A purification process for heparin and precursor polysaccharides using the pH responsive behavior of chitosan

The contamination crisis of 2008 has brought to light several risks associated with use of animal tissue derived heparin. Because the total chemical synthesis of heparin is not feasible, a bioengineered approach has been proposed, relying on recombinant enzymes derived from the heparin/HS biosynthetic pathway and Escherichia coli K5 capsular polysaccharide. Intensive process engineering efforts are required to achieve a cost‐competitive process for bioengineered heparin compared to commercially available porcine heparins. Towards this goal, we have used 96‐well plate based screening for development of a chitosan‐based purification process for heparin and precursor polysaccharides. The unique pH responsive behavior of chitosan enables simplified capture of target heparin or related polysaccharides, under low pH and complex solution conditions, followed by elution under mildly basic conditions. The use of mild, basic recovery conditions are compatible with the chemical N‐deacetylation/N‐sulfonation step used in the bioengineered heparin process. Selective precipitation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) leads to significant removal of process related impurities such as proteins, DNA and endotoxins. Use of highly sensitive liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance analytical techniques reveal a minimum impact of chitosan‐based purification on heparin product composition. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:1348–1359, 2015     

Human Y‐chromosome short tandem repeats: A tale of acculturation and migrations as mechanisms for the diffusion of agriculture in the Balkan Peninsula

Southeastern Europe and, particularly, the Balkan Peninsula are especially useful when studying the mechanisms responsible for generating the current distribution of Paleolithic and Neolithic genetic signals observed throughout Europe. In this study, 404 individuals from Montenegro and 179 individuals from Serbia were typed for 17 Y‐STR loci and compared across 9 Y‐STR loci to geographically targeted previously published collections to ascertain the phylogenetic relationships of populations within the Balkan Peninsula and beyond. We aim to provide information on whether groups in the region represent an amalgamation of Paleolithic and Neolithic genetic substrata, or whether acculturation has played a critical role in the spread of agriculture. We have found genetic markers of Middle Eastern, south Asian and European descent in the area, however, admixture analyses indicate that over 80% of the Balkan gene pool is of European descent. Altogether, our data support the view that the diffusion of agriculture into the Balkan region was mostly a cultural phenomenon although some genetic infiltration from Africa, the Levant, the Caucasus, and the Near East has occurred. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Episodic global dispersal in shallow water marine organisms: the case history of the European shore crabs Carcinus maenas and C. aestuarii

Aim This paper evaluates global collection records, evidence of anthropogenic transport methods, and experimental and distributional data relative to temperature requirements to understand the historical and potential dispersal of a well‐known genus of estuarine crab. Location The records analysed are from temperate and tropical coastal ocean areas. Methods The study is based primarily on literature analysis and examination of museum specimens. Results The human‐mediated successful global dispersal of the European shore crabs Carcinus maenas (Linnaeus, 1758) and C. aestuarii (Nardo, 1847) occurred in three major episodes: around 1800, in the 1850s–70s, and in the 1980s–90s. The nineteenth century introductions occurred through transport by ships (probably in hull fouling or in solid ballast), while the introductions in the 1980s could have occurred through a greater variety of dispersal mechanisms (ships’ hull fouling and seawater system fouling; fouling on semisubmersible drilling platforms; ballast water; transport with fisheries products intended for food or bait; scientific research; releases from aquaria maintained for educational or scientific purposes; or intentional non‐governmental releases for human food production). These introductions have resulted in Carcinus’ establishment in five temperate regions outside of its native Europe in Atlantic North America, Australia, South Africa, Japan and Pacific North America, while releases into tropical regions have not established populations. C. maenas’ range in both its native and introduced regions appears to be regulated by similar temperature parameters, enabling an assessment of its potential distribution. Main conclusions The second episode of Carcinus’ global dispersal, the period from the 1850s to 1870s, may be part of a broader surge of world‐wide invasions caused by an increase in shipping.     

Being En Route

Through an ethnography of unauthorized migration from El Salvador to the United States, I explore "clandestinity" as a hidden, yet known, dimension of social reality. Unauthorized migrants who are en route to the United States have to make themselves absent from the spaces they occupy. When they become clandestine, such migrants embody illegality; in some cases, they literally "go underground" should they die and be buried en route. Because their presence is prohibited, unauthorized migrants do not fully arrive even when they reach their destinations. There are parallels between the ways that migrants are present in yet absent from nations, and the ways that ethnographers are present in yet absent from the field. This ethnography of migrants en route therefore suggests how anthropological knowledge practices also produce realities that are hidden, yet known.     

