Er,Yb:ReGa3(BO3)4 (Re = Y, Gd) laser crystals

Phase relationships in the ErxYbyY1-x-yGa3(BO3)4-Bi2O3-B2O3-(Y,Er,Yb)2O3–Ga2O3 and ErxYbyGd1-x-yGa3(BO3)4-Bi2O3-B2O3-(Gd,Er,Yb)2O3 – Ga2O3 (x = 0.02, y = 0.11 at.%) system were studied in the temperature range from 1000 to 900 оС. Multicomponent melt Bi2O3-Ga2O3-B2O3-(Y,Gd)2O3 were used as reasonable fluxes for high-temperature solution growth of ErxYbyR1-x-yGa3(BO3)4 (R = Y, Gd) spontaneous crystals. The segregation coefficients of Yb and Er impurities in the obtained crystals are determined. The unit cell parameters for the grown crystals were studied, also showing the micromorphology characteristics of the crystals. The luminescence kinetics were investigated, and the lifetimes of the 4I13/2 energy level of Er3+ ions for Er,Yb:ReGa3(BO3)4 crystals were determined

Plant-made trastuzumab (herceptin) inhibits HER2/Neu+ cell proliferation and retards tumor growth.

BACKGROUND: Plant biotechnology provides a valuable contribution to global health, in part because it can decrease the cost of pharmaceutical products. Breast cancer can now be successfully treated by a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb), trastuzumab (Herceptin). A course of treatment, however, is expensive and requires repeated administrations of the mAb. Here we used an Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression system to produce trastuzumab in plant cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We describe the cloning and expression of gene constructs in Nicotiana benthamiana plants using intron-optimized Tobacco mosaic virus- and Potato virus X-based vectors encoding, respectively, the heavy and light chains of trastuzumab. Full-size antibodies extracted and purified from plant tissues were tested for functionality and specificity by (i) binding to HER2/neu on the surface of a human mammary gland adenocarcinoma cell line, SK-BR-3, in fluorescence-activated cell sorting assay and (ii) testing the in vitro and in vivo inhibition of HER-2-expressing cancer cell proliferation. We show that plant-made trastuzumab (PMT) bound to the Her2/neu oncoprotein of SK-BR-3 cells and efficiently inhibited SK-BR-3 cell proliferation. Furthermore, mouse intraperitoneal PMT administration retarded the growth of xenografted tumors derived from human ovarian cancer SKOV3 Her2+ cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that PMT is active in suppression of cell proliferation and tumor growth

Dietary Methanol Regulates Human Gene Activity

<div><p>Methanol (MeOH) is considered to be a poison in humans because of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)-mediated conversion of MeOH to formaldehyde (FA), which is toxic. Our recent genome-wide analysis of the mouse brain demonstrated that an increase in endogenous MeOH after ADH inhibition led to a significant increase in the plasma MeOH concentration and a modification of mRNA synthesis. These findings suggest endogenous MeOH involvement in homeostasis regulation by controlling mRNA levels. Here, we demonstrate directly that study volunteers displayed increasing concentrations of MeOH and FA in their blood plasma when consuming citrus pectin, ethanol and red wine. A microarray analysis of white blood cells (WBC) from volunteers after pectin intake showed various responses for 30 significantly differentially regulated mRNAs, most of which were somehow involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). There was also a decreased synthesis of hemoglobin mRNA, <i>HBA</i> and <i>HBB</i>, the presence of which in WBC RNA was not a result of red blood cells contamination because erythrocyte-specific marker genes were not significantly expressed. A qRT-PCR analysis of volunteer WBCs after pectin and red wine intake confirmed the complicated relationship between the plasma MeOH content and the mRNA accumulation of both genes that were previously identified, namely, <i>GAPDH</i> and <i>SNX27</i>, and genes revealed in this study, including <i>MME</i>, <i>SORL1</i>, <i>DDIT4</i>, <i>HBA</i> and <i>HBB</i>. We hypothesized that human plasma MeOH has an impact on the WBC mRNA levels of genes involved in cell signaling.</p></div

