Hydrography and water masses in the southeastern Arabian Sea during March-June 2003

This paper describes the hydrographic observations in the southeastern Arabian Sea (SEAS) during two cruises carried out in March-June 2003 as part of the Arabian Sea Monsoon Experiment. The surface hydrography during March-April was dominated by the intrusion of low-salinity waters from the south; during May-June, the low-salinity waters were beginning to be replaced by the high-salinity waters from the north. There was considerable mixing at the bottom of the surface mixed layer, leading to interleaving of low-salinity and high-salinity layers. The flow paths constructed following the spatial patterns of salinity along the sections mimic those inferred from numerical models. Time-series measurements showed the presence of Persian Gulf and Red Sea Waters in the SEAS to be intermittent during both cruises: they appeared and disappeared during both the fortnight-long time series

Cell Cycle-Dependent Microtubule-Based Dynamic Transport of Cytoplasmic Dynein in Mammalian Cells

BACKGROUND:Cytoplasmic dynein complex is a large multi-subunit microtubule (MT)-associated molecular motor involved in various cellular functions including organelle positioning, vesicle transport and cell division. However, regulatory mechanism of the cell-cycle dependent distribution of dynein has not fully been understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Here we report live-cell imaging of cytoplasmic dynein in HeLa cells, by expressing multifunctional green fluorescent protein (mfGFP)-tagged 74-kDa intermediate chain (IC74). IC74-mfGFP was successfully incorporated into functional dynein complex. In interphase, dynein moved bi-directionally along with MTs, which might carry cargos such as transport vesicles. A substantial fraction of dynein moved toward cell periphery together with EB1, a member of MT plus end-tracking proteins (+TIPs), suggesting +TIPs-mediated transport of dynein. In late-interphase and prophase, dynein was localized at the centrosomes and the radial MT array. In prometaphase and metaphase, dynein was localized at spindle MTs where it frequently moved from spindle poles toward chromosomes or cell cortex. +TIPs may be involved in the transport of spindle dyneins. Possible kinetochore and cortical dyneins were also observed. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE:These findings suggest that cytoplasmic dynein is transported to the site of action in preparation for the following cellular events, primarily by the MT-based transport. The MT-based transport may have greater advantage than simple diffusion of soluble dynein in rapid and efficient transport of the limited concentration of the protein

P-hydroxyphenylpyruvate, an intermediate of the Phe/Tyr catabolism, improves mitochondrial oxidative metabolism under stressing conditions and prolongs survival in rats subjected to profound hemorrhagic shock

The aim of this study was to test the effect of a small volume administration of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (pHPP) in a rat model of profound hemorrhagic shock and to assess a possible metabolic mechanism of action of the compound. The results obtained show that hemorrhaged rats treated with 2-4% of the estimated blood volume of pHPP survived significantly longer (p<0.001) than rats treated with vehicle. In vitro analysis on cultured EA.hy 926 cells demonstrated that pHPP improved cell growth rate and promoted cell survival under stressing conditions. Moreover, pHPP stimulated mitochondria-related respiration under ATP-synthesizing conditions and exhibited antioxidant activity toward mitochondria-generated reactive oxygen species. The compound effects reported in the in vitro and in vivo analyses were obtained in the same millimolar concentration range. These data disclose pHPP as an efficient energetic substrates-supplier to the mitochondrial respiratory chain as well as an antioxidant supporting the view that the compound warrants further evaluation as a therapeutic agent. © 2014 Cotoia et al

New genetic loci implicated in fasting glucose homeostasis and their impact on type 2 diabetes risk.

Levels of circulating glucose are tightly regulated. To identify new loci influencing glycemic traits, we performed meta-analyses of 21 genome-wide association studies informative for fasting glucose, fasting insulin and indices of beta-cell function (HOMA-B) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in up to 46,186 nondiabetic participants. Follow-up of 25 loci in up to 76,558 additional subjects identified 16 loci associated with fasting glucose and HOMA-B and two loci associated with fasting insulin and HOMA-IR. These include nine loci newly associated with fasting glucose (in or near ADCY5, MADD, ADRA2A, CRY2, FADS1, GLIS3, SLC2A2, PROX1 and C2CD4B) and one influencing fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (near IGF1). We also demonstrated association of ADCY5, PROX1, GCK, GCKR and DGKB-TMEM195 with type 2 diabetes. Within these loci, likely biological candidate genes influence signal transduction, cell proliferation, development, glucose-sensing and circadian regulation. Our results demonstrate that genetic studies of glycemic traits can identify type 2 diabetes risk loci, as well as loci containing gene variants that are associated with a modest elevation in glucose levels but are not associated with overt diabetes

Effective Rheology of Bubbles Moving in a Capillary Tube

We calculate the average volumetric flux versus pressure drop of bubbles moving in a single capillary tube with varying diameter, finding a square-root relation from mapping the flow equations onto that of a driven overdamped pendulum. The calculation is based on a derivation of the equation of motion of a bubble train from considering the capillary forces and the entropy production associated with the viscous flow. We also calculate the configurational probability of the positions of the bubbles.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Management of trichobezoar: case report and literature review

Trichobezoars (hair ball) are usually located in the stomach, but may extend through the pylorus into the duodenum and small bowel (Rapunzel syndrome). They are almost always associated with trichotillomania and trichophagia or other psychiatric disorders. In the literature several treatment options are proposed, including removal by conventional laparotomy, laparoscopy and endoscopy. We present our experience with four patients and provide a review of the recent literature. According to our experience and in line with the published results, conventional laparotomy is still the treatment of choice. In addition, psychiatric consultation is necessary to prevent relapses

Nitrogen fixation ability explains leaf chemistry and arbuscular mycorrhizal responses to fertilization

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) deposition rates are predicted to drastically increase in the coming decades. The ecosystem level consequences of these increases will depend on how plant tissue nutrient concentrations, stoichiometry and investment in nutrient uptake mechanisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) change in response to increased nutrient availability, and how responses differ between plant functional types. Using a factorial nutrient addition experiment with seedlings of multiple N-fixing and non-N-fixing tree species, we examined whether leaf chemistry and AMF responses differ between these dominant woody plant functional groups of tropical savanna and dry forest ecosystems. We found that N-fixers have remarkably stable foliar chemistry that stays constant with external input of nutrients. Non-N-fixers responded to N and N + P addition by increasing both concentrations and total amounts of foliar N, but showed a corresponding decrease in P concentrations while total amounts of foliar P stayed constant, suggesting a ‘dilution’ of tissue P with increased N availability. Non-N-fixers also showed an increase in N:P ratios with N and N + P addition, probably driven by both an increase in N and a decrease in P concentrations. AMF colonization decreased with N + P addition in non-N-fixers and increased with N and N + P addition in N-fixers, suggesting differences in their nutrient acquisition roles in the two plant functional groups. Our results suggest that N-fixers and non-N-fixers can differ significantly in their responses to N and P deposition, with potential consequences for future nutrient and carbon cycling in savanna and dry forest ecosystems