Organizing nuclear power plant operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, H.W.; Rekittke, K.

1987-01-01

With the preliminary culmination in the convoy plants of the high standard of engineered safeguards in German nuclear power plants developed over the past twenty years, the interest of operators has now increasingly turned to problems which had not been in the focus of attention before. One of these problems is the organization of nuclear power plant operation. In order to enlarge the basis of knowledge, which is documented also in the rules published by the Kerntechnischer Ausschuss (Nuclear Technology Committee), the German Federal Minister of the Interior has commissioned a study of the organizational structures of nuclear power plants. The findings of that study are covered in the article. Two representative nuclear power plants in the Federal Republic of Germany were selected for the study, one of them a single-unit plant run by an independent operating company in the form of a private company under German law (GmbH), the other a dual-unit plant operated as a dependent unit of a utility. The two enterprises have different structures of organization. (orig.) [de

Plant-derived nanostructures: types and applications

Science.gov (United States)

Plant-derived nanostructures and nanoparticles (NPs) have functional applications in numerous disciplines such as health care, food and feed, cosmetics, biomedical science, energy science, drug-gene delivery, environmental health, and so on. Consequently, it is imperative for res...

Plant derived antioxidants and antifibrotic drugs: past, present and future

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devaraj Ezhilarasan

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Hepatic fibrosis occurs as a wound-healing process after several forms of chronic hepatic injury. Activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells play pivotal role in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis. Many researchers, from the therapeutic perspective, have focused their attention on searching for novel agents with inhibitory effects on hepatic stellate cells proliferation and activation to prevent hepatic fibrogenesis and a number of plant derived antioxidants have been tested as anti-fibrogenic agents, they generally suppress proliferation and collagen synthesis. Plants remain an imperative source of novel drugs, novel drug leads and new chemical entities. The plant based drug discovery resulted primarily in the development of antioxidant, anti-cancer and other anti-infectious agents and continues to contribute to the new leads in clinical trials. This review summarizes some of those most important plant derived anti-fibrotic drugs and their beneficial effects on experimentally induced hepatic fibrosis in vitro and in vivo. The plant derived antioxidant compounds described herein are curcumin, silymarin, silibinin, baicalein, resveratrol, salvianolic acids, tetrandine, quercetin and berberine. Studies from ours and as demonstrated by pervious workers much information has been accumulated over the past two decades through in vivo and in vitro. In light of those studies, it has been confirmed that plants derived antioxidants, particularly flavanoids, show a significant influence to block hepatic fibrosis regardless of any etiology. This review outlines recent progress in the use of plant derived drugs against experimentally induced liver fibrosis by in vitro and in vivo studies and summarizes the possible mechanisms anti-fibrotic effects of these compounds.

Effect of organic fertilizers derived dissolved organic matter on pesticide sorption and leaching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Kun [Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Xing Baoshan [Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States) and Northeast Institute of Geography and Agro-ecology, CAS, Harbin 150040 (China)]. E-mail: bx@pssci.umass.edu; Torello, William A. [Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)

2005-03-01

Incorporation of organic fertilizers/amendments has been, and continues to be, a popular strategy for golf course turfgrass management. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from these organic materials may, however, facilitate organic chemical movement through soils. A batch equilibrium technique was used to evaluate the effects of organic fertilizer-derived DOM on sorption of three organic chemicals (2,4-D, naphthalene and chlorpyrifos) in USGA (United States Golf Association) sand, a mixed soil (70% USGA sand and 30% native soil) and a silt loam soil (Typic Fragiochrept). DOM was extracted from two commercial organic fertilizers. Column leaching experiments were also performed using USGA sand. Sorption experiments showed that sorption capacity was significantly reduced with increasing DOM concentration in solution for all three chemicals. Column experimental results were consistent with batch equilibrium data. These results suggest that organic fertilizer-derived DOM might lead to enhanced transport of applied chemicals in turf soils. - Dissolved organic matter could result in enhanced transport of chemicals applied to turf.

Effect of organic fertilizers derived dissolved organic matter on pesticide sorption and leaching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Kun; Xing Baoshan; Torello, William A.

2005-01-01

Incorporation of organic fertilizers/amendments has been, and continues to be, a popular strategy for golf course turfgrass management. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from these organic materials may, however, facilitate organic chemical movement through soils. A batch equilibrium technique was used to evaluate the effects of organic fertilizer-derived DOM on sorption of three organic chemicals (2,4-D, naphthalene and chlorpyrifos) in USGA (United States Golf Association) sand, a mixed soil (70% USGA sand and 30% native soil) and a silt loam soil (Typic Fragiochrept). DOM was extracted from two commercial organic fertilizers. Column leaching experiments were also performed using USGA sand. Sorption experiments showed that sorption capacity was significantly reduced with increasing DOM concentration in solution for all three chemicals. Column experimental results were consistent with batch equilibrium data. These results suggest that organic fertilizer-derived DOM might lead to enhanced transport of applied chemicals in turf soils. - Dissolved organic matter could result in enhanced transport of chemicals applied to turf

THE INFLUENCE OF SELECTED ORGANIC MICROPOLLUTANTS ON WATER ECOSYSTEMS

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Edyta Anna Kudlek

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a literature review in terms of the impact of selected micropollutants from the group of pharmaceutical compounds, food preservatives, pesticides and organic UV filters on various plants and animals species, which inhabit the water ecosystems. During own studies the impact of concentrations of micropollutants in the water environment on selected indicator organisms was evaluated. The study was conducted using saltwater Aliivibrio fischer bacteria, freshwater Daphnia magna and saltwater Artemia fanciscana crustaceans, as well as vascular plants Lemna minor. It was shown that the test organisms are characterized by a different sensitivity for the presence of micropollutants. For all applied tests an increase in the response of indicator organisms with the increasing compound concentration was observed. It demonstrates the growing toxic impact of micropollutants. The solution of benzophenone-3 at a concentration of 5 mg/dm3 was characterized by the highest toxic effects against both bacteria, crustaceans and vascular plants.

Floral vascular patterns of the double-flowered and wildtype morphs of Nigella damascena L. (Ranunculaceae

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Thierry Deroin

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The perianth of the double-flowered morph of Nigella damascena L. consists of spirally inserted petaloid sepals and sepal-like organs, similar in shape and colour to the petaloid sepals of the wild-type flower. It is devoid of petals. We compare the vascularization of each organ category of the double flower with that of the wild-type. We show that the vascular patterns of the sepal-like organs and of the petals are identical, and found an inverse relationship between the number of bracts and the number of sepals in the double-flowered morph. These two surprising findings will influence the future evo-devo studies on this plant model.

Sample sequencing of vascular plants demonstrates widespread conservation and divergence of microRNAs.

Science.gov (United States)

Chávez Montes, Ricardo A; de Fátima Rosas-Cárdenas, Flor; De Paoli, Emanuele; Accerbi, Monica; Rymarquis, Linda A; Mahalingam, Gayathri; Marsch-Martínez, Nayelli; Meyers, Blake C; Green, Pamela J; de Folter, Stefan

2014-04-23

Small RNAs are pivotal regulators of gene expression that guide transcriptional and post-transcriptional silencing mechanisms in eukaryotes, including plants. Here we report a comprehensive atlas of sRNA and miRNA from 3 species of algae and 31 representative species across vascular plants, including non-model plants. We sequence and quantify sRNAs from 99 different tissues or treatments across species, resulting in a data set of over 132 million distinct sequences. Using miRBase mature sequences as a reference, we identify the miRNA sequences present in these libraries. We apply diverse profiling methods to examine critical sRNA and miRNA features, such as size distribution, tissue-specific regulation and sequence conservation between species, as well as to predict putative new miRNA sequences. We also develop database resources, computational analysis tools and a dedicated website, http://smallrna.udel.edu/. This study provides new insights on plant sRNAs and miRNAs, and a foundation for future studies.

Deriving human resource requirements for new nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodnight, Ch.T.

2007-01-01

For those contemplating the deployment of a new nuclear plant, critical issues include the development of the operational staff and its organization. This paper will discuss the key elements of deriving an appropriate staff plan for steady state operations. There are five areas that must be analyzed, and each area has unique requirements. These key areas are 1) Operations, 2) Engineering, 3) Maintenance, 4) Regulatory/Oversight, and 5) Site Support. After the analysis for each area is complete, and the human resource requirements are identified, an organizational structure must be developed to support the necessary management, potential centralization, and appropriate functional alignments for effective and safe plant operation. Four organizational design principals have been defined. The first design principal relates to the organizational structure: no more than 7 layers of management between an individual contributor and the senior nuclear manager in the NPP. The second design principal relates to the grouping of activities in order to ensure appropriate management of related or supporting activities. The third design principal relates to out-sourcing support activities when these activities comply with particular conditions for instance when they are not mission critical to day-to day plant operations. The fourth design principal relates to the centralization of some activities when there is more than one NPP operated by the same parent company

Bioengineering vascularized tissue constructs using an injectable cell-laden enzymatically crosslinked collagen hydrogel derived from dermal extracellular matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Kuan-Chih; Lin, Ruei-Zeng; Tien, Han-Wen; Wu, Pei-Yun; Li, Yen-Cheng; Melero-Martin, Juan M; Chen, Ying-Chieh

2015-11-01

Tissue engineering promises to restore or replace diseased or damaged tissue by creating functional and transplantable artificial tissues. The development of artificial tissues with large dimensions that exceed the diffusion limitation will require nutrients and oxygen to be delivered via perfusion instead of diffusion alone over a short time period. One approach to perfusion is to vascularize engineered tissues, creating a de novo three-dimensional (3D) microvascular network within the tissue construct. This significantly shortens the time of in vivo anastomosis, perfusion and graft integration with the host. In this study, we aimed to develop injectable allogeneic collagen-phenolic hydroxyl (collagen-Ph) hydrogels that are capable of controlling a wide range of physicochemical properties, including stiffness, water absorption and degradability. We tested whether collagen-Ph hydrogels could support the formation of vascularized engineered tissue graft by human blood-derived endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in vivo. First, we studied the growth of adherent ECFCs and MSCs on or in the hydrogels. To examine the potential formation of functional vascular networks in vivo, a liquid pre-polymer solution of collagen-Ph containing human ECFCs and MSCs, horseradish peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide was injected into the subcutaneous space or abdominal muscle defect of an immunodeficient mouse before gelation, to form a 3D cell-laden polymerized construct. These results showed that extensive human ECFC-lined vascular networks can be generated within 7 days, the engineered vascular density inside collagen-Ph hydrogel constructs can be manipulated through refinable mechanical properties and proteolytic degradability, and these networks can form functional anastomoses with the existing vasculature to further support the survival of host muscle tissues. Finally, optimized conditions of the cell-laden collagen

The vascular pattern in the flower of some Mesembryanthemaceae: Aptenia cordifolia and Dorotheanthus bellidiformis. The effect of an ontogenetical shifting on the vascular pattern and vascular conservatism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meulen-Bruijns, van der C.

1976-01-01

1. The vascular pattern in the flower at various stages of maturity of Aptenia cordifolia and Dorotheanthus bellidiformis is examined. 2. The vascular pattern of Dorotheanthus has been compared with that of Aptenia: typologically, Dorotheanthus is derived from Aptenia. 3. The vascular pattern of

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associations of vascular plants confined to river valleys: towards understanding the river corridor plant distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Nobis, Agnieszka; Błaszkowski, Janusz; Zubek, Szymon

2015-01-01

The group of river corridor plants (RCP) includes vascular plant species which grow mainly or exclusively in the valleys of large rivers. Despite the long recognized fact that some plant species display a corridor-like distribution pattern in Central Europe, there is still no exhaustive explanation of the mechanisms generating this peculiar distribution. The main goal of this study was therefore to investigate whether arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and fungal root endophytes influence the RCP distribution. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) were observed in 19 out of 33 studied RCP. Dark septate endophytes (DSE) and Olpidium spp. were recorded with low abundance in 15 and 10 plant species, respectively. The spores of AMF were found only in 32% of trap cultures established from the soils collected in the river corridor habitats. In total, six widespread AMF species were identified. Because the percentage of non-mycorrhizal species in the group of RCP is significant and the sites in river corridors are characterized by low AMF species diversity, RCP can be outcompeted outside river valleys by the widespread species that are able to benefit from AM associations in more stable plant-AMF communities in non-river habitats.

Vascular perfusion of reproductive organs in pony mares and heifers during sedation with detomidine or xylazine.

Science.gov (United States)

Araujo, Reno R; Ginther, O J

2009-01-01

To assess the vascular effects of detomidine and xylazine in pony mares and heifers, respectively, as determined in a major artery and by extent of vascular perfusion of reproductive organs. 10 pony mares and 10 Holstein heifers. Pony mares were assigned to receive physiologic saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (n = 5) or detomidine (3.0 mg/mare, IV; 5). Heifers were assigned to receive saline solution (5) or xylazine (14 mg/heifer, IM; 5). Color Doppler ultrasonographic examinations were performed immediately before and 10 minutes after administration of saline solution or sedative. In spectral Doppler mode, a spectral graph of blood flow velocities during a cardiac cycle was obtained at the internal iliac artery and at the ovarian pedicle. In color-flow mode, color signals of blood flow in vessels of the corpus luteum and endometrium were assessed. Systemic effects of sedation in the 2 species were evident as a decrease in heart rate; increase in duration of systole, diastole, or both; decrease in volume of blood flow; and decrease in velocity of blood flow within the internal iliac artery. However, an effect of sedatives on local vascular perfusion in the ovaries and endometrium was not detected. Sedation with detomidine in pony mares and xylazine in heifers did not affect vascular perfusion in reproductive organs. These sedatives can be used in experimental and clinical color Doppler evaluations of vascular perfusion of the corpus luteum and endometrium.

Plant stem cell niches.

Science.gov (United States)

Aichinger, Ernst; Kornet, Noortje; Friedrich, Thomas; Laux, Thomas

2012-01-01

Multicellular organisms possess pluripotent stem cells to form new organs, replenish the daily loss of cells, or regenerate organs after injury. Stem cells are maintained in specific environments, the stem cell niches, that provide signals to block differentiation. In plants, stem cell niches are situated in the shoot, root, and vascular meristems-self-perpetuating units of organ formation. Plants' lifelong activity-which, as in the case of trees, can extend over more than a thousand years-requires that a robust regulatory network keep the balance between pluripotent stem cells and differentiating descendants. In this review, we focus on current models in plant stem cell research elaborated during the past two decades, mainly in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We address the roles of mobile signals on transcriptional modules involved in balancing cell fates. In addition, we discuss shared features of and differences between the distinct stem cell niches of Arabidopsis.

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Brian F.; Albrecht, Eric W.; Schmidt, Cecilia A.; Halvorson, William L.; Anning, Pamela; Docherty, Kathleen

2006-01-01

Executive Summary This report summarizes results of the first comprehensive biological inventory of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (NM) in southern Arizona. Surveys at the monument were part of a larger effort to inventory vascular plants and vertebrates in eight National Park Service units in Arizona and New Mexico. In 2001 and 2002 we surveyed for vascular plants and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) at Casa Grande Ruins NM to document the presence, and in some cases relative abundance, of species. By using repeatable study designs and standardized field techniques, which included quantified survey effort, we produced inventories that can serve as the basis for a biological monitoring program. Of the National Park Service units in the region, no other has experienced as much recent ecological change as Casa Grande Ruins NM. Once situated in a large and biologically diverse mesquite bosque near the perennially flowing Gila River, the monument is now a patch of sparse desert vegetation surrounded by urban and commercial development that is rapidly replacing agriculture as the dominant land use in the area. Roads, highways, and canals surround the monument. Development, and its associated impacts, has important implications for the plants and animals that live in the monument. The plant species list is small and the distribution and number of non-native plants appears to be increasing. Terrestrial vertebrates are also being impacted by the changing landscape, which is increasing the isolation of these populations from nearby natural areas and thereby reducing the number of species at the monument. These observations are alarming and are based on our review of previous studies, our research in the monument, and our knowledge of the biogeography and ecology of the Sonoran Desert. Together, these data suggest that the monument has lost a significant portion of its historic complement of species and these changes will likely intensify as

The conservation value of karst dolines for vascular plants in woodland habitats of Hungary: refugia and climate change

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Zoltán Bátori

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Limestone (karst surfaces in Hungary are rich in dolines, in which many endangered vascular plant species occur. To date, the majority of studies dealing with doline vegetation have focused on the local rather than the landscape level, without using comparative data from other areas. However, in this study we aimed to compare the vegetation pattern and species composition of dolines under different climate regimes of Hungary with regard to regional species pools. The fieldwork was carried out between 2005 and 2012. Twenty dolines were selected in the Mecsek Mountains (southern Hungary and nine dolines in the Aggtelek Karst area (northern Hungary. More than 900 vascular plants and more than 2000 plots were included in the study. The moving split window (MSW technique, nestedness analysis and principal coordinates analysis (PCoA were used to reveal the vegetation patterns in dolines. Although we found remarkable differences between the species composition of the two regions, dolines of both regions play a similar role in the preservation of different groups of species. Many plants, in particular mountain species, are restricted to the bottom of dolines where appropriate environmental conditions exist. In addition, depending on the doline geometry, many species of drier and warmer forests have colonized the upper slopes and rims. Thus, we can conclude that karst dolines of Hungary can be considered as reservoirs for many vascular plant species, therefore they are particularly important from a conservation point of view. Moreover, these dolines will likely become increasingly indispensable refugia for biodiversity under future global warming.

Short history of the Phytography of Malaysian vascular plants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wit, de H.C.D.

1948-01-01

For various reasons the space occupied by pre-Linnean Malaysian phytography in this concise history seems too large and out of proportion in comparison to the survey of post-Linnean work. Modern plant description, though based on, and derived from, ancient beginnings and traditions, maintains but

Ubiquity of insect-derived nitrogen transfer to plants by endophytic insect-pathogenic fungi: an additional branch of the soil nitrogen cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Behie, Scott W; Bidochka, Michael J

2014-03-01

The study of symbiotic nitrogen transfer in soil has largely focused on nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Vascular plants can lose a substantial amount of their nitrogen through insect herbivory. Previously, we showed that plants were able to reacquire nitrogen from insects through a partnership with the endophytic, insect-pathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii. That is, the endophytic capability and insect pathogenicity of M. robertsii are coupled so that the fungus acts as a conduit to provide insect-derived nitrogen to plant hosts. Here, we assess the ubiquity of this nitrogen transfer in five Metarhizium species representing those with broad (M. robertsii, M. brunneum, and M. guizhouense) and narrower insect host ranges (M. acridum and M. flavoviride), as well as the insect-pathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Lecanicillium lecanii. Insects were injected with (15)N-labeled nitrogen, and we tracked the incorporation of (15)N into two dicots, haricot bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and soybean (Glycine max), and two monocots, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and wheat (Triticum aestivum), in the presence of these fungi in soil microcosms. All Metarhizium species and B. bassiana but not L. lecanii showed the capacity to transfer nitrogen to plants, although to various degrees. Endophytic association by these fungi increased overall plant productivity. We also showed that in the field, where microbial competition is potentially high, M. robertsii was able to transfer insect-derived nitrogen to plants. Metarhizium spp. and B. bassiana have a worldwide distribution with high soil abundance and may play an important role in the ecological cycling of insect nitrogen back to plant communities.

Convergent evolution of vascular optimization in kelp (Laminariales).

Science.gov (United States)

Drobnitch, Sarah Tepler; Jensen, Kaare H; Prentice, Paige; Pittermann, Jarmila

2015-10-07

Terrestrial plants and mammals, although separated by a great evolutionary distance, have each arrived at a highly conserved body plan in which universal allometric scaling relationships govern the anatomy of vascular networks and key functional metabolic traits. The universality of allometric scaling suggests that these phyla have each evolved an 'optimal' transport strategy that has been overwhelmingly adopted by extant species. To truly evaluate the dominance and universality of vascular optimization, however, it is critical to examine other, lesser-known, vascularized phyla. The brown algae (Phaeophyceae) are one such group--as distantly related to plants as mammals, they have convergently evolved a plant-like body plan and a specialized phloem-like transport network. To evaluate possible scaling and optimization in the kelp vascular system, we developed a model of optimized transport anatomy and tested it with measurements of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, which is among the largest and most successful of macroalgae. We also evaluated three classical allometric relationships pertaining to plant vascular tissues with a diverse sampling of kelp species. Macrocystis pyrifera displays strong scaling relationships between all tested vascular parameters and agrees with our model; other species within the Laminariales display weak or inconsistent vascular allometries. The lack of universal scaling in the kelps and the presence of optimized transport anatomy in M. pyrifera raises important questions about the evolution of optimization and the possible competitive advantage conferred by optimized vascular systems to multicellular phyla. © 2015 The Author(s).

Undesired Plant-Derived Components in Food

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dusemund, Birgit; Rietjens, Ivonne M.C.M.; Abraham, Klaus; Cartus, Alexander; Schrenk, Dieter

2017-01-01

Among the various chemical compounds, the class of natural plant-derived substances in the modern food chain is generating increasing concern. Adverse effects encountered may be various and pose risks of acute, subchronic, or chronic toxicity. The underlying mechanisms of toxicity may be

Nitrogen Recovered By Sorghum Plants As Affected By Saline Irrigation Water And Organic/Inorganic Resources Using 15N Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ABOU-ELKHAIR, R.A.; EL-MOHTASEM, M.O.; SOLIMAN, S.M.; GALAL, Y.G.M.; ABD EL-LATIF, E.M.

2009-01-01

A pot experiment was conducted in the green house of Soil and Water Department, Nuclear Research Centre, Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt, to follow up the effect of saline irrigation water, inorganic and organic fertilizers on sorghum growth and N fractions that recovered by plant organs. Two types of artificial water salinity were used; one has 3 dS m -1 salinity level with 4 and 8 SAR and the second one has 3 and 6 dS m -1 salinity levels with 6 SAR . Leucenae residue and chicken manure were applied as organic sources at rate of 2% v/v. Sorghum was fertilized with recommended doses of super phosphate and potassium sulfate at rate of 150 kg P and 50 kg K per feddan, respectively. Labelled ammonium sulfate with 5% 15 N atom excess was applied to sorghum at rate of 100 kg N fed -1 . Dry matter yield (stalks and roots) was negatively affected by increasing water salinity levels or SAR ratios. Similar trend was recorded with N uptake by either stalks or roots of sorghum plants. On the other hand, both the dry matter yield and N uptake were positively and significantly affected by incorporation of organic sources in comparison to the untreated control. In this regard, the dry matter yield and N uptake induced by incorporation of chicken manure was superior over those recorded with leucenae residues. It means, in general, that the incorporation of organic sources into the soil may maximize the plant ability to combat the hazards effects caused by irrigation with saline water. Nitrogen derived from fertilizer (% Ndff), soil (% Ndfs) and organic resources (% Ndfr) showed frequent trends as affected by water salinity and organic resources but in most cases, severe reduction of these values was recorded when plants were irrigated with saline water. In the same time, plants were more dependent on N derived from organic sources than those derived from mineral fertilizer. Superiority of one organic source over the other was related to water salinity levels and SAR ratios

Imbalances in Mobilization and Activation of Pro-Inflammatory and Vascular Reparative Bone Marrow-Derived Cells in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harshini Chakravarthy

Full Text Available Diabetic retinopathy is a sight-threatening complication of diabetes, affecting 65% of patients after 10 years of the disease. Diabetic metabolic insult leads to chronic low-grade inflammation, retinal endothelial cell loss and inadequate vascular repair. This is partly due to bone marrow (BM pathology leading to increased activity of BM-derived pro-inflammatory monocytes and impaired function of BM-derived reparative circulating angiogenic cells (CACs. We propose that diabetes has a significant long-term effect on the nature and proportion of BM-derived cells that circulate in the blood, localize to the retina and home back to their BM niche. Using a streptozotocin mouse model of diabetic retinopathy with GFP BM-transplantation, we have demonstrated that BM-derived circulating pro-inflammatory monocytes are increased in diabetes while reparative CACs are trapped in the BM and spleen, with impaired release into circulation. Diabetes also alters activation of splenocytes and BM-derived dendritic cells in response to LPS stimulation. A majority of the BM-derived GFP cells that migrate to the retina express microglial markers, while others express endothelial, pericyte and Müller cell markers. Diabetes significantly increases infiltration of BM-derived microglia in an activated state, while reducing infiltration of BM-derived endothelial progenitor cells in the retina. Further, control CACs injected into the vitreous are very efficient at migrating back to their BM niche, whereas diabetic CACs have lost this ability, indicating that the in vivo homing efficiency of diabetic CACs is dramatically decreased. Moreover, diabetes causes a significant reduction in expression of specific integrins regulating CAC migration. Collectively, these findings indicate that BM pathology in diabetes could play a role in both increased pro-inflammatory state and inadequate vascular repair contributing to diabetic retinopathy.

Plant derived substances with anti-cancer activity: from folklore to practice

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Marcelo eFridlender

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Plants have had an essential role in the folklore of ancient cultures. In addition to the use as food and spices, plants have also been utilized as medicines for over 5000 years. It is estimated that 70-95% of the population in developing countries continues to use traditional medicines even today. A new trend, that involved the isolation of plant active compounds begun during the early 19th century. This trend led to the discovery of different active compounds that are derived from plants. In the last decades, more and more new materials derived from plants have been authorized and subscribed as medicines, including those with anti-cancer activity. Cancer is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The number of new cases is expected to rise by about 70% over the next 2 decades. Thus, there is a real need for new efficient anti-cancer drugs with reduced side effects, and plants are a promising source for such entities. Here we focus on some plant-derived substances exhibiting anti-cancer and chemoprevention activity, their mode of action and bioavailability. These include paclitaxel, curcumin and cannabinoids. In addition, development and use of their synthetic analogs, and those of strigolactones, are discussed. Also discussed are commercial considerations and future prospects for development of plant derived substances with anti-cancer activity.

Vascular plant flora in the Cytadela cemeteries in Poznań (Poland

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Aneta Czarna

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the spontaneous vascular flora and the flora originating from old or contemporary plantations found in all six currently existing cemeteries located in immediate vicinity on the slopes of the Cytadela Park in Poznań. These studies were carried out in the years 2011–2014. Over this period, 255 species of vascular plants were found. The most interesting species include: Chionodoxa luciliae, Rumex rugosus, Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’, Ficaria verna f. plenifolia, Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflora, Ornithogalum boucheanum, Ranunculus repens ‘Plena’, and hybrids: Dactylis ×intercedens, Gagea ×pomeranica, Ornithogalum boucheanum × O. nutans, Viola cyanea × V. odorata. A great number of spring geophytes, namely 31 species, was also found. Among species occurring spontaneously outside the graves, some were new for Poland, e.g., Chionodoxa luciliae, Ornithogalum boucheanum × O. nutans, Viola cyanea × V. odorata, while others were new for the Wielkopolska region: Rumex rugosus, Dactylis ×intercedens, Gagea ×pomeranica, as well as new for Poznań: Erigeron ramosus, Lilium bulbiferum, Muscari armeniacus, M. neglectum, Pimpinella nigra, Poa subcaerulea, and Veronica hederifolia s. s.

Activation tagging of the two closely linked genes LEP and VAS independently affects vascular cell number

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van der Graaff, Eric; Hooykaas, Paul J J; Keller, Beat

2002-01-01

report that in addition to this leafy petiole phenotype, the size of the vascular bundles is increased in all aerial organs in let as a result of an increase in the number of xylem, phloem (pro)cambial and pericycle cells. This vascular phenotype is caused by activation tagging of the two genes VASCULAR......-promoting factor. The activation tagging of VAS only resulted in a specific increase in phloem (pro)cambial and pericycle cells. We conclude that activation tagging of LEP and VAS results in additive phenotypes. Insertional mutants for LEP and VAS display wild-type vascular development, indicating the relevance...... of activation tagging for functional analysis of novel genes involved in plant development....

Acute ingestion of a novel whey-derived peptide improves vascular endothelial responses in healthy individuals: a randomized, placebo controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kupchak Brian R

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Whey protein is a potential source of bioactive peptides. Based on findings from in vitro experiments indicating a novel whey derived peptide (NOP-47 increased endothelial nitric oxide synthesis, we tested its effects on vascular function in humans. Methods A randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study design was used. Healthy men (n = 10 and women (n = 10 (25 ± 5 y, BMI = 24.3 ± 2.3 kg/m2 participated in two vascular testing days each preceded by 2 wk of supplementation with a single dose of 5 g/day of a novel whey-derived peptide (NOP-47 or placebo. There was a 2 wk washout period between trials. After 2 wk of supplementation, vascular function in the forearm and circulating oxidative stress and inflammatory related biomarkers were measured serially for 2 h after ingestion of 5 g of NOP-47 or placebo. Macrovascular and microvascular function were assessed using brachial artery flow mediated dilation (FMD and venous occlusion strain gauge plethysmography. Results Baseline peak FMD was not different for Placebo (7.7% and NOP-47 (7.8%. Placebo had no effect on FMD at 30, 60, and 90 min post-ingestion (7.5%, 7.2%, and 7.6%, respectively whereas NOP-47 significantly improved FMD responses at these respective postprandial time points compared to baseline (8.9%, 9.9%, and 9.0%; P P = 0.008 for time × trial interaction. Plasma myeloperoxidase was increased transiently by both NOP-47 and placebo, but there were no changes in markers inflammation. Plasma total nitrites/nitrates significantly decreased over the 2 hr post-ingestion period and were lower at 120 min after placebo (-25% compared to NOP-47 (-18%. Conclusion These findings indicate that supplementation with a novel whey-derived peptide in healthy individuals improves vascular function.

Floristic inventory of vascular plant in Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area, Lao People's Democratic Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeong Ho Park

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The floristic inventory of vascular plants in Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area was conducted to understand the plant diversity in the northern area of Lao People's Democratic Republic. From the joint field surveys between Korean and Laos experts conducted during 2015–2017, it was found that there are 64 families, 145 genera, and 189 species distributed in the Nam Ba National Biodiversity Conservation Area, and a total of 56 families, 117 genera, and 148 species which comprise more than 78% of the total species were identified as endemic plants to the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Considering the usage of the plants, there are 91 species of medicinal plants, 33 species of ornamental plants, eight species of edible plants, and 16 species of economic plants. In addition, it was found out that Dalbergia balansae and Cinnamomum macrocarpum are categorized as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Red list, and 13 more species are categorized as the least concern.

Microarray Data Analysis of Space Grown Arabidopsis Leaves for Genes Important in Vascular Patterning. Analysis of Space Grown Arabidopsis with Microarray Data from GeneLab: Identification of Genes Important in Vascular Patterning

Science.gov (United States)

Weitzel, A. J.; Wyatt, S. E.; Parsons-Wingerter, P.

