Push-and-pull regulation of the fusion pore by synaptotagmin-7.

In chromaffin cells, Ca(2+) binding to synaptotagmin-1 and -7 triggers exocytosis by promoting fusion pore opening and fusion pore expansion. Synaptotagmins contain two C2 domains that both bind Ca(2+) and contribute to exocytosis; however, it remains unknown whether the C2 domains act similarly or differentially to promote opening and expansion of fusion pores. Here, we use patch amperometry measurements in WT and synaptotagmin-7-mutant chromaffin cells to analyze the role of Ca(2+) binding to the two synaptotagmin-7 C2 domains in exocytosis.

[Outbreak of follicular conjunctivitis caused by adenovirus in a geriatric centre].

Introduction: Adenovirus serotype 4a is a respiratory virus that occasionally causes conjunctivitis. This paper describes an outbreak of follicular conjunctivitis that occurred in a geriatric centre.

Material And Methods: Outbreak description and epidemiological research through a survey.

30-Month randomised clinical trial to evaluate the clinical performance of a nanofill and a nanohybrid composite.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical performance of a nanofill and a nanohybrid composite in restorations in occlusal cavities of posterior teeth in a randomised trial over 30 months.

Methods: Forty-one adolescents participated in the study. The teeth were restored with a nanofill (Filtek Z350, 3M ESPE), a nanohybrid (Esthet-X, Dentsply); Filtek Z250 (3M ESPE) was used as a control.

Efficacy of composites filled with nanoparticles in permanent molars: Six-month results.

This study sought to evaluate the clinical performance of composites filled with nanoparticles six months after placement in the occlusal surface of molars with Class I cavities. This study involved 41 patients, each of whom had three molars affected by primary caries or the need to replace restorations. All restorations were performed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and evaluated in accordance with USPHS modified criteria.

Human parechoviruses in infants with systemic infection.

Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) are RNA viruses related to neonatal sepsis, meningoencephalitis and other infections in young children. Little clinical and epidemiological information is available on these viruses. HPeVs were sought in cerebrospinal fluid from 397 infants aged less than 12 months from whom a sample was obtained to exclude meningitis or encephalitis from 2006 to 2009.

Rb(+) occlusion stabilized by vanadate in gastric H(+)/K(+)-ATPase at 25°C.

Despite its similarity with the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, it has not been possible so far to isolate a K(+)-occluded state in the H(+)/K(+)-ATPase at room temperature. We report here results on the time course of formation of a state containing occluded Rb(+) (as surrogate for K(+)) in H(+)/K(+)-ATPase from gastric vesicles at 25°C. Alamethicin (a pore-forming peptide) showed to be a suitable agent to open vesicles, allowing a more efficient removal of Rb(+) ions from the intravesicular medium than C(12)E(8) (a non-ionic detergent).

Strongyloides stercoralis: there but not seen.

Purpose Of Review: Diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis is often delayed owing to patients presenting with nonspecific gastrointestinal complaints, a low parasite load and irregular larval output. Although several diagnostic methods exist to detect the presence of S. stercoralis there is no gold standard.

Reliable low-cost capillary electrophoresis device for drug quality control and counterfeit medicines.

The proportion of counterfeit medicines is dramatically increasing these last few years. According to numerous official sources, in some pharmaceutical wholesalers in African countries, the proportion has reached 80%. Unfortunately, this situation is far to be improved due to lack of suitable analytical equipment allowing rapid actions of the Regulatory Agencies based on scientific consideration, at affordable cost and all over the drug supply chain.

Two-liquid-phase mesophilic and thermophilic biotrickling filters for the biodegradation of alpha-pinene.

alpha-Pinene biodegradation was evaluated in mesophilic and thermophilic biotrickling filters. The potential of silicone oil for enhancing the removal was evaluated too, at both temperatures. Performance was studied at empty bed residence times between 60 and 14s, and concentrations of 0.

Multiple-cohort genetic association study reveals CXCR6 as a new chemokine receptor involved in long-term nonprogression to AIDS.

Background: The compilation of previous genomewide association studies of AIDS shows a major polymorphism in the HCP5 gene associated with both control of the viral load and long-term nonprogression (LTNP) to AIDS.

Methods: To look for genetic variants that affect LTNP without necessary control of the viral load, we reanalyzed the genomewide data of the unique LTNP Genomics of Resistance to Immunodeficiency Virus (GRIV) cohort by excluding "elite controller" patients, who were controlling the viral load at very low levels (<100 copies/mL).

Results: The rs2234358 polymorphism in the CXCR6 gene was the strongest signal (P=2.

Analysis of ascorbate peroxidase genes expressed in resistant and susceptible wheat lines infected by the cereal cyst nematode, Heterodera avenae.

Changes in ascorbate peroxidase (APX) enzyme activity in response to nematode (Heterodera avenae) attack were studied in roots of three hexaploid wheat lines carrying Cre2, Cre5, or Cre7 nematode resistance genes and the susceptible Triticum aestivum cv. Anza. A spectrophotometric analysis was carried out with root extracts of infected plants 4, 7, 11, and 14 days after nematode inoculation using uninfected plant as control.

Spread of a highly mucoid Streptococcus pyogenes emm3/ST15 clone.

Background: Hyaluronic acid capsule plays a key role in Streptococcus pyogenes virulence. Circulation of mucoid or highly encapsulated strains has been related to rheumatic fever epidemics and invasive disease in several countries. In 2009, an outbreak of mucoid S.

Measuring changes in lipid and blood glucose values in the health and wellness program of Prudential Financial, Inc.

