Expression of C-terminal deleted p53 isoforms in neuroblastoma

The tumor suppressor gene, p53, is rarely mutated in neuroblastomas (NB) at the time of diagnosis, but its dysfunction could result from a nonfunctional conformation or cytoplasmic sequestration of the wild-type p53 protein. However, p53 mutation, when it occurs, is found in NB tumors with drug resistance acquired over the course of chemotherapy. As yet, no study has been devoted to the function of the specific p53 mutants identified in NB cells. This study includes characterization and functional analysis of p53 expressed in eight cell lines: three wild-type cell lines and five cell lines harboring mutations. We identified two transcription-inactive p53 variants truncated in the C-terminus, one of which corresponded to the p53β isoform recently identified in normal tissue by Bourdon et al. [J. C. Bourdon, K. Fernandes, F. Murray-Zmijewski, G. Liu, A. Diot, D. P. Xirodimas, M. K. Saville and D. P. Lane (2005) Genes Dev., 19, 2122–2137]. Our results show, for the first time, that the p53β isoform is the only p53 species to be endogenously expressed in the human NB cell line SK-N-AS, suggesting that the C-terminus truncated p53 isoforms may play an important role in NB tumor development

Taphonomic signature of Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) on fish remains

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Magdalenian fishing: difficulty to identify a highly suspected behaviour

International audienc

Is vertebral form a valid species-specific indicator for salmonids? The discrimination rate of trout and Atlantic salmon from archaeological to modern times

International audienc

Was Neanderthal a fisherman?

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Magdalenian fishing: difficulty to identify a highly suspected behaviour

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Analyses sclérochronologiques d’écailles archéologiques d’ombres commun Thymallus thymallus et inférences sur la pêche paléolithique au Taillis des Coteaux (Vienne, France)

Lors des fouilles archéologiques du Taillis des Coteaux, plus de 791 écailles ont été mises au jour dans une zone attribuée chronologiquement au Magdalénien inférieur. L’origine (animale ou anthropique) des accumulations de poissons dans les sites archéologiques est souvent méconnue. L’application de la sclérochronologie à l’étude de ces restes nous permet non seulement d’avoir une estimation de l’âge du poisson, mais aussi de préciser la période de capture. La connaissance de la saison de mort des individus est un bon indicateur des activités humaines et/ou d’autres prédateurs (carnivores, oiseaux). La majorité des écailles est attribuable aux salmonidae. Parmi les espèces identifiées, seul l’ombre commun Thymallus thymallus (L., 1758) est bien représenté. Ses écailles sont les mieux préservées et ont permis de tester sur un échantillon (n=50) l’interprétation des marques de croissance de périodicité annuelle. Une collection de référence actuelle (France, Suisse, Finlande) a été créée afin d’estimer le rythme de croissance de cette espèce et d’établir un modèle de référence pour comparer la croissance globale des ombres archéologiques. Notre protocole repose sur une série de mesures standardisées allant du foyer (ou focus) au bord externe de l’écaille, en passant par les différents annulii. L’estimation des âges de nos individus archéologiques a aussi été réalisée. Les résultats de l’étude nous ont permis de comparer la croissance des spécimens archéologiques avec celles de nos spécimens actuels et de mettre en évidence que la croissance des poissons du Magdalénien inférieur est très comparable à celle des poissons actuels peuplant la France et la Suisse. De plus, la période « estivale » constitue une saison préférentielle de capture pour les ombres communs au Magdalénien inférieur

Was Neanderthal a fisherman?

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Taphonomy of Yellow-legged Gull ( Larus michahellis ) pellets from the Chafarinas islands (Spain)

International audienceFish are consumed by many predators in addition to humans. Identifying the agent responsible for an archaeological fish bone accumulation is a crucial yet far from straightforward task in the absence of diagnostic criteria. It is for this reason that exploring the features of fish bone collections produced by animals constitutes a key issue of archaeozoological research. In this paper, one such study is presented for the Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis J.F. Naumann, 1840). A total of 48 pellets were collected in a colony of the species on two islands of the Chafarinas archipelago (Mediterranean Sea). The analyses demonstrate that fish remains, represented by 13 species and 1 genus, made up 93% of the 2789 identified remains. Most assemblages were dominated by the European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792)). Our study indicates that digestive processes modify skeletal elements through abrasion and fragmentation. Based on the modifications that were recorded, a set of diagnostic criteria is proposed to serve as proxies for spotting fish bone deposits produced by Yellow-legged Gulls on archaeological assemblages

NPJ Microgravity

This study investigates the impact of gravity on lower limb muscle coordination during pedaling. It explores how pedaling behaviors, kinematics, and muscle activation patterns dynamically adapts to changes in gravity and resistance levels. The experiment was conducted in parabolic flights, simulating microgravity, hypergravity (1.8 g), and normogravity conditions. Participants pedaled on an ergometer with varying resistances. The goal was to identify potential changes in muscle synergies and activation strategies under different gravitational contexts. Results indicate that pedaling cadence adjusted naturally in response to both gravity and resistance changes. Cadence increased with higher gravity and decreased with higher resistance levels. Muscular activities were characterized by two synergies representing pull and push phases of pedaling. The timing of synergy activation was influenced by gravity, with a delay in activation observed in microgravity compared to other conditions. Despite these changes, the velocity profile of pedaling remained stable across gravity conditions. The findings strongly suggest that the CNS dynamically manages the shift in body weight by finely tuning muscular coordination, thereby ensuring the maintenance of a stable motor output. Furthermore, electromyography analysis suggest that neuromuscular discharge frequencies were not affected by gravity changes. This implies that the types of muscle fibers recruited during exercise in modified gravity are similar to those used in normogravity. This research has contributed to a better understanding of how the human locomotor system responds to varying gravitational conditions, shedding light on the potential mechanisms underlying astronauts' gait changes upon returning from space missions