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Availability of morphologically normal and higher percentage of live spermatozoa throughout the year is highly demanded to fulfilment the demand of dairy cattle. There may be deterioration of semen quality during summer season in crossbred bulls in tropical climatic condition. Therefore the present study was designed to observe the seasonal effect on viability and morphology of spermatozoa in Karan Fries bulls. Five adult healthy bulls (n=5) were selected from Animal Breeding Research Centre (ABRC) of ICAR-NDRI, Karnal, Haryana (India). Six ejaculates from each bull were collected using artificial vagina (42-45 °C) during winter (December to Middle February), spring (Middle February to April), hot-dry (May to June) and hot-humid (July to August) seasons. Immediately of collection, the ejaculates were placed in a water bath (37 °C). Eosin-nigrosin vital stain was used for assessing live, dead and sperm abnormalities. The percentage of live spermatozoa were significantly (p<0.05) lowered during hot humid season and the major abnormalities were significantly (p<005) higher during hot-dry (8.66 ± 0.22 %) and hot-humid (10.74 ± 0.18 %) seasons. It can be concluded that hot-dry and hot-humid seasons are stressful to Karan Fries bulls. Therefore, sufficient measures should be taken to ameliorate the effect of heat stress on Karan Fries bulls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermo-sensitive microgel particles may exert a swelling force inside cells and influence on cell viability due to their volume transition in response to external temperature change. In this study, cross-linked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgel particles with a thermo-responsive volume expansion ability were prepared by precipitation polymerization of NIPAM, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate and acrylic acid. To endow the microgel particles with enhanced cellular uptake and visualization, cell penetrating peptide TAT and fluorescent probe were further covalently immobilized. The cellular uptake, intracellular distribution and thermo-responsive cytotoxicity of the microgel particles were studied by co-culture with lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells. The PNIAPM microgel particles were largely ingested by A549 cells and mainly located in lysosomes. TAT modification enhanced the cellular internalization of particles but did not alter their intracellular distribution. While the PNIPAM microgel particles did not show significant impact on cell viability at 37 °C, they caused cytotoxicity to some extent when being cultured at 25 °C for 4 h. Doxorubicin loaded PNIPAM microgel particles showed the strongest cytotoxicity when being cultured at 25 °C for 4 h, suggesting the combinational effect of intracellular volume expansion and drug release on cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrids have often been labelled evolutionary dead-ends due to their lower fertility and viability. However, there is growing awareness that hybridisation between different species may play a constructive role in animal evolution as a means to create variability. Thus, hybridisation and introgression may contribute to adaptive evolution, for example with regards to natural antagonists (parasites, predators, competitors) and adaptation to local environmental conditions. Here we investigated whether parasite intensity contributes to the continuous recreation of hybrids in 74 natural populations of Melanopsis , a complex of freshwater snails with three species. We also examined, under laboratory conditions, whether hybrids and their parental taxa differ in their tolerance of low and high temperatures and salinity levels. Infections were consistently less prevalent in males than in females, and lower in snails from deeper habitats. Infection prevalence in hybrids was significantly lower than in the parental taxa. Low hybrid infection rates could not be explained by sediment type, snail density or geographic distribution of the sampling sites. Interestingly, infected hybrid snails did not show signs of parasite-induced gigantism, whereas all parental taxa did. We found that hybrids mostly coped with extreme temperatures and salinity levels as well as their parental taxa did. Taken together, our results suggest that Melanopsis hybrids perform better in the presence of parasites and environmental stress. This may explain the widespread and long-term occurrence of Melanopsis hybrids as evidenced by paleontological and biogeographic data. Hybridisation may be an adaptive host strategy, reducing infection rates and resisting gigantism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of freezing technique and thawing protocol on thawed semen viability and fertility were studied. Ejaculates from 5 stallions ( n = 25) were frozen by conventional or a fast-freezing technique. Frozen semen was thawed by two thawing protocols (37 °C 30 s−1 or 75 °C 7 s−1). Thawed semen was evaluated by progressive motility, vigour, morphology and plasma membrane integrity. Mares ( n = 25) were inseminated with 300 ( n = 11) or 150 ( n = 14) million spermatozoa. A greater ( P < 0.05) vigour and progressively motile spermatozoa were detected, respectively, at thawing and after 20 min post-thawing in the fast-freezing technique than in the conventional one. Plasma membrane integrity was also greater ( P < 0.05) in semen frozen with the fast-freezing technique. Semen viability was not affected by thawing protocol. Pregnancy rate using the fast-freezing technique was 76% (19/25), and did not differ ( P > 0.05) between insemination doses. We concluded that the 150 million progressively motile spermatozoa per dose using a deep-horn insemination maximises the use of equine semen. The fast-freezing technique, as compared to the conventional one, efficiently preserves the viability and fertilising capacity of spermatozoa, indicating a new method to improve the fertility of frozen equine semen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fungus, Esteya vermicola has been proposed as biocontrol agent against pine wilting disease caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. In this study, we reported the effects of temperature and different additives on the viability and biocontrol efficacy of E. vermicola formulated by alginate-clay. The viability of the E. vermicola formulation was determined for six consecutive months at temperature ranged from −70 to 25 °C. The fresh conidia without any treatment were used as control. Under the optimal storage conditions with E. vermicola alginate-clay formulation, the results suggested that E. vermicola alginate-clay formulation with a long shelf life could be a non-vacuum-packed formulation that contains 2 % sodium alginate and 5 % clay at 4 °C. Three conidial formulations prepared with additives of 15 % glycerol, 0.5 % yeast extract and 0.5 % herbal extraction, respectively significantly improved the shelf life. In addition, these tested formulations retained the same biocontrol efficacy as the fresh conidial against pinewood nematode. This study provided a tractable and low-cost method to preserve the shelf life of E. vermicola. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Cientifica de la Facultade de Veterinaria is the property of Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

