Testicular endocrine activity is upregulated by D-Aspartic acid in the green frog Rana esculenta

This study investigated the involvement of D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) in testicular steroidogenesis of the green frog Rana esculenta and its effect on stimulation of thumb pad morphology and glandular activity, a typical testosterone-dependent secondary sexual characteristic in this amphibian species. In the testis, D-Asp concentrations vary significantly during the reproductive cycle: they are low in pre- and post-reproductive periods, but reach peak levels in the reproductive period (140-236 nmol/g wet tissue). Moreover, the concentrations of D-Asp in the testis through the sexual cycle positively match the testosterone levels in the gonad and the plasma. The racemase activity evaluated during the cycle expresses its peak when D-Asp and testosterone levels are highest, that is, during the reproductive period, confirming the synthesis of D-Asp from L-Asp by an aspartate racemase. Short-term in vivo experiments consisting of a single injection of D-Asp (2.0 micro mol/g body weight) demonstrated that this amino acid accumulates significantly in the testis, and after 3 h its uptake is coupled with a testosterone increase in both testis and plasma. Moreover, within 18 h of amino acid administration, the D-Asp concentration in the testis decreased along with the testosterone titer to prestimulation levels. Other amino acids (L-Asp, D-Glu and L-Glu) used instead of D-Asp were ineffective, confirming that the significant increase in testicular testosterone was a specific feature of this amino acid. In long-term experiments, D-Asp had been administered chronically to frogs caught during the three phases of the reproductive cycle, inducing testosterone increase and 17beta-estradiol decrease in the gonad during the pre- and post-reproductive period, and vice versa during the reproductive period

Identification of long non-coding transcripts with feature selection: a comparative study

Table S4. List of features ranked by each algorithm in each species. (XLS 63 kb

On the Sylow graph of a finite group

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11856-011-0138-xLet G be a finite group and Gp be a Sylow p-subgroup of G for a prime p in pi(G), the set of all prime divisors of the order of G. The automiser Ap(G) is defined to be the group NG(Gp)/GpCG(Gp). We define the Sylow graph gamma A(G) of the group G, with set of vertices pi(G), as follows: Two vertices p, q ¿ ¿(G) form an edge of ¿A(G) if either q ¿ ¿(Ap(G)) or p ¿ ¿(Aq(G)). The following result is obtained: Theorem: Let G be a finite almost simple group. Then the graph ¿A(G) is connected and has diameter at most 5. We also show how this result can be applied to derive information on the structure of a group from the normalizers of its Sylow subgroups.The second and third authors have been supported by Proyecto MTM2007-68010-C03-03 and Proyecto MTM2010-19938-C03-02, Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia and FEDER, Spain.Kazarin, SL.; Martínez Pastor, A.; Pérez-Ramos, M. (2011). On the Sylow graph of a finite group. Israel Journal of Mathematics. 186(1):251-271. doi:10.1007/s11856-011-0138-xS2512711861Z. Arad and D. Chillag, Finite groups containing a nilpotent Hall subgroup of even order, Houston Journal of Mathematics 7 (1981), 23–32.H. Azad, Semi-simple elements of order 3 in finite Chevalley groups, Journal of Algebra 56 (1979), 481–498.A. Ballester-Bolinches, A. Martínez-Pastor, M. C. Pedraza-Aguilera and M. D. Pérez-Ramos, On nilpotent-like fitting formations, in Groups St. Andrews 2001 in Oxford, (C. M. Campbell et al., eds.) London Mathematical Society Lecture Note Series 304, Cambridge University Press, 2003, pp. 31–38.M. Bianchi, A. Gillio Berta Mauri and P. Hauck, On finite groups with nilpotent Sylow normalizers, Archiv der Mathematik 47 (1986), 193–197.A. Borel, R. Carter, C.W. Curtis, N. Iwahori, T. A. Springer, R. Steinberg, Seminar on Algebraic Groups and Related Finite Groups, Lecture Notes of Mathematics 131 Springer, Berlin, 1970.N. Bourbaki, Éléments de mathématique: Groupes et algèbres de Lie, Chapters IV, V, VI, Hermann, Paris, 1968.R. W. Carter, Simple groups of Lie type, Wiley, London, 1972.R. W. Carter, Conjugacy classes in the Weyl group, Compositio Mathematica 25 (1972), 1–59.R. W. Carter, Finite Groups of Lie Type: Conjugacy Classes and Complex Characters, Wiley, London, 1985.A. D’Aniello, C. De Vivo and G. Giordano, On certain saturated formations of finite groups, in Proceedings Ischia Group Theory 2006, (T. Hawkes, P. Longobardy and M. Maj, eds.) World Scientific, Hackensack, NJ, 2007, pp. 22–32.A. D’Aniello, C. De Vivo and G. Giordano, Lattice formations and Sylow normalizers: a conjecture, Atti del Seminario Matematico e Fisico dell’ Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia 55 (2007), 107–112.A. D’Aniello, C. De Vivo, G. Giordano and M. D. Pérez-Ramos, Saturated formations closed under Sylow normalizers, Communications in Algebra 33 (2005), 2801–2808.K. Doerk, T. Hawkes, Finite soluble groups, Walter De Gruyter, Berlin-New York, 1992.G. Glauberman, Prime-power factor groups of finite groups II, Mathematische Zeitschrift 117 (1970), 46–56.D. Gorenstein, R. Lyons, The local 2-structure of groups of characteristic 2 type, Memoirs of the American Mathematical Society 42, No. 276, Providence, RI, 1983.R. M. Guralnick, G. Malle and G. Navarro, Self-normalizing Sylow subgroups, Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society 132 (2004), 973–979.F. Menegazzo, M. C. Tamburini, A property of Sylow p-normalizers in simple groups, Quaderni del seminario Matematico di Brescia, n. 45/02 (2002).R. Steinberg, Lectures on Chevalley Groups, Yale University, New Haven, Conn., 1968.E. Stensholt, An application of Steinberg’s construction of twisted groups, Pacific Journal of Mathematics 55 (1974), 595–618.E. Stensholt, Certain embeddings among finite groups of Lie type, Journal of Algebra 53 (1978), 136–187.K. Zsigmondy, Zur Theorie der Potenzreste, Monatshefte für Mathematik and Physik 3 (1892), 265–284

