Effects of α-MSH and melatonin on passive avoidance and on PA-induced defecation and plasma 11-OHCS in hypophysectomized rats

The present study shows that α-MSH facilitates the acquisition and delays the extinction of a Passive Avoidance Response (PAR) in the hypox animals. MSH exacerbates PA-induced defecation in both hypox and sham-hypox animals. Hypox and sham-hypox animals treated with MSH do not differ on PAR or on PA-induced defecation. Melatonin, on the other hand, has no significant effect on PAR in hypox rats, but retards acquisition and facilitates extinction of the PAR in sham-hypox rats. Melatonin also inhibits PA-induced defecation in sham-hypox rats. Sham-hypox and hypox rats treated with Melatonin do not differ on PAR learning, retention (Extinction) and PA-induced defecation. MSH and Melatonin also seem to have opposite effects on plasma 11-OHCS levels measured at the end of PAR extinction. MSH increases plasma 11-OHCS in hypox rats, whereas Melatonin decreases plasma 11-OHCS in sham-hypox rats. Melatonin does not lower further the very low level of plasma 11-OHCS in hypox rats.     

When to rely on maternal effects and when on phenotypic plasticity?

Existing insight suggests that maternal effects have a substantial impact on evolution, yet these predictions assume that maternal effects themselves are evolutionarily constant. Hence, it is poorly understood how natural selection shapes maternal effects in different ecological circumstances. To overcome this, the current study derives an evolutionary model of maternal effects in a quantitative genetics context. In constant environments, we show that maternal effects evolve to slight negative values that result in a reduction of the phenotypic variance (canalization). By contrast, in populations experiencing abrupt change, maternal effects transiently evolve to positive values for many generations, facilitating the transmission of beneficial maternal phenotypes to offspring. In periodically fluctuating environments, maternal effects evolve according to the autocorrelation between maternal and offspring environments, favoring positive maternal effects when change is slow, and negative maternal effects when change is rapid. Generally, the strongest maternal effects occur for traits that experience very strong selection and for which plasticity is severely constrained. By contrast, for traits experiencing weak selection, phenotypic plasticity enhances the evolutionary scope of maternal effects, although maternal effects attain much smaller values throughout. As weak selection is common, finding substantial maternal influences on offspring phenotypes may be more challenging than anticipated.     

Folding up and Moving on—Nascent Protein Folding on the Ribosome

All cellular proteins are synthesized by the ribosome, an intricate molecular machine that translates the information of protein coding genes into the amino acid alphabet. The linear polypeptides synthesized by the ribosome must generally fold into specific three-dimensional structures to become biologically active. Folding has long been recognized to begin before synthesis is complete. Recently, biochemical and biophysical studies have shed light onto how the ribosome shapes the folding pathways of nascent proteins. Here, we discuss recent progress that is beginning to define the role of the ribosome in the folding of newly synthesized polypeptides.     

Immobilization and stabilization of α-galactosidase on Sepabeads EC-EA and EC-HA

α-Galactosidase from tomato has been immobilized on Sepabead EC-EA and Sepabead EC-HA, which were activated with ethylendiamino and hexamethylenediamino groups, respectively. Two strategy was used for the covalent immobilization of α-galactosidase on the aminated Sepabeads: covalent immobilization of enzyme on glutaraldehyde activated support and cross-linking of the adsorbed enzymes on to the support with glutaraldehyde. By using these two methods, all the immobilized enzymes retained very high activity and the stability of the enzyme was also improved. The obtained results showed that, the most stable immobilized α-galactosidase was obtained with the second strategy. The immobilized enzymes were characterized with respect to free counterpart. Some parameters effecting to the enzyme activity and stability were also analyzed. The optimum temperature and pH were found as 60 °C and pH 5.5 for all immobilized enzymes, respectively. All the immobilized α-galactosidases were more thermostable than the free enzyme at 50 °C. The stabilities of the Sepabead EC-EA and EC-HA adsorbed enzymes treated with glutaraldehyde compared to the stability of the free enzyme were a factor of 6 for Sepabead EC-EA and 5.3 for Sepabead EC-HA. Both the free and immobilized enzymes were very stable between pH 3.0 and 6.0 and more than 85% of the initial activities were recovered. Under the identical storage conditions the free enzyme lost its initial activity more quickly than the immobilized enzymes at the same period of time. The immobilized α-galactosidase seems to fulfill the requirements for different industrial applications.     

Ulltrastructural and trace metal studies on radiographers’ hair and nails

Scalp hair and fingernail samples of 42 medical radiographers and 42 nonradiographers (control) with matching age groups and food habits were collected for this study. Trace metal estimation by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) has indicated a significant increase (P < 0.001) in Zn, Cu, and Cd contents in the radiographers’ hair and nails. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveled structural changes in the hair and nails of radiographers. Significant alterations in the Zn and Cd contents along with extensive structural damage in the hair and nails probably indicate that low-dose Χ-radiation imposes stress on these radiation workers.     

Studies on α-D-mannosidase and ConA during jackbean development and germination

Summary Changes in the level and activity of -D-mannosidase and ConA have been followed during a time-course of development spanning seed formation, desiccation and germination. In parallel studies, immunogold labelling has enabled these changes to be placed within a structural context of the cotyledon parenchyma cells during protein body formation, dehydration and subsequent autolysis during germination.The results indicate that the exo-glycosidase and lectin accumulate in parallel during seed formation and are packaged within the same protein bodies. Several lines of evidence suggest that the function of both proteins is related to events that occur during seed development rather than germination.Abbreviations BSA bovine serum albumin - ConA concanavalin A - DPA days post-anthesis - DPI days post-imbibition - Man D-mannose - PBS phosphate buffered saline - RIA radioimmunoassay - ER endoplasmic reticulum - GA Golgi apparatus - SDS-PAGE polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate     

Biotic resistance on coral reefs? Direct and indirect effects of native predators and competitors on invasive lionfish

Coral Reefs - Biotic resistance is the ability of an ecological community to prevent or limit the establishment or success of non-indigenous species. Native species can confer resistance by...     

Working on Sundays–effects on safety, health, and work-life balance

Several attributes of the work schedule can increase the risk of occupational injuries and accidents, health impairments, and reduced social participation. Although previous studies mainly focused on the effects of shiftwork and long working hours on employee health and safety, there is little evidence of a potential negative impact of working Sundays on the incidence of occupational accidents, health impairments, and work-life balance. A representative sample of employed workers in 31 member and associated states of the European Union (n?=?23,934) served as the database for a cross-sectional analysis. The sample was collected via face-to-face interviews in the year 2005. The association of the risks of occupational accidents, health impairments, and decreases in work-life balance with working Sundays was calculated using logistic regression models, controlling for potential confounders, such as shiftwork, workload, and demographic characteristics. The results indicated that working one or more Sundays/month was associated with increase both in the risk of reporting one or more health impairments (odds ratio [OR]: 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-1.29) and poorer work-life balance (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02-1.28). These effects remained after controlling for potentially confounding factors, such as other work schedule attributes, intensity of physical and mental workload, and individual characteristics. Furthermore, working Sundays was also related to increased risk of occupational accidents within the last year (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.03-1.73). Controlling again for individual, workload, and working-time characteristics, a significant association with accident risk, however, remained only in work sectors with low a priori risk of occupational accidents (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.02-1.91), although the increased risk could be observed for both medium and high a priori risk sectors working Sundays (without controlling for additional confounders). The results thus indicate that the detrimental effects of working Sundays on safety, health, and social well-being should be taken into account when designing work schedules. The potential hazards to employees' safety, health, and work-life balance, in particular, should be considered in discussions concerning extending work on Sundays in certain sectors, e.g., retail.     

