Influence of the H-site residue 108 on human glutathione transferase P1-1 ligand binding: structure-thermodynamic relationships and thermal stability.

The effect of the Y108V mutation of human glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (hGST P1-1) on the binding of the diuretic drug ethacrynic acid (EA) and its glutathione conjugate (EASG) was investigated by calorimetric, spectrofluorimetric, and crystallographic studies. The mutation Tyr 108 --> Val resulted in a 3D-structure very similar to the wild type (wt) enzyme, where both the hydrophobic ligand binding site (H-site) and glutathione binding site (G-site) are unchanged except for the mutation itself. However, due to a slight increase in the hydrophobicity of the H-site, as a consequence of the mutation, an increase in the entropy was observed.

Brassica orthologs from BANYULS belong to a small multigene family, which is involved in procyanidin accumulation in the seed.

As part of a research programme focused on flavonoid biosynthesis in the seed coat of Brassica napus L. (oilseed rape), orthologs of the BANYULS gene that encoded anthocyanidin reductase were cloned in B. napus as well as in the related species Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea.

TCF7L2 polymorphism associates with new-onset diabetes after transplantation.

New-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) is a serious and frequent complication in transplant recipients. Whether NODAT shares the same susceptibility genes as type 2 diabetes is unknown. In this multicenter study, we genotyped 1076 white patients without diabetes at transplantation for 11 polymorphisms that associate with type 2 diabetes.

Contraception and screening for cervical and breast cancer in neuromuscular disease: a retrospective study of 50 patients monitored at a clinical reference centre.

Objective: To analyse contraceptive methods and the extent of screening for breast and cervical cancer in women with neuromuscular disease, compare these results with data and guidelines for the general population and determine the environmental and attitudinal barriers encountered.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study in a population of female neuromuscular disease patients (aged 20 to 74) monitored at a clinical reference centre.

Results: Complete datasets were available for 49 patients.

Association between a polymorphism in the human programmed death-1 (PD-1) gene and cytomegalovirus infection after kidney transplantation.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most frequent infectious disease following organ transplantation. Strategies to prevent this infection remain a matter for debate, and discovering genetic risk factors might assist in adapting preventive strategies. By inhibiting IFNgamma production, programmed death 1 (PD-1) has a crucial role in anti-CMV immune response.

Small heat-shock protein HspL is induced by VirB protein(s) and promotes VirB/D4-mediated DNA transfer in Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a Gram-negative plant-pathogenic bacterium that causes crown gall disease by transferring and integrating its transferred DNA (T-DNA) into the host genome. We characterized the chromosomally encoded alpha-crystallin-type small heat-shock protein (alpha-Hsp) HspL, which was induced by the virulence (vir) gene inducer acetosyringone (AS). The transcription of hspL but not three other alpha-Hsp genes (hspC, hspAT1, hspAT2) was upregulated by AS.

Active plasmonic devices via electron spin.

A class of active terahertz devices that operate via particle plasmon oscillations is introduced for ensembles consisting of ferromagnetic and dielectric micro-particles. By utilizing an interplay between spin-orbit interaction manifesting as anisotropic magnetoresistance and the optical distance between ferromagnetic particles, a multifaceted paradigm for device design is demonstrated. Here, the phase accumulation of terahertz radiation across the device is actively modulated via the application of an external magnetic field.

Does feed composition affect oxidation of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) during frozen storage?

Rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) were fed a diet containing either fish oil or rapeseed oil and with or without 200 mg/kg carotenoid (either astaxanthin or canthaxanthin). A total of six diets were obtained: (1) fish oil/astaxanthin; (2) vegetable oil/astaxanthin; (3) fish oil/canthaxanthin; (4) vegetable oil/canthaxanthin; (5) fish oil/no pigment; and (6) vegetable oil/no pigment. The fish were slaughtered and stored in polyethylene bags individually as butterfly fillets for up to 22 months at -20 °C.

Simulation of intracranial acoustic fields in clinical trials of sonothrombolysis.

Two clinical trials have used ultrasound to improve tPA thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke. The Combined Lysis of Thrombus in Brain Ischemia Using Transcranial Ultrasound and Systemic tPA (CLOTBUST) trial reported accelerated recanalisation of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in patients with symptoms of MCA infarction, which were monitored with 2-MHz transcranial Doppler. In CLOTBUST, there was no increased bleeding as evidenced by cranial computed tomography.

[Pharyngo-vertebral fistula with transspinous course to the neck skin due to a cervical spondylodesis - case report and review of the literature].

Background: Pharyngo-vertebral fistulas - especially with delayed diagnosis - are a rare but grave reported complication in cervical spine surgery.

Patients And Methods: We present a patient, sent postoperatively from Italy after cervical spine surgery to our department. The patient has developed a pharyngo-vertebral fistula with transspinous course to the dorsal neck skin due to infected spondylodesis.

Induction of porcine regulatory cells by mycophenolic Acid-treated dendritic cells.

Tolerance induction in murine allogeneic transplantation is relatively easy, often by induction of regulatory T cells (Treg). Unfortunately, the implementation of these models in clinical situations has not yielded reliable protocols of tolerance induction in humans. Our project sought to create a preclinical model of tolerance induction in large animals.

Mycophenolic Acid Inhibits p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Human Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells Stimulated by Lipopolysaccharide.

Dendritic cell (DC) maturation, a crucial stage in the immune response, can be induced by various stimuli, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Maturation signals trigger up-regulation of costimulatory molecule expression, increasing the ability of DCs to prime T helper cells. We and others have previously reported that mycophenolic acid (MPA) inhibits DC maturation and activation.

Anti-CD25 antibodies decrease the ability of human dendritic cells to prime allogeneic CD4 T cells.

