Two new species of Eimeria Schneider 1875 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the broad-toothed field mouse, Apodemus mystacinus Danford and Alston 1877 (Rodentia: Muridae) from Jordan

Coprological examination of 40 Apodemus mystacinus Danford and Alston 1877 from Jordan revealed oocysts of three species of genus Eimeria. Two species are described as new. Eimeria zuhairamri sp. n. has broadly ellipsoidal oocysts 29.6 (27.0–34.0)×23.3 (22.0–25.0) m with distinctly granulated wall and oocyst residuum. Endogenous development occurs in jejunum and ileum. Eimeria alorani sp. n. has oocysts 26.9 (23.0–29.0)×19.3 (18.0–22.0) m with smooth wall and absent residuum. Endogenous development is confined to the caecum. The third species, developing in jejunum, has oocysts morphologically indistinguishable from Eimeria uptoni. The identity of E. uptoni and the taxonomy of Eimeria of Apodemus are discussed.     

Lipid profile and atherogenic indices in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background and aimsLimited number of studies investigated lipid profile in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with inconsistent results. This study aimed to investigate lipid parameters in sera of patients with stable COPD and their associations with disease severity, smoking, comorbidities and therapy.Methods and resultsThe study included 137 COPD patients and 95 controls. Triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were assessed. Non-HDL-C (NHC), atherogenic coefficient (AC), TG/HDL-C, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), Castelli's risk index I and II (CRI-I, CRI-II), and monocyte to HDL ratio (MHR) were calculated.HDL-C and MHR were increased, while other lipid parameters and indices were decreased in COPD patients compared to healthy individuals. Smoking did not influence lipid parameters. However, lipid profile was altered only in more severe disease stages. AC, CRI-I and CRI-II showed positive association with lung function parameters in COPD patients, and negative with COPD multicomponent indices (ADO, BODCAT, BODEx, CODEx and DOSE). Combined model that included CRI-II, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and white blood cells showed great diagnostic performances, and correctly classified 72% of study participants with an AUC of 0.800 (0.742–0.849), P < 0.001. Bronchodilator monotherapy and statins have opposite impact on TC, LDL-C and NHC, while TG, TG/HDL-C and AIP were increased in COPD patients with cardiovascular diseases.ConclusionLipid disbalance is present in COPD, and it seems to occur later as the disease progresses. Further studies are needed to illuminate the underlying mechanism of dyslipidaemia.     

Cysteine protease mcII-Pa executes programmed cell death during plant embryogenesis

Programmed cell death (PCD) is indispensable for eukaryotic development. In animals, PCD is executed by the caspase family of cysteine proteases. Plants do not have close homologues of caspases but possess a phylogenetically distant family of cysteine proteases named metacaspases. The cellular function of metacaspases in PCD is unknown. Here we show that during plant embryogenesis, metacaspase mcII-Pa translocates from the cytoplasm to nuclei in terminally differentiated cells that are destined for elimination, where it colocalizes with the nuclear pore complex and chromatin, causing nuclear envelope disassembly and DNA fragmentation. The cell-death function of mcII-Pa relies on its cysteine-dependent arginine-specific proteolytic activity. Accordingly, mutation of catalytic cysteine abrogates the proteolytic activity of mcII-Pa and blocks nuclear degradation. These results establish metacaspase as an executioner of PCD during embryo patterning and provide a functional link between PCD and embryogenesis in plants. Although mcII-Pa and metazoan caspases have different substrate specificity, they serve a common function during development, demonstrating the evolutionary parallelism of PCD pathways in plants and animals.     

Analysis of premature centromere division (PCD) of the X chromosome in Alzheimer patients through the cell cycle

Cytogenetic analysis of the X chromosome in phytohaemagglutinin stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes was evaluated in 12 sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and in 11 healthy subjects. For chromosome analysis two methods were used: (1) standard analysis of G-banded metaphase chromosomes and; (2) fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) for the detection of the X chromosome centromeric region in interphase nuclei. Cytogenetic analysis revealed that the X chromosome expresses premature centromere division (PCD) in AD females in 10.53% of metaphase cells and in 15.22% of interphase nuclei. In AD men the percentages were 3.98 and 6.06%, respectively. X chromosome PCD in the female control group showed a percentage of 7.46% in metaphase cells and 9.35% in interphase nuclei and in male controls the percentages were 2.84% in metaphases and 5.54% in interphase nuclei. The results of FISH analysis showed that PCD could occur much earlier than metaphase of mitosis, i.e. in interphase of the cell cycle, immediately after replication. The FISH method can be used for PCD verification in all phases of the cell cycle in various disorders including AD.     

