The effect of short term feeding with organic and conventional diets on selected immune parameters in rat

There is currently no evidence for beneficial health impacts being associated with the consumption of organic rather than conventional foods. This preliminary study was therefore aimed at using haematological parameters, white blood cell (WBC) number and splenocyte proliferation as sensitive assays to evaluate influence of the organic, low input and conventional components in the diet on rats’ immune system function. The results of a short term feeding trial with two rat generations indicates a potential effect on immune system function, which has to be confirmed by longer-term exposure studies

Increased regeneration efficiency of _Brassica napus_ L. cultivars Star, Westar and Cyclone from hypocotyle and cotyledonary explants

The comparative organogenesis of _Brassica napus_ L cultivars Cyclone, Star and Westar was studied. The cotyledonary explants gave a higher response to all the combinations of 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D and BAP (0.5, 1.0,1.5 and 2.0 mg/L} used for optimizing the conditions for callus induction. The best mean weight and mean length of callus was obtained at 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D and 1.5mg/L BAP for Star cotyledonary explants. For the complete plant regeneration the new method of exposing the explants culture to Growth regulator free medium was performed. The method was applicable to both hypocotyl and cotyledonary explants. The Shoot Induction Frequency for hypocotyl (6-34%) in the three cultivars is higher than the cotyledonary explants (3-23%). The method is speedy and almost all of the shoots and some unshooted calli (78%) form roots on the same media without prior transfer to rooting medium

Validation of a model of regulation in the tryptophan operon against multiple experiment data using global optimisation

This paper is concerned with validating a mathematical model of regulation in the tryptophan operon using global optimization. Although a number of models for this biochemical network are proposed, in many cases only qualitative agreement between the model output and experimental data was demonstrated, since very little information is currently available to guide the selection of parameter values for the models. This paper presents a model validating method using both multiple experimental data and global optimization

Future challenges in cephalopod research

We thank Anto´nio M. de Frias Martins, past President of the Unitas Malacologica and Peter Marko, President of the American Malacological Society for organizing the 2013 World Congress of Malacology, and the Cephalopod International Advisory Committee for endorsing a symposium held in honour of Malcolm R. Clarke. In particular, we would like to thank the many professional staff from the University of the Azores for their hospitality, organization, troubleshooting and warm welcome to the Azores. We also thank Malcolm Clarke’s widow, Dorothy, his daughter Zoe¨, Jose´ N. Gomes-Pereira and numerous colleagues and friends of Malcolm’s from around the world for joining us at Ponta Delgada. We are grateful to Lyndsey Claro (Princeton University Press) for granting copyright permissions.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Effects of field crops on animals: Considerations with regard to design using Chlormequat-treated wheat crop as an example

There is concern whether consuming products based on crop from Chlormequat-treated fields can cause reproduction problems in animals and humans. An experiment is presently being conducted to investigate this using the pig as a model. Considerations with regard to experimental design when investigating whether differently treated crop can affect animal/human biology is discussed. Only about half of the data are presently available. A preliminary survey of these data does not show clear differences between Chlormequat-treated and organic non-treated wheat with regard to reproduction performance of pigs

Development of the Innate Immune Response in NestlingTree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor)

The innate immune system provides an immediate, short term, first line of defense from pathogens; its appearance early in development in vertebrates is evidence of its critical importance. Even so, few studies have investigated the development of the immune response as juveniles transition into adults. Ultimately, the ability to respond to pathogens confers fitness benefits in terms of health, survival, and reproductive success, and it follows that functions such as rapid growth cannot be fully met simultaneously since energy is a limiting resource. As a result, defense mechanisms are compromised at an early age due to energy allocation to rapid growth; therefore, immunity should increase as individuals mature. I studied the development of innate immunity in nestling Tree Swallows using microbicidal assays which were conducted in vitro to assess the ability of the immune system to kill E. coli via lysis. This research may provide insight into patterns of disease susceptibility, which in turn influence evolutionary fitness and population dynamics

Temperature responsiveness of gilthead sea bream bone; an in vitro and in vivo approach

This study aimed to characterize the molecules involved in osteogenesis in seabream and establish using in vitro/in vivo approaches the responsiveness of selected key genes to temperature. The impact of a temperature drop from 23 to 13 degrees C was evaluated in juvenile fish thermally imprinted during embryogenesis. Both, in vitro/in vivo, Fib1a, appeared important in the first stages of bone formation, and Col1A1, ON and OP, in regulating matrix production and mineralization. OCN mRNA levels were up-regulated in the final larval stages when mineralization was more intense. Moreover, temperature-dependent differential gene expression was observed, with lower transcript levels in the larvae at 18 degrees C relative to those at 22 degrees C, suggesting bone formation was enhanced in the latter group. Results revealed that thermal imprinting affected the long-term regulation of osteogenesis. Specifically, juveniles under the low and low-to-high-temperature regimes had reduced levels of OCN when challenged, indicative of impaired bone development. In contrast, gene expression in fish from the high and high-to-low-temperature treatments was unchanged, suggesting imprinting may have a protective effect. Overall, the present study revealed that thermal imprinting modulates bone development in seabream larvae, and demonstrated the utility of the in vitro MSC culture as a reliable tool to investigate fish osteogenesis."Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad" (MINECO) [BES-2015-074654]; Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) [SFRH/BPD/111512/2015, SFRH/BD/81625/2011]; MINECO, Spain [AGL2010-17324, AGL2014-57974-R]; "Generalitat de Catalunya" (XRAq); Generalitat de Catalunya [2014SGR-01371]; FCT, Portugal [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]; European Union [LIFECYCLE EU-FP7 222719]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio