Comparison of Trace Elements in the Scalp Hair of Malignant and Benign Breast Lesions Versus Healthy Women

Trace elements including Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr, and Zn were analyzed in the scalp hair samples of women with malignant breast lesions, women with benign breast lesions, and healthy donors using atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. In the scalp hair of malignant-tumor patients, the highest average concentration was shown by Ca (1,187 μg/g), followed by Na (655 μg/g), Mg (478 μg/g), Zn (391 μg/g), Sr (152 μg/g), Fe (114 μg/g), and K (89.8), while in the case of benign-tumor patients, the average estimated element levels were 1,522, 1,093, 572, 457, 217, 80.4, and 74.7 μg/g, respectively. Most of the elements exhibited non-normal distribution evidenced by large spread, standard error, and skewness values. Mean concentrations of Ca (634 μg/g), Zn (206 μg/g), Mg (162 μg/g), Fe (129 μg/g), and Na (82.1 μg/g) were noteworthy in the scalp hair of healthy women. Average levels of Na, Sr, K, Cd, Co, Pb, Mg, Ca, Zn, Ni, Sb, and Mn were revealed to be significantly higher in the hair of malignant and benign patients compared to the healthy women; however, Fe, Cu, Al, and Cr were not significantly different in the scalp hair of the three groups. The quartile distributions of Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Sr revealed maximum spread in the scalp hair of malignant and benign groups; nevertheless, Al, Cu, Fe, and Zn exhibited almost comparable quartile levels in the three groups. Strong correlation coefficients were found between Fe and Cd, Al and Na, Mn and Sr, Co and Cr, Cd and Cr, Pb and K, Pb and Mn, Cu and Na, and Al and Fe in the scalp hair of malignant-tumor patients, while Fe and K, Cd and Co, Na and Co, and Cr and Pb showed strong correlations in the scalp hair of benign-tumor patients, both of which were significantly different compared with the healthy subjects. Multivariate cluster analysis also revealed divergent clustering of the elements in the scalp hair of malignant and benign patients in comparison with the healthy women.     

Microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis of the 60–110 domain of human pleiotrophin on 2-chlorotrityl resin

A fast and efficient microwave-assisted solid phase peptide synthesis (MW-SPPS) of a 51mer peptide, the main heparin-binding site (60–110) of human pleiotrophin (hPTN), using 2-chlorotrityl chloride resin (CLTR-Cl) following the 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl/tert-butyl (Fmoc/tBu) methodology and with the standard N,N′-diisopropylcarbodiimide/1-hydroxybenzotriazole (DIC/HOBt) coupling reagents, is described. An MW-SPPS protocol was for the first time successfully applied to the acid labile CLTR-Cl for the faster synthesis of long peptides (51mer peptide) and with an enhanced purity in comparison to conventional SPPS protocols. The synthesis of such long peptides is not trivial and it is generally achieved by recombinant techniques. The desired linear peptide was obtained in only 30 h of total processing time and in 51% crude yield, in which 60% was the purified product obtained with 99.4% purity. The synthesized peptide was purified by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and identified by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Then, the regioselective formation of the two disulfide bridges of hPTN 60–110 was successfully achieved by a two-step procedure, involving an oxidative folding step in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) to form the Cys⁷⁷–Cys¹⁰⁹ bond, followed by iodine oxidation to form the Cys⁶⁷–Cys⁹⁹ bond.     

