Research Section Substantial Equivalence of Antinutrients and Inherent Plant Toxins in Genetically Modi®ed Novel Foods

AbstractÐFor a safety evaluation of foodstu derived from genetically modi®ed crops, the concept of the substantial equivalence of modi®ed organisms with their parental lines is used following an environmental safety evaluation. To assess the potential pleiotropic eect of genetic modi®cations on constituents of modi®ed crops data from US and EC documents were investigated with regard to inherent plant toxins and antinutrients. Analysed were documents of rape (glucosinolates, phytate), maize (phytate), tomato (tomatine, solanine, chaconine, lectins, oxalate), potato (solanine, chaconine, protease-inhibitors, phenols) and soybean (protease-inhibitors, lectins, iso¯avones, phytate). In several documents used for noti®cations no declarations even on essential inherent plant toxins and antinutrients could be found, for instance data on phytate in modi®ed maize were provided only in one of four documents. Signi®cant variations in the contents of these compounds in parental and modi®ed plants especially due to environmental in¯uences were observed: drought stress, for example, was made responsible for signi®cantly increased glucosinolate levels of up to 72.6 m mmol/g meal in modi®ed and parental rape plants in ®eld trials compared to recommended standard concentrations of less than 30 m mmol/g. Taking into account these wide natural variations generally the concentrations of inherent plant toxins and antinutrients in modi®ed products were in the range of the concentrations in parental organisms. The results presented indicate that the concept of the substantial equivalence is useful for the risk assessment of genetically modi®ed organisms (GMOs) used for novel foods but possible environmental in¯uences on constituents of modi®ed crops need more attention. Consistent guidelines, specifying data of relevant compounds which have to be provided for noti®cation documents of speci®c organisms have to be established. Because of the importance of inherent plant toxins and antinutrients on nutritional safety, also coherent databases of standard parental lines and clear criteria for mandatory declarations are necessary.

Careers of highly educated self-initiated expatriates : observations from studies among Finnish business professionals

This chapter reviews existing literature about the careers of self-initiated expatriates and analyzes the different studies carried out among university level educated Finnish business professionals. A series of studies carried out among members of the Finnish Association of Business School Graduates during the last 15 years was cross-analyzed. The studies are based on three surveys and further interviews among their expatriate members (1999, 2004 and a follow-up study in 2012) also involving SIEs. Therefore, this chapter provide an overview of what we know about the careers of Finnish SIEs and show evidence of (1) their career motives, (2) the role of family considerations in the career decision making of SIEs, (3) the development of career capital and social capital during SIE-experiences, and also (4) longer-term career impacts of SIE-experiences. Based on the literature review and analysis of above mentioned studies we highlight the gaps in in the knowledge about SIEs and suggest areas where further research is needed.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

DNA Barcoding the Geometrid Fauna of Bavaria (Lepidoptera): Successes, Surprises, and Questions

BACKGROUND: The State of Bavaria is involved in a research program that will lead to the construction of a DNA barcode library for all animal species within its territorial boundaries. The present study provides a comprehensive DNA barcode library for the Geometridae, one of the most diverse of insect families. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This study reports DNA barcodes for 400 Bavarian geometrid species, 98 per cent of the known fauna, and approximately one per cent of all Bavarian animal species. Although 98.5% of these species possess diagnostic barcode sequences in Bavaria, records from neighbouring countries suggest that species-level resolution may be compromised in up to 3.5% of cases. All taxa which apparently share barcodes are discussed in detail. One case of modest divergence (1.4%) revealed a species overlooked by the current taxonomic system: Eupithecia goossensiata Mabille, 1869 stat.n. is raised from synonymy with Eupithecia absinthiata (Clerck, 1759) to species rank. Deep intraspecific sequence divergences (>2%) were detected in 20 traditionally recognized species. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The study emphasizes the effectiveness of DNA barcoding as a tool for monitoring biodiversity. Open access is provided to a data set that includes records for 1,395 geometrid specimens (331 species) from Bavaria, with 69 additional species from neighbouring regions. Taxa with deep intraspecific sequence divergences are undergoing more detailed analysis to ascertain if they represent cases of cryptic diversity

Epigenetics and the power of art

This review presents an epigenetic view on complex factors leading to development and perception of “genius.” There is increasing evidence which indicates that artistic creativity is influenced by epigenetic processes that act both as targets and mediators of neurotransmitters as well as steroid hormones. Thus, perception and production of art appear to be closely associated with epigenetic contributions to physical and mental health

A Preliminary Study of Elderly Emergency Service Clients in Chicago and Their Housing-Related Problems

