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•Tree saplings tolerated defoliation by bud activation.•New branch development allowed tree sapling aerial growth maintenance.•Defoliation decreased tree sampling height, diameter, ...and root growth.•Cattle grazing may retard juvenile recruitment into reproductive size classes.
Livestock rearing is increasing in savannas, so the ability of trees to regrow after consumption represents one of the critical aspects of savanna structure and functioning. Here, we identified specific traits—which may explain the mechanisms behind defoliation tolerance—in saplings of two encroacher tree species (Vachellia caven and Vachellia aroma). We carried out common garden and field experiments where manual defoliation treatments simulated the cattle grazing regime employed in the study region. At the end of the experiments, we recorded growth variables and, in the common garden experiment, root reserves concentration. In the common garden, defoliation decreased height and basal diameter growth but did not affect the aerial relative growth rate. Also, defoliation increased the number of branches per plant and decreased root relative growth rate. Starch concentration was higher or similar in defoliated plants than controls, depending on the species. In the field, defoliation decreased both species’ height and basal diameter growth. We found that tree saplings tolerated defoliation, and the mechanisms behind tolerance would be linked mainly to the axillary bud activation and not to storage reserve mobilization. Over time, these plant architectural changes might complicate cattle movement and management in these systems. From a long-term perspective, livestock rearing might retard juvenile recruitment into reproductive-size classes (e.g., adults) by reducing overall tree growth rates.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We present a high-throughput optogenetic illumination system capable of simultaneous closed-loop light delivery to specified targets in populations of moving Caenorhabditis elegans. The instrument ...addresses three technical challenges: It delivers targeted illumination to specified regions of the animal's body such as its head or tail; it automatically delivers stimuli triggered upon the animal's behavior; and it achieves high throughput by targeting many animals simultaneously. The instrument was used to optogenetically probe the animal's behavioral response to competing mechanosensory stimuli in the the anterior and posterior gentle touch receptor neurons. Responses to more than 43,418 stimulus events from a range of anterior-posterior intensity combinations were measured. The animal's probability of sprinting forward in response to a mechanosensory stimulus depended on both the anterior and posterior stimulation intensity, while the probability of reversing depended primarily on the anterior stimulation intensity. We also probed the animal's response to mechanosensory stimulation during the onset of turning, a relatively rare behavioral event, by delivering stimuli automatically when the animal began to turn. Using this closed-loop approach, over 9,700 stimulus events were delivered during turning onset at a rate of 9.2 events per worm hour, a greater than 25-fold increase in throughput compared to previous investigations. These measurements validate with greater statistical power previous findings that turning acts to gate mechanosensory evoked reversals. Compared to previous approaches, the current system offers targeted optogenetic stimulation to specific body regions or behaviors with many fold increases in throughput to better constrain quantitative models of sensorimotor processing.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Currently, the selection of non-pathogenic microorganisms that lack clinically relevant antimicrobial resistance is crucial to bioaugmentation strategies. Pseudomonas sp. P26 (P26) is an ...environmental bacterium of interest due to its ability to remove aromatic compounds from petroleum, but its safety characteristics are still unknown. The study aimed to: a) determine P26 sensitivity to antimicrobials, b) investigate the presence of quinolone and β-lactam resistance genes, c) determine the presence of virulence factors, and d) evaluate the effect of P26 on the viability of Galleria mellonella (an invertebrate animal model). P26 antimicrobial sensitivity was determined in vitro using the Kirby-Bauer agar diffusion method and the VITEK 2 automated system (BioMerieux®). Polymerase Chain Reaction was employed for the investigation of genes associated with quinolone resistance, extended-spectrum β-lactamases, and carbapenemases. Hemolysin and protease production was determined in human blood agar and skimmed-milk agar, respectively. In the in vivo assay, different doses of P26 were injected into Galleria mellonella larvae and their survival was monitored daily. Control larvae injected with Pseudomonas putida KT2440 (a strain considered as safe) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 (a pathogenic strain) were included. Pseudomonas sp. P26 was susceptible to most evaluated antimicrobials, except for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. No epidemiologically relevant genes associated with quinolone and β-lactam resistance were identified. Hemolysin and protease production was only evidenced in the virulent strain (PA14). Furthermore, the results obtained in the in vivo experiment demonstrated that inocula less than 108 CFU/mL of P26 and P. putida KT2440 did not significantly affect larval survival, whereas larvae injected with the lowest dose of the pathogenic strain P. aeruginosa PA14 experienced instant mortality. The results suggest that Pseudomonas sp. P26 is a safe strain for its application in environmental bioremediation processes. Additional studies will be conducted to ensure the safety of this bacterium against other organisms.
