Dimensional crossover in fragmentation

Experiments in which thick clay plates and glass rods are fractured have revealed different behavior of fragment mass distribution function in the small and large fragment regions. In this paper we explain this behavior using non-extensive Tsallis statistics and show how the crossover between the two regions is caused by the change in the fragments' dimensionality during the fracture process. We obtain a physical criterion for the position of this crossover and an expression for the change in the power law exponent between the small and large fragment regions. These predictions are in good agreement with the experiments on thick clay plate

Relating water deficiency to berry texture, skin cell wall composition and expression of remodeling genes in two Vitis vinifera varieties

The cell wall (CW) is a dynamic structure that responds to stress. Water shortage (WS) impacts grapevine berry composition and its sensorial quality. In the present work, berry texture, skin CW composition, and expression of remodeling genes were investigated in two V. vinifera varieties, Touriga Nacional (TN) and Trincadeira (TR), under two water regimes, Full Irrigation (FI) and No Irrigation (NI). The global results allowed an evident separation between both varieties and the water treatments. WS resulted in increased anthocyanin contents in both varieties, reduced amounts in cellulose and lignin at maturation, but an increase in arabinose-containing polysaccharides more tightly bound to the CW in TR. In response to WS, the majority of the CW related genes were down-regulated in a variety dependent pattern. The results support the assumption that WS affects grape berries by stiffening the CW through alteration in pectin structure, supporting its involvement in responses to environmental conditions

Mito-nuclear sequencing is paramount to correctly identify sympatric hybridizing fishes

Background. Hybridization may drive speciation and erode species, especially when intrageneric sympatric species are involved. Five sympatric Luciobarbus species—Luciobarbus sclateri (Günther, 1868), Luciobarbus comizo (Steindachner, 1864), Luciobarbus microcephalus (Almaça, 1967), Luciobarbus guiraonis (Steindachner, 1866), and Luciobarbus steindachneri (Almaça, 1967)—are commonly identified in field surveys by diagnostic morphological characters. Assuming that i) in loco identification is subjective and observer-dependent, ii) there is previous evidence of interspecific hybridization, and iii) the technical reports usually do not include molecular analyses, our main goal was to assess the concordance between in loco species identification based on phenotypic characters with identifications based on morphometric indices, mtDNA only, and a combination of mito-nuclear markers. Materials and methods. Specimens of Luciobarbus from six Guadiana River sub-basins were collected and sequenced for the cytochrome b and beta-actin genes. For comparative purposes, samples of Luciobarbus from other 12 river basins were also used. Four levels of taxonomical identification were conducted based on: identification made in the field (in loco identification), cytb gene only, beta-actin gene only, and mito-nuclear combined genomes. Results. Results showed that interspecific hybridization seems to be high (around 41%) and likely favoured by non-random mating and the loss of fluvial connectivity. About 34% of the hybrids showed mito-nuclear discordance. Misidentifications were frequent when only phenotypic characters are considered, and the use of a single mitochondrial gene is not sufficient: the use of two mito-nuclear markers showed that around 82% of the in loco identifications based on the phenotype were not correct. Conclusion. Incorrect species assignment likely generated biased results in previous studies on the biology and ecology of Guadiana barbels and in the assignment of conservation status and, consequently, on the establishment of conservation management measuresinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prominent Role Of Platelets In The Formation Of Circulating Neutrophil-red Cell Heterocellular Aggregates In Sickle Cell Anemia

