Notes on age determination, size and age structure, longevity, and growth of co-occurring macrourid fishes

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to crew and colleagues who sampled and processed macrourids on the MARECO and ECOMAR cruise, to Ms Hege Ø Hansen for assistance in the otolith laboratory, and to home institutions and the Alfred P Sloan Foundation for financial support. An early version of the results was submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the MSc degree of R.H. Fundings: Data for this paper were collected on cruises funded by Norway and the United Kingdom (Natural Environment Research Council). In addition to institutional funding, the work benefitted from a grant to the ecosystems of the mid-atlantic ridge (MAR-ECO) Programme from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, New York, USA.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The -786T>C promoter polymorphism of the NOS3 gene is associated with prostate cancer progression

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is no biological or epidemiological data on the association between <it>NOS3 </it>promoter polymorphisms and prostate cancer. The polymorphisms in the promoter region of <it>NOS3 </it>gene may be responsible for variations in the plasma NO, which may promote cancer progression by providing a selective growth advantage to tumor cells by angiogenic stimulus and by direct DNA damage.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study aimed evaluating the <it>NOS3 </it>promoter polymorphisms by PCR-SSCP and sequencing, associating genotypes and haplotypes with <it>NOS3 </it>expression levels through semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and with <it>PCA</it>3 mRNA detection, a specific tumor biomarker, in the peripheral blood of pre-surgical samples from 177 patients; 83 PCa and 94 BPH.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Three novel SNPs were identified -764A>G, -714G>T and -649G>A in the <it>NOS3 </it>gene promoter region, which together with the -786T>C generated four haplotypes (N, T, C, A). <it>NOS3 </it>gene expression levels were affected by the -786T>C polymorphism, and there was a 2-fold increase in <it>NOS3 </it>levels favored by the incorporation of each C allele. <it>NOS3 </it>levels higher than 80% of the constitutive gene expression level (<it>B2M</it>) presented a 4-fold increase in PCa occurrence.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The -786T>C polymorphism was the most important promoter alteration of the <it>NOS3 </it>gene that may affect the PCa progression, but not its occurrence, and the incorporation of the C allele is associated with increased levels of <it>NOS3 </it>transcripts. The <it>NOS3 </it>transcript levels presented a bimodal behavior in tumor development and may be used as a biomarker together with the <it>PCA3 </it>marker for molecular staging of the prostate cancer.</p

Down-regulation of protein kinase Cdelta inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase expression through IRF1

Peer reviewe

Habitat selection by demersal nekton: analysis of videotape data

ln the past, analysis of habitat choice by marine nekton has been hampered by limited access to its environment. We suggest a method to facilitate study of habitat choice, using data gathered from videotapes. The aims of this study were (a) to identify members of a particular nekton assemblage, and (b) to identify environmental variables important to the assemblage as a whole. Data on species and environmental variables came from Videotapes of a sandy-bottom shelf area (60m depth) in the Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola, Florida, taken by a remote-controlled submersible travelling along defined transects. We analyzed these Videotapes to derive Information on habitat use of several species of fishes and large invertebrates. We divided the transects into sections which were homo· geneaus for bottom type and algal coverage, and in each section measured habitat variables and abundances of the most common and reliably identifiable species of demersal nekton. Factor analysis of species' means for environmental variables identified patterns of habitat use among these species. The analysis identified these patterns by generating axes that represented environmental gradients. The patterns of habitat use by these species related to their preferences for different amounts of three·dimensional structure, algae, and infaunal and epifaunal organisms. We compared species distributions and habitat distributions on these axes to find which environmental gradients were of most importance in habitat selection by these species. We found that more species selected habitats on the basis of particular amounts of structure, fewer selected on the basis of algal coverage and infaunal organisms. Only one species seemed to select habitats on the basis of types or abundances of epifaunal organisms. Thus, amount of three-dimensional structure seemed an important variable to the sandy·bottom assemblage overall, followed by amount of algal coverage and types of infaunal organisms

Impairment of glucose disposal by infusion of triglycerides in humans: role of glycemia

The present study was designed to assess the role of hyperglycemia (150 mg/dl) vs. euglycemia (90 mg/dl) on glucose metabolism in vivo during the infusion of a triglyceride emulsion (Intralipid). Seven young healthy volunteers were studied on four occasions using the hyperinsulinemic clamp technique, twice during euglycemia and twice during hyperglycemia, without or with Intralipid. Glucose oxidation (O) was calculated from continuous respiratory exchange measurements, and glucose storage (S) was obtained as the difference between total glucose disposal (M) and O. Two-way analysis of variance with interaction term demonstrated 1) a significant increase for M with hyperglycemia and a decrease with Intralipid; no interaction, and 2) in euglycemia, O/M and S/M occurred in one-to-one ratios; on the other hand, during 150-mg/dl hyperglycemia, the ratio dropped roughly to 1:2. Intralipid had no effect on the ratio, and no interaction could be observed. These results suggest the existence of physiological regulatory mechanisms by which 1) the rise in plasma free fatty acid inhibits both oxidative and nonoxidative glucose disposal, and 2) the rise in glycemia stimulates predominantly nonoxidative glucose disposal

Acquisitions thérapeutiques 1998 : Pancréas

Les acquisitions majeures sont: 1) la démonstration qu'une nutrition entérale par une sonde jéjunale placée au-delà du ligament de Treitz dans la pancréatite aiguë sévère est préférable à une nutrition parentérale car elle diminue les complications septiques et les coûts ; 2) que les personnes ayant des mutations du gène de la mucoviscidose (CFTR) sont à risque de développer une pancréatite chronique

Multimedia computer applications for species identification: prototypes from a cooperative venture between the Smithsonian Institution and NMFS

Information on marine organisms traditionally has been distributed on paper. While the advantages of paper are many, severe constraints exist on this medium. Massive data bases, species keys, distribution maps are just a few types of information that suffer on paper. For instance, how do you examine a subset of a biodiversity database? What are your options when a key leads you to an obviously wrong species? What data were used to create a particular map? Multimedia applications for personal computers (IBM clones or Macintosh) offer remedies to these problems. These applications may incorporate text, images and sounds. Multimedia applications on personal computers can be used to examine large networked databases, to al low easy identification of specimens, and to create dynamic chart overlays. Electronic data bases are easy to maintain, and interactive multimedia front-ends to these data bases can be modified easily and adapted for specific tasks. Researchers at the Smithsonian Institution and NMFS National Systematics Laboratory have developed a number of prototype applications to explore the uses of multimedia in identification and information retrieval for marine fishes and invertebrates. These include electronic monographs, keys, maps, and data base front ends which can access images. These applications are all interactive they guide users to definitions, show pictures, access appropriate text, etc. Marine research and policy requirements are changing quickly, and large-scale, accurate, easily accessible data bases and information stores are increasingly necessary. Multimedia applications can provide intuitive, tractable methods to find what is needed among smothering masses of information. The rapidly increasing availability of personal computers (including very portable models) on research vessels, commercial fishing boats, and enforcement agency ships, makes potential sea-going users widespread. Shoreside uses include fishery port agents, resource managers and policy makers, in addition to researchers. This paper addresses the advantages and disadvantages of electronic data access through multimedia applications