Effective SGLT2 Inhibitor for Patient with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and Depression

The case was a 55-year-old female patient with depression for 5 years and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) for 3 years. She has received anti-depressant and anti-hyperglycemic agents (OHAs). Approximately 1 year ago, her diabetic control became exacerbated without specific triggers. She was started to given Ipragliflozin L-Proline as Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) Inhibitor. After that, her glucose variability and depression had been improved. According to the previous reports, SGLT-2 inhibitors seem to have anti-depression efficacy for diabetes. The case has been followed up in detail, and this report is expected to be a useful reference for diabetes care

The potential role of temperate Japanese regions as refugia for the coral Acropora hyacinthus in the face of climate change

As corals in tropical regions are threatened by increasing water temperatures, poleward range expansion of reef-building corals has been observed, and temperate regions are expected to serve as refugia in the face of climate change. To elucidate the important indicators of the sustainability of coral populations, we examined the genetic diversity and connectivity of the common reef-building coral Acropora hyacinthus along the Kuroshio Current, including recently expanded (<50 years) populations. Among the three cryptic lineages found, only one was distributed in temperate regions, which could indicate the presence of Kuroshio-associated larval dispersal barriers between temperate and subtropical regions, as shown by oceanographic simulations as well as differences in environmental factors. The level of genetic diversity gradually decreased towards the edge of the species distribution. This study provides an example of the reduced genetic diversity in recently expanded marginal populations, thus indicating the possible vulnerability of these populations to environmental changes. This finding underpins the importance of assessing the genetic diversity of newly colonized populations associated with climate change for conservation purposes. In addition, this study highlights the importance of pre-existing temperate regions as coral refugia, which has been rather underappreciated in local coastal management

New flavonoid chemotypes from Asplenium normale (Aspleniaceae) in Malaysia

Seven Asplenium normale individuals in Malaysia were surveyed for flavonoid com¬pounds. They were divided into two chemotypes, H- and I-types. The flavonoids were isolated by various chromatography and identified by TLC, HPLC, UV spectroscopic, LC-MS and NMR sur¬veys. Two flavone O-glycosides, apigenin 7-O-rhamnosyl-(1→4)-rhamnoside (1) and apigenin 7- O-rhamnosyl-(1→4)-rhamnoside-4'-O-rhamnoside (2), and two flavone C-glycosides, vicenin-2 (6) and lucenin-2 (7), were contained in one chemotype (H-type). On the other hand, two flavonol O-glycosides, kaempferol 3-O-glucosylrhamnoside (3) and kaempferol 3,4'-di-O-glycoside (4) and a flavone O-glycoside, genkwanin 4'-O-glucosyl-(1→3)-rhamnoside (5), were found from another chemotype (I-type) together with 6 and 7. In cases of Japanese Asplenium normale and related species, seven chemotypes have been reported. However, their chemotypes did not include flavonol O-glycosides and apigenin trirhamnoside. Apigenin 7-O-rhamnosyl-(1→4)-rhamnoside (1) and apigenin 7-O-rhamnosyl-(1→4)-rhamnoside-4'-O-rhamnoside (2) were reported in nature for the first time

Origin and Biology of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus in Wild-Living Western Gorillas

Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are infected with a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVgor) that is closely related to chimpanzee and human immunodeficiency viruses (SIVcpz and HIV-1, respectively) in west central Africa. Although existing data suggest a chimpanzee origin for SIVgor, a paucity of available sequences has precluded definitive conclusions. Here, we report the molecular characterization of one partial (BQ664) and three full-length (CP684, CP2135, and CP2139) SIVgor genomes amplified from fecal RNAs of wild-living gorillas at two field sites in Cameroon. Phylogenetic analyses showed that all SIVgor strains clustered together, forming a monophyletic lineage throughout their genomes. Interestingly, the closest relatives of SIVgor were not SIVcpzPtt strains from west central African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) but human viruses belonging to HIV-1 group O. In trees derived from most genomic regions, SIVgor and HIV-1 group O formed a sister clade to the SIVcpzPtt lineage. However, in a tree derived from 5' pol sequences (similar to 900 bp), SIVgor and HIV-1 group O fell within the SIVcpzPtt radiation. The latter was due to two SIVcpzPtt strains that contained mosaic pol sequences, pointing to the existence of a divergent SIVcpzPtt lineage that gave rise to SIVgor and HIV-1 group O. Gorillas appear to have acquired this lineage at least 100 to 200 years ago. To examine the biological properties of SIVgor, we synthesized a full-length provirus from fecal consensus sequences. Transfection of the resulting clone (CP2139.287) into 293T cells yielded infectious virus that replicated efficiently in both human and chimpanzee CD4(+) T cells and used CCR5 as the coreceptor for viral entry. Together, these results provide strong evidence that P. t. troglodytes apes were the source of SIVgor. These same apes may also have spawned the group O epidemic; however, the possibility that gorillas served as an intermediary host cannot be excluded

HIV Genetic Diversity in Cameroon: Possible Public Health Importance

To monitor the evolving molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of HIV in a country where many distinct strains cocirculate, we performed genetic analyses on sequences from 75 HIV-1-infected Cameroonians: 74 were group M and 1 was group O. Of the group M sequences, 74 were classified into the following env gp41 subtypes or recombinant forms: CRF02 (n = 54), CRF09 (n = 2), CRF13 (n = 2), A (n = 5), CRF11 (n = 4), CRF06 (n = 1), G (n = 2), F2 (n = 2), and E (n = 1, CRF01), and 1 was a JG recombinant. Comparison of phylogenies for 70 matched gp41 and protease sequences showed inconsistent classifications for 18 (26%) strains. Our data show that recombination is rampant in Cameroon with recombinant viruses continuing to recombine, adding to the complexity of circulating HIV strains. This expanding genetic diversity raises public health concerns for the ability of diagnostic assays to detect these unique HIV mosaic variants and for the development of broadly effective HIV vaccines.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63150/1/aid.2006.22.812.pd

