Artificial hybridization studies have been carried out between plants with different photosynthetic types to study the genetic mechanism of photosynthetic types. However, there are only few reports ...describing the possibility of natural hybridization between plants with different photosynthetic types. A previous cytological and morphological study suggested that a cruciferous allotetraploid species,
Diplotaxis muralis
(L.) DC. (2n = 42), originated from natural hybridization between
D. tenuifolia
(L.) DC. (2n = 22) and
D. viminea
(L.) DC. (2n = 20). These putative parents have recently been reported to be a C
3
‐C
4
intermediate and a C
3
species, respectively. If this hybridization occurred,
D. muralis
should have characteristics intermediate between those of the C
3
‐C
4
intermediate and C
3
types. We compared leaf structures and photosynthetic characteristics of the three species. The bundle sheath (BS) cells in
D. tenuifolia
included many centripetally located chloroplasts and mitochondria, but those of
D. viminea
had only a few organelles. The BS cells in
D. muralis
displayed intermediate features between the putative parents. Glycine decarboxylase P protein was confined to the BS mitochondria in
D. tenuifolia,
but accumulated mainly in the mesophyll mitochondria in
D. viminea
. In
D. muralis,
it accumulated in both the BS and the mesophyll mitochondria. Values of CO
2
compensation point and its response to changing light intensity were also intermediate between the putative parents. These data support the theory that
D. muralis
was created by natural hybridization between species with different photosynthetic types.
Abstract
Artificial hybridization studies have been carried out between plants with different photosynthetic types to study the genetic mechanism of photosynthetic types. However, there are only few ...reports describing the possibility of natural hybridization between plants with different photosynthetic types. A previous cytological and morphological study suggested that a cruciferous allotetraploid species, DIPLOTAXIS MURALIS (L.) DC. (2n = 42), originated from natural hybridization between D. TENUIFOLIA (L.) DC. (2n = 22) and D. VIMINEA (L.) DC. (2n = 20). These putative parents have recently been reported to be a C
3
-C
4
intermediate and a C
3
species, respectively. If this hybridization occurred, D. MURALIS should have characteristics intermediate between those of the C
3
-C
4
intermediate and C
3
types. We compared leaf structures and photosynthetic characteristics of the three species. The bundle sheath (BS) cells in D. TENUIFOLIA included many centripetally located chloroplasts and mitochondria, but those of D. VIMINEA had only a few organelles. The BS cells in D. MURALIS displayed intermediate features between the putative parents. Glycine decarboxylase P protein was confined to the BS mitochondria in D. TENUIFOLIA, but accumulated mainly in the mesophyll mitochondria in D. VIMINEA. In D. MURALIS, it accumulated in both the BS and the mesophyll mitochondria. Values of CO
2
compensation point and its response to changing light intensity were also intermediate between the putative parents. These data support the theory that D. MURALIS was created by natural hybridization between species with different photosynthetic types.
CD5-expressing B lymphocytes from patients with selected chronic lymphoproliferative disorders were used to determine whether monoclonal populations of CD5+ human B cells produce autoantibodies. CD5+ ...B cells from 19 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and one with diffuse well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma (DWDL) were cultured, with and without mitogenic stimulation, to obtain Ig from these cells. 17 of the 20 samples produced Ig in vitro. mAb from nine of the 17 patients were reactive with either IgG, ssDNA, or dsDNA. In every instance, the autoantibodies displayed monotypic L chain usage that correlated precisely with the L chain expressed on the CD5+ leukemic B cell surface. These monoclonal autoantibodies varied in their degree of antigenic specificity; some were quite specific, reacting with only one antigen, whereas others were polyspecific, reacting with two or all three autoantigens tested. Three features distinguish these autoantibodies from those observed in prior studies of CD5+ B cells. First, they are clearly the products of monoclonal populations of CD5+ cells; second, several react with dsDNA, a specificity not previously reported and often seen in association with significant autoimmune disorders; and third, two of the monoclonal autoantibodies secreted by the CD5+ clones were of the IgG class. Although not all of the Ig-producing, CD5-expressing clones elaborated mAbs reactive with the autoantigens tested, greater than 50% did. It is possible that with a broader autoantigenic panel or with larger quantities of CLL/DWDL-derived Ig, even more autoantibody-producing clones might be identified. These studies may have important implications for the antigenic specificity of subsets of human B lymphocytes as well as for lymphoproliferative and autoimmune disorders in general.