M. tuberculosis constitutes very sophisticated signaling systems that convert the environment signals into appropriate cellular response and helps the bacilli to overcome the onslaught of host defence mechanisms. Although mycobacterial two-component systems and STPKs have gained lot of attention as virulence factors, mycobacterial calcium signaling has not been very well studied. Calcium signaling has been the primary mechanism in eukaryotes for regulation of kinases, however in prokaryotes auto-phosphorylation of number of kinases has been reported. We have previously reported a small calmodulin-like-protein (CAMLP) from M. tuberculosis regulating enzymes of heterogeneous origin. To understand its role in both viability and virulence, we have assessed the effect of reduced expression of CAMLP coding gene Rv1211 on M. tb growth in vitro and ex vivo. Further, we have also studied the expression profile of Rv1211 in various conditions simulating host microenvironments. Our results highlight the possible role of CAMLP in growth and survival of M. tb during infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the viability and practical utility of sectoral and cross-sectoral emission intensity thresholds in enhancing the consistency of individual investment decisions with global climate targets expressed as CO2emission budgets. It compares historic global emission intensity values to levels consistent with climate targets and to current emission intensity levels typical for selected technologies and sectors. The authors discuss the practical application of these indicative portfolio emission intensity thresholds for financial institutions and governments in the context of a global transformation to low-carbon development. In taking the investor's perspective the paper points at a number of critical uncertainties and shortcomings of emission intensity based investment criteria for portfolios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contents The objective of this work was to study cellular types that did not participated in the gastrulation process, amniotic fluid cells ( AFCs) and umbilical cord cells ( UCCs), in conditions of long-term culture and cryopreserved with different solutions. The AFCs and UCCs were used in a comparative study with ear fibroblast cells ( EFCs) that were cultured in vitro until 20 cellular passages and cryopreserved in 10% dimethylsulphoxide ( DMSO), 5% dimethyl formamide ( DMF) and 7% glycerol ( Gly) solutions. The cellular viability, ultrastructure, DNA fragmentation and chromosome stability were evaluated to determine the cellular type most resistant. In all cell types, it was possible to evaluate the AFCs until 15 passages and UCCs until 20 passages with different periods of cellular growth to reach the confluence phase. Solutions containing 10% DMSO ensured viability of 90.33 ± 5.58%, 90.56 ± 4.40% and 81.90 ± 3.31%, respectively for EFCs, AFCs and UCCs, being significantly more efficient and with less variation than other cryoprotectant solutions. The AFCs were more sensitive to cryopreservation and presented low viability rate at the passage 20 (17.2 ± 8.87%). There was no change in karyotype and nuclear fragmentation was low in all cellular passages studied. With the scanning electron analysis was possible the characterization of AFCs and UCCs in suspension. The three cellular types of cells presented different shapes and characteristics on the surface. The results demonstrate that bovine AFCs and UCCs can be isolated, cultured in vitro and cryopreserved in 10% DMSO, not causing damage to DNA and chromosomes. The UCCs were more resistant than AFCs in all aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar radiation in the band of 240-280 nm is absorbed by the ozone layer in the atmosphere, and corona discharges from high-voltage apparatus emit in air mainly in the 230-405 nm range of ultraviolet (UV), so the band of 240-280 nm is called UV Solar Blind Band. When the insulators in a string deteriorate or are contaminated, the voltage distribution along the string will change, which causes the electric fields in the vicinity of insulators change and corona discharge intensifies. An UV pulse detection method to check the conditions of insulators is presented based on detecting the UV pulse among the corona discharge, then it can be confirmed that whether there exist faulty insulators and whether the surface contamination of insulators is severe for the safe operation of power systems. An UV-I Insulator Detector has been developed, and both laboratory tests and field tests have been carried out which demonstrates the practical viability of UV-I Insulator Detector for online monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholesterol has been shown to promote cell proliferation/migration in many cells; however the mechanism(s) have not yet been fully identified. Here we demonstrate that cholesterol increases Ca2+ entry via the TRPM7 channel, which promoted proliferation of prostate cells by inducing the activation of the AKT and/or the ERK pathway. Additionally, cholesterol mediated Ca2+ entry induced calpain activity that showed a decrease in E-cadherin expression, which together could lead to migration of prostate cancer cells. An overexpression of TRPM7 significantly facilitated cholesterol dependent Ca2+ entry, cell proliferation and tumor growth. Whereas, TRPM7 silencing or inhibition of cholesterol synthesis by statin showed a significant decrease in cholesterol-mediated activation of TRPM7, cell proliferation, and migration of prostate cancer cells. Consistent with these results, statin intake was inversely correlated with prostate cancer patients and increase in TRPM7 expression was observed in samples obtained from prostate cancer patients. Altogether, we provide evidence that cholesterol-mediated activation of TRPM7 is important for prostate cancer and have identified that TRPM7 could be essential for initiation and/or progression of prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endocannabinoids are associated with multiple regulatory functions in several tissues. The main endocannabinoids, anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG), have been detected in the gingival crevicular fluid of periodontitis patients, but the association between periodontal disease or human periodontal ligament cells (hPdLCs) and endocannabinoids still remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of AEA and 2-AG on the proliferation/viability and cytokine/chemokine production of hPdLCs in the presence/absence of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P. gingivalis LPS). The proliferation/viability of hPdLCs was measured using 3,4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT)-assay. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) levels were examined at gene expression and protein level by real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. AEA and 2-AG did not reveal any significant effects on proliferation/viability of hPdLCs in the absence of P. gingivalis LPS. However, hPdLCs viability was significantly increased by 10–20 µM AEA in the presence of P. gingivalis LPS (1 µg/ml). In the absence of P. gingivalis LPS, AEA and 2-AG did not exhibit any significant effect on the expression of IL-8 and MCP-1 expression in hPdLCs, whereas IL-6 expression was slightly enhanced by 10 µM 2-AG and not affected by AEA. In P.gingivalis LPS stimulated hPdLCs, 10 µM AEA down-regulated gene-expression and protein production of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1. In contrast, 10 µM 2-AG had an opposite effect and induced a significant up-regulation of gene and protein expression of IL-6 and IL-8 (P<0.05) as well as gene-expression of MCP-1 in P. gingivalis LPS stimulated hPdLCs. Our data suggest that AEA appears to have an anti-inflammatory and immune suppressive effect on hPdLCs’ host response to P.gingivalis LPS, whereas 2-AG appears to promote detrimental inflammatory processes. In conclusion, AEA and 2-AG might play an important role in the modulation of periodontal inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As a methodology for characterizing substances with regard to its viability in direct compression, the SeDeM Diagram Expert System may be considered a new tool in terms of the number of parameters applied and its optimization. The paper is based on the experimental SeDeM characterization study of 51 directly compressible (DC) excipients. After selecting the parameters, and comparing the corresponding results, the choices available within the SeDeM Expert System could be expanded. Through applied variants, the maximum and optimal values of the DC diluent excipient were precisely defined and the mathematical limits of the parameters, functions and parametric indices that define the level of direct compressibility were established. These studies have allowed us to propose a new classification of excipients CD based on its rheological and compressibility capability, resulting in a periodic table of CD excipients. It has been determined that the best excipient for direct compression should have an index of good compression (IGC) of 8.832. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Small pinto bean is a cultivar of Phaseolus vulgaris. It produces a 16-kDa trypsin inhibitor that could be purified using anion exchange and size chromatography. Q-Sepharose, Mono Q and Superdex 75 columns were employed for the isolation process. Small pinto bean trypsin inhibitor demonstrated moderate pH stability (pH 2-10) and marked heat stability, with its trypsin inhibitory activity largely retained after exposure to 100 °C for half an hour. The activity was abolished in the presence of dithiothreitol, in a dose-dependent manner, implying that disulfide bonds in small pinto bean trypsin inhibitor are crucial for the activity. The trypsin inhibitor showed a blocked N-terminus. The trypsin inhibitor only slightly inhibited the viability of breast cancer MCF7 and hepatoma HepG2 cells at 125 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outcome of early small-for-gestational age and/or intrauterine growth-restricted fetuses is reviewed. In these fetuses the outcome appears to be considerably poorer than that of appropriately grown fetuses and this seems mainly to be caused by intrauterine malnutrition rather than by hypoxemia. Active management of intrauterine growth restriction at the limits of viability may not be commenced before 26 weeks of gestation. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid microplate method for the proliferation assay of fungi and the antifungal susceptibility testing using the colorimetric microbial viability assay based on the reduction in a tetrazolium salt 2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2 H-tetrazolium, monosodium salt ( WST-8) with 2-methyl-1,4-napthoquinone as the electron mediator was developed. The proposed method was useful to measure the proliferation of 18 kinds of moulds and seven kinds of yeasts, including representative pathogens such as Aspergillus spp., Candida spp. and Cryptococcus spp. Linear relationships between the absorbance and viable fungal cell density were obtained for all fungi, suggesting that the absorbance change reflected the fungal proliferation. In addition, the minimum inhibitory concentrations ( MICs) against a variety of different pathogenic moulds and yeasts for amphotericin B, itraconazole and 5-flucytosine were determined by susceptibility testing using the proposed method and compared with those obtained using the conventional broth microdilution method. There was an excellent agreement between the results obtained using the WST-8 colorimetric method and those obtained using the conventional Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute method. The WST-8 colorimetric assay is a useful method for rapid determination of accurate MICs for a variety of different fungi. Significance and Impact of the Study A rapid microplate method for the proliferation assay of fungi and the antifungal susceptibility testing using the colorimetric microbial viability assay based on reduction in a tetrazolium salt ( WST-8) was developed. The WST-8 colorimetric method was useful to measure the proliferation of a variety of different fungi. In the antifungal susceptibility testing, there was a good agreement between the MICs determined after 24 h using the WST-8 colorimetric method and those obtained after 48-96 h using the broth microdilution method. The proposed method was superior to conventional methods in terms of its rapidity towards a variety of different fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light