A new species of Diplecogaster (Actinopterygii: Gobiesocidae) from the Mediterranean Sea

Diplecogaster umutturali sp. n. is described from five specimens, ranging from 9.5 to 26.9 mm in standard length. This clingfish is known to occur only at three localities along the northern Levant coasts, eastern Mediterranean Sea and is the third known species of the genus Diplecogaster in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The species is distinguished from all its congeners in having a small snout, short caudal peduncle, large eyes, short anal fin and upper attachment of gill membrane opposite the 7th-8th pectoral ray. Diplecogaster umutturali sp. n. shows a 5.3% genetic divergence from its close relative D. bimaculata at the cytochrome oxidase I locus (COI).

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:376298FE-C8A7-44BB-9B12-721E41D7F355     

Novel polymeric microspheres: Synthesis,enzyme immobilization,antimutagenic activity,and antimicrobial evaluation against pathogenic microorganisms

New polymeric microspheres containing azomethine ( 1a ‐ 1c and 2a ‐ 2c ) were synthesized by condensation to compare the enzymatic properties of the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) and to investigate antimutagenic and antimicrobial activities. The polymeric microspheres were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra (FT‐IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, thermal gravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The catalytic activity of the glucose oxidase enzyme follows Michaelis‐Menten kinetics. Influence of temperature, reusability, and storage capacity of the free and immobilized glucose oxidase enzyme were investigated. It is determined that immobilized enzymes exhibit good storage stability and reusability. After immobilization of GOx in polymeric supports, the thermal stability of the enzyme increased and the maximum reaction rate (V_max) decreased. The activity of the immobilized enzymes was preserved even after 5 months. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of the polymeric microspheres were evaluated by well‐diffusion method against some selected pathogenic microorganisms. The antimutagenic properties of all compounds were also examined against sodium azide in human lymphocyte cells by micronuclei and sister chromatid exchange tests.     

Fire-created habitats support large mammal community in a Mediterranean landscape

Large mammals play significant roles in shaping the trophic structure of terrestrial ecosystems and affect the form of vegetation growth in many habitats. We studied large mammal community in a Mediterranean habitat mosaic generated by fires originally dominated by pine forests. We conducted camera-trapping surveys in three study sites with different fire histories, and we recorded eight large mammal species including brown bear (Ursus arctos), caracal (Caracal caracal), and wild goat (Capra aegagrus), which are of conservation importance. The mammal community found in the study sites was functionally diverse, including herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, seed dispersers, soil diggers, main preys, and top predators. The site burned 13 years ago had higher species richness than can be expected from a random pattern, but this was not the case in 30- and >40-year-old sites, showing the importance of relatively younger sites for large mammals. Eurasian badger had more probability to have more abundance in places with more open vegetation while wild goat had higher abundance in more dense vegetation. Young individuals of wild goat, brown bear, and wild boar were also detected in the study sites. The results indicate that burned habitats harbor a phylogenetically and functionally diverse large mammal community in landscapes originally dominated by Mediterranean pine forests. Therefore, these forests continue to retain importance for the large mammals after the fire, and burned habitats should be taken into consideration for the conservation and management plans together with mature forests in Mediterranean ecosystems.     

Effects of treatment with coenzyme Q10 on exercised rat aorta

In this study, the effect of long-term supplementation of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) on the responses of swim-trained rat aorta was investigated. Twenty-four adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: untrained, trained, untrained+CoQ10, and trained+CoQ10 group. In the trained groups rats swam for 60 min/day, five days/week for six weeks. The CoQ10 supplements were administered by intraperitoneal injection at a daily dose of 10 mg·kg-1 of body weight five days/week for six weeks. Swimming of the rats was performed in a container containing tap water. Rats were sacrificed and thoracic aortas were removed for ex vivo analysis after the last swimming session. The aortas were cut into rings 2.5 mm in length. Concentration-response curves for phenylephrine (PHE, 10-9-3×10-4 M) and potassium chloride (KCl, 5-100 mM) were isometrically recorded. The sensitivity and maximal responses to PHE and KCl of aortic rings obtained from trained rats were lower than those of untrained rats. CoQ10 supplementation decreased the responses to both vasoconstrictors in untrained and especially in trained groups. Although neither CoQ10 nor training did affect malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC) levels, creatine kinase (CK) activity decreased and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased only with exercise training. Glutathione (GSH) levels increased in CoQ10 supplemented-untrained rats. In conclusion, our results suggest that CoQ10 supplementation may have beneficial effects during exercise.     

Association between circulating irisin levels and epicardial fat in patients with treatment-naïve overt hyperthyroidism

Abstract

Background: Hyperthyroidism is associated with increased metabolic activity and thermogenesis. Irisin is a key molecule in thermogenesis and energy expenditure via adipose tissue browning. Epicardial fat was previously defined as brown-like fat. Thus, here we aimed to evaluate the association between serum irisin level and epicardial fat thickness (EFT) in patients with hyperthyroidism.

