Expression of gonadotropin subunit and gonadotropin receptor genes in wild female New Zealand shortfinned eel (Anguilla australis) during yellow and silver stages

Despite tremendous importance of follicle-stimulating hormone (Fsh) and luteinizing hormone (Lh) as primary controllers of reproductive development, information on the expression profiles of the genes encoding gonadotropin subunits and gonadotropin receptors (Fshr and Lhr) in wild eels are essentially non-existent. This study investigated pituitary fshb and lhb mRNA levels and ovarian fshr and lhr mRNA levels of wild shortfinned eels, Anguilla australis at different stages of oogenesis. Protein expression of Fsh in the pituitary was also quantified and visualized using slot blot and immunohistochemistry. Pituitary fshb and lhb mRNA levels showed a differential expression pattern, fshb mRNA levels increasing significantly from the perinucleolus (PN) to the oil droplet stage (OD) before slightly decreasing (not significantly) in the early vitellogenic stage (EV). A similar trend was observed in relative Fsh protein levels analyzed by slot blot and immunohistochemistry, but this trend was not reflected in the plasma levels of sex steroids. In contrast, pituitary lhb mRNA levels increased significantly from the PN to EV stage. A higher expression of Fsh at both mRNA and protein levels in the pituitary of eels at the OD stage compared to other investigated stages suggests that synthesis of Fsh production in the pituitary may reach a peak at the OD stage. In the ovary, transcript abundances of fshr and lhr gradually increased during previtellogenic follicle growth, but markedly and significantly increased thereafter. Taken together, our data suggest i) that Fsh release may be very limited, or absent, prior to onset of puberty in shortfinned eels and ii) that Lh is not functionally important in this fish during the EV stage.

Advancing System Performance with Redundancy: From Biological to Artificial Designs

Redundancy is a fundamental characteristic of many biological processes such as those in the genetic, visual, muscular, and nervous systems, yet its driven mechanism has not been fully comprehended. Until recently, the only understanding of redundancy is as a mean to attain fault tolerance, which is reflected in the design of many man-made systems. On the contrary, our previous work on redundant sensing (RS) has demonstrated an example where redundancy can be engineered solely for enhancing accuracy and precision. The design was inspired by the binocular structure of human vision, which we believe may share a similar operation. In this letter, we present a unified theory describing how such utilization of redundancy is feasible through two complementary mechanisms: representational redundancy (RPR) and entangled redundancy (ETR). We also point out two additional examples where our new understanding of redundancy can be applied to justify a system's superior performance. One is the human musculoskeletal system (HMS), a biological instance, and the other is the deep residual neural network (ResNet), an artificial counterpart. We envision that our theory would provide a framework for the future development of bio-inspired redundant artificial systems, as well as assist studies of the fundamental mechanisms governing various biological processes.

Achieving Super-Resolution With Redundant Sensing

OBJECTIVE

A new technique is presented to enhance the precision of the analog-to-digital (AD) and digital-to-analog (DA) conversion, which are fundamental operations of many biomedical information processing systems. In practice, the precision of these operations is always bounded, first by the random mismatch error occurred during system implementation, and subsequently by the intrinsic quantization error determined by the system architecture itself.

METHODS

Here, we derive a new mathematical interpretation of the previously proposed redundant sensing architecture that not only suppresses mismatch error but also allows achieving an effective resolution exceeding the system's intrinsic resolution, i.e., super-resolution (SR). SR is enabled by an endogenous property of redundant structures regarded as "code diffusion" where the references' value spreads into the neighbor sample space as a result of mismatch error.

RESULTS

Using Monte Carlo methods, we show a profound theoretical increase of 8-9 b effective resolution or 256-512× enhancement of precision on a 10-b device at 95% sample space.

CONCLUSION

The proposed SR mechanism can be applied to substantially improve the precision of various AD and DA conversion processes beyond the system resource constraints.

SIGNIFICANCE

The concept opens the possibility for a wide range of applications in low-power fully integrated sensors and devices where the cost-accuracy tradeoff is inevitable. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, we point out an example where the proposed technique can be used to enhance the precision of an implantable neurostimulator design.

A Bidirectional Neuromodulation Technology for Nerve Recording and Stimulation

Electrical nerve recording and stimulation technologies are critically needed to monitor and modulate nerve activity to treat a variety of neurological diseases. However, current neuromodulation technologies presented in the literature or commercially available products cannot support simultaneous recording and stimulation on the same nerve. To solve this problem, a new bidirectional neuromodulation system-on-chip (SoC) is proposed in this paper, which includes a frequency-shaping neural recorder and a fully integrated neural stimulator with charge balancing capability. In addition, auxiliary circuits consisting of power management and data transmission circuits are designed to provide the necessary power supply for the SoC and the bidirectional data communication between the SoC and an external computer via a universal serial bus (USB) interface, respectively. To achieve sufficient low input noise for sensing nerve activity at a sub-10 μV range, several noise reduction techniques are developed in the neural recorder. The designed SoC was fabricated in a 0.18 μm high-voltage Bipolar CMOS DMOS (BCD) process technology that was described in a previous publication and it has been recently tested in animal experiments that demonstrate the proposed SoC is capable of achieving reliable and simultaneous electrical stimulation and recording on the same nerve.

The prehistoric peopling of Southeast Asia

The human occupation history of Southeast Asia (SEA) remains heavily debated. Current evidence suggests that SEA was occupied by Hòabìnhian hunter-gatherers until ~4000 years ago, when farming economies developed and expanded, restricting foraging groups to remote habitats. Some argue that agricultural development was indigenous; others favor the “two-layer” hypothesis that posits a southward expansion of farmers giving rise to present-day Southeast Asian genetic diversity. By sequencing 26 ancient human genomes (25 from SEA, 1 Japanese Jōmon), we show that neither interpretation fits the complexity of Southeast Asian history: Both Hòabìnhian hunter-gatherers and East Asian farmers contributed to current Southeast Asian diversity, with further migrations affecting island SEA and Vietnam. Our results help resolve one of the long-standing controversies in Southeast Asian prehistory.

Abstract A39: Modeling organelle-specific O-glycosylation in driving liver tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis

Cancer progression is driven by the ability of tumor cells to invade surrounding tissues. Invasiveness correlates with perturbation of a covalent modification of cell surface proteins: O-glycosylation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we show that O-glycosylation initiating enzymes are activated during liver tumor growth by intracellular relocation from Golgi to ER. In a Nras/shp53 mouse liver cancer model, coexpressing an ER-targeted glycosyl-transferase GALNT1 (ER-G1) massively increased tissue growth, invasion, and metastases. ER-G1, but not its Golgi-localized counterpart, strongly stimulates glycosylation of the key cancer matrix metalloprotease MT1-MMP, this modification being essential for collagenase activity. Conversely, expression of an ER-targeted inhibitor of GALNTs inhibits liver tumor progression in Nras/shp53-injected mice. In summary, our model comprehensively demonstrates the generation and analyses of the GALA (GALNTs Activation) pathway driving liver tumor invasiveness; thus, further characterization of glycosylation substrates will unveil mechanisms of tumor growth and help identify potential therapeutic targets in human liver cancer.

