Translational regulation in the anoxic turtle, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trachemys scripta elegans</Emphasis>

Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and 3rd most common cause of cancer-related death. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents more than 90% of primary liver cancer and is a major public health problem. Due to the advanced stages of HCC at the time of diagnosis, utilizing the conventional treatment for solid tumors frequently ends with treatment failure, recurrence, or poor survival. HCC is highly refractory to chemotherapy and other systemic treatments, and locoregional therapies or selective internal radiation therapies are largely palliative. Considering how the pathogenesis of HCC often induces an immunosuppressed state which is further amplified by post-treatment recurrence and reactivation, immunostimulation provides a potential novel approach for the treatment of HCC. Immune response(s) of the body may be potentiated by immunomodulation of various effector cells such as B-cells, T-cells, Treg cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, and other antigen-presenting cells; cellular components such as genes and microRNA; and molecules such as proteins, proteoglycans, surface receptors, chemokines, and cytokines. Targeting these effectors individually has helped in the development of newer therapeutic approaches; however, combinational therapies targeting multi-faceted biomarkers have yielded better results. Still, there is a need for further research to develop novel therapeutic strategies which may act as either complementary or an alternative treatment to the standard therapy protocols of HCC. This review focuses on potential cellular and molecular targets, as well as the role of virotherapy and combinational therapy in the treatment of HCC.     

American and korean ginseng tissue cultures: Growth,chemical analysis,and plantlet production

Summary Roots, stems, or leaves of American (Panax quinquefolium) and Korean (Panax ginsing) ginseng were grown as callus or supension tissue cultures. Tissue cultures ofP. ginseng would occasionally form plantlets. The fundamental chemical composition, inorganic analysis, and saponin (panaquilin) content of American and Korean ginseng plants and tissue cultures were determined. The crude saponin content is very similar to, but approximately one-half (1.3%, fresh weight) of that present in ginseng roots. Two-dimensional thin layer chromatographic analysis revealed minor differences in the panaquilins present in American and Korean ginseng tissue cultures. The sapogenin, panaxadiol, was isolated from Korean ginseng callus.     

Ground wētā in vines of the Awatere Valley,Marlborough: biology,density and distribution

The endemic New Zealand ground wētā (Hemiandrus sp. ‘promontorius’) has a Naturally Uncommon conservation status. This is because of the paucity of information on its density and distribution. Here, the biology, density and distribution of a population of this wētā found in and around vineyards in the Awatere Valley, Marlborough was studied. Wētā density was assessed in vineyards, paddocks and shrublands in this valley. Soil moisture, penetration resistance, pH and organic matter were recorded at locations with and without wētā. Wētā density in vineyards was significantly higher than in either paddocks or shrub habitats. In vineyards, the density of this insect was significantly higher under-vines than in the inter-rows. Higher numbers of this wētā were found in moist soils that required lower force to burrow. Females laid an average of 55 eggs between March and April, which hatched in September. These findings highlight the intersection between agriculture and conservation.     

Haplotyping cryptic Adélie penguin taxa using low-cost,high-resolution melt curves

Distinguishing morphologically cryptic taxa, by definition, requires genetic data such as DNA sequences. However, DNA sequences may not be obtained easily for taxa from remote sites. Here we provide the details of a high-resolution melt-curve-based method using taxon-specific primers that can distinguish two taxa of Adélie penguins, and that will be usable in Antarctica when combined with some of the newly developed field-deployable thermal cyclers. We suggest that the wider adoption of field-deployable polymerase-chain-reaction-based techniques will enable faster assignation of haplotype to individuals in situ, and so allow the targeting of observations and sample collection to specimens relevant to the research question. Targeting individuals will also reduce the need to repeatedly handle animals and reduce the time and travel required to complete field work.     

