Neumark-Nord 2 – A multiphase Middle Palaeolithic open-air site in the Geisel Valley (Central Germany)

The lake basin Neumark-Nord 2 (NN 2) is located in the Geisel Valley in Saxony-Anhalt (Germany). It was scientifically investigated between 2003 and 2008. The sediment sequence, which is about 10 to 11 m thick, consists of limnic deposits, mostly silts mixed with clays and sands. Sedimentological as well as palynological, malacological and palaeomagnetic investigations, supported by absolute datings, date the entire sequence into the Eemian and Early Weichselian. Within the deposits several archaeological find horizons were discovered. Neumark-Nord 2/2 (NN 2/2) at the beginning of the Eemian and Neumark-Nord 2/0 (NN 2/0) with an early Weichselian were the most important archaeological horizons. Both find horizons represent former lake shore sites, where numerous crushed animal bones and other faunal debris were found, which can be regarded as remains of hunted game. With regard to the rich lithic material, both find horizons differ remarkably. In NN2/2, a simple artefact spectrum with a certain Levallois component and a dominance of denticulated, notched and laterally retouched specimens. In NN 2/0, on the other hand, bifacial tools such as backed knives and sometimes finely retouched scrapers are dominant, while the Levallois component fades completely into the background. Thus, NN 2 is one of the few open-air sites in archaeological landscape of Central German where several middle Palaeolithic find horizons occur in superposition.     

Endocytosis of the non-catalytic ADAM23: Recycling and long half-life properties

A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease 23 (ADAM23) is a member of the ADAMs family of transmembrane proteins, mostly expressed in nervous system, and involved in traffic and stabilization of Kv1-potassium channels, synaptic transmission, neurite outgrowth, neuronal morphology and cell adhesion. Also, ADAM23 has been linked to human pathological conditions, such as epilepsy, cancer metastasis and cardiomyopathy. ADAM23 functionality depends on the molecule presence at the cell surface and along the secretory pathway, as expected for a cell surface receptor. Because endocytosis is an important functional regulatory mechanism of plasma membrane receptors and no information is available about the traffic or turnover of non-catalytic ADAMs, we investigated ADAM23 internalization, recycling and half-life properties. Here, we show that ADAM23 undergoes constitutive internalization from the plasma membrane, a process that depends on lipid raft integrity, and is redistributed to intracellular vesicles, especially early and recycling endosomes. Furthermore, we observed that ADAM23 is recycled from intracellular compartments back to the plasma membrane and thus has longer half-life and higher cell surface stability compared with other ADAMs. Our findings suggest that regulation of ADAM23 endocytosis/stability could be exploited therapeutically in diseases in which ADAM23 is directly involved, such as epilepsy, cancer progression and cardiac hypertrophy.     

腔镜下腺体切除术对早期乳腺癌患者血清免疫球蛋白及TNF-α、IL-10水平变化的影响

摘要 目的：分析腔镜下腺体切除术对早期乳腺癌患者血清免疫球蛋白及TNF-α、IL-10水平的影响,从而对其优势评估。方法：选择2017年2月-2020年2月于本院实施乳腺癌手术患者100例,根据其选择手术方式的不同分为2组：A组（腔镜下腺体切除术,59例）和B组（开放乳房皮下腺体切除术,41例）,分别统计患者手术时间、术后拔管时间以及住院时间;术后1个月,取患者外周血,离心取血清,采用免疫比浊法检测患者血清免疫功能相关指标IgM和IgG含量、采用人酶联免疫吸附实验（ELISA）试剂盒检测患者血清中炎症反应指标TNF-α和IL-10含量、统计术后两组患者出现术野皮下出血、皮下积液、乳头乳晕坏死等并发症的例数;术后一年,统计两组患者出现复发和淋巴结转移等现象的例数。结果：A组患者手术时间显著长于B组,而其拔管时间和住院时间均显著短于B组（P＜0.05）。A组并发症发生率（5.00 %）显著高于B组（25.71%）（P<0.05）。术前1 d,两组患者血清免疫指标IgM和IgG水平和炎症反应指标TNF-α和IL-10水平相比差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）,而术后3 d~术后1 m,A组患者血清免疫指标IgM和IgG水平以及抗炎因子IL-10水平均显著高于B组,促炎因子TNF-α水平显著低于B组（P＜0.05）。A组患者术后1年内乳腺癌复发率（3.3%）与B组（10.0%）相比差异不具有统计学意义（P＞0.05）。结论：腔镜下腺体切除术治疗早期乳腺癌具有拔管时间以及术后住院时间短、并发症发生率低等优势,其原因可能与该手术对患者血清免疫球蛋白IgM和IgG及炎症因子TNF-α、IL-10水平影响程度较小、术后恢复较快有关。     

