Accept or Refuse? A Pilot Study of Patients' Perspective on Participating as Imaginary Research Subjects in Schizophrenia

Objective The goal of the present study was to evaluate demographic and clinical factors that affect the intention to participate in commonly-conducted research in patients with schizophrenia. Methods Thirty-four outpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were enrolled in this study. They were asked whether they would have any intention to participate in four imaginary studies: a simple questionnaire, a genetic study, a Study of complex tasks and a risky study. We analyzed the differences in general psychopathology, insight and demographic characteristics of the participants according to their responses (acceptance or refusal) to the four proposed studies. Results Younger and better-educated patients tended to decline participation in a risky study. Patients with a longer duration of regular psychiatric follow-ups tended to willingly participate in the simple questionnaire. There were no overall statistical differences in general psychopathology and insight between patients who agreed or declined to participate in studies. Conclusion Age and education level may be factors that influence decisions to participate in schizophrenia Studies. Further research is needed to confirm and expand on the current findings

Evaluation of the antibacterial and anticancer activities of some South African medicinal plants

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several herbs are traditionally used in the treatment of a variety of ailments particularly in the rural areas of South Africa where herbal medicine is mainly the source of health care system. Many of these herbs have not been assessed for safety or toxicity to tissue or organs of the mammalian recipients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of some medicinal plants used, inter alia, in the treatment of diarrhoea, and stomach disorders. Six selected medicinal plants were assessed for their antibacterial activities against ampicillin-resistant and kanamycin-resistant strains of <it>Escherichia coli </it>by the broth micro-dilution methods. The cytotoxicities of methanol extracts and fractions of the six selected plants were determined using a modified tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The average minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the plants extracts ranged from 0.027 mg/mℓ to 2.5 mg/mℓ after 24 h of incubation. <it>Eucomis autumnalis </it>and <it>Cyathula uncinulata </it>had the most significant biological activity with the least MIC values. The in vitro cytotoxicity assay on human hepatocarcinoma cell line (Huh-7) revealed that the methanol extract of <it>E. autumnalis </it>had the strongest cytotoxicity with IC₅₀of 7.8 μg/mℓ. Ethyl acetate and butanol fractions of <it>C. uncinulata, Hypoxis latifolia, E. autumnalis </it>and <it>Lantana camara </it>had lower cytotoxic effects on the cancer cell lines tested with IC₅₀values ranging from 24.8 to 44.1 μg/mℓ; while all the fractions of <it>Aloe arborescens </it>and <it>A. striatula </it>had insignificant or no cytotoxic effects after 72 h of treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that the methanol fraction of <it>E. autumnalis </it>had a profound cytotoxic effect even though it possessed very significant antibacterial activity. This puts a query on its safety and hence a call for caution in its usage, thus a product being natural is not tantamount to being entirely safe. However, the antibacterial activities and non-cytotoxic effects of <it>A. arborescens </it>and <it>A. striatula </it>validates their continuous usage in ethnomedicine.</p

Identification of Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis Transcript Sequences Expressed during Infection Reveals Isolate-Specific Effectors

Biotrophic plant pathogens secrete effector proteins that are important for infection of the host. The aim of this study was to identify effectors of the downy mildew pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (Hpa) that are expressed during infection of its natural host Arabidopsis thaliana. Infection-related transcripts were identified from Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) derived from leaves of the susceptible Arabidopsis Ws eds1-1 mutant inoculated with the highly virulent Hpa isolate Waco9. Assembly of 6364 ESTs yielded 3729 unigenes, of which 2164 were Hpa-derived. From the translated Hpa unigenes, 198 predicted secreted proteins were identified. Of these, 75 were found to be Hpa-specific and six isolate Waco9-specific. Among 42 putative effectors identified there were three Elicitin-like proteins, 16 Cysteine-rich proteins and 18 host-translocated RXLR effectors. Sequencing of alleles in different Hpa isolates revealed that five RXLR genes show signatures of diversifying selection. Thus, EST analysis of Hpa-infected Arabidopsis is proving to be a powerful method for identifying pathogen effector candidates expressed during infection. Delivery of the Waco9-specific protein RXLR29 in planta revealed that this effector can suppress PAMP-triggered immunity and enhance disease susceptibility. We propose that differences in host colonization can be conditioned by isolate-specific effectors

Statistical significance of cis-regulatory modules

BACKGROUND: It is becoming increasingly important for researchers to be able to scan through large genomic regions for transcription factor binding sites or clusters of binding sites forming cis-regulatory modules. Correspondingly, there has been a push to develop algorithms for the rapid detection and assessment of cis-regulatory modules. While various algorithms for this purpose have been introduced, most are not well suited for rapid, genome scale scanning. RESULTS: We introduce methods designed for the detection and statistical evaluation of cis-regulatory modules, modeled as either clusters of individual binding sites or as combinations of sites with constrained organization. In order to determine the statistical significance of module sites, we first need a method to determine the statistical significance of single transcription factor binding site matches. We introduce a straightforward method of estimating the statistical significance of single site matches using a database of known promoters to produce data structures that can be used to estimate p-values for binding site matches. We next introduce a technique to calculate the statistical significance of the arrangement of binding sites within a module using a max-gap model. If the module scanned for has defined organizational parameters, the probability of the module is corrected to account for organizational constraints. The statistical significance of single site matches and the architecture of sites within the module can be combined to provide an overall estimation of statistical significance of cis-regulatory module sites. CONCLUSION: The methods introduced in this paper allow for the detection and statistical evaluation of single transcription factor binding sites and cis-regulatory modules. The features described are implemented in the Search Tool for Occurrences of Regulatory Motifs (STORM) and MODSTORM software

