Purification of Nanoparticles by Size and Shape

Producing monodisperse nanoparticles is essential to ensure consistency in biological experiments and to enable a smooth translation into the clinic. Purification of samples into discrete sizes and shapes may not only improve sample quality, but also provide us with the tools to understand which physical properties of nanoparticles are beneficial for a drug delivery vector. In this study, using polymersomes as a model system, we explore four techniques for purifying pre-formed nanoparticles into discrete fractions based on their size, shape or density. We show that these techniques can successfully separate polymersomes into monodisperse fractions

A large scale survey reveals that chromosomal copy-number alterations significantly affect gene modules involved in cancer initiation and progression

Background Recent observations point towards the existence of a large number of neighborhoods composed of functionally-related gene modules that lie together in the genome. This local component in the distribution of the functionality across chromosomes is probably affecting the own chromosomal architecture by limiting the possibilities in which genes can be arranged and distributed across the genome. As a direct consequence of this fact it is therefore presumable that diseases such as cancer, harboring DNA copy number alterations (CNAs), will have a symptomatology strongly dependent on modules of functionally-related genes rather than on a unique "important" gene. Methods We carried out a systematic analysis of more than 140,000 observations of CNAs in cancers and searched by enrichments in gene functional modules associated to high frequencies of loss or gains. Results The analysis of CNAs in cancers clearly demonstrates the existence of a significant pattern of loss of gene modules functionally related to cancer initiation and progression along with the amplification of modules of genes related to unspecific defense against xenobiotics (probably chemotherapeutical agents). With the extension of this analysis to an Array-CGH dataset (glioblastomas) from The Cancer Genome Atlas we demonstrate the validity of this approach to investigate the functional impact of CNAs. Conclusions The presented results indicate promising clinical and therapeutic implications. Our findings also directly point out to the necessity of adopting a function-centric, rather a gene-centric, view in the understanding of phenotypes or diseases harboring CNAs.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant BIO2008-04212)Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant FIS PI 08/0440)GVA-FEDER (PROMETEO/2010/001)Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Cáncer (RTICC) (grant RD06/0020/1019)Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Spanish Ministry of Science and InnovationSpanish Ministry of Health (FI06/00027

A review of the benefits and drawbacks to virtual field guides in today’s Geoscience higher education environment

Virtual Field Guides are a way for educators to tackle the growing issue of funding pressures in areas of higher education, such as geography. Virtual Field Guides are however underutilised and can offer students a different way of learning. Virtual Field Guides have many benefits to students, such as being more inclusive, building student skills and confidence in a controlled environment pre fieldtrip and can increase engagement in the topic studied. There are also benefits to the educator, such as reduced cost, more efficient students on fieldwork tasks and the ability to tailor and update their field guides to suit their needs. However there are drawbacks in the challenge of creation and their outcome as educational standalone tools. This paper reviews the literature around the benefits and draw backs to the creation and incorporation of virtual field guides in geoscience education. © 2017, The Author(s)

Five-year stability in associations of health-related quality of life measures in community-dwelling older adults: the Rancho Bernardo Study

Ó The Author(s) 2010. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Objective This study examines the five-year stability of the association of SF-12 and SF-6D scores with scores on the longer SF-36 and its domains in community-dwelling older men and women. Methods Participants were 653 men and 917 women aged 50 and older who completed mailed surveys of HRQOL (1995, 2000). SF-36 physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component scores, domain scores; SF-12 PCS and MCS scores; and SF-6D scores were computed. Results Average age in 1995 was 68.2 ± 10.7 for men and 69.8 ± 11.3 for women. In 1995 and 2000, men had significantly higher scores on all measures (P’s \ 0.001). All three authors have contributed to the conception and design of the work and data analysis plan, interpretation of the data, and preparing the manuscript for publication. The second and third authors were in charge of the acquisition of subjects. The first author conducted the data analysis and wrote the first draft which was revised by the second and third authors. All authors were involved with the data in a manner substantial enough to take public responsibility for it. All authors believe the manuscript represents valid work and have reviewed the final version of the manuscript and approve of it for publication

Supplementation of Male Pheromone on Rock Substrates Attracts Female Rock Lizards to the Territories of Males: A Field Experiment