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•The study of safety features of a strain for use in bioremediation is essential.•Pseudomonas sp. P26 displayed low level of phenotypic antimicrobial resistance.•No quinolone and β-lactam resistance genes were identified.•The Galleria mellonella model was a useful tool for studying bacterial virulence.•Pseudomonas sp. P26 lacked virulence factors and did not affect larval survival.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
A preschool child presented with white reflex in left eye since 2 months. Examination under anaesthesia revealed left eye retinoblastoma group D as per international classification of retinoblastoma. ...In collaboration with medical oncologist, systemic chemotherapy was started. After two cycles of systemic chemotherapy, tumour ruptured into the vitreous cavity suspending the tumour cells in the vitreous jelly. After a combination of systemic and intravitreal chemotherapy with adjuvant transpupillary thermotherapy of the residual retinal tumour, retinoblastoma regressed completely with corresponding flat scar.
Animals must integrate sensory cues with their current behavioral context to generate a suitable response. How this integration occurs is poorly understood. Previously, we developed high-throughput ...methods to probe neural activity in populations of Caenorhabditis elegans and discovered that the animal's mechanosensory processing is rapidly modulated by the animal's locomotion. Specifically, we found that when the worm turns it suppresses its mechanosensory-evoked reversal response. Here, we report that C. elegans use inhibitory feedback from turning-associated neurons to provide this rapid modulation of mechanosensory processing. By performing high-throughput optogenetic perturbations triggered on behavior, we show that turning-associated neurons SAA, RIV, and/or SMB suppress mechanosensory-evoked reversals during turns. We find that activation of the gentle-touch mechanosensory neurons or of any of the interneurons AIZ, RIM, AIB, and AVE during a turn is less likely to evoke a reversal than activation during forward movement. Inhibiting neurons SAA, RIV, and SMB during a turn restores the likelihood with which mechanosensory activation evokes reversals. Separately, activation of premotor interneuron AVA evokes reversals regardless of whether the animal is turning or moving forward. We therefore propose that inhibitory signals from SAA, RIV, and/or SMB gate mechanosensory signals upstream of neuron AVA. We conclude that C. elegans rely on inhibitory feedback from the motor circuit to modulate its response to sensory stimuli on fast timescales. This need for motor signals in sensory processing may explain the ubiquity in many organisms of motor-related neural activity patterns seen across the brain, including in sensory processing areas.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Atomic clock frequency jumps directly influence the accuracy and reliability of timekeeping systems. The necessary corrections are typically implemented by postprocessing mutual comparison data ...between multiple atomic clocks based on the overly strict assumption that these atomic clocks are independent of each other. This paper describes the concept of a mirror clock, which enables atomic clock frequency jumps to be identified in real time without any assumptions. By comparing whether the real measured data and a corresponding mirror clock prediction fall within a confidence interval determined by the uncertainty of past physical clock data, atomic clock frequency jumps can be effectively identified and corrected. The results of several experiments using three hydrogen masers verify that the precision and recall of simultaneous jump identification reach 96.41% and 73.49%, respectively.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
SARS-CoV-2 infection might be associated with cardiac complications in low-risk populations, such as in competitive athletes. However, data obtained in adults cannot be directly transferred to ...preadolescents and adolescents who are less susceptible to adverse clinical outcomes and are often asymptomatic.
We conducted this prospective multicentre study to describe the incidence of cardiovascular complications following SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large cohort of junior athletes and to examine the effectiveness of a screening protocol for a safe return to play.
