Toward Comprehensive Analysis of the Galectin Network in Chicken: Unique Diversity of Galectin-3 and Comparison of its Localization Profile in Organs of Adult Animals to the Other Four Members of this Lectin Family

18 pags, 11 figs, 2 tabs. -- Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this articleCharacterization of all members of a gene family established by gene divergence is essential to delineate distinct or overlapping expression profiles and functionalities. Their activity as potent modulators of diverse physiological processes directs interest to galectins (endogenous lectins with β-sandwich fold binding β-galactosides and peptide motifs), warranting their study with the long-term aim of a comprehensive analysis. The comparatively low level of complexity of the galectin network in chicken with five members explains the choice of this organism as model. Previously, the three proto-type chicken galectins CG-1A, CG-1B, and CG-2 as well as the tandem-repeat-type CG-8 had been analyzed. Our study fills the remaining gap to determine gene structure, protein characteristics and expression profile of the fifth protein, that is, chimera-type chicken galectin-3 (CG-3). Its gene has a unique potential to generate variants: mRNA production stems from two promoters, alternative splicing of the form from the second transcription start point (tsp) can generate three mRNAs. The protein with functional phosphorylation sites in the N-terminus generated by transcription from the first tsp (tsp1CG-3) is the predominant CG-3 type present in adult tissues. Binding assays with neoglycoproteins and cultured cells disclose marked similarity to properties of human galectin-3. The expression and localization profiles as well as proximal promoter regions have characteristic features distinct from the other four CGs. This information on CG-3 completes the description of the panel of CGs, hereby setting the stage for detailed comparative analysis of the entire CG family, e.g., in embryogenesis. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Grant number: BFU2009-10052; Grant sponsor: CIBER of Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES) (ISCII

The needs of foster children and how to satisfy them:A systematic review of the literature

Family foster care deeply influences the needs of children and how these are satisfied. To increase our knowledge of foster children’s needs and how these are conceptualized, this paper presents a systematic literature review. Sixty- four empirical articles from six databases were reviewed and categorized (inter-rater agreement K = .78) into four categories: medical, belongingness, psychological and self-actualization needs. The results give a complete overview of needs that are specific to foster children, and what can be implemented to satisfy these needs. This study shows psychological needs are studied more often compared to the other categories, which specially relates to much attention for mental health problems. Furthermore, most articles focus on how to satisfy the needs of foster children and provide no definition or concrete conceptualization of needs. Strikingly, many articles focus on children’s problems instead of their needs, and some even use these terms interchangeably. This review illustrates that future research should employ a proper conceptualization of needs, which could also initiate a shift in thinking about needs instead of problems

Combined analysis of tumor growth pattern and expression of endogenous lectins as a prognostic tool in primary testicular cancer and its lung metastases

The aim of this study was to glyco- and immunohistochemically analyze expression of distinct growth/adhesion-related markers of primary testicular carcinomas and their lung metastases in relation to the risk of developing lung metastases and survival of patients, and to correlate immunohistochemical staining profile and syntactic structure analysis in order to delineate new prognostic parameters for this tumor type. Clinical features of 50 patients with primary testicular carcinomas and their corresponding lung metastases were evaluated and compared to those of a control cohort of 25 cases. The set of eight probes including labeled galectins-1 and -3, specific non-cross-reactive antibodies against galectins-1, -3, and -8 as well as anti- Ki-67, anti-bcl-2, and anti-p53 was applied to formalinfixed, paraffin-embedded tumor sections of both primary and metastatic lesions. Syntactic structure analysis computed staining intensities and structural features of the tumor cells. These parameters were set into relation separately and in combination to clinical data including tumor stages, smoking habits, applied cytostatic therapy, disease-free interval, and survival. The risk of testis cancer patients to develop lung metastases depends in descending order on the tumor cell type (non-seminoma versus seminoma), tumor cell heterogeneity (mixed versus monomorphous cell type), age of patients, and pT stage. The extent of differential expression of galectinrelated features between primary and secondary lesions was pronounced. Prognostic correlations for distinct galectin-related features were delineated in combination with data from syntactic structure analysis, for example cluster radius of galectin-3-positive tumor cells and postsurgical and total survival. Lengths of disease-free interval and total survival of patients were also correlated to characteristics obtained by syntactic structure analysis and their combination with galectin data in the first place, then to smoking habits, percentage of proliferating cells in the primary and secondary tumors, and finally to expression of certain galectins and of p53. Patients with non-seminoma testicular cancer should be thoroughly controlled for lung metastases. Regarding marker selection, our study underscores that further investigation of the growth-regulatory network of galectins is clearly warranted