Effect of oleic acid supplementation on prostaglandin production in maternal endometrial and fetal allantochorion cells isolated from late gestation ewes

Elevated circulating non-esterified fatty acids including oleic acid (OA) are associated with many pregnancy related complications. Prostaglandins (PGs) play crucial roles during parturition. We investigated the effect of OA supplementation on PG production using an in vitro model of ovine placenta

An Anatomy of Price Dynamics in Illiquid Markets: Analysis and Evidence from Local Housing Markets

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73407/1/j.1080-8620.2004.00082.x.pd

Canopy seed storage in woody plants

The retention of seeds in the plant canopy for one to 30 years or more is termed serotiny. It is well represented floristically and physiognomically in fire-prone, nutrient-poor and seasonally-dry sclerophyll vegetation in Australia, and to a lesser extent, South Africa followed by North America. While the seed-storing structures vary greatly, all will release their propagules following exposure to the heat of a fire (pyriscence). This phenomenon can be contrasted with seed release at maturity (non-storage) and soil storage of seeds. Although the evolutionary requirements for serotiny are clear, its adaptive advantages over other seed storage syndromes are largely the subject of conjecture in the absence of comparative experiments. Nine hypotheses were assessed here. Canopy storage maximises the quantity of seeds available for the next post-fire generation (unlike non-storage). Synchronized post-fire release satiates post-dispersal granivores (unlike non-storage and soil storage) and ensures arrival on a seed bed conducive to seedling recruitment (unlike non-storage). Canopy stored seeds are better insulated from the heat of a fire than non-stored, and probably soil-stored, seeds. Fluctuating annual seed crops, the opportunity for post-fire wind-dispersal, the possible advantages of dense stands of adults, short lifespan of the dispersed seeds and their optimal location in the soil for germination have only a limited role in explaining the advantages of serotiny. It is concluded that canopy seed storage is favoured in regions where seed production is restricted and inter-fire establishment and maturation are unlikely. In addition, these regions have a reliable seasonal rainfall and are subjected to intense fires at intervals occurring within the reproductive lifespan of the species

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 promotes proliferation and survival via activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in bladder cancer

Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR) play key roles in proliferation, differentiation, and tumorigenesis. Many urothelial carcinomas contain activating point mutations or increased expression of FGFR3. However, little is known about the role of other FGFRs. We examined FGFR expression in telomerase-immortalized normal human urothelial cells, urothelial carcinoma cell lines, and tumor samples and showed that FGFR1 expression is increased in a high proportion of cell lines and tumors independent of stage and grade. To determine the role of FGFR1 in low-stage bladder cancer, we overexpressed FGFR1 in telomerase-immortalized normal human urothelial cells and examined changes in proliferation and cell survival in response to FGF2. FGFR1 stimulation increased proliferation and reduced apoptosis. To elucidate the mechanistic basis for these alterations, we examined the signaling cascades activated by FGFR1. FRS2alpha and PLCgamma were activated in response to FGF2, leading to activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. The level of mitogen-activated protein kinase activation correlated with the level of cyclin D1, MCL1, and phospho-BAD, which also correlated with FGFR-induced proliferation and survival. Knockdown of FGFR1 in urothelial carcinoma cell lines revealed differential FGFR1 dependence. JMSU1 cells were dependent on FGFR1 expression for survival but three other cell lines were not. Two cell lines (JMSU1 and UMUC3) were dependent on FGFR1 for growth in soft agar. Only one of the cell lines tested (UMUC3) was frankly tumorigenic; here, FGFR1 knockdown inhibited tumor growth. Our results indicate that FGFR1 has significant effects on urothelial cell phenotype and may represent a useful therapeutic target in some cases of urothelial carcinoma

Quantitative local structure determination of R,R-tartaric acid on Cu(110): Monotartrate and bitartrate phases

The local adsorption site of the monotartrate and bitartrate species of R,R-tartaric acid deposited on Cu(110) have been determined by scanned-energy mode photoelectron diffraction (PhD). In the monotartrate phase the molecule is found to adsorb upright through the O atoms of the single deprotonated carboxylic acid (carboxylate) group, which are located in different off-atop sites with associated Cu―O bond lengths of 1.92 ± 0.08 Å and 1.93 ± 0.06 Å; the plane of the carboxylate group is tilted by 17 ± 6° off the surface normal. The bitartrate species adopts a ‘lying down’ orientation, bonding to the surface through all four O atoms of the two carboxylate groups, also in off-atop sites. Three slightly different models give comparably good fits to the PhD data, but only one of these is similar to that predicted by earlier density functional theory calculations. This model is found to have Cu―O bond lengths of 1.93 ± 0.08 Å and 1.95 ± 0.08 Å, while the planes of the carboxylate groups are tilted by 38 ± 6° from the surface normal. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------