Project description:Comparison between the multi-drug resistance Salmonella enteric serotype Newport strains from the US and the pan-susceptible strains from the UK
Project description:Chemical investigation of cyanobacterial strain HT-58-2, which most closely aligns with the genus Brasilomena, has led to the isolation of two compounds related to tolypodiol. The structures and absolute configuration of 6-deoxytolypodiol (1) and 11-hydroxytolypodiol (2) were elucidated by spectroscopic and spectrometric analysis. While tolypodiol previously showed anti-inflammatory activity in a mouse ear edema assay, only 2 reduced in vitro thromboxane B2 and superoxide anion (O2-) generation from Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide-activated rat neonatal microglia to any appreciable degree.
Project description:Aligned whole-genome sequencing and RNA-seq of localised prostate cancer for study 'Loss of SNAI2 in prostate cancer correlates with clinical response to androgen deprivation therapy'.
Project description:The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(8)H(20)N(+)·C(9)H(16)B(11) (-) or [Et(4)N][12-PhCC-closo-CB(11)H(11)], consists of one cation and one anion. The [12-PhCC-closo-CB(11)H(11)](-) anion is close to possessing a non-crystallographic plane of mirror symmetry with a nearly linear B-C C-C group, with B-C C and C C-C angles of 177.15 (16) and 176.64 (17)°, respectively.
Project description:THE PAN PROSTATE CANCER PROJECT: Many groups around the world have generated Whole Genome DNA Sequence (WGS) data from prostate cancer patients. The pan prostate group have gathered with the idea that the accumulated data, should be collected and compared in a common format including common storage, re-analysis through a single pipeline, and investigation to achieve a variety of scientific goals. The combined collection would include the following categories: (i) cancers from different ethnic groups: eg Caucasian, Asian, Black Caribbean; (ii) cancer from different stages of progression from normal, to organ-confined disease, to metastases; (iii) early-onset prostate cancer; (iv) prostate cancer from aggressive and indolent disease; and (v) prostate cancer patients managed by different treatments with information linked to long-term clinical follow up data in many cases.This study contains the initial pilot samples (train 1) from the CRUK-ICGC prostate group.
Project description:IntroductionAlthough vaccination is an effective intervention to reduce childhood mortality and morbidity, reasons for incomplete vaccination, including maternal living arrangements, have been marginally explored. This study aims at assessing whether maternal living arrangements are associated with vaccination status of children aged 12-23 months in Zimbabwe. It also explores other variables that may be associated with having children not fully vaccinated.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional analysis was performed on the DHS-VI done in Zimbabwe in 2010-2011 (response rate 93%). Incomplete vaccination of children (outcome), was defined as not having received one dose of BCG and measles, 3 doses of polio and DPT/Pentavalent. Maternal living arrangements (main exposure), and other exposure variables were analysed. Survey logistic regression was used to calculate crude and adjusted OR for exposures against the outcome.ResultsThe dataset included 1,031 children aged 12-23 months. 65.8% of children were fully vaccinated. 65.7% of the mothers were married and cohabitating with a partner, 20.3% were married/partnered but living separately and 14% were not married. Maternal living arrangements were not associated with the vaccination status of children both in crude and adjusted analysis. Factors associated with poorer vaccination status of the children included: no tetanus vaccination for mothers during pregnancy (adjusted OR = 2.1, 95%CI 1.5;3.0), child living away from mother (adjusted OR = 1.5, 95%CI 1.2;1.8), mother's education (adjusted OR = 0.6, 95%CI 0.4;0.9), high number of children living in the household (adjusted OR = 1.5, 95%CI 1.1;2.2), child age (adjusted OR = 0.7, 95%CI 0.5;0.9).DiscussionMaternal living arrangements were not associated with vaccination status of Zimbabwean children. Other factors, such as the mother's health-seeking behaviour and education were major factors associated with the children's vaccination status. Given the results of this study, it is strongly recommended that the vaccination coverage is increased by improving access to antenatal care and education for the parents.
Project description:The reason why prostate cancer is significantly more common in Western than Asian men is unknown. Using a genome-wide approach to compare the genomic changes in prostate cancer tissues, we determined that those from Chinese patients lack key somatic genomic changes commonly found in Western patients, including the 21q22.2-22.3 deletion which causes the TMPRSS2:ERG fusion gene, and 10q deletion which leads to PTEN inactivation. The results were confirmed and their consequence on ERG expression was identified by study of a large series of Chinese and UK samples using tissue-microarrays. Subsequently, we identified significant AR genotype differences between UK and Chinese prostate cancer patients. The identification of specific somatic genomic differences in cancers from distinct populations may provide an opportunity to identify cancer-causing or protective factors.
Project description:BackgroundThe concept that a strong inflammatory response involving the full complement of cytokines and other mediators is critical for unimpaired healing has been challenged by wound healing studies using transgenic and knockout (KO) mice. The present study explored the effect of abrogation of the p40 subunit, which is shared by the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23, on wound closure of excisional oral mucosal wounds.MethodsDouble IL-12 and IL-23 KO mice and C57BL ? 6J wildtype mice were wounded on the dorsal surface of the tongue using a 2 mm biopsy punch. The degree of epithelialization was examined histologically. At specific timepoints wounds were examined for cellular and molecular markers for inflammation and angiogenesis using 1) immunohistochemistry; 2) analysis of RNA expression; and 3) flow cytometric analysis.ResultsCompared to wild type controls, KO mice displayed enhanced healing, which was driven by a greater influx of neutrophils and macrophages during the early stages of wound healing, and increased induction of messenger RNA (mRNA) for endothelial derived neutrophil attractant (ENA78) chemokine and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 alpha (MIP-2?). Increased mRNA for monocyte-attracting chemokines including monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and MCP-3 was seen from day 1, together with higher levels of IL-1? and IL-6 within 24 hours after wounding. In addition, mRNA for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A was upregulated in KO mice within 2 hours after injury, and higher expression of this mediator was confirmed by immunohistochemistry.ConclusionOverall, the accelerated oral mucosal wound healing seen in IL-12/IL-23p40 KO compared to wildtype mice was associated with the early establishment of an inflammatory response and vascularization.
Project description:DNA replication requires the faithful propagation of both genetic and epigenetic information. There is evidence that DNA polymerases play a role in transcriptional silencing, but the extent of their contribution and how it relates to heterochromatin maintenance is unclear. To get a better understanding of the role of POL2A, the catalytic subunit of the DNA polymerase epsilon, into maintaining heterochromatin silencing, we performed mRNA-seq on Arabidopsis plants carrying a new hypomorphic pol2a mutation. We deepened our analysis by profiling transcriptomes of other silencing mutants or combinations of pol2a with other mutations.