Inhibition of viral replication by interferon-gamma-induced nitric oxide synthase

Interferons (IFNs) induce antiviral activity in many cell types. The ability of IFN-gamma to inhibit replication of ectromelia, vaccinia, and herpes simplex-1 viruses in mouse macrophages correlated with the cells' production of nitric oxide (NO). Viral replication was restored in IFN-gamma-treated macrophages exposed to inhibitors of NO synthase. Conversely, epithelial cells with no detectable NO synthesis restricted viral replication when transfected with a complementary DNA encoding inducible NO synthase or treated with organic compounds that generate NO. In mice, an inhibitor of NO synthase converted resolving ectromelia virus infection into fulminant mousepox. Thus, induction of NO synthase can be necessary and sufficient for a substantial antiviral effect of IFN-gamma.

The early Upper Paleolithic human skeleton from the Abrigo do Lagar Velho (Portugal) and modern human emergence in Iberia

The discovery of an early Upper Paleolithic human burial at the Abrigo do Lagar Velho, Portugal, has provided evidence of early modern humans from southern Iberia. The remains, the largely complete skeleton of a approximately 4-year-old child buried with pierced shell and red ochre, is dated to ca. 24,500 years B.P. The cranium, mandible, dentition, and postcrania present a mosaic of European early modern human and Neandertal features. The temporal bone has an intermediate-sized juxtamastoid eminence. The mandibular mentum osseum and the dental size and proportions, supported by mandibular ramal features, radial tuberosity orientation, and diaphyseal curvature, as well as the pubic proportions align the skeleton with early modern humans. Body proportions, reflected in femorotibial lengths and diaphyseal robusticity plus tibial condylar displacement, as well as mandibular symphyseal retreat and thoracohumeral muscle insertions, align the skeleton with the Neandertals. This morphological mosaic indicates admixture between regional Neandertals and early modern humans dispersing into southern Iberia. It establishes the complexities of the Late Pleistocene emergence of modern humans and refutes strict replacement models of modern human origins.

Ketorolac versus meperidine and hydroxyzine in the treatment of acute migraine headache: a randomized, prospective, double-blind trial

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To compare the effectiveness of IM ketorolac with that of meperidine and hydroxyzine in the treatment of acute migraine headache.

DESIGN

Prospective, randomized, double-blind trial.

SETTING

Urban emergency department with an annual census of 42,000 patients.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty-seven adult patients with migraines enrolled on 50 visits.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were randomly assigned to receive a single injection of either 60 mg ketorolac (group 1) or 100 mg meperidine and 50 mg hydroxyzine (group 2). Pain assessment was made using both visual-analog and verbal descriptor scales.

RESULTS

At 60 minutes, 15 patients (60%) from group 1 (25) and 14 patients (56%) from group 2 (25) reported a great deal of complete relief (P = .77) Sixty-minute mean pain relief scores (3.35 versus 3.37) were different (P = .76). Nine patients (36%) from group 1 and seven patients (28%) from group 2 required additional analgesia (P = .76).

CONCLUSION

Ketorolac is as effective as meperidine and hydroxyzine for the treatment of acute migraine headache.

Pan1b (17betaHSD11)-enzymatic activity and distribution in the lung

We describe a new member of the 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase group of enzymes. Human Pan1b displays greatest activity with 5alpha-androstan-3alpha,17beta-diol (3alpha-Diol) as substrate, suggesting that it may be important in androgen metabolism. Enzymic activity was non-saturable with 3alpha-Diol but saturable with retinoids, although retinoids were not metabolized. Immunohistochemical studies on 10% formalin fixed and paraffin embedded sections of human tissues showed that Pan1b was present in acini and ciliated epithelia of the lung. In the fetus immuno reactivity was present in ciliated epithelia throughout gestation and staining appeared to be stronger in the second half of pregnancy. Pan1b was also expressed in the nonpigmented epithelium of the ciliary body, and in adrenocortical tumor cells. Although 3alpha-Diol is generally considered a degradation product of androgen metabolism it could have its own biological function. Pan1b may be an important modulator of the endocrine, or intracrine activity of this steroid.

