Classification and lateralization of temporal lobe epilepsies with and without hippocampal atrophy based on whole-brain automatic MRI segmentation

Brain images contain information suitable for automatically sorting subjects into categories such as healthy controls and patients. We sought to identify morphometric criteria for distinguishing controls (n = 28) from patients with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), 60 with and 20 without hippocampal atrophy (TLE-HA and TLE-N, respectively), and for determining the presumed side of seizure onset. The framework employs multi-atlas segmentation to estimate the volumes of 83 brain structures. A kernel-based separability criterion was then used to identify structures whose volumes discriminate between the groups. Next, we applied support vector machines (SVM) to the selected set for classification on the basis of volumes. We also computed pairwise similarities between all subjects and used spectral analysis to convert these into per-subject features. SVM was again applied to these feature data. After training on a subgroup, all TLE-HA patients were correctly distinguished from controls, achieving an accuracy of 96 ± 2% in both classification schemes. For TLE-N patients, the accuracy was 86 ± 2% based on structural volumes and 91 ± 3% using spectral analysis. Structures discriminating between patients and controls were mainly localized ipsilaterally to the presumed seizure focus. For the TLE-HA group, they were mainly in the temporal lobe; for the TLE-N group they included orbitofrontal regions, as well as the ipsilateral substantia nigra. Correct lateralization of the presumed seizure onset zone was achieved using hippocampi and parahippocampal gyri in all TLE-HA patients using either classification scheme; in the TLE-N patients, lateralization was accurate based on structural volumes in 86 ± 4%, and in 94 ± 4% with the spectral analysis approach. Unilateral TLE has imaging features that can be identified automatically, even when they are invisible to human experts. Such morphometric image features may serve as classification and lateralization criteria. The technique also detects unsuspected distinguishing features like the substantia nigra, warranting further study.     

Amyloid fibrils as functionalizable components of nanocomposite materials

Amyloid fibrils are a form of protein nanofiber that show promise as components of multifunctional bionanomaterials. In this work, native bovine insulin and bovine insulin that had been previously converted into amyloid fibrils were combined with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) via solution casting to determine the effect of fibrillization on the thermomechanical properties of the resulting composite. The synthesis method was found to preserve the amyloid fibril structure and properties of the resulting fibril-PVOH composite were investigated. At a filling level of 0.6 wt %, the fibril-reinforced PVOH was 15% stiffer than the PVOH control. Various properties of the films, including the glass transition temperature, degradation temperature, microstructure, and film morphology were characterized. Although more work is required to optimize the properties of the composites, this study provides proof of principle that incorporation of amyloid fibrils into a polymeric material can impart useful changes to the mechanical and morphological properties of the films.     

Isolation and antimicrobial evaluation of isomeric hydroxy ketones in leaf cuticular waxes of Annona squamosa

A novel natural compound, 11-hydroxy-16-hentriacontanone, has been isolated from the leaf cuticular wax of Annona squamosa along with its known isomer 10-hydroxy-16-hentriacontanone in a ratio of 67:33. This isomeric mixture of hydroxy ketones constituted together 16.5% of the total cuticular waxes. The new compound was characterised using spectral and chromatographic techniques. The major component was found to be 16-hentriacontanone (palmitone), which constituted up to 48% of the total cuticular wax, together with a homologous series of hydrocarbons, fatty aldehydes, fatty alcohols, fatty acids and sterols as minor components. The antimicrobial activity of the isomeric hydroxy ketones was tested against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, and also some selected fungal strains, and compared with palmitone. The antibacterial activity of palmitone was significantly higher than that of the isomeric hydroxy ketones, but their antifungal activities were comparable.     

Viral 3CLpro as a Target for Antiviral Intervention Using Milk-Derived Bioactive Peptides

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Viruses of the picornavirus-like supercluster mainly achieve cleavage of polyproteins into mature proteins through viral 3-chymotrypsin...     

Delay in Apoptosome Formation Attenuates Apoptosis in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation

Differentiation is an inseparable process of development in multicellular organisms. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) represent a valuable research tool to conduct in vitro studies of cell differentiation. Apoptosis as a well known cell death mechanism shows some common features with cell differentiation, which has caused a number of ambiguities in the field. The research question here is how cells could differentiate these two processes from each other. We have investigated the role of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and cell energy level during differentiation of mESCs into the cardiomyocytes and their apoptosis. p53 expression, cytochrome c release, apoptosome formation, and caspase-3/7 activation are observed upon induction of both apoptosis and differentiation. However, remarkable differences are detected in time of cytochrome c appearance, apoptosome formation, and caspase activity upon induction of both processes. In apoptosis, apoptosome formation and caspase activity were observed rapidly following the cytochrome c release. Unlike apoptosis, the release of cytochrome c upon differentiation took more time, and the maximum caspase activity was also postponed for 24 h. This delay suggests that there is a regulatory mechanism during differentiation of mESCs into cardiomyocytes. The highest ATP content of cells was observed immediately after cytochrome c release 6 h after apoptosis induction and then decreased, but it was gradually increased up to 48 h after differentiation. These observations suggest that a delay in the release of cytochrome c or delay in ATP increase attenuate apoptosome formation, and caspase activation thereby discriminates apoptosis from differentiation in mESCs.     

Major antifungal activity from the bulbs of Indian squill Urginea indica is a chitinase

We have identified a chitinase with antifungal activity in the bulbs of the plant Urginea indica(Indian squill) and purified it about 26-fold. The purified preparation contained a Mr 29 kDa protein that was an active growth inhibitor of the fungal pathogens Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani in an in vitro assay. Amino acid sequence analysis of the Mr 29 kDa protein revealed it to be highly homologous to the family 19 glycoside hydrolases, which are known to possess chitinase activity. The U. indica chitinase lacked a cysteine-rich N-terminal domain (characteristic of class I chitinases) and contained a conserved motif indicative of the signature 1 of family 19 glycoside hydrolases. It shared a approximately 70% sequence identity with the 26 kDa endochitinase of Hordeum vulgare, a typical class II chitinase of family 19. The five cysteines in the partial sequence of the Mr 29 kDa chitinase were found to be identical in location to five of the seven cysteines present in the catalytic domain of the H. vulgare enzyme. The molecular weight, the lack of an N-terminal cysteine-rich sequence, and the striking identity to the H. vulgare endochitinase suggest that the Mr 29 kDa U. indica protein is a putative class II chitinase. The antifungal activity is presumably mediated through the chitinolytic activity of the Mr 29 kDa protein.