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In addition to their role as a source of reduced carbon, sugars may directly or indirectly control a wide range of activities in plant cells, through transcriptional and post-translational regulation. This control has been studied in detail using Arabidopsis thaliana, where genetic analysis offers many possibilities. Much less is known about perennial woody species. For several years, various aspects of sugar sensing and signalling have been investigated in the grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berry, an organ that accumulates high concentrations of hexoses in the vacuoles of flesh cells. Here we review various aspects of this topic: the molecular basis of sugar transport and its regulation by sugars in grapevine; the functional analysis of several sugar-induced genes; the effects of some biotic and abiotic stresses on the sugar content of the berry; and finally the effects of exogenous sugar supply on the ripening process in field conditions. A picture of complex feedback and multiprocess regulation emerges from these data.
THIS ARTICLE REVIEWS THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE ON WHICH PROTEINS, AMINO ACIDS, OR COMBINATION OF BOTH SEEM TO BE OPTIMAL TO ENHANCE HYPERTROPHY AFTER RESISTANCE EXERCISE IN YOUNG ADULTS. DEPENDING ON THE CONTENT OF ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS AND PARTICULARLY LEUCINE, EITHER AN IMMEDIATE INGESTION OF similar to 20 G MILK PROTEIN FOLLOWED BY A SIMILAR AMOUNT similar to 1 HOUR LATER, OR A SINGLE BOLUS OF similar to 40 G SEEMS TO BE SUITABLE. GREATER AMOUNTS MIGHT BE NECESSARY IF A PROTEIN OF LOWER QUALITY IS CHOSEN ( I. E., PLANT-BASED PROTEINS) TO MATCH THE REQUIRED AMINO ACID QUANTITIES AND FACILITATE MUSCLE GROWTH.
Many coasts feature sequences of Quaternary and Neogene shorelines that are shaped by a combination of sea-level oscillations and tectonics. We compiled a global synthesis of sea-level changes for the following highstands: MIS 1, MIS 3, MIS 5e and MIS 11. Also, we date the apparent onset of sequences of paleoshorelines either from published data or tentatively extrapolating an age for the uppermost, purported oldest shoreline in each sequence. Including the most documented MIS 5e benchmark, we identify 926 sequences out of which 185 also feature Holocene shorelines. Six areas are identified where elevations of the MIS 3 shorelines are known, and 31 feature elevation data for MIS 11 shorelines. Genetic relationships to regional geodynamics are further explored based on the elevations of the MIS 5e benchmark. Mean apparent uplift rates range from 0.01 0.01 mm/yr (hotspots) to 1.47 0.08 mm/yr (continental collision). Passive margins appear as ubiquitously uplifting, while tectonic segmentation is more important on active margins. From the literature and our extrapolations, we infer ages for the onset of formation for -180 coastal sequences. Sea level fingerprinting on coastal sequences started at least during mid Miocene and locally as early as Eocene. Whether due to the changes in the bulk volume of seawater or to the temporal variations in the shape of ocean basins, estimates of eustasy fail to explain the magnitude of the apparent sea level drop. Thus, vertical ground motion is invoked, and we interpret the longlasting development of those paleoshore sequences as the imprint of glacial cycles on globally uplifted margins in response to continental compression. The geomorphological expression of the sequences matches the amplitude and frequency of glacial cyclicity. From middle Pleistocene to present-day, moderately fast (100,000 yrs) oscillating sea levels favor the development of well identified strandlines that are distinct from one another. Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene strandlines associated with faster cyclicity (40,000 yrs) are more compact and easily merge into rasas, whereas older Cenozoic low-frequency eustatic changes generally led to widespread flat-lying coastal plains.
The structures and synthesis of polyzwitterions ("polybetaines") are reviewed, emphasizing the literature of the past decade. Particular attention is given to the general challenges faced, and to successful strategies to obtain polymers with a true balance of permanent cationic and anionic groups, thus resulting in an overall zero charge. Also, the progress due to applying new methodologies from general polymer synthesis, such as controlled polymerization methods or the use of "click" chemical reactions is presented. Furthermore, the emerging topic of responsive ("smart") polyzwitterions is addressed. The considerations and critical discussions are illustrated by typical examples.