2016-01-01

Venation patterning in leaves is a major determinant of photosynthesis efficiency because of its dependency on vascular transport of photo-assimilates, water, and minerals. Arabidopsis thaliana grown in microgravity show delayed growth and leaf maturation. Gene expression data from the roots, hypocotyl, and leaves of A. thaliana grown during spaceflight vs. ground control analyzed by Affymetrix microarray are available through NASA's GeneLab (GLDS-7). We analyzed the data for differential expression of genes in leaves resulting from the effects of spaceflight on vascular patterning. Two genes were found by preliminary analysis to be up-regulated during spaceflight that may be related to vascular formation. The genes are responsible for coding an ARGOS (Auxin-Regulated Gene Involved in Organ Size)-like protein (potentially affecting cell elongation in the leaves), and an F-box/kelch-repeat protein (possibly contributing to protoxylem specification). Further analysis that will focus on raw data quality assessment and a moderated t-test may further confirm up-regulation of the two genes and/or identify other gene candidates. Plants defective in these genes will then be assessed for phenotype by the mapping and quantification of leaf vascular patterning by NASA's VESsel GENeration (VESGEN) software to model specific vascular differences of plants grown in spaceflight.

The evolution of development of vascular cambia and secondary growth

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew Groover; Rachel Spicer

2010-01-01

Secondary growth from vascular cambia results in radial, woody growth of stems. The innovation of secondary vascular development during plant evolution allowed the production of novel plant forms ranging from massive forest trees to flexible, woody lianas. We present examples of the extensive phylogenetic variation in secondary vascular growth and discuss current...

Cavitation Resistance in Seedless Vascular Plants: The Structure and Function of Interconduit Pit Membranes1[W][OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Brodersen, Craig; Jansen, Steven; Choat, Brendan; Rico, Christopher; Pittermann, Jarmila

2014-01-01

Plant water transport occurs through interconnected xylem conduits that are separated by partially digested regions in the cell wall known as pit membranes. These structures have a dual function. Their porous construction facilitates water movement between conduits while limiting the spread of air that may enter the conduits and render them dysfunctional during a drought. Pit membranes have been well studied in woody plants, but very little is known about their function in more ancient lineages such as seedless vascular plants. Here, we examine the relationships between conduit air seeding, pit hydraulic resistance, and pit anatomy in 10 species of ferns (pteridophytes) and two lycophytes. Air seeding pressures ranged from 0.8 ± 0.15 MPa (mean ± sd) in the hydric fern Athyrium filix-femina to 4.9 ± 0.94 MPa in Psilotum nudum, an epiphytic species. Notably, a positive correlation was found between conduit pit area and vulnerability to air seeding, suggesting that the rare-pit hypothesis explains air seeding in early-diverging lineages much as it does in many angiosperms. Pit area resistance was variable but averaged 54.6 MPa s m−1 across all surveyed pteridophytes. End walls contributed 52% to the overall transport resistance, similar to the 56% in angiosperm vessels and 64% in conifer tracheids. Taken together, our data imply that, irrespective of phylogenetic placement, selection acted on transport efficiency in seedless vascular plants and woody plants in equal measure by compensating for shorter conduits in tracheid-bearing plants with more permeable pit membranes. PMID:24777347

Function and anatomy of plant siRNA pools derived from hairpin transgenes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Kevin AW

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background RNA interference results in specific gene silencing by small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs. Synthetic siRNAs provide a powerful tool for manipulating gene expression but high cost suggests that novel siRNA production methods are desirable. Strong evolutionary conservation of siRNA structure suggested that siRNAs will retain cross-species function and that transgenic plants expressing heterologous siRNAs might serve as useful siRNA bioreactors. Here we report a detailed evaluation of the above proposition and present evidence regarding structural features of siRNAs extracted from plants. Results Testing the gene silencing capacity of plant-derived siRNAs in mammalian cells proved to be very challenging and required partial siRNA purification and design of a highly sensitive assay. Using the above assay we found that plant-derived siRNAs are ineffective for gene silencing in mammalian cells. Plant-derived siRNAs are almost exclusively double-stranded and most likely comprise a mixture of bona fide siRNAs and aberrant partially complementary duplexes. We also provide indirect evidence that plant-derived siRNAs may contain a hitherto undetected physiological modification, distinct from 3' terminal 2-O-methylation. Conclusion siRNAs produced from plant hairpin transgenes and extracted from plants are ineffective for gene silencing in mammalian cells. Thus our findings establish that a previous claim that transgenic plants offer a cost-effective, scalable and sustainable source of siRNAs is unwarranted. Our results also indicate that the presence of aberrant siRNA duplexes and possibly a plant-specific siRNA modification, compromises the gene silencing capacity of plant-derived siRNAs in mammalian cells.

In vivo polymerization and manufacturing of wires and supercapacitors in plants

Science.gov (United States)

Stavrinidou, Eleni; Nilsson, K. Peter R.; Singh, Sandeep Kumar; Franco-Gonzalez, Juan Felipe; Volkov, Anton V.; Jonsson, Magnus P.; Grimoldi, Andrea; Elgland, Mathias; Zozoulenko, Igor V.; Berggren, Magnus

2017-01-01

Electronic plants, e-Plants, are an organic bioelectronic platform that allows electronic interfacing with plants. Recently we have demonstrated plants with augmented electronic functionality. Using the vascular system and organs of a plant, we manufactured organic electronic devices and circuits in vivo, leveraging the internal structure and physiology of the plant as the template, and an integral part of the devices. However, this electronic functionality was only achieved in localized regions, whereas new electronic materials that could be distributed to every part of the plant would provide versatility in device and circuit fabrication and create possibilities for new device concepts. Here we report the synthesis of such a conjugated oligomer that can be distributed and form longer oligomers and polymer in every part of the xylem vascular tissue of a Rosa floribunda cutting, forming long-range conducting wires. The plant’s structure acts as a physical template, whereas the plant’s biochemical response mechanism acts as the catalyst for polymerization. In addition, the oligomer can cross through the veins and enter the apoplastic space in the leaves. Finally, using the plant’s natural architecture we manufacture supercapacitors along the stem. Our results are preludes to autonomous energy systems integrated within plants and distribute interconnected sensor–actuator systems for plant control and optimization. PMID:28242683

The Root-Associated Microbial Community of the World's Highest Growing Vascular Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Angel, Roey; Conrad, Ralf; Dvorsky, Miroslav; Kopecky, Martin; Kotilínek, Milan; Hiiesalu, Inga; Schweingruber, Fritz; Doležal, Jiří

2016-08-01

Upward migration of plants to barren subnival areas is occurring worldwide due to raising ambient temperatures and glacial recession. In summer 2012, the presence of six vascular plants, growing in a single patch, was recorded at an unprecedented elevation of 6150 m.a.s.l. close to the summit of Mount Shukule II in the Western Himalayas (Ladakh, India). Whilst showing multiple signs of stress, all plants have managed to establish stable growth and persist for several years. To learn about the role of microbes in the process of plant upward migration, we analysed the root-associated microbial community of the plants (three individuals from each) using microscopy and tagged amplicon sequencing. No mycorrhizae were found on the roots, implying they are of little importance to the establishment and early growth of the plants. However, all roots were associated with a complex bacterial community, with richness and diversity estimates similar or even higher than the surrounding bare soil. Both soil and root-associated communities were dominated by members of the orders Sphingomonadales and Sphingobacteriales, which are typical for hot desert soils, but were different from communities of temperate subnival soils and typical rhizosphere communities. Despite taxonomic similarity on the order level, the plants harboured a unique set of highly dominant operational taxonomic units which were not found in the bare soil. These bacteria have been likely transported with the dispersing seeds and became part of the root-associated community following germination. The results indicate that developing soils act not only as a source of inoculation to plant roots but also possibly as a sink for plant-associated bacteria.

Restless 5S: the re-arrangement(s) and evolution of the nuclear ribosomal DNA in land plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Wicke, Susann; Costa, Andrea; Muñoz, Jesùs; Quandt, Dietmar

2011-11-01

Among eukaryotes two types of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) organization have been observed. Either all components, i.e. the small ribosomal subunit, 5.8S, large ribosomal subunit, and 5S occur tandemly arranged or the 5S rDNA forms a separate cluster of its own. Generalizations based on data derived from just a few model organisms have led to a superimposition of structural and evolutionary traits to the entire plant kingdom asserting that plants generally possess separate arrays. This study reveals that plant nrDNA organization into separate arrays is not a distinctive feature, but rather assignable almost solely to seed plants. We show that early diverging land plants and presumably streptophyte algae share a co-localization of all rRNA genes within one repeat unit. This raises the possibility that the state of rDNA gene co-localization had occurred in their common ancestor. Separate rDNA arrays were identified for all basal seed plants and water ferns, implying at least two independent 5S rDNA transposition events during land plant evolution. Screening for 5S derived Cassandra transposable elements which might have played a role during the transposition events, indicated that this retrotransposon is absent in early diverging vascular plants including early fern lineages. Thus, Cassandra can be rejected as a primary mechanism for 5S rDNA transposition in water ferns. However, the evolution of Cassandra and other eukaryotic 5S derived elements might have been a side effect of the 5S rDNA cluster formation. Structural analysis of the intergenic spacers of the ribosomal clusters revealed that transposition events partially affect spacer regions and suggests a slightly different transcription regulation of 5S rDNA in early land plants. 5S rDNA upstream regulatory elements are highly divergent or absent from the LSU-5S spacers of most early divergent land plant lineages. Several putative scenarios and mechanisms involved in the concerted relocation of hundreds of 5S

CD54+ rabbit adipose-derived stem cells overexpressing HIF-1α facilitate vascularized fat flap regeneration

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Zhi-Jie; Huang, Min-Hong; Peng, Qi-Liu; Zou, Dong-Hua; Gu, Rong-He; Xu, Fang-Tian; Gao, Hui; Chen, Zhen-Dong; Chi, Guang-Yi; Wei, Zhong-Heng; Chen, Li; Li, Hong-Mian

2017-01-01

Fat flap transplantation is frequently performed in patients suffering from soft tissue defects resulting from disease or trauma. This study explored the feasibility of constructing vascularized fat flaps using rabbit adipose-derived stem cells (rASCs) and collagen scaffolds in a rabbit model. We evaluated rASCs proliferation, paracrine function, adipogenesis, vascularization, and CD54 expression, with or without HIF-1α transfection in vitro and in vivo. We observed that adipogenic differentiation potential was greater in rASCs with high CD54 expression (CD54+rASCs) than in those with low expression (CD54–rASCs), both in vitro and in vivo. HIF-1α overexpression not only augmented this effect, but also enhanced cell proliferation and paracrine function in vitro. We also demonstrated that HIF-1α-transfected CD54+rASCs showed enhanced paracrine function and adipogenic capacity, and that paracrine function increases expression of angiogenesis-related markers. Thus, CD54+rASCs overexpressing HIF-1α enhanced large volume vascularized fat flap regeneration in rabbits, suggesting CD54 may be an ideal candidate marker for ASCs adipogenic differentiation. PMID:28423354

The origin of soil organic matter dictates its composition and bioreactivity across a mesic boreal forest latitudinal gradient

Science.gov (United States)

Kohl, Lukas; Philben, Michael; Edwards, Kate A.; Podrebarac, Frances A.; Warren, Jamie; Ziegler, Susan E.

2017-04-01

Climate transect studies and soil warming experiments have shown that soil organic matter (SOM) formed under a warmer climate is typically more resistant to microbial decomposition, as indicated by lower decomposition rates at a given temperature (bioreactivity). However, it remains unclear how climate impacts SOM via its effect on vegetation and thus litter inputs to soils, or on decomposition and thus how SOM changes over time (diagenesis). We addressed this question by studying how the chemical and biological properties of SOM vary with decomposition (depth) and climate history (latitude) in mesic boreal forests of Atlantic Canada. SOM bioreactivity, measured in a 15-months decomposition experiment, decreased from cold to warm regions, and from the topmost (L) to the deepest horizon studied (H). The variations in SOM bioreactivity with climate history and depth, however, were associated with distinct parameters of SOM chemistry. More decomposed SOM with depth was associated with lower proportions of %N as total hydrolysable amino acids (THAA), and a different THAA-based degradation index signifying a more degraded state. However, SOM from the warmer region exhibited higher lignin to carbohydrate ratios, as detected by NMR. None of the measured parameters associated with regional differences in SOM chemistry increased with depth. Together, these results indicate that the regional differences in SOM chemistry and bioreactivity in these soils did not result from significant differences in the degree of degradation, but rather resulted from chemically distinct litter inputs. The comparison of SOM and plant litter chemistry allowed us to identify how climate affects litter inputs in these forests. Vascular plant litter collected in litter traps, unlike SOM, exhibited largely similar chemical composition across all transect regions. Litter traps, however, do not collect moss litter, which is chemically distinct from vascular plant litter. We, therefore, assessed the

Application of vascular aquatic plants for pollution removal, energy and food production in a biological system

Science.gov (United States)

Wolverton, B. C.; Barlow, R. M.; Mcdonald, R. C.

1975-01-01

Vascular aquatic plants such as water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes) (Mart.) Solms and alligator weeds (Alternanthera philoxeroides) (Mart.) Griesb., when utilized in a controlled biological system (including a regular program of harvesting to achieve maximum growth and pollution removal efficiency), may represent a remarkably efficient and inexpensive filtration and disposal system for toxic materials and sewage released into waters near urban and industrial areas. The harvested and processed plant materials are sources of energy, fertilizer, animal feed, and human food. Such a system has industrial, municipal, and agricultural applications.

Vascular Anatomy of Kiwi Fruit and its Implications for the origin of carpels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xue-Min eGuo

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Kiwi fruit is of great agricultural, botanical, and economic interest. The flower of kiwi fruit has axile placentation, which is typical for Actinidiaceae. Axile placentation is thought derived through fusion of conduplicate carpels with marginal placentation according to the traditional doctrine. Recent progress in angiosperm systematics has refuted this traditional doctrine and placed ANITA clade rather than Magnoliaceae as the basalmost clade. However, the former traditional doctrine stays in the classrooms as the only teachable theory for the origin of carpels. To test the validity of this doctrine, we performed anatomical study on kiwi fruit. Our study indicates that the placenta has a vascular system independent of that of the ovary wall, the ovules/seeds are attached to the placenta that is a continuation of floral axis enclosed by the lateral appendages that constitute the ovary wall, and there are some amphicribral bundles in the center of placenta and numerous amphicribral bundles supplying ovules/seeds in kiwi fruit. The amphicribral vascular bundles supplying the ovules/seeds are comparable to those usually seen in branches, but not comparable to those seen in leaves or their derivatives. This comparison indicates that the placenta in kiwi fruit cannot be derived from the fusion of collateral ventral bundles of conduplicate carpels, as suggested by traditional doctrine. Instead the vascular organization in placenta of kiwi suggests that the placenta is a shoot apex bearing ovules/seeds laterally. This conclusion is in line with the recently raised Unifying Theory, in which the placenta is taken as an ovule-bearing branch independent of the ovary wall (carpel in strict sense. Similar vascular organization in placenta has been seen in numerous isolated taxa besides kiwi fruit. Therefore whether such a pattern is applicable for other angiosperms is an interesting question awaiting answering.

Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuan, Wenping; Liu, Shuguang; Dong, Wenjie

2014-01-01

The satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is used for estimating gross primary production (GPP), often includes contributions from both mosses and vascular plants in boreal ecosystems. For the same NDVI, moss can generate only about one-third of the GPP...... that vascular plants can because of its much lower photosynthetic capacity. Here, based on eddy covariance measurements, we show that the difference in photosynthetic capacity between these two plant functional types has never been explicitly included when estimating regional GPP in the boreal region, resulting...

Crossing kingdoms: Using decellularized plants as perfusable tissue engineering scaffolds.

Science.gov (United States)

Gershlak, Joshua R; Hernandez, Sarah; Fontana, Gianluca; Perreault, Luke R; Hansen, Katrina J; Larson, Sara A; Binder, Bernard Y K; Dolivo, David M; Yang, Tianhong; Dominko, Tanja; Rolle, Marsha W; Weathers, Pamela J; Medina-Bolivar, Fabricio; Cramer, Carole L; Murphy, William L; Gaudette, Glenn R

2017-05-01

Despite significant advances in the fabrication of bioengineered scaffolds for tissue engineering, delivery of nutrients in complex engineered human tissues remains a challenge. By taking advantage of the similarities in the vascular structure of plant and animal tissues, we developed decellularized plant tissue as a prevascularized scaffold for tissue engineering applications. Perfusion-based decellularization was modified for different plant species, providing different geometries of scaffolding. After decellularization, plant scaffolds remained patent and able to transport microparticles. Plant scaffolds were recellularized with human endothelial cells that colonized the inner surfaces of plant vasculature. Human mesenchymal stem cells and human pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes adhered to the outer surfaces of plant scaffolds. Cardiomyocytes demonstrated contractile function and calcium handling capabilities over the course of 21 days. These data demonstrate the potential of decellularized plants as scaffolds for tissue engineering, which could ultimately provide a cost-efficient, "green" technology for regenerating large volume vascularized tissue mass. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The reactivity of plant-derived organic matter in the Amazon River and implications on aquatic carbon fluxes to the atmosphere and ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, N. D.; Sawakuchi, H. O.; Keil, R. G.; da Silva, R.; Brito, D. C.; Cunha, A. C.; Gagne-Maynard, W.; de Matos, A.; Neu, V.; Bianchi, T. S.; Krusche, A. V.; Richey, J. E.

2014-12-01

The remineralization of terrestrially-derived organic carbon (OC), along with direct CO2 inputs from autochthonous plant respiration in floodplains, results in an evasive CO2 gas flux from inland waters that is an order of magnitude greater than the flux of OC to the ocean. This phenomenon is enhanced in tropical systems as a result of elevated temperatures and productivity relative to temperate and high-latitude counterparts. Likewise, this balance is suspected to be influenced by increasing global temperatures and alterations to hydrologic and land use regimes. Here, we assess the reactivity of terrestrial and aquatic plant-derived OM near the mouth of the Amazon River. The stable isotopic signature of CO2 (δ13CO2) was monitored in real-time during incubation experiments performed in a closed system gas phase equilibration chamber connected to a Picarro Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometer. Incubations were performed under natural conditions and with the injection of isotopically labeled terrestrial macromolecules (e.g. lignin) and algal fatty acids. Under natural conditions, δ13CO2 became more depleted, shifting from roughly -23‰ to -27‰ on average, suggesting that C3 terrestrial vegetation was the primary fuel for CO2 production. Upon separate injections of 13C-labeled lignin and algal fatty acids, δ13CO2 increased near instantaneously and peaked in under 12 hours. Roughly 75% of the labeled lignin was converted to CO2 at the peak in δ13CO2, whereas less than 20% of the algal fatty acids were converted to CO2 (preliminary data subject to change). The rate of labeled-OC remineralization was enhanced by the addition of a highly labile substrate (e.g. ethyl acetate). Likewise, constant measurements of O2/pCO2 along the lower river revealed anomalously high CO2 and low O2 levels near the confluence of the mainstem and large tributaries with high algal productivity. These collective results suggest that the remineralization of complex terrestrial macromolecules is

75 FR 77576 - General Regulations and Derivatives Clearing Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-13

... Derivatives Clearing Organizations AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading Commission. ACTION: Notice of proposed... derivatives clearing organization (DCO) Core Principles A (Compliance), H (Rule Enforcement), N (Antitrust... commission merchant (FCM) that is also registered as a securities broker-dealer (FCM/BD), and make certain...

Convergent evolution of vascular optimization in kelp (Laminariales)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drobnitch, Sarah Tepler; Jensen, Kaare Hartvig; Prentice, Paige

2015-01-01

Terrestrial plants and mammals, although separated by a great evolutionary distance, have each arrived at a highly conserved body plan in which universal allometric scaling relationships govern the anatomy of vascular networks and key functional metabolic traits. The universality of allometric...... (Phaeophyceae) are one such group—as distantly related to plants as mammals, they have convergently evolved a plant-like body plan and a specialized phloem-like transport network. To evaluate possible scaling and optimization in the kelp vascular system, we developed a model of optimized transport anatomy...... and tested it with measurements of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, which is among the largest and most successful of macroalgae. We also evaluated three classical allometric relationships pertaining to plant vascular tissues with a diverse sampling of kelp species. Macrocystis pyrifera displays strong...

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Tuzigoot National Monument

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Brian F.; Albrecht, E.W.; Halvorson, William Lee; Schmidt, Cecilia A.; Anning, P.; Docherty, K.

2005-01-01

Executive Summary From 2002 to 2004, we surveyed for plants and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) at Tuzigoot National Monument (NM) and adjacent areas in Arizona. This was the first effort of its kind in the area and was part of a larger effort to inventory vascular plants and vertebrates in eight National Park Service units in Arizona and New Mexico. In addition to our own surveys, we also compiled a complete list of species that have been found by previous studies. We found 330 species, including 142 that had not previously been recorded at the monument (Table 1). We found 39 species of non-native plants, 11 non-native fishes, three non-native birds, and one non-native species each of amphibian and mammal. Based on our work and that of others, there have been 597 species of plants and vertebrates found at the monument. The bird community at the monument had the highest species richness of any national park unit in central and southern Arizona. We found all other taxa to have intermediate species richness compared to other park units in the region. This extraordinary species richness observed for birds, as well as for some other taxa, is due primarily to Tavasci Marsh and the Verde River, two critical sources of perennial water, which provide habitat for many regionally rare or uncommon species. The location of the monument at the northern edge of the Sonoran Desert and at the southern edge of the Mogollon Rim also plays an important role in determining the distribution and community composition of the plant and vertebrate communities. Based on our findings, we believe the high number of non-native species, especially fish and plants, should be of particular management concern. We detail other management challenges, most notably the rapid increase in housing and associated commercial development near the monument, which will continue to impact the plant and vertebrate communities. Based on our data and a review of past studies, we believe the

Insertional mutagenesis in the vascular wilt pathogen Verticillium dahliae

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Santhanam, P.

2014-01-01

Vascular wilt diseases caused by soil-borne pathogens are among the most

devastating plant diseases worldwide. The ascomycete fungus Verticillium dahliae

causes vascular wilt diseases in hundreds of dicotyledonous plant species, including

important crops such as eggplant,

Modeling plant composition as community continua in a forest landscape with LiDAR and hyperspectral remote sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Hakkenberg, C R; Peet, R K; Urban, D L; Song, C

2018-01-01

In light of the need to operationalize the mapping of forest composition at landscape scales, this study uses multi-scale nested vegetation sampling in conjunction with LiDAR-hyperspectral remotely sensed data from the G-LiHT airborne sensor to map vascular plant compositional turnover in a compositionally and structurally complex North Carolina Piedmont forest. Reflecting a shift in emphasis from remotely sensing individual crowns to detecting aggregate optical-structural properties of forest stands, predictive maps reflect the composition of entire vascular plant communities, inclusive of those species smaller than the resolution of the remotely sensed imagery, intertwined with proximate taxa, or otherwise obscured from optical sensors by dense upper canopies. Stand-scale vascular plant composition is modeled as community continua: where discrete community-unit classes at different compositional resolutions provide interpretable context for continuous gradient maps that depict n-dimensional compositional complexity as a single, consistent RGB color combination. In total, derived remotely sensed predictors explain 71%, 54%, and 48% of the variation in the first three components of vascular plant composition, respectively. Among all remotely sensed environmental gradients, topography derived from LiDAR ground returns, forest structure estimated from LiDAR all returns, and morphological-biochemical traits determined from hyperspectral imagery each significantly correspond to the three primary axes of floristic composition in the study site. Results confirm the complementarity of LiDAR and hyperspectral sensors for modeling the environmental gradients constraining landscape turnover in vascular plant composition and hold promise for predictive mapping applications spanning local land management to global ecosystem modeling. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Alleviation of Boron Stress through Plant Derived Smoke Extracts in Sorghum bicolor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pirzada Khan

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Boron is an essential micronutrient necessary for plant growth at optimum concentration. However, at high concentrations boron affects plant growth and is toxic to cells. Aqueous extract of plant-derived smoke has been used as a growth regulator for the last two decades to improve seed germination and seedling vigor. It has been established that plant-derived smoke possesses some compounds that act like plant growth hormones. The present research was the first comprehensive attempt to investigate the alleviation of boron stress with plant-derived smoke aqueous extract on Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor seed. Smoke extracts of five plants, i.e. Cymbopogon jwarancusa, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Peganum harmala, Datura alba and Melia azedarach each with six dilutions (Concentrated, 1:100, 1:200, 1:300, 1:400 and 1:500 were used. While boron solutions at concentrations of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 ppm were used for stress. Among the dilutions of smoke, 1:500 of E. camaldulensis significantly increased germination percentage, root and shoot length, number of secondary roots and fresh weight of root and shoot while, boron stress reduced growth of Sorghum. It was observed that combined effect of boron solution and E. camaldulensis smoke extract overcome inhibition and significantly improved plant growth. Present research work investigated that the smoke solution has the potential to alleviate boron toxicity by reducing the uptake of boron by maintaining integrity of plant cell wall. The present investigation suggested that plant derived smoke has the potential to alleviate boron stress and can be used to overcome yield losses caused by boron stress to plants.

Linear-motion tattoo machine and prefabricated needle sets for the delivery of plant viruses by vascular puncture inoculation

Science.gov (United States)

Vascular puncture inoculation (VPI) of plant viruses previously has been conducted either manually or by use of a commercial engraving tool and laboratory-fabricated needle arrays. In an effort to improve this technique, a linear-motion tattoo machine driving industry-standard needle arrays was tes...

Quality assurance organization for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

This Safety Guide provides requirements, recommendations and illustrative examples for structuring, staffing and documenting the organizations that perform activities affecting quality of a nuclear power plant. It also provides guidance on control of organization interfaces, and establishment of lines for direction, communication and co-ordination. The provisions of this Guide are applicable to all organizations participating in any of the constituent areas of activities affecting quality of a nuclear power plant, such as design, manufacture, construction, commissioning and operation

Ethnobotany of food plants in the high river Ter valley (Pyrenees, Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula): non-crop food vascular plants and crop food plants with medicinal properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigat, Montse; Bonet, Maria Àngels; Garcia, Sònia; Garnatje, Teresa; Vallès, Joan

2009-01-01

The present study reports a part of the findings of an ethnobotanical research project conducted in the Catalan region of the high river Ter valley (Iberian Peninsula), concerning the use of wild vascular plants as food and the medicinal uses of both wild and cultivated food plants. We have detected 100 species which are or have been consumed in this region, 83 of which are treated here (the remaining are the cultivated food plants without additional medicinal uses). Some of them, such as Achillea ptarmica subsp. pyrenaica, Convolvulus arvensis, Leontodon hispidus, Molopospermum peloponnesiacum and Taraxacum dissectum, have not been previously reported, or have only very rarely been cited or indicated as plant foods in very restricted geographical areas. Several of these edible wild plants have a therapeutic use attributed to them by local people, making them a kind of functional food. They are usually eaten raw, dressed in salads or cooked; the elaboration of products from these species such as liquors or marmalades is a common practice in the region. The consumption of these resources is still fairly alive in popular practice, as is the existence of homegardens, where many of these plants are cultivated for private consumption.

Endothelium-derived fibronectin regulates neonatal vascular morphogenesis in an autocrine fashion.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Christopher J; Badu-Nkansah, Kwabena; Hynes, Richard O

2017-11-01

Fibronectin containing alternatively spliced EIIIA and EIIIB domains is largely absent from mature quiescent vessels in adults, but is highly expressed around blood vessels during developmental and pathological angiogenesis. The precise functions of fibronectin and its splice variants during developmental angiogenesis however remain unclear due to the presence of cardiac, somitic, mesodermal and neural defects in existing global fibronectin KO mouse models. Using a rare family of surviving EIIIA EIIIB double KO mice, as well as inducible endothelial-specific fibronectin-deficient mutant mice, we show that vascular development in the neonatal retina is regulated in an autocrine manner by endothelium-derived fibronectin, and requires both EIIIA and EIIIB domains and the RGD-binding α5 and αv integrins for its function. Exogenous sources of fibronectin do not fully substitute for the autocrine function of endothelial fibronectin, demonstrating that fibronectins from different sources contribute differentially to specific aspects of angiogenesis.

Vascular and Cardiac Target Organ Damage in Type 2 Diabetics With and Without Diabetic Retinopathy

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Francisco Leon-Garrigosa

2013-08-01

Conclusions: Although the sample size limited the conclusions that could be drawn between diabetic retinopathy and levels of vascular and cardiac target organ damage, trends were observed in a number of indices for these conditions and measures thereof. [Arch Clin Exp Surg 2013; 2(4.000: 212-218

Compiled data on the vascular aquatic plant program, 1975 - 1977. [for sewage lagoon

Science.gov (United States)

Wolverton, B. C.; Mcdonald, R.

1977-01-01

The performance of a single cell, facultative sewage lagoon was significantly improved with the introduction of vascular aquatic plants. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) was the dominant plant from April to November; duckweed (Lemna spp.) and (Spirodela spp.) flourished from December to March. This 2 ha lagoon received approximately 475 cu m/day of untreated sewage and has a variable COD sub 5 loading rate of 22-30 kg/ha/day. During the first 14 months of operation with aquatic plants, the average influent BOD sub 5 was reduced by 95% from 110 mg/l to an average of 5 mg/l in the effluent. The average influent suspended solids were reduced by 90% from 97 mg/l to 10 mg/l in the effluent. Significant reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus were effected. The monthly kjeldahl nitrogen for influent and effluent averaged 12.0 and 3.4 mg/l, respectively, a reduction of 72%. The total phosphorus was reduced on an average of 56% from 3.7 mg/l influent to 1.6 mg/l effluent.

Role of Lipid Peroxidation-Derived α, β-Unsaturated Aldehydes in Vascular Dysfunction

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Seung Eun Lee

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Vascular diseases are the most prominent cause of death, and inflammation and vascular dysfunction are key initiators of the pathophysiology of vascular disease. Lipid peroxidation products, such as acrolein and other α, β-unsaturated aldehydes, have been implicated as mediators of inflammation and vascular dysfunction. α, β-Unsaturated aldehydes are toxic because of their high reactivity with nucleophiles and their ability to form protein and DNA adducts without prior metabolic activation. This strong reactivity leads to electrophilic stress that disrupts normal cellular function. Furthermore, α, β-unsaturated aldehydes are reported to cause endothelial dysfunction by induction of oxidative stress, redox-sensitive mechanisms, and inflammatory changes such as induction of cyclooxygenase-2 and cytokines. This review provides an overview of the effects of lipid peroxidation products, α, β-unsaturated aldehydes, on inflammation and vascular dysfunction.

