Symbiont-mediated chemical defense in the invasive ladybird .

The volatile alkylpyrazines methyl- and methoxypyrazines (MPs) present in the reflex bleeds of coccinellid beetles such as the harlequin ladybird beetle are important semiochemicals that function in antipredatory defense behavior. Pyrazines have also been coadapted from a primarily defensive role into pheromones that function in intraspecific communication, attraction, and aggregation behavior. However, the biosynthesis of MPs in ladybird beetles is poorly understood.

Metabolite Profiling of Clinical Cancer Biofluid Samples by NMR Spectroscopy.

Metabolomics is a comprehensive characterization of the small polar molecules (metabolites) in different biological systems. One of the analytical platforms commonly used to study metabolic alterations in biofluid samples is proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR) spectroscopy. NMR spectroscopy is very specific, quantitative, and highly reproducible.

An Insect Counteradaptation against Host Plant Defenses Evolved through Concerted Neofunctionalization.

Antagonistic chemical interactions between herbivorous insects and their host plants are often thought to coevolve in a stepwise process, with an evolutionary innovation on one side being countered by a corresponding advance on the other. Glucosinolate sulfatase (GSS) enzyme activity is essential for the Diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, to overcome a highly diversified secondary metabolite-based host defense system in the Brassicales. GSS genes are located in an ancient cluster of arylsulfataselike genes, but the exact roles of gene copies and their evolutionary trajectories are unknown.

Expansion of the fatty acyl reductase gene family shaped pheromone communication in Hymenoptera.

Fatty acyl reductases (FARs) are involved in the biosynthesis of fatty alcohols that serve a range of biological roles. Insects typically harbor numerous FAR gene family members. While some FARs are involved in pheromone biosynthesis, the biological significance of the large number of FARs in insect genomes remains unclear.

Characterization of the EF-Hand Calcium-Binding Domains of Human Plastins.

The three human plastins (L-plastin, T-plastin, and I-plastin) are important regulatory Ca-binding proteins that belong to the family of actin-binding proteins. Plastins are involved in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton as well as the cross-linking of actin filaments. In addition to four calponin-homology (CH) domains, all three plastins contain two N-terminal EF-hand Ca-binding motifs which together are homologous to a single lobe of the well-known calcium-regulatory protein calmodulin.

Divergent Metabolic Effects of Acute Versus Chronic Repeated Forced Swim Stress in the Rat.

Objective: This study sought to examine divergence regarding the impact of acute versus chronic repeated stress on energy balance.

Methods: Rats were exposed to either chronic repeated forced swim (FS) stress for 7 days or an acute stress (a single FS). Body weight and food intake were measured daily.

Effectiveness of yoga in eating disorders - A case report.

Eating disorders are among the most common psychosomatic diseases and are often associated with negative health consequences. The use of yoga as a treatment method in eating disorders is controversial discussed. The interviewee was a 38 year old female patient suffering on anorexia nervosa and various psychosomatic-psychiatric diagnoses in her medical history.

Metabolic consequences of discretionary fortified beverage consumption containing excessive vitamin B levels in adolescents.

Over the past decade, there has been a substantial increase in the number of beverage products containing added vitamins and minerals. Often viewed as a healthier choice by consumers, the metabolic impacts of excessive vitamin consumption are relatively unknown, especially in children. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a widely available, vitamin fortified beverage (5h Energy Decaffeinated) on insulin sensitivity, metabolic hormones and serum metabolomic responses in adolescents.

Maternal prebiotic supplementation reduces fatty liver development in offspring through altered microbial and metabolomic profiles in rats.

A maternal high-fat/sucrose diet, in the presence of maternal obesity, can program increased susceptibility to obesity and metabolic disease in offspring. In particular, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease risk is associated with poor maternal nutrition and obesity status, which may manifest via alterations in gut microbiota. Here, we report that in a preclinical model of diet-induced maternal obesity, maternal supplementation of a high-fat/sucrose diet with the prebiotic oligofructose improves glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and hepatic steatosis in offspring following a long-term high-fat/sucrose dietary challenge compared with offspring of untreated dams.

Expression and Purification of Chemokine MIP-3α (CCL20) through a Calmodulin-Fusion Protein System.

Human macrophage inflammatory protein 3α (MIP-3α), also known as CCL20, is a 70 amino acid chemokine that selectively binds and activates chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6). This chemokine is responsible for inducing the migration of immature dendritic cells, effector, or memory T-cells, and B-cells. Moreover, the MIP-3α protein has been shown to display direct antimicrobial, antiviral and antiprotozoal activities.

New Binding Sites, New Opportunities for GPCR Drug Discovery.

Many central biological events rely on protein-ligand interactions. The identification and characterization of protein-binding sites for ligands are crucial for the understanding of functions of both endogenous ligands and synthetic drug molecules. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) typically detect extracellular signal molecules on the cell surface and transfer these chemical signals across the membrane, inducing downstream cellular responses via G proteins or β-arrestin.

Observation of Medium-Induced Modifications of Jet Fragmentation in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV Using Isolated Photon-Tagged Jets.

Measurements of fragmentation functions for jets associated with an isolated photon are presented for the first time in pp and Pb-Pb collisions. The analysis uses data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV.

Impact of dietary fiber supplementation on modulating microbiota-host-metabolic axes in obesity.

