Targeted mutagenesis of two homologous ATP-binding cassette subfamily G (ABCG) genes in tomato confers resistance to parasitic weed Phelipanche aegyptiaca

Journal of Plant Research - Phelipanche aegyptiaca and Orobanche spp. are obligate plant root-parasitic weeds that cause extensive damage in agricultural crop plants. Their germination requires...     

Investigating the association between rs6983267 polymorphism and susceptibility to gastrointestinal cancers in Iranian population

Molecular Biology Reports - Genome-wide association studies have revealed that some single nucleotide polymorphisms at 8q24, such as rs6983267, might be effective in susceptibility to various...     

Structure of G57W mutant of human γS-crystallin and its involvement in cataract formation

A recently identified mutant of human γS-crystallin, G57W is associated with dominant congenital cataracts, the familial determinate of childhood blindness worldwide. To investigate the structural and functional changes that mediate the effect of this cataract-related mutant to compromise eye lens transparency and cause lens opacification in children, we recently reported complete sequence-specific resonance assignments of γS-G57W using a suite of heteronuclear NMR experiments. As a follow up, we have determined the 3D structure of γS-G57W and studied its conformational dynamics by solution NMR spectroscopy. Our structural dynamics results reveal greater flexibility of the N-terminal domain, which undergoes site-specific structural changes to accommodate W57, than its C-terminal counterpart. Our structural inferences that the unusual solvent exposure of W57 is associated with rearrangement of the N-terminal domain suggest an efficient pathway for increased aggregation in γS-G57W and illuminates the molecular dynamics underlying cataractogenic aggregation of lens crystallins in particular and aggregation of proteins in general.     

Estimation of Maximum Sustainable Yield for Lesser Sciaenids Fishery of North-Eastern Arabian Sea using Surplus Production Model with Environmental Effects

Journal of Ichthyology - Fishes of family Sciaenidae, popularly known as croakers, form a major fishery along the north-west coast of India. In general, sciaenids can be divided in to two major...     

Analysis of the Electronic Circular Dichroism Spectrum of (−)–[9](2,5)Pyridinophane

The results of a combined experimental and theoretical study of the electronic circular dichroism spectrum of (?)–[9] (2,5)Pyridinophane are presented. The features observed in the measured spectrum in the 180–350 nm wavelength region are reproduced by a series of calculations carried out within a density functional time‐dependent approach, coupled with a vibronic analysis allowing rationalizing unambiguously the chiral response of the molecule. Chirality 24:994–1004, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Facial symmetry in young girls and boys from a slum and a control area of Ankara,Turkey

Deviations from perfect symmetry in paired traits of otherwise bilateral symmetrical organisms are thought to reflect developmental quality, especially the ability to resist environmental perturbations early in ontogeny. It is well established that poor environmental conditions increase developmental instability (DI) as reflected by measurements of fluctuating asymmetry. In humans, there is evidence that DI relates to numerous fitness components, and studies have found that perceptions of facial attractiveness for example are positively correlated with measurements of facial symmetry. Here we report the data on measurements of facial symmetry of 503 Turkish senior year high school students aged 17 to 18 years, of whom 133 males and 117 females were recruited from a slum district of ?entepe in Ankara (Group 1), and 131 males and 122 females from three high schools in wealthy central urban areas (Group 2). Digital images were used to assess the degree of facial asymmetry as measured from seven paired traits and calculated as a composite score. Facial asymmetry of participants in Group 1 (slum district) was significantly higher than that of participants in Group 2 (urban areas). Moreover, males in Group 1 were found to have higher facial asymmetry than females, while no sex difference was observed in Group 2. We conclude that poor living conditions have an influence on DI in humans, which manifests itself in the form of facial asymmetry, and that this might be particularly true for males.     

Can Acupuncture Treatment Be Double-Blinded? An Evaluation of Double-Blind Acupuncture Treatment of Postoperative Pain

Blinding protects against bias but the success of blinding is seldom assessed and reported in clinical trials including studies of acupuncture where blinding represents a major challenge. Recently, needles with the potential for double-blinding were developed, so we tested if acupuncture can be double-blinded in a randomized study of sixty-seven patients with acute pain ≥ 3 (0-10 scale following third molar removal) who received active acupuncture with a penetrating needle or placebo acupuncture with a non-penetrating needle. To test if acupuncture was administered double-blind, patients and acupuncturists were asked about perceived treatment allocation at the end of the study. To test if there were clues which led to identification of the treatment, deep dull pain associated with needle application and rotation (termed “de qi” in East Asian medicine), and patients’ pain levels were assessed. Perceived treatment allocation depended on actual group allocation (p < 0.015) for both patients and acupuncturists, indicating that the needles were not successful in double-blinding. Up to 68% of patients and 83% of acupuncturists correctly identified the treatment, but for patients the distribution was not far from 50/50. Also, there was a significant interaction between actual or perceived treatment and the experience of de qi (p = 0.027), suggesting that the experience of de qi and possible non-verbal clues contributed to correct identification of the treatment. Yet, of the patients who perceived the treatment as active or placebo, 50% and 23%, respectively, reported de qi. Patients’ acute pain levels did not influence the perceived treatment. In conclusion, acupuncture treatment was not fully double-blinded which is similar to observations in pharmacological studies. Still, the non-penetrating needle is the only needle that allows some degree of practitioner blinding. The study raises questions about alternatives to double-blind randomized clinical trials in the assessment of acupuncture treatment.