WPŁYW WYCIĄGÓW Z ROŚLIN BODZISZKOWATYCH NA BIELINKA KAPUSTNIKA

The conducted studies comprised the analyses of activity of extracts derived from selected plants of the Geranium family on some processes of large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae) development (oviposition, survival of eggs and caterpillar feeding). The results proved that all tested extracts showed activity against large white butterfly. Geranium pratense L. and Geranium senquineum L. showed better activity than other Geranium plants. Water extracts from these species protected cabbage plants against laying eggs, while applied on eggs caused their mortality. Alcohol and water extracts from G. pratense L. and water extracts from G. senquineum L. increased an amount of food put on mass gain of caterpillars.Analizowano oddziaływanie ekstraktów uzyskanych z wybranych roślin z rodziny Bodziszkowate na: rozwój bielinka kapustnika (przebieg składania jaj, przeżywalność jaj oraz na żerowanie gąsienic). Stwierdzono, że wszystkie testowane wyciągi, wykazywały aktywne działanie w stosunku do bielinka kapustnika. Szczególnie wyróżniały się bodziszek łąkowy i bodziszek czerwony. Wodne wyciągi z tych roślin chroniły rośliny kapusty przed składaniem na nie jaj przez samice, a zastosowane na jaja, powodowały ich zamieranie. Alkoholowy i wodny wyciąg z bodziszka łąkowego oraz wyciąg wodny z bodziszka czerwonego wpływały na zwiększenie ilości pokarmu zużywanego na przyrost masy ciała gąsienic

Psychiatry during the Nazi era: ethical lessons for the modern professional

For the first time in history, psychiatrists during the Nazi era sought to systematically exterminate their patients. However, little has been published from this dark period analyzing what may be learned for clinical and research psychiatry. At each stage in the murderous process lay a series of unethical and heinous practices, with many psychiatrists demonstrating a profound commitment to the atrocities, playing central, pivotal roles critical to the success of Nazi policy. Several misconceptions led to this misconduct, including allowing philosophical constructs to define clinical practice, focusing exclusively on preventative medicine, allowing political pressures to influence practice, blurring the roles of clinicians and researchers, and falsely believing that good science and good ethics always co-exist. Psychiatry during this period provides a most horrifying example of how science may be perverted by external forces. It thus becomes crucial to include the Nazi era psychiatry experience in ethics training as an example of proper practice gone awry

Chromosomal-level assembly of the Asian Seabass genome using long sequence reads and multi-layered scaffolding

We report here the ~670 Mb genome assembly of the Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer), a tropical marine teleost. We used long-read sequencing augmented by transcriptomics, optical and genetic mapping along with shared synteny from closely related fish species to derive a chromosome-level assembly with a contig N50 size over 1 Mb and scaffold N50 size over 25 Mb that span ~90% of the genome. The population structure of L. calcarifer species complex was analyzed by re-sequencing 61 individuals representing various regions across the species' native range. SNP analyses identified high levels of genetic diversity and confirmed earlier indications of a population stratification comprising three clades with signs of admixture apparent in the South-East Asian population. The quality of the Asian seabass genome assembly far exceeds that of any other fish species, and will serve as a new standard for fish genomics

Gravity of human impacts mediates coral reef conservation gains

Coral reefs provide ecosystem goods and services for millions of people in the tropics, but reef conditions are declining worldwide. Effective solutions to the crisis facing coral reefs depend in part on understanding the context under which different types of conservation benefits can be maximized. Our global analysis of nearly 1,800 tropical reefs reveals how the intensity of human impacts in the surrounding seascape, measured as a function of human population size and accessibility to reefs (“gravity”), diminishes the effectiveness of marine reserves at sustaining reef fish biomass and the presence of top predators, even where compliance with reserve rules is high. Critically, fish biomass in high-compliance marine reserves located where human impacts were intensive tended to be less than a quarter that of reserves where human impacts were low. Similarly, the probability of encountering top predators on reefs with high human impacts was close to zero, even in high-compliance marine reserves. However, we find that the relative difference between openly fished sites and reserves (what we refer to as conservation gains) are highest for fish biomass (excluding predators) where human impacts are moderate and for top predators where human impacts are low. Our results illustrate critical ecological trade-offs in meeting key conservation objectives: reserves placed where there are moderate-to-high human impacts can provide substantial conservation gains for fish biomass, yet they are unlikely to support key ecosystem functions like higher-order predation, which is more prevalent in reserve locations with low human impacts

