Trophic ecology of jumbo squid and predatory fishes in the Northern Humboldt Current System

This work provides a contribution to a better understanding of the trophic ecology of important predators in the Northern Humboldt Current System, the jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi), the chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) and the jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) by the characterization of the highly variable feeding patterns of these species at different spatiotemporal scales. We provided new knowledge on the comparative trophic behaviour of these species, defined as opportunistic in previous investigations. For that purpose we applied a variety of statistical methods to an extensive dataset of 27,188 non-empty stomachs. We defined the spatial organization of the forage fauna of these predators and documented changes in prey composition according to predators’ size and spatiotemporal features of environment. Our results highligh the key role played by the dissolved oxygen. We also deciphered an important paradox on the jumbo squid diet: why do they hardly forage on the huge anchovy (Engraulis ringens) biomass distributed of coastal Peru? We showed that the shallow oxygen minimum zone present off coastal Peru could hamper the co-occurrence of jumbo squids and anchovies. In addition, we proposed a conceptual model on jumbo squid trophic ecology including the ontogenetic cycle, oxygen and prey availability. Moreover we showed that the trophic behaviour of jack mackerel and chub mackerel is adapted to forage on more accessible species such as for example the squat lobster Pleurocondes monodon and Zoea larvae. Besides, both predators present a trophic overlap. But jack mackerel was not as oracious as chub mackerel, contradictorily to what was observed by others authors. Fish diet presented a high spatiotemporal variability, and the shelf break appeared as a strong biogeographical frontier. Diet composition of our fish predators was not necessarily a consistent indicator of changes in prey biomass. El Niño events had a weak effect on the stomach fullness and diet composition of chub mackerel and jack mackerel. Moreover, decadal changes in diet diversity challenged the classic paradigm of positive correlation between species richness and temperature. Finally, the global patterns that we described in this work, illustrated the opportunistic foraging behaviour, life strategies and the high degree of plasticity of these species. Such behaviour allows adaptation to changes in the environment.

Transferencia en la adquisición de segundas lenguas. Un estudio con alumnado rumano en un contexto bilingüe = Transfer in second language acquisition. A study with Romanian schoolchildren in a bilingual context

Situados en el contexto catalán, el artículo estudia la influencia de la L1 (rumano) en algunos aspectos morfosintácticos de la adquisición de las L2s. Para ello se analizan las competencias lingüísticas en catalán y castellano de un grupo de escolares cuya L1 es el rumano y que cursan 2.º y 4.º de ESO. Los datos muestran que los alumnos cuya L1 es el rumano, a pesar de dominar una lengua románica cercana a las lenguas de aprendizaje (L2/L3), presentan dificultades comparables a otros colectivos con otras lenguasde origen. Por otra parte, nuestra investigación confirma que la L1 de este alumnado juega un importante papel en la adquisición de ambas lenguas, concluyendo que parte de los errores hallados son aquellos que se basan en estructuras de la lengua propia

Localized in vivo hyperpolarization transfer sequences.

In vivo localized and fully adiabatic homonuclear and heteronuclear polarization transfer experiments were designed and performed in the rat brain at 9.4 T after infusion of hyperpolarized sodium [1,2-(13)C(2)] and sodium [1-(13)C] acetate. The method presented herein leads to highly enhanced in vivo detection of short-T(1) (13)C as well as attached protons. This indirect detection scheme allows for probing additional molecular sites in hyperpolarized substrates and their metabolites and can thus lead to improved spectral resolution such as in the case of (13)C-acetate metabolism.

Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein promotes the secretion of Xenopus laevis vitellogenin A1.

Vitellogenins (Vtg) are ancient lipid transport and storage proteins and members of the large lipid transfer protein (LLTP) gene family, which includes insect apolipophorin II/I, apolipoprotein B (apoB), and the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP). Lipidation of Vtg occurs at its site of synthesis in vertebrate liver, insect fat body, and nematode intestine; however, the mechanism of Vtg lipid acquisition is unknown. To explore whether Vtg biogenesis requires the apoB cofactor and LLTP family member, MTP, Vtg was expressed in COS cells with and without coexpression of the 97-kDa subunit of human MTP. Expression of Vtg alone gave rise to a approximately 220-kDa apoprotein, which was predominantly confined to an intracellular location. Coexpression of Vtg with human MTP enhanced Vtg secretion by 5-fold, without dramatically affecting its intracellular stability. A comparison of wild type and a triglyceride transfer-defective form of MTP revealed that both were capable of promoting Vtg secretion, whereas only wild type MTP could promote the secretion of apoB41 (amino-terminal 41% of apoB). These studies demonstrate that the biogenesis of Vtg is MTP-dependent and that MTP is the likely ancestral member of the LLTP gene family.

