Noninvasive determination of upper airway resistance and flow limitation.

We have shown that a polynomial equation, FP = AP3 + BP2 + CP + D, where F is flow and P is pressure, can accurately determine the presence of inspiratory flow limitation (IFL). This equation requires the invasive measurement of supraglottic pressure. We hypothesized that a modification of the equation that substitutes time for pressure would be accurate for the detection of IFL and allow for the noninvasive measurement of upper airway resistance. The modified equation is Ft = At3 + Bt2 + Ct + D, where F is flow and t is time from the onset of inspiration. To test our hypotheses, data analysis was performed as follows on 440 randomly chosen breaths from 18 subjects. First, we performed linear regression and determined that there is a linear relationship between pressure and time in the upper airway (R2 0.96 +/- 0.05, slope 0.96 +/- 0.06), indicating that time can be a surrogate for pressure. Second, we performed curve fitting and found that polynomial equation accurately predicts the relationship between flow and time in the upper airway (R2 0.93 +/- 0.12, error fit 0.02 +/- 0.08). Third, we performed a sensitivity-specificity analysis comparing the mathematical determination of IFL to manual determination using a pressure-flow loop. Mathematical determination had both high sensitivity (96%) and specificity (99%). Fourth, we calculated the upper airway resistance using the polynomial equation and compared the measurement to the manually determined upper airway resistance (also from a pressure-flow loop) using Bland-Altman analysis. Mean difference between calculated and measured upper airway resistance was 0.0 cmH2O x l(-1) x s(-1) (95% confidence interval -0.2, 0.2) with upper and lower limits of agreement of 2.8 cmH2O x l(-1) x s(-1) and -2.8 cmH2O x l(-1) x s(-1). We conclude that a polynomial equation can be used to model the flow-time relationship, allowing for the objective and accurate determination of upper airway resistance and the presence of IFL.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arxula adeninivorans</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">ATAL</Emphasis> gene encoding transaldolase-gene characterization and biotechnological exploitation

The yeast Arxula adeninivorans provides an attractive expression platform and can be exploited as gene source for biotechnologically interesting proteins. In the following study, a striking example for the combination of both aspects is presented. The transaldolase-encoding A. adeninivorans ATAL gene, including its promoter and terminator elements, was isolated and characterized. The gene includes a coding sequence of 963 bp encoding a putative 321 amino acid protein of 35.0 kDa. The enzyme characteristics analyzed from isolates of native strains and recombinant strains overexpressing the ATAL gene revealed a molecular mass of ca. 140 kDa corresponding to a tetrameric structure, a pH optimum of ca. 5.5, and a temperature optimum of 20°C. The preferred substrates for the enzyme include d-erythrose-4-phosphate and d-fructose-6-phosphate, whereas d-glyceraldehyde is not converted. The ATAL expression level under salt-free conditions was observed to increase in media supplemented with 5% NaCl rendering the ATAL promoter attractive for moderate heterologous gene expression under high-salt conditions. Its suitability was assessed for the expression of a human serum albumin (HSA) reporter gene.     

An autoradiographic study of cellular proliferaton,DNA synthesis and cell cycle variability in the rat liver caused by phenobarbital-induced oxidative stress: The protective role of melatonin

The protective effect of melatonin against phenobarbital-induced oxidative stress in the rat liver was measured based on lipid peroxidation levels (malondialedyde and 4-hydroxyalkenals). Cellular proliferation, DNA synthesis and cell cycle duration were quantitated by the incorporation of ³H-thymidine, detected by autoradiography, into newly synthesized DNA. Two experiments were carried out in this study, each on four equal-sized groups of male rats (control, melatonin [10 mg/kg], phenobabital [20 mg/kg] and phenobarbital plus melatonin). Experiment I was designed to study the proliferative activity and rate of DNA synthesis, and measure the levels of lipid peroxidation, while experiment II was for cell cycle time determination. Relative to the controls, the phenobarbital-treated rats showed a significant increase (P < 0.01) in the lipid peroxidation levels (30.7%), labelling index (69.4%) and rate of DNA synthesis (37.8%), and a decrease in the cell cycle time. Administering melatonin to the phenobarbital-treated rats significantly reduced (P < 0.01) the lipid peroxidation levels (23.5%), labelling index (38.2%) and rate of DNA synthesis (29.0%), and increased the cell cycle time. These results seem to indicate that the stimulatory effect of phenobarbital on the oxidized lipids, proliferative activity, kinetics of DNA synthesis and cell cycle time alteration in the liver may be one of the mechanisms by which the non-genotoxic mitogen induces its carcinogenic action. Furthermore, melatonin displayed powerful protection against the toxic effect of phenobarbital.     

Prediction accuracies for growth and wood attributes of interior spruce in space using genotyping-by-sequencing

Background

Genomic selection (GS) in forestry can substantially reduce the length of breeding cycle and increase gain per unit time through early selection and greater selection intensity, particularly for traits of low heritability and late expression. Affordable next-generation sequencing technologies made it possible to genotype large numbers of trees at a reasonable cost.