is a very important regulator of the daily sleep rhythm. Here, we investigate the influence of nocturnal light stimulation on Drosophila sleep. Results showed that total daytime sleep was reduced due to a decrease in daytime sleep episode duration caused by discontinuous light stimulation, but sleep was not strongly impacted at nighttime although the discontinuous light stimulation occurred during the scotophase. During a subsequent recovery period without light interruption, the sleep quality of nighttime sleep was improved and of daytime sleep reduced, indicating flies have a persistent response to nocturnal light stimulation. Further studies showed that the discontinuous light stimulation damped the daily rhythm of a circadian light-sensitive protein cryptochrome both at the mRNA and protein levels, which subsequently caused disappearance of circadian rhythm of the core oscillator timeless and decrease of TIMLESS protein at nighttime. These data indicate that the nocturnal light interruption plays an important role in sleep through core proteins CRYTOCHROME and TIMLESS, Moreover, interruption of sleep further impacted reproduction and viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light is a very important regulator of the daily sleep rhythm. Here, we investigate the influence of nocturnal light stimulation on Drosophila sleep. Results showed that total daytime sleep was reduced due to a decrease in daytime sleep episode duration caused by discontinuous light stimulation, but sleep was not strongly impacted at nighttime although the discontinuous light stimulation occurred during the scotophase. During a subsequent recovery period without light interruption, the sleep quality of nighttime sleep was improved and of daytime sleep reduced, indicating flies have a persistent response to nocturnal light stimulation. Further studies showed that the discontinuous light stimulation damped the daily rhythm of a circadian light-sensitive protein cryptochrome both at the mRNA and protein levels, which subsequently caused disappearance of circadian rhythm of the core oscillator timeless and decrease of TIMLESS protein at nighttime. These data indicate that the nocturnal light interruption plays an important role in sleep through core proteins CRYTOCHROME and TIMLESS, Moreover, interruption of sleep further impacted reproduction and viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of suitable membranes is a fundamental requisite for tissue and biomedical engineering applications. This work presents fish gelatin random and aligned electrospun membranes cross-linked with glutaraldehyde (GA). It was observed that the fiber average diameter and the morphology is not influenced by the GA exposure time and presents fibers with an average diameter around 250 nm. Moreover, when the gelatin mats are immersed in a phosphate buffered saline solution (PBS), they can retain as much as 12 times its initial weight of solution almost instantaneously, but the material microstructure of the fiber mats changes from the characteristic fibrous to an almost spherical porous structure. Cross-linked gelatin electrospun fiber mats and films showed a water vapor permeability of 1.37 ± 0.02 and 0.13 ± 0.10 (g.mm)/(m2.h.kPa), respectively. Finally, the processing technique and cross-linking process does not inhibit MC-3T3-E1 cell adhesion. Preliminary cell culture results showed good cell adhesion and proliferation in the cross-linked random and aligned gelatin fiber mats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone marrow cells (BMCs) are the main type of cells used for transplantation therapies. Obesity, a major world health problem, has been demonstrated to affect various tissues, including bone marrow. This could compromise the success of such therapies. One of the main mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of obesity is mitochondrial dysfunction, and recent data have suggested an important role for mitochondrial metabolism in the regulation of stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Since the potential use of BMCs for clinical therapies depends on their viability and capacity to proliferate and/or differentiate properly, the analysis of mitochondrial function and cell viability could be important approaches for evaluating BMC quality in the context of obesity. We therefore compared BMCs from a control group (CG) and an obese group (OG) of mice and evaluated their mitochondrial function, proliferation capacity, apoptosis, and levels of proteins involved in energy metabolism. BMCs from OG had increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation rates compared with CG. Mitochondrial respiratory capacity, biogenesis, and the coupling between oxidative phosphorylation and ATP synthesis were significantly decreased in OG compared with CG, in correlation with increased levels of uncoupling protein 2 and reduced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-coactivator 1α content. OG also had decreased amounts of the glucose transporter GLUT-1 and insulin receptor (IRβ). Thus, Western-diet-induced obesity leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced proliferative capacity in BMCs, changes that, in turn, might compromise the success of therapies utilizing these cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) is an inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). It is characterized by relapsing phases with ongoing neurological affectation that are followed by a remitting period in which inflammatory events are controlled and the patients partially recover. Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) is the animal model most often used to study the inflammatory component of MS. Several cell types are involved in controlling the immune response in EAE and immature myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have emerged as important actors in the immunomodulation that occurs in EAE due to their ability to suppress inflammatory responses by inducing T cell apoptosis. In this study, we assessed whether MDSC differentiation may have consequences on the clinical course of EAE by treating mice around the peak of the clinical course EAE with the MDSC-differentiating agent Am80, an analogue of retinoid acid. Am80 administration abrogates the immunomodulation that occurs in EAE mice through different MDSC-related mechanisms: i) induction of MDSC apoptosis; ii) polarization of MDSCs to mature subsets of myeloid cells (dendritic cells/macrophages/neutrophils); and iii) altering their immunosuppressor phenotype. Consequently, T cell density increases and their viability is promoted, delaying the animal's recovery. Therefore, our data point to MDSC behaviour as a crucial factor in facilitating the transition from the relapsing to the remission phase in EAE, which should be considered for future immune-related therapies for MS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

