Kinesin-14: the roots of reversal

Kinesin-14 motor proteins step towards microtubule minus ends, in the opposite direction to other kinesins. Work on the still-enigmatic kinesin-14 mechanism published in BMC Structural Biology shows that the carboxyl terminus of the motor head undergoes a dock-undock cycle, like that of plus-end-directed kinesins.     

An Electron Spin Resonance Study for Real-time Detection of Ascorbyl Free Radicals After Addition of Dimethyl Sulfoxide in Murine Hippocampus or Plasma During Kainic Acid-Induced Seizures

Electron spin resonance (ESR)-silent ascorbate solutions generate a detectable, likely concentration-dependent signal of ascorbyl free radicals (AFR) immediately upon addition of a molar excess of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). We aimed to perform quantitative ESR analysis of AFR in real time after addition of DMSO (AFR/DMSO) to evaluate ascorbate concentrations in fresh hippocampus or plasma following systemic administration of kainate in mice. Use of a special tissue-type quartz cell allowed immediate detection of AFR/DMSO ESR spectra in fresh tissues from mice. AFR/DMSO content was increased significantly in fresh hippocampus or plasma obtained during kainate-induced seizures of mice, reaching maximum levels at 90 min after intraperitoneal administration of 50 mg/kg kainic acid. This suggests that oxidative injury of the hippocampus resulted from the accumulation of large amounts of ascorbic acid in the brain after kainic acid administration. AFR/DMSO content measured on an ESR spectrometer can be used for real-time evaluation of ascorbate content in fresh tissue. Due to the simplicity, good performance, low cost and real-time monitoring of ascorbate, this method may be applied to clinical research and treatment in the future.     

Using simple artificial intelligence methods for predicting amyloidogenesis in antibodies

Background  

All polypeptide backbones have the potential to form amyloid fibrils, which are associated with a number of degenerative disorders. However, the likelihood that amyloidosis would actually occur under physiological conditions depends largely on the amino acid composition of a protein. We explore using a naive Bayesian classifier and a weighted decision tree for predicting the amyloidogenicity of immunoglobulin sequences.     

Distribution,ecology, and conservation of Hermes copper (Lycaenidae: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lycaena</Emphasis> [<Emphasis Type="Italic">Hermelycaena</Emphasis>] <Emphasis Type="Italic">hermes</Emphasis>)

Hermes copper butterfly (Lycaena [Hermelycaena] hermes) is a rare species inhabiting the coastal sage scrub adjacent to San Diego, CA USA. Conservation groups and wildlife agencies recognize this species is threatened by habitat loss due to urbanization and recent wildfires extirpating local populations. To assess the status of the Hermes copper, we summarize the literature concerning taxonomy, distribution, and ecology, as well as present original distributional and ecological data. Adults were sampled by presence/absence surveys, Pollard Walks, and mark-release-recapture. The current distribution is reduced from historic ranges, specifically in extreme southern and northern San Diego County. Recent wildfires in 2003 and 2007 led to the extirpation of many populations, with only one post-fire recolonization documented. Adult emergence dates ranged from mid-May to early June, while densities varied from five to nine-fold among years based on peak abundance and mark-release-recapture estimates, respectively. We observed significantly more males; most were territorial and exhibit a relatively sedentary behavior. The median dispersal range was 25.8 and 11.3 m, and the median minimum distance traveled was 34.4 and 17.6 m at Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve and Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area, respectively. The longest recorded movement by an individual was 1,132.0 m. Post-fire habitat recovery and the ability to move across the landscape are essential for the Hermes copper to persist in an increasingly dynamic and fragmented coastal sage scrub habitat. Therefore, we need to develop a better understanding of habitat requirements and connectivity of populations for the long-term management and conservation of this species.     

Clinical effectiveness of biologics in clinical practice

TNF inhibitors are currently considered both effective and cost-effective in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), particularly in patients who have not responded fully to methotrexate. There is substantial doubt about the cost-effectiveness of TNF inhibitors as initial treatment for active RA. New data from the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases now question the current consensus in methotrexate failures. The data suggest that in routine clinical practice TNF inhibitors provide only modest incremental benefits over best conventional therapy. If confirmed, these observational studies suggest that the economic argument underpinning the widespread use of TNF inhibitors in established RA is unsustainable.     

Plasma and synovial fluid microRNAs as potential biomarkers of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Introduction  

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), endogenous small noncoding RNAs regulating the activities of target mRNAs and cellular processes, are present in human plasma in a stable form. In this study, we investigated whether miRNAs are also stably present in synovial fluids and whether plasma and synovial fluid miRNAs could be biomarkers of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA).     

Improved content aware scene retargeting for retinitis pigmentosa patients

Background  

In this paper we present a novel scene retargeting technique to reduce the visual scene while maintaining the size of the key features. The algorithm is scalable to implementation onto portable devices, and thus, has potential for augmented reality systems to provide visual support for those with tunnel vision. We therefore test the efficacy of our algorithm on shrinking the visual scene into the remaining field of view for those patients.     

Induction of male and female sterility in isabgol (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Plantago ovata</Emphasis>) due to floral infection of downy mildew (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pernospora plantaginis</Emphasis>)

Downy mildew (Peronospora plantaginis) caused two different types of infection in the floral parts of isabgol (Plantago ovata). Systemic infection resulted in long spikes bearing weak and sterile florets, which later turned black due to saprophytic growth. Localised infection produced various symptoms ranging between normal flower opening and failure to bloom. Different parts of infected flowers such as sepal, petal, filament and anther were reduced in size compared to healthy flowers. However, gynoecium was elongated in localised infection. P. plantaginis induced gradual sterility of isabgol flowers. Androecium was affected more than the gynoecium was. Pollen number, pollen viability and germination reduced drastically due to localised infection. On the contrary, there were no significant differences between healthy and locally infected flowers in terms of stigma receptivity. In systemically infected spikes, bud development was arrested leading to sterility. When localised disease severity was high, secondary systemic infection caused similar symptoms. Microscopic observations showed presence of the pathogen in different parts of the flowers. Downy mildew adversely affected seed yield and quality; producing seeds, which were smaller and lighter than the healthy ones and later, became black. Seed yield was reduced by as much as 73.45 percent. Husk content per unit seed mass increased relatively as the total surface area of infected seeds increased.