The THO complex as a key mRNP biogenesis factor in development and cell differentiation.

The THO complex is a key component in the co-transcriptional formation of messenger ribonucleoparticles that are competent to be exported from the nucleus, yet its precise function is unknown. A recent study in BMC Biology on the role of the THOC5 subunit in cell physiology and mouse development provides new clues to the role of the THO complex in cell differentiation.

A postincision-deficient TFIIH causes replication fork breakage and uncovers alternative Rad51- or Pol32-mediated restart mechanisms.

Homologous recombination is a major double-strand break (DSB) repair mechanism that acts during the S and G2 phases. In contrast, nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a major pathway for the repair of DNA bulky adducts that is unrelated to replication. We show that replication can be strongly disturbed in a specific type of rad3/XPD NER mutant of TFIIH, causing replication fork breakage.

Proteomic analysis of the response of an acidophilic strain of Chlamydomonas sp. (Chlorophyta) to natural metal-rich water.

A proteomic approach including 2-DE and MALDI-TOF analysis has been developed to identify the soluble proteins of the unicellular photosynthetic algae Chlamydomonas sp. isolated from an extreme acidic environment, Río Tinto (southwest Spain). We have analyzed the soluble proteome obtained from whole cells growing on metal-rich natural acidic water from the river in comparison with the same strain growing in artificial BG-11 media.

[A review on new commercial methods for HIV-1 and HCV viral load determinations].

Viral load techniques are more and more demanded in Clinical Microbiology, regarding with transplanted patients or long time follow-up of chronic diseases as those caused by human inmunodeficiency (HIV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viruses. In the last 2 years, pharmaceutical companies, interested to develop more efficient and accurate methods for the diagnosis and correct viral quantification of HIV and HCV, have converged in the real time-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. This process is due to the increased sensitiviy, accuracy, linearity and correct detection of genomic viral variants of real time PCR techniques, in comparison with classical molecular methods applied since the nineties of the past century.

Analysis of forchlorfenuron in vegetables by LC/TOF-MS after extraction with the buffered QuEChERS method.

This paper describes the application of liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOF-MS), with electrospray ionization, for residue analysis of forchlorfenuron in tomato, zucchini and watermelon. The assessed method includes a sample preparation step based on the buffered QuEChERS approach. The TOF-MS fragmentation pattern of forchlorfenuron was studied at different fragmention voltages in the range of 120-270 V.

Open and laparoscopic nephroureterectomy for urothelial tumors of the upper urinary tract: initial experience.

Objective: Advances in urological laparoscopy have increased the oncological safety of this approach for managing upper urinary tract tumours, although the open surgical route remains the method of choice. This article describes our experience of the laparoscopic approach over the past four years compared to open surgery.

Materials And Methods: Between 1995 and 2009 a total of 95 nephroureterectomies were carried out to remove tumours: 70 by open surgery and 25 by laparoscopy.

BMP-7 blocks mesenchymal conversion of mesothelial cells and prevents peritoneal damage induced by dialysis fluid exposure.

Background: During peritoneal dialysis (PD), mesothelial cells (MC) undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and this process is associated with peritoneal membrane (PM) damage. Bone morphogenic protein-7 (BMP-7) antagonizes transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, modulates EMT and protects against fibrosis. Herein, we analysed the modulating role of BMP-7 on EMT of MC in vitro and its protective effects in a rat PD model.

A single dose of vitamin A improves haemoglobin concentration, retinol status and phagocytic function of neutrophils in preschool children.

Since there is a reported interrelationship between vitamin A and Fe metabolism, and with immunological response, the objective was to evaluate the effect of a single dose of vitamin A administered to preschool children, on Fe and vitamin A nutritional status, anaemia and phagocytic function of neutrophils, 30 d after supplementation. A total of eighty children (sixty-eight supplemented and twelve controls) were supplemented orally with 200,000 IU (60 mg) vitamin A, and evaluated for nutritional, haematological and immunological responses at the beginning of the study and 30 d after supplementation. Parameters studied included Hb, serum ferritin, retinol and Fe concentrations, transferrin saturation, IL-4, interferon-gamma and phagocityc capacity of neutrophils using non-fluorescent latex microbeads.

