EXAFS of the type-1 copper site of rusticyanin

AbstractExtended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra at the Cu K-edge have been recorded of the oxidized and reduced form at pH 3.5 of rusticyanin, the type-1 or ‘blue’-copper protein from Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. The EXAFS of oxidized rusticyanin is well simulated with models assuming a ligand set of 2 N(His) and 1 S(Cys) at 1.99 and 2.16 Å, respectively. Upon reduction, the average Cu-N ligand distance increases by approx. 0.08Å. For both redox states studied, the fit by the simulation is significantly improved by including a contribution of an additional sulfur ligand at approx. 2.8 Å. From comparison with structural data of other blue-copper proteins, it is concluded that the copper coordination environment is relatively rigid, which may be a clue to its high redox potential

Conservation of the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Chennai, India

Gavialis gangeticus are in serious decline in the wild. In this short article we provide an overview of Gharial ecology and current conservation measures taking place at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in India

Antibody drug conjugates against the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), a novel therapeutic target in endometrial cancer

Background The treatment of endometrial cancer (EC), the most common gynecological cancer, is currently hampered by the toxicity of current cytotoxic agents, meaning novel therapeutic approaches are urgently required. Methods A cohort of 161 patients was evaluated for the expression of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in endometrial tissues. The present study also incorporates a variety of in vitro methodologies within multiple cell lines to evaluate RAGE expression and antibody-drug conjugate efficacy, internalisation and intercellular trafficking. Additionally, we undertook in vivo bio-distribution and toxicity evaluation to determine the suitability of our chosen therapeutic approach, together with efficacy studies in a mouse xenograft model of disease. Results We have identified an association between over-expression of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and EC (H-score = Healthy: 0.46, SD 0.26; Type I EC: 2.67, SD 1.39; Type II EC: 2.20, SD 1.34; ANOVA, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, increased expression was negatively correlated with patient survival (Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation: ρ = − 0.3914, p < 0.05). To exploit this association, we developed novel RAGE-targeting antibody drug conjugates (ADC) and demonstrated the efficacy of this approach. RAGE-targeting ADCs were up to 100-fold more efficacious in EC cells compared to non-malignant cells and up to 200-fold more cytotoxic than drug treatment alone. Additionally, RAGE-targeting ADCs were not toxic in an in vivo pre-clinical mouse model, and significantly reduced tumour growth in a xenograft mouse model of disease. Conclusions These data, together with important design considerations implied by the present study, suggest RAGE-ADCs could be translated to novel therapeutics for EC patients

Herpetological observations from field expeditions to North Karnataka and Southwest Maharashtra, India

The Western Ghats of India are one of the 34 global hotspots of biodiversity. They are one of the most important large natural areas in the world and are fast becoming recognised for their biological importance. The herpetofauna of the Western Ghats is hugely diverse, with many species exhibiting rare, endemic styles of autecology and niche preference that could equal that of countries such as Borneo and Madagascar. In this report we detail 18 amphibian and 37 reptile species from eight sites following three expeditions to the Western Ghats from 2007-2009. The report details species descriptions, habitat, ecology and conservation to alert the herpetological community to the importance of future research to address the lack of knowledge in species ecology. It also presents newinformation on species distribution and behaviour

Conservation of the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Chennai, India

Gavialis gangeticus are in serious decline in the wild. In this short article we provide an overview of Gharial ecology and current conservation measures taking place at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in India. Cite as: Piggott, S., Lewis, T.R., Greig-Smith, P. &amp; Griffin, R. (2010). Conservation of the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Chennai, India. The Herptile 35 (1): 17-25

Dataset for: A universal 3D imaging sensor on a silicon photonics platform

Dataset to support paper: A universal 3D imaging sensor on a silicon photonics platform, published in Nature. The .zip file contains all the data and code accompanying this dataset. There are three sub-folders in the top-level .zip file for the data corresponding to Figure 3, Figure 4, and the extended data figures of the paper, referred to respectively as figure3, figure4, and extfigs. Each of those folders in turn have two of their own sub-folders called data and plots that hold the corresponding numerical data and image artwork (in both .pdf and .svg format) from the paper as well as Python code in the higher directory that will create the figures from the data.</span