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This study reports hematocrit and blood chemistry values for captive adult individuals belonging to three genera of hornbills (Bucerotidae), Aceros, Anthracoceros, and Ceratogymna, and evaluates genera and gender specific differences in these values. Ceratogymna differs significantly from the other two genera in the concentration of total proteins, cholesterol, triglycerides, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium. Blood glucose concentrations in Aceros were lower than those in the other two genera. Plasma levels of enzymes differed between Aceros and Ceratogymna. With respect to gender differences, Aceros males had greater plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), calcium and phosphorus than did the females, and the Ceratogymna males had higher concentrations of triglycerides. Body mass was correlated with hematocrit, cholesterol, total proteins, and urea in Aceros and with calcium concentration in Ceratogymna. These results are the first data available on reference ranges of blood values in individuals of this family of birds and may therefore be very useful as a complementary diagnostic tool in the veterinary care of individuals of these species in captivity. Zoo Biol 0:1-9, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypermethylation of exon 1 of p16INK4a was examined in tumour and plasma DNA of a series of breast cancer patients. De novo methylation was observed in the tumours of eight patients (23%), and in plasma DNA in five (14%) of these eight patients. Our data show that de novo methylation of exon 1 of p16INK4a can be demonstrated in plasma DNA of breast cancer patients, a fact that provides additional evidence of the tumour-related origin of free plasma DNA in cancer patients. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaign [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the breeding biology of Montagu's Harrier in an agricultural habitat at various breeding sites in Extremadura (southwest Spain). Clear latitudinal trends were observed on laying date and clutch size compared to other Western Palearctic populations: as laying starts earlier, clutch size declines in southern populations. Climate and feeding could be the main factors involved. In addition to natural factors, the species' use of cultivated areas as nesting habitat at Southern latitudes is the major determinant of breeding success. Artificial nest management at harvest time has been shown to be effective inreducing losses due to farming activities. Such conservation measures reduce the mortality rate of nestlings and consequently increase the reproductive success of breeding pairs. Nevertheless, endogenous factors related to individual breeding condition limit the effect of artificial nest management. Mediterranean populations of Montagu's Harrier seem to be highly dependent on conservation measures because of the high failure rates for breeding in the absence of such intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retargeting of T lymphocytes toward cancer cells by bispecific antibodies has demonstrated its therapeutic potential, with one such antibody approved for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (blinatumomab) and several other in clinical trials. However, improvement of their efficacy and selectivity for solid tumors is still required. Here, we describe a novel tandem T-cell recruiting trispecific antibody for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). This construct, termed trispecific T-cell engager (TriTE), consists of a CD3-specific single-chain Fv (scFv) flanked by anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) single-domain V HH antibodies. The TriTE was well expressed in mammalian and yeast cells, bound the cognate antigens of the three parental antibodies, and enabled the specific cytolysis of EGFR- and/or EpCAM-expressing cancer cells, without inducing T cell activation and cytoxicity against double-negative (EGFR - EpCAM - ) cancer cells. Bivalent bispecific targeting of double-positive HCT116 cells by TriTE improved in vitro potency up to 100-fold compared to single-positive cells and significantly prolonged survival in vivo . In addition, it was less efficient at killing single-positive target cells than the corresponding bispecific controls, leading to potentially enhanced tumor specificity. Moreover, dual targeting of two tumor-associated antigens may contribute toward preventing the tumor escape by antigen loss caused by selective pressures from conventional single-targeting T-cell engagers, and may help to overcome antigenic heterogeneity., Competing Interests: No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed., (© 2022 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.)