Enhanced CD8+ T cell immune response against a V3 loop multi-epitope polypeptide (TAB13) of HIV-1 Env after priming with purified fusion protein and booster with modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA-TAB) recombinant: a comparison of humoral and cellular immune responses with the vaccinia virus Western Reserve (WR) vector

The humoral and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses have been shown to be determinant in the clearance of many viral infections and because of those characteristics, vaccine candidates against AIDS are designed to enhance both arms of the immune system. While a protocol of immunization able to confer protection in humans against HIV will have to await the results of current clinical trials, it remains important to identify protocols of immunization in animals that achieve significant levels of humoral and cellular immune responses to HIV. In this study we have carried out a comparative analysis of the immune responses elicited in mice immunized with recombinants based on the modified vaccinia virus Ankara strain (rMVA) versus the Western Reserve strain (WR) of vaccinia virus (rVV), both expressing a V3 loop multi-epitopic protein from eight different HIV isolates (TAB13). We found that during priming, rMVA elicited a two- to three-fold higher specific CD8+ T cell response than rVV. Similar enhancement was observed during priming with purified protein TAB13 followed by a booster with rMVA. The epitopes LR150, MN and IIIB, located at the ends and in the middle of the chimeric protein, were able to induce a specific CD8+ T cell response, both after priming or prime/booster with the recombinant viruses but not after prime/booster with TAB13. By examining the cytokine pattern, the immune response triggered by these vectors was of Th-1 type. Humoral immune responses were higher in animals immunized with TAB13/TAB13 or TAB13/rVV than in animals immunized with TAB13/rMVA. These findings demonstrate that during priming or in a prime/booster immunizations, rMVA is superior to rVV in the ability to enhance specific cellular responses to an HIV-1 protein, and that both humoral and cellular immune responses to theV3 loop epitope of HIV-1 Env can be obtained by priming with TAB13 followed by a booster with viral vectors.

Characterization of damage in Portuguese lupus patients: analysis of a national lupus registry

Background: Although the survival rate has considerably improved, many patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) develop irreversible organ damage. Objectives: The objectives of this paper are to characterize cumulative damage in SLE patients and identify variables associated with its presence and severity. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of SLE patients from the Portuguese Lupus register Reuma.pt/SLE in whom damage assessment using the SLICC/ACR-Disability Index (SDI) was available was performed. Predictor factors for damage, defined as SDI ≥ 1, were determined by logistic regression analyses. A sub-analysis of patients with severe damage (SDI ≥ 3) was also performed. Results: In total, 976 patients were included. SDI was ≥1 in 365 patients, of whom 89 had severe damage. Musculoskeletal (24.4%), neuropsychiatric (24.1%) and ocular (17.2%) domains were the most commonly affected. Older age, longer disease duration, renal involvement, presence of antiphospholipid antibodies and current therapy with steroids were independently associated with SDI ≥ 1. The subpopulation with severe damage had, in addition, a greater interval between the first manifestation attributable to SLE and the clinical diagnosis as well as and more frequently early retirement due to SLE. Conclusions: This large lupus cohort confirmed that demographic and clinical characteristics as well as medication are independently associated with damage. Additionally, premature retirement occurs more often in patients with SDI ≥ 3. Diagnosis delay might contribute to damage accrual.

The energetic physiology of juvenile mussels, Mytilus chilensis (Hupe): The prevalent role of salinity under current and predicted pCO2 scenarios