Citation Format: Anh Tuan Nguyen, Frederic Bard. Modeling organelle-specific O-glycosylation in driving liver tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Modeling Cancer in Mice: Technology, Biology, and Beyond; 2017 Sep 24-27; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A39.

Human Rett-derived neuronal progenitor cells in 3D graphene scaffold as an in vitro platform to study the effect of electrical stimulation on neuronal differentiation

Studies of electrical stimulation therapies for the treatment of neurological disorders, such as deep brain stimulation, have almost exclusively been performed using animal-models. However, because animal-models can only approximate human brain disorders, these studies should be supplemented with an in vitro human cell-culture based model to substantiate the results of animal-based studies and further investigate therapeutic benefit in humans. This study presents a novel approach to analyze the effect of electrical stimulation on the neurogenesis of patient-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived neural progenitor cell (NPC) lines, in vitro using a 3D graphene scaffold system. The iPSC-derived hNPCs used to demonstrate the system were collected from patients with Rett syndrome, a debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder. The graphene scaffold readily supported both the wild-type and Rett NPCs. Electrical stimulation parameters were optimized to accommodate both wild-type and Rett cells. Increased cell maturation and improvements in cell morphology of the Rett cells was observed after electrical stimulation. The results of the pilot study of electrical stimulation to enhance Rett NPCs neurogenesis were promising and support further investigation of the therapy. Overall, this system provides a valuable tool to study electrical stimulation as a potential therapy for neurological disorders using patient-specific cells.

Comparative Study of Strain-Dependent Structural Changes of Silkworm Silks: Insight into the Structural Origin of Strain-Stiffening

Structure-property relationships of silk is an intriguing topic for silk-based biomaterials research since these features are related to biomimicking the processing in natural silk fiber formation which results in excellent mechanical properties. Strain-stiffening is common for spider silks and nonmulberry silkworm silks. However, the structural origin of strain-stiffening remains unclear. In this paper, the strain-dependent structural change of Antheraea pernyi silkworm silk is studied by X-ray fiber diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy under stretching. Based on a combination of mechanical and structural analysis, the molecular origins of strain-stiffening in A. pernyi silk were determined. The relatively high content of the β-sheets within the amorphous domains in A. pernyi silk is responsible for strain-stiffening, where "molecular spindles" enhance the extensibility and toughness of the fiber.

Organelle Specific O-Glycosylation Drives MMP14 Activation, Tumor Growth, and Metastasis

Cancers grow within tissues through molecular mechanisms still unclear. Invasiveness correlates with perturbed O-glycosylation, a covalent modification of cell-surface proteins. Here, we show that, in human and mouse liver cancers, initiation of O-glycosylation by the GALNT glycosyl-transferases increases and shifts from the Golgi to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In a mouse liver cancer model, expressing an ER-targeted GALNT1 (ER-G1) massively increased tumor expansion, with median survival reduced from 23 to 10 weeks. In vitro cell growth was unaffected, but ER-G1 strongly enabled matrix degradation and tissue invasion. Unlike its Golgi-localized counterpart, ER-G1 glycosylates the matrix metalloproteinase MMP14, a process required for tumor expansion. Together, our results indicate that GALNTs strongly promote liver tumor growth after relocating to the ER.

Intraoperative serum lactate is not a predictor of survival after glioblastoma surgery

BACKGROUND

Cancer cells can produce lactate in high concentrations. Two previous studies examined the clinical relevance of serum lactate as a biomarker in patients with brain tumors. Patients with high-grade tumors have higher serum concentrations of lactate than those with low-grade tumors. We hypothesized that serum lactic could be used of biomarker to predictor of survival in patients with glioblastoma (GB).

METHODS

This was a retrospective study. Demographic, lactate concentrations and imaging data from 275 adult patients with primary GB was included in the analysis. The progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were compared in patients who had above and below the median concentrations of lactate. We also investigated the correlation between lactate concentrations and tumor volume. Multivariate analyses were conducted to test the association lactate, tumor volume and demographic variables with PFS and OS.

RESULTS

The median serum concentration of lactate was 2.3mmol/L. A weak correlation was found between lactate concentrations and tumor volume. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated similar survival in patients with higher or lower than 2.3mmol/L of lactate. The multivariate analysis indicated that the intraoperative levels of lactate were not independently associated with changes in survival. On another hand, a preoperative T1 volume was an independent predictor PFS (HR 95%CI: 1.41, 1.02-1.82, p=0.006) and OS (HR 95%CI: 1.47, 1.11-1.96, p=0.006).

CONCLUSION

This retrospective study suggests that the serum concentrations of lactate cannot be used as a biomarker to predict survival after GB surgery. To date, there are no clinically available serum biomarkers to determine prognosis in patients with high-grade gliomas. These tumors may produce high levels of lactic acid. We hypothesized that serum lactic could be used of biomarker to predictor of survival in patients with glioblastoma (GB). In this study, we collected perioperative and survival data from 275 adult patients with primary high-grade gliomas to determine whether intraoperative serum acid lactic concentrations can serve as a marker of prognosis. The median serum concentration of lactate was 2.3mmol/L. Our analysis indicated the intraoperative levels of lactate were not independently associated with changes in survival. This retrospective study suggests that the serum concentrations of lactate cannot be used as a biomarker to predict survival after GB surgery.

Outcomes of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells for cerebral palsy: an open label uncontrolled clinical trial

Background

Stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising method for improving motor function of patients with cerebral palsy. The aim of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of autologous bone marrow mononuclear stem cell transplantation in patients with cerebral palsy related to oxygen deprivation.

Methods

An open label uncontrolled clinical trial was carried out at Vinmec International Hospital. The intervention consisted of two administrations of stem cells, the first at baseline and the second 3 months later. Improvement was monitored at 3 months and 6 months after the first administration of stem cells, using the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and Modified Ashworth Score which measures muscle tone.

Results

No severe complications were recorded during the study. After transplantation, 12 patients encountered fever without infections and 9 patients experienced vomiting which was easily managed with medications. Gross motor function was markedly improved 3 months or 6 months after stem cell transplantation than at baseline. The post-transplantation GMFM-88 total score, each of its domains and the GMFM-66 percentile were all significantly higher (p-value < 0.001). Muscle spasticity also reduced significantly after transplantation (p-value < 0.001). The therapy was equally effective regardless of sex, age and GMFCS level (p-value > 0.05).