Traditional ecological knowledge among Sami reindeer herders in northern Sweden about vascular plants grazed by reindeer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berit Inga

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Traditional knowledge about how reindeer utilize forage resources was expected to be crucial to reindeer herders. Seventeen Sami reindeer herders in four reindeer herding communities in Sweden (“samebyar” in Swedish were interviewed about plants species considered to be important reindeer food plants in scientific literature. Among 40 plant species, which the informants were asked to identify and indicate whether and when they were grazed by reindeer, they identified a total of 21 plant taxa and five plant groups. They especially recognised species that were used as human food by the Sami themselves, but certain specific forage plants were also identified. Detailed knowledge of vascular plants at the species level was surprisingly general, which may indicate that knowledge of pasture resources in a detailed species level is not of vital importance. This fact is in sharp contradiction to the detailed knowledge that Sami people express for example about reindeer (as an animal or snow (as physical element. The plausible explanation is that observations of individual plant species are unnecessarily detailed information in large-scale reindeer pastoralism, because the animals graze freely under loose herding and border surveillance.

17 CFR 39.5 - Information relating to derivatives clearing organization operations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Information relating to derivatives clearing organization operations. 39.5 Section 39.5 Commodity and Securities Exchanges COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION DERIVATIVES CLEARING ORGANIZATIONS § 39.5 Information relating to derivatives...

The role of hydrologic regimes on dissolved organic carbon composition in an agricultural watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Hernes, P.J.; Spencer, R.G.M.; Dyda, R.Y.; Pellerin, B.A.; Bachand, P.A.M.; Bergamaschi, B.A.

2008-01-01

Willow Slough, a seasonally irrigated agricultural watershed in the Sacramento River valley, California, was sampled weekly in 2006 in order to investigate seasonal concentrations and compositions of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Average DOC concentrations nearly doubled from winter baseflow (2.75 mg L-1) to summer irrigation (5.14 mg L-1), while a concomitant increase in carbon-normalized vanillyl phenols (0.11 mg 100 mg OC-1 increasing to 0.31 mg 100 mg OC-1, on average) indicates that this additional carbon is likely vascular plant-derived. A strong linear relationship between lignin concentration and total suspended sediments (r2 = 0.79) demonstrates that agricultural management practices that mobilize sediments will likely have a direct and significant impact on DOC composition. The original source of vascular plant-derived DOC to Willow Slough appears to be the same throughout the year as evidenced by similar syringyl to vanillyl and cinnamyl to vanillyl ratios. However, differing diagenetic pathways during winter baseflow as compared to the rest of the year are evident in acid to aldehyde ratios of both vanillyl and syringyl phenols. The chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption coefficient at 350 nm showed a strong correlation with lignin concentration (r2 = 0.83). Other CDOM measurements related to aromaticity and molecular weight also showed correlations with carbon-normalized yields (e.g. specific UV absorbance at 254 nm (r2 = 0.57) and spectral slope (r2 = 0.54)). Our overall findings suggest that irrigated agricultural watersheds like Willow Slough can potentially have a significant impact on mainstem DOC concentration and composition when scaled to the entire watershed of the main tributary. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

The role of hydrologic regimes on dissolved organic carbon composition in an agricultural watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Hernes, Peter J.; Spencer, Robert G. M.; Dyda, Rachael Y.; Pellerin, Brian A.; Bachand, Philip A. M.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.

2008-11-01

Willow Slough, a seasonally irrigated agricultural watershed in the Sacramento River valley, California, was sampled weekly in 2006 in order to investigate seasonal concentrations and compositions of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Average DOC concentrations nearly doubled from winter baseflow (2.75 mg L -1) to summer irrigation (5.14 mg L -1), while a concomitant increase in carbon-normalized vanillyl phenols (0.11 mg 100 mg OC -1 increasing to 0.31 mg 100 mg OC -1, on average) indicates that this additional carbon is likely vascular plant-derived. A strong linear relationship between lignin concentration and total suspended sediments ( r2 = 0.79) demonstrates that agricultural management practices that mobilize sediments will likely have a direct and significant impact on DOC composition. The original source of vascular plant-derived DOC to Willow Slough appears to be the same throughout the year as evidenced by similar syringyl to vanillyl and cinnamyl to vanillyl ratios. However, differing diagenetic pathways during winter baseflow as compared to the rest of the year are evident in acid to aldehyde ratios of both vanillyl and syringyl phenols. The chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption coefficient at 350 nm showed a strong correlation with lignin concentration ( r2 = 0.83). Other CDOM measurements related to aromaticity and molecular weight also showed correlations with carbon-normalized yields (e.g. specific UV absorbance at 254 nm ( r2 = 0.57) and spectral slope ( r2 = 0.54)). Our overall findings suggest that irrigated agricultural watersheds like Willow Slough can potentially have a significant impact on mainstem DOC concentration and composition when scaled to the entire watershed of the main tributary.

The Microbial Efficiency-Matrix Stabilization (MEMS) framework integrates plant litter decomposition with soil organic matter stabilization: do labile plant inputs form stable soil organic matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Cotrufo, M Francesca; Wallenstein, Matthew D; Boot, Claudia M; Denef, Karolien; Paul, Eldor

2013-04-01

The decomposition and transformation of above- and below-ground plant detritus (litter) is the main process by which soil organic matter (SOM) is formed. Yet, research on litter decay and SOM formation has been largely uncoupled, failing to provide an effective nexus between these two fundamental processes for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling and storage. We present the current understanding of the importance of microbial substrate use efficiency and C and N allocation in controlling the proportion of plant-derived C and N that is incorporated into SOM, and of soil matrix interactions in controlling SOM stabilization. We synthesize this understanding into the Microbial Efficiency-Matrix Stabilization (MEMS) framework. This framework leads to the hypothesis that labile plant constituents are the dominant source of microbial products, relative to input rates, because they are utilized more efficiently by microbes. These microbial products of decomposition would thus become the main precursors of stable SOM by promoting aggregation and through strong chemical bonding to the mineral soil matrix. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Tourism and recreation listed as a threat for a wide diversity of vascular plants: a continental scale review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rankin, Benjamin Luke; Ballantyne, Mark; Pickering, Catherine Marina

2015-05-01

Tourism and recreation are diverse and popular activities. They may also contribute to the risk of extinction for some plants because of the range and severity of their impacts, including in protected areas: but which species, where and how? To evaluate the extent to which tourism and recreation may be threatening process for plants, we conducted a continental level review of listed threats to endangered vascular plants using data from Australia. Of the 659 vascular plant species listed as critically endangered or endangered by the Australian Government, tourism and recreation were listed as a threat(s) for 42%. This is more than those listed as threatened by climate change (26%) and close to the proportion listed as threatened by altered fire regimes (47%). There are plant species with tourism and recreation listed threats in all States and Territories and from all but one bioregion in Australia. Although more than 45 plant families have species with tourism and recreation listed as threats, orchids were the most common species listed as at risk from these threats (90 species). The most common types of threats listed were visitors collecting plants in protected areas (113 species), trampling by hikers and others (84 species), damage from recreational vehicles (59 species) and road infrastructure (39 species). Despite the frequency with which tourism and recreation were listed as threats in Australia, research quantifying these threats and methods to ameliorate their impacts are still limited. Although this lack of information contributes to the challenge of managing tourism and recreation, impacts from visitors will often be easier to manage within natural areas than those from larger scale threats such as altered fire regimes and climate change. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The "Martian" flora: new collections of vascular plants, lichens, fungi, algae, and cyanobacteria from the Mars Desert Research Station, Utah

Science.gov (United States)

Freebury, Colin E.; Hamilton, Paul B.; Saarela, Jeffery M.

2016-01-01

Abstract The Mars Desert Research Station is a Mars analog research site located in the desert outside of Hanksville, Utah, U.S.A. Here we present a preliminary checklist of the vascular plant and lichen flora for the station, based on collections made primarily during a two-week simulated Mars mission in November, 2014. Additionally, we present notes on the endolithic chlorophytes and cyanobacteria, and the identification of a fungal genus also based on these collections. Altogether, we recorded 38 vascular plant species from 14 families, 13 lichen species from seven families, six algae taxa including both chlorophytes and cyanobacteria, and one fungal genus from the station and surrounding area. We discuss this floristic diversity in the context of the ecology of the nearby San Rafael Swell and the desert areas of Wayne and Emery counties in southeastern Utah. PMID:27350765

Vascular development of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) inflorescence rachis in response to flower number, plant growth regulators and defoliation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gourieroux, Aude M; Holzapfel, Bruno P; McCully, Margaret E; Scollary, Geoffrey R; Rogiers, Suzy Y

2017-09-01

The grapevine inflorescence is a determinate panicle and as buds emerge, shoot, flower and rachis development occur simultaneously. The growth and architecture of the rachis is determined by genetic and environmental factors but here we examined the role of flower and leaf number as well as hormones on its elongation and vascular development. The consequences of rachis morphology and vascular area on berry size and composition were also assessed. One week prior to anthesis, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon field vines were exposed to manual flower removal, exogenous plant growth regulators or pre-bloom leaf removal. Manual removal of half the flowers along the vertical axis of the inflorescence resulted in a shorter rachis in both cultivars. Conversely, inflorescences treated with gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) and the synthetic cytokinin, 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) resulted in a longer rachis while pre-bloom removal of all leaves on the inflorescence-bearing shoot did not alter rachis length relative to untreated inflorescences. Across the treatments, the cross-sectional areas of the conducting xylem and phloem in the rachis were positively correlated to rachis girth, flower number at anthesis, bunch berry number, bunch berry fresh mass and bunch sugar content at harvest. Conversely, average berry size and sugar content were not linked to rachis vascular area. These data indicate that the morphological and vascular development of the rachis was more responsive to flower number and plant growth regulators than to leaf removal.

ORGANIC WASTE USED IN AGRICULTURAL BIOGAS PLANTS

OpenAIRE

Joanna Kazimierowicz

2014-01-01

Treatment of organic waste is an ecological and economical problem. Searching method for disposal of these wastes, interest is methane fermentation. The use of this process in agricultural biogas plants allows disposal of hazardous waste, obtaining valuable fertilizer, while the production of ecologically clean fuel – biogas. The article presents the characteristics of organic waste from various industries, which make them suitable for use as substrates in agricultural biogas plants.

Molecular mechanisms of maternal vascular dysfunction in preeclampsia.

Science.gov (United States)

Goulopoulou, Styliani; Davidge, Sandra T

2015-02-01

In preeclampsia, as a heterogeneous syndrome, multiple pathways have been proposed for both the causal as well as the perpetuating factors leading to maternal vascular dysfunction. Postulated mechanisms include imbalance in the bioavailability and activity of endothelium-derived contracting and relaxing factors and oxidative stress. Studies have shown that placenta-derived factors [antiangiogenic factors, microparticles (MPs), cell-free nucleic acids] are released into the maternal circulation and act on the vascular wall to modify the secretory capacity of endothelial cells and alter the responsiveness of vascular smooth muscle cells to constricting and relaxing stimuli. These molecules signal their deleterious effects on the maternal vascular wall via pathways that provide the molecular basis for novel and effective therapeutic interventions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fifty-five new records of vascular plants, and other discoveries for the flora of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Funez, Luís A.; Hassemer, Gustavo; Ferreira, João Paulo R.

2017-01-01

The flora of Santa Catarina is the best known in Brazil, and yet considerable knowledge gaps remain. Aiming at filling these gaps, we present here 55 new records of vascular plants for this Brazilian state, and the re-collection of four species after more than 50 years. About 50% of new records...

Reaction of organic ytterbium derivatives with alkyl- and arylhalogenides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rybakova, L.F.; Syutkina, O.P.; Garbar, A.V.; Petrov, Eh.S.

1988-01-01

Interaction of a series of organic halogenides with organic bivalent ytterbium derivatives (like Grignard reagent, RYbX, where R=CH 3 , C 6 H 5 ; X=Br, I) under metal complex catalysis is studied. Aromatic and aliphatic ytterbium derivatives undergo a reaction of cross combination with organic iodides and bromides under catalysis by NiCl 2 (PPh 3 ) 2 and Pd(PPh 3 ) 4 complexes. Therewith organo-ytterbium compounds quantitatively react with alkyl (aryl) iodides, bromine substitution for iodine in arylhalogenides results in decrease of yield of cross-combination products. Reactions of organo-ytterbium compounds with organic halogenides are more effectively catalysed by nickel complexes than by palladium ones

Electronic plants

Science.gov (United States)

Stavrinidou, Eleni; Gabrielsson, Roger; Gomez, Eliot; Crispin, Xavier; Nilsson, Ove; Simon, Daniel T.; Berggren, Magnus

2015-01-01

The roots, stems, leaves, and vascular circuitry of higher plants are responsible for conveying the chemical signals that regulate growth and functions. From a certain perspective, these features are analogous to the contacts, interconnections, devices, and wires of discrete and integrated electronic circuits. Although many attempts have been made to augment plant function with electroactive materials, plants’ “circuitry” has never been directly merged with electronics. We report analog and digital organic electronic circuits and devices manufactured in living plants. The four key components of a circuit have been achieved using the xylem, leaves, veins, and signals of the plant as the template and integral part of the circuit elements and functions. With integrated and distributed electronics in plants, one can envisage a range of applications including precision recording and regulation of physiology, energy harvesting from photosynthesis, and alternatives to genetic modification for plant optimization. PMID:26702448

Strigolactones, a novel carotenoid-derived plant hormone

KAUST Repository

Al-Babili, Salim

2015-04-29

Strigolactones (SLs) are carotenoid-derived plant hormones and signaling molecules. When released into the soil, SLs indicate the presence of a host to symbiotic fungi and root parasitic plants. In planta, they regulate several developmental processes that adapt plant architecture to nutrient availability. Highly branched/tillered mutants in Arabidopsis, pea, and rice have enabled the identification of four SL biosynthetic enzymes: a cis/trans-carotene isomerase, two carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases, and a cytochrome P450 (MAX1). In vitro and in vivo enzyme assays and analysis of mutants have shown that the pathway involves a combination of new reactions leading to carlactone, which is converted by a rice MAX1 homolog into an SL parent molecule with a tricyclic lactone moiety. In this review, we focus on SL biosynthesis, describe the hormonal and environmental factors that determine this process, and discuss SL transport and downstream signaling as well as the role of SLs in regulating plant development. ©2015 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved.

Renal Subcapsular Transplantation of PSC-Derived Kidney Organoids Induces Neo-vasculogenesis and Significant Glomerular and Tubular Maturation In Vivo

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Cathelijne W. van den Berg

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Summary: Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC-derived kidney organoids may facilitate disease modeling and the generation of tissue for renal replacement. Long-term application, however, will require transferability between hPSC lines and significant improvements in organ maturation. A key question is whether time or a patent vasculature is required for ongoing morphogenesis. Here, we show that hPSC-derived kidney organoids, derived in fully defined medium conditions and in the absence of any exogenous vascular endothelial growth factor, develop host-derived vascularization. In vivo imaging of organoids under the kidney capsule confirms functional glomerular perfusion as well as connection to pre-existing vascular networks in the organoids. Wide-field electron microscopy demonstrates that transplantation results in formation of a glomerular basement membrane, fenestrated endothelial cells, and podocyte foot processes. Furthermore, compared with non-transplanted organoids, polarization and segmental specialization of tubular epithelium are observed. These data demonstrate that functional vascularization is required for progressive morphogenesis of human kidney organoids. : In this article, Van den Berg and colleagues show that PSC-derived kidney organoids contain nephron structures but remain disorganized and immature after prolonged culture. Upon transplantation, the organoids develop host-derived vascularization, functional glomerular perfusion, and connection to pre-existing vascular networks. The authors conclude that patent vasculature is required for ongoing morphogenesis and maturation of these kidney organoids. Keywords: human pluripotent stem cells, directed differentiation, kidney organoids, transplantation, intravital microscopy, vascularization, maturation

The Vascular Pathogen Verticillium longisporum Does Not Affect Water Relations and Plant Responses to Drought Stress of Its Host, Brassica napus.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopisso, Daniel Teshome; Knüfer, Jessica; Koopmann, Birger; von Tiedemann, Andreas

2017-04-01

Verticillium longisporum is a host-specific vascular pathogen of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) that causes economic crop losses by impairing plant growth and inducing premature senescence. This study investigates whether plant damage through Verticillium stem striping is due to impaired plant water relations, whether V. longisporum affects responses of a susceptible B. napus variety to drought stress, and whether drought stress, in turn, affects plant responses to V. longisporum. Two-factorial experiments on a susceptible cultivar of B. napus infected or noninfected with V. longisporum and exposed to three watering levels (30, 60, and 100% field capacity) revealed that drought stress and V. longisporum impaired plant growth by entirely different mechanisms. Although both stresses similarly affected plant growth parameters (plant height, hypocotyl diameter, and shoot and root dry matter), infection of B. napus with V. longisporum did not affect any drought-related physiological or molecular genetic plant parameters, including transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis rate, water use efficiency, relative leaf water content, leaf proline content, or the expression of drought-responsive genes. Thus, this study provides comprehensive physiological and molecular genetic evidence explaining the lack of wilt symptoms in B. napus infected with V. longisporum. Likewise, drought tolerance of B. napus was unaffected by V. longisporum, as was the level of disease by drought conditions, thus excluding a concerted action of both stresses in the field. Although it is evident that drought and vascular infection with V. longisporum impair plant growth by different mechanisms, it remains to be determined by which other factors V. longisporum causes crop loss.

Participatory plant breeding and organic agriculture: A synergistic model for organic variety development in the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrienne C. Shelton

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Organic farmers require improved varieties that have been adapted to their unique soils, nutrient inputs, management practices, and pest pressures. One way to develop adapted varieties is to situate breeding programs in the environment of intended use, such as directly on organic farms, and in collaboration with organic farmers. This model is a form of participatory plant breeding, and was originally created in order to meet the needs of under-served, small-scale farmers in developing countries. A robust body of literature supports the quantitative genetic selection theory of participatory plant breeding, and helps to explain its increasing prevalence among organic breeding projects in the United States. The history of the organic farming movement in the United States highlights the cultural relevance of engaging organic farmers in the breeding process, complementing the biological rationale for participatory plant breeding. In addition, limited private investment in organic plant breeding encourages the involvement of plant breeders at public institutions. This paper synthesizes the biological, cultural, and economic justifications for utilizing participatory plant breeding as an appropriate methodology for organic cultivar development.

Obesity and risk of vascular disease: importance of endothelium-dependent vasoconstriction.

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, Matthias; Baretella, Oliver; Meyer, Matthias R

2012-02-01

Obesity has become a serious global health issue affecting both adults and children. Recent devolopments in world demographics and declining health status of the world's population indicate that the prevalence of obesity will continue to increase in the next decades. As a disease, obesity has deleterious effects on metabolic homeostasis, and affects numerous organ systems including heart, kidney and the vascular system. Thus, obesity is now regarded as an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis-related diseases such as coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction and stroke. In the arterial system, endothelial cells are both the source and target of factors contributing to atherosclerosis. Endothelial vasoactive factors regulate vascular homeostasis under physiological conditions and maintain basal vascular tone. Obesity results in an imbalance between endothelium-derived vasoactive factors favouring vasoconstriction, cell growth and inflammatory activation. Abnormal regulation of these factors due to endothelial cell dysfunction is both a consequence and a cause of vascular disease processes. Finally, because of the similarities of the vascular pathomechanisms activated, obesity can be considered to cause accelerated, 'premature' vascular aging. Here, we will review some of the pathomechanisms involved in obesity-related activation of endothelium-dependent vasoconstriction, the clinical relevance of obesity-associated vascular risk, and therapeutic interventions using 'endothelial therapy' aiming at maintaining or restoring vascular endothelial health. This article is part of a themed section on Fat and Vascular Responsiveness. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2012.165.issue-3. © 2011 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.

Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells From Hypertensive Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Advance Hypertension Pharmacogenomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Biel, Nikolett M; Santostefano, Katherine E; DiVita, Bayli B; El Rouby, Nihal; Carrasquilla, Santiago D; Simmons, Chelsey; Nakanishi, Mahito; Cooper-DeHoff, Rhonda M; Johnson, Julie A; Terada, Naohiro

2015-12-01

Studies in hypertension (HTN) pharmacogenomics seek to identify genetic sources of variable antihypertensive drug response. Genetic association studies have detected single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that link to drug responses; however, to understand mechanisms underlying how genetic traits alter drug responses, a biological interface is needed. Patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide a potential source for studying otherwise inaccessible tissues that may be important to antihypertensive drug response. The present study established multiple iPSC lines from an HTN pharmacogenomics cohort. We demonstrated that established HTN iPSCs can robustly and reproducibly differentiate into functional vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), a cell type most relevant to vasculature tone control. Moreover, a sensitive traction force microscopy assay demonstrated that iPSC-derived VSMCs show a quantitative contractile response on physiological stimulus of endothelin-1. Furthermore, the inflammatory chemokine tumor necrosis factor α induced a typical VSMC response in iPSC-derived VSMCs. These studies pave the way for a large research initiative to decode biological significance of identified SNPs in hypertension pharmacogenomics. Treatment of hypertension remains suboptimal, and a pharmacogenomics approach seeks to identify genetic biomarkers that could be used to guide treatment decisions; however, it is important to understand the biological underpinnings of genetic associations. Mouse models do not accurately recapitulate individual patient responses based on their genetics, and hypertension-relevant cells are difficult to obtain from patients. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology provides a great interface to bring patient cells with their genomic data into the laboratory and to study hypertensive responses. As an initial step, the present study established an iPSC bank from patients with primary hypertension and demonstrated an effective

ORGANIC WASTE USED IN AGRICULTURAL BIOGAS PLANTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Kazimierowicz

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Treatment of organic waste is an ecological and economical problem. Searching method for disposal of these wastes, interest is methane fermentation. The use of this process in agricultural biogas plants allows disposal of hazardous waste, obtaining valuable fertilizer, while the production of ecologically clean fuel – biogas. The article presents the characteristics of organic waste from various industries, which make them suitable for use as substrates in agricultural biogas plants.

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Tumacacori National Historical Park

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Brian F.; Albrecht, Eric W.; Halvorson, William L.; Schmidt, Cecilia A.; Anning, Pamela; Docherty, Kathleen

2005-01-01

Executive Summary This report summarizes the results of the first comprehensive biological inventory of Tumacacori National Historical Park (NHP) in southern Arizona. These surveys were part of a larger effort to inventory vascular plants and vertebrates in eight National Park Service units in Arizona and New Mexico. From 2000 to 2003 we surveyed for vascular plants and vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) at Tumacacori NHP to document presence of species within the administrative boundaries of the park's three units. Because we used repeatable study designs and standardized field techniques, these inventories can serve as the first step in a long-term monitoring program. We recorded 591 species at Tumacacori NHP, significantly increasing the number of known species for the park (Table 1). Species of note in each taxonomic group include: * Plants: second record in Arizona of muster John Henry, a non-native species that is ranked a 'Class A noxious weed' in California; * Amphibian: Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad; * Reptiles: eastern fence lizard and Sonoran mud turtle; * Birds: yellow-billed cuckoo, green kingfisher, and one observation of the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher; * Fishes: four native species including an important population of the endangered Gila topminnow in the Tumacacori Channel; * Mammals: black bear and all four species of skunk known to occur in Arizona. We recorded 79 non-native species (Table E.S.1), many of which are of management concern, including: Bermudagrass, tamarisk, western mosquitofish, largemouth bass, bluegill, sunfish, American bullfrog, feral cats and dogs, and cattle. We also noted an abundance of crayfish (a non-native invertebrate). We review some of the important non-native species and make recommendations to remove them or to minimize their impacts on the native biota of the park. Based on the observed species richness, Tumacacori NHP possesses high biological diversity of plants, fish

[Multivisceral organ procurement for transplantation derived mobilization maneouvres: very helpful auxiliary techniques in the excision of large retroperitoneal masses].

Science.gov (United States)

González, Javier; Shirodkar, S P; Ciancio, G

2011-04-01

The excision of large retroperitoneal masses poses a challenge for every surgeon. Sometimes the urologist must face situations that do not fit to any conventional approach or technique previously described. Obtaining adequate exposure for safe and oncologically correct management of these masses is based, on many cases, in the mobilization of anatomical adjacent structures to generate a sufficient field in abdominal areas of difficult access. Complex visceral mobilization maneuvers derived from multivisceral transplantation organ procurement surgery provides ancillary techniques that used properly facilitate their successful resolution. The main purpose of this paper is the description of these surgical maneuvers essential to increase both exposure and vascular control in addressing the ever-dreaded high-volume retroperitoneal masses.

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Tonto National Monument

Science.gov (United States)

Albrecht, Eric W.; Powell, Brian F.; Halvorson, William L.; Schmidt, Cecilia A.

2007-01-01

This report summarizes the results of the first biological inventory of plants and vertebrates at Tonto National Monument (NM). From 2001 to 2003, we surveyed for vascular plants and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) at Tonto NM to record species presence. We focused most of our efforts along the Cave Springs riparian area, but surveyed other areas as well. We recorded 149 species in the riparian area, and 369 species overall in the monument, including 65 plant species and four bird species that were previously unrecorded for the monument. We recorded 78 plant species in the riparian area that previous studies had not indicated were present there. Several species of each taxonomic group were found only in the riparian area, suggesting that because of their concentration in this small area these populations are vulnerable to disturbance and may be of management concern. Four of the bird species that we recorded (Bell's vireo, yellow warbler, summer tanager, and Abert's towhee) have been identified as riparian 'obligate' species by other sources. Bird species that are obligated to riparian areas are targets of conservation concern due to widespread degradation of riparian areas in the desert southwest over the last century. The flora and fauna of the riparian area would benefit from continued limited public access. The dependence of the riparian area on the spring and surface flow suggests monitoring of this resource per se would benefit management of the riparian area's flora and fauna as well. The monument would benefit from incorporating monitoring protocols developed by the Sonoran Desert Network Inventory and Monitoring program rather than initiating a separate program for the riparian area. Park managers can encourage the Inventory and Monitoring program to address the unique monitoring challenges presented by small spatial areas such as this riparian area, and can request specific monitoring recommendations. We suggest that repeat

Distribution of Flavonoids and Cyclohexenyl Chalcone Derivatives in Conventional Propagated and In Vitro-Derived Field-Grown Boesenbergia rotunda (L. Mansf.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boon Chin Tan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The distribution patterns of flavonoids and cyclohexenyl chalcone derivatives in conventional propagated (CP and in vitro-derived (CPA field-grown plants of an important medicinal ginger, Boesenbergia rotunda, are described. A total of eight compounds were extracted from six organs (rootlet, rhizome, shoot base, maroon stem, stalk, and leaf of the CP and CPA plants. Five major chromatographic peaks, namely, alpinetin, pinocembrin, pinostrobin, 4-hydroxypanduratin A, and panduratin A, were consistently observed by high performance liquid chromatography. Nonaerial organs had higher levels of flavonoids than the aerial ones for all types of samples. Among the compounds detected, pinostrobin and 4-hydroxypanduratin A were the most abundant flavonoid and cyclohexenyl chalcone derivative, respectively. The distribution and abundance of the bioactive compounds suggested that the shoot base could be more potentially useful for medicinal application than other organs of the plant and may be the site of storage or occurrence of biosynthetic enzymatic activities.

Single Plant Derived Nanotechnology for Synergistic Antibacterial Therapies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jhansi R Kalluri

Full Text Available Multiple new approaches to tackle multidrug resistant infections are urgently needed and under evaluation. One nanotechnology-based approach to delivering new relevant therapeutics involves silicon accumulator plants serving as a viable silicon source in green routes for the fabrication of the nanoscale drug delivery carrier porous silicon (pSi. If the selected plant leaf components contain medicinally-active species as well, then a single substance can provide not only the nanoscale high surface area drug delivery carrier, but the drug itself. With this idea in mind, porous silicon was fabricated from joints of the silicon accumulator plant Bambuseae (Tabasheer and loaded with an antibacterial extract originating from leaves of the same type of plant (Bambuseae arundinacea. Preparation of porous silicon from Tabasheer includes extraction of biogenic silica from the ground plant by calcination, followed by reduction with magnesium in the presence of sodium chloride, thereby acting as a thermal moderator that helps to retain the mesoporous structure of the feedstock. The purified product was characterized by a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX, X-ray diffraction (XRD, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, and low temperature nitrogen gas adsorption measurements. Antimicrobial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration of a leaf extract of Bambuseae arundinacea was tested against the bacteria Escherichia Coli (E. Coli and Staphylococcus aureus (S. Aureus, along with the fungus Candida albicans (C. Albicans. A S. aureus active ethanolic leaf extract was loaded into the above Tabasheer-derived porous silicon. Initial studies indicate sustained in vitro antibacterial activity of the extract-loaded plant derived pSi (25 wt %, TGA, as measured by disk diffusion inhibitory zone assays. Subsequent chromatographic separation of this extract revealed that the active antimicrobial

Species and biogeochemical cycles of organic phosphorus in sediments from a river with different aquatic plants located in Huaihe River Watershed, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, He Zhong; Pan, Wei; Ren, Li Jun; Liu, Eeng Feng; Shen, Ji; Geng, Qi Fang; An, Shu Qing

2015-01-01

The results of phosphorus fractionation in the sediments from a contaminated river containing different aquatic plants, analyzed by solution 31P-NMR for Organic Phosphorus, showed that the concentration of Inorganic Phosphorus dominated in all species and Organic Phosphorus accounted for over 20% of Total Phosphorus. In general, orthophosphate was dominant in all the sampling sites. The proportion of Organic Phosphorus accounting for the Total Phosphorus in the sediments with different plant decreased in the following order: Paspalum distichum>Typha orientalis>Hydrilla verticillata. Phosphorus-accumulation ability of Paspalum distichum was obviously stronger than Typha orientalis and Hydrilla verticillata. The Organic Phosphorus was in aquatic plants dominated by humic-associated P (Hu-P), which converted to Inorganic Ohosphorus more significantly in submerged plants than in emerged plants. The sediment dominated by Paspalum distichum abundantly accumulated Organic Phosphorus in the orthophosphate monoester fraction. The degradation and mineralization of orthophosphate monoester was the important source of high Inorganic Phosphorus concentration and net primary productivity in Suoxu River. The Organic Phosphorus derived from Typha orientalis and Hydrilla verticillata was dramatically converted to Inorganic Phosphorus when the environmental factors varied.

Ferritin gene organization: differences between plants and animals suggest possible kingdom-specific selective constraints.

