Diurnal Rhythms in Performance Tests of School Children with and Without Language Disorders

Time-of-day related changes on four tests used by speech therapists and four other performance tests, in addition to oral temperature, were documented in 16 school children (7-9 years of age). Six of them had language disorders and were receiving speech therapy. Children were synchronized with diurnal activity from around 0730 to around 2100 and nocturnal rest. For each child, at each test time point (e.g. 0900, 1100, 1530 and 1930) tests were performed three times, with two different speech therapists, in a random order, with only one session per day. Conventional methods (r-tested mean differences; AINOVA; correlation tests) were used for statistical analyses. Among 29 parameters (items) which were analyzed, only nine exhibited time-of-day related changes, mainly in speed to-perform measures. In most detected rhythms best performance occurred either at 1100 or at 1530 with no difference in subgroups except for the fastest performance of the sentence repetition test. With regard to the daily mean M, controls performed better than children with language disorders for the word (syllabic) repetition test (P < 0.0004) but this was reversed for both computing and colouring skill tests (P < 0.04 and < 0.002). A difference related to sex (but not to language disorders) was observed in the Ms of speed in sign reproduction (P < 0.0000) and sorting cards (P < 0.01), with boys being faster than girls. In children, as in adults, time-of-day effects should be considered when the quantification of performance is desired.     

Effects of age and size on critical swimming speed of juvenile Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis at seasonal temperatures

Changes in the critical swimming speed (U_crit, cm s^?1) with ontogeny of 2·5–12·5 month‐old juvenile anadromous Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinesis were measured in a modified Blazka‐type swimming tunnel. The absolute U_crit increased with length, mass and age; the relative U^′_crit (body lengths, s^?1), however, decreased. Juvenile A. sinesis did not display a parr–smolt transformation at the length or age threshold to tolerate full‐strength seawater.     

Zero effect of Bt rice on expression of genes coding for digestion,detoxification and immune responses and developmental performances of Brown Planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål)

Transgenic Cry1Ac, Cry2Aa and Cry1Ca (Bt toxins) rice lines are well developed to manage lepidopteron pests in China. The impact of transgenic Bt rice on the non-target Brown Planthopper (BPH) has become an essential part of environmental risk assessment, however, scanty evidence is found addressing on developmental and molecular responses of BPH to the ingestion of Bt protein from transgenic rice. The focus of the current study is to examine the developmental characteristics and the expression profiles of gene in relation to digestion, detoxification and immune responses were examined. Our study strongly revealed that the tested Bt rice strains have no unfavorable effect on fecundity, survival and growth of BPH. Furthermore, each of the tested genes did not exhibit distinct expression pattern responding to non Bt parental cultivar, thus, it could be concluded that Bt rice have no detrimental effects on the physiological processes of digestion, detoxification and immune responses of BPH.     

Molecular characterization of PVAS3: An asparagine synthetase gene from common bean prevailing in developing organs

In common bean, asparagine synthetase (AS; EC 6.3.5.4) is encoded by three members of a multigene family called PVAS1, PVAS2 and PVAS3. Two of these genes, PVAS1 and PVAS2, have been extensively studied, but little is known about PVAS3, remaining unclear whether PVAS3 function is redundant to the other AS or if it plays a specific role in Phaseolus vulgaris metabolism. In this work, we used a molecular approach to characterize PVAS3 expression and to gain some knowledge about its physiological function. We showed that, in contrast to PVAS1 and PVAS2, PVAS3 was expressed in all organs analyzed. Interestingly, PVAS3 was the AS gene most highly expressed in nodules, leaves and pods at the earliest stages of development, and its expression decreased as these organs developed. Expression of PVAS3 parallels the accumulation of AS protein and the asparagine content during the earliest stages of nodule, leaf and pod development, suggesting an important role for PVAS3 in the synthesis of asparagine in that period. Furthermore, PVAS3 was not repressed by light, as most class-II AS genes. Surprisingly, fertilization of nodulated plants with nitrate or ammonium, conditions that induce PVAS1 and PVAS2 and the shift from ureides to amide synthesis, repressed the expression of PVAS3 in nodules and roots. The possible implications of this regulation are discussed.     

