Fishes of the Eastern Mediterranean

Few seas have evidenced an environmental impact throughout human history to the degree that the eastern Mediterranean has. In the last century alone, the Levant Basin has seen the opening of the Suez Canal, leading to a massive Red Sea biological invasion, and construction of the Aswan Dam on the Nile River, leading to an abrupt cessation of its annual floodwaters. These man-made activi- ties have had a serious impact on the eastern Mediterranean causing the collapse of some fisheries, the creation of others, and large- scale alterations in the ecosystem. This book deals with fish species living in the Levant Basin and includes all currently-known indige- nous and immigrant species

Effects of North American Free Trade Agreement on the US Labor Market: An ARDL Bounds Testing Approach

One of the political debates on negative effects of the economic integration between the USA and the other members of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Canada and Mexico is the rise of unemployment. This study aims to identify whether this thesis is true or not. For that the relations between the statistical variables employment, export, import, wages and gross domestic product were estimated through Autoregressive Distributive Lag model (ARDL). Empirical findings show that the import from the NAFTA countries has negative effect on the employment in the long run while its effect on the employment is positive in the short run. However, both the short run and the long run effects are so small that the negative effect is negligible comparing to the benefits of the economic integration

Učinci liječenja fenetil esterom kavene kiseline na reumatološke pokazatelje i metabolizam željeza u štakorica s izazvanom šećernom bolešću.

Diabetology and rheumatology have much in common, including many biochemical features. Diabetic cases suffer excessively from common musculoskeletal conditions. The present study aimed to explore the association between the caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) treatment and the standard parameters of diabetic and rheumatologic controls. Serum anti-streptolysin-O (ASO), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF) titers and glucose (GLU), cholesterol (CHOL), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), uric acid (UA), iron (Fe), iron-binding capacity (IBC), total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were measured in 22 female Wistar-Albino rats. The animals were divided into three groups: group 1: non-diabetic rats as control; group 2: streptozotocin (STZ)-induced, untreated diabetic rats; and group 3: STZ-induced, CAPE-treated diabetic rats. Levels of GLU were increased in group 2. ASO values were decreased in group 3. TG and VLDL levels were increased in group 3 compared with the group 1. Higher UA levels were detected in group 3 compared with group 2. The levels of Fe and TIBC were decreased in group 3. The results of the present study indicate the reducing effect of CAPE on the serum levels of diabetic and rheumatologic parameters in diabetic rats.Dijabetologija i reumatologija imaju mnoge sličnosti, uključujući biokemijske procese. Oboljeli od dijabetesa pate od teških stanja mišićno-koštanog sustava. U ovom radu istražena je povezanost između liječenja fenetil esterom kavene kiseline i standardnih pokazatelja koji se kontroliraju pri dijabetičnim i reumatoidnim bolestima. Kod 22 Wistar-Albino štakorice mjereni su: serumski anti-streptolizin-O (ASO), C-reaktivni protein (CRP), titar reumatoidnog faktora (RF), zatim razina glukoze (GLU), kolesterola (CHOL), triglicerida (TG), lipoproteina visoke gustoće (HDL), lipoproteina vrlo niske gustoće (VLDL), alkalne fosfataze (ALP), gamaglutamil transferaze (GGT), natrija (Na), kalija (K), klorida (Cl), kalcija (Ca), fosfora (P), mokraćne kiseline (UA), željeza (Fe), kapaciteta vezanja željeza (IBC), ukupnog kapaciteta vezanja željeza (TIBC) i superoksid dismutaze (SOD). Životinje su bile podijeljene u tri skupine: 1. štakorice bez dijabetesa (kontrolna skupina), 2. neliječene štakorice s dijabetesom izazvanim streptozotocinom (STZ) i 3. štakorice sa streptozotocin (STZ) - izazvanim dijabetesom liječenim fenetil esterom kavene kiseline. Razine GLU bile su povećane u skupini 2. ASO vrijednosti bile su snižene u skupini 3. Razine TG i VLDL bile su povišene u skupini 3 u usporedbi s razinama u skupini 1. Više razine UA utvrđene su u skupini 3 u usporedbi sa skupinom 2. Razine Fe i TIBC bile su snižene u skupini 3. Rezultati pokazuju reducirajuće učinke fenetil estera kavene kiseline na razinu dijabetičnih i reumatoloških pokazatelja u serumu štakorica sa šećernom bolešću izazvanom streptozotocinom

Mechanism of Photosignaling by Drosophila Cryptochrome: ROLE OF THE REDOX STATUS OF THE FLAVIN CHROMOPHORE

