17,057 research outputs found
Frequent expression of new cancer/testis gene D40/AF15q14 in lung cancers of smokers
We found a significant correlation between lung cancer in smokers and the expression of a human gene, D40, predominantly expressed in testis and cancers. In an attempt to clone a novel human gene, we screened a cDNA library derived from a human B cell line and obtained a cDNA clone that we refer to as D40. A search for public databases for sequence homologies showed that the D40 gene is identical to AF15q14. D40 mRNA is predominantly expressed in normal testis tissue. However, this gene is also expressed in various human tumour cell lines and primary tumours derived from various organs and tissues, such as lung cancer. We examined the relationship between D40 expression and clinico-pathological characteristics of tumours in primary lung cancer. D40 expression did not significantly correlate with either histological type or pathological tumour stage. However, D40 expression was observed more frequently in poorly differentiated tumours than in well or moderately differentiated ones. Furthermore, the incidence of D40 expression was significantly higher in tumours from patients who smoke than in those from non-smokers. D40/AF15q14 is the first gene in the cancer/testis family for which expression is related to the smoking habits of cancer patients
Supplementation of xylo-oligosaccharides to suckling piglets promotes the growth of fiber-degrading gut bacterial populations during the lactation and nursery periods
Modulating early-life microbial colonization through xylo-oligosacharides (XOS) supplementation represents an opportunity to accelerate the establishment of fiber-degrading microbial populations and improve intestinal health. Ninety piglets from 15 litters were orally administered once a day from d7 to d27 of lactation with either 5 mL of water (CON) or 5 mL of a solution containing 30 to 60 mg of XOS (XOS). Supplementation ceased at weaning (d28) when all piglets were fed the same commercial pre-starter diet. Growth performance did not differ between treatments during the experimental period (d7 to d40). Piglet's fecal microbiota (n = 30) shifted significantly from the end of lactation (d27) to nursery period (d40) exhibiting an increase in microbial alpha diversity. Animals supplemented with XOS showed higher richness and abundance of fiber-degrading bacteria and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production at d27 and d40. Additionally, the predicted abundance of the pyruvate to butanoate fermentation pathway was increased in the XOS group at d40. These results show that supplementation of XOS to lactating piglets promotes fiber-degrading bacterial populations in their hindgut. Moreover, differences observed in the nursery period suggest that XOS can influence the microbiota in the long-term
Garlic nieve INTA : plant density and nitrogen fertigation
Se estudió el efecto de tres densidades
de plantación (20 (D20), 30 (D30) y 40 (D40)
plantas m-2) y cinco dosis de fertilización
nitrogenada (0 (N0), 75 (N75), 150 (N150),
225 (N225) y 300 (N300) kg de N ha-1), sobre el
rendimiento y la calidad de ajo (Allium
sativum L.) de la cultivar Nieve INTA (tipo
blanco), bajo riego por goteo.
Se realizó un ensayo en el INTA La Consulta,
Mendoza, Argentina, en un suelo
Torrifluvente típico franco arenoso profundo
(Soil Taxonomy). Se utilizaron cintas de riego
por goteo T-Tape 508-30, colocadas en el
medio de la cama de plantación con un caudal
de 2.7 L m-1 h-1. El máximo rendimiento
(13 t ha-1) de ajo seco y limpio se logró con
una densidad de plantación de 40 plantas
m-2 y con dosis de 225 kg N ha-1. Las relaciones
halladas entre los rendimientos de bulbos
y las dosis de nitrógeno de 0, 75, 150,
225 y 300 kg N ha-1 fueron de tipo cuadrático
(P < 0.001), con r2= 0.89; 0.91 y 0.84 para D 20,
D30 y D40, respectivamente. Se encontró diferencias
significativas (P < 0.05), con respecto
a rendimiento, entre líneas externas e internas
de la cama de plantación en la densidad
de 40 000 plantas ha-1. La línea externa
rindió más que la interna. Los porcentajes en
peso de bulbos comerciales (C5+C6+C7) sobre
el total de bulbos cosechados para las
densidades D20, D30 y D40 fueron de 80.1 %;
66.7 % y 56.1 %, respectivamente.The yield and the quality of garlic (Allium
sativum L.) cv. Nieve INTA under different
densities (20 (D20), 30 (D30) and 40 (D40)
plants m-2) and doses of nitrogen fertilization
(0 (N0), 75 (N75), 150 (N150), 225 (N225) and
300 (N300) kg of N ha-1) was evaluated under
drip irrigation. The experiment was conducted
at La Consulta Experimental Station on
a Torrifluvent typic deep sandy loam soil (Soil
Taxonomy).
