Loss of ARF/INK4A Promotes Liver Progenitor Cell Transformation Toward Tumorigenicity Supporting Their Role in Hepatocarcinogenesis.

Liver progenitor cells (LPCs) contribute to liver regeneration during chronic damage and are implicated as cells of origin for liver cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The locus, which encodes the tumor suppressors alternate reading frame protein (ARF) and INK4A, was identified as one of the most frequently altered genes in HCC. This study demonstrates that inactivation of enhances tumorigenic transformation of LPCs.

The validity and reliability of using ultrasound elastography to measure cutaneous stiffness, a systematic review.

Background: Ultrasound elastography is an imaging technology which can objectively and non-invasively assess tissue stiffness. It is emerging as a useful marker for disease diagnosis, progression and treatment efficacy.

Objective: To examine current, published research evaluating the use of ultrasound elastography for the measurement of cutaneous or subcutaneous stiffness and to determine the level of validity and reliability, recommended methodologies and limitations.

The Structure and Measurement of Unusual Sensory Experiences in Different Modalities: The Multi-Modality Unusual Sensory Experiences Questionnaire (MUSEQ).

Hallucinations and other unusual sensory experiences (USE) can occur in all modalities in the general population. Yet, the existing literature is dominated by investigations into auditory hallucinations ("voices"), while other modalities remain under-researched. Furthermore, there is a paucity of measures which can systematically assess different modalities, which limits our ability to detect individual and group differences across modalities.

Sediment Resuspension and Deposition on Seagrass Leaves Impedes Internal Plant Aeration and Promotes Phytotoxic HS Intrusion.

Sedimentation of fine sediment particles onto seagrass leaves severely hampers the plants' performance in both light and darkness, due to inadequate internal plant aeration and intrusion of phytotoxic HS. Anthropogenic activities leading to sediment re-suspension can have adverse effects on adjacent seagrass meadows, owing to reduced light availability and the settling of suspended particles onto seagrass leaves potentially impeding gas exchange with the surrounding water. We used microsensors to determine O fluxes and diffusive boundary layer (DBL) thickness on leaves of the seagrass with and without fine sediment particles, and combined these laboratory measurements with microsensor measurements of tissue O and HS concentrations.

Quinolizidine Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Lupins and Prospects for Grain Quality Improvement.

Quinolizidine alkaloids (QAs) are toxic secondary metabolites found within the genus , some species of which are commercially important grain legume crops including (narrow-leafed lupin, NLL), (yellow lupin), (white lupin), and (pearl lupin), with NLL grain being the most largely produced of the four species in Australia and worldwide. While QAs offer the plants protection against insect pests, the accumulation of QAs in lupin grain complicates its use for food purposes as QA levels must remain below the industry threshold (0.02%), which is often exceeded.

Both Male and Female Malfunction Contributes to Yield Reduction under Water Stress during Meiosis in Bread Wheat.

Water stress during meiosis in wheat is a major constraint to yield especially for the rainfed farming regions. Pollen sterility has been proposed as the most sensitive process leading to low seed set (low % of fertile spikelets), but here we show this is not universal, and that the development of female reproductive parts is equally if not more sensitive than male parts in many wheat cultivars. The first experiment examined water stress during meiosis in 46 wheat genotypes.

Transcriptome Analysis of a New Peanut Seed Coat Mutant for the Physiological Regulatory Mechanism Involved in Seed Coat Cracking and Pigmentation.

Seed-coat cracking and undesirable color of seed coat highly affects external appearance and commercial value of peanuts ( L.). With an objective to find genetic solution to the above problems, a peanut mutant with cracking and brown colored seed coat (testa) was identified from an EMS treated mutant population and designated as "peanut seed coat crack and brown color mutant line ().

Emerging Genomic Tools for Legume Breeding: Current Status and Future Prospects.

Legumes play a vital role in ensuring global nutritional food security and improving soil quality through nitrogen fixation. Accelerated higher genetic gains is required to meet the demand of ever increasing global population. In recent years, speedy developments have been witnessed in legume genomics due to advancements in next-generation sequencing (NGS) and high-throughput genotyping technologies.

It's All in the Mix: Blend-Specific Behavioral Response to a Sexual Pheromone in a Butterfly.

Among insects, sexual pheromones are typically mixtures of two to several components, all of which are generally required to elicit a behavioral response. Here we show for the first time that a complete blend of sexual pheromone components is needed to elicit a response also in a butterfly. Males of the Green-veined White, Pieris napi, emit an aphrodisiac pheromone, citral, from wing glands.

Evaluation of Secretion Prediction Highlights Differing Approaches Needed for Oomycete and Fungal Effectors.

The steadily increasing number of sequenced fungal and oomycete genomes has enabled detailed studies of how these eukaryotic microbes infect plants and cause devastating losses in food crops. During infection, fungal and oomycete pathogens secrete effector molecules which manipulate host plant cell processes to the pathogen's advantage. Proteinaceous effectors are synthesized intracellularly and must be externalized to interact with host cells.

Gene Expression and Yeast Two-Hybrid Studies of 1R-MYB Transcription Factor Mediating Drought Stress Response in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Drought stress has been one of the serious constraints affecting chickpea productivity to a great extent. Genomics-assisted breeding has a potential to accelerate breeding precisely and efficiently. In order to do so, understanding the molecular mechanisms for drought tolerance and identification of candidate genes are crucial.

Proteomics and Metabolomics: Two Emerging Areas for Legume Improvement.

The crop legumes such as chickpea, common bean, cowpea, peanut, pigeonpea, soybean, etc. are important sources of nutrition and contribute to a significant amount of biological nitrogen fixation (>20 million tons of fixed nitrogen) in agriculture. However, the production of legumes is constrained due to abiotic and biotic stresses.