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Sample records for significant mt dependence

  1. Membrane-type-3 matrix metalloproteinase (MT3-MMP functions as a matrix composition-dependent effector of melanoma cell invasion.

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    Olga Tatti

    Full Text Available In primary human melanoma, the membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase, MT3-MMP, is overexpressed in the most aggressive nodular-type tumors. Unlike MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP, which promote cell invasion through basement membranes and collagen type I-rich tissues, the function of MT3-MMP in tumor progression remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that MT3-MMP inhibits MT1-MMP-driven melanoma cell invasion in three-dimensional collagen, while yielding an altered, yet MT1-MMP-dependent, form of expansive growth behavior that phenocopies the formation of nodular cell colonies. In melanoma cell lines originating from advanced primary or metastatic lesions, endogenous MT3-MMP expression was associated with limited collagen-invasive potential. In the cell lines with highest MT3-MMP expression relative to MT1-MMP, collagen-invasive activity was increased following stable MT3-MMP gene silencing. Consistently, MT3-MMP overexpression in cells derived from less advanced superficially spreading melanoma lesions, or in the MT3-MMP knockdown cells, reduced MT1-MMP-dependent collagen invasion. Rather than altering MT1-MMP transcription, MT3-MMP interacted with MT1-MMP in membrane complexes and reduced its cell surface expression. By contrast, as a potent fibrinolytic enzyme, MT3-MMP induced efficient invasion of the cells in fibrin, a provisional matrix component frequently found at tumor-host tissue interfaces and perivascular spaces of melanoma. Since MT3-MMP was significantly upregulated in biopsies of human melanoma metastases, these results identify MT3-MMP as a matrix-dependent modifier of the invasive tumor cell functions during melanoma progression.

  2. Melatonin membrane receptor (MT1R) expression and nitro-oxidative stress in testis of golden hamster, Mesocricetus auratus: An age-dependent study.

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    Mukherjee, Arun; Haldar, Chandana

    2015-09-01

    Age-dependent decline in melatonin level induces nitro-oxidative stress that compromises physiological homeostasis including reproduction. However, less information exist regarding the age-dependent variation in local melatonin (lMel) concentration and MT1R expression in testis and its interaction with testicular steroidogenesis and nitro-oxidative stress in golden hamster, Mesocricetus auratus. Therefore, we evaluated lMel level along with MT1R expression and its possible interaction with steroidogenesis and nitro-oxidative stress in testes of young (6weeks), adult (15weeks) and old (2years) aged hamsters. Further, we injected the old hamsters with melatonin to address whether age-related decline in lMel and MT1R is responsible for the reduction in testicular steroidogenesis and antioxidant status. Increased expression of steroidogenic markers suggests increased testicular steroidogenesis in adult hamsters that declined in old hamsters. An age-dependent elevation in the level of NOX, TBARS, corticosterone and the expression of iNOS and GR with a concomitant decrease in enzyme activities for SOD, CAT, GSH-PX indicate increased nitro-oxidative stress in testes. Data suggest that reproductive senescence in male hamsters might be a consequence of declined lMel concentration with MT1R expression inducing nitro-oxidative stress resulting in diminished testicular steroidogenesis. However, administration of Mel in old-aged hamsters significantly increased steroidogenesis and antioxidant status without a significant variation in lMel concentration and MT1R expression in testes. Therefore, decreased lMel and MT1R might not be the causative factor underlying the age-associated decrease in antioxidant defence and steroidogenesis in testes. In conclusion, Mel induced amelioration of testicular oxidative insult and elevation of steroidogenic activity suggests a potential role of increased nitro-oxidative stress underlying the age-dependent decrease in steroidogenesis. Copyright

  3. The mycorrhiza-dependent defensin MtDefMd1 of Medicago truncatula acts during the late restructuring stages of arbuscule-containing cells.

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    Marian Uhe

    Full Text Available Different symbiotic and pathogenic plant-microbe interactions involve the production of cysteine-rich antimicrobial defensins. In Medicago truncatula, the expression of four MtDefMd genes, encoding arbuscular mycorrhiza-dependent defensins containing an N-terminal signal peptide and exhibiting some differences to non-symbiotic defensins, raised over the time of fungal colonization. Whereas the MtDefMd1 and MtDefMd2 promoters were inactive in cells containing young arbuscules, cells with fully developed arbuscules displayed different levels of promoter activities, indicating an up-regulation towards later stages of arbuscule formation. MtDefMd1 and MtDefMd2 expression was absent or strongly down-regulated in mycorrhized ram1-1 and pt4-2 mutants, known for defects in arbuscule branching or premature arbuscule degeneration, respectively. A ~97% knock-down of MtDefMd1/MtDefMd2 expression did not significantly affect arbuscule size. Although overexpression of MtDefMd1 in arbuscule-containing cells led to an up-regulation of MtRam1, encoding a key transcriptional regulator of arbuscule formation, no morphological changes were evident. Co-localization of an MtDefMd1-mGFP6 fusion with additional, subcellular markers revealed that this defensin is associated with arbuscules in later stages of their life-cycle. MtDefMd1-mGFP6 was detected in cells with older arbuscules about to collapse, and ultimately in vacuolar compartments. Comparisons with mycorrhized roots expressing a tonoplast marker indicated that MtDefMd1 acts during late restructuring processes of arbuscule-containing cells, upon their transition into a post-symbiotic state.

  4. Lysophosphatidic Acid Up-regulates MT1-MMP Expression through a Gi –dependent Pathway in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

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    Po-Wei Lin

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA is a low molecular weight lysophospholipid (LPL. Through binding to its specific G protein-coupled receptor family, LPA regulates various cellular functions, including proliferation, migration, invasion, and differentiation. Matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs are zinc-dependent protease and play important roles in regulating the interaction between cells and extracellular matrix (ECM. Among these MMPs, membrane type 1-metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP not only degrades ECM protein but also activates metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2, Gelatinase A, which are important to endothelial cell migration. Our previous study showed that LPA enhances MMP-2 expression and activity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs. In this study, we further revealed that LPA also induce MT1-MMP mRNA and protein expressions in HUVECs through real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Furthermore, by applying chemical inhibitors, we found that LPA-induced MT1-MMP expression is mainly through a Gi- and partially through a Gq-dependent pathway. Our results provide new evidence that LPA might modulate ECM through regulating the expression of MT1-MMP.

  5. Mitochondrial depolarization in yeast zygotes inhibits clonal expansion of selfish mtDNA.

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    Karavaeva, Iuliia E; Golyshev, Sergey A; Smirnova, Ekaterina A; Sokolov, Svyatoslav S; Severin, Fedor F; Knorre, Dmitry A

    2017-04-01

    Non-identical copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) compete with each other within a cell and the ultimate variant of mtDNA present depends on their relative replication rates. Using yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells as a model, we studied the effects of mitochondrial inhibitors on the competition between wild-type mtDNA and mutant selfish mtDNA in heteroplasmic zygotes. We found that decreasing mitochondrial transmembrane potential by adding uncouplers or valinomycin changes the competition outcomes in favor of the wild-type mtDNA. This effect was significantly lower in cells with disrupted mitochondria fission or repression of the autophagy-related genes ATG8 , ATG32 or ATG33 , implying that heteroplasmic zygotes activate mitochondrial degradation in response to the depolarization. Moreover, the rate of mitochondrially targeted GFP turnover was higher in zygotes treated with uncoupler than in haploid cells or untreated zygotes. Finally, we showed that vacuoles of zygotes with uncoupler-activated autophagy contained DNA. Taken together, our data demonstrate that mitochondrial depolarization inhibits clonal expansion of selfish mtDNA and this effect depends on mitochondrial fission and autophagy. These observations suggest an activation of mitochondria quality control mechanisms in heteroplasmic yeast zygotes. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  6. Earthworm Lumbricus rubellus MT-2: Metal Binding and Protein Folding of a True Cadmium-MT

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    Gregory R. Kowald

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Earthworms express, as most animals, metallothioneins (MTs—small, cysteine-rich proteins that bind d10 metal ions (Zn(II, Cd(II, or Cu(I in clusters. Three MT homologues are known for Lumbricus rubellus, the common red earthworm, one of which, wMT-2, is strongly induced by exposure of worms to cadmium. This study concerns composition, metal binding affinity and metal-dependent protein folding of wMT-2 expressed recombinantly and purified in the presence of Cd(II and Zn(II. Crucially, whilst a single Cd7wMT-2 species was isolated from wMT-2-expressing E. coli cultures supplemented with Cd(II, expressions in the presence of Zn(II yielded mixtures. The average affinities of wMT-2 determined for either Cd(II or Zn(II are both within normal ranges for MTs; hence, differential behaviour cannot be explained on the basis of overall affinity. Therefore, the protein folding properties of Cd- and Zn-wMT-2 were compared by 1H NMR spectroscopy. This comparison revealed that the protein fold is better defined in the presence of cadmium than in the presence of zinc. These differences in folding and dynamics may be at the root of the differential behaviour of the cadmium- and zinc-bound protein in vitro, and may ultimately also help in distinguishing zinc and cadmium in the earthworm in vivo.

  7. Food-induced reinforcement is abrogated by the genetic deletion of the MT1 or MT2 melatonin receptor in C3H/HeN mice.

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    Clough, Shannon J; Hudson, Randall L; Dubocovich, Margarita L

    2018-05-02

    Palatable food is known for its ability to enhance reinforcing responses. Studies have suggested a circadian variation in both drug and natural reinforcement, with each following its own time course. The goal of this study was to determine the role of the MT 1 and MT 2 melatonin receptors in palatable snack food-induced reinforcement, as measured by the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm during the light and dark phases. C3H/HeN wild-type mice were trained for snack food-induced CPP at either ZT 6 - 8 (ZT: Zeitgeber time; ZT 0 = lights on), when endogenous melatonin levels are low, or ZT 19 - 21, when melatonin levels are high. These time points also correspond to the high and low points for expression of the circadian gene Period1, respectively. The amount of snack food (chow, Cheetos®, Froot Loops® and Oreos®) consumed was of similar magnitude at both times, however only C3H/HeN mice conditioned to snack food at ZT 6 - 8 developed a place preference. C3H/HeN mice with a genetic deletion of either the MT 1 (MT 1 KO) or MT 2 (MT 2 KO) receptor tested at ZT 6 - 8 did not develop a place preference for snack food. Although the MT 2 KO mice showed a similar amount of snack food consumed when compared to wild-type mice, the MT 1 KO mice consumed significantly less than either genotype. We conclude that in our mouse model snack food-induced CPP is dependent on time of day and the presence of the MT 1 or MT 2 receptors, suggesting a role for melatonin and its receptors in snack food-induced reinforcement. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Male infertility is significantly associated with multiple deletions in an 8.7-kb segment of sperm mtDNA in Pakistan.

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    Mughal, Irfan Afzal; Irfan, Asma; Jahan, Sarwat; Hameed, Abdul

    2017-06-12

    This study aimed to find a link between sperm mitochondrial DNA mutations and male infertility in Pakistan. DNA from semen samples was extracted and amplified by PCR using 7.8-kb deletion-specific primers. The PCR products were separated on agarose gel, visualized under UV-illumination, and then photographed. The results were genotyped and the data were analyzed using SPSS. Deletion analysis of the 8.7-kb fragment by long PCR revealed multiple deletions. The frequency of deletion was much higher in infertile groups as compared to the control group. Further, on comparison between different subtypes of infertile groups, the deletions were highest in the oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) group. The statistical analysis of case and control groups showed a significant association of the 8.7-kb deletion with human male infertile groups (P = 0.031), and particularly a very significant association with the OAT subgroup (P = 0.019). A significant association has been found between human male infertility and mtDNA deletions in an 8.7-kb segment of sperm mtDNA in a Pakistani population.

  9. Anti-replicative recombinant 5S rRNA molecules can modulate the mtDNA heteroplasmy in a glucose-dependent manner.

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    Loutre, Romuald; Heckel, Anne-Marie; Jeandard, Damien; Tarassov, Ivan; Entelis, Nina

    2018-01-01

    Mutations in mitochondrial DNA are an important source of severe and incurable human diseases. The vast majority of these mutations are heteroplasmic, meaning that mutant and wild-type genomes are present simultaneously in the same cell. Only a very high proportion of mutant mitochondrial DNA (heteroplasmy level) leads to pathological consequences. We previously demonstrated that mitochondrial targeting of small RNAs designed to anneal with mutant mtDNA can decrease the heteroplasmy level by specific inhibition of mutant mtDNA replication, thus representing a potential therapy. We have also shown that 5S ribosomal RNA, partially imported into human mitochondria, can be used as a vector to deliver anti-replicative oligoribonucleotides into human mitochondria. So far, the efficiency of cellular expression of recombinant 5S rRNA molecules bearing therapeutic insertions remained very low. In the present study, we designed new versions of anti-replicative recombinant 5S rRNA targeting a large deletion in mitochondrial DNA which causes the KSS syndrome, analyzed their specific annealing to KSS mitochondrial DNA and demonstrated their import into mitochondria of cultured human cells. To obtain an increased level of the recombinant 5S rRNA stable expression, we created transmitochondrial cybrid cell line bearing a site for Flp-recombinase and used this system for the recombinase-mediated integration of genes coding for the anti-replicative recombinant 5S rRNAs into nuclear genome. We demonstrated that stable expression of anti-replicative 5S rRNA versions in human transmitochondrial cybrid cells can induce a shift in heteroplasmy level of KSS mutation in mtDNA. This shift was directly dependent on the level of the recombinant 5S rRNA expression and the sequence of the anti-replicative insertion. Quantification of mtDNA copy number in transfected cells revealed the absence of a non-specific effect on wild type mtDNA replication, indicating that the decreased proportion

  10. Metallothionein (MT)-III

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    Carrasco, J; Giralt, M; Molinero, A

    1999-01-01

    Metallothionein-III is a low molecular weight, heavy-metal binding protein expressed mainly in the central nervous system. First identified as a growth inhibitory factor (GIF) of rat cortical neurons in vitro, it has subsequently been shown to be a member of the metallothionein (MT) gene family...... injected rats. The specificity of the antibody was also demonstrated in immunocytochemical studies by the elimination of the immunostaining by preincubation of the antibody with brain (but not liver) extracts, and by the results obtained in MT-III null mice. The antibody was used to characterize...... the putative differences between the rat brain MT isoforms, namely MT-I+II and MT-III, in the freeze lesion model of brain damage, and for developing an ELISA for MT-III suitable for brain samples. In the normal rat brain, MT-III was mostly present primarily in astrocytes. However, lectin staining indicated...

  11. Expression of the MT1 Melatonin Receptor in Ovarian Cancer Cells

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    Karolina Jablonska

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Ovarian cancer (OC is the leading cause of death among women with genital tract disorders. Melatonin exhibits oncostatic properties which it may effect through binding to its membrane receptor, MT1. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of MT1 in OC cells and to correlate this with clinical and pathological data. Immunohistochemistry was performed on 84 cases of OC. Normal ovarian epithelial (IOSE 364 and OC (SK-OV-3, OVCAR-3 cell lines were used to examine the MT1 expression at protein level using the western blot and immunofluorescence technique. The expression of MT1 was observed as cytoplasmic-membrane (MT1CM and membrane (MT1M reactions. A positive correlation between MT1CM and MT1M was found in all the studied cases. There were no significant differences between the expression of MT1CM, MT1M, and histological type, staging, grading, presence of residual disease, or overall survival time. Immunofluorescence showed both MT1M and MT1CM expression in all the tested cell lines. Western blot illustrated the highest protein level of MT1 in IOSE 364 and the lowest in the OVCAR-3. The results indicate the limited prognostic significance of MT1 in OC cells.

  12. Ancient mtDNA genetic variants modulate mtDNA transcription and replication.

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    Sarit Suissa

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Although the functional consequences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA genetic backgrounds (haplotypes, haplogroups have been demonstrated by both disease association studies and cell culture experiments, it is not clear which of the mutations within the haplogroup carry functional implications and which are "evolutionary silent hitchhikers". We set forth to study the functionality of haplogroup-defining mutations within the mtDNA transcription/replication regulatory region by in vitro transcription, hypothesizing that haplogroup-defining mutations occurring within regulatory motifs of mtDNA could affect these processes. We thus screened >2500 complete human mtDNAs representing all major populations worldwide for natural variation in experimentally established protein binding sites and regulatory regions comprising a total of 241 bp in each mtDNA. Our screen revealed 77/241 sites showing point mutations that could be divided into non-fixed (57/77, 74% and haplogroup/sub-haplogroup-defining changes (i.e., population fixed changes, 20/77, 26%. The variant defining Caucasian haplogroup J (C295T increased the binding of TFAM (Electro Mobility Shift Assay and the capacity of in vitro L-strand transcription, especially of a shorter transcript that maps immediately upstream of conserved sequence block 1 (CSB1, a region associated with RNA priming of mtDNA replication. Consistent with this finding, cybrids (i.e., cells sharing the same nuclear genetic background but differing in their mtDNA backgrounds harboring haplogroup J mtDNA had a >2 fold increase in mtDNA copy number, as compared to cybrids containing haplogroup H, with no apparent differences in steady state levels of mtDNA-encoded transcripts. Hence, a haplogroup J regulatory region mutation affects mtDNA replication or stability, which may partially account for the phenotypic impact of this haplogroup. Our analysis thus demonstrates, for the first time, the functional impact of particular mt

  13. α -decay chains of superheavy Mt-279265 isotopes

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    Santhosh, K. P.; Nithya, C.

    2017-10-01

    The α -decay chains of the isotopes Mt-279265 are predicted by comparing the α half-lives calculated within the Coulomb and proximity potential model for deformed nuclei of Santhosh et al. [Nucl. Phys. A 850, 34 (2011)], 10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2010.12.002 with the spontaneous fission half-lives using the shell-effect-dependent formula of Santhosh and Nithya [Phys. Rev. C 94, 054621 (2016)], 10.1103/PhysRevC.94.054621. α half-lives also are calculated using different theoretical formalisms for comparison. The predicted half-lives and decay modes match well with the experimental results. The use of four different mass tables for calculating the α - decay energies indicates that the mass table of Wang et al. [Chin. Phys. C 41, 030003 (2017)], 10.1088/1674-1137/41/3/030003, which is based on the AME2016 atomic mass evaluation, is in better agreement with experimental results. The paper predicts long α chains from 265,267-269,271-273MT with half-lives within experimental limits. The isotopes 274-276,278Mt exhibit 2α chains followed by spontaneous fission. The 2α chain of 266Mt and the 4α chain of 270Mt end with electron capture. The isotopes Mt,279277 decay via spontaneous fission. We hope that the paper will open up new areas in this field.

  14. Association Between Variants in Arsenic (+3 Oxidation State) Methyltranserase (AS3MT) and Urinary Metabolites of Inorganic Arsenic: Role of Exposure Level

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    Xu, Xiaofan; Drobná, Zuzana; Voruganti, V. Saroja; Barron, Keri; González-Horta, Carmen; Sánchez-Ramírez, Blanca; Ballinas-Casarrubias, Lourdes; Cerón, Roberto Hernández; Morales, Damián Viniegra; Terrazas, Francisco A. Baeza; Ishida, María C.; Gutiérrez-Torres, Daniela S.; Saunders, R. Jesse; Crandell, Jamie; Fry, Rebecca C.; Loomis, Dana; García-Vargas, Gonzalo G.; Del Razo, Luz M.; Stýblo, Miroslav; Mendez, Michelle A.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Variants in AS3MT, the gene encoding arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltranserase, have been shown to influence patterns of inorganic arsenic (iAs) metabolism. Several studies have suggested that capacity to metabolize iAs may vary depending on levels of iAs exposure. However, it is not known whether the influence of variants in AS3MT on iAs metabolism also vary by level of exposure. We investigated, in a population of Mexican adults exposed to drinking water As, whether associations between 7 candidate variants in AS3MT and urinary iAs metabolites were consistent with prior studies, and whether these associations varied depending on the level of exposure. Overall, associations between urinary iAs metabolites and AS3MT variants were consistent with the literature. Referent genotypes, defined as the genotype previously associated with a higher percentage of urinary dimethylated As (DMAs%), were associated with significant increases in the DMAs% and ratio of DMAs to monomethylated As (MAs), and significant reductions in MAs% and iAs%. For 3 variants, associations between genotypes and iAs metabolism were significantly stronger among subjects exposed to water As >50 versus ≤50 ppb (water As X genotype interaction P iAs exposure may influence the extent to which several AS3MT variants affect iAs metabolism. The variants most strongly associated with iAs metabolism—and perhaps with susceptibility to iAs-associated disease—may vary in settings with exposure level. PMID:27370415

  15. Human area MT+ shows load-dependent activation during working memory maintenance with continuously morphing stimulation.

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    Galashan, Daniela; Fehr, Thorsten; Kreiter, Andreas K; Herrmann, Manfred

    2014-07-11

    Initially, human area MT+ was considered a visual area solely processing motion information but further research has shown that it is also involved in various different cognitive operations, such as working memory tasks requiring motion-related information to be maintained or cognitive tasks with implied or expected motion.In the present fMRI study in humans, we focused on MT+ modulation during working memory maintenance using a dynamic shape-tracking working memory task with no motion-related working memory content. Working memory load was systematically varied using complex and simple stimulus material and parametrically increasing retention periods. Activation patterns for the difference between retention of complex and simple memorized stimuli were examined in order to preclude that the reported effects are caused by differences in retrieval. Conjunction analysis over all delay durations for the maintenance of complex versus simple stimuli demonstrated a wide-spread activation pattern. Percent signal change (PSC) in area MT+ revealed a pattern with higher values for the maintenance of complex shapes compared to the retention of a simple circle and with higher values for increasing delay durations. The present data extend previous knowledge by demonstrating that visual area MT+ presents a brain activity pattern usually found in brain regions that are actively involved in working memory maintenance.

  16. Parkinson's disease brain mitochondria have impaired respirasome assembly, age-related increases in distribution of oxidative damage to mtDNA and no differences in heteroplasmic mtDNA mutation abundance

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    Keeney Paula M

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Sporadic Parkinson's disease (sPD is a nervous system-wide disease that presents with a bradykinetic movement disorder and is frequently complicated by depression and cognitive impairment. sPD likely has multiple interacting causes that include increased oxidative stress damage to mitochondrial components and reduced mitochondrial bioenergetic capacity. We analyzed mitochondria from postmortem sPD and CTL brains for evidence of oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA, heteroplasmic mtDNA point mutations and levels of electron transport chain proteins. We sought to determine if sPD brains possess any mtDNA genotype-respiratory phenotype relationships. Results Treatment of sPD brain mtDNA with the mitochondrial base-excision repair enzyme 8-oxyguanosine glycosylase-1 (hOGG1 inhibited, in an age-dependent manner, qPCR amplification of overlapping ~2 kbase products; amplification of CTL brain mtDNA showed moderate sensitivity to hOGG1 not dependent on donor age. hOGG1 mRNA expression was not different between sPD and CTL brains. Heteroplasmy analysis of brain mtDNA using Surveyor nuclease® showed asymmetric distributions and levels of heteroplasmic mutations across mtDNA but no patterns that statistically distinguished sPD from CTL. sPD brain mitochondria displayed reductions of nine respirasome proteins (respiratory complexes I-V. Reduced levels of sPD brain mitochondrial complex II, III and V, but not complex I or IV proteins, correlated closely with rates of NADH-driven electron flow. mtDNA levels and PGC-1α expression did not differ between sPD and CTL brains. Conclusion PD brain mitochondria have reduced mitochondrial respiratory protein levels in complexes I-V, implying a generalized defect in respirasome assembly. These deficiencies do not appear to arise from altered point mutational burden in mtDNA or reduction of nuclear signaling for mitochondrial biogenesis, implying downstream etiologies. The origin of age

  17. Palmitoylation at Cys574 is essential for MT1-MMP to promote cell migration

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    Anilkumar, Narayanapanicker; Uekita, Takamasa; Couchman, John R

    2005-01-01

    of the palmitoylated cysteine relative to LLY573, a motif that interacts with mu2 subunit of adaptor protein 2, is critical for the cell motility-promoting activity of MT1-MMP and its clathrin-mediated internalization. Taken together, palmitoylation of MT1-MMP is one of the key posttranslational modifications......MT1-MMP is a type I transmembrane proteinase that promotes cell migration and invasion. Here, we report that MT1-MMP is palmitoylated at Cys574 in the cytoplasmic domain, and this lipid modification is critical for its promotion of cell migration and clathrin-mediated internalization...... that determines MT1-MMP-dependent cell migration....

  18. Direct Cytoplasmic Delivery and Nuclear Targeting Delivery of HPMA-MT Conjugates in a Microtubules Dependent Fashion.

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    Zhong, Jiaju; Zhu, Xi; Luo, Kui; Li, Lian; Tang, Manlin; Liu, Yanxi; Zhou, Zhou; Huang, Yuan

    2016-09-06

    As the hearts of tumor cells, the nucleus is the ultimate target of many chemotherapeutic agents and genes. However, nuclear drug delivery is always hampered by multiple intracellular obstacles, such as low efficiency of lysosome escape and insufficient nuclear trafficking. Herein, an N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) polymer-based drug delivery system was designed, which could achieve direct cytoplasmic delivery by a nonendocytic pathway and transport into the nucleus in a microtubules dependent fashion. A special targeting peptide (MT), derived from an endogenic parathyroid hormone-related protein, was conjugated to the polymer backbone, which could accumulate into the nucleus a by microtubule-mediated pathway. The in vitro studies found that low temperature and NaN3 could not influence the cell internalization of the conjugates. Besides, no obvious overlay of the conjugates with lysosome demonstrated that the polymer conjugates could enter the tumor cell cytoplasm by a nonendocytic pathway, thus avoiding the drug degradation in the lysosome. Furthermore, after suppression of the microtubule dynamics with microtubule stabilizing docetaxel (DTX) and destabilizing nocodazole (Noc), the nuclear accumulation of polymeric conjugates was significantly inhibited. Living cells fluorescence recovery after photobleaching study found that the nuclear import rate of conjugates was 2-fold faster compared with the DTX and Noc treated groups. These results demonstrated that the conjugates transported into the nucleus in a microtubules dependent way. Therefore, in addition to direct cytoplasmic delivery, our peptide conjugated polymeric platform could simultaneously mediate nuclear drug accumulation, which may open a new path for further intracellular genes/peptides delivery.

  19. Metabolic rescue in pluripotent cells from patients with mtDNA disease.

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    Ma, Hong; Folmes, Clifford D L; Wu, Jun; Morey, Robert; Mora-Castilla, Sergio; Ocampo, Alejandro; Ma, Li; Poulton, Joanna; Wang, Xinjian; Ahmed, Riffat; Kang, Eunju; Lee, Yeonmi; Hayama, Tomonari; Li, Ying; Van Dyken, Crystal; Gutierrez, Nuria Marti; Tippner-Hedges, Rebecca; Koski, Amy; Mitalipov, Nargiz; Amato, Paula; Wolf, Don P; Huang, Taosheng; Terzic, Andre; Laurent, Louise C; Izpisua Belmonte, Juan Carlos; Mitalipov, Shoukhrat

    2015-08-13

    Mitochondria have a major role in energy production via oxidative phosphorylation, which is dependent on the expression of critical genes encoded by mitochondrial (mt)DNA. Mutations in mtDNA can cause fatal or severely debilitating disorders with limited treatment options. Clinical manifestations vary based on mutation type and heteroplasmy (that is, the relative levels of mutant and wild-type mtDNA within each cell). Here we generated genetically corrected pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) from patients with mtDNA disease. Multiple induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines were derived from patients with common heteroplasmic mutations including 3243A>G, causing mitochondrial encephalomyopathy and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), and 8993T>G and 13513G>A, implicated in Leigh syndrome. Isogenic MELAS and Leigh syndrome iPS cell lines were generated containing exclusively wild-type or mutant mtDNA through spontaneous segregation of heteroplasmic mtDNA in proliferating fibroblasts. Furthermore, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) enabled replacement of mutant mtDNA from homoplasmic 8993T>G fibroblasts to generate corrected Leigh-NT1 PSCs. Although Leigh-NT1 PSCs contained donor oocyte wild-type mtDNA (human haplotype D4a) that differed from Leigh syndrome patient haplotype (F1a) at a total of 47 nucleotide sites, Leigh-NT1 cells displayed transcriptomic profiles similar to those in embryo-derived PSCs carrying wild-type mtDNA, indicative of normal nuclear-to-mitochondrial interactions. Moreover, genetically rescued patient PSCs displayed normal metabolic function compared to impaired oxygen consumption and ATP production observed in mutant cells. We conclude that both reprogramming approaches offer complementary strategies for derivation of PSCs containing exclusively wild-type mtDNA, through spontaneous segregation of heteroplasmic mtDNA in individual iPS cell lines or mitochondrial replacement by SCNT in homoplasmic mtDNA-based disease.

  20. Increased mitochondrial DNA deletions and copy number in transfusion-dependent thalassemia

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    Calloway, Cassandra

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND. Iron overload is the primary cause of morbidity in transfusion-dependent thalassemia. Increase in iron causes mitochondrial dysfunction under experimental conditions, but the occurrence and significance of mitochondrial damage is not understood in patients with thalassemia. METHODS. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to nuclear DNA copy number (Mt/N) and frequency of the common 4977-bp mitochondrial deletion (ΔmtDNA4977) were quantified using a quantitative PCR assay on whole blood samples from 38 subjects with thalassemia who were receiving regular transfusions. RESULTS. Compared with healthy controls, Mt/N and ΔmtDNA4977 frequency were elevated in thalassemia (P = 0.038 and P 15 mg/g dry-weight or splenectomy, with the highest levels observed in subjects who had both risk factors (P = 0.003). Myocardial iron (MRI T2* 40/1 × 107 mtDNA, respectively (P = 0.025). Subjects with Mt/N values below the group median had significantly lower Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (5.76 ± 0.53) compared with the high Mt/N group (9.11 ± 0.95, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION. Individuals with transfusion-dependent thalassemia demonstrate age-related increase in mtDNA damage in leukocytes. These changes are markedly amplified by splenectomy and are associated with extrahepatic iron deposition. Elevated mtDNA damage in blood cells may predict the risk of iron-associated organ damage in thalassemia. FUNDING. This project was supported by Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland Institutional Research Award and by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, through UCSF-CTSI grant UL1 TR000004. PMID:27583305

  1. Y-chromosome and mtDNA genetics reveal significant contrasts in affinities of modern Middle Eastern populations with European and African populations.

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    Badro, Danielle A; Douaihy, Bouchra; Haber, Marc; Youhanna, Sonia C; Salloum, Angélique; Ghassibe-Sabbagh, Michella; Johnsrud, Brian; Khazen, Georges; Matisoo-Smith, Elizabeth; Soria-Hernanz, David F; Wells, R Spencer; Tyler-Smith, Chris; Platt, Daniel E; Zalloua, Pierre A

    2013-01-01

    The Middle East was a funnel of human expansion out of Africa, a staging area for the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution, and the home to some of the earliest world empires. Post LGM expansions into the region and subsequent population movements created a striking genetic mosaic with distinct sex-based genetic differentiation. While prior studies have examined the mtDNA and Y-chromosome contrast in focal populations in the Middle East, none have undertaken a broad-spectrum survey including North and sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and Middle Eastern populations. In this study 5,174 mtDNA and 4,658 Y-chromosome samples were investigated using PCA, MDS, mean-linkage clustering, AMOVA, and Fisher exact tests of F(ST)'s, R(ST)'s, and haplogroup frequencies. Geographic differentiation in affinities of Middle Eastern populations with Africa and Europe showed distinct contrasts between mtDNA and Y-chromosome data. Specifically, Lebanon's mtDNA shows a very strong association to Europe, while Yemen shows very strong affinity with Egypt and North and East Africa. Previous Y-chromosome results showed a Levantine coastal-inland contrast marked by J1 and J2, and a very strong North African component was evident throughout the Middle East. Neither of these patterns were observed in the mtDNA. While J2 has penetrated into Europe, the pattern of Y-chromosome diversity in Lebanon does not show the widespread affinities with Europe indicated by the mtDNA data. Lastly, while each population shows evidence of connections with expansions that now define the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, many of the populations in the Middle East show distinctive mtDNA and Y-haplogroup characteristics that indicate long standing settlement with relatively little impact from and movement into other populations.

  2. 75 FR 43556 - TA-W-73,381, MT Rail Link, Inc., Missoula, MT; TA-W-73,381A, Billings, MT; TA-W-73,381B, Laurel...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-26

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration TA-W-73,381, MT Rail Link, Inc., Missoula, MT; TA-W-73,381A, Billings, MT; TA-W-73,381B, Laurel, MT; TA-W-73,381C, Livingston, MT; TA-W-73... Helena, Montana. The amended notice applicable to TA-W-73,381 is hereby issued as follows: All workers of...

  3. HMEC-1 adopt the mixed amoeboid-mesenchymal migration type during EndMT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kryczka, Jakub; Przygodzka, Patrycja; Bogusz, Helena; Boncela, Joanna

    2017-06-01

    The contribution of endothelial cells to scar and fibrotic tissue formation is undisputedly connected to their ability to undergo the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) towards fibroblast phenotype-resembling cells. The migration model of fibroblasts and fibroblast-resembling cells is still not fully understood. It may be either a Rho/ROCK-independent, an integrin- and MMP-correlated ECM degradation-dependent, a mesenchymal model or Rho/ROCK-dependent, integrin adhesion- and MMP activity-independent, an amoeboid model. Here, we hypothesized that microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) undergoing EndMT adopt an intermediate state of drifting migration model between the mesenchymal and amoeboid protrusive types in the early stages of fibrosis. We characterized the response of HMEC-1 to TGF-β2, a well-known mediator of EndMT within the microvasculature. We observed that TGF-β2 induces up to an intermediate mesenchymal phenotype in HMEC-1. In parallel, MMP-2 is upregulated and is responsible for most proteolytic activity. Interestingly, the migration of HMEC-1 undergoing EndMT is dependent on both ECM degradation and invadosome formation associated with MMP-2 proteolytic activity and Rho/ROCK cytoskeleton contraction. In conclusion, the transition from mesenchymal towards amoeboid movement highlights a molecular plasticity mechanism in endothelial cell migration in skin fibrosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  4. Contrasting expression of membrane metalloproteinases, MT1-MMP and MT3-MMP, suggests distinct functions in skeletal development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Maozhou; Zhang, Bingbing; Zhang, Liang; Gibson, Gary

    2008-07-01

    Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is the most ubiquitous and widely studied of the membrane-type metalloproteinases (MT-MMPs). It was thus surprising to find no published data on chicken MT1-MMP. We report here the characterization of the chicken gene. Its low sequence identity with the MT1-MMP genes of other species, high GC content, and divergent catalytic domain explains the absence of data and our difficulties in characterizing the gene. The absence of structural features in the chicken gene that have been suggested to be critical for the activation of MMP-2 by MT1-MMP; for the effect of MT1-MMP on cell migration and for the recycling of MT1-MMP suggest these features are either not essential or that MT1-MMP does not perform these functions in chickens. Comparison of the expression of chicken MT1-MMP with MT3-MMP and with MMP-2 and MMP-13 has confirmed the previously recognized co-expression of MT1-MMP with MMP-2 and MMP-13 in fibrous and vascular tissues, particularly those surrounding the developing long bones in other species. By contrast, MT3-MMP expression differs markedly from that of MT1-MMP and of both MMP-2 and MMP-13. MT3-MMP is expressed by chondrocytes of the developing articular surface. Similar expression patterns of this group of MT-MMPs and MMPs have been observed in mouse embryos and suggest distinct and specific functions for MT1-MMP and MT3-MMP in skeletal development.

  5. The Regulatory Mechanism of MLT/MT1 Signaling on the Growth of Antler Mesenchymal Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feifei Yang

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Melatonin (MLT plays an important role in regulating the physiological cycle of seasonal breeding animals. Melatonin receptor I (MT1 is effectively expressed in the cambium layer of deer antler. However, the function and metabolic mechanism of MLT/MT1 signaling in the mesenchymal cells of sika deer remain to be further elucidated. In this work, we detected the effects of MLT/MT1 signaling on mesenchymal cells proliferation and the interaction between MLT/MT1 and IGF1/IGF1-R signaling. The results show that (1 deer antler mesenchymal cells actually express MT1; (2 exogenous melatonin significantly promotes mesenchymal cells proliferation, while MT1 knock-down significantly impairs the positive effects of melatonin; and (3 melatonin significantly enhanced IGF1/IGF1-R signaling, as both the expression of IGF1 and IGF-1R increased, while MT1 knock-down significantly decreased IGF1-R expression and IGF1 synthesis. In summary, these data verified that MLT/MT1 signaling plays a crucial role in antler mesenchymal proliferation, which may be mediated by IGF1/IGF1-R.

  6. Re-interpreting the Oxbridge stransverse mass variable MT2 in general cases

    CERN Document Server

    Mahbubani, Rakhi; Park, Myeonghun

    2013-01-01

    We extend the range of possible applications of MT2 type analyses to decay chains with multiple invisible particles, as well as to asymmetric event topologies with different parent and/or different children particles. We advocate two possible approaches. In the first, we introduce suitably defined 3+1-dimensional analogues of the MT2 variable, which take into account all relevant on-shell kinematic constraints in a given event topology. The second approach utilizes the conventional MT2 variable, but its kinematic endpoint is suitably reinterpreted on a case by case basis, depending on the specific event topology at hand. We provide the general prescription for this reinterpretation, including the formulas relating the measured MT2 endpoint (as a function of the test masses of all the invisible particles) to the underlying physical mass spectrum. We also provide analytical formulas for the shape of the differential distribution of the doubly projected MT2(perp) variable for the ten possible event topologies wi...

  7. Mindfulness Therapy for Maladaptive Interpersonal Dependency: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McClintock, Andrew S; Anderson, Timothy; Cranston, Saryn

    2015-11-01

    Existing treatments for maladaptive interpersonal dependency and dependent personality disorder do not meet basic scientific standards for effectiveness. The present investigation tested the efficacy of a mindfulness-based approach: mindfulness therapy for maladaptive interpersonal dependency (MT-MID). Forty-eight participants who reported consistently high levels of maladaptive dependency (i.e., scored higher than 1 standard deviation above the mean on the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory at two separate assessments) were randomized to either 5 sessions of MT-MID or a minimal contact control. Five self-reported outcomes (mindfulness, maladaptive interpersonal dependency, helplessness, fears of negative evaluation, and excessive reassurance seeking) were assessed at pretreatment, posttreatment, and a 4-week follow-up. Intent-to-treat analyses indicated that MT-MID yielded greater improvements than the control on all 5 outcomes at posttreatment (median d=1.61) and follow-up (median d=1.51). Participants assigned to MT-MID were more likely than control participants to meet criteria for clinically significant change at posttreatment (56.5% vs. 0%) and follow-up (42.9% vs. 0%). There was also evidence that increases in mindfulness mediated the dependency-related improvements. These results provide preliminary support for the efficacy of a mindfulness-based approach for treating the symptoms of maladaptive dependency. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  8. The expression characteristics of mt-ND2 gene in chicken.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenwen; Hou, Lingling; Wang, Ting; Lu, Weiwei; Tao, Yafei; Chen, Wen; Du, Xiaohui; Huang, Yanqun

    2016-09-01

    Subunit 2 of NADH dehydrogenase (ND2) is encoded by the mt-ND2 gene and plays a critical role in controlling the production of the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Our study focused on exploring the mt-ND2 tissue expression patterns and the effects of energy restriction and dietary fat (linseed oil, corn oil, sesame oil or lard) level (2.5% and 5%) on its expression in chicken. The results showed that mt-ND2 gene was expressed in the 15 tissues of hybrid chickens with the highest level in heart and lowest level in pancreas tissue; 30% energy restriction did not significantly affect mt-ND2 mRNA level in chicken liver tissue. Both the mt-ND2 mRNA levels in chicken pectoralis (p chicken age (p chicken age (p chicken age.

  9. Induction of hepatic and renal metallothionein synthesis by ferric nitrilotriacetate in mice: the role of MT as an antioxidant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Min, Kyong-Son; Morishita, Fumio; Tetsuchikawahara, Noriko; Onosaka, Satomi

    2005-01-01

    Metallothionein (MT) demonstrates strong antioxidant properties, yet the physiological relevance of its antioxidant action is not clear. Injection of mice with ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) caused a dose-dependent increase in hepatic and renal MT. Fe-NTA caused a greater increase in hepatic and renal MT concentration (2.5- and 4-fold) compared with FeCl 3 at the same dose of ferric ion. MT mRNA levels were markedly elevated in both of tissues. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values in both tissues reached a maximum after 2-4 h. The MT concentrations were significantly increased after 2-4 h in liver and after 8-16 h in kidneys. Plasma concentrations of cytokines such as IL-6 and TNFα were elevated by 4 h; IL-6 levels were 24 times higher after Fe-NTA than that after injection of FeCl 3 . Pretreatment of mice with ZnSO 4 attenuated nephrotoxicity induced by Fe-NTA after 2 h, but was not effective 4 h after injection. After a Fe-NTA injection, a loss of Cd-binding properties of preinduced MT was observed only in kidneys of Zn-pretreated mice but not in liver. Treatment with BSO, glutathione (GSH) depletor, intensified a loss of its Cd-binding properties after a Fe-NTA injection. These results indicate that induction of MT synthesis may result from reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by Fe-NTA, and MT may act in vivo as a complementary antioxidant

  10. Individual Variations in Inorganic Arsenic Metabolism Associated with AS3MT Genetic Polymorphisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haruo Takeshita

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Individual variations in inorganic arsenic metabolism may influence the toxic effects. Arsenic (+3 oxidation state methyltransferase (AS3MT that can catalyze the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet to trivalent arsenical, may play a role in arsenic metabolism in humans. Since the genetic polymorphisms of AS3MT gene may be associated with the susceptibility to inorganic arsenic toxicity, relationships of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in AS3MT with inorganic arsenic metabolism have been investigated. Here, we summarize our recent findings and other previous studies on the inorganic arsenic metabolism and AS3MT genetic polymorphisms in humans. Results of genotype dependent differences in arsenic metabolism for most of SNPs in AS3MT were Inconsistent throughout the studies. Nevertheless, two SNPs, AS3MT 12390 (rs3740393 and 14458 (rs11191439 were consistently related to arsenic methylation regardless of the populations examined for the analysis. Thus, these SNPs may be useful indicators to predict the arsenic metabolism via methylation pathways.

  11. Sodium arsenite alters cell cycle and MTHFR, MT1/2, and c-Myc protein levels in MCF-7 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruiz-Ramos, Ruben; Lopez-Carrillo, Lizbeth; Albores, Arnulfo; Hernandez-Ramirez, Raul U.; Cebrian, Mariano E.

    2009-01-01

    There is limited available information on the effects of arsenic on enzymes participating in the folate cycle. Therefore, our aim was to evaluate the effects of sodium arsenite on the protein levels of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and its further relationship with the expression MT1/2 and c-myc in MCF-7 cells. Arsenite treatment (0-10 μM) for 4 h decreased MTHFR levels in a concentration-dependent fashion without significant effects on DHFR. The effects on MTHFR were observed at arsenite concentrations not significantly affecting cell viability. We also observed an increase in S-phase recruitment at all concentrations probed. Lower concentrations (< 5 μM) induced cell proliferation, showing a high proportion of BrdU-stained cells, indicating a higher DNA synthesis rate. However, higher concentrations (≥ 5 μM) or longer treatment periods induced apoptosis. Arsenite also induced dose-dependent increases in MT1/2 and c-Myc protein levels. The levels of MTHFR were inversely correlated to MT1/2 and c-Myc overexpression and increased S-phase recruitment. Our findings indicate that breast epithelial cells are responsive to arsenite and suggest that exposure may pose a risk for breast cancer. The reductions in MTHFR protein levels contribute to understand the mechanisms underlying the induction of genes influencing growth regulation, such as c-myc and MT1/2. However, further research is needed to ascertain if the effects here reported following short-time and high-dose exposure are relevant for human populations chronically exposed to low arsenic concentrations.

  12. Hypervariable region polymorphism of mtDNA of recurrent oral ulceration in Chinese.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mao Sun

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: MtDNA haplogroups could have important implication for understanding of the relationship between the mutations of the mitochondrial genome and diseases. Distribution of a variety of diseases among these haplogroups showed that some of the mitochondrial haplogroups are predisposed to disease. To examine the susceptibility of mtDNA haplogroups to ROU, we sequenced the mtDNA HV1, HV2 and HV3 in Chinese ROU. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: MtDNA haplogroups were analyzed in the 249 cases of ROU patients and the 237 cases of healthy controls respectively by means of primer extension analysis and DNA sequencing. Haplogroups G1 and H were found significantly more abundant in ROU patients than in healthy persons, while haplogroups D5 and R showed a trend toward a higher frequency in control as compared to those in patients. The distribution of C-stretch sequences polymorphism in mtDNA HV1, HV2 and HV3 regions was found in diversity. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: For the first time, the relationship of mtDNA haplogroups and ROU in Chinese was investigated. Our results indicated that mtDNA haplogroups G1 and H might constitute a risk factor for ROU, which possibly increasing the susceptibility of ROU. Meanwhile, haplogroups D5 and R were indicated as protective factors for ROU. The polymorphisms of C-stretch sequences might being unstable and influence the mtDNA replication fidelity.

  13. [MT-45--a dangerous and potentially ototoxic internet drug].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindeman, Erik; Bäckberg, Matilda; Personne, Mark; Helander, Anders

    2014-09-11

    During the last years several synthetic opioids have been introduced on Internet sites selling new psychoactive substances (NPS). One of these, called MT-45, a piperazine derivative originally synthesized as a therapeutic drug candidate in the 1970s, has recently been detected in 21 deaths, according to unpublished data from the Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine. We present clinical data from 12 analytically confirmed hospital cases of MT-45 poisoning. The cases demonstrate that MT-45, like other opioids, can induce potentially life threatening respiratory depression and loss of consciousness in users and that symptoms are usually reversed by standard doses of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone. Significant auditory symptoms with transient tinnitus and hearing loss occurred in two cases and a pronounced sensorineural hearing loss still present at two weeks follow-up in one case. This indicates that MT-45 may be an ototoxic substance, illustrating the ubiquitous risk of unintended adverse effects NPSs pose to users.

  14. The role of MT2-MMP in cancer progression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Emiko; Yana, Ikuo; Fujita, Chisato; Irifune, Aiko; Takeda, Maki; Madachi, Ayako; Mori, Seiji; Hamada, Yoshinosuke; Kawaguchi, Naomasa; Matsuura, Nariaki

    2010-01-01

    The role of MT2-MMP in cancer progression remains to be elucidated in spite of many reports on MT1-MMP. Using a human fibrosarcoma cell, HT1080 and a human gastric cancer cell, TMK-1, endogenous expression of MT1-MMP or MT2-MMP was suppressed by siRNA induction to examine the influence of cancer progression in vitro and in vivo. In HT1080 cells, positive both in MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP, the migration as well as the invasion was impaired by MT1-MMP or MT2-MMP suppression. Also cell proliferation in three dimensional (3D) condition was inhibited by MT1-MMP or MT2-MMP suppression and tumor growth in the nude mice transplanted with tumor cells were reduced either MT1-MMP or MT2-MMP suppression with a prolongation of survival time in vivo. MT2-MMP suppression induces more inhibitory effects on 3D proliferation and in vivo tumor growth than MT1-MMP. On the other hand, TMK-1 cells, negative in MT1-MMP and MMP-2 but positive in MT2-MMP, all the migratory, invasive, and 3D proliferative activities in TMK-1 are decreased only by MT2-MMP suppression. These results indicate MT2-MMP might be involved in the cancer progression more than or equal to MT1-MMP independently of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP.

  15. Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) types in Malaysia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lian, L.H.; Koh, C.L.; Lim, M.E.

    2000-01-01

    Each human cell contains hundreds of mitochondria and thousands of double-stranded circular mtDNA. The delineation of human mtDNA variation and genetics over the past decade has provided unique and often startling insights into human evolution, degenerative diseases, and aging. Each mtDNA of 16,569 base pairs, encodes 13 polypeptides essential to the enzymes of the mitochondrial energy generating pathway, plus the necessary tRNAs and rRNAs. The highly polymorphic noncoding D-(displacement) loop region, also called the control region, is approximately 1.2 kb long. It contains two well-characterized hypervariable (HV-) regions, HV1 and HV2. MtDNA identification is usually based on these sequence differences. According to the TWTGDAM (Technical Working Group for DNA Analysis Methods), the minimum requirement for a mtDNA database for HV1 is from positions 16024 to 16365 and for HV2, from positions 00073 to 00340. The targeted Malaysian population subgroups for this study were mainly the Malays, Chinese, Indians, and indigenous Ibans, Bidayuhs, Kadazan-Dusuns, and Bajaus. Research methodologies undertaken included DNA extraction of samples from unrelated individuals, amplification of the specific regions via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and preparation of template DNA for sequencing by using an automated DNA sequencer. Sufficient nucleotide sequence data were generated from the mtDNA analysis. When the sequences were analyzed, sequence variations were found to be caused by nucleotide substitutions, insertions, and deletions. Of the three causes of the sequence variations, nucleotide substitutions (86.1%) accounted for the vast majority of polymorphism. It is noted that transitions (83.5%) were predominant when compared to the significantly lower frequencies of transversions (2.6%). Insertions (0.9%) and deletions (13.0%) were rather rare and found only in HV2. The data generated will also form the basis of a Malaysian DNA sequence database of mtDNA D

  16. MT-ComparEval: Graphical evaluation interface for Machine Translation development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klejch Ondřej

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The tool described in this article has been designed to help MT developers by implementing a web-based graphical user interface that allows to systematically compare and evaluate various MT engines/experiments using comparative analysis via automatic measures and statistics. The evaluation panel provides graphs, tests for statistical significance and n-gram statistics. We also present a demo server http://wmt.ufal.cz with WMT14 and WMT15 translations.

  17. Keeping mtDNA in shape between generations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James B Stewart

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Since the unexpected discovery that mitochondria contain their own distinct DNA molecules, studies of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA have yielded many surprises. In animals, transmission of the mtDNA genome is explicitly non-Mendelian, with a very high number of genome copies being inherited from the mother after a drastic bottleneck. Recent work has begun to uncover the molecular details of this unusual mode of transmission. Many surprising variations in animal mitochondrial biology are known; however, a series of recent studies have identified a core of evolutionarily conserved mechanisms relating to mtDNA inheritance, e.g., mtDNA bottlenecks during germ cell development, selection against specific mtDNA mutation types during maternal transmission, and targeted destruction of sperm mitochondria. In this review, we outline recent literature on the transmission of mtDNA in animals and highlight the implications for human health and ageing.

  18. Possible role of mtDNA depletion and respiratory chain defects in aristolochic acid I-induced acute nephrotoxicity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Zhenzhou, E-mail: jiangcpu@yahoo.com.cn; Bao, Qingli, E-mail: bao_ql@126.com; Sun, Lixin, E-mail: slxcpu@126.com; Huang, Xin, E-mail: huangxinhx66@sohu.com; Wang, Tao, E-mail: wangtao1331@126.com; Zhang, Shuang, E-mail: cat921@sina.com; Li, Han, E-mail: hapo1101@163.com; Zhang, Luyong, E-mail: lyzhang@cpu.edu.cn

    2013-01-15

    This report describes an investigation of the pathological mechanism of acute renal failure caused by toxic tubular necrosis after treatment with aristolochic acid I (AAI) in Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. The rats were gavaged with AAI at 0, 5, 20, or 80 mg/kg/day for 7 days. The pathologic examination of the kidneys showed severe acute tubular degenerative changes primarily affecting the proximal tubules. Supporting these results, we detected significantly increased concentrations of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) in the rats treated with AAI, indicating damage to the kidneys. Ultrastructural examination showed that proximal tubular mitochondria were extremely enlarged and dysmorphic with loss and disorientation of their cristae. Mitochondrial function analysis revealed that the two indicators for mitochondrial energy metabolism, the respiratory control ratio (RCR) and ATP content, were reduced in a dose-dependent manner after AAI treatment. The RCR in the presence of substrates for complex I was reduced more significantly than in the presence of substrates for complex II. In additional experiments, the activity of respiratory complex I, which is partly encoded by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), was more significantly impaired than that of respiratory complex II, which is completely encoded by nuclear DNA (nDNA). A real-time PCR assay revealed a marked reduction of mtDNA in the kidneys treated with AAI. Taken together, these results suggested that mtDNA depletion and respiratory chain defects play critical roles in the pathogenesis of kidney injury induced by AAI, and that the same processes might contribute to aristolochic acid-induced nephrotoxicity in humans. -- Highlights: ► AAI-induced acute renal failure in rats and the proximal tubule was the target. ► Tubular mitochondria were morphologically aberrant in ultrastructural examination. ► AAI impair mitochondrial bioenergetic function and mtDNA replication.

  19. 44 CFR 15.3 - Access to Mt. Weather.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Access to Mt. Weather. 15.3... HOMELAND SECURITY GENERAL CONDUCT AT THE MT. WEATHER EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE CENTER AND AT THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY TRAINING CENTER § 15.3 Access to Mt. Weather. Mt. Weather contains classified material and areas...

  20. Patterns in Seismicity at Mt St Helens and Mt Unzen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamb, Oliver; De Angelis, Silvio; Lavallee, Yan

    2014-05-01

    Cyclic behaviour on a range of timescales is a well-documented feature of many dome-forming volcanoes. Previous work on Soufrière Hills volcano (Montserrat) and Volcán de Colima (Mexico) revealed broad-scale similarities in behaviour implying the potential to develop general physical models of sub-surface processes [1]. Using volcano-seismic data from Mt St Helens (USA) and Mt Unzen (Japan) this study explores parallels in long-term behaviour of seismicity at two dome-forming systems. Within the last twenty years both systems underwent extended dome-forming episodes accompanied by large Vulcanian explosions or dome collapses. This study uses a suite of quantitative and analytical techniques which can highlight differences or similarities in volcano seismic behaviour, and compare the behaviour to changes in activity during the eruptive episodes. Seismic events were automatically detected and characterized on a single short-period seismometer station located 1.5km from the 2004-2008 vent at Mt St Helens. A total of 714 826 individual events were identified from continuous recording of seismic data from 22 October 2004 to 28 February 2006 (average 60.2 events per hour) using a short-term/long-term average algorithm. An equivalent count will be produced from seismometer recordings over the later stages of the 1991-1995 eruption at MT Unzen. The event count time-series from Mt St Helens is then analysed using Multi-taper Method and the Short-Term Fourier Transform to explore temporal variations in activity. Preliminary analysis of seismicity from Mt St Helens suggests cyclic behaviour of subannual timescale, similar to that described at Volcán de Colima and Soufrière Hills volcano [1]. Frequency Index and waveform correlation tools will be implemented to analyse changes in the frequency content of the seismicity and to explore their relations to different phases of activity at the volcano. A single station approach is used to gain a fine-scale view of variations in

  1. Geant4-MT: bringing multi-threading into Geant4 production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, S.; Apostolakis, J.; Cosmo, G.; Nowak, A.; Asai, M.; Brandt, D.; Dotti, A.; Coopermann, G.; Dong, X.; Jun, Soon Yung

    2013-01-01

    Geant4-MT is the multi-threaded version of the Geant4 particle transport code. The key goals for the design of Geant4-MT have been a) the need to reduce the memory footprint of the multi-threaded application compared to the use of separate jobs and processes; b) to create an easy migration of the existing applications; and c) to use efficiently many threads or cores, by scaling up to tens and potentially hundreds of workers. The first public release of a Geant4- MT prototype was made in 2011. We report on the revision of Geant4-MT for inclusion in the production-level release scheduled for end of 2013. This has involved significant re-engineering of the prototype in order to incorporate it into the main Geant4 development line, and the porting of Geant4-MT threading code to additional platforms. In order to make the porting of applications as simple as possible, refinements addressed the needs of standalone applications. Further adaptations were created to improve the fit with the frameworks of High Energy Physics experiments. We report on performances measurements on Intel Xeon TM , AMD Opteron TM the first trials of Geant4-MT on the Intel Many Integrated Cores (MIC) architecture, in the form of the Xeon Phi TM co-processor. These indicate near-linear scaling through about 200 threads on 60 cores, when holding fixed the number of events per thread. (authors)

  2. Expression of melatonin receptor MT1 in cells of human invasive ductal breast carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jablonska, Karolina; Pula, Bartosz; Zemla, Agata; Owczarek, Tomasz; Wojnar, Andrzej; Rys, Janusz; Ambicka, Aleksandra; Podhorska-Okolow, Marzena; Ugorski, Maciej; Dziegiel, Piotr

    2013-04-01

    In humans, two main types of membrane melatonin receptors have been identified, MT1 and MT2. Expression of MT1 in neoplastic cells seems to increase the efficacy of melatonin's oncostatic activity. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution and the intensity of MT1 expression in breast cancer cells and to correlate it with clinicopathological factors. Immunohistochemical studies (IHC) were conducted on 190 cases of invasive ductal breast carcinomas (IDC) and molecular studies were performed on 29 cases of frozen tumor fragments and selected breast cancer cell lines. Most of the studied tumors manifested a membranous/cytoplasmic IHC expression of MT1. In IDC, the MT1 expression was higher than in fibrocystic breast disease. MT1 expression was higher in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and HER2 positive (HER2+) tumors. Triple negative tumors (TN) manifested the lowest MT1 expression level. The lowest MT1 protein expression level was noted in the TN breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 compared with ER+ cell lines MCF-7 and SK-BR-3. MT1 mRNA expression was negatively correlated with the malignancy grade of the studied IDC cases. Moreover, higher MT1 expression was associated with patients' longer overall survival (OS) in the group of ER+ breast cancers and treated with tamoxifen. Multivariate analysis indicated that MT1 was an independent prognostic factor in the ER+ tumors for OS and event-free survival in the ER+ tumors. The results of this study may point to a potential prognostic and therapeutic significance of MT1 in IDC. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  3. Stimulatory Effects of Melatonin on Porcine In Vitro Maturation Are Mediated by MT2 Receptor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanghoon Lee

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Melatonin is a multifunctional molecule with numerous biological activities. The fact that melatonin modulates the functions of porcine granulosa cells via the MT2 receptor suggests the possibility of MT2 receptor-mediation for melatonin to promote cumulus expansion of porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs. Therefore, we investigated the presence of MT2 in porcine COCs, and the effects of melatonin with or without selective MT2 antagonists (luzindole and 4-P-PDOT on this process; COCs underwent in vitro maturation culturing with six different conditions (control, melatonin, luzindole, 4-P-PDOT, melatonin + luzindole or melatonin + 4-P-PDOT. Cumulus expansion, oocyte nuclear maturation, and subsequent embryo development after parthenogenetic activation (PA were evaluated. In experiment 1, MT2 was expressed in both oocytes and cumulus cells. In experiment 2, melatonin significantly increased the proportion of complete cumulus expansion (degree 4, which was inhibited by simultaneous addition of either luzindole or 4-P-PDOT. A similar pattern was observed in the expression of genes related to cumulus expansion, apoptosis, and MT2. In experiment 3, no significant difference was observed in immature, degenerate, and MII oocyte rates among the groups. In experiment 4, melatonin significantly increased blastocyst formation rates and total blastocyst cell numbers after PA, but these effects were abolished when either luzindole or 4-P-PDOT was added concomitantly. In conclusion, our results indicate that the MT2 receptor mediated the stimulatory effects of melatonin on porcine cumulus expansion and subsequent embryo development.

  4. Episodic weakness due to mitochondrial DNA MT-ATP6/8 mutations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auré, Karine; Dubourg, Odile; Jardel, Claude; Clarysse, Lucie; Sternberg, Damien; Fournier, Emmanuel; Laforêt, Pascal; Streichenberger, Nathalie; Petiot, Philippe; Gervais-Bernard, Hélène; Vial, Christophe; Bedat-Millet, Anne-Laure; Drouin-Garraud, Valérie; Bouillaud, Frédéric; Vandier, Christophe; Fontaine, Bertrand; Lombès, Anne

    2013-11-19

    To report that homoplasmic deleterious mutations in the mitochondrial DNA MT-ATP6/8 genes may be responsible for acute episodes of limb weakness mimicking periodic paralysis due to channelopathies and dramatically responding to acetazolamide. Mitochondrial DNA sequencing and restriction PCR, oxidative phosphorylation functional assays, reactive oxygen species metabolism, and patch-clamp technique in cultured skin fibroblasts. Occurrence of a typical MELAS (mitochondrial encephalopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes) syndrome in a single member of a large pedigree with episodic weakness associated with a later-onset distal motor neuropathy led to the disclosure of 2 deleterious mitochondrial DNA mutations. The MT-ATP6 m.9185T>C p.Leu220Pro mutation, previously associated with Leigh syndrome, was present in all family members, while the MT-TL1 m.3271T>C mutation, a known cause of MELAS syndrome, was observed in the sole patient with MELAS presentation. Significant defect of complexes V and I as well as oxidative stress were observed in both primary fibroblasts and cybrid cells with 100% m.9185T>C mutation. Permanent plasma membrane depolarization and altered permeability to K(+) in fibroblasts provided a link with the paralysis episodes. Screening of 9 patients, based on their clinical phenotype, identified 4 patients with similar deleterious MT-ATP6 mutations (twice m.9185T>C and once m.9176T>C or m.8893T>C). A fifth patient presented with an original potentially deleterious MT-ATP8 mutation (m.8403T>C). All mutations were associated with almost-normal complex V activity but significant oxidative stress and permanent plasma membrane depolarization. Homoplasmic mutations in the MT-ATP6/8 genes may cause episodic weakness responding to acetazolamide treatment.

  5. MT3DMS: Model use, calibration, and validation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, C.; Hill, Mary C.; Cao, G.; Ma, R.

    2012-01-01

    MT3DMS is a three-dimensional multi-species solute transport model for solving advection, dispersion, and chemical reactions of contaminants in saturated groundwater flow systems. MT3DMS interfaces directly with the U.S. Geological Survey finite-difference groundwater flow model MODFLOW for the flow solution and supports the hydrologic and discretization features of MODFLOW. MT3DMS contains multiple transport solution techniques in one code, which can often be important, including in model calibration. Since its first release in 1990 as MT3D for single-species mass transport modeling, MT3DMS has been widely used in research projects and practical field applications. This article provides a brief introduction to MT3DMS and presents recommendations about calibration and validation procedures for field applications of MT3DMS. The examples presented suggest the need to consider alternative processes as models are calibrated and suggest opportunities and difficulties associated with using groundwater age in transport model calibration.

  6. Targeting MT1-MMP as an ImmunoPET-Based Strategy for Imaging Gliomas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A G de Lucas

    Full Text Available A critical challenge in the management of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM tumors is the accurate diagnosis and assessment of tumor progression in a noninvasive manner. We have identified Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP as an attractive biomarker for GBM imaging since this protein is actively involved in tumor growth and progression, correlates with tumor grade and is closely associated with poor prognosis in GBM patients. Here, we report the development of an immunoPET tracer for effective detection of MT1-MMP in GBM models.An anti-human MT1-MMP monoclonal antibody (mAb, LEM2/15, was conjugated to p-isothiocyanatobenzyl-desferrioxamine (DFO-NCS for 89Zr labeling. Biodistribution and PET imaging studies were performed in xenograft mice bearing human GBM cells (U251 expressing MT1-MMP and non-expressing breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7 as negative control. Two orthotopic brain GBM models, patient-derived neurospheres (TS543 and U251 cells, with different degrees of blood-brain barrier (BBB disruption were also used for PET imaging experiments.89Zr labeling of DFO-LEM2/15 was achieved with high yield (>90% and specific activity (78.5 MBq/mg. Biodistribution experiments indicated that 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15 showed excellent potential as a radiotracer for detection of MT1-MMP positive GBM tumors. PET imaging also indicated a specific and prominent 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15 uptake in MT1-MMP+ U251 GBM tumors compared to MT1-MMP- MCF-7 breast tumors. Results obtained in orthotopic brain GBM models revealed a high dependence of a disrupted BBB for tracer penetrance into tumors. 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15 showed much higher accumulation in TS543 tumors with a highly disrupted BBB than in U251 orthotopic model in which the BBB permeability was only partially increased. Histological analysis confirmed the specificity of the immunoconjugate in all GBM models.A new anti MT1-MMP-mAb tracer, 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15, was synthesized efficiently. In vivo validation showed high

  7. New Radioligands for Describing the Molecular Pharmacology of MT1 and MT2 Melatonin Receptors

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    Olivier Nosjean

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Melatonin receptors have been studied for several decades. The low expression of the receptors in tissues led the scientific community to find a substitute for the natural hormone melatonin, the agonist 2-[125I]-iodomelatonin. Using the agonist, several hundreds of studies were conducted, including the discovery of agonists and antagonists for the receptors and minute details about their molecular behavior. Recently, we attempted to expand the panel of radioligands available for studying the melatonin receptors by using the newly discovered compounds SD6, DIV880, and S70254. These compounds were characterized for their affinities to the hMT1 and hMT2 recombinant receptors and their functionality in the classical GTPS system. SD6 is a full agonist, equilibrated between the receptor isoforms, whereas S70254 and DIV880 are only partial MT2 agonists, with Ki in the low nanomolar range while they have no affinity to MT1 receptors. These new tools will hopefully allow for additions to the current body of information on the native localization of the receptor isoforms in tissues.

  8. MT1-MMP promotes cell growth and ERK activation through c-Src and paxillin in three-dimensional collagen matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takino, Takahisa; Tsuge, Hisashi; Ozawa, Terumasa; Sato, Hiroshi

    2010-01-01

    Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is essential for tumor invasion and growth. We show here that MT1-MMP induces extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in cancer cells cultured in collagen gel, which is indispensable for their proliferation. Inhibition of MT1-MMP by MMP inhibitor or small interfering RNA suppressed activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and ERK in MT1-MMP-expressing cancer cells, which resulted in up-regulation of p21 WAF1 and suppression of cell growth in collagen gel. Cell proliferation was also abrogated by the inhibitor against ERK pathway without affecting FAK phosphorylation. MT1-MMP and integrin α v β 3 were shown to be involved in c-Src activation, which induced FAK and ERK activation in collagen gel. These MT1-MMP-mediated signal transductions were paxillin dependent, as knockdown of paxillin reduced cell growth and ERK activation, and co-expression of MT1-MMP with paxillin induced ERK activation. The results suggest that MT1-MMP contributes to proliferation of cancer cells in the extracellular matrix by activating ERK through c-Src and paxillin.

  9. Reservoir characterization of the Mt. Simon Sandstone, Illinois Basin, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frailey, S.M.; Damico, J.; Leetaru, H.E.

    2011-01-01

    The integration of open hole well log analyses, core analyses and pressure transient analyses was used for reservoir characterization of the Mt. Simon sandstone. Characterization of the injection interval provides the basis for a geologic model to support the baseline MVA model, specify pressure design requirements of surface equipment, develop completion strategies, estimate injection rates, and project the CO2 plume distribution.The Cambrian-age Mt. Simon Sandstone overlies the Precambrian granite basement of the Illinois Basin. The Mt. Simon is relatively thick formation exceeding 800 meters in some areas of the Illinois Basin. In the deeper part of the basin where sequestration is likely to occur at depths exceeding 1000 m, horizontal core permeability ranges from less than 1 ?? 10-12 cm 2 to greater than 1 ?? 10-8 cm2. Well log and core porosity can be up to 30% in the basal Mt. Simon reservoir. For modeling purposes, reservoir characterization includes absolute horizontal and vertical permeability, effective porosity, net and gross thickness, and depth. For horizontal permeability, log porosity was correlated with core. The core porosity-permeability correlation was improved by using grain size as an indication of pore throat size. After numerous attempts to identify an appropriate log signature, the calculated cementation exponent from Archie's porosity and resistivity relationships was used to identify which porosity-permeability correlation to apply and a permeability log was made. Due to the relatively large thickness of the Mt. Simon, vertical permeability is an important attribute to understand the distribution of CO2 when the injection interval is in the lower part of the unit. Only core analyses and specifically designed pressure transient tests can yield vertical permeability. Many reservoir flow models show that 500-800 m from the injection well most of the CO2 migrates upward depending on the magnitude of the vertical permeability and CO2 injection

  10. Prognostic significance of metallothionein in B-cell lymphomas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Christian Bjørn; Borup, Rehannah; Borregaard, Niels

    2006-01-01

    -cell (ABC) and 3 of 9 type-3 lesions. In contrast, MT mRNA was low to undetectable in 16 germinal center B-cell (GCB)-type DLBCLs. Only 1 of 15 patients with up-regulated MT mRNA achieved a sustained remission, suggesting that up-regulated MT mRNA constitutes a significant risk factor for treatment failure...

  11. mtDNA, Metastasis, and the Mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response (UPRmt).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenny, Timothy C; Germain, Doris

    2017-01-01

    While several studies have confirmed a link between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and cancer cell metastasis, much debate remains regarding the nature of the alternations in mtDNA leading to this effect. Meanwhile, the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR mt ) has gained much attention in recent years, with most studies of this pathway focusing on its role in aging. However, the UPR mt has also been studied in the context of cancer. More recent work suggests that rather than a single mutation or alternation, specific combinatorial mtDNA landscapes able to activate the UPR mt may be those that are selected by metastatic cells, while mtDNA landscapes unable to activate the UPR mt do not. This review aims at offering an overview of the confusing literature on mtDNA mutations and metastasis and the more recent work on the UPR mt in this setting.

  12. Exchangeable cations in some soils of Mt. Stara planina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Belanović Snežana

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Land use in forest and pasture ecosystems requires the respecting of ecological and economic interactions between the individual components of these ecosystems. The content of nutrition elements in the soil solution depends on soil types, climate conditions and vegetation species, i.e., it is conditioned by their cycling in the ecosystem. This paper studies the cation exchange capacity in pasture and forest soils of Mt. Stara Planina.

  13. The development of socio-motivational dependency from early to middle adolescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jagenow, Danilo; Raufelder, Diana; Eid, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Research on students’ motivation has shown that motivation can be enhanced or undermined by social factors. However, when interpreting such findings, interindividual differences, and intraindividual changes underlying students’ perception of peers and teachers as a source of motivation are often neglected. The aim of the present study was to complement our understanding of socio-motivational dependency by investigating differences in the development of students’ socio-motivational dependency from early to middle adolescence. Data from 1088 students on their perceptions of peers and teachers as positive motivators when students were in seventh and eighth grade were compared with data of the same sample 2 years later. Latent class analysis supported four different motivation types (MT): (1) teacher-dependent MT, (2) peer-dependent MT, (3) teacher-and-peer-dependent MT, and (4) teacher-and-peer-independent MT. Latent transition analysis revealed substantial changes between the groups. The perceived teacher influence on students’ academic motivation increased from early to middle adolescence. Divergent roles of peers and teachers on students’ academic motivation are discussed. PMID:25762966

  14. Random mtDNA mutations modulate proliferation capacity in mouse embryonic fibroblasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kukat, Alexandra; Edgar, Daniel; Bratic, Ivana; Maiti, Priyanka; Trifunovic, Aleksandra

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Increased mtDNA mutations in MEFs lead to high level of spontaneous immortalization. → This process is independent of endogenous ROS production. → Aerobic glycolysis significantly contributes to spontaneous immortalization of MEFs. -- Abstract: An increase in mtDNA mutation load leads to a loss of critical cells in different tissues thereby contributing to the physiological process of organismal ageing. Additionally, the accumulation of senescent cells that display changes in metabolic function might act in an active way to further disrupt the normal tissue function. We believe that this could be the important link missing in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of premature ageing in the mtDNA mutator mice. We tested proliferation capacity of mtDNA mutator cells in vitro. When cultured in physiological levels of oxygen (3%) their proliferation capacity is somewhat lower than wild-type cells. Surprisingly, in conditions of increased oxidative stress (20% O 2 ) mtDNA mutator mouse embryonic fibroblasts exhibit continuous proliferation due to spontaneous immortalization, whereas the same conditions promote senescence in wild-type cells. We believe that an increase in aerobic glycolysis observed in mtDNA mutator mice is a major mechanism behind this process. We propose that glycolysis promotes proliferation and allows a fast turnover of metabolites, but also leads to energy crisis due to lower ATP production rate. This could lead to compromised replication and/or repair and therefore, in rare cases, might lead to mutations in tumor suppressor genes and spontaneous immortalization.

  15. Type of featural attention differentially modulates hMT+ responses to illusory motion aftereffects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castelo-Branco, Miguel; Kozak, Lajos R; Formisano, Elia; Teixeira, João; Xavier, João; Goebel, Rainer

    2009-11-01

    Activity in the human motion complex (hMT(+)/V5) is related to the perception of motion, be it either real surface motion or an illusion of motion such as apparent motion (AM) or motion aftereffect (MAE). It is a long-lasting debate whether illusory motion-related activations in hMT(+) represent the motion itself or attention to it. We have asked whether hMT(+) responses to MAEs are present when shifts in arousal are suppressed and attention is focused on concurrent motion versus nonmotion features. Significant enhancement of hMT(+) activity was observed during MAEs when attention was focused either on concurrent spatial angle or color features. This observation was confirmed by direct comparison of adapting (MAE inducing) versus nonadapting conditions. In contrast, this effect was diminished when subjects had to report on concomitant speed changes of superimposed AM. The same finding was observed for concomitant orthogonal real motion (RM), suggesting that selective attention to concurrent illusory or real motion was interfering with the saliency of MAE signals in hMT(+). We conclude that MAE-related changes in the global activity of hMT(+) are present provided selective attention is not focused on an interfering feature such as concurrent motion. Accordingly, there is a genuine MAE-related motion signal in hMT(+) that is neither explained by shifts in arousal nor by selective attention.

  16. Alterations in mtDNA, gastric carcinogenesis and early diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues-Antunes, S; Borges, B N

    2018-05-26

    Gastric cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. Due to this, efforts are being made to improve the diagnosis of this neoplasm and the search for molecular markers that may be involved in its genesis. Within this perspective, the mitochondrial DNA is considered as a potential candidate, since it has several well documented changes and is readily accessible. However, numerous alterations have been reported in mtDNA, not facilitating the visualization of which alterations and molecular markers are truly involved with gastric carcinogenesis. This review presents a compilation of the main known changes relating mtDNA to gastric cancer and their clinical significance.

  17. Antineoplastic Activities of MT81 and Its Structural Analogue in Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma-Bearing Swiss Albino Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sujata Maiti Choudhury

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Many fungal toxins exhibit in vitro and in vivo antineoplastic effects on various cancer cell types. Luteoskyrin, a hydroxyanthraquinone has been proved to be a potent inhibitor against Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. The comparative antitumor activity and antioxidant status of MT81 and its structural analogue [Acetic acid-MT81 (Aa-MT81] having polyhydroxyanthraquinone structure were assessed against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC tumor in mice. The in vitro cytotoxicity was measured by the viability of EAC cells after direct treatment of the said compounds. In in vivo study, MT81 and its structural analogue were administered (i.p. at the two different doses (5, 7 mg MT81; 8.93, 11.48 mg Aa-MT81/kg body weight for 7 days after 24 hrs. of tumor inoculation. The activities were assessed using mean survival time (MST, increased life span (ILS, tumor volume, viable tumor cell count, peritoneal cell count, protein percentage and hematological parameters. Antioxidant status was determined by malondialdehyde (MDA and reduced glutathione (GSH content, and by the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD and catalase (CA T. MT81 and its structural analogues increased the mean survival time, normal peritoneal cell count. They decreased the tumor volume, viable tumor cell count, hemoglobin percentage and packed cell volume. Differential counts of WBC, total counts of RBC & WBC that altered by EAC inoculation, were restored in a dose-dependent manner. Increased MDA and decreased GSH content and reduced activity of SOD, and catalase in EAC bearing mice were returned towards normal after the treatment of MT81 and its structural analogue. Being less toxic than parent toxin MT81, the structural analogue showed more prominent antineoplastic activities against EAC cells compared to MT81. At the same time, both compounds exhibit to some extent antioxidant potential for the EAC-bearing mice.

  18. Abnormal Skeletal Growth in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Is Associated with Abnormal Quantitative Expression of Melatonin Receptor, MT2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alain Moreau

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The defect of the melatonin signaling pathway has been proposed to be one of the key etiopathogenic factors in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS. A previous report showed that melatonin receptor, MT2, was undetectable in some AIS girls. The present study aimed to investigate whether the abnormal MT2 expression in AIS is quantitative or qualitative. Cultured osteoblasts were obtained from 41 AIS girls and nine normal controls. Semi-quantification of protein expression by Western blot and mRNA expression by TaqMan real-time PCR for both MT1 and MT2 were performed. Anthropometric parameters were also compared and correlated with the protein expression and mRNA expression of the receptors. The results showed significantly lower protein and mRNA expression of MT2 in AIS girls compared with that in normal controls (p = 0.02 and p = 0.019, respectively. No differences were found in the expression of MT1. When dichotomizing the AIS girls according to their MT2 expression, the group with low expression was found to have a significantly longer arm span (p = 0.036. The results of this study showed for the first time a quantitative change of MT2 in AIS that was also correlated with abnormal arm span as part of abnormal systemic skeletal growth.

  19. Characterization of pancreatic lesions from MT-tgf alpha, Ela-myc and MT-tgf alpha/Ela-myc single and double transgenic mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Dezhong Joshua; Wang, Yong; Wu, Jiusheng; Adsay, Nazmi Volkan; Grignon, David; Khanani, Fayyaz; Sarkar, Fazlul H

    2006-07-05

    In order to identify good animal models for investigating therapeutic and preventive strategies for pancreatic cancer, we analyzed pancreatic lesions from several transgenic models and made a series of novel findings. Female MT-tgf alpha mice of the MT100 line developed pancreatic proliferation, acinar-ductal metaplasia, multilocular cystic neoplasms, ductal adenocarcinomas and prominent fibrosis, while the lesions in males were less severe. MT-tgf alpha-ES transgenic lines of both sexes developed slowly progressing lesions that were similar to what was seen in MT100 males. In both MT100 and MT-tgf alpha-ES lines, TGF alpha transgene was expressed mainly in proliferating ductal cells. Ela-myc transgenic mice with a mixed C57BL/6, SJL and FVB genetic background developed pancreatic tumors at 2-7 months of age, and half of the tumors were ductal adenocarcinomas, similar to what was reported originally by Sandgren et al 1. However, in 20% of the mice, the tumors metastasized to the liver. MT100/Ela-myc and MT-tgf alpha-ES/Ela-myc double transgenic mice developed not only acinar carcinomas and mixed carcinomas as previously reported but also various ductal-originated lesions, including multilocular cystic neoplasms and ductal adenocarcinomas. The double transgenic tumors were more malignant and metastasized to the liver at a higher frequency (33%) compared with the Ela-myc tumors. Sequencing of the coding region of p16ink4, k-ras and Rb cDNA in small numbers of pancreatic tumors did not identify mutations. The short latency for tumor development, the variety of tumor morphology and the liver metastases seen in Ela-myc and MT-tgf alpha/Ela-myc mice make these animals good models for investigating new therapeutic and preventive strategies for pancreatic cancer.

  20. Patent documentation - comparison of two MT strategies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Offersgaard, Lene; Povlsen, Claus

    2007-01-01

    This paper focuses on two matters: A comparison of how two different MT strategies manage translating the text type of patent documentation and a survey of what is needed to transform a MT research prototype system to a translation application for patent texts. The two MT strategies is represented....... The distinctive text type of patents pose special demands for machine translation and these aspects are discussed based on linguistic observations with focus on the users point of view. Two main demands are automatic pre processing of the documents and implementation of a module which in a flexible and user......-friendly manner offers the opportunity to extend the lexical coverage of the system. These demands and the comparison of the two MT strategies are discussed on the basis of proofread patents....

  1. Automatic Grader of MT Outputs in Colloquial Style by Using Multiple Edit Distances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akiba, Yasuhiro; Imamura, Kenji; Sumita, Eiichiro; Nakaiwa, Hiromi; Yamamoto, Seiichi; Okuno, Hiroshi G.

    This paper addresses the challenging problem of automating the human's intelligent ability to evaluate output from machine translation (MT) systems, which are subsystems of Speech-to-Speech MT (SSMT) systems. Conventional automatic MT evaluation methods include BLEU, which MT researchers have frequently used. BLEU is unsuitable for SSMT evaluation for two reasons. First, BLEU assesses errors lightly at the beginning or ending of translations and heavily in the middle, although the assessments should be independent from the positions. Second, BLEU lacks tolerance in accepting colloquial sentences with small errors, although such errors do not prevent us from continuing conversation. In this paper, the authors report a new evaluation method called RED that automatically grades each MT output by using a decision tree (DT). The DT is learned from training examples that are encoded by using multiple edit distances and their grades. The multiple edit distances are normal edit dista nce (ED) defined by insertion, deletion, and replacement, as well as extensions of ED. The use of multiple edit distances allows more tolerance than either ED or BLEU. Each evaluated MT output is assigned a grade by using the DT. RED and BLEU were compared for the task of evaluating SSMT systems, which have various performances, on a spoken language corpus, ATR's Basic Travel Expression Corpus (BTEC). Experimental results showed that RED significantly outperformed BLEU.

  2. Joint inversion of marine MT and CSEM data over Gemini prospect, Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Constable, S.; Orange, A. S.; Key, K.

    2013-12-01

    In 2003 we tested a prototype marine controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) transmitter over the Gemini salt body in the Gulf of Mexico, collecting one line of data over 15 seafloor receiver instruments using the Cox waveform with a 0.25 Hz fundamental, yielding 3 usable frequencies. Transmission current was 95 amps on a 150 m antenna. We had previously collected 16 sites of marine magnetotelluric (MT) data along this line during the development of broadband marine MT as a tool for mapping salt geometry. Recently we commissioned a finite element code capable of joint CSEM and MT 2D inversion incorporating bathymetry and anisotropy, and this heritage data set provided an opportunity to explore such inversions with real data. We reprocessed the CSEM data to obtain objective error estimates and inverted single frequency CSEM, multi-frequency CSEM, MT, and joint MT and CSEM data sets for a variety of target misfits, using the Occam regularized inversion algorithm. As expected, MT-only inversions produce a smoothed image of the salt and a resistive basement at 9 km depth. The CSEM data image a conductive cap over the salt body and have little sensitivity to the salt or structure at depths beyond about 1500 m below seafloor. However, the joint inversion yields more than the sum of the parts - the outline of the salt body is much sharper and there is much more structural detail even at depths beyond the resolution of the CSEM data. As usual, model complexity greatly depends on target misfit, and even with well-estimated errors the choice of misfit becomes a somewhat subjective decision. Our conclusion is a familiar one; more data are always good.

