Genetic parameters in female reproductive traits of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Genetic parameters for reproductive traits in female Nile tilapia were estimated in this study using Bayesian inference method. The data set presented information from 451 Nile tilapia females that were evaluated at two different places in Maringá - Paraná - Brazil (hapas of 1 and 10 m³) and at one location in Alfenas - Minas Gerais - Brazil. A spawning examination was conducted once a week from October 2012 to March 2013 for a total of 23 weeks of evaluation.

Correlated changes in body shape after five generations of selection to improve growth rate in a breeding program for Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus in Brazil.

Body shape is a commercial trait of great interest as it impacts profit and productivity of aquaculture enterprises. In the present study, we examined correlated changes in two measures of body shape (depth to length ratio, DL-R and ellipticity of mid sagittal plane, EL-H) from a selection program for high daily weight gain in a Nile tilapia population reared in freshwater cages in Brazil. Genetic parameters for body shape and its genetic association with growth traits (body weight and daily gain) were also estimated from 8,725 individuals with growth performance recorded over five generations from 2008 to 2013.

Prediction of in vitro response to interferon-alpha in renal cell carcinoma cell lines.

We analyzed the correlation between interferon-alpha (IFNalpha) response and gene expression profiles to predict IFNalpha sensitivity and identified key molecules regulating the IFNalpha response in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell lines. To classify eight RCC cell lines of the SKRC series into three subgroups according to IFNalpha sensitivity, that is, sensitive, resistant and intermediate group, responses to IFNalpha (300-3000 IU/mL) were quantified by WST-1 assay. Microarray, followed by supervised hierarchical clustering analysis, was applied to selected genes according to IFNalpha sensitivity.

Anti-HIV-1 activity of myo-inositol hexaphosphoric acid (IP6) and myo-inositol hexasulfate(IS6).

It is known that polysulfates have some anti-HIV-1 activity. We investigated the anti-HIV-1 activity of myo-inositol hexaphosphoric acid (IP6) and myo-inositol hexasulfate(IS6), low molecular weight carbohydrates. IP6 and IS6 inhibited the replication of HIV-1 in a T cell line as well as that of a freshly isolated strain in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

[Epidemiology of pertussis and studies on culture positive pertussis cases in Japan].

The number of pertussis patients has decreased steadily in the late 1960s and was extremely small in early 1970s. During 1973-74 the first national survey on pertussis cases confirmed by culture was conducted, when whole cell pertussis vaccine was used. The study revealed that 33.