Mediators of ocular angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature. Pathologic angiogenesis in the eye can lead to severe visual impairment. In our review, we discuss the roles of both pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic molecular players in corneal angiogenesis, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, exudative macular degeneration and retinopathy of prematurity, highlighting novel targets that have emerged over the past decade.     

Facial Skin Coloration Affects Perceived Health of Human Faces

Numerous researchers have examined the effects of skin condition, including texture and color, on the perception of health, age, and attractiveness in human faces. They have focused on facial color distribution, homogeneity of pigmentation, or skin quality. We here investigate the role of overall skin color in determining perceptions of health from faces by allowing participants to manipulate the skin portions of color-calibrated Caucasian face photographs along CIELab color axes. To enhance healthy appearance, participants increased skin redness (a*), providing additional support for previous findings that skin blood color enhances the healthy appearance of faces. Participants also increased skin yellowness (b*) and lightness (L*), suggesting a role for high carotenoid and low melanin coloration in the healthy appearance of faces. The color preferences described here resemble the red and yellow color cues to health displayed by many species of nonhuman animals.     

Scale dependent effects of native prey diversity,prey biomass and natural disturbance on the invasion success of an exotic predator

There is growing support for the general notion that the drivers of invasion success often shift from biotic to abiotic factors with increasing spatial scale. Most of this research, however, has been conducted on a single trophic level; i.e. it has primarily looked at how the diversity of native competitors may influence invasion success. Less attention has been paid to understanding how native prey diversity may influence the invasion success of exotic predators and whether such biotic factors are scale-dependent. We used a hierarchical spatial survey of 17 stream communities to test whether native prey diversity, along with native prey biomass, algal resource abundance and annual stream discharge, influenced the abundance of an exotic crayfish predator, and whether the importance of these factors were scale-dependent. We used a hierarchical generalized linear model to evaluate the influence of these community and stream characteristics on exotic crayfish abundance at both the transect scale (1 m²) and the stream scale (400 m²). Our results indicated that at the stream scale, high stream discharge significantly limited invader abundance. However, at the smaller transect scale, native prey biomass was a significant driver of invasion success and positively correlated with invader abundance. We suggest that our results add to the emerging pattern that abiotic processes are stronger determinants of invasion success at large spatial scales, whereas biotic processes become more important with decreasing spatial scale. However, for predator invasions, prey biomass, not prey diversity may be a more important for driver of invasion success at small spatial scales.     

Cytogenetic effects of nine <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helichrysum</Emphasis> taxa in human lymphocytes culture

Helichrysum Mill. (Asteraceae) species have been used in folk medicine for thousands of years in the world. The in vitro cytogenetic effects in human lymphocytes of nine Helichrysum taxa used in Turkey folk medicine were investigated. Blood samples were obtained from healthy donors, non-smoking volunteers, which were incubated and exposed to increasing concentrations of methanol extracts of Helichrysum taxa (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 mg/mL). The inhibitory effects of H. stoechas (L.) Moench subsp. barrelieri (Ten.) Nyman, H. armenium DC. subsp. armenium, H. armenium DC. subsp. araxinum (Kirp.) Takht., H. plicatum DC. subsp. plicatum, H. compactum Boiss. and H. artvinense P.H.Davis & Kupicha on the mitotic index and replication index indicate that these taxa can have genotoxic and mutagenic effects. They should therefore not be used freely in alternative medicine although their antiproliferative activity may suggest anticarcinogenic properties. Increase effects of H. stoechas subsp. barrelieri, H. armenium subsp. armenium, H. armenium subsp. araxinum, H. chasmolycicum P.H.Davis, H. plicatum subsp. plicatum, H. compactum and H. artvinense on the micronucleus rates showed that these taxa can have genotoxic and carcinogenic effects.     

Assessment of Blood Contamination in Biological Fluids Using MALDI-TOF MS

Biological fluid sample collection often includes the risk of blood contamination that may alter the proteomic profile of biological fluid. In proteomics studies, exclusion of contaminated samples is usually based on visual inspection and counting of red blood cells in the sample; analysis of specific blood derived proteins is less used. To fill the gap, we developed a fast and sensitive method for ascertainment of blood contamination in crude biological fluids, based on specific blood-derived protein, hemoglobin detection by MALDI-TOF MS. The MALDI-TOF MS based method allows detection of trace hemoglobin with the detection limit of 0.12 nM. UV-spectrometry, which was used as reference method, was found to be less sensitive. The main advantages of the presented method are that it is fast, effective, sensitive, requires very small sample amount and can be applied for detection of blood contamination in various biological fluids collected for proteomics studies. Method applicability was tested on human cerebrospinal and follicular fluid, which proteomes generally do not contain hemoglobin, however, which possess high risk for blood contamination. Present method successfully detected the blood contamination in 12 % of cerebrospinal fluid and 24 % of follicular fluid samples. High percentage of contaminated samples accentuates the need for initial inspection of proteomic samples to avoid incorrect results from blood proteome overlap.     

