Placentation in dolphins from the Amazon River Basin: the Boto, Inia geoffrensis, and the Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis

A recent reassessment of the phylogenetic affinities of cetaceans makes it timely to compare their placentation with that of the artiodactyls. We studied the placentae of two sympatric species of dolphin from the Amazon River Basin, representing two distinct families. The umbilical cord branched to supply a bilobed allantoic sac. Small blood vessels and smooth muscle bundles were found within the stroma of the cord. Foci of squamous metaplasia occurred in the allanto-amnion and allantochorion. The interhemal membrane of the placenta was of the epitheliochorial type. Two different types of trophoblastic epithelium were seen. Most was of the simple columnar type and indented by fetal capillaries. However, there were also areolar regions with tall columnar trophoblast and these were more sparsely supplied with capillaries. The endometrium was well vascularised and richly supplied with actively secreting glands. These findings are consistent with the current view that Cetacea are nested within Artiodactyla as sister group to the hippopotamids.     

Life cycle assessment and life cycle cost of repairing surgical scissors

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment - The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental impact and financial cost of repairing surgical scissors. We used life...     

HIF-VEGF pathways are critical for chronic otitis media in Junbo and Jeff mouse mutants

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the commonest cause of hearing loss in children, yet the underlying genetic pathways and mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. Ventilation of the middle ear with tympanostomy tubes is the commonest surgical procedure in children and the best treatment for chronic OME, but the mechanism by which they work remains uncertain. As hypoxia is a common feature of inflamed microenvironments, moderation of hypoxia may be a significant contributory mechanism. We have investigated the occurrence of hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) mediated responses in Junbo and Jeff mouse mutant models, which develop spontaneous chronic otitis media. We found that Jeff and Junbo mice labeled in vivo with pimonidazole showed cellular hypoxia in inflammatory cells in the bulla lumen, and in Junbo the middle ear mucosa was also hypoxic. The bulla fluid inflammatory cell numbers were greater and the upregulation of inflammatory gene networks were more pronounced in Junbo than Jeff. Hif-1α gene expression was elevated in bulla fluid inflammatory cells, and there was upregulation of its target genes including Vegfa in Junbo and Jeff. We therefore investigated the effects in Junbo of small-molecule inhibitors of VEGFR signaling (PTK787, SU-11248, and BAY 43-9006) and destabilizing HIF by inhibiting its chaperone HSP90 with 17-DMAG. We found that both classes of inhibitor significantly reduced hearing loss and the occurrence of bulla fluid and that VEGFR inhibitors moderated angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in the inflamed middle ear mucosa. The effectiveness of HSP90 and VEGFR signaling inhibitors in suppressing OM in the Junbo model implicates HIF-mediated VEGF as playing a pivotal role in OM pathogenesis. Our analysis of the Junbo and Jeff mutants highlights the role of hypoxia and HIF-mediated pathways, and we conclude that targeting molecules in HIF-VEGF signaling pathways has therapeutic potential in the treatment of chronic OM.     

Topochemical distribution of lignin and hydroxycinnamic acids in sugar-cane cell walls and its correlation with the enzymatic hydrolysis of polysaccharides

Background  

Lignin and hemicelluloses are the major components limiting enzyme infiltration into cell walls. Determination of the topochemical distribution of lignin and aromatics in sugar cane might provide important data on the recalcitrance of specific cells. We used cellular ultraviolet (UV) microspectrophotometry (UMSP) to topochemically detect lignin and hydroxycinnamic acids in individual fiber, vessel and parenchyma cell walls of untreated and chlorite-treated sugar cane. Internodes, presenting typical vascular bundles and sucrose-storing parenchyma cells, were divided into rind and pith fractions.     

The role of prophage-like elements in the diversity of Salmonella enterica serovars

The Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi CT18 (S.Typhi) chromosome harbours seven distinct prophage-like elements, some of which may encode functional bacteriophages. In silico analyses were used to investigate these regions in S.Typhi CT18, and ultimately compare these integrated bacteriophages against 40 other Salmonella isolates using DNA microarray technology. S.Typhi CT18 contains prophages that show similarity to the lambda, Mu, P2 and P4 bacteriophage families. When compared to other S.Typhi isolates, these elements were generally conserved, supporting a clonal origin of this serovar. However, distinct variation was detected within a broad range of Salmonella serovars; many of the prophage regions are predicted to be specific to S.Typhi. Some of the P2 family prophage analysed have the potential to carry non-essential "cargo" genes within the hyper-variable tail region, an observation that suggests that these bacteriophage may confer a level of specialisation on their host. Lysogenic bacteriophages therefore play a crucial role in the generation of genetic diversity within S.enterica.     