Anti-CD25 monoclonal antibodies are largely used in clinical transplantation to prevent acute allograft rejection episodes. Although their effects on T lymphocytes have been extensively studied, their impact on human dendritic cells (DCs) has been less reported. Furthermore, the role of the interleukin-2 in DC functions has not yet been fully elucidated.

Impact of a polymorphism in the IL-12p40 gene on the outcome of kidney transplantation.

A number of factors interfere with the outcome of renal transplantation. Revealing genetic factors that impact on graft outcome may have consequences for clinical practice. Interleukin-12 (IL-12), by stimulating interferon gamma (IFNgamma) production, plays a crucial role in immune responses against both graft and viral agents.

Molecular analyte profiling of the early events and tissue conditioning following intravesical bacillus calmette-guerin therapy in patients with superficial bladder cancer.

Purpose: We characterized the innate immune response to intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy using a systems approach based on proteomic and cytometric screens.

Materials And Methods: Blood and urine were collected from patients receiving intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy before, and 2 and 4 hours after bacillus Calmette-Guerin treatment, at the first and third instillation. Proteomic and cytometry based screens were performed.

A plasmonic random composite with atypical refractive index.

We present a material composite consisting of randomly oriented elements governed by non-resonant interactions. By exploiting near-field plasmonic interaction in a dense ensemble of subwavelength-sized dielectric and metallic particles, we reveal that the group refractive index of the composite can be increased to be larger than the effective refractive indices of constituent metallic and dielectric parent composites. These findings introduce a new class of engineered photonic materials having customizable and atypical optical constants.

The promoter of the Arabidopsis thaliana BAN gene is active in proanthocyanidin-accumulating cells of the Brassica napus seed coat.

As part of an ongoing research program dedicated to the understanding of proanthocyanidin (PA) accumulation in Brassica napus seed coat, transgenic rapeseed plants carrying a 2.3-kb fragment of the Arabidopsis thaliana BAN promoter (ProAtBAN) fused to the uidA reporter gene (GUS) were generated. Analysis of these plants revealed that ProAtBAN was activated in B.

Auditory performance and central auditory processing after cochlear implantation in patients deafened by meningitis.

The objective of this study was to describe the auditory performance of patients deafened by meningitis in closed-set, open-set and language tests (Luria's test). Ten paediatric subjects deafened by meningitis were compared with a peer group of ten paediatric congenitally deaf subjects. All the subjects had a full insertion of a Nucleus device.

Two host factors regulate persistence of H7-specific T cells injected in tumor-bearing mice.

Background: Injection of CD8 T cells primed against immunodominant minor histocompatibility antigens (MiHA) such as H7(a) can eradicate leukemia and solid tumors. To understand why MiHA-targeted T cells have such a potent antitumor effect it is essential to evaluate their in vivo behavior. In the present work, we therefore addressed two specific questions: what is the proliferative dynamics of H7(a)-specifc T cells in tumors, and do H7(a)-specific T cells persist long-term after adoptive transfer?

Methodology/principal Findings: By day 3 after adoptive transfer, we observed a selective infiltration of melanomas by anti-H7(a) T cells.

CD40 engagement strongly induces CD25 expression on porcine dendritic cells and polarizes the T cell immune response toward Th1.

Orientation of the immune response toward Th1, Th2, Th17 or Treg plays an important role in self-tolerance and defence against pathogens and tumors. However, this orientation has not been fully characterised in the pig and little is known about the influence of maturation stimulus on the capacity of dendritic cells selectively to direct different types of Th cell responses. Dendritic cell (DC) maturation can be induced by different agents such as inflammatory cytokines, TLR ligands and CD40L.

Sensitivity of tests to assess improvement in ADHD symptomatology.

Objective: To assess which measurements best predict improvement on ADHD symptomatology after medication is given.

Methods: 147 children aged 6 to 12 years, diagnosed with ADHD, participated in a double-blind placebo controlled twoweek crossover trial of methylphenidate.

Results: There were statistically significant differences on all measures between placebo and medication.

[Evaluation of the effect of hospital clown's performance about anxiety in children subjected to surgical intervention].

Objective: To be hospitalized is a highly distressing event for children. At present, a resort used in Spain and other countries to reduce children's anxiety in the health context are hospital's clown. We studied the effect of the hospital's clowns about the anxiety in children that going to be operated.

Nuclear localization of cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein upon rotavirus infection involves the interaction of NSP3 with eIF4G and RoXaN.

Rotavirus nonstructural protein NSP3 interacts specifically with the 3' end of viral mRNAs, with the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4G, and with RoXaN, a cellular protein of yet-unknown function. By evicting cytoplasmic poly(A) binding protein (PABP-C1) from translation initiation complexes, NSP3 shuts off the translation of cellular polyadenylated mRNAs. We show here that PABP-C1 evicted from eIF4G by NSP3 accumulates in the nucleus of rotavirus-infected cells.

Immune depression syndrome following human spinal cord injury (SCI): a pilot study.

Experimental spinal cord injury (SCI) has been identified to trigger a systemic, neurogenic immune depression syndrome. Here, we have analyzed fluctuations of immune cell populations following human SCI by FACS analysis. In humans, a rapid and drastic decrease of CD14+ monocytes (<50% of control level), CD3+ T-lymphocytes (<20%, P<0.

Factor structure of the restricted academic situation scale: implications for ADHD.

Background: To study the factor structure of the Restricted Academic Situation Scale (RASS), a psychometric tool used to assess behavior in children with ADHD, 117 boys and 21 girls meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) criteria for ADHD and aged between 6 and 12 years were recruited. Assessments were carried out before and 65 min after the administration of either a placebo or 0.