Science.gov (United States)

Proudhon, D; Wei, J; Briat, J; Theil, E C

1996-03-01

Ferritin, a protein widespread in nature, concentrates iron approximately 10(11)-10(12)-fold above the solubility within a spherical shell of 24 subunits; it derives in plants and animals from a common ancestor (based on sequence) but displays a cytoplasmic location in animals compared to the plastid in contemporary plants. Ferritin gene regulation in plants and animals is altered by development, hormones, and excess iron; iron signals target DNA in plants but mRNA in animals. Evolution has thus conserved the two end points of ferritin gene expression, the physiological signals and the protein structure, while allowing some divergence of the genetic mechanisms. Comparison of ferritin gene organization in plants and animals, made possible by the cloning of a dicot (soybean) ferritin gene presented here and the recent cloning of two monocot (maize) ferritin genes, shows evolutionary divergence in ferritin gene organization between plants and animals but conservation among plants or among animals; divergence in the genetic mechanism for iron regulation is reflected by the absence in all three plant genes of the IRE, a highly conserved, noncoding sequence in vertebrate animal ferritin mRNA. In plant ferritin genes, the number of introns (n = 7) is higher than in animals (n = 3). Second, no intron positions are conserved when ferritin genes of plants and animals are compared, although all ferritin gene introns are in the coding region; within kingdoms, the intron positions in ferritin genes are conserved. Finally, secondary protein structure has no apparent relationship to intron/exon boundaries in plant ferritin genes, whereas in animal ferritin genes the correspondence is high. The structural differences in introns/exons among phylogenetically related ferritin coding sequences and the high conservation of the gene structure within plant or animal kingdoms of the gene structure within plant or animal kingdoms suggest that kingdom-specific functional constraints may

Pulse pressure and nocturnal fall in blood pressure are predictors of vascular, cardiac and renal target organ damage in hypertensive patients (LOD-RISK study).

Science.gov (United States)

García-Ortiz, Luis; Gómez-Marcos, Manuel A; Martín-Moreiras, Javier; González-Elena, Luis J; Recio-Rodriguez, Jose I; Castaño-Sánchez, Yolanda; Grandes, Gonzalo; Martínez-Salgado, Carlos

2009-08-01

To analyse the relationship between various parameters derived from ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and vascular, cardiac and renal target organ damage. A cross-sectional, descriptive study. It included 353 patients with short-term or recently diagnosed hypertension. ABPM, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), Cornell voltage-duration product (Cornell VDP), glomerular filtration rate and albumin/creatinine ratio to assess vascular, cardiac and renal damage. Two hundred and twenty-three patients (63.2%) were males, aged 56.12+/-11.21 years. The nocturnal fall in blood pressure was 11.33+/-8.41, with a dipper pattern in 49.0% (173), nondipper in 30.3% (107), extreme dipper in 12.7% (45) and riser in 7.9% (28). The IMT was lower in the extreme dipper (0.716+/-0.096 mm) and better in the riser pattern (0.794+/-0.122 mm) (P<0.05). The Cornell VDP and albumin/creatinine ratio were higher in the riser pattern (1818.94+/-1798.63 mm/ms and 140.78+/-366.38 mg/g, respectively) than in the other patterns. In the multivariate analysis after adjusting for age, sex and antihypertensive treatment, with IMT as dependent variable the 24-h pulse pressure (beta = 0.003), with Cornell VDP the rest pulse pressure (beta = 12.04), and with the albumin/creatinine ratio the percentage of nocturnal fall in systolic blood pressure (beta = -3.59), the rest heart rate (beta = 1.83) and the standard deviation of 24-h systolic blood pressure (beta = 5.30) remain within the equation. The estimated pulse pressure with ABPM is a predictor of vascular and cardiac organ damage. The nocturnal fall and the standard deviation in 24-h systolic blood pressure measured with the ABPM is a predictor of renal damage.

Nanomaterials derived from metal-organic frameworks

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Dang, Song; Zhu, Qi-Long; Xu, Qiang

2018-01-01

The thermal transformation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) generates a variety of nanostructured materials, including carbon-based materials, metal oxides, metal chalcogenides, metal phosphides and metal carbides. These derivatives of MOFs have characteristics such as high surface areas, permanent porosities and controllable functionalities that enable their good performance in sensing, gas storage, catalysis and energy-related applications. Although progress has been made to tune the morphologies of MOF-derived structures at the nanometre scale, it remains crucial to further our knowledge of the relationship between morphology and performance. In this Review, we summarize the synthetic strategies and optimized methods that enable control over the size, morphology, composition and structure of the derived nanomaterials. In addition, we compare the performance of materials prepared by the MOF-templated strategy and other synthetic methods. Our aim is to reveal the relationship between the morphology and the physico-chemical properties of MOF-derived nanostructures to optimize their performance for applications such as sensing, catalysis, and energy storage and conversion.

The phylogenetic distribution of extrafloral nectaries in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Marjorie G; Keeler, Kathleen H

2013-06-01

Understanding the evolutionary patterns of ecologically relevant traits is a central goal in plant biology. However, for most important traits, we lack the comprehensive understanding of their taxonomic distribution needed to evaluate their evolutionary mode and tempo across the tree of life. Here we evaluate the broad phylogenetic patterns of a common plant-defence trait found across vascular plants: extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), plant glands that secrete nectar and are located outside the flower. EFNs typically defend plants indirectly by attracting invertebrate predators who reduce herbivory. Records of EFNs published over the last 135 years were compiled. After accounting for changes in taxonomy, phylogenetic comparative methods were used to evaluate patterns of EFN evolution, using a phylogeny of over 55 000 species of vascular plants. Using comparisons of parametric and non-parametric models, the true number of species with EFNs likely to exist beyond the current list was estimated. To date, EFNs have been reported in 3941 species representing 745 genera in 108 families, about 1-2 % of vascular plant species and approx. 21 % of families. They are found in 33 of 65 angiosperm orders. Foliar nectaries are known in four of 36 fern families. Extrafloral nectaries are unknown in early angiosperms, magnoliids and gymnosperms. They occur throughout monocotyledons, yet most EFNs are found within eudicots, with the bulk of species with EFNs being rosids. Phylogenetic analyses strongly support the repeated gain and loss of EFNs across plant clades, especially in more derived dicot families, and suggest that EFNs are found in a minimum of 457 independent lineages. However, model selection methods estimate that the number of unreported cases of EFNs may be as high as the number of species already reported. EFNs are widespread and evolutionarily labile traits that have repeatedly evolved a remarkable number of times in vascular plants. Our current understanding of the

Herbarium of vascular plants collection of the university of extremadura (Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Espinosa, Marta; López, Josefa

2013-01-01

The herbarium of University of Extremadura (UNEX Herbarium) is formed by 36451 specimens of vascular plants whose main origin is the autonomous region of Extremadura (Spain) and Portugal, although it also contains a smaller number of specimens from different places, including the rest of peninsular Spain, the Baleares Islands, the Macaronesian region (Canary Islands, Madeira and Azores), northwest of Africa (Morocco) and Brazil. 98% of the total records are georeferenced. It is an active collection in continuous growth. Its data can be accessed through the GBIF data portal at http://data.gbif.org/datasets/resource/255 and http://www.eweb.unex.es/eweb/botanica/herbario/. This paper describes the specimen associated data set of the UNEX Herbarium, with an objective to disseminate the data contained in a data set with potential users, and promote the multiple uses of the data.

Revisiting the origin and diversification of vascular plants through a comprehensive Bayesian analysis of the fossil record.

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Silvestro, Daniele; Cascales-Miñana, Borja; Bacon, Christine D; Antonelli, Alexandre

2015-07-01

Plants have a long evolutionary history, during which mass extinction events dramatically affected Earth's ecosystems and its biodiversity. The fossil record can shed light on the diversification dynamics of plant life and reveal how changes in the origination-extinction balance have contributed to shaping the current flora. We use a novel Bayesian approach to estimate origination and extinction rates in plants throughout their history. We focus on the effect of the 'Big Five' mass extinctions and on estimating the timing of origin of vascular plants, seed plants and angiosperms. Our analyses show that plant diversification is characterized by several shifts in origination and extinction rates, often matching the most important geological boundaries. The estimated origin of major plant clades predates the oldest macrofossils when considering the uncertainties associated with the fossil record and the preservation process. Our findings show that the commonly recognized mass extinctions have affected each plant group differently and that phases of high extinction often coincided with major floral turnovers. For instance, after the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary we infer negligible shifts in diversification of nonflowering seed plants, but find significantly decreased extinction in spore-bearing plants and increased origination rates in angiosperms, contributing to their current ecological and evolutionary dominance. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

The moss Funaria hygrometrica has cuticular wax similar to vascular plants, with distinct composition on leafy gametophyte, calyptra and sporophyte capsule surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Busta, Lucas; Budke, Jessica M; Jetter, Reinhard

2016-09-01

Aerial surfaces of land plants are covered with a waxy cuticle to protect against water loss. The amount and composition of cuticular waxes on moss surfaces had rarely been investigated. Accordingly, the degree of similarity between moss and vascular plant waxes, and between maternal and offspring moss structure waxes is unknown. To resolve these issues, this study aimed at providing a comprehensive analysis of the waxes on the leafy gametophyte, gametophyte calyptra and sporophyte capsule of the moss Funaria hygrometrica Waxes were extracted from the surfaces of leafy gametophytes, gametophyte calyptrae and sporophyte capsules, separated by gas chromatography, identified qualitatively with mass spectrometry, and quantified with flame ionization detection. Diagnostic mass spectral peaks were used to determine the isomer composition of wax esters. The surfaces of the leafy gametophyte, calyptra and sporophyte capsule of F. hygrometrica were covered with 0·94, 2·0 and 0·44 μg cm(-2) wax, respectively. While each wax mixture was composed of mainly fatty acid alkyl esters, the waxes from maternal and offspring structures had unique compositional markers. β-Hydroxy fatty acid alkyl esters were limited to the leafy gametophyte and calyptra, while alkanes, aldehydes and diol esters were restricted to the sporophyte capsule. Ubiquitous fatty acids, alcohols, fatty acid alkyl esters, aldehydes and alkanes were all found on at least one surface. This is the first study to determine wax coverage (μg cm(-2)) on a moss surface, enabling direct comparisons with vascular plants, which were shown to have an equal amount or more wax than F. hygrometrica Wax ester biosynthesis is of particular importance in this species, and the ester-forming enzyme(s) in different parts of the moss may have different substrate preferences. Furthermore, the alkane-forming wax biosynthesis pathway, found widely in vascular plants, is active in the sporophyte capsule, but not in the leafy

Progenitor cells in pulmonary vascular remodeling

Science.gov (United States)

Yeager, Michael E.; Frid, Maria G.; Stenmark, Kurt R.

2011-01-01

Pulmonary hypertension is characterized by cellular and structural changes in the walls of pulmonary arteries. Intimal thickening and fibrosis, medial hypertrophy and fibroproliferative changes in the adventitia are commonly observed, as is the extension of smooth muscle into the previously non-muscularized vessels. A majority of these changes are associated with the enhanced presence of α-SM-actin+ cells and inflammatory cells. Atypical abundances of functionally distinct endothelial cells, particularly in the intima (plexiform lesions), and also in the perivascular regions, are also described. At present, neither the origin(s) of these cells nor the molecular mechanisms responsible for their accumulation, in any of the three compartments of the vessel wall, have been fully elucidated. The possibility that they arise from either resident vascular progenitors or bone marrow–derived progenitor cells is now well established. Resident vascular progenitor cells have been demonstrated to exist within the vessel wall, and in response to certain stimuli, to expand and express myofibroblastic, endothelial or even hematopoietic markers. Bone marrow–derived or circulating progenitor cells have also been shown to be recruited to sites of vascular injury and to assume both endothelial and SM-like phenotypes. Here, we review the data supporting the contributory role of vascular progenitors (including endothelial progenitor cells, smooth muscle progenitor cells, pericytes, and fibrocytes) in vascular remodeling. A more complete understanding of the processes by which progenitor cells modulate pulmonary vascular remodeling will undoubtedly herald a renaissance of therapies extending beyond the control of vascular tonicity and reduction of pulmonary artery pressure. PMID:22034593

Qualitative Analysis of Plant-Derived Samples by Liquid ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: Currently, mass spectrometry has become an effective method for the qualitative analysis of plant-derived samples. Precursor and product ions can be obtained by tandem mass spectrometry, supplying rich information for determining the structural formulas of compounds. In this work, we review the optimization of ...

APPLICATIONS LIQUID ORGANIC FERTILIZER AND COMPOSITION OF PLANT MEDIA TO RESULT OF SELADA PLANTS (Lactuca sativa L

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sri Hidayati

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract:           Lettuce (lactuca sativa is a vegetable that has a very high economic value. Where this plant can be grown in temperate and tropical regions, Lettuce production is still low, then this plant needs to be given fertilizer treatment. One of the fertilizer that can be used is liquid organic fertilizer. Liquid Organic Fertilizer has several benefits such as to encourage and increase the growth and yield of plants.             Objective: To know the effect of combination of planting media composition and liquid organic fertilizer to growth and yield of lettuce crop; To know the influence of plant plant composition on growth and yield of lettuce plant; To know the effect of liquid organic fertilizer on growth and yield of lettuce plant.            The experiment was conducted in experimental garden of Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Merdeka Surabaya Jl.Ketintang Madya VII / 2 Surabaya, with the space 0-20 meters above sea level.      This research is a pot experiment and is a two factor factorial research with Randomized Block Design (RAK, the first factor is Liquid Organic Fertilizer with 3 levels and the second factor is the composition of planting media with 4 levels. Where Factor I: liquid organic fertilizer consisting of: P1: 1 ml / plant; P2: 2 ml / plant; P3: 3 ml / plant, Factor II: planting medium consisting of 4 (four levels, namely: M1: soil + manure + rice husk: 2: 1: 1; M2: soil + manure + rice husk: 1: 1: 1; M3: ground + manure + sand: 2: 1: 1; M4: ground + manure + sand: 1: 1: 1, treatment repeated 3 times and each treatment there are 2 plant samples, so the number of plants as much 72 or 72 polybag.Based on the results of research conducted, it can be concluded as follows:1. POC concentration factor (P showed significant influence on all variables studied such as leaf number, plant length and wet weight of plant.2. The media composition factor (M showed a nonsignificant effect

Inverse modeling of the biodegradation of emerging organic contaminants in the soil-plant system.

Science.gov (United States)

Hurtado, Carlos; Trapp, Stefan; Bayona, Josep M

2016-08-01

Understanding the processes involved in the uptake and accumulation of organic contaminants into plants is very important to assess the possible human risk associated with. Biodegradation of emerging contaminants in plants has been observed, but kinetical studies are rare. In this study, we analyse experimental data on the uptake of emerging organic contaminants into lettuce derived in a greenhouse experiment. Measured soil, root and leaf concentrations from four contaminants were selected within the applicability domain of a steady-state two-compartment standard plant uptake model: bisphenol A (BPA), carbamazepine (CBZ), triclosan (TCS) and caffeine (CAF). The model overestimated concentrations in most cases, when no degradation rates in plants were entered. Subsequently, biodegradation rates were fitted so that the measured concentrations were met. Obtained degradation kinetics are in the order, BPA < CAF ≈ TCS < CBZ in roots, and BPA ≈ TCS < CBZ < CAF in leaves. Kinetics determined by inverse modeling are, despite the inherent uncertainty, indicative of the dissipation rates. The advantage of the procedure that is additional knowledge can be gained from existing experimental data. Dissipation kinetics found via inverse modeling is not a conclusive proof for biodegradation and confirmation by experimental studies is needed. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Andrographolide: A New Plant-Derived Antineoplastic Entity on Horizon

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Astha Varma

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Plant-derived natural products occupy an important position in the area of cancer chemotherapy. Molecules such as vincristine, vinblastine, paclitaxel, camptothecin derivatives, epipodophyllotoxin, and so forth, are invaluable contributions of nature to modern medicine. However, the quest to find out novel therapeutic compounds for cancer treatment and management is a never-ending venture; and diverse plant species are persistently being studied for identification of prospective anticancer agents. In this regard, Andrographis paniculata Nees, a well-known plant of Indian and Chinese traditional system of medicines, has drawn attention of researchers in recent times. Andrographolide, the principal bioactive chemical constituent of the plant has shown credible anticancer potential in various investigations around the globe. In vitro studies demonstrate the capability of the compound of inducing cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells at different concentrations. Andrographolide also shows potent immunomodulatory and anti-angiogenic activities in tumorous tissues. Synthetic analogues of the compound have also been created and analyzed, which have also shown similar activities. Although it is too early to predict its future in cancer chemotherapy, the prologue strongly recommends further research on this molecule to assess its potential as a prospective anticancer agent.

76 FR 16588 - Risk Management Requirements for Derivatives Clearing Organizations; Correction

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-24

... COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION 17 CFR Part 39 RIN 3038-AC98 Risk Management Requirements for Derivatives Clearing Organizations; Correction AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading Commission. ACTION: Notice of... Register of January 20, 2011, regarding Risk Management Requirements for Derivatives Clearing Organizations...

Managing peatland vegetation for drinking water treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritson, Jonathan P; Bell, Michael; Brazier, Richard E; Grand-Clement, Emilie; Graham, Nigel J D; Freeman, Chris; Smith, David; Templeton, Michael R; Clark, Joanna M

2016-11-18

Peatland ecosystem services include drinking water provision, flood mitigation, habitat provision and carbon sequestration. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal is a key treatment process for the supply of potable water downstream from peat-dominated catchments. A transition from peat-forming Sphagnum moss to vascular plants has been observed in peatlands degraded by (a) land management, (b) atmospheric deposition and (c) climate change. Here within we show that the presence of vascular plants with higher annual above-ground biomass production leads to a seasonal addition of labile plant material into the peatland ecosystem as litter recalcitrance is lower. The net effect will be a smaller litter carbon pool due to higher rates of decomposition, and a greater seasonal pattern of DOC flux. Conventional water treatment involving coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation may be impeded by vascular plant-derived DOC. It has been shown that vascular plant-derived DOC is more difficult to remove via these methods than DOC derived from Sphagnum, whilst also being less susceptible to microbial mineralisation before reaching the treatment works. These results provide evidence that practices aimed at re-establishing Sphagnum moss on degraded peatlands could reduce costs and improve efficacy at water treatment works, offering an alternative to 'end-of-pipe' solutions through management of ecosystem service provision.

The operating organization for nuclear power plants. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

This Safety Guide was prepared under the IAEA programme for safety standards for nuclear power plants. The present publication is a revision of the IAEA Safety Guide on Management of Nuclear Power Plants for Safe Operation issued in 1984. It supplements Section 2 of the Safety Requirements publication on Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Operation. Nuclear power technology is different from the customary technology of power generation from fossil fuel and by hydroelectric means. One major difference between the management of nuclear power plants and that of conventional generating plants is the emphasis that should be placed on nuclear safety, quality assurance, the management of radioactive waste and radiological protection, and the accompanying national regulatory requirements. This Safety Guide highlights the important elements of effective management in relation to these aspects of safety. The attention to be paid to safety requires that the management recognize that personnel involved in the nuclear power programme should understand, respond effectively to, and continuously search for ways to enhance safety in the light of any additional requirements socially and legally demanded of nuclear energy. This will help to ensure that safety policies that result in the safe operation of nuclear power plants are implemented and that margins of safety are always maintained. The structure of the organization, management standards and administrative controls should be such that there is a high degree of assurance that safety policies and decisions are implemented, safety is continuously enhanced and a strong safety culture is promoted and supported. The objective of this publication is to guide Member States in setting up an operating organization which facilitates the safe operation of nuclear power plants to a high level internationally. The second objective is to provide guidance on the most important organizational elements in order to contribute to a strong safety

The operating organization for nuclear power plants. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

This Safety Guide was prepared under the IAEA programme for safety standards for nuclear power plants. The present publication is a revision of the IAEA Safety Guide on Management of Nuclear Power Plants for Safe Operation issued in 1984. It supplements Section 2 of the Safety Requirements publication on Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Operation. Nuclear power technology is different from the customary technology of power generation from fossil fuel and by hydroelectric means. One major difference between the management of nuclear power plants and that of conventional generating plants is the emphasis that should be placed on nuclear safety, quality assurance, the management of radioactive waste and radiological protection, and the accompanying national regulatory requirements. This Safety Guide highlights the important elements of effective management in relation to these aspects of safety. The attention to be paid to safety requires that the management recognize that personnel involved in the nuclear power programme should understand, respond effectively to, and continuously search for ways to enhance safety in the light of any additional requirements socially and legally demanded of nuclear energy. This will help to ensure that safety policies that result in the safe operation of nuclear power plants are implemented and that margins of safety are always maintained. The structure of the organization, management standards and administrative controls should be such that there is a high degree of assurance that safety policies and decisions are implemented, safety is continuously enhanced and a strong safety culture is promoted and supported. The objective of this publication is to guide Member States in setting up an operating organization which facilitates the safe operation of nuclear power plants to a high level internationally. The second objective is to provide guidance on the most important organizational elements in order to contribute to a strong safety

The operating organization for nuclear power plants. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

This Safety Guide was prepared under the IAEA programme for safety standards for nuclear power plants. The present publication is a revision of the IAEA Safety Guide on Management of Nuclear Power Plants for Safe Operation issued in 1984. It supplements Section 2 of the Safety Requirements publication on Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Operation. Nuclear power technology is different from the customary technology of power generation from fossil fuel and by hydroelectric means. One major difference between the management of nuclear power plants and that of conventional generating plants is the emphasis that should be placed on nuclear safety, quality assurance, the management of radioactive waste and radiological protection, and the accompanying national regulatory requirements. This Safety Guide highlights the important elements of effective management in relation to these aspects of safety. The attention to be paid to safety requires that the management recognize that personnel involved in the nuclear power programme should understand, respond effectively to, and continuously search for ways to enhance safety in the light of any additional requirements socially and legally demanded of nuclear energy. This will help to ensure that safety policies that result in the safe operation of nuclear power plants are implemented and that margins of safety are always maintained. The structure of the organization, management standards and administrative controls should be such that there is a high degree of assurance that safety policies and decisions are implemented, safety is continuously enhanced and a strong safety culture is promoted and supported. The objective of this publication is to guide Member States in setting up an operating organization which facilitates the safe operation of nuclear power plants to a high level internationally. The second objective is to provide guidance on the most important organizational elements in order to contribute to a strong safety

Vascular retraction driven by matrix softening

Science.gov (United States)

Valentine, Megan

We recently discovered we can directly apply physical forces and monitor the downstream responses in a living organism in real time through manipulation of the blood vessels of a marine organism called, Botryllus schlosseri. The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a key role in regulating vascular growth and homeostasis in Botryllus,a basal chordate which has a large, transparent extracorporeal vascular network that can encompass areas >100 cm2. We have determined that lysyl oxidase 1 (LOX1), which is responsible for cross-linking collagen, is expressed in all vascular cells and is critically important for vascular maintenance. Inhibition of LOX1 activity in vivo by the addition of a specific inhibitor, ß-aminopropionitrile (BAPN), caused a rapid, global regression of the entire vascular bed, with some vessels regressing >10 mm within 16 hrs. In this talk, I will discuss the molecular and cellular origins of this systemic remodeling event, which hinges upon the ability of the vascular cells to sense and respond to mechanical signals, while introducing this exciting new model system for studies of biological physics and mechanobiology. Collaborators: Anthony DeTomaso, Delany Rodriguez, Aimal Khankhel (UCSB).

Tissue bioengineering and artificial organs.

Science.gov (United States)

Llames, Sara; García, Eva; Otero Hernández, Jesús; Meana, Alvaro

2012-01-01

The scarcity of organs and tissues for transplant and the need of immunosuppressive drugs to avoid rejection constitute two reasons that justify organ and tissue production in the laboratory. Tissue engineering based tissues (TE) could allow to regenerate the whole organ from a fragment or even to produce several organs from an organ donor for grafting purposes. TE is based in: (1) the ex vivo expansion of cells, (2) the seeding of these expanded cells in tridimensional structures that mimic physiological conditions and, (3) grafting the prototype. In order to graft big structures it is necessary that the organ or tissue produced "ex vivo" bears a vascular tree to ensure the nutrition of its deep layers. At present, no technology has been developed to provide this vascular tree to TE derived products. Thus, these tissues must be thin enough to acquire nutrients during the first days by diffusion from surrounding tissues. This fact constitutes nowadays the greatest limitation of technologies for organ development in the laboratory.In this chapter, all these problems and their possible solutions are commented. Also, the present status of TE techniques in the regeneration of different organ systems is reviewed.

Differential Effect of Plant Lipids on Membrane Organization

Science.gov (United States)

Grosjean, Kevin; Mongrand, Sébastien; Beney, Laurent; Simon-Plas, Françoise; Gerbeau-Pissot, Patricia

2015-01-01

The high diversity of the plant lipid mixture raises the question of their respective involvement in the definition of membrane organization. This is particularly the case for plant plasma membrane, which is enriched in specific lipids, such as free and conjugated forms of phytosterols and typical phytosphingolipids, such as glycosylinositolphosphoceramides. This question was here addressed extensively by characterizing the order level of membrane from vesicles prepared using various plant lipid mixtures and labeled with an environment-sensitive probe. Fluorescence spectroscopy experiments showed that among major phytosterols, campesterol exhibits a stronger ability than β-sitosterol and stigmasterol to order model membranes. Multispectral confocal microscopy, allowing spatial analysis of membrane organization, demonstrated accordingly the strong ability of campesterol to promote ordered domain formation and to organize their spatial distribution at the membrane surface. Conjugated sterol forms, alone and in synergy with free sterols, exhibit a striking ability to order membrane. Plant sphingolipids, particularly glycosylinositolphosphoceramides, enhanced the sterol-induced ordering effect, emphasizing the formation and increasing the size of sterol-dependent ordered domains. Altogether, our results support a differential involvement of free and conjugated phytosterols in the formation of ordered domains and suggest that the diversity of plant lipids, allowing various local combinations of lipid species, could be a major contributor to membrane organization in particular through the formation of sphingolipid-sterol interacting domains. PMID:25575593

About the role of trehalose in plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tjaša GORJANC

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Trehalose is an important disaccharide which takes a major role of a stress protector in many organisms, including green algae and lower plants. It has long been thought that trehalose functions in higher plants are marginal and that they have been overtaken by sucrose. In the last years it has been discovered that trehalose takes on a lot of important physiological roles in vascular plants metabolism. It is an important signal metabolite of sucrose availability and maintains sucrose concentrations within an appropriate range. It also contributes to starch synthesis and degradation and to synthesis of organic acids. Trehalose-sucrose nexus was found to be very important in plant interactions with pathogenic organisms and herbivorous insects. Furthermore, trehalose is involved in response of plant to abiotic stressors such as drought, cold, salinity and hypoxia. It contributes in regulation of stomatal conductivity where it interacts with abscisic acid. All this makes trehalose an important primary metabolite which significantly influences plant growth and development such as induction of flowering and stimulation of photosynthesis.

A clade in the QUASIMODO2 family evolved with vascular plants and supports a role for cell wall composition in adaptation to environmental changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuentes, Sara; Pires, Nuno; Østergaard, Lars

2010-08-01

The evolution of plant vascular tissue is tightly linked to the evolution of specialised cell walls. Mutations in the QUASIMODO2 (QUA2) gene from Arabidopsis thaliana were previously shown to result in cell adhesion defects due to reduced levels of the cell wall component homogalacturonic acid. In this study, we provide additional information about the role of QUA2 and its closest paralogues, QUASIMODO2 LIKE1 (QUL1) and QUL2. Within the extensive QUA2 family, our phylogenetic analysis shows that these three genes form a clade that evolved with vascular plants. Consistent with a possible role of this clade in vasculature development, QUA2 is highly expressed in the vascular tissue of embryos and inflorescence stems and overexpression of QUA2 resulted in temperature-sensitive xylem collapse. Moreover, in-depth characterisation of qua2 qul1 qul2 triple mutant and 35S::QUA2 overexpression plants revealed contrasting temperature-dependent stem development with dramatic effects on stem width. Taken together, our results suggest that the QUA2-specific clade contributed to the evolution of vasculature and illustrate the important role that modification of cell wall composition plays in the adaptation to changing environmental conditions, including changes in temperature.

76 FR 69333 - Derivatives Clearing Organization General Provisions and Core Principles

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-08

... Management)); 75 FR 78185 (Dec. 15, 2010) (Core Principles J, K, L, and M (Information Management)); 75 FR... Parts 1, 21, 39 et al. Derivatives Clearing Organization General Provisions and Core Principles; Final... Derivatives Clearing Organization General Provisions and Core Principles AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading...

