Inhibition of ∆9-desaturase activity with sterculic acid: effect on the endogenous synthesis of cis-9 18:1 and cis-9, trans-11 18:2 in dairy sheep.

This study was conducted in lactating ewes to examine the involvement of ∆(9)-desaturase in mammary lipogenesis, especially in the endogenous synthesis of cis-9, trans-11 18:2 and cis-9 18:1, because no information on this matter was available for dairy sheep. With this aim, 6 Assaf ewes were monitored in a 15-d experiment, which included a 5-d pretreatment period, a 5-d treatment period, and a 5-d posttreatment period. During the treatment period, ewes received 0.

Marker-based linkage map of Andean common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and mapping of QTLs underlying popping ability traits.

Background: Nuña bean is a type of ancient common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) native to the Andean region of South America, whose seeds possess the unusual property of popping. The nutritional features of popped seeds make them a healthy low fat and high protein snack.

Fluoroscopy-based computer-assisted navigation for implant placement and hip resurfacing arthroplasty in the proximal femur: the zero-dose C-arm navigation approach.

Abstract In the proximal femur, a high accuracy of implant placement reduces the risk of mechanical failure. We have tested a new computer-assisted planning and navigation system based on two-dimensional fluoroscopy using the so-called zero-dose C-arm navigation approach to optimise implant placement in fracture fixation and hip resurfacing. The aim of this review is to compare the results of this system with the current literature.

Disentangling molecular motions involved in the glass transition of a twist-bend nematic liquid crystal through dielectric studies.

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy spanning frequencies from 10(-2) to 1.9 × 10(9) Hz has been used to study the molecular orientational dynamics of the glass-forming liquid crystal 1",7"-bis (4-cyanobiphenyl-4'-yl)heptane (CB7CB) over a wide temperature range of the twist-bend nematic phase. In such a mesophase two different relaxation processes have been observed, as expected theoretically, to contribute to the imaginary part of the complex dielectric permittivity.

Peripheral immune system and neuroimmune communication impairment in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be understood in the context of the aging of neuroimmune communication. Although the contribution to AD of the immune cells present in the brain is accepted, the role of the peripheral immune system is less well known. The present review examines the behavior and the function and redox state of peripheral immune cells in a triple-transgenic mouse model (3×Tg-AD).

Exploring the efficiency of gallic acid-based dendrimers and their block copolymers with PEG as gene carriers.

The synthesis of a new family of amino-functionalized gallic acid-triethylene glycol (GATG) dendrimers and their block copolymers with polyethylene glycol (PEG) has recently being disclosed. In addition, these dendrimers have shown potential for gene delivery applications, as they efficiently complex nucleic acids and form small and homogeneous dendriplexes. On this basis, the present study aimed to explore the interaction of the engineered dendriplexes with blood components, as well as their stability, cytotoxicity and ability to enter and transfect mammalian cells.

A new crested pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Spain: the first European tapejarid (Pterodactyloidea: Azhdarchoidea).

Background: The Tapejaridae is a group of unusual toothless pterosaurs characterized by bizarre cranial crests. From a paleoecological point of view, frugivorous feeding habits have often been suggested for one of its included clades, the Tapejarinae. So far, the presence of these intriguing flying reptiles has been unambiguously documented from Early Cretaceous sites in China and Brazil, where pterosaur fossils are less rare and fragmentary than in similarly-aged European strata.

Short communication: Linear discriminant analysis and type of oil added to dairy goat diets.

Gas chromatography fatty acid (FA) analysis of 112 milk fat samples from dairy goats fed a basal diet with no added oil or the same diet with 1 of 3 vegetable oils added [high oleic sunflower oil (HOSFO), regular sunflower oil (RSFO), or linseed oil (LO)] was used to identify the type of diet consumed through linear discriminant analysis. Twenty variables (19 FA and 1 FA ratio) were selected as valid predictors out of 84 variables tested. The Mahalanobis squared distance was minimal between HOSFO and RSFO groups and maximal between control and LO groups.

