The biochemistry of belief Sathyanarayana Rao, T S; Asha, M R; Jagannatha Rao, K S ...
Indian Journal of Psychiatry/Indian journal of psychiatry,
2009 Oct-Dec, Letnik:
51, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Several cases of 'Disappearance of warts' have been reported by Ornstein and Sobel wherein they ponder on how the brain translates the suggestions (sometimes using hypnosis) into systematic ...biochemical battle strategies such as chemical messengers sent to enlist the aid of immune cells in an assault on the microbe-induced miniature tumor or probably small arteries are selectively constricted, cutting off the vital nutrient supply to warts but not touching the neighboring healthy cells. ... all symptoms of medicine work through our beliefs. When you believe you are depressed (more precisely, when you become consciously aware of your 'Being depressed'), you stamp the raw data received through your sense organs, with a judgment - that is your personal view - and physically become the 'interpretation' as you internalize it.\n Studies by Krummenacher et al, have shown that dopamine levels are associated with paranormal thoughts suggesting the role of dopamine in belief development in the brain.
Nickel (Ni+2) doped nanocrystalline Bi2S3 thin films are deposited on the glass substrate from the solutions containing Bismuth Nitrate, Ethylenediamine Tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and Thioacetamide at a ...bath deposition temperature of 318K. The optical, surface morphological and electrical properties of Ni-doped Bi2S3 thin films prepared at three different doping concentration are investigate by using ultraviolet–visible transmission spectra (UV–Vis), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDAX) and thermo-e.m.f. techniques. The optical band gap energies are found in between 2.32-2.43 eV. The SEM images show that the prepared films are continuous, dense and distributed over the entire area with good uniformity. The electrical conductivity of the films are in the order of 10-2 Ω-1 m-1 . The films are n-type as determined from the Hot Probe method. Photoconductivity studies reveal that photocurrent increases with the increase in Ni doping concentrations. Due to the absorption of photons, free electron-hole pairs (EHP) are produce.
Trace elements have been postulated to play a role in Parkinson's disease (PD). In order to elucidate whether changes in the serum levels of trace elements reflect the progression of PD, we assessed ...serum levels of 12 elements (Na, K, Fe, Al, Cu, Zn, Ca, Mg, Mn, Si, P and S) in early PD, severe PD and normal subjects, using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The concentrations in μmol/ml, the relative mole percentage distribution and inter-element relations were computed. Statistical analysis of these data showed a definite pattern of variation among certain elements in early and severe PD compared to controls. In both early and severe PD serum, Al and S concentrations were significantly decreased (
p
<
0.05
) compared to the controls. Fe (
p
<
0.01
) and Zn (
p
<
0.05
) concentrations were significantly lower in severe PD, while K, Mg, Cu (
p
<
0.01
) and P (
p
<
0.05
) concentrations were higher in early and severe PD compared to the controls. The data revealed an imbalance in the inter-element relations in both early and severe PD serum compared to controls, as shown by the direct and inverse correlations. These results suggest a disturbance in the element homeostasis during the progression of PD.
The last step in cysteine biosynthesis in enteric bacteria is catalyzed by the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-dependent enzyme
O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase. Here we report the crystal structure at 2.2 Å ...resolution of the A-isozyme of
O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase isolated from
Salmonella typhimurium.
O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase shares the same fold with tryptophan synthase-β from
Salmonella typhimurium but the sequence identity level is below 20%. There are some major structural differences: the loops providing the interface to the α-subunit in tryptophan synthase-β and two surface helices of tryptophan synthase-β are missing in
O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase. The hydrophobic channel for indole transport from the α to the β active site of tryptophan synthase-β is, not unexpectedly, also absent in
O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase. The dimer interface, on the other hand, is more or less conserved in the two enzymes. The active site cleft of
O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase is wider and therefore more exposed to the solvent. A possible binding site for the substrate
O-acetylserine is discussed.
The kinetic mechanism of activation of the mitochondrial NAD-malic enzyme from the parasitic roundworm Ascaris suum has been studied using a steady-state kinetic approach. The following conclusions ...are suggested. First, malate and fumarate increase the activity of the enzyme in both reaction directions as a result of binding to separate allosteric sites, i.e., sites that exist in addition to the active site. The binding of malate and fumarate is synergistic with the K act decreasing by ≥10-fold at saturating concentrations of the other activator. Second, the presence of the activators decreases the K m for pyruvate 3−4-fold, and the K i Mn ≥20-fold in the direction of reductive carboxylation; similar effects are obtained with fumarate in the direction of oxidative decarboxylation. The greatest effect of the activators is thus expressed at low reactant concentrations, i.e., physiologic concentrations of reactant, where activation of ≥15-fold is observed. A recent crystallographic structure of the human mitochondrial NAD malic enzyme 13 shows fumarate bound to an allosteric site. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to change R105, homologous to R91 in the fumarate activator site of the human enzyme, to alanine. The R105A mutant enzyme exhibits the same maximum rate and V/K NAD as does the wild-type enzyme, but 7−8-fold decrease in both V/K malate and V/K Mg, indicating the importance of this residue in the activator site. In addition, neither fumarate nor malate activates the enzyme in either reaction direction. Finally, a change in K143 (a residue in a positive pocket adjacent to that which contains R105), to alanine results in an increase in the K act for malate by about an order of magnitude such that it is now of the same magnitude as the K m for malate. The K143A mutant enzyme also exhibits an increase in the K act for fumarate (in the absence of malate) from 200 μM to about 25 mM.
