Replacing the Factor VIII C1 Domain with a Second C2 Domain Reduces Factor VIII Stability and Affinity for Factor IXa

Factor VIII (FVIII) consists of a heavy chain (A1(a1)A2(a2)B domains) and light chain ((a3)A3C1C2 domains). To gain insights into a role of the FVIII C domains, we eliminated the C1 domain by replacing it with the homologous C2 domain. FVIII stability of the mutant (FVIII_C2C2) as measured by thermal decay at 55 °C of FVIII activity was markedly reduced (∼11-fold), whereas the decay rate of FVIIIa due to A2 subunit dissociation was similar to WT FVIIIa. The binding affinity of FVIII_C2C2 for phospholipid membranes as measured by fluorescence resonance energy transfer was modestly lower (∼2.8-fold) than that for WT FVIII. Among several anti-FVIII antibodies tested (anti-C1 (GMA8011), anti-C2 (ESH4 and ESH8), and anti-A3 (2D2) antibody), only ESH4 inhibited membrane binding of both WT FVIII and FVIII_C2C2. FVIIIa cofactor activity measured in the presence of each of the above antibodies was examined by FXa generation assays. The activity of WT FVIIIa was inhibited by both GMA8011 and ESH4, whereas the activity of FVIII_C2C2 was inhibited by both the anti-C2 antibodies, ESH4 and ESH8. Interestingly, factor IXa (FIXa) binding affinity for WT FVIIIa was significantly reduced in the presence of GMA8011 (∼10-fold), whereas the anti-C2 antibodies reduced FIXa binding affinity of FVIII_C2C2 variant (∼4-fold). Together, the reduced stability plus impaired FIXa interaction of FVIII_C2C2 suggest that the C1 domain resides in close proximity to FIXa in the FXase complex and contributes a critical role to FVIII structure and function.     

Delayed post-conditioning reduces post-ischemic glutamate level and improves protein synthesis in brain

In the clinic delayed post-conditioning would represent an attractive strategy for the survival of vulnerable neurons after an ischemic event. In this paper we studied the impact of ischemia and delayed post-conditioning on blood and brain tissue concentrations of glutamate and protein synthesis. We designed two groups of animals for analysis of brain tissues and blood after global ischemia and post-conditioning, and one for analysis of blood glutamate after transient focal ischemia.     

Free-Running Locomotor Activity Rhythms in Cave-Dwelling Catfishes,Trichomycterus sp., from Brazil (Teleostei,Siluriformes)

Locomotor activity of troglobitic (cave restricted) catfishes, Trichomycterus sp., was recorded in the laboratory under constant darkness for ten consecutive days. Infra-red photocell beam crossings were totalled every thirty minutes and stored for later analysis. Spectral analysis of the data followed by a statistical test designed for the detection of significant components was then performed. The results of 14 individuals, seven pigmented and seven albino fishes, are reported here. In eight individuals, four pigmented and four albinos, we were not able to detect significant components in the circadian range, although ultradian and/or infradian significant components were found in all cases. Former studies on other two Brazilian cave catfishes, Pimelodella kronei and Imparfinis sp., showed similar results, suggesting a picture of gradual loss of circadian rhythmicity and persistence of ultradian and infradian rhythms in the locomotor activity of troglobitic populations. The proportion of specimens without significant circadian components was higher in Trichomycterus sp., supposedly less specialized to cave life than the other two species. This is tentatively correlated with a higher environmental stability during the time of evolutionary isolation in the subterranean biotope. These results provide strong arguments for the importance of external selection over circadian rhythmicity.     

新生溶血病患儿红细胞上致敏抗体对Rh 血型检测的影响

目的:探讨新生溶血病患儿红细胞致敏抗体对其Rh血型鉴定的影响。方法:采用抗球蛋白法、盐水法、微柱凝胶法(Rh血型测定型)、凝聚胺法和抗血清微柱凝胶法(Ig G型)五种方法对近三年来我院收集的163例新生溶血病患儿红细胞进行Rh血型检测,对五种检测结果不一致的患儿红细胞进行0.2 M 2-巯基乙醇抗体放散,比较放散后五种方法检测结果并验证其准确性。结果:29例直接抗体试验阳性患儿的五种Rh血型检测结果不一致,经0.2 M 2-巯基乙醇抗体放散后检测结果均一致。Rh血型准确性验证表明,红细胞放散测定的Rh血型完全符合临床现象。结论:患儿红细胞的致敏抗体达一定数量后,会影响抗球蛋白法、盐水法、微柱凝胶法(Rh血型测定型)、凝聚胺法和抗血清微柱凝胶法(Ig G型)对Rh血型鉴定,0.2M 2-巯基乙醇抗体放散法是一种正确鉴定新生儿Rh血型的简单可行的方法。     