  3. MT-CYB mutations in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hagen, Christian M; Aidt, Frederik H; Havndrup, Ole

    2013-01-01

    Mitochondrial dysfunction is a characteristic of heart failure. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA, particularly in MT-CYB coding for cytochrome B in complex III (CIII), have been associated with isolated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We hypothesized that MT-CYB mutations might play an important...... and m.15482T>C; p.S246P were identified. Modeling showed that the p.C93Y mutation leads to disruption of the tertiary structure of Cytb by helix displacement, interfering with protein-heme interaction. The p.S246P mutation induces a diproline structure, which alters local secondary structure and induces...... of HCM patients. We propose that further patients with HCM should be examined for mutations in MT-CYB in order to clarify the role of these variants....

  4. Decreased Circulating mtDNA Levels in Professional Male Volleyball Players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasi, Milena; Cristani, Alessandro; Pinti, Marcello; Lamberti, Igor; Gibellini, Lara; De Biasi, Sara; Guazzaloca, Alessandro; Trenti, Tommaso; Cossarizza, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    Exercise exerts various effects on the immune system, and evidence is emerging on its anti-inflammatory effects; the mechanisms on the basis of these modifications are poorly understood. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) released from damaged cells acts as a molecule containing the so-called damage-associated molecular patterns and can trigger sterile inflammation. Indeed, high plasma levels of mtDNA are associated to several inflammatory conditions and physiological aging and longevity. The authors evaluated plasma mtDNA in professional male volleyball players during seasonal training and the possible correlation between mtDNA levels and clinical parameters, body composition, and physical performance. Plasma mtDNA was quantified by real-time PCR every 2 mo in 12 professional volleyball players (PVPs) during 2 consecutive seasons. As comparison, 20 healthy nonathlete male volunteers (NAs) were analyzed. The authors found lower levels of mtDNA in plasma of PVPs than in NAs. However, PVPs showed a decrease of circulating mtDNA only in the first season, while no appreciable variations were observed during the second season. No correlation was observed among mtDNA, hematochemical, and anthropometric parameters. Regular physical activity appeared associated with lower levels of circulating mtDNA, further confirming the protective, anti-inflammatory effect of exercise.

  5. Somatic mtDNA mutation spectra in the aging human putamen.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siôn L Williams

    Full Text Available The accumulation of heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA deletions and single nucleotide variants (SNVs is a well-accepted facet of the biology of aging, yet comprehensive mutation spectra have not been described. To address this, we have used next generation sequencing of mtDNA-enriched libraries (Mito-Seq to investigate mtDNA mutation spectra of putamen from young and aged donors. Frequencies of the "common" deletion and other "major arc" deletions were significantly increased in the aged cohort with the fold increase in the frequency of the common deletion exceeding that of major arc deletions. SNVs also increased with age with the highest rate of accumulation in the non-coding control region which contains elements necessary for translation and replication. Examination of predicted amino acid changes revealed a skew towards pathogenic SNVs in the coding region driven by mutation bias. Levels of the pathogenic m.3243A>G tRNA mutation were also found to increase with age. Novel multimeric tandem duplications that resemble murine control region multimers and yeast ρ(- mtDNAs, were identified in both young and aged specimens. Clonal ∼50 bp deletions in the control region were found at high frequencies in aged specimens. Our results reveal the complex manner in which the mitochondrial genome alters with age and provides a foundation for studies of other tissues and disease states.

  6. MtCAS31 Aids Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation by Protecting the Leghemoglobin MtLb120-1 Under Drought Stress in Medicago truncatula

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Li

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF in legume root nodules injects millions of tons of nitrogen into agricultural lands and provides ammonia to non-legume crops under N-deficient conditions. During plant growth and development, environmental stresses, such as drought, salt, cold, and heat stress are unavoidable. This raises an interesting question as to how the legumes cope with the environmental stress along with SNF. Under drought stress, dehydrin proteins are accumulated, which function as protein protector and osmotic substances. In this study, we found that the dehydrin MtCAS31 (cold-acclimation-specific 31 functions in SNF in Medicago truncatula during drought stress. We found that MtCAS31 is expressed in nodules and interacts with leghemoglobin MtLb120-1. The interaction between the two proteins protects MtLb120-1 from denaturation under thermal stress in vivo. Compared to wild type, cas31 mutants display a lower nitrogenase activity, a lower ATP/ADP ratio, higher expression of nodule senescence genes and higher accumulation of amyloplasts under dehydration conditions. The results suggested that MtCAS31 protects MtLb120-1 from the damage of drought stress. We identified a new function for dehydrins in SNF under drought stress, which enriches the understanding of the molecular mechanism of dehydrins.

  7. A novel mutation MT-COIII m.9267G>C and MT-COI m.5913G>A mutation in mitochondrial genes in a Tunisian family with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) associated with sever nephropathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tabebi, Mouna; Mkaouar-Rebai, Emna; Mnif, Mouna; Kallabi, Fakhri; Ben Mahmoud, Afif; Ben Saad, Wafa; Charfi, Nadia; Keskes-Ammar, Leila; Kamoun, Hassen; Abid, Mohamed; Fakhfakh, Faiza

    2015-01-01

    Mitochondrial diabetes (MD) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by a chronic hyperglycemia, maternal transmission and its association with a bilateral hearing impairment. Several studies reported mutations in mitochondrial genes as potentially pathogenic for diabetes, since mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation plays an important role in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from beta cells. In the present report, we studied a Tunisian family with mitochondrial diabetes (MD) and deafness associated with nephropathy. The mutational analysis screening revealed the presence of a novel heteroplasmic mutation m.9276G>C in the mitochondrial COIII gene, detected in mtDNA extracted from leukocytes of a mother and her two daughters indicating that this mutation is maternally transmitted and suggest its implication in the observed phenotype. Bioinformatic tools showed that m.9267G>C mutation (p.A21P) is « deleterious » and it can modify the function and the stability of the MT-COIII protein by affecting the assembly of mitochondrial COX subunits and the translocation of protons then reducing the activity of the respective OXPHOS complexes of ATP synthesis. The nonsynonymous mutation (p.A21P) has not been reported before, it is the first mutation described in the COXIII gene which is related to insulin dependent mitochondrial diabetes and deafness and could be specific to the Tunisian population. The m.9267G>C mutation was present with a nonsynonymous inherited mitochondrial homoplasmic variation MT-COI m.5913 G>A (D4N) responsible of high blood pressure, a clinical feature detected in all explored patients. - Highlights: • MT-COX3 m.9267G>C (p.A21P), heteroplasmic substitution, is not reported in any database. • m.9267G>C can be responsible of the MIDD associated with nephropaty. • This substitution can modify the function and the stability of the MT-CO3 protein. • This substitution can modify MT-CO3 structure (2D and 3D). • MT-COX3 m.9267G>C is associated

  8. A novel mutation MT-COIII m.9267G>C and MT-COI m.5913G>A mutation in mitochondrial genes in a Tunisian family with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) associated with sever nephropathy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tabebi, Mouna, E-mail: mouna.biologiste@yahoo.com [Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Université de Sfax (Tunisia); Mkaouar-Rebai, Emna [Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Université de Sfax (Tunisia); Mnif, Mouna [Service d' endocrinologie, C.H.U. Habib Bourguiba de Sfax (Tunisia); Kallabi, Fakhri; Ben Mahmoud, Afif [Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Université de Sfax (Tunisia); Ben Saad, Wafa; Charfi, Nadia [Service d' endocrinologie, C.H.U. Habib Bourguiba de Sfax (Tunisia); Keskes-Ammar, Leila; Kamoun, Hassen [Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Université de Sfax (Tunisia); Abid, Mohamed [Service d' endocrinologie, C.H.U. Habib Bourguiba de Sfax (Tunisia); Fakhfakh, Faiza, E-mail: faiza.fakhfakh@gmail.com [Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Université de Sfax (Tunisia)

    2015-04-10

    Mitochondrial diabetes (MD) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by a chronic hyperglycemia, maternal transmission and its association with a bilateral hearing impairment. Several studies reported mutations in mitochondrial genes as potentially pathogenic for diabetes, since mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation plays an important role in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from beta cells. In the present report, we studied a Tunisian family with mitochondrial diabetes (MD) and deafness associated with nephropathy. The mutational analysis screening revealed the presence of a novel heteroplasmic mutation m.9276G>C in the mitochondrial COIII gene, detected in mtDNA extracted from leukocytes of a mother and her two daughters indicating that this mutation is maternally transmitted and suggest its implication in the observed phenotype. Bioinformatic tools showed that m.9267G>C mutation (p.A21P) is « deleterious » and it can modify the function and the stability of the MT-COIII protein by affecting the assembly of mitochondrial COX subunits and the translocation of protons then reducing the activity of the respective OXPHOS complexes of ATP synthesis. The nonsynonymous mutation (p.A21P) has not been reported before, it is the first mutation described in the COXIII gene which is related to insulin dependent mitochondrial diabetes and deafness and could be specific to the Tunisian population. The m.9267G>C mutation was present with a nonsynonymous inherited mitochondrial homoplasmic variation MT-COI m.5913 G>A (D4N) responsible of high blood pressure, a clinical feature detected in all explored patients. - Highlights: • MT-COX3 m.9267G>C (p.A21P), heteroplasmic substitution, is not reported in any database. • m.9267G>C can be responsible of the MIDD associated with nephropaty. • This substitution can modify the function and the stability of the MT-CO3 protein. • This substitution can modify MT-CO3 structure (2D and 3D). • MT-COX3 m.9267G>C is associated

  9. Comparison of minichromosome maintenance proteins (MCM-3, MCM-7) and metallothioneins (MT-I/II, MT-III) expression in relation to clinicopathological data in ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobierzycki, Christopher; Pula, Bartosz; Skiba, Mateusz; Jablonska, Karolina; Latkowski, Krzysztof; Zabel, Maciej; Nowak-Markwitz, Ewa; Spaczynski, Marek; Kedzia, Witold; Podhorska-Okolow, Marzena; Dziegiel, Piotr

    2013-12-01

    Despite great progress in the understanding of ovarian cancer biology, clinicopathological data (i.e. grade, stage, histological type and residual disease after surgery) seem to be the most important prognostic factors. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between expression of minichromosome maintenance proteins (MCM-3, MCM-7), metallothioneins (MT-I/II, MT-III), and Ki-67 in 103 ovarian cancer cases, mostly of the serous histological type. Statistical analysis revealed strong positive correlations in the expression of MCM-3 vs. Ki-67 (r=0.492), MCM-7 vs. Ki-67 (r=0.651), and MCM-3 vs. MCM-7 (r=0.515) (all pMCM-3 and Ki-67 with increasing grade of histological malignancy (p=0.0011, p=0.029, respectively). Regarding clinical progression, cytoplasmic MT-I/II expression was significantly higher in more advanced disease stages (III+IV vs. I+II; p=0.0247). Due to the correlations shown here, the determination of MCM proteins as proliferation markers of ovarian cancer, should be strongly considered.

  10. Canis mtDNA HV1 database: a web-based tool for collecting and surveying Canis mtDNA HV1 haplotype in public database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thai, Quan Ke; Chung, Dung Anh; Tran, Hoang-Dung

    2017-06-26

    Canine and wolf mitochondrial DNA haplotypes, which can be used for forensic or phylogenetic analyses, have been defined in various schemes depending on the region analyzed. In recent studies, the 582 bp fragment of the HV1 region is most commonly used. 317 different canine HV1 haplotypes have been reported in the rapidly growing public database GenBank. These reported haplotypes contain several inconsistencies in their haplotype information. To overcome this issue, we have developed a Canis mtDNA HV1 database. This database collects data on the HV1 582 bp region in dog mitochondrial DNA from the GenBank to screen and correct the inconsistencies. It also supports users in detection of new novel mutation profiles and assignment of new haplotypes. The Canis mtDNA HV1 database (CHD) contains 5567 nucleotide entries originating from 15 subspecies in the species Canis lupus. Of these entries, 3646 were haplotypes and grouped into 804 distinct sequences. 319 sequences were recognized as previously assigned haplotypes, while the remaining 485 sequences had new mutation profiles and were marked as new haplotype candidates awaiting further analysis for haplotype assignment. Of the 3646 nucleotide entries, only 414 were annotated with correct haplotype information, while 3232 had insufficient or lacked haplotype information and were corrected or modified before storing in the CHD. The CHD can be accessed at http://chd.vnbiology.com . It provides sequences, haplotype information, and a web-based tool for mtDNA HV1 haplotyping. The CHD is updated monthly and supplies all data for download. The Canis mtDNA HV1 database contains information about canine mitochondrial DNA HV1 sequences with reconciled annotation. It serves as a tool for detection of inconsistencies in GenBank and helps identifying new HV1 haplotypes. Thus, it supports the scientific community in naming new HV1 haplotypes and to reconcile existing annotation of HV1 582 bp sequences.

  11. Internucleotide correlations and nucleotide periodicity in Drosophila mtDNA: New evidence for panselective evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Y Valenzuela

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Analysis for the homogeneity of the distribution of the second base of dinucleotides in relation to the first, whose bases are separated by 0, 1, 2,... 21 nucleotide sites, was performed with the VIH-1 genome (cDNA, the Drosophila mtDNA, the Drosophila Torso gene and the human p-globin gene. These four DNA segments showed highly significant heterogeneities of base distributions that cannot be accounted for by neutral or nearly neutral evolution or by the "neighbor influence" of nucleotides on mutation rates. High correlations are found in the bases of dinucleotides separated by 0, 1 and more number of sites. A periodicity of three consecutive significance values (measured by the x²9 was found only in Drosophila mtDNA. This periodicity may be due to an unknown structure or organization of mtDNA. This non-random distribution of the two bases of dinucleotides widespread throughout these DNA segments is rather compatible with panselective evolution and generalized internucleotide co-adaptation.

  12. The Mt Logan Holocene-late Wisconsinan isotope record

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe; Fisher, David; Osterberg, Erich

    2008-01-01

    Mt Logan • stable isotopes • Holocene • ENSO • peat • N Pacific • sudden change Udgivelsesdato: August......Mt Logan • stable isotopes • Holocene • ENSO • peat • N Pacific • sudden change Udgivelsesdato: August...

  13. IFPE/MT4-MT6A-LOCA, Large-break LOCA in-reactor fuel bundle materials tests at NRU

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cunningham, Mitchel E.; Turnbull, J.A.

    2003-01-01

    Description - Objectives - Results: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) conducted a series of thermal-hydraulic and cladding mechanical deformation tests in the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at the Chalk River National Laboratory in Canada. The objective of these tests was to perform simulated loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA) experiments using full-length light-water reactor fuel rods to study mechanical deformation, flow blockage, and coolability. Three phases of a LOCA (i.e., heat-up, reflood, and quench) were performed in situ using nuclear fissioning to simulate the low-level decay power during a LOCA after shutdown. All tests used PWR-type, non-irradiated fuel rods. Provided here is information on two materials tests, MT-6A and MT-4, which PNNL considers the better characterized for the purposes of setting up computer cases. The NRU reactor is a heterogeneous, thermal, tank-type research reactor. It has a power level of 135 MWth and is heavy-water moderated and cooled. The coolant has an inlet temperature of 310 K at a pressure of 0.65 MPa. The MT tests were conducted in a specially designed test train to supply the specified coolant conditions of flowing steam, stagnant steam, and then reflood. Typical instrumentation for the MT tests included fuel centerline thermocouples, cladding inner surface thermocouples, cladding outer surface thermocouples, rod internal gas pressure transducers or pressure switches, coolant channel steam probes, and self-powered neutron detectors. This instrumentation allowed for determining rupture times and cladding temperature. The test rods for the LOCA cases in the NRU reactor were irradiated in flowing steam prior to the transient, stagnant steam during the transient and prior to reflood, and then reflood conditions to complete the transient. Both cladding inner surface and outer surface temperatures were measured, in addition to coolant temperatures. However, only cladding inner surface temperatures were

  14. 76 FR 18040 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; West Yellowstone, MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-01

    ... airspace at Yellowstone Airport, West Yellowstone, MT, to accommodate aircraft using Instrument Landing... the earth. * * * * * ANM MT E5 West Yellowstone, MT [Amended] West Yellowstone, Yellowstone Airport...

  15. Nuclear DNA but not mtDNA controls tumor phenotypes in mouse cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akimoto, Miho; Niikura, Mamoru; Ichikawa, Masami; Yonekawa, Hiromichi; Nakada, Kazuto; Honma, Yoshio; Hayashi, Jun-Ichi

    2005-01-01

    Recent studies showed high frequencies of homoplasmic mtDNA mutations in various human tumor types, suggesting that the mutated mtDNA haplotypes somehow contribute to expression of tumor phenotypes. We directly addressed this issue by isolating mouse mtDNA-less (ρ 0 ) cells for complete mtDNA replacement between normal cells and their carcinogen-induced transformants, and examined the effect of the mtDNA replacement on expression of tumorigenicity, a phenotype forming tumors in nude mice. The results showed that genome chimera cells carrying nuclear DNA from tumor cells and mtDNA from normal cells expressed tumorigenicity, whereas those carrying nuclear DNA from normal cells and mtDNA from tumor cells did not. These observations provided direct evidence that nuclear DNA, but not mtDNA, is responsible for carcinogen-induced malignant transformation, although it remains possible that mtDNA mutations and resultant respiration defects may influence the degree of malignancy, such as invasive or metastatic properties

  16. Therapeutic Targeting of the Mitochondria Initiates Excessive Superoxide Production and Mitochondrial Depolarization Causing Decreased mtDNA Integrity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pokrzywinski, Kaytee L; Biel, Thomas G; Kryndushkin, Dmitry; Rao, V Ashutosh

    2016-01-01

    Mitochondrial dysregulation is closely associated with excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Altered redox homeostasis has been implicated in the onset of several diseases including cancer. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and proteins are particularly sensitive to ROS as they are in close proximity to the respiratory chain (RC). Mitoquinone (MitoQ), a mitochondria-targeted redox agent, selectively damages breast cancer cells possibly through damage induced via enhanced ROS production. However, the effects of MitoQ and other triphenylphosphonium (TPP+) conjugated agents on cancer mitochondrial homeostasis remain unknown. The primary objective of this study was to determine the impact of mitochondria-targeted agent [(MTAs) conjugated to TPP+: mitoTEMPOL, mitoquinone and mitochromanol-acetate] on mitochondrial physiology and mtDNA integrity in breast (MDA-MB-231) and lung (H23) cancer cells. The integrity of the mtDNA was assessed by quantifying the degree of mtDNA fragmentation and copy number, as well as by measuring mitochondrial proteins essential to mtDNA stability and maintenance (TFAM, SSBP1, TWINKLE, POLG and POLRMT). Mitochondrial status was evaluated by measuring superoxide production, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, oxygen consumption, extracellular acidification and mRNA or protein levels of the RC complexes along with TCA cycle activity. In this study, we demonstrated that all investigated MTAs impair mitochondrial health and decrease mtDNA integrity in MDA-MB-231 and H23 cells. However, differences in the degree of mitochondrial damage and mtDNA degradation suggest unique properties among each MTA that may be cell line, dose and time dependent. Collectively, our study indicates the potential for TPP+ conjugated molecules to impair breast and lung cancer cells by targeting mitochondrial homeostasis.

  17. Medicago truncatula copper transporter 1 (MtCOPT1) delivers copper for symbiotic nitrogen fixation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senovilla, Marta; Castro-Rodríguez, Rosario; Abreu, Isidro; Escudero, Viviana; Kryvoruchko, Igor; Udvardi, Michael K; Imperial, Juan; González-Guerrero, Manuel

    2018-04-01

    Copper is an essential nutrient for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. This element is delivered by the host plant to the nodule, where membrane copper (Cu) transporter would introduce it into the cell to synthesize cupro-proteins. COPT family members in the model legume Medicago truncatula were identified and their expression determined. Yeast complementation assays, confocal microscopy and phenotypical characterization of a Tnt1 insertional mutant line were carried out in the nodule-specific M. truncatula COPT family member. Medicago truncatula genome encodes eight COPT transporters. MtCOPT1 (Medtr4g019870) is the only nodule-specific COPT gene. It is located in the plasma membrane of the differentiation, interzone and early fixation zones. Loss of MtCOPT1 function results in a Cu-mitigated reduction of biomass production when the plant obtains its nitrogen exclusively from symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Mutation of MtCOPT1 results in diminished nitrogenase activity in nodules, likely an indirect effect from the loss of a Cu-dependent function, such as cytochrome oxidase activity in copt1-1 bacteroids. These data are consistent with a model in which MtCOPT1 transports Cu from the apoplast into nodule cells to provide Cu for essential metabolic processes associated with symbiotic nitrogen fixation. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

  18. Mitochondrial DNA copy number threshold in mtDNA depletion myopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durham, S E; Bonilla, E; Samuels, D C; DiMauro, S; Chinnery, P F

    2005-08-09

    The authors measured the absolute amount of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) within single muscle fibers from two patients with thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) deficiency and two healthy controls. TK2 deficient fibers containing more than 0.01 mtDNA/microm3 had residual cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity. This defines the minimum amount of wild-type mtDNA molecules required to maintain COX activity in skeletal muscle and provides an explanation for the mosaic histochemical pattern seen in patients with mtDNA depletion syndrome.

  19. Domain specific MT in use

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Offersgaard, Lene; Povlsen, Claus; Almsten, Lisbeth Kjeldgaard

    2008-01-01

    point scale evaluate the sentence from the point of view of the post-editor. The post-editor profile defined by the LSP is based on the experiences of introducing MT in the LSP workflow. The relation between the Translation Edit Rate (TER) scores and “Usability” scores is tested. We find TER a candidate......The paper focuses on domain specific use of MT with a special focus on SMT in the workflow of a Language Service Provider (LSP). We report on the feedback of post-editors using fluency/adequacy evaluation and the evaluation metric ’Usability’, understood in this context as where users on a three...

  20. Mycobacterium tuberculosis UvrB Is a Robust DNA-Stimulated ATPase That Also Possesses Structure-Specific ATP-Dependent DNA Helicase Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thakur, Manoj; Kumar, Mohan B J; Muniyappa, K

    2016-10-18

    Much is known about the Escherichia coli nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway; however, very little is understood about the proteins involved and the molecular mechanism of NER in mycobacteria. In this study, we show that Mycobacterium tuberculosis UvrB (MtUvrB), which exists in solution as a monomer, binds to DNA in a structure-dependent manner. A systematic examination of MtUvrB substrate specificity reveals that it associates preferentially with single-stranded DNA, duplexes with 3' or 5' overhangs, and linear duplex DNA with splayed arms. Whereas E. coli UvrB (EcUvrB) binds weakly to undamaged DNA and has no ATPase activity, MtUvrB possesses intrinsic ATPase activity that is greatly stimulated by both single- and double-stranded DNA. Strikingly, we found that MtUvrB, but not EcUvrB, possesses the DNA unwinding activity characteristic of an ATP-dependent DNA helicase. The helicase activity of MtUvrB proceeds in the 3' to 5' direction and is strongly modulated by a nontranslocating 5' single-stranded tail, indicating that in addition to the translocating strand it also interacts with the 5' end of the substrate. The fraction of DNA unwound by MtUvrB decreases significantly as the length of the duplex increases: it fails to unwind duplexes longer than 70 bp. These results, on one hand, reveal significant mechanistic differences between MtUvrB and EcUvrB and, on the other, support an alternative role for UvrB in the processing of key DNA replication intermediates. Altogether, our findings provide insights into the catalytic functions of UvrB and lay the foundation for further understanding of the NER pathway in M. tuberculosis.

  1. The Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-Associated Protein SWIB5 Influences mtDNA Architecture and Homologous Recombination

    KAUST Repository

    Blomme, Jonas

    2017-04-19

    In addition to the nucleus, mitochondria and chloroplasts in plant cells also contain genomes. Efficient DNA repair pathways are crucial in these organelles to fix damage resulting from endogenous and exogenous factors. Plant organellar genomes are complex compared with their animal counterparts, and although several plant-specific mediators of organelle DNA repair have been reported, many regulators remain to be identified. Here, we show that a mitochondrial SWI/SNF (nucleosome remodeling) complex B protein, SWIB5, is capable of associating with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Gainand loss-of-function mutants provided evidence for a role of SWIB5 in influencing mtDNA architecture and homologous recombination at specific intermediate-sized repeats both under normal and genotoxic conditions. SWIB5 interacts with other mitochondrial SWIB proteins. Gene expression and mutant phenotypic analysis of SWIB5 and SWIB family members suggests a link between organellar genome maintenance and cell proliferation. Taken together, our work presents a protein family that influences mtDNA architecture and homologous recombination in plants and suggests a link between organelle functioning and plant development.

  2. MT1-MMP-mediated basement membrane remodeling modulates renal development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riggins, Karen S.; Mernaugh, Glenda; Su, Yan; Quaranta, Vito; Koshikawa, Naohiko; Seiki, Motoharu; Pozzi, Ambra; Zent, Roy

    2010-01-01

    Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling regulates multiple cellular functions required for normal development and tissue repair. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are key mediators of this process and membrane targeted MMPs (MT-MMPs) in particular have been shown to be important in normal development of specific organs. In this study we investigated the role of MT1-MMP in kidney development. We demonstrate that loss of MT1-MMP leads to a renal phenotype characterized by a moderate decrease in ureteric bud branching morphogenesis and a severe proliferation defect. The kidneys of MT1-MMP-null mice have increased deposition of collagen IV, laminins, perlecan, and nidogen and the phenotype is independent of the MT-1MMP target, MMP-2. Utilizing in vitro systems we demonstrated that MTI-MMP proteolytic activity is required for renal tubule cells to proliferate in three dimensional matrices and to migrate on collagen IV and laminins. Together these data suggest an important role for MT1-MMP in kidney development, which is mediated by its ability to regulate cell proliferation and migration by proteolytically cleaving kidney basement membrane components.

  3. Modeling variably saturated subsurface solute transport with MODFLOW-UZF and MT3DMS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morway, Eric D.; Niswonger, Richard G.; Langevin, Christian D.; Bailey, Ryan T.; Healy, Richard W.

    2013-01-01

    The MT3DMS groundwater solute transport model was modified to simulate solute transport in the unsaturated zone by incorporating the unsaturated-zone flow (UZF1) package developed for MODFLOW. The modified MT3DMS code uses a volume-averaged approach in which Lagrangian-based UZF1 fluid fluxes and storage changes are mapped onto a fixed grid. Referred to as UZF-MT3DMS, the linked model was tested against published benchmarks solved analytically as well as against other published codes, most frequently the U.S. Geological Survey's Variably-Saturated Two-Dimensional Flow and Transport Model. Results from a suite of test cases demonstrate that the modified code accurately simulates solute advection, dispersion, and reaction in the unsaturated zone. Two- and three-dimensional simulations also were investigated to ensure unsaturated-saturated zone interaction was simulated correctly. Because the UZF1 solution is analytical, large-scale flow and transport investigations can be performed free from the computational and data burdens required by numerical solutions to Richards' equation. Results demonstrate that significant simulation runtime savings can be achieved with UZF-MT3DMS, an important development when hundreds or thousands of model runs are required during parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis. Three-dimensional variably saturated flow and transport simulations revealed UZF-MT3DMS to have runtimes that are less than one tenth of the time required by models that rely on Richards' equation. Given its accuracy and efficiency, and the wide-spread use of both MODFLOW and MT3DMS, the added capability of unsaturated-zone transport in this familiar modeling framework stands to benefit a broad user-ship.

  4. Chronic low-grade inflammation, lipid risk factors and mortality in functionally dependent elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasović Olga

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. It has been proved that a highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP can be used as an established marker of chronic inflammation for cardiovascular risk assessment. Since mean values of both low-density cholesterol (LDL-C and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C decrease during aging, the knowledge that increased hsCRP concentration predicts mortality (Mt would influence therapy and treatment outcome. The aim of this study was to examine importance of chronic low grade inflammation and its association with lipid risk factors for all-cause Mt in functionally dependent elderly. Methods. The participants of this longitudinal prospective study were 257 functionally dependent elderly aged 65-99 years. Baseline measurements: anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting plasma total cholesterol (TC, triglyceride (TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, non- HDL-C, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c were recorded and different lipid ratios were calculated. Inflammation was assessed by the levels of white blood cells, fibrinogen and hsCRP. The participants with hsCRP grater than 10 mg/L were excluded from the study. The residual participants (77.4% women were divided into three groups according to their hsCRP levels: a low (< 1 mg/L, n = 70, average (1 to 3 mg/L, n = 69, and high (3-10 mg/L, n = 69 hsCRP group. Associations of all-cause Mt with different risk factors were examined using logistic regression analysis. Results. The hsCRP level showed a significant positive correlation with waist (r = 0.199, p = 0.004 and hip (r = 0.187, p = 0.007 circumferences, body mass index (r = 0.143, p = 0.040 and serum triglyceride level (r = 0.139, p = 0.045 and significant negative correlation with HDL-C (r = -0.164, p = 0.018. Ratios TC/HDL-C and TG/HDL-C were significantly smaller in the low hsCRP group compared to the average hsCRP group (p = 0.019, p = 0.045, respectively and without significant differences compared with the high hsCRP group. Two years after the

  5. Machine translation (MT): qualità, produttività, customer satisfaction

    OpenAIRE

    Fellet, Anna

    2010-01-01

    The aim of the present research is to examine the impact of recent technological developments in machine translation (MT) in the language industry. The objectives are: 1. To define the value of MT in terms of suitability and convenience in meeting expressed requirements in those cases where MT is demanded; 2. To examine the potential increase in productivity through a conscious use of the tool; 3. To analyse those activities aimed at satisfying the customer’s explicit and impli...

  6. M/T method based incremental encoder velocity measurement error analysis and self-adaptive error elimination algorithm

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Yangyang; Yang, Ming; Long, Jiang

    2017-01-01

    For motor control applications, the speed loop performance is largely depended on the accuracy of speed feedback signal. M/T method, due to its high theoretical accuracy, is the most widely used in incremental encoder adopted speed measurement. However, the inherent encoder optical grating error...

  7. Temperature dependence of the effective mass of the hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites CH3NH3PbI3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Ying-Bo; Yang, Haozhi; Cong, Wei-Yan; Zhang, Peng; Guo, Hong

    2017-12-01

    The material of methylammonium lead iodide, CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3), has shown significant promise in solar cell applications. A way to infer the microscopic scattering mechanism(s) in MAPbI3 is through the measured temperature dependence of carrier mobility. To this end, how does the carrier effective mass depend on temperature, m* = m*(T), is a useful information since the mobility is a function of m*. By atomistic first principles, we report the calculated m*(T) due to the thermal expansion of MAPbI3 materials, in the experimentally relevant range of 130 K to room temperature. The calculated results suggest m* = m*(T) to be linear in T. The increase of m* versus temperature is predominantly due to the expansion of the longitudinal atomic spacing that weakens the s/p hybridization between the I/Pb atoms.

  8. The seismic monitoring network of Mt. Vesuvius

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Massimo Orazi

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Mt. Vesuvius (southern Italy is one of the most hazardous volcanoes in the world. Its activity is currently characterized by moderate seismicity, with hypocenters located beneath the crater zone with depth rarely exceeding 5 km and magnitudes generally less than 3. The current configuration of the seismic monitoring network of Mt. Vesuvius consists of 18 seismic stations and 7 infrasound microphones. During the period 2006-2010 a seismic array with 48 channels was also operative. The station distribution provides appropriate coverage of the area around the volcanic edifice. The current development of the network and its geometry, under conditions of low seismic noise, allows locating seismic events with M<1. Remote instruments continuously transmit data to the main acquisition center in Naples. Data transmission is realized using different technological solutions based on UHF, Wi-Fi radio links, and TCP/IP client-server applications. Data are collected in the monitoring center of the Osservatorio Vesuviano (Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Naples section, which is equipped with systems for displaying and analyzing signals, using both real-time automatic and manual procedures. 24-hour surveillance allows to immediately communicate any significant anomaly to the Civil Protection authorities.

  9. Optimized mtDNA Control Region Primer Extension Capture Analysis for Forensically Relevant Samples and Highly Compromised mtDNA of Different Age and Origin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mayra Eduardoff

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA has proven useful in forensic genetics and ancient DNA (aDNA studies, where specimens are often highly compromised and DNA quality and quantity are low. In forensic genetics, the mtDNA control region (CR is commonly sequenced using established Sanger-type Sequencing (STS protocols involving fragment sizes down to approximately 150 base pairs (bp. Recent developments include Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS of (multiplex PCR-generated libraries using the same amplicon sizes. Molecular genetic studies on archaeological remains that harbor more degraded aDNA have pioneered alternative approaches to target mtDNA, such as capture hybridization and primer extension capture (PEC methods followed by MPS. These assays target smaller mtDNA fragment sizes (down to 50 bp or less, and have proven to be substantially more successful in obtaining useful mtDNA sequences from these samples compared to electrophoretic methods. Here, we present the modification and optimization of a PEC method, earlier developed for sequencing the Neanderthal mitochondrial genome, with forensic applications in mind. Our approach was designed for a more sensitive enrichment of the mtDNA CR in a single tube assay and short laboratory turnaround times, thus complying with forensic practices. We characterized the method using sheared, high quantity mtDNA (six samples, and tested challenging forensic samples (n = 2 as well as compromised solid tissue samples (n = 15 up to 8 kyrs of age. The PEC MPS method produced reliable and plausible mtDNA haplotypes that were useful in the forensic context. It yielded plausible data in samples that did not provide results with STS and other MPS techniques. We addressed the issue of contamination by including four generations of negative controls, and discuss the results in the forensic context. We finally offer perspectives for future research to enable the validation and accreditation of the PEC MPS

  10. Melanesian mtDNA complexity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan S Friedlaender

    Full Text Available Melanesian populations are known for their diversity, but it has been hard to grasp the pattern of the variation or its underlying dynamic. Using 1,223 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA sequences from hypervariable regions 1 and 2 (HVR1 and HVR2 from 32 populations, we found the among-group variation is structured by island, island size, and also by language affiliation. The more isolated inland Papuan-speaking groups on the largest islands have the greatest distinctions, while shore dwelling populations are considerably less diverse (at the same time, within-group haplotype diversity is less in the most isolated groups. Persistent differences between shore and inland groups in effective population sizes and marital migration rates probably cause these differences. We also add 16 whole sequences to the Melanesian mtDNA phylogenies. We identify the likely origins of a number of the haplogroups and ancient branches in specific islands, point to some ancient mtDNA connections between Near Oceania and Australia, and show additional Holocene connections between Island Southeast Asia/Taiwan and Island Melanesia with branches of haplogroup E. Coalescence estimates based on synonymous transitions in the coding region suggest an initial settlement and expansion in the region at approximately 30-50,000 years before present (YBP, and a second important expansion from Island Southeast Asia/Taiwan during the interval approximately 3,500-8,000 YBP. However, there are some important variance components in molecular dating that have been overlooked, and the specific nature of ancestral (maternal Austronesian influence in this region remains unresolved.

  11. Impurity flux collection at the plasma edge of the tokamak MT-1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hildebrandt, D.; Bakos, J.S.; Petravich, G.

    1989-09-01

    Fluxes of intrinsic and injected impurities and background plasma ions were collected using a bidirectional probe at the plasma edge of the tokamak MT-1. The directional and radial dependences of injected impurities and plasma ions were very similar indicating a strong coupling of the impurity transport to the dynamics of the background plasma. The measured intrinsic concentration of about 10 -4 for Mo at the plasma edge is derived. (author) 17 refs.; 5 figs

  12. Magnetotelluric (MT) surveying in the Kakkonda geothermal area; Kakkonda chinetsu chiiki deno MT ho tansa jikken

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ogawa, Y; Takakura, S [Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba (Japan); Uchida, T [New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Tokyo, (Japan)

    1997-05-27

    This paper describes the MT surveying conducted at the vicinity of a deep well (WD-1) in the Kakkonda geothermal area. For the MT surveying, the interval between measuring points was 300 m. Electric field dipole with a length of 300 m was given in the direction of traverse line, and that with a length of 50 m was given in the direction perpendicular to the line. Three components of magnetic field were measured using induction coil. Frequency band of the data was between 0.0005 Hz and 300 Hz. Characteristics of specific resistance model obtained from the MT surveying were illustrated. Low specific resistance zone less than 30 ohm-m was observed in the shallow zone below the altitude 0 m. This zone was comparable to the distribution of montmorillonite. High specific resistance anomaly was analyzed at the western half of the traverse line in the altitude between 0 m and -2000 m, which corresponded to the collective part of focuses. The bottom surface of the anomaly agreed well with the upper surface of neo-granite, i.e., the lower limits of earthquakes. Low specific resistance was observed in the altitude below -2000 m. 17 refs., 5 figs.

  13. Low-temperature thermochronology of the Mt Painter Province, South Australia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitchell, M.M.; Kohn, B.P.; O'Sullivan, P.B.; Hartley, M.J.; University of Florida, FL

    2002-01-01

    Apatite fission track results are reported for 26 outcrop samples from the Mt Painter Inlier, Mt Babbage Inlier and adjacent Neoproterozoic rocks of the northwestern Curnamona Craton of South Australia. Forward modelling of the data indicates that the province experienced variable regional cooling from temperatures >110deg C during the Late Palaeozoic (Late Carboniferous to Early Permian). The timing of this cooling is similar to that previously reported from elsewhere in the Adelaide Fold Belt and the Curnamona Craton, suggesting that the entire region underwent extensive Late Palaeozoic cooling most likely related to the waning stages of the Alice Springs or Kanimblan Orogenies. Results from the Paralana Fault Zone indicate that the eastern margin of the Mt Painter Inlier experienced a second episode of cooling (∼40-60deg C) during the Paleocene to Eocene. The entire region also experienced significant cooling (less than ∼40deg C) during the Late Cretaceous to Palaeogene in response to unroofing and/or a decrease in geothermal gradient. Regional cooling/erosion during this time is supported by: geomorphological and geophysical evidence indicating Tertiary exhumation of at least 1 km; Eocene sedimentation initiated in basins adjacent to the Flinders and Mt Lofty Ranges sections of the Adelaide Fold Belt; and Late Cretaceous - Early Tertiary cooling previously reported from apatite fission track studies in the Willyama Inliers and the southern Adelaide Fold Belt. Late Cretaceous to Palaeogene cooling is probably related to a change in stress field propagated throughout the Australian Plate, and driven by the initiation of sea-floor spreading in the Tasman Sea in the Late Cretaceous and the Eocene global plate reorganisation. Copyright (2002) Geological Society of Australia

  14. Joint 1D inversion of TEM and MT data and 3D inversion of MT data in the Hengill area, SW Iceland

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arnason, Knutur; Eysteinsson, Hjalmar; Hersir, Gylfi Pall [ISOR-Iceland GeoSurvey, Grensasvegi 9, 108 Reykjavik (Iceland)

    2010-03-15

    An extensive study of the resistivity structure of the Hengill area in SW Iceland was carried out by the combined use of TEM and MT soundings. Joint inversion of the collected data can correct for static shifts in the MT data, which can be severe due to large near-surface resistivity contrasts. Joint 1D inversion of 148 TEM/MT sounding pairs and a 3D inversion of a 60 sounding subset of the MT data were performed. The 3D inversion was based on full MT impedance tensors previously corrected for static shift. Both inversion approaches gave qualitatively similar results, and revealed a shallow resistivity layer reflecting conductive alteration minerals at temperatures of 100-240 C. They also delineated a deep conductor at 3-10 km depth. The reason for this deep-seated high conductivity is not fully understood. The distribution of the deep conductors correlates with a positive residual Bouguer gravity anomaly, and with transform tectonics inferred from seismicity. One model of the Hengill that is consistent with the well temperature data and the deep conductor that does not attenuate S-waves, is a group of hot, solidified, but still ductile magmatic intrusions that are closely associated with the heat source for the geothermal system. (author)

  15. MT1 melatonin receptors and their role in the oncostatic action of melatonin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karolina Danielczyk

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Melatonin, the main hormone produced by the pineal gland, strongly inhibits the growth of cancer cells [i]in vitro[/i] and [i]in vivo[/i]. Some publications indicate that the addition of melatonin to culture medium slows the proliferation of some cancer cell lines. It is also suggested that melatonin used as an adjuvant benefits the effectiveness and tolerance of chemotherapy. The mechanisms of this are not fully understood, but melatonin receptors might be one of the most important elements. Two distinct types of membrane-bound melatonin receptors have been identified in humans: MT1 (Mel1a and MT2 (Mel1b receptors. These subtypes are 60�0homologous at the amino-acid level. MT1 receptors are G-protein-coupled receptors. Through the α subunit of G protein, melatonin receptors stimulate an adenylate cyclase and decrease the level of cAMP. This has a significant influence on cell proliferation and has been confirmed in many tests on different cell lines, such as S-19, B-16 murine melanoma cells, and breast cancer cells. It seems that expression of the MT1 melatonin receptors benefits the efficacy of melatonin treatment. Melatonin and its receptors may provide a promising way to establish new alternative therapeutic approaches in human cancer prevention.

  16. Amide Proton Transfer (APT) MR imaging and Magnetization Transfer (MT) MR imaging of pediatric brain development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Hong; Kang, Huiying; Peng, Yun; Zhao, Xuna; Jiang, Shanshan; Zhang, Yi; Zhou, Jinyuan

    2016-01-01

    To quantify the brain maturation process during childhood using combined amide proton transfer (APT) and conventional magnetization transfer (MT) imaging at 3 Tesla. Eighty-two neurodevelopmentally normal children (44 males and 38 females; age range, 2-190 months) were imaged using an APT/MT imaging protocol with multiple saturation frequency offsets. The APT-weighted (APTW) and MT ratio (MTR) signals were quantitatively analyzed in multiple brain areas. Age-related changes in MTR and APTW were evaluated with a non-linear regression analysis. The APTW signals followed a decreasing exponential curve with age in all brain regions measured (R"2 = 0.7-0.8 for the corpus callosum, frontal and occipital white matter, and centrum semiovale). The most significant changes appeared within the first year. At maturation, larger decreases in APTW and lower APTW values were found in the white matter. On the contrary, the MTR signals followed an increasing exponential curve with age in the same brain regions measured, with the most significant changes appearing within the initial 2 years. There was an inverse correlation between the MTR and APTW signal intensities during brain maturation. Together with MT imaging, protein-based APT imaging can provide additional information in assessing brain myelination in the paediatric population. (orig.)

  17. Amide Proton Transfer (APT) MR imaging and Magnetization Transfer (MT) MR imaging of pediatric brain development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Hong; Kang, Huiying; Peng, Yun [Beijing Children' s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Beijing (China); Zhao, Xuna [Philips Healthcare, Beijing (China); Jiang, Shanshan; Zhang, Yi; Zhou, Jinyuan [Johns Hopkins University, Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Baltimore, MD (United States)

    2016-10-15

    To quantify the brain maturation process during childhood using combined amide proton transfer (APT) and conventional magnetization transfer (MT) imaging at 3 Tesla. Eighty-two neurodevelopmentally normal children (44 males and 38 females; age range, 2-190 months) were imaged using an APT/MT imaging protocol with multiple saturation frequency offsets. The APT-weighted (APTW) and MT ratio (MTR) signals were quantitatively analyzed in multiple brain areas. Age-related changes in MTR and APTW were evaluated with a non-linear regression analysis. The APTW signals followed a decreasing exponential curve with age in all brain regions measured (R{sup 2} = 0.7-0.8 for the corpus callosum, frontal and occipital white matter, and centrum semiovale). The most significant changes appeared within the first year. At maturation, larger decreases in APTW and lower APTW values were found in the white matter. On the contrary, the MTR signals followed an increasing exponential curve with age in the same brain regions measured, with the most significant changes appearing within the initial 2 years. There was an inverse correlation between the MTR and APTW signal intensities during brain maturation. Together with MT imaging, protein-based APT imaging can provide additional information in assessing brain myelination in the paediatric population. (orig.)

  18. Genetic dysfunction of MT-ATP6 causes axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Pitceathly, Robert D S

    2012-09-11

    Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is the most common inherited neuromuscular disorder, affecting 1 in 2,500 individuals. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations are not generally considered within the differential diagnosis of patients with uncomplicated inherited neuropathy, despite the essential requirement of ATP for axonal function. We identified the mtDNA mutation m.9185T>C in MT-ATP6, encoding the ATP6 subunit of the mitochondrial ATP synthase (OXPHOS complex V), at homoplasmic levels in a family with mitochondrial disease in whom a severe motor axonal neuropathy was a striking feature. This led us to hypothesize that mutations in the 2 mtDNA complex V subunit encoding genes, MT-ATP6 and MT-ATP8, might be an unrecognized cause of isolated axonal CMT and distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN).

  19. Two-dimensional inversion of MT (magnetotelluric) data; MT ho no nijigen inversion kaiseki

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ito, S; Okuno, M; Ushijima, K; Mizunaga, H [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

    1997-05-27

    A program has been developed to conduct inversion analysis of two-dimensional model using MT data, accurately. For the developed program, finite element method (FEM) was applied to the section of sequential analysis. A method in which Jacobian matrix is calculated only one first time and is inversely analyzed by fixing this during the repetition, and a method in which Jacobian matrix is corrected at each repetition of inversion analysis, were compared mutually. As a result of the numerical simulation, it was revealed that the Jacobian correction method provided more stable convergence for the simple 2D model, and that the calculation time is almost same as that of the Jacobian fixation method. To confirm the applicability of this program to actually measured data, results obtained from this program were compared with those from the Schlumberger method analysis by using MT data obtained in the Hatchobara geothermal area. Consequently, it was demonstrated that the both are well coincided mutually. 17 refs., 7 figs.

  20. Dependence of the microwave surface resistance of superconducting niobium on the magnitude of the rf field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Romanenko, A.; Grassellino, A. [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois 60510 (United States)

    2013-06-24

    Utilizing difference in temperature dependencies we decoupled Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) and residual components of the microwave surface resistance of superconducting niobium at all rf fields up to B{sub rf}{approx}115 mT. We reveal that the residual resistance decreases with field at B{sub rf} Less-Than-Or-Equivalent-To 40 mT and strongly increases in chemically treated niobium at B{sub rf}>80 mT. We find that BCS surface resistance is weakly dependent on field in the clean limit, whereas a strong and peculiar field dependence emerges after 120 Degree-Sign C vacuum baking.

  1. The past, present and future of mitochondrial genomics: have we sequenced enough mtDNAs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, David Roy

    2016-01-01

    The year 2014 saw more than a thousand new mitochondrial genome sequences deposited in GenBank-an almost 15% increase from the previous year. Hundreds of peer-reviewed articles accompanied these genomes, making mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) the most sequenced and reported type of eukaryotic chromosome. These mtDNA data have advanced a wide range of scientific fields, from forensics to anthropology to medicine to molecular evolution. But for many biological lineages, mtDNAs are so well sampled that newly published genomes are arguably no longer contributing significantly to the progression of science, and in some cases they are tying up valuable resources, particularly journal editors and referees. Is it time to acknowledge that as a research community we have published enough mitochondrial genome papers? Here, I address this question, exploring the history, milestones and impacts of mitochondrial genomics, the benefits and drawbacks of continuing to publish mtDNAs at a high rate and what the future may hold for such an important and popular genetic marker. I highlight groups for which mtDNAs are still poorly sampled, thus meriting further investigation, and recommend that more energy be spent characterizing aspects of mitochondrial genomes apart from the DNA sequence, such as their chromosomal and transcriptional architectures. Ultimately, one should be mindful before writing a mitochondrial genome paper. Consider perhaps sending the sequence directly to GenBank instead, and be sure to annotate it correctly before submission. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

  2. Effect of feature-selective attention on neuronal responses in macaque area MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, X.; Hoffmann, K.-P.; Albright, T. D.

    2012-01-01

    Attention influences visual processing in striate and extrastriate cortex, which has been extensively studied for spatial-, object-, and feature-based attention. Most studies exploring neural signatures of feature-based attention have trained animals to attend to an object identified by a certain feature and ignore objects/displays identified by a different feature. Little is known about the effects of feature-selective attention, where subjects attend to one stimulus feature domain (e.g., color) of an object while features from different domains (e.g., direction of motion) of the same object are ignored. To study this type of feature-selective attention in area MT in the middle temporal sulcus, we trained macaque monkeys to either attend to and report the direction of motion of a moving sine wave grating (a feature for which MT neurons display strong selectivity) or attend to and report its color (a feature for which MT neurons have very limited selectivity). We hypothesized that neurons would upregulate their firing rate during attend-direction conditions compared with attend-color conditions. We found that feature-selective attention significantly affected 22% of MT neurons. Contrary to our hypothesis, these neurons did not necessarily increase firing rate when animals attended to direction of motion but fell into one of two classes. In one class, attention to color increased the gain of stimulus-induced responses compared with attend-direction conditions. The other class displayed the opposite effects. Feature-selective activity modulations occurred earlier in neurons modulated by attention to color compared with neurons modulated by attention to motion direction. Thus feature-selective attention influences neuronal processing in macaque area MT but often exhibited a mismatch between the preferred stimulus dimension (direction of motion) and the preferred attention dimension (attention to color). PMID:22170961

  3. Regulation of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis by Medicago truncatula bHLH transcription factor MtTT8.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Penghui; Chen, Beibei; Zhang, Gaoyang; Chen, Longxiang; Dong, Qiang; Wen, Jiangqi; Mysore, Kirankumar S; Zhao, Jian

    2016-05-01

    The MYB- basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)-WD40 complexes regulating anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin (PA) biosynthesis in plants are not fully understood. Here Medicago truncatula bHLH MtTT8 was characterized as a central component of these ternary complexes that control anthocyanin and PA biosynthesis. Mttt8 mutant seeds have a transparent testa phenotype with reduced PAs and anthocyanins. MtTT8 restores PA and anthocyanin productions in Arabidopsis tt8 mutant. Ectopic expression of MtTT8 restores anthocyanins and PAs in mttt8 plant and hairy roots and further enhances both productions in wild-type hairy roots. Transcriptomic analyses and metabolite profiling of mttt8 mutant seeds and M. truncatula hairy roots (mttt8 mutant, mttt8 mutant complemented with MtTT8, or MtTT8 overexpression lines) indicate that MtTT8 regulates a subset of genes involved in PA and anthocyanin biosynthesis. MtTT8 is genetically regulated by MtLAP1, MtPAR and MtWD40-1. Combinations of MtPAR, MtLAP1, MtTT8 and MtWD40-1 activate MtTT8 promoter in yeast assay. MtTT8 interacts with these transcription factors to form regulatory complexes. MtTT8, MtWD40-1 and an MYB factor, MtPAR or MtLAP1, interacted and activated promoters of anthocyanidin reductase and anthocyanidin synthase to regulate PA and anthocyanin biosynthesis, respectively. Our results provide new insights into the complex regulation of PA and anthocyanin biosynthesis in M. truncatula. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

  4. Full-wave Ambient Noise Tomography of Mt Rainier volcano, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flinders, Ashton; Shen, Yang

    2015-04-01

    Mount Rainier towers over the landscape of western Washington (USA), ranking with Fuji-yama in Japan, Mt Pinatubo in the Philippines, and Mt Vesuvius in Italy, as one of the great stratovolcanoes of the world. Notwithstanding its picturesque stature, Mt Rainier is potentially the most devastating stratovolcano in North America, with more than 3.5 million people living beneath is shadow in the Seattle-Tacoma area. The primary hazard posed by the volcano is in the form of highly destructive debris flows (lahars). These lahars form when water and/or melted ice erode away and entrain preexisting volcanic sediment. At Mt Rainier these flows are often initiated by sector collapse of the volcano's hydrothermally rotten flanks and compounded by Mt Rainier's extensive snow and glacial ice coverage. It is therefore imperative to ascertain the extent of the volcano's summit hydrothermal alteration, and determine areas prone to collapse. Despite being one of the sixteen volcanoes globally designated by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior as warranting detailed and focused study, Mt Rainier remains enigmatic both in terms of the shallow internal structure and the degree of summit hydrothermal alteration. We image this shallow internal structure and areas of possible summit alteration using ambient noise tomography. Our full waveform forward modeling includes high-resolution topography allowing us to accuratly account for the effects of topography on the propagation of short-period Rayleigh waves. Empirical Green's functions were extracted from 80 stations within 200 km of Mt Rainier, and compared with synthetic greens functions over multiple frequency bands from 2-28 seconds.

  5. Myopathic mtDNA Depletion Syndrome Due to Mutation in TK2 Gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martín-Hernández, Elena; García-Silva, María Teresa; Quijada-Fraile, Pilar; Rodríguez-García, María Elena; Rivera, Henry; Hernández-Laín, Aurelio; Coca-Robinot, David; Fernández-Toral, Joaquín; Arenas, Joaquín; Martín, Miguel A; Martínez-Azorín, Francisco

    2017-01-01

    Whole-exome sequencing was used to identify the disease gene(s) in a Spanish girl with failure to thrive, muscle weakness, mild facial weakness, elevated creatine kinase, deficiency of mitochondrial complex III and depletion of mtDNA. With whole-exome sequencing data, it was possible to get the whole mtDNA sequencing and discard any pathogenic variant in this genome. The analysis of whole exome uncovered a homozygous pathogenic mutation in thymidine kinase 2 gene ( TK2; NM_004614.4:c.323 C>T, p.T108M). TK2 mutations have been identified mainly in patients with the myopathic form of mtDNA depletion syndromes. This patient presents an atypical TK2-related myopathic form of mtDNA depletion syndromes, because despite having a very low content of mtDNA (TK2 gene in mtDNA depletion syndromes and expanded the phenotypic spectrum.

  6. Soil radon monitoring in the NE flank of Mt. Etna (Sicily)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imme, G.; La Delfa, S.; Lo Nigro, S.; Morelli, D.; Patane, G.

    2006-01-01

    Soil radon has been monitored at a fixed location on the northeastern flank of Mt. Etna, a high-risk volcano in Sicily. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the recent volcanic activity on soil radon concentration. Continuous radon measurements have been performed since July 2001. While comparison between the trend in in-soil radon concentration and the acquired meteorological series (temperature, humidity and pressure) appear to confirm a general seasonal correlation, nevertheless particular anomalies suggest a possible dependence of the radon concentration on volcanic dynamics

  7. Tree-ring stable carbon isotope-based April-June relative humidity reconstruction since ad 1648 in Mt. Tianmu, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yu; Ta, Weiyuan; Li, Qiang; Song, Huiming; Sun, Changfeng; Cai, Qiufang; Liu, Han; Wang, Lu; Hu, Sile; Sun, Junyan; Zhang, Wenbiao; Li, Wenzhu

    2018-03-01

    Based on accurate dating, we have determined the stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) of five Cryptomeria fortunei specimens from Mt. Tianmu, a subtropical area in southern China. The five δ13C time series records are combined into a single representative δ13C time series using a "numerical mix method." These are normalized to remove temporal variations of δ13 C in atmospheric CO2 to obtain a carbon isotopic discrimination (Δ13C) time series, in which we observe a distinct correlation between Δ13C and local April to June mean relative humidity ( RH AMJ ) (n = 64, r = 0.858, p use this relationship to reconstruct RH AMJ variations from ad 1648 to 2014 at Mt. Tianmu. The reconstructed sequence show that over the past 367 years, Mt. Tianmu area was relatively wet, but in the latter part of the twentieth century, under the influence of increasing global warming, it has experienced a sharp reduction in relative humidity. Spatial correlation analysis reveals a significant negative correlation between RH AMJ at Mt. Tianmu and Sea Surface Temperature (SSTs) in the western equatorial Pacific and Indian Ocean. In other words, there is a positive correlation between tree-ring δ13C in Mt. Tianmu and SSTs. Both observed and reconstructed RH AMJ show significant positive correlations with East Asian and South Asian monsoons from 1951 to 2014, which indicate that RH AMJ from Mt. Tianmu reflects the variability of the Asian summer monsoon intensity to a great extent. The summer monsoon has weakened since 1960. However, an increase in relative humidity since 2003 implies a recent enhancement in the summer monsoon.

  8. Mt. Elgon, Africa, Shaded Relief and Colored Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    The striking contrast of geologic structures in Africa is shown in this shaded relief image of Mt. Elgon on the left and a section of the Great Rift Valley on the right. Mt. Elgon is a solitary extinct volcano straddling the border between Uganda and Kenya, and at 4,321 meters (14,178 feet) tall is the eighth highest mountain in Africa. It is positioned on the Pre-Cambriam bedrock of the Trans Nzoia Plateau, and is similar to other such volcanoes in East Africa in that it is associated with the formation of the Rift Valley. However one thing that sets Mt. Elgon apart is its age. Although there is no verifiable evidence of its earliest volcanic activity, Mt. Elgon is estimated to be at least 24 million years old, making it the oldest extinct volcano in East Africa. This presents a striking comparison to Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 meters (19,341 feet), which is just over one million years old. Judging by the diameter of its base, it is a common belief among geological experts that Mt. Elgon was once the highest mountains in Africa, however erosion has played a significant role in reducing the height to its present value. Juxtaposed with this impressive mountain is a section of the Great Rift Valley, a geological fault system that extends for about 4,830 kilometers (2,995 miles) from Syria to central Mozambique. Erosion has concealed some sections, but in some sections like that shown here, there are sheer cliffs several thousand feet high. The present configuration of the valley, which dates from the mid-Pleistocene epoch, results from a rifting process associated with thermal currents in the Earth's mantle. Two visualization methods were combined to produce the image: shading and color coding of topographic height. The shade image was derived by computing topographic slope in the northwest-southeast direction, so that northwest slopes appear bright and southeast slopes appear dark. Color coding is directly related to topographic height

  9. A reduced number of mtSNPs saturates mitochondrial DNA haplotype diversity of worldwide population groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salas, Antonio; Amigo, Jorge

    2010-05-03

    The high levels of variation characterising the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule are due ultimately to its high average mutation rate; moreover, mtDNA variation is deeply structured in different populations and ethnic groups. There is growing interest in selecting a reduced number of mtDNA single nucleotide polymorphisms (mtSNPs) that account for the maximum level of discrimination power in a given population. Applications of the selected mtSNP panel range from anthropologic and medical studies to forensic genetic casework. This study proposes a new simulation-based method that explores the ability of different mtSNP panels to yield the maximum levels of discrimination power. The method explores subsets of mtSNPs of different sizes randomly chosen from a preselected panel of mtSNPs based on frequency. More than 2,000 complete genomes representing three main continental human population groups (Africa, Europe, and Asia) and two admixed populations ("African-Americans" and "Hispanics") were collected from GenBank and the literature, and were used as training sets. Haplotype diversity was measured for each combination of mtSNP and compared with existing mtSNP panels available in the literature. The data indicates that only a reduced number of mtSNPs ranging from six to 22 are needed to account for 95% of the maximum haplotype diversity of a given population sample. However, only a small proportion of the best mtSNPs are shared between populations, indicating that there is not a perfect set of "universal" mtSNPs suitable for all population contexts. The discrimination power provided by these mtSNPs is much higher than the power of the mtSNP panels proposed in the literature to date. Some mtSNP combinations also yield high diversity values in admixed populations. The proposed computational approach for exploring combinations of mtSNPs that optimise the discrimination power of a given set of mtSNPs is more efficient than previous empirical approaches. In contrast to

  10. 77 FR 41939 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Deer Lodge, MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-17

    ...-0379; Airspace Docket No. 12-ANM-7 Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Deer Lodge, MT AGENCY... action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Deer Lodge-City-County Airport, Deer Lodge, MT... System (GPS) standard instrument approach procedures at Deer Lodge-City-County Airport, Deer Lodge, MT...

  11. Regulation of bone mass through pineal-derived melatonin-MT2 receptor pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharan, Kunal; Lewis, Kirsty; Furukawa, Takahisa; Yadav, Vijay K

    2017-09-01

    Tryptophan, an essential amino acid through a series of enzymatic reactions gives rise to various metabolites, viz. serotonin and melatonin, that regulate distinct biological functions. We show here that tryptophan metabolism in the pineal gland favors bone mass accrual through production of melatonin, a pineal-derived neurohormone. Pineal gland-specific deletion of Tph1, the enzyme that catalyzes the first step in the melatonin biosynthesis lead to a decrease in melatonin levels and a low bone mass due to an isolated decrease in bone formation while bone resorption parameters remained unaffected. Skeletal analysis of the mice deficient in MT1 or MT2 melatonin receptors showed a low bone mass in MT2-/- mice while MT1-/- mice had a normal bone mass compared to the WT mice. This low bone mass in the MT2-/- mice was due to an isolated decrease in osteoblast numbers and bone formation. In vitro assays of the osteoblast cultures derived from the MT1-/- and MT2-/- mice showed a cell intrinsic defect in the proliferation, differentiation and mineralization abilities of MT2-/- osteoblasts compared to WT counterparts, and the mutant cells did not respond to melatonin addition. Finally, we demonstrate that daily oral administration of melatonin can increase bone accrual during growth and can cure ovariectomy-induced structural and functional degeneration of bone by specifically increasing bone formation. By identifying pineal-derived melatonin as a regulator of bone mass through MT2 receptors, this study expands the role played by tryptophan derivatives in the regulation of bone mass and underscores its therapeutic relevance in postmenopausal osteoporosis. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Pineal Research Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Strengthening MT6D Defenses with LXC-Based Honeypot Capabilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dileep Basam

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Moving Target IPv6 Defense (MT6D imparts radio-frequency hopping behavior to IPv6 networks by having participating nodes periodically hop onto new addresses while giving up old addresses. Our previous research efforts implemented a solution to identify and acquire these old addresses that are being discarded by MT6D hosts on a local network besides being able to monitor and visualize the incoming traffic on these addresses. This was essentially equivalent to forming a darknet out of the discarded MT6D addresses, but the solution presented in the previous research effort did not include database integration for it to scale and be extended. This paper presents a solution with a new architecture that not only extends the previous solution in terms of automation and database integration but also demonstrates the ability to deploy a honeypot on a virtual LXC (Linux Container on-demand based on any interesting traffic pattern observed on a discarded address. The proposed architecture also allows an MT6D host to query the solution database for network activity on its relinquished addresses as a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON object. This allows an MT6D host to identify suspicious activity on its discarded addresses and strengthen the MT6D scheme parameters accordingly. We have built a proof-of-concept for the proposed solution and analyzed the solution’s feasibility and scalability.

  13. Joint 3D Inversion of ZTEM Airborne and Ground MT Data with Application to Geothermal Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wannamaker, P. E.; Maris, V.; Kordy, M. A.

    2017-12-01

    ZTEM is an airborne electromagnetic (EM) geophysical technique developed by Geotech Inc® where naturally propagated EM fields originating with regional and global lightning discharges (sferics) are measured as a means of inferring subsurface electrical resistivity structure. A helicopter-borne coil platform (bird) measuring the vertical component of magnetic (H) field variations along a flown profile is referenced to a pair of horizontal coils at a fixed location on the ground in order to estimate a tensor H-field transfer function. The ZTEM method is distinct from the traditional magnetotelluric (MT) method in that the electric (E) fields are not considered because of the technological challenge of measuring E-fields in the dielectric air medium. This can lend some non-uniqueness to ZTEM interpretation because a range of conductivity structures in the earth depending upon an assumed background earth resistivity model can fit ZTEM data to within tolerance. MT data do not suffer this particular problem, but they are cumbersome to acquire in their common need for land-based transport often in near-roadless areas and for laying out and digging the electrodes and H coils. The complementary nature of ZTEM and MT logistics and resolution has motivated development of schemes to acquire appropriate amounts of each data type in a single survey and to produce an earth image through joint inversion. In particular, consideration is given to surveys where only sparse MT soundings are needed to drastically reduce the non-uniqueness associated with background uncertainty while straining logistics minimally. Synthetic and field data are analysed using 2D and 3D finite element platforms developed for this purpose. Results to date suggest that indeed dense ZTEM surveys can provide detailed heterogeneous model images with large-scale averages constrained by a modest number of MT soundings. Further research is needed in determining the allowable degree of MT sparseness and the

  14. mtDNA mutation C1494T, haplogroup A, and hearing loss in Chinese

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Chengye; Kong Qingpeng; Yao Yonggang; Zhang Yaping

    2006-01-01

    Mutation C1494T in mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene was recently reported in two large Chinese families with aminoglycoside-induced and nonsyndromic hearing loss (AINHL) and was claimed to be pathogenic. This mutation, however, was first reported in a sample from central China in our previous study that was aimed to reconstruct East Asian mtDNA phylogeny. All these three mtDNAs formed a subclade defined by mutation C1494T in mtDNA haplogroup A. It thus seems that mutation C1494T is a haplogroup A-associated mutation and this matrilineal background may contribute a high risk for the penetrance of mutation C1494T in Chinese with AINHL. To test this hypothesis, we first genotyped mutation C1494T in 553 unrelated individuals from three regional Chinese populations and performed an extensive search for published complete or near-complete mtDNA data sets (>3000 mtDNAs), we then screened the C1494T mutation in 111 mtDNAs with haplogroup A status that were identified from 1823 subjects across China. The search for published mtDNA data sets revealed no other mtDNA besides the above-mentioned three carrying mutation C1494T. None of the 553 randomly selected individuals and the 111 haplogroup A mtDNAs was found to bear this mutation. Therefore, our results suggest that C1494T is a very rare event. The mtDNA haplogroup A background in general is unlikely to play an active role in the penetrance of mutation C1494T in AINHL

  15. Natural radioactivity in volcanic ash from Mt. Pinatubo eruption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duran, E.B.; De Vera, C.M.; Garcia, T.Y.; Dela Cruz, F.M.; Esguerra, L.V.; Castaneda, S.S.

    1992-01-01

    Last June 15, 1991, a major pyroclastic eruption occurred from Mt. Pinatubo volcano located in Zambales, Central Luzon. The radiological impact of this eruption was assessed based on the concentrations of the principal naturally occurring radionuclides observed in volcanic ash. The volcanic ash samples were collected from locations which are within 50-km radius of Mt. Pinatubo at various times after the eruption. The mean activity concentrations in Bq/kg wet weight of the natural radionuclides in volcanic ash were as follows: 12.6 for 238 U, 14.0 for 232 Th and 330 for 40 K. These values are significantly higher than the mean activity concentrations of these radionuclides observed in topsoil in the same provinces before the eruption. This suggests that with the deposition of large quantities of volcanic ash and lahar in Central Luzon and concomitant topographic changes, the distribution and quantities of radionuclides which gave rise to terrestrial radiation may have also changed. Outdoor radon concentrations measured three days and later after the eruption were within normal background values. (auth.). 4 refs.; 5 tabs.; 1 fig

  16. Nuclear collapse observed during the eruption of Mt. Usu

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Taka-aki

    2002-01-01

    Mt. Usu which was located about 70 km southwest from Sapporo in Hokkaido (the north island of Japan) began to erupt on March 31 in 2000. A nuclear emulsion was placed on a foot of Mt. Usu to catch small atomic clusters which were expected to be emitted during the eruption. Curious atomic clusters and their reaction products were successfully observed on surfaces of the nuclear emulsion. By comparing them with similar products which were obtained in previous experiments of discharge and electrolysis, it was concluded that micro Ball Lightning was really emitted during the eruption of Mt. Usu and that explosive reactions by nuclear collapse could have been involved to contribute to energy of the eruption. (author)

  17. Phthalimide neovascular factor 1 (PNF1) modulates MT1-MMP activity in human microvascular endothelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieghaus, Kristen A; Gianchandani, Erwin P; Neal, Rebekah A; Paige, Mikell A; Brown, Milton L; Papin, Jason A; Botchwey, Edward A

    2009-07-01

    We are creating synthetic pharmaceuticals with angiogenic activity and potential to promote vascular invasion. We previously demonstrated that one of these molecules, phthalimide neovascular factor 1 (PNF1), significantly expands microvascular networks in vivo following sustained release from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLAGA) films. In addition, to probe PNF1 mode of action, we recently applied a novel pathway-based compendium analysis to a multi-timepoint, controlled microarray data set of PNF1-treated (vs. control) human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs), and we identified induction of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and, subsequently, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling networks by PNF1. Here we validate this microarray data set with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Subsequently, we probe this data set and identify three specific TGF-beta-induced genes with regulation by PNF1 conserved over multiple timepoints-amyloid beta (A4) precursor protein (APP), early growth response 1 (EGR-1), and matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14 or MT1-MMP)-that are also implicated in angiogenesis. We further focus on MMP14 given its unique role in angiogenesis, and we validate MT1-MMP modulation by PNF1 with an in vitro fluorescence assay that demonstrates the direct effects that PNF1 exerts on functional metalloproteinase activity. We also utilize endothelial cord formation in collagen gels to show that PNF1-induced stimulation of endothelial cord network formation in vitro is in some way MT1-MMP-dependent. Ultimately, this new network analysis of our transcriptional footprint characterizing PNF1 activity 1-48 h post-supplementation in HMVECs coupled with corresponding validating experiments suggests a key set of a few specific targets that are involved in PNF1 mode of action and important for successful promotion of the neovascularization that we have observed by the drug in vivo.

  18. No evidence of Neandertal mtDNA contribution to early modern humans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Serre

    2004-03-01

    Full Text Available The retrieval of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA sequences from four Neandertal fossils from Germany, Russia, and Croatia has demonstrated that these individuals carried closely related mtDNAs that are not found among current humans. However, these results do not definitively resolve the question of a possible Neandertal contribution to the gene pool of modern humans since such a contribution might have been erased by genetic drift or by the continuous influx of modern human DNA into the Neandertal gene pool. A further concern is that if some Neandertals carried mtDNA sequences similar to contemporaneous humans, such sequences may be erroneously regarded as modern contaminations when retrieved from fossils. Here we address these issues by the analysis of 24 Neandertal and 40 early modern human remains. The biomolecular preservation of four Neandertals and of five early modern humans was good enough to suggest the preservation of DNA. All four Neandertals yielded mtDNA sequences similar to those previously determined from Neandertal individuals, whereas none of the five early modern humans contained such mtDNA sequences. In combination with current mtDNA data, this excludes any large genetic contribution by Neandertals to early modern humans, but does not rule out the possibility of a smaller contribution.

  19. Remote reference processing in MT survey using GPS clock; MT ho ni okeru GPS wo mochiita jikoku doki system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamane, K; Inoue, J; Takasugi, S [Geothermal Energy Research and Development Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Kosuge, S [DRICO Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

    1996-05-01

    A report is given about the application of a synchronizing system using clock signals from GPS satellites to a remote reference method which is a technique to reject noise from the MT method. This system uses the C/A code out of the L1 band waves from NAVSTAR/GPS satellites. The new system was operated in MT method-using investigations conducted at China Peninsula, Aichi Prefecture, and Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture, with the reference points placed several 100km away in Iwate Prefecture on both occasions. It was found as the result that it is basically possible to catch signals from the GPS at any place, that the signals are accurate enough to be applied to time synchronization for the MT method, and that the signals assure a far remote reference method with a separation of several 100km between the sites involved. The referencing process at high frequencies whose feasibility had been doubted proved a success when highly correlated signals were exchanged between two stations over a distance of several 100km. 5 refs., 9 figs.

  20. The 2001 Mt. Etna eruption: new constraints on the intrusive mechanism from ground deformation data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palano, Mimmo; González, Pablo J.

    2013-04-01

    The occurrence of seismic swarms beneath the SW flank of Mt. Etna, often observed just a few months before an eruption, has been considered as the fragile response to a magma intrusion (Bonanno et al., 2011 and reference therein). These intrusions and/or pressurization of deep magmatic bodies, have been able to significantly affect the seismic pattern within the volcano edifice, leading to a changes in the local stress field. For example, during the months preceding the 1991-1993 Mt. Etna eruption, shallow intense seismic swarms (4-6 km deep) occurring in the SW flank (e.g. Cocina et al., 1998), related to the magma intrusion before the eruption onset, were observed contemporaneously with a rotation of stress field of about 90°. A similar scenario was observed during January 1998, when a magma recharging phases induced a local rotation of stress tensor, forcing a buried fault zone located beneath the SW flank of Mt. Etna to slip as a right-lateral strike-slip fault (Bonanno et al., 2011). This fault system was forced to slip again, during late April 2001 (more than 200 events in less than 5 days; maximum Magnitude = 3.6) by the pressurization of the magmatic bodies feeding the July-August 2001 Mt. Etna eruption. Here we analyzed in detail the July-August 2001 Mt. Etna eruption as well as the dynamics preceding this event, by using a large dataset of geodetic data (GPS and synthetic aperture radar interferometry) collected between July 2000 and August 2001. References Cocina, O., Neri, G., Privitera, E. and Spampinato S., 1998. Seismogenic stress field beneath Mt. Etna South Italy and possible relationships with volcano-tectonic features. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 83, 335-348. Bonanno A., Palano M., Privitera E., Gresta S., Puglisi G., 2011. Magma intrusion mechanisms and redistribution of seismogenic stress at Mt. Etna volcano (1997-1998). Terra Nova, 23, 339-348, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3121.2011.01019.x, 2011.

  1. Accumulation of pathogenic ΔmtDNA induced deafness but not diabetic phenotypes in mito-mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakada, Kazuto; Sato, Akitsugu; Sone, Hideyuki; Kasahara, Atsuko; Ikeda, Katsuhisa; Kagawa, Yasuo; Yonekawa, Hiromichi; Hayashi, Jun-Ichi

    2004-01-01

    Mito-mice carrying various proportions of deletion mutant mtDNA (ΔmtDNA) were generated by introduction of the ΔmtDNA from cultured cells into fertilized eggs of C57BL/6J (B6) strain mice. Great advantages of mito-mice are that they share exactly the same nuclear-genome background, and that their genetic variations are restricted to proportions of pathogenic ΔmtDNA. Since accumulation of ΔmtDNA to more than 75% induced respiration defects, the disease phenotypes observed exclusively in mito-mice carrying more than 75% ΔmtDNA should be due to accumulated ΔmtDNA. In this study, we focused on the expressions of hearing loss and diabetic phenotypes, since these common age-associated abnormalities have sometimes been reported to be inherited maternally and to be associated with pathogenic mutant mtDNAs. The results showed that accumulation of exogenously introduced ΔmtDNA was responsible for hearing loss, but not for expression of diabetic phenotypes in mito-mice

  2. High-altitude adaptation of Tibetan chicken from MT-COI and ATP-6 perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xiaoling; Wu, Nan; Zhu, Qing; Gaur, Uma; Gu, Ting; Li, Diyan

    2016-09-01

    The problem of hypoxia adaptation in high altitudes is an unsolved brainteaser in the field of life sciences. As one of the best chicken breeds with adaptability to highland environment, the Tibetan chicken, is genetically different from lowland chicken breeds. In order to gain a better understanding of the mechanism of hypoxic adaptability in high altitude, in the present study, we focused on the MT-COI together with ATP-6 gene to explore the regulatory mechanisms for hypoxia adaptability in Tibet chicken. Here, we sequenced MT-COI of 29 Tibetan chickens and 30 Chinese domestic chickens and ATP-6 gene of 28 Tibetan chickens and 29 Chinese domestic chickens. In MT-COI gene, 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected though none of these was a missense mutation, confirming the fact that MT-COI gene is a largely conservative sequence. In ATP-6 gene, 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected and we found a missense mutation (m.9441G > A) in the ATP-6 gene of Tibetan chicken resulting in an amino acid substitution. Due to the critical role of ATP-6 gene in the proton translocation and energy metabolism, we speculated the possibility of this mutation playing an important role in easier energy conversion and metabolism in Tibetan chickens than Chinese domestic chickens so as to better adapt to the harsh environment of the high-altitude areas. The Median-joining profile also suggested that haplotype Ha2 has the ancestral position to the other haplotypes and has significant relationship with high-altitude adaptation in ATP-6 gene. Therefore, we considered that the polymorphism (m.9441G > A) in the ATP-6 gene may affect the specific functions of ATP-6 enzyme relating to high-altitude adaptation of Tibetan chicken and MT-COI gene is a largely conservative sequence.

  3. Porous aerosol in degassing plumes of Mt. Etna and Mt. Stromboli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Shcherbakov

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Aerosols of the volcanic degassing plumes from Mt. Etna and Mt. Stromboli were probed with in situ instruments on board the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt research aircraft Falcon during the contrail, volcano, and cirrus experiment CONCERT in September 2011. Aerosol properties were analyzed using angular-scattering intensities and particle size distributions measured simultaneously with the Polar Nephelometer and the Forward Scattering Spectrometer probes (FSSP series 100 and 300, respectively. Aerosols of degassing plumes are characterized by low values of the asymmetry parameter (between 0.6 and 0.75; the effective diameter was within the range of 1.5–2.8 µm and the maximal diameter was lower than 20 µm. A principal component analysis applied to the Polar Nephelometer data indicates that scattering features of volcanic aerosols of different crater origins are clearly distinctive from angular-scattering intensities of cirrus and contrails. Retrievals of aerosol properties revealed that the particles were "optically spherical" and the estimated values of the real part of the refractive index are within the interval from 1.35 to 1.38. The interpretation of these results leads to the conclusion that the degassing plume aerosols were porous with air voids. Our estimates suggest that aerosol particles contained about 18 to 35 % of air voids in terms of the total volume.

  4. Estimates of Continental Ancestry Vary Widely among Individuals with the Same mtDNA Haplogroup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emery, Leslie S.; Magnaye, Kevin M.; Bigham, Abigail W.; Akey, Joshua M.; Bamshad, Michael J.

    2015-01-01

    The association between a geographical region and an mtDNA haplogroup(s) has provided the basis for using mtDNA haplogroups to infer an individual’s place of origin and genetic ancestry. Although it is well known that ancestry inferences using mtDNA haplogroups and those using genome-wide markers are frequently discrepant, little empirical information exists on the magnitude and scope of such discrepancies between multiple mtDNA haplogroups and worldwide populations. We compared genetic-ancestry inferences made by mtDNA-haplogroup membership to those made by autosomal SNPs in ∼940 samples of the Human Genome Diversity Panel and recently admixed populations from the 1000 Genomes Project. Continental-ancestry proportions often varied widely among individuals sharing the same mtDNA haplogroup. For only half of mtDNA haplogroups did the highest average continental-ancestry proportion match the highest continental-ancestry proportion of a majority of individuals with that haplogroup. Prediction of an individual’s mtDNA haplogroup from his or her continental-ancestry proportions was often incorrect. Collectively, these results indicate that for most individuals in the worldwide populations sampled, mtDNA-haplogroup membership provides limited information about either continental ancestry or continental region of origin. PMID:25620206

  5. Characterization of the roles of the catalytic domains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ligase D in Ku-dependent error-prone DNA end joining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Douglas; DeBeaux, Austin; Shi, Runhua; Doherty, Aidan J; Harrison, Lynn

    2010-09-01

    We previously established an Escherichia coli strain capable of re-circularizing linear plasmid DNA by expressing the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ku (Mt-Ku) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis ligase D (Mt-LigD) proteins from the E.coli chromosome. Repair was predominately mutagenic due to deletions at the termini. We hypothesized that these deletions could be due to a nuclease activity of Mt-LigD that was previously detected in vitro. Mt-LigD has three domains: an N-terminal polymerase domain (PolDom), a central domain with 3'-phosphoesterase and nuclease activity and a C-terminal ligase domain (LigDom). We generated bacterial strains expressing Mt-Ku and mutant versions of Mt-LigD. Plasmid re-circularization experiments in bacteria showed that the PolDom alone had no re-circularization activity. However, an increase in the total and accurate repair was found when the central domain was deleted. This provides further evidence that this central domain does have nuclease activity that can generate deletions during repair. Deletion of only the PolDom of Mt-LigD resulted in a complete loss of accurate repair and a significant reduction in total repair. This is in agreement with published in vitro work indicating that the PolDom is the major Mt-Ku-binding site. Interestingly, the LigDom alone was able to re-circularize plasmid DNA but only in an Mt-Ku-dependent manner, suggesting a potential second site for Ku-LigD interaction. This work has increased our understanding of the mutagenic repair by Mt-Ku and Mt-LigD and has extended the in vitro biochemical experiments by examining the importance of the Mt-LigD domains during repair in bacteria.

  6. mtDNA sequence diversity of Hazara ethnic group from Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakha, Allah; Fatima; Peng, Min-Sheng; Adan, Atif; Bi, Rui; Yasmin, Memona; Yao, Yong-Gang

    2017-09-01

    The present study was undertaken to investigate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences of Hazaras from Pakistan, so as to generate mtDNA reference database for forensic casework in Pakistan and to analyze phylogenetic relationship of this particular ethnic group with geographically proximal populations. Complete mtDNA control region (nt 16024-576) sequences were generated through Sanger Sequencing for 319 Hazara individuals from Quetta, Baluchistan. The population sample set showed a total of 189 distinct haplotypes, belonging mainly to West Eurasian (51.72%), East & Southeast Asian (29.78%) and South Asian (18.50%) haplogroups. Compared with other populations from Pakistan, the Hazara population had a relatively high haplotype diversity (0.9945) and a lower random match probability (0.0085). The dataset has been incorporated into EMPOP database under accession number EMP00680. The data herein comprises the largest, and likely most thoroughly examined, control region mtDNA dataset from Hazaras of Pakistan. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Oxidants and not alkylating agents induce rapid mtDNA loss and mitochondrial dysfunction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furda, Amy M.; Marrangoni, Adele M.; Lokshin, Anna; Van Houten, Bennett

    2013-01-01

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is essential for proper mitochondrial function and encodes 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs and 13 polypeptides that make up subunits of complex I, III, IV, in the electron transport chain and complex V, the ATP synthase. Although mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in processes such as premature aging, neurodegeneration, and cancer, it has not been shown whether persistent mtDNA damage causes a loss of oxidative phosphorylation. We addressed this question by treating mouse embryonic fibroblasts with either hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and measuring several endpoints, including mtDNA damage and repair rates using QPCR, levels of mitochondrial- and nuclear-encoded proteins using antibody analysis, and a pharmacologic profile of mitochondria using the Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer. We show that a 60 min treatment with H2O2 causes persistent mtDNA lesions, mtDNA loss, decreased levels of a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial subunit, a loss of ATP-linked oxidative phosphorylation and a loss of total reserve capacity. Conversely, a 60 min treatment with 2 mM MMS causes persistent mtDNA lesions but no mtDNA loss, no decrease in levels of a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial subunit, and no mitochondrial dysfunction. These results suggest that persistent mtDNA damage is not sufficient to cause mitochondrial dysfunction. PMID:22766155

  8. 76 FR 19281 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Bozeman, MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-07

    ... Instrument Landing System (ILS) Localizer (LOC) standard instrument approach procedures at the airport. The... extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface of the earth. * * * * * ANM MT E5 Bozeman, MT...