High levels of sphingolipids in human breast cancer Nagahashi, Masayuki, MD, PhD; Tsuchida, Junko, MD; Moro, Kazuki, MD ...
The Journal of surgical research,
08/2016, Letnik:
204, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Abstract Background Sphingolipids, including sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and ceramide, have emerged as key regulatory molecules that control various aspects of cell growth and proliferation in ...cancer. Although important roles of sphingolipids in breast cancer progression have been reported in experimental models, their roles in human patients have yet to be determined. The aim of this study is to determine the levels of sphingolipids including S1P, ceramides, and other sphingolipids, in breast cancer and normal breast tissue and to compare the difference in levels of each sphingolipid between the two tissues. Materials and Methods Tumor and non-cancerous breast tissue were obtained from 12 patients with breast cancer. Sphingolipids including S1P, ceramides, and their metabolites of sphingosine, sphingomyelin, and monohexosylceramide were measured by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Results The levels of S1P, ceramides, and other sphingolipids in the tumor were significantly higher than those in normal breast tissue. There was a relatively strong correlation in the levels of S1P between the tumor and that of normal breast tissue from the same person. On the other hand, there was no correlation in the levels of most of the ceramide species between the tumor and that of normal breast tissue from the same person. Conclusions To our knowledge this is the first study to reveal that levels of sphingolipids in cancer tissue are generally higher than normal breast tissue in patients with breast cancer. The correlation of S1P levels in these tissues implicates the role of S1P in interaction between cancer and the tumor microenvironment.
The aim of this study was to identify and explain the optimum projection angle that maximises the distance achieved in a standing long jump. Five physically active males performed maximum-effort ...jumps over a wide range of take-off angles, and the jumps were recorded and analysed using a 2-D video analysis procedure. The total jump distance achieved was considered as the sum of three component distances (take-off, flight, and landing), and the dependence of each component distance on the take-off angle was systematically investigated. The flight distance was strongly affected by a decrease in the jumper’s take-off speed with increasing take-off angle, and the take-off distance and landing distance steadily decreased with increasing take-off angle due to changes in the jumper’s body configuration. The optimum take-off angle for the jumper was the angle at which the three component distances combined to produce the greatest jump distance. Although the calculated optimum take-off angles (19–27°) were lower than the jumpers’ preferred take-off angles (31–39°), the loss in jump distance through using a sub-optimum take-off angle was relatively small.
We aimed to report the first 54 cases of pregnant women infected by Zika virus (ZIKV) and their virologic and clinical outcomes, as well as their newborns' outcomes, in 2016, after the emergence of ...ZIKV in dengue-endemic areas of São Paulo, Brazil.
This descriptive study was performed from February to October 2016 on 54 quantitative real-time PCR ZIKV-positive pregnant women identified by the public health authority of São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. The women were followed and had clinical and epidemiologic data collected before and after birth. Adverse outcomes in newborns were analysed and reported. Urine or blood samples from newborns were collected to identify ZIKV infection by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR).
A total of 216 acute Zika-suspected pregnant women were identified, and 54 had the diagnosis confirmed by RT-PCR. None of the 54 women miscarried. Among the 54 newborns, 15 exhibited adverse outcomes at birth. The highest number of ZIKV infections occurred during the second and third trimesters. No cases of microcephaly were reported, though a broad clinical spectrum of outcomes, including lenticulostriate vasculopathy, subependymal cysts, and auditory and ophthalmologic disorders, were identified. ZIKV RNA was detected in 18 of 51 newborns tested and in eight of 15 newborns with adverse outcomes.
Although other studies have associated many newborn outcomes to ZIKV infection during pregnancy, these same adverse outcomes were rare or nonexistent in this study. The clinical presentation the newborns we studied was mild compared to other reports, suggesting that there is significant heterogeneity in congenital Zika infection.
