Biomolecular Filters for Improved Separation of Output Signals in Enzyme Logic Systems Applied to Biomedical Analysis

Biomolecular logic systems processing biochemical input signals and producing "digital" outputs in the form of YES/NO were developed for analysis of physiological conditions characteristic of liver injury, soft tissue injury and abdominal trauma. Injury biomarkers were used as input signals for activating the logic systems. Their normal physiological concentrations were defined as logic-0 level, while their pathologically elevated concentrations were defined as logic-1 values. Since the input concentrations applied as logic 0 and 1 values were not sufficiently different, the output signals being at low and high values (0, 1 outputs) were separated with a short gap making their discrimination difficult. Coupled enzymatic reactions functioning as a biomolecular signal processing system with a built-in filter property were developed. The filter process involves a partial back-conversion of the optical-output-signal-yielding product, but only at its low concentrations, thus allowing the proper discrimination between 0 and 1 output values

Developmental dynamics of two closely related species Bombina bombina and B. variegata (Amphibia: Anura) in the context of their fossil evidence

The available fossil record of Bombina suggests that the genus appeared at the beginning of the Miocene. An isolated occurrence of early Miocene Bombina in Siberia, together with the relatively common occurrence of Bombina in the Miocene of Europe, suggest a possible continuous distribution to East Asia, as is the case with some other Miocene amphibian taxa. The determinable fossil record of B. bombina from the Pliocene precedes that of B. variegata from the Early Pleistocene by about 1 Mya. This also implies that B. variegata differentiated from B. bombina before the Middle Pleistocene continental glaciations. The younger geochronological age of B. variegata compared with that of B. bombina, is reflected in the development of its skeleton. Although both pass through morphologically the same stages of skeletal development, B. variegata is slightly retarded. The developmental retardation of the skeleton of B. variegata culminates in the adult stage, which may last several years after reaching sexual maturity. During this period, the different rates of ossification and growth in both species result in hypo-ossification and underdevelopment and thus in the emergence of differential characteristics. These are less distinguishable in juveniles, but more pronounced in fully grown adults.Fil: Rocek, Zbynek. Czech Academy of Sciences; República ChecaFil: Halámková, Lenka. Texas Tech University; Estados UnidosFil: Muzzopappa, Paula. Universidad Maimonides. Centro de Ciencias Naturales, Ambientales y Antropologicas. Departamento de Paleontologia.; Argentina. Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Data from: Patterns of sexual size dimorphism in Chelonia

Macroevolutionary patterns of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) indicate how sexual selection, natural selection, and genetic and developmental constraints mold sex differences in body size. One putative pattern, known as Rensch’s Rule, posits that among species with female-larger SSD, the relative degree of SSD declines with species’ body size, whereas among male-larger SSD species, relative SSD increases with size. Using a dataset of 196 chelonian species from all fourteen families, we investigated the correlation in body size evolution between male and female Chelonia and the validity of Rensch’s Rule for the taxon and within its major clades. We conclude that male-female correlations in body size evolution are high, but these correlations differ among chelonian families. Overall, SSD scales isometrically with body size; Rensch’s Rule is valid for only one family, Testudinidae (tortoises). Since macroevolutionary patterns of SSD can vary markedly among clades, even in a taxon as morphologically conservative as Testudines, one must guard against inappropriately pooling clades in comparative studies of SSD. Our results also indicate that regression models that assume the x - variable (e.g. male body size) is measured without statistical error, although frequently reported, will result in erroneous conclusions about phylogenetic trends in sexual size dimorphism

Hierarchical Modelling of Raman Spectroscopic Data Demonstrates the Potential for Manufacturer and Caliber Differentiation of Smokeless Powders

Gunshot residue (GSR) is an important type of forensic trace evidence produced when a firearm is discharged. Currently, inorganic GSR particles are used for establishing the fact of shooting. The organic gunshot residue (OGSR) has been recently shown to have great potential for providing additional information vital for the crime scene investigation. Smokeless powder is the precursor to OGSR and one of its chemical components. In this study, Raman spectroscopy and chemometric modeling were used to analyze smokeless powder extracted from ammunition cartridge cases. The proposed hierarchical model demonstrated great potential for determining the manufacture and the bullet type based on the analysis of smokeless powder. Expanding the developed approach to the analysis of OGSR will be needed to make it a useful tool for law enforcement agencies

Data_Chelonia_2012

Data_Chelonia_201

Biocatalytic analysis of biomarkers for forensic identification of ethnicity between Caucasian and African American groups.

