MKP-2: out of the DUSP-bin and back into the limelight

The MKPs (mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatases) are a family of at least ten DUSPs (dual-specificity phosphatases) which function to terminate the activity of the MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases). Several members have already been demonstrated to have distinct roles in immune function, cancer, fetal development and metabolic disorders. One DUSP of renewed interest is the inducible nuclear phosphatase MKP-2, which dephosphorylates both ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) and JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) in vitro. Recently, the understanding of MKP-2 function has been advanced due to the development of mouse knockout models, which has resulted in the discovery of novel roles for MKP-2 in the regulation of sepsis, infection and cell-cycle progression that are distinct from those of other DUSPs. However, many functions for MKP-2 still await to be characterized.     

Shear and extensional rheology of cellulose/ionic liquid solutions

In this study, we characterize the shear and extensional rheology of dilute to semidilute solutions of cellulose in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIAc). In steady shear flow, the semidilute solutions exhibit shear thinning, and the high-frequency complex modulus measured in small amplitude oscillatory shear flow exhibits the characteristic scaling expected for solutions of semiflexible chains. Flow curves of the steady shear viscosity plotted against shear rate closely follow the frequency dependence of the complex viscosity acquired using oscillatory shear, thus satisfying the empirical Cox-Merz rule. We use capillary thinning rheometry (CaBER) to characterize the relaxation times and apparent extensional viscosities of the semidilute cellulose solutions in a uniaxial extensional flow that mimics the dynamics encountered in the spin-line during fiber spinning processes. The apparent extensional viscosity and characteristic relaxation times of the semidilute cellulose/EMIAc solutions increase dramatically as the solutions enter the entangled concentration regime at which fiber spinning becomes viable.     

Effect of Flexible Sigmoidoscopy-Based Screening on Incidence and Mortality of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have yielded varying estimates of the benefit of flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening for colorectal cancer (CRC). Our objective was to more precisely estimate the effect of FS-based screening on the incidence and mortality of CRC by performing a meta-analysis of published RCTs.

Methods and Findings

Medline and Embase databases were searched for eligible articles published between 1966 and 28 May 2012. After screening 3,319 citations and 29 potentially relevant articles, two reviewers identified five RCTs evaluating the effect of FS screening on the incidence and mortality of CRC. The reviewers independently extracted relevant data; discrepancies were resolved by consensus. The quality of included studies was assessed using criteria set out by the Evidence-Based Gastroenterology Steering Group. Random effects meta-analysis was performed.The five RCTs meeting eligibility criteria were determined to be of high methodologic quality and enrolled 416,159 total subjects. Four European studies compared FS to no screening and one study from the United States compared FS to usual care. By intention to treat analysis, FS-based screening was associated with an 18% relative risk reduction in the incidence of CRC (0.82, 95% CI 0.73–0.91, p<0.001, number needed to screen [NNS] to prevent one case of CRC = 361), a 33% reduction in the incidence of left-sided CRC (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.59–0.76, p<0.001, NNS = 332), and a 28% reduction in the mortality of CRC (relative risk [RR] 0.72, 95% CI 0.65–0.80, p<0.001, NNS = 850). The efficacy estimate, the amount of benefit for those who actually adhered to the recommended treatment, suggested that FS screening reduced CRC incidence by 32% (p<0.001), and CRC-related mortality by 50% (p<0.001).Limitations of this meta-analysis include heterogeneity in the design of the included trials, absence of studies from Africa, Asia, or South America, and lack of studies comparing FS with colonoscopy or stool-based testing.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials demonstrates that FS-based screening significantly reduces the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer in average-risk patients. Please see later in the article for the Editors'' Summary     

Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance-Based Fiber Optic U-Shaped Biosensor for the Detection of Blood Glucose

In the present study, we report the first fiber optic glucose sensor utilizing localized surface plasmon resonance of metal nanoparticles. The fiber was bent in the form of a U-shaped probe for point detection and sensitivity enhancement. The probe was prepared by first attaching gold nanoparticles on the optical fiber core and then immobilizing glucose oxidase over it. The sensor operates in the intensity modulation scheme in which the absorbance is measured with respect to the changes in the glucose concentration. The presence of glucose in the vicinity of the sensing region changes the refractive index of the film due to the chemical reactions with glucose oxidase. The absorbance of the metal nanoparticle changes significantly due to local refractive index change. The fiber optic U-shaped probes of different bending radii were fabricated and it has been found that the probe with bending radius around 0.982?mm possesses the maximum sensitivity. The response of the sensor is fast and requires very small volume of sensing sample (??150???l) which makes it more suitable for commercialization and better than present commercial sensors, which require about 1.5?ml of blood for the detection of glucose.     

Molecular Characterization of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L) Cultivars using RAPD and ISSR Markers

Molecular characterization of 19 advanced cultivars and landraces of brinjal was carried out using RAPD and ISSR markers. Twenty-nine RAPD primers generated a total of 240 amplified fragments, while 23 anchored and non-anchored ISSR primers produced 299 fragments. Of these, 66 (27.5%) RAPD and 56 (18.73%) ISSR fragments were polymorphic. All the cultivars could be distinguished based on RAPD and/or ISSR profiles. A set of two RAPD primers, OPW 11 and OPX 07, was adequate to distinguish all the 19 cultivars. On the other hand, a minimum of ten ISSR primers were required to achieve the same result. Eleven cultivars could be identified by the unique presence or absence of one to four markers. The correlation between primer Rp and the number of cultivars distinguished by RAPD was r = 0.873, while that for ISSR it was r = 0.327. The correlation between PIC of primer and the number of cultivars distinguished was r = 0.324 for RAPD, while for ISSR primers it was r = ? 0.066. The probability of chance identity between two cultivars for RAPD and ISSR markers was calculated as 8.94×10^?4 and 2.25×10^?2, respectively. The average Jaccard’s similarity coefficient between cultivars based on combined RAPD and ISSR data was estimated to be 0.919. The UPGMA analysis grouped the cultivars into three main clusters with significant bootstrap support. While the cultivars bred at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi formed one sub-cluster; others did not show a prominent region-based clustering.     

Root nodule bacteria isolated from South African <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lotononis bainesii,L. listii</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">L. solitudinis</Emphasis> are species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Methylobacterium</Emphasis> that are unable to utilize methanol

The South African legumes Lotononis bainesii, L. listii and L. solitudinis are specifically nodulated by highly effective, pink-pigmented bacteria that are most closely related to Methylobacterium nodulans on the basis of 16S rRNA gene homology. Methylobacterium spp. are characterized by their ability to utilize methanol and other C₁ compounds, but 11 Lotononis isolates neither grew on methanol as a sole carbon source nor were able to metabolize it. No product was obtained for PCR amplification of mxaF, the gene encoding the large subunit of methanol dehydrogenase. Searches for methylotrophy genes in the sequenced genome of Methylobacterium sp. 4-46, isolated from L. bainesii, indicate that the inability to utilize methanol may be due to the absence of the mxa operon. While methylotrophy appears to contribute to the effectiveness of the Crotalaria/M. nodulans symbiosis, our results indicate that the ability to utilize methanol is not a factor in the Lotononis/Methylobacterium symbiosis.     

4-phenyldiazenyl 2-(phenylimino methyl) phenols; synthesis and in-vitro biological evaluation as potential antibacterial agents

A new series of 4-phenyldiazenyl 2-(phenylimino methyl) phenols were synthesized by the condensation of 5-[(2-chloro phenyl) diazenyl] 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde with different substituted aromatic amines and sulphonamides. All the synthesized compounds were screened in-vitro for their antibacterial activity against different human pathogens viz: B. anthracis, E.coli, S. aureus, S. typhimurium, and P. aeruginosa using disk diffusion assay. All the compounds exhibited considerable inhibition against the bacteria tested.