Ecological and phytosociological characteristics of the association Abieti-Fagetum »pannonicum« Rau{ 1969 prov. on Mt. Medvednica (NW Croatia)

The association Abieti-Fagetum »pannonicum« Rau{ 1969 prov. has an invalid name and a still undefined position in a geobotanical and phytosociological sense. In 2000 and 2001 the flora and different habitat factors of 12 plots (50 x 50 m), within the association Abieti- Fagetum s. l. on the central part of Medvednica mountain, were investigated. In all, 119 taxa of vascular plants were recorded. The life form analysis confirmed that Medvednica flora belongs to the moderate continental climate. Canonical correspondence analysis has showed that changes in altitude, pH and inclination have the strongest influence on changes in floristic structure

Rasprostranjenost roda Daphne u Parku Prirode Medvednica (Hrvatska)

In order to develop the floristic map of Medvednica Nature Park, already existing data on the distribution of the genus Daphne were collected from literature and herbarium sources. Field observations were also carried out. Three species were recorded: Daphne blagayana Freyer, Daphne laureola L. and Daphne mezereum L. All recorded species have the IUCN status of endangered or low risk species. For the three species of the genus Daphne in Medvednica Nature Park, 159 localities were found and 124 (78%) of the localities were geocoded. The distribution of the species is presented on maps using a Central European grid for floristic mapping (MTB).U svrhu izrade florističke karte Parka Prirode Medvednica sabrani su postojeći podaci o rasprostranjenosti roda Daphne iz literaturnih i herbarskih izvora. Također su izvršena i terenska istraživanja. Zabilježene su tri vrste: Daphne blagayana Freyer, Daphne laureola L. i Daphne mezereum L. Sve zabilježene vrste prema IUCN kategorijama spadaju među ugrožene i nisko rizične vrste. Za ove tri vrste roda Daphne unutar Parka Prirode Medvednica ukupno je zabilježeno 159 lokaliteta od kojih je 124 (78%) lokaliteta geokodirano. Rasprostranjenost vrsta prikazana je kartama uz uporabu srednjoeuropske mreže za kartiranje flore (MTB)

Vegetation mapping of Žumberak – Samoborsko gorje Nature Park, Croatia, using Landsat 7 and field data

A vegetation map of @umberak – Samoborsko gorje Nature Park with a minimum mapping unit of 2.25 ha (22500m2) was created during 2003. ALandsat ETM+ satellite image (acquired in the year 2000) and the results of field sampling were combined as mapping method. Given the constraints of the minimum mapping unit chosen, 17 classes were identified in the field and designated to corresponding polygons created by the classification of satellite image. Thirteen classes were plant communities or their combinations, while remaining four denoted various types of land cover (coniferous plantations, mixed rural landscapes, settlements and quarries). In the overall area of the Nature Park (344 km2), the most frequent type of cover was Lamio orvalae – Fagetum forest (38.4%of total area), while the most frequent non-forest community was Bromo – Plantaginetum mediae (7.9%). According to this research, as much as 77.3%of Park area is covered with forest, which is a significant increase compared to the old data of 61 % of forests. Analyses of mapped polygons showed that almost a quarter of all polygons has an area equal to, or just little bigger than the minimum mapping unit, while more than three quarters of all polygons have their area smaller or equal to 9 ha (corresponds to 300 x 300 meters square). Such an extreme mosaic landscape structure in conjunction with the constant depopulation of Park area causes further natural forestation of park and hence decreases in biodiversity. The overall accuracy of map was 65%, forest vegetation being mapped with higher accuracy (70%) than non-forest vegetation (61%)

Rasprostranjenost roda Daphne u Parku Prirode Medvednica (Hrvatska)

In order to develop the floristic map of Medvednica Nature Park, already existing data on the distribution of the genus Daphne were collected from literature and herbarium sources. Field observations were also carried out. Three species were recorded: Daphne blagayana Freyer, Daphne laureola L. and Daphne mezereum L. All recorded species have the IUCN status of endangered or low risk species. For the three species of the genus Daphne in Medvednica Nature Park, 159 localities were found and 124 (78%) of the localities were geocoded. The distribution of the species is presented on maps using a Central European grid for floristic mapping (MTB).U svrhu izrade florističke karte Parka Prirode Medvednica sabrani su postojeći podaci o rasprostranjenosti roda Daphne iz literaturnih i herbarskih izvora. Također su izvršena i terenska istraživanja. Zabilježene su tri vrste: Daphne blagayana Freyer, Daphne laureola L. i Daphne mezereum L. Sve zabilježene vrste prema IUCN kategorijama spadaju među ugrožene i nisko rizične vrste. Za ove tri vrste roda Daphne unutar Parka Prirode Medvednica ukupno je zabilježeno 159 lokaliteta od kojih je 124 (78%) lokaliteta geokodirano. Rasprostranjenost vrsta prikazana je kartama uz uporabu srednjoeuropske mreže za kartiranje flore (MTB)

