A comprehensive evaluation of an animal model for Helicobacter pylori-associated stomach cancer: Fact and controversy

Even though Helicobacter pylori infection was the most causative factor of gastric cancer, numerous in vivo studies failed to induce gastric cancer using H. pylori infection only. The utilization of established animal studies in cancer research is crucial as they aim to investigate the coincidental association between suspected oncogenes and pathogenesis as well as generate models for the development and testing of potential treatments. The methods to establish gastric cancer using infected animal models remain limited, diverse in methods, and showed different results. This study investigates the differences in animal models, which highlight different pathological results in gaster by literature research. Electronic databases searched were performed in PubMed, Science Direct, and Cochrane, without a period filter. A total of 135 articles were used in this study after a full-text assessment was conducted. The most frequent animal models used for gastric cancer were Mice, while Mongolian gerbils and Transgenic mice were the most susceptible model for gastric cancer associated with H. pylori infection. Additionally, transgenic mice showed that the susceptibility to gastric cancer progression was due to genetic and epigenetic factors. These studies showed that in Mongolian gerbil models, H. pylori could function as a single agent to trigger stomach cancer. However, most gastric cancer susceptibilities were not solely relying on H. pylori infection, and numerous factors are involved in cancer progression. Further study using Mongolian gerbils and Transgenic mice is crucial to conduct and establish the best models for gastric cancer associated H. pylori.     

The Effects of Water and Fertilizer Coupling on Plant and Soil Nitrogen Characteristics and Fruit Growth of Rabbiteye Blueberry Plants in a Semi-Arid Region in China

To evaluate the effects of nitrogen (N) and irrigation coupling on the soil N distribution, plant N utilization, and fruit yield of rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium virgatum), a field experiment was designed using two factors (water and fertilizer application) with four levels of irrigation and three levels of fertilization, and a control. Under the different water and fertilizer combinations, N primarily accumulated in the leaves. Irrigation and N application within appropriate ranges (pure N ≤ 29 g/plant and irrigation volume ≤ 2.5 L/plant) significantly improved the blueberry fruit yield. Increases in water and N within these ranges promoted the effective accumulation of N in various organs and the absorption and utilization of N in the plants, which ultimately promoted blueberry yield. With increased N application rate, the nitrate N content of the 0–20 cm and 20–50 cm soil layers increased. With increased irrigation volume, the nitrate N content of the 0–20 cm soil layer decreased, while the nitrate content in the 20–50 cm soil layer increased. Low N and moderate water treatments resulted in high fruit yields and reduced nitrate N retention in the soil. Under these conditions, the economic input-output ratio was high and the soil N accumulation was low, and thus the economic and ecological benefits were maximized.

     

Genetic heterogeneity of primary open-angle glaucoma in Pakistan

BackgroundGlaucoma is a neurodegenerative ophthalmic disorder and is considered among the leading causes of irreversible blindness. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most common type of glaucoma that affects after 30 years of life, progressing slowly, and manifests as decreased visual acuity leading to blindness if not treated. POAG is genetically heterogeneous, inherited most commonly in autosomal dominant mode. Several genes have been reported for POAG with myocilin (Myoc) being most common. The present study has been conducted to screen 25 POAG families with 2 or more affected members for their association with Myoc and CYP1B1 (the most common gene in primary congenital glaucoma).MethodsAfter approval from Institutional Ethical Review Committee (ERC), 25 POAG families were enrolled from the southern province (Sindh) of Pakistan. Written informed consent was obtained from all participating individuals and diagnosis was confirmed by consultant ophthalmologists using various instruments and means. Venous blood was obtained from affected individuals and their normal family members for DNA extraction and subsequent analysis.ResultsAll samples were initially screened for the Myoc gene followed by CYP1B1. Screening for Myoc revealed one previously reported variant c.144G>T in POAG-06 whereas screening for CYP1B1 in all 25 families showed a novel variant c.649G>A in POAG-02. The pathogenicity of the novel variant was confirmed using various bioinformatics tools.ConclusionThis is the first report of any POAG family found associated with a novel variant in CYP1B1 from the southern province of Pakistan whereas one family found associated with a reported variant in Myoc. The remaining 23 POAG families did not found to be associated with either Myoc or CYP1B1 indicating genetic heterogeneity of the population in this part of the world.     

Artificial canopy bridges improve connectivity in fragmented landscapes: The case of Javan slow lorises in an agroforest environment

Canopy bridges are increasingly used to reduce fragmentation in tropical habitats yet monitoring of their impact on the behavior of primates remains limited. The Javan slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus) is endemic to Java, Indonesia, where the species most often occurs in human-dominated, highly patchy landscapes. Slow lorises cannot leap, are highly arboreally adapted, and are vulnerable on the ground. To increase arboreal connectivity, as part of a long-term conservation project in Cipaganti, West Java, we built and monitored seven slow lorises bridges of two types—waterline or rubber—and monitored their use by seven adult individuals from 2016 to 2017. Motion triggered camera traps collected data for 195 ± standard deviation (SD) 85 days on each bridge. We collected 341.76 hr (179.67 hr before and 162.09 hr after the installation of bridges) of behavioral and home range data via instantaneous sampling every 5 min, and terrestrial behavior (distance and duration of time spent on the ground) via all occurrences sampling. We found that slow lorises used bridges on average 12.9 ± SD 9.7 days after their installment mainly for traveling. Slow lorises showed a trend toward an increase in their home range size (2.57 ha before, 4.11 ha after; p = 0.063) and reduced ground use (5.98 s/hr before, 0.43 s/hr; p = 0.063) after implementation of bridges. Although the number of feeding trees did not change, new feeding trees were included in the home range, and the proportion of data points spent traveling and exploring significantly decreased (p = 0.018). Waterline bridges serve a purpose to irrigate the crops of local farmers who thus help to maintain the bridges, and also ascribe value to the presence of slow lorises. Other endemic mammal species also used the bridges. We advocate the use and monitoring of artificial canopy bridges as an important supplement for habitat connectivity in conservation interventions.     

Morphological and genetic characterisation of Centrorhynchus clitorideus (Meyer, 1931) (Acanthocephala: Centrorhynchidae) from the little owl Athene noctua (Scopoli) (Strigiformes: Strigidae) in Pakistan

Systematic Parasitology - Centrorhynchus Lühe, 1911 is a large genus of acanthocephalans mainly parasitic in various strigiform and falconiform birds. Some species of Centrorhynchus have not...     

Reproductive tissues-specific meta-QTLs and candidate genes for development of heat-tolerant rice cultivars

Plant Molecular Biology - By integrating genetics and genomics data, reproductive tissues-specific and heat stress responsive 35 meta-QTLs and 45 candidate genes were identified, which could be...     

Surface Plasmon-Driven Reversible Transformation of DNA-Bound Methylene Blue Detected In Situ by SERS

Plasmonics - We have reported the in situ surface–enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) monitoring of repetitive surface plasmon–mediated chemical transformation cycles in a conjugate...     

How Do Trees Grow in Girth? Controversy on the Role of Cellular Events in the Vascular Cambium

Acta Biotheoretica - Radial growth has long been a subject of interest in tree biology research. Recent studies have brought a significant change in the understanding of some basic processes...