Features of Sulfide Mineralization of the Hydrothermal System of Cape Fiolent (Southwestern Crimea)

As a result of generalization of geophysical studies, petro-paleomagnetic and structural-geomorphological analyses, as well as thermodynamic modeling, some features of ore formation in the hydrothermal system of Cape Fiolent (southwestern Crimea) under island arc conditions were revealed. It has been established that the main transformations of rocks of the Middle Jurassic igneous complex of Cape Fiolent occurred under the influence of hydrothermal fluids during the introduction of felsic intrusions during 168–140 Ma. The zones contain sulfide mineralization, the main minerals of which are pyrite, sphalerite, pyrrhotite, galena, chalcopyrite and arsenic pyrite. In the central parts of the hydrothermal alteration zone, massive sulfides are strongly weathered; these zones contain many secondary sulfates. In the marginal parts of hypergenic limonite, yellow-brown goethite prevails in the oxidation zone, yellow jarosite in the center, which is probably due to the large amount of pyrite in the center of the system, which gave more sulfuric acid during oxidation. The presence of native sulfur in the section testifies to the mixing of the acidified hydrothermal solution with seawater. Complex petro-paleomagnetic and magnetometric studies have shown that contact changes and transformation of the contrasting basalt-rhyolite formation occurred along the NNW-trending faults

Microarray analysis of differentially regulated murine brain mRNAs after mouse inhalation of methanol and wounded leaf vapors.

<p>(A) Experimental set-up for the inhalation of vapors from wounded leaves by the mice. (B) Venn diagram of the genes that are differentially expressed after the inhalation of methanol and wounded leaf vapors compared with those after the inhalation of water vapor. The genes were analyzed using the J-Express gene expression analysis software. The number of genes commonly regulated is indicated in the intersection of the circles. All the genes (with an average fold-change ≥1.3-fold) included in this analysis showed significant changes in their expression compared with the control, with a <i>Q</i>-value <0.05.</p

qRT-PCR analysis of WBC mRNA content after red wine intake.

<p>The relative mRNA quantities after red wine intake was normalized to the mRNA levels before red wine intake. Student’s <i>t</i>-test <i>P</i>-values were calculated by using triple bloods samples of three volunteers.</p

MeOH appearance in human blood is accompanied by the formation of FA and EtOH molecules.

<p>The dynamics of MeOH and FA changes in blood plasma after administering pectin are shown. Each volunteer took capsules containing citrus pectin (6 g). After 30, 60, 90 and 120 min, blood samples were obtained and analyzed for MeOH and FA content by GC and HPLC, respectively. The inset shows the ethanol concentrations after pectin administration. The standard error bars are indicated. ***<i>P</i><0.001 (Student’s <i>t</i>-test, n = 8); n.s., not significantly different.</p

The MeOH, EtOH and FA content of human blood plasma after red wine and alcohol intake.

<p>Each of the eight volunteers drank 150(13.731% EtOH and 0.0424% MeOH content, respectively) (A) or 40% v/v ethanol (1 ml per kg body weight) (B). After 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min, blood samples were collected and analyzed for MeOH, EtOH and FA contents by GC and HPLC, respectively. The data are presented as the means ± SE. Student’s <i>t</i>-test <i>P</i>-values were evaluated to determine the statistical significance of the MeOH, EtOH and FA content differences before and after alcohol intake. ***<i>P</i><0.001 (Student’s <i>t</i>-test, n = 8); n.s., not significantly different.</p

List of significantly down- and up-regulated genes in the WBCs of volunteers after citrus pectin intake.

<p>*KEGG, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (<a href="http://www.genome.jp/kegg/" target="_blank">http://www.genome.jp/kegg/</a>).</p><p>**The National Center for Biotechnology Information (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov</a>).</p>&<p>Genes selected for further analysis.</p