Background: Many animals produce elaborated sexual signals to attract mates, among them are common chemical sexual signals (pheromones) with an attracting function. Lizards produce chemical secretions for scent marking that may have a role in sexual selection. In the laboratory, female rock lizards (Iberolacerta cyreni) prefer the scent of males with more ergosterol in their femoral secretions. However, it is not known whether the scent-marks of male rock lizards may actually attract females to male territories in the field. Methodology/Principal Findings: In the field, we added ergosterol to rocks inside the territories of male lizards, and found that this manipulation resulted in increased relative densities of females in these territories. Furthermore, a higher number of females were observed associated to males in manipulated plots, which probably increased mating opportunities for males in these areas. Conclusions/Significance: These and previous laboratory results suggest that female rock lizards may select to settle in home ranges based on the characteristics of scent-marks from conspecific males. Therefore, male rock lizards might attract more females and obtain more matings by increasing the proportion of ergosterol when scent-marking their territories. However, previous studies suggest that the allocation of ergosterol to secretions may be costly and only high quality male

MiR-339-5p inhibits breast cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro and may be a potential biomarker for breast cancer prognosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis. Detection of their expression may lead to identifying novel markers for breast cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We profiled miRNA expression in three breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468) and then focused on one miRNA, miR-339-5p, for its role in regulation of tumor cell growth, migration, and invasion and target gene expression. We then analyzed miR-339-5p expression in benign and cancerous breast tissue specimens.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A number of miRNAs were differentially expressed in these cancer cell lines. Real-time PCR indicated that miR-339-5p expression was downregulated in the aggressive cell lines MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 and in breast cancer tissues compared with benign tissues. Transfection of miR-339-5p oligonucleotides reduced cancer cell growth only slightly but significantly decreased tumor cell migration and invasion capacity compared with controls. Real-time PCR analysis showed that BCL-6, a potential target gene of miR-339-5p, was downregulated in MDA-MB-231 cells by miR-339-5p transfection. Furthermore, the reduced miR-339-5p expression was associated with an increase in metastasis to lymph nodes and with high clinical stages. Kaplan-Meier analyses found that the patients with miR-339-5p expression had better overall and relapse-free survivals compared with those without miR-339-5p expression. Cox proportional hazards analyses showed that miR-339-5p expression was an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>MiR-339-5p may play an important role in breast cancer progression, suggesting that miR-339-5p should be further evaluated as a biomarker for predicting the survival of breast cancer patients.</p

Temperature Affects the Tripartite Interactions between Bacteriophage WO, Wolbachia, and Cytoplasmic Incompatibility

Wolbachia infections are a model for understanding intracellular, bacterial symbioses. While the symbiosis is often studied from a binary perspective of host and bacteria, it is increasingly apparent that additional trophic levels can influence the symbiosis. For example, Wolbachia in arthropods harbor a widespread temperate bacteriophage, termed WO, that forms virions and rampantly transfers between coinfections. Here we test the hypothesis that temperatures at the extreme edges of an insect's habitable range alter bacteriophage WO inducibility and in turn, Wolbachia densities and the penetrance of cytoplasmic incompatibility. We report four key findings using the model wasp, Nasonia vitripennis: First, both cold treatment at 18 C and heat treatment at 30 C reduce Wolbachia densities by as much as 74% relative to wasps reared at 25 C. Second, in all cases where Wolbachia densities decline due to temperature changes, phage WO densities increase and inversely associate with Wolbachia densities. Heat has a marked effect on phage WO, yielding phage densities that are 552% higher than the room temperature control. Third, there is a significant affect of insect family on phage WO and endoysmbiont densities. Fourth, at extreme temperatures, there was a temperature-mediated adjustment to the density threshold at which Wolbachia cause complete cytoplasmic incompatibility. Taken together, these results demonstrate that temperature simultaneously affects phage WO densities, endosymbiont densities, and the penetrance of cytoplasmic incompatibility. While temperature shock enhances bacteriophage inducibility and the ensuing bacterial mortality in a wide range of medically and industrially-important bacteria, this is the first investigation of the associations in an obligate intracellular bacteria. Implications to a SOS global sensing feedback mechanism in Wolbachia are discussed