Dietary red palm oil protects the heart against the cytotoxic effects of anthracycline

Strong anti-neoplastic anthracyclines like daunorubicin (DNR) and doxorubicin (DOX) have high efficacy against systemic neoplasm and solid tumours. However, clinically, they cause chronic cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. Red palm oil (RPO) supplementation can protect the heart against ischemic injury. We therefore hypothesize that supplementation with RPO during chemotherapy may protect the heart. Control rats received a standard diet, and the experimental group received RPO in addition for 4 weeks. Each group was subsequently injected with either saline or DNR over a 12-day period towards the end of 4 weeks. Hearts were excised and perfused on a working heart system. Functional parameters were measured. Tissue samples were collected for analysis of mRNA and protein levels. DNR + RPO increased aortic output by 25% (p < 0.05) compared with DNR only. Furthermore, DNR treatment significantly reduced tissue mRNA levels of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) compared with untreated controls. Protein expression of SOD1 followed the same pattern as mRNA levels. NOS1 protein levels were significantly increased in DNR treated rats when compared with untreated controls. In addition, DNR increased phosphorylation of p38 and Jun N-terminal kinase compared with untreated controls, whereas DNR + RPO completely counteracted this activation. DNR + RPO significantly up regulated the protein extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 level compared with DNR only. In this model of DNR treatment, RPO is associated with stabilization of important antioxidant enzymes such NOS and SOD, and inhibition of the 'stress' induced mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. Dietary RPO also maintained function, similar to control, in DNR treated hearts.     

Effects of Hunting on Response Behaviors of Wild Reindeer

ABSTRACT Because wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) are hunted in southern Norway, reindeer may perceive all recreationists as threats. Potential adverse effects of hunting on reindeer behavior may be exacerbated by other forms of recreation because the number of skiers and hikers in areas inhabited by reindeer has also increased. The Norefjell-Reinsjøfjell wild reindeer area is used extensively for recreation and tourism. Reindeer hunting was introduced in the area in 1992, and harvest rate has been stable at about 38% of winter herd size. We recorded behavioral responses of reindeer to a person approaching directly on foot or skis during 1992 and again in 2002–2006. Compared to 1992, flight-initiation distance increased and fewer groups assessed the observer before taking flight during 2002–2006. In winter, when reindeer are usually comparably more vigilant than in other seasons, flight-initiation distance increased from only 60 m to 115 m and escape distance decreased from 400 m to 210 m. Neither alert distance, calf carcass weights (23.6 ± 0.7 [SE] kg to 22.4 ± 0.2 kg), nor reindeer herd size (661 ± 73 to 579 ± 15) changed during the 15 years of our study. Reindeer appeared to habituate to the observer because they initiated flight at shorter distances as the number of approaches on the same day increased. In Norefjell-Reinsjøfjell, encounters with a person on foot or skis did not result in behavioral responses likely to entail substantial energy costs for reindeer; therefore, hunting at current levels appears compatible with other recreational activities.     

The Simulium vernum group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Europe: multiple character sets for assessing species status

The value of using characters from multiple sources – chromosomes, ecology, gene sequences, and morphology – to evaluate the species status of closely related black flies is demonstrated for three European members of the Simulium vernum group: Simulium crenobium (Knoz, 1961), Simulium juxtacrenobium Bass & Brockhouse, 1990, and Simulium vernum s.s. Macquart, 1826. Simulium juxtacrenobium is a chromosomally, molecularly, and morphologically distinct species that diverged from S. crenobium and S. vernum s.s. about 2 Mya. It is specialized for intermittent streams, is univoltine, and is recorded for the first time from northern Europe, based on collections from Finland and Sweden, representing a range extension of about 1800 km. In contrast, S. crenobium, although confirmed as a distinct species, differs from S. vernum s.s. by only a few larval and chromosomal characters, and by a breeding habitat restricted to mountain spring brooks. Whereas all four character sets independently support the specific distinctness of S. juxtacrenobium and S. vernum s.s., multiple character sets are required to establish the specific validity of S. crenobium.     

Molecular evolution modeled as a fractal Poisson process in agreement with mammalian sequence comparisons

The fractal doubly stochastic Poisson process (FDSPP) model of molecular evolution, like other doubly stochastic Poisson models, agrees with the high estimates for the index of dispersion found from sequence comparisons. Unlike certain previous models, the FDSPP also predicts a positive geometric correlation between the index of dispersion and the mean number of substitutions. Such a relationship is statistically proven herein using comparisons between 49 mammalian genes. There is no characteristic rate associated with molecular evolution according to this model, but there is a scaling relationship in rates according to a fractal dimension of evolution. The FDSPP is a suitable replacement for the homogeneous Poisson process in tests of the lineage dependence of rates and in estimating confidence intervals for divergence times. As opposed to other fractal models, this model can be interpreted in terms of Darwinian selection and drift.      