A new biocatalytic assay analyzing the simultaneous presence of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was developed aiming at the recognition of biofluids of different ethnic origins for forensic applications. Knowing the difference in the concentrations of CK and LDH in the blood of healthy adults of two ethnical groups, Caucasian (CA) and African American (AA), and taking into account the distribution pattern, we mimicked the samples of different ethnic origins with various CK–LDH concentrations. The analysis was performed using a multi-enzyme/multi-step biocatalytic cascade where the differences in both included enzymes resulted in an amplified difference in the final analytical response. The statistically established analytical results confirmed excellent probability to distinguish samples of different ethnic origins (CA vs. AA). The standard enzymatic assay routinely used in hospitals for the analysis of CK, performed for comparison, was not able to distinguish the difference in samples mimicking blood of different ethnic origins. The robustness of the proposed assay was successfully tested on dried/aged serum samples (up to 24 h) – in order to mimic real forensic situations. The results obtained on the model solutions were confirmed by the analysis of real serum samples collected from human subjects of different ethnic origins

Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectra of Human Serum for Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia worldwide and is characterized by progressive cognitive decline. Along with being incurable and lethal, AD is difficult to diagnose with high levels of accuracy. Blood serum from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients was analyzed by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with multivariate statistical analysis. The obtained spectra were compared with spectra from healthy controls (HC) to develop a simple test for AD detection. Serum spectra from AD patients were further compared to spectra from patients with other neurodegenerative dementias (OD). Colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were used as the SERS-active substrates. Classification experiments involving serum SERS spectra using artificial neural networks (ANNs) achieved a diagnostic sensitivity around 96% for differentiating AD samples from HC samples in a binary model and 98% for differentiating AD, HC, and OD samples in a tertiary model. The results from this proof-of-concept study demonstrate the great potential of SERS blood serum analysis to be developed further into a novel clinical assay for the effective and accurate diagnosis of AD

The effectiveness of three mobile-based psychological interventions in reducing psychological distress and preventing stress-related changes in the psycho-neuro-endocrine-immune network in breast cancer survivors: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background: A growing body of literature shows that psychological distress is not only a major threat to psychological well-being but can also have a significant impact on physical health. In cancer patients, it can negatively affect prognosis and posttreatment recovery processes. Since face-to-face psychological interventions are often inaccessible to cancer patients, researchers have recently been focusing on the effectiveness of eHealth adaptations of well-established approaches. In this context, there has been a call for high-quality randomised controlled trials that would allow for a direct comparison of different approaches, potentially addressing different needs and preferences of patients, and also for more systematic research focusing on how psychological interventions affect not only psychological but also biological markers of stress. Both of these questions are addressed in the present study. Methods: A randomised controlled trial will be carried out to test and compare the effectiveness of three eight-week eHealth programmes for the mental health support of cancer patients. All programmes will be delivered through the same application for mobile devices MOU MindCare. N = 440 of breast cancer survivors will be recruited at the end of their adjuvant treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or both) and randomly assigned to one of the three interventions – Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer (MBCT-Ca), Positive Psychology (PP), or Autogenic Training (AT) – or the treatment-as-usual (TAU) control group. Psychological and biological markers of stress and adaptive functioning will be assessed at baseline (T0), post-treatment (T1), three-month follow-up (T2), and nine-month follow-up (T3). Primary outcomes will include heart-rate variability and self-report measures of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, general quality of life, and positive mental health. Secondary outcomes will include the levels of serum cortisol and immunomarkers, sleep quality, fatigue, common health symptoms, and several transdiagnostic psychological variables that are expected to be specifically affected by the MBCT-Ca and PP interventions, including dispositional mindfulness, emotion regulation, self-compassion, perceived hope, and gratitude. The data will be analysed using the mixed model repeated measures (MMRM) approach. Discussion: This trial is unique in comparing three different eHealth interventions for cancer patients based on three well-established approaches to mental health support delivered on the same platform. The study will allow us to examine whether different types of interventions affect different indicators of mental health. In addition, it will provide valuable data regarding the effects of stress-reducing psychological interventions on the biomarkers of stress playing an essential role in cancer recovery processes and general health