The crosstalk between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment has been implicated in cancer progression and metastasis. Fibroblasts and immune cells are widely known to be attracted to and modified by cancer cells. However, the role of pericytes in the tumor microenvironment beyond endothelium stabilization is poorly understood. Here, we report that pericytes promoted colorectal cancer (CRC) cell proliferation, migration, invasion, stemness, and chemoresistance in vitro, as well as tumor growth in a xenograft CRC model. We demonstrate that coculture with human CRC cells induced broad transcriptomic changes in pericytes, mostly associated with TGF-β receptor activation. The prognostic value of a TGF-β response signature in pericytes was analyzed in CRC patient data sets. This signature was found to be a good predictor of CRC relapse. Moreover, in response to stimulation by CRC cells, pericytes expressed high levels of TGF-β1, initiating an autocrine activation loop. Investigation of secreted mediators and underlying molecular mechanisms revealed that IGFBP-3 is a key paracrine factor from activated pericytes affecting CRC cell migration and invasion. In summary, we demonstrate that the interplay between pericytes and CRC cells triggers a vicious cycle that stimulates pericyte cytokine secretion, in turn increasing CRC cell tumorigenic properties. Overall, we provide another example of how cancer cells can manipulate the tumor microenvironment., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by FEBS Press and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a cellular energy sensor activated during energy stress to stimulate ATP production pathways and restore homeostasis. AMPK is widely expressed in the kidney and involved in mitochondrial protection and biogenesis upon acute renal ischemia, AMPK activity being blunted in metabolic disease-associated kidney disease. Since little is known about AMPK in the regulation of renal blood flow, the present study aimed to assess the role of AMPK in renal vascular function. Functional responses to the selective AMPK activator A769662 were assessed in intrarenal small arteries isolated from the kidney of renal tumour patients and Wistar rats and mounted in microvascular myographs to perform simultaneous measurements of intracellular calcium [Ca 2+ ] i and tension. Superoxide (O 2 .- ) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) production were measured by chemiluminescence and fluorescence and protein expression by Western blot. Activation of AMPK with A769662 increased AMPK α phosphorylation at Thr-172 and induced potent relaxations compared to AICAR in isolated human and rat intrarenal arteries, through both endothelium-dependent mechanisms involving nitric oxide (NO) and intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium (IK Ca ) channels, as well as activation of ATP-sensitive (K ATP ) channels and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATP ase (SERCA) in vascular smooth muscle (VSM). Furthermore, AMPK activator reduced NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) and Nox2-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. These results demonstrate that A769662 has potent vasodilator and antioxidant effects in intrarenal arteries. The benefits of AMPK activation in rat kidney are reproduced in human arteries and therefore vascular AMPK activation might be a therapeutic target in the treatment of metabolic disease-associated kidney injury., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Loss of natural wetlands is a global phenomenon that has severe consequences for waterbird populations and their associated ecosystem services. Although agroecosystems can reduce the impact of natural habitat loss, drivers of use of such artificial habitats by waterbirds remain poorly understood. Using the cosmopolitan northern pintail Anas acuta as a model species, we monitored home-range and fine-scale resource selection across the agricultural landscape. Individuals were tracked using GPS-GSM transmitters, and a suite of environmental and landscape features were measured throughout the winter seasons. Spatial patterns of habitat use were analysed using generalized linear mixed effect models by integrating field-observations with GPS telemetry. All birds used rice fields as foraging grounds at night and commuted to an adjacent reservoir to roost during daylight. Home-ranges and maximum foraging distances of nocturnally foraging birds increased with decreasing availability of flooded fields, and were positively correlated with moonlight levels. Birds selected flooded rice paddies (water depth range: 9-21 cm) with standing stubble and substrate with pebbles smaller than 0.5 cm in diameter. Density of rice seeds, rice paddy size, and other environmental and landscape features did not emerge as significant predictors. Our findings indicate that nocturnal foraging of northern pintails within rice fields is driven primarily by straw manipulation, water level and substrate pebble size. Thus, the presence of standing stubble in flooded paddies with soft bottoms should be prioritized to improve foraging areas for dabbling ducks. These management procedures in themselves would not increase economic costs or affect rice production and could be applied for dabbling-duck conservation throughout the world., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Population viability analysis of threatened large and long-lived raptor species has strong limitations due to the restricted demographic information available for these species. In this work, we mathematically model the demographic dynamics of these raptor species through time-indexed branching processes. By assuming the more general non-parametric statistical setting, we determine accurate estimates for the most relevant reproductive parameters involved in the model. To this end, we propose an algorithm based on approximate Bayesian computations methods. As illustration, by using real data of counts of the number of pairs in the population, we apply the proposed statistical and computational methods to describe the demographic dynamics of the Eurasian black vulture colony located at National Park of Monfragüe (Spain), which appears to be both the largest and densest breeding colony worldwide. In the scenario of these data-poor species, the class of time-indexed branching processes introduced appears to be appropriate and a more cost-effective method to evaluate dynamics and viability of the populations, applicable to the conservation of these taxa., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)