Objective: To determine the effect of health promotion programs of Prudential Financial, Inc on biometric measures of blood lipids and glucose.

Methods: Using actual biometric and self-reported measures of blood lipids and glucose values for the employees of Prudential Financial, Inc, we examined 1) the extent to which self-reported lipid and blood glucose values correlate to laboratory data, 2) whether self-reported and measured lipid values differ for physically active and sedentary employees, and 3) whether participation in a disease management program affects employees' lipid measures.

Results: We found significant differences in self-reported and measured total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein values, although these differences and those for all lipid and blood glucose values were not clinically meaningful.

Comparative evaluation of 3D virtual ligand screening methods: impact of the molecular alignment on enrichment.

In the early stage of drug discovery programs, when the structure of a complex involving a target and a small molecule is available, structure-based virtual ligand screening methods are generally preferred. However, ligand-based strategies like shape-similarity search methods can also be applied. Shape-similarity search methods consist in exploring a pseudo-binding-site derived from the known small molecule used as a reference.

Rotavirus genotypes in children in the Basque Country (northern Spain) over a 13-year period (July 1996-June 2009).

To describe the circulation dynamics of human rotavirus genotypes in a region of southern Europe over a 13-year period. The G- and P-types of rotavirus isolates of patients aged less than 5 years were analyzed using multiplex, reverse transcription polymerase-chain reaction. Of 1,538 isolates investigated, a combination of individual G- and P-types was obtained in 1,368.

[Demyelinating disease in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients without severe immunodepression].

Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients who did not have severe immunodepression were analysed for multiple demyelinating lesions.

Methods: Patients with a CD4 greater than 200/μL were selected after a search was made in a computerised data base.

Results: Four patients were found, three were co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), with one of them on treatment with peg-interferón α-2b and ribavirin.

Critically ill infants and children with influenza A (H1N1) in pediatric intensive care units in Argentina.

Objective: To determine the epidemiological features, course, and outcomes of critically ill pediatric patients with Influenza A (H1N1) virus.

Design: Prospective cohort of children in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) due to Influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.

Setting: Seventeen medical-surgical PICUs in tertiary care hospital in Argentina.

Role of individual and school factors in physical activity patterns of secondary-level Spanish students.

Background: While the importance of individual and school factors as correlates of overall youth physical activity has been demonstrated by previous research, less is known about the relationship of these factors with specific patterns of physical activity during adolescence. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the association of selected individual and school factors with patterns of physical activity based on a sum index of physical activity in a population-based sample of Spanish adolescents.

Methods: One thousand and eighty-four students aged 12 to 17 years completed a self-report survey once during school hours.

Differential effects of sumoylation on transcription and alternative splicing by transcription elongation regulator 1 (TCERG1).

Modification of proteins by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is emerging as an important control of transcription and RNA processing. The human factor TCERG1 (also known as CA150) participates in transcriptional elongation and alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs. Here, we report that SUMO family proteins modify TCERG1.

Incidence of hospitalization due to community-acquired rotavirus infection: a 12-year study (1996-2008).

The incidence of hospitalization for acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a useful parameter to assess the utility of the new rotavirus vaccines in high-income countries. Children hospitalized for AGE were identified by searching hospital discharge data and the records of the microbiology laboratory of Hospital Donostia. Rotavirus antigen was investigated in 96.

Differential expression of immunomodulatory galectin-1 in peripheral leukocytes and adult tissues and its cytosolic organization in striated muscle.

Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is important in immune function and muscle regeneration, but its expression and localization in adult tissues and primary leukocytes remain unclear. To address this, we generated a specific monoclonal antibody against Gal-1, termed alphahGal-1, and defined a sequential peptide epitope that it recognizes, which is preserved in human and porcine Gal-1, but not in murine Gal-1. Using alphahGal-1, we found that Gal-1 is expressed in a wide range of porcine tissues, including striated muscle, liver, lung, brain, kidney, spleen, and intestine.

A New Capillary Electrophoresis Device with Deep UV Detector Based on LED Technology.

During the last three years, the College of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg has developed, in collaboration with the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva - Lausanne, a low-cost analytical capillary electrophoresis (CE) device, equipped with a new deep UV detector based on LED technology. The aim is to use it for educational purposes and/or basic pharmaceutical-analytical services, including identification or quality control assays in developing countries.

Novel organic proteasome inhibitors identified by virtual and in vitro screening.

Proteasome inhibition is a promising strategy for treating cancers. Herein, we report the discovery of novel drug-like inhibitors of mammalian proteasome 20S using a multistep structure-based virtual ligand screening strategy. Sulfone- or piperazine-containing hits essentially belong to the under-represented class of noncovalent and nonpeptidic proteasome inhibitors.

The utility of the Sysmex XE-2100 analyzer's NEUT-X and NEUT-Y parameters for detecting neutrophil dysplasia in myelodysplastic syndromes.

The diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is based on morphological changes in the blood and bone marrow. The parameters NEUT-X and NEUT-Y of the Sysmex XE-2100 analyzer could help detect neutrophil dysplasia. A control group of 50 patients, along with 50 postpartum patients, 50 anemias, 50 leukopenias, 50 patients with microscopically visible hypergranulated neutrophils and 50 MDS patients were assessed.

Residual immunity in older people against the influenza A(H1N1)--recent experience in northern Spain.

The 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus has a higher incidence in children and young adults, a pattern that has also been reported in seasonal influenza caused by the influenza A(H1N1)virus. We analysed age at infection in symptomatic patients with influenza in the Basque Country (northern Spain), reported through the sentinel influenza surveillance system which monitors 2.2-2.