Polymorphism in the acetylcholinesterase gene of Musca domestica L. field populations in Turkey

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), encoded by the Ace gene, is the primary target of organophosphates (OPs) and carbamates (CBs) in insects. Ace mutations have been identified in OP and CB resistant strains of Musca domestica. In this study, the Ace gene was partially amplified and sequenced at amino acid positions 260, 342, and 407 to determine the frequencies of these mutations in housefly samples collected from farms and garbage disposal sites of 16 provinces in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions of Turkey. In addition, the percent remaining AChE activities in these samples were assayed by using three OPs (malaoxon, paraoxon, and dichlorvos) and one CB (carbaryl) compound as inhibitors. In all the analyzed samples, 13 different combinations at the three amino acid positions were identified and the L/V260-A/G342-F/Y407 combination was found in the highest frequency. No susceptible individual was detected. The highest mean percent remaining AChE activities were detected in the individuals having the L260-A/G342-F/Y407 genotype when malaoxon and paraoxon were used as inhibitors and in the individuals with the L260-A342-F/Y407 combination when dichlorvos and carbaryl were used as inhibitors. The obtained data were heterogeneous and there was no exact correlation between the molecular genetic background and the resistance phenotypes of the flies. The findings of this study at the molecular and biochemical levels indicate the presence of significant control problems in the field.     

Direction-dependent neck and trunk postural reactions during sitting

Postural reactions in healthy individuals in the seated position have previously been described and have been shown to depend on the direction of the perturbation; however the neck response following forward and backward translations has not been compared. The overall objective of the present study was to compare neck and trunk kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic (EMG) stabilization patterns of seated healthy individuals to forward and backward translations. Ten healthy individuals, seated on a chair fixed onto a movable platform, were exposed to forward and backward translations (distance = 0.15 m, peak acceleration = 1.2 m/s²). The head and trunk kinematics as well as the EMG activity of 16 neck and trunk muscles were recorded. Neck and trunk angular displacements were computed in the sagittal plane. The centers of mass (COMs) of the head (HEAD), upper thorax (UPTX), lower thorax (LOWTX) and abdomen (ABDO) segments were also computed. Moments of force at the C7-T1 and L5-S1 levels were calculated using a top-down, inverse dynamics approach. Forward translations provoked greater overall COM peak displacements. The first peak of moment of force was also reached earlier following forward translations which may have played a role in preventing the trunk from leaning backwards. These responses can be explained by the higher postural threat imposed by a forward translation.     

Titanium dioxide-assisted photocatalytic induction of prophages to lytic cycle

The investigations on the kinetics of photocatalytic inactivation of bacteriophages, lactic bacteria and lysogenic lactic bacteria have shown that the rate of bacterial inactivation is ca. 10 times less than the inactivation of bacteriophages. Titania-assisted photorelease of bacteriophages from lysogenic bacteria proves that photogenerated reactive oxygen species affect the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of bacteria before their deactivation. On this basis a novel photocatalytic method of a prophage induction to the lytic cycle and detection of lysogenic bacteria is proposed.     

Analysis of apoptosis regulatory genes altered by histone deacetylase inhibitors in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a key role in the regulation of acetylation status not only of histones but also of many other non-histone proteins involved in cell cycle regulation, differentiation or apoptosis. Therefore, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have emerged as promising anticancer agents. Herein, we report the characterization of apoptosis in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) induced by two HDACi, Kendine 92 and SAHA. Both inhibitors induce dose-, time- and caspase-dependent apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Interestingly, Kendine 92 and SAHA show a selective cytotoxicity for B lymphocytes and induce apoptosis in CLL cells with mutated or deleted TP53 as effectively as in tumor cells harboring wild-type TP53. The pattern of apoptosis-related gene and protein expression profile has been characterized. It has shown to be irrespective of TP53 status and highly similar between SAHA and Kendine 92 exposure. The balance between the increased BAD, BNIP3L, BNIP3, BIM, PUMA and AIF mRNA expression levels, and decreased expression of BCL-W, BCL-2, BFL-1, XIAP and FLIP indicates global changes in the apoptosis mRNA expression profile consistent with the apoptotic outcome. Protein expression analysis shows increased levels of NOXA, BIM and PUMA proteins upon Kendine 92 and SAHA treatment. Our results highlight the capability of these molecules to induce apoptosis not only in a selective manner but also in those cells frequently resistant to standard treatments. Thus, Kendine 92 is a novel HDACi with anticancer efficacy for non-proliferating CLL cells.     