Emergencies to which city agencies respond reveal a connection between homelessness and other housing hardships of the elderly. This study examines a random sample of 125 case records of elderly clients assisted by the Chicago Department of Human Services Emergency Services program between 1984 and 1987. The crises that lead to emergency services, the extent of clients' housing-related problems, and the needs that cluster around shelter placement and other housing related problems are analyzed An extraordinarily broad range of problems and service needs are identified The findings reveal the prevalence of housing problems for the elderly and the relationship between basic needs, patterns of services offered, and certain emergencies, includ ing homelessness. They have implications for improving client services and underscore the importance of ongoing rather than emergency assistance with the elderly. Very old persons without kin who experience crises are at great risk and pose growing dilemmas for urban public agencies.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68265/2/10.1177_073346489201100102.pd

Chaperones convert the energy from ATP into the nonequilibrium stabilization of native proteins.

During and after protein translation, molecular chaperones require ATP hydrolysis to favor the native folding of their substrates and, under stress, to avoid aggregation and revert misfolding. Why do some chaperones need ATP, and what are the consequences of the energy contributed by the ATPase cycle? Here, we used biochemical assays and physical modeling to show that the bacterial chaperones GroEL (Hsp60) and DnaK (Hsp70) both use part of the energy from ATP hydrolysis to restore the native state of their substrates, even under denaturing conditions in which the native state is thermodynamically unstable. Consistently with thermodynamics, upon exhaustion of ATP, the metastable native chaperone products spontaneously revert to their equilibrium non-native states. In the presence of ATPase chaperones, some proteins may thus behave as open ATP-driven, nonequilibrium systems whose fate is only partially determined by equilibrium thermodynamics

Impact of vitamin D metabolism on clinical epigenetics

The bioactive vitamin D (VD) metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 regulates essential pathways of cellular metabolism and differentiation via its nuclear receptor (VDR). Molecular mechanisms which are known to play key roles in aging and cancer are mediated by complex processes involving epigenetic mechanisms contributing to efficiency of VD-activating CYP27A1 and CYP27B1 or inactivating CYP24 enzymes as well as VDR which binds to specific genomic sequences (VD response elements or VDREs). Activity of VDR can be modulated epigenetically by histone acetylation. It co-operates with other nuclear receptors which are influenced by histone acetyl transferases (HATs) as well as several types of histone deacetylases (HDACs). HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) and/or demethylating drugs may contribute to normalization of VD metabolism. Studies link VD signaling through the VDR directly to distinct molecular mechanisms of both HAT activity and the sirtuin class of HDACs (SIRT1) as well as the forkhead transcription factors thus contributing to elucidate complex epigenetic mechanisms for cancer preventive actions of VD

Changes in Human Fecal Microbiota Due to Chemotherapy Analyzed by TaqMan-PCR, 454 Sequencing and PCR-DGGE Fingerprinting

BACKGROUND: We investigated whether chemotherapy with the presence or absence of antibiotics against different kinds of cancer changed the gastrointestinal microbiota. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Feces of 17 ambulant patients receiving chemotherapy with or without concomitant antibiotics were analyzed before and after the chemotherapy cycle at four time points in comparison to 17 gender-, age- and lifestyle-matched healthy controls. We targeted 16S rRNA genes of all bacteria, Bacteroides, bifidobacteria, Clostridium cluster IV and XIVa as well as C. difficile with TaqMan qPCR, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting and high-throughput sequencing. After a significant drop in the abundance of microbiota (p = 0.037) following a single treatment the microbiota recovered within a few days. The chemotherapeutical treatment marginally affected the Bacteroides while the Clostridium cluster IV and XIVa were significantly more sensitive to chemotherapy and antibiotic treatment. DGGE fingerprinting showed decreased diversity of Clostridium cluster IV and XIVa in response to chemotherapy with cluster IV diversity being particularly affected by antibiotics. The occurrence of C. difficile in three out of seventeen subjects was accompanied by a decrease in the genera Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Veillonella and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Enterococcus faecium increased following chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Despite high individual variations, these results suggest that the observed changes in the human gut microbiota may favor colonization with C. difficile and Enterococcus faecium. Perturbed microbiota may be a target for specific mitigation with safe pre- and probiotics

The apicomplexan plastid and its evolution

Protistan species belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa have a non-photosynthetic secondary plastid—the apicoplast. Although its tiny genome and even the entire nuclear genome has been sequenced for several organisms bearing the organelle, the reason for its existence remains largely obscure. Some of the functions of the apicoplast, including housekeeping ones, are significantly different from those of other plastids, possibly due to the organelle’s unique symbiotic origin