Virulence-related Mycobacterium avium subsp hominissuis MAV_2928 gene is associated with vacuole remodeling in macrophages

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Mycobacterium avium </it>subsp <it>hominissuis </it>(previously <it>Mycobacterium avium </it>subsp <it>avium</it>) is an environmental organism associated with opportunistic infections in humans. <it>Mycobacterium hominissuis </it>infects and replicates within mononuclear phagocytes. Previous study characterized an attenuated mutant in which the PPE gene (MAV_2928) homologous to Rv1787 was inactivated. This mutant, in contrast to the wild-type bacterium, was shown both to have impaired the ability to replicate within macrophages and to have prevented phagosome/lysosome fusion.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>MAV_2928 gene is primarily upregulated upon phagocytosis. The transcriptional profile of macrophages infected with the wild-type bacterium and the mutant were examined using DNA microarray, which showed that the two bacteria interact uniquely with mononuclear phagocytes. Based on the results, it was hypothesized that the phagosome environment and vacuole membrane of the wild-type bacterium might differ from the mutant. Wild-type bacterium phagosomes expressed a number of proteins different from those infected with the mutant. Proteins on the phagosomes were confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and Western blot. The environment in the phagosome of macrophages infected with the mutant differed from the environment of vacuoles with <it>M. hominissuis </it>wild-type in the concentration of zinc, manganese, calcium and potassium.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results suggest that the MAV_2928 gene/operon might participate in the establishment of bacterial intracellular environment in macrophages.</p

The implementation of the Eurocodes in the National Regulatory Framework

The report provides general information on the concept of the Eurocodes implementation in the regulatory system and discusses case studies of EU Member States that have successfully implemented the Eurocodes in the national regulatory system. It also highlights the experience of designers on using the Eurocodes by presenting simple application examples. Moreover, the state of the Eurocodes implementation in the non-EU Balkan countries is presented, based on the information exchanged and collected during the workshop “The way forward for the Eurocodes implementation in the Balkans” (10-11 October 2018 in Tirana, Albania), along with the activities of the Engineering Chambers in support of the Eurocodes implementation. The way towards the publication of the Second Generation of the Eurocodes, expected after 2021, is also discussed.JRC.E.4-Safety and Security of Building

Is Symptomatic Long QT Syndrome Associated with Depression in Women and Men?

We examined whether long QT syndrome (LQTS) mutation carrier status or symptomatic LQTS are associated with depression, and whether there are sex differences in these potential relationships. The sample comprised 782 participants (252 men). Of the 369 genetically defined LQTS mutation carriers, 169 were symptomatic and 200 were asymptomatic. The control group consisted of 413 unaffected relatives. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). No association was found for LQTS mutation carrier status with depression. The multinomial logistic regression showed that LQTS mutation carrier men with arrhythmic events scored higher on depression compared with the control group, even when adjusting for age, beta-blockers, antidepressants, and social support (OR = 1.09, 95 % CI [1.02, 1.15], p = .007). The binary logistic regression comparing symptomatic and asymptomatic LQTS mutation carriers showed that symptomatic LQTS was associated with depression in men (OR = 1.10, 95 % CI [1.03, 1.19], p = .009). The results were unchanged when additionally adjusted for education. These findings suggest that symptomatic LQTS is associated with depression in men but not in women. Overall, however, depression is more frequent in women than men. Thus, regular screening for depression in LQTS mutation carriers and their unaffected family members can be important.Peer reviewe

Synthesis of Water-Soluble Group 4 Metallocene and Organotin Polyethers and Their Ability to Inhibit Cancer

Water-soluble metallocene and organotin-containing polyethers were synthesized employing interfacial polycondensation. The reaction involved various chain lengths of poly(ethylene glycol), and produced water-soluble polymers in decent yield. Commercially available reactants were used to allow for easy scale up. The polymers exhibited a decent ability to inhibit a range of cancer cell lines, including two pancreatic cancer cell lines. This approach should allow the synthesis of a wide variety of other water-soluble polymers

THE REDSHIFT AND NATURE OF AzTEC/COSMOS 1: A STARBURST GALAXY AT z = 4.6*

Based on broadband/narrowband photometry and Keck DEIMOS spectroscopy, we report a redshift of z = 4.64+0.06 –0.08 for AzTEC/COSMOS 1, the brightest submillimeter galaxy (SMG) in the AzTEC/COSMOS field. In addition to the COSMOS-survey X-ray to radio data, we report observations of the source with Herschel/PACS (100, 160 μm), CSO/SHARC II (350 μm), and CARMA and PdBI (3 mm). We do not detect CO(5 → 4) line emission in the covered redshift ranges, 4.56-4.76 (PdBI/CARMA) and 4.94-5.02 (CARMA). If the line is within this bandwidth, this sets 3σ upper limits on the gas mass to 8 × 109 M and 5 × 1010 M , respectively (assuming similar conditions as observed in z ~ 2 SMGs). This could be explained by a low CO-excitation in the source. Our analysis of the UV-IR spectral energy distribution of AzTEC 1 shows that it is an extremely young (50 Myr), massive (M * ~ 1011 M ), but compact (2 kpc) galaxy, forming stars at a rate of ~1300 M yr–1. Our results imply that AzTEC 1 is forming stars in a gravitationally bound regime in which gravity prohibits the formation of a superwind, leading to matter accumulation within the galaxy and further generations of star formation