Study objective In acute exacerbations of asthma in children, corticosteroids reduce relapses, subsequent hospital admission, and the need for ß2 -agonist bronchodilators. Prednisolone is the most ...commonly used corticosteroid, but prolonged treatment course, vomiting, and a bitter taste may reduce patient compliance. Dexamethasone has a longer half-life and has been used safely in other acute pediatric conditions. We examine whether a single dose of oral dexamethasone is noninferior to prednisolone in the emergency department (ED) treatment of asthma exacerbations in children, as measured by the Pediatric Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM) at day 4. Methods We conducted a randomized, open-label, noninferiority trial comparing oral dexamethasone (single dose of 0.3 mg/kg) with prednisolone (1 mg/kg per day for 3 days) in patients aged 2 to 16 years and with a known diagnosis of asthma or at least 1 previous episode of ß2 -agonist–responsive wheeze who presented to a tertiary pediatric ED. The primary outcome measure was the mean PRAM score (range of 0 to 12 points) performed on day 4. Secondary outcome measures included requirement for further steroids, vomiting of study medication, hospital admission, and unscheduled return visits to a health care practitioner within 14 days. Results There were 245 enrollments involving 226 patients. There was no difference in mean PRAM scores at day 4 between the dexamethasone and prednisolone groups (0.91 versus 0.91; absolute difference 0.005; 95% CI –0.35 to 0.34). Fourteen patients vomited at least 1 dose of prednisolone compared with no patients in the dexamethasone group. Sixteen children (13.1%) in the dexamethasone group received further systemic steroids within 14 days after trial enrollment compared with 5 (4.2%) in the prednisolone group (absolute difference 8.9%; 95% CI 1.9% to 16.0%). There was no significant difference between the groups in hospital admission rates or the number of unscheduled return visits to a health care practitioner. Conclusion In children with acute exacerbations of asthma, a single dose of oral dexamethasone (0.3 mg/kg) is noninferior to a 3-day course of oral prednisolone (1 mg/kg per day) as measured by the mean PRAM score on day 4.
We investigated clinical and MRI correlation in 18 patients with clinically-diagnosed multiple system atrophy (MSA) and 16 age-matched controls, using 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We ...evaluated the severity of parkinsonism in each MSA patient. In assessing the MRI findings, we examined three parameters quantitatively: width of the pars compacta of the substantia nigra (SNc); putaminal hypointensity on T2-weighted images; and putaminal atrophy. As in previous studies, SNc width was narrowed and the putaminal signal intensity was decreased in patients with MSA compared with controls. The clinical severity of parkinsonism did not correlate significantly with the SNc width or the score of putaminal hypointensity in MSA. However, not only did putaminal atrophy occur, but correlated well with the severity of parkinsonism in MSA. A significant correlation could not be established between narrowing of SNc and shrinkage of the putamen. These findings suggest that putaminal atrophy is associated with the clinical manifestations of parkinsonism and do not support the hypothesis that transsynaptic degeneration occurs in MSA.
Memory impairment and medial temporal lobe (MTL) involvement are the earliest and most prominent features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A psychological assessment of memory function and an evaluation ...of the morphological changes in MTL structures, as found in the mild form of AD, are important for early diagnosis as well as for understanding the pathophysiology of the disease. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate correlations in these psychoanatomical changes in terms of the stage of AD. We performed MRI-based volumetric measurements of the MTL structure and neuropsychological tests, using MMSE and the Wechsler memory scale-revised (WMS-R), on 27 elderly normal subjects and 46 probable AD patients, and then checked for possible correlations between the volumetric measurements and memory dysfunction. The severity of the AD patients’ condition was assessed by CDR scale. Each MTL structure decreased in volume with increasing severity of AD. In very early AD, the reduction in the amygdala volume was pronounced, while the hippocampal volumes were relatively unchanged. Neuropsychological scores also declined with increasing severity of AD. Scores on the main WMS-R subsets examined (verbal memory, visual memory, and delayed recall) decreased significantly in the very mild group, as compared with normal controls. The WMS-R test scores correlated significantly with the amygdala volumes in normal control subjects and very mild AD patients. Our findings suggest that MRI-based amygdaloid volumetric measurement provides a sensitive marker, and that the degeneration of the amygdala may begin very early in the course of AD.
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