Are the facial gender and facial age variants of the composite face illusion products of a common mechanism?

When the upper half of one face ('target region') is spatially aligned with the lower half of another ('distractor region'), the two halves appear to fuse together perceptually, changing observers' subjective perception of the target region. This 'composite face illusion' is regarded as a key hallmark of holistic face processing. Importantly, distractor regions bias observers' subjective perception of target regions in systematic, predictable ways.

Use of GBT013, a Collagen-Based Dressing, for the Healing of Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

The number of people with diabetes is expected to reach 592 million in the year 2035. Diabetic foot lesions are responsible for more hospitalizations than any other complication of diabetes. The aims of this study were to examine for the first time a new biocompatible and biodegradable tridimensional collagen-based matrix, GBT013, in humans for diabetic foot ulcer wound healing and to evaluate its ease of use to better define a protocol for a future clinical trial.

Efficacy of a collagen-based dressing in an animal model of delayed wound healing.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro and in vivo the efficacy of GBT013, a collagen-based dressing, for the treatment of chronic wounds, in a db/db mouse model of diabetes.

Method: Macroscopic and histologic analyses of db/db mice wound healing with GBT013 or saline gauze were assessed. The mRNA expression and the proliferation of dermal fibroblast were investigated.

Subcellular dynamics of the maternal cell death regulator BCL2L10 in human preimplantation embryos.

Study Question: What is the expression status and subcellular localization of the maternally expressed Bcl-2 family member, BCL2L10, in early human embryos of diverse developmental stages and quality?

Summary Answer: The anti-apoptotic protein, BCL2L10, is expressed in human preimplantation embryos at least until the blastocyst stage and appears to be differentially distributed at the subcellular level between viable embryos and fragmented or arrested embryos.

What Is Known Already: BCL2L10 is an anti-apoptotic member of the BCL-2 family that shows abundant expression in human oocytes and limited sequence conservation to its mouse homologue.

Study Design, Size, Duration: Embryos donated with informed consent by couples consulting for infertility in the Department of Reproductive Medicine (Hôpital Femme Mère Enfant, Bron, France) were divided into two groups: high quality embryos (n = 18) and poor quality embryos (n = 30).

Electrochemical approaches for the fabrication and/or characterization of pure and hybrid templated mesoporous oxide thin films: a review.

Electrochemistry can be used for fabrication and characterization of mesoporous oxide films. First, this review provides insight into the methods used to prepare templated mesoporous thin films on an electrode surface, i.e.

c-Myc dependent expression of pro-apoptotic Bim renders HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells dependent on anti-apoptotic Mcl-1.

Background: Anti-apoptotic signals induced downstream of HER2 are known to contribute to the resistance to current treatments of breast cancer cells that overexpress this member of the EGFR family. Whether or not some of these signals are also involved in tumor maintenance by counteracting constitutive death signals is much less understood. To address this, we investigated what role anti- and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members, key regulators of cancer cell survival, might play in the viability of HER2 overexpressing breast cancer cells.

Characterization of unique signature sequences in the divergent maternal protein Bcl2l10.

Insertions or deletions (indels) of amino acids residues have been recognized as an important source of genetic and structural divergence between paralogous Bcl-2 family members. However, these signature sequences have not so far been extensively investigated amongst orthologous Bcl-2 family proteins. Bcl2l10 is an antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family that has evolved rapidly throughout the vertebrate lineage and which shows conserved abundant expression in eggs and oocytes.

Escape from p21-mediated oncogene-induced senescence leads to cell dedifferentiation and dependence on anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL and MCL1 proteins.

Oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) is a tumor suppressor response that induces permanent cell cycle arrest in response to oncogenic signaling. Through the combined activation of the p53-p21 and p16-Rb suppressor pathways, OIS leads to the transcriptional repression of proliferative genes. Although this protective mechanism has been essentially described in primary cells, we surprisingly observed in this study that the OIS program is conserved in established colorectal cell lines.

Bax-derived membrane-active peptides act as potent and direct inducers of apoptosis in cancer cells.

Although many cancer cells are primed for apoptosis, they usually develop resistance to cell death at several levels. Permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane, which is mediated by proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members such as Bax, is considered as a point of no return for initiating apoptotic cell death. This crucial role has placed Bcl-2 family proteins as recurrent targets for anticancer drug development.

Bax activation by engagement with, then release from, the BH3 binding site of Bcl-xL.

Bcl-2 homologues (such as Bcl-x(L)) promote survival in part through sequestration of "activator" BH3-only proteins (such as Puma), preventing them from directly activating Bax. It is thus assumed that inhibition of interactions between activators and Bcl-x(L) is a prerequisite for small molecules to antagonize Bcl-x(L) and induce cell death. The biological properties, described here of a terphenyl-based alpha-helical peptidomimetic inhibitor of Bcl-x(L) attest that displacement of Bax from Bcl-x(L) is also critical.

Active fragments from pro- and antiapoptotic BCL-2 proteins have distinct membrane behavior reflecting their functional divergence.

Background: The BCL-2 family of proteins includes pro- and antiapoptotic members acting by controlling the permeabilization of mitochondria. Although the association of these proteins with the outer mitochondrial membrane is crucial for their function, little is known about the characteristics of this interaction.

Methodology/principal Findings: Here, we followed a reductionist approach to clarify to what extent membrane-active regions of homologous BCL-2 family proteins contribute to their functional divergence.

[The Bcl-2 family pathway in gametes and preimplantation embryos].

Apoptosis, a form of cell death by self-destruction, has been reported in gametes and preimplantation embryos both in vitro and in vivo. Recent evidence suggests that cell death processes, whose control deserves to be elucidated, can impact embryo developmental competence. Moreover, quality of the gametes (particularly of the oocytes) is relevant not only for their survival rates but exert an influence during the early stages of embryo development.

Oocytes and early embryos selectively express the survival factor BCL2L10.

Apoptosis has been reported in oocytes and human preimplantation embryos both in vitro and in vivo. BCL-2 family proteins are likely to play a pivotal role in controlling oocyte and early embryo degeneration. However, no BCL-2-related survival factors have been identified that would specifically function during oocyte maturation, after fertilization and during early embryogenesis.

A non-invasive test for assessing embryo potential by gene expression profiles of human cumulus cells: a proof of concept study.

Identification of new criteria for embryo quality is required to improve the clinical outcome of in vitro fertilization. The aim of this study was to determine the gene expression profile of cumulus cells (CC) surrounding the oocyte as biomarkers for embryo potential and to identify genes to be used as prognostic indicators of successful pregnancy. CC from single oocytes were analysed using DNA microarrays.

Modulating mitochondria-mediated apoptotic cell death through targeting of Bcl-2 family proteins.

Research demonstrated that the function of mitochondria extends well beyond that of being cell powerhouses and revealed that these organelles fulfil a dual role in both cellular life and death. In most vertebrates, execution of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis requires permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane, an event which allows for the release of a variety of intramembrane space proteins, leading to the activation of caspases and ultimately cell demise. Bcl-2 family proteins, which include pro- and antiapoptotic members, positively or negatively regulate mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, i.