Cysteine conjugates of acetaminophen and p-aminophenol are potent inducers of cellular impairment in human proximal tubular kidney HK-2 cells

Acetaminophen (APAP) belong among the most used analgesics and antipyretics. It is structurally derived from p-aminophenol (PAP), a potent inducer of kidney toxicity. Both compounds can be metabolized to oxidation products and conjugated with glutathione. The glutathione-conjugates can be cleaved to provide cysteine conjugates considered as generally nontoxic. The aim of the present report was to synthesize and to purify both APAP- and PAP-cysteine conjugates and, as the first study at all, to evaluate their biological effects in human kidney HK-2 cells in comparison to parent compounds. HK-2 cells were treated with tested compounds (0-1000 µM) for up to 24 h. Cell viability, glutathione levels, ROS production and mitochondrial function were determined. After 24 h, we found that both APAP- and PAP-cysteine conjugates (1 mM) were capable to induce harmful cellular damage observed as a decrease of glutathione levels to 10% and 0%, respectively, compared to control cells. In addition, we detected the disappearance of mitochondrial membrane potential in these cells. In the case of PAP-cysteine, the extent of cellular impairment was comparable to that induced by PAP at similar doses. On the other hand, 1 mM APAP-cysteine induced even larger damage of HK-2 cells compared to 1 mM APAP after 6 or 24 h. We conclude that cysteine conjugates with aminophenol are potent inducers of oxidative stress causing significant injury in kidney cells. Thus, the harmful effects cysteine-aminophenolic conjugates ought to be considered in the description of APAP or PAP toxicity.

MicroRNA-Mediated Obstruction of Stem-loop Alternative Splicing (MIMOSAS): a global mechanism for the regulation of alternative splicing

While RNA secondary structures are critical to regulate alternative splicing of long-range pre-mRNA, the factors that modulate RNA structure and interfere with the recognition of the splice sites are largely unknown. Previously, we identified a small, non-coding microRNA that sufficiently affects stable stem structure formation of Nmnat pre-mRNA to regulate the outcomes of alternative splicing. However, the fundamental question remains whether such microRNA-mediated interference with RNA secondary structures is a global molecular mechanism for regulating mRNA splicing. We designed and refined a bioinformatic pipeline to predict candidate microRNAs that potentially interfere with pre-mRNA stem-loop structures, and experimentally verified splicing predictions of three different long-range pre-mRNAs in the Drosophila model system. Specifically, we observed that microRNAs can either disrupt or stabilize stem-loop structures to influence splicing outcomes. Our study suggests that MicroRNA-Mediated Obstruction of Stem-loop Alternative Splicing (MIMOSAS) is a novel regulatory mechanism for the transcriptome-wide regulation of alternative splicing, increases the repertoire of microRNA function and further indicates cellular complexity of post-transcriptional regulation.

MicroRNA-Mediated Obstruction of Stem-loop Alternative Splicing (MIMOSAS): a global mechanism for the regulation of alternative splicing

While RNA secondary structures are critical to regulate alternative splicing of long-range pre-mRNA, the factors that modulate RNA structure and interfere with the recognition of the splice sites are largely unknown. Previously, we identified a small, non-coding microRNA that sufficiently affects stable stem structure formation of Nmnat pre-mRNA to regulate the outcomes of alternative splicing. However, the fundamental question remains whether such microRNA-mediated interference with RNA secondary structures is a global molecular mechanism for regulating mRNA splicing. We designed and refined a bioinformatic pipeline to predict candidate microRNAs that potentially interfere with pre-mRNA stem-loop structures, and experimentally verified splicing predictions of three different long-range pre-mRNAs in the Drosophila model system. Specifically, we observed that microRNAs can either disrupt or stabilize stem-loop structures to influence splicing outcomes. Our study suggests that MicroRNA-Mediated Obstruction of Stem-loop Alternative Splicing (MIMOSAS) is a novel regulatory mechanism for the transcriptome-wide regulation of alternative splicing, increases the repertoire of microRNA function and further indicates cellular complexity of post-transcriptional regulation.

One-Sentence Summary

MicroRNA-Mediated Obstruction of Stem-loop Alternative Splicing (MIMOSAS) is a novel regulatory mechanism for the transcriptome-wide regulation of alternative splicing.

