Biological activities (antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic) of secondary metabolites of Ircinia spp.

Sponges are the most primitive of the multicellular, These organisms don’t have any mechanical defense system, so their early appearance in evolution has given them a lot of time for the development of advanced secondary metabolites as chemical defense system. Sponges have the potential to provide drugs from chemical components against diseases. In this investigation the sponge samples, which it is Ircina spp., were collected at depth of 15- 24 meter, from locations on the coastline of Island Kish in Persian Gulf of Iran. For identifying natural components, methanolic and diethyletter were used as extraction solvents, after removal of the solvents, the GC/MS spectra of the fraction were obtained. Then in vitro cytotoxic, antimicrobial and antifungal were identified. In vitro cytotoxity screening, by XTT assay, against KB/ C359 and HUT-56/ C365 cell line, was conducted in this study in 1 - 544 μg/ml. IC54 for winter diethyletter extract was 325 μg/ml, winter methanolic extract was 364 μg/ml, IC54 for summer diethyletter extract was 544 μg/ml, and summer methanolic extract was 454 μg/ml in HUT-56. IC54 for winter diethyletter extract was 454 μg/ml, winter methanolic extract was 444 μg/ml, IC54 for summer diethyletter extract was 344 μg/ml, and summer methanolic extract was 424 μg/ml in KB. In vitro antimicrobial activity by Broth Dilution Methods against clinical gram-positives and gram negatives (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis). The results conducted that the MIC values of winter diethyletter extract for Escherichia coli 24mg/ml, the MIC values of winter diethyletter extract for Escherichia coli 24mg/ml, the MIC and MBC values of winter diethyletter extract for Staphylococcus aureus was 2mg/ml and 24mg/ml. The MIC and MBC values of winter diethyletter extract for Bacillus subtilis was 1.5 mg/ml and 2mg/ml. In vitro antifungal activity by Broth Dilution Methods against clinical pathogens; Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. The results conducted that the aqueous extracts didn’t have any antifungal activities on pathogens, the MFC of the summer and winter diethyletter extract was 30 mg/ml and 2 mg/ml A. fumigates, the summer and winter methanolic extract was 0722 mg/ml and 2 mg/ml A. fumigates, the summer and winter methanolic was 4/75mg/ml, MFC 5 mg/ml on C. albicans.

Parameterization of quasigeostrophic eddies in primitive equation ocean models

A parameterization of mesoscale eddy fluxes in the ocean should be consistent with the fact that the ocean interior is nearly adiabatic. Gent and McWilliams have described a framework in which this can be approximated in L-coordinate primitive equation models by incorporating the effects of eddies on the buoyancy field through an eddy-induced velocity. It is also natural to base a parameterization on the simple picture of the mixing of potential vorticity in the interior and the mixing of buoyancy at the surface. The authors discuss the various constraints imposed by these two requirements and attempt to clarify the appropriate boundary conditions on the eddy-induced velocities at the surface. Quasigeostrophic theory is used as a guide to the simplest way of satisfying these constraints.

Classical Invariants for Principal Series and Isomorphisms of Root Data

We develop some new techniques to calculate the Schur indicator for self-dual irreducible Langlands quotients of the principal series representations. Using these techniques we derive some new formulas for the Schur indicator and the real-quaternionic indicator. We make progress towards developing an algorithm to decide whether or not two root data are isomorphic. When the derived group has cyclic center, we solve the isomorphism problem completely. An immediate consequence is a clean and precise classification theorem for connected complex reductive groups whose derived groups have cyclic center.

Holomorphic functions on non-Runge domains and related problems.

Let U be a domain in CN that is not a Runge domain. We study the topological and algebraic properties of the family of holomorphic functions on U which cannot be approximated by polynomials.

Chebanov law and Vakar formula in mathematical models of complex systems

Ecological models written in a mathematical language L(M) or model language, with a given style or methodology can be considered as a text. It is possible to apply statistical linguistic laws and the experimental results demonstrate that the behaviour of a mathematical model is the same of any literary text of any natural language. A text has the following characteristics: (a) the variables, its transformed functions and parameters are the lexic units or LUN of ecological models; (b) the syllables are constituted by a LUN, or a chain of them, separated by operating or ordering LUNs; (c) the flow equations are words; and (d) the distribution of words (LUM and CLUN) according to their lengths is based on a Poisson distribution, the Chebanov's law. It is founded on Vakar's formula, that is calculated likewise the linguistic entropy for L(M). We will apply these ideas over practical examples using MARIOLA model. In this paper it will be studied the problem of the lengths of the simple lexic units composed lexic units and words of text models, expressing these lengths in number of the primitive symbols, and syllables. The use of these linguistic laws renders it possible to indicate the degree of information given by an ecological model.