Junior competitive athletes suffering from asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection underwent cardiac screening, including physical examination, 12-lead resting ECG, echocardiogram and exercise ECG testing. Further investigations were performed in cases of abnormal findings.
A total of 571 competitive junior athletes (14.3±2.5 years) were evaluated. About half of the population (50.3%) was mildly symptomatic during SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the average duration of symptoms was 4±1 days. Pericardial involvement was found in 3.2% of junior athletes: small pericardial effusion (2.6%), moderate pericardial effusion (0.2%) and pericarditis (0.4%). No relevant arrhythmias or myocardial inflammation was found in subjects with pericardial involvement. Athletes with pericarditis or moderate pericardial effusion were temporarily disqualified, and a gradual return to play was achieved after complete clinical resolution.
The prevalence of cardiac involvement was low in junior athletes after asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection. A screening strategy primarily driven by cardiac symptoms should detect cardiac involvement from SARS-CoV-2 infection in most junior athletes. Systematic echocardiographic screening is not recommended in junior athletes.
Aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases (AaRSs) are valuable “housekeeping” enzymes that ensure the accurate transmission of genetic information in living cells, where they aminoacylated tRNA molecules with their ...cognate amino acid and provide substrates for protein biosynthesis. In addition to their translational or canonical function, they contribute to nontranslational/moonlighting functions, which are mediated by the presence of other domains on the proteins. This was supported by several reports which claim that AaRS has a significant role in gene transcription, apoptosis, translation, and RNA splicing regulation. Noncanonical/ nontranslational functions of AaRSs also include their roles in regulating angiogenesis, inflammation, cancer, and other major physio‐pathological processes. Multiple AaRSs are also associated with a broad range of physiological and pathological processes; a few even serve as cytokines. Therefore, the multifunctional nature of AaRSs suggests their potential as viable therapeutic targets as well. Here, our discussion will encompass a range of noncanonical functions attributed to Aminoacyl‐tRNA Synthetases (AaRSs), highlighting their links with a diverse array of human diseases.
AaRSs perform multiple essential roles in the cell. This class of enzymes are well studied for their canonical function, which is charging tRNA with its cognate amino acid. However, they are capable of a broad repertoire of functions that impact protein synthesis and extend to several other critical cellular activities such as tissue regeneration, angiogenesis, apoptosis, transcriptional and translational regulation. These novel activities affirm the family of AaRSs as a potential therapeutic target.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) is a naturally occurring phytochemical, mainly found in the roots of the Plumbago zeylanica L. Plumbagin (PLB) exhibits a number of pharmaceutical ...activities but its hydrophobic nature and presence of quinone moiety limits its biomedical applications. In the present study, we have synthesized Plumbagin loaded Bovine Serum Albumin nanoparticles to enhance the bioavailability and decrease the toxicity. Albumin is a promising nanocarrier endowed with biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic, and non-immunogenic properties. PLB encapsulated BSA nanoparticles (BSA@PLB-NPs) were prepared by the desolvation method and characterized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), dynamic light scattering (DLS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Physicochemical characterization suggested that BSA@PLB-NPs possess the desirable size (186.60 ± 1.20) for drug delivery with a good polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.166 ± 0.041, spherical-shaped and amorphous in nature. Molecular docking studies revealed the binding interactions of PLB with BSA through hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic interactions with 94% steric stability. BSA@PLB-NPs showed potential cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells evaluated by MTT assay, AO/EtBr staining, colony formation assay and cellular uptake studies. Therefore, this study provides a potential strategy for improving the therapeutic efficacy of the hydrophobic drug PLB using biocompatible albumin.
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•Plumbagin loaded Bovine Serum Albumin Nanoparticle (BSA@PLB-NPs) was synthesized by Desolvation method.•The non-toxic, biocompatible protein Bovine Serum Albumin was used as a nanocarrier for the delivery of PLB.•Physicochemical characterization of BSA@PLB-NPs was done by DLS, FESEM, TEM, FTIR, XRD, DSC and TGA analytical techniques.•BSA@PLB-NPs showed higher cytotoxicity as compared to PLB alone against breast cancer (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7) cells.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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