Retinal vascular injuries and intravitreal human embryonic stem cell-derived haemangioblasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jin-Da; An, Ying; Zhang, Jing-Shang; Wan, Xiu-Hua; Zhang, Wei; Lanza, Robert; Lu, Shi-Jiang; Jonas, Jost B; Xu, Liang

2017-09-01

To investigate whether intravitreally applied haemangioblasts (HB) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are helpful for the repair of vascular damage caused in animals by an oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR), by an induced diabetic retinopathy (DR) or by an induced retinal ischaemia with subsequent reperfusion. Human embryonic stem cell-derived HBs were transplanted intravitreally into C57BL/6J mice (OIR model), into male Wistar rats with an induced DR and into male Wistar rats undergoing induced retinal ischaemia with subsequent reperfusion. Control groups of animals received an intravitreal injection of endothelial cells (ECs) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). We examined the vasculature integrity in the mice with OIR, the blood-retina barrier in the rats with induced DR, and retinal thickness and retinal ganglion cell density in retina flat mounts of the rats with the retinal ischaemic-reperfusion retinopathy. In the OIR model, the study group versus control groups showed a significantly (p < 0.001) smaller retinal avascular area [5.1 ± 2.7%;n = 18 animals versus 12.2 ± 2.8% (PBS group; n = 10 animals) and versus 11.8 ± 3.7% (EC group; n = 8 animals)] and less retinal neovascularization [6.3 ± 2.5%;n = 18 versus 15.2 ± 6.3% (n = 10; PBS group) and versus 15.8 ± 3.3% (n = 8; EC group)]. On retinal flat mounts, hESC-HBs were integrated into damaged retinal vessels and stained positive for PECAM (CD31) as EC marker. In the DR model, the study group versus the EC control group showed a significantly (p = 0.001) better blood-retina barrier function as measured at 2 days after the intravitreal injections [study group: 20.2 ± 12.8 μl/(g × hr); n = 6; versus EC control group: 52.9 ± 9.9 μl/(g × hr; n = 6)]. In the retinal ischaemia-reperfusion model, the groups did not differ significantly in retinal thickness and retinal ganglion cell density at 2, 5 and 7 days after baseline. By integrating into

Post-translational control of nitrate reductase activity responding to light and photosynthesis evolved already in the early vascular plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Nemie-Feyissa, Dugassa; Królicka, Adriana; Førland, Nina; Hansen, Margarita; Heidari, Behzad; Lillo, Cathrine

2013-05-01

Regulation of nitrate reductase (NR) by reversible phosphorylation at a conserved motif is well established in higher plants, and enables regulation of NR in response to rapid fluctuations in light intensity. This regulation is not conserved in algae NR, and we wished to test the evolutionary origin of the regulatory mechanism by physiological examination of ancient land plants. Especially a member of the lycophytes is of interest since their NR is candidate for regulation by reversible phosphorylation based on sequence analysis. We compared Selaginella kraussiana, a member of the lycophytes and earliest vascular plants, with the angiosperm Arabidopsis thaliana, and also tested the moss Physcomitrella patens. Interestingly, optimization of assay conditions revealed that S. kraussiana NR used NADH as an electron donor like A. thaliana, whereas P. patens NR activity depended on NADPH. Examination of light/darkness effects showed that S. kraussiana NR was rapidly regulated similar to A. thaliana NR when a differential (Mg(2+) contra EDTA) assay was used to reveal activity state of NR. This implies that already existing NR enzyme was post-translationally activated by light in both species. Light had a positive effect also on de novo synthesis of NR in S. kraussiana, which could be shown after the plants had been exposed to a prolonged dark period (7 days). Daily variations in NR activity were mainly caused by post-translational modifications. As for angiosperms, the post-translational light activation of NR in S. kraussiana was inhibited by 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1*1-dimethylurea (DCMU), an inhibitor of photosynthesis and stomata opening. Evolutionary, a post-translational control mechanism for NR have occurred before or in parallel with development of vascular tissue in land plants, and appears to be part of a complex mechanisms for coordination of CO2 and nitrogen metabolism in these plants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The comparative geochemistries of lignins and carbohydrates in an anoxic fjord

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Susan E.; Hedges, John I.

1988-01-01

A reducing, varved sediment core and monthly (May-September) plankton and sediment trap samples from Saanich Inlet, B.C., Canada, were analyzed for their elemental, lignin and neutral sugar compositions. Total yields of lignin-derived phenols from both the sediment trap and core samples indicated less than 15% and 30%, respectively, of chemically recognizable vascular plant remains, derived predominantly from gymnosperm wood and nonwoody angiosperm tissues. The elevated vanillyl and syringyl acid/aldehyde ratios of this material compared to fresh plant material indicated that it suffered mild aerobic decomposition prior to introduction to the Inlet. Most of the remaining particular organic material was nitrogen-rich, carbohydrate-poor and apparently plankton-derived. Organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total neutral sugars and lignin phenols all exhibited decreasing concentrations with depth in a region of uniform varving (upper 15 cm) in the sediment core. All profiles exhibited particularly steep concentration decreases within the top 2 cm of sediment. First-order decay constants for all four chemical categories within the upper 14 cm of the core ranged between 0.1-0.2 yr -1. Neutral sugars were consistently the most reactive chemical class, accounting for roughly 15% of the total organic carbon turnover. Although lignin appeared to be degraded within the sediment core, this degradation was nonselective for different lignin types and did not lead to increased acid/aldehyde ratios as occur during aerobic lignin decomposition. Comparisons of the yields of individual neutral sugars from the sediment and sediment trap samples to those expected from the vascular plant component alone indicated that the vascular plant debris in the upper portion of the sediment core had lost a portion of its initial glucose, lyxose, and mannose. In contrast, rhamnose and fucose were produced by all samples in large excess of total yields expected for chemically intact vascular plant

Transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 negatively regulates interleukin-1α-induced stromal-derived factor-1 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Bin [Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huangzhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China); Li, Wei [Department of Gerontology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huangzhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China); Zheng, Qichang [Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huangzhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China); Qin, Tao [Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, People' s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, School of Medicine, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003 (China); Wang, Kun; Li, Jinjin; Guo, Bing; Yu, Qihong; Wu, Yuzhe; Gao, Yang; Cheng, Xiang; Hu, Shaobo; Kumar, Stanley Naveen [Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huangzhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China); Liu, Sanguang, E-mail: sanguang1998@sina.com [Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000 (China); Song, Zifang, E-mail: zsong@hust.edu.cn [Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huangzhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China)

2015-07-17

Stromal-derived Factor-1 (SDF-1) derived from vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to vascular repair and remodeling in various vascular diseases. In this study, the mechanism underlying regulation of SDF-1 expression by interleukin-1α (IL-1α) was investigated in primary rat VSMCs. We found IL-1α promotes SDF-1 expression by up-regulating CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) in an IκB kinase β (IKKβ) signaling-dependent manner. Moreover, IL-1α-induced expression of C/EBPβ and SDF-1 was significantly potentiated by knockdown of transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), an upstream activator of IKKβ signaling. In addition, we also demonstrated that TAK1/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling exerted negative effect on IL-1α-induced expression of C/EBPβ and SDF-1 through counteracting ROS-dependent up-regulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2). In conclusion, TAK1 acts as an important regulator of IL-1α-induced SDF-1 expression in VSMCs, and modulating activity of TAK1 may serve as a potential strategy for modulating vascular repair and remodeling. - Highlights: • IL-1α induces IKKβ signaling-dependent SDF-1 expression by up-regulating C/EBPβ. • Activation of TAK1 by IL-1α negatively regulates C/EBPβ-dependent SDF-1 expression. • IL-1α-induced TAK1/p38 MAPK signaling counteracts ROS-dependent SDF-1 expression. • TAK1 counteracts IL-1α-induced SDF-1 expression by attenuating NRF2 up-regulation.

Transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 negatively regulates interleukin-1α-induced stromal-derived factor-1 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Bin; Li, Wei; Zheng, Qichang; Qin, Tao; Wang, Kun; Li, Jinjin; Guo, Bing; Yu, Qihong; Wu, Yuzhe; Gao, Yang; Cheng, Xiang; Hu, Shaobo; Kumar, Stanley Naveen; Liu, Sanguang; Song, Zifang

2015-01-01

Stromal-derived Factor-1 (SDF-1) derived from vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to vascular repair and remodeling in various vascular diseases. In this study, the mechanism underlying regulation of SDF-1 expression by interleukin-1α (IL-1α) was investigated in primary rat VSMCs. We found IL-1α promotes SDF-1 expression by up-regulating CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) in an IκB kinase β (IKKβ) signaling-dependent manner. Moreover, IL-1α-induced expression of C/EBPβ and SDF-1 was significantly potentiated by knockdown of transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), an upstream activator of IKKβ signaling. In addition, we also demonstrated that TAK1/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling exerted negative effect on IL-1α-induced expression of C/EBPβ and SDF-1 through counteracting ROS-dependent up-regulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2). In conclusion, TAK1 acts as an important regulator of IL-1α-induced SDF-1 expression in VSMCs, and modulating activity of TAK1 may serve as a potential strategy for modulating vascular repair and remodeling. - Highlights: • IL-1α induces IKKβ signaling-dependent SDF-1 expression by up-regulating C/EBPβ. • Activation of TAK1 by IL-1α negatively regulates C/EBPβ-dependent SDF-1 expression. • IL-1α-induced TAK1/p38 MAPK signaling counteracts ROS-dependent SDF-1 expression. • TAK1 counteracts IL-1α-induced SDF-1 expression by attenuating NRF2 up-regulation

New aspects of vascular remodelling: the involvement of all vascular cell types.

Science.gov (United States)

McGrath, John C; Deighan, Clare; Briones, Ana M; Shafaroudi, Majid Malekzadeh; McBride, Melissa; Adler, Jeremy; Arribas, Silvia M; Vila, Elisabet; Daly, Craig J

2005-07-01

Conventionally, the architecture of arteries is based around the close-packed smooth muscle cells and extracellular matrix. However, the adventitia and endothelium are now viewed as key players in vascular growth and repair. A new dynamic picture has emerged of blood vessels in a constant state of self-maintenance. Recent work raises fundamental questions about the cellular heterogeneity of arteries and the time course and triggering of normal and pathological remodelling. A common denominator emerging in hypertensive remodelling is an early increase in adventitial cell density suggesting that adventitial cells drive remodelling and may initiate subsequent changes such as re-arrangement of smooth muscle cells and extracellular matrix. The organization of vascular smooth muscle cells follows regular arrangements that can be modelled mathematically. In hypertension, new patterns can be quantified in these terms and give insights to how structure affects function. As with smooth muscle, little is known about the organization of the vascular endothelium, or its role in vascular remodelling. Current observations suggest that there may be a close relationship between the helical organization of smooth muscle cells and the underlying pattern of endothelial cells. The function of myoendothelial connections is a topic of great current interest and may relate to the structure of the internal elastic lamina through which the connections must pass. In hypertensive remodelling this must present an organizational challenge. The objective of this paper is to show how the functions of blood vessels depend on their architecture and a continuous interaction of different cell types and extracellular proteins.

Mosses Are Better than Leaves of Vascular Plants in Monitoring Atmospheric Heavy Metal Pollution in Urban Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yanbin; Fan, Miao; Hu, Ronggui; Zhao, Jinsong; Wu, Yupeng

2018-05-29

Mosses and leaves of vascular plants have been used as bioindicators of environmental contamination by heavy metals originating from various sources. This study aims to compare the metal accumulation capabilities of mosses and vascular species in urban areas and quantify the suitability of different taxa for monitoring airborne heavy metals. One pleurocarpous feather moss species, Haplocladium angustifolium , and two evergreen tree species, Cinnamomum bodinieri Osmanthus fragrans , and substrate soil were sampled in the urban area of different land use types in Wuhan City in China. The concentrations of Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, V, Pb, and Zn in these samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The differences of heavy metals concentration in the three species showed that the moss species was considerably more capable of accumulating heavy metals than tree leaves (3 times to 51 times). The accumulated concentration of heavy metals in the moss species depended on the metal species and land use type. The enrichment factors of metals for plants and the correlations of metals in plants with corresponding metals in soil reflected that the accumulated metals in plants stemmed mostly from atmospheric deposition, rather than the substrate soil. Anthropogenic factors, such as traffic emissions from automobile transportation and manufacturing industries, were primarily responsible for the variations in metal pollutants in the atmosphere and subsequently influenced the metal accumulation in the mosses. This study elucidated that the moss species H. angustifolium is relatively more suitable than tree leaves of C. bodinieri and O. fragrans in monitoring heavy metal pollution in urban areas, and currently Wuhan is at a lower contamination level of atmospheric heavy metals than some other cities in China.

Nestin upregulation characterizes vascular remodeling secondary to hypertension in the rat.

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Tardif, Kim; Hertig, Vanessa; Duquette, Natacha; Villeneuve, Louis; El-Hamamsy, Ismail; Tanguay, Jean-François; Calderone, Angelino

2015-05-15

Proliferation and hypertrophy of vascular smooth muscle cells represent hallmark features of vessel remodeling secondary to hypertension. The intermediate filament protein nestin was recently identified in vascular smooth muscle cells and in other cell types directly participated in proliferation. The present study tested the hypothesis that vessel remodeling secondary to hypertension was characterized by nestin upregulation in vascular smooth muscle cells. Two weeks after suprarenal abdominal aorta constriction of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, elevated mean arterial pressure increased the media area and thickness of the carotid artery and aorta and concomitantly upregulated nestin protein levels. In the normal adult rat carotid artery, nestin immunoreactivity was observed in a subpopulation of vascular smooth muscle cells, and the density significantly increased following suprarenal abdominal aorta constriction. Filamentous nestin was detected in cultured rat carotid artery- and aorta-derived vascular smooth muscle cells and an analogous paradigm observed in human aorta-derived vascular smooth muscle cells. ANG II and EGF treatment of vascular smooth muscle cells stimulated DNA and protein synthesis and increased nestin protein levels. Lentiviral short-hairpin RNA-mediated nestin depletion of carotid artery-derived vascular smooth muscle cells inhibited peptide growth factor-stimulated DNA synthesis, whereas protein synthesis remained intact. These data have demonstrated that vessel remodeling secondary to hypertension was characterized in part by nestin upregulation in vascular smooth muscle cells. The selective role of nestin in peptide growth factor-stimulated DNA synthesis has revealed that the proliferative and hypertrophic responses of vascular smooth muscle cells were mediated by divergent signaling events. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Utilization of organs from donors after circulatory death for vascularized pancreas and islet of Langerhans transplantation: recommendations from an expert group.

Science.gov (United States)

Berney, Thierry; Boffa, Catherine; Augustine, Titus; Badet, Lionel; de Koning, Eelco; Pratschke, Johann; Socci, Carlo; Friend, Peter

2016-07-01

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors are increasingly being used as a source of pancreas allografts for vascularized organ and islet transplantation. We provide practice guidelines aiming to increase DCD pancreas utilization. We review risk assessment and donor selection criteria. We report suggested factors in donor and recipient clinical management and provide an overview of the activities and outcomes of vascularized pancreas and islet transplantation. © 2015 Steunstichting ESOT.

Anatomical and histochemical analysis of vegetative organs of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Samples of V. ferruginea vegetative organs were collected and submitted to the usual plant anatomy and histochemical techniques. The leaves are anfihipoestomática with anomocytic stomata; have tector and glandular trichomes that store essential oils. The stem has collateral-type vascular bundles arranged in a eustele ...

Soft X-ray induced chemical modification of polysaccharides in vascular plant cell walls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cody, George D.; Brandes, Jay; Jacobsen, Chris; Wirick, Susan

2009-01-01

Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and micro carbon X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy (C-XANES) can provide quantitative information regarding the distribution of the biopolymers cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in vascular plant cell walls. In the case of angiosperms, flowering plants, C-XANES may also be able to distinguish variations in lignin monomer distributions throughout the cell wall. Polysaccharides are susceptible to soft X-ray irradiation induced chemical transformations that may complicate spectral analysis. The stability of a model polysaccharide, cellulose acetate, to variable doses of soft X-rays under conditions optimized for high quality C-XANES spectroscopy was investigated. The primary chemical effect of soft X-ray irradiation on cellulose acetate involves mass loss coincident with de-acetylation. A lesser amount of vinyl ketone formation also occurs. Reduction in irradiation dose via defocusing does enable high quality pristine spectra to be obtained. Radiation induced chemical modification studies of oak cell wall reveals that cellulose and hemicellulose are less labile to chemical modification than cellulose acetate. Strategies for obtaining pristine C-XANES spectra of polysaccharides are presented.

Plant-Derived Polyphenols Interact with Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A and Inhibit Toxin Activity

OpenAIRE

Shimamura, Yuko; Aoki, Natsumi; Sugiyama, Yuka; Tanaka, Takashi; Murata, Masatsune; Masuda, Shuichi

2016-01-01

This study was performed to investigate the inhibitory effects of 16 different plant-derived polyphenols on the toxicity of staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA). Plant-derived polyphenols were incubated with the cultured Staphylococcus aureus C-29 to investigate the effects of these samples on SEA produced from C-29 using Western blot analysis. Twelve polyphenols (0.1-0.5 mg/mL) inhibited the interaction between the anti-SEA antibody and SEA. We examined whether the polyphenols could directly i...

[Research on source profile of aerosol organic compounds in leather plant].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bo-Guang; Zhou, Yan; Feng, Zhi-Cheng; Liu, Hui-Xuan

2009-04-15

Through investigating current air pollution condition for PM10 in every factories of different style leather plants in Pearl River Delta, characteristic profile of semi-volatile organic compounds in PM10 emitted from leather factories and their contents were researched by using ultrasonic and gas chromatography and mass spectrum technology. The 6 types of organic compounds containing 46 species in total were found in the collected samples, including phenyl compounds, alcohols, PAHs, acids, esters and amides. The concentrations of PM10 in leather tanning plant, leather dying plant and man-made leather plant were 678.5, 454.5, 498.6 microgm x m(-3) respectively, and concentration of organic compounds in PM10 were 10.04, 6.89, 14.21 microg x m(-3) in sequence. The more important type of pollutants in each leather plants had higher contribution to total organic mass as follows, esters and amides in tanning plants profile account for 43.47% and 36.51% respectively; esters and alcohols in dying plants profiles account for 52.52% and 16.16% respectively; esters and amide in man-made leather plant have the highest content and account for 57.07% and 24.17% respectively. In the aerosol organic source profiles of tested leather plants, 9-octadecenamide was the abundant important species with the weight of 26.15% in tanning plant, and Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was up to 44.19% in the dying plant, and Bis(2-ethylhexyl) maleate and 1-hydroxy-piperidine had obviously higher weight in man-made plant than the other two plants.

Plant growth response in experimental soilless mixes prepared from coal combustion products and organic waste materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bardhan, S.; Watson, M.; Dick, W.A. [Ohio State University, Wooster, OH (United States)

2008-07-15

Large quantities of organic materials such as animal manures, yard trimmings, and biosolids are produced each year. Beneficial use options for them are often limited, and composting has been proposed as a way to better manage these organic materials. Similarly, burning of coal created 125 million tons of coal combustion products (CCP) in the United States in 2006. An estimated 53 million tons of CCP were reused, whereas the remainder was deposited in landfills. By combining CCP and composted organic materials (COM), we were able to create soilless plant growth mixes with physicochemical conditions that can support excellent plant growth. An additional benefit is the conservation of natural raw materials, such as peat, which is generally used for making soilless mixes. Experimental mixes were formulated by combining CCP and COM at ratios ranging from 2:8 to 8:2 (vol/vol), respectively. Water content at saturation for the created mixes was 63% to 72%, whereas for the commercial control, it was 77%. pH values for the best performing mixes ranged between 5.9 and 6.8. Electrical conductivity and concentrations of required plant nutrient were also within plant growth recommendations for container media. Significantly (P < 0.0001) higher plant biomass growth (7%-130%) was observed in the experimental mixes compared with a commercial mix. No additional fertilizers were provided during the experiment, and reduced fertilization costs can thus accrue as an added benefit to the grower. In summary, combining CCP and COM, derived from source materials often viewed as wastes, can create highly productive plant growth mixes.

Vascular plant biodiversity of the lower Coppermine River valley and vicinity (Nunavut, Canada: an annotated checklist of an Arctic flora

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffery M. Saarela

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The Coppermine River in western Nunavut is one of Canada’s great Arctic rivers, yet its vascular plant flora is poorly known. Here, we report the results of a floristic inventory of the lower Coppermine River valley and vicinity, including Kugluk (Bloody Falls Territorial Park and the hamlet of Kugluktuk. The study area is approximately 1,200 km2, extending from the forest-tundra south of the treeline to the Arctic coast. Vascular plant floristic data are based on a review of all previous collections from the area and more than 1,200 new collections made in 2014. Results are presented in an annotated checklist, including citation of all specimens examined, comments on taxonomy and distribution, and photographs for a subset of taxa. The vascular plant flora comprises 300 species (311 taxa, a 36.6% increase from the 190 species documented by previous collections made in the area over the last century, and is considerably more diverse than other local floras on mainland Nunavut. We document 207 taxa for Kugluk (Bloody Falls Territorial Park, an important protected area for plants on mainland Nunavut. A total of 190 taxa are newly recorded for the study area. Of these, 14 taxa (13 species and one additional variety are newly recorded for Nunavut (Allium schoenoprasum, Carex capitata, Draba lonchocarpa, Eremogone capillaris subsp. capillaris, Sabulina elegans, Eleocharis quinqueflora, Epilobium cf. anagallidifolium, Botrychium neolunaria, Botrychium tunux, Festuca altaica, Polygonum aviculare, Salix ovalifolia var. arctolitoralis, Salix ovalifolia var. ovalifolia and Stuckenia pectinata, seven species are newly recorded for mainland Nunavut (Carex gynocrates, Carex livida, Cryptogramma stelleri, Draba simmonsii, Festuca viviparoidea subsp. viviparoidea, Juncus alpinoarticulatus subsp. americanus and Salix pseudomyrsinites and 56 range extensions are reported. The psbA-trnH and rbcL DNA sequence data were used to help identify the three Botrychium

The effect of adipose derived stromal vascular fraction on stasis zone in an experimental burn model.

Science.gov (United States)

Eyuboglu, Atilla Adnan; Uysal, Cagri A; Ozgun, Gonca; Coskun, Erhan; Markal Ertas, Nilgun; Haberal, Mehmet

2018-03-01

Stasis zone is the surrounding area of the coagulation zone which is an important part determining the extent of the necrosis in burn patients. In our study we aim to salvage the stasis zone by injecting adipose derived stromal vascular fraction (ADSVF). Thermal injury was applied on dorsum of Sprague-Dawley rats (n=20) by the "comb burn" model as described previously. When the burn injury was established on Sprague-Dawley rats (30min); rat dorsum was separated into 2 equal parts consisting of 4 burn zones (3 stasis zone) on each pair. ADSVF cells harvested from inguinal fat pads of Sprague-Dawley rats (n=5) were injected on the right side while same amount of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) injected on the left side of the same animal. One week later, average vital tissue on the statis zone was determined by macroscopy, angiography and microscopy. Vascular density, inflammatory cell density, gradient of fibrosis and epithelial thickness were determined via immunohistochemical assay. Macroscopic stasis zone tissue viability (32±3.28%, 57±4.28%) (p51, 1.50±0.43) (pzone on acute burn injuries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Land Use Alters the Plant-Derived Carbon and Nitrogen Pools in Terraced Rice Paddies in a Mountain Village

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seiji Shimoda

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In Japan, terraced paddies in mountain villages are symbolic of the traditional landscape, but they are gradually being abandoned. To compare plant-derived C and N among land uses, we compared adjacent forest floor (FF, agricultural paddy (AP, and post-agricultural paddy (PP sites. Long-term litter accumulation could explain the significantly higher litter C and belowground biomass C in FF than in AP and PP. The low-density-fraction (LF soil C was significantly higher in FF than in PP and better reflected land use than the whole-soil C. The AP soil held more N than FF and PP at 20–30 cm, associated with higher LF soil N. Periodic tillage in AP maintains the LF soil N, but N supplied to the surface soil reduced with depth following abandonment. Differences in recycling of organic matter and nutrients among land uses are crucial to plant-derived C and N contents of soil.

Generation of a vascularized organoid using skeletal muscle as the inductive source.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Messina, Aurora

2005-09-01

The technology required for creating an in vivo microenvironment and a neovasculature that can grow with and service new tissue is lacking, precluding the possibility of engineering complex three-dimensional organs. We have shown that when an arterio-venous (AV) loop is constructed in vivo in the rat groin, and placed inside a semisealed chamber, an extensive functional vasculature is generated. To test whether this unusually angiogenic environment supports the survival and growth of implanted tissue or cells, we inserted various preparations of rat and human skeletal muscle. We show that after 6 weeks incubation of muscle tissue, the chamber filled with predominantly well-vascularized recipient-derived adipose tissue, but some new donor-derived skeletal muscle and connective tissue were also evident. When primary cultured myoblasts were inserted into the chamber with the AV loop, they converted to mature striated muscle fibers. Furthermore, we identify novel adipogenesis-inducing properties of skeletal muscle. This represents the first report of a specific three-dimensional tissue grown on its own vascular supply.

14CO2 labeling: a reliable technique for rapid measurement of total root exudation capacity and vascular sap flow in crops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Bhupinder; Ahuja, Sumedha; Pandey, Renu; Singhal, R.K.

2014-01-01

Ability of roots to release organic compounds in its rhizosphere is known to improve plant available nutrients and reduces heavy metal toxicity by immobilization. It is regarded as an important determinant of micro nutrient deficiency tolerance in plants. Uptake of nutrients and translocation of photoassimilates, on the other hand are governed by the strength of the transpiration stream and sink demand respectively. Measurement of vascular sap flow, thus, is critical for understanding of the translocation efficiency and consequently the sink demand that keeps changing during the crop growth cycle. Measurement of the root exudation capacity and the vascular sap flow is cumbersome and time consuming. Since, the exudates released by the roots and the photosynthates translocated between the source and the sink are essentially carbon compounds, use of labeled carbon as tag could potentially be exploited for a rapid and reliable measurement of exudation and vascular sap flow in crop plants. We report here the experimental results involving 14 C labeling of groundnut, a legume crop, as 14 CO 2 generated by acidification of sodium bicarbonate. An additional factor of seed gamma irradiation was used to generate variability in the root exudation and the sap flow. The 14 C release by the roots was compared against the 14 C transport in the vascular sap. An experimental hypothesis that a higher 14 C level in the vascular sap would indicate a higher root release of carbon by the roots into the rhizosphere was verified. (author)

Dietary Flavanols: A Review of Select Effects on Vascular Function, Blood Pressure, and Exercise Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Dashti, Yousef A; Holt, Roberta R; Stebbins, Charles L; Keen, Carl L; Hackman, Robert M

2018-05-02

An individual's diet affects numerous physiological functions and can play an important role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Epidemiological and clinical studies suggest that dietary flavanols can be an important modulator of vascular risk. Diets and plant extracts rich in flavanols have been reported to lower blood pressure, especially in prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals. Flavanols may act in part through signaling pathways that affect vascular function, nitric oxide availability, and the release of endothelial-derived relaxing and constricting factors. During exercise, flavanols have been reported to modulate metabolism and respiration (e.g., maximal oxygen uptake, O 2 cost of exercise, and energy expenditure), and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, resulting in increased skeletal muscle efficiency and endurance capacity. Flavanol-induced reductions in blood pressure during exercise may decrease the work of the heart. Collectively, these effects suggest that flavanols can act as an ergogenic aid to help delay the onset of fatigue. More research is needed to better clarify the effects of flavanols on vascular function, blood pressure regulation, and exercise performance and establish safe and effective levels of intake. Flavanol-rich foods and food products can be useful components of a healthy diet and lifestyle program for those seeking to better control their blood pressure or to enhance their physical activity. Key teaching points • Epidemiological and clinical studies indicate that dietary flavanols can reduce the risk of vascular disease. • Diets and plant extracts rich in flavanols have been reported to lower blood pressure and improve exercise performance in humans. • Mechanisms by which flavanols may reduce blood pressure function include alterations in signaling pathways that affect vascular function, nitric oxide availability, and the release of endothelial-derived relaxation and constriction factors. �

GROWTH PROCESS OF ORGANIC VETIVER ROOT WITH POTATO AS INTERCROPPING PLANT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asep Kadarohman

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Vetiver oil (Vetiveria zizanoides is one of Indonesia main export commodities. Vetiver root is perennial plant and generally planted with vegetables as intercropping plant. Increasing the selling price of vetiver oil can be done by transferring the production of conventional vetiver oil (non-organic to organic vetiver oil. Demonstration of land used was one hectare, which 2,000 m2 for planting vetiver root with potato (Solanum tuberosum as inter-cropping plant and 8,000 m2 for vetiver root without intercropping, in Sukakarya-Samarang, Garut. The planting used goat and cow dung as manure, distillate water of vetiver oil and liquid bio-pesticide as pesticide. Variables studied included plant height, number of leaf and crotch. In the first quarter of the years, the number of leaf and crotch of vetiver root with intercropping was better than vetiver root without inter-cropping. However, there was not significant difference for plant height of vetiver root, both with and without intercropping. Products of organic potato as intercropping plant of vetiver root were less than those of non-organic potato, but the latter had a better texture and durability.

Regulating plant physiology with organic electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Poxson, David J; Karady, Michal; Gabrielsson, Roger; Alkattan, Aziz Y; Gustavsson, Anna; Doyle, Siamsa M; Robert, Stéphanie; Ljung, Karin; Grebe, Markus; Simon, Daniel T; Berggren, Magnus

2017-05-02

The organic electronic ion pump (OEIP) provides flow-free and accurate delivery of small signaling compounds at high spatiotemporal resolution. To date, the application of OEIPs has been limited to delivery of nonaromatic molecules to mammalian systems, particularly for neuroscience applications. However, many long-standing questions in plant biology remain unanswered due to a lack of technology that precisely delivers plant hormones, based on cyclic alkanes or aromatic structures, to regulate plant physiology. Here, we report the employment of OEIPs for the delivery of the plant hormone auxin to induce differential concentration gradients and modulate plant physiology. We fabricated OEIP devices based on a synthesized dendritic polyelectrolyte that enables electrophoretic transport of aromatic substances. Delivery of auxin to transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings in vivo was monitored in real time via dynamic fluorescent auxin-response reporters and induced physiological responses in roots. Our results provide a starting point for technologies enabling direct, rapid, and dynamic electronic interaction with the biochemical regulation systems of plants.

Organic amendments derived from a pharmaceutical by-product: benefits and risks

Science.gov (United States)

Gigliotti, Giovanni; Cucina, Mirko; Zadra, Claudia; Pezzolla, Daniela; Sordi, Simone; Carla Marcotullio, Maria; Curini, Massimo

2015-04-01

The application of organic amendments to soils, such as sewage sludge, anaerobic digestate and compost is considered a tool for improving soil fertility and enhancing C stocks. The addition of these different organic materials allows a good supply of nutrients for plants but also contributes to C sequestration, affects the microbial activity and the transformation of soil organic matter (SOM). Moreover, the addition of organic amendment has gained importance as a source of CO2 emissions and then as a cause of the "Global Warming". Therefore, it is important to investigate the factors controlling the SOM mineralization in order to improve the soil C sequestration and decreasing at the same time CO2 emissions. Moreover, the quality of organic matter added to the soil will play an important role in these dynamics. Based on these considerations, the aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of the application to an arable soil of different organic materials derived from a pharmaceutical by-product which results from the fermentative biomass after the separation of the lipopolypeptidic antibiotic produced. A microcosm soil experiment was carried out using three different materials: a sewage sludge derived from the stabilization process of the by-product, a digestate obtained from the anaerobic treatment of the by-product and a compost produced by the aerobic treatment of the same digestate. To achieve this aim, the short-term variations of CO2 emissions, enzymatic soil activities (Dehydrogenase total activity and Fluoresceine diacetate hydrolysis), SOM quantity and quality were studied. In addition, process-related residues of antibiotic and decanoic acid (a precursor added during the fermentation) were analyzed on the organic materials to assess their possible presence. Through these analyses it was possible to state that the application to the soil of sewage sludge and anaerobic digestate may have a strong influence on the short-term variations of the

Plant-based fertilizers for organic vegetable production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Jørn Nygaard; Thorup-Kristensen, Kristian

2011-01-01

To ensure high yield and quality in organic vegetable production, crops often require additional fertilizer applied during the season. Due to the risk of contamination of edible plant products from slurry, plant-based fertilizers may be used as an alternative. The purpose of our work was to develop...... fertility, the term “mobile green manures” is used for green-manure crops that are harvested in one field and then moved as a whole and used as fertilizer in other fields. To further investigate mobile-green-manure crops for use as efficient fertilizers, pot and field experiments were conducted...... with cauliflower (Brassica oleracea botrytis) and kale (Brassica oleracea sabellica) supplied with organic matter consisting of a wide range of plant species with varying nutrient concentrations. Further, field experiments were conducted with leek (Allium porrum) and celery (Apium graveolens dulce) supplied...