Testicular albuginea neurofibroma: findings at ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging with pathological correlation.

Objectives: To report the second case of solitary neurofibroma arising from the tunica albuginea in the literature and to show its imaging findings.

Methods/results: We present a case of neurofibroma arising from the tunica albuginea in an adult patient not affected by neurofibromatosis. We describe the ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and the histopathological characteristics along with a brief bibliographic review.

[Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy in big surgical specimens].

Introduction: The retroperitoneal surgery is the clearer indication for the laparoscopic approach. Still there are indications for open surgery because of the complexity of the patient and the surgeon experience.

Objectives: The main objective is to report our experience of laparoscopic radical nephrectomies in patient with tumors greater than 7 cm.

Chromosomal translocations caused by either pol32-dependent or pol32-independent triparental break-induced replication.

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are harmful DNA lesions that can generate chromosomal rearrangements or chromosome losses if not properly repaired. Despite their association with a number of genetic diseases and cancer, the mechanisms by which DSBs cause rearrangements remain unknown. Using a newly developed experimental assay for the analysis of translocations occurring between two chromosomes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we found that a single DSB located on one chromosome uses a short homologous sequence found in a third chromosome as a bridge to complete DSB repair, leading to chromosomal translocations.

The S-phase checkpoint is required to respond to R-loops accumulated in THO mutants.

Cotranscriptional R-loops are formed in yeast mutants of the THO complex, which functions at the interface between transcription and mRNA export. Despite the relevance of R-loops in transcription-associated recombination, the mechanisms by which they trigger recombination are still elusive. In order to understand how R-loops compromise genome stability, we have analyzed the genetic interaction of THO with 26 genes involved in replication, S-phase checkpoint, DNA repair, and chromatin remodeling.

Forecasting pollen concentration by a two-step functional model.

A functional regression model to forecast the cypress pollen concentration during a given time interval, considering the air temperature in a previous interval as the input, is derived by means of a two-step procedure. This estimation is carried out by functional principal component (FPC) analysis and the residual noise is also modeled by FPC regression, taking as the explicative process the pollen concentration during the earlier interval. The prediction performance is then tested on pollen data series recorded in Granada (Spain) over a period of 10 years.

La CLAve to increase psychosis literacy of Spanish-speaking community residents and family caregivers.

The authors developed and tested a 35-min psychoeducational program with the goal of increasing Spanish-speaking persons' literacy of psychosis. The program uses popular cultural icons derived from music, art, and videos, as well as a mnemonic device--La CLAve (The Clue)--to increase (a) knowledge of psychosis, (b) efficacy beliefs that one can identify psychosis in others, (c) attributions to mental illness, and (d) professional help-seeking. Assessments were conducted before and after administering the program to both community residents (n = 57) and family caregivers of persons with schizophrenia (n = 38).

Seroprevalence of HTLV-1/2 infection among native and immigrant pregnant women in Spain.

HTLV-1=2 antenatal screening is not mandatory in European countries. The rapid increase in immigrants coming from areas endemic for HTLV-1 infection has compelled a review of this policy in Spain. From February 2006 to December 2007, a cross-sectional study was carried out in all pregnant women attended at 10 different Spanish hospitals.

The stress-activated protein kinase Hog1 mediates S phase delay in response to osmostress.

Control of cell cycle progression by stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs) is essential for cell adaptation to extracellular stimuli. Exposure of yeast to osmostress activates the Hog1 SAPK, which modulates cell cycle progression at G1 and G2 by the phosphorylation of elements of the cell cycle machinery, such as Sic1 and Hsl1, and by down-regulation of G1 and G2 cyclins. Here, we show that upon stress, Hog1 also modulates S phase progression.

