We examined the phylogenetic distribution, functionality and evolution of the sodN gene family, which has been shown to code for a unique Ni-containing isoform of superoxide dismutase (Ni-SOD) in ...Streptomyces. Many of the putative sodN sequences retrieved from public domain genomic and metagenomic databases are quite divergent from structurally and functionally characterized Ni-SOD. Structural bioinformatics studies verified that the divergent members of the sodN protein family code for similar three-dimensional structures and identified evolutionarily conserved amino acid residues. Structural and biochemical studies of the N-terminus 'Ni-hook' motif coded for by the putative sodN sequences confirmed both Ni (II) ligating and superoxide dismutase activity. Both environmental and organismal genomes expanded the previously noted phylogenetic distribution of sodN, and the sequences form four well-separated clusters, with multiple subclusters. The phylogenetic distribution of sodN suggests that the gene has been acquired via horizontal gene transfer by numerous organisms of diverse phylogenetic background, including both Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes. The presence of sodN correlates with the genomic absence of the gene coding for Fe-SOD, a structurally and evolutionarily distinct isoform of SOD. Given the low levels of Fe found in the marine environment from where many sequences were attained, we suggest that the replacement of Fe-SOD with Ni-SOD may be an evolutionary adaptation to reduce iron requirements.
In this paper, we present the electronic properties of fluoride perovskite KMgF3 by using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. The densities of states and energy band ...structures have been calculated by using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) as exchange-correlation potential. The results obtained are in agreement with the previous experimental and theoretical results. The obtained value of energy band gap of 7.2 eV indicates the insulating behaviour of the sample material.
Summary
Background Leprosy is complicated by immunological reactions which can occur before, during and after successful completion of multidrug therapy. Genetic studies have suggested that ...polymorphisms in toll‐like receptors (TLRs) may affect the susceptibility of an individual with leprosy to developing Type 1 reactions.
Objectives To examine the gene and protein expression of TLRs in the cutaneous lesions of leprosy Type 1 reactions at the onset of reaction and during systemic corticosteroid therapy.
Methods Patients who were being treated for leprosy type 1 reactions with corticosteroids as part of a randomized controlled trial of corticosteroid treatment had skin biopsies performed before, during and at the end of treatment. The gene and protein expression of TLR2 and TLR4 were measured.
Results We have demonstrated that the gene hARP‐P0 is a suitable control gene for TLR gene expression studies in this population. The gene and protein expression of TLR2 and TLR4 were both reduced significantly during corticosteroid treatment.
Conclusions This is the first study to examine the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in vivo in individuals experiencing leprosy Type 1 reactions. The data support the possibility of an important role for TLR2 and TLR4 in the pathogenesis of this important complication of leprosy.
Dynamic light scattering from orientational order fluctuations in a liquid crystalline tetrapode reveals successive, weakly first-order isotropic to uniaxial and uniaxial to biaxial nematic phase ...transitions. The order parameter relaxation rates exhibit temperature dependences consistent with Landau-de Gennes mean field theory. Combined with previous evidence of a second-order uniaxial-biaxial transition in a closely related tetrapode, the present study supports the existence of a nematic-nematic tricritical point in thermotropic liquid crystals.
Binaural hearing is facilitated by neural interactions in the auditory pathway. Ageing results in impairment of localisation and listening in noisy situations without any significant hearing loss. ...The present study focused on comparing the binaural encoding of a speech stimulus at the subcortical level in middle-aged versus younger adults, based on speech-evoked auditory brainstem responses.
Thirty participants (15 young adults and 15 middle-aged adults) with normal hearing sensitivity (less than 15 dB HL) participated in the study. The speech-evoked auditory brainstem response was recorded monaurally and binaurally with a 40-ms /da/ stimulus. Fast Fourier transform analysis was utilised.
An independent sample t-test revealed a significant difference between the two groups in fundamental frequency (F0) amplitude recorded with binaural stimulation.
The present study suggested that ageing results in degradation of F0 encoding, which is essential for the perception of speech in noise.
Biliothorax and hydatid bilio-bronchial fistula (HBBF) are rare complications of hydatid cysts of the liver with high perioperative mortality.
The authors here report the case of a patient with a ...right massive pleural effusion with evidence of HBBF in imaging studies, who underwent surgical resection of a hydatid cyst of the liver 8 years ago. The patient was managed with intercostal chest tube drainage for biliothorax and endoscopic sphincterotomy with biliary stent placement for the re-establishment of internal biliary drainage, which ultimately allowed the fistulous tract to heal without any major surgical intervention.
This article focuses on the successful management of the HBBF at our institution. Our findings emphasize the significance of early diagnosis and the criticality of implementing aggressive and early interventions to minimize complications and fatalities. By examining this specific case and reviewing existing literature, the authors have determined that endoscopic treatment appears to be a viable, secure, and efficacious option for addressing postoperative HBBF.
•Varietal release procedures in developing countries such as Nepal are slow and restrictive.•Seed regulatory reform of 2005 in Nepal and its immediate effect on varietal release reported.•Using data ...from participatory trials two new mungbean varieties were released in 2006 bridging a gap of 31 years.•Implications of lag phase between the release of a variety and its adoption by farmers reported.•Participatory testing and simultaneous promotion provided direct and immediate benefits to farmers.
Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L). Wilczek) is becoming an important grain legume in Nepal. It can be grown as an additional crop after harvesting winter crops such as winter wheat, winter legumes and oilseeds and before planting main season rice from the low-altitude Terai through to the middle hills of Nepal. Replacing short fallows in the spring, it provides additional high quality food, enhances soil fertility and increases the yield of the following crop.
In spite of continued varietal research by the National Grain Legume Research Programme, no mungbean varieties were released from 1975 to 2006. The old variety, Pusa Baishakhi, was released in 1975, but became susceptible to Mungbean Yellow Mosaic Virus (MYMV) and several other diseases so mungbean became limited to a rarely grown, green manure crop. In 2003, we introduced four mungbean varieties resistant to MYMV from the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre. These were evaluated in participatory varietal selection (PVS) mother and baby trials in low fertility and droughted conditions using farmers’ levels of inputs and management. Variety spread was promoted by distributing free small seed samples in a process known as Informal Research and Development (IRD); and community-based seed production and marketing. Of the four varieties, NM94 and VC6372 consistently produced higher grain yields than the local check varieties, were resistant to MYMV and hence were preferred by farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives endorsed a new variety release procedure in 2005 that permitted the use of data from PVS trials to support the release or registration of new crop varieties. In 2006, on the basis of data generated from PVS trials alone, the National Seed Board released NM94 as ‘Kalyan’ while, on the basis of combined data from the PVS trials and from on-station trials, VC6372 (45-8-1) was released as ‘Prateeksha’. The use of PVS contributed greatly to fast-tracking the release process and this resulted in farmers getting new MYMV-resistant mungbean varieties more quickly. Varieties spread rapidly through IRD and farmer-to-farmer seed networks and provided benefits to farming households. Regulatory reforms to speed up and simplify the process of varietal release are discussed.
The electroexcitation amplitudes or $\gamma_vpN^*$ electrocouplings of the $N(1440)1/2^+$, $N(1520)3/2^-$, and $\Delta(1600)3/2^+$ resonances were obtained for the first time from the $ep \to ...e'\pi^+\pi^-p'$ differential cross sections measured with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab within the range of invariant mass $W$ of the final state hadrons from 1.4–1.7~GeV for photon virtualities $Q^2$ from 2.0--5.0~GeV$^2$. A good description of the nine independent one-fold differential $\gamma_v p\to \pi^+\pi^-p'$ cross sections achieved within the data-driven Jefferson Lab-Moscow State University (JM) meson-baryon reaction model in each bin of ($W$,$Q^2$) allows for separation of the resonant and non-resonant contributions. The electrocouplings were determined in the fits of the $\pi^+\pi^-p$ cross sections within three overlapping $W$ intervals with a substantial contribution from each of the three resonances listed above. Consistent results on the electrocouplings extracted from the data in these $W$ intervals provide evidence for their reliable extraction. These studies extend information on the electrocouplings of the $N(1440)1/2^+$ and $N(1520)3/2^-$ available from this channel over a broader range of $Q^2$. The electrocouplings of the $\Delta(1600)3/2^+$, which decays preferentially into $\pi\pi N$ final states, have been determined for the first time. Here, the reliable extraction of the electrocouplings for these states is also supported by the description of the $\pi^+\pi^-p$ differential cross sections with $Q^2$-independent masses and total/partial hadronic decay widths into the $\pi\Delta$ and $\rho p$ final states.
Nickel-containing superoxide dismutase (NiSOD) is a mononuclear cysteinate-ligated nickel metalloenzyme that catalyzes the disproportionation of superoxide into dioxygen and hydrogen peroxide by ...cycling between NiII and NiIII oxidation states. All of the ligating residues to nickel are found within the first six residues from the N-terminus, which has prompted several research groups to generate NiSOD metallopeptide-based mimics derived from the first several residues of the NiSOD sequence. To assess the viability of using these metallopeptide-based mimics (NiSOD maquettes) to probe the mechanism of SOD catalysis facilitated by NiSOD, we computationally explored the initial step of the O2 – reduction mechanism catalyzed by the NiSOD maquette {NiII(SODm1)} (SODm1 = HCDLP CGVYD PA). Herein we use spectroscopic (S K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electronic absorption spectroscopy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy) and computational techniques to derive the detailed active-site structure of {NiII(SODm1)}. These studies suggest that the {NiII(SODm1)} active-site possesses a NiII-S(H+)-Cys(6) moiety and at least one associated water molecule contained in a hydrogen-bonding interaction to the coordinated Cys(2) and Cys(6) sulfur atoms. A computationally derived mechanism for O2 – reduction using the formulated active-site structure of {NiII(SODm1)} suggests that O2 – reduction takes place through an apparent initial outersphere hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) from the NiII-S(H+)-Cys(6) moiety to the O2 – molecule. It is proposed that the water molecule aids in driving the reaction forward by lowering the NiII-S(H+)-Cys(6) pK a. Such a mechanism is not possible in NiSOD itself for structural reasons. These results therefore strongly suggest that maquettes derived from the primary sequence of NiSOD are mechanistically distinct from NiSOD itself despite the similarities in the structure and physical properties of the metalloenzyme vs the NiSOD metallopeptide-based models.
