No wonder, it is a hybrid. Natural hybridization between and revealed by molecular marker systems and its potential ecological impact.

Progressive changes in the environment are related to modifications of the habitat. Introducing exotic species, and interbreeding between species can lead to processes that in the case of rare species or small populations threatens their integrity. Given the declining trends of many populations due to increased hybridization, early recognition of hybrids becomes important in conservation management.

What nature separated, and human joined together: About a spontaneous hybridization between two allopatric dogwood species (Cornus controversa and C. alternifolia).

In this study, possible hybridization between two allopatric species, Cornus controversa and Cornus alternifolia, was explored using molecular and morphological approaches. Scanning electron microscope analyses of the adaxial and the abaxial leaf surfaces yielded a few new not yet described characters typical for the particular species and intermediate for hybrids. With the use of 14 Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA and 5 Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism primer combinations, 44 fragments species specific to C.

Successful production of piglets derived from mature oocytes vitrified using OPS method.

Objective: Examination of effect of vitrification solution with or without foetal calf serum (FCS) on the in vitro and in vivo survival of matured pig oocytes.

Materials And Methods: Exp. 1: oocytes were exposed to vitrification solutions: VSa (15% DMSO, 15% EG, 0.

Determination of bismuth in environmental samples by slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using combined chemical modifiers.

Slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry technique was applied for the determination of Bi in environmental samples. The study focused on the effect of Zr, Ti, Nb and W carbides, as permanent modifiers, on the Bi signal. Because of its highest thermal and chemical stability and ability to substantially increase Bi signal, NbC was chosen as the most effective modifier.

Double transgenic pigs with combined expression of human α1,2-fucosyltransferase and α-galactosidase designed to avoid hyperacute xenograft rejection.

Hyperacute rejection (HAR) depends on the response of xenoreactive antibodies principally against porcine α-Gal epitope. Methods eliminating HAR include GGTA1 inactivation, regulation of the complement system and modification of the oligosaccharide structure of surface proteins in donor's cells. Transgenic animals designed for the purpose of xenotransplantation with single modification do not display full reduction of the α-Gal epitope level, which means that a accumulation of several modifications in one transgenic individual is needed.

Deriving pathway maps from automated text analysis using a grammar-based approach.

We demonstrate how automated text analysis can be used to support the large-scale analysis of metabolic and regulatory pathways by deriving pathway maps from textual descriptions found in the scientific literature. The main assumption is that correct syntactic analysis combined with domain-specific heuristics provides a good basis for relation extraction. Our method uses an algorithm that searches through the syntactic trees produced by a parser based on a Referent Grammar formalism, identifies relations mentioned in the sentence, and classifies them with respect to their semantic class and epistemic status (facts, counterfactuals, hypotheses).

Membrane disrupting lytic peptide conjugates destroy hormone dependent and independent breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

We have prepared conjugates of a membrane disrupting lytic peptide (hecate) and a 15-amino acid segment of the beta-chain of CG and hecate and the decapeptide, luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH). We have tested the concept that these conjugates will target breast cancer cells expressing LH/CG or LHRH receptors. In previous studies, we were able to destroy prostate cancers in vitro and in vivo with lytic peptide conjugates.

Administration of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor counteracts prostaglandin F2-induced luteolysis in cattle.

The objective of this study was to determine whether nitric oxide (NO) is produced locally in the bovine corpus luteum (CL) and whether NO mediates prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha)-induced regression of the bovine CL in vivo. The local production of NO was determined in early I, early II, mid, late, and regressed stages of CL by determining NADPH-d activity and the presence of inducible and endothelial NO synthase immunolabeling. To determine whether inhibition of NO production counteracts the PGF2alpha-induced regression of the CL, saline (10 ml/h; n = 10) or a nonselective NOS inhibitor (Nomega-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester dihydrochloride [L-NAME]; 400 mg/h; n = 9) was infused for 2 h on Day 15 of the estrous cycle into the aorta abdominalis of Holstein/Polish Black and White heifers.

Effects of a lytic peptide conjugated to beta HCG on ovarian cancer: studies in vitro and in vivo.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro and in vivo effects of the lytic peptide, hecate, alone and conjugated to a 15-amino-acid fragment of the beta-chain of hCG (hecate-beta hCG) on the ovarian carcinoma cell line NIH: OVCAR-3 and determine the expression of luteinizing hormone (LH)/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) receptors in cell cultures and tumor tissues.

Methods: For in vitro studies, hecate or hecate-beta hCG was added to cultures of ovarian cancer cells in the presence or absence of estradiol or follicle stimulating hormone. The cytotoxicity of lytic peptides was measured by trypan blue exclusion and lactate dehydrogenase release.