Does International Trade Synchronize Business Cycles?

This paper studies the relationship between international trade and output fluctuations. The authors find evidence that the business cycles of countries that are more open to international trade are more likely to by synchronized with the business cycles of their major trading partners. A detailed study of the South Korean case shows that while business cycles are related to openness, the diversification of export destinations seems to weaken these links. The authors find no relationship between openness and output volatility.Coherence; Volatility; Business Cycles; Time Series

A continuous model for microtubule dynamics with catastrophe, rescue and nucleation processes

Microtubules are a major component of the cytoskeleton distinguished by highly dynamic behavior both in vitro and in vivo. We propose a general mathematical model that accounts for the growth, catastrophe, rescue and nucleation processes in the polymerization of microtubules from tubulin dimers. Our model is an extension of various mathematical models developed earlier formulated in order to capture and unify the various aspects of tubulin polymerization including the dynamic instability, growth of microtubules to saturation, time-localized periods of nucleation and depolymerization as well as synchronized oscillations exhibited by microtubules under various experimental conditions. Our model, while attempting to use a minimal number of adjustable parameters, covers a broad range of behaviors and has predictive features discussed in the paper. We have analyzed the resultant behaviors of the microtubules changing each of the parameter values at a time and observing the emergence of various dynamical regimes.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figure

Modeling transcription factor binding events to DNA using a random walker/jumper representation on a 1D/2D lattice with different affinity sites

Surviving in a diverse environment requires corresponding organism responses. At the cellular level, such adjustment relies on the transcription factors (TFs) which must rapidly find their target sequences amidst a vast amount of non-relevant sequences on DNA molecules. Whether these transcription factors locate their target sites through a 1D or 3D pathway is still a matter of speculation. It has been suggested that the optimum search time is when the protein equally shares its search time between 1D and 3D diffusions. In this paper, we study the above problem using a Monte Carlo simulation by considering a very simple physical model. A 1D strip, representing a DNA, with a number of low affinity sites, corresponding to non-target sites, and high affinity sites, corresponding to target sites, is considered and later extended to a 2D strip. We study the 1D and 3D exploration pathways, and combinations of the two modes by considering three different types of molecules: a walker that randomly walks along the strip with no dissociation; a jumper that represents dissociation and then re-association of a TF with the strip at later time at a distant site; and a hopper that is similar to the jumper but it dissociates and then re-associates at a faster rate than the jumper. We analyze the final probability distribution of molecules for each case and find that TFs can locate their targets fast enough even if they spend 15% of their search time diffusing freely in the solution. This indeed agrees with recent experimental results obtained by Elf et al. 2007 and is in contrast with theoretical expectation.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figure

Dietary amino acids impact sperm performance traits for a catadromous fish, Anguilla anguilla reared in captivity

Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modifications of the content of this paper are prohibited.[EN] Little is known about the role of dietary amino acids on male reproductive performance and gamete quality in fishes. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate how "enhanced" feeds (EH-4, EH-5, EH-6), with modified amino acid composition, and the standard on-growing diet (DAN-EX) impact body composition, milt biochemistry, and sperm performance in male European eel, Anguilla anguilla. The fatty acid composition of EH4, EH-5, and EH-6 was similar but differed to that in DAN-EX, while amino acid composition varied between all four diets. Diet did not influence organ-somatic indices (e.g. HSI, GSI), while males fed EH-4 were heavier than other groups. Arginine, alanine, and lysine were the most abundant amino acids in milt (>11%), followed by glycine, aspartic acid, valine, glutamic acid, and leucine ( >5.66%). Diet impacted milt arginine, serine, proline, methionine, and histidine levels. Specifically, males fed DAN-EX, EH-4, and EH-5 had the highest percentages of arginine, while males fed EH-4 to EH-6 had higher percentages of serine. Proline was most abundant in males fed DAN-EX, EH-5, and EH-6. Both methionine and histidine were detected at low percentages ( 0.5 mL) for fertilization procedures. Spermatocrit (43.1 +/- 1.80%) did not differ between the diets (ranged from 37.57 to 47.21%). Dietary regime had an impact on sperm motility, such that eels fed EH-5 and EH-6 had the greatest percentage of motile cells. In addition, fish fed EH-5 and EH-6 (or DAN-EX) had the fastest swimming sperm. Spermatogenic maturity index of hormonally treated eels varied within groups but did not differ between dietary treatment groups after 9 weeks of injections (ranged from 0.54 to 0.80). The most interesting amino acids to scrutinize from PCA plots were proline, histidine, and valine as well as lysine and arginine. Here, eels with highly motile sperm had milt with high relative proportions of proline, histidine, and valine, but were particularly low in lysine and arginine. Together, our findings add evidence that certain amino acids regulate milt biochemistry, and that male ejaculate traits may be promoted by amino acid intake. Further studies to evaluate effects of supplemented amino acid diets on fertilization ability and inter-linked early developmental stages are required.This study was funded by the Innovation Fund Denmark under grant agreements no. 5184-00093B (EEL-HATCH) and 7076-00125B (ITSEEL). Butts IAE, was also supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project 1013854. Gallego V has a post-doc grant from the MICIU (Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion; IJCI-201734200).Butts, IAE.; Hilmarsdóttir, GS.; Zadmajid, V.; Gallego Albiach, V.; Stottrup, JG.; Jacobsen, C.; Krüger-Johnsen, M.... (2020). Dietary amino acids impact sperm performance traits for a catadromous fish, Anguilla anguilla reared in captivity. Aquaculture. 518:1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2019.734602112518Abd-Elrazek, A. M., & Ahmed-Farid, O. A. H. (2017). Protective effect of L-carnitine and L-arginine against busulfan-induced oligospermia in adult rat. Andrologia, 50(1), e12806. doi:10.1111/and.12806Akiyama, T., Shiraishi, M., Yamamoto, T., & Unuma, T. (1996). Effect of Dietary Tryptophan on Maturation of Ayu Plecoglossus altivelis. Fisheries science, 62(5), 776-782. doi:10.2331/fishsci.62.776Alavi, S. M. H., Pšenička, M., Policar, T., Rodina, M., Hamáčková, J., Kozák, P., & Linhart, O. (2009). Sperm quality in male Barbus barbus L. fed different diets during the spawning season. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 35(4), 683-693. doi:10.1007/s10695-009-9325-7Asturiano, J. F., Sorbera, L. A., Carrillo, M., Zanuy, S., Ramos, J., Navarro, J. C., & Bromage, N. (2001). Reproductive performance in male European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, L.) fed two PUFA-enriched experimental diets: a comparison with males fed a wet diet. Aquaculture, 194(1-2), 173-190. doi:10.1016/s0044-8486(00)00515-9Asturiano, J. F., Perez, L., Garzon, D. L., Penaranda, D. S., Marco-Jimenez, F., Martinez-Llorens, S., … Jover, M. (2005). Effect of different methods for the induction of spermiation on semen quality in European eel. Aquaculture Research, 36(15), 1480-1487. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2109.2005.01366.xBaeza, R., Mazzeo, I., Vílchez, M. C., Gallego, V., Peñaranda, D. S., Pérez, L., & Asturiano, J. F. (2014). Effect of thermal regime on fatty acid dynamics in male European eels (Anguilla anguilla) during hormonally-induced spermatogenesis. Aquaculture, 430, 86-97. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2014.03.045Baeza, R., Mazzeo, I., Vílchez, M. C., Gallego, V., Peñaranda, D. S., Pérez, L., & Asturiano, J. F. (2015). Relationship between sperm quality parameters and the fatty acid composition of the muscle, liver and testis of European eel. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 181, 79-86. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.11.022Baeza, R., Peñaranda, D. S., Vílchez, M. C., Tveiten, H., Pérez, L., & Asturiano, J. F. (2015). Exploring correlations between sex steroids and fatty acids and their potential roles in the induced maturation of the male European eel. Aquaculture, 435, 328-335. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2014.10.016Bahadorani, M., Tavalaee, M., Abedpoor, N., Ghaedi, K., Nazem, M. N., & Nasr-Esfahani, M. H. (2018). Effects of branched-chain amino acid supplementation and/or aerobic exercise on mouse sperm quality and testosterone production. Andrologia, 51(2), e13183. doi:10.1111/and.13183Beirão, J., Soares, F., Pousão-Ferreira, P., Diogo, P., Dias, J., Dinis, M. T., … Cabrita, E. (2015). The effect of enriched diets on Solea senegalensis sperm quality. Aquaculture, 435, 187-194. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2014.09.025Benini, E., Politis, S. N., Kottmann, J. S., Butts, I. A. E., Sørensen, S. R., & Tomkiewicz, J. (2018). Effect of parental origin on early life history traits of European eel. Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 53(5), 1149-1158. doi:10.1111/rda.13219Barman, A. S., Kumar, P., Mariahabib, Lal, K. K., & Lal, B. (2013). Role of nitric oxide in motility and fertilizing ability of sperm of Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch.). Animal Reproduction Science, 137(1-2), 119-127. doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2012.12.001Bromage, N., Jones, J., Randall, C., Thrush, M., Davies, B., Springate, J., … Barker, G. (1992). Broodstock management, fecundity, egg quality and the timing of egg production in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Aquaculture, 100(1-3), 141-166. doi:10.1016/0044-8486(92)90355-oBuentello, J. A., & Gatlin, D. M. (2001). Effects of Elevated Dietary Arginine on Resistance of Channel Catfish to Exposure toEdwardsiella ictaluri. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health, 13(3), 194-201. doi:10.1577/1548-8667(2001)0132.0.co;2Butts, I. A. E., Baeza, R., Støttrup, J. G., Krüger-Johnsen, M., Jacobsen, C., Pérez, L., … Tomkiewicz, J. (2015). Impact of dietary fatty acids on muscle composition, liver lipids, milt composition and sperm performance in European eel. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 183, 87-96. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2015.01.015Cabrita, E., Ma, S., Diogo, P., Martínez-Páramo, S., Sarasquete, C., & Dinis, M. T. (2011). The influence of certain aminoacids and vitamins on post-thaw fish sperm motility, viability and DNA fragmentation. Animal Reproduction Science, 125(1-4), 189-195. doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2011.03.003Cabrita, E., Martínez-Páramo, S., Gavaia, P. J., Riesco, M. F., Valcarce, D. G., Sarasquete, C., … Robles, V. (2014). Factors enhancing fish sperm quality and emerging tools for sperm analysis. Aquaculture, 432, 389-401. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2014.04.034Ciereszko, A., Piros, B., Dabrowski, K., Kucharczyk, D., Luczynski, M. J., Dobosz, S., & Glogowski, J. (1998). Serine proteinase inhibitors of seminal plasma of teleost fish: distribution of activity, electrophoretic profiles and relation to proteinase inhibitors of blood. Journal of Fish Biology, 53(6), 1292-1305. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1998.tb00249.xDabrowski, K., Luczynski, M., & Rusiecki, M. (1985). Free amino acids in the late embryogenesis and pre-hatching stage of two coregonid fishes. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 13(3), 349-356. doi:10.1016/0305-1978(85)90048-1Da Silva, F. F. G., Støttrup, J. G., Kjørsvik, E., Tveiten, H., & Tomkiewicz, J. (2016). Interactive effects of dietary composition and hormonal treatment on reproductive development of cultured female European eel, Anguilla anguilla. Animal Reproduction Science, 171, 17-26. doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2016.05.007F.G. da Silva, F., Jacobsen, C., Kjørsvik, E., G. Støttrup, J., & Tomkiewicz, J. (2018). Oocyte and egg quality indicators in European eel: Lipid droplet coalescence and fatty acid composition. Aquaculture, 496, 30-38. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2018.07.008Diemer, O., Bittencourt, F., Barcellos, L. G., Boscolo, W. R., Feiden, A., & Romagosa, E. (2014). Lysine in the diet of Rhamdia voulezi male broodstocks confined in net cages. Aquaculture, 434, 93-99. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2014.07.029Dong, H.-J., Wu, D., Xu, S.-Y., Li, Q., Fang, Z.-F., Che, L.-Q., … Lin, Y. (2016). Effect of dietary supplementation with amino acids on boar sperm quality and fertility. Animal Reproduction Science, 172, 182-189. doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2016.08.003Dzyuba, V., & Cosson, J. (2014). Motility of fish spermatozoa: from external signaling to flagella response. Reproductive Biology, 14(3), 165-175. doi:10.1016/j.repbio.2013.12.005Finn, R. N., & Fyhn, H. J. (2010). Requirement for amino acids in ontogeny of fish. Aquaculture Research, 41(5), 684-716. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2109.2009.02220.xForster, I., & Ogata, H. Y. (1998). Lysine requirement of juvenile Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus and juvenile red sea bream Pagrus major. Aquaculture, 161(1-4), 131-142. doi:10.1016/s0044-8486(97)00263-9Gallego, V., Mazzeo, I., Vílchez, M. C., Peñaranda, D. S., Carneiro, P. C. F., Pérez, L., & Asturiano, J. F. (2012). Study of the effects of thermal regime and alternative hormonal treatments on the reproductive performance of European eel males (Anguilla anguilla) during induced sexual maturation. Aquaculture, 354-355, 7-16. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2012.04.041Gallego, V., & Asturiano, J. F. (2018). Sperm motility in fish: technical applications and perspectives through CASA-Mot systems. Reproduction, Fertility and Development, 30(6), 820. doi:10.1071/rd17460Gallego, V., & Asturiano, J. F. (2018). Fish sperm motility assessment as a tool for aquaculture research: a historical approach. Reviews in Aquaculture, 11(3), 697-724. doi:10.1111/raq.12253He, S., & Woods III, L. . (2003). Effects of glycine and alanine on short-term storage and cryopreservation of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) spermatozoa. Cryobiology, 46(1), 17-25. doi:10.1016/s0011-2240(02)00159-1Heinsbroek, L. T. N., Støttrup, J. G., Jacobsen, C., Corraze, G., Kraiem, M. M., Holst, L. K., … Kaushik, S. J. (2013). A review on broodstock nutrition of marine pelagic spawners: the curious case of the freshwater eels (Anguillaspp.). Aquaculture Nutrition, 19, 1-24. doi:10.1111/anu.12091Higuchi, M., Celino, F. T., Tamai, A., Miura, C., & Miura, T. (2011). The synthesis and role of taurine in the Japanese eel testis. Amino Acids, 43(2), 773-781. doi:10.1007/s00726-011-1128-3Izquierdo, M. ., Fernández-Palacios, H., & Tacon, A. G. . (2001). Effect of broodstock nutrition on reproductive performance of fish. Aquaculture, 197(1-4), 25-42. doi:10.1016/s0044-8486(01)00581-6Jobgen, W. S., Fried, S. K., Fu, W. J., Meininger, C. J., & Wu, G. (2006). Regulatory role for the arginine–nitric oxide pathway in metabolism of energy substrates. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 17(9), 571-588. doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2005.12.001Kaushik, S. J., Fauconneau, B., Terrier, L., & Gras, J. (1988). Arginine requirement and status assessed by different biochemical indices in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri R.). Aquaculture, 70(1-2), 75-95. doi:10.1016/0044-8486(88)90008-7Kawabata, K., Tsubaki, K., Tazaki, T., & Ikeda, S. (1992). Sexual Behavior Induced by Amino Acids in the Rose Bitterling Rhodeus ocellatus ocellatus. NIPPON SUISAN GAKKAISHI, 58(5), 839-844. doi:10.2331/suisan.58.839Keller, D. W., & Polakoski, K. L. (1975). L-Arginine Stimulation of Human Sperm Motility in vitro. Biology of Reproduction, 13(2), 154-157. doi:10.1095/biolreprod13.2.154Kjørsvik, E., Hoehne-Reitan, K., & Reitan, K. I. (2003). Egg and larval quality criteria as predictive measures for juvenile production in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.). Aquaculture, 227(1-4), 9-20. doi:10.1016/s0044-8486(03)00492-7Kwasek, K., Dabrowski, K., Nynca, J., Takata, R., Wojno, M., & Wick, M. (2014). The Influence of Dietary Lysine on Yellow Perch Female Reproductive Performance and the Quality of Eggs. North American Journal of Aquaculture, 76(4), 351-358. doi:10.1080/15222055.2014.911223Kwasek, K., Dabrowski, K., Nynca, J., Wojno, M., & Wick, M. (2014). The Influence of Dietary Lysine on Yellow Perch Maturation and the Quality of Sperm. North American Journal of Aquaculture, 76(2), 119-126. doi:10.1080/15222055.2013.856826Labbe, C., Maisse, G., Müller, K., Zachowski, A., Kaushik, S., & Loir, M. (1995). Thermal acclimation and dietary lipids alter the composition, but not fluidity, of trout sperm plasma membrane. Lipids, 30(1), 23-33. doi:10.1007/bf02537038Lahnsteiner, F., Patzner, R. A., & Welsmann, T. (1993). The spermatic ducts of salmonid fishes (Salmonidae, Teleostei). Morphology, histochemistry and composition of the secretion. Journal of Fish Biology, 42(1), 79-93. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1993.tb00307.xLahnsteiner, F. (2009). The role of free amino acids in semen of rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykissand carpCyprinus carpio. Journal of Fish Biology, 75(4), 816-833. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02317.xLahnsteiner, F., Mansour, N., McNiven, M. A., & Richardson, G. F. (2009). Fatty acids of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) semen: Composition and effects on sperm functionality. Aquaculture, 298(1-2), 118-124. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2009.08.034Lahnsteiner, F. (2010). A comparative study on the composition and importance of free amino acids in semen of gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata, and perch, Perca fluviatilis. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 36(4), 1297-1305. doi:10.1007/s10695-010-9442-3Li, P., Mai, K., Trushenski, J., & Wu, G. (2008). New developments in fish amino acid nutrition: towards functional and environmentally oriented aquafeeds. Amino Acids, 37(1), 43-53. doi:10.1007/s00726-008-0171-1Mai, K., Lu Zhang, Ai, Q., Duan, Q., Zhang, C., Li, H., … Liufu, Z. (2006). Dietary lysine requirement of juvenile Japanese seabass, Lateolabrax japonicus. Aquaculture, 258(1-4), 535-542. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2006.04.043Mansour, N., McNiven, M. A., & Richardson, G. F. (2006). The effect of dietary supplementation with blueberry, α-tocopherol or astaxanthin on oxidative stability of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) semen. Theriogenology, 66(2), 373-382. doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2005.12.002Martinage, A., Gusse, M., Bélaïche, D., Sautière, P., & Chevaillier, P. (1985). Amino acid sequence of a cysteine-rich, arginine-rich sperm protamine of the dog-fish Scylliorhinus caniculus. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Protein Structure and Molecular Enzymology, 831(2), 172-178. doi:10.1016/0167-4838(85)90032-9MATSUNARI, H., HAMADA, K., MUSHIAKE, K., & TAKEUCHI, T. (2006). Effects of taurine levels in broodstock diet on reproductive performance of yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata. Fisheries Science, 72(5), 955-960. doi:10.1111/j.1444-2906.2006.01243.xMozanzadeh, M. T., Yaghoubi, M., Marammazi, J. G., Safari, O., & Gisbert, E. (2018). Effects of dietary protein and essential amino acid deficiencies on growth, body composition, and digestive enzyme activities of silvery-black porgy (Sparidentex hasta). International Aquatic Research, 10(1), 45-55. doi:10.1007/s40071-017-0187-9Mylonas, C. C., Duncan, N. J., & Asturiano, J. F. (2017). Hormonal manipulations for the enhancement of sperm production in cultured fish and evaluation of sperm quality. Aquaculture, 472, 21-44. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2016.04.021Nandi, S., Routray, P., Gupta, S. D., Rath, S. C., Dasgupta, S., Meher, P. K., & Mukhopadhyay, P. K. (2007). Reproductive performance of carp, Catla catla (Ham.), reared on a formulated diet with PUFA supplementation. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 23(6), 684-691. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0426.2007.00874.xPatel, A. B., Srivastava, S., Phadke, R. S., & Govil, G. (1998). Arginine Activates Glycolysis of Goat Epididymal Spermatozoa: An NMR Study. Biophysical Journal, 75(3), 1522-1528. doi:10.1016/s0006-3495(98)74071-8Peñaranda, D. S., Pérez, L., Gallego, V., Jover, M., Tveiten, H., Baloche, S., … Asturiano, J. F. (2010). Molecular and physiological study of the artificial maturation process in European eel males: From brain to testis. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 166(1), 160-171. doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2009.08.006Poupard, G. P., Paxion, C., Cosson, J., Jeulin, C., Fierville, F., & Billard, R. (1998). Initiation of carp spermatozoa motility and early ATP reduction after milt contamination by urine. Aquaculture, 160(3-4), 317-328. doi:10.1016/s0044-8486(97)00301-3Perez, L., Aturiano, J. F., Tomas, A., Zegrari, S., Barrera, R., Espinos, F. J., … Jover, M. (2000). Induction of maturation and spermiation in the male European eel: assessment of sperm quality throughout treatment. Journal of Fish Biology, 57(6), 1488-1504. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2000.tb02227.xPolitis, S. N., Mazurais, D., Servili, A., Zambonino-Infante, J.-L., Miest, J. J., Sørensen, S. R., … Butts, I. A. E. (2017). Temperature effects on gene expression and morphological development of European eel, Anguilla anguilla larvae. PLOS ONE, 12(8), e0182726. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182726Politis, S. N., Mazurais, D., Servili, A., Zambonino-Infante, J.-L., Miest, J. J., Tomkiewicz, J., & Butts, I. A. E. (2018). Salinity reduction benefits European eel larvae: Insights at the morphological and molecular level. PLOS ONE, 13(6), e0198294. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0198294Politis, S. N., Servili, A., Mazurais, D., Zambonino-Infante, J.-L., Miest, J. J., Tomkiewicz, J., & Butts, I. A. E. (2018). Temperature induced variation in gene expression of thyroid hormone receptors and deiodinases of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) larvae. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 259, 54-65. doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.11.003Politis, S. N., Sørensen, S. R., Mazurais, D., Servili, A., Zambonino-Infante, J.-L., Miest, J. J., … Butts, I. A. E. (2018). Molecular Ontogeny of First-Feeding European Eel Larvae. Frontiers in Physiology, 9. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.01477Pourkhazaei, F., Ebrahimi, E., & Ghaedi, A. (2016). Arginine effects on biochemical composition of sperm in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Aquaculture Research, 48(7), 3464-3471. doi:10.1111/are.13172R�nnestad, I., Fyhn, H. J., & Gravningen, K. (1992). The importance of free amino acids to the energy metabolism of eggs and larvae of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus). Marine Biology, 114(4), 517-525. doi:10.1007/bf00357249Ruchimat, T., Masumoto, T., Hosokawa, H., Itoh, Y., & Shimeno, S. (1997). Quantitative lysine requirement of yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata). Aquaculture, 158(3-4), 331-339. doi:10.1016/s0044-8486(97)00215-9Rurangwa, E., Kime, D. ., Ollevier, F., & Nash, J. . (2004). The measurement of sperm motility and factors affecting sperm quality in cultured fish. Aquaculture, 234(1-4), 1-28. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2003.12.006Safafar, H., Hass, M., Møller, P., Holdt, S., & Jacobsen, C. (2016). High-EPA Biomass from Nannochloropsis salina Cultivated in a Flat-Panel Photo-Bioreactor on a Process Water-Enriched Growth Medium. Marine Drugs, 14(8), 144. doi:10.3390/md14080144Sangeeta, S., Arangasamy, A., Kulkarni, S., & Selvaraju, S. (2015). Role of amino acids as additives on sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity and lipid peroxidation levels at pre-freeze and post-thawed ram semen. Animal Reproduction Science, 161, 82-88. doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2015.08.008Silva, J. V., Freitas, M. J., Correia, B. R., Korrodi-Gregório, L., Patrício, A., Pelech, S., & Fardilha, M. (2015). Profiling signaling proteins in human spermatozoa: biomarker identification for sperm quality evaluation. Fertility and Sterility, 104(4), 845-856.e8. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.06.039Sørensen, S., Gallego, V., Pérez, L., Butts, I., Tomkiewicz, J., & Asturiano, J. (2013). Evaluation of Methods to Determine Sperm Density for the European eel,Anguilla anguilla. Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 48(6), 936-944. doi:10.1111/rda.12189Støttrup, J. G., Jacobsen, C., Tomkiewicz, J., & Jarlbaek, H. (2012). Modification of essential fatty acid composition in broodstock of cultured European eelAnguilla anguillaL. Aquaculture Nutrition, 19(2), 172-185. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2095.2012.00967.xStøttrup, J. G., Tomkiewicz, J., Jacobsen, C., Butts, I. A. E., Holst, L. K., Krüger-Johnsen, M., … Kaushik, S. (2015). Development of a broodstock diet to improve developmental competence of embryos in European eel,Anguilla anguilla. Aquaculture Nutrition, 22(4), 725-737. doi:10.1111/anu.12299Dayal, J. S., Ahamad Ali, S., Thirunavukkarasu, A. R., Kailasam, M., & Subburaj, R. (2003). Nutrient an

