Photoproduction of Theta baryon from the neutron

We study photoproduction reactions for Theta^+, which was recently observed as a candidate of an exotic five quark state uudd(bar s). We employ effective lagrangian interactions in the linear and non-linear formalism of chiral symmetry and investigate two cases of spin and parity of Theta^+, J^P = 1/2^+ and 1/2^-. We calculate cross sections and discuss possibilities to discriminate one from the other.Comment: 14 pages, 19 figure

Purification and Characterization of a Novel Hypersensitive Response-Inducing Elicitor from Magnaporthe oryzae that Triggers Defense Response in Rice

<div><h3>Background</h3><p><em>Magnaporthe oryzae</em>, the rice blast fungus, might secrete certain proteins related to plant-fungal pathogen interactions.</p> <h3>Methodology/Principal Findings</h3><p>In this study, we report the purification, characterization, and gene cloning of a novel hypersensitive response-inducing protein elicitor (MoHrip1) secreted by <em>M. oryzae</em>. The protein fraction was purified and identified by de novo sequencing, and the sequence matched the genomic sequence of a putative protein from <em>M. oryzae</em> strain 70-15 (GenBank accession No. XP_366602.1). The elicitor-encoding gene <em>mohrip1</em> was isolated; it consisted of a 429 bp cDNA, which encodes a polypeptide of 142 amino acids with a molecular weight of 14.322 kDa and a pI of 4.53. The deduced protein, MoHrip1, was expressed in <em>E. coli</em>. And the expression protein collected from bacterium also forms necrotic lesions in tobacco. MoHrip1 could induce the early events of the defense response, including hydrogen peroxide production, callose deposition, and alkalization of the extracellular medium, in tobacco. Moreover, MoHrip1-treated rice seedlings possessed significantly enhanced systemic resistance to <em>M. oryzae</em> compared to the control seedlings. The real-time PCR results indicated that the expression of some pathogenesis-related genes and genes involved in signal transduction could also be induced by MoHrip1.</p> <h3>Conclusion/Significance</h3><p>The results demonstrate that MoHrip1 triggers defense responses in rice and could be used for controlling rice blast disease.</p> </div

Interplay of Nkx3.2, Sox9 and Pax3 Regulates Chondrogenic Differentiation of Muscle Progenitor Cells

Muscle satellite cells make up a stem cell population that is capable of differentiating into myocytes and contributing to muscle regeneration upon injury. In this work we investigate the mechanism by which these muscle progenitor cells adopt an alternative cell fate, the cartilage fate. We show that chick muscle satellite cells that normally would undergo myogenesis can be converted to express cartilage matrix proteins in vitro when cultured in chondrogenic medium containing TGFß3 or BMP2. In the meantime, the myogenic program is repressed, suggesting that muscle satellite cells have undergone chondrogenic differentiation. Furthermore, ectopic expression of the myogenic factor Pax3 prevents chondrogenesis in these cells, while chondrogenic factors Nkx3.2 and Sox9 act downstream of TGFß or BMP2 to promote this cell fate transition. We found that Nkx3.2 and Sox9 repress the activity of the Pax3 promoter and that Nkx3.2 acts as a transcriptional repressor in this process. Importantly, a reverse function mutant of Nkx3.2 blocks the ability of Sox9 to both inhibit myogenesis and induce chondrogenesis, suggesting that Nkx3.2 is required for Sox9 to promote chondrogenic differentiation in satellite cells. Finally, we found that in an in vivo mouse model of fracture healing where muscle progenitor cells were lineage-traced, Nkx3.2 and Sox9 are significantly upregulated while Pax3 is significantly downregulated in the muscle progenitor cells that give rise to chondrocytes during fracture repair. Thus our in vitro and in vivo analyses suggest that the balance of Pax3, Nkx3.2 and Sox9 may act as a molecular switch during the chondrogenic differentiation of muscle progenitor cells, which may be important for fracture healing

Comparative proteome and peptidome analysis of the cephalic fluid secreted by Arapaima gigas (Teleostei: Osteoglossidae) during and outside parental care

Parental investment in Arapaima gigas includes nest building and guarding, followed by a care provision when a cephalic fluid is released from the parents&rsquo; head to the offspring. This fluid has presumably important functions for the offspring but so far its composition has not been characterised. In this study the proteome and peptidome of the cephalic secretion was studied in parental and non-parental fish using capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry (CE-MS) and GeLC-MS/MS analyses. Multiple comparisons revealed 28 peptides were significantly different between males and parental males (PC-males), 126 between females and parental females (PC-females), 51 between males and females and 9 between PC-males and PC-females. Identification revealed peptides were produced in the inner ear (pcdh15b), eyes (tetraspanin and ppp2r3a), central nervous system (otud4, ribeye a, tjp1b and syn1) among others. A total of 422 proteins were also identified and gene ontology analysis revealed 28 secreted extracellular proteins. From these, 2 hormones (prolactin and stanniocalcin) and 12 proteins associated to immunological processes (serotransferrin, &alpha;-1-antitrypsin homolog, apolipoprotein A-I, and others) were identified. This study provides novel biochemical data on the lateral line fluid which will enable future hypotheses-driven experiments to better understand the physiological roles of the lateral line in chemical communication

Recommended sleep duration is associated with higher consumption of fruits and vegetables; cross-sectional and prospective analyses from the UK Women’s Cohort Study

Background: High intakes of fruit and vegetable has been shown to protect against diseases and all-cause mortality however, the associations between sleep and fruit and vegetable consumption are not well characterized. This study aims to explore both cross-sectional and prospective associations between sleep duration and fruit and vegetable intakes in UK women. This is the first study to demonstrate the prospective association between sleep duration and fruit and vegetable consumption. Methods: Cross–sectional and prospective data were obtained from the UK Women’s Cohort Study. Sleep duration was assessed by self-report of average hours slept on weekdays and weekends and diet was assessed by a 4-day food diary at baseline and follow-up (~ 4 years later). Sleep duration was categorized as short (≤6 h/d), recommended (7–9 h/d) and long (≥9 h/d). Regression analyses adjusting for age, socio-economic status, smoking, ethnicity and total energy intake were used and restricted cubic spline models were developed to explore potential non-linear associations between sleep duration and fruit and vegetable intakes. Results: In adjusted cross-sectional analyses, short sleepers had on average 17 g/d (95% CI -30 to-4, p = 0.01) and long sleepers had 25 g/d (95% CI -39 to − 12, p < 0.001) less total fruits and vegetables compared to Recommended Sleepers (RS). In adjusted prospective analyses, short sleepers had on average 85 g/d (95% CI -144 to − 26, p = 0.005) less total fruits and vegetables in comparison to RS. Restricted cubic spline models showed that the cross-sectional (p < 0.001) and prospective (p = 0.001) associations between sleep duration and fruit and vegetable intakes were non-linear with women sleeping 7–9 h/d having the highest intakes. Conclusions: Fruit and vegetable consumption differed between sleep duration categories with UK women sleeping the recommended 7–9 h/day having the highest intake of fruits and vegetables in cross-sectional and prospective analyses. These findings suggest that sleeping the recommended duration is associated with higher consumption of fruits and vegetables. Sleep is an overlooked lifestyle factor in relation to fruit and vegetable consumption and more notice is vital. Further studies are required to clarify the underlying mechanisms for these associations