[No abstract available]9911e214e217Hidalgo, A., Chang, J., Jang, J.E., Peired, A.J., Chiang, E.Y., Frenette, P.S., Heterotypic interactions enabled by polarized neutrophil microdomains mediate thromboinflammatory injury (2009) Nat Med, 15 (4), pp. 384-391Turhan, A., Jenab, P., Bruhns, P., Ravetch, J.V., Coller, B.S., Frenette, P.S., Intravenous immune globulin prevents venular vaso-occlusion in sickle cell mice by inhibiting leukocyte adhesion and the interactions between sickle erythrocytes and adherent leukocytes (2004) Blood, 103 (6), pp. 2397-2400Turhan, A., Weiss, L.A., Mohandas, N., Coller, B.S., Frenette, P.S., Primary role for adherent leukocytes in sickle cell vascular occlusion: A new paradigm (2002) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 99 (5), pp. 3047-3051May, A.E., Langer, H., Seizer, P., Bigalke, B., Lindemann, S., Gawaz, M., Platelet-leukocyte interactions in inflammation and atherothrombosis (2007) Semin Thromb Hemost, 33 (2), pp. 123-127Gawaz, M., Fateh-Moghadam, S., Pilz, G., Gurland, H.J., Werdan, K., Platelet activation and interaction with leucocytes in patients with sepsis or multiple organ failure (1995) Eur J Clin Invest, 25 (11), pp. 843-851Polanowska-Grabowska, R., Wallace, K., Field, J.J., Chen, L., Marshall, M.A., Figler, R., P-selectin-mediated platelet-neutrophil aggregate formation activates neutrophils in mouse and human sickle cell disease (2010) Art Thromb Vascular Biol, 30 (12), pp. 2392-2399Brittain, J.E., Knoll, C.M., Ataga, K.I., Orringer, E.P., Parise, L.V., Fibronectin bridges monocytes and reticulocytes via integrin alpha4beta1 (2008) Br J Haematol, 141 (6), pp. 872-881Chaar, V., Picot, J., Renaud, O., Bartolucci, P., Nzouakou, R., Bachir, D., Aggregation of mononuclear and red blood cells through an {alpha}4{beta}1-Lu/basal cell adhesion molecule interaction in sickle cell disease (2010) Haematologica, 95 (11), pp. 1841-1848Finnegan, E.M., Turhan, A., Golan, D.E., Barabino, G.A., Adherent leukocytes capture sickle erythrocytes in an in vitro flow model of vasoocclusion (2007) Am J Hematol, 82 (4), pp. 266-275Wun, T., Paglieroni, T., Tablin, F., Welborn, J., Nelson, K., Cheung, A., Platelet activation and platelet-erythrocyte aggregates in patients with sickle cell anemia (1997) J Lab Clin Med, 129 (5), pp. 507-516Hynes, R.O., Integrins: Versatility, modulation, and signaling in cell adhesion (1992) Cell, 69 (1), pp. 11-25Novelli, E.M., Kato, G.J., Ragni, M.V., Zhang, Y., Hildesheim, M.E., Nouraie, M., Plasma thrombospondin-1 is increased during acute sickle cell vaso-occlusive events and associated with acute chest syndrome, hydroxyurea therapy, and lower hemolytic rates (2012) Am J Hematol, 87 (3), pp. 326-330Proenca-Ferreira, R., Brugnerotto, A.F., Garrido, V.T., Dominical, V.M., Vital, D.M., Ribeiro Mde, F., Endothelial activation by platelets from sickle cell anemia patients (2014) PloS one, 9 (2)Kutlar, A., Ataga, K.I., McMahon, L., Howard, J., Galacteros, F., Hagar, W., A potent oral P-selectin blocking agent improves microcirculatory blood flow and a marker of endothelial cell injury in patients with sickle cell disease (2012) Am J Hematol, 87 (5), pp. 536-539Telen, M.J., Wun, T., McCavit, T.L., De Castro, L.M., Krishnamurti, L., Lanzkron, S., GMI 1070: Reduction In Time To Resolution Of Vaso-Occlusive Crisis and Decreased Opioid Use In a Prospective, Randomized, Multi-Center Double Blind, Adaptive Phase 2 Study In Sickle Cell Disease (2013) Blood, 122 (21), p. 7. , Abstrac

Search for correlation between GRB's detected by BeppoSAX and gravitational wave detectors EXPLORER and NAUTILUS

Data obtained during five months of 2001 with the gravitational wave (GW) detectors EXPLORER and NAUTILUS were studied in correlation with the gamma ray burst data (GRB) obtained with the BeppoSAX satellite. During this period BeppoSAX was the only GRB satellite in operation, while EXPLORER and NAUTILUS were the only GW detectors in operation. No correlation between the GW data and the GRB bursts was found. The analysis, performed over 47 GRB's, excludes the presence of signals of amplitude h >=1.2 * 10^{-18}, with 95 % probability, if we allow a time delay between GW bursts and GRB within +-400 s, and h >= 6.5 * 10^{-19}, if the time delay is within +- 5 s. The result is also provided in form of scaled likelihood for unbiased interpretation and easier use for further analysis.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures. Latex file, compiled with cernik.cls (provided in the package

Applicability and reproducibility of acute myeloid leukaemia stem cell assessment in a multi-centre setting

Leukaemic stem cells (LSC) have been experimentally defined as the leukaemia-propagating population and are thought to be the cellular reservoir of relapse in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Therefore, LSC measurements are warranted to facilitate accurate risk stratification. Previously, we published the composition of a one-tube flow cytometric assay, characterised by the presence of 13 important membrane markers for LSC detection

Harnessing gene expression profiles for the identification of ex vivo drug response genes in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia

Novel treatment strategies are of paramount importance to improve clinical outcomes in pediatric AML. Since chemotherapy is likely to remain the cornerstone of curative treatment of AML, insights in the molecular mechanisms that determine its cytotoxic effects could aid further treatment optimization. To assess which genes and pathways are implicated in tumor drug resistance, we correlated ex vivo drug response data to genome-wide gene expression profiles of 73 primary pediatric AML samples obtained at initial diagnosis. Ex vivo response of primary AML blasts towards cytarabine (Ara C), daunorubicin (DNR), etoposide (VP16), and cladribine (2-CdA) was associated with the expression of 101, 345, 206, and 599 genes, respectively (p < 0.001, FDR 0.004–0.416). Microarray based expression of multiple genes was technically validated using qRT-PCR for a selection of genes. Moreover, expression levels of BRE, HIF1A, and CLEC7A were confirmed to be significantly (p < 0.05) associated with ex vivo drug response in an independent set of 48 primary pediatric AML patients. We present unique data that addresses transcriptomic analyses of the mechanisms underlying ex vivo drug response of primary tumor samples. Our data suggest that distinct gene expression profiles are associated with ex vivo drug response, and may confer a priori drug resistance in leukemic cells. The described associations represent a fundament for the development of interventions to overcome drug resistance in AML, and maximize the benefits of current chemotherapy for sensitive patients