  9. Mt. Kilimanjaro expedition in earth science education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sparrow, Elena; Yoshikawa, Kenji; Narita, Kenji; Brettenny, Mark; Yule, Sheila; O'Toole, Michael; Brettenny, Rogeline

    2010-05-01

    Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain is 5,895 meters above sea level and is located 330 km south of the equator in Tanzania. In 1976 glaciers covered most of Mt. Kilimanjaro's summit; however in 2000, an estimated eighty percent of the ice cap has disappeared since the last thorough survey done in 1912. There is increased scientific interest in Mt. Kilimanjaro with the increase in global and African average temperatures. A team of college and pre-college school students from Tanzania, South Africa and Kenya, teachers from South Africa and the United States, and scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the United States and Akita University in Japan, climbed to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro in October 2009. They were accompanied by guides, porters, two expedition guests, and a videographer. This expedition was part of the GLOBE Seasons and Biomes Earth System Science Project and the GLOBE Africa science education initiative, exploring and contributing to climate change studies. Students learned about earth science experientially by observing their physical and biological surroundings, making soil and air temperature measurements, participating in discussions, journaling their experience, and posing research questions. The international trekkers noted the change in the biomes as the altitude, temperature and conditions changed, from cultivated lands, to rain forest, heath zone, moorland, alpine desert, and summit. They also discovered permafrost, but not at the summit as expected. Rather, it was where the mountain was not covered by a glacier and thus more exposed to low extreme temperatures. This was the first report of permafrost on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Classrooms from all over the world participated in the expedition virtually. They followed the trek through the expedition website (http://www.xpeditiononline.com/) where pictures and journals were posted, and posed their own questions which were answered by the expedition and base camp team members

  10. Shallow to intermediate resistivity features of the Colfiorito Fault System inferred by DC and MT survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Siniscalchi

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Over the last decade electromagnetic (EM measurements have provided new constraints on the upper-crustal structure of the major fault zones in the world, both when they act as conduit and as a barrier, due to strong sensitivity of resistivity to fluids circulation and mineralization. On the track of a high impact magnetotelluric (MT study performed across the San Andreas Fault, high resolution EM data were collected in the Colfiorito epicentral area along profiles crossing some main fault lineaments. Being the study focussed both on shallow that on intermediate resistivity distribution in the brittle upper-crust, a MT profile was integrated by several electrical resistivity tomographies (ERT. The latter were successful in locating faults even where the structures are buried by a wide covering of Quaternary deposits and in the recognition of different electrical signatures of the faults. MT resistivity model crossing Mt. Prefoglio normal fault clearly imaged the typical thrust structures of the area and a high conductive zone spatially related to the fault. Seismicity seems to be located outside such conductive area, whose behaviour suggests a fluidised and altered zone incapable of supporting significant stress internally.

  11. Construct Validity of the MMPI-2 College Maladjustment (Mt) Scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barthlow, Deanna L.; Graham, John R.; Ben-Porath, Yossef S.; McNulty, John L

    2004-01-01

    The construct validity of the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2) College Maladjustment (Mt) Scale was examined using 376 student clients at a university psychological clinic. A principal components analysis and correlations of Mt scale scores with clients' and therapists' ratings of symptoms and functioning showed that the Mt…

  12. The melatonin-MT1 receptor axis modulates tumor growth in PTEN-mutated gliomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Huihui; Wang, Zhen; Hu, Lei; Zhang, Shangrong; Zhao, Chenggang; Yang, Haoran; Wang, Hongzhi; Fang, Zhiyou; Wu, Lijun; Chen, Xueran

    2018-02-19

    More than 40% of glioma patients have tumors that harbor PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten) mutations; this disease is associated with poor therapeutic resistance and outcome. Such mutations are linked to increased cell survival and growth, decreased apoptosis, and drug resistance; thus, new therapeutic strategies focusing on inhibiting glioma tumorigenesis and progression are urgently needed. Melatonin, an indolamine produced and secreted predominantly by the pineal gland, mediates a variety of physiological functions and possesses antioxidant and antitumor properties. Here, we analyzed the relationship between PTEN and the inhibitory effect of melatonin in primary human glioma cells and cultured glioma cell lines. The results showed that melatonin can inhibit glioma cell growth both in culture and in vivo. This inhibition was associated with PTEN levels, which significantly correlated with the expression level of MT1 in patients. In fact, c-fos-mediated MT1 was shown to be a key modulator of the effect of melatonin on gliomas that harbor wild type PTEN. Taken together, these data suggest that melatonin-MT1 receptor complexes represent a potential target for the treatment of glioma. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Onset and organ specificity of Tk2 deficiency depends on Tk1 down-regulation and transcriptional compensation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorado, Beatriz; Area, Estela; Akman, Hasan O; Hirano, Michio

    2011-01-01

    Deficiency of thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) is a frequent cause of isolated myopathy or encephalomyopathy in children with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion. To determine the bases of disease onset, organ specificity and severity of TK2 deficiency, we have carefully characterized Tk2 H126N knockin mice (Tk2-/-). Although normal until postnatal day 8, Tk2-/- mice rapidly develop fatal encephalomyopathy between postnatal days 10 and 13. We have observed that wild-type Tk2 activity is constant in the second week of life, while Tk1 activity decreases significantly between postnatal days 8 and 13. The down-regulation of Tk1 activity unmasks Tk2 deficiency in Tk2-/- mice and correlates with the onset of mtDNA depletion in the brain and the heart. Resistance to pathology in Tk2 mutant organs depends on compensatory mechanisms to the reduced mtDNA level. Our analyses at postnatal day 13 have revealed that Tk2-/- heart significantly increases mitochondrial transcript levels relative to the mtDNA content. This transcriptional compensation allows the heart to maintain normal levels of mtDNA-encoded proteins. The up-regulation in mitochondrial transcripts is not due to increased expression of the master mitochondrial biogenesis regulators peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha and nuclear respiratory factors 1 and 2, or to enhanced expression of the mitochondrial transcription factors A, B1 or B2. Instead, Tk2-/- heart compensates for mtDNA depletion by down-regulating the expression of the mitochondrial transcriptional terminator transcription factor 3 (MTERF3). Understanding the molecular mechanisms that allow Tk2 mutant organs to be spared may help design therapies for Tk2 deficiency.

  14. [Whole Genome Sequencing of Human mtDNA Based on Ion Torrent PGM™ Platform].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Y; Zou, K N; Huang, J P; Ma, K; Ping, Y

    2017-08-01

    To analyze and detect the whole genome sequence of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by Ion Torrent PGM™ platform and to study the differences of mtDNA sequence in different tissues. Samples were collected from 6 unrelated individuals by forensic postmortem examination, including chest blood, hair, costicartilage, nail, skeletal muscle and oral epithelium. Amplification of whole genome sequence of mtDNA was performed by 4 pairs of primer. Libraries were constructed with Ion Shear™ Plus Reagents kit and Ion Plus Fragment Library kit. Whole genome sequencing of mtDNA was performed using Ion Torrent PGM™ platform. Sanger sequencing was used to determine the heteroplasmy positions and the mutation positions on HVⅠ region. The whole genome sequence of mtDNA from all samples were amplified successfully. Six unrelated individuals belonged to 6 different haplotypes. Different tissues in one individual had heteroplasmy difference. The heteroplasmy positions and the mutation positions on HVⅠ region were verified by Sanger sequencing. After a consistency check by the Kappa method, it was found that the results of mtDNA sequence had a high consistency in different tissues. The testing method used in present study for sequencing the whole genome sequence of human mtDNA can detect the heteroplasmy difference in different tissues, which have good consistency. The results provide guidance for the further applications of mtDNA in forensic science. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine

  15. Deep sequencing shows that oocytes are not prone to accumulate mtDNA heteroplasmic mutations during ovarian ageing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boucret, L; Bris, C; Seegers, V; Goudenège, D; Desquiret-Dumas, V; Domin-Bernhard, M; Ferré-L'Hotellier, V; Bouet, P E; Descamps, P; Reynier, P; Procaccio, V; May-Panloup, P

    2017-10-01

    Does ovarian ageing increase the number of heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) point mutations in oocytes? Our results suggest that oocytes are not subject to the accumulation of mtDNA point mutations during ovarian ageing. Ageing is associated with the alteration of mtDNA integrity in various tissues. Primary oocytes, present in the ovary since embryonic life, may accumulate mtDNA mutations during the process of ovarian ageing. This was an observational study of 53 immature oocyte-cumulus complexes retrieved from 35 women undergoing IVF at the University Hospital of Angers, France, from March 2013 to March 2014. The women were classified in two groups, one including 19 women showing signs of ovarian ageing objectified by a diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), and the other, including 16 women with a normal ovarian reserve (NOR), which served as a control group. mtDNA was extracted from isolated oocytes, and from their corresponding cumulus cells (CCs) considered as a somatic cell compartment. The average mtDNA content of each sample was assessed by using a quantitative real-time PCR technique. Deep sequencing was performed using the Ion Torrent Proton for Next-Generation Sequencing. Signal processing and base calling were done by the embedded pre-processing pipeline and the variants were analyzed using an in-house workflow. The distribution of the different variants between DOR and NOR patients, on one hand, and oocyte and CCs, on the other, was analyzed with the generalized mixed linear model to take into account the cluster of cells belonging to a given mother. There were no significant differences between the numbers of mtDNA variants between the DOR and the NOR patients, either in the oocytes (P = 0.867) or in the surrounding CCs (P = 0.154). There were also no differences in terms of variants with potential functional consequences. De-novo mtDNA variants were found in 28% of the oocytes and in 66% of the CCs with the mean number of variants being

  16. Three-dimensional interpretation of MT data in volcanic environments (computer simulation)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spichak, V. [Geoelectromagnetic Research Institute RAS, Troitsk, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2001-04-01

    The research is aimed, first, to find components of MT-fields and their transforms, which facilitate the imaging of the internal structure of volcanoes and, second, to study the detectability of conductivity variations in a magma chamber due to alterations of other physical parameters. The resolving power of MT data with respect to the electric structure of volcanic zones is studied using software developed by the author for three-dimensional (3D) numerical modeling, analysis and imaging. A set of 3D volcano models are constructed and synthetic MT data on the relief Earth's surface are analysed. It is found that impedance phases as well as in-phase and quadrature parts of the electric field type transforms enable the best imaging of the volcanic interior. The determinant impedance is, however, the most suitable for adequate interpretation of measurements carried out for the purpose of monitoring conductivity variations in a magma chamber. The way of removing the geological noise from the MT data by means of its upward analytical continuation to the artificial reference plane is discussed. Interpretation methodologies are suggested aimed at 3D imaging and monitoring volcanic interiors by MT data.

  17. Data from complete mtDNA sequencing of Tunisian centenarians: testing haplogroup association and the "golden mean" to longevity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Marta D; Cherni, Lotfi; Fernandes, Verónica; Freitas, Fernando; Ammar El Gaaied, Amel Ben; Pereira, Luísa

    2009-04-01

    Since the mitochondrial theory of ageing was proposed, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity has been largely studied in old people, however complete genomes are still rare, being limited to Japanese and UK/US samples. In this work, we evaluated possible longevity associated polymorphisms/haplogroups in an African population, from Tunisia, by performing complete mtDNA sequencing. This population has a mixed Eurasian/sub-Saharan mtDNA gene pool, which could potentially facilitate the evaluation of association for sub-Saharan lineages. Sub-Saharan haplogroups were shown to be significantly less represented in centenarians (9.5%) than in controls (54.5%), but it is not possible to rule out an influence of population structure, which is high in these populations. No recurrent polymorphism were more frequent in centenarians than in controls, and although the Tunisian centenarians presented less synonymous and replacement polymorphisms than controls, this difference was not statistically significant. So far, it does not seem that centenarians have significantly less mildly deleterious substitutions, not only in Tunisia but also in Japanese and UK/US samples, as tested here, not favouring a "golden mean" to longevity.

  18. Cell cycle-dependent microtubule-based dynamic transport of cytoplasmic dynein in mammalian cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takuya Kobayashi

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cytoplasmic dynein complex is a large multi-subunit microtubule (MT-associated molecular motor involved in various cellular functions including organelle positioning, vesicle transport and cell division. However, regulatory mechanism of the cell-cycle dependent distribution of dynein has not fully been understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we report live-cell imaging of cytoplasmic dynein in HeLa cells, by expressing multifunctional green fluorescent protein (mfGFP-tagged 74-kDa intermediate chain (IC74. IC74-mfGFP was successfully incorporated into functional dynein complex. In interphase, dynein moved bi-directionally along with MTs, which might carry cargos such as transport vesicles. A substantial fraction of dynein moved toward cell periphery together with EB1, a member of MT plus end-tracking proteins (+TIPs, suggesting +TIPs-mediated transport of dynein. In late-interphase and prophase, dynein was localized at the centrosomes and the radial MT array. In prometaphase and metaphase, dynein was localized at spindle MTs where it frequently moved from spindle poles toward chromosomes or cell cortex. +TIPs may be involved in the transport of spindle dyneins. Possible kinetochore and cortical dyneins were also observed. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that cytoplasmic dynein is transported to the site of action in preparation for the following cellular events, primarily by the MT-based transport. The MT-based transport may have greater advantage than simple diffusion of soluble dynein in rapid and efficient transport of the limited concentration of the protein.

  19. Viscosity controlled magma-carbonate interaction: a comparison of Mt. Vesuvius (Italy) and Mt. Merapi (Indonesia).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blythe, L. S.; Misiti, V.; Masotta, M.; Taddeucci, J.; Freda, C.; Troll, V. R.; Deegan, F. M.; Jolis, E. M.

    2012-04-01

    Magma-carbonate interaction is increasingly seen as a viable and extremely important cause of magma contamination, and the generation of a crustally sourced CO2 phase (Goff et al., 2001; Freda et al., 2010). Even though the process is well recognized at certain volcanoes e.g. Popocatépetl, (Mexico); Merapi, (Indonesia); and Colli Albani, (Italy) (Goff et al., 2001; Deegan et al., 2010; Freda et al., 2010), neither the kinetics of carbonate assimilation nor its consequences for controlling the explosivity of eruptions have been constrained. Here we show the results of magma-carbonate interaction experiments conducted at 1200 °C and 0.5 GPa for varying durations (0 s, 60 s, 90 s and 300 s) for the Mt. Merapi (Indonesia) and Mt. Vesuvius (Italy) volcanic systems. We performed experiments using glassy starting materials specific to each volcano (shoshonite for Mt. Vesuvius, basaltic-andesite for Mt. Merapi) with different degrees of hydration (anhydrous vs hydration with ~ 2 wt % water) and using carbonate fragments of local origin; see Deegan et al., (2010) and Jolis et al., (2011). Experimental products include a gas phase (CO2-rich) and two melt phases, one pristine (Ca-normal) and one contaminated (Ca-rich) separated by a 'contamination front' which propagates outwards from the carbonate clast. Vesicles appear to nucleate in the contaminated glass and then migrate into the pristine one. Both contamination front propagation and bubble migration away from the carbonate are slower in anhydrous basaltic-andesite (Merapi anhydrous series) than in hydrated basaltic-andesite and shoshonite (Merapi and Vesuvius hydrated series), suggesting that assimilation speed is strongly controlled by the degree of hydration and the SiO2 content, both of which influence melt viscosity and hence diffusivity. As the carbonate dissolution proceeds in our experiments, initially dissolved and eventually exsolved CO2 builds up in the contaminated Ca-rich melt phase. Once melt volatile

  20. Thermodynamics of Pb(ii) and Zn(ii) binding to MT-3, a neurologically important metallothionein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carpenter, M C; Shami Shah, A; DeSilva, S; Gleaton, A; Su, A; Goundie, B; Croteau, M L; Stevenson, M J; Wilcox, D E; Austin, R N

    2016-06-01

    Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used to quantify the thermodynamics of Pb(2+) and Zn(2+) binding to metallothionein-3 (MT-3). Pb(2+) binds to zinc-replete Zn7MT-3 displacing each zinc ion with a similar change in free energy (ΔG) and enthalpy (ΔH). EDTA chelation measurements of Zn7MT-3 and Pb7MT-3 reveal that both metal ions are extracted in a tri-phasic process, indicating that they bind to the protein in three populations with different binding thermodynamics. Metal binding is entropically favoured, with an enthalpic penalty that reflects the enthalpic cost of cysteine deprotonation accompanying thiolate ligation of the metal ions. These data indicate that Pb(2+) binding to both apo MT-3 and Zn7MT-3 is thermodynamically favourable, and implicate MT-3 in neuronal lead biochemistry.

  1. Vascular flora of the Prometanj site (Mokra Gora, northern Prokletije Mt.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radak Boris Đ.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Floristic research of the Prometanj site, located in the northwestern part of Mokra Gora Mt. along the right bank of the Ibar River, was conducted during 2011. A total of 340 species and five subspecies of vascular plant taxa were registered. Families with the largest number of species were Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Lamiaceae, Ranunculaceae, while the most numerous genera were Trifolium, Acer, Campanula, Geranium, Veronica, Ranunculus and Vicia. Floral elements of analyzed plant taxa were grouped into ten areal types, with domination of Central European and Eurasian and significant participation of Mediterranean-Submediterranean. The biological spectrum was characterized by the dominance of hemicryptophytes. Five strictly protected and 43 protected species were registered. Prometanj is the only remaining locality in Serbia for tertiary species Adenophora liliifolia. Floristic research of Prometanj should be extended to entire area of Mokra Gora Mt. together with the Ibar River gorge, in order to explore the whole botanical richness of this area. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173030

  2. Pivotal role of hMT+ in long-range disambiguation of interhemispheric bistable surface motion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duarte, João Valente; Costa, Gabriel Nascimento; Martins, Ricardo; Castelo-Branco, Miguel

    2017-10-01

    It remains an open question whether long-range disambiguation of ambiguous surface motion can be achieved in early visual cortex or instead in higher level regions, which concerns object/surface segmentation/integration mechanisms. We used a bistable moving stimulus that can be perceived as a pattern comprehending both visual hemi-fields moving coherently downward or as two widely segregated nonoverlapping component objects (in each visual hemi-field) moving separately inward. This paradigm requires long-range integration across the vertical meridian leading to interhemispheric binding. Our fMRI study (n = 30) revealed a close relation between activity in hMT+ and perceptual switches involving interhemispheric segregation/integration of motion signals, crucially under nonlocal conditions where components do not overlap and belong to distinct hemispheres. Higher signal changes were found in hMT+ in response to spatially segregated component (incoherent) percepts than to pattern (coherent) percepts. This did not occur in early visual cortex, unlike apparent motion, which does not entail surface segmentation. We also identified a role for top-down mechanisms in state transitions. Deconvolution analysis of switch-related changes revealed prefrontal, insula, and cingulate areas, with the right superior parietal lobule (SPL) being particularly involved. We observed that directed influences could emerge either from left or right hMT+ during bistable motion integration/segregation. SPL also exhibited significant directed functional connectivity with hMT+, during perceptual state maintenance (Granger causality analysis). Our results suggest that long-range interhemispheric binding of ambiguous motion representations mainly reflect bottom-up processes from hMT+ during perceptual state maintenance. In contrast, state transitions maybe influenced by high-level regions such as the SPL. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4882-4897, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley

  3. Metallothionein (MT) response after chronic palladium exposure in the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frank, Sabrina N.; Singer, Christoph; Sures, Bernd

    2008-01-01

    The effects of different exposure concentrations of palladium (Pd) on relative metallothionein (MT) response and bioaccumulation were investigated in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). The mussels were exposed to 0.05, 5, 50, and 500 μg/L Pd 2+ for 10 weeks under controlled temperature and fasting conditions. Relative MT contents were assessed by a modified Ag-saturation method, which allows to discriminate between MT bound to Pd (Pd-MT) and MT bound to unidentified metals (Ag-MT). Determination of metal contents resulted from atomic absorption spectrometry following a microwave digestion. For unexposed mussels and mussels exposed to 0.05 μg/L Pd no metal accumulation could be detected. All other exposure concentrations resulted in detectable Pd accumulation in mussels with final tissue concentrations of 96 μg/g (500 μg/L), 45 μg/g (50 μg/L), and 9 μg/g (5 μg/L). Compared with initial levels Pd-MT concentrations at the end of the exposure period were 600 (500 μg/L), 160 (50 μg/L), and 27 (5 μg/L) times higher. These results show that an increase in MTs in D. polymorpha already occurs at relatively low aqueous Pd concentrations indicating that there is the need for detoxification of Pd in the mussel. Furthermore, correlations between Ag-MT and Pd accumulation indicate that higher exposure concentrations are associated with adverse effects on the mussels. Thus, harmful effects of chronic Pd exposure of organisms even in lowest concentrations cannot be excluded in the environment

  4. Evolutionary analyses of entire genomes do not support the association of mtDNA mutations with Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes.

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    Alberto Gómez-Carballa

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: There are several known autosomal genes responsible for Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes, including Noonan syndrome (NS and related disorders (such as LEOPARD, neurofibromatosis type 1, although mutations of these genes do not explain all cases. Due to the important role played by the mitochondrion in the energetic metabolism of cardiac muscle, it was recently proposed that variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA genome could be a risk factor in the Noonan phenotype and in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM, which is a common clinical feature in Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes. In order to test these hypotheses, we sequenced entire mtDNA genomes in the largest series of patients suffering from Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes analyzed to date (n = 45, most of them classified as NS patients (n = 42. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The results indicate that the observed mtDNA lineages were mostly of European ancestry, reproducing in a nutshell the expected haplogroup (hg patterns of a typical Iberian dataset (including hgs H, T, J, and U. Three new branches of the mtDNA phylogeny (H1j1, U5b1e, and L2a5 are described for the first time, but none of these are likely to be related to NS or Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes when observed under an evolutionary perspective. Patterns of variation in tRNA and protein genes, as well as redundant, private and heteroplasmic variants, in the mtDNA genomes of patients were as expected when compared with the patterns inferred from a worldwide mtDNA phylogeny based on more than 8700 entire genomes. Moreover, most of the mtDNA variants found in patients had already been reported in healthy individuals and constitute common polymorphisms in human population groups. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: As a whole, the observed mtDNA genome variation in the NS patients was difficult to reconcile with previous findings that indicated a pathogenic role of mtDNA variants in NS.

  5. Evolutionary Analyses of Entire Genomes Do Not Support the Association of mtDNA Mutations with Ras/MAPK Pathway Syndromes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerezo, María; Balboa, Emilia; Heredia, Claudia; Castro-Feijóo, Lidia; Rica, Itxaso; Barreiro, Jesús; Eirís, Jesús; Cabanas, Paloma; Martínez-Soto, Isabel; Fernández-Toral, Joaquín; Castro-Gago, Manuel; Pombo, Manuel; Carracedo, Ángel; Barros, Francisco

    2011-01-01

    Background There are several known autosomal genes responsible for Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes, including Noonan syndrome (NS) and related disorders (such as LEOPARD, neurofibromatosis type 1), although mutations of these genes do not explain all cases. Due to the important role played by the mitochondrion in the energetic metabolism of cardiac muscle, it was recently proposed that variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome could be a risk factor in the Noonan phenotype and in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which is a common clinical feature in Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes. In order to test these hypotheses, we sequenced entire mtDNA genomes in the largest series of patients suffering from Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes analyzed to date (n = 45), most of them classified as NS patients (n = 42). Methods/Principal Findings The results indicate that the observed mtDNA lineages were mostly of European ancestry, reproducing in a nutshell the expected haplogroup (hg) patterns of a typical Iberian dataset (including hgs H, T, J, and U). Three new branches of the mtDNA phylogeny (H1j1, U5b1e, and L2a5) are described for the first time, but none of these are likely to be related to NS or Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes when observed under an evolutionary perspective. Patterns of variation in tRNA and protein genes, as well as redundant, private and heteroplasmic variants, in the mtDNA genomes of patients were as expected when compared with the patterns inferred from a worldwide mtDNA phylogeny based on more than 8700 entire genomes. Moreover, most of the mtDNA variants found in patients had already been reported in healthy individuals and constitute common polymorphisms in human population groups. Conclusions/Significance As a whole, the observed mtDNA genome variation in the NS patients was difficult to reconcile with previous findings that indicated a pathogenic role of mtDNA variants in NS. PMID:21526175

  6. Analysis of the Interaction of Dp44mT with Human Serum Albumin and Calf Thymus DNA Using Molecular Docking and Spectroscopic Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhongjie Xu

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Di-2-pyridylketone-4,4,-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (Dp44mT exhibits significant antitumor activity. However, the mechanism of its pharmacological interaction with human serum albumin (HSA and DNA remains poorly understood. Here, we aimed to elucidate the interactions of Dp44mT with HSA and DNA using MTT assays, spectroscopic methods, and molecular docking analysis. Our results indicated that addition of HSA at a ratio of 1:1 did not alter the cytotoxicity of Dp44mT, but did affect the cytotoxicity of the Dp44mT-Cu complex. Data from fluorescence quenching and UV-VIS absorbance measurements demonstrated that Dp44mT could bind to HSA with a moderate affinity (Ka = approximately 104 M−1. CD spectra revealed that Dp44mT could slightly disrupt the secondary structure of HSA. Dp44mT could also interact with Ct-DNA, but had a moderate binding constant (KEB = approximately 104 M−1. Docking studies indicated that the IB site of HSA, but not the IIA and IIIA sites, could be favorable for Dp44mT and that binding of Dp44mT to HSA involved hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic force, consistent with thermodynamic results from spectral investigations. Thus, the moderate binding affinity of Dp44mT with HSA and DNA partially contributed to its antitumor activity and may be preferable in drug design approaches.

  7. Exercise Intolerance and Myoglobinuria Associated with a Novel Maternally Inherited MT-ND1 Mutation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rafiq, Jabin; Duno, Morten; Østergaard, Elsebet

    2016-01-01

    The most common clinical phenotype caused by a mtDNA mutation in complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain is Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. We report a family with a novel maternally inherited homoplasmic mtDNA m.4087A>G mutation in the ND1 gene (MT-ND1) associated with isolated...... myopathy, recurrent episodes of myoglobinuria, and rhabdomyolysis. DNA from blood in seven family members and muscle from four family members were PCR amplified and sequenced directly and assessed for the m.4087A>G variation in MT-ND1. Mitochondrial enzyme activity in all muscle biopsies was measured. PCR...... myoglobinuria is a rare phenotype of mitochondrial myopathies. We report this phenotype in a family affected by a novel homoplasmic mutation in MT-ND1. It is the first time such a phenotype has been associated with complex I gene mutations and a homoplasmic mutation of mtDNA....

  8. Estimating Losses from Volcanic Ash in case of a Mt. Baekdu Eruption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Soonyoung; Yoon, Seong-Min; Kim, Sung-Wook; Choi, Eun-Kyeong

    2014-05-01

    We will present the preliminary result of economic losses in South Korea in case of a Mt. Baedu eruption. The Korean peninsula has Mt. Baekdu in North Korea, which will soon enter an active phase, according to volcanologists. The anticipated eruption will be explosive given the viscous and grassy silica-rich magma, and is expected to be one of the largest in recent millennia. We aim to assess the impacts of this eruption to South Korea and help government prepare for the volcanic disasters. In particular, the economic impact from volcanic ash is estimated given the distance from Mt. Baedu to South Korea. In order to scientifically estimate losses from volcanic ash, we need volcanic ash thickness, inventory database, and damage functions between ash thickness and damage ratios for each inventory item. We use the volcanic ash thickness calculated by other research groups in Korea, and they estimated the ash thickness for each eruption scenario using average wind fields. Damage functions are built using the historical damage data in the world, and inventory database is obtained from available digital maps in Korea. According to the preliminary results, the economic impact from volcanic ash is not significant because the ash is rarely deposited in South Korea under general weather conditions. However, the ash can impact human health and environment. Also worst case scenarios can have the significant economic impacts in Korea, and may result in global issues. Acknowledgement: This research was supported by a grant [NEMA-BAEKDUSAN-2012-1-3] from the Volcanic Disaster Preparedness Research Center sponsored by National Emergency Management Agency of Korea.

  9. Evidence of animal mtDNA recombination between divergent populations of the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoolahan, Angelique H; Blok, Vivian C; Gibson, Tracey; Dowton, Mark

    2012-03-01

    Recombination is typically assumed to be absent in animal mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA). However, the maternal mode of inheritance means that recombinant products are indistinguishable from their progenitor molecules. The majority of studies of mtDNA recombination assess past recombination events, where patterns of recombination are inferred by comparing the mtDNA of different individuals. Few studies assess contemporary mtDNA recombination, where recombinant molecules are observed as direct mosaics of known progenitor molecules. Here we use the potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida, to investigate past and contemporary recombination. Past recombination was assessed within and between populations of G. pallida, and contemporary recombination was assessed in the progeny of experimental crosses of these populations. Breeding of genetically divergent organisms may cause paternal mtDNA leakage, resulting in heteroplasmy and facilitating the detection of recombination. To assess contemporary recombination we looked for evidence of recombination between the mtDNA of the parental populations within the mtDNA of progeny. Past recombination was detected between a South American population and several UK populations of G. pallida, as well as between two South American populations. This suggests that these populations may have interbred, paternal mtDNA leakage occurred, and the mtDNA of these populations subsequently recombined. This evidence challenges two dogmas of animal mtDNA evolution; no recombination and maternal inheritance. No contemporary recombination between the parental populations was detected in the progeny of the experimental crosses. This supports current arguments that mtDNA recombination events are rare. More sensitive detection methods may be required to adequately assess contemporary mtDNA recombination in animals.

  10. Significance of somatic mutations and content alteration of mitochondrial DNA in esophageal cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Yu-Fen

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The roles of mitochondria in energy metabolism, the generation of ROS, aging, and the initiation of apoptosis have implicated their importance in tumorigenesis. In this study we aim to establish the mutation spectrum and to understand the role of somatic mtDNA mutations in esophageal cancer. Methods The entire mitochondrial genome was screened for somatic mutations in 20 pairs (18 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, one adenosquamous carcinoma and one adenocarcinoma of tumor/surrounding normal tissue of esophageal cancers, using temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE, followed by direct DNA sequencing to identify the mutations. Results Fourteen somatic mtDNA mutations were identified in 55% (11/20 of tumors analyzed, including 2 novel missense mutations and a frameshift mutation in ND4L, ATP6 subunit, and ND4 genes respectively. Nine mutations (64% were in the D-loop region. Numerous germline variations were found, at least 10 of them were novel and five were missense mutations, some of them occurred in evolutionarily conserved domains. Using real-time quantitative PCR analysis, the mtDNA content was found to increase in some tumors and decrease in others. Analysis of molecular and other clinicopathological findings does not reveal significant correlation between somatic mtDNA mutations and mtDNA content, or between mtDNA content and metastatic status. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that somatic mtDNA mutations in esophageal cancers are frequent. Some missense and frameshift mutations may play an important role in the tumorigenesis of esophageal carcinoma. More extensive biochemical and molecular studies will be necessary to determine the pathological significance of these somatic mutations.

  11. Quantitation of heteroplasmy of mtDNA sequence variants identified in a population of AD patients and controls by array-based resequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coon, Keith D; Valla, Jon; Szelinger, Szabolics; Schneider, Lonnie E; Niedzielko, Tracy L; Brown, Kevin M; Pearson, John V; Halperin, Rebecca; Dunckley, Travis; Papassotiropoulos, Andreas; Caselli, Richard J; Reiman, Eric M; Stephan, Dietrich A

    2006-08-01

    The role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been well documented. Though evidence for the role of mitochondria in AD seems incontrovertible, the impact of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in AD etiology remains controversial. Though mutations in mitochondrially encoded genes have repeatedly been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD, many of these studies have been plagued by lack of replication as well as potential contamination of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial pseudogenes. To assess the role of mtDNA mutations in the pathogenesis of AD, while avoiding the pitfalls of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial pseudogenes encountered in previous investigations and showcasing the benefits of a novel resequencing technology, we sequenced the entire coding region (15,452 bp) of mtDNA from 19 extremely well-characterized AD patients and 18 age-matched, unaffected controls utilizing a new, reliable, high-throughput array-based resequencing technique, the Human MitoChip. High-throughput, array-based DNA resequencing of the entire mtDNA coding region from platelets of 37 subjects revealed the presence of 208 loci displaying a total of 917 sequence variants. There were no statistically significant differences in overall mutational burden between cases and controls, however, 265 independent sites of statistically significant change between cases and controls were identified. Changed sites were found in genes associated with complexes I (30.2%), III (3.0%), IV (33.2%), and V (9.1%) as well as tRNA (10.6%) and rRNA (14.0%). Despite their statistical significance, the subtle nature of the observed changes makes it difficult to determine whether they represent true functional variants involved in AD etiology or merely naturally occurring dissimilarity. Regardless, this study demonstrates the tremendous value of this novel mtDNA resequencing platform, which avoids the pitfalls of erroneously amplifying nuclear-encoded mtDNA pseudogenes, and

  12. The mitochondrial outer membrane protein MDI promotes local protein synthesis and mtDNA replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yi; Chen, Yong; Gucek, Marjan; Xu, Hong

    2016-05-17

    Early embryonic development features rapid nuclear DNA replication cycles, but lacks mtDNA replication. To meet the high-energy demands of embryogenesis, mature oocytes are furnished with vast amounts of mitochondria and mtDNA However, the cellular machinery driving massive mtDNA replication in ovaries remains unknown. Here, we describe a Drosophila AKAP protein, MDI that recruits a translation stimulator, La-related protein (Larp), to the mitochondrial outer membrane in ovaries. The MDI-Larp complex promotes the synthesis of a subset of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins by cytosolic ribosomes on the mitochondrial surface. MDI-Larp's targets include mtDNA replication factors, mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, and electron-transport chain subunits. Lack of MDI abolishes mtDNA replication in ovaries, which leads to mtDNA deficiency in mature eggs. Targeting Larp to the mitochondrial outer membrane independently of MDI restores local protein synthesis and rescues the phenotypes of mdi mutant flies. Our work suggests that a selective translational boost by the MDI-Larp complex on the outer mitochondrial membrane might be essential for mtDNA replication and mitochondrial biogenesis during oogenesis. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  13. Evidence of soil radon as tracer of magma uprising in Mt. Etna

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morelli, D.; Martino, S. Di; Imme, G.; La Delfa, S.; Lo Nigro, S.; Patane, G.

    2006-01-01

    Soil radon has been monitored at one fixed site located in the northeastern flank of Mt. Etna, high-risk volcano in Sicily. The aim of this study was the evaluation of a possible link between magma uprising and soil radon concentration. Continuous radon measurements were performed since July 2001. Comparison between the in-soil radon trend and the acquired meteorological series (Temperature, Humidity and Pressure) seems to confirm a general seasonal correlation; nevertheless some anomalies suggest a possible dependence of the radon concentration on volcanic dynamics, as confirmed by the volcanic tremor and strain-release analysis

  14. Mt. St. Helens' aerosols: some tropospheric and stratospheric effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michalsky, J.J.; Stokes, G.M.

    1983-01-01

    Aerosol optical depth measurements based on the attenuation of direct solar radiation before and after the six major explosive eruptions of Mt. St. Helens during 1980 are presented. These automated measurements are from a site 200 km mostly east and slightly north of the volcano. From the analysis it was concluded that in several cases the conversion of sulfur gases to sulfates proceeded much more rapidly (hours) than is usually found for tropospheric conditions. A possible explanation may be the greater availability of OH due to the presence of substantial water in the plume. The second major result of the analysis was that there was no evidence of a residual aerosol burden. Turbidity data taken between eruptions in 1980 were virtually identical in terms of magnitude and wavelength dependence to 1979 turbidity

  15. The amount and integrity of mtDNA in maize decline with development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oldenburg, Delene J; Kumar, Rachana A; Bendich, Arnold J

    2013-02-01

    In maize and other grasses there is a developmental gradient from the meristematic cells at the base of the stalk to the differentiated cells at the leaf tip. This gradient presents an opportunity to investigate changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that accompany growth under light and dark conditions, as done previously for plastid DNA. Maize mtDNA was analyzed by DAPI-DNA staining of individual mitochondria, gel electrophoresis/blot hybridization, and real-time qPCR. Both the amount and integrity of the mtDNA were found to decline with development. There was a 20-fold decline in mtDNA copy number per cell from the embryo to the light-grown leaf blade. The amount of DNA per mitochondrial particle was greater in dark-grown leaf blade (24 copies, on average) than in the light (2 copies), with some mitochondria lacking any detectable DNA. Three factors that influence the demise of mtDNA during development are considered: (1) the decision to either repair or degrade mtDNA molecules that are damaged by the reactive oxygen species produced as byproducts of respiration; (2) the generation of ATP by photophosphorylation in chloroplasts, reducing the need for respiratory-competent mitochondria; and (3) the shift in mitochondrial function from energy-generating respiration to photorespiration during the transition from non-green to green tissue.

  16. Defects of mtDNA Replication Impaired Mitochondrial Biogenesis During Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Human Cardiomyocytes and Chagasic Patients: The Role of Nrf1/2 and Antioxidant Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Xianxiu; Gupta, Shivali; Zago, Maria P.; Davidson, Mercy M.; Dousset, Pierre; Amoroso, Alejandro; Garg, Nisha Jain

    2012-01-01

    Background Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key determinant in chagasic cardiomyopathy development in mice; however, its relevance in human Chagas disease is not known. We determined if defects in mitochondrial biogenesis and dysregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) coactivator-1 (PGC-1)–regulated transcriptional pathways constitute a mechanism or mechanisms underlying mitochondrial oxidative-phosphorylation (OXPHOS) deficiency in human Chagas disease. Methods and Results We utilized human cardiomyocytes and left-ventricular tissue from chagasic and other cardiomyopathy patients and healthy donors (n>6/group). We noted no change in citrate synthase activity, yet mRNA and/or protein levels of subunits of the respiratory complexes were significantly decreased in Trypanosoma cruzi–infected cardiomyocytes (0 to 24 hours) and chagasic hearts. We observed increased mRNA and decreased nuclear localization of PGC-1-coactivated transcription factors, yet the expression of genes for PPARγ-regulated fatty acid oxidation and nuclear respiratory factor (NRF1/2)–regulated mtDNA replication and transcription machinery was enhanced in infected cardiomyocytes and chagasic hearts. The D-loop formation was normal or higher, but mtDNA replication and mtDNA content were decreased by 83% and 40% to 65%, respectively. Subsequently, we noted that reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative stress, and mtDNA oxidation were significantly increased, yet NRF1/2-regulated antioxidant gene expression remained compromised in infected cardiomyocytes and chagasic hearts. Conclusions The replication of mtDNA was severely compromised, resulting in a significant loss of mtDNA and expression of OXPHOS genes in T cruzi–infected cardiomyocytes and chagasic hearts. Our data suggest increased ROS generation and selective functional incapacity of NRF2-mediated antioxidant gene expression played a role in the defects in mtDNA replication and unfitness of mtDNA for

  17. Ezra Pound and Du Fu: Gazing at Mt. Tai

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kent Su

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Confined to a six-by-six-foot outdoor steel cage, Ezra Pound saw a series of mountain hills from a few miles to the east of Pisa. The poet compared one of these small 800-metre hills to the sacred Chinese Mt. Tai, which becomes the most common geographical name in The Pisan Cantos. Pound’s poetic summoning of this particular mountain is related to the fact that Mt. Tai is historically and culturally connected to the philosophy of Confucius, who personally ascended the mountain several times. Pound, as a devout Confucian disciple, closely follows the philosophical doctrines and attempts to mentally trace the footsteps of Confucius. This paper will argue how Pound’s poetic evocation of the mountain shares a striking similarity to an eighth-century Chinese poem called “Gazing at Mt. Tai,” which was written by the famous literatus - Du Fu 杜甫(712 – 770 . In spite of living in two completely different eras and countries, Pound’s and Du Fu’s reference to Mt. Tai demonstrates the confluence of their poetic spirits. Neither of them ascended mountain personally. They instead made use of their poetic imagination to follow the paths of Confucius and perceived the mountain as an earthly paradise, one which represents tranquillity and serenity away from the moral and physical corruption of the external world.

  18. 78 FR 33047 - Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Carson Ranger District Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe-Atoma Area...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-03

    ... Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe--Atoma Area Environmental Impact Statement AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION... the effects of a proposal from Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe (Mt. Rose) to expand its lift and terrain network. The project is located approximately 12 miles west of the intersection of Mt. Rose Highway (Nevada...

  19. Do mtDNA Deletions Play a Role in the Development of Nasal Polyposis?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arzu Tatar

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective:Nasal polyposis (NP is an inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa and paranasal sinuses. Mitochondria are the cellular organelles which produce cellular energy by Oxidative Phosphorylation (OXPHOS, and they have own inheritance material, mtDNA. mtDNA is affected by reactive oxygen samples (ROS which are produced by both OXPHOS and the inflammatory process. The aim of this study was to investigate the 4977 bp and 7400 bp deletions of mtDNA in nasal polyposis tissue, and to indicate the possible association of mtDNA deletions with NP. Methods:Thirty-three patients, aged 15 to 65 years, with nasal polyposis were selected to be assessed for mitochondrial DNA deletions. The patients with possible mtDNA mutations due to mitochondrial disease, being treated with radiotherapy, of advanced age, with a familiar history, aspirin hypersensitivity, or a history of asthma, were excluded. Polyp excision surgery was applied to the treatment of the NP, and after histopathological diagnosis 1x1 cm of polyp tissue samples were used to isolate mtDNA. The 4977 bp and 7400 bp deletion regions, and two control regions of mtDNA were assessed by using four pairs of primers. DNA extractions from the NP tissues and peripheral blood samples of the patients were made, and then Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR were made. PCR products were separated in 2% agarose gel.Results:No patient had either the 4977 bp deletion or the 7400 bp deletion in their NP tissue, and neither were these deletions evident in their peripheral blood. Two control sequences, one of them from a non-deleted region, and the other from a possible deletion region, were detected in the NP tissues and peripheral blood of all the patients.Conclusions:We had anticipated that some mtDNA deletion might have occurred in NP tissue due to the increased ROS levels caused by chronic inflammation, but we did not detect any deletion. Probably, the duration of inflammation in NP is insufficient to form mt

  20. 77 FR 61248 - Establishment of Class E Airspace; Deer Lodge, MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-09

    ...-0379; Airspace Docket No. 12-ANM-7 Establishment of Class E Airspace; Deer Lodge, MT AGENCY: Federal... at Deer Lodge-City- County Airport, Deer Lodge, MT. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate... procedures at Deer Lodge-City-County Airport. This improves the safety and management of Instrument Flight...

  1. A Signal, from Human mtDNA, of Postglacial Recolonization in Europe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torroni, Antonio; Bandelt, Hans-Jürgen; Macaulay, Vincent; Richards, Martin; Cruciani, Fulvio; Rengo, Chiara; Martinez-Cabrera, Vicente; Villems, Richard; Kivisild, Toomas; Metspalu, Ene; Parik, Jüri; Tolk, Helle-Viivi; Tambets, Kristiina; Forster, Peter; Karger, Bernd; Francalacci, Paolo; Rudan, Pavao; Janicijevic, Branka; Rickards, Olga; Savontaus, Marja-Liisa; Huoponen, Kirsi; Laitinen, Virpi; Koivumäki, Satu; Sykes, Bryan; Hickey, Eileen; Novelletto, Andrea; Moral, Pedro; Sellitto, Daniele; Coppa, Alfredo; Al-Zaheri, Nadia; Santachiara-Benerecetti, A. Silvana; Semino, Ornella; Scozzari, Rosaria

    2001-01-01

    Mitochondrial HVS-I sequences from 10,365 subjects belonging to 56 populations/geographical regions of western Eurasia and northern Africa were first surveyed for the presence of the T→C transition at nucleotide position 16298, a mutation which has previously been shown to characterize haplogroup V mtDNAs. All mtDNAs with this mutation were then screened for a number of diagnostic RFLP sites, revealing two major subsets of mtDNAs. One is haplogroup V proper, and the other has been termed “pre*V,” since it predates V phylogenetically. The rather uncommon pre*V tends to be scattered throughout Europe (and northwestern Africa), whereas V attains two peaks of frequency: one situated in southwestern Europe and one in the Saami of northern Scandinavia. Geographical distributions and ages support the scenario that pre*V originated in Europe before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), whereas the more recently derived haplogroup V arose in a southwestern European refugium soon after the LGM. The arrival of V in eastern/central Europe, however, occurred much later, possibly with (post-)Neolithic contacts. The distribution of haplogroup V mtDNAs in modern European populations would thus, at least in part, reflect the pattern of postglacial human recolonization from that refugium, affecting even the Saami. Overall, the present study shows that the dissection of mtDNA variation into small and well-defined evolutionary units is an essential step in the identification of spatial frequency patterns. Mass screening of a few markers identified using complete mtDNA sequences promises to be an efficient strategy for inferring features of human prehistory. PMID:11517423

  2. Nuclear-like Seq in mt Genome - RMG | LSDB Archive [Life Science Database Archive metadata

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available ar-like Seq in mt Genome Data detail Data name Nuclear-like Seq in mt Genome DOI 10...e Site Policy | Contact Us Nuclear-like Seq in mt Genome - RMG | LSDB Archive ... ...switchLanguage; BLAST Search Image Search Home About Archive Update History Data List Contact us RMG Nucle

  3. The Current State and Historico-geographical Background of Mt. Chirisan Region Immigrants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sungho Kang

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper examined the historico-geographical background and current state of immigrants in the area designated as the “Mt. Chirisan Region,” their characteristics, and related integration issues. This article defines the Mt. Chirisan Region as the 7 cities/kuns of Namwŏn-si, Changsu-kun, Koksŏng-kun, Kurye-kun, Hadong-kun, Sanchŏng-kun, and Hamyang-kun. As the Mt. Chirisan Region mainly consists of mountainous and agricultural areas, the immigrant induction effect socio-economically was low relative to urban and industrial areas. It was also noted that, as the percentage of marriage immigration in Mt. Chirisan was high relative to urban or industrial areas, the female foreigner ratio was higher than that of male foreigners. In regard to the home countries of immigrants, women from South-East Asia and North-East Asia accounted for the majority. Also, this article examines the current situation of support programs of 7 local Multicultural Family Support Centers in the Mt. Chirisan Region, their problems, and probably solutions. Based on the historical development of the region and recent social changes, our society and government need to actively develop a higher level of social integration and employment education support programs, and carry out policies that will protect the diverse cultural identities of immigrants. In addition, differentiated multicultural family support programs appropriate for Mt. Chirisan, an inland mountain region, need to be developed.

  4. Synthetic Modeling of A Geothermal System Using Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) and Magnetotelluric (MT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mega Saputra, Rifki; Widodo

    2017-04-01

    Indonesia has 40% of the world’s potential geothermal resources with estimated capacity of 28,910 MW. Generally, the characteristic of the geothermal system in Indonesia is liquid-dominated systems, which driven by volcanic activities. In geothermal exploration, electromagnetic methods are used to map structures that could host potential reservoirs and source rocks. We want to know the responses of a geothermal system using synthetic data of Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) and Magnetotelluric (MT). Due to frequency range, AMT and MT data can resolve the shallow and deeper structure, respectively. 1-D models have been performed using AMT and MT data. The results indicate that AMT and MT data give detailed conductivity distribution of geothermal structure.

  5. Sidereal anisotropy of small air showers observed at Mt. Norikura

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagashima, K.; Sakakibara, S.; Fujimoto, K.; Fujii, Z.; Ueno, H.; Kondo, I.

    1977-01-01

    Observation of small air showers has been continued from August 1970, using a part of the multidirectional cosmic ray telescope at Mt. Norikura. Most significant result obtained from this observation was a sidereal diurnal anisotropy of amplitude 0.051 +- 0.004% with maximum at 1.0 +- 0.5 h, which showed a persistent trend over six years. Based on the results of the observation together with those obtained by Gombosi et al. and Fenton et al., a tentative model of sidereal anisotropies is presented. (author)

  6. Lidar observations of stratospheric aerosol layer after the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagai, Tomohiro; Uchino, Osamu; Fujimoto, Toshifumi.

    1992-01-01

    The volcano Mt. Pinatubo located on the Luzon Island, Philippines, had explosively erupted on June 15, 1991. The volcanic eruptions such as volcanic ash, SO2 and H2O reached into the stratosphere over 30 km altitude by the NOAA-11 satellite observation and this is considered one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in this century. A grandiose volcanic eruption influences the atmosphere seriously and causes many climatic effects globally. There had been many impacts on radiation, atmospheric temperature and stratospheric ozone after some past volcanic eruptions. The main cause of volcanic influence depends on stratospheric aerosol, that stay long enough to change climate and other meteorological conditions. Therefore it is very important to watch stratospheric aerosol layers carefully and continuously. Standing on this respect, we do not only continue stratospheric aerosol observation at Tsukuba but also have urgently developed another lidar observational point at Naha in Okinawa Island. This observational station could be thought valuable since there is no lidar observational station in this latitudinal zone and it is much nearer to Mt. Pinatubo. Especially, there is advantage to link up these two stations on studying the transportation mechanism in the stratosphere. In this paper, we present the results of lidar observations at Tsukuba and Naha by lidar systems with Nd:YAG laser

  7. Lidar Observations of Stratospheric Aerosol Layer After the Mt. Pinatubo Volcanic Eruption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagai, Tomohiro; Uchino, Osamu; Fujimoto, Toshifumi

    1992-01-01

    The volcano Mt. Pinatubo located on the Luzon Island, Philippines, had explosively erupted on June 15, 1991. The volcanic eruptions such as volcanic ash, SO2 and H2O reached into the stratosphere over 30 km altitude by the NOAA-11 satellite observation and this is considered one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in this century. A grandiose volcanic eruption influences the atmosphere seriously and causes many climatic effects globally. There had been many impacts on radiation, atmospheric temperature and stratospheric ozone after some past volcanic eruptions. The main cause of volcanic influence depends on stratospheric aerosol, that stay long enough to change climate and other meteorological conditions. Therefore it is very important to watch stratospheric aerosol layers carefully and continuously. Standing on this respect, we do not only continue stratospheric aerosol observation at Tsukuba but also have urgently developed another lidar observational point at Naha in Okinawa Island. This observational station could be thought valuable since there is no lidar observational station in this latitudinal zone and it is much nearer to Mt. Pinatubo. Especially, there is advantage to link up these two stations on studying the transportation mechanism in the stratosphere. In this paper, we present the results of lidar observations at Tsukuba and Naha by lidar systems with Nd:YAG laser.

  8. No variation and low synonymous substitution rates in coral mtDNA despite high nuclear variation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hellberg Michael E

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA of most animals evolves more rapidly than nuclear DNA, and often shows higher levels of intraspecific polymorphism and population subdivision. The mtDNA of anthozoans (corals, sea fans, and their kin, by contrast, appears to evolve slowly. Slow mtDNA evolution has been reported for several anthozoans, however this slow pace has been difficult to put in phylogenetic context without parallel surveys of nuclear variation or calibrated rates of synonymous substitution that could permit quantitative rate comparisons across taxa. Here, I survey variation in the coding region of a mitochondrial gene from a coral species (Balanophyllia elegans known to possess high levels of nuclear gene variation, and estimate synonymous rates of mtDNA substitution by comparison to another coral (Tubastrea coccinea. Results The mtDNA surveyed (630 bp of cytochrome oxidase subunit I was invariant among individuals sampled from 18 populations spanning 3000 km of the range of B. elegans, despite high levels of variation and population subdivision for allozymes over these same populations. The synonymous substitution rate between B. elegans and T. coccinea (0.05%/site/106 years is similar to that in most plants, but 50–100 times lower than rates typical for most animals. In addition, while substitutions to mtDNA in most animals exhibit a strong bias toward transitions, mtDNA from these corals does not. Conclusion Slow rates of mitochondrial nucleotide substitution result in low levels of intraspecific mtDNA variation in corals, even when nuclear loci vary. Slow mtDNA evolution appears to be the basal condition among eukaryotes. mtDNA substitution rates switch from slow to fast abruptly and unidirectionally. This switch may stem from the loss of just one or a few mitochondrion-specific DNA repair or replication genes.

  9. Overexpression of a Medicago truncatula stress-associated protein gene (MtSAP1) leads to nitric oxide accumulation and confers osmotic and salt stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charrier, Aurélie; Planchet, Elisabeth; Cerveau, Delphine; Gimeno-Gilles, Christine; Verdu, Isabelle; Limami, Anis M; Lelièvre, Eric

    2012-08-01

    The impact of Medicago truncatula stress-associated protein gene (MtSAP1) overexpression has been investigated in Nicotiana tabacum transgenic seedlings. Under optimal conditions, transgenic lines overexpressing MtSAP1 revealed better plant development and higher chlorophyll content as compared to wild type seedlings. Interestingly, transgenic lines showed a stronger accumulation of nitric oxide (NO), a signaling molecule involved in growth and development processes. This NO production seemed to be partially nitrate reductase dependent. Due to the fact that NO has been also reported to play a role in tolerance acquisition of plants to abiotic stresses, the responses of MtSAP1 overexpressors to osmotic and salt stress have been studied. Compared to the wild type, transgenic lines were less affected in their growth and development. Moreover, NO content in MtSAP1 overexpressors was always higher than that detected in wild seedlings under stress conditions. It seems that this better tolerance induced by MtSAP1 overexpression could be associated with this higher NO production that would enable seedlings to reach a high protection level to prepare them to cope with abiotic stresses.

  10. Soil microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2) of twelve ecosystems of Mt. Kilimanjaro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pabst, Holger; Gerschlauer, Friederike; Kiese, Ralf; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2014-05-01

    Soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and the metabolic quotient qCO2 - as sensitive and important parameters for soil fertility and C turnover - are strongly affected by land-use changes all over the world. These effects are particularly distinct upon conversion of natural to agricultural ecosystems due to very fast carbon (C) and nutrient cycles and high vulnerability, especially in the tropics. In this study, we used an elevational gradient on Mt. Kilimanjaro to investigate the effects of land-use change and elevation on Corg, MBC and qCO2. Down to a soil depth of 18 cm we compared 4 natural (Helichrysum, Erica forest, Podocarpus forest, Ocotea forest), 5 seminatural (disturbed Podocarpus forest, disturbed Ocotea forest, lower montane forest, grassland, savannah), 1 sustainably used (homegarden) and 2 intensively used ecosystems (coffee plantation, maize field) on an elevation gradient from 950 to 3880 m a.s.l.. Using an incubation device, soil CO2-efflux of 18 cm deep soil cores was measured under field moist conditions and mean annual temperature. MBC to Corg ratios varied between 0.7 and 2.3%. qCO2 increased with magnitude of the disturbance, albeit this effect decreased with elevation. Following the annual precipitation of the ecosystems, both, Corg and MBC showed a hum-shaped distribution with elevation, whereas their maxima were between 2500 and 3000 m a.s.l.. Additionaly, Corg and MBC contents were significantly reduced in intensively used agricultural systems. We conclude that the soil microbial biomass and its activity in Mt. Kilimanjaro ecosystems are strongly altered by land-use. This effect is more distinct in lower than in higher elevated ecosystems and strongly dependent on the magnitude of disturbance.

  11. UVA-mediated down-regulation of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP coincides with impaired angiogenic phenotype of human dermal endothelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cauchard, Jean-Hubert; Robinet, Arnaud; Poitevin, Stephane; Bobichon, Helene; Maziere, Jean-Claude; Bellon, Georges; Hornebeck, William

    2006-01-01

    UVA irradiation, dose-dependently (5-20 J/cm 2 ), was shown to impair the morphogenic differentiation of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs) on Matrigel. Parallely, UVA down-regulated the expression of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP, both at the protein and the mRNA levels. On the contrary, the production of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 by HMECs increased following UVA treatment. The inhibitory effect of UVA on MMP expression and pseudotubes formation was mediated by UVA-generated singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ). The contribution of MT1-MMP, but not TIMP-1, to the regulation of HMECs' angiogenic phenotype following UVA irradiation was suggested using elastin-derived peptides and TIMP-1 blocking antibody, respectively

  12. Double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase Irc3p is directly involved in mitochondrial genome maintenance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sedman, Tiina; Gaidutšik, Ilja; Villemson, Karin; Hou, YingJian; Sedman, Juhan

    2014-12-01

    Nucleic acid-dependent ATPases are involved in nearly all aspects of DNA and RNA metabolism. Previous studies have described a number of mitochondrial helicases. However, double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPases, including translocases or enzymes remodeling DNA-protein complexes, have not been identified in mitochondria of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae. Here, we demonstrate that Irc3p is a mitochondrial double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase of the Superfamily II. In contrast to the other mitochondrial Superfamily II enzymes Mss116p, Suv3p and Mrh4p, which are RNA helicases, Irc3p has a direct role in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) maintenance. Specific Irc3p-dependent mtDNA metabolic intermediates can be detected, including high levels of double-stranded DNA breaks that accumulate in irc3Δ mutants. irc3Δ-related topology changes in rho- mtDNA can be reversed by the deletion of mitochondrial RNA polymerase RPO41, suggesting that Irc3p counterbalances adverse effects of transcription on mitochondrial genome stability. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  13. Teratological effects of exposure to 20 mT, 50 Hz magnetic fields in CD1 mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kowalczuk, C.I.; Sienkiewicz, Z.J.; Robbins, L.; Butland, B.K.; Haylock, R.G.E.; Thomas, J.M.; Saunders, R.D.

    1992-09-01

    Pregnant CD1 mice were exposed or sham-exposed for all or nearly all of the period of gestation to a 20 mT, 50 Hz magnetic fields. Pre-implantation and post-implantation survival rates were assessed, and fetuses examined for the presence of gross external, internal and skeletal abnormalities. Other pregnancies were allowed to come to term and the offspring assessed for the appearance of certain developmental indices and reflexive behaviours; at a later stage, simple assessments of juvenile and adult behaviour were carried out. The study revealed no statistically significant field-dependent effects on pre-implantation or post-implantation survival, sex ratio, or the incidence of internal or skeletal abnormalities. Magnetic field exposure was, however, associated with longer and heavier fetuses at term with fewer external abnormalities and an increased incidence of one class of supernumerary ribs. The postnatal behaviour tests revealed two minor field-dependent effects. From a comparison with other studies, it was considered that most of the above effects were due to chance, a result of the spurious significance seen when large numbers of tests are analysed separately. However, the reduction in the number of external abnormalities in the exposed group was highly significant. This effect has not been reported in other studies and might reflect differences in the selection of exposed and sham-exposed groups; however, an effect of magnetic field exposure cannot be dismissed. In general, the results of the present and other studies of mice and rats suggest that exposure for the duration of pregnancy to power frequency magnetic fields and other extremely low frequency (ELF) fields of up to 20 mT does not increase the incidence of postnatal death or the incidence of gross external, internal or skeletal abnormalities. Similar conclusions can be derived from studies carried out by other authors about the possible effects on pregnancy outcome of exposure to RF fields of 18

  14. AS3MT, GSTO, and PNP polymorphisms: impact on arsenic methylation and implications for disease susceptibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antonelli, Ray; Shao, Kan; Thomas, David J; Sams, Reeder; Cowden, John

    2014-07-01

    Oral exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) is associated with adverse health effects. Epidemiological studies suggest differences in susceptibility to these health effects, possibly due to genotypic variation. Genetic polymorphisms in iAs metabolism could lead to increased susceptibility by altering urinary iAs metabolite concentrations. To examine the impact of genotypic polymorphisms on iAs metabolism. We screened 360 publications from PubMed and Web of Science for data on urinary mono- and dimethylated arsenic (MMA and DMA) percentages and polymorphic genes encoding proteins that are hypothesized to play roles in arsenic metabolism. The genes we examined were arsenic (+3) methyltransferase (AS3MT), glutathione-s-transferase omega (GSTO), and purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP). Relevant data were pooled to determine which polymorphisms are associated across studies with changes in urinary metabolite concentration. In our review, AS3MT polymorphisms rs3740390, rs11191439, and rs11191453 were associated with statistically significant changes in percent urinary MMA. Studies of GSTO polymorphisms did not indicate statistically significant associations with methylation, and there are insufficient data on PNP polymorphisms to evaluate their impact on metabolism. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that AS3MT polymorphisms alter in vivo metabolite concentrations. Preliminary evidence suggests that AS3MT genetic polymorphisms may impact disease susceptibility. GSTO polymorphisms were not associated with iAs-associated health outcomes. Additional data are needed to evaluate the association between PNP polymorphisms and iAs-associated health outcomes. Delineation of these relationships may inform iAs mode(s) of action and the approach for evaluating low-dose health effects for iAs. Genotype impacts urinary iAs metabolite concentrations and may be a potential mechanism for iAs-related disease susceptibility. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  15. Accurate Laser Measurements of the Water Vapor Self-Continuum Absorption in Four Near Infrared Atmospheric Windows. a Test of the MT_CKD Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campargue, Alain; Kassi, Samir; Mondelain, Didier; Romanini, Daniele; Lechevallier, Loïc; Vasilchenko, Semyon

    2017-06-01

    The semi empirical MT_CKD model of the absorption continuum of water vapor is widely used in atmospheric radiative transfer codes of the atmosphere of Earth and exoplanets but lacks of experimental validation in the atmospheric windows. Recent laboratory measurements by Fourier transform Spectroscopy have led to self-continuum cross-sections much larger than the MT_CKD values in the near infrared transparency windows. In the present work, we report on accurate water vapor absorption continuum measurements by Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) and Optical-Feedback-Cavity Enhanced Laser Spectroscopy (OF-CEAS) at selected spectral points of the transparency windows centered around 4.0, 2.1 and 1.25 μm. The temperature dependence of the absorption continuum at 4.38 μm and 3.32 μm is measured in the 23-39 °C range. The self-continuum water vapor absorption is derived either from the baseline variation of spectra recorded for a series of pressure values over a small spectral interval or from baseline monitoring at fixed laser frequency, during pressure ramps. In order to avoid possible bias approaching the water saturation pressure, the maximum pressure value was limited to about 16 Torr, corresponding to a 75% humidity rate. After subtraction of the local water monomer lines contribution, self-continuum cross-sections, C_{S}, were determined with a few % accuracy from the pressure squared dependence of the spectra base line level. Together with our previous CRDS and OF-CEAS measurements in the 2.1 and 1.6 μm windows, the derived water vapor self-continuum provides a unique set of water vapor self-continuum cross-sections for a test of the MT_CKD model in four transparency windows. Although showing some important deviations of the absolute values (up to a factor of 4 at the center of the 2.1 μm window), our accurate measurements validate the overall frequency dependence of the MT_CKD2.8 model.

  16. MT survey in the Minaminoshiro oil field; Minaminoshiro chiiki ni okeru MT ho ni yoru sekiyu tanko (sanjigen MT ho chosa no kento). 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsuo, K; Minegishi, M [Japan National Oil Corp., Tokyo (Japan). Technology Research Center

    1997-10-22

    Preliminary experiment, investigation, and study are conducted prior to an experimental 3-D MT (magnetotelluric) survey planned to be carried out in the Minaminoshiro district, Akita Prefecture. In the preliminary investigation, MT measurements were performed at nine locations. It was anticipated that national highways, waste treatment plants, high-voltage power lines, and railways in presence in the district would act as noise sources. Although the impact of such noise was detected in the single site treatment result, yet it was found that it would be mostly eliminated by use of the remote reference treatment. It was learned that the resistivity structure in this district was quite low in contrast or 1 ohm/m against 30 ohm/m, but the result of 3-D model calculation indicated that a sufficient analysis would be possible even in such a low contrast case. Furthermore, as the result of the study of the density of observation stations in the magnetic field, it was found that changes in the response of magnetic field to the resistivity structure would be approximately 2% at the maximum and that the ill effect on the result of measurement would be of the negligible magnitude even when a single magnetic field observation station is deployed against plural electric field observation stations. 6 refs., 7 figs.

  17. Biological monitoring and the influence of genetic polymorphism of As3MT and GSTs on distribution of urinary arsenic species in occupational exposure workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janasik, Beata; Reszka, Edyta; Stanislawska, Magdalena; Wieczorek, Edyta; Fendler, Wojciech; Wasowicz, Wojciech

    2015-08-01

    To examine the differences in urinary arsenic metabolism patterns in men affected by occupational exposure, we performed a study on 149 participants—workers of a copper mill and 52 healthy controls without occupational exposure. To elucidate the role of genetic factors in arsenic (As) metabolism, we studied the associations of six polymorphisms: As3MT Met287Thr (T>C) in exon 9; As3MT A>G in 5'UTR; As3MT C>G in intron 6; As3MT T>G in intron 1; GSTP1 Ile105Val and GSTO2 T>C. Air samples were collected using individual samplers during work shift. Urine samples were analyzed for total arsenic and arsenic chemical forms (As(III); As(V), MMA, DMA, AsB) using HPLC-ICP-MS. A specific polymerase chain reaction was done for the amplification of exons and flanking regions of As3MT and GSTs. The geometric mean arsenic concentrations in the air were 27.6 ± 4.9 µg/m(3). A significant correlation (p iAs +MMA and iAs. As3MT (rs3740400) GG homozygotes showed significantly (p iAs (21.8 ± 2.0) in urine than GC+CC heterozygotes (16.0 ± 2.1). A strong association between the gene variants and As species in urine was observed for GSTO2 (rs156697) polymorphism. The findings of the study point out that the concentration of iAs or the sum of iAs + MMA in urine can be a reliable biological indicator of occupational exposure to arsenic. This study demonstrates that As3MT and/or GSTs genotype may influence As metabolism. Nevertheless, further studies investigating genetic polymorphism in occupational conditions are required.

  18. A volcanic event forecasting model for multiple tephra records, demonstrated on Mt. Taranaki, New Zealand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damaschke, Magret; Cronin, Shane J.; Bebbington, Mark S.

    2018-01-01

    Robust time-varying volcanic hazard assessments are difficult to develop, because they depend upon having a complete and extensive eruptive activity record. Missing events in eruption records are endemic, due to poor preservation or erosion of tephra and other volcanic deposits. Even with many stratigraphic studies, underestimation or overestimation of eruption numbers is possible due to mis-matching tephras with similar chemical compositions or problematic age models. It is also common to have gaps in event coverage due to sedimentary records not being available in all directions from the volcano, especially downwind. Here, we examine the sensitivity of probabilistic hazard estimates using a suite of four new and two existing high-resolution tephra records located around Mt. Taranaki, New Zealand. Previous estimates were made using only single, or two correlated, tephra records. In this study, tephra data from six individual sites in lake and peat bogs covering an arc of 120° downwind of the volcano provided an excellent temporal high-resolution event record. The new data confirm a previously identified semi-regular pattern of variable eruption frequency at Mt. Taranaki. Eruption intervals exhibit a bimodal distribution, with eruptions being an average of 65 years apart, and in 2% of cases, centuries separate eruptions. The long intervals are less common than seen in earlier studies, but they have not disappeared with the inclusion of our comprehensive new dataset. Hence, the latest long interval of quiescence, since AD 1800, is unusual, but not out of character with the volcano. The new data also suggest that one of the tephra records (Lake Rotokare) used in earlier work had an old carbon effect on age determinations. This shifted ages of the affected tephras so that they were not correlated to other sites, leading to an artificially high eruption frequency in the previous combined record. New modelled time-varying frequency estimates suggest a 33

  19. Volcanic records of the Laschamp geomagnetic excursion from Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingham, E.; Turner, G. M.; Conway, C. E.; Heslop, D.; Roberts, A. P.; Leonard, G.; Townsend, D.; Calvert, A.

    2017-08-01

    We present palaeodirectional records of the Laschamp geomagnetic excursion from lavas on Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand. Fourteen lava flows on the northwestern and southern flanks of Mt Ruapehu, with 40Ar/39Ar weighted mean plateau ages that range from 46.3 ± 2.0 to 39.9 ± 1.4 ka, were studied. The youngest and older flows carry a normal polarity magnetization; however, six flows, dated between 46.3 ± 2.0 and 42.7 ± 1.8 ka, record excursional directions. Three of these flows record southerly palaeomagnetic declinations and negative inclinations that agree well with a published Laschamp record from the Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF). Together, the AVF and Mt Ruapehu lavas currently represent the only volcanic records of the Laschamp excursion outside the Chaîne des Puys region, France. Thus, they make an important contribution to the global set of Laschamp excursion records. Virtual geomagnetic pole (VGP) groups for the New Zealand and French records early in the excursion are compatible with a dipole-dominated field that rotated to an equatorial orientation while simultaneously decaying in strength. In contrast, younger excursional flows from France and New Zealand yield separate VGP groups, which suggest either that the field had a nondipolar morphology in this later phase, or that the VGP groups were not synchronous. 40Ar/39Ar ages for the Mt Ruapehu record are on average slightly older than published northern hemisphere ages and from the relative palaeointensity minimum in the GLOPIS sedimentary stack. Although few individual ages differ significantly at the 2σ level, the spread suggests an overall excursion duration that is longer than the currently accepted 1500 years. This age spread may result from excess Ar in magmas at the time of the eruption biasing the results to slightly older ages, or from non-synchronous excursional field behaviour at near-antipodal locations, or, possibly, a precursory phase prior to the main excursion.

  20. Concentrations of tritium in atmospheric moisture and precipitation of Mt. Hakkoda

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kimura, Hideki; Kon, Takezumi; Sasaki, Mamoru

    2000-01-01

    A large-scale spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Japan is now under construction in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture. The 3 H will be one of the major radionuclides released from the plant. To grasp the behavior of 3 H in the environment in Aomori Prefecture, we surveyed 3 H concentrations in the atmospheric moisture and the precipitation samples at Mt. Hakkoda. Additional atmospheric moisture samples were collected at Rokkasho Village and Aomori City. The relatively high 3 H concentration in the atmospheric moisture and the precipitation samples at Mt. Hakkoda were observed from spring to summer. The 3 H concentrations in the precipitation were similar to those in the atmospheric moisture. The temporal variation patterns of 3 H concentrations in the atmospheric moisture were similar in relatively wide region that covers from Mt. Hakkoda to Aomori City and Rokkasho Village. The 3 H concentration in atmospheric moisture at the top of Mt. Hakkoda positively correlated with the ozone concentration. It suggested that 3 H originated from the stratosphere, and showed that ozone might be used as an indictor of background 3 H. (author)

  1. Characterization of a Dairy Gyr herd with respect to its mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA origin

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    Anibal Eugênio Vercesi Filho

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The Zebu breeds were introduced in Brazil mainly in the last century by imports from the Indian subcontinent. When the Zebu cattle arrived, the national herd suffered a significative change by backcrossing the national cows of taurine origin with Zebu sires. These processes created a polymorphism in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA in the Zebu animals with are in a major part derived from backcrossing and sharing mtDNA of taurine origin. To verify the maternal origin of cows belonging to the Dairy Gyr herd of APTA, Mococa 60 females were analyzed and 33 presented mtDNA from Bos taurus origin and 27 presented mtDNA from Bos indicus origin. None of these animals presented patterns of both mtDNA origins, indicating absence of heteroplasmy for these mitochondrial genotypes.

  2. Characterization of mtDNA haplogroups in 14 Mexican indigenous populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peñaloza-Espinosa, Rosenda I; Arenas-Aranda, Diego; Cerda-Flores, Ricardo M; Buentello-Malo, Leonor; González-Valencia, Gerardo; Torres, Javier; Alvarez, Berenice; Mendoza, Irma; Flores, Mario; Sandoval, Lucila; Loeza, Francisco; Ramos, Irma; Muñoz, Leopoldo; Salamanca, Fabio

    2007-06-01

    In this descriptive study we investigated the genetic structure of 513 Mexican indigenous subjects grouped in 14 populations (Mixteca-Alta, Mixteca-Baja, Otomi, Purépecha, Tzeltal, Tarahumara, Huichol, Nahua-Atocpan, Nahua-Xochimilco, Nahua-Zitlala, Nahua-Chilacachapa, Nahua-Ixhuatlancillo, Nahua-Necoxtla, and Nahua-Coyolillo) based on mtDNA haplogroups. These communities are geographically and culturally isolated; parents and grandparents were born in the community. Our data show that 98.6% of the mtDNA was distributed in haplogroups A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D1, and D2. Haplotype X6 was present in the Tarahumara (1/53) and Huichol (3/15), and haplotype L was present in the Nahua-Coyolillo (3/38). The first two principal components accounted for 95.9% of the total variation in the sample. The mtDNA haplogroup frequencies in the Purépecha and Zitlala were intermediate to cluster 1 (Otomi, Nahua-Ixhuatlancillo, Nahua-Xochimilco, Mixteca-Baja, and Tzeltal) and cluster 2 (Nahua-Necoxtla, Nahua-Atocpan, and Nahua-Chilacachapa). The Huichol, Tarahumara, Mixteca-Alta, and Nahua-Coyolillo were separated from the rest of the populations. According to these findings, the distribution of mtDNA haplogroups found in Mexican indigenous groups is similar to other Amerindian haplogroups, except for the African haplogroup found in one population.

  3. Special report: Mt. St. Helens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mt. St Helens Volcano, Cascade Range, Southern Washington, USA (46.20°N, 122.18°W.) All times are local (GMT - 7 h through October 24, GMT - 8 h thereafter. Lava extrusion that probably began October 30 added a new lobe to the composite dome in the crater of Mt. St. Helens. After lava extrusion ended September 10 (see September 22 Eos), rates of deformation in the crater remained low for several weeks, as they had after earlier extrusion episodes. Sulfur dioxide emission ranged from 70 to 190 tons per day between October 9 and 24, but showed no particular trends. Inflation of the dome has caused small thrust faults to form in the surrounding crater floor. In early October the most active thrust, south of the dome, was moving at about 1.5 cm/d, and stations on the north crater rampart showed outward movement of about 0.5 cm/d. By October 24 these rates had increased to 14.5 and 3.5-4 cm/d, respectively, and leveling profiles perpendicular to the dome showed that crater floor tilt rates had reached 400-500 μrad/d, prompting the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to issue an advisory prediction of renewed lava extrusion within the next two weeks.

  4. Disruption of M-T5, a novel myxoma virus gene member of poxvirus host range superfamily, results in dramatic attenuation of myxomatosis in infected European rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mossman, K; Lee, S F; Barry, M; Boshkov, L; McFadden, G

    1996-07-01

    Myxoma virus is a pathogenic poxvirus that induces a lethal myxomatosis disease profile in European rabbits, which is characterized by fulminating lesions at the primary site of inoculation, rapid dissemination to secondary internal organs and peripheral external sites, and supervening gram-negative bacterial infection. Here we describe the role of a novel myxoma virus protein encoded by the M-T5 open reading frame during pathogenesis. The myxoma virus M-T5 protein possesses no significant sequence homology to nonviral proteins but is a member of a larger poxviral superfamily designated host range proteins. An M-T5- mutant virus was constructed by disruption of both copies of the M-T5 gene followed by insertion of the selectable marker p7.5Ecogpt. Although the M-T5- deletion mutant replicated with wild-type kinetics in rabbit fibroblasts, infection of a rabbit CD4+ T-cell line (RL5) with the myxoma virus M-T5- mutant virus resulted in the rapid and complete cessation of both host and viral protein synthesis, accompanied by the manifestation of all the classical features of programmed cell death. Infection of primary rabbit peripheral mononuclear cells with the myxoma virus M-T5-mutant virus resulted in the apoptotic death of nonadherent lymphocytes but not adherent monocytes. Within the European rabbit, disruption of the M-T5 open reading frame caused a dramatic attenuation of the rapidly lethal myxomatosis infection, and none of the infected rabbits displayed any of the characteristic features of myxomatosis. The two most significant histological observations in rabbits infected with the M-T5-mutant virus were (i) the lack of progression of the infection past the primary site of inoculation, coupled with the establishment of a rapid and effective inflammatory reaction, and (ii) the inability of the virus to initiate a cellular reaction within secondary immune organs. We conclude that M-T5 functions as a critical virulence factor by allowing productive infection of

  5. The complete mitochondrial genomes for three Toxocara species of human and animal health significance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wu Xiang-Yun

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Studying mitochondrial (mt genomics has important implications for various fundamental areas, including mt biochemistry, physiology and molecular biology. In addition, mt genome sequences have provided useful markers for investigating population genetic structures, systematics and phylogenetics of organisms. Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati and Toxocara malaysiensis cause significant health problems in animals and humans. Although they are of importance in human and animal health, no information on the mt genomes for any of Toxocara species is available. Results The sizes of the entire mt genome are 14,322 bp for T. canis, 14029 bp for T. cati and 14266 bp for T. malaysiensis, respectively. These circular genomes are amongst the largest reported to date for all secernentean nematodes. Their relatively large sizes relate mainly to an increased length in the AT-rich region. The mt genomes of the three Toxocara species all encode 12 proteins, two ribosomal RNAs and 22 transfer RNA genes, but lack the ATP synthetase subunit 8 gene, which is consistent with all other species of Nematode studied to date, with the exception of Trichinella spiralis. All genes are transcribed in the same direction and have a nucleotide composition high in A and T, but low in G and C. The contents of A+T of the complete genomes are 68.57% for T. canis, 69.95% for T. cati and 68.86% for T. malaysiensis, among which the A+T for T. canis is the lowest among all nematodes studied to date. The AT bias had a significant effect on both the codon usage pattern and amino acid composition of proteins. The mt genome structures for three Toxocara species, including genes and non-coding regions, are in the same order as for Ascaris suum and Anisakis simplex, but differ from Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus and Caenorhabditis elegans only in the location of the AT-rich region, whereas there are substantial differences when compared with Onchocerca volvulus

  6. Perceptual learning of motion direction discrimination with suppressed and unsuppressed MT in humans: an fMRI study.

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    Benjamin Thompson

    Full Text Available The middle temporal area of the extrastriate visual cortex (area MT is integral to motion perception and is thought to play a key role in the perceptual learning of motion tasks. We have previously found, however, that perceptual learning of a motion discrimination task is possible even when the training stimulus contains locally balanced, motion opponent signals that putatively suppress the response of MT. Assuming at least partial suppression of MT, possible explanations for this learning are that 1 training made MT more responsive by reducing motion opponency, 2 MT remained suppressed and alternative visual areas such as V1 enabled learning and/or 3 suppression of MT increased with training, possibly to reduce noise. Here we used fMRI to test these possibilities. We first confirmed that the motion opponent stimulus did indeed suppress the BOLD response within hMT+ compared to an almost identical stimulus without locally balanced motion signals. We then trained participants on motion opponent or non-opponent stimuli. Training with the motion opponent stimulus reduced the BOLD response within hMT+ and greater reductions in BOLD response were correlated with greater amounts of learning. The opposite relationship between BOLD and behaviour was found at V1 for the group trained on the motion-opponent stimulus and at both V1 and hMT+ for the group trained on the non-opponent motion stimulus. As the average response of many cells within MT to motion opponent stimuli is the same as their response to non-directional flickering noise, the reduced activation of hMT+ after training may reflect noise reduction.

  7. Impact of Sleeping Altitude on Symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness on Mt. Fuji.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horiuchi, Masahiro; Uno, Tadashi; Endo, Junko; Handa, Yoko; Hasegawa, Tatsuya

    2018-05-09

    Horiuchi, Masahiro, Tadashi Uno, Junko Endo, Yoko Handa, and Tatsuya Hasegawa. Impact of sleeping altitude on symptoms of acute mountain sickness on Mt. Fuji. High Alt Med Biol. 00:000-000, 2018. We sought to investigate the factors influencing acute mountain sickness (AMS) on Mt. Fuji in Japan, in particular, to assess the effects of sleeping altitude, by means of a questionnaire survey. This study involved 1932 participants who climbed Mt. Fuji, and obtained information regarding sex, age, and whether participants stayed at the mountain lodges. The AMS survey excluded the perceived sleep difficulties assessed with the Lake Louise Scoring (LLS) system for all climbers. The overall prevalence of AMS was 31.6% for all participants (LLS score ≥3 with headache, excluding sleep difficulties). A univariate analysis revealed that overnight stay at Mt. Fuji was associated with an increased prevalence of AMS, but that sex and age were not. For overnight lodgers, the mean sleeping altitude in participants with AMS was slightly higher than that in participants without AMS (p lodge, especially one above 2870 m, may be associated with an increased prevalence of AMS on Mt. Fuji.

  8. DNA methyltransferase 1 mutations and mitochondrial pathology: is mtDNA methylated?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra eMaresca

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness and narcolepsy (ADCA-DN and Hereditary sensory neuropathy with dementia and hearing loss (HSN1E are two rare, overlapping neurodegenerative syndromes that have been recently linked to allelic dominant pathogenic mutations in the DNMT1 gene, coding for DNA (cytosine-5-methyltransferase 1. DNMT1 is the enzyme responsible for maintaining the nuclear genome methylation patterns during the DNA replication and repair, thus regulating gene expression. The mutations responsible for ADCA-DN and HSN1E affect the replication foci targeting sequence domain, which regulates DNMT1 binding to chromatin. DNMT1 dysfunction is anticipated to lead to a global alteration of the DNA methylation pattern with predictable downstream consequences on gene expression. Interestingly, ADCA-DN and HSN1E phenotypes share some clinical features typical of mitochondrial diseases, such as optic atrophy, peripheral neuropathy and deafness, and some biochemical evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction. The recent discovery of a mitochondrial isoform of DNMT1 and its proposed role in methylating mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA suggests that DNMT1 mutations may directly affect mtDNA and mitochondrial physiology. On the basis of this latter finding the link between DNMT1 abnormal activity and mitochondrial dysfunction in ADCA-DN and HSN1E appears intuitive, however mtDNA methylation remains highly debated. In the last years several groups demonstrated the presence of 5-methylcytosine in mtDNA by different approaches, but, on the other end, the opposite evidence that mtDNA is not methylated has also been published. Since over 1500 mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome, the altered methylation of these genes may well have a critical role in leading to the mitochondrial impairment observed in ADCA-DN and HSN1E. Thus, many open questions still remain unanswered, such as why mtDNA should be methylated, and how this process is

  9. Mitochondrial nucleoid clusters protect newly synthesized mtDNA during Doxorubicin- and Ethidium Bromide-induced mitochondrial stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alán, Lukáš, E-mail: lukas.alan@fgu.cas.cz; Špaček, Tomáš; Pajuelo Reguera, David; Jabůrek, Martin; Ježek, Petr

    2016-07-01

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is compacted in ribonucleoprotein complexes called nucleoids, which can divide or move within the mitochondrial network. Mitochondrial nucleoids are able to aggregate into clusters upon reaction with intercalators such as the mtDNA depletion agent Ethidium Bromide (EB) or anticancer drug Doxorobicin (DXR). However, the exact mechanism of nucleoid clusters formation remains unknown. Resolving these processes may help to elucidate the mechanisms of DXR-induced cardiotoxicity. Therefore, we addressed the role of two key nucleoid proteins; mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) and mitochondrial single-stranded binding protein (mtSSB); in the formation of mitochondrial nucleoid clusters during the action of intercalators. We found that both intercalators cause numerous aberrations due to perturbing their native status. By blocking mtDNA replication, both agents also prevented mtDNA association with TFAM, consequently causing nucleoid aggregation into large nucleoid clusters enriched with TFAM, co-existing with the normal nucleoid population. In the later stages of intercalation (> 48 h), TFAM levels were reduced to 25%. In contrast, mtSSB was released from mtDNA and freely distributed within the mitochondrial network. Nucleoid clusters mostly contained nucleoids with newly replicated mtDNA, however the nucleoid population which was not in replication mode remained outside the clusters. Moreover, the nucleoid clusters were enriched with p53, an anti-oncogenic gatekeeper. We suggest that mitochondrial nucleoid clustering is a mechanism for protecting nucleoids with newly replicated DNA against intercalators mediating genotoxic stress. These results provide new insight into the common mitochondrial response to mtDNA stress and can be implied also on DXR-induced mitochondrial cytotoxicity. - Highlights: • The mechanism for mitochondrial nucleoid clustering is proposed. • DNA intercalators (Doxorubicin or Ethidium Bromide) prevent TFAM

  10. MT-ADRES: Multithreading on Coarse-Grained Reconfigurable Architecture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Kehuai; Kanstein, Andreas; Madsen, Jan

    2007-01-01

    The coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture ADRES (Architecture for Dynamically Reconfigurable Embedded Systems) and its compiler offer high instruction-level parallelism (ILP) to applications by means of a sparsely interconnected array of functional units and register files. As high-ILP archi......The coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture ADRES (Architecture for Dynamically Reconfigurable Embedded Systems) and its compiler offer high instruction-level parallelism (ILP) to applications by means of a sparsely interconnected array of functional units and register files. As high......-ILP architectures achieve only low parallelism when executing partially sequential code segments, which is also known as Amdahl’s law, this paper proposes to extend ADRES to MT-ADRES (Multi-Threaded ADRES) to also exploit thread-level parallelism. On MT-ADRES architectures, the array can be partitioned in multiple...