Manual therapy, exercise, and traction for patients with cervical radiculopathy: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: To date, optimal strategies for the management of patients with cervical radiculopathy remain elusive. Preliminary evidence suggests that a multimodal treatment program consisting of manual therapy, exercise, and cervical traction may result in positive outcomes for patients with cervical radiculopathy. However, limited evidence exists to support the use of mechanical cervical traction in patients with cervical radiculopathy.

R-loops do not accumulate in transcription-defective hpr1-101 mutants: implications for the functional role of THO/TREX.

To get further insight into the effect that THO/TREX and R-loops have in transcription-associated recombination and transcription, we analyzed the ability to form R-loops of hpr1-101, a THO mutation that impairs transcription and mRNP biogenesis without triggering hyper-recombination. Human AID, a cytidine deaminase that acts on ssDNA displaced by RNA-DNA hybrids, strongly induced both hyper-recombination and hyper-mutation in hpr1-101, similar to hpr1Delta mutants. However, in contrast to hpr1Delta, AID-induced mutations in hpr1-101 occur at similar frequencies in both the transcribed and non-transcribed strands, implying that the enhanced AID action in these mutants is not caused by co-transcriptional R-loops.

Methods to study transcription-coupled repair in chromatin.

Transcription-coupled repair (TCR) is a sub-pathway of nucleotide excision repair that allows for the enhanced repair of the transcribed strand of active genes. A classical method to study DNA repair in vivo consists in the molecular analysis of UV-induced DNA damages at specific loci. Cells are irradiated with a defined dose of UV light leading to the formation of DNA lesions and incubated in the dark to allow repair.

Positive surgical margin appears to have negligible impact on survival of renal cell carcinomas treated by nephron-sparing surgery.

Background: The occurrence of positive surgical margins (PSMs) after partial nephrectomy (PN) is rare, and little is known about their natural history.

Objective: To identify predictive factors of cancer recurrence and related death in patients having a PSM following PN.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Some 111 patients with a PSM were identified from a multicentre retrospective survey and were compared with 664 negative surgical margin (NSM) patients.

The Dot1 histone methyltransferase and the Rad9 checkpoint adaptor contribute to cohesin-dependent double-strand break repair by sister chromatid recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Genomic integrity is threatened by multiple sources of DNA damage. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are among the most dangerous types of DNA lesions and can be generated by endogenous or exogenous agents, but they can arise also during DNA replication. Sister chromatid recombination (SCR) is a key mechanism for the repair of DSBs generated during replication and it is fundamental for maintaining genomic stability.

Sem1 is a functional component of the nuclear pore complex-associated messenger RNA export machinery.

The evolutionarily conserved protein Sem1/Dss1 is a subunit of the regulatory particle (RP) of the proteasome, and, in mammalian cells, binds the tumor suppressor protein BRCA2. Here, we describe a new function for yeast Sem1. We show that sem1 mutants are impaired in messenger RNA (mRNA) export and transcription elongation, and induce strong transcription-associated hyper-recombination phenotypes.

Evaluation of a multiresidue method for pesticides in cereals using supercritical fluid extraction and gas chromatographic detection.

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was evaluated to be applied for residue analysis of 22 gas chromatography/electron capture detector-nitrogen phosphorus detector (GC/ECD-NPD) amenable pesticides in rice, wild rice and wheat. Samples were extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide at 200 atm pressure and 50 degrees C temperature, using methanol as a static modifier. Mean recoveries obtained with the proposed SFE method at two spiking levels with four replicates per level are compared with those obtained with an ethyl acetate-based solvent extraction/gel permeation chromatography (GPC) clean up method.

Design and validation of new genotypic tools for easy and reliable estimation of HIV tropism before using CCR5 antagonists.

Background: Genotypic tools may allow easier and less expensive estimation of HIV tropism before prescription of CCR5 antagonists compared with the Trofile assay (Monogram Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA).

Methods: Paired genotypic and Trofile results were compared in plasma samples derived from the maraviroc expanded access programme (EAP) in Europe. A new genotypic approach was built to improve the sensitivity to detect X4 variants based on an optimization of the webPSSM algorithm.