Reviews
(2014)
Purpose of reviewIncretin-based therapy with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors is considered a promising therapeutic option for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cumulative evidence, mainly from preclinical animal studies, reveals that incretin-based therapies also may elicit beneficial effects on kidney function. This review gives an overview of the physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology of the renal incretin system.Recent findingsActivation of GLP-1R in the kidney leads to diuretic and natriuretic effects, possibly through direct actions on renal tubular cells and sodium transporters. Moreover, there is evidence that incretin-based therapy reduces albuminuria, glomerulosclerosis, oxidative stress, and fibrosis in the kidney, partially through GLP-1R-independent pathways. Molecular mechanisms by which incretins exert their renal effects are understood incompletely, thus further studies are needed.SummaryThe GLP-1R and DPP-4 are expressed in the kidney in various species. The kidney plays an important role in the excretion of incretin metabolites and most GLP-1R agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors, thus special attention is required when applying incretin-based therapy in renal impairment. Preclinical observations suggest direct renoprotective effects of incretin-based therapies in the setting of hypertension and other disorders of sodium retention, as well as in diabetic and nondiabetic nephropathy. Clinical studies are needed in order to confirm translational relevance from preclinical findings for treatment options of renal diseases.
Confusion about model validation is one of the main challenges in using ecological models for decision support, such as the regulation of pesticides. Decision makers need to know whether a model is a sufficiently good representation of its real counterpart and what criteria can be used to answer this question. Unclear terminology is one of the main obstacles to a good understanding of what model validation is, how it works, and what it can deliver. Therefore, we performed a literature review and derived a standard set of terms. 'Validation' was identified as a catch-all term, which is thus useless for any practical purpose. We introduce the term 'evaludation', a fusion of 'evaluation' and 'validation', to describe the entire process of assessing a model's quality and reliability. Considering the iterative nature of model development, the modelling cycle, we identified six essential elements of evaludation: (i) 'data evaluation' for scrutinising the quality of numerical and qualitative data used for model development and testing; (ii) 'conceptual model evaluation' for examining the simplifying assumptions underlying a model's design; (iii) 'implementation verification' for testing the model's implementation in equations and as a computer programme; (iv) 'model output verification' for comparing model output to data and patterns that guided model design and were possibly used for calibration; (v) 'model analysis' for exploring the model's sensitivity to changes in parameters and process formulations to make sure that the mechanistic basis of main behaviours of the model has been well understood; and (vi) 'model output corroboration' for comparing model output to new data and patterns that were not used for model development and parameterisation. Currently, most decision makers require 'validating' a model by testing its predictions with new experiments or data. Despite being desirable, this is neither sufficient nor necessary for a model to be useful for decision support. We believe that the proposed set of terms and its relation to the modelling cycle can help to make quality assessments and reality checks of ecological models more comprehensive and transparent. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
New low-temperature thermochronological data from 80 samples in eastern Kyrgyzstan are combined with previously published data from 61 samples to constrain exhumation in a number of mountain ranges in the Central Kyrgyz Tien Shan. All sampled ranges are found to have a broadly consistent Cenozoic exhumation history, characterized by initially low cooling rates (<1 degrees C/Myr) followed by a series of increases in exhumation that occurred diachronously across the region in the late Cenozoic that are interpreted to record the onset of deformation in different mountain ranges. Combined with geological estimates for the onset of proximal deformation, our data suggest that the Central Kyrgyz Tien Shan started deforming in the late Oligocene-early Miocene, leading to the development of several, widely spaced mountain ranges separated by large intermontane basins. Subsequently, more ranges have been constructed in response to significant shortening increases across the Central Kyrgyz Tien Shan, notably in the late Miocene. The order of range construction is interpreted to reflect variations in the susceptibility of inherited structures to reactivation. Reactivated structures are also shown to have significance along strike variations in fault vergence and displacement, which have influenced the development and growth of individual mountain ranges. Moreover, the timing of deformation allows the former extent of many intermontane basins that have since been partitioned to be inferred; this can be linked to the highly time-transgressive onset of late Cenozoic coarse clastic sedimentation.
Rezensiertes Werk
George, Rosemary Marangoly, Indian English and the Fiction of National Literature - Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. - Hb. viii, 285 pp. - (Zeitschrift für Anglistik und Amerikanistik ; 62(4))
ISBN 978-1-107-04000-7.