Methods: A total of 25 hyperthyroid patients and 24 age-, sex- and BMI-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Serum irisin levels, thyroid hormone levels, and body compositions were compared. EFT was measured via transthoracic echocardiography.

Results: Serum irisin level and EFT were significantly higher in the hyperthyroid group (p?<?0.001 and p?=?0.001, respectively). The distributions of fat-free mass, muscle mass and fat mass were similar between the study groups. Serum irisin level was negatively correlated with TSH (p?<?0.001) and positively correlated with fT3 (p?<?0.001), fT4 (p?<?0.001) and TSH receptor antibody (p?=?0.002) levels and EFT (p?=?0.001). In multivariate linear regression analysis, TSH (β?=??0.475, p?<?0.001) and EFT (β?=?0.290, p?=?0.023) levels were significantly associated with serum irisin levels.

Conclusions: An increased serum irisin level associated with EFT might contribute to metabolic derangement in hyperthyroidism. Further studies are needed to elucidate whether irisin levels and EFT are affected by hyperthyroidism or vice versa.     

The effect of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone on colonic inflammation in the rat

The effect of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) on colonic inflammation in the rat. In this study, we investigated the effects of alpha-MSH administration on trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis and the role of nitric oxide and prostaglandins in this response. alpha-MSH treatment (25 microg/rat, intraperitoneally; twice daily for 3 days) reduced the colonic macroscopic lesions compared to untreated ones in both acute and chronic colitis groups. This effect was reversed by pretreatment with the nitric oxide donor, sodium NP (4 mg/kg, intravenously) or cyclooxygenase-1 selective antagonist indomethacin (5 mg/kg, subcutaneously) in the acute group and with the cyclooxygenase-2 selective antagonist nimesulide (3 mg/kg, subcutaneously) in the chronic group. alpha-MSH had no effect on colonic wet weight and myeloperoxidase activity compared to the untreated colitis group. However, protein oxidation was markedly elevated in the alpha-MSH-treated group compared to untreated ones. Nitroprusside and indomethacin reversed the effect of alpha-MSH on macroscopic lesions in the acute groups, whereas nimesulide showed a similar effect in the chronic group. In conclusion, the results of our study show a protective role of alpha-MSH on colonic lesions which partially involves nitric oxide and prostaglandins.     

Growth or reproduction? Resource allocation by female frogs<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Rana temporaria</Emphasis>

The decision how to allocate marginal resources to reproduction and growth can have important effects on associated life-history parameters as well as on population dynamics. In addition to showing variation among individuals in a population, such allocation rules may be either condition-dependent or fixed in different individuals. While many studies on anuran amphibians have focused on egg numbers and egg sizes in females of different sizes, virtually no data exist on the relative allocation of marginal resources to growth versus reproduction. In the laboratory, we therefore offered female common frogs (Rana temporaria) low versus high food rations for a full reproductive cycle, and monitored their growth and later reproductive investment (egg number and egg size the following breeding season). Feeding rates had an effect both on female growth and on egg number and size. There was no trade-off found between the two forms of investment. A flexible allocation rule could not be supported as there was no significant effect of feeding rate on the relative allocation of resources to growth versus reproduction.Due to an error in the citation line, this revised PDF (published in December 2003) deviates from the printed version, and is the correct and authoritative version of the paper.     

Spectroscopic and calorimetric studies on trazodone hydrochloride–phosphatidylcholine liposome interactions in the presence and absence of cholesterol

The interaction of antidepressant drug trazodone hydrochloride (TRZ) with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) multilamellar liposomes (MLVs) in the presence and absence of cholesterol (CHO) was investigated as a function of temperature by using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spin labeling, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) techniques. These interactions were also examined for dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) multilamellar liposomes by using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spin labeling technique. In the EPR spin labeling studies, 5- and 16-doxyl stearic acid (5-DS and 16-DS) spin labels were used to monitor the head group and alkyl chain region of phospholipids respectively. The results indicated that TRZ incorporation causes changes in the physical properties of PC liposomes by decreasing the main phase transition temperature, abolishing the pre-transition, broadening the phase transition profile, and disordering the system around the head group region. The interaction of TRZ with unilamellar (LUV) DPPC liposomes was also examined. The most pronounced effect of TRZ on DPPC LUVs was observed as the further decrease of main phase transition temperature in comparison with DPPC MLVs. The mentioned changes in lipid structure and dynamics caused by TRZ may modulate the biophysical activity of membrane associated receptors and in turn the pharmacological action of TRZ.     

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPBs) and copper (II) oxide (CuO) nanoparticle ameliorates DNA damage and DNA Methylation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) exposed to NaCl stress

Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Wheat is the second important cereal crop worldwide due to nutritional composition and role in meeting daily energy needs. Salinity is an abiotic...