Relevance of Global Forest Change Data Set to Local Conservation: Case Study of Forest Degradation in Masoala National Park,Madagascar

A global data set on forest cover change was recently published and made freely available for use (Hansen et al. 2013. Science 342: 850–853). Although this data set has been criticized for inaccuracies in distinguishing vegetation types at the local scale, it remains a valuable source of forest cover information for areas where local data is severely lacking. Masoala National Park, in northeastern Madagascar, is an example of a region for which very little spatially explicit forest cover information is available. Yet, this extremely diverse tropical humid forest is undergoing a dramatic rate of forest degradation and deforestation through illegal selective logging of rosewood and ebony, slash‐and‐burn agriculture, and damage due to cyclones. All of these processes result in relatively diffuse and small‐scale changes in forest cover. In this paper, we examine to what extent Hansen et al.'s global forest change data set captures forest loss within Masoala National Park by comparing its performance to a locally calibrated, object‐oriented classification approach. We verify both types of classification with substantial ground truthing. We find that both the global and local classifications perform reasonably well in detecting small‐scale slash‐and‐burn agriculture, but neither performs adequately in detecting selective logging. We conclude that since the use of the global forest change data set requires very little technical and financial investment, and performs almost as well as the more resource‐demanding, locally calibrated classification, it may be advantageous to use the global forest change data set even for local conservation purposes.     

Infant Growth after Preterm Birth and Mental Health in Young Adulthood

Objectives

Faster growth after preterm birth benefits long-term cognitive functioning. Whether these benefits extend to mental health remains largely unknown. We examined if faster growth in infancy is associated with better self-reported mental health in young adults born preterm at very low birth weight (VLBW) (<1500g).

Study Design

As young adults, participants of the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults self-reported symptoms of depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 157) and other psychiatric problems (n = 104). As main predictors of mental health outcomes in linear regression models, we used infant weight, length, and head circumference at birth, term, and 12 months of corrected age, and growth between these time points. Growth data were collected from records and measures at term and at 12 months of corrected age were interpolated. Additionally, we examined the moderating effects of intrauterine growth restriction.

Results

Size at birth, term, or 12 months of corrected age, or growth between these time points were not associated with mental health outcomes (p-values >0.05). Intrauterine growth restriction did not systematically moderate any associations.

Conclusions

Despite the high variability in early growth of VLBW infants, the previously described association between slow growth in infancy and poorer cognitive functioning in later life is not reflected in symptoms of depression, ADHD, and other psychiatric problems. This suggests that the development of cognitive and psychiatric problems may have dissimilar critical periods in VLBW infants.     

Interactions of actin, myosin, and a new actin-binding protein of rabbit pulmonary macrophages. II. Role in cytoplasmic movement and phagocytosis

Actin and myosin of rabbit pulmonary macrophages are influenced by two other proteins. A protein cofactor is required for the actin activation of macrophage myosin Mg2 ATPase activity, and a high molecular weight actin-binding protein aggregates actin filaments (Stossel T.P., and J.H. Hartwig. 1975. J. Biol. Chem. 250:5706-5711)9 When warmed in 0.34 M sucrose solution containing Mg2-ATP and dithiothreitol, these four proteins interact cooperatively. Acin-binding protein in the presence of actin causes the actin to form a gel, which liquifies when cooled. The myosin contracts the gel into an aggregate, and the rate of aggregation is accelerated by the cofactor. Therefore, we believe that these four proteins also effec the temperature-dependent gelation and aggregation of crude sucrose extracts pulmonary macrophages containing Mg2-ATP and dithiothreitol. The gelled extracts are composed of tangled filaments. Relative to homogenates of resting macrophages, the distribution of actin-binding protein in homogenates of phagocytizing macrophages is altered such that 2-6 times more actin-binding protein is soluble. Sucrose extracts of phagocytizing macrophages gel more rapidly than extracts of resting macrophages. Phagocytosis by pulmonary macrophages involves the formation of peripheral pseudopods containing filaments. The findings suggest that the actin-binding protein initiates a cooperative interaction of contractile proteins to generate cytoplasmic gelation, and that phagocytosis influences the behavior of the actin-binding protein.     