Cultural longevity: Morin on cultural lineages

Morin has written a rich and valuable book. Its main aim is to isolate the factors involved in maintaining behavioural lineages over time, and to understand how these factors might interact. In doing so, it takes issue with the abstract and idealised models and arguments of dual-inheritance theorists, which are alleged in this account to rely on an overly simplistic notion of imitative learning. Morin’s book is full of ethnographic, anthropological, and psychological research, and there is much to commend in it. However, Morin’s arguments against the dual-inheritance theorists are less convincing when put under scrutiny, and his positive picture which includes appeals to ostensive communication, intrinsic appeal and cultural attraction has some difficulties. I argue that when we contrast dual-inheritance theorists and Morin, we find that there may be fewer differences and greater commonalities than Morin’s book might suggest.     

Xenotransplantation: Biotechnological Aspects and Current Attitudes

Xenotransplantation of organs from the large domestic species will only be successful if the donor animals have been genetically modified, in particular regarding the α-Gal epitope, certain human complements (CD55 and CD59) and/or H-transferase. This requires, among other things, major embryo-technological efforts, and the rate of success is still far from an acceptable level in the domestic species. It is currently poor, but the progress is very good. In this brief review certain embryo-technological problems will be addressed with the focus on the pig as potential organ donor. In addition, certain views of the Danish ad hoc Committee on Gene Technology on xenotransplantation will be presented in this context as they are supposed to mirror the concern and the views of the issues important for the public and each individual.     

A rare hybridization event in two common Caribbean wrasses (genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halichoeres</Emphasis>; family Labridae)

Molecular tools were used to evaluate the hybrid status of a specimen with intermediate colour pattern between Halichoeres bivittatus and Halichoeres garnoti from Belize. Phylogenetic analyses of the two species, eight Halichoeres species from new and old world lineages and two outgroups showed that the study species are closely related and that H. garnoti is the maternal contributor to the putative hybrid specimen, based on partial mitochondrial COI data. Direct sequencing of Intron 1 of the nuclear ribosomal protein S7 identified H. bivittatus as sister to H. garnoti with the putative hybrid specimen in an intermediate position, due to heterozygosity at nucleotides alternatively fixed in the two putative parent species. This is consistent with the hybrid status of the specimen, with parental contributions from both H. garnoti and H. bivittatus. These results, combined with no evidence of introgression between the two parent species (based on the mtDNA and the single investigated nuclear marker) and the biogeography and ecology of these species suggests that this is a rare event with minimal evolutionary implications.     

GIS-based Tools for Regional Assessments and Planning Processes Regarding Potential Environmental Effects of Poplar SRC

Based on regional stakeholder preferences and planning guidelines as allocation criteria for SRC, this study aims at providing a transparent approach to evaluate multiple environmental effects and the regional significance of SRC systems. Using the example of two poplar SRC-systems (4-year rotation, 9-year rotation) the potential effects on ground water supply, wind erosion, and biodiversity aspects are evaluated in comparison to arable land for two selected municipalities in the district of Uelzen, Germany. Building on fuzzy membership functions and simple fuzzy-logic rules, the qualitative multi-criteria assessment is transparent and easily to adapt. This approach is transferable to other regions and spatial levels, since it derives from commonly available data and scientific evidence. Results show that implementation of SRC could provide multiple beneficial environmental effects, especially in areas with low landscape heterogeneity. The tools provided allow for a multi-criteria evaluation of environmental effects, and reveal the sensitivity to distinct allocation patterns. Physiographical conditions of the study area implicate a preference for mini-SRC systems. This is supported by smaller decline of annual deep percolation water compared to maxi-SRC. On average, decline in groundwater recharge of mini-SRC (92mm a⁻¹) is comparable to irrigated arable land (80mm a⁻¹), which is common practice in the study area. Currently, the utilization of beneficial environmental SRC effects is quite limited, since only 3 % of arable land is suitable for SRC implementation regarding farmers’ preferences for SRC allocation. Allocation preferences could however change substantially with increasing incentives for SRC, e.g., due to regional bioenergy schemes or “Greening” initiatives within the European Common Agricultural Policy, which is to be reformed by 2013.