In vivo imaging of T cell delivery to tumors after adoptive transfer therapy.

Adoptive transfer therapy of in vitro-expanded tumor-specific cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTLs) can mediate objective cancer regression in patients. Yet, technical limitations hamper precise monitoring of posttherapy T cell responses. Here we show in a mouse model that fused single photon emission computed tomography and x-ray computed tomography allows quantitative whole-body imaging of (111)In-oxine-labeled CTLs at tumor sites. Assessment of CTL localization is rapid, noninvasive, three-dimensional, and can be repeated for longitudinal analyses. We compared the effects of lymphodepletion before adoptive transfer on CTL recruitment and report that combined treatment increased intratumoral delivery of CTLs and improved antitumor efficacy. Because (111)In-oxine is a Food and Drug Administration-approved clinical agent, and human SPECT-CT systems are available, this approach should be clinically translatable, insofar as it may assess the efficacy of immunization procedures in individual patients and lead to development of more effective therapies.

Non-surgical transfer of 4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole-stained equine embryos

Selostus: Hevosen alkioiden värjääminen DAPI:lla ennen vastaanottajaan siirtoa

The transfer of 137Cs through the soil-plant-sheep food chain in different pasture ecosystems

Selostus: Radiocesiumin kulkeutuminen eri laidunekosysteemien maa-ruoho-lammas -ravintoketjussa

Production of calves following nonsurgical transfer of fresh and refrigerated bovine demi-embryos

Selostus: Vasikoiden tuottaminen tuoreilla ja kylmäsäilytetyillä halkaistuilla alkioilla

Early stage disc degeneration does not have an appreciable affect on stiffness and load transfer following vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty have been reported to alter the mechanical behavior of the treated and adjacent-level segments, and have been suggested to increase the risk for adjacent-level fractures. The intervertebral disc (IVD) plays an important role in the mechanical behavior of vertebral motion segments. Comparisons between normal and degenerative IVD motion segments following cement augmentation have yet to be reported. A microstructural finite element model of a degenerative IVD motion segment was constructed from micro-CT images. Microdamage within the vertebral body trabecular structure was used to simulate a slightly (I = 83.5% of intact stiffness), moderately (II = 57.8% of intact stiffness), and severely (III = 16.0% of intact stiffness) damaged motion segment. Six variable geometry single-segment cement repair strategies (models A-F) were studied at each damage level (I-III). IVD and bone stresses, and motion segment stiffness, were compared with the intact and baseline damage models (untreated), as well as, previous findings using normal IVD models with the same repair strategies. Overall, small differences were observed in motion segment stiffness and average stresses between the degenerative and normal disc repair models. We did however observe a reduction in endplate bulge and a redistribution in the microstructural tissue level stresses across both endplates and in the treated segment following early stage IVD degeneration. The cement augmentation strategy placing bone cement along the periphery of the vertebra (model E) proved to be the most advantageous in treating the degenerative IVD models by showing larger reductions in the average bone stresses (vertebral and endplate) as compared to the normal IVD models. Furthermore, only this repair strategy, and the complete cement fill strategy (model F), were able to restore the slightly damaged (I) motion segment stiffness above pre-damaged (intact) levels. Early stage IVD degeneration does not have an appreciable effect in motion segment stiffness and average stresses in the treated and adjacent-level segments following vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Placing bone cement in the periphery of the damaged vertebra in a degenerative IVD motion segment, minimizes load transfer, and may reduce the likelihood of adjacent-level fractures.

Finnish embryo transfer breeding program "ASMO" : description of the goals and a summary of the results of initial selection

Selostus: Alkionsiirtojalostusohjelma "ASMO", sen tavoitteet ja yhteenveto alkuvalinnan tuloksista

An Adeno-Associated Virus-Based Intracellular Sensor of Pathological Nuclear Factor-κB Activation for Disease-Inducible Gene Transfer.

