Protective effects of long term dietary restriction on swimming exercise-induced oxidative stress in the liver, heart and kidney of rat

In this study, we evaluated the hypothesis that long term dietary restriction would have beneficial effects on the oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme systems in liver, heart and kidney in adult male rats undergoing different intensities of swimming exercise. Sixty male, Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned as either dietary restricted on every other week day (DR) or fed ad libitum (AL) groups, and each group was further subdivided into sedentary, endurance swimming exercise training (submaximal exercise) and exhaustive swimming exercise (maximal exercise) groups. Animals in the submaximal exercise group swam 5 days/week for 8 weeks, while maximal exercise was performed as an acute bout of exercise. In parallel with the increase in the intensity of the exercise, the degree of lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation were increased in both the DR and AL groups; however the rate of increase was lower in the DR group. Reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione reductase (GR) enzyme activities were lower in the DR group than in the AL group. In parallel with the increase in exercise intensity, GSH and GR enzyme activities decreased, whereas an increase was observed in GSH-Px enzyme activity. In conclusion, the comparison between the DR and AL groups with the three swimming exercise conditions shows that the DR group is greatly protected against different swimming exercise-induced oxidative stress compared with the AL group.     

Elemanolide sesquiterpenes and eudesmane sesquiterpene glycosides from Centaurea hierapolitana

Two elemanolide sesquiterpenes and two eudesmane-type sesquiterpene glycosides named hierapolitanins A-D, were isolated, together with five known compounds, two flavones; hispidulin and jaceosidin, a flavon-C-glycoside, shaftoside, a flavonol glycoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and a neolignan, dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol from the aerial parts of Centaurea hierapolitana Boiss. (Asteraceae). Structure elucidations were based on spectroscopic evidence.     

Single-molecule fluorescence to study molecular motors

Molecular motors, which use energy from ATP hydrolysis to take nanometer-scale steps with run-lengths on the order of micrometers, have important roles in areas such as transport and mitosis in living organisms. New techniques have recently been developed to measure these small movements at the single-molecule level. In particular, fluorescence imaging has contributed to the accurate measurement of this tiny movement. We introduce three single-molecule fluorescence imaging techniques which can find the position of a fluorophore with accuracy in the range of a few nanometers. These techniques are named after Hollywood animation characters: Fluorescence Imaging with One Nanometer Accuracy (FIONA), Single-molecule High-REsolution Colocalization (SHREC), and Defocused Orientation and Position Imaging (DOPI). We explain new understanding of molecular motors obtained from measurements using these techniques.     

Sampling genetic diversity in the sympatrically and allopatrically speciating Midas cichlid species complex over a 16 year time series

Background  

Speciation often occurs in complex or uncertain temporal and spatial contexts. Processes such as reinforcement, allopatric divergence, and assortative mating can proceed at different rates and with different strengths as populations diverge. The Central American Midas cichlid fish species complex is an important case study for understanding the processes of speciation. Previous analyses have demonstrated that allopatric processes led to species formation among the lakes of Nicaragua as well as sympatric speciation that is occurring within at least one crater lake. However, since speciation is an ongoing process and sampling genetic diversity of such lineages can be biased by collection scheme or random factors, it is important to evaluate the robustness of conclusions drawn on individual time samples.     

New material of Palaeoamasia kansui (Embrithopoda,Mammalia) from the Eocene of Turkey and a phylogenetic analysis of Embrithopoda at the species level

