Structural Brain Changes after Traditional and Robot-Assisted Multi-Domain Cognitive Training in Community-Dwelling Healthy Elderly

The purpose of this study was to investigate if multi-domain cognitive training, especially robot-assisted training, alters cortical thickness in the brains of elderly participants. A controlled trial was conducted with 85 volunteers without cognitive impairment who were 60 years old or older. Participants were first randomized into two groups. One group consisted of 48 participants who would receive cognitive training and 37 who would not receive training. The cognitive training group was randomly divided into two groups, 24 who received traditional cognitive training and 24 who received robot-assisted cognitive training. The training for both groups consisted of daily 90-min-session, five days a week for a total of 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the changes in cortical thickness. When compared to the control group, both groups who underwent cognitive training demonstrated attenuation of age related cortical thinning in the frontotemporal association cortices. When the robot and the traditional interventions were directly compared, the robot group showed less cortical thinning in the anterior cingulate cortices. Our results suggest that cognitive training can mitigate age-associated structural brain changes in the elderly.

Trial Registration

ClnicalTrials.gov NCT01596205     

Mammalian NHE2 Na(+)/H+ exchanger mediates efflux of potassium upon heterologous expression in yeast

Na(+)/H+exchangers form a broad family of transporters that mediate opposing fluxes of alkali metal cations and protons across cell membranes. They play multiple roles in different organisms (protection from toxic cations, regulation of cell volume or pH). Rat NHE2 exchanger was expressed in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant strain lacking its own exporters of alkali metal cations. Though most of the overexpressed NHE2 remained entrapped in the secretory pathway, part of it reached the plasma membrane and mediated K+ efflux from the yeast. We demonstrate for the first time that a mammalian Na(+)/H+ exchanger transports alkali metal cations in yeast in the opposite direction than in mammalian cells, and that the substrate specificity of the rat NHE2 exchanger is limited only to potassium cations upon expression in yeast cells.     

A new surface plasmon resonance sensor for high-throughput screening applications

We report a new high-throughput surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on combination of SPR imaging with polarization contrast and a spatially patterned multilayer SPR structure. We demonstrate that this approach offers numerous advantageous features including high-contrast SPR images suitable for automated computer analysis, minimum crosstalk between neighboring sensing channels and inherent compensation for light level fluctuations. Applications of a laboratory prototype of the high-throughput SPR sensor with 108 sensing channels for refractometry and biosensing are described. In refractometric experiments, the noise-limited refractive index resolution of the system has been established to be 3 x 10(-6) refractive index unit (RIU). Experimental data on detection of human choriogonadotropin (hCG) suggest that in conjunction with monoclonal antibodies against hCG, the reported SPR imaging sensor is capable of detecting hCG at concentrations lower than 500 ng/ml.     

Length of human constitutive heterochromatin in relation to chromosomal contraction

Summary Linear measurement of blocks of constitutive heterochromatin and the euchromatin portion 1q-h in three members of a family was used to study the dependence of the size of C blocks on the degree of chromosomal contraction. The results demonstrate that the size of heterochromatin portions decrease regularly with an increases of the degree of euchromatin contraction. The dependence was found to be linear, except for mitoses with an extremely high or low degree of contraction. The finding was used for the development of a new method of evaluation of constitutive heterochromatin.     

Macleya cordata and Prunella vulgaris in oral hygiene products - their efficacy in the control of gingivitis

A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed to investigate the effectiveness of a herbal-based dentifrice in the control of gingivitis. Forty volunteers completed the 84-day study. All subjects were balanced for parameters measured - plaque index (PI), community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN) and papillary bleeding index (PBI). The dentifrice was effective in reducing symptoms of gingivitis as evaluated by the CPITN and PBI indexes.     

Porphyrin depth in lipid bilayers as determined by iodide and parallax fluorescence quenching methods and its effect on photosensitizing efficiency

