There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

http://www.klinikaikozpont.u-szeged.hu/pedia/images/pdf/CME_TEL/Full-Text/25.pdf

The Hallmarks of Aging

This study describes and validates a new method for metagenomic biomarker discovery by way of class comparison, tests of biological consistency and effect size estimation. This addresses the challenge of finding organisms, genes, or pathways that consistently explain the differences between two or more microbial communities, which is a central problem to the study of metagenomics. We extensively validate our method on several microbiomes and a convenient online interface for the method is provided at http://huttenhower.sph.harvard.edu/lefse/.

/pdf/metagenomic-biomarker-discovery-and-explanation-x530ilzkca.pdf

Metagenomic biomarker discovery and explanation

We have catalogued the protein kinase complement of the human genome (the "kinome") using public and proprietary genomic, complementary DNA, and expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences. This provides a starting point for comprehensive analysis of protein phosphorylation in normal and disease states, as well as a detailed view of the current state of human genome analysis through a focus on one large gene family. We identify 518 putative protein kinase genes, of which 71 have not previously been reported or described as kinases, and we extend or correct the protein sequences of 56 more kinases. New genes include members of well-studied families as well as previously unidentified families, some of which are conserved in model organisms. Classification and comparison with model organism kinomes identified orthologous groups and highlighted expansions specific to human and other lineages. We also identified 106 protein kinase pseudogenes. Chromosomal mapping revealed several small clusters of kinase genes and revealed that 244 kinases map to disease loci or cancer amplicons.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/298/5600/1912.full.pdf

The Protein Kinase Complement of the Human Genome

An expert panel was convened in October 2013 by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) to discuss the field of probiotics. It is now 13 years since the definition of probiotics and 12 years after guidelines were published for regulators, scientists and industry by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the WHO (FAO/WHO). The FAO/WHO definition of a probiotic--"live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host"--was reinforced as relevant and sufficiently accommodating for current and anticipated applications. However, inconsistencies between the FAO/WHO Expert Consultation Report and the FAO/WHO Guidelines were clarified to take into account advances in science and applications. A more precise use of the term 'probiotic' will be useful to guide clinicians and consumers in differentiating the diverse products on the market. This document represents the conclusions of the ISAPP consensus meeting on the appropriate use and scope of the term probiotic.

/pdf/expert-consensus-document-the-international-scientific-1zd5d1fmxy.pdf

Expert consensus document. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic

Mechanisms in autoimmune diseases.

Mo1098 Differential Expression of Epigenetic Modifier Genes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Colonic Tissue - PRDM1 and PRDM8 are up-Regulated in Active Ulcerative Colitis

Iconographies supplémentaires de l'article : Impact of probiotics in women with gestational diabetes mellitus on metabolic health: a randomized controlled trial

S1652 The Effect of the Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) and It's Agonist - GSK488062B - On Experimental Models of Colitis and Cytokine Production from IBD Tissue

Inflammatory bowel disease involves an interaction between genetic susceptibility factors and environmental triggers, and the intestinal injury is mediated by the host immunoinflammatory response. Identification of the mechanisms and mediators that contribute to the tissue injury has provided a sound rationale for the therapeutic use of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory agents. The efficacy of traditional immunosuppressive drugs, such as the purine analogues in both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is well established. The major limitation of the use of these drugs is the delayed clinical response associated with their use. This has prompted an evaluation of other immunosuppressivcs, such as cyclosporine and related drugs, that have a more rapid onset of action. Convincing data indicate a distinct role for cyclosporine in certain patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis. However, despite early promising results with cyclosporine in Crohn’s disease, recent results have been less encouraging. There is also uncertainty about the exact clinical role of cyclosporine because of concerns regarding long term toxicity. At present, many investigators regard cyclosporine as an interim measure for acutely ill patients. The challenge that remains is the development of novel immunomodulatory strategies that are specific for the mucosal immune system and that are based on recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of mucosal inflammation.

/pdf/immunosppressive-agents-in-inflammatory-bowel-disease-2r9fu1b2tc.pdf

Fergus Shanahan

Papers

Mechanisms in autoimmune diseases.

Mo1098 Differential Expression of Epigenetic Modifier Genes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Colonic Tissue - PRDM1 and PRDM8 are up-Regulated in Active Ulcerative Colitis

Iconographies supplémentaires de l'article : Impact of probiotics in women with gestational diabetes mellitus on metabolic health: a randomized controlled trial

S1652 The Effect of the Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) and It's Agonist - GSK488062B - On Experimental Models of Colitis and Cytokine Production from IBD Tissue

Immunosppressive Agents in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Current Status and Future Prospects