Cryptochrome (CRY) is the primary circadian photoreceptor in Drosophila. Upon light absorption, dCRY undergoes a conformational change that enables it to bind to Timeless (dTIM), as well as to two different E3 ligases that ubiquitylate dTIM and dCRY, respectively, resulting in their proteolysis and resetting the phase of the circadian rhythm. Purified dCRY contains oxidized flavin (FADox), which is readily photoreduced to the anionic semiquinone through a set of 3 highly conserved Trp residues (Trp triad). The crystal structure of dCRY has revealed a fourth Trp (Trp-536) as a potential electron donor. Previously, we reported that the Trp triad played no role in photoinduced proteolysis of dCRY in Drosophila cells. Here we investigated the role of the Trp triad and Trp-536, and the redox status of the flavin on light-induced proteolysis of both dCRY and dTIM and resetting of the clock. We found that both oxidized (FADox) and reduced (FAD⨪) forms of dCRY undergo light-induced conformational change in vitro that enable dCRY to bind JET and that Trp triad and Trp-536 mutations that block known or presumed intraprotein electron transfer reactions do not affect dCRY phototransduction under bright or dim light in vivo as measured by light-induced proteolysis of dCRY and dTIM in Drosophila S2R+ cells. We conclude that both oxidized and reduced forms of dCRY are capable of photosignaling

Productivity as a determinant of labour wage in New Zealand’s construction sector

The empirical relationships between labour wages, unemployment rate and the labour productivity index in New Zealand’s construction sector (for the period of 1983–2017) were investigated. The Johansen cointegration test and vector error correction mechanism were used to determine the existence of long-run relationships between the variables and the adjustment process of the short-run disequilibrium into the long-run equilibrium. The results show that the labour productivity index positively affects the labour wage, while the effect of unemployment rate is negative in the long run. That is, the more productive the labour, the more the wages earned. Related statistical tests on the residuals proved that the model and its findings are reliable

A reference interval study for common biochemical analytes in Eastern Turkey: a comparison of a reference population with laboratory data mining.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to define the reference intervals (RIs) in a Turkish population living in Northeast Turkey (Erzurum) for 34 analytes using direct and indirect methods. In the present study, the regional RIs obtained were compared with other RI studies, primarily the nationwide study performed in Turkey. Materials and methods: For the direct method, 435 blood samples were collected from a healthy group of females (N = 218) and males (N = 217) aged between 18 and 65 years. The sera were analysed in Ataturk University hospital laboratory using Roche reagents and analysers for 34 analytes. The data from 1,366,948 records were used to calculate the indirect RIs using a modified Bhattacharya method. Results: Significant gender-related differences were observed for 17 analytes. There were also some apparent differences between RIs derived from indirect and direct methods particularly in some analytes (e.g. gamma-glutamyltransferase, creatine kinase, LDL-cholesterol and iron). The RIs derived with the direct method for some, but not all, of the analytes were generally comparable with the RIs reported in the nationwide study and other previous studies in Turkey.There were large differences between RIs derived by the direct method and the expected values shown in the kit insert (e.g. aspartate aminotransferase, total-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and vitamin B12). Conclusions: These data provide region-specific RIs for 34 analytes determined by the direct and indirect methods. The observed differences in RIs between previous studies could be related to nutritional status and environmental factors

Canonical Wnt signaling is antagonized by noncanonical Wnt5a in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>β-catenin mutations that constitutively activate the canonical Wnt signaling have been observed in a subset of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). These mutations are associated with chromosomal stability, low histological grade, low tumor invasion and better patient survival. We hypothesized that canonical Wnt signaling is selectively activated in well-differentiated, but repressed in poorly differentiated HCCs. To this aim, we characterized differentiation status of HCC cell lines and compared their expression status of Wnt pathway genes, and explored their activity of canonical Wnt signaling.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We classified human HCC cell lines into "well-differentiated" and "poorly differentiated" subtypes, based on the expression of hepatocyte lineage, epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Poorly differentiated cell lines lost epithelial and hepatocyte lineage markers, and overexpressed mesenchymal markers. Also, they were highly motile and invasive. We compared the expression of 45 Wnt pathway genes between two subtypes. TCF1 and TCF4 factors, and LRP5 and LRP6 co-receptors were ubiquitously expressed. Likewise, six Frizzled receptors, and canonical Wnt3 ligand were expressed in both subtypes. In contrast, canonical ligand Wnt8b and noncanonical ligands Wnt4, Wnt5a, Wnt5b and Wnt7b were expressed selectively in well- and poorly differentiated cell lines, respectively. Canonical Wnt signaling activity, as tested by a TCF reporter assay was detected in 80% of well-differentiated, contrary to 14% of poorly differentiated cell lines. TCF activity generated by ectopic mutant β-catenin was weak in poorly differentiated SNU449 cell line, suggesting a repressive mechanism. We tested Wnt5a as a candidate antagonist. It strongly inhibited canonical Wnt signaling that is activated by mutant β-catenin in HCC cell lines.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Differential expression of Wnt ligands in HCC cells is associated with selective activation of canonical Wnt signaling in well-differentiated, and its repression in poorly differentiated cell lines. One potential mechanism of repression involved Wnt5a, acting as an antagonist of canonical Wnt signaling. Our observations support the hypothesis that Wnt pathway is selectively activated or repressed depending on differentiation status of HCC cells. We propose that canonical and noncanonical Wnt pathways have complementary roles in HCC, where the canonical signaling contributes to tumor initiation, and noncanonical signaling to tumor progression.</p

