40 research outputs found
Consensus Statement Immunonutrition and Exercise.
In this consensus statement on immunonutrition and exercise, a panel of knowledgeable contributors from across the globe provides a consensus of updated science, including the background, the aspects for which a consensus actually exists, the controversies and, when possible, suggested directions for future research
Biased Gene Fractionation and Dominant Gene Expression among the Subgenomes of Brassica rapa
Polyploidization, both ancient and recent, is frequent among plants. A “two-step theory" was proposed to explain the meso-triplication of the Brassica “A" genome: Brassica rapa. By accurately partitioning of this genome, we observed that genes in the less fractioned subgenome (LF) were dominantly expressed over the genes in more fractioned subgenomes (MFs: MF1 and MF2), while the genes in MF1 were slightly dominantly expressed over the genes in MF2. The results indicated that the dominantly expressed genes tended to be resistant against gene fractionation. By re-sequencing two B. rapa accessions: a vegetable turnip (VT117) and a Rapid Cycling line (L144), we found that genes in LF had less non-synonymous or frameshift mutations than genes in MFs; however mutation rates were not significantly different between MF1 and MF2. The differences in gene expression patterns and on-going gene death among the three subgenomes suggest that “two-step" genome triplication and differential subgenome methylation played important roles in the genome evolution of B. rapa
Midlife muscle strength and human longevity up to age 100 years: a 44-year prospective study among a decedent cohort
We studied prospectively the midlife handgrip strength, living habits, and parents’ longevity as predictors of length of life up to becoming a centenarian. The participants were 2,239 men from the Honolulu Heart Program/Honolulu–Asia Aging Study who were born before the end of June 1909 and who took part in baseline physical assessment in 1965–1968, when they were 56–68 years old. Deaths were followed until the end of June 2009 for 44 years with complete ascertainment. Longevity was categorized as centenarian (≥100 years, n = 47), nonagenarian (90–99 years, n = 545), octogenarian (80–89 years, n = 847), and ≤79 years (n = 801, reference). The average survival after baseline was 20.8 years (SD = 9.62). Compared with people who died at the age of ≤79 years, centenarians belonged 2.5 times (odds ratio (OR) = 2.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23–5.10) more often to the highest third of grip strength in midlife, were never smokers (OR = 5.75 95% CI = 3.06–10.80), had participated in physical activity outside work (OR = 1.13 per daily hour, 95% CI = 1.02–1.25), and had a long-lived mother (≥80 vs. ≤60 years, OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.06–5.01). Associations for nonagenarians and octogenarians were parallel, but weaker. Multivariate modeling showed that mother’s longevity and offspring’s grip strength operated through the same or overlapping pathway to longevity. High midlife grip strength and long-lived mother may indicate resilience to aging, which, combined with healthy lifestyle, increases the probability of extreme longevity
Molecular Genetic Features of Polyploidization and Aneuploidization Reveal Unique Patterns for Genome Duplication in Diploid Malus
Polyploidization results in genome duplication and is an important step in evolution and speciation. The Malus genome confirmed that this genus was derived through auto-polyploidization, yet the genetic and meiotic mechanisms for polyploidization, particularly for aneuploidization, are unclear in this genus or other woody perennials. In fact the contribution of aneuploidization remains poorly understood throughout Plantae. We add to this knowledge by characterization of eupolyploidization and aneuploidization in 27,542 F1 seedlings from seven diploid Malus populations using cytology and microsatellite markers. We provide the first evidence that aneuploidy exceeds eupolyploidy in the diploid crosses, suggesting aneuploidization is a leading cause of genome duplication. Gametes from diploid Malus had a unique combinational pattern; ova preserved euploidy exclusively, while spermatozoa presented both euploidy and aneuploidy. All non-reduced