Novel insight into Robert's cytoprotection: complex therapeutic effect of cytoprotective pentadecapeptide pentadecapeptide BPC 157 in rats with perforated stomach throughout modulation of nitric oxide-system. Comparison with L-arginine, ranitidine and pantoprazole therapy and L-NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester worsening

Surgically perforated stomach (since direct injury in rats until persisting defect and huge adhesions (day 1, day 7)) fairly represent an unresolved cytoprotection issue, and thereby, we focused resolving of the immediate triad, particular vascular failure (vessels 'disappear'/empty), prolonged bleeding, debilitated defect large widening. Agents (mg/kg) or saline (controls) were given at 1 min post-injury as an abdominal bath (10 ml/rat throughout 2 min). Within 1 - 15 min post-injury period, with cytoprotective BPC 157 (0.01 μg), the rapidly restored vessels 'run' (vessels filled/reappeared) toward the perforated defect, and there is less bleeding, and defect contraction; advanced perforated lesion healing (day 1) to complete healing (day 7), and less adhesions. With pantoprazole (10 mg), early (vessels (worsening), bleeding (prolongation), defect (attenuated widening)) effect means eventual lesions and adhesions severity as in controls. Ranitidine (10 mg) early effect (vessels (improvement), bleeding (less bleeding), defect (eliminated widening, defect not changed)) means final lesions attenuation, but not complete healing, less adhesions. L-NAME (5 mg) early (vessels worsening, less bleeding, attenuated defect widening) and final (lesions aggravation, more adhesions) effect, versus L-arginine (100 mg) early (vessels improvement, more bleeding, attenuated defect widening) and final (lesions attenuation, less adhesions) effect, combined few simultaneously occurring nitric oxide (NO)-system distinct processes. Finally, in the stomach tissue surrounding defect, increased malondialdehyde (MDA)- and decreased NO-values, BPC 157 reversed to the normal healthy values, and mRNA expression studies (Cox2, VEGFa, Nos1, Nos 2, Nos3, Nkap (NF-kappa-B-activating protein gene)), done at that very early post-perforation-time, indicate a way how BPC 157 may act beneficially in the perforated stomach lesion throughout NO- and prostaglandinds-system.

Not that kind of tree: Assessing the potential for decision tree-based plant identification using trait databases

PREMISE

Advancements in machine learning and the rise of accessible "big data" provide an important opportunity to improve trait-based plant identification. Here, we applied decision-tree induction to a subset of data from the TRY plant trait database to (1) assess the potential of decision trees for plant identification and (2) determine informative traits for distinguishing taxa.

METHODS

Decision trees were induced using 16 vegetative and floral traits (689 species, 20 genera). We assessed how well the algorithm classified species from test data and pinpointed those traits that were important for identification across diverse taxa.

RESULTS

The unpruned tree correctly placed 98% of the species in our data set into genera, indicating its promise for distinguishing among the species used to construct them. Furthermore, in the pruned tree, an average of 89% of the species from the test data sets were properly classified into their genera, demonstrating the flexibility of decision trees to also classify new species into genera within the tree. Closer inspection revealed that seven of the 16 traits were sufficient for the classification, and these traits yielded approximately two times more initial information gain than those not included.

DISCUSSION

Our findings demonstrate the potential for tree-based machine learning and big data in distinguishing among taxa and determining which traits are important for plant identification.

Allele frequencies for 15 STR loci in a population from the Republic of Macedonia

Allele frequencies of 15 STR loci (D8S1179, D21S11, D7S820, CSF1PO, D3S1358, TH01, D13S317, D16S539, D2S1338, D19S433, vWA, TPOX, D18S51, D5S818, and FGA) were determined in a sample of 163 unrelated individuals from the Republic of Macedonia. AmpFISTR Identifiler Kit (Applied Biosystems) was used for PCR amplification. For all 15 loci, the combined matching chance is 6.6 x 10(18) and the power of exclusion is 99.999954%.

Allele frequencies of the 15 AmpFlSTR Identifiler loci in the population of Vojvodina Province, Serbia and Montenegro

The 15 AmpF lSTR Identifiler loci (D8S1179, D21S11, D7S820, CSF1PO, D3S1358, TH01, D13S317, D16S539, D2S1338, D19S433, VWA, TPOX, D18S51, D5S818 and FGA) were analyzed in the sample of 100 unrelated, autochthonous healthy adult Serbians from Novi Sad (Vojvodina Province, Serbia and Montenegro). The agreement with HWE was confirmed for all loci with the exception of D7S820 (based on the chi2-test only). The combined power of discrimination (PD) and the combined power of exclusion (PE) for the 15 tested STR loci were 0.99999999999999995 and 0.9999990, respectively. According to the presented data, D2S1338 and D18S51 are the most informative markers. Based on allelic frequencies and statistical parameters for forensic testing, it may be suggested that the AmpF lSTR Identifiler detection system represents a powerful strategy for individual identification and parentage analysis in the Serbian population.