Dendritic cells (DCs) are the cutting edge in innate and adaptive immunity. The major functions of these antigen presenting cells are the capture, endosomal processing and presentation of antigens, providing them an exclusive ability to provoke adaptive immune responses and to induce and control tolerance. Immature DCs capture and process antigens, migrate towards secondary lymphoid organs where they present antigens to naive T cells in a well synchronized sequence of procedures referred to as maturation. Indeed, recent research indicated that sphingolipids are modulators of essential steps in DC homeostasis. It has been recognized that sphingolipids not only modulate the development of DC subtypes from precursor cells but also influence functional activities of DCs such as antigen capture, and cytokine profiling. Thus, it is not astonishing that sphingolipids and sphingolipid metabolism play a substantial role in inflammatory diseases that are modulated by DCs. Here we highlight the function of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) on DC homeostasis and the role of SIP and SW metabolism in inflammatory diseases.
Insulin resistance is a complex metabolic disorder in which insulin-sensitive tissues fail to respond to the physiological action of insulin. There is a strong correlation of insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes both reaching epidemic proportions. Dysfunctional lipid metabolism is a hallmark of insulin resistance and a risk factor for several cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Numerous studies in humans and rodents have shown that insulin resistance is associated with elevations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in the plasma. Moreover, bioactive lipid intermediates such as diacylglycerol (DAG) and ceramides appear to accumulate in response to NEFA, which may interact with insulin signaling. However, recent work has also indicated that sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a breakdown product of ceramide, modulate insulin signaling in different cell types. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge about S1P and insulin signaling in insulin sensitive cells. A specific focus is put on the action of S1P on hepatocytes, pancreatic beta-cells and skeletal muscle cells. In particular, modulation of S1P-signaling can be considered as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Sexual aggression poses a serious threat to the sexual well-being of young people. This paper documents the available evidence on the prevalence of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization from 27 EU countries, established as part of the Youth Sexual Aggression and Victimization (Y-SAV) project. A total of N = 113 studies were identified through a systematic review of the literature and consultations with experts in each country. Despite differences in the number of available studies, methodology, and sample composition, the review shows substantial prevalence rates of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization across Europe. A wide variation was found, both within and between countries. The lifetime prevalence rates of female sexual victimization, excluding childhood sexual abuse, ranged from 9 to 83%, the rates of male sexual victimization ranged from 2 to 66%, the rates of male sexual aggression ranged from 0 to 80%, and the range of female sexual aggression ranged from 0.8 to 40%. One-year prevalence rates showed a similar variability. Conceptual and methodological problems in the database are discussed, and an outline is presented for a more harmonized approach to studying the scale of sexual aggression among young people in Europe. (c) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Background: Post-activation potentiation (PAP) can elicit acute performance enhancements in variables of strength, power, and speed. However, it is unresolved whether the frequent integration of PAP eliciting conditioning activities in training (i.e., complex training) results in long-term adaptations. In this regard, it is of interest to know whether complex training results in larger performance enhancements as compared to more traditional and isolated training regimens (e. g., resistance training). Thus, this systematic literature review summarises the current state of the art regarding the effects of complex training on measures of strength, power, and speed in recreational, subelite, and elite athletes. Further, it provides information on training volume and intensities that proved to be effective.
Methods: Our literature search included the electronic databases Pubmed, SportDiscus, and Web of Science (1995 to September 2013). In total, 17 studies met the inclusionary criteria for review. Ten studies examined alternating complex training and 7 studies sequenced complex training.
Results: Our findings indicated small to large effects for both alternating complex training (countermovement jump height: +7.4 % [ESd = -0.43]; squat jump height: +9.8 % [ESd = -0.66]; sprint time: -2.4% [ESd = 0.63]) and sequenced complex training (countermovement jump height: +6.0 % [ESd = -0.83]; squat jump height: +11.9% [ESd = -0.97], sprint time: -0.7% [ESd = 0.52]) in measures of power and speed. As compared to more traditional training regimens, alternating and sequenced complex training showed only small effects in measures of strength, power, and speed. A more detailed analysis of alternating complex training revealed larger effects in countermovement jump height in recreational athletes (+9.7% [ESd = -0.57]) as compared to subelite and elite athletes (+2.7% [ESd = -0.15]). Based on the relevant and currently available literature, missing data (e.g., time for rest interval) and diverse information regarding training volume and intensity do not allow us to establish evidence-based dose-response relations for complex training.