Increase in Skin Autofluorescence and Release of Heart‐Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein in Plasma Predicts Mortality of Hemodialysis Patients

Advanced glycation end‐products (AGEs) are uremic toxins that accumulate progressively in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of this study was to assess the 1‐year increase in skin autofluorescence (ΔAF), a measure of AGEs accumulation and plasma markers, as predictors of mortality in HD patients. One hundred sixty‐nine HD patients were enrolled in this study. Skin autofluorescence was measured twice, 1 year apart using an AGE Reader (DiagnOptics Technologies BV, Groningen, The Netherlands). Besides routine blood chemistry, additional plasma markers including superoxide dismutase, myeloperoxydase, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM‐1), C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), heart‐type fatty acid binding protein (H‐FABP), and von Willebrand factor were measured at baseline. The mortality of HD patients was followed for 36 months. Skin autofluorescence values of the HD patients at the two time points were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than those of healthy subjects of the same age. Mean 1‐year ΔAF of HD patients was 0.16 ± 0.06, which was around seven‐ to ninefold higher than 1‐year ΔAF in healthy subjects. Multivariate Cox regression showed that age, hypertension, 1‐year ΔAF, hs‐CRP, ICAM‐1, and H‐FABP were independent predictors of overall mortality. Hypertension, 1‐year ΔAF, hs‐CRP, and H‐FABP were also independent predictors of cardiovascular mortality. One‐year ΔAF and plasma H‐FABP, used separately and in combination, are strong predictors of overall and cardiovascular mortality in HD patients.     

Free-standing Li+-conductive films based on PEO–PVDF blends

Solid electrolytes are of high interest for the development of advanced electrochemical energy storage devices with all-solid-state architectures. Here, we report the fabrication of the electrolyte membranes based on LiTFSI (LiN(CF₃SO₂)₂) and PEO–PVDF blends with improved properties. We show that addition of PVDF enables preparation of free-standing films of the compositions within the so called “crystallinity gap” of the LiTFSI–PEO system known to provide high ion conductivity. We show that optimal PVDF content enables preparation of the films with reasonable elastic modulus and high ionic conductivity of about 0.3 mS cm⁻¹ at 60 °C and about 0.1 mS cm⁻¹ at room-temperature. Combining FTIR spectroscopy, XRD and DSC measurements we show that a noticeable fraction of PVDF remains crystalline and enhances the mechanical properties of the material, and at the same time it additionally promotes LiTFSI dissociation and disordering. Density functional theory calculations showed that the Li⁺–PEO–PVDF complexation energy magnitude is almost as high as that of Li–PEO complexes, thus the salt dissociation ability can be retained in spite of the introduction of the substantial amounts of PVDF required for mechanical stability.

Addition of PVDF to LiTFSI–PEO solid electrolytes enables preparation of free-standing films with the compositions within the so called “crystallinity gap” of LiTFSI–PEO system. Such films possess ionic conductivity of about 0.3 mS cm⁻¹ at 60 °C.     

Hereditary causes of kidney stones and chronic kidney disease

Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) deficiency, cystinuria, Dent disease, familial hypomagnesemia with hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis (FHHNC), and primary hyperoxaluria (PH) are rare but important causes of severe kidney stone disease and/or chronic kidney disease in children. Recurrent kidney stone disease and nephrocalcinosis, particularly in pre-pubertal children, should alert the physician to the possibility of an inborn error of metabolism as the underlying cause. Unfortunately, the lack of recognition and knowledge of the five disorders has frequently resulted in an unacceptable delay in diagnosis and treatment, sometimes with grave consequences. A high index of suspicion coupled with early diagnosis may reduce or even prevent the serious long-term complications of these diseases. In this paper, we review the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of patients with APRT deficiency, cystinuria, Dent disease, FHHNC, and PH, with an emphasis on childhood manifestations.