PSII undergoes photodamage, which results in photoinhibition—the light-induced loss of photosynthetic activity. The main target of damage in PSII is the reaction center protein D1, which is buried in the massive 1.4 MDa PSII holocomplex. Plants have evolved a PSII repair cycle that degrades the damaged D1 subunit and replaces it with a newly synthesized copy. PSII core proteins, including D1, are phosphorylated in high light. This phosphorylation is important for the mobilization of photoinhibited PSII from stacked grana thylakoids to the repair machinery in distant unstacked stroma lamellae. It has been recognized that the degradation of the damaged D1 is more efficient after its dephosphorylation by a protein phosphatase. Recently a protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C)-type PSII core phosphatase (PBCP) has been discovered, which is involved in the dephosphorylation of PSII core proteins. Its role in PSII repair, however, is unknown. Using a range of spectroscopic and biochemical techniques, we report that the inactivation of the PBCP gene affects the growth characteristic of plants, with a decreased biomass and altered PSII functionality. PBCP mutants show increased phosphorylation of core subunits in dark and photoinhibitory conditions and a diminished degradation of the D1 subunit. Our results on D1 turnover in PBCP mutants suggest that dephosphorylation of PSII subunits is required for efficient D1 degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The food spoilage yeast Zygosaccharomyces bailii shows great resistance to weak-acid preservatives, including sorbic acid (2, 4-hexadienoic acid). That extreme resistance was shown to be due to population heterogeneity, with a small sub-population of cells resistant to a variety of weak acids, probably caused by a lower internal pH reducing the uptake of all weak acids. In the present paper, it was found that resistant cells were extremely rare in exponential cultures, but increased by up to 8000-fold in stationary phase. Inoculation of media containing sorbic acid with a population of Z. bailii cells gave rise to what appeared to be a prolonged lag phase, suggesting adaptation to the conditions before the cells entered the period of exponential growth. However, the apparent lag phase caused by sorbic acid was largely due to the time required for the resistant sub-population to grow to detectable levels. The slow growth rate of the sub-population was identical to that of the final total population. The non-resistant bulk population remained viable for 3days but had lost viability by 6days and, during that time, there was no indication of any development of resistance in the bulk population. The sub-population growing in sorbic acid showed very high population diversity in colony size and internal pH. After removal of sorbic acid, the population rapidly reverted back to the normal, largely non-resistant, population distribution. The data presented suggest that a reevaluation of the lag phase in microbial batch culture is required, at least for the resistance of Z. bailii to sorbic acid. Furthermore, the significance of phenotypic diversity and heterogeneity in microbial populations is discussed more broadly with potential relevance to bacterial “persisters”, natural selection and evolution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pellicle or temporary cysts ofPyrodinium bahamensevar.compressum(Böhm) Steidinger, Tester & F.J.R. Taylor and their role in bloom dynamics have not yet been adequately characterized and understood. We investigated the role of temperature- and nutrient-mediated stress as factors that could induce pellicle formation in batch cultures. Cellular features and their implications for temporary cyst viability were examined using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Our data suggest that temperature change is one of the key factors influencing pellicle formation, preserving viability at low temperature (i.e. 13°C). Hypnocysts (resting cysts) were not observed. During pellicle formation, motile cells generally undergo ecdysis, extrusion of cytoplasmic materials and bacteria, compaction of the nucleus and non-motility. The outermost covering of the temporary cysts shows red autofluorescence and it contains lower concentrations of chlorophyll (chl)aand no detectable chlc.The nuclear region is surrounded by transitional red bodies and other unidentified cellular structures. Temporary cysts can immediately revert back to the motile state upon exposure to optimum conditions. This is accompanied by the expansion of the nuclear region, regeneration of the chloroplasts and enlargement of the cell. Developmental changes during reversal of temporary cysts to motile forms were also observed to cause breaks in the cell covering that could serve as sites for bacterial entry. Though observedin vitro, such behaviour may also be occurring in nature especially as a response to drastic short-lived environmental changes. This is the first detailed report on the characteristics of temporary cysts ofP. bahamensevar. compressum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Innovación Tecnológica is the property of Instituto de Informacion Cientifica y Tecnologica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Speciation by sensory drive can occur if divergent adaptation of sensory systems causes rapid evolution of mating traits and the resulting development of assortative mating. Previous theoretical studies have shown that sensory drive can cause rapid divergent adaptive evolution from one to two phenotypes. In this study, we examined two topics: the possibility of adaptive radiation by sensory drive from one to more than two phenotypes and the relationships of patterns of variation at selectively neutral genes to levels of viability selection, habitat and mating preferences and migration. We conducted individual-based simulations assuming a sensory trait and a mating trait controlled by a small number of loci. We found that adaptive radiation is possible when the number of loci controlling the sensory trait is small; the levels of viability selection, habitat and mating preferences are intermediate; and the emigration rate is high. We also found that emigration rates as well as the levels of habitat and mating preferences are related to F values at neutral loci, but F proved to be insensitive to a small change in the