Combination of Autoantibody Signature with PSA Level Enables a Highly Accurate Blood-Based Differentiation of Prostate Cancer Patients from Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Although an increased level of the prostate-specific antigen can be an indication for prostate cancer, other reasons often lead to a high rate of false positive results. Therefore, an additional serological screening of autoantibodies in patients’ sera could improve the detection of prostate cancer. We performed protein macroarray screening with sera from 49 prostate cancer patients, 70 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and 28 healthy controls and compared the autoimmune response in those groups. We were able to distinguish prostate cancer patients from normal controls with an accuracy of 83.2%, patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia from normal controls with an accuracy of 86.0% and prostate cancer patients from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia with an accuracy of 70.3%. Combining seroreactivity pattern with a PSA level of higher than 4.0 ng/ml this classification could be improved to an accuracy of 84.1%. For selected proteins we were able to confirm the differential expression by using luminex on 84 samples. We provide a minimally invasive serological method to reduce false positive results in detection of prostate cancer and according to PSA screening to distinguish men with prostate cancer from men with benign prostatic hyperplasia.     

Levels and patterns of genetic variation in the endangered species Abronia macrocarpa

Genetic variation was evaluated in the federally endangered species Abronia macrocarpa (large-fruited sand-verbena), an herbaceous perennial restricted to deep sandy soils and endemic to three counties of east-central Texas. Seven of the ten known populations were sampled and analyzed using starch gel electrophoresis of eight enzymes coded by 18 interpretable loci. Duplicate gene expression was observed for four loci, suggesting polyploid ancestry for the lineage that includes A. macrocarpa. Values for estimators of genetic polymorphism within populations (ranges: P = 38.9%-61.1%, A = 1.7-2.1, H = 0.122-0.279) exceeded average values for seed plants (P = 34.2%, A = 1.53, H = 0.113). Genotype proportions at most loci in most populations were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, consistent with obligate outcrossing previously documented for this species; exceptions could be attributed to population substructure. Values of F(ST) tended to be high, ranging from 0.021 to 0.481 for individual loci (mean F(ST) = 0.272), indicating substantial divergence and limited gene flow among populations, despite their close geographic proximity. Pairwise values of Nei's genetic identity between populations ranged from 0.799 to 0.975 and tended to be influenced by geographic proximity of population pairs. Collectively, these data suggest a long history of isolation among populations that have not been subjected to bottlenecks. Isolation of A. macrocarpa populations apparently results from the disjunct occurrence of suitable habitat and perhaps has been accentuated by human disturbance.     

Vergleichende Untersuchungen über die relative Permeabilität des Protoplasmas für Alkohol und Wasser

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Epiphytic macrolichen communities along regional gradients in northern Norway

Abstract. Question: What are the relative influences of human impact, macroclimate, geographic location and habitat related environmental differences on species composition of boreal epiphytic macrolichen communities? Location: Troms county in northern Norway. Methods: Detrended Correspondence Analysis revealed the main gradient structure in lists of epiphytic macrolichen species from deciduous forests. By Canonical Correspondence Analysis with variance partitioning, the relative amount of variance in macrolichen species composition attributable to human impact, macroclimate, spatial context and environmental differences was quantified. Results: There was no significant effect of human impact on species composition of epiphytic macrolichens of deciduous forests. Macroclimate was the most important factor determining epiphytic macrolichen communities, which were also strongly influenced by ecological differences such as forest stand properties. Conclusions: Epiphytic macrolichen communities are determined by a macroclimatic gradient from the coastline to the interior of central north Norway. In marked contrast, the species composition of epiphytic macrolichen communities seems to be unaffected by human impact in the study area, where air pollution was marginal.     