Equivalent norms in polynomial spaces and applications.

In this paper, equivalence constants between various polynomial norms are calculated. As an application, we also obtain sharp values of the Hardy Littlewood constants for 2-homogeneous polynomials on l(p)(2) spaces, 2 < p <= infinity. We also provide lower estimates for the Hardy-Littlewood constants for polynomials of higher degrees.

The 1998-2001 submarine lava balloon eruption at the Serreta Ridge (Azores archipelago): constraints from volcanic facies architecture, isotope geochemistry and magnetic data

The most recent submarine eruption observed offshore the Azores archipelago occurred between 1998-2001 along the submarine Serreta ridge (SSR), ~4-5 nautical miles WNW of Terceira Island. This submarine eruption delivered abundant basaltic lava balloons floating at the sea surface and significantly changed the bathymetry around the eruption area. Our work combines bathymetry, volcanic facies cartography, petrography, rock magnetism and geochemistry in order to (1) track the possible vent source at seabed, (2) better constrain the Azores magma source(s) sampled through the Serreta submarine volcanic event, and (3) interpret the data within the small-scale mantle source heterogeneity framework that has been demonstrated for the Azores archipelago. Lava balloons sampled at sea surface display a radiogenic signature, which is also correlated with relatively primitive (low) 4He/3He isotopic ratios. Conversely, SSR lavas are characterized by significantly lower radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr, 206Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb ratios than the lava balloons and the onshore lavas from the Terceira Island. SSR lavas are primitive, but incompatible trace-enriched. Apparent decoupling between the enriched incompatible trace element abundances and depleted radiogenic isotope ratios is best explained by binary mixing of a depleted MORB source and a HIMU­type component into magma batches that evolved by similar shallower processes in their travel to the surface. The collected data suggest that the freshest samples collected in the SSR may correspond to volcanic products of an unnoticed and more recent eruption than the 1998-2001 episode.

Coupling instrumentation and methodology in the search for traces of life on the early Earth and Mars

Evaluating the nature of the earliest, often controversial, traces of life in the geological record (dating to the Palaeoarchaean, up to ~3.5 billion years before the present) is of fundamental relevance for placing constraints on the potential that life emerged on Mars at approximately the same time (the Noachian period). In their earliest histories, the two planets shared many palaeoenvironmental similarities, before the surface of Mars rapidly became inhospitable to life as we know it. Multi-scalar, multi-modal analyses of fossiliferous rocks from the Barberton greenstone belt of South Africa and the East Pilbara terrane of Western Australia are a window onto primitive prokaryotic ecoystems. Complementary petrographic, morphological, (bio)geochemical and nanostructural analyses of chert horizons and the carbonaceous material within using a wide range of techniques – including optical microscopy, SEM-EDS, Raman spectroscopy, PIXE, µCT, laser ablation ICP-MS, high-resolution TEM-based analytical techniques and secondary ion mass spectrometry – can characterise, at scales from macroscopic to nanoscopic, the fossilised biomes of the earliest Earth. These approaches enable the definition of the palaeoenvironments, and potentially metabolic networks, preserved in ancient rocks. Modifying these protocols is necessary for Martian exploration using rovers, since the range and power of space instrumentation is significantly reduced relative to terrestrial laboratories. Understanding the crucial observations possible using highly complementary rover-based payloads is therefore critical in scientific protocols aiming to detect traces of life on Mars.

