Ligand and membrane-binding behavior of the phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins PITPα and β

Phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins (PITPs) are believed to be lipid transfer proteins due to their ability to transfer either PI or PC between membrane compartments in vitro. However, the detailed mechanism of this transfer process is not fully established. To further understand the transfer mechanism of PITPs we examined the interaction of PITPs with membranes using dual polarization interferometry (DPI) which measures protein binding affinity on a flat immobilized lipid surface. In addition, a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based assay was also employed to monitor how quickly PITPs transfer their ligands to lipid vesicles. DPI analysis revealed that PITPβ had a higher affinity to membranes compared to PITPα. Furthermore, the FRET-based transfer assay revealed that PITPβ has a higher ligand transfer rate compared to PITPα. However, both PITPα and PITPβ demonstrated a preference for highly curved membrane surfaces during ligand transfer. In other words, ligand transfer rate was higher when the accepting vesicles were highly curved

Freedom on the Move: A Crowdsourced, Comprehensive Database of North American Runaway Slave Advertisements

'Freedom on the Move' (FOTM) creates a digital resource from an estimated 100,000 runaway slave advertisements from pre-1865 U.S. newspapers. Placed by enslavers when enslaved people attempted to escape, these ads included extensive information about fugitives. They comprise the richest source of information about enslaved individuals in the United States, yet no comprehensive collection of them exists. FOTM will collect these ads and use crowdsourcing to parse their data into a database, enabling sophisticated new analyses of the history of U.S. slavery. A crowdsourcing interface will provide a site for public engagement with an enduring national trauma, supporting lessons for K-12, university, and museum education. The database will be freely available for browsing and exportable for research. NEH start-up funding will enable us to build tools for incorporating large-scale data from contributors, creating a prototype for future expansions of this and similar digital resources

Soil carbon dynamic associated to land-use changes in semi-arid forests of Argentina

Fil: Conti, G. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Conti, G. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología; Argentina.Fil: Kowaljow, E. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Kowaljow, E. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología; Argentina.Fil: Baptist, F. Biotope; Francia.Fil: Rumpel, C. Centre national de la recherche scientifique; Francia.Fil: Cuchietti, A. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Cuchietti, A. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología; Argentina.Fil: Díaz, S. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Díaz, S. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología; Argentina.Land-use change represents one of the main drivers of global climatic change, affecting the amount and quality of organic matter (OM) in soils worldwide. A reduction in the amount of biomass due to forest management is expected to affect both the amount of new OM going into the soil and its microbial decomposability due to changes in soil environmental conditions. These changes should impact soil microbial communities, their activity and decomposition rates, affecting the amount and quality of organic carbon (OC) remaining in the soil. In order to obtain information on the effect of land-use change on the OM quantity and quality, its origin and its degree of stabilization (i.e., microbial decomposability), we characterized the amount of OC, the lignin and polysaccharide compounds by wet chemical analysis, as well as basal respiration rates across a disturbance gradient (n=20) in a semiarid Chaco forest of central Argentina. Disturbance reduced the amount and quality of litterfall, reflected in a reduction in SOM content. Soil carbohydrates content followed the same trend but lignin was not affected by land-use change. Although basal CO2 effluxes showed the same pattern than SOM content, when normalized per OC content, they showed the opposite trend, with higher CO2 released per C in sites with lower OC and carbohydrates content. Our results support the idea that in the semi-arid Chaco forest, chemically labile compounds are more vulnerable to disturbance, but also that OM could be protected and stabilized regardless of its chemical identity.Fil: Conti, G. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Conti, G. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología; Argentina.Fil: Kowaljow, E. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Kowaljow, E. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología; Argentina.Fil: Baptist, F. Biotope; Francia.Fil: Rumpel, C. Centre national de la recherche scientifique; Francia.Fil: Cuchietti, A. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Cuchietti, A. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología; Argentina.Fil: Díaz, S. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Díaz, S. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología; Argentina.Ecologí

Differences in symptom severity and quality of life among patients with cancer using conventional therapies with/without herbal medicines in Uganda: a cross-sectional study