Acetate supplementation increases brain phosphocreatine and reduces AMP levels with no effect on mitochondrial biogenesis

Acetate supplementation in rats increases plasma acetate and brain acetyl-CoA levels. Although acetate is used as a marker to study glial energy metabolism, the effect that acetate supplementation has on normal brain energy stores has not been quantified. To determine the effect(s) that an increase in acetyl-CoA levels has on brain energy metabolism, we measured brain nucleotide, phosphagen and glycogen levels, and quantified cardiolipin content and mitochondrial number in rats subjected to acetate supplementation. Acetate supplementation was induced with glyceryl triacetate (GTA) by oral gavage (6 g/kg body weight). Rats used for biochemical analysis were euthanized using head-focused microwave irradiation at 2, and 4 h following treatment to immediately stop metabolism. We found that acetate did not alter brain ATP, ADP, NAD, GTP levels, or the energy charge ratio [ECR, (ATP + ½ ADP)/(ATP + ADP + AMP)] when compared to controls. However, after 4 h of treatment brain phosphocreatine levels were significantly elevated with a concomitant reduction in AMP levels with no change in glycogen levels. In parallel studies where rats were treated with GTA for 28 days, we found that acetate did not alter brain glycogen and mitochondrial biogenesis as determined by measuring brain cardiolipin content, the fatty acid composition of cardiolipin and using quantitative ultra-structural analysis to determine mitochondrial density/unit area of cytoplasm in hippocampal CA3 neurons. Collectively, these data suggest that an increase in brain acetyl-CoA levels by acetate supplementation does increase brain energy stores however it has no effect on brain glycogen and neuronal mitochondrial biogenesis.     

Impact of virus preparation quality on parvovirus filter performance

Virus‐removal filtration technology is commonly used in the manufacturing process for biologics to remove potential viral contaminants. Virus‐removal filters designed for retaining parvovirus, one of the smallest mammalian viruses, are considered an industry standard as they can effectively remove broad ranges of viruses. It has long been observed that the performance of virus filters can be influenced by virus preparations used in the laboratory scale studies (PDA, 2010 ). However, it remains unclear exactly what quality attributes of virus preparations are critical or indicative of virus filter performance as measured by effectiveness of virus removal and filter capacity consistency. In an attempt to better understand the relationship between virus preparation and virus filter performance, we have systematically prepared and analyzed different grades of parvovirus with different purity levels and compared their performance profiles on Viresolve® Pro parvovirus filters using four different molecules. Virus preparations used in the studies were characterized using various methods to measure DNA and protein content as well as the hydrodynamic diameter of virus particles. Our results indicate that the performance of Viresolve® Pro filters can be significantly impacted depending on the purity of the virus preparations used in the spike and recovery studies. More importantly, we have demonstrated that the purity of virus preparations is directly correlated to the measurable biochemical and biophysical properties of the virus preparations such as DNA and protein content and monodispersal status, thus making it possible to significantly improve the consistency and predictability of the virus filter performance during process step validations. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 229–239. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Anti-platelet activity of a three-finger toxin (3FTx) from Indian monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia) venom

A low molecular weight anti-platelet peptide (6.9 kDa) has been purified from Naja kaouthia venom and was named KT-6.9. MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry analysis revealed the homology of KT-6.9 peptide sequence with many three finger toxin family members. KT-6.9 inhibited human platelet aggregation process in a dose dependent manner. It has inhibited ADP, thrombin and arachidonic acid induced platelet aggregation process in dose dependent manner, but did not inhibit collagen and ristocetin induced platelet aggregation. Strong inhibition (70%) of the ADP induced platelet aggregation by KT-6.9 suggests competition with ADP for its receptors on platelet surface. Anti-platelet activity of KT-6.9 was found to be 25 times stronger than that of anti-platelet drug clopidogrel. Binding of KT-6.9 to platelet surface was confirmed by surface plasma resonance analysis using BIAcore X100. Binding was also observed by a modified sandwich ELISA method using anti-KT-6.9 antibodies. KT-6.9 is probably the first 3FTx from Indian monocled cobra venom reported as a platelet aggregation inhibitor.     

