Genomic history of Neolithic to Bronze Age Anatolia, Northern Levant, and Southern Caucasus

Here, we report genome-wide data analyses from 110 ancient Near Eastern individuals spanning the Late Neolithic to Late Bronze Age, a period characterized by intense interregional interactions for the Near East. We find that 6th millennium BCE populations of North/Central Anatolia and the Southern Caucasus shared mixed ancestry on a genetic cline that formed during the Neolithic between Western Anatolia and regions in today’s Southern Caucasus/Zagros. During the Late Chalcolithic and/or the Early Bronze Age, more than half of the Northern Levantine gene pool was replaced, while in the rest of Anatolia and the Southern Caucasus, we document genetic continuity with only transient gene flow. Additionally, we reveal a genetically distinct individual within the Late Bronze Age Northern Levant. Overall, our study uncovers multiple scales of population dynamics through time, from extensive admixture during the Neolithic period to long-distance mobility within the globalized societies of the Late Bronze Age. Video Abstrac

Differential expression of Caveolin-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma: correlation with differentiation state, motility and invasion

WOS: 000264914000001PubMed ID: 19239691Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [SBAG-107S026]; Dokuz Eylul University Research FoundationDokuz Eylul University [05.KB.SAG.071]We thank Prof. Mehmet Ozturk for providing us HCC cell lines and for his critical reading of the manuscript; and Prof. Aykut Uren for his helpful discussions on the manuscript. We also thank to Evin Ozen for her technical assistance. This work was supported by grants to Nese ATABEY from the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TUBITAK, SBAG-107S026) and Dokuz Eylul University Research Foundation (05.KB.SAG.071)

The primary headaches: genetics, epigenetics and a behavioural genetic model

The primary headaches, migraine with (MA) and without aura (MO) and cluster headache, all carry a substantial genetic liability. Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM), an autosomal dominant mendelian disorder classified as a subtype of MA, is due to mutations in genes encoding neural channel subunits. MA/MO are considered multifactorial genetic disorders, and FHM has been proposed as a model for migraine aetiology. However, a review of the genetic studies suggests that the FHM genes are not involved in the typical migraines and that FHM should be considered as a syndromic migraine rather than a subtype of MA. Adopting the concept of syndromic migraine could be useful in understanding migraine pathogenesis. We hypothesise that epigenetic mechanisms play an important role in headache pathogenesis. A behavioural model is proposed, whereby the primary headaches are construed as behaviours, not symptoms, evolutionarily conserved for their adaptive value and engendered out of a genetic repertoire by a network of pattern generators present in the brain and signalling homeostatic imbalance. This behavioural model could be incorporated into migraine genetic research

Ten millennia of hepatitis B virus evolution

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been infecting humans for millennia and remains a global health problem, but its past diversity and dispersal routes are largely unknown. We generated HBV genomic data from 137 Eurasians and Native Americans dated between ~10,500 and ~400 years ago. We date the most recent common ancestor of all HBV lineages to between ~20,000 and 12,000 years ago, with the virus present in European and South American hunter-gatherers during the early Holocene. After the European Neolithic transition, Mesolithic HBV strains were replaced by a lineage likely disseminated by early farmers that prevailed throughout western Eurasia for ~4000 years, declining around the end of the 2nd millennium BCE. The only remnant of this prehistoric HBV diversity is the rare genotype G, which appears to have reemerged during the HIV pandemic

Deterioration of bone quality by long-term magnetic field with extremely low frequency in rats

The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of long-term (45 days) magnetic field (50 Hz, 1 mT; MF) on femur biomechanical parameters of rats. Bone mineral density (BMD) and histological investigation were also evaluated. For this purpose, twenty-four 8-week-old, Wistar-Albino female and male rats were assigned randomly to female control (FC) and MF-exposed rats (F-MF); male control (MC) and MF-exposed rats (M-MF). BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Cross-sectional area of the femoral shaft was evaluated by computerized tomography. Biomechanical measurements were performed at the mid-diaphysis of the left femur with tensile test. Maximum load, displacement, stiffness, energy absorption capacity (structural properties); ultimate stress, ultimate strain, elastic modulus and toughness (material properties) were calculated. Diaphysial cortical bone thickness was measured by using histological method from the right femur. In respect to the cortical thickness of the rats' femurs, there was statistically significant interaction between the gender and group (P 0.05). The BMD, cortical thickness and area values of the femurs of MF-exposed rats (F-MF, M-MF) were significantly decreased in comparison to that of the controls (FC, MC) (P 0.05). There were no statistically significant interaction between the gender and group with regard to the maximum load, displacement, stiffness, ultimate stress, ultimate strain, elastic modulus and toughness endpoints, while the energy absorption capacity was significant (P 0.05). The mean of toughness was decreased in MF-exposed rats compared to that of the controls (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the bone quality of rats is decreased by magnetic field exposure. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Firat University Scientific Research Projects Management UnitThis work has been supported by the grants from the Mersin University Scientific Projects Unit (BAP.SBE.BIF.(SG)/2003-2 YL)