Conclusion: Complex training represents an effective training regimen for athletes if the goal is to enhance strength, power, and speed. Studies with high methodological quality have to be conducted in the future to elucidate whether complex training is less, similar, or even more effective compared to more traditional training regimens. Finally, it should be clarified whether alternated and/or sequenced conditioning activities implemented in complex training actually elicit acute PAP effects.
Each year we are bombarded with B.Sc. and Ph.D. applications from students that want to improve the world. They have learned that their future depends on changing the type of fuel we use and that solar energy is our future. The hope and energy of these young people will transform future energy technologies, but it will not happen quickly. Organic photovoltaic devices are easy to sketch, but the materials, processing steps, and ways of measuring the properties of the materials are very complicated. It is not trivial to make a systematic measurement that will change the way other research groups think or practice. In approaching this chapter, we thought about what a new researcher would need to know about organic photovoltaic devices and materials in order to have a good start in the subject. Then, we simplified that to focus on what a new researcher would need to know about poly-3-hexylthiophene: phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester blends (P3HT: PCBM) to make research progress with these materials. This chapter is by no means authoritative or a compendium of all things on P3HT: PCBM. We have selected to explain how the sample fabrication techniques lead to control of morphology and structural features and how these morphological features have specific optical and electronic consequences for organic photovoltaic device applications.
DNA origami nanostructures allow for the arrangement of different functionalities such as proteins, specific DNA structures, nanoparticles, and various chemical modifications with unprecedented precision. The arranged functional entities can be visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) which enables the study of molecular processes at a single-molecular level. Examples comprise the investigation of chemical reactions, electron-induced bond breaking, enzymatic binding and cleavage events, and conformational transitions in DNA. In this paper, we provide an overview of the advances achieved in the field of single-molecule investigations by applying atomic force microscopy to functionalized DNA origami substrates.
In eukaryotes, regulated protein turnover is required during many cellular processes, including defense against pathogens. Ubiquitination and degradation of ubiquitinated proteins via the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is the main pathway for the turnover of intracellular proteins in eukaryotes. The extensive utilization of the UPS in host cells makes it an ideal pivot for the manipulation of cellular processes by pathogens. Like many other Gram-negative bacteria, Xanthomonas species secrete a suite of type-III effector proteins (T3Es) into their host cells to promote virulence. Some of these T3Es exploit the plant UPS to interfere with immunity. This review summarizes T3E examples from the genus Xanthomonas with a proven or suggested interaction with the host UPS or UPS-like systems and also discusses the apparent paradox that arises from the presence of T3Es that inhibit the UPS in general while others rely on its activity for their function.
A class of adsorbents currently receiving growing attention is the clay-polymer nanocomposite (CPN) adsorbents. CPNs effectively treat water by adsorption and flocculation of both inorganic and organic micropollutants from aqueous solutions. Some of these CPNs - when modified with biocides - also have the ability to efficiently remove microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans from water. CPNs are far more easily recovered from aqueous media than neat clay. They also exhibit far better treatment times than either polymer or clay adsorbents. They have higher adsorption capacity and better life cycles compared with clay alone. CPNs therefore show an excellent potential as highly efficient water and waste treatment agents.
This article reviews the various CPNs that have been prepared recently and used as adsorbents in the removal of micropollutants (inorganic, organic and biological) from aqueous solutions. A special focus is placed on CPNs that are not only interesting from an academic point of view but also effectively reduce the concentration of micropollutants in water to safe limits and also on new developments bordering on CPN use as water treatment agent that have not yet realized their full potential. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The anisotropy effect of functional groups (respectively the ring-current effect of aryl moieties) in H-1 NMR spectra has been computed as spatial NICS (through-space NMR chemical shieldings) and visualized by iso-chemical-shielding surfaces of various size and low(high) field direction. Hereby, the anisotropy/ring-current effect, which proves to be the molecular response property of spatial NICS, can be quantified and can be readily employed for assignment purposes in proton NMR spectroscopy-characteristic examples of stereochemistry and position assignments (the latter in supramolecular structures) will be given. In addition, anisotropy/ring-current effects in H-1 NMR spectra can be quantitatively separated from the second dominant structural effect in proton NMR spectra, the steric compression effect, pointing into the reverse direction, and the ring-current effect, by far the strongest anisotropy effect, can be impressively employed to visualize and quantify (anti) aromaticity and to clear up standing physical-organic phenomena as are pseudo-, spherical, captodative, homo-and chelatoaromaticity, to characterize the pi-electronic structure of, for example, fulvenes, fulvalenes, annulenes or fullerenes and to differentiate aromatic and quinonoid structures.
