Resolving genetic relationships in manna group of lichens from genus Aspicilia

As in many lichen-forming fungi, species of Aspicilia genus are widely distributed all over the world, but no reports exist about their phylogenetic relations based on molecular biological methods. In thecurrent study the phylogenetic relations of some Aspicilia species mainly manna group of lichens were investigated. The ITS rDNA sequence information of 12 samples from six species were generated. The samples examined were collected from different provinces of Anatolia and all the sequences were aligned with the other allied groups; Pertusaria sp., Thamnolia sp., Dibaeis sp., Diploschistes sp.,Ochrolechia sp. and Lecanora sp. sequence data obtained from GenBank. The phylogenetic tree obtained by minimum evolution analysis displayed two major branches. One of the branches with itssix members (Aspicilia contorta subsp. contorta, A. contorta subsp. hoffmanniana, Aspicilia hispida, Aspicilia fruticulosa, Aspicilia desertorum Aspicilia calcarea) composed solely of Aspicilia samplesfrom Anatolia. Three of the manna groups of lichens were placed in this branch of the tree. The other related taxa from Ostropomycetidae and Lecanoromycetidae took place in the other branch of the treewith Aspicilia samples from Anatolia. Results displayed that manna group of lichens, although do not represent taxonomical unit tend to form a group especially apperent by the Neigbour Joining analysiswith Anatolian samples. Also the sequence information from Anatolian samples displayed that Aspicilia genus is phylogenetically closer to the orders and families from Ostropomycetidae subclass rather than Lecanoromycetidae which support the placement of Hymeneliaceae within Ostropomycetidae

Erkek köpeklerde intratestiküler gliserol ve etanol uygulamalarının kısırlaştırma üzerine etkilerinin karşılaştırılması (Comporation of the Effects of Intratesticular Glycerol and Ethanol Injections on Sterilization of Male Dogs)

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of intratesticular glycerol and ethanol injection on sterilization. Twelve mature male dogs were used. They were allocated randomly to two equal groups called glycerol and ethanol and one ml glycerol (70%) and ethanol (95%) was injected intratesticularly. The animals were observed during two months. The blood and sperm samples obtained once a week in all groups were examined regarding to serum testosterone level and spermatozoon concentration and motility rate. There was a fistula formation and scrotal wounds resulting from orchitis in all glycerol and two ethanol group dogs after the 5th day of injection. The fistular openings closed spontaneously in all cases in due course. After the 2nd month, testicular atrophy was seen to occur. It was determined the presence of marked decreases (p<0.01) in both groups spermatozoon concentration and motility as well as in the level of serum testosterone two weeks after drug injection. The histopathologic examination conducted after the 2nd month revealed degeneration, necrosis and diffuse connective tissue proliferation in the seminiferus contortus tubulus of both groups. It has been concluded that glycerol and ethanol can be effective for sterilization in male dogs

Geo-Biological Investigations on Azooxanthellate Cold-Water Coral Reefs on the Carbonate Mounds Along the Celtic Continental Slope

Northeast Atlantic 2004 Cruise No. 61, Leg 1 April 19 to May 4, 2004, Lisbon – Cor

Sr Surface Enrichment in Solid Oxide Cells – Approaching the Limits of EDX Analysis by Multivariate Statistical Analysis and Simulations

In solid oxide cells, Sr segregation has been correlated with degradation. Yet, the atomistic mechanism remains unknown. Here we begin to localize the origin of Sr surface nucleation by combining force field based simulations, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and multi-variate statistical analysis. We find increased ion mobility in the complexion between yttria-stabilized zirconia and strontium-doped lanthanum manganite. Furthermore, we developed a robust and automated routine to detect localized nucleation seeds of Sr at the complexion surface. This hints at a mechanism originating at the complexion and requires in-depth studies at the atomistic level, where the developed routine can be beneficial for analyzing large hyperspectral EDX datasets

Emergent versus delayed lithotripsy for obstructing ureteral stones: a cumulative analysis of comparative studies

