The transient and constitutive inflammatory signaling in tumorigenesis

Comment on: Rokavec M, et al. Mol Cell 2012; 45:777-89.     

Transfer of a male-sterility-inducing cytoplasm from onion to leek ( Allium ampeloprasum)

Two interspecific triploid (AAC) hybrids (84/1-94 and 99/1-94) from crosses between onion [ Allium cepa (2 n=2 x=16, CC)] and leek [ A. ampeloprasum (2 n=4 x=32, AAAA)] were backcrossed to leek in order to transfer a male-sterility-inducing cytoplasm from onion that would enable the production of hybrid leek. GISH evaluations of meiosis in the interspecific hybrids revealed irregularities due to univalent onion chromosomes producing micronuclei from onion chromatin, whereas the pairing of the two sets of leek chromosomes was nearly normal. Attempts to use colchicine to double the chromosome number of the hybrids failed. Backcrosses of 84/1-94 to leek as the pollen parent were not successful. The first backcross of 99/1-94 to tetraploid leek produced 11 BC(1) plants with chromosome numbers between 38 and 41. Identification of parental chromosomes by GISH showed that all eight onion chromosomes and 30-33 leek chromosomes were transmitted to the backcross progenies due to unreduced egg cells. Onion chromosomes were eliminated during the second backcross. Southern hybridization confirmed the transfer of the T-cytoplasm like source of CMS from onion to the BC(2) progenies. After the third backcross to leek, 158 plants were obtained with varying numbers of onion chromosomes and some intergenomic recombinant chromosomes. Alloplasmic leek plants without onion chromatin were selected for further characterization of male sterility and quality traits.     

Diabetic neuropathy and surface sway-referencing disrupt somatosensory information for postural stability in stance

In order to determine the type of somatosensory information for postural control that is most affected by neuropathy, we compared the relative effects of three methods of sway-referencing the surface in a group of subjects with profound loss of somatosensory function associated with sensory polyneuropathy from diabetes with age-matched control subjects. Sway-referencing disrupted somatosensory feedback for postural control by servo-controlling the dorsi- and plantar-flexion rotation of the support surface in proportion to anterior-posterior excursion of (1) ankle angle, (2) center of body mass (CoM) angle or (3) filtered center of pressure (CoP). Postural sway in subjects with somatosensory loss was significantly larger than normal on a firm surface but not on the sway-referenced surfaces, suggesting that sway-referencing disrupts somatosensory information for postural control already disrupted by neuropathy. Control subjects standing on any sway-referenced surface swayed significantly more than neuropathy subjects who stood on a firm surface, suggesting that sway-referencing disrupts more somatosensory information than disrupted by severe neuropathy. CoP sway-referencing was less sensitive than ankle or CoM sway-referencing for distinguishing postural sway in subjects with somatosensory loss from age-matched control subjects. Given that filtered CoP sway-referencing disrupts the ability to utilize somatosensory information related to surface reactive force to a greater extent than the other two methods of sway-referencing, then these results support the hypothesis that subjects with diabetic peripheral neuropathy have lost more CoP information, than ankle or CoM angle information, for controlling postural sway in stance.     

Intravascular plug formation induced by poly-APS is the principal mechanism of the toxin's lethality in rats/rat tissues

Toxic water soluble polymeric 3-alkylpyridinium salts isolated from the sponge Raniera sarai strongly inhibited AChE in vitro. In vivo, experimental animals died due to plugs formed in microcirculation. The mechanism of this plug formation is unknown. In vitro, the toxin did not affect the coagulation rate, but the rate of platelet aggregation was accelerated in a dose-dependent manner. The hemolytic activity of poly-APS was diminished by the addition of serum proteins in a dose-dependent manner. These results support the conclusion that non-specific binding to proteins is the underlying mechanism of the lethality of poly APS.     

The biomechanics of standing and balancing in paralyzed people

Prolonged immobilization results in several physiological problems. It has been demonstrated that standing exercises can ameliorate many of these problems. Standing exercises can be performed efficiently with the help of functional electrical stimulation (FES). A novel robotic mechanism which aids the unsupported standing of paraplegics, providing balancing exercise has been developed. The balancing strategy is based on voluntary activity of the paraplegic's upper body and artificially controlled stiffness in the ankles.     

Unravelling the genetic diversity of ruminal bacteria belonging to the CFB phylum

Molecular biology approaches were employed to examine the genetic diversity of bacteria from the Cytophaga/Flexibacter/Bacteroides (CFB) phylum in the rumen of cattle. By this means we were able to identify cultured strains that represent some of the larger CFB clusters previously identified only by PCR amplification and sequencing. Complete 16S rDNA sequences were obtained for 16 previously isolated rumen strains, including the type strains of Prevotella ruminicola, P. bryantii, P. brevis and P. albensis to represent a wide range of diversity. Phylogenetic analysis of cultured strains revealed the existence of three clusters of ruminal CFB: (i) a cluster of Prevotella strains, which have been found only in the rumen, including the two type strains, P. brevis GA33(T) and P. ruminicola 23(T); (ii) Prevotella spp. that cluster with prevotellas from other ecological niches such as the oral cavity and which include the type strains, P. bryantii B(1)4(T) and P. albensis M384(T); (iii) two Bacteroides spp. strains clustering with B. forsythus of oral origin. In order to establish whether the cultivated isolates cover the whole range of ruminal CFB genetic diversity, 16S rRNA gene sequences were amplified and cloned from DNA extracted from the same rumen samples (one cow in Slovenia, one in Scotland and three in Japan). Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA genes confirmed the existence of two superclusters of ruminal Prevotella, one exclusively ruminal and the other including non-ruminal species. In the case of ruminal Bacteroides spp., however, phylogenetic analysis revealed the existence of three new superclusters, one of which has as yet no cultivable counterpart. Interestingly, these Bacteroides clusters were represented almost exclusively by clone libraries from the Japanese cattle and only three sequences were from the European cattle. This study agrees with previous analyses in showing that rumen Prevotella/Bacteroides strains exhibit a remarkable degree of genetic diversity and suggests that different strain groupings may differ greatly in their recovery by cultural methods. The most important conclusion, however, is that cultured strains can be identified that represent some of the larger clusters previously identified only by PCR amplification and sequencing.     

Seasonal habitat use of three predatory fishes in a freshwater ecosystem

Hydrobiologia - To understand the spatiotemporal overlap in the habitat use of sympatric predators, we studied longitudinal activity and reservoir section and depth use of pike (Esox lucius),...