gametes were genetically heterozygous, indicating first-division restitution was the exclusive mode for Malus eupolyploidization and aneuploidization. Chromosome segregation pattern among aneuploids was non-uniform, however, certain chromosomes were associated for aneuploidization. This study is the first to provide molecular evidence for the contribution of heterozygous non-reduced gametes to fitness in polyploids and aneuploids. Aneuploidization can increase, while eupolyploidization may decrease genetic diversity in their newly established populations. Auto-triploidization is important for speciation in the extant Malus. The features of Malus polyploidization confer genetic stability and diversity, and present heterozygosity, heterosis and adaptability for evolutionary selection. A protocol using co-dominant markers was proposed for accelerating apple triploid breeding program. A path was postulated for evolution of numerically odd basic chromosomes. The model for Malus derivation was considerably revised. Impacts of aneuploidization on speciation and evolution, and potential applications of aneuploids and polyploids in breeding and genetics for other species were evaluated in depth. This study greatly improves our understanding of evolution, speciation, and adaptation of the Malus genus, and provides strategies to exploit polyploidization in other species
A quantitative synthesis of the medicinal ethnobotany of the Malinké of Mali and the Asháninka of Peru, with a new theoretical framework
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although ethnomedically and taxonomically guided searches for new medicinal plants can improve the percentage of plants found containing active compounds when compared to random sampling, ethnobotany has fulfilled little of its promise in the last few decades to deliver a bounty of new, laboratory-proven medicinal plants and compounds. It is quite difficult to test, isolate, and elucidate the structure and mechanism of compounds from the plethora of new medicinal plant uses described each year with limited laboratory time and resources and the high cost of clinical trials of new drug candidates.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A new quantitative theoretical framework of mathematical formulas called "relational efficacy" is proposed that should narrow down this search for new plant-derived medicines based on the hypothesis that closely related plants used to treat closely related diseases in distantly related cultures have a higher probability of being effective because they are more likely to be independent discoveries of similar plant compounds and disease mechanisms. A prerequisite to this hypothesis, the idea that empirical testing in traditional medicine will lead to choosing similar medicinal plants and therefore the medicinal flora of two distant cultures will prove to be more similar than their general flora, is tested using resampling statistics on cross-cultural field data of the plants used by the MalinkĂ© of Mali and the Asháninka of Peru to treat the diseases malaria, African sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease, leishmaniasis, diabetes, eczema, asthma, and uterine fibroids.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this case, the similarity of the medicinal floras is found to be significantly greater than the similarity of the general floras, but only when the diseases in question are grouped into the categories of parasitic and autoimmune diseases.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>If the central theoretical framework of this hypothesis is shown to be true, it will allow the synthesis of medicinal plant information from around the world to pinpoint the species with the highest potential efficacy to take into the laboratory and analyze further, ultimately saving much field and laboratory time and resources.