MicroRNA-322 Cluster Promotes Tau Phosphorylation via Targeting Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a crucial regulator to support synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival, its significant decrease is a pathophysiological hallmark in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains and accounts for poor prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) interfere with the translation of target mRNAs and control a variety of physiological and pathological processes. MiR-322 is the rodent homologue of human miR-424, it is involved in the modulation of cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis and metabolic activities in diverse tissues and organs. However, the roles and potential mechanisms of miR-322 remain elusive in AD pathogenesis. Here we observed miR-322 is significantly increased along with BDNF decrease in AD mouse brain. Bioinformatics prediction implicated that BDNF 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) possesses the putative target sequence of miR-322. Luciferase reporter assay identified that miR-322 can directly conjugate to BDNF 3′-UTR. The functional research showed that MiR-322 input deregulates BDNF expression at either mRNA or protein levels, whereas miR-322 silence restores BDNF expression in vitro. Furthermore, we found miR-322 promotes Tau phosphorylation via negatively controlling BDNF–TrkB receptor activation, otherwise MiR-322 silence restores TrkB activation and attenuates tau phosphorylation. Collectively, this study demonstrated a novel miRNA-dependent manner of BDNF degradation in AD pathogenesis, it may drive a miRNAs- or BDNF based therapeutic strategies against Alzheimer’s disease.     

Regional muscle oxygenation differences in vastus lateralis during different modes of incremental exercise

Background

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is used to assess muscle oxygenation (MO) within skeletal muscle at rest and during aerobic exercise. Previous investigations have used a single probe placement to measure MO during various forms of exercise. However, regional MO differences have been shown to exist within the same muscle which suggests that different areas of the same muscle may have divergent MO. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine whether regional differences in MO exist within the same muscle during different types of incremental (rest, 25, 50, 75, 100 % of maximum) exercise (1 leg knee extension (KE), 2 leg KE, or cycling).

Methods

Nineteen healthy active males (Mean ± SD: Age 27 ± 4 yrs; VO_2max: 55 ± 11 mL/kg/min) performed incremental exercise to fatigue using each mode of exercise. NIRS probes were placed on the distal and proximal portion of right leg vastus lateralis (VL). Results were analyzed with a 3-way mixed model ANOVA (probe × intensity × mode).

Results

Differences in MO exist within the VL for each mode of exercise, however these differences were not consistent for each level of intensity. Comparison of MO revealed that the distal region of VL was significantly lower throughout KE exercise (1 leg KE proximal MO – distal MO = 9.9 %; 2 leg KE proximal MO – distal MO = 13 %). In contrast, the difference in MO between proximal and distal regions of VL was smaller in cycling and was not significantly different at heavy workloads (75 and 100 % of maximum).

Conclusion

MO is different within the same muscle and the pattern of the difference will change depending on the mode and intensity of exercise. Future investigations should limit conclusions on MO to the area under assessment as well as the type and intensity of exercise employed.

     

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halomonas boliviensis</Emphasis> in fed-batch culture

High poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) content and volumetric productivity were achieved by fed-batch culture of Halomonas boliviensis using a defined medium. Initial shake flask cultivations in a minimal medium revealed that the growth of H. boliviensis was supported only when the medium was supplemented with aspartic acid, glycine, or glutamine. Addition of 0.1% (w/v) glutamine in the medium resulted in the highest cell dry weight (CDW; 3.9 g l⁻¹). Glutamine was replaced by the less expensive monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the medium without any notable change in the final cell density. Effect of initial concentrations of NH₄Cl and K₂HPO₄ on cell growth and PHB accumulation by H. boliviensis was then analyzed using a fed-batch fermentation system. The best conditions for PHB production by H. boliviensis were attained using 0.4% (w/v) NH₄Cl and 0.22% (w/v) K₂HPO₄ and adding MSG intermittently to the fermentor. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) content and CDW reached 90 wt.% and 23 g l⁻¹, respectively, after 18 h of cultivation. In order to increase CDW and PHB content, MSG, NH₄Cl, and K₂HPO₄ were initially fed to the fermentor to maintain their concentrations at 2%, 0.4%, and 0.22% (w/v), respectively, and subsequently their feed was suppressed. This resulted in a CDW of 44 g l⁻¹, PHB content of 81 wt.%, and PHB volumetric productivity of 1.1 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹.     