Chimpanzee reservoirs of pandemic and nonpandemic HIV-1

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the cause of human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ( AIDS), is a zoonotic infection of staggering proportions and social impact. Yet uncertainty persists regarding its natural reservoir. The virus most closely related to HIV-1 is a simian immunodeficiency virus ( SIV) thus far identified only in captive members of the chimpanzee subspecies Pan troglodytes troglodytes. Here we report the detection of SIVcpz antibodies and nucleic acids in fecal samples from wild-living P.t. troglodytes apes in southern Cameroon, where prevalence rates in some communities reached 29 to 35%. By sequence analysis of endemic SIVcpz strains, we could trace the origins of pandemic ( group M) and nonpandemic ( group N) HIV-1 to distinct, geographically isolated chimpanzee communities. These findings establish P. t. troglodytes as a natural reservoir of HIV-1

Tetherin-Driven Adaptation of Vpu and Nef Function and the Evolution of Pandemic and Nonpandemic HIV-1 Strains

Vpu proteins of pandemic HIV-1 M strains degrade the viral receptor CD4 and antagonize human tetherin to promote viral release and replication. We find that Vpus from SIVgsn, SIVmus and SIVmon infecting Cercopithecus primate species also degrade CD4 and antagonize tetherin. In contrast, SIVcpz, the immediate precursor of HIV-1, whose Vpu shares a common ancestry with SIVgsn/mus/mon Vpu, uses Nef rather than Vpu to counteract chimpanzee tetherin. Human tetherin, however, is resistant to Nef and thus poses a significant barrier to zoonotic transmission of SIVcpz to humans. Remarkably, Vpu from non-pandemic HIV-1 O strains are poor tetherin antagonists while those from the rare group N viruses do not degrade CD4. Thus, only HIV-1 M evolved a fully functional Vpu following the three independent cross-species transmissions that resulted in HIV-1 groups M, N, and O. This may explain why group M viruses are almost entirely responsible for the gobal HIV/AIDS pandemic

Re-structuring of marine communities exposed to environmental change: a global study on the interactive effects of species and functional richness

Species richness is the most commonly used but controversial biodiversity metric in studies on aspects of community stability such as structural composition or productivity. The apparent ambiguity of theoretical and experimental findings may in part be due to experimental shortcomings and/or heterogeneity of scales and methods in earlier studies. This has led to an urgent call for improved and more realistic experiments. In a series of experiments replicated at a global scale we translocated several hundred marine hard bottom communities to new environments simulating a rapid but moderate environmental change. Subsequently, we measured their rate of compositional change (re-structuring) which in the great majority of cases represented a compositional convergence towards local communities. Re-structuring is driven by mortality of community components (original species) and establishment of new species in the changed environmental context. The rate of this re-structuring was then related to various system properties. We show that availability of free substratum relates negatively while taxon richness relates positively to structural persistence (i.e., no or slow re-structuring). Thus, when faced with environmental change, taxon-rich communities retain their original composition longer than taxon-poor communities. The effect of taxon richness, however, interacts with another aspect of diversity, functional richness. Indeed, taxon richness relates positively to persistence in functionally depauperate communities, but not in functionally diverse communities. The interaction between taxonomic and functional diversity with regard to the behaviour of communities exposed to environmental stress may help understand some of the seemingly contrasting findings of past research.Mercator Stiftung via GAMEPostprint4,41

Self-assembled monolayer of light-harvesting core complexes of photosynthetic bacteria on an amino-terminated ITO electrode

Light-harvesting antenna core (LH1-RC) complexes isolated from Rhodospirillum rubrum and Rhodopseudomonas palustris were successfully self-assembled on an ITO electrode modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. Near infra-red (NIR) absorption, fluorescence, and IR spectra of these LH1-RC complexes indicated that these LH1-RC complexes on the electrode were stable on the electrode. An efficient energy transfer and photocurrent responses of these LH1-RC complexes on the electrode were observed upon illumination of the LH1 complex at 880 nm

The Asia‐Pacific Biodiversity Observation Network : 10‐year achievements and new strategies to 2030.

The Asia-Pacific Biodiversity Observation Network (APBON) was launched in 2009, in response to the establishment of the Biodiversity Observation Network under the Group on Earth Observations in 2008. APBON's mission is to increase exchange of knowledge and know-how between institutions and researchers concerning biodiversity science research in the Asia-Pacific (AP) region and thereby contribute to evidence-based decision-making and policy-making. Here we summarize APBON activities and achievements in its first 10 years. We review how APBON has developed networks, facilitated communication for sharing knowledge, and built capacity of researchers and stakeholders through workshops and publications as well as discuss the network plan. Key findings by APBON members include descriptions of species new to science, mapping tropical forest cover change, evaluating impacts of hydropower dams and climate change on fish species diversity in the Mekong, and mapping “Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas” in the oceans. APBON has also contributed to data collection, sharing, analysis, and synthesis for regional and global biodiversity assessment. A highlight was contributing to the “Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services” regional report. New strategic plans target the development of national-level BONs and interdisciplinary research to address the data and knowledge gaps and increase data accessibility for users and for meeting societal demands. Strengthening networks in AP region and capacity building through APBON meetings will continue. By promoting monitoring and scientific research and facilitating the dialogue with scientists and policymakers, APBON will contribute to the implementation of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the entire AP region.publishedVersio