Disentangling the influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the distribution of endemic vascular plants in Sardinia.

Science.gov (United States)

Fois, Mauro; Fenu, Giuseppe; Cañadas, Eva Maria; Bacchetta, Gianluigi

2017-01-01

Due to the impelling urgency of plant conservation and the increasing availability of high resolution spatially interpolated (e.g. climate variables) and categorical data (e.g. land cover and vegetation type), many recent studies have examined relationships among plant species distributions and a diversified set of explanatory factors; nevertheless, global and regional patterns of endemic plant richness remain in many cases unexplained. One such pattern is the 294 endemic vascular plant taxa recorded on a 1 km resolution grid on the environmentally heterogeneous island of Sardinia. Sixteen predictors, including topographic, geological, climatic and anthropogenic factors, were used to model local (number of taxa inside each 1 km grid cell) Endemic Vascular Plant Richness (EVPR). Generalized Linear Models were used to evaluate how each factor affected the distribution of local EVPR. Significant relationships with local EVPR and topographic, geological, climatic and anthropogenic factors were found. In particular, elevation explained the larger fraction of variation in endemic richness but other environmental factors (e.g. precipitation seasonality and slope) and human-related factors (e.g. the Human Influence Index (HII) and the proportion of anthropogenic land uses) were, respectively, positively and negatively correlated with local EVPR. Regional EVPR (number of endemic taxa inside each 100 m elevation interval) was also measured to compare local and regional EVPR patterns along the elevation gradient. In contrast to local, regional EVPR tended to decrease with altitude partly due to the decreasing area covered along altitude. The contrasting results between local and regional patterns suggest that local richness increases as a result of increased interspecific aggregation along altitude, whereas regional richness may depend on the interaction between area and altitude. This suggests that the shape and magnitude of the species-area relationship might vary with

Cross-scale modelling of alien and native vascular plant species richness in Great Britain: where is geodiversity information most relevant?

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Joseph; Field, Richard; Boyd, Doreen

2016-04-01

We assess the scale-dependency of the relationship between biodiversity and novel geodiversity information by studying spatial patterns of native and alien (archaeophytes and neophytes) vascular plant species richness at varying spatial scales across Great Britain. Instead of using a compound geodiversity metric, we study individual geodiversity components (GDCs) to advance our understanding of which aspects of 'geodiversity' are most important and at what scale. Terrestrial native (n = 1,490) and alien (n = 1,331) vascular plant species richness was modelled across the island of Great Britain at two grain sizes and several extent radii. Various GDCs (landforms, hydrology, geology) were compiled from existing national datasets and automatically extracted landform coverage information (e.g. hollows, valleys, peaks), the latter using a digital elevation model (DEM) and geomorphometric techniques. More traditional predictors of species richness (climate, widely-used topography metrics, land cover diversity, and human population) were also incorporated. Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) models were produced at all grain sizes and extents for each species group and the dominant predictors were assessed. Models with and without geodiversity data were compared. Overarching patterns indicated a clear dominance of geodiversity information at the smallest study extent (12.5km radius) and finest grain size (1x1km), which substantially decreased for each increase in extent as the contribution of climatic variables increased. The contribution of GDCs to biodiversity models was chiefly driven by landform information from geomorphometry, but hydrology (rivers and lakes), and to a lesser extent materials (soil, superficial deposits, and geology), were important, also. GDCs added significantly to vascular plant biodiversity models in Great Britain, independently of widely-used topographic metrics, particularly for native species. The wider consideration of geodiversity alongside

Contrasts between bryophyte and vascular plant synecological responses in an SO/sub 2/-stressed white spruce association in Central Alberta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winner, W.E.; Bewley, J.D.

1978-01-01

Canopy coverage analysis was used to examine the synecological changes exhibited by vascular plants and terrestrial mosses in a white spruce association exposed to SO/sub 2/ fumigation. Both these understory components were found to decline in coverage as SO/sub 2/ stress increased, but mosses were more sensitive to SO/sub 2/ in the more heavily stressed areas. This was observed along both an angle-dependent and a distance-dependent gradient of pollution stress. Diversity steadily declined with increasing SO/sub 2/ stress along the angle-dependent gradient but some localized increases in diversity occurred with increasing stress along the distance-dependent gradient. This was due to invasion of openings resulting from attrition of SO/sub 2/-sensitive species by weedy angiosperms and by vegetative growth of moss species more tolerant of pollution stress. Conclusions have been drawn about the productive strategy of vascular plants and mosses subjected to increasing concentrations of SO/sub 2/. We have elucidated the ecological consequences for community structure of the systematic removal of pollution-sensitive understory species from an otherwise stable vegetation unit.

Does cross-taxon analysis show similarity in diversity patterns between vascular plants and bryophytes? Some answers from a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagella, Simonetta

2014-04-01

The objective of this study was to clarify the taxon surrogacy hypothesis relative to vascular plants and bryophytes. A literature review was conducted to obtain papers that met the following criteria: (i) they examined species richness values; or (ii) they evaluated the species richness within the same study sites, or under the same spatial variation conditions. Twenty-seven papers were accessed. The richness of the two taxa, compared in 32 cases, positively co-varied in about half of the comparisons. The response to the spatial variation in environmental or human-induced factors of the two taxa in terms of species richness was rather variable. Based on current knowledge, the main documented findings regard forest habitats and nival gradients. In forest habitats, co-variation in species richness is likely when similar environments are analysed and seems to be strengthened for boreal forests. Along the nival gradient, a different response in terms of richness of the two taxa suggests that vascular plants cannot be considered good surrogates for bryophytes. Copyright © 2014 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Vascularized Composite Allografts: Procurement, Allocation, and Implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmel, Axel

Vascularized composite allotransplantation is a continuously evolving area of modern transplant medicine. Recently, vascularized composite allografts (VCAs) have been formally classified as 'organs'. In this review, key aspects of VCA procurement are discussed, with a special focus on interaction with the procurement of classical solid organs. In addition, options for a matching and allocation system that ensures VCA donor organs are allocated to the best-suited recipients are looked at. Finally, the different steps needed to promote VCA transplantation in society in general and in the medical community in particular are highlighted.

Beyond the network of plants volatile organic compounds

OpenAIRE

Vivaldo, Gianna; Masi, Elisa; Taiti, Cosimo; Caldarelli, Guido; Mancuso, Stefano

2017-01-01

Plants emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is involved in a wide class of ecological functions, as VOCs play a crucial role in plants interactions with biotic and abiotic factors. Accordingly, they vary widely across species and underpin differences in ecological strategy. In this paper, VOCs spontaneously emitted by 109 plant species (belonging to 56 different families) have been qualitatively and quantitatively analysed in order to classify plants species. By using bipartite netwo...

Inhibition of Th1 and Th17 Cells by Medicinal Plants and Their Derivatives: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Asadi-Samani, Majid; Bagheri, Nader; Rafieian-Kopaei, Mahmoud; Shirzad, Hedayatollah

2017-08-01

Searching for new natural drugs that are capable of targeting Th1 and Th17 may lead to development of more effective treatments for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Most of the natural drugs can be derived from plants that are used in traditional medicine and folk medicine. The aim of this systematic review is to identify and introduce plants or plant derivatives that are effective on inflammatory diseases by inhibiting Th1 and Th17 responses. To achieve this purpose, the search terms herb, herbal medicine, herbal drug, medicinal plant, phytochemical, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, natural compound, inflammation, inflammatory diseases, Th1, Th17, T helper 1 or T helper 17 were used separately in Title/Keywords/Abstract in Web of Science and PubMed databases. In articles investigating the effect of the medicinal plants and their derivatives in inhibiting Th1 and Th17 cells, the effects of eight extracts of the medicinal plants, 21 plant-based compounds and some of their derivatives, and eight drugs derived from the medicinal plants' compounds in inhibiting Th1 and Th17 cells were reviewed. The results showed that medicinal plants and their derivates are able to suppress Th17 and Th1 T cell functions as well as cytokine secretion and differentiation. The results can be used to produce herbal drugs that suppress Th, especially Th17, responses. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prophylactic effects of elastin peptide derived from the bulbus arteriosus of fish on vascular dysfunction in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Takemori, Kumiko; Yamamoto, Ei; Ito, Hiroyuki; Kometani, Takashi

2015-01-01

To determine the prophylactic effects of an elastin peptide derived from the bulbus arteriosus of bonitos and prolylglycine (PG), a degradation product of elastin peptide, on vascular dysfunction in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Male 15-week-old SHR/Izm rats were fed without (control group) or with elastin peptide (1 g/kg body weight) for 5 weeks (EP group), or were infused via an osmotic mini-pump for 4 weeks with PG (PG group) or saline (control group). Using thoracic aortas, we assessed endothelial changes by scanning electron microscopy. Vascular reactivity (contraction and relaxation) and pressure-induced distension was compared. mRNA production levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were investigated by real-time-polymerase chain reaction. Aortas of the EP group displayed limited endothelial damage compared with that in the control group. Under treatment of SHRs with elastin peptide, the effect of phenylephrine returned closer to the normal level observed in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY/Izm) rats. mRNA production of eNOS (but not ICAM-1) was greater in the EP group than in the control group. Endothelial damage was suppressed and pressure-induced vascular distension was greater in the PG group than in the corresponding control group. These results suggest that elastin peptide from bonitos elicits prophylactic affects hypertension-associated vascular dysfunction by targeting the eNOS signaling pathway. PG may be a key mediator of the beneficial effects of elastin peptide. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of endophytic fungi in the migration of the radionuclides in the vascular plants of the Ukrainian Polesye sphagniopratum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhdanova, N.N.; Sokolova, E.V.; Kurchenko, I.N.; Orlov, A.A.

2002-01-01

It is known that the specific activity of 137 Cs in vegetative phytomass of cranberry and sphagnum in oligotrophic conditions of Ukrainian Polessye forest sphagniopratum amounts 5000 - 10000 Bq/kg of air-dry weight. Roots of cranberry in natural conditions never run up to peat and mainly are located in top layer of the sphagnum top which is sodden by a water, but specific activity of the radionuclide in swamp water is low (2 - 10 Bq/l). It was supposed that mycorrhizal and endophytic micromycetes take an essential part in transferring the mineral substances and 137 Cs from sphagnum mosses to ericoid plants under oligotrophic swamp conditions. Endophytic fungi from vascular plants were not investigated in Ukraine. The article is devoted to the estimation of distribution of endophytic fungi in plants which are dominants of the plant cover of sphagniopratum. 47 species of micromycetes which belong to 27 genera were identified. For moss and ericoid plants five mutual species of endophytic fungi was detected

TW-01, a piperazinedione-derived compound, inhibits Ras-mediated cell proliferation and angioplasty-induced vascular restenosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Chao-Feng [The Ph.D. Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan (China); Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan (China); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan (China); Huang, Han-Li [The Ph.D. Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan (China); Peng, Chieh-Yu [Chinese Medicine Research and Development Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan (China); School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan (China); Lee, Yu-Ching [The Center of Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Ph.D. Program for Biotechnology in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Wang, Hui-Po [College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan (China); Teng, Che-Ming [College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan (China); Pharmacological Institute, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan (China); Pan, Shiow-Lin, E-mail: slpan@tmu.edu.tw [The Ph.D. Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan (China); Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 10031, Taiwan (China)

2016-08-15

Purpose: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and restenosis. This study investigated piperazinedione derived compound TW-01-mediated inhibitory effects on VSMC proliferation and intimal hyperplasia. Methods: Cell proliferation was determined using [{sup 3}H]-thymidine incorporation and MTT assay; cell cycle distribution was measured using flow cytometry; proteins and mRNA expression were determined using western blotting and RT-PCR analyses; DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), as measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA); in vivo effects of TW-01 were determined using balloon angioplasty in the rat. Results: TW-01 significantly inhibited cell proliferation. At the concentrations used, no cytotoxic effects were observed. Three predominant signaling pathways were inhibited by TW-01: (a) extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation and its downstream effectors of c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc; (b) DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB); and, (c) Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) and cell cycle progression. Furthermore, TW-01 also inhibited Ras activation, a shared upstream event of each of these signaling cascades. In vascular injury studies, oral administration of TW-01 significantly suppressed intimal hyperplasia induced by balloon angioplasty. Conclusion: The present study suggests that TW-01 might be a potential candidate for atherosclerosis treatment. - Highlights: • TW-01significantly inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. • TW-01 inhibits ERK, Akt and Ras pathway and DNA binding activity of NF-κB. • TW-01 significantly suppresses intimal hyperplasia induced by balloon angioplasty. • TW-01 might be a potential candidate for atherosclerosis treatment.

TW-01, a piperazinedione-derived compound, inhibits Ras-mediated cell proliferation and angioplasty-induced vascular restenosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Chao-Feng; Huang, Han-Li; Peng, Chieh-Yu; Lee, Yu-Ching; Wang, Hui-Po; Teng, Che-Ming; Pan, Shiow-Lin

2016-01-01

Purpose: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and restenosis. This study investigated piperazinedione derived compound TW-01-mediated inhibitory effects on VSMC proliferation and intimal hyperplasia. Methods: Cell proliferation was determined using [ 3 H]-thymidine incorporation and MTT assay; cell cycle distribution was measured using flow cytometry; proteins and mRNA expression were determined using western blotting and RT-PCR analyses; DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), as measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA); in vivo effects of TW-01 were determined using balloon angioplasty in the rat. Results: TW-01 significantly inhibited cell proliferation. At the concentrations used, no cytotoxic effects were observed. Three predominant signaling pathways were inhibited by TW-01: (a) extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation and its downstream effectors of c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc; (b) DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB); and, (c) Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) and cell cycle progression. Furthermore, TW-01 also inhibited Ras activation, a shared upstream event of each of these signaling cascades. In vascular injury studies, oral administration of TW-01 significantly suppressed intimal hyperplasia induced by balloon angioplasty. Conclusion: The present study suggests that TW-01 might be a potential candidate for atherosclerosis treatment. - Highlights: • TW-01significantly inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. • TW-01 inhibits ERK, Akt and Ras pathway and DNA binding activity of NF-κB. • TW-01 significantly suppresses intimal hyperplasia induced by balloon angioplasty. • TW-01 might be a potential candidate for atherosclerosis treatment.

Human lung fibroblast-derived matrix facilitates vascular morphogenesis in 3D environment and enhances skin wound healing.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Ping; Suhaeri, Muhammad; Ha, Sang Su; Oh, Seung Ja; Kim, Sang-Heon; Park, Kwideok

2017-05-01

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial to many aspects of vascular morphogenesis and maintenance of vasculature function. Currently the recapitulation of angiogenic ECM microenvironment is still challenging, due mainly to its diverse components and complex organization. Here we investigate the angiogenic potential of human lung fibroblast-derived matrix (hFDM) in creating a three-dimensional (3D) vascular construct. hFDM was obtained via decellularization of in vitro cultured human lung fibroblasts and analyzed via immunofluorescence staining and ELISA, which detect multiple ECM macromolecules and angiogenic growth factors (GFs). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) morphology was more elongated and better proliferative on hFDM than on gelatin-coated substrate. To prepare 3D construct, hFDM is collected, quantitatively analyzed, and incorporated in collagen hydrogel (Col) with HUVECs. Capillary-like structure (CLS) formation at 7day was significantly better with the groups containing higher doses of hFDM compared to the Col group (control). Moreover, the group (Col/hFDM/GFs) with both hFDM and angiogenic GFs (VEGF, bFGF, SDF-1) showed the synergistic activity on CLS formation and found much larger capillary lumen diameters with time. Further analysis of hFDM via angiogenesis antibody array kit reveals abundant biochemical cues, such as angiogenesis-related cytokines, GFs, and proteolytic enzymes. Significantly up-regulated expression of VE-cadherin and ECM-specific integrin subunits was also noticed in Col/hFDM/GFs. In addition, transplantation of Col/hFMD/GFs with HUVECs in skin wound model presents more effective re-epithelialization, many regenerated hair follicles, better transplanted cells viability, and advanced neovascularization. We believe that current system is a very promising platform for 3D vasculature construction in vitro and for cell delivery toward therapeutic applications in vivo. Functional 3D vasculature construction in vitro is still

Curative care through administration of plant-derived medicines in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Curative care through administration of plant-derived medicines in Sekhukhune district municipality of Limpopo province, South Africa. ... Sources of medicine were mostly herbs followed by shrubs, trees, creepers and aloe collected from the communal land. The leaves, bark, roots and bulbs were prepared into decoctions ...

Simple plant-based design strategies for volatile organic pollutants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Narayanan, M.; Erickson, L.E.; Davis, L.C.

1999-12-31

Vegetation which enhances in-situ biodegradation of organic compounds can play a key role in the bioremediation of such contaminants in polluted soils and groundwater. Plants may act directly on some contaminants by degrading them, but their main effect is to enhance microbial populations in the thizosphere. Microbially mediated transformations are thus indirectly facilitated by root exudates which nourish the indigenous microorganisms. Plants may also be viewed as a solar driven pump-and-treat system which can contain a plume and reduce the spread of contaminated water. Laboratory investigations carried out in a growth chamber with alfalfa plants provide evidence for the (microbially mediated) biodegradation of organic compounds such as toluene, phenol and TCE. Alfalfa plants tolerate concentrations of these organics in contaminated water up to 100 mg/L. They facilitate transfer of the contaminants from the saturated to the vadose zone. For volatile organic compounds such as TCE, vegetation provides a controlled release of compounds and hence assures dilution of the TCE evapotranspired into the atmosphere from contaminated soils. Using a range of calculated plausible scenarios, it is shown that intermedia transfer caused by volatilization associated with plants is most unlikely to lead to exceedance of standards for gas phase contamination, for most volatile contaminants. Possible action level exceedances might occur with highly toxic substances including vinyl chloride and carbon tetrachloride, if they re present in ground water at levels above kilogram amounts in a single plume of a few hectares, and released by vigorously growing plants under hot dry conditions. Information needed for the calculation and design of plant-based bioremediation systems for typical sites is discussed in this paper.

Distinguishing plant population and variety with UAV-derived vegetation indices

Science.gov (United States)

Oakes, Joseph; Balota, Maria

2017-05-01

Variety selection and seeding rate are two important choice that a peanut grower must make. High yielding varieties can increase profit with no additional input costs, while seeding rate often determines input cost a grower will incur from seed costs. The overall purpose of this study was to examine the effect that seeding rate has on different peanut varieties. With the advent of new UAV technology, we now have the possibility to use indices collected with the UAV to measure emergence, seeding rate, growth rate, and perhaps make yield predictions. This information could enable growers to make management decisions early in the season based on low plant populations due to poor emergence, and could be a useful tool for growers to use to estimate plant population and growth rate in order to help achieve desired crop stands. Red-Green-Blue (RGB) and near-infrared (NIR) images were collected from a UAV platform starting two weeks after planting and continued weekly for the next six weeks. Ground NDVI was also collected each time aerial images were collected. Vegetation indices were derived from both the RGB and NIR images. Greener area (GGA- the proportion of green pixels with a hue angle from 80° to 120°) and a* (the average red/green color of the image) were derived from the RGB images while Normalized Differential Vegetative Index (NDVI) was derived from NIR images. Aerial indices were successful in distinguishing seeding rates and determining emergence during the first few weeks after planting, but not later in the season. Meanwhile, these aerial indices are not an adequate predictor of yield in peanut at this point.

Plant-associated bacterial degradation of toxic organic compounds in soil.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McGuinness, Martina

2009-08-01

A number of toxic synthetic organic compounds can contaminate environmental soil through either local (e.g., industrial) or diffuse (e.g., agricultural) contamination. Increased levels of these toxic organic compounds in the environment have been associated with human health risks including cancer. Plant-associated bacteria, such as endophytic bacteria (non-pathogenic bacteria that occur naturally in plants) and rhizospheric bacteria (bacteria that live on and near the roots of plants), have been shown to contribute to biodegradation of toxic organic compounds in contaminated soil and could have potential for improving phytoremediation. Endophytic and rhizospheric bacterial degradation of toxic organic compounds (either naturally occurring or genetically enhanced) in contaminated soil in the environment could have positive implications for human health worldwide and is the subject of this review.

Anhydrobiosis and programmed cell death in plants: Commonalities and Differences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samer Singh

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Anhydrobiosis is an adaptive strategy of certain organisms or specialised propagules to survive in the absence of water while programmed cell death (PCD is a finely tuned cellular process of the selective elimination of targeted cell during developmental programme and perturbed biotic and abiotic conditions. Particularly during water stress both the strategies serve single purpose i.e., survival indicating PCD may also function as an adaptive process under certain conditions. During stress conditions PCD cause targeted cells death in order to keep the homeostatic balance required for the organism survival, whereas anhydrobiosis suspends cellular metabolic functions mimicking a state similar to death until reestablishment of the favourable conditions. Anhydrobiosis is commonly observed among organisms that have ability to revive their metabolism on rehydration after removal of all or almost all cellular water without damage. This feature is widely represented in terrestrial cyanobacteria and bryophytes where it is very common in both vegetative and reproductive stages of life-cycle. In the course of evolution, with the development of advanced vascular system in higher plants, anhydrobiosis was gradually lost from the vegetative phase of life-cycle. Though it is retained in resurrection plants that primarily belong to thallophytes and a small group of vascular angiosperm, it can be mostly found restricted in orthodox seeds of higher plants. On the contrary, PCD is a common process in all eukaryotes from unicellular to multicellular organisms including higher plants and mammals. In this review we discuss physiological and biochemical commonalities and differences between anhydrobiosis and PCD.

Synthesis and structure activity relationships of carbamimidoylcarbamate derivatives as novel vascular adhesion protein-1 inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaki, Susumu; Yamada, Hiroyoshi; Nagashima, Akira; Kondo, Mitsuhiro; Shimada, Yoshiaki; Kadono, Keitaro; Yoshihara, Kosei

2017-11-01

Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. Here, we conducted structural optimization of the glycine amide derivative 1, which we previously reported as a novel VAP-1 inhibitor, to improve stability in dog and monkey plasma, and aqueous solubility. By chemical modification of the right part in the glycine amide derivative, we identified the carbamimidoylcarbamate derivative 20c, which showed stability in dog and monkey plasma while maintaining VAP-1 inhibitory activity. We also found that conversion of the pyrimidine ring in 20c into saturated rings was effective for improving aqueous solubility. This led to the identification of 28a and 35 as moderate VAP-1 inhibitors with excellent aqueous solubility. Further optimization led to the identification of 2-fluoro-3-{3-[(6-methylpyridin-3-yl)oxy]azetidin-1-yl}benzyl carbamimidoylcarbamate (40b), which showed similar human VAP-1 inhibitory activity to 1 with improved aqueous solubility. 40b showed more potent ex vivo efficacy than 1, with rat plasma VAP-1 inhibitory activity of 92% at 1h after oral administration at 0.3mg/kg. In our pharmacokinetic study, 40b showed good oral bioavailability in rats, dogs, and monkeys, which may be due to its improved stability in dog and monkey plasma. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Open and endovascular aneurysm repair in the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative.

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Spangler, Emily L; Beck, Adam W

2017-12-01

The Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative is a patient safety organization and a collection of procedure-based registries that can be utilized for quality improvement initiatives and clinical outcomes research. The Vascular Quality Initiative consists of voluntary participation by centers to collect data prospectively on all consecutive cases within specific registries which physicians and centers elect to participate. The data capture extends from preoperative demographics and risk factors (including indications for operation), through the perioperative period, to outcomes data at up to 1-year of follow-up. Additionally, longer-term follow-up can be achieved by matching with Medicare claims data, providing long-term longitudinal follow-up for a majority of patients within the Vascular Quality Initiative registries. We present the unique characteristics of the Vascular Quality Initiative registries and highlight important insights gained specific to open and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mapping multi-scale vascular plant richness in a forest landscape with integrated LiDAR and hyperspectral remote-sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Hakkenberg, C R; Zhu, K; Peet, R K; Song, C

2018-02-01

The central role of floristic diversity in maintaining habitat integrity and ecosystem function has propelled efforts to map and monitor its distribution across forest landscapes. While biodiversity studies have traditionally relied largely on ground-based observations, the immensity of the task of generating accurate, repeatable, and spatially-continuous data on biodiversity patterns at large scales has stimulated the development of remote-sensing methods for scaling up from field plot measurements. One such approach is through integrated LiDAR and hyperspectral remote-sensing. However, despite their efficiencies in cost and effort, LiDAR-hyperspectral sensors are still highly constrained in structurally- and taxonomically-heterogeneous forests - especially when species' cover is smaller than the image resolution, intertwined with neighboring taxa, or otherwise obscured by overlapping canopy strata. In light of these challenges, this study goes beyond the remote characterization of upper canopy diversity to instead model total vascular plant species richness in a continuous-cover North Carolina Piedmont forest landscape. We focus on two related, but parallel, tasks. First, we demonstrate an application of predictive biodiversity mapping, using nonparametric models trained with spatially-nested field plots and aerial LiDAR-hyperspectral data, to predict spatially-explicit landscape patterns in floristic diversity across seven spatial scales between 0.01-900 m 2 . Second, we employ bivariate parametric models to test the significance of individual, remotely-sensed predictors of plant richness to determine how parameter estimates vary with scale. Cross-validated results indicate that predictive models were able to account for 15-70% of variance in plant richness, with LiDAR-derived estimates of topography and forest structural complexity, as well as spectral variance in hyperspectral imagery explaining the largest portion of variance in diversity levels. Importantly

UAP56 is an important mediator of Angiotensin II/platelet derived growth factor induced vascular smooth muscle cell DNA synthesis and proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahni, Abha; Wang, Nadan; Alexis, Jeffrey

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Knockdown of UAP56 inhibits Angiotensin II/PDGF induced vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. ► UAP56 is a positive regulator of E2F transcriptional activation. ► UAP56 is present in the vessel wall of low flow carotid arteries. -- Abstract: Angiotensin (Ang) II and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) are important mediators of pathologic vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. Identifying downstream mediators of Ang II and PDGF signaling may provide insights for therapies to improve vascular proliferative diseases. We have previously demonstrated that breakpoint cluster region (Bcr) is an important mediator of Ang II/PDGF signaling in VSMC. We have recently reported that the DExD/H box protein UAP56 is an interacting partner of Bcr in regulating VSMC DNA synthesis. We hypothesized that UAP56 itself is an important regulator of VSMC proliferation. In this report we demonstrate that knockdown of UAP56 inhibits Ang II/PDGF induced VSMC DNA synthesis and proliferation, and inhibits E2F transcriptional activity. In addition, we demonstrate that UAP56 is present in the vessel wall of low-flow carotid arteries. These findings suggest that UAP56 is a regulator of VSMC proliferation and identify UAP56 as a target for preventing vascular proliferative disease

Interspecies communication between plant and mouse gut host cells through edible plant derived exosome-like nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Jingyao; Zhuang, Xiaoying; Wang, Qilong; Jiang, Hong; Deng, Zhong-Bin; Wang, Baomei; Zhang, Lifeng; Kakar, Sham; Jun, Yan; Miller, Donald; Zhang, Huang-Ge

2014-07-01

Exosomes, small vesicles participating in intercellular communication, have been extensively studied recently; however, the role of edible plant derived exosomes in interspecies communication has not been investigated. Here, we investigate the biological effects of edible plant derived exosome-like nanoparticles (EPDENs) on mammalian cells. In this study, exosome-like nanoparticles from four edible plants were isolated and characterized. We show that these EPDENs contain proteins, lipids, and microRNA. EPDENs are taken up by intestinal macrophages and stem cells. The results generated from EPDEN-transfected macrophages indicate that ginger EPDENs preferentially induce the expression of the antioxidation gene, heme oxygenase-1 and the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10; whereas grapefruit, ginger, and carrot EPDENs promote activation of nuclear factor like (erythroid-derived 2). Furthermore, analysis of the intestines of canonical Wnt-reporter mice, i.e. B6.Cg-Tg(BAT-lacZ)3Picc/J mice, revealed that the numbers of β-galactosidase(+) (β-Gal) intestinal crypts are increased, suggesting that EPDEN treatment of mice leads to Wnt-mediated activation of the TCF4 transcription machinery in the crypts. The data suggest a role for EPDEN-mediated interspecies communication by inducing expression of genes for anti-inflammation cytokines, antioxidation, and activation of Wnt signaling, which are crucial for maintaining intestinal homeostasis. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The hematopoietic chemokine CXCL12 promotes integration of human endothelial colony forming cell-derived cells into immature vessel networks.

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Newey, Sarah E; Tsaknakis, Grigorios; Khoo, Cheen P; Athanassopoulos, Thanassi; Camicia, Rosalba; Zhang, Youyi; Grabowska, Rita; Harris, Adrian L; Roubelakis, Maria G; Watt, Suzanne M

2014-11-15

Proangiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) prime endothelial cells to respond to "hematopoietic" chemokines and cytokines by inducing/upregulating expression of the respective chemokine/cytokine receptors. Coculture of human endothelial colony forming cell (ECFC)-derived cells with human stromal cells in the presence of VEGF and FGF-2 for 14 days resulted in upregulation of the "hematopoietic" chemokine CXCL12 and its CXCR4 receptor by day 3 of coculture. Chronic exposure to the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 in this vasculo/angiogenesis assay significantly reduced vascular tubule formation, an observation recapitulated by delayed AMD3100 addition. While AMD3100 did not affect ECFC-derived cell proliferation, it did demonstrate a dual action. First, over the later stages of the 14-day cocultures, AMD3100 delayed tubule organization into maturing vessel networks, resulting in enhanced endothelial cell retraction and loss of complexity as defined by live cell imaging. Second, at earlier stages of cocultures, we observed that AMD3100 significantly inhibited the integration of exogenous ECFC-derived cells into established, but immature, vascular networks. Comparative proteome profiler array analyses of ECFC-derived cells treated with AMD3100 identified changes in expression of potential candidate molecules involved in adhesion and/or migration. Blocking antibodies to CD31, but not CD146 or CD166, reduced the ECFC-derived cell integration into these extant vascular networks. Thus, CXCL12 plays a key role not only in endothelial cell sensing and guidance, but also in promoting the integration of ECFC-derived cells into developing vascular networks.