CCR5 antagonist blocks metastasis of basal breast cancer cells.

The roles of the chemokine CCL5 and its receptor CCR5 in breast cancer progression remain unclear. Here, we conducted microarray analysis on 2,254 human breast cancer specimens and found increased expression of CCL5 and its receptor CCR5, but not CCR3, in the basal and HER-2 genetic subtypes. The subpopulation of human breast cancer cell lines found to express CCR5 displayed a functional response to CCL5.

Antistaphylococcal activity of DNA-interactive pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimers and PBD-biaryl conjugates.

Objectives: Pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimers, tethered through inert propyldioxy or pentyldioxy linkers, possess potent bactericidal activity against a range of Gram-positive bacteria by virtue of their capacity to cross-link duplex DNA in sequence-selective fashion. Here we attempt to improve the antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity profile of PBD-containing conjugates by extension of dimer linkers and replacement of one PBD unit with phenyl-substituted or benzo-fused heterocycles that facilitate non-covalent interactions with duplex DNA.

Methods: DNase I footprinting was used to identify high-affinity DNA binding sites.

SMS-based optimization strategy for ultra-compact SWIR telephoto lens design.

A new optical design strategy for rotational aspheres using very few parameters is presented. It consists of using the SMS method to design the aspheres embedded in a system with additional simpler surfaces (such as spheres, parabolas or other conics) and optimizing the free-parameters. Although the SMS surfaces are designed using only meridian rays, skew rays have proven to be well controlled within the optimization.

CT mapping of saline distribution after infusion of saline into the liver in an ex vivo animal model. How much tissue is actually infused in an image-guided procedure?

Purpose: To track the saline during infusion with a 15 G needle into healthy pig livers at high and low infusion rates for 300 s.

Methods: In each experiment, the needle was inserted into a single lobe of the liver to a depth of at least 2 cm following its longer axis. Two sets of experiments were defined: 1) low infusion rate of 0.

Homocysteine levels in morbidly obese patients: its association with waist circumference and insulin resistance.

The association between morbid obesity and hyperhomocysteinemia (HH) remains controversial and the nature of this relationship needs to be clarified as several metabolic, lipidic, inflammatory and anthropometric alterations that accompany morbid obesity may be involved. In 66 morbidly obese patients, 47 women and 19 men aged 41 ± 12 years and 66 normo-weight subjects, 43 women and 23 men, aged 45 ± 11 years, we determined homocysteine (Hcy) levels along with lipidic, anthropometric, inflammatory and insulin resistance markers. In addition, we investigated the effect of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) and its components on Hcy levels.

Effects of feeding increasing dietary levels of high oleic or regular sunflower or linseed oil on fatty acid profile of goat milk.

In this work, the effects of increasing amounts of 3 plant oils in diets on the fatty acid (FA) profile of goat milk were studied. The study consisted of 3 experiments, one per oil tested (linseed oil, LO; high oleic sunflower oil, HOSFO; and regular sunflower oil, RSFO). The 3 experiments were conducted successively on 12 Malagueña goats, which were assigned at random to 1 of 4 treatments: 0, 30, 48, and 66 (H) g of added oil/d.

Sympathetic ophthalmia in HIV infection. A clinicopathological case report.

Background: The purpose of this study is to report a case of sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) in an HIV-infected patient on treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) 9 years after a penetrating eye injury.

Methods: The study utilized clinical course and histopathological findings.

Results: Histopathology of the enucleated right eye showed a predominantly lymphocytic inflammatory infiltration with some plasma cells and epithelioid granulomata in the choroid, suggesting the diagnosis of SO.

Exceptionally old mice are highly resistant to lipoxidation-derived molecular damage.

Membrane unsaturation plays an important role in the aging process and the determination of inter-species animal longevity. Furthermore, the accumulation of oxidation-derived molecular damage to cellular components particularly in the nervous and immune systems over time leads to homeostasis loss, which highly influences age-related morbidity and mortality. In this context, it is of great interest to know and discern the degree of membrane unsaturation and the steady-state levels of oxidative damage in both physiological systems from long-lived subjects.