瑞舒伐他汀对高胆固醇血症患者的降脂疗效及对血管内皮舒张功能 的影响

目的:探讨瑞舒伐他汀对高胆固醇血症患者的降脂疗效及对血管内皮舒张功能(FMD)的影响。方法:选择我院92例高胆固醇血症患者作为实验组并给予瑞舒伐他汀治疗,另选择同期来我院参加健康体检的健康志愿者42例作为对照组,检测治疗前(T0),以及治疗1个月(T1)、2个月后(T2)的血脂水平及肱动脉FMD和非依赖性血管内皮舒张功能(NMD),并对其治疗的不良反应情况进行统计分析。结果:治疗前,实验组患者血浆中TC、TG和LDL-C水平明显高于对照组,而HDL-C水平显著低于对照组,且差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05)。相对于T0,实验组患者T1和T2血浆中TC、TG和LDL-C水平明显下降,而HDL-C水平显著升高,且差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05)。患者T2时血浆中TC和LDL-C水平明显低于T1的水平(P0.05),而TG和HDL-C水平与T1之间的差异无统计学意义(P0.05);治疗前,实验组患者的FMD值明显低于对照组的健康志愿者(P0.05)。经过瑞舒伐他汀干预2个月后,实验组患者T2时FMD值明显高于T0(P0.05),而T2的NMD与T0之间的差异无统计学意义(P0.05);治疗期间并未出现严重的不良反应。结论:瑞舒伐他汀对老年高胆固醇血症患者降脂效果显著,且有改善FMD的作用。     

Warmest Congratulations to Dr. Yuan-Cheng Fung at His Centennial Celebration

Professor Y.C. Fung has made tremendous impacts on science, engineering and humanity through his research and its applications, by setting the highest standards, through educating many students and their students, and providing his exemplary leadership. He has applied his profound knowledge and elegant analytical methods to the study of biomedical problems with rigor and excellence. He established the foundations of biomechanics in living tissues and organs. Through his vision of the power of “making models” to explain and predict biological phenomena, Dr. Fung opened up new vista for bioengineering, from organs-systems to molecules-genes, and has provided the foundation of research activities in many institutions in the United States and the world. He has made outstanding contributions to education in bioengineering, service to professional organizations, and translation to industry and clinical medicine. He is widely recognized as the Father of Biomechanics and the leading Bioengineer in the world. His extraordinary achievements and commands in science, engineering and the arts make him a Renaissance Man for the world.     

Immunomic Identification of Malaria Antigens Associated With Protection in Mice

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Highlights

• •Production of sera with different levels of protection against rodent Plasmodium.
• •Generation of immunomic and proteomic data sets enriched in protective antigens.
• •Prediction of the most likely protective antigens using a weighted scoring system.

     

Determination of the Blood,Hormone and Obesity Value Ranges that Indicate the Breast Cancer,Using Data Mining Based Expert System

Breast cancer is a dangerous type of cancer that spreads into other organs over time. Therefore, medical studies are being done for the early diagnosis by means of the anthropometric data and blood analysis values besides the mammographic and histological findings. However, medical studies have identified only cancer-related values but the value ranges indicating the cancer have not been determined yet. Concurrently the automated diagnostic systems are being developed to assist medical specialists in biomedical engineering studies. The range of values or boundaries indicating the cancer are automatically determined in biomedical methods, but only the diagnostic result is presented. Because of this, biomedical studies don't provide enough opportunity for medical experts to evaluate the relationship between values and result. In this study, decision trees that is one of data mining method was applied to anthropometric data and blood analysis values to complete the mentioned deficiencies in breast cancer diagnosis aiming studies. The determined value ranges were also presented visually to medical experts understand them easily. The proposed diagnostic system has accuracy rate up to 90.52% and provides value ranges indicating the breast cancer as well as mathematically presents the relations between the values and cancer.     

Effects of in vivo exposure to DEET on blood feeding behavior and fecundity in Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

This study determined the effects of contact with DEET on guinea pig skin on mortality, probing time, blood feeding rate, engorgement time, and fecundity responses in female Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say. Exposure, in this manner, to 10% DEET (in ethanol) for 5 min, resulted in 98% mortality in mosquitoes after 24h. The median probing time (PT(50)) required by females, when exposed to 0.1%, 1.0%, and 10% DEET, was significantly (P<0.0001) longer (12.5, 12.1, and 19.1s, respectively) than the 6.8s required by females to probe ethanol-treated skin (control). Similarly, mean blood feeding rates in populations of females exposed to 1.0% DEET for < or = 5 min (14.4%) was 6x lower (P<0.001) (85.5%) than in females exposed to ethanol-treated skin, whereas the mean engorgement time on skin treated with 1.0% DEET (66.3s) was significantly shorter (P<0.0001) than for females feeding on the control guinea pigs (105.9s). The mean number of mature o?cytes per female (fecundity) in treatment (1.0% DEET) and control mosquitoes was not significantly different. The responses to DEET observed in this study suggest that repeated exposure of female A. quadrimaculatus populations to this repellent, in laboratory bioassays, could result in confounding of toxicant and repellent effects and inaccurate estimates of DEET repellency.