Zebrafish hoxd4a Acts Upstream of meis1.1 to Direct Vasculogenesis, Angiogenesis and Hematopoiesis

10.1371/journal.pone.0058857PLoS ONE83

miR-26b Promotes Granulosa Cell Apoptosis by Targeting ATM during Follicular Atresia in Porcine Ovary

More than 99% of ovarian follicles undergo atresia in mammals, but the mechanism of follicular atresia remains to be elucidated. In this study, we explored microRNA (miRNA) regulation of follicular atresia in porcine ovary. A miRNA expression profile was constructed for healthy, early atretic, and progressively atretic follicles, and the differentially expressed miRNAs were selected and analyzed. We found that miR-26b, which was upregulated during follicular atresia, increased the number of DNA breaks and promoted granulosa cell apoptosis by targeting the ataxia telangiectasia mutated gene directly in vitro

Biosecurity education: surveys from Europe and Japan

This Background Paper is intended to provide an overview of the results and conclusions from two surveys in Europe and Japan and, thus provide an understanding of the state of biosecurity education in these regions. The paper begins with a brief outline of the methodology used in the two surveys, before presenting the results and conclusions from Europe and then Japan. The paper subsequently proceeds to provide some more detailed results on the situation in the United Kingdom which includes a review of the biosecurity content of University courses, but also that of text books, funders and A-level courses in the UK. Penultimately, this paper provides an overview of the more recent follow-on activities before closing with a short summary of the conclusions drawn from activity conducted over the course of these projects. The paper concludes that although there is increased interest in the concept of biosecurity at the state and inter-state level, it is yet to manifest in significant activity at the level of the practicing life scientist. Rather, activity on the ground remains limited with many in the life science community perceiving this as an irrelevant or less-relevant topic. However, there are grounds for optimism and sustained interaction with scientists and representative of other possible intervention points for biosecurity-related education, has the potential to make incremental progress in advancing biosecurity education