．05）;研究组治疗后6个月、1年用力肺活量（FVC）、第1秒用力呼气容积（FEVl）和FEVl／FVC均明显升高（P〈0．05）,对照组治疗后6个月、1年FVC、FEVI／FVC与治疗前比较无统计学差异（P〉0．05）;研究组治疗后6个月、1年SGRQ明显降低（P〈0．05）,对照组治疗后6个月、1年SGRQ与治疗前比较无统计学差异（P〉0．05）．结论：家庭氧疗配合呼吸操能明显改善COPD患者肺功能,延缓患者肺功能恶化,提高患者生存质量。     

三种抗癫痫药对癫痫患者脑电图的背景影响比较研究

目的：研究对比三种抗癫痫药（苯妥因钠、丙戊酸钠、卡马西平）对癫痫患者脑电图的背景影响。方法：选取我院于2009年3月至2011年2月收治的60例癫痫患者,随机分为苯妥因钠（PHT）、卡马西平（CBZ）和丙戊酸钠（SVP）组各20例,动态观察各组患者于治疗期间痫样波放电的频度和EEG背景的变化。结果：EEG痫样波放电的抑制率以SVP最为明显,而CBZ在EEG背景活动影响方面均比其他两组显著。结论：三种药物对癫痫波放电的抑制顺序是SVP〉PHT〉CBZ,SVP组明显优于其他两组。