</p> <p><b>Spanish abstract</b></p> <p>Las bĂşsquedas que utilizan la etnomedicina y la taxonomĂa para descubrir nuevas plantas medicinales, pueden aumentar la probabilidad de Ă©xito de encontrar compuestos quĂmicos activos en plantas, en comparaciĂłn con las bĂşsquedas aleatorias. A pesar de lo anterior, en las Ăşltimas dĂ©cadas, la etnobotánica no ha cumplido con las expectativas de proveer numerosas plantas medicinales y quĂmicos nuevos una vez examinados en el laboratorio. Cada año se describen una plĂ©tora de plantas medicinales y sus usos, sin embargo las limitaciones de tiempo y recursos en los laboratorios, unidos al alto coste de los ensayos clĂnicos de las drogas potenciales, hacen muy difĂcil probar, aislar, y elucidar la estructura y el mecanismo de los compuestos de estas plantas. Se propone un nuevo marco teĂłrico cuantitativo cuyo fin es focalizar la bĂşsqueda de nueva plantas medicinales. Este marco teĂłrico está basado en la hipĂłtesis que las plantas cercanamente relacionadas, usadas para tratar enfermedades cercanamente relacionadas en culturas distantemente relacionadas, tienen una eficacia potencial más alta, debido a que es más probable que estos hallazgos sean descubrimientos independientes de compuestos quĂmicos similares. Parte de esta hipĂłtesis, que las escogencias racionales se hacen para elegir plantas medicinales similares y que la flora medicinal de dos culturas distantes es más similar que su flora general, se probĂł usando mĂ©todos estadĂsticos de remuestreo con datos de campo de la comunidad MalinkĂ© de MalĂ y de la Asháninka de PerĂş, y las enfermedades de paludismo, enfermedad africana del sueño, enfermedad de Chagas, leishmania, diabetes, eczema, asma, y fibromas uterinos. Se encontrĂł, en este caso, que la similitud de las floras medicinales es significativamente mayor a la similitud de las floras generales, solamente cuando las enfermedades analizadas se agruparon en las categorĂas de enfermedades parasitarias y enfermedades autoinmunes. Si se demostrara que las otras partes de esta hipĂłtesis son ciertas, se podrĂa sintetizar la informaciĂłn sobre plantas medicinales alrededor del mundo, para establecer asĂ las plantas potencialmente más eficaces para llevarlas al laboratorio y analizarlas más profundamente.</p> <p><b>French abstract</b></p> <p>Par rapport aux recherches menĂ©es de façon alĂ©atoire, les recherches effectuĂ©es par des critères ethnobotaniques et taxonomiques ont de meilleures chances Ă dĂ©couvrir de nouvelles plantes mĂ©dicinales Ă produit chimique actifs. Pendant les dernières dĂ©cennies pourtant, l'ethnobotanique a rĂ©alisĂ© peu de ces promesses Ă rĂ©vĂ©ler un grand nombre de plantes mĂ©dicinales et de nouveaux produits chimiques, testĂ©s au laboratoire. Avec les ressources limitĂ©es pour la recherche au laboratoire et le coĂ»t Ă©levĂ© des Ă©preuves cliniques pour trouver de nouveaux candidats aux mĂ©dicaments, il est difficile d'Ă©tudier, d'isoler et d'Ă©lucider la structure et le mĂ©canisme des produits chimiques de chacune des nombreuses plantes mĂ©dicinales (et les utilisations de ces plantes) dĂ©crites chaque annĂ©e. Nous proposons une nouvelle technique thĂ©orique et quantitative pour prĂ©ciser la recherche de nouvelles plantes mĂ©dicinales; elle est basĂ©e sur l'hypothèse que les plantes Ă©troitement apparentĂ©es, employĂ©es pour traiter les maladies Ă©troitement apparentĂ©es dans les cultures très Ă©loignĂ©es les unes des autres, ont une potentialitĂ© d'efficacitĂ© supĂ©rieure parce qu'elles reprĂ©sentent la dĂ©couverte indĂ©pendante des propriĂ©tĂ©s chimiques semblables des plantes. Une partie de cette hypothèse-qui dĂ©montre que la sĂ©lection des plantes mĂ©dicinales semblables est un choix rationnel et qu'il y a davantage de ressemblance dans la flore mĂ©dicinale de deux cultures Ă©loignĂ©es que dans leur flore gĂ©nĂ©rale-est examinĂ©e par un re-Ă©chantillonnage des donnĂ©es de recherches effectuĂ©es parmi les MalinkĂ© au Mali et les Asháninka au PĂ©rou, en particulier sur la malaria, la maladie africaine du sommeil, la maladie de Chagas, la leishmania, le diabète, l'eczĂ©ma, l'asthme et les fibromes utĂ©rins. Dans ces cas prĂ©cis, la similitude de la flore mĂ©dicinale s'avère sensiblement plus grande que la similitude de la flore gĂ©nĂ©rale, mais seulement quand les maladies en question sont regroupĂ©es ensemble comme maladies parasitaires et auto-immunitaires. Si cette hypothèse est prouvĂ©e, elle permettra la synthèse des informations recueillies sur les plantes mĂ©dicinales du monde entier pour en sĂ©lectionner de façon plus prĂ©cise celles qui sont les plus efficaces et qui mĂ©ritent analyse plus approfondie au laboratoire.