The trial was conducted using drip
irrigation with a T-Tape 508-30, in the
middle of the sowing bed with a volume of
2.7 L m-1 h-1. The highest yield (13 t ha-1) was
obtained with a density of plantation of
40 plants m-2 and with rate of 225 kg N ha-1.
The total yields were adjusted to nitrogen
rates by a quadratic model highly significant
(P < 0.001) with r2= 0.89; 0.91 and 0.84 for
D20, D30 and D40, respectively. There were
significant differences between yields of
internal and external lines on D40. The
percentages of commercial bulbs
(C5+C6+C7) with respect to total yield, were
80.1%, 66.7% and 56.1% for D20, D30 y D40
respectively.Fil: Lipinski, Víctor M..Fil: Gaviola, Silvia.
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Ingeniería Agrícol
Assessment and Evaluation of Sand Control Methods for a North Sea Field
Imperial Users onl
SIMULATING OZONE EFFECTS ON FOREST PRODUCTIVITY: INTERACTIONS AMONG LEAF‐, CANOPY‐, AND STAND‐LEVEL PROCESSES
Ozone pollution in the lower atmosphere is known to have adverse effects on forest vegetation, but the degree to which mature forests are impacted has been very difficult to assess directly. In this study, we combined leaf‐level ozone response data from independent ozone fumigation studies with a forest ecosystem model in order simulate the effects of ambient ozone on mature hardwood forests. Reductions in leaf carbon gain were determined as a linear function of ozone flux to the leaf interior, calculated as the product of ozone concentration and leaf stomatal conductance. This relationship was applied to individual canopy layers within the model in order to allow interaction with stand‐ and canopy‐level factors such as light attenuation, leaf morphology, soil water limitations, and vertical ozone gradients.
The resulting model was applied to 64 locations across the northeastern United States using ambient ozone data from 1987 to 1992. Predicted declines in annual net primary production ranged from 3 to 16% with greatest reductions in southern portions of the region where ozone levels were highest, and on soils with high water‐holding capacity where drought stress was absent. Reductions in predicted wood growth were slightly greater (3–22%) because wood is a lower carbon allocation priority in the model than leaf and root growth. Interannual variation in predicted ozone effects was small due to concurrent fluctuations in ozone and climate. Periods of high ozone often coincided with hot, dry weather conditions, causing reduced stomatal conductance and ozone uptake. Within‐canopy ozone concentration gradients had little effect on predicted growth reductions because concentrations remained high through upper canopy layers where net carbon assimilation and ozone uptake were greatest.
Sensitivity analyses indicate a trade‐off between model sensitivity to available soil water and foliar nitrogen and demonstrate uncertainties regarding several assumptions used in the model. Uncertainties surrounding ozone effects on stomatal function and plant water use efficiency were found to have important implications on current predictions. Field measurements of ozone effects on mature forests will be needed before the accuracy of model predictions can be fully assessed
The Nicastrin ectodomain adopts a highly thermostable structure
Nicastrin is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein, which is part of the high molecular weight gamma-secretase complex. gamma-Secretase is one of the key players associated with the generation of Alzheimer's disease pathology, since it liberates the neurotoxic amyloid beta-peptide. Four proteins Nicastrin, anterior pharynx-defective-1 (Aph-1), presenilin enhancer-2 (Pen-2) and Presenilin are essential to form the active gamma-secretase complex. Recently it has been shown, that Nicastrin has a key function in stabilizing the mature gamma-secretase complex and may also be involved in substrate recognition. So far no structural data for the Nicastrin ectodomain or any other gamma-secretase component are available. We therefore used Circular Dichroism (CD) spectroscopy to demonstrate that Nicastrin, similar to its homologues, the Streptomyces griseus aminopeptidase (SGAP) and the transferrin receptor (TfR), adopts a thermostable secondary structure. Furthermore, the Nicastrin ectodomain has an exceptionally high propensity to refold after thermal denaturation. These findings provide evidence to further support the hypothesis that Nicastrin may share evolutionary conserved properties with the aminopeptidase and the transferrin receptor family
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