Conclusion

Autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation appears to be a safe and effective therapy for patients with cerebral palsy.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02569775. Retrospectively registered on October 15, 2015.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12887-017-0859-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Study on knowledge of medicinal plants used of Tay ethnic minority in Na Hang special-use forest, Tuyen Quang Province

Tay ethnic minority using Tay - Thai language is the biggest population in Na Hang district (ca. 51.6%), Tuyen Quang province. Their knowledge and experience of using medicinal plants have been preserved and passed down through many generations. Medicinal plant resources in Na Hang special-use forests (SUF) have been contributing to the work of health care and treatment of communities in the region. Research results showed that the composition of medicinal plants used by Tay ethnic minority in Na Hang SUF included 223 vascular plant species, belonging to 4 phyla which were mainly belonging to Magnoliophyta, accounting for 90.0% of families; 94.97% of genera, and 95.92% of species. Among these 223 plant species, 9 species were ranked at different levels of endangered status. These are rare and precious gene sources that need to be strictly protected and conserved. 53 diseases/symptoms belonging to 7 groups of diseases can be treated with medicinal plants from Tay ethnic minority in Na Hang SUF. Particularly, 14 diseases to be treated by various medicinal herbs. Dân tộc Tày là một cộng đồng thuộc ngôn ngữ Tày - Thái và có dân số đông nhất ở huyện Na Hang, tỉnh Tuyên Quang, chiếm 51,6% tổng dân số toàn huyện. Những tri thức và kinh nghiệm sử dụng những loài cây để chữa bệnh đã được người dân địa phương gìn giữ và lưu truyền lại qua nhiều đời, thế hệ sau. Nguồn tài nguyên cây thuốc ở rừng đặc dụng Na Hang đã và đang đóng góp vào công tác chăm sóc sức khoẻ và chữa bệnh của các cộng đồng trong khu vực. Kết quả điều tra cho thấy thành phần loài cây thuốc được người dân tộc Tày sử dụng gồm 223 loài thuộc 4 ngành thực vật bậc cao có mạch, chủ yếu thuộc ngành Mộc Lan (Magnoliophyta), chiếm 90,0% tổng số họ; 94,97% tổng số chi và 95,52% tổng số loài. Trong số 223 loài cây thuốc này, có 9 loài được xếp ở các cấp độ nguy cấp khác nhau. Đây là nguồn gien quý hiếm, cần có biện pháp bảo tồn nghiêm ngặt. Có 53 bệnh/triệu chứng bệnh thuộc 7 nhóm bệnh có thể chữa bằng cây thuốc tại rừng đặc dụng Na Hang từ người dân tộc Tày. Đặc biệt, 14 bệnh có thể chữa được bằng nhiều loại cây thuốc khác nhau.

Effect of body aerodynamics on the dynamic flight stability of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta

This study explores the effects of the body aerodynamics on the dynamic flight stability of an insect at various different forward flight speeds. The insect model, whose morphological parameters are based on measurement data from the hawkmoth Manduca sexta, is treated as an open-loop six-degree-of-freedom dynamic system. The aerodynamic forces and moments acting on the insect are computed by an aerodynamic model that combines the unsteady panel method and the extended unsteady vortex-lattice method. The aerodynamic model is then coupled to a multi-body dynamic code to solve the system of motion equations. First, the trimmed flight conditions of insect models with and without consideration of the body aerodynamics are obtained using a trim search algorithm. Subsequently, the effects of the body aerodynamics on the dynamic flight stability are analysed through modal structures, i.e., eigenvalues and eigenvectors in this case, which are based on linearized equations of motion. The solutions from the nonlinear and linearized equations of motion due to gust disturbances are obtained, and the effects of the body aerodynamics are also investigated through these solutions. The results showed the important effect of the body aerodynamics at high-speed forward flight (in this paper at 4.0 and 5.0 m s^-1) and the movement trends of eigenvalues when the body aerodynamics is included.

Neuronix enables continuous, simultaneous neural recording and electrical microstimulation

This paper reports a novel neurotechnology (Neuronix) and its validation through experiments. It is a miniature system-on-chip (SoC) that allows recording with simultaneous electrical microstimulation. This function has not been demonstrated before and enables precise, closed-loop neuromodulation. Neuronix represents recent advancement in brain technology and applies to both animal research and clinical applications.

Evaluation of Two Techniques for Viral Load Monitoring Using Dried Blood Spot in Routine Practice in Vietnam (French National Agency for AIDS and Hepatitis Research 12338)

Background. Although it is the best method to detect early therapeutic failure, viral load (VL) monitoring is still not widely available in many resource-limited settings because of difficulties in specimen transfer, personnel shortage, and insufficient laboratory infrastructures. Dried blood spot (DBS) use, which was introduced in the latest World Health Organization recommendations, can overcome these difficulties. This evaluation aimed at validating VL measurement in DBS, in a laboratory without previous DBS experience and in routine testing conditions.

Methods. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adults were observed in a HIV care site in Hanoi, and each patient provided 2 DBS cards with whole blood spots and 2 plasma samples. Viral load was measured in DBS and in plasma using the COBAS Ampliprep/TaqMan and the Abbott RealTime assays. To correctly identify those with VL ≥ 1000 copies/mL, sensitivity and specificity were estimated.

Results. A total of 198 patients were enrolled. With the Roche technique, 51 plasma VL were ≥1000 copies/mL; among these, 28 presented a VL in DBS that was also ≥1000 copies/mL (sensitivity, 54.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 40.3–68.9). On the other hand, all plasma VL < 1000 copies/mL were also <1000 copies/mL in DBS (specificity, 100; 95% CI, 97.5–100). With the Abbott technique, 45 plasma VL were ≥1000 copies/mL; among these, 42 VL in DBS were also ≥1000 copies/mL (sensitivity, 93.3%; 95% CI, 81.7–98.6); specificity was 94.8 (95% CI, 90.0–97.7).

Conclusions. The Abbott RealTime polymerase chain reaction assay provided adequate VL results in DBS, thus allowing DBS use for VL monitoring.

From nano to micro: topographical scale and its impact on cell adhesion, morphology and contact guidance

Topography, among other physical factors such as substrate stiffness and extracellular forces, is known to have a great influence on cell behaviours. Optimization of topographical features, in particular topographical dimensions ranging from nanoscale to microscale, is the key strategy to obtain the best cellular performance for various applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In this review, we provide a comprehensive survey on the significance of sizes of topography and their impacts on cell adhesion, morphology and alignment, and neurite guidance. Also recent works mimicking the hierarchical structure of natural extracellular matrix by combining both nanoscale and microscale topographies are highlighted.

Obesity and Mortality, Length of Stay and Hospital Cost among Patients with Sepsis: A Nationwide Inpatient Retrospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to examine the association between obesity and all-cause mortality, length of stay and hospital cost among patients with sepsis 20 years of age or older.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It was a retrospective cohort study. The dataset was the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2011, the largest publicly available all-payer inpatient care database in the United States. Hospitalizations of sepsis patients 20 years of age or older were included. All 25 primary and secondary diagnosis fields were screened to identify patients with sepsis using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Obesity was the exposure of interest. It was one of the 29 standardized Elixhauser comorbidity measures and readily available in the dataset as a dichotomized variable. The outcome measures were all-cause in-hospital death, length of stay and hospital cost.

RESULTS

After weighting, our sample projected to a population size of 1,763,000, providing an approximation for the number of hospital discharges of all sepsis patients 20 years of age or older in the US in 2011. The overall all-cause mortality rate was 14.8%, the median hospital length of stay was 7 days and the median hospital cost was $15,917. After adjustment, the all-cause mortality was lower (adjusted OR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.81 to 0.88); the average hospital length of stay was longer (adjusted difference = 0.65 day; 95% CI = 0.44 to 0.86) and the hospital cost per stay was higher (adjusted difference = $2,927; 95% CI = $1,606 to $4,247) for obese sepsis patients as compared to non-obese ones.