Tenascin-C and carcinoma cell invasion in oral and urinary bladder cancer

Carcinoma invasion is a complex process regulated by genetic and epigenetic factors as well. A relevant supportive condition for cancer cell migration is the reorganization of the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is realized in an orchestrated multicellular manner including carcinoma cells and stromal fibroblasts. An important key player in the process of ECM reorganization is Tenascin-C (Tn-C). The molecule occurs as different isoforms generated by alternative splicing and de novo glycosylation. Large variants of Tn-C are abundantly re-expressed in the invasive front of many carcinoma types. A special role for initiating migration and accompanied epithelial to mesenchymal transition has been suggested. Here, we review the current knowledge concerning the tumor biological importance of Tn-C, the synthesis and alternative splicing during the invasive process in general, and give an overview on the impact of Tn-C in urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder (UBC) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).     

CYP2W1 Is Highly Expressed in Adrenal Glands and Is Positively Associated with the Response to Mitotane in Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Background

Adrenocortical tumors comprise frequent adenomas (ACA) and rare carcinomas (ACC). Human cytochrome P450 2W1 (CYP2W1) is highly expressed in some cancers holding the potential to activate certain drugs into tumor cytotoxins.

Objective

To investigate the CYP2W1 expression in adrenal samples and its relationship with clinical outcome in ACC.

Material and Methods

CYP2W1 expression was investigated by qRT-PCR in 13 normal adrenal glands, 32 ACA, 25 ACC, and 9 different non-adrenal normal tissue samples and by immunohistochemistry in 352 specimens (23 normal adrenal glands, 33 ACA, 239 ACC, 67 non-adrenal normal or neoplastic samples).

Results

CYP2W1 mRNA expression was absent/low in normal non-adrenal tissues, but high in normal and neoplastic adrenal glands (all P<0.01 vs non-adrenal normal tissues). Accordingly, CYP2W1 immunoreactivity was absent/low (H-score 0–1) in 72% of non-adrenal normal tissues, but high (H-score 2–3) in 44% of non-adrenal cancers, in 65% of normal adrenal glands, in 62% of ACAs and in 50% of ACCs (all P<0.001 vs non-adrenal normal tissues), being significantly increased in steroid-secreting compared to non-secreting tumors. In ACC patients treated with mitotane only, high CYP2W1 immunoreactivity adjusted for ENSAT stage was associated with longer overall survival and time to progression (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively), and with a better response to therapy both as palliative (response/stable disease in 42% vs 6%, P<0.01) or adjuvant option (absence of disease recurrence in 69% vs 45%, P<0.01).

Conclusion

CYP2W1 is highly expressed in both normal and neoplastic adrenal glands making it a promising tool for targeted therapy in ACC. Furthermore, CYP2W1 may represent a new predictive marker for the response to mitotane treatment.     

Laying eyes on headlights: eye movements suggest facial features in cars

Humans' proneness to see faces even in inanimate structures such as cars has long been noticed, yet empirical evidence is scarce. To examine this tendency of anthropomorphism, participants were asked to compare specific features (such as the eyes) of a face and a car front presented next to each other. Eye movement patterns indicated on which visual information participants relied to solve the task and clearly revealed the perception of facial features in cars, such as headlights as eyes or grille as nose. Most importantly, a predominance of headlights was found in attracting and guiding people's gaze irrespective of the feature they were asked to compare--equivalent to the role of the eyes during face perception. This response to abstract configurations is interpreted as an adaptive bias of the respective inherent mechanism for face perception and is evolutionarily reasonable with regard to a "better safe than sorry" strategy.     

The iron-sulfur cluster-free hydrogenase (Hmd) is a metalloenzyme with a novel iron binding motif

The iron-sulfur cluster-free hydrogenase (Hmd) from methanogenic archaea harbors an iron-containing cofactor of yet unknown structure. X-ray absorption spectroscopy of the active, as isolated enzyme from Methanothermobacter marburgensis (mHmd) and of the active, reconstituted enzyme from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (jHmd) revealed the presence of mononuclear iron with two CO, one sulfur and one or two N/O in coordination distance. In jHmd, the single sulfur ligand is most probably provided by Cys176, as deduced from a comparison of the activity and of the x-ray absorption and M?ssbauer spectra of the enzyme mutated in any of the three conserved cysteines. In the isolated Hmd cofactor, two CO, one sulfur, and two nitrogen/oxygen atoms coordinate the iron, the sulfur ligand being most probably provided by mercaptoethanol, which is absolutely required for the extraction of the iron-containing cofactor from the holoenzyme and for the stabilization of the extracted cofactor. In active mHmd holoenzyme, the number of iron ligands increased by one when one of the Hmd inhibitors (CO or KCN) were present, indicating that in active Hmd, the iron contains an open coordination site, which is proposed to be the site of H2 interaction.