Larval feeding status regulates the transcript levels of genes encoding PTTH and allatoregulatory peptides in silkworm Bombyx mori

In Bombyx mori, two dorsolateral neurosecretory cells (NSCs) in each of the two brain lobes have been identified as prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) producing cells. This neuropeptide in insects stimulates the prothoracic gland for the synthesis and release of ecdysone, responsible for the molting events. Allatotropin (AT) and allatostatin (AST) are allatoregulatory neuropeptides that regulate juvenile hormone biosynthesis. Here, by using RT-qPCR, we showed that in B. mori, nutritional stress modulates the mRNA expression of AT and AST-C (allatostain type C) in the central nervous system consisting of the brain lobes and all the associated ganglia. Using whole-mount in situ hybridization, we showed that the feeding status of Bombyx larvae also influences the expression of PTTH in the NSCs of the brain. Food deprivation significantly decreased the mRNA expression levels of PTTH in larvae at active or terminal growth period. Further, we showed that insulin modulates the expression level of PTTH. However, its action was dependent on the feeding status of the larvae. At feeding, the insulin decreased the PTTH expression level, while at food deprivation, the insulin increased the PTTH expression level. The data thus indicates that larval feeding status plays an important role in altering the mRNA expression levels of allatoregulatory peptide genes and PTTH.     

益生菌联合早期肠内营养对合并应激性高血糖的重症脑卒中患者血糖调控及预后的影响

目的探讨益生菌联合早期肠内营养(EEN)对合并应激性高血糖的重症脑卒中患者血糖调控及预后的影响,为此类患者的治疗提供参考。方法选择2017年5月1日至2019年5月1日我院神经内科收治的合并应激性高血糖的重症脑卒中患者64例为研究对象,随机分为对照组和观察组,各32例。对照组患者在入院48 h内给予EEN,观察组患者在对照组基础上给予双歧杆菌乳杆菌三联活菌片鼻饲。比较两组患者治疗后血糖变异性、胰岛素使用强度、低血糖发生率、炎症反应指标水平、应激反应指标水平、胃肠道不良反应,5 d内肠内营养达标率、营养状态指标水平、医院获得性肺炎(HAP)发生率及病死率。结果治疗后,观察组患者血糖变异性较小,胰岛素使用强度降低,低血糖发生率降低,炎症反应指标、应激反应指标水平均低于对照组;胃肠道不良反应中腹泻发生率降低,肠内营养达标率升高,血清白蛋白、前白蛋白水平均高于对照组,医院获得性肺炎发生率降低。两组患者病死率差异无统计学意义(12.50%vs 18.75%;χ~2=0.474,P=0.491)。结论对于合并应激性高血糖的重症脑卒中患者,益生菌联合EEN有助于控制血糖稳定性,降低胰岛素使用强度及低血糖发生率,同时降低炎症及应激反应,提高患者肠内营养耐受性,改善患者营养状态,降低HAP发生率。     

Association of polymorphisms in genes involved in enamel formation,taste preference and immune response with early childhood caries in Saudi pre-school children

Dental caries is primarily elicited by modifiable factors such as inadequate oral hygiene, poor dietary practices and deficient fluoride exposure. However, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting the profound influence of genetic factors in dental caries susceptibility. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ENAM (rs12640848), MMP20 (rs1784418), TAS2R38 (rs713598), and LTF (rs4547741) genes and early childhood caries (ECC) in Saudi preschool children. This case-control study enrolled 360 Saudi preschool children (262 with ECC and 98 caries-free). Data on environmental factors were collected through a questionnaire. However, caries experience and oral hygiene data were obtained during clinical examination. Buccal swab samples were collected for DNA extraction and SNPs were genotyped using PCR and DNA sequencing. Children with ECC were compared to caries free children (control), then they were categorized into two categories based on ECC severity as follows; non-severe ECC (NS-ECC), and severe-ECC (S-ECC). Association between the SNPs, ECC, NS-ECC, and S-ECC was reported as an odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The majority of the children (72.8%) exhibited ECC (31.7% NS-ECC and 41.1% S-ECC) with mean dmft of 4.20 ± 4.05. Multivariate analyses of environmental factors showed that nocturnal feeding was a risk factor for ECC (P = 0.008). Poor oral hygiene was also a risk factor for both NS-ECC and S-ECC (ECC: P < 0.0001, NS-ECC: P = 0.032 and S-ECC: P < 0.0001). Univariate analysis showed that the AG genotype of rs1784418 of MMP20 gene was protective against ECC (OR = 0.532; 95% CI = 0.316–0.897, P = 0.018) and against NS-ECC (OR = 0.436; 95% CI = 0.238–0.798, P = 0.007). When environmental risk factors for ECC were included as covariates during multivariate analysis, AG variant in rs1784418 of MMP20 gene remained less frequent in NS-ECC cases compared to controls with borderline significance (OR = 0.542; 95% CI = 0.285–1.033, P = 0.063). Our findings concluded that MMP20 rs1784418 SNP might be associated with protection against ECC in Saudi preschool children.     

Immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2, p53 and caspase-9 in hypothalamus magnocellular centers of nNOS knockout mice following water deprivation

Abstract

We studied the interactions between apoptosis regulator proteins (Bcl-2, p53 and caspase-9) and neuronal nitric oxide in vasopressinergic magnocellular centers of the hypothalamus using neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) gene knockout mice. nNOS gene deletion resulted in accumulation of Bcl-2, p53 and caspase-9 in the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei in controls. Dehydration increased the levels of all three apoptosis regulator proteins studied in nuclei of wild type mice. In the hypothalamus magnocellular centers of nNOS knockout mice, however, expression of Bcl-2, p53 and caspase-9 was unchanged after dehydration. The number of magnocellular neurons did not change in the SON and PVN of nNOS deficient mice compared to wild type, and after dehydration, cell death was not observed in either nucleus of wild type or knockout mice despite activation of apoptosis regulator protein expression. Thus, we demonstrated that gene disruption of nNOS prevents activation of Bcl-2, p53 and caspase-9 expression during water deprivation, and that nNOS deficiency did not affect survival of magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamus.     

Next generation mothers: Maternal control of germline development in zebrafish

Abstract

In many animals, factors deposited by the mother into the egg control the earliest events in development of the zygote. These maternal RNAs and proteins play critical roles in oocyte development and the earliest steps of embryogenesis such as fertilization, cell division and embryonic patterning. Here, this article summarizes recent discoveries made on the maternal control of germline specification in zebrafish. Moreover, this review will discuss the major gaps remaining in our understanding of this process and highlight recent technical innovations in zebrafish, which allow tackling some of these questions in the near future.     

The Tetrapod Ichnogenus Protochirotherium Fichter and Kunz 2004, a Characteristic Early Triassic Morphotype of Central Pangea

Early Triassic chirotherian footprint assemblages from Poland, Germany, and Morocco are important for understanding archosaur evolution in the aftermath of the Permian-Triassic crisis. However, their ichnotaxonomy is confusing because various authors have interpreted their diversity differently. After an analysis and ichnotaxonomic re-assessment, the presence of the ichnogenera Brachychirotherium, Isochirotherium, and Chirotherium in these assemblages is not supported. Distant similarities with these ichnotaxa are functions of extra morphological variation and substrate-related factors. Instead, Early Triassic chirotherian footprints described under these names are assigned here to the ichnogenus Protochirotherium and to a more slender morphotype identified as Synaptichnium. In particular, Protochirotherium appears to be more widely distributed in central Pangea as a characteristic morphotype reflecting a distinct stage in archosaur evolution. Trackmakers were nonarchosaurian archosauriforms or, alternatively, stem-group crocodylians. Morphologically and temporally these footprints match the hypothetical ancestor of the Chirotherium barthii trackmaker. Chirotherium barthii appears by the beginning of the Middle Triassic. Because of its restricted stratigraphic range, and its wider distribution in central Pangea, Protochirotherium also has biostratigraphic significance for this region and can be considered as an indicator of Early Triassic-aged strata.     

A Supposed Eupelycosaur Body Impression from the Early Permian of the Intra-Sudetic Basin,Poland

We describe a new specimen of a supposed Paleozoic tetrapod body impression from the Lower Permian S?upiec Formation in the Intra-Sudetic Basin, Poland. The size, integument morphology of belly and part of tail imprints, and the morphology of a well-preserved pes track diagnose the specimen and readily distinguish it from other described specimens of body impressions of Paleozoic tetrapods. The eupelycosaur identity of this new specimen is based on the identification of the footprint Dimetropus leisnerianus (Geinitz, 1863 Geinitz, H. B. 1863. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der organischen Überreste in der Dyas (oder permischen Formation zum Theil) und über den Namen Dyas. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie, : 385–398.  [Google Scholar]), which is connected with the inferred body imprint. The morphology of integument impressions indicates the presence of the various-sized square or rectangular-shaped scales on the bottom part of the belly and tail of this eupelycosaurid trackmaker.