Novel roles of cardiac-derived erythropoietin in cardiac development and function.

The role of erythropoietin (EPO) has extended beyond hematopoiesis to include cytoprotection, inotropy, and neurogenesis. Extra-renal EPO has been reported for multiple tissue/cell types, but the physiological relevance remains unknown. Although the EPO receptor is expressed by multiple cardiac cell types and human recombinant EPO increases contractility and confers cytoprotection against injury, whether the heart produces physiologically meaningful amounts of EPO in vivo is unclear.

Gluten-starch microstructure analysis revealed the improvement mechanism of Triticeae on broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.).

Understanding the mechanism by which Triticeae improves the quality of broomcorn millet (BM) is key to expanding the use of this crop to address food crises and food security. This study aimed to explore the effects of Triticeae on the disulfide bonds, secondary structures, microstructure, and rheological properties of BM dough, and to investigate the potential food applications of BM. Gluten protein, intermolecular SS, and β-Sheets content of the reconstituted doughs were significantly improved compared with BM dough, which improved disorderly accumulation of starch and gluten-starch interaction in BM dough.

The Surprising Nonlinear Effects of S100A9 Proteins in the Retina.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex disease in which inflammation is implicated as a key factor but the precise molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. AMD lesions contain an excess of the pro-inflammatory S100A9 protein, but its retinal significance was yet unexplored. S100A9 was shown to be intrinsically amyloidogenic and .

Migratory birds are able to choose the appropriate migratory direction under dim yellow narrowband light.

Currently, it is generally assumed that migratory birds are oriented in the appropriate migratory direction under UV, blue and green light (short-wavelength) and are unable to use their magnetic compass in total darkness and under yellow and red light (long-wavelength). However, it has also been suggested that the magnetic compass has two sensitivity peaks: in the short and long wavelengths, but with different intensities. In this project, we aimed to study the orientation of long-distance migrants, pied flycatchers (), under different narrowband light conditions during autumn and spring migrations.

Data on the heterotrophic bacterioplankton and concurrent environmental characteristics in the outer shelf and slope area of the Laptev Sea (Arctic Ocean).

In regions close to the continental shelf edge, the transfer of particulate organic carbon (POC) within the food web and with downward fluxes contributes to the long-term storage of carbon in deep basins. The degradation of POC by heterotrophic prokaryotes is one of the key indices of biological productivity and ecosystem functioning. Here we present data on the spatial and vertical distribution of the total bacterial abundance, fraction of high DNA-content and particle-associated bacteria, and POC concentration.