Objective To analyze the current evidence on the use of ureteroscopy (URS) and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for the management of obstructing ureteral stones in emergent setting. Methods A systematic literature review was performed up to June 2016 using Pubmed and Ovid databases to identify pertinent studies. The PRISMA criteria were followed for article selection. Separate searches were done using a combinations of several search terms: "laser lithotripsy", "ureteroscopy", "extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy", "ESWL", "rapid", "immediate", "early", "delayed", "late", "ureteral stones", "kidney stones", "renal stones". Only titles related to emergent/rapid/immediate/early (as viably defined in each study) versus delayed/late treatment of ureteral stones with either URS and/or ESWL were considered for screening. Demographics and operative outcomes were compared between emergent and delayed lithotripsy. RevMan review manager software was used to perform data analysis. Results Four studies comparing emergent (n = 526) versus delayed (n = 987) URS and six studies comparing emergent (n = 356) versus delayed (n = 355) SWL were included in the analysis. Emergent URS did not show any significant difference in terms of stone-free rate (91.2 versus 90.9%; OR 1.04; CI 0.71, 1.52; p = 0.84), complication rate (8.7% for emergent versus 11.5% for delayed; OR 0.94; CI 0.65, 1.36; p = 0.74) and need for auxiliary procedures (OR 0.85; CI 0.42, 1.7; p = 0.85) when compared to delayed URS. Emergent ESWL was associated with a higher likelihood of stone free status (OR 2.2; CI 1.55, 3.17; p < 0.001) and a lower likelihood of need for auxiliary maneuvers (OR 0.49; CI 0.33, 0.72; p < 0.001) than the delayed procedure. No differences in complication rates were noticed between the emergent and delayed ESWL (p = 0.37). Conclusions Emergent lithotripsy, either ureteroscopic or extracorporeal, can be offered as an effective and safe treatment for patients with symptomatic ureteral stone. If amenable to ESWL, based on stone and patient characteristics, an emergent approach should be strongly considered. Ureteroscopy in the emergent setting is mostly reserved for distally located stones. The implementation of these therapeutic approaches is likely to be dictated by their availability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Organometallic iridium(III) anticancer complexes with new mechanisms of action: NCI-60 screening, mitochondrial targeting, and apoptosis

Platinum complexes related to cisplatin, cis-[PtCl2(NH3)2], are successful anticancer drugs; however, other transition metal complexes offer potential for combating cisplatin resistance, decreasing side effects, and widening the spectrum of activity. Organometallic half-sandwich iridium (IrIII) complexes [Ir(Cpx)(XY)Cl]+/0 (Cpx = biphenyltetramethylcyclopentadienyl and XY = phenanthroline (1), bipyridine (2), or phenylpyridine (3)) all hydrolyze rapidly, forming monofunctional G adducts on DNA with additional intercalation of the phenyl substituents on the Cpx ring. In comparison, highly potent complex 4 (Cpx = phenyltetramethylcyclopentadienyl and XY = N,N-dimethylphenylazopyridine) does not hydrolyze. All show higher potency toward A2780 human ovarian cancer cells compared to cisplatin, with 1, 3, and 4 also demonstrating higher potency in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) NCI-60 cell-line screen. Use of the NCI COMPARE algorithm (which predicts mechanisms of action (MoAs) for emerging anticancer compounds by correlating NCI-60 patterns of sensitivity) shows that the MoA of these IrIII complexes has no correlation to cisplatin (or oxaliplatin), with 3 and 4 emerging as particularly novel compounds. Those findings by COMPARE were experimentally probed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of A2780 cells exposed to 1, showing mitochondrial swelling and activation of apoptosis after 24 h. Significant changes in mitochondrial membrane polarization were detected by flow cytometry, and the potency of the complexes was enhanced ca. 5× by co-administration with a low concentration (5 μM) of the γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase inhibitor L-buthionine sulfoximine (L-BSO). These studies reveal potential polypharmacology of organometallic IrIII complexes, with MoA and cell selectivity governed by structural changes in the chelating ligands

Protective effects of nanostructures of hydrated C60 fullerene on reproductive function in streptozotocin-diabetic male rats