  11. LncRNA MT1JP functions as a ceRNA in regulating FBXW7 through competitively binding to miR-92a-3p in gastric cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Gang; Li, Shuwei; Lu, Jiafei; Ge, Yuqiu; Wang, Qiaoyan; Ma, Gaoxiang; Zhao, Qinghong; Wu, Dongdong; Gong, Weida; Du, Mulong; Chu, Haiyan; Wang, Meilin; Zhang, Aihua; Zhang, Zhengdong

    2018-05-02

    Emerging evidence has shown that dysregulation function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) implicated in gastric cancer (GC). However, the role of the differentially expressed lncRNAs in GC has not fully explained. LncRNA expression profiles were determined by lncRNA microarray in five pairs of normal and GC tissues, further validated in another 75 paired tissues by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Overexpression of lncRNA MT1JP was conducted to assess the effect of MT1JP in vitro and in vivo. The biological functions were demonstrated by luciferase reporter assay, western blotting and rescue experiments. LncRNA MT1JP was significantly lower in GC tissues than adjacent normal tissues, and higher MT1JP was remarkably related to lymph node metastasis and advance stage. Besides, GC patients with higher MT1JP expression had a well survival. Functionally, overexpression of lncRNA MT1JP inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and promoted cell apoptosis in vitro, and inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Functional analysis showed that lncRNA MT1JP regulated FBXW7 expression by competitively binding to miR-92a-3p. MiR-92a-3p and down-regulated FBXW7 reversed cell phenotypes caused by lncRNA MT1JP by rescue analysis. MT1JP, a down-regulated lncRNA in GC, was associated with malignant tumor phenotypes and survival of GC. MT1JP regulated the progression of GC by functioning as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to competitively bind to miR-92a-3p and regulate FBXW7 expression. Our study provided new insight into the post-transcriptional regulation mechanism of lncRNA MT1JP, and suggested that MT1JP may act as a potential therapeutic target and prognosis biomarker for GC.

  12. Efficacy of a non-hypercalcemic vitamin-D2 derived anti-cancer agent (MT19c and inhibition of fatty acid synthesis in an ovarian cancer xenograft model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard G Moore

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Numerous vitamin-D analogs exhibited poor response rates, high systemic toxicities and hypercalcemia in human trials to treat cancer. We identified the first non-hypercalcemic anti-cancer vitamin D analog MT19c by altering the A-ring of ergocalciferol. This study describes the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of action of MT19c in both in vitro and in vivo models. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: Antitumor efficacy of MT19c was evaluated in ovarian cancer cell (SKOV-3 xenografts in nude mice and a syngenic rat ovarian cancer model. Serum calcium levels of MT19c or calcitriol treated animals were measured. In-silico molecular docking simulation and a cell based VDR reporter assay revealed MT19c-VDR interaction. Genomewide mRNA analysis of MT19c treated tumors identified drug targets which were verified by immunoblotting and microscopy. Quantification of cellular malonyl CoA was carried out by HPLC-MS. A binding study with PPAR-Y receptor was performed. MT19c reduced ovarian cancer growth in xenograft and syngeneic animal models without causing hypercalcemia or acute toxicity. MT19c is a weak vitamin-D receptor (VDR antagonist that disrupted the interaction between VDR and coactivator SRC2-3. Genome-wide mRNA analysis and western blot and microscopy of MT19c treated xenograft tumors showed inhibition of fatty acid synthase (FASN activity. MT19c reduced cellular levels of malonyl CoA in SKOV-3 cells and inhibited EGFR/phosphoinositol-3kinase (PI-3K activity independently of PPAR-gamma protein. SIGNIFICANCE: Antitumor effects of non-hypercalcemic agent MT19c provide a new approach to the design of vitamin-D based anticancer molecules and a rationale for developing MT19c as a therapeutic agent for malignant ovarian tumors by targeting oncogenic de novo lipogenesis.

  13. A Phenotype-Driven Approach to Generate Mouse Models with Pathogenic mtDNA Mutations Causing Mitochondrial Disease

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    Johanna H.K. Kauppila

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Mutations of mtDNA are an important cause of human disease, but few animal models exist. Because mammalian mitochondria cannot be transfected, the development of mice with pathogenic mtDNA mutations has been challenging, and the main strategy has therefore been to introduce mutations found in cell lines into mouse embryos. Here, we describe a phenotype-driven strategy that is based on detecting clonal expansion of pathogenic mtDNA mutations in colonic crypts of founder mice derived from heterozygous mtDNA mutator mice. As proof of concept, we report the generation of a mouse line transmitting a heteroplasmic pathogenic mutation in the alanine tRNA gene of mtDNA displaying typical characteristics of classic mitochondrial disease. In summary, we describe a straightforward and technically simple strategy based on mouse breeding and histology to generate animal models of mtDNA-mutation disease, which will be of great importance for studies of disease pathophysiology and preclinical treatment trials.

  14. Multiplexed SNP Typing of Ancient DNA Clarifies the Origin of Andaman mtDNA Haplogroups amongst South Asian Tribal Populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Endicott, Phillip; Metspalu, Mait; Stringer, Chris; Macaulay, Vincent; Cooper, Alan; Sanchez, Juan J.

    2006-01-01

    The issue of errors in genetic data sets is of growing concern, particularly in population genetics where whole genome mtDNA sequence data is coming under increased scrutiny. Multiplexed PCR reactions, combined with SNP typing, are currently under-exploited in this context, but have the potential to genotype whole populations rapidly and accurately, significantly reducing the amount of errors appearing in published data sets. To show the sensitivity of this technique for screening mtDNA genomic sequence data, 20 historic samples of the enigmatic Andaman Islanders and 12 modern samples from three Indian tribal populations (Chenchu, Lambadi and Lodha) were genotyped for 20 coding region sites after provisional haplogroup assignment with control region sequences. The genotype data from the historic samples significantly revise the topologies for the Andaman M31 and M32 mtDNA lineages by rectifying conflicts in published data sets. The new Indian data extend the distribution of the M31a lineage to South Asia, challenging previous interpretations of mtDNA phylogeography. This genetic connection between the ancestors of the Andamanese and South Asian tribal groups ∼30 kya has important implications for the debate concerning migration routes and settlement patterns of humans leaving Africa during the late Pleistocene, and indicates the need for more detailed genotyping strategies. The methodology serves as a low-cost, high-throughput model for the production and authentication of data from modern or ancient DNA, and demonstrates the value of museum collections as important records of human genetic diversity. PMID:17218991

  15. Metallothionein-III protects against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced oxidative stress by increasing expression of heme oxygenase-1 in a PI3K and ERK/Nrf2-dependent manner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Yong Pil; Kim, Hyung Gyun; Han, Eun Hee; Jeong, Hye Gwang

    2008-01-01

    The zinc-binding protein metallothionein-III (MT-III) is associated with resistance to neuronal injury. However, the underlying mechanism for its effects is unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that MT-III prevents the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells challenged with the Parkinson's disease-related neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) by a mechanism that involves phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and ERK kinase/NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) dependent induction of the stress response protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Pretreatment of SH-SY5Y cells with MT-III significantly reduced 6-OHDA-induced generation of ROS, caspase-3 activation, and subsequent cell death. Also, MT-III up-regulates HO-1 expression and this expression confers neuroprotection against oxidative injury induced by 6-OHDA. Moreover, MT-III induces Nrf2 nuclear translocation, which is upstream of MT-III-induced HO-1 expression, and PI3K and ERK1/2 activation, a pathway that is involved in induced Nrf2 nuclear translocation, HO-1 expression and neuroprotection. Taken together, these results suggest that the PI3K and ERK/Nrf2 signaling pathway controls the intracellular levels of ROS by regulating the expression of the antioxidant enzyme HO-1

  16. MT Lajpatrai blow-out studies at Bombay harbour

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Fondekar, S.P.

    The area around the tanker MT Lajpatrai was monitored for oil pollution studies. Measurements were carried out on the concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons in water and sediment samples along with visual observations on oil slicks...

  17. Induction, regulation, degradation, and biological significance of mammalian metallothioneins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miles, A T; Hawksworth, G M; Beattie, J H; Rodilla, V

    2000-01-01

    MTs are small cysteine-rich metal-binding proteins found in many species and, although there are differences between them, it is of note that they have a great deal of sequence and structural homology. Mammalian MTs are 61 or 62 amino acid polypeptides containing 20 conserved cysteine residues that underpin the binding of metals. The existence of MT across species is indicative of its biological demand, while the conservation of cysteines indicates that these are undoubtedly central to the function of this protein. Four MT isoforms have been found so far, MT-1, MT-2, MT-3, and MT-4, but these also have subtypes with 17 MT genes identified in man, of which 10 are known to be functional. Different cells express different MT isoforms with varying levels of expression perhaps as a result of the different function of each isoform. Even different metals induce and bind to MTs to different extents. Over 40 years of research into MT have yielded much information on this protein, but have failed to assign to it a definitive biological role. The fact that multiple MT isoforms exist, and the great variety of substances and agents that act as inducers, further complicates the search for the biological role of MTs. This article reviews the current knowledge on the biochemistry, induction, regulation, and degradation of this protein in mammals, with a particular emphasis on human MTs. It also considers the possible biological roles of this protein, which include participation in cell proliferation and apoptosis, homeostasis of essential metals, cellular free radical scavenging, and metal detoxification.

  18. The Iron Chelator, Dp44mT, Effectively Inhibits Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Growth in Vitro and in Vivo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jehn-Chuan Lee

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC is a common malignancy with a growing worldwide incidence and prevalence. The N-myc downstream regulated gene (NDRG family of NDRG1, 2, 3, and mammary serine protease inhibitor (Maspin gene are well-known modulators in the neoplasia process. Current research has considered iron chelators as new anti-cancer agents; however, the anticancer activities of iron chelators and their target genes in OSCC have not been well investigated. We showed that iron chelators (Dp44mT, desferrioxamine (DFO, and deferasirox all significantly inhibit SAS cell growth. Flow cytometry further indicated that Dp44mT inhibition of SAS cells growth was partly due to induction of G1 cell cycle arrest. Iron chelators enhanced expressions of NDRG1 and NDRG3 while repressing cyclin D1 expression in OSCC cells. The in vivo antitumor effect on OSCC and safety of Dp44mT were further confirmed through a xenograft animal model. The Dp44mT treatment also increased Maspin protein levels in SAS and OECM-1 cells. NDRG3 knockdown enhanced the growth of OECM-1 cells in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicated that NDRG3 is a tumor suppressor gene in OSCC cells, and Dp44mT could be a promising therapeutic agent for OSCC treatment.

  19. DNA Barcoding the Medusozoa using mtCOI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortman, Brian D.; Bucklin, Ann; Pagès, Francesc; Youngbluth, Marsh

    2010-12-01

    The Medusozoa are a clade within the Cnidaria comprising the classes Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, and Cubozoa. Identification of medusozoan species is challenging, even for taxonomic experts, due to their fragile forms and complex, morphologically-distinct life history stages. In this study 231 sequences for a portion of the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I (mtCOI) gene were obtained from 95 species of Medusozoans including; 84 hydrozoans (61 siphonophores, eight anthomedusae, four leptomedusae, seven trachymedusae, and four narcomedusae), 10 scyphozoans (three coronatae, four semaeostomae, two rhizostomae, and one stauromedusae), and one cubozoan. This region of mtCOI has been used as a DNA barcode (i.e., a molecular character for species recognition and discrimination) for a diverse array of taxa, including some Cnidaria. Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) genetic distances between sequence variants within species ranged from 0 to 0.057 (mean 0.013). Within the 13 genera for which multiple species were available, K2P distance between congeneric species ranged from 0.056 to 0.381. A cluster diagram generated by Neighbor Joining (NJ) using K2P distances reliably clustered all barcodes of the same species with ≥99% bootstrap support, ensuring accurate identification of species. Intra- and inter-specific variation of the mtCOI gene for the Medusozoa are appropriate for this gene to be used as a DNA barcode for species-level identification, but not for phylogenetic analysis or taxonomic classification of unknown sequences at higher taxonomic levels. This study provides a set of molecular tools that can be used to address questions of speciation, biodiversity, life-history, and population boundaries in the Medusozoa.

  20. Static shift correction of MT data in Tohoku district using TEM soundings; TEM ho data wo mochiita Tohoku chiho MT ho data no statistic shift hosei

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kawakami, N; Kumekawa, Y; Miura, Y; Takasugi, S [GERD Geothermal Energy Research and Development Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Fujinawa, Y [National Research Institute for Disaster Prevention, Tsukuba (Japan)

    1997-05-27

    There is a possibility that the wide-band MT observation data obtained in the central part of Tohoku district include the static shift effect. To grasp the static shift effect in the MT data, the TEM soundings were conducted at all the site where the MT data were measured. The TEM sounding system was developed for the shallow survey depth ranging from 5 m to 150 m. When showing the measured results on the histogram, it was found that the static shifts were concentrated in the vicinity of zero. About 70% of the data was below 0.2 decade. Only a slight static shift effect was observed. This means that the results obtained by the two-dimensional analysis are plausible. Especially, the static shift around plain was small. Therefore, the current results around the plain were trustful. On the other hand, the static shift in the mountainous area was rather large. Accordingly, the results around the mountainous area should be carefully treated. 7 refs., 10 figs.

  1. Somatic mitochondrial DNA mutations in cancer escape purifying selection and high pathogenicity mutations lead to the oncocytic phenotype: pathogenicity analysis of reported somatic mtDNA mutations in tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pereira, Luísa; Soares, Pedro; Máximo, Valdemar; Samuels, David C

    2012-01-01

    The presence of somatic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in cancer cells has been interpreted in controversial ways, ranging from random neutral accumulation of mutations, to positive selection for high pathogenicity, or conversely to purifying selection against high pathogenicity variants as occurs at the population level. Here we evaluated the predicted pathogenicity of somatic mtDNA mutations described in cancer and compare these to the distribution of variations observed in the global human population and all possible protein variations that could occur in human mtDNA. We focus on oncocytic tumors, which are clearly associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. The protein variant pathogenicity was predicted using two computational methods, MutPred and SNPs&GO. The pathogenicity score of the somatic mtDNA variants were significantly higher in oncocytic tumors compared to non-oncocytic tumors. Variations in subunits of Complex I of the electron transfer chain were significantly more common in tumors with the oncocytic phenotype, while variations in Complex V subunits were significantly more common in non-oncocytic tumors. Our results show that the somatic mtDNA mutations reported over all tumors are indistinguishable from a random selection from the set of all possible amino acid variations, and have therefore escaped the effects of purifying selection that act strongly at the population level. We show that the pathogenicity of somatic mtDNA mutations is a determining factor for the oncocytic phenotype. The opposite associations of the Complex I and Complex V variants with the oncocytic and non-oncocytic tumors implies that low mitochondrial membrane potential may play an important role in determining the oncocytic phenotype

  2. Isolation and characterization of a novel cold-adapted esterase, MtEst45, from Microbulbifer thermotolerans DAU221

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong-Suk eLee

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available A novel esterase, MtEst45, was isolated from a fosmid genomic library of Microbulbifer thermotolerans DAU221. The encoding gene is predicted to have a mass of 45,564 Da and encodes 495 amino acids, excluding a 21 amino acid signal peptide. MtEst45 showed a low amino acid identity (approximately 23–24% compared with other lipolytic enzymes belonging to Family III, a closely related bacterial lipolytic enzyme family. MtEst45 also showed a conserved GXSXG motif, G131IS133YG135, which was reported as active site of known lipolytic enzymes, and the putative catalytic triad composed of D237 and H265. Because these mutants of MtEst45, which was S133A, D237N, and H265L, had no activity, these catalytic triad essential for the enzyme catalysis. MtEst45 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3 and purified via His-tag affinity chromatography. The optimal pH and temperature of MtEst45 were estimated to be 8.17 and 46.27°C by response surface methodology, respectively. Additionally, MtEst45 was also active between 1–15°C. The optimal hydrolysis substrate for MtEst45 among p-nitrophenyl esters (C2–C18 was p-nitrophenyl butyrate, and the Km and Vmax values were 0.0998 mM and 550 μmol/min/mg of protein, respectively. MtEst45 was strongly inhibited by Hg2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ ions; by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride; and by β-mercaptoethanol. Ca2+ did not affect the enzyme’s activity. These biochemical properties, sequence identity, and phylogenetic analysis suggest that MtEst45 represents a novel and valuable bacterial lipolytic enzyme family and is useful for biotechnological applications.

  3. Analysis of mtDNT 4977bp deletion induced by ionizing radiation in human peripheral blood nucleated cells using real-time PCR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan Tianli; Wang Ping; Han Lin; Liu Yulong; Liu Yumin

    2010-01-01

    To detect mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) 4977bp deletion(triangle open mtDNA 4977 ) in human peripheral blood nucleated cells exposed to ionizing radiation in vitro by using real-time PCR, and explore possibility of the index as biodosimetry for estimating biological dose in radiation accident,six healthy individuals' peripheral blood was collected,and the blood samples were irradiated with 0,1,2,3,4 and 5 Gy 60 Co gamma-ray. The triangle open mtDNA 4977 and total mtDNA copy number(mtDNA total ) in the mtDNA samples were detected, and then the deletion rates were calculated. The results showed that the mtDNA total and triangle open mtDNA 4977 copy number, and the deletion rates of mtDNA 4977bp in the mtDNA samples from 6 healthy individuals' blood exposed to 1-5 Gy radiation were higher than that with the samples exposed to 0 Gy radiation(p 0.05). The results indicated that ionizing radiation can induce accumulation of the triangle open mtDNA 4977 and increase of mtDNA total copy number in human peripheral blood nucleated cells,but both the mtDNA 4977bp deletion and exposure dose(0-5 Gy) were not obviously correlated. (authors)

  4. MT71x: Multi-Temperature Library Based on ENDF/B-VII.1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Conlin, Jeremy Lloyd [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Parsons, Donald Kent [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Gray, Mark Girard [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lee, Mary Beth [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); White, Morgan Curtis [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2015-12-16

    The Nuclear Data Team has released a multitemperature transport library, MT71x, based upon ENDF/B-VII.1 with a few modifications as well as additional evaluations for a total of 427 isotope tables. The library was processed using NJOY2012.39 into 23 temperatures. MT71x consists of two sub-libraries; MT71xMG for multigroup energy representation data and MT71xCE for continuous energy representation data. These sub-libraries are suitable for deterministic transport and Monte Carlo transport applications, respectively. The SZAs used are the same for the two sub-libraries; that is, the same SZA can be used for both libraries. This makes comparisons between the two libraries and between deterministic and Monte Carlo codes straightforward. Both the multigroup energy and continuous energy libraries were verified and validated with our checking codes checkmg and checkace (multigroup and continuous energy, respectively) Then an expanded suite of tests was used for additional verification and, finally, verified using an extensive suite of critical benchmark models. We feel that this library is suitable for all calculations and is particularly useful for calculations sensitive to temperature effects.

  5. Biochemical signatures mimicking multiple carboxylase deficiency in children with mutations in MT-ATP6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Austin A; Balasubramaniam, Shanti; Christodoulou, John; Burrage, Lindsay C; Marom, Ronit; Graham, Brett H; Diaz, George A; Glamuzina, Emma; Hauser, Natalie; Heese, Bryce; Horvath, Gabriella; Mattman, Andre; van Karnebeek, Clara; Lane Rutledge, S; Williamson, Amy; Estrella, Lissette; Van Hove, Johan K L; Weisfeld-Adams, James D

    2018-01-04

    Elevations of specific acylcarnitines in blood reflect carboxylase deficiencies, and have utility in newborn screening for life-threatening organic acidemias and other inherited metabolic diseases. In this report, we describe a newly-identified association of biochemical features of multiple carboxylase deficiency in individuals harboring mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in MT-ATP6 and in whom organic acidemias and multiple carboxylase deficiencies were excluded. Using retrospective chart review, we identified eleven individuals with abnormally elevated propionylcarnitine (C3) or hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine (C5OH) with mutations in MT-ATP6, most commonly m.8993T>G in high heteroplasmy or homoplasmy. Most patients were ascertained on newborn screening; most had normal enzymatic or molecular genetic testing to exclude biotinidase and holocarboxylase synthetase deficiencies. MT-ATP6 is associated with some cases of Leigh disease; clinical outcomes in our cohort ranged from death from neurodegenerative disease in early childhood to clinically and developmentally normal after several years of follow-up. These cases expand the biochemical phenotype associated with MT-ATP6 mutations, especially m.8993T>G, to include acylcarnitine abnormalities mimicking carboxylase deficiency states. Clinicians should be aware of this association and its implications for newborn screening, and consider mtDNA sequencing in patients exhibiting similar acylcarnitine abnormalities that are biotin-unresponsive and in whom other enzymatic deficiencies have been excluded. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. and Mitochondria Research Society. All rights reserved.

  6. Effects of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption on the chemistry, radiative, and transport processes in the stratosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wuebbles, D.J.; Kinnison, D.E.; Grant, K.E.; Connell, P.S.

    1992-09-01

    Volcanic eruptions can significantly impact trace gas distribution in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Massive eruptions, produce large quantities of SO 2 , H 2 O, chlorine compounds, and particulates. Modeling the effects of these impulsive increases in traces gases and comparing the results with observations from ground and satellite measurements provide unique opportunities to test current multi-dimensional chemical-radiative-transport models of the global atmosphere. Since these models are currently being used in assessment studies for future anthropogenic emissions of trace gases quantitative understanding of the accuracy of these models is essential. In this study, we have used observed data from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) aboard the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) to realistically represent both the time dependent change in aerosol surface area density and wavelength dependent extinction values from the Mt. Pinatubo Eruption. Increases in the aerosol loading increase the rate of important heterogeneous chemical reactions converting odd nitrogen in both ClONO 2 and N 2 O 5 to HNO 3 . Radiative effects of increases aerosol optical thickness include changes to net radiative heating rates and to actinic fluxes. Changes to heating rates will indirectly change chemical reaction rates via changes in atmospheric temperatures. changes in actinic fluxes will directly modify photodissociation rates

  7. Effects of 530 nm green light on refractive status, melatonin, MT1 receptor, and melanopsin in the guinea pig.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fei; Zhou, Jiaqi; Lu, Yi; Chu, Renyuan

    2011-02-01

    To investigate (i) the effect of monochromatic light on inhibiting induction of light-induced melatonin and (ii) the roles of melanopsin and MT1 receptor in light-induced myopia in the guinea pig. Forty-eight guinea pigs were randomly distributed into three treatment groups: white-light (control), green-light (530 nm), and blue-light (480 nm) groups. Levels of pineal gland melatonin were measured twice daily--10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.--10 days after initial light treatment. Thirty additional guinea pigs were also assigned to these groups and treated similarly. For these latter animals, refractive status, ocular length, and vitreous depth were measured before and after light treatment. Eight weeks after light treatment, retinal and sceral levels of melanopsin, melatonin receptor type (MT) 1, and mRNA protein were determined by Western blotting, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry. The level of pineal gland melatonin in the green-light group was significantly higher than that in the blue-light group. Biometric measurements showed that guinea pigs in the green-light group had a somewhat myopic refractive status. Expressions of retinal melanopsin mRNA and protein were significantly higher in the blue-light group and lower in the green-light group when compared to controls. Conversely, expressions of MT1 receptor mRNA and protein in retina and sclera were significantly higher in the green-light group and lower in the blue-light group when compared to controls. Green light appears to suppress induction of melatonin production. In addition, 530 nm of green light is involved in the development of myopia. In the guinea pig, MT1 receptor and melanopsin appear to play roles in the development of myopia induced by 530 nm of light.

  8. 76 FR 27914 - Television Broadcasting Services; Kalispell, MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-13

    ... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 73 [MB Docket No. 11-20; RM-11619, DA 11-750] Television Broadcasting Services; Kalispell, MT AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Final rule... U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A). [[Page 27915

  9. Efficient inhibition of heavy metal release from mine tailings against acid rain exposure by triethylenetetramine intercalated montmorillonite (TETA-Mt).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Beini; Wu, Pingxiao; Huang, Zhujian; Li, Yuanyuan; Yang, Shanshan; Dang, Zhi; Ruan, Bo; Kang, Chunxi

    2016-11-15

    The potential application of triethylenetetramine intercalated montmorillonite (TETA-Mt) in mine tailings treatment and AMD (acid mine drainage) remediation was investigated with batch experiments. The structural and morphological characteristics of TETA-Mt were analyzed with XRD, FTIR, DTG-TG and SEM. The inhibition efficiencies of TETA-Mt against heavy metal release from mine tailings when exposed to acid rain leaching was examined and compared with that of triethylenetetramine (TETA) and Mt. Results showed that the overall inhibition by TETA-Mt surpassed that by TETA or Mt for various heavy metal ions over an acid rain pH range of 3-5.6 and a temperature range of 25-40°C. When mine tailings were exposed to acid rain of pH 4.8 (the average rain pH of the mining site where the mine tailings were from), TETA-Mt achieved an inhibition efficiency of over 90% for Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+) and Mn(2+) release, and 70% for Pb(2+) at 25°C. It was shown that TETA-Mt has a strong buffering capacity. Moreover, TETA-Mt was able to adsorb heavy metal ions and the adsorption process was fast, suggesting that coordination was mainly responsible. These results showed the potential of TETA-Mt in AMD mitigation, especially in acid rain affected mining area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Immobilization of metallothionein to carbon paste electrode surface via anti-MT antibodies and its use for biosensing of silver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trnkova, Libuse; Krizkova, Sona; Adam, Vojtech; Hubalek, Jaromir; Kizek, Rene

    2011-01-15

    In this paper, heavy metal biosensor based on immobilization of metallothionein (MT) to the surface of carbon paste electrode (CPE) via anti-MT-antibodies is reported. First, the evaluation of MT electroactivity was done. The attention was focused on the capturing of MT to the CPE surface. Antibodies incorporated and mixed into carbon paste were stable; even after two weeks the observed changes in signal height were lower than 5%. Further, the interaction of MT with polyclonal chicken antibodies incorporated in carbon paste electrode was determined by square-wave voltammetry. In the voltammogram, two signals--labelled as cys(MT) and W(a)--were observed. The cys(MT) corresponded to -SH moieties of MT and W(a) corresponded to tryptophan residues of chicken antibodies. Time of interaction (300 s) and MT concentration (125 μg/ml) were optimized to suggest a silver(I) ions biosensor. Biosensor (CPE modified with anti-MT antibody) prepared under the optimized conditions was then used for silver(I) ions detection. The detection limit (3 S/N) for silver(I) ions was estimated as 0.5 nM. The proposed biosensor was tested by detection spiking of silver(I) ions in various water samples (from very pure distilled water to rainwater). Recoveries varied from 74 to 104%. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. b-value distribution in and around Mt. Tarumae, Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiba, K.

    2017-12-01

    Mt. Tarumae is an active volcano located in southeastern Shikotsu caldera, Hokkaido, Japan. Recently, crustal expansion occurred in 1999-2000 and 2013 near the summit of Mt. Tarumae, with a M5.6 earthquake recorded west of the summit on 8 July 2014. In this study, I determined hypocenter distributions and then performed b-value analysis for the period between 1 August 2014 and 12 August 2016 to improve our understanding of the magma system geometry beneath the summit of Mt. Tarumae. Hypocenters are mainly distributed in two regions: 3 - 5 km west of Mt. Tarumae, and beneath the volcano. I then determined b-value distributions. Regions with relatively high b-values ( 1.3) are located at depths of -0.5 to 2.0 km beneath the summit and at depths greater than 6.0 km in the northwestern part at about 1.5 - 3.0 km from the summit, while a region with relatively low b-values ( 0.6) is located at depths of 2.0 - 6.0 km beneath the summit. Compared the b-value distributions with other geophysical observations, it was found that the high b-value region from -0.5 to 2.0 km depth corresponds to regions of lower resistivity, positive self-potential anomaly, and an inflation source observed in 1999-2000. It is thus inferred that this region is generated by crustal heterogeneity, a decrease in effective normal stress, and change of a frictional property due to the development of faults and fissures, and the circulation of hydrothermal fluids. On the other hand, the inflation source observed in 2013 was located near the boundary between the low b-value region beneath the summit and the deeper high b-value region in the northwestern part at about 1.5 - 3.0 km from the summit. Studies of other volcanoes suggest that such a high-b-value region likely corresponds to a magma chamber. From the deeper high b-value region estimated in this study, I am able to point out that the magma chamber is located to depths greater than 6.0 km in the northwestern part at about 1.5 - 3.0 km from the

  12. Assessing dependency using self-report and indirect measures: examining the significance of discrepancies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cogswell, Alex; Alloy, Lauren B; Karpinski, Andrew; Grant, David A

    2010-07-01

    The present study addressed convergence between self-report and indirect approaches to assessing dependency. We were moderately successful in validating an implicit measure, which was found to be reliable, orthogonal to 2 self-report instruments, and predictive of external criteria. This study also examined discrepancies between scores on self-report and implicit measures, and has implications for their significance. The possibility that discrepancies themselves are pathological was not supported, although discrepancies were associated with particular personality profiles. Finally, this study offered additional evidence for the relation between dependency and depressive symptomatology and identified implicit dependency as contributing unique variance in predicting past major depression.

  13. 76 FR 9991 - Television Broadcasting Services; Kalispell, MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-23

    ... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 73 [DA 11-224; MB Docket No. 11-20; RM-11619] Television Broadcasting Services; Kalispell, MT AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Proposed... 73 Television, Television broadcasting. For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal...

  14. Qualitative: Python Tool for MT Quality Estimation Supporting Server Mode and Hybrid MT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Avramidis Eleftherios

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available We are presenting the development contributions of the last two years to our Python opensource Quality Estimation tool, a tool that can function in both experiment-mode and online web-service mode. The latest version provides a new MT interface, which communicates with SMT and rule-based translation engines and supports on-the-fly sentence selection. Additionally, we present an improved Machine Learning interface allowing more efficient communication with several state-of-the-art toolkits. Additions also include a more informative training process, a Python re-implementation of QuEst baseline features, a new LM toolkit integration, an additional PCFG parser and alignments of syntactic nodes.

  15. Ecological and Socio-Economic Contribution of Mt. Elgon Forest Park, Eastern Uganda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Buyinza Mukadasi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the ecological and socio-economic contribution of Mt. Elgon forest park, eastern Uganda. An effort was taken to evaluate the importance of Mt. Elgon forest park resources to the local people by using the local plant knowledge to value the forest park resources. An integrated approach of participatory rural appraisal (PRA, Participatory Resource Valuation (PRV, household survey, group discussions and forest walks were conducted during the months of June to December, 2008 in Mutushet and Kortek Parishes, Kapchorwa District. Using random sampling methods, 120 respondents were selected and interviewed. Ten forest uses were identified with the highest dependence being in the supply of timber for income and domestic building poles, the latter having the highest average annual household value of UGx. 67919 (US$37. The forest use most valued in both Mutushet and Koterk was medicine with an average annual household value of UGx. 60,371 (US$ 33 and UGx. 75,464 (US$ 42 respectively. The forest provision of medicine, domestic building materials, soil conservation, bush meat, charcoal and timber was more valued in Koterk, while provision of firewood, honey and pasture were more valued in Mutushet. The forest’s provision of food was valued equally in the two areas with an average annual value of UGx. 30,186 per household. Forest park resources accounted for 55% of the household income. Participatory valuation approaches are ecommended for estimation of forest park resources’ value in a non-cash economy.

  16. mtDNA point and length heteroplasmy in high- and low radiation areas of Kerala

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forster, L.; Forster, P.; Gurney, S.M.; Spencer, M.; Huang, C.; Röhl, A.; Brinkmann, B.

    2010-01-01

    A coastal peninsula in Kerala (India) contains the world's highest level of natural radioactivity in a densely populated area, offering an opportunity to characterize radiation-associated DNA mutations. Here, we focus on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations, which are passed exclusively from the mother to her children. To analyse point mutations, we sampled 248 pedigrees (988 individuals) in the high-radiation peninsula and in nearby low-radiation islands as a control population. Then, in an extended sample of 1,172 mtDNA sequences (containing some non-Indians for comparison), we also analysed length mutations, which in mtDNA can lead to the phenomenon of length heteroplasmy, i.e. the existence of different DNA types in the same cell. We wished to find out how fast mtDNA mutates between generations, and whether the mutation rate is increased in radioactive conditions compared to the low-irradiation sample

  17. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA haplogroups in 1526 unrelated individuals from 11 Departments of Colombia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan J. Yunis

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The frequencies of four mitochondrial Native American DNA haplogroups were determined in 1526 unrelated individuals from 11 Departments of Colombia and compared to the frequencies previously obtained for Amerindian and Afro-Colombian populations. Amerindian mtDNA haplogroups ranged from 74% to 97%. The lowest frequencies were found in Departments on the Caribbean coast and in the Pacific region, where the frequency of Afro-Colombians is higher, while the highest mtDNA Amerindian haplogroup frequencies were found in Departments that historically have a strong Amerindian heritage. Interestingly, all four mtDNA haplogroups were found in all Departments, in contrast to the complete absence of haplogroup D and high frequencies of haplogroup A in Amerindian populations in the Caribbean region of Colombia. Our results indicate that all four Native American mtDNA haplogroups were widely distributed in Colombia at the time of the Spanish conquest.

  18. Soil radon concentration and volcanic activity of Mt. Etna before and after the 2002 eruption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imme, G.; La Delfa, S.; Lo Nigro, S.; Morelli, D.; Patane, G.

    2006-01-01

    Soil radon investigation, using a continuous measurement device, has been performed on Mt. Etna in order to observe possible anomalies due to seismic and/or volcanic activity. In October 2002 an eruptive event occurred. Measurements, performed on the NE flank, have shown a possible correlation between eruptive activity of the volcano and soil radon concentration anomaly. The study of the seismic activity recorded in the same flank has, also, allowed to characterize the volcano dynamics and to correlate it with the variations of radon. The obtained results seem to indicate a possible dependence on volcanic activity of the radon concentration

  19. MT-ADRES: multi-threading on coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Kehuai; Kanstein, Andreas; Madsen, Jan

    2008-01-01

    The coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture ADRES (architecture for dynamically reconfigurable embedded systems) and its compiler offer high instruction-level parallelism (ILP) to applications by means of a sparsely interconnected array of functional units and register files. As high-ILP archi......The coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture ADRES (architecture for dynamically reconfigurable embedded systems) and its compiler offer high instruction-level parallelism (ILP) to applications by means of a sparsely interconnected array of functional units and register files. As high......-ILP architectures achieve only low parallelism when executing partially sequential code segments, which is also known as Amdahl's law, this article proposes to extend ADRES to MT-ADRES (multi-threaded ADRES) to also exploit thread-level parallelism. On MT-ADRES architectures, the array can be partitioned...

  20. Identification of West Eurasian mitochondrial haplogroups by mtDNA SNP screening: results of the 2006-2007 EDNAP collaborative exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Parson, Walther; Fendt, Liane; Ballard, David

    2008-01-01

    no previous experience with the technology and/or mtDNA analysis. The results of this collaborative exercise stimulate the expansion of screening methods in forensic laboratories to increase efficiency and performance of mtDNA typing, and thus demonstrates that mtDNA SNP typing is a powerful tool for forensic......The European DNA Profiling (EDNAP) Group performed a collaborative exercise on a mitochondrial (mt) DNA screening assay that targeted 16 nucleotide positions in the coding region and allowed for the discrimination of major west Eurasian mtDNA haplogroups. The purpose of the exercise was to evaluate...

  1. Propagation of dikes at Vesuvio (Italy) and the effect of Mt. Somma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acocella, V.; Porreca, M.; Neri, M.; Massimi, E.; Mattei, M.

    2006-04-01

    Dikes provide crucial information on how magma propagates within volcanoes. Somma-Vesuvio (Italy) consists of the active Vesuvio cone, partly bordered by the older Mt. Somma edifice. Historical chronicles on the fissure eruptions in 1694-1944 are matched with an analytical solution to define the propagation path of the related dikes and to study any control of the Mt. Somma relief. The fissures always consisted of the downslope migration of vents from an open summit conduit, indicating lateral propagation as the predominant mechanism for shallow dike emplacement. No fissure emplaced beyond Mt. Somma, suggesting that its buttressing hinders the propagation of the radial dikes. An analytical solution is defined to describe the mechanism of formation of the laterally propagating dikes and to evaluate the effect of topography. The application to Somma-Vesuvio suggests that, under ordinary excess magmatic pressures, the dikes should not propagate laterally at depths >240-480 m below the surface, as the increased lithostatic pressure requires magmatic pressures higher than average. This implies that, when the conduit is open, the lateral emplacement of dikes is expectable on the S, W and E slopes. The lack of fissures N of Mt. Somma is explained by its buttressing, which hinders dike propagation.

  2. The Metallothionein Gene, TaMT3, from Tamarix androssowii Confers Cd2+ Tolerance in Tobacco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boru Zhou

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Cadmium (Cd is a nonessential microelement and low concentration Cd2+ has strong toxicity to plant growth. Plant metallothioneins, a class of low molecular, cystein(Cys-rich and heavy-metal binding proteins, play an important role in both metal chaperoning and scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS with their large number of cysteine residues and therefore, protect plants from oxidative damage. In this study, a metallothionein gene, TaMT3, isolated from Tamarix androssowii was transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tobacum through Agrobacterium-mediated leaf disc method, and correctly expressed under the control of 35S promoter. Under Cd2+ stress, the transgenic tobacco showed significant increases of superoxide dismutase (SOD activity and chlorophyll concentration, but decreases of peroxidase (POD activity and malondialdehyde (MDA accumulation when compared to the non-transgenic tobacco. Vigorous growth of transgenic tobacco was observed at the early development stages, resulting in plant height and fresh weight were significantly larger than those of the non-transgenic tobacco under Cd2+ stress. These results demonstrated that the expression of the exogenous TaMT3 gene increased the ability of ROS cleaning-up, indicating a stronger tolerance to Cd2+ stress.

  3. The metallothionein gene, TaMT3, from Tamarix androssowii confers Cd2+ tolerance in tobacco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Boru; Yao, Wenjing; Wang, Shengji; Wang, Xinwang; Jiang, Tingbo

    2014-06-10

    Cadmium (Cd) is a nonessential microelement and low concentration Cd2+ has strong toxicity to plant growth. Plant metallothioneins, a class of low molecular, cystein(Cys)-rich and heavy-metal binding proteins, play an important role in both metal chaperoning and scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with their large number of cysteine residues and therefore, protect plants from oxidative damage. In this study, a metallothionein gene, TaMT3, isolated from Tamarix androssowii was transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tobacum) through Agrobacterium-mediated leaf disc method, and correctly expressed under the control of 35S promoter. Under Cd2+ stress, the transgenic tobacco showed significant increases of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and chlorophyll concentration, but decreases of peroxidase (POD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation when compared to the non-transgenic tobacco. Vigorous growth of transgenic tobacco was observed at the early development stages, resulting in plant height and fresh weight were significantly larger than those of the non-transgenic tobacco under Cd2+ stress. These results demonstrated that the expression of the exogenous TaMT3 gene increased the ability of ROS cleaning-up, indicating a stronger tolerance to Cd2+ stress.

  4. A defect in the thymidine kinase 2 gene causing isolated mitochondrial myopathy without mtDNA depletion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leshinsky-Silver, E; Michelson, M; Cohen, S; Ginsberg, M; Sadeh, M; Barash, V; Lerman-Sagie, T; Lev, D

    2008-07-01

    Isolated mitochondrial myopathies (IMM) are either due to primary defects in mtDNA, in nuclear genes that control mtDNA abundance and structure such as thymidine kinase 2 (TK2), or due to CoQ deficiency. Defects in the TK2 gene have been found to be associated with mtDNA depletion attributed to a depleted mitochondrial dNTP pool in non-dividing cells. We report an unusual case of IMM, homozygous for the H90N mutation in the TK2 gene but unlike other cases with the same mutation, does not demonstrate mtDNA depletion. The patient's clinical course is relatively mild and a muscle biopsy showed ragged red muscle fibers with a mild decrease in complexes I and an increase in complexes IV and II activities. This report extends the phenotypic expression of TK2 defects and suggests that all patients who present with an IMM even with normal quantities of mtDNA should be screened for TK2 mutations.

  5. Imaging with radiolabelled anti-membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) antibody: potentials for characterizing atherosclerotic plaques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuge, Yuji; Takai, Nozomi; Ogawa, Yuki; Temma, Takashi; Nishigori, Kantaro; Ishino, Seigo; Kamihashi, Junko; Saji, Hideo; Zhao, Yan; Kiyono, Yasushi; Shiomi, Masashi

    2010-01-01

    Membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) activates pro-MMP-2 and pro-MMP-13 to their active forms and plays important roles in the destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques. This study sought to determine the usefulness of 99m Tc-labelled monoclonal antibody (mAb), recognizing MT1-MMP, for imaging atherosclerosis in a rabbit model (WHHLMI rabbits). Anti-MT1-MMP monoclonal IgG 3 and negative control IgG 3 were radiolabelled with 99m Tc after derivatization with 6-hydrazinonicotinic acid (HYNIC) to yield 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb and 99m Tc-IgG 3 , respectively. WHHLMI and control rabbits were injected with these radio-probes. The aorta was removed and radioactivity was measured at 24 h after the injection. Autoradiography and histological studies were performed. 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation in WHHLMI rabbit aortas was 5.4-fold higher than that of control rabbits. Regional 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation was positively correlated with MT1-MMP expression (r = 0.59, p 99m Tc-IgG 3 accumulation was independent of MT1-MMP expression (r = 0.03, p = NS). The highest 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation was found in atheromatous lesions (4.8 ± 1.9, %ID x BW/mm 2 x 10 2 ), followed in decreasing order by fibroatheromatous (1.8 ± 1.3), collagen-rich (1.6 ± 1.0) and neointimal lesions (1.5 ± 1.5). In contrast, 99m Tc-IgG 3 accumulation was almost independent of the histological grade of lesions. Higher 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation in grade IV atheroma was shown in comparison with neointimal lesions or other more stable lesions. Nuclear imaging with 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb, in combination with CT and MRI, could provide new diagnostic imaging capabilities for detecting vulnerable plaques, although further investigations to improve target to blood ratios are strongly required. (orig.)

  6. Circumpolar diversity and geographic differentiation of mtDNA in the critically endangered Antarctic blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela L Sremba

    Full Text Available The Antarctic blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia was hunted to near extinction between 1904 and 1972, declining from an estimated initial abundance of more than 250,000 to fewer than 400. Here, we describe mtDNA control region diversity and geographic differentiation in the surviving population of the Antarctic blue whale, using 218 biopsy samples collected under the auspices of the International Whaling Commission (IWC during research cruises from 1990-2009. Microsatellite genotypes and mtDNA sequences identified 166 individuals among the 218 samples and documented movement of a small number of individuals, including a female that traveled at least 6,650 km or 131° longitude over four years. mtDNA sequences from the 166 individuals were aligned with published sequences from 17 additional individuals, resolving 52 unique haplotypes from a consensus length of 410 bp. From this minimum census, a rarefaction analysis predicted that only 72 haplotypes (95% CL, 64, 86 have survived in the contemporary population of Antarctic blue whales. However, haplotype diversity was relatively high (0.968±0.004, perhaps as a result of the longevity of blue whales and the relatively recent timing of the bottleneck. Despite the potential for circumpolar dispersal, we found significant differentiation in mtDNA diversity (F(ST = 0.032, p<0.005 and microsatellite alleles (F(ST = 0.005, p<0.05 among the six Antarctic Areas historically used by the IWC for management of blue whales.

  7. The acoustical significance of age-dependent ear elongation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Flemming

    2015-01-01

    , corresponding to what is reported in the literature. For female ears, virtually no acoustical effect was found. For male ears directional dependent effects in the range up to 5 dB on average was found for certain directions and frequencies. Implications on age dependent hearing loss (presbycusis...

  8. A Medicago truncatula EF-hand family gene, MtCaMP1, is involved in drought and salt stress tolerance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tian-Zuo Wang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Calcium-binding proteins that contain EF-hand motifs have been reported to play important roles in transduction of signals associated with biotic and abiotic stresses. To functionally characterize genes of EF-hand family in response to abiotic stress, an MtCaMP1 gene belonging to EF-hand family from legume model plant Medicago truncatula was isolated and its function in response to drought and salt stress was investigated by expressing MtCaMP1 in Arabidopsis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings expressing MtCaMP1 exhibited higher survival rate than wild-type seedlings under drought and salt stress, suggesting that expression of MtCaMP1 confers tolerance of Arabidopsis to drought and salt stress. The transgenic plants accumulated greater amounts of Pro due to up-regulation of P5CS1 and down-regulation of ProDH than wild-type plants under drought stress. There was a less accumulation of Na(+ in the transgenic plants than in WT plants due to reduced up-regulation of AtHKT1 and enhanced regulation of AtNHX1 in the transgenic plants compared to WT plants under salt stress. There was a reduced accumulation of H2O2 and malondialdehyde in the transgenic plants than in WT plants under both drought and salt stress. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The expression of MtCaMP1 in Arabidopsis enhanced tolerance of the transgenic plants to drought and salt stress by effective osmo-regulation due to greater accumulation of Pro and by minimizing toxic Na(+ accumulation, respectively. The enhanced accumulation of Pro and reduced accumulation of Na(+ under drought and salt stress would protect plants from water default and Na(+ toxicity, and alleviate the associated oxidative stress. These findings demonstrate that MtCaMP1 encodes a stress-responsive EF-hand protein that plays a regulatory role in response of plants to drought and salt stress.

  9. A comparison of cross-country mountain destination importance performance as perceived by international and domestic tourists: a cast study of Mt. Huang (China and Mt. Seorak (South Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renuka Newpaney

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we examine visitor’s importance and destination performance with respect to tourist attractions such as the environment, adventure, social culture, accessibility and relaxation of participants at Mt. Huang and Mt. Seorak respectively. This study identified the demographic characteristics of visitors to both mountain destinations. The researchers used the Importance Performed Analysis (IPA method to identify the importance and satisfaction levels of various attributes of both Mt. Huang and Mt. Seorak. They identified that the most important attributes sought after related to the natural environment, mountaineering, knowledge and information sharing, value of money and escape from a mundane daily job routine, while the least important would relate to mountain sports and the localities' inviting ambience for both mountain destinations. Using a simple questionnaire sample procedure, 247 visitors were considered in order to determine what the visitor’s deemed to be important, and what was satisfying from a destination performance perspective. SPSS 17 was used to analyze the data in different stages and pilot testing was conducted. The finding of this study can be helpful for tourist decision-makers in the public and private sectors. It is also useful to improve tourism services and to develop strategies for greater tourism promotion to the two destinations. Furthermore, this study can be a powerful source of input for destination promotion and positioning activities.

  10. MT2-D inversion analysis in Kakkonda geothermal field; Kakkonda chinetsu chiiki ni okeru MT ho nijigen kaiseki

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamane, K; Takasugi, S [Geothermal Energy Research and Development Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Miyazaki, S [Japan Metals and Chemicals Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Uchida, T [New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Tokyo, (Japan)

    1996-05-01

    Data, collected from an MT method-assisted survey conducted in the Kakkonda geothermal region in 1987, was re-examined, and a new structure was found. The review was carried out by use of a 2D analysis in the TM mode. According to the 1D analysis of 1987 and the geological data gathered then, it is estimated that the resistivity structure of this region runs in the northwest-southeast direction. A northeast-southwest traverse line was set for this analysis, orthogonal to the strike, and the impedance at each observation spot was caused to rotate to this direction across the whole range of frequency. Furthermore, in 1994-95, surveys were conducted using arrayed CSMT/MT methods. All these sum up to indicate that a high-resistivity region extends northwest in the southwestern part of the Kakkonda river but that there exists a low-resistivity region of several 10 Ohm m centering about the B traverse line. The high-resistivity region deep in the ground being the target of excavation in the Kakkonda region, to collect knowledge about this high-resistivity is important, and here the effectiveness of the 2d analysis has been verified. 5 refs., 11 figs.

  11. Melatonin acts through MT1/MT2 receptors to activate hypothalamic Akt and suppress hepatic gluconeogenesis in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faria, Juliana A; Kinote, Andrezza; Ignacio-Souza, Letícia M; de Araújo, Thiago M; Razolli, Daniela S; Doneda, Diego L; Paschoal, Lívia B; Lellis-Santos, Camilo; Bertolini, Gisele L; Velloso, Lício A; Bordin, Silvana; Anhê, Gabriel F

    2013-07-15

    Melatonin can contribute to glucose homeostasis either by decreasing gluconeogenesis or by counteracting insulin resistance in distinct models of obesity. However, the precise mechanism through which melatonin controls glucose homeostasis is not completely understood. Male Wistar rats were administered an intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of melatonin and one of following: an icv injection of a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, an icv injection of a melatonin receptor (MT) antagonist, or an intraperitoneal (ip) injection of a muscarinic receptor antagonist. Anesthetized rats were subjected to pyruvate tolerance test to estimate in vivo glucose clearance after pyruvate load and in situ liver perfusion to assess hepatic gluconeogenesis. The hypothalamus was removed to determine Akt phosphorylation. Melatonin injections in the central nervous system suppressed hepatic gluconeogenesis and increased hypothalamic Akt phosphorylation. These effects of melatonin were suppressed either by icv injections of PI3K inhibitors and MT antagonists and by ip injection of a muscarinic receptor antagonist. We conclude that melatonin activates hypothalamus-liver communication that may contribute to circadian adjustments of gluconeogenesis. These data further suggest a physiopathological relationship between the circadian disruptions in metabolism and reduced levels of melatonin found in type 2 diabetes patients.

  12. Global gene expression profiles of MT knockout and wild-type mice in the condition of doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuai, Yi; Guo, Jun; Dong, Yansheng; Zhong, Weijian; Xiao, Ping; Zhou, Tong; Zhang, Lishi; Peng, Shuangqing

    2011-01-15

    Increasing evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies has indicated that MT exerts protective effects against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity; however the underlying precise mechanisms still remain an enigma. Therefore, the present study was designed using MT knockout mice in concert with genomic approaches to explore the possible molecular and cellular mechanisms in terms of the genetic network changes. MT-I/II null (MT⁻/⁻) mice and corresponding wild-type mice (MT+/+) were administrated with a single dose of DOX (15 mg/kg, i.p.) or equal volume of saline. Animals were sacrificed on the 4th day after DOX administration and samples were collected for further analyses. Global gene expression profiles of cardiac mRNA from two genotype mice revealed that 381 characteristically MT-responsive genes were identified between MT+/+ mice and MT⁻/⁻ mice in response to DOX, including fos, ucp3, car3, atf3, map3k6, etc. Functional analysis implied MAPK signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, Jak-STAT signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, etc. might be involved to mediate the protection of DOX cardiomyopathy by MT. Results from the present study not only validated the previously reported possible mechanisms of MT protection against DOX toxicity, but also provided new clues into the molecular mechanisms involved in this process. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. The − 5 A/G single-nucleotide polymorphism in the core promoter region of MT2A and its effect on allele-specific gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu levels in laryngeal cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Starska, Katarzyna, E-mail: katarzyna.starska@umed.lodz.pl [I Department of Otolaryngology and Laryngological Oncology, Medical University of Łódź, Kopcinskiego 22, 90-153 Łódź (Poland); Krześlak, Anna; Forma, Ewa [Department of Cytobiochemistry, University of Łódź, Pomorska 142/143, 90-236 Łódź (Poland); Olszewski, Jurek [II Department of Otolaryngology and Laryngological Oncology, Medical University of Łódź, Żeromskiego 113, 90-549 Łódź (Poland); Morawiec-Sztandera, Alina [Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Łódź, Paderewskiego 4, 93-509 Łódź (Poland); Aleksandrowicz, Paweł [Department of Otolaryngology and Laryngological Oncology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8, 20-954 Lublin (Poland); Lewy-Trenda, Iwona [Department of Pathology, Medical University of Łódź, Pomorska 251, 92-213 Łódź (Poland); and others

    2014-10-15

    Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight, cysteine-rich heavy metal-binding proteins which participate in the mechanisms of Zn homeostasis, and protect against toxic metals. MTs contain metal-thiolate cluster groups and suppress metal toxicity by binding to them. The aim of this study was to determine the − 5 A/G (rs28366003) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the core promoter region of the MT2A gene and to investigate its effect on allele-specific gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu content in squamous cell laryngeal cancer (SCC) and non-cancerous laryngeal mucosa (NCM) as a control. The MT2A promoter region − 5 A/G SNP was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism using 323 SCC and 116 NCM. MT2A gene analysis was performed by quantitative real-time PCR. The frequency of A allele carriage was 94.2% and 91.8% in SCC and NCM, respectively, while G allele carriage was detected in 5.8% and 8.2% of SCC and NCM samples, respectively. As a result, a significant association was identified between the − 5 A/G SNP in the MT2A gene with mRNA expression in both groups. Metal levels were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The significant differences were identified between A/A and both the A/G and G/G genotypes, with regard to the concentration of the contaminating metal. The Spearman rank correlation results showed that the MT2A expression and Cd, Zn, Cu levels were negatively correlated. Results obtained in this study suggest that − 5 A/G SNP in MT2A gene may have an effect on allele-specific gene expression and accumulation of metal levels in laryngeal cancer. - Highlights: • MT2A gene expression and metal content in laryngeal cancer tissues • Association between SNP (rs28366003) and expression of MT2A • Significant associations between the SNP and Cd, Zn and Cu levels • Negative correlation between MT2A gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu levels.

  14. The − 5 A/G single-nucleotide polymorphism in the core promoter region of MT2A and its effect on allele-specific gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu levels in laryngeal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Starska, Katarzyna; Krześlak, Anna; Forma, Ewa; Olszewski, Jurek; Morawiec-Sztandera, Alina; Aleksandrowicz, Paweł; Lewy-Trenda, Iwona

    2014-01-01

    Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight, cysteine-rich heavy metal-binding proteins which participate in the mechanisms of Zn homeostasis, and protect against toxic metals. MTs contain metal-thiolate cluster groups and suppress metal toxicity by binding to them. The aim of this study was to determine the − 5 A/G (rs28366003) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the core promoter region of the MT2A gene and to investigate its effect on allele-specific gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu content in squamous cell laryngeal cancer (SCC) and non-cancerous laryngeal mucosa (NCM) as a control. The MT2A promoter region − 5 A/G SNP was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism using 323 SCC and 116 NCM. MT2A gene analysis was performed by quantitative real-time PCR. The frequency of A allele carriage was 94.2% and 91.8% in SCC and NCM, respectively, while G allele carriage was detected in 5.8% and 8.2% of SCC and NCM samples, respectively. As a result, a significant association was identified between the − 5 A/G SNP in the MT2A gene with mRNA expression in both groups. Metal levels were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The significant differences were identified between A/A and both the A/G and G/G genotypes, with regard to the concentration of the contaminating metal. The Spearman rank correlation results showed that the MT2A expression and Cd, Zn, Cu levels were negatively correlated. Results obtained in this study suggest that − 5 A/G SNP in MT2A gene may have an effect on allele-specific gene expression and accumulation of metal levels in laryngeal cancer. - Highlights: • MT2A gene expression and metal content in laryngeal cancer tissues • Association between SNP (rs28366003) and expression of MT2A • Significant associations between the SNP and Cd, Zn and Cu levels • Negative correlation between MT2A gene expression and Cd, Zn and Cu levels

  15. Infantile presentation of the mtDNA A3243G tRNA(Leu (UUR)) mutation.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Okhuijsen-Kroes, E.J.; Trijbels, J.M.F.; Sengers, R.C.A.; Mariman, E.C.M.; Heuvel, L.P.W.J. van den; Wendel, U.A.H.; Koch, G.; Smeitink, J.A.M.

    2001-01-01

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disorders are clinically very heterogeneous, ranging from single organ involvement to severe multisystem disease. One of the most frequently observed mtDNA mutations is the A-to-G transition at position 3243 of the tRNA(Leu (UUR)) gene. This mutation is often related to

  16. Special issue “The phreatic eruption of Mt. Ontake volcano in 2014”

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamaoka, Koshun; Geshi, Nobuo; Hashimoto, Tasheki; Ingebritsen, Steven E.; Oikawa, Teruki

    2016-01-01

    Mt. Ontake volcano erupted at 11:52 on September 27, 2014, claiming the lives of at least 58 hikers. This eruption was the worst volcanic disaster in Japan since the 1926 phreatic eruption of Mt. Tokachidake claimed 144 lives (Table 1). The timing of the eruption contributed greatly to the heavy death toll: near midday, when many hikers were near the summit, and during a weekend of clear weather conditions following several rainy weekends. The importance of this timing is reflected by the fact that a somewhat larger eruption of Mt. Ontake in 1979 resulted in injuries but no deaths. In 2014, immediate precursors were detected with seismometers and tiltmeters about 10 min before the eruption, but the eruption started before a warning was issued.

  17. Identification of an S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) dependent arsenic methyltransferase in Danio rerio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hamdi, Mohamad [Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309 (United States); Yoshinaga, Masafumi; Packianathan, Charles; Qin, Jie [Department of Cellular Biology and Pharmacology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, FL33199 (United States); Hallauer, Janell; McDermott, Joseph R. [Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309 (United States); Yang, Hung-Chi [Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Sciences, Chang-Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Kwei-San 333, Taiwan (China); Tsai, Kan-Jen [School of Medical Laboratory and Biotechnology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Liu, Zijuan, E-mail: liu2345@oakland.edu [Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309 (United States)

    2012-07-15

    Arsenic methylation is an important cellular metabolic process that modulates arsenic toxicity and carcinogenicity. Biomethylation of arsenic produces a series of mono-, di- and tri-methylated arsenic metabolites that can be detected in tissues and excretions. Here we report that zebrafish exposed to arsenite (As{sup III}) produces organic arsenicals, including MMA{sup III}, MMA{sup V} and DMA{sup V} with characteristic tissue ratios, demonstrating that an arsenic methylation pathway exists in zebrafish. In mammals, cellular inorganic arsenic is methylated by a SAM-dependent arsenic methyltransferase, AS3MT. A zebrafish arsenic methyltransferase homolog, As3mt, was identified by sequence alignment. Western blotting analysis showed that As3mt was universally expressed in zebrafish tissues. Prominent expression in liver and intestine correlated with methylated arsenic metabolites detected in those tissues. As3mt was expressed in and purified from Escherichia coli for in vitro functional studies. Our results demonstrated that As3mt methylated As{sup III} to DMA{sup V} as an end product and produced MMA{sup III} and MMA{sup V} as intermediates. The activity of As3mt was inhibited by elevated concentrations of the substrate As{sup III} as well as the metalloid selenite, which is a well-known antagonistic micronutrient of arsenic toxicity. The activity As3mt was abolished by substitution of either Cys160 or Cys210, which corresponds to conserved cysteine residues in AS3MT homologs, suggesting that they are involved in catalysis. Expression in zebrafish of an enzyme that has a similar function to human and rodent orthologs in catalyzing intracellular arsenic biomethylation validates the applicability of zebrafish as a valuable vertebrate model for understanding arsenic-associated diseases in humans. -- Highlights: ► Zebrafish methylated As{sup III} to MMA{sup III}, MMA{sup V} and DMA{sup V}. ► A zebrafish arsenic methyltransferase (As3mt) was purified in E. coli.

  18. Applicability of Daily Solar Radiation Estimated by Mountain Microclimate Simulation Model (MT-CLIM) in Korea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shim, K.M.; Kim, Y.S.; Lee, D.B.; Kang, K.K.; So, K.H.

    2012-01-01

    Accuracy of daily solar radiation estimated from a Mountain Microclimate Simulation Model (MT-CLIM) was assessed for seven observation sites with complex topography in Uiseong County. The coefficient of determination () between the observed and the estimated daily solar radiation was 0.52 for 7 sites for the study period from 1 August to 30 September 2009. Overall, the MT-CLIM overestimated the solar radiation with root mean square error (RMSE) of which is about 25% of the mean daily solar radiation () for the study period. Considering that the pyranometer's tolerance is of standard sensor, the RMSE of MT-CLIM was too large to accept for a direct application for agricultural sector. The reliability of solar radiation estimated by MT-CLIM must be improved by considering additional ways such as using a topography correction coefficient

  19. Mitochondrial mosaics in the liver of 3 infants with mtDNA defects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scalais Emmanuel

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In muscle cytochrome oxidase (COX negative fibers (mitochondrial mosaics have often been visualized. Methods COX activity staining of liver for light and electron microscopy, muscle stains, blue native gel electrophoresis and activity assays of respiratory chain proteins, their immunolocalisation, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analysis. Results Three unrelated infants showed a mitochondrial mosaic in the liver after staining for COX activity, i.e. hepatocytes with strongly reactive mitochondria were found adjacent to cells with many negative, or barely reactive, mitochondria. Deficiency was most severe in the patient diagnosed with Pearson syndrome. Ragged-red fibers were absent in muscle biopsies of all patients. Enzyme biochemistry was not diagnostic in muscle, fibroblasts and lymphocytes. Blue native gel electrophoresis of liver tissue, but not of muscle, demonstrated a decreased activity of complex IV; in both muscle and liver subcomplexes of complex V were seen. Immunocytochemistry of complex IV confirmed the mosaic pattern in two livers, but not in fibroblasts. MRI of the brain revealed severe white matter cavitation in the Pearson case, but only slight cortical atrophy in the Alpers-Huttenlocher patient, and a normal image in the 3rd. MtDNA in leucocytes showed a common deletion in 50% of the mtDNA molecules of the Pearson patient. In the patient diagnosed with Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome, mtDNA was depleted for 60% in muscle. In the 3rd patient muscular and hepatic mtDNA was depleted for more than 70%. Mutations in the nuclear encoded gene of POLG were subsequently found in both the 2nd and 3rd patients. Conclusion Histoenzymatic COX staining of a liver biopsy is fast and yields crucial data about the pathogenesis; it indicates whether mtDNA should be assayed. Each time a mitochondrial disorder is suspected and muscle data are non-diagnostic, a liver biopsy should be recommended. Mosaics are probably more frequent

  20. Thymidine kinase 2 deficiency-induced mtDNA depletion in mouse liver leads to defect β-oxidation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoshan Zhou

    Full Text Available Thymidine kinase 2 (TK2 deficiency in humans causes mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA depletion syndrome. To study the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease and search for treatment options, we previously generated and described a TK2 deficient mouse strain (TK2(-/- that progressively loses its mtDNA. The TK2(-/- mouse model displays symptoms similar to humans harboring TK2 deficient infantile fatal encephalomyopathy. Here, we have studied the TK2(-/- mouse model to clarify the pathological role of progressive mtDNA depletion in liver for the severe outcome of TK2 deficiency. We observed that a gradual depletion of mtDNA in the liver of the TK2(-/- mice was accompanied by increasingly hypertrophic mitochondria and accumulation of fat vesicles in the liver cells. The levels of cholesterol and nonesterified fatty acids were elevated and there was accumulation of long chain acylcarnitines in plasma of the TK2(-/- mice. In mice with hepatic mtDNA levels below 20%, the blood sugar and the ketone levels dropped. These mice also exhibited reduced mitochondrial β-oxidation due to decreased transport of long chain acylcarnitines into the mitochondria. The gradual loss of mtDNA in the liver of the TK2(-/- mice causes impaired mitochondrial function that leads to defect β-oxidation and, as a result, insufficient production of ketone bodies and glucose. This study provides insight into the mechanism of encephalomyopathy caused by TK2 deficiency-induced mtDNA depletion that may be used to explore novel therapeutic strategies.

  1. Thymidine kinase 2 deficiency-induced mtDNA depletion in mouse liver leads to defect β-oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xiaoshan; Kannisto, Kristina; Curbo, Sophie; von Döbeln, Ulrika; Hultenby, Kjell; Isetun, Sindra; Gåfvels, Mats; Karlsson, Anna

    2013-01-01

    Thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) deficiency in humans causes mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion syndrome. To study the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease and search for treatment options, we previously generated and described a TK2 deficient mouse strain (TK2(-/-)) that progressively loses its mtDNA. The TK2(-/-) mouse model displays symptoms similar to humans harboring TK2 deficient infantile fatal encephalomyopathy. Here, we have studied the TK2(-/-) mouse model to clarify the pathological role of progressive mtDNA depletion in liver for the severe outcome of TK2 deficiency. We observed that a gradual depletion of mtDNA in the liver of the TK2(-/-) mice was accompanied by increasingly hypertrophic mitochondria and accumulation of fat vesicles in the liver cells. The levels of cholesterol and nonesterified fatty acids were elevated and there was accumulation of long chain acylcarnitines in plasma of the TK2(-/-) mice. In mice with hepatic mtDNA levels below 20%, the blood sugar and the ketone levels dropped. These mice also exhibited reduced mitochondrial β-oxidation due to decreased transport of long chain acylcarnitines into the mitochondria. The gradual loss of mtDNA in the liver of the TK2(-/-) mice causes impaired mitochondrial function that leads to defect β-oxidation and, as a result, insufficient production of ketone bodies and glucose. This study provides insight into the mechanism of encephalomyopathy caused by TK2 deficiency-induced mtDNA depletion that may be used to explore novel therapeutic strategies.

  2. Targeting a single function of the multifunctional matrix metalloprotease MT1-MMP

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ingvarsen, Signe; Porse, Astrid; Erpicum, Charlotte

    2013-01-01

    and pathological events, has been complicated by the lack of specific inhibitors and the fact that some of the potent MMPs are multifunctional enzymes. These factors have also hampered the setup of therapeutic strategies targeting MMP activity. A tempting target is the membrane-associated MT1-MMP, which has well......-documented importance in matrix degradation but which takes part in more than one pathway in this regard. In this report, we describe the selective targeting of a single function of this enzyme by means of a specific monoclonal antibody against MT1-MMP, raised in an MT1-MMP knock-out mouse. The antibody blocks...... matrix in vitro, as well as in lymphatic vessel sprouting assayed ex vivo. This is the first example of the complete inactivation of a single function of a multifunctional MMP and the use of this strategy to pursue its role....

  3. PENGARUH CITRA DAN KEPERCAYAAN MEREK TERHADAP LOYALITAS MEREK: SURVEI PELANGGAN LUX CAIR DI CARREFOUR MT. HARYONO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Rizan

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Generally, the purposes of this research are: (1 Knowing the description of the brand image, brand trust, and brand loyalty, (2 Determining/Knowing the influence of brand image towards brand loyalty, (3 Determining/Knowing the influence of brand trust towards brand loyalty, (4 Determining/Knowing the influence of brand image and brand trust simultaneously towards brand loyalty. The units of analysis are buyers or users of Lux at Carrefour MT. Haryono. Observation units are 200 respondents who are the visitors of Carrefour MT. Haryono, who have bought or used liquid Lux for one year or more. The research type is descriptive and research method using explanatory causal survey. Descriptive analysis showed: (a benefit dimension is the most dominant dimension in brand image variables, (b company characteristic dimension is the most dominant dimension in brand trust variables, and (c commitment dimension is the most dominant dimension in brand loyalty variables. The results of hypothesis testing are: 1 brand image variable has a significant influence to brand loyalty with beta coefficient of 0.297, T-test of 4.850 with significance level of 0.000; 2 brand trust variable has a significant influence to brand loyalty with beta coefficient of 0.468, T-test of 7.657 with significance level of 0.000; 3 the influence of brand image and brand trust simultaneously towards brand loyalty is 44.5%.

  4. Inspecting close maternal relatedness: Towards better mtDNA population samples in forensic databases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodner, Martin; Irwin, Jodi A; Coble, Michael D; Parson, Walther

    2011-03-01

    Reliable data are crucial for all research fields applying mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) as a genetic marker. Quality control measures have been introduced to ensure the highest standards in sequence data generation, validation and a posteriori inspection. A phylogenetic alignment strategy has been widely accepted as a prerequisite for data comparability and database searches, for forensic applications, for reconstructions of human migrations and for correct interpretation of mtDNA mutations in medical genetics. There is continuing effort to enhance the number of worldwide population samples in order to contribute to a better understanding of human mtDNA variation. This has often lead to the analysis of convenience samples collected for other purposes, which might not meet the quality requirement of random sampling for mtDNA data sets. Here, we introduce an additional quality control means that deals with one aspect of this limitation: by combining autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) marker with mtDNA information, it helps to avoid the bias introduced by related individuals included in the same (small) sample. By STR analysis of individuals sharing their mitochondrial haplotype, pedigree construction and subsequent software-assisted calculation of likelihood ratios based on the allele frequencies found in the population, closely maternally related individuals can be identified and excluded. We also discuss scenarios that allow related individuals in the same set. An ideal population sample would be representative for its population: this new approach represents another contribution towards this goal. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. A collaborative EDNAP exercise on SNaPshot™-based mtDNA control region typing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weiler, NEC; Baca, K; Ballard, D

    2017-01-01

    A collaborative European DNA Profiling (EDNAP) Group exercise was undertaken to assess the performance of an earlier described SNaPshot™-based screening assay (denoted mini-mtSNaPshot) (Weiler et al., 2016) [1] that targets 18 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) positions in the mitochondrial (m...... and derived from a subset of the participants, indicating a need for training and guidelines regarding mini-mtSNaPshot data interpretation....

  6. Mt-rps3 is an ancient gene which provides insight into the evolution of fungal mitochondrial genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korovesi, Artemis G; Ntertilis, Maria; Kouvelis, Vassili N

    2018-05-12

    The nuclear ribosomal protein S3 (Rps3) is implicated in the assembly of the ribosomal small subunit. Fungi and plants present a gene copy in their mitochondrial (mt) genomes. An analysis of 303 complete fungal mt genomes showed that, when rps3 is found, it is either a free-standing gene or an anchored gene within the omega intron of the rnl gene. Early divergent fungi, Basidiomycota and all yeasts but the CTG group belong to the first case, and Pezizomycotina to the second. Its position, size and genetic code employed are conserved within species of the same Order. Size variability is attributed to different number of repeats. These repeats consist of AT-rich sequences. MtRps3 proteins lack the KH domain, necessary for binding to rRNA, in their N-terminal region. Their C-terminal region is conserved in all Domains of life. Phylogenetic analysis showed that nuclear and mt Rps3 proteins are descendants of archaeal and a-proteobacterial homologues, respectively. Thus, fungal mt-rps3 gene is an ancient gene which evolved within the endosymbiotic model and presents different evolutionary routes: (a) coming from a-proteobacteria, it was relocated to another region of the mt genome, (b) via its insertion to the omega intron, it was transferred to the nucleus and/or got lost, and (c) it was re-routed to the mt genome again. Today, Basidiomycota and Saccharomycetales seem to follow the first evolutionary route and almost all Pezizomycotina support the second scenario with their exceptions being the result of the third scenario, i.e., the gene's re-entry to the mt genome. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  7. The Qartaba Structure: An Active Backthrust In Central Mt-Lebanon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elias, Ata Richard

    2016-04-01

    The Qartaba structure in central Mt-Lebanon is a 15x5km box fold running parallel to the restraining bend of the sinsitral Yammouneh Fault, the main fault of the central segment of the Dead Sea Transform. The Qartaba structure has long been described as a "horst" and associated with Mesozoic normal faulting. However, the Qartaba anticline is suitably oriented with the direction of maximum compression along the restraining bend. Jurassic carbonate rocks form the core of this anticline culminating at ~1953m asl to the east, of the highest structural elevation of the Mt-Lebanon range indicating important tectonic uplift rate. The fold is asymmetric. The western limb is steep and bordered by the Lebanese Flexure, a prominent continuous monocline of Upper Jurassic to Mid Cretaceous rocks, running along the western flank of Mt-Lebanon. The eastern limb of the anticline has a very steep dip, and forms a 200m high cliff well marked in the topography. Its Jurassic layers are almost vertical and end up overhanging Lower Cretaceous beds. Our study suggest that the Qartaba structure is a growing anticline, built by active thrusting over a west dipping thrust fault that cuts the surface at the base of the eastern limb of the anticline. The fault plane can be seen dipping 30-35 degrees to the west. At depth, this thrust is likely to connect with the blind thrust ramp of the Mt-Lebanon Flexure. The Qartaba backthrust with a dip to the west, is opposite to the general vergence of similar structures in the area. On some of the segments of the steep cliff forming the faulted eastern limb, a fresh scarp with smooth and polished surfaces bearing vertical slickensides can be followed over ~700m along the base of the cliff. It corresponds with the location of the thrust fault tip. Talus accumulation over the steep eastern limb covers most of the cliff base, and may be masking further extent of this scarp. We interpret this scarp as the freeface of a co-seismic rupture on the underlying

  8. 75 FR 70691 - World Color Mt. Morris, IL LLC, Premedia Chicago Division, Currently Known as Quad/Graphics, Inc...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-18

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-74,142] World Color Mt. Morris... to Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance on May 24, 2010, applicable to workers of World Color Mt... that on July 2, 2010, World Color Mt. Morris, IL LLC was purchased by Quad/Graphics, Inc. and is...

  9. Superpartner Mass Measurement Technique using 1D Orthogonal Decompositions of the Cambridge Transverse Mass Variable MT2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konar, Partha; Kong, Kyoungchul; Matchev, Konstantin T.; Park, Myeonghun

    2010-07-01

    We propose a new model-independent technique for mass measurements in missing energy events at hadron colliders. We illustrate our method with the most challenging case of a single-step decay chain. We consider inclusive same-sign chargino pair production in supersymmetry, followed by leptonic decays to sneutrinos χ+χ+→ℓ+ℓ'+ν˜ℓν˜ℓ' and invisible decays ν˜ℓ→νℓχ˜10. We introduce two one-dimensional decompositions of the Cambridge MT2 variable: MT2∥ and MT2⊥, on the direction of the upstream transverse momentum P→T and the direction orthogonal to it, respectively. We show that the sneutrino mass Mc can be measured directly by minimizing the number of events N(M˜c) in which MT2 exceeds a certain threshold, conveniently measured from the end point MT2⊥max⁡(M˜c).

  10. Imaging with radiolabelled anti-membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) antibody: potentials for characterizing atherosclerotic plaques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuge, Yuji [Kyoto University, Department of Patho-functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto (Japan); Hokkaido University, Department of Tracer Kinetics and Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Hokkaido University, Central Institute of Isotope Science, Sapporo (Japan); Takai, Nozomi; Ogawa, Yuki; Temma, Takashi; Nishigori, Kantaro; Ishino, Seigo; Kamihashi, Junko; Saji, Hideo [Kyoto University, Department of Patho-functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto (Japan); Zhao, Yan [Hokkaido University, Department of Tracer Kinetics and Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Kiyono, Yasushi [Kyoto University, Department of Patho-functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto (Japan); University of Fukui, Biomedical Imaging Research Center, Fukui (Japan); Shiomi, Masashi [Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Animals, Kobe (Japan)

    2010-11-15

    Membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) activates pro-MMP-2 and pro-MMP-13 to their active forms and plays important roles in the destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques. This study sought to determine the usefulness of {sup 99m}Tc-labelled monoclonal antibody (mAb), recognizing MT1-MMP, for imaging atherosclerosis in a rabbit model (WHHLMI rabbits). Anti-MT1-MMP monoclonal IgG{sub 3} and negative control IgG{sub 3} were radiolabelled with {sup 99m}Tc after derivatization with 6-hydrazinonicotinic acid (HYNIC) to yield {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb and {sup 99m}Tc-IgG{sub 3}, respectively. WHHLMI and control rabbits were injected with these radio-probes. The aorta was removed and radioactivity was measured at 24 h after the injection. Autoradiography and histological studies were performed. {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation in WHHLMI rabbit aortas was 5.4-fold higher than that of control rabbits. Regional {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation was positively correlated with MT1-MMP expression (r = 0.59, p < 0.0001), while {sup 99m}Tc-IgG{sub 3} accumulation was independent of MT1-MMP expression (r = 0.03, p = NS). The highest {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation was found in atheromatous lesions (4.8 {+-} 1.9, %ID x BW/mm{sup 2} x 10{sup 2}), followed in decreasing order by fibroatheromatous (1.8 {+-} 1.3), collagen-rich (1.6 {+-} 1.0) and neointimal lesions (1.5 {+-} 1.5). In contrast, {sup 99m}Tc-IgG{sub 3} accumulation was almost independent of the histological grade of lesions. Higher {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation in grade IV atheroma was shown in comparison with neointimal lesions or other more stable lesions. Nuclear imaging with {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb, in combination with CT and MRI, could provide new diagnostic imaging capabilities for detecting vulnerable plaques, although further investigations to improve target to blood ratios are strongly required. (orig.)

  11. The SbMT-2 gene from a halophyte confers abiotic stress tolerance and modulates ROS scavenging in transgenic tobacco.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amit Kumar Chaturvedi

    Full Text Available Heavy metals are common pollutants of the coastal saline area and Salicornia brachiata an extreme halophyte is frequently exposed to various abiotic stresses including heavy metals. The SbMT-2 gene was cloned and transformed to tobacco for the functional validation. Transgenic tobacco lines (L2, L4, L6 and L13 showed significantly enhanced salt (NaCl, osmotic (PEG and metals (Zn++, Cu++ and Cd++ tolerance compared to WT plants. Transgenic lines did not show any morphological variation and had enhanced growth parameters viz. shoot length, root length, fresh weight and dry weight. High seed germination percentage, chlorophyll content, relative water content, electrolytic leakage and membrane stability index confirmed that transgenic lines performed better under salt (NaCl, osmotic (PEG and metals (Zn++, Cu++ and Cd++ stress conditions compared to WT plants. Proline, H2O2 and lipid peroxidation (MDA analyses suggested the role of SbMT-2 in cellular homeostasis and H2O2 detoxification. Furthermore in vivo localization of H2O2 and O2-; and elevated expression of key antioxidant enzyme encoding genes, SOD, POD and APX evident the possible role of SbMT-2 in ROS scavenging/detoxification mechanism. Transgenic lines showed accumulation of Cu++ and Cd++ in root while Zn++ in stem under stress condition. Under control (unstressed condition, Zn++ was accumulated more in root but accumulation of Zn++ in stem under stress condition suggested that SbMT-2 may involve in the selective translocation of Zn++ from root to stem. This observation was further supported by the up-regulation of zinc transporter encoding genes NtZIP1 and NtHMA-A under metal ion stress condition. The study suggested that SbMT-2 modulates ROS scavenging and is a potential candidate to be used for phytoremediation and imparting stress tolerance.

  12. The SbMT-2 gene from a halophyte confers abiotic stress tolerance and modulates ROS scavenging in transgenic tobacco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaturvedi, Amit Kumar; Patel, Manish Kumar; Mishra, Avinash; Tiwari, Vivekanand; Jha, Bhavanath

    2014-01-01

    Heavy metals are common pollutants of the coastal saline area and Salicornia brachiata an extreme halophyte is frequently exposed to various abiotic stresses including heavy metals. The SbMT-2 gene was cloned and transformed to tobacco for the functional validation. Transgenic tobacco lines (L2, L4, L6 and L13) showed significantly enhanced salt (NaCl), osmotic (PEG) and metals (Zn++, Cu++ and Cd++) tolerance compared to WT plants. Transgenic lines did not show any morphological variation and had enhanced growth parameters viz. shoot length, root length, fresh weight and dry weight. High seed germination percentage, chlorophyll content, relative water content, electrolytic leakage and membrane stability index confirmed that transgenic lines performed better under salt (NaCl), osmotic (PEG) and metals (Zn++, Cu++ and Cd++) stress conditions compared to WT plants. Proline, H2O2 and lipid peroxidation (MDA) analyses suggested the role of SbMT-2 in cellular homeostasis and H2O2 detoxification. Furthermore in vivo localization of H2O2 and O2-; and elevated expression of key antioxidant enzyme encoding genes, SOD, POD and APX evident the possible role of SbMT-2 in ROS scavenging/detoxification mechanism. Transgenic lines showed accumulation of Cu++ and Cd++ in root while Zn++ in stem under stress condition. Under control (unstressed) condition, Zn++ was accumulated more in root but accumulation of Zn++ in stem under stress condition suggested that SbMT-2 may involve in the selective translocation of Zn++ from root to stem. This observation was further supported by the up-regulation of zinc transporter encoding genes NtZIP1 and NtHMA-A under metal ion stress condition. The study suggested that SbMT-2 modulates ROS scavenging and is a potential candidate to be used for phytoremediation and imparting stress tolerance.