Stream Restoration Practices in the Southeastern United States

We collected information on 860 stream restoration projects in four states in the southeastern United States—Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina—to gain a better understanding of the practice of stream restoration in this area of high aquatic biodiversity and rapid metropolitan expansion. This was completed as a part of the National River Restoration Science Synthesis, with the larger goal of understanding the state of the science of stream restoration. Stream restoration project density, goals, and monitoring rates varied by state, although southeastern monitoring rates were higher than in other parts of the country. North Carolina had the most projects in the Southeast, of which 36% were monitored. In‐depth phone interviews with project managers from a random subsample of projects provided insights into the process of stream restoration. Land availability was the most common basis for site prioritization, and 49% of projects involved mitigation. Although 51% of projects were associated with a watershed assessment, only 30% of projects were done as part of a larger plan for the watershed. Projects were monitored using physical (77% of monitored projects), chemical (36%), and biological (86%) variables, although many projects were planned and ultimately evaluated based on public opinion. Our results suggest that stream restoration in the southeastern United States is at an exciting point where better incorporation of a watershed perspective into planning and establishment and evaluation of stated, measurable success criteria for every project could lead to more effective projects.     

美国电子健康档案发展策略及启示

美国是电子健康档案建设的先行者,经过40余年的发展,取得了显著进展,并在电子健康档案的组织建设、标准制定、资金筹集、隐私与安全保护、利益相关者协调方面积累了丰富的经验。主要论述了美国电子健康档案的发展历程及具体策略,以期为我国电子健康档案建设提供借鉴。     

An integrated strategy for identification of both sharp and broad peaks from next-generation sequencing data

A novel integrative approach has been developed by Lieb and colleagues for analyzing genome-wide datasets of different chromatin-binding factors and epigenetic states that exhibit both sharp and diffuse signals on the genome.     

抗中性粒细胞胞浆抗体、抗核抗体联合检测对类风湿关节炎的诊断价值

目的：探讨抗中性粒细胞胞浆抗体（ANCA）与抗核抗体（ANA）联合检测对类风湿关节炎的临床意义。方法：采用IIF法对82例RA患者（RA组）、74例非RA自身免疫疾病患者（非RA组）和52例健康体检者（正常对照组）的血清ANCA和ANA谱进行了检测分析,并用ELISA法进行抗丝氨酸蛋白酶3（PR3）、抗髓过氧化物酶（MPO）、ANA谱的定量检测。结果：RA组82例患者中,64例ANCA阳性,阳性率为78．08％,其中核周型（PANCA）37例,阳性率为45．1％,胞浆型（CANCA）27例,阳性率为32．9％;非RA组74例患者中有7例ANCA阳性率分别为9．4％;正常对照组50例中没有一例ANCA阳性。利用Elisa法对患者血清进行检测,分别能够特异的检测到PR3、MPO、抗双链DNA抗体（抗ds—DNA抗体）、抗SS—A等抗体、抗ss—A抗体、抗PM—SCL抗体的存在。结论：联合ANCA、ANA检测有助于提高类风湿关节炎的诊断。     

两种联合切口手术治疗眶-上颌-颧骨复合体骨折的对比研究

目的：对比研究冠状-睑下缘-口内联合切口手术与冠状切口联合口腔前庭沟切口手术治疗眶-上颌-颧骨复合体骨折的治疗效果。方法：选取2006年10月-2010年12月眶-上颌-颧骨复合体骨折患者136例,69例患者行冠状-睑下缘-口内联合切口手术,67例行冠状切口联合口腔前庭沟切口手术,分别命名为A组和B组,比较两组患者治疗效果,治疗效果用甲级、乙级和丙级表示。结果：A组治疗效果甲级、乙级、丙级分别为65．2％、30．4％、4．4％,B组治疗效果甲级、乙级、丙级分别为46．3％、29．8％、23．9％,A组治疗效果优于B组;A组术后并发症少于B组。结论：冠状-睑下缘-口内联合切口手术比冠状切口联合口腔前庭沟切口手术更好地治疗眶-上颌-颧骨复合体骨折,治疗效果好,并发症少,能更好地实现颧骨复位。     

The politics of recognition in culturally appropriate care

Over the last 20 years, the concept of culturally appropriate health care has been gradually gaining popularity in medicine and public health. In calling for health care that is culturally appropriate, minority groups seek political recognition of often racialized constructions of cultural difference as they intervene in health care planning and organization. Based on interview narratives from people involved in community organizing to establish a federally funded community health center in a mid-size New England city, I chart the emergence of a language of "culturally appropriate health care" in language used to justify the need for a health center. An identity model of recognition underlies the call for ethnic resemblance between patient and provider seen in many culturally appropriate care programs. I contrast this model of health care with earlier calls for community access and control by activists in the 1970s and explore the practical and theoretical implications of each approach.