Potential benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on atherosclerosis and glycaemic control in patients with diabetic foot

Wstęp: Celem badania była ocena wpływu leczenia tlenem w komorze hiperbarycznej (HBOT, hyperbaric oxygen therapy) na kontrolę glikemii, czynniki ryzyka miażdżycy, wskaźniki zapalenia oraz inne kliniczne i laboratoryjne parametry u chorych z owrzodzeniem w przebiegu zespołu stopy cukrzycowej poddanych systemowej HBOT. Materiał i metody: Do badania włączono 28 chorych z owrzodzeniem stopy 2-4 stopnia według skali Wagnera. Wszyscy chorzy odbyli 30 sesji terapii 100-procentowym tlenem przy ciśnieniu 2,4 ATA przez około 105 minut, 5 razy w tygodniu. Zmierzono następujące parametry: glikemię na czczo, odsetek HbA1c, wskaźnik insulinooporności HOMA-IR, stężenie wysokoczułego białka C-reaktywnego (hs-CRP, high sensitivity C-reactive protein), stężenie kwasu moczowego, średnią objętość płytek krwi, a ponadto zbadano morfologię krwi i profil lipidowy. Wyniki: Po zakończeniu terapii stwierdzono istotną poprawę średnich wartości wszystkich badanych parametrów. Wnioski: Wykazano, że HBOT wpływa korzystnie na czynniki ryzyka miażdżycy i kontrolę glikemii u chorych na cukrzycę. Potrzebne są dalsze, prowadzone na szeroką skalę badania z randomizacją, aby ocenić ogólnoustrojowe efekty HBOT. (Endokrynol Pol 2010; 61 (3): 275-279)Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on glycaemic control, atherosclerosis, inflammatory markers, and other clinical and laboratory parameters in patients undergoing systemic HBOT for diabetic foot ulcerations. Material and methods: Twenty-eight patients with Wagner grade 2-4 diabetic foot ulcerations were included. All patients were given 100% oxygen at 2.4 absolute atmosphere (ATA) for about 105 minutes, five times a week for a total of 30 sessions. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), homeostasis model measurement-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), uric acid, mean platelet volume (MPV), complete blood count, and lipid profile were tested. Results: Upon completion of treatment, a statistically significant improvement was observed in the mean values of all assessed parameters. Conclusions: HBOT was shown to have beneficial effects on atherosclerosis and glycaemic control in diabetic patients. Further large-scale randomized studies are needed to study the systemic effects of HBOT. (Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (3): 275-279

Blue-light-receptive cryptochrome is expressed in a sponge eye lacking neurons and opsin

Many larval sponges possess pigment ring eyes that apparently mediate phototactic swimming. Yet sponges are not known to possess nervous systems or opsin genes, so the unknown molecular components of sponge phototaxis must differ fundamentally from those in other animals, inspiring questions about how this sensory system functions. Here we present molecular and biochemical data on cryptochrome, a candidate gene for functional involvement in sponge pigment ring eyes. We report that Amphimedon queenslandica, a demosponge, possesses two cryptochrome/photolyase genes, Aq-Cry1 and Aq-Cry2. The mRNA of one gene (Aq-Cry2) is expressed in situ at the pigment ring eye. Additionally, we report that Aq-Cry2 lacks photolyase activity and contains a flavin-based co-factor that is responsive to wavelengths of light that also mediate larval photic behavior. These results suggest that Aq-Cry2 may act in the aneural, opsin-less phototaxic behavior of a sponge

Comparative Photochemistry of Animal Type 1 and Type 4 Cryptochromes†

Cryptochromes (CRYs) are blue-light photoreceptors with known or presumed functions in light-dependent and light-independent gene regulation in plants and animals. Although the photochemistry of plant CRYs has been studied in some detail, the photochemical behavior of animal cryptochromes remains poorly defined in part because it has been difficult to purify animal CRYs with their flavin cofactors. Here we describe the purification of type 4 CRYs of zebrafish and chicken as recombinant proteins with full flavin complement and compare the spectroscopic properties of type 4 and type 1 CRYs. In addition, we analyzed photoinduced proteolytic degradation of both types of CRYs in vivo in heterologous systems. We find that even though both types of CRYs contain stoichiometric flavin, type 1 CRY is proteolytically degraded by a light-initiated reaction in Drosophila S2, zebrafish Z3, and human HEK293T cell lines, but zebrafish CRY4 (type 4) is not. In vivo degradation of type 1 CRYs does not require continuous illumination, and a single light flash of 1 ms duration leads to degradation of about 80% of Drosophila CRY in 60 min. Finally, we demonstrate that in contrast to animal type 2 CRYs and Arabidopsis CRY1 neither insect type 1 nor type 4 CRYs have autokinase activities