CONCLUSION

With this large and nationally representative sample of over 1,000 hospitals in the US, we found that obesity was significantly associated with a 16% decrease in the odds of dying among hospitalized sepsis patients; however it was also associated with greater duration and cost of hospitalization.

Development of a conditional liver tumor model by mifepristone-inducible Cre recombination to control oncogenic kras V12 expression in transgenic zebrafish

Here we report a new transgenic expression system by combination of liver-specific expression, mifepristone induction and Cre-loxP recombination to conditionally control the expression of oncogenic kras^V12. This transgenic system allowed expression of kras^V12 specifically in the liver by a brief exposure of mifepristone to induce permanent genomic recombination mediated by the Cre-loxP system. We found that liver tumors were generally induced from multiple foci due to incomplete Cre-loxP recombination, thus mimicking naturally occurring human tumors resulting from one or a few mutated cells and clonal proliferation to form nodules. Similar to our earlier studies by both constitutive and inducible expression of the kras^V12 oncogene, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the main type of liver tumor induced by kras^V12 expression. Moreover, mixed tumors with hepatocellular adenoma and hepatoblastoma (HB) were also frequently observed. Molecular analyses also indicated similar increase of phosphorylated ERK1/2 in all types of liver tumors, but nuclear localization of β–catenin, a sign of malignant transformation, was found only in HCC and HB. Taken together, our new transgenic system reported in this study allows transgenic kras^V12 expression specifically in the zebrafish liver only by a brief exposure of mifepristone to induce permanent genomic recombination mediated by the Cre-loxP system.

Prognostic Relevance of Histomolecular Classification of Diffuse Adult High-Grade Gliomas with Necrosis

Diffuse adult high-grade gliomas (HGGs) with necrosis encompass anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (AOs) with necrosis (grade III), glioblastomas (GBM, grade IV) and glioblastomas with an oligodendroglial component (GBMO, grade IV). Here, we aimed to search for prognostic relevance of histological classification and molecular alterations of these tumors. About 210 patients were included (63 AO, 56 GBM and 91 GBMO). GBMO group was split into "anaplastic oligoastrocytoma (AOA) with necrosis grade IV/GBMO," restricted to tumors showing intermingled astrocytic and oligodendroglial component, and "GBM/GBMO" based on tumors presenting oligodendroglial foci and features of GBM. Genomic arrays, IDH1 R132H expression analyses and IDH direct sequencing were performed. 1p/19q co-deletion characterized AO, whereas no IDH1 R132H expression and intact 1p/19q characterized both GBM and GBM/GBMO. AOA with necrosis/GBMO mainly demonstrated IDH1 R132H expression and intact 1p/19q. Other IDH1 or IDH2 mutations were extremely rare. Both histological and molecular classifications were predictive of progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (P < 10(-4) ). Diffuse adult HGGs with necrosis can be split into three histomolecular groups of prognostic relevance: 1p/19q co-deleted AO, IDH1 R132H-GBM and 1p/19q intact IDH1 R132H+ gliomas that might be classified as IDH1 R132H+ GBM. Because of histomolecular heterogeneity, we suggest to remove the name GBMO.

Data mining for materials design: a computational study of single molecule magnet

We develop a method that combines data mining and first principles calculation to guide the designing of distorted cubane Mn(4+)Mn3(3+) single molecule magnets. The essential idea of the method is a process consisting of sparse regressions and cross-validation for analyzing calculated data of the materials. The method allows us to demonstrate that the exchange coupling between Mn(4+) and Mn(3+) ions can be predicted from the electronegativities of constituent ligands and the structural features of the molecule by a linear regression model with high accuracy. The relations between the structural features and magnetic properties of the materials are quantitatively and consistently evaluated and presented by a graph. We also discuss the properties of the materials and guide the material design basing on the obtained results.

Crystal networks in silk fibrous materials: from hierarchical structure to ultra performance

This review provides a comprehensive survey of the structural characteristics of crystal networks of silk soft fibrous materials in correlation with the macroscopic properties/performance and the network formation mechanisms. The correlation between the hierarchical mesoscopic structures and the mechanical properties of silk soft fibrous materials including silk fibroin hydrogels and naturally spun silk fibers are addressed based on the hierarchical crystal network models. Namely, two types of hierarchical networks are identified: the weak nanofibril-nanofibril interaction case (i.e., silk fibroin hydrogels), and the strong nanofibril-nanofibril interaction case (i.e., silk fibers). The macroscopic properties, i.e., the rheological/mechanical properties, can be controlled in terms of tuning different levels of hierarchical network structures by ultrasonication-induced gelation, introducing the initial nucleation centers, etc. Such controls take effect by different mesoscale assembly pathways, which are found to occur via different routes of the nucleation and growth processes. Furthermore, the hierarchical network model of soft fibrous materials can be applied to explain the superior mechanical properties and the unique strain-hardening behaviors of spider silk fibers within the framework of hierarchical breaking mechanism. Obviously, a knowledge of crystal networks will allow the prediction of the performance and engineering strategy of silk fibrous materials in generals.

Crystal networks in silk fibrous materials: from hierarchical structure to ultra performance

This review provides a comprehensive survey of the structural characteristics of crystal networks of silk soft fibrous materials in correlation with the macroscopic properties/performance and the network formation mechanisms. The correlation between the hierarchical mesoscopic structures and the mechanical properties of silk soft fibrous materials including silk fibroin hydrogels and naturally spun silk fibers are addressed based on the hierarchical crystal network models. Namely, two types of hierarchical networks are identified: the weak nanofibril-nanofibril interaction case (i.e., silk fibroin hydrogels), and the strong nanofibril-nanofibril interaction case (i.e., silk fibers). The macroscopic properties, i.e., the rheological/mechanical properties, can be controlled in terms of tuning different levels of hierarchical network structures by ultrasonication-induced gelation, introducing the initial nucleation centers, etc. Such controls take effect by different mesoscale assembly pathways, which are found to occur via different routes of the nucleation and growth processes. Furthermore, the hierarchical network model of soft fibrous materials can be applied to explain the superior mechanical properties and the unique strain-hardening behaviors of spider silk fibers within the framework of hierarchical breaking mechanism. Obviously, a knowledge of crystal networks will allow the prediction of the performance and engineering strategy of silk fibrous materials in generals.

Mathematical modeling of glassy-winged sharpshooter population

Pierce's disease (PD) is a fatal disease of grapevines which results from an infection by the plant pathogen Xyllela fastidiosa. This bacterium grows in the xylem (water-conducting) vessels of the plant blocking movement of water. PD can kill vines in one year and poses a serious threat to both the California and the expanding Texas wine industries. Bacteria are vectored from one vine to the next by a number of xylem feeding insect species. Of these, the Glassy-winged Sharpshooter (GWSS) is considered to be the primary xylem feeding insect in Texas vineyards. An extensive database of the xylem-feeding population frequencies was collected by USDA-APHIS for Texas vineyards over multiple years. This project focused on a subset of data, GWSS frequencies within 25 vineyards in Edwards Plateau located in central Texas. The proposed model investigates the natural population dynamics and the decline in GWSS, likely the result of pest management campaigns on the insects within the region. The model is a delay Gompertz differential equation with harvesting and immigration terms, and we use the data to estimate the model parameters.