Bosnian population data for the 15 STR loci in the Power Plex 16 kit

The PowerPlex 16 amplification kit was used for the analysis of allele frequencies for the 15 STR loci (D3S1358, TH01, D21S11, D18S51, Penta E, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, CSF1PO, Penta D, VWA, D8S1179, TPOX and FGA) in unrelated, autochthonous healthy adults from Bosnia ( n=123 for TH01, Penta E, D16S539, CSF1PO, Penta D and TPOX, n=210 for D3S1358, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, VWA, D8S1179 and FGA). The agreement with HWE was confirmed for all loci with the exception of Penta D (based on the chi(2)-test only). The combined power of discrimination (PD) and the combined power of exclusion (PE) for the 15 studied loci were 0.999999999999999997 and 0.999999, respectively.

Intronic polymorphism of tryptophan hydroxylase and serotonin transporter: indication for combined effect in predisposition to suicide

Indices of disturbed serotonergic neurotransmission are the most robust biological findings in suicide. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter (5HTt) are the main regulators of 5HT signaling. Owing to the assumed functionality of intronic polymorphisms of TPH (218AC) and 5HTt (VNTR-2) genes, we investigated frequencies of concurrence of the TPH and 5HTt genotypes containing "lower activity" alleles (CC and 1010, respectively), in 192 suicide victims and 377 controls. Significant differences in frequencies of 5HTt and TPH genotype combinations were found between suicide victims and control subjects (p = 0.0156), with a clear dose-effect of the suspected ("lower activity") genotypes (p = 0.0046). Concurrent presence of the two, allegedly transcriptionally less active, variants of these genes seems to be in some kind of relation to the increased susceptibility to suicide.

Population genetics of the 15 AmpFlSTR Identifiler loci in Kosovo Albanians

The 15 AmpF lSTR Identifiler loci (D8S1179, D21S11, D7S820, CSF1PO, D3S1358, THO1, D13S317, D16S539, D2S1338, D19S433, VWA, TPOX, D18S51, D5S818 and FGA) were analyzed in a sample of 136 unrelated Albanian adults from Kosovo. The agreement with HWE was confirmed for all loci with the exception of TPOX (based on the exact test only). The combined power of discrimination (PD) and the combined power of exclusion (PE) for the 15 studied loci were 0.99999999999999997 and 0.9999995, respectively. According to the presented data, FGA proved to be the most informative marker. An interpopulation comparison between Kosovo Albanians and Croatians (as an example of a population from the Balkans) revealed significant differences in four out of nine loci.

Epidemiological, forensic, clinical, and imaging characteristics of head injuries acquired in the suicide attempt with captive bolt gun

The captive bolt gun (slaughterer's gun) is a tool used in the meat industry for "humane killing" of animals. Used with the intent of suicide, the captive bolt gun causes very serious injuries. We analysed 19 self-inflicted head injuries with captive bolt gun during the past 20 years. Autopsy of 20 pigs killed by this method was also performed. All 19 cases were middle-aged men from rural areas, with low level of education, and without a previous psychiatric history. Five of them used the captive bolt gun daily in their professional activities, while the remaining 14 handled it only sometimes. In seven cases suicide was primarily successful, while in five patients, despite intensive medical care, serious craniocerebral injuries eventually resulted in death. Total mortality was 63.2%. The clinical appearance of the entrance wound and the imaging characteristics of the cranial trauma are very specific, and can be easily differentiated from firearm or other penetrating injuries. These wounds were always primarily infected with mixed bacterial flora from the skin. Therefore, besides radical primary wound care, especially of the wound canal with removal of foreign bodies, it is important to administer high doses of wide spectrum antibiotics.

Multiplex PCR amplification of eight STR loci in Austrian and Croatian Caucasian populations

Austrian and Croatian Caucasian population data were generated for eight tetrameric STR loci amplified in a single multiplex reaction. Fluorescent detection was employed using the ABI Prism 310 Genetic Analyzer, the 377 DNA Sequencer (ABI) and the 373A DNA Sequencer (ABI). The loci analyzed were HUMvWFA31 (vWA), HUMTH01, HUMTPOX, HUMCSF1PO, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820 and D16S539 as part of the GenePrint PowerPlex multiplex system.