Objective: Patients with cancer experience numerous symptoms related to cancer and treatment side effects that reduce their quality of life (QOL). Although herbal medicine (HM) is used to manage such symptoms by patients in sub-Saharan Africa, data on patients perceived clinical outcomes are limited. We compared differences in QOL and symptom severity between patients with cancer using HM plus conventional therapies (i.e., chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, radiotherapy, surgery) and those using conventional therapies alone. Methods: This cross-sectional study included patients with cancer aged \u3e18 years who were consecutively sampled and completed a researcher-administered questionnaire between December 2022 and January 2023. Specifically, data was collected using The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MDASI-TCM). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square and logistic regression analyses. Results: Of 400 participants (67.5% female), 49% (n=195) used HM plus conventional therapies and 51% (n=205) used conventional therapies alone. Most participants were aged \u3e38 years (73.3%; median age 47 years). A univariate analysis showed the HM plus conventional therapies group had better mean scores for most QOL and symptom severity measures than the conventional therapies alone group. However, only role functioning significantly differed (p=0.046) in the bivariate analysis. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups after confounder adjustment for all others measures of symptom severity and QOL. Conclusion: HM plus conventional therapies may offer minimal benefits or differences for clinical outcomes among patients with cancer. However, our findings have clinical, research, and public health implications for Uganda and other sub-Saharan African settings

Neonatal donation:are newborns too young to be recognized?

Neonatal organ and tissue donation is not common practice in the Netherlands. At the same time, there is a transplant waiting list for small size-matched organs and tissues. Multiple factors may contribute to low neonatal donation rates, including a lack of awareness of this option. This study provides insight into potential neonatal organ and tissue donors and reports on how many donors were actually reported to the procurement organization. We performed a retrospective analysis of the mortality database and medical records of two largest neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the Netherlands. This study reviewed records of neonates with a gestational age >37 weeks and weight >3000g who died in the period from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2016. During the study period, 259 term-born neonates died in the two NICUs. In total, 132 neonates with general contraindications for donation were excluded. The medical records of 127 neonates were examined for donation suitability. We identified five neonates with documented brain death who were not recognized as potential organ and/or tissue donors. Of the remaining neonates, 27 were found suitable for tissue donation. One potential tissue donor had been reported to the procurement organization. In three cases, the possibility of donation was brought up by parents. Conclusion: A low proportion (2%) of neonates who died in the NICUs were found suitable for organ donation, and a higher proportion (12%) were found suitable for tissue donation. We suggest that increased awareness concerning the possibility of neonatal donation would likely increase the identification of potential neonatal donors

The meaning of caring for patients with cancer among traditional medicine practitioners in Uganda: A grounded theory approach

Traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) are a critical part of healthcare systems in many sub-Saharan African countries and play vital roles in caring for patients with cancer. Despite some progress in describing TMPs’ caring experiences in abstract terms, literature about practice models in Africa remains limited. This study aimed to develop a substantive theory to clarify the care provided by TMPs to patients with cancer in Uganda. This study adhered to the principal features of the modified Straussian grounded theory design. Participants were 18 TMPs caring for patients with cancer from 10 districts in Uganda, selected by purposive and theoretical sampling methods. Researcher-administered in-depth interviews were conducted, along with three focus group discussions. Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. The core category that represented TMPs’ meaning of caring for patients with cancer was “Restoring patients’ hope in life through individualizing care.” TMPs restored patients’ hope through five main processes: 1) ensuring continuity in the predecessors’ role; 2) having full knowledge of a patient’s cancer disease; 3) restoring hope in life; 4) customizing or individualizing care, and 5) improving the patient’s condition/health. Despite practice challenges, the substantive theory suggests that TMPs restore hope for patients with cancer in a culturally sensitive manner, which may partly explain why patients with cancer continue to seek their services. The findings of this study may guide research, education, and public health policy to advance traditional medicine in sub-Saharan Africa

The Short-term Car Flow Planning Model in Rail Freight Company – Case Study

AbstractWith the promotion of the environmentally friendly transportation modes (the European Commission supports the freight transport operations in the rail sector), an increase in the diversification of the demand is observed. While most rail freight companies tend to apply fixed schedules, this approach is not effective turns out to be ineffective due to the need to meet the customer's specific requirements.The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of empty wagon flow planning over a medium term horizon and to discuss the opportunities of improvement of this plans by discrete optimization. In order to increase the utilization and availability of wagons, the planning procedure with a rolling horizon has to be implemented. Unfortunately, since the plan has to be updated ca. every 4hours, this planning approach needs effective optimization tools. Our hybrid two-stage approach is designed to be implemented in such business environment. This formulation allows us to solve real life instances even for a 7-day time horizon