Xmrk, kras and myc transgenic zebrafish liver cancer models share molecular signatures with subsets of human hepatocellular carcinoma

Previously three oncogene transgenic zebrafish lines with inducible expression of xmrk, kras or Myc in the liver have been generated and these transgenic lines develop oncogene-addicted liver tumors upon chemical induction. In the current study, comparative transcriptomic approaches were used to examine the correlation of the three induced transgenic liver cancers with human liver cancers. RNA profiles from the three zebrafish tumors indicated relatively small overlaps of significantly deregulated genes and biological pathways. Nevertheless, the three transgenic tumor signatures all showed significant correlation with advanced or very advanced human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Interestingly, molecular signature from each oncogene-induced zebrafish liver tumor correlated with only a small subset of human HCC samples (24–29%) and there were conserved up-regulated pathways between the zebrafish and correlated human HCC subgroup. The three zebrafish liver cancer models together represented nearly half (47.2%) of human HCCs while some human HCCs showed significant correlation with more than one signature defined from the three oncogene-addicted zebrafish tumors. In contrast, commonly deregulated genes (21 up and 16 down) in the three zebrafish tumor models generally showed accordant deregulation in the majority of human HCCs, suggesting that these genes might be more consistently deregulated in a broad range of human HCCs with different molecular mechanisms and thus serve as common diagnosis markers and therapeutic targets. Thus, these transgenic zebrafish models with well-defined oncogene-induced tumors are valuable tools for molecular classification of human HCCs and for understanding of molecular drivers in hepatocarcinogenesis in each human HCC subgroup.

Primary synovial sarcoma of the thyroid gland: case report and review of the literature

Synovial sarcoma (SVS) of the thyroid gland is exceedingly rare. We report the case of a 55-year-old man with a rapidly growing 7-cm neck mass. Because of suspicion of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, a total thyroidectomy was planned, without preoperative cytology. During surgery, the tumor ruptured, leading to fragmented and incomplete resection. The morphological and immunohistochemical aspects suggested thyroid SVS, which was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (SYT gene rearrangement). The patient experienced immediate local relapse in close contact with large vessels and the thyroid cartilage and was referred to our institution. Doxorubicin-ifosfamide chemotherapy led to a minor response that authorized secondary conservative surgery. Because of microscopically incomplete resection, adjuvant radiotherapy was chosen and is ongoing 10 months after initial surgery. The prognosis of thyroid SVS is associated with a high risk for local and metastatic relapses. Pretreatment diagnosis is fundamental and may benefit from molecular analysis. Margin-free monobloc surgical excision is the best chance for cure, but adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy deserve to be discussed.

Abstract P1-08-11: Association of variants in candidate genes on lipid profiles in women with early breast cancer on adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy

Background

Aromatase inhibitors (AI) can exert unfavorable effects on lipid profiles, but previous studies have reported inconsistent results. Given the intricate biological relationship between estrogen and lipid profiles, these mixed results may be explained in part by variation in genes encoding proteins involved in the drug's target and in estrogen metabolism and signaling. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in candidate genes with AI-mediated changes in lipid profiles.

Methods

We completed a prospective multicenter randomized observational open-label study to test the association of SNPs in candidate genes on biomarkers of estrogenic and anti-estrogenic activity in post-menopausal women with early breast cancer who were recommended adjuvant AI therapy. Eligible women were randomly assigned to exemestane or letrozole, and were followed for 2 years. We genotyped 137 SNPs from germ line DNA in the following candidate genes: ARVCF, COMT, CYP19A1, ESR1, ESR2, PGR, EP300, EZH2, NCOA1-3, NCOR1-2, NRIP, and PELP1. Lipid profiles including total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides (TG) were measured at baseline and 3 months after initiating AI. We conducted genetic association data analysis and multivariate linear regressions to analyze the genetic effects using dominant, recessive, and additive models. Multivariate analysis included age, body mass index, prior hormone replacement therapy, and prior tamoxifen. To adjust for multiple comparisons, only SNPs with a p&lt;0.0003 were considered significant.

Results

We enrolled 502 women in to the study, but for this analysis we excluded women who did not have genetic data (n = 33), had incomplete data (n = 23), discontinued or crossed over AI therapy (n = 48), women not fasting at both time points (n = 89), or those on lipid-lowering medications (n = 162). A total of 200 women were evaluable (letrozole 107, exemestane 93). Lipid profiles in all patients (n = 200) at baseline and 3 months after initiating AI, respectively, were as follows: TC 204.9 and 203.3 (unchanged, p = 0.43); HDL 61.3 and 56.8 (decreased, p = 6.3E-10); LDL 122.2 and 124.6 (unchanged, p = 0.22); and TG 107.1 and 103.6 (unchanged, p = 0.26). Genetic association and multivariate analysis revealed that SNPs in ESR1 and NCOR1 are significantly associated with additional changes in lipid parameters as summarized in Table 1.

Table 1.Significant findings of multivariate linear regressions analyzing genetic associations between candidate gene SNPs and lipid profiles of AI-treated women.CohortNumberSNP (gene)Minor Allele FrequencyLipid ParameterModel UsedMean Absolute Change (mg/dL)P-valueAll patients184rs9340958 (ESR1)0.07TCRecessive-2.250.0003Letrozole96rs9340958 (ESR1)0.07TCRecessive5.280.00009 101rs3020368 (ESR1)0.09TCRecessive6.350.00007Exemestane93rs3798758 (ESR1)0.03HDLDominant, additive-7.970.00001 88rs926848 (ESR1)0.03HDLDominant, additive-7.970.00002 93rs61753150 (NCOR1)0.01TGDominant, additive-11.630.00003

Conclusions

Variants in genes involved in estrogen metabolism and signaling are associated with changes in lipid profiles in AI-treated women and should be validated in other studies.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P1-08-11.

Genome-wide discovery of genetic variants affecting tamoxifen sensitivity and their clinical and functional validation

BACKGROUND

Beyond estrogen receptor (ER), there are no validated predictors for tamoxifen (TAM) efficacy and toxicity. We utilized a genome-wide cell-based model to comprehensively evaluate genetic variants for their contribution to cellular sensitivity to TAM.

DESIGN

Our discovery model incorporates multidimensional datasets, including genome-wide genotype, gene expression, and endoxifen-induced cellular growth inhibition in the International HapMap lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). Genome-wide findings were further evaluated in NCI60 cancer cell lines. Gene knock-down experiments were performed in four breast cancer cell lines. Genetic variants identified in the cell-based model were examined in 245 Caucasian breast cancer patients who underwent TAM treatment.

RESULTS

We identified seven novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with endoxifen sensitivity through the expression of 10 genes using the genome-wide integrative analysis. All 10 genes identified in LCLs were associated with TAM sensitivity in NCI60 cancer cell lines, including USP7. USP7 knock-down resulted in increasing resistance to TAM in four breast cancer cell lines tested, which is consistent with the finding in LCLs and in the NCI60 cells. Furthermore, we identified SNPs that were associated with TAM-induced toxicities in breast cancer patients, after adjusting for other clinical factors.

