Seasonal and diel movement patterns of brown bears in a population in southeastern Europe

Most animals concentrate their movement into certain hours of the day depending on drivers such as photoperiod, ambient temperature, inter‐ or intraspecific competition, and predation risk. The main activity periods of many mammal species, especially in human‐dominated landscapes, are commonly set at dusk, dawn, and during nighttime hours. Large carnivores, such as brown bears, often display great flexibility in diel movement patterns throughout their range, and even within populations, striking between individual differences in movement have been demonstrated. Here, we evaluated how seasonality and reproductive class affected diel movement patterns of brown bears of the Dinaric‐Pindos and Carpathian bear populations in Serbia. We analyzed the movement distances and general probability of movement of 13 brown bears (8 males and 5 females) equipped with GPS collars and monitored over 1–3 years. Our analyses revealed that movement distances and probability of bear movement differed between seasons (mating versus hyperphagia) and reproductive classes. Adult males, solitary females, and subadult males showed a crepuscular movement pattern. Compared with other reproductive classes, females with offspring were moving significantly less during crepuscular hours and during the night, particularly during the mating season, suggesting temporal niche partitioning among different reproductive classes. Adult males, solitary females, and in particular subadult males traveled greater hourly distances during the mating season in May‐June than the hyperphagia in July–October. Subadult males significantly decreased their movement from the mating season to hyperphagia, whereas females with offspring exhibited an opposite pattern with almost doubling their movement from the mating to hyperphagia season. Our results provide insights into how seasonality and reproductive class drive intrapopulation differences in movement distances and probability of movement in a recovering, to date little studied, brown bear population in southeastern Europe.     

Indirect estimation of reference intervals for thyroid parameters using advia centaur XP analyzer

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to determine the reference intervals (RIs) for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and FT3/FT4 ratio using indirect methods.MethodsWe analyzed 1256 results TSH, FT4 and FT3 collected from a laboratory information system between 2017 and 2021. All measurements were performed on a Siemens ADVIA Centaur XP analyzer using the chemiluminescent immunoassay. We calculated the values of the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles as recommended by the IFCC (CLSI C28-A3).ResultsThe RIs derived for TSH, FT4, FT3 and FT3/FT4 ratio were 0.34-4.10 mIU/L, 11.3-20.6 pmol/L, 3.5-6.32 pmol/L and 0.21-0.47, respectively. We found a significant difference between calculated RIs for the TSH and FT4 and those recommended by the manufacturer. Also, FT3 values were significantly higher in the group younger than 30 years relative to the fourth decade (5.26 vs. 5.02, p=0.005), the fifth decade (5.26 vs. 4.94, p=0.001), the sixth decade (5.26 vs. 4.87, p<0.001), the seventh decade (5.26 vs. 4.79, p<0.001) and the group older than 70 years old (5.26 vs. 4.55, p<0.001). Likewise, we found for TSH values and FT3/FT4 ratio a significant difference (p <0.001) between different age groups.ConclusionsThe establishing RIs for the population of the Republic of Srpska were significantly differed from the recommended RIs by the manufacturer for TSH and FT4. Our results encourage other laboratories to develop their own RIs for thyroid parameters by applying CLSI recommendations.     

Effects of rHuEPO treatment on red blood cell osmotic resistance

Red blood cell osmotic resistance (RBCOR) is defined as resistance to osmotic changes in cell integrity after their exposure to hypotonic saline solution. The investigation examined the effect of rHuEPO on RBCOR in hemodialysed patients. The study included 58 patients aged 49 +/- 14 years, treated by hemodialysis for 59 +/- 43 months on average. Half of the patients received rHuEPO for anemia correction. RBCOR was determined in all patients as 3 values: hemolysis start point (HSP), hemolysis end point (HEP) and middle osmotic resistance (MOR). The patients underwent laboratory checkup for parameters characteristically changed in the uremic syndrome. In the control group of healthy subjects (n = 16) RBCOR was only determined. No differences were found in the average values of HSP, HEP and MOR between the rHuEPO treated group of patinets and the untreated group. Compared to healthy individuals, the hemodialysed patients displayed significantly higher values of HSP, HEP and MOR. The only one significant correlation of RBCOR and routine laboratory features was found between MOR and predialytic serum concentrations of calcium (r = 0.28, p < 0.05) and hydrogen ions (r = 0.37, p < 0.05). Our results suggest that the administration of rHuEPO does not affect RBCOR in hemodialysed patients, that RBCOR is not always reduced in this population and that it correlates with a small number of laboratory parameters characteristic for the uremic syndrome.     

Long-term results of frontal lobe suspension in children with congenital dystrophic ptosis

Long-term results achieved by our own operative technique in children with congenital dystrophic ptosis, with frontal muscle lobe shaping with or without shaping of corrugator muscle lobe attached to the tarsal plate, are presented. Data on 146 patients with congenital dystrophic ptosis operated on during the 1984-1998 period at Zagreb University Hospital Center were retrospectively analyzed. Postoperative success was defined as a situation with eyes open in which 1) upper eyelid covers the cornea at 12 o'clock position by 1-2 mm; 2) there is a good contour of the eyelid margin; 3) there is no lagophthalmos; and 4) there is symmetry with the other eye. Immediate re-operation due to undercorrection was required in 26 of 146 (18%) patients. Upon re-operation, 133 (91%) patients met the criteria for successful outcome at 6 months, 124 (85%) at one year, and 121 (83%) at 5 years. Correction of congenital dystrophic ptosis using a shaped frontal/corrugator lobe is an efficient and safe procedure ensuring long-lasting success.     

