Personalized pathology test for Cardio-vascular disease: Approximate Bayesian computation with discriminative summary statistics learning

Cardio/cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) have become one of the major health issue in our societies. But recent studies show that the present pathology tests to detect CVD are ineffectual as they do not consider different stages of platelet activation or the molecular dynamics involved in platelet interactions and are incapable to consider inter-individual variability. Here we propose a stochastic platelet deposition model and an inferential scheme to estimate the biologically meaningful model parameters using approximate Bayesian computation with a summary statistic that maximally discriminates between different types of patients. Inferred parameters from data collected on healthy volunteers and different patient types help us to identify specific biological parameters and hence biological reasoning behind the dysfunction for each type of patients. This work opens up an unprecedented opportunity of personalized pathology test for CVD detection and medical treatment.     

Dietary factors affecting the urinary mutagenicity assay system. II. The absence of mutagenic activity in human urine following consumption of red wine or grape juice

The mutagenic activity of urine samples from nonsmoking individuals before and after the consumption of either red wine or grape juice was determined. Urine samples collected from individuals on liquid or regular diets were concentrated using XAD-2 resin. No mutagenic activity of urine concentrates was detected with Salmonella tester strains TA98 or TA100 with or without microsomal activation. The addition of 1000 units of beta-glucuronidase into the agar overlay did not show any mutagenic activity. The mutagens in red wine and grape juice, however, were extracted using the XAD-2 column. Concentrates of urine samples spiked with either of the two extracts exhibited mutagenic activity.     

Study of modifiers factors associated to mitochondrial mutations in individuals with hearing impairment

Hearing impairment is the most prevalent sensorial deficit in the general population. Congenital deafness occurs in about 1 in 1000 live births, of which approximately 50% has hereditary cause in development countries. Non-syndromic deafness can be caused by mutations in both nuclear and mitochondrial genes. Mutations in mtDNA have been associated with aminoglycoside-induced and non-syndromic deafness in many families worldwide. However, the nuclear background influences the phenotypic expression of these pathogenic mutations. Indeed, it has been proposed that nuclear modifier genes modulate the phenotypic manifestation of the mitochondrial A1555G mutation in the MTRNR1 gene. The both putative nuclear modifiers genes TRMU and MTO1 encoding a highly conserved mitochondrial related to tRNA modification. It has been hypothesizes that human TRMU and also MTO1 nuclear genes may modulate the phenotypic manifestation of deafness-associated mitochondrial mutations. The aim of this work was to elucidate the contribution of mitochondrial mutations, nuclear modifier genes mutations and aminoglycoside exposure in the deafness phenotype. Our findings suggest that the genetic background of individuals may play an important role in the pathogenesis of deafness-associated with mitochondrial mutation and aminoglycoside-induced.     

Physiological Aspects of Melon (Cucumis melo L.) as a Function of Salinity

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - This study evaluated the effect of saline water irrigation (4.5 dS m−1) on growth, gas exchange and mineral nutrient content in eight melon accessions and...     

Trypanocidal activity of a new pterocarpan and other secondary metabolites of plants from Northeastern Brazil flora

Two hundred fifteen compounds isolated from plants of Northeastern Brazil flora have been assayed against epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi, using the tetrazolium salt MTT as an alternative method. Eight compounds belonging to four different species: Harpalyce brasiliana (Fabaceae), Acnistus arborescens and Physalis angulata (Solanaceae), and Cordia globosa (Boraginaceae) showed significant activity. Among them, a novel and a known pterocarpan, a chalcone, four withasteroids, and a meroterpene benzoquinone were the represented chemical classes.     

Improvement in the bleaching of kraft pulp with xylanase from Penicillium crustosum FP 11 isolated from the Atlantic forest

Xylanase produced from the newly isolated Penicillium crustosum FP 11 and its potential in the prebleaching of kraft pulp were evaluated using a statistical approach. A Plackett–Burman design (PBD) was carried out to select the significant variables of the medium, these being NaNO₃, KH₂PO₄, MgSO₄, KCl, Fe₂(SO₄)₃, yeast extract, corn stover, and initial pH, in a liquid culture under static conditions for 6 d at 28?°C. Statistical analysis with a central composite design and response surface methodology showed that 0.15% (w/v) KH₂PO₄, 2% (w/v) corn stover, and an initial pH of 6.0 provided the best conditions for xylanase production. Furthermore, xylanase from P. crustosum FP 11 was effective in the bleaching of Eucalyptus kraft pulp, with a significant kappa efficiency of 35.04%. Therefore, the newly isolated P. crustosum FP 11 from the Atlantic Forest biome in Brazil showed two advantages: xylanase production with agricultural residue (corn stover) as a carbon source and an improvement in the bleaching of kraft pulp. Environmental pollution could thus be minimized because of a reduction in the use of chlorine as a bleaching agent.