CONCLUSION

Our work demonstrates the utility of a cell-based model in genome-wide identification of pharmacogenomic markers.

Effect of feeding strategies on pharmaceutical removal by subsurface flow constructed wetlands

This study presents findings on an assessment of the effect of continuous and batch feeding strategies on the removal of selected pharmaceuticals from synthetic wastewater. Six mesocosm-scale constructed wetlands, including three horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands and three sand filters, were set up at the campus of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The findings showed that ibuprofen and diclofenac removal in the wetlands was significantly ( < 0.05) enhanced in the batch versus continuous mode. In contrast, naproxen and carbamazepine showed no significant differences ( > 0.05) in elimination under either feeding strategy. Our results also clearly showed that the presence of plants exerts a stimulatory effect on pharmaceutical removal for ibuprofen, diclofenac, and naproxen in batch and continuous mode. Estimation of the quantitative role of this stimulatory effect on pharmaceutical elimination of batch operation as compared with the effect of the presence of the higher plant alone showed that batch operation may account for 40 to 87% of the contribution conferred by the aquatic plant. The findings of this study imply that where maximal removal of pharmaceutical compounds is desired, periodic draining and filling might be the preferred operational strategy for full-scale, subsurface flow constructed wetlands.

A SNP in steroid receptor coactivator-1 disrupts a GSK3β phosphorylation site and is associated with altered tamoxifen response in bone

The coregulator steroid receptor coactivator (SRC)-1 increases transcriptional activity of the estrogen receptor (ER) in a number of tissues including bone. Mice deficient in SRC-1 are osteopenic and display skeletal resistance to estrogen treatment. SRC-1 is also known to modulate effects of selective ER modulators like tamoxifen. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in SRC-1 may impact estrogen and/or tamoxifen action. Because the only nonsynonymous SNP in SRC-1 (rs1804645; P1272S) is located in an activation domain, it was examined for effects on estrogen and tamoxifen action. SRC-1 P1272S showed a decreased ability to coactivate ER compared with wild-type SRC-1 in multiple cell lines. Paradoxically, SRC-1 P1272S had an increased protein half-life. The Pro to Ser change disrupts a putative glycogen synthase 3 (GSK3)β phosphorylation site that was confirmed by in vitro kinase assays. Finally, knockdown of GSK3β increased SRC-1 protein levels, mimicking the loss of phosphorylation at P1272S. These findings are similar to the GSK3β-mediated phospho-ubiquitin clock previously described for the related coregulator SRC-3. To assess the potential clinical significance of this SNP, we examined whether there was an association between SRC-1 P1272S and selective ER modulators response in bone. SRC-1 P1272S was associated with a decrease in hip and lumbar bone mineral density in women receiving tamoxifen treatment, supporting our in vitro findings for decreased ER coactivation. In summary, we have identified a functional genetic variant of SRC-1 with decreased activity, resulting, at least in part, from the loss of a GSK3β phosphorylation site, which was also associated with decreased bone mineral density in tamoxifen-treated women.

One step forward: the use of transgenic zebrafish tumor model in drug screens

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been an experimental model in the developmental biology and toxicology since the 1950s. In recent years, with the aid of transgenic technology, it has also gained an increasing popularity to model human diseases, including various cancers. As a feasible vertebrate model for large-scale chemical screens, the zebrafish has also given us a new option for the search of potential anticancer drugs. It is hopeful that in the near future with automation and analytical tools, drug development processes will be significantly shortened for quick and effective identification of candidate drugs.

Plasma letrozole concentrations in postmenopausal women with breast cancer are associated with CYP2A6 genetic variants, body mass index, and age

The associations between plasma letrozole concentrations and CYP2A6 and CYP3A5 genetic variants were tested in the Exemestane and Letrozole Pharmacogenomics (ELPH) trial. ELPH is a multicenter, open-label prospective clinical trial in women randomly assigned (n≈250 in each arm) to receive 2 years of treatment with either oral letrozole (2.5 mg/day) or oral exemestane (25 mg/day). CYP2A6 and CYP3A showed effects on letrozole metabolism in vitro. DNA samples were genotyped for variants in the CYP2A6 and CYP3A5 genes. Plasma letrozole concentrations showed high interpatient variability (>10-fold) and were associated significantly with CYP2A6 genotypes (P<0.0001), body mass index (BMI) (P<0.0001), and age (P=0.0035). However, CYP3A5 genotypes showed no association with plasma letrozole concentrations. These data suggest that CYP2A6 is the principal clearance mechanism for letrozole in vivo. CYP2A6 metabolic status, along with BMI and age, may serve as a biomarker of the efficacy of letrozole treatment or a predictor of adverse effects.

An inducible kras(V12) transgenic zebrafish model for liver tumorigenesis and chemical drug screening

Because Ras signaling is frequently activated by major hepatocellular carcinoma etiological factors, a transgenic zebrafish constitutively expressing the kras^V12 oncogene in the liver was previously generated by our laboratory. Although this model depicted and uncovered the conservation between zebrafish and human liver tumorigenesis, the low tumor incidence and early mortality limit its use for further studies of tumor progression and inhibition. Here, we employed a mifepristone-inducible transgenic system to achieve inducible kras^V12 expression in the liver. The system consisted of two transgenic lines: the liver-driver line had a liver-specific fabp10 promoter to produce the LexPR chimeric transactivator, and the Ras-effector line contained a LexA-binding site to control EGFP-kras^V12 expression. In double-transgenic zebrafish (driver-effector) embryos and adults, we demonstrated mifepristone-inducible EGFP-kras^V12 expression in the liver. Robust and homogeneous liver tumors developed in 100% of double-transgenic fish after 1 month of induction and the tumors progressed from hyperplasia by 1 week post-treatment (wpt) to carcinoma by 4 wpt. Strikingly, liver tumorigenesis was found to be ‘addicted’ to Ras signaling for tumor maintenance, because mifepristone withdrawal led to tumor regression via cell death in transgenic fish. We further demonstrated the potential use of the transparent EGFP-kras^V12 larvae in inhibitor treatments to suppress Ras-driven liver tumorigenesis by targeting its downstream effectors, including the Raf-MEK-ERK and PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathways. Collectively, this mifepristone-inducible and reversible kras^V12 transgenic system offers a novel model for understanding hepatocarcinogenesis and a high-throughput screening platform for anti-cancer drugs.