Paraneoplastic thrombocytosis in ovarian cancer

<p>Background: The mechanisms of paraneoplastic thrombocytosis in ovarian cancer and the role that platelets play in abetting cancer growth are unclear.</p> <p>Methods: We analyzed clinical data on 619 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer to test associations between platelet counts and disease outcome. Human samples and mouse models of epithelial ovarian cancer were used to explore the underlying mechanisms of paraneoplastic thrombocytosis. The effects of platelets on tumor growth and angiogenesis were ascertained.</p> <p>Results: Thrombocytosis was significantly associated with advanced disease and shortened survival. Plasma levels of thrombopoietin and interleukin-6 were significantly elevated in patients who had thrombocytosis as compared with those who did not. In mouse models, increased hepatic thrombopoietin synthesis in response to tumor-derived interleukin-6 was an underlying mechanism of paraneoplastic thrombocytosis. Tumorderived interleukin-6 and hepatic thrombopoietin were also linked to thrombocytosis in patients. Silencing thrombopoietin and interleukin-6 abrogated thrombocytosis in tumor-bearing mice. Anti–interleukin-6 antibody treatment significantly reduced platelet counts in tumor-bearing mice and in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. In addition, neutralizing interleukin-6 significantly enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel in mouse models of epithelial ovarian cancer. The use of an antiplatelet antibody to halve platelet counts in tumor-bearing mice significantly reduced tumor growth and angiogenesis.</p> <p>Conclusions: These findings support the existence of a paracrine circuit wherein increased production of thrombopoietic cytokines in tumor and host tissue leads to paraneoplastic thrombocytosis, which fuels tumor growth. We speculate that countering paraneoplastic thrombocytosis either directly or indirectly by targeting these cytokines may have therapeutic potential. </p&gt

Boundary Conditions for Elastohydrodynamics of Circular Point Contacts

The paper presents the solution of an elastohydrodynamic point contact condition using inlet and outlet lubricant entrainment with partial counter-flow. The inlet and outlet boundaries are determined using potential flow analysis for the pure rolling of contiguous surfaces. This shows that Swift–Stieber boundary conditions best conform to the observed partial counter-flow at the inlet conjunction, satisfying the compatibility condition. For the outlet region, the same is true when Prandtl–Hopkins boundary conditions are employed. Using these boundary conditions, the predictions conform closely to the measured pressure distribution using a deposited pressure-sensitive micro-transducer in a ball-to-flat race contact. Furthermore, the predicted conjunctional shape closely conforms to the often observed characteristic keyhole conjunction through optical interferometry. The combined numerical–experimental analysis with realistic boundary conditions described here has not hitherto been reported in the literature