Identification of 491 proteins in the tear fluid proteome reveals a large number of proteases and protease inhibitors

Background  

The tear film is a thin layer of fluid that covers the ocular surface and is involved in lubrication and protection of the eye. Little is known about the protein composition of tear fluid but its deregulation is associated with disease states, such as diabetic dry eyes. This makes this body fluid an interesting candidate for in-depth proteomic analysis.     

Persistent nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence polymorphism in the Amelanchier agamic complex (Rosaceae)

Individual plants of several Amelanchier taxa contain many polymorphic nucleotide sites in the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA). This polymorphism is unusual because it is not recent in origin and thus has resisted homogenization by concerted evolution. Amelanchier ITS sequence polymorphism is hypothesized to be the result of gene flow between two major North American clades resolved by phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequences. Western North American species plus A. humilis and A. sanguinea of eastern North America form one clade (A), and the remaining eastern North American Amelanchier make up clade B. Five eastern North American taxa are polymorphic at many of the nucleotide sites where clades A and B have diverged and are thought to be of hybrid origin, with A. humilis or A. sanguinea as one parent and various members of clade B as the other parent. Morphological evidence suggests that A. humilis is one of the parents of one of the polymorphic taxa, a microspecies that we refer to informally as A. "erecta." Sequences of 21 cloned copies of the ITS1- 5.8S gene-ITS2 region from one A. "erecta" individual are identical to A. humilis sequence or to the clade B consensus sequence, or they are apparent recombinants of A. humilis and clade B ITS repeats. Amelanchier "erecta" and another polymorphic taxon are suspected to be relatively old because both grow several hundred kilometers beyond the range of one of their parents. ITS sequence polymorphisms have apparently persisted in these two taxa perhaps because of polyploidy and/or agamospermy (asexual seed production), which are prevalent in the genus.      

Association analysis of some drought related characters in hexaploid spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

The association among yield components and their direct and indirect influence on the grain yield of wheat were investigated. 24 breeding lines were tested in a randomized complete block experiment design with three replications. According to the results the phenotypic correlation among the traits and their path coefficient were estimated. Positive significant correlation coefficients were obtained for association between survival rate treatment I, III, leaf venation, stomatal frequency, osmotic pressure, flag leaf area and number of tillers per plant with grain yield per plant at both phenotypic and genotypic levels. Negatively significant correlation between hygrophilic colloids and epidermal cell size with grain yield per plant was obtained at phenotypic and genotypic levels. Path coefficient was also computed to estimate the contribution of character to the yield. Path coefficient analysis revealed that flag leaf area, root/shoot ratio and survival rate II had the highest positive direct effects on grain yield, while hygrophilic colloids and osmotic pressure had negative direct effect on grain yield. These results thus obtained suggested that flag leaf area is an important component of yield and hence needs special attention in selection strategies.     

The ameliorative effects of vinpocetine on apoptosis and HSP-70 expression in testicular torsion in rats

Vinpocetine is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger. We investigated the effects of vinpocetine on torsion/detorsion (T/D) induced testicular damage, HSP-70 expression and germ cell apoptosis in rats. Sixty Wistar albino adult male rats were divided into five groups of 12. The groups comprised a control group, a sham treated group, a T/D group, a vinpocetine treated group, and a T/D plus vinpocetine treated group. The left testis of each rat was subjected to unilateral torsion followed by detorsion after 2 h. Vinpocetine was administered intraperitoneally immediately and for 10 days following detorsion. At the end of the study, the rats were sacrificed and their testes removed and processed. HSP-70 expression, apoptosis and histopathological damage scores were determined for each group. Testicular T/D caused significant increases in apoptosis and HSP-70 expression, and a significant decrease in Johnsen’s testicular biopsy scores and mean seminiferous tubule diameter. Vinpocetine ameliorated testicular histopathology and HSP-70 expression in the T/D + vinpocetine group. Consequently, vinpocetine may prevent testicular injury following testicular torsion owing to its antioxidant effects.