First record of the Lessepsian fish Siganus rivulatus (Forsskål & Niebuhr, 1775) in the Sea of Marmara (Izmit Bay,Turkey)

The marbled spinefoot, Siganus rivulatus (Forsskål&Niebuhr, 1775) was recorded for the first time in Izmit Bay, Sea of Marmara. One specimen was caught on 30 September 2019 by a small scale fisherman at depth of 25 m. The fish measured 151 mm in total length and weighted of 43.45 g. S. rivulatus is one of the Lessepsian immigrants who entered the Mediterranean more than half a century ago, and has now also easily adapted to the Sea of Marmara, which has a unique two-layered water system.     

Development of beam-plasma instability during the injection a low-energy electron beam into the ionospheric plasma

Results are presented from an active experiment on the injection of charged particle beams into the ionospheric plasma. The experiment was carried out in 1992 onboard the Intercosmos-25 satellite and the Magion-3 daughter satellite (APEX). A specific feature of this experiment was that both the ion and electron beams were injected upward, in the same direction along the magnetic field. The most interesting results are the excitation of HF and VLF-LF waves and the generation of fast charged particle flows, which were recorded on both satellites.     

The effect of lipoic acid on wound healing in a full thickness uterine injury model in rats

Aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lipoic acid on uterine wound healing by immunohistochemical and biochemical assay in a rat uterine horn model with full thickness injury. Thirty-two female Wistar albino rats were randomised into five groups: Control group, with no intervention; uterine scar group 15days (US15d), uterine scar group 15 days + alpha lipoic acid (ALA) (US15d + ALA), uterine scar group 30 days (US30d) and uterine scar group 30 days + ALA (US30 days + ALA). After uterine incision 100 mg/kg of ALA was administered by oral gavage for either 15 or 30 days. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) distribution were evaluated by immunohistochemical methods in tissue and ELISA methods in tissue homogenate. The percentage of α-SMA positive area in US15d + ALA and US30d + ALA groups was significantly higher than US15 and US30d groups. The percentage of VEGF positive area in US15d + ALA group was significantly higher than US15d group and US30d + ALA group was significantly higher than US30d group. Biochemically, α-SMA was significantly higher in the US15d + ALA group when compared to US15d group and higher in US30d + ALA group when compared to US30d group. VEGF was significantly higher in US15d + ALA and US30d + ALA groups when compared to US15 and US30d groups. In conclusion, ALA was found to be effective in enhancing wound healing in uterine full thickness injury.     

Stress-related variation in antioxidative enzymes activity and cell metabolism efficiency associated with embryogenesis induction in isolated microspore culture of triticale (<Emphasis Type="Italic">x Triticosecale</Emphasis> Wittm.)

Isolated microspore cultures of two spring triticale (x Triticosecale Wittm.) cultivars were used to examine the effect of various stress treatments (either high—32°C or low—5°C temperature with or without nitrogen/carbohydrate starvation) applied to excised anthers on the effectiveness of microspore embryogenesis induction. To quantify the effects of pretreatment conditions, the activity of antioxidative enzymes (catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) together with respiration rate and heat emission were measured. It was observed that heat shock treatment applied as the only one stress factor increased the activity of antioxidative enzymes which suggests intensive generation of reactive oxygen species. Such pretreatment effectively triggered microspore reprogramming but drastically decreased microspore viability. After low temperature treatment, the activity of antioxidative enzymes was similar to the control subjected only with the stress originated from the transfer to in vitro culture conditions. This pretreatment decreased the number of microspores entering embryogenesis but sustained cell viability and this effect prevailed in the final estimation of microspore embryogenesis effectiveness. For both, low- and high-temperature treatments, interaction with starvation stress was beneficial increasing microspore viability (at 5°C) or efficiency of embryogenesis induction (at 32°C). The latter treatment significantly reduced cell metabolic activity. Physiological background of these effects seems to be different and some hypothetical explanations have been discussed. Received data indicate that in triticale, anther preculture conditions could generate oxidative stress and change the cell metabolic activity which could next be reflected in the cell viability and the efficiency of microspore embryogenesis.     

Toxic Metal and Trace Element Concentrations in Blood and Outcome of In Vitro Fertilization in Women

Biological Trace Element Research - The aim of this study was to investigate the association of trace element and toxic metal concentrations in blood and the outcome of in vitro fertilization...     

A computational approach to model gliding motion of an organism on a sticky slime layer over a solid substrate

Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology - Bacteria are microscopic single-celled microbes that can only be spotted via a microscope. They occur in a variety of shapes and sizes, and their...     

Pervaporation-aided enzymatic esterifications in non-conventional media

This paper focuses on enzymatic esterifications in non-conventional media (organic solvents, ionic liquids, and solvent-free systems) with reference to the water removal. Different types of water removal techniques are reviewed with a special emphasis on pervaporation. Pervaporation is a separation process in which liquid is transported through a selective membrane with simultaneous evaporation of permeates. In an integrated process where pervaporation is coupled with a bioreactor where esterification is performed, selective removal of water or other esterification products can be achieved. In this manner benefit can be doubled, due to the equilibrium shift and possible pure product recovery. Available literature on esterifications coupled with pervaporation is presented in detail. Reviewed examples are divided according to the type of reaction media.     

Pseudomonas syringae isolated in lichens for the first time: Unveiling Peltigera genus as the exclusive host

Pseudomonas syringae is a bacterial complex that is widespread through a range of environments, typically associated with plants where it can be pathogenic, but also found in non-plant environments such as clouds, precipitation, and surface waters. Understanding its distribution within the environment, and the habitats it occupies, is important for examining its evolution and understanding behaviours. After a recent study found P. syringae living among a range of vascular plant species in Iceland, we questioned whether lichens could harbour P. syringae. Sixteen different species of lichens were sampled all over Iceland, but only one lichen genus, Peltigera, was found to consistently harbour P. syringae. Phylogenetic analyses of P. syringae from 10 sampling points where lichen, tracheophyte, and/or moss were simultaneously collected showed significant differences between sampling points, but not between different plants and lichens from the same point. Furthermore, while there were similarities in the P. syringae population in tracheophytes and Peltigera, the densities in Peltigera thalli were lower than in moss and tracheophyte samples. This discovery suggests P. syringae strains can localize and survive in organisms beyond higher plants, and thus reveals opportunities for studying their influence on P. syringae evolution.     

Multiprotein E. coli SSB–ssDNA complex shows both stable binding and rapid dissociation due to interprotein interactions

Escherichia coli SSB (EcSSB) is a model single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein critical in genome maintenance. EcSSB forms homotetramers that wrap ssDNA in multiple conformations to facilitate DNA replication and repair. Here we measure the binding and wrapping of many EcSSB proteins to a single long ssDNA substrate held at fixed tensions. We show EcSSB binds in a biphasic manner, where initial wrapping events are followed by unwrapping events as ssDNA-bound protein density passes critical saturation and high free protein concentration increases the fraction of EcSSBs in less-wrapped conformations. By destabilizing EcSSB wrapping through increased substrate tension, decreased substrate length, and protein mutation, we also directly observe an unstable bound but unwrapped state in which ∼8 nucleotides of ssDNA are bound by a single domain, which could act as a transition state through which rapid reorganization of the EcSSB–ssDNA complex occurs. When ssDNA is over-saturated, stimulated dissociation rapidly removes excess EcSSB, leaving an array of stably-wrapped complexes. These results provide a mechanism through which otherwise stably bound and wrapped EcSSB tetramers are rapidly removed from ssDNA to allow for DNA maintenance and replication functions, while still fully protecting ssDNA over a wide range of protein concentrations.