276 research outputs found

    Age and Growth of Redear Sunfish Lepomis microlophus (Gunthur), from Bob Kidd Lake

    Get PDF
    Total lengths (62-285mm) and body scales from 75 redear sunfish collected by electroshocking from Bob Kidd Lake during October and November 1985 were used for this study. The length-frequency distribution yielded five age groups, however, the body scale analysis revealed eight age groups. The total length scale radius relationship was estimated as, TL = 17.98 + 0.92 Sr . Lengths attained at earlier ages were estimated by the Fraser-Lee method and the Bertlanffy growth model was fitted to the lengths for ages five through ten, and the resulting equation, L₁ = 295 [1 - exp — 0.29 (t - 1.83)], estimated lengths similar to the back- calculated lengths (r = 0.98)

    Chromatography of oxysterols

    Get PDF
    Oxysterols play important roles in development and diseases, but can be highly challenging to analyze. To ensure satisfactory measurements, oxysterols must typically be separated with chromatography prior to detection. Here, we will devote attention to the chromatography of oxysterols, focusing on gas chromatography and liquid chromatography. We will present the role of stationary phases, mobile phases, and dimensions and geometries of particles/columns. We discuss how these parameters may affect the chromatography, regarding factors such as speed and resolution. Finally, we present some less explored avenues for separation of oxysterols

    Adding value? A review of the international literature on the role of higher education in police training and education

    Get PDF
    This paper reviews the current English-language literature on developments in police training and education in order to identify common areas where higher education ‘adds value’ to police learning and development. Reforms in training and education are constituent parts of the ongoing shift to a service-oriented professional police in a number of countries. A comparative analysis of the literature on police training and education is provided here which focuses primarily on the USA, the European Union, Australia and India. The review provides a contribution to international policy debates about future developments in this area

    The Possible "Proton Sponge " Effect of Polyethylenimine (PEI) Does Not Include Change in Lysosomal pH.

    Get PDF
    Polycations such as polyethylenimine (PEI) are used in many novel nonviral vector designs and there are continuous efforts to increase our mechanistic understanding of their interactions with cells. Even so, the mechanism of polyplex escape from the endosomal/lysosomal pathway after internalization is still elusive. The “proton sponge ” hypothesis remains the most generally accepted mechanism, although it is heavily debated. This hypothesis is associated with the large buffering capacity of PEI and other polycations, which has been interpreted to cause an increase in lysosomal pH even though no conclusive proof has been provided. In the present study, we have used a nanoparticle pH sensor that was developed for pH measurements in the endosomal/lysosomal pathway. We have carried out quantitative measurements of lysosomal pH as a function of PEI content and correlate the results to the “proton sponge ” hypothesis. Our measurements show that PEI does not induce change in lysosomal pH as previously suggested and quantification of PEI concentrations in lysosomes makes it uncertain that the “proton sponge ” effect is the dominant mechanism of polyplex escape

    Effects of dog ownership in early childhood on immune development and atopic diseases

    Get PDF
    Summary Background Exposure to pets in childhood has been associated with a reduced risk of wheezing and atopy. Objective Our objective was to determine whether the effects of pet exposure on immune development and atopy in early childhood can be explained by alterations in exposure to innate immune stimuli in settled dust. Methods Two hundred and seventy-five children at increased risk of developing allergic diseases were evaluated to age 3 years for pet ownership, blood cell cytokine responses, and atopy. Can f 1, Fel d 1, endotoxin, ergosterol, and muramic acid were measured in settled dust from 101 homes. Results Dog exposure at birth was associated with decreased atopic dermatitis (AD) (12% vs. 27%; P = 0.004) and wheezing (19% vs. 36%; P = 0.005) in year 3. The rates of AD (23%) and wheezing (42%) in year 3 were relatively high in children who acquired dogs after birth. The prevalence of dog sensitization (10-12%) did not vary according to dog exposure. Can f 1 levels in bedroom dust were positively associated with IL-10 (r = 0.26; P = 0.01), IL-5 (r = 0.34, P o 0.001), and IL-13 (r = 0.28; P = 0.004) responses at age 1, and IL-5 (r = 0.24; P = 0.022) and IL-13 (r = 0.25; P = 0.015) responses at age 3. In contrast, endotoxin was associated with IFN-g (r = 0.31; P = 0.002) and IL-13 (r = 0.27; P = 0.01) responses at age 3 but not at age 1, and similar relationships were present for muramic acid. Adjustment for levels of innate immune stimuli in house dust did not significantly affect the relationships between Can f 1 and cytokine responses. Conclusions Exposure to dogs in infancy, and especially around the time of birth, is associated with changes in immune development and reductions in wheezing and atopy. These findings are not explained by exposure to endotoxin, ergosterol, or muramic acid

    Impaired LXRa phosphorylation attenuates progression of fatty liver disease

    Get PDF
    Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a very common indication for liver transplantation. How fat-rich diets promote progression from fatty liver to more damaging inflammatory and fibrotic stages is poorly understood. Here, we show that disrupting phosphorylation at Ser196 (S196A) in the liver X receptor alpha (LXRα, NR1H3) retards NAFLD progression in mice on a high-fat-high-cholesterol diet. Mechanistically, this is explained by key histone acetylation (H3K27) and transcriptional changes in pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory genes. Furthermore, S196A-LXRα expression reveals the regulation of novel diet-specific LXRα-responsive genes, including the induction of Ces1f, implicated in the breakdown of hepatic lipids. This involves induced H3K27 acetylation and altered LXR and TBLR1 cofactor occupancy at the Ces1f gene in S196A fatty livers. Overall, impaired Ser196-LXRα phosphorylation acts as a novel nutritional molecular sensor that profoundly alters the hepatic H3K27 acetylome and transcriptome during NAFLD progression placing LXRα phosphorylation as an alternative anti-inflammatory or anti-fibrotic therapeutic target

    Depletion of Kinesin 5B Affects Lysosomal Distribution and Stability and Induces Peri-Nuclear Accumulation of Autophagosomes in Cancer Cells

    Get PDF
    Background: Enhanced lysosomal trafficking is associated with metastatic cancer. In an attempt to discover cancer relevant lysosomal motor proteins, we compared the lysosomal proteomes from parental MCF-7 breast cancer cells with those from highly invasive MCF-7 cells that express an active form of the ErbB2 (DN-ErbB2). Methodology/Principal Findings: Mass spectrometry analysis identified kinesin heavy chain protein KIF5B as the only microtubule motor associated with the lysosomes in MCF-7 cells, and ectopic DN-ErbB2 enhanced its lysosomal association. KIF5B associated with lysosomes also in HeLa cervix carcinoma cells as analyzed by subcellular fractionation. The depletion of KIF5B triggered peripheral aggregations of lysosomes followed by lysosomal destabilization, and cell death in HeLa cells. Lysosomal exocytosis in response to plasma membrane damage as well as fluid phase endocytosis functioned, however, normally in these cells. Both HeLa and MCF-7 cells appeared to express similar levels of the KIF5B isoform but the death phenotype was weaker in KIF5B-depleted MCF-7 cells. Surprisingly, KIF5B depletion inhibited the rapamycin-induced accumulation of autophagosomes in MCF-7 cells. In KIF5B-depleted cells the autophagosomes formed and accumulated in the close proximity to the Golgi apparatus, whereas in the control cells they appeared uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm. Conclusions/Significance: Our data identify KIF5B as a cancer relevant lysosomal motor protein with additional functions in autophagosome formatio
    corecore