Controlled/living surface-initiated ATRP of antifouling polymer brushes from gold in PBS and blood sera as a model study for polymer modifications in complex biological media

The use of PBS, 10% FBS or 10% CS as media for SI-ATRP is reported. Controlled/living SI-ATRP of MeOEGMA in PBS is achieved leading to better control than in water. The livingness is confirmed by chain extension with MeOEGMA or carboxybetaine acrylamide. This technique is successfully adopted for the polymerization of MeOEGMA in 10% FBS or CS as models for complex biological media with reasonable control of the brush growth. All prepared brushes show excellent antifouling properties.     

Quantiferon-TB Gold in tube assay for the screening of tuberculosis before and during treatment with tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonists

Introduction

The usefulness of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) release assays for tuberculosis screening before tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) antagonists and for monitoring during treatment is a contraversial issue. The aims of this study were to determine whether TNF-α antagonists affect the results of the Quantiferon-TB Gold in-tube assay (QTF); to assess how QTF performs in comparison with the tuberculin skin test (TST) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who are about to start treatment with TNF-α antagonists, RA patients who are not candidates for treatment with TNF-α antagonists, rheumatology patients with confirmed current or past tuberculosis infection, and healthy controls, and to determine the specificity of the QTF test to differentiate leprosy patients, another group of patients infected with mycobacteria.

Methods

The 38 RA patients who were prescribed TNF-α antagonists, 40 RA patients who were not considered for TNF-α antagonist use, 30 rheumatology patients with a history or new diagnosis of tuberculosis, 23 leprosy patients, and 41 healthy controls were studied. QTF and TST were done on the same day, and both were repeated after a mean of 3.6 ± 0.2 months in patients who used TNF-α antagonists.

Results

Treatment with TNF-α antagonists did not cause a significant change in the QTF or TST positivity rate (34% versus 42%; P = 0.64; and 24% versus 37%; P = 0.22). Patients with leprosy had a trend for a higher mean IFN-γ level (7.3 ± 8.0) and QTF positivity (61%) than did the other groups; however, the difference was not significant (P = 0.09 and P = 0.43).

Conclusions

Treatment with TNF-α antagonists does not seem to affect the QTF test to an appreciable degree. The higher IFN-γ levels in leprosy patients deserves further attention.     

Tree-ring growth of Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. pallasiana under different climate conditions throughout western Anatolia

Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. pallasiana (black pine) is one of the most widely grown tree in Turkey. It is the third most widely distributed tree species after Quercus L. and Pinus brutia Ten. Black pine grows in 20% of all forested areas in Turkey. In this dendroecological study, we identified the most important climate factors affecting radial growth of black pine in western Anatolia and classified its responses to climate. Twenty-eight site chronologies developed by different researchers were used in the analysis. Response functions were calculated for each chronology to identify the effect of climate on radial growth. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to sort response functions and to classify the chronologies into groups based on climate responses. The individual responses of these chronologies to temperature and precipitation were classified in four main groups. Climatic and phytogeographic differences were the major factors influencing the formation of clusters. The results suggest that the major limiting factor is drought caused by low precipitation, especially in May, in almost all sites. The drought effect is much stronger in the transition region to the steppe, Central Anatolia and Mediterranean Regions than the Black Sea Region. Black pine trees respond positively to higher temperature at the beginning of growing season in almost all areas except in transition region to the steppe.     

pH-Induced Molten Globule State of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizopus niveus</Emphasis> Lipase is More Resistant Against Thermal and Chemical Denaturation Than Its Native State

Here, we have characterized four pH-dependent states: alkaline state, “B” (pH 9.0), native state, “N” (pH 7.4), acid-induced state, “A” (pH 2.2) and molten globule state, “MG” (pH 1.8) of Rhizopus niveus lipase (RNL) by CD, tryptophanyl fluorescence, ANS binding, DLS, and enzyme activity assay. This “MG” state lacks catalytic activity and tertiary structure but it has native-like significant secondary structure. The “R _h” of all the four states of RNL obtained from DLS study suggests that the molecular compactness of the protein increases as the pH of solution decreases. Kinetic analysis of RNL shows that it has maximum catalytic efficiency at state “B” which is 15-fold higher than state “N.” The CD and tryptophanyl fluorescence studies of RNL on GuHCl and temperature-induced unfolding reveal that the “MG” state is more stable than the other states. The DSC endotherms of RNL obtained at pH 9.0, 7.4, and 2.2 were with two transitions, while at pH 1.8 it showed only a single transition.     

Discovery and use of single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers in Jatropha curcas L.

Various programs for genetic improvement in oil yield of the biofuel plant Jatropha curcas L. are currently in progress worldwide. In order to develop strategies for genetic improvement, it is important to estimate the degree of diversity at the genetic level among various genotypes of J. curcas. High-throughput sequencing of complexity-reduced nuclear genomic DNA of J. curcas coupled with computational analysis discovered 2,482 informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Genotyping of selective SNPs among 148 global collections of J. curcas lines and further diversity analysis through NTSYS-pc, DARwin and Structure?2.0 software revealed that a narrow level of genetic diversity existed among the indigenous genotypes as compared to the exotic genotypes of J. curcas. The level of marker informativeness along with distance-based and Bayesian clustering revealed grouping of the accession from Togo (Africa) with various Indian accessions at K?=?4 and K?=?5 values (where K represents the number of populations). The diverse accessions identified in the study will be of further use in genetic improvement of J. curcas through quantitative trait loci and association mapping.     

Crusted scabies; a 2-year prospective study from the Northern Territory of Australia

BackgroundScabies is listed as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization. Crusted scabies affects vulnerable and immunosuppressed individuals and is highly contagious because of the enormous number of Sarcoptes scabiei mites present in the hyperkeratotic skin. Undiagnosed and untreated crusted scabies cases can result in outbreaks of scabies in residential facilities and can also undermine the success of scabies mass drug administration programs.Methods and principal findingsCrusted scabies became a formally notifiable disease in the Northern Territory of Australia in 2016. We conducted a 2-year prospective study of crusted scabies cases notified between March 2016 and February 2018, with subsequent follow up for 22 months. Demographics, clinical and laboratory data, treatment and outcomes were analysed, with cases classified by severity of disease.Over the 2-year study period, 80 patients had 92 episodes of crusted scabies; 35 (38%) were Grade 1 crusted scabies, 36 (39%) Grade 2 and 21 (23%) Grade 3. Median age was 47 years, 47 (59%) were female, 76 (95%) Indigenous Australians and 57 (71%) from remote Indigenous communities. Half the patients were diabetic and 18 (23%) were on dialysis for end-stage kidney failure. Thirteen (16%) patients had no comorbidities, and these were more likely to have Grade 3 disease. Eosinophilia was present in 60% and high immunoglobulin E in 94%. Bacteremia occurred in 11 episodes resulting in one fatality with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Two other deaths occurred during admission and 10 others died subsequent to discharge consequent to comorbidities. Treatment generally followed the recommended guidelines, with 3, 5 or 7 doses of oral ivermectin depending on the documented grade of crusted scabies, together with daily alternating topical scabicides and topical keratolytic cream. While response to this therapy was usually excellent, there were 33 episodes of recurrent crusted scabies with the majority attributed to new infection subsequent to return to a scabies-endemic community.ConclusionsCrusted scabies can be successfully treated with aggressive guideline-based therapy, but high mortality remains from underlying comorbidities. Reinfection on return to community is common while scabies remains endemic.