Decompositions of powers of quadratic forms

We analyze the Waring decompositions of the powers of any quadratic form over the field of complex numbers. Our main objective is to provide detailed information about their rank and border rank. These forms are of significant importance because of the classical decomposition expressing the space of polynomials of a fixed degree as a direct sum of the spaces of harmonic polynomials multiplied by a power of the quadratic form. Using the fact that the spaces of harmonic polynomials are irreducible representations of the special orthogonal group over the field of complex numbers, we show that the apolar ideal of the s-th power of a non-degenerate quadratic form in n variables is generated by the set of harmonic polynomials of degree s+1. We also generalize and improve upon some of the results about real decompositions, provided by B. Reznick in his notes from 1992, focusing on possibly minimal decompositions and providing new ones, both real and complex. We investigate the rank of the second power of a non-degenerate quadratic form in n variables, which is equal to (n^2+n+2)/2 in most cases. We also study the border rank of any power of an arbitrary ternary non-degenerate quadratic form, which we determine explicitly using techniques of apolarity and a specific subscheme contained in its apolar ideal. Based on results about smoothability, we prove that the smoothable rank of the s-th power of such form corresponds exactly to its border rank and to the rank of its middle catalecticant matrix, which is equal to (s+1)(s+2)/2.

Pipkiiα Is Widely Expressed In Hematopoietic-derived Cells And May Play A Role In The Expression Of Alpha- And Gamma-globins In K562 Cells.

Characterized for the first time in erythrocytes, phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinases (PIP kinases) belong to a family of enzymes that generate various lipid messengers and participate in several cellular processes, including gene expression regulation. Recently, the PIPKIIα gene was found to be differentially expressed in reticulocytes from two siblings with hemoglobin H disease, suggesting a possible relationship between PIPKIIα and the production of globins. Here, we investigated PIPKIIα gene and protein expression and protein localization in hematopoietic-derived cells during their differentiation, and the effects of PIPKIIα silencing on K562 cells. PIPKIIα silencing resulted in an increase in α and γ globins and a decrease in the proliferation of K562 cells without affecting cell cycle progression and apoptosis. In conclusion, using a cell line model, we showed that PIPKIIα is widely expressed in hematopoietic-derived cells, is localized in their cytoplasm and nucleus, and is upregulated during erythroid differentiation. We also showed that PIPKIIα silencing can induce α and γ globin expression and decrease cell proliferation in K562 cells.

Obesity And Inflammation And The Effect On The Hematopoietic System.

Bone marrow is organized in specialized microenvironments known as 'marrow niches'. These are important for the maintenance of stem cells and their hematopoietic progenitors whose homeostasis also depends on other cell types present in the tissue. Extrinsic factors, such as infection and inflammatory states, may affect this system by causing cytokine dysregulation (imbalance in cytokine production) and changes in cell proliferation and self-renewal rates, and may also induce changes in the metabolism and cell cycle. Known to relate to chronic inflammation, obesity is responsible for systemic changes that are best studied in the cardiovascular system. Little is known regarding the changes in the hematopoietic system induced by the inflammatory state carried by obesity or the cell and molecular mechanisms involved. The understanding of the biological behavior of hematopoietic stem cells under obesity-induced chronic inflammation could help elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in other inflammatory processes, such as neoplastic diseases and bone marrow failure syndromes.

Antiangiogenic And Finasteride Therapies: Responses Of The Prostate Microenvironment In Elderly Mice.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the structural and molecular effects of antiangiogenic therapies and finasteride on the ventral prostate of senile mice. 90 male FVB mice were divided into: Young (18 weeks old) and senile (52 weeks old) groups; finasteride group: finasteride (20mg/kg); SU5416 group: SU5416 (6 mg/kg); TNP-470 group: TNP-470 (15 mg/kg,) and SU5416+TNP-470 group: similar to the SU5416 and TNP-470 groups. After 21 days, prostate ventral lobes were collected for morphological, immunohistochemical and Western blotting analyses. The results demonstrated atrophy, occasional proliferative lesions and inflammatory cells in the prostate during senescence, which were interrupted and/or blocked by treatment with antiangiogenic drugs and finasteride. Decreased AR and endostatin reactivities, and an increase for ER-α, ER-β and VEGF, were seen in the senile group. Decreased VEGF and ER-α reactivities and increased ER-β reactivity were verified in the finasteride, SU5416 groups and especially in SU5416+TNP-470 group. The TNP-470 group showed reduced AR and ER-β protein levels. The senescence favored the occurrence of structural and/or molecular alterations suggesting the onset of malignant lesions, due to the imbalance in the signaling between the epithelium and stroma. The SU5416+TNP-470 treatment was more effective in maintaining the structural, hormonal and angiogenic factor balance in the prostate during senescence, highlighting the signaling of antiproliferation via ER-β.