Bill morphology reflects adaptation to a fibrous diet in the kākāpō (Strigops: Psittaciformes)

We describe the upper portion of the bill sheath (rhinotheca) of the kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus) from three adult female specimens. The external buccal surface of the rhinotheca is deeply concave with a prominent palatal stop and hardened chevrons creating a ‘milling apparatus’ that the kākāpō uses to grind food. The palatal stop presents a working face of 40–50?mm². The internal surface of the rhinotheca mirrors the overlying premaxilla and provides a distinct thickened abutment consistent with resistance against the increased workload of the mandibles (gnathotheca) due to the kākāpō’s fibrous diet and chewing style. Along the midline, the rhinotheca at the abutment is up to 5.6?mm thick, compared with as thin as 2.1?mm elsewhere on the midline. The closely related Nestor parrots have less developed palatal stops, chevrons and abutments on their rhinothecas consistent with their lower preference for fibrous plant material. The form of the rhinotheca agrees with the kākāpō’s feeding ecology as a generalist herbivore that grinds locally available fibrous material to assist digestion.     

Vibrational averaging of chemical shift anisotropies in model peptides

The effects of chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) are evident in line-shapes or side-band analysis in solid-state NMR, in the observed line positions in partially oriented samples, and in relaxation effects in liquid-state studies. In all of these cases, the effective shielding tensor is influenced by fast vibrational averaging in addition to larger-amplitude internal motions and to overall libration or rotation. Here we compute the contributions of vibrational averaging (including zero-point motions) to the CSA relaxation strengths for the nitrogen and carbonyl carbon in two simple peptide models, and for snapshots taken from a path-integral simulation of a small protein. Because the ¹⁵N shielding tensor is determined by all the atoms of the peptide group, it is less influenced by vibrational motion than (for example) the N–H dipolar interaction, which is more sensitive to the motion of the light hydrogen atom. Computed order parameters for CSA averaging are hence much closer to unity than are N–H dipolar order parameters. This leads to a reduction by about 9% in the magnitude of the amide nitrogen CSA that is needed to fit liquid-state relaxation data. Similar considerations apply to the carbonyl carbon shielding tensor, but in this case the differences between dipolar and CSA averaging are smaller. These considerations will be important for making comparisons between CSA tensors extracted from various NMR experiments, and for comparisons to quantum chemical calculations carried out on static conformers.     

Genetic variation in South Indian castes: evidence from Y-chromosome, mitochondrial, and autosomal polymorphisms

Background

Major population movements, social structure, and caste endogamy have influenced the genetic structure of Indian populations. An understanding of these influences is increasingly important as gene mapping and case-control studies are initiated in South Indian populations.

Results

We report new data on 155 individuals from four Tamil caste populations of South India and perform comparative analyses with caste populations from the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh. Genetic differentiation among Tamil castes is low (R_ST = 0.96% for 45 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) markers), reflecting a largely common origin. Nonetheless, caste- and continent-specific patterns are evident. For 32 lineage-defining Y-chromosome SNPs, Tamil castes show higher affinity to Europeans than to eastern Asians, and genetic distance estimates to the Europeans are ordered by caste rank. For 32 lineage-defining mitochondrial SNPs and hypervariable sequence (HVS) 1, Tamil castes have higher affinity to eastern Asians than to Europeans. For 45 autosomal STRs, upper and middle rank castes show higher affinity to Europeans than do lower rank castes from either Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh. Local between-caste variation (Tamil Nadu R_ST = 0.96%, Andhra Pradesh R_ST = 0.77%) exceeds the estimate of variation between these geographically separated groups (R_ST = 0.12%). Low, but statistically significant, correlations between caste rank distance and genetic distance are demonstrated for Tamil castes using Y-chromosome, mtDNA, and autosomal data.

Conclusion

Genetic data from Y-chromosome, mtDNA, and autosomal STRs are in accord with historical accounts of northwest to southeast population movements in India. The influence of ancient and historical population movements and caste social structure can be detected and replicated in South Indian caste populations from two different geographic regions.     

ST-segment elevation associated with allergic reaction to echocardiographic contrast agent administration

We report a case of an allergic reaction after the administration of an echocardiographic contrast agent which resulted in ST-segment elevation. Hypersensitivity and allergic reactions are known causes of acute cardiovascular events. However, only limited reports are available which suggest the exact mechanism of the occurrence of angina or myocardial infarction during severe allergic reactions. In our case, through invasive imaging (coronary angiography and IVUS) we have shown for the first time a transient coronary spasm in the absence of intra-coronary thrombus and only minimal neointimal hyperplasia.