Disentangling environmental correlates of vascular plant biodiversity in a Mediterranean hotspot.

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Molina-Venegas, Rafael; Aparicio, Abelardo; Pina, Francisco José; Valdés, Benito; Arroyo, Juan

2013-10-01

We determined the environmental correlates of vascular plant biodiversity in the Baetic-Rifan region, a plant biodiversity hotspot in the western Mediterranean. A catalog of the whole flora of Andalusia and northern Morocco, the region that includes most of the Baetic-Rifan complex, was compiled using recent comprehensive floristic catalogs. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) of the different ecoregions of Andalusia and northern Morocco were conducted to determine their floristic affinities. Diversity patterns were studied further by focusing on regional endemic taxa. Endemic and nonendemic alpha diversities were regressed to several environmental variables. Finally, semi-partial regressions on distance matrices were conducted to extract the respective contributions of climatic, altitudinal, lithological, and geographical distance matrices to beta diversity in endemic and nonendemic taxa. We found that West Rifan plant assemblages had more similarities with Andalusian ecoregions than with other nearby northern Morocco ecoregions. The endemic alpha diversity was explained relatively well by the environmental variables related to summer drought and extreme temperature values. Of all the variables, geographical distance contributed by far the most to spatial turnover in species diversity in the Baetic-Rifan hotspot. In the Baetic range, elevation was the most significant driver of nonendemic species beta diversity, while lithology and elevation were the main drivers of endemic beta diversity. Despite the fact that Andalusia and northern Morocco are presently separated by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the Baetic and Rifan mountain ranges have many floristic similarities - especially in their western ranges - due to past migration of species across the Strait of Gibraltar. Climatic variables could be shaping the spatial distribution of endemic species richness throughout the Baetic-Rifan hotspot. Determinants

Culture of equine bone marrow mononuclear fraction and adipose tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction cells in different media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gesiane Ribeiro

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the culture of equine bone marrow mononuclear fraction and adipose tissue - derived stromal vascular fraction cells in two different cell culture media. Five adult horses were submitted to bone marrow aspiration from the sternum, and then from the adipose tissue of the gluteal region near the base of the tail. Mononuclear fraction and stromal vascular fraction were isolated from the samples and cultivated in DMEM medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum or in AIM-V medium. The cultures were observed once a week with an inverted microscope, to perform a qualitative analysis of the morphology of the cells as well as the general appearance of the cell culture. Colony-forming units (CFU were counted on days 5, 15 and 25 of cell culture. During the first week of culture, differences were observed between the samples from the same source maintained in different culture media. The number of colonies was significantly higher in samples of bone marrow in relation to samples of adipose tissue.

NASAs VESGEN: Systems Analysis of Vascular Phenotypes from Stress and Other Signaling Pathways Using GeneLab.

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons-Wingerter, Patricia A.; Weitzel, Alexander; Vyas, Ruchi J.; Murray, Matthew C.; Wyatt, Sarah E.

2016-01-01

One fundamental requirement shared by humans with all higher terrestrial life forms, including insect wings, higher land plants and other vertebrates, is a complex, fractally branching vascular system. NASA's VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) software maps and quantifies vascular trees, networks, and tree-network composites according to weighted physiological rules such as vessel connectivity, tapering and bifurcational branching. According to fluid dynamics, successful vascular transport requires a complex distributed system of highly regulated laminar flow. Microvascular branching rules within vertebrates, dicot leaves and the other organisms therefore display many similarities. One unifying perspective is that vascular patterning offers a useful readout that necessarily integrates complex molecular signaling pathways. VESGEN has elucidated changes in vascular pattern resulting from inflammatory, stress response, developmental and other signaling within numerous tissues and major model organisms studied for Space Biology. For a new VESGEN systems approach, we analyzed differential gene expression in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana reported by GeneLab (GLDS-7) for spaceflight. Vascular-related changes in leaf gene expression were identified that can potentially be phenocopied by mutants in ground-based experiments. To link transcriptional, protein and other molecular change with phenotype, alterations in the Euclidean and dynamic dimensions (x,y,t) of vascular patterns for Arabidopsis leaves and other model species are being co-localized with signaling patterns of single molecular expression analyzed as information dimensions (i,j,k,...). Previously, Drosophila microarray data returned from space suggested significant changes in genes related to wing venation development that include EGF, Notch, Hedghog, Wingless and Dpp signaling. Phenotypes of increasingly abnormal ectopic wing venation in the (non-spaceflight) Drosophila wing generated by overexpression of a

of Effect of different organic materials on plant growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

mehrnosh eskandari

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Using organic matter, such as, peat and vermicompost as soil amendment, increases aeration, water infiltration, water holding capacity and nutrients of soil . A greenhouse experiment was performed to study the effect of organic materials on plant growth characteristics, total biomass and grain weight of chickpea with four treatments; 1 Soil + 3% peat (PS, 2 Sterile soil + 3% peat (SPS, 3 Soil + vermicompost (1:6 (VCS, 4 control (C in a completely randomized design with four replications. The results showed that the maximum germination percentage, number of branch and number of pod per plant were observed in SPS treatment due to the avoidance of harmful microbial impacts. Plant height in this treatment reduced, whereas, no significant differences in total dry matter per plant and dry weight of chickpea per plant were observed compared to control. Plant growth consist of plant height, number of branch and number of pod per plant in vermicompost and soil + peat treatment reduced in the early stages probably because of plant - microbes interaction effects. Application of vermicompost increased fresh and dry weight, pod dry weight and single grain weight, probably due to more plant nutrient availability in this treatment when compared with other treatments.

Isolation and characterization of biochar-derived organic matter fractions and their phenanthrene sorption.

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Jin, Jie; Sun, Ke; Liu, Wei; Li, Shiwei; Peng, Xianqiang; Yang, Yan; Han, Lanfang; Du, Ziwen; Wang, Xiangke

2018-05-01

Chemical composition and pollutant sorption of biochar-derived organic matter fractions (BDOMs) are critical for understanding the long-term environmental significance of biochar. Phenanthrene (PHE) sorption by the humic acid-like (HAL) fractions isolated from plant straw- (PLABs) and animal manure-based (ANIBs) biochars, and the residue materials (RES) after HAL extraction was investigated. The HAL fraction comprised approximately 50% of organic carbon (OC) of the original biochars. Results of XPS and 13 C NMR demonstrated that the biochar-derived HAL fractions mainly consisted of aromatic clusters substituted by carboxylic groups. The CO 2 cumulative surface area of BDOMs excluding PLAB-derived RES fractions was obviously lower than that of corresponding biochars. The sorption nonlinearity of PHE by the fresh biochars was significantly stronger than that of the BDOM fractions, implying that the BDOM fractions were more chemically homogeneous. The BDOMs generally exhibited comparable or higher OC-normalized distribution coefficients (K oc ) of PHE than the original biochars. The PHE logK oc values of the fresh biochars correlated negatively with the micropore volumes due to steric hindrance effect. In contrast, a positive relationship between the sorption coefficients (K d ) of BDOMs and the micropore volumes was observed in this study, suggesting that pore filling could dominate PHE sorption by the BDOMs. The positive correlation between the PHE logK oc values of the HAL fractions and the aromatic C contents indicates that PHE sorption by the HAL fractions was regulated by aromatic domains. The findings of this study improve our knowledge of the evolution of biochar properties after application and its potential environmental impacts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New diarylmethanofullerene derivatives and their properties for organic thin-film solar cells

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Daisuke Sukeguchi

2009-02-01

Full Text Available A number of diarylmethanofullerene derivatives were synthesized. The cyclopropane ring of the derivatives has two aryl groups substituted with electron-withdrawing and -donating groups, the latter with long alkyl chains to improve solubility in organic solvents, an important property in processing cells. First reduction potentials of most derivatives were less negative than that of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM, which is possibly ascribed to their electron-withdrawing nature. Organic thin-film photovoltaic cells fabricated with poly(3-hexylthiophene (P3HT as the electron-donor and diarylmethanofullerene derivatives as the electron-acceptor material were examined. The {(methoxycarbonylphenyl[bis(octyloxyphenyl]methano}fullerene showed power conversion efficiency as high as PCBM, but had higher solubility in a variety of organic solvents than PCBM. The Voc value was higher than that of PCBM, which is derived from the electron-donating (octyloxyphenyl group, possibly raising the LUMO level. Photovoltaic effects of the devices fabricated with the derivatives having some electron-withdrawing groups were also examined.

Distribution and lability of land-derived organic matter in the surface sediments of the Rhône prodelta and the adjacent shelf (Mediterranean Sea, France: a multi proxy study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Bourgeois

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The Gulf of Lions is a river-dominated ocean margin that receives high loads of nutrients and particulate matter from the Rhône River but most particulate materials settle rapidly on the nearshore seafloor. One question is raised on the fate of these large quantities of organic carbon delivered by the river to the coastal marine environment. Surface sediments (0–0.5 cm were collected in the Rhône prodelta and its adjacent shelf during a period of low river discharge (April 2007, 16 stations. The sources, distribution and lability of sedimentary organic matter were examined using bulk (organic carbon, total nitrogen, stable carbon isotope ratios, and grain size and molecular-level (pigments, amino acids, fatty acids, and δ¹³C of individual fatty acids analyses. Our results confirmed previous observations of a southwestward Rhodanian imprint in the nearshore sediments, with 97% of terrigenous inputs of organic matter near the river mouth. Isotopic values of bulk organic carbon, as well as fatty acid biomarkers and compound-specific δ¹³C signatures of most fatty acids clearly indicate that the Rhône inputs consist of a mixture of organic matter (OM from different origins with a strong contribution from terrestrial sources (soil and plant debris, and a smaller input from freshwater microalgae, mostly diatoms. The influence of the Rhône River was prominent within the first ten kilometers, but may still be observed on the outer shelf (~21 km as indicated by the occurrence of long chain fatty acids, which are derived from vascular plants, and their δ¹³C signatures. In the proximal prodelta, bacteria-specific fatty acids were abundant (1.65 mg g⁻¹ OC at the mouth site and were relatively depleted in δ¹³C confirming that bacteria mostly utilize land-derived OM. In the shelf area, the inputs of marine OM and its predominant utilization by the bacteria was confirmed, but the coupling

Organics in the power plant cycle. An EPRI perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathews, James A. [EPRI, Charlotte, NC (United States)

2008-11-15

Irrespective of past practices and prejudices, the use of organic treatment chemicals to address new and ongoing concerns in the operation of power plant cycles is increasing. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) guidelines currently do not advocate the use of organic additives, citing that these additives should not be needed and that breakdown products pose problems with analytical measurement of cation conductivity and operation of condensate polishers. Some of the concerns about organic treatment are hidden in the association of ''organics'' with naturally occurring organic compounds from contamination sources such as cooling water, lubrication systems, or make-up water treatment and cleaning agents. However, conditions in the 2-phase fluid regions of low pressure heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), feedwater heaters, the turbine phase transition zone (PTZ), and air-cooled condensers remain problematic and warrant investigation of conditioning with some complex amine type organic treatments. Nuclear plants have employed advanced organic amines such as ethanolamine to address concerns of low pH in condensing steam. Increasing understanding of the formation, morphology and dynamics of boiler deposits may demonstrate the capability to modify the deposit nature and restrict the accumulation of contaminants; what role potential organic treatments may have in this is unclear at this time. The aim of EPRI in the assessment of organics in the fossil power plant cycle is to accomplish a greater understanding of the role, risks and benefits of organic treatment and to more fully engage the technical community in adoption of best practices for the optimum use of these treatments. (orig.)

Critical Endothelial Regulation by LRP5 during Retinal Vascular Development

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Wei; Li, Qing; Amiry-Moghaddam, Mahmood; Hokama, Madoka; Sardi, Sylvia H.; Nagao, Masashi; Warman, Matthew L.; Olsen, Bjorn R.

2016-01-01

Vascular abnormalities in the eye are the leading cause of many forms of inherited and acquired human blindness. Loss-of-function mutations in the Wnt-binding co-receptor LRP5 leads to aberrant ocular vascularization and loss of vision in genetic disorders such as osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome. The canonical Wnt-β-catenin pathway is known to regulate retinal vascular development. However, it is unclear what precise role LPR5 plays in this process. Here, we show that loss of LRP5 function in mice causes retinal hypovascularization during development as well as retinal neovascularization in adulthood with disorganized and leaky vessels. Using a highly specific Flk1-CreBreier line for vascular endothelial cells, together with several genetic models, we demonstrate that loss of endothelium-derived LRP5 recapitulates the retinal vascular defects in Lrp5-/- mice. In addition, restoring LRP5 function only in endothelial cells in Lrp5-/- mice rescues their retinal vascular abnormalities. Furthermore, we show that retinal vascularization is regulated by LRP5 in a dosage dependent manner and does not depend on LRP6. Our study provides the first direct evidence that endothelium-derived LRP5 is both necessary and sufficient to mediate its critical role in the development and maintenance of retinal vasculature. PMID:27031698

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Montezuma Castle National Monument

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Cecilia A.; Drost, Charles A.; Halvorson, William Lee

2006-01-01

Executive Summary We summarize past inventory efforts for vascular plants and vertebrates at Montezuma Castle National Monument (NM) in Arizona. We used data from previous research to compile complete species lists for the monument and to assess inventory completeness. There have been 784 species recorded at Montezuma Castle NM, of which 85 (11%) are non-native. In each taxon-specific chapter we highlight areas of resources that contributed to species richness or unique species for the monument. Of particular importance are Montezuma Well and Beaver and Wet Beaver creeks and the surrounding riparian vegetation, which are responsible for the monument having one of the highest numbers of bird species in the Sonoran Desert Network of park units. Beaver Creek is also home to populations of federally-listed fish species of concern. Other important resources include the cliffs along the creeks and around Montezuma Well (for cliff and cave roosting bats). Based on the review of past studies, we believe the inventory for most taxa is nearly complete, though some rare or elusive species will be added with additional survey effort. We recommend additional inventory, monitoring and research studies.

Suitability of various plant derived gelling agents as agar substitute ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

2012-06-05

Jun 5, 2012 ... of three test fungi (Trichoderma harzianum, Alternaria alternata and Alternaria solani) as good as agar. ... used for cell culture, derived from plants or animals and .... and used to jell various foods, drugs and cosmetics) and rice.

Combating Pathogenic Microorganisms Using Plant-Derived Antimicrobials: A Minireview of the Mechanistic Basis

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Abhinav Upadhyay

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The emergence of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria has led to renewed interest in exploring the potential of plant-derived antimicrobials (PDAs as an alternative therapeutic strategy to combat microbial infections. Historically, plant extracts have been used as a safe, effective, and natural remedy for ailments and diseases in traditional medicine. Extensive research in the last two decades has identified a plethora of PDAs with a wide spectrum of activity against a variety of fungal and bacterial pathogens causing infections in humans and animals. Active components of many plant extracts have been characterized and are commercially available; however, research delineating the mechanistic basis of their antimicrobial action is scanty. This review highlights the potential of various plant-derived compounds to control pathogenic bacteria, especially the diverse effects exerted by plant compounds on various virulence factors that are critical for pathogenicity inside the host. In addition, the potential effect of PDAs on gut microbiota is discussed.

Vascularized bone transplant chimerism mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor.

Science.gov (United States)

Willems, Wouter F; Larsen, Mikko; Friedrich, Patricia F; Bishop, Allen T

2015-01-01

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induces angiogenesis and osteogenesis in bone allotransplants. We aim to determine whether bone remodeling in VEGF-treated bone allotransplants results from repopulation with circulation-derived autogenous cells or survival of allogenic transplant-derived cells. Vascularized femoral bone transplants were transplanted from female Dark Agouti rats (DA;RT1(a) ) to male Piebald Viral Glaxo (PVG;RT1(c) ). Arteriovenous bundle implantation and short-term immunosuppression were used to maintain cellular viability. VEGF was encapsulated in biodegradable microspheres and delivered intramedullary in the experimental group (n = 22). In the control group (n = 22), no VEGF was delivered. Rats were sacrificed at 4 or 18 weeks. Laser capture microdissection of bone remodeling areas was performed at the inner and outer cortex. Sex-mismatched genes were quantified with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to determine the amount of male cells to total cells, defined as the relative expression ratio (rER). At 4 weeks, rER was significantly higher at the inner cortex in VEGF-treated transplants as compared to untreated transplants (0.622 ± 0.225 vs. 0.362 ± 0.081, P = 0.043). At 4 weeks, the outer cortex in the control group had a significantly higher rER (P = 0.038), whereas in the VEGF group, the inner cortex had a higher rER (P = 0.015). Over time, in the outer cortex the rER significantly increased to 0.634 ± 0.106 at 18 weeks in VEGF-treated rats (P = 0.049). At 18 weeks, the rER was >0.5 at all cortical areas in both groups. These in vivo findings suggest a chemotactic effect of intramedullary applied VEGF on recipient-derived bone and could imply that more rapid angiogenesis of vascularized allotransplants can be established with microencapsulated VEGF. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Application of the Red List Index for conservation assessment of Spanish vascular plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Saiz, Juan Carlos Moreno; Lozano, Felipe Domínguez; Gómez, Manuel Marrero; Baudet, Ángel Bañares

2015-06-01

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Index (RLI) is used to measure trends in extinction risk of species over time. The development of 2 red lists for Spanish vascular flora during the past decade allowed us to apply the IUCN RLI to vascular plants in an area belonging to a global biodiversity hotspot. We used the Spanish Red Lists from 2000 and 2010 to assess changes in level of threat at a national scale and at the subnational scales of Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, and peninsular Spain. We assigned retrospective IUCN categories of threat to 98 species included in the Spanish Red List of 2010 but absent in the Spanish Red List of 2000. In addition, we tested the effect of different random and taxonomic and spatial Spanish samples on the overall RLI value. From 2000 to 2010, the IUCN categories of 768 species changed (10% of Spanish flora), mainly due to improved knowledge (63%), modifications in IUCN criteria (14%), and changes in threat status (12%). All measured national and subnational RLI values decreased during this period, indicating a general decline in the conservation status of the Spanish vascular flora. The Canarian RLI value (0.84) was the lowest, although the fastest deterioration in conservation status occurred on peninsular Spain (from 0.93 in 2000 to 0.92 in 2010). The RLI values based on subsamples of the Spanish Red List were not representative of RLI values for the entire country, which would discourage the use of small areas or small taxonomic samples to assess general trends in the endangerment of national biotas. The role of the RLI in monitoring of changes in biodiversity at the global and regional scales needs further reassessment because additional areas and taxa are necessary to determine whether the index is sufficiently sensitive for use in assessing temporal changes in species' risk of extinction. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

Effects of organic contaminants in sewage sludge on soil fertility, plants and animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, J.E.; Sauerbeck, D.R.; L'Hermite, P.

1992-01-01

Sewage sludge production in Europe will continue to rise as a result of higher environmental standards, making disposal increasingly difficult in the future. A considerable part of this sludge is spread beneficially on agricultural land as an organic fertilizer, however, this outlet is very sensitive to the problems associated with the inorganic and organic contaminants which sludge inevitably contains. Much research has been devoted to the problems of contaminants in sludge and their potential effects on soil, plants, animals and man in recent years, and the European Commission's Concerted Action COST 681 has provided a valuable forum for the exchange of views and progress of research on sludge treatment and disposal. This book contains 19 papers presented to a joint meeting of Working Party 4 (Agricultural Value) and Working Party 5 (Environmental Effects) of COST 681, held at the German Federal Research Centre of Agriculture (FAL), Braunschweig on 6-8 June 1990. The meeting addressed two areas of current concern; the occurrence, behaviour and transfer of sludge-derived organic contaminants (Session 1), and the influence of inorganic and organic contaminants on soil micro-organisms and their activities (Session 2)

Atmospheric transport of continentally derived organic material to the central Pacific Ocean

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gagosian, R B; Peltzer, E T

1986-01-01

The organic geochemistry component of the Sea-Air Exchange Program was designed to determine the terrestrial and marine sources and to search for atmospheric transformation processes of oceanic aerosols from the major wind regimes of the Pacific Ocean. At Enewetak Atoll the distributions of the individual lipid compounds in aerosols require that there be a significant vascular plant source, almost certainly from Eurasia. Lipids associated with wind-eroded soil dust can reasonably account for all of the lipid classes detected in terms of expected concentrations and distributions and of the correlations with Al and /sup 210/Pb. The temporal variability observed for the C/sub 20/ aliphatic hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols, fatty acid salts and wax esters in aerosols observed at Enewetak is most likely due to the seasonality of dust storm activity in China and the seasonal changes in the large-scale wind fields over the Pacific. Atmospheric transformations and annual fluxes to the ocean of the lipid class compounds described above have been determined by using rainfall, aerosol and gas phase lipid concentration data. These data and previously reported aerosol data were used to estimate air-sea fluxes on an annual basis at Enewetak. Rain was determined to be the major mechanism. An empirical /sup 210/Pb-rain volume relation was developed, extended to organic compounds and used to provide more realistic annual flux estimates. Analysis of the scavenging ratios shows that the very low vapor pressure compounds expected to be in microcrystalline particles have rainout-washout behavior very similar to that found at Enewetak for clays. However, the lighter compounds show very high washout factor values that can be rationalized on the basis of their volatility.

Phenotypic plasticity and longevity in plants and animals: cause and effect?

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Renee M

2009-10-01

Immobile plants and immobile modular animals outlive unitary animals. This paper discusses competing but not necessarily mutually exclusive theories to explain this extreme longevity, especially from the perspective of phenotypic plasticity. Stem cell immortality, vascular autonomy, and epicormic branching are some important features of the phenotypic plasticity of plants that contribute to their longevity. Monocarpy versus polycarpy can also influence the kind of senescent processes experienced by plants. How density-dependent phenomena affecting the establishment of juveniles in these immobile organisms can influence the evolution of senescence, and consequently longevity, is reviewed and discussed. Whether climate change scenarios will favour long-lived or short-lived organisms, with their attendant levels of plasticity, is also presented.

The role of organ vascularization and lipoplex-serum initial contact in intravenous murine lipofection.

Science.gov (United States)

Simberg, Dmitri; Weisman, Sarah; Talmon, Yeshayahu; Faerman, Alexander; Shoshani, Tzipora; Barenholz, Yechezkel

2003-10-10

Following intravenous administration of cationic lipid-DNA complexes (lipoplexes) into mice, transfection (lipofection) occurs predominantly in the lungs. This was attributed to high entrapment of lipoplexes in the extended lung vascular tree. To determine whether lipofection in other organs could be enhanced by increasing the degree of vascularization, we used a transgenic mouse model with tissue-specific angiogenesis in liver. Tail vein injection of N-(1-(2,3-dioleoyloxy)propyl)-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (DOTAP)/cholesterol lipoplexes resulted in increased lipoplex entrapment in hypervascularized liver but did not boost luciferase expression, suggesting that lipoplex delivery is not a sufficient condition for efficient organ lipofection. Because the intravenously injected lipoplexes migrated within seconds to lungs, we checked whether the effects of immediate contact with serum correlate with lung lipofection efficiency of different DOTAP-based formulations. Under conditions mimicking the injection environment, the lipoplex-serum interaction was strongly dependent on helper lipid and ionic strength: lipoplexes prepared in 150 mM NaCl or lipoplexes with high (>33 mol%) cholesterol were found to aggregate immediately. This aggregation process was irreversible and was inversely correlated with the percentage of lung cells that took up lipoplexes and with the efficiency of lipofection. No other structural changes in serum were observed for cholesterol-based lipoplexes. Dioleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine-based lipoplexes were found to give low expression, apparently because of an immediate loss of integrity in serum, without lipid-DNA dissociation. Our study suggests that efficient in vivo lipofection is the result of cross-talk between lipoplex composition, interaction with serum, hemodynamics, and target tissue "susceptibility" to transfection.

VE-cadherin Y685F knock-in mouse is sensitive to vascular permeability in recurrent angiogenic organs.

Science.gov (United States)

Sidibé, Adama; Polena, Helena; Pernet-Gallay, Karin; Razanajatovo, Jeremy; Mannic, Tiphaine; Chaumontel, Nicolas; Bama, Soumalamaya; Maréchal, Irène; Huber, Philippe; Gulino-Debrac, Danielle; Bouillet, Laurence; Vilgrain, Isabelle

2014-08-01

Covalent modifications such as tyrosine phosphorylation are associated with the breakdown of endothelial cell junctions and increased vascular permeability. We previously showed that vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin was tyrosine phosphorylated in vivo in the mouse reproductive tract and that Y685 was a target site for Src in response to vascular endothelial growth factor in vitro. In the present study, we aimed to understand the implication of VE-cadherin phosphorylation at site Y685 in cyclic angiogenic organs. To achieve this aim, we generated a knock-in mouse carrying a tyrosine-to-phenylalanine point mutation of VE-cadherin Y685 (VE-Y685F). Although homozygous VE-Y685F mice were viable and fertile, the nulliparous knock-in female mice exhibited enlarged uteri with edema. This phenotype was observed in 30% of females between 4 to 14 mo old. Histological examination of longitudinal sections of the VE-Y685F uterus showed an extensive disorganization of myometrium and endometrium with highly edematous uterine glands, numerous areas with sparse cells, and increased accumulation of collagen fibers around blood vessels, indicating a fibrotic state. Analysis of cross section of ovaries showed the appearance of spontaneous cysts, which suggested increased vascular hyperpermeability. Electron microscopy analysis of capillaries in the ovary showed a slight but significant increase in the gap size between two adjacent endothelial cell membranes in the junctions of VE-Y685F mice (wild-type, 11.5 ± 0.3, n = 78; and VE-Y685F, 12.48 ± 0.3, n = 65; P = 0.045), as well as collagen fiber accumulation around capillaries. Miles assay revealed that either basal or vascular endothelial growth factor-stimulated permeability in the skin was increased in VE-Y685F mice. Since edema and fibrotic appearance have been identified as hallmarks of initial increased vascular permeability, we conclude that the site Y685 in VE-cadherin is involved in the physiological regulation of capillary

Effect of very high pressure on life of plants and animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, F; Mori, Y; Sougawa, M; Takarabe, K; Hada, Y; Nishihira, N; Motose, H; Saigusa, M; Matsushima, Y; Yamazaki, D; Ito, E; Saini, N L

2012-01-01

We studied the tolerance of living organisms, such as a small animal (Milnesium tardigradum), a small crustacean (Artemia), non-vascular plants or moss (Ptichomitrium and Venturiella), and a vascular plant (Trifolium) to the extremely high hydrostatic pressure of 7.5 GPa. It turned out that most of the high pressure exposed seeds of white clover were alive. Those exposed to 7.5 GPa for up to 1 day and seeded on agar germinated roots. Those exposed for up to 1 hour and seeded on soil germinated stems and leaves. Considering the fact that proteins begins to unfold around 0.3 GPa, it seems difficult to understand that all the living samples which have been investigated can survive after exposure to 7.5 GPa.

Sustainable organic plant breeding. Final report: a vision, choices, consequences and steps

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lammerts van Bueren, E.T.; Hulscher, M.; Haring, M.; Jongerden, J.; Mansvelt, van J.D.; Nijs, den A.P.M.; Ruivenkamp, G.T.P.

1999-01-01

In general, the characteristics of organic varieties - and by extension of organic plant breeding - differ from that of conventional breeding systems and conventional varieties. Realising an organic plant breeding system and subsequently steering it to meet changing demands is no less than a mammoth

An organic profile of a pressurised water reactor secondary plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eeden, Nestor van; Stwayi, Mandisibuntu; Gericke, Gerhard

2012-01-01

Make-up water addition to the steam/water cycle at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station usually results in a corresponding increase of the chloride concentration in the steam generator blowdown system. During plant transients, when higher than normal make-up is required to the secondary plant, the concentration of chloride occasionally exceeds the limiting value for the station chemistry performance indicator. Irrespective of this, the demineralised water make-up supply tanks, which are routinely analysed for chloride, are within all recognised acceptable standards for secondary water make-up and therefore these tanks do not initially appear to be the source of chloride contamination. Water treatment at the plant relies essentially on ion exchange, which has been proven to be very effective in removing inorganic ionic species such as chloride. Organic compounds are less effectively removed by ion exchange and may pass through the treatment system, and these organics can reside undetected in the make-up water tanks. Historically, the elevated chloride concentration following high system make-up has been attributed to chlorinated organic compounds known as trihalomethanes being present in the make-up water tanks, but no rigorous study had been undertaken. As it has been assumed that the majority of chloride in the secondary system originates from the make-up water organic impurities, it was considered important to confirm this by compiling an organic profile of the secondary plant. The use of organic additives was also taken into account in the profile. This work has confirmed the contribution from trihalomethanes and has also found that other organochlorides contribute even more significantly to the overall chloride inventory of the secondary plant. (orig.)

Potential Responses of Vascular Plants from the Pristine "Lost World" of the Neotropical Guayana Highlands to Global Warming: Review and New Perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Rull, Valentí; Vegas-Vilarrúbia, Teresa

2017-01-01

The neotropical Guayana Highlands (GH) are one of the few remaining pristine environments on Earth, and they host amazing biodiversity with a high degree endemism, especially among vascular plants. Despite the lack of direct human disturbance, GH plants and their communities are threatened with extinction from habitat loss due to global warming (GW). Geographic information systems simulations involving the entire known vascular GH flora (>2430 species) predict potential GW-driven extinctions on the order of 80% by the end of this century, including nearly half of the endemic species. These estimates and the assessment of an environmental impact value for each species led to the hierarchization of plants by their risk of habitat loss and the definition of priority conservation categories. However, the predictions assume that all species will respond to GW by migrating upward and at equal rates, which is unlikely, so current estimates should be considered preliminary and incomplete (although they represent the best that can be done with the existing information). Other potential environmental forcings (i.e., precipitation shifts, an increase in the atmospheric CO 2 concentration) and idiosyncratic plant responses (i.e., resistance, phenotypic acclimation, rapid evolution) should also be considered, so detailed eco-physiological studies of the more threatened species are urgently needed. The main obstacles to developing such studies are the remoteness and inaccessibility of the GH and, especially, the difficulty in obtaining official permits for fieldwork.