Phytic acid and phosphorus concentrations in seeds of wheat cultivars grown with and without zinc fertilization

WOS: 000173749600009Seeds of twenty wheat cultivars grown with (+Zn = 23 kg Zn ha(-1)) and without zinc (Zn) fertilization in a Zn-deficient calcareous soil in Central Anatolia were analyzed for the levels of Zn, phosphorus (P), phytic acid, and phytase activity. Additionally, seeds of four wheat cultivars grown on 55 different locations in Turkey were also analyzed for Zn, P, and phytic acid. In the field experiment with 20 wheat cultivars, seed Zn concentrations showed a range between 7 to 11 mg kg(-1) under Zn-deficient and 14 to 23 mg kg(-1) under Zn-added conditions. Zinc fertilization reduced seed concentrations of P and phytic acid of all cultivars. On average, the reductions caused by Zn fertilization were from 3.9 to 3.5 mg g(-1) for P and from 10.7 to 9.1 mg g(-1) for phytic acid. Irrespective of Zn fertilization, seed phytic acid concentrations showed a large genotypic variation, i.e., from 7 to 12 mg g I with Zn fertilization and 8 to 13 mg g I at nil Zn treatment. As a result of decreases in phytic acid and increases in Zn concentrations by Zn fertilization, phytic acid to Zn molar ratios in seeds of cultivars markedly decreased. On average for ail cultivars, phytic acid to Zn molar ratios decreased from 126 to 56 with Zn fertilization. Seed phytase activity of cultivars was not consistently influenced by varied Zn supply. However, on average for 20 cultivars, Zn fertilization tended to decrease phytase activity. In seeds of four wheat cultivars collected from 55 locations, the concentrations of Zn, P, and phytic acid ranged from 8 to 34 mg kg(-1), 2.1 to 4.9 mg g(-1), and 5.8 to 14.3 mg kg(-1), respectively. Results obtained in the present study indicate that seed Zn concentrations of wheat cultivars grown in different locations of Turkey, especially under Zn-deficient conditions, are very low. Considering very high phytic acid: Zn molar ratios it can be suggested that bioavailability of Zn would be very low for humans

Effect of tube potential and image receptor on the detection of natural proximal caries in primary teeth

WOS: 000296879800007PubMed ID: 20838834The aim of this study was to assess the detection of proximal caries in primary teeth at three different tube potentials using Ektaspeed films, storage phosphor plates (SPPs), and a charge-coupled device (CCD). Fifty-three extracted human primary molars with natural proximal caries were radiographed with three different imaging modalities-Digora Optime SPP system, RVGui CCD system, and Ektaspeed films-at 50-, 65-, and 70-kV tube potentials. Three observers scored the resultant images for the presence or absence of caries. The definitive diagnosis was determined by stereomicroscopic assessment. The diagnostic accuracy for each imaging modality was expressed as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (A (z)). Differences among the A (z) values were assessed using two-way ANOVA and t tests. Kappa was used to measure inter- and intra-observer agreement. Higher accuracy was found for SPPs compared to film and CCD images at all tube potentials. Accuracy was significantly different only at 50-kV tube setting in favor of SPPs (p < 0.05). Inter- and intra-observer agreement was high for all systems. A SPP system can be recommended for dental peadodontic clinics particularly with 50-kV tube potential for the diagnosis of proximal caries since further advantages include the elimination of chemical processing, image enhancement, and a better low-contrast detectability performance

Early protective effects of iloprost, a stable prostacyclin analog, during spinal cord ischemia in a rabbit model

Spinal cord ischemia may develop into paraplegia in some cases during operation of the thoracoabdominal aorta. This is attributable to the vulnerability of spinal motor neurons to ischemia. In this study, iloprost was used as an agent to decrease the severity of ischemia and reperfusion injury to the spinal cord motor neurons. Twenty-one rabbits were randomized into three groups of seven animals each: group A (iloprost not administered), group B (25 ng/kg per minute iloprost), and group S (sham-operated). The spinal cord ischemia model was created by a 15-min occlusion of the aorta just caudal to the renal artery with a balloon catheter. Administration of iloprost began 10 min before occlusion of the aorta, and continued thereafter for 60 min. The pre- and postocclusion arterial pressure and heart rate recordings, results of blood gas analyses, and hematocrit and glucose levels were recorded. The spinal cords were removed after 8-h monitoring of neurologic function. Viable and nonviable motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord were counted under light microscopy. Any significant alteration in hemodynamics, blood gases, and other physiologic parameters could not be detected within the groups. Iloprost had a moderately hypotensive effect. Neurologic function in terms of Johnson scoring was significantly better in the iloprost group (P < 0.05). The number of viable cells was higher, whereas the number of nonviable cells was lower in iloprost group, when compared with the control group ( P < 0.05). Higher numbers of viable motor neurons were consistent with the neurological findings. As a result of this study we concluded that iloprost infused during clamping of the aorta mitigates the spinal cord injury due to ischemia and reperfusion, and has a significant protective effect