As a result of human activities, climate forecasts predict changes in the oceans pCO₂ and salinity levels with unknown impacts on marine organisms. As a consequence, an increasing number of studies have begun to address the individual influence of pCO₂ and salinity but much remains to be done to understand their combined effects on the physiology and ecology of marine species. Our study addressed this knowledge gap by measuring the influence of current and predicted levels of pCO₂ (380 and 1200 ppm, respectively) and salinity (20, 25 and 30 psμ) on the energetic physiology of juvenile mussels (Mytilus chilensis) from the south-eastern Pacific region. Our results indicate that a reduced salinity caused a significant reduction in clearance rate, absorption efficiency and scope for growth of this species. Meanwhile, an increase in pCO₂ levels caused a reduction in excretion rates and interacted significantly with salinity in the rate of oxygen uptake measured in the mussel. These results suggest that potential changes in salinity might have a direct role on the physiology of M. chilensis. The effect of pCO₂, although less prevalent among the variables measured here, did interact with salinity and is also likely to alter the physiology of this species. Given the ecological and economic importance of M. chilensis, we call for further studies exploring the influence of pCO₂ across a wider range of salinities.

Study of different coupling agents in the conjugation of a V3-based synthetic MAP to carrier proteins

The conjugation of synthetic peptides to carrier proteins is a widely used method for immunological studies. Different coupling agents have been described to form the conjugate with carrier proteins. In this paper, we demonstrate that the antibody response toward V3-based synthetic MAPs derived from HIV-1, JY1 isolate, conjugated to two different carrier proteins using either m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (MBS) or beta-maleimidopropionic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (MPS), or succinic anhydride (SA) show different behaviors. An excellent anti-JY1 response without a strong response to the coupling agent is observed in the case of succinic anhydride spacer. In contrast, MBS produces total abrogation of the antibody response with a high response toward the coupling agent.

Immunogenicity comparison of a multi-antigenic peptide bearing V3 sequences of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 with TAB9 protein in mice

The multiple antigenic peptide system (MAP) has been proposed as a novel and valuable approach for eliciting antibodies for peptides and developing synthetic vaccines. Multi-epitope polypeptides (MEP) have also been developed as an alternative to the recombinant approach for vaccines. The V3 loop from the HIV type 1 (HIV-1) external glycoprotein (gp120) contains the principal neutralization domain (PND). Antibodies against this region neutralize HIV-1 in vitro and in vivo. In this work, a novel presentation of di-epitope MAP was synthesized. A monomeric MAP carrying two identical JY1 V3 sequences as B-cell epitopes and the 830-843 region of tetanus toxoid as a T-helper cell epitope was synthesized. This basic structure was covalently linked to produce a four-JY1-branched homodimer (JY1-MAP4). Additionally, six different monomeric MAPs, bearing four copies of V3 from isolates LR150, JY1, RF, MN, BRVA and IIIB, were synthesized. These monomers were conveniently linked among themselves to produce homodimeric and heterodimeric MAPs of eight V3 branches (V3-MAP8). JY1-MAP8 elicited higher antibody titers in Balb/c mice than JY1-MAP4. The immunogenicity of two different, hexavalent V3-MAP8 mixtures and the MEP TAB9, which tandems the same six V3 sequences in a single molecule, were compared. The antibody response against the mixtures of the heterodimeric MAP showed a wider recognition pattern of the V3 region, while the homodimeric cocktail showed an intermediate pattern. Antibodies elicited by TAB9 recognized only the JY1, LR150 peptides. These results emphasize the influence of V3 epitope presentation upon the characteristics of the antibody response generated.

Light pollution reduces activity, food consumption and growth rates in a sandy beach invertebrate

The continued growth of human activity and infrastructure has translated into a widespread increase in light pollution. Natural daylight and moonlight cycles play a fundamental role for many organisms and ecological processes, so an increase in light pollution may have profound effects on communities and ecosystem services. Studies assessing ecological light pollution (ELP) effects on sandy beach organisms have lagged behind the study of other sources of disturbance. Hence, we assessed the influence of this stressor on locomotor activity, foraging behavior, absorption efficiency and growth rate of adults of the talitrid amphipod Orchestoidea tuberculata. In the field, an artificial light system was assembled to assess the local influence of artificial light conditions on the amphipod's locomotor activity and use of food patches in comparison to natural (ambient) conditions. Meanwhile in the laboratory, two experimental chambers were set to assess amphipod locomotor activity, consumption rates, absorption efficiency and growth under artificial light in comparison to natural light-dark cycles. Our results indicate that artificial light have significantly adverse effects on the activity patterns and foraging behavior of the amphipods, resulting on reduced consumption and growth rates. Given the steady increase in artificial light pollution here and elsewhere, sandy beach communities could be negatively affected, with unexpected consequences for the whole ecosystem.