A Survey of Air-to-Ground Propagation Channel Modeling for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), particularly for small UAVs, due to their affordable prices, ease of availability, and ease of operability. Existing and future applications of UAVs include remote surveillance and monitoring, relief operations, package delivery, and communication backhaul infrastructure. Additionally, UAVs are envisioned as an important component of 5G wireless technology and beyond. The unique application scenarios for UAVs necessitate accurate air-to-ground (AG) propagation channel models for designing and evaluating UAV communication links for control/non-payload as well as payload data transmissions. These AG propagation models have not been investigated in detail when compared to terrestrial propagation models. In this paper, a comprehensive survey is provided on available AG channel measurement campaigns, large and small scale fading channel models, their limitations, and future research directions for UAV communication scenarios

A family presenting with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B: A case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Multiple endocrine neoplasia 2B, a rare autosomal dominant syndrome, is characterized by early onset of medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma, marfanoid habitus and mucosal neuromas of the tongue, lips, inner cheeks and inner eyelids. Gangliomatosis of the gastrointestinal tract and its complications may also occur in patients with this disease.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present the case of a 16-year-old Persian man diagnosed as having a non-invasive form of multiple endocrine neoplasia 2B (medullary thyroid cancer, mucosal neuroma of the tongue, lips and inner eyelids). Our patient, who had a positive family history of medullary thyroid cancer, was of normal height with no signs of marfanoid habitus.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Ophthalmological and oral manifestations of multiple endocrine neoplasia 2B, as in the case of our patient, are rare presentations of the disease; unfortunately in the case of our patient his condition had not been noted and acted upon until he presented to our department. The diagnosis in our patient's case was made only after his mother presented with the same condition. As a result, we emphasize that physicians should pay more attention to the oral and ocular signs of multiple endocrine neoplasia 2B in order to diagnose this fatal syndrome at an earlier phase.</p

Generation and characterisation of Friedreich ataxia YG8R mouse fibroblast and neural stem cell models

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Background: Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease caused by GAA repeat expansion in the first intron of the FXN gene, which encodes frataxin, an essential mitochondrial protein. To further characterise the molecular abnormalities associated with FRDA pathogenesis and to hasten drug screening, the development and use of animal and cellular models is considered essential. Studies of lower organisms have already contributed to understanding FRDA disease pathology, but mammalian cells are more related to FRDA patient cells in physiological terms. Methodology/Principal Findings: We have generated fibroblast cells and neural stem cells (NSCs) from control Y47R mice (9 GAA repeats) and GAA repeat expansion YG8R mice (190+120 GAA repeats). We then differentiated the NSCs in to neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes as confirmed by immunocytochemical analysis of cell specific markers. The three YG8R mouse cell types (fibroblasts, NSCs and differentiated NSCs) exhibit GAA repeat stability, together with reduced expression of frataxin and reduced aconitase activity compared to control Y47R cells. Furthermore, YG8R cells also show increased sensitivity to oxidative stress and downregulation of Pgc-1α and antioxidant gene expression levels, especially Sod2. We also analysed various DNA mismatch repair (MMR) gene expression levels and found that YG8R cells displayed significant reduction in expression of several MMR genes, which may contribute to the GAA repeat stability. Conclusions/Significance: We describe the first fibroblast and NSC models from YG8R FRDA mice and we confirm that the NSCs can be differentiated into neurons and glia. These novel FRDA mouse cell models, which exhibit a FRDA-like cellular and molecular phenotype, will be valuable resources to further study FRDA molecular pathogenesis. They will also provide very useful tools for preclinical testing of frataxin-increasing compounds for FRDA drug therapy, for gene therapy, and as a source of cells for cell therapy testing in FRDA mice. © 2014 Sandi et al