Experimental test on public information use in the colonial Lesser Kestrel

The formation of colonies and the evolution of coloniality have been suggested to be a by-product of the use of public information to select breeding habitats. In this study we performed an experimental test to investigate whether the Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) uses breeding success of conspecifics as a source of public information to select a breeding colony. We considered four potential cues based on reproductive performance of conspecifics in each colony: mean and variance of breeding success measured in both all pairs (TRS, total reproductive success), and only successful pairs (PRS, partial reproductive success). Both mean PRS and mean TRS could be predictive cues of the future reproductive output at a given site, because they varied among colonies and were autocorrelated from one year to the next. To dissociate any relationship between habitat quality and reproductive success we manipulated the mean brood sizes by transferring chicks among ten colonies. In five colonies, all the broods with at least two nestlings were reduced in one chick and in other five colonies all broods were enlarged by one chick. In the following year, we found that the number of adult immigrant kestrels settled at a colony was only explained by mean PRS in the previous year. We also examined the settlement of yearlings, which lack of information on breeding success in previous years. Unlike adult immigrant kestrels, yearlings tended to settle more frequently in those colonies with low mean PRS in the previous year, probably because of the lower pressure for occupation in those colonies. A multiple regression analysis showed that the growth of colonies was positively dependent on the mean PRS in the experimental year, and negatively on the number of predated nests. This study provides a solid support to the hypothesis that colonial species can use mean breeding success of successful pairs as a source of public information to make settlement decisions.     

Does understory vegetation reflect the history of fluvial disturbance in a riparian forest?

We have examined the relationship between the history of fluvial disturbance and understory vegetation in a riparian forest. The study site was divided into three sites, by use of aerial photographs and topographical maps, with different histories of fluvial disturbance: (1) Fagus-type on land that has not been flooded for the last 39 years, at least; (2) Populus-type on land that has not been flooded since debris flow occurred 34 years ago; and (3) Salix-type on land that has been flooded periodically from an abandoned channel since debris flow occurred 34 years ago. Species richness in the Salix-type was significantly higher than in the other types. Detrended correspondence analysis revealed obvious floristic differences among the three canopy types. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that herbaceous species were mainly found on lower plots with high moss cover, implying that moss layers may capture seeds transported by the stream. Tall herbs occurred in less shaded plots and on higher plots, suggesting that their rapid growth prevented the occurrence of other species. Fagus-type was dominated by species with ingested fruits which depended on animals for their dispersal. Populus and Salix-types were dominated by species with wind dispersal or no dispersal mechanism, which depended on physical phenomena for dispersal. Attributes of current understory vegetation were connected with historical events, suggesting that riparian vegetation reflects the history of fluvial disturbance.     

番茄的耐盐性与耐盐转基因番茄

由于土壤盐渍化的日益加剧导致作物大量减产,通过基因工程的方法将耐盐基因转入作物,培育耐盐作物新品种是开发利用盐碱地的一种经济、有效的手段.番茄是一种栽培广泛,具有重要经济价值的蔬菜,又是基因工程的模式生物之一,开展番茄耐盐性研究具有重要意义.分析了番茄的耐盐性和转耐盐基因番茄的研究现状.     

Characterization of plant-growth promoting diazotrophic bacteria isolated from field grown Chinese cabbage under different fertilization conditions

Diazotrophic bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of Chinese cabbage were assessed for other plant growth promoting characteristics viz., production of IAA, ethylene, ACC deaminase, phosphate solubilization, and gnotobiotic root elongation. Their effect on inoculation to Chinese cabbage was also observed under growth chamber conditions. A total of 19 strains that showed higher nitrogenase activity identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis were found to be the members of the genera Pseudomonas and Agrobacterium belonging to α- and γ-Proteobacteria groups. These strains were also efficient in producing IAA and ACC deaminase though they produced low levels of ethylene and no phosphate solubilization. In addition, inoculation of selected diazotrophic bacterial strains significantly increased seedling length, dry weight, and total nitrogen when compared to uninoculated control. The colonization of crop plants by diazotrophic bacteria can be affected by many biotic and abiotic factors, and further studies are oriented towards investigating the factors that could influence the establishment of a selected bacterial community.