Water Balance in Cucumis Plants, Measured by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, I

In this paper we demonstrate the study of plant water balanceby the non-invasive measurement of tissue water content andwater flow using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Sapvelocity and flux were measured independently in the presenceof an excess of stationary tissue water. The instrumentationdescribed allows automated and unattended measurement of flow-and water content-variables in a well-defined region of theplant over periods of several days, with a time resolution betweensuccessive measurements of c. 5 s. Using this apparatus theeffect of changes in light intensity (day/night rhythm) andrelative humidity on stem tissue water content as well as onthe velocity and flux of xylem sap in the stem were investigatedin a cucumber plant. The results are in agreement with predictionsfrom a simple model for plant water balance, which is basedon water potential, flow rate and resistance to flow. As longas only transpiration is varied, flow rate and water content(or potential) are affected in opposite ways as demonstratedin this paper. In contrast, the model predicts that changesin uptake (resulting from changes in, for example, root resistance)will induce changes in water content and flow in the same direction.An experimental verification of this prediction is given ina subsequent paper, where, in addition, the NMR results arecompared to those obtained with a dendrometer. Key words: Water balance model, Cucumis sativus L., flow, water content, NMR, water balance measurement     

TASTE GROUP THRESHOLDS AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF SPANISH WINE VINEGARS

Wine vinegar is a product obtained from wine acidification which contains at least 5% by wt. of acetic acid, in general without any additives or colorings.
Aspects studied in this work include: the determination of the taste group thresholds (geometric mean of the individual best-estimate thresholds "BET") of two different acids (citric and acetic acids) in aqueous solution and spanish vinegars produced from table and sherry wines. The results obtained suggest that wine vinegar can be considered something more than just an acidulant agent.
In order to evaluate differences among wine vinegars, discriminant tests for twenty-five spanish vinegars (sherry, table and flavored vinegars) were applied. Six of the twelve attributes freely chosen by assessors allowed grouping of the spanish wine vinegars according to their sensory aspects.     

Arginine deprivation in KB cells: I. Effect on cell cycle progress

When exponentially growing KB cells were deprived of arginine, cell multiplication ceased after 12 h but viability was maintained throughout the experimental period (42-48 h). Although tritiated thymidine ([(3)H]TdR) incorporation into acid-insoluble material declined to 5 percent of the initial rate, the fraction of cells engaged in DNA synthesis, determined by autoradiography, remained constant throughout the starvation period and approximately equal to the synthesizing fraction in exponentially growing controls (40 percent). Continous [(3)H]TdR-labeling indicated that 80 percent of the arginine-starved cells incorporated (3)H at some time during a 48-h deprivation period. Thus, some cells ceased DNA synthesis, whereas some initially nonsynthesizing cells initiated DNA synthesis during starvation. Flow microfluorometric profiles of distribution of cellular DNA contents at the end of the starvation period indicated that essentially no cells had a 4c or G2 complement. If arginine was restored after 30 h of starvation, cultures resumed active, largely asynchronous division after a 16-h lag. Autoradiographs of metaphase figures from cultures continuously labeled with [(3)H]TdR after restoration indicated that all cells in the culture underwent DNA synthesis before dividing. It was concluded that the majority of cells in arginine-starved cultures are arrested in neither a normal G1 nor G2. It is proposed that for an exponential culture, i.e. from most positions in the cell cycle, inhibition of cell growth after arginine with withdrawal centers on the ability of cells to complete replication of their DNA.     

The effect of vascular complications of diabetes mellitus on human umbilical cord tissue and the number of Wharton Jelly’s mesenchymal stem cells

Molecular Biology Reports - The current study investigated the change in umbilical cord tissue and the number of markers of Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSC) in pregnant women...     

Cold storage effects on flesh quality of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792) fed diets containing different vegetable oils