Since the discovery of the megaherbivore Arsinoitherium zitteli Beadnell (early Oligocene of Egypt), the extinct order Embrithopoda has remained an enigmatic group, with disputed affinities among ungulates. In this study, new specimens of Palaeoamasia kansui from the early Palaeogene of Turkey are described and a synthetic dental terminology is proposed for embrithopods. Based on 130 cranial–mandibular and dental characters, the first phylogenetic analysis of embrithopods is carried out in aim to enhance the position of Palaeoamasia within embrithopods. The monophyly of Embrithopoda is confirmed, following the topology (Phenacolophus (Namatherium (Arsinoitheriinae, Palaeamasiinae))). However, phylogenetic relationships between Eurasian embrithopods (Palaeoamasiinae: Palaeoamasia, Crivadiatherium and Hypsamasia) remain unresolved. The integration of all embrithopod genera within a cladistic analysis encompassing a wider taxonomic sample (Condylarthra, Afrotheria/Paenungulata and Laurasiatheria) also supports Embrithopoda as being monophyletic, but questions the position of both Phenacolophus and Namatherium within Embrithopoda. Finally, possible faunal exchange events are proposed based on three hypothesized scenarios between Eurasia and Arabia–Africa during the early Palaeogene.     

Isolation and cross‐familial amplification of 41 microsatellites for the brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis)

The brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis; Osteichthyes: Salmonidae) is a phenotypically diverse fish species inhabiting much of North America. But relatively few genetic diagnostic resources are available for this fish species. We isolated 41 microsatellites from S. fontinalis polymorphic in one or more species of salmonid fish. Thirty‐seven were polymorphic in brook charr, 15 in the congener Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) and 14 in the lake charr (Salvelinus namaycush). Polymorphism was also relatively high in Oncorhynchus, where 21 loci were polymorphic in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and 16 in cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) but only seven and four microsatellite loci were polymorphic in the more distantly related lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), respectively. One duplicated locus (Sfo228Lav) was polymorphic at both duplicates in S. fontinalis.     

Assessing the reliability of eBURST using simulated populations with known ancestry

Background  

The program eBURST uses multilocus sequence typing data to divide bacterial populations into groups of closely related strains (clonal complexes), predicts the founding genotype of each group, and displays the patterns of recent evolutionary descent of all other strains in the group from the founder. The reliability of eBURST was evaluated using populations simulated with different levels of recombination in which the ancestry of all strains was known.     

刺梨提取物在卷烟中的应用及其致香成分的双柱分析

将刺梨提取物用于卷烟加料,用二氯甲烷同时蒸馏萃取刺梨提取物,分别用极性柱和非极性柱进行GC/MS分析.结果表明,刺梨提取物与烟香谐调,具有增加香气质和香气量、掩盖杂气、改善余味的作用,是安全有效的天然烟用香料;采用双柱分析的方法共检出62种化合物,比用单一极性柱分析更能相对客观、全面的反映刺梨提取物中的致香成分的状况;...     

Comparative Proteome Analysis of hAT-MSCs Isolated from Chronic Renal Failure Patients with Differences in Their Bone Turnover Status

The relationship between the stem cells and the bone turnover in uremic bone disease due to chronic renal failure (CRF) is not described. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bone turnover status on stem cell properties. To search for the presence of such link and shed some light on stem-cell relevant mechanisms of bone turnover, we carried out a study with mesenchymal stem cells. Tissue biopsies were taken from the abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue of a CRF patient with secondary hyperparathyroidism with the high turnover bone disease. This patient underwent parathyroidectomy operation (PTX) and another sample was taken from this patient after PTX. A CRF patient with adynamic bone disease with low turnover and a healthy control were also included. Mesenchymal stem cells isolated from the subjects were analyzed using proteomic and molecular approaches. Except ALP activity, the bone turnover status did not affect common stem cell properties. However, detailed proteome analysis revealed the presence of regulated protein spots. A total of 32 protein spots were identified following 2D gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF/TOF analyzes. The identified proteins were classified into seven distinct groups and their potential relationship to bone turnover were discussed. Distinct protein expression patterns emerged in relation to the bone turnover status indicate a possible link between the stem cells and bone turnover in uremic bone disease due to CRF.     

Cytogenetic status of patients with congenital malformations or suspected chromosomal abnormalities in Turkey: a comprehensive cytogenetic survey of 11,420 patients

Chromosoma - Cytogenetic analysis is helpful in diagnostic workup of patients having prenatal or early postnatal medical problems and provides a basis for genetic counseling or deciding on clinical...