</p> <p><b>Asháninka abstract</b></p> <p>Aayiantyarori iròpero aavintane, ontzimatye ancovacovatero ayotero ovaqueraripaye incashi iyoyetziri ashaninka, ayotzityaro aajatzi iyotane viracocha paitachari "quimica" ancantero aaca oshintsinka inchashipaye. Atziri yotacotzirori cametsa, ishtoriajacotzirori iyotane ashaninkapaye te iroñà rantero maaroni ocaratzi yamenacotaqueri laboratorioki. Aaviantyarori cametsa, ayotacotero aavintarontsiyetatsiri osamani antzimaventero ishtoriatacotaro, aajatzi osheki opinata ampinaventero aparopaye inchashi, acoviriqui ayotacotero, osaretsikipaye. Tzimatsi ovaquerari quenquishiriantsitatsiri ero opinata osheki ashitoriatacotero aparopaye inchashi, asampiyetatyrey pashinipaye atziri saicatsiri intaina puitarika inchasshi yavintari, ajatzirica oshiyaro ayotzi aaca, quemetachari atziri saikatsiri nampitsiki malinke aajatzi ishiyari ashaninka saicatsiri peruki, tzimatsi inchashi aajatzi yaavintari osheki okamètsatzi aririka anteri mantsiyarentsi icantaitziri ompetarentsi catsirentsi, pochokirentsi, patsarontsi(matatsi) ashipetate maaroni, ampochavathate, ancainikentsite, oncatsithakite tsinani. Aririka añaker aajatzi ahiyaro inchashi yaavintayetari pashinipaye atziri intainasatzi irdotake ahitoriatacoperoteri anĂ ashityard aavintarontsi ovamairiri shithanentsi, onĂ shitaavintarontsi tzicaacoventairi ero antane mantsiyarentsi. Omanperotatyarica iròperotzi avintarontsi, oshitovake laboratorioki aritaque iyoitanaquero maaroni quipatsiki iroperori avintarontsi.</p
Coalescent Simulations Reveal Hybridization and Incomplete Lineage Sorting in Mediterranean Linaria
We examined the phylogenetic history of Linaria with special emphasis on the Mediterranean sect. Supinae (44 species). We revealed extensive highly supported incongruence among two nuclear (ITS, AGT1) and two plastid regions (rpl32-trnLUAG, trnS-trnG). Coalescent simulations, a hybrid detection test and species tree inference in *BEAST revealed that incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization may both be responsible for the incongruent pattern observed. Additionally, we present a multilabelled *BEAST species tree as an alternative approach that allows the possibility of observing multiple placements in the species tree for the same taxa. That permitted the incorporation of processes such as hybridization within the tree while not violating the assumptions of the *BEAST model. This methodology is presented as a functional tool to disclose the evolutionary history of species complexes that have experienced both hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting. The drastic climatic events that have occurred in the Mediterranean since the late Miocene, including the Quaternary-type climatic oscillations, may have made both processes highly recurrent in the Mediterranean flora
Cytokine- and interferon-modulating properties of Echinacea spp. root tinctures stored at -20 degrees C for 2 years
Echinacea spp. phytomedicines are popular for treating upper respiratory infections. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the immunomodulatory properties of Echinacea tinctures from seven species after being stored at -20 degrees C for 2 years. Two experimental techniques were employed using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). In the first set of experiments, PBMCs were stimulated in vitro with tinctures alone and assayed for proliferation and production of interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). In the second set of experiments, subjects were immunized with influenza vaccine. PBMCs from vaccinated individuals were stimulated in vitro with Echinacea tinctures and influenza virus; cytokine production (IL-2, IL-10, and interferon-gamma [IFN-gamma]) was compared prevaccination and postvaccination. In the first experiments, (1) tinctures from E. angustifolia, E. pallida, E. paradoxa, and E. tennesseensis stimulated proliferation and tended to increase IL-10, (2) E. sanguinea and E. simulata stimulated only proliferation, (3) E. purpurea stimulated only IL-10, and (4) none of the extracts influenced IL-12 or TNF-alpha. In the second experiments, (1) tinctures from E. pallida, E. paradoxa, E. sanguinea, and E. simulata diminished influenza-specific IL-2, and (2) none of the extracts influenced influenza-specific IL-10 or IFN-gamma. For in vitro models using Echinacea, immune response may vary based on stimulus (Echinacea alone vs. Echinacea + recall stimulation with virus)