  13. Heterogeneous periodicity of drosophila mtDNA: new refutations of neutral and nearly neutral evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Y Valenzuela

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available We found a consistent 3-site periodicity of the X²9 values for the heterogeneity of the distribution of the second base in relation to the first base of dinucleotides separated by 0 (contiguous, 1, 2, 3 ... 17 (K nucleotide sites in Drosophila mtDNA. Triplets of X²9 values were found where the first was over 300 and the second and third ranged between 37 and 114 (previous studies. In this study, the periodicity was significant until separation of 2011K, and a structure of deviations from randomness among dinucleotides was found. The most deviant dinucleotides were G-G, G-C and C-G for the first, second and third element of the triplet, respectively. In these three cases there were more dinucleotides observed than expected. This inter-bases correlation and periodicity may be related to the tertiary structure of circular DNA, like that of prokaryotes and mitochondria, to protect and preserve it. The mtDNA with 19.517 bp was divided into four equal segments of 4.879 bp. The fourth sub-segment presented a very low proportion of G and C, the internucleotide interaction was weaker in this sub-segment and no periodicity was found. The maintenance of this mtDNA structure and organization for millions of generations, in spite of a high recurrent mutation rate, does not support the notion of neutralism or near neutralism. The high level of internucleotide interaction and periodicity indicate that every nucleotide is co-adapted with the residual genome.

  14. Co-ordinated expression of MMP-2 and its putative activator, MT1-MMP, in human placentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bjørn, S F; Hastrup, N; Lund, L R; Danø, K; Larsen, J F; Pyke, C

    1997-08-01

    The spatial expression of mRNA for matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), its putative activator, the membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), and the MMP-2 substrate type IV collagen was investigated in human placentas of both normal and tubal ectopic pregnancies and in cyclic endometrium using in-situ hybridization. Cytokeratin staining applied to adjacent sections was used to identify epithelial and trophoblast cells. In both normal and tubal pregnancies MT1-MMP, MMP-2 and type IV collagen mRNA were highly expressed and co-localized in the extravillous cytotrophoblasts of anchoring villi, in cytotrophoblasts that had penatrated into the placental bed and in cytotrophoblastic cell islands. In addition, the decidual cells of normal pregnancies in some areas co-expressed MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNA, with moderate signals for both components. Fibroblast-like stromal cells in tubal pregnancies were positive for MMP-2 mRNA but generally negative for MT1-MMP mRNA. The consistent co-localization of MT1-MMP with MMP-2 and type IV collagen in the same subset of cytotrophoblasts strongly suggests that all three components co-operate in the tightly regulated fetal invasion process. The co-expression of MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNA in some of the decidual cells indicates that these cells are also actively involved in the placentation process.

  15. Improved supercapacitor performance of MnO2-electrospun carbon nanofibers electrodes by mT magnetic field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Zheng; Liu, Yiyang; Zhang, Wendi; Chevva, Harish; Wei, Jianjun

    2017-08-01

    This work reports on a finding of mT magnetic field induced energy storage enhancement of MnO2-based supercapacitance electrodes (magneto-supercapacitor). Electrodes with MnO2 electrochemically deposited at electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNFs) film are studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and life cycle stability tests in the presence/absence of milli-Tesla (mT) magnetic fields derived by Helmholtz coils. In the presence of a 1.34 mT magnetic field, MnO2/ECNFs shows a magneto-enhanced capacitance of 141.7 F g-1 vs. 119.2 F g-1 (∼19% increase) with absence of magnetic field at a voltage sweeping rate of 5 mV s-1. The mechanism of the magneto-supercapacitance is discussed and found that the magnetic susceptibility of the MnO2 significantly improves the electron transfer of a pseudo-redox reaction of Mn(IV)/Mn(III) at the electrode, along with the magnetic field induced impedance effect, which may greatly enhance the interface charge density, facilitate electrolyte transportation, and improve the efficiency of cation intercalation/de-intercalation of the pseudocapacitor under mT-magnetic field exposure, resulting in enhancement of energy storage capacitance and longer charge/discharge time of the MnO2/ECNFs electrode without sacrificing its life cycle stability.

  16. Transcriptional profiling of Medicago truncatula under salt stress identified a novel CBF transcription factor MtCBF4 that plays an important role in abiotic stress responses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Su Zhen

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Salt stress hinders the growth of plants and reduces crop production worldwide. However, different plant species might possess different adaptive mechanisms to mitigate salt stress. We conducted a detailed pathway analysis of transcriptional dynamics in the roots of Medicago truncatula seedlings under salt stress and selected a transcription factor gene, MtCBF4, for experimental validation. Results A microarray experiment was conducted using root samples collected 6, 24, and 48 h after application of 180 mM NaCl. Analysis of 11 statistically significant expression profiles revealed different behaviors between primary and secondary metabolism pathways in response to external stress. Secondary metabolism that helps to maintain osmotic balance was induced. One of the highly induced transcription factor genes was successfully cloned, and was named MtCBF4. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that MtCBF4, which belongs to the AP2-EREBP transcription factor family, is a novel member of the CBF transcription factor in M. truncatula. MtCBF4 is shown to be a nuclear-localized protein. Expression of MtCBF4 in M. truncatula was induced by most of the abiotic stresses, including salt, drought, cold, and abscisic acid, suggesting crosstalk between these abiotic stresses. Transgenic Arabidopsis over-expressing MtCBF4 enhanced tolerance to drought and salt stress, and activated expression of downstream genes that contain DRE elements. Over-expression of MtCBF4 in M. truncatula also enhanced salt tolerance and induced expression level of corresponding downstream genes. Conclusion Comprehensive transcriptomic analysis revealed complex mechanisms exist in plants in response to salt stress. The novel transcription factor gene MtCBF4 identified here played an important role in response to abiotic stresses, indicating that it might be a good candidate gene for genetic improvement to produce stress-tolerant plants.

  17. Transcriptional profiling of Medicago truncatula under salt stress identified a novel CBF transcription factor MtCBF4 that plays an important role in abiotic stress responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Salt stress hinders the growth of plants and reduces crop production worldwide. However, different plant species might possess different adaptive mechanisms to mitigate salt stress. We conducted a detailed pathway analysis of transcriptional dynamics in the roots of Medicago truncatula seedlings under salt stress and selected a transcription factor gene, MtCBF4, for experimental validation. Results A microarray experiment was conducted using root samples collected 6, 24, and 48 h after application of 180 mM NaCl. Analysis of 11 statistically significant expression profiles revealed different behaviors between primary and secondary metabolism pathways in response to external stress. Secondary metabolism that helps to maintain osmotic balance was induced. One of the highly induced transcription factor genes was successfully cloned, and was named MtCBF4. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that MtCBF4, which belongs to the AP2-EREBP transcription factor family, is a novel member of the CBF transcription factor in M. truncatula. MtCBF4 is shown to be a nuclear-localized protein. Expression of MtCBF4 in M. truncatula was induced by most of the abiotic stresses, including salt, drought, cold, and abscisic acid, suggesting crosstalk between these abiotic stresses. Transgenic Arabidopsis over-expressing MtCBF4 enhanced tolerance to drought and salt stress, and activated expression of downstream genes that contain DRE elements. Over-expression of MtCBF4 in M. truncatula also enhanced salt tolerance and induced expression level of corresponding downstream genes. Conclusion Comprehensive transcriptomic analysis revealed complex mechanisms exist in plants in response to salt stress. The novel transcription factor gene MtCBF4 identified here played an important role in response to abiotic stresses, indicating that it might be a good candidate gene for genetic improvement to produce stress-tolerant plants. PMID:21718548

  18. Analysis of mtDNA sequence variants in colorectal adenomatous polyps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grizzle William

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Colorectal tumors mostly arise from sporadic adenomatous polyps. Polyps are defined as a mass of cells that protrudes into the lumen of the colon. Adenomatous polyps are benign neoplasms that, by definition display some characteristics of dysplasia. It has been shown that polyps were benign tumors which may undergo malignant transformation. Adenomatous polyps have been classified into three histologic types; tubular, tubulovillous, and villous with increasing malignant potential. The ability to differentially diagnose these colorectal adenomatous polyps is important for therapeutic intervention. To date, little efforts have been directed to identifying genetic changes involved in adenomatous polyps. This study was designed to examine the relevance of mitochondrial genome alterations in the three adenomatous polyps. Using high resolution restriction endonucleases and PCR-based sequencing, fifty-seven primary fresh frozen tissues of adenomatous polyps (37 tumors and 20 matched surrounding normal tissues obtained from the southern regional Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN and Grady Memorial Hospital at Atlanta were screened with three mtDNA regional primer pairs that spanned 5.9 kbp. Results from our data analyses revealed the presence of forty-four variants in some of these mitochondrial genes that the primers spanned; COX I, II, III, ATP 6, 8, CYT b, ND 5, 6 and tRNAs. Based on the MITODAT database as a sequence reference, 25 of the 44 (57% variants observed were unreported. Notably, a heteroplasmic variant C8515G/T in the MT-ATP 8 gene and a germline variant 8327delA in the tRNAlys was observed in all the tissue samples of the three adenomatous polyps in comparison to the referenced database sequence. A germline variant G9055A in the MT-ATP 6 gene had a frequency of 100% (17/17 in tubular and 57% (13/23 in villous adenomas; no corresponding variant was in tubulovillous adenomas. Furthermore, A9006G variant at MT-ATP 6 gene was

  19. MT Post-editing: A Text Repair Experience for the Foreign Language Class.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Niño

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Communication also means having to sort out the problems involved in learning a foreign language, especially with regards to production rather than reception. These learning strategies or skills can also be applied to translation teaching methodology, where students put in practice their risk taking, avoidance, reduction and/ or compensatory strategies in getting the message across. We acknowledge translation as a writing task constrained by the source text. In addition, the translation and the writing cycles have in common a generation stage and a revision stage where grammatical, lexical and stylistic correctness is assessed. Somewhere in the middle between translation and writing skills lies MT (Machine Translation post-editing that involves correcting the raw MT output with the aim of providing a quality text according to the intended purpose. Our research is intended to test the suitability of MT post-editing as an activity to promote error correction and, subsequently, to enhance written production in second and foreign language teaching.

  20. Acute and chronic effects of exposure to a 1-mT magnetic field on the cytoskeleton, stress proteins, and proliferation of astroglial cells in culture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bodega, G.; Forcada, I.; Suarez, I.; Fernandez, B.

    2005-01-01

    This paper reports the effects of exposure to static, sinusoidal (50 Hz), and combined static/sinusoidal magnetic fields on cultured astroglial cells. Confluent primary cultures of astroglial cells were exposed to a 1-mT sinusoidal, static, or combined magnetic field for 1 h. In another experiment, cells were exposed to the combined magnetic field for 1, 2, and 4 h. The hsp25, hsp60, hsp70, actin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein contents of the astroglial cells were determined by immunoblotting 24 h after exposure. No significant differences were seen between control and exposed cells with respect to their contents of these proteins, neither were any changes in cell morphology observed. In a third experiment to determine the effect of a chronic (11-day) exposure to a combined 1-mT static/sinusoidal magnetic field on the proliferation of cultured astroglial cells, no significant differences were seen between control, sham-exposed, or exposed cells. These results suggest that exposure to 1-mT sinusoidal, static, or combined magnetic fields has no significant effects on the stress, cytoskeletal protein levels in, or proliferation of cultured astroglial cells

  1. Three reciprocally monophyletic mtDNA lineages elucidate the taxonomic status of Grant's gazelles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lorenzen, Eline Deidre; Arctander, Peter; Siegismund, Hans Redlef

    2008-01-01

    are discussed in reference to the four currently recognised subspecies. We suggest Grant's gazelles be raised to the superspecies Nanger (granti) comprising three taxonomic units corresponding to the three mtDNA lineages. There was no evidence of gene flow between the notata and granti lineages, despite...... their geographic proximity, suggesting reproductive isolation. These constitute evolutionary significant units within the adaptive evolutionary framework. Due to its restricted geographic distribution and genetic and morphological distinctiveness, we suggest the petersii lineage be raised to the species Nanger...

  2. [Effect of 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal electromagnetic fields on bone mineral density in growing rats].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yu-Hai; Zhou, Yan-Feng; Li, Shao-Feng; Li, Wen-Yuan; Xi, Hui-Rong; Yang, Fang-Fang; Chen, Ke-Ming

    2017-12-25

    To study effects of 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal electromagnetic fields (SEMFs) on bone mineral density (BMD) in SD rats. Thirty SD rats weighted(110±10) and aged 1 month were randomly divided into control group and electromagnetic field group, 15 in each group. Normal control group of 50 Hz 0 mT density and sinusoidal electromagnetic field group of 50 Hz 1.8 mT were performed respectively with 1.5 h/d and weighted weight once a week, and observed food-intake. Rats were anesthesia by intraperitoneal injection and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry were used to detect bone density of whole body, and detected bone density of femur and vertebral body. Osteocalcin and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b were detected by ELSA; weighted liver, kidney and uterus to calculate purtenance index, then detected pathologic results by HE. Compared with control group, there was no significant change in weight every week, food-intake every day; no obvious change of bone density of whole body at 2 and 4 weeks, however bone density of whole body, bone density of excised femur and vertebra were increased at 6 weeks. Expression of OC was increased, and TRACP 5b expression was decreased. No change of HE has been observed in liver, kidney and uterus and organic index. 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal electromagnetic fields could improve bone formation to decrease relevant factors of bone absorbs, to improve peak bone density of young rats, in further provide a basis for clinical research electromagnetic fields preventing osteoporosis foundation.

  3. Conflicting Values: Spirituality and Wilderness at Mt. Shasta

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maria Fernandez-Gimenez; Lynn Huntsinger; Catherine Phillips; Barbara Allen-Diaz

    1992-01-01

    Many people from a variety of backgrounds believe that Mt. Shasta is a major spiritual center. Although these "spiritual users" value the area's natural features, their spiritual and social activities, including construction of sweat lodges, medicine wheels, altars, meditation pads, trails, and campsites, are leading to rapid ecological degradation. This...

  4. Human iPSC-Derived Neural Progenitors Are an Effective Drug Discovery Model for Neurological mtDNA Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorenz, Carmen; Lesimple, Pierre; Bukowiecki, Raul; Zink, Annika; Inak, Gizem; Mlody, Barbara; Singh, Manvendra; Semtner, Marcus; Mah, Nancy; Auré, Karine; Leong, Megan; Zabiegalov, Oleksandr; Lyras, Ekaterini-Maria; Pfiffer, Vanessa; Fauler, Beatrix; Eichhorst, Jenny; Wiesner, Burkhard; Huebner, Norbert; Priller, Josef; Mielke, Thorsten; Meierhofer, David; Izsvák, Zsuzsanna; Meier, Jochen C; Bouillaud, Frédéric; Adjaye, James; Schuelke, Markus; Wanker, Erich E; Lombès, Anne; Prigione, Alessandro

    2017-05-04

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations frequently cause neurological diseases. Modeling of these defects has been difficult because of the challenges associated with engineering mtDNA. We show here that neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) retain the parental mtDNA profile and exhibit a metabolic switch toward oxidative phosphorylation. NPCs derived in this way from patients carrying a deleterious homoplasmic mutation in the mitochondrial gene MT-ATP6 (m.9185T>C) showed defective ATP production and abnormally high mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), plus altered calcium homeostasis, which represents a potential cause of neural impairment. High-content screening of FDA-approved drugs using the MMP phenotype highlighted avanafil, which we found was able to partially rescue the calcium defect in patient NPCs and differentiated neurons. Overall, our results show that iPSC-derived NPCs provide an effective model for drug screening to target mtDNA disorders that affect the nervous system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Messenger RNA for membrane-type 2 matrix metalloproteinase, MT2-MMP, is expressed in human placenta of first trimester.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bjørn, S F; Hastrup, N; Larsen, J F; Lund, L R; Pyke, C

    2000-01-01

    An intimately regulated cell surface activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is believed to be of critical importance for the control of trophoblast invasion. A histological investigation of the expression and localization of three different MMPs, the membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 2 (MT1-MMP, MT2-MMP) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2/gelatinase A) was performed by in situ hybridization on consecutive sections from human placentae of first trimester pregnancies. Cytokeratin immunostaining identified trophoblast cells. Both normal and tubal implantation sites were studied. We observed a high degree of coexpression of MT2-MMP, MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNAs in single extravillous cytotrophoblasts that had invaded the endometrium and tubal wall. Furthermore, mRNAs for all three genes were also seen in cytotrophoblasts of cell islands. In contrast to this coexpression pattern, MT2-MMP expression was absent from cell columns and decidual cells, in which signals for MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNAs were seen. The present data on the cellular expression of MT2-MMP mRNA in placenta extend our knowledge of the proteolytic events that take place during early pregnancy. The data suggest that MT2-MMP, capable of activating MMP-2 in vitro, is involved in the invasion of extravillous cytotrophoblast, possibly related to the physiological activation of MMP-2. Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

  6. Transcription patterns of genes encoding four metallothionein homologs in Daphnia pulex exposed to copper and cadmium are time- and homolog-dependent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asselman, Jana; Shaw, Joseph R.; Glaholt, Stephen P.; Colbourne, John K.; De Schamphelaere, Karel A.C.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Transcription patterns of 4 metallothionein isoforms in Daphnia pulex. •Under cadmium and copper stress these patterns are time-dependent. •Under cadmium and copper stress these patterns are homolog-dependent. •The results stress the complex regulation of metallothioneins. -- Abstract: Metallothioneins are proteins that play an essential role in metal homeostasis and detoxification in nearly all organisms studied to date. Yet discrepancies between outcomes of chronic and acute exposure experiments hamper the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of their isoforms following metal exposure. Here, we investigated transcriptional differences among four identified homologs (mt1–mt4) in Daphnia pulex exposed across time to copper and cadmium relative to a control. Transcriptional upregulation of mt1 and mt3 was detected on day four following exposure to cadmium, whereas that of mt2 and mt4 was detected on day two and day eight following exposure to copper. These results confirm temporal and metal-specific differences in the transcriptional induction of genes encoding metallothionein homologs upon metal exposure which should be considered in ecotoxicological monitoring programs of metal-contaminated water bodies. Indeed, the mRNA expression patterns observed here illustrate the complex regulatory system associated with metallothioneins, as these patterns are not only dependent on the metal, but also on exposure time and the homolog studied. Further phylogenetic analysis and analysis of regulatory elements in upstream promoter regions revealed a high degree of similarity between metallothionein genes of Daphnia pulex and Daphnia magna, a species belonging to the same genus. These findings, combined with a limited amount of available expression data for D. magna metallothionein genes, tentatively suggest a potential generalization of the metallothionein response system between these Daphnia species

  7. Transcription patterns of genes encoding four metallothionein homologs in Daphnia pulex exposed to copper and cadmium are time- and homolog-dependent

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Asselman, Jana, E-mail: jana.asselman@ugent.be [Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent (Belgium); Shaw, Joseph R.; Glaholt, Stephen P. [The School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (United States); Colbourne, John K. [School of Biosciences, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham (United Kingdom); De Schamphelaere, Karel A.C. [Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent (Belgium)

    2013-10-15

    Highlights: •Transcription patterns of 4 metallothionein isoforms in Daphnia pulex. •Under cadmium and copper stress these patterns are time-dependent. •Under cadmium and copper stress these patterns are homolog-dependent. •The results stress the complex regulation of metallothioneins. -- Abstract: Metallothioneins are proteins that play an essential role in metal homeostasis and detoxification in nearly all organisms studied to date. Yet discrepancies between outcomes of chronic and acute exposure experiments hamper the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of their isoforms following metal exposure. Here, we investigated transcriptional differences among four identified homologs (mt1–mt4) in Daphnia pulex exposed across time to copper and cadmium relative to a control. Transcriptional upregulation of mt1 and mt3 was detected on day four following exposure to cadmium, whereas that of mt2 and mt4 was detected on day two and day eight following exposure to copper. These results confirm temporal and metal-specific differences in the transcriptional induction of genes encoding metallothionein homologs upon metal exposure which should be considered in ecotoxicological monitoring programs of metal-contaminated water bodies. Indeed, the mRNA expression patterns observed here illustrate the complex regulatory system associated with metallothioneins, as these patterns are not only dependent on the metal, but also on exposure time and the homolog studied. Further phylogenetic analysis and analysis of regulatory elements in upstream promoter regions revealed a high degree of similarity between metallothionein genes of Daphnia pulex and Daphnia magna, a species belonging to the same genus. These findings, combined with a limited amount of available expression data for D. magna metallothionein genes, tentatively suggest a potential generalization of the metallothionein response system between these Daphnia species.

  8. Peptide aptamers as new tools to modulate clathrin-mediated internalisation--inhibition of MT1-MMP internalisation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wickramasinghe, Rochana D; Ko Ferrigno, Paul; Roghi, Christian

    2010-07-23

    Peptide aptamers are combinatorial protein reagents that bind to targets with a high specificity and a strong affinity thus providing a molecular tool kit for modulating the function of their targets in vivo. Here we report the isolation of a peptide aptamer named swiggle that interacts with the very short (21 amino acid long) intracellular domain of membrane type 1-metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), a key cell surface protease involved in numerous and crucial physiological and pathological cellular events. Expression of swiggle in mammalian cells was found to increase the cell surface expression of MT1-MMP by impairing its internalisation. Swiggle interacts with the LLY573 internalisation motif of MT1-MMP intracellular domain, thus disrupting the interaction with the mu2 subunit of the AP-2 internalisation complex required for endocytosis of the protease. Interestingly, swiggle-mediated inhibition of MT1-MMP clathrin-mediated internalisation was also found to promote MT1-MMP-mediated cell migration. Taken together, our results provide further evidence that peptide aptamers can be used to dissect molecular events mediated by individual protein domains, in contrast to the pleiotropic effects of RNA interference techniques.

  9. The size distribution of 210Po in the atmosphere around Mt. Sakurajima in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashikawa, N.; Matsuoka, N.; Takashima, Y.; Syojo, N.; Imamura, H.; Fujisaki, M.

    1998-01-01

    The concentration and size distribution of 210 Po in particulate matters in the atmosphere were measured around the active volcano, Mt. Sakurajima in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan. The samples were collected eight times at four sampling points for the period from June 1994 to January 1996. The highest concentration of 210 Po was 2940 μBq/m 3 at Akamizu located 2 km away from the crater of Mt. Sakurajima. The 210 Po concentrations decreased with the increase of distance form Mt. Sakurajima. The size distribution curves of 210 Po in the particulate matters showed that 210 Po is usually condensed to fine particles smaller than 2 μm in diameter. In addition, it was suggested that the 210 Po concentration in particulate matters collected at Akamizu was affected by the wind direction over Mt. Sakurajima. (author)

  10. 76 FR 35967 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; Bozeman, MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-21

    ..., Gallatin Field Airport, Bozeman, MT, to accommodate aircraft using Instrument Landing System (ILS... 6005 Class E airspace areas extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface of the earth...

  11. Time-dependent reversal of significant intrapulmonary shunt after liver transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Xin; Sun, Byung Joo; Song, Jae-Kwan; Roh, Jae-Hyung; Jang, Jeong Yoon; Kim, Dae-Hee; Lim, Young-Suk; Song, Jong-Min; Kang, Duk-Hyun; Lee, Sung Gyu

    2018-03-05

    Although the association between intrapulmonary shunt (IPS) and liver cirrhosis is clear, data of repeated contrast echocardiography (CE) before and after liver transplantation (LT) to evaluate factors associated with IPS are limited. Hand-agitated saline was used for CE and, by assessing left-chamber opacification, IPS was classified as grade 0 to 4. Grade 3/4 constituted significant IPS and hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) was defined as significant IPS with the arterial partial pressure of oxygen < 70 mmHg. Before LT, 253 patients underwent CE and the frequency of significant IPS and HPS were 44% (n = 112) and 7% (n = 17), respectively. Child-Pugh score (odds ratio [OR], 1.345; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.090 to 1.660; p = 0.006) and arterial oxygen content (OR, 0.838; 95% CI, 0.708 to 0.991; p = 0.039) were independent determinants of significant IPS, whereas direct bilirubin (OR, 1.076; 95% CI, 1.012 to 1.144; p = 0.019) was the only variable associated with HPS. Among 153 patients who underwent successful LT, repeated CE was performed in 97 (63%), which showed significant reductions in IPS grade (from 2.6 ± 1.0 to 1.2 ± 1.3, p < 0.001) and the prevalence of significant IPS (from 56% to 20%, p = 0.038). After adjustment for pre-LT IPS grade, time from LT to repeated CE presented negative linear relationship with post-LT IPS grade (r 2 = 0.366, p < 0.001) and was the only determinant of post-LT IPS grade (OR, 1.009; 95% CI, 1.003 to 1.014; p = 0.004). Repeated CE is useful to evaluate intrapulmonary vascular change before and after LT. Reversal of IPS after successful LT is time-dependent and follow-up duration should be considered for accurate assessment of IPS after LT.

  12. RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP OF DOGS AND CATS FROM SINOP-MT: DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. B. De Carli

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available This research aimed to raise information on the relationship among owners from Sinop/MT and their pets, and also to diagnose the practice of responsible ownership. For this purpose, we developed a questionnaire, which was applied to 77 dog’s and cat’s owners, attended at the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Mato Grosso – Sinop, MT. The obtained results showed the majority of the owners miss information and knowledge about how to take good care of their pets. Most of them foster animals for emotional reasons but, despite this, we can’t conclude they are able to practice responsible ownership.

  13. An Effect of Cadmium and Lead Ions on Escherichia coli with the Cloned Gene for Metallothionein (MT-3) Revealed by Electrochemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adam, Vojtech; Chudobova, Dagmar; Tmejova, Katerina; Cihalova, Kristyna; Krizkova, Sona; Guran, Roman; Kominkova, Marketa; Zurek, Michal; Kremplova, Monika; Jimenez, Ana Maria Jimenez; Konecna, Marie

    2014-01-01

    This study was focused on the application of electrochemical methods for studying of bacterial strains Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli expressing human metallothionein gene (MT-3) before and after the application of cadmium and/or lead ions in four concentrations (25, 50, 75 and 150 μM). Bacterial strains Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli expressing human metallothionein gene (MT-3) were used like model organisms for studying of metals influence to metallothionein expression. Metallothionein was isolated using fast protein liquid chromatography and quantified by electrochemical methods. The occurrence of metallothionein in E.coli was confirmed by gel electrophoresis by the presence of the bands at 15 (MT dimer) and 22 kDa (MT trimer). The changes in electrochemical records due to the interactions of metallothioneins (MT-3 and MT-2A) with cadmium and lead ions showed decline of Cat2 signal of MT with the increasing interaction time because of metal ions binding to cysteines. Electrochemical determination also revealed that Cd(II) remains in E. coli cells in the higher amount than Pb (II). Opposite situation was found at E. coli–MT-3 strain. The antimicrobial effect of cadmium ions was determined by IC 50 and was statistically calculated as 39.2 and 95.5 μM for E. coli without cloned MT-3 and E. coli carrying MT-3 gene, respectively. High provided concentration IC 50 in strains after lead ions application (352.5 μM for E. coli without cloning and 207.0 μM for E. coli carrying cloned MT-3 gene) indicates lower toxicity of lead ions on bacterial strains compared to the cadmium ions

  14. The rapid detection of methyl tert-butyl ether (MtBE) in water using a prototype gas sensor system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Lacy Costello, B P J; Sivanand, P S; Ratcliffe, N M; Reynolds, D M

    2005-01-01

    The gasoline additive Methyl-tertiary-Butyl Ether (MtBE) is the second most common contaminant of groundwater in the USA and represents an important soil contaminant. This compound has been detected in the groundwater in at least 27 states as a result of leaking underground storage facilities (gasoline storage tanks and pipelines). Since the health effects of MtBE are unclear the potential threat to drinking water supplies is serious. Therefore, the ability to detect MtBE at low levels (ppb) and on-line at high-risk groundwater sites would be highly desirable. This paper reports the use of 'commercial' and metal oxide sensor arrays for the detection of MtBE in drinking and surface waters at low ppb level (microg.L(-1) range). The output responses from some of the sensors were found to correlate well with MtBE concentrations under laboratory conditions.

  15. Uniparental (mtDNA, Y-chromosome) polymorphisms in French Guiana and two related populations--implications for the region's colonization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazières, S; Guitard, E; Crubézy, E; Dugoujon, J-M; Bortolini, M C; Bonatto, S L; Hutz, M H; Bois, E; Tiouka, F; Larrouy, G; Salzano, F M

    2008-01-01

    Blood samples collected in four Amerindian French Guiana populations (Palikur, Emerillon, Wayampi and Kali'na) in the early 1980s were screened for selected mtDNA and Y-chromosome length polymorphisms, and sequenced for the mtDNA hypervariable segment I (HVS-I). In addition, two other Amerindian populations (Apalaí and Matsiguenga) were examined for the same markers to establish the genetic relationships in the area. Strong dissimilarities were observed in the distribution of the founding Amerindian haplogroups, and significant p-values were obtained from F(ST) genetic distances. Interpopulation similarities occurred mainly due to geography. The Palikur did not show obvious genetic similarity to the Matsiguenga, who speak the same language and live in a region from where they could have migrated to French Guiana. The African-origin admixture observed in the Kali'na probably derives from historical contacts they had with the Bushinengue (Noir Marron), a group of escaped slaves who now lead independent lives in a nearby region. This analysis has identified significant clues about the Amerindian peopling of the North-East Amazonian region.

  16. Regional Variation in mtDNA of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagen, Christian A.; Pitman, James C.; Sandercock, Brett K.; Wolfe, Don H.; Robel, Robel J.; Applegate, Roger D.; Oyler-McCance, Sara J.

    2010-01-01

    Cumulative loss of habitat and long-term decline in the populations of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) have led to concerns for the species' viability throughout its range in the southern Great Plains. For more efficient conservation past and present distributions of genetic variation need to be understood. We examined the distribution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in the Lesser Prairie-Chicken across Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Throughout the range we found little genetic differentiation except for the population in New Mexico, which was significantly different from most other publications. We did, however, find significant isolation by distance at the rangewide scale (r=0.698). We found no relationship between haplotype phylogeny and geography, and our analyses provide evidence for a post-glacial population expansion within the species that is consistent with the idea that speciation within Tympanuchus is recent. Conservation actions that increase the likelihood of genetically viable populations in the future should be evaluated for implementation.

  17. Collagen induced arthritis increases secondary metastasis in MMTV-PyV MT mouse model of mammary cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, Lopamudra Das; Ghosh, Sriparna; Pathangey, Latha B; Tinder, Teresa L; Gruber, Helen E; Mukherjee, Pinku

    2011-01-01

    Several studies have demonstrated that sites of chronic inflammation are often associated with the establishment and growth of various malignancies. A common inflammatory condition in humans is autoimmune arthritis (AA). Although AA and cancer are different diseases, many of the underlying processes that contribute to the disorders of the joints and connective tissue that characterize AA also affect cancer progression and metastasis. Systemically, AA can lead to cellular infiltration and inflammation of the lungs. Several studies have reported statistically significant risk ratios between AA and breast cancer. Despite this knowledge being available, there has been minimal research linking breast cancer, arthritis, and metastasis associated with breast cancer. Notably both diseases are extremely prevalent in older post-menopausal women. To establish the novel link between arthritis induced inflammation and secondary metastasis associated with breast cancer, PyV MT mice that spontaneously develop mammary gland carcinoma were injected with Type II collagen (CII) to induce arthritis at 9 and 18 weeks of age for pre-metastatic and metastatic condition. The sites of secondary metastasis and the associated inflammatory microenvironment were evaluated. A significant increase in breast cancer-associated secondary metastasis to the lungs and bones was observed in the arthritic versus the non-arthritic PyV MT mice along with an increase in primary tumor burden. We report significant increases in the levels of interstitial cellular infiltrates and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-17 (IL-17), interleukin-6 (IL-6), Pro- Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (Pro-MMP9), insulin like growth factor-II (GF-II) and macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) in the arthritic lung and bone milieu as well as in the circulation. These pro-inflammatory cytokines along with the inflammatory microenvironment may be the underlying factors facilitating tumor progression and metastasis in

  18. Collagen induced arthritis increases secondary metastasis in MMTV-PyV MT mouse model of mammary cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Lopamudra Das; Ghosh, Sriparna; Pathangey, Latha B; Tinder, Teresa L; Gruber, Helen E; Mukherjee, Pinku

    2011-08-22

    Several studies have demonstrated that sites of chronic inflammation are often associated with the establishment and growth of various malignancies. A common inflammatory condition in humans is autoimmune arthritis (AA). Although AA and cancer are different diseases, many of the underlying processes that contribute to the disorders of the joints and connective tissue that characterize AA also affect cancer progression and metastasis. Systemically, AA can lead to cellular infiltration and inflammation of the lungs. Several studies have reported statistically significant risk ratios between AA and breast cancer. Despite this knowledge being available, there has been minimal research linking breast cancer, arthritis, and metastasis associated with breast cancer. Notably both diseases are extremely prevalent in older post-menopausal women. To establish the novel link between arthritis induced inflammation and secondary metastasis associated with breast cancer, PyV MT mice that spontaneously develop mammary gland carcinoma were injected with Type II collagen (CII) to induce arthritis at 9 and 18 weeks of age for pre-metastatic and metastatic condition. The sites of secondary metastasis and the associated inflammatory microenvironment were evaluated. A significant increase in breast cancer-associated secondary metastasis to the lungs and bones was observed in the arthritic versus the non-arthritic PyV MT mice along with an increase in primary tumor burden. We report significant increases in the levels of interstitial cellular infiltrates and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-17 (IL-17), interleukin-6 (IL-6), Pro- Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (Pro-MMP9), insulin like growth factor-II (GF-II) and macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) in the arthritic lung and bone milieu as well as in the circulation. These pro-inflammatory cytokines along with the inflammatory microenvironment may be the underlying factors facilitating tumor progression and metastasis in

  19. Inactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis l,d-Transpeptidase LdtMt1 by Carbapenems and Cephalosporins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubée, Vincent; Triboulet, Sébastien; Mainardi, Jean-Luc; Ethève-Quelquejeu, Mélanie; Gutmann, Laurent; Marie, Arul; Dubost, Lionel

    2012-01-01

    The structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis peptidoglycan is atypical since it contains a majority of 3→3 cross-links synthesized by l,d-transpeptidases that replace 4→3 cross-links formed by the d,d-transpeptidase activity of classical penicillin-binding proteins. Carbapenems inactivate these l,d-transpeptidases, and meropenem combined with clavulanic acid is bactericidal against extensively drug-resistant M. tuberculosis. Here, we used mass spectrometry and stopped-flow fluorimetry to investigate the kinetics and mechanisms of inactivation of the prototypic M. tuberculosis l,d-transpeptidase LdtMt1 by carbapenems (meropenem, doripenem, imipenem, and ertapenem) and cephalosporins (cefotaxime, cephalothin, and ceftriaxone). Inactivation proceeded through noncovalent drug binding and acylation of the catalytic Cys of LdtMt1, which was eventually followed by hydrolysis of the resulting acylenzyme. Meropenem rapidly inhibited LdtMt1, with a binding rate constant of 0.08 μM−1 min−1. The enzyme was unable to recover from this initial binding step since the dissociation rate constant of the noncovalent complex was low (carbapenem side chains affected both the binding and acylation steps, ertapenem being the most efficient LdtMt1 inactivator. Cephalosporins also formed covalent adducts with LdtMt1, although the acylation reaction was 7- to 1,000-fold slower and led to elimination of one of the drug side chains. Comparison of kinetic constants for drug binding, acylation, and acylenzyme hydrolysis indicates that carbapenems and cephems can both be tailored to optimize peptidoglycan synthesis inhibition in M. tuberculosis. PMID:22615283

  20. MtDNA genomes reveal a relaxation of selective constraints in low-BMI individuals in a Uyghur population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Hong-Xiang; Li, Lei; Jiang, Xiao-Yan; Yan, Shi; Qin, Zhendong; Wang, Xiaofeng; Jin, Li

    2017-10-01

    Considerable attention has been focused on the effect of deleterious mutations caused by the recent relaxation of selective constraints on human health, including the prevalence of obesity, which might represent an adaptive response of energy-conserving metabolism under the conditions of modern society. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encoding 13 core subunits of oxidative phosphorylation plays an important role in metabolism. Therefore, we hypothesized that a relaxation of selection constraints on mtDNA and an increase in the proportion of deleterious mutations have played a role in obesity prevalence. In this study, we collected and sequenced the mtDNA genomes of 722 Uyghurs, a typical population with a high prevalence of obesity. We identified the variants that occurred in the Uyghur population for each sample and found that the number of nonsynonymous mutations carried by Uyghur individuals declined with elevation of their BMI (P = 0.015). We further calculated the nonsynonymous and synonymous ratio (N/S) of the high-BMI and low-BMI haplogroups, and the results showed that a significantly higher N/S occurred in the whole mtDNA genomes of the low-BMI haplogroups (0.64) than in that of the high-BMI haplogroups (0.35, P = 0.030) and ancestor haplotypes (0.41, P = 0.032); these findings indicated that low-BMI individuals showed a recent relaxation of selective constraints. In addition, we investigated six clinical characteristics and found that fasting plasma glucose might be correlated with the N/S and selective pressures. We hypothesized that a higher proportion of deleterious mutations led to mild mitochondrial dysfunction, which helps to drive glucose consumption and thereby prevents obesity. Our results provide new insights into the relationship between obesity predisposition and mitochondrial genome evolution.

  1. Visual motion imagery neurofeedback based on the hMT+/V5 complex: evidence for a feedback-specific neural circuit involving neocortical and cerebellar regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banca, Paula; Sousa, Teresa; Catarina Duarte, Isabel; Castelo-Branco, Miguel

    2015-12-01

    Objective. Current approaches in neurofeedback/brain-computer interface research often focus on identifying, on a subject-by-subject basis, the neural regions that are best suited for self-driven modulation. It is known that the hMT+/V5 complex, an early visual cortical region, is recruited during explicit and implicit motion imagery, in addition to real motion perception. This study tests the feasibility of training healthy volunteers to regulate the level of activation in their hMT+/V5 complex using real-time fMRI neurofeedback and visual motion imagery strategies. Approach. We functionally localized the hMT+/V5 complex to further use as a target region for neurofeedback. An uniform strategy based on motion imagery was used to guide subjects to neuromodulate hMT+/V5. Main results. We found that 15/20 participants achieved successful neurofeedback. This modulation led to the recruitment of a specific network as further assessed by psychophysiological interaction analysis. This specific circuit, including hMT+/V5, putative V6 and medial cerebellum was activated for successful neurofeedback runs. The putamen and anterior insula were recruited for both successful and non-successful runs. Significance. Our findings indicate that hMT+/V5 is a region that can be modulated by focused imagery and that a specific cortico-cerebellar circuit is recruited during visual motion imagery leading to successful neurofeedback. These findings contribute to the debate on the relative potential of extrinsic (sensory) versus intrinsic (default-mode) brain regions in the clinical application of neurofeedback paradigms. This novel circuit might be a good target for future neurofeedback approaches that aim, for example, the training of focused attention in disorders such as ADHD.

  2. GIS-BASED ANALYSIS FOR ASSESSING LANDSLIDE AND DROUGHT HAZARD IN THE CORRIDOR OF MT. MERAPI AND MT. MERBABU NATIONAL PARK, INDONESIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hero Marhaento

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available A corridor is an area located between two or more protected areas that are important to support the sustainability of the protected areas. This study is aimed at assessing landslide and drought hazard in the corridor area between Mt. Merapi National Park (MMNP and Mt. Merbabu National Park (MMbNP as a part of the corridor management strategy. The corridor area of MMNP and MMbNP comprises four sub-districts in Central Java Province, namely, Sawangan, Selo, Ampel, and Cepogo. A spatial analysis of ArcGIS 10.1 software was used to assess landslide hazard map and the Thorntwaite-Matter Water Balance approach was used to assess drought hazard map. The results have shown that three villages in Cepogo Sub-district and all villages in Selo Sub-district are highly prone to landslide hazard. Furthermore, two villages in Cepogo Sub-district and four villages in Selo Sub-district are prone to drought hazard. This study suggests that these villages should initiate a program called conservation village model based on disaster mitigation for mitigating future landslide and drought disasters.

  3. MtDNA T4216C variation in multiple sclerosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andalib, Sasan; Emamhadi, Mohammadreza; Yousefzadeh-Chabok, Shahrokh

    2016-01-01

    MtDNA T4216C variation has frequently been investigated in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients; nonetheless, controversy has existed about the evidence of association of this variation with susceptibility to MS. The present systematic review and meta-analysis converge the results of the preceding pu...

  4. The Relationship Between Transcript Expression Levels of Nuclear Encoded (TFAM, NRF1 and Mitochondrial Encoded (MT-CO1 Genes in Single Human Oocytes During Oocyte Maturation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghaffari Novin M.

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In some cases of infertility in women, human oocytes fail to mature when they reach the metaphase II (MII stage. Mitochondria plays an important role in oocyte maturation. A large number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA, copied in oocytes, is essential for providing adenosine triphosphate (ATP during oocyte maturation. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between transcript expression levels of the mitochondrial encoded gene (MT-CO1 and two nuclear encoded genes, nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1 and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM in various stages of human oocyte maturation. Nine consenting patients, age 21-35 years old, with male factors were selected for ovarian stimulation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI procedures. mRNA levels of mitochondrial- related genes were performed by singlecell TaqMan® quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR. There was no significant relationship between the relative expression levels in germinal vesicle (GV stage oocytes (p = 0.62. On the contrary, a significant relationship was seen between the relative expression levels of TFAM and NRF1 and the MT-CO1 genes at the stages of metaphase I (MI and MII (p = 0.03 and p = 0.002. A relationship exists between the transcript expression levels of TFAM and NRF1, and MT-CO1 genes in various stages of human oocyte maturation.

  5. Targeted transgenic overexpression of mitochondrial thymidine kinase (TK2) alters mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and mitochondrial polypeptide abundance: transgenic TK2, mtDNA, and antiretrovirals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosseini, Seyed H; Kohler, James J; Haase, Chad P; Tioleco, Nina; Stuart, Tami; Keebaugh, Erin; Ludaway, Tomika; Russ, Rodney; Green, Elgin; Long, Robert; Wang, Liya; Eriksson, Staffan; Lewis, William

    2007-03-01

    Mitochondrial toxicity limits nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. NRTI triphosphates, the active moieties, inhibit human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase and eukaryotic mitochondrial DNA polymerase pol-gamma. NRTI phosphorylation seems to correlate with mitochondrial toxicity, but experimental evidence is lacking. Transgenic mice (TGs) with cardiac overexpression of thymidine kinase isoforms (mitochondrial TK2 and cytoplasmic TK1) were used to study NRTI mitochondrial toxicity. Echocardiography and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging defined cardiac performance and structure. TK gene copy and enzyme activity, mitochondrial (mt) DNA and polypeptide abundance, succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase histochemistry, and electron microscopy correlated with transgenesis, mitochondrial structure, and biogenesis. Antiretroviral combinations simulated therapy. Untreated hTK1 or TK2 TGs exhibited normal left ventricle mass. In TK2 TGs, cardiac TK2 gene copy doubled, activity increased 300-fold, and mtDNA abundance doubled. Abundance of the 17-kd subunit of complex I, succinate dehydrogenase histochemical activity, and cristae density increased. NRTIs increased left ventricle mass 20% in TK2 TGs. TK activity increased 3 logs in hTK1 TGs, but no cardiac phenotype resulted. NRTIs abrogated functional effects of transgenically increased TK2 activity but had no effect on TK2 mtDNA abundance. Thus, NRTI mitochondrial phosphorylation by TK2 is integral to clinical NRTI mitochondrial toxicity.

  6. Regulation of MT1-MMP/MMP-2/TIMP-2 axis in human placenta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vincent ZL

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Zoë L Vincent,1,2 Murray D Mitchell,l,3 Anna P Ponnampalam1,2 1Liggins Institute, 2Gravida: National Centre for Growth and Development, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 3University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia Abstract: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs and specific endogenous tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs mediate rupture of the fetal membranes in both physiological and pathological conditions. MMPs and TIMPs are subject to regulation by DNA methylation in human malignancies and pre-eclampsia. To determine if membrane type 1 MMP (MT1-MMP, MMP2, and TIMP2 are regulated by DNA methylation in human placentas, we employed an in vitro model where human placental tissues were collected at term gestation and cultured with methylation inhibiting agent 5-aza-2′deoxycytidine (AZA and lipopolysaccharide. The results suggest that DNA methylation is not directly involved in the regulation of MT1-MMP in placental tissue; however, remodeling of chromatin by a pharmacologic agent such as AZA potentiates an infection-related increase in MT1-MMP. MT1-MMP is a powerful activator of MMP2 and this action, coupled with either no change or a decrease in TIMP2 concentrations, favors a gelatinolytic state leading to extracellular matrix degradation, which could predispose fetal membranes to rupture prematurely during inflammation. Keywords: placenta, epigenetic regulation, DNA methylation, MMPs, labor

  7. Endurance exercise rescues progeroid aging and induces systemic mitochondrial rejuvenation in mtDNA mutator mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safdar, Adeel; Bourgeois, Jacqueline M.; Ogborn, Daniel I.; Little, Jonathan P.; Hettinga, Bart P.; Akhtar, Mahmood; Thompson, James E.; Melov, Simon; Mocellin, Nicholas J.; Kujoth, Gregory C.; Prolla, Tomas A.; Tarnopolsky, Mark A.

    2011-01-01

    A causal role for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutagenesis in mammalian aging is supported by recent studies demonstrating that the mtDNA mutator mouse, harboring a defect in the proofreading-exonuclease activity of mitochondrial polymerase gamma, exhibits accelerated aging phenotypes characteristic of human aging, systemic mitochondrial dysfunction, multisystem pathology, and reduced lifespan. Epidemiologic studies in humans have demonstrated that endurance training reduces the risk of chronic diseases and extends life expectancy. Whether endurance exercise can attenuate the cumulative systemic decline observed in aging remains elusive. Here we show that 5 mo of endurance exercise induced systemic mitochondrial biogenesis, prevented mtDNA depletion and mutations, increased mitochondrial oxidative capacity and respiratory chain assembly, restored mitochondrial morphology, and blunted pathological levels of apoptosis in multiple tissues of mtDNA mutator mice. These adaptations conferred complete phenotypic protection, reduced multisystem pathology, and prevented premature mortality in these mice. The systemic mitochondrial rejuvenation through endurance exercise promises to be an effective therapeutic approach to mitigating mitochondrial dysfunction in aging and related comorbidities. PMID:21368114

  8. Overexpression of mtDNA-associated AtWhy2 compromises mitochondrial function

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    Abou-Rached Charbel

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background StWhy1, a member of the plant-specific Whirly single-stranded DNA-binding protein family, was first characterized as a transcription factor involved in the activation of the nuclear PR-10a gene following defense-related stress in potato. In Arabidopsis thaliana, Whirlies have recently been shown to be primarily localized in organelles. Two representatives of the family, AtWhy1 and AtWhy3 are imported into plastids while AtWhy2 localizes to mitochondria. Their function in organelles is currently unknown. Results To understand the role of mitochondrial Whirlies in higher plants, we produced A. thaliana lines with altered expression of the atwhy2 gene. Organellar DNA immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that AtWhy2 binds to mitochondrial DNA. Overexpression of atwhy2 in plants perturbs mitochondrial function by causing a diminution in transcript levels and mtDNA content which translates into a low activity level of respiratory chain complexes containing mtDNA-encoded subunits. This lowered activity of mitochondria yielded plants that were reduced in size and had distorted leaves that exhibited accelerated senescence. Overexpression of atwhy2 also led to early accumulation of senescence marker transcripts in mature leaves. Inactivation of the atwhy2 gene did not affect plant development and had no detectable effect on mitochondrial morphology, activity of respiratory chain complexes, transcription or the amount of mtDNA present. This lack of phenotype upon abrogation of atwhy2 expression suggests the presence of functional homologues of the Whirlies or the activation of compensating mechanisms in mitochondria. Conclusion AtWhy2 is associated with mtDNA and its overexpression results in the production of dysfunctional mitochondria. This report constitutes the first evidence of a function for the Whirlies in organelles. We propose that they could play a role in the regulation of the gene expression machinery of organelles.

  9. Experiment operations plan for the MT-4 experiment in the NRU reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russcher, G.E.; Wilson, C.L.; Parchen, L.J.; Marshall, R.K.; Hesson, G.M.; Webb, B.J.; Freshley, M.D.

    1983-06-01

    A series of thermal-hydraulic and cladding materials deformation experiments were conducted using light-water reactor fuel bundles as part of the Pacific Northwest Laboratory Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) Simulation Program. This report is the formal operations plan for MT-4 - the fourth materials deformation experiment conducted in the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor, Chalk River, Ontario, Canada. A major objective of MT-4 was to simulate a pressurized water reactor LOCA that could induce fuel rod cladding deformation and rupture due to a short-term adiabatic transient and a peak fuel cladding temperature of 1200K (1700 0 F)

  10. Locating the depth of magma supply for volcanic eruptions, insights from Mt. Cameroon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geiger, Harri; Barker, Abigail K; Troll, Valentin R

    2016-10-07

    Mt. Cameroon is one of the most active volcanoes in Africa and poses a possible threat to about half a million people in the area, yet knowledge of the volcano's underlying magma supply system is sparse. To characterize Mt. Cameroon's magma plumbing system, we employed mineral-melt equilibrium thermobarometry on the products of the volcano's two most recent eruptions of 1999 and 2000. Our results suggest pre-eruptive magma storage between 20 and 39 km beneath Mt. Cameroon, which corresponds to the Moho level and below. Additionally, the 1999 eruption products reveal several shallow magma pockets between 3 and 12 km depth, which are not detected in the 2000 lavas. This implies that small-volume magma batches actively migrate through the plumbing system during repose intervals. Evolving and migrating magma parcels potentially cause temporary unrest and short-lived explosive outbursts, and may be remobilized during major eruptions that are fed from sub-Moho magma reservoirs.

  11. Recombinant human melatonin receptor MT1 isolated in mixed detergents shows pharmacology similar to that in mammalian cell membranes.

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    Christel Logez

    Full Text Available The human melatonin MT1 receptor-belonging to the large family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs-plays a key role in circadian rhythm regulation and is notably involved in sleep disorders and depression. Structural and functional information at the molecular level are highly desired for fine characterization of this receptor; however, adequate techniques for isolating soluble MT1 material suitable for biochemical and biophysical studies remain lacking. Here we describe the evaluation of a panel of constructs and host systems for the production of recombinant human MT1 receptors, and the screening of different conditions for their solubilization and purification. Our findings resulted in the establishment of an original strategy using a mixture of Fos14 and CHAPS detergents to extract and purify a recombinant human MT1 from Pichia pastoris membranes. This procedure enabled the recovery of relatively pure, monomeric and ligand-binding active MT1 receptor in the near-milligram range. A comparative study based on extensive ligand-binding characterization highlighted a very close correlation between the pharmacological profiles of MT1 purified from yeast and the same receptor present in mammalian cell membranes. The high quality of the purified MT1 was further confirmed by its ability to activate its cognate Gαi protein partner when reconstituted in lipid discs, thus opening novel paths to investigate this receptor by biochemical and biophysical approaches.

  12. Recombinant human melatonin receptor MT1 isolated in mixed detergents shows pharmacology similar to that in mammalian cell membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logez, Christel; Berger, Sylvie; Legros, Céline; Banères, Jean-Louis; Cohen, William; Delagrange, Philippe; Nosjean, Olivier; Boutin, Jean A; Ferry, Gilles; Simonin, Frédéric; Wagner, Renaud

    2014-01-01

    The human melatonin MT1 receptor-belonging to the large family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)-plays a key role in circadian rhythm regulation and is notably involved in sleep disorders and depression. Structural and functional information at the molecular level are highly desired for fine characterization of this receptor; however, adequate techniques for isolating soluble MT1 material suitable for biochemical and biophysical studies remain lacking. Here we describe the evaluation of a panel of constructs and host systems for the production of recombinant human MT1 receptors, and the screening of different conditions for their solubilization and purification. Our findings resulted in the establishment of an original strategy using a mixture of Fos14 and CHAPS detergents to extract and purify a recombinant human MT1 from Pichia pastoris membranes. This procedure enabled the recovery of relatively pure, monomeric and ligand-binding active MT1 receptor in the near-milligram range. A comparative study based on extensive ligand-binding characterization highlighted a very close correlation between the pharmacological profiles of MT1 purified from yeast and the same receptor present in mammalian cell membranes. The high quality of the purified MT1 was further confirmed by its ability to activate its cognate Gαi protein partner when reconstituted in lipid discs, thus opening novel paths to investigate this receptor by biochemical and biophysical approaches.

  13. A monoclonal antibody interferes with TIMP-2 binding and incapacitates the MMP-2-activating function of multifunctional, pro-tumorigenic MMP-14/MT1-MMP

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shiryaev, S A; Remacle, A G; Golubkov, V S

    2013-01-01

    Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and, especially membrane type 1 (MT1)-MMP/MMP-14, are promising drug targets in malignancies. In contrast with multiple small-molecule and protein pan-inhibitors of MT1-MMP cleavage activity, the murine 9E8 monoclonal antibody targets the MMP-2-activating function...... of cellular MT1-MMP alone, rather than the general proteolytic activity and the pro-migratory function of MT1-MMP. Furthermore, the antibody does not interact in any detectable manner with other members of the membrane type (MT)-MMP family. The mechanism of this selectivity remained unknown. Using mutagenesis......, binding and activity assays, and modeling in silico, we have demonstrated that the 9E8 antibody recognizes the MT-loop structure, an eight residue insertion that is specific for MT-MMPs and that is distant from the MT1-MMP active site. The binding of the 9E8 antibody to the MT-loop, however, prevents...

  14. Effects of a sex-ratio distorting endosymbiont on mtDNA variation in a global insect pest

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    Cook James M

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Patterns of mtDNA variation within a species reflect long-term population structure, but may also be influenced by maternally inherited endosymbionts, such as Wolbachia. These bacteria often alter host reproductive biology and can drive particular mtDNA haplotypes through populations. We investigated the impacts of Wolbachia infection and geography on mtDNA variation in the diamondback moth, a major global pest whose geographic distribution reflects both natural processes and transport via human agricultural activities. Results The mtDNA phylogeny of 95 individuals sampled from 10 countries on four continents revealed two major clades. One contained only Wolbachia-infected individuals from Malaysia and Kenya, while the other contained only uninfected individuals, from all countries including Malaysia and Kenya. Within the uninfected group was a further clade containing all individuals from Australasia and displaying very limited sequence variation. In contrast, a biparental nuclear gene phylogeny did not have infected and uninfected clades, supporting the notion that maternally-inherited Wolbachia are responsible for the mtDNA pattern. Only about 5% (15/306 of our global sample of individuals was infected with the plutWB1 isolate and even within infected local populations, many insects were uninfected. Comparisons of infected and uninfected isofemale lines revealed that plutWB1 is associated with sex ratio distortion. Uninfected lines have a 1:1 sex ratio, while infected ones show a 2:1 female bias. Conclusion The main correlate of mtDNA variation in P. xylostella is presence or absence of the plutWB1 infection. This is associated with substantial sex ratio distortion and the underlying mechanisms deserve further study. In contrast, geographic origin is a poor predictor of moth mtDNA sequences, reflecting human activity in moving the insects around the globe. The exception is a clade of Australasian individuals, which may

  15. Matriptase/MT-SP1 is required for postnatal survival, epidermal barrier function, hair follicle development, and thymic homeostasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    List, Karin; Haudenschild, Christian C; Szabo, Roman

    2002-01-01

    of Matriptase/MT-SP1 also seriously affected hair follicle development resulting in generalized follicular hypoplasia, absence of erupted vibrissae, lack of vibrissal hair canal formation, ingrown vibrissae, and wholesale abortion of vibrissal follicles. Furthermore, Matriptase/MT-SP1-deficiency resulted...... in dramatically increased thymocyte apoptosis, and depletion of thymocytes. This study demonstrates that Matriptase/MT-SP1 has pleiotropic functions in the development of the epidermis, hair follicles, and cellular immune system....

  16. The Music Therapy Session Assessment Scale (MT-SAS): Validation of a new tool for music therapy process evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raglio, Alfredo; Gnesi, Marco; Monti, Maria Cristina; Oasi, Osmano; Gianotti, Marta; Attardo, Lapo; Gontero, Giulia; Morotti, Lara; Boffelli, Sara; Imbriani, Chiara; Montomoli, Cristina; Imbriani, Marcello

    2017-11-01

    Music therapy (MT) interventions are aimed at creating and developing a relationship between patient and therapist. However, there is a lack of validated observational instruments to consistently evaluate the MT process. The purpose of this study was the validation of Music Therapy Session Assessment Scale (MT-SAS), designed to assess the relationship between therapist and patient during active MT sessions. Videotapes of a single 30-min session per patient were considered. A pilot study on the videotapes of 10 patients was carried out to help refine the items, define the scoring system and improve inter-rater reliability among the five raters. Then, a validation study on 100 patients with different clinical conditions was carried out. The Italian MT-SAS was used throughout the process, although we also provide an English translation. The final scale consisted of 7 binary items accounting for eye contact, countenance, and nonverbal and sound-music communication. In the pilot study, raters were found to share an acceptable level of agreement in their assessments. Explorative factorial analysis disclosed a single homogeneous factor including 6 items (thus supporting an ordinal total score), with only the item about eye contact being unrelated to the others. Moreover, the existence of 2 different archetypal profiles of attuned and disattuned behaviours was highlighted through multiple correspondence analysis. As suggested by the consistent results of 2 different analyses, MT-SAS is a reliable tool that globally evaluates sonorous-musical and nonverbal behaviours related to emotional attunement and empathetic relationship between patient and therapist during active MT sessions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Anaerobic degradation of a mixture of MtBE, EtBE, TBA, and benzene under different redox conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Waals, Marcelle J; Pijls, Charles; Sinke, Anja J C; Langenhoff, Alette A M; Smidt, Hauke; Gerritse, Jan

    2018-04-01

    The increasing use of biobased fuels and fuel additives can potentially change the typical fuel-related contamination in soil and groundwater. Anaerobic biotransformation of the biofuel additive ethyl tert-butyl ether (EtBE), as well as of methyl tert-butyl ether (MtBE), benzene, and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA, a possible oxygenate metabolite), was studied at an industrially contaminated site and in the laboratory. Analysis of groundwater samples indicated that in the field MtBE was degraded, yielding TBA as major product. In batch microcosms, MtBE was degraded under different conditions: unamended control, with medium without added electron acceptors, or with ferrihydrite or sulfate (with or without medium) as electron acceptor, respectively. Degradation of EtBE was not observed under any of these conditions tested. TBA was partially depleted in parallel with MtBE. Results of microcosm experiments with MtBE substrate analogues, i.e., syringate, vanillate, or ferulate, were in line with the hypothesis that the observed TBA degradation is a cometabolic process. Microcosms with ferulate, syringate, isopropanol, or diethyl ether showed EtBE depletion up to 86.5% of the initial concentration after 83 days. Benzene was degraded in the unamended controls, with medium without added electron acceptors and with ferrihydrite, sulfate, or chlorate as electron acceptor, respectively. In the presence of nitrate, benzene was only degraded after addition of an anaerobic benzene-degrading community. Nitrate and chlorate hindered MtBE, EtBE, and TBA degradation.

  18. Peptide aptamers as new tools to modulate clathrin-mediated internalisation — inhibition of MT1-MMP internalisation

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    Ferrigno Paul

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Peptide aptamers are combinatorial protein reagents that bind to targets with a high specificity and a strong affinity thus providing a molecular tool kit for modulating the function of their targets in vivo. Results Here we report the isolation of a peptide aptamer named swiggle that interacts with the very short (21 amino acid long intracellular domain of membrane type 1-metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP, a key cell surface protease involved in numerous and crucial physiological and pathological cellular events. Expression of swiggle in mammalian cells was found to increase the cell surface expression of MT1-MMP by impairing its internalisation. Swiggle interacts with the LLY573 internalisation motif of MT1-MMP intracellular domain, thus disrupting the interaction with the μ2 subunit of the AP-2 internalisation complex required for endocytosis of the protease. Interestingly, swiggle-mediated inhibition of MT1-MMP clathrin-mediated internalisation was also found to promote MT1-MMP-mediated cell migration. Conclusions Taken together, our results provide further evidence that peptide aptamers can be used to dissect molecular events mediated by individual protein domains, in contrast to the pleiotropic effects of RNA interference techniques.

  19. Polymorphisms in the mitochondrial ribosome recycling factor EF-G2mt/MEF2 compromise cell respiratory function and increase atorvastatin toxicity.

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    Sylvie Callegari

    Full Text Available Mitochondrial translation, essential for synthesis of the electron transport chain complexes in the mitochondria, is governed by nuclear encoded genes. Polymorphisms within these genes are increasingly being implicated in disease and may also trigger adverse drug reactions. Statins, a class of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors used to treat hypercholesterolemia, are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. However, a significant proportion of users suffer side effects of varying severity that commonly affect skeletal muscle. The mitochondria are one of the molecular targets of statins, and these drugs have been known to uncover otherwise silent mitochondrial mutations. Based on yeast genetic studies, we identify the mitochondrial translation factor MEF2 as a mediator of atorvastatin toxicity. The human ortholog of MEF2 is the Elongation Factor Gene (EF-G 2, which has previously been shown to play a specific role in mitochondrial ribosome recycling. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA silencing of expression in human cell lines, we demonstrate that the EF-G2mt gene is required for cell growth on galactose medium, signifying an essential role for this gene in aerobic respiration. Furthermore, EF-G2mt silenced cell lines have increased susceptibility to cell death in the presence of atorvastatin. Using yeast as a model, conserved amino acid variants, which arise from non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in the EF-G2mt gene, were generated in the yeast MEF2 gene. Although these mutations do not produce an obvious growth phenotype, three mutations reveal an atorvastatin-sensitive phenotype and further analysis uncovers a decreased respiratory capacity. These findings constitute the first reported phenotype associated with SNPs in the EF-G2mt gene and implicate the human EF-G2mt gene as a pharmacogenetic candidate gene for statin toxicity in humans.

  20. Molecular characterization and expression profile of the melatonin receptor MT1 in the ovary of Tianzhu white yak (Bos grunniens).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jun Jie; Zhang, Xiao Yu; Zhang, Yong; Zhao, Xing Xu; Li, Fa Di; Tao, Jin Zhong

    2017-02-01

    Melatonin plays crucial roles in a wide range of ovarian physiological functions via the melatonin receptors (MRs). Structure and function of MRs have been well studied in sheep, cattle, and humans, but little information exists on the genetic characterization and function of these receptors in the ovary of the white yak. In the present study, the melatonin receptor MT1 was cloned by RT-PCR in the ovary of white yak; the MT1 cDNA fragment obtained (843bp) comprised an open reading frame (827bp) encoding a protein containing 275 residues, characterized by seven transmembrane regions and an NRY motif, two distinct amino acid replacements were found. The white yak MT1 had a 83.9-98.6% protein sequence identity with that of nine other mammals. Using RT-PCR, the expression levels of MT1, MT2, and LHR in the ovary of pregnant and non-pregnant white yaks were compared, revealing higher levels of all genes in pregnant yaks: 3.83-fold increase for MT1 (Pmelatonin and MT1 are associated with the corpus luteum function of pregnancy maintenance and follicular development during oocyte maturation in the white yak. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. mtDNA copy number in oocytes of different sizes from individual pre- and post-pubertal pigs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Hanne Skovsgaard; Løvendahl, Peter; Larsen, Knud Erik

    2014-01-01

    from ovaries of 10 pre- and 10 post-pubertal pigs. Cumulus cells were removed and the oocytes were measured (inside-ZP-diameter). Oocytes were transferred to DNAase-free tubes, snap-frozen, and stored at –80°C. The genes ND1 and COX1 were used to determine the mtDNA copy number. Plasmid preparations...... Reproduction 131, 233–245). However, the correlation between size and mtDNA copy number in single oocytes has not been determined. This study describes the relation between oocytes of defined diameters from individual pre- and postpubertal pigs and mtDNA copy number. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were aspirated...

  2. DIAGNOSIS OF EGG MARKETING CONDITION IN SINOP - MT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Ribeiro

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The eggs, when manipulated in inadequate sanitary conditions, are considered as ways for development and multiplication of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the microbiological quality of eggs marketed out at Sinop – MT, through the identification of Salmonella spp., count of aerobic mesophile bacteria and enterobacteria. We collected 12 eggs from each establishment, three supermarkets and three fairs. Were not identified Salmonella spp. in egg shells and internal content. Escherichia coli was isolated from the internal contents of eggs come from an street fair. In aerobic mesophilic counts were obtained from eggs supermarkets counts CFU/g/egg shell of 5,8 x 105, 1,21 x 105 e 4,7 x 103. In relation to the fairs, the counts were 7,2 x 104, 5,66 x 104 e 8,7 x 103. The absence of Salmonella spp. the evaluated eggs classifies them as fit for consumption for compliance with current legislation. However, the presence of E. coli and the values of aerobic mesophilic counts and Enterobacteriaceae highlight the need to establish measures to reduce bacterial contamination of shell eggs sold out at Sinop, MT.

  3. MMS exposure promotes increased MtDNA mutagenesis in the presence of replication-defective disease-associated DNA polymerase γ variants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stumpf, Jeffrey D; Copeland, William C

    2014-10-01

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes proteins essential for ATP production. Mutant variants of the mtDNA polymerase cause mutagenesis that contributes to aging, genetic diseases, and sensitivity to environmental agents. We interrogated mtDNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with disease-associated mutations affecting conserved regions of the mtDNA polymerase, Mip1, in the presence of the wild type Mip1. Mutant frequency arising from mtDNA base substitutions that confer erythromycin resistance and deletions between 21-nucleotide direct repeats was determined. Previously, increased mutagenesis was observed in strains encoding mutant variants that were insufficient to maintain mtDNA and that were not expected to reduce polymerase fidelity or exonuclease proofreading. Increased mutagenesis could be explained by mutant variants stalling the replication fork, thereby predisposing the template DNA to irreparable damage that is bypassed with poor fidelity. This hypothesis suggests that the exogenous base-alkylating agent, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), would further increase mtDNA mutagenesis. Mitochondrial mutagenesis associated with MMS exposure was increased up to 30-fold in mip1 mutants containing disease-associated alterations that affect polymerase activity. Disrupting exonuclease activity of mutant variants was not associated with increased spontaneous mutagenesis compared with exonuclease-proficient alleles, suggesting that most or all of the mtDNA was replicated by wild type Mip1. A novel subset of C to G transversions was responsible for about half of the mutants arising after MMS exposure implicating error-prone bypass of methylated cytosines as the predominant mutational mechanism. Exposure to MMS does not disrupt exonuclease activity that suppresses deletions between 21-nucleotide direct repeats, suggesting the MMS-induce mutagenesis is not explained by inactivated exonuclease activity. Further, trace amounts of CdCl2 inhibit mtDNA replication but

  4. Controls on Magmatic and Hydrothermal Processes at Yellowstone Supervolcano: The Wideband Magnetotelluric Component of an Integrated MT/Seismic Investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, A.; Bennington, N. L.; Bowles-martinez, E.; Imamura, N.; Cronin, R. A.; Miller, D. J.; Hart, L.; Gurrola, R. M.; Neal, B. A.; Scholz, K.; Fry, B.; Carbonari, R.

    2017-12-01

    Previous seismic and magnetotelluric (MT) studies beneath Yellowstone (YS) have provided insight into the origin and migration of magmatic fluids within the volcanic system. However, important questions remain concerning the generation of magmatism at YS, the migration and storage of these magmatic fluids, as well as their relationships to hydrothermal expressions. Analysis of regional-scale EarthScope MT data collected previously suggests a relative absence of continuity in crustal partial melt accumulations directly beneath YS. This is in contrast to some seismic interpretations, although such long-period MT data have limited resolving power in the upper-to-mid crustal section. A wideband MT experiment was designed as a component of an integrated MT/seismic project to examine: the origin and location of magmatic fluids at upper mantle/lower crustal depths, the preferred path of migration for these magmatic fluids into the mid- to upper-crust, the resulting distribution of the magma reservoir, the composition of the magma reservoir, and implications for future volcanism at YS. A high-resolution wideband MT survey was carried out in the YS region in the summer of 2017, with more than forty-five wideband stations installed within and immediately surrounding the YS National Park boundary. These data provided nearly six decades of bandwidth ( 10-3 Hz -to- 103 Hz). Extraordinary permitting restrictions prevented us from using conventional installation methods at many of our sites, and an innovative "no-dig" subaerial method of wideband MT was developed and used successfully. Using these new data along with existing MT datasets, we are inverting for the 3D resistivity structure at upper crustal through upper mantle scales at YS. Complementary to this MT work, a joint inversion for the 3D crustal velocity structure is being carried out using both ambient noise and earthquake travel time data. Taken together, these data should better constrain the crustal velocity

  5. Thirty years of precise gravity measurements at Mt. Vesuvius: an approach to detect underground mass movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanna Berrino

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Since 1982, high precision gravity measurements have been routinely carried out on Mt. Vesuvius. The gravity network consists of selected sites most of them coinciding with, or very close to, leveling benchmarks to remove the effect of the elevation changes from gravity variations. The reference station is located in Napoli, outside the volcanic area. Since 1986, absolute gravity measurements have been periodically made on a station on Mt. Vesuvius, close to a permanent gravity station established in 1987, and at the reference in Napoli. The results of the gravity measurements since 1982 are presented and discussed. Moderate gravity changes on short-time were generally observed. On long-term significant gravity changes occurred and the overall fields displayed well defined patterns. Several periods of evolution may be recognized. Gravity changes revealed by the relative surveys have been confirmed by repeated absolute measurements, which also confirmed the long-term stability of the reference site. The gravity changes over the recognized periods appear correlated with the seismic crises and with changes of the tidal parameters obtained by continuous measurements. The absence of significant ground deformation implies masses redistribution, essentially density changes without significant volume changes, such as fluids migration at the depth of the seismic foci, i.e. at a few kilometers. The fluid migration may occur through pre-existing geological structures, as also suggested by hydrological studies, and/or through new fractures generated by seismic activity. This interpretation is supported by the analyses of the spatial gravity changes overlapping the most significant and recent seismic crises.

  6. Participation of MT3 melatonin receptors in the synergistic effect of melatonin on cytotoxic and apoptotic actions evoked by chemotherapeutics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pariente, Roberto; Bejarano, Ignacio; Espino, Javier; Rodríguez, Ana B; Pariente, José A

    2017-11-01

    Melatonin has antitumor activity via several mechanisms including its antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in addition to its potent antioxidant actions. Therefore, melatonin may be useful in the treatment of tumors in association with chemotherapy drugs. This study was performed to study the role of melatonin receptors on the cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by the chemotherapeutic agents cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil in two tumor cell lines, such as human colorectal cancer HT-29 cells and cervical cancer HeLa cells. We found that both melatonin and the two chemotherapeutic agents tested induced a decrease in HT-29 and HeLa cell viability. Furthermore, melatonin significantly increased the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapeutic agents, particularly, in 5-fluorouracil-challenged cells. Stimulation of cells with either of the two chemotherapeutic agents in the presence of melatonin further increased caspase-3 activation. Concomitant treatments with melatonin and chemotherapeutic agents augmented the population of apoptotic cells compared to the treatments with chemotherapeutics alone. Blockade of MT1 and/or MT2 receptors with luzindole or 4-P-PDOT was unable to reverse the enhancing effects of melatonin on both cytotoxicity, caspase-3 activation and the amount of apoptotic cells evoked by the chemotherapeutic agents, whereas when MT3 receptors were blocked with prazosin, the synergistic effect of melatonin with chemotherapy on cytotoxicity and apoptosis was reversed. Our findings provided evidence that in vitro melatonin strongly enhances chemotherapeutic-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in two tumor cell lines, namely HT-29 and HeLa cells and, this potentiating effect of melatonin is mediated by MT3 receptor stimulation.

  7. Radon measurements in the SE and NE flank of Mt. Etna (Italy)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    La Delfa, S.; Imme, G.; Lo Nigro, S.; Morelli, D.; Patane, G.; Vizzini, F.

    2007-01-01

    Soil Radon has been monitored at two fixed sites located in the northeastern and southeastern flank of Mt. Etna. In this study we report the comparison between in-soil Radon concentration trend recorded in the SE flank and that one recorded in the NE one, where an in-soil Radon detection system is operating since 2001. The aim of this work was to implement the investigation area finding a suitable radon detection site, in the south-east flank of Mt. Etna, in order to better understand possible links between Radon anomalies and volcano dynamic. Radon data collected in NE and SE sites were compared with the volcanic tremor, frequency of occurrence of earthquakes and seismic strain-release recorded at a fixed 3D digital seismic station placed in the NE site. Same general in-soil Radon trends and anomalies were found in both sites. These results have confirmed the suitability of the chosen southeastern site for the in-soil Radon monitoring at Mt. Etna. The comparison of the recorded Radon concentration anomalies with seismicity and volcanic tremor trends, has also verified a possible link with the volcanic activity, as observed in our previous published studies

  8. Six years of atmospheric CO2 observations at Mt. Fuji recorded with a battery-powered measurement system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nomura, Shohei; Mukai, Hitoshi; Terao, Yukio; Machida, Toshinobu; Nojiri, Yukihiro

    2017-03-01

    We developed a battery-powered carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement system for monitoring at the summit of Mt. Fuji (3776 m a.s.l.), which experiences very low temperatures (below -20 °C) and severe environmental conditions without access to gridded electricity for 10 months (from September to June). Our measurement system used 100 batteries to run the measurement unit during these months. These batteries were charged during the 2-month summer season when gridded electricity was available, using a specially designed automatic battery-charging system. We installed this system in summer 2009 at the Mt. Fuji weather station; observations of atmospheric CO2 concentration were taken through December 2015. Measurements were never interrupted by a lack of battery power except for two cases in which lightning damaged a control board. Thus we obtained CO2 data during about 94 % of the 6-year period. Analytical performances (stability and accuracy) were better than 0.1 ppm, as tested by checking working standards and comparisons with flask sampling.Observational results showed that CO2 mole fractions at Mt. Fuji demonstrated clear seasonal variation. The trend and the variability of the CO2 growth rate observed at Mt. Fuji were very similar to those of the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO). Seasonally, the concentration at Mt. Fuji was 2-10 ppm lower in summer and 2-12 ppm higher in winter than those at MLO. The lower concentrations at Mt. Fuji in summer are mainly attributed to episodes of air mass transport from Siberia or China, where CO2 is taken up by the terrestrial biosphere. On the other hand, the relatively higher concentrations in winter seem to reflect the high percentage of air masses originating from China or Southeast Asia during this period, which carry increased anthropogenic carbon dioxide. These results show that Mt. Fuji is not very influenced by local sources but rather by the sources and sinks over a very large region.Thus we conclude that, as this system could

  9. Knowledge-fused differential dependency network models for detecting significant rewiring in biological networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Ye; Zhang, Bai; Hoffman, Eric P; Clarke, Robert; Zhang, Zhen; Shih, Ie-Ming; Xuan, Jianhua; Herrington, David M; Wang, Yue

    2014-07-24

    Modeling biological networks serves as both a major goal and an effective tool of systems biology in studying mechanisms that orchestrate the activities of gene products in cells. Biological networks are context-specific and dynamic in nature. To systematically characterize the selectively activated regulatory components and mechanisms, modeling tools must be able to effectively distinguish significant rewiring from random background fluctuations. While differential networks cannot be constructed by existing knowledge alone, novel incorporation of prior knowledge into data-driven approaches can improve the robustness and biological relevance of network inference. However, the major unresolved roadblocks include: big solution space but a small sample size; highly complex networks; imperfect prior knowledge; missing significance assessment; and heuristic structural parameter learning. To address these challenges, we formulated the inference of differential dependency networks that incorporate both conditional data and prior knowledge as a convex optimization problem, and developed an efficient learning algorithm to jointly infer the conserved biological network and the significant rewiring across different conditions. We used a novel sampling scheme to estimate the expected error rate due to "random" knowledge. Based on that scheme, we developed a strategy that fully exploits the benefit of this data-knowledge integrated approach. We demonstrated and validated the principle and performance of our method using synthetic datasets. We then applied our method to yeast cell line and breast cancer microarray data and obtained biologically plausible results. The open-source R software package and the experimental data are freely available at http://www.cbil.ece.vt.edu/software.htm. Experiments on both synthetic and real data demonstrate the effectiveness of the knowledge-fused differential dependency network in revealing the statistically significant rewiring in biological

  10. Land Cover Change in the Vicinity of MT. Qomolangma (everest), Central High Himalayas Since 1976

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Y.; Nie, Y.; Liu, L.; Wang, Z.; Ding, M.; Zhang, J.

    2010-12-01

    vegetation at vertical distribution in the Sagamasha area located in the southern slope is slightly higer than than in the Mt. Qomolangma region due to its better regional water and heat conditions. 3. The distribution patterns of the main land cover types in the Mt. Qomolangma region during 1976-2006 don’t change greatly. The land cover changes during the two periods (1976-1988, 1988-2006) have shown a good consistency. The most prominent changing characteristics are: significant glacier retreat, more bare rock outcrops, rapid expansion of glacial lake covered bare rock, lakes shrinking and wetlands growth, wetlands being reclaimed as farmland in the prior period and significant reduce of cultivated land in the latter period. The research have been analyzed the glaciers, wetland and other cover types that are sensitive to climate change. The relationship between the land cover types and climate change, the impacts of human activities on land cover change and the effectiveness of protected area have been discussed. Foundation: The National Basic Research Program of China, Grant No.2005CB422006 & 2010CB951704; External Cooperation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.GJHZ0954

  11. Clustering of Caucasian Leber hereditary optic neuropathy patients containing the 11778 or 14484 mutations on an mtDNA lineage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, M.D.; Sun, F.; Wallace, D.C. [Emory Univ. School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA (United States)

    1997-02-01

    Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a type of blindness caused by mtDNA mutations. Three LHON mtDNA mutations at nucleotide positions 3460, 11778, and 14484 are specific for LHON and account for 90% of worldwide cases and are thus designated as {open_quotes}primary{close_quotes} LHON mutations. Fifteen other {open_quotes}secondary{close_quotes} LHON mtDNA mutations have been identified, but their pathogenicity is unclear. mtDNA haplotype and phylogenetic analysis of the primary LHON mutations in North American Caucasian patients and controls has shown that, unlike the 3460 and 11778 mutations, which are distributed throughout the European-derived (Caucasian) mtDNA phylogeny, patients containing the 14484 mutation tended to be associated with European mtDNA haplotype J. To investigate this apparent clustering, we performed {chi}{sup 2}-based statistical analyses to compare the distribution of LHON patients on the Caucasian phylogenetic tree. Our results indicate that, unlike the 3460 and 11778 mutations, the 14484 mutation was not distributed on the phylogeny in proportion to the frequencies of the major Caucasian mtDNA haplogroups found in North America. The 14484 mutation was next shown to occur on the haplogroup J background more frequently that expected, consistent with the observation that {approximately}75% of worldwide 14484-positive LHON patients occur in association with haplogroup J. The 11778 mutation also exhibited a moderate clustering on haplogroup J. These observations were supported by statistical analysis using all available mutation frequencies reported in the literature. This paper thus illustrates the potential importance of genetic background in certain mtDNA-based diseases, speculates on a pathogenic role for a subset of LHON secondary mutations and their interaction with primary mutations, and provides support for a polygenic model for LHON expression in some cases. 18 refs., 3 tabs.

  12. Mitochondrial Dysfunctions Contribute to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Patient iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes with MT-RNR2 Mutation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shishi Li

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young individuals. A potential role of mtDNA mutations in HCM is known. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms linking mtDNA mutations to HCM remain poorly understood due to lack of cell and animal models. Here, we generated induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (HCM-iPSC-CMs from human patients in a maternally inherited HCM family who carry the m.2336T>C mutation in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene (MT-RNR2. The results showed that the m.2336T>C mutation resulted in mitochondrial dysfunctions and ultrastructure defects by decreasing the stability of 16S rRNA, which led to reduced levels of mitochondrial proteins. The ATP/ADP ratio and mitochondrial membrane potential were also reduced, thereby elevating the intracellular Ca2+ concentration, which was associated with numerous HCM-specific electrophysiological abnormalities. Our findings therefore provide an innovative insight into the pathogenesis of maternally inherited HCM. : In this article, Yan Q, Liu Z, Huang W, and colleagues show that patient-specific iPSCs as well as their derived cardiomyocytes carrying the m.2336T>C mutation in MT-RNR2 were generated to understand the pathogenic mechanism of maternally inherited HCM. MT-RNR2 mutation resulted in mitochondrial dysfunctions and ultrastructure defects, which induced abnormal Ca2+ homeostasis, then HCM-specific cellular and electrophysiological characteristics in iPSC-CMs. Keywords: mitochondrion, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, induced pluripotent stem cells, MT-RNR2, maternal inheritance

  13. Association of AS3MT polymorphisms and the risk of premalignant arsenic skin lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valenzuela, Olga L.; Drobna, Zuzana; Hernandez-Castellanos, Erika; Sanchez-Pena, Luz C.; Garcia-Vargas, Gonzalo G.; Borja-Aburto, Victor H.; Styblo, Miroslav; Del Razo, Luz M.

    2009-01-01

    Exposure to naturally occurring inorganic arsenic (iAs), primarily from contaminated drinking water, is considered one of the top environmental health threats worldwide. Arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT) is the key enzyme in the biotransformation pathway of iAs. AS3MT catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to trivalent arsenicals, resulting in the production of methylated (MAs) and dimethylated arsenicals (DMAs). MAs is a susceptibility factor for iAs-induced toxicity. In this study, we evaluated the association of the polymorphism in AS3MT gene with iAs metabolism and with the presence of arsenic (As) premalignant skin lesions. This is a case-control study of 71 cases with skin lesions and 51 controls without skin lesions recruited from a iAs endemic area in Mexico. We measured urinary As metabolites, differentiating the trivalent and pentavalent arsenical species, using the hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. In addition, the study subjects were genotyped to analyze three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), A-477G, T14458C (nonsynonymus SNP; Met287Thr), and T35587C, in the AS3MT gene. We compared the frequencies of the AS3MT alleles, genotypes, and haplotypes in individuals with and without skin lesions. Marginal differences in the frequencies of the Met287Thr genotype were identified between individuals with and without premalignant skin lesions (p = 0.055): individuals carrying the C (TC+CC) allele (Thr) were at risk [odds ratio = 4.28; 95% confidence interval (1.0-18.5)]. Also, individuals with C allele of Met287Thr displayed greater percentage of MAs in urine and decrease in the percentage of DMAs. These findings indicate that Met287Thr influences the susceptibility to premalignant As skin lesions and might be at increased risk for other adverse health effects of iAs exposure.

