Lichens and vascular plants in Duvefjorden area on Nordaustlandet, Svalbard

Floristic check-lists were compiled for the first time for Duvefjorden Bay on Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, based on field work in July 2012 and on data from literature and herbaria. The check-lists include 172 species of lichens and 51 species of vascular plants. Several species rare in Svalbard and in the Arctic were discovered: Candelariella borealis was new to Svalbard. 51 lichen species were newly recorded on Nordaustlandet and 131 lichen species were observed in the Duvefjorden area for the first time. Among lichen species rare in Svalbard and in the Arctic the following can be mentioned: Caloplaca magni-filii, C. nivalis, Lecidea silacea, Phaeophyscia nigricans, Polyblastia gothica, Protothelenella sphinctrinoidella, Rinodina conradii, Stenia geophana, and Tetramelas pulverulentus. Two species of vascular plants, Saxifraga svalbardensis and S. hyperborea, were found new to the Duvefjorden area. The investigated flora is represented mostly by species widespread in Svalbard and in the Arctic. Although Duvefjorden area is situated in the northernmost part of Svalbard, its flora is characterized by relatively high diversity of vascular plants and lichens. Apparently this is due to the influence of the warm North Atlantic Current

Psoroma capense and P. esterhuyseniae (Pannariaceae), two new alpine species from South Africa

The new species Psoroma capense and P. esterhuyseniae are described from four alpine localities in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and are the only known Psoroma species from Africa. The specimens were all collected from moist sites near watercourses, on cool and mostly south-facing cliffs. Psoroma capense resembles P. tenue in gross morphology but differs in the ascending thallus squamules, lack of secondary compounds and short-ellipsoid to ovoid ascospores. However, a phylogenetic analysis involving the markers ITS, nucLSU, mtSSU and Mcm7, comparing the only recent collection of P. capense with previously published sequences, shows that it belongs to the P. hypnorum lineage, with no known, closely related species. Psoroma esterhuyseniae resembles P. hypnorum but has subglobose to short-ellipsoid ascospores without apical perispore extensions. The two species are thought to have evolved from one or two long-distance dispersal events during the Pleistocene

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Insulin Biosynthesis: A Review

Insulin resistance and pancreatic beta cell dysfunction are major contributors to the pathogenesis of diabetes. Various conditions play a role in the pathogenesis of pancreatic beta cell dysfunction and are correlated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Pancreatic beta cells are susceptible to ER stress. Many studies have shown that increased ER stress induces pancreatic beta cell dysfunction and diabetes mellitus using genetic models of ER stress and by various stimuli. There are many reports indicating that ER stress plays an important role in the impairment of insulin biosynthesis, suggesting that reduction of ER stress could be a therapeutic target for diabetes. In this paper, we reviewed the relationship between ER stress and diabetes and how ER stress controls insulin biosynthesis

Coupling characteristics of surface modes in truncated two-dimensional photonic crystals