SUMOylation of DRIL1 Directs Its Transcriptional Activity Towards Leukocyte Lineage-Specific Genes

DRIL1 is an ARID family transcription factor that can immortalize primary mouse fibroblasts, bypass RASV12-induced cellular senescence and collaborate with RASV12 or MYC in mediating oncogenic transformation. It also activates immunoglobulin heavy chain transcription and engages in heterodimer formation with E2F to stimulate E2F-dependent transcription. Little, however, is known about the regulation of DRIL1 activity. Recently, DRIL1 was found to interact with the SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9, but the functional relevance of this association has not been assessed. Here, we show that DRIL1 is sumoylated both in vitro and in vivo at lysine 398. Moreover, we provide evidence that PIASy functions as a specific SUMO E3-ligase for DRIL1 and promotes its sumoylation both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, consistent with the subnuclear localization of PIASy in the Matrix-Associated Region (MAR), SUMO-modified DRIL1 species are found exclusively in the MAR fraction. This post-translational modification interferes neither with the subcellular localization nor the DNA-binding activity of the protein. In contrast, DRIL1 sumoylation impairs its interaction with E2F1 in vitro and modifies its transcriptional activity in vivo, driving transcription of subset of genes regulating leukocyte fate. Taken together, these results identify sumoylation as a novel post-translational modification of DRIL1 that represents an important mechanism for targeting and modulating DRIL1 transcriptional activity

Meeting fisheries, ecosystem function, and biodiversity goals in a human-dominated world

The worldwide decline of coral reefs necessitates targeting management solutions that can sustain reefs and the livelihoods of the people who depend on them. However, little is known about the context in which different reef management tools can help to achieve multiple social and ecological goals. Because of nonlinearities in the likelihood of achieving combined fisheries, ecological function, and biodiversity goals along a gradient of human pressure, relatively small changes in the context in which management is implemented could have substantial impacts on whether these goals are likely to be met. Critically, management can provide substantial conservation benefits to most reefs for fisheries and ecological function, but not biodiversity goals, given their degraded state and the levels of human pressure they face

Alexithymia and interleukin variations in somatoform disorder

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate if somatoform disorders (SFD) are associated with changes in the normal serum levels of important interleukins, and further, to establish if these changes are related to the presence and severity of alexithymia in patients with SFD. Methods: Twenty-four unmedicated patients who met the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) diagnostic criteria for SFD completed the psychological questionnaire to assess alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale), symptom reporting (SCL-90-R) and diagnostic criteria for SFD (Screening for Somatoform Symptoms scale). Serum concentrations of soluble interleukin 2 receptor α (sIL-2 Rα), IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 were determined in patients with SFD and in 9 healthy subjects. Results: In patients with SFD, serum levels of IL-6 (p < 0.001), IL-10 (p = 0.047) and immunoglobulin E (p = 0.045) were significantly increased in comparison with healthy controls. Additionally, a negative correlation was observed between the level of alexithymia ('total' Toronto Alexithymia Scale score) and the serum levels of sIL-2 Rα (r = -0.538) in SFD. Conclusions: Taken together, these results suggest that SFD, with clinically significant alexithymia, are associated with a reduction in Th1-mediated immune function and an increase in the activation of the Th2 immune function, indicated by the augmented serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 and elevated immunoglobulin E. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG

Immune Responses to Plague Infection in Wild Rattus rattus, in Madagascar: A Role in Foci Persistence?