  14. Swimming, swarming, twitching, and chemotactic responses of Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 and Pseudomonas putida mt2 in the presence of cadmium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamim, Saba; Rehman, Abdul; Qazi, Mahmood Hussain

    2014-04-01

    To use of microorganisms for bioremediation purposes, the study of their motility behavior toward metals is essential. In the present study, Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 and Pseudomonas putida mt2 were used as cadmium (Cd)-resistant and -sensitive bacteria, respectively, to evaluate the effects of Cd on their motility behaviors. Potassium morpholinopropane sulfonate (MOPS) buffer was used to observe the motility behavior of both isolates. Movement of mt2 was less in MOPS buffer compared with CH34, likely reflecting the mono-flagellated nature of mt2 and the peritrichous nature of CH34. The swimming, swarming, twitching, and chemotaxis behaviors of mt2 were greater in the presence of glucose than that of Cd. mt2 exhibited negative motility behaviors when exposed to Cd, but the opposite effect was seen in CH34. Cd was found to be a chemorepellent for mt2 but a chemoattractant for CH34, suggesting that CH34 is a potential candidate for metal (Cd) bioremediation.

  15. Motor behavioral abnormalities and histopathological findings of Wistar rats inoculated with HTLV-1-infected MT2 cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C.C. Câmara

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to describe motor behavioral changes in association with histopathological and hematological findings in Wistar rats inoculated intravenously with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1-infected MT2 cells. Twenty-five 4-month-old male rats were inoculated with HTLV-1-infected MT2 cells and 13 control rats were inoculated with normal human lymphocytes. The behavior of the rats was observed before and 5, 10, 15, and 20 months after inoculation during a 30-min/rat testing time for 5 consecutive days. During each of 4 periods, a subset of rats was randomly chosen to be sacrificed in order to harvest the spinal cord for histopathological analysis and to obtain blood for serological and molecular studies. Behavioral analyses of the HTLV-1-inoculated rats showed a significant decrease of climbing, walking and freezing, and an increase of scratching, sniffing, biting, licking, and resting/sleeping. Two of the 25 HTLV-1-inoculated rats (8% developed spastic paraparesis as a major behavioral change. The histopathological changes were few and mild, but in some cases there was diffuse lymphocyte infiltration. The minor and major behavioral changes occurred after 10-20 months of evolution. The long-term observation of Wistar rats inoculated with HTLV-1-infected MT2 cells showed major (spastic paraparesis and minor motor abnormalities in association with the degree of HTLV-1-induced myelopathy.

  16. A causal role for V5/MT neurons coding motion-disparity conjunctions in resolving perceptual ambiguity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krug, Kristine; Cicmil, Nela; Parker, Andrew J; Cumming, Bruce G

    2013-08-05

    Judgments about the perceptual appearance of visual objects require the combination of multiple parameters, like location, direction, color, speed, and depth. Our understanding of perceptual judgments has been greatly informed by studies of ambiguous figures, which take on different appearances depending upon the brain state of the observer. Here we probe the neural mechanisms hypothesized as responsible for judging the apparent direction of rotation of ambiguous structure from motion (SFM) stimuli. Resolving the rotation direction of SFM cylinders requires the conjoint decoding of direction of motion and binocular depth signals [1, 2]. Within cortical visual area V5/MT of two macaque monkeys, we applied electrical stimulation at sites with consistent multiunit tuning to combinations of binocular depth and direction of motion, while the monkey made perceptual decisions about the rotation of SFM stimuli. For both ambiguous and unambiguous SFM figures, rotation judgments shifted as if we had added a specific conjunction of disparity and motion signals to the stimulus elements. This is the first causal demonstration that the activity of neurons in V5/MT contributes directly to the perception of SFM stimuli and by implication to decoding the specific conjunction of disparity and motion, the two different visual cues whose combination drives the perceptual judgment. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. The primary volcanic aerosol emission from Mt Etna: Size-resolved particles with SO2 and role in plume reactive halogen chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, T. J.; Vignelles, D.; Liuzzo, M.; Giudice, G.; Aiuppa, A.; Coltelli, M.; Salerno, G.; Chartier, M.; Couté, B.; Berthet, G.; Lurton, T.; Dulac, F.; Renard, J.-B.

    2018-02-01

    Volcanoes are an important source of aerosols to the troposphere. Within minutes after emission, volcanic plume aerosol catalyses conversion of co-emitted HBr, HCl into highly reactive halogens (e.g. BrO, OClO) through chemical cycles that cause substantial ozone depletion in the dispersing downwind plume. This study quantifies the sub-to-supramicron primary volcanic aerosol emission (0.2-5 μm diameter) and its role in this process. An in-situ ground-based study at Mt Etna (Italy) during passive degassing co-deployed an optical particle counter and Multi-Gas SO2 sensors at high time resolution (0.1 Hz) enabling to characterise the aerosol number, size-distribution and emission flux. A tri-modal volcanic aerosol size distribution was found, to which lognormal distributions are fitted. Total particle volume correlates to SO2 (as a plume tracer). The measured particle volume:SO2 ratio equates to a sulfate:SO2 ratio of 1-2% at the observed meteorological conditions (40% Relative Humidity). A particle mass flux of 0.7 kg s-1 is calculated for the measured Mt Etna SO2 flux of 1950 tonnes/day. A numerical plume atmospheric chemistry model is used to simulate the role of the hygroscopic primary aerosol surface area and its humidity dependence on volcanic plume BrO and OClO chemistry. As well as predicting volcanic BrO formation and O3 depletion, the model achieves OClO/SO2 in broad quantitative agreement with recently reported Mt Etna observations, with a predicted maximum a few minutes downwind. In addition to humidity - that enhances aerosols surface area for halogen cycling - background ozone is predicted to be an important control on OClO/SO2. Dependence of BrO/SO2 on ambient humidity is rather low near-to-source but increases further downwind. The model plume chemistry also exhibits strong across-plume spatial variations between plume edge and centre.

  18. Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by sabaots of Mt ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... medicinal plant species used to manage human ailments at Kopsiro Division Mt. ... The whole plant (1.8%), seed (1.2%), fruit (1.2%), sap (1.2%), flower (0.6%) ... as to maximize the sustainable use of these vital resources in the study area.

  19. 77 FR 55690 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; Dillon, MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-11

    ... aircraft using new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global positioning System (GPS) standard instrument approach... Airport, Dillon, MT, to accommodate IFR aircraft executing new RNAV (GPS) standard instrument approach.... Steven L. Vale, Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center. [FR Doc. 2012-22269...

  20. Metallogeny, exploitation and environmental impact of the Mt. Amiata mercury ore district (Southern Tuscany, Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rimondi, V.; Chiarantini, L.; Lattanzi, P.; Benvenuti, M.; Beutel, M.; Colica, A.; Costagliola, P.; Di Benedetto, F.; Gabbani, G.; Gray, John E.; Pandeli, E.; Pattelli, G.; Paolieri, M.; Ruggieri, G.

    2015-01-01

    The Mt. Amiata mining district (Southern Tuscany, Italy) is a world class Hg district, with a cumulate production of more than 100,000 tonnes of Hg, mostly occurring between 1870 and 1980. The Hg mineralization at Mt. Amiata is younger than 0.3 Ma, and is directly related to shallow hydrothermal systems similar to present-day geothermal fields of the region. There is likely a continuum of Hg deposition to present day, because Hg emission from geothermal power plants is on-going. In this sense, the Mt. Amiata deposits present some analogies with “hot-spring type” deposits of western USA, although an ore deposit model for the district has not been established. Specifically, the source of Hg remains highly speculative. The mineralizing hydrothermal fluids are of low temperature, and of essentially meteoric origin.

  1. The significance of the adenosinergic system in morphine dependence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lupina Malgorzata

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Addiction is a chronic and recurrent disease. In its pathology, neuroadaptive changes within the dopaminergic pathways inside the mesolimbic system play a predominant role. Of note, the manner in which various neurotransmitters act on their receptors, may modulate the addictive process. Adenosine, an important neuromodulator in the central nervous system, is able to modify the opioid dependence, doing so mainly by its activity on the adenosine A1 and A2A receptors. In the present manuscript, the actual state of knowledge on the relationships between adenosinergic receptors and opioid dependence has been described. Various literature data on the involvement of adenosine ligands, mainly in the signs of morphine withdrawal, as well as morphine-induced sensitization, were also collected. Additionally, in this paper, some important interactions between adenosine and other neurotransmitters (e.g. dopamine, glutamate are described. It is put forward that these connections are the major mechanism of involvement of the adenosinergic system in morphine addiction. The repeatedly confirmed effectiveness of adenosine ligands in morphine dependence, as seen in various experimental protocols, suggests that adenosine ligands may be useful tools for developing new strategies for attenuating morphine dependence.

  2. Human Retinal Transmitochondrial Cybrids with J or H mtDNA Haplogroups Respond Differently to Ultraviolet Radiation: Implications for Retinal Diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malik, Deepika; Hsu, Tiffany; Falatoonzadeh, Payam; Cáceres-del-Carpio, Javier; Tarek, Mohamed; Chwa, Marilyn; Atilano, Shari R.; Ramirez, Claudio; Nesburn, Anthony B.; Boyer, David S.; Kuppermann, Baruch D.; Jazwinski, S. Michal; Miceli, Michael V.; Wallace, Douglas C.; Udar, Nitin; Kenney, M. Cristina

    2014-01-01

    Background It has been recognized that cells do not respond equally to ultraviolet (UV) radiation but it is not clear whether this is due to genetic, biochemical or structural differences of the cells. We have a novel cybrid (cytoplasmic hybrids) model that allows us to analyze the contribution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to cellular response after exposure to sub-lethal dose of UV. mtDNA can be classified into haplogroups as defined by accumulations of specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Recent studies have shown that J haplogroup is high risk for age-related macular degeneration while the H haplogroup is protective. This study investigates gene expression responses in J cybrids versus H cybrids after exposure to sub-lethal doses of UV-radiation. Methodology/Principal Findings Cybrids were created by fusing platelets isolated from subjects with either H (n = 3) or J (n = 3) haplogroups with mitochondria-free (Rho0) ARPE-19 cells. The H and J cybrids were cultured for 24 hours, treated with 10 mJ of UV-radiation and cultured for an additional 120 hours. Untreated and treated cybrids were analyzed for growth rates and gene expression profiles. The UV-treated and untreated J cybrids had higher growth rates compared to H cybrids. Before treatment, J cybrids showed lower expression levels for CFH, CD55, IL-33, TGF-A, EFEMP-1, RARA, BCL2L13 and BBC3. At 120 hours after UV-treatment, the J cybrids had decreased CFH, RARA and BBC3 levels but increased CD55, IL-33 and EFEMP-1 compared to UV-treated H cybrids. Conclusion/Significance In cells with identical nuclei, the cellular response to sub-lethal UV-radiation is mediated in part by the mtDNA haplogroup. This supports the hypothesis that differences in growth rates and expression levels of complement, inflammation and apoptosis genes may result from population-specific, hereditary SNP variations in mtDNA. Therefore, when analyzing UV-induced damage in tissues, the mtDNA haplogroup background may be

  3. Postbuckling of magneto-electro-elastic CNT-MT composite nanotubes resting on a nonlinear elastic medium in a non-uniform thermal environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamali, M.; Shamsi, M.; Saidi, A. R.

    2018-03-01

    As a first endeavor, the effect of nonlinear elastic foundation on the postbuckling behavior of smart magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) composite nanotubes is investigated. The composite nanotube is affected by a non-uniform thermal environment. A typical MEE composite nanotube consists of microtubules (MTs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with a MEE cylindrical nanoshell for smart control. It is assumed that the nanoscale layers of the system are coupled by a polymer matrix or filament network depending on the application. In addition to thermal loads, magneto-electro-mechanical loads are applied to the composite nanostructure. Length scale effects are taken into account using the nonlocal elasticity theory. The principle of virtual work and von Karman's relations are used to derive the nonlinear governing differential equations of MEE CNT-MT nanotubes. Using Galerkin's method, nonlinear critical buckling loads are determined. Various types of non-uniform temperature distribution in the radial direction are considered. Finally, the effects of various parameters such as the nonlinear constant of elastic medium, thermal loading factor and small scale coefficient on the postbuckling of MEE CNT-MT nanotubes are studied.

  4. MtDNA and nuclear data reveal patterns of low genetic differentiation for the isopods Stenosoma lancifer and Stenosoma acuminatum, with low dispersal ability along the northeast Atlantic coast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel Xavier

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Evidence for a general lack of genetic differentiation of intertidal invertebrate assemblages in the North Atlantic, based on mtDNA sequence variation, has been interpreted as resulting from recent colonization following the Last Glacial Maximum. In the present study, the phylogeographic patterns of one nuclear and one mtDNA gene fragments of two isopods, Stenosoma lancifer (Miers, 1881 and Stenosoma acuminatum Leach, 1814, from the northeast Atlantic were investigated. These organisms have direct development, which makes them poor dispersers, and are therefore expected to maintain signatures of past historical events in their genomes. Lack of genetic structure, significant deviations from neutrality and star-like haplotype networks have been observed for both mtDNA and nuclear markers of S. lancifer, as well as for the mtDNA of S. acuminatum. No sequence variation was observed for the nuclear gene fragment of S. acuminatum. These results suggest a scenario of recent colonization and demographic expansion and/or high population connectivity driven by ocean currents and sporadic long-distance dispersal through rafting.

  5. Bayesian resolution of TEM, CSEM and MT soundings: a comparative study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blatter, D. B.; Ray, A.; Key, K.

    2017-12-01

    We examine the resolution of three electromagnetic exploration methods commonly used to map the electrical conductivity of the shallow crust - the magnetotelluric (MT) method, the controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) method and the transient electromagnetic (TEM) method. TEM and CSEM utilize an artificial source of EM energy, while MT makes use of natural variations in the Earth's electromagnetic field. For a given geological setting and acquisition parameters, each of these methods will have a different resolution due to differences in the source field polarization and the frequency range of the measurements. For example, the MT and TEM methods primarily rely on induced horizontal currents and are most sensitive to conductive layers while the CSEM method generates vertical loops of current and is more sensitive to resistive features. Our study seeks to provide a robust resolution comparison that can help inform exploration geophysicists about which technique is best suited for a particular target. While it is possible to understand and describe a difference in resolution qualitatively, it remains challenging to fully describe it quantitatively using optimization based approaches. Part of the difficulty here stems from the standard electromagnetic inversion toolkit, which makes heavy use of regularization (often in the form of smoothing) to constrain the non-uniqueness inherent in the inverse problem. This regularization makes it difficult to accurately estimate the uncertainty in estimated model parameters - and therefore obscures their true resolution. To overcome this difficulty, we compare the resolution of CSEM, airborne TEM, and MT data quantitatively using a Bayesian trans-dimensional Markov chain Monte Carlo (McMC) inversion scheme. Noisy synthetic data for this study are computed from various representative 1D test models: a conductive anomaly under a conductive/resistive overburden; and a resistive anomaly under a conductive/resistive overburden. In

  6. Collagen induced arthritis increases secondary metastasis in MMTV-PyV MT mouse model of mammary cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gruber Helen E

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Several studies have demonstrated that sites of chronic inflammation are often associated with the establishment and growth of various malignancies. A common inflammatory condition in humans is autoimmune arthritis (AA. Although AA and cancer are different diseases, many of the underlying processes that contribute to the disorders of the joints and connective tissue that characterize AA also affect cancer progression and metastasis. Systemically, AA can lead to cellular infiltration and inflammation of the lungs. Several studies have reported statistically significant risk ratios between AA and breast cancer. Despite this knowledge being available, there has been minimal research linking breast cancer, arthritis, and metastasis associated with breast cancer. Notably both diseases are extremely prevalent in older post-menopausal women. Methods To establish the novel link between arthritis induced inflammation and secondary metastasis associated with breast cancer, PyV MT mice that spontaneously develop mammary gland carcinoma were injected with Type II collagen (CII to induce arthritis at 9 and 18 weeks of age for pre-metastatic and metastatic condition. The sites of secondary metastasis and the associated inflammatory microenvironment were evaluated. Results A significant increase in breast cancer-associated secondary metastasis to the lungs and bones was observed in the arthritic versus the non-arthritic PyV MT mice along with an increase in primary tumor burden. We report significant increases in the levels of interstitial cellular infiltrates and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-17 (IL-17, interleukin-6 (IL-6, Pro- Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (Pro-MMP9, insulin like growth factor-II (GF-II and macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF in the arthritic lung and bone milieu as well as in the circulation. These pro-inflammatory cytokines along with the inflammatory microenvironment may be the underlying factors

  7. MT6415CA: a 640×512-15µm CTIA ROIC for SWIR InGaAs detector arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eminoglu, Selim; Isikhan, Murat; Bayhan, Nusret; Gulden, M. Ali; Incedere, O. Samet; Soyer, S. Tuncer; Kocak, Serhat; Yilmaz, Gokhan S.; Akin, Tayfun

    2013-06-01

    This paper reports the development of a new low-noise CTIA ROIC (MT6415CA) suitable for SWIR InGaAs detector arrays for low-light imaging applications. MT6415CA is the second product in the MT6400 series ROICs from Mikro-Tasarim Ltd., which is a fabless IC design house specialized in the development of monolithic imaging sensors and ROICs for hybrid imaging sensors. MT6415CA is a low-noise snapshot CTIA ROIC, has a format of 640 × 512 and pixel pitch of 15 µm, and has been developed with the system-on-chip architecture in mind, where all the timing and biasing for this ROIC are generated on-chip without requiring any external inputs. MT6415CA is a highly configurable ROIC, where many of its features can be programmed through a 3-wire serial interface allowing on-the-fly configuration of many ROIC features. It performs snapshot operation both using Integrate-Then-Read (ITR) and Integrate-While-Read (IWR) modes. The CTIA type pixel input circuitry has three gain modes with programmable full-well-capacity (FWC) values of 10.000 e-, 20.000 e-, and 350.000 e- in the very high gain (VHG), high-gain (HG), and low-gain (LG) modes, respectively. MT6415CA has an input referred noise level of less than 5 e- in the very high gain (VHG) mode, suitable for very low-noise SWIR imaging applications. MT6415CA has 8 analog video outputs that can be programmed in 8, 4, or 2-output modes with a selectable analog reference for pseudo-differential operation. The ROIC runs at 10 MHz and supports frame rate values up to 200 fps in the 8-output mode. The integration time can be programmed up to 1s in steps of 0.1 µs. The ROIC uses 3.3 V and 1.8V supply voltages and dissipates less than 150 mW in the 4-output mode. MT6415CA is fabricated using a modern mixed-signal CMOS process on 200 mm CMOS wafers, and tested parts are available at wafer or die levels with test reports and wafer maps. A compact USB 3.0 camera and imaging software have been developed to demonstrate the imaging

  8. Differences in the epigenetic regulation of MT-3 gene expression between parental and Cd+2 or As+3 transformed human urothelial cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ajjimaporn Amornpan

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies have shown that metallothionein 3 (MT-3 is not expressed in normal urothelium or in the UROtsa cell line, but is expressed in urothelial cancer and in tumors generated from the UROtsa cells that have been transformed by cadmium (Cd+2 or arsenite (As+3.The present study had two major goals. One, to determine if epigenetic modifications control urothelial MT-3 gene expression and if regulation is altered by malignant transformation by Cd+2 or As+3. Two, to determine if MT-3 expression might translate clinically as a biomarker for malignant urothelial cells released into the urine. Results The histone deacetylase inhibitor MS-275 induced MT-3 mRNA expression in both parental UROtsa cells and their transformed counterparts. The demethylating agent, 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZC had no effect on MT-3 mRNA expression. ChIP analysis showed that metal-responsive transformation factor-1 (MTF-1 binding to metal response elements (MRE elements of the MT-3 promoter was restricted in parental UROtsa cells, but MTF-1 binding to the MREs was unrestricted in the transformed cell lines. Histone modifications at acetyl H4, trimethyl H3K4, trimethyl H3K27, and trimethyl H3K9 were compared between the parental and transformed cell lines in the presence and absence of MS-275. The pattern of histone modifications suggested that the MT-3 promoter in the Cd+2 and As+3 transformed cells has gained bivalent chromatin structure, having elements of being "transcriptionally repressed" and "transcription ready", when compared to parental cells. An analysis of MT-3 staining in urinary cytologies showed that a subset of both active and non-active patients with urothelial cancer shed positive cells in their urine, but that control patients only rarely shed MT-3 positive cells. Conclusion The MT-3 gene is silenced in non-transformed urothelial cells by a mechanism involving histone modification of the MT-3 promoter. In contrast, transformation of the

  9. Joint TEM and MT aquifer study in the Atacama Desert, North Chile

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruthsatz, Alexander D.; Sarmiento Flores, Alvaro; Diaz, Daniel; Reinoso, Pablo Salazar; Herrera, Cristian; Brasse, Heinrich

    2018-06-01

    The Atacama Desert represents one of the driest regions on earth, and despite the absence of sustainable clean water reserves the demand has increased drastically since 1970 as a result of growing population and expanding mining activities. Magnetotelluric (MT) and Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) measurements were carried out for groundwater exploration in late 2015 in the area of the Profeta Basin at the western margin of the Chilean Precordillera. Both methods complement each other: While MT in general attains larger penetration depths, TEM allows better resolution of near surface layers; furthermore TEM is free from galvanic distortion. Data were collected along three profiles, enabling a continuous resistivity image from the surface to at least several hundred meters depth. TEM data were inverted in a 1-D manner, consistently yielding a poorly conductive near-surface layer with a thickness of approximately 30 m and below a well-conducting layer which we interpret as the aquifer with resistivities around 10 Ωm. At marginal sites of the main SW-NE-profile the resistive basement was found in 150 m. These depths are confirmed by interpretation of the MT soundings. Those were firstly inverted with a 2-D approach and then by 3-D inversion as clear indications of three-dimensionality exist. Several modeling runs were performed with different combinations of transfer functions and smoothing parameters. Generally, MT and TEM results agree reasonably well and an overall image of the resistivity structures in the Profeta Basin could be achieved. The aquifer reaches depths of more than 500 m in parts and, by applying Archie's law, resistivities of 1 Ωm can be assumed, indicating highly saline fluids from the source region of the surrounding high Andes under persisting arid conditions.

  10. The use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA-investigations in Forensic Sciences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Dawson

    1996-07-01

    Full Text Available A variety of methods was developed to characterize mtDNA. The initial aim of these techniques was to try and link diseases with specific mitochondrial defects. As a result of the maternal inheritance trait of mtDNA these techniques facilitate studies of the phylogenetic history and population structure of the human population. It has been shown that mitochondrial DNA typing can be of great value for human identification in forensic cases. The identification of victims of mass-disasters or mass-murders, where human remains can be recovered only after many years have passed, is one of the most challenging fields of forensic identification. By using automated DNA sequencing with fluorescent labels, mitochondrial DNA sequences can be generated rapidly and accurately. Computer software facilitates the rapid comparison of individual and reference sequences.

  11. Significantly increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis with arsenic exposure and polymorphisms in arsenic metabolism genes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsieh, Yi-Chen; Lien, Li-Ming; Chung, Wen-Ting; Hsieh, Fang-I; Hsieh, Pei-Fan; Wu, Meei-Maan; Tseng, Hung-Pin; Chiou, Hung-Yi; Chen, Chien-Jen

    2011-01-01

    Individual susceptibility to arsenic-induced carotid atherosclerosis might be associated with genetic variations in arsenic metabolism. The purpose of this study is to explore the interaction effect on risk of carotid atherosclerosis between arsenic exposure and risk genotypes of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), arsenic (+3) methyltransferase (As3MT), and glutathione S-transferase omega 1 (GSTO1) and omega 2 (GSTO2). A community-based case-control study was conducted in northeastern Taiwan to investigate the arsenic metabolic-related genetic susceptibility to carotid atherosclerosis. In total, 863 subjects, who had been genotyped and for whom the severity of carotid atherosclerosis had been determined, were included in the present study. Individual well water was collected and arsenic concentration determined using hydride generation combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The result showed that a significant dose-response trend (P=0.04) of carotid atherosclerosis risk associated with increasing arsenic concentration. Non-significant association between genetic polymorphisms of PNP Gly51Ser, Pro57Pro, As3MT Met287Thr, GSTO1 Ala140Asp, and GSTO2 A-183G and the risk for development of carotid atherosclerosis were observed. However, the significant interaction effect on carotid atherosclerosis risk was found for arsenic exposure (>50 μg/l) and the haplotypes of PNP (p=0.0115). A marked elevated risk of carotid atherosclerosis was observed in subjects with arsenic exposure of >50 μg/l in drinking water and those who carried the PNP A-T haplotype and at least either of the As3MT risk polymorphism or GSTO risk haplotypes (OR, 6.43; 95% CI, 1.79-23.19). In conclusion, arsenic metabolic genes, PNP, As3MT, and GSTO, may exacerbate the formation of atherosclerosis in individuals with high levels of arsenic concentration in well water (>50 μg/l). - Highlights: →Arsenic metabolic genes might be associated with carotid atherosclerosis. → A case

  12. Significantly increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis with arsenic exposure and polymorphisms in arsenic metabolism genes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsieh, Yi-Chen [School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing St., Taipei 11031, Taiwan (China); Lien, Li-Ming [Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Department of Neurology, Shin Kong WHS Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chung, Wen-Ting [Department of Neurology, Wanfang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Hsieh, Fang-I; Hsieh, Pei-Fan [School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing St., Taipei 11031, Taiwan (China); Wu, Meei-Maan [School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing St., Taipei 11031, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Tseng, Hung-Pin [Department of Neurology, Lotung Poh-Ai Hospital, I-Lan, Taiwan (China); Chiou, Hung-Yi, E-mail: hychiou@tmu.edu.tw [School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing St., Taipei 11031, Taiwan (China); Chen, Chien-Jen [Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

    2011-08-15

    Individual susceptibility to arsenic-induced carotid atherosclerosis might be associated with genetic variations in arsenic metabolism. The purpose of this study is to explore the interaction effect on risk of carotid atherosclerosis between arsenic exposure and risk genotypes of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), arsenic (+3) methyltransferase (As3MT), and glutathione S-transferase omega 1 (GSTO1) and omega 2 (GSTO2). A community-based case-control study was conducted in northeastern Taiwan to investigate the arsenic metabolic-related genetic susceptibility to carotid atherosclerosis. In total, 863 subjects, who had been genotyped and for whom the severity of carotid atherosclerosis had been determined, were included in the present study. Individual well water was collected and arsenic concentration determined using hydride generation combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The result showed that a significant dose-response trend (P=0.04) of carotid atherosclerosis risk associated with increasing arsenic concentration. Non-significant association between genetic polymorphisms of PNP Gly51Ser, Pro57Pro, As3MT Met287Thr, GSTO1 Ala140Asp, and GSTO2 A-183G and the risk for development of carotid atherosclerosis were observed. However, the significant interaction effect on carotid atherosclerosis risk was found for arsenic exposure (>50 {mu}g/l) and the haplotypes of PNP (p=0.0115). A marked elevated risk of carotid atherosclerosis was observed in subjects with arsenic exposure of >50 {mu}g/l in drinking water and those who carried the PNP A-T haplotype and at least either of the As3MT risk polymorphism or GSTO risk haplotypes (OR, 6.43; 95% CI, 1.79-23.19). In conclusion, arsenic metabolic genes, PNP, As3MT, and GSTO, may exacerbate the formation of atherosclerosis in individuals with high levels of arsenic concentration in well water (>50 {mu}g/l). - Highlights: {yields}Arsenic metabolic genes might be associated with carotid atherosclerosis. {yields

  13. Field Dependence/Independence Cognitive Styles: Are They Significant at Different Levels of Vocabulary Knowledge?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rostampour, Mohammad; Niroomand, Seyyedeh Mitra

    2014-01-01

    Cognitive styles influence the performance of language learners and can predict their success in the process of language learning. Considering field dependence/independence cognitive styles, this study aims at determining if they are significant in English vocabulary knowledge. A number of EFL university students took part in the study. The…

  14. Deep underground multiple muons at the Mt. Blanc station

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bergamasco, L; Bilokon, H; D' Ettorre Piazzoli, B; Mannocchi, G [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Turin (Italy). Lab. di Cosmo-Geofisica; Castagnoli, C; Picchi, P [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Turin (Italy). Lab. di Cosmo-Geofisica; Turin Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Fisica Generale)

    1979-12-29

    Results on multiple events recorded at the Mt. Blanc station in the last 3 years are presented. The integral energy spectrum of muons is obtained for Esub(..mu..)>1 TeV in the size range 10/sup 6/ - 10/sup 7/ which favours a multiplicity law for hadronic interactions of the form eta approximately Esup(1/4).

  15. 78 FR 67024 - Establishment of Class E Airspace; Glasgow, MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-08

    ... aid, Glasgow, MT. A favorable comment from the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) was.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: History The FAA published a final rule in the Federal Register establishing Class E..., pursuant to the authority delegated to me, the description under the History heading, as published in the...

  16. Allozyme and mtDNA variation of white seabream Diplodus sargus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    These results can be explained by the chaotic genetic patchiness hypothesis. In contrast, the mtDNA data indicated genetic homogeneity among localities showing the absence of structure in white seabream populations across the Siculo-Tunisian Strait. Historical demography of this species suggests that it has undergone ...

  17. 77 FR 44120 - Establishment of Class E Airspace; Roundup, MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-27

    ... Association (NBAA). The NBAA comments recommended that the FAA lower some of the adjacent Class E airspace...-0274; Airspace Docket No. 12-ANM-4] Establishment of Class E Airspace; Roundup, MT AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This action establishes Class E airspace...

  18. 76 FR 40322 - Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort Parking Improvements

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-08

    ... fleet. Also, the location of the current maintenance shop impedes traffic flow and removes potential... new Sunrise Vehicle Maintenance Shop on the north side of the Sunrise parking lot. DATES: Comments... increasing parking capacity and improving traffic flow in at Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort. Parking capacity...

  19. Lung metastasis fails in MMTV-PyMT oncomice lacking S100A4 due to a T-cell deficiency in primary tumors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grum-Schwensen, Birgitte; Klingelhöfer, Jörg; Grigorian, Mariam

    2010-01-01

    significantly reduced the metastatic burden in lungs of PyMT-induced mammary tumors. In S100A4(+/+) PyMT mice, massive leukocyte infiltration at the site of the growing tumor at the stage of malignant transition was associated with increased concentration of extracellular S100A4 in the tumor microenvironment......Interactions between tumor and stroma cells are essential for the progression of cancer from its initial growth at a primary site to its metastasis to distant organs. The metastasis-stimulating protein S100A4 exerts its function as a stroma cell-derived factor. Genetic depletion of S100A4...... monolayers. In vivo, the presence of S100A4(+/+), but not S100A4(-/-), fibroblasts significantly stimulated the attraction of T lymphocytes to the site of the growing tumor. Increased levels of T cells were also observed in the premetastatic lungs of tumor-bearing mice primed to metastasize by S100A4...

  20. Suicidal Attempt in Bipolar Disorder:Low Significance of Comorbidity with Opioid Dependence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morteza Naserbakht

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available "nObjectives: The relationship between suicidal attempt and opioid use disorder in patients with bipolar disorder (BD is unknown. This study aimed at shedding some light on this issue. "nMethod:178 inpatients aged 18-65 with BD type I with or without opioid use disorders were face-to-face interviewed through the Persian Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV axis I disorders (SCID-I,  the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF scale, and a questionnaire including demographic and some clinical factors. "nResults:Gender was the only demographic factor with a statistical significant difference between suicidal and non-suicidal bipolar patients. Also, comorbidity with anxiety disorders and the type of index and current mood episodes were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.05. But after using a logistic regression analysis, the only statistical significant different factors (p<0.05 between the two groups were gender, comorbidity with anxiety disorders, and GAF.  "nConclusion:Opioid dependence comorbidity can not be considered as a risk factor for suicidal attempt in patients with BD.

  1. Cytoplasmic transfer of heritable elements other than mtDNA from SAMP1 mice into mouse tumor cells suppresses their ability to form tumors in C57BL6 mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, Akinori; Tani, Haruna; Takibuchi, Gaku; Ishikawa, Kaori; Sakurazawa, Ryota; Inoue, Takafumi; Hashimoto, Tetsuo; Nakada, Kazuto; Takenaga, Keizo; Hayashi, Jun-Ichi

    2017-11-04

    In a previous study, we generated transmitochondrial P29mtSAMP1 cybrids, which had nuclear DNA from the C57BL6 (referred to as B6) mouse strain-derived P29 tumor cells and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) exogenously-transferred from the allogeneic strain SAMP1. Because P29mtSAMP1 cybrids did not form tumors in syngeneic B6 mice, we proposed that allogeneic SAMP1 mtDNA suppressed tumor formation of P29mtSAMP1 cybrids. To test this hypothesis, current study generated P29mt(sp)B6 cybrids carrying all genomes (nuclear DNA and mtDNA) from syngeneic B6 mice by eliminating SAMP1 mtDNA from P29mtSAMP1 cybrids and reintroducing B6 mtDNA. However, the P29mt(sp)B6 cybrids did not form tumors in B6 mice, even though they had no SAMP1 mtDNA, suggesting that SAMP1 mtDNA is not involved in tumor suppression. Then, we examined another possibility of whether SAMP1 mtDNA fragments potentially integrated into the nuclear DNA of P29mtSAMP1 cybrids are responsible for tumor suppression. We generated P29 H (sp)B6 cybrids by eliminating nuclear DNA from P29mt(sp)B6 cybrids and reintroducing nuclear DNA with no integrated SAMP1 mtDNA fragment from mtDNA-less P29 cells resistant to hygromycin in selection medium containing hygromycin. However, the P29 H (sp)B6 cybrids did not form tumors in B6 mice, even though they carried neither SAMP1 mtDNA nor nuclear DNA with integrated SAMP1 mtDNA fragments. Moreover, overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and bacterial infection were not involved in tumor suppression. These observations suggest that tumor suppression was caused not by mtDNA with polymorphic mutations or infection of cytozoic bacteria but by hypothetical heritable cytoplasmic elements other than mtDNA from SAMP1 mice. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. mtDNA as a Mediator for Expression of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α and ROS in Hypoxic Neuroblastoma Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Chung-Wen; Tsai, Meng-Han; Lin, Tsu-Kung; Tiao, Mao-Meng; Wang, Pei-Wen; Chuang, Jiin-Haur; Chen, Shang-Der; Liou, Chia-Wei

    2017-06-07

    Mitochondria consume O₂ to produce ATP and are critical for adaption of hypoxia, but the role of mitochondria in HIF-1α pathway is as yet unclear. In this study, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) enriched (SK-N-AS) and depleted (ρ⁰) cells of neuroblastoma were cultured in a hypoxic chamber to simulate a hypoxic condition and then the major components involved in mitochondrial related pathways, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured. The results showed that hypoxia-stimulated exposure elevated expression of HIF-1α, which was additionally influenced by level of generated ROS within the cytosol. Moreover, elevation of HIF-1α also resulted in increases of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) in both hypoxic cells. The expression of mitochondrial biogenesis related proteins and metabolic components were noted to increase significantly in hypoxic SK-N-AS cells, indicating that mtDNA was involved in mitochondrial retrograde signaling and metabolic pathways. An analysis of dynamic proteins found elevated levels of HIF-1α causing an increased expression of dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) during hypoxia; further, the existence of mtDNA also resulted in higher expression of DRP1 during hypoxia. By using siRNA of HIF-1α or DRP1, expression of DRP1 decreased after suppression of HIF-1α; moreover, the expression of HIF-1α was also affected by the suppression of DRP1. In this study, we demonstrated that mtDNA is a mediator of HIF-1α in eliciting metabolic reprogramming, and mitochondrial biogenesis. Identification of a mutual relationship between HIF-1α and DRP1 may be a critical tool in the future development of clinical applications.

  3. Digital compilation bedrock geologic map of the Mt. Ellen quadrangle, Vermont

    Data.gov (United States)

    Vermont Center for Geographic Information — Digital Data from VG95-6A Stanley, RS, Walsh, G, Tauvers, PR, DiPietro, JA, and DelloRusso, V, 1995,�Digital compilation bedrock geologic map of the Mt. Ellen...

  4. Investigation of local-dimensional galvanic distortion on MT data in the central part of Northeastern Japan; Tohoku chiho no MT data ni mirareru kyokushoteki sanjigensei no eikyo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kawakami, N; Takasugi, S [GERD Geothermal Energy Research and Development Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Fujinawa, Y [National Research Institute for Disaster Prevention, Tsukuba (Japan)

    1996-10-01

    Groom-Bailey decomposition analysis was carried out to investigate regional 3-D galvanic distortion on MT data in the central part of Northeastern Japan. Measuring sites were located nearly along the east-west line crossing Northeastern Japan. Three measuring lines (A, B, C) from the north to the south were prepared, and only data on the C line were analyzed in this paper. As a result, twist and shear were estimated to be not zero depending on local distortion in most of the sites. It was thus clarified that this method is not always perfect. This method was effective for regional 2-D structures, however, its application was doubtful to complicated 3-D underground structures in Japan. In order to obtain more accurate results, 2-D analysis using the impedance including no local distortion effect was necessary after the preliminary Groom-Bailey decomposition analysis. The direction of the wide area geological structure of Northeastern Japan was estimated to be N-S direction near NNW-SSE one. 6 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.

  5. Mechanisms of mtDNA segregation and mitochondrial signalling in cells with the pathogenic A3243G mutation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jahangir Tafrechi, Roshan Sakineh

    2008-01-01

    Using newly developed single cell A3243G mutation load assays a novel mechanism of mtDNA segregation was identified in which the multi-copy mtDNA nucleoid takes a central position. Furthermore, likely due to low level changes in gene expression, no genes or gene sets could be identified with gene

  6. Observations of reduced ozone concentrations in the tropical stratosphere after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, W. B.; Fishman, J.; Browell, E. V.; Brackett, V. G.; Nganga, D.; Minga, A.; Cros, B.; Veiga, R. E.; Butler, C. F.; Fenn, M. A.

    1992-01-01

    Two independent sets of data, one of aerosols from an airborne lidar system, and one of ozone from ozonesonde measurements indicate that significant ozone decreases may have happened as a result of the injection of debris by the Mt. Pinatubo volcano in June 1991. The amount of this reduction maximizes at 24-25 km, near the peak of the aerosol distribution, though a deficit is seen throughout the lower stratosphere between 19 and 28 km. The greatest differences observed prior and subsequent to the eruptions at these altitudes is 18-20 percent.

  7. Comparison of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Tropism Profiles in Clinical Samples by the Trofile and MT-2 Assays▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coakley, Eoin; Reeves, Jacqueline D.; Huang, Wei; Mangas-Ruiz, Marga; Maurer, Irma; Harskamp, Agnes M.; Gupta, Soumi; Lie, Yolanda; Petropoulos, Christos J.; Schuitemaker, Hanneke; van 't Wout, Angélique B.

    2009-01-01

    The recent availability of CCR5 antagonists as anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) therapeutics has highlighted the need to accurately identify CXCR4-using variants in patient samples when use of this new drug class is considered. The Trofile assay (Monogram Biosciences) has become the method that is the most widely used to define tropism in the clinic prior to the use of a CCR5 antagonist. By comparison, the MT-2 assay has been used since early in the HIV epidemic to define tropism in clinical specimens. Given that there are few data from direct comparisons of these two assays, we evaluated the performance of the plasma-based Trofile assay and the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-based MT-2 assay for the detection of CXCR4 use in defining the tropism of HIV isolates derived from clinical samples. The various samples used for this comparison were derived from participants of the Amsterdam Cohort Studies on HIV infection and AIDS who underwent consecutive MT-2 assay testing of their PBMCs at approximately 3-month intervals. This unique sample set was specifically selected because consecutive MT-2 assays had demonstrated a shift from negative to positive in PBMCs, reflecting the first emergence of CXCR4-using virus in PBMCs above the level of detection of the assay in these individuals. Trofile testing was performed with clonal HIV type 1 (HIV-1) variants (n = 21), MT-2 cell culture-derived cells (n = 20) and supernatants (n = 42), and plasma samples (n = 76). Among the clonal HIV-1 variants and MT-2 cell culture-derived samples, the results of the Trofile and MT-2 assays demonstrated a high degree of concordance (95% to 98%). Among consecutive plasma samples, detection of CXCR4-using virus was at or before the time of first detection by the MT-2 assay in 5/10 patients by the original Trofile assay and in 9/10 patients by the enhanced-sensitivity Trofile assay. Differences in the time to the first detection of CXCR4 use between the MT-2 assay (PBMCs

  8. Comparison of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 tropism profiles in clinical samples by the Trofile and MT-2 assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coakley, Eoin; Reeves, Jacqueline D; Huang, Wei; Mangas-Ruiz, Marga; Maurer, Irma; Harskamp, Agnes M; Gupta, Soumi; Lie, Yolanda; Petropoulos, Christos J; Schuitemaker, Hanneke; van 't Wout, Angélique B

    2009-11-01

    The recent availability of CCR5 antagonists as anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) therapeutics has highlighted the need to accurately identify CXCR4-using variants in patient samples when use of this new drug class is considered. The Trofile assay (Monogram Biosciences) has become the method that is the most widely used to define tropism in the clinic prior to the use of a CCR5 antagonist. By comparison, the MT-2 assay has been used since early in the HIV epidemic to define tropism in clinical specimens. Given that there are few data from direct comparisons of these two assays, we evaluated the performance of the plasma-based Trofile assay and the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-based MT-2 assay for the detection of CXCR4 use in defining the tropism of HIV isolates derived from clinical samples. The various samples used for this comparison were derived from participants of the Amsterdam Cohort Studies on HIV infection and AIDS who underwent consecutive MT-2 assay testing of their PBMCs at approximately 3-month intervals. This unique sample set was specifically selected because consecutive MT-2 assays had demonstrated a shift from negative to positive in PBMCs, reflecting the first emergence of CXCR4-using virus in PBMCs above the level of detection of the assay in these individuals. Trofile testing was performed with clonal HIV type 1 (HIV-1) variants (n = 21), MT-2 cell culture-derived cells (n = 20) and supernatants (n = 42), and plasma samples (n = 76). Among the clonal HIV-1 variants and MT-2 cell culture-derived samples, the results of the Trofile and MT-2 assays demonstrated a high degree of concordance (95% to 98%). Among consecutive plasma samples, detection of CXCR4-using virus was at or before the time of first detection by the MT-2 assay in 5/10 patients by the original Trofile assay and in 9/10 patients by the enhanced-sensitivity Trofile assay. Differences in the time to the first detection of CXCR4 use between the MT-2 assay (PBMCs

  9. The mitochondrial DNA makeup of Romanians: A forensic mtDNA control region database and phylogenetic characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turchi, Chiara; Stanciu, Florin; Paselli, Giorgia; Buscemi, Loredana; Parson, Walther; Tagliabracci, Adriano

    2016-09-01

    To evaluate the pattern of Romanian population from a mitochondrial perspective and to establish an appropriate mtDNA forensic database, we generated a high-quality mtDNA control region dataset from 407 Romanian subjects belonging to four major historical regions: Moldavia, Transylvania, Wallachia and Dobruja. The entire control region (CR) was analyzed by Sanger-type sequencing assays and the resulting 306 different haplotypes were classified into haplogroups according to the most updated mtDNA phylogeny. The Romanian gene pool is mainly composed of West Eurasian lineages H (31.7%), U (12.8%), J (10.8%), R (10.1%), T (9.1%), N (8.1%), HV (5.4%),K (3.7%), HV0 (4.2%), with exceptions of East Asian haplogroup M (3.4%) and African haplogroup L (0.7%). The pattern of mtDNA variation observed in this study indicates that the mitochondrial DNA pool is geographically homogeneous across Romania and that the haplogroup composition reveals signals of admixture of populations of different origin. The PCA scatterplot supported this scenario, with Romania located in southeastern Europe area, close to Bulgaria and Hungary, and as a borderland with respect to east Mediterranean and other eastern European countries. High haplotype diversity (0.993) and nucleotide diversity indices (0.00838±0.00426), together with low random match probability (0.0087) suggest the usefulness of this control region dataset as a forensic database in routine forensic mtDNA analysis and in the investigation of maternal genetic lineages in the Romanian population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Association of low race performance with mtDNA haplogroup L3b of Australian thoroughbred horses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Xiang; Zheng, Hong-Xiang; Davie, Allan; Zhou, Shi; Wen, Li; Meng, Jun; Zhang, Yong; Aladaer, Qimude; Liu, Bin; Liu, Wu-Jun; Yao, Xin-Kui

    2018-03-01

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes the genes for respiratory chain sub-units that determine the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. The aim of this study was to determine if there were any haplogroups and variants in mtDNA that could be associated with athletic performance of Thoroughbred horses. The whole mitochondrial genomes of 53 maternally unrelated Australian Thoroughbred horses were sequenced and an association study was performed with the competition histories of 1123 horses within their maternal lineages. A horse mtDNA phylogenetic tree was constructed based on a total of 195 sequences (including 142 from previous reports). The association analysis showed that the sample groups with poor racing performance history were enriched in haplogroup L3b (p = .0003) and its sub-haplogroup L3b1a (p = .0007), while those that had elite performance appeared to be not significantly associated with haplogroups G2 and L3a1a1a (p > .05). Haplogroup L3b and L3b1a bear two and five specific variants of which variant T1458C (site 345 in 16s rRNA) is the only potential functional variant. Furthermore, secondary reconstruction of 16s RNA showed considerable differences between two types of 16s RNA molecules (with and without T1458C), indicating a potential functional effect. The results suggested that haplogroup L3b, could have a negative association with elite performance. The T1458C mutation harboured in haplogroup L3b could have a functional effect that is related to poor athletic performance.

  11. Practical Examples of an Integrated Field Study Program at Mt. Fuji: Geosciences and the Arts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, T.; Kamikuri, S. I.; Otsuji, H.; Kataguchi, N.; Maruyama, H.; Hashiura, H.

    2017-12-01

    Mt. Fuji is a symbol of existence for the Japanese and it also has been a religiously revered subject. In addition, as represented by the ukiyo-e of Hokusai and Hiroshige, it is a subject of paintings, as well as of various types of literary expression such as waka, haiku and novels. Historically, there was a time when Mt. Fuji was used as a symbol of the integration of the country; and it has long reflected the culture, life and thoughts of the Japanese. On another level, from the Earth scientific point of view, Mt. Fuji is one of the most active volcanoes in Japan. Teacher training colleges in Japan have created educational programs for all subjects taught at school. However, as there is no effective linkage among these subjects, students may have different opinions on them according to their curriculum. In this study, we adopted a multifaceted learning approach toward that most symbolic icon of our country. In FY2014 and FY2016, a course created by the College of Education at Ibaraki University, called "Fieldwork on Geology," was conducted at and around Mt. Fuji. In addition to conducting fieldwork from the viewpoint of earth science, it also had abundant artistic content. Academics in the fields of earth science, art and pedagogy worked closely together from the planning stage and participated in a field study with 25 university students. Specifically, we focused on how the experience of sketching a landscape affects field observations by broadening the viewpoint and deepening the understanding of students. To ascertain the bidirectional educational effects between earth sciences and art, students were asked: 1) to express an image of Mt. Fuji, and 2) to appreciate paintings of Mt. Fuji and express the information they garnered from the paintings, before and after the fieldwork. These two exercises are considered as providing insights into how the students' understanding had changed. In addition, reports and impressions submitted by the students were used as

  12. mtDNA variation in caste populations of Andhra Pradesh, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bamshad, M; Fraley, A E; Crawford, M H; Cann, R L; Busi, B R; Naidu, J M; Jorde, L B

    1996-02-01

    Various anthropological analyses have documented extensive regional variation among populations on the subcontinent of India using morphological, protein, blood group, and nuclear DNA polymorphisms. These patterns are the product of complex population structure (genetic drift, gene flow) and a population history noted for numerous branching events. As a result, the interpretation of relationships among caste populations of South India and between Indians and continental populations remains controversial. The Hindu caste system is a general model of genetic differentiation among endogamous populations stratified by social forces (e.g., religion and occupation). The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule has unique properties that facilitate the exploration of population structure. We analyzed 36 Hindu men born in Andhra Pradesh who were unrelated matrilineally through at least 3 generations and who represent 4 caste populations: Brahmin (9), Yadava (10), Kapu (7), and Relli (10). Individuals from Africa (36), Asia (36), and Europe (36) were sampled for comparison. A 200-base-pair segment of hypervariable segment 2 (HVS2) of the mtDNA control region was sequenced in all individuals. In the Indian castes 25 distinct haplotypes are identified. Aside from the Cambridge reference sequence, only two haplotypes are shared between caste populations. Middle castes form a highly supported cluster in a neighbor-joining network. Mean nucleotide diversity within each caste is 0.015, 0.012, 0.011, and 0.012 for the Brahmin, Yadava, Kapu, and Relli, respectively. mtDNA variation is highly structured between castes (GST = 0.17; p caste populations of Andhra Pradesh cluster more often with Africans than with Asians or Europeans. This is suggestive of admixture with African populations.

  13. Enhancement of high glucose-induced PINK1 expression by melatonin stimulates neuronal cell survival: Involvement of MT2 /Akt/NF-κB pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onphachanh, Xaykham; Lee, Hyun Jik; Lim, Jae Ryong; Jung, Young Hyun; Kim, Jun Sung; Chae, Chang Woo; Lee, Sei-Jung; Gabr, Amr Ahmed; Han, Ho Jae

    2017-09-01

    Hyperglycemia is a representative hallmark and risk factor for diabetes mellitus (DM) and is closely linked to DM-associated neuronal cell death. Previous investigators reported on a genome-wide association study and showed relationships between DM and melatonin receptor (MT), highlighting the role of MT signaling by assessing melatonin in DM. However, the role of MT signaling in DM pathogenesis is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the role of mitophagy regulators in high glucose-induced neuronal cell death and the effect of melatonin against high glucose-induced mitophagy regulators in neuronal cells. In our results, high glucose significantly increased PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) and LC-3B expressions; as well it decreased cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 expression and Mitotracker™ fluorescence intensity. Silencing of PINK1 induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial membrane potential impairment, increased expressions of cleaved caspases, and increased the number of annexin V-positive cells. In addition, high glucose-stimulated melatonin receptor 1B (MTNR1B) mRNA and PINK1 expressions were reversed by ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine pretreatment. Upregulation of PINK1 expression in neuronal cells is suppressed by pretreatment with MT 2 receptor-specific inhibitor 4-P-PDOT. We further showed melatonin stimulated Akt phosphorylation, which was followed by nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Silencing of PINK1 expression abolished melatonin-regulated mitochondrial ROS production, cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9 expressions, and the number of annexin V-positive cells. In conclusion, we have demonstrated the melatonin stimulates PINK1 expression via an MT 2 /Akt/NF-κB pathway, and such stimulation is important for the prevention of neuronal cell apoptosis under high glucose conditions. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Pineal Research

  14. Oxygenation of the traditional and thin-walled MT-YBCO in flowing oxygen and under high evaluated oxygen pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prikhna, Tatiana; Chaud, Xavier; Gawalek, Wolfgang; Rabier, Jaques; Savchuk, Yaroslav; Joulain, Anne; Vlasenko, Andrey; Moshchil, Viktor; Sergienko, Nina; Dub, Sergey; Melnikov, Vladimir; Litzkendorf, Doris; Habisreuther, Tobias; Sverdun, Vladimir

    2007-01-01

    The high pressure-high temperature oxygenation of thin-walled MT-YBCO (with artificially produced holes) allows decreasing the amount of macrocracks and increasing j c of the material. The MT-YBCO produced from Y123 and Y211 in the fields higher than 2 T showed higher j c in the ab-planes and lower j c in the c-direction than the MT-YBCO manufactured from Y123 and Y 2 O 3 and can be explained by the difference in twin and microcrack density that in turn can be affected by the difference in Y211 phase distribution

  15. Developmental expression of membrane type 4-matrix metalloproteinase (Mt4-mmp/Mmp17) in the mouse embryo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clemente, Cristina; Montalvo, María Gregoria; Seiki, Motoharu; Arroyo, Alicia G.

    2017-01-01

    Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) constitute a large group of endoproteases that play important functions during embryonic development, tumor metastasis and angiogenesis by degrading components of the extracellular matrix. Within this family, we focused our study on Mt4-mmp (also called Mmp17) that belongs to a distinct subset that is anchored to the cell surface via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) moiety and with the catalytic site exposed to the extracellular space. Information about its function and substrates is very limited to date, and little has been reported on its role in the developing embryo. Here, we report a detailed expression analysis of Mt4-mmp during mouse embryonic development by using a LacZ reporter transgenic mouse line. We showed that Mt4-mmp is detected from early stages of development to postnatal stages following a dynamic and restricted pattern of expression. Mt4-mmp was first detected at E8.5 limited to the intersomitic vascularization, the endocardial endothelium and the dorsal aorta. Mt4-mmpLacZ/+ cells were also observed in the neural crest cells, somites, floor plate and notochord at early stages. From E10.5, expression localized in the limb buds and persists during limb development. A strong expression in the brain begins at E12.5 and continues to postnatal stages. Specifically, staining was observed in the olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, striatum, septum, dorsal thalamus and the spinal cord. In addition, LacZ-positive cells were also detected during eye development, initially at the hyaloid artery and later on located in the lens and the neural retina. Mt4-mmp expression was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR and western blot analysis in some embryonic tissues. Our data point to distinct functions for this metalloproteinase during embryonic development, particularly during brain formation, angiogenesis and limb development. PMID:28926609

  16. Nonrandom γ-TuNA-dependent spatial pattern of microtubule nucleation at the Golgi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, Anna A W M; Chang, Kevin; Zhu, Xiaodong; Thoppil, Roslin J; Holmes, William R; Kaverina, Irina

    2017-11-07

    Noncentrosomal microtubule (MT) nucleation at the Golgi generates MT network asymmetry in motile vertebrate cells. Investigating the Golgi-derived MT (GDMT) distribution, we find that MT asymmetry arises from nonrandom nucleation sites at the Golgi (hotspots). Using computational simulations, we propose two plausible mechanistic models of GDMT nucleation leading to this phenotype. In the "cooperativity" model, formation of a single GDMT promotes further nucleation at the same site. In the "heterogeneous Golgi" model, MT nucleation is dramatically up-regulated at discrete and sparse locations within the Golgi. While MT clustering in hotspots is equally well described by both models, simulating MT length distributions within the cooperativity model fits the data better. Investigating the molecular mechanism underlying hotspot formation, we have found that hotspots are significantly smaller than a Golgi subdomain positive for scaffolding protein AKAP450, which is thought to recruit GDMT nucleation factors. We have further probed potential roles of known GDMT-promoting molecules, including γ-TuRC-mediated nucleation activator (γ-TuNA) domain-containing proteins and MT stabilizer CLASPs. While both γ-TuNA inhibition and lack of CLASPs resulted in drastically decreased GDMT nucleation, computational modeling revealed that only γ-TuNA inhibition suppressed hotspot formation. We conclude that hotspots require γ-TuNA activity, which facilitates clustered GDMT nucleation at distinct Golgi sites. © 2017 Sanders et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  17. 1-L-MT, an IDO inhibitor, prevented colitis-associated cancer by inducing CDC20 inhibition-mediated mitotic death of colon cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiuting; Zhou, Wei; Zhang, Xin; Ding, Yang; Du, Qianming; Hu, Rong

    2018-04-01

    Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), known as IDO, catabolizes tryptophan through kynurenine pathway, whose activity is correlated with impaired clinical outcome of colorectal cancer. Here we showed that 1-L-MT, a canonical IDO inhibitor, suppressed proliferation of human colorectal cancer cells through inducing mitotic death. Our results showed that inhibition of IDO decreased the transcription of CDC20, which resulted in G2/M cycle arrest of HCT-116 and HT-29. Furthermore, 1-L-MT induced mitochondria injuries and caused apoptotic cancer cells. Importantly, 1-L-MT protected mice from azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colon carcinogenesis, with reduced mortality, tumor number and size. What is more, IDO1-/- mice exhibited fewer tumor burdens and reduced proliferation in the neoplastic epithelium, while, 1-L-MT did not exhibit any further protective effects on IDO-/- mice, confirming the critical role of IDO and the protective effect of 1-L-MT-mediated IDO inhibition in CRC. Furthermore, 1-L-MT also alleviated CRC in Rag1-/- mice, demonstrating the modulatory effects of IDO independent of its role in modulating adaptive immunity. Taken together, our findings validated that the anti-proliferation effect of 1-L-MT in vitro and the prevention of CRC in vivo were through IDO-induced cell cycle disaster of colon cancer cells. Our results identified 1-L-MT as a promising candidate for the chemoprevention of CRC. © 2018 UICC.

  18. Land, language, and loci: mtDNA in Native Americans and the genetic history of Peru.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Cecil M; Tito, Raúl Y; Lizárraga, Beatriz; Stone, Anne C

    2005-07-01

    Despite a long history of complex societies and despite extensive present-day linguistic and ethnic diversity, relatively few populations in Peru have been sampled for population genetic investigations. In order to address questions about the relationships between South American populations and about the extent of correlation between genetic distance, language, and geography in the region, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable region I sequences and mtDNA haplogroup markers were examined in 33 individuals from the state of Ancash, Peru. These sequences were compared to those from 19 American Indian populations using diversity estimates, AMOVA tests, mismatch distributions, a multidimensional scaling plot, and regressions. The results show correlations between genetics, linguistics, and geographical affinities, with stronger correlations between genetics and language. Additionally, the results suggest a pattern of differential gene flow and drift in western vs. eastern South America, supporting previous mtDNA and Y chromosome investigations. (c) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc

  19. Revealing the hidden faults in the SE flank of Mt. Etna using radon in-soil gas measurement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnová, K; Thinová, L; Giammanco, S

    2014-07-01

    Although there are many methods for investigating tectonic structures, many faults remain hidden, and they can endanger the life and property of people living along them. The slopes of volcanoes are covered with such hidden faults, near which strong earthquakes and gas releases can appear. Revealing hidden faults can therefore contribute significantly to the protection of people living in volcanic areas. In the study, seven different techniques were used for making measurements of in-soil radon concentrations in order to search for hidden faults on the SE flank of the Mt. Etna volcano. These reported methods had previously been proved to be useful tools for investigating fault structures. The main aim of the experiment presented here was to evaluate the usability of these methods in the geological conditions of the Mt. Etna region, and to find the best place for continual radon monitoring using a permanent station in the near future. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Expression of the rgMT gene, encoding for a rice metallothionein ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    the rice rgMT gene in transgenic yeast and Arabidopsis is implicated in improving their tolerance for .... possible by the use of a microscope with UV optics that ... Abiotic stress factors that induced the expression of the ..... Arabidopsis mutant.

  1. Mutations of mtDNA polymerase-γ and hyperlactataemia in the HIV ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mutations of mtDNA polymerase-γ and hyperlactataemia in the HIV-infected Zulu population of South Africa. ... D B A Ojwach, C Aldous, P Kocheleff, B Sartorius ... of their capacity to impede human mitochondrial DNA polymerase-γ (POLG), ...

  2. Structural and functional studies of a phosphatidic acid-binding antifungal plant defensin MtDef4: Identification of an RGFRRR motif governing fungal cell entry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sagaram, Uma S.; El-Mounadi, Kaoutar; Buchko, Garry W.; Berg, Howard R.; Kaur, Jagdeep; Pandurangi, Raghoottama; Smith, Thomas J.; Shah, Dilip

    2013-12-04

    A highly conserved plant defensin MtDef4 potently inhibits the growth of a filamentous fungus Fusarium graminearum. MtDef4 is internalized by cells of F. graminearum. To determine its mechanism of fungal cell entry and antifungal action, NMR solution structure of MtDef4 has been determined. The analysis of its structure has revealed a positively charged patch on the surface of the protein consisting of arginine residues in its γ-core signature, a major determinant of the antifungal activity of MtDef4. Here, we report functional analysis of the RGFRRR motif of the γ-core signature of MtDef4. The replacement of RGFRRR to AAAARR or to RGFRAA not only abolishes fungal cell entry but also results in loss of the antifungal activity of MtDef4. MtDef4 binds strongly to phosphatidic acid (PA), a precursor for the biosynthesis of membrane phospholipids and a signaling lipid known to recruit cytosolic proteins to membranes. Mutations of RGFRRR which abolish fungal cell entry of MtDef4 also impair its binding to PA. Our results suggest that RGFRRR motif is a translocation signal for entry of MtDef4 into fungal cells and that this positively charged motif likely mediates interaction of this defensin with PA as part of its antifungal action.

  3. Quantification of the magnetization-transfer contrast effect: can it yield additional information in differentiation of musculoskeletal lesions particularly in separation of benign from malignant lesions; Quantifizierung des Magnetization Transfer Contrast (MTC) Effektes durch Berechnung von MT-Quotienten: Ergeben sich Zusatzinformationen fuer die Differenzierung benigner und maligner Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparates?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vahlensieck, M.; Traeber, F.; Schild, H. [Radiologische Universitaetsklinik Bonn (Germany); Gieseke, J. [Philips Medizinsysteme (Germany)

    1999-12-01

    Purpose: To investigate the potential information of the amount of magnetization-transfer effect in musculoskeletal lesions and to compare MT ratios from benign and malignant musculoskeletal lesions. Material and Method: 49 patients with malignant tumors (3 osteosarcoma, 3 malignant fibrous histiocytoma, 4 chondrosarcoma, 2 Ewing sarcomas) and benign lesions (8 chondroma, 2 fibrous dysplasia, 3 osteoid-osteoma, 6 ganglion cyst, 3 cyst, 3 osteomyelitis, 4 tendinitis, 3 rotator cuff tear, 5 scar tissue) were scanned using routine MRI protocols including T{sub 1}- and T{sub 2}-weighted spin echo as well as T{sub 2}*-weighted gradient echo (FFE) sequences at 1.5 Tesla (ACS II, Philips Medical). Additionally MTC images were generated by combining the FFE sequence and the off-resonance MT technique (-1500 Hz off-resonance frequency, 1770 flip angle and 50 ms pulse duration). MT ratios were calculated as SI{sub o}-SI{sub m}/SI{sub o}. Results: The MT ratio of benign lesions was 26{+-}15%, that of malignant lesions was 22{+-}6%. The difference was statistically not significant. As expected muscle showed a high MT ratio of 50{+-}8%. Scar tissue demonstrated an MT ratio of 39{+-}16% which was significantly higher than the tumor MT ratios. Conclusion: MTC (MT ratios) failed to show significant differences between benign and malignant lesions as was expected due to basic differences in cellularity, rate of mitosis and chromatin content. MTC might however gain more importance in separating scar tissue from recurrent tumor in the future. (orig.) [German] Zielsetzung: Durch die Quantifizierung des Magnetization Transfer Contrastes sollte untersucht werden, ob sich Zusatzinformationen in der Magnetresonanztomographie des Stuetz- und Bewegungsapparates ergeben. Insbesondere sollte ermittelt werden, ob gut- und boesartige Laesionen unterschiedliche MT-Quotienten aufweisen. Material und Methode: 49 Patienten mit boesartigen Tumoren (3 Osteosarkom, 4 Chondrosarkom, 3 Malignes

  4. [Characteristics of precipitation pH and conductivity at Mt. Huang].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Chun-e; Deng, Xue-liang; Wu, Bi-wen; Hong, Jie; Zhang, Su; Yang, Yuan-jian

    2013-05-01

    To understand the general characteristics of pH distribution and pollution in precipitation at Mt. Huang, statistical analyses were conducted for the routine measurements of pH and conductivity (K) at Mt. Huang during 2006-2011. The results showed that: (1) Over the period of study, the annual volume weighted mean (VWM) precipitation pH varied from 4.81 to 5.57, with precipitation acidity strengthening before 2009 and weakening thereafter. The precipitation acidity showed evident seasonal variations, with the VWM pH lowest in winter (4.78), and highest in summer (5.33). The occurrence frequency of acid rain was 46% , accounting for 45% of total rainfalls and with the most frequent pH falling into weak acid to neutral rain. (2) The annual VWM K varied from 16.91 to 27.84 microS x cm(-1), with no evident trend. As for ions pollution, the precipitation was relatively clean at Mt. Huang, with the most frequent K range being below 15 microS x cm(-1), followed by 15-25 microS x cm(-1). From February 2010 to December 2011, precipitation samples were collected on daily basis for ions analysis, as well as pH and K measurement in lab. Detailed comparisons were conducted between the two sets of pH and K, one set from field measurement and the other from lab measurement. The results indicated: (1) The lab measured pH (K) was highly correlated with the field pH (K); however, the lab pH tended to move towards neutral comparing with the corresponding field pH, and the shift range was closely correlated with the field pH and rainfall. The shift range of K from field to lab was highly correlated with the total ion concentration of precipitation. The field K showed evident negative correlation with the field pH with a correlation coefficient of -0.51. (2) When sampling with nylon-polyethylene bags, the statistics showed smaller bias between two sets of pH, with higher correlation coefficient between two sets of K. Furthermore, the lab K also showed evident negative correlation with

  5. Cloning and characterization of HbMT2a, a metallothionein gene from Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg differently responds to abiotic stress and heavy metals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yan; Chen, Yue Yi; Yang, Shu Guang; Tian, Wei Min, E-mail: wmtian9110@126.com

    2015-05-22

    Metallothioneins (MTs) are of low molecular mass, cysteine-rich proteins. They play an important role in the detoxification of heavy metals and homeostasis of intracellular metal ions, and protecting against intracellular oxidative damages. In this study a full-length cDNA of type 2 plant metallothioneins, HbMT2a, was isolated from 25 mM Polyethyleneglycol (PEG) stressed leaves of Hevea brasiliensis by RACE. The HbMT2a was 372 bp in length and had a 237 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding for a protein of 78 amino acid residues with molecular mass of 7.772 kDa. The expression of HbMT2a in the detached leaves of rubber tree clone RY7-33-97 was up-regulated by Me-JA, ABA, PEG, H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, Cu{sup 2+} and Zn{sup 2+}, but down-regulated by water. The role of HbMT2a protein in protecting against metal toxicity was demonstrated in vitro. PET-28a-HbMT2-beared Escherichia coli. Differential expression of HbMT2a upon treatment with 10 °C was observed in the detached leaves of rubber tree clone 93-114 which is cold-resistant and Reken501 which is cold-sensitive. The expression patterns of HbMT2a in the two rubber tree clones may be ascribed to a change in the level of endogenous H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. - Highlights: • Cloning an HbMT2a gene from rubber tree. • Analyzing expression patterns of HbMT2a upon abiotic stress and heavy metal stress. • Finding different expression patterns of HbMT2a among two Hevea germplasm. • The expressed protein of HbMT2a enhances copper and zinc tolerance in Escherichia coli.

  6. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants in the European haplogroups HV, JT, and U do not have a major role in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torrell, Helena; Salas, Antonio; Abasolo, Nerea; Morén, Constanza; Garrabou, Glòria; Valero, Joaquín; Alonso, Yolanda; Vilella, Elisabet; Costas, Javier; Martorell, Lourdes

    2014-10-01

    It has been reported that certain genetic factors involved in schizophrenia could be located in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Therefore, we hypothesized that mtDNA mutations and/or variants would be present in schizophrenia patients and may be related to schizophrenia characteristics and mitochondrial function. This study was performed in three steps: (1) identification of pathogenic mutations and variants in 14 schizophrenia patients with an apparent maternal inheritance of the disease by sequencing the entire mtDNA; (2) case-control association study of 23 variants identified in step 1 (16 missense, 3 rRNA, and 4 tRNA variants) in 495 patients and 615 controls, and (3) analyses of the associated variants according to the clinical, psychopathological, and neuropsychological characteristics and according to the oxidative and enzymatic activities of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. We did not identify pathogenic mtDNA mutations in the 14 sequenced patients. Two known variants were nominally associated with schizophrenia and were further studied. The MT-RNR2 1811A > G variant likely does not play a major role in schizophrenia, as it was not associated with clinical, psychopathological, or neuropsychological variables, and the MT-ATP6 9110T > C p.Ile195Thr variant did not result in differences in the oxidative and enzymatic functions of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The patients with apparent maternal inheritance of schizophrenia did not exhibit any mutations in their mtDNA. The variants nominally associated with schizophrenia in the present study were not related either to phenotypic characteristics or to mitochondrial function. We did not find evidence pointing to a role for mtDNA sequence variation in schizophrenia. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Human mtDNA hypervariable regions, HVR I and II, hint at deep common maternal founder and subsequent maternal gene flow in Indian population groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Swarkar; Saha, Anjana; Rai, Ekta; Bhat, Audesh; Bamezai, Ramesh

    2005-01-01

    We have analysed the hypervariable regions (HVR I and II) of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in individuals from Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar (BI) and Punjab (PUNJ), belonging to the Indo-European linguistic group, and from South India (SI), that have their linguistic roots in Dravidian language. Our analysis revealed the presence of known and novel mutations in both hypervariable regions in the studied population groups. Median joining network analyses based on mtDNA showed extensive overlap in mtDNA lineages despite the extensive cultural and linguistic diversity. MDS plot analysis based on Fst distances suggested increased maternal genetic proximity for the studied population groups compared with other world populations. Mismatch distribution curves, respective neighbour joining trees and other statistical analyses showed that there were significant expansions. The study revealed an ancient common ancestry for the studied population groups, most probably through common founder female lineage(s), and also indicated that human migrations occurred (maybe across and within the Indian subcontinent) even after the initial phase of female migration to India.

  8. 76 FR 28418 - Voluntary Termination of Foreign-Trade Subzone 33C; Sony Corporation of America, Mt. Pleasant, PA

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-17

    ...-Trade Subzone 33C; Sony Corporation of America, Mt. Pleasant, PA Pursuant to the authority granted in... Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania, (grantee of FTZ 33) authorizing the establishment of Foreign-Trade Subzone 33C at the Sony Corporation of America plant in Mt. Pleasant...

  9. Checklist of flora along tourist trails to Mt. Lamongan, East Java (Indonesia: misconception of restoration and ecotourism programs in mountain region?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luchman Hakim

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to evaluate the diversity of plant species along the tourist trails to Mt. Lamongan and combat any misconceptions about ecosystem restoration and the ecotourism development program in Mt. Lamongan. A floristic survey was done through flora identification along the hiking trail from the gate of Mt. Lamongan nature recreation area in Papringan Village to the slopes of Mt. Lamongan. The identified species were listed and their taxonomic status analyzed using information from the GRIN website. This study found that exotic plant species are abundant along the tourist tract. Human activities were identified as contributing to the introduction and establishment of exotic plant species. Result of the research indicate that restoration knowledge and techniques do not exist in the Mt. Lamongan region. A comprehensive evaluation of flora should be implemented to enhance the restoration program and protect forest area, especially the tourist corridor to the peak of Mt. Lamongan. Integrated actions to enhance restoration and promote tourism are needed. It encompasses strengthening the restoration concept and technology, eradication of exotic plant species, and establishing a proper tourism interpretive tract.

  10. Increase of mitochondrial DNA content and transcripts in early bovine embryogenesis associated with upregulation of mtTFA and NRF1 transcription factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heyman Yvan

    2005-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent work has shown that mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial functions are critical determinants of embryonic development. However, the expression of the factors controlling mitochondrial biogenesis in early embryogenesis has received little attention so far. Methods We used real-time quantitative PCR to quantify mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA in bovine oocytes and in various stages of in vitro produced embryos. To investigate the molecular mechanisms responsible for the replication and the transcriptional activation of mtDNA, we quantified the mRNA corresponding to the mtDNA-encoded cytochrome oxidase 1 (COX1, and two nuclear-encoded factors, i.e. the Nuclear Respiratory Factor 1 (NRF1, and the nuclear-encoded Mitochondrial Transcription Factor A (mtTFA. Results Unlike findings reported in mouse embryos, the mtDNA content was not constant during early bovine embryogenesis. We found a sharp, 60% decrease in mtDNA content between the 2-cell and the 4/8-cell stages. COX1 mRNA was constant until the morula stage after which it increased dramatically. mtTFA mRNA was undetectable in oocytes and remained so until the 8/16-cell stage; it began to appear only at the morula stage, suggesting de novo synthesis. In contrast, NRF1 mRNA was detectable in oocytes and the quantity remained constant until the morula stage. Conclusion Our results revealed a reduction of mtDNA content in early bovine embryos suggesting an active process of mitochondrial DNA degradation. In addition, de novo mtTFA expression associated with mitochondrial biogenesis activation and high levels of NRF1 mRNA from the oocyte stage onwards argue for the essential function of these factors during the first steps of bovine embryogenesis.

  11. Conversion of Stationary to Invasive Tumor Initiating Cells (TICs): Role of Hypoxia in Membrane Type 1-Matrix Metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) Trafficking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jian; Zucker, Stanley; Pulkoski-Gross, Ashleigh; Kuscu, Cem; Karaayvaz, Mihriban; Ju, Jingfang; Yao, Herui; Song, Erwei; Cao, Jian

    2012-01-01

    Emerging evidence has implicated the role of tumor initiating cells (TICs) in the process of cancer metastasis. The mechanism underlying the conversion of TICs from stationary to invasive remains to be characterized. In this report, we employed less invasive breast cancer TICs, SK-3rd, that displays CD44high/CD24low with high mammosphere-forming and tumorigenic capacities, to investigate the mechanism by which stationary TICs are converted to invasive TICs. Invasive ability of SK-3rd TICs was markedly enhanced when the cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions. Given the role of membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) in cancer invasion/metastasis, we explored a possible involvement of MT1-MMP in hypoxia-induced TIC invasion. Silencing of MT1-MMP by a shRNA approach resulted in diminution of hypoxia-induced cell invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Under hypoxic conditions, MT1-MMP redistributed from cytoplasmic storage pools to the cell surface of TICs, which coincides with the increased cell invasion. In addition, CD44, a cancer stem-like cell marker, inversely correlated with increased cell surface MT1-MMP. Interestingly, cell surface MT1-MMP gradually disappeared when the hypoxia-treated cells were switched to normoxia, suggesting the plasticity of TICs in response to oxygen content. Furthermore, we dissected the pathways leading to upregulated MT1-MMP in cytoplasmic storage pools under normoxic conditions, by demonstrating a cascade involving Twist1-miR10b-HoxD10 leading to enhanced MT1-MMP expression in SK-3rd TICs. These observations suggest that MT1-MMP is a key molecule capable of executing conversion of stationary TICs to invasive TICs under hypoxic conditions and thereby controlling metastasis. PMID:22679501

  12. Survey on geothermal development promotion in fiscal 1998. Electromagnetic exploration (simplified MT method) (Separate data (No. A-4 for the Mt. Kunbetsu area)); 1998 nendo chinetsu kaihatsu sokushin chosa. Denji tansa (MT kan'iho) bessatsu shiryo (No.A-4 Kunbetsu chiiki)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-03-01

    This paper summarizes the result of electromagnetic exploration in the No. A-4 Mt. Kunbetsu area as a separate data for the geothermal development promotion survey. The orders are as follows: in the apparent specific resistance and phase curves, TE mode, TM mode, invariant mode; in the MT parameters, tipper magnitude, tipper strike, impedance rotation, skewness, impedance polar diagram; in the one-dimensional analysis result (TE mode), specific resistance model, measurement/analysis {rho}a-F diagram; in the one-dimensional analysis result (TM mode), specific resistance model, measurement/analysis {rho}a-F diagram; inthe one-dimensional analysis result (invariant mode), specific resistance model, measurement/analysis {rho}a-F diagram; in the measurement value list, tipper magnitude, tipper phase, tipper strike, skewness; and in the value list for the one-dimensional analysis result, TE mode, TM mode, invariant mode and the value list for the two-dimensional analysis result. (NEDO)

  13. SG-ADVISER mtDNA: a web server for mitochondrial DNA annotation with data from 200 samples of a healthy aging cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rueda, Manuel; Torkamani, Ali

    2017-08-18

    Whole genome and exome sequencing usually include reads containing mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Yet, state-of-the-art pipelines and services for human nuclear genome variant calling and annotation do not handle mitochondrial genome data appropriately. As a consequence, any researcher desiring to add mtDNA variant analysis to their investigations is forced to explore the literature for mtDNA pipelines, evaluate them, and implement their own instance of the desired tool. This task is far from trivial, and can be prohibitive for non-bioinformaticians. We have developed SG-ADVISER mtDNA, a web server to facilitate the analysis and interpretation of mtDNA genomic data coming from next generation sequencing (NGS) experiments. The server was built in the context of our SG-ADVISER framework and on top of the MtoolBox platform (Calabrese et al., Bioinformatics 30(21):3115-3117, 2014), and includes most of its functionalities (i.e., assembly of mitochondrial genomes, heteroplasmic fractions, haplogroup assignment, functional and prioritization analysis of mitochondrial variants) as well as a back-end and a front-end interface. The server has been tested with unpublished data from 200 individuals of a healthy aging cohort (Erikson et al., Cell 165(4):1002-1011, 2016) and their data is made publicly available here along with a preliminary analysis of the variants. We observed that individuals over ~90 years old carried low levels of heteroplasmic variants in their genomes. SG-ADVISER mtDNA is a fast and functional tool that allows for variant calling and annotation of human mtDNA data coming from NGS experiments. The server was built with simplicity in mind, and builds on our own experience in interpreting mtDNA variants in the context of sudden death and rare diseases. Our objective is to provide an interface for non-bioinformaticians aiming to acquire (or contrast) mtDNA annotations via MToolBox. SG-ADVISER web server is freely available to all users at https://genomics.scripps.edu/mtdna .

  14. Archaeological elements of Mt. Lykaion Sanctuary of Zeus (southern Peloponnesus) in relation to tectonics and structural geology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davis, G H

    2008-01-01

    The Sanctuary of Zeus is the focus of the Mt. Lykaion Excavation/Survey (University of Pennsylvania, University of Arizona, and 39th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities). It was described by Pausanias as a sacred place of pan-Hellenic significance, with stadium and hippodrome in which athletic games were held, a sanctuary of Pan, and a formidable temenos and altar of Lykaion Zeus. In picturing human activity on this mountain during ancient times, it is not adequate to treat the mountain as if it were simply a tall, symmetrical, and handy edifice within which rock contents are irrelevant, for the geology within Mt. Lykaion significantly influenced what was built on it, and where! There are contemporary reminders of the 'power' of the site, including the devastating April, 1965, Megalopolis earthquake, the epicenter of which was merely 4 km away. In fact, there are active normal faults within the sanctuary. However the primary geoarchitecture is that of the Pindos fold and thrust belt, fashioned largely in Cretaceous through Eocene. Mt. Lykaion's dome-like summit is a thrust klippe separated from underlying nappes by a major thrust fault (Lykaion thrust), the subhorizontal trace of which encircles the mountain creating a subtle bench in the landscape coinciding closely with archaeological and natural elements important to the sanctuary (e.g., stoa, seatwall, fountains, trails). Late Jurassic through Eocene 'Pindos Group' formations are stacked and repeated by the thrusting. Inter-relationships between bedrock, structure, and archaeology are revealed in a 'geoarchaeological column,' which displays positioning of elements in relation to the thrust, and orientations of rock formations in relation to flat patches in otherwise steep, rocky country, which became sites suitable for placement of hippodrome, baths, temenos, horse pasturing areas, etc. Worked limestone blocks are locally derived and can be matched with formations. The compelling high elevation of

  15. 76 FR 3569 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; West Yellowstone, MT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-20

    ... accommodate aircraft using the Instrument Landing System (ILS) Localizer (LOC) standard instrument approach... airspace areas extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface of the earth. * * * * * ANM MT E5...

  16. Nitrogen multitemporal monitoring through mosses in urban areas affected by mud volcanoes around Mt. Etna, Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonanno, Giuseppe

    2013-10-01

    Nitrogen emissions were assessed by using mosses as bioindicators in a densely inhabited area affected by mud volcanoes. Such volcanoes, locally called Salinelle, are phenomena that occur around Mt. Etna (Sicily, Italy), and are interpreted as the surface outflow of a hydrothermal system located below Mt. Etna, which releases sedimentary fluids (hydrocarbons and Na-Cl brines) along with magmatic gases (mainly CO2 and He). To date, N emissions from such mud volcanoes have been only quantitatively assessed, and no biomonitoring campaigns are reported about the cumulative effects of these emissions. This study analyzed N concentrations in moss, water and soil samples, collected in a 4-year monitoring campaign. The bryophyte Bryum argenteum, a species widely adopted in surveys of atmospheric pollution, was used as a biological indicator. N concentrations in biomonitors showed relatively low values in the study sites. However, the results of this study suggest that N emissions from Salinelle may have an impact on surrounding ecosystems because N values in moss and water showed a significant correlation. N oxides, in particular, contribute to acidification of ecosystems, thus multitemporal biomonitoring is recommended, especially in those areas where N emitting sources are anthropogenic and natural.

  17. Minding the gap: Frequency of indels in mtDNA control region sequence data and influence on population genetic analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearce, J.M.

    2006-01-01

    Insertions and deletions (indels) result in sequences of various lengths when homologous gene regions are compared among individuals or species. Although indels are typically phylogenetically informative, occurrence and incorporation of these characters as gaps in intraspecific population genetic data sets are rarely discussed. Moreover, the impact of gaps on estimates of fixation indices, such as FST, has not been reviewed. Here, I summarize the occurrence and population genetic signal of indels among 60 published studies that involved alignments of multiple sequences from the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of vertebrate taxa. Among 30 studies observing indels, an average of 12% of both variable and parsimony-informative sites were composed of these sites. There was no consistent trend between levels of population differentiation and the number of gap characters in a data block. Across all studies, the average influence on estimates of ??ST was small, explaining only an additional 1.8% of among population variance (range 0.0-8.0%). Studies most likely to observe an increase in ??ST with the inclusion of gap characters were those with control region DNA appears small, dependent upon total number of variable sites in the data block, and related to species-specific characteristics and the spatial distribution of mtDNA lineages that contain indels. ?? 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. Neoglacial fluctuations of Deming Glacier, Mt. Baker, Washington USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osborn, G.; Menounos, B.; Scott, K.; Clague, J. J.; Tucker, D.; Riedel, J.; Davis, P.