On 1 February, 1994 the Republic of Austria concluded the Accession Treaty and on 1 January, 1995 became a full member of the European Union. Membership obliged Austrians to ‘provide’ the Community with appropriate personnel to take up different posts in various EU authorities, as well as in the European Parliament. The most important issue was to alter particular statutory regulations and the Austrian Constitution to adjust to the new situation.The paper aims at presenting the Austrian solutions in this matter in the context of European Union law, with particular emphasis on regulations which are uncommon or specific to the Republic of Austria. The matter of interest is the constitutional practice of EU member states and the reader’s perspective is taken into account. The latter approach not only evaluates the Austrian solutions in the context of the electoral law to the European Parliament contained in the Election Code, but could also suggest some ideas in regard to prospective amendments. The authors would, in particular, like to pay attention to two issues: the lowering of the voting age, and the single constituency electoral system. The Austrian solutions might be valuable to refer to in the countries where a system of correspondence voting is just being introduced. These resolutions are particularly interesting taking into consideration prospective, possible amendments to the electoral laws of the EU member states.Republika Austrii, 1 lutego 1994 r. podpisała traktat akcesyjny i z dniem 1 stycznia 1995 r. stała się pełnoprawnym członkiem Unii Europejskiej. Członkostwo zobowiązało Austriaków do “dostarczenia” Wspólnocie odpowiednich osób do objęcia różnych stanowisk w różnych unijnych organach. Nie inaczej było także w przypadku Parlamentu Europejskiego. Ważnym aspektem stało się dostosowanie poszczególnych norm ustawowych i własnej konstytucji do nowych rozwiązań. Celem niniejszego opracowania jest właśnie przedstawianie austriackich rozwiązań w tym temacie na tle rozwiązań europejskich, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem unormowań rzadko spotykanych lub wręcz odrębności sytemu Republiki Austrii. Rzecz wydaje się być interesująca zarówno z punktu widzenia praktyki ustrojowej państw członkowskich Unii Europejskiej, jak i z punktu widzenia czytelnika. To drugie podejście pozwoli na ocenę austriackich rozwiązań na tle niedawno wprowadzonej ordynacji wyborczej do PE zawartej w Kodeksie Wyborczym, ale również może podsunąć pewne pomysły, co do przyszłych nowelizacji. Autorzy zwrócili szczególną uwagę na dwa rozwiązania: obniżenie cenzusu wieku czynnego prawa wyborczego oraz jednookręgowy system wyborczy. Austriackie doświadczenia mogą być również pomocne państwom, które wprowadzają możliwość głosowania korespondencyjnego. Są to propozycje szczególnie interesujące z punktu widzenia przyszłych, możliwych nowelizacji systemów wyborczych państw członkowskich

The Defined TLR3 Agonist, Nexavant, Exhibits Anti-Cancer Efficacy and Potentiates Anti-PD-1 Antibody Therapy by Enhancing Immune Cell Infiltration

Nexavant was reported as an alternative to the TLR3 agonist of Poly(I:C) and its derivatives. The physicochemical properties, signaling pathways, anti-cancer effects, and mechanisms of Nexavant were investigated. The distinctive characteristics of Nexavant compared to that of Poly(I:C) were demonstrated by precise quantification, enhanced thermostability, and increased resistance to RNase A. Unlike Poly(I:C), which activates TLR3, RIG-I, and MDA5, Nexavant stimulates signaling through TLR3 and RIG-I but not through MDA5. Compared to Poly(I:C), an intratumoral Nexavant treatment led to a unique immune response, immune cell infiltration, and suppression of tumor growth in various animal cancer models. Nexavant therapy outperformed anti-PD-1 antibody treatment in all the tested models and showed a synergistic effect in combinational therapy, especially in well-defined cold tumor models. The effect was similar to that of nivolumab in a humanized mouse model. Intranasal instillation of Nexavant led to the recruitment of immune cells (NK, CD4+ T, and CD8+ T) to the lungs, suppressing lung metastasis and improving animal survival. Our study highlighted Nexavant’s defined nature for clinical use and unique signaling pathways and its potential as a standalone anti-cancer agent or in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies

Trichosanthes kirilowii

Trichosanthes kirilowii tuber is a traditional medicine which exhibits various medicinal effects including antidiabetic and anticancer activities in several cancer cells. Recently, it was reported that Cucurbitacin D (CuD) isolated from Trichosanthes kirilowii also induces apoptosis in several cancer cells. Constitutive signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which is an oncogenic transcription factor, is often observed in many human malignant tumor, including breast cancer. In the present study, we tested whether Trichosanthes kirilowii ethanol extract (TKE) or CuD suppresses cell growth and induces apoptosis through inhibition of STAT3 activity in breast cancer cells. We found that both TKE and CuD suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells by inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation. In addition, both TKE and CuD inhibited nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity of STAT3. Taken together, our results indicate that TKE and its derived compound, CuD, could be potent therapeutic agents for breast cancer, blocking tumor cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis through suppression of STAT3 activity