University of Calgary

About: University of Calgary is a education organization based out in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 44284 authors who have published 104970 publications receiving 3669161 citations. The organization is also known as: U of C & UCalgary.

Daratumumab plus Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone for Untreated Myeloma.

Abstract: Background Lenalidomide plus dexamethasone is a standard treatment for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem-cell transplantation. We sought...

De novo germline and postzygotic mutations in AKT3, PIK3R2 and PIK3CA cause a spectrum of related megalencephaly syndromes

Abstract: Megalencephaly-capillary malformation (MCAP) and megalencephaly-polymicrogyria-polydactyly-hydrocephalus (MPPH) syndromes are sporadic overgrowth disorders associated with markedly enlarged brain size and other recognizable features. We performed exome sequencing in 3 families with MCAP or MPPH, and our initial observations were confirmed in exomes from 7 individuals with MCAP and 174 control individuals, as well as in 40 additional subjects with megalencephaly, using a combination of Sanger sequencing, restriction enzyme assays and targeted deep sequencing. We identified de novo germline or postzygotic mutations in three core components of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT pathway. These include 2 mutations in AKT3, 1 recurrent mutation in PIK3R2 in 11 unrelated families with MPPH and 15 mostly postzygotic mutations in PIK3CA in 23 individuals with MCAP and 1 with MPPH. Our data highlight the central role of PI3K-AKT signaling in vascular, limb and brain development and emphasize the power of massively parallel sequencing in a challenging context of phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity combined with postzygotic mosaicism.

Drought Tolerance in Two Mosses: Correlated with Enzymatic Defence Against Lipid Peroxidation

Abstract: Drought-induced changes in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, level of lipid peroxidation, and membrane permeability (solute leakage) have been studied in two mosses, the drought-tolerant Tortula ruralis and the drought-sensitive Cratoneuron filicinum. In T. ruralis the activities of SOD and catalase increase during slow drying. The level of lipid peroxidation consequently declines. On subsequent rehydration the enzyme activities decline and the level of lipid peroxidation rises gradually to normal levels. The leakage of preloaded !6Rb on rehydration of slowly dried T. ruralis is similar to that in turgid moss, i.e. leakage of about 20% of tissue "Rb. When T. ruralis is subjected to rapid drying there is no change in the enzyme activities or in lipid peroxidation. However, when this moss is rehydrated there is a large immediate increase in lipid peroxidation. Half of the tissue 86Rb is leaked into the bathing medium during the first hour of rehydration. But within the next hour, when SOD and catalase activities have increased to high levels, lipid peroxidation quickly declines to a level lower than that in the turgid control moss, and the "Rb leaked earlier is partly reabsorbed indicating that membrane repair is well underway. On prolonged rehydration the enzyme activities decline and the level of lipid peroxidation rises gradually to reach normal levels found in control turgid moss. In the case of drought-sensitive C. filicinum the activities of SOD and catalase decline during drying as well as during subsequent rehydration. There is a rapid increase in lipid peroxidation during rehydration and most of the preloaded "Rb leaks into the bathing medium irreversibly. The changes in lipid peroxidation during drying and subsequent rehydration of both the mosses appear to coincide in time with the reported changes in O2 uptake, indicating that the drought-induced membrane damage may be due to free radical-induced lipid peroxidation which is known to require active O2 uptake. Furthermore, there appears to be a good correlation between an ability of the tissue to control lipid peroxidation and its ability to retain solutes. It is suggested that ability of plant tissues to mobilize enzymatic defence against uncontrolled lipid peroxidation may be an important facet of their drought tolerance.

The genome sequence of the anaerobic, sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough

Abstract: Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough is a model organism for studying the energy metabolism of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and for understanding the economic impacts of SRB, including biocorrosion of metal infrastructure and bioremediation of toxic metal ions. The 3,570,858 base pair (bp) genome sequence reveals a network of novel c-type cytochromes, connecting multiple periplasmic hydrogenases and formate dehydrogenases, as a key feature of its energy metabolism. The relative arrangement of genes encoding enzymes for energy transduction, together with inferred cellular location of the enzymes, provides a basis for proposing an expansion to the 'hydrogen-cycling' model for increasing energy efficiency in this bacterium. Plasmid-encoded functions include modification of cell surface components, nitrogen fixation and a type-III protein secretion system. This genome sequence represents a substantial step toward the elucidation of pathways for reduction (and bioremediation) of pollutants such as uranium and chromium and offers a new starting point for defining this organism's complex anaerobic respiration.