Churg-Strauss syndrome: case series

Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis of the small and medium vessels, associated with extravascular eosinophilic granulomas, peripheral eosinophilia and asthma. This is a rare syndrome of unknown etiology, affecting both genders and all age groups. CSS patients usually respond well to steroid treatment, although relapses are common after it ends. Timely diagnosis and treatment generally lead to a good prognosis with a 90% survival rate at one year. A brief review of CSS is presented, with particular attention to diagnosis, therapy and recent developments in this area. The authors then report and discuss the clinical, laboratory and imaging characteristics of four patients admitted to an Internal Medicine Department with this diagnosis. The treatment, response and follow-up of the cases are also described.

Monoclonal antibodies to conserved regions of the major core protein (gag24) of HIV-1 and HIV-2

Five mouse monoclonal antibodies were raised against a recombinant protein comprising the complete sequence of gag24 protein from HTLV-IIIB. All monoclonal antibodies recognized the native protein in enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and Western blots. All monoclonal antibodies also cross-reacted with an human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) strain in western blots, whereas only one antibody detected HIV-2 p25 in ELISA. By using synthetic peptides, cross-reacting epitopes were mapped and three regions were defined. The conserved immunogenic sites were located in the carboxyterminal region of the protein. Inhibition experiments with human sera showed that this region is also immunogenic in humans.

Environmental refuges increase performance of juvenile mussels Mytilus chilensis: Implications for mussel seedling and farming strategies

Estuarine ecosystems are characterized by a wide physical-chemical variation that in the context of global change scenarios may be exacerbated in the future. The fitness of resident organisms is expected to be influenced by such variation and, hence, its study is a priority. Some of that variation relates to water vertical stratification, which may create "environmental refuges" or distinct layers of water with conditions favoring the fitness of some individuals and species. This study explored the performance of juvenile mussels (M. chilensis) settled in two distinctive water depths (1 m and 4 m) of the Reloncaví fjord (southern Chile) by conducting a reciprocal transplants experiment. Salinity, saturation state and the contents of CO₃ in seawater were among the factors that best explained the differences between the two layers. In such environmental conditions, the mussel traits that responded to such variation were growth and calcification rates, with significantly higher values at 4 m deep, whereas the opposite, increased metabolic stress, was higher in mussels raised and transplanted to the surface waters (1 m). Such differences support the notion of an environmental refuge, where species like mussels can find better growth conditions and achieve higher performance levels. These results are relevant considering the importance of M. chilensis as a shellfish resource for aquaculture and a habitat forming species. In addition, these results shed light on the variable responses exhibited by estuarine organisms to small-scale changes in the characteristics of the water column, which in turn will help to better understand the responses of the organisms to the projected scenarios of climate global change.

Software code complexity assessment using EEG features

This paper provides a study using Electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate the brain activity during code comprehension tasks. Three different code complexity levels according to five complexity metrics were considered. The use of EEG for this purpose is relevant, since the existing studies were mostly focused on neuroimaging techniques. Using Leave-One-Subject-Out cross-validation procedure for 30 subjects, it was found that the features related with the Gamma activity were the most common in all the folds. Regarding the brain regions, right parietal was the most frequent region contributing with more features. A Linear Discriminant Analysis Classifier for task classification, obtained a F-Measure of 92.71% for Code complexity easy, 52.25% for Code complexity intermediate and 53.13% for Code complexity advanced, revealing an evidence of mental effort saturation with the code complexity degree. This suggests that current code complexity metrics do not capture cognitive load and might not be the best approach to assess bug risk.