number of loci controlling the mating trait. This suggests that an estimation of the past population history is possible without an accurate genetic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious diseases and parasitism are major environmental forces decreasing fitness, and thus individual strategies aimed at preventing pathogen infections, either in an individual or their offspring, should be favoured by natural selection. The mineral fraction and some organic compounds in the shells of bird eggs are considered physical and chemical barriers against pathogen penetration to the embryo. However, eggshell pigment deposition has only recently been considered as a mechanism to resist pathogen penetration into the egg. By wiping the eggshell surface, the amount of pigment and some cuticle proteins were experimentally manipulated for the first time in nature. The effects on egg hatchability and offspring viability measured as nestling condition, immunocompetence and probability of recruitment were investigated in the common kestrel Falco tinnunculus. Protoporphyrin IX and biliverdin IXα to a lesser extent were the only identified pigments. The concentration of protoporphyrin IX and cuticle proteins were significantly reduced in the wiped with respect to the control treatment. Our study shows no evidence of a detrimental effect of the reduction of eggshell pigments on egg hatchability, mortality of the chicks during the nesting period, nestling body condition, nestling local immune response to PHA antigen or probability of recruitment. Further research will be necessary to elucidate the direct role of protoporphyrins and other pigments in egg bacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many sexual differences are known in human and animals. It is well known that females are superior in longevity, while males in athletic performances. Even though some sexual differences are attributed to the evolutionary tradeoff between survival and reproduction, the aforementioned sex differences are difficult to explain by this tradeoff. Here we show that the evolutionary tradeoff occurs among three components: (1) viability, (2) competitive ability and (3) reproductive effort. The sexual differences in longevity and athletic performances are attributed to the tradeoff between viability (survival) and competitive ability that belongs to the physical makeup of an individual, but not related to the tradeoff between survival and reproduction. This provides a new perspective on sex differences in human and animals: females are superior in longevity and disease recovery, while males are superior in athletic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of quantum dots (QDots) asbright and photostable probesfor long-term fluorescence imaging is gaining more interest. Thusfar, (pre)clinical use of QDots remains limited, which is primarilycaused by the potential toxicity of QDots. Most QDots consist of Cd2+ions, which are known to cause high levels of toxicity.In order to overcome this problem, several strategies have been tested,such as the generation of cadmium-free QDots. In the present study,two types of cadmium-free QDots, composed of ZnSe/ZnS (QDotZnSe) and InP/ZnS (QDotInP), were studied with respect totheir cytotoxicity and cellular uptake in a variety of cell types.A multiparametric cytotoxicity approach is used, where the QDots arestudied with respect to cell viability, oxidative stress, cell morphology,stem cell differentiation, and neurite outgrowth. The data revealslight differences in uptake levels for both types of QDots (maximalfor QDotZnSe), but clear differences in cytotoxicity andcell functionality effects exist, with highest toxicity for QDotZnSe. Differences between cell types and between both typesof QDots can be explained by the intrinsic sensitivity of certaincell types and chemical composition of the QDots. At concentrationsat which no toxic effects can be observed, the functionality of theQDots for fluorescence cell visualization is evaluated, revealingthat the higher brightness of QDotZnSeovercomes most ofthe toxicity issues compared to that of QDotInP. Comparingthe results obtained with common Cd2+-containing QDotstested under identical conditions, the importance of particle functionalityis demonstrated, revealing that cadmium-free QDots tested in thisstudy are not significantly better than Cd2+-containingQDots for long-term cell imaging and that more work needs to be performedin optimizing the brightness and surface chemistry of cadmium-freeQDots for them to replace currently used Cd2+-containingQDots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recently developed hanging dropair exposure system for toxicitystudies of volatile chemicals was applied to evaluate the cell viabilityof lung carcinoma A549 cells after 1 and 24 h of exposure to benzene,toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) as individual compoundsand as mixtures of four or six components. The cellular chemical concentrationscausing 50% reduction of cell viability (EC50) were calculatedusing a mass balance model and came to 17, 12, 11, 9, 4, and 4 mmol/kgcell dry weight for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, o-xylene, and p-xylene,respectively, after 1 h of exposure. The EC50decreasedby a factor of 4 after 24 h of exposure. All mixture effects werebest described by the mixture toxicity model of concentration addition,which is valid for chemicals with the same mode of action. Good agreementwith the model predictions was found for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene,and m-xylene at four different representative fixedconcentration ratios after 1 h of exposure, but lower agreement withmixture prediction was obtained after 24 h of exposure. A recreatedcar exhaust mixture, which involved the contribution of the more toxic p-xylene and o-xylene, yielded an acceptable,but lower quality, prediction as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental temperatures may influence the temperature inside commercial transport boxes during semen shipment and thereby storage conditions of diluted dog semen. To evaluate the temperature changes inside boxes and their influence on sperm quality, split semen samples (n =8) were placed in Neopor boxes® exposed for 48h to room temperature (RT) (Box 1), 40°C for 6h and then kept at RT (Box 2) or 40°C (Box 3). A fourth subsample was kept at 4–5°C in a refrigerator (control). Inside Box 1 temperature initially decreased to <3°C before it stabilized at 7–8°C, while in Box 2 no decrease occurred and temperature was at 7–8°C for 48h. Temperature inside Box 3 was at 14–15°C for 24h and, thereafter, increased to 36.1°C. Analysis