    2007-12-01

    Deming Glacier flows from the upper west slopes of Mt. Baker, a stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of Washington, USA. The north and south lateral moraines of Deming Glacier are composed of at least four tills separated by layers of detrital wood and sheared stumps in growth position. The stratigraphy records fluctuations of the glacier during the Holocene. The outer ten rings of an in situ stump from the middle wood layer, which is about 40 m below the north lateral moraine crest and 1.2 km downvalley from the present glacier terminus, yielded an age of 1750 ± 50~~ 14C yr BP [1810-1550 cal yr BP]. The stump revealed at least 300 rings and thus records a period of landscape stability and relatively restricted glaciation for several hundred years prior to ca. 1750 14C yr BP . Samples from the lowest wood layer also have been submitted for radiocarbon dating. Outer rings of detrital wood samples collected from two wood mats exposed in the south lateral moraine, 2.3 km downvalley of the glacier terminus, returned radiocarbon ages of 1600 ± 30~~ 14C yr BP [1550- 1410 cal yr BP] and 430 ± 30~~ 14C yr BP [AD 1420-1620]. These data indicate that Deming Glacier advanced over a vegetated moraine sometime after 1810 cal yr BP to a position less extensive that it achieved at the peak of the Little Ice Age. The glacier then receded before it began its final and most extensive Holocene advance after AD 1420. The older advance is correlative with the 'First Millennium AD' advance, recently recognized throughout western North America. The younger advance coincides with an advance of Mt. Baker's Easton Glacier [AD 1430-1630], and advances of many alpine glaciers elsewhere in western North America. Our data suggest that glaciers on Mt. Baker fluctuated in a similar manner to alpine glaciers in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia and in other mountain ranges of northwest North America during Neoglaciation.

  19. Novel roles for metallothionein-I + II (MT-I + II) in defense responses, neurogenesis, and tissue restoration after traumatic brain injury: insights from global gene expression profiling in wild-type and MT-I + II knockout mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Penkowa, Milena; Cáceres, Mario; Borup, Rehannah

    2006-01-01

    of the somatosensorial cortex and killed at 0, 1, 4, 8, and 16 days postlesion (dpl) using Affymetrix genechips/oligonucleotide arrays interrogating approximately 10,000 different murine genes (MG_U74Av2). Hierarchical clustering analysis of these genes readily shows an orderly pattern of gene responses at specific...... and opened new avenues that were confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Data in KO, MT-I-overexpressing, and MT-II-injected mice strongly suggest a role of these proteins in postlesional activation of neural stem cells....

  20. Dysphagia is prevalent in patients with CPEO and single, large-scale deletions in mtDNA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Gitte Hedermann; Løkken, Nicoline; Dahlqvist, Julia R.

    2017-01-01

    Background  The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of subjective and objective dysphagia in patients with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO) due to single, large-scale deletions (LSDs) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Methods  Sixteen patients with CPEO and single LSDs...... and single LSDs of mtDNA had a prolonged cold-water test, including one with a PEG-tube, who was unable to perform the test, and nine patients reported subjective swallowing problems (56.3%). All mitochondrial myopathy patients in the control group had a normal duration of the cold-water test.  Conclusions......  The study shows that dysphagia is a common problem in patients with CPEO and LSDs of mtDNA. Dysphagia seems to be progressive with age as abnormal swallowing occurred preferentially in persons ≥ 45 years. The study shows that increased awareness of this symptom should be given to address appropriate...

  1. Oxygenation of the traditional and thin-walled MT-YBCO in flowing oxygen and under high evaluated oxygen pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prikhna, Tatiana [Institute for Superhard Materials, 2 Avtozavodskaya Street, Kiev 04074 (Ukraine)], E-mail: prikhna@iptelecom.net.ua; Chaud, Xavier [CNRS/CRETA, 25, Avenue des Martyrs BP 166, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9 (France); Gawalek, Wolfgang [Institut fuer Physikalische Hochtechnologie, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 9, Jena (Germany); Rabier, Jaques [Universite de Poitiers, CNRS/Lab. de Metallurgie Physique, UMR 6630 CNRS-Universite de Poitiers SP2MI, BP 30179, F-86962 Chasseneuil Futuroscope Cedex (France); Savchuk, Yaroslav [Institute for Superhard Materials, 2 Avtozavodskaya Street, Kiev 04074 (Ukraine); Joulain, Anne [Universite de Poitiers, CNRS/Lab. de Metallurgie Physique, UMR 6630 CNRS-Universite de Poitiers SP2MI, BP 30179, F-86962 Chasseneuil Futuroscope Cedex (France); Vlasenko, Andrey; Moshchil, Viktor; Sergienko, Nina; Dub, Sergey; Melnikov, Vladimir [Institute for Superhard Materials, 2 Avtozavodskaya Street, Kiev 04074 (Ukraine); Litzkendorf, Doris; Habisreuther, Tobias [Institut fuer Physikalische Hochtechnologie, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 9, Jena (Germany); Sverdun, Vladimir [Institute for Superhard Materials, 2 Avtozavodskaya Street, Kiev 04074 (Ukraine)

    2007-09-01

    The high pressure-high temperature oxygenation of thin-walled MT-YBCO (with artificially produced holes) allows decreasing the amount of macrocracks and increasing j{sub c} of the material. The MT-YBCO produced from Y123 and Y211 in the fields higher than 2 T showed higher j{sub c} in the ab-planes and lower j{sub c} in the c-direction than the MT-YBCO manufactured from Y123 and Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} and can be explained by the difference in twin and microcrack density that in turn can be affected by the difference in Y211 phase distribution.

  2. Primary quantitative analysis of the mtDNA4977bp deletion induced by lonizing radiation in human peripheral blood u-sing real-time PCR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duan Zhikai; Liu Jiangong; Guo Wanlong; Zhang Shuxian

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To observe the influence of mtDNA4977bp deletion induced by different dose of γ ray in human peripheral blood in order to explore the feasibility of mtDNA4977bp deletion as biodosimeter. Methods: Human peripheral blood samples were collected from three healthy donors and irradiated by γ ray, MtDNA4977bp deletion was detected by real-time PCR. Results: It indicated that that from the range of 0 ∼ 8 Gy, the relationship between mtDNA4977bp deletion and irradiation dose represents certain curvilinear correlation (Y=1.2693+1.0660X+0.0198X 2 ). Conclusion: We find that γ ray has influence on the mtDNA4977bp deletion, so it may be an important biodosmeter in future. (authors)

  3. Influence of Aerosol Heating on the Stratospheric Transport of the Mt. Pinatubo Eruption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aquila, Valentina; Oman, Luke D.; Stolarski, Richard S.

    2011-01-01

    On June 15th, 1991 the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo (15.1 deg. N, 120.3 Deg. E) in the Philippines injected about 20 Tg of sulfur dioxide in the stratosphere, which was transformed into sulfuric acid aerosol. The large perturbation of the background aerosol caused an increase in temperature in the lower stratosphere of 2-3 K. Even though stratospheric winds climatological]y tend to hinder the air mixing between the two hemispheres, observations have shown that a large part of the SO2 emitted by Mt. Pinatubo have been transported from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere. We simulate the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo with the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) version 5 global climate model, coupled to the aerosol module GOCART and the stratospheric chemistry module StratChem, to investigate the influence of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on the stratospheric transport pattern. We perform two ensembles of simulations: the first ensemble consists of runs without coupling between aerosol and radiation. In these simulations the plume of aerosols is treated as a passive tracer and the atmosphere is unperturbed. In the second ensemble of simulations aerosols and radiation are coupled. We show that the set of runs with interactive aerosol produces a larger cross-equatorial transport of the Pinatubo cloud. In our simulations the local heating perturbation caused by the sudden injection of volcanic aerosol changes the pattern of the stratospheric winds causing more intrusion of air from the Northern into the Southern Hemisphere. Furthermore, we perform simulations changing the injection height of the cloud, and study the transport of the plume resulting from the different scenarios. Comparisons of model results with SAGE II and AVHRR satellite observations will be shown.

  4. Early auditory processing in area V5/MT+ of the congenitally blind brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watkins, Kate E; Shakespeare, Timothy J; O'Donoghue, M Clare; Alexander, Iona; Ragge, Nicola; Cowey, Alan; Bridge, Holly

    2013-11-13

    Previous imaging studies of congenital blindness have studied individuals with heterogeneous causes of blindness, which may influence the nature and extent of cross-modal plasticity. Here, we scanned a homogeneous group of blind people with bilateral congenital anophthalmia, a condition in which both eyes fail to develop, and, as a result, the visual pathway is not stimulated by either light or retinal waves. This model of congenital blindness presents an opportunity to investigate the effects of very early visual deafferentation on the functional organization of the brain. In anophthalmic animals, the occipital cortex receives direct subcortical auditory input. We hypothesized that this pattern of subcortical reorganization ought to result in a topographic mapping of auditory frequency information in the occipital cortex of anophthalmic people. Using functional MRI, we examined auditory-evoked activity to pure tones of high, medium, and low frequencies. Activity in the superior temporal cortex was significantly reduced in anophthalmic compared with sighted participants. In the occipital cortex, a region corresponding to the cytoarchitectural area V5/MT+ was activated in the anophthalmic participants but not in sighted controls. Whereas previous studies in the blind indicate that this cortical area is activated to auditory motion, our data show it is also active for trains of pure tone stimuli and in some anophthalmic participants shows a topographic mapping (tonotopy). Therefore, this region appears to be performing early sensory processing, possibly served by direct subcortical input from the pulvinar to V5/MT+.

  5. Dose-dependent folic acid and memantine treatments promote synergistic or additive protection against Aβ(25-35) peptide-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells mediated by mitochondria stress-associated death signals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ta-Fu; Tang, Ming-Chi; Chou, Chia-Hui; Chiu, Ming-Jang; Huang, R-F S

    2013-12-01

    Increased dietary folic acid (FA) is associated with reduced risks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The AD drug memantine (Mn) has had limited therapeutic effects for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe AD. This study investigated whether and the underlying mechanisms by which the combination of Mn and FA may have synergistic or additive effects in protecting against amyloid-β(25-35) peptide (Aβ)-induced neurocytotoxicity. Aβ treatment of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells significantly induced a 6-fold increase of apoptotic cells compared with the Aβ-untreated group. Preincubation of Aβ-exposed cells with FA (500 μM) or Mn (20 μM) caused a 22% and 10% reduction of apoptotic cells, respectively, whereas the combo-treatments at such doses synergistically alleviated Aβ-induced apoptosis by 60% (P<0.05). The apoptotic protection by the combo-treatments coincided with attenuating Aβ-elicited mitochondrial (mt) membrane depolarization and abolishing Aβ-induced mt cytochrome c release to the cytosol. Increased levels of FA at 1000 μM in combination with 20 μM Mn exerted an additive protection against Aβ(25-35)-induced-apoptosis as compared to the isolate Mn group (P<0.05). The combo-treatments reversed Aβ-elicited mt membrane depolarization, attenuated Aβ-elicited mt cytochrome c release to the cytosol, and diminished Aβ-promoted superoxide generation. The apoptotic-protection by such combo-treatments was partially abolished by carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (mt membrane potential uncoupler) and sodium azide (mt cytochrome c oxidase inhibitor). Taken together, the data demonstrated that dose-dependent FA and Mn synergistically or additively protected SH-SY5Y cells against Aβ-induced apoptosis, which was partially, if not completely, mediated by mt stress-associated death signals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Diagnosis of time of increased probability of volcanic earthquakes at Mt. Vesuvius zone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rotwain, I.; Kuznetsov, I.; De Natale, G.; Peresan, A.; Panza, G.F.

    2003-06-01

    The possibility of intermediate-term earthquake prediction at Mt. Vesuvius by means of the algorithm CN is explored. CN was originally designed to identify the Times of Increased Probability (TIPs) for the occurrence of strong tectonic earthquakes, with magnitude M ≥ M 0 , within a region a priori delimited. Here the algorithm CN is applied, for the first time, to the analysis of volcanic seismicity. The earthquakes recorded at Mt. Vesuvius, during the period from February 1972 to October 2002, are considered and the magnitude threshold M 0 , selecting the events to be predicted, is varied within the range: 3.0 - 3.3. Satisfactory prediction results are obtained, by retrospective analysis, when a time scaling is introduced. In particular, when the length of the time windows is reduced by a factor 2.5 - 3, with respect to the standard version of CN algorithm, more than 90% of the events with M ≥ M 0 occur within the TIP intervals, with TIPs occupying about 30% of the total time considered. The control experiment 'Seismic History' demonstrates the stability of the obtained results and indicates that the algorithm CN can be applied to monitor the preparation of impending earthquakes with M ≥ 3.0 at Mt. Vesuvius. (author)

  7. mtDNA variation in the Yanomami: evidence for additional New World founding lineages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Easton, R D; Merriwether, D A; Crews, D E; Ferrell, R E

    1996-07-01

    Native Americans have been classified into four founding haplogroups with as many as seven founding lineages based on mtDNA RFLPs and DNA sequence data. mtDNA analysis was completed for 83 Yanomami from eight villages in the Surucucu and Catrimani Plateau regions of Roraima in northwestern Brazil. Samples were typed for 15 polymorphic mtDNA sites (14 RFLP sites and 1 deletion site), and a subset was sequenced for both hypervariable regions of the mitochondrial D-loop. Substantial mitochondrial diversity was detected among the Yanomami, five of seven accepted founding haplotypes and three others were observed. Of the 83 samples, 4 (4.8%) were lineage B1, 1 (1.2%) was lineage B2, 31 (37.4%) were lineage C1, 29 (34.9%) were lineage C2, 2 (2.4%) were lineage D1, 6 (7.2%) were lineage D2, 7 (8.4%) were a haplotype we designated "X6," and 3 (3.6%) were a haplotype we designated "X7." Sequence analysis found 43 haplotypes in 50 samples. B2, X6, and X7 are previously unrecognized mitochondrial founding lineage types of Native Americans. The widespread distribution of these haplotypes in the New World and Asia provides support for declaring these lineages to be New World founding types.

  8. mtDNA variation predicts population size in humans and reveals a major Southern Asian chapter in human prehistory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atkinson, Quentin D; Gray, Russell D; Drummond, Alexei J

    2008-02-01

    The relative timing and size of regional human population growth following our expansion from Africa remain unknown. Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity carries a legacy of our population history. Given a set of sequences, we can use coalescent theory to estimate past population size through time and draw inferences about human population history. However, recent work has challenged the validity of using mtDNA diversity to infer species population sizes. Here we use Bayesian coalescent inference methods, together with a global data set of 357 human mtDNA coding-region sequences, to infer human population sizes through time across 8 major geographic regions. Our estimates of relative population sizes show remarkable concordance with the contemporary regional distribution of humans across Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas, indicating that mtDNA diversity is a good predictor of population size in humans. Plots of population size through time show slow growth in sub-Saharan Africa beginning 143-193 kya, followed by a rapid expansion into Eurasia after the emergence of the first non-African mtDNA lineages 50-70 kya. Outside Africa, the earliest and fastest growth is inferred in Southern Asia approximately 52 kya, followed by a succession of growth phases in Northern and Central Asia (approximately 49 kya), Australia (approximately 48 kya), Europe (approximately 42 kya), the Middle East and North Africa (approximately 40 kya), New Guinea (approximately 39 kya), the Americas (approximately 18 kya), and a second expansion in Europe (approximately 10-15 kya). Comparisons of relative regional population sizes through time suggest that between approximately 45 and 20 kya most of humanity lived in Southern Asia. These findings not only support the use of mtDNA data for estimating human population size but also provide a unique picture of human prehistory and demonstrate the importance of Southern Asia to our recent evolutionary past.

  9. MtDNA diversity among four Portuguese autochthonous dog breeds: a fine-scale characterisation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Santa-Rita Pedro

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The picture of dog mtDNA diversity, as obtained from geographically wide samplings but from a small number of individuals per region or breed, has revealed weak geographic correlation and high degree of haplotype sharing between very distant breeds. We aimed at a more detailed picture through extensive sampling (n = 143 of four Portuguese autochthonous breeds – Castro Laboreiro Dog, Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog, Portuguese Sheepdog and Azores Cattle Dog-and comparatively reanalysing published worldwide data. Results Fifteen haplotypes belonging to four major haplogroups were found in these breeds, of which five are newly reported. The Castro Laboreiro Dog presented a 95% frequency of a new A haplotype, while all other breeds contained a diverse pool of existing lineages. The Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog, the most heterogeneous of the four Portuguese breeds, shared haplotypes with the other mainland breeds, while Azores Cattle Dog shared no haplotypes with the other Portuguese breeds. A review of mtDNA haplotypes in dogs across the world revealed that: (a breeds tend to display haplotypes belonging to different haplogroups; (b haplogroup A is present in all breeds, and even uncommon haplogroups are highly dispersed among breeds and continental areas; (c haplotype sharing between breeds of the same region is lower than between breeds of different regions and (d genetic distances between breeds do not correlate with geography. Conclusion MtDNA haplotype sharing occurred between Serra da Estrela Mountain dogs (with putative origin in the centre of Portugal and two breeds in the north and south of the country-with the Castro Laboreiro Dog (which behaves, at the mtDNA level, as a sub-sample of the Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog and the southern Portuguese Sheepdog. In contrast, the Azores Cattle Dog did not share any haplotypes with the other Portuguese breeds, but with dogs sampled in Northern Europe. This suggested that the

  10. Mapping the organization of axis of motion selective features in human area MT using high-field fMRI.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Zimmermann

    Full Text Available Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI at high magnetic fields has made it possible to investigate the columnar organization of the human brain in vivo with high degrees of accuracy and sensitivity. Until now, these results have been limited to the organization principles of early visual cortex (V1. While the middle temporal area (MT has been the first identified extra-striate visual area shown to exhibit a columnar organization in monkeys, evidence of MT's columnar response properties and topographic layout in humans has remained elusive. Research using various approaches suggests similar response properties as in monkeys but failed to provide direct evidence for direction or axis of motion selectivity in human area MT. By combining state of the art pulse sequence design, high spatial resolution in all three dimensions (0.8 mm isotropic, optimized coil design, ultrahigh field magnets (7 Tesla and novel high resolution cortical grid sampling analysis tools, we provide the first direct evidence for large-scale axis of motion selective feature organization in human area MT closely matching predictions from topographic columnar-level simulations.

  11. MODFLOW-2000, the U.S. Geological Survey Modular Ground-Water Model--Documentation of the SEAWAT-2000 Version with the Variable-Density Flow Process (VDF) and the Integrated MT3DMS Transport Process (IMT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langevin, Christian D.; Shoemaker, W. Barclay; Guo, Weixing

    2003-01-01

    SEAWAT-2000 is the latest release of the SEAWAT computer program for simulation of three-dimensional, variable-density, transient ground-water flow in porous media. SEAWAT-2000 was designed by combining a modified version of MODFLOW-2000 and MT3DMS into a single computer program. The code was developed using the MODFLOW-2000 concept of a process, which is defined as ?part of the code that solves a fundamental equation by a specified numerical method.? SEAWAT-2000 contains all of the processes distributed with MODFLOW-2000 and also includes the Variable-Density Flow Process (as an alternative to the constant-density Ground-Water Flow Process) and the Integrated MT3DMS Transport Process. Processes may be active or inactive, depending on simulation objectives; however, not all processes are compatible. For example, the Sensitivity and Parameter Estimation Processes are not compatible with the Variable-Density Flow and Integrated MT3DMS Transport Processes. The SEAWAT-2000 computer code was tested with the common variable-density benchmark problems and also with problems representing evaporation from a salt lake and rotation of immiscible fluids.

  12. Overexposure measurement on microtron MT-17

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dang Thanh Luong; Tran Thanh Minh

    1995-01-01

    On 11 November 1992, the Radiation accident happened at the channel of the high energy photon beam generated by stopping 15 MeV accelerated electron on the tungsten target of Microtron MT-17. One physicist has been exposed to the high energy photon beam. The purposes of this work are the determination of overexposure from backscatter and primary beams to estimate the whole body and hand doses received by the victim. It was found that the upper parts of his body may be received the dose from 1.0 Gy to 5.0 Gy per 4 min. of the exposure; the dose received by victim's hands is in interval of 30 - 50 Gy. (author). 3 refs., 5 figs., 5 tabs

  13. Thymidine Kinase 2 Deficiency-Induced mtDNA Depletion in Mouse Liver Leads to Defect beta-Oxidation

    OpenAIRE

    Zhou, Xiaoshan; Kannisto, Kristina; Curbo, Sophie; von Dobeln, Ulrika; Hultenby, Kjell; Isetun, Sindra; Gåfvels, Mats; Karlsson, Anna

    2013-01-01

    Thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) deficiency in humans causes mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion syndrome. To study the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease and search for treatment options, we previously generated and described a TK2 deficient mouse strain (TK2(-/-)) that progressively loses its mtDNA. The TK2(-/-) mouse model displays symptoms similar to humans harboring TK2 deficient infantile fatal encephalomyopathy. Here, we have studied the TK2(-/-) mouse model to clarify the pathologica...

  14. Spine growth mechanisms: friction and seismicity at Mt. Unzen, Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hornby, Adrian; Kendrick, Jackie; Hirose, Takehiro; Henton De Angelis, Sarah; De Angelis, Silvio; Umakoshi, Kodo; Miwa, Takahiro; Wadsworth, Fabian; Dingwell, Don; Lavallee, Yan

    2014-05-01

    The final episode of dome growth during the 1991-1995 eruption of Mt. Unzen was characterised by spine extrusion accompanied by repetitive seismicity. This type of cyclic activity has been observed at several dome-building volcanoes and recent work suggests a source mechanism of brittle failure of magma in the conduit. Spine growth may proceed by densification and closure of permeable pathways within the uppermost conduit magma, leading to sealing of the dome and inflation of the edifice. Amplified stresses on the wall rock and plug cause brittle failure near the conduit wall once static friction forces are overcome, and during spine growth these fractures may propagate to the dome surface. The preservation of these features is rare, and the conduit is typically inaccessible; therefore spines, the extruded manifestation of upper conduit material, provide the opportunity to study direct evidence of brittle processes in the conduit. At Mt. Unzen the spine retains evidence for brittle deformation and slip, however mechanical constraints on the formation of these features and their potential impact on eruption dynamics have not been well constrained. Here, we conduct an investigation into the process of episodic spine growth using high velocity friction apparatus at variable shear slip rate (0.4-1.5 m.s-1) and normal stress (0.4-3.5 MPa) on dome rock from Mt. Unzen, generating frictional melt at velocity >0.4 m.s-1 and normal stress >0.7 MPa. Our results show that the presence of frictional melt causes a deviation from Byerlee's frictional rule for rock friction. Melt generation is a disequilibrium process: initial amphibole breakdown leads to melt formation, followed by chemical homogenization of the melt layer. Ultimately, the experimentally generated frictional melts have a similar final chemistry, thickness and comminuted clast size distribution, thereby facilitating the extrapolation of a single viscoelastic model to describe melt-lubricated slip events at Mt

  15. Mouse breast cancer model-dependent changes in metabolic syndrome-associated phenotypes caused by maternal dioxin exposure and dietary fat

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Merrill, Michele; Baston, David S.; Denison, Michael S.; Birnbaum, Linda S.; Pomp, Daniel; Threadgill, David W.

    2009-01-01

    Diets high in fat are associated with increased susceptibility to obesity and metabolic syndrome. Increased adipose tissue that is caused by high-fat diets (HFD) results in altered storage of lipophilic toxicants like 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), which may further increase susceptibility to metabolic syndrome. Because both TCDD and HFD are associated with increased breast cancer risk, we examined their effects on metabolic syndrome-associated phenotypes in three mouse models of breast cancer: 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), Tg(MMTV-Neu)202Mul/J (HER2), and TgN(MMTV-PyMT)634Mul/J (PyMT), all on an FVB/N genetic background. Pregnant mice dosed with 1 μg/kg of TCDD or vehicle on gestational day 12.5 were placed on a HFD or low-fat diet (LFD) at parturition. Body weights, percent body fat, and fasting blood glucose were measured longitudinally, and triglycerides were measured at study termination. On HFD, all cancer models reached the pubertal growth spurt ahead of FVB controls. Among mice fed HFD, the HER2 model had a greater increase in body weight and adipose tissue from puberty through adulthood compared with the PyMT and DMBA models. However, the DMBA model consistently had higher fasting blood glucose levels than the PyMT and HER2 models. TCDD only impacted serum triglycerides in the PyMT model maintained on HFD. Because the estrogenic activity of the HFD was three times lower than that of the LFD, differential dietary estrogenic activities did not drive the observed phenotypic differences. Rather, the HFD-dependent changes were cancer model dependent. These results show that cancer models can have differential effects on metabolic syndrome-associated phenotypes even before cancers arise. PMID:18840765

  16. Defining mtDNA origins and population stratification in Rio de Janeiro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simão, Filipa; Ferreira, Ana Paula; de Carvalho, Elizeu Fagundes; Parson, Walther; Gusmão, Leonor

    2018-05-01

    The genetic composition of the Brazilian population was shaped by interethnic admixture between autochthonous Native Americans, Europeans settlers and African slaves. This structure, characteristic of most American populations, implies the need for large population forensic databases to capture the high diversity that is usually associated with admixed populations. In the present work, we sequenced the control region of mitochondrial DNA from 205 non-related individuals living in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region. Overall high haplotype diversity (0.9994 ± 0.0006) was observed, and pairwise comparisons showed a high proportion of haplotype pairs with more than one-point differences. When ignoring homopolymeric tracts, pairwise comparisons showed no differences 0.18% of the time, and differences in a single position were found with a frequency of 0.32%. A high percentage of African mtDNA was found (42%), with lineages showing a major South West origin. For the West Eurasian and Native American haplogroups (representing 32% and 26%, respectively) it was not possible to evaluate a clear geographic or linguistic affiliation. When grouping the mtDNA lineages according to their continental origin (Native American, European and African), differences were observed for the ancestry proportions estimated with autosomal ancestry-informative markers, suggesting some level of genetic substructure. The results from this study are in accordance with historical data where admixture processes are confirmed with a strong maternal contribution of African maternal ancestry and a relevant contribution of Native American maternal ancestry. Moreover, the evidence for some degree of association between mtDNA and autosomal information should be considered when combining these types of markers in forensic analysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Nesprin-1α-Dependent Microtubule Nucleation from the Nuclear Envelope via Akap450 Is Necessary for Nuclear Positioning in Muscle Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gimpel, Petra; Lee, Yin Loon; Sobota, Radoslaw M; Calvi, Alessandra; Koullourou, Victoria; Patel, Rutti; Mamchaoui, Kamel; Nédélec, François; Shackleton, Sue; Schmoranzer, Jan; Burke, Brian; Cadot, Bruno; Gomes, Edgar R

    2017-10-09

    The nucleus is the main microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) in muscle cells due to the accumulation of centrosomal proteins and microtubule (MT) nucleation activity at the nuclear envelope (NE) [1-4]. The relocalization of centrosomal proteins, including Pericentrin, Pcm1, and γ-tubulin, depends on Nesprin-1, an outer nuclear membrane (ONM) protein that connects the nucleus to the cytoskeleton via its N-terminal region [5-7]. Nesprins are also involved in the recruitment of kinesin to the NE and play a role in nuclear positioning in skeletal muscle cells [8-12]. However, a function for MT nucleation from the NE in nuclear positioning has not been established. Using the proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) method [13, 14], we found several centrosomal proteins, including Akap450, Pcm1, and Pericentrin, whose association with Nesprin-1α is increased in differentiated myotubes. We show that Nesprin-1α recruits Akap450 to the NE independently of kinesin and that Akap450, but not other centrosomal proteins, is required for MT nucleation from the NE. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this mechanism is disrupted in congenital muscular dystrophy patient myotubes carrying a nonsense mutation within the SYNE1 gene (23560 G>T) encoding Nesprin-1 [15, 16]. Finally, using computer simulation and cell culture systems, we provide evidence for a role of MT nucleation from the NE on nuclear spreading in myotubes. Our data thus reveal a novel function for Nesprin-1α/Nesprin-1 in nuclear positioning through recruitment of Akap450-mediated MT nucleation activity to the NE. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  18. Periodic disruptions in the MT-1 tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zoletnik, S.

    1988-11-01

    Disruptive instabilities are common phenomena in toroidal devices, especially in tokamaks. Three types can be distinguished: internal, minor and major disruptions. Periodic minor disruptions in the MT-1 tokamak were measured systematically with values of the limiter safety factor between 4 and 10. The density limit as a function of plasma current and horizontal displacement was investigated. Precursor oscillations always appear before the instability with increasing amplitude but can be observed at the density limit with quasi-stationary amplitude. Phase correlation between precursor oscillations were measured with Mirnov coils and x-ray detectors, and they show good agreement with a simple magnetic island model. (R.P.) 11 refs.; 6 figs

  19. FY 1991 report on the survey of geothermal development promotion. Attached data. Electromagnetic exploration (High accuracy MT method) (No.38 - West area of Mt. Aso); Chinetsu kaihatsu sokushin chosa chijo chosa hokokusho futai shiryo. 1991 nendo chinetsu kaihatsu sokushin chosa - Denji tansa (Koseido MT ho) hokokusho (No.38 Asosan seibu chiiki - Tenpu shiryo)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1991-12-01

    As a part of the survey of geothermal development promotion in FY 1991, electromagnetic exploration by the high accuracy MT method was conducted to acquire the information on the geothermal structure in the west area of Mt. Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture. The detailed data were arranged as the data attached to the report on the electromagnetic exploration. As the attached data, included were the results of the 1D analysis (measuring/analysis {rho}a-F chart, analytic structure drawing), results of the 1D analysis (numerical list of the apparent resistivity analytic value and inverse analytic value) and numerical list of the apparent resistivity measured value. (NEDO)

  20. Disruption of actin filaments in Zea mays by bisphenol A depends on their crosstalk with microtubules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stavropoulou, Konstantina; Adamakis, Ioannis-Dimosthenis S; Panteris, Emmanuel; Arseni, Ermioni-Makedonia; Eleftheriou, Eleftherios P

    2018-03-01

    Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widespread environmental pollutant, reportedly harmful to living organisms. In plant cells, BPA was shown to disrupt microtubule (MT) arrays and perturb mitosis, but its effects on filamentous actin (F-actin) have not been explored. Here we studied the effects of BPA on actin filaments (AFs) in meristematic root tip and leaf cells of Zea mays, by fluorescent labeling and confocal microscopy. Considering the typical dynamic interaction between MTs and AFs, the effects on these two essential components of the plant cytoskeleton were correlated. It was found that BPA disorganized rapidly AFs in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The fine filaments were first to be affected, followed by the subcortical bundles, resulting in rod- and ring-like conformations. The observed differences in sensitivity between protodermal and cortex cells were attributed to the deeper location of the latter. Depolymerization or stabilization of MTs by relevant drugs (oryzalin, taxol) revealed that AF susceptibility to BPA depends on MT integrity. Developing leaves required harder and longer treatment to be affected by BPA. Ontogenesis of stomatal complexes was highly disturbed, arrangement of AFs and MT arrays was disordered and accuracy of cell division sequence was deranged or completely arrested. The effect of BPA confirmed that subsidiary cell mother cell polarization is not mediated by F-actin patch neither of preprophase band organization. On the overall, it is concluded that AFs in plant cells constitute a subcellular target of BPA and their disruption depends on their crosstalk with MTs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Influence of filling-drawdown cycles of the Vajont reservoir on Mt. Toc slope stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paronuzzi, Paolo; Rigo, Elia; Bolla, Alberto

    2013-06-01

    In the present work, the 1963 Vajont landslide has been back-analyzed in detail to examine the influence of reservoir operations (filling and drawdown) on Mt. Toc slope stability. The combined seepage-slope stability analyses carried out show that the main destabilizing factor that favored the 1963 Vajont landslide was the reservoir-induced water table that formed as a consequence of rapid seepage inflow within the submerged toe of the slope — decrease in the factor of safety (FOS) up to 12% compared to the initial slope stability condition, i.e., in the absence of the Vajont reservoir. Rainfall would only have been a decisive factor if the initial stability condition of the Mt. Toc slope had already been very close to failure (decrease in FOS caused by heavy or prolonged rainfall is about 3-4%, for the worst case scenario analyzed). The permeability of the shear zone material occurring at the base of the prehistoric Vajont rockslide has been evaluated at 5 × 10- 4 m/s, and back-calculated values of the friction angles Φ range from 17.5° to 27.5°. When considering mountain reservoirs, slope failures can occur during both filling and drawdown phases. In the Vajont case, owing to the highly permeable materials of the shear zone, slope stability decreased during filling and increased during drawdown. Another displacement-dependent phenomenon of a mechanical nature - progressive failure of the NE landslide constraint - has to be considered to understand the slope collapse that occurred during the last drawdown (26 September-9 October 1963). The results of the combined seepage-slope stability models indicate that permeability of bank-forming material and filling-drawdown rates of reservoirs can strongly influence slope stability. Slow lowering of the reservoir level is a necessary measure to reduce the occurrence of very dangerous transient negative peaks of FOS.

  2. Cognate xenoliths in Mt. Etna lavas: witnesses of the high-velocity body beneath the volcano

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corsaro, Rosa Anna; Rotolo, Silvio Giuseppe; Cocina, Ornella; Tumbarello, Gianvito

    2014-01-01

    Various xenoliths have been found in lavas of the 1763 ("La Montagnola"), 2001, and 2002-03 eruptions at Mt. Etna whose petrographic evidence and mineral chemistry exclude a mantle origin and clearly point to a cognate nature. Consequently, cognate xenoliths might represent a proxy to infer the nature of the high-velocity body (HVB) imaged beneath the volcano by seismic tomography. Petrography allows us to group the cognate xenoliths as follows: i) gabbros with amphibole and amphibole-bearing mela-gabbros, ii) olivine-bearing leuco-gabbros, iii) leuco-gabbros with amphibole, and iv) Plg-rich leuco gabbros. Geobarometry estimates the crystallization pressure of the cognate xenoliths between 1.9 and 4.1 kbar. The bulk density of the cognate xenoliths varies from 2.6 to 3.0 g/cm3. P wave velocities (V P ), calculated in relation to xenolith density, range from 4.9 to 6.1 km/s. The integration of mineralogical, compositional, geobarometric data, and density-dependent V P with recent literature data on 3D V P seismic tomography enabled us to formulate the first hypothesis about the nature of the HVB which, in the depth range of 3-13 km b.s.l., is likely made of intrusive gabbroic rocks. These are believed to have formed at the "solidification front", a marginal zone that encompasses a deep region (>5 km b.s.l.) of Mt. Etna's plumbing system, within which magma crystallization takes place. The intrusive rocks were afterwards fragmented and transported as cognate xenoliths by the volatile-rich and fast-ascending magmas of the 1763 "La Montagnola", 2001 and 2002-03 eruptions.

  3. Kleptoparasitic behavior and species richness at Mt. Graham red squirrel middens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrew J. Edelman; John L. Koprowski; Jennifer L. Edelman

    2005-01-01

    We used remote photography to assess the frequency of inter- and intra-specific kleptoparasitism and species richness at Mt. Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis) middens. Remote cameras and conifer cones were placed at occupied and unoccupied middens, and random sites. Species richness of small mammals was higher at red squirrel...

  4. The mtDNA haplogroup P of modern Asian cattle: A genetic legacy of Asian aurochs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noda, Aoi; Yonesaka, Riku; Sasazaki, Shinji

    2018-01-01

    Background Aurochs (Bos primigenius) were distributed throughout large parts of Eurasia and Northern Africa during the late Pleistocene and the early Holocene, and all modern cattle are derived from the aurochs. Although the mtDNA haplogroups of most modern cattle belong to haplogroups T and I, several additional haplogroups (P, Q, R, C and E) have been identified in modern cattle and aurochs. Haplogroup P was the most common haplogroup in European aurochs, but so far, it has been identified in only three of >3,000 submitted haplotypes of modern Asian cattle. Methodology We sequenced the complete mtDNA D-loop region of 181 Japanese Shorthorn cattle and analyzed these together with representative bovine mtDNA sequences. The haplotype P of Japanese Shorthorn cattle was analyzed along with that of 36 previously published European aurochs and three modern Asian cattle sequences using the hypervariable 410 bp of the D-loop region. Conclusions We detected the mtDNA haplogroup P in Japanese Shorthorn cattle with an extremely high frequency (83/181). Phylogenetic networks revealed two main clusters, designated as Pa for haplogroup P in European aurochs and Pc in modern Asian cattle. We also report the genetic diversity of haplogroup P compared with the sequences of extinct aurochs. No shared haplotypes are observed between the European aurochs and the modern Asian cattle. This finding suggests the possibility of local and secondary introgression events of haplogroup P in northeast Asian cattle, and will contribute to a better understanding of its origin and genetic diversity. PMID:29304129

  5. The mtDNA haplogroup P of modern Asian cattle: A genetic legacy of Asian aurochs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noda, Aoi; Yonesaka, Riku; Sasazaki, Shinji; Mannen, Hideyuki

    2018-01-01

    Aurochs (Bos primigenius) were distributed throughout large parts of Eurasia and Northern Africa during the late Pleistocene and the early Holocene, and all modern cattle are derived from the aurochs. Although the mtDNA haplogroups of most modern cattle belong to haplogroups T and I, several additional haplogroups (P, Q, R, C and E) have been identified in modern cattle and aurochs. Haplogroup P was the most common haplogroup in European aurochs, but so far, it has been identified in only three of >3,000 submitted haplotypes of modern Asian cattle. We sequenced the complete mtDNA D-loop region of 181 Japanese Shorthorn cattle and analyzed these together with representative bovine mtDNA sequences. The haplotype P of Japanese Shorthorn cattle was analyzed along with that of 36 previously published European aurochs and three modern Asian cattle sequences using the hypervariable 410 bp of the D-loop region. We detected the mtDNA haplogroup P in Japanese Shorthorn cattle with an extremely high frequency (83/181). Phylogenetic networks revealed two main clusters, designated as Pa for haplogroup P in European aurochs and Pc in modern Asian cattle. We also report the genetic diversity of haplogroup P compared with the sequences of extinct aurochs. No shared haplotypes are observed between the European aurochs and the modern Asian cattle. This finding suggests the possibility of local and secondary introgression events of haplogroup P in northeast Asian cattle, and will contribute to a better understanding of its origin and genetic diversity.

  6. Sequence and annotation of the 314-kb MT325 and the 321-kb FR483 viruses that infect Chlorella Pbi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzgerald, Lisa A; Graves, Michael V; Li, Xiao; Feldblyum, Tamara; Hartigan, James; Van Etten, James L

    2007-02-20

    Viruses MT325 and FR483, members of the family Phycodnaviridae, genus Chlorovirus, infect the fresh water, unicellular, eukaryotic, chlorella-like green alga, Chlorella Pbi. The 314,335-bp genome of MT325 and the 321,240-bp genome of FR483 are the first viruses that infect Chlorella Pbi to have their genomes sequenced and annotated. Furthermore, these genomes are the two smallest chlorella virus genomes sequenced to date, MT325 has 331 putative protein-encoding and 10 tRNA-encoding genes and FR483 has 335 putative protein-encoding and 9 tRNA-encoding genes. The protein-encoding genes are almost evenly distributed on both strands, and intergenic space is minimal. Approximately 40% of the viral gene products resemble entries in public databases, including some that are the first of their kind to be detected in a virus. For example, these unique gene products include an aquaglyceroporin in MT325, a potassium ion transporter protein and an alkyl sulfatase in FR483, and a dTDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in both viruses. Comparison of MT325 and FR483 protein-encoding genes with the prototype chlorella virus PBCV-1 indicates that approximately 82% of the genes are present in all three viruses.

  7. An economical mtDNA SNP assay detecting different mitochondrial haplogroups in identical HVR 1 samples of Caucasian ancestry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Köhnemann, Stephan; Hohoff, Carsten; Pfeiffer, Heidi

    2009-09-01

    We had sequenced 329 Caucasian samples in Hypervariable Region 1 (HVR 1) and found that they belong to eleven different mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes. The sample set was further analysed by an mtDNA assay examining 32 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for haplogroup discrimination. In a validation study on 160 samples of different origin it was shown that these SNPs were able to discriminate between the evolved superhaplogroups worldwide (L, M and N) and between the nine most common Caucasian haplogroups (H, I, J, K, T, U, V, W and X). The 32 mtDNA SNPs comprised 42 different SNP haplotypes instead of only eleven haplotypes after HVR 1 sequencing. The assay provided stable results in a range of 5ng genomic DNA down to virtually no genomic DNA per reaction. It was possible to detect samples of African, Asian and Eurasian ancestry, respectively. The 32 mtDNA SNP assay is a helpful adjunct to further distinguish between identical HVR 1 sequences of Caucasian origin. Our results suggest that haplogroup prediction using HVR 1 sequencing provides instable results. The use of coding region SNPs for haplogroup assignment is more suited than using HVR 1 haplotypes.

  8. Significance tests for functional data with complex dependence structure

    KAUST Repository

    Staicu, Ana-Maria; Lahiri, Soumen N.; Carroll, Raymond J.

    2015-01-01

    We propose an L (2)-norm based global testing procedure for the null hypothesis that multiple group mean functions are equal, for functional data with complex dependence structure. Specifically, we consider the setting of functional data with a

  9. Aerosol ionic components at Mt. Heng in central southern China: abundances, size distribution, and impacts of long-range transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Xiaomei; Xue, Likun; Wang, Xinfeng; Wang, Tao; Yuan, Chao; Gao, Rui; Zhou, Yang; Nie, Wei; Zhang, Qingzhu; Wang, Wenxing

    2012-09-01

    Water-soluble ions in PM(2.5) were continuously measured, along with the measurements of many other species and collection of size-resolved aerosol samples, at the summit of Mt. Heng in the spring of 2009, to understand the sources of aerosols in rural central southern China. The mean concentrations of SO(4)(2-), NH(4)(+) and NO(3)(-) in PM(2.5) were 8.02, 2.94 and 1.47 μg/m(3), indicating a moderate aerosol pollution level at Mt. Heng. Water-soluble ions composed approximately 40% of the PM(2.5) mass on average. PM(2.5) was weakly acidic with about 66% of the samples being acidic. SO(4)(2-), NO(3)(-) and NH(4)(+) exhibited similar diurnal patterns with a broad afternoon maximum. SO(4)(2-) and NH(4)(+) were mainly present in the fine aerosols with a peak in the droplet mode of 0.56-1 μm, suggesting the important role of cloud processing in the formation of aerosol sulfate. NO(3)(-) was largely distributed in the coarse particles with a predominant peak in the size-bin of 3.2-5.6 μm. Long-distance transport of processed air masses, dust aerosols, and cloud/fog processes were the major factors determining the variations of fine aerosol at Mt. Heng. The results at Mt. Heng were compared with those obtained from our previous study at Mt. Tai in north China. The comparison revealed large differences in the aerosol characteristics and processes between southern and northern China. Backward trajectories indicated extensive transport of anthropogenic pollution from the coastal regions of eastern/northern China and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) to Mt. Heng in spring, highlighting the need for regionally coordinated control measures for the secondary pollutants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Gravitational slope-deformation of a resurgent caldera: New insights from the mechanical behaviour of Mt. Nuovo tuffs (Ischia Island, Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marmoni, G. M.; Martino, S.; Heap, M. J.; Reuschlé, T.

    2017-10-01

    Ischia Island (Italy) is an impressive example of the rare phenomenon of caldera resurgence. The emplacement and replenishment of magmas at shallow depth resulted in a vertical uplift of about 900 m, concentrated in the western portion of Mt. Epomeo (789 m a.s.l.). As a consequence of this uplift, the island has experienced several slope instabilities at different scales since the Holocene, from shallow mass movements to large rock and debris avalanches. These mass wasting events, which mobilised large volumes of greenish alkali-trachytic tuff (the Mt. Epomeo Green Tuff, MEGT), were strictly related to volcano-tectonic activity and the interaction between the volcanic slopes and the hydrothermal system beneath the island. Deep-Seated Gravitational Slope Deformation (DSGSD) at Mt. Nuovo, located adjacent to densely populated coastal villages, is an ongoing process that covers an area of 1.6 km2. The Mt. Nuovo DSGSD involves a rock mass volume of 190 Mm3 and is accommodated by a main shear zone and a series of sub-vertical fault zones associated with high-angle joint sets. To improve our understanding of this gravity-induced process, we performed a physical (porosity and permeability) and mechanical (uniaxial and triaxial deformation experiments) characterisation of two ignimbrite deposits - both from the MEGT - that form a significant component of the NW sector of Mt. Epomeo. The main conclusions drawn from our experiments are twofold. First, the presence of water dramatically reduces the strength of the tuffs, suggesting that the movement of fluids within the hydrothermal system could greatly impact slope stability. Second, the transition from brittle (dilatant) to ductile (compactant) behaviour in the tuffs of the MEGT occurs at a very low effective pressure, analogous to a depth of a couple of hundred metres, and that this transition is likely moved closer to the surface in the presence of water. We hypothesise that compactant (porosity decreasing) behaviour at

  11. Pilgrimages of Teachers and Students of Ecclesiastical Academies to the Holy Land and the Holy Mt. Athos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sukhova Nataliia

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The author deals with pilgrim trips to the Holy Places — the Holy Land and the Holy Mt. Athos, — which were undertaken by teachers and students of Russian orthodox ecclesiastical academies in 1870-1910. The article covers the cases of these pilgrim trips. The author analyzes the motivation of concrete pilgrims and the significance of trips for a Russian ecclesiastical school. Besides, the author pays attention to efforts of spiritually-educational community to find the importance of the Holy Places for theological and ecclesiastical-historical sciences.

  12. On the edge of Bantu expansions: mtDNA, Y chromosome and lactase persistence genetic variation in southwestern Angola

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beleza Sandra

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Current information about the expansion of Bantu-speaking peoples is hampered by the scarcity of genetic data from well identified populations from southern Africa. Here, we fill an important gap in the analysis of the western edge of the Bantu migrations by studying for the first time the patterns of Y-chromosome, mtDNA and lactase persistence genetic variation in four representative groups living around the Namib Desert in southwestern Angola (Ovimbundu, Ganguela, Nyaneka-Nkumbi and Kuvale. We assessed the differentiation between these populations and their levels of admixture with Khoe-San groups, and examined their relationship with other sub-Saharan populations. We further combined our dataset with previously published data on Y-chromosome and mtDNA variation to explore a general isolation with migration model and infer the demographic parameters underlying current genetic diversity in Bantu populations. Results Correspondence analysis, lineage sharing patterns and admixture estimates indicate that the gene pool from southwestern Angola is predominantly derived from West-Central Africa. The pastoralist Herero-speaking Kuvale people were additionally characterized by relatively high frequencies of Y-chromosome (12% and mtDNA (22% Khoe-San lineages, as well as by the presence of the -14010C lactase persistence mutation (6%, which likely originated in non-Bantu pastoralists from East Africa. Inferred demographic parameters show that both male and female populations underwent significant size growth after the split between the western and eastern branches of Bantu expansions occurring 4000 years ago. However, males had lower population sizes and migration rates than females throughout the Bantu dispersals. Conclusion Genetic variation in southwestern Angola essentially results from the encounter of an offshoot of West-Central Africa with autochthonous Khoisan-speaking peoples from the south. Interactions between the Bantus

  13. Structural and functional studies of a phosphatidic acid-binding antifungal plant defensin MtDef4: identification of an RGFRRR motif governing fungal cell entry.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uma Shankar Sagaram

    Full Text Available MtDef4 is a 47-amino acid cysteine-rich evolutionary conserved defensin from a model legume Medicago truncatula. It is an apoplast-localized plant defense protein that inhibits the growth of the ascomycetous fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum in vitro at micromolar concentrations. Little is known about the mechanisms by which MtDef4 mediates its antifungal activity. In this study, we show that MtDef4 rapidly permeabilizes fungal plasma membrane and is internalized by the fungal cells where it accumulates in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, analysis of the structure of MtDef4 reveals the presence of a positively charged γ-core motif composed of β2 and β3 strands connected by a positively charged RGFRRR loop. Replacement of the RGFRRR sequence with AAAARR or RGFRAA abolishes the ability of MtDef4 to enter fungal cells, suggesting that the RGFRRR loop is a translocation signal required for the internalization of the protein. MtDef4 binds to phosphatidic acid (PA, a precursor for the biosynthesis of membrane phospholipids and a signaling lipid known to recruit cytosolic proteins to membranes. Amino acid substitutions in the RGFRRR sequence which abolish the ability of MtDef4 to enter fungal cells also impair its ability to bind PA. These findings suggest that MtDef4 is a novel antifungal plant defensin capable of entering into fungal cells and affecting intracellular targets and that these processes are mediated by the highly conserved cationic RGFRRR loop via its interaction with PA.

  14. Search for new physics in the all-hadronic final state with the MT2 variable

    CERN Document Server

    CMS Collaboration

    2017-01-01

    A search for new physics is performed using events with jets and a large transverse momentum imbalance, as measured through the $M_{T2}$ variable. The results are based on a sample of proton-proton collisions collected in 2016 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $35.9~\\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. No excess above the standard model background is observed. The results are interpreted as limits on the masses of potential new particles in a variety of simplified models of R-parity conserving supersymmetry. Depending on the details of the model, $95\\%$ CL lower limits on the gluino and light-flavor squark masses are placed up to $2025$ and $1550~\\mathrm{GeV}$, respectively. In the case of top (bottom) squarks, the mass limits are as high as $1070~(1175)~\\mathrm{GeV}$.

  15. Does aerobic exercises induce mtDNA mutation in human blood ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The aim of this study was to determine the effect of eight weeks aerobic training on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation in human blood leucocytes. Twenty untrained healthy students (training group: n =10, age = 20.7±1.5 yrs, weight = 67.7±10 kg, BF% = 17.5±7.35 & control group: n =10, age = 21±1.3 yrs, weight ...

  16. RiArsB and RiMT-11: Two novel genes induced by arsenate in arbuscular mycorrhiza.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maldonado-Mendoza, Ignacio E; Harrison, Maria J

    Plants associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increase their tolerance to arsenic-polluted soils. This study aims to investigate the genes involved in the AMF molecular response to arsenic pollution. Genes encoding proteins involved in arsenic metabolism were identified and their expression assessed by PCR or RT-qPCR. The As-inducible gene GiArsA (R. irregularis ABC ATPase component of the ArsAB arsenite efflux pump) and two new genes, an arsenate/arsenite permease component of ArsAB (RiArsB) and a methyltransferase type 11 (RiMT-11) were induced when arsenate was added to two-compartment in vitro monoxenic cultures of R. irregularis-transformed carrot roots. RiArsB and RiMT-11 expression in extraradical hyphae in response to arsenate displayed maximum induction 4-6 h after addition of 350 μM arsenate. Their expression was also detected in colonized root tissues grown in pots, or in the root-fungus compartment of two-compartment in vitro systems. We used a Medicago truncatula double mutant (mtpt4/mtpt8) to demonstrate that RiMT-11 and RiArsB transcripts accumulate in response to the addition of arsenate but not in response to phosphate. These results suggest that these genes respond to arsenate addition regardless of non-functional Pi symbiotic transport, and that RiMT-11 may be involved in arsenate detoxification by methylation in AMF-colonized tissues. Copyright © 2017 British Mycological Society. All rights reserved.

  17. Land use and nutrient inputs affect priming in Andosols of Mt. Kilimanjaro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mganga, Kevin; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2015-04-01

    Organic C and nutrients additions in soil can accelerate mineralisation of soil organic matter i.e. priming effects. However, only very few studies have been conducted to investigate the priming effects phenomenon in tropical Andosols. Nutrients (N, P, N+P) and 14C labelled glucose were added to Andosols from six natural and intensively used ecosystems at Mt. Kilimanjaro i.e. (1) savannah, (2) maize fields, (3) lower montane forest, (4) coffee plantation, (5) grasslands and (6) Chagga homegardens. Carbon-dioxide emissions were monitored over a 60 days incubation period. Mineralisation of glucose to 14CO2 was highest in coffee plantation and lowest in Chagga homegarden soils. Maximal and minimal mineralisation rates immediately after glucose additions were observed in lower montane forest with N+P fertilisation (9.1% ± 0.83 d -1) and in savannah with N fertilisation (0.9% ± 0.17 d -1), respectively. Glucose and nutrient additions accelerated native soil organic matter mineralisation i.e. positive priming. Chagga homegarden soils had the lowest 14CO2 emissions and incorporated the highest percent of glucose into microbial biomass. 50-60% of the 14C input was retained in soil. We attribute this mainly to the high surface area of non-crystalline constituents i.e. allophanes, present in Andosols and having very high sorption capacity for organic C. The allophanic nature of Andosols of Mt. Kilimanjaro especially under traditional Chagga homegarden agroforestry system shows great potential for providing essential environmental services, notably C sequestration. Key words: Priming Effects, Andosols, Land Use Changes, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Allophanes, Tropical Agroforestry

  18. Archaeological elements of Mt. Lykaion Sanctuary of Zeus (southern Peloponnesus) in relation to tectonics and structural geology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davis, G H [Regents Professor, University of Arizona, Department of Geosciences, 326 Gould-Simpson Building, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)], E-mail: gdavis@u.arizona.edu

    2008-07-01

    The Sanctuary of Zeus is the focus of the Mt. Lykaion Excavation/Survey (University of Pennsylvania, University of Arizona, and 39th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities). It was described by Pausanias as a sacred place of pan-Hellenic significance, with stadium and hippodrome in which athletic games were held, a sanctuary of Pan, and a formidable temenos and altar of Lykaion Zeus. In picturing human activity on this mountain during ancient times, it is not adequate to treat the mountain as if it were simply a tall, symmetrical, and handy edifice within which rock contents are irrelevant, for the geology within Mt. Lykaion significantly influenced what was built on it, and where{exclamation_point} There are contemporary reminders of the 'power' of the site, including the devastating April, 1965, Megalopolis earthquake, the epicenter of which was merely 4 km away. In fact, there are active normal faults within the sanctuary. However the primary geoarchitecture is that of the Pindos fold and thrust belt, fashioned largely in Cretaceous through Eocene. Mt. Lykaion's dome-like summit is a thrust klippe separated from underlying nappes by a major thrust fault (Lykaion thrust), the subhorizontal trace of which encircles the mountain creating a subtle bench in the landscape coinciding closely with archaeological and natural elements important to the sanctuary (e.g., stoa, seatwall, fountains, trails). Late Jurassic through Eocene 'Pindos Group' formations are stacked and repeated by the thrusting. Inter-relationships between bedrock, structure, and archaeology are revealed in a 'geoarchaeological column,' which displays positioning of elements in relation to the thrust, and orientations of rock formations in relation to flat patches in otherwise steep, rocky country, which became sites suitable for placement of hippodrome, baths, temenos, horse pasturing areas, etc. Worked limestone blocks are locally derived and can be

  19. Interaction of motor training and intermittent theta burst stimulation in modulating motor cortical plasticity: influence of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Mina; Kim, Song E; Kim, Won Sup; Lee, Jungyeun; Yoo, Hye Kyung; Park, Kee-Duk; Choi, Kyoung-Gyu; Jeong, Seon-Yong; Kim, Byung Gon; Lee, Hyang Woon

    2013-01-01

    Cortical physiology in human motor cortex is influenced by behavioral motor training (MT) as well as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol such as intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS). This study aimed to test whether MT and iTBS can interact with each other to produce additive changes in motor cortical physiology. We hypothesized that potential interaction between MT and iTBS would be dependent on BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, which is known to affect neuroplasticity in the human motor cortex. Eighty two healthy volunteers were genotyped for BDNF polymorphism. Thirty subjects were assigned for MT alone, 23 for iTBS alone, and 29 for MT + iTBS paradigms. TMS indices for cortical excitability and motor map areas were measured prior to and after each paradigm. MT alone significantly increased the motor cortical excitability and expanded the motor map areas. The iTBS alone paradigm also enhanced excitability and increased the motor map areas to a slightly greater extent than MT alone. A combination of MT and iTBS resulted in the largest increases in the cortical excitability, and the representational motor map expansion of MT + iTBS was significantly greater than MT or iTBS alone only in Val/Val genotype. As a result, the additive interaction between MT and iTBS was highly dependent on BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. Our results may have clinical relevance in designing rehabilitative strategies that combine therapeutic cortical stimulation and physical exercise for patients with motor disabilities.

  20. ALS-based hummock size-distance relationship assessment of Mt Shasta debris avalanche deposit, Northern California, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tortini, Riccardo; Carn, Simon; van Wyk de Vries, Benjamin

    2015-04-01

    The failure of destabilized volcano flanks is a likely occurrence during the lifetime of a stratovolcano, generating large debris avalanches and drastically changing landforms around volcanoes. The significant hazards associated with these events in the Cascade range were demonstrated, for example, by the collapse of Mt St Helens (WA), which triggered its devastating explosive eruption in 1980. The rapid modification of the landforms due to these events makes it difficult to estimate the magnitude of prehistoric avalanches. However, the widespread preservation of hummocks along the course of rockslide-debris avalanches is highly significant for understanding the physical characteristics of these landslides. Mt Shasta is a 4,317 m high, snow-capped, steep-sloped stratovolcano located in Northern California. The current edifice began forming on the remnants of an ancestral Mt Shasta that collapsed ~300-380k years ago producing one of the largest debris avalanches known on Earth. The debris avalanche deposit (DAD) covers a surface of ~450 km2 across the Shasta valley, with an estimated volume of ~26 km3. We analyze ALS data on hummocks from the prehistoric Shasta valley DAD in northern California (USA) to derive the relationship between hummock size and distance from landslide source, and interpret the geomorphic significance of the intercept and slope coefficients of the observed functional relationships. Given the limited extent of the ALS survey (i.e. 40 km2), the high-resolution dataset is used for validation of the morphological parameters extracted from freely available, broader coverage DTMs such as the National Elevation Dataset (NED). The ALS dataset also permits the identification of subtle topographic features not apparent in the field or in coarser resolution datasets, including a previously unmapped fault, of crucial importance for both seismic and volcanic hazard assessment in volcanic areas. We present evidence from the Shasta DAD of neotectonic

  1. MicroRNAs in Kidney Fibrosis and Diabetic Nephropathy: Roles on EMT and EndMT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swayam Prakash Srivastava

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs are a family of small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression in diverse biological and pathological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis. As a result, miRNAs emerged as major area of biomedical research with relevance to kidney fibrosis. Fibrosis is characterized by the excess deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM components, which is the end result of an imbalance of metabolism of the ECM molecule. Recent evidence suggests that miRNAs participate in the fibrotic process in a number of organs including the heart, kidney, liver, and lung. Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT and endothelial mesenchymal transition (EndMT programs play vital roles in the development of fibrosis in the kidney. A growing number of the extracellular and intracellular molecules that control EMT and EndMT have been identified and could be exploited in developing therapeutics for fibrosis. This review highlights recent advances on the role of miRNAs in the kidney diseases; diabetic nephropathy especially focused on EMT and EndMT program responsible for the development of kidney fibrosis. These miRNAs can be utilized as a potential novel drug target for the studying of underlying mechanism and treatment of kidney fibrosis.

  2. Application of magnetotelluric method to hydrocarbon exploration. Case study of MT survey in Yurihara oil and gas field, Akita prefecture; MT ho no kokunai sekiyu tanko eno tekiyo. Akitaken Yurihara chiiki ni okeru jikken chosa kekka

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mitsuhata, Y; Matsuo, K; Ishikawa, H; Tanaka, H; Nakagami, K [Japan National Oil Corp., Tokyo (Japan). Technology Research Center

    1996-10-01

    The experiment and survey were carried out to verify the effectiveness and limitation of MT method. The previous seismic reflection method is unsuitable for steep terrain and over-folded complicated geological structure. In such difficult areas, application of MT method is increasing as complement or substitution for the reflection method. However, the evaluation of resistivity structure interpretation for every area is slightly difficult because of lack of data, poor quality of data, and no verification data at boreholes. Consequently, the survey was again carried out in well-known Yurihara oil and gas field, Akita prefecture whose geological structure has been surveyed in detail at boreholes, by adding new 32 sites, 22 sites on the south side and 10 sites on the north side of the measuring line extending from east to west. As a result, it was clarified that the lower high-resistivity layer found by MT method is equal to the Nishikurosawa basaltic layer, and basalt extends to the west in the north area. This result can`t be simply compared with the previous geological profile. 8 refs., 8 figs.

  3. COLLABORATIVE PARENT COUNSELING in MUSIC THERAPY (CPCiMT) FOR PARENTS OF CHILDRN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gottfried, Tali

    Abstract Collaborative Parent Counseling in Music Therapy (PCiMT) for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is a clinical approach, in which the music therapist conducts both the individual MT sessions for the child as well as the counseling sessions for the parents. This practice...... is now being tested in my PhD research. Description Early parent-child relationship, represented commonly by reciprocal musical-wise interaction (Stern, 1985), is interrupted by organic impairments, sourced at the core of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Parenting a child with ASD involves great...

  4. Temperature dependence of electromechanical properties of PLZT x ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    ... broad peak at a temperature higher than mt. The voltage constant 31 decreases and the planar coupling coefficient p remains constant up to half of the mt and then falls sharply with . Half of the mt can, therefore, be used for specifying the working temperature limit of the piezoceramics for the device applications.

  5. Sequence-length variation of mtDNA HVS-I C-stretch in Chinese ethnic groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Feng; Dang, Yong-hui; Yan, Chun-xia; Liu, Yan-ling; Deng, Ya-jun; Fulton, David J R; Chen, Teng

    2009-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable segment-I (HVS-I) C-stretch variations and explore the significance of these variations in forensic and population genetics studies. The C-stretch sequence variation was studied in 919 unrelated individuals from 8 Chinese ethnic groups using both direct and clone sequencing approaches. Thirty eight C-stretch haplotypes were identified, and some novel and population specific haplotypes were also detected. The C-stretch genetic diversity (GD) values were relatively high, and probability (P) values were low. Additionally, C-stretch length heteroplasmy was observed in approximately 9% of individuals studied. There was a significant correlation (r=-0.961, Ppopulations. The results from the Fst and dA genetic distance matrix, neighbor-joining tree, and principal component map also suggest that C-stretch could be used as a reliable genetic marker in population genetics.

  6. A Mononuclear Iron-Dependent Methyltransferase Catalyzes Initial Steps in Assembly of the Apratoxin A Polyketide Starter Unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skiba, Meredith A; Sikkema, Andrew P; Moss, Nathan A; Tran, Collin L; Sturgis, Rebecca M; Gerwick, Lena; Gerwick, William H; Sherman, David H; Smith, Janet L

    2017-12-15

    Natural product biosynthetic pathways contain a plethora of enzymatic tools to carry out difficult biosynthetic transformations. Here, we discover an unusual mononuclear iron-dependent methyltransferase that acts in the initiation steps of apratoxin A biosynthesis (AprA MT1). Fe 3+ -replete AprA MT1 catalyzes one or two methyl transfer reactions on the substrate malonyl-ACP (acyl carrier protein), whereas Co 2+ , Fe 2+ , Mn 2+ , and Ni 2+ support only a single methyl transfer. MT1 homologues exist within the "GNAT" (GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase) loading modules of several modular biosynthetic pathways with propionyl, isobutyryl, or pivaloyl starter units. GNAT domains are thought to catalyze decarboxylation of malonyl-CoA and acetyl transfer to a carrier protein. In AprA, the GNAT domain lacks both decarboxylation and acyl transfer activity. A crystal structure of the AprA MT1-GNAT di-domain with bound Mn 2+ , malonate, and the methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) reveals that the malonyl substrate is a bidentate metal ligand, indicating that the metal acts as a Lewis acid to promote methylation of the malonyl α-carbon. The GNAT domain is truncated relative to functional homologues. These results afford an expanded understanding of MT1-GNAT structure and activity and permit the functional annotation of homologous GNAT loading modules both with and without methyltransferases, additionally revealing their rapid evolutionary adaptation in different biosynthetic contexts.

  7. Vulnerability of settlements around Mt. Cameroon volcano, Cameroon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zogning, Appolinaire; Spinetti, Claudia; Ngouanet, Chretien; Tchoudam, David; Kouokam, Emmanuel; Thierry, Pierre; Bignami, Christian; Fabrizia Buongiorno, Maria; Ilaria Pannaccione Apa, Maria

    2010-05-01

    Located at the bottom of the Gulf of Guinea, Cameroon is exposed to a large variety of natural hazards, including volcanism. Most of the hazard are concentrated around the active volcano Mt. Cameroon which combines effusive and explosive types of activity. The threatened stakes are numerous and different exposed: people, settlements, industrial plantations, petrol refinery and many other factories and infrastructures. Until 2005, no risk management plans has been available. In 2006, the French Embassy in Cameroon, within the framework of a financial convention between Cameroon and France, put in place the GRINP (Management of Natural Risks and Civil Protection) project whose objective was to reinforce the capacity of Cameroon's civil protection department and thus, contribute to the improvement of the security of the population faced with catastrophes. The objective was to realize a Risk Prevention Plan at a local council scale, and taking into consideration the specific natural risks of each zone. The general objective of the RPP was to clearly draw land use maps for risks zones, showing the overlay of stakes with risk of different intensities. In 2008 European Commission funded the Mia-Vita project (Mitigating and Assessing Volcanic Impacts on Terrain and human Activities). The aim of the project is to improve the crisis management capabilities based on monitoring and early warning systems and secure communications; reduction of people's vulnerability and development of recovering capabilities after an event occurs for both local communities and ecological systems. Keyword: natural hazards, Mt. Cameroon, vulnerability, risk prevention plan

  8. Transcription factor CgMTF-1 regulates CgZnT1 and CgMT expression in Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) under zinc stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meng, Jie; Zhang, Linlin [Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, Shandong (China); Li, Li, E-mail: lili@qdio.ac.cn [Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, Shandong (China); Li, Chunyan; Wang, Ting [Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, Shandong (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039 (China); Zhang, Guofan, E-mail: gfzhang@qdio.ac.cn [Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, Shandong (China)

    2015-08-15

    Highlights: • CgMTF-1 and CgZnT1 were first identified in oysters. • CgMTF-1 localized in cell nucleus under unstressed conditions. • CgMTF-1 proteins could bind with the typical MRE motif. • CgMTF-1 activated CgZnT1, CgMT1 and CgMT4 promoters and regulated their expressions under zinc exposure. - Abstract: Oysters accumulate zinc at high tissue concentrations, and the metal response element (MRE)-binding transcription factor (MTF) functions as the cellular zinc sensor that coordinates the expression of genes involved in zinc efflux and storage, as well as those that protect against metal toxicity. In this study, we cloned MTF-1 in oysters and examined its regulation mechanism for its classic target genes, including MTs and ZnT1 under zinc exposure conditions. We cloned CgMTF-1 and determined the subcellular locations of its protein product in HEK293 cells. CgMTF-1 has a 2826 bp open reading frame that encodes a predicted polypeptide with 707 amino acid residues, showing six well-conserved zinc finger domains that are required for metal binding. In HEK293 cell lines, CgMTF-1 primarily localizes in the cell nucleus under unstressed conditions and nuclear translocation was not critical for the activation of this gene. We searched for CgMTF-1-regulated genes in oysters using RNA interference. Decreased expression levels of CgMT1, CgMT4, and CgZnT1 were observed after CgMTF-1 interference (>70% inhibition) under zinc exposure, indicating the critical role of CgMTF-1 in the regulation of these genes. We searched for a direct regulation mechanism involving CgMTF-1 for CgMT1, CgMT4, and CgZnT1 in vitro. EMSA experiments indicated that CgMTF-1 can bind with the MREs found in the CgZnT1, CgMT1 and CgMT4 promoter regions. Additionally, luciferase reporter gene experiments indicated that CgMTF-1 could activate the CgMT1, CgMT4, and CgZnT1 promoters. Overall, our results suggest that CgMTF-1 directly coordinates the regulation of CgMTs and CgZnT1 expression and plays

  9. Transcription factor CgMTF-1 regulates CgZnT1 and CgMT expression in Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) under zinc stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meng, Jie; Zhang, Linlin; Li, Li; Li, Chunyan; Wang, Ting; Zhang, Guofan

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • CgMTF-1 and CgZnT1 were first identified in oysters. • CgMTF-1 localized in cell nucleus under unstressed conditions. • CgMTF-1 proteins could bind with the typical MRE motif. • CgMTF-1 activated CgZnT1, CgMT1 and CgMT4 promoters and regulated their expressions under zinc exposure. - Abstract: Oysters accumulate zinc at high tissue concentrations, and the metal response element (MRE)-binding transcription factor (MTF) functions as the cellular zinc sensor that coordinates the expression of genes involved in zinc efflux and storage, as well as those that protect against metal toxicity. In this study, we cloned MTF-1 in oysters and examined its regulation mechanism for its classic target genes, including MTs and ZnT1 under zinc exposure conditions. We cloned CgMTF-1 and determined the subcellular locations of its protein product in HEK293 cells. CgMTF-1 has a 2826 bp open reading frame that encodes a predicted polypeptide with 707 amino acid residues, showing six well-conserved zinc finger domains that are required for metal binding. In HEK293 cell lines, CgMTF-1 primarily localizes in the cell nucleus under unstressed conditions and nuclear translocation was not critical for the activation of this gene. We searched for CgMTF-1-regulated genes in oysters using RNA interference. Decreased expression levels of CgMT1, CgMT4, and CgZnT1 were observed after CgMTF-1 interference (>70% inhibition) under zinc exposure, indicating the critical role of CgMTF-1 in the regulation of these genes. We searched for a direct regulation mechanism involving CgMTF-1 for CgMT1, CgMT4, and CgZnT1 in vitro. EMSA experiments indicated that CgMTF-1 can bind with the MREs found in the CgZnT1, CgMT1 and CgMT4 promoter regions. Additionally, luciferase reporter gene experiments indicated that CgMTF-1 could activate the CgMT1, CgMT4, and CgZnT1 promoters. Overall, our results suggest that CgMTF-1 directly coordinates the regulation of CgMTs and CgZnT1 expression and plays

  10. Measurements of IN and BIO-IN with the fast ice nucleus chamber FINCH at Mt. Zugspitze, Mt. Puy de Dôme and Jungfraujoch during fall and winter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nillius, B.; Frank, F.; Bingemer, H.; Curtius, J.; Bundke, U.

    2013-05-01

    In this work we present IN measurements at Mt. Zugspitze, Germany, 2650 m.a.s.l., Mt. Puy de Dôme, France, 1464 m.a.s.l. and Jungfraujoch, Switzerland, 3580 m a.s.l during fall and winter 2012 with the instrument FINCH HALO (Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber for the High Altitude and LOng range research aircraft HALO). In this device the temperature and super saturation for activation of Ice Nuclei (IN) and the growth to ice crystals is obtained by mixing three gas flows of different temperatures and moisture. After the growth of IN and Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) to macroscopic ice crystals and super-cooled water droplets in the development chamber, they are counted using an optical detector. The discrimination between ice and water is made by measuring the circular depolarization ratio of the backscattered laser light of each individual particle. IN are classified as biological particles by measuring their individual intrinsic-fluorescence during the winter campaigns in average 30-40 % of the IN show an intrinsic fluorescence and are supposed to be of biological origin.

  11. Monument of nature? An ethnography of the world heritage of Mt. Kenya

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akker, van den M.L.

    2016-01-01

    This dissertation examines the World Heritage status of Mt. Kenya, an alpine area in Central Kenya. The mountain joined the World Heritage List in 1997 and in 2013 the original designation expanded to cover a larger area. Both events were formulated exclusively in natural scientific language. This

  12. MT3825BA: a 384×288-25µm ROIC for uncooled microbolometer FPAs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eminoglu, Selim; Gulden, M. Ali; Bayhan, Nusret; Incedere, O. Samet; Soyer, S. Tuncer; Ustundag, Cem M. B.; Isikhan, Murat; Kocak, Serhat; Turan, Ozge; Yalcin, Cem; Akin, Tayfun

    2014-06-01

    This paper reports the development of a new microbolometer Readout Integrated Circuit (ROIC) called MT3825BA. It has a format of 384 × 288 and a pixel pitch of 25μm. MT3825BA is Mikro-Tasarim's second microbolometer ROIC product, which is developed specifically for resistive surface micro-machined microbolometer detector arrays using high-TCR pixel materials, such as VOx and a-Si. MT3825BA has a system-on-chip architecture, where all the timing, biasing, and pixel non-uniformity correction (NUC) operations in the ROIC are applied using on-chip circuitry simplifying the use and system integration of this ROIC. The ROIC is designed to support pixel resistance values ranging from 30 KΩ to 100 KΩ. MT3825BA is operated using conventional row based readout method, where pixels in the array are read out in a row-by-row basis, where the applied bias for each pixel in a given row is updated at the beginning of each line period according to the applied line based NUC data. The NUC data is applied continuously in a row-by-row basis using the serial programming interface, which is also used to program user configurable features of the ROIC, such as readout gain, integration time, and number of analog video outputs. MT3825BA has a total of 4 analog video outputs and 2 analog reference outputs, placed at the top and bottom of the ROIC, which can be programmed to operate in the 1, 2, and 4-output modes, supporting frames rates well above 60 fps at a 3 MHz pixel output rate. The pixels in the array are read out with respect to reference pixels implemented above and below actual array pixels. The bias voltage of the pixels can be programmed over a 1.0 V range to compensate for the changes in the detector resistance values due to the variations coming from the manufacturing process or changes in the operating temperature. The ROIC has an on-chip integrated temperature sensor with a sensitivity of better than 5 mV / K, and the output of the temperature sensor can be read out the

  13. eCOMPAGT integrates mtDNA: import, validation and export of mitochondrial DNA profiles for population genetics, tumour dynamics and genotype-phenotype association studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Specht Günther

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA is widely being used for population genetics, forensic DNA fingerprinting and clinical disease association studies. The recent past has uncovered severe problems with mtDNA genotyping, not only due to the genotyping method itself, but mainly to the post-lab transcription, storage and report of mtDNA genotypes. Description eCOMPAGT, a system to store, administer and connect phenotype data to all kinds of genotype data is now enhanced by the possibility of storing mtDNA profiles and allowing their validation, linking to phenotypes and export as numerous formats. mtDNA profiles can be imported from different sequence evaluation programs, compared between evaluations and their haplogroup affiliations stored. Furthermore, eCOMPAGT has been improved in its sophisticated transparency (support of MySQL and Oracle, security aspects (by using database technology and the option to import, manage and store genotypes derived from various genotyping methods (SNPlex, TaqMan, and STRs. It is a software solution designed for project management, laboratory work and the evaluation process all-in-one. Conclusions The extended mtDNA version of eCOMPAGT was designed to enable error-free post-laboratory data handling of human mtDNA profiles. This software is suited for small to medium-sized human genetic, forensic and clinical genetic laboratories. The direct support of MySQL and the improved database security options render eCOMPAGT a powerful tool to build an automated workflow architecture for several genotyping methods. eCOMPAGT is freely available at http://dbis-informatik.uibk.ac.at/ecompagt.

  14. eCOMPAGT integrates mtDNA: import, validation and export of mitochondrial DNA profiles for population genetics, tumour dynamics and genotype-phenotype association studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weissensteiner, Hansi; Schönherr, Sebastian; Specht, Günther; Kronenberg, Florian; Brandstätter, Anita

    2010-03-09

    Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is widely being used for population genetics, forensic DNA fingerprinting and clinical disease association studies. The recent past has uncovered severe problems with mtDNA genotyping, not only due to the genotyping method itself, but mainly to the post-lab transcription, storage and report of mtDNA genotypes. eCOMPAGT, a system to store, administer and connect phenotype data to all kinds of genotype data is now enhanced by the possibility of storing mtDNA profiles and allowing their validation, linking to phenotypes and export as numerous formats. mtDNA profiles can be imported from different sequence evaluation programs, compared between evaluations and their haplogroup affiliations stored. Furthermore, eCOMPAGT has been improved in its sophisticated transparency (support of MySQL and Oracle), security aspects (by using database technology) and the option to import, manage and store genotypes derived from various genotyping methods (SNPlex, TaqMan, and STRs). It is a software solution designed for project management, laboratory work and the evaluation process all-in-one. The extended mtDNA version of eCOMPAGT was designed to enable error-free post-laboratory data handling of human mtDNA profiles. This software is suited for small to medium-sized human genetic, forensic and clinical genetic laboratories. The direct support of MySQL and the improved database security options render eCOMPAGT a powerful tool to build an automated workflow architecture for several genotyping methods. eCOMPAGT is freely available at http://dbis-informatik.uibk.ac.at/ecompagt.

  15. Most of the extant mtDNA boundaries in South and Southwest Asia were likely shaped during the initial settlement of Eurasia by anatomically modern humans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mastana Sarabjit

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent advances in the understanding of the maternal and paternal heritage of south and southwest Asian populations have highlighted their role in the colonization of Eurasia by anatomically modern humans. Further understanding requires a deeper insight into the topology of the branches of the Indian mtDNA phylogenetic tree, which should be contextualized within the phylogeography of the neighboring regional mtDNA variation. Accordingly, we have analyzed mtDNA control and coding region variation in 796 Indian (including both tribal and caste populations from different parts of India and 436 Iranian mtDNAs. The results were integrated and analyzed together with published data from South, Southeast Asia and West Eurasia. Results Four new Indian-specific haplogroup M sub-clades were defined. These, in combination with two previously described haplogroups, encompass approximately one third of the haplogroup M mtDNAs in India. Their phylogeography and spread among different linguistic phyla and social strata was investigated in detail. Furthermore, the analysis of the Iranian mtDNA pool revealed patterns of limited reciprocal gene flow between Iran and the Indian sub-continent and allowed the identification of different assemblies of shared mtDNA sub-clades. Conclusions Since the initial peopling of South and West Asia by anatomically modern humans, when this region may well have provided the initial settlers who colonized much of the rest of Eurasia, the gene flow in and out of India of the maternally transmitted mtDNA has been surprisingly limited. Specifically, our analysis of the mtDNA haplogroups, which are shared between Indian and Iranian populations and exhibit coalescence ages corresponding to around the early Upper Paleolithic, indicates that they are present in India largely as Indian-specific sub-lineages. In contrast, other ancient Indian-specific variants of M and R are very rare outside the sub-continent.

  16. Feather barbs as a good source of mtDNA for bird species identification in forensic wildlife investigations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speller, Camilla F; Nicholas, George P; Yang, Dongya Y

    2011-07-28

    The ability to accurately identify bird species is crucial for wildlife law enforcement and bird-strike investigations. However, such identifications may be challenging when only partial or damaged feathers are available for analysis. By applying vigorous contamination controls and sensitive PCR amplification protocols, we found that it was feasible to obtain accurate mitochondrial (mt)DNA-based species identification with as few as two feather barbs. This minimally destructive DNA approach was successfully used and tested on a variety of bird species, including North American wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), Canada goose (Branta canadensis), blue heron (Ardea herodias) and pygmy owl (Glaucidium californicum). The mtDNA was successfully obtained from 'fresh' feathers, historic museum specimens and archaeological samples, demonstrating the sensitivity and versatility of this technique. By applying appropriate contamination controls, sufficient quantities of mtDNA can be reliably recovered and analyzed from feather barbs. This previously overlooked substrate provides new opportunities for accurate DNA species identification when minimal feather samples are available for forensic analysis.

  17. Analysis for the depth of underground resistivity structure by using MT method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuo, Koichi; Yokoi, Koichi; Negi, Tateyuki; Kasagi, Toshio; Takahashi, Takeharu; Teshima, Minoru

    2005-03-01

    The present document is to report the result of resistivity monitoring by using MT (Magnetotelluric) method near the site proposed for the Horonobe Underground Research Program at the Horonobe-cho, Hokkaido by the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute. The stationary MT observation system, installed near the HDB-1 borehole on November 2002, was moved to a site at the Hokusei-en, 4 km west of the first site. This system is monitoring for the depth of underground resistivity. Observation data at the Hokusei-en from February 1st 2004 to January 31st 2005 was added to the investigation in 2004 fiscal year. But, data cannot be obtained from July 8th to November 11th of 2004 due to the disconnection trouble of the optical fiber cable for data transfer. The results were as follows; 1) Telluric and magnetic time series data measured by MT unit were transferred to a PC installed in an observation through optical fiber cable and processed and edited automatically. 2) The standard deviation of the apparent resistivity depends on range of frequency, 3% or less in the vicinity of the Schumann resonance frequency. The Standard deviation of data from 80 Hz to 0.56 Hz was less or 13%. But the standard deviation of low frequency data was more or 15%. 3) Amplitude of telluric and magnetic spectra below 1 Hz is coincident with Geomagnetic Activity K-index. Clear correlation was not admitted in resistivity and K-index. 4) Data quality was studied compared with weather data. Clear correlation was not admitted for windy day and rainy day. 5) Data was edited by the new criterion of K-index 1.3 or more, wind 6 m/s or less, precipitation 6 mm or less. As a result, the improvement of the data quality was admitted by 5 frequencies of 9 frequencies. Only one side of resistivity Rxy and Ryx was improved by 4 frequencies of the remainder. 6) In addition, data was edited by the new criterion of the coherence of the electric-magnetic amplitude. As a result, the improvement of the data quality

  18. Composition-dependent properties and phase stability of Fe-Pd ferromagnetic shape memory alloys: A first-principles study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chun-Mei; Hu, Yan-Fei

    2017-12-01

    The composition-dependent properties and their correlation with the phase stability of Fe75+xPd25-x (- 10.0 ≤x ≤10.0 ) alloys are systematically investigated by using first-principles exact muffin-tin orbitals (EMTO)-coherent potential approximation (CPA) calculations. It is shown that the martensitic transformation (MT) from L 12 to body-centered-tetragonal (bct) occurs in the ordered alloys with about -5.0 ≤x ≤10.0 . In both the L 12 and bct phases, the evaluated a and c/a agree well with the available experimental data; the average magnetic moment per atom increases whereas the local magnetic moments of Fe atoms, dependent on both their positions and the structure of the alloy, decrease with increasing x. The tetragonal shear elastic constant of the L 12 phase ( C ' ) decreases whereas that of the bct phase (Cs) increases with x. The tetragonality of the martensite ( |1 -c /a | ) increases whereas its energy relative to the austenite with a negative value decreases with Fe addition. All these effects account for the increase of MT temperature (TM) with x. The MT from L 12 to bct is finally confirmed originating from the splitting of Fe 3d Eg and T2 g bands upon tetragonal distortion due to the Jahn-Teller effect.