Thoughts of a Travelling Ecologist, 5. When the "worst case" is not bad enough

The condition of our Earth is changing,and it ischanging due to human dominance.We realised thatour influence on biota is overwhelming,building up toa mass extinction,the sixth in the history of life onEarth.The later this realisation is turned into action todecrease our fatal influence,the worse are the chancesof the survival of the human race.How can we fail?Oneplausible scenario is that this can happen via the loss ofecological services     

铬黄圆痕叶蝉属的订正及圆痕叶蝉族巴西二新属二新种描记（半翅目：叶蝉科）

基于比较形态学对曾归入圆痕叶蝉亚科铬黄圆痕叶蝉属Chromagallia的8个有效种（C. saucia (St?l), C. flavofasciata (St?l), C. longistilata (Coelho & Dutra), C. carvalhoi Gon?alves et al., C. lamasi Gon?alves et al., C. lanceolata Gon?alves et al., C. paraguayensis Gon?alves et al.和C. zanolae Gon?alves et al.）进行了订正,明确了该属的范围仅限于具有黄斑的3个种（C. flavofasciata (St?l), C. longistilata (Coelho & Dutra) 和C. rodriguesoi sp. nov.）,对该属进行了重新描述,并修订了鉴别特征。此外,对模式种C. flavofasciata 进行了重新描记,首次提供了C. longistilata的雌性生殖器图,并作了描记。把曾归入铬黄圆痕叶蝉属Chromagallia具有红斑的6个种移出并新建了2个新属：Rubragallia 和Neorubragallia,其中Rubragallia 包括R. saucia (St?l) n. comb.和R. paraguayensis (Gon?alves et al.) n. comb., Neorubragallia包括N. lamasi (Gon?alves et al.) n. comb., N. lanceolata (Gon?alves et al.) n. comb., N. zanolae (Gon?alves et al.) n. comb., N. carvalhoi (Gon?alves et al.) n. comb. 和N. mervini sp. nov.。文中提供了3个属的分种检索表,并对不同种的分类地位及3个属的划分进行了讨论。     

The message of nitric oxide in cadmium challenged plants

During the last decade it has been found that cadmium (Cd), one of the most toxic elements occurring in polluted environments, interferes with nitric oxide (NO), a multifunctional signaling molecule in living organisms. The formation of NO has been demonstrated in vivo in various plant tissues exposed to Cd stress, but unfortunately, the time and intensity of NO generation, relatively frequently shows conflicting data. What is more, there is still limited information regarding the functional role of endogenously produced NO in plants challenged with heavy metals. The first pharmacological approaches revealed that exogenously applied NO can alleviate cadmium toxicity in plants, promoting the direct scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or activating antioxidant enzymes. However, recent reports have indicated that NO even contributes to Cd toxicity by promoting Cd uptake and participates in metal-induced reduction of root growth. In view of this heterogeneous knowledge, much more puzzling if we consider results first obtained using exogenous NO sources, this review is focused mainly on the implication of endogenous NO in plant response to Cd exposure. Furthermore, a basic draft for NO mode of action during cadmium stress is proposed.     

Designing connected nature reserve networks using a graph theory approach

Habitat fragmentation has been cited as one of the critical reasons for biodiversity loss. Establishing connected nature reserve networks is an effective way to reduce habit fragmentation. However, the resources devoted to nature reserves have always been scarce. Therefore it is important to allocate our scarce resources in an optimal way. The optimal design of a reserve network which is effective both ecologically and economically has become an important research topic in the reserve design literature. The problem of optimal selection of a subset from a larger group of potential habitat sites is solved using either heuristic or formal optimization methods. The heuristic methods, although flexible and computationally fast, can not guarantee the solution is optimal therefore may lead to scarce resources being used in an ineffective way. The formal optimization methods, on the other hand, guarantees the solution is optimal, but it has been argued that it would be difficult to model site selection process using optimization models, especially when spatial attributes of the reserve have to be taken into account. This paper presents a linear integer programming model for the design of a minimal connected reserve network using a graph theory approach. A connected tree is determined corresponding to a connected reserve. Computational performance of the model is tested using datasets randomly generated by the software GAMS. Results show that the model can solve a connected reserve design problem which includes 100 potential sites and 30 species in a reasonable period of time. As an empirical application, the model is applied to the protection of endangered and threatened bird species in the Cache River basin area in Illinois, US. Two connected reserve networks are determined for 13 bird species.     

Monozygotic twins discordant for constitutive BRCA1 promoter methylation, childhood cancer and secondary cancer

We describe monozygotic twins discordant for childhood leukemia and secondary thyroid carcinoma. We used bisulfite pyrosequencing to compare the constitutive promoter methylation of BRCA1 and several other tumor suppressor genes in primary fibroblasts. The affected twin displayed an increased BRCA1 methylation (12%), compared with her sister (3%). Subsequent bisulfite plasmid sequencing demonstrated that 13% (6 of 47) BRCA1 alleles were fully methylated in the affected twin, whereas her sister displayed only single CpG errors without functional implications. This between-twin methylation difference was also found in irradiated fibroblasts and untreated saliva cells. The BRCA1 epimutation may have originated by an early somatic event in the affected twin: approximately 25% of her body cells derived from different embryonic cell lineages carry one epigenetically inactivated BRCA1 allele. This epimutation was associated with reduced basal protein levels and a higher induction of BRCA1 after DNA damage. In addition, we performed a genome-wide microarray analysis of both sisters and found several copy number variations, i.e., heterozygous deletion and reduced expression of the RSPO3 gene in the affected twin. This monozygotic twin pair represents an impressive example of epigenetic somatic mosaicism, suggesting a role for constitutive epimutations, maybe along with de novo genetic alterations in recurrent tumor development.