The intention of this experiment was to assess the effects of different sources of dietary lipid on the fatty acid composition of the fillet and liver and the flesh quality traits of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) after a 70‐day feeding period. Four iso‐nitrogenous (approx. 51% crude protein) and iso‐lipidic (approx. 14% crude lipid) experimental diets were formulated. The control diet contained only fish oil (FO) as the primary lipid source. In the other three dietary treatments, fish oil was replaced by 100% (LO30/SO35/SFO35) and 70% (FO30/LO35/SO35 or FO30/SO35/SFO35) sesame oil (SO), linseed oil (LO), or sunflower oil (SFO). Triplicate groups of 40 rainbow trout (~46 g) held under similar culture conditions were hand‐fed daily to apparent satiation for 70 days. At the end of the feeding trials, no difference in growth performance among experimental groups was noted (P > 0.05). There were some differences in the proximate composition of fish fillets (P < 0.05): the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels were highest in fish fed the control diet (P < 0.05); and EPA and DHA levels in fish fed the FO30/LO35/SO35 diet were closest to the control diet (P < 0.05). In contrast, fish fed the diet containing 100% plant oils (LO30/SO35/SFO35) had the highest level of total n‐6 fatty acids in the fillet and liver. In a 12‐day refrigerated storage at 1°C the thiobarbituric acid (TBA), trimethylamin nitrogen (TMA‐N) and pH values gradually increased in all dietary groups (P < 0.05). The chemical indicators of spoilage, TBA, TMA‐N, and pH values were within the limit of acceptability for human consumption.     

Production of endothelial progenitor cells obtained from human Wharton's jelly using different culture conditions

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) participate in revascularization and angiogenesis. EPC can be cultured in vitro from mononuclear cells of peripheral blood, umbilical cord blood or bone marrow; they also can be transdifferentiated from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). We isolated EPCs from Wharton's jelly (WJ) using two methods. The first method was by obtaining MSC from WJ and characterizing them by flow cytometry and their adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation, then applying endothelial growth differentiating media. The second method was by direct culture of cells derived from WJ into endothelial differentiating media. EPCs were characterized by morphology, Dil-LDL uptake/UEA-1 immunostaining and testing the expression of endothelial markers by flow cytometry and RT-PCR. We found that MSC derived from WJ differentiated into endothelial-like cells using simple culture conditions with endothelium induction agents in the medium.     

Selective estrogen receptor degraders with novel structural motifs induce regression in a tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer xenograft

Potent estrogen receptor ligands typically contain a phenolic hydrogen-bond donor. The indazole of the selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) ARN-810 is believed to mimic this. Disclosed herein is the discovery of ARN-810 analogs which lack this hydrogen-bond donor. These SERDs induced tumor regression in a tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer xenograft, demonstrating that the indazole NH is not necessary for robust ER-modulation and anti-tumor activity.     

Genistein binding protein targets in dental pathogens

Oral pathogens have created a menace in recent years due to biofilm formation and antimicrobial drug resistance. The current treatment strategy works well with antibiotics. However, constant use of antibiotics creates a selective pressure, which increases adaptability of the pathogens. Therefore, it is of interest to analyze the potential targets of genistein in dental pathogens using computer aided prediction tools.     

Effect of leptin on renal ischemia-reperfusion damage in rats

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has been established as an important mediator in renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Leptin, a product of the ob gene, has been known to exhibit cytoprotective effects on renal tissue, but its effect on renal tissue TNF-alpha level after renal I/R injury in rats remains unknown. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of leptin on renal tissue TNF-alpha, malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls (PCs) and total sulfydryl group (SH) levels, and plasma nitrite levels after renal I/R injury in rats. The animals were divided into three groups: control, I/R and I/R+leptin. Rats were subjected to renal ischemia by clamping the left pedicle for 45 min, and then reperfused for 1 h. The I/R+leptin group was pretreated intraperitoneally with leptin (10 microg/kg) 30 min before the induction of ischemia. Our results indicate that MDA, TNF-alpha levels, and PCs were significantly higher in the I/R group than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The administration of leptin decreased these parameters (p < 0.05) significantly. The SH level was observed to significantly decrease after I/R injury when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Leptin treatment significantly increased tissue SH and plasma nitrite levels when compared to the I/R group (p < 0.05). Plasma nitrite levels did not change significantly in I/R when compared to the control. These results suggest that leptin could exert a protective effect on I/R induced renal damage by decreasing TNF-alpha levels and increasing nitrite level.     

Analysis of superfamily specific profile-profile recognition accuracy

Background  

Annotation of sequences that share little similarity to sequences of known function remains a major obstacle in genome annotation. Some of the best methods of detecting remote relationships between protein sequences are based on matching sequence profiles. We analyse the superfamily specific performance of sequence profile-profile matching. Our benchmark consists of a set of 16 protein superfamilies that are highly diverse at the sequence level. We relate the performance to the number of sequences in the profiles, the profile diversity and the extent of structural conservation in the superfamily.