Prevalence of the Use of Herbal Medicines among Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Although herbal medicines are used by patients with cancer in multiple oncology care settings, the magnitude of herbal medicine use in this context remains unclear. )e purpose of this review was to establish the prevalence of herbal medicine use among patients with cancer, across various geographical settings and patient characteristics (age and gender categories). Methods: Electronic databases that were searched for data published, from January 2000 to January 2020, were Medline (PubMed), Google Scholar, Embase, and African Index Medicus. Eligible studies reporting prevalence estimates of herbal medicine use amongst cancer patients were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses. Studies were grouped by World Bank region and income groups. Subgroup and meta regression analyses were performed to explore source of heterogeneity. Results: In total, 155 studies with data for 809,065 participants (53.95% female) met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the pooled prevalence of the use of herbal medicine among patients with cancer was 22% (95% confidence interval (CI): 18%–25%), with the highest prevalence estimates for Africa (40%, 95% CI: 23%–58%) and Asia (28%, 95% CI: 21%–35%). )e pooled prevalence estimate was higher across low- and middle-income countries (32%, 95% CI: 23%–42%) and lower across high-income countries (17%, 95% CI: 14%–21%). Higher pooled prevalence estimates were found for adult patients with cancer (22%, 95% CI: 19%–26%) compared with children with cancer (18%, 95% CI: 11%–27%) and for female patients (27%, 95% CI: 19%–35%) compared with males (17%, 95% CI: 1%–47%). Conclusion: Herbal medicine is used by a large percentage of patients with cancer use. The findings of this review highlight the need for herbal medicine to be integrated in cancer care

Mushrooms Red Book of Ukraine in Culture. 1. Patterns of Growth Hericium coralloides

На території НПП «Гуцульщина» виявлено лише три локалітети Hericium coralloides – гриба, занесеного до Червоної книги України. У результаті проведених досліджень виділено в чисту культуру аборигенний штам К01. Як для виділення, так і для підтримки та забезпечення життєздатності гриба в культурі картопельно-глюкозний агар виявився оптимальним серед апробованих середовищ. Індивідуальні особливості росту H. coralloides К01 вказують на вузькі трофічні можливості цього штаму при поверхневому культивуванні, оскільки з п’яти апробованих середовищ придатними для росту виявилися лише два. Цей штам гриба вважаємо перспективним для використання як інокулянта відповідних субстратів у природному середовищі, оскільки для нього характерні високі показники радіального росту, короткий період log-фази та утворення в чистій культурі стадії телеоморфи. The national park «Hutsulshchyna» found only three localities of Hericium coralloides − mushroom Red Book of Ukraine. The result of the research was to obtain in a pure culture of the native strain K01. As for the release, and to support and ensure the viability of the fungus in culture potato - glucose agar was the best among the tested environments. Individual features of the growth of H. coralloides K01 indicate the narrow trophic features of this strain at cultivation because from five tested media suitable for growth were only two. This strain K01 H. coralloides may be considered promising for use as an inoculant respective substrates in the environment , because it is characterized by high rates of radial growth , a short period of log- phase and ability to form stage teleomorfy in pure culture.Роботу виконано у НПП «Гуцульщина», ННЦ «Інститут біології» КНУ ім. Т. Шевченк

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in the management of cancer in Uganda

Introduction: Patients with cancer in Africa embrace the use of herbal medicine more than anywhere else in the world. This study identified and documented medicinal plant species used to manage cancer in ten (10) districts of Uganda. Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted between October 2021 and January 2022. In total, 18 (out of 55) traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) having more than 10 years of experience in managing patients with cancer were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The Relative frequency of citation (RFC) and Family importance value (FIV) indices were also computed. Results: We identified 121 plant species, belonging to 55 families, with the most common families being the Fabaceae (20 species, FIV = 0.119), Asteraceae (13 species, FIV = 0.131), and Euphorbiaceae (eight species, FIV = 0.079). The plant parts most commonly used were leaves (39.3%) and roots (12.9%). The most frequently cited plants were: Hoslundia opposita Vahl (RFC = 0.44), followed by Aspilia africana (Pers.) C.D. Adams (RFC = 0.33), Spathodea nilotica Seem (RFC = 0.33), Annona muricata L. (RFC = 0.33, Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman (RFC = 0.28), Acacia hockii De Wild (RFC = 0.28), Bidens pilosa L. (RFC = 0.28), and Carica papaya L (RFC = 0.22). The most common method of plant preparation and administration was the decoction (69.2%) and oral (86.7%) route, respectively. Conclusions: Although most plants used by TMPs have the potential to generate leads for chemo-preventive cancer medicines, they remain unexplored. This study provides a lead to explore the potential of traditionally used plants for the management of cancer through pre-clinical and clinical research