Low dietary fiber intake is associated with higher rates of microbiota-associated chronic diseases such as obesity. Low-fiber diets alter not only microbial composition but also the availability of metabolic end products derived from fermentation of fiber. Our objective was to examine the effects of dietary fiber supplementation on gut microbiota and associated fecal and serum metabolites in relation to metabolic markers of obesity.

Multicenter prospective study on the use and outcome of rehabilitation after total laryngectomy in Germany.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the use and outcome of rehabilitation after total laryngectomy in Germany.

Methods: We enrolled patients who were scheduled for total laryngectomy, approached them again after surgery, after 3 months and 1 year. Patients completed questionnaires and were interviewed.

Rust Infection of Black Poplar Trees Reduces Photosynthesis but Does Not Affect Isoprene Biosynthesis or Emission.

Poplar ( spp.) trees are widely distributed and play an important role in ecological communities and in forestry. Moreover, by releasing high amounts of isoprene, these trees impact global atmospheric chemistry.

Novel Factors of Viral Origin Inhibit TOR Pathway Gene Expression.

Polydnaviruses (PDVs) are obligate symbionts of endoparasitoid wasps, which exclusively attack the larval stages of their lepidopteran hosts. The Polydnavirus is injected by the parasitoid female during oviposition to selectively infect host tissues by the expression of viral genes without undergoing replication. bracovirus (BV) is associated with (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) wasp, an endoparasitoid of the tobacco budworm larval stages, (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Methotrexate Chemotherapy Induces Persistent Tri-glial Dysregulation that Underlies Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment.

Chemotherapy results in a frequent yet poorly understood syndrome of long-term neurological deficits. Neural precursor cell dysfunction and white matter dysfunction are thought to contribute to this debilitating syndrome. Here, we demonstrate persistent depletion of oligodendrocyte lineage cells in humans who received chemotherapy.

Biomarker Phenotype for Early Diagnosis and Triage of Sepsis to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Early diagnosis and triage of sepsis improves outcomes. We aimed to identify biomarkers that may advance diagnosis and triage of pediatric sepsis. Serum and plasma samples were collected from young children (1-23 months old) with sepsis on presentation to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU-sepsis, n = 46) or Pediatric Emergency Department (PED-sepsis, n = 58) and PED-non-sepsis patients (n = 19).

Quantification of Macrophages in High-Grade Gliomas by Using Ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI: A Pilot Study.

Purpose To investigate ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI as a noninvasive imaging biomarker of macrophages in adults with high-grade gliomas. Materials and Methods In this prospective study, adults with high-grade gliomas were enrolled between July 2015 and July 2017. Each participant was administered intravenous ferumoxytol (5 mg/kg) and underwent 3.

Two Novel Candidate Genes for Insulin Secretion Identified by Comparative Genomics of Multiple Backcross Mouse Populations.

To identify novel disease genes for type 2 diabetes (T2D) we generated two backcross populations of obese and diabetes-susceptible New Zealand Obese (NZO/HI) mice with the two lean mouse strains 129P2/OlaHsd and C3HeB/FeJ. Subsequent whole-genome linkage scans revealed 30 novel quantitative trait loci (QTL) for T2D-associated traits. The strongest association with blood glucose [12 cM, logarithm of the odds (LOD) 13.

Microbiome-assisted carrion preservation aids larval development in a burying beetle.

The ability to feed on a wide range of diets has enabled insects to diversify and colonize specialized niches. Carrion, for example, is highly susceptible to microbial decomposers, but is kept palatable several days after an animal's death by carrion-feeding insects. Here we show that the burying beetle preserves carrion by preventing the microbial succession associated with carrion decomposition, thus ensuring a high-quality resource for their developing larvae.

Exploring a new ligand binding site of G protein-coupled receptors.

Identifying a target ligand binding site is an important step for structure-based rational drug design as shown here for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are among the most popular drug targets. We applied long-time scale molecular dynamics simulations, coupled with mutagenesis studies, to two prototypical GPCRs, the M3 and M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Our results indicate that unlike synthetic antagonists, which bind to the classic orthosteric site, the endogenous agonist acetylcholine is able to diffuse into a much deeper binding pocket.

[Video-assisted patient education in anesthesia : How do medical users assess the procedure?].

Background: Video-assisted patient education (VaPE) has in the past been a subject of many studies. Compared to conventional methods, most authors reported a better transfer of information, some found increased patient satisfaction and a time-sparing effect. There was no increase in anxiety caused by VaPE.

UDP-glycosyltransferase family in Haemonchus contortus: Phylogenetic analysis, constitutive expression, sex-differences and resistance-related differences.

UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGT), catalysing conjugation of UDP-activated sugar donors to small lipophilic chemicals, are widespread in living organisms from bacteria to fungi, plant, or animals. The progress of genome sequencing has enabled an assessment of the UGT multigene family in Haemonchus contortus (family Trichostrongylidae, Nematoda), a hematophagous gastrointestinal parasite of small ruminants. Here we report 32 putative UGT genes divided into 15 UGT families.

Offspring dependence on parental care and the role of parental transfer of oral fluids in burying beetles.

Background: Immature stages of many animals can forage and feed on their own, whereas others depend on their parents' assistance to obtain or process food. But how does such dependency evolve, and which offspring and parental traits are involved? Burying beetles () provide extensive biparental care, including food provisioning to their offspring. Interestingly, there is substantial variation in the reliance of offspring on post-hatching care among species.