Bioactive thin film of acidic fibroblast growth factor fabricated by layer-by-layer assembly

A new class of bioactive thin films using growth factors as building blocks has been fabricated via layer-by-layer assembly (LBL) technique. Acid fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) in the presence of heparin was used as negatively charged polyelectrolytes, while poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) was chosen as a positively charged counterpart. The self-deposition process and surface morphology of the resultant multilayers were monitored and detected by UV-vis absorbance spectra, advanced contact angle measurements, and scanning force microscopy (SFM) observations. Cell culture was performed to assess the efficiency of the growth factors. The fibroblasts proliferated faster on the surface assembled with five bilayers of (aFGF/heparin)/PEI with apparent higher cytoviability than on those surfaces modified by one bilayer of (aFGF/heparin)/PEI, five bilayers of aFGF/PEI, or five bilayers of heparin/PEI, and tissue culture polystyrene. Enhanced secretion of collagen type I and interleukin 6 (IL-6) by the fibroblasts seeded on the five bilayers of (aFGF/heparin)/PEI was also verified by immunohistochemical examination. The bioactivity of the (aFGF/heparin)/PEI multilayers could be largely preserved when stored at -20 degrees C.     

Stepwise sRNA targeting of structured bacterial mRNAs leads to abortive annealing

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RBM10 inhibits cell proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma via RAP1/AKT/CREB signalling pathway

Initial functional studies have demonstrated that RNA‐binding motif protein 10 (RBM10) can promote apoptosis and suppress cell proliferation; however, the results of several studies suggest a tumour‐promoting role for RBM10. Herein, we assessed the involvement of RBM10 in lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation and explored the potential molecular mechanism. We found that, both in vitro and in vivo, RBM10 overexpression suppresses lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation, while its knockdown enhances cell proliferation. Using complementary DNA microarray analysis, we previously found that RBM10 overexpression induces significant down‐regulation of RAP1A expression. In this study, we have confirmed that RBM10 decreases the activation of RAP1 and found that EPAC stimulation and inhibition can abolish the effects of RBM10 knockdown and overexpression, respectively, and regulate cell growth. This effect of RBM10 on proliferation was independent of the MAPK/ERK and P38/MAPK signalling pathways. We found that RBM10 reduces the phosphorylation of CREB via the AKT signalling pathway, suggesting that RBM10 exhibits its effect on lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation via the RAP1/AKT/CREB signalling pathway.     

Relationships between Training Load,Salivary Cortisol Responses and Performance during Season Training in Middle and Long Distance Runners

Purpose

Monitoring training from a multifactorial point of view is of great importance in elite endurance athletes. This study aims to analyze the relationships between indicators of training load, hormonal status and neuromuscular performance, and to compare these values with competition performance, in elite middle and long-distance runners.

Method

Fifteen elite middle and long-distance runners (12 men, 3 women; age = 26.3±5.1 yrs) were measured for training volume, training zone and session rate of perceived exertion (RPE) (daily), countermovement jump (CMJ) and salivary free cortisol (weekly) for 39 weeks (i.e., the whole season). Competition performance was also observed throughout the study, registering the season best and worst competitions.

Results

Season average salivary free cortisol concentrations correlate significantly with CMJ (r = −0.777) and RPE (r = 0.551). Also, weekly averages of CMJ significantly correlates with RPE (r = −0.426), distance run (r = −0.593, p<0.001) and training zone (r = 0.437, p<0.05). Finally, it was found that the CMJ (+8.5%, g = 0.65) and the RPE (−17.6%, g = 0.94) measured the week before the best competition performance of the season were significantly different compared with the measurement conducted the week before the season’s worst competition performance.

Conclusions

Monitoring weekly measurements of CMJ and RPE could be recommended to control training process of such athletes in a non-invasive, field-based, systematic way.     

Cellulosomics, a gene-centric approach to investigating the intraspecific diversity and adaptation of Ruminococcus flavefaciens within the rumen

Background

The bovine rumen maintains a diverse microbial community that serves to break down indigestible plant substrates. However, those bacteria specifically adapted to degrade cellulose, the major structural component of plant biomass, represent a fraction of the rumen microbiome. Previously, we proposed scaC as a candidate for phylotyping Ruminococcus flavefaciens, one of three major cellulolytic bacterial species isolated from the rumen. In the present report we examine the dynamics and diversity of scaC-types both within and between cattle temporally, following a dietary switch from corn-silage to grass-legume hay. These results were placed in the context of the overall bacterial population dynamics measured using the 16S rRNA.

Principal Findings

As many as 117 scaC-types were estimated, although just nineteen were detected in each of three rumens tested, and these collectively accounted for the majority of all types present. Variation in scaC populations was observed between cattle, between planktonic and fiber-associated fractions and temporally over the six-week survey, and appeared related to scaC phylogeny. However, by the sixth week no significant separation of scaC populations was seen between animals, suggesting enrichment of a constrained set of scaC-types. Comparing the amino-acid translation of each scaC-type revealed sequence variation within part of the predicted dockerin module but strong conservation in the N-terminus, where the cohesin module is located.

Conclusions

The R. flavefaciens species comprises a multiplicity of scaC-types in-vivo. Enrichment of particular scaC-types temporally, following a dietary switch, and between fractions along with the phylogenetic congruence suggests that functional differences exist between types. Observed differences in dockerin modules suggest at least part of the functional heterogeneity may be conferred by scaC. The polymorphic nature of scaC enables the relative distribution of R. flavefaciens strains to be examined and represents a gene-centric approach to investigating the intraspecific adaptation of an important specialist population.     

Conformational properties of N-acetyl-L-alanine N',N'-dimethylamide

Ab initio/DFT analysis of the conformational properties of free Ac-Ala-NMe(2) (N-acetyl-L-alanine-N',N'-dimethylamide) in terms of the N-H.O, N-H.N, C-H.O hydrogen bonds and C(delta+) = O(delta-) dipole attractions was performed. The Ala residue combined with the C-terminal tertiary amide prefers an extended conformation and that characteristic of the (i + 1)th position of the betaVIb turn. These can be easily remodelled into a structure compatible with the (i + 1)th position of the betaII/betaVIa turn. The residue has also the potential to adopt the conformation accommodated at both central positions of the betaIII/betaIII' turn or the (i + 1)th position of the betaI/beta'I turn.