Multiomic Metabolic Enrichment Network Analysis Reveals Metabolite–Protein Physical Interaction Subnetworks Altered in Cancer

Metabolism is recognized as an important driver of cancer progression and other complex diseases, but global metabolite profiling remains a challenge. Protein expression profiling is often a poor proxy since existing pathway enrichment models provide an incomplete mapping between the proteome and metabolism. To overcome these gaps, we introduce multiomic metabolic enrichment network analysis (MOMENTA), an integrative multiomic data analysis framework for more accurately deducing metabolic pathway changes from proteomics data alone in a gene set analysis context by leveraging protein interaction networks to extend annotated metabolic models. We apply MOMENTA to proteomic data from diverse cancer cell lines and human tumors to demonstrate its utility at revealing variation in metabolic pathway activity across cancer types, which we verify using independent metabolomics measurements. The novel metabolic networks we uncover in breast cancer and other tumors are linked to clinical outcomes, underscoring the pathophysiological relevance of the findings.     

Body size and area‐incidence relationships: is there a general pattern?

Aim This paper tests firstly for the existence of a general relationship between body size of terrestrial animals and their incidence across habitat patches of increasing size, and secondly for differences in this relationship between insects and vertebrates. Location The analysis was based on the occupancy pattern of 50 species from 15 different landscapes in a variety of ecosystems ranging from Central European grassland to Asian tropical forest. Methods The area‐occupancy relationship was described by incidence functions that were calculated using logistic regression. A correlation analysis between body size of the species and the patch area referring to the two given points of the incidence function was performed. In order to test for an effect of taxon (insects vs. vertebrates), an analysis of covariance was conducted. Results In all species, the incidence was found to increase with increasing patch area. The macroecological analysis showed a significant relationship between the incidence in habitat patches and the body size of terrestrial animals. The area requirement was found to increase linearly with increasing body size on a log‐log scale. This relationship did not differ significantly between insects and vertebrates. Conclusions The approach highlighted in this paper is to associate incidence functions with body size. The results suggest that body size is a general but rather rough predictor for the area requirements of animals. The relationship seems valid for a wide range of body sizes of terrestrial animals. However, further studies including isolation of habitats as well as additional species traits into the macroecological analysis of incidence functions are needed.     

Physical and chemical variability in sugarcane fields infested with the red-striped soft scale insect,Pulvinaria Tenuivalvata (Newstead)

The red-striped soft scale insect Pulvinaria tenuivalvata (Newstead) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) started to infest sugarcane plants (Saccharum officinarum L.) in different districts in Egypt during the last decade. The percentage of infestation was recorded in El-Wakf area, Qena Governorate (Naghhamadi mill zone) Upper Egypt in some fields. There are three levels of infestation, low, intermediate and high. From these fields, samples were selected for physical and chemical studies. The results obtained show that the stalks of infested plants decreased in weight, the sugar content (glucose and sucrose) drastically reduced and as the percentage of infestation increased the percentage of glucose and sucrose content significantly decreased. The primary and secondary humidity and the cellulose content also increased in the healthy plants compared to the infested ones. All the physical character of the infested plants was significantly affected in comparison with the healthy ones.     

Reflections on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Genetic Resources in the Deep Seabed Beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction

Attention is increasingly being given to genetic resources in the deep seabed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction owing to their considerable potential scientific and economic value. At the same time, there are concerns that the increased demand for these genetic resources may result in their unsustainable collection or even in the extinction of species in the deep seabed. At present there is no specific legal framework governing these resources in international law. Thus, this article explores the relevant rules of international law applicable to the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in the deep seabed.     

小麦—天兰偃麦草—黑麦三属杂种花粉植株诱导条件的研究

研究表明,三属杂种处于单核中晚期阶段的花粉最适于诱导形成愈伤组织。低温预处理对促进三属杂种花粉愈伤组织的诱导有一定的作用。利用以马铃薯提取物为基础物质的马铃薯-Ⅱ培养基作诱导培养基,其愈伤组织诱导与分化的频率比目前两个较好的合成培养基要高。同一个三属杂种F_1春、秋播种植株之间在形成愈伤组织的能力上有较大的差异,秋播材料形成愈伤组织的能力明显高于春播材料。F_(?)杂种植株诱导愈伤组织和分化植株的频率均比F_1杂种明显提高。     

水洞沟遗址的环境与地层

水洞沟第四纪地层可与萨拉乌苏河组上段对比。水洞沟遗址包含有新石器和旧石器晚期文化,其旧石器晚期文化发生在距今20,000多年至10,000多年间的黄土状粉砂土中,即发生在末次冰期主冰期的干冷环境下,比发育在距今约35,000—50,000年间的萨拉乌苏河旧石器文化为晚。     

Principal-components analysis of Brazilian Indian anthropometric data

Analysis of nine characteristics on 1,205 males and 932 females from 12 tribes or groups of tribes indicated a poor relationship between morphology and language, as well as moderate agreement with the variability expected considering geography only. Two samples in the Xingu area studied during an interval of half a century (1897-1947) showed remarkable similarity. The conformity of the Caingang morphology with those of other tribes and the distinctiveness of the Xavante and Tenetehara has been amply confirmed.     

Distribution of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity in rat and cat area postrema

The distribution of neurotensin-like immunoreactive (NT-LI) fibers and cell bodies in the area postrema (AP) of rat and cat, utilizing the peroxidase, antiperoxidase (PAP) technique, is described. In the rat, the greatest accumulation of NT-LI fibers were present along the borders of the AP, while there were very few NT-LI fibers in central regions. In the cat, scattered NT-LI fibers occupied the majority of the central AP, while moderate numbers of NT-LI fibers were present at the ventromedial border. In more rostral cat AP levels, the number of NT-LI fibers decreased. NT-LI somata were present in rat AP, but were lacking in cat AP. The localization of NT within the AP suggests that the cardiovascular and gastric effects attributed to NT may be mediated, in part, through the AP.     

Correlation between soil characters and forest types: a study in multiple discriminant analysis

Multiple discriminant analysis is a useful multivariate technique in vegetation studies that can be employed for several purposes, even if the underlying statistical assumptions are not satisfied. An example of application of this method is discussed: multiple discriminant analysis was successfully used for evaluating the predictivity of forest types defined by numerical classification of vegetation data with respect to soil variables.Species nomenclature follows Pignatti (1982) for vascular plants and Augier (1966) for mosses.The research has been supported by the IDROSER (Bologna, Italy) and by the Italian C. N. R. (Grant no. 83.02548.04, resp. Prof. A. Pirola). We wish to thank Prof. E. Feoli, Prof. E. van der Maarel, Prof. L. Orlóci and Prof. A. Pirola for suggestions. We are also indebted to Dr N. Filippi who analyzed the soil samples.