Mapping human protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4) homodimer interface to transmembrane helix 4.

Thrombin activates platelets by binding and cleaving protease-activated receptors 1 and 4 (PAR1 and PAR4). Because of the importance of PAR4 activation on platelets in humans and mice and emerging roles for PAR4 in other tissues, experiments were done to characterize the interaction between PAR4 homodimers. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) were used to examine the PAR4 homodimer interface.

B cell-intrinsic deficiency of the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) causes severe abnormalities of the peripheral B-cell compartment in mice.

Wiskott Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is caused by mutations in the WAS gene that encodes for a protein (WASp) involved in cytoskeleton organization in hematopoietic cells. Several distinctive abnormalities of T, B, and natural killer lymphocytes; dendritic cells; and phagocytes have been found in WASp-deficient patients and mice; however, the in vivo consequence of WASp deficiency within individual blood cell lineages has not been definitively evaluated. By conditional gene deletion we have generated mice with selective deficiency of WASp in the B-cell lineage (B/WcKO mice).

Breast cancer stem cells.

Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) constitute a subpopulation of tumor cells that express stem cell-associated markers and have a high capacity for tumor generation in vivo. Identification of BCSCs from tumor samples or breast cancer cell lines has been based mainly on CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) or ALDH(+) phenotypes. BCSCs isolation has allowed the analysis of the molecular mechanisms involved in their origin, self-renewal, differentiation into tumor cells, resistance to radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and invasiveness and metastatic ability.

Characterization of skeletal alterations in a model of prematurely aging mice.

An age-related bone loss occurs, apparently associated with the concomitant increase in an oxidative stress situation. However, the underlying mechanisms of age-related osteopenia are ill defined since these studies are time consuming and require the use of many animals (mainly rodents). Here, we aimed to characterize for the first time the bone status of prematurely aging mice (PAM), which exhibit an increased oxidative stress.

Autoinhibition mechanism of the plasma membrane calcium pump isoforms 2 and 4 studied through lipid-protein interaction.

The autoinhibition/activation of the PMCA (plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase) involves conformational changes in the membrane region of the protein that affect the amount of lipids directly associated with the transmembrane domain. The lipid-protein-dependence of PMCA isoforms 2 and 4 expressed and obtained in purified form from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated using the phosphatidylcholine analogue [125I]TID-PC/16 {l-O-hexadecanoyl-2-O-[9-[[[2-[125I]iodo-4-(trifluoromemyl-3H-diazirin-3-yl)benzyl]oxy]carbonyl]nonanoyl]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine}, which was incorporated into mixtures of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine and the non-ionic detergent C12E10 [deca(ethylene glycol) dodecyl ether]. We found no differences between the recombinant PMCA4 and PMCA purified from erythrocytes (ePMCA).

Strategies to improve the functions and redox state of the immune system in aged subjects.

The aging process is accompanied by an impairment of the physiological systems including the immune system. This system is an excellent indicator of health. We have also observed that several functions of the immune cells are good markers of biological age and predictors of longevity.

[Chronodisruption and ageing].

Modern life leads to a more active nocturnal lifestyle, reduced sleep hours and sometimes abrupt shifts across time zones (such as jet lag and shift work) that generate chronodisruption (CD) which can result in premature ageing. CD is defined as a significant disturbance of the internal temporal order of biochemical, physiological and behavioural circadian rhythms. Epidemiological studies show that CD induced by shift work, chronic jet lag, social jet lag and excessive exposure of bright light at night is associated with an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, cognitive and affective impairment, sleep disorders, some cancers and premature ageing.

[Pathophysiology of aging bone].

Deterioration of organ and systems function are the principal signs of aging. Aging is also believed to be a major factor in the loss of bone mass and quality, which in turn leads to an increase in the risk of fractures. Several factors seem to contribute to this scenario, with metabolic changes related to aging in the bone tissue itself being among them.