Exosomes in bodily fluids are a highly stable resource of disease biomarkers

Biomarkers are measurable indicators of a biological state. As our understanding of diseases meliorates, it is generally accepted that early diagnosis renders the best chance to cure a disease. In the context of proteomics, the discovery phase of identifying bonafide biomarkers and the ensuing validation phase involving large cohort of patient samples are impeded by the complexity of bodily fluid samples. High abundant proteins found in blood plasma make it difficult for the detection of low abundant proteins that may be potential biomarkers. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have reignited interest in the field of biomarker discovery. EVs contain a tissue-type signature wherein a rich cargo of proteins and RNA are selectively packaged. In addition, as EVs are membranous structures, the luminal contents are protected from degradation by extracellular proteases and are highly stable in storage conditions. Interestingly, an appealing feature of EV-based biomarker analysis is the significant reduction in the sample complexity compared to whole bodily fluids. With these prescribed attributes, which are the rate-limiting factors of traditional biomarker analysis, there is immense potential for the use of EVs for biomarker detection in clinical settings. This review will discuss the current issues with biomarker analysis and the potential use of EVs as reservoirs of disease biomarkers.     

ION-SELECTIVE POLYMER-SUPPORTED REAGENTS

ABSTRACT

The design and synthesis of polymer-supported reagents that can selectively complex targeted metal ions from multi-component solutions will continue to be an important area of research into the 21^st century. Environmental remediation and sensor technology are only two of a number of areas in which such polymers can be applied. This paper reviews the recent literature with an emphasis on the key ligands that have been immobilized in order to better understand where this research is heading in the near future.     

Ecological predictors of substance use in middle school students.

The current study examined important predictors of substance use during early adolescence. The authors hypothesized that adolescents' relationships with key adults (i.e., teachers and parents) influence their choices to use substances indirectly through links with their decisions regarding peer groups. A total of 461 middle school students from an affluent suburban community completed self-report measures of authoritative parenting, perceived social support from teachers, affiliation with rule-breaking and substance-using peers, and frequency of alcohol, cigarette, and drug use. Results of structural equation modeling supported the hypothesized model. Authoritative parenting and teacher support accounted for 31% of the variance in affiliation with deviant peers which, in turn, accounted for 27% of the variance in adolescent substance use; direct paths from parenting and teacher support to substance use were not indicated. Implications for school psychologists' involvement in substance use prevention and intervention are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Purification and identification of a novel cutinase from Coprinopsis cinerea by adsorptive bubble separation

A novel extracellular esterase was separated from culture supernatants of the basidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea by means of foam fractionation. The parameters pH value, gas flow rate, addition of detergents, and the column design were varied to optimise the transport of the active enzyme into the foam phase. On the 70-mL scale, a recovery of activity of 79% with an enrichment factor of 10.5 was obtained at pH 7 and 20 mL air min⁻¹ within 15 min. The enriched enzyme was characterized biochemically by semi-native SDS-PAGE and IEF electrophoresis with activity staining. Peptide sequencing was performed after tryptic digestion by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Homology searches revealed significant similarities to cutinases of various ascomycetes and to C. cinerea genome data recently annotated as cutinases.     

The berth allocation problem with stochastic vessel handling times

In this paper, the berth allocation problem with stochastic vessel handling times is formulated as a bi-objective problem. To solve the resulting problem, an evolutionary algorithm-based heuristic and a simulation-based Pareto front pruning algorithm is proposed. Computational examples show that the proposed approach provides solutions superior to the ones where the expected value of the vessel handling times is used.     

Chronic and temporary distinct expectancies as comparison standards: Automatic contrast in dispositional judgments.

In 4 studies, the authors examined whether making outcome expectancies distinct resulted in their use as comparison standards and, consequently, in contrastive dispositional inferences for a target's behaviors. The expectancies examined were based on either chronic future-event expectancies (Study 1) or temporary, manipulated expectancy standards (Studies 2–4). Analyses revealed that when contextual expectancies were distinct or separable from target information, participants' dispositional judgments were contrasted from them under cognitive load and overcorrected (assimilated to them) under no load. These effects were mediated by participants' behavior categorizations. Evidence suggestive of a proceduralized form of correction for task difficulty and an effortful awareness-based correction for the effects of expectancies also were found. Results are examined in light of recent models of the dispositional inference process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Degradation Products of Tryptophan in Cell Culture Media: Contribution to Color and Toxicity

Biomanufacturing processes may be optimized by storing cell culture media at room temperature, but this is currently limited by their instability and change in color upon long-term storage. This study demonstrates that one of the critical contributing factors toward media browning is tryptophan. LC-MS technology was utilized to identify tryptophan degradation products, which are likely formed primarily from oxidation reactions. Several of the identified compounds were shown to contribute significantly to color in solutions but also to exhibit toxicity against CHO cells. A cell-culture-compatible antioxidant, a-ketoglutaric acid, was found to be an efficient cell culture media additive for stabilizing components against degradation, inhibiting the browning of media formulations, and decreasing ammonia production, thus providing a viable method for developing room-temperature stable cell culture media.     

Structure,Protein Interactions and In Vitro Protease Accessibility of Extruded and Pressurized Full-Fat Soybean Flakes

The objectives of the present study were to determine how extrusion (barrel temperature of 100 °C) and high-pressure processing (HPP, 200 and 500 MPa, 15 min, 25 °C) of full-fat soybean flakes (FFSF) modified the structure of soybean cotyledon cells, the protein interactions and the in vitro protease accessibility. Cellular disruption of the cotyledon cells was only observed for extruded FFSF. Extrusion and HPP at 500 MPa favored formation of insoluble protein aggregates, in which oil was entrapped. High pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and extraction methods using buffers containing SDS and 2-mercaptoethanol suggested that noncovalent interactions were the main forces in protein aggregate formation during HPP 500 MPa and extrusion. Intermolecular cross-linking by disulfide bonding was also involved in insoluble aggregates, but at a lesser extent than noncovalent interactions. Extrusion and HPP 500-MPa treatment enhanced the proteolytic attack, while treatment at 200 MPa had no impact. Drastic changes in the peptide profile of the extracted proteins were, however, only observed for the enzyme-treated 500-MPa FFSF. Optimal oil and protein extraction yields required cellular disruption of cotyledon cells and hydrolysis of protein aggregates, which were obtained with enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction of extruded FFSF.     

Exploring the universality of personality judgments: Evidence from the great transformation (1000 BCE–200 BCE).

We examined whether personality judgments were present in texts of the diverse religious and philosophical traditions that emerged during the Great Transformation, an era spanning roughly 1000 BCE to 200 BCE. Some psychologists have suggested that the tendency of humans to judge personality has evolved; if some ancient societies failed to record personality judgments, it would be evidence against such an evolutionary position. In addition, learning about the prevalence and specifics of ancient personality judgments can help psychologists better understand the prehistory of personality psychology. Eight cultural traditions were studied: two each from China (Confucianism, Taoism), Greece (Classical and Hellenistic philosophy), India (Buddhism, Hinduism), and the Middle East (Judaism, Zoroastrianism). We found evidence that personality judgments were an important aspect of all of these traditions. Not only did people judge one another, but they also offered instructions on how to judge others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)