Intertidal pool fish Girella laevifrons (Kyphosidae) shown strong physiological homeostasis but shy personality: The cost of living in hypercapnic habitats

Tide pools habitats are naturally exposed to a high degree of environmental variability. The consequences of living in these extreme habitats are not well established. In particular, little it is known about of the effects of hypercanic seawater (i.e. high pCO₂ levels) on marine vertebrates such as intertidal pool fish. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of increased pCO₂ on the physiology and behavior in juveniles of the intertidal pool fish Girella laevifrons. Two nominal pCO₂ concentrations (400 and 1600μatm) were used. We found that exposure to hypercapnic conditions did not affect oxygen consumption and absorption efficiency. However, the lateralization and boldness behavior was significantly disrupted in high pCO₂ conditions. In general, a predator-risk cost of boldness is assumed, thus the increased occurrence of shy personality in juvenile fishes may result in a change in the balance of this biological interaction, with significant ecological consequences.

Exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN) alters RNA:DNA ratios in a sandy beach coleopteran insect

Coastal habitats worldwide, including sandy beaches, are becoming increasingly exposed to Artificial Light at Night (ALAN). Despite the spread of this global stressor, research assessing ALAN potential impacts remain scarce, particularly at the molecular level. This study addressed this gap by assessing the influence of ALAN on the physiological condition of the sandy beach insect Phalerisida maculata Kulzer (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae). RNA:DNA ratios were used here as a proxy of the insect's nutritional condition in laboratory trials that lasted 20 d. Insects were exposed to two representative ALAN conditions (either 60 or 120 lx) and compared with those maintained in a natural daylight/night cycle (0 lx at nigth; control). After the trial, organisms from each treatment were frozen in liquid nitrogen and standard protocols were followed to estimate RNA, DNA and RNA:DNA ratios. Estimates of RNA:DNA ratios from insects maintained in control conditions were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those from insects exposed to ALAN. The reduced nutritional condition of insects exposed to light pollution is explained by the lower in situ biosynthetic capacity in these organisms resulting from a reduction in their feeding. ALAN likely altered P. maculata normal locomotor activity, which takes place primarily at night, forcing the insects to remain buried in the sand for extended periods of time. As ALAN continues to spread along coastlines worldwide, there is a likelihood of growing impacts on these and other species living on sandy beaches and other coastal habitats.

Optical Investigation of Essential Oils Using Absorbance and Photoluminescence

Essential oils are complex mixtures of organic substances with large commercial importance in the pharmaceutical, food, fragrance, and cosmetic industries due to their organoleptic and biological properties. Also, these materials are also luminescent what has taken several studies about its potential uses for the detection and quality control of essential oils, imaging, and for the investigation of the synergies of their constituents. Concerning this, the present work is dedicated to studying the optical properties of selected essential oils: citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus), Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis), clove bud (Syzygium aromaticum), and bergamot (Citrus bergamia). We carried out a comparative study of the photoluminescence and the ultraviolet-visible optical absorption (abs-UV-Vis) of these essential oils with their typical constituents. To inspect the effects of the intermolecular interactions on the optical response of these systems, mixtures between the essential oils constituents following the expected average percent mass fraction were also studied. From these experiments, the main results were bathochromic effects in the abs-UV-Vis spectra; excimer formation in citral, isopulegol, isomenthone, eugenol, and eugenyl acetate; excimer emission enhancing and specific solvent effect in the essential oils photoluminescence spectra. These results contribute to the knowledge of essential oils' applications, especially in the evaluation of components' interactions through a simple abs-UV-Vis assay.

Evaluation of the serologic response against two consensus V3 loop peptides from human immunodeficiency virus-1 in Cuban patients

OBJECTIVES

A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the antibody response of Cuban patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 against two consensus peptides from the third variable domain (V3) loop of glycoprotein gp120.

METHODS

The study included sera from 10 individuals at different stages of disease. Two 15-meric synthetic peptides designed from a consensus sequence, belonging to group B or C of HIV-1, were used to determine antibody titers and avidity indexes in an indirect enzyme-linked immunoassay.