Meta-analysis and research on host–parasite interactions: past and future

Host–parasite interactions are characterised by a lack of stable species-specific traits that limits generalisations one can make even about particular host or parasite species. For instance, the virulence, life history traits or transmission mode of a given parasite species can depend on which of its suitable hosts it infects. In the search for general rules or patterns, meta-analysis provides a possible solution to the challenges posed by the highly variable outcomes of host–parasite interactions. It allows an estimate of the overall association between any factor and its biological response that transcends the particulars of given host and parasite taxonomic combinations. In this review, we begin with a historical overview of the use of meta-analysis in research on the ecology and evolution of host–parasite interactions. We then identify several key conceptual advances that were made possible only through meta-analytical synthesis. For example, meta-analysis revealed the predominant association between rates of host and parasite gene flow and local adaptation, as well as an unexpected latitudinal gradient in parasite virulence, or parasite-induced host mortality. Finally, we propose some areas of research on host–parasite interactions that are based on a mature theoretical foundation and for which there now exist sufficient primary results to make them ripe for meta-analysis. The search for the processes causing variability in parasite species richness among host species, and the link between the expression of host resistance and the specificity of parasites, are two such research areas. The main objective of this review is to promote meta-analysis as a synthetic tool overriding the idiosyncrasies of specific host–parasite combinations and capable of uncovering the universal trends, if any, in the evolutionary ecology of parasitism.     

Special Issue on “Microbiome and Health”

<正>The journal Genomics,ProteomicsBioinformatics(GPB)is now inviting submissions to a special issue(to be published in the fall of 2017)on the topic of‘‘Microbiome and Health’’.In the era of precision medicine,the human‘‘2nd genome’’,namely the human microbiome,is of increasing interest worldwide.Firstly,the human microbiome has been linked to various     

Special Issue on “Microbiome and Health”

正The journal Genomics,ProteomicsBioinformatics(GPB)is now inviting submissions to a special issue(to be published in the fall of 2017)on the topic of‘‘Microbiome and Health’’.In the era of precision medicine,the human‘‘2ndgenome’’,namely the human microbiome,is of increasing interest worldwide.Firstly,the human microbiome has been linked to various diseases including metabolic diseases,cancers,heart diseases,or brain disorders,and autoimmune     

Special Issue on “Microbiome and Health”

正The journal Genomics,ProteomicsBioinformatics(GPB)is now inviting submissions to a special issue(to be published in the fall of 2018)on the topic of"Microbiome and Health".In the era of precision medicine,the human"2ndgenome",namely the human microbiome,is of increasing interest worldwide.Firstly,the human microbiome has been linked to various diseases including metabolic diseases,cancers,heart diseases,or brain disorders,and autoimmune diseases.Secondly,changes in the microbiome are known or hypothesized to be proxies for     

Special Issue on “Microbiome and Health”

正The journal Genomics,ProteomicsBioinformatics(GPB)is now inviting submissions to a special issue(to be published in the fall of 2018)on the topic of‘‘Microbiome and Health’’.In the era of precision medicine,the humannamely the human microbiome,is of increasing interest worldwide.Firstly,the human microbiome has been linked to various diseases including metabolic diseases,cancers,heart diseases,or brain disorders,and autoimmune diseases.Secondly,changes in the microbiome are known or hypothesized to be proxies for environmental or host phenotypical changes.Thirdly,the rational alteration of disturbed human     

Solvent Effect and Anchimeric Assistance on α-Glycosylation

The condensation reaction of 3-acetamido-2,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl chloride, 6-acetamido-2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-d-glucopyranosyl chloride and 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-α-d-glucopyranosyl chloride were performed by a modified Königs-Knorr method. The rapid conversion of the benzyl halogeno derivative of 3-acetamido-3-deoxy-d-glucose to a stable intermediate caused a poor yield in the glucoside formation with complex aglycons at the presence of dioxane. For the benzyl halogeno derivative of 6-acetamido-6-deoxy-d-glucose, the C-6 acetamido group was favorable to the α-glucoside formation by its anchimeric assistance. A favorable effect of dioxane was observed for the α-glucoside formation of benzyl halogeno derivative of d-glucose.     