Local genetic structure in a North American epiphytic lichen, Ramalina menziesii (Ramalinaceae)

Epiphytic lichens possess unique life history traits that can have conflicting effects on genetic structure: symbiotic mutualism between a fungus with its algal or cyanobacterial photobiont, association with a host plant, and ability to reproduce sexually and asexually. Our study species, Ramalina menziesii, has small ascospores that can facilitate long-distance gene movement, and it is capable of clonal reproduction. The goals of this study are to test whether different haplotypes were differentially distributed across host plant species, to look for evidence of asexual vs. sexual reproduction, and to assess the local genetic structure of the population. We sampled individuals from multiple trees of three oak species in four lichen subpopulations within a savanna ecosystem. Using DNA sequence data from four fungal nuclear loci, we found no tendency for host specialization. Alleles were randomly distributed across subpopulations. The frequency of multilocus genotypes was consistent with a randomly mating population. Sexual reproduction involving relichenization appeared to be the predominant mode of reproduction of R. menziesii at this study site. We found no significant local genetic structure suggesting widespread gene flow at the local scale. The genetic structure of this lichen is comparable to that of widely distributed epiphytic plants.     

Alteration of internal circadian phase relationships after morning versus evening carbohydrate-rich meals in humans

The effects of a single morning and evening carbohydrate-rich meal for 3 consecutive days on circadian phase of core body temperature (CBT), heart rate, and salivary melatonin rhythms were compared under controlled constant routine conditions. In 10 healthy young men entrained to a natural light-dark cycle with regular sleep timing, CBT and heart rate were significantly elevated for approximately 8 h after the last evening carbohydrate-rich meal (EM), and nocturnal melatonin secretion (as measured by salivary melatonin and urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin levels) was reduced, compared to the morning carbohydrate-rich meal (MM) condition. Thus, circadian phase could not be measured until the following day due to this acute masking effect. The day after the last meal intervention, MM showed a significant advanced circadian phase position in CBT (+59+/-12 min) and heart rate (+43+/-18 min) compared to EM. However, dim-light melatonin onset was not significantly changed (+15+/-13 min). The results are discussed with respect to central (light-entrainable) and peripheral (food-entrainable) oscillators. Food may be a zeitgeber in humans for the food-entrainable peripheral oscillators, but melatonin data do not support such a conclusion for the light-entrainable oscillator in the suprachiasmatic nucleus.     

Propagule size is not a good predictor for regional population subdivision or fine-scale spatial structure in lichenized fungi

Propagule size has important consequences on the genetic structure of wind-dispersed species, as species with small propagules have higher capability of long-distance dispersal. Here, we studied reproductive modes and compared local and regional population structures in three Macaronesian lichenized fungi differing in propagule size. First, we quantified size distribution of propagules in each species. Second, genotype simulations based on microsatellite data were used to infer the reproductive mode. Third, using spatial analysis and population genetic approaches, we quantified the local and regional scale genetic structures of the fungal species. The three species differed in size distributions of propagules. The majority of populations exhibited clonal reproductive mode. Identical reproductive modes occurred often across species in the same sites, implying a possible relationship between reproductive mode and local site conditions. Contrary to expectation, at the local scale, the species exhibited similar patterns of spatial autocorrelation in genotypes. However, in agreement with the expectation based on propagule size, the species with highest frequency of small vegetative propagules (L. pulmonaria) exhibited lowest regional genetic differentiation. Nevertheless, altogether, our results show that propagule size is not a good predictor of population subdivision in lichenized fungi, neither at local nor regional spatial scale.     

Murder or Not? Cold Temperature Makes Criminals Appear to Be Cold-Blooded and Warm Temperature to Be Hot-Headed

Temperature-related words such as cold-blooded and hot-headed can be used to describe criminal behavior. Words associated with coldness describe premeditated behavior and words associated with heat describe impulsive behavior. Building on recent research about the close interplay between physical and interpersonal coldness and warmth, we examined in a lab experiment how ambient temperature within a comfort zone influences judgments of criminals. Participants in rooms with low temperature regarded criminals to be more cold-blooded than participants in rooms with high temperature. Specifically, they were more likely to attribute premeditated crimes, ascribed crimes resulting in higher degrees of penalty, and attributed more murders to criminals. Likewise, participants in rooms with high temperature regarded criminals to be more hot-headed than participants in rooms with low temperature: They were more likely to attribute impulsive crimes. Results imply that cognitive representations of temperature are closely related to representations of criminal behavior and attributions of intent.