Preliminary numerical analysis of the seismic response of steel frames with masonry infills retrofitted by buckling-restrained braces

Existing steel moment-resisting frames in several seismic regions worldwide are often characterised by high vulnerability to earthquakes due to insufficient local and/or global ductility. Nowadays, it is of paramount importance to assess their response under strong motions and provide cost-effective retrofitting strategies. Amongst others, the seismic behaviour of these frames is often strongly affected by the presence of masonry infills which, from one side, if adequately distributed, beneficially contribute to the seismic resistance of the structure providing stiffness and strength to the frame, from the other side often experience a brittle behaviour and are very vulnerable to seismic actions. To this end, the H2020-INFRAIA-SERA project HITFRAMES (i.e., HybrId Testing of an Existing Steel Frame with Infills under Multiple EarthquakeS) experimentally evaluated a case study building representative of non-seismically designed European steel frames with masonry infills and investigated a possible retrofit strategy. This paper takes advantage of the experimental results of the HITFRAMES project to calibrate numerical models in OpenSees of a case study building which is analysed as bare, infilled and retrofitted frame with buckling-restrained braces (BRBs). The impact of masonry infills and BRB-retrofit is investigated by comparing the response of models with different configurations. The numerical results provide some insights on the ability of BRB-retrofit option in protecting not only the steel frames from experiencing critical damage during earthquakes but also the masonry infills and on the importance of using appropriate models for the masonry infills in the assessment procedures

Occurrence and neuroendocrine role of D-aspartic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid in Ciona intestinalis

AbstractProbes for the occurrence of endogenous D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) in the neural complex and gonads of a protochordate, the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, have confirmed the presence of these two excitatory amino acids and their involvement in hormonal activity. A hormonal pathway similar to that which occurs in vertebrates has been discovered. In the cerebral ganglion D-Asp is synthesized from L-Asp by an aspartate racemase. Then, D-Asp is transferred through the blood stream into the neural gland where it gives rise to NMDA by means of an NMDA synthase. NMDA, in turn, passes from the neuronal gland into the gonads where it induces the synthesis and release of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). The GnRH in turn modulates the release and synthesis of testosterone and progesterone in the gonads, which are implicated in reproduction

Where do you live? North versus Central-South differences in relation to Italian patients with oral lichen planus: a cross-sectional study from the SIPMO (Italian Society of Oral Pathology and Medicine)