A high level of liver-specific expression of oncogenic Kras(V12) drives robust liver tumorigenesis in transgenic zebrafish

Human liver cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) being the most common type. Aberrant Ras signaling has been implicated in the development and progression of human HCC, but a complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms of this protein in hepatocarcinogenesis remains elusive. In this study, a stable in vivo liver cancer model using transgenic zebrafish was generated to elucidate Ras-driven tumorigenesis in HCC. Using the liver-specific fabp10 (fatty acid binding protein 10) promoter, we overexpressed oncogenic kras^V12 specifically in the transgenic zebrafish liver. Only a high level of kras^V12 expression initiated liver tumorigenesis, which progressed from hyperplasia to benign and malignant tumors with activation of the Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK and Wnt–β-catenin pathways. Histological diagnosis of zebrafish tumors identified HCC as the main lesion. The tumors were invasive and transplantable, indicating malignancy of these HCC cells. Oncogenic kras^V12 was also found to trigger p53-dependent senescence as a tumor suppressive barrier in the pre-neoplastic stage. Microarray analysis of zebrafish liver hyperplasia and HCC uncovered the deregulation of several stage-specific and common biological processes and signaling pathways responsible for kras^V12-driven liver tumorigenesis that recapitulated the molecular hallmarks of human liver cancer. Cross-species comparisons of cancer transcriptomes further defined a HCC-specific gene signature as well as a liver cancer progression gene signature that are evolutionarily conserved between human and zebrafish. Collectively, our study presents a comprehensive portrait of molecular mechanisms during progressive Ras-induced HCC. These observations indicate the validity of our transgenic zebrafish to model human liver cancer, and this model might act as a useful platform for drug screening and identifying new therapeutic targets.

Cytochrome P450 2D6 activity predicts discontinuation of tamoxifen therapy in breast cancer patients

The selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen is routinely used for treatment and prevention of estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer. Studies of tamoxifen adherence suggest that over half of patients discontinue treatment before the recommended 5 years. We hypothesized that polymorphisms in CYP2D6, the enzyme responsible for tamoxifen activation, predict for tamoxifen discontinuation. Tamoxifen-treated women (n=297) were genotyped for CYP2D6 variants and assigned a 'score' based on predicted allele activities from 0 (no activity) to 2 (high activity). Correlation between CYP2D6 score and discontinuation rates at 4 months was tested. We observed a strong nonlinear correlation between higher CYP2D6 score and increased rates of discontinuation (r(2)=0.935, P=0.018). These data suggest that presence of active CYP2D6 alleles may predict for higher likelihood of tamoxifen discontinuation. Therefore, patients who may be most likely to benefit from tamoxifen may paradoxically be most likely to discontinue treatment prematurely.

Estrogen receptor genotypes, menopausal status, and the lipid effects of tamoxifen

Tamoxifen induces important changes in serum lipid profiles in some women; however, little information is available to predict which women will experience improved lipid profiles during tamoxifen therapy. As part of a multicenter prospective observational trial in 176 breast cancer patients, we tested the hypothesis that tamoxifen-induced lipid changes were associated with genetic variants in candidate target genes (CYP2D6, ESR1, and ESR2). Tamoxifen lowered low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P<0.0001) by 23.5 mg/dl (13.5-33.5 mg/dl) and increased triglycerides (P=0.006). In postmenopausal women, the ESR1-XbaI and ESR2-02 genotypes were associated with tamoxifen-induced changes in total cholesterol (P=0.03; GG vs GA/AA) and triglycerides (P=0.01; gene-dose effect), respectively. In premenopausal women, the ESR1-XbaI genotypes were associated with tamoxifen-induced changes in triglycerides (P=0.002; gene-dose effect) and high-density lipoprotein (P=0.004; gene-dose effect). Our results suggest that estrogen receptor genotyping may be useful in predicting which women would benefit more from tamoxifen.

Atelectatic children treated with intrapulmonary percussive ventilation via a face mask: clinical trial and literature overview

BACKGROUND

Persistent atelectasis in children is lacking a gold standard treatment. Intrapulmonary percussive ventilation (IPV) is presented as a promising chest physiotherapy technique in the treatment of atelectasis. This study aimed to follow the evolution of atelectasis resolution with noninvasive IPV in young children and to detect eventual adverse effects.

METHODS

Six children were hospitalized for respiratory distress with suspicion of atelectasis. A 15 min IPV treatment was immediately started at D1 twice a day for 5 days. Children were free of any other treatment. Chest X-Ray (CXR) was performed on the second day (D2) and was repeated 3 days later (D5). After the study, CXR were retrospectively reviewed by three specialists who had no knowledge of the clinical observations of the patients. They were asked to assess atelectasis by a score between 4 (complete collapse) and 0 (complete resolution). A clinical score on a maximum of 4 points was assessed by appetite deterioration, dyspnoea, mucus production and cough presence at D1 and D5 (1 point per symptom present). Paired t-test compared D1 and D5 results.

RESULTS

All patients returned home after 5 days IPV. SpO2 normalized (93.2 +/- 0.8 to 95.3 +/- 0.8; P = 0.002) and patients all improved clinically (score, 2.8 +/- 0.9 to 0.8 +/- 0.6; P < 0.05). Out of four patients with radiographic evidence of atelectasis, three improved their atelectasis score.

CONCLUSIONS

No side-effect or adverse effect was observed during IPV treatments. IPV was safe and effective in atelectasis resolution in 3/4 of the cases. Patients all recovered a stable clinical state. CXR improved in 4/5 children. They were all discharged home after 5 days of IPV treatment.

Photon pair source based on parametric fluorescence in periodically poled twin-hole silica fiber

We present observations of quasi-phase matched parametric fluorescence in a periodically poled twin-hole silica fiber. The phase matching condition in the fiber enables the generation of a degenerate signal field in the fiber-optic communication band centered on 1556 nm. We performed coincidence measurements and a Hong-Ou-Mandel experiment to validate that the signal arises from photon pairs. A coincidence peak with a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 4 using 43 mW of pump power and a Hong-Ou-Mandel dip showing 40% net visibility were measured. Moreover, the experiments were performed with standard single mode fibers spliced at both ends of the poled section, which makes this source easy to integrate in fiber-optic quantum communication applications.

The pharmacogenetics research network: from SNP discovery to clinical drug response

The NIH Pharmacogenetics Research Network (PGRN) is a collaborative group of investigators with a wide range of research interests, but all attempting to correlate drug response with genetic variation. Several research groups concentrate on drugs used to treat specific medical disorders (asthma, depression, cardiovascular disease, addiction of nicotine, and cancer), whereas others are focused on specific groups of proteins that interact with drugs (membrane transporters and phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes). The diverse scientific information is stored and annotated in a publicly accessible knowledge base, the Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics Knowledge base (PharmGKB). This report highlights selected achievements and scientific approaches as well as hypotheses about future directions of each of the groups within the PGRN. Seven major topics are included: informatics (PharmGKB), cardiovascular, pulmonary, addiction, cancer, transport, and metabolism.