Special Issue on “Microbiome and Health”

<正>The journal Genomics,ProteomicsBioinformatics(GPB)is now inviting submissions to a special issue(to be published in the Fall of 2017)on the topic of‘‘Microbiome and Health’’.In the era of precision medicine,the human‘‘2ndgenome’’,namely the human microbiome,is of increasing interest worldwide.Firstly,the human microbiome has been linked to various     

Working on Sundays–Effects on Safety,Health, and Work-life Balance

Several attributes of the work schedule can increase the risk of occupational injuries and accidents, health impairments, and reduced social participation. Although previous studies mainly focused on the effects of shiftwork and long working hours on employee health and safety, there is little evidence of a potential negative impact of working Sundays on the incidence of occupational accidents, health impairments, and work-life balance. A representative sample of employed workers in 31 member and associated states of the European Union (n?=?23,934) served as the database for a cross-sectional analysis. The sample was collected via face-to-face interviews in the year 2005. The association of the risks of occupational accidents, health impairments, and decreases in work-life balance with working Sundays was calculated using logistic regression models, controlling for potential confounders, such as shiftwork, workload, and demographic characteristics. The results indicated that working one or more Sundays/month was associated with increase both in the risk of reporting one or more health impairments (odds ratio [OR]: 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06–1.29) and poorer work-life balance (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02–1.28). These effects remained after controlling for potentially confounding factors, such as other work schedule attributes, intensity of physical and mental workload, and individual characteristics. Furthermore, working Sundays was also related to increased risk of occupational accidents within the last year (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.03–1.73). Controlling again for individual, workload, and working-time characteristics, a significant association with accident risk, however, remained only in work sectors with low a priori risk of occupational accidents (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.02–1.91), although the increased risk could be observed for both medium and high a priori risk sectors working Sundays (without controlling for additional confounders). The results thus indicate that the detrimental effects of working Sundays on safety, health, and social well-being should be taken into account when designing work schedules. The potential hazards to employees' safety, health, and work-life balance, in particular, should be considered in discussions concerning extending work on Sundays in certain sectors, e.g., retail. (Author correspondence: awirtz@hsph.harvard.edu)     

Characteristics of flux and gel layer on microfilter and non-woven fabric filter surface based on anoxic–aerobic MBRs

Non-woven fabric filter- (NWFF) and microfilter-MBR modules were made using 100?μm polypropylene and 0.25?μm polyethylene materials, respectively. The performances and mechanisms of the two processes were investigated, including additional batch filtration tests to find the function of the dynamic gel layer on the membrane surface. The HRT of both MBRs was 9?h and the operating permeate flux was 13?L/m(2)/h. The two MBRs consisted of an anoxic and aerobic reactor. The NWFF or microfilter (MF) was submerged in each of the aerobic reactors. The two MBRs showed similar performances for the removal of organic matters, suspended solids and nitrogen. Cake formation on the NWFF contributed to major resistance, while the gel layer on the microfilter or internal fouling of the pores played a key role in the fouling of the membrane surface. The amount of soluble extracellular polymer substances (EPS) (13?mg/L) of the attached sludge on the NWFF surface was larger than that (11?mg/L) of that suspended sludge. Consequently, the functional gel layer for the coarse and microfilter is established based on the relationship among the EPS, transmembrane pressure and MLSS.     

Special Issue on “Microbiome and Health”

<正>The journal Genomics,ProteomicsBioinformatics(GPB)is now inviting submissions to a special issue(to be published in the summer of 2018)on the topic of‘‘Microbiome and Health’’.In the era of precision medicine,the human‘‘2~(nd) genome’’,namely the human microbiome,is