Length‐weight and length‐length relationships of two tropical fish Secutor megalolepis (Mochizuki & Hayashi, 1989) and Rhabdamia gracilis (Bleeker, 1856) from Sabah,Malaysia

Length‐weight relationships (LWRs) and length‐length relationships (LLRs) for two tropical fish species from Marudu Bay, Sabah were studied. Specimens were caught with the traditional ‘Bagan net’ fishing gear from October 2012 to September 2013, using the light trap method. The maximum total length for Rhabdamia gracilis (7.4 cm) reported in this study is a new record for this species. No information regarding length‐weight relationships was reported previously in FishBase for either Secutor megalolepis or Rhabdamia gracilis.     

Transcriptomic Profiling of Rice Seedlings Inoculated with the Symbiotic Fungus Trichoderma asperellum SL2

The fungal species Trichoderma is reported to have a significant impact on the growth and physiological performance of rice plants. However, the molecular mechanisms that induce these effects remain unspecified. Using next-generation sequencing technology, this study compared the differential expression of genes in rice seedlings that had been inoculated with Trichoderma asperellum SL2 with the gene expression in seedlings that had no such inoculation. The study showed that many genes related to plant growth enhancement and physiological functioning are differentially expressed in seedlings which have been symbiotically colonized by T. asperellum SL2. In these seedlings, specific genes related to photosynthesis, RNA activity, stomatal activity, and root development were found to be up-regulated as others were down-regulated. Although the exact causal mechanisms at the molecular level remain to be identified, the presence of Trichoderma versus its absence was associated with almost ten times more significant up-regulations than down-regulations for specific genes that have been identified from previous genomic mapping. Such analysis at the molecular level can help to explain observed phenotypic effects at the organismic level, and it begins to illuminate the observed beneficial relationships expressed phenotypically between crop plants and certain symbiotic microbes.

     

Valproic acid induces hair regeneration in murine model and activates alkaline phosphatase activity in human dermal papilla cells

BACKGROUND: Alopecia is the common hair loss problem that can affect many people. However, current therapies for treatment of alopecia are limited by low efficacy and potentially undesirable side effects. We have identified a new function for valproic acid (VPA), a GSK3β inhibitor that activates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, to promote hair re-growth in vitro and in vivo. METHODOLOGY/ PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Topical application of VPA to male C3H mice critically stimulated hair re-growth and induced terminally differentiated epidermal markers such as filaggrin and loricrin, and the dermal papilla marker alkaline phosphatase (ALP). VPA induced ALP in human dermal papilla cells by up-regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, whereas minoxidil (MNX), a drug commonly used to treat alopecia, did not significantly affect the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. VPA analogs and other GSK3β inhibitors that activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway such as 4-phenyl butyric acid, LiCl, and BeCl(2) also exhibited hair growth-promoting activities in vivo. Importantly, VPA, but not MNX, successfully stimulate hair growth in the wounds of C3H mice. CONCLUSIONS/ SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings indicate that small molecules that activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, such as VPA, can potentially be developed as drugs to stimulate hair re-growth.     

Fibrils connect microtubule tips with kinetochores: a mechanism to couple tubulin dynamics to chromosome motion

Kinetochores of mitotic chromosomes are coupled to spindle microtubules in ways that allow the energy from tubulin dynamics to drive chromosome motion. Most kinetochore-associated microtubule ends display curving "protofilaments," strands of tubulin dimers that bend away from the microtubule axis. Both a kinetochore "plate" and an encircling, ring-shaped protein complex have been proposed to link protofilament bending to poleward chromosome motion. Here we show by electron tomography that slender fibrils connect curved protofilaments directly to the inner kinetochore. Fibril-protofilament associations correlate with a local straightening of the flared protofilaments. Theoretical analysis reveals that protofilament-fibril connections would be efficient couplers for chromosome motion, and experimental work on two very different kinetochore components suggests that filamentous proteins can couple shortening microtubules to cargo movements. These analyses define a ring-independent mechanism for harnessing microtubule dynamics directly to chromosome movement.     

