The physical and mechanical effects of suspension-induced osteopenia on mouse long bones.

The present investigation addresses the extent of tail-suspension effects on the long bones of mice. The effects are explored in both sexes, in both forelimb and hindlimb bones, and in both diaphyseal and metaphyseal/epiphyseal bones. Two weeks of suspension provided unloading of the femora and tibiae and an altered loading of the humeri. Whole-bone effects included lower mass (approximately 10%) and length (approximately 4%) in the bones of suspended mice compared to controls. The geometric and material properties of the femora were considered along the entire length of the diaphysis and in the metaphysis/epiphysis portions as a unit. Geometric effects included lower cross-sectional cortical area (16%), cortical thickness (25%) and moment of inertia (21%) in the femora of suspended mice; these differences were observed in both distal and proximal portions of the femur diaphysis. The relative amount of bone comprising the middle 8 mm of the diaphysis was greater (3%) in the control mice than in the suspended mice. Significant mass differences between the group in the metaphysis/epiphysis were not observed. Material effects included lower %ash (approximately 2%) in the femora and tibiae as well as in the humeri of suspended mice compared to controls. With respect to the measured physical and material properties, suspension produced similar bone responses in male and female mice. The effects of suspension are manifested largely through geometric rather than through material changes.     

Conversion of furfural into furfuryl alcohol by saccharomyces cervisiae 354

The influence of aeration, stirring conditions, and the addition of furfural on the yield and productivity of furfural – furfuryl alcohol bioconversion by the yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae 354 was investigated. The formation of furfuryl alcohol increases up to 32 hours of incubation corresponding to the addition of furfural, while the cell growth essentially ceased at 20 hours. The conversion of furfural into furfuryl alcohol under anaerobic and low aeration conditions was 70% and the productivity 0.5g · 1^?1 · h^?1, when the final concentrationof of furfural amounted to 35 g · 1^?1.     

Influence of the nitrogen source on growth and ethanol production byPichia stipitis NRRL Y-7124

Summary Growth and ethanol production byPichia stipitis in media containing different nitrogen sources were compared. Ammonium sulphate (plus vitamins and trace elements) increased ethanol productivity 57% and ethanol-biomass yield 113%, compared to yeast extract. Consumption of ammoniu, amino-acids and total nitrogen was determined. Two ammonium effects, low uptake in complex media and fermentation stimulation in defined media are discussed in terms of ammonium- ammonia futile cycling and maintenance energy.     

Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of novel isoquinoline N-sulphonylhydrazones designed as ROCK inhibitors

In this study, we synthesized a new congener series of N-sulphonylhydrazones designed as candidate ROCK inhibitors using the molecular hybridization of the clinically approved drug fasudil (1) and the IKK-β inhibitor LASSBio-1524 (2). Among the synthesized compounds, the N-methylated derivative 11 (LASSBio-2065) showed the best inhibitory profile for both ROCK isoforms, with IC₅₀ values of 3.1 and 3.8?µM for ROCK1 and ROCK2, respectively. Moreover, these compounds were also active in the scratch assay performed in human breast cancer MDA-MB 231 cells and did not display toxicity in MTT and LDH assays. Molecular modelling studies provided insights into the possible binding modes of these N-sulphonylhydrazones, which present a new molecular architecture capable of being optimized and developed as therapeutically useful ROCK inhibitors.     

Surviving in hot and cold: psychrophiles and thermophiles from Deception Island volcano,Antarctica

Extremophiles - Polar volcanoes harbor unique conditions of extreme temperature gradients capable of selecting different types of extremophiles. Deception Island is a marine stratovolcano located...     

Cysteine cathepsins B,X and K expression in peri-arteriolar glioblastoma stem cell niches

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal brain tumor also due to malignant and therapy-resistant GBM stem cells (GSCs) that are localized in protecting hypoxic GSC niches. Some members of the cysteine cathepsin family of proteases have been found to be upregulated in GBM. Cathepsin K gene expression is highly elevated in GBM tissue versus normal brain and it has been suggested to regulate GSC migration out of the niches. Here, we investigated the cellular distribution of cathepsins B, X and K in GBM tissue and whether these cathepsins are co-localized in GSC niches. Therefore, we determined expression of these cathepsins in serial paraffin sections of 14 human GBM samples and serial cryostat sections of two samples using immunohistochemistry and metabolic mapping of cathepsin activity using selective fluorogenic substrates. We detected cathepsins B, X and K in peri-arteriolar GSC niches in 9 out of 16 GBM samples, which were defined by co-expression of the GSC marker CD133, the niche marker stromal-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) and smooth muscle actin as a marker for arterioles. The expression of cathepsin B and X was detected in stromal cells and cancer cells throughout the GBM sections, whereas cathepsin K expression was more restricted to arteriole-rich regions in the GBM sections. Metabolic mapping showed that cathepsin B, but not cathepsin K is active in GSC niches. On the basis of these findings, it is concluded that cathepsins B, X and K have distinct functions in GBM and that cathepsin K is the most likely GSC niche-related cathepsin of the three cathepsins investigated.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota) communities in tropical savannas of Roraima,Brazil

Savanna vegetation in the northern region of Brazil is jeopardized by several anthropogenic activities including cattle ranching and extensive agriculture, and soil biota of these ecosystems is virtually unknown. The soils in savannas are poor in nutrients, very acidic, and subject to drought, and under these conditions, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are likely to play a key role on plant nutrition and improving soil structure. In this study, we surveyed AMF communities in five savanna locations in Roraima state, Northern Brazil. AMF species were identified using two approaches: field collected spores and trap cultures. Twenty-three AMF species were identified, including 21 species in field samples, 8 species in trap cultures, of which 15 and 2 were unique to field and trap culture samples, respectively. Gigaspora margarita, Dentiscutata heterogama, and Glomus sp1 were the most frequent species recovered from all locations. AMF communities were dominated by members of Gigasporaceae that accounted for 50 to 87% of the total species richness within each location. Spore numbers differed across locations and ranged from 5 to 25 spores 100 cm^?3 soil. Redundancy analysis indicated that soil organic matter was the only selected predictor among soil parameters and correlated positively with occurrence of Glomus heterosporum. We conclude that savannas in Roraima harbor a high sporulating AMF species richness with communities dominated by members of Gigasporaceae and that organic carbon is an important edaphic factor influencing AMF community composition in this ecosystem.