The abundance of an invasive freshwater snail Tarebia granifera (Lamarck, 1822) in the Nseleni River,South Africa

The invasive freshwater snail Tarebia granifera (Lamarck, 1822) was first reported in South Africa in 1999 and it has become widespread across the country, with some evidence to suggest that it reduces benthic macroinvertebrate biodiversity. The current study aimed to identify the primary abiotic drivers behind abundance patterns of T. granifera, by comparing the current abundance of the snail in three different regions, and at three depths, of the highly modified Nseleni River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Tarebia granifera was well established throughout the Nseleni River system, with an overall preference for shallow waters and seasonal temporal patterns of abundance. Although it is uncertain what the ecological impacts of the snail in this system are, its high abundances suggest that it should be controlled where possible and prevented from invading other systems in the region.     

Different domains of the UBL-UBA ubiquitin receptor, Ddi1/Vsm1, are involved in its multiple cellular roles

Ddi1/Vsm1 is an ubiquitin receptor involved in regulation of the cell cycle and late secretory pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ddi1 possesses three domains: an NH(2)-terminal ubiquitin-like domain (UBL), a COOH-terminal ubiquitin-associated domain (UBA), and a retroviral aspartyl-protease domain (RVP). Here, we demonstrate the domains involved in homodimerization, checkpoint regulation, localization, and t-SNARE binding. The RVP domain is required for protein homodimerization, whereas the UBL and UBA domains are required for rescue of the pds1-128 checkpoint mutant and enrichment of GFP-Ddi1 in the nucleus. A mutation in aspartate-220, which is necessary for putative aspartyl-protease function, abolished the rescue of pds1-128 cells but not homodimerization. Thus, Ddi1 catalytic activity may be required for checkpoint regulation. The Sso1 t-SNARE-interacting domain maps to residues 344-395 and undergoes phosphorylation on threonines T346 and T348. T348 is necessary for Sso binding, and phosphorylation is important for function, because mutations that lessen phosphorylation (e.g., Ddi1(T346A), Ddi1(T348A)) are unable to facilitate growth of the sec9-4 t-SNARE mutant. In contrast, the overproduction of phosphorylatable forms of Ddi1 (e.g., Ddi1, Ddi1(S341A)) rescue the growth of sec9-4 cells similar to Sso1 overproduction. Thus, Ddi1 participates in multiple cellular processes via its different domains and phosphorylation may regulate exocytic functions.     

Implementation of an insecticide-treated net subsidy scheme under a public-private partnership for malaria control in Tanzania – challenges in implementation

Background

In the past decade there has been increasing visibility of malaria control efforts at the national and international levels. The factors that have enhanced this scenario are the availability of proven interventions such as artemisinin-based combination therapy, the wide scale use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and a renewed emphasis in indoor residual house-spraying. Concurrently, there has been a window of opportunity of financial commitments from organizations such as the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), the President's Malaria Initiative and the World Bank Booster programme.

Methods

The case study uses the health policy analysis framework to analyse the implementation of a public-private partnership approach embarked upon by the government of Tanzania in malaria control – 'The Tanzania National Voucher Scheme'- and in this synthesis, emphasis is on the challenges faced by the scheme during the pre-implementation (2001 – 2004) and implementation phases (2004 – 2005). Qualitative research tools used include: document review, interview with key informants, stakeholder's analysis, force-field analysis, time line of events, policy characteristic analysis and focus group discussions. The study is also complemented by a cross-sectional survey, which was conducted at the Rufiji Health Demographic Surveillance Site, where a cohort of women of child-bearing age were followed up regarding access and use of ITNs.

Results

The major challenges observed include: the re-introduction of taxes on mosquito nets and related products, procurement and tendering procedures in the implementation of the GFATM, and organizational arrangements and free delivery of mosquito nets through a Presidential initiative.

Conclusion

The lessons gleaned from this synthesis include: (a) the consistency of the stakeholders with a common vision, was an important strength in overcoming obstacles, (b) senior politicians often steered the policy agenda when the policy in question was a 'crisis event', the stakes and the visibility were high, (c) national stakeholders in policy making have an advantage in strengthening alliances with international organizations, where the latter can become extremely influential in solving bottlenecks as the need arises, and (d) conflict can be turned into an opportunity, for example the Presidential initiative has inadvertently provided Tanzania with important lessons in the organization of 'catch-up' campaigns.