Photosensitization by porphyrins and other tetrapyrrole chromophores is used in biology and medicine to kill cells. This light-triggered generation of singlet oxygen is used to eradicate cancer cells in a process dubbed "photodynamic therapy," or PDT. Most photosensitizers are of amphiphilic character and they partition into cellular lipid membranes. The photodamage that they inflict to the host cell is mainly localized in membrane proteins. This photosensitized damage must occur in competition with the rapid diffusion of singlet oxygen through the lipid phase and its escape into the aqueous phase. In this article we show that the extent of damage can be modulated by employing modified hemato- and protoporphyrins, which have alkyl spacers of varying lengths between the tetrapyrrole ring and the carboxylate groups that are anchored at the lipid/water interface. The chromophore part of the molecule, and the point of generation of singlet oxygen, is thus located at a deeper position in the bilayer. The photosensitization efficiency was measured with 9,10-dimethylanthracene, a fluorescent chemical target for singlet oxygen. The vertical insertion of the sensitizers was assessed by two fluorescence-quenching techniques: by iodide ions that come from the aqueous phase; and by spin-probe-labeled phospholipids, that are incorporated into the bilayer, using the parallax method. These methods also show that temperature has a small effect on the depth when the membrane is in the liquid phase. However, when the bilayer undergoes a phase transition to the solid gel phase, the porphyrins are extruded toward the water interface as the temperature is lowered. These results, together with a previous publication in this journal, represent a unique and precedental case where the vertical location of a small molecule in a membrane has an effect on its membranal activity.     

Structural protein analysis of the polyvalent staphylococcal bacteriophage 812

Phage 812 is a polyvalent phage with a very broad host range in the genus Staphylococcus, which makes it a suitable candidate for phage therapy of staphylococcal infections. This proteomic study, combining the results of both 1-DE and 2-DE followed by PMF, led to the identification of 24 virion proteins. Twenty new proteins, not yet identified by proteome analysis of closely related staphylococcal phages K and G1 were identified using this approach. Fifteen proteins were assigned unambiguously to the head-tail genome module; the remaining nine proteins are encoded by genes of the left or right arms of the phage genome. As expected, the most abundant proteins in the electrophoretic patterns are the major capsid protein, the major tail sheath protein and proteins identical to ORF 50 and ORF 95 of phage K, although their function is only putative. Identification of these 20 new proteins contributes substantially to a detailed characterization of phage virions, knowledge of which is necessary for rational phage therapy.     

Predictive markers of safety and immunogenicity of adjuvanted vaccines

Vaccination represents one of the greatest public health triumphs; in part due to the effect of adjuvants that have been included in vaccine preparations to boost the immune responses through different mechanisms. Although a variety of novel adjuvants have been under development, only a limited number have been approved by regulatory authorities for human vaccines. This report reflects the conclusions of a group of scientists from academia, regulatory agencies and industry who attended a conference on the current state of the art in the adjuvant field. Held at the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) in Rockville, Maryland, USA, from 18 to 19 April 2013 and organized by the International Association for Biologicals (IABS), the conference focused particularly on the future development of effective adjuvants and adjuvanted vaccines and on overcoming major hurdles, such as safety and immunogenicity assessment, as well as regulatory scrutiny. More information on the conference output can be found on the IABS website, http://www.iabs.org/.     

Genetic engineering of cytokinin metabolism: Prospective way to improve agricultural traits of crop plants

Cytokinins (CKs) are ubiquitous phytohormones that participate in development, morphogenesis and many physiological processes throughout plant kingdom. In higher plants, mutants and transgenic cells and tissues with altered activity of CK metabolic enzymes or perception machinery, have highlighted their crucial involvement in different agriculturally important traits, such as productivity, increased tolerance to various stresses and overall plant morphology. Furthermore, recent precise metabolomic analyses have elucidated the specific occurrence and distinct functions of different CK types in various plant species. Thus, smooth manipulation of active CK levels in a spatial and temporal way could be a very potent tool for plant biotechnology in the future. This review summarises recent advances in cytokinin research ranging from transgenic alteration of CK biosynthetic, degradation and glucosylation activities and CK perception to detailed elucidation of molecular processes, in which CKs work as a trigger in model plants. The first attempts to improve the quality of crop plants, focused on cereals are discussed, together with proposed mechanism of action of the responses involved.     

The Presence and Localization of Melatonin Receptors in the Rat Aorta

Melatonin is involved in blood pressure modulation in rats and humans. Some of the effects of melatonin are presumably mediated via two G-protein-coupled receptors (MT₁ and MT₂), but the distribution of MT₁ and MT₂ in the cardiovascular system remains to be explored comprehensively. We investigated the expression of both the receptors in the rat aorta on mRNA level by RT-PCR and real time RT-PCR as well as on protein level via western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy. We verified MT₁ mRNA expression in the rat aorta and demonstrated the absence of MT₂ mRNA in this vessel type. MT₁ receptors were confirmed also at the protein level, and surprisingly they were preferentially localized to the tunica adventitia. Since no daily changes in MT₁ mRNA expression were detected, we suppose that the circadian changes in circulating melatonin concentrations are sufficient to mediate circadian effects of melatonin in the aorta. The localization of MT₁ in the tunica adventitia suggests an influence of melatonin on vasa vasorum function and signal transduction in the aorta wall.