of sperm motility (CASA) and viability (PI and FITC-PNA) after 24 and 48h revealed marked sensitivity of dog spermatozoa to temperature fluctuations (Box 1). A constant storage temperature of 7–8°C (Box 2) provided the most desirable semen quality in terms of motility, viability, as well as osmotic resistance when samples were stored for 48h. Furthermore, results indicate that during 24h preservation a storage temperature of 14–16°C may provide optimum conditions for maintenance of sperm viability and function. An increase of the inside temperature to >30°C (Box 3) resulted in an almost complete loss in sperm integrity. In conclusion, results suggest a revision of current recommendations for storage temperature of diluted dog semen. Boxes for semen transport should be prepared depending on the expected environmental temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Nrf2 is upregulated in islets at early stage of diabetes in human. [•] Activation of Nrf2 by dh404 suppresses oxidative stress and prevents oxidative stress-induced β-cell apoptosis. [•] Activation of Nrf2 by dh404 enhances oxidative stress-induced autophagic clearance of ubiquitinated proteins in islets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The authors comment on an article on reexamining the minimum viable population size (MVPS) of the bog turtle in three orders of magnitude below population sizes typically considered as minimally viable. They claim that the authors of the article underestimated the MVPS of the bog turtle based on their definition of the term viability. They also discuss several methods of estimating MVPS.

In order to effectively preserve green spores, which have relatively higher water content and lose viability more quickly than non-green spores, we studied the effect of desiccation level and storage temperature on Osmunda japonica spores. The water content of fresh spores was 11.20%. After 12h desiccation by silica gel, the water content decreased to 6% but spore viability did not change significantly. As the desiccation continued, the decrease in water content slowed, but spore viability dropped. For almost all storage periods, the effects of storage temperature, desiccation level, and temperature×desiccation level were significantly different. After seven days of storage, spores at any desiccation level stored at 4°C obtained high germination rates. After more than seven days storage, liquid nitrogen (LN) storage obtained the best results. Storage at ?18°C led to the lowest germination rates. Spores stored at room temperature and ?18°C all died within three months. For storage at 4°C and in LN, spores desiccated 12 and 36h obtained better results. Spores without desiccation had the highest germination rates after being stored at room temperature, but suffered the greatest loss after storage at ?18°C. These results suggest that LN storage is the best method of long-term storage of O. japonica spores. The critical water content of O. japonica spores is about 6% and reduction of the water content to this level improves outcome after LN storage greatly. The reason for various responses of O. japonica spores to desiccation and storage temperatures are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] An environmental friendly management of marine dredged materials is presented. [•] Viability of the elaboration of a technosol from residues was studied. [•] Salts and particle size of the dredged materials have emerged as the main features. [•] Desalination and composting processes have led to a suitable technosol. [•] High germination indices were obtained using the proposed manufactured technosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: Background: Currently one of the major problems that interventional pulmonologists have to face is the increased proliferation of fibrinous tissue on the site of the stent placement, and usually at the two ends. Materials and methods: The drugs rapamycin and pirfenidone were chosen for our experiment. Fibroblasts were also cultured in order to administer pirfenidone and rapamycin in different concentrations. The following cell viability methods were used: (a) Senescence – Cell Titer Assay, (b) Necrosis – Cyto Tox Assay and (c) Apoptosis – Caspase-Glo 3/7 Assay. Results: Rapamycin has minimal to no effect on fibroblasts regarding apoptosis, senescence and necrosis. 0.1 to 1?M. Pirfenidone concentrations lead to an elevated cell metabolism because cells try to evade the cytotoxic effect of the drug. Increasing Pirfenidone concentrations lead to higher apoptosis rates. 10?M pirfenidone induces the highest apoptosis rates in this experiment and reduce cell viability to a minimum. Conclusion: Necrosis is unaffected by the investigated drugs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We investigated the use of amperometric and chronoamperometric methods with a double mediator system and screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) for the electrochemical sensing of hepatocyte viability. Cell counts were determined based on measuring cellular respiration via interaction of electroactive redox mediators. The oxidation currents of chronoamperometric measurement were proportional to the concentrations of ferrocyanide which was produced via interaction of cellular respiration, succinate and ferricyanide. The integrated oxidation charges increased linearly with the density of the cultured primary rat hepatocytes over a range of 1 × 105 to 5 × 105 cells per well (slope = 1.98 (±0.08) μC per 105 cells; R2 = 0.9969), and the detection limit was 7600 (±300) cells per well based on S/N = 3. Each density of cells was cultured in triple replicates and individual cell samples were evaluated. The results of the cytotoxic effect of the chronoamperometric method are comparable to those of the tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay. The chronoamperometric method with ferricyanide and succinate mediators is an efficient, alternative method for assessing the viability of primary hepatocytes which can be completed in 20 min. Succinate did not provide an efficient electron shuttle between cytosolic respiratory redox activity of cancer cells and extracellular ferricyanide, an effect that may be useful for distinguishing hepatocarcinoma cells from healthy hepatocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root formation is dependent on meristematic activity and is influenced by nitrogen supply. We have previously shown that ubiquitin ligase, EL5, in rice (Oryza sativa) is involved in the maintenance of root meristematic viability. When mutant EL5 protein is overexpressed to dominantly inhibit the endogenous EL5 function in