Systemic Hypoxia Changes the Organ-Specific Distribution of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Its Receptors

Science.gov (United States)

Marti, Hugo H.; Risau, Werner

1998-12-01

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a key role in physiological blood vessel formation and pathological angiogenesis such as tumor growth and ischemic diseases. Hypoxia is a potent inducer of VEGF in vitro. Here we demonstrate that VEGF is induced in vivo by exposing mice to systemic hypoxia. VEGF induction was highest in brain, but also occurred in kidney, testis, lung, heart, and liver. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that a distinct subset of cells within a given organ, such as glial cells and neurons in brain, tubular cells in kidney, and Sertoli cells in testis, responded to the hypoxic stimulus with an increase in VEGF expression. Surprisingly, however, other cells at sites of constitutive VEGF expression in normal adult tissues, such as epithelial cells in the choroid plexus and kidney glomeruli, decreased VEGF expression in response to the hypoxic stimulus. Furthermore, in addition to VEGF itself, expression of VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR-1), but not VEGFR-2, was induced by hypoxia in endothelial cells of lung, heart, brain, kidney, and liver. VEGF itself was never found to be up-regulated in endothelial cells under hypoxic conditions, consistent with its paracrine action during normoxia. Our results show that the response to hypoxia in vivo is differentially regulated at the level of specific cell types or layers in certain organs. In these tissues, up- or down-regulation of VEGF and VEGFR-1 during hypoxia may influence their oxygenation after angiogenesis or modulate vascular permeability.

Vascular Alterations Underlie Developmental Problems Manifested in Cloned Cattle before or after Birth

Science.gov (United States)

Favaron, Phelipe Oliveira; dos Santos, Caio Rodrigues; Alberto, Miryan Lanca; Meirelles, Flavio Vieira; Miglino, Maria Angelica

2015-01-01

Although assisted reproductive techniques are commonly applied in humans and animals, they are frequently associated with major developmental deficits and reduced viability. To explore abnormalities associated with cloning or nuclear transfer (NT) as the most invasive of these methods, we used a bovine model to characterize abnormalities. Detailed necropsy examinations were done on 13 calves that died soon after birth; in addition, we included data from embryos and fetuses (produced by NT) that terminated prematurely. Bovine clones that survived until the neonatal period differed quantitatively and qualitatively from in-vivo-derived cattle. Although alterations affected a variety of organs (e.g. heart, lung and liver), there was a clear association with abberant vascular developmental during the early intrauterine phase. Therefore, we concluded that vascular problems were key alterations induced by cloning (presumably via epigenetic modifications). PMID:25584533

Evaluation of some organic residues on the availability of nutrients to plants using nuclear technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sayed, S.A.S

2006-01-01

Two pot experiments were carried out under greenhouse conditions in Soils and Water Research Department, Atomic Energy Authority.The aim of this work studies the effect of chicken manure and rice straw either separately or combined with mineral fertilizer by different rates pronounced the recommended dose (120 kg N fed -1 ) or half the recommended dose (60 kg N fed -1 + BF) on wheat plant grown in sandy soils. Organic materials were mixed with soil before packed in pots (5 kg soil pot1). Mineral fertilizer was added ( 15 N-labeled ammonium sulfate) after thinned wheat plants. The recommended basic supplemental doses of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers were applied to each pot. Wheat grains inoculated by Azotobacter chroococcum before cultivation in the second experiment. In addition to this work aimed the study affect of different fertilizer treatments on NPK of wheat plants as well as nitrogen derived from fertilizer (Ndff), soil (Ndfs), air (Ndfa) and fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) after the harvest of yield.

Wnt inhibition promotes vascular specification of embryonic cardiac progenitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Reichman, David E; Park, Laura; Man, Limor; Redmond, David; Chao, Kenny; Harvey, Richard P; Taketo, Makoto M; Rosenwaks, Zev; James, Daylon

2018-01-08

Several studies have demonstrated a multiphasic role for Wnt signaling during embryonic cardiogenesis and developed protocols that enrich for cardiac derivatives during in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). However, few studies have investigated the role of Wnt signaling in the specification of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) toward downstream fates. Using transgenic mice and hPSCs, we tracked endothelial cells (ECs) that originated from CPCs expressing NKX2.5. Analysis of EC-fated CPCs at discrete phenotypic milestones during hPSC differentiation identified reduced Wnt activity as a hallmark of EC specification, and the enforced activation or inhibition of Wnt reduced or increased, respectively, the degree of vascular commitment within the CPC population during both hPSC differentiation and mouse embryogenesis. Wnt5a, which has been shown to exert an inhibitory influence on Wnt signaling during cardiac development, was dynamically expressed during vascular commitment of hPSC-derived CPCs, and ectopic Wnt5a promoted vascular specification of hPSC-derived and mouse embryonic CPCs. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Influence of organic N Sources on N transformation and uptake by lupine plants using 15N technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Salam, A.A.; Gadalla, A.M.; Abdel- Aziz, H.A.; Galal, Y.G.M.; EL-degwy, S.M.

2008-01-01

A pot experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions to evaluate the comparative efficiency and transformation of nitrogen applied either as mineral or organic forms. The obtained data showed that shoot dry weight was enhanced by compost and its mixture with leucaena. When organic sources were combined with 15 N, the leucaena.compost mixture (LC p ) gave the highest yield, and the other two were not significantly different from each other. Reinforcing the organic N with mineral N caused an average greater N.uptake over the non reinforced treatment. Similar trend was noticed with root system. Nitrogen uptake by roots was increased according to the order of LC > L > C. N derived from fertilizer (% Ndff) by lupine shoots was significantly affected by fertilizer addition either alone or reinforced with organic plant residues. Both, the portions (%) or absolute values (mg pot -1 ) of Ndff were increased by adding the organic residues. The highest value of Ndfs was recorded with application of leucaena followed by compost, then Leucaena + compost. Portion Ndfa reflected an effective response of lupines plants to Rhizobium inoculation. Addition of LC mixture combined with 15 N-fertilizer had enhanced the N 2 fixation and increased Ndfa value by about 66.7 % over those recorded with 15 N0 treatment. Organic amendment of leucaena could be an efficient source for N to infertile sandy soils

Bacteria-induced release of white cell--and platelet-derived vascular endothelial growth factor in vitro

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Hans Jørgen; Werther, K; Mynster, T

2001-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Poor prognosis after resection of primary colorectal cancer may be related to the combination of perioperative blood transfusion and subsequent development of infectious complications. White blood cell--and platelet-derived cancer growth substances, including vascular...... endothelial growth factor (VEGF), may be involved in this process. Therefore, we studied the in vitro release of VEGF from white blood cells and platelets stimulated by bacterial antigens and supernatants from stored red cell components. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight units of whole blood (WB) and eight units...... of buffy-coat-depleted red cell (SAGM) blood were donated by healthy blood donors. Subsequently, half of every unit was leucocyte depleted by filtration, and all 32 half-units were stored under standard conditions for 35 days. Just after storage, and on days 7, 21 and 35 during storage, aliquots...

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Saguaro National Park, Tucson Mountain District

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Brian F.; Halvorson, William L.; Schmidt, Cecilia A.

2007-01-01

This report summarizes the results of the first comprehensive inventory of plants and vertebrates at the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) of Saguaro National Park, Arizona. From 2001 to 2003 we surveyed for vascular plants and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) at the district to document the presence of species within its boundaries. Park staff also carried out extensive infrared-triggered camera work for medium and large mammals from 2002-2005 and results from that effort are reported here. Our spatial sampling design for all taxa employed a combination of random and nonrandom survey sites. Survey effort was greatest for medium and large mammals and herpetofauna. Because we used repeatable study designs and standardized field methods, these inventories can serve as the first step in a biological monitoring program for the district. We also provide an overview of previous survey efforts in the district. We use data from our inventory and other surveys to compile species lists and to assess inventory completeness. The survey effort for herpetofauna, birds, and medium and large mammals was the most comprehensive ever undertaken in the district. We recorded a total of 320 plant and vertebrate species, including 21 species not previously found in the district (Table 1). Based on a review of our inventory and past research at the district, there have been a total of 723 species of plants and vertebrates found there. We believe inventories for most taxonomic groups are nearly complete. Based on our surveys, we believe the native plant and vertebrate community compositions of the district are relatively intact, though some species loss has occurred and threats are increasing, particularly to herpetofauna and larger mammals. Of particular note is the relatively small number of non-native species and their low abundance in the district, which is in contrast to many nearby natural areas. Rapidly expanding development on the west, north, and east sides of

Organization and safety in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcus, A.A.; Nichols, M.L.; Bromiley, P.; Olson, J.; Osborn, R.N.; Scott, W.; Pelto, P.; Thurber, J.

1990-05-01

Perspectives from industry, academe, and the NRC are brought together in this report and used to develop a logical framework that links management and organization factors and safety in nuclear power plant performance. The framework focuses on intermediate outcomes which can be predicted by organizational and management factors, and which are subsequently linked to safety. The intermediate outcomes are efficiency, compliance, quality, and innovation. The organization and management factors can be classified in terms of environment, context, organizational governance, organizational design, and emergent processes. Initial empirical analyses were conducted on a limited set of hypotheses derived from the framework. One set of hypotheses concerned the relationships between one of the intermediate outcome variables, efficiency, as measured by critical hours and outage rate, and safety, as measured by 5 NRC indicators. Results of the analysis suggest that critical hours and outage rates and safety, as measured in this study, are not related to each other. Hypotheses were tested concerning the effects on safety and efficiency of utility financial resources and the lagged recognition and correction of problems that accompanies the reporting of major violations and licensee event reports. The analytical technique employed was regression using polynomial distributed lags. Results suggest that both financial resources and organizational problem solving/learning have significant effects on the outcome variables when time is properly taken into account. Conclusions are drawn which point to this being a promising direction to proceed, though with some care, due to the current limitations of the study. 138 refs., 36 figs., 9 tabs

Organic Acids: The Pools of Fixed Carbon Involved in Redox Regulation and Energy Balance in Higher Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abir U Igamberdiev

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Organic acids are synthesized in plants as a result of the incomplete oxidation of photosynthetic products and represent the stored pools of fixed carbon accumulated due to different transient times of conversion of carbon compounds in metabolic pathways. When redox level in the cell increases, e.g., in conditions of active photosynthesis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA cycle in mitochondria is transformed to a partial cycle supplying citrate for the synthesis of 2-oxoglutarate and glutamate (citrate valve, while malate is accumulated and participates in the redox balance in different cell compartments (via malate valve. This results in malate and citrate frequently being the most accumulated acids in plants. However, the intensity of reactions linked to the conversion of these compounds can cause preferential accumulation of other organic acids, e.g., fumarate or isocitrate, in higher concentrations than malate and citrate. The secondary reactions, associated with the central metabolic pathways, in particularly with the TCA cycle, result in accumulation of other organic acids that are derived from the intermediates of the cycle. They form the additional pools of fixed carbon and stabilize the TCA cycle. Trans-aconitate is formed from citrate or cis-aconitate, accumulation of hydroxycitrate can be linked to metabolism of 2-oxoglutarate, while 4-hydroxy-2-oxoglutarate can be formed from pyruvate and glyoxylate. Glyoxylate, a product of either glycolate oxidase or isocitrate lyase, can be converted to oxalate. Malonate is accumulated at high concentrations in legume plants. Organic acids play a role in plants in providing redox equilibrium, supporting ionic gradients on membranes, and acidification of the extracellular medium.

Exploring the geochemical distribution of organic carbon in early land plants: a novel approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, Geoffrey D; Fletcher, Ian W; Tardio, Sabrina; Hack, Ethan

2018-02-05

Terrestrialization depended on the evolution of biosynthetic pathways for biopolymers including lignin, cutin and suberin, which were concentrated in specific tissues, layers or organs such as the xylem, cuticle and roots on the submillimetre scale. However, it is often difficult, or even impossible especially for individual cells, to resolve the biomolecular composition of the different components of fossil plants on such a scale using the well-established coupled techniques of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Here, we report the application of techniques for surface analysis to investigate the composition of Rhynia gwynne-vaughanii X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of two different spots (both 300 µm × 600 µm) confirmed the presence of carbon. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) revealed 'chemical maps' (imaging mode with 300 nm resolution) of aliphatic and aromatic carbon in the intact fossil that correlate with the vascular structures observed in high-resolution optical images. This study shows that imaging ToF-SIMS has value for determining the location of the molecular components of fossil embryophytes while retaining structural information that will help elucidate how terrestrialization shaped the early evolution of land plant cell wall biochemistry.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The Rhynie cherts: our earliest terrestrial ecosystem revisited'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Mosses in Ohio wetlands respond to indices of disturbance and vascular plant integrity

Science.gov (United States)

Stapanian, Martin A.; Schumacher, William; Gara, Brian; Viau, Nick

2016-01-01

We examined the relationships between an index of wetland habitat quality and disturbance (ORAM score) and an index of vascular plant integrity (VIBI-FQ score) with moss species richness and a moss quality assessment index (MQAI) in 45 wetlands in three vegetation types in Ohio, USA. Species richness of mosses and MQAI were positively associated with ORAM and VIBI-FQ scores. VIBI-FQ score was a better predictor of both moss species richness and MQAI than was either ORAM score or vegetation type. This result was consistent with the strict microhabitat requirements for many moss species, which may be better assessed by VIBI-FQ than ORAM. Probability curves as a function of VIBI-FQ score were then generated for presence of groups of moss species having the same degree of fidelity to substrate and plant communities relative to other species in the moss flora (coefficients of conservatism, CCs). Species having an intermediate- or high degree of fidelity to substrate and plant communities (i.e., species with CC ≥ 5) had a 50% probability of presence (P50) and 90% probability of presence (P90) in wetlands with intermediate- and high VIBI-FQ scores, respectively. Although moss species richness, probability of presence of species based on CC, and MQAI may reflect wetland habitat quality, the 95% confidence intervals around P50 and P90 values may be too wide for regulatory use. Moss species richness, MQAI, and presence of groups of mosses may be more useful for evaluating moss habitat quality in wetlands than a set of “indicator species.”

Northward invading non-native vascular plant species in and adjacent to Wood Buffalo National Park

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wein, R.W.; Wein, G.; Bahret, S.; Cody, W.J. (Alberta University, Edmonton, AB (Canada). Canadian Circumpolar Institute)

A survey of the non-native vascular plant species in Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada's largest forested National Park, documented their presence and abundance in key locations. Most of the fifty-four species (nine new records) were found in disturbed sites including roadsides, settlements, farms, areas of altered hydrological regimes, recent bums, and intensive bison grazing. Species that have increased most in geographic area and abundance in recent years include [ital Agropyron repens], [ital Bromus inermis], [ital Chenopodium album], [ital Melilotus spp.], [ital Trifolium spp.], [ital Plantago major], [ital Achillea millefolium], [ital Crepis tectorum] and [ital Sonchus arvensis]. An additional 20 species, now common in the Peace River and Fort Vermilion areas, have the potential to invade the Park if plant communities are subjected to additional stress as northern climates are modified by the greenhouse effect and as other human-caused activities disturb the vegetation. It is recommended that permanent plots be located in key locations and monitored for species invasion and changing abundances as input to management plans.

Blood Vessel-Derived Acellular Matrix for Vascular Graft Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luigi Dall’Olmo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available To overcome the issues connected to the use of autologous vascular grafts and artificial materials for reconstruction of small diameter (<6 mm blood vessels, this study aimed to develop acellular matrix- (AM- based vascular grafts. Rat iliac arteries were decellularized by a detergent-enzymatic treatment, whereas endothelial cells (ECs were obtained through enzymatic digestion of rat skin followed by immunomagnetic separation of CD31-positive cells. Sixteen female Lewis rats (8 weeks old received only AM or previously in vitro reendothelialized AM as abdominal aorta interposition grafts (about 1 cm. The detergent-enzymatic treatment completely removed the cellular part of vessels and both MHC class I and class II antigens. One month after surgery, the luminal surface of implanted AMs was partially covered by ECs and several platelets adhered in the areas lacking cell coverage. Intimal hyperplasia, already detected after 1 month, increased at 3 months. On the contrary, all grafts composed by AM and ECs were completely covered at 1 month and their structure was similar to that of native vessels at 3 months. Taken together, our findings show that prostheses composed of AM preseeded with ECs could be a promising approach for the replacement of blood vessels.

Design of biomimetic vascular grafts with magnetic endothelial patterning.

Science.gov (United States)

Fayol, Delphine; Le Visage, Catherine; Ino, Julia; Gazeau, Florence; Letourneur, Didier; Wilhelm, Claire

2013-01-01

The development of small diameter vascular grafts with a controlled pluricellular organization is still needed for effective vascular tissue engineering. Here, we describe a technological approach combining a tubular scaffold and magnetically labeled cells to create a pluricellular and organized vascular graft, the endothelialization of which could be monitored by MRI prior to transplantation. A novel type of scaffold was developed with a tubular geometry and a porous bulk structure enabling the seeding of cells in the scaffold pores. A homogeneous distribution of human mesenchymal stem cells in the macroporous structure was obtained by seeding the freeze-dried scaffold with the cell suspension. The efficient covering of the luminal surface of the tube was then made possible thanks to the implementation of a magnetic-based patterning technique. Human endothelial cells or endothelial progenitors were magnetically labeled with iron oxide nanoparticles and successfully attracted to the 2-mm lumen where they attached and formed a continuous endothelium. The combination of imaging modalities [fluorescence imaging, histology, and 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)] evidenced the integrity of the vascular construct. In particular, the observation of different cell organizations in a vascular scaffold within the range of resolution of single cells by 4.7 T MRI is reported.

Enhanced production of resveratrol derivatives in tobacco plants by improving the metabolic flux of intermediates in the phenylpropanoid pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Yu Jeong; An, Chul Han; Woo, Su Gyeong; Park, Ji Hye; Lee, Ki-Won; Lee, Sang-Hoon; Rim, Yeonggil; Jeong, Hyung Jae; Ryu, Young Bae; Kim, Cha Young

2016-09-01

The biosynthesis of flavonoids such as anthocyanin and stilbenes has attracted increasing attention because of their potential health benefits. Anthocyanins and stilbenes share common phenylpropanoid precursor pathways. We previously reported that the overexpression of sweetpotato IbMYB1a induced anthocyanin pigmentation in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants. In the present study, transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum SR1) plants (STS-OX and ROST-OX) expressing the RpSTS gene encoding stilbene synthase from rhubarb (Rheum palmatum L. cv. Jangyeop) and the RpSTS and VrROMT genes encoding resveratrol O-methyltransferase from frost grape (Vitis riparia) were generated under the control of 35S promoter. Phenotypic alterations in floral organs, such as a reduction in floral pigments and male sterility, were observed in STS-OX transgenic tobacco plants. However, we failed to obtain STS-OX and ROST-OX plants with high levels of resveratrol compounds. Therefore, to improve the production of resveratrol derivatives in plants, we cross-pollinated flowers of STS-OX or ROST-OX and IbMYB1a-OX transgenic lines (SM and RSM). Phenotypic changes in vegetative and reproductive development of SM and RSM plants were observed. Furthermore, by HPLC and LC-MS analyses, we found enhanced production of resveratrol derivatives such as piceid, piceid methyl ether, resveratrol methyl ether O-hexoside, and 5-methyl resveratrol-3,4'-O-β-D-diglucopyranoside in SM and RSM cross-pollinated lines. Here, total contents of trans- and cis-piceids ranged from approximately 104-240 µg/g fresh weight in SM (F2). Collectively, we suggest that coexpression of RpSTS and IbMYB1a via cross-pollination can induce enhanced production of resveratrol compounds in plants by increasing metabolic flux into stilbenoid biosynthesis.

Utilization of organs from donors after circulatory death for vascularized pancreas and islet of Langerhans transplantation : recommendations from an expert group

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berney, Thierry; Boffa, Catherine; Augustine, Titus; Badet, Lionel; de Koning, Eelco; Pratschke, Johann; Socci, Carlo; Friend, Peter

2015-01-01

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors are increasingly being used as a source of pancreas allografts for vascularized organ and islet transplantation. We provide practice guidelines aiming to increase DCD pancreas utilization. We review risk assessment and donor selection criteria. We report

Photosynthetic limitations in two Antarctic vascular plants: importance of leaf anatomical traits and Rubisco kinetic parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Sáez, Patricia L; Bravo, León A; Cavieres, Lohengrin A; Vallejos, Valentina; Sanhueza, Carolina; Font-Carrascosa, Marcel; Gil-Pelegrín, Eustaquio; Javier Peguero-Pina, José; Galmés, Jeroni

2017-05-17

Particular physiological traits allow the vascular plants Deschampsia antarctica Desv. and Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl. to inhabit Antarctica. The photosynthetic performance of these species was evaluated in situ, focusing on diffusive and biochemical constraints to CO2 assimilation. Leaf gas exchange, Chl a fluorescence, leaf ultrastructure, and Rubisco catalytic properties were examined in plants growing on King George and Lagotellerie islands. In spite of the species- and population-specific effects of the measurement temperature on the main photosynthetic parameters, CO2 assimilation was highly limited by CO2 diffusion. In particular, the mesophyll conductance (gm)-estimated from both gas exchange and leaf chlorophyll fluorescence and modeled from leaf anatomy-was remarkably low, restricting CO2 diffusion and imposing the strongest constraint to CO2 acquisition. Rubisco presented a high specificity for CO2 as determined in vitro, suggesting a tight co-ordination between CO2 diffusion and leaf biochemistry that may be critical ultimately to optimize carbon balance in these species. Interestingly, both anatomical and biochemical traits resembled those described in plants from arid environments, providing a new insight into plant functional acclimation to extreme conditions. Understanding what actually limits photosynthesis in these species is important to anticipate their responses to the ongoing and predicted rapid warming in the Antarctic Peninsula. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Lipidomics in vascular health: current perspectives.

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Kolovou, Genovefa; Kolovou, Vana; Mavrogeni, Sophie

2015-01-01

Identifying the mechanisms that convert a healthy vascular wall to an atherosclerotic wall is of major importance since the consequences may lead to a shortened lifespan. Classical risk factors (age, smoking, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia) may result in the progression of atherosclerotic lesions by processes including inflammation and lipid accumulation. Thus, the evaluation of blood lipids and the full lipid complement produced by cells, organisms, or tissues (lipidomics) is an issue of importance. In this review, we shall describe the recent progress in vascular health research using lipidomic advances. We will begin with an overview of vascular wall biology and lipids, followed by a short analysis of lipidomics. Finally, we shall focus on the clinical implications of lipidomics and studies that have examined lipidomic approaches and vascular health.

Control of Vascular Streak Dieback Disease of Cocoa with Flutriafol Fungicides

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Febrilia Nur'aini

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Vascular streak dieback caused by the fungus Oncobasidium theobromae is one of the important diseases in cocoa crop in Indonesia. One approach to control the disease is by using fungicides. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of class triazole fungicides to the intensity of the vascular streak dieback disease on cocoa seedling phase, immature and mature cocoa. Experiments were conducted in Kotta Blater, PTPN XII and Kaliwining, Indonesian  Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute. Flutriafol 250 g/l with a concentration 0,05%, 0,1% and 0,15% foliar sprayed on cocoa seedlings, immature and mature cocoa. Active compound combination of Azoxystrobin and Difenoconazole with 0,1% concentration used as a comparation fungicides. The result showed that Flutriafol with 0,05%, 0,1% and 0,15% concentration and Azoxystrobin & Difenoconazol with 0,1% concentration could suppress the vascular streak dieback disease on seedlings. On immature plants, the application of Flutriafol was not effectively suppress the vascular streak dieback disease whereas the fungicide comparison could suppress with the efficacy level of 46.22%. On mature plants,both of fungicides could not suppress the vascular streak dieback disease. Key words: Fungicide, cocoa, vascular streak dieback, triazole, flutriafol, azoxystrobin+difenoconazol

Potential Responses of Vascular Plants from the Pristine “Lost World” of the Neotropical Guayana Highlands to Global Warming: Review and New Perspectives

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Rull, Valentí; Vegas-Vilarrúbia, Teresa

2017-01-01

The neotropical Guayana Highlands (GH) are one of the few remaining pristine environments on Earth, and they host amazing biodiversity with a high degree endemism, especially among vascular plants. Despite the lack of direct human disturbance, GH plants and their communities are threatened with extinction from habitat loss due to global warming (GW). Geographic information systems simulations involving the entire known vascular GH flora (>2430 species) predict potential GW-driven extinctions on the order of 80% by the end of this century, including nearly half of the endemic species. These estimates and the assessment of an environmental impact value for each species led to the hierarchization of plants by their risk of habitat loss and the definition of priority conservation categories. However, the predictions assume that all species will respond to GW by migrating upward and at equal rates, which is unlikely, so current estimates should be considered preliminary and incomplete (although they represent the best that can be done with the existing information). Other potential environmental forcings (i.e., precipitation shifts, an increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration) and idiosyncratic plant responses (i.e., resistance, phenotypic acclimation, rapid evolution) should also be considered, so detailed eco-physiological studies of the more threatened species are urgently needed. The main obstacles to developing such studies are the remoteness and inaccessibility of the GH and, especially, the difficulty in obtaining official permits for fieldwork. PMID:28179913

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Saguaro National Park, Rincon Mountain District

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Powell, Brian F.; Halvorson, William Lee; Schmidt, Cecilia A.

2006-01-01

Executive Summary This report summarizes the results of the first comprehensive inventory of plants and vertebrates at the Rincon Mountain District (RMD) of Saguaro National Park, Arizona. From 2001 to 2003 we surveyed for vascular plants and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) at the district to document the presence of species within its boundaries. Park staff also surveyed for medium and large mammals using infrared-triggered cameras from 1999 to 2005. This report summarizes the methods and results of these two efforts. Our spatial sampling design was ambitious and was one of the first of its kind in the region to colocate study sites for vegetation and vertebrates using a stratified random design. We also chose the location of some study sites non-randomly in areas that we thought would have the highest species richness. Because we used repeatable study designs and standardized field methods, these inventories can serve as the first step in a biological monitoring program for the district. We also provide an important overview of most previous survey efforts in the district. We use data from our inventory and other surveys to compile species lists and to assess inventory completeness. With the exception of plants, our survey effort was the most comprehensive ever undertaken in the district. We recorded a total of 801 plant and vertebrate species, including 50 species not previously found in the district (Table 1) of which five (all plants) are non-native species. Based on a review of our inventory and past research at the district, there have been a total of 1,479 species of plants and vertebrates found there. We believe inventories for all taxonomic groups are nearly complete. In particular, the plant, amphibian and reptile, and mammal species lists are the most complete of any comparably large natural area of the 'sky island' region of southern Arizona and adjacent Mexico. For each taxon-specific chapter we discuss patterns of species

Vascular Wall-Resident Multipotent Stem Cells of Mesenchymal Nature within the Process of Vascular Remodeling: Cellular Basis, Clinical Relevance, and Implications for Stem Cell Therapy.

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Klein, Diana

2016-01-01

Until some years ago, the bone marrow and the endothelial cell compartment lining the vessel lumen (subendothelial space) were thought to be the only sources providing vascular progenitor cells. Now, the vessel wall, in particular, the vascular adventitia, has been established as a niche for different types of stem and progenitor cells with the capacity to differentiate into both vascular and nonvascular cells. Herein, vascular wall-resident multipotent stem cells of mesenchymal nature (VW-MPSCs) have gained importance because of their large range of differentiation in combination with their distribution throughout the postnatal organism which is related to their existence in the adventitial niche, respectively. In general, mesenchymal stem cells, also designated as mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), contribute to the maintenance of organ integrity by their ability to replace defunct cells or secrete cytokines locally and thus support repair and healing processes of the affected tissues. This review will focus on the central role of VW-MPSCs within vascular reconstructing processes (vascular remodeling) which are absolute prerequisite to preserve the sensitive relationship between resilience and stability of the vessel wall. Further, a particular advantage for the therapeutic application of VW-MPSCs for improving vascular function or preventing vascular damage will be discussed.

Contrasting land uses in Mediterranean agro-silvo-pastoral systems generated patchy diversity patterns of vascular plants and below-ground microorganisms.

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Bagella, Simonetta; Filigheddu, Rossella; Caria, Maria Carmela; Girlanda, Mariangela; Roggero, Pier Paolo

2014-12-01

The aims of this paper were (i) to define how contrasting land uses affected plant biodiversity in Mediterranean agro-silvo-pastoral-systems across a gradient of disturbance regimes: cork oak forests, secondary grasslands, hay crops, grass covered vineyards, tilled vineyards; (ii) to determine whether these patterns mirrored those of below-ground microorganisms and whether the components of γ-diversity followed a similar model. The disturbance regimes affected plant assemblage composition. Species richness decreased with increasing land use intensity, the Shannon index showed the highest values in grasslands and hay crops. Plant assemblage composition patterns mirrored those of Basidiomycota and Ascomycota. Richness in Basidiomycota, denitrifying bacteria and microbial biomass showed the same trend as that observed for vascular plant richness. The Shannon index pattern of below-ground microorganisms was different from that of plants. The plant γ-diversity component model weakly mirrored those of Ascomycota. Patchy diversity patterns suggest that the maintenance of contrasting land uses associated with different productions typical of agro-silvo-pastoral-systems can guarantee the conservation of biodiversity. Copyright © 2014 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Using NASA's GeneLab for VESGEN Systems Analysis of Vascular Phenotypes from Stress and Other Signaling Pathways

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Parsons-Wingerter, P.; Weitzel, Alexander; Vyas, R. J.; Murray, M. C.; Vickerman, M. B.; Bhattacharya, S.; Wyatt, S. E.

2016-01-01

One fundamental requirement shared by humans with all higher terrestrial life forms, including other vertebrates, insects, and higher land plants, is a complex, fractally branching vascular system. NASA's VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) software maps and quantifies vascular trees, networks, and tree-network composites according to weighted physiological rules such as vessel connectivity, tapering and bifurcational branching. According to fluid dynamics, successful vascular transport requires a complex distributed system of highly regulated laminar flow. Microvascular branching rules within vertebrates, dicot leaves and the other organisms therefore display many similarities. A unifying perspective is that vascular patterning offers a useful readout of molecular signaling that necessarily integrates these complex pathways. VESGEN has elucidated changes in vascular pattern resulting from inflammatory, developmental and other signaling within numerous tissues and major model organisms studied for Space Biology. For a new VESGEN systems approach, we analyzed differential gene expression in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana reported by GeneLab (GLDS-7) for spaceflight. Vascularrelated changes in leaf gene expression were identified that can potentially be phenocopied by mutants in ground-based experiments. To link transcriptional, protein and other molecular change with phenotype, alterations in the spatial and dynamic dimensions of vascular patterns for Arabidopsis leaves and other model species are being co-localized with signaling patterns of single molecular expression analyzed as information dimensions. Previously, Drosophila microarray data returned from space suggested significant changes in genes related to wing venation development that include EGF, Notch, Hedghog, Wingless and Dpp signaling. Phenotypes of increasingly abnormal ectopic wing venation in the (non-spaceflight) Drosophila wing generated by overexpression of a Notch antagonist were analyzed by