Statističko optimiranje proizvodnje α-galaktozidaze submerznim uzgojem aktinomicete Streptomyces griseoloalbus primjenom metodologije odzivnih površina

α-Galactosidase production by a novel actinomycete strain Streptomyces griseoloalbus in shake flask culture was optimized using response surface methodology. Screening of variables to find their relative effect on α-galactosidase production was done using Plackett-Burman design. Out of the eleven factors screened, salinity, magnesium sulphate and temperature were found to influence the enzyme production significantly. The optimal levels of these variables and the effect of their mutual interactions on enzyme production were determined using Box-Behnken design. The interaction between salinity and magnesium sulphate concentration was found to enhance α-galactosidase production, whereas temperature exhibited an influence independent of the other two factors. Using this statistical optimization method, the α-galactosidase production was increased from 17 to 50 U/mL.Primjenom metodologije odzivnih površina optimirana je proizvodnja α-galaktozidaze s pomoću novog soja aktinomiceta Streptomyces griseoloalbus u pokusima na tresilici. Primjenom Plackett-Burmanova statističkog plana ispitan je utjecaj varijabli na proizvodnju α-galaktozidaze. Od jedanaest ispitanih faktora, na proizvodnju enzima bitno su utjecali salinitet, koncentracija magnezijeva sulfata i temperatura. Optimalne vrijednosti tih varijabli i njihovo uzajamno djelovanje na proizvodnju enzima određeno je primjenom Box-Behnken statističkog plana. Međusobnim utjecajem saliniteta i koncentracije magnezijeva sulfata poboljšana je proizvodnja α-galaktozidaze, za razliku od temperature čiji utjecaj nije ovisio o ta dva faktora. Primjenom takva postupka proizvodnja α-galaktozidaze povećana je sa 17 na 50 U/mL

Carbamoylated Erythropoietin-Induced Cerebral Blood Perfusion and Vascular Gene Regulation.

Cerebral hypoperfusion is associated with enhanced cognitive decline and increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a neurotrophic factor known to improve cognitive function in preclinical and clinical studies of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. However, the clinical application of EPO is limited due to its erythropoietic activity that can adversely elevate hematocrit in non-anemic populations. Carbamoylated erythropoietin (CEPO), a chemically engineered non-erythropoietic derivative of EPO, does not alter hematocrit and maintains neurotrophic and behavioral effects comparable to EPO. Our study aimed to investigate the role of CEPO in cerebral hemodynamics. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis indicated increased blood perfusion in the hippocampal and striatal region without altering tight junction integrity. In vitro and in vivo analyses indicated that hippocampal neurotransmission was unaltered and increased cerebral perfusion was likely due to EDRF, CGRP, and NOS-mediated vasodilation. In vitro analysis using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and hippocampal vascular gene expression analysis showed CEPO to be a non-angiogenic agent which regulates the MEOX2 gene expression. The results from our study demonstrate a novel role of CEPO in modulating cerebral vasodilation and blood perfusion

Estimation of Dynamic Cumulative Past Entropy for Power Function Distribution

In this paper, we proposed MLE and Bayes estimators of parameters and DCPE for the two parameter power function distribution. Bayes estimators under different loss functions are obtained using Lindley approximation method and important sampling procedures. A real life data set and a Monte Carlo simulation are used to study the performance of the estimators derived in the article

Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis Masquerading as Gallbladder Cancer: Can It Be Diagnosed Preoperatively?

Background. Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) is often misdiagnosed as gallbladder cancer (GBC). We aimed to determine the preoperative characteristics that could potentially aid in an accurate diagnosis of XGC masquerading as GBC. Methods. An analysis of patients operated upon with a preoperative diagnosis of GBC between January 2008 and December 2012 was conducted to determine the clinical and radiological features which could assist in a preoperative diagnosis of XGC. Results. Out of 77 patients who underwent radical cholecystectomy, 16 were reported as XGC on final histopathology (Group A), while 60 were GBC (Group B). The incidences of abdominal pain, cholelithiasis, choledocholithiasis, and acute cholecystitis were significantly higher in Group A, while anorexia and weight loss were higher in Group B. On CT, diffuse gallbladder wall thickening, continuous mucosal line enhancement, and submucosal hypoattenuated nodules were significant findings in Group A. CT findings on retrospect revealed at least one of these findings in 68.7% of the cases. Conclusion. Differentiating XGC from GBC is difficult, and a definitive diagnosis still necessitates a histopathological examination. An accurate preoperative diagnosis requires an integrated review of clinical and characteristic radiological features, the presence of which may help avoid radical resection and avoidable morbidity in selected cases

Cerebrospinal fluid biomarker candidates associated with human WNV neuroinvasive disease

During the last decade, the epidemiology of WNV in humans has changed in the southern regions of Europe, with high incidence of West Nile fever (WNF) cases, but also of West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND). The lack of human vaccine or specific treatment against WNV infection imparts a pressing need to characterize indicators associated with neurological involvement. By its intimacy with central nervous system (CNS) structures, modifications in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition could accurately reflect CNS pathological process. Until now, few studies investigated the association between imbalance of CSF elements and severity of WNV infection. The aim of the present study was to apply the iTRAQ technology in order to identify the CSF proteins whose abundances are modified in patients with WNND. Forty-seven proteins were found modified in the CSF of WNND patients as compared to control groups, and most of them are reported for the first time in the context of WNND. On the basis of their known biological functions, several of these proteins were associated with inflammatory response. Among them, Defensin-1 alpha (DEFA1), a protein reported with anti-viral effects, presente

Analysis of the effects of sex hormone background on the rat choroid plexus transcriptome by cDNA microarrays

The choroid plexus (CP) are highly vascularized branched structures that protrude into the ventricles of the brain, and form a unique interface between the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the blood-CSF barrier, that are the main site of production and secretion of CSF. Sex hormones are widely recognized as neuroprotective agents against several neurodegenerative diseases, and the presence of sex hormones cognate receptors suggest that it may be a target for these hormones. In an effort to provide further insight into the neuroprotective mechanisms triggered by sex hormones we analyzed gene expression differences in the CP of female and male rats subjected to gonadectomy, using microarray technology. In gonadectomized female and male animals, 3045 genes were differentially expressed by 1.5-fold change, compared to sham controls. Analysis of the CP transcriptome showed that the top-five pathways significantly regulated by the sex hormone background are olfactory transduction, taste transduction, metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis and circadian rhythm pathways. These results represent the first overview of global expression changes in CP of female and male rats induced by gonadectomy and suggest that sex hormones are implicated in pathways with central roles in CP functions and CSF homeostasis