MicroRNAs in pulmonary arterial remodeling

Pulmonary arterial remodeling is a presently irreversible pathologic hallmark of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This complex disease involves pathogenic dysregulation of all cell types within the small pulmonary arteries contributing to vascular remodeling leading to intimal lesions, resulting in elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and right heart dysfunction. Mutations within the bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 gene, leading to dysregulated proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, have been identified as being responsible for heritable PAH. Indeed, the disease is characterized by excessive cellular proliferation and resistance to apoptosis of smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Significant gene dysregulation at the transcriptional and signaling level has been identified. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that negatively regulate gene expression and have the ability to target numerous genes, therefore potentially controlling a host of gene regulatory and signaling pathways. The major role of miRNAs in pulmonary arterial remodeling is still relatively unknown although research data is emerging apace. Modulation of miRNAs represents a possible therapeutic target for altering the remodeling phenotype in the pulmonary vasculature. This review will focus on the role of miRNAs in regulating smooth muscle and endothelial cell phenotypes and their influence on pulmonary remodeling in the setting of PAH

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of kabocha squash (Cucurbita moschata Duch) induced by wounding with aluminum borate whiskers

An efficient genetic transformation method for kabocha squash (Cucurbita moschata Duch cv. Heiankogiku) was established by wounding cotyledonary node explants with aluminum borate whiskers prior to inoculation with Agrobacterium. Adventitious shoots were induced from only the proximal regions of the cotyledonary nodes and were most efficiently induced on Murashige–Skoog agar medium with 1 mg/L benzyladenine. Vortexing with 1% (w/v) aluminum borate whiskers significantly increased Agrobacterium infection efficiency in the proximal region of the explants. Transgenic plants were screened at the T0 generation by sGFP fluorescence, genomic PCR, and Southern blot analyses. These transgenic plants grew normally and T1 seeds were obtained. We confirmed stable integration of the transgene and its inheritance in T1 generation plants by sGFP fluorescence and genomic PCR analyses. The average transgenic efficiency for producing kabocha squashes with our method was about 2.7%, a value sufficient for practical use

Ecological Indicator Values for Europe (EIVE) 1.0

Aims: To develop a consistent ecological indicator value system for Europe for five of the main plant niche dimensions: soil moisture (M), soil nitrogen (N), soil reaction (R), light (L) and temperature (T). Study area: Europe (and closely adjacent regions). Methods: We identified 31 indicator value systems for vascular plants in Europe that contained assessments on at least one of the five aforementioned niche dimensions. We rescaled the indicator values of each dimension to a continuous scale, in which 0 represents the minimum and 10 the maximum value present in Europe. Taxon names were harmonised to the Euro+Med Plantbase. For each of the five dimensions, we calculated European values for niche position and niche width by combining the values from the individual EIV systems. Using T values as an example, we externally validated our European indicator values against the median of bioclimatic conditions for global occurrence data of the taxa. Results: In total, we derived European indicator values of niche position and niche width for 14,835 taxa (14,714 for M, 13,748 for N, 14,254 for R, 14,054 for L, 14,496 for T). Relating the obtained values for temperature niche position to the bioclimatic data of species yielded a higher correlation than any of the original EIV systems (r = 0.859). The database: The newly developed Ecological Indicator Values for Europe (EIVE) 1.0, together with all source systems, is available in a flexible, harmonised open access database. Conclusions: EIVE is the most comprehensive ecological indicator value system for European vascular plants to date. The uniform interval scales for niche position and niche width provide new possibilities for ecological and macroecological analyses of vegetation patterns. The developed workflow and documentation will facilitate the future release of updated and expanded versions of EIVE, which may for example include the addition of further taxonomic groups, additional niche dimensions, external validation or regionalisation

Thymosin Beta 4 Prevents Oxidative Stress by Targeting Antioxidant and Anti-Apoptotic Genes in Cardiac Fibroblasts

Thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4) is a ubiquitous protein with diverse functions relating to cell proliferation and differentiation that promotes wound healing and modulates inflammatory responses. The effecter molecules targeted by Tβ4 for cardiac protection remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine the molecules targeted by Tβ4 that mediate cardio-protection under oxidative stress.Rat neonatal fibroblasts cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in presence and absence of Tβ4 and expression of antioxidant, apoptotic and pro-fibrotic genes was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were estimated by DCF-DA using fluorescent microscopy and fluorimetry. Selected antioxidant and antiapoptotic genes were silenced by siRNA transfections in cardiac fibroblasts and the effect of Tβ4 on H(2)O(2)-induced profibrotic events was evaluated.Pre-treatment with Tβ4 resulted in reduction of the intracellular ROS levels induced by H(2)O(2) in the cardiac fibroblasts. This was associated with an increased expression of antioxidant enzymes Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase and reduction of Bax/Bcl(2) ratio. Tβ4 treatment reduced the expression of pro-fibrotic genes [connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), collagen type-1 (Col-I) and collagen type-3 (Col-III)] in the cardiac fibroblasts. Silencing of Cu/Zn-SOD and catalase gene triggered apoptotic cell death in the cardiac fibroblasts, which was prevented by treatment with Tβ4.This is the first report that exhibits the targeted molecules modulated by Tβ4 under oxidative stress utilizing the cardiac fibroblasts. Tβ4 treatment prevented the profibrotic gene expression in the in vitro settings. Our findings indicate that Tβ4 selectively targets and upregulates catalase, Cu/Zn-SOD and Bcl(2), thereby, preventing H(2)O(2)-induced profibrotic changes in the myocardium. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the signaling pathways involved in the cardio-protection afforded by Tβ4