Estrogen and the Ca2+-mobilizing agonist ATP evoke acute NO synthesis via distinct pathways in an individual human vascular endothelium-derived cell

In this study, we have systematically evaluated the signaling mechanisms underlying stimulated nitric oxide (NO) synthesis by estrogen (E2) and other vasoactive agents at the level of a single endothelium-derived cell. To do so, we have characterized and contrasted rapid E2-evoked NO synthesis with that of ATP using single-cell microfluorimetry and patch-clamp recordings to monitor stimulated changes in cellular NO synthesis (via 4-amino-5-methylamino-2',7'-difluorofluorescein), Ca2+ transients (via Fluo-3), and membrane hyperpolarization in cultured human EA.hy926 cells. E2-evoked NO synthesis in single cells (EC50 approximately 0.3 nM) was blocked by the E2 receptor antagonist ICI 182,780 and the NO synthase inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester. Although both E2 and ATP stimulated comparable Ca2+ transients, E2-induced NO synthesis was insensitive to intracellular BAPTA-AM or removal of external Ca2+. In contrast, ATP-evoked NO production was abolished by either one of these treatments. ATP-evoked hyperpolarizations ( approximately 20 mV) and NO production were both inhibited by the respective small-conductance and intermediate-conductance calcium- activated K+ channel blockers apamin and charybdotoxin. E2 minimally affected membrane potential, and stimulated NO synthesis was insensitive to calcium-activated K+ channel blockers. Exposure to either the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY-294002 or the MAP kinase inhibitor PD-98059 abolished the NO response to E2, but not that to ATP. Finally, the NO response evoked by a combined stimulus of E2 plus ATP was similar to that of ATP alone. In conclusion, our data directly demonstrate that an individual human EA.hy926 cell contains at least two distinct mechanisms for stimulated NO synthesis that depend on either calcium or protein kinase signaling events.     

Genetic isolation between the Western and Eastern Pacific populations of pronghorn spiny lobster Panulirus penicillatus

The pronghorn spiny lobster, Panulirus penicillatus, is a circumtropical species which has the widest global distribution among all the species of spiny lobster, ranging throughout the entire Indo-Pacific region. Partial nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial DNA COI (1,142-1,207 bp) and 16S rDNA (535-546 bp) regions were determined for adult and phyllosoma larval samples collected from the Eastern Pacific (EP)(Galápagos Islands and its adjacent water), Central Pacific (CP)(Hawaii and Tuamotu) and the Western Pacific (WP)(Japan, Indonesia, Fiji, New Caledonia and Australia). Phylogenetic analyses revealed two distinct large clades corresponding to the geographic origin of samples (EP and CP+WP). No haplotype was shared between the two regional samples, and average nucleotide sequence divergence (Kimura's two parameter distance) between EP and CP+WP samples was 3.8±0.5% for COI and 1.0±0.4% for 16S rDNA, both of which were much larger than those within samples. The present results indicate that the Pacific population of the pronghorn spiny lobster is subdivided into two distinct populations (Eastern Pacific and Central to Western Pacific), with no gene flow between them. Although the pronghorn spiny lobster have long-lived teleplanic larvae, the vast expanse of Pacific Ocean with no islands and no shallow substrate which is known as the East Pacific Barrier appears to have isolated these two populations for a long time (c.a. 1MY).     