  19. Metabolism of 64Cu and transfer of 125I-MT in the bearing liver ascites tumor (H22) mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huai Qing; Fang Xingwang; Wang Wenqing

    1998-01-01

    The metabolism of 64 Cu in some tissues of the bearing liver ascites tumor mice has been studied. The liver in normal and tumor bearing mice preferentially accumulates intravenous injection copper, however, the liver in the later mice accumulates much less copper than that of the former. It suggests that in the bearing ascites tumor mice, ascites tumor influences the metabolism of copper. It is found that the content of 64 Cu in the tumor cell is more than 85% in ascites tumor. Gel filtration profile of mice liver homogenate on Sephadex G-75 shows that injected 64 Cu is mainly bound with metallothionein. The tissues uptake of 125 I-labelled (Cd, Zn)-MT which is given in abdominal cavity are also reported. Of the tissues studied, the ascites tumor and kidney accumulate the highest concentration of given 125 I-MT, since over 20% of entire dose accumulated in them. After 125 I-MT is given, it soon goes into ascites tumor, and reaches the maximum in ascites as well as in tumor cell. Therefore, 125 I-MT can go through the membrane of tumor cell and reaches in the tumor cell

  20. A 28,000 Years Old Cro-Magnon mtDNA Sequence Differs from All Potentially Contaminating Modern Sequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caramelli, David; Milani, Lucio; Vai, Stefania; Modi, Alessandra; Pecchioli, Elena; Girardi, Matteo; Pilli, Elena; Lari, Martina; Lippi, Barbara; Ronchitelli, Annamaria; Mallegni, Francesco; Casoli, Antonella; Bertorelle, Giorgio; Barbujani, Guido

    2008-01-01

    Background DNA sequences from ancient speciments may in fact result from undetected contamination of the ancient specimens by modern DNA, and the problem is particularly challenging in studies of human fossils. Doubts on the authenticity of the available sequences have so far hampered genetic comparisons between anatomically archaic (Neandertal) and early modern (Cro-Magnoid) Europeans. Methodology/Principal Findings We typed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable region I in a 28,000 years old Cro-Magnoid individual from the Paglicci cave, in Italy (Paglicci 23) and in all the people who had contact with the sample since its discovery in 2003. The Paglicci 23 sequence, determined through the analysis of 152 clones, is the Cambridge reference sequence, and cannot possibly reflect contamination because it differs from all potentially contaminating modern sequences. Conclusions/Significance: The Paglicci 23 individual carried a mtDNA sequence that is still common in Europe, and which radically differs from those of the almost contemporary Neandertals, demonstrating a genealogical continuity across 28,000 years, from Cro-Magnoid to modern Europeans. Because all potential sources of modern DNA contamination are known, the Paglicci 23 sample will offer a unique opportunity to get insight for the first time into the nuclear genes of early modern Europeans. PMID:18628960

  1. A 28,000 years old Cro-Magnon mtDNA sequence differs from all potentially contaminating modern sequences.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Caramelli

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: DNA sequences from ancient specimens may in fact result from undetected contamination of the ancient specimens by modern DNA, and the problem is particularly challenging in studies of human fossils. Doubts on the authenticity of the available sequences have so far hampered genetic comparisons between anatomically archaic (Neandertal and early modern (Cro-Magnoid Europeans. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We typed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA hypervariable region I in a 28,000 years old Cro-Magnoid individual from the Paglicci cave, in Italy (Paglicci 23 and in all the people who had contact with the sample since its discovery in 2003. The Paglicci 23 sequence, determined through the analysis of 152 clones, is the Cambridge reference sequence, and cannot possibly reflect contamination because it differs from all potentially contaminating modern sequences. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The Paglicci 23 individual carried a mtDNA sequence that is still common in Europe, and which radically differs from those of the almost contemporary Neandertals, demonstrating a genealogical continuity across 28,000 years, from Cro-Magnoid to modern Europeans. Because all potential sources of modern DNA contamination are known, the Paglicci 23 sample will offer a unique opportunity to get insight for the first time into the nuclear genes of early modern Europeans.

  2. Modified Mixed Lagrangian-Eulerian Method Based on Numerical Framework of MT3DMS on Cauchy Boundary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suk, Heejun

    2016-07-01

    MT3DMS, a modular three-dimensional multispecies transport model, has long been a popular model in the groundwater field for simulating solute transport in the saturated zone. However, the method of characteristics (MOC), modified MOC (MMOC), and hybrid MOC (HMOC) included in MT3DMS did not treat Cauchy boundary conditions in a straightforward or rigorous manner, from a mathematical point of view. The MOC, MMOC, and HMOC regard the Cauchy boundary as a source condition. For the source, MOC, MMOC, and HMOC calculate the Lagrangian concentration by setting it equal to the cell concentration at an old time level. However, the above calculation is an approximate method because it does not involve backward tracking in MMOC and HMOC or allow performing forward tracking at the source cell in MOC. To circumvent this problem, a new scheme is proposed that avoids direct calculation of the Lagrangian concentration on the Cauchy boundary. The proposed method combines the numerical formulations of two different schemes, the finite element method (FEM) and the Eulerian-Lagrangian method (ELM), into one global matrix equation. This study demonstrates the limitation of all MT3DMS schemes, including MOC, MMOC, HMOC, and a third-order total-variation-diminishing (TVD) scheme under Cauchy boundary conditions. By contrast, the proposed method always shows good agreement with the exact solution, regardless of the flow conditions. Finally, the successful application of the proposed method sheds light on the possible flexibility and capability of the MT3DMS to deal with the mass transport problems of all flow regimes. © 2016, National Ground Water Association.

  3. Mobility and fluxes of major, minor and trace metals during basalt weathering and groundwater transport at Mt. Etna volcano (Sicily)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aiuppa, A.; Allard, P.; D' Alessandro, W.; Michel, A.; Parello, F.; Treuil, M.; Valenza, M.

    2000-06-01

    The concentrations and fluxes of major, minor and trace metals were determined in 53 samples of groundwaters from around Mt. Etna, in order to evaluate the conditions and extent of alkali basalt weathering by waters enriched in magma-derived CO{sub 2} and the contribution of aqueous transport to the overall metal discharge of the volcano. The authors show that gaseous input of magmatic volatile metals into the Etnean aquifer is small or negligible, being limited by cooling of the rising fluids. Basalt leaching by weakly acidic, CO{sub 2}-charged water is the overwhelming source of metals and appears to be more extensive in two sectors of the S-SW (Paterno) and E (Zafferana) volcano flanks, where out flowing groundwaters are the richest in metals and bicarbonate of magmatic origin. Thermodynamic modeling of the results allows evaluation of the relative mobility and chemical speciation of various elements during their partitioning between solid and liquid phases through the weathering process. At Mt. Etna, poorly mobile elements (Al, Th, Fe) are preferentially retained in the solid residue of weathering, while alkalis, alkaline earth and oxo-anion-forming elements (As, Se, Sb, Mo) are more mobile and released to the aqueous system. Transition metals display an intermediate behavior and are strongly dependent on either the redox conditions (Mn, Cr, V) or solid surface-related processes (V, Zn, Cu).

  4. Lava-flow hazard on the SE flank of Mt. Etna (Southern Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crisci, G. M.; Iovine, G.; Di Gregorio, S.; Lupiano, V.

    2008-11-01

    A method for mapping lava-flow hazard on the SE flank of Mt. Etna (Sicily, Southern Italy) by applying the Cellular Automata model SCIARA -fv is described, together with employed techniques of calibration and validation through a parallel Genetic Algorithm. The study area is partly urbanised; it has repeatedly been affected by lava flows from flank eruptions in historical time, and shows evidence of a dominant SSE-trending fracture system. Moreover, a dormant deep-seated gravitational deformation, associated with a larger volcano-tectonic phenomenon, affects the whole south-eastern flank of the volcano. The Etnean 2001 Mt. Calcarazzi lava-flow event has been selected for model calibration, while validation has been performed by considering the 2002 Linguaglossa and the 1991-93 Valle del Bove events — suitable data for back analysis being available for these recent eruptions. Quantitative evaluation of the simulations, with respect to the real events, has been performed by means of a couple of fitness functions, which consider either the areas affected by the lava flows, or areas and eruption duration. Sensitivity analyses are in progress for thoroughly evaluating the role of parameters, topographic input data, and mesh geometry on model performance; though, preliminary results have already given encouraging responses on model robustness. In order to evaluate lava-flow hazard in the study area, a regular grid of n.340 possible vents, uniformly covering the study area and located at 500 m intervals, has been hypothesised. For each vent, a statistically-significant number of simulations has been planned, by adopting combinations of durations, lava volumes, and effusion-rate functions, selected by considering available volcanological data. Performed simulations have been stored in a GIS environment for successive analyses and map elaboration. Probabilities of activation, empirically based on past behaviour of the volcano, can be assigned to each vent of the grid, by

  5. MT3250BA: a 320×256-50µm snapshot microbolometer ROIC for high-resistance detector arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eminoglu, Selim; Akin, Tayfun

    2013-06-01

    This paper reports the development of a new microbolometer readout integrated circuit (MT3250BA) designed for high-resistance detector arrays. MT3250BA is the first microbolometer readout integrated circuit (ROIC) product from Mikro-Tasarim Ltd., which is a fabless IC design house specialized in the development of monolithic CMOS imaging sensors and ROICs for hybrid photonic imaging sensors and microbolometers. MT3250BA has a format of 320 × 256 and a pixel pitch of 50 µm, developed with a system-on-chip architecture in mind, where all the timing and biasing for this ROIC are generated on-chip without requiring any external inputs. MT3250BA is a highly configurable ROIC, where many of its features can be programmed through a 3-wire serial interface allowing on-the-fly configuration of many ROIC features. MT3250BA has 2 analog video outputs and 1 analog reference output for pseudo-differential operation, and the ROIC can be programmed to operate in the 1 or 2-output modes. A unique feature of MT3250BA is that it performs snapshot readout operation; therefore, the image quality will only be limited by the thermal time constant of the detector pixels, but not by the scanning speed of the ROIC, as commonly found in the conventional microbolometer ROICs performing line-by-line (rolling-line) readout operation. The signal integration is performed at the pixel level in parallel for the whole array, and signal integration time can be programmed from 0.1 µs up to 100 ms in steps of 0.1 µs. The ROIC is designed to work with high-resistance detector arrays with pixel resistance values higher than 250 kΩ. The detector bias voltage can be programmed on-chip over a 2 V range with a resolution of 1 mV. The ROIC has a measured input referred noise of 260 µV rms at 300 K. The ROIC can be used to build a microbolometer infrared sensor with an NETD value below 100 mK using a microbolometer detector array fabrication technology with a high detector resistance value (≥ 250 K

  6. Forensic and phylogeographic characterisation of mtDNA lineages from Somalia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikkelsen, Martin; Fendt, Liane; Röck, Alexander W; Zimmermann, Bettina; Rockenbauer, Eszter; Hansen, Anders J; Parson, Walther; Morling, Niels

    2012-07-01

    The African mitochondrial (mt) phylogeny is coarsely resolved but the majority of population data generated so far is limited to the analysis of the first hypervariable segment (HVS-1) of the control region (CR). Therefore, this study aimed on the investigation of the entire CR of 190 unrelated Somali individuals to enrich the severely underrepresented African mtDNA pool. The majority (60.5 %) of the haplotypes were of sub-Saharan origin with L0a1d, L2a1h and L3f being the most frequently observed haplogroups. This is in sharp contrast to previous data reported from the Y-chromosome, where only about 5 % of the observed haplogroups were of sub-Saharan provenance. We compared the genetic distances based on population pairwise F (st) values between 11 published East, Central and North African as well as western Asian populations and the Somali sequences and displayed them in a multi-dimensional scaling plot. Genetic proximity evidenced by clustering roughly reflected the relative geographic location of the populations. The sequences will be included in the EMPOP database ( www.empop.org ) under accession number EMP00397 upon publication (Parson and Dür Forensic Sci Int Genet 1:88-92, 2007).

  7. Experimental simulation of magma-carbonate interaction beneath Mt. Vesuvius, Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jolis, E. M.; Freda, C.; Troll, V. R.; Deegan, F. M.; Blythe, L. S.; McLeod, C. L.; Davidson, J. P.

    2013-11-01

    We simulated the process of magma-carbonate interaction beneath Mt. Vesuvius in short duration piston-cylinder experiments under controlled magmatic conditions (from 0 to 300 s at 0.5 GPa and 1,200 °C), using a Vesuvius shoshonite composition and upper crustal limestone and dolostone as starting materials. Backscattered electron images and chemical analysis (major and trace elements and Sr isotopes) of sequential experimental products allow us to identify the textural and chemical evolution of carbonated products during the assimilation process. We demonstrate that melt-carbonate interaction can be extremely fast (minutes), and results in dynamic contamination of the host melt with respect to Ca, Mg and 87Sr/86Sr, coupled with intense CO2 vesiculation at the melt-carbonate interface. Binary mixing between carbonate and uncontaminated melt cannot explain the geochemical variations of the experimental charges in full and convection and diffusion likely also operated in the charges. Physical mixing and mingling driven by exsolving volatiles seems to be a key process to promote melt homogenisation. Our results reinforce hypotheses that magma-carbonate interaction is a relevant and ongoing process at Mt. Vesuvius and one that may operate not only on a geological, but on a human timescale.

  8. MT1-MMP and type II collagen specify skeletal stem cells and their bone and cartilage progeny

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Szabova, L.; Yamada, S.S.; Wimer, H.

    2009-01-01

    -expressing cells of the skeleton rescues not only diminished chondrocyte proliferation, but surprisingly, also results in amelioration of the severe skeletal dysplasia associated with MT1-MMP deficiency through enhanced bone formation. Consistent with this increased bone formation, type II collagen was identified...... from nontransgenic MT1-MMP-deficient littermates. These observations show that type II collagen is not stringently confined to the chondrocyte but is expressed in skeletal stem/progenitor cells (able to regenerate bone, cartilage, myelosupportive stroma, marrow adipocytes) and in the chondrogenic...

  9. Genetic characterisation of populations of the critically endangered Goliath grouper ( Epinephelus itajara, Serranidae from the Northern Brazilian coast through analyses of mtDNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gláucia C. Silva-Oliveira

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The Goliath grouper ( Epinephelus itajara is one of the most endangered species of fish of the subfamily Epinephelinae. Slow to develop and mature, and dependent on mangrove habitats for breeding, the species also suffers intense harvesting, which has reduced drastically in numbers in many areas. To contribute to the understanding of the characteristics of E. itajara populations, we conducted a molecular genetics study of the species, focusing on populations from the Northern Brazilian coast. The mtDNA control region (D-loop of 116 individuals from five localities (Bragança, Ajuruteua, Parnaíba, Fortaleza and Natal was analysed, and a sequence of 499 base pairs identified. Analyses of the sequences indicated that genetic variability was generally lower in E. itajara than in other endangered species of the genus. AMOVA found no significant grouping structure among the populations. Nested Clade Analysis revealed a significant association between genetic variability and geographic distribution among only three populations (Ajuruteua, Parnaíba and Natal. Genetic diversity was higher in populations from the Amazon region, which may be related to the better conservation of mangrove habitats in this area. Therefore, the present study could be used for the implementation of conservation and management measures in order to protect and consolidate these populations.

  10. Absence of 60-Hz, 0.1-mT magnetic field-induced changes in oncogene transcription rates or levels in CEM-CM3 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahreis, G P; Johnson, P G; Zhao, Y L; Hui, S W

    1998-12-22

    Our objective was to assess the reproducibility of the 60-Hz magnetic field-induced, time-dependent transcription changes of c-fos, c-jun and c-myc oncogenes in CEM-CM3 cells reported by Phillips et al. (Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1132 (1992) 140-144). Cells were exposed to a 60-Hz magnetic field (MF) at 0.1 mT (rms), generated by a pair of Helmholtz coils energized in a reinforcing (MF) mode, or to a null magnetic field when the coils were energized in a bucking (sham) mode. After MF or sham exposure for 15, 30, 60 or 120 min, nuclei and cytoplasmic RNA were extracted. Transcription rates were measured by a nuclear run-on assay, and values were normalized against either their zero-time exposure values, or against those of the c-G3PDH (housekeeping) gene at the same time points. There was no significant difference, at P=0.05, detected between MF and either sham-exposed or control cells at any time point. Transcript levels of the oncogenes were measured by Northern analysis and normalized as above. No significant difference (P=0.05) in transcript levels between MF and either sham-exposed or control cells was detected.

  11. Time-dependent analysis of incidence, risk factors and clinical significance of pneumothorax after percutaneous lung biopsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Woo Hyeon; Park, Chang Min; Yoon, Soon Ho; Lim, Hyun-Ju; Hwang, Eui Jin; Lee, Jong Hyuk; Goo, Jin Mo

    2018-03-01

    To evaluate the time-dependent incidence, risk factors and clinical significance of percutaneous lung biopsy (PLB)-related pneumothorax. From January 2012-November 2015, 3,251 patients underwent 3,354 cone-beam CT-guided PLBs for lung lesions. Cox, logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to identify time-dependent risk factors of PLB-related pneumothorax, risk factors of drainage catheter insertion and those of prolonged catheter placement, respectively. Pneumothorax occurred in 915/3,354 PLBs (27.3 %), with 230/915 (25.1 %) occurring during follow-ups. Risk factors for earlier occurrence of PLB-related pneumothorax include emphysema (HR=1.624), smaller target (HR=0.922), deeper location (HR=1.175) and longer puncture time (HR=1.036), while haemoptysis (HR=0.503) showed a protective effect against earlier development of pneumothorax. Seventy-five cases (8.2 %) underwent chest catheter placement. Mean duration of catheter placement was 3.2±2.0 days. Emphysema (odds ratio [OR]=2.400) and longer puncture time (OR=1.053) were assessed as significant risk factors for catheter insertion, and older age (parameter estimate=1.014) was a predictive factor for prolonged catheter placement. PLB-related pneumothorax occurred in 27.3 %, of which 25.1 % developed during follow-ups. Smaller target size, emphysema, deeply-located lesions were significant risk factors of PLB-related pneumothorax. Emphysema and older age were related to drainage catheter insertion and prolonged catheter placement, respectively. • One-fourth of percutaneous lung biopsy (PLB)-related pneumothorax occurs during follow-up. • Smaller, deeply-located target and emphysema lead to early occurrence of pneumothorax. • Emphysema is related to drainage catheter insertion for PLB-related pneumothorax. • Older age may lead to prolonged catheter placement for PLB-related pneumothorax. • Tailored management can be possible with time-dependent information of PLB-related pneumothorax.

  12. MT6425CA: a 640 X 512-25μm CTIA ROIC for SWIR InGaAs detector arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eminoglu, Selim; Mahsereci, Yigit Uygar; Altiner, Caglar; Akin, Tayfun

    2012-06-01

    This paper reports the development of a new CTIA ROIC (MT6425CA) suitable for SWIR InGaAs detector arrays. MT6425CA has a format of 640 × 512 with a pixel pitch of 25 μm and has a system-on-chip architecture, where all the critical timing and biasing for this ROIC are generated by programmable blocks on-chip. MT6425CA is a highly configurable and flexible ROIC, where many of its features can be programmed through a 3-wire serial interface allowing on-the-fly configuration of many ROIC features. The ROIC runs on 3.3V supply voltage at nominal clock speed of 10 MHz clock. It performs snapshot operation both using Integrate-Then-Read (ITR) and Integrate-While- Read (IWR) modes. The CTIA type pixel input circuitry has a full-well-capacity (FWC) of about 320,000e-, with an input referred read noise of less than 110e- at 300K. MT6425CA has programmable number of outputs, where 4, 2, or 1 output can be selected along with an analog reference for pseudo-differential operation. The integration time can be programmed up to 1s in steps of 0.1μs. The gain and offset in the ROIC can be programmed to adjust the output offset and voltage swing. ROIC dissipates less than 130mW from a 3.3V supply at full speed and full frame size with 4 outputs, providing both low-power and low-noise operation. MT6425CA is fabricated using a modern mixed-signal CMOS process on 200mm CMOS wafers with a high yield above 75%, yielding more than 50 working parts per wafer. It has been silicon verified, and tested parts are available either in wafer and die levels with a complete documentation including test reports and wafer maps. A USB based camera electronics and camera development platform with software are available to help customers to evaluate the imaging performance of MT6425CA in a fast and efficient way.

  13. Genetic diversity of mtDNA D-loop sequences in four native Chinese chicken breeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, H W; Li, C; Wang, X N; Li, Z J; Sun, G R; Li, G X; Liu, X J; Kang, X T; Han, R L

    2017-10-01

    1. To explore the genetic diversity of Chinese indigenous chicken breeds, a 585 bp fragment of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) region was sequenced in 102 birds from the Xichuan black-bone chicken, Yunyang black-bone chicken and Lushi chicken. In addition, 30 mtDNA D-loop sequences of Silkie fowls were downloaded from NCBI. The mtDNA D-loop sequence polymorphism and maternal origin of 4 chicken breeds were analysed in this study. 2. The results showed that a total of 33 mutation sites and 28 haplotypes were detected in the 4 chicken breeds. The haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity of these 4 native breeds were 0.916 ± 0.014 and 0.012 ± 0.002, respectively. Three clusters were formed in 4 Chinese native chickens and 12 reference breeds. Both the Xichuan black-bone chicken and Yunyang black-bone chicken were grouped into one cluster. Four haplogroups (A, B, C and E) emerged in the median-joining network in these breeds. 3. It was concluded that these 4 Chinese chicken breeds had high genetic diversity. The phylogenetic tree and median network profiles showed that Chinese native chickens and its neighbouring countries had at least two maternal origins, one from Yunnan, China and another from Southeast Asia or its surrounding area.

  14. Global analysis of genetic variation in human arsenic (+ 3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujihara, Junko; Soejima, Mikiko; Yasuda, Toshihiro; Koda, Yoshiro; Agusa, Tetsuro; Kunito, Takashi; Tongu, Miki; Yamada, Takaya; Takeshita, Haruo

    2010-01-01

    Human arsenic (+ 3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT) is known to catalyze the methylation of arsenite. The objective of this study was to investigate the diversity of the AS3MT gene at the global level. The distribution of 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in AS3MT was performed in 827 individuals from 10 populations (Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetans, Sri Lankan Tamils, Sri Lankan Sinhalese, Nepal Tamangs, Ovambo, and Ghanaian). In the African populations, the A allele in A6144T was not observed; the allele frequencies of C35587 were much lower than those in other populations; the allele frequencies of A37616 and C37950 were relatively higher than those in other populations. Among Asian populations, Mongolians showed a different genotype distribution pattern. A lower C3963 and T6144 frequencies were observed, and, in the C37616A and T37950C polymorphism, the Mongolian population showed higher A37616 and C37950 allele frequencies than other Asian populations, similarly to the African populations. A total of 66 haplotypes were observed in the Ovambo, 48, in the Ghanaian, 99, in the Japanese, 103, in the Korean, 103, in the South Chinese, 20, in the Sri Lankan Tamil, 12, in the Sri Lankan Sinhalese, 21, in the Nepal Tamang, 50, in the Tibetan, and 45, in the Mongolian populations. The D' values between the SNP pairs were extremely high in the Sri Lankan Sinhalese population. Relatively higher D' values were observed in Mongolian and Sri Lankan Tamil populations. Network analysis showed two clusters that may have different origins, African and Asians (Chinese and/or Japanese). The present study is the first to demonstrate the existence of genetic heterogeneity in a world wide distribution of 18 SNPs in AS3MT.

  15. Finite element modeling of ground deformation and gravity field at Mt. Etna

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Ganci

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available An elastic 3-D axi-symmetric model based on Finite Element Method (FEM is proposed to compute ground deformation and gravity changes caused by overpressure sources in volcanic areas. The numerical computations are focused on the modeling of a complex description of Mt Etna in order to evaluate the effect of topography, medium heterogeneities and source geometries. Both ground deformation and gravity changes are investigated by solving a coupled numerical problem considering a simplified ground surface profile and a multi-layered crustal structure inferred from seismic tomography. The role of the source geometry is also explored taking into account spherical and ellipsoidal volumetric sources. The comparison between numerical results and those predicted by analytical solutions disclosed significant discrepancies. These differences constrain the applicability of simple spherical source and homogeneous half-space hypotheses, which are usually implicitly assumed when analytical solutions are applied.

  16. Alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) localizes to mitochondria and interacts with mitochondrial single-stranded binding protein (mtSSB).

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Loon, Barbara; Samson, Leona D

    2013-03-01

    Due to a harsh environment mitochondrial genomes accumulate high levels of DNA damage, in particular oxidation, hydrolytic deamination, and alkylation adducts. While repair of alkylated bases in nuclear DNA has been explored in detail, much less is known about the repair of DNA alkylation damage in mitochondria. Alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) recognizes and removes numerous alkylated bases, but to date AAG has only been detected in the nucleus, even though mammalian mitochondria are known to repair DNA lesions that are specific substrates of AAG. Here we use immunofluorescence to show that AAG localizes to mitochondria, and we find that native AAG is present in purified human mitochondrial extracts, as well as that exposure to alkylating agent promotes AAG accumulation in the mitochondria. We identify mitochondrial single-stranded binding protein (mtSSB) as a novel interacting partner of AAG; interaction between mtSSB and AAG is direct and increases upon methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) treatment. The consequence of this interaction is specific inhibition of AAG glycosylase activity in the context of a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), but not a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) substrate. By inhibiting AAG-initiated processing of damaged bases, mtSSB potentially prevents formation of DNA breaks in ssDNA, ensuring that base removal primarily occurs in dsDNA. In summary, our findings suggest the existence of AAG-initiated BER in mitochondria and further support a role for mtSSB in DNA repair. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Interaction of motor training and intermittent theta burst stimulation in modulating motor cortical plasticity: influence of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mina Lee

    Full Text Available Cortical physiology in human motor cortex is influenced by behavioral motor training (MT as well as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol such as intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS. This study aimed to test whether MT and iTBS can interact with each other to produce additive changes in motor cortical physiology. We hypothesized that potential interaction between MT and iTBS would be dependent on BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, which is known to affect neuroplasticity in the human motor cortex. Eighty two healthy volunteers were genotyped for BDNF polymorphism. Thirty subjects were assigned for MT alone, 23 for iTBS alone, and 29 for MT + iTBS paradigms. TMS indices for cortical excitability and motor map areas were measured prior to and after each paradigm. MT alone significantly increased the motor cortical excitability and expanded the motor map areas. The iTBS alone paradigm also enhanced excitability and increased the motor map areas to a slightly greater extent than MT alone. A combination of MT and iTBS resulted in the largest increases in the cortical excitability, and the representational motor map expansion of MT + iTBS was significantly greater than MT or iTBS alone only in Val/Val genotype. As a result, the additive interaction between MT and iTBS was highly dependent on BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. Our results may have clinical relevance in designing rehabilitative strategies that combine therapeutic cortical stimulation and physical exercise for patients with motor disabilities.

  18. A Medicago truncatula H+-pyrophosphatase gene, MtVP1, improves sucrose accumulation and anthocyanin biosynthesis in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, J W; Wang, H Q; Xiang, W W; Chai, T Y

    2014-05-09

    We recently cloned MtVP1, a type I vacuolar-type H(+)-translocating inorganic pyrophosphatase from Medicago truncatula. In the present study, we investigated the cellular location and the function of this H(+)-PPase in Arabidopsis and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). An MtVP1::enhanced green fluorescent protein fusion was constructed, which localized to the plasma membrane of onion epidermal cells. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing MtVP1 had more robust root systems and redder shoots than wild-type (WT) plants under conditions of cold stress. Furthermore, overexpression of MtVP1 in potato accelerated the formation and growth of vegetative organs. The tuber buds and stem base of transgenic potatoes became redder than those of WT plants, but flowering was delayed by approximately half a month. Interestingly, anthocyanin biosynthesis was promoted in transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings and potato tuber buds. The sucrose concentration of transgenic potato tubers and tuber buds was enhanced compared with that of WT plants. Furthermore, sucrose concentration in tubers was higher than that in tuber buds. Although there was no direct evidence to support Fuglsang's hypothetical model regarding the effects of H(+)-PPase on sucrose phloem loading, we speculated that sucrose concentration was increased in tuber buds owing to the increased concentration in tubers. Therefore, overexpressed MtVP1 enhanced sucrose accumulation of source organs, which might enhance sucrose transport to sink organs, thus affecting anthocyanin biosynthesis.

  19. Depletion of atmospheric gaseous elemental mercury by plant uptake at Mt. Changbai, Northeast China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    X. Fu

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available There exists observational evidence that gaseous elemental mercury (GEM can be readily removed from the atmosphere via chemical oxidation followed by deposition in the polar and sub-polar regions, free troposphere, lower stratosphere, and marine boundary layer under specific environmental conditions. Here we report GEM depletions in a temperate mixed forest at Mt. Changbai, Northeast China. The strong depletions occurred predominantly at night during the leaf-growing season and in the absence of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM enrichment (GOM  <  3 pg m−3. Vertical gradients of decreasing GEM concentrations from layers above to under forest canopy suggest in situ loss of GEM to forest canopy at Mt. Changbai. Foliar GEM flux measurements showed that the foliage of two predominant tree species is a net sink of GEM at night, with a mean flux of −1.8 ± 0.3 ng m2 h−1 over Fraxinus mandshurica (deciduous tree species and −0.1 ± 0.2 ng m2 h−1 over Pinus Koraiensis (evergreen tree species. Daily integrated GEM δ202Hg, Δ199Hg, and Δ200Hg at Mt. Changbai during 8–18 July 2013 ranged from −0.34 to 0.91 ‰, from −0.11 to −0.04 ‰ and from −0.06 to 0.01 ‰, respectively. A large positive shift in GEM δ202Hg occurred during the strong GEM depletion events, whereas Δ199Hg and Δ200Hg remained essentially unchanged. The observational findings and box model results show that uptake of GEM by forest canopy plays a predominant role in the GEM depletion at Mt. Changbai forest. Such depletion events of GEM are likely to be a widespread phenomenon, suggesting that the forest ecosystem represents one of the largest sinks ( ∼ 1930 Mg of atmospheric Hg on a global scale.

  20. Omega-3 fatty acid therapy dose-dependently and significantly decreased triglycerides and improved flow-mediated dilation, however, did not significantly improve insulin sensitivity in patients with hypertriglyceridemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Pyung Chun; Koh, Kwang Kon; Sakuma, Ichiro; Lim, Soo; Lee, Yonghee; Lee, Seungik; Lee, Kyounghoon; Han, Seung Hwan; Shin, Eak Kyun

    2014-10-20

    Experimental studies demonstrate that higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) improves insulin sensitivity, however, we reported that n-3 FA 2g therapy, most commonly used dosage did not significantly improve insulin sensitivity despite reducing triglycerides by 21% in patients. Therefore, we investigated the effects of different dosages of n-3 FA in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. This was a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study. Age, sex, and body mass index were matched among groups. All patients were recommended to maintain a low fat diet. Forty-four patients (about 18 had metabolic syndrome/type 2 diabetes mellitus) in each group were given placebo, n-3 FA 1 (O1), 2 (O2), or 4 g (O4), respectively daily for 2 months. n-3 FA therapy dose-dependently and significantly decreased triglycerides and triglycerides/HDL cholesterol and improved flow-mediated dilation, compared with placebo (by ANOVA). However, each n-3 FA therapy did not significantly decrease high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and fibrinogen, compared with placebo. O1 significantly increased insulin levels and decreased insulin sensitivity (determined by QUICKI) and O2 significantly decreased plasma adiponectin levels relative to baseline measurements. Of note, when compared with placebo, each n-3 FA therapy did not significantly change insulin, glucose, adiponectin, glycated hemoglobin levels and insulin sensitivity (by ANOVA). We observed similar results in a subgroup of patients with the metabolic syndrome. n-3 FA therapy dose-dependently and significantly decreased triglycerides and improved flow-mediated dilation. Nonetheless, n-3 FA therapy did not significantly improve acute-phase reactants and insulin sensitivity in patients with hypertriglyceridemia, regardless of dosages. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  1. Welding of high-strength stainless steel 03Kh12N10MT for cryogenic engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pustovit, A.I.

    1989-01-01

    Consideration is being given to weld resistance to cold and hot cracking at 93 and 77K and to mechanical properties of welded joints of high-strength stainless steel 03Kh12N10MT, produced under the fluxes AN-17M, AN-18, AN-26, AN-45, ANF-5, 48-OF-6, ANK-45 and ANK-49 in combination with various welding wires. It is shown that welds on 03Kh12N10MT steel meet the requirements only when using 48-OF-6 or ANK-49 flux. It is noted that impact strength of welds at 77K is sufficiently affected by the volume fraction of non-metallic inclusions in weld metal

  2. Preliminary geothermal study of Mt. Etna

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mongelli, F; Morelli, C

    1964-01-01

    The geothermal status of Italy's Mt. Etna region was studied via borehole thermometry at eight experimental sites. The mathematical principles and other criteria used in borehole site and well depth selection are discussed. The soil temperature is regulated by external temperature variations to a certain depth. The minimum drilling distance which would provide accurate temperature determinations was calculated to be 30 m. The geothermal gradient was determined by the application of a Fourier series to three measurements made at different depths using resistance thermometers. The results are presented in tables and the gradients are plotted on graphs. Geothermal gradient determinations were corrected for topographic effects. Two major groups of gradients were discovered, those having linear gradients were interpreted as being due to the effect of meteoric waters. Other possible disturbances are those caused by surface temperature effects and the influence of nearby bodies of water.

  3. [Chronic low-grade inflammation, lipid risk factors and mortality in functionally dependent elderly].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasović, Olga; Trifunović, Danijela; Despotovié, Nebojsa; Milosević, Dragoslav P

    2010-07-01

    It has been proved that a highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) can be used as an established marker of chronic inflammation for cardiovascular risk assessment. Since mean values of both low-density cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) decrease during aging, the knowledge that increased hsCRP concentration predicts mortality (Mt) would influence therapy and treatment outcome. The aim of this study was to examine importance of chronic low grade inflammation and its association with lipid risk factors for all-cause Mt in functionally dependent elderly. The participants of this longitudinal prospective study were 257 functionally dependent elderly aged 65-99 years. Baseline measurements: anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HDL-C, LDL-C, non-HDL-C, hemoglobin Alc (HbA1c) were recorded and different lipid ratios were calculated. Inflammation was assessed by the levels of white blood cells, fibrinogen and hsCRP. The participants with hsCRP grater than 10 mg/L were excluded from the study. The residual participants (77.4% women) were divided into three groups according to their hsCRP levels: a low (agressive lipid lowering treatment.

  4. Subcellular compartmentalization of Cd and Zn in two bivalves. II. Significance of trophically available metal (TAM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallace, W.G.; Luoma, S.N.

    2003-01-01

    This paper examines how the subcellular partitioning of Cd and Zn in the bivalves Macoma balthica and Potamocorbula amurensis may affect the trophic transfer of metal to predators. Results show that the partitioning of metals to organelles, 'enzymes' and metallothioneins (MT) comprise a subcellular compartment containing trophically available metal (TAM; i.e. metal trophically available to predators), and that because this partitioning varies with species, animal size and metal, TAM is similarly influenced. Clams from San Francisco Bay, California, were exposed for 14 d to 3.5 ??g 1-1 Cd and 20.5 ??g 1-1 Zn, including 109Cd and 65Zn as radiotracers, and were used in feeding experiments with grass shrimp Palaemon macrodatylus, or used to investigate the subcellular partitioning of metal. Grass shrimp fed Cd-contaminated P. amurensis absorbed ???60% of ingested Cd, which was in accordance with the partitioning of Cd to the bivalve's TAM compartment (i.e. Cd associated with organelles, 'enzymes' and MT); a similar relationship was found in previous studies with grass shrimp fed Cd-contaminated oligochaetes. Thus, TAM may be used as a tool to predict the trophic transfer of at least Cd. Subcellular fractionation revealed that ???34% of both the Cd and Zn accumulated by M. balthica was associated with TAM, while partitioning to TAM in P. amurensis was metal-dependent (???60% for TAM-Cd%, ???73% for TAM-Zn%). The greater TAM-Cd% of P. amurensis than M. balthica is due to preferential binding of Cd to MT and 'enzymes', while enhanced TAM-Zn% of P. amurensis results from a greater binding of Zn to organelles. TAM for most species-metal combinations was size-dependent, decreasing with increased clam size. Based on field data, it is estimated that of the 2 bivalves, P. amurensis poses the greater threat of Cd exposure to predators because of higher tissue concentrations and greater partitioning as TAM; exposure of Zn to predators would be similar between these species.

  5. Contrast Enhancement in TOF cerebral angiography at 7 T using Saturation and MT pulses under SAR constraints: impact of VERSE and sparse pulses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmitter, Sebastian; Bock, Michael; Johst, Sören; Auerbach, Edward J.; Uğurbil, Kâmil; Van de Moortele, Pierre-François

    2011-01-01

    Cerebral 3D time of flight (TOF) angiography significantly benefits from ultra high fields, mainly due to higher SNR and to longer T1 relaxation time of static brain tissues, however, SAR significantly increases with B0. Thus, additional RF pulses commonly used at lower field strengths to improve TOF contrast such as saturation of venous signal and improved background suppression by magnetization transfer typically cannot be used at higher fields. In this work we aimed at reducing SAR for each RF pulse category in a TOF sequence. We use the VERSE principle for the slab selective TOF excitation as well as the venous saturation RF pulses. Additionally, MT pulses are implemented by sparsely applying the pulses only during acquisition of the central k-space lines to limit their SAR contribution. Image quality, angiographic contrast and SAR reduction were investigated as a function of VERSE parameters and of the total number of MT pulses applied. Based on these results, a TOF protocol was generated that increases the angiographic contrast by more than 50% and reduces subcutaneous fat signal while keeping the resulting SAR within regulatory limits. PMID:22139829

  6. Effects of mtDNA in SHR-mtF344 versus SHR conplastic strains on reduced OXPHOS enzyme levels, insulin resistance, cardiac hypertrophy, and systolic dysfunction

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Houštěk, Josef; Vrbacký, Marek; Hejzlarová, Kateřina; Zídek, Václav; Landa, Vladimír; Šilhavý, Jan; Šimáková, Miroslava; Mlejnek, Petr; Kazdová, L.; Mikšík, Ivan; Neckář, Jan; Papoušek, František; Kolář, František; Kurtz, T. W.; Pravenec, Michal

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 46, č. 18 (2014), s. 671-678 ISSN 1094-8341 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LL1204; GA ČR(CZ) GB14-36804G; GA ČR(CZ) GA13-10267S; GA MŠk(CZ) 7E10067 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : SHR conplastic strain with F344 mtDNA * impaired glucose tolerance * systolic dysfunction Subject RIV: FB - Endocrinology, Diabetology, Metabolism, Nutrition Impact factor: 2.374, year: 2014

  7. Somatic point mutations in mtDNA control region are influenced by genetic background and associated with healthy aging: a GEHA study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rose, Giuseppina; Romeo, Giuseppe; Dato, Serena

    2010-01-01

    and of mortality risk in the elderly. Our study provides new evidence on the relevance of mtDNA somatic mutations in aging and longevity and confirms that the occurrence of specific point mutations in the mtDNA control region may represent a strategy for the age-related remodelling of organismal functions....

  8. Circulating mitochondrial DNA as biomarker linking environmental chemical exposure to early preclinical lesions elevation of mtDNA in human serum after exposure to carcinogenic halo-alkane-based pesticides.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lygia T Budnik

    Full Text Available There is a need for a panel of suitable biomarkers for detection of environmental chemical exposure leading to the initiation or progression of degenerative diseases or potentially, to cancer. As the peripheral blood may contain increased levels of circulating cell-free DNA in diseased individuals, we aimed to evaluate this DNA as effect biomarker recognizing vulnerability after exposure to environmental chemicals. We recruited 164 individuals presumably exposed to halo-alkane-based pesticides. Exposure evaluation was based on human biomonitoring analysis; as biomarker of exposure parent halo-methanes, -ethanes and their metabolites, as well as the hemoglobin-adducts methyl valine and hydroxyl ethyl valine in blood were used, complemented by expert evaluation of exposure and clinical intoxication symptoms as well as a questionnaire. Assessment showed exposures to halo alkanes in the concentration range being higher than non-cancer reference doses (RfD but (mostly lower than the occupational exposure limits. We quantified circulating DNA in serum from 86 individuals with confirmed exposure to off-gassing halo-alkane pesticides (in storage facilities or in home environment and 30 non-exposed controls, and found that exposure was significantly associated with elevated serum levels of circulating mitochondrial DNA (in size of 79 bp, mtDNA-79, p = 0.0001. The decreased integrity of mtDNA (mtDNA-230/mtDNA-79 in exposed individuals implicates apoptotic processes (p = 0.015. The relative amounts of mtDNA-79 in serum were positively associated with the lag-time after intoxication to these chemicals (r = 0.99, p<0.0001. Several months of post-exposure the specificity of this biomarker increased from 30% to 97% in patients with intoxication symptoms. Our findings indicate that mitochondrial DNA has a potential to serve as a biomarker recognizing vulnerable risk groups after exposure to toxic/carcinogenic chemicals.

  9. Human aging and somatic point mutations in mtDNA: a comparative study of generational differences (grandparents and grandchildren

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anderson Nonato do Rosário Marinho

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The accumulation of somatic mutations in mtDNA is correlated with aging. In this work, we sought to identify somatic mutations in the HVS-1 region (D-loop of mtDNA that might be associated with aging. For this, we compared 31 grandmothers (mean age: 63 ± 2.3 years and their 62 grandchildren (mean age: 15 ± 4.1 years, the offspring of their daughters. Direct DNA sequencing showed that mutations absent in the grandchildren were detected in a presumably homoplasmic state in three grandmothers and in a heteroplasmic state in an additional 13 grandmothers; no mutations were detected in the remaining 15 grandmothers. However, cloning followed by DNA sequencing in 12 grandmothers confirmed homoplasia in only one of the three mutations previously considered to be homoplasmic and did not confirm heteroplasmy in three out of nine grandmothers found to be heteroplasmic by direct sequencing. Thus, of 12 grandmothers in whom mtDNA was analyzed by cloning, eight were heteroplasmic for mutations not detected in their grandchildren. In this study, the use of genetically related subjects allowed us to demonstrate the occurrence of age-related (> 60 years old mutations (homoplasia and heteroplasmy. It is possible that both of these situations (homoplasia and heteroplasmy were a long-term consequence of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation that can lead to the accumulation of mtDNA mutations throughout life.

  10. Mitochondrial DNA content in embryo culture medium is significantly associated with human embryo fragmentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stigliani, S; Anserini, P; Venturini, P L; Scaruffi, P

    2013-10-01

    Is the amount of cell-free DNA released by human embryos into culture medium correlated with embryo morphological features? The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content of culture medium is significantly associated with the fragmentation rate on Days 2 and 3 of embryo development, whether the oocyte came from women ≤ 35 or >35 years old. Cellular fragmentation is often utilized as one of the morphological parameters for embryo quality assessment. The amount of cellular fragments is considered to be an important morphological parameter for embryo implantation potential. It has been hypothesized that fragments are apoptotic bodies or anuclear cytoplasmatic pieces of blastomeres, although no definitive conclusion has been drawn about their pathogenesis. Human fertilized oocytes were individually cultured from Day 1 to Days 2 and 3. A total of 800 samples (166 spent media from Day 2 and 634 from Day 3) were enrolled into the present study. Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was quantified in 800 spent embryo culture media by Pico Green dye fluorescence assay. After DNA purification, genomic DNA (gDNA) and mtDNA were profiled by specific quantitative PCR. Statistical analyses defined correlations among DNA contents, embryo morphology and maternal age. Different independent tests confirmed the presence of DNA into embryo culture medium and, for the first time, we demonstrate that both gDNA and mtDNA are detectable in the secretome. The amount of DNA is larger in embryos with bad quality cleavage compared with high-grade embryos, suggesting that the DNA profile of culture medium is an objective marker for embryo quality assessment. In particular, DNA profiles are significantly associated with fragmentation feature (total dsDNA: P = 0.0010; mtDNA; P = 0.0247) and advanced maternal age. It is necessary to establish whether DNA profiling of spent embryo culture medium is a robust onsite test that can improve the prediction of blastulation, implantation and/or pregnancy rate. The

  11. An innovative strategy to clone positive modifier genes of defects caused by mtDNA mutations: MRPS18C as suppressor gene of m.3946G>A mutation in MT-ND1 gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez-García, María Elena; Cotrina-Vinagre, Francisco Javier; Carnicero-Rodríguez, Patricia; Martínez-Azorín, Francisco

    2017-07-01

    We have developed a new functional complementation approach to clone modifier genes which overexpression is able to suppress the biochemical defects caused by mtDNA mutations (suppressor genes). This strategy consists in transferring human genes into respiratory chain-deficient fibroblasts, followed by a metabolic selection in a highly selective medium. We used a normalized expression cDNA library in an episomal vector (pREP4) to transfect the fibroblasts, and a medium with glutamine and devoid of any carbohydrate source to select metabolically. Growing the patient's fibroblasts in this selective medium, the deficient cells rapidly disappear unless they are rescued by the cDNA of a suppressor gene. The use of an episomal vector allows us to carry out several rounds of transfection/selection (cyclical phenotypic rescue) to enrich the rescue with true clones of suppressor genes. Using fibroblasts from a patient with epileptic encephalopathy with the m.3946G>A (p.E214K) mutation in the MT-ND1 gene, several candidate genes were identified and one of them was characterized functionally. Thus, overexpression of MRPS18C gene (that encode for bS18m protein) suppressed the molecular defects produced by this mtDNA mutation, recovering the complex I activity and reducing the ROS produced by this complex to normal levels. We suggest that modulation of bS18m expression may be an effective therapeutic strategy for the patients with this mutation.

  12. 77 FR 60137 - Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, Ravalli County, MT; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-02

    ... during regular business hours at 4567 Wildfowl Lane, Stevensville, MT. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT... habitats and has created and modified wetlands. Riverfront forest includes early succession tree species...

  13. Compartmentalization of the Coso East Flank geothermal field imaged by 3-D full-tensor MT inversion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindsey, Nathaniel J.; Kaven, Joern; Davatzes, Nicholas C.; Newman, Gregory A.

    2017-01-01

    Previous magnetotelluric (MT) studies of the high-temperature Coso geothermal system in California identified a subvertical feature of low resistivity (2–5 Ohm m) and appreciable lateral extent (>1 km) in the producing zone of the East Flank field. However, these models could not reproduce gross 3-D effects in the recorded data. We perform 3-D full-tensor inversion and retrieve a resistivity model that out-performs previous 2-D and 3-D off-diagonal models in terms of its fit to the complete 3-D MT data set as well as the degree of modelling bias. Inclusion of secondary Zxx and Zyy data components leads to a robust east-dip (60†) to the previously identified conductive East Flank reservoir feature, which correlates strongly with recently mapped surface faults, downhole well temperatures, 3-D seismic reflection data, and local microseismicity. We perform synthetic forward modelling to test the best-fit dip of this conductor using the response at a nearby MT station. We interpret the dipping conductor as a fractured and fluidized compartment, which is structurally controlled by an unmapped blind East Flank fault zone.

  14. Dimerization of endogenous MT1-MMP is a regulatory step in the activation of the 72-kDa gelatinase MMP-2 on fibroblasts and fibrosarcoma cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ingvarsen, Signe; Madsen, Daniel H.; Hillig, Thore

    2008-01-01

    The secreted gelatinase matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) and the membrane-anchored matrix metalloprotease MT1-MMP (MMP-14), are central players in pericellular proteolysis in extracellular matrix degradation. In addition to possessing a direct collagenolytic and gelatinolytic activity......, these enzymes take part in a cascade pathway in which MT1-MMP activates the MMP-2 proenzyme. This reaction occurs in an interplay with the matrix metalloprotease inhibitor, TIMP-2, and the proposed mechanism involves two molecules of MT1-MMP in complex with one TIMP-2 molecule. We provide positive evidence...... that proMMP-2 activation is governed by dimerization of MT1-MMP on the surface of fibroblasts and fibrosarcoma cells. Even in the absence of transfection and overexpression, dimerization of MT1-MMP markedly stimulated the formation of active MMP-2 products. The effect demonstrated here was brought about...

  15. Targeting of Breast Cancer through MT1-MMP/Tetraspanin Complexes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-01

    182, 765-776. Gordon- Alonso , M., Yanez-Mo, M., Barreiro, O., Alvarez, S., Munoz- Fernandez , M. A., Valenzuela- Fernandez , A. and Sanchez-Madrid, F...Diaz, R., Megias, D., Genis, L., Garcia -Grande, A., Garcia , M. A., Arroyo, A. G., and Montoya, M. C. (2007). MT1-MMP proinvasive activity is regulated by...metalloproteinases as drug targets and anti-targets for cancer therapy. Nat. Rev. Cancer 6, 227–239. Penas, P. F., Garcia -Diez, A., Sanchez-Madrid, F

  16. The UK MT-3 ballooning test in the Battelle NRU loop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibson, I.H.; Coddington, P.; Healey, T.; Mann, C.A.

    1982-04-01

    The ballooning response of PWR fuel rods under postulated LOCA conditions has been the subject of intensive investigations. The UK MT-3 ballooning test was a co-operative international exercise which was technically very successful. This report describes the pre-test planning and calculations carried out in the UK and then describes in some detail the thermal hydraulic and clad deformation results. (U.K.)

  17. Holistic Analysis For The Interpretation of The Structure of Mt. Somma - Vesuvius

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luongo, G.; Tizzani, P.; Solaro, G.

    The aim of this research is to define a unitary structural model of Mount Somma U Vesuvius, by holistic interpretation of geophysical and geological data. Surface structures pattern shows two different geometrical distribution, radial and horse-shoe shaped. Generally the radial distribution of fractures are due to stress field produced by an active magmatic pressure source; some of them resemble to the regional tec- tonics ones. These fractures are interpreted by an active circular hole model. Instead the collapse structures observed on the Southern side of volcano have been associated to the loading of volcanic edifice. The regional heat flow (100-110 mW/m2) and the hypocentral distribution of the seismicity data let us to obtain the local crust rheolog- ical stratification. In our case the brittle U ductile transition below the volcano is at depth of about 5 km. The loading of the volcanic edifice produces a deviatoric stress of 30 MPa in unconfined weight condition. This stress field can generate the present seismicity at Mt. Vesuvius. Moreover an overpressure acts along the Southern side of the volcano due to the dipping of the carbonate basement toward Tyrrhenian sea, according to the gravimetric Bouguer anomalies. From above considerations we have performed that the Mt. Somma U Vesuvius deformation is due to the spreading of the volcanic edifice togheter carbonate basement. This deformation is characterized by a displacement component in SW of Southern sector of the volcano.direction due to the basement dipping. Finally is reasonable to suppose that the unrest of Mt.Vesuvius may be the result of the basement tectonics and loading of volcanic edifice. In this interpretation the ascent of magma could be the consequence of this process. Ground deformation and seismicity monitoring could provide informations on the instability of Southern sector of the volcano.

  18. Effect of 0.4 mT power frequency magnetic field on F-actin assembly of CHL cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chu Keping; Cai Zhiyin; Zhang Yukun; Xia Nuohong

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the effect of 0.4mT power frequency magnetic field on the microfilament (F- actin) assembly of Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells. Methods: F-actin were marked with immunohistochemical method, then observed under a confocal microscope. The content of ECFRs in the preparation of the detergent-insoluble cytoskeleton was measured with Western-blotting. Results: The stress fiber's of CHL cells decreased after exposure to 0.4mT power frequency magnetic field for 30min, as well as after treatment with epidermal growth factor (ECF) of 50nM. Filopodias appeared at the periphery after exposure to magnetic field as well as treatment with EGF. The EGF receptor mass associated with the detergent-insoluble cytoskeleton increased after exposure to magnetic field as well as treatment with EGF. Conclusion: 0.4mT power frequency magnetic field induced assembly of F-actin in CHL cells. The change induced by magnetic field would be related to clustering of EGFR induced by magnetic field and passing the signal down. (authors)

  19. Volcanic and anthropogenic contribution to heavy metal content in lichens from Mt. Etna and Vulcano island (Sicily).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varrica, D; Aiuppa, A; Dongarrà, G

    2000-05-01

    Major and trace element concentrations were determined in two lichen species (Parmelia conspersa and Xanthoria calcicola) from the island of Vulcano and all around Mt. Etna. In both areas, the average concentrations of Al, Ca, Mg, Fe, Na, K, P and Ti are substantially greater than those of other elements. Several elements (Br, Pb, Sb, Au, Zn, Cu) resulted enriched with respect to the local substrates. The Br and Pb enrichment factors turned out to be the highest among those calculated in both areas. Data indicate that mixing between volcanic and automotive-produced particles clearly explains the range of Pb/Br shown by lichen samples. Sb is also enriched, revealing a geogenic origin at Vulcano and a prevailing anthropic origin at Mt. Etna. Distribution maps of the enrichment factors show a generalized enrichment of Au and Zn near Mt. Etna, whereas Cu appears to be enriched prevalently in the NE-SE area. The highest levels of Au and Cu at Vulcano occur E-SE from the craters, following the prevailing wind direction.

  20. The extremely divergent maternally- and paternally-transmitted mitochondrial genomes are co-expressed in somatic tissues of two freshwater mussel species with doubly uniparental inheritance of mtDNA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breton, Sophie; Bouvet, Karim; Auclair, Gabrielle; Ghazal, Stephanie; Sietman, Bernard E.; Johnson, Nathan A.; Bettinazzi, Stefano; Dtewart, Donald T.; Guerra, Davide

    2017-01-01

    Freshwater mussel species with doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI) of mtDNA are unique because they are naturally heteroplasmic for two extremely divergent mtDNAs with ~50% amino acid differences for protein-coding genes. The paternally-transmitted mtDNA (or M mtDNA) clearly functions in sperm in these species, but it is still unknown whether it is transcribed when present in male or female soma. In the present study, we used PCR and RT-PCR to detect the presence and expression of the M mtDNA in male and female somatic and gonadal tissues of the freshwater mussel species Venustaconcha ellipsiformis and Utterbackia peninsularis (Unionidae). This is the first study demonstrating that the M mtDNA is transcribed not only in male gonads, but also in male and female soma in freshwater mussels with DUI. Because of the potentially deleterious nature of heteroplasmy, we suggest the existence of different mechanisms in DUI species to deal with this possibly harmful situation, such as silencing mechanisms for the M mtDNA at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and/or post-translational levels. These hypotheses will necessitate additional studies in distantly-related DUI species that could possess different mechanisms of action to deal with heteroplasmy.

  1. Crystallographic characterization of the radixin FERM domain bound to the cytoplasmic tail of membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terawaki, Shin-ichi; Kitano, Ken; Aoyama, Miki; Hakoshima, Toshio

    2008-01-01

    The radixin FERM domain was shown to bind the MT1-MMP cytoplasmic peptide and crystals of the complex were obtained. ERM proteins play a role in the cross-linking found between plasma membranes and actin filaments. The N-terminal FERM domains of ERM proteins are responsible for membrane association through direct interaction with the cytoplasmic tails of integral membrane proteins. During cell migration and movement, membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) on plasma membranes sheds adhesion molecule CD44 in addition to degrading the extracellular matrix. Here, the interaction between the radixin FERM domain and the MT1-MMP cytoplasmic tail is reported and preliminary crystallographic characterization of crystals of the radixin FERM domain bound to the cytoplasmic tail of MT1-MMP is presented. The crystals belong to space group P6 1 22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 122.7, c = 128.3 Å, and contain one complex in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. The diffraction data were collected to a resolution of 2.4 Å

  2. Brain and Hepatic Mt mRNA Is Reduced in Response to Mild Energy Restriction and n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Deficiency in Juvenile Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aaron A. Mehus

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Metallothioneins (MTs perform important regulatory and cytoprotective functions in tissues including the brain. While it is known that energy restriction (ER and dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA deficiency impact postnatal brain growth and development, little data exist regarding the impact of undernutrition upon MT expression in growing animals. We tested the hypothesis that ER with and without dietary n-3 PUFA deficiency reduces MT expression in juvenile rats. ER rats were individually pair-fed at 75% of the ad libitum (AL intake of control rats provided diets consisting of either soybean oil (SO that is α-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3n-3 sufficient or corn oil (CO; ALA-deficient. Fatty acids (FA and metal concentrations of liver and brain regions were analyzed. Tissue expression of MTs (Mt1-3 and modulators of MT expression including glucocorticoid receptors (Nr3c1 and Nr3c2 and several mediators of thyroid hormone regulation (Dio1-3, Mct8, Oatp1c1, Thra, and Thrb were measured. Plasma corticosterone and triiodothyronine levels were also evaluated. ER, but not metal deficiency, reduced Mt2 expression in the cerebellum (50% and cerebral cortex (23%. In liver, a reduction in dietary n-3 PUFA reduced Mt1, Mt2, Nr3c1, Mct8, and Thrb. ER elevated Nr3c1, Dio1, and Thrb and reduced Thra in the liver. Given MT’s role in cellular protection, further studies are needed to evaluate whether ER or n-3 PUFA deficiency may leave the juvenile brain and/or liver more susceptible to endogenous or environmental stressors.

  3. Visual Virtual MT: relato de una pesquisa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LUDMILA BRANDÃO

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Con el fin de contribuir a la discusión acerca de las artes visuales en la sociedad contemporánea y de los dispositivos que operan la colonialidad del arte, sus mecanismos y efectos, cuya urgente desactivación nos impone enormes retos, en este artículo se presentan los resultados de la investigación titulada: “Artes Visuales en Mato Grosso: recopilación, difusión y crítica” encargada de crear el sitio Visual Virtual MT (VVMT. El VVMT reúne producciones aestésicas visuales de artistas individuales y colectivos que operan en diferentes soportes y medios, trabajando con una variedad de materiales que configuran, actualmente, la mayor colección catalogada y digital disponible en el Estado de Mato Grosso, en Brasil.

  4. Halogen speciation in volcanic plumes - Development of compact denuder sampling techniques with in-situ derivatization followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and their application at Mt. Etna, Mt. Nyiragongo and Mt. Nyamulagira in 2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rüdiger, Julian; Bobrowski, Nicole; Hoffmann, Thorsten

    2016-04-01

    products. The diffusion denuder technique allows sampling of gaseous compounds exclusively without collecting particulate matter. Solvent elution of the derivatized analytes and subsequent analysis with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry gives a limit of detection below 1 ng of bromine. The method was applied in 2015 on volcanic gas plumes at Mt. Etna (Italy), Mt. Nyiragongo and Mt. Nyamulagira (DR Congo) giving reactive bromine mixing ratios from 0.3 ppb (Nyiragongo) up to 22 ppb (Etna, NEC). Compared with total halogen data derived by alkaline trap sampling (Raschig-tube) and ion-chromatography analysis the reactive bromine mixing ratios allow the investigation of the conversion of HBr into reactive species due to plume chemistry with progressing plume age. The new method will be described in detail and the first results on the reactive halogen to total halogen output will be discussed (for bromine and chlorine) and compared to earlier volcanic plume chemistry model studies. References Bobrowski, N. and G. Giuffrida: Bromine monoxide / sulphur dioxide ratios in relation to volcanological observations at Mt. Etna 2006-2009. Solid Earth, 3, 433-445, 2012 Bobrowski, N., R. von Glasow, A. Aiuppa, S. Inguaggiato, I. Louban, O. W. Ibrahim and U. Platt: Reactive halogen chemistry in volcanic plumes. J. Geophys. Res., 112, 2007 Donovan A., V. Tsanev, C. Oppenheimer and M. Edmonds: Reactive halogens (BrO and OClO) detected in the plume of Soufrière Hills Volcano during an eruption hiatus. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 15, 3346-3363, 2014 Rüdiger, J., N. Bobrowski, T. Hoffmann (2015), Development and application of compact denuder sampling techniques with in situ derivatization followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for halogen speciation in volcanic plumes (EGU2015-2392-2), EGU General Assembly 2015

  5. Detailed mtDNA genotypes permit a reassessment of the settlement and population structure of the Andaman Islands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barik, S S; Sahani, R; Prasad, B V R; Endicott, P; Metspalu, M; Sarkar, B N; Bhattacharya, S; Annapoorna, P C H; Sreenath, J; Sun, D; Sanchez, J J; Ho, S Y W; Chandrasekar, A; Rao, V R

    2008-05-01

    The population genetics of the Indian subcontinent is central to understanding early human prehistory due to its strategic location on the proposed corridor of human movement from Africa to Australia during the late Pleistocene. Previous genetic research using mtDNA has emphasized the relative isolation of the late Pleistocene colonizers, and the physically isolated Andaman Island populations of Island South-East Asia remain the source of claims supporting an early split between the populations that formed the patchy settlement pattern along the coast of the Indian Ocean. Using whole-genome sequencing, combined with multiplexed SNP typing, this study investigates the deep structure of mtDNA haplogroups M31 and M32 in India and the Andaman Islands. The identification of a so far unnoticed rare polymorphism shared between these two lineages suggests that they are actually sister groups within a single haplogroup, M31'32. The enhanced resolution of M31 allows for the inference of a more recent colonization of the Andaman Islands than previously suggested, but cannot reject the very early peopling scenario. We further demonstrate a widespread overlap of mtDNA and cultural markers between the two major language groups of the Andaman archipelago. Given the "completeness" of the genealogy based on whole genome sequences, and the multiple scenarios for the peopling of the Andaman Islands sustained by this inferred genealogy, our study hints that further mtDNA based phylogeographic studies are unlikely to unequivocally support any one of these possibilities. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  6. Implementation of the ATLAS trigger within the multi-threaded software framework AthenaMT

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00225867; The ATLAS collaboration

    2017-01-01

    We present an implementation of the ATLAS High Level Trigger, HLT, that provides parallel execution of trigger algorithms within the ATLAS multithreaded software framework, AthenaMT. This development will enable the ATLAS HLT to meet future challenges due to the evolution of computing hardware and upgrades of the Large Hadron Collider, LHC, and ATLAS Detector. During the LHC data-taking period starting in 2021, luminosity will reach up to three times the original design value. Luminosity will increase further, to up to 7.5 times the design value, in 2026 following LHC and ATLAS upgrades. This includes an upgrade of the ATLAS trigger architecture that will result in an increase in the HLT input rate by a factor of 4 to 10 compared to the current maximum rate of 100 kHz. The current ATLAS multiprocess framework, AthenaMP, manages a number of processes that each execute algorithms sequentially for different events. AthenaMT will provide a fully multi-threaded environment that will additionally enable concurrent ...

  7. A New Structural Form in the SAM/Metal-Dependent O;#8209;Methyltransferase Family: MycE from the Mycinamicin Biosynthetic Pathway

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akey, David L.; Li, Shengying; Konwerski, Jamie R.; Confer, Laura A.; Bernard, Steffen M.; Anzai, Yojiro; Kato, Fumio; Sherman, David H.; Smith, Janet L. (Michigan); (Toho)

    2012-08-01

    O-linked methylation of sugar substituents is a common modification in the biosynthesis of many natural products and is catalyzed by multiple families of S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM or AdoMet)-dependent methyltransferases (MTs). Mycinamicins, potent antibiotics from Micromonospora griseorubida, can be methylated at two positions on a 6-deoxyallose substituent. The first methylation is catalyzed by MycE, a SAM- and metal-dependent MT. Crystal structures were determined for MycE bound to the product S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (AdoHcy) and magnesium, both with and without the natural substrate mycinamicin VI. This represents the first structure of a natural product sugar MT in complex with its natural substrate. MycE is a tetramer of a two-domain polypeptide, comprising a C-terminal catalytic MT domain and an N-terminal auxiliary domain, which is important for quaternary assembly and for substrate binding. The symmetric MycE tetramer has a novel MT organization in which each of the four active sites is formed at the junction of three monomers within the tetramer. The active-site structure supports a mechanism in which a conserved histidine acts as a general base, and the metal ion helps to position the methyl acceptor and to stabilize a hydroxylate intermediate. A conserved tyrosine is suggested to support activity through interactions with the transferred methyl group from the SAM methyl donor. The structure of the free enzyme reveals a dramatic order-disorder transition in the active site relative to the S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine complexes, suggesting a mechanism for product/substrate exchange through concerted movement of five loops and the polypeptide C-terminus.

  8. Phylogeography of mtDNA haplogroup R7 in the Indian peninsula

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shukla Parul

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Human genetic diversity observed in Indian subcontinent is second only to that of Africa. This implies an early settlement and demographic growth soon after the first 'Out-of-Africa' dispersal of anatomically modern humans in Late Pleistocene. In contrast to this perspective, linguistic diversity in India has been thought to derive from more recent population movements and episodes of contact. With the exception of Dravidian, which origin and relatedness to other language phyla is obscure, all the language families in India can be linked to language families spoken in different regions of Eurasia. Mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome evidence has supported largely local evolution of the genetic lineages of the majority of Dravidian and Indo-European speaking populations, but there is no consensus yet on the question of whether the Munda (Austro-Asiatic speaking populations originated in India or derive from a relatively recent migration from further East. Results Here, we report the analysis of 35 novel complete mtDNA sequences from India which refine the structure of Indian-specific varieties of haplogroup R. Detailed analysis of haplogroup R7, coupled with a survey of ~12,000 mtDNAs from caste and tribal groups over the entire Indian subcontinent, reveals that one of its more recently derived branches (R7a1, is particularly frequent among Munda-speaking tribal groups. This branch is nested within diverse R7 lineages found among Dravidian and Indo-European speakers of India. We have inferred from this that a subset of Munda-speaking groups have acquired R7 relatively recently. Furthermore, we find that the distribution of R7a1 within the Munda-speakers is largely restricted to one of the sub-branches (Kherwari of northern Munda languages. This evidence does not support the hypothesis that the Austro-Asiatic speakers are the primary source of the R7 variation. Statistical analyses suggest a significant correlation between

  9. Insensitivity of Tree-Ring Growth to Temperature and Precipitation Sharpens the Puzzle of Enhanced Pre-Eruption NDVI on Mt. Etna (Italy).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seiler, Ruedi; Kirchner, James W; Krusic, Paul J; Tognetti, Roberto; Houlié, Nicolas; Andronico, Daniele; Cullotta, Sebastiano; Egli, Markus; D'Arrigo, Rosanne; Cherubini, Paolo

    2017-01-01

    On Mt. Etna (Italy), an enhanced Normalized Difference in Vegetation Index (NDVI) signature was detected in the summers of 2001 and 2002 along a distinct line where, in November 2002, a flank eruption subsequently occurred. These observations suggest that pre-eruptive volcanic activity may have enhanced photosynthesis along the future eruptive fissure. If a direct relation between NDVI and future volcanic eruptions could be established, it would provide a straightforward and low-cost method for early detection of upcoming eruptions. However, it is unclear if, or to what extent, the observed enhancement of NDVI can be attributed to volcanic activity prior to the subsequent eruption. We consequently aimed at determining whether an increase in ambient temperature or additional water availability owing to the rise of magma and degassing of water vapour prior to the eruption could have increased photosynthesis of Mt. Etna's trees. Using dendro-climatic analyses we quantified the sensitivity of tree ring widths to temperature and precipitation at high elevation stands on Mt. Etna. Our findings suggest that tree growth at high elevation on Mt. Etna is weakly influenced by climate, and that neither an increase in water availability nor an increase in temperature induced by pre-eruptive activity is a plausible mechanism for enhanced photosynthesis before the 2002/2003 flank eruption. Our findings thus imply that other, yet unknown, factors must be sought as causes of the pre-eruption enhancement of NDVI on Mt. Etna.

  10. Restoring ecosystem functions and services by overcoming soil threats - The case of Mt. Hekla area in Iceland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorsson, Johann; Petursdottir, Thorunn

    2015-04-01

    Soils are one of the main fundamental bodies of terrestrial ecosystems. Soil functions contribute substantially to the ecosystem services humans and all other living beings depend on. Current soil threats are in most cases related to anthropogenic impacts and derived environmental pressures. For instance, overexploitation has in many cases damaged ecosystem resilience, affected current equilibrium and caused severe soil degradation. The resulting dysfunctional ecosystems are incapable of providing necessary ecosystem services. In such cases ecosystem restoration is necessary to restore ecosystem functions and ecological succession. The Mt. Hekla area in Iceland is an example of land suffering from accelerated erosion amplified by anthropogenic impacts. The area is 900 km2 located in South Iceland in the vicinity of the volcano Mt. Hekla. Today over 40% of the area is classified as eroded but historical documents indicate that vast part of the area were fertile and vegetated at the time of settlement, 1100 years ago; hence was able to withstand the geological disturbances occurring prior to the arrival of man as is obvious from the pristine woody patches still remaining. Severe soil degradation followed the large-scale deforestation and overgrazing that took place within the area. The initial land degradation event is considered to have occurred in the 11th century, but has been ongoing since then in several episodes. The Þjórsá glacial river flows through the area and carries enormous amounts of sediments every year. After the deforestation, the ecosystem resilience was damaged and the land left exposed to the elements. Eventually large scale wind erosion started, followed with water erosion and increased impact of freeze-thaw processes. The Soil Conservation Service of Iceland started working in the area in the early 20th century and land reclamation operations have been ongoing until this day. Considerable successes have been made as is manifested in the fact

  11. Calculation of the MT25 microtron dynamics and its fast simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krist, Pavel; Chvatil, David; Bila, Jiri

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the design of a mathematical model and its fast simulation developed for the setup of the control system of the MT25 microtron, which is a cyclic electron accelerator. This type of accelerator has been controlled manually until now. The mathematical model is based on calculations of the electron motion in the accelerating cavity and vacuum chamber. The simulation diagram was created using the Matlab-Simulink tools. (author)

  12. MT-ND5 Mutation Exhibits Highly Variable Neurological Manifestations at Low Mutant Load

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ng, Y.S.; Lax, N.Z.; Maddison, P.; Alston, C.L.; Blakely, E.L.; Hepplewhite, P.D.; Riordan, G.; Meldau, S.; Chinnery, P.F.; Pierre, G.; Chronopoulou, E.; Du, A.; Hughes, I.; Morris, A.A.; Kamakari, S.; Chrousos, G.; Rodenburg, R.J.T.; Saris, C.G.J.; Feeney, C.; Hardy, S.A.; Sakakibara, T.; Sudo, A.; Okazaki, Y.; Murayama, K.; Mundy, H.; Hanna, M.G.; Ohtake, A.; Schaefer, A.M.; Champion, M.P.; Turnbull, D.M.; Taylor, R.W.; Pitceathly, R.D.S.; McFarland, R.; Gorman, G.S.

    2018-01-01

    Mutations in the m.13094T>C MT-ND5 gene have been previously described in three cases of Leigh Syndrome (LS). In this retrospective, international cohort study we identified 20 clinically affected individuals (13 families) and four asymptomatic carriers. Ten patients were deceased at the time of

  13. Near-real time 3D probabilistic earthquakes locations at Mt. Etna volcano

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barberi, G.; D'Agostino, M.; Mostaccio, A.; Patane', D.; Tuve', T.

    2012-04-01

    Automatic procedure for locating earthquake in quasi-real time must provide a good estimation of earthquakes location within a few seconds after the event is first detected and is strongly needed for seismic warning system. The reliability of an automatic location algorithm is influenced by several factors such as errors in picking seismic phases, network geometry, and velocity model uncertainties. On Mt. Etna, the seismic network is managed by INGV and the quasi-real time earthquakes locations are performed by using an automatic-picking algorithm based on short-term-average to long-term-average ratios (STA/LTA) calculated from an approximate squared envelope function of the seismogram, which furnish a list of P-wave arrival times, and the location algorithm Hypoellipse, with a 1D velocity model. The main purpose of this work is to investigate the performances of a different automatic procedure to improve the quasi-real time earthquakes locations. In fact, as the automatic data processing may be affected by outliers (wrong picks), the use of a traditional earthquake location techniques based on a least-square misfit function (L2-norm) often yield unstable and unreliable solutions. Moreover, on Mt. Etna, the 1D model is often unable to represent the complex structure of the volcano (in particular the strong lateral heterogeneities), whereas the increasing accuracy in the 3D velocity models at Mt. Etna during recent years allows their use today in routine earthquake locations. Therefore, we selected, as reference locations, all the events occurred on Mt. Etna in the last year (2011) which was automatically detected and located by means of the Hypoellipse code. By using this dataset (more than 300 events), we applied a nonlinear probabilistic earthquake location algorithm using the Equal Differential Time (EDT) likelihood function, (Font et al., 2004; Lomax, 2005) which is much more robust in the presence of outliers in the data. Successively, by using a probabilistic

  14. Optimized Mitochondrial Targeting of Proteins Encoded by Modified mRNAs Rescues Cells Harboring Mutations in mtATP6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Randall Marcelo Chin

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Mitochondrial disease may be caused by mutations in the protein-coding genes of the mitochondrial genome. A promising strategy for treating such diseases is allotopic expression—the translation of wild-type copies of these proteins in the cytosol, with subsequent translocation into the mitochondria, resulting in rescue of mitochondrial function. In this paper, we develop an automated, quantitative, and unbiased screening platform to evaluate protein localization and mitochondrial morphology. This platform was used to compare 31 mitochondrial targeting sequences and 15 3′ UTRs in their ability to localize up to 9 allotopically expressed proteins to the mitochondria and their subsequent impact on mitochondrial morphology. Taking these two factors together, we synthesized chemically modified mRNAs that encode for an optimized allotopic expression construct for mtATP6. These mRNAs were able to functionally rescue a cell line harboring the 8993T > G point mutation in the mtATP6 gene. : Allotopic expression of proteins normally encoded by mtDNA is a promising therapy for mitochondrial disease. Chin et al. use an unbiased and high-content imaging-based screening platform to optimize allotopic expression. Modified mRNAs encoding for the optimized allotopic expression constructs rescued the respiration and growth of mtATP6-deficient cells. Keywords: mitochondria, mitochondrial disease, mRNA, modified mRNA, ATP6, allotopic expression, rare disease, gene therapy, screening, high content imaging

  15. Identification of 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxylate derivatives active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and the beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase mtFabH.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qosay Al-Balas

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB is a disease which kills two million people every year and infects approximately over one-third of the world's population. The difficulty in managing tuberculosis is the prolonged treatment duration, the emergence of drug resistance and co-infection with HIV/AIDS. Tuberculosis control requires new drugs that act at novel drug targets to help combat resistant forms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and reduce treatment duration. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our approach was to modify the naturally occurring and synthetically challenging antibiotic thiolactomycin (TLM to the more tractable 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxylate scaffold to generate compounds that mimic TLM's novel mode of action. We report here the identification of a series of compounds possessing excellent activity against M. tuberculosis H(37R(v and, dissociatively, against the beta-ketoacyl synthase enzyme mtFabH which is targeted by TLM. Specifically, methyl 2-amino-5-benzylthiazole-4-carboxylate was found to inhibit M. tuberculosis H(37R(v with an MIC of 0.06 microg/ml (240 nM, but showed no activity against mtFabH, whereas methyl 2-(2-bromoacetamido-5-(3-chlorophenylthiazole-4-carboxylate inhibited mtFabH with an IC(50 of 0.95+/-0.05 microg/ml (2.43+/-0.13 microM but was not active against the whole cell organism. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings clearly identify the 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxylate scaffold as a promising new template towards the discovery of a new class of anti-tubercular agents.

  16. Effects of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption on the radiative and chemical processes in the troposphere and stratosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kinnison, D.E.; Grant, K.E.; Connell, P.S.; Wuebbles, D.J.

    1992-01-01

    The LLNL 2-D zonally averaged chemical-radiative transport model of the global atmosphere was used to study the effects of the June 15, 1991 eruption of the Mt. Pinatubo volcano on stratospheric processes. SAGE-11 time-dependent aerosol surface area density and optical extinction data were used as input into the model. By the winter solstice, 1991, a maximum change in column ozone was observed in the equatorial region of -2% (with heterogeneous chemical reactions on sulfuric acid aerosols) and -5.5% (including heterogeneous reactions plus radiative feedbacks). Maximum local ozone decreases of 12% were derived in the equatorial region, at 25 km, for winter solstice 1991. Column NO 2 peaked (-14%) at 30 S in October 1991. Local concentrations of NO x , Cl x , and HO x , in the lower stratosphere, were calculated to have changed between 30 S and 30 N by -40%, +80%, and +60% respectively

  17. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA haplogroups and serum levels of anti-oxidant enzymes in patients with osteoarthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernandez-Moreno Mercedes

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Oxidative stress play a main role in the initiation and progression of the OA disease and leads to the degeneration of mitochondria. To prevent this, the chondrocytes possess a well-coordinated enzymatic antioxidant system. Besides, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA haplogroups are associated with the OA disease. Thus, the main goal of this work is to assess the incidence of the mtDNA haplogroups on serum levels of two of the main antioxidant enzymes, Manganese Superoxide Dismutase (Mn-SOD or SOD2 and catalase, and to test the suitability of these two proteins for potential OA-related biomarkers. Methods We analyzed the serum levels of SOD2 and catalase in 73 OA patients and 77 healthy controls carrying the haplogroups J, U and H, by ELISA assay. Knee and hip radiographs were classified according to Kellgren and Lawrence (K/L scoring from Grade 0 to Grade IV. Appropriate statistical analyses were performed to test the effects of clinical variables, including gender, body mass index (BMI, age, smoking status, diagnosis, haplogroups and radiologic K/L grade on serum levels of these enzymes. Results Serum levels of SOD2 appeared statistically increased in OA patients when compared with healthy controls (p Conclusions The increased levels of SOD2 in OA patients indicate an increased oxidative stress OA-related, therefore this antioxidant enzyme could be a suitable candidate biomarker for diagnosis of OA. Mitochondrial haplogroups significantly correlates with serum levels of catalase

  18. Acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering is regulated both by glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β)-dependent phosphorylation and the level of CLIP-associated protein 2 (CLASP2) mediating the capture of microtubule plus-ends.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Sreya; Sladecek, Stefan; Pemble, Hayley; Wittmann, Torsten; Slotman, Johan A; van Cappellen, Wiggert; Brenner, Hans-Rudolf; Galjart, Niels

    2014-10-31

    The postsynaptic apparatus of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) traps and anchors acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at high density at the synapse. We have previously shown that microtubule (MT) capture by CLASP2, a MT plus-end-tracking protein (+TIP), increases the size and receptor density of AChR clusters at the NMJ through the delivery of AChRs and that this is regulated by a pathway involving neuronal agrin and several postsynaptic kinases, including GSK3. Phosphorylation by GSK3 has been shown to cause CLASP2 dissociation from MT ends, and nine potential phosphorylation sites for GSK3 have been mapped on CLASP2. How CLASP2 phosphorylation regulates MT capture at the NMJ and how this controls the size of AChR clusters are not yet understood. To examine this, we used myotubes cultured on agrin patches that induce AChR clustering in a two-dimensional manner. We show that expression of a CLASP2 mutant, in which the nine GSK3 target serines are mutated to alanine (CLASP2-9XS/9XA) and are resistant to GSK3β-dependent phosphorylation, promotes MT capture at clusters and increases AChR cluster size, compared with myotubes that express similar levels of wild type CLASP2 or that are noninfected. Conversely, myotubes expressing a phosphomimetic form of CLASP2 (CLASP2-8XS/D) show enrichment of immobile mutant CLASP2 in clusters, but MT capture and AChR cluster size are reduced. Taken together, our data suggest that both GSK3β-dependent phosphorylation and the level of CLASP2 play a role in the maintenance of AChR cluster size through the regulated capture and release of MT plus-ends. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  19. The Microtron MT-25 facility in Cuba. A contribution to the regional cooperation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez, G.; Guibert, R.; Zuniga, J.F.; Guzman, F.; Montero, M.E.; Rizo, O.D.; Ciminos, L.

    2000-01-01

    One of the main difficulties to develop nuclear application research is the lack of nuclear facilities. Different approaches and initiatives have been raised looking for more comprehensive exchanges. However, it is still necessary to strengthen regional cooperation in nuclear applications, in particular in the common use of accelerators and other nuclear facilities, based on a cooperative scheme in which each country contributes with its own facilities. The Microtron MT-25 Project in Cuba is proposed to deal with this kind of scheme. The construction of an electron accelerator up to 25 MeV, called Microtron MT-25, was finished in 1990 for Cuba, as a result of the collaboration of Cuban and Russian physicists in the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. The Microtron MT-25 is an electron cycle-accelerator which allows electrons, gamma rays and neutrons to be obtained. The principal characteristics of the accelerator and radiation are described in the paper. The Microtron-Havana facility is conceived for fundamental and applied research. The fundamental research topics of interest are photonuclear reaction studies, Nuclear Astrophysics reactions and photofission reactions. The applied research program involved in the Microtron Project consists of Gamma and Neutron Activation Analysis applied in Environment, Agriculture, Geology, Minerals, as well as materials science. Production of radioactive sources and radioisotopes. Medical and biological applications.To develop the research program, interested institutions need to form a User's Club. It will be formed, among others, by Brazil (Institute of Physics, Univ. Sao Paulo, Linear Accelerator Lab.), Argentina (Tandem Accelerator, called Tandar), Mexico (Institute of Physic, UNAM, Experimental Physics Department), Cuba (ISCTN, CEADEN, Isotopes Center, and IMRE from Havana University.) The participation of the members in the program exploitation will be based on projects in which the financial matters and

  20. Characterization of E-cadherin-dependent and -independent events in a new model of c-Fos-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mejlvang, Jakob; Kriajevska, Marina; Berditchevski, Fedor; Bronstein, Igor; Lukanidin, Eugene M.; Pringle, J. Howard; Mellon, J. Kilian; Tulchinsky, Eugene M.

    2007-01-01

    Fos proteins have been implicated in control of tumorigenesis-related genetic programs including invasion, angiogenesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis. In this study, we demonstrate that c-Fos is able to induce mesenchymal transition in murine tumorigenic epithelial cell lines. Expression of c-Fos in MT1TC1 cells led to prominent alterations in cell morphology, increased expression of mesenchymal markers, vimentin and S100A4, DNA methylation-dependent down-regulation of E-cadherin and abrogation of cell-cell adhesion. In addition, c-Fos induced a strong β-catenin-independent proliferative response in MT1TC1 cells and stimulated cell motility, invasion and adhesion to different extracellular matrix proteins. To explore whether loss of E-cadherin plays a role in c-Fos-mediated mesenchymal transition, we expressed wild-type E-cadherin and two different E-cadherin mutants in MT1TC1/c-fos cells. Expression of wild-type E-cadherin restored epithelioid morphology and enhanced cellular levels of catenins. However, exogenous E-cadherin did not influence expression of c-Fos-dependent genes, only partly suppressed growth of MT1TC1/c-fos cells and produced no effect on c-Fos-stimulated cell motility and invasion in matrigel. On the other hand, re-expression of E-cadherin specifically negated c-Fos-induced adhesion to collagen type I, but not to laminin or fibronectin. Of interest, mutant E-cadherin which lacks the ability to form functional adhesive complexes had an opposite, potentiating effect on cell adhesion to collagen I. These data suggest that cell adhesion to collagen I is regulated by the functional state of E-cadherin. Overall, our data demonstrate that, with the exception of adhesion to collagen I, c-Fos is dominant over E-cadherin in relation to the aspects of mesenchymal transition assayed in this study