Plague is endemic within the central highlands of Madagascar, where its main reservoir is the black rat, Rattus rattus. Typically this species is considered susceptible to plague, rapidly dying after infection inducing the spread of infected fleas and, therefore, dissemination of the disease to humans. However, persistence of transmission foci in the same area from year to year, supposes mechanisms of maintenance among which rat immune responses could play a major role. Immunity against plague and subsequent rat survival could play an important role in the stabilization of the foci. In this study, we aimed to investigate serological responses to plague in wild black rats from endemic areas of Madagascar. In addition, we evaluate the use of a recently developed rapid serological diagnostic test to investigate the immune response of potential reservoir hosts in plague foci.We experimentally infected wild rats with Yersinia pestis to investigate short and long-term antibody responses. Anti-F1 IgM and IgG were detected to evaluate this antibody response. High levels of anti-F1 IgM and IgG were found in rats one and three weeks respectively after challenge, with responses greatly differing between villages. Plateau in anti-F1 IgM and IgG responses were reached for as few as 500 and 1500 colony forming units (cfu) inoculated respectively. More than 10% of rats were able to maintain anti-F1 responses for more than one year. This anti-F1 response was conveniently followed using dipsticks.Inoculation of very few bacteria is sufficient to induce high immune response in wild rats, allowing their survival after infection. A great heterogeneity of rat immune responses was found within and between villages which could heavily impact on plague epidemiology. In addition, results indicate that, in the field, anti-F1 dipsticks are efficient to investigate plague outbreaks several months after transmission

Deep Sequencing of Human Nuclear and Cytoplasmic Small RNAs Reveals an Unexpectedly Complex Subcellular Distribution of miRNAs and tRNA 3′ Trailers

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ∼22-nt small non-coding regulatory RNAs that have generally been considered to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in the cytoplasm. However, recent studies have reported that some miRNAs localize to and function in the nucleus.To determine the number of miRNAs localized to the nucleus, we systematically investigated the subcellular distribution of small RNAs (sRNAs) by independent deep sequencing sequenced of the nuclear and cytoplasmic pools of 18- to 30-nucleotide sRNAs from human cells. We identified 339 nuclear and 324 cytoplasmic known miRNAs, 300 of which overlap, suggesting that the majority of miRNAs are imported into the nucleus. With the exception of a few miRNAs evidently enriched in the nuclear pool, such as the mir-29b, the ratio of miRNA abundances in the nuclear fraction versus in the cytoplasmic fraction vary to some extent. Moreover, our results revealed that a large number of tRNA 3′trailers are exported from the nucleus and accumulate in the cytoplasm. These tRNA 3′ trailers accumulate in a variety of cell types, implying that the biogenesis of tRNA 3′ trailers is conserved and that they have a potential functional role in vertebrate cells.Our results provide the first comprehensive view of the subcellular distribution of diverse sRNAs and new insights into the roles of miRNAs and tRNA 3′ trailers in the cell

Discovery of Novel MicroRNAs in Rat Kidney Using Next Generation Sequencing and Microarray Validation

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate a variety of biological processes. The latest version of the miRBase database (Release 18) includes 1,157 mouse and 680 rat mature miRNAs. Only one new rat mature miRNA was added to the rat miRNA database from version 16 to version 18 of miRBase, suggesting that many rat miRNAs remain to be discovered. Given the importance of rat as a model organism, discovery of the completed set of rat miRNAs is necessary for understanding rat miRNA regulation. In this study, next generation sequencing (NGS), microarray analysis and bioinformatics technologies were applied to discover novel miRNAs in rat kidneys. MiRanalyzer was utilized to analyze the sequences of the small RNAs generated from NGS analysis of rat kidney samples. Hundreds of novel miRNA candidates were examined according to the mappings of their reads to the rat genome, presence of sequences that can form a miRNA hairpin structure around the mapped locations, Dicer cleavage patterns, and the levels of their expression determined by both NGS and microarray analyses. Nine novel rat hairpin precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNA) were discovered with high confidence. Five of the novel pre-miRNAs are also reported in other species while four of them are rat specific. In summary, 9 novel pre-miRNAs (14 novel mature miRNAs) were identified via combination of NGS, microarray and bioinformatics high-throughput technologies