Short tandem repeat (STR) variation in eight village populations of the island of Korcula (Croatia)

The aim of this study was to analyse short tandem repeat (STR) variation using the data on nine loci (D3S1358, vWA, FGA, THO1, TPOX, CSF1PO, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820) in the populations from eight villages on the island of Korcula, Croatia, in order to analyse its genetic and population structure. The analysis of STR data in this study indicated an appreciable degree of genetic homogeneity among the studied village populations on the island, even though a so-called 'east-west dichotomy' and differentiation between the inhabitants of the most recent settlement and the remaining ones was indicated with respect to the loci CSF1PO and TPOX, respectively. The validity of STR markers in assessing genetic structure of small populations and especially in determining the relationships among geographically closely related but reproductively isolated groups remains to be further evaluated, especially in terms of a larger number of studied loci in order to possibly find specific markers useful for resolving genetic patterns of variability at regional levels.

Odontological identification of human remains from mass graves in Croatia

This paper reports the results and methods of dental identification of 1000 human remains exhumed from mass graves in Croatia up to July 1998. Personal identification of the victims was performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Criminology at the School of Medicine in Zagreb. A forensic odontologist participated in the identification process by carrying out the dental identification. A total of 824 victims were positively identified, while 176 victims remained unidentified. Dental identification based on available dental antemortem data was achieved in 25% of the cases. Dental identification based on dental charts was achieved in 35%, on x-rays in 15%, on photographs of teeth in 22%, on interviews in 18%, and on confirmation by odontologists in 10% of the cases. Teeth, in combination with anthropological parameters, age, sex and height, as well as other specific characteristics such as tattoos, personal identification cards, clothes, jewellery and DNA, were helpful for identification of 64% of the victims, but the significance for the identification was not dominant. Only in 11% of the cases was identification achieved by other relevant means and teeth not used at all. Identification procedures in Croatia will continue until another 1700 people who are still missing or kept as prisoners of war since the aggression on Croatia in 1991 are found and/or identified.

STR polymorphisms in the population of the island of Hvar

The aim of this study is to analyze short tandem repeat (STR) variation using data on 9 loci (D3S1358, VWA, FGA, THO1, TPOX, CSF1PO, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820) from the subpopulations of 6 villages on the island of Hvar, Croatia. The STR data help us to analyze the genetic structure of Hvar. The analysis of STR data in this study indicated genetic homogeneity among the village subpopulations on Hvar and the lack of the so-called east-west dichotomy, which had been indicated by some previous multidisciplinary anthropological studies. The observed value of GST (0.030) is most probably a consequence of high STR mutation rates, which produce a high level of within-group (village) diversity relative to total diversity of the population. The validity of STR markers in assessing genetic structure of small populations and especially in determining the relationships among closely related and reproductively isolated groups remains to be further evaluated.

Short tandem repeat polymorphism at the HUMCD4 and HUMF13B loci in a Croatian population

Population studies were carried out on unrelated individuals of Croatian ancestry. Genomic DNA was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at the polymorphic microsatellite loci HUMCD4 (n = 105 individuals) and HUMF13B (n = 108 individuals). After horizontal polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver staining 6 alleles and 12 genotypes were observed for HUMCD4 and 6 alleles and 13 genotypes could be identified for HUMF13B. Data obtained were in concordance with the prediction of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The allele frequency data were compared with Austrian and Italian population samples and no significant deviations between these populations were observed.

Population genetic study from the Zagreb area using 3 STR systems

Population genetic studies were carried out on Caucasians from north-west Croatia (Zagreb-area) using the short tandem repeat (STR) systems HumTHO1, HumVWA and HumACTBP2. After electrophoresis in PAG, 6 alleles could be identified for HumTHO1 in a sample size of 100 unrelated individuals and 7 alleles were found for VWA. For ACTBP2, 25 alleles have been identified. No significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium could be observed.

A study of the short tandem repeat systems HUMVWA and HUMTH01 in an Austrian population sample

The genotype distributions for the short tandem repeat systems (STRs) HUMVWA and HUMTH01 have been studied in 128 unrelated Caucasians fromêAustria. The allelic distributions were in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg expectations. The heterozygosities were 0.82 and 0.81, whereas the mean exclusion chance was 0.62 and 0.55, respectively. In one person, a VWA-allele consisting of 11 repeats was found.

AI-based approach to automatic sleep classification

The primary goal of this paper is to introduce the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) methods to researchers in sleep classification. AI provides learning procedures for the construction of a sleep classifier, prescribing how to combine the observed parameters and how to derive the corresponding decision thresholds. A case study reporting a successful application of an automatic induction of decision trees and of a learning vector quantizer to this domain is presented.