A comparison of antemortem tooth loss in human hunter‐gatherers and non‐human catarrhines: Implications for the identification of behavioral evolution in the human fossil record

Middle and Late Pleistocene fossil hominin specimens with severe antemortem tooth loss are often regarded as evidence for the precocious evolution of human‐like behaviors, such as conspecific care or cooking, in ancient hominin species. The goal of this project was to ask whether the theoretical association between antemortem tooth loss and uniquely human behaviors is supported empirically in a large skeletal sample of human hunter‐gatherers, chimpanzees, orangutans, and baboons. Binomial regression modeling in a Bayesian framework allows for the investigation of the effects of tooth class, genus, age, and sex on the likelihood of tooth loss. The results strongly suggest that modern humans experience more antemortem tooth loss than non‐human primates and identify age in years as an important predictor. Once age is accounted for, the difference between the humans and the closest non‐human genus (chimpanzees) is less pronounced; humans are still more likely on average to experience antemortem tooth loss though 95% uncertainty envelopes around the average prediction for each genus show some overlap. These analyses support theoretical links between antemortem tooth loss and modern human characteristics; humans' significantly longer life history and a positive correlation between age and antemortem tooth loss explain, in part, the reason why humans are more likely to experience tooth loss than non‐human primates, but the results do not exclude behavioral differences as a contributing factor. Am J Phys Anthropol 151:252–264, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Ocean acidification and rising temperatures may increase biofilm primary productivity but decrease grazer consumption

Climate change may cause ecosystems to become trophically restructured as a result of primary producers and consumers responding differently to increasing CO₂ and temperature. This study used an integrative approach using a controlled microcosm experiment to investigate the combined effects of CO₂ and temperature on key components of the intertidal system in the UK, biofilms and their consumers (Littorina littorea). In addition, to identify whether pre-exposure to experimental conditions can alter experimental outcomes we explicitly tested for differential effects on L. littorea pre-exposed to experimental conditions for two weeks and five months. In contrast to predictions based on metabolic theory, the combination of elevated temperature and CO₂ over a five-week period caused a decrease in the amount of primary productivity consumed by grazers, while the abundance of biofilms increased. However, long-term pre-exposure to experimental conditions (five months) altered this effect, with grazing rates in these animals being greater than in animals exposed only for two weeks. We suggest that the structure of future ecosystems may not be predictable using short-term laboratory experiments alone owing to potentially confounding effects of exposure time and effects of being held in an artificial environment over prolonged time periods. A combination of laboratory (physiology responses) and large, long-term experiments (ecosystem responses) may therefore be necessary to adequately predict the complex and interactive effects of climate change as organisms may acclimate to conditions over the longer term.     

Metabolic fingerprinting reveals differences between northern and southern strains of the cryptic diatom Chaetoceros socialis

Morphology and molecular phylogeny constitute the structural elements of diatom taxonomy. These approaches do not, however, give information on the functioning of taxa. Additional methods to serve a more integrated and wide-ranging taxonomy have therefore been called for. Metabolic fingerprinting is one approach used within the field of metabolomics, often applied in classification of samples. Here we apply metabolic fingerprinting in a taxonomic study of a cryptic diatom species. Strains of the cosmopolitan diatom Chaetoceros socialis from two geographical areas; the north-east Atlantic and Arctic and the Gulf of Naples, were cultivated at three different temperatures; 2.5, 8 and 13°C. The strains from the two different geographical areas exhibited different growth rates as well as different photosynthetic efficiencies. Algal extracts, collected at the end of the growth experiments, were analysed by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography High Resolution Mass Spectrometry. The two groups of strains were separated by principal component analysis of their metabolic fingerprints. Analysis of the data revealed both qualitative and quantitative differences in metabolite markers. These phenotypic differences reinforce differences also found for morphology, phylogenetic markers and growth rates, and point at different adaptive characteristics in organisms living under different temperature regimes.