Results

Genotyping-by-sequencing was used to genotype 1,126 Interior spruce trees representing 25 open-pollinated families planted over three sites in British Columbia, Canada. Four imputation algorithms were compared (mean value (MI), singular value decomposition (SVD), expectation maximization (EM), and a newly derived, family-based k-nearest neighbor (kNN-Fam)). Trees were phenotyped for several yield and wood attributes. Single- and multi-site GS prediction models were developed using the Ridge Regression Best Linear Unbiased Predictor (RR-BLUP) and the Generalized Ridge Regression (GRR) to test different assumption about trait architecture. Finally, using PCA, multi-trait GS prediction models were developed. The EM and kNN-Fam imputation methods were superior for 30 and 60% missing data, respectively. The RR-BLUP GS prediction model produced better accuracies than the GRR indicating that the genetic architecture for these traits is complex. GS prediction accuracies for multi-site were high and better than those of single-sites while multi-site predictability produced the lowest accuracies reflecting type-b genetic correlations and deemed unreliable. The incorporation of genomic information in quantitative genetics analyses produced more realistic heritability estimates as half-sib pedigree tended to inflate the additive genetic variance and subsequently both heritability and gain estimates. Principle component scores as representatives of multi-trait GS prediction models produced surprising results where negatively correlated traits could be concurrently selected for using PCA2 and PCA3.

Conclusions

The application of GS to open-pollinated family testing, the simplest form of tree improvement evaluation methods, was proven to be effective. Prediction accuracies obtained for all traits greatly support the integration of GS in tree breeding. While the within-site GS prediction accuracies were high, the results clearly indicate that single-site GS models ability to predict other sites are unreliable supporting the utilization of multi-site approach. Principle component scores provided an opportunity for the concurrent selection of traits with different phenotypic optima.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1597-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

UV-C irradiation as a tool to eradicate algae in caves

Algal proliferation has commonly been reported to occur on monuments, such as crypts, churches, and caves, as soon as artificial lighting is used. In this work we study the effects of UV-C irradiation on algae collected in different caves in Dordogne (southwest of France). First, the effect of UV-C irradiation was tested on algal cell suspensions during increasing exposure times. After treatment, the photosynthetic capacity was assayed using a polarometric method, and algal cell viability was then estimated using a Trypan blue test after a rest period of 15 h. UV-C irradiation was then studied on algal cells cultivated on a solid support consisting of pieces of calcareous stone. Drops of concentrated algal cells were inoculated on stone and exposed to UV-C radiation for 3, 6, or 9 h. After this irradiation, half of the samples were submitted to a high white light intensity (1400 ??mol m⁻² s⁻¹ of photosynthetically active radiation, PAR) for 6 h while the other half were incubated in the culture room. Subsequently, algal macroscopic parameters such as covering rate and colonized area were measured by macro photography. Both experiments led to the conclusion that UV-C irradiation has deleterious effects on photosynthetic parameters and growth of algal cells.     

Development of new indole-derived neuroprotective agents

There is a great deal of interest in neurotrophin therapy to prevent neuronal degeneration. The present study aimed at synthesizing new functionalized indole derivatives with structures justifying neuroprotective activity using L-tryptophan (TRP) as starting material. The potential neuroprotective effect of these newly synthesized agents against acrylamide (ACR) induced neurotoxicity was investigated in adult female rats. The novel indole derivatives, indolylmethyl pyridine derivatives 9a,b, pyrimidinylindolyl propanone derivatives 12a-c, pyrazolylindolyl propanone derivatives 14a,b, and indolyl tetrazolopropanoic acid derivative 17 were synthesized and their chemical structures were confirmed by studying their analytical and spectral data. The administration of ACR [ip, 50mgkg(-1) body weight (b. wt.)] alone resulted in significant increase in brain malondialdehyde level (MDA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity whereas it caused significant decrease in brain monoamines levels and antioxidant enzymes activity. Treatment with the indole derivatives 9b, 12c, 14a, and 17 (ip, 50mgkg(-1) b. wt.) prior to ACR produced neuroprotective activity with various intensities depending on the structure of each compound. Compound 17 in which the tetrazole ring was attached to the TRP moiety ranked as the strongest neuroprotective agent. All the tested compounds have been shown to possess antioxidant properties offering promising efficacy against oxidative stress induced by ACR administration.     