RESULTS

A high reactivity against both peptides was detected, with 80% of the sera reacting with at least one of the peptides. The antibody titers and avidity indexes did not correlate with disease progression. Additionally, for one of the patients from whom the virus had been isolated, a higher avidity index was found against the homologous peptide.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed high reactivity against two consensus peptides from the V3 loop of gp120 among patients with HIV. Large scale studies are needed to determine whether the titers or avidity of anti-V3 antibodies, at the early stages of infection, are predictive of disease progression. Both peptides are candidates for inclusion in experimental vaccines.

Activity of loggerhead turtles during the U-shaped dive: insights using angular velocity metrics

Understanding the behavioural ecology of endangered taxa can inform conservation strategies. The activity budgets of the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta are still poorly understood because many tracking methods show only horizontal displacement and ignore dives and associated behaviours. However, time-depth recorders have enabled researchers to identify flat, U-shaped dives (or type 1a dives) and these are conventionally labelled as resting dives on the seabed because they involve no vertical displacement of the animal. Video- and acceleration-based studies have demonstrated this is not always true. Focusing on sea turtles nesting on the Cabo Verde archipelago, we describe a new metric derived from magnetometer data, absolute angular velocity, that integrates indices of angular rotation in the horizontal plane to infer activity. Using this metric, we evaluated the variation in putative resting behaviours during the bottom phase of type 1a dives for 5 individuals over 13 to 17 d at sea during a single inter-nesting interval (over 75 turtle d in total). We defined absolute resting within the bottom phase of type 1a dives as periods with no discernible acceleration or angular movement. Whilst absolute resting constituted a significant proportion of each turtle’s time budget for this 1a dive type, turtles allocated 16-38% of their bottom time to activity, with many dives being episodic, comprised of intermittent bouts of rest and rotational activity. This implies that previously considered resting behaviours are complex and need to be accounted for in energy budgets, particularly since energy budgets may impact conservation strategies.

Lack of association between hyperprolactinemia and soluble IL-2 receptor levels in systemic lupus erythematosus

The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between hyperprolactinemia and T lymphocyte activation through the soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Seventy SLE patients, 18 of them with hyperprolactinemia (HPRL), were compared with 18 normoprolactinemic (NPRL) patients and 10 age-matched healthy blood-bank donor women. Patients were evaluated by means of the SLE activity index (SLEDAI). Total serum IgG and sIL-2R levels were determined by an ELISA assay. Differences between sIL-2R and IgG serum levels in patients and controls were examined by Kruskal-Wallis analysis and a Spearman r correlation to determine the association between sIL-2R, IgG and prolactin (PRL) levels. IgG and sIL-2R serum levels did not differ significantly between HPRL and NPRL patients: 1827.3 (1428-2226) vs 2028.8 (1586-2467) mg/dl and 882.2 (511-1254) vs 740.1 (534-946.4) U/ml, respectively (confidence interval 95%). In the total SLE group, sIL-2R and IgG serum levels were positively associated (P = 0.0009), however, this was not the case for sIL-2R and PRL (P > 0.49). We did not demonstrate an association between HPRL and lymphocyte activation measured through serum sIL-2R in female patients with SLE.

Long-term effects of contrasting pCO2 levels on the scope for growth in the carnivorous gastropod Concholepas concholepas

We evaluated the effect of contrasting pCO₂ levels: lower (390 μatm), moderate (700 μatm) and extreme (1000 μatm), on the scope for growth of the keystone snail Concholepas concholepas over an exposure period of 6 months. Juvenile snails were collected from rocky intertidal habitats and acclimated for 5 months to those pCO₂ levels. Subsequently, three groups of snails were randomly taken (n = 7 for each treatment) and reared for an additional 1 month for each of the three pCO₂ levels. Physiological traits related with energy gain and energy expenditure were quantified. The scope for growth index decreased significantly with increases in pCO₂, yielding negative values throughout the experimental period for the snails exposed to 1000 μatm pCO₂, probably due to the extra energy required to maintain their metabolic functions in balance. This suggests that future climate change scenarios with elevated pCO₂ levels could threaten the growth and other basic functions of juvenile snails of this species.