Plasmodium vivax Drug Resistance Genes; Pvmdr1 and Pvcrt-o Polymorphisms in Relation to Chloroquine Sensitivity from a Malaria Endemic Area of Thailand

The aim of the study was to explore the possible molecular markers of chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium vivax isolates in Thailand. A total of 30 P. vivax isolates were collected from a malaria endemic area along the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Sot district of Thailand. Dried blood spot samples were collected for analysis of Pvmdr1 and Pvcrt-o polymorphisms. Blood samples (100 μl) were collected by finger-prick for in vitro chloroquine susceptibility testing by schizont maturation inhibition assay. Based on the cut-off IC₅₀ of 100 nM, 19 (63.3%) isolates were classified as chloroquine resistant P. vivax isolates. Seven non-synonymous mutations and 2 synonymous were identified in Pvmdr1 gene. Y976F and F1076L mutations were detected in 7 (23.3%) and 16 isolates (53.3%), respectively. Analysis of Pvcrt-o gene revealed that all isolates were wild-type. Our results suggest that chloroquine resistance gene is now spreading in this area. Monitoring of chloroquine resistant molecular markers provide a useful tool for future control of P. vivax malaria.     

Big‐sized trees overrule remaining trees' attributes and species richness as determinants of aboveground biomass in tropical forests

Large‐diameter, tall‐stature, and big‐crown trees are the main stand structures of forests, generally contributing a large fraction of aboveground biomass, and hence play an important role in climate change mitigation strategies. Here, we hypothesized that the effects of large‐diameter, tall‐stature, and big‐crown trees overrule the effects of species richness and remaining trees attributes on aboveground biomass in tropical forests (i.e., we term the “big‐sized trees hypothesis”). Specifically, we assessed the importance of: (a) the “top 1% big‐sized trees effect” relative to species richness; (b) the “99% remaining trees effect” relative to species richness; and (c) the “top 1% big‐sized trees effect” relative to the “99% remaining trees effect” and species richness on aboveground biomass. Using environmental factor and forest inventory datasets from 712 tropical forest plots in Hainan Island of southern China, we tested several structural equation models for disentangling the relative effects of big‐sized trees, remaining trees attributes, and species richness on aboveground biomass, while considering for the full (indirect effects only) and partial (direct and indirect effects) mediation effects of climatic and soil conditions, as well as interactions between species richness and trees attributes. We found that top 1% big‐sized trees attributes strongly increased aboveground biomass (i.e., explained 55%–70% of the accounted variation) compared to species richness (2%–18%) and 99% remaining trees attributes (6%–10%). In addition, species richness increased aboveground biomass indirectly via increasing big‐sized trees but via decreasing remaining trees. Hence, we show that the “big‐sized trees effect” overrides the effects of remaining trees attributes and species richness on aboveground biomass in tropical forests. This study also indicates that big‐sized trees may be more susceptible to atmospheric drought. We argue that the effects of big‐sized trees on species richness and aboveground biomass should be tested for better understanding of the ecological mechanisms underlying forest functioning.     

RALBA: a computation-aware load balancing scheduler for cloud computing

Cloud computing serves as a platform for remote users to utilize the heterogeneous resources in data-centers to compute High-Performance Computing jobs. The physical resources are virtualized in Cloud to entertain user services employing Virtual Machines (VMs). Job scheduling is deemed as a quintessential part of Cloud and efficient utilization of VMs by Cloud Service Providers demands an optimal job scheduling heuristic. An ideal scheduling heuristic should be efficient, fair, and starvation-free to produce a reduced makespan with improved resource utilization. However, static heuristics often lead to inefficient and poor resource utilization in the Cloud. An idle and underutilized host machine in Cloud still consumes up to 70% of the energy required by an active machine (Ray, in Indian J Comput Sci Eng 1(4):333–339, 2012). Consequently, it demands a load-balanced distribution of workload to achieve optimal resource utilization in Cloud. Existing Cloud scheduling heuristics such as Min–Min, Max–Min, and Sufferage distribute workloads among VMs based on minimum job completion time that ultimately causes a load imbalance. In this paper, a novel Resource-Aware Load Balancing Algorithm (RALBA) is presented to ensure a balanced distribution of workload based on computation capabilities of VMs. The RABLA framework comprises of two phases: (1) scheduling based on computing capabilities of VMs, and (2) the VM with earliest finish time is selected for jobs mapping. The outcomes of the RALBA have revealed that it provides substantial improvement against traditional heuristics regarding makespan, resource utilization, and throughput.