p63 and p73: roles in development and tumor formation

The tumor suppressor p53 is critically important in the cellular damage response and is the founding member of a family of proteins. All three genes regulate cell cycle and apoptosis after DNA damage. However, despite a remarkable structural and partly functional similarity among p53, p63, and p73, mouse knockout studies revealed an unexpected functional diversity among them. p63 and p73 knockouts exhibit severe developmental abnormalities but no increased cancer susceptibility, whereas this picture is reversed for p53 knockouts. Neither p63 nor p73 is the target of inactivating mutations in human cancers. Genomic organization is more complex in p63 and p73, largely the result of an alternative internal promoter generating NH2-terminally deleted dominant-negative proteins that engage in inhibitory circuits within the family. Deregulated dominant-negative p73 isoforms might play an active oncogenic role in some human cancers. Moreover, COOH-terminal extensions specific for p63 and p73 enable further unique protein-protein interactions with regulatory pathways involved in development, differentiation, proliferation, and damage response. Thus, p53 family proteins take on functions within a wide biological spectrum stretching from development (p63 and p73), DNA damage response via apoptosis and cell cycle arrest (p53, TAp63, and TAp73), chemosensitivity of tumors (p53 and TAp73), and immortalization and oncogenesis (DeltaNp73).     

Polycystic ovary syndrome: evidence for a primary disorder of ovarian steroidogenesis

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common endocrinopathy of uncertain aetiology in which the most consistent biochemical abnormality is hypersecretion of androgens. In this review, evidence is presented to support the view that a primary abnormality of ovarian androgen biosynthesis provides the basis for the syndrome. PCOS is a familiar disorder and we demonstrate, in molecular genetic studies, that CYP11a, the gene coding for P450 side chain cleavage, is a key susceptibility locus for development of hyperandrogenism.     

First Report of Phytoplasma (16SrI) Associated with Yellow Decline Disease of Royal Palms [Roystonea regia (Kunth) O. F. Cook] in Malaysia

Royal Palms (Roystonea regia) with symptoms such as severe chlorosis, stunting, collapse of older fronds and general decline were observed in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with phytoplasma universal primer pair P1/P7 followed by R16F2N/R16R2 and fU5/rU3 as nested PCR primer pairs, all symptomatic plants tested positively for phytoplasma. Results of phylogenetic and virtual RFLP analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the phytoplasma associated with Royal Palm yellow decline (RYD) was an isolate of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ belonging to a new 16SrI‐subgroup. These results show that Roystonea regia is a new host for the aster yellows phytoplasma (16SrI). This is the first report on the presence of 16SrI phytoplasma on Royal Palm trees in Malaysia.     

Genotypic diversity of Iranian Cryptococcus neoformans using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and susceptibility to antifungals

Molecular Biology Reports - Cryptococcus species is an opportunistic yeast pathogen and classified into different molecular types according to typing techniques including multilocus sequence typing...     

Prolonged viral shedding and antibody persistence in patients with COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 as a new global threat has affected global population for one year. Despite the great effort to eradicate this infection, there are still some challenges including different viral presentation, temporal immunity in infected individuals and variable data of viral shedding. We studied 255 COVID-19 suspected individuals to assess the viral shedding duration and also the antibody development against SARS-CoV-2 among the cases. Real Time RT-PCR assay was applied to determine the virus presence and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were evaluated using SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG kits. 113 patients were confirmed for COVID-19 infection. The patients were followed until negative PCR achieved. The median viral shedding among studied population was obtained 34.16 (±17.65) days which was not significantly associated with age, sex and underlying diseases. Shiver and body pain were found in prolonged form of the infection and also patients who had gastrointestinal problems experienced longer viral shedding. Moreover, IgG was present in 84% of patients after 150 days. According to this data, the median viral shedding prolongation was 34.16 days which indicates that 14 days isolation might not be enough for population. In addition, IgG profiling indicated that it is persistent in a majority of patients for nearly 6 months which has brought some hopes in vaccine efficacy and application.     

A dynamical systems model for combinatorial cancer therapy enhances oncolytic adenovirus efficacy by MEK-inhibition

Oncolytic adenoviruses, such as ONYX-015, have been tested in clinical trials for currently untreatable tumors, but have yet to demonstrate adequate therapeutic efficacy. The extent to which viruses infect targeted cells determines the efficacy of this approach but many tumors down-regulate the Coxsackievirus and Adenovirus Receptor (CAR), rendering them less susceptible to infection. Disrupting MAPK pathway signaling by pharmacological inhibition of MEK up-regulates CAR expression, offering possible enhanced adenovirus infection. MEK inhibition, however, interferes with adenovirus replication due to resulting G1-phase cell cycle arrest. Therefore, enhanced efficacy will depend on treatment protocols that productively balance these competing effects. Predictive understanding of how to attain and enhance therapeutic efficacy of combinatorial treatment is difficult since the effects of MEK inhibitors, in conjunction with adenovirus/cell interactions, are complex nonlinear dynamic processes. We investigated combinatorial treatment strategies using a mathematical model that predicts the impact of MEK inhibition on tumor cell proliferation, ONYX-015 infection, and oncolysis. Specifically, we fit a nonlinear differential equation system to dedicated experimental data and analyzed the resulting simulations for favorable treatment strategies. Simulations predicted enhanced combinatorial therapy when both treatments were applied simultaneously; we successfully validated these predictions in an ensuing explicit test study. Further analysis revealed that a CAR-independent mechanism may be responsible for amplified virus production and cell death. We conclude that integrated computational and experimental analysis of combinatorial therapy provides a useful means to identify treatment/infection protocols that yield clinically significant oncolysis. Enhanced oncolytic therapy has the potential to dramatically improve non-surgical cancer treatment, especially in locally advanced or metastatic cases where treatment options remain limited.