Diabetes mellitus is a well-recognized cause of male sexual dysfunction and impairments of male fertility. Streptozotocin (STZ) is used for medical treatment of neoplastic islet -cells of pancreas and producing of animal model of diabetes mellitus type 1 that is characterized by suppression of reproductive activity due to the hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress and histopathological alterations in testes. Seeking for the agents that could alleviate diabetes-induced damage to reproductive system is yet the important area of inquiry. The present study was designed to evaluate whether hydrated C60 fullerene (C60HyFn), which is known to be powerful bioantioxidant, eliminate testicular dysfunction induced by STZ-diabetes in rats. Wistar strain male albino rats were divided into four groups of six animals each: (1) control group, (2) C60HyFn-treated nondiabetic group, (3) STZ-diabetic group and (4) C60HyFn-treated diabetic group. Once hyperglycaemia was induced by STZ, rats in the second and fourth groups were treated with C60HyFn (in the form of drinking water) at the dose of 4 g/kg daily for 5 weeks. In diabetic rats, relative weights of right cauda epididymis, seminal vesicles, prostate, sperm motility and epididymal sperm concentration were significantly less than those of control group, but which were restored in the fourth group treated with C60HyFn (p < 0.001). In hematoxylin and eosin staining, marked histopathological changes including degeneration, desquamation, disorganisation and reduction in germinal cells, interstitial oedema and congestion were evident in the testis of diabetic rats, but C60HyFn treatment resulted in recovery of histopathological changes and an increase in Johnsen’s testicular score significantly (p < 0.001). C60HyFn treatment restores the increased apoptosis induced by STZ-diabetes. In diabetic rats, levels of serum testosterone, testicular reduced glutathione (GSH) and alpha-tocopherol were significantly reduced and testicular lipid peroxidation level was increased (p < 0.001). Nevertheless, treatment of diabetic rats with C60HyFn resulted in significant corrective effects on these parameters towards the control levels. C60HyFn, applied alone, did not exert any toxic effects in testicular tissues. Furthermore, C60HyFn treatment in diabetic and nondiabetic rats resulted in considerable elevations of some important polyunsaturated fatty acids. In conclusion, we have presented for the first time substantial evidence that administration of C60HyFn significantly reduces diabetes-induced oxidative stress and associated complications such as testicular dysfunction and spermatogenic disruptio

At limits of life: multidisciplinary insights reveal environmental constraints on biotic diversity in continental Antarctica

Multitrophic communities that maintain the functionality of the extreme Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems, while the simplest of any natural community, are still challenging our knowledge about the limits to life on earth. In this study, we describe and interpret the linkage between the diversity of different trophic level communities to the geological morphology and soil geochemistry in the remote Transantarctic Mountains (Darwin Mountains, 80uS). We examined the distribution and diversity of biota (bacteria, cyanobacteria, lichens, algae, invertebrates) with respect to elevation, age of glacial drift sheets, and soil physicochemistry. Results showed an abiotic spatial gradient with respect to the diversity of the organisms across different trophic levels. More complex communities, in terms of trophic level diversity, were related to the weakly developed younger drifts (Hatherton and Britannia) with higher soil C/N ratio and lower total soluble salts content (thus lower conductivity). Our results indicate that an increase of ion concentration from younger to older drift regions drives a succession of complex to more simple communities, in terms of number of trophic levels and diversity within each group of organisms analysed. This study revealed that integrating diversity across multi-trophic levels of biotic communities with abiotic spatial heterogeneity and geological history is fundamental to understand environmental constraints influencing biological distribution in Antarctic soil ecosystems.Catarina Magalhães, Mark I. Stevens, S. Craig Cary, Becky A. Ball, Bryan C. Storey, Diana H. Wall, Roman Tűrk and Ulrike Ruprech

Polysulfates block SARS‐CoV‐2 uptake through electrostatic interactions

Here we report that negatively charged polysulfates can bind to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 via electrostatic interactions. Using a plaque reduction assay, we compare inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 by heparin, pentosan sulfate, linear polyglycerol sulfate (LPGS) and hyperbranched polyglycerol sulfate (HPGS). Highly sulfated LPGS is the optimal inhibitor, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 67 μg/mL (approx. 1.6 μM). This synthetic polysulfates exhibit more than 60-fold higher virus inhibitory activity than heparin (IC50: 4084 μg/mL), along with much lower anticoagulant activity. Furthermore, in molecular dynamics simulations, we verified that LPGS can bind stronger to the spike protein than heparin, and that LPGS can interact even more with the spike protein of the new N501Y and E484K variants. Our study demonstrates that the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells can be blocked via electrostatic interaction, therefore LPGS can serve as a blueprint for the design of novel viral inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2