rice, primordial and meristematic necrosis ia observed. Here, we analysed the cause of root cell death in transgenic rice plants (mEL5) overexpressing EL5V162A, which encodes a partly inactive ubiquitin ligase. The mEL5 mutants showed increased sensitivity to nitrogen that was reflected in the inhibition of root formation. Treatment of mEL5 with nitrate or nitrite caused meristematic cell death accompanied by browning. Transcriptome profiling of whole roots exhibited overlaps between nitrite-responsive genes in non-transgenic (NT) rice plants and genes with altered basal expression levels in mEL5. Phytohormone profiling of whole roots revealed that nitrite treatment increased cytokinin levels, but mEL5 constitutively contained more cytokinin than NT plants and showed increased sensitivity to exogenous cytokinin. More superoxide was detected in mEL5 roots after treatment with nitrite or cytokinin, and treatment with an inhibitor of superoxide production prevented mEL5 roots from both nitrite- and cytokinin-induced meristematic cell death. These results indicate a nitrogen-triggered pathway that leads to changes in root formation through the production of cytokinin and superoxide, on which EL5 acts to prevent meristematic cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The main goal of our study was to determine the effect that association of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with antifungal drugs on viability of Candida (C.) albicans and C. krusei species. Materials and methods. Six yeast strains were isolated from pharyngeal and vaginal secretions (C. albicans and C. krusei). Tests (diffusion and serial microdilutions methods) were carried out in the presence of some NSAIDs by using different concentrations (0.25mg/ml and 1 mg/ml). Antifungal drugs were used in lower concentrations than the MIC (1 µg/ml). Results. Cell viability of C. krusei strain was of 82% for NSAIDs used and association of these with ketoconazole led to decrease of cell viability of C. krusei strain to 60% as compared to the cells treated with antifungal drugs. In the presence of NSAIDs, cell viability of C. albicans strains, decreased between 6 to 18% for diclofenac and ibuprofen. In the case of simultaneous use of the two classes of drugs, there was observed an increase of antimicrobial activity, especially for diclofenac association, cell viability was reduced up to 60% and respectively 70% as compared to the cells treated only with ketoconazole and fluconazole. Conclusion. We observed a synergistic action of certain NSAIDs with two antifungal drugs used on some Candida species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Healthcare workers may come into contact with fomites that contain infectious hepatitis C virus (HCV) during preparation of plasma or following placement or removal of venous lines. Similarly, injection drugs users may come into contact with fomites. Hypothesizing that prolonged viability of HCV in fomites may contribute significantly to incidence, we determined the longevity of virus infectivity and the effectiveness of antiseptics.Methods. We determined the volume of drops misplaced during transfer of serum or plasma. Aliquots equivalent to the maximum drop volume of plasma spiked with the 2a HCV reporter virus were loaded into 24-well plates. Plates were stored uncovered at 3 temperatures: 4°C, 22°C, and 37°C for up to 6 weeks before viral infectivity was determined in a microculture assay.Results. The mean volume of an accidental drop was 29 µL (min–max of 20–33 µL). At storage temperatures 4°C and 22°C, we recovered viable HCV from the low-titer spots for up to 6 weeks of storage. The rank order of HCV virucidal activity of commonly used antiseptics was bleach (1:10) > cavicide (1:10) > ethanol (70%).Conclusions. The hypothesis of potential transmission from fomites was supported by the experimental results. The anti-HCV activity of commercial antiseptics varied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduction of cellular damage in densely cultured cell monolayers after cryopreservation by pre-incubation with hyaluronan (HA) was investigated. Monolayers of human dermal fibroblasts were cultured for 24 h at a density of 0.5×104 or 5×104 cells/cm2. The following two experimental conditions were compared: cells incubated with or without 0.5% w/w HA solution for 6 h. Samples were frozen from 4 to -80°C at 0.3 or 3°C/min in a cryoprotectant solution containing 10% w/w dimethyl sulfoxide, cooled down below -185°C, and then thawed. Post-thaw cell viability was evaluated by the fluorescent double-staining technique using a fluorescence microscope, and cellular uptake of the fluorescein-isothiocyanate-labeled HA after pre-incubation was also observed. Cell viability decreased with increasing cell density at both cooling rates without preliminary HA incubation. However, cell viability did not decrease at either cooling rate with preliminary HA incubation. Cellular HA uptake was observed. Pre-incubation with HA reduces cellular damage in densely cultured cell monolayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica rustica is a model system for studying female mate choice for indirect benefits, as the long tail of males, the target of female mate choice, is positively related to male viability. However, situations may differ in other subspecies where male ornaments other than tail length are prominent and seem to be the targets of female choice. In this study, similar to previous studies on European populations, we determined the relationship between male viability and male ornaments, including tail length, in a Japanese population of the Asian Barn Swallow H. r. gutturalis, which have short tails, a whitish ventral plumage, and a large red throat patch. We observed that males with longer tails and larger and more colored (i.e., lower saturation values) throat patches were more likely to return to the study area than other males, independent of their age. Of these ornaments, information on viability of male tail length partially overlapped the information on viability by throat coloration. Because females choose mates, either directly or indirectly, based on their throat coloration, female mate preference for tail length had few benefits for the choosers. This may explain why female mate preference for tail length was not observed in this population. In addition, differing from a previous study in a European population, male throat patch size may serve as a good indicator of male viability, independent of tail length and throat coloration in this population. We discuss the possible explanations for the observed patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]