Trypanosomes of the subgenus Megatrypanum from armadillos (Xenarthra: Dasypodidae).

A new species of trypanosome, Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) peba, is described from the peripheral blood of the armadillo Euphractus sexcinctus setosus from Bahia State, Brazil. Ten out of 29 specimens of the armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus from Pará State were found to have trypanosomes, including epimastigote forms, in impression smears of subcutaneous lymph nodes. The trypanosomes from D. novemcinctus are illustrated and were identified a idenrified as belonging to the subgenus Megatrypanum on the basis of their general appearance, although they failed to multiply is blood-agar culture medium and no bloodstream forms were seen. This is the first published record of trypanosomes of this subgenus from armdillos and the first demonstration of epimastigote trypanosomes in the mammalian host other than in the bloodstream, or in the anal glands of opssums

Clinical Value of Prognostic Instruments to Identify Patients with an Increased Risk for Osteoporotic Fractures: Systematic Review

There is a plethora of evidence available studying the association of risk profiles and the development of osteoporotic fractures. The small number of out-of-sample validations, the large variety of study characteristics, outcomes and follow-up periods impedes from deriving robust summaries and from conclusions regarding the clinical performance of many tools. First and foremost, future activity in this field should aim at reaching a consensus among clinical experts in respect to the existing instruments. Then we call for careful validations and expedient adaptations for local circumstances of the most promising candidates

Integrated olfactory receptor and microarray gene expression databases

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gene expression patterns of olfactory receptors (ORs) are an important component of the signal encoding mechanism in the olfactory system since they determine the interactions between odorant ligands and sensory neurons. We have developed the Olfactory Receptor Microarray Database (ORMD) to house OR gene expression data. ORMD is integrated with the Olfactory Receptor Database (ORDB), which is a key repository of OR gene information. Both databases aim to aid experimental research related to olfaction.</p> <p>Description</p> <p>ORMD is a Web-accessible database that provides a secure data repository for OR microarray experiments. It contains both publicly available and private data; accessing the latter requires authenticated login. The ORMD is designed to allow users to not only deposit gene expression data but also manage their projects/experiments. For example, contributors can choose whether to make their datasets public. For each experiment, users can download the raw data files and view and export the gene expression data. For each OR gene being probed in a microarray experiment, a hyperlink to that gene in ORDB provides access to genomic and proteomic information related to the corresponding olfactory receptor. Individual ORs archived in ORDB are also linked to ORMD, allowing users access to the related microarray gene expression data.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ORMD serves as a data repository and project management system. It facilitates the study of microarray experiments of gene expression in the olfactory system. In conjunction with ORDB, ORMD integrates gene expression data with the genomic and functional data of ORs, and is thus a useful resource for both olfactory researchers and the public.</p

Genetic Variation in the EGFR Gene and the Risk of Glioma in a Chinese Han Population

Previous studies have shown that regulation of the epidermal growth factor gene (EGFR) pathway plays a role in glioma progression. Certain genotypes of the EGFR gene may be related to increased glioblastoma risk, indicating that germ line EGFR polymorphisms may have implications in carcinogenesis. To examine whether and how variants in the EGFR gene contribute to glioma susceptibility, we evaluated nine tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) of the EGFR gene in a case–control study from Xi'an city of China (301 cases, 302 controls). EGFR SNP associations analyses were performed using SPSS 16.0 statistical packages, PLINK software, Haploview software package (version 4.2) and SHEsis software platform. We identified two susceptibility tSNPs in the EGFR gene that were potentially associated with an increased risk of glioma (rs730437, p = 0.016; OR: 1.32; 95%CI: 1.05–1.66 and rs1468727, p = 0.008; OR: 1.31; 95%CI: 1.04–1.65). However, after a strict Bonferroni correction analysis was applied, the significance level of the association between EGFR tSNPs and risk of glioma was attenuated. We observed a protective effect of haplotype “AATT” of the EGFR gene, which was associated with a 29% reduction in the risk of developing glioma, while haplotype “CGTC” increased the risk of developing glioma by 36%. Our results, combined with previous studies, suggested an association between the EGFR gene and glioma development

Misuse of "study drugs:" prevalence, consequences, and implications for policy

BACKGROUND: Non-medical/illegal use of prescription stimulants popularly have been referred to as "study drugs". This paper discusses the current prevalence and consequences of misuse of these drugs and implications of this information for drug policy. RESULTS: Study drugs are being misused annually by approximately 4% of older teens and emerging adults. Yet, there are numerous consequences of misuse of prescription stimulants including addiction, negative reactions to high dosages, and medical complications. Policy implications include continuing to limit access to study drugs, finding more safe prescription drug alternatives, interdiction, and public education. CONCLUSION: Much more work is needed on prescription stimulant misuse assessment, identifying the extent of the social and economic costs of misuse, monitoring and reducing access, and developing prevention and cessation education efforts

Autonomous Bioluminescent Expression of the Bacterial Luciferase Gene Cassette (lux) in a Mammalian Cell Line

The bacterial luciferase (lux) gene cassette consists of five genes (luxCDABE) whose protein products synergistically generate bioluminescent light signals exclusive of supplementary substrate additions or exogenous manipulations. Historically expressible only in prokaryotes, the lux operon was re-synthesized through a process of multi-bicistronic, codon-optimization to demonstrate for the first time self-directed bioluminescence emission in a mammalian HEK293 cell line in vitro and in vivo.Autonomous in vitro light production was shown to be 12-fold greater than the observable background associated with untransfected control cells. The availability of reduced riboflavin phosphate (FMNH(2)) was identified as the limiting bioluminescence substrate in the mammalian cell environment even after the addition of a constitutively expressed flavin reductase gene (frp) from Vibrio harveyi. FMNH(2) supplementation led to a 151-fold increase in bioluminescence in cells expressing mammalian codon-optimized luxCDE and frp genes. When injected subcutaneously into nude mice, in vivo optical imaging permitted near instantaneous light detection that persisted independently for the 60 min length of the assay with negligible background.The speed, longevity, and self-sufficiency of lux expression in the mammalian cellular environment provides a viable and powerful alternative for real-time target visualization not currently offered by existing bioluminescent and fluorescent imaging technologies