Egfr Activating Mutations And Their Association With Response To Platinum-doublet Chemotherapy In Brazilian Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

The aim of the study was to analyze the frequency of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in Brazilian non-small cell lung cancer patients and to correlate these mutations with response to benefit of platinum-based chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our cohort consisted of prospective patients with NSCLCs who received chemotherapy (platinum derivates plus paclitaxel) at the [UNICAMP], Brazil. EGFR exons 18-21 were analyzed in tumor-derived DNA. Fifty patients were included in the study (25 with adenocarcinoma). EGFR mutations were identified in 6/50 (12 %) NSCLCs and in 6/25 (24 %) adenocarcinomas; representing the frequency of EGFR mutations in a mostly self-reported White (82.0 %) southeastern Brazilian population of NSCLCs. Patients with NSCLCs harboring EGFR exon 19 deletions or the exon 21 L858R mutation were found to have a higher chance of response to platinum-paclitaxel (OR 9.67 [95 % CI 1.03-90.41], p = 0.047). We report the frequency of EGFR activating mutations in a typical southeastern Brazilian population with NSCLC, which are similar to that of other countries with Western European ethnicity. EGFR mutations seem to be predictive of a response to platinum-paclitaxel, and additional studies are needed to confirm or refute this relationship.

Intermittent Fasting Induces Hypothalamic Modifications Resulting In Low Feeding Efficiency, Low Body Mass And Overeating.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an often-used intervention to decrease body mass. In male Sprague-Dawley rats, 24 hour cycles of IF result in light caloric restriction, reduced body mass gain, and significant decreases in the efficiency of energy conversion. Here, we study the metabolic effects of IF in order to uncover mechanisms involved in this lower energy conversion efficiency. After 3 weeks, IF animals displayed overeating during fed periods and lower body mass, accompanied by alterations in energy-related tissue mass. The lower efficiency of energy use was not due to uncoupling of muscle mitochondria. Enhanced lipid oxidation was observed during fasting days, whereas fed days were accompanied by higher metabolic rates. Furthermore, an increased expression of orexigenic neurotransmitters AGRP and NPY in the hypothalamus of IF animals was found, even on feeding days, which could explain the overeating pattern. Together, these effects provide a mechanistic explanation for the lower efficiency of energy conversion observed. Overall, we find that IF promotes changes in hypothalamic function that explain differences in body mass and caloric intake.

The Cratylia Mollis Seed Lectin Induces Membrane Permeability Transition In Isolated Rat Liver Mitochondria And A Cyclosporine A-insensitive Permeability Transition In Trypanosoma Cruzi Mitochondria.

Previous results provided evidence that Cratylia mollis seed lectin (Cramoll 1,4) promotes Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes death by necrosis via a mechanism involving plasma membrane permeabilization to Ca(2+) and mitochondrial dysfunction due to matrix Ca(2+) overload. In order to investigate the mechanism of Ca(2+) -induced mitochondrial impairment, experiments were performed analyzing the effects of this lectin on T. cruzi mitochondrial fraction and in isolated rat liver mitochondria (RLM), as a control. Confocal microscopy of T. cruzi whole cell revealed that Cramoll 1,4 binding to the plasma membrane glycoconjugates is followed by its internalization and binding to the mitochondrion. Electrical membrane potential (∆Ψm ) of T. cruzi mitochondrial fraction suspended in a reaction medium containing 10 μM Ca(2+) was significantly decreased by 50 μg/ml Cramoll 1,4 via a mechanism insensitive to cyclosporine A (CsA, membrane permeability transition (MPT) inhibitor), but sensitive to catalase or 125 mM glucose. In RLM suspended in a medium containing 10 μM Ca(2+) this lectin, at 50 μg/ml, induced increase in the rate of hydrogen peroxide release, mitochondrial swelling, and ∆Ψm disruption. All these mitochondrial alterations were sensitive to CsA, catalase, and EGTA. These results indicate that Cramoll 1, 4 leads to inner mitochondrial membrane permeabilization through Ca(2+) dependent mechanisms in both mitochondria. The sensitivity to CsA in RLM characterizes this lectin as a MPT inducer and the lack of CsA effect identifies a CsA-insensitive MPT in T. cruzi mitochondria.