Cytotoxicity and gene expression profiles of novel synthesized steroid derivatives as chemotherapeutic anti-breast cancer agents

Anti-cancer agents which combine two biologically active compounds in one such as steroidal heterocyclic derivatives attain both hormone and cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. The aim of the present study is to synthesize and evaluate new potential chemotherapeutic anti-breast cancer agents. Several pyridazino-, pyrimido-, quinazolo-, oxirano- and thiazolo-steroid derivatives were synthesized. The structure of the novel steroid derivatives was confirmed using the analytical and spectral data. The most structurally promising of the novel synthesized steroid derivatives, compounds 8, 12, 17, 20, 22c, 24c, 30a and 30b, were investigated individually as anti-breast cancer agents against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) using sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. The tested compounds 17, 20, 22c and 8 showed potent broad spectrum cytotoxic activity in vitro after 48 h incubation. Compound 17 (IC(50)=2.5 μM) exhibited more inhibitory influence on MCF-7 growth than the reference drug doxorubicin (Dox) (IC(50)=4.5 μM) after 48 h incubation. Also, the present study showed that all the tested steroid derivatives exhibited significant depletion with various intensities in gene expression of breast cancer related genes (VEGF, CYP19 and hAP-2γ). Noteworthy, compounds 17, 20 and 22c showed the most pronounced effect in this respect.     

FTIR Assessment of the Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ginkgo biloba</Emphasis> Leave Extract (EGb 761) on Mammalian Retina

Ginkgo biloba extract has been therapeutically used for several decades to increase peripheral and cerebral blood flow as well as for the treatment of dementia. The extract contains multiple compounds such as flavonoids and terpenoids that are thought to contribute to its neuroprotective and vasotropic effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of prolonged administration of EGb 761, up to 10 weeks, on mammalian retina using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Two main groups were involved in this study: the normal group (n = 10); and EGb-administrated group (n = 50) that received—orally—a dose of 40 mg/kg/day EGb 761. The results demonstrated that EGb administration was associated with different beneficial effects on the retinal constituents especially the underlying amide I protein secondary structure components as well as the NH-OH region. It concluded that the optimum daily administration period of EGb (40 mg/kg) for ophthalmic applications that targeting the retina ranges from 5 to 8 weeks.     

Aminoglycoside resistance rates, phenotypes, and mechanisms of Gram-negative bacteria from infected patients in upper Egypt

With the re-emergence of older antibiotics as valuable choices for treatment of serious infections, we studied the aminoglycoside resistance of Gram-negative bacteria isolated from patients with ear, urinary tract, skin, and gastrointestinal tract infections at Minia university hospital in Egypt. Escherichia coli (mainly from urinary tract and gastrointestinal tract infections) was the most prevalent isolate (28.57%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (25.7%) (mainly from ear discharge and skin infections). Isolates exhibited maximal resistance against streptomycin (83.4%), and minimal resistance against amikacin (17.7%) and intermediate degrees of resistance against neomycin, kanamycin, gentamicin, and tobramycin. Resistance to older aminoglycosides was higher than newer aminoglycosides. The most common aminoglycoside resistance phenotype was that of streptomycin resistance, present as a single phenotype or in combination, followed by kanamycin-neomycin as determined by interpretative reading. The resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were capable of producing aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes and using efflux as mechanisms of resistance. Using checkerboard titration method, the most frequently-observed outcome in combinations of aminoglycosides with β-lactams or quinolones was synergism. The most effective combination was amikacin with ciprofloxacin (100% Synergism), whereas the least effective combination was gentamicin with amoxicillin (53.3% Synergistic, 26.7% additive, and 20% indifferent FIC indices). Whereas the studied combinations were additive and indifferent against few of the tested strains, antagonism was never observed. The high resistance rates to aminoglycosides exhibited by Gram-negative bacteria in this study could be attributed to the selective pressure of aminoglycoside usage which could be controlled by successful implementation of infection control measures.     

Thymoquinone inhibits the CXCL12-induced chemotaxis of multiple myeloma cells and increases their susceptibility to Fas-mediated apoptosis

In multiple myeloma (MM), malignant plasma cells reside in the bone marrow, where they accumulate in close contact with stromal cells. The mechanisms responsible for the chemotaxis of malignant plasma cells are still poorly understood. Thus, we investigated the mechanisms involved in the chemotaxis of MDN and XG2 MM cell lines. Both cell lines strongly expressed CCR9, CXCR3 and CXCR4 chemokine receptors but only migrated toward CXCL12. Activation of CXCR4 by CXCL12 resulted in the association of CXCR4 with CD45 and activation of PLCβ3, AKT, RhoA, IκBα and ERK1/2. Using siRNA-silencing techniques, we showed CD45/CXCR4 association is essential for CXCL12-induced migration of MM cells. Thymoquinone (TQ), the major active component of the medicinal herb Nigella sativa Linn, has been described as a chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic compound. TQ treatment strongly inhibited CXCL12-mediated chemotaxis in MM cell lines as well as primary cells isolated from MM patients, but not normal PBMCs. Moreover, TQ significantly down-regulated CXCR4 expression and CXCL12-mediated CXCR4/CD45 association in MM cells. Finally, TQ also induced the relocalization of cytoplasmic Fas/CD95 to the membrane of MM cells and increased CD95-mediated apoptosis by 80%. In conclusion, we demonstrate the potent anti-myeloma activity of TQ, providing a rationale for further clinical evaluation.