Stimulation of resident cells by NF-κB activating cytokines is a central element of inflammatory and degenerative disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). This disease-mediated NF-κB activation could be used to drive transgene expression selectively in affected cells, using adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene transfer. We have constructed a series of AAV vectors expressing GFP under the control of different promoters including NF-κB -responsive elements. As an initial screen, the vectors were tested in vitro in HEK-293T cells treated with TNF-α. The best profile of GFP induction was obtained with a promoter containing two blocks of four NF-κB -responsive sequences from the human JCV neurotropic polyoma virus promoter, fused to a new tight minimal CMV promoter, optimally distant from each other. A therapeutical gene, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) cDNA under the control of serotype 1-encapsidated NF-κB -responsive AAV vector (AAV-NF) was protective in senescent cultures of mouse cortical neurons. AAV-NF was then evaluated in vivo in the kainic acid (KA)-induced status epilepticus rat model for temporal lobe epilepsy, a major neurological disorder with a central pathophysiological role for NF-κB activation. We demonstrate that AAV-NF, injected in the hippocampus, responded to disease induction by mediating GFP expression, preferentially in CA1 and CA3 neurons and astrocytes, specifically in regions where inflammatory markers were also induced. Altogether, these data demonstrate the feasibility to use disease-activated transcription factor-responsive elements in order to drive transgene expression specifically in affected cells in inflammatory CNS disorders using AAV-mediated gene transfer.

Gene transfer into the airway epithelium of animals by targeting the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor.

Genes of interest can be targeted specifically to respiratory epithelial cells in intact animals with high efficiency by exploiting the receptor-mediated endocytosis of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor. A DNA carrier, consisting of the Fab portion of polyclonal antibodies raised against rat secretory component covalently linked to poly-L-lysine, was used to introduce plasmids containing different reporter genes into airway epithelial cells in vivo. We observed significant levels of luciferase enzyme activity in protein extracts from the liver and lung, achieving maximum values of 13,795 +/- 4,431 and 346,954 +/- 199,120 integrated light units (ILU) per milligram of protein extract, respectively. No luciferase activity was detected in spleen or heart, which do not express the receptor. Transfections using complexes consisting of an irrelevant plasmid (pCMV lacZ) bound to the bona fide carrier or the expression plasmid (pGEMluc) bound to a carrier based on an irrelevant Fab fragment resulted in background levels of luciferase activity in all tissues examined. Thus, only tissues that contain cells bearing the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor are transfected, and transfection cannot be attributed to the nonspecific uptake of an irrelevant carrier-DNA complex. Specific mRNA from the luciferase gene was also detected in the lungs of transfected animals. To determine which cells in the lungs are transfected by this method, DNA complexes were prepared containing expression plasmids with genes encoding the bacterial beta-galactosidase or the human interleukin 2 receptor. Expression of these genes was localized to the surface epithelium of the airways and the submucosal glands, and not the bronchioles and alveoli. Receptor-mediated endocytosis can be used to introduce functional genes into the respiratory epithelium of rats, and may be a useful technique for gene therapy targeting the lung.

Non integrative lentiviral vactors for gene transfer in the retina

Purpose:Lentiviral vectors are among the most efficient gene transfer tools for both dividing and non dividing cells, including pigmented epithelial cells of the retina. One of the latest developments in the field, which represents a significant advance in biosafety, consists in the use of non integrative lentiviral vectors (NILVs). These newly described tools were already shown to be efficient in various tissues, such as the retina. They allow prolonged transgene expression as long as the transduced cells do not divide or divide slowly. However, they were also shown to induce transgene expression less efficiently than their integrative counterparts. Further investigations are thus needed to improve their potential. To this aim, different strategies are under evaluation. In this study, we focused on using different integrase mutations. Methods:We considered different integrase mutations, including modifications in the catalytic site and in the C-terminal domain of the enzyme. Lentiviral vectors bearing these mutant integrases and allowing expression of various transgenes were produced and characterized in vitro and in vivo. In particular, we evaluated their transgene expression capability. Influence of integrase mutation on the residual integration activity was also investigated. Results:In line with the fact that the lentiviral integrase is involved in several steps of the replication cycle of lentiviruses, we observed that integrase mutations can modify lentiviral vector features, resulting in different transduction efficiencies as well as modulation of the integration activity. Conclusions:NILVs appear as suitable tools for gene transfer in the retina, particularly to transduce RPE cells. They can be advantageously used, for instance, to develop neuroprotective strategies aimed at rescuing photoreceptors from death in various retinal diseases.