Towards automated sleep classification in infants using symbolic and subsymbolic approaches

The paper addresses the problem of automatic sleep classification. A special effort is made to find a method of extracting reasonable descriptions of the individual sleep stages from sample measurements of EGG, EMG, EOG, etc., and from a classification of these measurements provided by an expert. The method should satisfy three requirements: classification accuracy, interpretability of the results, and the ability to select the relevant and discard the irrelevant variables. The solution suggested in this paper consists of a combination of the subsymbolic algorithm LVQ with the symbolic decision tree generator ID3. Results demonstrating the feasibility and utility of our approach are also presented.

Gangliosides in the human brain development and aging

In this study, brain gangliosides in prenatal and postnatal human life were analyzed. Immunohistochemically, the presence of "c"-pathway of gangliosides (GQ1c) in embryonic brain was only recorded at 5 weeks of gestation. Biochemical results indicated a twofold increase in human cortex ganglioside concentration between 16 and 22 weeks of gestation. The increasing ganglioside concentration was based on an increasing GD1a ganglioside fraction in all regions analyzed except cerebellar cortex, which was characterized by increasing GT1b. In this developmental period, GD3 was found to be localized in the ventricular zone of the cortical wall. After birth, GD1b ganglioside in neuropil of granular cell layer corresponding to growing mossy fibers was expressed in cerebellar cortex. Between birth and 20/30 years of age, a cerebral neocortical difference of ganglioside composition was observed, characterized by lowest GD1a in visual cortex. Analyzing the composition of gangliosides in cortical regions during aging, they were observed to follow region-specific alterations. In frontal cortex, there was a greater decrease in GD1a and GM1 than in GT1b and GD1b, but in occipital (visual) cortex there was no change in individual gangliosides. In hippocampus, GD1a moderately decreased, whereas other fractions were stable. In cerebellar cortex, GD1b and GT1b fractions decreased with aging.

[Gangliosides in the serum in lung carcinoma]

In this study, tumor and serum gangliosides were analyzed in patients bearing lung planocellular carcinoma (LPC) before and after operative therapy. Tumor tissue, pathohistologically characterized as carcinoma planocellulare corneum (Ca. epidermoide, type 8070/3, WHO, Geneva, 1981), showed an elevated concentration of gangliosides in comparison to normal tung tissue. The composition of gangliosides in LPC tissue varied from one tumor sample to another, however, two general features were observed. First, LPC contained an increased amount of GM3 and a decreased amount of GD3 gangliosides. Second, an elevated proportion of gangliosides migrating as polysialogangliosides (x3, x5, x6) characterized the majority of LPC tissues. On the other hand, serum of patients with LPC contained an elevated amount of gangliosides (15.8 +/- 0.3 mumols/L) in comparison to control serum (6.1 +/- 0.8 mumols/L) (P less than 0.01). However, analyzing the composition of serum gangliosides by thin-layer chromatography, all serum gangliosides were more or less elevated. By day 21 after the surgical removal of LPC, serum gangliosides dropped by approximately 50% approaching the normal values. It seems that elevated serum gangliosides in LPC patients were secreted from carcinoma cells, because they normalized after surgical removal of LPC. Thus, serum gangliosides might be a useful biochemical tool for diagnosis and therapy monitoring of this carcinoma.

Structural basis of the developmental plasticity in the human cerebral cortex: the role of the transient subplate zone

We correlated neuroanatomical developmental parameters with sequential ultrasonography scans to reveal the structural basis of functional recovery after early focal hypoxic lesions of the human frontal lobe in premature infants. We studied the transient fetal subplate zone in the premotor and prefrontal cortex in premature, newborn, infant, and young adult brains by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemical, Golgi, and immunocytochemical methods. The structural in vivo rearrangements of the cerebral wall after perinatal lesions were studied on serial real-time sector scans (5-MHz transducer). The subplate zone contains "waiting" axons and randomly oriented fetal neurons, its developmental peak is between 22 and 34 weeks of gestation, and it is present in the frontal cortex of newborns and disappears after the sixth postnatal month, but individual subplate-like neurons remain until adulthood. Ultrasonography revealed remarkable structural rearrangements of the cerebral wall when the hypoxic lesion occurred during the developmental peak of the subplate zone: anechoic cavities ("cysts") develop rapidly (within 3 weeks) in premature brains, the rebuilding of these lesions continues after birth, and cavities disappear around the 11th month. We propose that the transient population of "waiting" axons and cells of the subplate zone participate in the structural and functional plasticity of the human cerebral cortex after perinatal brain damage.