The Bifidobacterium dentium Bd1 Genome Sequence Reflects Its Genetic Adaptation to the Human Oral Cavity

Bifidobacteria, one of the relatively dominant components of the human intestinal microbiota, are considered one of the key groups of beneficial intestinal bacteria (probiotic bacteria). However, in addition to health-promoting taxa, the genus Bifidobacterium also includes Bifidobacterium dentium, an opportunistic cariogenic pathogen. The genetic basis for the ability of B. dentium to survive in the oral cavity and contribute to caries development is not understood. The genome of B. dentium Bd1, a strain isolated from dental caries, was sequenced to completion to uncover a single circular 2,636,368 base pair chromosome with 2,143 predicted open reading frames. Annotation of the genome sequence revealed multiple ways in which B. dentium has adapted to the oral environment through specialized nutrient acquisition, defences against antimicrobials, and gene products that increase fitness and competitiveness within the oral niche. B. dentium Bd1 was shown to metabolize a wide variety of carbohydrates, consistent with genome-based predictions, while colonization and persistence factors implicated in tissue adhesion, acid tolerance, and the metabolism of human saliva-derived compounds were also identified. Global transcriptome analysis demonstrated that many of the genes encoding these predicted traits are highly expressed under relevant physiological conditions. This is the first report to identify, through various genomic approaches, specific genetic adaptations of a Bifidobacterium taxon, Bifidobacterium dentium Bd1, to a lifestyle as a cariogenic microorganism in the oral cavity. In silico analysis and comparative genomic hybridization experiments clearly reveal a high level of genome conservation among various B. dentium strains. The data indicate that the genome of this opportunistic cariogen has evolved through a very limited number of horizontal gene acquisition events, highlighting the narrow boundaries that separate commensals from opportunistic pathogens

In vitro propagation of the wild carrot Daucus carota L. subsp. halophilus (Brot.) A. Pujadas for conservation purposes

Daucus carota subsp. halophilus, is a wild crop relative of domestic carrot. It is an aromatic plant widely used in folk medicine due to recognized therapeutic properties of its essential oils. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the potential of in vitro propagation techniques to the conservation of this endemic and endangered taxon. The results showed that shoot tips of in vitro germinated seeds were able to proliferate in the presence of benzyladenine, with the best results being achieved using 4.4μM, both in the first and second cultures. Shoots rooted after being transferred to 1/2- Murashige and Skoog basal medium. The results indicated that the concentration of benzyladenine used during the multiplication phase did not interfere with the rate of root formation. The obtained plantlets were morphologically and anatomically identical to those obtained by seeds. Some of the in vitro produced shoots developed flowers that produced viable pollen. Plant regeneration was also achieved by somatic embryogenesis induction in cotyledons and root segments cultured in the presence of 4.5μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Somatic embryos converted into plantlets in a medium without growth regulators. Plants obtained either by shoot proliferation or somatic embryogenesis were acclimatized and are now growing at the Coimbra Botanical Garden. The first attempts to reintroduce these plants in the original habitat were successful. It can be concluded that the protocols developed are a useful approach to the conservation of this endemic species

Evolution of the regular zone of histone H1 in Fabaceae plants

An analysis of the historic H1 subtype, H1-1, in eight legumes belonging to four genera of the tribe Vicieae (Pisum, Lathyrus, Lens, and Vicia), revealed an extended region consisting of the tandemly repeated AKPAAK motifs. We named this region the Regular zone (RZ). The AKPAAK motifs are organized into two blocks separated by a short (two or six amino acids) intervening sequence (IS). The distal block contains six AKPAAK motifs, while the number of repeats in the proximal block varies from six in V. faba to seven in the other species. In V. hirsuta, the first two repeated units of the proximal block are octapeptides AKAKPAAK. The apparent rate of synonymous substitutions in the blocks of RZ is much higher than in the rest of the gene. This can be explained by repeat shuffling within each block. In the C-domain of the orthologous H1 subtype froth Medicago truncatula (tribe Trifolieae), a region corresponding to the RZ of Vicieae species was found. It also consists of two blocks of AKPAAK motifs (four and three repeats in the proximal and distal blocks, respectively). These blocks are separated by a 20-amino acid IS. The first 20 amino acids of the Medicago RZ are not part of AKPAAK repeats. We hypothesise that the RZ has most probably evolved as a result of an expansion of AKPAAK repeats from two separate sites in the C-domain. This process started tens of millions of years ago and was most likely directed by positive selection