ZnO:Eu (0.1 mol%) nanopowders have been synthesized by auto ignition based low temperature solution combustion method. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns confirm the nanosized particles which ...exhibit hexagonal wurtzite structure. The crystallite size estimated from Scherrer's formula was found to be in the range 35-39 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies reveal particles are agglomerated with quasi-hexagonal morphology. A blue shift of absorption edge with increase in band gap is observed for Eu doped ZnO samples. Upon 254 nm excitation, ZnO:Eu nanopowders show peaks in regions blue (420-484 nm), green (528 nm) and red (600 nm) which corresponds to both Eu2+ and Eu3+ ions. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum exhibits a broad resonance signal at g=4.195 which is attributed to Eu2+ ions. Further, EPR and thermoluminescence (TL) studies reveal presence of native defects in this phosphor. Using TL glow peaks the trap parameters have been evaluated and discussed.
Background & Aims:
Helicobacter pylori can be eradicated by administration of antimicrobials, but resistant strains have emerged, and there is a need for novel therapeutic approaches against this ...infection. This study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of 3'-sialyllactose sodium salt (3'SL), an oligosaccharide that occurs naturally in human and bovine milk and that can inhibit the adhesion of
H. pylori to human epithelial cells in vitro.
Methods: Twelve
H. pylori–positive rhesus monkeys were given 3'SL, either alone (regimens 1 and 2; n = 6) or in combination with omeprazole (regimen 3; n = 4), or bismuth subsalicylate (regimen 4; n = 6). Videogastroscopies were performed before, during, and after treatment, and gastric biopsy specimens were obtained for quantitative cultures and histology. The
H. pylori strains colonizing the animals were genotyped.
Results: After regimen 1 or 2, 2 of 6 animals were cured permanently, and a third animal was transiently cleared. The 3 other animals remained persistently colonized and did not respond to regimen 3. Regimen 4 resulted in transient decreases in colony counts in 3 of 6 other animals. Gastritis was suppressed only in the 2 animals who became persistently
H. pylori negative. There was no apparent relation between 3'SL efficacy and any of the
H. pylori tested genotypes. No side effects were observed in any of the animals receiving 3'SL.
Conclusions: Antiadhesive therapy is safe; it can cure or decrease
H. pylori colonization in some rhesus monkeys, but the addition of a proton pump inhibitor or bismuth subsalicylate does not increase cure rate.
GASTROENTEROLOGY 1999;117:1316-1325
Serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT), a member of the alpha-class of pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzymes, catalyzes the reversible conversion of serine to glycine and tetrahydrofolate to ...5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate. We present here the crystal structures of the native enzyme and its complexes with serine, glycine, glycine, and 5-formyl tetrahydrofolate (FTHF) from Bacillus stearothermophilus. The first structure of the serine-bound form of SHMT allows identification of residues involved in serine binding and catalysis. The SHMT-serine complex does not show any significant conformational change compared with the native enzyme, contrary to that expected for a conversion from an "open" to "closed" form of the enzyme. However, the ternary complex with FTHF and glycine shows the reported conformational changes. In contrast to the Escherichia coli enzyme, this complex shows asymmetric binding of the FTHF to the two monomers within the dimer in a way similar to the murine SHMT. Comparison of the ternary complex with the native enzyme reveals the structural basis for the conformational change and asymmetric binding of FTHF. The four structures presented here correspond to the various reaction intermediates of the catalytic pathway and provide evidence for a direct displacement mechanism for the hydroxymethyl transfer rather than a retroaldol cleavage.
Equine influenza virus remains an important problem in horses despite extensive use of vaccination. Efficacy of equine influenza vaccination depends on the onset and duration of protective immunity, ...and appropriate strain specificity of the immune response. This study was designed to test the protective immunity resulting from vaccination with the North American commercial ALVAC® equine influenza vaccine (RECOMBITEK® Influenza, Merial, USA)11RECOMBITEK and PROTEQFLU are registered trademarks of Merial in the United States of America and elsewhere; ALVAC is a registered trademark of Connaught Technologies Corporation in the United States of America and elsewhere; SAS is a registered trademark of SAS Institute, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere; QIAAMP is a registered trademark of QIAGEN GmbH in the United States of America and elsewhere; MAXEFFICIENCY is a registered trademark of Life Technologies, Inc. in the United States of America; STATXACT is a registered trademark of Cytel, Inc. in the United States of America; STBLA is a trademark of Life Technologies, Inc. against challenge with American lineage influenza viruses. In experiment 1, 12 ponies were vaccinated twice, at a 35 day interval, using the ALVAC®-influenza vaccine expressing the HA genes of influenza A/eq/Newmarket/2/93 and A/eq/Kentucky/94 (H3N8), and 11 ponies served as unvaccinated controls. Six months after the second vaccination, all ponies were challenged with A/eq/Kentucky/91. In experiment 2, 10 ponies received one dose of the ALVAC®-influenza vaccine, 10 ponies served as unvaccinated controls, and all ponies were challenge infected with A/equine/Ohio/03, 14 days after vaccination. Parameters studied included serological responses, and clinical disease and nasal viral shedding following challenge infection. In experiment 1, following the two-dose regimen, vaccinated ponies generated high titered anti-influenza virus IgGa and IgGb antibody responses to vaccination and demonstrated statistically significant clinical and virological protection to challenge infection compared to controls. Infection with A/eq/Kentucky/91 produced unusually severe signs in ponies in the control group, requiring therapy with NSAID's and antibiotics, and leading to the euthanasia of one pony. In experiment 2 following the one-dose regimen, vaccinates generated IgGa responses pre-challenge, and anamnestic IgGa and IgGb responses after challenge. Vaccinates demonstrated statistically significant clinical and virological protection to challenge infection compared to controls. The results of this study clearly demonstrate the early onset, and 6-month duration of protective immunity resulting from ALVAC®-influenza vaccination against challenge with American lineage equine influenza viruses.
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