Combined mitochondrial and nuclear sequences support the monophyly of forcipulatacean sea stars

Previous molecular phylogenetic analyses of forcipulatacean sea stars (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) have reconstructed a non-monophyletic order Forcipulatida, provided that two or more forcipulate families are included. This result could mean that one or more assumptions of the reconstruction method was violated, or else the traditional classification could be erroneous. The present molecular phylogenetic analysis included 12 non-forcipulatacean and 39 forcipulatacean sea stars, with multiple representatives of all but one of the forcipulate families and/or subfamilies. Bayesian analysis of approximately 4.2kb of sequence data representing seven partitions (nuclear 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA, mitochondrial 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, 5 tRNAs and cytochrome oxidase I with first and second codon positions analyzed separately from third codon positions) recovered a consensus tree with three well-supported clades (78%-100% bootstrap support) that corresponded at least approximately to traditional taxonomic ranks: the superorder Forcipulatacea (Forcipulatida + Brisingida) + Pteraster, the Brisingida/Brisingidae and Asteriidae + Rathbunaster + Pycnopodia. When a molecular clock was enforced, the partitioned Bayesian analysis recovered the traditional Forcipulatacea. Five of six genera represented by two or more species were monophyletic with 100% bootstrap support. Most of the traditional subfamilial and familial groupings within the Forcipulatida were either unresolved or non-monophyletic. The separate partitions differed considerably in estimates of model parameters, mainly between nuclear sequences (with high GC content, low rates of sequence substitution and high transition/transversion rate ratios) and mitochondrial sequences.

Enhanced cross phase modulation instability in birefringent photonic crystal fibers in the anomalous dispersion regime

We study Cross Phase Modulational Instability (CPMI) -a particular form of vector modulational instability- in the anomalous dispersion regime in highly birefringent, strongly dispersive optical fibers. When the pump power is high, the detuning of the Scalar Modulational Instability (SMI) is comparable to the detuning of the CPMI. The gain of the CPMI -which is usually much smaller than the gain of the SMI-, is then strongly enhanced and becomes much larger than the gain of the SMI. This theoretical prediction is well verified experimentally using small core photonic crystal fibers.

Metal-catalyzed oxidation induces carbonylation of peroxisomal proteins and loss of enzymatic activities

Peroxisomes are involved in oxidative metabolic reactions and have the capacity to generate large amounts of reactive oxygen species that could damage biomolecules including their own resident proteins. The purpose of this study was to determine whether peroxisomal proteins are susceptible to oxidation and whether oxidative damage affects their enzymatic activity. Peroxisomal proteins were subjected to metal-catalyzed oxidation (MCO) with CuCl(2)/ascorbate and derivatized with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine which allowed for spectrophotometric quantification of carbonylation. Immunochemical detection of carbonylated peroxisomal proteins, resolved by gel electrophoresis and detected with anti-DNP antibodies, revealed five oxidatively modified proteins with the following molecular weights: 80, 66, 62, 55, and 50 kDa. The proteins at 66, 62, and 55 kDa were identified as malate synthase (MS), isocitrate lyase, and catalase (CAT), respectively. MS and CAT were estimated to contain 2-3 mol of carbonyl/mol of protein as a result of MCO. Enzymatic assays revealed varying degrees of activity loss. Isocitrate lyase and malate synthase showed significant loss of activity while catalase and malate dehydrogenase were less inhibited by carbonylation. Our findings show that peroxisomal proteins are vulnerable to MCO damage and thus may also be affected by in vivo exposure to reactive oxygen species.

Cytotoxic constituents from Plumbago zeylanica

The bioassay-guided fractionation of the dichloromethane extract of aerial parts of Plumbago zeylanica led to the isolation of beta-sitosterol, beta-sitosteryl-3beta-glucopyranoside, beta-sitosteryl-3beta-glucopyranoside-6'-O-palmitate (1), lupenone, lupeol acetate, plumbagin and trilinolein. Compound 1 showed cytotoxic activity against MCF7 and Bowes cancer cell lines (IC50 113 microM and 152 microM, respectively), beta-sitosterol inhibited Bowes cell growth (IC50 36.5 microM) and plumbagin was cytotoxic against MCF7 and Bowes cells (IC50 1.28 microM and 1.39 microM, respectively).

Intravenous drug use among street-based sex workers: a high-risk behavior for HIV transmission

BACKGROUND

HIV prevalence among sex workers in Ho Chi Minh City has increased rapidly, from 6.5% in 1999 to 18.1% in 2000. This study examined whether injecting drug use among street-based sex workers (SSWs) in Ho Chi Minh City is a high-risk factor for HIV infection.

GOAL

The goal of this study was to determine the correlates and prevalence of intravenous drug users among SSWs in Ho Chi Minh City.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted among SSWs in Ho Chi Minh City during December 2000. The SSWs were interviewed and tested for HIV-1.

RESULTS

HIV-1 seroprevalence was 16.3%. Regression analysis indicated that injecting drugs and being younger than 25 years of age were independently associated with HIV seropositivity.

CONCLUSION

Young SSWs who inject drugs are at the greatest risk of contracting HIV and acting as a bridge for HIV to the sexually active population.

Determination of levofloxacin in plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage and bone tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection using a fully automated extraction method

The aim of this study was to develop a specific and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay for the determination of levofloxacin in human plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage and bone tissues. The sample extraction was based on a fully automated liquid-solid extraction with an OASIS cartridge. The method used ultraviolet detection set at a wavelength of 299 nm and a separation with a Supelcosil ABZ+ column. The assay has been found linear over the concentration range 0.25-25 microg/ml for levofloxacin in plasma, 1-6 microg/ml in bronchoalveolar lavage and 0.5-10 microg/g for bone tissues and it provided good validation data for accuracy and precision. The assay will be applied to determine the penetration of levofloxacin in human bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and bone tissues during pharmacokinetic steady state.

Longer duration of predialysis nephrological care is associated with improved long-term survival of dialysis patients

BACKGROUND

Late nephrological referral of chronic renal failure patients has been shown to be associated with high morbidity and short-term mortality on dialysis. However, the impact of predialysis nephrological care duration (PNCD) on the long-term survival of dialysis patients had not been evaluated.

METHODS

We studied data from all 1057 consecutive patients who started dialysis treatment at the Necker Hospital from 1989 to 1998 (mean age at start of dialysis 53.8+/-17.2 years (range 18-91 years), excluding from analysis patients who presented with acute renal failure (n=60) or advanced malignancy (n=35). We evaluated the effects of PNCD and clinical risk factors on all-cause mortality after long-term follow-up on dialysis.

RESULTS

Among the 1057 patients analysed (13.2% diabetics), PNCD was <6 months in 258 patients, 6-35 months in 267 patients, 36-71 months in 227 patients and >or=72 months in 307 patients. Cardiovascular (CV) morbidity, namely a history of myocardial or cerebral infarction, peripheral arteriopathy, and/or cardiac failure, before starting dialysis was 39.6% and 37.4%, respectively, in patients followed for <6 months or 6-35 months, compared with 24.4% in those followed for 36-71 months and 19.9% in those followed for >or=72 months (P<0.001). Five-year survival was significantly lower in patients with a PNCD of <6 months (59+/-4.1%) than for 36-71 months or >or=72 months (77.1+/-3.7 and 73.3+/-3.6%, respectively, P<0.001), but similar to those followed for 6-35 months (65.3+/-3.9%, NS). By Cox proportional hazard analysis, PNCD <6 months, age, diabetes and prior CV disease were independent predictive factors of all-cause death on dialysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides suggestive evidence that longer duration of regular nephrological care in the predialysis period, at least for several years prior to the start of dialysis, is associated with a better long-term survival on dialysis. Such data strongly support the argument for early referral and regular nephrological care of chronic renal failure patients.