Background Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an immune-mediated inflammatory chronic disease of the oral mucosa, with different patterns of clinical manifestations which range from keratotic manifestations (K-OLP) to predominantly non-keratotic lesions (nK-OLP). The aim of the study was to analyze the differences in the clinical, psychological profile and symptoms between Italian patients of the North and Central-South with K-OLP and nK-OLP. Methods 270 K-OLP and 270 nK-OLP patients were recruited in 15 Italian universities. The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Total Pain Rating Index (T-PRI), Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression and for Anxiety (HAM-D and HAM-A), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were administered. Results The Central-South K-OLP (CS-K-OLP) patients reported a higher frequency of pain/burning compared with the K-OLP patients of the North (N-K-OLP) with higher scores in the NRS and T-PRI (p value < 0.001**). The CS-K-OLP and the CS-nK-OLP patients showed higher scores in the HAM-D, HAM-A, PSQI and ESS compared with the Northern patients (p value < 0.001**). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the NRS and T-PRI showed the greatest increase in the R2 value for the CS-K-OLP (DR2 = 9.6%; p value < 0.001**; DR2 = 9.7% p value < 0.001**; respectively) and that the oral symptoms (globus, itching and intraoral foreign body sensation) and PSQI showed the greatest increase in the R2 value for the CS-nK-OLP (DR2 = 5.6%; p value < 0.001**; DR2 = 4.5% p value < 0.001** respectively). Conclusions Pain and mood disorders are predominant in patients with OLP in the Central-South of Italy. Clinicians should consider that the geographical living area may explain the differences in oral symptoms and psychological profile in OLP

Stereochemical and Skeletal Diversity Arising from Amino Propargylic Alcohols

An efficient synthetic pathway to the possible stereoisomers of skeletally diverse heterocyclic small molecules is presented. The change in shape brought about by different intramolecular cyclizations of diastereoisomeric amino propargylic alcohols is quantified using principal moment-of-inertia (PMI) shape analysis.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Ontogeny vs. phylogeny in Primate/Canid comparisons: a meta-analysis of the object choice task

The Object Choice Task (OCT) is a widely used paradigm with which researchers measure the ability of a subject to comprehend deictic (directional) cues, such as pointing gestures and eye gaze. There is a widespread belief that nonhuman primates evince only a weak capacity to use deictic cues; in contrast, domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) tend to demonstrate high success rates. This pattern of canid superiority has been taken to support the Domestication Hypothesis, which posits enhancing effects of artificial selection on the sociocognitive abilities of dogs and humans. Here we review nearly two decades of published findings, using variants of the OCT. We find systematic confounds with species classification in task-relevant preparation of the subjects, in the imposition of a barrier between reward and subject, and in the specific deictic cues used to indicate the location of hidden objects. Thus, the widespread belief that dogs outperform primates on OCTs is undermined by the systematic procedural differences in the assessments of these skills, differences that are confounded with taxonomic classification

Targeted Inactivation of Cerberus Like-2 Leads to Left Ventricular Cardiac Hyperplasia and Systolic Dysfunction in the Mouse

Previous analysis of the Cerberus like 2 knockout (Cerl2(-/-)) mouse revealed a significant mortality during the first day after birth, mostly due to cardiac defects apparently associated with randomization of the left-right axis. We have however, identified Cerl2-associated cardiac defects, particularly a large increase in the left ventricular myocardial wall in neonates that cannot be explained by laterality abnormalities. Therefore, in order to access the endogenous role of Cerl2 in cardiogenesis, we analyzed the embryonic and neonatal hearts of Cerl2 null mutants that did not display a laterality phenotype. Neonatal mutants obtained from the compound mouse line Cer2(-/-)Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT); IBB/CBME [PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2011]; FCT [SFRH/BD/62081/2009]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study of cosmogenic activation above ground for the DarkSide-20k experiment

The activation of materials due to exposure to cosmic rays may become an important background source for experiments investigating rare event phenomena. DarkSide-20k, currently under construction at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, is a direct detection experiment for galactic dark matter particles, using a two-phase liquid-argon Time Projection Chamber (TPC) filled with 49.7 tonnes (active mass) of Underground Argon (UAr) depleted in 39Ar. Despite the outstanding capability of discriminating / background in argon TPCs, this background must be considered because of induced dead time or accidental coincidences mimicking dark-matter signals and it is relevant for low-threshold electron-counting measurements. Here, the cosmogenic activity of relevant long-lived radioisotopes induced in the experiment has been estimated to set requirements and procedures during preparation of the experiment and to check that it is not dominant over primordial radioactivity; particular attention has been paid to the activation of the 120 t of UAr used in DarkSide-20k. Expected exposures above ground and production rates, either measured or calculated, have been considered in detail. From the simulated counting rates in the detector due to cosmogenic isotopes, it is concluded that activation in copper and stainless steel is not problematic. The activity of 39Ar induced during extraction, purification and transport on surface is evaluated to be 2.8% of the activity measured in UAr by DarkSide-50 experiment, which used the same underground source, and thus considered acceptable. Other isotopes in the UAr such as 37Ar and 3H are shown not to be relevant due to short half-life and assumed purification methods