Resurrection species are a group of land plants that can tolerate extreme desiccation of their vegetative tissues during harsh drought stress, and still quickly often within hours regain normal physiological and metabolic functions following rehydration. At the molecular level, this desiccation tolerance is attributed to basal cellular mechanisms including the constitutive expression of stress-associated genes and high levels of protective metabolites present already in the absence of stress, as well as to transcriptome and metabolome reconfigurations rapidly occurring during the initial phases of drought stress. Parts of this response are conferred by unique metabolites, including a diverse array of sugars, phenolic compounds, and polyols, some of which accumulate to high concentrations within the plant cell. In addition to drought stress, these metabolites are proposed to contribute to the protection against other abiotic stresses and to an increased oxidative stress tolerance. Recently, extracts of resurrection species and particular secondary metabolites therein were reported to display biological activities of importance to medicine, with e.g. antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal, and antiviral activities, rendering them possible candidates for the development of novel drug substances as well as for cosmetics. Herein, we provide an overview of the metabolite composition of resurrection species, summarize the latest reports related to the use of natural products from resurrection plants, and outline their potential for medical applications. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Leaves and floral organs grow to distinct, species-specific sizes and shapes. Research over the last few years has increased our understanding of how genetic pathways modulate cell proliferation and cell expansion to determine these sizes and shapes. In particular, the timing of proliferation arrest is an important point of control for organ size, and work on the regulators involved is showing how this control is achieved mechanistically and integrates environmental information. We are also beginning to understand how growth differs in different organs to produce their characteristic shapes, and how growth is integrated between different tissues that make up plant organs. Lastly, components of the general machinery in eukaryotic cells have been identified as having important roles in growth control.
In ecology, biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEE) research has seen a shift in perspective from taxonomy to function in the last two decades, with successful application of trait-based approaches. This shift offers opportunities for a deeper mechanistic understanding of the role of biodiversity in maintaining multiple ecosystem processes and services. In this paper, we highlight studies that have focused on BEE of microbial communities with an emphasis on integrating trait-based approaches to microbial ecology. In doing so, we explore some of the inherent challenges and opportunities of understanding BEE using microbial systems. For example, microbial biologists characterize communities using gene phylogenies that are often unable to resolve functional traits. Additionally, experimental designs of existing microbial BEE studies are often inadequate to unravel BEE relationships. We argue that combining eco-physiological studies with contemporary molecular tools in a trait-based framework can reinforce our ability to link microbial diversity to ecosystem processes. We conclude that such trait-based approaches are a promising framework to increase the understanding of microbial BEE relationships and thus generating systematic principles in microbial ecology and more generally ecology.
Zooplankton carcasses are ubiquitous in marine and freshwater systems, implicating the importance of non-predatory mortality, but both are often overlooked in ecological studies compared with predatory mortality. The development of several microscopic methods allows the distinction between live and dead zooplankton in field samples, and the reported percentages of dead zooplankton average 11.6 (minimum) to 59.8 (maximum) in marine environments, and 7.4 (minimum) to 47.6 (maximum) in fresh and inland waters. Common causes of non-predatory mortality among zooplankton include senescence, temperature change, physical and chemical stresses, parasitism and food-related factors. Carcasses resulting from non-predatory mortality may undergo decomposition leading to an increase in microbial production and a shift in microbial composition in the water column. Alternatively, sinking carcasses may contribute significantly to vertical carbon flux especially outside the phytoplankton growth seasons, and become a food source for the benthos. Global climate change is already altering freshwater ecosystems on multiple levels, and likely will have significant positive or negative effects on zooplankton non-predatory mortality. Better spatial and temporal studies of zooplankton carcasses and non-predatory mortality rates will improve our understanding of this important but under-appreciated topic.